If you'll allow me I'd like to brag on my wife for a moment. As many of you know she works for Progressive Insurance as a Claims Team Leader. The Lubbock office is being recognized today as being the #1 office for customer satisfaction in Texas. Within that office, Lauren's team has the highest customer satisfaction ratings, making Lauren and her team the #1 team in Texas.

10. Well, how 'bout that?... I'm lost! Looks like we'll have to stop and ask for directions.

9. You know Pumpkin, now that you're thirteen, you'll be ready for unchaperoned car dates. Won't that be fun?

8. I noticed that all your friends have a certain "up yours" attitude ... I like that.

7. Here's a credit card and the keys to my new car -- GO CRAZY.

6. What do you mean you wanna play football? Figure skating not good enough for you, son?

5. Your Mother and I are going away for the weekend ... you might want to consider throwing a party.

4. Well, I don't know what's wrong with your car. Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies -- you know -- that makes it run or something. Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay whatever he asks.

3. No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring -- now quit your belly-aching, and let's go to the mall.

2. Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.

1. Father's Day? aahh -- don't worry about that -- it's no big deal.

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Howard Johnson's is close to extinction with only eight locations remaining, and one more expected to close next month. At one point, the orange-roofed clam and ice cream chain had nearly 850 locations across the US. Thank God Friendly's is doing OK.

Those wishing to reminisce might enjoy HoJoLand.

Mathis Lee Cox was born today around 1pm. He’s 7 lbs 0 oz and is 19.5 inches long. Sam and Mathis are doing great. Shawn’s doing well as well, and Maleigha can’t wait to meet her new brother.

My nephew Connor is one year old today, making this is second birthday (as the Chinese count). Happy birthday buddy.

I stumbled across this article about my father in Bucknell World, Bucknell University's Alumni magazine.

It's still too early to tell how badly Hurricane Ivan will affect Florida, but its safe to say it'll dump quite a bit of water into areas struggling to handle the current flooding. Mom reports that a short 1-hour storm this afternoon caused water to rise halfway up the driveway. Anymore rain and the house is gone so my family's not taking any chances. Mom, Dad, Connor, and three cats will evacuate to George in the morning. Mary Beth plans to be on the road by 5pm. She'll spend the night in Leesburg with Dave and Mandy and will join the rest of the family in George on Saturday.

Meanwhile Lauren is in Florida with Progressive's Catastrophe Team. Progressive is going to decide what to do tomorrow at 9:15 EDT. If they decide to evacuate Lauren and her co-workers will head for their offices in Tampa where they'll leave for Atlanta by chartered plane or busses.

Keeping track of Ivan has been tough. Half of the projections I've seen are suggesting it'll stay just off the West Coast of Florida while the other half have it running right up the middle of the state. Those are the 5-day projections, which are a little bit of a black science. We'll have a much more accurate projection of its path in the next 36 hours.

Update 9/12/2004 Storm path projections over the last three days have pushed Ivan's predicted path further and further west. Lauren's gone from evacuating to Atlanta, to evacuating to Florida's East Coast, to now staying in the Tampa area. Meanwhile, flood watches have been cancelled for Charlotte County. Several days of sunshine and deacreased storm predictions have eased fears of rising waters in the Punta Gorda area. My parents, Mary Beth, and Connor are thinking of heading home on Tuesday. The delay is to allow traffic to die down a little.

Hurricane Frances came ashore early this morning in the Palm Beach area. It's moving very slowly (apx 8mph) towards Tampa, where Charley was supposed hit landfall. Judging from the current storm path, Punta Gorda will only have to deal with tropical storm-level winds, so their main concern right now is water.

Lauren received her orders yesterday and will be heading to Florida tomorrow to join Progressive's Catastrophe team. She expects to be there for two weeks and will get her assignment once she gets to the office in Tampa.

I've just learned that Cousin Rodger has been asked to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. What a honor. The event will be on May 20, 2005.