Literal Videos

One of my new favorite things is literal videos. They work best when you know the song being parodied.

There are many literal video imitations out there of varying quality. Here's one of the originals, which also happens to be one of the best: Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart."

Kids Run the Bases on Full Stomachs

As Erica mentioned in her last post, Taylor Team 5 recently visited Durham. She also mentioned that I got a haircut and shaved, but I'm not going to provide details about those events.

This was Pete, Michele, Emily, Lindsay, and Madelyn's third trip to North Carolina since our move last year. Needless to say, we're grateful.

(Here are our blog entries from their first visit in November and their second visit in April.)

It was by far their toughest effort as they drove from Ocean City, N.J., to see us. The Friday trip took 12 hours due to heavy traffic in Northern Virginia.

We provided Taylor Team 5 with some new local experiences like visits to the Woodcroft pool and a Durham Bulls baseball game.

One of the things I enjoyed most was watching everyone go down the slide at the pool.

Emily led the way and took breaks only when required by the rules of the dreaded "Adult Swim." I kept up as best I could, but Uncle Matt was no match for Emily in terms of energy.

Pete, Michele, Erica, and Madelyn also took turns on the slide. Lindsay was plenty content dunking herself under the water in the shallow end of the pool.

At the ballpark, Emily and Lindsay participated in the "Kids Run the Bases" promotion after the Bulls game ended. Madelyn passed up the opportunity after realizing that mascot Wool E. Bull was stationed at second base.

(In my goddaughter's defense, it's completely logical to be afraid of a six-foot tall bull wearing a baseball uniform.)

There also were some re-runs like our trip to Weaver Street Market - I danced with the girls, which was new - and a pre-game lunch at Dickey's. Kids eat free at Dickey's on Sundays, so the girls ran the bases on full stomachs.

The piano keyboard at the house is still very popular with the girls as is the "Diner Dash" game Erica invented for the purpose of clearing the table after meals.

I'm looking forward to see everyone again in a few weeks when I travel to Catonsville for Emily's Birthday Bowling Party. Meanwhile, Erica is excited to catch up with her family in Nashville that weekend.

Return to the Blog

Since we haven't updated the blog in a week and a half, I wanted to give a quick update on what's been going on in Durham. During the past few weeks:

1. Matt had his first couple of piano lessons
2. I "skyped" for the first time with my sister, Rachel, and Ryan as well as with my mom
3. Taylor Team 5 paid us a visit (and the girls ran the bases at the Durham Bulls game)
4. I attended my first Durham Literacy Center board meeting
5. We paid our respects to the mouse that had been enjoying the fruits of our pantry
6. We attended our first Jordan High School football game (Go Falcons!)
7. Matt got a haircut and shaved off his facial hair

It's been blazing hot here in North Carolina, as I'm sure it has been everywhere our family and friends live. The temperatures wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the high humidity we've been experiencing. It's supposed to cool off a bit this week, so we're looking forward to that.

We'll be back with more posts later this week. Take care!

Suitcase Blues

This week, I'm in Atlanta for a few days to present at the CDC's National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media.

My departure from Durham was more rushed than I would have liked, but I made it onto the plane and into the air without a problem.

The problem came when I arrived at my hotel. As I unpacked my bags, I discovered that a brand new bottle of face wash had exploded at some point during the trip. It discriminated against nothing in my bag, covering everything from my other toiletries to my Bible to the outfit I had selected for my presentation today.

Although I was frustrated at the less-than-ideal start to my trip, I'm confident that things will get better.

A Tall Order

I couldn't help but notice that people were staring at us as we entered the McDonald's in downtown Durham on Saturday morning.

They stared at us again as we made our way out.

And then I learned why: They thought I played basketball at Duke.

Tall ... white ... I suppose I fit the profile.

As I reached the door, one of the men asked, "What are you, about six-eight?"

I explained that I'm actually 6'4", and I played at Rutgers, which established a connection. Turns out the guy's daughter is the director of basketball operations for the women's basketball team at Rutgers.

It's a tall world after all.