A digital commonplace for a Regular Guy called Charlie Pharis
It’s been a weird day around here for some reason. I think it’s because I missed my coffee this morning (don’t ask!).
Anayway, I’m unwinding with Sigur Ros’s Takk. I don’t even remember where or when I first heard about this Icelandic group, and some of you who know me would probably think I wouldn’t really be into them. But go figure…they really float my boat, and are just about perfect for an “Unwind” after a strange sort of day.
As I was finishing up my “at-home” workout today, I got a phone call from the one, the only Gary Lamb.
What did he want? Nothing…just to invite me to lunch!
Thanks, Gary, for the sandwich and the encouragement…and the confirmation that I really am not dead!
I’m getting ready to head out for the gym, and three – count ’em – THREE! Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department cars – with lights flashing! – are rollingspeeding down my street!
Uh-oh…make that FOUR Sheriff’s Department cars…
UPDATE: FIVE Sheriff’s Department cars…
My buddy Tony McCollum is a gadget freak! If it’s the latest and greatest in geekdom, you betcha Tony’s at least lusted after it in his heart! He once said he’s “more of an e-mail man than a phone man,” so here’s what he needs.
Tony, iLane is for you!
My brother got this link from my sister-in-law, and he in turn, passed it along to me. So now, you get to enjoy it!
Just got this interesting tidbit in my Inbox…
On Saturday, November 18, 2006 Be Prepared to Be Amazed. That’s right the World Famous BLUE MAN GROUP will be performing for One Night Only at The Arena at Gwinnett Center.
I am already looking for tickets!
…but if everything goes like it’s been going, tomorrow or the next day, I will be three-quarters of the man I was in January of this year.
Yep, that’s right. By this time tomorrow or Thursday, all things being equal, I will have dropped over one-quarter of my January weight…69 pounds, down to 205 from 274! How cool is that?!?!?
On a couple of related notes…
Last Sunday, after our un-air-conditioned worship services, the lovely and gracious “Mrs. Just Charlie” and I went for our evening walk/run (Heritage Park in Canton, Georgia, 3-4 miles, whatever). I decided I would walk/run sans shirt, so as to get a little sun on this pale previously-fat body. Anyway, by the time we go to the park, the sun is toward the west. As we made the turn heading east, and our shadows were in front of us, the lovely and gracious “Mrs. Just Charlie” asked…
Whose arms are those?!?!
See, in the shadow, you could actually see some muscular definition in my arms! Yes, very cool!
And one other piece of related information. When we signed up at the YMCA back in December, my instructor asked what my fitness goals were. I jokingly replied…
I’m 45 and I want to be 21!
Well, for what it’s worth, I’m now wearing pants in exactly the same size I wore…at age 21!
…and sloppy Joes ain’t hot dogs!
(NOTE: The following is an almost verbatim transcript of an actual phone conversation that occurred on Monday, July 24, 2006 around 2:01 p.m. The identities have been changed to protect the…, the…, well, read the transcript, and you decide what to call the protectee!)
ME: Hello?
CALLER: Whassup?
ME: Just putting a load of clothes in the washer. What are you doing?
CALLER: Nothing, just chillin’.
ME: So, what’s going on?
CALLER: I was wondering if you might have a remedy for something I did today.
ME: OK…a remedy for what?
CALLER: I just finished scarfing down six and a half sloppy Joes, and I’m not feeling so well. Got any ideas?
Well, you get the idea. Seems there was an impromptu sloppy Joe eating contest between “The Bo…”…I mean, “The CALLER” and some Goliath-sized football player in the cafeteria. For the record, “The Bo…”…I mean, “The CALLER” took him. But now he’s paying for it.
Just wait…
The late great Baptist preacher Vance Havner said one time when he couldn’t sleep, he simply referred to Psalm 121. Whereupon, he said, he gave his troubles to the Lord and said…
Well, I guess there’s no reason for both of us to stay awake. If You’re going to stay up, I’m going to bed!
I guess I need a little of Dr. Havner’s trusting skills, because here I am wide awake at 12:20 a.m. Even after a physically exhausting day, I just can’t go to sleep! Here are a couple of things on my Chinet tonight…
One of the guys who stops by these parts of the blogosphere from time to time is the illustrious Sean Michael Murphy, of the West Chester, Ohio Murphy clan. He’s quick with a comment, and usually his comments are insightful and make me think. He also happens to have one of the coolest blog titles I know of. Yeah, go on over there and check it out.
Anyway, he posted today about the Adam Sandler movie Click, currently playing at a megaplex near you. His post quickly leaves the movie, and he ends up talking a lot about going back and living your life over with the knowledge and experience you have. What would that be like?
Here’s the last two paragraphs…
None of this really has anything to do with Click. His deal is more about fast forwarding through the rough times. By doing that, he misses out on life…and really living.
I wonder how much of life I miss out on by skipping by the great challenges? How different would my life be, going forward – if I embraced the challenges and dove straight into them, and took some greater risks…
Don’t miss that last “I wonder.” Don’t you dare miss it! In fact, you may want to print it out, tape it where you can see it, and refer to it often. Just so you don’t miss it…