Happy 2009!

2009 light, originally uploaded by Henry Hingst.

2008 has brought some wonderful changes for Amy and I. We bought a beautiful home in Decatur, GA, we made some new friends and became more embedded in our church and our lives in Atlanta. Have a great 2009!

Volkswagen Passat CC

Amy and I dropped off Amy's Passat at the VW dealer and they had a couple of these. This is a great looking sedan.

My new phone

Samsung Omnia, originally uploaded by eschulz.

Amy and I went and got new phones and new service yesterday, so we've been enjoying listening to ring tones and just playing. I'll try to put up a substantial review in a week or two.

Merry Christmas

Stay Fly (Clothing, Apparel & Rims)

Meet Flats

Flats is Charles and Rosalie's new cat. He got his name because the other cat is named Rascal.

New ceiling fan

My mother was generous this Christmas and gave us cash, so we are purchasing this cool ceiling fan from Mission Motif in Kirkwood.

How to Build a Backyard Pergola

How to Build a Backyard Pergola: Simple DIY Woodworking Project - Popular Mechanics
Found via Make: Blog

Samsung Omnia Review

Today, I'm eligible for a new phone and here's a review of the one I'm leaning toward. I probably won't get it until after Christmas.

Blurry Tiger Walk

This is a symbol for next year's Auburn season: We don't know what it will look like, but it will still be Auburn football, with all of its traditions and passions.

Cool front hub - Cruiser Bicycle

Shot at REI in Atlanta

Auburn's new coach?

Gene Chizik from the (I can't even find it on a map and my GPS never heard of it) Iowa State may be our new coach. His record as a head coach ? 5 & 19. His conference record last year as a head coach ? 0 - 8. Wow. I'm hopeful that this is speculation, but The Birmingham News is reporting, from a story they picked up from Iowa TV station KCCI.

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

A tad excessive

A tad excessive, originally uploaded by eschulz.

This is about a quarter of the Holiday inflatables at this house in North Atlanta. They had at least 50 and they were so close together, it was overwhelming. Many of them were patched with packing tape to cover holes. I am sure that their neighbors hate them and may be the ones responsible for the vandalism.

Samsung Omnia

I think the Samsung Omnia looks better than the Storm. Here are a few of the features that the Omnia has that the Storm doesn't.

Smart Reader: Allows you to take a photo of a business card and extract the information from the card, and save it as a new contact in Contacts. You can also take a photo of a document and convert it to an editable text file.

TV Out Viewer: Allows you to view your device’s display on a TV screen. This is done by using an optional cable to connect your device to your monitor’s TV input jacks. Cable sold seperately.

FM Radio: Allows you to listen to your favorite FM radio station.

Wi-Fi: Allows you to search, configure and connect to a wireless access point.

Widget Bar: Contains user selectable widgets such as Analog and Digital Clock, Calendar, Game Controller, Media Player and other user selectable widgets.

And here are some more features: RSS Reader, Flickr uploader, video editor, Opera Browser, Domain Support,

This is the same way I fix printers

Please Auburn!

Please don't consider this jackass to replace Tommy Tuberville. The reason you won't see this person's name in my blog is that I don't want to drive the buzz surrounding him by inflating his Google ranking.

My kind of place...

Everybody's Pizza in Virginia Highlands...

is it going to rain?

is it going to rain?

A small project written for fun, goingtorain.com geo-locates your IP address and checks the weather to tell you, in one simple word, whether it's going to rain (or snow) today.

Found on Red Ferret

Dancing Dog

There are no words...

The underground houses of Coober Pedy

The underground houses of Coober Pedy

Woop Woop

This was our dinner wine tonight.

48 years ago

This is the cover of the Time Magazine that was on newstands 48 years ago, which was a significant date in my history.

LIFE: TIME cover 11-16-1960 - Hosted by Google

30 Days in a wheelchair

This is an interesting social experiment. I enjoyed it.

Depression 2009: What would it look like?

An interesting article...

Lines at the ER, a television boom, emptying suburbs. A catastrophic economic downturn would feel nothing like the last one. - The Boston Globe

Ninja Cat

Ninja Cat @ Yahoo! Video

BlackBerry Storm

In about a month, I can get a new phone. I guess I'll stick with Verizon Wireless, so I'm leaning towards the BlackBerry Storm.

Sweet kitties...

Toby knocked Zelda off of the ottoman about 5 minutes later.

HAROLD HOLZER

When I was a youngster and had to write a paper or a report, I would always write about Abe Lincoln. His life and presidency always fascinated me. My parents took me to Ford's Theater and the Lincoln Memorial when I was 12-13. I have seen HAROLD HOLZER | LINCOLN SCHOLAR on several programs recently on C-Span and The History Channel. He's a great authority and his respect for Lincoln in infectious.

He always says things that I wasn't aware of. I watched him on C-Span's Q and A and he shared the most unbelievable fact: Between the time Abraham Lincoln was elected and the time of his inauguration, 7 states had seceded from the US.

Decatur goes to high-tech parking meters | ajc.com

Decatur goes to high-tech parking meters | ajc.com

Crazy Headline #2

Ga. man cleaning with blowtorch sets fire to house - 11Alive.com | WXIA | Atlanta, GA

Crazy Headline #1

Jogger runs a mile with rabid fox biting her arm | ajc.com:

Circuit City to close all 16 Atlanta locations

That leaves Best Buy. Fry’s and Microcenter for most customers. For me, it just leaves Fry’s and Microcenter, as I have a lifelong ban on Best Buy, which is going on about 5 years. Circuit City was great. I often bought things online to pick up at the store. It’s where I bought all of the components for my stereo, all of our home theater equipment. I went there yesterday to get a flash drive at a good price, Sorry to say goodbye.

Study: Sex on TV linked to teen pregnancies

I spotted this headline on MSNBC. Apparently, you have to be sitting very, very close to the TV…

Amy's gonna want one of these

It doesn't sound comfortable...

People in the Middle for Obama

Voting today...

The polls for early voting open at 8am. I got here about 7:45 (to avoid the lines). I am about the 375th person in line. So that didn't work...

Speaking of Auburn Quarterbacks

Leading Washington to a 14-11 win over Cleveland, Campbell completed 14 of 23 passing attempts for a total of 164 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown. Campbell is the only starting quarterback in the NFL without an interception this season. Going back to last season, he and the Redskins have gone 332 passing attempts without a pick, setting an NFL record.

Fall Five Miler

We're sitting in a parking lot in Marietta in the Passat. In about a half-hour, we will be walking in the Big Peach Fall Miler. I think there are around 800 participants and from the looks of the crowd, maybe 15-20% will be walking. There is a very light mist and if that doesn't increase, it should be OK. It's 56 degrees, so if the precipitation increases it will be uncomfortable.

Per gallon...

It ain't cheap, but I paid $4.09 last month.

Wrapping up the Auburn weekend..

We had a great lunch at Amsterdam Cafe in Auburn (thanks, Sara). We'll be leaving in 10 minutes. It's a pleasant drive back to Atlanta (except for some construction).

Church starts now!

Disappointing...

We deserved to lose this game by more than three points. It was a mind-numbing experience. It got so bad that Auburn fans were booing (which is unacceptable).

Arkansas at Auburn

This was Tiger Walk. We're now in the stands and the game starts in less than an hour. Texas and Minnesota have both won their respective games, so it's looking like a great Saturday for football.

2008 Volkswagen Rabbit S

Here's a nice blurb from Automobile Magazine about a2008 Volkswagen Rabbit S. It also shows a better picture than I've taken of my car.

I only drove the Rabbit briefly, but my overwhelming impression is that it oozes quality and refinement for an $18,000 car. There is nothing about it that feels cheap, from the nicely damped exterior door handles to the typically well-crafted VW interior, with its great seats, to the smooth and refined 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. There's nice steering feel and a supple ride, and I didn't even mind that the inline-five, which at 170 hp provides plenty of power, was hooked to an automatic transmission, since it's a six-speed unit that's well mated to the engine. If it were me, though, I'd opt for the five-speed manual and use the thousand-dollar savings toward a four-door Rabbit, which has a base price of $17,485. Still, if you're looking to get into a high-quality small car, the two-door Rabbit with a five-speed manual, starting at $15,490, is a very attractive proposition. And heated seats are only a $225 option!

Acoustic Sunset

Sunday evening, we went to The 92.9 davefm Acoustic Sunset and saw Modern Skirts and Bain Mattox.

Each Sunday morning, 929 dave fm brings you Acoustic Sunrise - a toned down collection of vintage music, coffee house specialties, and unplugged versions of your favorite dave fm artists.

Then back in the spring we brought you Acoustic Sunset, dave fm's live music series in the Smyrna Market Village.

It was so much fun, it's back for a fall series!

Wind down your weekend each Sunday beginning at 4:00pm with music from local and emerging artists. We're keeping live, local, and fresh each week with amazing up and coming Atlanta acts.

Bring your friends and family, and join dave fm for Acoustic Sunset in the Smyrna Market Village.
A free, all ages event!

Calvin Coolidge quote

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

More Calvin Coolidge Quotes

AuburnTigers ice cream

Tide, Tigers have own ice cream flavors this football season | montgomeryadvertiser.com | Montgomery Advertiser:

"Auburn Tigers will cheer when they discover they can enjoy Aubie’s Choice ice cream while rooting for the Tigers. Featuring chocolate ice cream with a marshmallow swirl and orange fudge-filled white chocolate footballs, Aubie’s Choice comes in a commemorative blue and orange carton with an Auburn football helmet on the front."

40,000 Page loads

I just noticed that my hit counter registered 40,000 page loads this weekend. That's a surprising statistic to me.

Obama 08

We're at a fundraiser for Obama. Susie French Connection are jammin'. Their first three songs were Jim Stafford, Helen Reddy and The Captain and Tenille songs. They are rockin' the 70's.

Tybee Island Light Station

100_1640, originally uploaded by eschulz.

When we were on Tybee Island, we saw the lighthouse. We didn't take the tour, but we walked around and took some pictures. It's pretty impressive and an icon.

Stilt House

Stilt House, originally uploaded by eschulz.

This was a fancy pants stilt house on Tybee Island. I'm not sure this plan will work...

House Next Door

House Next Door, originally uploaded by eschulz.

This is the house next door to ours. It won't be there much longer. I guess they're gonna build a mansion that will dwarf ours. We've known this was coming since we bought the place.

50 Free Internet Tools for Tin-Foil Hat Wearers

Web World Wide » 50 Free Internet Tools for Tin-Foil Hat WearersSource: ShellCity.Net

Microfreeze Jacuzzi Vacancy

Microfreeze Jacuzzi Vacancy, originally uploaded by eschulz.

This weekend, we're on Tybee Island (just off the coast of Savannah, Georgia) enjoying the sun and surf. Yesterday, we went for about an hour long walk and I snapped this picture.

Some bulldogs are Bama fans

Some bulldogs are Bama fans, originally uploaded by eschulz.

Today, the Crimson Tide is headed to Athens to play the Georgia Bulldogs. Nelly, pictured here, is one bulldog who will be rooting for Alabama.

100% (and then some)

The label says Low Sodium V8. Then it says 100% Vegetable Juice from concentrate with added ingredients. It seems like if the 'added ingredients' isn't vegetable juice, then it ain't 100%.

Pierce Pettis

John, Sara and I are at Boom Days in Fort Payne, Al. Pierce Pettis is playing. This is his hometown, you know ...

Braves vs Mets

We're at Turner Field with tons of Braves' fans and three of the loudest Mets' fans. We just tied them with five runs in the bottom of the seventh. And speaking of bottom, someone just mooned everyone on the Jumbotron.

Welcome to Turner Field

Tonight we're at Turner Field to see the Philadelphia Phillies play the Atlanta Braves. I brought dinner from Subway and we ate at the field with Charles and Rosalie.

I always wondered...

I always wondered about the stickers on Ohio State helmets. Here's an article about them:ESPN - Buckeye stickers a tradition 40 years in the making

Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool 5K and Fun Run Beat the Street for Little Feet

This morning, Amy and I participated in the Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool 5K and Fun Run Beat the Street for Little Feet. We were there with our friends, Terri and Julie. It was so much fun, we went out to The Big Peach Running Company and got new walking shoes.

We're gonna need a winch...

Somebody done got our desk Hummer jammed up between the desk and the file cabinet.

Fightin' White Squirrel

Brevard, North Carolina is known for having a large number of white squirrels. They market this, with a festival and all kind of art and trinkets, including this one:

Rock the Vote!!!

My candidacy may surprise some of you!

Reminds me of when Amy and I started dating...

Too early for Christmas

img054.jpg, originally uploaded by eschulz.

It's September 4th and today we saw Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations for sale. It just seemed a tad early to me.

Check out the Subdudes!

Auburn Season Opener

Believe it or not, nobody in our family is being recruited as a student athlete this year. That means for the first time since the fall of 2006 that I don't get to go on the field (it was great while it lasted...)

War Eagle!

Happy Anniversary

img050.jpg, originally uploaded by eschulz.

Last night, Amy and I went out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We had no idea when we started dating ten years ago where we would end up. We've had a wonderful time so far and we're excited to see what happens next.

WikiTaxi

Yesterday, I downloaded WikiTaxi. It's a great little application which allows you to download a current snapshot of Wikipedia (sans images) to your PC for local access. I now have a local Wikipedia installed on my laptop, and that's pretty cool.

Did you ever want to take Wikipedia with you while you are offline? Call on WikiTaxi: It is a portable application that delivers the Wikipedia of your choice to wherever you go.

WikiTaxi enables you to read, search, and browse Wikipedia offline. No Internet connection is needed, all pages are stored in a WikiTaxi database. Because Wikipedia is constantly growing, WikiTaxi uses compression to make sure that the database stays reasonably small. The huge English Wikipedia easily fits on a 8 GB memory stick.

Fernbank

img045.jpg, originally uploaded by eschulz.

Yesterday afternoon, Amy and I went to Fernbank Museum of Natural History (along with every child in the Atlanta Metropolitan area). They have an Imax theater there, so we saw a film called Antactica. We enjoyed it and became members, so now (for the next year) we can go there for free.

Dolores Aguilar Obituary

Following is the obituary for snopes.com: Dolores Aguilar. It appeared in the Vallejo Times Herald. It might be a good time to look at our lives and how we might be remembered.

Dolores Aguilar, born in 1929 in New Mexico, left us on August 7, 2008. She will be met in the afterlife by her husband, Raymond, her son, Paul Jr., and daughter, Ruby.

She is survived by her daughters Marietta, Mitzi, Stella, Beatrice, Virginia and Ramona, and son Billy; grandchildren, Donnelle, Joe, Mitzie, Maria, Mario, Marty, Tynette, Tania, Leta, Alexandria, Tommy, Billy, Mathew, Raymond, Kenny, Javier, Lisa, Ashlie and Michael; great-grandchildren, Brendan, Joseph, Karissa, Jacob, Delaney, Shawn, Cienna, Bailey, Christian, Andre Jr., Andrea, Keith, Saeed, Nujaymah, Salma, Merissa, Emily, Jayci, Isabella, Samantha and Emily. I apologize if I missed anyone.

Dolores had no hobbies, made no contribution to society and rarely shared a kind word or deed in her life. I speak for the majority of her family when I say her presence will not be missed by many, very few tears will be shed and there will be no lamenting over her passing.

Her family will remember Dolores and amongst ourselves we will remember her in our own way, which were mostly sad and troubling times throughout the years. We may have some fond memories of her and perhaps we will think of those times too. But I truly believe at the end of the day ALL of us will really only miss what we never had, a good and kind mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. I hope she is finally at peace with herself. As for the rest of us left behind, I hope this is the beginning of a time of healing and learning to be a family again.

There will be no service, no prayers and no closure for the family she spent a lifetime tearing apart. We cannot come together in the end to see to it that her grandchildren and great-grandchildren can say their goodbyes. So I say here for all of us, GOOD BYE, MOM.

In Defense Of Complaining

In Defense Of ComplainingCory Doctorow wrote another great editorial for Information Week.

Set Up a Home Server

Set Up a Home Server - Webmonkey

The Auburn University Official Athletic Site - Men's Golf

Do you see anybody you know?

The Auburn University Official Athletic Site - Men's Golf

Online Alarm Clock

KuKuKlok - an Online Alarm Clock

Google – 2008 Summer Games

Google – 2008 Summer Games site has several resources to help you stay up to date on the Olympics.

Brevard Music Center

Today we're in Brevard, North Carolina to visit Kristen. We've just been hanging out with her and her friend Megan. It's a beautiful part of the country. It took us a little over three hours to get here.

VERY Specific instructions

They take these things seriously in North Carolina...

36 Month - 0% Interest

That was great financing (and they were able to transfer my Auburn license plate to the Rabbit).

Fireworks from Atlanta Braves vs Brewers 2008-08-01

Braves Meal

$28 for large lemonade, medium Diet Coke, veggie burger (and fries) and chicken tenders (and fries). Of course, the tickets and parking were free (Thanks Charles and Rosalie!) so that offsets some of the expense.

To quote my brother-in-law

Terry was describing a person whose leg had been amputated just above the knee. He put his hand just above his knee, to indicate where the amputation had occurred and said "His leg, from here down, wasn't one"

Jessica Rabbit

Here's my brand new ride. I just bought it today. It's my first:

• Imported car
• German car
• Car with remote keyless entry
• Car with MP3 player
• Car with switchblade key
• Car with alarm
• Car with 6 speed automatic transmission
• Car with Tiptronic transmission
• Car with trip computer
• Car with Auxiliary audio input

There may be some other firsts, but that seemed like a good start.

So long, old friend...

I bought my truck soon after Amy and I got married. It was January 2002 and I had just started seeing the ‘new’ Dodge Ram 1500s (that body style debuted in 2002). I was interested in a Nissan King Cab and I think it was selling for about $17,000. I then saw an ad for Maxwell Dodge in Taylor. They had a Ram 1500 for $15,500. It was a lot of truck for the money. It could easily (and comfortably) carry three people, which the Nissan couldn’t.

The RAM didn’t get very good gas mileage (about 15-16 MPG). At that time, it wasn’t a huge concern, because I lived just over a quarter of a mile from work and gas was 99 cents a gallon. Other than the mileage, it has been a perfect vehicle. It has never been back to the dealer for any service. I have had to have two brake jobs (at about 40,000 and 80,000 miles) due to the amount of stop and go driving. The back tires lasted about 70,000 miles and the front ones about 80,000 miles. I had to have a sensor replaced last year to pass Georgia’s exhaust inspection. The original battery is still in the truck, it’s never had a tune-up and it runs better than the day it came off the lot.

There is some wear and tear. Both the outside rear mirrors were missing their cover, so they look funny. The left outside mirror is busted, because I backed into a pole at work (only the mirror was damaged). The dash is cracked in a couple of places. The windshield is cracked almost all the way across. Someone broke into the truck a couple of years ago and messed up the passenger door handle and trim (before busting the window). There’s a bad spot on the right rear fender, where something rubbed the paint off and there’s some surface rust there.

It is as comfortable a vehicle as you can drive. We have driven it from Texas to Alabama and back with and without a trailer. It’s never left me stranded. It’s just gotten too expensive to drive. Recently, Amy has been driving my truck to the MARTA station about a mile from our house. I’ve been driving her Passat, which has resulted in a huge gas savings, but also additional wear and tear on her car. The Passat is 18 months old and has over 30,000 miles on it. We just can’t continue to wear out the nice car at this rate.