USELESS INFO OF AMERICA

Times they are a changin!!

2009-02-10T19:10:00.000-08:00

Ok people!! Time to move to bigger and better things. The time has come to move the blog. Many thanks to Ed (the Fewer the less) for hooking me up on this!! LATER YALL!!!

p.s. The new address is http://uioa.team4100.com/

Wow how time flies!!!

2009-02-01T04:42:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness!! So sorry for the long delay. I have had some provider issues and just not able to find time to devote to the blog lately. For those of you who dont know me, I have embarked on a new career path. I was able to find another company where it seems like more of a family than a job. So we did go on a cruise to the Bahamas, (I didn't even get off the boat) and Half Moon Cay. We did have a wonderful time. The weather was beautiful. Ya boy Sarge is a tech nut and I love new gadgets!! The wife just got me a Blackberry Pearl!!! This thing is awesome!! (Once I figure it all out!!) HAHAHAHAHA!!! My daughter is doing well in school and we are currently trying to find a new family member since we lost Calle. Another one wont take her place but we all miss having a dog in house. The blog may be moving soon so I will keep you updated and I promise to do a better job at updating!!!

SARGE99

Greetings from far away!!!

2008-10-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

Hello out there all. Greetings from Jacksonville FL!!! Thats right yours truly is a few short hours away from getting on a Cruise ship and heading for the warm sunny beaches of the BAHAMAS
!!!! More to come at a later date.

Sarge99

Farewell Old Friend.

2008-08-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

It is with a very heavy heart that I write this today. Our Beloved family friend Calle passed away yesterday after a short bout with lymphoma. My wife "Angie" used to work at a vets office when we were engaged to be married. One day shortly after we bought our first house, I was living there alone for a few months, she brought home this little mop of hair that had a tail wagging. And for our first 5 years of marriage she was our only child. We kept her in kennel at nights and during the day while we were at work. My office here seems a lot emptier this morning. When our daughter was born Calle watched her like a hawk and if she happened to be crawling down the hall and we didnt see for whatever reason Calle would follow her and bark for us. That's the problem with having a dog. You get so attached and it just hurts so bad when they are taken from you. I will always remember when I would come in from a hard day at work. Calle would meet me at the door, She would always wait for me to take off my shoes and then she and I would wrestle a little bit. She always ended it by licking me on the face. I miss that most. I know dogs arent people but they sure do teach us a lot about unconditional love. Dexter was the name of the last dog I had when I lived with my parents. He just passed a year or so ago from a stroke. The last thing I told Calle before I laid her to rest was to let Dexter know that we still love him too and they would have a great time having the angels to rub their bellies and throw their tennis balls. The hardest thing so far as a dad that I have had to do is come home and console my two favorite people then go out and create a final resting place. I think I did it right? Calle loved the outside, when we would let her out on a day like yesterday she would find the nearest shady spot and just lie down and chill. That is what she was doing when she passed. So farewell Callebell!! We Love You!!! And we will never forget you.

Good Times!!!!

2008-07-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

Hello out there!! Time for another episode of how the trailer turns!! I want to talk to you all about beliefs. The people who are important to me know some of my beliefs. For those of you who do not know me personally, let me enlighten you a bit. Yes I am a christian. No I don't believe that you have to go to church regularly to be considered a real christian. I feel that is your own personal conviction. I have been a youth group leader and a sunday school teacher. That all went away when I made mention of enjoying an adult beverage and that I listen to various kinds of music, (metal being the most notable). I also believe that you should give thanks to God for the good and the bad in life. Always remember that the bad days make you appreciate the good ones even more. I also believe that good friends are hard to find and when you find them you should appreciate the good and the bad points about them. Especially if the good things they do for you as a friend outweigh the bad qualities they may or may not have in your eyes. Where their intentions may be the best, their way of carrying out those intentions could be something you may not agree with. Now that my little sermon is finished I want to take a minute to thank my Mom and Dad for a great time at the house the other day with a fish fry to celebrate not only my Birthday (33) but also my Grandparents anniversary (58). It was a wonderful night with most of my favorite people in attendance. Some of my close friends didnt make it and that's ok. They treated me to a birthday dinner earlier in the week. And I wonder why I am fat, HAHAHA. As with any get together with me and my Mom there was of course a little speedbump, but I thank God everyday that I have a relationship with my Mom that allows us to discuss our differences like adults and try to come to an understanding. We don't agree with each other sometimes but at least we respect what the other is saying. Love ya Mom. Hey and I know I didnt talk about it last month but Fathers Day came around again and I thank God everyday for my Dad. It is because of his example that I feel I am the man I am today. I know I make mistakes in raising my children and its ok. I know he feels he probably made a few with me. I still love him and I know he still loves me. My best friend lost his Dad a few years ago. I couldn't imagine. Of all the men that I have come in contact with in my life, I hold them up to the example that my Dad set to me as the perfect father and quite honestly most fall very short in my eyes. We are on a bowling league together and I cherish all of those nights at the alley. We are like best friends instead of Father and Son for a few hours on Monday night. Love ya POP!!!

Until next time!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

2008-05-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hi All!!! Glad that I am apparently getting some new readers to the blog. ;) So HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! I hope all the ladies in your life know how much you appreciate and care for them on this special day. I thought I would drop a few lines about the important ladies in my life, starting with my grandmother Nancy. I love this little woman, she never has had a house that you couldnt play in as a child and she never showed any of the grandchildren more love that the others. But we all knew not to cross her, just ask me and I will tell you about Kmart. My wonderful and beautiful wife Angie, there is not enough space on the web for me to begin to tell you how much I love, adore and respect her. She has not surprised me at all with how great of a mother she has been to Madison. I tell Maddie all the time that she should just watch her mother and she will learn how to be the perfect mom and wife. Our best friend Jamie is so awesome!! Not only is she a 3rd shift nurse after going back to school in her late 20's, but she also juggles the duties of being a wife, the stress of nursing, the fun ;) of being a mother to a daughter who is very headstrong, but she is also the mother to an autistic son. Jared is a very complex child whos mood will change in an instant but you can tell he loves his mom. Angie and I admire Jamie more than anyone will ever know. Now this is the first year that my Mom and I didn't spend Mothers Day together and that was ok. She got a free trip to the beach with some friends and needed a getaway. My Mom is and always will be one of my best friends. I know that I can call her anytime of the day or night if I am upset about something and I know she will talk to me and calm me down. Quick background, I just started a new job after leaving the one I was at for over 5yrs. I have been very depressed and took a big hit to my self confidence. I haven't really told many people but I have been depressed for several months now. I talked to Mom a few nights ago for about 2 hrs. I am now happy and content with every aspect in my life. THANKS MOM!!!! I LOVE YOU AND HOPE YOU HAD FUN AT THE BEACH!!! Guys, tell your Mom you love em. You only have one!!! Ladies, a sincere HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO YOU ALL!!! Angie, Jamie, Meemaw Nancy, I LOVE YOU AND ADMIRE YOU ALL!!!!

Spring has Sprung!!

2008-04-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

Well all it looks as if spring is upon us. Yours truly has already cut the grass 3 times this year. That is about all I did last year all together. So I have one question for the local governments and weather people......WHAT DROUGHT??!?!?!?!?!?!!? Most of the local weather people are still saying we are in a severe drought. Well let me just tell you a few things, THERE IS NO MORE DROUGHT!!! The government and the local news stations only survive on you being scared. Scared there is a shortage of water, gas and other basic essentials to human life as we know it. The truth is we have no shortage of any of these. There is plenty of oil in the world but it takes the people who matter to not give in to every special interest group to be able to drill where they need to. You granola eatin, tree huggin, prius driving hippy idiots know who I'm talkin to here. Lets address the water issue now. Have ya looked on either side of the country??? Thats a ton o water there people. The money would come in with filter systems to make it worthy of drinking. We as a people need to band together and bring some common sense back to the people who matter!!! Get out and Vote this year and let your voice be heard!!! THAT IS ALL!!!!

SARGE 99

R.I.P Uncle Nickey

2008-04-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Sorry for the long absence. This has been a rough little time in the family arena of life. My Dad's youngest brother was involved in a tragic accident a few weeks ago and we are still dealing with the after effects. Those of you who have lost loved ones certainly understand what my Dad is going through. Let me say that I love my old man. He is one of the kindest souls that I know of. His family is a different story for me. I haven't said too much to his mother and father for the past 10 or so years. You would have to know the history to understand why. I wont get into it here. His way of dealing with the pain was to insure that his brother left this world with dignity. This was accomplished in a very loving fashion. I have several good memories of Nickey, and would like to share some with you. Nickey was a trucker, and a mechanic. He always had the cool cars to me. The one I remember best was a mid 70's Mustang II Cobra, white with blue racing stripes. Man that was a cool car for sure. I also remember he had the biggest smile EVER!!! I know he is with GOD and looking down at all of us, probably smiling bigger than all outside!!! Thanks for indulging me. The following is a copy of my Mom's columm that will run the local paper soon. Many thanks to all the friends that called to wish there sympathies on us during this tragic time.

The T****** family has had a rough few weeks. As many of you already know, Gary's youngest brother Nickey died on March 22. Nickey lost his life in a tragic accident that happened at his home in Liberty. He and his 15 year old son Travis (yes, there are two Travis T*******) were working on Nickey's small pickup truck when it rolled off the portable ramps and pinned him underneath. He yelled for his son to get out and thankfully he did but Nickey was unable to get out from under the truck. He lost oxygen to his brain for too long a time. Even though he was rushed to Randolph Hospital and soon thereafter airlifted to Chapel Hill, the damage had been done. This happened on Tuesday, March 18 and he never regained consiousness. Life support was taken off on Saturday, March 22. I know I've left out a lot of the small details but they don't matter. A wfie has lost a husband, a young man lost his father, two dear parents have buried a child and three brothers lost their "baby" brother. And all his many friends and fellow truckers? It was obvious by the long line at the funeral home, these folks have lost a devoted friend.
Gary's family has never been like my family. The S***'s pretty much send out the SOS signal if one of us sneezes more than once. We have been called "the Waltons". That name was given to us many years ago when our Travis was in the hospital for emergency surgery and so many of my family members camped out at the hospital during his entire stay. When a new baby is on the way, my family takes up residence in the waiting room on the maternity floor of the hospital and waits, sometimes for hours. We talk every day about pretty much every thing. We know who's going on vacation, when we're leaving, when we arrive and when we get back home. We hug. A lot. That's just how we are. It doesn't mean we love each other any more than another family. It just means we have the need to stay very connected.
On the other hand,Gary's family has always taken the approach that they'll stay out of the way unless needed and wait at home for any news. As they have gotten older and have more health issues Gary has started letting his parents know when we're traveling and our itenerary, just in case of an emergency. Gladys and Robert had four sons, no daughters,five grandsons and no granddaughters. Since boys don't hug a lot, there wasn't much of that going on either. Oh, I've seen Gladys try to corral these grown boys into a hug but they always kind of half-heartily hug her back. They don't love her any less, they're just not comfortable with all that" touchy-feely stuff. Doesn't bother her one bit, she enjoys the half-hugs. There's not a lot of telephone talk either. Communication is not their strong point. When they need to talk, they talk. When either Robert or Gladys is in the hospital, these men come together. Whenever there is a family emergency, the phone lines start heating up and things get done. They may not communicate on a daily basis as much as my family or another family might but when they need to communicate, they get the news out.
A few hours after Nickey's accident, we were all gathered at Chapel Hill Hospital. Nickey's wife Robin, their son Travis and Robins' mother Dean were there as well as Robert, Gladys and Billy, the oldest of the sons. Gary and I got there soon thereafter followed by Wesley and Sheila. Gary is next to oldest and Wesley is the third son.
As we all stood around Nickey's bedside and listened to the doctors as they gave us very little hope, I looked aournd at these three brothers and my mother and father-in-law and I knew then that it doesn't always matter if you talk to each other every single day, if you know every single thing or even if you hug every single time you're together. What matters is the history you share as a family. Your family may not be like my family. Just being family is what counts.
One had fallen. The others lifted him up in prayer. They held onto each other and lent support to Nickey's wife and son. I've been a daughter-in-law to Gladys T****** for almost 34 years. I looked at my mother-in-law and could not imagine the depth of her grief in knowing that she was going to bury one of her children. I had no words. I've not lost a child.
I knew a woman a few years ago who lost her son when he was 38 years old. She taught me a valuable lesson. Never tell someone that you know how they feel unless you've been down that road.
This has been a sad column for me to compose. We didn't see and visit with Nickey and his family very often. He drove a truck and was gone for a week or more at a time. Our lives didn't cross paths too much. You know how you take family for granted. "Oh we''ll see them at Christmas or at one of Mom's get togethers." But we alwyas knew he was out there somewhere. And just when we were least expecting it, I would answer the telephone and hear his big, booming voice coming across the miles and he'd be wanting to ask Gary about something.
Many people will miss that big voice and that big hearty laugh. He had a ton of friends as was evident in the long line of folks that came to the funeral home. We heard stories of his strong faith in the Lord and his goodness to his friends. We were so blessed by the friends and extended family who paid their respects to his memory and to all of us...his family. It felt like one great big hug. Thank you all.

Round and Round we go!!!

2008-01-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I trust all of you had a good holiday season and a very Merry Christmas. I know my family sure did enjoy all of the fellowship with each other. As some of you may know I am an avid bowler. My dad and I are on a league together and go about 2 times a week to practice. So let me take this time to give a free plug to the FAMILY SPORTS CENTER in Asheboro. Me, my parents, and my wife Angie, spent New Years Eve there for their NYE special. Folks, I can tell ya that was one of the best New Years I have ever spent. Maddie went and spent some time with Angie's parents. They live like 20 mins from us and dont see her as much time with her as they or we would like. Back to the story, for $45 a lane we got 2 1/2 hrs of bowling, shoe rental for mom and angie, and the best appetizer tray I have ever seen. The staff really went out of their way to make it a fun night for all with different games and activities for us to enjoy. Sorry no rants this time around as I feel I am in a good time in my life and that 2008 IS GOING TO BE GREAT!!! For those of you who do pray please keep us in your prayers as we are making some life changes that will definitely be for the best. Angie is trying to lose some weight, and I am looking for a better job. I know these are very minor problems to have but we still need the prayers. Yall have a good week and I will see ya soon!!!!

SARGE 99

Merry Christmas Y'all!!!!!

2007-12-09T06:10:00.000-08:00

Well it's that time of year again. The Holiday season is upon us. For me I knew it was last night, we came home after going out to eat dinner and sat as a (gasp), brace yourself now, FAMILY!!! and watched Frosty the Snowman while eating christmas cookies with glasses of cold milk. Now I am a self-proclaimed child of the 80's. It seems to me that things were a ton more simple even then. Maybe Mom and Dad just didnt focus on the negative things being said about people like us who believe in God and the birth of Christ. But every year now its the same old thing, "We have to say Happy Holidays!! Not Merry Christmas!!" "That may offend someone!!". Well get ready to get offended!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Thats right I said it!! And trust me I say that to everyone!! Not because I am trying to shove my beliefs down your throat but because thats just what I say! If that offends you well tough!!! I dont give a flip if that offends the Muslims, Jews, Chinese, Mongolians, Catholics, Russians, Martians, (insert your favorite action group here). I am not always the brightest example of it but yes I am a CHRISTIAN!! NOOOOO Not a Christian!!! Yes thats right a good old southern U.S. born boy who believes in the story of Jesus and what he did for all of us!! Dont like that outlook?? Well let me pause while you back away from your computer and try to kill this screen so you dont have to read any farther. .................................................................. There is that better?? I dont go around like some Christians all up in arms trying to save every soul on the planet like there is a heavenly prize for who converts the most by the end of our lives. I read in the news recently about the silly Muslims who were all ticked off and demaned the DEATH penalty for a lady in the Sudan who allowed the children she was teaching to name a (hold on to your seats now) TEDDY BEAR, and they named it after their prophet. (To borrow from a morning radio show that I listen to) COME ON!!!!! SERIOUSLY?????? Hey Muslims, IT'S A TEDDY BEAR!!!!!! OOOO heres an idea maybe I will change my name to Mohammed, boy wouldnt that be something, a good old fashioned 4x4 driving, Free Bird singin redneck like me calling myself Mohammed!!! HAHAHAHAHA!! That ain't happening!! I will stick with the name I was given by my parents. I would like to see some more Christians out protesting these stores that try to take Christ out of Christmas. I will be right there on TV with them, but I may need a crazy looking wig so people will take me seriously,(Insert mental pic of me in an Al Sharpton wig). Could you imagine if a bunch of Christians started calling for the death penalty for a teacher who let the children name a class fish JESUS??? As a parent I would be thrilled. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Hear that Muslims????? Know why you would never hear about Christians doing that??? Cause the majority of us have good sense. So to the minority of us I say, Get off the tv!!!! You are giving us Christians a bad name!!! Sorry for the rant just had to get it out. Thanks for listening and in closing I say MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD DAY!!!!!

p.s. Ed that was a goal the other night, The goalie pulled it out with his glove. HAHAHAHA

SARGE 99

Decisions Decisions!!!!

2007-11-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

Hello All!!!! Sorry for the long absence. For all of you out there who care lets catch up shall we?? So Maddie is full on in school and is doing wonderful. Her teachers are Mrs. Alley and Mrs. Auman. They are 2 of the best teachers that I have ever been around. I was a guest of the classroom the other day to show the class the video that we took of our favorite area, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. All of the children were wonderfully behaved and were as excited as I was to be there. Well that was all it took. I am currently deciding whether or not I am going to persue a teaching career. I have just completed my application to become a subsitute teacher. Now I have had jobs that I loved but none of them seemed to make a difference. I feel if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem, So with that said I would embrace the oppurtunity to help to shape the young minds of today into the leaders tomorrow. I know that may scare the life out of some of you, (mom) but I do love children and they seem to like me. In two short hours I seemed to have bonded with the class so much that when I was leaving they all came and gave me a group hug. Now if you all havent been group hugged by about 20 5yr olds, that is a feeling like no other. Thank you all for listening and I will keep you informed as I move into the next phase of my life.

Best Friends.

2007-09-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Everyone say hello to my beautiful wife Angie!! She is without a doubt my best friend in the whole world. Love ya babe!!!!

SARGE 99

What a time!!!!

2007-08-28T05:50:00.000-07:00

Well folks I am still around, Sorry for the break but life has gotten crazy!!! As of Aug 23rd I have made the desicion to change my full time job. I was there for 4 1/2 yrs and made some friends who I will remain in contact with for a long time to come. I am now just 5 mins from home and happier than I have been in a long time. I can't believe it but I am now the parent of a kindergartener. Maddie began at New Market (the same as yours truly) today. Dont she look cute?? It has been a crazy 5 yrs with her in our life, but its the greatest crazy anyone will ever be. Her teacher and assistant are two wonderful women and I know that they will care for her the same way that her mom and I always have. GOOD LUCK to all the students out there!!

SARGE 99

Let's talk tunes!!!

2007-07-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

Good morning all!! So I am sitting here thinking of what to blog on and it hit me, MUSIC!!! I love music, I just dont particularly care for the pretentious idiots that critique most of popular music. Now I wont sit here and make you think I am a music expert or anything but I sure know what I like. I have an 8gb ipod nano. That's 2000 songs people!! My itunes is jammed full with everything from the HEE HAW Bluegrass Gospel Quartet to Slayer to Garth Brooks to 50 cent. I will have to say that the one type of music that I always go back to is Metal. Most music critics focus on the lyrics of a song, to me those are just secondary at best. If it has a good guitar and drums then I most of the time dont even need lyrics. I have an Oct '05 issue of BLENDER, they have their list of the 500 GREATEST SONGS SINCE YOU WERE BORN. Now understand that they only go back to 1980. I was born in 1975. Are they telling me that there were no good songs made in the five years between when the editor was born and yours truly?? I think not. They barely mentioned any country music, no bluegrass, or gospel for that matter. I think they were looking at the artists and what they were thinking when it was written. Well I would love to see a list of the songs that were just flat out good. A good song to me is one that 30 yrs after it comes out is still on some folks ipods. Below you will find BLENDERS Top 10. My Top 10 will be directly under it. Now I ask all of you out there, HELP!!! Let's put together a 500 song list of real music that REAL people have a say in. Put it into a document and send it to my email, sargeboy99@yahoo.com . Please include your name so I can determine who submitted it for consideration on the list. Understand also that the Top 10 in this post probably will change with your submissions. Do not get offended if some of your songs are not included in the 500. I am really excited about this as I will probably send our list to BLENDER and ask them to post to their site. ROCK ON OUT THERE!!!!
SARGE 99

THE BLENDER TOP 10

Billie Jean--Micheal Jackson
B.O.B.--OUTKAST
Sweet Child o' Mine--Guns N' Roses
ONE--U2
Smells like teen spirit--Nirvana
Like a prayer--Madonna
Love will tear us apart--Joy Division
Sucker MC's--Run-DMC
...Baby one more time--Britney Spears
In Da Club--50 Cent

SARGE'S TOP 10 (not in order)

Rocky Top--Various Artists
I can't get next to you--Temptations
Respect--Aretha Franklin
You shook me all night long--AC/DC
Thriller--Micheal Jackson
Nuthin but a G thang--Dr Dre
Welcome to the Jungle--Guns N' Roses
Hello Darlin--Conway Twitty
The Fireman--George Strait
Workin Man Blues--Merle Haggard

Making things right!!

2007-07-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

Well folks, here I am with my trusty cup of coffee, my computer and my (new to me) office chair ready to post yet another snippet of the travels of my life. I trust that you all had a good Fathers Day and you made time to spend with your dad. I know that I did. First a little backstory, My Mom has always been a proponet of family. This is a great quality to have. She called me a few days after my last post to blast me for not mentioning my own father, so I would like to take this time to explain, which by the way is not something that I normally do. Usually on Sunday morning after breakfast, I get me a nice hot cup of joe and head to the computer room. I take the time to log into the blog and then I look out my window to the back yard and I just think. When I do start typing I just throw down whatever is in my head. That is why there seems to be no real structure to my blog. Hence the name. I am usually interrupted a few times by my wonderful wife Angie or my beautiful daughter Madison. I would say that most of my blog time is spent in this fashion. In the time that I have been here I have only deleted one post and that was a personal one that I genuinely changed my thought on after just a few days. Let me make some things clear, I have never and will never delete any comments to any post unless it is just spam. So please feel free to express your opinion to what I put here. That way at least I know you are reading it. HAHAHA. Back to Fathers Day, it is true that I didn't mention my own DAD in that post but that was not by design. Just the way the words played out. I did however understand where MOM was coming from so I would like to take this time to talk about my DAD. I can attribute all of my work ethic to watching him as a child. We were not a rich family by any means, but we never went without the things that we really needed. My MOM was a stay at home mom and we never had to worry about the bills not being paid or DAD not wanting to spend time with us. I remember most of the time he would get off work at the furniture factory just to come home and eat supper, at the table without tv, and then go and work a part time job just to make sure that MOM didnt have to go and get a job. He slaved away in that dusty dark factory making desks for CEO's and the like. He did it for around 20 or so years. I could not imagine working all day and not seeing the birds in the tree outside my office window, his office was a machine. Dad now runs his own contruction company. Its just him and his helper but coming from part time home improvement to taking the test to become a licensed General Contractor is no small feat. DAD and I share several interests, Bowling is the one thing that makes us seem like friends instead of parent/child. Dad and I dont always agree, but in my 32 years I have come to a conclusion....WHO DOES ALL THE TIME? That's ok too. We both love some remarkable women, Mom, Angie, and Madison, We both share a love of motorcycles, I just dont have mine quite yet, and we both want what is best for our families. The old saying is true, ANYONE CAN BE A FATHER, BUT IT TAKES SOMEONE REALLY SPECIAL TO BE A DAD!! LOVE YA POP!!!

Hello out there!!!

2007-06-03T06:35:00.001-07:00

Well folks here we are again. Summer is in full effect with the heat, the beach trips, sunburns, hurricane season,etc. I hope that you all had a great Memorial Day and took the time to tell a veteran THANK YOU for their sacrifice. Remember if it were not for these brave men and women fighting for our country we would not be able to sit at these screens all day and talk about our interests and problems. Now lets get down to business. I have made the decision to delete the media review blog that I have and consolidate it all into this one. This one tends to get more readers anyway. If any of you care I thought I would take this time to tell you what is happening in my life right now. My birthday is coming up in 27 days and I will be 32. My daughter will be starting school in the fall and OMG I cant believe how fast the time flies. My wife and I are in the process of finding or building a new house and by the end of the year should be saying goodbye to the home we moved into and began our lives together. I have learned some valuable lessons in the past few months that I would like to share with all of you. 1. If you are going to do something for yourself and/or your family, These are the only people that should be involved in any decision making. (Thanks MOM). 2. Separate yourself from negative people, If you continue to listen to these people you will find yourself going down the same paths as them. 3. Whatever you want to do to your body should be your business, if others dont live in your skin then you do not have to explain yourself at all. Just a few observations from life. My family and I went and really enjoyed a trip to Kure Beach,NC this past week. Angie and I had to come home early because of work but Madison was able to remain there with Mom and my grandparents until this past saturday. She was having a blast but we were all ready to get back to good old Randolph County. The pic that I am posting is my Grandfather (minister). When I thought of taking it I had to hesitate because it appeared that he was personally talking to GOD himself. I will admit that I do not respect or listen to most preachers cause most of them are full of crap. But in my 32 years, noone has had a more profound impact on my spritural life than POPS. He may not agree with me and I may not him, but we both respect each other and always know where we stand with each other. As we near Fathers Day, I believe that it is important to let that father figure in your life know how much you love and respect them. I also want you to know that in my never to be humble opinion, that respect and love are earned and not required. Take it from me. And while we are on this subject why is it Mothers Day is seen as a day to profess your love for your mom in any way possible, while Fathers Day is just another day to HAVE to BUY a gift??? Every day that my little girl runs to me with hug seems like Fathers Day to me. Also,(sorry for the rant) when did disipline become such a bad thing, I work around kids in my part-time job constantly, and these kids have no disipline at all. They are just a status symbol for their idiot "parents" who want to be able to say that they want kids. But as soon as they have them they immediatly ship them off to every possible activity they can think of so they can live vicariously thru them. PEOPLE!!! Let these kids just be kids!!!! I look around when I hear about another safety law put into effect to "protect children" and I am talking about not letting them ride ATV'S till they are 16, or making them so padded that they cant even really learn how to ride a bike and learn from falling. The contiuned wimpification of this society is out of control. Every one out there is worried about actually disiplining their kids because of groups like the ACLU, and other people who dont actually have kids or have them and let them run the house, call DSS on you for loving your kids enough to teach them right from wrong!!! I say let the kids be kids like we all were and look!! we all turned out ok I think. Now, lets get the blood pressure back down and we wont even mention the other things that are crawling up my crawl right now.

ALL OF YOU HAVE A GOOD WEEK!! I promise to be better about blogging in the near future.

SARGE 99

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!!!

2007-05-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

Well folks it has been a crazy few weeks for ya old buddy Sarge. First off please know that I am alive and well, just have been working pretty much non-stop for the past few weeks. The only time I have taken off has been for some family time and Mothers Day. A quick note to the women in my life, I consider myself VERY blessed to have you in my life. My mom is always there for support, love and praying for me to make the best decisions that I can (she still likes to interject hers once in a while). Angie and Madison are truly the loves of my life. Maddie is just like me but female and Angie is truly my soulmate. I am blessed to live within a 1/2 mile of them all and to my grandmother Nancy. I swear that woman is a saint. She has to be to put up with some of the crackheads in my family. LOL. All that being said I need to vent. I work full time for a wonderful company, but sometimes the rumor mill just gets to be a tad silly. I thought when I got out of High School that most of the backbiting and backstabbing would be over in my life. I WAS SOOOOOOOO WRONG!!! Basically and I will not give details, lets just say that I have figured out who I can trust with a secret and who I cannot. It hurts me deeply that I have considered these people friends and they did nothing but let me down. People like to start vicious rumors I suppose to make their pathetic little insignficant lives some sort of twisted purpose. I have NO time nor space for these so-called friends in my life. So with that said I reiterate......MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND FOCUS ON MAKING YOUR LIFE BETTER AND STAY OUT OF MINE!!!! THAT SHOULD KEEP YOU BUSY FOR A LIFETIME!!!
I am also happy to report that most of the people in my life that matter have been great to talk to but I just needed to vent this out.

STAY SAFE OUT THERE!! SHAKE A SOLDIERS HAND AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR SACRIFICE AND SERVICE TO PROTECT YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOUR POLITICAL AFFILIATION IS!!

SARGE 99!!

Getting Busy!!

2007-03-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hi there all, My past month has been getting crazy busy and its only going to get worse. But hey those are the breaks I guess, Billy hope you are doing well. I had to get my comp back up so I can comment on all of the cool new stuff on CC city!! I will defintely be back on soon with some new posts. Meanwhile check out the new pic of our runner-up team from the GIRH adult league.

SARGE99

WOW can you believe it?!?! 2 in one week!!!!

2007-02-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

Well folks, Here I am at 11:45 pm on a fri night. WOW! So lets review shall we?? Look over to your right and you will see some new LINKS. At the bottom of the list(and not by choice mind you) is one to THE FEWER THE LESS. This blog is written by Ed Hathaway. For those of you who dont know Ed, let me introduce you. I met Ed when I began playing Roller Hockey around 1994-1995. Having only played against him I was very unsure what happened to him when the powers that be closed the facility where we played. About a year later, (and Billy you will appreciate this) I went into what is now the Greensboro Sportsplex to get permission to enter the abandoned Carolina Circle Mall. Permission Granted and as I was walking out who practically ran to say hello? ED. Well that was three years or so ago and I can say that I am a better man now than I was then. There aren't a whole lot of people who will be totally honest and treat you fairly and with respect in this crazy world, but folks, Ed Hathaway is one of those special people. Also you will see a link to a site called otherstream.com. This is written by a gentleman by the name of David Gwynn. His entire life story from his first year or so of High School to the present day is in the Journal section. Very captivating stuff. There are of course the usual suspects of deadmalls, groceteria, and labelscar. You all know what they are about so I know that I dont have to explain them to you. Through my life I have been totally blessed to count many of the readers on here as friends. And although we have never met or may never meet, I also dont consider any of you strangers either. Ilike to throw out some thanks and shout outs to the important people in my life who never really know that they are appreciated. Please indulge me.
My Family Angie, Maddie, Mom, Dad, thanks for always being there for me even when I wasnt there for you.
Ed, your non biased advice is something that I treasure and always take heed of.
Billy, Man I wish I had your dedication to things you care about so passionatly. I know you will go far in life.
Green & Gold, thanks for the laughs at work, yours truly, Bannister Boy 99
All of the Local Hockey Fans, thank you for allowing me to live just a little while in the spotlight.
Ice Chex, Alan you will always have a seat no matter where I am working.
LA, keep ya head up girl!! You are a blessing to talk to even when it may not seem like I wanna talk.
All my peeps at Dixie, Yall are more than just my co-workers, You are part of my family. A SPRINGER show waiting to happen but we all stick up for each other no matter what.
All of the guys and gals involved with GIRH. Thank you for being such good sports no matter how many calls I blow.

Well that about does it for this years THANK YOUS. I am sure that I left someone out but trust me, It was not on purpose. I love you all and look forward to another great year!!

YOURS HUMBLY
SARGE 99

HELP!!! From the IT Help Diaries

2007-01-31T07:39:00.001-08:00

Dateline-2007. I have set up my parents with a computer. Dear God why did I do this??? I know they will get it soon and will need me less and less. But I do love the control!! If anyone reading this has any books, i.e. Windows 98 for dummies, Internet for dummies, Please drop me an email. I will just about take out a second mortgage for them if need be. Just kidding, but seriously I would like to get a hold of them if anyone has them to give to a good home!

SARGE 99

The Clampetts go high-tech!!!!

2007-01-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may know my parents, you know as well as I do that technology confuses them. A lot of baby boomers have trouble with operating newer techno stuff. Today starts to change that a little (i hope). My Mom and Dad have just hooked up the internet. They went with the same provider that I went with and are very happy that they did. Here is a pic of the computer that will undoubtetly be part of the cause of new stress. For them and me!!!! LOL

Sarge 99

Another Holiday Season.....GONE!!!!

2006-12-28T18:35:00.000-08:00

But all in all a good one. Santa was wonderful and YES I do believe. How else can I explain the New coolest mouse for my comp. On a side note my Beautiful wife Angie is possibly going to be helping me with the blog. She is tired of the long delays in postings. So if you see anything a tad girly its probably her. LOL.

SARGE 99

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!

2006-11-22T15:26:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON TO EVERYONE OUT THERE!!!!!! Let me take a min to tell you all about a charity that my family give to every year, MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION!!!!! Go to their website www.wish.org also www.bobandtheshowgram.com and click on the pennies from heaven link. ANY amount will help, from a few pennies to thousands of dollars. I ask any of you to read some of the wish stories and not be moved to do something.

BE SAFE

SARGE 99

UPDATE

2006-10-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

I finally updated the movie site. So for all of you that care have a look see.

SARGE99

WHAT A GAME!!!!!!!!

2006-10-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

Well I had one of my adult rec hockey games out at the GREENSBORO SPORTSPLEX on Thurs Oct 12, 2006. And if ya see Tom Lewis today or this weekend, Just ask him how 9 goals felt going by him by yours truly!!!!

SARGE 99

My Decision is final Regis

2006-09-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

I made the executive descision to begin 2!! thats right 2 new blogs!! I just couldnt be satisfied with only one, and I hope that you will let your friends know they are here. The new blogs are the first 2 links to the right.

THANKS ALL!!!!

SARGE 99

Decision Time!!!!

2006-09-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

Well I have made a decision on the new blog and I will unveil that decision in the next few days.

STAY TUNED GEARHEADS!!!

SARGE99

Be Back Soon!!

2006-09-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

So this coming week my wife and I will celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. I never thought I would find a woman who would put up with me for 1 month much less 8 years. Love ya Angie!! We are off to the Smoky Mtns for a few days. Be safe and I will talk later with pics!!

SARGE 99

Putting out a feeler

2006-09-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

So I am thinking of starting a new blog. I am needing opinions on whether I should do one on ugly or weird cars or if it should be on favorite tv shows in the past and present. Please let me know.

THANKS
SARGE99

Vacations are never long enough

2006-08-08T05:48:00.000-07:00

I was only gone a week but I have been so busy that I just haven't had time to post. Looks like the Wal-Mart on the old Carolina Circle Mall property is just about ready to open. Just what the world needs, ANOTHER wal-mart. Has anyone here seen the movie Office Space?? I work with Milton. He is 63 yrs old and very set in his ways and is currently driving me up the freaking wall this morning. But that is at my full-time job. My Parttime is going great and it looks like I will be busy through the fall. Madison is growing like a weed and shares my love of malls. She will be 4 on Oct 14th. I promise I will begin posting more often. If anyone reads and enjoys this please send more readers my way. I would be more apt to post more often if I knew anyone cared. Sorry had to get it out. Talk to ya later..

SARGE 99

Vacation Time!!!!!

2006-06-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

First of all let me say............2006 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS CAROLINA HURRICANES!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On Sat July 1st, yours truly will celebrate his 31st birthday! YAY. So I am headed to heaven on earth, also known as Gatlinburg TN. I have another post to make in a while but I must cool down first before I type or I will make a lot of family mad at me.

SARGE 99

LETS GO CANES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-06-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

Well folks tonight is the night. Game 1 of STANLEY CUP FINALS!!! I just want to see Stanleys cup come south for the summer!!!! On a more personal note I do realize that I haven't posted in over a month. I am sorry for that to the people who will read this. I wish it was for something a lot more glamorous than work, but that has really been a huge part of my life for the past month or so. The Party business is going strong and really takes a huge chunk of my time to work at. The Triangle area is wonderful but it sure is nice to come home. I will post a review of the past month when I get home tonight.

later

SARGE 99

In case you wondered what I look like

2006-04-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

This is me!!!!! YA BOY SARGE 99!!!!!!

This jersey is from my time as the mascot for the Winston-Salem POLAR TWINS!!

Sarge 99

Greetings all From RALEIGH NC!!!!!

2006-04-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

Here I sit in the (almost) WORLD FAMOUS OFFICES OF F&M ENTERTAINMENT!!!!! My wife and I have been working for the Sauls family for about 3 yrs now and are staying over for the busy Easter weekend and doing a ton of jobs with them. F&M is THE Best entertainment company for anyone to use if they are planning a huge corporate event or even a small private birthday party in the back yard. The link is on the right to the website. Check it out whenever you get a sec. I will be returning to Randolph County around Sat Afternoon so I shall see you all then.

SARGE99

Been Busy

2006-03-26T07:34:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one that is saddened when a building is destroyed? Be it a mall or factory (pillowtex). Doesnt anyone else care about preserving the past and possibly updating old buildings?? BTW, did you hear they are discussing plans to put an 800,000 sq ft MALL near the urban loop in Greensboro? Right near the new WHY-MART? Sounds like another dead mall in the making right there. Sorry to hear about your school Billy. It will all work out for the best, or at least that is my hope for you and your former classmates. As I speak to you my little girl is asking for her "prince" to come and dance with her to the Cinderella music on the DVD that I got for her. She is getting heavily into the Disney Princess stuff and I have to say that is ok with me. I mean who wouldnt want to dance with this. More to come later......

SARGE 99

Another week down

2006-03-13T07:37:00.000-08:00

Well everyone it has been a while and like my friend Billy, I just haven't been wanting to do any hardcore blogging for a while now. My part-time job has picked up and there is just not as much time in the day as I would like. For those who care my full-time job is going great and I just found out that I get a bonus this year!!!! I spent this past thurs at the ACC Tournament with my very good friend from Charlotte. THANKS ICE CHEX!!! More to come soon.....

SARGE 99

Sad Day in Entertainment

2006-02-25T17:54:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. BARNEY YOU NIPPED IT IN THE BUD!!

Wow didnt mean to not post

2006-02-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

Well I am back from a long relaxing weekend! Just wanted to let the ones who read this know I am alive and well and have added pics of Carolina Circle Mall to my Yahoo album. You can see them under my name which is sargeboy99 on Yahoo. L8R

STUPID PEOPLE MAKE ME SO MAD!!!

2006-02-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

Hello All!! What a great night. Here I sit on my computer typing away to whoever cares to read about the useless stuff I put up here and I say THANKS FOR READING!!! I write to you as a recent WINNER!!!! My team in the adult hockey league finally beat the only undefeated team tonight!!!!! GREAT JOB GUYS IN GREEN !!! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!! So I am a frequent reader and sometimes poster on a few different message boards about various topics. Those who know me know that hockey is my passion. I live, eat, and sleep hockey. I esp love minor league hockey. I have worked for the Greensboro Generals and Winston-Salem Polar Twins as the Mascot and I love it. I want nothing more than to have hockey back in the gate city. That being said there is one guy who I have had my fill of. That man is Mike Bondurant. He is a frequent poster on the Greensboro Hockey message board under the screen name MBONDUR12. EVERY post is nothing but a constant barrage of anti-coliseum rhetoric and anti-Matt Brown statements. I know Mr Brown having worked for the Generals. He is a very smart business man and I think he is doing everything he can to get a new team in here. But I think I made Mikey boy a little mad today and frankly I dont care. I got sick of the whining and crying and decided to say something about it. Did I mention that he lives in TENNESEE?? My point exactly. If you dont live here then shut up telling us how to run things. Worry about the problems facing YOUR town and you wll have just enough to keep you busy. BTW if you want to read the stuff just go to www.greensborohockey.com and click on the black box at the top of the page. Bruce has an excellent site for any hockey fan and I am thankful that he allows all that he does on there.

SARGE 99

Wheeewwwwww Man am I tired!!

2006-01-26T06:51:00.000-08:00

Hello All!! What a week it has been already. Work is going good if you care, Hockey may be making a comeback to the Triad area if all of the rumors are true. Well on Wednesday the 25th I had to Ref another High School League game out at the GREENSBORO SPORTSPLEX. Check that 3 games. Man I love to ref but I just want one game without any controversy. Anyway I should have some pics tonight or tomorrow of the new signs out at the old Carolina Circle Mall property. If any of you are looking for a GREAT T-SHIRT or COFFEE MUG, visit the link at GIRH.COM and check out the merchandise that is now available and if you are in need of GREAT HOCKEY EQUIPMENT visit my good friends at PUCKTOWN.COM and just let DAN know that you read it here or that Sarge sent you.

THANKS

Another week done!!!

2006-01-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

Well folks we did it. We all made it to the end of yet another work week. (Thank Goodness) An exciting one to say the least. I broke up my first hockey fight as a referee. And I found out that my good friend George got a sweet promotion at work and I am so happy for him even though I wont be working with him as closely as before. I managed to find out the name of the new shopping center on the old Carolina Circle Mall property, and you can now see where the new Wal-Mart will be sitting soon. As always more to come soon...........

SARGE 99

What a Day

2006-01-19T04:51:00.000-08:00

Hello out there, Hope you are all doing well. Well work is work and fun is fun but one thing that isnt fun is having to break up hockey fights as a referee. I started being one of the hated zebras about 6mths ago and I usually love it. But when you got 2 16 yr olds and the hormones ragin, 1 incident can cause all sorts of repercussions. Anyway for those who may care they are cool with each other and I am sure the families got involved fast. Thanks go out to ed for helping bill and myself with making the correct decision on penalties. Drove by the Carolina Circle property last evening and noticed the sign out front said "The Shoppes by Pyramids Village". Cant wait to see what happens to the place. Very surprised to see The Craftsman Studio was still standing and with power??! Guess we will know soon. l8r

SARGE 99

Jan 17th 2006

2006-01-17T06:25:00.000-08:00

Hello out there, sorry for the delay in posting. Rough couple of weeks. But anyway, our adult rec league hockey team at the grand GREENSBORO SPORTSPLEX won our 1st game of the season last thurs by one point and yours truly had one assist in the effort. Mad Props to Tom the goalie for standing on his head and stopping an open net shot by me. How he got over that fast I will never know. Still waiting on word from the Greensboro Revolution Football Club as to whether or not they want me to mascot for them. Time will tell.........

SARGE 99

JAN 6 2006

2006-01-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

This is me!!! My beautiful daughter and our dog Calle'. My wife said she doesnt want her pic all over the net so I shall respect her wishes. Love ya babe!!!

SARGE 99

Jan 5 2006 A NEW REVOLUTION BEGINS

2006-01-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful day, (no angie I'm not being sarcastic), HUGE announcement today........................LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.......THE GREENSBORO REVOLUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For those of you not familiar with Greensboro Sports, This will be the Gate City's 2nd attempt at an indoor football team. The first was a team in the AF2 known as the Greensboro Prowlers. They folded after the 2003 season with some of the worst attendance in any league at 1,750 avg per game. This was hard for me to take because I was the last mascot and (imo) the best. SCRATCH was my first foray into the world of pro mascots and I was hooked from the get go. Since then I have had the privilege of being SARGE for the GREENSBORO GENERALS and the WINSTON-SALEM POLAR TWINS. I also had the unfortunate job of mascot for a local baseball franchise that shall remain nameless. Anyway, had my 2nd regular season roller hockey game out at the GREENSBORO SPORTSPLEX on tues JAN 3 2006. Very good game which ended in a 14-14 tie. Yours truly had a beautiful top shelf goal and one sweet assist. Many thanks to ED HATHAWAY (hockey director extraordinaire) for his efforts in putting a quality product on the floor each and every dayy!!! Even though I was the victim of a bogus call for holding the stick....hehe had to put that in there. l8r all!!!!

SARGE 99

Happy New Year

2006-01-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2006!!!! God can you believe it? '05 was a good year but could have been better if "certain" buildings could have been saved. I managed to make some really good friends this year even though I have never met them face to face. Billy, I hope you are well and I look forward to keeping the history of CCM alive and well with your help and support and I will try and do the same for you. For those of you who care, work stinks. I happen to work in customer service (call center) and it's so hard to keep your head up about the world when it is never uncommon to be cursed out at least 3 times a day. If I could work in a history fact finding type of job that would be as close to perfect as I could get. But oh well. Back to the grind........more to come soon.

SARGE 99

2005 in Review

2005-12-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

As 2005 draws to a close I have put together some highlights of the year that was and still can be. Please indulge.....Comments to follow.....

1. Another year of war.....is it really that important?
2. A Greensboro Icon was blown up to make way for that all important reason....RETAIL....R.I.P. BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES BUILDING.
3. Yet we completely demolish an 800,000 SQ FT. Mall that didn't require that much to bring it up to code. STUPID HUH?! R.I.P. CAROLINA CIRCLE MALL
4. GAS $3.29 was the highest that I paid this year. how bout you??
5. R.I.P. JOHN PAUL II A great man that did great things
6. WELCOME POPE BENEDICT 16TH (sorry dont know roman numbers)

IN SPORTS THIS YEAR....
CONGRATULATIONS GO OUT TO........
1. 2005 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS CHICAGO WHITE SOX
2. 2005 SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
3. 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP CHAMPION TONY STEWART #20 AND THE HOME DEPOT TEAM
4. 2005 NCAA MENS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS NORTH CAROLINA TARHEELS
5. 2005 NCAA NATIONAL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS USC TROJANS

Other thoughts on sports....
1. THANK GOD FOR HOCKEY COMING BACK!!!!!!!! GO WINGS!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Farewell and good riddance to RUSTY WALLACE. One good thing about RUSTY.. at least he can give a good demolition job at daytona
3. Farewell to Mark Martin....oops sorry hes got one more year.....dangit
4. Farewell to Ricky Rudd...A racers racer.
5. Get well soon Jiri Fischer.
6. R.I.P. WINSTON SALEM POLAR TWINS.
7. Here to hoping Hockey returns soon to the GATE CITY. (p.s. I am available for any and all mascot duties) sorry shameless plug

GOODBYES.....
1. Richard Pryor (legendary comic)
2. Wendie Jo Sperber. (Marty McFlys sister in the Back to the Future movies)
3. Pat Morita (farewell sensei)
4. THIS IS YOUR LIFE host Ralph Edwards
5. Eddie Guerrero (farewell PAPI)
6. Rosa Parks. Rest well weary traveler. You will always get the best seat now
7. Don Adams of Get Smart fame
8. Bob Denver. Finally off the island
9. Barbara Bel Geddes (the matriarch of Dallas) even she never knew who shot JR
10. Peter Jennings. ABC will never be the same
11. James Doohan Farewell Scotty
12. Luther Vandross. sorry ladies
13. Anne Bancroft. Farewell Mrs. Robinson
14. Howard Morris. I wish I had a brick from Earnest T.
15. Frank Gorshen Just one more riddle......please
16. Frank Perdue. I love Chicken
17. Johnnie Cochran It did fit
18. Paul Hester. the house isnt as crowded anymore
19. Barney Martin. (Mr. Seinfeld)
20. John DeLorean. Man I love his car. Wish I could use it to go to the (Carolina Circle) Mall this weekend
21. Chris LeDoux. Without him Garth would be nothing oh wait he is now sorry
22. John Vernon (Dean Wormer of Animal House)

Let me just say this in closing.....
A lot is said about PROGRESS. My favorite quote is "Everything must change". Well to that I say.............BS.......not everything must change. I know that may come as a shock to some of you out there, but I say that some things are just fine the way they are. Take for example Carolina Circle Mall and the Burlington Industries Building. One was a symbol of archetechural genius, the other a testament to retail in the wrong era. At a time when the economy is not the best and the need is there for more shopping options, why in the world would you tear down such a beautiful building to put up just another cookie cutter strip mall in a more affluent area of town. Meanwhile across town there are consumers who may not fit into the demographics on paper of any retailers other than Wal-Mart. My point is this, Was Carolina Circle outdated? Yes. Was it nessescary to demolish it? NO. Not entirely at least. Wal-Mart could have come in and demolished some of the outlying buildings that were shuttered and left some of the mall intact while refilling it with retailers, thus giving themselves more leasing options to offer to small businesses that maybe would prefer to be in an enclosed environment with all of their shopping, eating, and entertainment options under one roof. That same building could have been leased out for office space the same way that the Forum 6 shopping center was given a new life. Granted the mall had some issues to be addressed such as asbestos, faulty plumbing in some areas and some electrical concerns that would have required an overhaul. Yes it would have cost quite a bit, but in the long run not near as much as tearing down an entire 800.000 sq ft structure and replacing it with at least another 800,000 sq ft retail structure with a different name. As far as the Burlington, In my never to be humble opinion, it should have been made into a museum for the textile industry that brought Greensboro to prominence in the 20th century. But then how in the world would we ever know just how good P F Changs could be? BTW if you didnt know, the pf changs comment was sarcasm. THANKS FOR LISTENING!!!!

SARGE 99

Question

2005-12-01T19:26:00.001-08:00

So help with this. My best friend(Annie) is having some trouble with her boyfriend, or as I call him, her boringfriend. This dude takes off on a thurs night and goes to a club where she is told that all he does is hang out ont the wall and have a couple beers. Now this dude is 23 and turns down "adult"advances from her. I HAVE TO CALL B***S***!!!!!! She claims he is not cheating on her and I just dont believe that a guy at the age of 23 doesnt want "certain" things on a regular basis. Let me know if any of you have ever heard of such nonsense. And she is hot too!!

SARGE 99

Question

2005-12-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

Carolina Circle Mall

2005-12-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

Carolina Circle Mall. What all can I say about the one place that was close to where I work and I could explore whenever I had a few quick minutes. Once I figure out how I will post pics from one of my many excursions. Does anyone else out there have this problem......With all of the UI that I have and the min someone finds out about my fascination with dead or dying malls I get the laughs and strange looks. Maybe its just me.

WELCOME TO ALL!

2005-11-28T19:36:00.000-08:00

WELCOME!!!!!! To all of the Cliff Clavinites out there!!!

If the quotes of Gil Grissom (CSI) interest you, If Cliff Clavin (Cheers) is your idol : ), If the thought or practice of taking photos of dead or dying shopping centers is your thing.............

WELCOME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a 30 yr old father of a 3 yr old little girl and husband to a beautiful (imo) 27 yr old lady. The names I use from here on out will be changed to protect the innocent. I want this to become something fun to take our minds off of the everyday worries we all have. I have a ton of useless info just swimming around in my head at all times. My wife says I should find a way to let it out and I think I have found that here. My hobbies include (but are not limited to) watching NASCAR, playing roller hockey, CSI, exploring dead and/or dying shopping malls, grocery stores,etc. I am new to the computer thing so please bear with me. I am working on creating a Msg Board for some of the different topics that we can share. Should be up soon. Most of all I want you all to feel welcome. HAVE FUN!!!!!!

BTW THEY CALL ME

SARGE #99