Chris's Musings On Leadership

Last Change

2011-07-23T23:46:00.000-04:00

I have changed the address to my Blog, Chris's Musings On Leadership, to make it simple to find. The new address is: My Musings On Leadership. I promise, this is the last change.

I'm Shutten Her Down

2011-07-19T08:09:00.002-04:00

I will no longer be blogging here at this address. I have moved to my new address at: Chris's Musings On Leadership. Here, I will have more options to make my blog stand out and "pop." Oh, and I just think it's cool to have my own domain address. Please change your RSS feed to the address above.

See ya there!

Do You Get Along With Your Boss?

2011-07-09T11:17:00.000-04:00

We have all worked for both good and bad bosses in our career. I came across some tips to help you get along with the hard-to-get-along-with boss:

Keep an Open Mind – Don’t assume your boss has nefarious intentions. It’s possible your manager is simply unaware of the effect of his or her actions. Go into each encounter with the assumption that they mean well, but are clumsy about interpersonal relations.
Connection Campaign – If you can’t connect with a “bad boss”, be sure you have a strong network of connections with co-workers. They can help provide direction, feedback and support on work projects when you aren’t getting that constructive support from your boss. Be sure your connections stretch across different departments and that way, if things get really bad (your boss can’t – or won’t – change), you’ll have contacts that can help you transition to another department.
Have “The Talk” – Surprising, as it seems, most managers appreciate honest feedback. So give yours the opportunity to address your concerns about problem behaviors sooner rather than later (when you are so frustrated that you are ready to leave the company). For the best result, choose the right time and setting for this discussion. Don’t try to tackle “the talk” as your boss is dashing to a meeting or heading out the door to their kid’s soccer match, or in a meeting or hallway in front of co-workers. Instead, schedule time on their calendar and pick a neutral location like a quiet conference room away from teammates and higher ups.
Be Prepared – If things don’t change, it may be time to move on. In fact, in the current economy, whether you work with a stellar boss or a horrible one, you should always be preparing for your next career move. Don’t wait until you are out the door to lay the groundwork for your next job. Now is the time to make sure that your LinkedIn profile showcases your latest accomplishments,that you are actively growing your network of connections, and that you are up to date on industry news.

You can read the original post written by Nicole Williams here.

A Cough Revisited

2011-02-11T13:40:00.000-05:00

About 3 years ago I wrote a post on my struggles with a lingering cough I was having. I found out the blood Pressure medicine I was taking was causing the constant. cough. The reason I bring this up now is that for all the posts on leadership, this post is still the most read and commented Blog I have. Should I change my direction from leadership to more personal stories? I really need some feedback here.

There Is No "I" In Team.

2011-02-07T10:52:00.000-05:00

I have contracting for a large corporation for three months and saw some nice things while I was there. Great leadership qualities, which was surprising to me, considering the size of the corporation and how long they have been in business.

I constantly heard the word "Team" in conversations and when referring to us, the individuals. When we got copied on emails, it starts as "Hi Team." When were involved in meetings, I heard "Team" constantly. I never noticed anyone being called out and called by name. If one person does a good job the TEAM got recognition for it. If an individuals needed to improve, it was the Team who needed to improve.

"Team" emphasizes that the responsibility is not left on one individual shoulders, but that the responsibility is shared by the whole team. "Team" de-emphasizes one person's power over the others. "Team" does not give tasks to one individual, but the tasks are equally distributed among the team members. When an individual is referred to as part of a "Team," his or her feelings and expressions are not discouraged, but rather encouraged. It opens up the opportunity for new ideas and thoughts to flow within the team.

Grace Summit Leadership Group Opportunities

2010-05-29T09:33:00.007-04:00

Hello all

I, along with Grace Summit is forming and inviting men to a leadership development group where we sharpen our leadership and coaching skills. We will focus on our leadership roles for vocation, for our families, and in our spiritual communities.

Meetings will be at 6:30pm on Wednesday's and will consist of a presentation of leadership content with extensive group discussion focused on application. The group leader will model a facilitation/coaching method that we believe will be valuable for participants to transfer to other contexts of life.

Groups will meet every other week for a total of eight sessions. We will only charge $10 per session with two meetings each in July, August, September, and October.

Many of you have witnessed my journey the past year and I would love for you to be a part of it as well. The first session will be July 7th.

If you are interested in joining me you can contact Andre Riedlinger at ariedlinger@gracesummitinc.org or you can go to the Facebook event page at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=114075508636427

and RSVP.

Hey, Look At Me!

2009-12-02T19:56:00.003-05:00

One thing that I really hate is seeing leaders who are arrogant enough to feel that they got in a leadership position all on their own. I believe a truly great leader is one who understands that they got there with the help of other people. Whether they were mentors, business associates, or even family members, the person in a leadership role needs to recognize and acknowledge the people who helped him get there.

Artie Davis talks about this more in his blog called, "How did I get here?"

Because Of You...

2009-11-19T21:59:00.000-05:00

I worked for an international company for twelve years. In those twelve years, I only saw the CEO about five times. He would come to town for meetings on a regular basis, but we, the underlings, would never see him. We knew he was in town because our receptionist at the front desk welcomed him. There would be a big board at the entrance welcoming him to the states. When he came into town, he would go upstairs and straight to the executive offices, by-passing those of us on the other side of the building. We would always get an email asking us to dress a little more business-like and make sure our desk and cubicle was tidy and clean. I often wondered why we worked so hard making sure our work area was clean. After all, does he really even care about us, the ones who are actually doing all the work on the front-lines of the company?

Lack of acknowledgment from the CEO causes a team to not feel appreciated for its hard work. Team members may work long hours, meet deadlines, go to all the meetings, build new products, and continue to bring profits to the company. I honestly believe that pay increases do not make people feel appreciated. Instead, acknowledgment of team members' work and asking them what they need to do a better job are what really motivate them to want to do more for the company.

Are you acknowledging your team's accomplishments?

Are You Listening?

2009-11-11T15:51:00.003-05:00

In my opinion, listening is the most important form of communication. To be a great leader, one needs to learn to listen to the people on the other end of the conversation. It tells a leader a lot about their followers: what they are thinking, how they are feeling, what their passions are, what drives them, and where they want to go.

When a person feels that they are listened to, it makes them feel that what they are saying is important and worthwhile. It encourages them because, in a way, it tells the person being listened to that his or her idea is intriguing enough to draw attention to.

I struggle myself with this simple equation of the communication formula. Sometimes, if I'm not interested in the conversation I find myself drifting to another thought. It is an art to really learn to listen to the person without wanting to give your own opinions, ideas, and thoughts before the talker is finished saying what they want to say. Remember this: when you are talking to a person and that person looks away, how do you think they feel?

To you read more about this and how a leader can really foster a person's growth by first listening, read "Great Leaders Master Less and Foster More."

Motivate Me!

2009-11-05T17:12:00.002-05:00

The Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators have been playing since 1914 and formed one of the biggest rivalries in college football. The series got so big that they moved the game to Jacksonville, Florida, in 1933. They divide the tickets equally between the two schools. Georgia held a significant edge in the 70-80s, and Florida has held the edge since the 90's.

Over the years there have been many tactics to motivate each team. There were changes of color schemes for both schools and articles with quotes from the opposing team posted on the bulletin boards. In 2007, after several years of wins for the Florida Gators, Georgia's coach Mark Richt ordered a team-wide celebration on Georgia's first touchdown. This motivational tactic worked as Georgia went on to win the game 41-30. The following year Florida's coach, Urban Meyer, vowed to return the favor. In 2008, Florida was winning the game with a big margin and had already guaranteed a win. Meyer took two time-outs with under one minute left in the game to drag out the pain of the loss for Georgia and its fans. This year, in a move to motivate the Georgia Bulldog fans and players, the 'Dogs came out wearing black helmets and black pants. Georgia's standard away uniform is red helmets and "silver britches." Unfortunately this move to motivate was not enough to help Georgia get a win. Georgia lost 41-17.

This week I have been really thinking about "motivating the team." How should a team be motivated to accomplish its goals? Should a team be motivated by "gimmicks," like uniform changes, that are only temporary, or should it focus on being prepared for the upcoming challenge?

In the article called, "Why Black Was Bad," The author's main question is: was this motivational ploy necessary or should the occasion of playing Florida have been motivation enough?

How should you motivate your team?

Weak Leadership

2009-10-28T16:21:00.007-04:00

Everyone has experienced a bad leader. Unfortunately, it can really affect a follower's personal growth and effectiveness. When someone leads poorly, he or she does not give helpful feedback. The leader does not properly utilize the strengths of team members so that they can be assets to the company or project. A team member receiving poor leadership becomes disconnected from the original goals and purpose and loses morale.

I worked for a boss who always made sure I was properly educated on the new technology. He would encourage me to continue taking classes to improve my software skills. He also made sure that I was properly recognized for my accomplishments for my work. Looking back on it, I would have run through a wall for that man. He was the person that gave me the confidence I needed to be be successful.

For more thoughts on this, you can read "How To Be A Weak Leader" by Steve Goodier that talks about the differences between a good leader and an unsuccessful one.

Off To Another Meeting...

2009-10-26T11:45:00.007-04:00

OK, Everybody who loves meetings please raise your hand. Anybody! We have all participated in meetings. Have they all been productive? Why do we insist that we need to have a meeting to plan EVERYTHING? Is this necessary? The answer is NO! Unfortunately I have been a participant in some of these meetings where there was not a clear agenda, No time constraints, participants who have no input to give, and most importantly, no one assigned to facilitate the meeting. The joke used to be, "I'm going to a meeting to plan another meeting." I found this article written by Mike Myatt called "Meeting Overload." He does a great job to illustrate what a meeting should look like. I like number 6 myself; Focus: why do participants always bring their laptops to meetings? Laptops, Blackberry's, Iphones, etc. should be turned off or not allowed in meetings unless they need to be used for the meeting presentation.

Trust Is An Important Thing.

2009-10-23T11:48:00.006-04:00

Do you trust your team, or more importantly do they trust you? It's hard to accomplish your goals when there is a lack of trust between team and leader. Scott Williams wrote a great article on The Trust Of Leadership.

Failure Does Not Define Me!

2009-10-22T09:09:00.003-04:00

Like everybody who is reading this, I have had many "failures" in my life. Why did I quite a company I had been with for 12 years to go pursue a better opportunity?, Why did I agree to work at a place where I knew I wouldn't be a good fit?, Why did I say that offensive remark to that person? We spend way too much time dwelling about what we should have done, and not enough time realizing maybe they were needed in are personal growth. After all, failures DO NOT define who we are . Here is a great article I just read, by David Silverman, about How CEO's respond to Failure.

Seth Godin's talk on "Tribes."

2009-10-20T18:09:00.004-04:00

This was an excellent talk that Seth Godin presented at last year's Catalyst Conference. His basic premise is that we need to CREATE A MOVEMENT. Seth Godin on "TRIBES."

Crazy Georgia Weather

2009-03-11T17:30:00.008-04:00

If you live in Georgia you know how the weather can chance from week to week. Two weeks ago it was 30 degrees and snowing, this week 77 degrees. Would you be believe that everything is starting to bloom? Can't wait to see what's in store next week.....

Hello again. This is a test.....

2009-02-20T14:53:00.002-05:00

This is me......

I'm Still Alive

2009-01-13T14:28:00.005-05:00

Hello. Yes It's been a long time hasn't it? I'm sorry, I just didn't have much to talk about. Adrienne and a few friends have been asking why I haven't blogged lately. I'm not sure. I've been hooked to Facebook.. I guess. I will try to do a better job.

Here is a recent pick of our explosion. Can you guess what it is? Now don't cheat.

Finally, Yuengling in Georgia!

2008-10-26T15:32:00.007-04:00

Last night it happened. Adrienne and I were heading home from our friends and she pointed it out. My heart stopped; I felt the excitement rushing through my body. Just to be sure, we stopped and asked the owner ourselves. It was true!

One of the first posts I wrote on this blog was how upset I was that Yuengling, my favorite beer, was not distributed in Georgia. Starting October 27th Yuenging will start being sold at the bottle shop near our house.

There was even a letter from the President and Owner announcing the distribution start in Georgia.

That is great news.

Superman

2008-09-07T19:01:00.004-04:00

There has been a lot of criticism about how ESPN snubs Georgia. I have been quiet on this issue for a long time. I'm about to break my silence. ESPN definitely missed the boat yesterday when they didn't show the replay of Knowshon Moreno leaping over a defender to gain five more yards. I know he didn't score on the run but HE JUMPED OVER A DEFENDER. What were they thinking?

I Must be In Heaven

2008-09-04T22:21:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite bands is Van Halen. I started listening to them in the early eighties and have seen them many times in concert. Eddie Van Halen is awesome!

...And of course my favorite college football team is the Georgia Bulldogs. Go Dawgs!!

I found this on one of my favorite blogs. I truly must be in Heaven.

My Mini Vacation

2008-08-31T16:25:00.010-04:00

After almost two years of no vacation and time off from work, I finally broke down and decided it was time to get away. Since I do not have vacation time, and gas is so expensive, I needed to find somewhere to get away from home but not too far to go to spend too much on gas.

After talking to Adrienne and to my friend, Ross, we decided that Chattanooga would be the best place to go for the day. We decided to spend the day at Rock City, Ruby Falls, and riding the Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain.

We left Saturday morning around 8:00, got a quick breakfast at Waffle H ous e, and headed north to Chattanooga. We enjoyed the day to get way for a sort time and see what Chattanooga had to offer. Our favorite spot was Ruby Falls. We went underneath Lookout Mountain around 400 feet and walked in the caves. Although I got a little claustrophobic with the narrow passageways and low ceilings, it was beautiful, especially to see the water fall itself.

Adrienne kinda freaked out with the Incline Railway. It climbs straight up Lookout Mountain at at a vertical incline. When you get on you are sitting at a weird angle and eventually straightens out as you get to the top.

We ended ended our day tour an old Civil War site where the troops took over an old house that was burnt down but re-built. We read all of memorials and walked around the premises to take in the great view of Chattanooga. It was an end to a nice and relaxing day.

Some Bad News

2008-08-24T21:00:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned before in my previous blog, Adrienne and I go to breakfast every Saturday morning. This Saturday, while we were waiting for the waitress to come take our order we noticed they had put price tags on all the pictures and knickknacks around the room. First thought, were they going to remodel, or worse, are they going out-of-business?

Unfortunately, it's the latter, we received the bad news that our favorite breakfast stop is going away. We don't know what we're going to do now. We can go to Waffle House down the road but still it's not "The Joyful Diner." After all, it's only a block away from our house and so convenient to us.

I did ask them for my favorite mug, a John Deere mug that I frequently drank coffee from when we ate there. We paid $0.76 for this souvenir.

What shall we do?

The Purge Of The Century

2008-08-24T16:18:00.012-04:00

After looking at our over crowded closet for several months and shaking our heads in disbelief, we finally broke down and did what we had to do. What we thought would be a two hour project turned into a three day project.

We took all of our clothes and spread them on the bed, and then we did the unpleasant task of deciding what can stay and what needs to go. Because it is hard for me to let go of my clothes, Adrienne gave me rules to go by to settle on which ones I wanted to keep and give away. Unfortunately, I had more clothes then I thought, and it felt like they were multiplying. At one point thinking to myself, "We are never going to get this done."

Fortunately we did finish purging our clothes, and now we have a very clean and organized closet again. Can anybody use any clothes hangers?

Wax On, Wax Off

2008-07-11T17:47:00.011-04:00

Ahhh...summer!

I love summer: I like the warm weather, the birds chirping, going to the lake or beach and cooling off in the water, and working in the yard. One of the best things I love about summer is going to a restaurant and sitting outside to enjoy the weather over a nice cold brew. I love summer!!

Well, this past weekend we went with some of our friends to one of our favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurants. We thought it would be a great idea to sit outside and enjoy a delicious Mexican dish and enjoy the weather. This idea turned really bad really quick. After a few minutes after we got our food we got hit by a swarm of flies. So many that we could not enjoy our food or the atmosphere.

I was trying to enjoy my "Alambres" (shish kabobs), but to no avail. It was useless. I just gave up. Ross took my "Alambres" sticks and went all Mr. Miyagi on us. He found a more appropriate use for the sticks.

It Was A Blast

2008-07-06T15:02:00.012-04:00

We had a great 4th of July weekend. Thursday night we went to Kennessaw to watch the fireworks and and listen to the band Frontiers, a Journey tribute band.

I can honestly say Kennesaw put on one of the best fireworks displays I have seen in a long time. Frontiers was not so bad either.

Friday night was great as we celebrated Adrienne's birthday and watched fireworks from all over Atlanta from the top of my sister and her husband's new penthouse at One Vinings Mountain. The view was unbelievable as we watched fireworks from Buckhead, Centennial Park, Smyrna, and, we think, Peachtree City.

Damn Good Dawg

2008-06-29T19:42:00.011-04:00

Today is truly a sad day for all Georgia fans. I was lucky enough to meet UGA VI twice. Once at picture day and again at the Vandy-Georgia game in Nashville game three years ago when he walked in front of us and sat on my foot. Rest in peace my friend...

UGA VI (Watchagot Loran) 1999-2008

Tribute Video:

Tribute Video 2:

Yum!! Yum!!

2008-06-21T15:58:00.008-04:00

As to a addition to my blog about me and Adrienne's Saturday routine of going to breakfast Saturday mornings, we had one of the best dinners last night. Luckily we had friends over to enjoy it with us.

Adrienne made crusted catfish, roasted corn-on-the-cob, this bean thingy wrapped up in bacon, and cake for dessert. It was all out-of-this-world.

She fixes dinner all the time, but for some reason this meal was very amazing.

Here are some pictures to show you just how much Kinette and Ross enjoyed licking the cake batter off the beaters and the spatula.

A Lot Of Nothing?

2008-06-16T21:08:00.003-04:00

Adrienne tried to get me to start a blog about a year and and a half ago, but I refused because I told her at the time, "I don't have anything interesting to say, and plus I hate writing just to write." Well, as you can see I did start my on blog and it is not so bad after all.

When I first started this blog I had a lot of ideas I wanted to talk about. I spit out several articles at first but have slowed down since then. My goal is to post at least twice a week to give you guys some idea of the thoughts in my head. However, as I was was afraid of, it's been a struggle to come up with an idea to write about.

So I'm asking whoever reads this to give me some ideas. Is there anything you want to know about me? Ask me a question or suggest a topic...

It's A Joyful Morning

2008-06-07T15:58:00.009-04:00

Mm, Mm. This morning, Adrienne and I resumed a Saturday morning tradition we started about a year ago. We started our day off by going to the Joyful Diner, a home cooking restaurant down the street from our house. This is a great time for us. We talk about our day ahead, our thought about the night before, or anything on our mind. It's a great "DATE" to start the day. The food is great, and the service is superb. We have gotten to know the waitresses, and they know what I'm going to order, which I think is cool.

We haven't gone in a long time because we have been so busy lately. I didn't not realize how much I missed eating breakfast with my wife. I would highly recommend this activity to any married couple. It really is a great thing to do to start the day, and a great way to know your spouse better.

Yet Another Chapter

2008-06-02T11:48:00.006-04:00

After five months working for GE I have decided to move on to another business opportunity. The thing is that I wasn't really trying to look for something else. Even though I new my contract at GE would end in January, I wasn't really going to get serious about looking until July, six months before my last day at GE. I just left my resume out on Monster and Career Builder to see what would happen.

About a month ago I got a call from a recruiter in Texas to let me know about a position at Samsung. The position was similar to the one I have now. The difference was that the Samsung position was a contract-to-permanent. I agreed to have the first screen interview, thinking it would not lead to much.

After the first phone interview I was called again to set up a in-person interview and then finally another phone interview with another person. About a week later I was offered the position at Samsung.

I've heard the best time to get a job is to get one when you are already working and already like what you are doing. I believe this philosophy now. The great thing is I did not have any anxiety, I didn't waste my time waiting to get a call, and when I got the offer I was really in a good position to look at two options where both situations would be fulfilling for me.

Even through I was given the opportunity to go to Samsung, it was still a hard decision to make. I loved what I was doing at GE. I was actually in a situation where the project I was working on was going to be something I had ownership over and a new project that was important to the company. The location was very close to where I lived as well.

In the end I took the Samsung position because it more-than-likely will lead to a permanent role, which is a very important to me. I would receive health benefits, 401 retirement plan, and vacation time from the recruiting firm. I don't have these benefits at GE now.

I am trusting God is leading me in the right direction and will protect me. After all, I did not go after this position, and I wasn't anxious about it after the opportunity was given to me.

High Blood Pressure Causes Dry Cough

2008-05-14T12:13:00.012-04:00

For weeks I have been coughing. The cough is not even productive. It is a dry cough that started about two months ago. I kept thinking that it was caused by my allergies, which starts to affect me starting the end of March and ends about the beginning of May. Well, it's middle of May and the cough is still present!! I can feel the cough coming on. It's like somebody is tickling inside of my throat. It bothers me non-stop.

For several years now I have been taking high blood pressure medication for, you guessed it high blood pressure. I switched meds last year from Diovan to Lisinopril. Why do I bring this up? After a couple of months of coughing, I finally got sick of it and called my doctor to make an appointment to check it out. I talked to another nurse who asked me some weird questions. "Do you have high blood pressure?" "What medication do you take for it?" After answering her questions she said that one of the side effects of Lisinopril is dry cough.

After I heard this, the explanation made sense. I remember the cough problem arose after I started taking it in January and it just got worse recently. My doctor has ordered my to stop taking the meds for a week to see if the cough stops. Let's see what happens.

I got curious and googled it to read more about the side effect. It is true, they call it the "Lisinopril Cough" and it is the most common side affect of the drug. I have linked it here: Lisinopril Cough.

Hopefully it will not take too long for the cough to go away...

Finally, Part 2!!

2008-05-09T14:06:00.015-04:00

OK, I think I'm ready to talk about the Stuckey Reunion again. After a few days of postponing this blog link and worrying about my car, I'm ready to talk about something more positive.

The Stuckeys have been meeting once a year since 1988. We first met in our current location, "The Camphouse," in 1992. I remember the year very well.

As usual, we headed down to Dublin on Memorial Day weekend(back then we celebrated on Memorial Day weekend but later changed it to the first weekend in May because of the heat and conflicting schedules). We were to go down and hang out at my Aunt's house. My Aunt and Uncle had a big surprise for everyone. We woke up Saturday anticipating the day at their house. They had different plans for us. When everybody arrived, they took us down this long path in the woods, never telling us where they were going. We walked up to a rustic looking building with animal heads(from hunting trips), rocking chairs on the porch, and woods all around us. It really seemed like we were out in the middle of nowhere. "Surprise!" they said. They told us they built this camphouse for just this annual occasion.

Good memories started from the first year and continue today. The first year included games for the adults. We started off with a "best legs" contest. The men all had to roll up their pants to reveal their hairy legs. After the leg contest then we had a dance contest. That first year was great.

I remember we had a Beauty contest, with the men dressing up as women. My father was the main attraction that year (he always seemed to be the life of the party). My mother was in charge of dressing him up for the contest. He wore the ugliest dress I have ever seen, a blond wig, and even shaved his mustache off, which he has always had since I can remember. Let's just say he was the ugliest woman I have ever seen. Believe it or not he didn't win the contest.

That was the year they decided to have a keg out behind the camp house. Not a good idea! It got a little too wild for some people, and I hear the younger generation snuck a few sips from the keg while the older generation wasn't looking. :-) Let's just say that was the last year the keg showed up behind the house. Since then we have gone back to car trunks and plastic cups.

I have so many good memories of the reunion and the "Camp house." One of the best memories is how my dad loved going down to Dublin. It gave him a chance to go back "home" and to re-visit his past. We would always have barbecue and my Uncle's homemade Brunswick stew. One of the jobs my father and other men had was to go down to the camp house early Saturday morning to help my Uncle cook the stew. As my father said it, "Kelly would put the ingredients in a huge pot, then make us stir constantly for 6 hours or so." Stirring constantly would prevent the stew from getting scorched, so the guys would stir the stew with a large stirrer (usually a ax handle), while "Kelley watched." Even though they gave my Uncle a hard time they still enjoyed it. It was a time where the guys could sit around the large pot, drink a few adult beverages, and talk BS.

My dad would always call me about a month or two before the reunion, tell me what they had planned, and then ask me to help.

I remember the year they decided to have a talent show. Dad called me to ask me to do the Van Halen impersonation I did a couple years back for him and my mother. I told him I would do it only if he would do it with me. He agreed! So, I was going to be David Lee Roth and he would be Eddie Van Halen. I also told him if we are going to do this we are not going to do it "Half-Assed" (his favorite phrase). "I want to practice, I want lights and the music loud." I picked the two songs that I did for them which was "Unchained" and "Jump." We were to come out with "1984" playing and then hit them with "Unchained." I wore my mother's blond wig, no shirt, and ripped jeans. Dad wore a t-shirt and ripped jeans. Everybody loved it! To this day everybody still talks about it and there are pictures of it hanging in the camp house.

Many of the people have passed away over the years, including my father; however, going to the Stuckey Reunion still means so much to me, and I will always cherish the memories of the fun times that was had.

I miss performing with my dad. I miss watching him sitting around the Brunswick stew stirring and getting "lit."

One of the last memories of my father was when Adrienne came down to Dublin. Adrienne and I were walking to the camp house from my cousin's house. We saw my father driving the John Deere tractor up the path. He asked Adrienne if she wanted to drive it. Adrienne got on the tractor and dad showed her how to drive the beast. I wish I had a movie of it. It was great to see my father and Adrienne bond like that.

Update: The news is not good.

2008-05-08T10:06:00.004-04:00

5/8/08

I was hoping that the news about the car was not going to be too bad. After all maybe it's just a lose hose or the hose needs to be replaced. So much for that thinking, I got the bad news Monday when I called the shop. They said the Head Gasket needs to be replaced. The total cost would be around $1200 to $1400. Yikes!!

The person at the shop did have some good news. from what he witnessed, the engine was not damaged in any way. So, I guess that is better then replacing the engine.

It has been rather interesting this week with only one automobile. Adrienne has had peers pick her up to go to work and take her back home. I've had a friend also take me to work. I even worked from home one day this week because I had no transportation.

We are hoping we can get back the car by Friday.

Well, so much for part 2!!

2008-05-05T08:46:00.011-04:00

5/5/08

I was looking forward to writing this blog when we left Dublin yesterday. I was going to write about my memories of StuckeyFest through the years: the high points that I will never forget, how my dad meant so much to the annual get-together, the events that led up to the "Fest," my Aunt and Uncle's land that I remember so well, and good memories growing up, visiting a small country town.

I'm going to have to postpone that for a couple more days.

Adrienne and I had a great trip going home. She was trying to keep me from falling asleep, which I always seem to do on trips. We made up a game where we would try to find the alphabet in street signs, billboards, restaurant signs, etc. For instance, we looked for an "A" in a word or phrase. Then moved to "B," so forth...

As we finished the game Adrienne noticed that the air conditioner was no longer blowing cold air. She then tried to mess with the controls, turned it on high, etc. After a while it finally started to blow cold air, however, the "Check Engine" light came on and she noticed the thermometer meter was way past the "H" mark. We quickly pulled over to a local motel and planned our next move.

At this time I would like to brag about my wife... Usually in these types of situations I lose all "control." I'm not very good keeping calm. Instead of trying to figure the next plan of action, I freeze, too mad and worried about what's to come. On the other hand Adrienne is calm, and doesn't seem to be too worried about the situation. We parked at a local Hampton Inn. As I stayed with Dooley, she went inside and talked to the lady at the front desk. She got information to a local service shop, called a tow service to come and pick up the car and even got directions to give to our friend to come pick us up. What a great wife!! I love her to death.

Anyway, we noticed radiator fluid had sprayed out of the "container" and the radiator. We are hoping that it's just a leak in the hose and nothing more serious then that. I'm waiting for the guy to call me to give me an explanation as I write this blog.

Luckily, our friend Ross, drove down and picked us up.

Stuckey! What a great name!

2008-04-30T20:44:00.009-04:00

4/30/08

It's that time of year again. It time to go down to Dublin to meet the family at the Stuckey Reunion, or as I like to call it, "StuckFest." Now, I know what you thinking, "family reunions, I hate family reunions." Ahh yes, my friends you might be right about other family reunions, but "StuckFest" is different. You see, it's not all about meeting your old Aunt you haven't seen in who knows how many years, or your Uncle who has no teeth who spits on you when he talks to you.

No, StuckFest is different. In this blog I'm going to go into detail about how the weekend is set-up relating to the scheduling and day-to-day activities. In my next blog I will tell you the the memorable things that have happened through the years and what StuckFest has meant to me.

The reunion is a celebration for the weekend. People start arriving Friday night, and it ends Sunday. Friday night starts off with a delicious meal that might consist of fried fish, slaw, beans, and the sweetest tea you've ever put in your mouth. We reintroduce ourselves to kin we haven't seen in a awhile. Oh, and I forgot, we make frequent trips to our car trunks to pull a thirst-quenching adult beverage from a cooler and pour it in a tall plastic cup to conceal its identity from those who prefer we not drink it!

Saturday we drive to the "Camp House" from our hotel usually around 2:00 in the afternoon for the big day of festivities. We usually start off with a hay hide through the many dirt roads near the camp house. We all get another refreshing beverage from our respective trunk coolers and then pull on the back of the trailer which is driven by a real John Deere tractor. When we get back and roll off the tractor after being thrown around by all of the holes and divots in the dirt roads, we then hang out on the front porch until dinner.

Each year one family branch decides the theme for Saturday night's activities, which includes a themed dinner. For instance, we have had Mexican night, an Hawaiian luau (including a whole roasted pig), or Barbecue night. The theme is important because it coincides with whatever activity is planned for the night. We've had everything, including He/She beauty pageant, best male legs contest, karaoke, and even an American Idol contest that included our family members pretending to be Paula, Simon, and Randy. During this time there are yet more journeys to the car trunks to get refills of the beverages of choice. The Saturday night activity is the high point of the weekend and the grand finale to many who have to get back on the road early Sunday morning. Those who don't have to get back early Sunday go to a church service at Marie Baptist Church ("church of our fathers") and then head back to the camp house for a covered dish supper that includes all the favorite southern foods you can think of and more of that sweet Dublin tea.

I will have to continue this post with another post by looking at "StuckFest" at a different angle. I want to share my many memories of what the reunion has meant to me though the years. Until then, I'm off to Dublin Ga.

Update: The Cone-Head has left the building

2008-04-27T22:09:00.008-04:00

My previous post: "We have a cone-head in the family," I talked about our thoughts of Dooley having some kind of allergic reaction. We had to then put a E-collar on him to stop his constant licking. As we expected, our veterinarian concluded that Dooley in fact has an allergic reaction to the pollen. This is the reason he has been constantly licking his skin. This is great news for us. We were hoping it wasn't the cause of something more serious.

I'm happy to say that Dooley no longer has to wear the E-collar. Kristen, our veterinarian, has prescribed an over-the-counter allergy medication: Zyrtec. He is to take two 10mm tablets daily until the pollen is gone. She told us we should no longer need the cone-shaped collar.

I am so glad to see Dooley walking around the house without running into everything.

There Goes Herschel!!, There Goes Herschel!!

2008-04-24T10:04:00.011-04:00

I remember as a kid going to Georgia football games in the early 80's. My parents had season tickets, and I would often use my aunt's extra ticket. I remember my aunt calling me in the middle of the week to ask me if I wanted to use her extra ticket. I always thought it was a dumb thing to ask me. "Well of course I want to go!!", I often thought to myself. I loved everything about the Game: the tailgating, riding through campus to see all of the tailgaters, the opportunity to see Sanford Stadium in real life, seeing UGA, and of course watching the greatest team in college football.

In the early 80's I witnessed Herschel Walker live. I remember sitting in the stands waiting for him to get the ball. You always stood on the edge of your seat when he ran because you knew he was going to take off any minute. Larry Munson didn't help either. He would be talking on my headset, and you can feel the excitement in his voice when Walker got the ball. It was awesome!!

Herschel Walker recently wrote a book called, "Breaking Free: My Life With Dissociative Identity Disorder." In the book, Herschel entails his life with DID. I have not read it yet, but intend to in the future. People are skeptical of this new book, saying they do not believe in the book's trustworthiness. Believe it or not I am kinda skeptical too, but I'm willing to wait to read the book to see if I believe him.

I want to hold off my opinions until I have had the opportunity to read his book, so stay tuned. Until then, I found an article about his faith and character. From this article it's hard to believe he would lie about something related to his illness.

From the Macon Telegraph: Link

We have A Cone-Head In The Family

2008-04-22T11:22:00.009-04:00

Hello again...

We have a five year old labbish dog named Dooley. About two weeks ago, he started this awful habit of licking himself. Not where you are thinking! He is constantly licking his paws and just below his elbows. It has become an annoyance and we have just been putting off doing anything about it. After much reading we have come to the conclusion that he has some kind of allergy that is irritating him. We set up a vet appointment for this Saturday.

Until we go to the vet on Saturday, we have bought a E-collar for him. For all you who do not know what this is, its a cone-shaped collar to prevent him from being able to lick or bother his body-parts. It looks very funny on him. He looks like he is wearing an astronaut's helmet.

When we first put it on him he looked at us like, "Please take this thing off of my head." After he was unsuccessful at getting us to take it off, he then proceeded to walk around the house. He keeps on running into things, walls, corners, me, Adrienne, etc. It's funny to watch. I have included a video to let you witness the cone-head in action.

Hopefully Saturday we will find out what is really the cause of the licking behavior and we can then take the funny looking apparatus off his head.

Why, Yuengling?!? Why?!?

2008-04-21T10:42:00.014-04:00

I need to vent today about something that's been on my mind for awhile now...

I would describe myself as a "Beer Snob." I love drinking beer for the taste and enjoyment of it, not the getting drunk part. I like to try different brands to enjoy the different tastes and varieties. This past weekend, Adrienne, I, and one of our friends went up to Taco Mac to get some wings and beer. As you know, Taco Mac has a wide selection of beers to choose from. We decided we are going to go "around the world" and try all the beers on their menu. Not in one night, of course. We decided each time we visit we will taste a different brand: nectar, if you will. This leads to my main topic...

A few years back my old boss and I went on a business trip to State College Pennsylvania, a great college town with good atmosphere. (Well, not as good as University of Georgia...but, anyway) My old boss was from the area so she knew all the great restaurants and sites. She took me to a restaurant and introduced me to a beer that I just fell in love with. "Yuengling" was the name, and I just about fell over with enjoyment of the awesome taste of this adult beverage. It was smooth going down, the taste was great, and no after-taste. I was hooked. Then she proceeded with the bad news - something I couldn't understand. This beer was not distributed in Georgia.

"You have got to be kidding," I said. "Why not?"

She did not have an explanation.

A few years have gone by and let's just say Yuengling continues to be my favorite beer. Unfortunately, I still can't get it in Georgia. I have to actually ask my buddies from Alabama to bring back some or ask my Mom and sister in South Carolina to buy me some. This is such a hassle since I can't keep it in stock. Adrienne's parents live in Tampa, where it is also distributed.

Notice that is distributed in all the surrounding states but Georgia. I do not have an explanation for that, other then the Georgia distributors don't see a demand here. While we were in Tampa, we actually toured the brewery and had a sample of all of their beers. Yum Yum!

About two years ago I wrote a letter to Yuengling asking them about my dilemma. At the time, they promised me the nectar would be in Georgia soon. Well, where is it? I'm still waiting!! I have no explanation from them. The local bars have not heard of it, and I'm still bothering my friends and family to bring it to me.

"Please Yuengling," I ask, "why, why, why?!?"

OK, I'm done venting for one day. I think I will go drink a Bud now. Yuck!!

Please help me in my attempt to get Yuengling in Georgia by going to this site: LINK

This has to be the best advertisement I've seen on a truck...

2008-04-20T10:26:00.010-04:00

One day last week, I was driving along, and all of a sudden as I looked to my left I witnessed the funniest ad I have ever seen. I was talking to Adrienne on the phone and just burst out laughing. It was a pick-up truck advertising its company. They were a meat distributing company. If I ever need some meat I will buy from them just because I had to chuckle about the advertisement. Way to go guys for being so creative.

Should we or shouldn't we?

2008-04-17T09:55:00.018-04:00

OK, so I'm about a year late posting this.

Adrienne and I have been going back and forth on this issue. The issue is whether to have a baby or not. I'm 41 years old now and I know maybe I need to get off my skinny butt and make up my mind. We saw a series at our church called "Asking Big." In the message our pastor, Andy Stanley, tells us when we pray, we should pray for something that is a struggle or something that we are dealing with that we feel that is impossible for us to handle on our own. I decided to pray for my attitude about having a baby. I'm leery about having a baby because 1) I don't have a permanent employment position. I want to make sure I have permanent position with benefits (even though I'm on Adrienne's health plan). I'm currently on a year contract position at GE infrastructure, Energy Division. Evan though I continue to network and look for a full-time position, I want to make sure we are "set" for the future. 2) Because, of my "handicap" (CP) I worry about my balance. How I'm I going to handle the baby going up and down our stairs? and 3) I'm just too stubborn to give up my current situation of just me and Adrienne and nothing demanding our attention, well except for our dog, Dooley.

An interesting thing has happened since I have been praying this "Big" prayer. Adrienne has said that she has actually regressed from her anticipation of the thought of having a baby. On the other hand, my attitude has changed a little. I have become accepting to the thought of being parents, even with all the issues I talked about earlier. Yes, I still am cautious but I have since accepted the concerns and understand they can be overcome. Recently, a couple friends of ours had their first baby together. I actually enjoyed watching them go through the process of the pregnancy and finally having the baby. I actually didn't get "wigged out" when I held the baby for the first time. I like how warm he felt as I held him in my lap. It was kinda cool. :-)

I don't know what God has planned for us in the future. Will He get Adrienne and me on the same page regarding having a baby or will He make a clear answer to not have a baby. Either way I'm excited to see what will happen next.

Stay tuned...

My first Try

2008-04-15T11:35:00.000-04:00

Well here it goes.....

I don't know how this is going to go since I do not think I'm a good writer. I do not really like to write either so this might end up dead in a couple of weeks. I will try though.

First, I am originally from Savannah Georgia, but have been living in Marietta Georgia most of my life. I am 41 years old and married to a beautiful lady named Adrienne. We have no kids at this point but it has crossed our minds a few times. :-). We do have a yellow labbish dog named Dooley. He is named after my favorite coach growing up, Vince Dooley, retired head football coach and athletic director of my beloved Georgia Bulldogs. Go Dawgs!!! Yes, I bleed red and black and will argue with anyone who thinks they are a better fan then I am.