Georgia Bulldogs vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Forgot to tell y'all! It was Saturday, Nov. 27!

GO DAWGS!!

georgiadogs.com

Bulldogs WIN! 19 - 13

HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS!!

Cowboy Up

A couple of Fridays ago, my boss took our department on a retreat to Chateau Elan, a resort / spa / winery just north of Atlanta. It's quite beautiful and, being in the country, a serene place, with golf courses and misty vineyards surrounding the hotel and chateau. There were plans for horseback riding, I picturing myself trotting out of the chateau's stables atop my noble steed, surveying the grandeur around me, lord of the manor.

Instead, they herd us onto a couple of short-buses and ship us off to a horse farm about forty minutes away - and you thought the chateau was in the country. My boss' assistant and I made a game of seeing who could find the house with the most cars on cinder blocks in the front yard. You got extra points if the lawn had been mowed around the cars without moving them, and if the actual house had wheels, it was all over. Our game didn't last very long.

We go horseback riding at Montara Farm in two groups: the first group is supposed to be the more experienced riders and the second group the beginners. Now I've ridden before but it's been several years, and the first group is short a few riders so they ask for volunteers. I go reluctantly, but after noticing our head wrangler assigning us to horses by talking to each of us individually and matching them to our personalities, I began to feel a lot better. She assigned me to Haley, who she described as a "tomboy that didn't like girls" and loved guys, so I asked Haley where had she been all my life.

Out on the trail, we rode up hills and through forest, past a primitive graveyard; the entire ride was only a couple of hours, but it seemed like it lasted for days and I didn't want it to end. There were several points on the trail where we would reach a pasture, and our guide would coax us and our horses into galloping and running. The horses didn't need much coaxing, almost instantly hitting a sprint as soon as they reached the edge of the pasture. Our guide said not to let us pass her, and it was all I could do to hold Haley back. After our first run, the guide says to me, "Oh yeah, I should've told you - Haley will outrun any of these horses if you give her the chance." That's all I needed to hear.

When we reached the next pasture, Haley and I broke and ran - it was incredible. I've ridden motorcycles before and often develop a lead foot when I drive a car, but this was entirely different, and a little addictive. So the next time around, I let her do what she wanted, which apparently was to be the leader. She shot like a bullet, overtaking several of our friends.

Haley came a little too close to some trees on our right. I ducked to the left to miss a low branch, but when I came up, I over-corrected and went far to the right, sliding off the saddle. Try as I might, I couldn't get her to stop, and I couldn't get upright, so I only had two options: stay in the stirrup and catch a tree with my face, or jump as far as I could and hope I don't get trampled by the others.

That's exactly what I did, tucking and rolling far from the other horses, landing in a briar patch, absolutely covered in thorns. Luckily, I saw where my glasses landed, so I reached for those first, realizing as I did that at least nothing up top was broken. Now to move my legs. No pain there, either. I stood up, looked at everybody, looked at Haley - and hopped right back on. Understandably, everyone kept asking if I was alright, checking my bumps and scrapes, but I kept telling them to get back on and ride. They were wasting my time and Haley's time. And we ran until Haley and I both worked up a good lather.

Now, I know there are a lot of you horseback riders out there, and you're probably rolling your eyes right now saying, "Big deal." Well in a way, it was a big deal. I didn't get back on because everyone was watching and I had to be a big shot; those aren't the kind of people I work with and they were genuinely concerned that I was injured. The way I see it, I could've given up easily and walked back. A few years ago I probably might have. A few years ago, I probably would've been too heavy to get up on a horse, and still been sitting at the bunkhouse waiting on everybody.

That's why I got back on - because I needed to. I did exactly the same thing two years back when I made the commitment to lose weight. I did it when I lost my Daddy in a car wreck and knew I needed to take care of my Mama.

I had to cowboy up.

It gets hard - as hard as I hit the ground. But you have to get up, brush off and take your lumps. It was never more literal than right there in that pasture. A good friend just kept going on and on about how "huge" what I did was, and I ain't gonna argue, because it was huge. I remind myself everyday.

'Course it's also hard to forget when your ass still hurts.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The History of Thanksgiving

Three things I'm thankful for:

1. My Mama, for her love and support, and for reminding me to take life as it comes.


2. Georgia Bulldogs football - and baseball, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, ballroom dancing, chess club and anything else that has to do with the Georgia Bulldogs.


3. Coffee with cream and Sugar In The Raw.

Okay, your turn.

Georgia Bulldogs vs. Auburn Tigers

TODAY! Kickoff is 3:30! Watch it!

GO DAWGS!!

georgiadogs.com

UPDATE!
Bulldogs LOSE! 24 - 6

The greatest website ever created

If you like to read, that is.
Project Gutenberg

Georgia Bulldogs vs. Kentucky Wildcats

TODAY! Kickoff is 12:30! Watch it!

GO DAWGS!!

georgiadogs.com

UPDATE!
Bulldogs WIN! 62 - 17!

HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS!!

Highway Robbery Part 2

GREAT NEWS!

My insurance company reimbursed me for the tow truck...some. They cut me a check for $85!

TOTAL - $261.09
Reimbursment - $85

NEW TOTAL - $176.09!

Big deal. Henry Ford's still a jerk.

Highway Robbery

So, I take a taxi from my apartment to the Home Depot. That was $32 including tip. I have my Blazer towed to Cobb Parkway Chevrolet, which was a long way. The tow truck driver charged me $125. Cash. No check or credit card. Cash. Jerk. Then the service guy at the Chevy place tells me the labor to take off the wheel and look at the problem was going to be between $45 and $97. He said he would call me before they do anything, so I took the courtesy van home. I'm surprised they didn't charge me for that. I took the bus up to the bookstore after lunch - $1.25. While I'm there, I call my answering machine and check my messages. There's one from the Chevy place telling me it's done and to come pick it up. So they never called me to tell me what needed to be fixed - they just did it. Now I'm livid. The van picks me up at the bookstore, and I go find out what the problem was. All it needed was a bolt that came loose and made the caliper drop off the arm, causing it to dig into the wheel rim. The bolt was $4.25, misc. charges (which I assume are grease, towels, and such - geez) were $5.20, and the labor was - surprise, surprise - $93.39. To take off a wheel and screw in a bolt. I should've just bent over and dropped my pants. Get out your slide rules - this is what that one little bolt cost me:

Taxi - $32.00
Tow truck - $125.00
Bus - $1.25
Bolt - $4.25
Misc. charges - $5.20
Labor - $93.39

TOTAL - $261.09

Henry Ford, take thy beak from out my heart.

Jerk.

I'm supposed to be on vacation this week. Today is the first of what should have been a relaxing few days, with an election day thrown in to mix things up. Well, yesterday I'm going to see a friend of mine and the brakes screwed up on my Blazer. The same new brakes that a guy and I put on a few months ago. I can't drive it at all. So now my Blazer sits outside a Home Depot halfway across the city of Atlanta. He's coming to get me tonight and we're going to try and fix them, but I'm not feeling confident about it. When we put them on we were in his shop where he had every tool imaginable. Now we're in a parking lot. This really sucks. Someone pointed out this morning that I have bad luck with vacations and I'm starting to believe them. Cross your fingers.

The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party

a.k.a. Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators, is today. Watch it!

GO DAWGS!!

georgiadogs.com

UPDATE!
Bulldogs WIN! 31 - 24!

HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS!!

Well, it's about time!

It's only taken - what - 20 years?!
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

100 LBS. Extravaganza

Well, folks...here are some pictures from the big shindig. Sorry it took so long to get 'em up. Y'all enjoy!

p.s. Yes, them's t-shirts what Yvette had made special with my mug on 'em. No, you can't have one 'cause they're all gone. Sorry. But feel free to print the logo at the top of the page and make your own. You're crafty. Heck...you found this stupid blawg.

Over The Hump

(The following was written a few days before my 100 LBS. Extravaganza while I was also preparing to deliver the customary speech. I wanted to say something at the party about my good friend Yvette, only realizing the day of that I had already done just that in the blawg. So I pretty much delivered what you see here, with a few embellishments. -- M.)

Well, folks, I've made it over the hump. As of Friday, June 4, I've lost 110 lbs. It's taken me a little over a year and a half, and it ain't been easy. But I feel like I've pretty much pulled off a miracle, and I'm not done yet. I've got a few more to lose and I'm gonna do it, by God!

I have a very good friend here in Atlanta who owns a post-production studio where I do a lot of work. I've known her since I started at Cartoon Network, and back when I was at my heaviest she always showed concern for me and tried to help me slim down. When I developed sleep apnea and learned that it was imperative that I lose weight, she's been behind me and supported me all the way.

When I decided to have my 100 LBS. Extravaganza to celebrate the big milestone, I told her I wanted to talk to her about using the studio because it's huge, close to work, everyone knows where it is, and my place barely holds me. So I go to meet with her one day, she sits me down, and she says she'd been thinking about the whole thing since I first mentioned it to her. "Look," she said, "I haven't had a party here in a long time, and you have lost 100 pounds, for God's sake. I'm so proud of you. So I'm gonna get some beer, BBQ, and all the rest. All you have to do is show up." Well, you can imagine the look on my face. I still find it hard to believe, and the party's coming up on June 18th. So I promise you'll get a full report, plus pictures of the property damage.

And remember...for all of your post-production needs, call Yvette at Soapbox Studios. She'll take care of you.

She's always taken care of me.

Lawd, What Did I Do To Be Hainted?

Alright...I know I ain't blawgged for a while. I promise it'll happen a lot more, at least once a week.

I found the following as I was looking through my little notebook recently. This was witnessed by my boss in the lobby of The Argyle, our hotel in L.A. back during my shoot. A couple of twenty-something guys wearing clothes with that just-slept-in look and toting several guee-tars, check in with their manager, some stiff all gussied up in a suit and tie. He hands the two their keys and says, "You stay in your rooms until 4:30!" The two go up, then he looks at his room number and says to the concierge (that's a desk clerk in them fancy hotels), he says, "Listen...you put me in the haunted room again. It's really small and it's haunted." The concierge checks the computer and replies, "Oh my gosh! You're right! You are in the haunted room!"

It don't get much better'n that, friends.

My niece, Lillian Elizabeth, was born yesterday morning 2/17/2004 at 8:09a est. She weighed 6 lbs. 2 oz., and was 19". You can call her Lily. I'll post pictures as soon as I get 'em.

My mom just called me. My brother and his wife are at the hospital right now, having their first baby. My third niece. I'll let you know what happens. Well...other than the obvious.

Hollywood Hillbilly

It’s been so dang busy and hectic at work that I haven’t bothered to update you guys. But I’m definitely going to try harder. So here goes…

My shoot in LA went great! My cast was perfect - the kids were awesome and the lady playing “The Aunt” was amazing. I still can’t get over how well they all worked together. Basically, the spot followed a little guy all dressed up going to visit his aunt. When he gets to her house, bouquet of daisies in hand, she goes crazy over him, and man-handles him with a big bear hug. Then he goes up to his see his cousin, who places the little guy in a headlock and gives him a noogie. The spot promotes a show about a trio of kids who go to Mexican wrestling school called “Mucha Lucha.” At the end of the spot, our little hero reappears outside the house again, this time wearing a luchador mask and costume. That’s about as exciting as it gets, folks.

At casting, “The Aunt” just adored the little boy who was playing her nephew. As soon as she saw him, she wanted to pinch his cheeks and squeeze him – just what I needed. The kid playing “The Cousin” was hilarious; he had this crazy look in his eyes whenever he read his big line. What was so cool about him was that he wasn’t one of the original callbacks to casting from our first batch of tapes we watched in Atlanta. He was one of the few we told the casting agent to get as options to look at when we got to LA, just in case. And he nailed it! They all nailed it! It turned out to be a really good spot, and I’m very excited. It starts airing sometime this week, so look for it.

More than anything, it was an amazing learning experience. You wouldn’t believe what goes into making these things; the film, the cameras, the lights – it was quite a bit more than an ole boy from Athens, GA was ready to take, I tell you what. We pulled up in front of the house, there were trucks full of equipment lining the street, the yard spilling over with lights, grips with all kinds of tools dangling off their belts, and folks walking around with production books in one hand and a walkie-talkie in the other. My boss pats me on the back and says, “They’re all here for you, brother.” I replied that if it was all the same to him I’d rather stay in the car and just let him handle it. When I finally got out, a girl came over, directed me to my chair, and asked me if I needed anything to drink. I told her some water would be nice, she picked up her walkie-talkie, and told a person on the other end - someone who, I imagine, has absolutely nothing better to do - that Mr. McElhannon needed a bottle of water. And before I could ask her to just point me in the right direction and I’ll get it my own self, the bottle was in my hand. Well, that was it. The rest of the day was just as surreal as you might imagine. Pretty amazing.

The shoot was a little nerve-racking. The director and I butted heads a little bit in the morning. There were certain shots I was picturing, and while the director was getting the shots he wanted, I would mention to him that I wanted to do it a certain way. He would try to assure me that we got it, so I started second-guessing myself. My boss noticed that I was having a hard time and pulled me outside for some “fresh air.” He told me that what the director was doing was typical - that he was going to get pushier because of our shooting schedule, that I really needed to make sure I’ve got the shots I want, no matter what he thinks, and to speak up, because my boss couldn’t defend me if I was on the fence about something. So it was half a pep talk and half a “you better not screw this up” talk, which was all I needed, because after lunch things went much smoother. Magically, the director and I started seeing eye-to-eye, and I was really happy with the way things were turning out.

The two things that blew me away the most happened when the shoot was over. When we wrapped, people from the crew were shaking my hand and telling me what a good time they had working with me, and how funny they thought my spot was going to turn out. Then to top it off, when we got in the car, my boss told me how proud he was and that I did a great job on my first live-action shoot. Wanna see?

But that’s not the end of the story. The group I was with – my boss the creative director, my project producer, her boss the production director – we all had some fun in LA while we weren’t on the clock, and I’ll tell you all about that later.

The Hillbilly In The Machine

I’m just an ole boy born and raised in Athens, GA who watched a little too much television and movies growing up. But with the help of a little schoolin’ and a lot of luck, I got a chance to work in the on-air creative department of Cartoon Network. I write and produce promos, interstitials, etc. for the network – that’s all the stuff what don’t appear to be a commercial or an actual program.

I am the token hillbilly of my department. I have a very thick southern accent, and even though Cartoon Network headquarters is based in Atlanta, GA, I’m one of a small few in my department that talk the way I do. I wouldn’t consider these other folks hillbillies, though, for the simple fact that they've been around. Everyone in my department is well-traveled or they’re from somewhere else. They get kick out of the fact that I haven’t been around a lot, seen the world, or worked somewhere outside the state of Georgia.

But all of that is about to change. Next week I’m heading to L.A. for my first live-action shoot. Most of my projects up to this point have ranged from just being made up of clips from shows and graphics all the way to having new animation made, but never live-action. So I’m stoked.

My other big project right now is losing my fat can. I’ve lost 80 lbs over the past year and still going. No big secret program, either. I’m just going to the gym and seeing a nutritionist once a week. So you’ll see what happens there, too.

You may find this fun or boring as all-get-out. I don’t know; you tell me. People are always saying how great they think my job is, and I would agree with them. But there are days. No matter what, I hope you enjoy reading about it.