Undiscovered

This is the title-track of James Morrison song from his debut album seems appropriate for this blog. Here is a brief excerpt:

"You see the look that's on my face

You might think I'm out of place

I'm not lost, no, no, just undiscovered."

In an earlier post on August 16, I wrote that Jennifer and I had picked out our new boy's name: Jacob. Since that time, I have been scouring for a good middle name for him. I received several thoughts from those close to me an truly appreciate all of the support. Jacob Liam, the early favorite, has lost ground to Jacob Alex over the past week. I love Alex and always wanted to use Alex if I were to have a boy.

Strangely enough, Jennifer had called me downstairs for a brief chat before her early bedtime. I obliged her request, but was a bit unsure what this discussion could be about at this time of the evening. Se proceeded to tell me that she is starting to reconsider using the name Jacob, because she doesn't "feel" like a Jacob. Who am I to complain- she is the one carrying him. Am I to call her bluff? She is the only one that truly feels him. She was concerned because she wasn't sure how I would react to her thoughts. I told her that we have plenty of time to determine our child's name. We can surely look at alternatives and if we come up with something better, so be it. It's still a name we both like a lot, but we are willing to revisit the issue for a while longer.

The interesting part is we are realizing we have several stipulations that severely limits our options:

1. The name cannot end in a "-on." Too sing-songy.

- Jackson, Mason, Cason, Landon are out. Evan, Ethan, and Nathan are borderline...

2. The name cannot end in a "-er." Too blended with the last name.

- Tanner, Conner, Hunter have been nixed.

3. The name cannot start with an "R." Double R's just aren't cool (sorry, Dad!).

- Richard, Rex, and Rhett are out.

All this to say that we are making attempts to discover who this child truly is in the coming months. Only time will tell if another name leaps out at us in the near future. Guess James Morrison did sum it up the best: "I'm not lost, just undiscovered."

Your thoughts are welcome! I will continue to compile a list and comment on each one in the coming weeks.

Goodnight!

m

Album Review: The Gabe Dixon Band

The Gabe Dixon Band - Gabe Dixon Band

A rising talent in the world of music, Gabe Dixon's simple trio of piano, bass and percussion laid the groundwork for a return to music in its purest form. His major debut release is a brilliant collection of material that is a great bend of an early Billy Joel (the better portion of his career by the way- an argument for another day), Ben Folds, and a jazz/pop cross of Harry Connick and Bruce Hornsby.

The album begins with a simple grouping of 8th notes, followed by his youthful voice that flows smoothly throughout the track entitled, "Disappear." The next track, "Five More Hours" takes the listener through the grind of a musician on tour, finally heading home for a much needed rest. I would say that it is one of the best tracks on the album. The beginning of the track has the musical stylings and trademark melody that is as slick as it is catchy. No way you won't be singing along. "All Will Be Well" has a familiar sound of Billy Joel's, "Don't Ask Me Why," but is purely piano driven.

Just like the middle of a batting lineup in baseball is the heavy hitters, this album is no different. The crowning achievement is easily "Find My Way." The song starts with another slick piano melody, only to spin you around and punch you in the stomach for not paying full attention. He and the band crank up the tempo as Gabe begins to pound on the keys with the intent of bringing down the walls. Simply a great song that will have you playing it over and over again. It is followed by "'Til You're Gone," a catchy blues progression that will leave you nodding your head 'til it's gone.

Gabe Dixon begins to mellow to bring two soft songs, "Far From Home" and "Even After You," that allow you to finally catch your breath and prepare for "Sirens," which is a quick tight riff that has harmonies similar to a bluegrass band. He simply shows you another side to his versatility on this album. Finally, he takes us home with "Baby Doll," which gives the listener another fluid melody and song that leave the palette clean, eagerly anticipating the next offering of this band.

All in all, this album is a very strong debut for a piano-based trio. The production is very slick and accentuates the virtues of a great voice and artistry of a fine musician. It has the ability to conform to a multitude of listeners: from the adult-contemporary and pop to avid audio aficionados that appreciate strong melodies, chord progressions and lyrics This is a nice example of the fine art that is songwriting.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Guitars

Footstompin' Music

Going way back to find the boys of Grand Funk Railroad being appropriate for this post...

I thought I would start giving you my thoughts on something that I feel passionate about: music. Before I start, I should clarify the above statement- these posts will generally be about lesser-know artist that many of my readers will hear within the next year on your radio station of choice or used in television series, or films. These artists are the antithesis of what is currently being spewed on the mainstream airwaves solely for the pleasure of a youth with too much disposable income. You will not get any of the mind-numbing, inanely simple creations of home studio pop that is currently on the airwaves, which brings me to my favorite quote in the past several years in regards to today's so-called music:

"Any idiot with a computer and a keyboard can make a T-Pain record." - unknown athlete discussing music while being interviewed as a guest on the Jim Rome Show

The music you will learn about in these upcoming blogs will likely find their ways to public appreciation for being true to their craft. I have been purchasing numerous albums over the past several years by artist that have finally gained the deserved acceptance of the listening public. To list a few of these examples in that have occurred in the past:

Jason Mraz- Best Album: We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things- the tongue-twisting words and melodies are legendary on his past 3 albums

James Morrison (Pop/Rock)- Best Album: Songs For You, Truths For Me- a young UK artist most-known for "Broken Strings," with Nelly Furtado

Mat Kearney (Pop/AAA)- Best Album: Nothing Left To Lose- most notably, his song "Breathe In Breathe Out" was used in "Grey's Anatomy"

Matt Nathanson (Pop/Rock)- Best Album: Beneath These Fireworks- received huge airplay with his song, "Come On Get Higher"

The Raconteurs (Alt. Rock)- Best Album: Consolers of the Lonely- a supergroup spearheaded by my generation's lone musical genius- Jack White

Kings of Leon (Rock)- Best Album: Only By The Night- the Nashville-based group has achieved popularity in the UK more than the US

I would encourage anyone to review any of these albums and dare disagree that this is not some of the best music in their perspective genres.

Therefore, I cannot start out with the most recent material. Instead, I will have to go back a little bit to make sure some of these lesser-know artists get some great publicity. I will try to post some of theses several times during the next several weeks. Also- it would not be fair to require me to continue my self-imposed requirement to title my blogs after an appropriate songs, but I will continue that on regular blogs... In case you would like to get ahead of the class, take a listen to the following artists and their respective albums:

The Gabe Dixon Band - Gabe Dixon Band (Pop/AAA)

Sounds Like This - Eric Hutchinson (Pop/Rock)

Hope for the Hopeless - Brett Dennen (Folk/Rock)

Horehound - The Dead Weather (Alt. Rock

My Old, Familiar Friend - Bendan Benson

I have given a lot of homework out and class is soon to be in session, so I suggest you get listening. Comments and thoughts are welcome! If you have any questions about today's lesson, please feel free to ask...

Goodnight!

m

Forever

This title is a song from Vertical Horizon's album entitled, "Go" and is perfect for this post. Please take a listen to it after you read this post.

Dear Frankie:

I didn't get a chance to chat with you before I left work on Thursday. I was headed home to enjoy a 4-day weekend. Jennifer and I pushed up the day to find out the sex of our baby to Saturday because we knew Gabe would love to be there for it. I sent you a TXT to let you know that it was a boy! We are both very excited. I didn't hear back from you. I didn't think that was all too odd because there have been times in the past when I wouldn't get a response and would bust your chops about it the next day. This was big news, so I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a response. It's fine now- I understand why...

I heard the news from Nancy C. on Monday afternoon. When I got the TXT, I simply could not believe it, but something in my spirit wasn't surprised. I quickly got in touch with Alyson P. to confirm the news. I had no idea how it would impact the rest of the week and still don't know about the future implications on my life. I couldn't sleep for hours Monday night and the first thing I thought waking up Tuesday was that I will get to say hello when I get to work. I heard your voice while working Tuesday afternoon as well. I must have just missed you...

Yesterday, I must have daydreamed about hanging out with you and being able to chat with you twenty times before lunch alone. It was a pretty quiet day at work so I was able to hang out with you a lot that morning.

Today, we laughed about the fact that management wanted to close our offices Monday on your behalf, because we heard you say that "they didn't even close the department after that huge tornado ripped through Murfreesboro! That's crazy, right?" At work, we have done what you have asked and "nut up to come to work" even though we couldn't focus all to well the past few days...

On my way home today, I could swear I saw you driving back to work as I left for the day.

Anyway, all this to say that I miss you very much. We had a great friendship that went as far as we would both allow. Although barriers were put up in order for me not to get too close, I never took the initiative to try to break them down. I think it an unspoken agreement that we would respect our boundaries between each other. That said, we had an immediate common bond in the struggles you were going through because I am a witness to some of the same struggles in my family. I know how hard some of the days were for you and am proud of you for pushing through the dark days in your life.

You lit up every room that you walked into no matter where you were. You had an uncanny ability to make everyone feel comfortable and have a good laugh. I couldn't believe that they sat us together at work a few months ago- we knew it wasn't going to last long so we made it count and lived those days to the fullest. We were constantly causing humorous disturbances for everyone that would listen. They were easily the best days I ever had at work. Being your supervisor for a short time was less exciting, but we made it work. My expectations for you were slightly higher than the rest of the team to make sure that everyone knew I wasn't playing favorites with you. Thankfully, you understood, stepped up to the plate, and crushed it. I was happy to return to being a peer once again so we could get back to poking fun at the department and razzing our co-workers...

I do have one regret in our friendship. While we did have an occasional spiritual conversation, I never fully discussed and witnessed to you about my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I am ashamed for not doing so with you and can only hope that God will forgive me. I know that your mother is a devout Christian, so I feel some comfort in knowing that you had heard the Gospel many times in your life and taken Jesus as your personal saviour. It is still my duty as a Christian to have that discussion with you and for not doing so, I am truly sorry.

I don't think that you truly knew the impact you had in your short time on earth. Everyone saw incredible potential in you and saw the same characteristics I saw that made you a special human being. You had so much love around you from a great many people in Tennessee. I loved you like the brother I never had and was always wanting to take care of you when I could. Right now, all I want is two seconds with you say hello to a close friend and see you smile one more time. One day, I hope I find peace with that feeling. I know that you are with your brother now, which I know allows you to be at peace after several years of unrest. Just know that I miss you dearly and hope to continue seeing you around corners, at your desk, or passing down the highway as I drive to and from work often.

Jennifer tells me that I keep too much of my thoughts and emotions inside. She is worried about me because I keep telling her, "I'm fine, I'm good." She knows that generally means I am not fine nor good, but I don't know what else to say. I really suck at grieving.

I am not ready to say goodbye just yet, so I will let you go and TXT you later. If you don't respond, I'll understand.

Michael

Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)

John Lennon said it best!

Jen and I found out yesterday that we hare having a baby boy! Thankfully, Gabriel was with us because he was very excited. You see, he was at the zoo with Jen and her mother and he put a penny in the hyperbolic bowl and wished for a boy. Realizing what he had done, Jen's mother put a dime in and wish for a girl. Apparently, the logic is that a wish on a dime would overpower wishing on a penny. Gabe immediately said that his penny was first, which trumped the dime in his mind....

Looks like he was right. While watching in anticipation, I asked the nurse if the baby looked healthy. She said, "He looks great!" I was relieved hearing that the baby was healthy.... Then replayed the words back in my mind- he was fine? Why did she say "he?" The nurse showed us the reason for her choice of words. Sure enough- a little boy is on the way.

Jen was as heartbroken as Gabe was happy. She was certain that it was a girl. She had everything picked out and knew exactly what the room was going to look like. I warned her about the dangers of doing that, but those warnings went unheeded. She said the thought of a boy never crossed her mind for the past month or so. As stated in an earlier post, I think that I had become so at peace with having a daughter, that I may had convinced myself that a daughter was coming. Initially, I had thoughts and feelings of another boy. Maybe I was preparing myself for a girl, but I must say that I was slightly shocked by it all too.

It was really awesome to have the opportunity to see the baby and know it was a boy so early in the pregnancy. We got to see the evidence of a little boy using the 3D ultrasound yesterday afternoon. Disturbingly enough, we could see more clearly using the standard ultrasound. We will definitely go back again later in the pregnancy to really get a good view of the baby before birth.

It's going to take Jen a day or so to fully wrap her mind around the events of Saturday. We are now working through the list of names for our boy. We are confident in using Jacob, because that is what my Dad has always called me. I am not sure why, and if you ask him, he doesn't know either. He just started doing it one day and never stopped. We thought it would be nice to name him after me, but without naming him Michael. We now are searching for middle names.

I have scoured the history of the New York Yankees to find an association that Jen would use without any success... Thus far, she has said no to the following:

Jacob Mickey Rogerson/Jacob Mantle Rogerson (Mickey Mantle)

Jacob Louis Rogerson/Jacob Gehrig Rogerson (Lou Gehrig)

Jacob Joseph Rogerson/DiMaggio Rogerson (Joe DiMaggio)

Jacob Thurman Rogerson (Thurman Munson)

Jacob Jeter Rogerson (Derek Jeter)

Jacob Reggie Rogerson/Jacob Jackson Rogerson (Reggie Jackson)

Jacob Whitey Rogerson/Jacob Ford Rogerson (Whitey Ford)

Jacob Mariano Rogerson (Mariano Rivera)

Jacob Yogi Rogerson/Jacob Berra Rogerson (Yogi Berra)

Jacob Martin Rogerson (Billy Martin)

Jacob Casey Rogerson (Casey Stengal)

The only one that has worked thus far is Jacob Alex Rogerson. A-Rod better bring me home a World Series this year and be a major contributor this year...

Jacob Liam Rogerson is the frontrunner right now. Your thoughts and name combos are welcome. I will compile a list of all the names we receive from everyone and comment on each one in a future post if people contribute. I would encourage you to do so!

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. Another post soon!

m

Sweet Child O' Mine

Nothing like a little Guns N Roses to start off the next post...

Jennifer is 15 weeks pregnant as of today. We are going to have a 3D ultrasound tomorrow to finally find out if we are having a boy or a girl. Initially, we were scheduled to go on Monday, but we really wanted Gabriel to be there for the event. It is important to be as involved as possible and he is as excited as we are.

We are going to make an event of it. We will be traveling to Franklin tomorrow midday to eat at my favorite restaurant, Noshville! If you have not been there, it is the closest thing to a NY-styled delicatessen as there can be in the south. The best food and cheesecake imaginable. Afterward, it on our way to 4-D Peek to see the baby.

Just so you know, Jen has even bought a couple of girl outfits! I keep daring her to keep buying things for a girl as if it will jinx her- "Go ahead and buy it, honey." Then adding a wry comment after the fact like: "Just be sure to keep the receipt!" That said, EVERYONE is hoping for a girl. Everyone in Jennifer's family. Everyone in my family. Everyone, except Gabe and I. We are sticking together and this is shaping up just like we like it- us against the world! Gabe wants a little brother and I want another boy too. Why? Because I am afraid of having a girl...

Everyone tells me that daddy's LOVE little girls. They say girls cling to their fathers and fathers adore their daughters. Fathers will do anything to make them happy. They cannot get enough of their daughters and I always hear that a man's life will never be the same. That is EXACTLY what I am fearful about!

With Gabriel, I do my best to treat him like a little man. As an example, I recently taught him how to use my power drill as he helped me rebuild our fence. He loves helping me change the oil the cars and motorcycles as well. As he gets older, I will teach him how to be a gentlemen to women and a leader of men, holding steadfast to the foundation being laid on a daily basis.

With a daughter, I turn into a pushover. The easy mark for a daughter to get what she wants, even if Mom has told her "no" already. I have seen glimpses of this over the past two years while coaching Gabriel's baseball team. Last year, there was a beautiful girl named Kaylee that stole my heart. She had long flowing blonde hair, brown eyes, and was always smiling and have a great time. She made me melt without even trying. I commented to Jen at that time that having a girl wouldn't be so bad if she was like Kaylee...

This year, I had a very shy, introverted girl named Claire on our team that was very quiet. I did everything I could to make her open up and by the end of the season, she was awesome to be around. However, Sloan was my pride and joy this year. Each week she would come to practice and games with her pink batting helmet and bat. She was adorable with her bows that she used to tie her sleeves up on her shoulder. More than just a pretty little girl, she was a remarkable player too! Very gifted athletically, she was chasing after the ball, scooping it up, and hurling it across the infield to get outs. She had graceful movements for a 6-year-old and thoroughly enjoyed playing. She never stopped hustling at a practice or game. She truly stole my heart. Sloan made me truly acceptant to having a daughter- as long as she was like Sloan...

We will be bringing home pics and videos of the event. I will post a couple online ASAP for all to see and enjoy.

Will post again soon!

m

Did You Get My Message?

Preface: Great tune by Jason Mraz on the album entitled, "MR.AZ." If you haven't already, please check it out ASAP!

It's amazing how adapted we get to technology. If you have been keeping up with my posts, you know that I have not been using Twitter all that long. I grew into it slowly, and before I knew what happened, I was waiting for the next update from the Sklar Brothers (great comedy duo) for my daily fix of a wry quip of a topical news story. Until Thursday, life was going quite well. All of a sudden, I notice that I havent received any messages in a few hours. Strange, because typically I would have heard something from Jay Mohr (another great comedian) or my sister (who can be a comedian at times). Crickets- I got nothing all morning.

Being in technical support, I review all my training: verified coverage, data sessions, etc. Complete a soft reset of my device. Still nothing. I removed the UberTwitter application from and added it back to the device. Zip. I then try to go online using the device and try to access Twitter's site. Zilch. I head home for lunch and now try to check the site on my computer. Nada.

I text my sister to figure out if our little bird-friend is okay. By the time I hear back from her, she has confirmed what I have been reading while on my lunch break: Twitter is down. This can't be happening. I know it has a few glitches that I can deal with, but DOWN? Yes- thanks to a computer dork... ahem... "hacker" crashing the server. No worries, it will be online again soon. I can pass the time, right?

Turns out, I couldn't. I was consistently check the site to see when it was back online. Finally Thursday evening, it was back online, but still a bit sluggish. Understandable. It's going to take time to fix the issue and get everything back into working condition again.

Friday rolls around and I check my device mid-morning. Hmm. Niet. Interesting, because I was getting random updates on UberTwitter. I would look down and see 45 new updates. Odd. Still not able to send an update through UberTwitter. I check with kid sis and she says her iPhone is updating Twitter without issue. DEAR GOD- Please let it not be UberTwitter! I download Twitterberry, which I could use as a backup until UberTwitter is working again. Twitterberry is not letting me update effectively either.

Turns out that there may be a residual issue with the Blackberry interface with Twitter, which is nice. This is day 2 of not being able to send updates. Now the 3 people who care about my updates won't know if I am okay. Sure, I could PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL or TXT a person, but that takes much more effort. That is a pathetic statement, isn't it?

I really hope this gets resolved soon. Then I can get back to feeling self-important: updating people who generally don't care that I am doing something they could care less about in a timely manner...

m

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting!

Preface: Notice that all of my recent posts have ties to a song? I like the thread and will be continuing it as long as possible!

Ok- I know that I just posted yesterday, but I am trying to post more often. I am currently watching the preliminary fight expose for UFC 101 an thought I would share my opinions on the co-main event fights for Saturday night.

Forrest Griffin v. Anderson Silva

I like Forrest Griffin as a person a lot. I like what he brings to the UFC. The former Light-Heavyweight Champion brings the "every man" personality to the table and he relishes being in a good fight. He always comes prepared for a battle in the octagon and refuses to give up. To sum it up quickly- he is the Rocky Balboa of the UFC. I am impressed by his heart and sheer desire to win. How can you not like this guy?

Again, I like Forrest Griffin a lot, but I LOVE Anderson "The Spider" Silva. The reigning Middleweight Champion is unquestionably the best pound for pound fighter in the world today. His striking ability is impetuous and lands about 80% of all of the strikes that he throws and kicks. He has some incredible victories over some of the best fighters the UFC has to offer. He has completely cleared out the 185 weight class leaving no one available to even contend for a title shot. He has dominated several fighters that previously fought at 205 pounds. He makes great fighters look awkward, ridiculous and outclassed.

When these guys meet, both have something to prove. Griffin wants to win this fight to prove that he is a threat to regain the Light Heavyweight Championship. Silva is fighting the criticism of his last two performances, which were underwhelming to his standards. This could potentially be the fight that we see history in the making. I can see different scenarios in which Forrest Griffin wins the fight. Griffin is the much bigger fighter at 205, when it comes to his frame. He has the chance to lean on Silva and use his size to control the fight. He also has the power to end the night early with one powerful blow. However I see Silva winning in numerous ways. His striking is deadly accurately and his Muay Thai stand-up style could pose a lot of problems for Griffin. On the ground, Silva is clearly the better fighter, but the size difference that Griffin has over Silva may negate Silva's prowess as a black belt in Jui-Jitsu.

Prediction: Silva TKO over Griffin in Round 2.

BJ Penn v. Kenny Florian

BJ Penn is looking to defend the Lightweight Championship in what should be considered one of the biggest fights of his career. Coming of a forgettable loss to Georges St. Pierre (moving up to the Welterweight Class for the fight), his corner did not allow him to continue the fight. His conditioning has always been the big question mark throughout his career. Otherwise, BJ Penn has all the skills a person can train for: strong striking, defends well, and has an incredible ground game.

Kenny Florian is a great fighter as well. His conditioning is never in question. He has continued to get better and better for each subsequent fight over the past 6 fights. He is the type of guy that you like to see fight because you know you are going to get a strong performance out of him for each fight. While not the world-class skills of BJ Penn, his ground skills are nothing to snicker about.

This fight will come down to which BJ Penn arrives for the fight on Saturday night. I have to think that Penn has learned his lesson after the last fight against St. Pierre, but I am going to go against the grain and choose Kenny Florian to upset him and take the lightweight title.

Prediction: Florian over Penn by unanimous decision.

That said- I want to get something else off my chest pertaining to MMA: What is going on with Fedor Emelianenko? Why in God's name would you NOT sign with the UFC? These other organizations are not even on the map. I can't figure out how to even find the fights in order to watch. Sick and tired of hearing people blow up this guy saying he is the best fighter in the world, I have a major problem calling someone the best in the world if the are continually ducking the UFC. Instead of fighting the best fighters in the world, he continues to fight the rejects that have been casted off by the only organization that is well represented in the industry. Dana White is right calling this guy a joke. He offered him everything under the sun to come fight the best in the world, but he declined. As far as I am concerned, I will not entertain any argument from his fans about his status in the world of MMA.

Looking forward to Saturday night. My boy, Joe has a reserved table at Buffalo Wild Wings her in Murfreesboro- the only reserved table in the building. I feel like such a VIP when I sit there because we are always treated well by the BWW staff. This should be a great event for the UFC. Long live the best MMA company in the world continuing to put the best fighters together event after incredible event!

Our House- In the Middle of this Unpaved Street

If I may, I would like to write a parody of the great song, "The Long and Winding Road," written by Lennon/McCartney:

The short and bumpy road

That leads to my door

Will never be paved

I've seen this mess before

It always leads me to tears

Pave the road some more!

If you can't sing these lyrics this to the tune, please check it out (not available on iTunes) and try again...

I have been thinking that I haven't had much to write about lately. I wasn't sure what to do. I knew it had been a while, but nothing was coming to mind... Therefore, I have our neighborhood builder to thank for this post:

This is my newly paved street. Beautiful, isn't it? By beautiful, I mean reprehensible. I left the house after lunch to return to work and within hours my street went from a horrible work in progress that has lasted for the past 4 years to this mess. I didn't think it could get any worse than this. I guess this is what we get after putting up with a construction throughway for the past 4 years. It's like the guys didn't even try to do it correctly and only finished part of the street. Instead, they arbitrarily paved what they felt like paving and called it a day. The best part is that it was so poorly done, that huge rocks are being tossed all over the sides and undercarriage of each vehicle passing by.

Of course, this is just the norm for what we get in paying our homeowner's association fees. Each house pays in $250 each year and we have dead trees along side the medians, a field that has grown taller than my privacy fence behind me, and this for a roadway to show for it. Not an inviting look if you want to sell houses in the back of the neighborhood if you ask me.

We have seen this before- one day that they were digging up our ornate black mailboxes. With only about 24 houses in our subdivision at the time, I came home from work one lunch to see a group of workers digging up our beautiful black iron mailboxes. These mailboxes were wonderful and really dressed up the neighborhood to give it a very dignified look. To make matters worse, the were replacing them by inserting a cheap standard mailbox on a thin black pole. They began to come up to my mailbox and I advised them to stay off my property or I would call the police. If needed I would file an injunction to prohibit them form changing the mailboxes. I immediately contacted the homeowner's association and advised them to stop until we could come to an agreement to this problem. The builders' argument was that the Post Office were classifying these mailboxes as substandard and would have to be replaced. I countered by stating that I bought the house and by doing so, paid for that specific mailbox. Furthermore, there were several other neighborhoods that had the same mailbox and they were not losing their for the same reason. I rallied the neighbors together to raise the issue to the association as a community. We came to an agreement that they would brick each mailbox to coordinate with the brick on each home. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the builder did not have enough money allocated to purchase the same mailboxes for the entire neighborhood and decided to go a cheaper route. That was the first sign of things to come.

Another example is the first time the builders dug up a water main in the middle of the street several times over the past 4 years. Each time, the road has been unnavigable for several days. Once completed, they pour tons of gravel rock into the hole and leave it that way for months. Finally, they pave the patch, only to dig it up again and again.

Unfortunately, I don't believe that this episode will be any different than the previous. Hopefully, the neighborhood will rally again if necessary. If I have to, I will beat the pavement in order to have them finish the pavement...