If you ever wondered where you can find......

just about anything? Next time you are on a road trip, check out a truck stop instead of a local gas station. Robert and I have decided that these are a point of interest on any trip. Below is a list of just some of what you will find at any respectable truck stop:

• womens restrooms with coin op machines for perfume and sanitary nakins
• mens restrooms with coin op machines for cologne, aspirin & antacid and items "for HER pleasure and both of your protection"
  
• coffee that tastes like mud
• coin operated showers
• packages of Fruit of the Loom underwear - mens only
• handcuffs ?!
• tacky plastic signs to hang on the wall - with sayings like, "The more I drink, the better you look" and the proverbial "You might be a red neck if..."
  
• sign with suction cup (obviously for a truck) that says, "No Lot Lizards" and has a picture of a lizard in a fitting dress and pumps.
• arcade games
• 24 oz Rock Star energy drink
• hotdogs and taquitos that have been 'rolling' on the machine all day long
  
• statues of gators, castles and bulldogs that look like they are made of sand
• CDs of old musicians and time warp compilatons (e.g., Classic Hits of the 70's)
• attendants missing their teeth
• little packages of 'vitamins' and 'natural herbs' that will give you ENERGY
• sharpies (yes, we bought one!)
• pink trucker hats that say Corona
• do-rags with the rebel flag (isn't that an oxy-moron?)
• Nascar model collections (not cheap either)
• fireworks
• postcards
  
• over-priced candies and chips
• big truck car (oops I mean truck) wash

So, here's the deal. Stop in buy some clean underwear, take a shower, get some cologne and a trucker hat. Take your lot lizard out for arcade games, a taquito and a Rock Star energy drink. And to top the night off, buy her a sand castle to commemorate the night.

And that my friends is a truck stop. Hilarious stuff!

Nathan takes home the Gold!

The Cavaliers performed in Orlando at the Citrus Bowl on Saturday, June 25^th, which is coincidentally the same day as Nathan'’s first birthday party. Mike, Angela and Nathan joined us to watch the Cavaliers perform along with other Division 1 DCI Corps. This would be the first and last time that Nathan will ever have a chance to watch Chris perform. To ensure that he will remember the moments, many pieces of photo documentation were captured.

Robert and I ran into Chris at the Cavaliers Fan Booth where we were, along with dozens of other fans, purchasing this year'’s Cavaliers shirts. We told him where Mike, Angela and Nathan were sitting and Chris indicated that he would try to make it by before the show. And true to his word, he stopped by. It is amazing that Nathan remembers him so well. The photos for the evening began there, and didn'’t end for a few more hours.

The Cavalier'’s performance was awesome, as usual and with my new D60, I was able to get some fantastic shots. I am torn about which lense to keep on the camera during performances. The normal 18-70 lense is great for shots of formations, but doesn'’t do well with close ups on the field, and the telephoto 70-300 visa versa. The only tickets left when we arrived were for general admission on the first level, so we sat in the first row (no heads in the shots.) With that taken into account, it was fruitless to try to get shots of the formations, so I chose the telephoto. I still kept my trusty Fujifilm 5000 handy, just in case.

Cavaliers earned first place again, with their show, “My Kind of Town.” Check out the photo of Chris (Ass'’t Drum Major) and Aaron (Drum Major) accepting the gold medal on behalf of the Cavaliers.

Robert left quickly to get some of Chris'’s things from the truck. Meanwhile, Mike, Angela, Nathan and I made our way toward the Cavalier buses, only to find Chris being interviewed by a representative from DCI (Drum Corp International.) We then snapped a few pix with Chris and Nathan, when who should come back out but Aaron.

In his hand, he held the gold medal that had just been placed around his neck earlier that evening. Both Aaron and Chris autographed the medal and '‘awarded'’ it to Nathan, the littlest Cavalier. And that my friends, is how “Nathan takes home the Gold!”

C3PO, R2D2 and .......

D70! Now it's your turn to guess which are robots and which is a new, wonderful SLR camera. Give up? It's D70 from a long line of Nikons.

For those of you who know me well, I am a picture taking fool (more properly known as a fanatic.) I just broke into the world of digital cameras a couple years ago. The first was a Fuji 3100, nice camera with 6x digital zoom. Then I spied a Fuji 5100 with 10x digital zoom. I tell you I thought I was in heaven being able to take pix from the top of a stadium and still get some detail. The quality was OK too with a 3.1 megapixel.

But wait, I finally found my dream camera (or at least this will hold me off a couple of years.) The D70 is a digital SLR. It has removable lenses and and almost instantaneous response time. It is 6.0 megapixels and the quality is phenomenal! This is all just in time for our trip to Florida. I will take wonderful pix of Chris and the Cavaliers, as well as my adorable grandson Nathan! Don't worry, I will share.

Strike a pose and get ready for that photo op, Sheri has a new camera!

So when did it happen?

We wake up one day and all of a sudden we are grown, responsible adults.

It rained hard last night and woke me up at 2:30.

Then Robert (in his sleep, no less) says, "What are you going to do with that?"
Now, since I am already awake, I respond in my very best NY accent, "You talkin to me?!"
Oops, I woke him up (he was dreamin'....) He said he was in "Hells Kitchen" (for those of you who don't know, that's a reality TV show about the restaurant business.)
So we joked around a little (mind you it's 2:30) and fell back to sleep.

Fast forward to 5:15am, the alarm is ringing and I am playing tag with it. I don't want to get up, I really don't want to go to work.

It's now 6:00am, and I drag myself out of bed, make coffee and get a shower. Robert is still sleeping because he is on vacation.

We have talked about this before. When did we go from being irresponsible, do what ever you want, to being so darned responsible? Could it be that we adopted or subscribed somewhere along the way to 'work ethic?'

So the work day begins, deadlines and meetings consume my thoughts and I forget the fact that I wanted to stay home and nap today.

Look at who's grown up, it's Robert and Sheri!

Happy Father’s Day……….

… to all of you Dad’s with a special wish going to three very important men in my life. My Dad, Robert and my son Mike. Let me tell you a little about these three Fathers.

Robert and I basically have a Brady Bunch between the two of us. His girls, all four of them are a true testament to the wonderful man and Father he is. He has a wonderful gift of making everyone around him feel special and loves the girls more than you can ever imagine. I am truly fortunate to have met him and privileged to share his joy of being a parent to such wonderful women.

My son Mike, is someone that I am immensely proud of. This is his first Father’s Day and he has indeed proven to be a great Daddy to Nathan. I was there to see Nathan’s birth and witness the love between Angela, Mike and Nathan. Truly incredible. Nathan is such a lucky child.

And last, but certainly not least is my very own Father. Back to my earliest recollections, I have admired him. Here is a man that has truly ‘made it.’ Born in a small southern town to poor parents, he was determined to make it out. Because of him, my childhood was very normal. I was never hungry or lacking in the proper apparel. I was given lessons in virtually anything I showed an interest in, voice, French horn, guitar and supported whole heartedly through out. As an adult, my Dad and I have great conversations about old times, current events, family and the list could go on. I am proud of my Father and know he feels the same way about me.

So, let’s start with yesterday. I talked to my Dad to let him know that I forgot to send his Father’s Day card and would get it in the mail first thing on Monday. Well, I started thinking about it and figured that since Nashville is only four hours away and Robert is starting vacation on Sunday – why don’t we just drive up there? I contacted Linda to conspire with her. When I aked if they had any plans for Father’s Day, she said no… What about a cookout I asked? OK!!!! Game on! Robert and I traveled a short four hours to Nashville, stopped at the grocery store and called Dad when we were pulling up to his house.

Sheri – “How are you Dad?”

Dad – “Fine, a little sweaty from working on this deck, but the weather’s great for working outside.”

Sheri – “Happy Father’s Day Dad”

Dad – “Thanks”

Sheri – “Can you come out to help me bring in groceries?”

Dad – “Sure”

Sheri – “No really Dad, we’re in your driveway!”

Dad – “Sure surprised me!”

We had a good visit with Dad, Linda, Kathy, Lou, Jenny and Jake. Ate good food, had good conversation and took LOTS of pix with the new camera (and several others too!)

I think the highlight for Robert was when my Dad gave him his first fly fishing reel, which used to belong to my Uncle Frank.

Great Day, great Fathers!

Guess who got hitched?!

Our beloved Tacoma went back into the shop to get his hitch this past week. It was hard for Robert to leave him, but it was a brief stay and he knew he was in good hands.

Now Tacoma is ready for some real manly fun, towing a trailer, boat or combination of the two. The hitch is nice and shiny (my description!), wired for lights and a light capacity load.

Here’s the best part….. Tacoma’s first towing experience will be in the Fourth of July parade in Marietta with a pink feathered float behind him! Maybe next year will see a boat, never know……

Now admit it, when you read this title you jumped to conclusions.....

We found a new place…….

…to eat! Funny as it may sound, even with Robert being a fantastic Chef, we eat out a lot. Some of our friends recommended a Mexican restaurant, La Parrilla to us and we decided to give it a shot.

Located on the 120 Loop near the Marietta Square in an average building lies La Parrilla. The first indicator that it was a good find was the full to capacity parking lot. Luckily for us, there was one vacant spot. (Good thing, because we were really hungry!) We were seated almost immediately and greeted by Sergio, our server for the evening, shortly thereafter. From here on, it’s hard to decide what was better, Sergio’s service or the food.

Sergio made sure that he answered our every question. “Do you need some more minutes to look at the menu?” Sergio asked us. When Robert asked about a drink displayed on the menu, he went to ask the Bartender to make sure his answer was correct. Robert decided to try the drink, Michilada, which was beer, vodka and lime mixed together with a splash of tobasco. Sergio stayed to watch Robert take a drink. “Do you like it?”, he asked. When Robert responded yes, he breathed a sigh of relief. A couple of times during our brief conversations, he made a reference, ‘in my country.’ When I asked where he is from, he said Columbia. I then asked, what brings you here to which he responded, ‘a plane.’ “Are you going to school here?” I said to him and he said, “Yes, English – I need English for life.” What a truly courteous young man. I do think he will do well here in the U.S.

So, if you’re ever in Marietta and have a hankerin’ for Mexican food, stop by La Parrilla and ask for Sergio.

Please join Robert and me in welcoming.....

the newest member in our household. Our long awaited Tacoma arrived on June 9, 2005. We have been expecting him since November and were pleased that the delivery was short and sweet. In preparation for our new addition, we considered many names, Tahoe, Explorer, Ram, Dakota to name a few - but decided that Tacoma was just the right choice.

As with all new arrivals, we were mainly concerned with his health and consider ourselves very fortunate that he has no defects. Four tires, four doors and two eyes.... and naturally we think he is better looking than most. I promise we would say that even if he weren't ours! His first bath was a memorable event and left him very shiny, maybe with even a little sparkle. Like most little ones, he likes a leisurely drive at night and listening to soft jazz, before retiring to his own long bed. We really love Tacoma and know that he does too as his eyes light up when he sees us.

Tacoma will be taking his first road trip with us to Florida in a couple of weeks and is very excited to be introduced to the rest of the family.

To round out the perfect weekend.....

we slept in again on Sunday. Now you may be thinking that we are one laid back couple with not a care in the world. (Hmmmm, now that you mention it, we may be.) As I wake up at 9am and reach over to the bedstand to call the Renaissance Waverly for reservations for brunch at noon, we decide that it is still too early and go back to sleep.

Now we are on our way, having cleaned up appropriately for brunch. We valet our fancy Cavalier (full to the brim with bags of clothes from the cleaned out closet in the back seat) and proceed to the reservationist. Lunch for two, Pope is the name, may we please be seated up front next to the band? Of course! The drummer of the band, Bernard Lynette says that we indeed have the best seat of the house. Why settle, right?

Brunch is wonderful as always, but the service is a little less than stellar this Sunday. Nonetheless, the music makes it worthwhile. A simple band comprised of a drummer, upright bass player (the bass, not the player - well, yes the player too!), a pianist and a singer. Nice lite jazz, easy listening......... As we are about to leave, Robert notices a table manned by a young gentleman from Lite Jazz FM who is 'giving' several items away. As we approach, a yong woman is trying to answer a trivia question in hopes of winning a CD of smooth jazz. The only problem is that she knows absolutely nothing about jazz or the station. It is obvious this young man is trying to think of a question she can answer because she just will not leave. "What is a stringed instrument that is here today?" he asks. "Oh, that's really easy" she replies,"it's a cello!!!" As he looks at us, with a look of 'if I give this to her, she will leave me alone' he replies, "You win a CD!" He turns his attention to us. "Do you listen to Smooth Jazz? " he asks to which Robert replies, "Of course, we listen all the time." Here's where the pressure begins........ "For a Smooth Jazz FM CD and a pair of tickets to see the play 'Five Guys Named Moe', all you have to do is answer two of three trivia questions." he says to both of us. "Question #1 - What month is a celebration of jazz held in the Atlanta area?" to which I reply, "May." That was easy, we are sure the next one will really stump us....... "Question #2 - What instrument does Chris Botti play?" This is too easy to be true..... "trumpet" I reply. Yes! We won!!!!

We leave the brunch and head to the outlets at Discovery Mills. The weather is poor and the traffic worse, but alas Bass Pro awaits our arrival. Robert and I part ways, I head to Chico's and Robert to the boat section. Amazing as it may seem, I do not find anything at Chico's that I absolutely 'need' and even pass on the shoes at Nine West. Am I sick or what?! I did however, pick up some mango scented fragrance at Bath & Body Works. (You always knew I was fruity, right?) I proceed back to Bass Pro only to find Robert in the section for Fly Fishing. We stock up on the latest selection of fishing line and a fishing pole rack for the closet. Funny as it may seem, I actually find a pair of light weight jeans for myself there. (No! they don't have the Bass Pro logo on them!) We head on home to get ready for the play.

Parking is a breeze at the Alliance Theatre, well worth the price. Our seats are on the end of the row, which gave Robert plenty of leg room. As we wait for the show, Five Guys Named Moe, to begin, we had no idea of what we were in store for. Great singing, story line, audience involvement. At one point, we were doing the Conga with many other audience members on the stage. We sang, laughed and cried. A three year old princess who was carried on stage by one of the actors stole the hearts of many when she waved to her Daddy, who just happened to be the drummer in the orchestra. Tap dancing, how long has it been since you have seen any? Well, we saw it last night. We highly recommend this show to anyone who has the opportunity to experience it.

As we leave, we realize that it is Sunday evening after all. Open Jam at Kennesaw Billiards is tonight. It is late and we don't have time to get Robert's bass, so we just head on out. Most nights at the jam are great, but tonight is just OK. Robert plays Jon's bass and does well as usual. We see some of the regulars, like Michael who is singing like a blue bird once again. She is a very talented woman.

A perfect ending to a perfect weekend. The best part? Robert also had off today. Fishing was on the agenda, but he will have to tell you about that at another time........

The Perfect Saturday means......

sleeping in with the one you love, not having any deadlines to meet and basically doing anything you want. This was the case for Robert and me yesterday.

After staying out late Friday night, we decided before we turned in for the night that the next day would be a lazy day. After waking up at 9am, I made breakfast while Robert checked his email and wrote his fantastic music review. Belgian waffles with real whipped cream (not hard to make) and coffee really hit the spot. The remainder of the day was spent watching Star Wars, napping, doing a little editing for work (me) and figuring out what to do last night.

We started with a simple dinner at one of our favorite eateries, AJ's Seafood. We sat outside as the weather was absolutely gorgeous. The rain finally took its' leave of the Atlanta area to let us enjoy the beginning of summer. Allie, our waitress, was fabulous as always and Tony, one of the owners came out to sit with us. The business is doing well and the quality has remained consistent from day one.

From there, it was on to Darwin's. For those of you who have never been to Darwin's, let me tell you it is a real treat. Not a fancy establishment by any means, but one that has a lot of character. Autographed pictures of musicians line the walls and ceilings, old dinette sets and even school desks with mis-matched chairs suffice as seating - while lighting is a compilation of various odd lamps. The stage, backed with gold lame' provides a quirky setting for the band. Darwin's is also listening to its' customers, providing a non-smoking show for the first set, then smoking for the second. Any way you look at it, this place is always 'Smokin'! Come on in, take a seat and make yourself at home because tonight is a special treat.

Now playing at Darwin's is The Andrew Black Band. Three accomplished musicians will provide the entertainment for the night. Andrew is the ultimate entertainer, singing 'to' his audience and even working his way throughout the crowd, really making you feel that he is glad you are there. Then there's Jon Schwenke the bass player. This is one of the players Robert likes to follow and emulate his style. Jon is not only an accomplished bass player, but sings extremely well too. He is the epitome of cool. And finally John McKnight on drums. Talk about personality and talent all rolled into one. John will drum any available surface, throw his sticks in the air, catch them and continue to play without ever missing a beat. These guys are some of our favorites and it is such a pleasure to hear them and experience their show up close and personal. Added bonus of the evening..... John gave me a broken drum stick, very cool. It will hold a place of high esteem in our music/family room.

And here we are again, the morning after... sleeping in. Til the next time........

I am sooooo happy because.......

I finally have a 'TEAM'! Since this past February, when we re-org'd our department at work and had a temporary hiring freeze, I have been 'team-less.' We received a call last week to say 'Go for it'! Soooo..... my fellow managers and I began interviewing candidates like crazy. In a little over a week, I have a team of four.

Two started this past Tuesday. We went to a store on Wednesday to get them familiarized with their 'customer' and to experience first hand the processes they will support. The next two start in two weeks. It is a good feeling to make the call to let them know they were selected for the position. All are extremely talented and 'ready' to get out there and make a difference.

Next on the agenda for me is to put a team together to create a 'Team Building Event' for our entire department. YEAH!!!!!

Friday Night Blues...

And I'm not talking feeling blue, I'm talking about feeling the Blues! We're both off Saturday, so we decided to find some music Friday night. After checking the internet, we printed up a map and headed off to the Virginia Highlands area. There's a club there named "Blind Willie's" and it's rated in the top 5 jazz and blues clubs in Atlanta.

We got there around 9:30 and here's a plus... lots of parking, just across the street from the club, with a parking lot attendant! Walked over to the club and it was just starting to fill up. We got good, no, great seats right up front. So far, everything was going well. It didn't take long and we were settled in, Sheri with her Martini, and me with my Corona. The crowd was a good mix of people, very comfortable.

The house band, "The Shadows" started up just after 10. I didn't get the names of the members, except for the guitar player, Rick Callahan. He has a good blues style, with a touch of rock. The leader was the harmonica guy, and I liked his style. Clean, not with alot of extra notes. Well defined tone. He also blew a mean Sax. Even getting it to growl at times, nice!

There were two guests. The first one, Sweet Betty, sang a mean blues, really mean! A great stage presence, I do think that everyone in the room felt she was singing right to them. The dancers were all up and loving the music.

The second guest was the legendary Tommy Brown. He's been around Atlanta all his life, touring across the world too. Starting out in the 40's, he's influenced great such as James Brown, Billy Wright, and Little Richard. In the 1950's, Mr. Brown received a BMI award for his #1 R&B hit "Weepin and Cryin". Check out his website if you get a chance. He was great on stage. He's still got some slick dance moves too! The room was rocking, dancing, having a great time. He brought the house down when he did "I'm gonna kill the Ice cream man". He came onstage around 1am, and was clearly the highlight of the night.

All in all, Blind Willy's was a good time. Great blues, lively crowd, and the surroundings made you feel like you were hearing the blues as you could have back in the 40's and 50's. And that alone is a treat.

Thank you, Blind Willie's, we'll be back sometime, for sure.
Peace

IKEA... Do you have one.....

in your town? I have only been to the IKEA located in Chicago and was simply amazed at the economic, yet stylish selection of merchandise. Imagine my delight when I learned that IKEA will be opening in Atlanta! Why Chris (son) and Jen (sis) are both quite enamored with the wide array of merchandise. And for those of you who know me well, know that I will have to check this new shopping venue out as soon as possible.

I signed up for the IKEA mailing list and received the following email yesterday. What a hoot! Wish that I had both the time and the nerve to do this, but alas, I have neither. How about you?

DO YOU LOVE IKEA AS MUCH AS YOU LOVE ATLANTA AND FUN?
Are you so excited about the first IKEA store opening in Atlanta that you positively can't WAIT for grand opening day? Would you do almost anything for the chance to be selected among the lucky few Atlanta-area residents who will experience the new store and all its features before everyone else?

IKEA Atlanta and Star 94 are looking for you! Click here and let us know, in 250 words or less, why you deserve the chance to be randomly-selected as one of the five IKEA AMBASSADORS OF "KUL" (Swedish for "fun") who will live in the IKEA Atlanta store from June 26 through grand opening day on June 29.*

Each of the five randomly-selected IKEA Atlanta Ambassadors of Kul will receive a $2,000 IKEA Gift Card and also help benefit a worthy cause - IKEA Atlanta will match $2,000 for each of the five Ambassadors of Kul to a local non-profit organization. Hurry, contest ends June 3, 2005 – click here to enter now. *Entrants must be 18 years or older for consideration as one of the five participants. Click here for complete contest rules.