A Dog's Love

I think it is safe to say that many times we forget that animals are living, breathing creatures, and that they, especially dogs, grow attached and more than likely develop a sincere bond of love with their masters or caretakers. That attachment is no more readily apparent than with my own two dogs, Greta and Grace, or should I say, my Mom's two dogs. My brother-in-law had G&G for several years since their birth, and when they first met my mom in summer of 2003, they had no clue who she was; they still followed Richard on a whim and were with him every day all day. Slowly, as my mom began to care for them and be their "Nana," as my mom calls herself in relation to the dogs, G&G started to develop that bond that they had created between them and Richard. Now, whenever you visit my house, you will notice that my(or mom's) dogs follow my mom's every footstep. They react to her voice. They react to her movement. When she's upset, they are quiet and somber; when she is lively, they are verbose(with yelps and barks). When mom sits down in the living room chair, they are usually within mere inches of her feet. If mom is walking to the kitchen, they look at each other, decide that she isn't coming back, and begin to follow her right on her heels.

The point of this isn't to show how obedient and cute my dogs are(although they are every bit of those two adjectives). Rather, it was to show that that love bond between master(Nana) and dog is as real as the computer on which you are reading this post.

That bond exists between my family and our dogs, and it definitely existed between Trevor and his dog Holmes, who unfortunately had to be put to sleep this past weekend due to increasing eye problems and renal failure that occured over just the past few days. Jay-Jay, Trevor's other dog, experienced the same problems before he eventually had to be put to sleep months later(last year). Trevor and his family agreed that they didn't want to put Holmes through that much pain if she didn't have to experience it. The decision was hard for the Acy's, and I am sure it was especially hard for Trevor.

I was friends with Trevor in Grenada when he found Holmes. She was evidently beaten her whole life(at that point, about 2 or 3 years), her body was emaciated, and she was very thirsty and hungry. Trevor took in the dog, who looked to have some pitbull in her, and within a year, Holmes was jumping in Trevor's backyard and loving her new life with him. I can say that I too grew very attached to the dog, and every time I visited Trevor's house, be it in Grenada or Madison, I always made a point to play with Holmes or sit beside her on the floor while we watched tv. She could easily bring a smile to the face of anyone at anytime on any day.

Trevor and his family drove up to Greenwood this weekend to bury Holmes right beside Jay-Jay.

Sometimes we forget that our animals will eventually die, and chances are good that we will outlive the pets we have. It pains me just writing this post. Holmes was a central part of the Acy household, and the Acys are almost an extension of my family, so it is as if one of my own dogs has passed away. Holmes will be greatly missed.

You could not help but love this dog.

Yet, somehow, someway, be it by coincidence, or what I believe to be the Big Man up there hard at work, there is a silver lining to this somber set of circumstances. I warn you beforehand, though, that it is very graphic to begin with...

Trevor's step-grandfather's son(stay with me) was driving along a backroad highway last week, and he ended up behind a moderately moving truck. Before too long, Trevor's step-grandfather's son(we'll just call him Ben, as I have forgotten his true name) sees something thrown out of the cabin of the truck as the truck is going along the road. Upon quick inspection, Ben realizes that a SMALL DOG was just THROWN FROM THE TRUCK. Now, Ben(as well as I, or any other human person) would have followed the trucker until he stopped, gotten out of his vehicle, walked over to the man, and beat the SHIT out of him. Fortunately for us, though, Ben knew that the rescue of the dog was more important in the immediate timeframe. He stopped his vehicle near where the dog was thrown, found him, picked him up, and got his wounds taken care of at the vet. Thankfully, a broken leg was all that the dog suffered. It could have been much worse.

The dog, named Jill by Trevor's relatives, is now doing the normal things puppies should be doing. Trevor's mom was able to snap some shots of the dog...

Isn't she CUTE?!! Notice the cast on her back foot due to her broken leg.

I do believe she has some Bernese Mountain Dog in her.

Come on!! She just begs to be held!!

There is a good chance that Trevor and the Acys may end up taking this dog into their own care. It's not a guaranteed thing, but it is a definite possibility. It turns out that the end of one dog's life may very well have been balanced the rescue and subsequent survival of another.

Keeping this dog theme going(again, it is interesting that these events all took place now), the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is starting tomorrow! Yes, that's right; it is two days of some beautiful dogs strutting their stuff in Madison Square Gardens. I can't wait. Mom and I will again be cheering for the Bernese Mountain Dog. Unfortunately, I have a game on Tuesday night, so I will miss the 2nd night of the show, but I will be able to see my favorite breeds on Monday.

and with that, I bid you all a good night.

-H

You hear that? It's a busy week getting closer...

This weekend pretty much kicked ass, but the fun was only temporary, as this upcoming week is sure to be one of the craziest.

Thursday night got things of to a pretty entertaining start. Around 10pm that evening, the whole gang headed over to Polliwogs, and we stayed there until closing time, which is around 12:30 on weeknights. We pretty much just sat around, but there were some random points of dart-throwing, although I mainly just watched; the dartboard was the plastic kind, so it wasn't that impressive. I will have to say that Polliwogs is about twice as smokey as Dave's, and that's really saying something. My eyes were burning like hell as we walked out...

Friday night Aaron, Reggie, Adam Wandler, and I headed to Tuscaloosa at around 7pm. The weather was terrible, and add that to the fact that Wandler can't drive on the road in the rain without a car in front of him, it took us almost 2 hours to get to Tuscaloosa. After navigating through the high waters in T-town, we finally arrive at Adam's good friend Andy's house, who also became good friends with my group of guys over the past year. I barely knew Andy, and I didn't know anyone else at all beyond him, so I didn't know what to expect that night. Thankfully, Andy was cool as hell, and so were his friends. I mean, how could you not have fun at a house where there are multiple Houndstooth hats floating around all night?(that's a UA reference for those of you not in tune with college football history). I met several people that have the same major as I do(they attend UA), and they all turned out to be some really cool people to know. At its peak, the party had about 45 people in the house at one time...yeh, it was THAT nuts. I am definitely going back to T-town with the guys the next chance I get.

Aaron had to work at 2pm today, so we left around noon from Tuscaloosa. I vegged the rest of the day, and we went to Peppers for dinner tonight. After that, we retreated back to Aaron's crib to watch the final 4 episodes of the Arrested Devlopment series, which aired last night(while we were at the party). Reggie recorded the shows on a vcr tape(we need a damn DVR), so the shows were ready for viewing tonight. It goes without saying that those last episodes were HILARIOUS. Please, if you haven't already, go pick up the first 2 seasons on dvd. Better yet, if you would like to pick those up for ME, that would be swell as well :). Oh, and word has it that SHOWTIME is going to pick up the series. That's great on one hand, but on the other it's not because we dont have SHOWTIME :(....I'll try to figure that problem out...

This week coming up is gonna be wild. Tomorrrow, I have TWO hockey games; one is at 3pm, and the other is at 7pm. Why we have a double header I don't know. I also have a game on Tuesday night. It's going to be tough on the body. School-wise, I have a Dynamics exam on Tuesday, a U.S. History exam on Thursday, a Mechanics of Materials quiz that day as well, and a Physics III exam on Friday. As you would expect of an engineer, I feel pretty confident with everything except U.S. History; I have ALL these terms to know and discuss. Bleh. Thankfully it's not Tunisian History or something(no offense to readers from Tunisia!).......continuing the craziness, intramural soccer starts this week; we have a game on Wednesday and Thursday. We haven't practiced once yet this semester, so we'll try to squeeze that in somewhere this week too.........oh, and the craziness doesn't stop. The upcoming weekend will give me something to look forward to(thank God!!); I am leaving for Chattanooga right after my Physics exam on Friday. I would like to actually wear something NEW for my stay up there, but I simply don't have time this week to get anything in Columbus. Maybe I'll get something while I am up there? I am in dire need of additions to my wardrobe, and I am sure the Chattanooga crew is wondering if I ever wear any other clothes, haha. My car also needs an oil change, so that will need to be done at SOME free point in my week.

There you have it. Crazy-fun week #1 is nigh...

Random thought...I have no clue, but I have been addicted to R.E.M. the past few days. I am trying to assemble a TVBO(the very best of...) cd right now. Again, no idea why they are in my head, just are. Go figure...

I am going to get some things arranged in my apartment, then I'm headed to bed. I need all the rest I can get for tomorrow...

-Henry

7-6

Arrrrrrgh...I hate losing close games because it usually means that I am the one that could have changed the outcome. True, I could have definitely have played better, but oh well. We play those foes several more times this season. It was a great game, and for the unusually large crowd that was there tonight, it was an especially good game to watch. It's all about the fans, after all(at least that's what the NHL "says")...

I would be a terrible person if I didn't say HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY REGGIE!!! Yup, that's right. The friend I have known the longest finally passed that magical barrier today. I was swamped with my schedule and early hockey game, so I was unable to celebrate at Applebee's with him and Trevor this afternoon. He had 2 Sam Adams with his lunch; I'm so proud*tear*. Aaron turned 21 a month ago, Reggie turned today, and Adam Brown turns the two-one next week. It definitely feels like eternity until June 11....

I was doing some deep thinking during my Early U.S. History class today, and this is what I came up with: be it either by coincidence or on purpose, but ALL of the Horne children's names are prominent names of kings and queens in world history. Just do a Wikipedia search or a Google search. You'll see what I mean. William, Caroline, John, Henry, Richard....all of them. I wonder if the Horne parents knew what they were doing....hmmmmmm....

Wandler has persuaded me to go with them(he, Aaron, Reggie) to Tuscaloosa to their friends' party this Friday night. I don't have to drive, and I don't have to pay for any of the gas. Why WOULDN'T I go?! Besides, the Tuscaloosa gang is cool as hell, so it'll be good to see them again(they were here for my Welcome-Back party). We're returning on Saturday, so I'll still have time to do the things I was originally planning on doing this weekend...

well, I have to get up relatively early tomorrow. Richard Wright(SIHL president) and I have a weekly breakfast at The City Bagel, a tradition started by Richard, Richard Sewell, and I many moons ago. Each week this year we have had a progressively larger group of hockey players show up, so hopefully it will keep up. Plus, I get to play with Brennan, Richard's 1.3 year old baby. This kid is awesome, and he's definitely going to be a hockey player. He'll be amost 4 when I leave Starkville, so maybe if he sees me on a constant basis, he'll remember me at some point when he gets into the NHL. That's the plan anyway, haha...

-Henry

yes, I am a nerd.....sometimes

Well, this weekend was fun.

Friday was a marvelous occasion. The Onkyo HT-S780 7.1 surround sound system is installed!!! Ladies and gentlemen, you have GOT to visit my apartment at least once in your lifetime. This thing is unbelievable. I will not go into all the details, because that would be boring. Just know that since about 3am Friday night, we've been playing video games(well, just one) and watching movies on it like crazy. It's so so so so awesome. Come check it out.

time for a nerd moment:
Friday was also a big deal because we(Dan, Adam, Adam, Grant, Robert, Reggie, 2 other guys, and I) finally beat what many considered to be one of the hardest video games of all time: Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts for the Super Nintendo. We've been trying since this summer(when I acquired the game); Dan and I were up until 5am one night trying to beat it. We can get to the end easily; that isn't the hard part. What IS difficult is the final boss, and well, it just annoys the hell out of ya. When Reggie and I arrived at Dan's on Friday night(around 7), Dan had already gotten to the end(the easy party) but having hard times with the boss(the hard part). After several grueling hours, I came away victorious. We took pictures of the credits because this is a VERY rare occurence...once I have those pictures I will post them to prove to you that we beat the game(and that I'm a geek sometimes...)

Saturday rocked as well. After a day of(again) more fun with the Onkyo, the whole gang headed to dan's for a pre-Dave's warmup. After about two hours, we all headed to Dave's to see Young Agent Jones play. Man, these guys ROCKED. I'm working on burning their cds as we speak. I love these guys. Plus, we were at Dave's, so that automatically makes things fun. Reggie and I owned at foosball, I waxed Regg in Golden Tee, and all of our clothes smell like smoke. I also saw about half a dozen people I had not seen since my last semester here, so that was fun. There are some great pics from the evening, but I'll have to steal them from Trevor before I put them on here. There was an after-party after Dave's, but I was worn out. I headed home to crash for our early hockey game..........

.....we won 12-5. My team played GREAT. Their score would have been lower, but a few pucks dropped out my glove off hard shots, and that left juicy rebounds. So it SHOULD have been 12-3, haha, but as long as we get the W I don't mind. I've added links over on the right column of my blog(you know, somewhere under my picture, with the rest of the links) for direct access to SIHL scores and score sheets. Now all of you can keep up with what should be a Sewell Cup Championship run. Enjoy!

Watched the Super Bowl tonight. Nothing super exciting, but some good football all-around. Always good to just eat burgers and hang out with the gang in front of a big tv. I hope my bro had a great Super Bowl party at his place with his new Panasonic EDTV. I think Caro and Rich went up there to the party as well. Guess I wasn't invited, haha...

I know I keep saying this, but pictures are on the way, I promise...we got pics of the living room(with the system set up), my room all organized, and other things. Bear with me!

now I am off to the wonderful world of Physics III....

-Henry

Onkyo = Sound

No, seriously. Trevor looked it up. ONKYO means "sound" in Japanese. It alllll makes sense now.

Short post today...

The sound system is here. We picked it up on Saturday. It is not FULLY installed yet, so just wait a little longer for pics. Once everything is in its final place, I'll post the pictures. We have tested the bad boy, and it is INCREDIBLE. I wish I could somehow post the sound on here.

My room is almost finished as well. When I hang up my last poster or picture, I'll snap a few shots of my little corner of the world for ya.

The SIHL draft was today. My team is STACKED, but don't take my word for it; check it out HERE. If you still don't know why we're stacked, then just ask me; I'll explain. For yet another season I'm on the Predators, sportin' the number 33, baby :) The first game of the season is on Sunday.

No word yet on Super Bowl plans. SURELY there will be someone hosting a party.

Also, on Saturday Young Agent Jones(or HERE) is playing at Dave's Tavern. Can't wait. I love YAJ(they played at my sis' wedding, for all of you not in the know), and they are playing at one of my favorite places in Starkvegas to hang out. Should be an awesome evening.

welp, I should get to bed.

-H

Feel the Rhythm, Feel the Rhyme

Well, it's Friday. I am done with all my work that needed to be done, and my first full week of schools is over.

I am finally in the rhythm of things. Tuesdays and Thursdays are full of classes, and Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays are pretty easy going. I like that setup. It gives me 3 days during the week(MWF) to really get work done, while T-Th days keep me occupied, but I have a 1 hour 45 minute in between classes, so work is also able to get done in that timespan. Wednesdays I will have a physics lab, but I don't think that will greatly complicate or mess up things. I have hockey on Tuesdays and Sundays, so the fact that I dont have class until 11 am in the mornings of the days after hockey helps. Another bonus is that I have just one class on Fridays, and it is one that I can easily miss a day or two of during the school year. The class is/will be very easy, so missing a class lecture(they are all available online from her) doesn't really hurt much. Obviously, I am not going to skip every Friday class; this is just convenient should I ever want to go to, say, Chattanooga, for a weekend, and I want an extra day up there. It's very nice.

Things are different here at State then when I was last here in fall of 2004. There are new buildings on campus, buildings have been torn down, there are new parking areas and decals, there are new students, and there are new teachers in my department. Most upsetting of all is probably the fact that John isn't here anymore. Besides being my savior in times of sever virus attacks on my computer, or whenever my jeep needed a little help, it was just a comforting feeling having my next oldest bro right down the road, so to speak. It's kind of like that extra added layer of protection. You know, "nothing can happen while John is here." Of course, I guess this is kind of like when I went to college; no longer did I have the safety of my parents at my house to go to. And it wasn't like I didn't know this was coming or that it was sudden. Nevertheless, it's a new feeling that I must get used to.

Hockey went great on Tuesday. I'm definitely rusty, but I was thrown right into a game after I got suited up, so that helped ease into things. My legs need to be faster, and my lateral movements need to be quicker as well. Those things will definitely improve once I get my workout routine back in action. I'm going to be playing intramural soccer soon with the guys, as well as beach volleyball, so getting in shape is definitely a must. I think Trevor is going to join my routine with me, so we can do things in tandem to make it less mundane. I'm looking forward to getting more active; hockey last Tuesday really jump-started me.

Tomorrow is a big day in the G-5 household. We are going to pick up my baby at the Circuit City in Tupelo. Then we are going to bring her back here and get it all set up, which will probably end up consuming our entire Saturday. No matter, though. It's really going to enhance the video game, as well as movie experience in our household. If you are in the Starkville area, you are invited to come by tomorrow night and see(of hear, rather) for yourself. Trevor and I, as well as the guys, are excited about it. I've been eyeing this sound system for months now, and after doing the research, we think we have a winner. I'm about to order some speaker stands from Crutchfield, which should get here on Tuesday. They are sharp, and will definitely add to aesthetic of the room.

You may think I am sucking up, but I have befriended the son of the Aerospace Engineering Department Head. Yeh I know, you are probably saying to yourself that I am low for doing that. We did meet by chance though, so it really isn't my fault. His name is Anthony Vizzini(just like his father's name), and he is(you guessed it) in aerospace engineering as a freshman. Anyway, we met at my Welcome Back party the weekend Mal was down here, and I discovered that he is in my Physics III class. He needed some slight instruction on our last homework set, so I invited him over last night to help him. Turns out we have similar interests: we both love to throw darts, he loves the Red Sox(his dad went to MIT and lived in Boston for many years), and he has our type of sense of humor. He also likes hockey, but for the WAY wrong team: the Red Wings. Half of his family is from Detroit, so that's his connection. He doesn't seem to be as into hockey as I am, so I'm not TOO bothered by it. With that being said, I did put on my Avs jersey as soon as he divulged to us that he was a Red Wings fan. Oh well. No one is perfect, haha.

Well, I guess that about sums things up for the past few days. Theo is back with the Sox as GM, which I predicted would happen a few months back. Aebischer got into a fight with Philippe Suave(old Avalance teammate, now with Calgary) the other night in Colorado's trouncing of the Flames. Nothing cooler to watch than the two goalies of an NHL game throwing fists. Not as good as Roy/Osgood match, but still fun to watch.

I have no idea what the plan is for tonight. Splendid Chaos is playing at Rick's, but I really do not like going there. Maybe Dave's will be the alternative. ANYWHERE but Rick's, haha....

-H

Starkville Hockey

HAS RETURNED!!!

I am on my way to the rink right now. This is my first time to play in over 13 months!

My water bottles are filled. My new(used) hockey bag is full. My wheels are rotated. And my pads have been re-stringed.......

it's go time.

-H

In David I Trust

Unfortunately, my Avs lost to Detroit today 4-3. My boys from Denver played amazingly despite losing, and many are now talking that they are a serious Cup contender(especially after that 8 game winning streak that ended this week!). They are probably saying this for one special reason: David "I-am-a-badass-in-the-net" Aebischer. This guy has been absolutely brilliant since coming off the DL earlier this season.

If you did not see the game, I suggest you turn to ESPNews right now, or maybe check NHL.com or ESPN.com for highlights of the game. Abby made this one outrageous save, but it was really THREE saves in one. I can barely describe it. Aebischer was somehow pulled to the right side of the net and lost his stick...the puck flew to the left face-off circle...a Red Wing launched the puck as soon as it hit the center of the circle, and David DOVE from the right side of the crease and blocks the puck...the puck flies out to center ice, and another Red Wing blasts it from there, and Abs makes ANOTHER reaction save with his left pad...and the puck flies out again to the left face-off circle, and yet again a Detroit player just WAYLAYS the puck towards the upper 90 of the goal, an almost impossible area to block...Aebischer flips his ENTIRE body around, throwing his legs into the air, deflecting the puck at point blank into the stands. TRULY remarkable.

St. Patrick made an eerily similar play a few years ago in the playoffs against San Jose. BOOM BOOM BOOM. Three saves in a row. Unbelievable.

One week until hockey starts in Starkville :)

-H

Classes

I AM here to learn, right? Well, if my parents ask, then tell them that. No, seriously. My #1 goal here is to further my knowledge in the field of aerospace engineering and acquire the skills necessary in the field. With that in mind, I attended my classes for the first time this week.....

Monday, Wednesday, Friday @ 11:00 am. Physics III.

Continuing on the path of physics that I have been on since freshman year, this semester we will study simple harmonic motion, waves, optics, and even dive into a little modern physics(relativity included!). We just started with SHM, and it's very fascinating to me, as are the rest of the topics in this class. I look forward to the labs associated with this class.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Business Ethics.

This is an online course, so no traveling to school for this one. The syllabus and instructions are pretty straight forward. It involves alot of reading, and much more typing and responding to responses. Hopefully, by the end of this semester I will have learned a little something about ethics in the business world.

Tuesday, Thursday @ 9:30am. Engineering Mechanics II: Dynamics.

Basically an extension from EM1, Statics, in which all the systems of loads/supports were in a zero-acceleration frame. Dynamics now involves acceleration, so the simple mathematical concepts we used in Statics don't work so well now. We can't just take the sum of all the forces or moments to be zero now; they add up to "m*a", and that can include all kinds of forces. I'm very excited about this course. We're getting closer and closer to real-world situations.

Tuesday, Thursday @ 12:30pm. Mechanics of Materials.

Building off of what I have learned in Statics and Dynamics, Mechanics of Materials is focused on the actual members that make up the systems we studied in EM1 and EM2. Things like cross-sectional area, stress/strain relationships, torques, and beam deflection, among many other things, will be studied. Yet another very cool class I am very excited about.

Tuesday, Thursday @ 3:30pm. Early U.S. History.

Quite possibly my favorite portion of history of any kind. I already love the subject, but I believe my professor will make me appreciate even more. He looks like a skinnier version of the old man that helped Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone. He's very enthusiastic about the subject, which is a definite plus. I came into the classroom for my first class, but I didn't see him initially; all I saw was a pair of leather pull-over chaps, a leather jacket, and a leather cap on the table. I knew this guy must be a biker. Sure enough, he spent half the class talking about his two bikes, "Red" and "Hun," and it was actually an engrossing story. Needless to say, this class should be a fun time.

So there you have it. My classes of Spring 2006. It should be a very intellectually stimulating semester, haha.

In other news...
I was walking back to my car after my Early US History class on Thursday, and I was about to pass the library. I noticed a short, stocky fellow carrying a box of books into the backdoor of the library. He looked familiar, but I wasn't sure. I then heard him cry out "Hank!!!" Well, that immediately narrowed it down to who the guy was because there is only a handful of people on this planet that call me Hank. That list includes Brandon Hodges, Scrapper, and my baseball guys from Grenada. I knew it wasn't Hodges or Scrapper, so it had to have been one of my baseball teammates. And it was. It was Ben Vaughn. I hadn't seen the guy in FOREVER, and we must have just talked there for half an hour, catching up on where old friends were and how they were doing. Turns out that Ben is rooming with Michael Hammond, a good friend from Grenada that I played soccer with, played in the GHS band with, went to Switzerland with, and even went to the same church with in Grenada. They live in the Crossgates Apartments, which is RIGHT across from Avalon. I can see our hanging out in the near future. Ben even said that they enjoy beach volleyball. Looks like Trevor and I have another duo to compete against :)

I am home this weekend. Dad just left for a 2-week business trip in Virginia, so I came home to keep mom company for a few days. I also needed to pick up my hockey equipment, so this was a good time to come home. Richard Wright had an extra hockey bag, and he gave it to me before I left for Canton. The bag is extra-large, so it's going to be perfect for my rather large goalie equipment. Also, now I can store my equipment(in the bag) in our balcony storage room, so my jeep will remain free of the used-hockey-equipment smell. Yay.

The season starts on January 29th, and I am obviously excited about playing. I have been absent from the league for over a year, so I'm anxious. I plan on somehow getting pictures taken of my playing this season, because I believe that at least 50% of my readers don't believe I play hockey, haha. So expect some proof this semester! haha.

Also, upon advice from a certain someone, I have decided to teach myself all I can about automobiles. No, I don't plan on becoming the next John Horne in the subject, but it has been suggested I take up the subject, and I tend to agree. I am going to pick up a good book on the material this weekend.

Mom and I are going to go see Glory Road tomorrow night. I am pretty sure it is going to play out JUST like Remember the Titans(one, the plots are pretty identical, and two, both movies done by Jerry Bruckheimer), but I like the actors in the movie, so we'll see how it ends up. Besides, it gives mom and me an excuse to get out of the house, haha.

Good hockey tomorrow: Detroit @ Colorado. Yet, for some reason NBC is going to carry Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh instead. WTF. Yeh, ok, I can see the rationale in that....

"Instead of showing two teams who are playoff bound, on hot streaks, and have a storied rivalry, let's show a number one team against a last place team"

Yeh. That sounds brilliant guys. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh: 0 Stanley Cups in the past 10 years. Colorado and Detroit: 5. Do the math, NBC. It's not that hard.

and with that, I'm out.

-H

Moved In

Short update. Pictures to come later tonight.

We're officially "in" the apartment now. New additions and furniture arrangements are made each day we are here. Milestones completed today include setting up the dartboard(which looks freakin SA-WEET against the corkboard backdrop), putting the Fenway pic up on the hallway wall, and getting our high-speed internet and digital cable installed. Things are still changing even as we speak.

Mallory came down this weekend, as she had a 3-day weekend due to MLK Jr. Day. She came down on Friday, and due to a lack of good directions(see her blog), she was slightly delayed. She also had some battery problems(as in a dead battery), and we got that fixed as well. After that incident, things went smoothly the rest of the weekend. We mainly just relaxed in the new apartment for a couple of days, but we also attended my "welcome back" party on Saturday night at Dan's, ate dinner/lunch on several occasions with the crew, and rented Red Eye(which is in fact a TERRIBLE movie. Don't go see it. Ever.). I was able to send Mal off on time this morning at the early early hour of 6am.

So as you can see, it was a great weekend. Definitely glad Mal was able to come down. I'm looking forward to going up to Chattanooga soon.

Well, that's all for now. Like I said, pictures to come. The place isn't finished yet, but it's getting there.

-Henry

Starkville It Is

I'm in the new place, and I am getting everything settled. Expect pictures, information, and MORE soon. We are getting internet/cable today :)

-H

Christmas Presents!!

Okay, I am back, and I am going to brag...so just bare with me this post.

I got quite possibly the COOLEST gifts this Christmas. First off, John got me a set of surround sound headphones. Even used as stereo headphones, they are SUPERB. I can't wait to test them out on a source that has multi-out. These headphones have center, front left/right, surround, and subwoofer components. Yeh, I know. It's bitchin.

Next, my godparents got me a very neat little desk calendar. Every day has a different technique or exercise that is supposed to improve my memory. Definitely looking forward to remembering more stuff.

My parents got me this EXCELLENT fold-up chair. Why do I need that kind of chair? Well, if you ever came out to the rink before our hockey games, then you would see my attempting to get my skates on while sitting on an ultra-ghetto lawn chair. Well, that chair has seen MANY better days, and it is on the verge of complete collapse. With my new, stylish chair I can get dressed at the rink with ease and comfort. And it's fold-up, so it takes up zilch room in my jeep. My rents are also going to help with the purchase of a sound system I am eyeing for our apartment.

But I think I was completely spoiled by Mallory this Christmas. She got me some AMAZING presents. I shall explain.....

Mal got the Norman Rockwell poster(which she gave me for my last birthday) framed. Now it can go up in my new apartment! I love it!

Mal got this awesome aerial shot of Fenway(during the '99 All-Star Game) framed. Again, this baby is going up in the apartment where everyone can see it!!

To keep up with the myriad of events in my life, Mal got me this Red Sox wall calendar. Once more, this is going right up on the wall in the apartment(duh, it's a wall calendar).

For all my carbonated beverages before June 11, and for all my adult beverages post-June 11, Mal got me this Red Sox mug. It has these special crystals in the mug, so if you put into the freezer for an hour, it creates a cold, frosty outer layer. Now I can put beverages into this mug without worry of them ever getting watered down, and they will stay cold!!

I also got this great Red Sox tee. This gives me something to wear around campus, at a game, or just casually as I'm watching a game on tv. It has "Ortiz" and "34" on the back as well!!!

And this is probably my favorite present from Mal. It's a collection-frame of pics of us from over the past few years. Counterclockwise from top-left picture: my first visit to Mal in Chattanooga, right before Prom, World Series 2005 Game 3, Halloween 2005, Turner Field at a Braves/Pirates game in 2005, D.C. trip in December 2004, and a water slide in Tampa at Busch Gardens in 2005. The central pic is(of course) Fenway Park circa August 2004. You can safely bet that this frame will be prominently displayed on my wall in my apartment.

aren't those great!? I can't wait to move in.

-H

I'm Home

so pictures are imminent!!

Wireless Woes

Matt's wireless network is gay. It has the most bizarre security details, so I can't even upload pics to blogger. As SOON as I get this figured out, I will post my Christmas presents I got from Mal :)

-H

Yes, I still use this thing

New pictures soon!

Well, this is it...

My last post from Houston.

It's been a wild ride this year. We've had our ups, and we've had our really big ups. My loyal readers from last term continued reading this term, and I appreciate it. I also would like to thank my new readers this term: Andrea and Mary-Margaret(the newly-married Mary Margaret!!).

My final post is tonight only because tomorrow our furniture is being taken away, and I really wont feel like typing a post while sitting on the ground with everything else. Friday we are taking the modem back, so after Friday morning, we will be Internet-less. Plus, Friday is going to be crazy crazy. First, it will be my last day, so I have to say goodbye to everyone and their daughter at work. Second, I have to have my exit interview with the Co-op Coordinator, which will take up a good chunk of time. Finally, Eric and Colin are throwing me, and I quote, a "Get the Hell Outta Here" party on Friday. I do not know what that will entail or involve, as the guys aren't saying anything, but I figure it should be fun. I just hope I get back to the apartment in time to get some sleep before my journey on saturday, haha.

Speaking of journey, check out the weather for Saturday. Basically, if it's shitty weather, then I am going through it. The bad weather loves to find me. Definitely not looking forward to this.

I really am SO excited about being back in the MS/TN/AL area; you have no idea. This Christmas break is going to be awesome, and the upcoming school year will be the best yet, no doubt. If I am here too much longer, I just may scream, haha.

I am not sure yet if I will start a different blog when I'm at school or if I will continue to use this one. Technically, I will still be an employee at JSC even when I'm at school, so I could technically still be a Horne in Houston. Then again, this semester is much longer than my 3.5 weeks of summer school, so I may decide to start a new blog. No fear, though; I will provide a link on here directing you where to go. Oh, and another thing; I probably wont post much during the break. I may do it every now and then when I have some good pictures(like from the Avs game), but other than that, my blog will remain pretty scarce.

And with that, I am gone. You've been great, Houston. It's time I finally return to being a normal college student.

Go Sox. Go Avs. Go Dawgs.

-Henry

Bing Me Up

So Saturday was pretty fun.

I woke up early and headed to Eric's for the Newcastle vs. Arsenal game. I brought the fun, and Colin brought the 2nd greatest food ever: Little Ceasar's pizza and Crazy Bread. It was good times. I could only stay for an hour because I had to be at Metro's pool tournament by noon...

I had high hopes for the pool tournament, but those were quickly diminished. We lost our first game by a large margin, so we were quickly in the loser's bracket. A few hours later we played the first game of the loser's bracket, and despite playing better than the first game, we lost again. We were the first team out of the tournament, but the fun we had was in the next room.... That's right, it was a game for the ages. An ESPN Instant Classic. It was the Men vs. the Ladies. Oh yes, it was Pictionary. Led by the mentor/mentee combo of Tarik and Henry, the Men steamrolled to a victory over the Ladies team. It was seriously getting crazy near the end of the match; almost the entire crowd was in the living room watching or participating. I drew the winning picture: swan dive. I had to be only slightly creative: I first drew a cliff, then some water, followed by a stick figure with an arrow going from the figure to the water. The guys got "dive" from that pretty easily. Next, I had to draw my best swan picture, which was rough to say the least, but Josh came through and was able to recognize it. Swan Dive. It was brilliant.

The whole event was a huge success. About $300 was raised for St. Jude's Children Hospital, and of course, Metro and his wife won the tournament again for the 3rd straight year. When we weren't playing pool or Pictionary, something else was always going on. Basketball was on all day. Food was in every room. Metro's dart board was pretty nice, and I just so happen to bring my darts :) . Again, it was good times.

I had to leave Metro's slightly early so I could come back in time to get ready for dinner. I met the gang at Chubaca's down on NASA Road 1. I had the filet, and I ended with some New York(how appropriate!) cheesecake. It was divine.

After a few hours at Chabuca's, we went down to the Harbour Playhouse. The play was pretty incredible. It was a small venue, but it was very well produced. Since we knew one of the actresses, we got to hang out with the entire cast after the show. We all went to Carlos' Beer Garden to celebrate, where they serve some INCREDIBLE hamburgers. They kicked so much ass.

I tried on Eric's topcoat before we went to the play. It's a London Fog blended wool topcoat, and I absolutely love it. I want one for myself. Unfortunately, the one's on ebay are not in my size(42R), so I will have to keep searching. Eric did snap a picture of me with his coat and hat on, and we realized after I took it that I was doing an impeccable Bing Crosby imitation. Just look at the pic to see for yourself...

See, I told you. The picture also confirms what my mom has always said: I have dimples.

Today was my last Monday of work here for a loooong time. It actually flew by, and I hope the rest of the days this week do the same. My group is taking me out for lunch on Thursday, and I give my exit pitch on Friday. Should be fun.

I'm looking forward to going home so much...

-H

I'm Ready

I've been absent for awhile, I know, but I do have good reason. After Saturday, I began to feel quite unwell. I do not know if it was allergies, a 48-hour virus, or something else, but I was completely out of comission. I managed to get to work, but I wasn't much use there. Don't think I was stupid, because I was pretty sure I wasn't contagious; I merely had severe congestion in my upper nose and face area. If I thought I had something that someone else at work could catch, I would have stayed home. Work needed to be done despite my condition, and I was able to finish my exit pitch just in time for Thursday's presentation to all the managers of the Systems Division.

The pitch went well. I love it that Jerry Pfleeger, Bryan's boss's boss's boss, knows me by name. He even comes by the office sometimes just to say hey. I talked to Colin, and he said that Jerry doesn't even know his name, and he(Colin) has been working here for years, haha. I was even asked some really good questions after my pitch, which did not happen last term. I think they actually paid attention this time! The big question was what I think NASA has been doing right and what I think they have done terribly wrong. They feel my youth and relative inexperience in the field gives me a fresh perspective. I honestly could not answer the man(forgot his name, haha) at that point, but he said I could just email him from school after I have thought about it. I have tons of opinions on the manned space program, but I could not manage to put them into words at that point. I fully plan on shooting him an email soon.

I am pretty much done with all of my projects as of now. I am just going to touch up my pitch for the group presentation(on the 16th) and tie up some loose ends on some projects from last term.

This term was great, and I have enjoyed every part of it. My next tour in Summer 2006 will either be in GNC(basically the Shuttle side of what I did this semester) or Propulsion, which is all about the Solid Rocket Boosters on the Shuttle :).

Although either of those will be great, I can say with great certainty that right now I am in NO hurry to get back here. I am "worked" out. I am ready to actually be a kid(a 20 year old kid) again. I'm ready to room with my best friend and jump right back to where we left off in December a year ago. I'm ready to be irresponsible. I'm ready to have college fun again. I'm ready for the inside jokes. I'm ready for college sports(bball, baseball and football). I'm ready to sleep in to 11:00 every other morning. I'm ready to own some volleyball with my new partner Trev. I'm ready to return to the SIHL and defend my records. I'm ready for Dave's. I'm ready for Predators hockey games when I want. I'm ready to be less than 4 hours from Chattanooga. I'm ready for our amazing home theater will we have in our apartment living room. I'm ready to not have to dress nice 4 out 5 weekdays. I'm ready to be less than 2 hours from the Gray Center. I'm ready to play intramural soccer with my boyz. I'm ready to be more relaxed. I'm ready to watch baseball season with Trevor. I'm ready for a college spring break. I'm ready to go to the movies on a more regular basis. I'm ready(really) to see my professors. I'm ready to eat Subway every other day in the Colvard Union. I'm ready for the Reflector. I'm ready for the Starkville Cafe. I'm ready for Sunday Mexican night. I'm ready for the parties. I'm ready to host some parties. I'm ready to see all my friends every single day. I'm ready for Dawg Daze. I'm ready to use my experience from working in the workforce for one year.

So as you can see....I'm ready to return to typical the college life.

Of course, between now and then, I have one week left here and a full month of what is sure to be a GREAT vacation. Tonight we went to BJ's after work for a few hours. Considering Colin bought our group tickets to Narnia ahead of time, I figured we were heading to the cinema after the bar, but that was not the case. Earlier today at work, Colin and Eric had communicated their inability to see the movie tonight, so we had to cancel. No prob, though, as you can refund your tickets when you purchase way in advance. Besides, I think Mal and I are both going to wait and see the movie together in Paris. She's reading the book before viewing, so I think I might now do the same.

Colin had also been very hush hush about what his plans were tonight, so Eric and I were eager to hear what they were at BJ's. A few hours in, he finally disclosed his agenda, and we'll just say that I definitely had to say NO to his plans tonight(for once!), haha. Eric also had to decline, but Jude and Todd seemed eager. Oh well. I'm rather confident I made the right decision.

No matter, though, as we are meeting up tomorrow morning for the Newcastle/Arsenal game on the tele. Remember, Eric is now very into soccer, so we have to support him every step of the way, haha.

Speaking of soccer, the U.S. Mens team got the SHITTIEST draw of the 2006 World Cup today.More on that later. Just know that it SUCKS and we will be hard pressed to make it past the first round of group play.

Anyways, after Erics, I'm heading over to Metro's for the pool tournament. Hopefully I can pick up a few bucks after it's all said and done.

After the tournament, I come back home and shower. Then we're off to dinner and the play. If I have time, I am going to JCPenney's to try on this coat here. I need a good overcoat for the evening, and every man needs one anyway, so I'll try it on for size. I also need to go and pick up a new "power" tie, haha. Bold colors will be the S.O.P. If I find a nice shirt, I will also pick that up. If not, I will use my french blue shirt. I'm pretty excited about the evening; I haven't been to a play in forever, so it should at the very least be refreshing.

That should bring everyone up to date with what's going on with me. I need some rest

The Great Gig In The Sky

Yesterday Colin, Eric, and I kicked the soccer ball around at this field right around da corner from Eric's house. I had almost forgotten how fun it was to play the game of futbol; I now look forward to playing intramurals with the boyz back at State this spring. What I do not miss, however, is the soreness that is prevalent after playing soccer for the first time in months. This is a sign I need to be more active...

Which I plan on doing for my final two weeks here. I beat Shadow of the Colossus today, so now I do not have an excuse for being lazy. Starting tomorrow, my ass is getting in gear. (speaking of SotC, it's a FANTASTIC game. I'd play if if you haven't already).

Last night we(Eric, Jennifer, Rachel, Colin, Jude, and I) went to Don Picos Mexican restaurant, which is about 300 yards from Colin's place. It was 99 cent margarita night, but I had a KILLER headache from soccer earlier that afternoon(no idea why), so I did not partake. I did, however, order the chicken enchilada, and it was divine. Afterwards, we walked back to Colin's...

Eric and Colin told me recently that the album Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd synchronizes with the movie Wizard of Oz. I didn't believe them, so they proved it to me last night. The only trick is to start the cd on the conclusion of the 3rd roar by the MGM Lion at the introduction; after that, just sit back and watch. The number of events that match, as well as the words in the songs that describe the current scene is amazing. The best sync has to be when Dorothy opens the door to the "colored" world for the first time; at the precise moment she does, the song "Money" begins to play, with sounds of coins falling being heard. VERY COOL. We tried setting the cd to repeat to see if anything else syncs up, but no luck with that.

I present my exit pitch for this co-op tour to my upper upper upper management on Thursday. I haven't even created one slide for it, so I best get my act together tomorrow. I also have 3 other tasks that need to be done at work by this Friday, need get my exit paperwork done, and maybe get's some console time in. Two weeks more, and I am free for a month :)

-H

Good News Friday

I must have been bitten by the good news bug this morning or something. Tons of great things were revealed and/or happened today.

First off, today is my mom's birthday!! That's reason enough to be excited about today.

Second, Metro(the guy's whose house I went to a few weeks ago) sent out the email flyers for his fundraising co-ed pool tournament that will take place on the 10th. I am pumped about it. It's 20$ entry fee, with half of that going to the St. Jude's Research Hospital. The other 10 bucks go to the pot for 1st and 2nd place. I might head to Breakers on Thursday or Friday of next week to get a tune up for the match.

Colin's girlfriend is in the Dickinson Community Theater production of Beauty and the Beast, so we have set the 10th as the nigth when we are all going to see her in the play. She plays a rather important role, but I cannot think of it right now. She also plays a napkin and teacup as well. We are all going to go out to eat before the show. Don't worry, the pool tournament will be over by then, as my partner and I will have owned everyone and taken their money by that point. Colins says the dress is casual, but Eric and I want to go all out, so we may bust our suits and the Who-Wants-to-be-a-Millionaire ties. It should be a fun evening.

I found out today that I actually get a Christmas bonus!! Woo hoo! I was pretty excited when I found out.

Colin and I have been trying to get Eric interested to soccer for months now, and it seems it has finally paid off. He wants to go kick the ball around tomorrow, so of course, Colin and I accepted, haha. This will be great, as this will be the first time I have laced up my soccer cleats since this summer. I am also getting dad to send me the highlight tape of my high school soccer days; I told the guys about the tape, and they want to see it, as do I. It should be quite funny because I haven't seen the tape in years. It will be great to hear my dad's classic soccer comments.

The temperature difference between Houston and other places is ridiculous. At one point today, the temp here was 66 degrees. I checked on Canton, MS: 56 degrees. Then Chattanooga: 46 degrees. Finally, I checked Paris: 36 degrees. It's a THIRTY degree difference between here and Paris! Wow. I better bundle up when we head up there in a few weeks.

Since the holidays are now in full swing, I have been on a Trans-Siberian Orchestra kick. I really like some of their remakes of classic songs. It's cool to just go through their songs on iTunes and see how many you actually remember from your youth. I'm working on a TSO compilation cd as we speak.

Trevor went to our future apartment the other day just to check it out. We have the COOLEST apartment number, but I wont divulge that on here, because you never know what lunatics are reading, haha. Just ask me if you are curious. Also, we are a building away from Adam and Aaron's apartment; not too far to walk, but far enough where we can have some privacy. Also, the apartment has not been occupied this semester, so it will be in perfect condition when we move in. They have also repainted the place this semester, so it will also look nice. We have a balcony(we're on the 2nd floor), and we also have face the street. That means we can holla at people as they drive up, or maybe just try to solicit some Mardi Gras beads. Finally, and probably most importantly, we are RIGHT BESIDE the sand volleyball courts! Trevor and I are SO going to kick some ass come this spring. We'll also be in killer shape.

This Tuesday(Dec. 6th) will be a great day if you are a guy. If you are, then you know what I'm talking about. If you're not, then I'm sure you'll figure it out as the date approaches.

Well, I slept 4 hours after work today, so I am wired. I'm going to go find something interesting to do.

Night!

-Henry

Picture Time

The Fam
Mom's kitchen island while Richard ponders...
Mom's kitchen island AFTER. Each strip of that top is an exotic wood. Richard had to individually cut the pieces, glue them together, and smooth off everything. Now, all the Horne kids can sit at the island with stools while food is being cooked! It also adds much more counter space.
Following through with my first P-51 Mustant throw...
Richard, also with good form.
John patented the "run and shoot" method.

We really don't remember what caused this scene, but we all agreed it's one of the funniest things we have ever seen.

The dreaded 9th hole green...

Will in a little bit of trouble on Hole 11.

Getting out of woody jam on Hole 10. Note the beer bottle sticking out of my dad's back pocket.

Here's that picture from the Dallas weekend I told you about. Colin just happened to snap it at the right time. I thought it was very candid.

A Horne Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year down here at the Gray Center was a special occasion: all of the Hornes would be present. Yes, that’s right. Mom, Dad, Will, Andrea, Carolyn, Richard, John, Aunt Dotty, Russell(her husband), and I were in Canton AT THE SAME TIME from Wednesday to Saturday. It was great to spend time with everyone together, and it makes me look forward to next summer’s beach vacation in North Carolina that much more. Highlights of my break can be found below…

I flew in Tuesday night around 10:45. My plane was only delayed 50 minutes, but it could have been MUCH worse.

On Wednesday, Will and I(being the only Horne boys present at the house) hit the Gray Center links for some disc golf action. Will had not played since last Christmas, so I figured my advantage would be enormous; I was WAY off. We both played well, but Will edged me out of the first game +1 to +2. Damn him, haha. We played another round of 18 holes; however, I was feeling good midway through this match. I had a THREE stroke lead on Mr. Horne, yet I somehow lost it towards the end, and we finished tied at even par.

A surprise was in store for us on Wednesday; Carolyn discovered that she had an extra vacation day that she did not know about, so she and Richard left a day early to arrive in Canton on Wednesday! The couple arrived around 7pm that night. Aunt Dotty and her husband also arrived Wednesday, bringing extra goodies for our Thanksgiving meal.

Richard, being the great brother that he is, brought some awesome gifts for me. The first was a simple model plane(we’re talking 4 pieces people, haha) of the P51 Mustang used in WWII. Quite the important plane, in case you don’t know. Check it out HERE. Anyways, we had a styrofoam plane last Thanksgiving, and we all had a ball just trying to make the darn thing fly farther. Richard remembered that, so he bought me this simple plane kit. More on this gift later, haha. For the second gift, Richard gave me an old old balsa wood plane kit that his father had given to him at a young age. Richard never built the plane, so he decided to give it to me to build. This thing will be awesome once it is built; it has a span of 32 inches!! I am going to build this baby next semester while at school, and we will definitely record the maiden flight with video footage. I am now accepting names for the plane. If you have ideas, shoot them my way. Finally, as the 3^rd gift, Richard really outdid himself. See, Rich visited Cape Canaveral in 1979(waaaay before I was born), and while he was there, he bought a sheet that had stickers of patches of all the manned Apollo missions on it. It is awesome!! Better yet, on the back, there is a description of each patch and what the emblems depict or represent. I really want to somehow transfer the stickers to a nice glossy posterboard material and include the description underneath each patch. Then, I want to frame it somehow. I think I could make a really nice display for these. Definitely one of the best gifts I have ever gotten.

Wednesday was capped off with Dad’s grilling of his world famous burgers, TWENTY ONE in total. There are still some left in the refrigerator. They wont last long, haha.

So Turkey Day finally rolled around. We traditionally eat around noon, but since Andrea’s plane didn’t arrive until 11:45 am, we had to put it off a little bit. No matter, as that allowed Will and I more time to play some golf. This match was better played, and we even had Carolyn follow along as a photographer. Will beat me once again, -2 to -1.

Today also marked the beginning of the “who can fly the plane the farthest” contest. This competition was waged throughout the weekend. *pictures to come later*

John arrived a few hours after Andrea, and we were ready to eat. This Thanksgiving meal was quite possibly one of the BEST ever done by my mom. Here’s a rundown of the major offerings:

-21 lb. turkey
-two trays of turkey dressing
-homemade turkey gravy
-two trays of sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows(the Horne children’s favorite)
-a pot of green beans
-two trays of Sister Shubert’s rolls(another Horne child favorite)
-fruit salad
-a first: mom’s homemade zucchini casserole
- several bottles of Ruffino Chianti red wine(the kind I WANTED to get for the dinner party but couldn’t)
- homemade apple cake and pound cake

Needless to say, we were stuffed after all of this. We continued to devour the leftovers each day.

Unforunately, after dinner, Mom became very ill with flu-like symptoms, which decommissioned her for a day. Luckily, she didn’t miss much in the way of fun, as we were all business on Friday. Richard assembled his and Carolyn’s Christmas present to the parents: a completely homemade wooden chop block counter top for the kitchen island. This wasn’t an ordinary top either. It was a combination of some of the most exotic wood you will ever find. *pictures plus listing of wood to be posted later*

In addition to the counter installation on Friday, John, Will, and Dad began the momentous process of installing high-speed internet in our household. Yes, you are reading this correctly. The Horne house, which is in the middle of 750 acres of woods, is getting a high-speed DSL wireless network. How can it be done, you ask? Simple. By Cantennas! They sure do look like Pringles cans, but they are far more useful in the technical world than the chip holders we are used to seeing. Basically, the wireless signal at the Center(which has had high-speed for several months now) is beamed over to our house, translated into a wire signal, transported via Ethernet cable to a wireless router, which then drops a nice, cozy wireless cloud on our house. That means we will be able to access the internet anywhere in our house, be it on mom’s desktop(it has a wireless card) or on the Horne boys’ laptops. Truly a great occasion. Hooray for high speed!!

Somehow there was time left on Friday to play some more golf. John played with us this time, and that maybe helped me a bit. I was finally able to destroy the Will Horne dynasty by coming away victorious with a final score of even par. Will followed with +1, and John +2. There was much rejoicing.

Friday night was spent watching the first 6 episodes from Season One of Arrested Development. Will bought the first season dvd set and had it sent to the house for the holidays. I will admit that I did not find the first few episodes funny, but this Emmy-winning and soon-to-be-cancelled comedy series has really pulled me in now. I cannot help but emit endless streams of laughter during a viewing of one of the episodes. I finally understand what Trevor has been talking about forever.

Saturday included more eating of leftovers, more cursing over which network card goes with which router, and more overall laziness. But this IS the holidays, right? My thoughts too; that’s why the excessive eating, lounging, and yes, even the badmouthing of computer hardware was allowed. We concluded the day like Friday, with everyone piled into the den(even the dogs)watching Arrested Development. Will bought mom and dad a dvd player in a Best Buy run we made earlier that day, as they were the last 2 people in the country without one.We viewed the next 8 or so episodes, and they just seem to get funnier. Please, FOX, please don’t cancel this show. It’s TOO GOOD.

At approximately 11:21pm on Saturday evening, Will and John Horne finally announced that our house was wirelessly covered. Had there been champagne, it would have been drunk. We were all elated with the accomplishment, and Mom was most thrilled with the prospect of using the internet without a crank handle.

Well, I leave tomorrow around 4pm. This Thanksgiving has involved so much, and it has probably been much more than any of you care to read. Then again, if you are at this point on my post, you HAVE read it, therefore you actually DO care. Anyways…don’t expect another post from me for a loooong time. This was my longest post to date, so I might relish in that fact. I hope everyone has/had a safe trip home and are ready to lose all that weight we gained the last few days, haha.

Programming Note: I am going to update my blog over the next few days with the pictures of my Thanksgiving. You’ll just have to deal with only the post for now. Pictures are on their way, I promise...

-H

Blurbs

Wal-Mart has discovered my kryptonite: fresh, warm French bread awaiting you as you walk in the store. I have to pick up one loaf everytime(which is weekly for groceries) I walk in. I usually then proceed to eat the entire loaf when I come back. Curse you Wally World!

Speaking of krytonite(like the segue?), if you haven't done so already go HERE to watch the Superman Returns teaser trailer. I keep watching it, and I get chills everytime. Credit that to my growing up watching the movies. I absolutely cannot wait for this one. The guy even has the Clark Kent "curl." This guy is perfect for the role. Lois Lane? Kate Bosworth. Lex Luthor? Kevin Spacey. Too awesome.

Will Horne landed today in Jackson, and soon after he and the rents were headed to Starkville so see our Dawgs play some bball. Leave it to my bro to always plan trips around a sporting event.

Oh yeh, I almost forgot. I flew the T-38 Simulator today at work. WOW. That's all I could possibly say. After flying the shuttle simulator and now the T-38, I'm definitely persuaded to get a pilot's license. I landed the bird today relatively well, but that was right after I had watched how it was done by the 3 previous people. Nevertheless, it was an awesome experience. I wish my job was to fly that thing everyday.

My plane arrives tomorrow in Jackson at 10 pm. I can't wait. Will and I will tear up the Gray Center disc golf greens on Wednesday. It's gonna be awesome.

-H

p.s. Sox are on the verge of getting Josh Beckett from the Marlins!!! Talk about boosting your pitching staff. Unfortunately, we are trading Hanley Ramirez, a shortstop from our minor league system who is supposedly the most badass shit you have ever seen. Oh well. We're getting pitching, and that's what killed us this year. GO SOX.

Keep Your Hornes in a Row

In short, the movie was great. A MUCH MUCH darker movie than the rest, and Harry finally busts out the whoopin' wand and uses more than one spell during a movie. My prayers were also answered; the movie referenced many things from the first 3 films, and the end of the movie left us hanging. Fantastic!! The special effects in the movie were also well done. They have improved each in each story.

Even I have a hard time keeping up with which Horne is going where and when...and I AM a Horne! Therefore, to ease the taxing on your mind, I have placed a convenient departures/arrivals list over there on the right of my blog. It will keep you up to speed on every single Horne or Sewell that is headed to Canton. I can't wait for Tuesday!

-H

Riddikulus

Well it's safe to say I am ready for tomorrow's premiere of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Yes, I am going to see that movie. Why? Mainly because(until recently) I had no earthly idea what the friggin movies were about. I decided that since I had not seen any of the previous 3 films, I would watch them this week and cap it off with the new movie on Friday. I borrowed the dvds from a co-worker of mine, and I watched the 3 movies yesterday and today. Turns out that all the co-ops are going to the movie tomorrow, so that should be fun.

The movies are alright. DEFINITELY some Lord of the Rings influence...invisible cloaks, menacing trees(althought that was originally a Wizard of Oz idea), flying "wraiths", etcetera etcetera. I wish the movies were more of a Saga than just a series of short stories. Nothing really carries over from movie to movie. I wish there were cliff hangers after each one; you know, something that makes you say, "I HAVE to see the next movie." Nevertheless, they are entertaining. The 3rd movie was especially well presented, and it used the theme of time exceptionally well.

Bought the tickets today. Yup, that's right. Josh Collums, Matt, Trevor, and I are going to see the Colorado Avalanche play the Nashville Predators on December 20th. I can't wait!

It's getting colder down here in H-town. THANK GOD. It's about damn time. Viva la cold front!

-H

A Challenge

An email sent from my brother Will to me this afternoon. It was regarding an earlier email my father sent out describing what discs he had...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm sure those are all cool, I'll probably need two of the heavier ones, and maybe one putter.

not that it matters, since I'd still dominate with just a paper plate and a coaster.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Battle lines have been drawn!!! It is on, haha.

The Cup of Life

Last weekend was fun. I went to Dallas with Colin and Eric to see the MLS Cup game between the L.A. Galaxy and New England Revolution.

I went to the Houston Walk to D'Feet ALS event this Saturday morning in the Woodlands, which is just north of Houston. It was a great time. I met some great people throughout the morning.

I got home from the walk around 1pm, and we left for Dallas after we scarfed down some Freebirds burritos. Eric and I share a common love: Top Gun. We watched it on the way up, quoting almost the entire movie from start to finish.

Our mobile setup. That white thing is a speaker. "We're going ballistic, Mav. Go get 'em!!"

Eric, so touched my the movie, decided to grace us with his playing of the Top Gun Anthem.

We got to Dallas right around dinner time. We met Jessica and Mark(high school friends of Eric's) at their place, and we chilled there for a little while(3B). They had the most adorable dogs ever(next to mine, of course).

Wiley, the Corgi.

Such a sweet dog. How could you NOT like that face?

We planned to go eat at the Fox & Hound, but due to my pre-21 status, we had to turn away. That was a sucky feeling, but i'm 20.43 years old now, so not much longer. We ate dinner at Two Rows instead(2B); it's the same chain of restaurants that Trey and I go to before hockey games. GREAT food. We then returned to the house for some football watching and domino playing(I tended to just play with the dogs)(3B).

Bailey, the Collie. Another gorgeous dog. She makes me want a Collie.

Again, if you can say no to that, then you are cruel, haha.

We then went to the bar we visited last time I was in Dallas: Elbow room. Great hangout. Nice band there too(1L, 1B). Next, we headed to Cosmo's Bar(3M); it's a very 80's style retro hangout. They had the best Dr. Pepper I have ever had. It was divine. I wanted to steal a bottle of it. Wow, it was the tastiest soft drink I have ever consumed. Cheers to Cosmo's! After Cosmo's, we ventured down the street to the Liquid Lounge(1B). Not a very awesome place, but they had college football on, so I was good. Finally, we headed downtown to this obscure little bar; I dont know what it was called or what part of town it was in, but it was quaint. They were about to close, so not much happened there. Our last stop was Humon's house; Humon was another old friend of Eric's. His birthday was that night, so we thought we'd come by to celebrate some. I didn't know many people there, so I just played with their cat. Colin took a very candid picture of me with the cat rolling over on the chair beside me. When I get it, I will post it for sure.

Sunday was fun times indeed. We drove up to Frisco to Pizza Hut Park to see the soccer game. It went to overtime, so we definitely got our money's worth. The game was full of great saves, great passes, and a great goal. It was great...haha. The Galaxy won 1-0 in overtime.

note: i didn't have my memory card in my camera, so most of my shots in my camera were of the animals. When Colin gets me the pics, I will post them.

So that was my weekend in a nutshell. This next weekend will be pretty tame for me. Then I get to go home next Tuesday!! Woo hoo.

-H

Crash and Burned

Well my first checkout was yesterday. YIKES. I felt totally prepared to talk about and answer questions regarding the Command and Data Handling system(a related system to me this semester, but last semester it was our own system). I should have known things would be bad when Tarik and I couldn't find a room in which to conduct the checkout; we had to do it in our office. Not a good idea. I just knew people would come in and join in and/or watch. Not cool.

Tarik begins the checkout, and I'm feeling good. I know what a CVT is. I know how the computer network architecture is laid out in tiers. I'm feeling really good; these are easy questions. Then he starts asking questions which I KNOW I have seen/read the answers, but they just aren't coming to me. At this point I am standing up in the room beside a dry-erase board, as I am diagramming all the processors and I/O cards contained in a Station MDM(just a computer, really). I should say "trying" to diagram these things. My mind is just running blank. Not good at all.

Then, Anne comes in about to ask Tarik a question. Anne sees that we're in the middle of the checkout and DECIDEDS TO STAY. How nice. I happen to answer the next question wrong, and Anne starts going on about the right answer. THEN...Nat walks in. I like Nat; he's a good guy. Anyway, he notices too that I'm in the middle of something, and he decides that he would love to observe as well. The next question required more drawing of schematics on the board, and there aren't many things worse than trying to think of the answer to something, trying to write it on a board(legibly), and having 3 people(who know the answer) burn holes in you from looking. But there are some things that are worse. Like having the FOURTH person walk in; granted, he works in the office, but I'm not a big fan of him. He's kinda A.D.D., and he has a very condescending tone to me all the time. So he walks in, and he begins to watch with the rest of them. At this point, I'm not too comfortable. I have realized that I don't know the material as well as I thought I did, and it feels as if the Roman Inquisition is being conducted on me.

So yeh. That whole half-hour sucked ass.

Thankfully, not too many questions remained, and I was able to finish it. The group slowly left the office. I in no way passed this checkout; rather, the contrary was true. I had much to still learn, evidently. I was given what are called "lookups," which are basically just the things I missed. I have time to look over them, and my next checkout on this system will be Monday or Tuesday. I shall be prepared that time, and we WILL have it in a private office somewhere.

In much better news...

I have a place to live next semester! That is right, folks. The Dynamic Duo is once again forming: Trevor and I will be roomates. Trevor got out of his current living arrangement, and he and I have already made a deposit at the new apartments. We will be living at the Avalon Apartment complex. Here's the site for some info...

LINK TO AVALON APARTMENTS

It's supposedly very vice from what my friends tell me. It's a few miles from campus, but I can deal with that. Best of all, this place has a sand volleyball court!! I cannot wait for the weather to warm up in the spring because some serious volleyballin' will be going on.

Early tomorrow morning I am going to the Houston ALS Chapter Walk to D'Feet ALS walk. I'm pretty excited about participating. It's a fantastic idea.

After I return from the walk, I'm going to shower up, change clothes, and get going. Colin, Eric, and I are headed to D-town for the MLS Cup game. I think we may be going to see a comedian Saturday night, but I'm not sure. Eric is from Dallas, so he has some stuff planned. We will obviously try to see some football at a bar somewhere. The soccer game is on Sunday. It's on ABC at 2:30 central. Look for me, as I will be sporting my RED Red Sox jersey. We will be about 20 rows up from midfield. We may even be wearing some crazy face/body paint or some wacky wigs, so make sure to tune in and look for me!!

Mallory will kill me; I completely misquoted The Wizard of Oz the other day. Eric and I were talking, and the conversation somehow turned to Scooby-Doo. He mentioned how the kids always found the bad guy. Here's what I said...

"Yeh, and the villian always blamed the kids. 'I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for you kids...and your little dog too.' "

At that point, Eric and I both realized what happened. I had combined a Scooby-Doo quote with The Wicked Witch of the West. I mean, wow. I was WAY OFF.

I'm hungry. I am going to venture to the kitchen...

-Henry

#32......#33

Tonight was supposed to have been spent studying hard in my apartment. As it turns out, my kryptonite was exposed.

The guys have long made fun of the fact that I can't say NO to anything they ask me to join. For example, if they ask for me to come over and watch the game, there's a 99% chance I will. We have kept up with the score, and the running total of consecutive times I have "not said NO" with the guys is up to 31. Today was 32. My streak is alive.

Jason and I, riding in the same car to conserve fuel, were on our way back from work. We stoppped at the first light at the corner of Space Center and Nasa Rd. 1. I am in the driver's seat, and who pulls up beside us? None other than Colin. He rolls down the window and invites me to come to Boondoggles, knowing good and well I couldn't say NO. The ISS flight control team supported another sucessful EVA today, and they were celebrating at the ole' bar that is Boondoggles. I figured I should attend and hang out with Colin and Eric for #32 in a row.

I planned on just staying for a short while and enjoying the free drinks and appetizers(the tab was picked up by the big N). Of course, Colin and Eric invited me to Buffalo Wild Wings for the Monday Night Football game. Again, I could not refuse. Number 33.

Oh yeh, the New England Revolution advanced to the MLS Cup Championship game on Sunday where they will meet the L.A. Galaxy. Notable players that I will see play are Taylor Twellman, Cobi Jones, and Landon Donovan. Due to the Revolution being at the game, Colin and I plan to wear our Red Sox jerseys, so the crowd will for whome we are cheering. Also, we all agreed tonight that since this is a 1)soccer game, a 2)championship game, and 3) Eric's first professional soccer game, we want to prepare for the occasion. We plan to paint our face, paint our chests, paint both, or wear some goofy hairpieces. Either way, we are almost guaranteed to get on tv. That time will be 2:30 pm CT on Sunday. I'll make sure to let you people know what we'll be looking like before then.

Altogether, I ate a complete mini pizza at Boondoggles. At BWWs, I consumed an entire 1/3 pound burger, a basket of potato wedges, 4 medium spicy chicken tenders, 5 beverages, and a deep-dish apple pie a la mode during the course of 3 quarters. Nevertheless, I am stuffed from those delicious foods, and with that being said, I am heading to bed. No studying tonight. That's why it's brilliant that I get to charge time towards studying AT work. Brilliant.

G'night.

-H

Dinner Parte

So last night was lots of fun...

A few weeks ago I was invited to a dinner party being hosted by Eric and Jennifer; of course I accepted the invite. I was slightly worried about it, as I knew from the rsvp's that I was going to be the 9th wheel at the event; nevertheless, I figured it would be fun.

I called Carolyn several hours before I went to the party, and I asked her about some nice choices of wine; I knew it was customary to bring a bottle to a dinner party, but I didn't know the right kind. Carolyn, having a more extensive wine knowledge(at least for now, haha) than I, suggested a few different varieties. Following my sister's guidance, I ended up bringing a 2002 bottle of Ruffino Chianti. Being an Italian wine, I was fortunate that the meal Jennifer was cooking was Italian chicken! Better yet, out of the 11 bottles at the party, MINE was emptied before any other bottle. Evidently, my sister DOES know her wine...

The dinner, like I said, was Italian chicken with this fantastic homemade sauce on top. In addition, we had pasta noodles(with sauce as well) and asparagus.

The party was great. Conversations included the usual range of everything from work to sports to personal goings-on with each person. Being a sports fan just like I am, Eric had his office set up with two televisions displaying the Miami/V.Tech game and the A&M game. This way, we could drop in every few minutes to check out the scores without the actual games being a nuisance.

Things really ramped up when we busted out Cranium:Turbo Edition. This game is absolutely BRILLIANT. It is an enhancement of the original game, which was already great. Suffice to say, the next 3 hours were well spent. One of the highlights of the game was my humming of "You're the Once that I Want" from Grease. The other was my correctly guessing "Paul Newman" from the clues(wthin mere seconds after they were read) "Yale," "Woodward," and "Fast Eddie." I give props to my Dad for that one; he introduced the movie "The Hustler" to me when I was in my pool phase back in middle school.(Ok, I'm technically still in that phase, but you get the idea). Paul Newman played Fast Eddie Felson in the movie.

Dessert was enjoyed midway through the game. We had an assortment of Godiva chocolates plus an excellent choice of Port wine.

All in all, it was a really fun evening. I walked away from the evening learning more about being a good host, should that oppurtunity ever present itself.

Oh yeh, I almost forgot. Please, please, please go HERE and download THIS song. It is a parody/remake of Sir Mix-a-Lot's Baby Got Back. Richard, you should appreciate this, being the 80's DJ you were. Everyone else, if you have heard the original song, then I urge you to download this right now. It is one of the funniest, if not THE funniest parodies ever created. I laugh hysterically every time I hear it.

Back to the books...

-H

Class Schedule...FINALLY

I registered today for the Spring 2006 semester; it's the realization that I will finally return to my school for a normal semester in January. I'm pretty excited. Don't get me wrong; I love working here, and I love the people(most of them). I am just ready to hang out with my boyz, sleep in every other day, and not be a bajillion hours away from everyone.

My schedule as it stands now:

MWF, Physics III, 1100-1150
W, Physics III Lab, 400-550
T Th, Dynamics, 930-1045
T Th, Mechanics of Materials, 1230-145
T Th, Early U.S. History, 330-445
n/a, Business Ethics(online course)

So there you have it. I'm looking forward to the first 4 classes, because the first 3 involve stuff that's interesting to me(and related to my major) and the 4th one is taught by this teacher I have heard about ever since my freshman year. They say he is awesome. I can't wait.

Yes, I only have one class on MWF; that is no error. I usually try to schedule it like that. That way, I have 3 days of sleeping in, and it allows me to take off early on weekend trips.

A guy I work with is a huge baseball fan(Philly fan, to be more specific), and he invited me over tonight so I could get some pre-Christmas shopping ideas for something(I can't disclose what it it was). Anyway, his name is Kevin Metrocavage; we call him Metro. He hails from Purdue, which is usually my first excuse not to talk to people, as they are for the most part VERY stuck up(at least at NASA they are). But Metro is different; he's just a great guy to hang out with. With that being said, his house was AWESOME. He had a Mitsubishi DLP tv, and it was gorgeous; we talked tv and sound systems for about half an hour. We even watched hockey in HD :). He showed me all around; I got to see his office, full of space stuff and really cool pictures. We then went to his sports room. OMG. It was heaven for me. He has baseballs signed by EVERYONE, and he has a dart board AND pool table in the room. It's the PERFECT room!! Of course, I had to play him. We played 3 games; I won 2 of them :). He then mentioned to me that he hosts a co-ed charity pool tournament every December; hopefully it will be before I leave for home. I'm ready to earn some extra dough(and donate to charity, of course!).

I saw THIS yesterday. I love it when Yankees do stupid stuff.

Colin, Eric, and I ordered our tickets to the MLS Championship Game at Pizza Hut Park in Dallas next weekend. It's gonna be BITCHIN. Our seats are in Section 128, Row 26. Find the section and the row HERE, and you can see what our view of the action will be. I can't wait. We're hoping the New England Revolution will make it to the game, so Colin and I can wear our Red Sox jerseys to support them, haha.

-H

Pictures of the Fam

I took a pic of my autographed baseball, but again, my camera has some serious issues. It doesn't like closeup pictures very well. Hell, it doesn't even like mid-range pictures. They all come out blurry. Oh well. A new camera is in my future. Just deal with this for now, haha.

It reads: "Wade Boggs HoF 2005"

This week my whole family shared their Halloween costumes in the social extravaganza that is the Horne email system, so I thought I'd share them with you all and even show you mine again....

Scarecrow and Dorothy

Richard a bust, Carolyn a shower poof

Andrea, a cheerleader

Will, a vending machine. Yes, if you actually turned the corresponding knob, a tyleno pack, condom, or soap product would fall down. Brilliant!

It seems like my work semester has finally turned into a school semester. Next week(Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) I have my checkouts, which are basically oral examinations that are conducted to see how much I actually know certain material. The checkouts will be over the related systems of my group's system. There are three. In total, the information covers about 450 pages worth of stuff. No worries, though; I have been studying these since I began this work tour. Nevertheless, I need to make sure I know each and every detail about these systems. That means(gasp!) working on the weekends or even bringing some of this material home. I like this because it gives me a goal to shoot for and a chance to impress my superiors.

-H

Ballin'

I now have in my posession a baseball signed by 2005 Hall of Famer Wade Boggs. He played for Boston for 10 years at 3rd base and as a DH. More info about him HERE.

You are probably asking how I came to get this ball.I shall explain.....

I am usually not a shy person when it comes to talking to random people. In fact, that's a trait all of us Horne children share. I'm pretty sure we get it from Dad; he could make a friend with anyone. Anyways...we're at the World Series, and Mal and I notice the guy behind us wearing a jacket with several World Series patches on it, from the last 3 years. We didn't say anything to the guy, but we did take notice. Later in the game, after an interesting play, the guy made a comment to me and Mal. That's all it takes for me, haha. We continued to talk throughout the rest of the game. The guy's name was Jeff, and I found out he worked for Mutual of Omaha. Turns out that MoO sends people to the World Series every year, and they attend a convention in the host city at that particular day. The guest speaker at the convention this year? You guessed it: Wade Boggs. Throughout the game, Jeff learned that we weren't huge Astros fans or anything; we just wanted to see a World Series game. We mentioned that the Red Sox were our team, and Jeff told us that his brother-in-law was a HUGE Sox fan, so he(Jeff) knew how we felt. With that bit of information being disclosed, Jeff told me he had 12 signed baseballs from Boggs, and that he'd like for me to have one. Of course, I graciously accepted the gift. The only problem was that the balls were at his hotel, the Hilton, in the west part of downtown. We couldn't make it that night, so Jeff was nice enough to leave it at the hotel front desk. That is where I picked up the ball tonight. Red Sox Nation here at JSC wants to see the ball, so I'm gonna show it off tomorrow.

My camera is at work for this project I am working on, so I don't have a picture of the ball. Rest assured I will get one soon for you.

Don't get me started on Theo. He plans to have a news conference tomorrow afternoon, so I'll see what he says, and I'll go from there next post.

Off to the store I go...

-H