My Semi-Surprising Birthday Party

When one's 40th birthday party approaches, you tend to look out for the telltale hints that something surprising has been scheduled. Over the past few weeks I had noticed a certain secrecy in the house and it did not take long before the secrets started to reveal themselves.

First, my son, bless his heart, was so excited about my surprise party on my birthday that he would often start talking about it and I would have to ask him to stop. At one point, I actually sent him to another room so he wouldn't over-speak.

The best of the reveals was from my dear old Dad. My parents, down from North Carolina, called me to wish me happy birthday. My Dad said...

"So are you excited about everyone coming over tonight... oh, your mother just hit me like I wasn't supposed to say that."

Hilarious.

Secret #1, revealed.

At that point, my intuition was fully realized and I asked my wife what I could do to assist. She said she still had some surprises in store for me. About an hour later my wife is in the shower and the phone rings. Its a florist...

"Mr. Bauer, we have a delivery for you for your birthday and we seem to have the wrong address."

I give them the correct address and tell my wife, who had now finished her shower, that she REALLY needs to answer the phone from now on.

Secret #2, revealed. My wife said there were still more surprises.

Later on, after the flowers had arrived and still hours before the party, I walk into the bedroom and my wife is putting the finishing touches on a beautiful collage of my life.

Secret #3, revealed. I suggest using the door lock next time.

Later, I was outside throwing the football with my son and my daughter comes out, holding the phone against her chest, asking...

"Dad, Uncle Charles wants to know if they still need to come over early to surprise you."

The question itself really holds the answer, doesn't it? But, just in case, I said "No, darling."

The surprise actually came to my guests, as I greeted them at the door, telling them not to tell me about the party because it would ruin my surprise. Later, when everyone had arrived, I asked if I should leave and re-enter the house, to make it official. They said to just shut up and open my presents.

My wife did hold one final surprise for me. My sister Mary had come all the way down from Georgia to come to the party and spend the night. It was so great. Mary is one of my older sisters and has six kids, almost all of which are now grown and living their own life. So, it has been rare for us so far to find time to just sit and talk. We spent that evening catching up on life, find out about each other, great stuff like that. It was awesome.

The next day we watched the Bucs/Bears game. She, liking Atlanta, wanted the Bears to win, but was very good about not rubbing the Bucs loss in our faces. I took her to the airport Sunday evening and she made it home okay.

Overall, the four day holiday weekend was great. I got to see my brother Steve and family from Atlanta and my brother Paul and family from Houston. Everyone else in my family made it to my birthday party and I also got to spend time with my closest friends.

Though the party did not go off without a hitch, it was still a very touching and memorable 40th birthday party.

Monday Morning QB - 11/28

Bucs miss a field goal wide right to tie the game and end up losing a close, important home game to the Bears 13-10. That Bears defense was extremely tough... good pass rush, great tacklers. Most importantly, they capitalized on turnovers and the Bucs did not. However, the Bucs should never lose a home game, in my opinion. That should always be the goal. But, this is their second loss at home and now head on the road for three straight games against the Saint, Panthers and Patriots. The Bucs need at least three wins out of the last five in order to have a chance to make the playoffs. If they don't, they'll look back to the Niners, Jets and possibly this Bears games as the reasons they may be watching the playoffs from home.

My prediction: Well, due to the holidays, I didn't actually post my prediction, but I verbally conferred with my brother Steve and came up with Bucs 21, Bears 10

Score: Bears 13, Bucs 10

Offense: C+. The offense was finding a way against the Bears tough defense in the last quarter. If the game would have gone to OT, I think the Bucs would have won.

Defense: B+. The Bears aren't a great offense, but the Bucs D did their job.

Special Teams: D. Punting was below average and Bryant missed the game tying 29 yard field goal.

Coaching: B. Defense handled a weak offense. The Offense managed against a stingy defense.

Outstanding Players: Galloway, Rice and Williams

Things That Drove Me Nuts: Two words... wide right.

Bucs Record: 7-4.

Next Opponent: The Bucs go on the road to Baton Rouge to play the Saints. This is a critical road divisional game and kicks off a three game road swing. The Saints have always played us well, so the Bucs will need to play their best on the road to get a much needed victory.

Movie Memories... Ready, Willing & Able

It's 1997. My wife and I park at the Disney/MGM Studios in Orlando and make our way to one of the street locations in the theme park. We approach our good friends, Jenni Gold and Jeff Maynard who are directing and producing, respectively, the feature independent film called Ready, Willing & Able, penned by yours truly.

It was a pretty cool experience. I had lived in Orlando previously and had visited the park a few times, always thinking how neat it would be to close down one of the streets and shoot something. Now, years later, I was standing on the same street, blocked off from the crowds, watching actors peform words which I had written months earlier.

It was surreal.

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.

Surfing In A Digital Entertainment Universe

The entertainment industry is in a unique transitional phase right now and I'm trying to figure out where I fit into it. There are and will be opportunities to be a maverick during this phase, but that window of opportunity will close pretty quickly. Once the media giants figure out how to control and make money in the digital entertainment television universe, the chance of being an innovator in the field will evaporate.

Over the next decade you'll see the merging of the internet and television as well as the explosion of high definition programming. The first step is merging the internet with TV, where you select what you want to watch on the internet and you download it to the harddrive on your Digital Video Recorder/Player (DVR), like TIVO. Then you can watch what you want when you want.

You're starting to see some of this already. Yahoo and TIVO have made deals. ABC and CBS are offering programming for $.99 per download and the service Akimbo has numerous major and minor content providers such as IFILM, A&E, The History Channel and Turner Classic Movies. Akimbo also recently made a deal with Microsoft to incorporate their Media Center to make high definition content available for viewing via Akimbo as well.

The Akimbo/Microsoft Media Center Offering.

The good thing at this point is that you don't need to be a major network to provide content. And I think that's the niche that's exploitable. If television truly becomes an on-demand existence, then, like the internet itself, there will be opportunities to offer niche content, specific to a smaller segment of the population, but available through the same interface. The internet has web pages dedicated to everything under the sun... video on demand will be able to offer the same variety.

There are a couple of niche's I think are waiting to be explored... but I'll keep those to myself for now. The key is going to be able to create that content in a way that can be financially supported by an on-demand niche vierwer base. The quality of the program has to be high, as you are now competing against everyone else. But the quality of the CONTENT of the program, i.e. the subject, the writing, the execution, will make you stand above the rest.

There's also an opportunity to be a player in the high definition content provider space as well. I have high def and only have about 10 channels to watch, with Discovery High Definition Theater showing the highest quality images on HDTV available. The problem is that High Defintion under the current technology and business model is cost prohibitive for the niche content provider.

Ted Turner was a genius when it came to turning content into money. His greatest achievement was when he bought the MGM library and created Turner Network Television and Turner Classic Movies. If I had the capital, I would be gobbling up content right now, as there may be a good chance to recoup that money on a per download basis in our on-demand future.

In order for a niche content provider to be able to compete against the media giants in the same virtual space will require an overhaul of the current television production/editing paradigm. There are some new technologies out there that may make high definition affordable to fill this market. And trust me, once you go high definition, there is no going back. On the right, large screen, after watching a high def image and then watching standard definition image is equivalent to watching color TV vs. black and white.

In the end, the niche content provider will need to be able to provide high definition content in a business model that supports a limited potential viewer base.

That's the challenge... and I'm working on it :)

Predictor Pete - Week Ten

In one of the most exciting games in recent history, the Bucs overcame the resilient Redskins by converting a rare two point conversion to win the game, 36-35. Chris Simms was great at throwing the long ball and has improved a lot since his first start against the 49ers just a few weeks ago.

This week the Bucs take on the Falcons in Atlanta, who lost a "should have won" game against the 2-7 Green Bay Packers. That loss should re-energize and refocus the Falcons in the game against the Bucs.

Winning road divisional games is a tough task. Usually, the way that is accomplished is that the road team has to be efficient and not turn the ball over... and the home team has to turn the ball over and not be able to run the ball. The Panthers win over the Bucs in Tampa is a perfect example of how to win road divisional game.

Now that we are playing more quality opponents, the Buc defense is showing a greater weakness at stopping the run. Atlanta is very good at running the ball, with Duckett, Dunn and Vick, and they usually rack up high rushing yardage against their opponents. Historically, the Bucs have played well against the Falcons. However, the only way I see the Bucs winning in Atlanta is to get some early turnovers and points.

My Heart: Bucs 28-27.
My Mind: Falcons 23-17.
My Colon: Falcons 32-10.

My Pick: Falcons 24-21...

Like last week, my gut tells me the Bucs can win this game... but that feeling is as strong as it was against the Redskins, so I'll let my mind take precedence this week.

My Record: 6-3

Parents Being Parents

The one thing about being a parent is that you never stop being a parent. And this is something you can't really comprehend until you actually become a parent.

I'm turning 40 soon and my parents are both around 80... yet, my Mom is still my Mom and my Dad is still my Dad and they have the same parental concerns, hopes and dreams for me that they had when I was an infant, a toddler, a teen and an adult. I'm still their youngest child... their "baby" and always will be.

It is one of the beautiful constants in life.

On a recent Saturday morning my kids came into our bedroom and jumped on the bed, squeezing in between me and my wife. My daughter said "I never feel safer than I do right now." And I was immediately brought back to a similar memory with the same feeling. I remember, as a child, getting in between my parents on their bed on Saturday mornings and feeling completely loved and relaxed. I have never felt that sense of safety as I did then.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, as I get older and become more aware of the depth of parenthood and it gives me a greater appreciation for God... as our parent. He too has hopes, dreams and concerns for us. He too wishes we wouldn't make bad choices and He hurts when we must pay the consequences those choices require. He too misses us when we are away. He too longs to spend time with us. And, when we are enveloped by Him, we too are never more safe.

Just today, my mother sent me the following, one sentence email...

"I was just driving back from the hairdresser and thinking of how much I love you. Ma."

After all of these years, a sentence like that is still priceless to me.

And it made me wonder... how many times a day does God think about how much He loves us?

Boob Tube

"Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home."
– David Frost

How true.

Dining At The Theological Buffet

Over the course of our life, God shows us enough so that we may know our path, yet hides enough so that we may live our faith.

I believe that any faith, including Catholicism, is a belief structure that you either accept or not. Faiths are not democracies that change with every social whim; with morals up for public determination. Faiths should be clearly defined paths to salvation that should remain strict, clear and firm. Sure, faiths must determine how scientific and social issues fit into the faith structure, but they should not be guided by such things.

For example, science allowed the act of abortion to be a health choice for women. The Catholic Church had to evaluate that act and determined, under their faith structure and understanding of the Gospels, that such an act was the murder of the unborn. Other faiths have determined it not to be murder or have not taken a stand on the issue one way or the other. But, since faiths are not theological buffets where one can pick and choose what they will and will not follow and since the Catholic Church has deemed abortion murder, then no Catholic, in adherence to their faith, can be pro-choice.

It is simply not an option.

Now, there are a lot of people who believe they are Catholics, who attend church, that are pro-choice, but, since it is in direct opposition to their faith, they cannot truly call themselves Catholic. They must make a choice. They must pray and ask themselves "What do I believe?" What does it mean to be a Catholic? Why does the Catholic Church hold such beliefs? After understanding what the Church believes and what I believe, can I still call myself a Catholic?

The same goes for the death penalty. The same goes for contraception.

Catholicism is a hard faith to live. It has very high standards. They sometimes fly in the face of the socially acceptable mores of the time. But, it is not, nor should it be, a democracy. It is what it is. It has rarely changed and has stood firm against a growing displeasure with its hard stances on moral issues.

For a while during my youth I used to say "I don't agree with the Catholic Church on..." this issue or that issue. But, what I came to realize is that, it wasn't that I didn't agree with the Catholic Church… it was that I didn't understand why the Catholic Church held such beliefs. I realized that the Church was basing its beliefs on 2000 years of understanding and faith structure and I was basing my opinions on a ten minute piece on 60 minutes... what the hell did I know?

If your faith is important to you, you will take the time to understand its roots before saying we should chop down the tree. So, I researched why the Church held such high moral standards on many things which are unpopular stances today. And, you know what? Every time I have researched it and understood where the Church was coming from, I couldn't help but agree. That doesn't mean that it was easy to incorporate that moral stand into my daily life. To the contrary. But, their arguments for such stances were linked to such clear and strong moral sources that I could not create an effective argument to defeat it.

Unfortunately, most people don't take the time to do the research. They're too “busy.” But, they sure feel absolute in their opinions that fly in the face of Church dogma... even though they don't even understand what Church dogma is...

I’m not trying to sound righteous or without compassion, but its important to understand that, when it comes to a faith, you either are a part of it or not. You either accept it or you don’t. You either follow all of it or you follow none of it.

Faith is not a lukewarm decision. It is an all or nothing existence.

That makes it hard… unbearably tough to live up to at times. But, like everything else, the most important and rewarding things in life are often the hardest to achieve.

Monday Morning QB - 11/14

The Bucs stopped there 1-3 slide to win a very exciting game over the Washington Redskins. Everyone, including myself, thought this game was going to be low scoring. Both teams had top 10 ranked defenses and both offenses were inconsistent. No one anticipated a 36-35 victory by the Bucs.

The Bucs moved the ball well on offense. This may be the game where we look back to see it was Chris Simms coming out party... where things started to click for the young QB. He's still young, he's still going to have bad games (see Eli Manning yesterday against the Vikes), but yesterday the game was all on his shoulders and he pulled it out. Hitting Shepard in the end zone with one minute left to tie the game was amazing. And Alstott, the fan favorite and under utilized FB/HB scored two TDs and the all important game winning two point conversion. It was a great game.


My prediction: Bucs 20, Redskins 17

Score: Bucs 36, Redskins 35

Offense: B. Passing game was great. Running game was below average again, which is a concern. Even hero Alstott only ran for 21 yards on nine carries. But give Gruden credit for getting Alstott more involved into the game.

Defense: D. Could not stop the run, could not get off the field. We did not force a punt in the second half and the Redskins ran for over 100 yards... without a long running play... all in chunks, which means they were consistently able ot run the ball.

Special Teams: D. Awful kickoff return of a TD when the Bucs could have gone into half time dominating.

Coaching: B. Gruden and Simms figured out how to pull out a win. Kiffin has to get the defense better quick. If we can't stop the run against Atlanta next week, we won't win that game, plain and simple.

Outstanding Players: Simms, Galloway and Shephard... oh, and Alstott. They carried the team to victory.

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

Bucs Record: 6-3.

Next Opponent: Atlanta may have been looking past the Packers to their game at home against the Bucs next week and they paid the price. The Pack beat the Falcons and Atlanta should be focused for the Bucs game. This is a critical divisional game and it will be a good indicator if the Bucs offense can repeat their success and if the Bucs defense can overcome their failures.

The Attack Of The Attack

Well, this weekend I've had my first Crohn's attack in over a year and a half. It wasn't an overly bad attack, but I'm still suffering from it today. All of my weekend plans have been shot and I'll be lucky to have a full meal over the course of the weekend.

I just get to drink a lot of water and offer up the suffering to God. Beyond that, it's sit and wait.

Chronic illnesses... they're the gift that keeps on giving.