A one part series...

I always begin my post by reading my previous post. This not to duplicate. In the last one I noticed I had become some lengthy. There also was discussions in the last travel that eluded to the fact that it is negative when blogs become to wordy and tell to much. I begin to lose focus. Speaking of focus, ten hours down and ten hours back of traveling alone gives you all type of time to think. Thinking can be good and can be bad. We'll see later. I know many of you have been patiently sitting and waiting for the next entry from our great lives.



I have been given a request to talk on the some great friends of ours. In order to hide their identity, we will refer to them simply as the Coopers. Say I stole hiding identity in blogging from my mother, it won't be the first thing I plagiarise throughout these entries. To further examine them, we will label them as Big One and Little One. Oh but don't get to excited, they are to come later.



This entry will be on this weekend's adventures. The Toyota was loaded down with two empty coolers and a suitcase stuffed with clean clothes as I pulled out of Pikeville, KY at four pm on Thursday afternoon. I laid the hammer down headed for the interstate. This is not always an easy thing to do when leaving extreme eastern KY. Regardless I made it. While cruising through Knoxville, TN, I called into a radio sports program to discuss SEC sports with some TN fans. It was fun, put me on live and they were cordial. It wasn't the first time I had been on the radio, not even that day. I had put on a Career Fair, partnering with all the area schools, and hit heavy on the marketing events.



Back to the road, I hit Carthage about 1:30 am, gaining an hour to central time. It was good to smell the fresh uncoil air, have a good pressure hot shower, and eat an omelet and biscuits. I loaded up the smoker that I had stored at the in-laws. Now, this isn't your every day run of the mill, I remember when I had first grill, smoker. This is a man's man smoker. One that you sit around with your other guy friends and say yeah, it's a hell of thing. We did. It's an over compensation thing. Like the guy on the lake with the boat that is to large and to loud and looks like it belongs on the ocean. Yeah, it for sure that he is not packing. We also tauted other people in right field with there small gas and electric compact grills and such. I imagine they were laughing as we load in the pouring sleet and snow. As long as well get to laugh, it's all fun.



So long story longer, I was able to get to Oxford, MS by Friday afternoon. Big Al (if you don't know him, I will introduce him through out post, we take some of the same travels with us) and I began the prep work on 4 10 lb Boston Butts, 16 slab of ribs, 10 lbs of sausage and 4 whole chickens. I think we had a couple can of beans and some chips to go with it. Staying focused on the key food groups. All we needed was a Diet Coke and we want looked like a McDonald's order. "I'll have a big Mac, Fish sandwich, and Super Size fries.......and a diet coke"



The Friday game was cancelled for rain and it was close to freezing cold. We opted out for the Japaneese place Kabuka (sp). Nine guys and an open flame was an entertaining time to say the least. Across from us sat 7 women and 1 guy. Now this brings up an interesting topic. Was he the being that guy, you know the one who just can't let the girls go out and have a good time. Surely he isn't that boyfriend or guy that thinks, hey "7 women and me, wow, that sounds hot" because it's not as "cool" as you think it is. OOOOOOOORRRRRRR was he just gay. If so, then I understand more. yet, it does bring up another question and conversation? How much and far are you allowed as a gay man to take that. I mean would you include yourself in "ladies night' functions. If so, this it becomes a purely sexual based night out. Saying, "If you are more likely to have sex with men..night out" Doesn't have quite the same ring to it. I'll leave this one for you guys to discuss. It just needs to be addressed that even though you would rather be with men, it doesn't include you. Women have other matters/problems/fun things to discuss on ladies night. Don't be that guy! Hell, maybe I am way off base and it was simply that he has cancer and it was his Make a Wish gift. He did down that 15 second gasoline shot like a champ. I was impressed he took all our pranks we pulled out. Big Al not to be out down with the young lady called him out.



Moving on, We did make it to the baseball field the next day. At 8:00 am for a 12:00 game. It was roughly some where between Montana and Alaska Cold. Yet to decide what kind of cold that is, I don't consider Canada at all. Nothing is really Canadian, they combined everyone elses things. The meat cooked slow, but we ate very well. This brings me to the main discussion. I know I know, said I would shorten this one up.



Why do people insist on telling you how freezing cold it is when it is cold. This is such a simple topic of negative behavior. I know people that will constantly deliver bad news. Hey David, it's going to rain, it's going to be cold, it is raining, it is snowing, it is cold, the event is going to suck, yah yah yah yah yah yah, shut it. Doesn't matter, really. It is not perfect weather conditions for baseball, but it was perfect weather for B^3 Baseball, Beer & BBQ. This event occurs on opening weekend of baseball. Guess what, that is always and is always going to be in February. Most likely going to be ugly weather. Not bad but ugly. Let's move on. I could go on and on with a rant about this relates to life and the negative behavior have towards their situation and how that leads into a projected bad time, but I have done that and you have heard that way before me. Does it matter, if you don't like the event, the experience, then "WHY ARE YOU HERE" Just enjoy the situation, live the moment and I promise you that it will leave you with hell of stories later. Ones that will leave you saying things like Natasha's favorite words "You can't make this shit up!" I'll give you this from the late Paul Harvey: a great loss this past week.

"People like bad news because it makes them feel better about themselves. We like to hear of others struggles because it will let us say to ourselves at least I am not like that person."




There are a lot of stories from this weekend of travel. It is always fun to head to Oxford and to MS in general. They were only able to get one game in with the freezing rain coming in side ways. The next was canceled for snow and then the next day was concealed as well. It happens. I will return. I also went and played a little poker as well. It was fun and entertaining. Then I headed down to Jackson, MS to see New Site (my high school) Girls Basketball team play in the state tournament for the first time ever. They lost by four, great to see old friends.

Speaking of Friends, I will begin to introduce friends in different writings. I think it is important to not only know why are we here as far as locations but why we associate and interact with certain people. People are the back bone of a happy life. It is what makes us rich in life, not the travel to destinations but the people we see and the experience we create.

" But it's not how big's the house, it's how happy's the home, How poor is a rich man who lives all alone" Aaron Watson, Shut Up and Dance