Wade & Tate's Weekend O' Fun! (Part I)

Kelly took a spur-of-the-moment trip down to San Antonio for some much-deserved "Kelly Time" with her friend Garyn, who's about to move far, far away to Atlanta.

(We'll miss you Garyn & Zach! Sniff, sniff!)

So that means it's just the boys this weekend! Hmmmm, I wonder what we can do.

The car show is in town. There's indoor swimming at Keller Pointe. Krispy Kremes for Sunday breakfast. And don't forget the big game on Sunday whose name I can't mention due to rediculous trademark restrictions!

(Super Bowl, Super Bowl, Super Bowl! There, I said it! So sue me NFL!!!!)

So first things first! Tate and I reved up the testosterone to 7500 rpm at the Fort Worth Auto Show!

It seems that Tate has great taste - his favorite is this Audi R8! The MSRP is only a mere $118,000! Get a job, kid!



Or we can scale it back a bit and just go with this Smart Car for only $16,500*!


(*Energetic High School Musical-quoting niece not included)

But did I buy myself a new car? Well, let's just say that the night definitely ended with me spending a lot of money . . . though all of it Monopoly money that I spent in my "happy place"!

Sigh . . . one day!

25 Random Things

For those of you on Facebook, you've seen this going around and know what's about.

For those of you not on Facebook, I got tagged to list 25 random things about myself.

1. Even though Dr. Pepper is the preferred “drink of the gods”, I haven’t had a sip of the sweet nectar of life (or any other carbonated drink) in over 10 months!

2. And because of that I now weigh less than 180 lbs – which is a first for me in I don’t know how long!

3. 177 lbs is the lightest I’ve ever weighed at the beginning of cycling season – time to break my personal record for top speed! (Which is over 40 mph! Downhill, wind at my back, peloton of 25 cyclists, and adrenaline rush off the scale! Shhhh, don’t tell Kelly!)

4. I can’t wait for cycling season to start!

5. I rank restaurants solely by how good their bread is . . . and if they have good desserts.

6. My favorite restaurant bread used to be Harrigan’s cheese rolls. Now, it’s Babe’s Chicken hot biscuits with honey!

7. My favorite restaurant dessert is Truluck’s Chocolate Malt Cake & Ice Cream! Kelly and I always share one between the two of us. But no matter how much we eat, we can rarely ever finish it!

8. My favorite activity to do with Tate is to take him to Krispy Kremes on Sunday mornings – we don’t talk much because we’re too busy stuffing our faces!

9. My favorite activity to do with Kelly is to have a nice long conversation over dinner in a great restaurant . . . sans child!

10. 6 of my first 10 random things have all mentioned food – I guess I’m hungry!

11. I don’t want to talk about the Cowboys so it’s probably best you don’t bring them up.

12. . . . those bunch of no-good, gutless loafers!

13. I seriously hope President Obama will be as successful as everyone thinks he will be.

14. I seriously hope I am as successful at my new job as everyone thinks I will be.

15. Speaking of my new job, I’ve been praying for wisdom a lot lately . . . a whole lotta prayin’ for a whole lotta wisdom!

16. I wish I could set aside an hour every morning to do nothing but read. I’m able to read for about 30 minutes at work before the day gets started but it’s not as much as I want. And I can’t read at night because it puts me to sleep.

17. I always get bit by the snow skiing bug this time of year – Man, I wanna hit the slopes!

18. I need to finish defensive driving before sometime in March or else a judge in the City of Fort Worth will be none too happy with me!

19. Kelly and I have already decided that we will go see U2 if they come to town on tour after releasing their new album this spring – Man, I hope they come to town!

20. I always have a pen in my hand when Rick Atchley speaks because he always says something I want to remember.

21. Even though I consider myself quite the “techie junkie” (Did I mention that I just switched out Kelly’s laptop memory card all by myself?), I still can’t figure out how to work the thermostats in our house . . . and we have lived here for over 5 years!

22. Now that I have a desk job where I work alongside other people, the biggest challenge I have encountered thus far has been “thermostat wars”. It’s me, 14 women and one thermostat. Needless to say, it always feels a skosh warmer than I’d prefer.

23. I’ve always thought that Marble Slab Ice Cream was decidedly better than Cold Stone Creamery but neither are as good as Milwaukee Joe’s Ice Cream. (Blue Bell doesn’t count because it’s store bought ice cream!)

24. Duhon reminded me of this one: When Tate was born, Kelly went out and got a really frilly diaper bag that I was afraid could be mistaken for a purse on days when I had Tate by myself. So I went out and bought a diaper bag that looks more like a testosterone-packed messenger bag so people wouldn't think I was carrying a “man-purse”. I still use my DiaperDude even though Tate has pretty much grown out of the diaper bag phase.

25. One of my worst OCD tendencies is the one where I can’t fall asleep if the sheets and covers on the bed aren’t properly tucked in. I’d explain what I mean by “properly tucked in” but this post is long enough already as it is. But let’s just say that I have been known to momentarily kick Kelly out of bed as late as 11:30 at night just so that I can properly tuck in the sheets.

Alright then . . . tag, you're it!

Just One of the Perks to My New Job . . .

I decide what goes on the message board!

(No, I'm not still bitter or anything!)

Busted!

You may remember the "year in review" video I did after Tate’s birthday last month. 

I noticed a couple weeks ago that it was suddenly missing from my Facebook video file.  Not knowing what had happened, I had intended to reload it. But before I got around to it,  I got this notice directly from Mr. Facebook himself . . .
______________________________________

Hello,

We have removed your video entitled "Tate Turns Two!" uploaded at 8:06pm December 13th, 2008. We did this because we learned that your video might include copyrighted material owned by a third party, such as a video clip or background audio. 

(They're are referring to the background song Upside Down by Jack Johnson.  Oh whoops!  I just typed out his name!  Am I allowed to do that or is typing his name copyrighted too?)

If you are the copyright owner, or have permission from the rights holder to upload and distribute this material on Facebook, you may file a counter notice of alleged infringement by following the link below.

Please note that if you re-upload this video without filing a counter notice, or if you upload another video that infringes on the rights of a third party, our system will again remove the content . This could cause your access to the Facebook Video application to be disabled, or your Facebook account to be disabled.
_____________________________________

In other words, the email says:

Blah, blah, blah You can't show your really cool video of your really cute son. Blah, blah, We're the fun police blah, blah! Stop having fun! Blah, blah!

Whatever! The video is still posted on my blog! You know, the blog where people are allowed to have fun!!!

Speaking of which, click here to watch Tate Turns Two!

Ooooo, take that Facebook!

And the winner is . . .

. . . Tara by a landslide!

OK, then . . . I guess this will be my one and only Name That Tune bit.

Oh well. The answers are below for those of you who remain befuddled.

Name That Tune

Here's a bit I stole off of Jeremy H's Facebook page - I took a few liberties in tweaking it!

The Rules:

1. Set your MP3 player to Random and press play.
2. Copy down the first line of the first 37 songs that come up.
3. Laugh out loud as your befuddled friend try to guess the name of each song and the group who sings it.

The prize for the most correct answers: My everlasting respect and admiration.

Have fun!

1. She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene

Billy Jean by Michael Jackson

2. I met you before the fall of Rome.

It's All Been Done by Barenaked Ladies

3. Happy with no teeth, happy here in hibernation

Back Porch by Presidents of the United States of America

4. The heart is a bloom, shoots up through the stony ground

Beautiful Day by U2

5. Do you have a dime to listen to me whine

Basket Case by Green Day

6. When I was young I knew everything, and she a punk who rarely ever took advice

The Freshmen by The Verve Pipe

7. Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band

Tiny Dancer by Elton John

8. Where it begins, I can’t begin to knowing

Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond

9. How long, how long will I slide?

Otherside by Red Hot Chili Peppers

10. She’s driving away with the dim lights on

Let's Go by The Cars

11. All around the world statues crumble for me

Fly by Sugar Ray

12. This is how it seems to me, life if only therapy

You Move Me by Susan Ashton (or Garth Brooks, don't know who covered who)

13. Flew in from Miami Beach BOAC, didn't get to bed last night

Back in the USSR by The Beatles

14. She is trapped inside a month of grey

Mercury by Counting Crows

15. Alone, listless, breakfast table in an otherwise empty room

Daughter by Pearl Jam

16. Once there was a way to get back homeward

Golden Slumbers by The Beatles

17. Hello darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk to you again

Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel

18. Waiting for the break of day, searching for something to say

25 or 6 to Go by Chicago

19. Though I've tried before to tell her of the feelings I have for her in my heart

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by The Police

20. Confutatis maledictis, Flammis acribus addictis, Voca me cum benedictus.

Requiem: Confutatis by WA Mozart

21. You say forever and I confess a shiver

Away by The Toadies

22. That young boy without a name anywhere I’d know his face

What's The Matter Here by 10,000 Maniacs

23. Now here I am again in this mean old town

So Far Away by Dire Straits

24. She grew up with the children of the stars in the Hollywood hills and boulevards

Lullaby by Shaun Mullins

25. Friday night I crashed your party, Saturday I said I’m sorry

You May Be Right by Billy Joel

26. You ask me if there'll come a time when I won't require you

Never My Love by The Association

27. Leaves are falling all around it is time I was on my way

Ramble On by Led Zeppelin

28. Cheat the odds that made you, brave to try to gamble at times

Jealous Again by The Black Crowes

29. You belong among the wildflowers, you belong in a boat out at sea

Wildflowers by Tom Petty

30. I keep a close watch on this heart of mine, I keep my eyes wide open all the time

I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash

31. Half a mile from the county fair and the rain keep pourin’ down

And It Stoned Me by Van Morrison

32. One time one thing occurred to me, what’s real and what’s for sale

Vasoline by Stone Temple Pilots

33. You cannot quit me so quickly, is no hope in you for me

Space Between by Dave Matthew's Band

34. Lonely feeling deep inside, find a corner where I can hide

No Sugar Tonight by The Guess Who

35. I'm a new soul, I came to this strange world hoping I could learn a bit 'bout how to give and take

New Soul by Yael Naim

36. Imagine me and you, I do, I think about you day and night

Happy Together by The Turtles

37. Now here’s a little story I’m about to tell about three bad brotha’s you know so well

Paul Revere by The Beastie Boys

Let me know if you use this idea on your blog and I'll play along - Thanks for the idea Jeremy!

Tate-ism #17

We have entered a new phase with Tate.  It's the "Be very careful what you say because Tate is listening and you'd be surprised how much he understands" Phase.

(Man, they've got to find a shorter name for this phase!)

Anyway, I was woken up the other morning by my 2-year old's soothing and angelic voice coming through the baby monitor.

"Wade!  Wade!  Basketball! . . . . Wade?  WAAAAAAADE!!!!!! . . . Basketball please!"

I just turned and looked at my half-sleeping wife as if somehow she were the one who taught him that . . . and then I got out of bed and played basketball with my son at 7:15 in the morning.

It's Time for a Change

This post is literally over 4 years in the making so bear with me - I have a lot to say today.

There’s a long and winding road of events that have lead me here.  I’ll spare you the gory details and go instead with the short and sweet version: Earlier this morning, I resigned from my job as a pharmaceutical sales rep.  Next week, I will officially take over as President of my dad’s clinical research company.

Instead of selling drugs, I will now be involved in the research and development of drugs!

(That thump you just heard was my 4^th Grade Science teacher falling out of her chair! Let’s just say my science project didn’t quite leave the impression that I would one day be running a full scale clinical research organization!)

This company was created on paper about 10 years ago when my dad began conducting clinical trials in order to bring in a little extra revenue for his family medicine practice.  Now it has successfully grown well beyond what any one person can manage. 

During that time, I was enjoying my job as a “legal” drug dealer, but I had always dreamt of stepping out and doing something on my own.  This opportunity will provide that for me while giving my Dad the time to focus just on medicine and research, while I will focus on . . . well . . . everything else!

(Thump, thump, thump! . . . Uh oh!  There went all of my College of Business professors at ACU!)

Kelly and I are excited about this opportunity and thankful for God’s continued provision.  It’s both exciting and terrifying at the same time – mostly because we have absolutely no idea where it will lead.  But we do know that we have both prayed for this for a very long time – so to me, it is no accident that we have suddenly found ourselves along this path.

2009 will be an interesting year for us, to say the least!  One thing is for sure, taking over the family business will give plenty to rant about!