tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79887222024-03-23T10:49:51.547-07:00The Nellie SpotMy Happy PlaceJohn Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.comBlogger291125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1158547340299360602006-09-17T19:35:00.000-07:002006-09-17T19:42:20.316-07:00New Blog: The Winds of Change are BlowingI've seen lots of people changing up their templates recently on their blogs. Since I'm an avid-Google adopter, I've recently started using Google Pages, a website design application. It's OK, and Blogger/<a href="http://buzz.blogger.com/2006/08/blogger-in-beta.html">Blogger Beta</a> is not integrated into very well yet.<br /><br />All of this to say: I'm moving. That's right! I'm 1-upping everyone's template changes and switching to the new Blogger Beta and linking it off my new homepage! Take that, lemmings!<br /><br />So, I guess you'll need to re-bookmark my site to 1) <a href="http://jtnelso.googlepages.com/">Google Pages</a> or 2) my <a href="http://thenelsonfam.blogspot.com/">Beta blog</a>.<br /><br />I'm gonna miss the old Nellie Spot...but the winds of change are blowing, and I must float with breeze.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1158529396067373102006-09-17T14:40:00.000-07:002006-09-17T14:43:16.086-07:00New "TV Addicts" SiteWell, I'm a sucker for Beta projects. And since Google rarely ever gets any of their projects OUT of Beta, I have a LOT of beta projects I'm using.<br /><br />Blogger Beta is out, and it allows tagging your posts, and some other things. So in the spirit of technological advances, I'm moving the TV Addicts blog to the Beta version (so you can search for your favorite shows!). Also, if you'd like to be part of the TV Addicts team, let me know. The more the merrier!<br /><br /><a href="http://teleaddicts.blogspot.com/">Check it out here</a>.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1157602453354674542006-09-06T21:01:00.000-07:002006-09-06T21:14:13.383-07:00Farmer's MarketThis past Saturday, Allison, Emma, and I and Allison's parents went to eat breakfast at Common Grounds on Dickson, then headed up to the Fayetteville Square for the Farmer's Market. I don't know what it is about the Farmer's Market that I like so much, but I really love it. Rarely do I buy anything. It's great people-watching, and a subculture all to itself. It's fascinating. Below are some pictures I took of Emma while we were there. This was the first time she's ever had a Hog painted on her face. She sat extremely still for the lady, which was impressive. Of course, the lady also had her in a death grip around the throat, so I'm not sure if Emma could move, even if she wanted to. We also saw <a href="http://www.murdog.com/murdogblog/">Murray</a> & <a href="http://www.murdog.com/sweetmeg/">Megan Williams</a> while we were there, which is always a treat. I also became fascinated with two girls playing in a tree. I snapped several pictures of them, which reminded me of wonderful childhood memories of playing in trees. I posted them in my <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jtnelso/MyPhotography">photography group</a> on <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jtnelso">Picasa Web Pages</a> if you want to check them out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3680_edited.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 94px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3680_edited.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3651.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 95px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3651.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3697.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 67px; height: 94px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3697.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1157172780027798722006-09-01T21:35:00.000-07:002006-09-01T21:53:44.206-07:00Razorback Pep Rally!Tonight, we took Emma to the Razorback Pep Rally at the Greek Theater on the U of A campus. We were joined by <a href="http://thewalkietalkie.blogspot.com/">Benton & Jenny Beth Walker</a>, Brett & Jayme Walker, and <a href="http://www.brookerobinson.com/blog/">Finley & Brooke Robinson</a>. And of course the kids: Emma, Ben & Whitlee, Molly, and Elle & Silas (respectively).<br /><br />Emma was SUPER stoked to see the cheerleaders and the band. When we got there, her eyes were crazy big and her mouth agape watching all the drunken frat boys make loud noises. Ah college...I'm glad I'm an adult now.<br /><br />We took a lot of pictures (shown below), and had an absolutely great time. Emma danced her little heart out and watched the band and cheerleaders at all times. Benton pointed out the lead majorette at one point because she was spinning her baton around her neck and under her arms, without touching it! Kind of like a hula hoop, but much more impressive. She also twirled fire, which is always pretty awesome. All the kids called the Hogs with the raving lunatics that we are to consider "the future of this great country". By the time the rally was winding down, the kids were pretty wiped out from all the excitement and energy loss from dancing frantically for 45 minutes. All in all, it was a pretty great evening...one I'm sure Emma will be talking about nonstop for the next 2 weeks. Here are the pics: (you can see Ben Walker checking out Emma's panties while she's dancing in one pic...it's pretty awesome)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3596.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 131px; height: 93px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3596.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3606.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 123px; height: 93px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3606.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3608.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 121px; height: 93px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3608.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3615.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 135px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3615.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3597.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 135px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3597.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3619.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 97px; height: 136px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3619.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1157131877988309862006-09-01T09:52:00.000-07:002006-09-01T10:31:18.100-07:00Go Hogs!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bigredhogstore.com/catalog/media/Authentic%20HelmetSmall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 103px;" src="http://www.bigredhogstore.com/catalog/media/Authentic%20HelmetSmall.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Thank God it's college football season again! Granted, I know very little about football. I know there's a guy that throws the football, some guys that keep the other team from killing the guy throwing the football, and a guy trying to catch the football (or run the ball, in the HOGS' case). And the kicker...there's a kicker guy, too.<br /><br />Regardless of my knowledge of college football, I sure do love watching and going to Hog Football games! I don't know why, really...we're not all that good (blame Nutt?). Tonight, Allison and I are taking Emma to the pep rally which should be lots of fun. I'll try to post some pics tomorrow on my <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jtnelso">Picasa Web Albums</a> page. I'm still hunting for some tickets to tomorrow's game, so if you have any, call me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.sportstation.com/images/wcn/Riddell/210/Rid5ZMH-USC.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 97px;" src="http://images.sportstation.com/images/wcn/Riddell/210/Rid5ZMH-USC.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The only thing I <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">REALLY </span>care to see at tomorrow's game is the intro video, where they spin the USC helmet around, then a giant Razorback hoof comes crushing down on it! That gets my blood going and makes me feel alive!!!! GO HOGS GO!John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1157120034739944782006-09-01T07:06:00.000-07:002006-09-01T07:14:02.503-07:00Biking: Round 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bicycletires.com/dugonfire.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.bicycletires.com/dugonfire.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I went out for a ride again with some co-workers last night. Same loop as <a href="http://jtnelsoblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/saddle-sore.html">last time</a>: 22 miles. This time, however, it was 20 degrees cooler (85 instead of 105), much less wind, and I had water with me. Needless to say, this ride was much easier than the last time.<br /><br />I didn't fall, but that's due to the fact that I only stopped 1 time. Last time, I fell trying to get my left foot locked into the pedal, and when I lost momentum, I just fell over. I climbed all the hills successfully. All in all, I'd say I'm getting better. And that's good, since you can burn a crazy amount of calories in a long ride.<br /><br />My next goal: 40 miles.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1156975605970750172006-08-30T15:05:00.000-07:002006-08-30T15:06:45.986-07:00Rock You Like a Hurricane!That's right, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14583931/">I'm now a freaking Hurricane</a>, baby!<br /><br />Oh yeah...I just laid out, flipped it, and reversed it!John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1156967757906283852006-08-30T12:45:00.000-07:002006-08-30T12:55:57.926-07:00Contest: Name Our Baby!Since the Johnson Slogans went over so well, I've decided to pull out a new contest. The kind of contests where you don't win anything at all for winning.<br /><br />Allison and I are expecting a baby girl around October 13th. Allison wants her t<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/wakeful.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 204px;" src="http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/wakeful.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>o come out sooner, but I've told the baby to stay in there until <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">AFTER</span> the <a href="http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/">LOST</a> season premier. Selfish? Yes. Do I care? No...I want to see LOST from my house, not in the hospital. I digress.<br /><br />The problem we are having is a name...we have <span style="font-style: italic;">tons </span>of boy names picked out, but very few girl names. So here's your chance to name our next baby! Odds are highly against us <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">actually </span>using the name the winner picks. But until we name her something else, you can just keep hoping that we'll actually name her that.<br /><br />So, what good girl names do y'all have for us? And no, <a href="http://spatsra.blogspot.com/2006/08/meet-delilah.html">Delilah</a> cannot be submitted.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1156966876648671672006-08-30T12:25:00.000-07:002006-08-30T12:41:16.696-07:00My Face Goes Mach 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ffwdmag.com/Mach3razor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 118px;" src="http://www.ffwdmag.com/Mach3razor.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I'm a man.<br /><br />I'm a man with facial hair that has to be shaved.<br /><br />I'm a man with facial hair that has to be shaved with a Gillette Razor.<br />And that's no <a href="http://www.schickquattro.com/sq_home_flash.cfm">Schick</a>.<br /><br />I'm a man that has used the <a href="http://www.gillettem3power.com/us/mach3_f.asp">Mach 3</a> since it's arrival on the market, and loved it. My face loved it. My facial hair hated it (because it worked very well). However, I've recently tried out the new <a href="http://www.gillettefusion.com/us/">Fusion</a> razor. 4 blades on the main face, and 1 on the back to grab that difficult to reach under-nose area. The first few times, as usual, it hurt a bit to use it. My face wasn't accustomed to the blade. I had a little bit of razor burn, and for some strange reason, my face broke out a lot more (gotta love <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acne_vulgaris">pimples</a>!). But I'm a <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">fair </span>man, so I gave the Fusion a couple of weeks to see if my skin familiarized itself with the razor and become battle-hardend.<br /><br />I'm here to tell you: my face goes mach 3. My face doesn't like fusion: the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion">scientific kind</a>, or the razor. So I have made the switch back to my mach 3, much to my face's delight. The smooth, wonderful feel of 3 blades was received so much better than the brutal 4 blades. Apparently, my face has a limit to the number of blades you can run across it.<br /><br />How's THAT for a random post!John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1156813311108990672006-08-28T17:56:00.000-07:002006-08-28T18:01:51.110-07:00Johnson Slogan RoundupWow, we had some great comments for the Johnson campaign! Though some weren't specifically for my imaginary run for city council, they were great taglines and mottos that Johnson should adopt! Here are the comments, without names (<a href="http://thesingingbanker.blogspot.com/">to protect the righteous</a>).<br /><br />John Nelson for a bigger, better Johnson<br /><br />John Nelson says, "Stop Sucking, Johnson!"<br /><br />Exit 69: The Best Johnson Ever!<br /><br />Johnson, a natural city of woods.<br /><br />No one likes a dirty Johnson. Keep YOUR Johnson clean and beautiful. Say no to litter. (my personal favorite!)<br /><br />John Nelson: Seriously, John Nelson...<br /><br />John Nelson: For Truthiness, Speed Traps, and The Johnson Way...<br /><br />Nelson: Keeping Johnson Somewhat Normal Since A Couple Of Days Ago...<br /><br />John Nelson: The Only City Council Member That Wear Chaps To Every Meeting...<br /><br />Johnson: Where the trains aren't the only things that are long.<br /><br />Johnson: We don't need no stinking stoplights!<br /><br />Johnson: The only place in America where you can be mayor, chief of police, animal control, and code enforcement at the same time.<br /><br />Johnson: Where sheet metal buildings never go out of style. (my 2nd favorite!)<br /><br />Johnson: Small town America so small the cops don't have anywhere to hide.<br /><br />John Nelson: Johnson needs a new member. (My 3rd favorite)<br /><br />Make Johnny work for your Johnson.<br /><br />J.T. Nelson: Hard on Johnson, good on you.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1156511627015351252006-08-25T06:03:00.000-07:002006-08-25T06:13:47.046-07:00Farewell, Maynard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.jazztrumpetsolos.com/images/full_ferguson_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.jazztrumpetsolos.com/images/full_ferguson_sm.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Many people don't know who <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maynard_Ferguson">Maynard Freguson</a> was. However, most people have heard at least one song by him. Maynard was one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time, and he died Wednesday night. The song you probably know? He's the trumpet player from <a href="http://www.discoverynet.com/%7Eajsnead/allsongs_1/rocky.html">Rocky's theme song</a>.<br /><br />As a trumpeter, I was required to listen to MF before joining the Jazz Band in Junior High and High School. I wasn't too big on jazz back then, but his masterful skills were something to stand in awe of. According to the <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14502089/">MSNBC article</a>, someone in his family, just after he died, said "Gabriel, move over to second trumpet". Now, that's geeky. Even as a trumpeter, I think that's geeky. However, if you've heard MF play, then you know he'll be giving Gabriel a run for his money.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1156366845448062832006-08-23T13:59:00.000-07:002006-08-23T14:00:45.466-07:00This Can't Be a Good Thing...News article from MSNBC:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14485634/">Polar Bear Genitals Shrinking Due to Pollution</a>John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1156217113410458212006-08-21T19:59:00.000-07:002006-08-21T20:26:10.186-07:00City Council Campaign Slogans!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/Church%20Sign%202.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/400/Church%20Sign%202.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Ok, though I may not <span style="font-style: italic;">REALLY </span>be running for Johnson City Council, it sure is fun to act like it and to daydream about it! I just think it would be really fun to be able to list "City Council Member" on my resume!<br /><br />Elton (via the <a href="http://casaverdelounge.com/">Casa Verde Lounge</a>) thought we should come up with some campaign slogans, which is a great idea! Here are a couple slogans I came up with:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"John Nelson for a bigger, better Johnson!"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"John Nelson says, 'Stop sucking, Johnson!'"<br /><br />"Exit 69: The Best Johnson Ever"<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/City%20Council.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 96px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/City%20Council.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, I am going to go straight to <a href="http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-goi1.htm">hell in a handbasket</a>...but it's oh so fun! If you have some good slogans for my totally fake campaign for Johnson City Council, leave them in the comments! If I use your slogan, I'll give you a free campaign button!John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1156039024956906152006-08-19T18:39:00.000-07:002006-08-19T18:57:04.973-07:00Our Little Princess BallerinaMy sweet friends gave me a Baby Shower today and it was so fun. "Baby Girl" (she still doesn't have a name) received a lot of great gifts! They were also sweet enough to think of Emma and got her a fun gift as well. I brought it home for her and let her open it after her nap. I probably should preface this with that fact that Emma has been loving to play dress up and imagine herself doing all kinds of things. We are realizing that she has quite an imagination for a 2 1/2 year old. Anyway, inside was a new ballerina outfit, ballet shoes and a magic wand. She has only taken it off briefly since she opened it up. The crown (which is already broken) was a gift from my Mom this week. Here are the promised pictures of Emma in her new favorite dress up outfit. You might be seeing her in this again come October 31st!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3513.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3513.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3512.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3512.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1155798814298039142006-08-16T23:59:00.000-07:002006-08-17T00:13:34.316-07:00California, Day 2Well, it turned out to be a pretty spectacular day here in California! The training got over around noon, so I had the whole afternoon and evening to do just about anything. I tried to get a flight home for tonight, but it would cost too much to change my flight at the last minute, so I opted to stay here (for good reason, too!). <br /><br />I was talking to Allison after training, and told her I didn't know what to do the rest of the day. She told me to go to <a href="http://themeparks.universalstudios.com/hollywood/website/index.html">Universal Studios</a>. So I did! I got there around 1:00 PM, and spent the next 7 hours waiting in line for decent rides. My favorite? <a href="http://themeparks.universalstudios.com/hollywood/website/attr_rotm.html">Revenge of the Mummy</a>. It's a good time. Other fun attractions are <a href="http://themeparks.universalstudios.com/hollywood/website/attr_shrek.html">Shrek 4-D</a>, <a href="http://themeparks.universalstudios.com/hollywood/website/attr_t3.html">Terminator 2: 3-D</a>, and <a href="http://themeparks.universalstudios.com/hollywood/website/attr_ww.html">Waterworld</a>. However, if you happen to be going to Universal Studios soon, take this advice: don't eat and then immediately go ride Back to the Future. You'll vomit. Thankfully, I didn't, but I sure did <span style="font-style: italic;">want </span>to! I hit most of the attractions there and left about 8:00 PM. <br /><br />I decided to hang out at <a href="http://www.citywalkhollywood.com/">Universal City Walk</a> for a while, since I wasn't very tired and didn't feel like going back to the hotel. I grabbed some Starbucks and watched people walk around for a while. Then hung out at EB Games, which is next to the cinema. Spontaneously, I decided to go see a movie: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469641/">World Trade Center</a>. It was pretty great, though nothing like what I expected. I'd recommend seeing it.<br /><br />Now I have to pack so I can get home and see my girls! It's amazing how much you can miss someone (or many someone's) in such a short time of being gone.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1155650711274016992006-08-15T06:59:00.000-07:002006-08-15T07:05:11.296-07:00CaliforniaWell, I'm out in LA for a few days on business...new software training. Good times.<br /><br />The only exciting thing I have planned is to go see the Dodgers play tonight against the Florida Marlins. Those who know me at ALL will scratch be scratching their head at this. I'm not a sports fan. Actually, I really don't like baseball all that much. But for some reason, I really enjoy going to a game every now and then. The atmosphere in the stadiums is just great. And it'll be a beautiful low-70s at the game, so it may very well be a perfect evening.<br /><br />I get back Thursday evening, then head to Kansas City on Friday for a Promise Keeper's rally with my Dad.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1155423319924134662006-08-12T15:45:00.000-07:002006-08-12T15:55:19.943-07:00The Fine Art of In-Office Lunching<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3371-web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3371-web.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I don't go out to each much for lunch. I live vicariously through the <a href="http://www.lunchtour.com/wp/">Lunch Tour</a>. It's too expensive to eat out everday for lunch, and I'm a bit "stuck" in the office for reasons I will not talk about here (because I'll cuss a lot and end up quitting my job...). So, I have been refining the fine art of lunching at the office.<br /><br />First of all, my <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">WONDERFUL</span> wife has been getting up with me in the mornings. While I get ready for work, she fixes my lunch and does her quiet time. So, I'm saving money and eating healthier by her serving me by fixing my lunch everyday. As you can see from the picture, my mother-in-law took things to the next level: a lunch box. The lunch box was plain silver, but she gave me 2 sheets of classic Superman stickers to adorn on my new lunch box! Yeah...she rocks.<br /><br />The finishing touches on the fine art of in-office lunching is what you do while you're eating. For the longest time, I would waste time by surfing the internet. I have chosen a new hobby during lunch: movie watching! I have some kickin' speakers hooked up to my iPod dock at work, and I just switch over the input line to my laptop and watch an hour of a movie on my monitor! It's pretty darn great! In fact, on a few occasions, co-workers have joined me to watch movies in my cube during lunch. My boss isn't quite sure how to react...he now just asks what movie I'm watching and goes on his way.<br /><br />So, if you're a person who is bound and gagged to their chairs straight through the day, maybe you can adopt my style of in-office lunching. It's pretty great.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1155312360781042102006-08-11T07:39:00.000-07:002006-08-12T07:08:59.676-07:00Saddle Sore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/02fuji/images/xteam.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 151px;" src="http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/02fuji/images/xteam.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>On Thursday, I went for my first road bike ride with a coworker (Brian) and a coworker's husband (Doug). Brian gave me his old road bike and will be pushing me to go out frequently to get into shape. The bike is an older GT aluminum frame with shoe lock pedals. I rode the bike around the neigborhood a little to get a feel for the bike and the gear changing.<br /><br />We met at Doug's house back behind Pinnacle golf course. Brian held the bike for me while I practiced unlocking my feet so I wouldn't fall when coming to stop. He also warned me that EVERYONE falls the first time. I was determined to disprove that. The results? They're coming.<br /><br />Brian told me we'd ride between 10-15 miles. To me, that sounds like a really long way, but I was willing to try it out. I stopped a couple of times, mainly going up small but long hills. I stopped at the turn for about 2 minutes to rest, then started my way back toward the house. After a couple of miles of slow and steady climbing, I decided to stop for a break. Brian and Doug came back looking for me after a few minutes. When I felt like I could manage going on again, we started up the hill. And this is when I fell. The difficult part of the locking shoes for me isn't getting my feet OUT...it's getting my feet locked IN. Thankfully, the fall didn't hurt too bad. We continued on back to the house. At one point, Doug circled back to ride alongside me and chat. I asked him about how far this ride was going to be...he said 21 miles! When Brian said 10-15 miles, he meant 10-15 miles OUT, not round trip. Suprisingly, I wasn't as mad as I should have been. I actually felt relieved that I wasn't SOOO out of shape that I couldn't ride 10 miles! We finally made it back to Doug's house after an hour and a half and no broken bones or skinned legs. <br /><br />It's crazy to think that my first time out was 21 miles. That's the same distance it is between my house and my office in Bentonville. That drive takes me 25 minutes going 70 (ish) on the highway! The next day, my legs didn't hurt at all, but I was a bit...um...saddle sore. I took every opportunity to stand up throughout the day and give my laurels a rest. :)John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1154790032216285492006-08-05T07:50:00.000-07:002006-08-05T08:00:32.380-07:00Johnson City CouncilJosh Hale and I were talking a few days ago on the phone. He mentioned that his old school superintendent from Mena had been in Johnson for many years and was now going to run for mayor of Johnson. I think that's awesome.<br /><br />Following that train of thought, it somehow came up that I should run for a position on Johnson's city council. Not sure which one of us mentioned it first. Of course, we were joking. Since that conversation, though, I can't stop thinking about how cool it would be to sit on the city council! My ex-neighbor is on the city council and she loves doing it. She also didn't have many qualifications for the position she holds. So, I'm seriously considering going up to city hall and inquiring about how to get on the ballad. I honestly have no clue what any of the positions actually do...but I'd love to have a position where I could voice opinion about the governance of my beloved little town!<br /><br />The only 2 things I can currently think about as far as a platform would be:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Traffic</span>: helping the Streets Dept actually think through their decisions. A great example would be the lack of a left turn signal at Main St and Carley that backs traffic up for miles after work.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Johnson's image</span>: set limits of business building types that can be built in the city limits. For instance, at the rate we're going, Johnson will be 90% strip mall in the next 3 years. And that has to stop. It's shameful. Before long, when all the businesses go under, we'll be a town where you'll only see colored rock shops and broken down antique shops that sell crap.</li></ul>Any other thoughts on how Johnson could change for the better?? ANd thanks in advance for your votes. You'll get a free "Nellie for City Council" button.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1154632611798162862006-08-03T12:13:00.000-07:002006-08-03T12:18:12.736-07:00Bouncing BackI've found that the older I get, the harder it is to recover from breaking my normal routine. A couple of weeks ago, I had the <a href="http://jtnelsoblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/toad-wet-sprocket.html">concert itch</a> and got off my sleep schedule. It took me a couple of days to bounce back.<br /><br />Yesterday, <a href="http://www.jasonandjaime.com/">Miller </a>and I played tennis at 6:00 AM. I usually wake up between 6:45 and 7:00 AM. I actually did pretty well throughout the day...even played tennis again at 8:30 PM. Today? I'm fried.<br /><br />Man, if I'm only 29, what's life going to be like in 5 years? 10? I'm pathetic.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1154535760696335612006-08-02T09:06:00.000-07:002006-08-02T09:22:40.903-07:00Fantasia (Singer, not the Movie)A coworker of mine (Lisa) recently saw <a href="http://www.fantasiabarrinoofficial.com/host.htm">Fantasia Barrino</a> at LAX airport. Fantasia <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/Lisa%20%26%20Fantasia.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/Lisa%20%26%20Fantasia.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>was the winner of American Idol, Season 3. Lisa shares my ridiculous giddyness of all thins American Idol, so she called from the airport and told me she saw her. I didn't get excited...and there was major fallout! She did go over and say hi and ended up talking to her for about 30 minutes, which is pretty cool.<br /><br />I was never a big Fantasia fan. Actually, I wasn't even a big fan of the entire season 3, for that matter. That's why I didn't get excited. Now had she seen Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Clay Aiken, or Kelly Clarkson...my reaction would have been different. She's still giving me a hard time about not getting excited. Apparently, I failed in my American Idol Cheerleader role. The picture is of Lisa (left) and her friend with Fantasia.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1154060467437374272006-07-27T21:00:00.000-07:002006-07-27T21:21:34.263-07:00Gator Golf<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3256.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 81px; height: 122px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3256.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our Wednesday night hangout group has been struggling to find creative things to do now that <a href="http://aliasrocks2.blogspot.com/">American Idol</a> and <a href="http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index.html">LOST</a> are on hiatus. I've recommended a <a href="http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/f/froggerlivearcadexbox360/default.htm">Frogger</a> tournament, but that hasn't gotten off the ground yet. So Josh recommended going to play <a href="http://www.gatorparkfun.com/Pages/golf.html">Gator Golf</a> (aka Putt Putt, for you sheltered folks out there). Great idea! So we <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3269.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 85px; height: 114px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3269.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>all (<a href="http://joshandmargo.blogspot.com/">Hale's</a>, Nelson's, and <a href="http://www.xanga.com/goatmaster1">Tokar's</a>) headed to Gator Golf for a fun round of putt putt. Emma did pretty well...she didn't crank anyone in the shins with her club, so we considered the evening a success! She was pretty interested in playing...for the first 6 holes. Then she just wanted to play with Olivia and jump off the hole obstacles. The rest of us played the round, with Allison coming out the winner and Margo got lucky, getting a hole-in-one on #18 for a free game. Funny thing about Allison winning...she <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">ALWAYS </span>wins. Josh and I tied, 1 behind Allison. I swear...it's frustrating being the golfer of the group and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">NOT </span>winning. Allison, for some weird reason (I call it <span style="font-weight: bold;">LUCK</span>), always beats me. Of course, I just say I <span style="font-style: italic;">let </span>her win....it makes me feel better. Here are some pics from the evening.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3253.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 85px; height: 114px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3253.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3246.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 85px; height: 114px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3246.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3255.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 89px; height: 114px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3255.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3264.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 115px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3264.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1153885608545281172006-07-25T20:08:00.000-07:002006-07-25T20:47:47.093-07:00Toad the Wet Sprocket<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3195.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/320/IMG_3195.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>My friend <a href="http://www.xanga.com/goatmaster1">Travis </a>recently completed his doctorate in Logistics. That's right...he just now got out of college...at the ripe age of 28. But now we'll have to call him "Dr. Tokar", which is totally bogus. Travis is moving his family to Ohio State University where they are silly enough to call him "Dr. Tokar" daily. To celebrate his successful 23 years of schooling, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/todd1177">Todd </a>and I took him to see <a href="http://www.toadthewetsprocket.com/">Toad the Wet Sprocket</a> in Kansas City Sunday night. The trip was in danger of being canceled, since Trav contracted a nasty flu Thursday night (the day before defending his dissertation). Sunday morning, Trav was feeling better, so we hit the road around noon after watching <a href="http://www.tigerwoods.com/splash/splash.sps">Tiger </a>win <a href="http://www.opengolf.com/">the Open</a>.<br /><br />We listened to some Toad on the way up, as well as the soundtrack to Team America: World Police (F Yeah! There's no way I can recommend the movie since it's vile, but it's easily one of the funniest movies I've ever seen) to get our juices going. We pulled into <a href="http://www.countryclubplaza.com/">Country Club Plaza</a> around 4:00 and immediately searched for bathrooms. We found one at Barnes & Noble. The stand up was broken, and so was the A/C. Bathrooms and warm temperatures are NOT good bedfellows. Feeling much better, we went down to Cheesecake Factory and ate dinner. Travis gets freaking fish tacos...after being sick for 3 days. But he didn't hurl, so all's good. We loaded back up and went to the <a href="http://www.uptowntheater.com/index.shtml">Uptown Theater</a> where the show was. At 6:15, we got to our seats and people-watched until the show began.<br /><br />There's so much that happened, but I'll hit the high points. On the playbill, we saw that <a href="http://www.sisterhazel.com/main.html">Sister Hazel</a> was opening for Toad. Sadly, no one could remember any of the Sister Hazel songs. The first band started playing, and Travis and I STILL couldn't r<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3205.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3205.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>emember any of their songs. After about 5 songs, the band (<a href="http://www.luceband.com/">Luce</a>) let us know that Sister Hazel would be up next. Travis and I start laughing really hard, as we thought <span style="font-style: italic;">THAT </span>band was SH the whole time and felt bad that we didn't know any of their songs. In retrospect, Luce was really great. The accoustics in that theater were pretty horrible...made more for true theater shows, not concerts. Sister Hazel took the stage and played a ton of songs. The band was really great, and they're great entertainers. After they were done, we moved to the back of the theater to more comfortable seats. And to help Todd get away from Sister Hazel's #1 fan who was sitting next to Todd. I swear, this dude was LAME! First giveaway: clapping over the head. I'm pretty sure that went out in the early 90's. Then at the end of their show, he RAN up there to shake hands with the band. He was in heaven...Todd was in hell. So we moved.<br /><br />Finally, Toad took the stage around 10:00 PM. The place went nuts. After the first song, the lead singer from Sister Hazel came out and sat down right in front of me. Not kn<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3223.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3223.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>owing his name, but wanting to touch a man who used to be wildly popular, I leaned over and told him thanks for a great show. He said thanks back. We're pretty tight now. He immediately left his seat. But I touched him. Mission accomplished. Back to Toad: they were really great. Lots of songs. They did utilize the theater's disco ball (as seen in the picture to the right), which totally RULED! They finished up around 11:15, and we headed to the car. After gassing up and getting enough sugar/caffeine into us to make it home, we headed back here to God's Country. Pulled in around 2:30 AM. I really should have taken Monday off...but instead, I was an utter zombie at work.<br /><br />Sorry for the long post...here are some more pictures. Hope you still have some time left on your lunch break to do something more fun than read this!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/Z-Combo.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 78px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/Z-Combo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/1600/IMG_3194.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3624/520/200/IMG_3194.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1153619150083296982006-07-22T18:21:00.000-07:002006-07-22T18:46:24.506-07:00Out of my ElementLast night, two really great bands played at the Gypsy in Fayetteville: the <a href="http://www.thenewtragedies.com/">New Tragedies</a> and the <a href="http://www.thepaperhearts.com/wp/">PaperHearts</a>. Both have guys I skated with in college (that's an entirely separate story...) and I hadn't seen them in years. <a href="http://www.crasymaker.com/wp/">Todd</a> Gill started/leads PaperHearts and Aaron Weidner and his wife formed the New Tragedies. <a href="http://www.sethgunderson.com/">Seth</a> came down from KC, so I got to see him, too. It was good just to say hi and do some quick catching up.<br /><br />So I'm not really the bar-attending type. Todd England was going to go with me to the show, but he totally stood me up for some girl (the NERVE!). But in all honesty, I would rather Todd finally get hitched, so if that means standing me up then that's fine....once. :) Without anyone specific to hang out with, I enjoyed my time off to the side people-watching (and bars are amazing places to observe people). I've never been to the Gypsy on Dickson street. I sat outside on the patio for about 45 minutes listening to a really great cover band and laughing at the drunken idiots surrounding me. The New Tragedies were supposed to start at 10:00 (ish), so I got there right around 10:00. After 45 minutes, I realized that the cover band wasn't going off stage for a while. I walked around and discovered that the Gypsy has an INSIDE, too! Lucky me! The band was just setting up. I talked to Seth for a while, catching up with him. Then caught Todd for a short while, too. The New Tragedies played a great show! They have a great style...pretty mellow, mixing incredible vocals. Aaron and Bev's voices compliment each other extremely well. They played several songs, then let the PaperHearts take the stage. They started around midnight or a little after, I think. Now, the PaperHearts are freaking amazing! They have like 5 members, and lots of instuments. Their style...I can't even explain. It's just awesome. The vocals / music / energy is combustible! I stayed until about 1:30, then couldn't take it any longer...I was so tired. It was a great show, and I would recommend seeing either of these bands play if you get the chance.John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7988722.post-1153334397851461152006-07-19T11:33:00.000-07:002006-07-19T11:39:57.976-07:00It's hot, yo!I'm not positive on this, but I think this may be the best time to share the gospel with everyone. Why is that, you ask? Because Satan has stopped <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=67&chapter=5&verse=8&version=31&context=verse">roaming the earth</a> and is seeking heat relief in hell.<br /><br />Yeah, I'm lame...but you still laughed a bit. Or wanted to. Or didn't.<br /><br />I've decided to implement the "winter car" rule for these hot summer days. You know the rule...in the winter, you go turn your car on 20 minutes before actually leaving to go somewhere so the car is defrosted/de-iced/desnowed and is warm & toasty. I'm reversing that rule for the summer: 20 minutes before I leave the office, I will be turning my car on and blasting the AC. That way, the only sweating time will be from the door of the office to the door of the car.<br /><br />I wonder if I could just keep my car running all day long? How much gas would that use up? Maybe 20 minutes before leaving will be enough...John Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04305245744449937194noreply@blogger.com0