Posted on 08/17/2002 4:24:01 AM PDT by Molly Pitcher
Good morning everyone!
In national news, the President continues, much to the media's annoyance, his Crawford, Texas, vacation.
Bush says he's listening to differing voices on the Iraq question. [Presumably the media feels reassured about this...]
Baseball players have set Aug. 30 as strike day if significant progress with the team owners hasn't been achieved by then.
Locally, more rain yesterday for our parched area, and
a police officer, shot and killed in the line of duty, was buried with moving tributes and ceremony on Friday.
Ok ... here's the deal ... we're going to divvy up your fear amongst us all ... takin' it from you, we are ... so you are left free to stay strong and focused.
*Prayers* up, good friend ...
Former construction worker makes Carolina Panthers
08/17/2002
Associated PressSPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Carolina Panthers wide receiver Anthony Bright smiles every time he passes a road construction crew, particularly on days when the heat index inches toward 100 degrees.
"I think, 'That used to be me,"' Bright said. Three years ago, Bright was making $8.50 an hour working on a road construction crew in Florida. He did everything from rolling the asphalt to holding up signs to direct traffic.
The only thing that kept him going was a dream and a deathbed promise to his grandfather -- that he'd one day play professional football.
He was so intent on making the dream come true that he'd lift weights and run every day, whether he'd just completed a 12-hour shift on a hot summer day or a night shift that didn't end until 2 a.m.
But as far as dreams go, this one seemed like fantasy. After all, Bright was kicked off his high school football team and he didn't play college football, playing one year of basketball at Valencia Community College near Jacksonville, Fla., before quitting for financial reasons.
But Bright kept working, until an agent who was working out another athlete on the track noticed his exceptional speed. That led to a tryout with the Jacksonville Tomcats of arenafootball2, a level below where Warner was discovered.
That eventually led to a tryout with the Panthers, who invited him to training camp last year and put him on the practice squad late in the season. That led to a return to camp this season, and a preseason breakout game against the Washington Redskins.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound speedster caught four passes for 121 yards in the 37-30 exhibition loss. One was a 74-yarder for a touchdown in which he was about 20 yards ahead of the closest defender.
"Obviously, he's made a lot of progress," wide receivers coach Richard Williamson said. "He's not close to being where he's got to be, but he's shown some strong signs of going in that direction." Williamson said Bright has a chance to be the team's third receiver.
He's definitely the team's fastest receiver, perhaps fastest player overall with a 40-yard dash time in the 4.3-second range. "That dude can really move," said safety Jarrod Cooper, who could give Bright a run for his money on the track.
Bright's speed translated into an AF2-leading 121 catches for 2,035 yards and 43 touchdowns in 2001. It didn't translate nearly as well in the West Coast offense Carolina ran last season under former coach George Seifert.
"He was not used to maybe the same kind of discipline and things that we try to do as opposed to what they try to do in arena ball with things being a lot tighter and more congested there," Williamson said. "It was a big step for him, but he handled it pretty good.
"He didn't let it put him in a state of awe, so to speak." But there were times last season when Bright was overwhelmed by Seifert's system. There were times he also felt like an outcast.
"I felt nobody knew me," he said. "When we had our Christmas party, I was like the only one in the corner, like nobody will know you type of thing."
Bright doesn't feel so isolated now. He spent the off-season in Charlotte working out and learning the new offense by coach John Fox's staff. He also turned down an offer to sign with the Atlanta Falcons and play in NFL Europe.
Before Bright was kicked off his high school team after a disagreement his coach, Bright said several big-name programs, such as Florida and Auburn, were recruiting him.
"God just had another route for me," he said. Bright said it was his faith that led him in October 1999 to promise his dying grandfather he would make the NFL.
"On the morning before he passed, I asked my grandmother if I could have some time alone with him," Bright said. "I made that promise to him. ... I knew I could do the job. I knew my abilities. "I knew as long as I worked hard and kept my faith in God I was going to get there."
And every day he passes a road construction site, he's thankful he did. "Really, I don't want to go back there," Bright said. "If I have to I would, but I don't want to. It just keeps me working harder when I'm out there practicing."
Molly ... you are not ... but hoping you are safe and sound ...
lepton ... your elementals are missed and we can only hope you are safe AND sound ... well, at least safe ... *grins*
kayak ... GOOD news! Plus, I owe you one ...
OneidaM ... like lysie said ... ditch the first and hitch the second... ... HAR!
Lorena ... thank you for your wondrous starts to the day ... you and kayak are our lovely gatekeepers. *smile*
Well ...On Thursday, shortly after I replied to Holding Our Breath ... *sparkles* had another seizure ... followed quickly by another ... rushed him to the vet ... who gave him a shot of diazepam ... then he had another at 2 in the morning ... Old Soul came up to our room ... slammed the door open to announce the problem.
*sigh* ... Yesterday he had a bunch of scans ... and it does seem as if he has epilepsy ... and is now on 100.5 mgs phenobarbital and the diazepam ... I am not happy ... his *sparkles* are not in evidence today ... though the vet said this might be temporary ...
Well ... 'tis hard to understand some things ...
On another note ... little kathy continues to tank ... some solace there. HA!
..... and how is boychild doing? Continuing to get better, I hope.
illstillbe and Nita ~~~ I was admiring my new deck again yesterday and noticed the corks from the treatment for carpenter bees on the wee back porch ...... and that got me to wondering if y'all were able to get the treatment and try it out. We had marvelous success with it.
illstillbe ~~~ I need plant first aid advice.
We have a New Guinea impatiens on the deck ....... an absolutely gorgeous plant it was. But very thirsty ...... I think someone warned me of that when I mentioned it back during the spring.
Every day it starts to droop unless it's watered generously. But lately even the watering hasn't been perking it up. Last week I repotted it ..... thought maybe it had grown enough to need a bigger home. It's still been awfully droopy ...... and hasn't bloomed in weeks.
The glorious rain we've had the last couple of days (over THREE INCHES total ..... praise the Lord!) ...... has helped ....... but it's still not looking really healthy.
Any suggestions? It's been fertilized regularly ..... with that green stuff you don't like ...... :-(
Congratulations on your rain!!!!! Now.
Send
some
here
Please?!
It must rain real soon
For all things green seem crunchy
Surely not a plan ...
I know in people that meds can keep epilepsy under control unless it is quite severe ...... I have a friend who has it and you would never know it unless she told you.
(((((illstillbe)))))
This rain has been grand for lawns and plants but is way too little to help the farmers or the water supply. There are rivers around here that are running out of water ...... and they provide the water to the towns and cities around here ...... and are used by the power plants. Within weeks some of the rivers may be too dry to supply anything ..... :-(
I've got to get back to work (because of our little trip tomorrow, we've got to get payroll done today) but will read your answers later.
Just wanted to point out that LionsDaughter is at AUBURN and hubby and I (and REAGANOMICS) have gone to Auburn.
WAR EAGLE!
Two things come to mind regarding your New Guinea Impatiens ... I've these on my deck ... in pots ... they get full sun from dawn to dusk ... in high heat. I water them deeply every other day ...
Do you have trays under the pots and have you noticed water collecting there? You may actually have watered them too much.
Also ... these plants do not like to be watered from the top ... this promotes fungus forming in the elbows of the plant ... water from the side or underneath.
It's true these plants need lots of water ... but too much can kill them quicker than a blowtorch ... their structure is squishy and prone to rot ... empty the trays of water if this applies ... and allow them to dry out a bit ... the plants, not the trays ... remove the most offending stems ... pinch back a bit ... and see if this helps.
If it does ... begin to water thoroughly every other day.
ACK! Mayhap I have given you more information than you wanted!!!
It looks good, but more important, it's VERY usable, compared to the old pantry.
/john
Do any of his siblings have the same problem? Can you even find out?
/john
LD is loving Auburn. Band started on last Sunday after I left and she had never marched before ever. She wrote, "I CAN do this!" Band practice starts early in the morning and goes all day into the early evening. I got the sweetest letter from her, actually two, and she is making friends.
The house was in GREAT CONDITION when I got back. I was concerned at first as my snorkle and mask weren't here, but then I remembered that JT, who was NOT at the airport to greet me but was at the HIGH SCHOOL BEACH RETREAT, had probably confiscated it for his use.
He had.
I spent some time at the classroom. It turns out the sub for me is a new teacher from Canada. He seems to have done a GREAT JOB and I need to watch to see if he is gaining on me (I LIKE my job!). The one problem I had with him were his earrings. They're nicer than mine.
The major frustration I have is at school. My computer system was great when I left. The computer people upgraded the network and now mine DOESN'T WORK AT ALL!!!!! Note to anyone: If something ain't broke, DON'T FIX IT!
BTW, it is already Sunday. It is GOOD to go to the House of the Lord, to sing praises to His name.
I was very sweet to JT in that, when I was in Bali, I dropped into a grocery store to pick up some Diet Coke and oranges for breakfast. And lo, and behold, they were selling FRESH STRAWBERRIES! Two baskets were added to my carry-ons. The sweet thing for JT is that I made everyone wait until he got back from the retreat before eating the berries. I invited my friends and we enjoyed a small feast.
Well ... I have contacted the breeder ... who came highly recommended ... with very good credentials ... and highly respected within the St. Bernard ... community?!
He immediately offered to take *sparkles* off my hands ... BWAK! ... I assured him I have no intentions of breeding him ... and he was grateful I did not want to return the pup ... he says he will check with all the owners of pups which came from the same litter as *sparkles*.
The way things have been going ... I've been eyeing my pup's meds ... and wondering if maybe I could not make good use of them as well ... KIDDING!
I see our pilots bombed Iraq this day ... took out a mobile tracking system in the no fly zone ...
Ask not when the war will start ... for it already has!
Jemian ... was this young fellow already in the area so that he could sub for you on such short notice?! I am curious ... because it isn't as though the icky Principle .... is he still there? ... could simply pick up a phone and make a call ...
I think staffing in your area must be a major undertaking ....
My dogs were very glad to see me and the biggest kept trying to climb in my lap. The middle dog kept pushing her nose under my hand and going around and around in circles of delight. The youngest, who is the most vocal, kept saying, "Arrooooo, ooo,ooo." Translated this means, "So you're back from wherever. I have missed you a WHOLE lot!"
An extra dose of prayer beomg offered for you.
The icky principal himself had a delay in returning, but is supposed to arrive on Monday morning. But, I am already prepared for that.
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