Slednecks

As many of you may know, I enjoy a good reality show.  I don’t know what keeps drawing me to them, but they are a guilty pleasure.  I stayed with shows like Jersey Shore to the bitter end.  I’m one of the few that still watch the Real World.  I have watched Buckwild, Party Down South, The Challenge, Bachelor Pad, Bachelor in Paradise, and so many more.  So when I saw the preview for Slednecks I knew I had to give it a chance.

Slednecks is a lot closer to Buckwild than any of the other shows.  The editing is nowhere near what Real World, Jersey Shore, or Party Down South brings to the table.  And for those who have seen even a second of any show in the Bachelor franchise you are aware that they are the gold standard even if they are restricted with content due to being on ABC.  Slednecks follows a group of friends around Wasilla Alaska.  After 90 minutes I don’t know a whole lot about the people on the show.  What I can tell you is there is a dysfunctional couple, Kelly (guy) and Sierra,  that spend most of the episode fighting and one upping each other.  Kelly gets drunk; most of the episode, at one point asks two girls why their clothes are still on?  Sierra gets mad and says, “Why did you ask those girls to get naked, right in front of me.”  Sierra hangs on a guy at the club, Kelly leaves with another girl, Sierra confronts girl and calls her a slut.  Later Sierra steals Kelly’s shoes.  Then I learned what vaselining is, apparently it will not come off windows.  Kelly and the guys put Vaseline all over Sierras Pathfinder.  Another plot during the show is Kelly trying to get his clothes and couches.  He is unsuccessful in his attempts.  Sierra then takes his couch and clothes to a rock quarry to blow them up.  Amazing.

One girl Jackie is from an Inuit tribe.  She is ultra conservative but likes to drink.  At one point her, Kelly, and Trevor make signs to put on the road.  They carry a couch out to the street.  They sit on the couch drinking beer.  The signs say. “Honk and we’ll drink.”  One I am thoroughly shocked none of my friends and I ever thought of doing this on our own. 

There was a strange story line with a guy named Zeke who just got out of jail for too many speeding tickets.  Apparently he has 65 of them.  One of his stories was one of the other guys talking him into being a male dancer for money.  His other story was he asked one of the girls out on a date.  He double booked so he took the girl on a dinner date to the club he was going to dance at that night.

Kelly and Trevor work at a sled boat shop.  The owner needs subtitles so you can understand what he is saying.  At one point Trevor challenges another guy on the show to a tug of war.  He says that his sled boat will pull the others guys Chevy all over the lake.  The lake is frozen.  The loser has to shave their legs and wear a dress.  The sled boat takes off at first, but once the chains on the Silverado dig in it drags that boat all over the lake.

The only other person I remember from the show is a guy named Big Mike.  All I know is he has long hair and spent most of the episode hanging out with the girls.  The girls also did a Wild Girls of Alaska calendar shoot.  Of the 8 girls who did this photo shoot, only 3 were girl’s guys would pay money to hang their picture on a wall.  I remember my cousin telling me about Alaskan girls.  He was stationed in Homer for a few years.  He said, “There is Alaska hot, and lower 48 hot.”  An Alaskan 10 to my understanding might be a lower 48 5.  The only other think I know is what my dad told me from when he lived there while working on the pipeline.  He said, “Don’t go home with one of the Russian girls or you may end up married.

As it is with most reality shows, the first episode makes it hard to tell whether it will be good or not.  One gimmick they kept doing was showing the temperature.  We get it, it’s cold in Alaska.  I don’t need to know its 6 degrees, I can see the snow.  Oh the other term I learned while watching was, tundrawookie.  From what I can tell it means a hairy girl.  I will probably watch another episode or two before I make my actual decision to keep watching or not.  For now, the hook of Alaska and rednecks is enough.

The State of Michigan Football

The State of Michigan Football.

I was looking back at some old blog entries and this was the title of one of them.  I wrote that one after the Gator Bowl and what ended up being Rich Rod’s last game as coach.  The time that followed led to much excitement about the upcoming season.  Michigan didn’t get the coaches they wanted, but ended up with a guy that seemed to fulfil all the requirements.  The Wolverines then won 11 games the next season and the Sugar Bowl.  Then each season to follow it has gotten worse.  Other than 2 wins against Notre Dame, 1 win against Michigan State, 1 win against Ohio State, and a lucky win against Virginia Tech there has not been much to brag about. 

As it turns Brady Hoke hasn’t been able to do anything since Rich Rod’s players have left campus.   Now Rich Rod is coaching an Arizona team that is still ranked while Michigan is barely holding on.  With four games left in the season against Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State, and Northwestern, Michigan needs to win 3 of them to become bowl eligible.  In my opinion they will be lucky to win 1 of those games.

Michigan has already lost to Notre Dame this season in a blowout.  The last game for the foreseeable future and they don’t even put points on the board.  They were blown out by Michigan State again.  They were also blown out by Minnesota.  They mishandled a situation with their quarterback in a game where he clearly was concussed on a play.  Now today the Athletic Director steps down.  This is the beginning of yet another year of what will likely be a lot of turnover in the Michigan football program.  Brady Hoke will likely be fired at the end of the season.

The problem is while some exciting names have been thrown around in the last few months, why would any of them want to take the job.  Les Miles is not leaving LSU until he is forced out.  Let’s be honest I hope we are playing much better by the time that is likely to happen.  Jim Harbaugh is still the head coach of an NFL team with playoff hopes.  A team he has taken to the NFC championship all three years he has been there and one Super Bowl.  Why would he leave unless he was forced out?  That won’t happen until the NFL season is over.  That means Michigan would also have to wait until December or January to even make a move like that.  Plus, Michigan has offered the job to both of these men before and they have turned it down.  Why would this time be different?  I have heard John Harbaugh, again he is the head football coach for the Ravens a team that regularly makes the playoffs and has won a Super Bowl in the last two years.  I don’t see him leaving.  Lastly people keep throwing out John Gruden.  I believe he has also been offered the job.  He has been offered almost every job opening in college and the NFL since joining ESPN.  He has said no to all offers.  Even if most are only rumored.  Why would he choose now to leave the booth to coach?  Who does that leave to coach this program into the future?

I hope Michigan takes its time making these decisions.   As a fan I can’t take watching this team win 6, 7, 8 or even 9 games a season.  A program like Michigan should be contending for the B1G title every year.  If they are doing that they should also be contending for National Championships.  Somebody please bring back the glory that once was Michigan football.  The program that made icons out of people like Charles Woodson, Tom Brady, Desmond Howard, and so many that came before them. 

10 Years of SigEp: The last 5

 

SigEp House 2003

Continuing with our top 5 in my 10 years of SigEp series.  You can read the first installment and second installment to catch up if you would like to.  At this point you either know what’s going on or you should go check those last two links out.

The First Class of Brothers at CNU.  E-board sitting in Front.  This Fraternity will be great.

#5 – The Ritual

I think that’s all that needs to be said about that.  The SigEps understand.

Charter 2004

Zollinger 2003

Carlson Leadership Academy 2006

#4 – O’Gradyfest: Also 10 years old this year

I did participate in the weekend events of the first O’Gradyfest, but I missed the biggest part which was the pig roast.  Since I started going 6 years ago it has always been at the Rivah and hosted by Richard’s family at their River House.  It is an event that I look forward to every year now.  One of the best parts about it now is not necessarily the pig but getting to see friends that we don’t get to see as often as we all would like.  The OGF family has become very much like our real family.  We’ve hosted it on cold weekends, in hurricanes, and thankfully usually on one of the last nice fall weekends of year.  It is turning into much more of a family event as we all start to bring our little ones, but that’s part of what makes it great.  The event has changed with us as we’ve all started to get older.  First it included our girlfriends, then we started to bring our wives, and like I said some of us bring our children now.   Here’s to 10 more years of Pig Roasting and relaxing at the Rivah.

#3 – The Root Beer Olympics: We were a dry campus

The Real Beer Olympics.  2008

The Country Club. 2004

Hooters 2004

Fall Festival 2003.

Jefferson East 2003.

Funanin' at the House.

One day we were trying to come up with an event to host for the CNU campus, something to raise some money, and to raise alcohol awareness.  The crazy thing is it all spawned from a challenge another fraternity made while out at the Boulevard on Wednesday night for $3 pitcher night.  They challenged us to a beer Olympics.  It never happened because we couldn’t figure out the details.  Since we were discussing all of this at E-board we decided we should do something on campus during Alcohol Awareness month.  So we did a Root Beer Olympics, we got kegs of root beer and cases of root beer and Regatta’s floor was never so sticky in all of its life.

At the event we had drunk goggles with an obstacle course, root beer pong, a case race, and pitcher chugging.  Now what we didn’t account for in any of this was the carbonation.  So the chugging and case races were not only a race of endurance but probably led to more people getting sick than if we used actual beer.  The beer pong tournament was a way for teams from all over campus to once and for all figure out who was the best beer pong team.  There would be no more arguments because anyone who ever uttered the words, show up at my party and prove yourself, finally had a platform on campus for all to see.

Root Beer Pong also not a great idea, carbonation is not your friend.  All I know is at the end of the night it was SigEp vs. SigEp in the final.  It was my roommate Richard and two other roommates, Paul and Nathan.  In an act of superiority Richard and I skunked the other two in the finals.  As a sign of their terrible play we made them sit under the table until the awards ceremony was over.  It was a great night.  The best part of the even was probably when two brothers rolled the keg of root beer across campus in broad daylight.  I’m sure a lot of people took double takes since CNU was dry, but it was only Root Beer.

Richmond Internationl Raceway 2010

#2 –NASCAR: Spring at Richmond



One of the best events of the year started the year after I graduated.  I invited a handful of brothers to go to the Busch Series race in Richmond with me.  We would go down on Friday and tailgate, then go into the race and have a good time.  It wasn’t hard to get people to come once you told them you could bring in as much beer as your cooler would hold.  It is still something that continues today.  There are years when 20 people show up and others when just a handful of us return.  It’s a great way to start summer, even if it is in April.  Just writing about it now, I can’t wait for next April when we return to Richmond for another race.  We take it all in too.  We spend a couple hours walking around the merchandise trailers; we get there for driver introductions and stay till the checkers.  We used to go to the tobacco tents to get free dip.  Now we usually just go get a picture with Miss Sprint Cup and race each other on the virtual machines. WAR TONY STEWART!  EARNHARDT! Kyle Busch is a b****!  Then after we get out of the parking lot we go to Waffle House which isn’t always a good idea.  The next morning we usually wake up and go to Shoney’s for breakfast.  Then some of us head to the Cup race and the rest usually go home.

Richmon 2006

Richmond 2005

#1 – Brothers for Life

None of the stuff in this list would matter with the brothers that made them possible.  There are stories I could tell for days about the crazy things I’ve done with my fraternity brothers.  There are just as many stories that would probably seem boring to most.  Each one has its own meaning to each of us.  These are the stories we didn’t know about when we decided to join SigEp, they are just the things that happened and made it the best decision of my life.  These things may not get published in the Journal or make HQ very happy all of the time, but they bonded us together.  I can’t wait for the next 10 years of stories.  I also can’t wait to hear about all of the things that the undergrads are doing in the future. 

Planning Casey's Bachelor Party at Shelly's 2009.

Post Game at Bent Willey's in Morgantown, WV. 

My Wedding.  2012

Jason's Wedding 2006.

Axiom Golf Tournament. 2005

14 Inning Nationals Game against the Rangers.

Nationals Game, the year the park opened.

Pink Party. 2009

Joe's Wedding.

Spencer's Wedding 2010

The passing of the Sun and the Moon.

Turkey Trot 2010

Wisest Wizard.  We were very wise.



SigEp Homecoming Tailgate 2012.

Damn Proud.

See you guys on Saturday Night.

10 Years of SigEp Continued...

Please read up on numbers 8, 9, and 10 if you haven’t already.  As some of you know the 10 year anniversary of SigEp chartering at CNU is coming up this weekend.  It also happens to be Founder’s Day on the same evening.  I will continue my countdown of some of my favorite memories and stories from my days as a SigEp and since I’ve graduated.

#7 – The Jungle, Jefferson East, The Country Club:  We’re here to party

Now I’m sure since I’ve graduated and the guys I was in the fraternity with have graduated there have been plenty of other places where brothers gather on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or any other night of the week for that matter to have a good time, but these were the three that I remember the most.

The Jungle – Located at Auburn Chase Apartments.  After some extensive research (10 seconds of googling) I found that this place has been renamed Newport Commons Apartments.  You know a place has a bad reputation when they have to change the name.  This was a popular place to live in college because the apartments were not that nice and they were pretty cheap.  Highlights of the Jungle include the drunk helmet.  Usually it was worn by someone who needed it to protect their head when they were falling all over the place.  I know a couple guys who it most certainly helped.  Every party started by playing Welcome to the Jungle.  I can’t really go into a lot of detail about what happened here, but I have a lot of great memories at this place.  I have some great beer pong victories.  I also think this is where we invented the Bong Pong game.   The things you come up with while board.  It was also a go to the summer we lived on campus while painting the residence halls. 

Jefferson East – two of my favorite non-CNU and non-SigEp people lived here, VDOT and Tre.  One night we were partying and I went down to have a cigarette.  There were a group of guys outside doing the same thing across the parking lot.  They shouted for me, calling me Big Country and called Stango and me over.  We chatted for a while and eventually they were guys we would get to know rather well.  Although there was one time we made the mistake of inviting them into the party.  Let’s just say none of the girls appreciated it.  I don’t know if the guys who lived there appreciated it but it definitely became our regular hang out for the year they lived there.  One of our favorite parties was after a big win against Bridgewater in football my senior year.  It was also when Hasson and I set the record for most consecutive beer pong victories at 19.  And unlike most parties where you play a lot teams over and over again, it was mostly against different teams.  I still have a picture of the two of us from that night in my home office.  It is also the party where the VS locked herself in the bathroom.  It is never good when people lock themselves in an apartment bathroom and pass out. 

One of the funniest stories was on a night when 10 of us just went over to watch the MLB Playoffs.  We were just sitting around watching the Yankees and the Red Sox when someone knocked on the door.  It was the Newport News Police department.  Of course they would show up on a night when we were not even making any noise.  Luckily they just gave us the business for a few and left.

This was also where Bolt and I got our nicknames, Winston and Stewart.  Stango said, we just looked like guys who were named Winston and Stewart.  Bolt and I still call each other by those names today.

Stango is another story all on his own.  There are more Stango stories I could tell than are appropriate for one of my blogs.  He was a great guy and was one of the few non-SigEps that hung out with us on a regular basis.

The Country Club – Located in a friendly neighborhood in Newport News.  This was one of my favorites, even though I only visited here after graduation.  There was the pastel party, Party Like a Rockstar Thursdays, the first O’Gradyfest.  You name it, it happened here.  The problem with this whole section is I can’t go into a lot of details without incriminating myself and others.  These are the stories best saved when sitting around a fire with friends, at a tailgate, or anyplace other than the internet.  I promise, if you ask me in person I will gladly share stories, but for your protection and mine I will not post them here.   If you remember to ask, ask about the one time I met the neighbor across the street or the night I stole the “ostrich burger.”  If I ever write actual memoirs where I no longer need to be employed, I will tell all at that time.  I’ll use these posts as the trigger I need to remember the stories. 

The only story I will tell is the pastel party.  It was a crazy fun filled night.  Only two of the guys who lived in the house were actually there.  One was on his deathbed upstairs.  He had just signed a sheet of paper titled My Will.  It stated that if he died I would get his girlfriend.  It also stated that our friend Jason would get his M3.  The other member of the household left a couple hours into the party because it had gotten too out of control or something like that.  It didn't stop the rest of us from having fun though.

#6 – Spring Break: Panama City

This week almost broke me.  It was the only year I went on spring break and it’s probably a good thing.  I remember sitting in the House with some brothers planning the event.  We were trying to figure out how much money we would need each day.  We came up with a figure like $30 to cover food and beer for a day.  Then when we asked guys if they wanted to go we asked them if they would choose $30 or death.  It was like we believed that if we couldn’t come up with $30 each day that we would die of starvation or something like that.  We eventually got 9 people to go on the trip.  Including myself there were 5 brothers, 2 girls, and 2 guys from back home.  Another two brothers drove down on their own and found a place when they got there to join us in this crazy adventure. 

The Friday before I left I was in the Emergency Room with a kidney stone.  I was really worried this was going to ruin my chances at going on the trip.  Some brothers came to visit me while I was waiting for the doctor.  I was there almost all day.  One of my brothers asked the nurse if I would be able to drink on the trip.  The nurse said, “You should be fine if you drink a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you have.”  She then asked another nurse the same question.  Nurse #2 replied, “Only if you want to end up in a hospital in Florida.”  We all lost it, I don’t even know if we were all laughing at the same thing, but the response was ridiculous.  Needless to say I went and I did not end up in a Florida hospital and I did not listen to the nurse’s advice.

Panama City itself pretty much deserves Vegas treatment.  Not that we won’t discuss it if you ask, but much of what happened is really funny to those that were there and nobody else.  I will say there is nothing like weaving in and out of traffic in Atlanta’s rush hour while making record time through the city on I-85 and fully trusting your brothers to tell you when you are clear to change lanes.  There was also Debubba and Jo-Jo’s, the karaoke bar across the street where you could get a $10 wristband and drink Coors Banquet Beer all day even after you left.  Debubba was some kind of Confederate Elvis.   There was the night where we taught Canadian’s how to play Beer Pong.  

Check back later for the top five.  Don’t forget to bring your own goat.

10 Years of SigEp

Last weekend I went down to Christopher Newport University for homecoming.  I hosted the VA Pi SigEp Alumni tailgate with my friend Spencer.  A few years ago we started going back for the tailgate and football game.  Each year we have stopped by the undergrad tailgate and met the brothers and every year I am more and more impressed with the men of VA Pi.  As a founding father of our chapter I take great pride in what our chapter has become.  This year was no different.  However this year there was not an alumni tailgate, so Spencer and I decided we would offer to host it so the brother who were going to be in town had a place to stop by, reconnect, and have some food.  It has become something that I thoroughly look forward to every year.  This year I was also able to bring my daughter along and let her see her future campus. 

Also this coming weekend I will be heading back down to CNU to celebrate with my brothers our 10 year charter anniversary.  It is going to be the most fraternity events that I have attended in a single week since college.  If you throw in O’Gradyfest which is a bunch of alumni it’ll be 3 events this month.  The only downside to all of these events is that it makes me want more events to interact with the brothers.  I definitely do not take them for granted anymore because each year it seems to get harder and harder to get people together.  But in this week that I am indulging myself in SigEp-ness I thought I would share some of my favorite memories about being a member of this great fraternity.  Since it’s been 10 years, I figure 10 things should be enough.  This also may end up being multiple blogs depending on how long the stories end up being.

#10 – Chapter Meetings: The fun ones.



Sigma Phi Epsilon Founders

Most of the Chapter was boring and just something you went to each week because that’s what you do when you are in a fraternity.  But every once in a while something ridiculous happens and that’s why this made the list.  Its last because it is still chapter, no matter how funny something was that happened.  There are four things that I will cover here and that’s because 11/12 years later they are the only ones that have stuck with me. 

First our chapter made a rule early on that members were not allowed to sing the song Yo-Ho in mixed company.  We felt the song was disrespectful to women and we did not want to make it seem we were going to be that type of fraternity when we started on campus.  Every year there was an event one of the sororities hosted where the fraternities would sing songs to the girls.  I was never able to make it to that event but from what I heard those songs were never “Sweet” songs.  I also can’t say that Yo-Ho was one of the songs other fraternities sang.  But SigEp would sing out sweetheart song and give the girls roses. 

Anyways, back to Yo-Ho.  One night while partying at Jefferson East a brother started to sing that song.  Someone got him to stop before many joined in.  The next day in chapter it was brought up that a brother was singing the song and something should be done about it by the Chaplain.  The brother who sang the song stood up and loudly exclaimed, “WHO SANG YO-HO LAST NIGHT, that song is inappropriate and should never be sang by us.”  Apparently he was unaware that this happened.  As half the chapter started laughing he then said, “This is not a laughing matter, this is serious.”  As he looked at the E-Board and asked, “What are we going to do about this?”  I looked at him and said, “That’s a great question, do you realize you were the one singing the song?”  He then sat down.  I don’t even remember if anything did happen to him for singing it.  I doubt it because by that point the whole chapter was laughing in their seats.

Another event that I don’t even know if it actually happened in chapter, was when Bill Miller showed up at the House after turning over his duties as Treasurer and said, “I ain’t doing shit next semester,” while throwing a deuces sign behind his head.  We found out that the undergrads do this after each chapter meeting now to signify chapter has ended.

The third story was on the day that the heads of the families were coming up with their family names.  Everyone had turned in their names except for one family.  The head of their family was not around that semester.  I just remember Jacob and Matt sitting in the back of the room coming up with names.  The one they settled on was The Number One family.  Everyone in the room was shaking their heads at the ridiculousness of the name.  I actually think it hurt the guy recording them to even write it down.  To my knowledge this family is now defunct.  But watching those two fools come up with crazier and crazier names and then to settle on “The Number One” family was enjoyable.  And if you knew the two guys you would understand just how ridiculous the conversation was that they were having about their family name.

The last story is about our President during my last semester, Matt.  As President we gave our number out to the members so they could get a hold of us for emergencies.  Well even when I was President, emergencies were also apparently drunk dialing you at 2, 3, 4 in the morning.  In a time before unlimited calling and free texts this could cause your monthly cell phone bill to be a bit outrageous.  So when Matt took over as President after my term he eventually changed his number.  He did not find the humor in the drunk dials that I did apparently.  Well when we all realized this at chapter, a few of us brought it up that what a real emergency happened?  How would we get ahold of him?  I even tossed the guilt trip of; it’s part of being the President, at least that’s what I was told when I asked for a portion of my cell bill to be covered by the chapter.  Well by the end of chapter Matt gave his number out again.  I don’t know why but I still laugh about this story when I think about it.  I can only speak for myself, but I don’t think many drunk dialed him after that.  Matt would be the only one who could truly answer that though.  I do know that I received Drunk dials for the next 3 years until many of the guys who were in the chapter with me graduated.  I think I enjoyed them even more after graduation.

#9 – Plaza Big Beers: 34 ounces of glory



CNU Plaza Time

Plaza Azteca is in no way affiliated with our fraternity, but our members did go to this restaurant a lot.  In college we were always looking for cheap beer.  Whether it was the Boulevard on Wednesday night for $3 pitchers of Natty or Plaza for $3 big beers on any night, day, whenever the mood was right.  The big beer is still something we almost feel obligated to order when we go to a Plaza with other brothers.  In some strange game of beer ordering chicken.  Nobody wants to be the guy that doesn’t order the big beer.  These days it might take an entire sitting to finish one, but in college it was a bit crazier, as was everything else in college.  I could tell plenty of plaza stories, but I will stick to two of my favorites.

Big Beer

 

One day two of my brothers and I went to Plaza dinner.  We were getting ready to leave after 2 big beers because one of the guys had to lead the Sigma meeting at the house.  Another guy at the table said let’s get one more beer before we left.  I mentioned it might not be a good idea since we were heading to the Sigma meeting.  Casey said he would pay if we got the third and finished it in time to make it to the meeting.  Well I’m not one to turn down free beer.  Needless to say we ordered it and drank it.  Jason and I left and Casey picked up the tab.  I don’t think he intended to pay for everything.

The last one was actually after college.  It was with some of my alumni brothers though so it still applies.  We were celebrating a brother’s 25^th birthday.  Our goal for the night was 5 big bears in one sitting.  Well apparently we were a little too rowdy while trying to finish our 4^th beers.  The Mayor’s family was also eating there and asked our waitress, the glorious Sandra to kick us out.  Sandra and the owner knew who was asking them so we were asked to leave once we finished our beers.  It almost took the wind out of our sails.  We had set out with one goal for the night and now we were not being allowed to finish.  Well, we got someone to drive us to the other Plaza at Denbigh and got our 5^th beer.  Then went back to the Country Club to hang out for the rest of the night.  It is not every day that you are kicked out of your favorite restaurant by the mayor.

#8 – SigEp Homecoming Tailgates



SigEp Flag

I mentioned most of what I enjoy about these in the beginning of this post.  I am so glad we decided to go to Homecoming in 2012 because meeting the undergrad rejuvenated my love for SigEp.  I started attending more alumni events and getting to know some of the younger alumni and the undergrads.  The best part as I stated earlier was seeing how great the chapter had become, but also learning about so much of the stuff we started in 2003 and 2004 that the chapter was still doing.  Seeing what these guys are doing now in 2014 makes me Damn Proud to be a SigEp.

Look back later today or tomorrow for #7 and #6.  Then the top 5 will follow.  I’d love to hear from some other brothers on their favorite stories in relation to the 3 topics currently posted. 

The Baron's Message

While taking a break from reading The Walking Dead graphic novels, I’ve started reading Good Call: Reflections on Faith, Family, and Fowl by Jase Robertson.   As for Good Call, I picked it up because I am fan of Duck Dynasty and Jase is one of my favorite characters on the show.  I thought it would be interesting to read about the life he had prior to the show and get an insight to who he might be.  I am still reading the book so I won’t get into telling you about it.  I will say that I highly recommend it so far as I’m only 100 pages from the end.  One thing everyone talks about when discussing Duck Dynasty is their Christian beliefs.  The show does not try to hide it, which is something my wife and I enjoy about the show.  What I didn’t realize is how much their faith is a part of their lives until reading Good Call.  

While reading about Jase’s story of becoming a Christian I naturally started to reflect on my own story.  In the book Jase discusses how he would share the Gospel with everyone and anyone.  It’s amazing to read about some of the wild situations he found himself in and how it eventually led him to bringing another person to the Lord.  I grew up going to church and Sunday school every week as a kid.  Actually until the day I left for college.  Staying home from church was not an option.  About the only way was if we were sick or a few times the day after prom.  I remember in high school thinking how cool it was to hear how some of my friends came to Christ and accepted him as their savior.  They always had this one moment where it just changed and they knew it was right.  I remember being jealous of their stories.  Growing up in church I felt like I always knew who Jesus was, I never really thought he was not a part of my life.  As an adult I can look back and realize how lucky I was to grow up that way.  This isn’t to say there were times when I strayed, but I’ve always found my way back.  I also know now that everyone’s story is different, but each person’s story is special.  Even now with my daughter, we are looking for churches where she can have similar experiences that I had as a youth in the church.

In high school and college I sang in a Christian touring choir called Maranatha.  Every summer we would go on a 9 day tour around the East Coast.  In my 8 years in the choir I visited every state East of the Mississippi except Wisconsin.  We sang every night in a different town.  We would then stay the night at host family homes.  We had opportunities to share the good news through song in our concerts, through conversation with the host families, and with each other during the day or with the member we were staying with that night.  There would be nights that we would sing to almost empty sanctuaries.  We would go through the whole concert in dress no matter what.  Our director, Chris Ryder, would say, “it doesn’t matter if anyone is in the sanctuary, as long as one person hears the Word we were doing our job.”  As a teenager that seemed ridiculous.  

 

However one night we were performing our drama program.  During the program we would have Jesus walk in carrying a cross.  The guards would simulate hammering nails into his hands and feet.  At the same time someone would be hitting a mic stand base with a hammer.  The whole scene was very powerful.  I can still remember the feeling I had the first time I heard the piercing sound of the hammer hitting metal.  It was overwhelming and the choir did not know it was going to happen.  One night a friend of mine was playing one of the guards.  He had the responsibility of “hammering” the nails, raising the cross, and then eventually carrying the person playing Jesus out of the room.  At the end of the concert I was in charge of the tear down crew that this person was on.   I walked by him and told him he needed to help out.  I didn’t realize that something was clearly bothering him.  We were in Charleston, WV that evening and stayed on the campus of WV State.  That same guy was rooming with me that night.  I later asked him what was up after the concert.  

He told me that when he joined the choir he didn’t really view himself as a Christian.  He just enjoyed singing and this was an opportunity to do more of it.  We discussed our Faith’s and talked through what he was going through.  That night he decided to give himself to the Lord.  It was awesome.  I haven’t talked to the guy since I left the choir, but both of our lives were forever changed that night.  It was the first time I really felt like I had an effect on anyone.  It was also the first time I truly felt the power of the Spirit.  It was also the first time that the statement that Chris had been saying to us for so many years really made sense.  The songs we were singing we not always just for the people in the congregation, they were there for us as well.

Since that night a lot has happened in my life.  I did rebel from going to church for a long time.  I was not a morning person and Sundays I was either too tired or too hung over to go.  I always wanted church on my terms.  I wanted an evening service, maybe a midweek service.  In college I loved going to InterVarsity, but had it been on Sunday mornings or a Friday or Saturday night I would have missed out.  When I lived on my own it took 5 or so years before I finally found a church family I felt comfortable enough to join.  One morning I just woke up and said I’m going to church.  Then I kept going.  Then I stopped drinking to the point I didn’t want to wake up the next morning so I wouldn’t miss church.

It revived my spirit and relationship with Jesus.  I have two people that may or may not know they are responsible for me coming back to church the second week.  Sandy Boone and Ron Orr, all they did was say hello.  Then they came back and asked how my week was the next week.   Surprisingly I did end up having that moment, it was that Sunday morning when I woke up and said, “I need to go to church.”  It was when I decided to stop trying to walk on my own.

Now as I finish writing this, I’m not sure why two of my last blogs seem to be “church” related.  But it’s what I’ve been moved to write about.  It is a vulnerable feeling and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet.  But if someone reads this and it plants a seed then I guess it’s worth it. 

Sammy (2000 - 2014)

Sammy Enjoying an Afternoon Tailgate in Morgantown before the WVU Game.

Last week the Lamb’s said goodbye to Sammy.  Sammy was our family dog since 2000.  She was more than a pet though; she was as important as anyone else who lived in our house.  When we went home we were as excited to see her as we were for mom’s cooking.  She is the reason I have my dogs now and I’m sure she is the reason my brother and sister got dogs after school.  She loved us all unconditionally, maybe more when we let her eat our pizza crust.

I remember the night we went to my mom’s coworker’s house to pick out a dog.  Their beagle and basset hound had just had puppies.  We narrowed it down to two a black and white male and a black, white, and brown female.  The female won.  I can still see my brother sitting there holding her and saying she was the one.  I remember the ride home while we discussed possible names for her in the van.  We threw out some wild names, things we knew nobody would like, but just wanted to see if anyone would say yes.  Eventually I said, “Let’s call her Sammy!”  Everyone agreed.  My mom asked me where I came up with the name.  I told her it was for Sammy Sosa.  I’ve always wanted to name my dogs after baseball players.  I said Sammy works for a boy or a girl so that was it. 

I will add that nobody outside my immediate family has ever spelled her name correctly.  They always spell it Sammie.  The vet even has her name wrong in the records.  We always smile when we put up the Christmas ornaments our grandmother got for her that are spelled Sammie too.  I guess it’s better than Fairfax County thinking Tabby’s name is Tobby.  

Only a few weeks after we got Sammie I left for college.  I remember coming home for winter break or the following summer and not being used to a puppy in the house.  I walked in my room and found my Oakley’s chewed to hell.  I was so pissed.  Sammy was in a stage where she chewed on everything.  I was reminded of the chewing stage a few years later with Bouncer.  My friend Spencer may argue his homework in college that Bouncer ate for dinner one night was more important than my Oakley’s.  He’s probably right because I quickly replaced them.

The best thing about coming home was seeing Sammy.  She would meet us at the top of the stairs with her tail wagging just waiting.  Once you got up there she would roll on her back and expect you to rub her belly.  If you were daring enough to get down there she would climb on you and lick your face.  She loved it when girls came home, they were never prepared to be tackled and kissed.  I would just stand there and laugh and usually they did too.  She really did love everyone that came through that door.

She loved to chase tennis balls and play tug of war.  She never met a stuffed toy she couldn’t defeat.  She would tear through them to get the squeaker in a matter of minutes it seemed.  We could throw a ball from the living room and down the hall all day with her and she would never stop.  I remember after I got Bouncer that we were tossing the ball for the two of them.  Bouncer was very clumsy as a puppy.  What am I saying, he still is clumsy.  But Sammy ruled my parent’s house like a Queen when the rest of the dogs came to visit.  Sammy also knew where the ball was going when it left our hands so she would beat Bouncer every time to the ball.  Then one day Bouncer realizes he was twice her size and leapt over her got the ball and slid into the wall at the end of the hall.  After that, mom had to move the table out of the hallway for a few years.  Playing tug of war you would practically pull your arm out of socket with her.  She would shake and pull until you let go.  You could lift her off the ground and she wouldn’t let go.  After I got Rollins that was their game to play, Sammy would grab one end and Rollins the other.  They would pull each other around the house.  At least until Rollins got tired and gave up.  

She starved for attention and even when she was old and couldn’t run as well.  She might grab your shoe and get you to chase her.  Whenever she wanted to play she always grabbed a pair of shoes.  Mom would laugh as we chased her around the dining room table and through the living room.  It usually took all three of us to get it back.  She knew we couldn’t get her through chairs at the table.  

There were days when you would get home and be stressed or mad about something at school or work.  You would sit on the couch to watch TV to get your mind of it.  She would come find you and lay her head on your lap.  She knew you just need someone to comfort you.

At night she was great in the winter at keeping your feet warm.  It did have the opposite effect in the summer when you didn’t need the extra warmth.  But we would let her stay there because you felt safer with her there.  As she got older thunderstorms drove her nuts.  She would sit and shake until they ended.  It’s something Bouncer learned from her and I deal with in my house too.  But whenever Bouncer does it I think of her and how mom and dad left the deck door open one day and didn’t know she was out there.  When they left for the night they closed the sliding glass door with her on the porch.  Dad and Mom felt terrible about it.  But they also were reminded of it just like me whenever it stormed.

When I close my eyes I still see her run up the stairs for a treat after going out or running to my parents room at night when its bed time.  I see her running and playing with Bouncer.  I see her wrestling with Rollins.  I see her colors in Zena (Julie’s dog).  I see her unwillingness to listen at times in Franny (Brian’s Dog).  I get her kisses from Tabby.  She’s the reason we have them in our lives and she will be remembered because part of her exists in each one of them.  That’s part of the reason I mentioned them in these stories.

When I got home from the vet last week I was sad that I wouldn’t see her again.  That she wouldn’t come sit with me or give me kisses.  She wouldn’t be there to welcome me when I walked through the door.   As I walked in the house, my three dogs came running each jumping to say hi and make sure I was alright.  When I sat down to watch TV they each came to sit with me.  In each of them I saw a reminder of Sammy.  It was then that I knew she was not gone from our lives.  Her memory lives on in each of our heads and the dogs that we own.  

P.S. – Sorry if some of the thoughts run on, this was a hard one to write and I don’t think I can reread it to make sure it all makes sense.