BST's Blog

Sorry for the rant yesterday--wait, that's not true. I'm not sorry for it. Just sorry if it scared anyone. I am really fine. Thanks for the email from concerned friends. Honestly, there are days when I need to vent like that, but can get up after venting and go on about my day. I never want to underestimate the power of words though. Clearly, as Owen so beautifully wrote, we are all under grace--even the knuckle heads who don't think they are. :) My opinions are precisely human--filled with as many holes or more than those with whom I disagree.

Now, on to something lighter today. I have to say that I am loving "The Vonz" (Vonzell Solomon) and Carrie Underwood on American Idol. I love Carrie's voice--she can belt. WOW! I love Vonzell's presence and her heart. Gotta hand it to the mail carrier. (she's a mail lady in real life) I'm not a Bo fan. This will draw serious boooos from Kiki and others I know. Too bad. Don't like him. Next week is the finale. It should be a lot of fun!!

Taking a lesson from my old roomie, Fish (See Craig Fisher's link to the right), I am going to list off some fun college memories. For some of you who were there, maybe this will mean something. For others of you, this will be a direct confession of my idiocy.

Some of my favorite memories include--

1. Late night laughter in Mabee Dorm with Stephen Bailey, Alan Brown and Matt the Wildcat. This includes the infamous dingle berry man.

2. Brent McCall locking me out of my dorm room our freshman year. He was bitter because I made him hang his Taco Bell uniform out the window because it smelled like dead cats. Someone stole it. He locked me out and I had to go outside and crawl into the window in nothing but my towel--not realizing I was giving the entire communications building a clear shot of my essentials. I heard lots of great comments on that one.

3. Chris Seidman dreaming about football and calling the game in his sleep.

4. Fish and his big ol glasses.

5. Stephen Bailey almost leaving us to join Acapella. (I was thinking about that the other day, Stephen. What would I have done if you had left??)

6. "Bi-focals, bi-focals...I have to wear my bi focals, they make me feel irate. I have to wear my bi focals how will I ever get a daaaaaa--ate? I first saw her in the burger line (bam bam bam) blue eyes cryin in the bean...(later in the song) there I told her that I loved her so (bam bam bam) blue eyes cryin in the bean. The she choked on her red jello (bam bam bam bam) blue eyes cryin in the bean." YEA, SING SONG 89!!! We were eye balls. Stephen directed us and we all blinked and changed colors from brown to blue--bet you could guess what other song we sang about that.

7. Take One all those summers. Especially when Stephen, John Scott Davis, Kellie Curtis, and Sheila Johnston traveled. The Yosemite Family Encampment!! I first met Dan Jocoy when we sang there. Dan now ministers to a church in Oregon and I get to see him every year at Pepperdine! Hi Dan!

8. Laurie Smothers, Shellie Braddock, Kimberly Meador, Trish Savage, Traci Dunn, Amy McRay and others. Bless all of their hearts.

9. Junior Senior Wars and getting kidnapped my Senior year by the traitor, Clint Findley. And racing naked down Westheimer with shopping carts. Don't ask.

10. Scaling the walls of then deserted McDonald Dorm with the leaders of the Senior class. (If they only knew) We all got in and played hide and seek on the top floor. Pitch dark deserted dorm rooms are the creepiest thing EVER.

11. Senate meetings where Tara McKnight (now Seidman) would announce how many days left til marriage.

12. Pledging with Chris Seidman. That's really all I can say.

13. My roommates, Stephen Bailey, Chris Doggett and Craig Fisher. The sick hat, the goodnight dance, Stephen's sheets that went unwashed for 2 years, that awful wig that ended up burning on top of Fish's lamp, Dog's study habits--relentless, Stephen's dates, Beth Ann and Karen--our guardians and future roommate wives, Days of Our Lives, Oprah (Chris getting really mad about topics), Po' Folks and the Better Business Bureau, glassy and glossy-the mascot glass heads of 1541 Westheimer

14. Puppy Chow candy that made Craig and Clint so sick that we then offered to the annoying visiting magazine salesmen. We'll answer for that one day, guys.

15. Happy-sad

16. Sing Song 1991. Being a host with Stephen and Val and having to sing "Man in the Mirror". If only we knew!! Also singing "If I Sing, You Are the Music" to my dad sitting on the front row.

17. Kyle Dickson, Donjalea Reynolds, Mark Reeves and others--Victory nights, late night prayers, asking hard questions about God.

18. Being called into Jack Reese's office with Ty Lovell to be warned about talking about the Holy Spirit. Apparently, people were becoming a little too excited. My goodness--how things have changed. Jack and I have laughed about this.

19. My summer in Nashville doing an internship at Reunion Records. I lived with Kent Roberts and Michael McCoy. It was such a formative time for me. I still admire those guys so much.

20. My senior year. I lost my dad that year in the middle of rehearsals for "Big River". The musical was a nice distraction from the bewildered feelings I had. I remember the singers at my dad's funeral--the best in the world. I remember those who drove all the way to Groesbeck, TX to help me bury my dad. Their presence was the greatest gift of all. I remember Chris Doggett sitting outside waiting for me to get home and hugging me and letting me bawl. I remember my roommate and brother Stephen ministering to me even through his own pain in the loss of my dad. I remember David Lewis and his great counsel to me. I remember Vic Bliss and his words of comfort that ring in my ear to this day. (Vic lost both of his parents in a freak car accident) I remember directing GSP to victory as doctors and surgeons. I remember graduation and going through the first major mile marker without my dad. I remember having to pack up the house on Westheimer. I'm not sure any of us believed it was over. THEN--the infamous trip with Fish to Cancun. Hilarious. It was the perfect cap to that difficult month.

There are 20 memories--there are many more. Perhaps I'll do a sequel. I'm thankful to have such great memories. For some reason, the warm weather and graduation in the air makes me think about such things. I know we all have great memories like that. Hope this made you think of some that bring back a smile. The thing I'm most thankful for is that after 16 years or so, my best friends are still those guys from Westheimer. I'm a blessed man.