Here's A Tip............

  

Have you noticed lately that you can't back out of your driveway without having to tip someone? Everywhere you go now, whether it be for a morning coffee, an afternoon snack, a dry cleaner, or an ice cream there is a tip jar staring you in the face. I am sympathetic that the minimum wage has not been raised in a decade, but enough is enough!

You put a jelly doughnut in a bag and handed it to me......should I sign over my paycheck? I just don't understand why people feel they should be rewarded for doing their jobs.

Perhaps it is just a NY thing, but the garbage men here won't go out of the way to take bulk items, even on the designated day that you are supposed to put out those items, without offering up a bribe. They seriously will leave an old mattress, an old couch, etc., curbside unless you are waving money when they arrive. I even remember when I was a kid, my grandfather making friends with the garbage men by bringing them tips, cases of beer, cold drinks in the summer etc. After all those nice gestures, my grandfather could have put a body out on the curb and they would have taken it with no questions asked!

Tipping has become so frequent, I am not even sure who is REALLY supposed to get a tip anymore. The cable guy comes to install a cable box...tip or no tip? Or does a cold soda suffice? Does the person have to break a sweat to warrant a tip? What are the tipping guidelines? All I know is that I am all tipped out.....

I am going to try a tip cup on my desk tomorrow and see how that flies.

Totally Random

  

Monday Night....relaxing and watching The Tube Music Network. I love this channel. 24 hours of music videos, barely any commercials, and 100% rock. Don't get me wrong, I love rap and R&B, but it is nice to get away from it and watch all rock n' roll once in a while.

Wow, I can't believe Thanksgiving is over! I also can't believe it has been a week since I last wrote....I am slacking. Actually I've been busy!

I took off from work last Wednesday to get the house ready for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving turned out to be pretty good. The food was good, the time with the family and friends was great as well.

I had a pretty good weekend. I have been waiting to see that new movie "Bobby" about RFK. It was a really great movie. Being that RFK is one of my "idols" it made the movie that much better. Caren and I saw it on Sunday night after a quick bite to eat.

Saturday Night Caren and I ventured into NYC yet again. It's getting to be a Saturday Night tradition for us. This time we hit Little Italy and had some amazing Italian cuisine at the world famous Vincent's. The food was great. We sipped wine, chatted, and ate our amazing "medium" sauce with the meatballs the size of oranges.

We then got ambitious and walked all the way from Little Italy to Times Square. Quite a walk, but it was a gorgeous night and we enjoyed taking in all the sights and sounds of NYC. I tried a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks because they were out of peppermint for the peppermint hot chocolate that I love. It was quite good! Even though I had to transfer at Jamaica for the connection back home to Long Beach, I am glad Caren and I got 20 minutes on the same train before I had to switch.......the holiday feel is definitely in the air in NYC.

So on to random shit. Is anyone else hooked on this "Deal Or No Deal" TV show? I am not a huge TV watcher....I seriously couldn't name 5 shows on TV, but this Deal or no Deal has me watching all the time. Some dude gambled $219,000 tonight and went home with $10. What an idiot. He was from Arkansas, so that explains a lot.....

So, we are doing this Secret Santa at work. Yet, everyone is telling everyone who they have to buy for. Not so secret I suppose. I actually drew the name of a person I actually like....so buying a gift won't be painful. I was dreading buying for someone I hate. Thoughts of wrapping Bruce's poop crossed my mind several times before I finally pulled the name of someone I liked out of the hat. Think I wouldn't have done it? Well then you don't know some of the assholes I work with.......

So being that my family is off in NC....and I don't quite have a family of my own just yet, I am seriously thinking of heading into NYC on Christmas to volunteer at a soup kitchen or something like that. I think it would be amazing to help others in need, especially on Christmas.

I've been asked to go to two holiday parties with female friends as their "dates" this year. I don't even want to go to my own company holiday party, let alone two other parties....so I have to come up with some excuses.....any ideas? hahaha Come on, be a sport!

Ok, I am tired and need rest. I hope this post finds you all well and that your Thanksgiving/weekend was great!

Thanksgiving Is Approaching....

All the Best 

With all of the Thanksgiving preparation I have to do over the next two days, I thought I would post my Thanksgiving blog today. I want to start by wishing all of you a wonderful holiday. I hope you have an amazing holiday and weekend.

I will be hosting about 8-10 people at my house which include friends and family. It should be a fun day. I love cooking and hosting, so it will be a lot of fun. The wine will help too. :)

Anyway, in the spirit of the holiday, I am going to post my 2006 "Things I am Thankful For" list. No, not 2006 things, for the year 2006 silly. I can't believe it is Thanksgiving already...this is nuts.....

Things I am thankful for in 2006:

My family. Although crazy (what family isn't) they have always been in my corner. I will miss them when they move next week.

My friends, especially Sugar V. He is one of a kind and a genuine guy. I hope our friendship carries on for years. He looooves Thanksgiving sausage.

Meeting Caren. I hope great things come of it. I am looking forward to baseball season with her, among other things. Our NYC visits, pizza nights, impromptu dancing, chats, and laughs have put a smile on my face.

Bruce! The best dog in the world! I am thankful each day for him, even when he is a butthead.

You crazy folks who actually still read this blog! Thanks for sharing your comments with me and taking the time out to visit.

America waking up, finally. Election day gave me hope...that its citizens aren't as stupid as I once thought. Let's get our men and women home...safe.....it is long overdue.

A memorable summer of 2006. Although it had its tough moments, I grew as a person this summer. I will never forget it.

The time I spent with Amester. Thanks for all the kindness and memories. We had a lot of fun and laughs. 2006 would not have been nearly the same without you.

Have an amazing holiday everyone!

Winds of Change

  

As I sit here on this stormy Thursday Night, I reflect. The winds are howling outside my window. The weather report said today could have been the last warm day of the year, and that the winds of change are blowing through tonight.

2006 has been a transitional year for me. The winds of change have blown often throughout this year.

Let's reflect:

In January, right after the new year, I started a new job. I am still there, the job has had its good and bad moments. Mainly stressful moments. I have grown quite a bit there and taken on so much responsibility.

Around the same time I started the new job, I met Tiny A. We had a great 7 months or so together. She was very influential in my life and she is missed daily. Whether or not our split was for the better or not, is still to be determined I suppose.

In May, I moved out of the house I had spent the last two years in. It was a good move for me. In many ways I felt like I got my independence back.

I moved into a new house in a different part of town in May. I made so many new friends and met so many new people in the neighborhood. I have mixed feelings about my future in the house come this May when the lease is up for renewal, what will happen is still to be determined.

In between all this, my family is moving to NC. My brother is already gone and my parents will be leaving in a couple of weeks. It is going to be strange, as I have said before.

I met Caren in September. She is definitely one of a kind. I've been so consumed with life/work the past few weeks, I really haven't been able to spend the time with her that I really would like to. I hope that changes over the next few weeks because I really want to see where it goes.......

My "constants" in 2006 have been my close friends. Sugar V is always there no matter what drama, craziness, or chicanery is going on in life. Christina gets me through the work days with some sanity still left.

Brucey boy brings me happiness every day. He is the greatest dog ever.

I sense even bigger change for 2007 for myself. I want to start taking some chances in life. I feel I have played life safe for too long. I have some dreams I want to follow. I want to be involved with more things that I am passionate about. I have plans and ideas to make that happen.

Although "Bored at the Beach" will be around for the long haul, I have an idea for another blog that I will keep secret, just for me. I need a space to vent without friends, family, and people I know tapping in. I plan on giving that a lot of attention come the new year. I am excited about what the wind will blow my way in the months ahead.....

So...the perfect song for the Friday Video, is "Wind of Change" by the Scorpions. Have a great weekend!

More Than A Feeling

Ok, before I get into the real post, just a few random thoughts.

You know what bothers the shit out of me? When someone leaves you a voicemail or a text saying something like "I have to talk to you about 'something'" or "we need to talk about something." I mean just say what the hell it is and spare the person on the listening end the stress of wondering what the hell you need to "talk" about.

Because you know that when someone "needs to talk" to you, it is never good. Right?

Anyway, I have not been blogging much. Unfortunately, work has consumed my life, for the most part, over the last 4-6 weeks. For those of you I have neglected, nothing personal. Although I have been called out on it by a couple of people. Sometimes life just happens and you get consumed.

So, my brother moved last week, my parents are ready to go shortly after Thanksgiving. I guess that is kind of depressing. Don't get me wrong, I am happy for them and I know life will be easier for them down in NC, but it is just going to be strange.

Anyway, on with the blog. I've been watching a lot of old school MTV videos on YOUTUBE recently. It surely is a trip down memory lane. I was browsing VH1 Classic the other night and they had a show about albums. The question posed to everyone on the show was "What one album should EVERY music fan have in their collection?" This made me think. There have been hundreds of amazing albums over the last 40+ years. So many stand out in my mind. But I was able to pick one. If you DON'T own it, run out this weekend and buy it. I chose Boston's debut album BOSTON. This album came out when albums were really "albums". When the cover art was amazing and every song was mind blowing. I don't think the youngsters of today appreciate what an "album" really is. Now we download individual songs, and don't really appreciate the artists for all of their work rather than for just a hit song.

  

Boston's album came out when I was about six years old and it takes me back to my childhood years when my mom would play this album over and over again. But, I chose it not so much for the nostalgia, but for the lyrical, vocal, and musical quality this albums contains. The album gets better with each song and really stays with you.

I'll leave you with a great track from the album.....have a great day!

Just Like......Starting Over

For a few months, back in late 2005 and early 2006, I featured a "Friday Video" here at the beach. I thought I would "start over" with that today. This time around I will elaborate a bit on each song rather than just post the video.

This week, I chose "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon. Back in 1975 John took a bit of a musical layoff. He spent his time at home baking bread and raising his son Sean. Many said he had a creative block....

Five years later in June of 1980, the songs started to flow when John was on holiday with with Yoko and Sean. He captured his love for Yoko with the writing of "Woman" which I personally think is one of the most amazing love songs ever written. He also wrote a lullaby for Sean called "Beautiful Boy." Its message was that life is what happens while you are making other plans. So true.

John and Yoko started recording these new songs in August of 1980. The "Double Fantasy" album was soon complete. The first single released was "(Just Like) Starting Over" which was a story of a second honeymoon and a start of a new life. The single hit #6 on the U.S. billboard charts and was climbing in December of 1980. On December 8th, John was shot and killed outsid ehis apartment building in NYC.

The title was grimly ironic.....but I suppose that often happens. The song always reminds me of that time period. I can remember this song being played all over the airwaves right after his death. The ringing bell at the beginning of the song, the 1950's style of rock, the amazing vocals, and the song's message make this a true masterpiece.

I'm Not Stupid.......

  

George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Don Rumsfeld think you're stupid. Yes, they do.

They think they can take a mangled joke about President Bush and Iraq by John Kerry....a man who is not even running for office but who, unlike Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney, never ran away from combat service....and get you to vote against all Democrats in this election.

Every time you hear Mr. Bush or Mr. Cheney lash out against Mr. Kerry, I hope you will say to yourself, "They must think I'm stupid." Because they surely do.

They think that they can get you to overlook all of the Bush team's real and deadly insults to the U.S. military over the past six years by hyping and exaggerating Mr. Kerry's mangled gibe at the president.

What could possibly be more injurious and insulting to the U.S. military than to send it into combat in Iraq without enough men.....to launch an invasion of a foreign country not by the Powell Doctrine of overwhelming force, but by the Rumsfeld Doctrine of just enough troops to lose? What could be a bigger insult than that?

What could possibly be more injurious and insulting to our men and women in uniform than sending them off to war without the proper equipment, so that some soldiers in the field were left to buy their own body armor and to retrofit their own jeeps with scrap metal so that roadside bombs in Iraq would only maim them for life and not kill them? And what could be more injurious and insulting than Don Rumsfeld's response to criticism that he sent our troops off in haste and unprepared: Hey, you go to war with the army you've got -- get over it.

What could possibly be more injurious and insulting to our men and women in uniform than to send them off to war in Iraq without any coherent postwar plan for political reconstruction there, so that the U.S. military has had to assume not only security responsibilities for all of Iraq but the political rebuilding as well? This administration never had a plan for the morning after, and we've been making it up.....and paying the price....ever since.

And what could possibly be more injurious and insulting to our men and women in Iraq than to send them off to war and then go out and finance the very people they're fighting against with our gluttonous consumption of oil? Sure, George Bush told us we're addicted to oil, but he has not done one single significant thing -- demanded higher mileage standards from Detroit, imposed a gasoline tax or even used the bully pulpit of the White House to drive conservation -- to end that addiction. So we continue to finance the U.S. military with our tax dollars, while we finance Iran, Syria, and the rest of our "enemies" with our energy purchases.

Everyone says that Karl Rove is a genius. Yeah, right. So are cigarette companies. They get you to buy cigarettes even though we know they cause cancer. That is the kind of genius Karl Rove is. He is not a man who has designed a strategy to reunite our country around an agenda of renewal for the 21st century.....to bring out the best in us. His "genius" is taking some irrelevant joke by John Kerry and twisting it to bring out the worst in us, so you will ignore the mess that the Bush team has brought upon this country.

And Karl Rove has succeeded at that in the past because he was sure that he could sell just enough Bush cigarettes, even though people knew they caused cancer. Please, please, for our country's health, prove him wrong this time.

Let Karl know that you're not stupid. Let him know that you know that the most patriotic thing to do in this election is to vote against an administration that has, through sheer incompetence, brought us to a point in Iraq that was not inevitable but is now unwinnable.

Let Karl know that you think this is a critical election, because you know as a citizen that if the Bush team can behave with the level of deadly incompetence it has exhibited in Iraq -- and then get away with it by holding on to the House and the Senate -- it means our country has become a banana republic. It means our democracy is in tatters because it is so gerrymandered, so polluted by money, and so divided by professional political hacks that we can no longer hold the ruling party to account.

It means we're as stupid as Karl thinks we are.

I, for one, don't think we're that stupid. Today, we'll see.

Let's hope this is the Republican theme song today:

Sick Call

"I NO COME WORK TODAY!!!"

Hung Chow calls into work and says, "Hey, I no come work today, I really
sick. Got headache, stomach ache and legs hurt, I no come work."

The boss says, "You know something, Hung Chow, I really need you today.
When I feel like this, I go to my wife and tell her to give me sex. That
makes everything better and I go to work. You try that."

Two hours later Hung Chow calls again. "I do what you say and I feel
great. I be at work soon....... You got nice house."