5 Things.

Interesting tag from the Ponderer. Here are five things that you may not know about me just from this blog.

1) Sometime during the 2007 campaign I will eclipse the mid century mark in rockin' out with the 6 headed monster. I started listening to Widespread Panic my junior year in high school and fell in love with the lyrics of "Ain't Life Grand." My first show was in Charlotte in 1999 back when the boys played the Center City Fest at night. It was a very purple show. Since then I've been to NC, SC, VA, TN, AL, and CO... and maybe beyond. Panic never plays the same show... in fact they rarely play the same songs within a 4 night run. Mikey Houser died in 2002, but the band has settled in with Jimmy Herring and are ready to rock Philips Arena tonight as a matter of fact.

2) I was a few months away from being a SPE--in fact, I was the pledge class president. They called me Dan at DC and it never really was my thang. I spent way too much time at UNCW, UNC, and NCSU instead of the vaunted halls of academe at the presitigious institution. I learned a lot about who I was and wasn't during those years of haze. I still have a soft spot for the Cats, but I'll take the Dawgs any day.

3) My son Samuel Adams--"you named your son after a beer?"--Thomas was born 6 weeks early. We were on our annual end of the year golfing extravaganza in MB. I had just finished a great round defeating my partner handily when my wife called with concern. We started at Grand Strand Hospital and ended up a few hours later in Florence. He was a tiny 4 lbs 2ozs when we finally brought him home. Thankfully he had and has had no health issues. We are hoping our next little one Sydney Grace will be content for the entire 40 weeks.

4) The best 3 weeks of my life would have to be when Sarah and I drove across the country. We went up through the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Little Bighorn, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier--with the Northern Lights accompanying--over and down the Washington, Oregon, and California coasts until we finally reached the Grand Canyon. I think my quote by that point was "how long are we supposed to stand here and look at it?" I'm hoping the underground comes through and teachers are paid much higher salaries, so I can visit the great west more often.

5) Nothing beats Saturday nights in the Fall/Winter by the fire at Shields' house. Sipping on the smooth Canadian Blend and discussing sports, education, politics, Masonic conspiracies, women, children, and on and on and on.... Sarah says she could pen the script for each time we get together because the same old topics always arise--the same 10-15 year running jokes. "Old Friends, Heroes and Lifetimes, don't let a single memory ever fade away."

Cheers to 2007 folks!
peace
dt