Darth Vader and Redemption

Look, I'm not a sci-fi geek.  But one of the greatest stories in pop culture is the story of redemption in Star Wars.  When I was a kid, there was one solitary figure that embodied evil.  Darth Vader.  (Whoever came up with that name, by the way, nice job.)  No one, and I mean NO ONE could strike as imposing a figure.  And the director did this thing in the original, in Empire, and in the finale, Return of the Jedi, where when he entered the room, it scared the crud out of you.

I'm an adult now and I'm no longer scared of the dark.  I no longer run up the stairs of the basement and I don't worry about what could be lurking in the closets.  But when the good guys leave a room in Star Wars and just seconds later, Darth Vader comes in, right on their heels, it still gives me a bit of a scare.  His entrance onto the Rebel ship in the original was our first glimpse.  Then later in the film, Obi-Wan walks around the corner and runs into him and while Obi-Wan knew exactly what he was doing, no one else is feeling real good about being in the room with the baddest dude on the planet.

Guest Blogger - Tucker Heaton

My Dad

By Tucker Heaton

I love my dad. He gives me so much that I don’t need. He is just one of the important people in my life.

One of the things he gives me is to live in our house. I live with my sister, my mom, myself, and my dad. He pays for the food I eat every day. Now do you see what dads do for everyone? One of my favorite privileges my dad gives me is the ability to play sports. I have now been playing for 7 years! And I’m 10 years old!

I love my dad and I know he loves me and is proud of me every day.

I'm Blogging Because My Readers Demand It

Catalogues - I requested a catalogue yesterday.  I don't know if I've ever done that before.  Nor have I done much typing of the word 'catalogue' because it is a very strange-looking word.  Like conscience.  Or conscious.  Can I just type catalog?  That felt more like a breakfast cereal.  Catalog.  Oh, cause it is similar to Kellogg.  We'll go with catalogue.

I remember how exciting it was to get those huge Sears catalogues in the mail when I was a kid.  We kept a stash under the sofa by the phonebooks.  By the way, did anyone else put the phonebooks under the sofa?  Growing up, I just assumed that was where they went.  I'm over at a friend's house and we're trying to find a number for the movie theater.  Sounds like I'm talking about Amish people, doesn't it?  Nevertheless, I needed a phonebook.

PGA Tournament Picks

With the tournament being less than 5 miles from the house, I thought I might offer my picks for the PGA tournament.  OH - and if you're going out there, look for me on Saturday.  I'll be the white guy wearing sunglasses :)

6.  Luke Donald - the world #1 is always a factor.  He's also one of my favorites because he seems like such a classy guy.  If Phil can't win it, I'm pulling for Luke.

5.  Lee Westwood - he's due.  Plain and simple there's no reason why he hasn't won a major yet.  Still, I'm guessing he comes up just short ... yet again.

4.  Adam Scott - last week's winner at Bridgestone is at the top of his game.  Perhaps a trendy pick because of the caddy situation.

3.  Phil Mickelson - the course seems to suit him.  In fact, it appears that the changes to the course were done to give him a little bit more of an advantage.  The crowd will be decidedly in his favor.  Phil should do what he normally does, which is contend, show flashes of brilliance coupled with moments of disaster.  I will be rooting for Phil ... but betting he comes up just short like he did 10 years ago on this very course.

2.  Rory McIlroy - after a great showing at Augusta (the blowup on Sunday notwithstanding) and a record performance at Congressional, what's not to love?  Perhaps the most talented golfer in the world should be in contention come Sunday in Atlanta.

1.  Dustin Johnson - my choice for golf's next superstar.  I'm going to keep picking him until he wins a big one!  It's bound to happen.

Why Daughters are Awesome, #541

I played this guy in tennis yesterday and while it was a competitive match, I won.  He was a super nice guy.  He brought two daughters along and they kept cheering for him.  He told me, he actually has FIVE daughters!  After the match he says, "I hope you don't mind, I'm going to tell the girls I won."

I smiled at his joke and said, "Of course, I would probably do the same thing."  Then I told him a story that happened that very same afternoon.

We have a golf tournament in our family called, The Bronco Invitational.  I am the only one to have only won it ONCE.  Everyone else has won at least twice.  Here's what happened.

Annie:  Dad, have you ever won the Bronco Invitational?
Me:  (sigh)  Yes, I won it.  Only one time and it was years ago.
Annie:  When did you win it?  (doesn't sound like she believes me)
Me:  When we all went to Jamaica the first time.  You were only a baby.  It was 2004.  Aunt A wasn't even married then.
Annie:  Oh!
Me:  For some reason, I come in second almost everytime.
Annie:  (thinking)  You know what Daddy?
Me:  What, baby?
Annie:  I think second is better than first!
Me:  Me too, Annie!
(Tucker looking at both of us like we're crazy)

Happy 10th Birthday to My Baby Boy!!!

We had a nice little birthday celebration last night and there's more to come.  For some reason, this is not sitting particularly well with Annie.  She was very emotional last night and as I went to put her to bed, she was bawling.
Dad:  What's wrong, baby?
Annie:  I don't want Tucker to be 10
Dad:  Why not?
Annie:  I like it when he's 9.

Actually, I understood exactly what she meant.

Dad:  When you were a baby, I used to always say, 'I hope they stay this age forever, this is the perfect age.'  And you know what?
Annie:  What?
Dad:  I keep saying that.  Every year, you get older and every year, it just keeps getting better.

That seemed to help.  Anyway, I put together a little album of Tucker as a 'little kid'.  Lots of photos on facebook ... enjoy.

The Heatons in the Big Apple

New York is a series of contradictions.  You will find, walking down the street or in the subway, the latest and greatest technology available in the world.  And yet, it is common to find a restaurant that only accepts cash.  I think this is why NY is so intriguing to me.  Well, that and the subway system for which I have this unexplainable affection.  There again, you may be sitting next to a very successful banker or you may be sitting next to a homeless guy.  You just never know what to expect.

The greatest personal contradiction is a 'guys' trip' and a 'family trip'.  With the guys, you can buy an airplane ticket ($200), split a hotel bill ($200ish), buy your subway pass ($30), and have a great time spending money on little else.  Grab some pizza on the street and go hang out in the park somewhere.  A family trip, even if it is just a couple days, is very expensive!

I just counted and this was my tenth visit to New York, maybe eleventh.  I haven't travelled very much either, which tells you how much I enjoy going.  If you're interested, here is a rundown of all we did.  Keep in mind, it was VERY hot, sometimes, 100 degrees!