The phone rang in my office at 8:01 a.m. I didn’t even have a cup of coffee yet. That wasn’t unusual. In the brokerage business, things got started early and moved fast. I recognized the number immediately. It was my largest account, which usually meant one of two things. Either somebody needed my help, or I had a problem. Quite often, those were the same thing. I picked up the phone and answered in the clipped, professional tone we were expected to use. “Joe Hobby.” It wa

There are two things you can be reasonably certain you will have in a Southern church - an altar call and a covered dish meal. And when it comes to the covered dish, there are certain foods that will most certainly be served. Like macaroni and cheese. The odds of seeing that on the buffet table are about the same as seeing beer in a fraternity house. There will probably be two or three versions of it. And while all of it is technically called the same thing, there can be a