Thanks Roland

Thanks Roland for pointing out that the templates on this Movable Type contraption are pretty easy to change.

Ordinary People and the Biting Biters who Bite Them

Mike Tyson move over. Check out this crazy fella. I ride the seven train to and from Manhattan every so often. Now I'll be keeping an eye out for biting biters with an especially crazy and bloodthirsty look in their eye.

David Archer

Late last week David Archer, one of my younger sister's and our family's good friends, fell to his death while hiking in the beautiful hills of south central Ohio. David was a good egg and I can't tell you how sad his death is to many many folks. The last time I saw David was when I played opposite him at the annual Thanksgiving Day old men vs. youngsters football game at Grace Presbyterian Church in Columbus. It was sleeting for most of the game and David and I were enjoying the two hand tackle state of affairs which every good football game degenerates into. I really enjoyed knowing that character.

The Lancaster Gazette had a story about David's fall which was typical of the coverage. I went through what many people must go through when folks whom they love die. I read the papers and was upset at the coldness with which they treated the situation.

The bulk of the stories were about how David was off the marked path and let that be a warning to the rest of us. Well, I think that was the wrong advice for two reasons:

1. To react to a personal tragedy with an admonition to follow the rules better next time is cruel and wrong. It's like telling someone to look both ways next time before crossing the street while you are poking them in the eye.

2. Many folks die in accidents in cars and in bathtubs for that matter. I think we take risks every day that we don't even know are risky. We're never too awful far away from dying, but we sure are good at thinking we can avoid it if stay inside the lines. Following rules doesn't insulate anyone from the unexpected. It may satiate an actuary or two, but God takes us when he pleases.

Anyway, below is David's obituary. This is the David who the newspapers, and their readers will never know. They will never know the truth. Isn't that a strange thought? Scores of thousands will read those papers and they will really have no idea what it meant.

ARCHER David L. Archer, age 20, of Worthington, died Thursday, January 8, 2004. Survived by parents, Paul and Cynthia Archer; brothers, Michael, Timothy and Nathaniel; grandparents, E. Robert and LaVerne Derr Jr. of Pittsburgh, PA., Betty Archer and Willis (Greta) Archer, all of Randolph, NY.; great-grandmother, Odessa Arrance of Steamburg, NY.; many aunts, uncles and cousins. David was a college student who was preparing for a mission trip to Uganda, East Africa as a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. He was a 2002 graduate of Northside Christian School and was an active member in church programs at Grace Presbyterian Church. He loved the Lord and loved people as well. He was particularly gifted with children. He enjoyed many outdoor activities and sports. Friends may call 6-9 p.m. Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday at SCHOEDINGER WORTHINGTON CHAPEL, 6699 N. High Street, (1/2 mile South of I-270.). Funeral service 7 p.m. Sunday, January 11, 2004 at Grace Presbyterian Church, 5099 Postlewaite Road. Pastor William Kessler presiding. Graveside and interment service will be held Monday at Kingwood Memorial Park.

Sprint was good to me

It's not often that you get to say how well you were treated by a large multi-national organization. I suppose that sort of scale doesn't lend itself to the personal treatment. But I must say - I didn't feel like just a number today at the Times Square Sprint store.

A few days ago I had dropped my nearly obsolete Treo 300. I do this on a regular basis, but this time it was fatal. I was just picking up my McDonalds #2 meal - no cheese - when that phone flew out of my hand and hit the floor. The flip part went flying and I dropped some fries into the mix while I was trying to catch it. End result - earpice was broken but the rest of the phone worked fine.

After about 36 hours of being paralized by the fear of having to shell out a few hundred dollars for a new phone, I got up my gumption and went into the Sprint store. Much to my surprise, the nice young gentleman with crooked gotee told me to go to the service counter and they would replace my phone. That was strange because Sprint had recently kicked me off of thier hardware insurance plan because I break so many phones. I wasn't going to argue, and after about an hour in line the nice lady behind the counter told me that my new phone would be ready in two hours.

So away I went, but certain they would change their minds by the time I returned. It was not to be. Two hours later I walked out of there with a brand new Treo, a new phone for Nicole and a few new friends. All for 29.99. That's service, and maybe that's why they are getting more folks. Goodness knows it isn't the stellar call-drop rate.

Getting there (and back) is half the fun

I've just returned from a two week holiday safari with my fiancee. The plan was simple: I drive from New York, pick her up in DC, drive to Columbus and fly to California the next day. Ten days later repeat, inversed.

So here's what actually happened.

While rushing to get out of NYC, I stepped on and demolished the alarm clicker for my car. I had to open the car, set off the alarm, pop the hood and cut the horn wires. That worked, but still left my lights to blink for about 90 seconds every time I open and close the door.

So I'm out of NYC and four hours later into DC. Sleep for a few hours, run errands all day and head for Columbus with fiance and dog at 8pm. 11:54pm, realise that I left my wallet on the roof of car while pumping gas just outside of DC. Turn around and drive back. 2am, searching in the rain for my wallet. Surprise hotel for the evening. 6am, searching for wallet in the light. 10am, driving back to DC to get a new drivers liscence.

So we took a brief nap and then set out for Columbus, take two.

By this time we had missed our flight to OC so we rescheduled for 7am the next morning.

Spent the first few moments of Christmas 2003 on i-70 and arrived in Columbus at 12:30am. We had a fine, but foggy-eyed visit and present-opening session with my family until 2am. Up at 5:45 and off to the airport.

Things started to look up when our flight (which had a stop-over at ORD) was oversold and we took the two free RT tickets and the first class upgrades. But we accidentaly threw away one of the free tix with our lunch wrappers. After that the trip out was pretty uneventful.

The return trip was pretty uneventful. We only got one flat tire about two hours outside of DC. I must take this occasion to put in a shameless plug for my fiance - that girl is good with a tire iron. These little surprises are always wonderful.

The occasion did afford me the opportunity to put two new Pirelli tires on my car. The ride is much nicer now.

All I have to say about the whole affair is that between my fiance, her family and friends and mine, there are some great folks. I was the only one who ever got frustrated with myself. I suppose these things happen. And as always, there's no substitute for having good folks around.

Alblum of the year

I've been listening to Over the Rhine's new alblum Ohio for a few months now. It's getting my pick for alblum of the year, I just send my nomination to the Grammy people.

This music makes me wish I grew up in southern Ohio instead of central Ohio. Just go ahead and listen to it. It will make you want to be the son/daughter of a coalminer who lost four fingers and his job and how that and appalachian religion gave you an unshakably complicated demeanor and inability to understand New Yorkers.