So yesterday I went viral...

So yesterday to my surprise a picture of me ended up on a blog that gets over a million hits a day. It's a website that I go to often and I borrow pictures from it all the time so I can use them here. The website is called theCHIVE.

So how did my picture come to end up on this site? Well it's an interesting story that in some way ties me to Brett Favre. (yes that Brett Favre) I will tell you the story of course but first here is the picture that showed up on the website: (link to it here)

So who is that and why am I in this picture? That picture was taken at the ACC Championship game in Jacksonville Florida back in 2005. (picture taken by my buddy Absolutgator BTW) In the picture are me, my buddy Mike Fudge, and Jenn Sterger. Why is that name familiar to you? Well Jenn happens to be the person currently in the news because allegedly she received inappropriate voice mails and texts from Brett Favre.

We took this picture as a joke because friends of ours made fun of Mike earlier that year for another picture taken earlier in the football season where Mike wasn't wearing this belt.

The picture at the top clearly shows that Mike is making up for it by wearing his belt.

Last week the authors at theCHIVE were looking for new and unseen pictures of Jenn Sterger for their website (since she is suddenly more famous recently) so I sent them some that I have. The picture at the top was only meant to show that I had actually met her and that the pictures were legitimate. It wasn't supposed to be included in their gallery. Imagine my surprise when I pull up the site yesterday and it was the lead photo. They also weren't supposed to post another picture of one of my friends. Whoops!

Oh well it was fun and now I can officially say that I have gone viral. I may not be famous but I can guarantee one thing. I NEVER sent Jenn Sterger any voice mails or text messages!

-Doc

Mel Gibson is a stupid, drunk, racist, misogynistic Pig....

But I see why he might be a little crazy... This Oksana Grigorieva is kind of hot. #Just Sayin'

Not making excuses for him... Just an observation

-Doc

Weekend and an Old Watch

We had a pretty good weekend that included among other things repainting the entire downstairs and upstairs hall of our house. Now don't get me wrong I didn't do any of the painting. I spent the day with my son out of the house keeping him away from the paint while my wife, sister, parents, and sister's boyfriend did the hard work. The house looks great and I had my fill of Chic-Fil-A seeing as my son wanted to play in their play area for hour upon hour.
I also had a semi-revelation on Saturday. I realized that one of the reasons I don't have as much to blog about is that I tweet pretty much everything that is going on. Now I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing I just need to remember to hold back a thing or two so I can have something to blog about. Pretty smart huh? I had something on Saturday that I really wanted to tweet about but I saved it. So here goes.
One of the things I wanted to get done while I had some time with my son on Saturday was take him to Bass Pro Shop so he could pick out his very first sleeping bag. We are going camping this coming weekend, you know roughing it with tents and campfires and stuff and we needed to pick up some new gear. I went up in the attic to check for sleeping bags and could only find one not two. This called for a more thorough search and while I didn't find the missing sleeping bag I did locate something that I thought I had lost years ago. My airplane pilots watch!
How sweet is this? It was in the bottom of my old college trunk up in the attic and I know I haven't seen or worn it in at least 10 years! The battery was dead of course (probably the reason it ended up in the trunk in the first place) but bonus, we were heading to the mall and I could get a new battery installed. I did and check it out, it's like my old watch is now my new watch. I'm wearing it right now!
Have you ever found something like this that you had forgotten you had and it was like brand knew when you did? Tell me about it...

-Doc

Quite Possibly the Yummiest thing Ever.

In a match that could only be made in heaven (Or North Carolina where both of these products were originally created) I think I have found what may just be the yummiest thing ever. Cheerwine filled Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Yes even though it may put me into a sugar coma I can never fully recover from I think that I will have to try this new treat in the very near future.

For those of you not familiar with Cheerwine, it is a wonderful sparking cherry-ish soda that was invented in Salisbury, NC where I grew up which is teaming itself up with Winston-Salem based Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I will have to report back once I have had one as to exactly how blissfully excellent it is, but I must apologize to you in advance that unless you live in North or South Carolina you won't be able to try this delicious treat because they are apparently only making it available in just this area.

I found a picture of one of these things and figured I would share with you...

Just another wonderful reason that I live in the best place on earth, North Carolina. Thank you for letting me share with you all.

-Doc

Where did 15 years go?

15 years, seriously? Where did it go? As I got here to work this morning and realized that my annual performance review was due today I started thinking. I looked at the heading and it includes my hire date June 25, 1995. Fifteen years ago today. Wow. A lot has happened in the past 15 years. Some bad but most good.
If you consider a working career with a company 30 years then I guess I am at the mid-point. Everything is down hill to retirement right? I seriously need to keep working though because my investments and portfolio aren't nearly ready to support me and my family yet.
I included the most recently taken picture of me that I can find. Taken at our friends' 25 wedding vow ceremony, or more specifically at the party after. I look at myself and how I have aged from that kid that 15 years ago who fresh off a failed first career out of college attempt took the next job with benefits that came along. I figured I would work here a few years until I found my true calling. Did that true calling ever come? Maybe it has and I just never realized it. I have a few things that I would like to tell that kid from fifteen years ago who was so care free and had his whole life in front of him. A few things maybe but I don't think I would tell him to change much. Here's hoping the next fifteen years go well also.

-Doc

Darrelle Revis wants $20 million a year and so do I

I happened to be reading online yesterday and this article about NY Jets Cornerback Darrelle Revis caught my eye. Mr. Revis thinks that he deserves to be paid 20 Million a year for his skills which breaks down to 1.25 million dollars per game. Whaaaaa? Now considering he plays defense and not QB or some position where he handles the ball every play this figure is actually 1.25 million for playing HALF the game.
Now I know that Revis is good, don't get me wrong he is one of the best. I mean anyone who can shut down and shut up Chad Ochocinco deserves serious credit but 20 million???
I have come to the conclusion that I'm going to demand my employer pay me like this as well. OK lets figure this out. The highest paid person at Revis' position in the NFL made less than 10 million last season. While this is still being severely overpaid I will use this as a baseline marker for my demands. OK if the highest paid person at my position with the company makes $100,000 per year for example I think that I'm going to contact our general manager (through the media of course not in person) and demand that I must make $200,000 a year. How about that? I mean I do offer a service that people really need when they have wrecked their car. It's more important than shuting down Diva wide receivers right? You know what on second thought why don't I just shoot for the moon? Forget $200K I WANT 20 MILLION TOO! How do you think this will be received? Yeesh. Oh and don't forget that I'm only going to work half the time too.
I love sports as much as anyone but this has gotten out of control.

-Doc

If you are reading this you aren't real

Do you know what... you aren't real. You are a tall tale, a story, a legend like Sasquatch, Chupacabra, or the Loch Ness Monster. You don't exist. You are fake. You simply aren't real.

Or at least so says my wife. (and backed up by my sister, parents, and others on Mother's Day) You see for a long time my wife has held the belief that the people I have "met" and become friendly with on the internet via blogging and more recently Twitter aren't real people. She claims that all those text message tweets that I receive don't "count" because I am not getting them from "real people" like those who text her or Facebook people who are actually real.

Now I will admit that other than friends that I had prior to blogging/tweeting I have yet to actually meet any of you in person but that simply doesn't make you any less real. Each of you is real and has feelings, opinions, and emotions and over time I have come to know you by reading your postings and comments. I think that I have come to know some of you so well that I can even predict how you will react to a blog posting or a tweet and what your leaning will be on a news stories. That's not to say that I wouldn't like to meet you all. As a matter of fact I wish that I could host a big party and all of my blogging/tweeting friends could come. I think we would have a great time. Of course no one would actually show up because you all aren't real.

I would love to hear what you all think of this. What is your opinion? How do you like being portrayed as not real? Does anyone else either feel the same or have a family member who thinks their "internet friends" aren't real? Heck am I the only one who sometimes prefers the company of my twitter friends to real people? I really want to read your comments on this one. Of course since you aren't real are the comments really there? (And if Nessie the Loch Ness Monster comments then my wife will really think its a conspiracy)

-Doc

I'm with Matt-Man

My buddy Matt-Man from Bagwine Rumination's has a brilliant posting this morning on his blog.

"I got nothing...absolutely nothing. In fact, I'm just not feelin' it and may never again."

This pretty much sums up my feelings this morning as well. I mean I know I will get that feeling back again sooner or later but I am going to do exactly what Matt is doing and declare that I am on blogging hiatus until Wednesday. Thank you for the inspiration Matt and I will catch you all very soon.

-Doc

Summer vs Winter Parking Spaces

I park in a different place at work depending on the time of the year and I was wondering if anyone else has a quirk like this. I do this for a specific reason of course and it's the weather. Our parking lot like most is pretty wide open to the sun but it also has trees that provide shade near some of the edges. During the winter I park in the space below:

As you can see it was snowing the day I took that picture. There is my little red Grand Am sitting out there in a parking space that not only gets sun and keeps it warmer on cold days but I can see it all the time from the window in my office. (just in case anyone tries any funny business)

Now during the summer months I want to keep my car cool so I scouted out the entire parking lot and found the absolute best parking space for doing this:

There she is sitting there in as close to total shade as you can get in our parking lot. It's amazing that even on the hottest August days the shade of this parking space keeps the car so much cooler. Ahh what a relief.
I get to work early to ensure that I have my choice of the parking space I want especially in the summer because that space is in demand. It's not uncommon to find it taken if I go out to lunch either. As you can imagine I'm not very happy when that happens.
Anyone else have a special quirk about where you park at work?

-Doc

A quick joke

A little boy tells his parents, 'For my birthday I wanna watch.' So they let him.


- TMC

Twitter - FAIL !

I am bummed out today and very frustrated with Twitter which for some reason will no longer work on my cell phone. I feel so cut off from my twitter pals and the general knowledge that I pick up by getting updates from those I follow.
Ever since our internet was out when we got home from NY on Monday I have had twitter problems. All I did was go in to remove the image I was using and switch to another and now nothing works. This morning I tried to delete and reenter my phone and now it will not send updates or twitter commands and now I cannot even receive them... ARRRRGH THE AGONY!

Twitter FAIL !!

-Doc

A few Monday thoughts

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We did, very busy with stuff all three nights. Last night we even had some severe weather and a tornado touched down in the next county but altogether a great weekend. A few notes:

-NCAA tournament updated standings to the right over there. Kimmeh continues to lead but can score no more points. Can anyone catch her?
-Later this week possibly tomorrow (if they get them to me) My two other blog brothers Mt. Cat and AbsolutGator and I will be posting our top 10 lists of most influential music albums of out life. Should be good stuff!
-The NASCAR race at Martinsville Virginia was rained out yesterday so I get the rare opportunity to listen to the race here at work on the radio... GREAT FUN on a Monday!
-I am here this week but will be leaving Friday night on vacation (Spring Break) up to New York (The NOFO) for the opening of NY Mets season and my brother in law's wedding the following weekend. I will basically be gone from the 3rd until the 13th and although I will have internet access but probably won't be able to post much so I have a request... Would a couple of you like to guest blog here on YJKOBT for me? A few posts about whatever you like? Random stuff or odd news? Let me know because I would love to have some guest bloggers to post next week. I will just add you on as a YJKOBT contributor.
-After this weekend I am less than 10 miles away from completing my goal to Walk to 100 miles so by the time I get back from New York I will have completed my goal ahead of time actually! It also seems that I have been losing some weight so I guess I am doing OK with my goal of living healthier.
-Why the cat with the lime on it's head? Because I like it and have never had a good excuse to post it here.

I hope everyone has a great week!

-Doc

I hate when I worry about stuff I can't control

Sorry if I haven't been my usual fun self in the past day or so but I got some difficult news yesterday at work and for some reason I don't deal very well with things like this.
Some background, I have a great job that I like and I do well at. I am an outside vendor servicing a major insurance company. I'm sort of a local go between for two companies that have a quarter of a billion dollar yearly account. I enjoy what I do and think that I do it very well. My operation has been used as a model for others across the country. In fact my job was one of the few spared during the restructuring of our department during the recession. My point is this, I have a vested interest in making sure that my job stays the same and right where it is.
Yesterday I found out that my manager since 2004 took a different job in the company. I know that he had been looking at doing something but I was shocked that this seems to have been a demotion not a promotion. This creates the worry. I hate when this happens because I have this terrible internal worry mechanism that I can't seem to turn off that makes me run over all the worst case scenarios when something like this happens. I hate it and intellectually I know it's irrational but I still worry. Why would my manager take a demotion to move elsewhere? Why wouldn't he tell me? Is our department being disbanded? What will happen to me and my customers? What will happen to all I have built here? Why this? Why now? Why me? I can't control any of this but yet I worry.
I hate it but I just can't seem to stop it. Arrrrghhhh!

-Doc

Monday.. Monday...

Good Monday morning to everyone... where did the weekend go? Not that I hate my job because I don't I just wish that I could have another day to spend with my wife and son because we have so much fun on the weekend when we aren't running like crazy this Saturday.
Anyway I don't mind Monday too much but i certainly don't love it like Mrs. D does... She is downright tickled pink that Monday gets here and she can get back on her normal routine.
What's that picture on the right of? That's either my NCAA Tournament bracket or the Republicans debating the health care legislation last night because both exploded over the weekend . I'm not sure which. Oh boy nothing like Kansas, Georgetown, Villanova and Wisconsin to mess up a bracket right ? Updated standings are to the right of the blog and we have quite a showdown including a 3 way tie for 7th place. Good Stuff! I can't wait to see what happens and who captures the trophy in the end.
So how was everyone elses weekend?

-Doc

Busy Busy...

I'll tell you what, there is no way I could be a single parent. My wife is away at a conference and I am taking care of our son. He has been great and helping me to keep from forgetting things but the biggest problem is work.
This week I have been coming in half and hour later but still leaving the same time and I am simply covered up. I never realized how much difference that half an hour makes. (It may also go back to Monday when I got here late because I was waiting for the DirecTV man)
Sadly because I am so busy this has really cut into my time to do other stuff like blogging and Tweeting. I will eventually get caught up reading yoru blogs and get back to normal but it might not be until next week. Sorry no random thoughts today. I don't have time to type them out!
Oh yeah, if you haven't emailed me yet to get an invitation to join the NCAA tournament league that Jay and I are running please see the announcement at the top of the page. Have a Happy Thursday.

-Doc

The Suit that Acquit Doesn't Fit

I was glad to read yesterday that the suit that OJ Simpson wore when the jury acquitted him will not be accepted by the Smithsonian to be put on display.
I guess that you could say that the suit that acquit just doesn't fit with their plans. This also makes Fred Goldman happy because he has been in a custody dispute over who owns the suit for years. I must tell you that I wouldn't go to the Smithsonian to see it and I doubt that many would.
I did post this picture to demonstrate something though. Does anyone right off the top of their head know who that gentleman standing right next to OJ on his right is? Yep that is Robert Kardashian. He was OJ's friend and attorney who sadly passed away in 2003. What is this man's legacy that he left us? (Pause - Wait for it) Yes you guessed it his daughters are the famous for being famous Kardashian sisters who sadly our culture likes to keep up with. So among the numerous things that the OJ trial spawned you can thank him for them too.
So any thoughts on any of that? Sorry if I rambled and made no sense.

-Doc

The Mountain Cat's 'Dog Gone' Birth

My birth and the subsequent aftermath have become folklore in my family. Some of the details of this legend are vague based on my parents' recollections. It all started sometime in July 1971. My parents were on the way to Canada or already in Canada or on their way back from Canada. Allegedly they got into some sort of car accident and were forced to stay overnight in some roadside motel. I can imagine it was the type of seedy motel that propagates romance and other illegal activities for the frequent traveler. Consequently, nine months later on April 7, 1972, Vince was born.

I don't recall how I learned about this story, I believe that I quizzed my parents once in my adulthood about the events that led up to my nativity. Not that I'm a pervert mind you, but somehow we got on this topic one day. Over the years since then, my mother has recanted her original story and amended; 'No Vin, I was actually pregnant with you when we got into that car accident.' If this fact is accurate, it may explain some of my mental deficiencies due to a bump on my head that I suffered when my mom hit her womb against the passenger side dashboard. Those of you who know me well enough know that my personality is slightly 'left of center' to describe it modestly.

Anyway, over the years I have often given my parents mock guilt that I was an unplanned child. My mom always give me the same response: 'Well none of your sisters were planned either, Vin. So don't feel bad.' My two sisters are 11 and 12 years older than me which illustrates how unplanned my birth was!

Now at the time of my genesis, my parents had a French poodle named Jean-Pere. (Pictured below with my sisters in 1971). According to my father 'Jean-Pere was the best catcher he'd ever seen! He can catch any ball or any stick no matter how far or fast you threw it to him.' This fact has nothing to do with my story but it is a fascinating to me nevertheless. Unfortunately for me but certainly more for the dog, I never met Jean-Pere. My parents decided that they did not want Jean-Pere around their new infant. They were probably worried that poodle scent can deform a baby or something. I will have to research that someday to justify my parents' rationale. But the running gag all my life has been that my parents 'had to decide whether to keep me or dog'. Luckily my parents choose me instead of leaving me on some random doorstep or donating me to some refugee family in Chinatown.

Anyway I am saddened that I never got to meet the great Jean-Pere. My parents can't recall what happened to Jean-Pere. They most likely gave him away to a dog shelter where he stayed lonely and unwanted for several months before he was eventually euthanized. Mom and dad you should be ashamed of yourself! The blood is on your hands! Oh and I would have gladly co-existed with Jean-Pere. Come to think of it, I never had any pets growing up. Only goldfish. And goldfish are not affectionate plus they die too quickly to form any loving bond with them. What joy a dog, a cat or even a hamster would have brought to my life instead of the barren childhood that I led. (How's that for guilt?)

Yup, my mom was definitely pregnant with me at the time of the car accident.

-The Mountain Cat (aka Vince)


***Note: The poodle's name is pronounced 'Jon-pear'. It is French for 'John the Father' in case you were wondering. I don't know how he got the name Jean-Pere. According to my dad, they adopted him as a puppy and he already had the name.

OK, So apparently I have too many coats

I have a confession to make. My name is Doc and I am a coat whore. Very recently it has been pointed out to me by my wife that I just may have an issue with this so I have decided to come clean. I know I have picked on women for having to many shoes in the past so I now must confess my own failing. Coats. After using a gift card to buy a New York Mets jacket while up in NY the other week my wife asks me, "Why in the heck do you need another coat?" My response, "Oh I don't have too many coats."
"Go count them!" I'm told. So I did. I made an inventory. Here is a picture of our downstairs hall closet:

Between this closet and in my closet upstairs I have:

1 Carolina Panthers Heavy Duty Coat
3 Panthers pullovers (heavy, medium, and light)
1 Panthers lightweight coat
1 Panthers Windbreaker
1 New York Mets Heavy Coat
1 Mets pullover
1 Company logo Windbreaker
1 Company logo Parka
1 Dupont Jeff Gordon Jacket
1 FSU pullover
1 FSU Windbreaker
2 FSU Coats (heavy and light) + I recently gave my nephew my FSU letter jacket
3 Fleeces (2 full and 1 vest)
1 Everyday Windbreaker
1 Everyday heavy coat
1 Dress overcoat
1 Everyday light jacket
1 Rain Coat

For a total of 23 coats/jackets/pullovers. (Too be fair that closet picture also has 2 of my wife's coats and 3 of my son's as well) Is this excessive? Maybe. Now I don't live in an area known for super cold weather but sometimes it can be unpredictable. These coats are not being wasted. I promise that I have worn each of these within the past year. Probably more than once.

So there is my confession. I am a coat whore. Even so I can give good reason for having and keeping each and every one. How many do I plan on getting rid of? Well None actually. I already gave away one last year. As a matter of fact I am thinking there is room in there for me to get another one. (or two)

-Doc

Edgar Allan Poe's Mystery Toaster fails to show...

For the first time since 1949 they mystery toaster who leaves a bottle of Cognac and roses on the grave site of Edgar Allan Poe in a Baltimore cemetery has failed to show. for those who have no idea what I am talking about there is a a single mystery individual who for more than half a century has shown up between the hours of midnight and 5:30 am on January 19th and leaves these gifts at the author's grave in a birthday tribute. This year the mystery guest was a no-show for some reason.
Over the years the Poe Toaster has developed quite a following and the 19th of January has become a sort of pilgrimage day for serious Poe enthusiasts to visit the site. Apparently many were waiting overnight for the toaster to come and present his gifts. Perhaps the simple gesture that was born and carried out for decades in solitude has become to much of a spectacle for the enigmatic toaster who has never been identified or sought any attention for his simple act of dedication.
I hope this tradition isn't dead along with so many other things but I fear that it is. I would like to think that life still has some things that remain a mystery. Perhaps the Poe Toaster wherever he is as sad as I am today because others ruined his gift. Poe might agree.

"I have no faith in human erfectability. I think that human exertion will have
no appreciable effect upon humanity. Man is now only more active - not
more happy - nor more wise, than he was 6000 years ago. " - Edgar Allan Poe

-Doc

The Ultimate Jets Fan Bride

So those of you who follow me on Twitter already know about the wedding I was in in NY on Saturday and the surprise that the bride had for the cocktail hour after the reception. I figured I would share it here though.
My brother in law got married on Saturday and we were all in the wedding. It just so happened that service was at 5 pm which was during the Jets - Bengals playoff game. Kim the beautiful bride is a huge Jets fan so as a show of solidarity for her team she came down for the cocktail hour (before the reception) wearing her Jets jersey of Mark Sanchez. I just had to get my picture taken with her and post these here:

Classic and a very beautiful bride too!!
BTW - Maybe the jersey brought the Jets good luck. They won the game and continue on in the NFL playoffs!

-Doc