Brett's Brainwork

Is Tim Allen on TV again?

2011-01-11T17:39:00.003-06:00

Don't kids say the craziest things? Luke and I were crusin' south bound on the N. Dallas Tollway heading home from work and school when out of no where we have the below conversation.

Luke: "This truck has lots of horsepower, right Dad?"

I'm laughing because I can't recall ever having a horsepower conversation with Luke.

Luke: "Right, Dad?"

Me: still chuckling... "right"

Luke: "What's so funny Dad?"

Me: trying to blow it off... "Nothing"

Luke: "Is it horsepower? Are you laughing at horsepower?"

Me: laughing again... "Yes"

Luke: angry voice.... "Horsepower isn't funny. It's Cool!"

I may be biased but someone seems pretty funny and cool.

Fun with Luke

2010-11-11T21:00:00.003-06:00

Luke's class at pre-school is learning about a new letter each week at school. Below is our conversation this evening.

me: Luke, What letter are you learning this week?
Luke: k

me: Oooooo.... what letter is next week? I knew he was going to be excited
Luke: L!
me: AWESOME! What starts with L?

Luke: Me!
me: Nope that's an M

Luke: no I do
me: that's an I

Luke: What?
me: I is an I

Luke: pointing at his chest repeatedly First Name, My First Name
me: Luke that is an F

Luke: DAD!
me: that one is a D

Luke: Dad you are silly
me: thank you.

iPad Review - Day 3

2010-04-06T20:53:00.003-05:00

A few ramblings on the iPad after 3 days.

My iPad was reserved several weeks ago, Saturday April 4th I went to pick it up as instructed between the hours of 9 and 3. I was a little worried about the pick up as I chose the North Park Mall store by mistake. I felt like the store on Knox would have been less busy and closer to the house. I arrived right at 9 and found myself about 50 people back in the reserved line with another 50 or so in a line without reservations. Apple was well prepared for the big day and had me out the door with iPad by 9:45. Free bottled water, coffee and cheers for each exiting customer helped the time fly by.

Set up was initially very easy. Having an existing iTunes account with Email, Calendar, Contacts, Songs, Video and Apps helped tremendously. Time for bullet points.....

- Apple, shouldn't there be an easier way to upgrade my existing Apps to iPad compatible Apps? I spent several hours searching the App Store for each App I used to see if a new version had been released.

Great Apps for the iPad -

Calendar - It is fantastic. Love the "List" view.
Maps, Mail, Safari - I think they are all the same as iPhone but each seems so much better
TweetDeck, IMDb, USA Today, TFLN - I give them props just for being ready for the iPad, All Good.
Kindle - I haven't used a Kindle but I can't imagine it being much better than the iPad with a Kindle App. FYI, I prefer the Kindle App over iBooks
The Weather Channel - the iPad doesn't have a default weather app and I think this might be why. Fantastic 10 Day forecast, Hourly and Radar.
ESPN XL - Greatness for the sports fan
Netflix - FAST, so FAST.... ready to watch any Netflix movie in less than a minute
Photos - they look incredible.... can Apple add an editor?

- Facebook and Gist why don't you have iPad Apps? The sites look great on Safari but Apps would make it so much better.

- It is my early opinion, restaurants that don't have Wi-Fi will lose some business due to the iPad. I have been out in the field the last two days at lunch time. Each time I looked first for a place with Wi-Fi so I could use the iPad while eating. Side note.... I'm learning to eat left handed so I can keep my right hand free for the iPad.

- I'm new to the Numbers App and it looks great but I think a keyboard is going to be needed for data entry.

- FeeddlerRSS App is a good reader for Google RSS Feeds but it doesn't link to the actual article. That should be fixed.

Overall, I really enjoy the new toy. It is way better than my iPhone but I can't imagine attempting such things as creating this blog entry on it. It is much like HD TV. Completely unnecessary but so fantastic to have.

what's in a year?

2009-10-06T06:27:00.002-05:00

My iPhone caught it all. Well some of it. From September 08 to September 09, I just "dumped" my iPhone photos onto Flickr. Take a look back right here.

2 year old + 3 year old = Fun

2009-09-23T20:32:00.007-05:00

Tonight's conversation:

Me: Ok, boys what are we going to watch before bed?
Luke: Caillou
Beck: Fairly OddParents
Me: boys pick a number between 1 and 5 (emphasis on the 1 and 5)
Luke: Caillou
Me: nope
Beck: 5
Me: oooo.. good guess, Luke?
Luke: 4
Me: Another good guess! but no, boys a number between 1 and 5, not 4, not 5.
Beck: zero
Me: wrong
Luke: zero
Me: (laughing) still wrong
Beck: 11
Me: No
Luke: 15
Me: boys... let's try this again. A number between 1 and 5 not 4 not 5 let's count (holding up 5 fingers)
Boys: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Me: (wiggling my middle finger) so the number is...?
Beck: 3!
Me: YES!
Luke: (sad) what number is Caillou?

M. David Palmeiro Tournament Winners!

2009-08-28T14:19:00.004-05:00

Courtesy of the Tarkio Avalanche, August 27, 2009.

THE BILL SMITH TRUCKING TEAM - Won the M. David Palmeiro Tournament on Saturday, August 22, 2009, at the Tarkio Golf Course. The team finished 20 under par at the end of 18 holes. Left to right are team sponsor, Bill Smith of Tarkio, and team members, Travis Smith, Darrell Smith, Brett Smith and Tyler Smith.

It was yet another fantastic weekend in Tarkio. A big thanks goes out to our sponsor, the foundation board, all volunteers and the golf course management crew. The the course was in great shape. I can't wait to defend the title next year.

Do you remember May 7th?

2009-07-27T12:41:00.004-05:00

Rangers fans don't but I bet the Royals' loyal do. Having lost yet another series this past weekend to the Texas Rangers my phone took a text lashing from local friends and co workers.

"Wish we played the hapless Royals more often. AA team at best"

The DFW locals have easily forgotten the 2 of 3 the Royals took from the Rangers in April. What happened? We were good, full of promise. May 7th.... .621 winning percentage, the 4th best record in baseball, batters couldn't touch Greinke, 6 wins in a row. In a row?

Then 80 days of misery, 20 - 48 over than span. Don't do the math it's too ugly. A .294 winning percentage. I remember emailing Royals front office in mid May begging for middle relief, I wouldn't even know where to start now?

Save us please.

looking for a reason to celebrate?

2009-05-19T08:14:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, rather quietly, a new player in web searches launched their site. WolframAlpha is certainly interesting. I could spend hours following their "ambitious, long-term project to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable".

Here are a few examples of what I learned in my first 5 minutes on the site. Yesterday Sarah and I celebrated a days of "2"s as it marked 2 years, 2 months and 22 days since we were married. Today, Mom get ready to party down.... you are 20 thousand 800 days old! I bet Dad already had something REAL nice picked out for her.

More useless stuff... Tarkio is at an elevation of 928ft (which is just 7.1 meters shorter than the Eiffel Tower), if I had worked 24/7 at my first job at $3.75 per hour I would have made $32,800 that year.

The information available is endless and unfortunately mostly useless.

Geographical Photos

2009-05-15T21:47:00.005-05:00

Flickr has always been my favorite place to post and share photos. Just as with this blog I also struggle with which photos belong on facebook and which ones (if not the same) belong on my old favorite Flickr.

I tend to lead with Flickr and follow with a select few on facebook. I'll leave it up to my friends to tag me with new photos on facebook.

Here's one of several great reasons why I enjoy Flickr. I can map all my photos.... take a look!

My Map (zoom out... then hit GO)

Recent trips to Boston and Cabo have added some much needed diversity.

Where have you gone Joe Dibloggio?

2009-04-02T22:00:00.003-05:00

What happened to me? I'm going to state the obvious. I haven't posted to the blog in over a month. I know, lack of posting has happened before but this time it's different. There wasn't a lack of ideas... I've had a few good ones. I even had a "fan" convey their disdain... "at least D Lee still updates his blog".

I've got (uttmmm...) I had no excuses.

This evening I was reading through the hand full of blogs I enjoy and found my answer. Howard Lindzon is one of those smart and funny guys that not only has good ideas.... he conveys them brilliantly on his blog. These are his ideas in my words.

The "new" internet or Internet 2.0 is killing my blog. Facebook, twitter and BrightKite are the leading suspects. They make it so easy to share a thought or idea in less than 140 characters, I usually choose their communication method from my iPhone rather than this one. Sorry Blogger, I still love your t-shirt.

Add to the mix my (fairly) new job and the blog is dying a slow death. I love my job. The old job not so much. With the old one the blog was a great distraction from work, with the new one it's the opposite.

The good news for the blog, it has some company. My golf game crawled into the corner of my garage last August and has replaced it's usual companion sunshine with last thing I every expected my clubs to see; cobwebs.

In my opinion, Howard's closing words are quite poetic... I'll steal and post them below.

Everything and everyone dies. So do passions.

You can’t fight death or lost passion, but at least passion can be revived. I want to blog and golf more, but I won’t force it. Forcing it will only hurt my chances of renewed passion.

seeing things as they should be?

2009-02-23T19:11:00.003-06:00

This evening before going out for a quick run Sarah made a short list of household items we needed from Target. The timing of her request was perfect. Tomorrow is our 2nd Anniversary and I had yet to pick up a card for her.

As I randomly searched hundreds of cards for just the right message Luke stood behind me calling out familiar items. First it was "Diego!" then "Mickey Mouse". Then it got a bit interesting, he said "Dad! It's Elmo". I turned to see him holding a card with two wiener dogs on the front. "Good Job, Luke" I told him.

About a minute passes... Luke hollers "Here's Mommy!" then again "Here's Mommy!"

I busted out laughing. I mean a really good belly laugh. So proud of little Luker.

turn the lights out, say goodnight

2009-02-10T20:58:00.006-06:00

Sarah's endearing idiosyncrasies are countless. Honestly, it's what makes me enjoy being with her so much.

This evening one of my favorites was taken to entirely new level. Sarah loves to turn the lights on and leave them on. Initially, I'll admit, I found this to be just a tad bit irritating. I'd return home, Sarah would be out running errands and at least 4 lights would be on. Come On! Turn out the lights before you leave. She couldn't have cared less.

As time passed and this continued, I began to find the number of lights left on entertaining. Sometimes on her best days she'd even leave the TV on for me. Maybe this was her way of leaving her "trail of bread crumbs" in the house.

UPDATE: Sarah just interrupted this blog. "Look at this Lighting Storm! It's only happening every few minutes.... Does that mean it's close or far away?" I love being with her. So fun!

Tonight, I returned home to find the front entry light on (she had locked the front door). Inside, I could hear Sarah and Luke upstairs. As I made my way around the downstairs I found 6 lights on (tidying up, I'm sure). Additionally, the TV, both back yard lights and (here's the kicker)..... the oven light were all on.

The bar has certainly been raised. I can't wait to see what she will do next.

times are tough.... time to get better

2009-02-02T16:53:00.004-06:00

Here are two great posts from this past week.

The Difference between Panic and Urgency: This one really got me motivated. Brad Feld's final paragraph would be a great pre-game pep talk.

Focusing the Organization: When I ask a friend of mine who's worked 20+ years with IBM what he's doing, his response is always the same. "Running a small business." I love that mindset. Bill Flagg's ideas in this post are easily applied to "my" organization. The requirements he list for goal setting are fantastic.

Remember good ideas are just that, until you take action.

the Tarkio influence

2009-01-18T20:51:00.004-06:00

The road to the Super Bowl goes through Tarkio!

At least that is the case for one individual this year. Arizona Cardinal's Defensive Line Coach Ron Aiken worked at Tarkio College from 1982-84.

This great piece of trivia originated in Dallas with Jeff Moore, former Tarkio College head coach, but then (of course) traveled north to my parents who emailed me.

Will someone please create Six Degrees of Tarkio and prove it is the center of the universe?

Hide & Seek

2009-01-06T20:07:00.005-06:00

This evening Luke randomly announced "Hide!" and ran into the other room. Wanting to be sure my cell phone or keys didn't go missing for several weeks, I followed him into the next room to investigate.

Attempting not to laugh, I said "Found You"! To which Luke responded, "Help".

the condiment nazi

2008-12-30T19:48:00.009-06:00

Beck: Luke, you can never have too much pepper. Luke: Uh, ok.

Beck: Let's put some on this slice also.

Luke: Now lets add some CHEESE!

Beck: Did you say, more pepper? Luke: No, CHEESE!

Beck: Ok, Here's you cheese. Luke: What are you up to?

Beck: Now more pepper! Luke: Just you wait a minute.

Beck: You want trouble? Luke: Uh, nope.

Beck: I didn't think so, more pepper? Luke: Uh, ok.

Beck: Like I said, never too much pepper. Luke: Do you expect me to eat this?

love is on the rise...

2008-12-24T23:45:00.001-06:00

Do you need a little love? Go get yourself a Twitter account. From my friends at Mashable...

Merry Christmas, loved ones.

early Christmas

2008-12-24T10:17:00.002-06:00

Great news for Sarah today. It's offical.

From: Boston Athletic Association [mailto:registration@baa.org]
Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 7:06 AM
To: Sarah BradySubject: Welcome to the 113th Boston Marathon

You're receiving this email because you are an entrant in the 2009 Boston Marathon.

to the person with the "Pain is Temporary" sign.... THANK YOU!

2008-12-15T14:18:00.004-06:00

The Dallas White Rock Marathon was awesome! Running in less than ideal conditions, Sarah posted a new PR of 3:39 and best of all qualified for Boston, the world's oldest annual marathon.

Sarah was so thankful for all the support received during and after the race. Family, friends and co-workers were scattered about the course as the temperatures rose above 70 degrees and the wind gusted to 30+ mph.

Post race, Sarah told me three mental things helped her get through the 26.2 miles and reach her goal.

First, she didn't want to explain why she was unable to qualify for Boston. She kept replaying the conversations in her head. Too windy or too hot were excuses she didn't want to use.

Number 2. She couldn't let me be right. You see a few weeks ago Sarah asked for my honest opinion on this subject. "Do you think I will make it to Boston?" I emphatically said no. At the time, a complete jerk move. Today, a brilliant move of reverse psychology. Honey, you are welcome.

AND last but certainly not least. Somewhere around mile 21 there was a sign that made a BIG difference. Having spent miles 14 - 18 running into headwinds on the lake and miles 19-21 running all uphill she was nearly broken. The sign Pain is Temporary got her going again. Once seeing the sign she kept thinking the phrase over and over in her head.

From mile 21 it was literally all down hill for her. Each time I saw her (mile 23 and 25) she had passed several runners in front of her. Her last mile was clocked at 7:15, the fastest mile of her race!

Sarah, Congrats on reaching your goal, Boston is going to be a blast.

Tarkio is on The Map!

2008-12-09T22:37:00.003-06:00

Yes, we've always been on the map but now it's a little better.

Google Maps "Street View" made a quick drive through town sometime last summer. While we didn't get full street coverage, I was pleasantly surprised to see Tarkio looking great on today's new Google release.

I'd like to challenge the locals (or anyone else wanting to play) to tell me when Google visited Tarkio. I'll even throw in a free lunch anywhere in Tarkio to the winner. (Will says to shop local, I'm trying to do my part.) Here's the kicker.... I don't know when they visited. You must find proof from the street view photos to win.

Post your guess in my comments and good luck.

Mr. President... I'll be there in 10 maybe 11 minutes.

2008-12-04T15:20:00.006-06:00

Word on the street is George and Laura have purchased a Dallas home in Preston Hollow.

Mr. and Mrs. W,

Consider this an open invitation to use our pool anytime you'd like. Oh and if you need some help with the move in January just give me a ring.

The Smiths

these bailouts are making me crazy...

2008-11-21T08:33:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, I was against "the" bailout. Any bailout. Bear Stearns, Freddie AND Fannie, AIG, the American Auto Makers. I'm OUT, on the bailout. It makes me mad just thinking about it.

Then someone decided to really get me going and said "You're naive". What do you mean, I'm naive? I'm not the one asking for billions yes that is with a B. A little later I read the below post from Brad Feld.

Today, I'm for accountability and taking responsibility for your actions. I'm starting with me. I'm am naive on the bailout subject, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Enjoy the read from Brad. If you have time, follow and read his links.

Take Responsibility For Your Actions

I made a mistake this morning. I allowed myself to get ramped up during my morning information routine. As I read through my online news and feeds, I kept seeing various permutations of discussions around "the bailout." Which bailout you ask? So did I. Before I knew it I was way down a rat hole of reading about all the various requests around "the bailout", tricks for getting "your share of the bailout", absurd requests from very large established companies regarding "the bailout", some surprising and particularly offensive (at least to me) requests from other companies around "the bailout", and lots of justification for action couched in terms like "economic disaster", "crisis", and "collapse."

You don't have to go very far to see where I started getting ramped up - just read the front page of the New York Times business section online this morning. Note to self - you are an idiot - you should have gone running instead.

I hate the word bailout. None of the companies I invest in are getting a "bailout." When they make bad decisions, don't execute, or run out of capital, they fail - which sucks, but it's part of the economic cycle. I tried calling 1-800-BAIL-OUT to see if I was missing something. They wouldn't help me, but they let me rant about what I think about bailouts (smart entrepreneurs!)

Every time I hear the word "bailout" it makes me think of Atlas Shrugged. There's a good idea - before you are allowed to mention the word "bailout" you have to read Atlas Shrugged - that'll slow people down a little and make them think.

I'm not against government involvement and financial support in the broad business ecosystem. That's not what got me ramped up. What got me ramped up is the pervasive and omnipresent requests for a piece of "the bailout" along with endless hyperbole justifying the naked requests for money from the government without clear consequences. This, combined with the endless language of fear and panic from our "leadership", rather than a rational discussion of cause, effect, and proposed solutions makes me nuts.

Fundamentally, I feel like the ethos of "lack of responsibility" is finding its way into every nook and cranny of the discussion. The connotation of "bailout" is "it's not my fault - please bail me out." By definition, if you are asking for a bailout, you need to take responsibility for your actions and how you got there.

Before I end, I'll leave you with two things to clean your palate. The first is from my friend Shawn Broderick titled UAW Rip and cuts to the core of the notion of taking responsibility for your actions, understanding cause and effect, and coming up with solutions based on a real understanding of the underlying facts. The second is from another friend - Karyn German (who is one of the execs at NewsGator) titled What I Have Learned About Leadership. Just reading it made me feel better.

and in this corner....

2008-10-27T17:37:00.008-05:00

Checking in at 2 years and 2 days old... a bare knuckle southpaw from deep in the depths of Dallas... Luke's Tale of the Tape:

Weight - 28.8 lbs - 60% percentile
Height - 3 feet 1/2 inch - 93% percentile
Head - 20 1/4 inch - off the chart

While he may be one of the bigger boys in his age group, the doctor's written comments show signs he may not be ready for the ring.

Wonderful!! Very verbal.

Then of course there is the glass jaw....

me "Luke, who's boy are you?"
Luke "Mamma's Boy!"

I guess the ring will have to wait.

Growth is Good for Competition

2008-10-24T15:07:00.005-05:00

Growing up, my month to party was June.

Sure, sure... the weather, no school, golf and summer league baseball are all great reasons to party in June. However, June was our party month for a different reason, 5 Smiths celebrate birthdays in June.

Mom on the 7th, Uncle Darrell 14th, Grandpa Ira Paul 15th, My cousin Tim 21st and yours truly on the 23rd. The nice spacing makes for presents and cake every single week of the month.

Recent acquisitions (marriage) and expansions (children) have created a new month to party in the Smith family. October now packs 4 birthdays into this the final week of the month. A month that once allowed us to focus all attention on Melanie (25th) now must be shared with 3 new Smiths. Luke and Amanda, Tim's wife, on the 24th then Sarah on the 30th.

The first of the 4 birthday parties kick off tomorrow with a photo scavenger hunt in LA for Mel followed by a sugerfest for Luke at the Dallas Museum of Science and Nature. Happy Birthday All!!

drinks "To Go" is about to get better.

2008-10-13T12:08:00.008-05:00

Since the job change I've been eating more lunches at my desk. In fact, I'm having one right now.

About three times a week I run around the corner to a ton of choices for lunch. Today while filling up my "to go" drink I releazed I'm getting shorted on my beverage amount. Who doesn't enjoy 1 or 2 no charge refills while eating? Of course, everyone does!

We "to goers" shouldn't be parched just becasue we aren't on site. Next time I eat "to go" I'm going to request the BIG size drink at regular size price. It seems like a fair request to me.

I'll let you know how it goes.

My Poo Crew

2008-10-08T23:01:00.004-05:00

Starting at the bottom and working your way to the top is far from a novel idea but this evening I certainly put Savanna, Beckett and Luke in a great starting position. How far they go up is yet to be determined, but I promise you this... they will have a hard time going any lower.

Sarah is out of town thus I needed a good "energy burning" activity to keep the kids occupied for about an hour. Inside options were limited and the back yard needed a little fall cleaning. So I posed the question, "who wants to help me pick up Mo's poo?"

The boys were immediately on board but Savanna was disgusted at the thought. I ignored her complaints and put the boys to work with gloves and the "tool" of their choice.

As boredom overtook Savanna she reluctantly joined the crew. Surprisingly, they did a really great job and with almost no supervision.

Ask them to pick up poo and they get right to it. Request them to stand in a row and hold still? You get 6 results similar to the above photo. Go figure.

no hill for a climber

2008-09-19T21:27:00.004-05:00

My recent career change to a small company of 5 local and 65 total employees has certainly provided a fair share of fresh new experiences. This afternoon's event was one finally worth blogging.

In our small but comfortable office, we have a great conference room for conducting our office and onsite customer meetings. It is very well equipped with most everything one would need to hold a successful meeting.

Today I learned it serves as more than a office meeting room. While our company is small it is a big bunch of sports fans. As a result, our conference room 40" flat panel monitor also doubles as a DirecTV major sports viewing site. Apparently any time major sports (golf majors, NCAA Tourney, etc.) are on during the work day we turn on the TV and watch while we work from the conference room.

This afternoon my boss wanted to catch the Ryder Cup matches but a wind storm had knocked service out of commission. S0..... the story goes like this "Brett do you know anything about DirecTV?" That was the call to action I needed. A great chance for job security.

To make the story brief, we didn't have a ladder nor tools for the job but were determined to be successful. We pulled my Jeep onto the office sidewalk parallel to the office and both my boss and I got onto the top of my SUV. From there he was able to host me onto the roof of the office.

There was a moment just before reaching the roof... I thought this is CRAZY. Two grown men in office clothes, standing on top of my Jeep, parked on the sidewalk where we work. Then I pulled myself together knowing everyone would make the same decision I had under similar circumstances.

Once on the roof it was easy work. Just adjust the dish until the transponders reach a minimum level of 90 and.... We have Ryder Cup!!!

What a grand way to end the work week.

a conversation

2008-09-13T14:00:00.006-05:00

on the way to the soccer game this morning:

Me: Who is the greatest Dad of all time? (gesturing towards myself)

Savanna: NO DAD! It's Apa.

Me: Well.... Ok. Who's number 2?

Savanna: Ummmm. Does Auntie M and Uncle Dave have any babies yet?

Me: You must be joking.

Savanna: Dad. You're like 100.

hours later at the grocery store

Savanna: Dad, you're really number 1. I was only kidding earlier.

Me: Thanks Honey.

"Your Trial Period Has Expired"

2008-08-28T22:29:00.007-05:00

Yes, Sarah completed our marriage trial period today by changing her name and offically becoming a Smith.

It wasn't an easy process, and no I'm not talking about dealing with the Social Security Office or the Driver's Licensce Bureau. We Smiths have upped the entry standards. We don't let just anyone into this select group.

Here's one requirement that might surprise you. Before joining our team you must be able to milk a cow.

As you can see Sarah seemed to enjoy the challenge and passed with top scores. Additionaly, she also passed all day cooking with Teresa and Mary Lou, Tarkio Sports Trivia and her personal favorite CB Radio lingo.

Kidding aside, just a little blog post to share the good news.

BEWARE!!!

2008-08-25T22:19:00.007-05:00

This is a quick cautionary note to the KC crowd. I ran into a couple of disorderlies while visiting your city this past weekend. Below are the two quick photos I snapped of them in action with a little back ground of what troubles they may cause.

The Muddler - Brian Slaughter

WAAY Back in 1992 this Fairfax Bulldog upset my Tarkio Indians on our senior year Homecoming night. The good news for him is he still fit into the old high school jersey, the bad news is it didn't have much negative impact on my fantasy drafting ability. I'll be looking to avenge that '92 loss in week 9 of this year's season.

The Hustler - Travis Smith

Travis was kind enough to invite me out for a round of golf at his club, Lion's Gate Golf & Country Club. The place was fantastic. However, through 5 holes of golf I was feeling pretty bad for Travis. He was all over the course. His "close" came on hole 6 with this very swing. He pulled the ball well left into the water taking yet another Bogey. Hole 7 Travis says "why don't we play for some money?" and I took the bait. He proceeded to amazingly turn his game around taking money from me most of the way in to 18.

Despite these trouble makers I still managed to have a great trip to the Midwest.

the tale of two tubes of toothpaste

2008-08-20T15:13:00.012-05:00

Trying saying that two times fast.

The story begins with a trip to the grocery store. It was about a month ago and I was armed with a list of things for the household. My trips to the store are both good and bad. Good because I stick to the list thus being both efficient and thrifty. Bad because I'm inexperienced with some items and don't always select correctly from the plethora of choices.

On this particular trip, you guessed it, toothpaste was on the list. For me, toothpaste is toothpaste. Stick with our regular brand, add a little whitening and all is good, right? Not so much. Toothpaste must be Crest with whitening AND with Scope. I wasn't up for a return trip so Sarah made an extra stop on the way home the next day for the improved tube of toothpaste.

Now for the good stuff. Within every problem lies a little opportunity, correct? You see, Sarah (in my opinion) is a bit excessive with the use of toothpaste. Those of you having family members with a similar problem know exactly what I'm talking about. Little tiny bits of toothpaste left in the sink after the brush, some extra "foam" on the bath towel after wiping their mouth.... you get the idea. I don't know how we live with it!!!

So for the last month I've been using my toothpaste while Sarah has been using her tube.

The tube on the left, over 1/3 empty, is Sarah's 2nd Tube! The tube on the right without Scope is mine. As visually impacting as this is, Sarah couldn't have cared less. I urged that a reduction in toothpaste use could save us 2 maybe 3 tubes of toothpaste each year... Dozens of tubes over our lifetime. Some laughter, but still nothing from Sarah. I considered going with "kids in Africa would love to have your extra toothpaste" but decided against it. I chalked my efforts up with a loss and blogged on.

Brett Smith, trying to change the world 1 tube of toothpaste at a time.

sleep, swim, eat.... repeat

2008-08-14T18:30:00.015-05:00

Wow. I've really been feeling the pressure lately.

Millions are tuning in daily to watch Michael Phelps with his "ooohh so boring" life of sleeping, swimming and eating. Sure throw in a hand full of gold medals, few world records and it does get a little interesting.

My dilemma? I'm getting somewhat similar traffic on this site but can't find anything blog worthy about my sleeping, working and eating. Yesterday, out of ideas, I attempted Phelp's 10K calorie diet with hopes amazing results. Kickin' it off, three egg sandwiches, four sausage links, a stack of pancakes and a o-so-big glass of OJ to wash it down. What exciting things might lie ahead of me?!?

My confidence was high... Full of fuel to power me through the day. Not 30 minutes later, I felt STUFFED and lacked the energy to accomplish much of anything.

Olympic swimmer, no. Beached whale, yes.

sit right down, take a seat....

2008-07-26T19:26:00.004-05:00

Tell me what you want to eat. Have a haircut and a shave please don't kill us........

Today's "Lunch Time" photo was all the justification Sarah and I needed to get Luke a long overdue haircut. We talked about it. Agreed it needed to be done. Then took no action.

Following dinner, having only a short list of entertainment options, Sarah and I made the decision to cut Luke's hair ourselves. First issue? The only comb we could find was meant to be used on Savanna's barbie dolls. Second issue? The kitchen scissors were to big and the office ones weren't sharp.

The entertainment value associated with the task didn't last long. Sarah and I both struggled to have any success. In time, I began to slowly make progress. I won't say I ever became really confident with what I was doing, but end the end I am pretty pleased with the results.

I have to give it a second try on Beckett in a few weeks.

back it up.... a little more....

2008-07-25T13:44:00.009-05:00

that's perfect.

I was returning movies this morning at Blockbuster; across the street the owner of this Corvette took curb side parking to a new level. He was traveling south (opposite the direction his car is now facing) jumped the median, took out a tree, hit a retaining wall, spun around and "parked" on the La Madeline patio.

The driving display drew quite a post show audience. Fortunately, no one was injured (you can see the driver smiling just past the guy in the hat) and the restaurant stayed open for a busy Friday lunch.

Twitter Kids

2008-07-22T08:19:00.005-05:00

Just a few days into my Twitter experience and I have a new market idea for them..... KIDS. Rather than a social networking service, this one is a parenting service.

Wouldn't parents love to have their kids answer the question "What are you doing?" I know I would. Text/Email messages throughout the day, with updates from Savanna, Beckett and Luke. How great would that be?

Now how can we get them texting at 12 months?

blog about blogging

2008-07-20T21:01:00.009-05:00

I spent good part of Saturday night and Sunday afternoon sharpening my internet skills. The result was a full Blog overhaul. I never got comfortable with my last Blog format so it was ditched and replaced with a simple set up from Blogger. The burnt orange color is a complete accident.

Aside from the format, the biggest changes you'll find are on the side bar. A quick summary of the newest widgets.

Twitter - answers the question "What are you doing?" expect my answers here. (I'm sad to say my sister beat me to this new social network.)
My Blog List - a similar list as before with status updates on the blogger's most recent post.
Recent Readers Map - this is a new widget from Lijit showing WHERE my readers are.
LinkedIn - the net's best networking tool
LastFM - my recent music
MyBlogLog - not where but WHO is visiting

I hope you enjoy the new setup.

Get Connected

2008-07-07T20:59:00.005-05:00

You know him as John, I call him... well I haven't actually called him. Last week, Republican Presidential Nominee, John McCain accepted the invitation to join my professional Linkedin networking group.

Congratulations! You and John are now connected.

View John's profile to:

Download John's current contact information
Write a recommendation for John
Find opportunities through John's network
See who you know in common

I'm not holding my breath for a personal recommendation but, if you see him with a new Sprint phone on the campaign trail you know why.

crossing the line

2008-07-02T20:32:00.006-05:00

For all but 1 of the last 9 years I have managed to keep the Chevron gas station on the corner of Mockingbird and 183 between my home and office. A pretty amazing feat considering I've lived in 3 homes, 2 apartments and had 3 different work locations during that time.

Due to it's convenience, the Chevron combination McDonald's has become my favorite stop for breakfast. Over the years, I've averaged, roughly, about two stops per week at the site. Each and every time without exception... 1 breakfast burrito from McDonald's and 1 20 ounce Mountain Dew from the station... always to go. Yes, it's the breakfast of champions.

Why does any of this matter you ask? Way back in 1999, the burrito $1.09, the Dew $1.19 both after tax. A pretty good deal. Walk in with 3 bucks walk out with breakfast and a decent amount of change for the car's ashtray. To the best of my memory those prices held fast for several years. Then, this morning the unthinkable happened.

I walked in with $3. First stop today was at the Chevron counter. Mountain Dew $1.40. I thought to myself, "Wow, I wonder when $3 won't buy me breakfast anymore?" I strolled over to the Mickey D's counter taking a nice long swig of my cold Dew. "One burrito please....." "That's $1.61" they replied.

Having spent all of my $3, I "borrowed" THE extra penny from a guy in line next me, took my burrito, walked out to my car and while still in my parking space reluctantly ate what very well may be my last breakfast on the go.

weeeeiiiiii!

2008-06-22T17:43:00.006-05:00

Last night Sarah and I had our first attempt at playing the new Wii Fit.

First a quick side note. I found it funny that hundreds of stores in Dallas - Fort Worth carried the Wii Fit but not one (that I could find) had any in stock. Yet good old Tarkio, MO had four, Yes 4!, of them on the shelf at the local Pamida. David beats Goliath yet again.

Anyway back to the point of this little blog post. The wii fit is quite good. Take your top of the line bathroom scale, make it wifi compatible, add some really amazing games and you've got a wii fit. I found that my BMI (body mass index) is normal, but surprise surprise I am "a little weak" for my age. It (the wii) put me on a three week training program to tighten me up a bit. Don't count on drastic changes.

The real fun was the balancing games. Here's Sarah attempting a ski jump. Nearly perfect form, huh? They also had tight rope walking, "heading" a soccer ball, slalom skiing and a few others I don't recall off hand. Even Luke played the soccer game and had a great time. Go get a Wii Fit.

the silver lining

2008-06-05T21:29:00.004-05:00

After "too" full days as a juror in the 162nd Dallas Court I had a decent idea of some good cheap fun for the kids.

The idea didn't arise from any evidence presented during the civil case but rather from staring mindlessly, during breaks, out the 7th floor window toward the plaza below.

I suspected the plaza might be a good open space for the kids to cut loose. Tonight, just one day later, I put the idea to test.

The JFK Memorial was a huge hit. The fountain park across the street was an even bigger success. In addition, the kids were little angels while dining at the downtown Sonny Bryan's.

Who knew jury duty could result in so much fun.

jungle update

2008-05-26T13:01:00.004-05:00

We opened the front door this morning and in darted this lizard.

It changed from black to brown to green before we finally caught it and had it hold still for a photo. Savanna wanted to keep it for a pet but we insisted it would be better off in the "wild".

welcome to the jungle

2008-05-24T13:28:00.002-05:00

Living right smack dab in the middle of of Dallas you wouldn't expect to see much wildlife traffic in the area. Sure dogs and cats are in abundance... no surprise there. However, who would of thought we would see the following in our own yard.

Last June a little blue heron walked through our front yard. Turns out the heron liked what he saw and set up "shop" just a block over on Hall. He must be one friendly bird as this year there are 3 heron families on Hall.

I don't know if the herons will enjoy last week's visitor to the yard. Two mallards stopped by the pool for a quick swim and some time in the sun. Time will tell if they stick around.

I'm not sure last week's problem falls into the wildlife category but snails were showing up by the hundreds.

While the kids love them, the snails haven't been any help for the flowers. I don't expect them to last much longer.

Last but not least is Elmo's worst nightmare. A small family of opossums make a showing in our backyard once or twice each week. Mo goes absolutely crazy a few minutes before they actually show up for Sarah and I to see.

By the time I grab the camera they are either gone or hiding in a tree. You can just barely see the one above through the leaves.

The neighbor's yellow cat got a hair cut yesterday and I tried to tell the kids a baby lion was loose next door but they weren't buying it.

what to do...?

2008-05-20T04:35:00.000-05:00

Have any of you rolled up to an unlocked ATM? Assuming it happened, what would you do?

Would you just push the lock back in and go about your business? I doubt it. You gotta at least look inside, don't you? I mean how many times do you get the chance to see the inside of a working ATM without any supervision? How much cash is in one of those things? Ten Thousand? Maybe Twenty? So many questions. Let's take a look.

Yes, that's right. I pulled up to an UNLOCKED Bank of America ATM at the corner of Beltline and the Tollway yesterday afternoon. Why do these things happen to me?

So I pulled forward out of the drive up lane, got out of my Jeep and opened it up. Inside I found a big roll of paper for receipts, a box full of deposit envelops, a clipboard with service log sheet and pen, a full on working computer (hard drive, keyboard, monitor) and absolutely no cash. It was all locked in the bottom part of the machine.

The best part of the experience was the look I received from the person who used the other ATM while I had mine open. He kept trying to see what I was doing without letting me see that he was looking at me. I just kept smiling at him like I'd just won the lottery.

My Very Best Willis Reed

2008-05-16T17:02:00.000-05:00

I can see it now... fast forward 15 years. The Greatest Moments in Grapevine Softball history.

OK, it's a stretch. Let's do a quick comparison.

Willis: Game 7 NBA Finals
Smith: Game 1 Regular Season C League

Advantage - Willis

Willis: League MVP, World Wide of Sports Athlete of the Year
Smith: First Start as team Pitcher, Lead off batter with no power

Advantage - Willis

Willis: started game in front of thrilled audience - voted greatest moment in Madison Square Garden History
Smith: fewer than 15 spectators - overheard "what happened to him?" from spectator

Advantage - Willis

Willis: Champagne Shower celebrating Knicks 1st NBA title
Smith: Beer in parking lot celebrating 5th inning run rule and 1-0 start to season

Advantage - Tie

I think a tie might be the best I do. Last night, after giving up 2 runs in the top of the first, I "turned" my ankle in an attempt to leg out an infield single. I, rather awkwardly, fell into the dirt just past first but was called safe.

While it hurt really bad, I just couldn't take myself out of the game. I just kept moving around and made it through the end of the game... Going 4 for 4 while holding the opponents scoreless for the last 5 innings. Today, I am paying for it. I called "Dr." Levings and was told to rub some dirt on it, keep it elevated and ice often. Wish me luck.

3.....

2008-05-06T09:20:00.000-05:00

Today marks the 54th anniversary of one of my favorite sporting events.

Once thought to be impossible. It was a nice round number. 1.4 seconds faster than the world record for a full 9 years.

The historic event took place during a meet between British AAA and Oxford University at Iffley Road Track in Oxford. It was watched by about 3,000 spectators.

The best part of the story is the way the stadium announcer teased the crowd after the race. He famously made the below statement, drawing out the announcement of Roger Bannister's first sub 4 Minute Mile for as long as possible .

"Ladies and gentlemen, here is the result of event 9, the one-mile: 1st, No. 41, R.G. Bannister, Amateur Athletic Association and formerly of Exeter and Merton Colleges, Oxford, with a time which is a new meeting and track record, and which - subject to ratification - will be a new English Native, British National, All-Comers, European, British Empire, and World Record. The time was 3..."

The roar of the crowd drowned out the rest of the announcement.

ducks on the pond

2008-05-05T19:09:00.000-05:00

It appears pool season has started early this year. I'm far from ready to go for my first swim of the season, but a few visitors to the neighborhood didn't see to mind the cold water at all.

Quack! Quack!

Derby Days

2008-05-03T19:56:00.000-05:00

It isn't the Kentucky, wouldn't even be considered at Lone Star Park. It is however, as good as it gets in our back"yard". They went round and round for a good 20 minutes. When I attempted to stage a race as you'll see from the below results, it was less than successful.

Two real professionals.... allowing a passing plane to completely halt the race.

My good friend Tom Hicks

2008-05-02T10:46:00.000-05:00

Great time at the Ballpark yesterday... In a pitchers' duel, the Rangers took their 2nd win of the 3 game series with the Royals. The 2 -1 victory was the Rangers shortest game of the year ending in just 2 hours and 10 minutes. Thus leaving me at 3:30 in the afternoon with nothing to do.

My great seats were courtesy of Hicks Sports Marketing Group.

Royal Treatment

2008-04-28T16:37:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, when I arrived home, I found the mail in its usual place on the dining room table. There stacked nicely on top of letters, the Pottery Barn and West Elm magazines was an average sized white padded envelope. My curiosity instantly rose.

I passed the stack on my way to set down my things and noticed it had my name on the envelope. What could this be thought? I don't remember ordering anything. Upon closer inspection, I found the package to be from the legendary Eric Levings. Ah, Yes. Eric had called me last week to let me know he had something he was sending my way. I ripped open the envelope to find.....

What a perfect gift! The Royals play the Rangers this week at the Ballpark in Arlington. I'll be attending the final game on Thursday afternoon. Thanks Eric, with the Sprint logo on the sleeve I hope to get away with wearing it to work.

Golf - Byron Nelson Style

2008-04-26T12:04:00.000-05:00

Who says you can't hold a golf tournament without Tiger Woods? With great weather and a new course design, Dallas' annual golf tourney was better than ever.

Odds are half the people in this photo won't see a single golf shot all weekend. It's one of the 3 best weekends to live in Dallas.

Big Time

2008-04-18T17:33:00.000-05:00

Big news from the Tarkio Awards' Banquet held this past Monday. My Mom was named Citizen of the Year! She was recognized for her many years of volunteer service to, and support of, Tarkio. She is currently active in Tarkio Renewal and the Tarkio Development Company as well as outreach work through the Tarkio Presbyterian Church.

I checked with my Dad and was told in spite of the award he is still the household boss. I'd say it's debatable.

Simply Lucky

2008-04-17T22:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday a milestone was achieved. After 6 long years and 10 attempts at managing a fantasy team, I FINALLY finished with a 1st place victory. Yes, I won my Fantasy NBA "Ohs" League.

As much as I would like to say I had the best team, it was lots of luck that left me at the top this season. It seems to me luck plays as much of a factor as any when lacing up the fantasy shoes. Granted good managers get their teams in position to win year after year, but most times it is luck that determines the winner. A few examples from this season.

My 3 Keepers (best players) Amare Stoudemire, Baron Davis and Rashard Lewis spent very little time injured. A few of my toughest competitors limped into the playoffs with their best men on the IL.

John Salmons. Never heard of him? It's no surprise, John was my last pick in the draft at #146. Then Ron Artest and other Kings went down to injury leaving my man John with loads of playing time. What Luck! He finished the 86th best player.

The last example happened to our league's best player, the atm machines. He's so money. On the last day of his semi-final game Mo Williams, averaging 6.4 assists, sat out with stomach pains. ATM finished the game in an "assists" dead tie 162 - 162. Then lost on the tie breaker, "most points". Ouch!

Without ATM's misfortunes I surely would have been left chasing my first title again next year.

I'll end with an old telecom saying.... "I'd rather be lucky than good any day of the week."

it's a gamble

2008-04-14T20:41:00.000-05:00

It started with a "let's all get together". Lots of planning (not by me) and a few flights later resulted in 2 Great Grandmothers, 4 Grand Parents, 1 Great Aunt, 5 Aunts/Uncles, 5 Parents and 6 Kids under the age of 7 all at Harrah's in Kansas City.

It wasn't your typical weekend trip to a casino, but it was one great family reunion. Lots more photos on Flickr.

the new ride

2008-04-02T18:36:00.000-05:00

After 3 days of researching, shopping and negotiating, I finally settled on a new automobile. The Jeep Patriot. It's no BMW or Audi A3 but will get the job done.

The best part certainly was being on the opposite end of the sell. Over the 3 day process I heard several little attempts at closing the deal. With Sarah's help all were were shot down. Oh, and it being the last day of the month didn't hurt either.

I'm a wreck.

2008-03-21T18:52:00.000-05:00

I came away with 6 stitches but the car wasn't so lucky.

you can't go anywhere...

2008-02-22T22:07:00.000-06:00

You'd think one would be safe sneaking off to spend a week with family. But when you have celebrity good looks, the paparazzi always seems to show up.

This photo landed Luke on the cover of The Avalanche. One can only guess how much the photographer was paid.

Yet another fan of Tarkio

2008-02-18T17:31:00.000-06:00

While Sarah and I were enjoying the sunny beaches of the Caribbean, Luke traveled north to the very popular destination of Tarkio, Mo.

As one would expect, Luke loved T-town and had a great week with Grandma and Apa. I posted several of the photos from his trip on Flickr today.

Left Sider!!!

2008-02-15T15:47:00.000-06:00

WAAYYY Back in 1995 four good friends, "Buddy", two monkeys, an occasional "Gizmo" and I lived in a great little place at 444 Spring Ave. Good ol' 444 certainly had more memories than the structure could physically hold.

One such memory was the 5 of us, and usually a few others, visiting a favorite spot, Legends, for a few rounds of darts on their two side by side electronic machines. During these trips you were either a winner, playing on the right machine and thus a "Right Sider" or a loser on the left machine, "Left Sider." I'm sure my memory is a bit fuzzy but I don't recall spending much time as a Left Sider. Trust me, Right Siders was a great group to be a part of.

Today, with much resistance I rented a car and joined all Cayman drivers as Left Siders. What a sorry bunch! Before pulling onto the road ALWAYS LOOK RIGHT! Left on Red? Are you crazy!?! We survived and wasted the $13 of full insurance coverage.

making friends with the locals

2008-02-12T21:27:00.000-06:00

Sarah and I are just about to finish off our first full day in the Cayman Islands. Today, two things didn't go as expected.

1) Although it's much warmer than most of the country, Texas is no place to work on your tan in December and January. Our SPF 4 "sun screen" lost the battle with the sun. Tonight, we are walking lobsters with limited options tomorrow.

2) Looking to pick up a few necessities, I made a short walk down the street to the neighborhood store. Being the only customer at the time I thought I would make nice with the local resident behind the counter. She was quite engaging.

local: "Where are you from?"
me: "Texas"

a little small talk then...

local: "Who are you voting for?"
me: "McCain."

something told me before I even answered that I was stepping on a bomb. now she's not so friendly.

local: "He wants to get rid of all the immigrants"
me: "kind of?"
local: "not good"

I'll be keeping my political opinions to my self for the remainder of the trip.

One Shining Moment

2008-02-07T19:45:00.000-06:00

Let's start with the end of the story. You will love this one.

Yesterday, at the end of the day, Sarah stated "I don't remember ever being so proud."

I was in a work meeting for most of the day. As things were finishing up at the office, I received a text from Sarah. It read, "Where is the fuse box?"

Curious, but having a good idea what was up, I texted her back "Outside by the whirlpool."

5 minutes later another text "I FIXED THE HEATER!"

You see, the heater at the house has been on the fritz. As learned when attempting to fix the dishwasher, BFS, our home warranty company, can not be depended upon. Sarah decided to take matters into her own hands, solving our heating problems for good by throwing the breaker.

When I got home today, Sarah asked me "How many people did you tell?" My answer of "No one." thoroughly disappointed her. So here it is for all the world to see.

Sarah fixes heaters!

Q School - World Golf Tour

2008-01-29T19:15:00.000-06:00

Several years back I reluctantly accepted the fact that a PGA Tour career was not in my future.

However, about a week ago I was told the dream could still be alive. The news came in the form of an email with a simple little link to the World Golf Tour. I have since passed along the link to numerous others.

In it's current format, you play a 9 hole closest to the pin challenge. You are then ranked against all other competitors in the world. Also, awards are given out for Holes in One, Consecutive Shots inside 20 Feet and Top 100 rankings. A full 18 hole course is rolling out in the near future and you'll be able to play foursomes online with friends.

I haven't cracked the top 500 players in the world, but am doing my best to hold my own here in the Southwest Region. My caddie spot is still open.... any takers? Levings?

dodged the ball, but not the low blow

2008-01-26T20:26:00.000-06:00

It happened when I least expected it. I was dominating Savanna in a game of Dodge Ball. She seemed to be enjoying defeat. Laughing hysterically each time she was struck

Turns out she was just waiting to take me out with one big blow to my ego. As I wound up for the last point, Savanna yells to me "BRING IT ON OLD MAN!"

Game, Set, Match.

Savanna - 1
Old Man - Humiliated

BFS vs. BPS

2008-01-21T18:37:00.000-06:00

The last few days I've been on a roll, both on the blog and around the house.

Two weeks ago to the date, our dishwasher began to have water standing at the completion of the wash cycle. We phoned our home warranty service, Broward Factory Service better known as BFS, to have the issue repaired.

A few days later a "technician" arrived on site only to tell us we needed a new part. A few more days later he returned to install the part and deem the dishwasher fixed.

That evening water still stood at the bottom of the machine so we called again and was told their "Best Man" would be out tomorrow (which is today) to fix our dishwasher. He did come by, did something and again deemed the dishwasher fixed.

You guessed it. Still water standing. You see when water is left after the cycle, the next cycle doesn't really get clean. Which means you have to re-wash the dishes by hand. As I've been told a time or two.... "if you want something done right, do it yourself".

So I pulled the dishwasher out from under the counter. Took off the two drain covers from within the machine. There appeared to be no blockage. So I next pulled (I use that term loosely) off the back and the water began to drain into the "bucket" I provided. I next blew into the hose and "felt" something dislodge from the hose. I was feeling pretty good. Everything was put back together and pushed back under the counter.

We just finished our first cycle in two weeks with ZERO water standing at the end.

Woo Hoo. BFS' "Best" - 0 BPS - 1.

You might want to second guess that home warranty coverage from BFS.

Boggie Woggie, Woggie!

2008-01-20T20:09:00.000-06:00

You can't do without it, It's Electric.

This weekend Sarah and I received a new light for the dining room. There was some concern by my better half, that I wouldn't be able to install this Christmas gift on my own. Given my family history with electricity, I completely understood her concern.

Now I had successfully hung a few ceiling fans in the past and thus didn't expect any issues today. Still I had something to prove. I carefully read the limited instructions. Turned off power to the room. Made SURE Green, White and Black MATCHED Green White and Black. Utilized an electric tester I had purchased in the past. You get the idea, crossed each "t" and dotted each "i".

And surprise, surprise, the install was completed without much trouble at all. No blown light bulbs, microwave, furnace or washing machine.

Next time there's electric trouble in T-town, give me a call. I'll be glad to offer some help.

Bath Time - Mobile Blogging

2008-01-18T19:38:00.000-06:00

Luke loves the bath! Sent using Mobile Blogging via my new Motorolla Q9c.

Guilt from Loyalty

2008-01-17T18:00:00.000-06:00

This evening Sarah is still at the office working to have one very BIG month. With my free time I went out to the web to see if anyone still visits this site. I was pleasantly surprised to see I have some loyal followers. You know who you are, thanks for always checking in.

Also interesting, I get about 1 hit a week (I'm big time!) via a google search.

From Illinois "no one comes into our house and pushes us around" visited for a few minutes.

Someone in Denver was looking for info on the "kfc bowl" and found it here.

The funniest search finding my site? From NY "1,2,3 to the 4 snoop doggy dog and dr dre at the door" I bet they weren't expecting a kindergarten story.

And my favorite, "Turkeys are done, People are Finished" enjoyed the read so much they came back a few days later.

So my tag line "My feeble attempt to contribute to the wonderful world of the internet." is a success! :-)

No Girls Allowed!

2007-12-15T11:43:00.000-06:00

Today, all the girls in the family are baking cookies from sun up to sun down. And, let me tell you, the boys and I are truly enjoying the peace and quite.

Yesterday, was full of nonsense. I'll share with you two examples. Sarah had an out of town customer appointment which required a little over an hour drive each way. About 10am, while I'm in the middle of a conference call with my boss, Sarah dials my phone TWICE. Each call was followed by voicemail messages. I text to her: "on a call"... She replies: "HAAAA HAAAA!!".

Here's one of the messages.

In case you couldn't make out the lyrics, that was I Ain't Missing You - by Joan White. Just splendid.

# 2. While I was unpacking the car, Sarah and Savanna were doing some early preparation for the full day of cooking. This required for them to use room temperate stick butter. As I'm headed to the garage for the last time Sarah says, "Look! Pretty smart huh?" I look and she has two gas burners lit with three sticks of butter walled around them. I gave her a courtesy "Real smart" and headed to the garage. Before I made it back to the house Savanna was yelling "DAD!!! HURRY THE STOVE IS ON FIRE!!!"

Today, the boys and I are the smart ones for staying home. We are NOT missing anyone. Nor will there be any fires to put out. Good luck with the cookies ladies.

10 Years

2007-10-18T15:38:00.001-05:00

I finally received my new drivers license in the mail today. As should be expected, items on my driving record prevented the new license from arriving on time.

My old license issued to me on my birthday in 97 was long overdue for a new photo.

So roughly 10 years later (this was in June) I walked into the local DPS office excited to apply for my new license. I suspected their might be some trouble as I had two pending traffic citations I was contesting in our wonderful legal system. I brought with me some documentation to help clear my name.

After a bit of research by their detailed staff, I was told there was nothing to be concerned about and completed the renewal process. I have to admit, leaving the office I was quite jovial. 3 months later instead of a new license, I received notice that my license had been suspended.

After spending several hours on hold and speaking with voice response operators way too long I dropped $90 on "fees" and all was made better. TaaaDa!

I'm good to go for another 5 years! I guess the state feels they need to check in on me more frequently than every 10 years.

we will continue to tell you "You are Happy!" until you know it

2007-07-02T22:48:00.001-05:00

What an evening. My throat is sore, my hands hurt and my feet ache.

It all started with a trip to the grocery store. We were confident it would be a successful journey. Luke had eaten, gone for a walk and was in a fresh diaper. Sarah and I, with Luke riding along, made it through (every isle of) the store, pushing the cart to capacity, without any major issues. In fact, Luke was the perfect little boy and as a result, received several compliments from other store shoppers.

We were so pleased with his behavior that after unloading the cart we decided to run another errand. This one was easy. It simply required a short 15 minute trip to my in-law's house. Luke didn't even need to get out of the car.

We arrived. Jumped out of the car and opened the door for Luke so he could still hear us or maybe us hear him. Before we even had the house door open Luke began SCREAMING! We couldn't stop him. We both tried.... he had lost it. Quickly we jumped back in the car and headed home. More SCREAMING. I'm serious. This wasn't crying, he was mad and wanted to be sure we knew it. I attempted to calm him by holding his "pacy" in his mouth. He ripped it way and threw it to the floor.

Suddenly! Like the sun breaking through the recently ever present Dallas clouds, Sarah began to sing. If.... YOU'RE...... Happy and you know it CLAP YOUR HANDS! me: CLAP, CLAP...... you know how it goes. STOMP, STOMP..... ALL THREE!

Luke stopped screaming. He wasn't Happy, but he did quit yelling at us. We sang the song clear through I'm guessing 3 times. Then Sarah switched to a different song, BINGO or something like that.... The screaming quickly returned. Back to Happy and You Know it. I bet we sang it 10 times before finally making it home.

Forced happiness. Good times.

Red River Rivalry

2007-06-30T07:20:00.000-05:00

How does this OU Football fan find himself in a Texas "t"?

No I'm not riding the bandwagon. Instead, I'm sleeping with the enemy.

My apologies to both schools and their fans. I doubt either are pleased.

Legendary

2007-06-27T14:07:00.001-05:00

About a week ago or so this "bird" (said in Mary Lou's best voice - emphasize the B! - hold the r) came strolling through our front yard.

What kind of "bird" is it, you ask? My thoughts exactly. My first guess was.... the friendly blue bird of happiness. Not quite. After doing some research on Google and Wikipedia I determined it was a little blue heron, often found near swamps and creeks. Although we have no creeks or ponds to speak of in the area, neighbors informed Sarah and me that it's nest was just a block over on Hall. For no identifiable reason I took this "bird" sighting as a good sign.

Fast Forward to this past Friday. I had the pleasure of hosting 3 of my oldest friends, Eric, Darin and Danny, at the house for my birthday weekend. We ate much good food. Nearly (I use the term loosely) set the all time high score on a punching bag machine at the local dive. Mastered Wii Sports. Witnessed, from the 7th row, a rare Texas Rangers victory. Competed in 18 holes of demanding miniature golf. And played several serious games of pool basketball. In the end, Eric deemed himself champion of the most events and crowned himself King. Here's a photo for the Tarkio trophy case.

I think it is no coincidence that this birthday, my 33rd, is the jersey number of my favorite basketball player and coach, Larry "Bird". I expect this to be one legendary year.

a little too big.... for his britches

2007-06-14T17:03:00.000-05:00

Folks meet Elmo. Join his "circle of trust" and you can call him Mo.

Although his legs are small, Mo lives quite large. Each night he is tucked in on goose down bedding. Check his water dish? No that isn't tap water.... it's Ozarka. Yea it's a bit ridiculous.

However, this past week Mo took it to all new levels. You see at the last Vet visit Mo was told he needed to drop a few pounds. The best way to accomplish the task was to substitute one scoop of food with green beans.

Initially, this change was eagerly accepted. We used up the two cans of French Cut Green Beans in the pantry and Mo loved them. Without giving it much thought we picked up 8 cans of Wal-Mart green beans during out next trip to the neighborhood grocery store.

Surprise... Surprise... Mo won't eat cheap green beans. He kicks his bowl. He spreads them all over the kitchen. Worst of all... he strolls around this place thinking he's Paulie Walnuts.

Bursting at the Seams

2007-06-03T10:17:00.000-05:00

T-Town, better know as Tarkio, Mo was bursting at the seems this past Memorial Day weekend. We had the whole family together for the first time since Luke joined the team. That along with everyone else back for the annual Alumni Dinner/Dance had the town in a vivacious state.

For more pics check my Flickr site.

not your typical guys night

2007-05-19T18:25:00.000-05:00

This weekend Sarah went on a little business trip leaving the house to me and the boys. Knowing the kind of trouble an 11 year old dog and a 7 month baby can find on a Saturday, she was hesitant to leave the three of us alone.

Luckily for her our evening more closely resembled a date night than a guys night.

Bowl of Dog Food + Jar of applesauce + 6 oz of formula + Baby Einstein = Dinner, Drinks and a movie. I've got some work to do with these guys.

Lazy Sunday

2007-03-20T13:28:00.000-05:00

Does it get any better than kicking back in a La-Z-Boy and watching the March Madness with your best friend for an entire Sunday afternoon?

It Does! Add barefoot, chairside roomservice and going to the bathroon in your chair. The perfect Lazy Sunday.

You gotta be full of it....

2007-03-16T19:15:00.000-05:00

I realize it is only day 2 of the NCAA Tourney but the banter is alreadyin full swing.

This year Melanie is, again, hoping to improve on her 1 and 9 head to head record against me in tournament pools. Unfortunately for her I've jumped out to an early lead, prompting her use a favorite family saying, "A dog that poops fast, doesn't poop long."

While the saying my be accurate, something tells me it isn't applicable to my tourney bracket.

Happy St. Patty's Day.

BIG WINNER IN VEGAS!!!

2007-03-09T08:26:00.000-06:00

It's a widely accepted theory that just about any thing can happen on a weekend trip to Vegas. My last trip to fabulous Las Vegas was no exception.

What was intended to be "just" a 30th birthday party for my brother in law, David, turned out to be much, much more.

That's right Sarah and I got married at the Little White Wedding Chapel, Saturday night, Feburary 24th.

Thanks to David's brother Jon for the photographs.

75% Winston

2007-02-03T20:23:00.000-06:00

This past week, Luke surpassed the 3 month timeline and in doing so received two new labels.

The 1st we learned during our most recent doctor's visit. Luke's height and weight puts him in the 75th percentile. The below photo does a good job of displaying why.

The 2nd was given to him by his grandparents. They enjoy calling him "Winston." See any resemblance?

Here is a quote from Churchill.... "There is no finer investment for any community than putting milk into babies."

Based on Luke's size, he's in full agreement.

Mobility

2007-01-30T20:54:00.000-06:00

These days it seems the "latest and greatest" is all about being mobile. There's mobile phones, mobile internet and mobile employees that lead to mobile workforces then offices.

But the latest and greatest "mobile" item at our house has Luke a little upset. You see, over the last couple of weeks, Beckett has fully mastered the art of walking. Yes he's mobile. He loves to go places without having anywhere to go.

What's the problem? We have found Luke's pacifiers in the toilet and his music box in the diaper genie.

Beckett appears to be quite a prankster.

The South is Soft

2007-01-17T17:41:00.000-06:00

Today a little snow mixed in with a little sleet fell on North Texas. The result? Most of the Dallas - Fort Worth population stayed home from work and school.

Luckily, I was entertained by Luke and watched 8 hours of "Winter Blast" coverage on NBC5i. While I was a bit embarrassed some frozen precipitation kept me home, I was glad to not be stuck out in the mess.

Savanna also got out in it, making her best Texas Snowman.

Let's hope for warmer weather tomorrow.

How Many?

2007-01-14T18:55:00.000-06:00

Bath time for a 11 week old should be no problem huh? When everyone is together it becomes a bit more challenging.

So I pose the question.... How many people does it take to bath a baby?

The answer: 4

happy NEW year

2007-01-07T21:51:00.000-06:00

Hello... HELLO!!! Anyone out there? I'm hoping so... I've decided to give this blog thing another run in 07. Here it goes.

Right in step with the New Year I have two other items that are fairly new.

The word is out on this first one but he has yet to be formally introduced via the blog. Folks meet Luke.
He has two big fans.

The second, is a new career opportunity with Sprint. I'm just getting started, but really excited to learn about the cellular side of the telecom industry.

Something worth sharing

2006-08-08T22:17:00.000-05:00

I'm not out of retirement but just stopping by the "office" to share some news.

I picked up a paper when I was down in Mansfield today and Savanna's picture was looking back at me. Front and center.

They wrote a nice article about the difficulties of children going off to school for the first time. Savanna's picture isn't attached to the article, but trust me, she is adorable.

I don't know how long the article will be available so I hope you catch it before it is gone.

Blogger Retirement

2006-08-03T23:13:00.000-05:00

Folks, I'm hanging it up or it this case closing the laptop.

I might be slightly more busy but not so much that it can be used as an excuse. It seems I just don't have the interest any longer. So rather than leaving you wondering when the next post will be (not that anyone is)... this will be my last, at least for a while.

I was a good year run. I enjoyed it. I hope you did as well. If I change my plans and come out of retirement I'll shoot you (I do know who you are) an email so you know.

Thanks for reading.

Brett

Low Standards

2006-07-11T21:31:00.000-05:00

These two blogs got my attention. Who would have thought a shower head would be a good example of an American epidemic. Here is how shower heads are tied to the lowering of our standards.

Best of all is when you are part of something that refuses to lower their standards. That is when you get that special nod. If you read the last you will really enjoy this one.

Here's to refusing to lower your standards.

BTW... Happy Birthday 7 - 11

The NBA Draft

2006-06-29T13:02:00.000-05:00

...not that anyone cares but Bill Simmons wrote a great Welcome back, diary from draft day.

Here's a teaser...

8:20 -- Here's why you have to love the NBA draft: It's the only show where you could ever see a graphic like, "Q: WOULD MOST LIKE TO MEET? A: HIS PARENTS."

32 on 23

2006-06-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

This past Friday I turned 32 years young. The weekend events added up to one of the better birthdays I've experienced in the last several years.

I got an early start to the festivities, on Thursday evening, with a round of golf out at GSW. This, naturally, was followed up by a second round of golf on Friday afternoon before making my first visit to Pappas Bros. Steakhouse.

While the restaurant is widely regarded as one of the best steakhouses in town I had somehow managed to miss out on dining there until Friday. The experience lived up to it's expectations. I learned some new things about wine, enjoyed a great lobster bisque, a wonderful steak, fantastic service and had the best company imaginable.

Following dinner I was treated to surprise plans for the remainder of my weekend, a Kansas City trip. I left out of Dallas Love Field just before lunch on Saturday and met my KC hosts, Darin Lee and Eric Levings, in no time at all. Our time together was full of surprises.

We had tickets to a Royals game, but there was a surprise rain delay. Once we finally entered the gates we were surprised to learn it was Frank White bobble head night. By the middle of the 7th, the Royals were ahead and "surprise" went on to win. After the game we ventured down to "the boats" for some blackjack. Surprisingly, well maybe not, my cousin Travis was there and as usual winning big. All in all, I think (i know i did) the Tarkio Triad had a great time getting back together again for a short weekend.

Lastly but certainly not leastly... I was treated to my favorite oreo dessert upon my return home. 32 is off to a great start.

BP meets DP

2006-06-20T00:05:00.000-05:00

Turns out ESPN has caught wind of my post that wasn't. Dan Patrick (DP) met up with me (BP) this evening to discuss our opinions on the NBA Finals.

We both agree the Mavs win game 6, but Dan says "the Heat in 7" I guess we'll see who has more sports knowledge.

Quote for Father's Day

2006-06-18T13:07:00.000-05:00

When I was fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he'd learned in seven years.

Mark Twain

Happy Father's Day

The fat man and a tough little girl

2006-06-17T12:24:00.000-05:00

The last two days I have been thinking over what was sure to be a good blog post. It involved me working with the Mavs and helping them turn the series around; beating the Heat, to win the NBA Championship. In order to make the post work, I planned to use some photos of me with Dirk and Mark Cuban at the 2001 Dallas All Sports Association banquet.

Yesterday, when the photos were found, I didn't look anything like I do today. In the picture was a chubby guy with only a slight resemblance to the me of today. There I was, less than shoulder high to Dirk and as wide as Mark. The result? Neither the photos nor the story will make this blog.

Following the disappointing photo find, the kids and I headed to my office to pick up a few items. When we arrived, the parking lot was nearly empty and Savanna jumped out of the car all fired up. I walked around to the other side of the car to get Beckett. As I opened the back door, Savanna, doing her best Chinese Fire Drill, ran right into the edge of the door. She immediately began crying. I told her to watch where she was going and bent over to take a look at the damage. It was WAY worse than I expected. The blood was already running through her fingers and beginning to drip on the ground.

My first thought was doctor or hospital. Then I remebered we had a first aid kit in the office. I can do anything a doctor could right? We dashed into the building up the elevator and into the bathroom. Savanna, by this time, was already telling me how tough she was and that the blood didn't bother her. I cleaned it up with a wet papertowel then treated it with an alchol swab (she did not enjoy this) and finally a nice bandage. All better. The kid can take a lick.

KFC's 'Infamous" Bowl

2006-06-09T10:47:00.000-05:00

Have any of you seen the commercial or tried KFC's new Famous Bowls? You recall the dinner table comment when someone attempted to keep their food separated on their plate? "It all ends up together in your stomach." Well, KFC has put it all together on the plate or in this case all together in a bowl.

Who in the KFC marketing department thinks this will work? Here's the tag line..."All the KFC favorites you know and love served in a convenient easy-to-eat bowl!"

It sounds more like a hot slice of Thanksgiving Dinner pizza.

it's not mars, nor poland... it's home.

2006-05-31T17:00:00.000-05:00

I spent this past Memorial Day weekend with the kids in my home town of Tarkio, Missouri.

While "city folk" might compare visiting Tarkio to an experience in a foriegn land or on different planet, I couldn't think of a much better place to call home. We had a great time with family and friends. My sister has several fantastic pictures to prove it. While Tarkio isn't quite what it once was, there still is a wonderful Alumni party each May. This year it brought together Tarkio's first 3 bloggers. With a little brainwork from the briefcase you might actually find something of substance(s).

this could be trouble....

2006-05-20T21:42:00.000-05:00

Last week, I received one of those letters no one ever wants to see in their mailbox. The Internal Revenue Service was making a case for some back taxes they felt were owed to them.

I wasn't pleased about it, but in usual fashion was confident things would be resolved without much trouble. I sent the letter over to my tax man and until today hadn't thought much about it. Turns out the IRS is taking things much more seriously than I. Below is yesterday's detail for one specific visitor to my site:

IP Address: 152.216.7.# (INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE)
ISP: INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
City: District of Columbia
State: Washington
Time of Visit: May 19 2006 10:33:38 am
Referring URL: http://blogsearch.go...author:Brett
Search Engine: blogsearch.google.com
Search Words: inpostauthor:brett smith

Come on Uncle Sam. If you are so concerned, pick up the phone and give me a call. I wonder if they use Google to catch all the bad guys?

Traffic doesn't equal revenue....flirting might.

2006-05-15T13:25:00.000-05:00

MySpace is killing Amazon in traffic, getting 4 times the number of web page views a day. Should Amazon be worried? Nope. Seth Godin tell us why in simple terms.

Amazon users visit to buy stuff, and MySpace users visit to flirt.

Last time I checked, flirting was a fairly unprofitable activity.

I've got an exception to that rule Seth, there are several saleswomen that can turn a nice profit flirting.

A Big Adventure

2006-05-15T09:25:00.000-05:00

Isn't it funny how the littlest of things can take a turn for a big new experience. Back at the beginning of the year, I signed Savanna up for her second year of soccer. I was ready for several weekends of watching games but that changed with this email:

Dear Parents -

I have been working on forming teams for the U5 girls division and I still have 12 girls without a coach. This means I am forming 2 teams of 6 girls and I need two volunteers to coach.

Please let me know if you can coach this season, because if not, these 12 girls will not be able to play and I do not want that to happen.

Thanks,
Karen Baird
U5 Girls Commissioner

I have very little soccer experience and even less skill but after two days without a volunteer stepping up I decided I would coach the team.

It's been a fantastic experience. While we've yet to win a game we've all had a ton of fun. Saturday's game was worth writing about. It was a game of many first. Savanna scored her 1st goal, which gave us our 1st lead of the season. And after falling behind 5-2 we came back and had our 1st tie game late in the 4th quarter before losing 5-6. The girls have made SO much improvement in a short amount of time. They've done almost all of it on their own.

The Explorers play their final game of the year this Saturday. Savanna, Tori (who won't play unless it's a blue ball), Kaylie, Camryn and Elizabeth (didn't make the picture) take the field at 10:30.

a not so extraordinary collection

2006-05-10T07:07:00.000-05:00

my new medium to communicate

I recently received my Verizon cell phone bill and for the second consecutive month I've exceed 1,100 text messages. Do the math, that's just a shade over 36 messages a day, every day.

For a select few of you, I can see the wheels turning in your head. That's just ridiculous. I ensure you, texting is not for school days alone. A few benefits:

There are no uncomfortable silences or talking over each other.
No answers and voicemails are not an option.
Grammatical errors are not only accepted they are encouraged!

the evolution of dance

This one was sent to me today. It is a rare display of ingenuity combined with phenomenal talent. It's six minutes of entertainment. Enjoy.

i've got a great memory it's just short

There was a third, short topic I had hoped to blog about but I've forgotten it. It was there when I started writing but it's gone now.

Buyers Market at Boston Market

2006-05-09T12:38:00.000-05:00

Some mornings I wake up feeling great. I roll out of bed with anticipation of what the day will bring. Today was one of those mornings. I mean WOW! Something good was bound to happen today. Luckily for me I only had to wait for lunch to find out what it was.

I made the short trip from my office to the Boston Market (BTW when looking up the link, I found coupons! I could have saved a buck.) just down the road. I entered the restaurant with a pretty good feel for what I wanted. I was distracted initially by the new menu that had been placed above the order station. Following a brief re-acclamation to my choices I placed the order. Immediately, I noticed the employees had new hats. These weren't your typical chain food hats, these hats had style. I had to have one.

Time to start selling. Even when you are buying you should sell.

"Are those hats for sell?" I asked. Now the two employees behind the counter thought this was a real funny question. "No, they aren't for sell."

Pay them a compliment, this get's them to drop there guard.

"Well the should be, those are sharp hats." "Can you get me one?" At this point they have no idea what to do. Apparently such a request had never been made. Several more employees were starting to find humor in our conversation. Then much like John Wayne would ride in to town, here came the store manager out of the back office. She stared right though me.

I wasn't sure what to do.... "I'm free advertising for you." I was in! "Are you going to wear it at the Byron Nelson?" she asked. "Absolutely." She had one last question, "Are you going to act like a fool?"

Here I made a common sales mistake. I assumed I knew the answer for which she was looking. Thank goodness it didn't kill the deal.

"Me? No I won't act like a fool." I was smiling ear to ear. "Well then you can't have it." All her employees thought she was hilarious.

Hat and a great meal, $8.99.

Parenting is easy.

2006-05-07T16:34:00.001-05:00

Any parent looking for a weekend full of kids activities in the DFW area should look no further than Dallas' GuideLive.com. Now granted, Saturday afternoon was already filled up with a soccer game and birthday party but other open times filled up quickly.

Friday's plans were made easy when I heard that Brian Fields, a member of our Covad team, and his band were playing a youth concert not to far from Mansfield. The evening was a big hit with Savanna as she broke into her own dance routine several times.

Saturday we got up early to catch a (free) kids magic show in Fort Worth. After grabbing a quick bit to eat we got ready for our second to last soccer game. The team put together it's best game of the year. Still losing in excess of 10 goals but scoring a season high 5 goals. I can promise you, compared to our other games this one felt like a win. On a side note Savanna is really aggressive. Had this been real soccer she certainly would have been red carded. The post game birthday party wore out Savanna as I had hoped so we stayed in Saturday evening.

Sunday, following church we headed north to Willow Bend Mall for a butterfly exhibit. On the way to the event I made a failed attempt to teach Savanna about a Toll Road. I ran into such objections as "This road is mean!" or "Don't let it take my dimes Dad!". Anyway, we burned a good part of the afternoon and both kids had a nice time.

Savanna took this one.

Beck didn't take this one.

Better than the real thing...

2006-05-02T10:05:00.000-05:00

A short time back I spent a few days in the "city" visiting my good friend Jason Ratliff.

On Saturday afternoon, right in the middle of a great weekend, Jason and I took a trip to Shea Stadium; to catch my first Mets game. We had a wonderful time. The weather was great, we got on the "jumbotron" and I saw the infamous Mets fan wearing a Red Sox jersey that read Buckner 86 on the back.

If the jersey doesn't make any sense to you watch this great replay of Game 6. It's a bit long but well worth it. Click on the play button, it will load.

It's all about the positive attitude.

2006-04-22T12:24:00.000-05:00

So this morning I was encouraging Savanna to brush her teeth. "Let's Race!" I hollered.

Into the bathroom I ran. By the time she caught up with me, I'm was nearly finished.

Me: "I'm the winner!"

Savanna: "We aren't racing."

Me: "Winner, Winner!"

Savanna: "IT WASN'T A RACE!!!"

Me: "Chicken Dinner."

Savanna: "Dad! STOP!"

Me: "How's second place feel?"

Savanna: "TERRIFIC!"