Favorite 4 my Friday

As I sit here looking at another cold grey winter day, it makes me think about my favorite season. Autumn. It's not that I dislike the other seasons. I do enjoy the first warm days of spring. And I certainly love the long days of summer. But, there is just something about Fall.

I especially love the first few crisp nights. The ones where you need a jacket. Some may argue that a temperature in the 50's is nice in the spring too, but it is not the same. In the springtime, the ground is still cold. Even the rocks and trees are colder. In Autumn, the air might be cold but the ground is still warm. The ocean is still warm. You can sit at the beach and just enjoy the night.

So there you have it. My Favorite 4 Friday. Let's hear about yours....

Music 4 My Monday

As some of you already know, when I was about 11, my best friend was hit by a truck and killed. It was not an easy thing for me to deal with. And even now, almost 35 years later, I still wonder what he would have done with his life. Would he be maried? Would he have kids? Would we still be friends?

So, today's video is dedicated to my friend Bobby.

Matador in the yard

In the community where I work there are a number of families that are not native to our country. The language seems to be an issue for a number of them. Typically if the secretaries up front can not understand them, they come get me. I am not sure why since I do not speak any languages other than English and Typonese. The following is a conversation I had with a gentleman who spoken Spanish and Broken English....


As I approached the counter I greeted the man:

"How can I help you?"
"I have a matador"
"You have a what?
"A matador"
"Okay, where is this matador?"
"At mi casa"
"So you have a matador at your house?"
"Yes"
"I see. Well why do you have a matador?"
"Because I needed the money"
"So you make money with the matador?"
"Yes sir"
"Is this matador out on the front yard?"
"I'm sorry. I no understand"
"Well sir, that makes two of us. You have a matador out on the lawn. Does he wave a red cape?"

At this point he is staring at me with a rather weird look on his face and my secretaries are chuckling as I make the motion of a bull fighter waving a cape.

"Well sir, I am not sure why you keep a matador on your lawn but, I am required to point out that we are not zoned for bulls and frankly I think it is rather cruel to the bull anyway"

"Nooooo, I do not have a bull"

"Well then why do you have a matador?"

"Because I want to live in one half and my daughter will live in the other half and pay me rent"

"Ooooooh! You don't have a matador. You have a 'Mother/Daughter house"?!"

"Yes that is what I have been saying...."

It was at this point that all 4 of my secretaries busted out laughing so hard that they had to leave the room. I now know why they call me out to the window whenever they can not understand someone. Gotta love this place.

Favorite 4 my Friday

My absolute favorite favorite dinner to go out for....


At least once a month, I do lunch with the 2 ladies in accounting. We have our favorite Sushi place and we all look forward to lunch that day! They are the ones that got me hooked on it to begin with. It started about 4 years ago and we have been going ever since. I made the mistake of trying it at a business function in Minneapolis last fall. I forgot where I was. Living on Long Island I take for granted that the fish is fresh. Somehow it loses something when it is frozen and shipped to the middle of the country.

Best Ad Ever!

I got this in my email and thought it was so classic, that I just had to share it.

What About Me Wednesday

I want instant gratification and I am willing to wait for it!

Yes you read that right. Yes, I know I am weird. I am the the type of person that when I decide I want something, I want it the minute I pay for it. Many times I have looked at things online and could just have ordered it right there. You pick your item, add it to the cart, input your CC#, verify your address info, and submit your order. In a matter of a few days, your shipment arrives and you have your item. Not me. I will wait and go to the store. Sometimes that may not happen for a month. But, none the less, I go, find the item, pay for it, and there it is. Right in in my hands. No waiting.

Somehow my brain blocks out the fact that I could have had the item 3 weeks earlier if I had ordered online. Oh well, I could go into more depth but, I have been looking to buy a GPS so I am going to go shop online and figure out which one I can wait 3 months to get at the store.....tm

Toon 4 my Tuesday

Thoughts by Dena: Music 4 My Monday

This is a really neat concept for a video. Check it out!
Thoughts by Dena: Music 4 My Monday

Music 4 My Monday

Lifehouse - Storm




how long have I
been in this storm
so overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form
water's getting harder to tread
with these waves crashing over my head

if I could just see you
everything will be alright
if I'd see you
the storminess will turn to light

and I will walk on water
and you will catch me if I fall
and I will get lost into your eyes
and everything will be alright
and everything will be alright

I know you didn't
bring me out here to drown
so why am I 10 feet under and upside down
barely surviving has become my purpose
cause I'm so used to living underneath the surface

if I could just see you
everything will be alright
if I see you
the storminess will turn to light

and I will walk on water
and you will catch me if I fall
and I will get lost into your eyes
and everything will be alright

and I will walk on water
you will catch me if I fall
and I will get lost into your eyes
and everything will be alright
I know everything is alright
everything's alright

Puzzle fun

I have been really sick the last few days. Today I am feeling well enough to be out of bed and not wishing for death. As I sit around waiting for the Daytona 500 to start, I decided to browse blogs. I came across one that had a link to jigsaw puzzles. It was actually a lot of fun! This is today's puzzle. Check it out!

FAVORITES 4 MY FRIDAY

This Sunday is the 51st Daytona 500. This will kick off the 2009 NASCAR season. So what better favorite than my favorite driver? This will also be the start of the 3rd year that Dena and I have made a wager on the season. She is a Tony Stewart fan. Yeah I know she needs help. I have beaten her the last two years. Hopefully I will again this year too. the first year she owed me dinner. Last year she paid off with a NASCAR item. This year is my turn to pick the bet again. Loser has to buy the other person a teeshirt of the winner's favorite driver. The catch will be the loser then has to wear the winner's shirt in public and include a picture. I have a feeling Dena will be wearing a Jimmie shirt come November! Go #48!!

Tiger Peanuts

Today as we were sitting at the table enjoying a pizza, my son and his friend started talking about foods and weird things people eat. Kevin started talking about his trip to Japan last August and mentioned that they wanted him to drink some sort of juice from a poison wasp. He politely refused. However that made me ask what was the weirdest thing he actually did eat there. I explained to him that they eat rather strange things there. I told him that they eat things like Tiger penis. (They really do but, it is expensive). My daughter gave me the 'Daddy-you-are-so-stupid' look and yelled, "Daddy! Tigers don't grow peanuts!" I lost it. I was laughing so hard I almost choked. The boys were rolling on the floor. She still has no clue why and I am not about to explain it to her........tm

What about me Wednesday

Hmmm.........I am sitting here trying to decide what to write about. I think of an idea but, then sit here and mull it over in my head and try to plan out not only what I want to say, but also how others may read it. Which I guess would be a good topic for today. I tend to way over think things.

I am an analyzer. I will take pretty much anything said and try to read between the lines. Looking for the meaning behind the words. Or at least what I perceive it to be. This tends to make people crazy. For those of you that have endured it, I apologize.

It is not that I am trying to psycho-analyze any of you. I simply try to understand you. I spent a lot of years never asking questions. As a result I misunderstood a lot of things. I got a little tired of that. So, instead now I am not afraid to speak up. Perhaps I have taken it to the opposite extreme. On a positive note, of one thing you can be sure, I not only hear you talking, I take the time to actually listen to what you said........tm

Sledding

Last week we got snow here. We got a total of about 5". Which to many of you may not seem like a lot. For us it is not the norm. I live on the South Shore of Long Island and the Atlantic Ocean typically keeps us warm enough to get rain. It happened to be on a work day for me so I was not home to enjoy watching it out the window while holding a cup of coffee. As I made the agonizing drive home with the rest of the people that suddenly forgot how to drive, I saw some kids having a great time sledding down a hill. I started thinking back to when I was a kid and we would spend hours and hours outside playing in the snow. We would drag the sled up and down the hills and would have the time of our life. That's when it hit me. My daughter has never ever gone sledding down a hill!

Katie just turned 8 years old. She is growing up way too fast and I had yet to take her sledding. Did I want to be standing at the altar about to give her away one day, thinking "No wait! She can't get married yet. I have not taken her flying down a snow covered hill. Dodging trees and other kids!" So that settled it. I was going to do this with her.

I knew I could not take her that night. It would be dark when I got home. She would have homework to do. The boys would have places to be. The rest of the week was not better either. So that leaves the weekend. I switched over to the all news radio station to listen to the weather. I needed to plan this out. The weatherman finally comes on after making me wait for 6 long minutes. The temps were to be around freezing until about Friday. Then it was supposed to be in the mid 40's and in the mid to upper 50's on the weekend. I felt my heart sink a little. I was worried by the time Saturday came, the snow would all be gone. Well, I lucked out a little bit. It never made it out of the high 20's during the week. And even though it was sunny, the snow did very little melting on the grassy surfaces.

Now common sense tells you that you really only need a few things to go sledding. You need snow obviously. You also need a hill. Any hill will do really. And finally you need the one thing I had forgotten......a sled. We used to have one when the boys were younger. I used to take them. Well, that sled is long gone. Broken by the forces of nature and the effects of gravity as I sat my fat butt on it. Ok no problem. I will just buy a new one. No problem right? Yeah right. Friday I went on my quest to find a sled. I went first to Toy R Us. No sleds in stock, The "good dad's" had bought them all so they could take their kids out in the snow. Ok, no problem. K-Mart would have one for sure. After walking around the store 3 times, I swallowed my man pride and looked for a clerk to ask. Guess what? No sleds. The sales season for them is over and the store is now stocked with things like beach umbrellas and swimming pools. Look pal, I don't want a swimming pool. It is February! If I fill it now I suppose the kids could skate on it, but that does not let me take my baby bug sledding. After giving up I decided to try the smaller downtown stores. Luckily I was able to find a store that still matched the sales items with the season. So, $18 later I had what amounts to $1 worth of plastic shaped to include handles.

Saturday arrives and the temps are in the upper 40's by 9 AM. My yard still has snow so I am fairly certain the hill in the park will too. Luckily I was right. I packed up Katie and our over priced sled and we went to the park. We had the best time laughing and sliding up and down that hill. For whatever reason, we had it all to ourselves. She had the greatest smile on her face. I will cherish this memory for the rest of my life.

Below you will see a video of Katie Bug's first ever sled run down a hill!:

TOONS 4 MY TUESDAY

Thoughts by Dena: Music 4 My Monday

Thoughts by Dena: Music 4 My Monday

Music 4 My Monday

This is a song that no matter how many times I hear it, I cry every single time. While I have 3 kids and love them all the same, there is just something about the bond between a father and daughter. I know the day will come that she grows up and meets the man of her dreams. And I know it will be hard watching her go. So until that day comes, I will enjoy every single moment I can with "My Little Girl"

Thoughts by Dena: THEMES FOR THE WEEK..join me

Thoughts by Dena: THEMES FOR THE WEEK..join me

FAVORITES 4 MY FRIDAY

Hmmm my favorite anything huh? Ok I think it only fitting that I use one of my favorite quotes.

"Letting go doesn't mean giving up. It simply means some things were never meant to be"

Now let me explain why it is on the top of my list. On October 31, 2003 I happened to be browsing a chat room online. I came across a name that had this quote as the tag line. I took a shot and sent a message to the person and commented on the words. What happened after that is something I never expected. I found a person on the other side of the computer that has become my best friend. We have shared laughter and we have shared tears. We share stories of our lives and we share our fears. Although there is miles between us, I can not imagine having a closer friend. I know that no matter what happens in my life, she is a simple phone call away. She has helped me in my marriage and she has helped me to be a better dad. If she can do all that from 1200 miles away, you can only imagine how lucky her family and friends are having her right there with them.

So, kiddo, I guess this is a two-4-one day. It is my favorite quote and a blog dedicated to my favorite friend in this world. Thanks for being you and thanks for allowing me the gift of having you as a friend. Hugz

Thought 4 My Thursday

I think I will keep this short. I will toss out the thought but, the rest of the blog will be left up to you. Ponder the words and what they mean to you:

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

WHAT ABOUT ME 4 MY WEDNESDAY

It only took me 2 days to get on board with the themes Dena created for the week. So in keeping with today's theme here are 25 totally random facts all about me.

1. My nickname in school was Doc.

2. I was born in Micanopy FL

3. My first car was a 1972 Dodge Polara

4. My car that I miss the most is a 78 Camaro

5. I expect instant gratification but, am willing to wait for it.

6. I miss being able to drink a latte.

7. My best friend was killed when I was about 11.

8. My middle name is Joseph

9. My confirmation name is Luke.

10. I loved Star Wars but, now regret my confirmation name.

11. I talk in my sleep.

12. A lot!

13. I tend to feel that I have never done enough.

14. I don't hold grudges.

15. I really like my job.

16. I love filling out surveys. Doesn't matter about what.

17. I love to drive long distances alone.

18. I think I could be a better dad.

19. I should be working instead of writing this list.

20. I tend to stay up later than I should.

21. I tend to expect a lot from my friends.

22. I am the type that always wants the reason "Why?"

23. I will analyze things to death.

24. I trust everyone until they give me a reason not to.....more than once.

25. I would love to live in a really small town in the South or Midwest and raise chickens.

So there you have it. 25 things about me you probably never thought about and probably never will again. LOL

Economic Bail Outs

Unless you have been living in a cave, (Say hi to Bin Laden if you have), you have heard on the news about all of these economic plans to bail out everything from banks to the auto manufacturers. While I agree our economy needs help, simply throwing money at the problem is not the best solution. After much consideration and banging my head on the desk, I have developed the basis for what I consider to be a better plan.

First of all, what exactly is the money going to the banks for? Supposedly it is to help offset the bad debt wracked up by American citizens. If the feds are going to pay that debt, why am I still getting credit card bills? Rather than give them tons of money for nothing, why not simply pay the bills off for the citizens? The banks get their money and the public then has money available to spend and stimulate the economy once again. I would imagine the credit card companies would not like this since they use the bad debt write off to save on their taxes at the end of the year. Who do you think helps cover what they write off? Us. The hard working tax paying American workers. And who do you think is going to in the end pay to cover these bail outs? Yes, that's right, us! So why give them something for nothing? We could use the help.

Next lets look at the auto industry. We are about to throw money at them to keep them afloat. Despite the fact that the cars they make are more expensive and less reliable than those of their foreign competitors. And if we do give these companies the money, who actually benefits from it? Not the plant workers. They are still being laid off. No company is going to give money to a worker that is not producing automobiles. And if they do use it to pay the salaries of workers to keep building these cars, who is going to buy them anyway? The rest of us are too strapped for cash to be able to afford them. I say give them the money but let them give us a car. Take every single licensed American driver and give them a new automobile. It doesn't have to even be this year's model. I would be happy with one of the 1000's of cars they didn't sell last year. This plan would bail out the auto industry and they would be giving us back a product in return. No need to pay back the government for bailout. It was our tax dollars that were used for the bailout to begin with so just consider it our way of buying a car. Anyone that wants a better model than what the bailout would buy, could be given a credit. They should be able to afford the balance after the Feds pay off the credit cards I mentioned above. This method provides jobs to those involved in making and selling the cars. Those workers would then go out and spend the money they earn. Hey look at that! Economic stimulation!

And finally ....Health care. For years the news has been filled with stories about the lack of affordable insurance and that many Americans do not receive the medical help they need as a result. Now listen to other stories about the Medicare system being in trouble. Why not take the people who make too much to qualify for Medicare and too little to afford insurance and allow them to buy into the Medicare system? Medicare is a government run agency. It is non-profit. So the rates should be a lot cheaper than paying an insurance agent who sits behind a mahogany desk and drives a Hummer. I doubt the insurance industry would fight this solution since the only people that benefit are those that are not lucky enough to be their customers anyway.

I realize that there are probably flaws in my logic, but is the current way the government is trying things actually working? Besides, they spend millions on studies and expert analysis. My proposed solution was all of two cents. And even that came out of my own pocket!