Mom called me Wednesday while I was in Birmingham. I didn't check the message until after some meetings, and she was crying. My heart sank, as I feared what I was about to hear. She told me Misty, our dog of 16 years, had to be put to sleep that afternoon. Instantly I was relieved there was nothing wrong with mom, dad or sis, but then I thought about how long Misty has been a part of our family. I mean, 16 years.

That is a freakin' long time. I think there is probably only one friend, aside from family, who I've kept in touch with longer than 16 years. She was such a funny dog too. Never mess with her when she eats. She'd bit your damn head off. Then there would be times she'd run laps around the house. I think I remember her once stealing one of my lunch-time hotdogs, taking it under the seat parked in front of the tv, and eating the entire thing in about 1.7 seconds. When we picked her up, the little mutt she was, I was in 7th grade and my sister in 2nd. Being the elder, I thought the name of Princess would fit and everyone would love it. Marian came up with Misty. I was a kid and had the ego bruised a bit, but soon there after it just didn't matter. She was our dog, our pup.

I probably haven't thought about it enough yet, but it is just very hard to loose a pet. She'd been having problems lately. It was difficult for her to walk. She had glaucoma in both eyes. Despite all of her struggles, she was still lively as hell when I was home back in the winter. I hate I wasn't able to see her before she passed. It just kinda bums you out.

This weekend will be good. I have nothing to do. I'll probably end up coming into work some. Football is right around the corner, but this weekend will give me time to think about my little mutt and also time to recover from all of this travel. Athens ... Atlanta ... New Orleans ... Orlando ... Birmingham. Dear Lord, I need a break. I am fortunate though, because my family will be coming to visit next weekend. I'm excited to show them around the town. Mom was here last spring, and dad has been here before years ago. Sis has never been, and I think she'll love it. I've got to plan some fun activities, and I'm sure most of it will revolve around country music. Damnit. I suppose I can deal with for a few days ... you are lucky you are my family! Ha!

I've got a few meetings today, but I'm going to get back on my workout plan and then maybe dodge out of work a bit early. Sunday brings the return of Jazz at the Mansion, which rocks. Time for me to break out my wine and cheese. Oh hell yeah!

Enjoy your weekend, and go hug your dog. Or cat.

One hell of a week, kids. I'm finally able to do some laundry and catch up on bills after being on the road since last Tuesday. And I tell you what, everything they say about New Orleans is true! It does stink.

Ok, so it wasn't that bad. We had a Student Life conference, with most of the leaders in their respective divisions/departments. It was good to meet new people and take in all of the ideas they have for the future. We also had the pleasure of sharing dinner and drinks with everyone, which is where you get to know people. It was a solid trip, and needless to say ... I had a hell of a time on Bourbon. What an odd place ... strip clubs, sex clubs, bars, hurricane quick stops ... too much trouble to be had, and so little time. Hell, I even won $30 in the casino. So not a bad trip at all!

So it is done. Matt and Mel are happily married and chillin' on some beach in the Bahamas. Damn, must be nice. The rehearsal dinner and wedding were a lot of fun. Both families are pretty damn cool. I ended up spending most of Saturday hanging out with Matt before the wedding. He seemed to have nerves of steel. It must be an odd feeling knowing you are hours away from committing your life to someone. Not a bad feeling, just odd. Although, throughout the entire day I was finally reminded ... that yes, ladies and gentlemen, I still have a romantic bone in my body. I found myself really enjoying the day and seeing everything come together. The ceremony was nice, short and to the point, yet also allowed the family and friends to feel the love. They are happy, and that is what it is about. I suppose I found myself thinking what it'll be like for me some day. Nerves? Oh yeah, but a ton of excitement will be around. And by damned, it'll be a party. We all danced our butts off Saturday night, so you can expect nothing less from me one day.

After the reception, I made my way to Athens to see Doug and some other folks. Hey, I'm that close to Athens, I had to go. Unfortunately, I was unable to find time to visit with Keith, but I was fortunate to see Jessica and Matt (a different Matt) Sunday for lunch. I haven't seen these two in years. They are a happily married couple, and long time friends. I met Jessica in the summer of 1999. Wow ... six years. Anyway, they are both very good people, so it was a blessing to see them again and see them so happy. I've invited them to Nashville for the October Vanderbilt/Georgia football game. As a matter of fact, ANYONE is invited. I'd love to host a bunch of friends for the game. Yes, I'm busy, but I can still find some time over the weekend to enjoy it.

Odd stretch for the Blue Jays. They won 2 of 3 from the cubs, then got swept by the Astros. Today, they took game 1 from the Cardinals ... with Halladay getting his 10th win of the season. Guy is a stud. I'd love to see them win this series, mainly so I can talk shit to Nichols.

Ok, so I am off to Orlando tomorrow for NACDA. It should be a great opportunity to see old friends (Jessica at FSU, Tim at Oklahoma, Ward at ECU), but it should also provide me the opportunity to meet new people. If you know me, you know I love to network. I suppose I can be a shameless self-promoter. The thing is, I promote and I deliver. I can't stand people who just kiss ass and expect to get somewhere. I will get to know you as a person. I will pick your brain. I will ask questions of you. I'll make sure you remember just how inquisitive I can be. This convention is the opportunity to do just that, be inquisitive. I'm surrounded by peers who've "been there, done that," so it is a great opportunity to learn from others' mistakes and successes. I'm thrilled to head to this conference ... and I'm sure we'll have some silliness down there too!

Well, here's to another week on the road. I'll be glad to chill in Nashville Saturday night.

If you are going to be at NACDA, give me a buzz! 615 238.4131 ... later fools!

New Orleans, here I come. Tomorrow morning, I'll board a flight for my first trip to the Creole country. I'm excited. It is mostly for business purposes, but I'm sure there will be some fun involved. I mean hell, you can't go to New Orleans and not have fun, right?

Another solid weekend with not much going on. I just chilled out, mostly. I did hit the town both nights, but there wasn't much happenin'. We sent off our good friend, Homeboy, who has returned home to Boston for the summer. He's a damn good kid, and has a good head on his shoulders. I mean, this is a kid who curses like Stone Cold Steve Austin, yet tells strippers they need to do something better with their lives. Pretty interesting character.

Spoke with Matt today about his big wedding this weekend. Seems like he and Mel are ready to get the details over with. That seems to be a common theme among weddings ... just get to the good stuff where we are married. I suppose I can understand it. You go through so much to prepare for the damn day ... must be a hassle. But I'm thrilled for them both. I value their friendship and hope they are happy for years to come.

Oh, and Newp ... Jays 1, Cubs 0 ... WOOOOOOOOOO!

My sister's birthday was Monday, and if any of you know her, you know how great a person she is. Of course, I am biased, but it is obvious in how her friends respect her and how much her graduate professors think of her. She is a year older now, and we all hope a year wiser (just kiddin' goober). I was able to send her a few small gifts for her day, but I look forward to early July when she will visit Nashville with mom and pop. I wish I could've been there to celebrate with her, but I'll make that up to her here in Nashville. Look out Tootsie's!

Memorial Day couldn't have come sooner. I know I am probably a terrible bastard for saying this, but I spent my weekend doing absolutely nothing. I know I should've been doing something to honor our war veterans, but this year has worn me out. That was my first weekend with nothing to do, nowhere to go, in several months. It was relaxing, it was great.

I was a bit athletic this weekend, which is a big stretch. Played 9 holes of golf and even bowled a few games. The golf was frustrating as usual, but I had a handful of decent shots throughout the day. Ok, a child's handful. Bowling was a bit better. As my good friend Brandon can attest, I made a comeback reminiscent of the Nuggets 5-game series comeback over the Sonics in the early 90s. Don't you remember the shot of Dekembe Mutumbo, under the basket, lying on the floor raising the ball over his head? That was an 8 seed over a 1 seed. Granted, Barca and I aren't that far apart in bowling skills, but he whooped me in games 1 and 2. The comeback began with the high score of the day in game three and a very tightly contested game 4. It all came down to the decisive game 5. We both were very poor in our fifth game, but I have the fortune of marking a few frames and pulled away late.

I also saw a very intense move over the weekend, "Crash." This is an amazingly scripted movie, which has about 8 sub-stories. Each of these sub-stories wraps itself into the other, and you see how all of the characters are connected. Like a six degrees of Kevin Bacon, although he's not in it. Right. Anyway, if you are looking for a good summer flick that isn't one of the huge blockbuster hits, you should check this out.

We are a few weeks into Summer of Jay, and I haven't made much progress, other than the working out stuff. I can blame some of that on my slack weekend, but I'm BACK baby! I'm looking forward to getting out on the town this weekend. After talking to a few people this past weekend, I believe meeting new folks can benefit everyone involved. I've got some great friends I can introduce to new people, and hopefully "new people" have great friends too. I'm out a bunch the next three weeks, but I'll enjoy my Nashville time, don't you worry 'bout that. Plus, two of my trips are to Orlando and New Orleans. That has GOT to add some spice to my life.

I'll spend the rest of this week trying to catch up on my "summer projects," which basically consists of all the stuff I put off until during the year. It really is amazing how much I can get done when I don't have events hanging in the background.

Now, go outside and enjoy the summer weather!