Patience....

Okay, how many of you saw this coming? This picture is of a gas station in Matthews, Missouri (a few miles south of Sikeston) that we stopped at on Thanksgiving Day for gas on the way to Memphis. We were paying right at 4.00 a gallon for gas this summer. I remember getting excited coming home from Myrtle Beach the first part of October and seeing a couple of stations selling gas for 2.99.

I remember people telling me that gas would be at five, six, or seven dollars a gallon by years end. “Experts” said we’d never see gas at less than 3.00 a gallon again. Numerous people, politicians and pundits said the government need to step in “and do something!”

Meanwhile, people started driving less and driving more fuel efficient cars. The price of a barrel of oil plummeted (from almost 150 a barrel to 50 a barrel now) and eventually the cost of a gallon of gas followed. Demand went down and supply went up so prices went down. Econ 101.

To me, this shows the need for patience. Dave Ramsey puts it aptly when he calls us “a microwave society”. We expect things to happen “right now”. I have a big problem with patience. When I lack patience, it generally boils down to my being selfish and thinking I am more important than others. When I do that, I am going against the Christian principle of esteeming others higher than myself (Luke 22:39). Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:9,10 so it is certainly a quality all Christians should possess

Jonathan's happy, I'm not..

Here's why..

Josh was equally happy about this

Of course, this started a brand new argument in the house. Are the Giants better since they have the best record in the NFL at 10-1? Or are the Jets better since they decisively defeated the only undefeated NFL team on the road? Donna finally had to call a moratorium on any NFL discussions til further notice.

The Notre Dame Broadcasting Company

Donna and I turned on our local NBC affiliate (WPSD) to watch Saturday Jeopardy. We were greeted with the usual Saturday Notre Dame game. They were playing Syracuse.

I was greeted with the joyful sight of Notre Dame losing in the last seconds. As Hank Hill says on New Year's Day, "It's a good day when Notre Dame loses".

I wish NBC would quit signing these contracts to show all the Notre Dame home games. My understanding is that the current contract goes through 2015. Wonderful.....

NFL happiness

This is the first time ever that all of our teams have been in first place in their respective divisions this late in the year (Arizona for me, Giants for Jonathan and Jets for Josh).

The Cardinals can clinch their division this week with a win over Jonathan's Giants and a 49ers loss. Per the online KBSI-TV schedule, this game will be shown in our area this Sunday (although they've switched on us before).

The trash talking has reached new levels. Donna has threatened to make us watch the game in separate rooms and is considering leaving the house for the afternoon. The game is in Arizona so I think they have a chance. Jonathan says the Giants pass rush will destroy the immobile "Old Man Warner"

Such is the NFL...

The Mildcats...

Well there goes all my optimism for the UK basketball season...

You'd think after the Gardner-Webb debacle of last year that UK wouldn't take anybody lightly again. Well tonight proved that wrong.

Kentucky lost their home opener to Virginia Military Institute. Not Virginia or Virginia Tech mind you... A military college with 1500 students. They gave up 111 points. They were down 83-60 at one point and actually managed to take the lead but then committed a bunch of silly turnovers and ceased to play defense (again).

1. Billy Gillespie, could you please look like you care?

2. Patrick Patterson, a player who thinks he'll be ready for the NBA next year has got to put up a better line than 8 points and 7 rebounds. There were several times in the last few minutes when we desperately needed a rebound and someone who thinks he is an NBA caliber player has to get those.

3. A starting point guard (Micheal Porter) cannot put up a line of 1 assist and 5 turnovers.

And it only gets better with a game at No. 1 North Carolina next week....

Space Shuttle Launch Tonight.....

The space shuttle Endeavor launches tonight. This is an especially big deal in the Yancy household because my younger son Josh is there with his multimedia team from school. This explains it better than I could. This is his report for the day from there.

Happy Birthday to me...

Well, I turned 47 on Tuesday. That sure seems like a lot of years. I know I am getting older when I watch UK games and I have a son the same age as some of the players.

I had a great birthday. My day started with a call from Josh in Valdosta Georgia (a stop-off on the way to the Cape Kennedy Space Center). Josh and his friends serrnaded me a rousing version of "Feliz Cumpleanos a ti':. The rest of the day all I did was lay around the house and watch DVDs, surf the internet and play vidya' games. I did manage to leave the house to go eat lunch at Red Lobster with my lovely wife and our good friends Jim and Donna Faughn. I snagged a new pair of running shoes at Shoe Carnival afterwards.

Jonathan went to Sonic to get my favorite Sonic meal (foot long chili-cheese coney with fries) for supper. He even paid for it!

I talked with my mom and my Uncle Reggie who called to wish me a Happy Birthday.

I'd be remiss if I didn't remember that it was also Veterans Day and reflect on all of the Veterans who served this country so we can have all the freedoms we have. I always think of my Papaw on this day. He was a WW I vet and we kinda had a special bond since I was born on Veterans day. He was a big man (6 ft 4 and his nickname was Buffalo). He shared my love for the St. Louis Cardinals. He loved baseball and even pitched in the old Kitty Leagues years and years ago. He always said that is how he met my Mamaw because she thought he looked so handsome when he pitched. She would just laugh.

He fought in France and came home with a damaged leg with shrapnel in it plus bad hearing in one ear because of a shell going off too close. When he was wounded, he had to drag himself back to his base because of his leg. He had a Purple Heart that he always enjoyed showing me and telling about serving his country.

To this day I get a little testy (perhaps too testy) when France refuses to ally with us in international affairs. Our veterans (like my papaw) saved them not once but twice from being a German province.

All in all, it was a very good birthday...

Southwest is best...

I ended up having to switch a travel itinerary for the week of October 26th from Houston to LA (Culver City to be specific) because the Houston class was cancelled. Needless to say, getting a flight of Barkley that late was no good, so I went out of Nashville. The best itinerary to fit my needs was Southwest. I've only flown them one time ever and that was ten years ago so I didn't know what to expect.

I was very pleasantly surprised. First, I had to change to earlier flight on my return trip to get home in time for Josh's Senior Night at the football game (he was being recognized for cross country). I was delighted to find I only had to pay the difference in fare and not the additional 150.00 fee most airlines charge to change flights.

Second, you are able to check in and print boarding passes very easily. Most people probably realize this, but you are seated in the order you check in. You can do this 24 hours in advance. I waited a bit too long because I forgot (I was at a XC meet and was also distraught because of Kentucky's rout at the hand of Florida). I still got in the B group (A is the best, then B and C means you'll probably be sitting in a middle seat). On the day before coming home, I was able to checkin precisely 24 hours before departure and got in the coveted A group. I was able to do that from my Blackberry very easily.

I drove down early and went to the congregation where Adam Faughn preaches (Lebanon Road). He was gone but their youth minister did a very good job filling in. I went to the Young Adult Bible class by invitation (even though I don't really qualify any more). Once that was done, I was at the airport parking lot in 10 minutes.

Southwest's curbside luggage check was quick, easy and free! I just showed my boarding pass and ID and I was out in less than two minutes. No fooling with the ticket counter at all! Also, Southwest charges no baggage fee for the first or even the second bag.

I got through security in less than 10 minutes. I had plenty of time to eat a leisurely meal at the O'Charleys in the Nashville Airport.

When you prepare to board you actually line in a line next to columns with your number on them. I was B 43 so when they called for the B group, I got in line next to the 41-45 column. They take 1-30 first then 31-60. I still managed to snag an aisle seat. Some people don't like this type of first come first served seating. I do like it. I generally have to make my flight reservations weeks in advance or face the risk of getting a middle seat for a long flight. This way I don't have to do that.

On the plane, we got the usual sodas (several times). We also got snacks. Free snacks. Multiple times. On a 4 hour flight, this is really nice.

I came back on Halloween. Most of their gates was covered in Halloween decorations. Numerous employees were in costumes. It may seem corny, but it brought a smile to many of us while traveling.

I read where Southwest is always one of the most profitable airlines. I cannot understand why other airlines (who seem to constantly lose money) don't use them as a business model.