Happy Birthday Susan!!!!

Let me start by wishing my cousin Susan a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The Wife and I went to the Hootie and The Blowfish concert last night. We had a blast (even if we were out past our bedtime). We’ve been to a bunch of Hootie concerts and we’ve loved everyone of them. Honestly, how could you not love seeing Darius wear a Run DMC shirt while singing David Allan Coe’s You Never Even Called Me By My Name? As a bonus, I got to see my good friend (and fellow blogger) KC at the concert. At least, I think it was KC… his seats were sooooo far in front of ours that I can’t be 100% sure it was him. I can’t wait for the concert next year. Maybe I’ll get lucky and order tickets early enough to get us good seats…

Friends, you know that this blog is all about love… but I want to talk one second about something I have no love for: The NCAA Clearinghouse. Around this time of year it isn’t uncommon to read in the paper that so and so is having to sit out of football practice because they haven’t been cleared yet by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Most people, I’m sure, read it and think here’s another dumb athlete some coach tried to sneak into school but the NCAA caught them. I can’t say for sure that this is never the case… but after my experience with that group of incompetent jackasses (no offense to donkeys out there) I usually side with the players. I was reminded of the dislike of this worthless group of employees when my Dad recently gave me the letter they sent me to inform me I’d been cleared to play Division I & II athletics. I know what you’re thinking… “Greg, you were cleared… what’s the problem (aside from your lack of power when it came to hitting and throwing a baseball)”. Well you’re right… I was unfortunate to play at the beginning of the Steroid Era (when chicks dug the long-ball) and I didn’t hit for power or throw the ball hard. And you’re right, I was cleared. But you see friends, I haven’t told you everything yet. That letter they sent me letting me know I was cleared was dated April 3, 1998. That was about a month before I completed my freshman year at Winthrop. What was the hold up? It seems the NCAA Clearinghouse felt I was short a math class and a foreign language class. The problem here is that I took Algebra I and Spanish I in the 8th grade because I was advanced. I (and all the others in these classes) took these classes for high school credit. The high school counted them as high school credit. Every college that I applied to counted them as high school credit. But not the NCAA Clearinghouse… freakin’ idiots.

So, why is a “Coming to Jesus Meeting” considered a bad thing? Am I the only one that hears “I’m going to have a coming to Jesus meeting with _______” and think, “Cool… can I come?” I mean, who wouldn’t want to meet Jesus? How do I get invited to these meetings?

An alert reader reminded me about a story I should have included in my 30 things about The Wife. A long, long time ago (Summer of ’99) when I was still young and had just started dating The Wife I decided I would travel from Rock Hill (where I was living and working) right after work to Charleston for a party (that The Wife would be at). Oh yeah, I’d have to drive back to Rock Hill for work the next morning. This being my college days, I asked around to see if anyone wanted to go with me. Only one man was brave enough (and I think you know who I’m talking about). So we left after I got off work and headed down to Charleston. We partied and had a great time and I got to hang out with The Wife and then around 3 or 4 AM it was time to head back to Rock Hill so I could take a shower and get to work. I was driving (since it was my car) with Jeremy riding shotgun. Things were going good until I started to get tired. Jeremy asked if I was ok (I think he was suspicious because I kept changing lanes while we were the only car on the road). I said I was fine. Then I took the exit. I took the exit because that was the best way to play off the fact that I’d fallen asleep and was really driving off the road. Jeremy drove after that. Jeremy drives whenever we are on the road at night now.

I am becoming more and more a fan of the Zach Brown Band and Eric Church. The Wife hates both.

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Corporal Harry Chapman Adriance (U.S. Marine Corps) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on July 13, 1900 in China during the Boxer Rebellion. His citation reads:

In the presence of the enemy during the battle near Tientsin, China, 13 July 1900, Adriance distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.

Private First Class Harold Christ Agerholm (U.S. Marine Corps) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on July 7, 1944 on Saipan, Marianas Islands. His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 4th Battalion, 10th Marines, 2d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Saipan, Marianas Islands, 7 July 1944. When the enemy launched a fierce, determined counterattack against our positions and overran a neighboring artillery battalion, Pfc. Agerholm immediately volunteered to assist in the efforts to check the hostile attack and evacuate our wounded. Locating and appropriating an abandoned ambulance jeep, he repeatedly made extremely perilous trips under heavy rifle and mortar fire and single-handedly loaded and evacuated approximately 45 casualties, working tirelessly and with utter disregard for his own safety during a grueling period of more than 3 hours. Despite intense, persistent enemy fire, he ran out to aid 2 men whom he believed to be wounded marines but was himself mortally wounded by a Japanese sniper while carrying out his hazardous mission. Pfc. Agerholm's brilliant initiative, great personal valor and self-sacrificing efforts in the face of almost certain death reflect the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.