Archive for May, 2005

All is Almost Well in Patriots’ Nation

Published by chuckbutt on May 31, 2005 in Business, Family and Friends and Sports. 0 Comments

Well, Troy Brown is back in Patriot’s uniform, and I for one am a happy man. Troy Brown has been a favorite ever since he cracked the opening line-up, and he personifies the kind of player that seems to make up the Patriot’s roster, and fills the rest of the organization - from the coaching staff to the ownership. Now, if we can just get Tedy Bruschi healthy and roaming the field like a human heat-seeking missile. Both of these players (and many more - Willie McGinest, Rodney Harrison, Richard Seymour, Tom Brady, and on-and-on) are part of what makes the National Football League the best-run professional sports organization on the planet.

This weekend, we had Memorial Day here in the States, and both of the kids (and I) walked in the Memorial Day Parade here in town. Marissa was part of the marching band (she’s tried out for and made the flag patrol) and Carson marched with his Little League baseball team. As one of the coaches, I was also lucky enough to march as well. The parade ended up near the Town Hall, and there was a short, very touching Memorial Day ceremony outside at the Community Church. A number of veterans were in attendance, and the marching band played “God Bless America” and “Taps”, and one of my nephew’s friends sang a lovely rendition of the National Anthem.

Plus, I was lucky enough to have my parent’s in town. My Dad is a veteran of the Viet Nam War, and it made me proud to have him as a father and as a grandfather to my kids. I don’t usually like to get mushy, but I was touched by the simple ceremony and the number of people who stayed after the parade to attend.

In other news, I’m still cranking on new sites. I’ve almost finished up a new site called Yo! Cell Phone which will have cell phone, mobile phone, and cell phone service information and resources. I’m using a pretty cool little web site application called xSite Pro that makes developing a full-featured web site pretty easy. I’ll do a little review about that application soon, and let you know where you can purchase if you’re looking for something to help your web site building efforts.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and I’ll talk to you later,

Chuck

American Idiot

Published by chuckbutt on May 20, 2005 in Business, Entertainment, Family and Friends and Fun Stuff. 0 Comments

I’m pretty psyched - I’m going to be going to the Green Day concert at Gillette Stadium on September 3rd with a good group of people. I’ve been listening to their latest album, American Idiot, non-stop for the past month. It’s a kind of punk opera, and a great themed album. I suggest you go pick it up if you like good, loud rock-and-roll.

I’ve also been working on some new sites (again - can you believe it?). One of my latest is a plaque and award site called MVP Plaque. It’s still in the early stages - I need to add a lot more “meat” to the site, but it’s kind of cool.

Tonight, I’ve got the kids and we’re going to the local carnival. You know, small hands. Smell like cabbage. This same carnival comes to town twice a year, every year. I’m pretty sure it’s the same one that came to town back in the 70s when I was a kid. I’ve always loved the carnival - the sites, the smells, the bad teeth - but as a parent, I worry like hell about the safety of the rides. At least this carnival company seems to be doing something right or they wouldn’t be coming back every year. At least that’s my theory and I’m sticking with it.

Anyways, I hope all is well with everyone, and I’m looking forward to summer vacation in Florida soon. I’ll keep you posted on the plans, and will post vacation pictures afterwards.

Later,

Chuck

Working Like a Dog

Published by chuckbutt on May 19, 2005 in Business, Family and Friends and Sports. 0 Comments

I’ve been working like a dog lately on a ton of sites, and pulling some part-time duty at a company called Brix Networks. Here’s a couple of the informational sites I’ve been putting up lately:

  • Mattress, Sleep, and Bed: Dyna Mattress is a site dedicated to everything sleep related, especially mattresses. I’m thinking about getting one of those viscoelastic mattresses, so I had done the research already.
  • Office Chair Guy: Office Chair Guy kind of came out of my mattress research. A lot of the same companies that sell mattresses sell great ergonomic chairs for bad backs.
  • Wedding Web Site: Wedding Home Pages is a site I’ve had for quite some time, but never really officially launched. But since I did the web site for my brother and new sister-in-law (RichandShauna.com), I figured what the heck.

What else has been going on? I’ve been coaching my son’s baseball team and helping out with my daughter’s softball team. Between baseball, softball, karate, other kid’s events, and work, I’ve been pretty much just getting up and going to various events. I’ve been able to squeeze a few rounds of golf in, but that’s it. I’m looking forward to the end of the baseball and softball seasons so I can take a little breather.

It has been fun, but it’s also fairly challenging to coach a baseball team comprised of 6, 7, and 8 year old boys and girls. Sometimes, it’s like herding cats - noone pays attention to the game, the coaches, or what’s going on at all. I figure our team leads the league in at least one stat - the all-important ADD category. Oh well, Carson is having a blast.

Marissa’s softball team is a little less challenging, but it’s amazing how much chatter comes out of their mouths, even at their age (9 - 12). And they don’t ever stop talking, even while making plays. But, I guess all women started out as girls at one point.

Have a great Spring,
Chuck

New Web Sites and Other More Mundane Stuff

Published by chuckbutt on May 3, 2005 in Business, Family and Friends, Fun Stuff and Sports. 0 Comments

I’ve been working on a new web site (well, actually a ton of new web sites) over the past few months, so no communication. Clue Gene is one of my newest sites, and it offers a fascinating glimpse into my clue gene research and the causes of cluelessness.

In addition, I’ve (finally) launched my Quilting Tips web site. This is a site where quilters can submit tips and compete in the Weekly Quilting Tips Contest for valuable prizes. Sounds like a commercial, huh? Well, I’ve been working on the development for over a year and finally pulled the trigger.

I’ll be trying to be a little more diligent in my postings, but here’s what’s happened in my personal life since the last post…

I went to yet another Super Bowl, and watched another exciting Patriots win. The three-time Super Bowl champs have been nothing but spectacular over the past few years, and you’ve got to love the work ethic of the team and the coaching staff, as well as the organization. A class act from top to bottom.

My brother, Richie (he hates being called “Richie” but what are big brothers for?), just got married this past weekend. It was a beautiful event, and I’m really happy Shauna decided to become his wife. You can check out their wedding web site at RichandShauna.com. I’ll be posting some pictures as soon as I can get around to it.

I’m going to be coaching my son’s baseball team, and helping out with my daughter’s softball team, so the next few months are going to be very hectic around the Smith house. Carson is showing some great talent and enthusiasm, and Marissa is always the hardest working player in any sports she participates in. Let’s just hope Dad can keep up. I had to squat for catching duties in batting practice last night, and my knees are screaming at me.

If Spring ever gets to New England, I’ll be out golfing. Next Sunday is Mother’s Day, so we won’t be out on the course then, but we should be out the following week. I’m hoping to improve on last year’s miserable showing.

Sorry to be boring, but just wanted to bring everyone up to date. If you have some jokes or fun sites you want to share, send them to me via the contact form.

Have a good one,

Chuck