1998

The one and only time that K-Ci and Jojo will make this blog but it was a big hit in '98 so it fit here.

 

The year was 1998.    The Beard was not even a thought (sorry Beard).   The world was a crazy place.  Osama Bin Laden issued a fatwa declaring jihad against all jews and crusaders, James Byrd Jr is dragged to death by 4 racist hillbillies in Texas, Hugo Chavez gets elected president of Venezula, and The Panthers opened the season 0-7.  Despite all this it was a great year for Tim.

Fifteen years ago, in 1998, is when I first started dating my, now wife, Ericka Faye.  As line cook and car-hop at the world famous Cardinal's Drive-In we were destined to fall in love.   The smell of malted milkshakes and steamed chili pies filled the air.  Some might say Ericka and I took too long to get married.  10 years.  I would say that we were just enjoying the time while both quietly doing our homework on the other.  Like two prize fighters we were feeling each other out with the first couple of rounds. 

Ericka had to make sure I wasn't going to stay as crazy and wild as my late teens and twenties.  She weathered many storms and fought through my most destructive times.  I learned that she came from a great family.  Crazy and wild but a great, strong family.  She was there when I jumped out of an airplane, when I was a hand model, when I had a run in with Belt Buckle Brent (only a few will get that reference), when Runt was my guard dog, when I worked 80+ hours at Pearl's (shout out to the greatest crew ever), when I gained 60 lbs drinking nothing but the Beast, when I drove for almost a year with no headlights, when I paid more in speeding tickets than the average family of four pay in taxes, when I went 6 months doing nothing but working temp jobs - playing Nintendo 64 - and partaking in more than one or two non-productive vices.  Ericka try to not to let any of the above bring back feelings of anger.  This is a happy blog.

We have been through the civic, the blazer (stolen), the bronco (miss it), the Suzuki (exploded), the truck, the morano (returned), the 2nd civic, the audi, the Pontiac (totaled...sorry about that again babe), the camry, and finally the new truck.  

We have had suko 1, suko 2, suko 3, asia (briefly), the pig, runt, brownie, goose, zeus, ace, laya, and Charlie Buckets.  We have been in that apt in Asheville (with worthless Green), the Morrissette house, Jarod's house, Dalton St, Third St, Mill River, the GB apt, Autumn Park and finally we just built a house. 

We have had in our time together the births of Isaiah, Elijah, Karseme, Ayden, Ellie Sue, Malakai, Amara, Haven, Jonathan, Alex, Greyson, Ayla, Favi-Bean, Adi, Jackson Ray, and finally we just made a baby (shout out to the one and only Wylie B).  If I forgot any vehicle, pet, or baby I apologize. 

I know that most people celebrate and remember wedding anniversaries but Ericka and I always like to remember the first 10 years as well.  I love you very much baby.  Here is to an amazing 15 years so far with many, many more to come.

Ericka, the Beard, and I.

Just in keeping with the blog's integrity here is a much better song from 1998 to go out on. 

 

 

 

 

Red Dirt, Buffalo Bill, and Herbie

Friday Morning Music Issue

Good Morning Thoughts of a Beardsman followers!  Hope everyone had a good week.  Beard and I have decided to choose three songs to share with class this morning.  Each one paired with what we recommend you should be doing while listening.  Sit back and enjoy.

 

Song 1. 'A Classic' - a little long but worth it.  Set the mood Beard.  Ok.  Backyard on a Saturday.  Late afternoon starting to be dusk.  You and your friends/hang-abouts have been cooking out, playing football, kicking it all afternoon and evening is about to be here.  The women folk are starting to get the kids ready mentally for bath time.  The light beers that have been going down to easy all day are starting to be replaced with some of the hardstuff.  Tiki torches just being lit.  Fire in the pit. 

Song 2. 'Something Country' - Beautiful sunny day in the low 80's.  Just late enough in the day to not have the sun in your eyes.  Dog and Family loaded in the truck.  Driving to the park or woods for a hike.  Just finished a conversation with the wife and bribed the kid in to contentment with a tic-tac.  Comfortable silence fills the cab long enough to turn the country up just loud enough to cover up your singing along.

Song 3. -'Something Odd' - no idea when you would listen to this one.  The video has a guy driving around in a Chevy Malibu.  I guess that works.  Beard would also like to suggest night time driving, in the zone, trying not to think about work.  Side note is that it is a cover of the song that Buffalo Bill dances to in Silence of the Lambs. 

That is it.  Hope you liked it. By the time we post again we will be over 3,000 visits to the blog.  Not bad for facial hair. 

Beard out.

A Beard Divided and oh yeah ... Syria

As my Beard and I were out running today our thoughts drifted to many things : what kind of headboard to make Ericka, Wylie taking my Maglite to school today as his 'favorite toy', and oh yeah Syria.   After loosely following the news on the conflict in Syria, watching the President's speeches, listening to the Dan Carlin podcast, and discussing the issue with the wise Kent 'the ninja shaman' Voss we are mixed in our emotions about what the country should do.  We thought we would use the blog to work through some of the conflicts in our head.

1. The Assad regime used chemical weapons to kill civilians in their own country.  A lot of them were children.  Q. Did the Assad regime really do it or did the rebels do it in an attempt to draw us in to the conflict?  Were the rebels thinking that the means would justify the end?  The U.S. helping to end the war sooner means that they would save more lives overall?  A. We have to believe that most of what we are hearing is true and that Assad was responsible.

2.  The President wants to act militarily.  A large number of the people in the country do not.  Q. Is it the responsibility of our country to get involved when atrocities like this take place?  Should we act without full congressional approval, popular approval, and without full consent from the U.N.?  A. We tend to lean towards yes but with hesitation.  The world looks to us and we think that is a heavy burden.  It is a heavy burden but one that we are proud of and one that we deservedly carry.  Better that the U.N. is on the same page but we need to be willing to stand for what is right. 

3.  The country has a large number of things that we need to spend money on at home.  Education for one.   Last year several states cut their education budget by 20-25%.  How can we continue to be a world power if we are allowing the foundations of our country to fall to the wayside?   A cruise missile costs around $1 million dollars.  Can we afford to get involved over there when that money could be feeding, educating, and caring for U.S. citizens that need it?   Then again last year the top 1% of the country saw its income go up 20% while the other 99% of the country only saw its income go up 1%.  There might be some other financial issues that we could focus on to help education.

We think that the overlying conclusion for us is that the country needs to make these decisions with compassion being the leading motivation.  Compassion by America towards those that are suffering is what empowers us to help people all over the world and at home.  Hopefully some of the 'leading the world through example' rubs off and others are inspired to be equally compassionate and helpful.  Can we really argue that we should not get involved because we are still have active conflicts in other places when we have the means to do so?  Can I really argue that I would rather see Wylie's school district receive more funding when there are kids his age getting gassed to death by their own country?  

There was a poll that said that 70% of the country thought that the Assad govt would use chemical weapons again if they were not stopped.  The same poll said that 80% of the country thought that we should not choose sides in the conflict.   What??  How can we think he will gas people again and not choose a side?

Then again...I may just be dehydrated from my run and rambling on about a subject I don't know much about.  Just tried to find a picture from Syria to include.  I chose the one above because it was the least disturbing.  If you are in the mood to see true pictures from Syria I encourage you to google them.  Pretty depressing.  

http://dancarlin.com/  - This guy does two podcasts that I have been listening to pretty regularly.  Great stuff.