Storm in Europe

Did you see the storm in Europe? High winds, etc. Those crazy pics of planes taking off sideways? Yikes! I saw this note from the NY Times article:

The name Kyrill stems from a German practice of naming weather systems. Anyone may name one, for a fee. Naming a high-pressure system costs $385, while low-pressure systems, which are more common, go for $256. Three siblings paid to name this system as a 65th birthday gift for their father, not knowing that it would grow into a fierce storm.

Strange, but I'd like someone to name the next Hurricane after me. "Hurricane Bubba made landfall today at 8:30 10 miles SW of Port Arther."

Churches and Presidents

Don't know if you've been following the debate at SMU (Bubba's Dad is a Grad, as well as Bubba's Granddaddy.) But the George W. Bush Presidential Library has narrowed it's choice to one, SMU. But it seems some at SMU don't want to be associated with the Bush politics and a "think tank" planned at the library.

Now it appears Methodists don't want to be associated with the library, see Dallas Morning News article.

Now, what I find amusing is Bush is a Methodist and the Methodist don't want him. Plus I remember when Clinton (who is a Baptist) was not wanted by the Baptists.

Cribs and Hope for the Future

The crib is here! This is an end to a long crib fiasco. The men are setting it up. When they leave we are going to eat lunch, then get the mattress. Tonight all will be set up!

I also noticed the crib was made in Vietnam. This gives me hope, that one day, Drew will lay his baby, my grandbaby, down in a crib made in Iraq.

For Baby Drew

Baby Drew, we're waiting for you. When are you going to come out and play? We've got your crib on the way to be set up on Saturday. I'll have to teach you how to handle things when they don't go the way you want, like the crib episode. Sometimes if you're patient you might end up with something better. Another lesson for me to teach you from this is sometimes you need to step up and take charge of the situation instead of just waiting to see what happens.

We were watching the NFL playoffs last weekend, waiting for you. I'll have to teach you about the old SWC, which I miss. And I'll teach you about the old time football players, like Doak Walker, who played at SMU and was my Granddaddy's favorite player. I think you'll like football. I can't wait to take you to a game at A&M. I know that your Mama may smirk, you know she went to the other school, but maybe some day we can sneak away, just the two of us. We can go see Uncle Tim Smith, my old college roommate. You'll love Tim Smith, and you two can talk about computers and stuff. You'll probably think we're silly together, but I wish for you a friend like Tim Smith.

Today they annouced the Baseball Hall of Fame inductees while we wait for you. Of course I'm going to teach you my other love (besides you and mama) and that's baseball. I'll teach you to throw and catch, to hit and run the bases. I'll teach you about the Astros. I'll teach you to play your best and to play to win, but I'll also teach you that sometimes you won't win, and that's o.k. too. I can't wait to take you to your first Astros game. We can watch the game, eat hotdogs and I might buy you a big foam finger. My Daddy, your Granddaddy, used to take me to Astros games all the time, and I'm sure he'll join us on our outings. I want to teach you how to watch, but mostly I'd like you to learn that what is most important is spending time together.

I'm a little frustrated at work, but I've got a new job lined up so I can take care of you and Mama. I'd like you to learn that money doesn't grow on tress, that you need to work to earn it, and hard work is admirable. But it won't be all work, life is fun too, and we work so we can have the fun times.

This Sunday I'm going to teach our Sunday School Class. We're going to take you to Church. We pray for you already, every night. My prayer is for you to come to love Jesus on your own terms, and that you will walk with him all your life.

We play music for you sometimes, while you're still in the womb. Maybe you will be a muscian, like your Mama and her family. That would be great. I want to encourage you in your endeavers, whatever they are. I'd like you to teach me things that I don't know. I can't wait to discover new things with you.

I really love your Mama, and we are so excited to see you. I'd like to you see how much I love your mama, and to learn the way to treat a woman.

There's so much for me to teach you, I can't wait for you to show up. We've got time I suppose, and I'm sure I'm getting ahead of myself. But I feel some pressue to be a good daddy for you. You see Drew, I had a great daddy, so I've got alot to live up to.

The Tender Bar

I just finished reading The Tender Bar by JR Moehringer. This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend. It is a memoir, so it's a true story. It's about a little boy who is growing up without his father. He takes refuge in the local bar where he seeks the company of the men of the bar. We follow him from childhood, to college to his first job in NY. The story is set on Long Island, NY, in a suburb of the city.

While reading this book I thought how wonderful it would be to have a place like the bar where he essentially grows up. The community and companionship is something we all seek. But like everything it examines how sometimes things in your life can hold you up, and how life has phases that you come into and grow out of. Something else I got out of the story is how big an influence others had on this boy and what a wonderful thing it is to reach out to someone and help them along the way.

Mrs. Bubba and I have had a similar experience with a bar here in NY. When we were studying for our PE exams we would study on Saturdays. So Friday nights we would go out to dinner and to our local bar so we could still have a night out, but also be home in a 5 minute walk. We got to know the bartenders and some of the regulars. But as we passed the PE and were not coming in so regularly and the bartenders went on and pursued their ambitions, things changed.

As we await the little Bubba, I sometimes think about how life will change. For one, I think most that read this blog are aware our days here in NY are now numbered. Our nightlife will probably take a hit as well. But what I've come to realize and also come to look forward to is that these changes are good and necessary. Everyone is right, things won't be the same anymore. We will miss our days down the street at the local bar, chatting with the regulars. But we can't grow, mature, better ourselves, and face new challenges if we stay stagnant, and stay where we are. Change is scary, but it is a inevitable part of life.

As our lives change, I hope we embrace the change, grow from it, and become better people from it. A fitting New Year's lesson for 2007, the year of big changes for the Bubba's.