Right now I’m listening to Adele, a young British singer. She really has quite a sultry voice. You should check her out…like soon. Her first album is titled “19″.

Last May I had a big trip back to Atlanta scheduled. I planned to see the folks, spend some quality time with Belle, attend a cousin’s wedding and meet up with a bunch of high school friends that I’ve reconnected with on Facebook. I was originally planning to get there on a Saturday. I decided to bump it to Friday in case Mom needed me to work in the yard Saturday morning. Good thing I did.

I got in around 9pm on Friday. My dad had been on the family farm in South Carolina. He was not feeling well so his brother drove him and they arrived around midnight. Dad had a host of old man issues – emphysema, diabetes, high blood pressure, you name it.

The next morning I helped (carried actually) him downstairs so we could take him to see his doctor. I got him downstairs and sat him in his easy chair to rest. My dad is a pretty big guy and I was flat out exhausted from carrying him. He stopped breathing and died right there in front of me, mom and my uncle.

He had been ill for a long while so I was mentally prepared and things were going to be much easier on Mom now. Needless to say the activity schedule was turned on it’s head. I still went to the wedding and a couple of my high school boys stopped by to check on us, which I really appreciated. I didn’t get to see Belle which was very disappointing.

Anyway, that’s all I have to say about that.

Check back soon!

After 30 years I have officially renounced my Oakland Raiders fanship. I can’t take it anymore. They will never do squat again as long as Al Davis has his hand in the pot. He is just too old school. It’s unlikely I’ll become a fan again when he’s gone. His son is next in line and I hear he is more of the same.

My company will actually be celebrating my birthday today, even though it was Friday. My bosses have been out of town and they wanted to be here for it. I love my job. I’m very lucky and grateful to be where I am.

So today I’m trying to get on and it’s fairly crowded. This is L.A. at 7:40AM. In the lane to my left is a Crotchety Old Dude (COD). There is a little space ahead of COD so I try to move ahead a bit and work into that space. COD is determined not to be the guy I get in front of if it’s the last thing he does in life. I’m like dude, it’s 7:40AM. You just got up. Is your whole day already so in the shitter than you can’t just be nice and let a brotha in? For me, once I’ve showered 5AM and 5PM are the same. I’m wide awake and cheery as I’m gonna get. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Apparently the 0.0000000762 seconds COD is gonna lose by letting me in will cause him to miss an important business deal…or the senior citizen breakfast buffet at Denny’s. I dunno.

I’m now about 20 yards from the end of the ramp and 40 yards from the next on ramp where a cop is ticketing people who run the one car at a time light. COD still won’t let me in. I break into “I’m your worst nightmare….a nigga with a car” mode, act like I don’t see COD and wedge my hooptie up in the spot just in front of COD. Homeboy is PISSSED! He lays on the horn and waves his fist at me like I almost took him out. It was only close at all cuz he was riding my ass like Willie Shoemaker on Secretariat.

I hold up my middle finger, wave it back and forth, twist it around for about 15-20 seconds to make sure COD realizes I’m not just adjusting my mirror. It’s a middle finger….and it’s for him.

COD gets off at the next exit but not before he pulls alongside and gives me the finger back.

Are you that guy? Are you COD? Cuz I got somethin FA YO ASS!

Goooooo Dawgs! Sic’em!