THE MAJOR’S LIFE BLOG

You know that Spring is almost here when Major League Baseball is already playing exhibition games. Our Florida Marlins played two games today as they literally split-up into two teams. One team beat the Washington Nationals 4-1 and the other team lost to the Baltimore Orioles 7-5. Yesterday the Marlins thrashed the Orioles 16-3, and the day before that they tied the Nationals 3-3.

The National Weather Service in Miami announced today that the three Winter months of December, January, and February were the warmest Winter season in 76 years - and the second warmest on record. That statistic applies only to Miami International Airport. It does not necessarily apply to Homestead because as we know our weather here can be very different than what is going on at the airport some 30 miles away. Case-in-point here in Homestead we bottomed out at 45°F and 51°F over the past two mornings. At MIA - 50°F and 56°F respectively. We were 5°F colder on both mornings.

Well those are your ‘Bedtime Stories’ for this Friday night. I’m currently watching “Amnesia” on NBC. I’ve got another long walk around my neighbourhood planned for tomorrow morning, so be sure to catch ‘The Major’s Walk-A-Thon’ here on this blog shortly thereafter.

Until then remember this:

Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline.

Here’s what’s happenin’ at 5 of my favourite blogs this week:

Travis is a Continuationist. I think I am too.

Jesse is walkin’ the mean streets of Times Square in the heart of Manhattan New York New York. It’s the city so nice they named it twice !

Reina is chillin’ in Orlando.

Blue jean wearin’ motorcycle ridin’ Pastor Nathan discussed God’s Armor (Ephesians 6:10-20) at InDependence Church in Weston Florida last Sunday morning, and he had his Suzuki on display at the service along with his ridin’ gear depicting the whole armor of God. This Sunday morning he’ll be exposing an elephant in the church !

Harmony waxed Nathan’s chest, and he loved it. No pain. No gain.

‘Bedtime Stories’ is a fresh new feature here on this blog, and it will serve as the final blog entry of the night on most nights. It essentially replaces the ‘Lipitor Moment Of The Night’ which ran for 4 successive nights through last night.

Earlier tonight I read that 1 in 99 adult Americans is currently in jail or in prison. I thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me when I first glanced at that headline. It’s unbelievable, but it’s true.

I also read that we could soon have a couple of mega-skyscrapers in downtown Miami that would soar past 1,000 feet into the air making them among the tallest in the world.

So now you know the general gist of my ‘Bedtime Stories’.

I’ll be watching “The Celebrity Apprentice” tonight on NBC at 9 PM, and then I’ll be going to bed. Be sure to check out the blog tomorrow after 4 PM for the ‘Friday Night Blogroll Review’. It’s where I highlight some of my favourite blogs on my personal blogosphere.

Have a safe and peaceful Thursday night my friends, and until we blog again remember this:

You’re not fully clean until you’re Zestfully clean !

This never happened:

Read all about this fake picture.

My Fortune Cookie Message:
‘Do you believe ?  Endurance and persistence will be rewarded.’

My Immediate Thoughts:
I am truly a believer. I am constantly rewarded. It is all because of Him.

OK this specific blog entry posted late on this Wednesday night has nothing to do with Lipitor, but I’ve decided to keep the name intact for now. It’s past 10 PM EST, and it’s actually my first blog entry of the day today.

I just got home from Life Group. I had a glorious time tonight hanging out with my Wednesday night church family at Anne and J.T.’s home. You won’t see a weekly ‘Tossed Salad’ of what went on at Life Group - not tonight or ever - because it’s not appropriate to blog about it to the world. What happens at our Life Group each week is between our family in the moment and Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Be sure to catch this blog tomorrow. I’ll have your ‘Thursday Night Internet Hoax Hall-Of-Shame’ for you sometime after 4 PM. I may also induct a new member into ‘The Chris Day Club’.

Have a safe and peaceful Wednesday night everyone, and until we blog again remember this:
‘Turn Around Don’t Drown.’

I told one of my coworkers about my new Lipitor medication for Life, and she advised me to look out for spontaneous bleeding and black-and-blue marks on my skin in lieu of minor scrapes. I think that she’s heard way too many urban legends regarding the use of Lipitor. Another one of my coworkers suggested that my healthy liver will eventually deteriorate and ultimately fail due to the continued use of Lipitor. I think I’ll continue to listen to Doctors and not Financial Managers.

As for me I’m getting ready to close up this blog for another night. I’ve got two hours of prime time television to watch starting at 9 PM (including “Big Brother 9“), and I need to do a little bit of prepatory work for my Life Group tomorrow night. I’m leading a discussion on God’s relentless love for us and why it’s important to establish, maintain, and strengthen our personal relationship with Him.

I’ll be back on the blog tomorrow (Wednesday), so be sure to check it out to see what’s on my mind. It’s been awhile since I’ve done ‘The Road Rage Files’, so maybe I’ll have enough material for that tomorrow. Have a great night everyone !

Until then remember this:
Irish Spring gives you the fresh, clean feeling of the Irish countryside every time you shower.

1.  The MASSIVE power outage that affected MILLIONS this afternoon in North, Central, and South Florida did not affect me where I work (Homestead ARB), where I play (Publix in Homestead), where I drive (Homestead), and where I live (Homestead). Power was never lost at any of these locations near and dear to me. CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News are all over this International story.

2.  The highest concentration of nasty cold and flu germs known to mankind can be found on the handle of a grocery store shopping cart or basket. If you go to the grocery store often then wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap.

3.  My car is a target for bird droppings. I have a silver car that’s peppered with white streaks and polka-dots all around it.

4.  I look at a pot of hot steamy collard greens and think to myself, ‘YUMMY !  Give me a pound of it !  I’ll eat it all right now !’

5.  Guys who don’t shave on a regular basis are just plain lazy. That includes me sometimes.

6.  Most people relay weather forecasts to their friends and family based on what ‘they’ say on the radio or on television. I relay weather forecasts to my friends (and readers of this blog) based on what I have personally forecasted through my own extensive analysis and research. I am generally accurate about 80 to 90 percent of the time.

7.  This season’s cast of “Big Brother” on CBS may just be the most dysfunctional and immoral cast so early in the game in the show’s history. It’s also the lowest-rated season ever (by far), so longtime viewers don’t appear to be interested in it.

8.  Can anyone recommend a good interior decorator for me ?  I have a bunch of exciting ideas floating around in my mind on various enhancements and repairs that I’d like to make to my living room, bedroom, and bathrooms. I’d want one of those deals where the interior decorator walks around my home, makes various suggestions, and then goes out and buys the merchandise and has it installed based on what I approve. I have a certain amount of money set aside for such a scenario. I don’t want to sweat at all with this project. All I want to do is approve or disapprove of ideas that are suggested to me. I want everything else done for me.

9.  You always remember your first car. Mine was a beige 1980 Chevy Citation. It had a factory-installed AM radio in it. Oh yeah - and a bad muffler (with a hole in it). Good Times !

10.  If this blog cheers you up, puts a smile on your face, or outright makes you laugh then I’ve succeeded with my mission here. This blog entertains me when I write it, but most importantly it should also entertain you.

I woke up at around 2 AM this morning experiencing a hot flash of sorts, and then it happened again when I woke up for good at precisely 5:10 AM. Aside from that (and the occasional stomach cramping - not as bad as yesterday) I feel fine on Day 3 of my Lipitor medication for Life.

I talked with Ela on the telephone earlier tonight, and she advised me of some future side effects that I should be aware of. I can hardly wait to experience some of those ‘events’. Maybe I should setup a second computer in the bathroom.

Well that’s all for tonight. I’ve got your heavily-anticipated ‘Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts’ for you tomorrow, so be sure to check them out sometime after 4 PM.

Until then remember this:
Tab (Tab) cola what a beautiful drink.
Tab (Tab) cola what beautiful people.
Tab (Tab) cola looks beautiful to me.
Real cola taste. Just one calorie Tab.

There are a lot of attorneys that share my name, and here’s one that shares my complete name (including my middle initial). He hails from Fairfax Virginia which is the county seat of my original hometown county from 1980 to 1985. (My parents and my little brother continued to live in Fairfax County Virginia for 16 years from 1980 to 1996.)

As usual … This is not me.

This week’s edition of the continuing saga that is ‘The Fortune Cookie Message Of The Week Club’ was submitted by loyal member Kelly on behalf of Travis:

‘Excitement and intrigue follow you closely wherever you go !’

Based on this long list of events I would say that this is rather accurate.

This is an update to my blog entry of last Friday night (same subject).

The powerful cold front is now expected to sweep through South Florida early on Wednesday morning. Wednesday will be quite unsettled - lots of clouds, a little bit of rain, strong gusty winds, and plummeting temperatures from the upper-60s (in the morning) dropping down into the upper-50s as the day progresses.

Temperatures early on Thursday morning (6 AM to 8 AM) could drop to as low as 40°F with wind chills in the mid-30s in and around Homestead !  (No frost is expected.)

Thursday will be a very chilly day despite lots of sunshine, as we will struggle to reach the upper-60s during the afternoon.

Another cold night is in store for us on Thursday night / Friday morning with temperatures bottoming out in the mid-40s here in Homestead.

Normal temperatures will return on Friday.

Well kids it’s DAY 2 of me taking my Lipitor medication (for probably the rest of my Life), and I surely hope that my bad cholesterol (LDL) is plummeting down to acceptable levels.

There are two serious side effects associated with taking Lipitor, and apparently they are very rare. There are 4 additional more common milder side effects associated with it, and I seem to be experiencing 2 - possibly 3 of them. Since this is a family-friendly blog I won’t even dare elabourate further on them. Hopefully they will go away over time as my body adjusts to this regular new medication.

I’m getting ready to call it a night, as it’s back to work for me early tomorrow morning. I’ll be back for more exciting blogging action tomorrow (Monday) afternoon. See ya then !

In the meantime remember this:
It takes a Men’s Wearhouse sale to beat a Men’s Wearhouse price. I guarantee it !

1.  It was great to be back again with my Life Pointe Church family after a one-week hiatus. It just felt so right to be in that main lobby again as we transformed it from Flagship Cinemas‘ main lobby to Life Pointe Church’s main lobby. If we set it up and build it then they will come.

2.  If you were in that main lobby at 8:20 AM then you may have thought that service was getting ready to begin in a few minutes. It was totally packed. I’m glad to see that more of our church family is discovering the earlier 9 AM service. It creates some much-needed empty chairs for some of our newer attendees that only know about the later 10:30 AM service.

3.  Some kids came in off the street to play video games in the main lobby. Of course the video games are closed during our occupation there. We offered them a better opportunity which they curiously accepted - Kids’ Life. They registered at the table, and then they proceeded to the Kids’ Life venue. I hope that they had an enjoyable experience.

4.  The 3-part ‘(un)christian‘ message series came to a close this morning. It was easily the most controversial message series that we have ever done, but it was also the most enlightening one as well. The series of short films that accompanied the message series were of top-notch quality including the production values, the acting, the writing, and most importantly the message within it. Fuser Films is slowly turning Homestead into Hollywood !

5.  Pastor Travis spoke with us about God’s expansive forgiveness of which there is no limit. His forgiveness is truly complete, but it surely does not give us a license to exploit it. There are Christians who put on a show every Sunday morning and claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but then they do not truly follow Him with their day-to-day actions. We must honor God with more than just mere words. Actions speak louder than words. We must truly honor God with the lives that we lead.

Effective on Monday May 12TH 2008 it will cost an extra penny to mail a letter via first class mail, as first class postage stamps climb from 41¢ to 42¢. If you buy the ‘Forever Stamp’ before that date at the 41¢ rate then you can continue to use it after the price increase. That’s the whole idea of the ‘Forever Stamp’. It’s good - forever !

Read all about it.

This is not me.

Sky: Mostly Sunny
Temperature: 72°F
Relative Humidity: 95%
Winds: Calm
Barometric Pressure: 30.04 Rising

My thoughts:

1.  I took a more unusual walk around my neighbourhood on this warm and steamy Saturday morning. I mapped it out on Google Earth after the fact, and as it turns out I walked nearly 1.8 miles in a little over 33 minutes. I was sweating towards the end of it all, but it was all worth it in the name of good health and fitness.

2.  We may come close to 90°F later today. It’s a sneak-peek of what a normal day will be like here in Homestead from May through October. I need to figure out if this walk will continue through the hot and steamy months ahead, and if not then how will I get my weekend exercise. I may have to return to slam-dancing to European techno music circa 1992.

3.  There were a bunch of fellow walkers out and about this morning. We gave each other the customary ‘walking wave’ as we passed each other up. We’re all in this ‘Walk Of Life’ together. (Somewhere that Dire Straits song is playing.)

4.  A long stretch limousine was pulling out of the front gate of my neighbourhood as I walked by it for the second time. I thought to myself, ‘Hey !  You forgot me !  Take me to Dunkin Donuts !’

5.  I received some disappointing news at my Doctor’s office yesterday afternoon. After numerous analyses of my blood work over the past several years he has finally made the determination that diet and exercise alone is not bringing down my bad cholesterol (LDL). It’s still in the ‘elevated’ range, and it doesn’t appear to be coming down on its own. He has prescribed Lipitor for me - 10 milligrams per day to start off with. He gave me a free 14-day sample of it to ensure that it doesn’t cause any bad side effects with me. If I feel fine after the first 14 days then it’s on to Walgreens to get my prescription filled. I take my first dosage this afternoon. This will probably be the start of daily medication for the rest of my Life. I am no longer a young buck. Apparently I am now a middle-aged dude with high cholesterol. I am facing the music.

As heat indices (the combined effects of actual air temperature and relative humidity) inch closer to 90°F this weekend the last thing that you are probably thinking about is an Arctic blast of frigid air that much of the rest of the continent is currently experiencing.

Our turn comes next Wednesday night into Thursday morning. From what I am tracking right now it now appears that we will briefly experience our coldest air since the last week of January. Temperatures could plummet down to the mid-30s near the Lake Okeechobee region - and the mid-40s here in Homestead !  Next Thursday could be a downright chilly day for us as afternoon highs struggle to reach the upper-60s !

This scenario is still about 5 days out, and weather conditions constantly develop and evolve. I’ll take another look at this potential frigid outbreak for us in a couple of days and advise accordingly. Stay tuned.

It’s Friday night y’all, so let’s celebrate with some of my favourite blog entries of this past week:

Travis is talking to the powers of the City Of Homestead about a misunderstanding regarding Life Pointe’s planned Helicopter Easter Egg Drop.

Kelly and Travis got engaged 9 years ago this week.

Nathan told the amusing story of how his wife Harmony met a couple of snowbirds that arrived at the wrong church last Sunday. (I did not see this happen. I must have been watching the small explosion on stage at the time.)

Harmony finally declared that she is indeed a Pastor’s wife.

My brother loves to watch “Carpoolers” every week on ABC.

Another weekend is upon us again, and this blog will be busier than ever to keep me entertained - but most importantly to keep you entertained. Check out this wonderful weekend lineup:

FRIDAY - Friday Night Blogroll Review
It’s what’s happenin’ at some of my favourite blogs in the blogosphere.

SATURDAY - The Major’s Walk-A-Thon
I’m planning a record-breaking 1.7-mile walk bright and early this Saturday morning, so I’m sure that I’ll have plenty of time to exercise my mind as I exercise my body right here within my own beautiful neighbourhood. Read all about it after-the-fact during the cooldown.

SUNDAY - Life Pointe Church Sunday Morning Tossed Salad
After a weekend off I’m ready to return to where it’s all goin’ on in Homestead every Sunday morning. I missed everyone last weekend, and I can’t wait to get back in action again as we serve, praise, worship, and learn all about our loving Lord.

PLUS - The Chris Day Club
It’s another installment of the club that’s so exclusive that you have to have my name in order to be a member of it. Be there as another dude on the web named ‘Chris Day’ is inducted into this cool club.

It’s all happenin’ this weekend - right here - on ‘The Major’s Life Blog’. Be sure to check back often for updates !