Message Forum

Greetings and salutations, one and all. A beautiful summer day here in the Classic City. OOPS, the calendar says its Fall. Oh well, I'll just thank Al Gore for 'splaining it all. I hope everyone is well. I'm as busy as a one-legged man at a butt kicking contest today but wanted to pop in and pass along an opportunity for some and a laugh for others. Later.
********
Down south, Bubba called his attorney and asked, "Is It true theys suin' them cigarette companies fer causin' people to git cancer ?"
"Yes, Bubba, sure is true," responded the lawyer.
"And now someone is suin' them fast food restaurants Fer makin' them fat, an cloggin' their arteries with all them burgers an fries, is that true, Mista Lawyer?"
"Sure is, Bubba."
"And that lady sued McDonalds for millions when she was gave that hot coffee that she ordered?"
"Yep."
"And that football player sued that university when he gradiated and still couldn't read?"
"That's right," said the lawyer."
"But why are you asking?"
"Well, I was thinkin'.... What I want to know is, kin I sue Budweiser fer all them ugly women I slept with?"

11/17/09 04:28 PM

#985

Sure is quite around here! Wonder where everyone went? Maybe they just need a little pick-me-up laugh. Here goes .... Later.

************

On my first day working at the gas station, I watched a senior co-worker measure the level of gasoline in the underground tanks by lowering a giant measuring stick down into them.

"What would happen if I threw a lit match into the hole?" I joked.

"It would go out," he replied very matter of factly.

"Really?" I asked, surprised to hear that. "Is there a lack of oxygen down there or some safety device that would extinguish it before the fumes ignited?"

"No," my co-worker continued. "The force from the explosion would blow out the match."

11/17/09 08:45 PM

#986

Gary, I am not asleep, so I just wanted you to know. I read both jokes and found them very funny, especially the Budweiser one. That is one reason I am glad I never developed a taste for beer. I get in enough trouble as it is.

No news. You know how I am, if I can't say anything profound, I just won't say anything. OK, almost time for "Dancing With the Stars". I count it as a cultural experience. Pretty profound, huh?

Oh, and we were so proud of our Dawgs!

11/18/09 09:31 AM

#987

Ok… I think most of us in the Class of ’68 were born or raised in the South, so my guess is that most of you have partaken of ‘potlikker,’ or at least know what it is. There was plenty of potlikker in our house when I grew up. Well, I did make it to the reunion lunch of my City of Atlanta coworkers Saturday here in Atlanta and we had a great time. There were only 11 of us there, and I was the only male (one man and ten women… my kind of odds!). And Mary Mac’s serves potlikker and cracklin’ cornbread, and fried green tomatoes as appetizers before your southern home cooked meal is served. Yummo!

The Georgia/Auburn game Saturday was a good one, although that first quarter was a nightmare. Hope you didn't go hunting after that first quarter, Jim. But the defense buckled down, and they slowed down on the penalties and got just enough offense to win. I’ll take it. The Kentucky game won’t be an easy one either. Liz was born and raised in Kentucky, so I will have to forgive her if she cheers for the Wildcats. Go Dawgs!

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone. Reporting live from the heart of the South… and proud of it… this is Don.

11/18/09 11:39 AM

#988

PS Diane... I should not be surprised that a "Rockette" like you enjoys "Dancing with the Stars." Liz and I avoided "American Idol" for years... until someone we knew (Phil Stacey a couple of seasons ago) was a contestant on the show and finished sixth.

11/18/09 03:42 PM

#989

POT LIQUOR OR POTLIKKER?
Published: The New York Times / February 23, 1982

In an article on Senate debates on food that ran on this page Feb. 10, mention was made of a 1935 filibuster in which Huey Long lectured his colleagues on the merits of potlikker. Due to an unfortunate consultation with a dictionary, that great Southern delicacy was referred to as "pot liquor," prompting the following communication from a regional authority on the subject:

Dear Sir:
I always thought The New York Times knew everything, but obviously your editor knows as little about spelling as he or she does about Appalachian cooking and soul food.
Only a culinarily-illiterate damnyankee (one word) who can't tell the difference between beans and greens would call the liquid left in the pot after cooking greens "pot liquor" (two words) instead of "potlikker" (one word) as yours did. And don't cite Webster as a defense because he didn't know any better either.

Sincerely,
ZELL MILLER Lieutenant Governor State of Georgia

11/18/09 10:49 PM

#990

Connie Morgan (White)

Don, my husband, Jim and I were taken for lunch @ Mary Macs in Atlanta when he went to interview for his job with the State YMCA of GA in 1974. Such good food, and quite an experience. Glad you got together with some old friends!

I hope all of my OCHS friends are doing well.

I'm not sure if it is this weather or what, but I've had some migraines this week. They are awful, and when the pain is finally gone, I just feel washed-out... Some parts of this getting "more mature" are for the birds!

Still working on my parents house. If you know of anyone wanting to rent a house in Crawford, please keep me in mind.. It should be ready the end of Dec. or by Jan.

I'm the proud owner of a brand new, 1989 pick-up.. Gary gets a new motorcycle - I get an old pick-up.

Diane, sure hope you are continuing to recover well.

Love you all, and send happy Thanksgiving wishes to you. I'm sure thankful for our "reconnecting".

11/19/09 09:15 AM

#991

Connie, I am so sad to hear you have had nasty migraines all week. I have never had one, but know many people who suffer with them and say how horrible they are. Bless your heart-really-I pray you will soon bounce back and feel well again, and able to cruise in your flashy new truck.

Don, loved your posting of Zell Miller's letter about potlikker. So funny, and so typical of "elite thinkers" to be completely out of touch with real people living in real places. Never went to Mary Macs, but my mom's sister, Aunt Cammie, was the hostess there for many, many years, and thought of the owners as family.

Connie, I'm doing well. I'm not using crutches, and am getting around very well, being extra careful with my stairs. The doctor told me not to think I was ready for walking all over the mall yet, but I seem to be coming along fine. Your new truck made me think of this past Monday when I went in for my first therapy session. My therapist had been working with me all of two minutes when he was told that a car had rolled into his prized truck in the parking lot. It was like he had received news that a family member had been seriously injured. He had to leave and someone else took over. He was much better yesterday.

Here's hoping for good health for you all, as well as for those you love.

11/19/09 10:24 AM

#992

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE HAD
A GREAT WEEK.
DON, I HAD A LITTLE TUG THIS MORNING READING YOUR
COMMENTS ABOUT POTLIKKER AND CORN BREAD. I CAN REMEMBER
AS I'M SURE MOST OF YOU CAN, A TIME WHEN CORN BREAD AND
POTLIKKER WAS ABOUT ALL WE COULD GET. AND YOU KNOW WE
GAVE OUR THANKS TO THE GOOD LORD FOR GRANTING US SUCH
A GREAT MEAL. THIS WAS IMPRESSED UPON ME EVEN MORE TODAY
AFTER READING A LETTER ABOUT MY FIRST CHRISTMAS IN
1949. MY OLDEST SISTER EVELYN SENT ME A NOTE TELLING ME OF HOW THINGS WERE THEN. MOST FAMILIES STRUGGLED TO JUST LIVE BACK THEN. WE TRULY ARE BLESSED!
SO---- HOPE ALL YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE WEEK. AND IF THE DAWGS PLAY LIKE THEY DID THE LAST THREE
QUARTERS OF LAST WEEKS GAME THIS WEEK, MAYBE I'LL ENJOY SOME POT LIQUOR AFTER THE GAME.
AFTER A WHILE!
JIM

11/19/09 12:12 PM

#993

Greetings and salutations one and all. Needed to take a break from work and thought I'd pop in and say "Howdy". I'm taking off work (paying) next week and trying to get everything taken care of before Friday. I'll be working much harder than usual next week, just not getting paid for it. Diane, so glad to hear you are starting to get around. Sherron says I'm a terrible patient. After 24 hours in bed I'm ready to get up and go somewhere, anywhere, just outta the bed! I'm highly prone to "cabin fever" also. Connie, so sorry to hear about your headaches. My daughter has had them, and I know how she has suffered. My prayers are with you. I can sympathise with the cleaning out. Larry didn't watch commercial TV but bought DVD's. I've been going through them and selling them off to online purchasers of used DVD's. So far I've shipped off over 1000. Still have a lot of work to do but I think we are beginnning to get our heads above water, a little. Connie, I also have an old truck - (not sure what year) Toyota Tacoma. I think Larry used it for hitting deer. Maybe I could sell it to Jim!!! Most of the front end is missing. One more thing to deal with. Out of this ordeal, it has made me move up one of the things on my bucket list - GET RID OF MOST OF MY STUFF!!! I know you've all had to go through cleaning out after someone passes away, but this has really made me stop and think that someday, someone will be doing this with my stuff. I've gotten to the age that much, most of my stuff doesn't bring me the pleasure that it once did, or that I thought it would - so why keep it? SIMPLIFY!! Don, you set my taste buds to fluttering talking about good ole country cookin' - which is why most are dealing with high blood pressure, high colesterol, etc. - but I think it was worth it!! I can't tell you the last time I tasted (or broke a tooth) on a piece of kracklin' cornbread. I loved it growning up! Didn't like greens of any sort back then but now I enjoy them all. One of my favorite lunchtime meals is a dish called the Trilogy at the Five Star Cafe - collards, rice, and blackeyed peas. Of course with cornbread on the side!! I've learned the "medicinal" benefits of greens but have to limit intake due to the big hunk of pork Sherron throws in "for flavor". Well I've about used up my dime for today. I hope you all have a blessed week. Only 5 weeks til Christmas!!! Later.

11/19/09 12:34 PM

#994

WELL-- I GUESS I RESEMBLE THAT HUNTING PICTURE. I JUST
WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU FOUND MY HUNTING STAND!!!!
LATER STILL---
JIM

11/19/09 01:59 PM

#995

Jim... that picture of "you hunting" was just too funny! I still can't wipe the grin off my face! I do hope that Gary doesn't go looking for any photos of me involved in any "extracurricular" activities.

11/20/09 05:09 PM

#996

IT'S SUCH A SAD DAY WHEN WE HAVE TO SAY FAREWELL TO
ONE OF OUR LITTLE BUDDIES. UGA VII WASN'T WITH US AS LONG
AS SOME OF HIS FORE FATHERS. BUT HE WAS LOVED JUST AS
DEEPLY. WE HOPE THAT WHEN HE GETS TO HIS DOG HOUSE BESIDE
HEAVENS GATE. THAT HE WILL FIND IT WELL STOCKED WITH
DOG BISCUITS MADE OF GRAHAM CRACKERS AND HONEY FLAVORED MILK.
SO GOOD BYE LITTLE BUDDY SWEET DREAMS!!!

11/22/09 02:56 PM

#997

Well, I had a date Saturday with my leaf blower, working in the yard and on my roof. But in this season of thanksgiving, I am grateful that I have a yard to work in and a roof over my head.

Last night I went to our church's annual Thanksgiving Fellowship Dinner. Liz was still not feeling well enough to attend. It's one of those big covered dish affairs where we all bring food to share. There are always some great casseroles! Yummo! The dinner is always followed by a musical/drama presentation by our Youth Department. This year they gave us "Uncle Phil's Diner", a fun musical with lots of old 50's music and dance. Memories!

I got home last night after the Georgia/Kentucky game was already underway. Let's put it this way... under our roof is a Kentucky girl (Liz) and a Georgia boy (me)... and one of was very happy after last night's game, and it wasn't me. With our mascot dying, and then a loss to Kentucky, it was not a good week... but it just sets the stage for us to pull a big upset next Saturday against Georgia Tech. Some of you know that I root for both Georgia and Georgia Tech... but not this week. Go Dawgs!

Have a great week everyone. Reporting live from Bulldog Country... this is Don.

11/22/09 11:38 PM

#998

Does anyone remember November 22, 1963?

11/23/09 08:12 AM

#999

I REMEMBER!

11/23/09 10:12 AM

#1000

I remember too, Don. I was in 8th grade and a senior girl from the office stuck her head inside the room and said, "President Kennedy has been shot". Then I remember going from there to the old gym for our PE class. We had to ride the bus there, and I remember how quiet it was on the bus on the way. The gym was next to the board of education office at that time, and during PE Georgeanne Wheless (Linda's older sister) came in from the BOE office where she worked and announced that President Kennedy had died. The ride back to school on the bus was even quieter that time, or at least that is how I remember it. I also recall seeing two senior boys "high 5-iing" each other in celebration, and even though I was a lowly 8th grader, I knew that was an awful and dumb way to react. One of those life moments that we never forget.

Hope everyone's well. Don, I sure hope to hear that Liz is better, and that you feel better, Connie. I'm back from therapy, and off to another appt. It's a Monday full of appointments for me.

So sorry about Uga. That truly was sad, and reflected in the outcome of the game.

11/23/09 01:48 PM

#1001

For me, November 22, 1963 was a defining moment of my youth. I was living on a dairy farm near Ty Ty, in South Georgia and in the eighth grade at Sumner School... playing basketball for the Sumner Bulldogs (Go Dawgs!)... the only time I was ever on an organized sports team. We had just finished basketball practice on a Friday afternoon and were headed back to homeroom when we got the news that President Kennedy was shot. Like Diane, I remember things being quiet after that. It really did not seem real. I was too young to be a Republican or Democrat back then… just an American, and a kid. The bus ride home was quiet. And after we got home, I remember our family being glued to our small black and white TV for the next three days, following all the live coverage of events. I remember all those black and white images of the flag draped coffin, the riderless horse, the lines of people marching through the Capitol to pay respects, little John Jr. saluting his father’s casket, and… most of all… I remember the cadence of the drums that accompanied the funeral cortege. The images and sounds are all burned into my soul. And I remember watching live on Sunday morning when Lee Harvey Oswald was being transferred from Dallas Police Headquarters to the Dallas Jail, and watching him shot live on national TV. The world did not seem such an innocent place anymore after that long weekend. Liz and I have been to visit Dealey Plaza in Dallas on a couple of occasions. We visited the School Book Depository too, and the sixth floor where Oswald fired the shots has been turned into the Sixth Floor Museum with displays and artifacts on the Kennedy Assassination. It all brought back a flood of memories of that fateful time. If you are ever in Dallas, it is a somber place to visit.

The world was changing then, and my life was changing too. At age 13, my hormones were going crazy, my voice was changing, and I began to seriously notice those wonderful creations of God called… “girls.” The following summer we moved from Ty Ty to Athens, Georgia and I was sad to leave all the kids I had grown up with. But four years later I was at OCHS and all was right with the world.

Reporting live from memory lane… this is Don.

11/23/09 08:10 PM

#1002

Connie Morgan (White)

Don, I too remember. Diane and I must have been in the same P.E. class. I just remember being in the old gymn in Lexington. Coach Vickers was called out onto the "porch". When he came back in, he had been crying. I also remember the sitting in front of the black & white t.v. watching the days after.

Diane, I have been feeling much better, thank you! Very glad to hear that your knee is recovering!

Today would have been my mother's 92nd. birthday - and tomorrow would have been my parents 64th. anniversary. How precious they were to me - and how blessed I've been to have a loving family.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving week-end. I continue to give thanks for my "old" friends!!

11/24/09 05:17 PM

#1003

I WISH EACH OF YOU A VERY SAFE HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
IF YOU ARE TRAVELING PLEASE BE SAFE.
AFTER A WHILE!
JIM

11/24/09 07:33 PM

#1004

To my friends, Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for stepping back into mine and Dick's lives, and evoking so many good memories. Even better than that, thanks for turning out to be wonderful adults who I am prouder than ever to know.

God bless you all.
Diane and Dick

11/25/09 09:39 AM

#1005

Good Morning, Pilgrims.

Say… have any of you ever noticed that each of these posts here on the Message Forum not only carries a date, but also a “number”. Gary kicked this whole thing off on April 2, 2008 with post #1, and here we are almost 20 months later, and 40 pages later at post #1,000. That’s right. Shouldn’t there be bells and whistles and a million dollar prize? Actually, I’d settle for a few more people participating in the forum… Or maybe a Bulldog victory over Georgia Tech Saturday Night.

Here’s wishing everyone a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving! We do have much to be thankful for. Tomorrow, Liz and I are invited to have Thanksgiving dinner with some friends from church, and Saturday we plan to go visit and have a big Thanksgiving dinner with one of my aunts (my Dad’s sister) and my first cousin’s family over in Lincolnton, Georgia. We will spend the night and go to church with them on Sunday. Back in my school days, I was always striving for straight “A’s”, but for Thanksgiving this year, I’m shooting for all “F’s”… Family, Friends, Food, Fun and Football!

Reporting live… with a Thankful Heart… this is Don

11/25/09 05:59 PM

#1006

BELLS! WHISTLES! SIRENS! Pretty girls dancing (that's for me and Jim). Don, NOT ONLY did you post message #1000 on the forum but your were also the 6700th person to sign onto the website!!! WOW!!!
Been real busy the last couple of days working on remodeling the kitchen. If you have ever tried this, you will understand why on those TV remodeling shows they always tear everything out and start over with a clean slate. Would have been a lot easier - but NOOOOO -I have to work with what I've got. Oh, well. Finally completed the flooring and wiring Monday and installed counter tops and built a new corner cabinet today. I'll probably take tomorrow off in order to have lunch at my youngest daughter's house and dinner at my in-laws. Hope to finish the molding Friday morning before heading up to Helen to spend the night at Sherron's aunt's home. Then Saturday late I might tackle the tile backsplash or start preping the cabinets for painting. I hope to have EVERYTHING done by Christmas (only 4 weeks away).
I am truly thankful for the extended life I have been given and the joyous blessing of three children, the beautiful wife that bore them and SIX GRAND CHILDREN!!! And I'm thankful for each of you. For sharing your life with me with passing thoughts and updates. I wasn't blessed with the gift of gab, but typing on a computer screen suits me just fine. And I feel a close kindred with each participant. So, thank you very much - all you 6700 visitors and you 1000 message posters.
I pray God's special blessings on each of you as we pause to give thanks for all HE has done. May you have a grand, glorious and safe Thanksgiving as we reflect and rejoice in ALL of our BLESSINGS. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Later.

11/26/09 09:35 AM

#1007

Connie Morgan (White)

Happy Thanksgiving Day wishes to you all!

11/26/09 10:18 AM

#1008