Just Some Rants

Irony: It's a Bitch

2011-03-09T13:00:00.002-05:00

I think I have finally figured out what is going to cause America to become a socialist society and it is not the election of the so called socialist, Barrack Obama, or the powerful lobbyists in Washington or even the Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United - although those things will play a small part. It will be the fall of the two party system in

Congressional Reform Act of 2010

2010-03-30T07:53:00.001-05:00

I have often lamented that we as a people would be better off if we used a national lottery to determine our next Senator, Representative or even President. I am not sure that anyone who truly wants to be President should be allowed to have the job. Think about it, would you want to be President? Me either. What does that say about the people who want to serve?Since I doubt we will be

Women as Explained by Engineers

2010-01-13T15:51:00.011-05:00

Proper Temperature to Serve Wine

2009-12-05T17:00:00.003-05:00

Many people store their red wine at room temperature (70 degrees). This is fine as long as you store it in a room where the temperature stays pretty consistent. The kitchen is a bad place to store wine just because of the temperature changes from cooking. Most people store their white wine in the refrigerator (35 to 40 degrees). This is also fine but know that white wine is not meant to be

Some Dog Humor

2009-11-30T11:33:00.002-05:00

Marriage - A Kids POV

2009-11-30T11:13:00.002-05:00

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.-- Alan, age 10 No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with...-- Kristen, age 10WHAT IS

Help Stop Mobile Device Abuse and Cruelty

2009-06-02T14:58:00.004-05:00

Every year millions of mobile devices are abused by their owners. Donate to the Association to Protect Mobile Devices today and don't let this happen to another innocent mobile device.This was one very poorly maintained iPhone.

Swine Flu Celebrity Death

2009-06-01T08:06:00.001-05:00

We all know who he got it from...

Life's Basic Questions

2009-05-06T08:27:00.004-05:00

Life really boils down to 2 questions... 1. Should I get a dog....? OR... 2. Should I have children? No matter what situations life throws at you.... No matter how long and treacherous your journey may seem.. Remember ~~ there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

The Same Question All The Time

2009-01-11T09:04:00.002-05:00

A lot of people have asked me how things are going now that The Rose and I have moved in together. It is a fair question. But to be honest, I am not sure how to really answer it. What did people expect to happen? Should I have experienced some sort of magical transformation as I unpacked my final box? "Wow, living together is like being at Disneyland...all the time!" Well, actually that

Five Least Popular Cities

2008-12-05T11:02:00.004-05:00

I saw a list of the five least popular places to live in the country on the web today. These are all big cities that, despite the ability to get high paying jobs, people still are not willing to live in. The funny thing is as I clicked through and read about each city, I realized that I have lived or spent some significant time in all five and I completely agree that I would never move to any of

Moved Again

2008-11-25T15:11:00.004-05:00

That’s right I have moved again. This time I did not move across the country or even to Europe. I only moved about 15 miles north of my current address. Many of you have asked and here it is...the big news between The Rose and I is we decided to move in together. We made the decision a few weeks ago and have since moved all my personal things into her condo. Although I definitely believe my condo

Another Question Answered

2008-11-20T14:17:00.011-05:00

All of us have questions that root around in our brain constantly. Questions that keep us awake at night and fill our daydreams. I am no different as I am constantly searching for the answers to the most important questions in my life. Well, one of these persistent questions has finally been answered for me.Why are there so many damn toothpastes?Come on, I know you have thought about it, albeit

Don't Forget to Tip Your Bartender

2008-11-04T11:11:00.008-05:00

I really love when my right wing friends send me emails about how liberals look at the world. I am not a liberal by any stretch of the imagination. In fact I tend to look at issues from all sides, which probably explains why I get a kick out of the one sided view of these emails.This is one of my favorites as it explains our tax system. You have all probably seen this before, but here it is. Bar

Sam on Halloween

2008-11-03T12:59:00.004-05:00

Just a couple of cute pictures of Sam.

Just Catching Up

2008-10-31T11:01:00.005-05:00

So I haven’t written much lately. I am really not sure why, funny things happen to me all the time and I just don’t seem that motivated to write them down. Maybe I am just over blogging. Maybe it is because we have so many other quicker options for daily expression – Facebook, MySpace and Twitter come to mind. We really are a society built on convenience and it is so much simpler to just

Guess who I am voting for!

2008-10-03T14:20:00.002-05:00

Draino

2008-09-29T13:10:00.000-05:00

I am sure I made this putt!

Fly USA

2008-09-04T15:39:00.006-05:00

Warning: My socialistic tendencies will be showing themselves in this post.I am seriously concerned about the state of the airline industry in this country. I flew to Key West over the Labor Day weekend and I experienced a delay on every flight. This included four flights over two different airlines. My flight never left on time nor did it ever arrive on time. And not one delay was due to weather

And you thought US politicians were bad...

2008-08-25T11:27:00.002-05:00

This actually makes me think that US politicians are not as dumb as I thought. This has to be a Saturday Night Live skit. No one is this big an idiot...in any country.

New Pictures of Baby Sam

2008-08-25T08:08:00.002-05:00

I got some new pictures of Sam and thought I would share them. Here she is giving her dinner the thumbs up. She apparently has her father's table manners.This is the two of us in nantucket ealrier this summer.

Competitive Juices

2008-08-18T10:28:00.003-05:00

“Real pressure in golf is playing for $10 when you’ve only got $5 in your pocket.” Lee TrevinoI was playing golf this weekend and not playing particularly well. When we finished the round, I found myself 11 over par, shooting an 82 on this particular course. For most golfers this wouldn’t necessarily be a bad day, but for me it really is.As we were finishing up the round, one of the guys

My Weekend So Far

2008-08-10T08:13:00.005-05:00

1. The flight was oversold by 31 passengers. That's right - 31. How do you do that? Don't get me started on the need for a national airline. 2. Lunch at the grandparents was great as always. Needless to say, plenty of food. 3. Big dinner with the family including lobster and steamers from up north. Oh did I forget the chicken, ribs, shrimp with dinner as well. You will never go hungry in Norwood.

Something New Please

2008-08-08T11:26:00.001-05:00

I wonder if Mr. T watches the new show Burn Notice. If so, does it ever occur to him that this new show is nothing more than a remake of the A-Team minus his character? I PITY THE FOOL! Oh, and sorry Dirk Benedict, but I think Gabrielle Anwar is playing your character. Isn’t this twice you have been recast as a woman (for all you non sci-fi geeks, Starbuck on Battlestar Gallactia was also cast

Island Life

2008-07-21T14:33:00.002-05:00

You know how they say you never know someone until you spend a week with them on Nantucket? Well, I am sure someone says it. I have to tell you, it is so true. Let me tell you a few things that The Rose found out about me last week.I am good for about two hours on the beach and then I am ready to go. I would be useless in a labyrinth. I won’t be going on a boat anytime soon. I am a good moped

Op Ed Piece

2008-07-11T08:45:00.003-05:00

Spending so much time around people in Real Estate lately, I have come to appreciate the recent struggles in that industry. I have also realized how the media is playing directly into our fears and doubts when they report on the industry. It seems that oversensationalism is the only way we can report news these days. I wrote this opinion piece and sent it to the Washington Post. Needless to say

A Little Gas Pump Humor

2008-07-08T13:40:00.009-05:00

If we didn't laugh what would we do?

New Life Lessons

2008-06-16T09:49:00.003-05:00

Many of the lessons my father taught me as a child are still with me today. “You need to be able to take care of yourself as no one else will” and “it is not what you say, it is how you say it,” are two of the lessons I learned growing up – sometimes the hard way. But I think the most important life lesson my father ever taught me was this:"Don’t get stuck working a job you hate your whole life

I am saving room for dinner…

2008-06-10T16:29:00.004-05:00

I spent last weekend visiting The Rose’s grandparents in a small town outside of Boston, where they have lived since the 50’s in their small square grandparent’s house. They are without a doubt the nicest, littlest, oldest people I have ever spent any time around in my life. Her grandfather spends his days in the garden and her grandmother spends her days cooking.You have to understand that I

Who Do I Talk To About This?

2008-05-20T09:49:00.004-05:00

I wrote some time ago about the phenomena that no one ever sees a fancy sports car pulled over and getting a ticket. It is like the police avoid the one group of people who can probably afford to pay the speeding ticket and always seem to focus on the people driving the crappy Ford held together by duct tape.Well, I was driving to work and I actually saw a Nissan 350Z pulled over and getting a

Nick

2008-05-08T15:19:00.003-05:00

I haven’t had much to write about lately, so I thought I would share a few of the conversations I have had with Nick over the years.Nick called me out of the blue one day and this is how our conversation went:Nick: “Dad, I just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to worry about me anymore.”Blue: “Really? Why is that?”Nick: “I am no longer living below the poverty line.”Blue: “Great. How much

The Rose

2008-04-29T10:20:00.003-05:00

I promised an update on The Rose and I always keep my promises. It has been almost five months since we first met, so I think we have gotten know each other pretty well. Here are some random thoughts about her and many of the things I find so irresistible:For the most part, she tells you exactly what is on her mind. This is refreshing as I don’t have to spend all my time trying to figure out

I Hate Always Being Right

2008-04-23T15:15:00.002-05:00

Has anyone noticed that gas has almost reached $4.00 a gallon – and likely has in some parts of the country? Is my post from March 22 starting to resonate with you? Once we get used to $4.00 a gallon, then they will slowly raise the price to $5.00 a gallon. This is the same thing they did to get from $2.00 to $3.00 and now $4.00.I would also like to point out something else that most of you might

Casual = Beach?

2008-04-23T14:50:00.000-05:00

Maybe it is just me, but there is a very disturbing trend happening in my office right now. I have noticed that more and more people are taking the “casual” dress to a disturbing level. Don’t get me wrong, I am the first to wear a pair of jeans into the office. However, I usually wear a shirt with them, but the way things are going around here lately, I may be able to just throw on some cut

A Good Golf Memory

2008-04-16T15:00:00.002-05:00

Quick story from the golf trip…I was playing the first morning with three guys. Four of us went out to play while we waited for some of the others to arrive. There was a round later that afternoon with the entire group, but for some reason, the four of us seemed to think we needed to cram a sixth round into the weekend.I knew one of the guys in the foursome, but I met the other two that morning.

Someone Pass Me the Pepto

2008-04-13T17:09:00.001-05:00

It has been a long weekend of golf, drinking and eating way to much chicken. These guys really like wings - we ate at Hooters, Buffalo Hot Wings and too much KFC. I could use a good fish dinner. The golf trip was great. Twenty guys competing on the course and boozing it up at night. I played too many rounds - six total in four days. I am exhausted

Easter Pictures

2008-03-24T09:06:00.003-05:00

Just a couple of Easter pictures of Samantha. She is getting very big.

MBA Final Exam

2008-03-22T12:41:00.008-05:00

I have a scenario for all of you MBA types. Let’s see if that $50,000 in tuition was well spent or not.Imagine you are a C-level executive at a petroleum company. Your company is and has been doing very well over the last few decades with the huge dependency that the US has on gasoline for our everyday lives. But a few years ago the price per barrel of oil started to go up and gasoline began to

Good Luck in Hell

2008-03-20T12:59:00.002-05:00

Someone sent this to me and I just thought it was funny.

Nick's band got a write up in the Seattle Times....Here it is.

2008-03-17T13:00:00.008-05:00

The Moondoggies rise and shine at night"I love a band where the singer is playing harmonica!," gushed a 40-something listener at a Moondoggies show last week.Kevin Murphy had only busted out the harmonica for one song. Still, for the discerning listener, it was a clue to where this band's soul lives — in '60s and '70s groups like the Band, the Grateful Dead and Neil Young's Crazy Horse.Others in

All Hail The Chair

2008-03-07T13:49:00.002-05:00

I volunteered to join one of the committees that were formed in my condo association. This is actually a pretty big deal as I never volunteer for anything. I learned my lesson when I was young. I volunteered when I was 17 and the next thing I knew I was in the Navy for six years. I haven’t raised my hand since.The condo board formed four committees - social, communications, facilities and budget.

Tuesday Sucks

2008-03-04T07:37:00.002-05:00

I don't feel well today. I woke up with a sore throat. I have also pretty much been dragging ass for the last few days. Problem is I have wall to wall meetings today so I am headed to the office. Hopefully I will feel better later.

Three Things to Ponder:

2008-02-29T09:59:00.001-05:00

1. Cows2. The Constitution3. The Ten CommandmentsC O W SIs it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering

Blue Goes Green

2008-02-27T13:17:00.002-05:00

That’s right Blue has joined the eco-friendly nation. I traded in my convertible Jaguar for an eco-friendly hybrid. Considering that I have driven the Jaguar about three times since last summer, getting rid of it seemed like a good idea. My hybrid of choice, the 2008 Toyota Camry. I test drove a few other hybrids and found that the Camry gave me the most features and luxuries for the least

A Rose By Any Other Name

2008-02-17T11:15:00.001-05:00

Last night The Rose got to see Tequila Drunk Blue for the first time. TDB is a relatively rare site, usually only allowed out in New Jersey. She has been very nice to me this morning. She even went out and got me donut holes and coke, not that kind of coke, the kind that rots your teeth. We are going to the beach today while the weather is good.

No, No Girls, I Am Taken

2008-02-15T15:29:00.000-05:00

So last night for Valentine's Day, I had The Rose over for, wait for it, left over pizza and chili. You all wish you were dating me right now, don't you? We are actually walking out the door as we are heading to Myrtle Beach. We rented a condo for the weekend. My first time down there. Should be fun.

What Does Your Heart Say?

2008-02-11T16:28:00.000-05:00

I got this from the Washington Post last weekend and decided to fill it out and share with the rest of you. You just have to complete the sentence.Your first love…usually happens when you are too young to appreciate or understand it. Your first love should be unconditional, like the love of the puppy you got when you were eight and not the pimple faced kid you dated in high school. Love at first

My Quest Ends

2008-02-08T13:17:00.000-05:00

My three year search is almost over. No, I am not talking about finding one of the thirteen women on the planet that I am destined for; I am talking about my three year search for a living room chair. Yes I am that picky…didn’t the one in thirteen women tell you that much about me.In actuality, the search ended about six months ago. In late August, I found the chair I wanted. I ordered it. I

Chances

2008-02-07T09:27:00.000-05:00

I was listening to the radio this morning and I heard a song by Michael Tolcher called Sooner or Later. There is a line in the song that struck me.“And playing in the rain is worth catching cold”I think more of us need to adopt this attitude. It is an elegant way to say that taking chances and having fun are worth the outcome. At least that is what it means to me. The whole song is about

New Take on Your Sign

2008-02-01T17:39:00.000-05:00

I found this very interesting as they don’t seem to sugar coat the bad characteristics of a sign. And because mine is still the best. Read to find out what is wrong with you.CAPRICORN - The Go-Getter (Dec 22 - Jan 19)Patient and wise. Practical and rigid. Ambitious. Good-looking. Humorous and funny. Can be a bit shy and reserved. Often pessimistic. Capricorns tend to act before they think and can

How Many Can You Find?

2008-01-28T10:57:00.000-05:00

Let’s play a game. How about you tell me all the differences you can find in my living room after this weekend. I have attached the before and after pictures. I will tell you that this is just the start of the changes to this wall. More will come over the next few weeks, but I think this is a good start.What's DifferentAnd for an update on The Rose front…she asked me this weekend if I wanted to

Blue = Nice

2008-01-22T15:06:00.000-05:00

So I thought I would share with you a little bit of the IM conversation that The Rose and I had today.The Rose: I haven’t really dated anyone like you before.Blue944: Like me?Blue944: you mean human?Blue944: good looking?Blue944: funny?The Rose: I feel like I have more of an edge than you doThe Rose: Like you may be too nice for me....OK, I will wait for those of you that know me to get up off

Solving Big Problems

2008-01-21T12:12:00.000-05:00

The Rose mentioned that I haven't blogged anything in about a week. I really haven't had much to say lately, but I thought I would give it a shot today. Besides, I have visual aides.I am in day three of the semi-annual detox program. For those of you new to this it basically means I do not have sugar, caffeine or alcohol for two weeks. I basically live on some supplements, designed to clean out

Quick Notes...

2008-01-14T13:39:00.000-05:00

From my ski trip this weekend.I am SO over my twenties. I spent the weekend in a four bedroom condo with some twenty-somethings and I can tell you that I am so past all the issues that twenty-somethings have. I must admit that these were very put together and successful twenty-somethings and I was still blown away by the issues they think they have.I am very hopeful for the future as we had two

Defying the Odds

2008-01-10T13:14:00.001-05:00

No this isn't a craps table success story. I took some time while I was in Vegas this week to actually get off the strip. I know most of you think Vegas is confined to the two miles that make up Las Vegas Boulevard, but there really are things to do in Vegas outside of the casinos. For example, a colleague and I drove 45 minutes and visited Hoover

Heading Home

2008-01-10T11:25:00.000-05:00

I am finally heading home from Vegas. I know some people think this city is great, but I find it grating after a day or two. Four days is definitely too much. I will be home by dinner time tonight. I am excited as tomorrow we are driving to PA to go skiing. This is my first time skiing in quite a few years. It is also the first overnight trip with

One of THOSE Travel Days

2008-01-07T13:25:00.001-05:00

Yeah it is one of those days. It starts with a 5:45 AM alarm so I can head to the airport at 6:30. I don't like to get up before the sun unless golf is involved and 5:45 definitely came way to early this morning. I get to the airport and as I pull up to the parking ticket machine, the only one of three open for the main garage, it gives me my ticket

Personality Puzzle

2008-01-05T22:18:00.000-05:00

One of the special things about her is her willingness to handle issues as they come up. More communication is better than less communication. Getting things out in the open is better than letting them stew inside of you. These are also things that I believe. However, I am not always able to start these conversations so easy. She can. This is one of the reasons we are getting along so well.I

It’s More Than a David Bowie Song

2008-01-05T10:55:00.000-05:00

pres·sure [presh-er] - a constraining or compelling force or influenceI have never really been someone who felt or was afraid of pressure. I have always been able to step up in key situations and deliver – hitting that first tee shot with everyone watching, batting with two outs and the bases loaded, making the hard decision at work, delivering a presentation in front of a large crowd – none of

A December Miracle

2007-12-30T13:32:00.000-05:00

So you are probably not going to believe this, but I have met someone lately that I am enjoying getting to know. We met online, which apparently is the only way to meet people these days. I actually saw a stat that 1 out of 5 weddings last year were between people who met online. I find that amazing that 20% of the weddings today are between online daters.Anyway, back to my budding relationship.

Happy Hour

2007-12-22T11:24:00.001-05:00

“Who is getting the next round?” Jimmy asked loudly enough for most of the bar to hear. “I think it is your turn Frank,” he said.“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” Frank said.“Hey Charlie, the next round is on Frank.”“You got it Jimmy,” the bartender answered. O’Dougan’s Pub had been Jimmy’s favorite watering hole for a few years and he had gotten to know Charlie the bartender pretty well. He poured a

Profile - Part Three

2007-12-20T15:24:00.000-05:00

If there is one area that I think they totally missed, it is likely this one. Although I can be emotional at times, I do not think this describes me much at all. Those of you that know me are encouraged to chime in here, but in my mind, this is really not a good description of me.Introduction to Emotional Stability We're born with the capacity to feel deeply, so it's as natural as breathing to

Tis the Season

2007-12-16T13:44:00.001-05:00

You know what the hardest thing about Christmas shopping is? It isn't trying to find a parking spot. It isn't the crowds at the malls. It isn't trying to figure out what the hell to buy everyone. It is not ending up with a bag full of things that are for me. Good luck out there!

Why do I bother?

2007-12-13T14:36:00.000-05:00

I have no idea why I always bring sunglasses to Seattle. I can't remember the last time I saw the sun here.

A Whackable Offense

2007-12-11T09:09:00.000-05:00

Why would someone do this to their baby?Antler TraumaI just don’t understand it. Why would you scar a child for life by putting them through this type of ordeal? Mark my words, Sam’s parents are going to get a call about 35 years from now. It will be Sam after her 1000th, $500.00 an hour, visit to her psychiatrist. She will explain about the big breakthrough they had in her session and how all of

An offer I couldn’t refuse…

2007-12-09T09:52:00.000-05:00

I have a couple of interesting pieces of news. The first and the more important news is that K&T have asked me to be Sam’s Godfather. I accepted, of course, and I am extremely excited. I don’t know much about being a Godfather - like are you supposed to capitalize Godfather? My family is not very religious and this is one ceremony that I have not had to attend for any of my nieces and nephews

Profile Part Two

2007-12-07T15:21:00.000-05:00

Introduction to Openness How firmly committed are you to the ideas and beliefs that govern your thinking and guide your behavior? Some people trust their current ideas and beliefs the way a climber trusts the mountain; whichever way they move, whether the climb is on a familiar trail or over new ground, there is something solid beneath them, something they count on. For others, new ideas, new

Profile Part One

2007-12-01T11:02:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned before, I signed back up on eHarmony. I did not just reactivate my old account, I actually started from scratch. I answered all of their questions and filled out their forms. From these many questions, they gave me a personal profile. I thought I might share some of it with you and my thoughts. The first section of the profile I received is about Agreeableness, which describes your

No Walk In The Woods For Me

2007-12-01T10:53:00.001-05:00

I know I haven’t written much lately, but I wanted to post a quick note to say that everything is going well. I am in a new role at my company and that is keeping me very busy, but in a good way. I am learning more about our business and I am getting the chance to create a new product pretty much from the ground up. I also signed back up on eHarmony a few weeks ago. I am not sure why I did

The King Has No Clothes

2007-11-16T11:46:00.000-05:00

So someone told me this week that one of the main reasons the Prius is the most popular Hybrid is because when you drive it, people know you are driving a hybrid. It has become a status symbol. The car is so distinctive that everyone knows it is a hybrid. Can you imagine buying an ugly car just so you can show your friends that you have gone green? I guess it really is true what Bill Crystal

Strange Travel

2007-11-15T06:38:00.001-05:00

I have to fly up to New York this morning, returning this afternoon. I arrived at National airport, picked up my boarding pass, breezed through security, and then walked right on the plane. No lines anywhere. I left my house 50 minutes before my flight and am now having to wait on the plane for it to take off. The planes only has maybe 25 people on

Why I don’t have a gun rack in my car.

2007-11-11T22:20:00.000-05:00

I was driving up to see my new niece Sam for the first time on Friday and the 240 mile trip that usually takes me about four hours ended up taking me over five and a half hours to make. I spent over an hour traveling about 6 miles on highway 78 in Pennsylvania. A two lane road that was supposed to be under construction. They had one lane shut down for three miles and it caused about a five mile

Welcome Baby Sam

2007-10-29T11:33:00.001-05:00

First of all let me apologize for the long time between posts. I am mainly apologizing to my mom as she uses this site to track what is going on in my life. I am sure the rest of you could care less.I should start by telling you all that K&T had their baby on 10/12. Samantha Kelsey joined us in the real world that day. Both Sam and her mother are at home and doing well. I have attached a

How Did They Know?

2007-09-14T14:10:00.000-05:00

You know what I got in the mail this week? Of course you don’t. I got some AAA cards. This is only interesting considering the weekend that I had and the fact that it took me two extra days to return from NJ because…wait for it…my car broke down on the side of the highway. This is the first time in as long as I can remember that I have found myself on the side of a freeway as cars whiz by me

A Baseball Rant

2007-09-06T12:42:00.001-05:00

I went to a ball game last weekend and I just felt like ranting a bit about it. The game was between the Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants. I grew up in the Bay Area and have always been a Giant fan. Unfortunately, the Giants lost in the bottom of the ninth inning. It was a great pitching game as Barry Zito pitched for seven innings and gave up only two hits, and I am

A Rave Review for Blue

2007-08-22T15:02:00.000-05:00

I was visiting some old site this week and I ran across a post from one of the girls I met on Match this year. We dated a few times, but in the end there was really no connection between us. Her latest post is a scathing review of the last three guys that she met online and the sheer stupidity of men in the dating world. I was surprised to find this toward the end of her post:"I would like to

Defining Life Moment #5

2007-08-21T14:17:00.000-05:00

So I am down to my final defining life moment. Unlike Charlie on Lost, I am not facing impending death. Well I guess we are all facing death, but unlike Charlie, I am not sure when it is going to happen. With that in mind, I am going to say that I have no idea what my fifth defining life moment is. I am hoping it hasn’t happened yet. I am hoping there is still a moment in my future that will

Defining Life Moment #4

2007-08-20T17:06:00.000-05:00

My defining life moment number four is the day I met her. I remember that it was a spring day during my senior year of high school. I was hanging out over at a friend’s house with the usual bunch of guys. We were in the front yard, which is more like an orchard, just messing around. That is when one of my friends introduced me to her. Her being the wonderful game of golf. That day marked

Defining Life Moment #3

2007-08-20T16:56:00.000-05:00

I can look back at my next life moment and say that it was the best thing that ever happened to me. However at the time, I didn’t think I would live through it. My defining life moment number three is the day my wife told me she loved someone else.It was a time in my life when I was still innocent in the ways of life. I was 20 years old and had been married for about two years. Nick had just

Defining Life Moment #2

2007-08-18T09:50:00.000-05:00

My friend Jeff came up to me one day after school let out and said “I am going to talk to a Navy recruiter, you want to go?” This is my defining life moment number two. I was a senior in high school and Jeff was only a junior. We were part of a gang of five or six guys that didn’t seem to fit into any of the normal clicks in high school. We weren’t jocks or geeks or stoners. None of us were

Defining Life Moment #1

2007-08-17T10:36:00.000-05:00

I was reading Becky's site today and she stole and idea from Janet, who stole it from, well you get the idea. The reality of it is the idea originated with Charlie on Lost. I think it is very tough to boil your life down to five defining moments, but I will give it a try. Since I don't want to write a book, I will post them one at a time.If I told you that my dad and I have the great

Why is my flight cancelled?

2007-08-10T09:36:00.000-05:00

Now as many of you know, I travel a lot. I have had to suffer through many flight delays and cancellations. But I have never had a flight cancelled because of, wait for it, a clogged toilet. Yep you read that right, a clogged toilet. Apparently someone took a huge dump and now they can't get the toilet system to work on the plane. They have been

A Lot of Nothing

2007-08-02T15:47:00.000-05:00

I haven’t written much since the great cell phone wars of July. I should mention that my last post was actually an email I sent to the CEO of my wireless company. He emailed me back and then had an executive on his staff call me. At least he tried. I am over the whole thing now and just looking forward to a few months without having to call customer service. So far, so good.I spent last

Pushing Company Loyalty to the Breaking Point

2007-07-25T19:07:00.000-05:00

If you are like me, you have a great sense of loyalty to the company you work for and the companies you have worked for in the past. I have always enjoyed my jobs and still feel a great sense of loyalty to each and every company where I have worked. Well that is until today.I am a former Sprint employee. Well, that might be a stretch as I was really hired by Nextel and worked for them until

What's Next

2007-07-17T17:44:00.000-05:00

I am actually standing by someone on the Metro who is listening to a discman. A discman. I would have thought all of those would have been trashed years ago. How long has the iPod been around? Next I will see someone using a Commodore 64 or driving gas combustion vehicles - oh wait. I mean really, get with the times. You can buy a cheap MP3 player for

Kansas...Really?

2007-07-15T08:20:00.000-05:00

Who knew that the most beautiful woman in the world lives in Overland Park. In Kansas no less. I mean I would never have thought to look there. I pretty much stay away from the Midwest as a general rule, but I had to go there for business and there she was. A woman has not totally enchanted me that way in a long time. I can't say for sure that she is one of the 13 in 3 billion, but who knows

Frank Wolf

2007-07-06T07:58:00.000-05:00

I have been putting off writing this post for a few days. I think I was really trying to understand how I felt before trying to write something. You see, I recently found out a person I worked with in the past suddenly passed away a week ago. Frank and I worked together for over a year as peers. We have not seen nor really spoken to each other since I left that job over a year ago. Last I heard

Hello Neighbor

2007-06-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

So my move date is this Friday. Lots going on around the move right now. First off, thanks to my friends for coming down last weekend just to help me pack. We pretty much got me about 90% packed on Saturday. I couldn’t have gotten it done with out them.The painters are finishing up in the new condo this week. I went and looked on Saturday and I think it will look good when it is done. The

My Dad

2007-06-19T16:29:00.000-05:00

I am sure that right now there are a lot of posts out there about dads. Well, this is mine. Let me start with a little clarification. My dad is really my step dad. My biological father left my mother, my sister and me when I was about three years old. I have not seen him since and have no memories of him at all. My mother and my step dad met shortly there after and so he is the only dad I have

Detox Again

2007-06-12T07:08:00.000-05:00

I am on day two of the “Detox in a Box” program. This is the second time I have gone through this program. I am shooting to go for 14 days. So it is 13 more days of supplements, pills, bland food and did I mention, no sugar, no caffeine and no alcohol. I woke up with a headache this morning from the lack of sugar and caffeine already. I know I will feel great in a day or two, but the first

Did I Mention?

2007-05-25T11:12:00.000-05:00

I am on my way “home” today for the weekend. A long weekend with family and friends. It has been a few months since I was back in the Bay Area, so I am looking forward to the weekend. I am not looking forward to the six hour flight home on Tuesday. One nice thing is my cleaning lady came while I was gone this week, so I will return to a very clean apartment. I love coming home to that freshly

Timing

2007-05-22T14:26:00.000-05:00

They say timing in life is everything. I am not sure who "they" are, but I have always considered myself as someone who has good timing. I could always hit a baseball, which most people consider to be one of the hardest things in sports to do. And anyone who has played golf with me the last ten years can attest that my swing has perfect timing. I got out of the military 30 days before Dessert

Mondays

2007-05-21T07:02:00.001-05:00

Monday morning travel can really suck. I hate getting up early on Monday just to fly to the west coast. It can't be helped most of the time, but it is still a pain.Luckily I have the Dulles airport down cold. It takes me 25 minutes to get from my front door to my gate. I check in on line, so I don't have to wait in line at the counter. I have a cab pick me up so I don't have to park my car. The

House Guests

2007-05-14T07:06:00.000-05:00

I have houseguests this week. I am cat sitting for RC. She is out of town until Friday. Normally her dad would watch the cats, but he is also out of town this week. So, she asked and I said OK. It is nice to have animals in the house again. I got so used to having the food chain living with me for so long. I have had no pets for almost three years now. I have considered getting my own cat

I Have a Dream

2007-05-01T16:02:00.000-05:00

I am getting close to realizing a dream. OK, not the dream where I find myself in the Playboy Mansion on my birthday. The dream I have had since the first time I got a chance to visit Europe in 1993. The dream to live in the European culture. My phone interview went pretty well this morning. It felt more like a formality as my interviewer and I have known each other for about a year now. We

Come Support Your Team

2007-04-30T18:13:00.000-05:00

I went to my first Nationals game this weekend. Turns out my seats are pretty good. I also learned that there is absolutely nothing around RFK to do. There are no restaurants, bars or even shops. If you are headed to RFK, you better stop at Eastern Market if you expect to eat or drink before the game. I got to see an extra inning loss to the Mets on Saturday. I noticed that the Nats don’t

Let's Catch Up

2007-04-25T07:09:00.000-05:00

So I haven’t written much in the last week or so. I have been a little busy. So here is the reader’s digest version.I became an adult again this weekend…yep I bought a condo. So now I owe more money than I could make in 3 years. Of course one of the companies I was talking with about moving to Europe contacted me Monday after I singed the contract. Should I still take the interview?I finally

Release The Hounds

2007-04-16T07:15:00.000-05:00

So I went house hunting this weekend. Well, condo hunting really. I realized that I am entirely spoiled and picky. Is there anyone out there that didn’t already know that? I mean I looked at about 25 places and like a total of 2. I did not say I loved two, I liked two. I also realized that I am more likely to get a place in one of the newer buildings. Somehow the buildings and condos that

Tick...Tick...Tick

2007-04-09T07:19:00.000-05:00

I was in bed last night thinking that maybe it is time for me to make a commitment. Settle down. No, I am not talking about marriage, hell at times I am not even sure I want a girlfriend. I am talking about committing to a place. Planting some roots. I have spent the last few years moving. Running really, and maybe it is time to decide to live someplace for a while. Time to decide to buy a

What's In A Name

2007-04-04T09:26:00.000-05:00

So my friends K&T and I were having some discussions this weekend in Atlantic City on what to name my niece. They don’t know it is a girl yet, but I am assuming it will be. Mainly because I am not sure that K has the Y chromosome to give. Anyway…I asked them what they plan on naming my Godchild (OK a little early to call her that as I have not been asked, but I am hopeful). Their number one