In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/27/2009, Part 1

News & Notes from Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

-On Wednesday night I joined a party of eleven at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro at 7:30 PM to celebrate PCR’s 37th birthday. Those in attendance were myself, ANDR and PCR, JTH and ALK, JDM, ANDR’s friends Erin and Brandon, and three of PCR’s friends whom he had met in all of his years working at malls.

-Erin brought PCR a gift and balloons. The gift was a sock that he had left at her house. She wrapped it. The balloons read “Happy Birthday Princess”. I liked her.

-JTH, JDM, and I decided to cut a “C” out of felt to be placed on PCR’s church basketball jersey (indicative of captain). This idea only shortly defeated procuring an autographed picture of PH, his wife’s least favorite of his basketball adversaries.

-P.F. Chang’s was selected as the locale for this shindig as it was the first place ANDR and PCR went out to eat together. They had dated for three weeks previously, mostly at JTH’s apartment. The locale gave me inspiration for our basketball team. I may come out of retirement and insert myself into the lineup as power forward. I would call myself P.F. Chan...

-Also in the restaurant was Tennessee volleyball coach Rob Patrick who appeared to be recruiting a potential Lady Vols. Patrick’s presence seemed fitting. We did not say hi or, as was my suggestion, say “Point, Lady Vols!” the only cheer uttered at Lady Vol volleyball games.

-While most of my friends ate the Crispy Honey Chicken, I ate the moo goo gai pan. I had never tried it before. I mostly ate it in tribute to the “Over the River and Through The Woods” episode of the “The Bob Newhart Show”. It aired on November 22nd, 1975. PCR was the only one at our table alive then. Still, I was the only one who got the reference.

-The dish is named for the Cantonese names of the ingredients: moo goo (蘑菇): button mushrooms, gai (鸡): chicken, and pan (片): slices. P.F. Chang's version also features shrimp prominently. It was good but next time I think I will order the Crispy Honey Chicken.

-PCR’s actual birthday was the following day. I was a little disappointed that there were no “birthday singers”. (Read: Waiting reference.) Like most people I know, I am embarrassed by this process but had they sang “Happy Birthday” in Chinese that would have been awesome. Instead they offered PCR his choice of a mini dessert (strawberry cheesecake) and placed a candle in it. It was very subdued. He was pleased.

-We were also given Fortune Cookies. One read, “Listen to the wisdom of the old.” which seemed appropriate given the occasion. Mine read “Your cheerful outlook is one of your assets.” I was disappointed. This is not a fortune. It is a statement. Also, there was some trading of fortunes. Is that allowed?

-Finally on Wednesday, I had my haircut for my job interview the following day. My stylist, Jessica (JLH) predicted that it had been five weeks since my last haircut based upon the two-guard that I always request and the length of my hair. I was impressed.

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/25/2009, Part 3

News & Notes from Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

-I spent Tuesday night with my aunt LAMV, uncle JHV, and cousins JEV and LAV. When I first arrived at the house only JEV was there. After discussing his college course work, JEV shared his latest film find with me: For Y'ur Height Only. The Filipino movie from 1980 is a spoof of the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only released in the same year. Hence the tagline “Bigger than Goldfinger's Finger - Bigger Than Thunderball's (. . . . . . .)”

-The film stars Weng Weng as Agent 00, who is sent to stop drug trade and its mysterious warlord Mr. Giant. Mr. Giant is a dwarf, while Agent 00 is a midget. At 2'9", Weng Weng is known as the shortest man to ever be a lead in an a martial arts film. Mondo Macabre released the movie on DVD in a two-pack with Challenge of the Tiger and my cousin naturally jumped at the chance to own it. We watched the film until the rest of the family arrived.

-The family returned from Blount Memorial Hospital where family friend Wisam was celebrating the birth of his child. LAV’s son Weston (CWV) was briefly with us. CWV looks eerily like my cousin JEV when he was the same age, just with darker hair. Sorry for the grainy photo. It was dark in the room. It does look like the same photo quality of me at the same age because cameras were in their infancy then.

-Everyone is doing fairly well. JHV is preparing for a trip overseas on March 31st. LAV has about 45 hours left before she graduates but has yet to select a major which could add to her time at UT. She is still likely to graduate faster than I did. That is not an accomplishment.

-Their cat, Inga, is also well, though she is annoying the family by doing a lengthy ritual every morning. We suspect that even Vinson cats are OCD...

-We also discussed mutual spiritual interests. When the topics of generational bonding, soul ties, etc. emerged my aunt and uncle introduced me to Sylvia Gunter and gave me a free booklet. I will definitely check her out (in a I will read her material way not a "hey good lookin'" way).

-It was good to see the family. I hope to be back on April 5th as JEV plans on watching three exploitation films for his birthday. I suspect that I will just be able to handle one of them.

-I had about a half hour before I was to meet friends at Applebees so I stopped by RAW’s to visit him and KJW. I think that is called using time wisely. KJW was negotiating to watch cartoons. The issue was not whether or nor she could watch but where. She lobbied, “I want to watch on the big tv.” In her argument she referred to the television as hers. This was a mistake. RAW quickly corrected her, “Who’s tv is it?” KJW replied, “Keira’s tv.” This went on for minutes.

-My favorite line of the night was a classic non sequitur from KJW: “I think Chan’s gonna paint me a picture.” Really?

-After visiting at RAW’s, I joined GAB, JTH, and JBT at Applebees. We watched Penn State eliminate Florida 71-62 from the NIT. I also learned that JBT bought into the Applebees NCAA tournament pool. After the first weekend, JBT is in the top five of a very large pool with 52 points after picking fifteen of the Sweet 16 correctly. The leader has 55 points. The winner receives 75% of the pool while second place gets the remaining 25%. Our beloved server AFH is actually one of the few ahead of JBT.

-Caroline, another server, came and sat at our table briefly. (That is a common occurrence.) After noticing JBT ordered something new, she referred to me as “Predictable Patty”. I am going to take this as a term of endearment.

-Finally, on Tuesday I submitted my application to work at the Central Baptist Church of Bearden. Only at my church does one submit the application after getting the job.

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/25/2009, Part 2

News & Notes from Monday, March 23rd, 2009, Part 2

-On Monday night church league basketball resumed after two weeks off. Before the game, I had a brilliant idea. Dare I say “inspired”? I contemplated cutting the nets down after the game. I thought this would be hysterical given the fact that it was only the second game of the season and there were two games after ours. Delaying the action by carting out a ladder and having a ceremony amused me greatly. And probably no one else. I did bring massive scissors just in case.

-The scissors would not be needed. My team lost 62-48 to MDR’s squad. My “coaching” was atrocious. There were two points where this was especially obvious. First, I gave the team a spiel before the game about always having two post players in the game. Our spacing on offense has been awful and this was my solution. We have three natural post players on the team so I designated JTH a post so that we could always have two post players in the game. You will note that we now had four post players on the team. When the game started I had three of them on the bench. I am an idiot.

-The other obviously poor coaching moment came with eight seconds left in the first half. The ball went out of bounds giving my team possession underneath our own basket. Leading 26-24, I called timeout. Naturally, our in bounds passed was intercepted and Brandon Dial (BSD) hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give his team a 27-26 lead at half. Just before this happened, I predicted this scenario. This is further proof that I am an idiot.

-It gave our opponents’ momentum in the second half and they pulled away at the end to produce the fourteen-point margin. The game was far closer than the final score indicated. The game marks our biggest margin of defeat in two seasons. We are now 0-2. I attribute this loss to three factors:

1. The schedule I was given before the season began indicated we would be playing MEB’s team and as such I did not work on our substitution pattern. (We should beat them handily.)
2. The officiating was horrible. It was so bad that MPW walked off the court saying he would not play with the father-son referee tandem again. Had any of my other players done this, it would not have been that shocking. The fact that the taciturn MPW did it was a statement. (I really do not know what a factor this was as the officiating was equally terrible for both sides.)
3. MDR’s squad was just really good on this night. BSD hit for 19 points and MBR had a great game, scoring 18. Phillip Humphreys (whom every fan we bring hates) added 10. In our league, three players reaching double figure in scoring is impressive. They deserved to win.

-The loss could not take away my joy. I had big news that I relayed during the halftime devotional. Earlier in the day, Carlus Groves added me as a friend on Facebook. Groves is a former Tennessee basketball player (1989-1992) who famously got into a physical altercation with Shaquille O’Neal when O’Neal played at LSU. March 14th, 1992 is a date that lives in infamy in the hearts of Tennessee basketball fans. The 6'7" Groves more than held his own against the massive Shaq before both were ejected from a game in the SEC Tournament. I gave the devotional on my “friend” Carlus. Groves is seventh in all-time career field goal percentage at UT (54.6%) and payed professionally for so long in Mexico that he is a naturalized citizen there. Friends know these things about each other...

-After the game, JTH proudly showed JDM his locker in the church’s locker room, #27. We are fairly sure JTH is the only one who actually uses the locker room. Before the season ends, a prank is forthcoming. Any ideas?

-JTH, JDM, and I then met JDM’s Kroger friends Jamie and Marie (the girl whose name escaped me in the March 20th “In Eckleburg’s Eyes” post) and ALK at TGI Fridays’s. ALK was very late from handbell practice. This is why she could not take photos at the game. (I have already reprimanded her on her priorities.) Unfortunately, she will only be able to make 8:30 games. She arrived before our food did as it took a very long time. In fact, despite ALK coming late and ordering nearly half an hour after us, she got her food first!

-I spent the rest of the night with KLTW, KJW, and RAW. KLTW was preparing for finals the next day so RAW and I talked and KJW and I played in her castle. KJW is at the apex (nadir?) of the terrible twos. Thankfully, she got most of her brattiness out before I arrived.

-Finally, on Monday I was e-mailed copies of forms that indicated that after all this time I have been officially accepted to UT’s PhD program in Educational Psychology & Counseling Department. It kind of seemed anticlimactic on a day that you became friends with Carlus Groves...

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/25/2009, Part 1

News & Notes from Monday, March 23rd, 2009, Part 1

-On Monday afternoon I went to the Medic Regional Blood Center to donate blood. (The redundancy of that sentence just occurred to me.) My friend JR posted on Facebook that her friend (JOK) had lost a lot of blood in a surgery the previous Friday (March 20th). Since I have blood, I donated in her name. If you wish to do so, you can too. If you donate before April 6th, you can get this stellar March Madness t-shirt as well.

-I had never been to Medic before. I set out knowing only that it was on campus. When I remembered that I had no idea where I was going, I stopped and visited my friends at Hope Resource Center (HRC). The kind people at HRC directed me to Student Health Services. It was there that I learned where to donate blood. If you ever need to go Medic is situated on the corner of 17th and Ailor at 1601 Ailor Avenue.

-My initial interview was conducted by Ben Parrish (BEP), an old friend from church. He is now attending Fellowship Evangelical Free Church. He is still in training but did a great job in taking my initial blood and asking questions. I am not sure, but I may have answered more questions to give blood than to get into my PhD program. The preacher in me would like you to know that you can positively answer no to most questions that would prevent you from giving blood just by waiting until marriage to have sex. (Click on the list on the left to view it.)

-After reconnecting with BEP, I was taken to a large room where a woman named Mary took my blood. They had the most comfortable recliners I have ever sat in. It was a good experience. Not only did I get the t-shirt and the opportunity to sit in a special recliner, but I will also soon know my blood type. At the moment, I have no idea what it is. That might be important...

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/23/2009, Part 3

News & Notes from Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

-On Sunday morning, I attended the Soul Purpose community group at Fellowship Evangelical Free Church. There, RSB taught the latest installment of a series on the Beatitudes entitled “Jesus’ Guide to True Happiness”. This week we discussed Matthew 5:7:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7, NASB)

-RSB divided us into small groups where we discussed passages on “mercy”: Psalm 40:11-13, Psalm 51:1-2, Matthew 9:10-13, Titus 3:3-7, and Hebrews 4:14-52. The definition of mercy that RSB presented was “an act of compassion toward someone suffering from the effects of sins.” As always, the lesson was great.

-On Sunday night, JTH, ALK, JBT, and I ate at Texas Roadhouse. The company was good though the service was terrible. It was also must have been birthday night which meant that a saddle was dragged out and loud birthday celebrations were held throughout the night. Before leaving, I stood on a chair and yelled just out of spite. Note to self: Work on maturity issues.

-It was nice to see JBT. He informed us that his breakup from SCB the previous day was a “break” more than a breakup. (Insert your own Friends joke.) He was taking everything in stride as he does everything. He was focusing on the bright side, namely the monetary gain of the new arrangement. Speaking of JTB's money, he just ordered 15,000 DVDs for the store: 5,000 copies each of Pinocchio, Slumdog Millionaire, and Twilight. If you are interested in any of these titles, pick them up at MoFoS.

-JTH and ALK also had interesting stories to share. JTH had bene propositioned by a man the night before while driving. ALK shared an interesting blurb in the police reports of The Farragut Press.

-As noted our service was terrible. This meant that our friend GAB was not our server. He was working in the kitchen and when his shifted ended he sat with us.

-After dinner, JTH, ALK, and I went to my house where we watched a movie. It took longer for JTH and ALK to select a movie than for us to watch it. If Barry Schwartz writes a sequel to the Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, I will submit this story. We eventually settled on the 2004 romantic comedy Love on the Side. Despite the cover art, my beloved Marla Sokoloff stars. The film is not bad though we were all a little disturbed by the superfluous homosexual content. I would like it known that ALK was texting throughout the film. Party foul!

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/23/2009, Part 2

News & Notes from Saturday, March 21st, 2009

-On Saturday morning I took AMTT to IHOP for her birthday. Her birthday is February 21st so I was exactly one month late which is about par for the course. We ordered the exact same thing: a stack of pancakes and a side of bacon. Unfortunately, this meant AMTT got her bacon as burned as I like mine. Sorry, Ames.

-When I walked in, our waitress Pam asked, “Is my fella not with you today?” She was referring to my father, whom I usually eat with. I found it odd to have my dad referred to as “my fella”...

-AMTT has been busy attempting to find her unborn baby childcare. The baby is due in September. Who knew that one had to start this early? Her first choice is Trinity United Methodist Church, where my cousins attend. Priority for admission goes to children who have siblings in the program, then to church members, and finally to others. Is being a friend of a friend of members worth anything? We are going to find out.

-On Saturday night, I visited JTH and TJK at MoFoS. Much to my surprise former employee CTH was also there. Even more surprising was that even TJK was happy to see him. I am pretty sure this is more indicative of how much TJK despises CTH’s replacement.

-The big news at the store was that earlier in the day, JBT and SCB had broken up. Not to be rude, but Ray Charles could have seen that coming. Predictability does not reduce the pain involved. Please keep them both in your prayers.

-The visit was to be short until our friend JTS walked in, seen here about to rip tape off of JTH's arm. Among the topics we discussed were his endorsement of the 1986 film Rad and his basketball team at Roane State. Roane State was eliminated in the first round of their tournament. The big news, as it has been all season was Ken Mink, the 73-year old player JTS has coached at Roane State this season. Wright Thompson, a reporter from ESPN, had spent a week with Mink investigating his story which has made many news outlets. Unlike other reporters, Thompson actually did his research, including taking JTS out on ESPN’s tab. The result was an 8000+ word article that is less than flattering. It is a great read and can be accessed here.

-Mink flunked Spanish and caused his team to forfeit a game. The 73-year old actually scored in the game. Mink’s story ended as it began - by being kicked out of school. This gives a potential movie about his life, which has been discussed, an ending. The real question: Who would play JTS in the film. Without hesitation, JTS answered: Dolph Lundgren.

-Finally, on Saturday, I picked up family prescription information from Walgreens for tax purposes. My 59-year old father’s information covered a page. Mine was small booklet...

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/23/2009, Part 1

News & Notes from Friday, March 20th, 2009

-On Friday night my parents and I met my extended family at 6:30 at Agave Azul Mexican Grill in the Western Plaza shopping center. Since I was with my parents, we arrived exceedingly early. We used the extra time to shop at The Fresh Market. I am not sure my mother had not planned our earliness just to frequent the grocery store.

-I was surprised when I saw that one of the bag boys was BT, the unbearable p.a. announcer from the Rocky Top Basketball League. We talked basketball and he was very personable. I still hate him as a p.a. announcer.

-The family was meeting to celebrate three family birthdays and because it was the last night my cousin ACN was in town. Her birthday was one of the ones we were celebrating (March 5th). The restaurant was really bright. This is evidenced by the fact that my cousin wore her massive sunglasses inside the restaurant.

-Two of my four cousins were in attendance. Being an optimist, I like to think of it as the table being half full. Obviously, ACN was present as was HANW. I knew that my cousin HANJ had made it back to Abilene successfully on Monday but I learned that she used the barf bag on the airplane. We were all impressed by this because none of us knew someone who had actually used one. It takes very little to impress us...

-I had never eaten at the restaurant before. There was a debate as to whether or not my father had. Mom insisted he had while Dad had no recollection of it. Either way, it was a new experience to Dad and me. The food was good though a quesadilla and burrito taste pretty much the same to me regardless of which Mexican restaurant I am at. I am obviously not a connoisseur of Mexican food. The place was really loud. As noted, we were celebrating three birthdays and they had the loudest (and messiest) birthday celebration I have ever heard. As you can tell from my uncle REN’s, the beers are served in the largest mugs I have ever seen. So if you are into beer, this might be the Mexican restaurant for you.

-I then returned home to watch the conclusion of the second night of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. My bracket was almost flawless until I picked only one of the night’s four games correctly. I also missed a game earlier in the day when I picked Tennessee. The Vols lost 77-75 to Oklahoma State. I would like to thank my Fellowship
friend JMW for sending me a link from his blog, Fan’s Guide for Watching the Vols in the NCAA Tournament. It made the loss far easier to stomach. By the way, I highly recommend his blog.

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/20/2009, Part 3

News & Notes from Thursday, March 19th, 2009

-Thursday was the first day of the NCAA Basketball Tournament a.k.a. “March Madness”. This is one of my favorite days of the year. I was determined not to finish last in my pool this year as I do every year. I have lost in the past to people who have never actually watched a full basketball game. So I did my research.

-The research paid early dividends. At the end of the day, I had accurately picked 15 of 16 games. The only incorrect pick came in having faith in Mississippi State. Fear not. I am not overconfident. I realize that I tend to find ways to collapse in this event.

-The game I was most invested in on this day was not in the NCAA Tournament. I listened attentively to Bearden High School’s first round game at the Class 3-A State Basketball Tournament on the TSSAA web site. Bearden entered the game ranked first in the state and were heavy favorites to win the tournament. Unfortunately, they suffered an uncharacteristic fourth quarter collapse against unranked Clarksville Northeast (27-6), which was making its first ever appearance in the event. Blake Jenkins’ free throws with 5:33 remaining gave the Bulldogs an eleven-point lead (48-37). The Eagles then went on a 15-0 run and outscored Bearden 25-5 the rest of the game. Bearden lost 62-53.

-Bearden shot terribly. They shot only 36.2% from the floor, including a first quarter in which they scored only five points. Bearden was whistled for more fouls (28) than it had made field goals (17). Bearden was also an abysmal 15-of-31 from the foul line. It was a disappointing finale to the best season in school history (35-3). (Note: This photo is of Northeast’s Dermetrye Brown who led the Eagles with 22 points and nine rebounds).

-At 10:45, I met JTH and JDM at Applebees. We were also joined by three of JDM’s friends from Kroger: Jamie, Nathan , and another girl whose name escapes me. We sat in Caroline’s section which is a rarity. Her section had a view of the television.

-JDM had just returned from a four-day trip to Gatlinburg. He brought back a souvenir - a henna tattoo of a purple dolphin on his right forearm. It was the consequence of losing a go carting race to Jamie. She hustled him. It does, however, explain a recent Facebook Status Update: “my dolphin's name is Splash and he’s my boy!” (Note: This is a piece of art and not JDM’s actual henna tattoo.)

-There was also a Santa Claus convention in Gatlinburg while he was there. Why? I have no idea. This does explain why we saw a Santa Claus at the Apple Barn the day before. (See this “In Eckleburg’s Eyes” post for details. In the midst of all of the Santa Clauses, JDM saw a sign representing the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santa Clauses. New career goal.

-JTH had just come from a shift at MoFoS. The store continues to make random personnel changes under the direction of JBT and the store manager. JBT fired JAD, the manager at Halls. We both feel this is a terrible move but no worse than the usual illogical decisions made at MoFoS. We just felt bad for JAD.

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/20/2009, Part 2

News & Notes from Wednesday, March 18th, 2009, Part 2

-JTH, ALK, and I spent Wednesday in Pigeon Forge. It is Spring Break in Knoxville and this was JTH’s only day off of work. We were to embark at 4 PM but JTH was late as usual. He had gone into work. I do not think JTH grasps the concept of a day off.

-As usual, we set out with absolutely no plans. Having worked at a daycare for so many years, there is little in Pigeon Forge that JTH has not done. He was our guide. In driving through Pigeon Forge I noticed one major oversight: How has no one started a wrestling themed business? It seems like a no-brainer.

-We amused ourselves on the way there by reading the new MoFoS Employee Handbook. No, JBT did not take the time to write his own document. He printed one offline. It was very humorous as much of the booklet did not correlate to the store. It was typical MoFoS.

-We decided to play miniature golf before dinner so we stopped at The Track: Family Recreation Center (located at 2575 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN). It was the first miniature golf course we saw. We later had a little buyer’s remorse as we did not remember that Pigeon Forge has more mini golf per capita than any city in the known world. We probably would have gone to the Ripley’s Old McDonald's Farm Mini-Golf course had we known it existed. Who wouldn’t want to hit a golf ball into the mouth of a three-eyed pig?

-We played the “Gator Creek” course. ALK hustled us. She told us she was not very good. Liar! She led through thirteen holes before JTH became very determined to defeat her. There was a little drama at the last hole but JTH wound up winning by three strokes, 55-52. It is worth mentioning that had we counted more than five strokes on hole three, ALK would have won. Handily.

-My final score, you ask? 62. In my defense, I had an additional obstacle. In addition to the wind, which threw all of our games off a little, my shorts kept falling down. It is a combination of weight loss and basketball shorts. (I’m okay with it.) It is far more difficult to putt while trying to keep your pants up. Also in my defense, I did not need more than five strokes for any hole and played very conservatively to keep this streak alive. Still, I admit that the kids behind us played better.

-We then drove to the Apple Barn Cider Mill & General Store. Not surprisingly, there was a wait. We sat in a gazebo and discussed plans for later in the evening. We perused brochures at the restaurant. There is actually a place called Parrot Mountain. I was shocked to learn that there was no option to shoot the birds. It seems like that would sell better in Pigeon Forge.

-We were seated on the restaurant's porch in swings. This is the first time we have eaten while seated in swings. JTH and ALK found that synchronized eating is far more difficult than you would think. We also learned an amazing fact about ALK on this night: she does not like apple butter! How is that possible? ALK’s dislike of apple butter meant there was more for JTH and I. I thought I liked apple butter until JTH ate it out of the ramican by itself!

-ALK also passed on the vegetable soup. Her explanation was that “I don’t like a lot of vegetables.” Both she and JTH ordered vegetable platters...

-Side story: While in the bathroom, JTH met a man who was bragging that he and his son were second generation Santa Clauses. I challenged him to smack the man and make a vague reference to Christmas 1987. He declined though we both thought it would be funny.

-We then planned on seeing a show. We considered Magic Beyond Belief. The fact that JTH had already been several times coupled with the $30 price tag deterred us. I then made a sacrifice for JTH. I agreed to consider going to The Comedy Barn.

-Based solely on their billboards, I am fundamentally opposed to The Comedy Barn. I took this photo while JTH investigated their pricing. You will note that they were offering a "relaxing foot massage" for a quarter. That should tell you the type of high class establishment we were dealing with. the show costs $25. The hotels in the area were advertising rooms for less than that. I was relieved when we opted to shop instead.

-At JTH's request, we went to an airbrush stand. JTH wanted a tacky souvenir. This would have done it. Had the people been able to draw us on the shirts, we would have bought one. Since they could not, again, it was not worth the money. We did consider investing in personalized headbands for $10 apiece for our church league basketball team. Again, $80 was not worth it. That was the theme of the night.

-Our next stop was the Z Buda Outlet Mall. ALK had mentioned that she had always wanted to go in Big Dogs. It is a clothing company and one of the most redneck places I have ever entered. I suspect that if you like Larry the Cable Guy, you will like this store.

-We embarrassed ALK by doing pull ups from the back of the stairs. When you embarrass someone at Big Dogs, it is time to leave. I was disappointed that the women’s brand was known as Lady Big Dog’s. I had a shorter name in mind...

-We then stopped by Shirt World (located at 2850 Parkway Store 12B). (Note: Do not read the store’s sign to fast.) It was owned by an Indian man (not Native American). We found that he was selling die-cast cars. We could not help but notice the similarities between he, JBT and MoFoS.

-Having had enough of Pigeon Forge, we returned to my house where we watched Definitely, Maybe on DVD. ALK wanted to see the movie. JTH and I had watched the film with JDM last June 25th. We liked the movie better the second time. For my initial review, see the June 26th, 2008 edition of “In Eckleburg’s Eyes”.

-Finally, it is worth noting that Attorney Stephen A. Burroughs has billboards in Pigeon Forge. This guy is everywhere.

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/20/2009, Part 1

News & Notes from Wednesday, March 18th, 2009, Part 1

-I spent Wednesday afternoon with KJW and RAW. As we were leaving their house to go lunch, KJW reprimanded her father, “Don’t say that word.” The word in question was “butt”. Naturally, RAW responded by repeatedly said the word.

-There was an also an excellent exchange between RAW and KJW when he referred to her as an “evil monkey” (a pet name). She responded, “I’m not an evil monkey.” He then asked, “What are you?” Her reply? “A scofflaw.” (RAW’s favorite word.) He was very proud.

-We took advantage of the beautiful day and took the scenic route to Lenoir City where we ate at Gerald’s Smokehouse. It was RAW’s first time there. He enjoyed the prime rib sandwich. He also enjoyed sneaking KJW’s fries. She did not mind. She interpreted it as her daddy “sharing”. It did not seem like a good day to correct her vocabulary. (Note: RAW styled KJW's hair. He wanted to put it in a ponytail but has yet to perfect this style.)

-RAW is well. Best Buy is slated for another corporate overhaul on April 6th and he is interested in seeing how this affects him, if at all. Our friend DBN is applying for the position of sales manager. Neither Knoxville store presently has a sales manager. That does not seem good. Please pray that DBN gets the position.

-After lunch we visited KLTW at the Fort Loudon Medical Center. I had never been there. The hospital is very nice. It should be. It is only four years old. Our visit was very brief as KLTW had work to do. KJW asked us where we were going. We told her we were going to take her home so that she could take a nap as aside from a brief rest in the car, she had not slept all day. Her response? “I’m not crying.”