What's In A Nickname?

My dad, one of his friends and I were trying to fix our washing machine this weekend. As we were having a conversation it made me think about nicknames. Here is a sample of what was said:

"Hey Fatman, I need the flathead screwdriver". "Ok, Skinny, here it is."

It was humorous to me to hear the nicknames used like it was their real names. How do nicknames get started? What if more of Jim Ed's friends had been there to help? Guys like:

Buzzard
Stamplicker
Tater Head
Roho

I have grown up with nicknames. My dad called me "Nard" for years. When Skinny saw me the other day as we worked on the washing machine he addressed me as "Red". In college it was "Fish". Nicknames get started and many of them stick for a long time. Here are some others I remember from college:

Yeliab
BST
Iceman
Keebler
RP
The Boy With Three First Names
Dog
Farf
Grape Ape

What nicknames do you remember? What nicknames do you have?

The End of Another Year

The 2004-2005 school year ends today. A typical May is about to be history with its busy schedule. There have been high points and low points to the year. We have had successes and failures. Overall, it was an incredible year filled with wonderful students and families all working together.

Summer can be a time for renewal. It is a change of pace. I am looking forward to an adjustment to the daily grind. For me it is a time where I can reflect, find areas to improve and to plan. This natural break means I can reflect about work as well as my family and my life.

I know for many of you that a natural summer break does not happen in your job. There still can be time set aside to break your cycle and utilize some positive revaluation time. I encourage you to do what you need to recharge your batteries.

How do you manufacture this time that we all need? What do you do to renew and improve yourself? If you are comfortable, please share your ideas as it might help someone else.

Have a great day!

Two Special Teachers

This school year is ending. Yeah. Summer is here. We are excited and so is Riley. Time to goof off some. Even though our excitement is strong, we came to the realization that Riley is in for a big change.

Riley has had the same two teachers for the past two years. Becky and Linda have done an awesome job with Riley. He has learned so much from them. They instilled a love of learning in him that is clear. He loves school because of Becky and Linda. To have two ladies that truly love your son is a blessed reality. They have gone the extra mile for him many times. Riley knows that they love him. The little and big ways that they took care of him for the past two years has not gone unnoticed. They have devoted to him and his educational process. Riley is ready for kindergarten because of these two ladies.

I want to thank them for loving my little boy. Riley will never forget his first experience in education. He will never forget his first teachers at SCS. I thank you for your dedication to Christian education. You have paved the way for him to have an incredible education.

Becky and Linda, Riley loves you both.

Thank you!

Airline

I guess I can consider myself a reality TV junkie. I can get caught up in the hype. There is one particular show that catches my interest when I have been able to watch and episode or two. AIRLINE on the A&E network is fascinating. This show follows people and their travel experiences on Southwest Airlines in airports across the country. I do find it entertaining to "people watch" at airports. AIRLINE gives you an ability to "people watch" from home. It is amazing to watch how people communicate and deal with conflict as they travel. Watching the passengers not be able to fly because of their behavior or drinking, and then seeing how they conduct themselves makes for some entertaining television. To also watch how the employees of Southwest Airlines react and deal with their customers is interesting. Customer service is a challenging part of many jobs and that is clearly evident on this show.

Give the show a try. I am not sure what the exact night and time is when the show airs, but it is worth looking for and watching. All reality TV is not that bad.

The Last Monday

It is almost the end of a school year. The last week of school. It has been an unbelievably crazy month of May. It always is. I am ready for a change of pace. The summer leaves plenty to do to be ready for there next school year but the stresses and the pace of work is different. I need a change of routine. The emotional tank is going on fumes. I am ready.

My mom is having a retirement luncheon today. She will be missed at her job and it will be extremely difficult to replace her. She wants no party or attention on her way out, but she deserves both. She has been an amazing employee for years and has impacted the lives of many around her. She will be missed. She is ready for the next step in her life.

Way to go , mom. You have worked hard for many years. Enjoy your retirement. Sleep late, hang with Jim Ed, read a book, watch Oprah, do whatever you want. We are happy for you and proud of you.

Heaven

Heaven is not something I would say I remember studying and discussing a lot in the churches that I grew up. At Richland Hills, Rick has been doing a series on Heaven the past few weeks and it will continue on Wednesday and Sundays for a few more. I urge you to listen to the sermon Rick delivered on Wednesday of this week. It was incredible. I believe that you can go to the website of our church and listen from there. The website is www.rhchurch.org. The lesson was on May 18. Spend a few minutes listening when you can and I think you will find the lesson powerful.

Have a great weekend.

Chewing Tobacco

My dad worked it where I would never want to chew tobacco or dip snuff. Even though I was pretty young he decided to allow me to sample some tobacco knowing that I could not handle it.

I was playing Summer League baseball. There were boys a little older than me playing in the League. I was about 8 years old. I saw some of my competitors either dipping snuff or chewing tobacco. I went to my dad and told him since I was playing baseball that I needed some tobacco as well. It was time for me to utilize some smokeless tobacco. He quickly agreed and whisked me down to Super D, our local drug store. When we got there we went and found the tobacco aisle and he left me to find whatever I wanted. It seems like there was thousands of choices and I felt so mature as I was there to pick out whatever I wanted. I made my selection of Chattanooga Chew and met my dad and the checkout counter. He acted like I had made a good choice and we headed for home.

We got home and headed out to the back yard to sit in the swing and begin my journey of manhood with chewing tobacco. With little instruction my dad told me to put some in my mouth and just enjoy. I did as he told and then he joined in as well. I remember sitting there swinging back and forth a bit curious about the flavor and wondering what I was exactly supposed to be doing. I spit a few times. I kept swinging back and forth and then I began spinning. My head was turning round and round but I wanted to carry on because this is what baseball players did. After a few minutes more the phone rang. I wanted the excuse to get up so I went to answer. I made the mistake of going in to answer without spitting out the chew. Finding no alternative I swallowed the chew and answered the phone. The amount I swallowed was quite large due to the fact I wanted my check to bulge out since I had seen the big leaguers doing the same.

My dad asked me if I wanted more and I declined. We both carried on with our business. I had a game later that night and was supposed to pitch. About an hour after the phone rang I began to feel very sick. I turned pale white and then a few different shades of green. I remember laying on the floor in the den feeling like my insides were at war. My mother came home and realized what I had done as well as what my dad had done. I then threw up many, many times. It was a grueling afternoon.

I went on to pitch later that night but I did not need chewing tobacco like the professionals or like some of my competitors. I was "cured" of that desire for the rest of my life. For many years even the smell of tobacco would send me over the edge. It was genius on my dad's part to give me a small amount of freedom knowing what the results would be.

He would even have fun with this experience many years later. I got a package in the mail from him while I was at ACU. With great anticipation I ripped it open to find 2 packs of Chattanooga Chew. I had many friends begging for the chew.

I really hope I do not have to go through this with Riley or Owen. If so I think that might be a good bonding experience with their grandfather...

There's No Denying

I have people see the boys and quickly say, "There's no denying that those boys belong to you". The red hair and the fair skin on Riley and Owen make them resemble their dad. Even last night at our annual SCS family Picnic, I had numerous people talk to me about how much they look like me.

Those comments make me think about what people might say about me. I sure hope they can say, "There's no denying that he is a child of God. There's no denying that he belongs to God". I am sure sometimes people can say that. I am sure sometimes that they can not. It reminds me of how I need to live my life. It lets me know that people are always watching and I want to live to the glory of God.

Have a great day!

Sonic

My family loves Sonic. We can go for a little dinner, a snack or just to get a drink. Just about everything they serve, we like. It is a fun stop for us. Sonic does a good job of marketing and providing good customer service. They keep us coming back. Now that the summer months are here, we will be going for cherry limeades, slushes and flavored sodas. For us that seems to be a must during the summer.

I need some help. When it comes to Sonic, are you supposed to tip the carhop or not? If you order a full meal? What if you order just a Route 44? Sometimes I do and sometimes I do not. Please advise me on the proper etiquette of tipping at Sonic.

Have a great day and a great cherry limeade.

Riley's 5th Birthday

My oldest turns five today. Here is a letter to Riley on his birthday:


Dear Riley,

Happy birthday Little Buddy. Five years ago today God brought you to mommy and me. It was the greatest day ever. You were so cute when you were born and your mom and I were very excited. Your grandparents were there when you were born and so were your aunts, uncles and cousins. We wrapped you up in a little blanket that Aunt Stacy gave you and we took you home.

You have blessed our lives so much. You have been a special little boy since the day you were born. We have loved watching you grow up. Your mom and I love your heart and we have loved to watch you learn about God and how you let Him know you love Him so much. I am thankful that you still have your blanket that you came home from the hospital in. I know it is special to you and that makes it special to me. I loved watching you scoot around on your bottom before you learned to walk. You have a special way to do lots of things and that makes you a blessed individual. I am thankful for the way you love your little brother. Owen loves to be with you. He loves to hug you. He watches you all the time and learns from you. Thank you for being a great big brother.

I look forward to watching you continue to grow up. I am excited about the possibilities and opportunities in your life. You have leadership qualities that will carry you far in life. I pray that you keep God at the center of your life and build everything else around Him.

Thank you for ...

being my little buddy.
loving your mom so much.
being my stinkapotmos.
reading books with me.
your hugs.
your loving heart.
loving to be with your grandparents so much.
eating your vegetables.
your big smile.
taking care of Owen.
being a good friend.
going to Six Flags with me.
taking care of me when my back was hurt.
listening and singing to Mr. Brandon and Mrs. Sheryl's music.
being such a blessing to me.

I am thankful you can call me Daddy. I love you, Riley. I hope you have the best birthday ever.

Happy 5th B-Day, little man.

Much love,

Dad

Smell Like Me

I have a certain soap and shampoo that Beth Ann buys for me. It has a masculine smell to it. I also have a bottle of cologne that I use every so often. Riley has become interested in what I use and it has been a topic for discussion at our house.

As we were getting ready for dinner on Mother's Day, I put some cologne on for the first time in a couple of months. Riley must have smelled it. He proudly came to tell me as we were leaving that his mother let him put some on and that he smelled like me. We had fun with it and talked about how good he smelled.

Riley took a show in our bathroom this week. He used my soap and shampoo instead of his. As he and I were talking he was very excited to be able to use the same kind of soap and shampoo as me. He would get out of the shower and come find me and say, "Dad, do I smell like you?". He would make sure that I knew that he used the same stuff as me and that he smelled like me.

It was a precious time and it is one of those moments that I will hold on to forever. It also overwhelmed me a bit: he is watching me very closely and wants to do lots of things like me. It reminds me of the example that I need to set for him. It also reminds me that I want to smell like Christ. I want to be like Him as well. The Phillips, Craig and Dean song comes to mind throughout this experience. It says, "Lord, I want to be just like You, 'cause he wants to be just like me. A holy example for his innocent eyes to see!"

Thank you God for my precious boys. Let me bask in Your fragrance so that I can share it with my boys.

Trip Update

I am sitting in the lobby of a Hampton Inn in Birmingham, Alabama. We will be off to Briarwood Christian School in about an hour to spend some time observing the Foundations and frameworks reading curriculum. It has been a great trip so far. Some interesting points:

We saw a man at the DFW airport get a bit confused while driving, and put all four wheels up on the sidewalk and drive.

We have had good conversation about school and teaching.

We have had good conversation about life.

We went by Edgar's Bakery which is an awesome little shop in Birmingham. I am going to try to get some cookies home that I purchased.

We had a great dinner at P.F. Changs.

We will fly home this afternoon and get back with our families. We look forward to that. Beth Ann and the boys have had a good time while I have been away. They played in the sprinkler with a neighbor. We will be getting ready for Riley's birthday party on Saturday (more about that later).

Have a great day.

Alabama

I am off to Alabama today to visit a school that we have been working with over the past year. We adopted their reading curriculum and I am taking three teachers out to spend some time there tomorrow. This comes at a crazy time to leave town but it is a must for next year's preparations.

Please pray for my family while I am away. I do not like being away from them.

I just finished NEVER EAT ALONE. It was an interesting book about making connections with people and learning to have and use a healthy network. It taught me to focus energy on helping others and help for me will come in return (sounds like a good Christina principle to me). Give it a read.

Have a great day.

The Shuffle Queen

For Mother's Day Beth Ann got an iPod shuffle. She walk in the morning and the boys and I thought that some music would be a good companion. We downloaded music on her iPod last night and she used it for the first time this morning. She was so excited when she got home. She just sang her way around our neighborhood. Now she will be thinking that she is too cool with her new technology.

Speaking of cool... I was Napoleon Dynamite at our Talent Show on Friday night. It was ridiculous.

We have Field Day today and again on Friday. So many events at the end of the year. The students are having a blast as school approaches summer.

Have a great day.

Three Amazing Mothers

As Mother's day is this weekend, I want to share about three amazing mothers in my life. These are incredible women who have done so much for their families over the years.

Beth Ann Fisher: The mother of Riley and Owen. My wife. A loving and caring mother. Cares for our children with great passion. She focuses on their needs first. She is an awesome Christian role model to our boys. I am thankful that she is by my side in life.

Judy Fisher: my mom. A loving and caring mother. Always put my needs first when I was growing up. She is a mom and a friend. She loves our boys and cares for them. My life is so rich because of my mom.

Ruthann Souder: Beth Ann's mom. She is a wise woman. She set an awesome example for Beth Ann to follow. She loves our boys and is focused on her children. She helps take care of me as well.

I am so blessed to have these three women in my life.
Happy Mother's Day!

College Memories #2

A continuation of things remembered from college.
I remember...

climbing into the missle silos with David Shewmaker the night we graduated.

staying up all night to study for a test or write a paper.

terrorizing our RA my freshman year.

our stereo when we lived on Westheimer that would turn on and off by itself.

playing intramural basketball on a team called "Swirl".

Brandon Scott Thomas being the guy that all the girls wanted.

Chris Doggett and his yellow shirt.

getting a haircut from Dub.

Gary Cox gluing a large rock to the table in our geology class that the teacher tried pick up.

spilling Jim Johnson's snuff at a rush and then getting to enjoy eating some during pledging.

the smell from the Gooch factory.

thinking that Maxwell was one of the nicest golf courses in Texas.

being the roommate to keep everything clean and orderly in our house because the others were so messy.

the West Texas dust storms.

Radar.

when Stephen Bailey...(well, I better not say).

finding a 2 foot long Iguana in my bed.

meeting my future wife.

Good times, have a great day!

College Memories

I remember Chris Doggett having spiked hair in college and being called "Ice Man".

I remember Brandon's Egyptian Dance Fever shoes.

I remember Leaning Man, Baseball Man and Ping (Helper).

I remember doing the Good Night Dance.

I remember Stephen and all those dates he had.

I remember doing "Back to the Future" on Westheimer.

I remember watching "Days" with all the roomies.

I remember giving the tainted puppy chow to the magazine sales girl on her way to Waco.

I remember eating the tainted puppy chow and then trying to survive in my tennis class.

I remember launching water balloons.

I remember seeing Brandon at The Upstairs Club before I knew him.

I remember watching how eggs were made in the Bean.

I remember Chris Doggett getting a speeding ticket on the way to church.

I remember The Peeping Tom in Abilene.

I remember living and hanging out with Jeff Wood.

I remember the dog, Funky Cole Medina, living with us in the dorm.

I am flooded this morning with lots of fun and great memories from my time in college at ACU. I do have memories of class and learning too. I will share more in a later blog.

What are some of your favorite college memories?

I Hate Mustard

I have not liked mustard my entire life. The smell even gets me. I just don't like anything about mustard. Sometimes we do not like certain foods even when we have not tried them. That is not the case for me when it comes to mustard. I did try it, did not like it, and never will. There is a reason why. The story as I know it is as follows:

I was a cute and precious little boy (or at least that what I was told). Even though I was a "perfect angel", I was a bit mischievous at times (maybe that is where my boys get it?). I liked the taste of baby aspirin. They were orange and candy-like. After I got my mom busy somewhere else in the house, I climbed on top of the washing machine to get to a cabinet where my mom kept the baby aspirin. I found the medicine and consumed two bottles. I was happy and headache free, but when my mom came and found the empty bottles she was far from calm. She called poison control and they told her to mix some mustard and water together, make me drink it, which would result in me throwing up. The only mustard in the house was a kind with onion bits in it. She proceeded to mix it and force it down my throat. Just as she had been advised, I did throw up and all was well.

That is why I hate mustard. It is probably why I hate onion chunks in food as well. I know I am a picky eater, but I did have a little help with my problem with mustard. So now, corn dogs with ketchup, hamburgers with ketchup, hotdogs with ketchup. I am thankful I did not have to drink ketchup water.

Sometime I will have to tell you how my dad cured me of chewing tobacco at an early age. Happy Birthday, Dad!