When we had to sell the house due to divorce I had to plan a future carefully.  There is a lot at stake.   I decided to go lean and mean the next year while staying close to the area I plan to live in longer term.  One thing I thought of was the things I enjoy doing.  So with me and the boys being members at the Y, it made sense to be close.  And our Blockbuster and our park... and... etc....  After skating all over Manhattan this last weekend you'd figure I'd be half dead but tonight was especially cool.  Skated to the park, read a book.  Skated over to the Y and took a kickboxing class, then lifted weights etc...  Then skated down to the grocery and bought single server cherry and chocolate ice-cream. LOL.  I had to splurge. Skated home.  Not a drop of gas paid for. 

Imagine if we made accommodations on our roads for bikes and skaters.  We'd be in better shape, we'd spend less on gas and life in general would be a bit more friendly.  A guy can dream can't he?

OK... here is what I've learned since my younger days of love.   I've bumped against many if not most my old girlfriends.  One I'm happy to say is still a great true friend.  But what I learned from past loves.. is that time vindicated me. 

You know that thing you tell yourself after you break up, "I was the best thing that ever happened to her."  And then you just go on with life never looking back, never really knowing if all that was bravado or truth.   Well time is an amazing thing. 

I'll be smiling from here until the day I die.  What I've learned is this.  Life is no test drive.  You don't get second chances, you only get the hard lessons.  Some of us have harder ones to learn than others.  If your real smart you actually learn a lesson from what you lost, passed up or gave up. 

Those of us that survive those lessons... well...  I'm here to tell you I'm too busy living to be surviving. 

Which will you be? The survivor or the one too busy living?

If you are old enough to remember the cold war, this type of talk is old-school.  

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aLYU7HXCr_F8&refer=worldwide

Here is the standard modus operandi of the Russian cold war operative (which was essentially anyone from Russia); they belittle the U.S. claiming it's (anything that is wrong) our fault, then make the point that they (the Russians) are the solution and they must be a leader to save us all.

We see where that got them the first time around.  I guess old habits die hard.

We are a nation of complainers.  We were once a nation of doers.   While our nation is still great and we have many many outside the box thinkers, we have many more complacent complainers.   As gas prices go up, I see us finally waking up from our zombie like state and not only recognizing our problem that petrol is crushing our country, I see our country embracing the future of alternative fuel and transportation.

What are we waiting for?  That's not just a question, its a question that answers itself.  I mentioned we have outside the box thinkers.  Thanks to these brave entrepreneurs, the many complacent citizens of our country are waking up to alternative car manufacturers such as ...   more »

The other day I was out picking up trash with kids in the park.   For some reason this ruffled feathers of people around us.    I speculate as to why, I'll get to that.

As I'm picking up trash and children are huddled around me finding trash and commenting on what they find an adult comes to me and says, "That's somebodies job to pick that up."  I answered, "So it's our job to litter?" 

Look, I'm not a Jesus Freak, I'm not a flaming liberal, I'm not even the guy stands up in the board room and cries foul.  I'm just a guy.  I do know that a parkland is all our responsibility, it belongs to all of us.  In fact I said that to this lady that was quite incensed I had taken the initiative to do so.  In fact, it was the third day in a row I had been doing this.  After I stated, "This is our park."   She shot back, "You don't own it, it's not yours."  Initially I was perplexed that she had an answer for everything that suited her, but then I realized... I was married once.  Women hone this skill. LOL  I'm joking of course.  I will say I knew it would be useless to argue with this person.  They then shot some insults at me and I answered, "I'm not the one with the problem, you are and this conversation is over."  

As I continued to pick up trash I considered the woman's verbal attack.  I didn't think about her, I thought about me.  I'll do the right thing as I know it will pay dividends in my children's character over time.  They learn by my examples.

I then  thought about how ...   more »

There are some things you cant cover up with lipstick and powder
I thought I heard you mention my name, can't you talk any louder ?
Don't come any closer, don't come any nearer
My vision of you can't get any clearer
Oh, I just want to hear girls talk

Words I first heard by Elvis Costello, and my introduction to the secret world of women.  How many of us men wish we were a fly on the wall when girls talk?

Well lately since my move and since the summer is upon us, with my window open they sit outside my window...girls talk.   What answers can I give to you men?  Oh the things I could speak of, the knowledge I now hold.  I hold the truth in girls talk. 

I can hear Elvis singing now begging her to keep her distance... "Don't come any closer, don't come any nearer..."

What is it about women that they are so entitled to double standards?  :) Girls claim they know the rules in the game of love (and they do) between each other yet within our midst, we are held to much higher standards.  Boy oh boy, we men are such a bunch of suckers.   And God bless em'.  Women, ladies, girls, they all know we are caught in the web.  The web modern day political correctness, chivalry, masculinity yet emasculated... it's like a paradox we men must learn and the rules bounce back and forth in terms of what we can and can't do for a woman based on various points in relationships with them.   If you have good looks, if you are well endowed, if you have money.. these things make you immediately desired regardless of short-comings that any other man without these assets (not qualities) has.  It appears the only twist ...   more »

If you are a steady reader of my blog, you'll know I have a stick up my butt about eating food that lends to good health.  While we learn everyday the pros and cons of each food, the one thing I know is that if you get vegetables into your diet, they seem to counteract most other bad things you may put into your body.   As you grow, eating more veggies and less carbs or greasy foods becomes easier and that unbalance of more veggies less everything else becomes more and more conducive to your body health.

OK, the stage is set.  You have a good idea how I eat. 

Today I read this...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23489201-details/Just+the+cricket%3A+Eating+insects+is+good+for+us+and+for+the+environment%2C+scientists+claim/article.do

It's an article about eating insects being good for you.  Bottom line, dried insects have twice the protein of meat.  I have one friend that is vegetarian and says they have no problem with killing bugs... I wonder if she'll eat em!  I have no intentions of it.   Imagine.. eating a bowl of maggots instead of rice.  Ewww.