Life with The Swell Guy!

It a Chillaxin Monday

Denine and I are off on vacation this week. I hope you had a great 4th. of July weekend. Now relax and ease back into your weekly schedule. No worries today. Everything's gonna be alright.

BBQ Class

Earl and I attended a BBQ cooking class last night lead by a championship pit master. There were about 50 "students" in the room. That, my friends, is a lot of men who think they know about meat and fire. I picked up a few nice pointers. Based on the BBQ served at the end I would not be embarrassed to enter my usual results in competition.

How to give the perfect man hug

...just in case you needed a little help. You are welcome.

Stand By Me

The difference between good music and truly great music is passion. I can listen and enjoy any music in the hands of artists that perform with passion. Here is a perfect example. Enjoy.

Several folks have had trouble with the link.  Here it is to enter into your brower:

http://vimeo.com/4651674

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI_0Hyn57Lk

Thanks to David Murphy for the pointer on this video.

Name that airport

OK, the first pertson to name the airport in this photo that I took this week gets a prize from the Swell Guy swag vault. Good luck.  

It's Redneck Tuesday! - Special Edition

This week we proudly present The 10 Greatest Redneck Movies of All Time. When compiling the list it became obvious that if you hired Burt Reynolds in the 1970s you were well on your way to a great redneck movie. So to honor our pal, Burt, the four hombres are sporting the big mustache and cowboy hat.  

The  10 Greatest Redneck Movies of All Time!

1. Deliverance - "Paddle faster. I hear banjo music!"

2. Convoy - Remember THE SONG? Did you have a CB radio in the family station wagon? 10-4, good buddy!  

3. Macon County Line - I remember watching this movie at VO's birthday party in 8th. grade. This is an underrated classic. 

4. Smokey and the Bandit - Bo Darville, aka The Bandit, is a semi-retired trucker legend, working in a trucking rodeo. He is approached by a shady father and son tycoon team (Big and Little Enos Burdett) who are planning a big party. Only problem is, in 1978 America, due to arcane liquor laws, it was illegal to ship Coors beer east of Texas...and the Burdetts wanted some for their Atlanta, Georgia shindig. 400 cases of it.

Two more words:  Trans Am

5. Smokey and the Bandit II - Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, and Jackie Gleason are back and even better than ever in "Smokey & The Bandit II". Check out the best line!

Junior: Daddy, look at that big ugly alligator 

Buford T. Justice: That reminds me; I gotta call yo' mama tonight. 

6. The Cannonball Run - In this movie Burt Reynolds is an adventurer who decides to participate in an illegal car race all over the country. There is an all-star cast of racers (Jackie Chan, Farrah Fawcett, Peter Fonda, Dean Martin, Roger Moore, Sammy Davis Jr. and others) that will do anything to outrun all the difficulties (including the police) and win the race.

7. Cannonball Run 2 - Fasten your seat belts. Those crazy Cannonballers are at it again!

8. Walking Tall - Based on true events in the life of Tennessee sheriff Buford Pusser, who "removes" corruption in his county with a four-foot-long wooden club.  Every boy in middle school wanted to be Buford Pusser.

9. Every Which Way But Loose - Because Clint Eastwood could not let Burt clean up on redneck movies all by himself.  The only difference is Clint is closer to the orangutan than the girl!

10. The Longest Yard (1974) - Best football movie ever. Ever. And an ode to Burt at his peak.

There you have it.  I guess we are going to need a Redneck Lifetime Achievement Award for Burt Reynolds. We will need to get back to you on this at a later date.

Thanks for the photo help, Steve!

Welcome to Boogie Monday

We close out June Boogie Month going old style. Put down those Boogie Shoes and let's go old school with a little John Lee Hooker.  

It's Monday.  Dig deep. Get down and let's get some good work done. You can do it. You know what I mean. Boogie Chillin'

The Ugliest Event Shirt Ever

When cyclist or other athlete enters an event we like receiving a t-shirt that signifies we were participants. It is kind of a trophy or conversation piece that is portable on our back. Yesterday Jordan and I, along with our cycling buddies, received the ugliest cycling event shirt ever. Denine blamed it on Clemson fans. I blame it on bad judgment or a very attractive offer from the t-shirt vendor. In any case, I am not sure I can bear to wear it in public. 

Good Advice for Men - No. 29

Embrace every opportunity to toast and cheer your friends. A hardy encouragement and shared moments are the stuff of lasting memories.  

Oblivious

I have a Facebook account like most adults in the USA who are breathing and have PC access. I like checking in to keep in touch with folks and see what is going on in their lives. It's been cool to connect or reconnect with family, high school & college friends, people from places we have lived, and our local community.

However, I like to stay engaged in life around me and I decided a while back that I would not invest time in surveys and "sending stuff".  I know it can be interesting and fun and it's OK if it's your bag. I'm just not making it my bag. I'll say I am sorry now if you have sent me such a request and I have ignored it. 

So I am telling you about this because not too long ago a college classmate sent me a "gift" that was two female celebrities. I've become so accustomed to just not looking at these "sent you stuff" things that I ignored it, but I did not delete it from my Facebook page. (Please insert that game show loser buzzer sound here.) I just did not notice, but Denine noticed.  

Denine posted a note a day later that included the words "delete" and "karate chop". I called her and said something like "Huh? What did I do? What are you talking about?". She told me about what she noticed and suggested I take care of business. She was right. Until that point I was completely oblivious. It had been right in front of me a number of times and I was choosing to ignore it.

Lately I have been meditating quite a bit on missions and our role in the local community. These two things may not seem connected, but in fact they are closely related. As Christ-followers we are told to share the love of Christ. That means to do it were we are. And we are here. Right here. Now.

It seems so often people want to talk about their support for missionaries "over there" while ignoring what is close at hand.  I can find support in the bible to help the needs of the church in far away places and I can find examples of sending out missionaries, but not at the expense of spreading the love where we are now. If you look at Christ's works closely you will find he placed a high priority on ministering where he was at that very moment. He was not oblivious to what was around him.

I like the term "outward focus". When we get our eyes off our own stuff we can notice the family that is out of work and out of food. We can notice the widow who needs help. We will hear the cry of the single mom who is at the end of her rope. We begin to see those who desperately need to be shown the love of Christ. All it takes to do this is a willingness to follow the commands of Christ and an outward focus. It is easy to see if we choose to not ignore it.

It is my prayer that I not be oblivious to the needs of my family, church, and community. I want to say I was paying attention when there was an opportunity. Not ignoring, but embracing. Not oblivious, but alert and ready.  

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. - Matthew 25:35 NLT