Squire Ponderings

Thanksgiving - 2011

2011-11-24T07:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it’s Thanksgiving morning and I am the only human awake in the house. It is quiet except for the whining of the dogs who constantly need something. I thought this would be a good time to write my Thanksgiving blog. A lot of people have been doing a daily exercise of posting what they are thankful for on Facebook. Being the procrastinator that I am, I saved them all so you can read them all in one swoop.

I started this tradition last year (http://squireponderings.blogspot.com/2010/11/thanksgiving.html) where I would throw out a list of things for which I am thankful. I realize that I am very blessed by a great family, loving kids, God’s grace, and a roof over my head. My list spans the gamut from serious to off-the-wall. For those that clicked the link and read last years; yes, I have repeats. So, as I sit in my kitchen on November 24, 2011 – here is what I am thankful for (in no particular order):

· My friends who are in the JDRF community as staff who chose their role. They are working and fighting every day for Kyle and those of us who didn’t choose to join the diabetes community.

· Jeffrey Brewer, who has a vision for JDRF and is determined to get us there. He willingly took the role of CEO, but like the rest of us, didn’t choose the role as a parent of a child with T1D.

· Grant Currin made the state cross country race. It enabled the Currins and Claytons to meet up.

· Joe Dubin agreed to be in the JDRF golf tournament and play with me and Joe Dillingham which led to a very enjoyable day of golf and frivolity.

· Opportunity to see Journey, Night Ranger, Motley Crue, Posion, and Buffett in concert this year. Included in this was the joy of Kyle’s smile that wouldn’t wipe off at his first concert (Journey).

· My friend Cheslie celebrated her first Wednesday without chemo in many months yesterday. They stopped because they worked.

· The charcoal in Lynchburg.

· The fact that the Bellevue Pub was packed on January 15, 1993 and there wasn’t a parking spot.

· Clicking sounds of Boxers walking on floors. My Sadie, Angel, and Nikki drive me crazy at times, but bring much joy. They are always happy to see you when you walk in the door.

· Fredrick Banting

· Patrick and the Fillin’ Station. Though, I don’t frequent it as much as Norm, he stills knows my name.

· A great job that I love and look forward to every day.

· Martin Methodist College and the fact that a former classmate is teaching a friend of Will’s.

· Sammy, Michael, Joe, and Chad decided to put out a second CD as Chickenfoot.

· Dr. Najjar listened to Kyle explain why HE wanted to switch from pumping to injections. Too often, we think we know what is best for someone else.

· That I decided to buy the Calico Trail CD finally. Great disc.

· I get to see where my Company’s “rubber meets the road” by looking across the cul-de-sac in front of my house.

· I reconnected with my kin – Lorie Melton through Facebook.

· Neighbors who make life fun.

· Kingston Springs UMC and all the people there – a place where everyone knows your name.

· The South Cheatham Choral Society and the KSUMC choir who give me a chance to sing even though I don’t know much about reading music.

Finally, if you are ready this, I am thankful that I could type this out, publish it, and that you took the time to read it. I know there are many more things to be thankful for, but I will close for now.

Zach, A Thankful Squire

Living the Dream…..

2011-10-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

Lots of folks have dreams of being in a rock band, playing music in front of thousands of people, and living the rock & roll lifestyle; if you know what I mean…… On September 13, I got to see the living and breathing definition of living the dream – Arnel Pineda. Don’t click off here and go to Google; hang on and keep reading.

Once again, the oldest teenager (Will), life-long friends Joe & Shannon, and I took off to catch another concert. We did have one additional passenger on our ride back to the 80’s – youngest son KYLE! This concert with Night Ranger, Foreigner, and Journey would be Kyle’s first big-time concert. He was pumped about seeing Journey, as was Will. I continued to be amazed at how the music from my youth captivates my boys. Well, most of it – still haven’t gotten them to like “Kiss Me Hello” or “Lonely School”. I, too, must admit that I was looking forward to this show, since I had never seen Foreigner and the last time I saw Journey, it was the Escape tour and I was in high school. Once we got the “been there and done that” t-shirts for Will & Kyle, we made it to our seats just in time.

Night Ranger was the first on the bill and was ready to rock or needed to hit the road quickly, because they came out 10 minutes early! Luckily, I was in my seat and ready. Like most fans, when I go to see concerts, especially older acts, I really want the old stuff vs. playing new stuff that I will never buy. Night Ranger’s opening song Lay It On Me was new and rocking. It actually convinced me to go snag the new CD. This was about the fourth time that I have seen Night Ranger and they continue to impress me. They are high energy and great musicians with Jack Blades playing the ultimate rocker by having the talent, as well as the rocker looks. Nashville’s own – Kelly Keagy did a great job playing drums and singing their signature song – Sister Christian. Even with the short set list – Jack treated the crowd to Damn Yankee’s High Enough. It was interesting to hear Jack sing Tommy Shaw’s parts in the song since their vocal ranges differ just a bit (sarcasm!). On that subject, Damn Yankees is one band from the 80’s that needs to get back together for a few shows, if not a new album and tour. Gentlemen, the time has come for this to happen. Anyway, here is Night Ranger’s set list -

· Lay It On Me Sing Me Away

· High Enough

· When You Close Your Eyes

· Don't Tell Me You Love Me

· Sister Christian

· (You Can Still) Rock in America

Foreigner was scheduled to come out next. This was one that I could put a checkmark by, having never seen them before. I really liked the early Foreigner – so early that I had Foreigner, Double Vision, & maybe even Head Games on 8-track (Google it if you are under 35). The latter stuff was too much pop-leaning for me. Foreigner basically has had two known members through the years – Lou Gramm on vocals and Mick Jones on lead guitar. The other members could have been plug & play. Lou Gramm left the band a few years ago and was replaced by Kelly Hansen; so that left Mick Jones. Well, Foreigner came out and commenced to run through their list of hits. About halfway through the set, Kelly Hansen was talking to the crowd and said that Mick Jones sends his best and that he would rejoin the tour soon. Huh? I hadn’t realized that Mick Jones wasn’t there since I wouldn’t know him if walked out of my bathroom. My friend Joe summed it up best by saying “...so we are watching a cover band?” That about sums it up. Nothing against Kelly Hansen who worked his ass off, but if no original members are up there – pull-eze. Here is their set list which reads like a K-tel record from the 70’s & 80’s:

· Double Vision

· Head Games

· Cold as Ice

· Waiting for a Girl Like You

· Dirty White Boy

· Feels Like the First Time

· Urgent

· I Want to Know What Love Is

· Hot Blooded

· Juke Box Hero

Last and certainly not least, Journey came out. As I mentioned, the last time I saw Journey was years ago and there were a couple of personnel changes since then. First, Steve Smith retired and was replaced by Deen Castronovo. Deen was in Bad English, as was Journey’s (and Nashville resident) Jonathon Cain. The most obvious personnel change since the 80’s was Steve Perry’s departure and ultimate (2 swings & misses) replacement by Arnel Pineda. If you don’t know Arnel’s story, he was in a Journey tribute band in his home country of the Philippines. Journey was looking for a replacement (after Steve Agulari and Jeff Scott Soto) and someone suggested they get on YouTube and watch video of his band. Well, bing, bang, boom – Neal Schon & company hire him. The thing about Arnel is his voice and the resemblance to Steve Perry. Most folks say that when you close your eyes (Night Ranger reference), you wouldn’t know that Steve Perry had left. He is full of energy and was running all over the place, including a couple of laps around the floor of the arena. Journey has a new CD out, so they did the obligatory two cuts off the new disc. The best way I have found to describe Journey’s sound is a “wall of sound”. It is just this large and loud backing sound with Neal Schon’s lead guitar licks and Arnel’s voice coming through. Neal Schon and Jonathon Cain’s intro’s and extended jams got a little old, but all in all, they still have their chops. They pulled one oldie out of the rectal database – La Do Da. Joe & I theorized that this song was done because of the range in this song and it gave Arnel a chance to show his talents. Here is their set list:

· Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

· Ask the Lonely

· When You Love A Woman

· City of Hope (new)

· Faithfully

· Stone in Love

· Edge of the Moment (new)

· Lights

· Wheel in the Sky

· Open Arms

· La Do Da

· Be Good to Yourself

· Any Way You Want It

· Encore:

· Don't Stop Believin'

· Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'

Throughout the show, Kyle kept smiling and would occasionally squeezing my arm and saying how great it was. At one point while Arnel was running around the arena and high-fiving the crowd with this huge grin on his face, I leaned over to Joe and said “this guy is living the dream”. Just a few short years ago, he was in a tribute band playing in a nightclub and now he was in THE band he was emulating and playing to sold-out arenas. So whether it was Kyle at his first concert or a guy from the Philippines singing with his idols, they were living the dream.

Zach, a Tennessee Squire living the dream

Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad

2011-09-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

No, this isn’t a blog about the Meatloaf song or Meatloaf himself. First, I apologize for the delay in posting. Life gets in the way sometimes of getting things done.

When I saw the New York Dolls/Poison/Motley Crue show announced for the Bridgestone arena, I almost pulled the trigger and bought tickets, but having just seen Buffett and knowing I was purchasing Journey tickets, I thought I would ease back on the concert expenditures. Then, out of the blue, I got an offer for two tickets in a suite. Sweet! So, I asked the 15 year-old if he wanted to go and he was all for it. This was especially rewarding because Crue and Poison were on the list of bands that I haven’t seen, but wanted to before I got too old. . I had seen each of the two main lead singers (Bret Michaels & Vince Neil) on a solo tour, but never with their respective bands.

I must disclose that I went in being a huge Bret Michaels fan – yes, I have seen every episode of Rock of Love on VH1. The main reason I am a fan of Bret is because he is a huge supporter of kids with diabetes. He has had Type I diabetes (just like my Kyle) since he was 6 years old. He talks about it, donates money, time, and visits with T1 kids.

Well, the New York Dolls are evidently an older punk band from New York – duh. It was typical punk rock – angry, noisy, etc. The singer quickly discovered that the only way he could get a crowd reaction was to walk to the edge of the stage and scream either “Nashville” or “F*#k!”. It was a preview of things to come.

Next came Poison. Their set consisted basically of a list of their hits by a group of guys who were having fun playing rock & roll. The only song that I wished they had played was “Something to Believe In”. They even mentioned that Rikki Rocket was celebrating his son’s birthday here in Nashville. Long way from the previous Poison reputation. Here is the set list:

· Look What the Cat Dragged In

· Ride the Wind

· We're An American Band (old Grand Funk Railroad song – Poison actually recorded a cover of it)

· Your Momma Don't Dance

· Guitar solo

· Fallen Angel

· Unskinny Bop

· Drum solo

· Every Rose Has Its Thorn

· Talk Dirty to Me

· Ain’t Looking for Nothing But A Good Time

After what seemed like a relatively short set change, there was a large explosion and here comes Motley Crue. It was large and loud – just like we all expected. Unless you knew the songs, it was difficult to make out the lyrics – but then again, it is rock & roll – do lyrics really matter? Granted, I have dropped more than my share of cuss words, including the big F-bomb, damn those guys have the trash mouth. It is one thing to hear once, but every over word being an F-bomb wears thin when you are sitting by your 15 year old. My friend Mike Arnold (http://www.concertblast.com/) had warned me about Crue’s language and he was right. Picking up where skinny dude with the Dolls left off, members of Crue took their turns yelling out the “F-bomb” and “Nashville” and even going the distance and combining the two phrases.

As Crue ran through their set, they had one of the pre-requisites for hardcore rockers – girls. There were bikini-clad, bought boobie, blondes on stage with one role – eye candy. In keeping up with their “bad boy” image, a pentagram was constantly showing on the side video screens.

Typically, Tommy Lee, Crue’s drummer, has always had an outlandish kit. In the past, his kit has risen, extended out over the crowd, and even flipped over like a somersault. Tonight, he would not disappoint – his kit was on a roller coaster track of a large circle on edge. Imagine that you are looking at this letter O with his kit at the bottom (6:00 on a clock). During his drum solo, the kit would make the loop around the O and even stop at the top with Tommy hanging upside down. During the solo, he had the roadies snag a lady from the audience who sat beside him and for the ride around the O.

One of the funniest things of the night was during the song “Girls, Girls, Girls”, pictures of girls were being flashed in rapid succession on the screen behind Tommy’s kit. There were old tin-type pictures of girls and the modern ladies and models. The best part – for a split second – they flashed a picture of Justin Bieber up. There were a few that caught it and loved it.

Another highlight was who I was in the suite with - it turned out that a good friend of mine from work (Jennifer Holt) was there with her husband who works with my friend that got us tickets. Then, I realized that the sister of one of the guests was a girl I went to UT with – Beth Swartz. We hadn’t seen each other in years. It was good to catch up.

Here is Crue’s set:

· Wild Side

· Saints of LA

· Live Wire

· Shout at the Devil

· Same Ole Situation

· Primal Scream

· Home Sweet Home

· That's Alright

· Drum solo

· Guitar solo

· Looks that Kill

· Dr Feel Good

· Too Young

· Ten Seconds (?)

· Girls Girls Girls

· Smoking in the Boys Room

· Kickstart My Heart

In closing, it was a great show where I loved seeing two of the three bands. There were two more bands checked off Zach’s “Never Seen Those Guys Before” list.

Zach, A "not too old to rock" Tennessee Squire

The "C" Word

2011-07-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

Get your mind out of the gutter. I am not talking about THAT “C” word. I am talking about cancer.

My exposure to cancer was when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was in the 4^th grade. My understanding of it didn’t progress past knowing that my Mom had to drive her Mother to Nashville every day for a treatment and that my Grandmother was living with us. I also realized the ugly side of cancer as it took my Grandmother from us about six months after diagnosis. Through the years there were others who I knew that had cancer. Some won, some didn’t. Either way, it took its toll on those impacted – the patient and the patients’ families.

Fast forward to the fall of2010. We received word that a good friend of our family, Allison, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. That one kind of hit home - she was one of us. She wasn’t an older person or a grandmother. I am happy to report that she is recovering nicely and well considered cancer free.

As I was moving my friends, David & Kristina, my cell phone rang. The number I saw was not one that I see daily (Momma Squire, etc.) on my phone. It was my neighbor, Jim. He told took a deep breath and told me that he was with his wife, Sue, at the E.R. They were at first thinking that she may have been having a stroke due to the severe headaches. Long story short – they discovered two tumors in Sue’s noggin and three in her lungs. She underwent brain surgery to remove the two tumors and it was successful in that they are gone, they weren’t attached, and it appears they will stay gone. Sue is undergoing chemo on the three tumors in her lungs and the tumors keep shrinking.

The main thing I want to write about with Sue is her attitude and strength. Her whole family and friends as well, have leaned on God and His strength to get them through these months. I can’t think of a better way to show her attitude than to show you two pictures of Sue:

This picture of Sue (2^nd from right) was taken during a celebration of Kingston Springs Elementary School reopening in July 2010. Note the large smile…..

The next picture was taken a couple of weeks ago at Sue’s pool. Notice the ever present smile though she has undergone brain surgery and almost eight months of chemo.

Not a large difference in the two smiles is there? Attitude is everything. Sure she has her good and bad days, but don’t we all.

Not long after Sue’s diagnosis, we got word of lung cancer recurrence for another friend and even more recently, one of our former Youth at church was diagnosed with Lymphoma. When it rains, it pours. It is a shame that when I log into Caring Bridge, there is more than one site to visit.

Why am I writing this? To whine about friends’ medical woes? Nah, I can’t whine. I can do nothing but look with admiration at my friends, especially Sue, at how they handle whatever life throws at them. Maybe I wrote it to help me and you realize what we have and to be thankful for each and every day that we have.

Hug those you love and make that call you have been forgetting and tell them you love them.

Zach, a thankful Tennessee Squire

P.S. Sue has been documenting her journey on caring bridge. Her site can be found at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/suehasse2010

The Cheap Crap Would Just Wind Up Under the Seat Anyway....

2011-06-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

Maybe it goes back to being an only child, being selfish (there is a difference), or just common sense, but I remember flipping out the first time Momma Squire asked me the question. "What question?", you ask? This question:

Momma Squire: What are we going to do for goodie bags for the birthday party guests?
TN Squire: What do you mean?
MS: You know, the litttle bag of treats and prizes for the kids to take home from the party.
TS: I'm confused. The kids bring presents to Will/Kyle, we don't give them anything but cake and ice cream.

I, and ultimately Momma Squire, have long been opponents of sending the kids home from parties with goodie bags. I think it stems from the knowledge that the cheap crap from the Dollar Tree will wind up broken and in the garbage or under the seat. We would do something like a Polaroid picture with frame or something the kid could use to remember the party.

I started this blog with humor because I could believe this story that I am getting ready to share with you. It is a sad story; but believable in this day.

Party Host Threatened When Kids Don't Get Cake

http://www.wsmv.com/news/28144087/detail.html?treets=nash&tid=2657534484813&tml=nash_12pm&tmi=nash_12pm_1_12000206062011&ts=HPolice:

Man Showed Gun To Host

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Police said one man took it a little too seriously when his kids didn't get cake at a birthday party.

Memphis police said Joseph Hayes was angry his children didn't get any treats at the party. Investigators said he returned home, tucked his gun in his pants and then went back to the party.

When he got back, police said, he showed the gun to the host and told them to take care of his kids.

Hayes was charged with aggravated assault.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire and still a goodie bag boycotter

Welcome to Fin-land

2011-06-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

Before you assume that I have taken an international trip, I am referring to the name of Jimmy Buffett’s latest jaunt around the country. Bubba’s tour descended upon Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Saturday May 28, 2011.

When tickets went on sale around my birthday in March, I decided to buy two and either go or sell them. I missed Bubba’s last stop in Nashville (2010) which was on the weekend of “the flood”. As time approached, I realized that I needed to figure out 1) whether to go and 2) if so, who? Realizing that Buffett would be eligible for Medicare this Christmas (that’s 65 for the uninformed), I answered question #1 pretty quickly on the thought that chances are dwindling for opportunities to see him. True, I am into double-digits for the number of shows, I was still ready for more. Next was the question of who to take. Momma Squire – “Hell no, I won’t go. Last time there was this long-haired grunge guy behind me swinging his head and his hair kept hitting me.” Even after assuring her that we would move if we saw him, she wouldn’t go. Since Stevie Nicks had plans, I asked the 15 year old. He said “sure” with all the enthusiasm a 15 yr old can muster when going to see a 64 year beach bum!

As we topped the hill at Broadway and 8^th and looked toward the river, we noticed that Broadway had been blocked for a block party thrown by Margariaville Restaurant. There was also an abundance of colorfully dressed folks and some scantily clad. It was very obvious that Buffett was in town! Our seats were in the club level on stage left. From our vantage point, we could see the side stage area where the artists came out from backstage and entered the stage. Pretty cool seats.

Here are some random thoughts and observations from that night:

· While the Bridgestone Arena is nice, you lose something by watching Buffett indoors. I remember many nights at Starwood under the stars. Something to be said about that.

· Mac McAnally – what an artist. Whether as a prolific songwriter, CMA musician of the year, singer, or Coral Reefer Band member, he is one of a kind. Years ago, Buffett would bring him out in Nashville for a couple of songs, but now he is a full-time member of the Coral Reefers. He used to be somewhat in the background on the stage, but today, he is out front on equal footing with Jimmy.

· With a song catalog as large as Buffett’s, it is always great to see what he picks to play. While he always does the ones he is supposed to do, he always throws some deep cuts in to keep it interesting.

· It appeared that he rediscovered the A1A album this tour. He pulled five songs, including about three deep cuts, from this album.

· The uh-oh moment – I realized right as a particular song started that I had not told Will about Let’s Get Drunk & Screw. As the chorus started, he just turned and looked at me. What could I say?

· Buffett started a tradition a couple of years ago where he would close each show acoustically solo. Just Jimmy and a guitar. The song is always one of those deep cuts that I referenced above. There is even a double CD full of these – it is called Encores. This is very reminiscent of the W.O. Smith show I wrote about before (http://squireponderings.blogspot.com/2010/02/concert-memory.html).

· The “only in Nashville” moment – one of the things that I love about Nashville concerts is you never know who will trot out on stage. First, the vast majority of the Coral Reefer band was from Nashville. Secondly, right before the start of Come Monday, I spotted someone on the side-stage area with a guitar in their hand looking like they were getting ready to come on stage. I thought it was a replacement for Jimmy’s guitar, but I was wrong. Next, Jimmy simply says “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Kenny Chesney.” Of course, the place goes nuts and then he sings Come Monday with Jimmy and comes back out later for another song. I leaned over and told Will that you couldn’t get that anywhere else, but Nashville.

Here is the set-list for what was a great night:

· The Wino & I know

· Brown Eyed Girl

· Off to See Lizard – including new verse about his dive off the stage in Australia

· Havana Daydreaming

· 5:00 o Clock Somewhere

· Changes in Latitudes

· Life is Just A Tire Swing

· Come Monday (with Kenny Chesney)

· Let’s Get Drunk and Screw

· Son of a Son of A Sailor

· Back Where I Come From (Mac and Chesney)

· Cheeseburger in Paradise

· One Particular Harbor

Jimmy says he has to change batteries and let Nadira Shakoor (long time backup singer) take over. She sings Use Me Up

· Tryin’ to Reason with the Hurricane Season

· Presents to Send You

· Woman Going Crazy on Caroline Street

· Bama Breeze

· Volcano

· Margaritaville

· A Pirate Looks at 40 (just Jimmy & Mac)

· Southern Cross

· School Boy Heart

· Fins

First Encore (band intro)

· Great Fillin Station Holdup

· Midnight Rider

Second Encore

· Stories We Could Tell (solo acoustic)

Guess Will summed it up best when we were leaving “He knows how to party, especially for an old guy.” ‘Nuff said.

Zach, a Parrothead and a Tennessee Squire

Things Are Slower Than They Appear

2011-05-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is a play off the warning (“WARNING: OBJECTS MAY BE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR”) on the passenger-side rear-view mirror. Which, how can you watch the road and read that at the same time?

I digress. The title refers to the view I have had over the last 5or so months as the 15 year-old has driven with his learner’s permit. The first time I got in my truck with him at the wheel, it was very weird. Just getting in on the passenger side took adjustment because I had to hoist a different leg on the running board. Then, the seat belt is on the right shoulder vs. the left and I have to change which hand I hold my drink in (should have been stronger than coffee!).

If you have ever ridden the Aerosmith Rock & Rollercoaster @ Disney, that was us as we left the driveway. If you haven’t, imagine an Appollo rocket launching. I swear we hit 80 before we got to the end of the driveway. My head becomes a swivel as I quickly look at the speedometer. The first thought is “damn, I have got to get the truck in and have the gauges checked out.” I couldn’t believe it! We were only going 15! I finally realized the speedometer wasn’t broken, but that he was really going 15 mph.

Next, I didn’t realize that my tires were 8 feet wide. They have to be! Otherwise, we would have driven off into the ditch on the right side. The final realization was that I now know why all the Drivers Ed cars have that extra brake for the passenger. As we went along, I must have put a dent in the passenger-side floorboard.

Yes, I have attempted to put a humorous spin on riding with your child for the first time, but in reality, he is a very good driver – even better than his mother! It is all about perspective and that applies to many different situations. Sit in someone else’s seat and look at the world through that perspective. It might just change your outlook.

From the passenger seat,

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

One Year Ago....

2011-05-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

As I dropped the boys off at school this morning, I pondered on the fact that the road I was driving on was under 8 feet of rushing water a year ago. The irony that it has been raining for the last couple of days was also not lost on me.

What is different a year later? A lot:

Where there were houses, there are now empty lots and new homes.
Many flooded homes are still unrepaired.
Many homes are just now being finished or are still in the process of reconstruction.
We all probably pay a little bit more attention when Nancy VanDiaster says "Flood Warning"..
People are now friends who never knew each other pre-flood.
We empathize a little more with those anyone we see on the news after a natural disaster - like the folks in Alabama.

These are the quick ones that come to mind. I know there are many more, should I take the time, but we can't dwell on the past. We need to learn from the past, build on it (literally) and move on. We all have changed and are still changing.

Take a moment and remember. To help you remember, my blog from that time is included below:

http://squireponderings.blogspot.com/2010/05/wow-this-might-get-bad.html

Peace.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

Honey? I Think Not

2011-04-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

I may get black-balled from the Squire Room for this, but here goes....

What the hell were you thinking down in Moore County? Had to be someone from the corporate office who came up with that idea. Oh, if you don't know what I'm talking about, Jack Daniel's has come out with a new whiskey - Jack Daniel's Honey Whiskey. Obviously, I am not a fan.

I realize that there are various tastes and not everyone enjoys the taste of Jack Daniel's, but there is hope for them one day. At first taste, it really isn't too bad, but then within a couple of seconds, here comes this maple syrup taste that made me feel like I had just been to IHOP. I quickly got some Black Label to rinse that taste out of my mouth. Luckily, I had only purchased an airline-sized bottle.

I quickly found another Squire (Squire Cullen) who confirmed my opinion. Glad to know that I wasn't completely off my rocker. We came to the conclusion that the powers that be were trying to 1) capture the market of those who like to put Coke with the product (there's hope for them too) or 2) come up with a beginner's product - think Jack on training wheels.

To each his own and thank goodness it is their own, because it isn't for me. This is one Squire that believes the Jack Daniel's Honey Whiskey will be like the black-sheep cousin - everyone puts up with it, just because it's family.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

“I’ll Be Praying for You”

2011-04-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

How many times have we said that or signed a card “you are in my thoughts and prayers”? Countless, right? Next question – how many times have you really done it? I mean really prayed for that person or their particular situation? Be honest with yourself; it’s o.k. I admit that I have written or said that and then not followed through.

Granted, there are times when I pray for specific people or situations; but in our daily prayers (goal), do we specifically pray for all the people that we said we would? I don’t. But it is something that I want to improve. How do I accomplish this? Being a nerd, I am going to set up a list where I actually list the names and situations that I know about or have told folks that I would. Sadly, there are a lot that I am aware of and deserving of all of our prayers and age sometimes limits what I can remember.

Now, the question switches to how long to leave someone on the list? If my mission is accomplished, that will be a good problem to have because that means I am sticking to my resolution.

If I ever tell you that I will be praying for you, now you know that I will be doing just that.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

A Classic for any child of the 70's

2011-02-02T07:18:00.000-08:00

No, I am not talking music, but a red bathing suit. But not just any red bathing suit. A red bathing suit that launches a career, a hair style, and caused many males to "think impure thoughts". This bathing suit:

Now you know what I am talking about - Farrah's red suit. Her long-time beau Ryan O'Neal is donating the suit, a first season Charlie's Angels script, and a Farrah doll to the Smithsonian Museum. Beats the heck out of bunch of dino bones in my book. Of course, back in the day, this was somewhat risque'. Compared to what I saw just last night at a high school basketball game, Farrah might as well be wearing a burka! The link to the story is found at: :http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41386538/ns/today-entertainment/

I will leave you each to your own thoughts now.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire and Farrah fan.

T Plus One

2011-01-31T07:15:00.000-08:00

Many of you probably thought about a rocket launch and the countdown. When NASA launches a rocket, the countdown starts and is typically marked with “T minus 2 minutes”, etc. Once liftoff occurs, you switch to the plus side of the countdown.

Today marks T Plus 1 year for the Clayton family. When Kyle was diagnosed with Type I diabetes on January 31, 2000, many in the diabetes “club” talked of a cure being found within 10 years. Well, that came and went last year and we are still dealing with Kyle’s diabetes.

Am I bitter – maybe, but not too much. Yes, I would give my islets (inside joke) for him to be cured, but what will that cure look like? Eleven years ago, I thought a cure would be that Kyle would take a shot or IV and then, BOOM; he’s cured – no more shots, no more finger sticks. But today, Kyle is on an insulin pump which puts insulin into his body continually and allows up to dial up more insulin based upon what he eats. All this is done through an infusion site which he changes once every three days. There is also a Continuous Glucose Monitor (we don’t use) which is inserted under the skin and provides glucose readings once a minute and even has alarms for low or high glucose trends. Clinical trials are occurring which pair these two devices and let them “talk” to each other; creating an artificial pancreas. If this could be available, is this what the cure looks like? Maybe not in the traditional sense, but close.

I look back on what our diabetes regime was when Kyle was diagnosed. He was on two types of insulin (Humalog & Ultralente) which required 5 daily injections (at a minimum). We checked his blood sugar with a meter that took a very large drop of blood. We then would calculate his insulin dose using an insulin to carb ratio which we calculated ourselves. Today, his is on the insulin pump with one type of insulin. His meter calculates his dose based upon his reading and communicates with his pump via infrared signal.

Yes, we have come a long way, but there is still work to be done. The Clayton family became a member of a club that no one wants to be in eleven years ago. Though we didn’t want to be in it, we have met some great people in this club who have blessed our lives. Whether it is the great medical staff at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the Eskind Diabetes Center, the great staff at the Middle Tennessee JDRF chapter, the Type I kids and their parents, the JDRF friends we have met nationwide, or the faceless names of folks I have e-mailed on the web; all are great people who have blessed our family. I wish I had never met them, but I am glad that they were, and are, there.

Let’s not let number get too high on the “plus” side of T.

Zach, a Type I parent and a Tennessee Squire

Just Give Me My Bleepin' Burrito

2011-01-24T09:43:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is just easier to do without. I stopped by the local Sonic the other day to get some breakfast. Here is how the conversation went:

Speaker: Hello, this is x, thanks for making my Sonic, your Sonic. Can I take your order?

TS: Yes, I would like a sausage, egg, & cheese burrito combo with tots and a diet Coke. I would also like a strawberry/banana smoothie, and that will be all.

Speaker: Would you like to make the smoothie your combo drink?

TS: No, I want a diet coke with my combo. The smoothie is extra.

Speaker: Would you like tots, fries, or onion rings with that combo?

TS: Tots.

Speaker: Would you like some mozzarella sticks with that?

TS: No.

Speaker: Would you like to make that a large?

TS: No.

Speaker: Ok, I have a number #14 combo with tots, diet coke, and a strawberry/banana smoothie. Correct?

TS: #14 combo on your board is a sausage, egg and cheese toaster combo, not a burrito.

Speaker: Oh, ok. Got it.

Believe it or not, the order was right, but by then I was ready for lunch. Before those of you who know me raise the question - yes, the F-250 Super Duty Diesel was turned off.

Would you care for another blog topic?

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

Give Me A Break

2011-01-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking about the old McDonald's commercial. I am saying " what tha?" after seeing the following announcement in my Company's newsletter:

Meatless Mondays – Part of the Healthy Monday Initiatives
Healthy Monday is a movement of people and organizations across the country who commit every Monday to behaviors and actions that will help end preventable disease in the United States. Healthy Monday is a public health initiative founded in 2005 in association with Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University and Syracuse University. The goal of the initiative is to end chronic preventable disease in the U.S. by offering people and organizations a weekly prompt to start and sustain healthy behaviors, intentions, actions and initiatives. The Healthy Monday movement has built a following of organizations across the country, including for-profit and non-profit entities. This campaign will allow our customers the opportunity to eat meatless each Monday through vegetarian and/or vegan options.
Start your new year off right. Join us in the [cafeteria] each Monday during the month of January and register to win yoga mats and T-shirts from Kashi.

Meatless Monday? You have to be flippin' kidding me. With that in mind, here is Tennessee Squire's menu for the week:

Sundae Sundays - I mean McD's used to have $.29 sundaes, right?
Margarita Mondays - Fins up for you Parrotheads. Buffett would be proud.
Taco Tuesday - visit your favorite Mexican restaurant.
Waffle Wednesday - add some scattered, smothered, & covered while at the awful Waffle.
T-Bone Thursday - nothing screams fitness like a medium rare hunk of beef.
Fried Friday - eat anything fried.
Suds Saturday - what better way to celebrate ball games and being off work.
Now, some of you may be wondering why I didn't mention that amber liquid from Lynchburg. Well, we all that it is acceptable on any day the spirit(s) move you.

Cheers!

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

The Big Year-Ender

2011-01-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

A radio show I used to listen to always had what they called “The Big Year-Ender” where they had guests, brought out every gag they ever had, etc. and closed out the year of live broadcasts. My goal was to do a “big year ender” for my blog and try to recap 2010 before the end of the year. As you can see by the date, that didn’t exactly happen, but hey, you have to finish the year before you can reflect on it, right? I know that as soon I post this blog, I will think of something to add. Thank goodness for the “edit” function.

This past year was pretty eventful, but then again, aren’t they all? If our lives aren’t eventful, we really aren’t living, are we? So, in no particular order, other than the order I thought of them, are the things that stick in my mind for 2010.

The Flood – First and foremost for anyone living in the Middle Tennessee area, this has to be the event that defined 2010. Not only the flood itself, but the relief response, the bonds made, and the lives that have to be rebuilt because of it. Hundreds of people are still dealing with flood issues these many months later. For my thoughts on the flood, see http://squireponderings.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html

Illness – Within the last quarter of the year, Momma Squire & I have had two friends receive the diagnosis of the “C” word – yep Cancer. While, we are used to hearing of people receiving this diagnosis, it is always the older folks we know at church or in the community. This time the people were our age. Really hit home with us on how precious life is and how we should relish every moment. But, we shouldn’t need a cancer diagnosis to make us do this – we should do it every day.

The Vols – what a year for my beloved Vols. First, we find out that Lane Kiffin is bolting for the left coast and then we finish the year realizing that our basketball coach, Bruce Pearl, lied to the freakin’ NCAA. Hopefully, we have a solid football coach in Derek Dooley and Pearl gets his poop in a group. I predict that all of these just opens the door for Mike Hamilton to exit his spot as AD.

Family – Continue to be amazed at how my boys are growing up. Will is a freshman in high school, playing basketball with the big boys, and now has his learner’s permit. Kyle continues his work in the band and keeps growing up way too quick for Momma Squire & I. He has taken over virtually all of his diabetes management which brings a new set of issues to deal with for us, like “No, I didn’t get your kit. I am not the one with diabetes.” Momma Squire decided to embark on another career path and is taking some classes at Trevecca to enable her to be a certified teacher.

Travel – We had the pleasure of taking a couple of extended pleasure trips this year. We went to Seagrove Beach back in the summer for a week and dodged the BP oil spill. We also got to go to Ft Walton Beach after Christmas with the Harpeth Basketball team for a tourney. Any time spent at the beach is golden to me. We also got to see a lot of Middle Tennessee as we traveled to Will’s AAU tournaments in the spring. From Bell Buckle to Shelbyville, we saw it all. We even worked in a trip to Atlanta and Six Flags before one tourney.

Music – For the first time in many years, I didn’t attend a concert in 2010. I did get to see a couple of club shows involving one of my favorite singer/songwriters – Jaime Kyle. Maybe 2011 will bring some acts to town that I want to see.

Work – Had a very good friend make a huge move regarding work. Quit his job and embarked on a business venture where he is his own boss, well, except for the wife who is working with him. I made a move, but nothing that drastic. After 23 years as an Internal Auditor, I am now working in the Corporate Accounting department and loving it! It is good to be excited about new challenges at work.

In closing, when I look back on 2010, it was a year of realizing how precious life is. Whether it was seeing flood damages, helping in the flood relief, watching friends undergo medical treatments, or just spending time with family; I guess even more than ever, I see God in so many places and people. No one knows what 2011 will bring, but I do know that I have it good and appreciate my family, friends, and the Community I live in.

Happy New Year

Zach, A Tennessee Squire.

Christmas Memories

2010-12-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

As part of the Cultural Diversity series at work, they requested employees submit their favorite Christmas memory or tradition (in 200 words or less). I didn't submit this, but wrote it up any way.

Through the years, there has been one constant in my Christmases. Though people may have changed through the years through marriage, birth of children and death; there has always been Christmas Eve communion. This service is the most moving services of the Christian year for me. It typically starts at 11:00 pm and involves singing, the reading of the Christmas story, and receiving communion. After communion, the congregation sings Silent Night as the lights are dimmed and everyone is holding a lit candle. When the service concludes, it is past midnight and therefore it is Christmas. Some years there is a bonus – snow.

As a youngster, it was an excuse to stay up late and help pass the time before the fat guy showed.

As a college student and single adult, it was very similar to a homecoming; allowing me to see people from my home church.

As a husband, it was an opportunity to share a tradition with my bride.

And finally, as a father, it is a chance to hopefully instill a tradition with my children that hopefully they will come to love as much as I do.

Looking forward to sharing the magic again this Christmas Eve at Kingston Springs United Methodist Church.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

A Day that Will Live in Infamy

2010-12-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

On December 7, 1941, FDR uttered these words as our country reeled from a surprise air attack on our navy in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Much like the 9/11 attacks, this sneak attack from the Japanese caught us off-guard. I am sure you are familar with the images, but here is one to refresh your memory:

I bring this up because I think we are close to forgetting about this day or simply filing it away as another event in history that happened a long time ago. Growing up I remember all of my teachers talking about Pearl Harbor day and asking us to remember those who gave their lives. It was mentioned as a day of remembrance and reverence. Every newspaper would carry a story of Pearl Harbor on the front page and include interviews of PH survivors or a story of survivors who gathered to observe the day.

Today, the PH story was a tiny one on page 3 of my local paper. Myabe it's the fact that the number of people who remember that day occurring is shrinking. Regardless, I wanted to pause, and make you pause, to remember this day. A toast to those brave men and women who survived or gave their life there will be in order this evening.

Zach, An appreciative Tennessee Squire

Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T14:14:00.000-08:00

Every time I see or hear that word, I think back to rocking my boys when they were babies and we rock them to music. Often, it was Jimmy Buffett’s Ballads, Linda Rondstadt’s Lullaby, or Harry Chapin’s Gold Medal Collection. The Gold Medal Collection also included clips of interviews with Harry. As you may know, he was very involved with hunger issues, etc. One clip in particular started with Harry yelling “THANKSGIVNG!” before going on to explain how he wished schools would focus on feeding the needy year round, not just at Thanksgiving. That would always come on and give the boys a startle and often wake me, as well.

Sorry for the digression. I do feel obligated since I blog to post one for Thanksgiving waxing poetic about what I am thankful for. I will go ahead and tell you that I am thankful for a loving beautiful wife (I know I married up), two great boys, a great new job, great friends, and God’s mercy. Now that those obvious ones are out of the way, there are a few slightly off-the-wall ones that I have. I am thankful for:

The person who came up with the “Right on Red After Stop” rule.

The fact that the Bellevue Pub was packed on January 15, 1993 and there wasn’t a parking spot.

That second trip through the charcoal in Lynchburg.

Fredrick Banting for discovering that particular hormone which has a unique smell and regulates blood sugar.

The fact that Alex Van Halen had to deliver papers so he could pay for his guitar. This enabled Eddie to pick up said guitar while Alex was gone. The rest is history.

A community who doesn’t wait for government to act.

A place called the Fillin’ Station where everyone knows my name.

A great group of ladies at JDRF – Middle Tennessee who are working for my Kyle and millions of others.

A coffee shop named The Red Tree whose owners have hearts of gold.

A company that not only allows me to perform charitable work, but encourages it.

The ability to download just one song on iTunes vs. buying a CD for that one song.

That I was able to get tickets to the Jimmy Buffett benefit for W.O. Smith School many moons ago. Best show ever.

That I have a decision to make on WHICH benefit plan I want at work.

A company named HealthTrust, Inc. where I started my career. Made lifelong friendships there.

Martin Methodist College – a place where deep friendships were made and still exist today.

Caller ID

Neighbors who make life fun.

Friends made through JDRF, but we all wish we never had to meet.

The backup warning beep on my F-250.

Microsoft Outlook’s Meeting Planner

Rosa & Miguel and their smile, their food, their free chips and salsa, and their margaritas.

A church known as the church that cares for its community.

That the traffic light and lanes are repaired at the middle and high school.

The fact that I am able to write this, post it, and that you can read it.

Please feel free to add your own as a comment.

Zach, a very thankful Tennessee Squire

School Pride

2010-11-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Well, Kingston Springs Elementary had its 15 minutes of fame on Friday, October 29, 2010 when it was the subject of NBC’s School Pride (http://www.nbc.com/school-pride/episode-guide/season-1/48294/rising-from-the-flood/episode-103/52245/). For those who don’t know, think Extreme Home Makeover for schools. NBC chose Kingston Springs Elementary (KSES) because of the flooding we received back in May. The school was under about 8 foot of water and everything in the school that wasn’t concrete was destroyed. Both of my boys attended that school from K-4 and Momma Squire and I have numerous friends who work there or have children attend there.

I am not naïve enough to think that everything I see on TV is true nor do I believe everything I read on the Internet. It was very interesting to see the show, how they portrayed our town, and wonder if who you could pick out on the TV. Yes, there were viewing parties all over Kingston Springs that night. Now, don’t get me wrong – I am very appreciative of what School Pride did for our school and our county. Our county can’t fund the schools sufficiently to buy copy paper (another blog for another day), so I know that our county couldn’t have afforded to refurbish the school the way School Pride did it. In fact, because we had insurance, the insurance proceeds were able to be used for basic items and donations from around the country and the School Pride project were able to outfit our school with items (think technology and creature comforts) that normally wouldn’t be available. For that, I thank you, NBC.

But, I love it when media or music folks “pull back the curtain” and tell or show us how things really happen. Well, here is my chance to “pull back the curtain” on some things. None are really bad, but mostly attributed to staging, etc. Basically, the folks on the show are a muscle-bound dude, nerd dude, big black comic lady, and a former Miss America.

Momma Squire, the eldest offspring, and I volunteered during the week the “build” was occurring and here are some tidbits from ”behind the curtain".

The show opened with the team driving to KSES and Kingston Springs for the first time. Well, based upon the clip, they were about 1.5 miles past the school and driving away from it! As the team was talking about the damage, they showed clips of River Plantation damage in Bellevue – 10 miles away .
The team had a huge countdown to start the clock ticking from seven days. The problem was that the clock start was filmed in June at the announcement and the build was in late July.
They showed and promoted that Lady Antebellum performed a concert for the school on the reveal day. Well, only Axel Rose would count it as a concert. They played one song and then did a second take of the same song.
During the week of the build, we “had” a huge bake sale in the city park to raise money for the build. Well, we down there in the 100 degree heat to watch brownies melting. They filmed the bake sale, even having the sale change its time to accommodate their filming schedule. They had the teachers play in the splash pad with a local photographer taking their pictures to hang in the teacher’s lounge. None of this made the show. None. Notta. Zip point squat.
Kingston Springs overwhelmed these folks with our volunteer spirit. They actually cut-off the volunteer sign up. There were over 1,500 folks who came out and volunteered the week of the build. I had a problem with the fact that they showed the team “working” and not any of the volunteers working. The team would trot out, film a scene, and then go back into the RV (donated by a local resident).
The show also leveraged local businesses into donating items such as landscaping, sound system and then when asked for a free plug – they were told that $100k got them on the banner and much more would get them a shot during the show.
Speaking of shots on the show – here is my favorite blooper. We have a coffee shop (www.redtreecoffee.com) run by two sisters, Amy and Katie. These ladies served as the volunteer deployment center immediately after the flood – well before the various governmental agencies responded. The School Pride team decided to profile the coffee shop and sisters for all their hard work. Well, Nerd guy jumps in his car, pushes the OnStar button and asks for turn-by-turn directions to Red Tree Coffee. Don’t need that GPS feature. Turn left out of school, go maybe a mile and the shop is on your left. Right after that, the OnStar commercial came on.

There you have it. That is your behind the scenes look at a reality show. I am very very grateful to School Pride and what they did for our elementary school and our community. Speaking for that, sales tax collections for the month of July were over budget. Thanks – our city and county needed that. I just wanted to shed a little light on the subject.

Zach, A School Pride volunteer and a Tennessee Squire

Only Children

2010-10-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

I bet your mind immediately went to a visual of a screaming, kicking child who wasn’t getting his way and was having a “come-apart.” Right? Well, this entry isn’t about that, but we will explore the deep complexities associated with folks who are only children.

Hi, my name is Zach. I am a Tennessee Squire and an only child. There, I said it. Some maybe saying “Oh, that explains it!” or “Wow, he is very well adjusted socially to be an only child.” Put your seat belt on because here comes another revelation – I am an only or two onlies. Yep – Mom is an only and so is Dad. No aunts. No uncles. No cousins. Family reunions could be held in a Mini-Cooper. I give you this background because Momma Squire and I had a discussion the other day concerning kids being at the house that weren’t our offspring. So, I thought it would be a great public service for me to share some insights into only children and how we think. Maybe this is worth what you paid for it or maybe it will be a revelation that will help you break through those relationship issues with your only child spouse or it will give you something to read while you are eating lunch. Bet you thought I was going to say reading while in the bathroom, but (are you really coordinated enough to carry a laptop in there with you? (for typing ease, I will use OC)

Only Child Time - OC’s are used to being by ourselves. We typically think it is ok to eat alone in a restaurant. We grew up alone and have grown like having solitary time. Most OC’s require a certain amount of alone time each day. Mine is early in the morning from 5:00 until it is time for the rest of the family to wake up. This is why we get grumpy on holiday trips or vacations when there are people around us 24/7. It is also why we will disappear during family events, weddings, etc. and our spouses will find us on the back porch or in the car.

Inappropriate Games – Please think before purchasing a game for an OC. No, I’m not talking about Halo or Grand Theft Auto. I am talking about two person games. I remember receiving Candyland as a present one year – Yes, Mom was a stay-at-home Mom, but really? Who would sit and play Candyland with me?

I also got a croquet set. Really? You think I would set up the hoops, sticks, and then go around the yard banging a ball with a mallet?

I also got Yard Darts (Yarts!) one year. Use some common sense people and I’m not talking about stabbing myself in the temple with one. That would be hard for an only child to do. Wait – maybe Yarts could be only for only children; but I would get tired of throwing them and then having to fetch them since no one was there to return them. Having these multi-player games actually make only children more creative. We had to figure out how to play them or change the rules so we could enjoy them.

Touching stuff – Yes, we have issues with people touching our stuff. I really don’t think it has to do with selfishness. It has to do with location. If you touch my stuff or play with my stuff, it won’t be where it was the next time I want it. That’s why I don’t let people read my newspaper before I do. You will probably turn it inside out, get it out of order, or the worse thing – when it is time to read the next session (yes, I have a particular order), you will have that section. This is where the discussion with Momma Squire centered the other day. She asked me whether I ever had folks over to spend the night with me when I was a kid. My response – “No, because they would touch my stuff.”

Hopefully these points will help you understand OC’s. We really aren’t bad – just misunderstood.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire and an Only Child

How Did It Get Around - carrier pigeon?

2010-09-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

Talking with my old college roomie about his son getting a car (YIKES!) reminded me of a couple of stories from my youth.

The first involves a brand new Trans Am or Camaro that someone bought from the police department for $500. The story behind the car was that someone was driving it and it left the road and ended up in a field. The driver died, but wasn't found for several months. As a result, there was a smell in the car that wouldn't come out, thus the cheap price.

The second story involved Rod Stewart and having to have his stomach pumped after falling ill during a show. For decency's sake, I won't mention what was pumped, but safe to say, it wasn't Krystals.

When I left my small town (Waverly) for college, I started meeting people from other areas and states. Through conversations (how, I don't know), these two stories popped up over time. Ironically, several people indicated they had heard these stories as well. While the details may have differed - some indicated it was a Mustang that was wrecked and the amount of "substance" pumped from Mr. Stewart varied from a pint to 2 quarts; the gist of the stories was the same.

So, what is so big about these stories? Well, for those of you who have always had a cell phone, computer, or access to the Internet, you may assume these stories started in a single location and went viral in the Internet and e-mail worlds, Well, you are wrong. The only methods of communication we, as teens, had were actual conversations (weird huh), wired telephones hanging on the wall in our parents' kitchen, and letters that were written out and given to the US Postal system to deliver.

So how did these stories make the rounds? I seriously doubt anyone wrote about these or called out-of-state friends/family. These weren't in the Star or National Enquirer rags. Could there be some margin of truth? Who knows?

Have any of you heard of these?

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

It all comes back.....

2010-09-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

Saw this story today in the Tennessean and it brought back flood memories - http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100927/NEWS01/9270326/Body-of-Nashville-flood-victim-found-family-says

I can't imagine what that family has been through. In case you missed it, here is my take on the May floods:

http://squireponderings.blogspot.com/2010/05/wow-this-might-get-bad.html

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

Serendipity

2010-09-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

The ever handy Wikipedia defines serendipity as “propensity for making fortuitous discoveries while looking for something unrelated.” I have always interpreted it as “something cool happening when you aren’t really expecting it.” This happened to me back in May as I was waiting for a flight in D.C. My flight home was scheduled to depart Reagan National at 8:40 a.m., but it actually left @ 12:30. Needless to say, I had some time to kill. Boy, am I glad I did.

I heard an announcement in the concourse to go to a particular gate to welcome the honor flight. What is an honor flight? In short, they are flights that transport World War II vets from across the country to Washington D.C. to tour the WWII memorial. Information about the honor flight can be found at http://www.honorflight.org/.

What a sight. The airport fire department provided a water cannon arch for the plane as it taxied to the gate; the “airplane parkers” used American flags instead of the orange sticks, any military person in the concourse lined up, strangers lined up in the concourse, and the West Point alumni glee club was there to sing those good ole patriotic songs.

As these guys deplaned (challenge you not to think of Fantasy Island), all in the concourse started applauding and the glee club started singing. Some were in wheelchairs, some had walkers, some canes, and some walked without any aid. Everyone single one of them walked or strolled with their head held high and proud.

If someone had said to me, “Come out to the airport today and let’s salute these guys”, I probably would have had something to do; but I can honestly say that I am glad my flight was delayed so I could see this event. Maybe you, too can have a serendipity moment as cool as this.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

A Tale of Three Zach's, or Zak or Zack

2010-08-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

One of my volunteer activities with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is volunteering as a cyber-volunteer with the Online Diabetes Support Team (ODST). Members of the ODST answer questions posed by people via the JDRF website (www.jdrf.org). The questions range from detailed questions about diabetes and school to general about how to cope with a newly diagnosed child.

When my youngest son, Kyle, was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of 18 months old, our world was rocked. There wasn’t an ODST to turn to or an organized outreach effort. Besides JDRF, one of the places I turned to was a website tailored to parents of kids with Type I (www.childrenwithdiabetes.com). One of the features of this site (CwD) is an e-mail group of parents. These e-mails deal with support, gripes, fundraisers, etc. I really don’t get too involved by posting to the group, but I read the e-mails that come across.

Now that you have that background, here is the story. I received an ODST request from a newly diagnosed family in South Africa wondering about online support groups. Since JDRF doesn’t have a chapter in South Africa, I referred the father (Zack - #1) to JDRF’s social networking site – www.juvenation.org. About a week later, I was reading the CwD e-mails and someone indicated that they couldn’t make a fundraiser due to the distance. As I looked at their sign-off, I first noticed they had a son named Zak (#2) and that they were in South Africa. They also were “experienced” Type I parents meaning that their loved one was diagnosed a few years ago. The light bulb went off immediately. I asked them if they would mind if I shared their contact information with the newly diagnosed family. Of course, they said “no problem”; so I did share the contact information. About a week later, I got an e-mail from the newly diagnosed family indicating that contact was made and they were even able to meet at the doctor’s office.

Hard to believe that this Zach (#3), sitting in Kingston Springs, TN could hook up two people in South Africa.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

Changing the World's Perception - One Person at a Time

2010-07-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

Having returned from vacation, I was going through a week’s worth of newspapers and an article caught my eye (http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100701/NEWS01/7010342/Car-stickers-could-help-diabetics-get-help-faster). The headline indicated there were stickers for people with diabetes to place on their cars so medical personnel and police would be aware the driver’s erratic behavior may be related to a low (hypoglycemic) or high (hyperglycemic) blood sugar episode.

Before I even read the article, I realized that I had someone that I needed to educate about the “D” word. Yes, I am talking about “diabetic”. For a long time I have lobbied against the use of this word. In short, labeling someone as a “____ic” assumes that the disease defines or becomes the individual. While diabetes is serious, my son is a boy who has diabetes; it doesn’t have him. For a longer discussion on this, see my blog entry titled “What’s in a Name?” located at
http://squireponderings.blogspot.com/2009/10/whats-in-name.html.

As I continued reading the article, I came across a term in the article that both made me laugh and fume. I quote the writer “Some people aren't aware of the symptoms of a diabetic attack. Victims may be dizzy, confused, nervous, agitated or drowsy. They also could have fruity breath or start to vomit.” My first response was “what the hell is a diabetic attack?” Does it mean that diabetes reaches up and attacks my child or my child labeled as a diabetic goes ballistic and attacks someone? I am being facetious, but that term conjures up images people having fits or something. I would prefer the proper terms of hypo- or hyperglycemic episodes.

I realize that I may be hyper-sensitive and some folks, including diabetes folks, may not agree. However, I view it as another opportunity to educate people about diabetes and the fact that you can’t catch it, there is a difference between Type I and II, my son didn’t develop diabetes because he ate too much sugar, etc.
I dropped an e-mail to the writer expressing my thoughts about her use of “diabetic” and “diabetic attack”. She hasn’t responded. Maybe she brushed me off as a whiner, but at least I tried and hopefully have made you think about it as well.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

P.S. I was asked to convert the letter I wrote into a blog format and it was posted at a friend's site (http://www.daddybetes.com/2010/07/changing-worlds-perception-one-person.html) as a guest blogger.

"Wow, this might get bad."

2010-05-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

These words were uttered while sitting in Buffalo Wild Wings in Hendersonville on Saturday May 1, 2010. Little did I know how prophetic these words would be as a friend & I sat watching TV in between Will’s AAU basketball games. It had been raining hard all day Saturday and I had witnessed several wrecks throughout the day as the rains continued to pour down. We were watching the soggy Kentucky Derby on the large screen while keeping an eye on the local weather on some of the smaller TV’s. There were sporadic thunderstorm warnings flashing across the screen as the local weather folks went into “let’s see how many ways we can show you what a thunderstorm looks like” mode with their state-of-the-art radars, Dopplers, and spotters. There was one image from an interstate traffic camera (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5gYhLKwSp4) that will always be associated with this flood – the sight of a school portable building floating beside the interstate and then slamming into the interstate which was full of stalled vehicles with water almost submerging the cars. At that precise moment I uttered “…wow, this might get bad”. Luckily, the remaining game was cancelled and we headed home. I called a neighbor who told me that one of the two bridges into our section of the Ranchettes had been damaged and the creek by our subdivision was the highest he had ever seen. As I pulled into the driveway, I could hear the creek across the golf course. I normally can’t.

As Sunday dawned, it was still raining and as I checked Facebook, I noticed some friends from my hometown, Waverly, were posting that Main St was flooding due to Trace Creek rising. I saw some pictures of my hometown flooding.

As bad as it was, little did I realize that the flooding in Waverly would literally be a drop in the bucket compared to what South Cheatham would be facing. As the day went on, more & more pictures and stories were posted to Facebook. The picture was becoming very clear that the rain was continuing and Kingston Springs would not be the same when it quit. We went to the golf course by our house to see how high the creek had gotten. We quickly saw that the golf carts that were supposedly on higher ground weren’t high enough. We called some neighbors and we pushed about 15 carts to even higher ground. Pushing golf carts in 3 foot water is very difficult. It got a lot easier when we found that there was a neutral, just not labeled! Here is what the clubhouse looked like on Sunday:

We got word that one of the main roads (yes there is one) in Kingston Springs was flooded at both ends; leaving two large subdivisions essentially on what was called Island 249. Right after that, the cable went out, so we were forced to monitor Facebook mobile. Thank goodness for the Blackberry! In addition to Island 249, Kingston Springs itself was literally an island. With the interstates and Highway 70 closed due to flooding, travel out of our town was severely limited. We didn’t realize how bad it was until the next day when we ventured out a little. Then pictures started coming in:

These are by the City Park over the Harpeth River

The next image we saw was a video clip taken by Kyle & Will’s school that slammed home to me how bad this flood was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVYPnTp-k9g. This first picture was taken during the flood along the road by the boys’ school that I described earlier about being washed out.

Here are shots after the waters have receded. Note the sections of road that were moved around. The areas where you see people standing is where the three houses once stood.

This last picture is of a house which was moved off its foundation. If you see where the items are sitting in the cleared-off area that is where the house once stood.

The flood not only closed our schools down while the waters were high, it closed them down for the remainder of the year. In our community, the Middle School was being used as a disaster relief shelter and here is our elementary school:

Here are some interior shots. Look closely and you can see the waterline.

One silver lining is that NBC is producing a makeover show similar to Extreme Home Makeover that focuses on school. They are considering our elementary school to be one of the ones made over.

Well, the flood came, it destroyed, it wasn’t picky about who it impacted, it showed no mercy, and made my town learn a lot about itself. You’ve seen the destruction in pictures above; now let me tell you about how Kingston Springs reacted.

Through Facebook, word went out that if you could make it to our little coffee shop, Red Tree Coffee (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1644043794), some folks were organizing help for folks impacted by the flood. Immediately, a network of folks planned a response to this flood. The two sisters (Amy & Katie) who run the Red Tree started a list of needs and began matching them with volunteers. All details were covered from feeding the volunteers to childcare for volunteers. My church, Kingston Springs United Methodist, became sack lunch and potluck dinner central serving an estimated 3,500 meals over the course of a week. Leave it to the Methodists to feed folks! A work day was organized for the Saturday after the flood. Additionally, volunteers were working during the week as well helping people gut homes, clean out, haul off rubbish, and feed them. A local TV station came out and did a story on the Red Tree (http://www.wsmv.com/video/23562193/index.html) that sums it up pretty well. Additionally, our middle school was established with as a shelter and supply center where people could come and pick up needed items such as brooms, shovels, food, personal hygiene products, and even pet food. Once again, social media came to the rescue because a Twitter account was set up to send out requests and information. A Tweet would go out for needed items and folks would get the tweet as they were shopping and bring it to the school.

As a town, we didn’t immediately start blaming others nor did we go Detroit and burn cars or loot our businesses. We stood beside each other and helped our neighbors. We met people whom we have seen for years, but never knew. It didn’t matter where you lived or what you did for a career – we just helped. We didn’t whine and immediately hold out our hand and wait for the government to come in and help. As a matter of fact, the Red Cross volunteers said that our town was an example of what to do and that we really didn’t need them. I am glad that we didn’t wait on the government because I lost a lot of faith in our government because of this (not that I had a whole lot to begin with). Some government officials seemed to be more concerned about meeting and posturing than helping. As Momma Squire told a group of them one night who were watching us prepare hot meals to deliver – “if you are gonna be in here, you need to put some gloves on and get to work or leave.” Love that girl!

I saw God a lot over the last couple of weeks. I also saw some folks not doing the right thing – thankfully, God won by a landslide. Below are the times where I personally saw God:

Wondering how we were going to feed extra volunteers we hadn’t planned for and out of the blue a Nashville restaurant calls and said they had a catering job cancel and wondered if we could use the food.
The seven year old girl who had lost her home coming into the shelter wanting a toothbrush to give to her Mom for Mother’s Day.
The kids in our town out volunteering day in and day out. They were pulling drywall, loading cars with supplies, unloading supply trucks, and delivering meals.
The sight of Kingston Springs Volunteer Corps shirts all over the community on our big volunteer day.
The sight of our middle school commons area being filled with supplies.
Hearing my oldest son tell Momma Squire that he knew he needed to mow the neighbor’s yard, but he just couldn’t when there was volunteer work to be done for people who had lost everything.
Being in the coffee shop when a group of volunteers came in and said they were from Ohio and wanted to help. They said they got in the car and prayed on where to go and God led them to Kingston Springs and the Red Tree. They showed up with trucks, tools, and trailers and immediately went to work. Ironically, they own a coffee shop in Ohio.
Delivering meals and supplies to people who had damage, but was told to give it to someone who needed it more.
And finally, I saw God in everyone who helped their neighbor after this disaster.

Well, I know this is long, but if you want more information on how to help, more pictures, more videos, or see other stories, here are some links for you:

Flood pictures from our local paper (http://www.scadvocate.com/flood.html)
http://www.youtube.com/ (search Kingston Springs Flood)
Facebook (Red Tree Coffee or Zach Clayton)
Website set up for information clearing (http://www.southcheatham.com/)

Proud to be from Kingston Springs, TN

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

Office Pet Peeves

2010-04-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

There have been many books and articles written about office etiquette, e-mail etiquette, and general manners. This is my attempt at letting you know my Office Pet Peeves; and let me know what bugs you.

Passing in the hallway without saying hello – we are the only two people in the hall and I say “hello”. Don’t flippin’ ignore me. At least grunt or something. Makes you look real bad and arrogant.

Coffee Pot – The Company spends money on the coffee service and even gets the deluxe model with the direct feed water supply and pre-packaged coffee. If the pot is empty or even close to empty, MAKE A NEW POT!! It isn’t that hard. Just empty the pouch and push the friggin’ “brew” button. I will give you a pass if it is after 3:00, but not making it in the morning reeks of elitism.

Walking two wide & not moving – You aren’t that skinny! Go single file when meeting people. Chances are, you won’t survive a hit from me.

Lurking while on phone – If I am on the phone, pacing back and forth will not make me finish up quicker. Leave me a note, voice mail, e-mail, or give me the “call me” signal.

Ignoring signs/mentions regarding delving into conversation while lunching, etc. – If I am eating or tell you that I have a meeting in 5 minutes, that means that I don’t have time to chat.

Follow up communication – If you send me an e-mail, don’t call and tell me that you sent me an e-mail.

“Reply All” – Think before you hit this button. If you are telling a sender that they inadvertently chose the “everyone” distribution, everyone on the distribution list does not need to know.

Elevator Pile-In – Wait for people to exit the elevator before you charge into it.

That is a start of the list. Let me hear what your office pet peeves are.

Charlie Daniels’ Volunteer Jam

2010-04-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

“Ain’t it great to be alive and be in Tennessee!” With those words, Charlie Daniels kicked off the first Volunteer Jam I ever saw. He also kicked off every Vol Jam with those words. My first Jam (I think) was Vol Jam iX back around 1980 or so. I was talking to a co-worker a few days ago about the Volunteer Jams and it brought back great memories. For those of you from the Nashville area who are over 40 years old, you know about the Volunteer Jams. Read on for a walk down memory lane. If you haven’t a clue, read on about some great musical events that occurred several years back.

Charlie Daniels started the Volunteer Jams back in 1974. As the name suggests, it was basically a jam session where he invited all of his musical friends to stop by and play. The venue changed through the years from the War Memorial Auditorium to the Municipal Auditorium, to Starwood Amphitheater. The early Jams, including the first I attended, were truly spontaneous. Charlie didn’t know who was showing up until they were backstage. Each act would come out and play anywhere from two to five songs. Even lead singers without their bands would play with whoever was backstage. Charlie would typically open up the Jam with a set of his own. I noticed through the years that the length of his set depended upon how deep the lineup was backstage – the more people backstage, the shorter the set. It was fun between acts to try & guess who would be showing up next. Once my friend Joe & I saw a flute being brought out with the electric guitars. We immediately thought it might be Jethro Tull. Wrongo – Marshall Tucker Band. The number of acts was typically in the low teens, so the show typically ended around 2:00 a.m. The show would close with all acts (who were still around) coming back on stage to play a couple of songs together. Throughout the night, Charlie would introduce each act and come out and play with them.

The acts spanned all aspects of music and locale. There were gospel acts (Jordanaires), country (Roy Acuff), and rock (Ted Nugent). Some of the acts I have seen are: Billy Joel , Roy Acuff , Leon Russell , The Jordanaires , Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie), The Marshall Tucker Band , Molly Hatchet , Crystal Gayle , George Thorogood , Bill Monroe , Papa John Creech (90 year old fiddle player), The Outlaws, Delbert McClinton , Quarterflash, and Ted Nugent (picked up Charlie).

The latter Jams were broadcast on a radio network so they weren’t as spontaneous. However, all the Jams were great and allowed me to see a wide range of acts that I probably wouldn’t have gone to see by themselves. To answer Charlie’s question – Yes, it is good to be alive and to be in Tennessee.

Zach, a Tennessee Squire

A Concert Memory

2010-02-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how a concert can stick with you. I saw a picture in the local paper the other day of Rascal Flatts performing at the W.O. Smith benefit concert here in Nashville. The W.O. Smith School provides music education and instruments to those students who would not otherwise have the opportunity. Seeing that picture took me back in time to a previous W.O. Smith benefit and what was one of my favorite concert events.

It was about 20 years ago when I saw the announcement that there would be a benefit concert for the School featuring Jimmy Buffett at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC). Having been a Parrothead for a few years, I jumped at the chance to go see Mr. Buffett. It was in winter and cold outside, so the chance to experience an indoor beach party was something I couldn't pass up. Having been to a couple of his shows at an amphitheatre, I was anticipating tiki torches, sand trucked in, half-nekkid island girls, etc. Boy was I wrong.

The show had sold out in about 15 minutes, so I was very lucky to get my tickets in the top section (glad I had binoculars). Where were the torches & the scantily-clad dancers? Oh, they must be hidden behind the curtain and there aren't any torches due to fire codes….. Wrongo. What happened next literally blew me away.

I look down and see what appears to be a stage hand walking out in jeans, shirt, and no shoes. The roar of the crowd below told me that it wasn't a stage hand, but the man himself. He literally plopped himself down, dangled his feet off the edge of the stage and started singing "It's My Job". That song is probably my second favorite JB song and it is written by Mac McAnally. The curtain then opened and there was Mac McAnally and Josh Leo. That's it. Nobody else. Mac is an accomplished songwriter who has literally had a song on almost every JB album and written scores of hits for Alabama and Sawyer Brown. He now plays in the Coral Reefer Band (JB's backing band) and back then would always come out and play with Jimmy when he was in Nashville. Josh Leo was a very early member of the Coral Reefer Band (original maybe?) and at the time of the show was a Music Row executive and has produced a bunch of albums. What followed that show was basically Jimmy Buffett unplugged and he dug deep into the past with gems like "Coast is Clear", "Frank & Lola", etc. It was a chance to hear the music in a way that I would never get to again. This was before my habit of writing down set lists, so I don't have one, but I can tell you that it was a great night. Clint Black (country singer) even came out and joined Jimmy on stage. This was also during the time that Jimmy was living in Nashville (second stint).

I guess this goes to show that sometimes you may be expecting one thing and the unexpected is better than the expected. Thanks for a wonderful night Jimmy, Mac, & Josh.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire (and Parrothead)

Same Time, Next Year?

2010-02-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking about the Alan Alda/Ellen Burstyn movie where a couple carries out an adulterous affair that occurs every year at the same hotel on the same weekend for numerous years. My title refers to a unique location that has been a part of my life since 1978. I was chatting with a friend online (Facebook) the other day about some pictures that got posted of this place and it got me thinking.

My parents have camped (and still do) for as long as I can remember in a recreational vehicle (RV). Back in the late '70's when I was a young teen, my family camped with a couple of other families from our church and town. We had planned a two week vacation in the Florida Panhandle with these families and had planned on staying in a campground between Ft. Walton Beach & Pensacola. When we arrived, the campground was run-down and we decided to try somewhere else. One of the families had stayed before at a campground called Holiday Travel Park on the other side of Destin. We took off to the Holiday Travel Park and started what would become a family tradition.

The Holiday Travel Park was a campground that sits directly on the Gulf of Mexico. At the time, it was about 10 miles east of Destin proper. Back in the late '70's, Destin was still a quaint little fishing village. The only grocery store was basically a Tom Thumb convenience store on steroids. Sandestin had not even built across Highway 98 (beachside) and only had 18 holes of golf. It was like a little slice of paradise with a good stretch of beach, a couple of houses on each side, and some great places to eat some fresh seafood.

That first summer, we met a bunch of people (adults & kids) who we would see again. One of those families, we had met the previous spring camping in Kentucky. The Graves family had twins the same age as me and it was great to see them again. Later on, I found out that Kim & Keith shared the same birthday as I did. Then in an even stranger twist, Kim would up on a random draw as a freshman roommate to one of my best friends from high school. Small world.

Through the years, my family would see the same people year after year as we all ventured back to the Travel Park like some kind of sandy Mecca. This continued for almost ten years. Each year we would roll up and immediately start looking for familiar faces. Through the years, great memories were made at that place. There were great friendships made, relationships started (and thankfully in the past), mischievous deeds, and just all around good fun. As work would take me to various parts of the country, I would have occasion to look up some of these folks and some would look us up as they came through Nashville. It really was like a homecoming each year.

Why did I think/blog of this? One of the friends had posted some pictures a few weeks ago & through the magic of Facebook, I actually found another long lost person from the Travel Park. Everyone of us always talks of how special that place is to them. My folks are still camping and are actually camping at the park (different name and owner) as I type.

Lori and I are actually talking about taking our camper down to the beach to pass the torch on to the boys, so to speak. Like most things, I know it won't be as special as it was and is in my memory. But maybe, the boys will get to make their own memories. It's worth a try.

Happy Camping
Zach, a Tennessee Squire

Nature’s Beauty

2010-02-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to show a little of nature's beauty captured during one of our recent snows. Momma Squire had threatened to go "Shining" on me if we didn't get out of the house. So we went walking & I saw this scene by a neighbor's house. Just had to capture & share.

A Decade

2010-01-31T07:17:00.000-08:00

A decade. As most know, a decade is defined as a period of ten years. Today marks the end of a decade for me and my family.

At noon on January 31, 2000, Dr Jennifer Najjar altered our lives forever with the words "Kyle has diabetes." "Isn't that what old people get?", "what did we do?", "can he get rid of it?", and "how will this impact his life?" These were some of the thoughts going through Momma Squire & I's mind that day. Kyle was diagnosed with Type I (juvenile) diabetes when he was just 18 months old. Ever since that day ten years ago, he has had to have insulin injected into his body in some form or fashion. That is 3,653 days of watching what he eats, monitoring blood sugars (minimum of 5 finger sticks a day), counting carbs, and dosing insulin. While I would give anything for Kyle not to have endured this, some blessings have come from this. Sound strange? Let me explain it on two different fronts.

First, when Kyle was diagnosed, we both were working full-time jobs, running crazy, and our idea of eating in was ordering pizza. Lori had quit her job @ HCA to go to work in a bank branch for less pay (35%), but more potential (bonus). I think that step down in pay was God's way of preparing us for what was coming. When Kyle was diagnosed, Lori quit her job to stay home and take care of Kyle. Thankfully, we had taken that intermediate step down in pay so it wasn't like suddenly stopping from 70 mph; it was more like stopping from 40 miles mph. Kyle's diagnosis slowed us down and made us focus inward on what was really important - our family.

Secondly, when Kyle was diagnosed, I heard about an organization called Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). We immediately got involved by walking in JDRF's annual Walk to Cure Diabetes that fall. Ever since that day, Lori & I have volunteered with JDRF on the local, regional, and national level. We have met people who have become life-long friends by working side-by-side for a cure. These friendships were forged by having a common bond and we have leaned on each other through the years and we are the richer for it. We have met medical professionals who have dedicated their lives to helping find a cure and caring for those with Type I until that cure is found.

Speaking of cures, when Kyle was diagnosed, we were told that a cure would probably be here within 10 or so years. Well, we are now on the "so" part of that expression because right now, Kyle's insulin pump is putting insulin into his body as he sleeps. Honestly, my idea of a "cure" has changed over the last decade. I believe there won't be a "magic" pill or potion and "poof", Kyle's diabetes is gone. I think it will take multiple steps to finally realize the cure. A cure could even be in the form of an artificial pancreas. Who knows?

God has blessed us in so many ways in addition to those mentioned above. Yes, it is a nasty disease that keeps everyone on their toes, but when Kyle was diagnosed, God helped us with that as well. The only bed that was available for Kyle at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital was on the oncology (cancer) floor. Kyle was the "wellest" baby there. Daily we would hear parents wail as physicians told parents bad news regarding their children and we would see very sick children in the halls. We realized that most of these kids would not be going home with their parents - ever. Our Kyle would get to go home and live a full life.

A decade does make a lot of difference.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

Christmas 2009

2010-01-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

As I sit and write this, I realize that I must return to work tomorrow. The last time I was in the office was December 23 - gonna be hard going back, but I have enjoyed myself over the last couple weeks. Here are some random happenings/thoughts that happened during the Christmas/New Year's Eve break.

My parents spend Christmas Eve night with us and we exchange presents on Christmas morning. As I find my way to the coffee pot, my father scares the crap out of me because I wasn’t expecting him to be sitting in the living room. Later he proceeds to ask “did you know that if you don’t wash the Metamucil granules off the spoon, it will become hard as a rock & won’t come off.” I reply “no, I didn’t know that.”

I brought Will along with me on my annual pilgrimage to Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve to pick up food for that evening’s dinner and some last minute shopping. Nothing says Christmas like watching red-necks choosing between blenders or coffee pots for their sweeties. (Momma Squire got the Dirt Devil!)

Attending the candlelight Christmas Eve service at our church. This has been my favorite church service of the year for many decades.

Youngest son, Kyle, giving the blessing on Christmas Eve and after blessing the food and every person (including dogs) in the family, closes with “well, I guess Happy Birthday. Amen.”

The Mother-in-law got Van Halen Guitar Hero for me. My friend Joe came out and Joe, Will, & I played Van Halen. Since Joe & I have traveled all over the Southeast to see VH, it was kinda cool sharing it with Will.

My mother-in-law fretting over where Will’s sleep pants were. She is famous for not labeling packages. Well, she had mistakenly put the wrong name on the package. No one was leaving the room until we found those pants.

Momma Squire beckoning me to the garage to show me presents for the boys that we forgot about.

Got tickets to the Vandy-Manhattan basketball game from Joe for the week after Christmas. Took Will and one of his basketball teammates. Was kind of like déjà vu since Joe & I would always to go to the Music City Invitational tournament after Christmas with his folks and family.

Took the boys to see The Blindside. Great movie with a great message. Kyle gave me a hug after the movie was over and said “thank you for taking me to see this movie. It was great.” This meant a lot since Kyle really wanted to stay home & play X-Box when I told him we were going. Sandra Bullock – “WOW” on many levels.

Spent New Year’s Eve with some friends in the neighborhood. Always a great time.

If you look through the list above, you will see a couple of common threads – family and friends. As I look back over Christmas break, I realize that is what it is all about. Peace to you & yours in 2010.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

The Joys pf Christmas Shopping

2009-12-15T11:07:00.000-08:00

Quick blog to relate what just happened to me regarding the search for a Christmas present for the eldest offspring. Since eldest offspring may read this, I will call the desired present a "widget". I know it's common, but it is easier to type than "thingamabob" or "doohickey".

Momma Squire & I shopped around some stores yesterday for the widget, but couldn't find the complete set of widgets we wanted, just individual widgets. So, SuperDad/Hubby sprang into action this morning at the crack of dawn and searched the internet. Found the widget for desired for $108 online; uh-oh, shipping is $128. Don't think so. Next I searched for the widget on the Sears website & found the set of widgets in the outlet section for $63, which was $96 off the suggested retail price. Great, I'll take it and this clearance/outlet item is at the Sears in Bellevue! I have the choice of printing a piece of paper out & giving to store personnel to retrieve & then purchase or purchase it on-line & then pick it up. Not being able to check the "accept as/is" disclaimer box, I chose to print & go.

I get to Sears and waited for the nice retired man who didn't diversify his 401(k) to finish helping the retired lady who evidently did diversify and had tons of time. I handed him my paper after clicking a couple of buttons said "We don't have this in stock". "But wait, the piece of paper and website say you do" exclaimed the Tennessee Squire who was on his "lunch break". Thinking that I might have somehow "reserved" the item, I kindly ask him to please check in the back after he offered. After about 5 minutes, he returns and asks me to follow him to the pick-up area. SUCCESS!!! They had my widget!!! Jim Ed Bob from Possum Trot comes out & asks for my credit card as I think he is going to take my payment. Here is the conversation:

JEB: "I need it to match your payment in the system."
TS: "What payment?"
JEB: "The payment you made when you bought it online."
TS: "I didn't pay for it on-line, I printed the paper."
JEB: "Oh"
TS: "So, my widget is back there?"
JEB: "I don't know. I didn't look. Wait right here."

After another 5 minutes, retired man retrieves me & leads to a checkout station after informing me that they do have my widget. I could hear Handel’s choir singing as he swiped my card and I paid for my widget which was delivered and placed in my truck about 2 minutes later.

Success can be had if one perseveres. Happy Shopping.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

"Nashville is so Cool"

2009-11-26T06:09:00.000-08:00

The words in the title were uttered by my oldest son Will on the way home from a show at 3rd & Lindsley the other night. The band was Random Play. The idea behind the title is that listening to them is like hitting "random play" on your iPod or CD player. You never know what will come out of the speakers. It was also described as a "plugged" writers night. For those outside of Nashville, that means each band member takes turns singing a song they wrote or enjoy singing. They played about an hour and a half. The talent on the stage was great and the cello added some nice touches on a couple of songs.

Oh, did I memention who was in this band? It reads like a who's who of Nashville talent. The members of Random Play:

Jaime Kyle - A songwriter and singer in the Nashville music scene for sometime. Jaime wrote Wild One (Faith Hill), Stranded (Heart) just to name a couple. She had some commercial success herself in the 1980's with a solo CD and success in Europe. I have been a JK fan for years and the Clayton family considers her a friend. She has helped us with diabetes fundraising as well.

Jonell Mosser - Nashville's own soulful songtress. Long considered the best "unsigned" singer in Nashville, she pours so much energy into her songs and performances. Highlight of the nigh was her cover of Al Wilson's Show & Tell. You can't consider yourself a true Nashvillian if you haven't seen Jonell play live.

Bill Lloyd - half of the 80's group Foster & Lloyd, Bill is considered a great guitar player and he proved it on stage. While a great guitar player, his songs were witty and touching. With a shout-out to the Three Stooges (step by step, inch by inch), Niagara Falls was a sing-a-long with the crowd. However, Bill's highlight was "Tryin' to Love You."

Dave Jenkins - While the name may not be easily recognizable, his bands from the past are - the upbeat country band Southern Pacific who charted with Midnight Highway and the late 70's and early '80's band Pablo Cruise. We were treated to Love Wil Find a Way and Whatcha Gonna Do (when she says good-bye) by Dave. I can honestly say that I would have bet the ranch that I wouldn't ever hear those songs live. Glad I didn't bet.

The backing guys were Todd Cerney on keyboards who wrote (I'll Stil be Lovin You by Restless Heart), Lance Hoppin on bass, Charlie Morgan on drums (toured with Elton for years), and Gary Tussing on cello. I must say that Untangled by Jaime is not coplete without a cello. All of these guys are "A list" writers and session players.

I guess the cool part of the night was watching these musicians on stage having fun. Most of these guys could easily fill a set by themselves, but they were actually playing as a band and having fun - the way music should be played.

I guess Will did sum up by saying "Nashville is so cool". Where else can you go and see a band like this doing what they love to do on a Tuesday night @ 7:00? Nashville is a cool city.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

Happy Birthday Will

2009-11-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

Fourteen years ago, Momma Squire & I welcomed our first born into the world. Will came in with fanfare via a rushed (not emergency) C-Section at 9 lbs 2 oz & 21 inches long. He has brightened our lives ever since. He now shaves, talks very deep, has a girlfriend, plays basketball, plays football, and is obviously thinking about driving in a couple of short years.

Thinking about Will turning 14 got me to wondering about when I was 14 – what I was thinking, who I liked, and what was happening in the world. Well, since I can’t remember take the garbage out on Wednesday morning; I couldn’t rely on my noggin for what was happening in 1978 when I was 14. Thank goodness for the Internet. Based upon information @ www.thepeoplehistory.com, here is what was happening in 1978:
• The Dow closed the year at 805. It is 10,281 as I type this.
• Gasoline cost $.63/gallon.
• Cult leader Jim Jones instructed 400 church members to commit suicide in Guyana.
• Illinois Bell introduces the first ever Cellular Mobile Phone System.
• Space Invaders launches the computer video game craze.
• First test tube baby (Louise Brown) is born in England.
• Popular films included Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Animal House, & Jaws 2.
• TV shows included Happy Days, Charlie’s Angels, Love Boat, Three’s Company, and Quincy.

Wow. Think about how much and how quickly things have progressed from then until now? What will it be like for Will when he is 45? Will we finally be at “the future” as portrayed by the Jetsons? We are partially there now.

Birthdays in our house are always happy days. Today is not an exception. Happy Birthday Will.

Zach, a Tennessee Squire

Styx/REO Speedwagon/Night Ranger – November 15, 2009 – Sommet Center

2009-11-16T10:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, it was the ‘80’s all over again in Nashville on Sunday night as these bastions of the arena rock era were on a single bill. Contrary to my old college roommate’s question, I did not wear my Jordace jeans or Members Only jacket. Yes, I know these folks are getting long in the tooth and haven’t have any commercial success for a while, but it was an opportunity to see some of my favorite bands, on the same stage, and relive some old memories.

Right off the bat, you noticed that the crowd was older, like uh middle age. Yikes – that’s me. Going into the show, I wondered how these three could fill Sommet’s 15,000+ seats. Well, with a little bit (ok, a lot) of strategically placed curtains, the arena was now about a 6,000 seat arena. The stage was set directly under the jumbotron with curtains blocking off the half behind the stage. Also, the entire upper level (300 section) was curtained off. One thing I will give the bands, they know how to keep a show moving. Night Ranger came out right at 7:00 and except for an issue with Styx’s keyboard, the time between bands was right at 15 -20 minutes. They know that most of the folks there were out past their bedtime and had to go to work on Monday.

Night Ranger – Ironically, the first (and only) time I saw Night Ranger, they opened for KISS in Huntsville, AL, so it was kind of like déjà vu. They powered through a 45 minute set with the energy that Jack Blades is known for. I mean, the guy never stops moving. NR’s drummer, Kelly Keagy (who lives in Nashville) had his drum kit set out front on the main stage (vs in the back) with it turned with the front of the set facing stage right. This worked well since Kelly has lead vocals on some songs. The highlight of the set was when Jack Blades invited Tommy Shaw (Styx) out and they sang Damn Yankees’ HIGH ENOUGH. Granted, only half of DY was present, it was good to hear the song live & plugged again. Do you realize it has been 20 years since Damn Yankees was released? Wow.

REO Speedwagon – Having seen REO numerous times before, my expectation was set kind of high. Sadly, I would say this was the least of the three bands. While they performed all the songs they were supposed to, it just didn’t have the energy that it once had. Even the songs sounded about a half a beat slower. They did do ROLL WITH THE CHANGES which happens to be in my top five songs of all times. They were joined on the chorus by Martina McBride and Brad Paisley. Lead singer Kevin Cronin mentioned that when they were starting out, they played every club they could, including a “…skanky rock & roll club called the Exit/In.” With that reference they dug way back to REO T.W.O. (recorded in Nashville) for Golden Country. The one most vivid memory of prior REO shows evidently has been taken away by the fire marshal – the flash pots at the end of RIDIN’ THE STORM OUT. I recall the heat from those things as they exploded at the end of the song. Now, it is a laser light and a small jump by the band. The price of age…..

Styx – If you don’t know the band’s history, Dennis DeYoung left the band a decade or so ago due to “internal tensions”. Tommy Shaw has taken the mantle of band leader and run with it. He was quoted at one time as saying “If I have to do another song about robots, I will go crazy.” Well, obviously dude outside the Sommet saying “They didn’t do MR. ROBOTO or BABE” didn’t get that word. There were numerous other songs for them to choose and they did. They still have the high energy and put on a great show. Original, now part-time, bassist, Chuck Ponozzo, joined the band about halfway through the set. They also dug back into the archives for classics like Loreli and Suite Madam Blue. They closed their set by inviting REO and Night Ranger back out for a Volunteer Jam style play along. Members from all three bands came out to perform the Shaw/Cronin penned CAN’T STOP ROCKIN.

All in all, it was a good walk down memory lane last night. It also seemed that each band mentioned the hard times we are facing; we know we have people to pick up, etc. Just two thoughts – regardless of political beliefs, I came to listen to music, not a political speech and the people that have lost jobs, etc., probably (at least hopefully) aren’t spending their money on concerts.

Thanks for the memories and hopefully, these guys can still ROCK IN AMERICA for several more years.

Zach, an '80's rockin Tennessee Squire

Set list:
Night Ranger:
This Boy Needs to Rock
Sing Me Away
When You Close Your Eyes
High Enough (with Tommy Shaw)
Don't Tell Me You Love Me
Sister Christian
You Can Still Rock in America

REO Speedwagon:
Don't Let Him Go
Take It on the Run
Keep Pushing
Golden Country
Can't Fight this Feeling
Son of a Poor Man
Time for Me to Fly
Back on the Road Again
Keep on Loving You
Roll with the Changes (joined by Martina McBride & Brad Paisley)
Riding the Storm Out

Styx:
Miss America
Too Much Time on My Hands
Grand Illusion
Loreli
I Am the Walrus
Blue Collar Man
Suite Madam Blue
Foolin Yourself (Chuck Ponozzo joins)
Come Sail Away
Renegade
Can't Stop Rockin

Concerts - Then vs. Now

2009-11-11T07:04:00.000-08:00

Having just seen KISS at the Sommet center and with Styx/REO Speedwagon/Night Ranger coming up in a couple of weeks, I have been thinking about concerts and how they have changed over the years.

My first concert was my sophomore year in high school - Eddie Money played Vanderbilt Memorial Gym. My friend Joe and I got us some dates and off we went. Having heard all the stories about concerts and the debauchery that occurs there, we were pumped. That evening I proved that a bottle of ice cold Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill could be drunk in the time it takes to get from 31st & West End to Memorial Gym. It can be drunk, but keeping it down is another story. I can’t remember the cost of the ticket, but it couldn’t have been more than $10. Well, it wasn’t the drunken orgy that we imagined, but I was hooked on live shows.

Most of the concerts I saw in the ‘80’s – 90’s were at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. My first show there was Charlie Daniels’ Volunteer Jam. The Municipal is a round venue which held probably about 9,000. In the 90’s, most shows moved to Starwood amphitheater in Nashville, which was a completely different perspective. Being able to lounge on the ground under the stars was cool – unless it was August and raining. An added benefit of Starwood was the fact that it sold BEER. Wow, you could drink at a concert without having smuggled a bottle into the venue in your shoe, crotch, or wherever. They even had an area where corporations could buy box seats and have servers bring you drinks, food, etc. Maybe this is when the transition started. What transition, you may ask? Let’s compare yesteryear to today:

Yesteryear – My buddy Joe & I decide to go see Journey on the Escape tour. We drive to Nashville & find a Sound Seventy ticket outlet. We shell out our money for the exorbitant amount of $10/ticket. The tickets have raised lettering with cool designs custom-made for the particular show. We roll to Nashville, probably sneak a bottle of Jack (bought underage) by the searching Metro police at the Municipal, and we are ready to rock. (Side-note – wonder if a Metro policeman on Municipal duty ever bought liquor?) We arrive about an hour and a half early so we can get good spots standing in the general admission area in front of the stage. We park on the side of James Robertson in front of the Capital and walk to the auditorium. The opening act, Loverboy, comes out after the house lights go out. Occasionally during the show, I glance up towards the ceiling. There, through the haze of smoke, cigarette and other, I make out a faint glow – NO SMOKING. This warning can be seen hanging from the ceiling. For encores and power ballads alike, the crowd (even non-smokers) holds their lighters aloft begging for more. Before Journey comes out, the question is “what will they open with?” or “wonder if they will play Lights?” After the show, Joe & I make a most difficult decision – which shirt do we buy to wear to school the next day? While either will smell like the interior of a Cheech & Chong van, we have to choose between the $5 t-shirt or splurge and get the $7.50 jersey.

Today – You decide to attend a Sommet Center concert. You sit at your computer and log on to the Ticketmaster website. You hope your 45 yr old eyes can read the random letters and numbers that allow you to proceed with selecting tickets without having to resort to the Dick Tracy decoder glasses. Once you make it past scalper security, you select your ticket with prices starting around $40 (top row, back of arena) and ending at $1000 (backstage 5 minute photo op with the band). You can either print a bar code or have the generic looking tickets mailed to your house. The night of the show, you pay another $10-$20 to park and then walk about 4 blocks to the arena. The menu choices have changed, but so have the prices. You can get a $4 hot dog or even more expensive burgers, BBQ, etc. Wait, what is that – BEER & LIQUOR!!!! With no crotches or socks involved. Yes, you pay for it, but it is available. You can see clearly because smokers have to go over the river & through the woods & hang about 3 blocks to reach the smoking area outside. You already know what the band is playing because you have checked the band’s website, clicked on the tour button, and saw the set list for all the stops prior to your city. You also notice something else – there are kids. I mean middle and elementary school kids. This is ROCK & ROLL, not Yanni @ TPAC!! You admit to yourself that probably the folks on stage may be getting Medicare currently or within 5 years.

Anyway, you get the picture. Yes, it is different, more expensive, and in some aspects, not as fun. But as Billy Joel says “It’s still rock and roll to me.” Also, don’t forget that if it’s too loud, you are too old.

Zach, a rock & rolling Tennessee Squire

You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world.....

2009-10-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

KISS!!!!

Yes, that intro has been around for years & it was still in use on Wednesday, October 28, as KISS took the stage at the Sommet center in Nashville, TN. Below are random thoughts and happenings from the show.

The opening band was an angry rock band from Los Angeles named Buck Cherry. They were the typical angry rockers - boney with tat's over every inch of skin that was visible. Lot of prancing and shock vocals. The folks that brought their children, or grandchildren, were probably shocked by the band's closing song - Crazy Bitch.

You know you are in Nashville when you are in the beer line behind Heidi Newfield (formerly of Trick Pony) and then see her again in the souvenir line. Wonder if she's stalking me?

The show's opening was pretty cool. After the lights went out, Google Earth appeared on the side video screens. It started zooming in & eventually showed the roof of the arena. It quickly cut to a live (assuming) shot of the band walking backstage toward the stage.

While speaking of video screens, the kids who didn't get shuffled out with Buck Cherry's last song got a treat. Well, some adults got a treat as well!! There was a large high def screen behind the stage. It was as wide as the stage and was probably 20 feet tall. Well, toward the end of the KISS show, they were showing crowd shots with an occasional close up of fans. Well, kudos to the camera operator who chose the right lady to zoom in on. Right as they zoomed in, she chose to give the guys universal rock & roll two gun salute, if you know what I mean. What a high def treat!

I have seen KISS about 6 or so times; both masked & unmasked. I must say that the make-up provides an extra edge to the performance. Musically, they were solid with a very large, loud sound. When Peter Criss and Ace Frehley departed the band the first time, each replacement was given a new character and make-up scheme. Flash forward to today - with Gene & Paul supposedly having bought out Peter & Ace's rights to their characters, KISS is now free to use all four original characters and basically "plug & play" with the Ace & Peter characters. Tommy Thayer (guitar) and Eric Singer (drums) are great musicians and have the moves of the former members down. Crazy, you may ask? Just look @ Eric Singer. He previously had long blonde hair & now has short black hair, just like Peter Criss. I would dare say that some people in attendance who do not keep up band members could have sworn that was Peter or Ace up there. The special effects were great as usual except for Tommy Thayer's guitar solo. Typically, Ace's guitar would twirl & shoot out "rockets", but not in Nashville. I read that a malfunction occurred. Gene dripped fake blood, breathed fire, and flicked his tongue out no less than a thousand times. There were rising and spinning drumkits, flash pots, flames, smoke, confetti, etc.

Interesting take from Paul Stanley on modern day politics. He said that some bands try to tell you who to vote for, what causes you should support, etc. He then said that if you came to the show expecting that from KISS, you were in the wrong damn place.

In closing, it was a great show. It is hard to imagine that some of these guys are close to 60 years old. Paul Stanley still looked & sounded like he was in great shape. Gene still owned the stage and prowled it all night. Gene did look like he was struggling at times due to heat, running make-up, or something. However, it didn't slow him down. Modern-day bands should take a lesson from KISS. They came and delivered the songs and show that people wanted. No political talk, just good four/four rock & roll. The treat was to see all the folks, young and old, dressed as their favorite KISS character. Momma Squire even got in on the act:

Here is the set list from the show. You can see that it is a good ensemble of older and more popular cuts. Detroit Rock City is still my favorite

Deuce
Strutter
Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
Hotter Than Hell
Shock Me
Modern Day Delilah
Say yeah
Dr Love
She
Parasite
100,000 Years
I Love It Loud
Black Diamond
Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

Shout It Out Loud
Lick It Up
Love Gun
Detroit Rock City

Zach, a Tennessee Squire

What's In A Name?

2009-10-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

When babies are born, pets adopted, and businesses formed; a lot of emphasis is put on choosing a name. Often names are chosen based on family lineage, current media darlings, sports stars, description of services offered, etc.

I want to address a name that many people are given and sadly they many accept that name and let it define their lives or being. In the case of a family name, that may be acceptable; but not in this case. What’s the name you ask? It’s DIABETIC.

Many people are diagnosed each year with Type I or Type II diabetes. In most circles, they are immediately given the DIABETIC label. There aren’t many other, if hardly any, diseases which use the disease name and “ic” to label the person. You don’t hear of “canceratics”, “lymphomatics”, etc. Why diabetes? I don’t really know, but I can tell you I don’t like it.

The “D” word is not used in our household. If you don’t know, Momma Squire & I’s youngest son, Kyle, was diagnosed with Type I diabetes when he was 18 months old. Early on, I heard other parents talking about the use of the “D” word and how they don’t like it. After pondering on it, I finally figured it out about a year later why I don’t like it. Using it makes one prematurely define Kyle. It makes the disease front and center over all other things Kyle. Yes, diabetes does require a lot of effort and care, but Kyle is much more than his diabetes. We have tried to instill in him this thought – “you have diabetes, it doesn’t have you.” If he lets this disease define him, it has won. My baby is more than diabetes. I won't let him forget that.

What’s my point in this rant/blog? I don’t know. Maybe I can get one person to say “he/she has diabetes” vs. “He's DIABETIC”. Maybe I can get you to think about labeling people without knowing the person.

Is there a term that you have let define you?

Zach, a Tennessee Squire

Things You Don't Want to See in a Restaurant Parking Lot

2009-10-08T14:14:00.001-07:00

Went this week to a restaurant for lunch & got a shock as I was getting out of the car. I saw something that I didn’t want to even think about. Let’s make it a quiz. Each of the following items you wouldn’t want to see in a parking lot of a restaurant, but what did I see:

A -

B -

C -
If you guessed “C”, you were correct. It was field trip day for the group @ the Lakeshore Retirement Center. They cleaned the buffet out! A scary sight indeed.

Zach, a Tennessee Squire

Sunrise....

2009-10-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

Distance from house to nearest store - 7 miles

Distance from house to nearest restaurant - 7.5 miles

Distance from house to boys' school - 8 miles

Seeing the above on the way to get the paper @ the end of the driveway makes it all worth it. Treat each day as a gift.

Zach, a Tennessee Squire

On Rocky Top

2009-10-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

Just finished a very good book entitled "On Rocky Top". It was written by a life-long UT fan, Clay Travis (http://www.claytravis.net/on-rocky-top.html). Clay has also written a book (Dixieland Delight) about SEC football.

Clay started writing this book prior to Phil Fulmer's last season (2008) as the Vol's head coach. The premise of the book was to follow his favorite team from behind the scenes as the season progressed. He didn't realize it would be one of the most tumultuous seasons in almost two decades. Clay was given access to parts of the big-time college football machine that few get to see. Examples include riding with the 18 wheeler hauling the UT equipment to a South Carolina game, spending time with the UT managers as they apply the "T" to the helmets, running through the T, and being in the locker room before and after the games.

Whether you are a Phil Fulumer fan or not, this book is a must read. I admit there were times when I was glad that I was reading it alone vs. reading it in Grand Central Station. It reflects how much Coach Fulmer cares for the University and the players. So, if you are looking for that "perfect gift" for a UT fan, this might be a good idea. Enjoy the read and the walk down memory lane.

Zach, a Tennessee Squire

The Amazing Race - Jack-style

2009-10-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

Just came back from Mecca, I mean Lynchburg. What a great weekend!! For the last 6 or 7 years, Lori & I have volunteered for the MS Society's Jack & Back bike ride. Our neighbors, Tom & Charlene, have a daughter who was diagnosed with MS over a decade ago and we got involved. This weekend 880 cyclists left Page High School in Franklin and rode either 65 or 75 miles to Motlow Community College in Tullahoma, TN. After a party on BBQ hill @ the Jack Daniel's Distillery, they got up Sunday morning & went back to Franklin on their bike. Wow. I got tired driving the truck there.

There were young people, old people, healthy people, and some actually had MS themselves! They raised over $540,000 for MS research and local support. I know it seems weird that Mr Squire is talking about a charity other than JDRF, but I volunteer with JDRF for selfish reasons; MS is true volunteerism.

Of course, being a Squire, I loved being around the Distillery. I sacrificed myself and sat through a tasting where you really learn how important that trip through the charcoal is to the process!!! Then, we got to go to a party on the BBQ Hill where the amber liquid flowed and much BBQ was had. I did to get visit the Squire room @ the Distillery which is always a treat.

Everyone needs to take a day and drive to Lynchburg. Great day trip & the Distillery tour is worth much more than the price paid (FREE!). Mosey on down to the Square & hit the Hardware Store. If it is made, they have stuck a Jack Daniel logo on it & will sell you one. Momma Squire stopped in there, so I better be good between now & Christmas so I can get my presents from there!

Before I leave, hats off to all the ladies @ the MS Society office. Great job on putting on a great event this year!

All this Jack talk is making me thirsty, time for a refill.

Zach, a Tennessee Squire

Cheerleaders -

2009-09-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

Momma Squire had best be getting her elbow warmed up for the game tonight. No, she isn't going in as the starting QB for the middle school football team. She will be sitting next to me in the stands as we watch Will play football. The elbow mysteriously finds it way into my side a few times during football games. It may be for me reminding Mr Zebra that the yellow hankie in his pocket actually has a purpose other than padding his butt. However, lately it she has been elbowing me due to my criticisms of the cheerleaders.

Whether it is screaming "We want six more!!!" when the score is zip to zip, "Touchdown, touchdown we want a touchdown" when we are on defense, or "take that ball away" while we are on offense, these things make me want to fling a stadium chair. I tried to correct them from the top bleacher, but alas, they couldn't hear me over all their yelling. I actually mentioned it to the school principal. She just shook her head when I suggested passing a football 101 test be a requirement for cheering.

So hopefully, as the season winds down tonight, our cheerleaders have at least learned to know when to cheer what cheer and I can relax and enjoy the game in peace with this off my chest...no wait, pom-poms - have you seen what the pom poms look like now or whatever happened to that classic cheer - Rock Steady.....

From out of nowhere.....

2009-09-25T14:30:00.001-07:00

Being an only child of two only children, I never got to experience the typical interactions of brothers and sisters. Even my best friend growing up had two sisters, but he was an "oops" about 8 years behind his youngest sister. Think about it - I have no aunts, uncles, or cousins. Family reunions could be held in a Smart car.

I digress. I mentioned the absence of sibling interaction to say that when Lori & I had two kids, the interaction between them was foreign to me. I have no doubt that deep down my two boys, aged 13 & 11, really love each other. When smaller, they always played great together and would occasionally pick on each other. However, as the years have passed, the "picking" has become more frequent, more aggressive, and much more annoying to Lori & I. Often, she will say "you know, they are just being brothers." Well, no I don't know. I really wondered sometimes whether or not they really did like each other.

Then, it happened. As all kids do, they surprise you when you least expect it. I was performing the never-ending task of "sign-this", "fill this out" for Will one morning. He had to fill out a questionnaire for one of the teachers which asked various questions about the students' likes, dislikes, and favorites. The last question, or should I say the last answer, restored my belief that they really do like each other - they just don't always show it.

Question: What would you do if you won the Powerball lottery?

Answer: Donate it to JDRF so they could find a cure and Kyle would not have diabetes anymore.

'Nuff said.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

What exactly is a Squire?

2009-09-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

You may notice my sign-off or e-mail address references a "Tennessee Squire". What is a Tennessee Squire? If you have to ask, you don't need to know!

Just kidding. A Squire is an honor bestowed upon an individual by Jack Daniels Distillery. The individual must be an upstanding citizen, enjoy Jack Daniels, & some other "secret" things. You also have to be nominated by another Squire. There isn't a secret handshake, but there is a Squire room @ the Distillery that is limited to just Squires. When you are "Squired", you are actually deeded a small (very very small) piece of the Distillery. It is said that if you visit your plot and stand on one foot, you are probably standing on five or six other Squire's property! You receive a membership card and a very nice deed. My deed and first Squire card are framed and hung on my office wall.

I was nominated by a Squire about 15 years ago & have nominated four individuals. Ironically, folks have seen my Squire name on Facebook & MySpace and have asked me to nominate them. No way, no how. Have to know the folks before I nominate them!

You may have not even wondered what a Squire was, but now you know. Speaking of Jack, it is about that time.....

Zach, A Tennessee Squire

Stepping into the blog world.....

2009-09-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my first attempt @ the blog on this site. I've blogged a couple of times on MySpace, but this appears to be the blogspot of choice.

Some blogger friends post deep, philosophical blogs, while others post humorous ones that take a lot of thought. Mine will be a little of both. They will also vary in length. Some things merit more words than others. Mine will be a mixture of all of the above or maybe even just a picture.

Please enjoy.

Zach Clayton, a Tennessee Squire