I said . . . . HANG ON!!!!

I feel that my friends and I are solely responsible for my brother's toughness.   We believed in the carrot and stick method of motivation . . . . minus the carrot!  This was never more apparent than when we taught him how to water ski.  Chuck Overstreet and I would ski at a small lake near our town almost daily during the summer.  We were reckless daredevils that would try anything on water.  We would jump ramps on knee boards, barefoot, trick ski . . . . you name it and we would try it.  One day during that summer (Brian was probably about 13) Chuck and I took Brian with us to the lake with the intentions of teaching him to ski.  After we put the boat in I gave Brian his instructions.  I said, "Brian, lean back, keep the ski tips straight up, and hold on.  The boat will pull you up."  We tightened up the rope and asked was he ready to which he nodded in the affirmative.  We took off!!  Brian was starting to come up out of the water and then he just . . . . let go.  Cursing heavily we circled back around and I told Brian again "You have to HOLD ON!  The boat will pull you up!"  We tighten up and try again.  Brian is almost up when he lets go again.  This time when we pull up to him I tell him that not only does he have to hold on but that if he lets go again then we were going to jump in and beat his butt!  We tighten back up and take off again.  Again he is almost up and he just lets go . . .  As we drive back up, Chuck cuts the engine and we dive in and proceed to beat Brian's tail!  After we had ducked him and popped him a few times we got back in the boat and I told him, "You had better HANG ON!  If you don't we are going to come back around and do that again."  This time as we took off Brian pops right up and ski's like a pro.  He makes it almost all the way around the Lake when (and it happens to everybody) he just fell.  Well instead of letting go he just hung on and torpedoed for about 25 yards!!!  Brian became a great skier.  He would pop right up but if he ever fell you knew to hurry and stop the boat or he might drown!  He tends to be tenacious.  How could he be anything else??

My Very Own Christmas Angel . . .

Our Christmas Card!

My Christmas Angel

I married a Christmas Angel.  I have never seen a person who lives for a season so much as my wife lives for Christmas!  We are up to 6 trees (yes I said 6) and absolutely more Christmas paraphernalia than a team of Gypsies (no offense to the Travelers over in Edgefield) could carry off in a week.  She begins before Thanksgiving and if the truth is known she starts listening to Christmas music at Halloween!!  If you mention that this may be excessive she will mutter "Bah humbug" and call you a Grinch.  To her credit she doesn't ask for any help with the decorations but I truly believe that this is because she wants every little dab of this experience for herself.  She paints my world with color!  She is the epitome of Christmas to me.  She is generous and kind.  She loves laughter and children.  She lives a Christ-like life without passing judgement on others.  I am so glad that she is in my life and that my children are experiencing "her" Christmases.  I believe that she has already converted another angel.  This was the first year that Abby really took ownership of the decorations.  Abby helped decorate and pass judgement on her brother's inability to decorate.  She has impeccable taste (UGA and anything red and black were pretty common themes for her.).  I don't know if I've ever seen Angie so proud as when Abby picked out an ornament to buy for the tree that symbolized our new life in Augusta . . . It kinda makes me a little teary-eyed my dang self.

I have experienced Christmases where I have received more gifts and had more money to spend on others but I can honestly say that I have never had a Christmas that was as good to me as this one.  It wasn't the gifts (for me it really never is) or the food, or the decorations (sorry Angie!) that made this such a special time for me.  What made it for me was the time with my family.  I spent time with my parents, brother and his family, my grandmother, all of my wife's family, but most importantly my three kids and my very own Christmas Angel!  We had Santa in Augusta (first time in my 41 years where the jolly old man had to find me outside of the Land of Milk and Honey!) and I lived through it.  My Uncle Wayne said something to me this year that really rang true.  He said, "I never thought I would see the day when giving made me happier than receiving . . . but it does now."  I understand exactly what he means.  I used to wonder how my Dad could be so happy to receive a pair of socks when I was receiving all of these cool gifts but now I know.  When Peyton would open a gift and smile or Trey would open something special and do his little wiggle dance or when Abby opened a gift that was "just what she wanted" it was better than any gift that I have ever received.  I don't want you to think that this is nothing because I have received some GREAT gifts in my day (Evil Kneivel wind-up motorcycle, Stretch Armstrong, Pinball Machine, rifles, bicycles, etc..) but they pale in comparison to my children's joy!  I love Christmas.  Always have . . . . Always will.

Daddy's Boy!

The Wiggle Dance

Open Wide!!

Did someone call Spiderman???

Precious!!!

Total Concentration!!

Last but certainly not least . . .

Blond headed, cute little devil, talks ALL the time (don't know where he gets that from) and stingy with the sugar . . . . these are all traits of the youngest member of my tribe.  Richard Peyton Sellers was born on December 18, 2008.  I have always said that if you are going to get married or have a child that the month of June is perfect for those things because NOTHING is going on in June . . . So obviously my Peyton was a bit of a surprise!!  I blame this inopportune conception on Joel and Leigh Poe and a hunch punch party that they held for my cousin Chase's upcoming wedding.  Angie took advantage of me . . . enough said and totally believable.  I was told that having three children was just as easy as having two.  I don't remember who told me that (that is probably God's way of keeping me from killing them) but they LIED.  We went from a Man to Man Coverage to a Zone Defense with the addition of the third child.  I swear that my zone always has two receivers . . . With that said, Peyton has been the very best Christmas gift that I have ever received.  He is a true joy.  He can be the epitome of sweetness and he is our family's "baby".  Translation:  We have to feed him with a sling-shot because he is so rotten!  He is Angie's last everything.  Her last pregnancy. Her last baby in a crib.  Her last baby bottle . . . You get the picture.  He is so easy to love.  His brother and sister dote on him and have even offered to take his spankings in order to spare this poor mistreated little fellow.  Out of all my children he is the only one that has had any negative feedback from our move to Augusta.  He was used to being taken care of by a sweet lady who would come to our house that we lovingly refer to as "T".  She wanted him to call her Aunty but all he could say when he was little was "T".  She would wait on him hand and foot.  She cooked his favorites and then would hand feed it to him . . . I swear, you can't make this kind of stuff up!  Now he is in a Day School with 10 other little kids and he misses "T" and all of her spoiling ways.  He will probably require Therapy.  He is a mess.  I have been blessed with another little boy who loves the things that I do.  He loves any kind of ball and anything that has to do with the outdoors.  If his brother does it then he is right behind him.  He reminds me so much of my brother Brian.  Peyton not only looks like Brian did when he was a little boy but I can remember Brian following me around doing everything that I did when he was about that age.  I have a feeling that I may be in for quite a ride with this one!  He tells me that I am his "Best Fwiend" and I hope that I always will be.  They say that it is always the last one that gets you . . . I will have to agree because my last one has got me . . . . wrapped around his finger.

Trey Love

He is a whirlwind of energy with just a little bit of dirt on him . . . . This is my description of my middle child and my name-sake.  Kenneth Steve Sellers, III  was born on June 26, 2006. We call him Trey, Trey Love, Daddy's Boy, and sometimes I just call him Perfect.  He didn't have the drama that his sister brought with her on her birth.   He was a C-section baby as well but at least we knew what time and day to be there!  That is not to say that he was slighted.  He had just as many people waiting on his arrival as did his sister.  When he made his appearance I was in the delivery room and all I could think about was how much Abby was going to love having her own doll to play with.  I had been a little conflicted about his name because as a Jr. I knew the complications that he will face with tax bill mix-ups, phone calls from people looking for the other person, etc..  When I saw this little man-child all I could think of was . . . his name fits!!  It is such an unreal thing to watch your mini-me grow up!  I see him do things or say things or sometimes just stand a certain way and it is like I am looking in a mirror.  That is exciting and scary at the same time!!  I want him to experience all of the joys that I have had but I also want him to miss all of the pain.  I know that to have one you MUST have the other but it kills me to even think about that.  He has the BEST personality and sense of humor!  He will say things and I will get so tickled because even when I don't think they are funny he does!  His laughter is my drug of choice!!  I have been lucky with him.  For the past two years I have been in school and this has allowed me to spend so much free time with him that I didn't get to do with Abby.  Every Friday (before Dental School started) I was able to pick him up from his Pre-School and those were HIS days.  We would go anywhere and do anything that he wanted to do.  Our schedule started out (most of the time) with lunch at Buzzy's.  This was a convenience store in Uvalda that had good food but more importantly (to Trey) it had lots of Big Bucks on the walls!  I also think that he loved that place because the ladies who ran it always doted on him and gave him candy and ice cream.   Next we would go see Papa at his bank and get suckers and let Papa steal his kisses.  Then we would go to the Court House in Hazlehurst and ride the only elevator in town!  He loved that!!  I think Judge Wilkes on the upstairs floor thought that we were stalking him.  After that we would have to go to the post office and he HAD to open our P.O. box with the key all by himself.  There were many other stops along the way but as we did all these things he would hold my hand and tell me things that were important to him.  I will always treasure this time.  He is my hunter, football player, golfer and all-around riding partner.  He loves these things and it thrills my heart because I do too!

To be such a rough and tumble boy he surprises me with his tender heart.  I have often watched his feelings get hurt by a harsh word or a critical comment.  I think this is his most valuable asset.  I want him to grow up to be tough but I never want him to lose his compassion for others.  You can't have that compassion without a tender heart.  He makes good decisions for one so young.  I'll never forget watching him at his Pre-School party playing on the water slides that they had brought in for the occasion.  Everyone was running around willy-nilly and having a fine old time.  The big hit was the slide.  I watched as everyone raced down the slide and then raced back to the line to do it again.  There was a point when this little girl wasn't paying attention and had let a gap form between her and the next one in line.  Trey came up, assessed the situation, and instead of cutting in front of her (like a few before him had) he took the little girl and moved her to where she should be and then dutifully got behind her. He didn't know I was watching but in that moment I saw greatness.  In order to be great you must not only know right from wrong but practice it . . . even when nobody is looking.

I always joke that out of all my kids that Trey is the most loving.  I say this because I love to kiss on them and Abby and Peyton  will grudgingly give me sugar but Trey . . . well Trey you have to worry about him giving you the tongue!!!  He always meets me at the door and is the first to kiss me good night.  He takes up for his brother and sister and he also torments them (which is what brothers do!).  He doesn't like naps or baby-sitters but he does love to run.  He eats in spurts and by that I mean that one day you can't fill him up and the next day he may not eat 3 bites!  He is extremely smart and hard working.  He has more patience than I have ever had and I think that I may need to thank Angie for that!  I look forward to his future but I dread him growing up!

The Princess is in the HOUSE!!

I feel that there may be a special place in Hell for a man that won't write an entry about his beautiful daughter  . . . so here it is!  We were a family that was rich with boys and poor in girls and by that I mean we had ZERO girls in the Sellers Family.  My Papa Sellers had 3 boys and those boys each had 2 boys.  Brian had 2 boys and then I stepped in and saved the day!!  Abbigail Caitlyn Sellers arrived on June 14, 2004 and my life has never been the same.  She was well received and much in demand!  Let me stop here and tell the story of her birth.  We Sellers Children tend to come into this world with a BANG not a whimper!  I have always been told that the two happiest days of your life are the day you get married and the day you have your first child.  Well I would like to correct this misconception because that is a lie . . . no not a lie . . . that is a damn lie!!  Those are the two most stressful days of your life!  On one of those days you are making promises to God in front of ALL of your family and friends about FOREVER and on the other one of those days you have the woman you love in a lot of pain and in a very dangerous situation!  Now I am not saying that I regret those days but while they are happening you are stressed beyond belief!!!  It was only appropriate that the beginning of Abby's birthday would start with one of Angie's "I told you so" moments.  It had been a long day for me in the Coffee Business and I wanted to go straight to bed.  Angie told me you need to make sure we have gas in my car and take a bath before bed because I am PREGNANT and you never know . . .!!  Long story short, I didn't do either and at about 11pm she was in the bathroom and her water broke.  I was excited and nervous and . . . and CRAZY because to quote a very popular film, "I don't know nothing 'bout birthing no babies!"  Angie (who remained calm) told me we were in no rush.  Take a bath.  Let's go get gas.  Call our parents. Put the bag that I have packed into the car and most importantly "It's going to be alright!" (I would like to say here that this is normal for our lives.  I am the one that gets "worked up" and she is ALWAYS the one that calms me down and keeps me sane.)  We made a very large caravan heading to Douglas, Ga. for "The Birth".   My parents, her parents, my brother and his family, her sister and her family, and many cousins (from all over the state) descended on that hospital to greet our newest addition!!  Once we arrived we were placed on a "hurry up and wait" schedule.  Angie's body wasn't quite as ready as Abby was for her arrival.  Angie was in pain so I reminded the hospital staff that we had signed up for ALL of the drugs and that she could use a little help!  If I had been in my right mind I would have tempered Angie's pain scale.  She said she was at about an 8 and for most people that means about a 3 but in my current state I forgot to tell the staff and they gave her a large dose of the good stuff!  Angie (who never takes more than an aspirin) started talking crazy!   The dog was eating rocks and she was pissed because I couldn't understand her!  About this time Abby's heart rate went crazy and doctor's and nurses came from EVERYWHERE!!  After about 15 minutes of VERY tense and stressful activity everything leveled out and danger was averted!  Everyone left the room for us to rest (Angie was asleep) and after all of that stressful activity I felt just a touch of gas so I thought "nobody here . . . why not?"  It was AWFUL!!  About that time a nurse came back in and I just looked at her and said, "Is that normal?"  She said, "Don't you say anything!  She doesn't even know she did it!"  I said, "Oh . . . O.K.." (I wouldn't share this story with Angie until AFTER we left the hospital for fear she would want to straighten this misinformation out!)  The next day after many hours they decided that Abby would enter this world through a C-section.  I was told to dress in this surgical attire and that they would come to get me when they were ready for me in the operating room.  After about 15 minutes this man comes and tells me that there had been a complication and that I can't come in with them but for me instead to wait in the lobby with the rest of the family.  So here I am.  Dressed for surgery.  Blood Pressure is through the roof with a wife in surgery with complications awaiting my first child.  Can anyone understand why I say this is stressful and not a very "heehee" happy moment??  They finally came wheeling Abby out after about 30 minutes and I see this little person with a misshapen head and very LARGE genitalia.  I am standing there not saying anything with a million questions running through my mind when my Mom who knows me comes up to me and says, "It's O.K. baby.  They are supposed to look like that and she is beautiful!"  I was too stressed to appreciate the "beauty" all I could think about was "How is my wife?"  She was fine.  It was at this point that I could start to appreciate the event.  I finally got to hold my little princess and kiss her (I have been the first to kiss all of my children on their arrival from Heaven).  It may have been one of my most stressful moments but she is one of my best accomplishments.  
                                                                                                                                                      Everyone kept saying that it was so much fun to buy for a little girl and it seemed like the UPS man could not pass my house without dropping off a dress for Abby!  It was only fitting that I (who had just a touch of hellion in me during my youth) would be the one with a beautiful girl-child!  I can remember that I had wanted a boy but after she came I kept wanting more little girls!  It didn't take her long to ensnare me with those long eye lashes and sweet little smile.  She knew what she was doing when she would tell whoever we were talking to that she was "Daddy's Heart!"  Before she was born, Angie and I were driving to the hospital and I told Angie that if there was a complication that I would tell the doctor to save her and not to worry about the baby.  At Abby's first birthday Angie jokingly asked me how I felt about that statement to which I replied, "If that happened now . . . we sure would miss you!"  The thing that I love the most about her is that she is a mixture of the very best of both her Mother and myself.  She is compassionate, smart, driven, thoughtful and VERY determined.  I am never surprised when I find that she has given her money to someone that doesn't have any or gives her toys to someone that doesn't have as much as she does. She hones her sales ability by working me like nobody else can.  I sit back at times and shake my head at sales tactics that took me years to perfect and to which she seems to use with an ease and the practice of an adult!  Her abilities have left me with anything from painted toenails to catalogue orders place on my AMEX.  I am SURE this does not bode well for my financial future but I simply can not resist her charms!  She is now the Mother Hen for her two brothers and in return they adore her and would fight you tooth and nail over her.  Her talents are endless and my life is so much richer because of her presence.

Attitude is Everything

When I was a teenager I went over to my Granny Hall's one morning because I was going to help her around her house that day.  Let me digress here and let you know that this was one woman who I truly adored.  She was feisty, compassionate, had a wonderful sense of humor, very smart (although she only went to school through the 3rd grade), worked extremely hard, but most importantly . . . spoiled me rotten!!  I know that all of my cousins and brother thought that THEY were her favorite but she and I knew the truth!  She would cook for me anything that I could dream up and at any time of the day or night.  I could just mention that I loved chocolate cake and before I went home she would have made me a 15 layer chocolate creation that I truly believe would have made the Devil repent.  With that said . . . that morning I arrived and she was still in bed.  She said she needed a little help getting up so I helped her.  She was in a good deal of pain but she just smiled and told me she would be ready in a little bit.  When she was finally ready (and I had promised her that I had already ate and that she didn't need to cook me some biscuits) we left to go get her some things from the grocery store.  Once we arrived and started shopping she saw one of the many people she knew and when they came up they said "Hey Bernice!  How are you?"  She smiled that one thousand watt smile and said, "You know I don't think I could be any better!"  After their conversation and as we walked away I said, "Granny how could you say that you were doing so well when only this morning you could barely get out of bed?"  She stopped.  Looked me in the eye and said, "Son, when people ask those things you have a choice.  Do you want them to see you and say "Oh Lord.  Here comes Bernice." or "Oh Lord!  Here comes Bernice!""  It struck me then that what made her so special was her attitude.  She was never defeated.  She knew that anything bad that was happening to her was just a season and that it too would pass.  This would be one of those "Life Lessons" that would serve as a cornerstone for me as I grew up.  I have seen the difference that an attitude can make in a person's life.  If your attitude is that you are defeated . . . then you will be.  If your attitude is that you can't do it . . . then you won't.  If your attitude is that you are a victim . . . then you always will be.  However, if you have an attitude like my grandmother's then you will only know success.  Happiness will follow at your heels like a good puppy and you will drag everyone around you (sometimes kicking and screaming) to a new pinnacle of happiness and achievement.  My Granny is in Heaven now but a part of her still walks and talks with me.

He said he ain't coming . . .

My brother and I have stories that we tell people about our lives growing up together and I want to share one with you.  This story is well told and you may have heard it before but it is worth hearing again!  When we were little boys (I was probably about 7 and Brian 4) my mother was in the kitchen and told me to go and tell Brian that she said to "Come here."  So I ran into the back bedroom and told Brian that Mama had told him to come and he told me "I am not.  I am playing!"  So I ran back to my Mom and dutifully told her with a smile (Because I knew Brian was about to get spanked!)  "Mama, he said he ain't coming!"  She marched back to Brian's bedroom and wore his little fanny out!  She told him, "Now make your bed and when I call you next time you will come!"  So she and I (because I wasn't missing this!) went back into the kitchen.  A little while later she told me to go tell Brian "to come here!"  I ran back to his bedroom and I announced "Brian, Mama said to come here!"  He said between sniffs, "O.K. Tell her I will be there as soon (sniff) as I (sniff) finish making (sniff) my bed!  So I ran back to the kitchen and with great relish and HIGH drama said, "Mama.  He said he ain't coming!!"  To make a long story short, Brian received another 2 spankings after that.  One for not coming and one because Mama thought that he was lying about saying that he hadn't said that!  I know that right about now you probably think that I am awful.  How could he have done that to his sweet brother?  Well let me say that Brian had his own ways of turning the table!  He would often get in the hallway while I was with him and throw his body against the wall and start yelling, "Ken please don't hurt me!  You are hurting me!!!!" to which my parents would come storming in and promptly start tearing my tail up (Because they just knew that I was going to kill Brian before he could grow up!)  While this was going on Brian would be behind them, with all of his theatrics temporarily put on hold, grinning from ear to ear!  Ahhhhhhhh . . . Brotherly Love!

One Down . . .

It's official.  I have completed my first Semester of Dental School!!  My first Semester consisted of 13 classes of which 4 will continue into next Semester.  That means that I had 9 classes that I have completed and been graded.  I can honestly say that it wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be but it was very, VERY, busy and time consuming.  I realized a few things about myself and my capabilities.  First - It is amazing at how much information you can take in and remember!  You would honestly be amazed at what you are capable of handling.  Each class roughly lasts 2 hours and you cover what you would normally cover in 1 Semester of undergraduate classes.  At first it is intimidating and then you just submerge yourself in the process and eat that elephant one bite at a time!  Second - I really, really, really enjoy working with my hands and doing the Dentistry aspect of this experience.  It can be frustrating and over-whelming at times but if you just keep trying . . . it will finally come to you!  Thirdly - It is amazing at how close you become with the other 79 individuals who are in this fight with you.  This is different from anything that I have ever done.  Usually everyone is only concerned with their performance and if they have information that you don't then that is just the way it goes.  Here it is different.  Information is freely shared and if you try a technique that works better, then you tell everyone so that it will help them as well.  My next Semester will start in January and I will start a new slate of courses that will provide their own new challenges.  They say that the hardest thing we will do next will be Head and Neck Anatomy.  They say it isn't that you are dissecting a dead body but all of the new terminology that accompanies it!  We will see.  That leads me to the last thing that I have realized.  I have been told by so many that this first Semester would be Hell and now that I have been through it I think that my Hell is different from theirs.  I think my Hell would kill them!

Done!!

Sic 'em!!!

Tonight I was reminded of why I love my oldest son and my namesake.  We were sitting at the table eating supper and Abby begins to tell me about this little girl at school who hurt her feelings.  Kids can be cruel and I now know the hurt and anger that a parent feels when it happens to your child.  In my mind I was truly wanting to go spank that little brat's butt for the hateful things that she had said when Trey pipes up, "If you will point her out tomorrow Abby I will beat her up!"  I swear I could of just ate him up!  It's not that he was wanting to fight but that he was NOT willing to let anyone hurt his sister.  I have always been brought up that family was sacred.  You take care of them.  You love them.  You stand up for them (even when they are wrong).  My brother and I could fight like cats and dogs and I could pick on him . . . but YOU couldn't!  We would often be at each other's throats but we loved each other and we looked out for each other.  Seeing this in my own children gives me hope . . . hope that they are developing this love and devotion for each other that will sustain them through all of life's ups and downs.  I have seen first hand the treasure that is Family and I want my children to develop a love for this wealth.  I catch glimpses of it and it makes me smile.  Sometimes it's when they share without being told or they hug each other when one is crying.  I love the fact that they include each other in games and adapt the games so that even the smallest can participate.  I don't want to say they are perfect . . . but they are close!

Thanksgiving and Beyond!!

Thanksgiving has come and gone.  This was the first year that I have not made the journey to the Land of Milk and Honey to eat at my Mother's table.  Instead, the family came to me!  Both families (Angie's and mine) came to Augusta and we celebrated at our house.  It seems appropriate that this new tradition started this year seeing that we have had so much change accompany this segment of our lives.  New city. New house.  New Schools.  New jobs.  New Career.  These are some of the changes that we celebrate this year!  Like everything in my life, I usually can't appreciate things until I am through them and I gain the perspective that only time offers.  My new Thanksgiving Celebration was no different.  I love when my family has the chance to share the same space and this year I was able to enjoy both sides of my family at the same time!  We had PLENTY of food and plenty of LAUGHTER!!  (I truly believe that you need both to live and grow.)  I was surrounded by people that I love and people who love me.  I soaked up the sound of my children's laughter while watching my parent's love for them over-flow.  I watched my wife co-ordinate an unimaginable amount of Chaos into an event that seemed completely planned and well thought out!  (I am so thankful that she said "Yes" so many years ago)  I ate and ate and ate.  My mom, mother-in-law, aunt-in-law, wife and both sister-in-laws put out a spread that could have fed a third world country for a month!  I am always surprised at how much food we have and I realize how blessed that I am to have it.  Between the food, the decor, and the people that populated it . . . Southern Living didn't have anything on us!  This year I have so much to be thankful for . . . and I am.

Larry Munson

They say that memories and feelings are often associated with smells or sounds and I have to agree.  All it takes is a warm day with the smells of Fall and fresh cut grass and I am carried to memories of football games and the sights and sounds associated with them.  I can remember when I was just a young kid getting so excited when someone produced a football and wanted to play.  At my house we were Bulldog and Falcons fans and there were ALWAYS footballs lying around for us to throw.  (This is one thing that I made sure to duplicate when I started my own family.)  We hated Tech, anybody from Florida, Tennessee, Auburn and anybody who liked them.  I don't know if I have ANY memories of a Georgia game without a radio blaring "The Voice of the Georgia Bulldogs" calling the plays and painting the picture!  It would be a sad day when many years from then he would retire and I would be forced to listen to others attempt to do what he had done effortlessly.

I remember a Saturday afternoon when I was a young boy.  My dad and I were out at an archery club in Hazlehurst.  It was a warm sunny day and while my Dad was working on a project I was shooting my bow and listening to the Georgia game on the radio.  Larry Munson was calling the game with his sideline announcer Loran giving us the "inside" scoop down on the sidelines.  I remember hearing about a freshman running back being put in the game and then Larry had one of his "moments".  Everyone knows what happened next.  Herschel Walker proceeded to run over Tennessee players and made his initial entrance into Georgia folklore.  Larry called it the way I felt.  I think that is what made him so special.  I loved Georgia.  He loved Georgia. We both hurt when they lost and celebrated when they were victorious.  He could convey the passion that we felt about the game in a way that wasn't forced or scripted.  It was like he was sitting next to you in the stands and he was one of your 80,000 closest friends.  I am not one to want anyone's autograph.  I could care less about a signature and to my knowledge do not have a single one but I always wanted one from him.  He died last night.  I feel like I lost more than my chance for his autograph.  I feel like I lost a part of my childhood.

The Boy's Weekend

I survived another Boy's Weekend!!  For the uninitiated (or uninvited) this is an annual weekend where I gather with some of my Mercer University Sigma Nu pledge brothers.  We have been doing this for many years (the actual number is up for hot debate around the campfire) and it usually consists of about 5 of us. For the past few years we have been meeting in Hazlehurst at my place at the river and we would hunt, eat, play cards, and do other Manly things.  This year we decided to branch out and headed up to Toccoa, Ga. and do some trout fishing and camp out . . . what in the hell were we thinking!!  Camping is for younger men who have not been spoiled by big screen T.V's during football season, central heat and air, clean sheets (Thanks Angie!!), and a roof over their heads during a rain storm.  I have always said that my wife's idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn without a pool and now I am at a point where I may need to add my name to that list.  It's not that I don't enjoy the drinking, cooking, fishing, standing by the fire and telling stories it is just that after I am done with these things I wouldn't mind a hot shower and warm bed!  With all of that said . . . I had a wonderful time.  I love that you have people that come into your life that change who you are.  These are some of those people.  We have experienced life together.  We have done some VERY stupid things and then laughed about them.  We have went through triumphs and tragedies together.  We have celebrated weddings, births, birthdays, and career changes.  We know that with only one phone call four other people will be praying for you or coming to arrange for your bail.  I can't imagine life without them.  We consist of one Dentist, one Dentist-to-be, one Pharmacist, one Insurance guy, and one . . . well we really don't know how to describe what he does but it pays real well, requires a ton of travel and lets him hunt/fish ALL year!  I spend all year waiting for our time together and then when it finally gets here . . . poof . . . it's gone.  We always threaten to get together more but the reality is that Life gets in the way.  I am not arguing because I truly love my Life but I do wish we had more time together.  For now I will just know that for the next 361 days we will just email, text, and phone to check on each other or to give each other a little good natured hell!

About Me

I am a 41 year-old Freshman Dental Student at Georgia Health Sciences University.  More importantly, I am a husband, father, brother and son to a wonderful family that I absolutely adore.  I was raised in a small South Georgia town affectionately known to many as The Land of Milk and Honey (you probably have read about it in the Bible).  Some simply call it Hazlehurst, Georgia.  I love where I am from and feel blessed to have grown up in an area where you know everyone and/or are related to them!! I truly believe that the eccentric and colorful characters that have flavored my life can only be found in Southern Literature or small Southern towns.  I have had TWO College careers and have enjoyed both in their own ways.  My first trip through the realms of academia I majored in English and spent time at Mercer University and then at The University of Georgia where I graduated not summa cum laude but Thank the Lawdy!  I then had to grow up.  I use that phrase loosely because I ask you . . . Can Peter Pan ever truly grow up?  I have worked in sales (lumber, pallets, mulch, coffee, cabinets, etc.) and have been relatively successful doing so.  I have owned my own businesses the most recent of which was a cabinet shop that I founded with my Brother.  This is where my journey took a sharp left!  On October 31, 2009 the cabinet shop burned and my life was sent spinning and skidding into a completely new direction.  The fire was a complete and total loss.  My brother (Brian) and I lost almost everything.  I say almost because although I lost all of my material wealth I still had the most important things . . . My Faith, my health, my family, and the grit that was instilled in me by my parents.  Material things will come and go but these things . . . these most often under-appreciated things . . . are worth more than gold.  It was at this point that my Second College Career began!  Brian and I decided that instead of a tragedy that this fire was actually a blessing.  It is not often that you get the opportunity to change directions in life and try a new path.  A path that had at one point in your life been unobtainable.  We decided that we were going to become Dentists!  We did not reach this decision without a tremendous amount of research and soul searching.  I truly believe that God has a plan for you and if you will just get out of the way he will lead you to where he wants you to be.  This has been proven time and time again during my life but especially so during this time in my life.  We went and spoke with the Dean of Admissions at the Dental School.  This little pixie of a lady with a warm smile was named Dr. Carol Hanes.  She listened to our story and looked at our grades (which were not very good!) and then gave us our next challenge.  She said, "Guys you definitely have an uphill battle but what you need to do is go back and take all of our pre-requisites and make straight A's.  If you make a B you need to go back to building cabinets!"  We drove back home and we made a pact that we would do whatever it took but that we were NOT going back to building cabinets.  We registered at South Georgia College in Douglas, Georgia and we never made another B.  I will never forget the look on the Registrar Office personnel's face when we blasted in there and registered for all of these classes and told them we were going to become Dentists . . . Priceless!!  I want to say right now that the people at that small college were so instrumental in our success.  They truly cared about our goals and our education.  They were willing to put in whatever time that we needed so that we could go to the next level prepared.  I will always be in their debt.  We took the DAT and applied to Dental School with absolutely NO hope that we stood a chance on our first attempt!  You can't imagine our surprise when we were invited to interview!!  Out of 300-400 applications they only interviewed 172 for only 80 spots.  I will never forget where I was when I found out that I had been accepted.  My wife (Angie) and I were in a Hallmark gift shop in Macon, Georgia buying Christmas when my phone rang.  I saw it was an Augusta number and thought it was one of my buddies calling to give me an update and/or encouragement.  Imagine my surprise when the voice said "Ken this is Dr. Hanes."  I asked her did I need to sit down and she said yes.  I thought "Oh no I didn't make it."  She then said, "You may want to sit down so that you can jump back up because you have been accepted!!"  I vaguely remember opening the door to the shop and screaming to Angie that we were in!  I am sure that I scared the bejesus out of all the shoppers but THAT was not on my mind!  I then asked her "I know you can't probably tell me but did my Brother make it?"  She said, "I can't tell you that but don't call him because he is my next call!"  I believe that this may have been one of the happiest days of my life and that's saying something!!  Our tour of Universities continued to the sleepy little city of Statesboro, Georgia where we attended Georgia Southern the home of the Eagles.  We had one semester there where we were introduced to Genetics, Micro-Anatomy, and most importantly to Biochemistry!!  All of this has led to here . . . Augusta, Georgia . . . home of the Georgia Health Sciences University.  101 days into this process and all I can say is . . . Wow.  I am blessed.