Saturday – Dad learned about a carshow happening in Ducktown, TN a few weeks ago, and had been talking to someone that was organizing it about entering his ’69 Camaro in it. It was put off one week due to rain, but honestly couldnt’ have occurred on a better day. It was a bit windy, but nice and sunny out. Without trying to be bias, I really think my Dad should have one in the “Original” class, instead of a Dodge Viper that was one of the 5 to place in that class. Dad’s Camaro really should have been in an “Original/Unrestored” class instead. I mean, a stock ’96 or 97 ‘Viper versus an all original unrestored ’69 Camaro SS 396/375hp, which would you pick? But even without winning, it was fun. This was the first time in years and years that we’ve all went to a show together. The best part was getting to spend the day with my Aunt & Uncle that I don’t get to see very often. They have a place up there that they stay at pretty often, so we hung out with our Aunt and made some lunch for everyone. We talked and talked, and laughed like crazy about some things. It was good again to spend time with her, especially since she’s so much like Mom.
Dinner this evening easily ranks today as one of the best days this year. It was filled with great conversation, catching up, and laughs for hours with an amazing person. It was the epitome of how a Friday evening should go. Complete awesomeness!
It’s funny sometimes how paths are crossed at some of the most unlikeliest of times or places. Today my brother and ran into an old childhood friend while meeting up for lunch with Billy and Alicia at the Honey Baked Ham Store. It’s been probably 10-12 years since we’ve seen each other, and it’s funny how you can recognize someone after such a long time. We talked for a few minutes and learned that he actually works for a place that we do work for at our work pretty often. In fact, he’s probably been at our work sometime during some training, and just never knew that we worked there.
Our personal lives have taken a much different route when comparing one to another. He’s married, and has a child with a second on the way. I of course, am no where near that. I envy him for that, because I would love to be in that situation, or at least be happily married at this point in my life. But I couldn’t be more happier for him and how great things have worked out in his life so far. It was great to get to see each other, and hopefully it won’t be anywhere near another 10 before we get to catch up again.
Yesterday, Chase and I met up w/ one of our old friends, Jim, for lunch and a couple of games of bowling. It’s been years since we’ve actually bowled, and was a ton of fun. I’m actually sore from playing. It was so nice to hang out like old times, catch up a bit, and try to clear our minds of all the happenings lately.
I bowled with a 14lb ball that was probably a pound or two heavier than I would have liked, but it had what I found to be the most comfortable finger holes. I couldn’t even break 100 though, but I’m going to blame that on lack of practice. This is our first game, and our second was about the same but with the scores flipped vertically between us. I have no idea how he did it, but I think this is Chase’s highest score ever.
Yesterday I was asked by one of my friends through text message if my brother and I wanted to go with them and some other friends to Rod Run this September and split the cost of a cabin with them 4 ways for the 4 groups that would be going. Doing the quick math, the cost difference between 3 groups splitting it and 4 groups was roughly 25 bucks. Something seemed off by it when he said that he told his wife that they wouldn’t go if me and my brother didn’t go, but not to let that affect our decision. This is a friend that pretty much got married a couple of years ago and nearly completely dropped off the radar. I told him to just assume we wouldn’t go because it’s hard to plan something with usually having to work on the weekends for my brother, and if we did end up getting to, well then it would just make it cheaper for everyone.
I’ve thought about this before, even before running across this image, how we get so caught up in everyday life that we lose contact with those who we used to be in touch with almost everyday. I’m just as guilty as others, even though our circumstances may be completely different. Like a few of my friends from high school I haven’t seen in over a year now. Partly because of me working all the time, as well as them being caught all up in the married life. And some family, like cousins especially, I’ve not seen in over 5+ years. Social networks can help you keep in touch, but I think as time passes, people you know certainly become people you knew. Sure you know who they are, but you don’t really know them any more.
Lunch on a typical day is Chase and I clocking out at 1PM, choosing something that appeals to both of us for lunch, and hitting the drive-thru so we can eat and head back to work. Really lunch is more of an inconvenience in the sense that we’re required to take an entire hour while lunch could easily take just a few minutes. I’d rather just eat while working and get to go home an hour earlier. That is unless someone wants to get together and hang out for lunch.
Today we met up w/ our brother and sister-in-law and hung out at Panera Bread for lunch since they were in town. It’s a pretty new place to eat here in Dalton and is really neat. The inside has a warm feeling and reminded me alot of the sandwich shop that we ate at in Sedona. We had a good time just talking and hanging out, and before I knew it, we were late to clock back in to work. That’s how a lunch hour should be, enjoyable.
A class reunion is not typically one of those things that you’d think could be overlooked, yet somehow I managed to miss mine. I logged into my social network accounts on monday and saw status updates like “had a blast at the SHS reunion!” and realized it was this past saturday 
Friends have posted hundreds of pictures yesterday and today, and it looks like it was a decent turn out and everyone seemed to be having a great time. A few of the pictures had me scratching my head trying to figure out who they were, but I’d bet that others would have done the same about me as well.
Oh well, here’s to hopefully making it to the next one!
The closest I have really ever been to seeing a Christmas parade is getting blocked into work a couple of times by the one that Dalton has. They line up on Waugh Street, and by the time 5 o’clock rolls around, our driveway is blocked.
So yesterday I went up to Chattanooga w/ my friend Ashley to check out Chattanooga’s Christmas Parade. It started at 6, and lasted over an hour, and was pretty neat. They had lots of service men and women there, tons of twirlers, about a dozen or so Corvettes, and a bunch of other stuff in it. I called time/temp as we left, and it was supposedly 36° out, but I swear it felt much colder. It was pretty cool though; I enjoyed it 
There’s a certain kind of pain that can numb you. There’s a type of freedom that can tie you down. Sometimes the unexplained can define you. And sometimes the silence is the only sound. In the book of life, the answers aren’t in the back.
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