Seriously.  I have for a long time.  My enjoyment of doo-rags started way back in August of 1990, at the age of 14.  During my first ever missions trip, to Barbados, one of the team members in our group was named Brian.  He was probably 17 or so.  And he wore a doo-rag pretty much every day of the 2 week trip.  I thought it was so cool.  He was a very doo-raggish guy…very laid back, sort of a surfer attitude, easy going.  He had a big mop of hair too, and he wore the doo-rag in the “open” style in the back, where the tail kind of flopped around and his hair flew out of the back…sort of Aunt Jemima style, I would call it.

I’ve never had long enough hair to really make that style work for me, so I’ve always tucked my doo-rags in in the back, so it has a slightly more “skull cap” look, which works for me considering I’m a rap trendster and wanna be gangsta.

I really started my doo-rag craze back in 1994, and sported the look often over the next 3-4 years.  In fact, pictured below are two Camp Calvary photos, the first from 1994 and the second from 1995.  During those two summers I worked as a faculty member at 10 total weeks of camp.  I was always the do-anything guy…lead worship, lead recreation, speak, dorm dad, whatever.  And during all of those camp weeks, I was doo-rag-a-licious.

Just so you’ll know it’s me…here’s a closer look at these two pics.  Notice also that in both pictures, I’m also sporting fashionable “Christian” t-shirts, which I also was big-time into during that period.  From 1994-1997, I probably owned about 20 different Christian t-shirts.

Yes, I understand that – for whatever idiotic reasons – doo-rags are no longer as in style as they once were.  It’s upsetting.  Still, even in my older age, I like to find opportunities to wrap my head in an awesome, comfortable, sexy square of itchy cotton.  Makes me feel younger, cooler, hipper.  In fact, a doo-rag donned my dome back in May of 2008, for one of the first of many Crossings BVD pictures:

In closing, doo-rags are awesome.  You suck if you don’t agree.  And if you decide to wear one…please know that it automatically makes you the hottest, smartest, most Matthew-McConaughey-est person within a 1 mile radius.  Period.

Okay, this post will complete EVERY BVD photo I’ve taken to date.  There are no more.  And unless some really, really, really good photo opportunties present themselves, there could very well be no more.  We’ll see.

Back in early 1999, Greg and I decided to give disc golf a try.  We knew nothing about it, except that, at the time, he lived pretty much across the road from a 9 hole course (Admiral Park) here in Knoxville.  We went to Play It Again Sports, randomly picked 1 disc each, having no clue as to what we were choosing, except that they said “DRIVER”, which sounded like they would travel a long way, and off we went.  What began as curiousity soon bloomed into a several months obsession.  I would say we played Admiral Park, on average, at least twice a week.  We got better.  We got new discs.  We lost discs in the woods.  We found other ones.  We practiced.  We ended up making a couple of day long trips to Warrior’s Path in Kingsport to play a true, professional style course.  It was awesome.  And then it ended.  And then, until last summer, I basically had not played in roughly 8 years.  I’m not obsessed anymore.  I realize my limitations.  But it’s still a fun sport. 

So, in recognition of my disc golf roots, I took a short photo tour of Admiral Park.  It was a little dark and a little muddy the day I went out, so I didn’t walk though all of the wooded areas to take photos.  I did however take a picture of hole number 1 (where I’m holding the BVD) and hole number 2 (where there is both a shot of the basket, and a shot back through the woods while I’m standing beside the basket – oh yeah, and that’s where I record my first and only disc golf hole in one!).  The other shots are mainly open field areas of the course.  And notice I’ve circled any baskets that were visible in the shots.  Overall, it’s short and fun course, and a great place to learn to play. 

Another cool note.  The day I went to take the photos (during my lunch break), there were two guys teeing off on the first hole.  I asked if they would take my picture.  The guy who took it asked about the BVD’s.  I told him.  He said, “Oh, where do you go to church?”.  I told him.  He said, “oh yeah, Mark Nelson is your pastor right?  I know Mark.  We’ve met at Panera’s a couple of times and played some disc golf together.”  His name was Jeff Fulmer, who’s a pastor at another “portable” church here in Knoxville, Mountain Ridge.  Wild, huh?  But that kind of stuff has been happening throughout the BVD Tour, so I shouldn’t be surprised.  Anyway…enjoy the photos…and thanks for having supporting the tour.  It’s been fun.

Here are 4 BVD Tour photos that, for whatever reason, just didn’t make it into the official tour stop posts. 

Clockwise, starting from the top left:  standing inside of Payless Shoe Source in the Target/Kroger shopping center on Clinton Highway in Powell (Christine, an employee, took the photo) ….. me and Eli at Morton’s Overlook in the Smoky Mountains, elevation approximately 4800 feet (doesn’t it look like if we fell backwards off the wall we’d plunge about 1000 feet to our imminent death?) ….. standing in front of Borders (my favorite lunchtime getaway) in the Turkey Creek shopping center (self photo) …..  me, Eli, and Erin just off the parking area at Clingman’s Dome, elevation 6643 feet (a nice lady name Renee took the photo).

Roughly once a week I’ve been going to Borders and reading a chapter of Tim Keller’s “The Reason for God”.  I’ve been doing this for about two months.  I mark my place in the book with the outside cover of the hardback flap.  After two months, no one has purchased the particular copy I’ve been reading.  I go in, find the book among the 6 or 7 that are there, open up to my flapped bookmark, and read the next chapter. 

In college, I had a genius professor who could SPEED read.  Seriously.  He told us stories of how he would go into bookstores, see an interesting book, read it from cover to cover while standing in the aisle, and then feel guilty about it and go purchase it anyway.  He spoke about 12 languages fluently, including 2 or 3 that read from right to left instead of left to right.  So, when he reads, he actually reads SIX lines to the right, then SIX lines to the left.  So, basically, in the time it takes you and me to read one or two lines, he would read one full page.  With full comprehension and memory.  Amazing.  It was Dr. Jim Girdwood.  You can actually see him by clicking here.  You’ll also see 3 other professors that helped educate me during my tenure at KCU, Drs Ford, Fiensy, and Knight.  Is there anything else I can ramble on about?  Hmm.  I guess not.

A couple of weeks ago, Erin, Eli, and myself are leaving the Smoky Mountains after a day of enjoying nature.  We entered the mountains in Gatlinburg, stopped a bunch of places, and left the mountains through Townsend.  It had been a long day.  It was roughly 5:30pm, and we were chatting about where we might want to eat once we got to Maryville/Alcoa.  As we were talking about it, just toward the far north end of Townsend, we saw this on the side of the road…

Cool, huh?  Erin likes wings.  I like wings.  Eli likes wings.  And we enjoy trying new places.  So we stomped on the brakes and pulled in.  It was a very new, fairly small, cabin-styled place.  There were probably 7-8 customer inside eating, 2-3 different people serving, a couple of people in the kitchen.  We sat in a booth near the side windows, and a young man of about 19 came to serve us.  He apologized for the menu being so simple, since their “actual” menus were not finished yet.  Why would that be?  Well, because they had literally opened their doors for business, for the very first time, about 1 hour before we walked in! 

In fact, from talking to the young man and a couple of other people, here’s what we learned….the entire staff (servers, cleaners, register, cooks) were all members of River of Life International Church in Townsend.  The head cook, Pastor Sellers, is the senior pastor of the church.  They had only informed their friends and family that they were opening that day, just so they could “practice” a little before opening to the general public.  They had only put the banner on the truck by the road so the friends and family would know exactly where to go.  Erin and I both ended up ordering a BBQ sandwich and fries.  Eli had a kids meal with wings and fries.  Honestly, no kidding, it was one of the best BBQ sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. 

Finally, before we left, the staff of Wings R Us agreed to take a BVD photo with me.  Pastor Sellers is standing to my left, your right.  Thanks Wings R Us, our food was excellent, you guys were awesome, and we will definitely be back! 

So, for those of you who’ve been with me for a while….remember the Turn or Burn truck?  Here’s what I wrote about it back in January.  Not surprisingly, I still see it about 2-3 days out of every month right down the road from where I work.  However, recently, it appeared right down the road from where we live.  We were on our way to Erin’s parents house, when, lo and behold, there was the Turn or Burn truck sitting right in the middle of the Walmart/Ingles parking lot in Halls.  There is nowhere this truck doesn’t go.  I’ve talked to people who’ve seen it in south Knoxville as well. 

Well, I couldn’t resist.  The BVD was in the car (it always is).  And so was the camera (it always is too).  So, in what will likely be the most oxymoronic picture of the BVD tour, I couldn’t help but get a picture with the “Beliefs, Values, and Dreams” award in front of the “Turn or Burn” truck. 

Oh yeah, I spent $47.46 to fill my tiny little car up with gas yesterday at Weigles. 

After a LONG event (Thursday – Sunday) in Georgia, a five hour drive back Sunday night, and a good night of sleep, it was nice to be able to enjoy a fun and relaxing Memorial Day.  Eli and I went to Krystal’s for breakfast.  Then, later in the afternoon, we got together with some friends from Crossings for a cookout.  The kids had fun playing in the sprinkler and on the water slide, Lisa grilled some awesome food, and the weather was awesome.  Here is a BVD photo from the cookout, along with a couple of water slide pics! 

(Pictured in the BVD photo.  Front row, left to right:  Eli, Emma, Abby.  Back row, left to right:  Lisa, Erin, Me, and Carrie, who is a former BVD winner)

I’m in a cottage in Callaway Gardens, located in Pine Moutain, GA.  Today, my friend Zach and I worked a pretty dead day at the Nautiques Master’s Wakeboarding Tournament.  From what we’re told, the next two days will be insane.  So tomorrow we’ll get up around 6am, be at the tent by 6:45am, be set up and ready to run the booth from 8am to 5pm.  Oh yeah, you’ll see me to the right inside our small little sales area, sporting the BVD.

And here are a couple of other pictures of our area, and the event in general.  And it sucks to not be at Crossings two weeks in a row.  Hey Crossings peeps, I miss you all.  Have a great Sunday!

Remember your high school senior picture day?  The anticpation?  What outfits to wear?  What poses to strike?  All the friends you were going to give your pictures to?  Wasn’t it exciting?  I know mine was.  So exciting, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane.  Courtesy of my friend Sabrina, owner of Photography by Sabrina, here are my BVD Senior Pictures.

As you head south out of Knoxville on Chapman Highway, you eventually reach a point where Knox County, Blount County, and Sevier County all sort of merge together as one.  That is where I am in this photo.  I’m standing on the side of Chapman Highway (not necessarily the safest thing to do).  I’m actually standing in Blount County.  See the ridge behind me?  That’s Knox County.  And about 150 yards in the opposite direction, the direction in which I’m facing, is Sevier County. 

Now, as to the significance of this spot.  Hmm.  There is none.  There is nothing in this area of any interest that I can possibly think of.  In fact, it’s mostly old and rundown looking, with lots of junk car lots and weedy ditches on the side of the road.  And I’ve never once visited “Susie’s”.  But it seemed important to give “south Knoxville” at least a little pub on the BVD Tour, so, well, here it is.  Thanks to my wife for taking the photo, and to Eli for obediently staying in the car.  I guess me telling him that a car might run over him if he got out made an impression! =/

Subway.  7327 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN.  Right down the street from West Town Mall, which is definitely the most emo, preppy, and loser place to hang out in Knoxville (I’ll be headed down there tonight).  My friend John from small group (remember the guy in the gangsta pose eating animal crackers…yeah, that John) met me there to take the picture, and all but one person in line for sandwiches agreed to appear in the picture.  For the record, I ordered a $5.00 footlong, oven roasted chicken breast on wheat, lettuce, banana peppers, green peppers, salt & pepper, and honey mustard dressing.

And here’s what’s really cool.  See the dude standing to my right, your left?  That’s Tyler.  Turns out his aunt is Jessica, one of my co-workers who has an office right down the hall from me.  How cool is that? 

Weekend blog readers…please notice this is Tour Stop XII.  Since I don’t blog over the weekend, this is a great opportunity for you to look back through the previous Tour stops.  It’s been pretty fun….panda bears, restaurant hostesses, SUNSPHERE, Civil War horses, and more!  Again, if you have any ideas for a good BVD Tour stop in Knoxville, please let me know.