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Monday, January 29, 2007

Did You Hear About The Astros Elite Training Camp?

Archie Brown was reading the sports page. He came across an article about the Astros holding elite training camps for the top prospects in their minor league system. Nolan Ryan, who is in the Hall of Fame, will instruct the elite pitching pros[ects. Jeff Bagwell, who retired a few weeks ago, will be the instructor for the elite young hitters. It should be a wonderful experience for the up-and-comers. And it may open a few doors for them to make the big club soon.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Did You Hear About Mop Brigade?

The congregation where Archie Brown worships does not use a janitorial service. Each of the members takes turns doing that work. They call it Mop Brigade. Some of the things they do are: Disinfecting the rest rooms, restocking the toilet paper & the paper towels, cleaning the windows & the Glass Doors, vacuuming the carpets, picking up the trash and relining the garbage cans, organizing the books in the racks, sweeping the stair wells, and mopping the tile floor in the foyer!

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Did You Hear About Why I Dislike Tardiness?

Archie Brown was taught to be punctual from as early in his life as he could remember. Orel, his dad, always had lots of reasons he wanted his son to be punctual, and reasons to avoid tardiness. Orel always considered punctuality a mark of good character. There are many reasons he dislike being late or someone else be habitually late. Orel also does not like to rob or be robbed of his time. It is very inconsiderate to be predictably late.

Things are forgotten when you are in a rush, caution suffers when we are hurrying.
Tensions rise, tempers flare when you are hurried. Accidents are more likely when rushing, not to mention that progess is slowed by tardiness. Health risks rise from the stress. It is uncomfortable to enter after proceeding have started.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Did You Hear About Renting a Moped in Freeport?

Archie and Ronda Brown had a wonderful time on their 25th Anniversary cruise to the Bahamas. On one Freeport island they rented a moped instead of taking one of the pre-arranged tours provided by the cruise line. It was great fun, Ronda sat behind Arch and held on arond his waist. They went all over the island, seeing the sights and enjoying one another!

Did You Hear About Our Cruise?

On their twenty fifth anniversary, Archie and Ronda went on a cruise ship to the Bahamas. It was everything they had hoped for and more. They had suite for their cabin. There was a sitting room on a balcony overlooking the sea, as well as a bedroom. And of course there was food, so much delicious food at all times of the day.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Did You Hear About My Search For Sports Equipment for My Grandsons?

When Archie Brown’s grandsons Andy and Zack moved in with him and his wife, Ronda, they had lots of toys but not much sports equipment. Archie wanted them to at least be acquainted with the various sports, but he did not want to invest a lot into any of it till he knew if they were really interested. He figured it was time to hit the garage sale scene!

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Did You Hear About A Week Without Sunshine?

Archie Brown was used to seeing the sun. In South Texas it shines over 300 days a year. So when there are stretches of 7 or 8 days without seeing the sun, Archie, along with everyone in town, get a bit grouchy. The new year of 2007 was wet and gloomy, with several sunless days in a row. No doubt the rain was good for the crops in the long run, but Archie was longing for sunshine.

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Monday, January 22, 2007

Did You Hear About Our Enjoyment in Watching Our Daughter and Her Teen Son?

Archie Brown and his wife, Ronda, went to see their daughter, Evonne, and her family one evening after dinner. They played a card game, but while playing, Evonne was sharing the struggle they were having with some typical teen behavior on the part of their fourteen year old son. Archie and Ronda, smiled several times. Archie took joy in saying, "it will get worse."

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Friday, January 12, 2007

Did You Hear About My Difficult Dairy Decision?

Archie and Ronda Brown took their six and seven year old grandsons to a local Dairy Queen to get a Blizzard, a special ice cream treat, after watching a basketball game. They were faced with a terribly tough decision. They had to make a choice between Chocolate Xtreme or Chocolate French Silk Pie flavors. The decision was three to one for Xtreme! Only Arch had the French Silk!

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Did You Hear How My Grandson Loves Musicals?

Archie Brown's grandson, Andy is really drawn to music. He loves all the musical movies. It began with Th Lion King and progress to The Sound of Music and Fiddler on the Roof. One Christmas Archie gave Andy a copy of Singin' In The Rain and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers movies. Andy could not quit singing the songs and mimicking the dances. Archie found in the paper today that the Broadway production of Seven Brides For Seven Brothers will be in Houston for Spring Break. Archie started making plans for a spring break trip to Houston!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Did You Hear About The Terrible Racket Outside?

There was a terrible racket out in the oak tree. Archie Brown went check it out. He found a flock of green parrots, several hundred of them all over the yard and in the tree. They were migrating and had stopped off for a snack. They have mad an annual stop for the past three years. The birds are about 18 inches long and bright green. But the most incredible part is the noise. The are loud. And when they fly, they are very fast!

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Did You Hear About Ripken and Gwynn?

Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn are now Hall of Fame Electees. That is good news, they are both great players, wonderful representatives of the game of baseball and men of very high personal character. Archie Brown was fortunate enough to see each of them play in person. He only saw Ripken a couple of times, but Gwynn many times. He was not a power hitter, per se, but he always seemed to make hard contact. He was a tough out. But now he is in, along side the Iron Man!

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Monday, January 08, 2007

Did You Hear About How The Cowboys Lost the Game?

Archie Brown could hardly believe the outcome of the NFL playoff game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were inside the ten yard line and trailing by one with a minute and a few seconds left to play. All they had to do was kick a gimme field goal and hold the Seahawks for less than 70 seconds. But Tony Romo dropped the snap abd the Cowboys got beat!

Archie was thrilled!

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Saturday, January 06, 2007

Did You Hear About How I Decide Which NFL Team I Want To Win?

Archie Brown was reading the sports page the day the NFL playoffs were to begin. He was not a big football fan, but he did have a team he pulled for each week. That team is which ever team is playing the Dallas Cowboys on a given day. So, for at least one day, Archie was going to be a fan of the Seattle Seahawks!

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Friday, January 05, 2007

Did You Hear About Our Adoption of A Yellow Lab?

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, there were a lot of stranded pets in shelters. My wife and I had not had a dog in many years, not since the kids had grown and left home. But two of our grandchildren had moved in with us, two boys of 5 and 4. I have always believed boys need a dog.

So we decided to rescue one and bring him to a good home. We looked at a few shelters for just the right one to befriend two boys who also needed to be loved. We thought we wanted a small dog, perhaps a beagle or a border collie, because we the boys were little. We did not want them to be intimidated by a dog’s size.

But when we saw the Yellow Lab and how the boys were drawn to the big friendly retriever, we knew he had to come home with us. He was dubbed “Buccaneer”, and he has been exactly what we hoped, a loving friend of two little boys.

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Did You Hear About How My Dad Spoiled My Kids?

Archie Brown had four grand kids and loved to spoil them, then send them home to their parents. Archie could recall his dad spoiling the grand kids, Archie’s kids. Arch would make some complaint. Archie’s dad, Orel, would only laugh and say, “if they are not spoiled, they’re neglected, and I don’t plan to neglect them.”

How do you argue with that?

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Thursday, January 04, 2007

Did You Hear About How I Much I Enjoyed Blogging?

Archie found that blogging is a lot of fun, much more than he envisioned when he started a year ago. He wrote almost every day for a few months. He was surprised to find that his writing was acceptable to those who were on the site. He took pride in the comments he received and had a blast interacting with his virtual friends about many diverse ideas on the site.

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Did You Hear About How I Became A Blogger?

A year ago Archie Brown literally did not know what a blog was. He had heard the term, but did not have an idea of its meaning. On the fifth of January he received an invitation to participate in a blog designed for writers. She defined the term and told me she thought Archie would enjoy blogging. She knew him pretty well.

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Did You Hear About How Everything Is Back to Normal?

The New Year is well under way now. The kids have gone back to school and schedules have gotten back to normal. Nothing to interrupt the routines, except a birthday party tomorrow, and another birthday party next week, and a school holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr., and a men’s retreat at the congregation and….

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Did You Hear About How I Could Not Use My Frequent Flier Miles?

I just called to try to use my frequent flier miles for a trip in August. I was told that all the award seats are booked, so I cannot use them even though I was willing to move the date of my trip up to two weeks either side of my preferred dates. It is the first time I have tried to use my miles, now over 80,000. I am wondering what is the point of having the miles if they cannot be used!

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Saturday, December 30, 2006

Did You Hear About How I Graduated With Honors?

Following his return to college after dropping out for seven years, Archie Brown became a good student. His company would reimburse one hundred per cent if he made A’s in his course work, so Archie did not see any reason to let his grades drop. The fact that those grades replaced the F’s he had received for goofing off in his first experience at college allowed him to graduate with honors. He had learned much, and some of it was not taught in a class room!

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Did You Hear About How My Grades Improved When I Returned To School?

After laying out of college for seven years; following his embarrassment at scholastic ineligibility, Archie Brown found he wanted to get an education. He was offered the opportunity by his employer to get an Associate Degree in Laboratory Science. He found an unexpected benefit of taking some of the basics required for the degree was that the new grades, A’s, replaced those grades he had in the courses when he was 18. The F’s disappeared from his transcript!

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Did You Hear About My Plan To Get A Degree?

When Archie Brown proposed to his boss that he would like to work toward an Associate Degree in Laboratory Science that was offered by the local junior college, and for the company to continue to pay his tuition as they had for the chemistry courses he had completed. To his joy, the company agreed.

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Did You Hear About How My Attitude Toward School Changed?

When Archie Brown decided to go back to school, after dropping out seven years earlier, his whole attitude changed. The company for which he worked would pay for his tuition, based on his grades. If he made A’s in the courses they would pay one hundred percent! For B’s he would receive eighty percent reimbursement, and only fifty percent for C’s. But Archie found that those incentives were not the only motives for making good grades. He was not a student, the wanted to learn. He did not simply want to go to school, he wanted to be get educated!

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Did You Hear About My Decision To Go Back To School 7 Years Later?

The decision to go back to school was not an easy one for Archie Brown, even though he had been told by his boss that he could get raises as he completed courses in science that would improve his abilities in the lab where he was employed. The problem for Archie was that he had really messed up his grades as an 18 year old freshman. He was embarrassed, afraid he would not be accepted into the junior college in town. But Arch had matured a bit by the time he was 25, and after some soul searching, he swallowed his pride and submitted the papers required for admission, including the transcript that showed his overall GPA was now 0.63!

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Friday, December 29, 2006

Did You Hear About How I Had a Chance to Improve My Job?

When he was 25 Archie Brown had a job in a lab at a chemical plant. He like the work and was good at it. It looked like he might be able to advance his position. One draw back was his limited education. He had frittered away his first year at college. He thought he would never go back. But his boss told Arch that the company would increase his pay if he took some courses in chemistry or science. And they would pay for the school on a prorated basis, depending on his grades.

Archie had some things to think about.

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Did You Hear About How I Did Not Care About Bad Grades?

When Archie Brown was 18 years old, he did not care that his irresponsibility had led to his grades being so bad. His first semester grade point average was 1.57 and cost him his eligibility to play baseball in the NCAA. His second semester he did not attend classes for the last six weeks of the semester, nor take any finals, so he received five F’s and a B. The B was in Physical Education and it was a gift from the graduate assistant who was in charge of the class.

Archie did not care at 18, but there was a bit of a change of heart when he was 25!

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Did You Hear About How My Second Semester Ended?

After Archie and Ronda were married, she continued to attend class and finished the semester. But Archie was to immature to swallow his pride and go rectify his situation; opening the door again to play ball for the school in a future season. Instead he took a menial job and joined a local semi-pro team. He did not finish the semester; he did not care about the report card that indicated his grades were incomplete. He did not care when they turned to F’s three months.

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Did You Hear About My Marriage Proposal?

It was not so much that Archie thought about the decision not to go back to class after he was declared academically ineligible to play baseball. He was just angry. In his exasperation, he called the girl he was dating. He asked her to marry him, to leave the next day and go to the courthouse in the county seat and be married. To his surprise, Ronda said yes!

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Did You Hear About My Decision Not to Finish the Second Semester?

Archie Brown had really made a mess of his grades in his first semester of college. His 1.57 grade point average left him academically ineligible to play baseball, according to NCAA rules. And he compounded the mess when he decided not to attend classes for the last six weeks of the semester. He was angry, and besides, he had other plans.

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Did You Hear About My Reaction To Academic Ineligibility?

When Archie Brown learned that he was ineligible to play baseball under NCAA rules, because his grades were so poor, he got angry. But he did not get angry at the one responsible for the situation. He was mad at the school, the coach, everyone but himself. He soon compounded his blunders.

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Thursday, December 28, 2006

Did You Hear About My Starting Job on College Baseball Team?

Archie Brown was a pretty good ball player. He had a good fall season in his freshman year. He believed he had a good chance to win a starting job at third base in the spring semester.

His spring work on the diamond was even better. On the last Saturday before the season was to begin, the team played an exhibition double header against a Southwest Conference school. Archie started at third in both games. He was elated, until the team arrived home that night. The eligibility list was up, and Archie’s name was not on it!

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Did You Hear About My First Semester at College?

Archie Brown turned 18 about two weeks before he left home for college four hundred miles from home. He had led something of a sheltered life. When he arrived at school, away from the constant accountability to his parents, he was less than responsible about being a good student.

In fact Archie was all about having some fun. He played ball in the afternoon, dated in the evening and played poker most of the night. That left little time to sleep. He decided the best time for a bit of shut eye was during class time. At the end of the first semester, his grade demonstrated Archie had played too hard. His grade point average was 1.57 in a 4 point grading system.

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Did You Hear About Our Mutual Anniversary Hot Air Balloon Plans?

The plans for the mutual anniversary celebration by Archie & Ronda Brown and Larry & Barbara Searcy included an ride in a hot air balloon! Archie had found a place outside of Houston that offered rides for four people for $100 per person. It was more than they really wanted to pay, but the idea of sharing the adventure won out and the reservation was made. Sadly, Larry had a heart attack and was in the hospital for surgery a week before the flight was to take place. The balloonist was considerate in canceling the reservation and refunding the deposit. But the balloon ride never took place.

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Did You Hear About Our Mutual Anniversary Dinner Cruise?

For another mutual anniversary celebration Archie and Ronda Brown met Larry and Barbara Searcy in Galveston for a dinner cruise on the bay! The boat ride lasted around four hours. That allowed the couples plenty of time to enjoy a fabulous seafood meal, the musical entertainment provided for the guests, and still have time to stroll on the deck under the spring time moon!

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Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time My Daughter Called About Naming Her New Baby

Archie Brown’s daughter called to announce her pregnancy. She wanted her mom and dad to have a say in the name of their next grand baby. Archie searched online for the meaning of the names before submitting them for Beth's consideration. He and his wife, Ronda, had selected names that sounded nice to them, without considering what the names meant. Archie was able to discover that his name means “athletic”. He called Andy back to give him the information.

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Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Did You Hear About Our Mutual Anniversary Train Ride?

One of the first mutual anniversary adventures the Browns and Searcys embarked on, following the Searcys’ move to the country, was a train ride. A train made a dinner excursion out of San Antonio. The Browns and Searcys met in San Antone and boarded the train. They were shown to a compartment for four. It had a table set with elegant china and silver, with a yellow rose in a silver vase at each of the ladies’ place. There was a small stair case up to an observation deck where the couples could sit and enjoy a view and some conversation till dinner was served. The train made its way to Hondo station, and then headed back to San Antonio. The meal was great and the trip was wonderful.

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Did You Hear About Our Mutual Anniversary Friends Moving Away?

Archie and Ronda Brown shared many anniversary celebrations with Larry and Barbara Searcy over at least two decades. It was not always as easy as the first one when they were neighbors, because The Searcys moved away to the countryside near Gonzalez, Texas, which was several hours drive away from the Browns. But they enjoyed each other and the adventures they embarked on so much that they always worked out a way to meet.

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Sunday, December 17, 2006

Did You Hear About My Friend's Discomfort At The Elegant Restaurant?

Everything was going so beautifully on the double date by Larry and Barbara Searcy and Archie and Ronda Brown in celebration of their respective anniversaries. The restaurant was elegant and service was very accommodating. It was so good that Larry had never seen anything like the moment the waiter unfolded Larry’s linen napkin and placed it on Larry’s lap. That was a bit uncomfortable for a farm boy.

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Did You Hear About Our Orders At the Elegant Restaurant?

The elegant restaurant Archie Brown and Larry Searcy had chosen as the place to celebrate their respective wedding anniversaries with their wives had turned out to be a wonderfully satisfying success. Their wives, Ronda and Barbara, were beaming as the waiter recited the menu. Archie and Ronda each chose steak as their entrée, Barbara selected Long Island Duck, while Larry ordered Filet of Sole.

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Did You Hear About Our View of the Swans?

When the Browns and Searcys approached the entrance, the doorman opened the door and welcomed the couples as though they were dignitaries, despite the fact that they had never seen such a place. The maitre d and waiters were all dressed in tuxedos, there was a tree growing in the middle of the large dining room. The couples were seated at a table near a bay window that provided a great view of the lake and the swans.

They were out of their element, but really pleased at the choice they had made in where to celebrate their anniversaries.

Did You Hear About The Peacocks & Black Swans At the Restaurant?

The Browns and the Searcys were feeling pretty smug as the got out of the car at the fancy restaurant. It was the first time either of them had used valet parking. As the walked up the winding path to the entrance, they passed several peacocks that were a part of the ambiance. They saw the azaleas in bloom around a gazebo on the little hill in the middle of the garden. It overlooked a small lake on which a pair of black swans was swimming peacefully. The Browns and Searcys were very impressed, and they had not even inside the restaurant yet!

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Did You Hear About The First Time We Celebrated Our Anniversary With Friends?

Archie and Ronda Brown had some friends Larry and Barbara Searcy, whose wedding anniversary was within a week of their own. One year the Larry and Archie decided to take their wives to a very fancy restaurant. Both the couples were from rural backgrounds and loved the same things. The evening went so well that the two couples celebrated their anniversaries together for the next twenty five or more years. They had some fine adventures. And some funny moments too.

Did You Hear About Our Foster Daughter's Move From Defiance to Glee?

Bethany, the Brown’s foster daughter, had been allowed to come to the supper table after overcoming her first act of rebellion in her new home. She ate alone. And the fact is that she probably threw and spilled as much as she put in her mouth. But she did not get in any trouble over the messiness. The only thing that had been demanded was that she say the word “eat” instead of grunting and pointing. For the next few days, she continued her defiant demeanor as she still clinched her teeth and said, “eat” as meal time arrived. By the end of a week, however, she would gleefully run to the table shouting, “eat, eat, eat!”

Did You Hear About Our Foster Daughter's Second Breakthrough?

When Bethany had been sent to her room she continued the screaming for a full forty minutes, while the Brown family ate supper. When supper was over, Archie went in to Bethany’s room, to find her standing in the middle of the room with her hands balled into tight fists. Archie told his little foster daughter, “Bethany, you have met the hardest headed man you will ever meet. You can continue to scream if you want to, but if you want to eat, you must say eat.”

She looked at him, quit screaming and, through firmly clinched teeth, growled, “Eat!, Eat!, Eat! She was escorted to the table and given her supper.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Did You Hear About Our Foster Daughter's First Rebellion?

When Bethany arrived at the Brown’s home as a foster child at eighteen months old, she regressed in her development. She had been speaking, but reverted to grunting and pointing. Archie and Ronda did not place any demands on her for the first few days, perhaps a week.

At that time she was told that she would have to say “eat” if she wanted to eat. She was stubborn and refused. And she began to scream, not cry, just scream. Archie told her to go to her room. She did that, but continued to scream.

For forty minutes!

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Thursday, December 14, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Bought A New Ball Glove?

Archie and Ronda Brown had been married a couple of years. He was working for a local chemical plant, but he still loved to play baseball. He was the shortstop on a semi-pro team that was made up of local boys who had foregone college for one reason or another, but who could not just hang up their spikes.

Archie decided he needed a new ball glove. So on his way home from the plant one day, he stopped at the sports goods store. He found the perfect glove for him. It was $40, and that was a big portion of Archie's paycheck in 1967. He bought the glove, but guilt hit him almost the moment he left the store. He decided to hide the golve from Ronda.

Bad choice.

At the next game, Archie used his new mitt. As always Ronda was in the stands watching. When the game was over, she wondered where he had gotten the new glove. He had to admit his spending spree, and his attempt to deceive.

He learned a lesson that day about honesty and relationships that served him well for the rest of his days.

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Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Did You Hear About Our Foster Daughter's First Expressions of Love??

That first break through was the product of Evonne and Shelby’s sincere expressions of acceptance and love to Bethany, and the consistent attention and care of Ronda.

On that day six weeks after Bethany’s arrival, Archie came home at the usual time. When he entered the living room he saw Ronda on the floor singing “Jesus Loves Me” to Bethany. Bethany was not resisting being held and hugged. In fact, she was stroking Ronda’s cheeks with both hands!

It was a sweet moment. It validated all the work that had been done for the first six weeks. And it motivated continued efforts in the days ahead.

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Sunday, December 10, 2006

Did You Hear About Our Enjoyment of Christmas Movies?

Archie Brown and his wife, Ronda, love the Christmas season for many reasons. One of them is that some of their favorite movies are Christmas movies. They still love to watch older classic movies like "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life."
They enjoy watching the children's movies like "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer" with thier grandchildren. And they always have a laugh with the more recent classic, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation", with all its slapstick gags. Arch and Ronda have an ongoing debate as to whether egg nog is better when in a Melk Mug. Archie could never make Ronda see that a mug that looked like a cross between a moose and an elk had any impact on the pleasure of eggnog!

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Did You Hear About Our Foster Daughter's First Breakthrough??

When Bethany came to the Brown’s home, she did not know how to give or receive affection. But that did not stop her new foster sisters from treating her like a baby doll. She was hugged and kissed and given attention such as she had not had in her first year and a half!

It only took six weeks for the first break through!

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Did You Hear About Our Foster Daughter's Being Neglected As A Baby??

Archie and Ronda Brown received an 18 month old little girl into their home for two months of foster care. The name she was born with had been changed, she was now called Bethany. She had been neglected as a baby, never held or cuddled. She did not know how to receive nor give affection.

That was one of the major obstacles she would have to overcome in life.

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Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Did You Hear About Our Foster Daughter's Early Days??

The little girl the Browns agreed to take in as a foster child was only eighteen months old when she was brought to their home. But she had already lived in 5 homes by that time. Her mom was unable to care for her. She stayed with her mom’s parents for a little while, but they were unable to continue the arrangement for long. The little girl had already been to three other foster homes. But she was not easy to handle, so she had been sent back to the agency.

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Did You Hear About The Time We Agreed to Become Foster Parents?

In that original meeting with the representatives of Christian Services, Archie and Ronda Brown were also asked to consider doing foster parenting until the infant boy they were seeking to adopt was available. There was an 18 month old little girl with special needs that the Browns were asked to take as a foster child for the two months it would take to get her paper work done so she could be adopted.

The Browns agreed. Their future was changed!

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Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Did You Hear About The First Meeting with the Adoption Acency?

In the meeting with the director of the representatives of Christian Services of the Southwest, Archie and Ronda Brown learned many things about the process of adoption.
They learned that there was usually a few months waiting period for an infant boy. They learned the financial requirements. They learned of the state regulations and the expectations of the agency.

But that was not all they learned!

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Did You Hear About Our Decision to Adopt a Child?

Archie and Ronda Brown decided that they would work seek to become adoptive parents. They had two daughters and figured they would adopt a little boy, younger than Evonne and Shelby. They did not want either girl to lose their place in the pecking order of the family. They contacted an agency in Dallas and made an appointment with the director and a social worker.

The first step toward a changed life was taken.

Did You Hear About The Time I Made 2nd My Daughter Take A Speech Class?

Archie Brown not only insisted that his first born, Evonne, take a speech class in high school. He made the same demand on his second daughter, Shelby. And the resistance he met from her was far more vehement than with Evonne. But once again he prevailed. She did well in the class. And once again the class had a positive outcome. Shelby got to serve as a foreign exchange student to Singapore representing the Rotary Club from her hometown. While in Singapore, Shelby had been expected to make a presentation to 600 men, in a foreign culture. When she returned home, she told Archie that she was glad he had made her take that speech course!

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Did You Hear About The Time I Made My Daughter Take A Speech Class?

Archie Brown’s dad, Orel, had insisted that Arch take a speech class as an elective subject in high school. It had turned out to be very helpful in Archie’s life as a teacher. So naturally when Archie’s daughter, Evonne, was in high school, he made the same demand on her as he had from his dad. Evonne did not want to take speech, but was no more successful resisting her dad than he had been in resisting her grandpa.

Again it paid off. It gave her confidence that she could present ideas with clarity and skill. She became a wonderful Sunday school teacher.

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Monday, December 04, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Had To Take A Speech Class?

Archie Brown wanted to be a major league baseball player. Or maybe a veterinarian. So
When his dad, Orel, insisted that one of Archie’s elective courses in high school be used to take a speech class, there was a pretty big fuss between them. Orel had such an aversion to speaking in public that it had held him back from advancements. He did not want his son to have the same stumbling block. Orel won the argument. And he was vindicated when Archie actually enjoyed it. Public speaking became a part of his life as a teacher.

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Sunday, December 03, 2006

Did You Hear About the Times I Called the Hogs!

Archie Brown’s dad, Orel, loved the Arkansas Razorbacks football team. When his kids were still living at home, Orel would try to schedule at least one weekend trip each season to see a game.

The Hogs were always competitive, so the kids enjoyed the games. But their favorite part of the contests was when the cheerleaders would lead the Arkansas faithful in calling the hogs. Archie and his siblings loved to join in!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Pig, soooie! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Pig, soooie! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Pig, soooie!

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Thursday, November 30, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Ate A Whole Cow?

When Archie Brown was a young boy, he loved it when his maternal grandparents came to visit in Texas, from their home outside Philadelphia. His grandparents loved Archie and his siblings, Cathy and Max. They thought Archie was the smartest boy they had ever met and they loved to laugh at his jokes.

On one trip, Grandpa Gabelle said, “I am so hungry I could eat a cow.” Archie said, “Grandpa, I know a place that will serve each of us a whole cow, and I promise I will eat my whole cow if you buy it for me.” His grandpa said he’d buy, so Archie took him to the Dairy Bar, the establishment with menu items, Brown Cow and Black Cow. The Black Cow was chocolate ice cream in a tall glass, with root beer poured over it, the Brown Cow had vanilla ice cream.

True to his word, Archie ate his whole Black Cow!

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time We Gave Timeshare For A Wedding GIft?

Archie and Ronda Brown had several times traded the use of their timeshare property in Galveston, Texas for use of other properties in various destinations for their vacations.

They also found another way to use their ownership to great benefit. When their daughter, Evonne, got married, Arch and Ronda traded their week of time for a week in a property for the honeymoon. It worked out so well that they gave the timeshare exchange to loved ones for their honeymoon trips.

Did You Hear About The Time We Used OurTimeshare To Go To D. C.?

One year Archie and Ronda traded their timeshare week in Galveston for a week in Red River, New Mexico. The family went skiing, along with other family members. Their place had beds for six and a kitchen and dining area. The bay window provided a view of the mountain they were skiing. It also had a hot tub, which was a welcome relief after a day on the mountain.

Did You Hear About The Time We Used OurTimeshare To Go Skiing?

Did You Hear About The Time We Went to Hear About Timeshare Properties?

Archie and Ronda Brown went to one of those presentations of a timeshare property in Galveston. They thought it would be a nice way to pick up the door prize being offered, and afterward they would stop for a nice seafood dinner and a stroll down the seawall. Ninety minutes later they had signed up to buy a floating red week of time and become members of the vacation exchange service, RCI.

Not such a cheap evening as they had expected!

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Did You Hear About My Grandfather GIving Me A Beagle Hound?

Archie Brown’s was given one of the red and white beagles bred by his grandfather. The mother of the pup was named on her AKC papers, “Bingo’s Belle.” Archie named his puppy Whizzer. On his papers he was, “Belle’s Whizzer.” And Whizzer grew to be a field trial champion.

One day a friend, Walt, asked Archie if Whizzer could go on a hunt with the friend’s beagles. Archie allowed Walt to take his prized hound. But it was a deadly mistake. Whizzer was leading the pack that was chasing a rabbit. When the rabbit passed Walt, he shot at it. But he missed and shot Whizzer in the head instead.

Did You Hear About My Grandfather's Beagle Hounds?

Archie Brown’s grandfather bred beagles for several reasons. One he loved the breed, loved to watch and listen to them work as they hunted rabbits. He loved to compete at field trials and dog shows against other breeders. And he loved the extra money that came from selling pups from his champion blood lines.

One of the reasons people sought out his pups was that he had bred the black out of his dogs; his beagles were only red and white. Archie grew up loving beagles, especially red and white ones.

Did You Hear About The Time I Went Away to College?

When Archie Brown had gone away to school in Abilene, he wanted to be away from constant scrutiny of his folks. He wasn’t sure why, he just knew that is what he wanted.
He had never played poker before college. But he tried it and liked it a lot. It was how he financed his dating life. He had never had pizza before going to college, because the only place that sold it in his little home town was the beer joint, and he was not allowed to go there. When he tried pizza for the first time, he was hooked; it was a Pizza Inn sausage pizza! He went to his first strip club, skipped his first class and a few other experiments. Fortunately for him the only thing he tried that he continued doing throughout his life was eating pizza!

Monday, November 27, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Became a Blogger?

Archie Brown was happily making a living as a coach and teacher. But one day he received an email from one of his daughters urging him to join her in becoming bloggers. Archie had heard the word, but did not even know what the term meant until that night. His second daughter, Lizzie, thought he might like the experience.

She convinced him to sign up and name her as the one who referred him. That would allow the income that was possible from advertising on the blogs to be more lucrative. They both signed up and became blog addicted. It was not only a chance to express ideas and discuss them with others around the world, it also let the two of them know each other better than ever before.

Did You Hear About The Time My Cousin Moved Into Town?

Archie Brown had a cousin, Bobby, who was about three when his family moved from the farm to the small city where Archie’s family lived. It turned out to be somewhat traumatic for Bobby.

You see, he was in the midst of potty training. When they were on the farm, they facility was out side, a nice two-holer. So when Bobby would announce his need to go, his mom, Archie’s Aunt Lily, would tell him, “okay, that is a big boy, hurry run outside!”

But when they moved to the city, their new home had indoor plumbing. So when Bobby would be playing outside and tell Aunt Lily he needed to go, she would say, “Okay, that is a big boy, run INSIDE.” Bobby was a very confused little boy!

Did You Hear About The Time I made My First Error?

Archie Brown was so pleased when as a ten year old; he was named the starter at second base on his Little League Team, the Dodgers! He was the only ten year old starter on a good team; most of the rest of the starters were 12!

One night the Dodgers were having a particularly bad night. Nobody could catch the ball, it seemed. Bobby Koenig, the catcher had a miserable night behind the plate. And Mo Rave, the All-Everything shortstop, had made three errors that had allowed several unearned runs to score. The Dodgers were down 10-1.

That is when Archie made an error at second base, his first of the season. He stood at second base and could not keep the tears from flowing. He felt he was to blame for the bad situation the team was in. It was irrational, but that is how he felt. His coach, Mr. Billington, came onto the field to console Arch, and let him know he was still an important part of the team. Archie got over the error.

But he never forgot Mr. Billington!

Friday, November 24, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Got A Serious Sunburn?

Archie Brown and some of his class mates were invited on San Jacinto Day to go to the lake with their favorite teacher. Mrs. Tucker had been their teacher in the 5th grade. Now as 6th graders, they still loved her. Tommy and Larry and Zeke and Arch went swimming and canoeing and even fished a bit.

It was an overcast day, so the guys thought nothing about going shirtless all day. But they learned that overcast days do not mean one cannot get serious sunburns. Archie and the guys all missed a couple of days of school because of the severe burns. Archie even had to go to the doctor to get some relief.

He never again went shirtless outside again, even when swimming, he wore a tee shirt.

Did You Hear About Our First Thanksgiving Together?

Archie Brown and Ronda had only been married since March. It was their first Thanksgiving together. Ronda’s mother and step-dad, as well as her grandmother & grandfather came for the meal. So did Archie’s little brother Max.

Ronda had done a wonderful job in the kitchen, the turkey was tender, the mashed potatoes were so creamy, the peas, corn, cranberry sauce, the hot rolls, everything was perfect.

The only flaw in the day came when Max asked Archie to toss him a roll. Archie did so—he tossed a roll to his little brother. Ronda was not amused, nor were her mom and grandmother.

Did You Hear About The Time We Picked Up Coke Bottles To Get Movie Tickets?

Archie and Cathy Brown wanted to go to the matinee at the local theater. A ticket only cost twenty cents in those days, but it was a more than their dad could afford that weekend. It was not the first time that had been the case. So they resorted to their old way of raising funds.

They got their wagon and began walking the streets of their small town to collect discarded coke bottles from the ditches. The return on the bottles was two cents each. So when they had gathered twenty five bottles, they went to the local market and redeemed the bottles. Each of them had a quarter, so they could get in the theater and were able to buy a bag of popcorn, which cost a nickel.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time My Hit Four Homers & Stole 8 Papers?

Archie Brown’s daughter, Evonne, was an athletic girl. When she was only 8 she made headlines in the local newspaper’s sports page! It read “Brown Hits 4 for 4 Home Runs!” The story gave an account of the softball game Evonne had played in the previous night. Her team had won and she had indeed hit 4 homers in the game.

As he read the paper, Archie called Evonne from her room to see the story. He told her that they should get some extra copies of the paper so they could send to grandparents and othr family members that would want to see it. Evonne said she would go across the street to the newspaper rack to make the purchase. Archie gave her 8 quarters to pay for the copies he decided were needed.

A few minutes later Evonne came in with the papers and returned 7 quarters to her dad. When asked why she had not deposited the quarters, she said that when she had opened the rack with the first quarter, she took all the papers she wanted and did not have to put in any more money.

Archie informed her that she could not take the papers without paying for all she had taken. She was shocked to find she had stolen the papers. She ran back to the rack and deposited the rest of the quarters.

And Archie had another memory for life.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Learned to Drive?

When Archie Brown got his driver’s license, his family owned a 1957 Dodge Coronet. It was red and white and had the incredibly long fins on the back. Archie loved the way it looked fast. And it had a 400 cubic inch engine, so it would GO fast! It had an automatic transmission, but it did not have a gear shift handle, it was push buttons!

Orel, Archie’s dad, took Arch out for his first drive. They took the route that Orel usually drove to get to work. Part of the route was along a canal with a 40 embankment. Archie was pretty nervous on that section, and when they turned off the levee road Archie was relieved. He did not know that in only 3 years, he would be driving that road every day on his way to the same plant, the way his dad had for nearly 40 years.

Did You Hear About The Time My Grandson Had a Birthday?

Andy Brown had a birthday, it was number 7! His grandparents, Archie and Ronda, hosted a supper for the family members on that night, with plans to have a party with Andy’s friends on the weekend. Andy got to choose the menu, so dinner was spaghetti and salad and birthday cake with ice cream and M & M’s.

Everyone brought a gift. He received books, a batting glove, 2 pairs of pajamas, a harmonica he had been asking for, three shirts from his favorite football, basketball and college teams. Plus he received two action figures that came from the dollar store, a knight and a dragon.

Guess which gift was his favorite!

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Found Fudgesicles?

Archie Brown loved chocolate. He liked chocolate cake and chocolate pie, and chocolate candy. Of course his favorite ice cream was chocolate. So when the local Popsicle vendor announced that he was now carrying the new Fudgesicle, Archie was overjoyed.

No longer did he have to make a decision about whether to choose cherry, orange or grape Popsicle. Those were for kids! He loved the Fudgesicles and that was always his choice when the Ice Cream Man came into the neighborhood!

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Did You Hear About The Time I Found Something Green to Eat That Tasted Good?

Archie Brown was a picky eater. He did not like the taste of green things. It was not that he thought he did not like them without trying them. He always was made to try before he was allowed to determine his like or dislike of a particular dish. So he was able to find many things he did like. But things like spinach, or broccoli or lettuce or cabbage did not taste nice to him.

In all the testing of green things, the only one Archie found to his liking was---
LIME SHERBET!

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Saturday, November 11, 2006

Did You Hear About The Times I Entered the School Spelling Bee?

Archie Brown was a good speller. It came easy to him in school. He loved to take spelling tests. One of the times he enjoyed most each week in school was when Mrs. Colvin held a class spelling bee. Archie invariably won the class competition.

Every year there was a school wide spelling bee. Every year Archie entered and did very well. In fact, he finished second all three years of elementary school. The reason he finished second was Candy Rabon. Candy always beat Archie. She won the trophy. Archie got a ribbon and a pair of tickets to the local theater.

It was a good thing he liked to go to the movies!

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Did You Hear About The Times I Flew An Airplane Off A Cliff?

Archie Brown attended a campout every spring at a campground in the Hill Country of Texas. One of the distinctive features of the campsite is a cliff that overlooks the camp facilities. The top of the cliff is a favorite destination of campers, because the view is so spectacular.

One of the little things Archie liked to do was take fly a plane off that cliff. The first time he tried it, he just made a paper airplane and launched it from the edge of the cliff. Over subsequent years Archie took balsa wood gliders, Styrofoam gliders and plastic gliders of various sizes.

No great records were set, but Archie enjoyed himself!

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Did You Hear About The Time All Three Kids Got the Measles?

Archie Brown had pneumonia twice and chickenpox. His sister, Cathy had had whooping cough as a baby and broken her arm once. Their little brother, Max, had broken his collar bone twice and his arm once. Each of those times had made for a bit of difficulty for their parents, especially their mother, Betty Lou.

But the time that all three of them came down with severe cases of the measles was a really difficult time for her. She put them all in the living room, because it was darker than any room in the house. For some reason Betty thought that light would hurt their eyes when they had measles. Archie was on one couch, Cathy on the other and Max on a pallet on the floor. They stayed in there for most of a week, with high fevers and whiny attitudes. It was a tough week for all!

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Friday, November 10, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time My Sister Learned to Read?

Cathy Brown was a bright little girl, but she was having trouble learning to read. She was doing well in math and other subjects. She had her eyes checked, but that was not the problem.

One day in a conference with her teacher, Cathy's parents, Orel and Betty Lou, asked to have Cathy demonstrate the way she was trying to read. They all sat down and got out her primer. Cathy started on the left of the page, using her finger to guide her vision as she moved across the page. When she got to the end of the page, she dropped to the next line, on the right of the page, and changing hands, used her finger to guide her vision back in the other direction. All the adults said at once, "That's it!"

Cathy was ambidextrous. When she was forced to use only one hand, she began reading well, almost immediately!

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Did You Hear About The Time I Contracted Chicken Pox?

Archie Brown was about as unlucky as nay boy ever was. At least, that is how he felt when he came down with some disease that ruined holidays off from school. When he was in third grade, he came down with pnuemonia on the day of the Christmas party at school. In the ninth grade, the day he again was attacked by pnuemonia, this time on the day of dismissal for the Easter break. Both times he spent much of the time off in the hospital.

When he was in the sixth grade Archie went to the Saturday matinee on the day after shcool had been dismissed for the Christmas holiday. When he arrived home, his mom, Betty Lou, asked him about the spots on his neck and face. Archie had come down with Chicken Pox. It was a light case, but Archie was house bound for a good portion of the holiday season. Not feeling bad made it all the worse.

Unluckiest boy in town!

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Thursday, November 09, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Had Pneumonia?

Archie Brown woke up that morning so sick he could hardly lift his head. His mom was really worried; Archie had never had a temperature of 105 before. She sent the other kids to school with her neighborhood carpool. She loaded Archie in the car and took him to the hospital. He was immediately taken into the emergency room and put into an ice bath, with a fan blowing across him to get the fever down. He was given a shot of penicillin to fight his bacterial pneumonia.

When the fever was at an acceptable, Archie was taken to a room, where he spent the next week. Later that day, his third grade teacher, Mrs. Adams, came to see Archie. She brought him the gift that had been intended for him at the party at school that day.

You see, it was the day before the school break for the Christmas holiday.

Did You Hear About The Time My Brother Made The Skeet Shooting Team?

Archie was a good athelte, with good eye hand coordination. But his brother, Max Brown, was a natural with any weapon. When he was twelve, Max got a bow and arrow for Christmas from his grandparents. When they visited at Easter time, Max could already shoot the flame off a candle at twenty paces.

When Max went to work with the prison system, he was invited to come try out for the skeet shooting the at the unit. Though he had never shot skeet before, he hit 91 of a hundred in his trial. Needless to say, he made the team.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Did You Hear About The Most Impressive Historical Places I Have Seen?

1. Linclon Memorial in Washington, D.C.
2. Monticello--Thomas Jefferson's home
3. The Marine Corps Monument in Arlingon National Cemetery
4. Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
5. The Alamo
6. The Statue of Liberty
7. The Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolna
8. Gettysburg Battlefield in Pennsylvania
9. Vicksburg Battlefield in Mississippi
10. The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Archie also began thinking about where he would like to visit in the future.

Did You Hear About The Time I Predicted The Top Ten NCAA Football Teams?

Wayne could hardly keep a straight face. He had just found Archie’s preseason picks for the NCAA football top ten. He had called Barry to come over as well, so they could both tease Arch about his picks. When he put the list on the table in front of Archie, Wayne said “It is a good thing you did not place any bets on this list, or you would be broke!” Here is Archie’s prediction:
1. Notre Dame
2. West Virginia
3. Ohio State
4. LSU
5. Texas
6. Florida State
7. Southern Cal
8. Iowa
9. Florida
10. Texas Tech
Archie laughed, but he surely wished his friends had never seen his list!

Did You Hear About The Mean Lady Who Lived Across From The Ball Park?

Archie and his neighbor buddies loved to go the little league park. To get to the park, Wayne, Barry, and Arch would walk across Huisache Street, between the houses on that side. They proceeded past the houses that faced Oak Drive and backed up to the houses opposite Archie’s house. They were careful when they went past 109 Oak Drive, because they were afraid of the lady who lived there, Mrs. Stuman.

As far as anyone knows, Mrs. Stuman never killed or kidnapped anyone, but the boys feared her anyway. She was very gruff. So when a foul ball was hit into the Stuman’s front yard, the boys would go through a little ritual to determine who had to go into the yard to retrieve the ball.

One of the boys would toss the bat. It would be caught by another of the guys. Then each boy would place his hand above one another until someone had come to grip the knob of the bat. The unlucky player then had to make the trip, with all his friends holding their breath until the ball was brought back and play resumed

Did You Hear About The Time I Saw My Dad Cry At The Movies?

Archie Brown's dad, Orel, did not cry. He was from the generaton that taught that men don't do that. So the night Archie saw his dad crying over a movie was indeed memorable for him.

Archie was 17, and had a date that night. He had taken Avis to see the new James Stewart movie, Shenandoah. It was a great movie, and became one of Archie's all time favotites. It is a the story of a family in Virginia in the days of the Civil War. It has lots of beautiful scenery, some good action sequences and several very touching scenes about a man, much like Orel. The final scene shows a man and his son he thought was dead being reunited.

When the lights in the theater went up, Archie saw his dad. He had not known his dad was coming to the theater that night, so he was already a bit surprised. But when he saw Orel take out his handkerchief and wipe his eyes as he stood up, he was amazed. It was the first time he had seen his father crying. Archie kept that image in his mind for the rest of his days!

Monday, November 06, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Went Back to My Hometown For A Funeral?

The town was much smaller when the Browns lived there. Archie was surprised at the changes he found when he went back for a funeral in his hometown. His brother’s mother-in-law had passed away, so Archie had brought the family to pay respects.

When the funeral was over, Archie took his kids and grandkids on a ride through town. He wanted them to see the places he had enjoyed as a boy. But there had been lots of changes. The house he had grown up in was still the same, but the street was now paved instead of blacktop. And all the woods that had been behind the house were gone. The area that had concealed what he and his friends had called Lost Lake was now a big subdivision, and the lake was now called Shy Pond!

The elementary school Archie had attended had been expanded, and the theater at which Archie had worked now housed a community music center. There was now a mall, and of course a Wal-mart. Lots of the shops he had frequented were no longer in business. The tour was almost as sad to Archie as the funeral.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Asked My Sister To Walk Behind Me?

Archie and Cathy Brown were nearly two years apart, age wise. They did not always get along. Archie thought that since he was older, he should have some respect from his sister, and some privileges she did not have. And he did not always conduct himself in a way that drew respect from Cathy, or privileges from his folks for that matter.

For instance, there was that time, when Arch was ten and Cathy was eight. Their mom, Betty, sent the kids to the Ben Franklin 5 & Dime, for some embroidery thread. It was about six block from their home. As they entered the business district of the small community, Archie turned to Cathy and said, “Walk behind me, about three steps, so no one will know we are together. It is embarrassing to have you walking with me.”

Do you think that helped build Cathy’s respect for her brugly other?

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time My Expedition Was Ruined?

Archie Brown’s dad had grown up in Arkansas. He had moved to Texas after his service in the Navy in WWII, to work in a chemical plant. But every summer, the family went to Arkansas to visit the kinfolks back on the farm.

Archie really loved the visits because of adventures he and his cousin, Sherman Earle, got to experience. Archie and Sherman were only 3 months apart, age wise, and they really got along well. Sherman’s dad kept livestock. He had a pond with lots of fish for the boys to catch. And he had dogs. Coon dogs.

One of the best of the dogs was called Rounder. He was named because he was expert at circling a coon till he could find an opening to catch it without getting himself hurt by his prey. But Rounder was a great dog for boys as well. He would fetch and do other tricks. He would protect the boys from snakes and other threats to their safety. Archie thought Lassie had taken lessons from Rounder on how to be a kid dog.

One day Aunt Joyce, Sherman’s mother, told the 6 year old boys they could go on a picnic if they took Rounder with them. She thought the boys would go to the end of the gravel road and eat under a tree within sight of the house. But Archie and Sherman had other ideas.

Archie and Sherm were excited to go on an exploring the woods. They made themselves a lunch of peanut butter crackers and a big jar of orange kool-aid. They took their lunches and their bb guns, and set off on their expedition. They walked nearly half a mile, following the bank of an irrigation canal, to a place where a tree had fallen across the canal. The boys put their lunches on a rock so they would have one hand free as they crossed the canal on the log bridge. Once across, they went into the woods and snooped around, taking pot shots at blackbirds and exploring land they were sure had never been discovered before.

Some time later, the boys heard their names being called by Aunt Joyce and Archie’s dad, Orel. The parents were horrified to think the boys had gone so far and could not believe they would have crossed the log into the woods. The boys got a very stern lecture that day.

The only thing that upset Archie and Sherman, though, was that when they got back, they found Rounder laying on the rock, having eaten their lunches. Archie and Sherman were really disheartened.

If a guy can’t trust his dog, who can he trust?

Did You Hear About The Time I Had My First Fist Fight?

Archie Brown was very excited when he got the news that the new neighbors had 5 children. One of them, Wayne, was five years old. He was about 7 months younger than Arch, but much bigger.

Wayne had two older brothers. Those brothers were pretty rough, and dealt Wayne a lot of misery. But it served to make Wayne tough and fearless. Archie, who was a first born and very skinny, learned that fact the hard way.

One day a few weeks after the Andrews family had moved into the neighborhood, Wayne and Archie were playing in the front yard of the Andrews’ house. They had a fuss. Archie demanded his way. He tried to cajole Wayne to give in because he was older and should get the final say on the matter. But Wayne was having none of that.

So Archie increased the volume of the argument. He called Wayne stupid! But Wayne was unmoved. Archie next threatened Wayne, but Wayne only laughed at Archie. His anger exploded and Archie hit Wayne on the chest. Wayne reacted by retaliating. He hit Archie in the stomach, knocking him to the ground! A surprised and hurt Archie cried loudly.

The crying brought Ruth Andrews, Wayne’s mom, to the door, and then into the yard to check on things. She asked, “Who started the fight?” Archie replied through his tears, “I it first, but he hit hardest!”

Archie and Wayne were great friends for the next 13 years, living next door to one another and sharing many great adventures. But the never had another fist fight. Archie learned that day in the front yard that there were better ways to settle a dispute with Wayne!

Friday, October 27, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Ruined My Season By Hitting A Home Run?

Archie Brown was a very good Little League Baseball player. He had played on a team as a ten year, competing well with the older boys. As an 11 year old, Arch had really made a name for himself in his small hometown. His slick glove work on the infield had become the talk of the town. And when he led the whole league in hitting that year, with a .428 average, there were predictions of his future greatness. Visions of playing second base for the St. Louis Cardinals frequently danced across Archie's own mind! He was one of only two 11 year olds to make the city all star team that year.

The next year, the last of Archie's eligibility for the Little League, the defining moment arrived in his first game of the season. Archie hit a home run. It was the first of his career. He had grown a bit, so it was not seen at the time to be as importatnt as it was.

You see, the thing is that Archie loved how he felt when he trotted around the bases on that homer. He was no longer satisfied to hit line drive singles, or an occasional double down one line or the other. He developed a hitch in his swing, trying to generate power and get under the ball. Archie's batting average suffered. By the end of the season, Arch's batting average was just a little above .300, and he was in jeopardy of not making the all star team.

Archie was selected to represent the community in the all stars, but probably as much for his previous year, and the fact that it was his last in the league. The coach of the team that won the league championship in town had the privilege of managing the all stars. Mr. Larson liked Archie and loved his defensive work in the field. But he was concerned about Archie's offense.

In the practices leading up to the all star competition, Mr. Larson asked Archie to bat left handed, which he had never done, in hopes he would get rid of the hitch he had developed as a right handed batter. Archie agreed, mostly becasue he respected Mr. Larson. And he knew that he might have to sit the bench if he did not cooperate.

When the first game of the all star competition began in a neighboring town, Archie found himself in the familiar lead off spot. But he was batting left handed. In the first at bat, Arch hit a slow roller down the first base line. But the ball hit the base and kicked away from the first baseman, so Archie had a hit. All the rest of his life he called it a true "base hit."

In his second trip to the plate, Archie hit a little pop up that ended up falling between the pitcher, the first baseman, and the second baseman. Any of the three could have caught the ball, but no one took charge and Archie had his second hit!

In his third at bat, Archie hit a seeing-eye ground ball that got between the third baseman and shortstop for his third hit. Unfortunately the team only had two more hits all night, and was beaten. In a consolation game the next game, Archie was allowed to bat right handed and went two for three, with a double.

Archie never batted left handed again in real game, and he only hit one other home run in the rest of his career, which included college ball. And he realized at twelve that he had a talent that was important to a team, but it was not hitting home runs!

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Found The One I Wanted to Marry?

When Archie Brown met Ronda, he fell head over heels in love. And the more he got to know her over the next few months, the more he admired and respected her. He knew he wanted to marry her.

And he wanted to buy her a diamond engagement ring, but he had a small problem. He did not have enough money to buy the kind of ring he thought Ronda deserved. So he decided to talk to his uncle about a small loan.

Uncle Winkie told Archie he would provide the necessary funds. But he counseled his nephew that he should really talk to a reputable jeweler so he would be able to determine just the right ring for Ronda. Uncle Winkie told Arch that they would ask him important questions in order to find out about things like Ronda’s personality and even her wardrobe! He had read about Primestyle.com, who offers the finest quality and selection in quality jewelry at low prices. Archie thanked his uncle for his confidence and his assistance. And he headed for his computer!

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Took My Daughter to the Doctor?

Archie Brown’s daughter, Evonne, called and asked him if he would be able to take her to see the doctor. She said she felt like she might have an ear infection, tonsillitis, a throat infection, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia and sinusitis. In other words, she would have to get better to die! Archie said he would be right over.

When Dr. Neal came into the examining room, he made some inquiries and did a routine exam. But before he made any announcements about the treatments he would recommend, he got out his PDA and logged into Epocrates Online. Epocrates is a premium service for clinicians, designed to provide critical information about more than 3,300 different drugs, dosages, potentials reactions with other medications, and more.

After a few moments verifying the details, Dr. Neal wrote a prescription for Zithromax. He told Evonne to get some rest and take all the prescription. He was confident she would feel better soon.

Did You Hear About The Time My Wife Went Back To School?

Archie Brown and his wife, Ronda, had married while in college. She had quit school to work so that he could get his degree, and she never returned to finish her schooling. They had raised a family and Ronda never regretted her decision.

But when the children had left home, Ronda began thinking about taking a job. She had always been good with math and had an abundance of common sense. The field that most attracted her was computers.

One day she was browsing the web and found a release about Capella University. Capella is an accredited university that offers 76 different undergraduate and graduate degrees including one in information technology. She quickly contacted www.capella.edu and signed up for one of their online degrees She loves that she can go to school in her own home.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time My Sister & I Needed Some Spending Money?

It was the first week of October, 1957. Archie Brown and his sister, Cathy, had no spending money. That was a big problem because the county fair was always held the second week of October. Archie and Cathy really loved the county fair. They loved riding the rides and eating the funnel cakes and other fair fare.

The two Brown kids had recently been given a little loom and some loops that enabled them to make pot holders. They loved the craft. They had come up with some nice patterns and could produce a quality pot holder in fifteen or twenty minutes. Archie suggested that he and Cathy go from house to house offering to sell their creations. Cathy loved the idea.

They took the pot holders they already had made to the houses in the neighborhood and were pleased to find a market! They sold the holders for twenty five cents for one or five for a dollar. They took a couple of dollars of their income to buy more loops and make a bigger inventory. When they finished, they went all over their small hometown, selling potholders! It was a great success and they had plenty of money for the county fair!

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Lost My Friend To Mesothelioma?

Archie Brown was feeling old. He had just been to the funeral for his friend Leon. Leon had contracted mesothelioma, probably from working around asbestos insulation at the power plant, where he'd been employed for 30 years. It was a terrible cancer and the treatment was hard. But Leon had been so brave. Archie was about to embark on a depression-induced sentimental journey.

Archie and Leon had been neighbors for 25 years. They had been involved in community service, they had coached Little Dribblers together, had been scoutmasters together. They had even become volunteers at the local drug rehab & alcohol treatment center. Fortunately, their friendship never needed rehab.

There were no secrets kept from each other. Archer remembered the cruise that the two families had taken together a couple of years before, to the Bahamas. When they got home, Archie and Leon had enrolled in a weight loss program at the gym. Oh, how they had eaten on the ship!

Archie's thoughts drifted to the situation their two sons and gotten into on the Internet by visiting a casino online. The boys had gotten into debt rather quickly. Archie had to transfer money to his son's account so that he could clear up the loans he had taken out. Mikey had even gone to one of those quickie places that offer payday. He had maxed out his credit cards, thinking that it would be okay because actually they were reward cards.

Like so many kids, Mikey thought that if he kept gambling, he could win enough to get ahead. He had hoped to win enough to pay for his car insurance. But when he got behind, he tried to reduce debt, at least enough so he would not need the dental plan.

But that was all taken care of now for Archie and Mikey. Their efforts and a little debt consolidation had erased the problem. They had gotten a free credit report on the internet and found their credit score was back to an acceptable level. Archie was once again receiving offers in the mail for low interest credit cards!

It had not been so easy for Leon, and his son, Jason. He and Linda, his wife had gone to credit counseling. Leon eventually had to refinance his home. He had done some investigation of equity loans and equity lines of credit. He had paid off his two mortgages a year before the incident with the boys, so he had some place to get help. He had restructured his homeowner's insurance, and changed his life insurance policies to term life. It had taken a toll on the family, but they had survived it as a family! Archie was glad as he recalled the recent outing the two families enjoyed to the beach. Like old times!

There were very few topics Leon and Archie had not debated and dissected over the time they had been neighbors. Leon had been one of the first to acquire a satellite dish for his television, one of those big contraptions that moved when the programming was keyed into the remote control. Archie kidded him mercilessly. When Archie had enrolled in one of those cell phone plans that tied him to a company for three years, it was Leon's turn to poke fun!

The two neighbors and friends pondered over the wisdom of seeking their medications through a Canadian Pharmacy, over whether they should seek Lasik surgery on their eyes, or teeth whitening, and even a facelift, to make them look younger!

Only a few years ago, Leon had gotten the idea that he and Archie should get into the modern era of communication and technology. He wanted for them to enroll in continuing adult education classes at the local community college. Archie resisted, saying he would just as soon start shopping for Lenox China!

But mostly his resistance was due to fear that he would be unable to learn! And Leon had eventually convinced Archie. They tried one class on computers for beginners. Both Archie and Leon were pleased that indeed they could learn, and were fascinated by things that were now available to them through the world of technology. They absorbed the. They were especially taken with the idea of video conferencing, since they both had children living hours away.

Both Archie and Leon had been leery of online banking and online marketing before their studies at the college. But both quickly found the benefits for their own lives and got signed up and involved in both types of activities. Archie bought a new laptop computer and got interested in online trading. He found an internet broker he liked and was constantly monitoring the business realm to see the progress of his investing. He even looked into university degrees online. Thanks a lot for getting me hooked, Leon!

But Leon was worse! He wanted his wife to start a business on their home computer, so she could work at home. He came up with a domain name he. He found a company that provided cheap hosting of websites. He had worked out a line of business credit and one of consumer credit at the local bank. The business had taken hold and kept Linda busy and produced a steady income.

That was really a blessing, now that Leon was gone. Leon had left an annuity & a few municipal bonds so that Linda would not have to deal with all that. Their insurance had taken good care of the medical bills. But the income from the online consulting would leave her future stable.

Leon had insisted that he and Linda seek legal advice regarding his illness. And he did not want to settle for a local no name personal injury attorney that he could pick from their yellow page advertising. The firm they chose had had some success with cases of wrongful death in mesothelioma cases. It appeared there would be a settlement in the case.

Archie has so many great memories of Leon. So many great times they had together before the treatments had made him so sick. It was difficult seeing Leon lose his hair and waste away over the months. Now he was gone physically, though Archie knew Leon would always be alive in his memories! Rest in peace, Leon!

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Did You Hear About The Time I Went Skating On Thin Ice?

Archie Brown’s mom, Betty Lou, was often heard to warn her children, “You are skating on thin ice!” One day that adage took on new meaning for our hero! It happened on another trip to Arkansas, this time over the Christmas holidays.

The weather was very cold, especially for a boy from Central Texas. One night the creek that ran by his grandparents froze over. It was the first time Archie had ever seen such a freeze. He had never been ice skating, but that changed that day.

Archie and his cousin, Sherman, and Archie’s sister Cathy got on the ice, just in their shoes, and skated down the creek. It was a great adventure for them all. They skated fro most of a mile.

Sherman was leading the way, as he was familiar with both the area and the ice. Cathy followed him, with Archie bringing up the rear. Suddenly, Sherman felt the ice crack. He immediately turned left and got off the ice. So did Cathy. Archie saw them move and began to move toward the bank, but his size was a problem. He outweighed Sherman by 25 pounds or so.

Before he could get off the ice, it broke and Archie went through into the cold water. It was not too deep, only up to his chest. He fought his way to the shore and climbed out of the creek. Archie was very cold, and he began to run to his grandmother’s home. Before he could reach the warmth of the fireplace, his clothes began to freeze on him.

When he arrived, he took off the cold clothes at once, put on dry clothes, and stood for a time shivering by the fire. And every time he heard his mom’s warning, he thought of the consequences. It became a much more significant tool in his mother’s hands.