Thanks for the quote, Kelly!!!!!

Came across this blog entry from Kelly.....the entry on her blog came up on my Technorati watchlist for "24 Chloe".

CLASSIC CHLOE!!!

Thanks, Kelly!! Visit her blog!!

You should read the articles in "Witham News".....

....scroll down some and look on the right side, where I continually bring you news headlines, thanks to Google, on the keywords that are "the buzz" in my life right now.

The first category is always "Witham". After 40 years, I'm still fascinated by learning there are people out there who share my last name. For example, read about:

...Michelle Witham, helping Kent, Washington build a new arena for a hockey team;

...David Witham, getting a great review on his unique music style (and pictured beside someone famous!)----plus another story, featuring an audio interview with him (he's been George Benson's music director for over 20 years now!!)

...or the Witham Wharf Development in Lincolnshire, UK.....

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Here's a great review from the Moody Blues' recent Toronto show, to get us pumped up for our night at Wolf Trap next Sunday......

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Under "radio commercial", I see a good report...selfishly speaking, because the company I work for made $$$ in 2Q.

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Finally, Jessica Biel's advice on how men can be truly "sexy", courtesy of a wire report from, of all places, Pakistan. Her picture will make the qadi there rather unhappy.


So check out the Witham Headlines; I change subjects weekly. It's just another way to help cure your insomnia here at All Things Witham. :)

I wish I were a Gaskill.......

....for if I were a Gaskill, I would definitely be at their family reunion in October. You know why?

Their event will be catered by none other than the food God made first-hand....

SMITHFIELD CHICKEN AND BARBECUE!!!!!!!

Good choice, guys! Your food will be a hit! :)

Disclaimer....this blogger is not associated with nor is employed or paid by Smithfield Chicken and BBQ or any franchisees or associates.

MY NEW FAVORITE SUPERHERO!!!!!

....news and notes....and a tragedy...

Unfortunately, the tragedy first.....

--Two news helicopters collide in mid-air today over Phoenix covering a car chase live on the air. Both pilot/reporters and photographers on each chopper were killed. Horrible. I will say, though, the TV news business has been blessed that this hasn't happened much sooner, considering the use of choppers chasing cars, O.J., et al.

--yes, I live in a suburb of the home of the Michael Vick Trial Circus. Heard late this evening a co-defendent is trying to cut a deal and testify against Vick, et al. This has been all the talk 'round here and most likely will be for some time to come.

--getting really excited about next weekend's Moody Blues concert; which, of course, explains the countdown clock just added. :)

--back to work today after three vacation....ah....sick days!!! An avalanche of work besieged upon me this afternoon, so, a happy weekend I will have. HA!!

In closing.....I wanna see SpiderPig!!!

Rob + Vacation Days = illness!!! Yay!!!

2002---a week's vacation derailed thanks to illness
2003---heavy anxiety attack rules the week off....
2004---3rd degree separate shoulder; 10 weeks in sling, NO vacation
2006---got away with a vacation! :)

2007---so, the throat had been sore several days, just enough to occasionally remind myself it was when I'd swallow sometimes.

Then Monday it gets more noticeable. The ear starts some pain......

Tuesday morning, I wake up to go to Busch Gardens, and that plan is quickly scrapped. By 4pm, I'm at "Doc in a Box" (Patient First). Not strep; probably its cousin or something.

In bed yesterday, did go out this afternoon to the bowling alley to watch the family rock n' roll.

Here's how "bleh" I felt Tuesday. I did NOT log onto my work computer. Didn't even check email!

So, heading to bed now, looking forward to a trip to the movies, another night for Rachel at VBS (which she's really enjoying), maybe some storms (we could use the rain!!), and we're gonna get to Busch Gardens another day soon.

What's the over/under on me completing my medication? If I know what's good for me, the answer will be "ALL OF IT"!! :)

THIS IS WHERE the washed-up musicians go.....

....and I thought late night infomercials, ah, QVC......

....in my childhood, the Mike Douglas or Merv Griffin Show......

But NOW, my friends, I have found the ultimate dumping ground for washed up male musicians.

Viva Viagra!!!

Yes, there's now a commercial with the back-up musicians to the back-up musicians to the ones who once claimed they played in the band who toured with, oh, I don't know, John Davidson maybe? And they're sitting around, gettin' all excited about the prospect of Pfizer walking in with free samples, cuz they're comin' home to the lady!! Whoo hoo.

What they've not been told is there are no impending females within miles, putting a damper on their "pre-game" fight song.

This commercial isn't "questionable", "tasteless", "controversial", et al.....

It's sad. Just pathetically sad.

Need to ask wifey if she heard any geezers singing it on the streets of Vegas the other week......

25 or 6 to 4------25 years later.....

With tongue-in-cheek being the operative mode here, there are things that are very disappointing to a "just turned 15 year old".

For example, his first girlfriend breaking up with him. Via a letter. Can anyone say "Dear John"?

So, how does one deal with this news? Just like I would on any other night, problem or no problem.

I jammed.

My definition of "jamming" was to sit on the floor by the stereo, legs crossed, and purposely rock back and forth to the beat of the music I listened to in my headphones. I could jam for hours on end about any time.

This night, however, jamming was more than just one of my favorite things to do; it was therapy.

A regular jam could go 'til midnight, 1am, occasionally later. But this night was different.

For two reasons, I ended up rockin' away the night listening to the Tommy TuTones and Human Leagues of 1982 until 345am.

Reason #1---The night before, my brother and I came home from a visit to North Carolina, and being he preferred traveling at night (so did I), we pulled into Beaverdam around 345am. It was weird to walk in the house about the same time as Dad was getting up to get ready to leave for work. So, my body clock was in perfect position for that night.

Reason #2---As the hours progressed I believe I remember myself thinking that this night, this jam, would be different, would be memorable. And it was, as I remember it tonight, exactly 25 years to the hour. It finished off one "era" and started another one, and, all the while, it was the music that helped me, that gave me pleasure, that helped me through.

Before that night and in these 25 years since, music has played a powerful part in my life.....

---songs that I couldn't stop listening to...

---songs that make me cry...

---songs that immediately take me to a place in my past, as in, this song reminds me of "fill in the blank".

---or, maybe just a few hours driving down the road, made much more enjoyable by scanning the dial, trying to find the best song on the air at that moment.

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Now, you may be thinking; this sure sounds like a major watershed moment in your life and it was all about losing a girlfriend before going to 10th grade???

In the case of 25 years ago tonight, you are absolutely right!

In the case of scanning my 40 years, it's the perfect microcosm of the role music has played and continues to play in my life, its events, and my emotions.

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I STILL sit cross-legged. Right now in my recliner; sitting up in bed, and, more than anywhere else, in my office chair (which elicits many, many comments from co-workers who notice it).

I will always enjoy a good jam; whether via Live 365, my IPod, music I can listen to at the office, CD collection, et al.

Heck, Chicago even wrote a song about that night 25 years ago. As the lyrics noted:

....sitting cross-legged on the floor; 25 or 6 to 4..........

And, about 10 minutes later at 345am, the jam ended and sleep ensued.

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What helps you celebrate good times and helps you live through the tough times?

For me:

---God's presence via the Holy Spirit
---having time alone with my music
---my family.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I hear "Eye of the Tiger" for the third time tonight. Back to rocking on the floor. :)

Three cheers for my executive assistant!!!

Thank you Rachel! Thank you Rachel! Thank you Rachel!

I know it was an absolute BOREFEST for my little lady, but not only did Rachel spend the day at work with Dad, she completed 17 of her 23 pages of her Las Vegas scrapbook, explained much of her trip to Mr. Rodney (especially Hoover Dam), ate some fries, watched some TV, and generally survived.

She also handled a commercial emergency with complete grace and style. We get a frantic email from an area car dealership needing to immediately change their commercial copy and get the new spot on the air ASAP.

Here's the beautiful thing about radio, friends.....

Dad takes the script, alerts a producer upstairs of its impending arrival, all at 11am. Dad checks the computer system and sees the next scheduled spot at 11:40am. Hmmm, 40 minutes from now.

I write up the production order, staple the script, give to Ms. Witham, and ask her very, very, very nicely to take the order upstairs, and she relents. Hee hee...

I get an email at 1130am from upstairs saying spot is done. Couple of mouse clicks and drags on my desktop and the area car dealership is very happy. :)

I love one more satisfied customer!

Ask a newspaper editor if you can swap out spots in less than 40 minutes.

How 'bout your Account Rep at your local TV station or cable company.

Didn't think so.

RADIO IS STILL THE CHOICE FOR EVER-CHANGING COPY NEEDS!!! Radio can turn commercial copy into an on-the-air product at the turn of a dime.

Newspaper, TV, magazines---they can't turn a change like that in an ocean.

AND (yes, time to ruffle feathers), we are STILL BETTER than the Internet. WHY?

Simple. That commercial we premiered at 1140am this morning was heard by thousands of people.

Make a quick switch on a website spot all you want, but thousands of people won't see it until you, well, have, thousands of hits. For most websites, that takes much longer than 40 minutes.

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Scrapbooks from Las Vegas, proves the power of radio, puts up with Dad and is still smiling at day's end.

That's my girl!

Dragging through life one breath and one step at a time.....

....no work on Tuesday or Wednesday. 41 1/2 hours in bed. No energy, no nothing.

Back to work today; not wanting to keep my two closest department compadres in a holding pattern (i.e.---when's the goober coming back!???!??)

Sleepy, just exhausted most of the day; actually picked up some steam late this PM and stayed tonight because.....

....every minute of work I did tonight is one less minute of work I have to do tomorrow....when poor Rachel gets to enjoy a wonderful Friday during her summer vacation sitting by my desk....whoopee.

I know she's thrilled. Especially when I ask her to take production orders upstairs to the studios.

So, I hang on for one more day, then rest over the weekend, and, most of all, get ready for arguably the most rewarding event of my 10-plus years in pastoral ministry.

I get to baptize Robbie and Rachel in a private ceremony, in the backyard pool.

After that? Hopefully some grillin' and chillin' in the pool!

And for those of you who think that is sacreligious.....get a life. :)

And now the rest of the '70s, in random order....

....my "eventual" completion of a look back at my first 40 years continues; looking now past sports of the 1970's and to the other events that scream "70's" in my ear.

--When I was five, six, seven---I thought Richard Nixon was always President. He was the only one I ever saw on TV, he must be President forever.

--I remember where I was and what I was wearing the night I saw Nixon resign on TV. I was seven. That's sad. :)

--If you live in Virginia and remember politics here in the 70s, you'll remember these two words:

Henry Howell.

--If you live in the Richmond area and remember politics here in the 70s, you'll remember these two words:

Howard Carwile.

Then there was Governors Holton, Godwin the Republican (having previously served in the 60s by the stage name "Godwin the Democrat" and Dalton; the final years of the "Byrd Machine" as Senator Harry F. Byrd headed toward retirement.

Then two deaths within the Virginia Republican ranks changed the course of Virginia politics; one in 1978, the other in 1986.

--Richard Obenshain, the Republican Nominee for U.S. Senate in 1978, who died in a plane crash in early August. John Warner was picked to succeed him as nominee and still is a U.S. Senator today. Some say Obenshain's death was not "an accident".

--Gov. John Dalton, who won the '77 election, was considered a shoo-in to run for U.S. Senate during the 80s, but was diagnosed with lung cancer after leaving office and died three years later.

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The headlines of the decade I remember:

--Watergate hearings pre-empt soap operas! Housewives of the nation unite!

--Sam Ervin, John Dean, and 74 other people (or so it seemed) became household names.

--Agnew resigns; Gerald Ford appointed Veep.

--Ten months later, Ford becomes President when Nixon resigned.

--Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam. I remember seeing footage of the fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975, and the frantic attempts of people trying to leave via the last helicopters.

--America's Bicentennial in 1976. "The Bicentennial Minute" feature in prime time on CBS. Bicentennial quarters! I still like hanging on to a few of them.

--Jimmy Who?

--Jimmy wins; walks to the White House in Inaugural Parade, which I watched from home, sick, so not at school.

--I'm watching Charlie's Angels with my brother one July, 1977 night when suddenly, it went off the air. So did CBS. So did NBC. It was the New York Blackout.

--Legionnaire's Disease in Philadelphia.

--Generalissmo Francisco Franco is near death.
--Generalissmo Francisco Franco is dead.
--Generalissmo Francisco Franco is still dead.

--Detente (is this facial cream used by Brezhnev?)

--Son of Sam.
--Jim Jones and Guyana.
--Sadat talks to Walter who talks to Begin who talks to Sadat who then talks with Begin with Walter; plus Walters talks to Begin and Sadat who agree to meet, and, eventually...

--The Israeli/Egyptian peace accord, with the handshake on the White House Lawn. Was it me, or did it look like 25 people's hands were in on it, it looked so big?

--ABC's World News Tonight; July 10, 1978.
--Tropical Storm Agnes, 1972; floods our basement on my 5th birthday.

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The TV entertainment I remember includes:

--The FBI.....but only the "Epilogue". We'd get home from church each Sunday night in time to see the final scene. A glass of strawberry milk was awaiting me (the Sunday night treat). Whoo hoo!!

--Gilligans Island
--Get Smart (the Cone of Silence!!)
--The Gong Show (yes, The Gong Show--I LOVED it!)
--Match Game '7...whichever year it was....
--The Flintstones!!!
--and of course, The Jetsons!
--Saturday morning consisted of Bugs Bunny and the Pink Panther.
--Throw Shazam and Isis in there during their runs...
--the evening news.
--the local news.
--election nights.
--MLB Game of the Week, Saturday afternoons.
--Monday Night Baseball
--Monday Night Football
--Sunday football on CBS and NBC (I preferred the NFC on CBS, unless the Raiders were on!!)
--The Dating Game
--The Newlywed Game
--Gomer Pyle, USMC
--The Captain & Tennille (their variety show, I had a HUGE crush on Toni Tennille at age 9)

I'm sure there are others. Feeble minds begin to forget. :)

Music (cue the 45!)

--Record your favorite songs with a Panasonic Portable off WRVA-AM. Yes, kids...AM.

--Love Will Keep Us Together
--Philadelphia Freedom
--Mr. Jaws
--Never Can Say Goodbye
--Some 30 or 40 Eagles songs (take your pick)
--The Beatles' "Rock n' Roll Music" Double LP, 1976
--Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits (one of the first albums I bought; listened to it every night going to sleep.)
--Blues Brothers (Rubber Biscuit!!)
--The Sultans of Swing

--The Spirit of America, 1480, WLEE, Richmond.

--"Daniel" (on the radio while on 301 South going through Wilson, NC; heading toward Four Oaks, and a thunderstorm.

--"Rumours" from Fleetwood Mac.
--"Been to Canaan" from Carole King; if my sister sang it once in her room, she sang it 5,000 times.

--Boston's debut album. One of the five best LP's of all time.

--One word: disco.

--"Knock on Wood" from Amie Stewart was a great disco song.

--I liked more disco music than I wanted to admit then. And now. :)

--August, 1979: "My Sharona".

--Abba. Backwards, spelled Abba.

MORE FROM THE 45 RPM COLLECTION (mostly bought at Woolco or Woolworth at 86 cents apiece thanks to Dad's weekly Thursday trips to Azalea Mall armed with a weekly list from my brother and I. Thanks, Dee, for all the help at Woolworth!!)

--"Convoy"
--"Get Up And Boogie"
--"Why Can't We Be Friends"
--"One Piece at a Time"
--"Shop Around"
--"Moonlight Feels Right"
--"Afternoon Delight" (like I knew what THAT meant at age 9.5)
--"Theme From SWAT" (yes....SWAT)
--"Rubberband Man"
--"Best of My Love" (Eagles and the Emotions)
--"Le Freak!!"
--"Car Wash"
--"Whatcha Gonna Do"
--"Undercover Angel"

and lots more, I'm sure.


Ah, yes, the 70s. Started them in potty training, ended them at age 12, 7th grade, having no idea what the 1980's would bring.

Four TV Channels, AM Radio, 45 Records, Panasonic Tape Recorders, Leisure Suits, Disco, lots of golf and football and baseball in the back yard, "Five-Second Ball" against the front of the house. And so much more.

Thanks for your indulgence. :):)

Talking out of both ends of the thermostat......

......bet you didn't know that unusually cold weather is ALSO caused by, of course, global warming.

Read this column from the Sunday Telegraph in Australia concerning record COLD temperatures throughout that nation last month. Enjoy the sarcasm, too. I did. :)

Then, look at the comments left by, first, Stephen Boone, then, by Jennifer Hor. I'm confused. Is cold weather meaningless? Was Katrina actually the first of a new set of "super-hurricanes"? Maybe it was so devastating because of man-made levees breaking down in New Orleans, and, because, it came so close to a major American city? Or, was Katrina among the biggest of all hurricanes, in terms of loss of life and damage, to have hit the U.S. mainland over the past 138 years, but cannot be called a "new shape of things to come", especially when 2006 followed 2005 with very little hurricane activity affecting the United States?

Or, is Jennifer right, that cold weather can also be proof of global warming?

Here's what I believe to be true:

--throughout its existence, the Earth has gone through climate changes, warming and cooling. These cycles last for centuries and are not a sudden onslaught.

--it's been warmer on this Earth than it is now, and the Earth continues.

--it's very presumptuous of humans to believe we have the power to destroy the planet because of factories, rush hour, and NASCAR.

--while at the same time realize the dinosaurs became extinct because of either a meteor strike or due to global climate changes even beyond their control (I don't think Joe Camel existed back then....)

--We humans actually have convinced ourselves that our behavior will cause such change to the planet that we will all die. No other creature has been successful in that "endeavor", so to speak; the Earth always wins.

--So, if global warming is true and the extinction of mankind is coming, at some point, let it be said it's been centuries in the making, as opposed to the "Smokestack Age".

I do find it ironic that global "warming" is considered the biggest threat ever to our survival; yet, as a believer in Christ, I already know that this Earth will one day be destroyed and we will celebrate eternal life with Christ on, as the Bible says, "the Earth made new".

Hell, on the other hand, isn't for ice cubes. Is that the ultimate, ironic climax of this historic, final bout with "global warming"?

AND FINALLY----my number one reason for this post:

If warming proves global warming and cooling proves global warming, then what's left to use as evidence for the "Ice Age"? Amana? GE?

In other words, how convenient that now extreme global warming advocates (of the idea, not the event) are using any climate change to prove their point.

It's hard to be debated when you claim all sides and all proof in an argument to be in your possession, proving your point. Sounds like a continuation of the "shut up" movement worldwide where scientists who have the evidence that we're being fed a line of bull are basically blackballed.

And now, if you'll excuse me; I need to check my thermostat. I'm not sweating at this moment, but if I keep exhaling carbon dioxide at my rate, I may get hot anytime now.

"I Wished They Had Stayed 'Til Next Summer!!"

The words of a 15 year old son who, I think, really enjoyed our five day exploration of "bachelorhood".

Those words were spoken just after midnight on this Saturday 7/14 as I announced that the ladies had arrived. They drove home tonight rather than tomorrow, and, so long as they were careful and safe, that was fine by me. I missed them! :)

Oh, Robbie did, too----but you never admit that at age 15.

You wake up in the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, and go to sleep in your own bed in Glen Allen, Virginia. Whoa. That's basically an entire swing of the pendulum.

Unless she thinks I'm some sort of freak, wifey won't see the things she probably saw last night. :)

Lots of pictures to see; lots of stories to tell. And that's what happened here while they were gone! Just kidding.

It's great to have them home. Now, Robbie and I need to start planning for our big vacation; a whirlwind tour to every Stuckey's we can find.

Looks like an eastern swing to Disputanta (cool! We'll visit friends!), down to Franklin, then over to Chesapeake, then US-58 to Emporia, and back home.

Casinos vs. Stuckeys Bathrooms

Exquisite Gourmet Food vs. really good Coca-Cola

Dancing Girls vs Madge, the cashier (doesn't every cashier at Stuckey's pass for a Madge?)

Big Variety Shows vs Pecan Logs

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I really don't think there's any comparison, and we fully expect to develop a cult following for Stuckey's Tour 2007. Hope to see you there!

Update from Sin City....

....when they party, they party....

....when they get back to the hotel, they crash.

"We're old."---that's an exact quote from my wife this morning. Rachel should have corrected her. :)

Today was, I think, Red River Canyon, Old Vegas, and they were trying to get to the observation deck of the Stratosphere Hotel tonight.

Tomorrow is travel day to the Grand Canyon. I want pictures. I think the Hoover Dam is thrown in for free, too.

Robbie and I are hanging pretty well; I am so proud of how he has persevered his dad being at the office more hours than his dad wanted to be. He has made a big friend in Harry J. (our new dog), who now listens and obeys his instructions.

Rachel may have some catching up to do in that department. :)

And now, time to do a few more things for work, then something for ME.

Bed.

P.S.---What about that conference she went to Vegas for?? Hee hee.....

Rob's Advice: ...take a couple hours and catch up with the ones you love....

....in the midst of a very busy, hectic week, between lots of work at the office and the ladies in the Pacific Time Zone, I squeezed in a lunch date with one of my most dearest friends of all time; we go back to the 8th grade. I honestly, honestly do not remember the last time we had even 30 minutes, sat down, and caught up. I'm embarrassed to admit that to the world. The fault lies at my feet.

I told her I could not tell her how excited I have been about us meeting at Fridays and catching up about all things, whether good, bad, or indifferent, as that is how life goes.

It was wonderful. That time will sustain me thanks to much of our conversation; it was uplifting, and I need that "push" during those "down" times I've become so infamous for.

So, do this. Don't let it get to be five, ten, 20 years between lunches when it comes to dear friends. They are few and far between, so don't let them go. Even if it's only once or twice a year, DO IT.

I didn't realize this until age 39. Too many great chances passed by me, I'm sure, because I didn't become active to search for them, or I was so busy in the "here and now", I didn't take time to consider them.

As we left, she and I both realized we were walking back to piles of work since others don't just "take over" our full responsibilities when it comes to our respective careers.

And we both, for a couple of hours today, simply did not care.

Thanks, my dear! It's on me next time! :) :)

An overdue welcome to the newest Witham!!!!

WELCOME HARRY J.!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, what they do now will stay where they are, I guess.....

....that's what I've always heard, at least.

Bonnie and Rachel touched down in Las Vegas about 115pm ET, or 1015am PT.

Rachel described her first flight from New Bern to Charlotte as "magnificent", which surprised me. They were on one of those SMALL planes, and I thought it may scare her (it would me!)

After the flight from Charlotte to Vegas, the pilot let her come in, sit down and get a picture taken. WOW! What a day for Rachel, and she hadn't even left the tarmac yet!

They've called to say they are in their hotel, where the bariatric conference began today; Bonnie's met people who've lost over 200 pounds thanks to the Lap Band.

Oh, and Rachel reports there's an aquarium, and a white bengal tiger....INSIDE THE LOBBY.

I asked if the tiger helped carry bags to her room. She snickered. Guess not. :)

-------------------------------------

So, I'm grateful to God for a safe journey for them, look forward to hearing "The Rachel Reports", and until their return.....

It's THE GUYS AND THE ANIMALS!!!!!!

Rob, Robbie, Cody, Zoe, Harry J, Chloe, the fish and the itty bitty frog sharing the fish tank with the fish.


.....wonder if I should call the ladies tomorrow at 8am when I'm getting ready to leave for work. Yeah, I know, it'll be 5am there, but what's a few hours among family members? Hee hee.....

So, what DO I remember about the 70s??

Now, what, two weeks AFTER my 40th birthday, I thought I begin taking care of some unfinished business; most notably, the posts I promised looking back on a generation of, well, me.

I did the 60s year by year; if I do that for every year from 1970 on, I'll have to blog for 33 consecutive hours, and one with sleep apnea doesn't stand a great chance of staying awake for that long.

SO, ROB'S REVIEW/MEMORIES (and maybe a little rewritten history) OF THE 1970s!!!

(in no real order, rhyme, or reasoning. hee hee....)

SPORTS:

--I fell in love with baseball cards.
--One of the biggest days of the year was the day the UPS truck arrived with our order of that year's Topps baseball cards, ordered from Renata Galasso.
--My brother developed a baseball game using homemade cards and dice, with lineups made out of your team, the players being represented by their baseball card.
--Too bad he didn't seek a patent.
--I made sure my first team had what I called the "superstar outfield", which would include Cito Gaston, Ed Stroud, and Rick Monday (I had a Rick Monday glove as a kid).

--I chose favorite teams....

The Baltimore Orioles: their games were on the radio every night; my brother was a Yankee fan (yecch!!); I liked their rookie outfielder that year, Al Bumbry. I even named a cat Al Bumbry. Brooks Robinson became my favorite player, followed by Jim Palmer.

The Oakland Raiders: not sure why, but Kenny Stabler quickly became a favorite, plus Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff. I remember Stabler tossing the winning TD while falling down to Clarence Davis in the playoffs to eliminate the two-time defending champion Miami Dolphins.

The Washington Bullets: Closet NBA team to home, and I liked The Big "E"!!! That's Elvin Hayes for those of you who know nothing of the NBA pre-1991 Chicago Bulls.

The Denver Nuggets: My ABA team, because my favorite college basketball player, David Thompson, went to play there. Plain and simple. And, when the leagues merged, I chose the Nuggets as my "favorite" favorite. I'm still waiting for their first title.

The Montreal Canadiens: They won. Alot. Try four Stanley Cups in a row from 1976 to 1979. My brother and I would play Canadiens versus Flyers on our table hockey game, where you would "twist" the player using the metal pole he was affixed to. My favorite Canadien? Ken Dryden, the greatest goaltender of all time!!

The Winnipeg Jets: My favorite WHA team, featuring Gordie Howe (who knows how old he was by then!). When the WHA folded into the NHL, the Jets were toast in my eyes. The Jets? Over the Canadiens? Are you nuts??

The N.C. State Wolfpack: The 1974 championship team. David Thompson, Tom Burleson, Monte Towe, Tim Stoddard, et al. This is a case of following my brother's footsteps; the Pack being his favorite team.

Jack Nicklaus: The Golden Bear. The man. I don't care how many majors Tiger wins. Nicklaus took golf to a level never, ever seen before. His 1980 U.S. Open Championship was the greatest golf perfomance I've ever seen. It was magical. Even if Tiger Woods eclipses his record of 18 majors won, I won't consider him on Jack's level unless he can win one around age 46, as Jack did at the '86 Masters. Then we'll talk. :)

Bjorn Borg: The Master of Wimbledon. Five straight titles; and throw in six French Opens for good measure. The only blemish? Four U.S. Open finals, no wins.

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What did I see on TV?

--Reggie Jackson's 3 HR's in game six of the 1977 World Series.

--My Orioles BLOWING a 3-1 lead, losing the last two games AT HOME, to give the '79 World Series to the Pirates.

--Super Bowls VIII thru XIII. XI was the favorite, as my Raiders finally won, beating Minnesota, 32-14 while a snowstorm fell outside my home, January 9, 1977.

--Super Bowl XIII was seen on a Days Inn hotel room TV in Ashland, as our house had no power for two days due to an ice storm.

--The Bullets losing to Golden State, then splitting two NBA titles between themselves and Seattle.

--Ali--Spinks I: the upset of the century. (Sorry, Buster)

--Alabama and Penn State, 1979 Sugar Bowl, featuring "The Stand". Alabama keeps Penn State out of the end zone to preserve a 14-7 win. Boo. I was rooting for Penn State.

--Michigan State vs. Indiana State: 1979 NCAA Basketball Tournament Final. This was the coming out party for college basketball to the entire nation. Thank you Magic and thank you Larry! Boo. I rooted for Indiana State.

--1978 One Game AL East Playoff: Yankees vs Red Sox. My teacher let us watch it in class!!! For those of you born after 1980, there were once baseball playoff games during the day.


WHAT DID I MISS DUE TO A POWER OUTAGE:

--Hank Aaron's 715th HR, breaking Babe Ruth's all-time record. The game was on NBC's Monday Night Baseball, and my brother and I were watching it, when, we lost power, thanks to a storm I believe. A little later on, our Dad comes to the door and tells us he hit the homer, having heard it on the radio.

WHAT I SLEPT THRU, WAS TOO YOUNG TO STAY UP FOR, OR AT LEAST SAW HIGHLIGHTS OF:

--Carlton Fisk's wave, willing a baseball to hit the foul pole to win Game 6 of the 1975 World Series for the Boston Red Sox.

--The Celtics/Suns Triple OT game of the decade; 1976 NBA Finals, Game 5. The telecast of the overtimes was nuts.

--N.C. State finishing off Marquette, winning the '74 NCAA Title.

Whew! And that's just sports memories!

Post Number 627-----Whoo hoo!!!!!!!

Why is Post Number #627 important to me?

It's my all-time favorite number.

Why, you ask?

When I was five, I had to spend five days at the hospital due to an allergic reaction to peanuts.

I stayed in room 627.

For five days, the nurses spoke of how cute I was (and I liked them, too!), I walked around the 6th floor over and over and over again counting (great way to learn numerical skills!), and I got lots of cards and my very own Mickey Mouse Watch!

I also remember, upon coming home, I found out my older brother and sister played Rook together during my absence, and I was none too happy about missing the games!

Until my deviated septum surgery in 2003 and shoulder surgery in 2004, that had been the only hospital stay I had had.

And, for some reason, the legacy of that first stay has always been that that's where I met my favorite number.....

LONG LIVE 627!!!!

My favorite joke of 2007......

Thanks, Dave!

Queen Elizabeth, during her trip to the U.S., went to the Kentucky Derby. When she went down to the track, it's reported the Queen would look at each horse and say...

"Charles? Charles?"

Two, Two, Two Races in One!

With apologies to Certs' classic ad slogan....

The IRL came to town Saturday night (I can't get that "I Am Indy!" song outta my head, though...) and I watched the Indy cars live for the first time. Fascinating experience. They run so fast on the 3/4 mile track, they almost go too fast to follow.

Now the actual race, on the other hand, was pretty much a bore. Dario Franchitti led 242 of 250 laps and won. Yawn. Very little excitement.

Danica pretty much stayed about 1/2 lap behind Dario all evening and finished sixth.

Dario had the car; no doubt about it, though the two Target cars were looking to spoil the party near the end, but they couldn't.

Time of the race: One hour, 24 minutes.

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We head out, I call a friend on my cell who also attended and we swapped reviews. He was already in his car heading towards the exit. I would later wish I were, too.

Uncle Frank and I start the van at 930pm. Songs played on the radio, conversation came and went, and, for a little over an hour, I kept my cool really well.

Usually you would think they'd empty the parking lot from back to front. About 1:10 into the wait, I look to my left and see almost an entire row of cars gone...and they were near the very front of the lot.

What??!?? That was my thought. Finally coming to the end of the grass row to hit the road leading out of the place, I watch the parking person let alot of the row to my left go out (wait, they're closer to the front, too!), and out, and out. Finally, we get to move a few feet.

Quandry. That aforementioned row was directed to the left lane, which hopefully allows one to turn left onto Carolina Avenue, which I needed to do in order to, well, go home. We were being placed in the right lane. In front of me, in between the rows, is the parking guide and a police car.

"As soon as I pass the police car, I'm heading to the other lane", I said.

And I did. Worked out well; didn't put anyone in danger or tear out in front of anyone at the last second.

Finally we make it to the gate, get out of the lot.

Time of the parking fiasco: One hour, 31 minutes.

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Lesson---I never dreamed it would take 90 minutes to leave RIR since only, maybe 45 or 50,000 people were there, if that. Remember, Nextel Cup Races bring well over 100,000 people there.

Thus, RIR's less than stellar job in getting fans out Saturday night will affect my future decisions as to whether to go back. You'd think with all the years of experience, they would do better. Oh, well.

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Another birthday in the Witham Nation--tomorrow! Wifey!! No confirmation given on new age. And I ain't asking either!

And, P.S.---less than six days now before the ladies take their big trip.

June's Winning Numbers

..as paltry as they may be...

5, 12, 27 and 27.

Well, one number did well. :)