The part of Halloween I like is the free candy. Now, I much more of an Easter Candy guy. If you were around this Easter, you know that I made a crazy table keeping track of the number of Cadbury Eggs and Bags of mini eggs that I consumed and the caloric intake of said candy. If you missed it, I think people checked my blog more for that than the quality content that I offer on an (almost) daily basis… cough, cough.

So, with ol’ arsenic in the apple scare or razor blades (although the chemical content of produce sprayed with pesticides is scary enough)… you really need to watch what you kids consume or where the candy originates. Now, we are the Crystal Meth. HQ for the SouthEast region of the United States, but Meth-Heads are too busy trying to find the next tweak to care about kid’s candy. So the incidents of candy tampering around here are low, if even reported.

Our Church has a Trunk or Treat event that the hold for the children in the parking lot. Although, I have never gotten a Trunk… some people decorate their trunk (there’s a contest) and the kids go trick-or-treating to each vehicle and get their loot that way. Safe for the kids and a social event for the adults. They do it in the afternoon, before it gets dark and too boot, they have a big spread of Hotdogs, chili, deserts for everyone…

Last year Eric the Elder didn’t have a clue. Well, he did, but he didn’t capitalize on the free candy. Ryan just sat in the stroller and drooled. It was also a huge event to get The Elder in a costume. We had to get a pumpkin sweatshirt/pant outfit and dreaded what this year was going to bring.

When the costumes first came out, we bought a cow sweatsuit outfit.Thinking that this wouldn’t be too bad. when it came time to get him in it, I was surprised because he went right to it… He put on the pants… no problems…kids.

So we made a EAT MOR CHIKIN sign and he was happy to be a Chik-Fil-A cow… MOooooooooooo. We even got him to Say… “Trick or Treat, Eat More Chicken!” Here is Eat in Full Costume attire:

Ryan was a little easier to handle… “Here, you are wearing this…”

Now in the household, I am the official Candy Auditor… all candy must pass by me and a tax is collected at my discretion… Sometimes I rule with a Iron Chocolate Hand.

if you guessed… “when it’s dead” you are right.

So look here… it’s a nice beautiful day in Knoxville and I go outside to enjoy the backyard. I needed to put the “Nemo” pool away for the summer and take picture of the leaves… See how pretty it was:

Nice, until you see the that “shaggy” thing in the corner…

Dead Oppossum. Skip the super wonder dog just kept running past it, oblivious. He doesn’t have a get track record… he didn’t even notice a mouse (sorry, SilentOne) when it was in the house.

So I get a bag for the burial and remove the carcass. I should write post about one of my radioactive projects in Irvine California when I had to handle frozen rabbits, birds, cats, starfish, rats… all radioactive… in the hot California Sun…

After talking with my cousin on Sunday Night, a few things fell into place and I began to understand why Skip was passe about the dead animal. After new information, this is what I think happened.

We left Skip outside by accident, so he camps out. You know that we have a Raccoon outside that is interested in Skip’s food. Well, he must not be the only one. My guess is that Skip’s sleeping, the ‘Possum comes up for some evening dinner, SKip wakes up and goes ballistic. Possum gets waxed.

Now, when we let Skip in on Saturday morning, she said that he smelled really bad… and he was dirty. Since Jen was having guests over, I gave skip a bath… and he usually does not get a bath. Thank goodness huh…

New Score:

Wildlife 1 Skip 1

Okay… as much as this originally was going to be ALL ABOUT TERRY and his little bag fetish, I decided that since you have all been so gracious and taken time out of your busy schedule and have consumed large quantities of nutritious, delicious soda just to satisfy my need to have a bag/cooler and satisfy your need to have your name prominently displayed in sharpie on a piece of masking tape on said bag… I have to reward you some how.

I will be leaving for American Samoa way too early on Thursday Morning, so I want to choose the winner before I leave. Let’s say that I will choose the winner at 1:30pm on Wednesday afternoon EDT. So, all you have to do is get a code into me by that time to be entered. The more codes I have the more people can win and the “bigger” prizes that I can award to you. If you win, you will have to supply me with some sort of address that I can send your loot. This may mean that I will send you free subscriptions of magazines… well, because I am that type of guy!

So who is in the running so far:

The Honorable Michael of A Boy Judge and His Bike

Super “Under 4 Hours” Darrell

The Super Ninja Leesa with her Bear Deterrent skillz

Super Greek Chickie and her love for Hobby Lobby (do they sell coke products there?)

Super Uncle (To the Elder and Younger) Chris aka Junior Johnson

The Duchess of Kamikaze Ducks, Stacie

YOU CAN be included… All you have to do is get a fridge pack, a 20oz, 1 or 2 or 3 liter bottle with the red cap on it for Coke, Diet Coke, or Coke Zero. and either email me the code along with the type of drink it was… that’s it. If you don’t have my email address you can either you the “Contact Me Form” on the right hand side of the blog or put the code in a comment and I will get it and put it in…

So what is stopping you.

Oh, I should include “Pa-Pa” and J-Lo as they sent some codes via the snail mail today. Kids, got some great loot, Jen got a shirt… I get codes. Life is SAH-WEET-TAH!

I had wanted to read everyone’s blog from over the weekend and do all of my formal commenting , but today was busy at work. I also have some other stuff that HAS to be done… and I have pictures. SO… I am resorting to getting my blog entry out now, then going back as I can and taking out your blogs like a sniper on the roof…

So, Weekend was filled with lots of kids activities. We traveled around from place to place running errands and the like.

Saturday Evening, we went to an adult’s only Halloween party. Not, there was any craziness going on, just that it wasn’t kid friendly and the adults could just hangout without having to chase little ghost and goblins. Well, we used to be the King and Queen of Halloween, mainly because we loved to host the parties at our old house. Since we have been in the new house… we haven’t done anything.

So, seeing that we were going to a party, I thought that we’d need to bring something extra special. When we held the parties, we had Graveyard Cake, Terry’s World Famous Chewy Purple Hot Wings, I SCREAM Ice Cream, Jello-Like-substance-Shots and a bunch of weird stuff.

So when I came across the Kitty Litter Cake, I thought that would be a good Jen and Terry Signature Dessert! The Cake turned out AWESOME. We had people who COULD NOT look at it when they got their snacks. In fact, they chased one person with the cake around the house because they were so sickened. So here is the The Kitty Litter Cake:

It’s ALL good!

And you HAD to serve it with the right utensil…

Mr. genii takes a big Ole Bite… As you wish. (Notice the Non Kid Friendly Beverages in the background)

So, I can supply a better and more logical recipe than the one that I used. Who ever wrote the recipe I used must have ADD because it said to use half of something a couple of times… HELLO, you can only use half of something twice! Don’t mess with the Statistician!

So, I am still pressed for time. So, enjoy. The next post will also be Halloween related, but will not included any graphic or disgusting pictures… that’s saved for the post AFTER the next one. MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA

With a little thinking you might be inclined to think that it is not a dry day today and you would be…. correct!

The flood that I talked about yesterday, although not a huge fast down pour is a slower, more soaking rain. It hasn’t rained very hard but it’s been consistent. And judging by the radar, we still have quite a bit more to go.

So, I was weighing my option on running today at lunch and I opted out of running. I thought it might be better to try to run in the morning and get 10-13 miles than to brave the wet and cold and risk getting a head cold.

So instead, I went to Wal-mart to see if I could find a cheap, small digital camera to take to American Samoa with me. And the answer was YES… I did find what seems to be a decent camera. Since this was going to bean active camera (i.e., traveling in my pocket) it had to be compact. I didn’t want to pay a lot for it, so it needed to be reasonably priced. Since I was shopping for it less than a week before I was leaving, I had to purchase it locally. Other deal breakers were that it needed to run off of AA batteries (easier to replace in “The Field”) and I had a brand new SD card that I had gotten for CHEAP with rebate. Surprisingly enough, there were still a number of cameras that fit the requirements.

While at Furman, I found a Sanyo camera, that wasn’t too big, had the AA and SD card requirements. It was a 5MP, which for this type of P&S camera really doesn’t matter all that much. And it was $98 and change or so… the cheapest of the bunch.

The Wal-Mart on Chapman highway (South Knoxville) did not have the camera, and their selection was so-so for the Walmart Standard inventory. Isaw a Pentax Optio camera there and Pam had raved about how she dated them exclusively for years. The Canons although compact, don’t use AA but I am familiar with them. The lower end HPs and Kodaks were too clunky… so I left.

Today, I went to the Wal-Mart on Clinton Highway (North Knoxville) and found that they had the sanyo that I wanted, but it was Out of Stock. POOP! But I did get to play with the demo and found out that it was really easy to use… in 2 seconds, I learned 75% of the controls. So I debated whether to ditch the Wal-Mart and try the West Knoxville Wal-marts. You know the Great Wal-Mart chase. That was until I saw a different model.

For $20 more, there was a 6MP Sanyo. Same features and everything. The only thing different was that the case was black. No other distinguishing features or anything. So I wrestled that I could live with spending an extra $20 to get the 1,000,000 pixels to have the camera now. Most of the pictures are going to be web images and 6MP is really way to big for the web. Were I to make prints a 3MP camera would be plenty. So anyway…

THEN, I notice the Pentax Optio and it looks strangely familiar. It’s $149 and 5MP with all the features of the Sanyo. I thought about Pam and her liking with Pentax… then it hit me. The Pentax and Sanyo were the EXACT same Camera… the casing was the same, the button layout was the same… all the technical aspects were the same. Perhaps the Pentax had a better quality lens.. I dunno. So for $31 less, I could get the 6MP Sanyo for the same camera. Okay, done deal… let’s get the hell out of here.

So I wait in line to get the camera, because it’s under lock and key. The helpful photo technician opens the door and what do I see…a miniature sleigh, NO WAIT. I see the 5MP right next to the 6MP box. Score one for Terry. Someone had put it in the wrong place and that saved me $20. Thank you Universe!

So here is sample picture that I took today. This means that I’ll be able to play You Tubesday when I can.

Ugh, I just got done writing emails to the American Samoan Government about the survey that we are going to be doing in November. The first email is fun being all cordial and official, but then on the third, it’s more like “Yo Dude! You want me to shout out at the paper dud or what?” More on American Samoa in a future blog entry.

Let’s get running!

Something is up with my watch. I think that I missed a split time OR I didn’t get the split right. See… I ran this route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=512980  and if you go with the math it says that I did an average 7:48 mile. Now, that’s believable… I have been getting faster. However, with the splits I captured, the “math” says that I did the last two miles in 7:15.

THAT is a buchn of hogwash. There is NO way that I did the last two miles in 7:15 and that’s not the pace I was running… I would have been dead at the end. I don’t think my time is right. Oh well, I got the distance and a new add-on mile to my Market Square Fab 4 miler. I think that I have to name this one [not sure yet, but the train tracks needs to be part]

I almost got squiahed today, crossing the road. A car was running under coverage with a parked car and I when I passed, I was 6-10 feet away and I kicked in the after burner… and to freedom. No honks or yelling (that I heard).

And I almost witnessed an accident. I was standing at a corner to cross once the traffic was gone and a lost soul almost turned in front of another car. This time the driver honked the horna nd if I could read lips, probably said a few choice words to the driver. I could have been the hero though, since I was right there… I could have whipped out my red cape and ran two blocks to get the patrolmen hanging out chatting with some hot babes at Market Square.

Remember way back when, when it wasn’t unusual for me to post that I forgotten some article of clothing that was particularly significant? Well, this was a missing Clothes Encounter of the Sock Kind. I’m in a frenzy chaning clothes to get out an run the 5 miles. I reach in my bag for some socks and none are to be found. Uh-Oh… I dig around and Voila a sock! so I dig some more… HEY! another sock, but it doesn’t match the first one… So i dig some more and HEY! another sock, but it doesn’t match either sock. so I dig some more… no more socks. So I have 3 socks… all of which are different. And all I am thinking is “Thank Goodness  have at least two.” So I toss on two socks and head out the door… problem solved. MacGyvering needed: None.

Well, as I could just tell you the accepted conversion to the measure of your prefered length… inches meters… whatever. But I was thinking more of Bill Cosby’s “Noah” skit, as we are getting ready to get some wet weather.

Just looking at the radar, it’s almost like Kermit took a whiz on the map (well, frog urine is probably not green). What a lame ass joke.

Okay… so we are going to get anywhere from 1-2 inches and so hence the reference to the “Great Flood”

The weather is PERFECT right now. As long as the storm front doesn’t hit while running the 50 degree weather will be perfect! I think that I am even going run 5 miles, whic… CRAP… I had wanted to map out a new leg to an old course. Well, let mego do that and so I don’t ruin a perfectly comfortable day to run.

Today is supposed to be an easy day…

I thought that I might also title this post “Terry Werry had no hair…” but I quickly vetoed that one. So, this could be part of a “Things about Terry (you never really wanted to know)” series. But this was “by request” from a lurking visitor who shall remain nameless… for right now. Now, on with the regular scheduled blog entry…
When most people think of the word “Facial Hair” usually the images big burly men such as Grizzly Adams or even the rockers ZZ Top. And guys, you all told your mom that when you (finally) left home you were going to grow your beard like the dudes on ZZ Top. Your mom probably didn’t even glance up from her magazine when she said “Okay Dear…”

Well, I have never ever been the poster child for facial hair. In fact, I didn’t even “really” shave until my Sophomore in college and even then it was more for… well, I don’t know why I shaved, I didn’t need to… My 5 O’clock shadow is like a 5 month shadow.

So for the past 6-8 weeks I have been growing my “beard”… so that I can be a manly man and have butter scones with tea. Perhaps even grunt, fart, scratch my butt and say “More POWER!” and “Where’s the Duct Tape?” Actually, I do all that (especially the ‘farting’ part) with or without facial hair. So you want to see what 6-8 WEEKS can do for a man:

Okay, I will give you a second to stop laughing before you scroll further.

And now, for my next magic trick… the facial hair shall DISAPPEAR!

That’s more like a Kiddie than a Goatie

[Insert witty gay joke here, winner gets a prize]

And now, back to my normal… every so baby (but getting older) face:

And there you go… 6-8 weeks of Work, down the drain (literally) in 5 minutes. I don’t complain anymore about not having to shave. When I was <21 I wanted to grow facial hair so that I wouldn't get carded... well, now that time period has gone it would have been a fruitless endeavor because I still get carded from time to time.

My response (now) to "Can I see your ID?":

“HELL YEAH!”

With the memo on my desk that reads:

Re: Attention Cold Weather Ahead

Hey dufus, it’s freaking FALL, man. Did you notice all the orange in the trees? Didn’t UT just play (and beat) Alabama? It’s October… HELLO! There is nothing abnormal for East Tennessee weather to go from 70 degrees to 40 degrees in 5 hours. Plan on it being cold from now on and pack approriately… and that includes bandages

I had some inkling that the weather would be on the rather chilly side today. It was a smiggin’ warmer and the technical conversion of smiggin’ is roughly 2 degrees Fahrenheit. It was sunny today, so that might have made the difference.

Today was supposed to be an easy run… a nice leisurely 4 mile stroll along the Neyland Greenway but we know that “What Terry Plans, Terry Doesn’t Always Do It” and today was not much different. Today’s run did start out as a nice easy run. I found a good pace that was fairly easy to run and was SO EXCITED that the pace was 8:06 minutes. This “easy” pace is much faster than the previous “8:40″ not but a few short weeks ago. I think this excitement got me going. Actually, I think it was the fact that the wind wasn’t blasting me in the face! THat COLD wind by the way.

My next mile was a 7:56, and I thought that was about right. At the turn around point, I could tell I was picking up the pace and clocked in the 3 mile in 7:43.

Now here was my thinking. I was running progessively faster, and it was still pretty easy (relative). I thought that I could possible challenge my personal record of the 4th mile that includes the Lake Loudon Ave Hill (a 0.3 mile 6%+ grade hill). My current PR time for that mile was 7:47… So I went for it.

I attacked the hill with a vengence. I knew that I had the weather on my side that I could exert a little more than usual without the dangers of overheating. As I crested the hill and proceeded to turn towards the aquatic center, I did not give up on my pace. Usually, I use this part of the mile as recovery, but I did this time.

I ended up finishing my run in 31:24 and the last mile was a PR time of 7:39! I was very excited about this and started to thinking about making use of my recovered speeed. Perhaps a 5k, 8k or 10k that I could try for a new PR. There is a 10k this weekend in Townsend, TN and of course I plan to run Autmunfest 8k (Thanksgiving) and in December there is a 5k that I can run. So we will see… it will depend on what I can do in American Samoa.

Some of you out there know that I have a love of photography. In fact, had I a chance to redo my whole college career, (based on what I like now) I would have been a Photography Major with a concentration in Exercise Science or maybe Sports Communication with a minor in photography. Screw all that Science/Math/Nuclear Engineering/Statistics crap… who believes in that made-up crap anyway…

High on my wishlist is to get a Digital SLR camera. Not the fancy point and shoot but the “I’m an amatuer who doesn’t want to shell out $2500 on a camera”. I’m looking at the current equivalent level of the Canon 20D/Nikon D70; but that’s about $1000 for the camera base alone let alone any basic lenses or even the fancy ones.

So, right now I am using an old fashion (pre Compact Disk, when vinyl was King) SLR. It’s a Canon AV-1 which uses 35mm film and you have to manually advance the film after each picture. It terms of technology it’s the 5lb mobile phone… but it works… thanks to Science and Math.

Since it takes 35mm film, I have to purchase said film and I have to get it developed. Currently, I purchase 400 speed film (good speed for most applications) at Sam’s and I send the roll away to York for development. I send it off because it’s way more convenient to send it out than try to plan going to wal-mart/sam’s/walgreens. I put it in a mailer, and eventually, I get my prints back and it runs me waiting 7-10 days and $6.60.

It’s like Christmas when one comes in because I forget what roll is what and so I am as surprised to see the content of my labors. Usually, out of a 24 roll film, there are 3-4 that I really like, 10 that are marginal, but I can tell there was a better shot, 5 that are “whatever” and the rest just suck. They are either bad shots, blurry… something.

Well, the roll that came in the mail yesterday was something out of the norm… they were of our trip to the Smoky National Park on October 7th and just after it