Mike's Corner

Last week was my birthday and I didn't feel very well waking up on that morning. I went downstairs for breakfast hoping my wife would be pleasant and say, "Happy Birthday!", and possibly have a small present for me. As it turned out, she barely said good morning, let alone " Happy Birthday."

I thought... Well, that's marriage for you, but the kids.... They will remember. My kids came bounding down stairs to breakfast and didn't say a word. So when I left for the office, I felt pretty low and somewhat despondent.

As I walked into my office, my secretary Jane said, "Good Morning Boss, and by the way Happy Birthday!" It felt a little better that at least someone had remembered. I worked until one o'clock , when Jane knocked on my door and said, "You know, It's such a beautiful day outside, and it is your Birthday, what do you say we go out to lunch, just you and me." I said, "Thanks, Jane, that's the greatest thing I've heard all day. Let's go !"

We went to lunch. But we didn't go where we normally would go. She chose instead a quiet bistro with a private table. We had two martinis each and I enjoyed the meal tremendously. On the way back to the office, Jane said, "You know, It's such a beautiful day... We don't need to go straight back to the office, Do We ?" I responded, "I guess not. What do you have in mind ?" She said, "Let's drop by my apartment, it's just around the corner."

After arriving at her apartment, Jane turned to me and said, " Boss, if you don't mind, I'm going to step into the bedroom for just a moment. I'll be right back."

"Ok.", I nervously replied.

She went into the bedroom and, after a couple of minutes, she came out carrying a huge birthday cake ... Followed by my wife, my kids, and dozens of my friends and co-workers, all singing "Happy Birthday".

And I just sat there...

On the couch...

Naked.

Savannah enjoys watching Headline News from time to time...

My favorite restaurant in Dothan, Alabama is The Old Mill. I eat there with Dad every time I visit the Circle City. And now, my favorite restaurant in Acworth, Georgia is The Old Mill. Shannon and I went there for brunch today, and will return in the very near future. I couldn't begin to estimate how much time and money the owners invested into this project. Working with nothing more than the shell of an abandoned building (built by John Cowan around 1870 as a flour mill), they have intertwined the old and the new, transforming The Old Mill into a true work of art. Please take the time to visit their website at www.acwortholdmill.com to see how it all came together. Be sure to click on the Video Tour! Happy eating, Mike

We live roughly 4 miles from Kennesaw Mountain. Shannon and I decided to visit the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park today (along with about two thousand other people). I had no idea there was so much history here:

On June 22, 1864, and again on June 27, 1864, major battles in The War Between The States (American Civil War) were fought just west of downtown Marietta. Under William Tecumseh Sherman in the Spring of 1864, the 100,000 man Union Army had marched from Chattanooga to Marietta, following the Western and Atlantic Railroad for most of the journey.

Opposing him was Joseph E. Johnston, who felt he could best succeed by forcing Sherman to attack a strong line. Kennesaw Mountain gave him that opportunity.

Spreading south just west of the ridge, Union General John Schofield's Army of the Ohio tried to turn the southern end of the Confederate's Kennesaw Mountain line, as Sherman had done at Resaca and Dalton. General John Bell Hood

attacked without orders to prevent the flanking movement. The Battle of Kolb's Farm resulted on June 22.

Five days later Sherman launched a series of unsuccessful attacks along a five-mile front, with the heaviest fighting occurring in the vicinity of Cheatham Hill.

By the end of the day more than 8,000 soldiers lay dead or wounded as a result of the attack, the worst Union loss during the Atlanta Campaign.

Within days Sherman succeeded in displacing Johnston by outflanking him, and the Confederates surrendered Marietta as they had so many other cities. In less than a year the Confederate States of America ceased to exist.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is one of the most popular in the National Park System. It commemorates the battles fought within its boundaries.

(Please notice the sharp-looking sports coat I'm wearing in the photo, my Valentine's Day gift from Shannon. Feel free to click on the photo for a close-up. Trust me, it's not easy being this good-looking! Mike)

# posted by Mike @ 9:37 PM 0 comments