RAMBLINGS VOL VII – DISASTER WEEK SPECIAL

 In an eight-day period, my town in Maryland was hit by thunderstorms, lightning storms, an earthquake, and a hurricane.  The oddsmakers say that a locust attack is most likely to happen next, followed closely by raining frogs.

So yesterday our landline phone rings, and it’s that “800 Service” on the caller ID again. They have been calling for over a year, and I keep telling them that they have the wrong number, and they apologize and keep on calling. This call flipped a switch in my brain, and instead of snapping or letting them get under my skin, I went straight to "devious" mode. I checked the call log, wrote down the number, and called them back. I gave the poor sap who answered all kinds of tortuous phone shizzle while advising him that every time they called me, I would call them back. He thought that he would just stay on the line and frustrate me, but I totally out-frustrated him. At one point he pretended to put me on hold while he allegedly looked for his supervisor; I advised him to “hurry up already”. He then handed the phone to his supervisor, a Ms. XXXXX, and I told her the same thing I told him. (While I was doing this I wrote down her name so I could ask for her the next time I called.) After hearing me repeat my new mantra two or three times, she was smart enough to hang up.

Now that these telezombies know that I have their phone number and can be a bigger a-hole than they ever anticipated, I’m pretty sure I won’t be hearing from then again. If I do, I have unlimited service and a lot of time on my hands.

[Yes, I know about the Do Not Call Registry, and it works like a charm on all of our cellphones – but not on the landline for some reason.]

Our hurricane weekend in Washington DC has gone about as expected:  two power outages totaling about 14.5 hours.  What was unexpected were the two dozen or so power “dips”, which can be quite unsettling.  As of this writing power is up but Comcast (cable, Internet, and land line) is still down.  All in all, we cannot complain one bit.  Two things that went right on my spending list are: a good, dependable portable television set, and a whole crapload of C or D batteries to keep the thing running.

Random hurricane-induced ramblings follow:

Vanilla wafers are best eaten two at a time.

I like when babies point at things.

These power dips reminded me that everything you know and love can be taken away just like that.

When you know that a power outage is coming, if at all possible you should make a batch of chili beforehand.  It will come in handy.

Blackout Breakfast:  Two pieces of buttered toast make the foundation of the plate (you can still make toast if you have a gas-powered stove).  Top that with a big mound of piping-hot chili, and top that with two fried eggs.  This should be accompanied by a nice cold beverage.  Cheese, alcohol and dessert are optional.

I saw the first bit of blue sky at approximately 10:20AM Sunday morning, August 28.

In our region, it looks like Virginia definitely got the worst of it.  Two million households without power, from what I last heard.  DC looks to be OK; the trains and buses never stopped running down here.  NYC is a mess in more ways than one.  Word is spreading that the real reason NYC mass transit was shut down was to prevent widespread looting.  That said, it’s time to let out a well-kept secret:  the biggest, nastiest, scariest bunch of potential looters are the police.  They are credentialed professionals whereas the other potential looters are casual amateurs.  I am not by any means denigrating all law enforcement officials; I am just speaking on a well-known truth.

I would guess that within a month the pollen level here will skyrocket to record heights due to the unbelievably wet and damp August weather.

It’s now 8PM Sunday evening and we still have no TV or Internet.  Fortunately, I am getting tired, as I did get out and do my Sunday run this afternoon.  I believe that a nap is in my immediate future, followed by another big bowl of chili and a Dunkin’ Donut.  That should knock me out but good!

[Author’s note:  I did get some sleep but am now awake and on the prowl as usual.  Comcast went back online at about 9PM.  Knock wood, I am truly glad that this stretch of bad stuff is over.  It’s over, right?  Right?]

RAMBLINGS VOL. VI

Lately I’ve been thinking about doing Christian things (other than praying) on a daily basis.  Early on, my thoughts were always bogged down by the idea of donating.  Donating is fine, but right now I don’t have the cash to be a big donor, or even a small one at times.  Besides, I promised myself that until things get better financially that my number one charity is Me and Mine.  With that said, I need to think a lot more outside the box when it comes to performing altruistic acts in my daily life.

Since I started actively thinking about performing Christian acts, I notice that the little things are happening more naturally.  I don’t think so much about whether I should do something nice or polite; I just do it.

I get a kick out of publishing something controversial and then waiting for the approval or critique that never comes.  That usually means that it was thought-provoking – or just plain outrageous!

I LOVE the GEICO commercial featuring The Three Smartphone Dorks!  “Don’t mind if I do!”

Stick to your guns, podnuh.

I brought two bags of Tootsie Roll Pops to the dialysis center and distributed them.  Tootsie Roll Pops are a big favorite at the center because the nutritionist OKs them, they contain pseudo-chocolate, they don’t make a mess, and choking on one is pretty difficult.

I feel like Manager Dave again.  Mentally I am back on top of my game, and I am much more passionate and creative.  I’m working on my anger issues, and am more sociable.  Problem-solving is on point, as is organization and follow-up.

I bought some mandarin orange popsicles, put them in the freezer, and forgot all about them until I went to get some ice for a drink.  What a pleasant surprise!

Being a grown-up all of the time is grueling.

I have been without a printer for over a month.  Being a good technician, I troubleshot the issue (cartridge error) down to the point where the recommended solution (get a new cartridge) did not resolve the issue.  I decided that after five years of good service it was time to put Miss Print out to pasture and get a new one.  Replacement will arrive in 2-4 days.  Among other things, I managed to draft, edit and submit for publication an essay about sex and sports that I think is pretty damn good. 

Replacement printer arrived.  Guess what?  Same #@!#! error.  I packed it up and sent it back to Hell, I mean Dell.  When my account is credited, I will try HP for sure.

Reverse psychology tends to work on me.  If you tell me that I can’t do something, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will do my damndest to git’er dun….

My body makes me take days off from training every once in a while.  Today is one of those days.  Getting around is no problem at all, but every now and again my body says “Thanks for training me so hard.  I really appreciate it.  But do you think we could ease up for a day or two?”

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”  (Hebrews 13:8)  I think that this makes a pretty good mantra.

My smartphone keeps getting smarter…..

I’m watching “Scarface” late at night, and I notice that in the wedding scene Tony Montana’s banker is in the wedding party.  Perhaps that is a sign that Mr. Montana’s value system is a bit skewed?  Or maybe not….

“Sacrifice what you want for what you desire.”  -- Unknown

I am oh so eager to jump back into the mix right now!  But I will try to take one small step at a time.  I took one small step this week:  joining the Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition’s Patient Advisory Committee.

“Persistence will always defeat resistance.”  Miss Knockout posted this, and the quotable quotes webpage did not have this listed, so I’m attributing it to her.

I just reviewed my “Birthday Food Wish List” (list of foods I can no longer eat) and I was OK right up to the end when I saw “sugar-coated cashews”.  I got all googly.  And now I want a double bacon cheeseburger slathered in ketchup, with a side of hot, crispy fries.  And a chocolate shake.

Here's a useless tidbit:  The updated Looney Tunes Show (Cartoon Network) is pretty darn good!  The old gang has fun in the new millenium, and additional tidbits about the characters are revealed.  If you think that Yosemite Sam might not be a good house guest, you're right!

This morning [author note:  this is a different morning] my body told me to take it easy and skip the run and/or workout.  I’m actually disappointed, but my body knows best.  I may still work out later in the day, but now I can admire the sunrise, go through my notes, and watch the Today Show before breakfast.  I am slowly but surely adjusting to the retirement lifestyle.  That said, if a viable employment opportunity comes along, I’m grabbing it.  Same if IT consulting takes off at some point – and it just might.  Lately I’ve noticed that I am sharp as a tack, and physically I am almost as strong as I was back in the day – actually stronger by some measures.  My only concern is working long hours; I would like to avoid that at all costs.  The return just isn’t worth it any longer in my opinion.

I have worked out 14 of a possible 23 days so far in the month of August.  Longest layoff was August 9-11.  And I am starting to swagger again – but I’m doing a pretty good job of catching myself in the act and turning it off.  “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”  -- Proverbs Chapter 11 Verse 2

Every once in a while, the pendulum will swing your way.  When it does, you should be prepared to take full advantage.

Just two minutes ago, I figured out what I should have said when a bunch of managers turned against me to put me in my place six years ago.  I’m elated to finally have the answer, but disappointed that it took me six years to figure it out.  Oh well.  Next time, I’ll be ready.

The American Political Jumbo Jet

The U.S. political system is designed to make slow but sure corrections, much like a jumbo jet. Rather than making sharp adjustments, it makes wide turns and gradual course changes. Any attempt to make an extreme change in course might result in a crash, and sometimes extreme changes are even corrected automatically.  Immediate change is accomplished only with the assistance of a catastrophic event, e.g. lightning, a collision, an explosion, or very bad weather.

The American system of tripartite government excels at preventing sudden changes in policy no matter what the sentiment of the people.  There are, however, certain exceptions to this rule.  The Supreme Court, for example, can single-handedly effect change, but not in a directed fashion.  See Roe v. Wade, the legalization of abortion in the United States, in 1973.  The Supreme Court can overturn this decision if it is presented again and make abortion illegal if five or more Justices agree to overturn the 1973 verdict.  Changes in the socio-political leanings of  Justices do not happen often; neither do Supreme Court appointments.  The anticipated rulings of the Supreme Court are set up for the long haul by a sitting President to the best of his or her ability to do so, and that direction may last for many years after he or she leaves office.

The concept of checks and balances makes ramming any new law through the legislative process extremely difficult. Legislation can only be ratified when the President, a majority of the members of the House of Representatives, and a majority of the Senate all agree that it should become law. Neither house can enact anything without the other house’s assent and the President’s approval. All in all, the system works pretty well; if there’s a problem, it’s that America’s politicians are far too comfortable with the status quo, and that “kicking the can down the road” until the next Congressional or Presidential election has become de rigeur in Washington issue-centric politics. As a result, every once in a while the American political jumbo jet threatens to run out of fuel and fall out of the sky, as it recently almost did with the debt ceiling debate/debacle. Fortunately, Americans are among the best in the world at conjuring happy endings out of crisis situations.

A Hollywood director might have added a couple of over-the-top flourishes to the debt ceiling crisis – for example, a spaghetti-western-style barroom fistfight between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner – but the outcome would have been pretty much the same:  no lessons were learned, and the audience is by and large left dissatisfied. However, if Hollywood had produced the debt ceiling drama, the process might have generated some cash – and that cash could have paid America’s bills for a couple of weeks!

Sexy Sports

Sexy Sports

That’s right – sexy sports!  Not “sexy shorts”, although there are sexy shorts all over the landscape, and some of them are part of the sporting world.  Venus and Serena Williams’ shorts always grab my attention.  I also like to look at fellow tennis player Maria Sharapova, and I’ll be the first to admit that I have never watched her play a single point.  And I used to love watching Tina Thompson of the WNBA.  Yes, I know, I know, but truthfully I’m just getting started.  Remember the French figure skater Surya Bonaly?  She of the competition back flip?  Boy, I really liked her, because I just pulled her name out of the dark recesses of my mind without any hesitation at all.  And she skated in the Olympics last century -- as did Katarina Witt.  “Ecaterina” was (and is) a vision of loveliness in my mind.

Right about now I would imagine that any women, feminists, gays, transgenders, and maybe even clergy who are reading this are thinking “you pig!”  Relax, everybody!  There’s enough eye candy here for everyone, and then some!  You all know what you like; I can only speak to what I like, so that’s what I do.  None of us can deny that athletes have a very definable sex appeal. 

There were so many different directions in which I could take this essay that my thoughts were haphazardly organized at the outset.  When the idea of combining sex and sports came to mind, I knew that I had a winning topic.  It’s common knowledge that sex sells, and we all know that sports sells.  When I thought about combining the two, my mind went nova and I started typing.

So which sport is the sexiest?  This question, is, of course, totally subjective and depends on a person’s point of view and frame of reference.  It might be women’s tennis or swimming or volleyball or gymnastics.  Or diving.  Or golf.  In actuality, these are my selections; Joe Six-Pack may have a different set of standards.  In like fashion, I can only guess as to what women like to watch….

Wait a minute.  The word “watch” alerted me to the fact that so far I am only covering the visual aspect of “sexy sports”.  I totally forgot about the other senses.  What is the sexiest-sounding sport?  Football and tennis spring to mind.  Those who like to argue in bed might prefer baseball or basketball.  And some dear readers might get off on the roar of the crowd.  Do any sports smell sexy?  Beach volleyball?  All that sun, sand, surf and cocoa butter, not to mention the teeny bikinis….  Again, it’s a personal choice.  Some may find the smell of a horse paddock very sexy; others, not so much.  And then there’s a tactile aspect of sports that some might find sexy.  Pairs figure skating leaps into my mind’s waiting arms, along with professional dancers and dance competitions.  I don’t even watch “Dancing with the Stars”, but I know that there’s got to be some sexy touching going on.  It airs in prime time, for goodness’ sake!.

The sexiest sports sense is the visual one, I suspect.  Think of all those youthful, well-toned bodies.  Or mature well-toned bods.  Then dress those bods in sexy outfits.  Even ancient civilizations were attuned to these visual cues.  Didn’t the original Olympic athletes perform naked?  I bet the spectators were fully clothed.  Well, most of them, anyway.  Just think of all those well-toned nudes in motion – running, jumping, lunging, spinning, crouching, pushing, pulling, swinging and, of course, scoring. 

If all that doesn’t get one’s blood roiling, an argument surely will.  John McEnroe springs to mind, followed by Jimmy Connors, baseball manager Billy Martin, and, from time to time, Michael Jordan.  The mention of His Airness reminds me that the passion with which some athletes play their game is sexy in and of itself.  For me this evokes thoughts of female tennis players grunting and groaning and screaming with every swing, lunge and volley.  Monica Seles started this trend in her too-short time in the limelight.  When she said “screw it” (no pun intended) and played loudly, fans, writers and commentators lamented the un-ladylikeness of her grunts and groans.  Years later, nearly all top women’s tennis players are loud on the court while presenting themselves as genteel ladies off the court.  How sexy is that?  I think Serena is consistently the loudest, but I’m not sure whether this helps her win fans or sell stuff.  Frankly, with that body I don’t think it matters; she could be a mute and still get crazy media print space and airtime.  Sports, sex, and fashion meet up in Serena’s wardrobe, both on and off the court.

And just in case the connection between sports and sex isn’t clear enough, some clubs – notably football and basketball teams – devote considerable resources to fielding cheerleading squads and/or dance troupes.  Just think of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the Laker Girls, the Knicks City Dancers, or any big-time college football or basketball program.  (Fellas, you can take a couple more minutes here.)

I cannot end this essay without mentioning the two acts that consummate the marriage of sports and sex:  scoring, and winning.  In the most primitive sports-to-sex translation, scoring is penetration (dare I say “hitting the spot”?  OK, I dare), and winning is the orgasm.  The most exciting games are up-and-down, back-and-forth tussles, or defensive masterpieces where neither side scores much but damn near kill themselves trying.  Winning is the ultimate satisfaction.  Winning can be a selfish endeavor, or it can be a come-one-come-all-everybody-celebrate-with-us party.  And at the end of a session, both sides are tired and sweaty and might want a cigarette.  Or a beer.  Or a nap.  Or some food.  Or all of the above! 

I’ll close with a reference that every weekend athlete can relate to, either in the bed or on the field of play:  if you’re really lucky, you might play, score, and win for hours on end.  Or play a double-header.  I think that triple-headers are over-rated, and I’ll stop right there….  I’m exhausted!

RAMBLINGS VOL. V

On the way home from dialysis yesterday I just happened to catch the 36 bus while I was walking to the Metro.  I boarded the bus at 4:40PM and arrived home at 5:45PM.  It was a refreshing change of pace, and I observed a house for sale on Branch Ave.  $220K or thereabouts for 4brs and 3bths.  Also located the Harris Teeter grocery store for future reference.

I tried the bus thing again about a week later because I was feeling lucky.  The ride went well until we got to the Anacostia River and the Souza Bridge; I could have gotten out and walked faster.  Instead, I politely asked the driver if I could disembark.  (The bus happened to be stopped right outside a McDonald’s.)  He did what every bus driver does with me in this situation:  he said no and started telling me about how he would get into trouble.  I then thanked him very politely and went back to my seat, and waited about ten seconds until he shamed himself into allowing me to leave the bus.  Works every time.  I went to Mickey D’s and got three McChickens, and crossed the street to catch a bus going in the other direction back to the closest Metro station.  I killed about five minutes waiting for the next bus by eating one of the McChickens and washing it down with some cool water that I loaded up with at the dialysis center before heading home.  That McChicken that I ate while standing at the bus stop was the tastiest bite of the day.  A McChicken straight out of the thingamajig that they cook it in is pretty good!  I got home around 6:45 instead of 5:45.  No big deal, as it was a well-fed and comfortable journey home from there.

I love how I can turn a hum-drum commute into a survival skills test!

Men still like to wear watches.  They tend toward large faces nowadays.  I prefer the traditional-size dials.

Almost every penny I have and spend derives from my SSDI income.  I earned this money 6 yrs ago, or 10 yrs ago, or 15, 20, or 25 yrs ago.  Or 30 yrs ago.  I keep this in mind when considering every financial transaction.

I ran one mile outdoors without stopping this morning.  It was a slow mile, but it is a benchmark.  On to the next one.

I was on my way out the door to dialysis when I noticed that I had forgotten to put on a belt.  I did a quick time v. confidence check and went on without it.  I had to hitch my pants up a few times on the way home as I was about 10 pounds lighter than when I left, but other than that no worries!

I just finished off the last four spicy wings.  This batch was especially tasty.  Spicy but not too hot.  Almost as good as Jenny’s Wings.  I must ask my wife where she purchased them!  (If you ever visit DC, stop by the Southwest Waterfront for a meal.  You can eat a la carte or order to go at the Wharf, or sit down at Phillips’.  Or Jenny’s.  Super wings!!!) 

It’s early Monday morning and I am listening to “Tonight’s Gonna Be a Good Night” by Black Eyed Peas.  It’s a good song to start the day with!  Not to mention start the week with….

The days of Easy McGreasy are gone.  Everything must be earned.

I am becoming an elite athlete.

I’m checking out my first IT expo in many years today!  FOSE in DC.  I’m “just browsing”.  Yeah right.  I’m actually excited because I’m not on any sort of a mission; I just want to check things out and do my best to stay current.  Perhaps make a couple of contacts.  And stop at Safeway on the way home.  I haven’t felt this way about an IT expo since 1994 at the Javits Convention Center in NYC.  I was just cutting my teeth in IT back then – I mean I had just gotten access to the data center, but still wasn’t allowed to touch anything.  Just thinking about those days has me grinning like a dog that just sneezed!

You know what I miss the most about work?  Patrolling the corridors.  Going to offices to fix an e-mail problem or mess with a blackberry or fix a printer jam.  Looking at the pictures on clients’ walls and making a brief personal connection.  Looking at a person’s desk and immediately being able to tell exactly how much they care about their work.  Juggling schedules so everyone gets to leave an hour or so early.  Fixing problems before anyone is even aware that a problem exists.  Taking a quick break every now and again to chat with a receptionist (especially Hilva and Sonia).  Stuff like that there.

“Until now you have not asked anything in my name.  Ask and you shall receive, and your joy shall be complete.”  John 16:24

If I only get to experience the way I feel right now for another 24 hours, it was worth every bit of the hard work involved.

I did 60 push-ups non-stop this morning.  Goal One of the Army Physical Fitness test has been met.  Goal Two:  66 sit-ups in two minutes.  Goal Three:  Run two miles in 14:24 or less.  Deadline to perform all three in one morning:  Sunday, October 2.  Boo-yah!

I am phasing apples into my diet.  Also popcorn.  Cheetos are out.  Fare thee well, Cheetos!  Fare thee well.  The fact that Granny Smith apples taste pretty good makes me feel better.  They smell pretty good, too – especially when a dozen or more of them get together.  I may never get over the Cheetos thing, though.  Sometimes I crave Cheetos more than I crave Newports!

My lovely wife Hilva brought home a lot more of those delicious wings!  She is good to me.

I had an excellent workout today:  I broke with my usual routine.  I did zero pushups, but did 30 or 40 straight reps on the chest press.  I didn’t count my reps on the ab blaster; I just did reps in time to the music until the song ended.  Same thing on the sit-up board.  And I did that balancing-on-the-balls exercise for core balance.  Also tried the reclining bike for the first time.  It’s amazing how your body immediately tells you that it’s not ready for a particular exercise!  I also left the basketball upstairs for once, and did no hand-eye drills.  I think my body was appropriately shocked, and I’m going to mix this type of workout in on a regular basis going forward.

“Until now you have not asked anything in my name.  Ask and you shall receive, and your joy shall be complete.”  John 16:24

How do you eat an elephant?  A little bit at a time.  A sandwich here, a steak there, a rib now and again – it will take some time, but eventually you will have consumed the whole thing.

Upon review, I see that I wrote John 16:24 twice.  It’s the latest bit of  Scripture that I am trying to commit to memory.  The old Dave would delete one sentence so it wouldn’t look as if I was “losing it”.  The new Dave knows that he’s not as sharp as he used to be, and is cool with that.  I’m still pretty damn sharp.

RAMBLINGS VOL. IV

RAMBLINGS VOL. IV

What I am doing is HARD.

My diet is starting to frustrate me because there is absolutely no cheating room.

I am quite tired of people telling me how I should act and what I should like.  I do not want to be perfect, and I do not want to be “right”.  I want to be me.

I absolutely LOVE my new schedule!  It is right in my wheelhouse.  If you’ve ever crushed a baseball or did a dunk so nice you amazed yourself or something like that, you know exactly what I mean. 

Did you ever come up with the perfect comeback or rank at just the right time instead of ten minutes or two days later?  That is a GREAT feeling!

All of the layers of bullshit are peeling off one by one.

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” Luke 2:52

I just noticed that lately I find myself anticipating the day instead of dreading it!

You don’t have to be in a big hurry like everyone around you.

Being a “tough guy” needs to take on a new meaning in my life.  It should mean that I don’t have to show the world that I’m tough!

Some things can be fixed, and some things can’t.  It’s up to you to identify which is which, fix the fixable, and move on.

Today was an excellent training day!  After a busy day, I was actually excited about going down to the gym.  After a week’s layoff, I did not have my best performance in all areas, but I did in some.  I trained as hard as I could for as long as I could, and I listened when my body told me to stop (OK, it had to tell me twice).  I am exhausted and pleased.  Now me eat and drink!

The Knicks of the late 60's - early 70's are easily my favorite basketball team. Clyde taught me how and when to go for the steal. Debusschere taught me how to box out. Willis taught me how to play with pain. And Earl the Pearl and the Senator made me practice my shot over and over and over and then practice some more.  (Jerry Lucas, too.)  There’s no better feeling than wearing out your opponent and then beating them at their own game.

I need to work on how I react to people who are aggressively stupid.  How do I calculate a proper response?  Quickly?  I need to anticipate more, and trust my instincts less.

I also need to start reading things as opposed to just looking at them.

The “peanut butter and jelly” part of my monthly business cycle begins today.  That means that I mix in a nice PBJ here and there to stretch my food supply and my cash supply.  A nice triple-decker will go down nicely before this afternoon’s workout.

Sunny day

Sweeping the clouds away

On my way

To where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get

How to get to Sesame Street?

Passion + Ingenuity = Success.

PBJ Update:  Nutritionist Lou says I can substitute cream cheese for peanut butter.  That works; I like cream cheese!  Nothing like a cream cheese-and-jelly bagel.  And maybe some lox?  Now I’m plotzing….  Egg salad is another possible substitute.  Yecchhh!

Fitness update:  New development #1:  I’ve started my outdoor runs.  Well, actually, it’s more of a run/walk.  If you’ve done nothing but treadmill running for a while, that’s fine, but don’t kid yourself.  There is no substitute for actual running.  I give myself a pat on the back for scouting out a good location (my old stomping grounds in SW), and purchasing the proper gear (sneakers, key holder and stopwatch) before starting.  Go man go!  New development #2:  The basement gym in my apartment added a few very nice machines; a third treadmill, an ab blaster, a reclining bike, and a chest press matrix.  Very, very cool.  The joint is two or three enhancements away from being a complete fitness center.  Me happy!

Some dude stole my identity.  Later on that day, he tracked me down and gave it back!

I am slightly less hard-headed than I used to be.

Mini-milestone:  I forgot to wear a belt yesterday.  No problem at all.

I now have over 1,100 article views on the Viewshound website (http://www.viewshound.com).  If you’re reading this, please take a minute to visit the site and sign up as one of my “Followers”.  Or just follow me from this blog.  If you do, I promise you’ll get a free copy of any book that I ever publish.

Speaking of publishing, I’m taking my sweet time developing characters and a set for a series of children’s books called “The Strays”.  That’s all I’ll say for now, except that this is a can’t-miss bestseller if done properly.  ‘Nuff said; we shall see if I can pull it off.

I just had the beat from Nicki Minaj’s “Did It On’Em” bumping in my head, and was lamenting because it was almost 3AM so I couldn’t play it on YouTube because it would wake up my wife.  I can’t play it on iTunes because – wait a minute – four minutes and 69 cents later, I’m about to bump it on my iPod via headphones.  I’ll be back in a few.

Or maybe not….  Technology used properly is quite wicked.

RAMBLINGS VOL. III

RAMBLINGS VOL. III

I have a funny feeling … this summer is going to be a blast – I mean lots of fun!

2012 Resolutions:  (1) Learn to swim.  (2) Buy a truck.  (3) Re-enroll in university.  Note:  If I learn to swim this summer, I get to make another resolution!

If I could be a TV character for a day, I would be – I have given this serious thought, and I don’t want to be a TV character.  I like being who I am!

Here we go again:  I had a serious chili dog craving the other day.  It’s time to make a batch of chili.  Or just stop by Ben’s Chili Bowl….  I think I’ll go the latter route this time around.

So many little things went right today that I am almost afraid to write about them!  I’m not going to write about them, though.  I have learned that I don’t have to write about everything.  (My wife will really appreciate that last sentence!)  I’ll just say that I am grateful for this day, and that I appreciate how special today was.

“Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”  Proverbs 11:2

Today I ran to catch a train.  And I was not out of breath afterward!  At this rate, I’ll be dunking again in no time!  Hah hahahahahahahah!  Seriously, though, I know better.

The above statement is a lie.  If I can dunk again, I am sure as hell going to try to pretzel the rim one more time!

This is the time of the month when I have to go without or do things on the cheap.  Many months ago, my goal was to have a steak in the freezer at this time of the month so I could pull it out and for at least one evening eat like a rich man.  Yesterday morning, I pulled a pound of chopped meat out of the freezer so I could make a batch of authentic Texas chili (no beans, no tomatoes) in the afternoon.  It wasn’t exactly a boneless ribeye, but it still tasted pretty good!  I am thankful, and I am looking forward to chili dogs later this week.

Summer tasks:  1) Dentist; 2) Learn to swim; 3) Develop characters for children’s book series.

I choose to thrive instead of survive.

I really like writing.  I am going to make the full commitment, as soon as I figure out what that means.

You have to respect fate and the Lord for what they are – the final arbiters of your past, present and future.  Respect.

I had a chef moment yesterday.  My wife brought home an herb salad, and I could smell something different on my way to the kitchen.  I asked if I smelled rosemary, and she confirmed that I did, along with sage, basil, thyme and mint.  I’m looking forward to my next trip to the supermarket….

You can take a brutha out of the ‘hood, but you can’t take the ‘hood out of a brutha.