I'm 40... Now Start Digging

It's official. Today I turn 40.

It's time to pull out the pick and shovel and start making way for my eternal resting place.

Then again, they say that 40 is the new 30. And 30 is the new 20. But, my 12 year old is acting like she's 18 and my nine year old is acting nine an a half... so I'm a little lost.

I think I need an abacus.

Movie Memories... Star Wars III

A few years ago my best friend, Tim, and I are standing in line for the midnight showing of Star Wars Episode III. It's not that we really liked Star Wars I or II, but it was tradition since the original trilogy came out, so we mustered up enough caffeine to make the movie.

As we were standing in line, in front of us were a bunch of uber-fans... the type of fans that get all dressed up in their Star Wars costumes, pretending they are Jedi or Sith or whatever. Behind us were two punk-looking guys, one we'll call Pink Mohawk, as he had a pink mohawk with his hair extended off of the top of his head in long spikes and his friend, whom we'll call Scary Goth, as he was wearing dark clothes, dark eyeliner, dark fingernail polish and was intensely pale. Well, Pink Mohawk scans the line of fans dressed as Jedi and creatures and what not, shakes his head in disapproval, then leans into his Scary Goth friend and sums up his thoughts in one word...

"Freaks."

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wanted to wish all visitors to this humble blog a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. Let's make sure we spend part of today being truly thankful for all of the blessing we have been graced with in our lives.

May your travels be quick and without incident. And may everyone enjoy this special time with family and friends.

God bless.

Movie Memories... Ping Pong

It's 1988 and my college friend, Mike McLane, and I trek to visit the Disney/MGM Studios for the first time. On the tour of the studios, I looked through the windows high above the soundstages and down onto the soundstage floor where a commercial is being filmed. I wanted to be on a real movie set so bad I could taste it. I turned to Mike and said "How cool would it be to work down there? One day, I'm going to be down there. Somehow."

Flash forward about two years. I'm on the same soundstage dressed as the Number 3 Ping Pong Ball in a Florida Lottery commercial. I looked ridiculous, to be sure. But I gazed up from the soundstage floor to the same windows behind which I had once stood... and smiled.

I had made at least this little dream come true.

Movie Memories... Rear Window

It's 1984 and I'm in the theater located in the student union on the University of Florida campus. I'm taking an exceptional film appreciation class and experience my first Hitchcock film... Rear Window. The audience is packed with a combination of both film class students and non-film class students. All of us are too young to know or understand Hitchcock.

The lights dim, the crowd quiets and we are taken on a fascinating thrill ride. I am amazed at the Every Man quality of Jimmy Stewart. I realize that Grace Kelly is the most beautiful actress I had seen on film.

At one point in the film, Raymond Burr, playing the baddy, looks directly into the camera at a very suspenseful moment... the entire audience SCREAMS. Yes, we actually screamed. Out loud. Without control.

I was hooked.

I will spend the rest of my life trying to recreate that cinematic moment for others through my own work. I don't know if I'll every achieve it, but will keep trying.

Happy Birthday Steve!

My brother Stephen celebrates his birthday today. I've always thought that it must be odd to have your birthday on the same day as the JFK assassination.

Anyway, Stephen is my Buc Fan in Arms... we've been through the highs, the lows and the really low. Even though he moved to Georgia for work years ago, we always call each other on game day to discuss the latest Buc game. He and his wife, Theresa, are inspiring in their spirituality and faith and they have four beautiful children.

Chris, Paul and Girlfriend, Theresa,
Steve, Marie, Mom, Dad and Stephanie

Stephen and I are also linked in a unique way as our parents always call us by each other's names. At family gatherings you'll often hear my parents say "Stephen-Peter" or "Peter-Stephen" as they try to figure out who the hec we are. The weird part is that, no matter what name they call any of us, we all somehow know who they are talking to... odd.

Happy Birthday Stevey!

Fortune Cookie

I had Chinese for lunch. Today's fortune...

"You are surrounded by fortune hunters."

Are they talking about fortune cookie hunters, or just fortune hunters... Interesting. Either way, it sounds ominous. I should get my fedora and whip, just in case.

Are We The Sheep or The Goat?

In this Sunday's Gospel reading, it was from Matthew (25, 31-46) where Jesus gives the parable of the return of the Son of Man. He states that we will be separated like sheep and goats. The sheep are the ones who treated others well and the goats were those who did not.

Specifically, he states that the sheep, the righteous did the following...

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me"

And that the goats, the accursed, did not do these acts. He finishes with the often quoted phrase:

'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'

What struck me upon listening this Sunday was that, during his passion, Jesus was all of these things... hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, ill and in prison.

It's just another example about how he extends his impending and eternal personal sacrifice to encompass all of those who, on some level, are facing their own challenges and suffering. What better way to fully understand, whenever we are faced with our own problems, that no matter how difficult, Jesus understands that sacrifice that we are to endure.

Just some food for thought...

Monday Morning QB - 11/21

The Bucs offense came through again to pull of a surprising win against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons started off the game undisciplined, causing a lot of their own problems with bad penalties and lack of focus. However, once they got settled down in the second quarter they were hard to stop... or should I say impossible to stop. The Bucs defense were unable to keep the Falcons from converting third downs and Atlanta scored five consecutive drives. But the offense equalled their effort with a late TD by Cadillac and field goal by Matt Bryant to win the game.

For the third week in a row the Bucs defense has been horrible. If they can't force a turnover, they can't stop their opponent. The Falcons racked up 456 yards of total offense, the Redskins 389 yards and the Panthers 287. That's 1132 yards in offense in three weeks against this Bucs D. Not a good trend. This will eventually cost us games unless they fix it fast.

My prediction: Falcons 24, Bucs 21

Score: Bucs 30, Falcons 27

Offense: B. Cadillac was back on track, running for 116 yards for the game. His two best runs were his nine yard scamper for a TD late in the game and the eight yards he gained to move Matt Bryant into field goal range to win the game. Simms, again, played well. He had one bad pass that cost us points, but he made critical passes when the offense needed it most.

Defense: D. I'll say almost exacly what I said last week... Could not stop the pass, could not get off the field. We did not force a punt in the second half and, at one point, the Falcons were 10 of 11 on third down conversions.

Special Teams: B. Bryant scores 12 of our 30 points.

Coaching: C. Kiffin STILL has to get the defense better quick. Gruden's offense gameplan took advantage of Atlanta's weaknesses.

Outstanding Players: Simms, Williams and Bryant.

Things That Drove Me Nuts: The defense's inability to get off the field and stop third down conversions. Frustrating.

Bucs Record: 7-3.

Next Opponent: The Bucs play at home against the surprising Bears, who beat and beat up the Panthers 13-3. The Bears defense is playing exceptionally well and it will be a tough task for the Bucs to win this game at home.

A Day Of Non-Rest

Today will be busy as Dea and I try to wrap up some things around the house... finishing work in the home theater room, cleaning up, etc. in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day today.