My Friend Joe

(Published on iSurf News on October 13, 2011)

I have several friends named Joe. I have a few musician friends that are named Joe, one of which is the bass player in my favorite local band, Mudd River Union, and the other Joe is an amazing thumbpicker. I also have a friend named Joe that works at my favorite electronics store. Due to my love of that store and my inability to control myself, I only get to see him once, maybe twice per year. I once dated a guy named Joe and I often call my son Jo-Jo. But my favorite Joe is the first one I spend time with in the morning and the last one before I crash at night. Yes, I am a coffee drinker.

Help, I've Fallen…

(Published on iSurf News on October 6, 2011)

No, I've not really fallen, but it is my favorite time of year. I love fall and everything that goes with it. I love the cooler temperatures with the weather, I love the colors that we see when God decides to change the different shades of green to all the brilliant colors and I love all the fall festivals.

In recent years, it seems that we have not been able to enjoy the four different seasons like I remember from years ago. We used to have a spring, summer, fall and winter. In the past 10 years or so it seems like we only have two seasons that I have renamed, Hot and Cold or Snow and Rain. Either way, we usually experience one extreme or the other.

My Life According To Maxine

(Published on iSurf News on September 29, 2011)

Some days, I think Maxine is my alter ego. She can say exactly what she thinks and no one minds. If I said some of the things Maxine says, I would either be fired or shot.

Maxine, The Crabby Lady, was created in 1986 when Hallmark launched Shoebox Cards, and today she is one of Hallmark's top selling characters. Created by John Wagner, who Maxine calls “Arty-Boy”, the character was inspired by his mother and his grandmother. Usually, a cartoon character will begin first as a cartoon, and then moved on to a greeting card. However, Maxine performed this feat in reverse. Her syndicated cartoon strip, Crabby Road, ended in 2002 but she can be found in books available through Hallmark as well as her own licensed merchandise.

Neither Snow Nor Rain

(Published on iSurf News on September 22, 2011)
 

When you were young, what kind of games did you play? Did you enjoy playing board games? Maybe you enjoyed playing card games, jacks or even some games that involved exercise, such as frisbee or catch. When I got a little older, I enjoyed going to the local arcade and dropping quarters into the machines. Many times, I was the high scorer on the Ms. Pac Man game, but I also loved Pac Man, Asteroids and Space Invaders.

I also remember going to teen parties and playing spin the bottle, hoping that when the spinning bottle stopped, it was pointing right at the one I wanted to kiss. There is one game that I do not remember playing, Post Office. For the life of me, I cannot remember playing that game.

Rock Around The Clock

(Published on iSurf News on September 15, 2011)

I was born and raised in Muhlenberg County, only leaving long enough to go to college and then rush back home. Seems like I ran back just as fast as I ran away, something about growing up and hitting the pavement makes you realize that things were not nearly as bad as they had seemed.

There are so many things about this area that I am I proud of. I love to tell people that I am from the same place as the Everly Brothers. I love telling about how this area is so rich in coal, music history and wonderful people. Music has always had a special place in my heart, so when there is a concert or a music event in the area, I'm usually there.

Grandparents Day

(Published on iSurf News on September 8, 2011)

When my son was born, he was the first grandchild for my parents and the first great-grandchild for my maternal grandparents. That kid did not have a chance. Something happens to a person when they become a grandparent. Remember all those rules they had as parents? Well, they do not apply to the grandchild. They still apply to you, the child, but not the grandchild.

Sugar In The Land

(Published on iSurf News on September 1, 2011)
 

A little over a year ago, my best friend introduced me to a county singing group called Sugarland. I had heard a little about them, but my friend thought they were amazing.
I soon fell in love with the song “Stuck Like Glue” and that is how we compared our friendship. We were stuck like glue. When we found out that Sugarland would be in concert at the Indiana State Fair on August 13, we planned a weekend trip to Indianapolis.