Thanks to everyone for wishing me a happy birthday. We had a wonderful time with friends and family. I'm off to the beach so I won't be able to blog much but I promise to post when I return.

Some girls are tougher than others

But my girlfriend is the toughest. Voldoll and I decided, rather hastily Saturday afternoon, that we would go to the mountains and hike. The weather outside was dreary but our spirits were up so we set out to the Great Smoky Mountains. We chose to hike to Andrew's Bald, a nice exposed area that enjoys a beautiful view at 6,600 feet. If you've never hiked to it you must know that the path is incredibly rocky and sometimes painful, but its short at only 1.8 miles. We reached the Sugarlands Visitor Center and bought a day-hike map and set out toward the starting point of the trail.

While I was driving Voldoll told me she couldn't remember if she had put her hiking boots in the car before we left. I told her she probably did but couldn't see them in the back seat. So I pulled over and we both searched desperately for her hiking boots. Nothing. Voldoll had on a pair of Crocs, and knock off Wal Mart versions at that. Crocs are comfortable and heelless, but when it comes to hiking you might as well be wearing flip flops. We got back in the car and I offered to turn around ( I wasn't to keen on her hiking in Crocs) but she was adamant, we go and we hike no matter what. To her credit she was unrelenting in her desire to finish the trail even when the slimy mud was ankle deep and rocks jutted out all around the trail. My girlfriend hiked four miles in Crocs across some nasty terrain but not once did she complain although she came close to breaking an ankle. It turned out to be a wonderful time together. I'm so very proud of her and I was very impressed by her tenacity.

Campaign with Bob Corker

**Warning-silly hippie nudity in this post**

Currently I am on sabbatical, i.e. I'm unemployed. More on that later. While I'm not at work I thought it best to participate in something I have a good deal of interest in, politics. I've always enjoy following national and local politics so I wondered to myself if I could volunteer with a political campaign since we are in the midst of a Republican primary here in the great state of Tennessee. Enter Bob Corker. I am a conservative in many areas however I like to call myself a South Park Conservative. Mr. Corker's stances are closest to my beliefs and values and I knew very little about Ed Bryant and I can't stand Van Hilleary. So the choice was clear. Last Thursday night the three candidates had a debate at West High School and it was there that I had my first campaign experience.

I arrived at West High School in the evening, the debate was scheduled to begin in an hour. The heat and humidity were depressing but the three individuals dressed up as chickens made the hour pass by fast. Three men ( I think they were guys) were dressed up in chicken suits standing in front of the school holding signs that read "we flew down here because Bob Corker was too chicken to debate the candidates". That sign was referencing some non televised debates that Mr. Corker decided not to attend and campaign elsewhere. No matter, the chickens lasted all of fifteen minutes in the sun before they had to move underneath an entrance under the shade in order to cool off. When I arrived I happily grabbed a 'Bob Corker for Senate' sign and held it up high, meanwhile I probably sweat off about three pounds of water weight. About thirty minutes before the debate I was still holding that sign up and someone spoke up "here he comes" and as I lowered the sign Mr. Corker was walking straight towards me and he shook my hand (nice firm handshake by the way) and thanked my for helping out. He made a point to shake everyone's hand (about 45 of us) and say thank you. I thought that was a very nice gesture. I got to know some of the campaign workers and they were very cordial and relaxed. I couldn't say the same for the war protestors though.

Around the same time we set up some hippies came out in front of us and planted their little 'No Illegal Wars/No war for Oil" signs. From a personal st andpoint, I am so sick and tired of arguing about Iraq so I did my best to ignore them. That lasted about five minutes. A little hippie granny kept telling the folks walking by to "Vote Democrat. No more illegal wars". That's sweet. As I walked by I knew they were going to say something to me, I was white, I had a short hair cut, and I was with the Corker campaign. No one said much, one guy asked me if I supported an illegal war which I responded, "darn straight I do and I served there so don't preach to me about the legalities of war". I expected a smart response but he said something unintelligible like "whatever I don't care, lets not argue, make love not war". I didn't pay much attention, it was time for the debate to begin.

The debate included all three candidates and was hosted by a local tv and radio station. Some people complained that the candidates did nothing to differentiate between themselves which is hardly surprising since all three are conservatives but if you pay close attention you will notice some differences. For instance, Van Hilleary likes to make up words when he speaks. Words like "gobblygook" and "yukatty yukk". Van Hilleray came across to me as confused, unintelligent, and scattered. Ed Bryant was very impressive. He was stoic and firm but lacked the kind of panache that it will take to defeat Harold Ford, Jr. , the Democratic candidate for the Senate. Mr. Corker had a witty demeanor and came across very well rehearsed which some might not like but, for me it's a sign that his campaign and he himself are very well organized and practiced.

It was a great time and I hope to volunteer some more this week. Additionally early voting has started and voting will begin on August 5th. I'll post more when I volunteer again.

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Every dog has his day

Winston is your typical puppy; He likes to go to the bathroom everywhere and loves to bark at people, cars, and inanimate garbage bins. However he saves his best for when he attacks the dreaded water sprinkler!!! Watch below.

Horse Blogging

I spent a wonderful weekend with Voldoll riding horses. She's feeling a good bit better now. I'm trying my best to learn how to horse-back ride properly, but it takes a good deal of patience and strong thigh muscles...oh and good posture.

To the left is Susie and on the right is Oscar. Both are Arabian horses and both hate being separated from each other.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is an adventure-filled flim with some great moments but if your looking for substantial plot, keep digging and you might get lucky.

Dead Man’s Chest, directed by Gore Verbinski is the second movie in a trilogy of movies based on the Disney theme park ride, Pirates of the Caribbean. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer was wise enough to deliver more of what worked best from the first movie, Captain Jack Sparrow, played handsomely by Johnny Depp. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley return as Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, respectively. Captain Sparrow finds himself in a bind as he must pay a debt to the notorious pirate of the sea (literally) Davy Jones. True to form Sparrow tries to squeeze his way out of the debt by searching for a chest that contains something intimately connected to Davy Jones. But before the action can begin, and it really doesn’t until Davy Jones shows up, Will and Elizabeth have their wedding crashed ceremoniously by an agent of the East India Trading company demanding an artifact that, of course, only Captain Sparrow has in his possession.

At some points in the movie the plot becomes convoluted and busy. Seeing the first movie before watching the second would help since so many characters and story points are brought back. Most enjoyable is watching Davy Jones, played by Bill Nighy, in what must be a seamless combination of makeup, costume, and special effects. I just loved watching him and his crew in action. Fans of Orlando Bloom will be disappointed as his character never really evolves in this movie, in fact he might de-evolve, as he becomes increasingly gullible throughout the film. Knightley can’t even serve as simple eye candy since she’s dressed as a boy for most of the movie. Only until the very end of the film does she contribute to the story by committing an act of sheer treason. Most awkward is the love triangle that forms between the three with no promised resolution till the third movie. In fact there is no ending to this film at all, the last moments are spent in solemn remembrance of a friend lost and then, bam!, it’s time to go and rescue him…..in the third movie.

Overall an enjoyable movie and worth the price of admission to a matinee, but only go if you want to see more Jack Sparrow and Johnny Depp at his best.