Here we are!!!

LaLaLand’s GPS coordinates

latitude 27.904, longitude -82.514

Unlike Margaritaville - where in JBs own words - is anywhere you want it to be, LaLaLand is real and this where we are located. This is where we live among the tropical breezes, palm trees and sunsets to die for.

DOGS LIVE HERE

DOGS LIVE HERE!



If you don’t want to be greeted by paws and swinging tails,
Don’t come inside -- because dogs live here…

If loose hair that doesn’t match your clothing or furniture bothers you,
Don’t come inside -- because dogs live here…

If you don’t like the feel of a cold nose or a wet tongue,
Don’t come inside – because dogs live here…

If you don’t want to step over many scattered toys,
Don’t come inside – because dogs live here…

But if you don’t mind all of this…
You will be instantly loved when you come inside
Because dogs live here.

2 Kinds of People

Which Are You?

Ella Wheeler Wilcox


There are two kinds of people on earth to-day;
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.

Not the sinner and saint, for it's well understood,
The good are half bad, and the bad are half good.

Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's wealth,
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.

Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span,
Who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man.

Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.

No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean,
Are the people who lift, and the people who lean.

Wherever you go, you will find the earth's masses,
Are always divided in just these two classes.

And oddly enough, you will find too, I ween,
There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.

In which class are you? Are you easing the load,
Of overtaxed lifters, who toil down the road?

Or are you a leaner, who lets others share
Your portion of labor, and worry and care

Tune In!

Courtney tuned in this Chritmas with her
new iPod nano!

Harley Christmas 2005 16 months old

Linda's new toy!

 

NIKON D50

My new camera! Santa bought me a new SLR digital camera this year! Courtney and Charlie added a 70-300mm zoom lens. Dad is a happy camper with this new toy.

Hey There!

December 2005!!!

It's been an awesome year and looks like it's coming to a peaceful end! It's Christmas Eve Eve aka December 23 and LaLaLand is ready for Santa and all the magic and excitement that comes with this time of year. We will miss Charlie - but he is always here in our hearts - as he spends Christmas 2005 in Baghdad. Courtney has had a blessed year and she will be here ( and around ) for Christmas. Having 2 such wonderful people as children makes our hearts ache this morning.....
We have listened and watched over night as the stories have been retold of a terrible tragedy here in Tampa. James Dungy died yesterday morning. James was the 18 year old son of Tony Dungy, the beloved coach and role model. Tony has a great faith in God and has lived a life committed to his family. We can feel his pain... My thoughts go back to April 1995 when Jerry Genung died. There is no reasoning, no depth to the indescribable pain and hope seems to die for a while. I am thankful that Tony has leaned on God his whole life, so he will know where to take his pain in this most difficult of times. It makes me thankful - AGAIN - for the 2 that I have shared my life with!!!!
Linda got an early Christmas present this year - she traded her 97' Mustang in on a new, 2006 model. Black with black leather interior and every option they make. It's a beautiful car and she is VERY happy with her new ride.
The pups are still growing and both have turned into beautiful animals. They both crave attention and exercise - which is good for the people too!
Neat times, things and people of 2005;
Fishin' Steve - my buddy and fishing partner
Charley Roberts - my buddy
Tail of the Dragon - my new addiction
My Road King - my escape
Linda, Charlie and Courtney - my heart, my very being....
Tom/Joan - my brother and new riding buddy
My computer - I still get to learn!!!!!!
Crab Shack - my hole in the wall
My dogs - my love
My Dad - my model
Phoenix Metals - my busy
Killboy - the Dragon photog, keeping me in touch with my dreams weekly
The Dog Whisperer
GATORS 34 FSU 7
Tom's great surprise in May
The North Carolina/Tennesse vacation of 05'
The Genungs
Some great customers
Dedicated co-workers



I am especially thankful at the overwhelming human response to the natural (and unnatural) tragedies of 2005. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita left lifelong images that most of us will never forget - but the response from the caring people of our country was far greater than the destruction. The dawn comes right after the darkest hours...

Merry Christmas

Until next time - peace out from Ben

RIDING THE DRAGON 

Where do you want to be?

WELL - where do you want to be - now? In the Bahamas, Jamacia, California? Where can you smell - like you are already there? Where can see the sights in your mind? Think about it!!!! Me? I would like to be on my favorite stretch of road on the North Carolina/Tennessee border - US129. I can see the cabin, smell the fireplace and sense the freshness in the air. I can feel my bike below me as I float through the 318 curves in 11 miles - I can feel myself leaning while I write this in anticipation of the next turn. I hear the beautiful southern accents of the people we interact with and see their smiles! YUP - give me the mountains! The change of colors and all that goes with it! Take me to The Dragon!

Fall on The Dragon 

BUCS win a big one!

Our Tampa Bay Bucs took a step toward becoming a contender yesterday! The line gave our young QB, Chris Simms, time and he lived up to the potential tag that has followed him his whole life. The Defense played well and had interceptions, sacks and rushes all day long. Simms drove the team over 60 yards in less than a minute and then the "A Train" plowed over on a gutsy 2 point conversion. All of Tampa Bay will be stepping lively today! GO BUCS!!!!

Bucs win a big one!

Harley 1 year old!!!

Charlie Baghdad July 05 

Linda, Bill and Chris Thanksgiving 2004

Court and Sam 

Charlie back shot in Iraq 

TIME FLYS ON

NOVEMBER 2005 - Here we are, 3 months since my last rambling and it seems like years have past. Courtney turned 23 in August and took a trip to Las Vegas and Little Rock in September. She went to Las Vegas with Molly (who had just returned from her 2nd tour in Iraq) and Lanie - the old crew rides again!!! Then she flew to Little Rock see Sam, her heart throb.... Charlie has been in Baghdad now for over 5 months and hopes to come home the end of January - it seems like an eternity while he is there! Thank God for IM, we get to talk to Charlie regularly and that keeps us only mildly insane with worry. The pups have both had their 1st birthday and are absolutely beautiful! Jake is still hopping along and seems as happy as ever. Katrina made a mess of the Gulf Coast and the people in New Orleans had a terribly hard time. The amount of destruction we have seen in the last 2 years has been overwhelming and many seem to think THE END is near. With the destruction comes the human response and in every case the compassion and outpouring of kindness shows that our Creator still influences a lot of His people down here! Linda has adjusted to her new owners - as she has countless times throughout the years - and has kept Sunpointe churning on all 8 cylinders. She is like a little hurricane! Brother Bill has had the toughest time! He had 2 knee replacements in September and since then has had the battle of his life. He has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, small vessel disease and the doctors feel he had multiple mini strokes! Then one of the knees got infected and they had to go in and take out all the new parts, clean them up and put him back together. He is finally at home and in a little less pain, but still needs all our prayers!!!! Steve retired in September and has bought a camera shop in Brandon and TIME FLYS ON!!!!!

People

When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bustling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity. (Dale Carnegie)

That pretty well sums it up.....

JDM

FIRSTS

Firsts - we all go thorugh many first times in our lives. Some are good, some are not so good... Some create life long memories, some create minor distractions and some impact your life dramatically. Charlie recently encountered a first meeting with death while on a short mission in Irag. He has responded well... Every situation, problem or first is as good or bad as how we react to it. You can be called an ass and hug the person or slap the person - it's all in how you choose to respond. Where does your mindset take you? Is your glass half full or half empty? Will you choose to live a life of anger or peace?

Jerry out from LaLaLand

Charlie New Years Day 2005 South Korea 

2 Kinds of People

Which Are You?

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

There are two kinds of people on earth today;

Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.

Not the sinner and saint, for it's well understood,

The good are half bad, and the bad are half good.

Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's wealth,

You must first know the state of his conscience and health.

Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span,

Who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man.

Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years

Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.

No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean,

Are the people who lift, and the people who lean.

Wherever you go, you will find the earth's masses,

Are always divided in just these two classes.

And oddly enough, you will find too, I ween,

There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.

In which class are you? Are you easing the load,

Of overtaxed lifters, who toil down the road?

Or are you a leaner, who lets others share

Your portion of labor, and worry and care

Mid-Summer in LaLaLand

Mid-summer update

August 2005 - and it's a hot summer, hotter than I can ever remember - but on we go! The Genungs are here for their annual visit and look great and Dylan is almost as tall as Bob. Courtney has met a new heart throb from Little Rock and seems more excited than I've ever seen her. More on her and Sam to come....Charlie has been in Iraq for 2 months now and we talk with him on IM several times a week. He is doing great, staying safe, eating good and working out everyday. Linda's property has been sold and she will have new owners next month - about the same time as last year. The pups are growing and are more beautiful each day. Obie gave us a scare last month with multiple trips to the vet and emergency clinic for urinary tract problems - hopefully he is almost back to his old self. We painted the dining room and the back bathroom and I used the new pressure washer on the deck - so we have been trying to clean the old place up. I remain thankful for all that I have in my life and excited about what is around the next bend!

Fathers Day

FATHER'S DAY 2005

Father's Day 2005 was an awesome one for me!
But, I have told many people on many occassions
that it is Father's Day for me EVERYDAY! I truly
believe that one does not knowwhat love is until
you have children. I have been blessed with the
2 best ever! Linda wasvery sweet all weekend and
wanted me to have a great Father's Day. Courtney
came over early to go to breakfast with us and brought
2 cards - 1 from her and 1 from all the critters. The 1
from the critters was "signed" by all the dogs, cats and
birds and included Steve Yerrid's tickets to the Devil Rays
for Father's Day! COOL! So Linda and I went to the game
and acted like the rich people - pigged out on the free food
and sat right behind home plate and was waited on as long
as we stayed. Of course I missed seeing or hearing from
Charlie, but he is always on my mind and he emailed me
early Monday and then called me Monday afternoon from
Iraq - cool - huh??? All's well with the 2 best children ever!

The Road King

The Road King

My Trusty Ride

My 2002 Harley Road King has brought miles of smiles and joy! My trusty friend has been with me for 3 years now and has carried me through the roads of Florida, the mountains of Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina. Never a problem, the King has been my faithful and favorite transport - not only down the roads, but has allowed my spirit to escape the ties to the mundane and let me exist where "now and here" are all that matter! I have never named this ironhorse because I have never found a name I considered worthy of my buddy - I shall endeavor to do just that. This is my 1st Harley and I don't know where my timeline will take me, but this bike will always be very SPECIAL to me. On our most recent adventure we encountered "the Dragon" in the hills of Tennessee and my steady ride carried me through on multiple runs with ease and grace. Whenever I am on this partner of mine I feel more alive, invigorated and free! I'll ride til I can't get on anymore.....

Word from Iraq

Charlie flew out on June 6 and we got email on the 8th - all is well, palace is "unreal and very secure". We were glad to hear so quickly. Monday night have left us with a very strange feeling when he called prior to boarding the plane. Our hearts were numb in our throats. Hurry Home Son!

Court & Charlie 

Mom and Charlie 

Come Home Soon Son!!!

Memorial Day was the worst!
The weekend had started out great! Charlie came in Thursday night and we all got to go on a 140 mile ride on Saturday - The were 7 Moores on 4 motorcycles and we had a ball. Charlie got to see some of his old friends and we got some more recuperation from the vacation. On Monday Courtney and Charlie went to the movies and we met them for lunch at PF Changs - it was awesome!
THEN came the dreaded trip to the airport..... My whole life I have tried to always protect my kids, sometimes OVERprotective! Now here we were putting him on a plane and he would be headed for Iraq and the war. I had known it would be tough, but it totally drained Linda and I of anything we had in us. I tried not to show Charlie my fears, but Mom was losing it fast and her son was fighting back the tears. We left the airport in absolute silence and I felt like someone had taken most of my stomach out. I know I don't have the words to describe this and only those who have been through the same can realize the shear fear at a time like this. I'm sure that not 1 minute will pass that I don't anguish over this until he gets back! I thank God every day for the wonderful family He has blessed me with and Charlie and I have always had a special relationship. I love and admire him!
Come home soon Son!!!!!!!

Linda at 5400 ft!

The chalet 

Lt and Dad 

JDM and the Road King 

Jerry at 5400 ft 

Linda ready to ride! 

Taming the Dragon!

Our long awaited vacation began to seem real as we worked into the early AM hours after a hectic Friday the 13th. Saturday found us both too excited to notice any lack of sleep. We got away about 8:30 and spent well over an hour at the Cracker barrel in Ocala, but we were committed to continuing our "enjoy the journey" mode that we have come to love. We left Florida and climbed Georgia with the Road King attached to the trailer following our every move. Our Yahoo map took us through all the scenic backroads and towns such as Helen, GA and Hiawassee and Hayesville, NC and on through Palmer and Murphy toward our cabin. We realized that this route would take us right over the Dragon - at night, in the rain, towing our bike....After safely maneuvering the 318 turns, we began to look for Happy Valley Trail and we looked for over an hour and drove by it at least 3 times - finally getting to our gorgeous chalet at 12:30 AM - tired. We awoke Charlie and unloaded the truck and heard tails of Charlie's 2 trips over the Dragon looking for the same road. Sunday was rainy early and that put off the Dragon. We went into Maryville for breakfast and a trip to the new Smoky Mountain Harley dealership - awesome shop and nice people. Charlie would have to head back to Ft Campbell early in the afternoon, so we were glad he had got lost and met the Dragon the day before. I rode with Charlie about 12 miles down to the closest gas station and watched him head back west toward his latest home - I still get a kick out of watching him. He is REALLY enjoying his harley!!! Linda and I kicked back and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the QUIET - oh so quiet!!!! It was wonderful. Relaxation became the mandate of the day! We made a fire in the fireplace, laughed and played - and fell asleep early with anticipation of the day to come. I was up early on Monday as usual, made the coffee and headed down to get the bike ready! We left the cabin after breakfast about nine and within 5 minutes we were meeting the Dragon head on! The "tail of the Dragon" is an 11 mile stretch of US129 on the Tennessee/ North Carolina border that sees thousands of bikers and sport cars drive from all over the country to challenge the 318 curves. It is everything it is advertised - it is not for the weak at heart! It will challenge your abilities and hone your concentration skills. I truly enjoyed every minute of it and Linda seemed much more relaxed on the back of the harley than she did in the SUV. We made our 1st pass and stopped at Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort for a breather, a bathroom break and some pictures. We headed off again down the NC side of 129 and aiming for the Cherohola Skyway about 20 miles away. The scenery and the clean air was beyond my ability to describe - we stopped several times just to stare at the water and the mountains! A stop at wheelers Performance Center found us with multiple Dragon souvenirs and on we rode toward the 5400 ft high Cherohola! Once again, it was mile after mile of beauty beyond description, cool, crisp air!!!!! There were observation points almost every mile on the way up and each one was unique and just as awesome as the one before... At the top, we sat and admired the handy work of our Creator and we were both very thankful to be there - it was 20 degrees colder, there was no leaves and it was brown - a big contrast from the bottom. We headed down and continued to be in awe of the continuous picture book scenery we rode through! An hour later we were sitting at Applebee's in Alcoa, TN very hungry and tired. We had rode 140 miles and had stopped about 8 - 10 times over the past 6 hours....Tuesday I got up and Linda stayed at the cabin while I took on the Dragon alone twice. I picked up the pace a little without Linda on the back and had a thrill all the way through - I MUST COME BACK - MANY TIMES!!!!!! What a major league rush! I drove back to the cabin feeling more content than in many years. We packed up and left our beautiful chalet - promising to return as soon as we can. On to Nashville and the "Great Surprise".... At the chalet, we were so far in the Smokey Mountains that we could not even get any cell phone service - so we got our messages as we headed out and Tom, my brother had left 3 messages wanting to know how it went and when we would be there...I called him back as we were heading west toward his house and told of our great adventure and all the beauty;I remember telling him that if he ever got into motorcycling, he had to go there because it was beyond words. When we got to his house, he was not there, only his wife. She said he would be there any time and he was driving an old classic and she wanted to get some pics. We head out to the driveway and notice Joan is pointing a video camera at us. As I turn around and look up the driveway, Tommy is pulling in on a new Harley Davidson ElectraGlide Ultra Classic! W O W !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They really fooled us! He had bought it 6 weeks ago and had hid it when Charlie came to visit so he could surprise me and all the folks in Florida - HE DID!!!! GREAT JOB BUBBA!!!!!!! Tom and Joan looked awesome on the bike and you could tell that Tom was more excited over this than anything in years - he deserves it! The rest of the week was riding and playing and visiting with Charlie - the best vacation ever. Linda got a surprise at the old place we used to eat - Mason's Motel. Jenny has another customer that is a Celiac and she fixed Linda 2 of the best meals she has ever had!!!! We picked up Charlie's bike on Friday afternoon and headed back to Florida.

Puppy Updates

Harley turned 8 months last week and weighed in at 82 lbs.
Lilly turned 6 months and is 57 lbs.
Both are turning into incredibly beautiful Labs.
They are both doing awesome in obedience classes and we are enjoying it all.
They are both sweet pups and the whole pack has jelled together as a close group.
Harley and Lilly are staying out of their crates now during the day and so-far, so-good.
YES - they have stolen our hearts!

Harley and his halo 

Times spins on

Whew!!!!!!!!!!! Since January 20th time has flown by! Charlie came home and fell in love with his new motorcycle. He went out just to get a feel for it one afternoon around 2 and came back about 1 in the morning - that's my boy! He ran with his friends and we only got to ride together a little but we have plans to rectify that. We were just excited to have him home! He went off to Airborne School at Fort Benning, came back and got ready to head off for Ft Campbell. Courtney found an apartment just a couple miles away and she is only 5 minutes from her office now. Court and the cats seem very happy at their new home. I towed Charlie's Harley up on March 11 and when I got there that night, Charlie told me he would be going to Iraq in early June. It was a long drive back and I went through a myriad of emotions - mainly I was scared to the very depths of my soul at the negative possibilities. It has become a fact that is never far from my immediate thoughts and I feel today like I felt the minute he told me. The rest of March and April have been full of puppy training, a few rides on the motorcycle and work. Harley and Lilly are both growing into beautiful animals and I have really enjoyed them. All 5 of the dogs have grown into a close pack. We are planning vacation next month - we have rented a chalet in the mountains and Charlie will meet us there and we will ride the "Tail of the Dragon" - 318 turns in 11 miles! The chalet is beautiful and we are so looking forward to being off and seeing Lt Charles again!

Happy Dad and LT /Jan 20 2005