There is your two time City of Austin Champion

Emily Singletary defends her title with scores of 78 - 81

Autodesk acquires SocialCam

Continuing our efforts to become more of a 'household' name, Autodesk just acquired SocialCam. Read the NY Times article here: http://nyti.ms/SFAtY8

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Go Dawgs and Big Snakes

A Tribute to O.C. - By his cousin, Dick Lane

If the definition of a brother is that he would take a bullet for you, O.C. had that for me and I for him. The story, which comes later, will show when I saw that definition play out in O.C.

The times we had together: The first day after school, the shoes came off and did not go back on until school started. Making our own fishing and swimming holes, fishing together (I don’t know how he did it, but he always caught the most fish). Walking the creeks of Macon; giving a dairyman a dime so we could go into his freezer and drink one quart each of chocolate milk….we thought we were getting away with something but the dairyman knew. Chasing a black snake (coachwhip) and he chasing us when we stopped chasing him. Fighting Pete Brown after school at least once per week.
 
Our annual bet on the Georgia/Georgia Tech game. I finally decided that I was so far behind on the $20.00 for each game that I called it off. One year, I was going to convert the $20 into pennies and put them in a jar with horse manure and water but it became too big a problem so I just wrote a check.

But, we still had: “The loser has to call” after each game. A few games back, O.C. lost the bet and he just knew that I was calling him to brag (I thought about it)…..but one of his daughters called him instead and he told Barbara not to answer because it had to be me (it wasn’t).  I waited until the next day when he called and told me about the call. We had a great laugh.
               
The Snake

Uncle Otis told O.C. and I that when he was a boy, he would grab a snake by the tip of the tail and pop his head off. We ate it up!!!! So, we decided to do it. I think we were around 7 or 8 years old. There was a swamp near my house so we went looking for a snake.

The scene: Swamp, Barbwire fence, Big Big Rock, water moccasin, two barefoot boys.
It took us awhile to find the Rock with a snake’s tail sticking out……but we found one. I do not know who picked up the rock, but we decided that the other would grab the snake’s tail and pop his head off.

We picked it up………..and saw…………the biggest water moccasin in the State of Georgia. He must have been at least 6 feet long…..not that long but he was very, very big.

Rock dropped…………both turned and ran………..knew snake was very, very, pissed and was right behind us!!!

O.C. went through the Barbwire fence, I went through….but….my overalls got caught on the barbwire.

“O.C.”….my overalls are caught; I yelled!!!!!!”
 
O.C.  had several possible reactions:

1. Continue running.
2. Stop and yell to me to get my overalls uncaught.
3. Come back and get bit by the water moccasin.

At this point, O.C. turned and looked at me. It wasn’t just a look….it was a real look. He saw me standing there getting ready to be killed by the pissed off water moccasin and he had to make a decision. “Am I  ready to go back and also be killed by the water moccasin?”

Trust me when I tell you, I could see into his soul through his eyes. The pause was infinitesimal. He wheeled and ran back to me. No one could ever tell me that he didn’t love me like a brother. He did.

He didn’t stop to get a stick….stop to get a rock….he just came back. This is a guy who you want in the foxhole with you. That sums up Otis Carl Malcom, Jr., my brother.

Why is Emily washing the car in the rain?

Remembering Pop

Dear Sally, Emily and Lucy,

There are three big things I will always cherish and remember (about my father-in-law and your grandfather) and two smaller, but equally important things that Pop taught me. First his love of the Lord. He was a man of great faith and he used his steadfast faith to help himself overcome some challenges and to help many others find their path in life. Second, his love of his country and especially his military. And third, the way he loved his family - an unconditional love that he showed his wife (of 59 years), his children, his grandchildren, and his great grandchildren. As far the two smaller things, it was the way I watched him enjoy his post-military years. His appreciation for the little things, that in the end perhaps are more important than anything else, and his understanding of rituals. I have tried to capture both the big and small in the essay below.

A glimpse of Brig. Gen. (Ret) OC ‘Pop’ Malcom
September 5,1933 - July 5, 2012
By: G. Page Singletary

 

“Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (From Matthew, Chapter 11 and my Bible verse to forever remember 'Pop')

 

  The Braves won in the bottom of the tenth last night, when Chipper Jones smashed a two run double to the opposite field, and with that crack of the bat his bedroom television is silenced and Pop fades to rest. He rises before the sun and makes his bed in a military fashion, corners perfectly tucked, spread pulled taut. He knows where the best sausage biscuits can be found and marches out in the green pick-up to purchase the morning breakfast, carefully considering how many it will take to feed his troops sleeping in the barracks below.

  He scours the morning paper. What else happened in the world of sports and in the bigger world of things (perhaps) more important than the Braves or the Georgia Bulldogs? “Did I tell you about the year Hershel Walker brought us the National Championship and Benjamin Franklin “Buck” Belue threw the most beautiful 97 yard touchdown pass to Lindsey Scott and we beat those damn Florida Gators? Things have never been the same between the hedges, but Hershel was a special guy. That was 1980 son, and we took it to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl for a perfect 12 and 0 season.” 

  What is going on in Macon? What is our military up to? What has our President done now? “Here son, do you want to read the paper?”
 

  We arrived the day prior, after the long ride from Virginia or Nashville or Pennsylvania or Texas, rolling our windows down as we hit Linger Longer Drive, smelling the sweet Georgia pines. As we turned into the driveway, the grass perfectly cut, the garden in full bloom, Pop, as always, is there to greet us with that big smile and huge hugs. “Who are you?,” he says to the girls. “I’m Pop’s doll baby and he loves me Lordy Lordy,” they reply in unison.
 

Pop and 'Baby' flying around the Lake

  The inner tube has been newly patched and inflated, the boat tuned and spiffed up and we are ready for some fun on Lake Oconee. The girls can drive the boat, even though they are barely able to see over the wheel and they block Pop’s view from behind. They can catch fish until the sun goes down, and then they can catch some more fish until midnight if they choose. They can fall off the dock in their pajamas, because Pop will reel them back up like a large catfish, because that is what he does and he knows they can not yet swim. He watches their every move. He gives them nicknames, like Beauty, Cutie, and Baby.

 “You don’t know?” “Yes I do.” “What do you know?” “I love you.”
 

Pop and Cutie (Beauty in the back)

  There’s Huey, Dewey and Louie waddling across the pine straw and the grass in the backyard. There’s Pop’s favorite dog of all time Misty, jumping in the boat or the truck to go for a ride, perhaps to the grocery store, a daily trip for sure. There grow the most beautiful tomatoes you have ever seen, ready to be sliced and served along side fried fish, hush puppies, and BeBe’s famous coleslaw made just right for each individual child.
 

Pop, Beauty, Misty and one of many fish

  Before we eat, we join hands and Pop prays with authority and he always makes a special request for God to remember our service men and women around the world. After multiple trips to the kitchen counter, and much discussion about the different types of fish in the pan and the different types of slaw and the carefully counted tomatoes, he speaks those famous words, “Is everyone sufficiently parinsified?”  And the ensuing debate continues as to whether parinsified is indeed a word, as Pop was told it was by his third grade teacher.
 

  Later that night, after the fried food settles in a bit, there will be moose tracks and lime sherbet. There will be stories and laughter. There will be another Braves game on the television and somewhere around the 7th inning stretch, Pop will head up to command central, kissing everyone goodnight and saying, "Sleep well my children and when I am gone, remember me in your heart."

"Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11: 28-30 The Message)

Cleaning this big ole Catfish with my brother Chip

Pop

Gen OC Malcom (1933-2012)

Pop was 78 years old and married to your Grandmother for 59 years. He loved his Lord, his country, his Georgia Bulldogs, his Atlanta Braves, his fishing, his garden, and most of all his family - and especially his grandchildren. He was an absolute prince of a father-in-law and I will miss him dearly. His last request was that we all remember him in our hearts - and that we shall do!

Pass the ice cream and turn on the Braves! The goose and I will head home to Georgia in the morning.

Pop and his granddaughters

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