Blog Renovation

I have had this blog since February this year. I don't know where I want to go with it. I'm not political, so that won't work..Too many jock sniffing sports blogs.. I want to keep it simple and not be a current events blog. in the next few week I will rededicate myself to my blog and talk about whatever..It may be a history lesson, it may be about a day at work, kid's tennis or my son's Cub Scout meetings.

Consider this a blog renovation

Keith Urban has to be the hardest working man in Country Music

This morning I wake up with a headache. Not from an all nighter of drinking..This 41 year old body couldn't take that much abuse..LOL ..No we went to see Keith Urban and Jake Owen last night at the Gwinnett Arena. It was a fantastic concert. Jake, I'm not familiar with put on a great forty minute set, kept the crowd into it as he put on a great show, bringing a couple up on the stage and serenaded them as they slow danced..I think it made their night.. We didn't have to wait long between sets..I remember seeing Guns and Roses twenty years ago and waiting almost two hours before GNR came on because Axl Rose was a goober.

Keith came on and played non stop for two and a half hours. He played is old favorites and new ones from his Get Closer album..Keith went out into the crowd several times, close to the end of the show he went to the other end of the arena and played up in the club seats, where at the end of "You look good in my shirt" he autographed and handed his Fender Stratocaster to a fan that I believe it made his year.

Keith during the show



It was a fantastic show..it only took us thirty minutes to get out of the arena parking lot..We got home about 12:30 and crashed..Luckily the kids were spending the night at some Good friends of ours so don't think we neglected them.. Have a good day.. and Exedrin Migraine

Where Atlanta has failed

I'm not talking about the city itself but when it comes to Atlanta sports lately, Hotlanta has been cooled. The Braves are fine..not quite to their run of division titles from the 90's and 2000's and which are proudly displayed everywhere at Turner Field..The Falcons are headed in the right direction with Arthur Blank, Thomas Dimitroff, Mike Smith, Matt Ryan and new draft pick..Julio Jones..(RTR!!)..

No the disappointment to me is losing the Thrashers, the second time a city in NHL history to lose a franchise to a small market Canadian city..The city (Winnipeg) in 1996 lost their team to Phoenix, AZ who may from a year from now may pack their things and move away to Quebec City or Hamilton, Ontario.. The Thrashers were destined to fail..Poorly run by a crappy ownership group who did not know who was actually in charge..Also owning the Hawks didn't help.. The Atlanta Spirit Group showed toward the end they cared more about the Hawks and making money off Phillips Arena. Hockey is a rich mans sport..If you want to play when your young, your parents better pony up and sacrifice to get you in the right camps, and training facilities..The Thrashers didn't get out into the community, well the community they got to were mostly upper middle class and above white folks who could afford tickets and were willing to spend it until the Thrashers kept putting a crappy product on the ice..Even the most die-hard fan could not stand it anymore..
This left the NHL no choice but not support a product that was on life support..At least the metro area still has the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL, the team is owned by separate group and will stay here for three more years.

The other disappointment is watching tonight's newest Sprint Cup date at Kentucky Speedway. This was Atlanta Motor Speedway's first race date of the year, well would have been in March.. AMS now has one race date left. No longer a Chase race, now it sits on Labor Day Weekend. AMS struggled badly for the last ten years to get people to sit through races that were mostly boring and too damn long. There does not need to be a need for a 500 mile race these days.. If you have never been to a race at AMS, be prepared to sit in traffic for awhile..

Good evening folks

My photo of the day

Downtown Atlanta 7-6-11

Three Day Weekend

We spent our three day 4th Of July weekend in Alabama visiting my parents and my mother-in-law. We had a great time but it was blasted hot..Its hot in the ATL but going back to where we grew up seems to be hotter..Pippin walked around with his tongue hanging out all weekend. He is kind of spoiled with the AC.. The kids played at my parents pool most of day on Sunday. No matter how much sunscreen I put on the kids it just did not matter..I also resembled a lobster. Sunday evening we spent quality time with some good friends: Angelle, Dwight and their two daughters.. The kids played Wii while we talked and walked around their farm taking pictures..We hated to leave good friends, time flies when you are having fun.
The Fourth we came back to the ATL planning on watching fireworks in our usual location in Roswell, Ga. The weather did not cooperate and we decided to head back home..We watched Capital Fourth, Where Steve Martin and his bluegrass band were outstanding. We also watched Macy's Fourth from NYC..They know how to do fireworks right. Its on our bucket list to do..Roxanne saw it in 1982 while her and her mother visited relatives in NYC...The Fourth is my favorite holiday..Its sad after it passes until Alabama kicks off in the Fall.



Most docile thing you will ever see



Old Fence Weaver Alabama



Sully and Kate playing at grandparent's pool



Kate and Sully having a water battle

Sully

Playing Angry Birds on Ipad

Cross Tree Art

Bama Birdhouse

Kate and Sully building their coasters at Home Depot on the 2nd

Kate and Sully at the pool

Federer

Today was not a great day for Roger. I have been a fan since he upset Pete Sampras at Wimbledon in 2001..Today he blew a two set lead to Jo Wili Tsonga..Someone he has owned in recent years. I watched as he lost serve three times..Unlike the Fed to do that. Is he on the downside of his career? I surely hope not.. I would like to see him win a tournament again..Not just a slam which I'm thinking it may be slipping away with Novak playing above the atmosphere and Nadal when he is on, forget about it.. It stinks when the possible greatest player of tennis has to walk out after dropping a match after leading two sets..

Lets hope he leaves the court on a good note the next time with a trophy in hand

Photography Bucket List

I received an email today from a local photography group  about a "photography bucket list". My bucket list would be in no particular order:

1. Cork, Ireland..what I understand there is not a shortage of photo ops in Ireland..Ireland's second city would be a great place to take some good shots.

2. New York City..I'm probably one of the few that has not yet been to the Big Apple

3. British Columbia..The Vancouver Olympics made us want to hop on a plane and check it out. With the Pacific Ocean and the Canadian Rockies not far away would be memorable trip.

4. London..There are a ton of old things to take a good shot of..

5 . Paris (Not Texas)

Have a good evening people..

See you tomorrow

( I did not take these shots..Just borrowing)