FUN-E 2 ME

I saw this 'vanity' plate today while en route to lunch.

XQZAMOI

One of the most clever ones I've ever seen. Be sure and comment on any others that you might've seen that made you think, "Wow that's clever--wish I would've thought of that." Now, let's make sure that you've actually seen the ones you post--not ones that you thought up in 6th grade or that you saw one time on the game show Bumper Stumpers. Another couple to get the banter started:

UCMYVET (on a Corvette)
O2BN KY (obviously somebody's homesick)
H2OSKIR

Workin' on a Russell Baby

Well, the doctor appointment was yesterday....No real earth-shattering revelations. Hell, we didn't even get a due date. Find out about all that and more over at RussellBaby.com (or go straight to the blog)!

Show Me The A) Money, B) Door

The answer is B!!

Remember when you were little, and you struck out 3 times in your T-Ball game? Or you didn't get picked to play kickball? Or even when you tried out for the baseball/soccer/tennis/etc team in high school and got told, "You're good enough to play Junior Varsity, but the problem is, we don't have a JV squad"?? Your parents told you to practice, get better, and keep your eyes on the prize, right? Well, apparently that never happened at the Munoz household.

You see, little Mikee Munoz wanted to play football. His daddy played for the NFL and is in the Hall of Fame. It seems little Mikey's college career was a bit injury-plagued, and when no team picked him up this weekend in the draft, he quit. No more pigskin. That's gotta make daddy proud. Now, they'll sugar-coat it and put on a happy face, and say stuff like, "When God shuts a door, he opens 12 windows." But here's what kills me.......You go to University of Tennessee--arguably a premier football squad in one of the premier college sports conferences in the country, and only AFTER you weren't deemed better than 255 fellow players, you have this revelation: ""I had fun playing football. But I never found my identity playing football. . .Football isn't who I am." Oh, now I get it. Did you tell Coach Fulmer that a few years ago, or was this AFTER your free education? I'm sure all the people you competed with will find it refreshing that "football isn't who [you] [are]."

There are TONS of success stories about undrafted free agents. The Titans' starting receiver, Drew Bennett, is one such example. But hey, it's so much easier to quit. Especially when 'ole dad probably has enough money in the bank anyway.

Titans Caravan VIII

Well, tonight the boys from Nashville roll into Cordova and Wolfchase Galleria for their annual stop on the Titans Caravan. This will be my 4th visit--I guess I was totally clueless about the other years. Heck, Memphis fans probably rounded up a mob to overturn the bus the first year--still working through bitterness towards Tagliabue and the NFL for shunning Memphis for the 2nd time.

To recap who've I've gotten to meet on this little P.R. tour of sorts--Chris Sanders, John Thornton, Fred Miller, Jevon Kearse, Tyrone Calico, and Albert Haynesworth. Oh yeah, and if you wanna count radio people and executives, Jeff Diamond, Mike Keith, and Larry Stone. But unless you're planning on getting impossible-to-obtain game tickets and showing up 2 hours early in hopes of getting an autograph after pre-game warmups (which I'm convinced they only do for 6-year olds), then it's about the only way you'll ever cross paths with our pro football players. Which is a cool thing.

Tonight we'll get to meet Drew Bennett, Troy Fleming, and Frank Wycheck. Oh, and hopefully, I mean possibly, some cheerleaders. We even bought a Wycheck jersey just for #89 to sign. I've got my mini-helmet, but being that my wife always seemed to admire Mr. Wycheck's, um, physical attributes, she will be hot, bothered, and speechless I'm sure. Don't worry--I'll have the digital camera; pics will be posted here or over on our website with the the ones from Caravan VI and VII.

Serving Two Masters

Well, it is time now to try my best to equally divide my time between two blog-reading audiences. In case you've forgotten, I blogged awhile back (February 22, to be exact) about our new domain (www.russellbaby.com) and it's accompanying blog. Times have been slow recently, for there aren't too many phrases in Roget's Thesaurus for "Nothing's happening....Still trying." But alas, those days are over........

LEAH IS PREGNANT!!

Of course, the male-rights activists among us will insist that I say, "WE are pregnant," but I'll save all you smart-burros the comments about me carrying a child.

So, all things pertinent to our doctor's visits, Leah and the child's health, etc. will come via the russellbaby blog and not here. So remind yourself, if you haven't seen anything in a while over here, to jump over there--chances are that I will be snowed under with plans of nursery painting and being forced to decide if I like seafoam green or butter yellow better for the color of the knobs that go on the changing table. Or if I want a Peg Perego stroller or a Graco travel system. Dang, I'm scaring myself already.

I guess what I'm saying is that the baby stuff will be a distinct area of our lives on which to blog, as time gets closer, it'll probably be the ONLY thing on which to blog. But for now, I'll work on both. Otherwise, I'll see you at Babies R Us.

You Can't Be Sirius

Today brings the announcement that my Sirius satellite radio will soon have it's very own Martha Stewart channel. Yippee. Now, I'll ignore the comments about it being "prison radio" and all that, but it still seems like all the big names are coming to Sirius, and I ain't gonna be listenin' to any of em'!! Here are all the Sirius' recent announcements:

• Howard Stern in '06
• NASCAR in '07
• Martha Stewart in late '05

Now, Sirius also has all NFL games, all NBA games, all NCAA March madness games, and all NHL, eh, never mind. But being that I'm not one of those "Dang, I wish I could pick up the Seahawks/49'ers game! If only I lived out west!" types, the distant NFL coverage isn't a big deal to me. The only thing that the other guys, XM, have that I would want is MLB for picking up my Cubbies. Oh well. Most of the time they're losing anyway because their 8th-string catcher who just got promoted from AA West Tennessee is out with thigh contusion. And how exciting can a NASCAR radio broadcast be, anyway?--"Well, Jeff Gordon is turning left at turn 3....Dale Jr just turned left right behind him and is on his bumper..............Both are maintaining their 150MPH left turn rather well."

Commercial-free music is still the bomb. But I don't care about traffic in Chicago or Atlanta.

Happy Birthday to Me

Yes, I am fully aware that my birthday was 18 days ago. However, today I will celebrate my receiving a package from UPS about which I am extremely excited.

In response to the usual "What do you want for your birthday?" question this year, my response was simple: "Cash". Not because I was trying to pay off old gambling debt, but because there were several items that I wanted that were too specific and/or hard to find for somebody to go trying to get it (and mess it up). For example: Golf shoes. I needed some, but I really wouldn't expect somebody to walk into Golf Discount Warehouse and say, "I need some nice, quality shoes--something between a 9 1/2 and 10 (depends on the maker), medium width, for this guy that I'm shopping for" and come up with something I'd like. BTW, got some FootJoy's on clearance for $60.

Anyhow, I've wanted a Cubs home jersey for some time. You can get them blank on the back. Or with a current/favorite player. Of course, the dilemma becomes, "What if I get a Kerry Wood jersey, and next year Kerry Wood is pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays?" I really don't see that happening, but who would've thought that Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Sammy Sosa would change teams like they have? But I wanted my birthday money to put Wrigley Field pinstripes on my back.

So, I opted for a classic. A Hall of Famer. A guy that I remember watching as a child (when I was a kid, not him). And somebody that played a position that I did, so in a small way, I identified with and it gave me a reason to idolize him more. Ernie Banks. Just kidding. #23 - Ryne Sandberg.

Taking My Lumps

The ides of April. Uggh. My seemingly 3 lb envelope is sealed & awaiting it's scenic travel to "Internal Revenue Service Center" in Austin, TX. Of course, the fact that I'm waiting til the last minute to file means one of two things:

* Either I'm getting a refund, and I'm a bloomin' idiot for waiting this long, or
* I owe Uncle Sam some dough.

I'll let you figure out which one is correct (Hint: check #2815). Of course, Leah and I saw it coming for a few reasons, the main one being the fact that I pocketed every stinkin penny of my real estate commissions and didn't hold any out for tax purposes (oh, I'm supposed to send in money every 3 months? Oops!). Throw in the self-employment tax, and a small withdrawal from a 401(k), and you a recipe for a $582 bill from the I.R.S. In the positives department, it wasn't a really successful real estate year, so my expenses/deductions offset a pretty good bit of my income from it (which lowers self-employment tax also, since it's a derivative of how much you make). Another plus this year is the ability to deduct state sales tax that you pay. Now, keeping McDonald's and Kroger receipts for a year isn't really the way to go, but being that we bought not one, but TWO new vehicles last year, we paid quite a bit of sales tax. I guess a few little crumbs thrown to me here and there ain't that bad.

Leah and I have already adjusted our payroll deductions in an effort to prevent this next year. It was either that, or have a kid. So we chose the lesser of the two evils.

Tip for the Iceberg

I was picking up a "to-go" order at Logan's (a mesquite grilled chicken salad--no mushrooms, with house dressing), and I was reminded of a frequent dilemma. To tip, or not to tip. For I frequently find myself struggling between the accepted practices of an industry and the principles involved in asking me for additional money. But before I examine the Logan's issue, let me say that "TIPS" jars seem to be sprouting up in more and more places.

The Subway beside my Kroger store has a tip jar. If you go to McAlisters or Sweet Peppers (where you order your food at the counter and it is later brought out to you by a random person) , the receipt has a standard restaurant "Tip" or "Gratuity" line. I've seen them at concession stands and other casual dining places. Where does it end? Why must I give you an extra wage premium for simply serving me what I ask for? You're a Subway employee, making 6 bucks an hour! I suppose the proponent would say, "Well, do you tip your bartender? He's just making and/serving you what you asked for." Which is why the line seems blurred to me. I don't have any problems tipping the bartender for my Bud Light, but the thought of dropping $.63 in a jar at Subway for my Cold Cut Trio is absurd. And I don't know why.

Yes, I've waited tables before--two different places, as a matter of fact. I'm very quick to reward superb service with a 20% or more gratuity. But I just have a problem tipping EVERYBODY!!! Which brings us back to Logan's. I place a call. Holly Hostess takes my order, asks me for my name, and hangs up. I walk into the restaurant, pick up my order from either the bar or the dedicated "On the Go" station, and I'm faced with the dilemma. The "tip" line. This random person is going to the kitchen, picking up a styrofoam container or plastic bag, and processing my payment. Do they deserve a tip? PLEASE, share with me your thoughts and opinions!!

And we won't even talk about Chinese buffets and hotel housekeepers!!

Who Needs Night Clubs When There's Wal-Mart?

Hopeless romantics everywhere now have a new place to meet and greet the opposite sex: Wal-Mart (There IS hope, Jeff!!). It seems that Wal-Marts in Germany have essentially implemented a "singles" night, complete with "flirting stations" in case you don't have the gumption to make the first move.

Hey, whatever works. The grocery store never worked for me, but I then again, I couldn't ever figure out if someone was winking at me or just had trouble with a contact lens. Heck, even now, Leah will say, "That waitress was SO flirting with you," and I'm all, "She was just being nice!" I think it's because only females know how sly females are, and we guys are just naive clueless boobs.

Reason 1,368...

...not to increase the minimum wage:

Here's a summary of my biscuit-ordering conversation today at the Golden Arches.

Me: I'd like a Bacon, Egg, & Cheese biscuit--to go, please.
Dude: You want just the biscuit?
Me: Yes, just the biscuit.
Dude: Is that for here, or to go?
Me: It's to go.

Now, here we go again. I'm sure a lot of folks will give me the "What do you expect?--you ARE at McDonalds" speech. I'm just saying that if somebody doesn't have the simple listening skills to do something like this, we don't need to be paying them 8 bucks an hour. If I had said, "This is to go" and then rattled off a $30 order for 6 with all kinds of special requests, I'd definitely give him the benefit of the doubt. But come on.

I'm not ticked off about it. I got my biscuit, it was hot, and my change was correct. Typical McDonald's experience. All I'm saying is that rewarding good people with obvious skills and desire to improve themselves with promotions, however small, is the way to go--not by diluting everyone else's salary by giving them a raise.

What's Up, Doc?

Today I get to do something I haven't done in a very long time--go to the doctor. I think the last time I went was 2-3 years ago when I had the "funk" for almost 2 weeks and it just wouldn't go away. It was then that I learned the marvels of the "sinus cocktail."

You see, in addition to not being one of those "It's time for a yearly checkup" people, I'm just never sick. Period. Hardly ever. I don't know if I'm blessed with an awesome immune system, or if some of that gobbledegook that Mom spouted off about drinking milk and taking vitamins when I was young was actually true (my vote's for the former). I've never had the flu. I don't have allergies (Sorry, Jeff). And my doctor is probably gonna say something along the lines of, "Now, what was your name again?"

I've got this sharp discomfort/pain in my right side, kinda about mid-way up my back. It's kind of an odd feeling actually, and the pain isn't constant. At first I thought it was just a freak pulled muscle or something, but the pain kinda comes and goes. I slept with a heating pad on it last night, but it doesn't seem to be any better this morning. Part of me feels stupid for going to have something so "simple" checked out, but then again, it's not normal, and as of right now I've had the pain for about 15 hours or so. Hopefully it won't be any big deal. If I can get pain medicine and day or two off of work, it'll be even better. : )

Movin' On Up

Kind of some bittersweet news today: Memphis as we know it will soon hold the title of our "former" home--I have accepted a technical support position with Dell in Nashville, and we now have 90 days to begin our transition. Leah and both LOVE Nashville, and we have frequently said that if the opportunity ever arose, we would jump at the chance. Although every city certainly has it's problems, we feel like the city as a whole, the school system, the economy, etc. are all much better there. And we'll be exactly half way between Memphis and Louisville (where all of our parents and grandparents are).

Leah will most likely be pursuing a head teller job with either AmSouth or Regions--two of the more prominent banks in the city. She is excited for not only the promotion, but for the change of scenery. My part-time real estate career will be easy as well, since Crye-Leike established itself in Nashville several years ago--not nearly has large market-share as Memphis, but a significant player in the real estate community.

I promise that the blog will go on, keeping you updated as things progress. That's our commitment to you. We will miss you greatly, but be comforted that we're only 200 miles away. And it'll make it easier should we ever get Titans season tickets. : )

Oh, one more thing....................

April Fool!!