CARB-CRAZINESS!!!

WHOA!!!! Crazy random act of kindness. 20 minutes ago, some very nice lady from Atlanta Bread Company stopped over with a MOUND of baked goodies and a big gallon jug of coffee for the station staff (It's a good thing only Amy and I really drink coffee-Oh, I'm so selfish)...I have the pictures to prove it...There are muffin tops, cinnamon rolls, jelly-filled pastries, etc...

I was sitting at my desk, making sure that some music was scheduled and scoping out the net for a few things to talk about this afternoon when I heard the mystery lady (whom I never saw) say that she wanted to bring the treats by simply because we bless her day, and she wanted to bless us. She dropped them off; never gave her name; and then zipped out the door. Mike Perry was quite excited about this gift, and then said that his diet is out the window today. he then led us into the kitchen to see this surpirse. And see we did...and indulge we did...and full I am. So, if I am more giddy than usually today know that not only something very nice was done for us, but also that I have had lots of carbs...and the happy things are going crazy in my brain. Happy Happy Joy Joy (for those of you who remember Ren and Stimpy)

Thank you so much Atlanta Bread Lady, you are our hair-o-in!

CH

Shame, Shame

WOW! Sorry it has been so long since I have placed anything up on the blog. It's just been busy. You probably know how it feels, and I really have no excuse...simply put...my schedule went from the normal workday to the sharathon workhorse schedule. And just as it seems that everything in your scehdule is going great, then a monkey wrench gets thrown into the works. And for some reason, it is SUPER hard to get back to the schedule that worked so well before.

A friend of mine, and I were talking about that last night. He said that he has a mini-trampoline in the house, and that he was getting very good at jumping on it several times a week for exercise, etc... Well, then he came down with bronchitis and it stayed with him for quite some time...threw his schedule off, and then in the meantime, he got busy filling that time up with other things...POOF...hard to get back in that groove. So, short story long, I will be placing as much as I can on the blog in the next few days in order to catch up from my slacker-ness. :)

Hope all is well for you and your family, and that you are getting by with the gas crunch. Ugh, I never thought I'd say that I was happy to buy gas for $2.79--God bless Elizabethton. Companies are going to have to start giving a "gas raise" every six minutes so that we can all afford to drive to work.

Peace,
CH

Eureka!

Thank you so much for your help as I tried to find the drink that completely intrigued me for several weeks...waiting on its release date, inquiring about its taste, and then going through the turmoil (vocabulary word for the day) and agony of not being able to find it on its world wide release date. But now, my friends, Coca Cola Blak has been consumed!!!!

In honor of this event, I have decided to compose a poem about my adventures. Please pay no attention to my grammatical errors...it's art :)

April 3rd, a day to mark, a day to behold
For that is when regular soda became of olde
Now there's something refreshing, something new
Not Berry Creme Dr. Pepper or Pepsi Blue
It combines the best of two worlds
And I couldn't wait until it was unfurled
So on that day I went around
But Coca-Cola Blak was no where to be found
I went to Kroger, Food City, and more
And I still couldn't find it at the convenience store
So I went to work the very next day
Very unhappy about the delay
I told my story to my friend, Amy
She said her mom might find some...maybe
The days went by slow as molasses
And still Coke Blak had not been found by the masses
April 6th came along
My campaign was still going strong
When my wife and I walked into Target (tar-zhay)
And this was to be THE DAY!
I saw it sitting upon the shelf
And grabbed a 4-pack for myself
I have to admit...I almost put it back
The price was ridiculous for that little bit of Blak
4.99 for the bottles of brown!
But it was the first time I had found it in town
We took it home and I gave it a try
Pour it over ice...decided I
The ice melted and made it turn flat
So I had to wait a couple of hours and have a chilled Coke Blak
The taste was quite fine and dandy
But less like coffee...more like coffee candy
It was good, but not the best
I've tasted it, now, my mind can rest
So this concludes my little rhyme
I'll buy it again one other time (on sale!)

Hope you enjoyed my ode to Coke Blak and the adventures therein. Thanks to Amy Greer's Mom for finding some in Atlanta and being awesome enough to ship us a 4-Pack at the station...just so we could try it! She has definitely earned a place in my All-Star Mom Hall of Fame.

Every Drop Counts,
CH

Circle of Life

I had planned on talking about a very special package that I received from GA today at the station, but I think I need to wait because of something that happened. As with life, there are unexpected interruptions, and one happened.

Our next door neighbor passed away.

He was young...only 56, and a wonderful man. We have only been living in our home for a year, but we became fast friends. He always lended a helping hand when fixing up our home...loved our dogs...loved caffeine-free Pepsi...loved it when we'd bring him some homemade chili...and always watched our home when we were out of town. We won't forget him, and are glad that Jesus can hold him now.

Please be in prayer for his family, and his friends. Thanks.

Chalmer

Desktop Diversions

Every once in awhile...or maybe once (or more) every day...you can get bogged down at work. That is why I went in search of the TOP DESKTOP DIVERSIONS...coming to cubicle near you!

I found some great ones in Liz Ryan's article on www.businessweek.com These are the ones I mentioned.

1. www.evtv1.com - They show movie clips 24/7! Things like the worst of American Idol Auditions. If you need an escape from the world of text...a quick movie could be the perfect get away.

2. www.freecycle.org - GREAT SITE! Get stuff for free, or give it away for free! There are over 900 members in the Johnson City Area Freecycle. You just have to sign up, post., and other people come get the things you don't want. Nice!

3. www.mygrocerydeals.com - This site will tell you the store with the best prices on common grocery items. That's saving money and time...what a concept!

4. www.fluevog.com- If you like shoes, and shoes that are THE BEST...THE BEST...then, you need to just look at this Canadian Shoemakers site. Crazy good fashion mixed with things that make you go..."EH!?!??!" --Don't Delay Fluevog Today.


Happy Surfing!
CH

PS-Those of you who have been following my adventures to find COCA-COLA BLAK...An update coming soon. Thanks for your help!

CLEANING HOUSE 2006

April is National Poetry month! This poem was featured in Voice Magazine for Women (www.voicemonthly.com) and something I found very inspirational.

Last week I threw out WORRYING; it was getting old and in the way.

It kept me from being me; I couldn't do things God's way.

I threw out a book on MY PAST (didn't have time to read it anyway).

Replaced it with NEW GOALS, started reading it today.

I threw out HATE and BAD MEMORIES (remember how I treasured them so)?

Got me a NEW PHILOSOPHY too, threw out the one from long ago.

Brought in some new books too, called I CAN, I WILL and I MUST.

Threw out I MIGHT, I THINK and I OUGHT. Wow, you should've seen the dust.

I ran across an OLD FRIEND, haven't seen HIM in a while.

His name is GOD and - Yes - I really like His style.

He helped me to do some cleaning and added some things Himself.

Like PRAYER, HOPE and FAITH; yes I had a place for them and placed them right on.

I found this special thing and placed it at the front door.

What I found, it’s called PEACE. …Nothing gets me down anymore.

Yes, I've got my house looking nice.

Looks good around the place.

For things like Worry and Trouble there just isn't any space.

(Author Unknown)

Without a Trace

Good news came from Hawkins County that they had found missing six-year-old, Sarah Murrell, and her puppy in the woods. They are doing fine.

Meredith and I are fans of the show Without a Trace. Every episode highlights a "true" missing person...and I've found recently that CBS Early Show has been going into the story of the person, the next morning.

It just caused me to think...I pray that your family NEVER has to experience this...but if your child were to go missing, some recommendations are to

STAY CALM. Contact neighbours, friends, your husband, siblings and anyone who may know where your child may be. Invite a friend with a "calm" to be with you.

Have friends and relatives conduct a basic land search of the neighbourhood area.

Places to check:

Your home and property, including the attic for well hidden children.
-Do not disturb or move anything in your child's room until police have checked it.

Home of your child's friends, neighbours, and relatives

Past and present baby-sisters

School and school yard

Community center

Park or play areas

Shopping centers and convenience stores

Video game arcades.

Contact the police and provide them with the information they need. Photographs, etc...

Act quickly. This is very important. Though it is hard...try to keep focused on the task at hand, that is locating your child.

For more information visit www.findthekids.org

McFame

If you've ever wanted your fifteen of fame...Here's your Big Mac chance. You could have your face featured on a McDonald's cup or bag in more than 100 countries!!!!!

As many as 25 winners will be chosen. All you have to do is submit a personal story of what you love in 100 words or less. Then send a digital photo capturing the essence of your story.

Here's a hint just in case you're interested. McDs said it will select its new packaging "stars" based on submissions that capture the "I'm lovin' it" spirit with themes of inspiration, passion and fun.

Go for it @: www.mcdglobalcasting.com

Baby Big Bird

These are the websites that I referenced about the "Sesame Beginnings" DVDs:

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/aboutus/intro.php


DVDs' critics: http://www.commercialexploitation.org/

Adventures in East TN

Last night I came home and Meredith and I were talking about what to do for dinner. She had several pages to read in a book and I was just a bit tired from work and reeling from the non-sleep we had the night before. I was telling her about something I had said on the air about Alex being freaked out about the thunderstorm and that I referenced Coca-Cola Blak (Beverage made from Coca-Cola and Coffee.) I know I've said this before, but I am just insanely intrigued with what this tastes like. So, I had popped some popcorn for a snack while we were chatting, and she mentioned a few times that we should go out and look for Coca-Cola Blak. She said we needed to go to the store anyway, and she wanted some Diet Pepsi. So we jumped in the car...off to Kroger and our adventure began.

We zipped into to Kroger to find that they had a sale on Pepsis (good thing...we only buy them on a deal.) We grabbed those and found a new Diet Dr. Pepper Drink...Berry Creme (Meredith said later that it tastes like Robitussin...I'm okay with it.) No Coca-Cola Blak. We wrapped up going our grocery visit by nabbing a few frozen dinners. That made for some funny looks because Meredith was carrying about 7 or 8 of these boxes and I was carrying the sodas and a few more boxes with no cart. Our original plan was just to look for Coca-Cola Blak. We're silly like that...and just to add to the excitement of the trip. One of the Diet Pepsi Cans exploded as I was picking up the box to leave. Still no sign of Coca-Cola Blak.

Since we didn't find it, we were torn about what to do. So, I suggested we try a convenience store. We did. We found Diet Dr. Enuff (made with Splenda,) but no Coca-Cola Blak. As a matter of fact, the clerk had never even heard of it. We searched out brains and decided it would be best to check Target, because they always have the interesting things, and always try really hard to be on the forefront of things trendy. Plus, Meredith really wanted to pick up some Cadbury Creme Eggs. So, to Target we went. We found Creme Eggs, Dark Chocolate Hershey Eggs, and Fudge Reese's PB Eggs. No Coca-Cola Blak. Sad.

By this time, we were a bit hungry. So, we decided there was a Food City by the Taco Bell on our way home. We went to Food City. Big Surprise...NO COCA-COLA BLAK! Then, we ditched our thoughts of Taco Bell for the Pizza Inn Buffet. Chocolate Chip Pizzert was going to have to suffice for us. We had our fill and made our way home. So, the search continues...oh where oh where is Coca-Cola Blak? Oh, where, oh where can it be? It's probably in Atlanta, but not in East Tennessee.

I'll get you my pretty...AHAHAHAHAHAHA! (Sorry, that was a bit much.)
Chalmer

God's Bowling

What an insane thunderstorm last night!!!!

Meredith, my wife, and I were up talking and playing a new card game. It's the card version of the board game, Labrynth. Ravensburger does both games...AWESOME!

Anyway, so there we are on the couch and love seat battling each other (We both won a game a piece.) We were thinking about playing a third game, but I was tired and it was almost 11...so we flipped on the news. We knew it was raining pretty hard outside, but we were not expecting to hear what we did.

***THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR THESE COUNTIES***
***TORNADO WATCH FOR THESE COUNTIES***

Okay, so now we were a bit uneasy...but not too bad. Well, we ended up falling asleep on the couch. I ended up waking up about midnight to some hail coming down, and another news flash. This time, the warning was a bit stronger.

"Get away from windows or outside walls."

I shot up off the couch and we all piled into the bed. But we didn't get any sleep. Our largest dog, Alex, is terrified of thunderstorms. So, he was barking, ducking his head, and pushed his way in between the two of us. Whomever said that having dogs is great training for having children must've been right. We were trying to calm him down, and of course, still a bit worried about whether or not we were going to have to spend a night in the basement. Good thing that we didn't. All turned out well.

Last night with Alex really made me think of being little and telling my sister (also terrified of thunderstorms) that it was just God bowling and that it was nothing to be afraid of...wish I had thought to say that to Alex last night, because God was really rolling some strikes.

Chalmer