My Shiny New Toy . . .

My poor little Motorola Razr finally bit the dust this week. This phone for the most part was indestructible, which is good in my case. Within two months of getting my Razr it was dropped in water and came out relatively unscathed. It slid off the roof of my old car and fell two stories (from a parking garage) onto the sidewalk below and received only minor scratches. Seriously, the phone was in three separate pieces: handset, battery and battery cover. It survived countless falls from the seat of my XTerra onto the pavement. Unfortunately, the last fall cracked the lens of the camera. Recently, I've had issues with the keypad. It had gotten to the point where I was almost never able to check my voicemail because the # sign wouldn't work. Finally, this week, the entire keypad just said, "No More!" and I was forced to purchase a new cell phone.

So, RIP my fun little Razr, you will be missed:



What new phone did I buy, you ask? I picked up the Blackberry Pearl 8130 Smartphone. How much do I love this phone! I can send and receive emails, pictures, text messages, download music and videos, browse around online (Hey now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to check out Surviving Grady while on the road!), and use the messenger service to chat. It also has a handy calendar, video and digital camera, and GPS! Best of all, it's barely bigger than a deck of card . . . seriously.

Here is my little technological wonder:



Isn't it pretty!

In Need of a New Career?

I saw this on my friend Helen's blog and thought it would be fun.

Go to Career Cruising.
Put in Username: nycareers and Password: landmark.
Take their "Career Matchmaker" questions.
Post the top twenty results.

Here are mine:

1. Politician.

2. Corporate/Commercial Lawyer

3. Special Effects Technician

4. Judge

5. Actor

6. Civil Litigator

7. Lawyer

8. Criminal Lawyer

9. Director of Photography

10. Director

11. Set Designer

12. Costume Designer

13. Comedian

14. Casting Director

15. Musician

16. Composer

17. Magician

18. Dancer

19. Producer

20. Federal Agent

I'd say I've done fairly well as I do quite a bit of commercial law in my practice. Although, I can definitely rule out a few. I'm nowhere near funny enough to be a comedian, and magician? Just . . . no.

(12 of 12) 2.0: September

It's time for 12 of 12 again. Check out Chad's site for the details. This month's bonus pic was based on the word "unexpected." So, since yesterday was Christin's birthday, Helen, Elaine and I took a birthday picture just for her!


7:00 a.m.: First things first . . . today's newspaper.


7:10 a.m.: My favorite story of the morning . . . all about the Red Sox major come back on Tuesday night against the Devil Rays. Go Sox!


8:05 a.m.: I'm leaving for work when I notice this thing on my tire. Thankfully, it wasn't alive and kicking.


8:15 a.m: My new apartment complex does not have any recycle bins. This frustrates me enormously. So, I have to take my recyclables to the bins at the Post Office. This morning, it's all newspapers.


1:10 p.m.: During lunch I make a trip to Target. I need a new grill pan desperately and I also need a little something for Christin.


5:15 p.m.: On the way home from work I stopped at CVS because I realized I forgot one very important thing for Christin's surprise picture . . . candles!


5:40 p.m.: Home at last. Here's my booty from Target, I also grabbed some Einsteins' Bagle Shmear. That stuff is great!


6:00 p.m.: Dinner. "Grilled" pork chops and a baked potato. I'm cooking an extra chop for dinner tomorrow.


6:10 p.m.: While dinner is cooking I gather up my Garmin GPS watch. It took a tumble with me during a run a while back. Thankfully, Garmin will be able to fix it. So, it's going out in the mail tomorrow! I can't wait to have it back.


6:20 p.m.: And dinner is ready.


11:00 p.m.: I love Sudoku. I especially love the Monster Sudoku that's in the Sunday paper. It includes numbers 0-9 and letters A-F. I'm finally sitting down to work on this one for a bit.

Bonus Pic: Yesterday (the actual 12th) was Christin's birthday. So, my bonus pic is a surprise for her.


Happy Birthday, Christin! I hope you had a wonderful day!

So Much To Say

Yesterday was the big show I've been very excited about. The Allman Brothers Band and the Dave Matthews Band concert at Piedmont Park. It was great! The weather was outstanding. It was warm during the late afternoon, but once the sun set it was perfect. I swear, there were way more than 50,000 people there.

We were able to plop our blanket down in what ended up being the middle of the crowd. We were in a good position to see all of the screens, but far enough that the bands looked really small.

The Allman Brothers Band came on a few minutes late, which was great for us, because we were running a bit late ourselves. They played some really good songs, Hot 'lanta, Statesboro Blues, Hoochie Coochie Man, Midnight Rider, One Way Out, and did Whipping Post as their encore. I was not pleased that they ended their set without playing Melissa. That was totally made up for later. The band sounded great, and Gregg Allman's voice sounded great, too.

The stage setup was nice. There was one large screen on stage, behind the performers, then two screens high, beside the stage. There was also a high screen in the middle of the meadow.

DMB played a really good set. Warren Hayes jammed out with the band on What Would You Say, and Gregg Allman came out and performed Melissa with them. That was completely wonderful, it sounded so amazing hearing both of them singing the lyrics. Dave said it was one of his favorite songs ever written. I liked Cornbread a lot better with the live band, than just the acoustic version on the new Radio City CD. It was a lot of fun. Don't Drink the Water sounded really, really good. I thought it sounded much better than a couple of other live versions I've seen and heard. The series of So Much to Say, Too Much, and Warehouse were a lot of fun. Once we heard So Much to Say, we knew what was coming up next. He also played his new single Eh Hee. I'd not heard it yet, but liked it. I actually grabbed it from iTunes this morning.

It had been several years since I'd seen DMB perform. I saw them several times when I was living in Nashville. I really think this was the best performance I've seen. The crowd was great, the sound was wonderful and it looked like they were all having a lot of fun on stage.

50:50

My teams were 50:50 last night.

Tennessee was defeated by Cal in what I suppose was a decent game. Both defenses gave up points, but Tennessee's defense hadn't given up this many in a long time. Let's just hope they do better next week against Southern Mississippi. Then, it's onto Gainesville and those awful Florida Gators!

The good spot in sports last night? Let me illustrate with a picture:



Clay Buchholz, who was called up by Boston just a few hours before the Baltimore game, threw a no-hitter last night in his second major league start! Final game score was 10-0! This is such a good thing for the Red Sox, especially after being swept by the Yankees and that near win over the O's Friday night. I hope this will boost them through September! 22 wins and the AL East belongs to us!

An Explanation Please . . .

Now that I have DirecTV I have the option of watching a wonderful network. One that I've always secretly wanted but could never have because I was a cable subscriber. It's a channel that all Red Sox fans would probably love to have. NESN, the New England Sports Network. Ah, yes, getting to watch Boston Red Sox baseball to the commentary of Remy & Orsillo rather than Joe Morgan (who never seems to get a score right) or Rick Sutcliffe (I have a very good reason for disliking Sutcliffe . . . just ask me!).

Why was I so excited about tonight's game? Because it's Red Sox v. Yankees, the first of a three game series, in New York, with Boston 8 games ahead in the AL East, and the pitching match for tonight is Dice-K v. PettiTte! Tonight's game should be a great pitching match!

So, now you are aware of my excitement for tonight's game. A game which, if I want to watch live, will have to be watched online via the MLB gameday. Why, you ask? Why would I have to watch in this fashion if I subscribe to NESN? Because stupid DirecTV blacks out the game! It's not even showing on another network! Tomorrow, fine . . . black it out all you want because I'll watch Beckett & Clemens duke it out on ESPN. (Hello! Beckett v. Clemens!) But why must they blackout tonight's game?

I've heard a vague rumor from my very good friend (who shall remain nameless because he's a Yankee fan) that DirecTV does the same with the YES network. This makes no sense to me! So, officially, DirecTV . . . you are on my list!

*insert witty title here*

I have fallen in love. Unfortunately, I have done so way late in the game. It seems that during my haze of law school studies I missed what might possibly be the funniest show ever! What show is this, you ask? Why, it's none other than The Office. Now, I have never seen the British version with Ricky Gervais, but the U.S. version is hysterical. However, I have the UK version at my disposal, so it will be watched eventually.

I don't watch a lot of sitcoms. Aside from the shows I watched as a kid ( The Cosby Show, Cheers, Family Ties, Who's the Boss, and The Facts of Life), I really only watched Friends. For some reason, I've been more into the dramas. Steve Carell and the rest of the cast have made me laugh out loud so many times, and John Krasinski is completely swoon-worthy.

I am very much looking forward to watching Season 4.

I am also in the process of watching Six Feet Under. I have managed to get my hands on the entire series on DVD, but it's coming along slowly. I've actually only watched the first two or three episodes. For some reason, it hasn't drawn me in. I'm hoping that it will.

In other news, marathon training for the ING Georgia begins September 1st! Check out my nifty little countdown clock to the left. Please join me in praying for cooler temperatures and lower humidity in the city of Atlanta . . . oh, and rain would be good, too!

(12 of 12) 2.0: August

Okay, so I missed July, but I'm back with my August 12 of 12! Check out Chad's site for everyone else's day, and the rules of the game.


2:29 a.m.: I am getting into bed really late for me.


7:45 a.m.: And, yes, I forced myself to get up early so I would be able to get into bed for work! This is the Chattahoochee River, my new apartment complex fronts the river. I was hoping to get down here early enough for it to still be misty, but it's just too hot and humid for much mist lately.


7:48 a.m.: Here's another shot looking in the other direction, there was a fishing boat just past those branches.


8:00 a.m.: After walking around the river trail and going up to grab my mail from Saturday, I'm back at my apartment ready for some coffee and my Sunday paper. This is the view from my patio, lots of trees!


8:20 a.m.: Scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast . . . with coffee, of course. The top story for the Sunday paper . . . sorority rush at UGA. Seriously. It was a slow news weekend in Atlanta, evidently.


9:30 a.m: After eating breakfast and reading through the paper I hopped onto iTunes and downloaded the new Emerson Hart CD "Cigarettes & Gasoline." I love Emerson and the CD is great!


1:30 p.m: Last weekend I went to a peach themed party and had the best Peach Salsa (and Peach Sangria!!) so I decided to make some. This is everything I need save one item I forgot to lay out. We have peaches, a tomato, jalapeno pepper, cilantro and red onion. Know what's missing?


1:35 p.m.: A lime! Thankfully, I still had a couple in the fridge.


1:45 p.m.: And . . . the finished Peach Salsa, which was very yummy.


4:30 p.m.: Time to unpack the new Tivo box. Before I moved I had a Charter DVR box, so I didn't need Tivo. Now, I will have DirecTV (in 2 days) so I decided to get Tivo while there was a good deal. This one gave me a $150 rebate!


4:35 p.m.: While unpacking, I decide to watch an episode or two of Six Feet Under. I've got the entire series to watch.


8:00 p.m.: This is my Korres Rose Face Mask, which I'm going to use before bed. Don't worry, there will be no picture of my face all white and masky.

Bonus Pic: This month's word was "light". So, I decided on my Haagen Dazs light ice cream. This is Dulce de Leche, but I also tried out Coconut Pineapple this week. It's really good, too!


That's my day in a nutshell! See you next month!

I'm Back . . .

Finally, I'm all moved in to my new place! I even have an internet connection again. Yay! Unfortunately, I will not have DirecTV until Wednesday.

Hopefully, I can get back into posting mode.

Be back for 12 of 12 later today!

12 of 12

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to do 12 of 12 today. I've spent all day long in Court. So, I was unable to take any pictures of the day. I don't think the Judge would've been pleased had I whipped out my camera for some photos.

I'll pick back up next month! However, dear readers, you can still head over to Chad's site to check out everyone else's day.

I have a couple of things I want to blog about, so hopefully I can pop in and do that over the next day or two.