I haven't written in a while. It was Halloween the last time I pulled this up and now Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is upon us.
But even though I haven't written a lot has been going on.
I had my 32nd birthday and I'm trying to find the fun in getting older as much as I can, but still somedays you just long for the care free days of being in your 20's. That's just human nature though.
We went to Disney World for vacation. I was skeptical, plus afraid to fly but I sucked it up. The flight was okay, once we were up there I was fine. I feel like I conquered a fear, but at the same time the thought of flying still doesn't get me too jazzed. But that's just what you have to do sometimes to get out of dodge. And trust me, everybody needs to get out of dodge once in a while. Vacations = keeping sanity.
The wife, kids and I had a blast in Disney World. It was a different type of vacation than I am used to, but a pleasant and rewarding time none the less. The Orlando weather and our hotel alone were enough to satisfy me, but the Disney parks are a good time. I think I understand the "magic" people who love Disney talk about.
When we got back from Disney we were greeted by the newest member of our family, a new puppy. He has been a loving and fun addition to our house, but definitely an adjustment.
Things get hectic in our household, I have to say. Family is a lot of work. But there is also a lot of love in our household that makes the hard work worth it.
For that I was thankful on Thanksgiving. I have to thank my wife for making delicous cinnamon buns for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning which kept my portion control in line when it came time for the big meal that day.
And we were able to keep our family artificial tree in the family instead of retiring it! We put the tree up last weekend in preparation for Christmas time, for which I have always been a big softy.
So there's my last couple of months in a nutshell. I know anxious readers out there were dying for the scoop :-).
"Merry Christmas! Holy shit! Where's the tylenol?!" -Clark Griswold
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Halloween/Birthday '08
Tonight was the closest thing I think I could come to reliving my youth at Halloween.
We took the kids out and made our usual rounds to grandparents houses first, but then when we came home we took the kids from house to house and our street was buzzing.
It hasn't seemed like this in previous years. Trick or treating turnouts seemed to have lulled year by year as I have gotten a little older. Maybe it was because Halloween fell on a Friday this year. That could totally be it. It was also a little nicer out.
It was the perfect fall night. It was perfect sweatshirt weather with that crisp smell in the air of a burning fireplace, that smell that just equals Halloween. It reminded me of being a kid again.
Our streets were crowded with kids in crazy costumes running all over, candy bags being flung from lawn to lawn, and parents yelling "say trick or treat" and "say thank you". People were out on their porches entertaining, and a few houses had little haunted house lawns set up. It just seemed like folks really went all out this year, which was cool to me. Everyone was friendly to each other, and it was like one big block party. Like I said, I don't remember the neighborhood streets being abuzz like this since I was a kid.
Sure, that excitement is not quite there about it being Halloween like when you're a kid. But tonight, for me, had to be the closest thing to it.
And as I get ready to turn another year older tomorrow, this was defintely a cool feeling, perhaps a small gift to share with myself and my family. I'm not saying it was any big deal, it was just cool.
We took the kids out and made our usual rounds to grandparents houses first, but then when we came home we took the kids from house to house and our street was buzzing.
It hasn't seemed like this in previous years. Trick or treating turnouts seemed to have lulled year by year as I have gotten a little older. Maybe it was because Halloween fell on a Friday this year. That could totally be it. It was also a little nicer out.
It was the perfect fall night. It was perfect sweatshirt weather with that crisp smell in the air of a burning fireplace, that smell that just equals Halloween. It reminded me of being a kid again.
Our streets were crowded with kids in crazy costumes running all over, candy bags being flung from lawn to lawn, and parents yelling "say trick or treat" and "say thank you". People were out on their porches entertaining, and a few houses had little haunted house lawns set up. It just seemed like folks really went all out this year, which was cool to me. Everyone was friendly to each other, and it was like one big block party. Like I said, I don't remember the neighborhood streets being abuzz like this since I was a kid.
Sure, that excitement is not quite there about it being Halloween like when you're a kid. But tonight, for me, had to be the closest thing to it.
And as I get ready to turn another year older tomorrow, this was defintely a cool feeling, perhaps a small gift to share with myself and my family. I'm not saying it was any big deal, it was just cool.
Monday, October 20, 2008
5:45am
This morning I arose to fill in for somebody at work and their 5:45-2:15 shift.
Yuck.
Forget the fact that you basically have to settle in the night before and try to be in bed at 9pm like an 8 year old, but waking up while it is still dark out? Well, it's hard for me to figure out how some people find pleasure in that.
Oh yeah, to top that all off it's Monday.
But, I am coming off a quiet (as quiet as one can get with a 6 and 4 year old in the house) weekend home with the family. I didn't even crack open one cocktail, and I didn't sleep in either day. I just watched movies, visited my folks, played with the kids, and spent time with my wife.
It was a refreshing weekend. Again, I have to feel thankful and cherish the days. However, one thing I do not cherish, is waking up at 4:45am to be to work by 5:45am.
One thing I do notice, however, waking up this early and having your day start before most people's, is that my mind feels a little crisper (after coffee of course) and a little more creative. Maybe I'll take advantage of it and write something. Or maybe I'll lay my head down and wish 2:15 would hurry up.
Have a good week, everybody.
Yuck.
Forget the fact that you basically have to settle in the night before and try to be in bed at 9pm like an 8 year old, but waking up while it is still dark out? Well, it's hard for me to figure out how some people find pleasure in that.
Oh yeah, to top that all off it's Monday.
But, I am coming off a quiet (as quiet as one can get with a 6 and 4 year old in the house) weekend home with the family. I didn't even crack open one cocktail, and I didn't sleep in either day. I just watched movies, visited my folks, played with the kids, and spent time with my wife.
It was a refreshing weekend. Again, I have to feel thankful and cherish the days. However, one thing I do not cherish, is waking up at 4:45am to be to work by 5:45am.
One thing I do notice, however, waking up this early and having your day start before most people's, is that my mind feels a little crisper (after coffee of course) and a little more creative. Maybe I'll take advantage of it and write something. Or maybe I'll lay my head down and wish 2:15 would hurry up.
Have a good week, everybody.
The Return of Alexander Supertramp
I really can't complain too much about the camping trip. I was surrounded by a crisp fire, good friends, good food and drink, and beautiful weather. This is more than a lot of people have in their lives, so I feel thankful.
Packing, unpacking, and then packing is a bitch when camping, I will say that. There's so much you have to remember to bring when you camp. Stuffing the car to the gills while you argue with your spouse about "what can fit where" and "do we really need to bring that?" is not so fun, but par for the course. (for marriage and a camping trip --smile--)
But aside for that, it pales in comparison to the nice feeling I had Saturday afternoon. After a good jog and a shower, I sat. I read a chapter of a book, did a crossword puzzle, bullcrapped with friends by a fire, watched kids play, all by a fire in 72 degree sunny weather. A few beers and a bocci ball game later, I settled in for a chilly night's sleep in the tent.
I woke up feeling glad that I went, but also glad to go back home to indoor plumbing and my own bed.
Packing, unpacking, and then packing is a bitch when camping, I will say that. There's so much you have to remember to bring when you camp. Stuffing the car to the gills while you argue with your spouse about "what can fit where" and "do we really need to bring that?" is not so fun, but par for the course. (for marriage and a camping trip --smile--)
But aside for that, it pales in comparison to the nice feeling I had Saturday afternoon. After a good jog and a shower, I sat. I read a chapter of a book, did a crossword puzzle, bullcrapped with friends by a fire, watched kids play, all by a fire in 72 degree sunny weather. A few beers and a bocci ball game later, I settled in for a chilly night's sleep in the tent.
I woke up feeling glad that I went, but also glad to go back home to indoor plumbing and my own bed.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Alexander Supertramp
This weekend we are going on a camping trip. It's not something I am too excited about. I've been camping a couple of times and decided it wasn't for me. But the wife and kids are excited about it so I'm just going to have to suck it up. I've always been more of a beach guy.
I'm sure, once I get there it'll be fun. I like being outdoors in nice weather, and I'm hoping to get in a great jog on one of the nature trails they have.
I've just never really been the 'outsdoorsy' type. Camping is not something we did in my family growing up. It is something my wife did in hers. So, really, it's just like what kind of milk you drink. If you grew up with skim milk you drink skim milk, if you grew up with whole milk you drink whole milk. Odd reference, I know, but I think it fits. It really is true that how you were raised makes a big impact on the things you do as an adult. No one way is better than another, it's just different strokes for different folks.
Of course, this blog's title, if you know what it means, is sarcasm. We are staying at a camping "resort", which I think just means they have a lake and lots of amenities. Alexander Supertramp was the alias of a young wayward wanderer who died in the wilderness of Alaska. He was living a life of solitude in the wild trying to survive on berries and whatever he could hunt. In the end, living off the land didn't suit him. They made an interesting movie about him called "Into the Wild". So really, guys like me just watch movies about guys like him.
Anyway, I'm nervous and excited at the same time to be out of my element for a couple of days. I think it's important to stray from beyond your 'element' even if you really don't want to. I think opening up your world a bit gives you more character. I don't open up my world too often, so this will be interesting.
I'll let you know how it goes.
I'm sure, once I get there it'll be fun. I like being outdoors in nice weather, and I'm hoping to get in a great jog on one of the nature trails they have.
I've just never really been the 'outsdoorsy' type. Camping is not something we did in my family growing up. It is something my wife did in hers. So, really, it's just like what kind of milk you drink. If you grew up with skim milk you drink skim milk, if you grew up with whole milk you drink whole milk. Odd reference, I know, but I think it fits. It really is true that how you were raised makes a big impact on the things you do as an adult. No one way is better than another, it's just different strokes for different folks.
Of course, this blog's title, if you know what it means, is sarcasm. We are staying at a camping "resort", which I think just means they have a lake and lots of amenities. Alexander Supertramp was the alias of a young wayward wanderer who died in the wilderness of Alaska. He was living a life of solitude in the wild trying to survive on berries and whatever he could hunt. In the end, living off the land didn't suit him. They made an interesting movie about him called "Into the Wild". So really, guys like me just watch movies about guys like him.
Anyway, I'm nervous and excited at the same time to be out of my element for a couple of days. I think it's important to stray from beyond your 'element' even if you really don't want to. I think opening up your world a bit gives you more character. I don't open up my world too often, so this will be interesting.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Restored Faith
Life can make you jaded sometimes. Sometimes, through all the frustrations, minor and major inconveniences, and nastiness in the world you can grow a genuine distaste for humanity. But just when I think I have lost all hope and faith in my fellow man, just whenI have been cut off in traffic by someone on a cellphone one too many times, or when I hear about one too many senseless crimes where innocent people lose their lives, someone will surprise you.
It's a shame that it has to be a surprise, but today, my hope in humanity is restored.
I found myself in quite the quandary today of this Saturday being one of my Saturdays to work. My wife and I had had some miscommunication about the date of an imporant event for our son, who has a slight developmental disability. The event is actually a charity walk for that disability. But I had completely forgotten I had to work.
So, frantically, I scrambled at the last minute trying to find a sub for my Saturday shift, thinking of course, no one will want to do it, especially in this short notice. Plus, who likes to work Saturdays? Then I asked myself, if it was me they were asking, would I do it?
All of a sudden, an employee from another one of our sites, whom I don't know very well at all, offered to cover for me. Actually, she said she'd "be glad to" and to "enjoy the charity walk", and didn't even want me to take one of her Saturdays in return (we all rotate a Saturday shifts).
I consider this person a savior of sorts. She saved me for this Saturday,allowing me to attend this important event with my family, and she also saved my all but lost sense of hope and faith in humanity. The selflessness and kindness she showed truly amazed me, especially in a day and age where it seems like everyone is just out for self.
It reminded me of this quote:
"Sometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while a great wind carries me across the sky." -Ojibwe saying
Indeed.
Although she will probably never read this, I want to send out my utmost gratitude to this person.
Thanks, T.K.
It's a shame that it has to be a surprise, but today, my hope in humanity is restored.
I found myself in quite the quandary today of this Saturday being one of my Saturdays to work. My wife and I had had some miscommunication about the date of an imporant event for our son, who has a slight developmental disability. The event is actually a charity walk for that disability. But I had completely forgotten I had to work.
So, frantically, I scrambled at the last minute trying to find a sub for my Saturday shift, thinking of course, no one will want to do it, especially in this short notice. Plus, who likes to work Saturdays? Then I asked myself, if it was me they were asking, would I do it?
All of a sudden, an employee from another one of our sites, whom I don't know very well at all, offered to cover for me. Actually, she said she'd "be glad to" and to "enjoy the charity walk", and didn't even want me to take one of her Saturdays in return (we all rotate a Saturday shifts).
I consider this person a savior of sorts. She saved me for this Saturday,allowing me to attend this important event with my family, and she also saved my all but lost sense of hope and faith in humanity. The selflessness and kindness she showed truly amazed me, especially in a day and age where it seems like everyone is just out for self.
It reminded me of this quote:
"Sometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while a great wind carries me across the sky." -Ojibwe saying
Indeed.
Although she will probably never read this, I want to send out my utmost gratitude to this person.
Thanks, T.K.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Questions
Questions:
1. Here in Baltimore, we have a news anchor named Mary Rubala. Doesn't that last name sound like some kind of virus? ("this just in, a Rubala virus outbreak infects over half the passengers on...")
2. Doesn't it seem like more than half of white trash/rednecks you see out there always seem to be wearing some sort of wrist brace or cast? Why is that? (i'm serious, watch cops, they almost always have some sort of arm sling, wrist brace, or cast)
3. Do people actually think it is their actual weight when they weigh themselves right after a workout?
4. Doesn't it seem, the way some people look at the automatic checkout screen at a grocery store and take forever, that you'd need some sort of M.I.T. engineering degree to operate it?
5. Why do some families bring their 2 year old child into a Rated R movie? Really, has your 2 year old been talking nonstop about how he is just dying to see "Knocked Up"?
6. Why do people ask for a bag at a convenience store to carry a tiny bag of chips that already come in a bag?
7. How do the elderly, tractor trailers with huge cranes loaded on them, soccer moms in minivans, or 15 year old driver's ed kids always seem to get at the front of the traffic line?
8. Ladies, what's with the skirts and tennis shoes look?
9. Why do people look for platonic friends on craigslist?
10. How come I can manage to get my body in better shape as I get older but my hairline can't seem to do the same?
11. How come every time I choose to go to the grocery store I wind up going when there are 50-60 other people there doing their next 3 months worth of shopping? And why do I always get stuck behind them in line when all I have is a basket?
12. How come in a crowded parking lot, while looking for a space, if I actually do spot someone walking to their car to leave and I can then have their spot, that person always seems to be parked in the furthest away spot possible?
13. Why do sports fans watching a game high five each other when their team scores or makes a good play like they had something to do with it?
14. How come no one can ever find their bottle opener?
15. How come to this day, I can sing along perfectly to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" (a song popular in 1988) and not miss a word, but I can't recall a conversation I had with someone last week?
1. Here in Baltimore, we have a news anchor named Mary Rubala. Doesn't that last name sound like some kind of virus? ("this just in, a Rubala virus outbreak infects over half the passengers on...")
2. Doesn't it seem like more than half of white trash/rednecks you see out there always seem to be wearing some sort of wrist brace or cast? Why is that? (i'm serious, watch cops, they almost always have some sort of arm sling, wrist brace, or cast)
3. Do people actually think it is their actual weight when they weigh themselves right after a workout?
4. Doesn't it seem, the way some people look at the automatic checkout screen at a grocery store and take forever, that you'd need some sort of M.I.T. engineering degree to operate it?
5. Why do some families bring their 2 year old child into a Rated R movie? Really, has your 2 year old been talking nonstop about how he is just dying to see "Knocked Up"?
6. Why do people ask for a bag at a convenience store to carry a tiny bag of chips that already come in a bag?
7. How do the elderly, tractor trailers with huge cranes loaded on them, soccer moms in minivans, or 15 year old driver's ed kids always seem to get at the front of the traffic line?
8. Ladies, what's with the skirts and tennis shoes look?
9. Why do people look for platonic friends on craigslist?
10. How come I can manage to get my body in better shape as I get older but my hairline can't seem to do the same?
11. How come every time I choose to go to the grocery store I wind up going when there are 50-60 other people there doing their next 3 months worth of shopping? And why do I always get stuck behind them in line when all I have is a basket?
12. How come in a crowded parking lot, while looking for a space, if I actually do spot someone walking to their car to leave and I can then have their spot, that person always seems to be parked in the furthest away spot possible?
13. Why do sports fans watching a game high five each other when their team scores or makes a good play like they had something to do with it?
14. How come no one can ever find their bottle opener?
15. How come to this day, I can sing along perfectly to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" (a song popular in 1988) and not miss a word, but I can't recall a conversation I had with someone last week?
Thursday, September 18, 2008
...like busboys in a restaurant.
The Richard Dreyfuss character in one of my favorite movies, "Stand By Me" narrated "It happens sometimes. Friends come in and out of our lives like busboys in a restaurant."
How true. You never really put it into perspective until you leave somewhere or someone else leaves somewhere where they were normally.
We had a co-worker leave today after 12 years here. Although I only knew her for the almost 3 years I have been here and we only ever really crossed paths, her on her way out and myself on my way in, it was still a little sad.
But it also makes you realize how quickly some people, who are usually there, can be gone the next minute. Is it sad if you don't really know them that well? Maybe not to the point of tears, but I think it demonstrates a true, yet melancholy fact of life. Friends , co-workers, etc. do drift in and out of your life. Someone you are best friends with for a long period of time could be someone you are reduced to just having small talk with, maybe twice a year, a little down the line.
It just seems weird to me I suppose. Sometimes if a co-worker leaves a job, and you never see them outside of work, it's probably going to be the last time you will ever see that person again in your life. Your absolute best friend in high school could now possibly have no clue where you live or what you do. That's strange to me. But, that's life.
In conclusion, if there is any point to be summoned from this blog, I think it's that it makes you feel glad for the people in your life who will always be constant,or are at least supposed to be constant, such as a wife, children, parents, brothers, sisters, etc.
I have been lucky to have remained close with a few elementary school friends, and to still hang out with a group of high school friends regularly. But casual acquaintances, co-workers, and the like, well, it's anybody's guess.
How true. You never really put it into perspective until you leave somewhere or someone else leaves somewhere where they were normally.
We had a co-worker leave today after 12 years here. Although I only knew her for the almost 3 years I have been here and we only ever really crossed paths, her on her way out and myself on my way in, it was still a little sad.
But it also makes you realize how quickly some people, who are usually there, can be gone the next minute. Is it sad if you don't really know them that well? Maybe not to the point of tears, but I think it demonstrates a true, yet melancholy fact of life. Friends , co-workers, etc. do drift in and out of your life. Someone you are best friends with for a long period of time could be someone you are reduced to just having small talk with, maybe twice a year, a little down the line.
It just seems weird to me I suppose. Sometimes if a co-worker leaves a job, and you never see them outside of work, it's probably going to be the last time you will ever see that person again in your life. Your absolute best friend in high school could now possibly have no clue where you live or what you do. That's strange to me. But, that's life.
In conclusion, if there is any point to be summoned from this blog, I think it's that it makes you feel glad for the people in your life who will always be constant,or are at least supposed to be constant, such as a wife, children, parents, brothers, sisters, etc.
I have been lucky to have remained close with a few elementary school friends, and to still hang out with a group of high school friends regularly. But casual acquaintances, co-workers, and the like, well, it's anybody's guess.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
9-5
This is another random observation, but doesn't anybody work the 9-5 shift anymore?
It strikes me that this was the common work shift I always heard about growing up, they even had a movie and a song about it, but now it seems like barely anyone works this shift anymore.
Maybe it's just that I work at a government facility and all these people have free reign to work whatever shift they'd like (must be nice), as long as they come in sometime between 6am and 930am. But if that's the case, why doesn't anyone choose 9-5 anymore? People say they like to get in early so they can have the afternoon free, which I can understand. That's not for me, but I can understand it. I'd trade more morning sleep for being off at 230pm anyday of the week, but it seems like I am in the minority nowdays on that. I'd rather go to bed around 11, wake up at 7 or 730 and be into work by 9. That early morning, still dark out, birds chirping stuff to me is....well, for the birds. There's just something not right to me about being awake for your day when it's still dark out. And I know there's people who work graveyard shifts, etc., but I'm talking more about your average worker bee.
To get off work at 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon? Who cares? May as well be at work in my opinion. Fridays are different.
Maybe people also like to beat the traffic. But still, didn't people want to beat the traffic 20 years ago? Or is this 'more people seemed to work 9-5 shifts a long time ago' all in my head?
It's different if you work at a place that requires shift work, like myself. Restaurants, gyms, shopping centers, etc. open and close at a certain time, so you have all kinds of different shifts-6-2,8-4, 3-11,2-10, etc.
But I'm talking about the office workers. Nowdays there's all this flex time and choosing of shifts. That's another thing, since when did employees start being allowed to choose their shift? It seems to me that years ago, employees were told their shift.
I bring this up only because yesterday at work I was cleaning up cones after a 5K race on a two lane road that surrounds my work buildings. I was riding on the back of a pickup truck, hopping on and off to grab the cones that had marked the earlier race. It was about 3pm. We had to stop a ridiculous amount of times to let cars go around us. People leaving work? 3pm? I said to the guy driving the truck, "What ever happened to 9-5?"
Are they a thing of the past, or is the past I am thinking of all in my head? Do more people work 6-2 shifts these days than they did 20 years ago? Did 9-5 used to be the staple and now it's not?
Sorry for the perhaps boring and arbitrary blog, but I figure, what would a blog be without the occasional dose of boring and arbitrary?
It strikes me that this was the common work shift I always heard about growing up, they even had a movie and a song about it, but now it seems like barely anyone works this shift anymore.
Maybe it's just that I work at a government facility and all these people have free reign to work whatever shift they'd like (must be nice), as long as they come in sometime between 6am and 930am. But if that's the case, why doesn't anyone choose 9-5 anymore? People say they like to get in early so they can have the afternoon free, which I can understand. That's not for me, but I can understand it. I'd trade more morning sleep for being off at 230pm anyday of the week, but it seems like I am in the minority nowdays on that. I'd rather go to bed around 11, wake up at 7 or 730 and be into work by 9. That early morning, still dark out, birds chirping stuff to me is....well, for the birds. There's just something not right to me about being awake for your day when it's still dark out. And I know there's people who work graveyard shifts, etc., but I'm talking more about your average worker bee.
To get off work at 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon? Who cares? May as well be at work in my opinion. Fridays are different.
Maybe people also like to beat the traffic. But still, didn't people want to beat the traffic 20 years ago? Or is this 'more people seemed to work 9-5 shifts a long time ago' all in my head?
It's different if you work at a place that requires shift work, like myself. Restaurants, gyms, shopping centers, etc. open and close at a certain time, so you have all kinds of different shifts-6-2,8-4, 3-11,2-10, etc.
But I'm talking about the office workers. Nowdays there's all this flex time and choosing of shifts. That's another thing, since when did employees start being allowed to choose their shift? It seems to me that years ago, employees were told their shift.
I bring this up only because yesterday at work I was cleaning up cones after a 5K race on a two lane road that surrounds my work buildings. I was riding on the back of a pickup truck, hopping on and off to grab the cones that had marked the earlier race. It was about 3pm. We had to stop a ridiculous amount of times to let cars go around us. People leaving work? 3pm? I said to the guy driving the truck, "What ever happened to 9-5?"
Are they a thing of the past, or is the past I am thinking of all in my head? Do more people work 6-2 shifts these days than they did 20 years ago? Did 9-5 used to be the staple and now it's not?
Sorry for the perhaps boring and arbitrary blog, but I figure, what would a blog be without the occasional dose of boring and arbitrary?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Calm After the Storm
And I was complaining.
Silly me.
What a wonderful weekend at the beach.
I am not an early bird. Anyone who knows me well knows this. Even as a little kid, I fancied sleeping in. Let's just say getting up by 10:00am on a weekend is early for me. But Saturday at the beach my wife woke me up somewhere around the area of 7:00am. At first I scoffed at the idea and wanted to go back to sleep, but with the impending tropical storm, she urged me to come see the beach, pre-hurricane, and I agreed.
Once I showered quickly and made myself a cup of instant coffee, we went out there. It was gorgeous, definitely a sight to behold. The waves were crashing in fast as if to say 'you ain't seen nothing yet' and the sun was shining right over the horizon. We sat on a blanket and took pictures with our cell phones. The sea air felt refreshing to breathe in. This was just one of those moments I have talked about in a previous blog called "Clarity". This was one of those 'glad to be alive' moments. With all the hubbub and news forecasts of the impending weather disaster we were about to have, we found perfect peace Saturday morning on beach.
The storm everyone was worried about turned out to be a fascinating sight. The rain did get annoying, but the sight of the actual ocean during this storm was incredible. The main thing I was worried about was losing power in the condo. This didn't happen. Good company, my newspaper,crossword puzzles, yahtzee, a couple of good movies, and junk food made for a very nice Saturday inside. There was no place I would have rather been.
Oh, and I can't forget, my wife loves to rib me about this, but I am kind of an oddball in that I love watching the local Ocean City channels. You know, the ones with DJ Batman standing in front of some random O.C. location and telling you about what's going on at the beach this week? I can watch this channel for hours. Don't ask me why.
I love going out to breakfast in Ocean City, we did that twice. We got some ribs at J.R.'s for dinner(ehh.)
We even got a chance to get on the boardwalk before the storm started. It was cool to see it pretty empty with the rides shut down. They had even taken the cars off of the giant ferris wheel on the pier in preparation for the storm. The water rolling around at the end of the pier reminded me of a lighter version of something out of the movie "The Perfect Storm". I understood the true meaning of the term 'the calm before the storm' on this morning.
On Sunday the weather turned out to be beautiful. We got some much needed beach time this day, and the ocean was extremely rough, exactly how I like it. Being in the water having to fight the current constantly pushing me down the beach reminded me of being a kid again in the water. It reminded me of being so little and young that the waves push you all the time anyway. Heck, I even wiped out a few times. It was a flashback to childhood summer vacations all over again.
And what would a trip to the beach be without some genuinely overpriced candy from Candy Kitchen?
People tend to criticize Ocean City, Maryland for being "trashy" or "dirty". And sure, it's no Bahamas. I have no misconceptions about that. But I love it there. It brings out the kid in me. It's just so comfortable. I always feel a slight depression leaving. I feel jealousy for other people who are just getting to ocean city when I'm on my way out. I find myself seeing people walking along coastal highway and thinking to myself "Man, that person probably has a few more days left here. Lucky."
I love the memories being at the beach invokes, and the hope it creates for creating new memories in the future. After all is said and done, I realize it's not just being there that I love, but being there with the person that I love.
It was a good weekend. I have the sunburn to prove it.
Silly me.
What a wonderful weekend at the beach.
I am not an early bird. Anyone who knows me well knows this. Even as a little kid, I fancied sleeping in. Let's just say getting up by 10:00am on a weekend is early for me. But Saturday at the beach my wife woke me up somewhere around the area of 7:00am. At first I scoffed at the idea and wanted to go back to sleep, but with the impending tropical storm, she urged me to come see the beach, pre-hurricane, and I agreed.
Once I showered quickly and made myself a cup of instant coffee, we went out there. It was gorgeous, definitely a sight to behold. The waves were crashing in fast as if to say 'you ain't seen nothing yet' and the sun was shining right over the horizon. We sat on a blanket and took pictures with our cell phones. The sea air felt refreshing to breathe in. This was just one of those moments I have talked about in a previous blog called "Clarity". This was one of those 'glad to be alive' moments. With all the hubbub and news forecasts of the impending weather disaster we were about to have, we found perfect peace Saturday morning on beach.
The storm everyone was worried about turned out to be a fascinating sight. The rain did get annoying, but the sight of the actual ocean during this storm was incredible. The main thing I was worried about was losing power in the condo. This didn't happen. Good company, my newspaper,crossword puzzles, yahtzee, a couple of good movies, and junk food made for a very nice Saturday inside. There was no place I would have rather been.
Oh, and I can't forget, my wife loves to rib me about this, but I am kind of an oddball in that I love watching the local Ocean City channels. You know, the ones with DJ Batman standing in front of some random O.C. location and telling you about what's going on at the beach this week? I can watch this channel for hours. Don't ask me why.
I love going out to breakfast in Ocean City, we did that twice. We got some ribs at J.R.'s for dinner(ehh.)
We even got a chance to get on the boardwalk before the storm started. It was cool to see it pretty empty with the rides shut down. They had even taken the cars off of the giant ferris wheel on the pier in preparation for the storm. The water rolling around at the end of the pier reminded me of a lighter version of something out of the movie "The Perfect Storm". I understood the true meaning of the term 'the calm before the storm' on this morning.
On Sunday the weather turned out to be beautiful. We got some much needed beach time this day, and the ocean was extremely rough, exactly how I like it. Being in the water having to fight the current constantly pushing me down the beach reminded me of being a kid again in the water. It reminded me of being so little and young that the waves push you all the time anyway. Heck, I even wiped out a few times. It was a flashback to childhood summer vacations all over again.
And what would a trip to the beach be without some genuinely overpriced candy from Candy Kitchen?
People tend to criticize Ocean City, Maryland for being "trashy" or "dirty". And sure, it's no Bahamas. I have no misconceptions about that. But I love it there. It brings out the kid in me. It's just so comfortable. I always feel a slight depression leaving. I feel jealousy for other people who are just getting to ocean city when I'm on my way out. I find myself seeing people walking along coastal highway and thinking to myself "Man, that person probably has a few more days left here. Lucky."
I love the memories being at the beach invokes, and the hope it creates for creating new memories in the future. After all is said and done, I realize it's not just being there that I love, but being there with the person that I love.
It was a good weekend. I have the sunburn to prove it.
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Storm
I think one of my more unbecoming traits is that I tend to think bad luck hits me more than it does others.
Sometimes I get the feeling that I have to deal with a lot more...crap--if you will, than your average Joe.
I know in reality, this really isn't true, and there are folks out there who would laugh at what I call bad luck. However it's hard sometimes to think that Murphy's Law is not applying to you.
My lovely wife and I have been planning a quiet weekend trip to Ocean City for about 4 months now. We have babysitters lined up for the kids, and we are staying at the same condo we stayed in when we got engaged almost 4 years ago.
I love our kids, but it will be nice to have a few days where we can come and go as we please.
So, we have all these weeks in a row this summer of fantastic weather. But all of a sudden now we have a hurricane coming this weekend and it picked our weekend at the beach to arrive. No Saturday at the beach I guess, trying to get some sun, swimming in the ocean like I love to do, but high winds and flood warnings.
From what i hear it's going to mimic the famous Hill Valley lightning storm from Back to the Future, or the storm at the end of Karate Kid part 2. (c'mon, it's me, you knew I had to get in my 80's movie plugs)
How nice.
Oh, we are still going. I am dead set on having a nice weekend away from home, even if it means we have to carry an umbrella and wear a raincoat the whole time. We just won't really be able to do normal beach things I guess.
I am trying to look on the bright side. We still have a nice place to stay (if the power doesn't go out), and we can still go out to eat or have some cocktails and have a romantic weekend. It just bothers me that after all these weekends of nice weather, the tropical storms decide to hit on the weekend we chose to go away. I know this is just dumb luck, there are no weather gods out to ruin our good time. And I try my best not to be pessimistic, even though I am a large amount of the time.
Tony Soprano, of the HBO series 'The Sopranos' said in one episode, "Okay, every day is a gift, but does it have to be a pair of socks?"
See what i mean?
Still, I say- storm, bring it on. You may stop us from swimming, sun bathing, or sitting at an outdoor pub, but dammit you aren't going to ruin our good time.
It's going to be a quiet romantic weekend with my wife if it kills me. I mean, what's more romantic than floating down coastal highway on a chunk of the boardwalk that blew off?
See you Monday.
Sometimes I get the feeling that I have to deal with a lot more...crap--if you will, than your average Joe.
I know in reality, this really isn't true, and there are folks out there who would laugh at what I call bad luck. However it's hard sometimes to think that Murphy's Law is not applying to you.
My lovely wife and I have been planning a quiet weekend trip to Ocean City for about 4 months now. We have babysitters lined up for the kids, and we are staying at the same condo we stayed in when we got engaged almost 4 years ago.
I love our kids, but it will be nice to have a few days where we can come and go as we please.
So, we have all these weeks in a row this summer of fantastic weather. But all of a sudden now we have a hurricane coming this weekend and it picked our weekend at the beach to arrive. No Saturday at the beach I guess, trying to get some sun, swimming in the ocean like I love to do, but high winds and flood warnings.
From what i hear it's going to mimic the famous Hill Valley lightning storm from Back to the Future, or the storm at the end of Karate Kid part 2. (c'mon, it's me, you knew I had to get in my 80's movie plugs)
How nice.
Oh, we are still going. I am dead set on having a nice weekend away from home, even if it means we have to carry an umbrella and wear a raincoat the whole time. We just won't really be able to do normal beach things I guess.
I am trying to look on the bright side. We still have a nice place to stay (if the power doesn't go out), and we can still go out to eat or have some cocktails and have a romantic weekend. It just bothers me that after all these weekends of nice weather, the tropical storms decide to hit on the weekend we chose to go away. I know this is just dumb luck, there are no weather gods out to ruin our good time. And I try my best not to be pessimistic, even though I am a large amount of the time.
Tony Soprano, of the HBO series 'The Sopranos' said in one episode, "Okay, every day is a gift, but does it have to be a pair of socks?"
See what i mean?
Still, I say- storm, bring it on. You may stop us from swimming, sun bathing, or sitting at an outdoor pub, but dammit you aren't going to ruin our good time.
It's going to be a quiet romantic weekend with my wife if it kills me. I mean, what's more romantic than floating down coastal highway on a chunk of the boardwalk that blew off?
See you Monday.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
"Drill Baby Drill!"
I have been pretty conservative when it comes to politics for a while. However, over the past couple of years I have realized that there are a few issues on which I am not so conservative.
I've never been a 'bible' conservative at all, and when it comes to religion, I have faith in some sort of higher power, but I am more of a 'show me some proof' type of guy. And protesters who use bible passages as their only reason for their stances have always rubbed me the wrong way. Protesters who get down right nasty all in the name of what 'the bible' says to me are using the same reasoning as terrorists, just not killing people. I don't really care what someone's sexual orientation is because it doesn't effect how I make my way in the world, and to each their own. I don't like how people think they can tell others how to live their lives based on the bible. Again, show me some practical proof that this is the be-all, end-all.
Another issue on which I am not with the conservatives and that is that I am largely pro-choice. Again this goes back to the 'telling people how to live their lives thing'.
And last but not least, I don't even know if you'd call this an issue, per se', but I don't like hunting. I could never pick up a gun and shoot a defenseless animal for sport. That's just not me. Using guns for protection is a different story.
There are a few other issues I am fairly liberal about that I won't get into, but let's just say that on everything else I am very conservative.
I won't get into everything but I do believe we need to have zero tolerance for terrorism, and stop showing compassion to proven criminals in our legal system.
Anyway, this blog is not about the issues, so I'll digress, I just wanted to point out that I can be fairly middle of the road at times. However I feel a lot stronger on my conservative views, so I consider myself on the right. Maybe not as far right as I once thought I was, but enough to be inspired by last night's Republican convention.
Now look, I don't know everything about politics. I am not educated enough on a lot of issues to really chime in on every last thing either. As I have grown into my early 30's I started to realize that I can't always put in my two cents on matters that I can't fully back up. I've been doing a lot of listening lately. I find you can learn a lot just by listening to others talk. But last night, it was Mike Huckabee who said something that made me realize that I am still definitely on the right.
Huckabee said "I’m not a Republican because I grew up rich, but because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me."
This struck a chord with me. I loved this line, and I almost cheered out loud when he said it. I can't quite put my finger on why, but it just did. If I had to guess it'd be because I have, for the past couple of years, been a huge proponent of making your own way in this world. Things aren't going to get handed to you in this life. Stop waiting for a free pass. Make your own luck. That's why things like affirmative action and welfare just don't sit right with me. But again, I digress.
Another thing Mr. Huckabee said was "Maybe the most dangerous threat of an Obama presidency is that he would continue to give madmen the benefit of the doubt. If he’s wrong just once, we will pay a heavy price."
I agree. Totally and completely, I agree. I want someone in office who is going to give zero benefit of the doubt to terrorist maniacs who think it is okay to decapitate innocent people on TV and hang dead bodies from bridges, then cheer about it.
Rudy Giuliani (My original choice for President) pointed out that during the Democratic convention, it seems that all the speakers were afraid to use the term "Islamic terrorist", perhaps worried how they'd be perceived by certain people. In other words, being 'politically correct' and not wanting to offend anybody. Who were they worried about offending? Terrorists? I think this burns me up more than anything.
So it is not just that I found VP candidate Sarah Palin extremely dynamic and inspiring last night, it's that I don't want people in office who are worried about offending every last person. Yes I am liberal on a few issues, but when it comes to the safety of our country and the threat of terrorism, I want someone who is going to be extremely tough.
Needless to say, last night I felt so inspired and enthusiastic about McCain-Palin '08 that I felt like I was watching a 'Rocky' movie. These speakers moved me to the point of excitement and goosebumps.
I've never been a 'bible' conservative at all, and when it comes to religion, I have faith in some sort of higher power, but I am more of a 'show me some proof' type of guy. And protesters who use bible passages as their only reason for their stances have always rubbed me the wrong way. Protesters who get down right nasty all in the name of what 'the bible' says to me are using the same reasoning as terrorists, just not killing people. I don't really care what someone's sexual orientation is because it doesn't effect how I make my way in the world, and to each their own. I don't like how people think they can tell others how to live their lives based on the bible. Again, show me some practical proof that this is the be-all, end-all.
Another issue on which I am not with the conservatives and that is that I am largely pro-choice. Again this goes back to the 'telling people how to live their lives thing'.
And last but not least, I don't even know if you'd call this an issue, per se', but I don't like hunting. I could never pick up a gun and shoot a defenseless animal for sport. That's just not me. Using guns for protection is a different story.
There are a few other issues I am fairly liberal about that I won't get into, but let's just say that on everything else I am very conservative.
I won't get into everything but I do believe we need to have zero tolerance for terrorism, and stop showing compassion to proven criminals in our legal system.
Anyway, this blog is not about the issues, so I'll digress, I just wanted to point out that I can be fairly middle of the road at times. However I feel a lot stronger on my conservative views, so I consider myself on the right. Maybe not as far right as I once thought I was, but enough to be inspired by last night's Republican convention.
Now look, I don't know everything about politics. I am not educated enough on a lot of issues to really chime in on every last thing either. As I have grown into my early 30's I started to realize that I can't always put in my two cents on matters that I can't fully back up. I've been doing a lot of listening lately. I find you can learn a lot just by listening to others talk. But last night, it was Mike Huckabee who said something that made me realize that I am still definitely on the right.
Huckabee said "I’m not a Republican because I grew up rich, but because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me."
This struck a chord with me. I loved this line, and I almost cheered out loud when he said it. I can't quite put my finger on why, but it just did. If I had to guess it'd be because I have, for the past couple of years, been a huge proponent of making your own way in this world. Things aren't going to get handed to you in this life. Stop waiting for a free pass. Make your own luck. That's why things like affirmative action and welfare just don't sit right with me. But again, I digress.
Another thing Mr. Huckabee said was "Maybe the most dangerous threat of an Obama presidency is that he would continue to give madmen the benefit of the doubt. If he’s wrong just once, we will pay a heavy price."
I agree. Totally and completely, I agree. I want someone in office who is going to give zero benefit of the doubt to terrorist maniacs who think it is okay to decapitate innocent people on TV and hang dead bodies from bridges, then cheer about it.
Rudy Giuliani (My original choice for President) pointed out that during the Democratic convention, it seems that all the speakers were afraid to use the term "Islamic terrorist", perhaps worried how they'd be perceived by certain people. In other words, being 'politically correct' and not wanting to offend anybody. Who were they worried about offending? Terrorists? I think this burns me up more than anything.
So it is not just that I found VP candidate Sarah Palin extremely dynamic and inspiring last night, it's that I don't want people in office who are worried about offending every last person. Yes I am liberal on a few issues, but when it comes to the safety of our country and the threat of terrorism, I want someone who is going to be extremely tough.
Needless to say, last night I felt so inspired and enthusiastic about McCain-Palin '08 that I felt like I was watching a 'Rocky' movie. These speakers moved me to the point of excitement and goosebumps.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Keeping the Faith
I want to talk about "Keeping the Faith", one of my favorite Billy Joel songs.
I love this song, not just for how it sounds or because it makes me tap my foot. I love it because this song totally embodies reminscing about the old days. Granted, Billy Joel's old days are a bit older than mine. So when he sings about a tight pair of Chino's and combing his hair in a pompadour, I don't so much relate to that part. It's the message of the song to which I can relate.
I attended "Back to School" night last night at our first grader's school. I listened to a principal speak in a hot gym with ancient windows and got to sit at a tiny desk. The desks have not changed a bit, by the way. It reminded me of how I used to try to keep the inside of mine as organized as possible when I was in my organizational phases as a kid, and how it was a mess in my messy phases. You know, with stray papers hanging out of it and school supplies strewn about.
Anyway, attending this was bittersweet. It makes you feel a little old, but it's pretty cool to be on the other side of it now. I tried to focus on how cool it was.
This brings me back to the song.
"You know the good ole days weren't always good and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems..."
I love this line.
Life just is. Sometimes there's no greater or deeper meaning that we tend to search for. Yeah we long for the good old days, but think back a bit. I don't know about you, but for me- childhood, puberty, adolescence, those times weren't all rosy. In fact, sometimes it was downright tough. Never the less, you're pretty void of responsibility and fun is a lot easier to stumble upon. But being a grown-up isn't so bad either.
So what have we? Not much. Life just is. Good times, bad times, love, heartache, fun, and people that come and go.
Sometimes the best times are the simplest:
" .....Learned stickball as a formal education
Lost a lot of fights but it taught me how to lose O.K
Oh, I heard about sex but not enough
I found you could dance and still look tough anyway,
oh yes I did...
I found out a man ain't just being macho
Ate an awful lot of late night drive-in food
Drank a lot of take-home pay
I thought I was the Duke of Earl
When I made it with a red-haired girl in the Chevrolet
Oh yeah, we were keeping the faith
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, keeping the faith..."
I love this song, not just for how it sounds or because it makes me tap my foot. I love it because this song totally embodies reminscing about the old days. Granted, Billy Joel's old days are a bit older than mine. So when he sings about a tight pair of Chino's and combing his hair in a pompadour, I don't so much relate to that part. It's the message of the song to which I can relate.
I attended "Back to School" night last night at our first grader's school. I listened to a principal speak in a hot gym with ancient windows and got to sit at a tiny desk. The desks have not changed a bit, by the way. It reminded me of how I used to try to keep the inside of mine as organized as possible when I was in my organizational phases as a kid, and how it was a mess in my messy phases. You know, with stray papers hanging out of it and school supplies strewn about.
Anyway, attending this was bittersweet. It makes you feel a little old, but it's pretty cool to be on the other side of it now. I tried to focus on how cool it was.
This brings me back to the song.
"You know the good ole days weren't always good and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems..."
I love this line.
Life just is. Sometimes there's no greater or deeper meaning that we tend to search for. Yeah we long for the good old days, but think back a bit. I don't know about you, but for me- childhood, puberty, adolescence, those times weren't all rosy. In fact, sometimes it was downright tough. Never the less, you're pretty void of responsibility and fun is a lot easier to stumble upon. But being a grown-up isn't so bad either.
So what have we? Not much. Life just is. Good times, bad times, love, heartache, fun, and people that come and go.
Sometimes the best times are the simplest:
" .....Learned stickball as a formal education
Lost a lot of fights but it taught me how to lose O.K
Oh, I heard about sex but not enough
I found you could dance and still look tough anyway,
oh yes I did...
I found out a man ain't just being macho
Ate an awful lot of late night drive-in food
Drank a lot of take-home pay
I thought I was the Duke of Earl
When I made it with a red-haired girl in the Chevrolet
Oh yeah, we were keeping the faith
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, keeping the faith..."
Monday, August 25, 2008
The First Day of School
I put my little man on the bus today for his first day of first grade. This brings back a lot of memories for me. It was neat to see him dressed nice wearing a back pack. I remember that feeling of excited nervousness for the first day of school like it was yesterday. It makes me think about that first day of school smell which is still fresh in my mind. Sure, after getting a little older, the excited nervousness started to get compounded with dread. One, because "school sucks" and two, because it was depressing to leave behind the fun times of the previous summer. But I think at 6 years old you don't really realize any of that yet. You're just excited about starting something new and to be a year older.
This is my 2nd year in a row of putting him on the bus in the mornings. This is a job I have always complained about, but today I realized that it is more of a privelege than a chore. He and I are making memories together out there. Though brief, and not always fun (anyone ever missed the bus, in the rain?), those few minutes at the bus stop make me remember those days when my mom saw me off at the bus stop. I remember feeling how much I was going to miss her as I waved and the bus drove away. I hope he is feeling the same about me when he pulls away.
I think having kids is the closest thing we can get in real life to time travel. Those kids run around, play tag, have races, etc. just like we did. They all yell "BUS!" when they see the bus coming and scurry to grab the book bags and lunch bags they had flung on the ground earlier. For those few minutes in the morning I am transported to the end of Gilston Park road,1982 in my mind.
So I thank my wife, for allowing me to be his father. I have dropped the word "step" from "stepson" when I use it in conversation now. And I thank the little man for unknowingly giving me the chance to be a kid again in my mind for those few minutes every morning.
This is my 2nd year in a row of putting him on the bus in the mornings. This is a job I have always complained about, but today I realized that it is more of a privelege than a chore. He and I are making memories together out there. Though brief, and not always fun (anyone ever missed the bus, in the rain?), those few minutes at the bus stop make me remember those days when my mom saw me off at the bus stop. I remember feeling how much I was going to miss her as I waved and the bus drove away. I hope he is feeling the same about me when he pulls away.
I think having kids is the closest thing we can get in real life to time travel. Those kids run around, play tag, have races, etc. just like we did. They all yell "BUS!" when they see the bus coming and scurry to grab the book bags and lunch bags they had flung on the ground earlier. For those few minutes in the morning I am transported to the end of Gilston Park road,1982 in my mind.
So I thank my wife, for allowing me to be his father. I have dropped the word "step" from "stepson" when I use it in conversation now. And I thank the little man for unknowingly giving me the chance to be a kid again in my mind for those few minutes every morning.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The Saxophones
Whatever happened to the saxophones?
Remember when movies in the 80's always seemed to have these soundtracks with an instrumental saxophone theme in the background of certain scenes? It usually was played during an emotional exchange of dialogue. Or it was used during a montage with no dialogue that usually found certain characters exploring or finding themselves.
I was watching "The Secret of My Success" this morning, one of my Michael J. Fox favorites. This movie is a perfect example of the saxophone use. You also may want to try "St. Elmo's Fire". This one actually had a character who played the sax.
It dawned on me that movies these days don't have the saxophones playing in the background anymore. I noticed that there really is not any of this cheesiness in movies anymore. I guess they realized it was corny. It's funny to me how no one thought it was corny back then though.
I think the saxes added a little more emotion to the scenes and made you care just a tad bit more about what was going on, which is what I think they were going for. Maybe I just miss them because they take me back to a simpler time when movies were allowed to be cheesy.
I know these days we have all this digital technology and special effects capability that far surpasses anything of films in the 1980's, but still, I kind of miss the saxophones.
D
Remember when movies in the 80's always seemed to have these soundtracks with an instrumental saxophone theme in the background of certain scenes? It usually was played during an emotional exchange of dialogue. Or it was used during a montage with no dialogue that usually found certain characters exploring or finding themselves.
I was watching "The Secret of My Success" this morning, one of my Michael J. Fox favorites. This movie is a perfect example of the saxophone use. You also may want to try "St. Elmo's Fire". This one actually had a character who played the sax.
It dawned on me that movies these days don't have the saxophones playing in the background anymore. I noticed that there really is not any of this cheesiness in movies anymore. I guess they realized it was corny. It's funny to me how no one thought it was corny back then though.
I think the saxes added a little more emotion to the scenes and made you care just a tad bit more about what was going on, which is what I think they were going for. Maybe I just miss them because they take me back to a simpler time when movies were allowed to be cheesy.
I know these days we have all this digital technology and special effects capability that far surpasses anything of films in the 1980's, but still, I kind of miss the saxophones.
D
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Murphy's Law of the Gym Locker Room
It could be the slowest time of day in your gym and the place could be practically empty. You put your stuff in a locker and go workout. When you come back, no matter how empty the locker room is, the one other person who was in the gym working out at the same time as you will always have a locker right next to, above, or below you. Always.
How does this always happen? It's different if you workout at a known busy time, you expect to be asscheek to asscheek with other disgusting naked men. But at a slow time, with hardly anyone else in the gym, why does the one other person who happens to be working out when you are always seem to have the locker right near you?
I know, I know, no one plans it like that, it's just dumb luck. But sometimes I leave my gym bag out in front of the locker I am using while I workout to sort of mark my territory (a lock on the locker could also mean the same thing), yet somehow, the one other guy (who is usually disgusting, by the way) will still pick that locker near me. It's as if they have to have that same spot, no matter if someone else is using it or not.
Honestly, in an empty locker room with you and one other guy, use some etiquette. No dude wants to be changing so close to another naked dude. If you see a lock or some stuff occupying a space, and the locker room is practically empty, get a locker far, far away.
And while we're on the subject, what's with the dudes who shave and do everything in the locker room naked and treat it like it's their bathroom at home? There's a guy here whose same routine everyday is to workout for about 2 hours, go in the locker room, undress, use the toilet naked, come out naked, and stand at the sink naked shaving.
Really?
First of all, who prefers doing all that stuff in their gym locker room over their cozy bathroom at home? I hate using my gym locker room, and only use it as a last resort. I wear flip flops in the shower and try not to even brush up against anything in there with my body. But there are guys like this who just walk around, flappin in the breeze, acting like they'd eat their dinner on that locker room floor.
I understand there are extinuating circumstances to everyone's trip to the gym and then the locker room, maybe they have to go right to work or out, etc.--yeah yeah yeah-- but why can't they at least wrap a damn towel around their waist ?
And oh yeah, the naked guy who does everything in there will probably get the locker right below you too. :)
How does this always happen? It's different if you workout at a known busy time, you expect to be asscheek to asscheek with other disgusting naked men. But at a slow time, with hardly anyone else in the gym, why does the one other person who happens to be working out when you are always seem to have the locker right near you?
I know, I know, no one plans it like that, it's just dumb luck. But sometimes I leave my gym bag out in front of the locker I am using while I workout to sort of mark my territory (a lock on the locker could also mean the same thing), yet somehow, the one other guy (who is usually disgusting, by the way) will still pick that locker near me. It's as if they have to have that same spot, no matter if someone else is using it or not.
Honestly, in an empty locker room with you and one other guy, use some etiquette. No dude wants to be changing so close to another naked dude. If you see a lock or some stuff occupying a space, and the locker room is practically empty, get a locker far, far away.
And while we're on the subject, what's with the dudes who shave and do everything in the locker room naked and treat it like it's their bathroom at home? There's a guy here whose same routine everyday is to workout for about 2 hours, go in the locker room, undress, use the toilet naked, come out naked, and stand at the sink naked shaving.
Really?
First of all, who prefers doing all that stuff in their gym locker room over their cozy bathroom at home? I hate using my gym locker room, and only use it as a last resort. I wear flip flops in the shower and try not to even brush up against anything in there with my body. But there are guys like this who just walk around, flappin in the breeze, acting like they'd eat their dinner on that locker room floor.
I understand there are extinuating circumstances to everyone's trip to the gym and then the locker room, maybe they have to go right to work or out, etc.--yeah yeah yeah-- but why can't they at least wrap a damn towel around their waist ?
And oh yeah, the naked guy who does everything in there will probably get the locker right below you too. :)
The Greatest Myth in Fitness
"I pretty much just want to concentrate on toning up."
Working in the fitness industry, I hear this phrase uttered several times per week. I am here to set the record straight today because I think if I hear this one more time I'm going to go buckwild.
I probably should have posted this on my trainer myspace page blog, but I need to speak frankly here.
Everyday when I ask people to describe their fitness goals I hear "I don't want to really bulk up, I just want to concentrate on toning." Or I hear "I basically want to lose weight and tone up."
Okay. You want to concentrate on tone. What, your tone of voice? The musical tone of your favorite song? The pitch of your guitar strings? Or do you mean the color tones of your favorite painting?
Okay, yes, I know what you mean. But please stop saying you want to "tone" your muscles. What you mean is you want your muscles to be more defined. You want to see more definition. You want to be cut. Say any of these but please stop saying "toning".
The only toning there is in the fitness arena refers to a state of contraction in the muscle. But everyone seems to be using it to mean getting definition or getting "cut", which is a fallacy.
Okay, this is the part where I start imparting fitness knowledge and stop being a smartass. This is where I could start this blog if it was on my trainer page.
The idea of toning that so many gym goers seem to have is really a myth. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you can't just make a muscle "look pretty".
Let's start by saying this; the number one determiner of how your body is structured is genetics. If there are a lot of cut and muscular framed people in your family, chances are you are going to be this way too. If there are a lot of thin-shouldered and lengthy people in your family, chances are you are going to be this way too. The same goes for any kind of body type really, and of course there are exceptions to every rule.
However, an overweight person may want to lose weight and become "cut", so they will go into the weight room and do a high rep, light weight routine, thinking this is the way to look "cut".
The idea of "physique specific training" is another myth. You can lift heavy weight and do lower reps to get stronger, and you can lift light weight and do higher reps to become more conditioned. But lifting either way so you will "look" a certain way is just not the way it works. It is genetics that determine your physique, and sure, you are going to get larger if you develop more muscle, and you may see a cut or two that you didn't see before. But you can't change from one body type to another.
Yet some claim that women should follow a light weight-high rep routine to "tone", shape, and sculpt. While there are few women that will have the potential to develop relatively large muscles, most don't. This is due to the fact that women have lower levels of testosterone, higher percentage of body fat, and shorter muscle bellies. A woman's bicep muscle is exactly the same as a man's. So women should strength train the same way as men do.
Ultimately, you can gain and lose muscle mass, you can gain and lose fat, but you cannot "tone" a muscle to make it look pretty. The "tone" that people are referring to will not come unless you lose body fat, yet even then, if your genetics have not preset this for your body, it may not happen at all. This is not to say though that with proper diet, strength training, and cardiovascular activity you can't completely change the look of your body. What I mean though is John Goodman can't turn into Brad Pitt.
I feel the need to mention this though, some bodybuilders who do bodybuilding shows do eat a certain way so that their muscles look a certain way. They cut their carbohydrate intake so low days before a show that their skin literally is pulling back against the muscle to create a more defined look. But this is not what most people are referring to when they tell me they want to train to look "toned".
All of us have a tendency to develop a certain kind of physique. Whether we use light weight/high reps or heavy weight/low reps, we will always be prone to develop the physiques that our genes have preset for us. Our muscles cannot be stimulated to become "cut" or "bulked". They either experience hypertrophy or atrophy. There certainly are proper and improper ways to train but there isn't a physique-specific way to train.
For the record though, as a trainer, I give anyone props for being in the gym or exercising anywhere to try to reach their goals. There really isn't a much better investment of your time than to workout. Because the world is full of people who won't do any activity then complain about their bodies. But for the love of God, stop saying you just want to tone! :)
D
Working in the fitness industry, I hear this phrase uttered several times per week. I am here to set the record straight today because I think if I hear this one more time I'm going to go buckwild.
I probably should have posted this on my trainer myspace page blog, but I need to speak frankly here.
Everyday when I ask people to describe their fitness goals I hear "I don't want to really bulk up, I just want to concentrate on toning." Or I hear "I basically want to lose weight and tone up."
Okay. You want to concentrate on tone. What, your tone of voice? The musical tone of your favorite song? The pitch of your guitar strings? Or do you mean the color tones of your favorite painting?
Okay, yes, I know what you mean. But please stop saying you want to "tone" your muscles. What you mean is you want your muscles to be more defined. You want to see more definition. You want to be cut. Say any of these but please stop saying "toning".
The only toning there is in the fitness arena refers to a state of contraction in the muscle. But everyone seems to be using it to mean getting definition or getting "cut", which is a fallacy.
Okay, this is the part where I start imparting fitness knowledge and stop being a smartass. This is where I could start this blog if it was on my trainer page.
The idea of toning that so many gym goers seem to have is really a myth. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you can't just make a muscle "look pretty".
Let's start by saying this; the number one determiner of how your body is structured is genetics. If there are a lot of cut and muscular framed people in your family, chances are you are going to be this way too. If there are a lot of thin-shouldered and lengthy people in your family, chances are you are going to be this way too. The same goes for any kind of body type really, and of course there are exceptions to every rule.
However, an overweight person may want to lose weight and become "cut", so they will go into the weight room and do a high rep, light weight routine, thinking this is the way to look "cut".
The idea of "physique specific training" is another myth. You can lift heavy weight and do lower reps to get stronger, and you can lift light weight and do higher reps to become more conditioned. But lifting either way so you will "look" a certain way is just not the way it works. It is genetics that determine your physique, and sure, you are going to get larger if you develop more muscle, and you may see a cut or two that you didn't see before. But you can't change from one body type to another.
Yet some claim that women should follow a light weight-high rep routine to "tone", shape, and sculpt. While there are few women that will have the potential to develop relatively large muscles, most don't. This is due to the fact that women have lower levels of testosterone, higher percentage of body fat, and shorter muscle bellies. A woman's bicep muscle is exactly the same as a man's. So women should strength train the same way as men do.
Ultimately, you can gain and lose muscle mass, you can gain and lose fat, but you cannot "tone" a muscle to make it look pretty. The "tone" that people are referring to will not come unless you lose body fat, yet even then, if your genetics have not preset this for your body, it may not happen at all. This is not to say though that with proper diet, strength training, and cardiovascular activity you can't completely change the look of your body. What I mean though is John Goodman can't turn into Brad Pitt.
I feel the need to mention this though, some bodybuilders who do bodybuilding shows do eat a certain way so that their muscles look a certain way. They cut their carbohydrate intake so low days before a show that their skin literally is pulling back against the muscle to create a more defined look. But this is not what most people are referring to when they tell me they want to train to look "toned".
All of us have a tendency to develop a certain kind of physique. Whether we use light weight/high reps or heavy weight/low reps, we will always be prone to develop the physiques that our genes have preset for us. Our muscles cannot be stimulated to become "cut" or "bulked". They either experience hypertrophy or atrophy. There certainly are proper and improper ways to train but there isn't a physique-specific way to train.
For the record though, as a trainer, I give anyone props for being in the gym or exercising anywhere to try to reach their goals. There really isn't a much better investment of your time than to workout. Because the world is full of people who won't do any activity then complain about their bodies. But for the love of God, stop saying you just want to tone! :)
D
Clarity
Amongst all the drama of everyday life, there come certain moments when everything is just right. Sometimes you hit a moment where everything is so clear, peaceful and serene that you just have to grab onto it and savor it.
Pardon my corniness for a moment, however I just feel like I need to write about this, because one day my kids are going to grow up and I am going to want them to know this when they're old enough to understand it. Hopefully, I'll still be around to attempt to even explain it to them, but even so, I can't say I'll remember what was on my mind at this moment. This is one of those messages I just want to leave with people.
One particular instance was on my honeymoon cruise ship. My wife was taking a cat nap in our cabin, so I set out onto the ship to let her get some quiet. I just toured the ship, trying to savor how great a time I was having. I ventured into this theater, where they do their stage shows and musicals, etc. The place was empty because it was late afternoon and nothing was going on in there yet. Granted, I was reeling from the pleasure of being on a cruise, but I was in awe of how large the theater was for a cruise ship and how it was designed. A song was playing in the background, and I just sat. That's it, I grabbed a seat and sat for a moment, listening to the song, pondering everything I had seen so far during the honeymoon, the beautiful sites and different places we went that I had never been. The song playing was John Mayer's "Clarity", I didn't even know the title of the song or what it was called then, I just knew I liked it. And I sat. It was peaceful, quiet, and for those few minutes, I had nothing in my mind but peace. For those few minutes there were no bills, no work, and no drama.
It probably doesn't sound like much, but that's the best I can explain it. It's hard to put these moments into words, as they are more just moment you experience in your mind, just you and your surroundings is all you need for those few minutes.
One more moment I had like this was this past Saturday afternoon. It was a gorgeous day out (this was before it started raining :) and I had just gotten out of the shower, because I had went for a jog. It was my favorite day of the week, I was anticipating a fun party later that night, I felt great on my jog, the windows were open with a gentle breeze flowing in, and my wife and kids were in the house, happy and healthy. It was about the closest thing to a natural high you can get. I am sure the endorphins from the long run and the rare nice weather helped, however it was one of those same kind of moments I had had on the cruise ship. I got in my car and drove up the street to grab some lunch for my wife and I with the windows down. I just felt great. Everything was fine for those moments. I clicked on my cd player and what song came on but "Clarity" by John Mayer. It wasn't so random that it was on the radio, but it was on a cd I had made already in my cd player. I'm not saying that the song has anything to do with it, though I do like it, but hearing it made me think of the parallels to the time on the cruise. Sometimes, things just fall the right way.
I think it's important to recognize these moments when they come. Many folks probably experience them in different ways on different days. But they make you feel thankful for everything you have in your life.
I want to get this message across to whomever hasn't stopped reading this blog by now because they thought it was too corny. And more importantly, I want my kids to read this when they are fully grown adults. When they have experienced the pressure of everyday life with work, bills, traffic jams, world tragedy,etc. I want them to come read this and try to remember that these euphoric moments do come, don't fret. You don't need a drug, a massage, a million dollars, etc. to experience these moments of euphoria. Anyone can have them. They are what makes living life great. The key is recognizing them, and savoring them, even if it's just for a few minutes.
I mean sure, a little nice weather, what day of the week it is, or being a vacation helps, but really, you can't predict these moments. So when they come, take a deep breath, and be glad for everything you have to be glad about. For as much tragedy and drama there is in the world, there is beauty.
If you feel like you have nothing to be glad about, well you're probably not looking hard enough, but at least be glad you're here. Because that there is enough sometimes. These moments of clarity will show you.
"I worry, I weigh three times my body
I worry, I throw my fear around
But this morning, there's a calm I can't explain
Rock candy's melted, only diamonds now remain..."
Pardon my corniness for a moment, however I just feel like I need to write about this, because one day my kids are going to grow up and I am going to want them to know this when they're old enough to understand it. Hopefully, I'll still be around to attempt to even explain it to them, but even so, I can't say I'll remember what was on my mind at this moment. This is one of those messages I just want to leave with people.
One particular instance was on my honeymoon cruise ship. My wife was taking a cat nap in our cabin, so I set out onto the ship to let her get some quiet. I just toured the ship, trying to savor how great a time I was having. I ventured into this theater, where they do their stage shows and musicals, etc. The place was empty because it was late afternoon and nothing was going on in there yet. Granted, I was reeling from the pleasure of being on a cruise, but I was in awe of how large the theater was for a cruise ship and how it was designed. A song was playing in the background, and I just sat. That's it, I grabbed a seat and sat for a moment, listening to the song, pondering everything I had seen so far during the honeymoon, the beautiful sites and different places we went that I had never been. The song playing was John Mayer's "Clarity", I didn't even know the title of the song or what it was called then, I just knew I liked it. And I sat. It was peaceful, quiet, and for those few minutes, I had nothing in my mind but peace. For those few minutes there were no bills, no work, and no drama.
It probably doesn't sound like much, but that's the best I can explain it. It's hard to put these moments into words, as they are more just moment you experience in your mind, just you and your surroundings is all you need for those few minutes.
One more moment I had like this was this past Saturday afternoon. It was a gorgeous day out (this was before it started raining :) and I had just gotten out of the shower, because I had went for a jog. It was my favorite day of the week, I was anticipating a fun party later that night, I felt great on my jog, the windows were open with a gentle breeze flowing in, and my wife and kids were in the house, happy and healthy. It was about the closest thing to a natural high you can get. I am sure the endorphins from the long run and the rare nice weather helped, however it was one of those same kind of moments I had had on the cruise ship. I got in my car and drove up the street to grab some lunch for my wife and I with the windows down. I just felt great. Everything was fine for those moments. I clicked on my cd player and what song came on but "Clarity" by John Mayer. It wasn't so random that it was on the radio, but it was on a cd I had made already in my cd player. I'm not saying that the song has anything to do with it, though I do like it, but hearing it made me think of the parallels to the time on the cruise. Sometimes, things just fall the right way.
I think it's important to recognize these moments when they come. Many folks probably experience them in different ways on different days. But they make you feel thankful for everything you have in your life.
I want to get this message across to whomever hasn't stopped reading this blog by now because they thought it was too corny. And more importantly, I want my kids to read this when they are fully grown adults. When they have experienced the pressure of everyday life with work, bills, traffic jams, world tragedy,etc. I want them to come read this and try to remember that these euphoric moments do come, don't fret. You don't need a drug, a massage, a million dollars, etc. to experience these moments of euphoria. Anyone can have them. They are what makes living life great. The key is recognizing them, and savoring them, even if it's just for a few minutes.
I mean sure, a little nice weather, what day of the week it is, or being a vacation helps, but really, you can't predict these moments. So when they come, take a deep breath, and be glad for everything you have to be glad about. For as much tragedy and drama there is in the world, there is beauty.
If you feel like you have nothing to be glad about, well you're probably not looking hard enough, but at least be glad you're here. Because that there is enough sometimes. These moments of clarity will show you.
"I worry, I weigh three times my body
I worry, I throw my fear around
But this morning, there's a calm I can't explain
Rock candy's melted, only diamonds now remain..."
New Rules
Damon’s New Rules for 2008
I can't stand Bill Maher but I enjoy his skit "New Rules". Here's my version of that.
These are some random yet honest gripes from my somewhat pessimistic mind. Don't take anything personal, it's just time for me to vent. But really, who reads these anyway? (oops! I was being pessimistic again! I gotta stop that )
1. New Rule! People at the gym need to get out of their routines.
I work in the fitness profession. I love the exercise part of the business. I love seeing people reach goals through hard work and motivation (not pills, fad diets, or surgeries). I know what it's like to be overweight and/or out of shape so I understand the struggle, I also understand how good it feels to overcome that struggle and be able to maintain the lifestyle. That's why I am getting so tired of seeing people (drones, robots, pick a word) who come in the gym and do the same exact routine every single workout. They wear the same workout clothes, start at the exact same machine, and go through the same motions. Every single time for years and years. They also do not listen to my co-workers and I, the professionals, when we tell them they're never going to see results if they keep doing the same monotonous routine every single time.
Nine times out of ten, if the very first thing you do when you get in the gym is go sit on the leg extension machine, do 10 reps, then rest for 5 minutes until you do another one, your program could use a jolt anyway.
Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of routines myself, I eat generally the same sandwich everyday at noon, I usually get a diet soda at the same time everyday, I like to crack a cold one generally about the same time on a Saturday night,etc. But as far as a workout is concerned, I am constantly changing and varying. Doing the same thing all the time is going to become totally pointless if you don't change something. Anything. I mean, aren't you getting bored? A workout should not become something you are just "going through the motions" with anyway.
I honestly think a lot of certain people, as robotic and programmed as they are, don't even think about what they are doing anymore. Their brains are preset to go to a certain place, sit on a certain machine and do a certain exercise every single time they enter the gym. Change it? What?? Get outa here!
Okay. Bye.
2. Now Hair This!
Honestly, if you've been wearing the same hairstyle as you did in high school and you're now in your late 30's or 40's, chances are that hairstyle has gone out of style. Do you see many people around you still sporting that do? Here's a hint, if you're a woman and your hairstyle has bangs, frills, or any kind of feathery look, it's OUT. Change it, you look ridiculous. Anyone ever seen that Seinfeld with the woman who wore her hair like she did in high school and she was mocked behind her back because people were afraid to tell her? Yeah, that's what is probably happening to you.
Look, I don't claim to be perfect, I don't have "Sam Malone from Cheers" hair (anymore ), and I'm at an age where I may not constantly be in tune to the latest styles and fads all the time. Sometimes I have to ask or read an issue of GQ, I admit. But I'm also aware enough to know that the bowl cut I sported in 9th grade is not really in style anymore. That was 1990. It is now 2008. Think things may have changed a bit?
That trans-am isn't cool anymore and those jordache jeans should have been put out with the trash in 1987. So that Farrah Fawcett hairdo is over.
Travel anywhere in Glen Burnie and you'll see what I am talking about. (okay, that was a low blow, I'll take that one back )
quick disclaimer: This is all in good fun here. I understand that just because someone wears their hair like this it doesn't make them any less of a good person, etc. This is not being written in anger, but more as a light hearted riff.
3. New Rule: Save the commentating for a football game.
I am becoming increasingly intolerant of people who feel the need to commentate on the food that I am eating. I call them "food commentators or "food acknowledgers" This has happened to me at every job I've worked before:
"smells good, whatcha got?"
"wow, are you gonna eat that much?"
"that can't be healthy!"
"oooh that looks good what is that?"
" that's a tiny portion, are you feeding the rabbits?"
And I am not talking about co-workers either, when you work side by side with people everyday- yeah you talk about what you're eating. I'm talking about the random people who walk by and feel the need to mention something about your food.
Can I just eat in peace? Can I eat without your acknowledgement that I am eating and questions? I can't answer you with my mouth full and furthermore, I don't want to. Let me eat.
4. Yet even more on the topic of locker room ettiquette...
I 've discussed in blogs before how murphy's law always applies in the gym locker room. No matter where I may have my stuff by the lockers, and no matter how empty the locker room may be, someone will always come in and have the locker right above or next to mine. Yeah, this still continues.
Really? Is that really where your locker is? In this empty ass locker room? Okay fine, dumb luck, I know this kind of things happens by chance. I know no one is literally out to annoy me.
I'm just saying, seriously -get your balls out of my face. Me reaching down to tie my shoe is not a good time for you to throw that leg up on the bench so that siskel and ebert are dangling inches from my face. If we're going to be changing this close to each other-help me out here, move a couple paces down the bench. There's no hot mug of water down here, I don't need a teabag.
5. New Rule!
Just because a female is hot does not automatically make her dumb. You hear this everywhere. People just can't seem to appreciate beauty and move on, they always have to throw in "well she can't be too smart if she's that good looking." Why not? I think jealous people say this. They're mad someone else is better looking than them so they go on the defensive. Unprovoked! Why be so mean? Good looks don't equal stupidity. If they do, I missed that memo. There are probably a lot of hotties who are not too smart but then there are a lot who are very smart.
The same goes for guys too. I know for instance that Brad Pitt is (may? ) be a better looking man than I am. This does not tick me off to the point where I need to call him dumb. Am I a little envious? Sure. I think it's okay to be a little envious if we're envying out of admiration and it motivates us to better ourselves. It's when the envy turns to bitterness and nastiness that I have the problem with it.
I say if someone is hot- good for them! Cheers! They probably work hard to be that way. Move on. Save the obviously bitter comentary.
6. New Rule for all men going into the gym:
There are other muscles in your body besides your biceps!
It's becoming a very bothersome predictability in the gym, if a male is somewhat new to the fitness arena or even worse, a seasoned veteran in the gym, the first exercise he will go to is the bicep curl. Why? Bicep curls are probably the least functional exercise you can do in the gym. The bicep curl is almost completely unnecessary to a program. Sure, every once in a while throw in a few sets of some curls at the end of a workout for variety, but to take an entire day to do biceps is overkill. Same goes for triceps for that matter.
You want to get big biceps? Do pullups or chinups. Do lat pulldowns and rows. Any movement where you're moving more than one muscle at a time is better than one where you move one. Why? You work more muscle at the same time, so more muscle gets built. Really, how exhausted are you after those sets of concentration curls? Is your body worn down? Are you sweating pools from doing biceps? Get on that lat pulldown and pull down some weight using your back muscles and your biceps. You'll get bigger biceps than if you just do concentration curls all day. More muscles working= more muscle.
I know it's the cliche and macho thing to grab those dumbbells and do curls, but get over it.
7.While we're at the gym.....
Guys, you need to do cardio, too.
I know so many men who scoff at the idea of cardio. They can lift lots of heavy weight in the weight room and they usually enjoy throwing the weight down after and grunting to show everyone else how strong they are. They can squat 400 and they can bench 350. But ask them to run a mile and see what they say.
Your program is not complete if you're just doing one or the other. So guys, you need to do some cardio, and girls, you need to lift some weights. How often you do either of the two depends on your goals.
Now I understand fella, your only goal is to be huge. You could care less about your cardiovascular endurance. I know your main goal is to just have a muscle pop out from under that size extra medium shirt like the Incredible Hulk. And yes, that amount of weight you can move is impressive. But you want to really impress me? Go out and run a few miles and follow it up with running flights of stairs for 20 minutes, without puking.
8. New rule for myself:
Don't sweat the small stuff!
This pertains to lots of people but I really am making a conscious effort to follow my own advice on this one. I write this blog in comedy and in jest, but I am not above any of these rules. I'm not perfect. I tend to be impatient, I get pissed off in traffic, and I hate when people talk in the movies. But really, when it all comes down to it, it's very minor and petty to people in other circumstances.
There are so many people less fortunate than you or me out there that any of these things I mention would seem preposterous. People with terminal diseases, trying to cling to their last few moments with their loved ones or soldiers at war, living everyday like it could be their last.
My point is, you are always lucky by at least one person's standards, somewhere. Capture the simple moments.
(But change that hairdo.)
D
I can't stand Bill Maher but I enjoy his skit "New Rules". Here's my version of that.
These are some random yet honest gripes from my somewhat pessimistic mind. Don't take anything personal, it's just time for me to vent. But really, who reads these anyway? (oops! I was being pessimistic again! I gotta stop that )
1. New Rule! People at the gym need to get out of their routines.
I work in the fitness profession. I love the exercise part of the business. I love seeing people reach goals through hard work and motivation (not pills, fad diets, or surgeries). I know what it's like to be overweight and/or out of shape so I understand the struggle, I also understand how good it feels to overcome that struggle and be able to maintain the lifestyle. That's why I am getting so tired of seeing people (drones, robots, pick a word) who come in the gym and do the same exact routine every single workout. They wear the same workout clothes, start at the exact same machine, and go through the same motions. Every single time for years and years. They also do not listen to my co-workers and I, the professionals, when we tell them they're never going to see results if they keep doing the same monotonous routine every single time.
Nine times out of ten, if the very first thing you do when you get in the gym is go sit on the leg extension machine, do 10 reps, then rest for 5 minutes until you do another one, your program could use a jolt anyway.
Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of routines myself, I eat generally the same sandwich everyday at noon, I usually get a diet soda at the same time everyday, I like to crack a cold one generally about the same time on a Saturday night,etc. But as far as a workout is concerned, I am constantly changing and varying. Doing the same thing all the time is going to become totally pointless if you don't change something. Anything. I mean, aren't you getting bored? A workout should not become something you are just "going through the motions" with anyway.
I honestly think a lot of certain people, as robotic and programmed as they are, don't even think about what they are doing anymore. Their brains are preset to go to a certain place, sit on a certain machine and do a certain exercise every single time they enter the gym. Change it? What?? Get outa here!
Okay. Bye.
2. Now Hair This!
Honestly, if you've been wearing the same hairstyle as you did in high school and you're now in your late 30's or 40's, chances are that hairstyle has gone out of style. Do you see many people around you still sporting that do? Here's a hint, if you're a woman and your hairstyle has bangs, frills, or any kind of feathery look, it's OUT. Change it, you look ridiculous. Anyone ever seen that Seinfeld with the woman who wore her hair like she did in high school and she was mocked behind her back because people were afraid to tell her? Yeah, that's what is probably happening to you.
Look, I don't claim to be perfect, I don't have "Sam Malone from Cheers" hair (anymore ), and I'm at an age where I may not constantly be in tune to the latest styles and fads all the time. Sometimes I have to ask or read an issue of GQ, I admit. But I'm also aware enough to know that the bowl cut I sported in 9th grade is not really in style anymore. That was 1990. It is now 2008. Think things may have changed a bit?
That trans-am isn't cool anymore and those jordache jeans should have been put out with the trash in 1987. So that Farrah Fawcett hairdo is over.
Travel anywhere in Glen Burnie and you'll see what I am talking about. (okay, that was a low blow, I'll take that one back )
quick disclaimer: This is all in good fun here. I understand that just because someone wears their hair like this it doesn't make them any less of a good person, etc. This is not being written in anger, but more as a light hearted riff.
3. New Rule: Save the commentating for a football game.
I am becoming increasingly intolerant of people who feel the need to commentate on the food that I am eating. I call them "food commentators or "food acknowledgers" This has happened to me at every job I've worked before:
"smells good, whatcha got?"
"wow, are you gonna eat that much?"
"that can't be healthy!"
"oooh that looks good what is that?"
" that's a tiny portion, are you feeding the rabbits?"
And I am not talking about co-workers either, when you work side by side with people everyday- yeah you talk about what you're eating. I'm talking about the random people who walk by and feel the need to mention something about your food.
Can I just eat in peace? Can I eat without your acknowledgement that I am eating and questions? I can't answer you with my mouth full and furthermore, I don't want to. Let me eat.
4. Yet even more on the topic of locker room ettiquette...
I 've discussed in blogs before how murphy's law always applies in the gym locker room. No matter where I may have my stuff by the lockers, and no matter how empty the locker room may be, someone will always come in and have the locker right above or next to mine. Yeah, this still continues.
Really? Is that really where your locker is? In this empty ass locker room? Okay fine, dumb luck, I know this kind of things happens by chance. I know no one is literally out to annoy me.
I'm just saying, seriously -get your balls out of my face. Me reaching down to tie my shoe is not a good time for you to throw that leg up on the bench so that siskel and ebert are dangling inches from my face. If we're going to be changing this close to each other-help me out here, move a couple paces down the bench. There's no hot mug of water down here, I don't need a teabag.
5. New Rule!
Just because a female is hot does not automatically make her dumb. You hear this everywhere. People just can't seem to appreciate beauty and move on, they always have to throw in "well she can't be too smart if she's that good looking." Why not? I think jealous people say this. They're mad someone else is better looking than them so they go on the defensive. Unprovoked! Why be so mean? Good looks don't equal stupidity. If they do, I missed that memo. There are probably a lot of hotties who are not too smart but then there are a lot who are very smart.
The same goes for guys too. I know for instance that Brad Pitt is (may? ) be a better looking man than I am. This does not tick me off to the point where I need to call him dumb. Am I a little envious? Sure. I think it's okay to be a little envious if we're envying out of admiration and it motivates us to better ourselves. It's when the envy turns to bitterness and nastiness that I have the problem with it.
I say if someone is hot- good for them! Cheers! They probably work hard to be that way. Move on. Save the obviously bitter comentary.
6. New Rule for all men going into the gym:
There are other muscles in your body besides your biceps!
It's becoming a very bothersome predictability in the gym, if a male is somewhat new to the fitness arena or even worse, a seasoned veteran in the gym, the first exercise he will go to is the bicep curl. Why? Bicep curls are probably the least functional exercise you can do in the gym. The bicep curl is almost completely unnecessary to a program. Sure, every once in a while throw in a few sets of some curls at the end of a workout for variety, but to take an entire day to do biceps is overkill. Same goes for triceps for that matter.
You want to get big biceps? Do pullups or chinups. Do lat pulldowns and rows. Any movement where you're moving more than one muscle at a time is better than one where you move one. Why? You work more muscle at the same time, so more muscle gets built. Really, how exhausted are you after those sets of concentration curls? Is your body worn down? Are you sweating pools from doing biceps? Get on that lat pulldown and pull down some weight using your back muscles and your biceps. You'll get bigger biceps than if you just do concentration curls all day. More muscles working= more muscle.
I know it's the cliche and macho thing to grab those dumbbells and do curls, but get over it.
7.While we're at the gym.....
Guys, you need to do cardio, too.
I know so many men who scoff at the idea of cardio. They can lift lots of heavy weight in the weight room and they usually enjoy throwing the weight down after and grunting to show everyone else how strong they are. They can squat 400 and they can bench 350. But ask them to run a mile and see what they say.
Your program is not complete if you're just doing one or the other. So guys, you need to do some cardio, and girls, you need to lift some weights. How often you do either of the two depends on your goals.
Now I understand fella, your only goal is to be huge. You could care less about your cardiovascular endurance. I know your main goal is to just have a muscle pop out from under that size extra medium shirt like the Incredible Hulk. And yes, that amount of weight you can move is impressive. But you want to really impress me? Go out and run a few miles and follow it up with running flights of stairs for 20 minutes, without puking.
8. New rule for myself:
Don't sweat the small stuff!
This pertains to lots of people but I really am making a conscious effort to follow my own advice on this one. I write this blog in comedy and in jest, but I am not above any of these rules. I'm not perfect. I tend to be impatient, I get pissed off in traffic, and I hate when people talk in the movies. But really, when it all comes down to it, it's very minor and petty to people in other circumstances.
There are so many people less fortunate than you or me out there that any of these things I mention would seem preposterous. People with terminal diseases, trying to cling to their last few moments with their loved ones or soldiers at war, living everyday like it could be their last.
My point is, you are always lucky by at least one person's standards, somewhere. Capture the simple moments.
(But change that hairdo.)
D
Mondays
"Come Monday, it'll be all right..." -Jimmy Buffett
Mondays are probably my most unfavorite day of the week. I'm sure the same goes for almost everyone else in the world.
Monday mornings always seem to come too fast.
I'm usually very sleepy from not enough sleep the night before because I tend to get thrown off my sleep schedule a tad from sleeping in on the weekend, so it's the hardest day of the week for me to get out of bed. If I had a nickel for every time the alarm went off Monday and I considered calling in sick to work I'd be a very rich man. But I never do. You just tough it out and realize that the day ahead is not going to be as fun as say a Friday would.
My joints are usually achy from a Saturday full of activity and numb from a Sunday full of doing nothing. In general, I don't think this is news to anyone out there (aside for the retired or maybe a rock star), Mondays are just kind of blah.
Some people say "Mondays are great! You have the whole week ahead of you!"
More power to them, I just don't really share this sentiment. I personally would rather have the weekend ahead of me.
However the one gift I think Mondays give us are the good chance to reflect. Mondays offer us the opportunity to reflect on the previous weekend. Sure you can reflect on your past weekend on a Tuesday too but on Mondays it's fresher in our minds.
This past weekend I did nothing extravagant, but I was able to spend time relaxing with good friends and family. What more could anyone ask for?
I have a loving wife who makes us a wonderful home with her incredible eye for design. She has also allowed me to be a dad to her two wonderful (albeit crazy :)) young boys.
I have a great sister who is just starting the newlywed life in an exciting city with a guy who I already consider to be a brother.
I have a mom who would do anything for me and a dad with a bum hip, but who is doing fairly well considering, and I know the future holds better days for him.
I have a brother-in-law who has just gotten engaged to be married, and I'm excited for him as he enters this exciting (yet hectic) stage of his life.
We were blessed with beautiful weather (in August?) and I was able to go out and jog a course I had never been able to complete before, but did so this time with flying colors. Ten years ago I would have probably passed out on this run and it dawned on me, I'm in better shape at 31 than I was at 21. I don't mean that to toot my own horn at all, but that does make me feel good about myself.
And I have a fun and reliable group of friends who allow me to vent out some of life's minor frustrations over a cocktail or two.
So, yeah Mondays suck. But the one redeeming quality they offer you is the chance to reflect with everything fresh in your mind. In conclusion, even with all of my complaining, on this particular Monday, I have had the chance to realize what a lucky man that I am.
Tuesday however, is a whole different story. Don't get me started.
Peace and Love,
D
Mondays are probably my most unfavorite day of the week. I'm sure the same goes for almost everyone else in the world.
Monday mornings always seem to come too fast.
I'm usually very sleepy from not enough sleep the night before because I tend to get thrown off my sleep schedule a tad from sleeping in on the weekend, so it's the hardest day of the week for me to get out of bed. If I had a nickel for every time the alarm went off Monday and I considered calling in sick to work I'd be a very rich man. But I never do. You just tough it out and realize that the day ahead is not going to be as fun as say a Friday would.
My joints are usually achy from a Saturday full of activity and numb from a Sunday full of doing nothing. In general, I don't think this is news to anyone out there (aside for the retired or maybe a rock star), Mondays are just kind of blah.
Some people say "Mondays are great! You have the whole week ahead of you!"
More power to them, I just don't really share this sentiment. I personally would rather have the weekend ahead of me.
However the one gift I think Mondays give us are the good chance to reflect. Mondays offer us the opportunity to reflect on the previous weekend. Sure you can reflect on your past weekend on a Tuesday too but on Mondays it's fresher in our minds.
This past weekend I did nothing extravagant, but I was able to spend time relaxing with good friends and family. What more could anyone ask for?
I have a loving wife who makes us a wonderful home with her incredible eye for design. She has also allowed me to be a dad to her two wonderful (albeit crazy :)) young boys.
I have a great sister who is just starting the newlywed life in an exciting city with a guy who I already consider to be a brother.
I have a mom who would do anything for me and a dad with a bum hip, but who is doing fairly well considering, and I know the future holds better days for him.
I have a brother-in-law who has just gotten engaged to be married, and I'm excited for him as he enters this exciting (yet hectic) stage of his life.
We were blessed with beautiful weather (in August?) and I was able to go out and jog a course I had never been able to complete before, but did so this time with flying colors. Ten years ago I would have probably passed out on this run and it dawned on me, I'm in better shape at 31 than I was at 21. I don't mean that to toot my own horn at all, but that does make me feel good about myself.
And I have a fun and reliable group of friends who allow me to vent out some of life's minor frustrations over a cocktail or two.
So, yeah Mondays suck. But the one redeeming quality they offer you is the chance to reflect with everything fresh in your mind. In conclusion, even with all of my complaining, on this particular Monday, I have had the chance to realize what a lucky man that I am.
Tuesday however, is a whole different story. Don't get me started.
Peace and Love,
D
Alert the media!
Stop the presses! Damon has started a blog!
That was sarcasm. What I mean by that is, who really cares? Is anyone really going to read this?
Oh well, I have been inspired by a few people who have blogs and I decided to start my own. I realized that the ones I write on my myspace page probably never get read. I don't know why I think doing them here will change that, but whatever. I have come to realize that my brain needs some sort of creative outlet and the technology of the 21st century is allowing me to have one.
Some blogs will be repeats of ones I have had on myspace, as I just want to have them all in one spot. So excuse me if you happen to be reading one and you say "hey I have read this one before". Just move on to the next one if this is the case.
Let me start by explaining the title of my blog. 'Ville Street Blues is the title of a hip hop song I recorded back in '02. It was on a double cd that I recorded in a makeshift radio studio and distributed locally to friends and whoever for 5 bucks a pop. It was just for fun. As you can see, I never made it big :). I just really loved to write hip hop. That was the most popular song among my friends on my cd. It was a jam all about reminiscing to the old days for me with the theme to 'Hill Street Blues dubbed into the beat, and I was saying I had the blues because I wish I had those days back sometimes. The ville is slang for Catonsville. I am originally from Westview Park, but anything 21228 is Catonsville to me.
Anyway, this song title just sort of embodies me, and I thought was good as the name of my blog. I'm just a random 30 something from Catonsville and here are my "blues", gripes, random thoughts, musings, emotions on paper, whatever .
I haven't written much hip hop since. In '04 I had enough songs to make a new cd but I really just lost my motivation to record anymore. I don't know where it went. I just sort of lost that fire inside of me concerning it. Maybe getting older and wiser had something to do with it. I lost my desire to be misogynistic and foul in my lyrics. Maybe that's a good thing. The truth is the mindstate I had when I recorded those songs for that album is totally gone now, well, all except for "ville street blues".
These days I am a family man with a lovely wife and two wonderful stepchildren who I consider to be my sons now. I work in the fitness business as a personal trainer/fitness specialist.
I suppose you could call it ironic (is that the word? I never seem to know when or how to use that word) that I became a personal trainer after growing up as a chubby kid and teenager. But maybe that's why I wanted to get in this business. More on that in later blogs maybe.
Thanks for visiting my new blog. I hope you enjoy future posts.
Peace and love,
D
That was sarcasm. What I mean by that is, who really cares? Is anyone really going to read this?
Oh well, I have been inspired by a few people who have blogs and I decided to start my own. I realized that the ones I write on my myspace page probably never get read. I don't know why I think doing them here will change that, but whatever. I have come to realize that my brain needs some sort of creative outlet and the technology of the 21st century is allowing me to have one.
Some blogs will be repeats of ones I have had on myspace, as I just want to have them all in one spot. So excuse me if you happen to be reading one and you say "hey I have read this one before". Just move on to the next one if this is the case.
Let me start by explaining the title of my blog. 'Ville Street Blues is the title of a hip hop song I recorded back in '02. It was on a double cd that I recorded in a makeshift radio studio and distributed locally to friends and whoever for 5 bucks a pop. It was just for fun. As you can see, I never made it big :). I just really loved to write hip hop. That was the most popular song among my friends on my cd. It was a jam all about reminiscing to the old days for me with the theme to 'Hill Street Blues dubbed into the beat, and I was saying I had the blues because I wish I had those days back sometimes. The ville is slang for Catonsville. I am originally from Westview Park, but anything 21228 is Catonsville to me.
Anyway, this song title just sort of embodies me, and I thought was good as the name of my blog. I'm just a random 30 something from Catonsville and here are my "blues", gripes, random thoughts, musings, emotions on paper, whatever .
I haven't written much hip hop since. In '04 I had enough songs to make a new cd but I really just lost my motivation to record anymore. I don't know where it went. I just sort of lost that fire inside of me concerning it. Maybe getting older and wiser had something to do with it. I lost my desire to be misogynistic and foul in my lyrics. Maybe that's a good thing. The truth is the mindstate I had when I recorded those songs for that album is totally gone now, well, all except for "ville street blues".
These days I am a family man with a lovely wife and two wonderful stepchildren who I consider to be my sons now. I work in the fitness business as a personal trainer/fitness specialist.
I suppose you could call it ironic (is that the word? I never seem to know when or how to use that word) that I became a personal trainer after growing up as a chubby kid and teenager. But maybe that's why I wanted to get in this business. More on that in later blogs maybe.
Thanks for visiting my new blog. I hope you enjoy future posts.
Peace and love,
D
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