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04-11-2007, 10:18 AM
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Coordinator
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Not too far away
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Ardent's FTB Answers
Holiday
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That was the same year that a drunk woman out there lit a roman candle for her 4 year old and sent her in my direction. I look up to see a four year old crying and watching one of the reports whiz by my head. I was glad that day ended, actually. Maybe it shouldn’t be my favorite. Seriously, though, my father in law fries some turkeys, he has a bunch of people over, we fire a potato gun down the hill (no one has complained yet), and we have what has now become a Smith firework tradition. We get some wire mesh and some tomato stands and put the mesh on top. We then fill all the holes with various bottle rockets. When I say all the holes, I do mean all. It originally started with one bottle rocket stand. It was awesome. We put it in the middle of the road and lit it off by placing newspaper underneath and lighting it on fire. Bottle rockets went everywhere. Really cool. Now it’s up to three or four stands (obviously, I missed last year’s while I was in Africa ). It’s so cool that when my father-in-law blew his hand up, he demanded that he get to watch the finale before we went to the ER. Sure, some of that was the alcohol talking, but we had to light it off before he’d consent to go. My favorite memory comes from Thanksgiving in Cades Cove, Tennessee , in 1988. One of the reasons I love Tennessee so much is that it was the best time of my family’s life. My parents were church going and cut out the alcohol and drugs. My sister was too young to cause trouble yet. My brother still believed wrestling was real, and I played Strat-o-Matic solo every day. In 1988, I was 12 years old and life was grand. Back to Cades Cove. Perfect environment. We cooked a turkey outside at a park. Just as it was ready, it began to lightly snow. We spent the night in a log cabin. I was still playing Strat-o-Matic (the world’s most perfect game back then) in the cabin. My family was in a good place, so to speak. Brothers/Sisters/Family Quote:
Truth is, I’m not entirely sure. I have one full blooded brother, Jimi (my parents had fun naming him). My parents divorced while I was at a young age and I have only one memory of them together. Enter my step dad, who was so close he “is” my dad. He and my mom had a daughter. So, I have a half sister, Tracy. My brother, who’s nickname has always been “Tubby”, was over for a few hours yesterday. We’re close. My sister is in Louisiana with her Russian husband. He’s a worthless piece of trash. We were at each other’s throats 10 years ago, buy my mom’s death actually led to her drawing close to the family again. Then it gets weird. I “think” I have a half brother and a half sister on my dad’s side, but I’m not entirely sure. I don’t know if I have more through him or not. Then, if you count the step brothers I have through my step dad, it gets really insane. My step dad has a lot of children, but he’s not close with any of the older ones. I couldn’t exactly give you a figure. He seriously does not talk to them. I do know his oldest died years ago of double pneumonia (which may or may not have been because of AIDS). The only one of my step brothers I know is Donnie, and he’s also a worthless piece of trash, to put it nicely. He joined us in Tennessee . While he wasn’t the reason the family went downhill, he was certainly a contributing factor. My mom was an assistant manager of a Hardee’s in Loudon , Tennessee at the time. She threw a party out at our house for her high school kid workers, and it was fun. I was 13, maybe 14, and playing Strat-o-Matic, of course. Donnie had too much to drink and decided that one of the kids was hitting on my mom too much. He starts fighting and beating up a lot of people. Eventually, I called the police. In the end, my mom lost her job and we knew we couldn’t trust Donnie. He would later get caught stealing in town and fled after my dad posted his bond. He’s been in and out of jail ever since. I’m not sure why my dad feels so obligated to help this 30 something year old boy out when he can’t get right. Quote:
Biggest role model was my Uncle James. James is 10 years older than me and lived with us until he graduated high school…and again briefly in Tennessee . Later, I moved in with him and his wife after a troubling time at home. My wife says she sees how James and I are alike. He’s more like a brother or a dad to me than an uncle. I go to Arkansas at least once a year to visit him and his family. Quote:
My biological father is a 50 year old carpenter and bass guitarist for an amateur band. By the accounts I heard from my Uncle James and my mother, he was an idiot that liked to beat up on his wife and children. My earliest memory, sad as it is, is being knocked on my butt as I tried to wake him. He called me once in 1999 after my mom passed away. I didn’t hear from him again four years later when he found my e-mail address on the internet. Sadly enough, he sent me a birthday card where he spelled my name wrong. Finally, I heard from him again earlier this year through myspace. I wish he’d just realize I don’t want anything to do with him and get over it. Quote:
I’m one-half redneck and one-half trailertrash. My real dad grew up in one of those homes out in the middle of nowhere on farmland. My mom grew up in the town of Manila , Arkansas . Hawglaw here at FOFC may know more about the Polston side of my family than I do. My mom’s side of the family is interesting. Way too interesting. It starts with my grandmother having mother at the age of 18. She was pregnant at 17 with my grandpa who is called Snook by everyone, including kids, grand and great grand kids. This was not a good thing as my great grandparents didn’t like Snook. Snook was charged with statutory rape and was given the option to join the military or go to jail. He chose the military. While he chose the military, my grandmother met a man by the name of McGuire. I never met him. He married my grandmother and they had my uncle James, Teddy, Travis, and Tommy. He would later die, and Snook would step back into the picture. My grandma later married Snook and had my uncles Gary and Ricky, as well as my aunt Connie, who is just over 1 year older than me. My mom had me when she was 17, and my grandma was pregnant again shortly after I was born. I almost had an uncle or aunt younger than me! She unfortunately had a miscarriage. Snook and grandma are now divorced, but live next door to each other. After about a year of living next door to each other, they erected a 4 foot white picket fence between the properties to keep each other out of the other’s business. Most of my family has nothing to do with Snook because he’s kind of a town drunk. James and my brother and sister have nothing do with grandma because she suggested my real dad send flowers to my mom’s funeral. The fight got worse as she tried to reintroduce Teddy and Ricky into the family. More on that in a second. James, of course, is awesome. Teddy is a worthless sack of crap that disowned the family in the 80s. He told everyone he never wanted to us again…but showed back up 2 years ago. I’m sure there’s more to it, but if I go with the equation of Teddy = Sucks Then I can’t go wrong. Grandma actually brought Teddy out to James’s house two years ago the day before I went down for my visit. Teddy walked in, James said hi, and then punched Teddy and knocked him into the wall. I saw the imprint on the wall. Teddy hit the wall well. Teddy ran out the house and James followed. James had been drinking and decided it was a good idea to run him down with the pickup. Teddy jumped the ditch to try and get away and James tried to do that with the pickup. It didn’t quite work. James, just down the road from his home, walked back. “Better to leave the scene of an accident than a DUI,” he told me the next day. Grandma was nowhere to be found when he got back. I literally haven’t seen her since the funeral in 1999. Back to uncles. Travis is serving a life sentence for the murders of 12 women, I believe. He had help. My brother heard from him a few years ago as he was asking if his girlfriend wouldn’t mind writing some love letters to the inmates in his prison. There was some money to be made in this, and my brother would be cut in, of course. After a few of these requests, my brother called the prison. He hasn’t heard from him since. Tommy died in 1996 in a car accident. It was actually fairly gruesome as he was decapitated. He had problems with some early jail time and stole identities before it was in vogue. From what I heard, he did it just to try and get by…he wasn’t trying to run scams. He’s passed on, I’ll believe it. Gary has married and divorced the same woman twice. I believe he’s married to her again. He lives in Kentucky . I last saw him in 2002. Ricky assisted Travis in two of the murders, and actually stayed with my family while he was hiding out from the police. We, of course, didn’t know this at the time. He just disappeared one day and the next day the police were there. I guess he had heard they were on to him. That was about the time we found out about the murders that he and Travis committed and it got really ugly. The trial was in Albuquerque (guess I spelled that right), and my mom was nearly called out there as a character witness or something. We soon received a huge stack of newspapers detailing what happened and how…all from local papers that the victims were from. I remember the papers were from one of the paper’s local writers…but I don’t recall why the writer did it. My mom didn’t feel comfortable vouching for them at that point and didn’t go. Ricky got 18 years but I believed he only spent 10 years in prison. He was reportedly caught in a homosexual act while in prison. When I say reportedly, I mean, it actually was in a paper out there. I’ve only seen him once since that time he skipped out of my life, and it was once too many. I believe he has/had a girlfriend. Finally, there’s Connie, who will be 32 in September. She’s on marriage number 3 right now, and I believe she has two children from marriage number 2. She’s actually rather cool and was like a sister to me when we were younger. I never realized it was weird to call someone your age “aunt connie”. Now it’s really weird and I don’t say aunt around her. Connie is cool in the fact she understands why James and I don’t have anything to do with grandma, but she doesn’t hold anything against her. I could tell stories about my family all day. Quote:
My sister joined the Army, after I suggested she join a military branch, not necessarily the Navy. She took the easy way out by separating after getting pregnant. I’m not a fan of it, but she did what she thought was best, not what I thought was best. Job Quote:
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I’m gong to be a controls technician at Johnson Controls. Right now, I’m just learning about the job. I’ve gone to a few sites, I’ve done some computer based training. I leave for Phoenix , Arizona on the 23rd of April through May 11th for, “boot camp” technical training. Just when I thought I left all the military stuff behind, they send me “welcome aboard” packages and to “boot camp.” Essentially, I’ll be the electronic technician for HVAC (heating, ventilation, AC) for a number of corporate accounts through St. Louis . It looks like I’ll be taking over a few of the major hospitals. I’d love to get the account for the Dome, I know Johnson Controls has that one. The hardest part for me is getting to know this HVAC stuff, as that part is new to me. Troubleshooting circuits won’t be hard at all. Quote:
You kind of had to be to sell the products…and it was imperative to sell. Some of the products had a commission tied into the sale. I did use some of the products and I liked the results. However, the only way I’d continue to buy through GNC is if I still had my employee discount. There are better deals for the same products online. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at GNC, but I didn’t like the selling for commissions part. I knew some of our associates simply sold the products with the highest commission. There was no concern for what might be best for the customer. I’m not saying all GNC employees are like that, but some are. Quote:
Well, I started my job at Johnson Controls this past week. It’s a pipe dream, but if I could get a coaching job, I’d jump at it. I know it won’t happen right now, and maybe never. Nickname Quote:
I ended up in a pile one day early in summer practice and my practice jersey was up along my shoulder pads. All coach could see was the Little Caesar’s logo on the back of my shirt. He said something along the lines of, “Way to go, Caesar!” I didn’t think it would stick, but at our next water break the guys were calling me that. Being new to the scene, I didn’t mind too much. It has stuck, to the point where my brother and another friend that was over yesterday called me Caesar. My wife hates the nickname for whatever reason, and rarely refers to me as Caesar. If someone asks if she’s married to Caesar, she’ll respond, “Yes, I’m married to Rodney.” Meh, so be it. In the Navy, it’s Poli, and that’s thanks to friggin Will. It’s common in the military just to call each other by the last name, and Will shortened my last name to Poli. Now, I hated this. I didn’t like it. Just like Caesar, though, it stuck. I’m no longer in the Navy, but Will’s family will always call me Poli, and so will my Navy buddies I keep in contact with. Quote:
Me Quote:
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Worst quality? I’m fairly stubborn at times. Quote:
I thought, “Oh crap, that’s me and I’m done.” It was a long time before I heard the end of that…and the guys weren’t afraid to rub it in. I could have been a serious amount of trouble had it gone to the next level. That would have meant the ship thought I was in the water, causing the ship and other Navy ships in the vicinity to change course and start searching for me. As bad of a day as I was already having, that would have made it worse. I got really lucky I woke up to the TAO. Quote:
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2.No. I don’t. I can’t sing, and I’m double screwed because I don’t know any of Mr. Van Halen’s music. I’d probably offer to buy him a Baja Blast out of courtesy, though. 3.The carpet does not match the curtains, but the curtains match the furniture. Wait, after watching Family Guy I now understand this question. Yes, my carpet and curtains match. Quote:
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30. 31 on May 18th. Quote:
A lot. The longest I’ve been anywhere in my entire life for one period of time was in Great Lakes from November 03 through May 06. Before that, the longest period of time for me was in Harrisburg , Arkansas . I spent part of my 2nd grade there, as well as all of 3rd and 4th grade. I spent all of 5th grade in Grand Bay , Alabama . The next time I spent an entire grade in one school was my senior year. Quote:
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Too easy. www.myspace.com/rpolston Quote:
It wasn’t depressing. I wasn’t in a really great mood at the time. I was about to head to Africa . I can’t say I enjoyed it, but I can’t say I hated it, either. Quote:
Rodney Allan Polston. My initials spell out RAP. Quote:
Not sure I understand this question completely. Are you asking if there’s something I wanted that I’m glad didn’t happen? I’d say yes. We nearly bought a home here in Missouri in 2004 and actually signed a contract after numerous counter offers from both sides. Despite the signed contract, the owner wanted a new copy of the contract written for us to sign. We were due in to sign it that afternoon when someone talked some sense into us. The home owner was kind of holding us over the barrel at the time, and in hindsight, I’m happy it didn’t work out. I also tried to join the Air Force at 18. It didn’t work out. Looking back, I’m glad it didn’t. I never would have met my wife. Quote:
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Very hard. If it wasn’t hard on my marriage, I may have stayed in. My wife has asked me for a divorce three different times, twice getting the papers drawn. Fortunately, those times are now over. Quote:
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No. I nearly had one of the IXOYE variety before I joined the Navy. Danielle talked me out of it. Food Quote:
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I’m just a salt guy. I’ve never really messed with other seasonings. My wife has one of those spice rack things sitting in the kitchen, but we never use it. Decorative is my guess. Quote:
Every time I go there I ask myself the same question. It seems like every time I go there I get bad service. It continued when BYU came out…a waitress said she’d get me a refill, but it never showed up. I think it became a tradition in sort of an odd way. I met a SPFL (A Football Pro ’98 league that bearcat729, tonyr, and macroguru were all part of) owner there when I first got to Chicago . He recommended the place. Shortly thereafter, I met DataKing there as well as Raven Hawk. Oddly enough, I believe Data King recommended the place as well. Blame him. J Comedy Quote:
Goals Quote:
I’d like to be a successful coach or scout at some point. Quote:
Short term goals: Figure out what the heck I’m doing at work. Get my wife pregnant. Make the playoffs in IHOF. Find a home closer to work (kind of mandated). Attend my first Tennessee game. Watch more college football. Long term goals: Buy a home. Raise my child/children without any problems or issues. Get back into coaching. Be the best controls technician for Johnson Controls in St. Louis and at least the Midwest . I know. I don’t have much. While in the Navy, I had more work type goals. I’m sure I’ll have more of those eventually, but right now this will have to do. Wife Quote:
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I knew these questions would surface, and I’m not afraid to tackle it. My life has been interesting, I guess you could say, especially over the past couple of years. I came home from that 2003 deployment expecting great things and I was simply devastated to find my home life was in shambles. My wife had gone from loving homemaker to college party-girl without the college part. She’s come around, but over the years she’s revealed secrets she had that she didn’t want me to know. I found out she’s been out of the country (against my wishes). I found out about a year ago that she may have had sex in a drunken stupor in 2003 with a guy now in prison. I found out about that just before I went to Africa , and it wasn’t something she admitted. I found a letter from him at her mother-in-law’s (not that I was snooping, it was seriously just kind of “there”.). It mentioned the act and I just didn’t know how to react. I was actually glad to go to Africa at that point. It got me away from her, away from home, away from everything. I wasn’t sure how things would work out, and for the first time I didn’t care. I didn’t call or write her every day at first. I kind of separated myself from it, and I probably talked to my friends like terpkristin, tonyr, and the gang at FOFC more than I did her. I guess it my wife monitored FOFC while I was gone she would have known I was avoiding her. Heh. Eventually, someone here at FOFC asked me in a PM how it was going. It was a common enough question, I heard it enough in that first month or two, but this was probably in…late August. I thought about writing the same thing I did to many of you who asked…”I don’t know, it’s just weird…”, but I thought about it more. It kind of hit me that I was nearly there for 3 months time and I hadn’t made a decision yet. I guess I decided then that since I hadn’t gone the route of “wanting” the divorce that I was okay with her. I told the FOFCer PMing me as much. Since I’ve been home, life is grand. I had a great 2 weeks or so with my wife before going back to Great Lakes , and I came home nearly every weekend until I separated from the Navy. This weekend has been awesome. I’ve actually been able to lounge around all weekend with my wife and not worry about driving to and from Great Lakes . The only way it could be better? I guess she could wake up soon and tell me she’s pregnant. That would be about the only thing that could top what I have right now. Life sincerely is grand. Quote:
Actually, I can go back further. I got in a fight with my wife years before that where I told her she needed to lose weight. I can barely recall the incident, but my wife has told me a few times that it hurt her. It didn’t directly lead to my wife’s problem, but it had a hand in it. If I could go back and change that, there’s no doubt then. I club myself over the head before I say it. I hate myself for saying that. Quote:
I’ve shopped with your wife. You haven’t shopped with mine. Mine may be pickier. J Quote:
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I only have three of her naked. Sorry. Let me know if that can help you. Quote:
I’m going to Arizona in two weeks, not New Mexico . Well, I’m not planning on going to New Mexico again. Quote:
Would a catwoman suit work? Quote:
Early on? No. There were a few times, but nothing terribly bad. She was actually more mature in many ways than I was. Now, 2003 and 2004 was a totally different story, but she’s overcome that. Sports Quote:
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I’d hit it, just for the experience. Quote:
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Too easy. My stepdad played minor league ball for the Cardinals in the late 50s. As such, there was a period in time where I could quote you every starting position player the Cardinals by year from about 1959 to present. I kind of drifted away from baseball after the strike and it hasn’t been the same since, but for a pro team, they’re it. Quote:
The Lady Vols also won a championship that year, going undefeated for the year. That team featured Tamika Catchings and Chamique Holdsclaw. The men’s basketball team enjoyed success as well for the first time since Allan Houston was around as I recall. Jeff Pickler led the SEC in batting average and was drafted by the Brewers. The team itself didn’t do so great. Quote:
Favorite player of all time...hard to say because I really like some of the role players UT has had over the years. I’ll go with starters, though, and say Heath Shuler. He was fun to watch. I’d say Peyton, but he just wasn’t the running threat I felt Shuler was. Maybe Shuler really didn’t run that much, but he seemed more versatile. All star team for football I’m assuming. I’m not much of a basketball person…I could name those players but not positions. QB Peyton Manning, backup is Shuler. RB Pre-injuries Chuck Webb and Reggie Cobb. I know Jamal Lewis would expect some attention here, but he wasn’t half the back Webb and Cobb were before their injuries. Johnny Majors, a college hall of famer gets a mention but probably wouldn’t survive in this day and age at running back. FB Will Bartholemew (I’m not well versed on fullbacks at UT, unfortunately. Shaun Bryson played some fullback, and Corey Anderson was a disappointment this past year). WR Peerless Price, Craig Faulkner, Alvin Harper. Willie Gault is tempting, as are Joey Kent, Cedrick Wilson, Jermaine Copeland, Carl Pickens, Tim McGee, Kelley Washington, and Marcus Nash. They all did more than Faulkner, but Faulkner did it with a bad ankle and never missed games. Robert Meachem doesn’t garner a mention except to explain why. He had a great year this past year, but he didn’t do much before that. TE Jason Witten. C: Bob Johnson. It’s hard not to argue with a college hall of famer. G: Chip Kell, see Bob Johnson, and Harry Galbreath. Backups: Cosey Coleman, Eric Still. T: Antone Davis and Chad Clifton . Backup by Michael Munoz and Arron Sears. DE: Reggie White and Doug Atkins. Leonard Little and Will Overstreet garner backup duty. Todd Kelly gets a mention. DT: John Henderson, Jesse Mahelona. Billy Ratliff and Darwin Walker backup. LB: Al Wilson, Raynoch Thompson, Kevin Burnett without much thought. I’d add Darryl Hardy, Keith DeLong, and Eric Westmoreland for depth. CB: Dale Carter, Jason Allen. Corner has never been a position I’ve been overly impressed with with Tennessee . I’d add Andre Lott and Terry Fair for depth. S: Deon Grant and Bill Bates. I’ll add Roland James, Jonathan Hefney, and Chris White for depth. K: Jeff Hall. P: Dustin Colquitt. I’m sure I could get a returner or five out of that group. Quote:
I might go back to 1927 and watch the Yankees. Quote:
The joke answer is about 1500 dollars for clothing and 3000 for all my memorabilia. If it were to happen, though, I’d just quit them cold turkey and find a school that doesn’t change their colors. Quote:
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Tough to say. Tee did something Peyton could never do, but Peyton’s done more for Tennessee since then. I’ll go with Manning. Quote:
I wasn’t overly excited about hiring some nobody out of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Then again, I don’t know much about basketball. Pearl has been a refreshing breath of fresh air for our program. While dropping my support of the football team would obviously send a message to the Athletic Director, I’d hate to do something that drastic. Quote:
If it was just a game of football and baseball knowledge, I could make a game of it. I could wing some of the other sports, but not on the Schwab’s level. Quote:
Football, baseball, and basketball, in that order. Football by a large margin over baseball. Baseball by a wider margin over basketball. Quote:
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I haven’t been to a game, but I am planning on going to a game this year. I think it’ll finally happen this year. Being a Civilian Quote:
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I didn’t curse anyone out. I didn’t flip anyone off. I went and told my former students/sailors goodbye, and hugged my buddy Valerie. I drove that 6 hour drive home for the last time, had some champagne, and went to bed. Quote:
6 years ago, I was scared that the skills would not translate well. I remember reading about jobs online and being scared. The jobs didn’t ask for the skills that I specifically was trained for. I wasn’t confident I could build off what I already learned. This year, I was much more confident that my general electronic skills could translate into a good job, I just wasn’t sure where that job would be. Much of that comes from being more confident in my skills as an electronic technician. Some of it is from a confidence that I can make my basic electronic skills translate into another job. Essentially, it’s not only the electronic skills I learned in the Navy. I gained confidence and experience as well. Meeting Quote:
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Every meeting I’ve had with someone on the board has gone great. I’ve met DataKing, Raven Hawk, Coffee Warlord, Hawglaw (though we were technically classmates in 1st grade), Brxnivy, Passacaglia, lurker, hoopsguy, barkeep, Mizzourah, and BYU14. I’ve actually spent the night at the Warlord’s and Mizzourah’s. Navy Quote:
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I’ll take the grammar every day. Quote:
Simple answer, so you can identify sailors when they’re not facing you. Realistic answer, I don’t know, it’s retarded and it costs sailors money to have those nametapes made and then sewn on. Quote:
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As for what was I thinking…I was thinking it was a great opportunity to make something of myself, and it was. I wanted to learn what I could about electronics (I never thought I was smart enough to complete the schooling the Navy had in mind for me), get out, go to college, and get married. Instead, I started electronics school, got married, went to some school, went to Africa , and got out. Pretty good story. Quote:
Right now, it’s just not having to make that trip to home and back on the weekends, but that’s not Navy. One thing I’m happy to see since I’ve been out of the Navy is that I’m more taken care of at my job. For example, let’s say I have to do training like I did this week at Johnson Controls. Someone brought me the tapes, reserved a room for me to view them in, and made sure I had a television to watch them on. The Navy would have said, “Get this training done.” Another example would be ordering supplies. I was told to order supplies on Friday. Pull out the Grainger book and order. Write down what you want, make the call, give them this code, and go pick it up. Nothing about, make sure you order this, don’t spend more than this, fill out this and that form, get it approved by so and so. Make a list, make a call, pick it up. Too easy. Quote:
I read football coaching manuals. I’m not kidding. Quote:
I’m not familiar with a monkey instruction, so I’d assume you can adopt a monkey. However, I do know we’re not allowed to have pets onboard ships. Why? I don’t know. It’s like name tags. If it doesn’t make sense, the Navy probably does it. Quote:
There are many to choose from, and an incident in Rhode Island comes to mind, but that wasn’t the necessarily the Navy’s fault. However, Navy-wise I can say it happened in November 2001. We sailed around South America shortly after 9/11 and due to the that day we had all our port visits in South America cancelled. That could have put us in our new homeport of San Diego about 2 weeks early. We were told we couldn’t pull into San Diego . The port in San Diego could only support two carriers and both the USS Constellation and the USS John Stennis were inport. The Stennis was due to deploy soon, so we could pull into port as soon as it departed. I thought, that’s a really sucky deal. Fast forward to about a month after being in San Diego . We were meeting on the flight deck for our morning meeting when I looked along the pier and commented our commanding officer was full of crap. Besides having the Nimitz in port, San Diego had both the Constellation and the USS Abraham Lincoln. It took a second for everyone else to realize what happened. We were detoured to Hawaii instead of pulling in early. While normally I wouldn’t complain about going to Hawaii , I could have been home two weeks earlier. I also stepped on a sea urchin while I was there. I am not a fan of sea urchins now. Quote:
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How to answer this…I mean I answered earlier it was to help me go to school and eventually get married and that’s true. You might ask why I didn’t go to college. That’s kind of an easier question to answer. My step dad didn’t pay taxes, probably still doesn’t. Not paying taxes may be cool for him, but it sucked balls when I tried to apply for loans and grants for school. FAFSA wasn’t any help. I tried like crazy to get around the tax thing, but they’d send back responses to the tune of “Does Not Compute”. I tried putting zero, I tried putting general numbers, I tried putting my Uncle James’s income. I tried putting my own income. Unfortunately, none of it worked. I didn’t qualify as one of those exceptions they had…born before such and such date, former military, ward of the court, stuff like that. I was kind of in a rock and a hard place. It was a long process (and there’s a story behind that I may never share) but I actually worked very hard to join the Navy so that I could better myself. Quote:
When I stationed in Norfolk as a young sailor my wife and I had a tough time making ends meet. Going to sea often didn’t make it any better. Pure Navy wise, I’d say the most stressful time last year when the Navy not only wanted me to go to Africa, but wanted me to arrange just about all of my travel in the process. That was a little ridiculous. Quote:
I really don’t have much of an opinion of it. I’d guess I’ll say I think Bush has been stubborn and we shouldn’t be in Iraq . That said, I’m happy for the work we’re doing in Africa and I wish we had done that type of work in Iraq and Afghanistan as well/instead. If we would have did this pro-USA type work where we helped people in need 20-40 years ago, who knows what may or may not have happened. Quote:
Did some research, huh? J Those disciplinary review boards were rough. I’d like to think sailors would know better and not get in the trouble they do. Most of our problems were for underage drinking. Not exactly a show stopper in the civilian world, but most definitely for the Navy. We usually hammered the sailors at the DRB. Sailors that had good records beside the issue that had them there that day I usually gave a pep talk to afterward. I actually felt I made more of an impact as a mentor in the barracks these past three months than through the countless DRBs I held. Quote:
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To another military member, I’d stress not all commands are the same. I absolutely hated my first command. I absolutely loved the second. The last one was so-so. Many first term members just think that wherever they are, that it sucks. That might not be the case. The member may not have anything else to compare the experience to. Personally, I have taken friends away from every place I served. I will stay in touch with them through the years, and that in itself made it worthwhile. Quote:
USS Nimitz. It was an incredible experience and opportunity for me. I’m really glad I went there. Quote:
In boot camp, I watched a recruit who couldn’t get right by the name of Bean dance around the main entrance to our barracks while singing I asked my momma for 50 cents To watch the elephant jump the fence Jumped so high He touched the sky And didn’t come down till the fourth of July. Quote:
It wasn’t so much a ship, but I was in the Navy. Keith and I worked together as student coordinators. Part of our job included having student request chits and leave chits signed. Sometime around February 2005 we had a student by the name of Vail ask to take leave to go to Indiana and get married. I said no, but Keith fought for it and actually got the kid on leave. The kid went on leave and missed a day of school in the process, which is a rare occurrence for that school. Monday rolled around and Vail didn’t return. He didn’t call, either. We called the next day, and he claimed he called the main building to let us know that he had car problems. He was getting the car repaired right now and would be back as soon as possible. The next day, nothing. No Vail. We called the next day. The bill was too high, he didn’t have the money to pay it off right now, but would on payday and would return as soon as he paid the bill. Keith tried to arrange for him to get a grant from the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society…and then Vail dropped off the face of the earth. We went weeks without hearing from him. Finally, I took a call about 15 minutes before I was about to leave one night. It was Vail’s wife. She was calling to inform me they were in downtown Chicago and on their way up. She “understood” he was now a deserter and that it would probably be “a day or two” before he was processed and separated. She was calling to ask if we could provide her lodging while her husband was being separated. I almost broke out laughing. Earlier that day, Keith and I had discussed what might happen when Vail crossed into the deserter time frame, in three days. We didn’t start his Unauthorized Absence until after his leave was set to expire. Vail and his wife had not thought about that. Instead, I composed myself and told her, “Sure, this kind of thing actually happens all the time,” rather convincingly. I then gave her directions on how and where to bring her husband in. After I got off the phone, I nearly died laughing. The other staff member in the office at the time couldn’t believe I pulled it off. I called the main building and let them know they were on their way, and then I called Keith. Keith had a good laugh but asked why I just didn’t send them back on their way to Indiana . “At least this way,” I said, “we get a few days of work out of him before he runs off again.” Quote:
I think assisting in building the water well in Raya, the village outside of Garissa , Kenya . It was an amazing experience to help that village’s quality of life. Quote:
I was about to transfer from NAS Oceana, a shore station where Navy squadrons are stationed while on the ground, and had to do a qualification for my transfer evaluation. It was a garbage qualification, but I had to get it done. Part of the qualification was to be on the other side of the air field to learn the equipment over there. I rarely went over to that side…there was no real reason for me to be over there, honestly. Well, this morning I was over there, and I ran into a smartmouth kid by the name of Bamber. Bamber had been in the Navy longer than most of us, but was the same pay grade. He had made it clear he didn’t like our senior enlisted, and made it clear he didn’t many of us at all. Bamber worked on this side of the airfield, fortunately. Bamber greeted me as I left his building and he was entering with, “What do you think you’re doing over here?” I answered, “You didn’t hear? Chief is making us switch jobs. It kind of sucks, but I think it’ll all work out.” I turned away quickly and walked to the van. Bamber’s boss was already in the van and about to take me to another site. Bamber called out to me and asked if I was serious. “Yeah, man” I said without turning around. I usually can’t keep a lie going for long, so I didn’t want him to see my face. Once inside the van, I told his boss. His boss then agreed to go along with it. We called over to my shop and told my boss as well, in case Bamber called her. When we got back, Bamber was all flustered. His boss did an insane job of playing it out. “Bamber, I’m doing everything I can to get this straightened out…” and such. Bamber even started showing me the equipment anticipating that I’d be taking over there, with bits of “This really sucks” sprinkled in. It went on for hours. He even went back to my side of the airfield with me to address my boss about it. She blew up on him. It was awesome. “I don’t want you working for me! You’ve got a bad attitude!” Finally, Bamber went to the Chief’s office and asked for them to reconsider this change in jobs. By the time he went in, the rest of us gathered around the office door. It took about 30 seconds, but Bamber came out red faced and ready to kill. He didn’t hit me, but he probably wanted to. J Quote:
That’s actually pretty scary. What’s worse? Thinking about the young sailors in charge of maintaining those reactors. Shows/Movies Quote:
Now? Lost and Memento. I still don’t have a copy of Memento, as mine was stolen in the mail on it’s way to Africa . Quote:
Luke Wilson plays me. He’ll need a haircut, but most of America does. He’ll make enough money to grow his hair back out. I don’t know who would play you…just to be a dork, Danny DeVito. Angelina Jolie is my wife (by the way, my wife said Jolie is “hot!” yesterday, I wonder what all is going on there… J), but I’ll give you Natalie Portman. Jennifer Aniston will do the voice for Snuggle Girl. Quote:
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I’d say Jin, but it’s a loose resemblance. I can appreciate his past and his willingness to do anything for the woman that he loves. Quote:
DataKing and I saw some crazy twins that could bend their bodies in all sorts of ways, but they were a Vegas act, I’m sure many people have seen it. You’re right. I can’t top that. Africa Quote:
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Nairobi. Quote:
I was thinking about that the other day. FOFC really made my day, my week, my month, and rest of tour with that. Other people got stuff, probably got more stuff in the long run, but no one got one I did one one shot like I did that day. I did get a lot of questions about who they were from, and I tried to explain it. I got weird looks, but nothing incredibly horrible. Quote:
Sorry, the only pictures I have from Djibouti , and Kenya for that matter, are of the work we did, the orphanage, and stuff like that. I do have photos of me petting a cheetah and a rhino, but they are neither beautiful or from Djibouti . Quote:
I’m horrible with odds, but pretty good. Quote:
The only stories I have from Djibouti are of the people I met while I were there, they weren’t Djiboutians, so I doubt it qualifies as cool or amazing. I didn’t snorkel or go to the island that others went to. Sorry to disappoint. Quote:
Zero. Unless you mean monetary wise. In that case, a bunch. Music Quote:
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Toby Mac Steven Curtis Chapman Third Day Nouveaux Plumb Grits Quote:
Schmidty hit it on the head. If it’s Christian, I could care less what kind it is. Kind of weird I continue to listen to the music despite living the way I have. Church Quote:
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I figured this would come up. I’m an ardent enthusiast of Christ. At least, I used to be…things have changed a ton since I returned in 2003. I’m not the man I was in April 2002 when I joined FOFC. Back then, I referred to myself as a Jesus Freak, but I found a lot of people doing that. In the last 90s, it wasn’t uncommon to go to a site requiring a login and have 5 or more jesusfreaks listed (JezuzFrk12, Jesus Freak18, stuff like that). One day I did a web search of DC Talk, who reintroduced the term “Jesus Freak” with their album, and found ardent-enthusiast.com’s site (now defunct). I liked it. I liked referring to myself as an ardent enthusiast rather than a Jesus Freak. It was becoming way to common to say “I’m a Jesus Freak” and not have anything to back it up. Way too popular. I didn’t like it. Am I a hypocrite now? Yes. I’ve thought about changing my screen name. I see it instead as a challenge to get back to where I was before. Caedmon’s Call has a song I used to listen to. Looking back at the road so far The journey's left its share of scars mostly from leaving the narrow and straight Looking back it is clear to me That a man is more than the sum of his deeds and how you've made good of this mess I've made is a profound mystery Looking back you know you had to bring me through All that I was so afraid of Though I questioned the sky, now I see why Had to walk the rocks to see the mountain view I saw my life before I joined the Navy as walking the rocks…but I have an all new appreciation. I want to be the Christian I used to be, and now that I’m home…home for good…I think I might be someday. Phone Calls Quote:
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With IHOF, I was just a fan of the Ospreys, I read their game logs, I saw the stats and rosters, but I didn’t know much more than that. I knew very little about the league itself. I never saw myself joining the league, so it was never a big deal for me. I hate that I’ll have to play WSU twice a season, because it seems a little weird, but I’m absolutely loving IHOF. Quote:
Toughest opponent in IHOF....I only have 13 games under my belt, and I have never played him, but I’d say it will be Quiksand. We’ve had some FOF discussions via PMs, and he knows more about this game than I do. Honorable mentions would go to SkyDog and Solecismic. I haven’t faced SkyDog yet, but he’s going to hammer me next week or so. I’ve never played Solecismic, either. Quote:
Quiksand for one. I’m thoroughly impressed with him. The 2nd is harder because I have to exclude everyone else. I’d say st.cronin. He owes me a hat and may never repay me if I don’t have the beer with him. Quote:
I’ve never figured out what the Mount Rushmore game is. My favorite hats are my UT beanie cap in the winter and my fitted UT hat during the summer. I am going to need a new one when my hair grows out. You owe me a hat. Actually, you owe me about 3 of them now. Quote:
I never saw enough in BBCF’s demo to make me want it. I thought hard about buying it, but I recall reading some sort of interview with the creator/developer and not finding myself overly impressed with the answers. Quote:
You can send it with the hat. One of my former schools was orange and black as well. I agree. It looks sharp. Quote:
I’m the one who should be saying thank you. You, sir, are awesome. Quote:
I haven’t seen her, but I’ll give her a courtesy thumbs up. Quote:
Depends on my alcohol level. Quote:
Maybe time has made you forget how bad you were. J Quote:
If I was, it wouldn’t stop him. In fact, he’d be happy. Quote:
It was a draft game held by Solecismic. Along with the game, there was a IRC chat held. Jim helped me figure out how to get there (which was really cool of him now that I think of it). While I was there I mentioned his site needed a message board. I liked OOTP because it had a good message board. I really liked TCY, but I felt like I was the only one in the world playing the game. I mean, I knew others had to play it, but I didn’t know how to get in touch with them. Yeah, I know, it’s called a search engine. I never really used them then. Today I use google almost on an hourly basis. Anyhow, someone in the chat sent me the link to FOFC, and the rest is history. I was overcome with joy that there were so many other people who liked the game as much as me. Seriously. Quote:
I spend half my spare time on FOFC or IHOF. I’d just migrate to IHOF full time. No IHOF? I don’t know, I could probably make world peace happen. Scary. Seriously, I’d probably just play a text sim more. Pets Quote:
! What concerns me isn’t that he’s ignoring you, he ignores everyone. What concerns me is he has the ability to ignore you. Charmin is currently laying in the spare bedroom near the vent. I assume that’s because there is heat involved. Quote:
Two awesome pets, Snuggle Dog and Charmin. Charmin is a Persian-Himalayan and is passed out between the kitchen and living room. I pet him earlier today. I should say he let me pet him earlier today. Snuggle Dog is a small pug who is currently chowing down on her Easter bone. I have two beta fish, named Red and Blue. Red lives in the living room, Blue lives in the bedroom. Blue wanted to fight a diet dr. pepper can earlier today. Red hasn’t moved much. Maybe he died. I think I’ll feed them now. Nope, Red’s good to go. Football Quote:
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A perfect high school offense allows the kids to go out and play without a lot of thinking. Personally, I like the double wing for that purpose. There aren’t many blocking rules for linemen. There’s no real reading coverages or defenses. You don’t have to worry about flankers and split ends being on or off the ball. If they can do what little you’re asking of them almost on instinct, then you’re probably doing pretty good. I’m not much of an option guy because of this, I don’t want the quarterback to have to worry about reading a tackle, end, or linebacker. A perfect college offense actually uses the option. Colleges have a lot more practice and preparation time than high schools, so it’s easier to implement. You can force the defense to be ready for it every play, even if you’re not running it constantly. I’d prefer a spread option look, using the bunch principles. Andrew Coverdale has written a few books about bunch concepts and set me his playbook a few years back. It’s a versatile setup and is something I’d definitely use if I were a college coach. Pro football? I’m not a pro football guy. I hate the speed of the game. That said, I’m not overly aware of what NFL offenses run these days. I’d probably pattern my offense around what the Colts do. Of course, I’d have a lot of fun defending that kind of offense, but sadly you didn’t ask about that. Quote:
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The Wolf, though I’m plagued with guilt while I play it. The last time I was a bad guy I had nightmares about leading people astray. I love trying to manipulate the villagers for my own gain. For that reason, I hate being a villager. I feel powerless and that I don’t have enough information to play the game. Still, I play the game because it’s fun. Quote:
I was exploited and I exploded. Good move on the wolves part, bad move on my own. I think the wolves knew I’d blow up and worked me for that very reason. Quote:
Blade6119 suggested it to me. Thought I’d be good at it. He was probably wrong. J Hattrick Quote:
Hattrick in 2002 was great and I made a lot of good friends here and in Hattrick. Unfortunately, things and Hattrick changed. Hattrick’s changes are probably for the worse and many FOFCers have quit playing the game. If it changes for the better in the future, I’ll be sure to let you know. I’ll even help you along, I think I’d be a great person to help improve your learning curve. Think about how many questions I’ve been asked about hattrick so far. Quote:
Invigorating. Hattrick’s not all consuming anymore, but I have a lot more interest in it thanks to moving my club there. Quote:
William Barrett Kerchee Quote:
Aside from my wife, Will was my best friend. When I reported to Great Lakes in 2003, I was hurting financially and emotionally. Will took care of me by making sure I was eating right and had stuff to do. Will got me back into softball and was a great counselor for our sailors. I could spend all day talking about Will. I owe a lot of who I am now, both good and bad, to Will. He was killed in a car accident in Italy in January. The world was a better place with him. Will was full Comanchee and his funeral was sobering. The best thing about the funeral was meeting his family again. I’ve been told multiple times that I’m family now, and I honestly feel that way. Will’s family is hosting a memorial softball tournament over the 8th and 9th of June. I’ll be there playing with his family. You’re all more than welcome to come out and play. Mining/other games Quote:
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Diasapore. I don’t pay much attention to the gems, but diasapore sounds cool. I think I spelled that right. Quote:
FOF2007, TCB. No 3rd game right now. I play a few online games, Syrnia, Movoda, and Pardus.at. There’s also hattrick. I’d like to get back into OOTP, but I don’t see it happening right now. Antmeister Quote:
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By the way, I had a supervisor by the name of Meister. I’ve tried to not hold that against antmeister. |
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04-11-2007, 10:47 AM
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#2 |
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ashburn, VA
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Thanks for answering all those questions, AE! Even the ones that came in AFTER the deadline. I've known you personally for awhile, but this opened up new parts of your life, especially about your siblings, that I never knew, and that was really cool to me.
 /tk
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GO TERPS! https://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin https://twitter.com/terpkristin |
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04-11-2007, 10:50 AM
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#3 |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicagoland
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Great read. That part on your extended family?
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04-11-2007, 10:53 AM
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#4 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: May 2001
Location: williamsburg, va
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Informative, good read - still a great feature!
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Text Sports Network - Bringing you statistical information for several FOF MP leagues in one convenient site Quote:
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04-11-2007, 11:09 AM
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#5 |
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: St. Paul, MN
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Great answers Rodney. Thanks for sharing quite a bit I didn't know about you. Hope we'll have a chance to get together sometime when we're in the same general location.
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04-11-2007, 11:29 AM
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#6 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: North Carolina
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Great read.
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04-11-2007, 11:53 AM
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#7 |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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I realize now that I forgot to comment more on my more immediate family, that being my stepdad, mom, brother, and sister.
My mom passed away April 29th, 1999, of a heart attack. She was 40, going on 41. She was a great mom in my younger days, doing all the mom things. She played with us, taught us math, mom stuff. When we moved my at the end of my freshman year to Bonne Terre, MO, we moved to a rather seedy part of town. In fact, I kind of pin the blame on the downfall of my family on that location. If you were from my town, and I told you I lived on the corner of C and Long Street, you'd have a different opinion of me and probably think lesser of me. The names of the families in that area are kind of infamous for our area with horrible things...Marler, Reagan, Gowen, Sansoucie, Hawkins, Rulo, Franklin. Many of the kids I grew up with in that area have seen some sort of jail time. One of them is now a registered sex offender. My mom had cleaned up her act before we moved to Missouri, but our move into Bonne Terre led her and my family astray. The move, by the way, was made because my dad was friends with the owner of the home. If I'm not mistaken, the owner was friends with my grandpa when grandpa was alive. My mom soon met Dorothy, her drug dealer, who shares one of the last names I shared above. Dorothy began to hook my mom on just about anything she could get her hands on. By my senior year, my mom was having more bad days than good. By bad days, I mean, there's someone moving around downstairs, but it surely can't be my mom. My mom went in and out of drug rehab over the years, but as soon as it was an option for her, she was right back out of rehab and back on the drugs. I used to think it was because my mom had a thyroid condition. She had a seizure in 1988 and that's when they found out about her thyroid problem. She complained often about being in pain, and I believed her. 10 years later, she passed away. I was naturally concerned when I found out at age 30, I had a thyroid problem. That was the same age my mom found out about hers. Looking back, it was likely just a crock so my mom could get more drugs. It's really a shame. When I was living at home, mom used to tell everyone that would listen that I beat her. It certainly wasn't true, and most people knew that...but of course, her drug dealer sided with her. It drove me nuts. I actually took my mom to my senior year's athletic awards banquet...and she disappointed me by going into that shell of herself. The night was highlighted by her trying to stuff a helium balloon in her purse. After I joined the Navy, my mom had to change her storyline, and my sister took my place as who beat her. Now with my sister, I wouldn't actually have put it past her. My last conversation with my mom was that my sister was beating her. I remember that conversation like it was yesterday. I had a Navy friend over at the house at the time and really played the conversation off well so my Navy friend could see how bad my mom could get. My mom soon after had another seizure and went to ICU. I requested leave to go see her, but the Navy told me no. It wasn't life threatening, so there was no reason to go. My mom passed away about 3 days after being released from ICU. The Navy did their apologizing and sent me on leave, but I was angry about that for a long time. I was also bent on killing Dorothy. Fortunately, my mom's autopsy came out relatively clean, a little weed, but that was it. I was actually impressed. There's a story about my mom's death, and I mentioned that it changed my sister's life, and I'll comment more on that in a bit. My stepdad is a soon to be 67 year old man currently living somewhere in my area, though I have never been to his home. It will saturated with cigarette smoke. Since I no longer have to tolerate that environment, I choose to stay away. He's more than welcome at my home. He's been over a few times. At 67, he's about 6 months younger than my grandmother, placing him about 17 years and 361 days older than my mom. Kind of crazy isn't it? He's inherently proud of me for all I've done, though I still remember those days when he said I'd be nothing, that I wouldn't make it in the Navy, and how worthless I am. He remarried after mom passed away...just over a year later. What's really freaky is that he married someone who looks like my mom's twin, with maybe a few more pounds. Height, face, hair and length, stature, all the same. I heard about this before I came home on leave 6 months later only to be utterly shocked at the resemblance. I know next to nothing about her other than her name and the name of one of her sons...and I only know that because we were in that blasted neighborhood. My dad has caught flak from the three of us since he hasn't paid the bill for the funeral. Two years ago, the three of us pitched in and bought her a headstone. My brother...man, he shared a doozy of a story this morning with me. He's 14 months younger than me...and his birthday is sandwiched in between my mom's and dad's. It literally goes July 6th (mom), 8th (Tubby), and 10th (dad). Tubby was tubby as a baby and though he's a relatively skinny guy now, that's what we've always called him. That friggin neighborhood ate him up, too. When we were kids, my brother and I swore we'd never touch alcohol, drugs, or smoke. I have a good feeling my brother's done all three, although I'd guess he hasn't much of the drugs. I never got along with the kids in the neighborhood (after all, none of them played Strat-o-Matic), but my brother did. He eventually joined their little "ABC" gang, which was named after A, B, and C streets. Original. He ended up being a bit of a man-whore through high school, while I chose to be the exact opposite. Our worlds clashed. We grew kinda apart. He's had two kids with two different mothers, which I suppose isn't that unusual in today's world, but here's the kicker...his last girlfriend, Amanda, has three kids, and the oldest is his. What's unusual about that? Well, sure they've broke up now and then, but never for more than a few months. She sure got busy during those months. My brother would just go with it, and act as if the other two were his very own. I never understood it. I try not to. After my own marriage, it's hard to cast judgement. Anyhow, he says he's finally kicked her to the curb. I hope he's right, but with him, I'll never know. Why should I say that? Well, I asked him this morning where he was on Sunday. He was supposed to come over. Instead, he had spent all night with the mother of his first child, Holly. That child is probably 9 years old and my brother hasn't had anything to do with her at all in years. Like 8 of them. He pays his child support and that's it. Somehow, he ends up sleeping with her Saturday night. How, why? I don't know. I chewed him out for being stupid. Ah, I love my family. Finally, my sister. She really went off the deep end after we moved to that place. She was into anything and everything by the time she got to high school. It was actually rather disgusting. At 14, she had no problem cursing anyone and everyone out. She stole money from my mom and dad and then demanded more. She stole drugs from my mom and drank any alcohol that was left by itself in the house. She absolutely hated me, and I'm not quite sure why. My clothes would disappear. My CDs would disappear. Books would be gone or torn in shreds. If I went to my parents, they'd say I couldn't prove it was my sister. What a worthless argument. I mean, it had to have been SOMEONE in the house...but because I accused her without concrete "here's a picture of her doing it" evidence, I was clearly wrong and they would not listen to further arguments. As I believe I mentioned, she refused to come to the wedding, and did the immature bit about how she just might show up to object. What got her to change so much is that she cursed my mom out the day that mom died. When she returned, she found mom laying face down in the living room. That actually had been somewhat of a recurring theme for my sister...who often would find my mom in the floor after a seizure. As my sister later told me, she actually cursed mom for having a seizure and went to help her. When she tried to help her up, she realized mom was gone. Tracy has since quit the drugs, quit smoking, and I think given up on alcohol as well. Now if she'd just kick that Russian to the curb, I'd be happy. Tracy married a Russian going to college here in St. Louis so he wouldn't be deported. A marriage of convenience, it wasn't supposed to be more than that. I told her not to do it, but she did it anyhow. Well, they eventually "fall in love", and she goes off to boot camp. After training, she went to Korea. He couldn't go because of his nationality or something. That didn't stop him from spending nearly every dime she made. It actually kind of reminds me of what my wife did in 2003, now that I think of it. Now that they're together, he's verbally and physically abusive. My brother and I both owe him a beating. But at least I have my sister back. The one good thing about mom's passing is that it brought the three of us closer together.
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. |
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04-11-2007, 11:56 AM
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#8 |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Seattle, WA
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Excellent as usual. I almost always think you're a wolf, BTW.
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We have always been at war with Eastasia. |
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04-11-2007, 12:03 PM
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#9 | |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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Quote:
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. |
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04-11-2007, 12:09 PM
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#10 |
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Favored Bitch #1
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: homeless in NJ
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I swear never to say my family is screwed up again. ( no offense meant)
Great read. |
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04-11-2007, 12:15 PM
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#11 | |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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That's a good thing because it makes it challenging, but I wonder if it just hasn't changed me from a good WWer to a horrible one. There are some really good players (no offense to the vets) these days.
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. |
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04-11-2007, 12:26 PM
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#12 |
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ashburn, VA
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Wow, an "extended edition," no less.
 I agree with I think Lathum, I'll never be able to say my family is crazy again (and like Lathum, no offense meant). /tk
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GO TERPS! https://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin https://twitter.com/terpkristin |
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04-11-2007, 12:39 PM
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#13 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Green Bay, WI
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Great read, Rodney. Thanks!
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04-11-2007, 01:11 PM
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#14 |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: San Diego via Sausalito via San Jose via San Diego
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Awesome AE, thanks for sharing and answering my questions. Good thing you are working with HVAC, 'cause those St. Louis summers can be a beast.
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I'm no longer a Chargers fan, they are dead to me Coming this summer to a movie theater near you: The Adventures of Jedikooter: Part 4 |
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04-11-2007, 02:54 PM
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#15 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: At the corner of Beat Street and Electric Avenue
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AE, thank you for your brutal honesty. With you family's background, I would have understood if you only gave a few details, but your honesty made it a very fascinating read and also gave a great view of how you developed your current personality.
Too bad we don't live in Phoenix anymore, because it would have been nice to meet you for lunch or something. I wish you the best with you and your wife as well as hoping that you accidently land a job coaching a football team. Great job.
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"I'm ready to bury the hatchet, but don't fuck with me" - Schmidty "Box me once, shame on Skydog. Box me twice. Shame on me. Box me 3 times, just fucking ban my ass...." - stevew |
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04-11-2007, 05:23 PM
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#16 |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Early, TX
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That was amazing, AE. I don't think I could ever be that in-depth or maybe not even that honest.
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04-11-2007, 07:58 PM
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#17 |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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Lordscarlet, FYI, I officially don't know my hat size. It's larger that 7 1/4. I'd go with 7 1/2 to 7 3/8 or 7 5/8.
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. |
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04-11-2007, 11:04 PM
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#18 |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: The scorched Desert
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Really great stuff Rodney.....After meeting you in person I would have never guessed you had gone through some of the things you have on the family front.....It's a great testament to your character that you have done so well for yourself in many facets....I have a lot of respect for you.
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04-11-2007, 11:21 PM
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#19 |
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H.S. Freshman Team
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Suburban St. Louis
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You didn't mention that you used to steal other kids' toys. I am disappointed...
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04-11-2007, 11:40 PM
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#20 |
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General Manager
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: New Mexico
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Still waiting for those pics.
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04-12-2007, 05:33 AM
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#21 | |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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Quote:
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. |
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04-12-2007, 09:31 AM
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#22 | |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Washington, DC
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Quote:
How tight is the 7 1/4? I have trouble that I'm between 7 1/4 and 7 3/8. Some 7 1/4's fit perfectly, some are too tight.
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Sixteen Colors ANSI/ASCII Art Archive "...the better half of the Moores..." -cthomer5000 |
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04-12-2007, 05:18 PM
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#23 |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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Way too tight. I wonder now if my head's grown with my weight or if the hat has simply shrunk.
I'd likely have to go 7 3/8.
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. |
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04-13-2007, 10:44 PM
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#24 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Minneapolis
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these are very long
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04-14-2007, 10:59 PM
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#25 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: At the corner of Beat Street and Electric Avenue
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Ooops
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"I'm ready to bury the hatchet, but don't fuck with me" - Schmidty "Box me once, shame on Skydog. Box me twice. Shame on me. Box me 3 times, just fucking ban my ass...." - stevew Last edited by Antmeister : 04-14-2007 at 11:01 PM. |
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04-14-2007, 11:01 PM
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#26 |
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General Manager
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: New Mexico
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AWESOME
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04-15-2007, 08:37 AM
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#27 |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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Let me guess, Antmeister's questions were here.
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. |
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04-15-2007, 09:18 AM
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#28 | |
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Unregistered
Join Date: May 2004
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Hahaha, how'd you guess? As soon as I'm done with ww I'll read your ftb Ardent, it's some crazy stuff over there. |
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04-15-2007, 10:04 AM
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#29 |
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"Dutch"
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Tampa, FL
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Good stuff, AE. Well done and I appreciate your honesty. I'm glad the Navy got you where you want to be (wife and good job). Sometimes it does take sacrifice to get what you want. But despite that, I sense you enjoyed the journey a bit as well. Despite all the damned forms.
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04-20-2007, 08:23 AM
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#30 |
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General Manager
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: The Town of Flower Mound
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Unstickied
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UTEP Miners!!! I solemnly swear to never cheer for TO |
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06-18-2007, 05:55 PM
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#31 |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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For those of you interested, my biological father passed away last night. He was 48.
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. |
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06-18-2007, 07:13 PM
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#32 | |
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Unregistered
Join Date: May 2004
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Quote:
I know you didn't get along with him, but... sorry to hear of his passing  |
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06-19-2007, 09:02 AM
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#33 |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Big Ten Country
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Sorry to hear that, AE.
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06-19-2007, 09:08 AM
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#34 |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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Eh, it gets worse. Turns out he took his own life and left a 16 and 15 year old behind without immediate family.
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. |
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06-19-2007, 10:58 AM
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#35 |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Sorry for your loss, AE.
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06-19-2007, 11:04 AM
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#36 | |
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ashburn, VA
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Quote:
Yikes! I know you didn't care for him at all, as he seemed to be a bit of a SOB, but it's still awful news. It sounds like he had a lot of problems, and it's sad when that happens. I hope that things turn out OK for you, and that your family (however estranged they might be) can stay strong... /tk
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GO TERPS! https://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin https://twitter.com/terpkristin |
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06-19-2007, 11:05 AM
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#37 | |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Dayton, OH
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Quote:
Boy, that sucks. Sorry to hear about this.
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My listening habits |
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06-19-2007, 11:23 AM
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#38 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Massachusetts
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Aaah. I see now.
I remember as everyone else has said that you didn't really care about him, but still, that's a tough thing to swallow. And leaving 2 kids behind without immediate family...not to speak ill of the dead, but I guess that really...validates your opinion of him. So, with those kids being...half-siblings I guess...and not to get too weighty or whatever, but...how much do you know them? Do you get along with them? Is helping them something you are exploring? My thoughts are with you. |
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06-19-2007, 11:31 AM
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#39 |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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I don't know them at all. I've given it a cursory thought about having them stay here if they had no other option, but I'm sure someone in the clan down in Arkansas actually knows them and would be a better fit.
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. |
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06-19-2007, 11:43 PM
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#40 |
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Favored Bitch #1
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: homeless in NJ
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sorry Rodney
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06-20-2007, 12:01 AM
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#41 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: At the corner of Beat Street and Electric Avenue
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Tough situation and I hope everything work out for you.
__________________
"I'm ready to bury the hatchet, but don't fuck with me" - Schmidty "Box me once, shame on Skydog. Box me twice. Shame on me. Box me 3 times, just fucking ban my ass...." - stevew |
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07-05-2010, 11:58 PM
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#42 |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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Kind of weird reading my responses from back then.
I'd definitely respond a little differently if asked today.
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. |
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07-06-2010, 12:22 AM
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#43 | |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Quote:
Yeah, totally. I mean myspace?? Sheesh, I had to check the date on this these post to verify they came after 1995. 
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Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. --Ambrose Bierce |
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07-06-2010, 07:01 AM
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#44 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Burke, VA
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So, *did* you get any good pictures of Djibouti? *snerk*
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07-06-2010, 07:14 AM
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#45 |
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FOFC Survivor
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wentzville, MO
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LOL. Nope, I am what I am. I was loyal to a fault with me ex-wife. I will say this, that divorce was the best thing to ever happen to me...and Will Kerchee was constantly telling me to go through with the divorce.
He was right. My ex has since asked me to come back twice...predictably on her good mood cycles. She swore to me in February she had made a change for the good "for good". I heard last week she had to be picked up by her mom at a party. A shame. No other weird family updates to my knowledge. My brother was married two weeks ago...surprisingly. He found a woman that was just as wild as he was...and they kind of canceled each other out. They decided to get married last month and did it with a quickness. He's had some health issues, so I'm assuming that had something to do with it. He got married in and orange Tennessee shirt and has been holding it over my head ever since. No way I can ever top that. My little girl, Snuggles, passed away in January from cancer in her leg and finally her liver. That was pretty hard on me. I miss her quite a bit. My ex still has Charmin, though I never get to see him. I'm dating a wonderful neonatal nurse from the area who seemingly "gets" me. She understands my funny side, my weird side, my serious side, my football coaching side...and she's still around...so I must be doing something right. As for the "Ardent Enthusiast" in me...I feel that since the divorce I've been able to finally return to that guy. I'm not where or who I was...but I'm much closer today than I was in 2007 and I'm closer every day.
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Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. Last edited by Poli : 07-06-2010 at 07:22 AM. |
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