March Madness!!!

How did this happen? I went from blogging daily, sometimes twice a day to........once a month???

Anyway, I've taken the last few months off to regroup and get some things squared away. The next few weeks will be a fun transition. I used to be very afraid of change, but now I kind of welcome it.

Since May of last year, you all may have noticed that my blogging has slowly dwindled. Sometimes we put ourselves around people that drain our creatvity and who don't motivate us. Well, that I can assure you is long over. I am back with a vengeance, a new blog address, and I want to get back to the comedic writing I did for over a year when this silly thing first started.....I am back. I guess this song sums it up.....

I Suppose It Is Time....

To actually blog in February! I have had so much going on, I will fill you in on all the details another time........

I actually can't believe this story:

HAMPTON BAYS, N.Y. - The partially mummified body of a man dead for more than a year has been found in a chair in front of his television, which was still on, authorities said.
Vincenzo Ricardo, 70, apparently died of natural causes, said Dr. Stuart Dawson, Suffolk County’s deputy chief medical examiner. Police found Ricardo’s body this week when they investigated a report of burst pipes.

Ok first of all, no neighbors got curious as to where this dude was? Secondly how did his electric and cable not get shut off from lack of payment? My cable bill goes 10 days late and I am threatened with disconnection.....

And what kind of TV did this dude own that ran for a year straight? If I were TV manufacturers, I would try to find out what beand it was and market that shit.....

Just My Luck......

  

So, I am running on the treadmill tonight next to this really cute, in shape girl. She kept looking over and smiling making eye contact with me. I would glance back and smile and this went on for like 20 minutes. I was hoping we'd finish around the same time so I could talk to her.....

Then all of a sudden this guy to my right (she was on my left) farts and stinks up the place. The cute girl's face turns green with disguist, she looks like she is going to be ill, and hops off the treadmill and leaves.

So, I am hoping she didn't think it was me......that fuck had to go and fart......

Happy Birthday! :)

To a special friend: Enjoy your day tomorrow!

Speed Dial

  

I spend a good portion of my work day on the phone. My job involves contacting companies to negotiate prices, place orders, follow up on lead times, etc. On a daily basis I come across dozens of phone messages/menus. The one I heard today cracked me up.

It said "If you are calling from a touch tone phone press one now, rotary phone customers please stay on the line or visit our website at www.________.com

Now first of all, who still has a rotary phone as their primary phone? Some dude in a trailer park in Arkansas who also still has a 13" black and white TV with rabbit ears? Does the one person in maybe 500,000 people who call from a rotary phone warrant a special instructional message?

The thing that made me laugh the most was the fact that this company actually thinks the person calling from the rotary phone also has a computer and internet access to visit their website!!!!! I doubt they are out of the ATARI 2600 stage! I just had to share this......

Just Put It In The Bag!

  

So there is this 7-11 convenience store right on the corner where my office is. Many of the employees make trips there throughout the day for drinks, snacks, etc. Every so often I will stop in there in the morning for something to eat or drink. Each time I do, this tall, lanky guy in a shirt and tie who wears glasses is behind the counter ringing people up on the register. Apparently he is the manager, or at least his name tag says he is.

Anyway, this nerdy guy has a habit of commenting on EVERYTHING each person buys. For example, if you buy a banana he will say something like "Oh a banana, someone is eating healthy. Plenty of potassium!" If you buy a pack of cookies he will say something like "Someone is eating bad today, but these are gooooood!" It is the wackiest thing I have ever seen or heard. I thought perhaps it was just done to me, but others at work recently told me this guy does the same thing to them. This makes me want to screw with this guy.

I want to go up to the counter with some Preparation-H and see what he says. "Oooh, someone's ass is hurting!" Or how about a box of condoms? "Ooooh, someone is gonna get laid tonight!" Or perhaps a Massegil. "OOOOH, someone is not feeling so fresh!" I mean this guy is in the habit of commenting on everything, I doubt he will stop at a douche.

I never see anyone stocking the store shelves at a 7-11. How the hell does the stuff get on the shelves???? Does a pack of gum automatically restock itself when you take one off the shelf?

Also, these stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on holidays...yet there are locks on the doors....why?

The thing I like most about the convenience store is the handy height measurer/ruler on the front doors. This is to get an accurate height of someone who robbed the store as he runs out..... in case you are a witness. I don't know about you, but if I just had a gun pointed at my head at 3am when I am on line for a little debbie snack cake, the last thing I am going to be thinking is "wow, that dude is 5'11, about 175lbs, and was in excellent shape....and where can I get a ski mask like that" The first thing I will be thinking when he leaves is "where is the closest bathroom, I need take off the underwear that I just shit in?"

A New Year Is Upon Us

  

Happy New Year to all! It is only a couple of days into 2007 and I am tired of hearing "Happy New Year" from people already. Ok, fuckers, we get it...it is a New Year!

Anyway, the weekend was amazing, actually last week was amazing. For starters, DON'T see the "new" Rocky movie. It was pretty bad. Caren and I saw it last Wednesday. It was pitiful in many ways.

Thursday Night Caren brought over a great Christmas gift for me. She got ma a really cool karaoke machine. It is not your ordinary karaoke machine. This thing has a camera on it and plugs into the tv where you can video and tape your "performances." We had dinner with Joe and Christina, drank wine and sang all night on Thursday.

Friday night was my "take down the Christmas tree" night and get the house cleaned. Shortly after Saddam hanging and the tree going back in the attic, I passed out for the night. By that night, I knew New Years was being relocated to my house, aka, "club 69" rather than the Sugar V's place. We had a bunch of people coming, so my place would be a bit more roomy.

Saturday I food shopped and got all the New Years decorations and stuff. I hopped a 4pm train to NYC and met up with Caren for our Saturday Night adventure. It has become such a great ritual for us. I think we have gone in like 8 out of the last 9 weeks. We dined at a great little Italian place on 33rd and 3rd. The food, the wine, and the atmosphere was amazing. We then ventured down to Union Square to find an additional microphone and some karaoke cd's for the machine for New Years Eve. We then walked up to Times Square where the New Years ball was being tested. We mowed our way through the crowd to catch a glimpse. After 20 minutes of being caught in a stampede, we hooked a left onto 46th and then another left on 8th. We walked 8th until we found a little dive bar called "Walter's" We had a few drinks and relaxed until we caught our train. There was definitely a colorful character or two in that bar......

Sunday, New Years Eve day, I cleaned and decorated the house and got ready for the night ahead. Sugar V and Mrs. Sugar V were coming, along with Joe and Christina, Caren, Christine, Rich, and our buddy Mario from across the street. Everyone arrived around 7pm. We ate some great food, chatted, and started drinking. By 8:30 karaoke was in full swing.

We had a spotlight, a disco ball, a ton of music, and that karaoke machine. We sang all night. It was insane. Sugar V cracked us up with his singing, Mario sang Italian songs, we all took turns and laughed our asses off. The booze was flowing, and the house was a looney bin. I even rolled on the ground and sang "Like a Virgin."

We had a nice toast and made our rounds when the ball dropped and wished each other a happy new year. It was great to be in the company of people I cherish so much. Shortly after 12, the karaooke machine was back on and in full swing. By 2am, people were dropping like flies. Rumor has it (and shoe scuff marks) that Christina was sleeping, or napping in my bathtub. Rich passed out on the couch, Christine was getting drowsy, and I was throwing up after 4 bottles of champagne. My house was pretty much a complete mess......

Christine stayed over in the guest room, Rich on the couch, and Caren with me. Everyone else ventured home after a while. I woke up with a bad hangover and a messy house, throw up (from Rich) on my bathroom rug, and so many other wacky things all over the house. We finally got up at 1pm. Rich was gone. Caren, Christine, and I met up with Sugar V and the Mrs. at the diner. We had lunch and headed back to my house. We hung out until 7pm or so. I had such a great time.....

It is Tuesday Night and I finally got my house back to normal. Everything is mopped, washed, cleaned, sanitized, etc. All my holiday decor is down, and I am ready for summer! :)

That's my New Years in a nutshell. I am glad 2007 got off to such a great start. I have a few "resolutions" but they are more like things I need to do to make life better, so they will be done. I am just so thankful for the great friends I have. I am lucky. I am thankful for Caren. She really balances me out. When I get nuts about silly things, she has a way to calm me down and be a voice of reason. I have learned a lot from her and love our experiences together. I feel as though we have built a great foundation over the last few months and she is just so great.

How was YOUR New Years???????

Post Christmas Post.....

  

Ok, so I think this picture I took on the train Saturday Night is hysterical. Two girls (you can only see one) drinking (or in this case, holding) Red Bulls, completely passed out. I am sure the Red Bull competitors would love to use this pic. This is my kind of humor, for sure.

So Christmas was good, but quiet. Weird with the family so far away, but still a nice holiday, complete with cooking and friends. I made a ton of food. Baked Ziti, homemade sauce, meatballs, sausage (Sugar V's favorite), and Bracciole, for Christmas Day. Christmas Eve I cooked flounder. I had to keep the tradition going. Not to mention all the Italian cold cuts, cheeses, breads, pastries, and cookies I waited so patiently in line for on Sunday.

Thursday Night I am having Caren over along with Christina and Joe for dinner. I have a tray of ziti and a ton of meat left that I froze. We will be sure to have a post holiday feast. I wish Sugar V and the Mrs. were in NY to share it, but they are off In Chitown.....we miss them!

So, for New Years, I am NOT having a party at my house for the first time in a while. Sugar V is having Caren and I over...and maybe a few others. It is sure to be a fun night. I am looking forward to it. Even more so than I was looking forward to Christmas. There's nothing like starting the New Year off with the people you really care about. And a kiss from Caren at the stroke of midnight won't hurt either. :)

I was flipping around the channels early yesterday and I can't believe they still show the "yule log" on TV. What a mess that thing is. You seriously have to be hard pressed for something to "watch" to put that on.....

Is it me, or are you tired of holiday music? If I hear one more Christmas song, I may snap. I seriously had to play gangsta rap in the car today to get all the holiday "cheer" out of my system. I can now go back to being the cynical bastard I am the rest of the year......

The city was great on Saturday Night. It felt like a mid-October night rather than the day before Christmas Eve. Caren and I walked the city and loved every minute of it. We found some cool gifts for Sugar V and the Mrs., to give them on New Years Eve. We tried a new restaurant in Little Italy, we liked it, but missed Vincents. We had dessert at Ferrara's, got me a "Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey T-Shirt" at a novelty store in Little Italy, then found a place that sold designer handbags and stopped in. We were led to a secret back door in the back of the building where there were dozens of Gucci, Prada, and other designer bags. I am sure these were hijacked off a truck or a plane, but the price was good, so Caren got a bag and a wallet. That made her night for sure.......

So, how was your Christmas...and what is everyone doing for New Years?????

My 100 Memories of 2006

  

With 2006 winding down and many networks airing their end of year specials such as "The Most Fascinating People Of 2006" or "Big in '06", I decided to make a list of 100 memories that will forever remind me of 2006. So here goes, in totally random order:



1) "Ridin' Dirty"
2) Club 69
3) Carpooling with Christina
4) Fall/Early Winter NYC visits
5) My job (started it in January)
6) Caren
7) Christmas in August
8) The infamous block party
9) The Cinco De Mayo "housewarming" party
10) A great Memorial Weekend
11) Christina, Joe, and their boat "Floater"
12) Tiny A
13) The Tube Music Network
14) Melky Cabrera's catch on 6/6/06
15) The Boston Massacre in late August (5 game sweep in Boston)
16) Sugar V clearing out my New Years party
17) Eleanor Rigby's Bar
18) T-Unit
19) The famous Pizza Night at club 69
20) Mario!!!!!
21) Being called "Scotty" for 2 months
22) Fourth of July weekend in Mineola
23) Frosty Paws
24) Bruce dressed as a pimp
25) Happy Hours at Tiki Bar
26) The "Shady" Hat
27) Coney Island/Brooklyn Cyclones Game
28) 10 Cent Wing Nights
29) Taco Tuesdays!
30) Kettle One
31) Friday BBQ's at work
32) The Bodies Exhibit in NYC
33) Little Italy with Caren
34) A full house on Thanksgiving
35) February 15th, not the 14th (haha)
36) Walking the trails at Sands Point
37) Uncle Louie G's Ices!
38) Labor Day Party at T-Unit's
39) Moving Day
40) Singing "Sweet Caroline" to the LB cops
41) TV Show Theme Song Night
42) Democrats sweep election day
43) Softball at Jones Beach
44) The Disco Outfit
45) "Front Row" at Yankee Stadium
46) Cooking Day with Tiny A (Gnocci (her) and Eggplant (me))
47) Drunk Dennis across the street
48) Churchill's on a special playoff football Sunday in January
49) The "Beach Necklace" found at fashion stores
50) Pushing Christina's Car to work on a 90 degree day
51) The "Kool Aid Car"
52) The "After Happy Hour" party at club 69
53) Beer Pong
54) The Thusday Night after work party at club 69 in August
55) Peppermint Hot Chocolate with Tiny A
56) Beer Olympics
57) "Snap Yo' Fingers"
58) Linda and Liz
59) Insane gas prices
60) "Otto"
61) "Lucky Louie" on HBO
62) "If you like my meatballs, you'll love my sausage" great shirt Sugar V
63) Dogsitting
64) Deal, or No Deal???
65) Booing A-Rod
66) Movie Night at work
67) Strawberry Fields
68) "You're Makin' Me Craaaazy" (song sticks in my head)
69) "Crime Scene" Night with Caren
70) Kerry's Birthday Party at The Inn
71) Ghetto rigged air conditioner
72) Pumpkin pies
73) Ballybannon
74) One minute walks to the beach
75) The white pig chalkboard
76) Pettitte coming back to NY
77) Sinatra, a fireplace, and a dance
78) Superbowl Sunday with Amester and Brucey
79) Dublin Mudslide and Black N Tan Ice Cream
80) Singing to the trucking company at work
81) Greg's Wall of Quotes
82) Meeting Sugar V's rat in Park Slope
83) A Faulty Gas Burner
84) The front room
85) Saving the parking spot!
86) Bad cell phone reception
87) Matisyahu
88) Greg's Laugh at lunchtime
89) My family moving
90) The 1:07am train
91) 20+ Police visits to club 69
92) Jackass 2
93) Flintstoning Linda's Car
94) Caveman chats with Sugar V
95) Running the boardwalk
96) Falling head first into Sugar V's bathtub
97) Jeter being robbed of the MVP award
98) Doug K and I working together again
99) Talking to my sister again
100) Wishing and hoping 2007 is my best year yet!

Johnny Come Out To Play...In Your Empty Garden

  

What happened here, as the New York sunset disappeared? I found an empty garden among the flagstones there. Who lived here? He must have been a gardener that cared a
lot, who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop...and now it all looks strange.


Today the Grammy nominations were announced. Big deal. The state of the music industry is a complete joke. Fly by night artists, with fly by night cd's who won't be remembered five months from now, let alone five years from now. It makes a day to remember John Lennon, on this twenty-sixth anniversary of his murder, even that much more special.

I grew up brainwashed by the media, and even by my Dad, in thinking Elvis was "The King." I completely disagree with that "logic." We have a bunch of Elvises walking around the music industry today...pretty boys, with pretty hair, who are handed pretty songs to sing. Commercialized crap, if you ask me. The Beatles, now they were the "kings." They were the innovaters. They took music to a whole different level, and rock and roll was forever changed.

So tonight, as I sit in my room, sipping red wine, listening to John Lennon, remembering how truly great he was, I am so appreciative of what he gave us. What he left behind for generations to come.

Rather than leave you all with a classic from John or the Beatles, I want to leave you with a song that George Harrison wrote about his friend John shortly after his death. It is called "All Those Years Ago." If you know the song, you'll appreciate the words and probably sing along. If you don't know it, really listen to what George says about John, in this fantastic tribute to a great artist. I will be at Strawberry Fields tonight, braving wind chills in the teens to pay my respects and remember one of the best of all time.

"Band On The Run"

  

Those of you who know me well, know that I could talk music for days on end. I love the stories behind albums, songs, and musical artists. In the spirit of The Beatles and of the anniversary of John Lennon's death this coming Friday, I am in a musical mood. I heard today that "Band on the Run" the solo album by Paul McCartney was released on this day in 1973. Although I was a baby, I can honestly remember hearing these songs when I was a toddler. The album really took off in the summer of '74, when I was three, so I guess it is possible to remember back that far.

What is so amazing about this album? The events leading up to it's release. In September of '73 Paul decided to take the band to civil war torn Nigeria to record the album. Paul, his wife Linda, and the other band members arrived in Lagos Nigeria to record the album. Right before its production, two band members walked out in fear of their lives. Paul, Linda, and one band member carried on despite the turmoil. After the demo tapes were done, Paul and the band were robbed by armed bandits who stole their demo tapes, cameras, wallets, jewelry, etc.

So what did Paul do? The genius that he is, said no problem, and remembered everything he recorded in his head. He then went on to record the album all over again in a decaying studio. Despite these hardships, perhaps because of them, Band on the Run remains the most focused and consistently satisfying record of McCartney's post-Beatles career. So in the spirit of Paul, and December 5th, 1973, its release date, let's all watch "Band On the Run."

It's The Time Of the Season

  

Four Saturday Nights in a row in NYC. That is a record for me. I've been enjoying the weekly journey into the Big Apple. Last night, we took in some touristy sites.

After another great dinner in Little Italy, CW and I hopped in a cab and headed up to 50th and 5th. We strolled over to Rockefeller Center to see the tree, take some pictures, and enjoy the scenery. Sugar V and the Mrs. joined us later on, as they caught a later train into the city.

This Friday, the 8th, is a night I have been looking forward to all year. Each year, fans mark the anniversary of John Lennon's death with a vigil in Central Park's Strawberry Fields. People gather, light candles, sing songs, and remember one of the greatest musicians ever. This year the somber anniversary falls on a Friday Night. I will be in the park this Friday Night taking part. CW has her company party and Sugar V and the Mrs. will be there as well, so I need to go with a friend that appreciates John and his music as much as I do. I will have a nice Lennon post on Friday to mark the occasion.

This upcoming Saturday, the four of us will be heading into the city for brunch and some ice skating in the park. I love ice skating in the park, more so than in Rockefeller Center. There is something about the atmosphere in the park that I love. A rink, surrounded by thousands of trees, in the middle of a city.....breathtaking.

My parents and brother are settling in nicely in the "Tar Heel" State. I spoke to them about an hour ago. They are getting settled, putting together new furniture and unpacking. I am glad they all made it down safely.

So, today, I am trying to get myself motivated to hang Christmas lights, put up a tree, and get in the spirit a bit. It's tough this year though. Hopefully, I will muster up the energy to do it. I am in a cooking mood as well, but I don't think I will do both......

I am reflective today for some reason. It's been an interesting year to say the least. Last night on the train, I was thinking out loud to Sugar V and questioning life and looking for answers as to how we end up on totally different paths in life than we ever imagined. Where I am at the end of 2006 is so different from where I was at the beginning of the year......strange days indeed.

Well, I am off to try to accomplish something today. Getting home at 2:15am, not sleeping until 5am, and waking up at 9 to crying dogs who wanted to go outside really does not spark motivation, but I vow to make it happen today. Have a great start to your week!

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."