I'm Still Here

It's been two months since I posted anything and closer to four since anything substantial. I guess now is as good as anytime to update whoever is still reading this on what's been happening since December.

I was home for 2 weeks during Christmas and while I didn't get a white Christmas, I took solace in the fact I had already snow for the year. New Year's was spent hanging out with some friends I hadn't seen in ages up in Paint Lick (where I had never been before). I drove through a fair amount of the state I had never been in during Christmas break (Paint Lick, Danville, and Fulton areas).

January was spent trying to get back into a routine following the Holidays. I also watched as Madisonville got slammed with a pretty bad ice storm that knocked power out to my parent's house for two weeks. Luckily they didn't suffer any damage to the house, but had plenty of limbs down. Here are some pictures I was sent by my folks. The pictures show the damage around the house, not the additional acreage a few miles away.







The first weekend of February was spent in Atlanta for the Southern Ag Econ meetings. It was nice, cold, and rainy for most of the time I was there. The Association did rent out the aquarium in Atlanta which was very cool to go visit. The aquarium is the largest in the one world with I think over 1 billion gallons of water and several football fields in size. Here are some pictures of some of the specimens. If you ever get the chance, make some time to visit it as it's well worth the price of admission.


The first two pictures are of whale sharks which the aquarium had four of. I don't think they were full grown yet, but they were already monstrous in size.


I had no idea there were such things as electric catfish and doubt I'll be eating them any time soon. Electric eels were also present. The manta rays were enormous and moved so effortlessly. The whale sharks, manta rays, and hammerhead sharks also seemed to like cameras and "pose."


The second weekend of the month was spent in Stillwater catching up with old friends. Not to mention enjoying carne tapatia from El Vaq, big country pizza at Hideaway, and strawberry milkshakes from Braum's. Stillwater seems like one of those towns that will never change in a world of constant change.

After that, all my travel was in state for work. The last two weeks have been odd as I haven't had to travel during the week allowing me to be in the office. I think I'm starting to go stir crazy with no meetings planned for a while, but that hopefully will allow me to get ahead on a few things and get some stuff that needed to be done completed.

The second weekend of March saw Brantley, Ben, and Walker make a quick detour this way since the UC didn't go to Mexico on a spring break missions trip. And for those that know Walker, he surprised Ben, Brantley, and I when he didn't sit/stand in the back corner during services.

The biggest "news" is that I'm now a licensed U.S. Soccer Federation Referee. Right now, I'm a grade 8 which is the lowest of the grades due to lack of experience. So far, I haven't been the center ref, but the assistant ref calling offside and flagging for goal kicks, corners, and throw-ins. The pay is not too bad, it work out to be $15-20/hr thus far (though I didn't get into it for the money). So far I've been assigned to mainly under 13/14 boys and girls game.

The same weekend Brantley, Ben, and Walker came into town a large youth soccer tournament was held. I was assigned five games (two in the morning, three in the afternoon). The three afternoon games were played in varying degrees of a downpour. My hands were so cold at the end of the Saturday session I couldn barely grip a pen to write the scores or to sign my pay receipt. Aside from that experience, it's been worthwhile and something I enjoy doing.