Church Bells and the attacks to happiness

Church Bellsby: Gungor
Let church bells ringlet children singeven if they don't know whylet them singwhy drown their joystifle their voicejust because you've lost yoursmay all jaded hearts be healed.Amen.
Let all men dancelift up their handseven if they are naivelet them danceyou've seen it allyou watch them fallwash off your face and danceMay all weary heartsbe filled with hopeAmen.

This is such a simple song with such powerful lyrics. It is liturgy that speaks to how fragile our happiness is. So fragile that someone else's happiness seems to chip at it. We start to invent excuses as to why the other happy individual is unjustly or undeservedly happy.
In "The Help" I watched a Southern Belle do everything she could to drown the happiness of another lady for no founded reason at all. It was so sad and ugly. The naive target of her jealousy was none the wiser and only made the situation worse by trying to be friendly and cordial. Strange how that was only received by an already bitter heart as disingenuous.
I felt that way a long time ago. When popularity was so ... popular. I'd try to be friendly and interested in the goings-on of other folks in different cliques only to be met with an often cold shoulder and odd glances. It saddened me then and it saddens me now as I think about it. See, every now and then, I still feel that way. And yet I pray, even for myself as I pray for others, that someday soon, all jaded hearts are healed and that the weary hearts would be filled with hope.
Amen.

You might live in Afghanistan. . .

If your daily ride is a Fordotari,
you probably live in Afghanistan.

If your wall electrical boxes look more like a never-ending pasta bowl,
you probably live in Afghanistan.

If you heat the inside of your two-year old office building with a wood stove,
you probably live in Afghanistan.

If your KFC serves mexican pizzas,
you probably live in Afghanistan.

The GAP

Yes, The GAP. Has anybody shopped at The GAP in recent years? I normally do my shopping at quite a bit thriftier locales, but I did make a purchase there this evening. Now, 15 years ago, I used to shop at the GAPs in Atlanta much more often. I loved when I could hit a sale and buy their regularly priced $30 jeans for $20. (Unfortunately, their jeans are twice the regular price now!) However, though prices have changed dramatically, some things have stayed the same. Namely, the bag. I walked out of the store with the same bag I walked out with 15 years ago! Exactly the same bag. I asked if those navy plastic bags that say "GAP" in big white letters with the fabric drawstrings had just "come back". They didn't really understand what I was attempting to ask. I wondered because I haven't seen a bag like that in years and years. Back then, everybody who was anybody at school recycled their GAP bag into their gym bag, because carrying a bag like that from the GAP showed you were cool. Wow. Why bring it up? Because seeing that navy GAP bag on my bed again tonight brought all those memories of bygone days rushing back. Kinda funny.

Camel. . .check.

Today a soldier who has been here for almost two years is celebrating an imminent return to the States. In honor of his service, an Afghan and his son brought this camel along a 12-hour journey to our camp for rides and pictures. So, I finally got a chance to ride a camel! As an engineer, I figured it would only be appropriate to ride it with proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), so I donned my hard hat and took a spin around the volleyball court.

I was very surprised at how quickly this huge animal raised up from sitting on its knees. I was also surprised I didn't fall off! See, only one set of legs goes up first and you need to watch your balance very carefully to make sure you don't fall off!

Anyway, I can finally add camel ride to my growing list of unique Afghan experiences!

In Him,

David

It's Football time!

The USA Today Pre-season poll has Georgia Tech at no. 15. It's not that big of a surprise that they are ranked as high, moving up seven spots from the 22-spot at the end of last season and after a dismal loss to LSU, considering the effort CPJ has put into building on last year's foundation. Furthermore, they are returning this fall with 17 starters (9 offense, 8 defense), more than any other ACC school, including ACC Player of the Year, RB Jonathan Dwyer. Needless to say, Tech has an opportunity like they haven't had in over a decade!

Unfortunately, there are some things playing against us.
1. Pre-season ranking: This is almost always a killer for ACC teams. The Jackets need to ignore the ranking and look to Jacksonville State. It may seem like an "exhibition" game on paper, but the Bulldogs are not going to relent easily and everyone at Grant Field needs to remember that.
2. Press coverage: The Jackets have had a lot of press coverage and active PR going on in the off-season to boost the overall "star appeal" of the team while keeping the recruits interested. This can easily backfire if they don't produce. They need to stick to the plan and not showboat; CPJ knows his stuff about running an option offense and every player must run their positions flawlessly to put points on the board. Keep their minds out of the Sunday Sports section and in their studies and playbooks.
3. We beat Georgia: They are not happy in Athens. We destroyed the hopes of a top ten ranking for them (both post and pre-season) and we raised lots of eyebrows across the state. They will be gunning for us, at home this November. This will only serve to distract our players as they hang out in Athens on the days off or chat with their friends. Once again, they need to stay focused on the task at hand each week and make each week pay off.
4. Finally, high expectations: I would argue that Atlanta in general has one of the biggest fair-weather populations of any major sports city. The Tech following is unfortunately not that much different. Sure, we almost always filled the stands for the bigger games, but when Tech was losing (even by not much), folks lost interest and stayed away. Regardless of the outcome, the fans need to stay with their team. Go to the games; tailgate; usher the team in to Bobby Dodd Stadium as they take their walk before the game; wear Tech gear; watch them on T.V. and invite friends over.

Well, we are just a few weeks away from kickoff and I wish the best for my Yellow Jackets. I was there during their last, best season (ACC Co-Champions, 1999) and I look forward to watching them rise to the top again. I wish I could come to some games, but the commute from Afghanistan is a little much.

Go Yellow Jackets!

The joys of traveling

I am currently in Kapisa Province working on getting a project started. The trip was pretty short notice and I made it out here in good time. My goal is to be back at my "home" camp by my birthday, but there is no guarantee of that.


Traveling has its perks as well as costs. I get to see a lot of the country, but sometimes I get stuck places that I really don't need to spend a lot of time. For instance, on my last trip the other engineer I was travelling with and I got stuck for an extra six days at a pretty isolated location. It gave me a lot of time to read and watch movies but very little time to do work because I was almost completely disconnected. Additionally, it gave my coworkers back at my "home" camp plenty of time to figure out a great prank.


So, upon returning, I found the below image waiting for me!

I'm guessing I'll find something else exciting waiting for me after this trip, though I can't imagine how they'll top this!

Carpets, CONEX, and Roses

Aladdin would be proud!

It's nearly impossible to come to Asia and not buy a carpet. They are amazing! The more expensive ones are handmade and the even more expensive ones are silk. The tighter the knots, the more silk, the larger the size, and the more elaborate patterns = mo money.

The shown carpet is from a "family" of carpets that are easily my favorite (and most expensive - go figure). They come from Iran and they are exquisite! You can easily drop a couple grand on a small carpet that end up hanging on the wall over here, and yet they are still worth several times more than that in the States. Feel free to click on the picture for a larger image.

HOLY RUSTED CONEX BATMAN!

These are everywhere in theater. And by everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE. The CONEX is a watertight shipping container that usually comes in 20' or 40' lengths (the picture is a 40-footer) and they are not only everywhere, but they are used for everything. All across the country, these containers are retro-fitted for use as latrines, showers, offices, bedrooms, warehouses, and just about anything else you can imagine.

One of the benefits of these CONEX's is that they are relatively easy to ship. All you need is an appropriately-sized "Jingle" truck (affectionately named because the Afghan drivers usually deck their trucks out with elaborate and colorful paint schemes, tassles, and bells) and a crane. This one is being shipped from one FOB to another. Fun Fun!

For the Beauty of the Earth

Even in a war-torn nation there is beauty to be found. It can be found in the rugged mountains, the lush river valleys, and in the eyes of children while driving through the market. The Afghans wish to make their country more beautiful and in a dried up flower bed, an ANP troop had managed to plant and nurture this rose bush.

Truly a diamond in the rough.

In Him,

David

It's Alive!

Well, if you are reading this than you are aware that "My Side of the Blog" is active once again. Thank you for your patience during the last week or so. I'll be writing a few reviews and post some pictures soon, so stay tuned!

God Bless,
David

Two-Ply

I am a firm believer in simple pleasures. In Afghanistan the simple things please me even more. Chocolate chip cookies, light on demand, running water and WiFi are just a few examples of simple things that I take for granted back at home in Alabama.

Recently I was taking my regular sojourn to the LSS (Latrine/Shower/Shave) CONEX (a big metal box used for shipping stuff) which is really not that bad compared to other latrine facilities I've been forced to use. There is very little room to sit down, close the door, and take care of business, but at least we have them, and they are well-maintained. Until yesterday, however, I was forced to tidy up with single ply.

Over time, I have grown accustomed to certain luxuries. Fresh Alaska Salmon, not-from-concentrate orange juice, 110" movies at home, and two-ply, quilted toilet paper are on a short list of "must haves" in my household - anything less is substandard (in my humble opinion). Since being deployed I have been forced to "suffer" without these things with no suitable subtitutes. The sandpaper that disintegrates as I "finish off" that is passed off as toilet paper is pretty much reprehensible, and yet I deal with it. And then I had a very pleasant surprise waiting for me in stall number 2 of my favorite LSS yesterday afternoon - half of a roll of two-ply.

No, it wasn't quilted. But it was a wonderful change nonetheless. I'm saving this sacred roll now for special occasions - the first of which was a photo op (shown above). I think you will agree with me that this is a terrific boost for my morale. Away from family and friends, yes. Missing some finer things, maybe. No two-ply? Not anymore!

Mosquito Hawks and Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Well, with a title like that, I'm not sure where to begin?

A mosquito hawk is the bug pictured above. They are everywhere. At this point, most of them have mated and died off, but though dead, they linger still in bedroom corners, between window panes and screens and in spider webs.

The name "Mosquito Hawk" is a common misnomer for this insect. It's correct name is Crane Fly. We had a few in Alaska, a few, and people called them "damsel flies" but that is also incorrect. And, unfortunately crane flies do not eat mosquitoes or do any good that I can tell. They can actually damage your grass if you have an infestation of them. They lay their eggs and when the larvae hatch, they eat the roots of the grass until they reach maturity, and emerge from the ground to swarm and scare innocent children and invade houses only to be slapped and killed. Fortunately, they are not fast fliers and are easy prey, even for a six year old!

So for the chocolate chip cookies...we just had a hankerin' for some of these yummy Toll House bars I make (I've slightly changed the recipe), and Elizabeth helped me make them. Hannah, um, helped, too! She at least looked adorable. We then enjoyed sharing them with friends and eating the rest ourselves. We just wished Daddy had been here to eat them with us! He loves chocolate chip cookies--especially these!

In My Room

Some folks have asked what my living conditions are like. This is a fair question and I'm happy to entertain. Understand, though, that living conditions are as varied as the missions out here. Soldiers in Afghanistan somewhere will sleep under the stars tonight - though I haven't met them. Others are living in modified CONEX shipping containers that have been stacked like LEGO bricks. I live in a wooden B-Hut. Its a small wooden building about 20' x 32', raised a couple feet off the ground for leveling and flood and pest prevention purposes. There are six of us in this B-Hut and the "rooms" have been partioned by past residents using cheap lumber and plywood. I have a twin bunkbed with one mattress. The top of the bunkbed is used for storage. This is the only picture I was able to upload.  I'll work on getting some more onto the blog, but for now, this should give you an idea of what my room is like.  God Bless!

Long and Short of it

Attention spans are shorter than ever. Entertainment now comes in bite-size chunks thanks to YouTube, social networking sites, and text-messenging. Therefore, in an effort to increase traffic and interest, I will begin limiting my main page posts to shorter, more manageable entries. If you prefer my verbose nature, I recommend checking out any of the other pages - especially the Mediocre Politics or Mediocreviews.

My goal is to pose more relevant information and attract comments in return.

I think the short attention span of America is a sad thing. What are your thoughts?

G'bye Charter, G'day Gmail / Update

Today I joined the masses in establishing a Gmail account. The reasons were simple - I couldn't send e-mail directly from my computer while travelling without logging in to my webmail. This gets very annoying seeing as how I download all e-mail using Outlook and I can't easily reply. So now I have a fully functioning POP3/SMTP server with Gmail, capable of taking my send items and delivering them as required without flinching.

"How will I be able to e-mail you, now?" you may ask. Well, thanks to my brother's purchase of our family's domain over ten years ago, you can continue using the same simple e-mail address I've had since college. It requires no additional effort on your part at all!

That being said, if you know my whole name, you know my e-mail. Please feel free to send me a line anytime. Or, if you don't remember my name, feel free to send comments on any of the blogs here - they are always welcome.

I thought it was also fair to provide an update of my status in training and how we are doing. Well, the Army is an interesting establishment. Air Force officers are not allowed to sleep in the same lodging room. I'm currently roomed with 30 other Air Force and Army personnel in a 40-man barracks. Air Force personnel are empowered to think freely about the "best" way to do things. The Army has its ways - and they are all the "best". Air Force training has been streamlined and minimized to impact the mission. In the Army, training is the mission while in garrison (not deployed) and training is expanded as much as possible to fill available time (In the last 2.5 weeks, we have not had a single day of training longer than 7 hours). These are just a few of the differences - but I'm not complaining, it's just different.

Last week I learned a ton about the mission I'll be supporting and this week I learned a ton (and became pretty proficient) about programming/using various military radios. Just yesterday I placed a satellite call to someone standing fifteen feet from me. Pretty cool stuff. Tomorrow we have Army 101 (a little late in the schedule, but better late than never!) and marksmanship.

I sleep on the bottom bunk of a bed shared with no one else and the free time is spent working on equipment, watching movies, talking with Rachel and the kids or eating. I'm getting over a cold (that everyone got) and I should be a lot stronger for it! I'm excited about the mission I'll be embarking on and I hope that I can be a successful piece of our strategy for that war-torn country. I'll send another update in a few weeks, but I'll probably blog about other random stuff before then.
In Him,
David

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Godblessya'll!InHim,David

Five Months Old Today

Hannah Joy is 5 months old today! How the time has flown! She is still living up to her name, she is such a joy. The picture of her in her carseat with all the animals is particularaly precious because her big sister Elizabeth gave them all to her! The red and white polka dot outfit is from Aunt Katy. Thanks, Aunt Katy! Hannah also has figured out how to roll from back to tummy. I'm brainstorming the baby-proofing, because it's only a matter of time now before she's crawling!

I love this picture of the four of them playing a card game about space on the floor one night after dinner.

We've been busy! We travelled to N. GA this weekend to visit David's brother Mike and his family. The kids and I had such a great time playing the Wii, hiking, swimming, jumping on the trampoline, catching frogs and lightning bugs and visiting with their cousins.

Speaking of Lightning bugs, who would have guessed that lightning bugs don't live in Montgomery, AL! If I'm wrong about this, please post a comment correcting me! However, I have yet to see one, in either of the houses we've lived in over the last 20 months.

More on bugs...does anybody have a clue whether we should spend $290 on a yearly termite insurance policy? The money goes into a pot with everybody else's and then, IF we get termites, despite the treatment they gave the house, they will pay for any damages done by the sneaky little critters. The guy who worked for the company who came and inspected to make sure we didn't have any, seemed to think it wasn't really necessary. The lady who answers the phone thought differently, of course.

And, regarding bugs and Elizabeth, that little beauty will pick up just about any worm or beetle on God's earth! We found a big earthworm under a rock on our hike this weekend and she wanted to put it in her pocket and then feed it to Skippy, the pet turtle! So, we did just that!

I never cease to be amazed at these young lives I have been charged with. They are learning their place in the world and their place in God's kingdom. I sure love 'em a lot!

Rachel

Gifts

The art of gift-giving is an art my husband is very good at. And, might I mention, he doesn't only give gifts to me! However, lately, he has blessed me so much with two wonderful and probably life-changing gifts. He gave me the garden for our anniversary, which you can read about on this blog. I have always wanted to grow a garden. My grandparents always had a garden every summer and they first inspired me with the idea as a young child. It is so neat to have something so "pure" and "good" for our family to have to "think upon", as Phillipians 4:8 says. Watching a plant grow from a seed is something I had never done before and it is something that definitely reveals the glory of God! Our family is richer for the experience, and I hope to make it a yearly one.

David gave me yet another gift this month, for Mother's Day. It was very thoughtful. He got me a new Bible! I've had my NIV Study Bible since at least 1993, maybe longer. The dedication page on which my mother wrote so nicely the date and occassion of her and my dad giving it to me fell out long ago, and now I've forgotten when it was. To make a long story short, the Bible I ended up with is the New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible. I haven't read much yet, as I just got it yesterday afternoon, but I can already tell my time with the Lord will be enriched and my relationship with Him stronger, as I use this fresh new translation to hear His Word through the same Holy Spirit He has always used to speak to His children.

David has taught me so much about giving gifts! Receiving a gift, a gift that really met a need and/or blessed you in a special way, like the gifts described above, is not an everyday occurrence. Think about it. When is the last time you received a gift that really "hit the spot" in this way? When did you last receive a gift that was just exactly what you wanted or needed? First of all, make sure you let the giver know how much the gift meant to you--even if it's been years since the giving. Secondly, make sure you are a good receiver. If you do not appreciate a gift, do not lie, but do not be rude either. However, if you do appreciate it, and yet your pride is getting in the way of letting you truly be thankful for what someone wanted to bless you with, then you need to take a look at that heart of yours and ask God to start doing some serious surgery! Pride will rob you of so much joy! Thirdly, let the givers example inspire you to be a great gift-giver also! Don't let money or time hold you back. Just budget and plan and make it a priority to think of someone other than yourself or the hurry you're in, or all the things you have to do and make it happen. Blessing others is usually a lot more rewarding than checking off the To Do list! And coming from the queen of checking off lists, that's saying a lot! I've actually, on occassion written on my To Do list for the week, in between number three "Fold and put away the laundry" and number 5 "Plan out the dinner menu for the next two weeks", number 4 "Think of some ways to bless others this week and do it". You know, God always honors that and gives you the opportunity and means to do it!

Be encouraged and give the gifts God has given you in order to be like Him and bless others. Even a timely word, picking up a couple groceries for a busy friend, or mowing a neighbor's lawn are all excellent examples of gifts anyone can give.

Rachel

A Quick Update on my first blog

Well, for the record, I just wanted everyone to know that the turtle population at the MMFA pond is still thriving. About 10 days after the last post, we went back to see a puppet show, and saw plenty more baby turtles. One little boy there, even scooped one up in a cup and took it home to befriend his other turtle.

Pictures, you ask?

For those readers who have been with us regularly, you really deserve some pictures of the fam, so, here they are! Enjoy!

We'll start with Easter Sunday and a lovely shot of my amazing bride with the kids in front of our home.


Next up is a picture of Andrew and Elizabeth enjoying the wildlife at the Montgomery Zoo. We became members this year, so we'll visit often!

And here is Hannah Joy! And what a joy she is! She really has enjoyed being in this little bouncy seat/rocker.

Andrew and I are "Flip"ping out at our favorite family restaurant, "Flip's".


Elizabeth took to kite-flying at the Blount Cultural Park like a fish to water! Here she is controlling a "Blue Angels" entry-level stunt kite with two control lines with ease (for a moment anyway).

Turtles, Spiders and Garage Sales

Well, here are some things on my mind:
First of all, last Saturday I witnessed something so terrible and brutal, yet funny and exactly how God designed things to work. Of course, I want to share it with you!

So, we're at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art having a picnic and looking at all the turtles and fish swimming in the pond. We were with some dear friends who were in town visiting us. The kids were throwing their goldfish into the water to attract more turtles and watch them try to eat the goldfish (this is completely acceptable, by the way. People come to the MMFA just to throw bread and crackers to the ducks, geese, fish and turtles, not to look at the art.). Well, while we were watching the water, the tiniest, most adorable turtle I've ever seen swam up to the surface. I don't think it was even the size of a silver dollar. It was precious. While I was oogling over this tiny turtle, the unthinkable happened. A huge carp came up from below and swallowed him up in his big, fat, carp mouth, and he was no more. I screamed in shock and disbelief and what I had just witnessed. I wanted to cry and laugh at the irony all at the same time. Thankfully, none of the kids saw what David and I and our friend had seen. It was a lot to handle for me, watching a cute innocent creature get eaten alive! It could have really been one of those life moments for Andrew and Elizabeth!

What else is on my mind? Well, Andrew's third soccer game in a row is probably going to be rained out tomorrow. Ok, yes, that would mean that all of his games have been rained out so far! They make them up on Monday evenings, which is good, and then practice is on Tuesday evenings.

Garage sales. I love shopping garage sales! My friend asked me yesterday where my kids had gotten their cute summer clothes...garage sales in our neighborhood, I told her! I also got a wonderful double jogging stroller for $45 and a new bike for Andrew for $5! He is fairly close to being able to ride it (no training wheels), which means we're pretty close to being able to walk (someday RUN) the two-mile loop of our neighborhood with the girls in the stroller, while Andrew rides his bike.

Tomorrow I'm not going to shop garage sales. I'm going to go to real stores to buy new shoes and new shirts with the money I budgeted for shopping this month! I get to go with my dear friend Bonnie. I will even leave Hannah at home with David with very clear, written instructions! I am praying she will get better at drinking from the bottle!!!

....now, SPIDERS! Oh, they're just so creepy!!! I respect them tremendously. I'd probably even like them if they weren't so creepy and scary. But, alas, all that said, they still had to die. A couple weeks ago I noticed several webs in the windows right outside our back patio door. There were very large orb spiders dwelling in them. One of them had an egg sack. Then, a day or two later, I noticed more spiders, webs and egg sacks. Six spiders in all and seven egg sacks! And one dead spider, eaten by another, I'm assuming. Well, I had just about had enough and was not looking forward to thousands of baby spiders running all over my patio and getting into my home and scaring me and my children. I couldn't figure out exactly how to kill them though. Spraying them wasn't working, so I started thinking about what I could squish them with and if I had the guts to do it. Well then, my dear friend Bonnie, once again, suggested sucking them up and then dumping the container they were sucked into out into a bowl of a hot water and bleach solution. So that's what we did, after I refilled the bucket since my daughter dumped the first one out. I just know the spiders lived somehow and are going to get back at me somehow for trying to kill them so brutally when all they wanted to do was catch mosquito hawks and have a family on my patio.

So, there's my first post! Kind of long and wordy and, oh, so random! I'm sure I will get better though! Please don't compare me to my brilliant husband, David. He's such a good writer and has been doing this for so long, his writing and his blog is really impressive and fun to read. Thank you for at least humoring me, reading mine!

If I won the lottery

I doubt that will ever happen, considering I never play the lottery - but it's fun to speculate nonetheless. So, here goes.

Recently, a Georgia couple were surprised to discover their lottery ticket suddenly skyrocketed in value to $275 million. Like most lottery winners, they showed up at the lottery HQ and took pictures next to piles of fake cash holding up a huge check. It's ironic that most people think the tough question is whether to take the lump sum of almost half the winnings or accept annuitized payments of about $10 million for the next 25 years. They already answered the tougher question, that being "what should you do once you find out you've won the lottery", and I would say that they have made a poor choice in their actions.

"How dare you judge them!" On the contrary - how dare I not judge their actions? If I'm to learn anything, I'm to learn it from either a. the Lord (in one way or another) b. other people's mistakes/successes c. my own mistakes/successes. This I count as one of those life's lessons so many others have taught through their own actions usually leading to more unsavory circumstances.

So, if I won the lottery, here's what I'd do.
1. Tell NO ONE. I doubt I would even tell my wife for a few days, if she didn't already know. But besides Rachel, no one would have a clue - for a long, long time.
2. Lock up the ticket. Before putting the ticket in a safe deposit box, I'd go to a Kinko's and make 10 copies of the ticket - being sure to also make copies of a blank sheet of paper, after copying the ticket, to empty the copy machine's memory. Then I'd put the ticket and all but one copy in a safe deposit box.
3. Wait. I'd start writing down questions - lots of questions. Mostly I'd write down the legal and financial questions that would need to be answered before I moved on to try and get the questions answered. There will be a lot of them, so it's important I take notes and keep the notes secured.
4. Meet with an attorney. Attorneys have confidentiality with their clients and should be able to represent me anonymously to the lottery commission. I'd be sure to find an attorney who is not a family member or friend. I'll have to pay him/her, but I'm not worried about that - remember, I just won the lottery. I'd take a copy of the ticket with me for proof.
5. Establish a trust or similar vehicle that can help cloak my identity to receive the winnings. Oh, and I'd take the lump sum. In the end, I don't know where taxes are going, but I do have a pretty good guess as to where most investments are going (ironic; that's another conversation).
6. Do nothing. I'd wait a long time (in lottery winner's terms) before I did anything. I doubt I'd touch a penny of it for at least three months - maybe longer. When I did touch it, most of it would be invested; some would be spent - on things that are needed like home or vehicle repairs, college tuition, etc. I'd try my darnedest to live just like we've been living - same home, same job, same everything for a long time. Remember, the biggest enemy to a lottery winner is other people who know. As long as family, friends and strangers are completely unaware - relationships will be maintained and my family will feel safe going to sleep at night.

Anyway, that's my plan, though I doubt I'll ever need to employ it. I got a lot of good advice from this great article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, I'd recommend reading it if you happen to have recently won millions! God bless!