http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8

This isn’t my story to tell…but I will for your enjoyment.  While at home for Thanksgiving (Nashville) I spent a significant amount of time with my sister’s dog “Scout.”  Scout is a small dog…one of those poodle-mix breeds that doesn’t shed…for lack of better words a stuffed-animal come-to-life.  The little guy isn’t much for tricks but likes to follow you aroud.  In fact, he’ll chase you about anywhere just to see what’s next.  Well…Scout has gotten into the habit of jumping onto the toilet lid to watch Mom as she gets ready in the morning.  Saturday morning…he wasn’t so fortunate…for I had used the bathroom in the night and had left the lid up.  So Mom’s standing there putting her on make-up and here comes Scout.  He walks in just as proud as can be and leaped upon the toilet and SPLASH!  Ha!  That little dude was scrambling just to stay afloat.

I’ve gone Google crazy.  I’ve begun working on a map that tags everywhere I’ve been.  Why you ask?  For a lot of reasons.  I know where to eat next time.  I can tell others where to visit.  It opens a world of information that didn’t exist before.  Click “Gingles World Map” to check it out.

Click Here to See My Photos

Just returned from a great trip to Chicago!  Stacey and I took off Friday to visit her brother, Greg, for a wild weekend in the windy city.  We arrived Friday afternoon and began to plan our weekend.  What first!?!  With all the art, parks, museums, history…what to do first?!  Greg had us reservations for dinner at a great new restaurant called “Carnivale,” a really nice Latin restaurant there in the city.  Afterward we hit a comedy club called “Comedy Sportz” where improv comedians compete for laughs.  Saturday we did some walking downtown to see the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange), Chicago Tribune, and Millennium Park.  I’ve never seen such a cool amphitheatre!  It had a massive steel structure arching (photo right) over the entire theatre with speakers hanging from points for optimal sound.  I would love to go back for a concert sometime!  We had lunch at the Grand Lux Cafe (a huge restaurant that nearly always has a line) and then down to Navy Pier to see the sights.  We then returned to the house to get bikes that we used to ride along the beachfront that borders downtown for several miles. I had been craving Chicago-style pizza (since birth) and finally got my fill Saturday night at Giordano’s.  Talk about some goooooood pizza!  MAN was that good pizza.  Sunday we went with Greg to church and then to lunch at Pompeii Cafe.  Church made for a memorable event when a baby decided to reach for the shiny red fire alarm.  We were forced to stand in the rain for about 15 minutes while the fire dept cleared the building. Would I go back to Chicago……..absolutely!  There’s more to see and do in that city than 3 weeks of vacation time would allow.  Many thanks to Greg for a great weekend!!! 

I almost never drive around with a gas can in my car…in fact, I can’t think of a single time.  Yesterday I put one in planning to fill it on the way home last night (my lawnmower is out of gas).  Didn’t stop - so I left the can in my car.  Today I ate lunch with my friend and coworker, Brent. After lunch, no more than 5 feet out the door, a guy stopped me and asked if I had a gas can…that he had just run out of gas. Vegas anyone?!?!