Here's what's up

Hey guys. I hope you’re all well. Since the blogging pace seems to have bogged down, I thought I’d chip in and let you all know what’s up with us.

Beginning next Monday, after the Super Bowl, I will be in Jacksonville full time. I’ll still come home every weekend, I just won’t be going back and forth to Mobile anymore. Man, 8 months here without my wife or kids has sucked whatever love I once had for this place right out of it. I can’t wait to shake Alabama’s dirt off my shoes. Anyway, I will be in Jacksonville full time next week. I’m excited about it too. I’m nervous about learning my way around a new city but it’s not like I’m a stranger to that kind of thing. It’s just that I’m going to have a very full plate when I get there. I have to find an apartment, then look for a house in an area where there are good schools and, in the midst of all this, try to actually get some work done to justify my salary. It’ll be busy but it should also be fun. I am about to go buy a digital camera for work (believe it or not, most adjusters in this business carry both digital and a 35mm cameras. I already have an old 35mm that I used before so luckily I’ve got that covered) so I’ll post whatever interesting pictures I take in Florida.

Speaking of houses, we are going to put ours on the market this month. I will sign a 90-day realtor contract for someone to list it (probably one of the local Coldwell Banker people – we’ve always had good luck with that group) and, if it doesn’t sell in that period, I will have my company buy it for appraised value. They want me in Florida badly so I would think they would do this for me should the need arise. And, if I get to June without a contract on my house, I will consider that need to have arisen. Houses in Florida are generally more expensive than Texas both because of the stricter building codes and the slightly tighter labor market. I have no idea if we’ll buy another brand new house or something 10 – 20 years old in a more established neighborhood, which I prefer, but either way it looks like we’ll spend something in the neighborhood of $200,000.00 for it. This will be for a home that is smaller than the one I have now. Real estate in Florida – all over the state – is white hot right now. People are expecting it to be the next California. Let’s hope so.

I haven’t complained about it much but being away this much has been hard at times. I was really fortunate that the job was there for me when I left Centex so I have been willing to brave any circumstance to have a good job. But it’s getting really old. When we all get to Florida, I want to plant our stake and this is it, this is home. I don’t want to move again. I plan to build that office and make buttloads of money. I also plan to go to the beach all the time in the summers and to just plain enjoy life out there. I do NOT plan on becoming a Jaguars fan, but who knows. Maybe they’ll convert me.

Check her out!

Emily on her bike

No training wheels!

Eyes wide shut

This was taken this past weekend at The Palm in Houston. I think I was on my third or fourth Jack Daniels at the time, which probably accounts for my goofy smile and closed eyes. In any event, after dinner a lot of us went over to Caligula's which, I'm sorry to say, I can't talk about. Suffice it to say though, a good time was had by all!

MMMM MMM MMM

Birthday Cake 2
Originally uploaded by 3rdcoop.

Birthday Cake 1

Birthday Cake 1
Originally uploaded by 3rdcoop.

"Not sure what this stuff is. . . BUT I LIKE IT!!"

Birthday Dress

Birthday Dress 2
Originally uploaded by 3rdcoop.

N.O.L.A.

Hey guys. James looks as though you guys had a great time in Tahoe. Looking buff bro. To the other two, congrats on having such beautiful girls. You are all setting a high standard. I'll be in New Orleans friday with Ms Molly enjoying the hell out of myself as I always do with that girl. So that you all know I'm really happy with her. Im getting all flecklempt.

Happy Birthday

To my two favorite neices, Miss Emily Rebekah and Miss Lillian Addison. Give them big hugs and kisses from their Uncle James.

What is the significance of the number 15 today.

Lillian is 1 year old and Emily is 5. Happy birthday beautiful girls.

James, your pictures look great. Congratulations on your ski trip. You smell terriffic!

Looks Like Y'all Had a Great Time!

Nice pictures, dude! I'm sure you guys had a blast, and I bet it was short too. Any spills? thrills? stories? Intimate rendezvous in the hottTUB? (actually, scratch that one)

We've been told to avoid back country skiing, being that... oh I dunno, THE WORLD IS ENDING!! WE'RE ALL GUNNA DIE!!... just kidding again you fools! HA HA!

Nothing new on this front. Just steady working. Iv'e still got new-guy-itis. I am meticulously keeping track of every call to a customer in a database (I only have 416 accounts). Lot's of potential, and I'm frantic to not drop the ball anywhere. Oh well, I make progress toward that end each week.

Side note: I happened across some coolness on iTunes earlier. I was in a eighties music mood earlier tonight, and did a search for the song "Head to Toe" by none other than Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam. I know, this isn't the cool part. Actually I concede that it was one of my few-and-far-between uncool moments. See, I was shampooing Lillian's hair with Johnson and Johnson's "Head to Toe" baby shampoo, and every DOGGONE time I do that I inevitably go "Oooh baby, I think I love ya, From head to toe..". Well, dorkiness overcame me and I did a search for it on iTunes. Once I played the sample, I immediately realized that the song aged as well as regurgitated Mad Dog 20/20 (not bueno).

But alas, my eye caught what I thought was a COVER of that song by a band called Birds of a Feather (could that BE?). It wasn't. But what it was was so catchy that I ended up downloading the album. It is Jazz music, and in my opinion, super cool! The whole album. This may be popular Jazz, I don't know. To me though, it didn't come to me by any mass marketing communications giant. The essence of cool! At least, by my ever changing definition of what cool is...

Mosey over to iTunes and check it out!

A Great Time in Tahoe!

Here we are in High Camp. Squaw Valley is approx. 6000 ft. above sea level. High Camp (where they held the 1960 Winter Olympics) is another 2000 ft. higher in the mountains and is accessible only by cable car.

There are no atheists up here, I can tell you.

Megan on the Mountain

Here's Meg, on her only day of skiing. Though she didn't do badly - certainly better than I did the first time I strapped on skis - she pronounced it to be "not her cup of tea" after the day was over. Oh well, she's still young . . . .

View from High Camp

This will take your breath away.

Hamming it Up in the Lodge

Courtney All Geared Up

You're right, Mark. She took to it like a duck to water. She did so well that I almost burst with pride.

Meg & I at High Camp

We ha dto get a stranger to take this picture since Erica and Courtney stayed behind in the Valley for Courtney's ski school.

Snow Cheeser

First Night There

You can see the result of all the recent storms behind us.

Oh hell, I forgot my hands!

Snow Angel

Snow Angel

Fun in Tahoe

Here's Courtney doing one of the less strenuous activities offered at the resort. Not as fun maybe, but certainly easier on the knees.

Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

Hell no! OK the next time I see either of you two blokes, someone is going to have to teach me how to upload pictures. I've tried several times with no success.

What's this about a head strong little girl Mark? Are you saying that James and I are raising our precious daughters to be anything less than submissive and subserviant pretty little wall flowers who should be seen and not heard? Is that what you are saying? Well, is it? Answer me!

The funny thing is that, when I heard that our second child was going to be a girl, I was freaked out. I didn't know what to expect. I thought little girls were fragile. Well, it turns out I was wrong. Rebekah thought that having a daughter would change me. The idea was that I would learn more about the emotions of females, thereby gaining a new perspective on my wife. What has happened is the exact opposite. You see, just like her father, Emily belives that the stars, planets and the moon all revolve around her. It's not like she's cocky about it, it's just the way it is. This has allowed Rebekah to better understand me. Oh the sweet irony.

Happy turds to you,

RC

James is scoffing pottie humor?

What's up with that?

Those are some cute pictures. Y'all are going to have a blast skiing. I see Courtney taking to it like a duck to water.

So anyway, Lillian's birthday is in six days... WHOA does time fly! I'm losing a baby and gaining a toddler! She is not walking solo yet, but she can walk if she holds on to something, and she crawls like greased lightning. She's also budding into a real sassypants! If she doesn't agree with you telling her "no" about something, she blows raspberry at you and then does it anyway...

I know you older Coopbros can relate. Mike, you'll know the deal when you have a little girl (if you're lucky).

Peace in the Middle East,

Mark

Fun with Megan's new digital camera

Because I haven't posted a photo in awhile, and since y'all won't hear from me for a few days, I thought I'd give you a few photos of my BEAUTIFUL girls to tide you all over.

Enough with the Moby Dump already!

Did you guys ever stop to think that maybe this phantom dump you're both so madly chasing, your own personal white whale, may not even exist? I'm serious, allow yourself to think hey, what if there is no massive dump at the end of this cleanse? What if all there is is a bunch of regular dumps? Well, what then guys? What if I'm right? How will you find meaning in your lives if it turns out that that promising heaviness in your lower abdomen - the very one that sends visions of two-flushers dancing in your heads - turns out to be nothing but gas? I know that I'm asking you to think the unthinkable here, but you should be ready for that possibility. I'm just saying.

Okay, irony off. Can we please talk about something other than pooping?

I just got back from 2 days in Jacksonville where I met some of the clients and saw the town. Tom is giving me 2 weeks to wrap up my affairs in Mobile then start going to Jax to work. I'm looking forward to it.

Well, assuming that we don't all get buried in the snow, this will be the last you hear from me until after we all get back from Tahoe. I'll take lots of pictures and post them next week. Hope y'all all have a good weekend.

Fell off of the wagon big time

I had a few glasses of wine on Saturday night and yesterday I went and had chicken fried steak and eggs for breakfast and pizza and draft beer for dinner. Back on track today. Still haven't smoked. That's going quite well. I actually miss comfort food more than cigarettes. I still haven't had the big purge yet. WHERE ARE YOU OH MASSIVE POOP?

So..?

How you feelin' Rob?

bra'llkeepyerboobsfromfloppin

Sorry, I couln't think of a good title for this post.

That's cool about Hawaii. You know, I got an award too. I took my skate of and tried to stab a guy with it. I'm the only one who ever did that...

Just be sure (I'm told) to drink a lot of water with this herbal flush thing. The chemicals you are taking aren't cleaning you out themselves. Rather they are stimulating your body's natural cleansing processes which also uses a ton of water, so drink up.

Yea...Mike is wicked cool.

Just remember that he had a bad example set for him.

Day 2: Still no massive yet. Still feel achy. What is interesting is that I seem to be cleansing my liver and kidneys first. I only say that because while I haven't had the poopies yet, I pee about every hour. Unfortunately, this includes during the night when I'm trying to sleep.

So you two guys are going to be skiers huh? That's cool. I've about decided that I'm too fragile for that sport. I found out the second time that I went that it goes better for me if I ski every other day.

Rebekah and I are going to Maui in April. It's a 100% club trip. I've told Christian that if he gets all of his grades over 85 then he can come with us. 6th grade has been a challenge for him. Although I must say that he is doing much better than I did. His grades in the core subjects tend to be in the low B range, as opposed to the C's and D's that I used to bring home.

It's a good thing that Cy Fair college is just down the road. Maybe I'll go back to school with him. I'm tired of being the only uneducated brother in the bunch. I don't have any good skills. GAAAWW!

Negatory on the Dumpage

For reasons like what Robbie described, I'm putting the cleanse off until after we get back from our trip to Whistler. Rob, you are experiencing what doctors call "The calm before the storm". Tell those around you to seek shelter.

I started working out again a few weeks ago. I'm trying to get in shape for the ski trip like you are, James. I figured I have been off working out since July so I ought to not introduce too many new things to my system at one time. Once I have a good six weeks of working out behind me I'll start the program.

So Rob, which one are you doing? Is it the one where you take the pills in the morning and at night?

We had a good and relaxing time with Mom and Joe. Joe and I played golf on Saturday and we watched kids the rest of the time. Yeah, I'm approaching what you may call "biege", but that's only from the view of the old college mindset. I think I'm pretty cool but only because my definition of cool changes with me, whereas it seems to stay static for you, Jimbo!

I fancy myself as somewhere between what you two describe. . . (there NOWSHUTUPABOUTTHESEDAMNELLIPSES!!) I tried to party as a matter of principle in college and couldn't do it very much. I was happier most times listening to music and watching movies. I felt lame for it, only because I had Mike right there to show me how it's really done. That kid could frikin PAAATY!

Speaking of cleansing

Mark, have you had your two-foot dump yet?

Ellipse....Isn't that what happens when the sun and the moon line up?

I just want to say that not everyone likes a quiet house. I like a house filled with laughing kids, barking dogs and gangsta rap blaring out of the stereo. The amazing thing is that if that's how you train your kids, that's what they adapt to. We can be driving in the car and I'll crank up the stereo to 11 and Emily will be sound asleep.

Mike, can a brother get some back up?

I'm on the first day of my cleanse and I'm definately feeling a little weird. Like some shit that has been lying dormat in my system is getting stirred up. I almost feel like I have a mild case of the flu coming on.

Thanks for the email James. I admire your discipline. However, I still feel the need to do THIS,,,,,,,,,,,.......;'''''*&##$

Very cute, Mark

Very cute indeed. I saw "fore" and thought no fucking way I did that!

Seriously though, the picture of Lillian is great. We got Megan a new digital camera for Christmas and will take it to Reno with us. I want to have a picture of Courtney and me on top of a mountain top somewhere. If I can find someone to take our picture near the top of the ski lift then the whole trip will have been worth it. Speaking of skiing . . .

(Note the correct use of the ellipses, you weenies)

Erica and I watched the video that we took of our 1993 ski trip the other day. Courtney is of the opinion that snow-skiing implies all this ESPN 2 X-Games crazy shit she sees on TV and I wanted her to see that what we are going to do is a lot tamer than that. In 1993, I was, in addition to being 10 years younger obviously, about 60-lbs. lighter than I am today. I don't look anything like myself but I do look a lot like you do now. And,as if to drive that point home, Mom called me yesterday to tell me about being with you, Natalie and Lillian for new years and she told me that you are becoming "another James." I asked her what she meant by that and she said that she means that you like a quiet and peaceful house. I said shit, doesn't everyone? Apparently not. Anyway, it's like we're twins who were somehow born 10 years apart, she thinks.

I said "of course, mom; I mean the only reason you and Dad even had Mark was just to have spare organs for me should I become sick or something, right?"

Uh oh, spaghetti-O

Spaghetti 4
Originally uploaded by 3rdcoop.

We let Lil go to town on some spaghetti with meat sauce earlier tonight. Cute huh?

Touche James... Touche

..... .. ... You had to be a big shot didn't you? You had to show off. When are you going to learn that people will like you for who you are, not (how much you know about grammar).... In your quest for power and glory, you forgot one.. small.. detail..

"We forgot to hook up the doll?"

No no NO! With all your brow beating, could it be that you, I dunno, MISUSED THE WORD "FOUR"??!!?

Please re-read your second paragraph, then see the comment to your post............

ARGH!

Okay guys, you're all my brothers and I love y'all but you must know one thing about me and that is this: misspellings, bad grammar and misused punctuation drive me absolutely fucking insane. I know this makes me seem like an annoying know-it-all asshole and I'm sorry, but I can't help it. Seeing this kind of shit is like listening to a pianist hit a wrong note during a solo. Dad and I used to have arguments because of his habit of mangling the language. For instance, when talking about books, he would habitually say "arthur" instead of "author." You all know what I'm talking about, too. It drove me nuts; like listening to someone scratch a chalkboard. Well, dad's gone, so now I get to direct my ire at you guys.

So without further ado, we have bitch number one, the ellipses. This is the punctuation that indicates a pause in your thought. It is shown by placing three periods one after the other, preferrably with a space between each one. If you're using it to end a thought then you may use four of them, the last one being the period that ends the sentence. You can even take the spaces out and run all the periods together like this (...)and it'll still be okay but you MUST use periods, no fewer than three and no more than fore of them.

Jesus on a bicycle guys, is that so fucking hard? Mark and Mike, both of you seem to think it's okay to use only two periods in an ellipses. Well, it's not. Robbie, I've seen you use as many as five periods before and one time I swear to God you used commas (a shitload of them too) to make one.

Lemme tell you guys, I am extremely old-school about shit like this. There ain't gonna be any of this touch-feely "punctuation as a form of expression" horseshit around these parts. Oh no. You boys are just lucky I'm not in the room with you, else I'd be criticizing your new fur coats and slapping your hands for sure.

So please, for the love of God, show the poor ellipses some respect.

Woman,,WO-Man, Woooooooo Man

What the hell is all of this poetry crap that I'm reading. And if TS Eliot and Earnest Hemmingway were so good, then how come their shit doesn't even rhyme? And how can we have a forum on poetry and not mention Dice Clay?

Hickory dickory dock
This chick was sucking my c***

Hey Aggie Coopers, what the hell was that on New Year's in Dallas? I guess UT and Orange make A&M go poo poo. Hell of a Rose Bowl though huh?

I am an official non-smoker. Haven't had one all year. All the talk about cleansing over Christmas has got me on a major health kick. I've also quit drinking alcohol during the week, quit drinking coffee and eliminating all processed foods.I am going to whole foods today to purchase a herbal cleanse. James, I would like to know a little more about what you did. What did you eat during your cleanse?

I purchased a Juiceman yesterday. I've used it twice already (carrot, apple, celery). I'm also planning to go on a fast later this month. I'll keep you guys posted.

Happy belated New Year!

What's up dudes? I hope everyone had a happy and safe new year. Erica and I brought it in on the couch with Courtney and a bottle of carbonated apple cider. Oh yes, they don't call us the beige Coopers for nothing!

Anyway, I'm back in Alabama this morning. In two weeks I'll go to Jacksonville to announce our purchase of the company that is to become our J'ville office and after then I assume I will be traveling to and from there instead of Mobile. Won't be soon enough for me because I am sick of this place.

I did bench press with 130-lb. dumbbells this morning so my arms and chest are numb. Why do I do this to myself? Also, I made it 15 minutes on the rotating treadmill stairmaster too, which is a personal record. I'm going to be in shape for skiing if it kills me.