BillyFairchild.com

Fall. I Loves It!

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:44:00 +0000

Football, hot chocolate, tailgating, leaves, chilly air, pumpkins, shorts,and sweatshirts. Oh , how I love this time of the year.

Ever since I was a kid I have loved this season. It truly is my favorite season out of them all. I guess it could be do to many great memories the fall air, and the crunching leaves bring back.

I am very nostalgic when it comes to my past, and those sights and sounds really take me back. If I am having a bad day in the fall, all I need to do is take a step outside and let the cool air hit my face.

There are two things I am super excited about this fall. Number one is Bengal Sundays. Clay & I were given season tickets to this years games as a gift. We both are super excited with being huge Bengals fans we couldn't have asked for anything more.

Second I am looking forward to going to some haunted hayrides. However awful some of them may be, I still love going. It's been something I have done since I was a little kid and I still have so much fun doing it. This year I am going to take Clay, this should be fun.

So what is your take on fall? Are you looking forward to anything? Please share!

BillyFairchild.com Video Blog #1

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:35:00 +0000

Billy Fairchild Video Blog 8/29/09 from Billy Fairchild on Vimeo.

Key Points

Cincinnati Bengals

Acer Aspire One Netbook

Billy Fairchild

Why I Love Social Networking

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:58:00 +0000

It has happened to many of us that use Twitter, and it becoming an important part of our daily lives. We have had on more than one occasion someone ask us "Why do you use Twitter? What do you possibly get out of it?" Well, here is my answer.

I have gotten a lot out of it. The most I have gotten out of Social Networking is good friendships, not only online but in real life as well. For instance, when my son Camden passed away this March, I had people I had never met in real life that followed me on Twitter come to his funeral. Now that makes one hell of a statement about Social Networking and the community it builds.

People like @MikeWard , @JustinRains , @JeffHertlein , and @Argon52 make Social Networking what it is meant to be. Sure people use it to network to help their careers, but in this case it was to show their friendship, that's what it's all about people.

I would like to thank those guys I just mentioned for doing what they have done for me, it really was amazing. When you experience something like this due to Social Networking it just really makes it all worthwhile.

Between Facebook & Twitter I have reunited with old friends as well as made new ones. If your not experiencing Social Networking you are truly missing out.

Having A Bad Day? Remember To Be Thankful For What You Have

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:59:00 +0000

It's almost been six months since the hardest day of my life knocked me off my feet and sent my world into a tailspin. That day was when my beautiful 5 year old son died in my arms.

Since that time I have fought many emotional, mental, and personal battles. The horrible guilt, sadness, depression, anxiety, loss, and more. In this time I have also seen others withing their lives complain, as well as overlook at what they have. Trust me, it can't be that bad.

I think it's in our nature to think that our lives are spiraling out of control, even if just for a day. Maybe you had and argument with your parents, or maybe your spouse. I have been there. It really will put a damper on your day, but just remember it could be worse.

I still haven't found a good reason for any of this happening to our family, but it has given me a different outlook on day to day life and how to deal with the "small" things that seem so big. I still have days to where something will go wrong and I get frustrated, but then I look back on that day, and realize it could be worse.

Basically what I am saying is if your down, look around you. Think about your friends, your family, your little girl or little boy that you go home and kiss every night when you come home. Don't lose sight of that.

If a person like me, that can "pull himself through" the hell of losing a son in his arms, and the constant pain and loss I suffer everyday, and still feel like I have something to live for. You should too.

Thanks for reading....

Rest In Peace Camden Fairchild. Daddy loves you.

Going To Gatlinburg? I Have A Few Pointers For You

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:15:00 +0000

My family and I went to Gatlinburg this past weekend for four days. I haven't been since I was 8 years old, so most of what I knew had changed dramatically. We were staying in Pigeon Forge and at first I was worried we would be too far away from all the "fun stuff" in Gatlinburg. Boy was I wrong. To sum it up shortly if your going to the area stay in Pigeon Forge! We spent 1/2 a day in Gatlinburg and the rest was spent in Pigeon Forge.

Gatlinburg seems to be on it's last leg, and many of the activities are overpriced and overrated. There were many more activities, shows, and places to see in PF rather than on the main strip of Gatlinburg. I was let down with the overall feel and look of downtown Gatlinburg. Pigeon Forge was where we had the most fun.

Now for a few pointers. These are going to be a few things that you should NOT do. First off is Circus Golf in Gatlinburg. When outside of Circus Golf we were all intrigued at how cool the mechanical figures looked we automatically assumed it would be even greater inside. We were wrong. Once inside we realized the golf course was nothing but blacklighting and bright colors on black carpet. Not one challenging or fun hole in the whole place. For $12/person this was a WASTE of money. Avoid this attraction at all cost.

Next up is the Magic of Micheal Keating at The Grand Majestic in Pigeon Forge. This is fairly a new show, and it showed. The magician is very corny in appearance and performance. There were two to three times where his attemted illusions failed and they rushed onto the next act. The show was stilled enjoyed by my 8 year old son but us adults were sceptical at how long this show would be around. With only around 20 to 30 people in attendance I can see that it's not a big pull type of show, even with it's fair price of $10 per adult, and kids were free.

We had a great time, but I have to say it was due more to just us spending time seeing the sights and enjoying being together as a family rather than any shows or activities we attended.

One last thing, if your going to Gatlinburg make sure you DO go to Hillbilly Golf. It's the best mini golf that can be had!

What Sites Do You Visit Everyday?

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:15:00 +0000

This is a question that goes out to all of my readers out there (if anyone actually reads my blog).
What websites do you find yourself visiting everyday and have become part of your daily routine? I think hearing some of your favorite and frequently visited sites would be beneficial for some of us, and could actually get us to find some new content.

Here are my essential websites I use/read each and every day.

Gmail - Pretty much self explanatory there. I gots to have my emailz

Google Reader - This is my daily paper if you will. Many different RSS feeds to keep me informed throughout the day.

Google Calendar - I find this to be the biggest necessity for me right up there with my Gmail. This keeps me up to task each day. Couldn't live without it.

Facebook - We all have an addiction right?

Seesmic Preview - A great web application that helps feed my other addiction Twitter

TodaysBigThing - I find myself visiting this site for my daily dose of humor. Makes for a great lunchtime activity

Crackberry - If your a Blackberry user you have to love this site

So there is my list. What is yours?

Dear The Beach Waterpark (A Customer Service Experiment )

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:34:00 +0000

So here is the story. Over the past three years we have been season pass holders to The Beach Waterpark in Mason Ohio. The past two years we have started to notice the lack of upkeep and preventative maintenance around the park. This includes not only beautification/landscaping, but also with safety.

So in my experiment I have decided not only to contact them with the letter you can read below, but to right a blog post about it and sharing it across multiple platforms for the local community and Beach visitors and/or pass holders.

I hope that maybe managment or "The Beach Waterpark" owners will listen to our concerns. I plan on following up this post when and if I hear a response.

Dear Beach Staff,

I am contacting you today to express some concerns and issues I have with my experience as a season pass holder this year.

First, let me start off by saying my family of four have been season pass holders for the past three years.

Until this year our experience has been as expected. However this year has been a different situation.

We started to realize that the park has stayed in the same condition the past three years. This is NOT a good thing. There has been no improvements to your park in any way shape or form. Not only physical and beautification areas but in safety as well. There still are many slide areas that have seriously dangerous slippery steps, with no "slip strips" in place. I myself encountered this within this week and suffered a fall on the snake tubing exit area.

There has also been numerous times that we have caught our toes or foot on a nail head causing a gash in our foot or toe.

This Monday we also had an issue with a person that was in our party that lost there tube on The Rapids ride as the lifeguard watched without saying a word. The person had hit their head, and was not asked if they were ok. The lifeguard didn't even take the initiative to go to the next pool area to retrieve the missing tube. When the person asked the lifeguard what she should do, she replied " Just walk down the slide." This is not only dangerous but highly negligent on the lifeguard's part.

In closing I as a pass holder would like to know if any improvements are planned for the off-season before we commit to renewing our membership for next year.

Thank you,
Billy Fairchild

Movies & Songs That Bring Back Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:53:00 +0000

For the past three or four days, My son Clay has been going around the house repeating "I got shot in the buttocks". Yep, you guessed it straight from Forrest Gump. In a bit of nostalgia I got a copy of Forrest Gump and watched it. I haven't gotten a chance to watch it again as he has been watching it ever since.

I will get to the point. After watching Forrest Gump again for the first time in years, it brought me back to the time when I was a 14 year old boy, going through many emotions at that time which happened to be a big part of who I am today. I can remember the fear of going into Highschool, that crazy first "summer love", and all the fun times at that age.

Then I got to thinking about how certain movies, as well as songs can really take you back to certain memories of times in your life. Like for instance. "Round Here" by the Counting Crows gets many memories of high school flowing for me as well. Whenever I listen to that track it instantly takes me back, to all the sights, smells, and emotions from that time.

Of course there are many songs that do this for me, which is a list to long too name. But what I would like to know is what are some songs and/or movies that do this for you. Do they bring back positive memories or bad ones? Comment here as I would LOVE to hear your stories as well.

My take on Ocho Cinco AKA: @OGOchocinco

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Ok so I have been following Chad OchoCinco since he first started tweeting. Why you ask? Well, I am a Bengals homer, and am not afraid to admit it.

Anyway, yesterday Mark Kriegel posted an article ripping Ocho Cinco. You can read the original article HERE.

Now here is my take on this after seeing @OGOchocinco post on his twitter about Mark's story, while making light of it of course.

I see no problem that Chad wants to get social via the internet. I actually find it appealing looking into the day in the life of a high profile NFL player. Now don't get me wrong some of his lifestreams can get very off topic or spiral away at times, but it's not a big deal, at least to me anyway.

Many people have asked why I would even support Chad after what he did and things that were said by him about or in refrence to the Bengals organization. My reason is this. I watched one of Chad's stream where he repeatedly apologized to the Cincinnati Bengals fans. This got me. Am I gullible? Naive? Who really knows but I want to believe it so I will.

All in all I think this story was written to give Mark a name for himself and catch a little bit of "writer fame". This annoys me to no end with columnists, but that's a whole separate argument.

In the end I just don't really see the point of bashing Chad for actually letting us see some things we haven't been able to before. Let Chad be Chad. He isn't hurting anyone, and obviously Marvin isn't too concerned so just leave it at that. Always remember if you don't like it, don't watch, and don't follow him on Twitter. Easy enough?

I am a Blackberry user again!

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Well, I ended up getting a Blackberry Tour.

The last time I had a BB it was the Storm. after a very long hateful relationship with it, and the fact that the constant beeping from emails trickling onto my device I sold it.

It's been about five month since then, and just yesterday I received my Blackberry Tour. My first impressions are WOW, it's great. I know it's early but I can tell RIM has really taken a huge step forward since I left.

I have found that UberTwitter and Where are some awesome apps for the Tour. One HUGE improvement is I can FINALLY use the GPS within apps. This was a huge beef with me against Verizon in the past when I had a BB.

All in all I am happy with the new phone. If you are interested in a new BB, and are with Verizon get the Tour!

28Photos.com Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:16:00 +0000

With the launch of our new site 28Photos.com
I have decided to give away to one lucky member of the 28Photos Facebook group to receive a FREE photo session! ($60) value.

With this prize you will receive a photo shoot and proof CD. You just will have to pay for your prints!

All you have to do is be a member of the group and post here in this forum that you would like to be entered! It's that easy!

One winner will be chosen at random on August 3rd!

Oh and spread the word to all your friends!

Hitman Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:30:00 +0000

This will be another one of those "quick & to the point" reviews.

I have played the video game, but I however guilty of not finishing it, so I am not fully up to date with the games storyline or how it ends. Since watching this movie I plan on giving the game another go round.

This movie is pretty good. Traditionally video game movies turn out awful. While I don't think this movie was great it wasn't awful, or even close to it. The story flowed fairly well and didn't have too many slow moments. Many parts are HIGHLY unbelievable, but hey it's a movie.

Another movie that I was late seeing, and if you are too check it out!

Wanted Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:09:00 +0000

First of I would like to say that I am not a big fan of Angelina Jolie (I know I will catch hell for that one) but this movie was great.

I am not sure if it was the storyline of the special effects that got me. I am leaning more towards the story than the effects due to some scenes having that "I can blatantly see that this part was generated" look to them.

Either way I like this movie, it wasn't too slow and went through the story fairly quickly. But it does have some far fetchedness to it.

I was late to the party on this one, and if you are too and haven't seen it yet rent it.

Cam's Ride This Sunday!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:59:00 +0000

Just to put out a little update before the weekend.

Registrations will be from 10AM- 12PM
$10 Per Person $15 Per Couple
Door prize tickets will be given to anyone who pays the registration fees.
You do NOT have to ride. You can simply donate $10 and get a door prize ticket.

The ride leaves at 12:30, But you can still come and hang out. The family will be present while the ride is gone. There will be Silent Auctions & Live Auctions throughout the day.

Some of the items up for bid:

4 Reds Tickets
2 Tickets to NASCAR Bristol Night Race
Peyton Manning Autographed picture
Columbus Blue Jackets Signed memorabilia
And MANY MANY more items!

The Dry Run Band will start at 3:00PM

It's All Starting To Sink In......

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:15:00 +0000

This weekend was good but had rough moments. Due to it being Memorial Day weekend I pretty much dedicated it to Camden. We as a family made the most of it and stayed busy. I got to visit Cam three times and put a flower box at his grave site.

However with the good always comes the bad, it's just how you can filter it out and keep moving forward. This weekend also marked the two month anniversary of Camden's untimely death. This weekend it sunk in more than ever. Him being gone became more off a realiuty as the shock and trauma are still slowly wearing off. For every thought I had about good times with him there were feelings of hurt and missing him greatly.

I am lucky enough to be pushing forward and making myself remember the good times I had with him and controlling the hurtful feelings of the tremendous loss. Camden you will always be with me in my heart and I will never forget or stop missing you saying you love me each night before bed. I miss you buddy and always will. Daddy loves you.

The White Castle Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:56:00 +0000

Yesterday was a good day, it's been a while since I have had one of those. Yesterday I got to thinking about how I haven't blogged much since Camden passed away. During lunch I decided to hot up White Castle for lunch, this brought back a funny little thing from my past and thought it would be something goofy and different to share here on the blog, so hear goes.

I got to thinking about how when I was in highschool we used to see who could eat the most White Castles at a time. I used to be able to knock down 10 of these bad boys any given time, but now I can only handle max of 4. This brings me to a funny and slightly disgusting story.

So, I was 19 and had just started my "career" and we were working on rehabbing an old building and were turning it into offices. Lunch time during this period was our fun time so to speak to where we would always goof around and do crazy things. On this day it just so happened we decided to go to White Castle and bring back a few crave cases for lunch.

After getting back to the work site I was telling them about how I used to be able to beat anyone at eating WC's. They dared me to eat more than 10. With me being the type never to turn down a dare I was game. 15 or 16 White Castle's later I was feeling slightly under the weather. I thought it would pass, I was wrong.

We proceeded to get a shipment of new drywall in and started unloading it. Needless to say carrying drywall in 90 degree plus heat and 16 WC's on my stomach, the worst was inevitable. I got sick, and when I say I got sick I mean I got sick. Minutes later there was a whole stack of drywall with a White Catle feel to it if you know what I mean. I even had onions coming out of my nose. I know this was a gross little story, but it made me laugh.

Needless to say I still haven't lived this one down.

Pampered Chef, Lia Sophia, & Mary Kay Benefit Party For Camden Fairchild

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:04:00 +0000

Some amazing friends, and others in our community have organized a one night party to raise proceeds for Camden's memorial funds. Here is the info they asked me to post on my blog.

Remember you don't have to show up or be local to support. You can buy online via the details below with all proceeds going to the benefit. Thanks in advance for anyone that wants to come or place an order!

Come Join The Fun!

Papered Chef (Learn New Recipes, Taste Great Food, See & Try New Cookware)

Lia Sophia (Beautiful Jewelry)

Mary Kay (Outstanding Make-Up Products)

WHEN: May 19th, 2009 6:00 PM EST

WHERE: 687 Ward Koebel Road, Oregonia, Ohio
(Martha Pollack has graciously offered to host the party at her home.)

WHY: Fundraiser to help the Fairchild Family with Medical & Funeral costs for their 5 year old son Camden who passed away unexpectedly.

If you would like to support this worthy cause, but are unable to join us at the party you can see the product line of each vendor via the following.

www.pamperedchef.biz/teriabbott

www.liasophia.com Email TheLandClan1993@yahoo.com with orders.

www.MaryKay.com/KellyLeVangie

If you have any further questions please contact Angie Calvert @ (513) 404-7024

The Artwork For Camden's Headstone

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:46:00 +0000

Here is the final artwork for Cam's headstone. We were so happy to see it.

Can you help me with this riddle?

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Ok so this is supposed to be a pet. I am stumped. Does anyone know? If you can PLEASE help me I would greatly appreciate it!

Here are the hints......

1. My name is misleading.
2. My looks are also misleading.
3. I stand out in a crowd.
4. There is a city in North Dakota named after one of my most famous owners.

Cam's Ride Update

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:42:00 +0000

Just wanted to post a little update about Cam's Ride Memorial Benefit.

Yesterday we received a VERY exciting item that will be included in the Charity auction. It will be for 2 tickets to the 2009 Night Race at Bristol in August, as well as 2 Tickets to the Nationwide Race the night before. We are very excited to have these available for the auction.

If you would like to spread the word and help us out you can CLICK HERE and print out the official flyer for Cam's Ride. Pass them out to anyone or any business, gas station in our local area that is interested and or will let you.

Once again I cannot thank all of you enough for what you have done.

Billy Fairchild & Family

This is me... The real Billy Fairchild?

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:14:00 +0000

I don't even know where to begin or go with this. I am so lost right now. I miss my baby son. How can my beautiful 5 year old boy go from being his normal self, running playing enjoying life, and the next day gone from my life forever.

This is the worst feeling anyone could ever have. There a a handful of people that can actually relate to what I am going through. I feel for them as well. What makes it hard is knowing that even though some of them experienced this months, or even years ago and they are still hurting. Why? Why does this happen to people like us? What did we do to deserve this. Not only me but what did my boy do to lose so many things he had to live for. So many questions that will NEVER be answered.

Religion, this is a tough one for me. I am a firm believer in God, and the ways of being true to yourself and others as well as faith. However, I would be lying if over the past few weeks I didn't question my faith in god. Let me tell you this though. It was a quick phase as I realized if I didn't have faith, where would my little boy be? I know he is God's angel now and in piece, but still will never know why.

I still have to be strong for my oldest son Clayton, I am trying so hard, my parents need me, as well as my wonderful fiance Carrie. They all have been there for me and I cannot possibly give them anything back right now. I am so lost in this world or swirling emotions, guilt, and blaming myself for everything. Have I done something within my life to cause this. Did I do enough. It kills me inside every minute every second.

I just want to rewind it all back. It's selfish I know, but that's what I want. I need my baby back in my life. Its so hard to move forward. Not move on, but forward. I will never forget Camden, or his voice, his sweet kissed, and great hugs where he wrapped his little arms around my neck and said "Daddy, I love you". Its so heart wrenching.

Lord, please give me the strength to make it through this. I need you now more than ever. Camden, you are with me every second, minute, hour of every day. I love you and that will never change. Please watch over your brother and I. We miss you so much.

Love Daddy

Official Cam's Ride Flyer

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:29:00 +0000

Here is the official flyer for the Cam's ride benefit. Print it off and spread the word!!!

Donations For Cam's Ride Charity Benefit

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:14:00 +0000

Hello again everyone,

I need your help. If any of you that work for a business or have contacts that might be able to donate items for the charity auction for Cam's Ride it would greatly be appreciated. We aren't getting much support from the smaller/local businesses here and haven't received many items for the charity auction or door prizes.

No matter what it is it could be a HUGE help to us. Things such as Gas Cards, Gift Cards, or maybe you even have an extra web cam or MP3 player around that you never opened that you might like to donate.

I have also set up a new paypal fund for anyone that would even like to donate anything starting from a $1 to buy gift cards or anything for the charity auction. I know so many of you have donated and it's been awesome and cannot thank you enough, however we are still having a rough time. If you would like to donate items you can
Email me or if you would like to donate a little cash towards something for the charity auction you can do so by the paypal button below.

Once again thanks to all of you! You are so great!

Love,
The Fairchild Family

Could use some help and prayer....

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:29:00 +0000

As most of you know there is going to be a benefit for Camden in June. There will be a charity auction. The past few days I have been contacting local businesses trying to get them to donate GC's or anything that we can use in the auction.

I actually haven't had much luck. I ask you once again for help, you don't have to donate items just pray that some business will donate something toward the auction.

If by any chance you know of someone or a business that would be willing to donate something for the Charity Auction or Door Prizes please let me know. If not thank you for your prayers. Starting to feel helpless at times and without all of you I would be lost.

Miss you Cam, and Daddy loves you.

"When you are to afraid to look ahead,
and it hurts to deep to look back,
you can look beside you,
and know that I will be there"

Rough Sketch Of Camden's Headstone

noreply@blogger.com (Billy Fairchild) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:47:00 +0000

This morning we had appointments to look at headstones for Camden. We went into this thinking we were going to get various quotes and see who's looked best.

At 9:30 we met with DODDS MONUMENTS in Lebanon Ohio. Upon entering and seeing this sketch that he already did before we got there. (He asked me about what Cam liked the most in life when I called for an appointment, I of course said Spongebob) My ex-wife and I looked at one another and knew this is where we wanted to get our son's memorial.

The following is a rough sketch, I am so excited and proud to see the finished project, which will be 150 days after it's paid in full. We are hoping the benefit helps. Anyway this monument will express how much our son meant to us and is just so much him. I know that he is smiling and excited just seeing it up in heaven.

Here is the sketch