Houdini and the "state of the union"

The Great Escape
Once again, I have a rodent issue. I'm not sure if it's rat-like or mouse-like or both. I certainly do have at least one. Last time I battled the vermin I had gotten pretty good at it. So I go back to what I had learned. I used sticky traps in two old air ducts that "should" be blocked off from under the house. They are sealed with "The Stuff" which is the expanding foam that dries to an insulating barrier. Rats are "supposed" to despise the stuff and won't chew through it. WRONG!.

So I place a sticky trap in each air duct and this morning There is a tremendous struggle going on in one of the vents. I just smiled and ate a bowl of cereal waiting for the little guy to settle down so I could dispose of him. Soon it was quiet and I got the flashlight and opened the vent. There on the wall of the vent stuck my trap. The rodent of unknown lineage was gone. How in the land of all that is Holy did it get loose. Last year my dog got caught in on of these and struggled only to have all four feet stuck by the time I found her. Heck I got caught in one of these in a warehouse one night and I couldn't get out without taking my shoes off.

Half of the glue was peeled back. The were no rodent appendages or any other tale signs of a desperate measures escape. I simply don't get it. Nevertheless, I doubt this type trap will work on this specific rodent again. Maybe the poisons I have strategically placed will work. I don't know how many rodents I have but I have at least one. His name is Houdini.

Dawg Gone
I had very high expectations for my Georgia Bulldogs this year. I have envisioned spectacular things for what will likely be AJ Green's last year with us. As the season is three games deep I am overwhelmingly disappointed. AJ hasn't played yet and we are 1-2. 0-2 in the SEC. I THINK we have been beaten by two pretty good teams in South Carolina and Arkansas. Still I think we are or should be better than both of these teams.

I wish our defense were a bit better but I'm not truly disappointed here. Grantham has improved us here but he hasn't had the chance to recruit and develop the key players that set this scheme off. To be specific. We still need the speed we have but we need some players of size in two key positions. First off we need a big strong beast at nose guard. We have guys playing hard there and doing OK but we don't have the game changer. Secondly, we need more big and tall defensive backs that can not only stop the big play, but turn it around with turnover.

My biggest concerns are where we should be the strongest. Our running game is poor. I don't think our running backs are running with vision or determination. We are not hard to tackle. our offensive line bothers me the most. We should have one of the better lines in the nation. We are not winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. Pass blocking is pretty decent and our redshirt freshman quarterback Murray is doing a very good job.  Our play calling by our offensive coordinator is making many question his legitimacy. Should Bobo be calling plays. I am concerned that he should not. I'm sure that we will get better as the season progresses but we have to start being good at the start of the season to win championships.We shouldn't need AJ green to win the games we have lost this year. come on guys let's get it together.
The state of the union is not good at this time for the Bulldog Nation.

I'm going to take my daughter to see my "step-brother-in-law" ( Her Uncle Colby Jacckson #48) play this weekend as his NC State Wolfpack takes on the Georgia Tech nerd herd. It's my daughters 15th birthday and she'd rather go see a football game than sit around the house all day mouse hunting with her old man. I'll make it home in time to see my beloved Dawgs play in Starkville, cowbells and all. Happy Bithday to my oldest!

Go Wolfpack!!

Go Dawgs!!!

In Christ -
Vic

I Wish My Daughters Still Ate Boogs.

The comedian Sinbad Once said "You can rob a bank with a booger!", to represent the fear that we as a society have of the resilient nose goblin. He may very well be correct. I think there are some grown men who would jump off a cliff into a pit of vipers if faced with the threat of boog exposure. I have to ask, where does this fear come from? Is it an inborn trait? Absolutely not! It comes from some unidentified trauma that occurs in nearly everyone's life.

I have never known a child that didn't feast on nasal flakes. As disturbing that is to us as adults it is the truth. Kids don't fear the boog. I don't ever remember eating boogs as a kid but I'm pretty sure I did and I'm pretty sure you did too. I cannot comprehend why. There is a mere one inch journey from the nose to the mouth and as inconspicuous and efficient as that journey is, it is anything but logical.

So in our early years we eat boogers and at some point we stop, some sooner than others. Do we as parents even notice when the switch happens? Let's consider WHY we stop:

• First theory, our parents TOLD us to stop. They told us OVER and OVER again until finally it stuck. "Told" may be accompanied with punishment and humiliation I suppose but generally I think we just repeat ourselves until we are blue in the face. I suspect this is the most uncommon reason we stop.
• Second is peer pressure which is accompanied by public humiliation. This is also called the "Johnny just ate a booger" Theory. Some other kids catches us feasting as we are possibly not even aware of what we are doing. An announcement it is made that is so humiliating we become aware of our actions and promptly stop. "Ladies and Gentlemen please bring your attention to the center stage and behold the amazing Shirley as she swallows a nose cracker". Yea, I can imagine that would do it for me.
• Third and finally, there is possibly something in the puberty thing where we start having interest in the opposite sex. During this stage of life our body chemistry changes and it's possible we no longer need the nutritional values of a booger. In addition, our appearance and our public image becomes one of life's focal points. "I can't let him see me eat a booger, he won't like me." I think this is where "the change" happens for many and we let go of the booger.

So, no matter what the reason is, the fact is we  grow up to fear the booger. Nothing on earth is more fearless that a mother who will not hesitate to remove boogerage from  her child's face. My wife sometimes reminds me of the Crocodile Hunter as she will dive in without hesitation and wrestle out a snot gator. Even the Father will at times roll up his sleeves and battle the boog. It's easier when it's your kids stuff. No one is going to retrieve boogers from some stranger on a subway.

So it's part of growing up. My girls have stopped (I think) and that's kinda sad and scary particularly where theory number three comes into play. Little Carter keeps on Boogin out without hesitation. I'll keep telling him to stop, until he does.

Side note: UGA vs UL- Lafayette Saturday as College Gameday is finally back! Go Dawgs!