Kissing 2005 Goodbye

Time to kiss '05 goodbye and ring in 2006. The year of the horse huh? I'm still waiting for my year of the Dragon.

This year has been up and down. But you'll read that soon, but with no further adieu...2005, the year in review! From a 1-10 scale.

Finances-7.5 I saved cash this year and made more money at work too. I have a good cushion for emergencies, stayed out of debt, paid all bills on time, was able to splurge and save at the same time. Next year I need to continue on the same pace, but restructure my accounts to make more cash and invest in other things too. Save, save save...and spend a little too...

Work- 9 I love my job, as stressful as it is sometimes. It would have been a 10, but I did still spend 3 months of the year at the VINE in misery. Best thing I did was to leave that shithole. My job is so much better now. I make a lot more money, sometimes over $1000 cash a week, my co-workers are like my extended family, the customers are soooo much better, the atmosphere is funner, and my bosses and their families are some of the most genuine, honest and caring people I've met.

Social life- 7 I was relatively active in being social this year. I gain a lot of new contacts, lost some that I don't need to associate with anymore, gained a few new close friends and bolstered the good ones I already have. I had a friend come home from Iraq, safely and start his family. I lost one friend through miscommunication, but gained back another one recently. It's good to have Doug back around again, even though we don't hang out too much. Next year I'll continue to work on my networking skills, keep trying to avoid being too shy, and make more new friends.

Love Life- 7 I had 2 girlfriends this year. I learned a great deal from both of them. Granted, she had her moments, but it was mostly a long learning experience of me learning that I need to be myself. My second was maybe the more emotional one, where I learned that I need to do things that I think are the best for me, regardless of what others may think. Nothing bad to say about her at all, right girl, wrong time, wrong place. I don't know what 2006 will bring, and it will be foolish to make a prediction. You never know when the love bug is gonna get you. A watched pot never boils. I just think I have more clarity in terms of what I am looking for. Nothing absolutely clear yet, but at least I'm out of the fog with who I am.

Spiritual-4 Now, I know that you think that this is a shitty low number, but considering that last year and for many years before, the number was 0 or below 0. I not claiming a faith yet, but I've been doing a lot of research for my own self benefit in terms of finding myself. I've studier a lot of eastern religions, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism all deal with oneness and guidance. Internal struggles are all solvable with thought. Throw in a touch of moral Christianity and a definite belief in fate, and KARMA!

Family-8 I got closer to my family this year. I spent a lot more time with MOM and DAD, more-so with Dad. They are getting up in years, and I regret now making an attempt at being closer when I should have been earlier. My cousins got closer and a few aunts and uncles. It would have been a little higher if not for an amplification at the end of the year with a current falling out of my Uncle Ty with the entire family. I won't go into details, but it involves an isolation of my last living grandparent via his actions and the rest of the family. He will pay for his transgressions and fully deserves any pain he endures in the future. Next year I want to get even closer to my Godparents, pay a visit to my Cousin Tina and her husband Jeff( who is more of a new brother than a cousin in law), visit my Mom's family in So-Cal, and hopefully spend more time with the 'rents-maybe even take a family vacation again for the first time in 11 years.

Health -7 I wasn't really sick this year at all. A few colds, but nothing major. No hospitalizations or chronic illness. I made a drastic improvement from the beginning of the year, losing a lot of weight and tuning my diet a lot. Smoking was still a crutch, and will be the hardest. This year I quit, started, quit again, started, quit, and started. It just needs to end. I won't give up my cigars though, for as infrequently I have them anyways. No thinning hair, no grey hairs yet. Allergies were bad this year, so much so that I got prescriptions for them again. Next year, continue on my goal to lose my weight, exercise more and lose the smokes for good, after all, I WILL be 30 in 2006.

All in all, this year was a 7.25, I set my goals for 2006 in a previous post and I'll try to stick to all of them. For all of you out there, thank you for being a part of my life. You have all had an impact in some shape or form and I wish you nothing but the best in 2006. May the sun shine on you, may the ground rise up to meet your feet and the wind be always at your back. Happy New year to you all! Mahalo!

Being methodical

While I was home in Cali for the holiday I did make time to think about who, what, how and why I am. What does my future hold? Can I predict the Fates? What of the spirit? And for what purpose? To aid me in my self discovery I went to Cafe Borrone the night I arrived, and after my mocha I strolled through Kepler's books (which is an awesome store BTW) I ended up picking up a couple of books, one huge one on dream interpretation, a copy of Aesop's Fables, 365 daily Taoism and a book on Buddha's teachings. All are incredibly interesting. I keep the dream interpretation and daily Taoism books by my bed so that it's the first thing I do when I wake up to get my brain working. It enables me to understand my dreams and their meanings of my subconscious and the daily Taoisms have started to give me some guidance to my days. Aesop's Fables are letting me learn some life lessons, and buddha's works are helping with further finding oneself. I think we all can agree that we need some inner peace, and this is definitely helping a bit. Above all else its really interesting stuff and it'll expand your brain and horizons. We'll see if anyone notices any changes in my behavior soon enough. I don't think I'll be joining a monastery soon or anything, but if it can help me be a better person as a whole, then looking within myself to find out more about me is a road I want to be on.

Homecoming

A festivus miracle Jerry! I got back from being home for the Christmas holiday somewhat rejuvenated. It was a massive pleasure and a breath of fresh air to spend a bunch of quality time with the family for a few days.
Everyone looked good, was in good health and in festive spirits. We all did have a bit of drama with a disowned uncle in the family which prevented us from seeing our grandmother...but that is not for this medium to discuss-we'll just say that he's a piece of shit and deserves to suffer, which his judgment day will come.
I had a really good visit with my parents, and even though they are getting up in age, they are in postitive spirits and their health has stabilized. Oh, by the way, in the picture here from left to right- my cousin Jenny, Tina's husband Jeff, my cousin Tina, myself and my dad.
Tina, Jeff and I got some quality time together and had a lot of fun. We went out one night as a family and had some cocktails and a great time. Tina is employed again and is eager to get back in the workplace and make a career for herself (as well as taking a load off Jeff's shoulders). In terms of presents, I did get a couple of cool things, money for one, and a kick ass model plane from Jeff. It's already in the cabinet in the living room. I took a lot of photos and posted a shitload on the net for most of youz guys to see.
I made it to the beach one day, spent some time there by myself sitting and thinking, doing a little reflecting and enjoying the beach. I met some of the goals on my trip too...visited the beach, had some good seafood, saw all my family, had a few long important talks with my parents, visited Cafe Barrone and had a mint mocha, visited my old high school and explored the old neighborhood for old times sake.
The only down side to the trip is that I had to come back home, and to add to that, go to work straight from the airport after arriving.

Bunch of Scrooges!

Alright, weeks ago...not days ago, but WEEKS ago, I sent out a stack of Christmas cards to all my family and friends. It's 4 days before Christmas and I've received 4 in return. Something about that ratio juuuust doesn't seem to be right there. Add to it that the cards I send out every year are custom cards that cost $25 per package...yeah, I think I learned my lesson this year on that one...Next year it'll be the cheap-o $2.99 piece of crap cards from Walmart to everyone. Sorry, just venting, I expected people to send cards like they always used to this year. I guess people are just too busy to do it anymore.

Karma pays in full

Ah karma...She can be either one hell of a bitch, or one heck of a great asset. Tonight karma kissed me with her good graces, at least financially. I cruised into work tonight expecting it to be a very, very slow night. Alas, I forgot that ASU had finals last week and school is now out for winter break. So, it was suprizingly busy. Busy enough (and drunk enough) that I had one really good show tonight that people were actually tipping my ass. I had a few guys tip $20, a few others pitch in $5 here and there, and some others dump some singles in my jar. In the span of 2 hours I was $75 dollars richer. Then it happened...Karma shown her good graces on my wallet. Some dude leans over to my stage and asks me if the envelope on the table behind me was mine. I said no. He said that there was a shitload of cash in it. I picked it up, and there was $175 sitting snugly inside. He looked at me kinda funny and then I offered him a truce. I told him that if nobody came to claim it in 20 minutes then we'd split the pot. 20 minutes came and left, and I was an additional $95 richer on top of the cash people were tipping. All in all, I made the easiest $165 dollars I had ever made. I figure I either cashed in some good karma points, or am getting ready for a streak of bad karma, or someone is paying for something bad by having their cash get lost. Either way, my bank account appreciates the extra bolstering for the xmas season.

Sometimes they hit back

Ah boys will be boys. At work we just got in this new game. A punching game to be precise. Put a dollar in, a bag drops down and you hit it for a punch strength score. I won't go into the liabilities of having such a machine in a bar full of drunken testosterone filled grunts, but so far its making money. At a cost though. My ex bartender broke his hand, my doorman broke a finger, a regular customer dislocated his thumb, and another doorman bloodied up his knuckles on it. Well, I am the latest and most interesting victim. I had last Thursday off, so Chris and I went up to Scottsdale to toss back a brew or two. We hit up my work, and I ordered my first drink, a vodka and soda water. This is important...my first drink. We met up with some of Chris' friends (the guy who dislocated his thumb, my broken fingered doorman, and a few of their friends) and we all started plugging money in the machine. I took a few hits, did alright, and then Buddy (my other doorman who bloodied up his knuckles) tells me I could get more power doing a right cross instead of doing my straight on hits. I say ok. I take a stance to the bag at 90' to it, wind up, strike and follow through. Well now...on my follow through, I punch through the bag and continue my spin, my left leg slipping from under me. I do a 360 in the air while going down and land on my freggin ass. Everybody, including me, laughs their asses off. You had to, I was slapstick in its purest form. No way could I pull it off like I meant to do it, so I laugh my ass off. Anyways, injuries sustained...an internal bruise on my left side from my hip to my knee, a bruised palm on my right hand, and a slight dislocation of my bottom right rib.
So yeah, if I ever get in a fight, I'll get one good fucking hit in and knock both of us down..but it should look pretty fucking good. That just justifies why I have never been and never will be in a fight...besides, I'll just stick to my trusty pistol or knife.

Burnout

Burnout. It's coming up quick if this pace keeps up. Tomorrow is my first day off after 9 consecutive days working, containing 11 shifts total. The paycheck will be a fat one, but at what cost? Not like I can fully enjoy my day off Thursday by going balls out at night, I do have to work in the morning on Friday. Friday night may be a better time to let loose. I may just have a day to myself on Thursday consisting of a whole lot of sleep and nothing else. The neighbors across the street invited me out to the bar across the street in the evening, so I may partake, or if I get a spur up my ass, I may go out with Chris for a couple. I just forgot what a day off feels like recently. After tomorrow, I work for another 6 days straight until I leave to go home for Christmas for 4 days. I get back on the 26th, and I still have to work that night after traveling...and then including 8 of the following 9 days through New Years. This sucks balls. Just freggin whitey keepin me down again. So if I look whipped if you see me out and about, now you know why.

A Calling

So, after my "episode" of last week, I have been thinking with a clearer head. It then struck me, nearly everyone that I talked to said just about the same thing. That is that I need to start doing things that are for me, what Marc thinks is right and what makes Marc happy. Its about time I get myself into that mindframe. One of those things is surfing. More so, the beach and the ocean in general, but surfing is right up there. I've determined that not only is it therapeutic to ones soul, but its something that clears the mind as well. A zen, a center, a sense of meditation and oneness. I couldn't tell you how many times I've been at a beach and just sat there, alone with my thoughts, feeling my heart and soul mending themselves. I'd be sad to leave, but when I did, there wasn't a care in the world.

I remember once, back in high school, my buddy Doug and I went to Half Moon Bay-in the summer mind you- grabbed a pair or boogie boards and paddled out to the middle of nowhere for a few hours in like 60 degree water, which is freggin cold man! We sat out there for hours, eventually not caring about catching a wave, but just bullshitting to eachother, floating out in the blue. I think we needed to come in after our arms and legs started looking like the color of the water. Shivering and numb, since we were stupid enough to go out without a wetsuit, we made it back to the car to be greeted by the blood and feeling coming back to our extremities...which sucked...imagine being covered with millions of pissed off, hungry fire ants, all of them armed with tiny cattle prods. It burned slightly. But you know what? We didn't give a fuck. We were in a moment, having fun, and there wasn't a care in the world.

I think that a lot of people still fall into the mentality that a "surfer" is nothing more than the stereotypical slacker. The guy that works part-time bagging groceries at the supermarket just so he can pay rent for a shack he lives in, with no spare cash to buy luxuries. Probably he owns a beater of a car, if a car at all, if not just a busted up ten speed. He sleeps all day, wakes up, throws on the same pair of shorts he wore yesterday to the beach, doesn't comb his hair or shave, steps out to grab his board and plays in the water all day.

And you know what? I could live like that. Why? Because that guy doesn't have to put up with all the bullshit that you or I have to deal with on a daily basis. He doesn't have to drive a fancy SUV, or be the CEO of some Internet provider company. He's happy eating taco bell bean burritos and scraping up enough cash to grab a sixer of miller to crack one with his friends on the beach. He is in control of his own universe instead of letting things control him. They don't care if they are stuck in traffic, or if the local sports team won or lost, or if they clocked in enough hours at work to afford the 10 cent hike in gas prices. A bad day for a surfer would be to banish him forever from the beach, or for the diehards, unsurfable weather conditions.

Here's the kicker though. Surfers aren't like that stereotype at all. Well, ok, maybe a handful. Most are successful in society, make a decent living, some have families, and maybe a few have the dreaded SUV. The point is that all surfing is, besides the love of the ocean, is a state of mind. We eliminate the bullshit. Once you do that, then your mind gets clear. It's a camaraderie, a mindset, a way of living. Its not that we don't care about anything, we care about everything...that is necessary to be happy-life, love, friends, family. Pretty much the basics. The ocean tends to put things into perspective really quickly if you let it. Something that big, that expansive makes you feel so small, powerless and insignificant, that it humbles you and makes you thankful for what you have and aware that there are things in this world bigger and more important than the trivial crap that "we have to put up with." Its simplicity in its finest form. If you can understand that, then you are in the surfer mindset.

What's ironic? I have never in my entire life...set foot on a surfboard. Mahalo and Aloha!

Stoopid People...Volume 3

Alright, before I delve into the third installment of stoopid people, I must first set the scene. At work we have what we affectionately call the wheel of booze.
This gianormous spinning wheel spins around on the wall (and probably effects the Earth's gravitational pull due to its size) and lands on various shots, drinks, crap, etc for the customers. 3 spins for $5, or 1 spin for $2. This wheel is run by our shot girl. Customers pay the shot girl, possibly tip her, get to spin and then bring the drink slips up to us. Bear in mind that for some strange reason, the shot girl is not required to tip out the bartenders at the end of the night. She may make over $250 in some cases, but we don't get a fucking dime for our work. Now, this wheel is a smokin deal. You basically get 3 drinks for $5. Usually they are not shitty shots or drinks, ranging from a kamikaze to jack Daniels. So these fuckers come up with a $20 and get 12 drinks for what would normally cost them over $50 easily. You can kinda tell where I'm going with this. This wheel drags in the cheapest fucking white trash drinking scum out there, who just cashed in their food stamps and is living fat on the town tonight.
ENTER THE STOOPID PEOPLE.....
It's midnight, the bar is fucking packed. This dipshit walks up with a stack...and I mean a fucking STACK of no less than 18 slips. He was like, "here ya go duuuuude." I looked at them, and then I looked at him and said, "shit man, you're fucking kidding me!" "sorry duuude!" It takes me a good 7 minutes to round up and make all 18 drinks for him and his cheap fucking buddies. I know that I aint gonna get shit out of it, because people never tip on the wheel, but sometimes they do so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I make all his shots and drinks for his ass, look right at him and ask him if I can get anything else for him. He can't even look at me or respond to me, head down looking at the 18 drinks of joy I just slaved for him. I tell him "thanks duuuude!" and walk away. One minute later I walk down to that end of the bar to wash dishes and he's there pounding down shots in front of me and he yells out, "Hey thanks man, you hooked it up!" Then he turns to his buddies and says, "Make sure you say thanks to him man, he took care of us!" FUCK YOU- YOU FUCKING MORON!!!! Thanks are fine and dandy, but I can't survive on freggin compliments! You just had 18...fucking EIGHTEEN drinks for the price of FOUR !!!!! You can't even leave a fucking dollar for us??? I have never, never ever wanted to smack someone in the face more than that guy last night.
Here's some basic rules peeps.
*Tip a basis of a dollar a drink, except for soda, water or coffee- unless you get one of those three for free, which a lot of bars do.
*If a bartender is working hard for you, and you NOTICE it, saying thanks does help out and compliments are appreciated, but make sure you pad his wallet. The work won't be for nothing, and you will get faster service on your next trip up to the bar.
*If a bartender hooks you up by either making really potent drinks, or free drinks for you...Acknowledge it and take really good care of them for it. If you don't the first time they hook you up, you can guarantee that you will NEVER be hooked up again in there.
*If its super fucking busy, keep it simple. Simple 1-2 liquor shots, and basic drinks like vodka tonics or rum and cokes. None of this I need a couple of drinks that you have no idea how to make....with 6 different liquors, double tall, light ice and a cherry garnish on it. You WILL piss us off, as well as the 40 people waiting in line behind you just so you could have a drink that is "special"
*Be patient...A lot of us act like drones behind the bar when its busy. Impersonal robot drink making machines. We have zero time to talk to you about how the Vikings played this Sunday. Straight, to the point, get ALL your drinks ordered at once, pleeeease!!! Crack a quick quip at us to lighten our moods, smile, be polite and use some manners peeps. That, even if you don't hook us up with a shitload of money, will promise you a faster drink at anytime...oh and a nice set of tits too.
That's my rant, and I'm stickin to it!!!!

Looking to the 2006 list

I've been thinking of the upcoming new year, and of some of the things I want to get done, go do, buy, see and experience. I dunno if I can cram them all in here, but I'll give it a shot.
1) Continue with the positive weight loss I'm experiencing. I said a month and a half ago that I wanted to set a goal of losing 30 lbs during the next year, and I think I'm well on track to do so. I figure I have about 20-17 lbs left.
2) Get a new mountain bike. Mine is shot, and is nothing more than an old relic from my high school days. It's seen it's fair share of experiences, and needs to pass the torch.
3) Somewhere, sometime, travel to a beach and go vertical on a surfboard for the first time. Whether it be taking lessons or renting or buying a board on my own, I want to hang ten.
4) Travel somewhere I have not been to yet. Out of city, out of state, out of country, where-ever. I want to experience at least one great new place.
5) Continue to dump more cash into the bank, and re-invest the money I already have in other areas. I'm halfway to saving to a new truck or a spa, or one hell of a kick ass vacation.
6) Get closer to my family and friends.
7) Do some delayed home repairs, or just end up getting a new house for 2007.
8) Create one new piece of artwork. I haven't touched a paintbrush in years, and I need to try again.
9) Get that missing tooth fixed. Thankfully its not visible, goin white trash aint my style.
10) Go fishing with my Dad. Its something that I haven't done in like, a decade, and its definitely missed.
11) Have my parents go on a damn vacation. Or should I say, convince my Dad to go on a vacation. I'm not talking about coming here to visit me, or to San Diego to stay with my aunt, I'm talking about a vacation vacation! The last 2 (yes, two) vacations he went on was in 1994, when we went to Portugal, and 1982, when we went to Hawaii. There's just something wrong with that picture. Even if I have to buy the tickets myself, drag them onto the plane or boat, by golly, they need to go on one. It'll get my Dad out of his rut and me off his ass, and also stop Mom from always bitching about not going on one.

I think that's about it for now. I'm sure I can add or subtract from this thing.

Crossroads

There are times in a person's life when a person comes to a crossroads in terms of possibly making a life changing decision. A decision that bares a thought process that was beforehand seemingly inconceivable. The path is not set, nor the outcome foreseeable. Does one trust in faith and fate? Does one rationalize a decision in attempt to make sense of the situation? Or does one throw caution to the wind and let the decision make itself be known?
I am at such a crossroads, and I am lost. I have never been faced with such a possibly life altering dilemma in my personal life. The decision I must make is currently the hardest thing I have ever faced. Having fought through simpler battles such as moving away from home to come here for school, or to leave my job for a possible better one, or even the always arising decision of whether to buy nutter butters or oreos at the grocery store (I usually say screw it and get both) all pale in comparison to my current internal struggle.
It has been racking my mind for almost 2 weeks now, and the stress has been slowly accumulating. So much so that I feel that it has started to affect me physically. I was thinking all of my current weight loss had been through dieting and eating less, but now I may think that a portion of it has been stress. (Which in a way I guess may be a good thing)
I am sorry to all of you that may read this and have no clue as to what the hell I am talking about, but this is only known to a select few. I care not to air out my drama on public domain, but all I have to say to all of you is that if I come across as happy and normal one moment and then distant, or tuned out, preoccupied, stressed out or even all in all M.I.A. , I apologize, I just need to sort something out. I'm just feeling lost right now.

Last Day and zoolights

The last full day that Tina and Jeff was here in the valley was first spent nursing a nasti hangover which felt like someone beat the crap out of us with a baseball bat. But after all that had passed, we headed to the Phoenix Zoo for their annual zoolights program. Call it a holiday tradition, regardless of who goes with me. They had a few new displays, and extended a few more paths for displays. The walk did us all good to burn out the excess booze in our system, and the displays were really fun. They had the usual musical lighted trees that lighted in sync to classical xmas tunes, but suprizingly, that part of the zoolights actually seemed a bit bad. Last year's musical display was better. By the way, the above pic is of a porcupine. It was one of the better displays. Pictures DO NOT give it justice though...
After we left zoolights, we headed up north to Scottsdale to the Sandbar, and had a brew of Longboard ale, from the Kona brewing company. I highly recommend this brew, besides the great taste, its brewed in Hawaii. After only one there, we headed across the street to a biker bar called the Dirty Dogg Saloon. It was a busy one in there that night. If you get the chance, check it out, it puts Coyote Ugly to shame. All the bartenders are ex-strippers, and when they get on the bar to dance (or hang from the rafters while working a hula hoop) it shows they were...After that act of debauchery, we headed back south to Giligins, had a bucket of shrimp and a beer. We were still tired from the night before, so we headed home and relaxed, watching TV for a bit and then crashed out pretty early.
We got up the next morning, hung out in the afternoon and then I dropped Tina and Jeff off at the airport.
I was really happy that they made it out, they had a blast out here as well as a well needed vacation from the real world. It was a relief to see no stress on their faces and voices for 3 days. I'm pretty sure that I got them hooked on coming out here for vacation time and I expect them to come out here again soon. I do think though that I am due to go and stay with them for a change, I owe them that much for making the effort to come out here the past few times.
But now that everyone is back home, its back to the grindstone with work and the ever so loved diet. I got to work Sunday night after dropping them off at the airport and then do a double shift on Monday. I have tomorrow off only to do the exact same shift on Weds. Close Weds into a turnaround double Thurs, close Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. Its the price I have to pay for asking for a shitload of days off, including the days off I have requested off for xmas to go back home. Fun has a price to pay.

Hello Mr. Hangover

Needless to say, the xmas party went off without a hitch and we all partied our asses off. It's been a really, REALLY long time since I got faced, let alone drank frequently, so my tolerance is shit now. I guess that is a good thing right? No more raging college alcoholic. Anyways, I did my fare share of boozing that night, and I paid dearly for it the next morning. Despite my body reacting to all the excess empty calories it was now not used to anymore from dieting, the alcohol took its toll. I crawled out of bed at 11 the next morning and needed to assess damage control. Tina and Jeff faired no better, not heavy drinkers anymore themselves, so we were all suffering. But like troopers, we arose and imbibed in a little hair of the dog to get us back on our feet. Bloody marys and screwdrivers got us feeling better and in the mood to clean up the warzone. We worked through a hangover for about 4 hours, cleaning and organizing and putting away all the weapons of our last night's debauchery. We spent the remaining afternoon just chilling and recuperating (and rehydrating), watching movies and napping. Props to Jeff, who got back on the horse and started pounding beers in the afternoon. Good job boy, git-R-done!
Needless to say, the end result of our 3 day partying spree cost us our immune system, which was weakened to the point of all of us catching a cold on the last day. I don't think I'll be partaking in this kind of drunkenness for a while, as it was a bit too much to handle. Fun does have it's price you know.

Goal Setter

Talk about a busy ass weekend. I finally got around to getting up to speed on my blog. First and foremost, I believe that I met, and surpassed my weight goal of losing 5 lbs before the xmas party. I estimate I lost about 8 lbs. However, I probably packed on 3 from Thursday through Sunday. I needed to splurge though, and it was well rewarded.
My other goal was met too, in that I achieved my most successful holiday party to date. No drama, everyone had a blast, and everything turned out perfect. No screw ups on the food, plenty of booze flowing, and lots of good pictures taken. The best was that I was able to spend the weekend with my cuz Tina and her husband Jeff, as seen flanking me in the above pic. We ended up going out the night before the party to the Improv and then to Giligins, where we met up with Chris, Vance, Jen, Ryan and a few other friends that were planning on coming to the party the next day. We all got a little tipsy Thursday, but had a great time. By the way, if you get the chance to see Pablo Francisco live, jump on it. We never laughed so hard at the comedy show, and our sides and cheeks were sore from laughing so hard. Tina had never been to a comedy club before, and I think we got her hooked.
Anyways, continue to part two....

Betty Freggin Crocker

Betty fucking crocker is in the house. I swear all I need is a freggin apron on and days of our lives blaring on the TV in the background and I'd be set. Went to Sam's Club this morning, got some more supplies, including a sampler case of smirnoff ice and a winter flavor pack of Sam Adams beers. I set up the coolers and wet bar, and planned out placements for certain dishes (remember I told you I was an anal bastard this week!) I got back in and then started in the kitchen. Made the peanut butter fudge, a shit-load of sugar cookies(decorated), white chocolate/dark chocolate swirl peppermint bark, some jello shots (which smell damn fucking good-cherry jello with black cherry vodka), and I started prepping apps like diced cheeses, summer sausage, veggies. I got all the stuff out of the way that will last a few days. Tomorrow I can start making the perishable items. Its fun work, but its still work. Looking at the rough total for this party, I remember that I usually drop about $600 on this party (hence the whole "invite only" thing. I wouldn't want to waste my time and money on those that won't appreciate it). I also regret at times not asking for donations anymore. It used to be $5 a head, but that deterred people from coming, so I said fuck it, the people I invite deserve to be here for free.

so it begins

The first big day prepping for Friday's festivities begins today. Today is shopping day, followed by prepping and baking more stable goods that can survive 3 days of freshness. So today I'll be making the fudge, sugar cookies, maybe the macaroni salad, prepping some appetizers. Cleaning starts today too. Give the bathrooms a good scrubba scrubba, as well as making sure toiletries are stocked up. Prepping the spare sleeping areas are done today too. Oh yeah, I also have to work tonight. So begins hell week.

Inherently wrong

So I went out on a jog with Jenny this afternoon. It was nice outside, but I still wore sweatpants to fight a bit of a chill. I went on my 2 mile jaunt, and while I was out there I saw something that boggled my mind and bared sharing.
Before I tell you of what I saw, let me first describe the current weather conditions in the valley. Yesterday we had a low pressure system move in with daytime temps going no higher than 58-60. Nighttime lows around the valley were hovering around the 38 degree mark with my house being at 35 degrees. Today's and the next 2 days it was not supposed to be higher than 63 degrees with an average low of about 40 at night. So in a nutshell, its been getting a bit nipply out here lately.
Here's the issue I have that bares sharing. I was out jogging today when I heard it. First out in the distance, then coming up quick in my direction. Getting louder and louder and I immediately thought, what the fuck is wrong with this guy???! The freggin ICE CREAM MAN was driving around the neighborhood!!! IN wintertime! He passed right by me, as I was wearing sweatpants, in November, passing a house where the owner was putting up Christmas lights...now you tell me...WHAT is wrong with that picture???
This guy, I shit you not, is the same guy that you hardly ever...EVER see out here in the summertime when its 1,000,000 degrees outside and small animals and children explode when they come in contact with the black pavement! I'm convinced that he was around today for 2 reasons...
1)He's freggin retarded! Coming around in a neighborhood when the National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for the Phoenix metro area (seriously)
and
2) The fucker knows I'm on a diet and that ice cream is one of my vices..the fucker!
The man needs help...
anyways, that's my rant and I'm stickin to it!

5 days

Alright peeps! 5 days remaining until the big day. Time for me to hunker down and git-r-done. I have a lot of prep work and a ton of crap to do before the party on Friday.
I do have a lot of RSVP's this year. I figure around 10-15 just for the dinner part, plus guests. I do admit doing one fuck up this year. That is that I planned the party on a Friday night. Its a fuck up because at my job, 3/4 of the staff works that night, and nobody(besides me obviously) really can get the night off-unless they can magically conjure a bartender to fill in for them. So, its doubtful that I may get a good amount of co-workers showing up. It's alright, whoever does make it, makes it.

The holidays approacheth...where be my prozac?

It's amazing what the power of your own mind can do on both ends of the spectrum. It can elate you and then cause you stress and ill will. Prime example-I was to be on call at work tonight (Saturday) but I figured that if I didn't receive a call by 10pm then they wouldn't need me for the security shift. To make the time go by today, I braved the crowds out in the stores by going to Big Lots, Famous footwear and good old Wally world. I got a bunch of shit for the house, some new choenies and socks and two very nice, comfortable and OVERDUE new shoes. I got back, degeared, dragged all the holiday decorations out and decided to spend the night putting up the Christmas tree and inside decorations.
I put on some tunes and started plugging away at it.Being alone as I did this, I began to think...man, I think I put up Christmas decorations alone only one time before, and that time sucked.
So now I started getting all down. I still finished the decorations off, but wasn't very happy doing it. It was more along the lines of something that needed to be done...which is just plain wrong. Christmas should be a happy time of year, but I came to grips with a bunch of things in the hours alone tonight. One, that I don't have my girlfriend around to help me with the decorations. That led to two, man this whole girlfriend in another state is gonna be rough. Three, I haven't hung out with the very few friends I do have in a long time, or at least spoken to them recently.
On the positive notes, Jenny knew I was starting to feel down, so she kept on checking up on me and wanting to be close to me (if you consider right on me close) when she did. Good to know that my dog will never leave my side. Those creatures have a uncanny tendency to know when shit is bugging you, That and in 5 days the xmas party is on with my girlfriend and family coming into town. That should lift my spirits. I have lost some weight, and I may be close to making my first goal of 5 lbs by the party. It just sucks that I can't splurge on crap food when I'm all depressed now. I did treat myself today though, I felt like I deserved it...I bought some snow crab legs and steamed them up for lunch and then had a small bowl of ice cream later on.
I still have a nagging cough today from being sick a few days ago and its really annoying.
Having allergies at the same time definitely does NOT help the situation.
Well, I'm out of here, gots shit to do. I still need to string up the outside lights and gear up for the upcoming party...my hell week has officially begun. 5 days of cooking, prepping, stocking, cleaning, working and worrying. So, this week, if you hear from me, I'll warn you all, I'll be in a very uptight mood until about 9pm Friday night after I have my first (and largest) cocktail in me.

Stoopid People...Volume 2

Its time for another installment of the long awaited return of "Stoopid People".
First of all, let me set you up for the mood I was in today... I am getting over a small cold, so I'm all clogged up, then I ended up working this Thanksgiving, following and ass-reaming night before Thanksgiving (which paid off with me making $360 in one night). Thanksgiving night wasn't anything special. It wasn't busy, I could handle it by myself and there were no assholes or "stoopid people" about. Anyways, I get home at 3:30 AM, and finally get to sleep at ohhh...6 fucking 15 AM. I sleep a few hours, and end up sleeping through my alarm. Not good. I made it to work only 10 minutes after we opened, but I should have been there 30 minutes prior. My boss, thankfully understands, since I closed the night before.
immediately I get thrown into a small fray of morning drinkers.
Now then, this almost bares the donning of another stoopid person award, but the second person I help out...at 11:15 Am..a dude mind you...orders a frozen pina colada. Despite the gay value that this screams out for a man to order, I have to do it. Sidenote-if you are a man, any kind of man at all...there are only two times you are allowed to order a frozen pina colada (or any frozen drink for that matter). 1) you are in a beach cabana in Cancun...and 2) you are ordering it for your super-hot girlfriend at the same time as you order yourself a strong jack and coke.
This is just the beginning, for as many a layman do not know, bartenders HATE making these things. Its messy, time consuming, and the sound of a whirring blender tends to notify other people that there are frozen drinks available at the bar, thus spawning more of the same.
Anyways...the day progresses and I am plain out dragging ass. I think that the highlight of the day (the real highlight) is that my good old ASU beat out U of A in the final minute, and we are off to the Insight.com bowl.
Now that the day is set up, here comes the stoopid people. Pub Crawlers. I hate these people. They are like locusts, feeding and leaving, no regard to manners...decency, tipping, or patience.
Anyways, a troop of about 10 of then stroll in. All but one are bearable, but that one...that lonely one succeeded in single handedly pissing me off.
We are going to call him Mr. Jack Freeshot. Now then, if anyone has ever worked in the food or liquor service industry, you may agree with me that my NUMBER 1 pet peeve is when a person askes for free shit or to get hooked up. Especially when that person or persons are not tipping anything before or after promising to hook me up back.
Mr. Jack Freeshot actually tried to haggle with me for no less than 10 minutes total to try and negotiate a business deal wherein I give him free shots so that he could be ahead in points for his pub crawl winnings. My gawd! What part of " I can't give you a free shot, or no I'm not going to give you a free shot, or stop asking me for a free shot" do you not understand? Do you REALLY thing that the bartender is gonna give you a free drink because you think you are cool? Or that he would do it because the bartender is a nice and cool guy? FUCK NO!
Maybe, just maybe, if you would tip a minimum of $10, then we could talk. My job, nor any other bartender's jobs are worth losing just because of your greedy ass. So Mr Jack Freeshot, you are officially "that guy", who embarrasses himself and his friends, all the while instantly making the bartender promise to himself that he will NEVER, EVER hook you up.
Plain and simple folks, you don't ask to get "hooked up" in a bar. I'll tell you what will though...tipping an average to good amount per drink, every time, being cool, patient and showing some class and manners. I reward that all the time, and everytime, without asking.
That's my rant, and I'm stickin to it!

Honorble Mr. Miyagi

We've lost am honorable and respectable actor the other day. Mr. Pat Morita passed away on the 24th of natural causes at the age of 73.

Granted, his biggest moments were of course in the Karate Kid series, but he also played a ton of smaller parts in other films, musicals and comedy skits.

Much respect to you Mr Miyagi! May the gods have a special place in heaven for you.

road to repairs

In my attempts to get a handful to things done today, I was only able to accomplish two. One, go to home depot and get a bunch of shit including a new light timer for the walkway lights, which seem to have a mind of their own in terms of when they decide to turn on or not. Everyday its different, on at 2pm, on at 6pm, on at 5am...jeez. I thought it was just a short, but I hope that getting a new timer will solve it.

Secondly, as stated in a prior post, I needed to get my brakes done. I ended up going to Brakes Plus since it was right across the street from Home Depot, and its the place that Chris had recommended the day before. I do have to give them some credit, they have good customer service and skill, and at a price that I had anticipated in paying, if not a little bit cheaper.

The only downside to the place is that you really need to grab a snickers bar, cuz its gonna be a while. I rolled in there about 12:30 and got out at 4. Granted it was pretty busy for them, and I did manage to find shit to do...read a newspaper(the entire newspaper), play poker on my phone-which I got up to and then lost $800,000. They make take a bit to do some work, but in the longrun it is worth it and I'll go ahead and recommend them to anyone if they don't already have a better place in mind. I suppose it really wasn't that bad, $300 for new brakes and adjustments-including parts, labor, seals, adjustments, fluids...yadda yadda yadda.

I got home just in time to eat 2 plain hamburger patties and relax for 20 minutes before having to go to work on what is rumored around our bar to be THE busiest night of the year. We shall see if it is true or not seeing we've been a ghosttown for a week now. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong because I don't know if my body is fully ready for it. I'm starting to get a small cold and my current diet of little to no carbs is draining me. I'll need to go pop a Vitamin B shot, some echinachia and slam a cup of coffee.

In case I don't hear from any of you soon, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving peeps!

poopy calculations

Alright, I'm convinced that pedometers are so better than the chunks of poop you see here. For shits (no pun intended) and giggles, I decided to take my pedometer on a walk with me to get an accurate account of distance and calories burned on my walk.
I estimated the walk at about 2 miles beforehand, and thought that it would be in that general vicinity, plus or minus a 1/4 mile. Well, I took my walk, and when I got home, I checked the freggin thing, and it said I had only gone .95 miles. I was confused and immediately called bullshit on the fucker.
There was only one way to solve this. Drive the same route. So I did, and the accurate reading was that of 2 1/4 miles! Score for me! I underestimated myself a bit, showed up my piece of crap pedometer and felt more confident in going out walking around.
So for all of you guys, save your damn money, don't by one of those stupid things...I'm just glad mine was a gift so I have no problem tossing the bastard out!

Exploring AZ

*Marc & Chris, forest rd 143, w Roosevelt lake beyond*
click to enlarge...

Tuesdays lately are my only day off from work in like the current month, so, after talking with Chris last night, we decided to go out and romp around in the wilderness today. We needed to start scouting for sites and prepping ourselves for our upcoming Javelina hunt in Feb, so this was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
We got drawn for unit 22, containing most of the area north of Phoenix and Scottsdale up to Payson along highway 87.
So, after working last night and taking a 4 hour nap, I lurched awake at 730 am, packed up some essential gear, picked up Chris and headed for the hills. We covered over 150 miles of highways, roads, forest service roads and off road trails in the span of half a day. We did find some promising areas to set up camps, as well as did a fair amount of hard cross country hiking off the beaten path tracking game trails and water sources. We got our good workouts today, one from hiking, and second from being bopped around the cab of the car and having our bodies compensate for it as we rumbled along 25 mile long off road trails.
Speaking off off roading, my truck gave me signs that it was time to get new brakes at least today as we were out. Fast descents, hard driving and road dust was causing havoc on my brakes, which I know now are due for replacement.
A good day for me too health wise, easing off on useless carbs, a few scrambled eggs and a slice of turkey meat for breakfast, eating on some protein laden jerky for snacking, and a salad with a few spoonfuls of tuna after getting back. I did splurge a little though, quaffing a can of miller lite out in the sticks today as I enjoyed half a cigar. I think I deserved that after a long week of watching my shit.

Exercising pays

Funny what you may find when you go do something outside. I'm out walking Jenny today on a two mile stroll and turns out it was my day to be paid to be exercising. For both Jenny and I. On my little jaunt, I found 2 cents, a tennis ball (for Jenny) and oh...a dirtbike.
Yup, you heard me right, a dirtbike.
It's seen some wear and tear, but it still looks solid. It was stashed in some bushes on the side of the road near my house. So I did what I think a good honorable person would do. I took the thing home, contacted the police department notifying them of the property as well as it's national registration number slapped on the bottom. So I figure, I hopefully earned some good karma. It's probably the property of some punk street kid all hopped up on dope (or at least that's the stereotype), but if it brightens his day by having me recover his property, then I guess that makes me feel better. If not, and the police don't want to claim it, well then I guess I have a new bike. Yeah, that'll be real good to see, a big old 245 lb thug rollin down the road on a tiny bike. I'm getting flashbacks of the clowns at the circus riding the mini-bikes. Maybe its long due karma from having all my bikes jacked from me when I was a kid.
Anyways, I'm off to go eat my freggin can of tuna for lunch.

Captain Fatass part deux

Operation Lactic Recovery:
I knew it, the first few minutes after I got back in from yesterday's walk/jog, that I would be a little sore today. I was, just as predicted. At least I know that my legs did get a workout. Thankfully enough, the is no joint pain, just minor muscle aches in my quads. They will get used to it in time.
besides, I did enough walking back and forth behind the bar tonight at work to equal a good workout. Per example, with a pedometer on my hip at my old job in Tempe a few months back, I would easily walk almost 3 miles behind the bar, all in short trips back and forth. Now consider that bar was shorter than my current one, less busy and I dart around more (usually avoiding other "husky" bartenders for obstacles)...I think that I may have easily walked 3 1/2 miles.
Today was a relatively healthy day eating wise...a small bowl of oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, a tuna sandwich for lunch and a grilled chicken and lettuce tortilla wrap for dinner was sufficient for me. Toss in water all day, 40 ounces of green tea (which, as I found out, if you drink it all in one sitting, not only will you pee a lot, but also find yourself slightly overhydrated and feeling a bit strange-almost high) and half a cup of diet pop for the drive home at 330 am.
I still found myself hungry after each meal just because my stomach is used to eating more food than that in a meal. In time it will shrink down and hopefully the hunger will subside. Once again by not eating greasy foods all day, I didn't necessarily have more energy, but I just didn't feel like I was bogged down.The good news is that if I keep this pace up, I may be able to lose a little more than the goal of 5 lbs by my Christmas party. Captain Fatass be slimmin!

Marc is off the market.

So I've been chatting with someone special for a bit now, and today at work I had no less than 4 people ask me if I had a girlfriend again. Well by golly I had to say yes.
So it's official once again, that I am off the market.
Her name is Nicolle. She truly is an amazing woman, enough so that writing the qualities she has here on the site wouldn't give her justice. I think I have to give some credit to my cousin Tina for this one, for Nicolle is her best friend. We've known of eachother since high school, but never crossed paths like we are now. I was paired up with her in my cousin's wedding-you little sneak, I think Tina is just toying with the idea that she may someday get Nicolle as a family member...and recently we both got out of crappy relationships, so we have plenty of knowledge of what "not to do".
The only downside to her and I seeing eachother? Well, she lives 740 miles away, back home in the bay area. Quite a big gap to fill. But we are giving it a shot and are hopeful things will work out just peachy. Until other big news pops up, the rest is all personal!

Operation Green Purge

Hopefully today will be the first day of the demise of Captain Fatass.
Today was a good day, until I may feel it tomorrow.
I was good today, had a salad for lunch, and a salad for dinner with some grilled shrimp and a healthy handful of veggies with the salad. Nothing but water to drink today too.
One thing I need to be careful of with salads is that after I eat one, I'm hungry again in like an hour. So yea, Operation Green Purge. Load up on the greens and veggies to start purging my system and get my energy up. I do have to admit, I have no objections to salads. There are those times when a salad just isn't feeling to be the right mood I'm in, but I need to fight past that. I did notice today that I wasn't lugged down with the usual grease and fat laden burgers or sandwiches. I didn't necessarily have extra energy around, but I just didn't feel bogged down.
Here's where Captain Fatass was reminded why he's Captain Fatass though...
After dinner, I went and took Jenny on a fast walk/jog. Yup, you heard me right...I said jog.
Total distance, about 1 1/4 miles around the neighborhood. Ran for 1/2 mile and speed walked the rest. Things felt cool. Nothin slipped out, no popping, no pain, no shortness of breath.
Until, I got home...and that's when Captain Fatass' body reminded him that there were certain areas of his body that were "out of order" for the past year. I'm pretty sure that I may be a little bit sore from using muscles that I haven't really used in a while.
Comes with the territory I guess. A little soreness goes away with a little working it again.
Poor Jenny though...she didn't know what the fuck to think. Here she is all excited to take a walk and sniff stuff, and the whole time she is the one speeding up to keep pace. She was probably all bewildered at the sight of me running! "What the hell are you doing fatman! You aint supposed to move like that!"
It came to a head when I bet she wished she hadn't drank all that water before we left. A block from home, she lost her bladder control from being working so hard that she dropped a water bomb the entire way while crossing a street. Poor thing! I guess you will need to stop by a grassy greenbelt the next time we go out like that.

Captain Fatass

I'm just about being struck in the head (or the gut!) with a realization tonight. Of course it comes after I have a huge meal for dinner at work( which in the world of restaurant food, our grub should come with a defibrilator on the side). That realization is that I really need to drop some weight. Add to the fact that when I get home tonight, I check out a website that has a BMI calculator (body mass indicator)-I enter in my info, 6ft, 250 lbs. It tells me that my BMI is 33.9, and am classified as obese. Granted, it doesn't take into consideration my frame and build, but regardless of that, I know I am overweight.
So what do I need to do? Drop some. I want to, in the next year, drop 30-40 lbs. Seems easy enough right? If its anything like quitting smoking, I have a loooong road ahead of my fat ass.
So, set my goals first-
1) Drop a total of 30-40 lbs in a year.
2) Drop 5 of those lbs in 3 weeks. (Before my Christmas party...so I can go ahead and put the 5 lbs back on during the party itself)
3) Rebuild my cardio and respiratory stamina. I need to, especially since now I have allergies or something really effecting my breathing.
4) Do all this to accomplish feeling better, having more energy and having a better and confident self image.
Second-how to achieve these goals.
1) Change my diet dammit! I'm constantly surrounded and bombarded by greasy nasty fast foods and unnecessary food stuffs. Especially at work. I need to stock up heavy on the veggies and fruits. Especially the greens for fiber and iron, to get my energy up and the innards flowing smoother. I can splurge a little from time to time, but I need to center on veggies and lean meats more and not empty carbs and grains.
The drinking needs to change a little too. Ease off on the beer(which never was my favorite anyways), and stick with hard booze. Thankfully I've already fallen in love with vodka & soda waters with lemon and limes. No cals in the soda,and vodka is a hangover minimalist.
2)The frequency and patterns of my meals. I need to start eating 3-4 small meals a day instead of 2 big heavy ones. Here's what is gonna kill me too...is getting at home at 4 in the morning from working hard all night and wanting to eat a meal before bedtime. Its hard, I'm hungry when I get home.
3) Start to exercise slowly. It's been a while since my last regimen. Long brisk walks with Jenny. Light jogs around the area. Short bike rides around town.
4)Try to incorporate outdoor activities while the weather is good, and try to find a friend to do things with too. It's a lot funner that way and it feels like playing instead of working.
5) Get working gear. I need a new bike, one that is fitted right to my frame and height. I think I've outgrown my old mountain bike.
New shoes, comfy ones that won't give me blisters and that aren't too tight.
A new Ipod would be good too. It would be pretty hard to lug around my portable CD player. That's a luxury I don't need right now though.
6) Once all this stuff is established and I've dropped the 5 lbs, Join a gym again.
Join a gym, and stick to it! No sense in paying money to sit on my ass. Use the equipment well, circuit train and load up on the cardio machines.
I think that's a pretty solid enough plan to get my fat ass started. Once I get all that stuff up and running, I can get into more serious regimens. Wish me luck guys, hopefully I can give you less of me around to love!

True meaning of Chri$tma$

The holiday season is opon us, seemingly quicker than the year before. It starts sooner every year too. I remember back in my younger days (dating myself now) when the Christmas season was a set time of the year. It started the days AFTER Thanksgiving. You weren't bombarded with advertising, having Christmas sales and obscene jingles jammed in your head on the TV every living second. You planned your holiday around your family, not around what the local mall's biggest sale weekend was. Case in point- Walmart..yes, Walmart rears its ugly head on this site again. Don't get me wrong, I still love shopping at the place, but man, I think they seriously need to consider permanently changing a part of their store to an all year round xmas section. 10 years ago, Walmart had its Xmas stuff the week before Thanksgiving. Slowly but surely, they pushed it up, overtaking Veterans Day, then Halloween, and finally, the Labor Day weekend. I SHIT you not...there was the start of merchandise the last day of August in the one across the way from my house this year. There is just something wrong about that.

So, I ask you this question. What is the true meaning of Christmas? Is it the celebration of the birth of your savior who later on died for your sins? Not so much for me, even though I was force-raised Catholic. Not that I have anything against the Catholic church, but there are just too many things about that particular sect of Catholosism that do not appeal to me(that's a whole 'nother issue to be discussed).

Or is it a time of year to celebrate peace on earth, goodwill towards men, and giving thanks by spending time with the ones you love?

I think I fit more into that category. Corporate America and a lot of individual people do not. Do I get suckered into getting gifts for people because I think they would like me better for getting them something? No, I don't like to think so. I want to believe that by giving gifts, it is one way for me to say thanks for being in my life, respect for that person, and love and care for them. I know that a gift can't represent actual love and care, but if the gift has a specific meaning behind it, then its a start. For example, one of my gifts to my parents is a custom made calendar with photos of places we or I have been involving all of us. It instills memories and makes you remember good times with family. There is effort and time in gifts like that, that shows the level of care.

Just keep in mind this holiday that gifts to people and spending a google of cash doesn't make for a happy holiday season, its the time you spend with your peeps that will be the greatest gifts. I guess I was lucky to have a huge family gathering as a child, all at our Grandparents house, all 11 aunts and uncles on my dad's side and their kids (about 18 cousins). Sitting around in the living room talking, playing, singing carols, waiting for my uncle Frank to "call" Santa Claus on the phone ( the greatest scam ever devised for us kids- he called the neighbor and the neighbor called back in 10 mins saying he was Santa and was on his way). One of our uncles would dress up in what had to be the cheapest Santa suit ever, and come walking up the street clanging a huge cowbell. We'd all go nuts. "Santa" who looked a lot like my Uncle Urbano, would come in and with a heavy Portuguese accent start screaming out "Maari Chrishmash!" He'd stay for a few minutes and then had to be off on his way back to the north pole.

It's the family and friends that make the holidays special, not the new car, or the computer, or the newest and greatest toys (although getting Transformers and new Lego sets was the shit!) AS my generation got older, we would still all go out to Grandpa's house for Xmas eve (up until 5 years ago) and some of my greatest memories would be sitting back and watching the family interact. Seeing the next generation of kids going through the paces that I went through was nostalgic. Talking to my Godparents, my aunts and uncles, my parents. It was and still is one of the most comforting feelings ever, like a warm blanket on a chilly night.

I remember missing Xmas with my family one year. I was stuck out here in AZ, using the excuse that I needed to work to pay my bills. That was the last Christmas my Grandfather was alive, and the last year that Christmas Eve was spent there at his house. I still haven't forgiven myself for it. No amount of money can make it worth not going home.

So to you all racing to the malls and stores, think to yourselves, is this gift really what is going to make your holiday special? I hope the $20 sausage and cheese gift pack is worth it.

Mike Caracciolo

I'll give you guys a quick heads up on a guy you all should check out. Go to Big Mike's website, check the videos and see some cut to the chase opinions that are long overdue. Give them time to load, and keep trying if some of the video links are down.
You can approve or argue his opinions, but you have to appreciate his style of telling it like it is. No sugar coating, just plain in your face fucking shit.
You will be informed and entertained at the same time. And if you don't like the way he does his shit...you can kiss his ass.

Official

My dear friends and family,
It's officially opon all you special people now. The 8th annual holiday festivus of debauchery has been planned, the menu is ready and is starting to be prepped.
The party is officially going to be on Friday, December 2nd
starting at 7pm. Dinner is served around 730, cocktails and debauchery from 7pm til whenever.
Most of you will be getting an actual physical invitation within the next week as I see you all in person, but for the rest of you that can't get a hold of one, that stuff above is the basic info. Call me for the rest of the stuff. You know where to reach me.
Invite only please, space, food, and liquor is limited. If you didn't get a physical invite, or have this forwarded to you, then there is a reason behind my madness, try again next year.
Use a designated driver, or plan on crashing on the couches, lounge chairs, futons, hammock, air mattress or the fucking floor (sorry, the beds have all been pre-booked as in I have family coming in from out of state and the other half of my bed is filled)...you will not drive away wasted!
So to you invited ones, grab a date or a good friend, and get ready for the festivus!

Shining Spoof

Most of you peeps out there have seen the thriller classic The Shining. Hell, it scared the poop out of me the first time I saw it when I was young, it was some creepy shit. Now, follow this link and see what this guy did to make it look like a Disney Film. Simply amazing editing, and its astonishing what a happy soundtrack can do to a movie. IT may take a minute to load, its a couple meg file page. Enjoy www.kiddlive.com/SHININGFINAL.mov

Trashed

Alright, I think I may have a legitimate bone to pick. Here's the scenario. I was at the Phoenix Zoo this weekend, along with like...a few thousand other people (most were kids...oh joy). So, it was busy, and crowded. Now, this aint the Phoenix Zoo's problem...they did everything right. Its the fact that people are inexplicably fucking lazy. There are trash cans about every 20 to 60 feet, depending on where you are in the park. But did you see everyone using them? No. There were people there throwing their crap on the ground, 20 feet from a trash can. I mean, come on peeps. Are you that lazy? You're walking in that direction anyways, so what made you suddenly decide that you don't want to carry that half full bottle of water to the can? Naw...the bench in front of the African Onyx display looked like a more fitting space.
Damn peeps! Now, I'm not Mr. Anal Recycler, or the captain of a Greenpeace ship, in fact I am flawed too. I used to flick my smoke butts if I couldn't find an ashtray or can when I used to smoke, but man...I was never THAT lazy to walk 20 feet to a can.
I know some people may make the argument that there are people that get paid to clean up the park, or that maybe they were sitting there and just forgot to grab it before they got up. Whatever dude. When your empty can of sprite is off the walking path and laying next to a bush of tree, something tells me that it was put there on purpose. It wasn't like..."well gee, I couldn't make it to the bathroom, so I walked off the path, put my can of soda down, popped a squat, got up and 10 minutes later remembered I left my can there"...sure you did, right next to your big old pile of steaming bullshit.
Have some decency peeps. Sometimes it seems that we are ones on display for the animal's amusement. Humanus-Americanus-Litterbugus, a pretty dirty creature, not as amusing as Humanus-tappingonglass-holleringatthemokeys-lookinglikeanidioticus.
So folks hold onto your can for a few feet and put it in the garbage. The view will be nicer, the custodian will thank you, and it will be where it belongs.
That's my rant, and I'm sticking to it.

End of Days

Ended my 28th year of life in style on Sunday. It was a banner day on October 30th at the Thunderbird Air Classic at Glendale Airport. It was the last day of the air show, and it was full off good times.
I've never been to an airshow before, and after this one, I'll try to go to every airshow out here from here on out.
Two things that were a big factor. One, I am a huge history buff when it comes to WWII.
Secondly, I am a big supporter or our military. For you political dissidents out there...I need to make it clear...I am a supporter of the military itself, not necessarily all the policies and politics. So save the comments and personal jabs.
I went with my good friend Amber, and we showed up at 9 am for a start time of about 9:30
We got a good seat right on the flight line (basically the runway...or about 50 yrds from it), situated ourselves and then went to roaming around to explore. I got a lot of good static pics of planes parked before they got taxied out to the runways, touched a few vintage warbirds and ran around like a kid in a candy store.
The show started with the takeoff of the restored WWII B-17 bomber "Sentimental Journey"
That fucker is big, bad, loud and proud. Sent shivers down your spine seeing and feeling that thing take off in front of you. We got to take a $10 tour of it later to see inside. That was totally fucking cool. They must have built them dudes a little smaller back then. I don't think they would have liked having a 6 ft 250 lb crewmember flying around up there with them. Talk about cramped! Try shoving 3 lbs of shit into a 2 lb bag.
Next, the Arizona Skyhawk jump team parachuting down the runway in front of us. They were followed by a squad of Czech L-39 jet fighters doing flybys of the fligtline at full speed.
They flew around for about 20 minutes as the Warbirds warmed up. The Warbirds are a collection of vintage WWII and Korean fighters and bombers.
We saw WWII planes like a Japanese Zero, a Hellcat, an Avenger torpedo bomber, a Spitfire, T-6, a T-28, and a couple others. The zero and the hellcat flew a mock dogfight.
After they all touched down, the jets started to go up. We had a US super sabre and a MIG 17 go up and do a dogfight. That was kick ass to see them maneuver, loop, bank.
The halftime show gave us a break, and then the stunt planes came out. Two different stunt planes went up and gave us a thrill ride. Some of the things they were doing was mind boggling. They defied the laws of physics so many times, it was disturbing, and nearly made you crap your pants while they did it too.
The Warbirds did another quick show, and we left before the F-16's did their show. I had to leave early to drive the 40 minutes home and then go to work.
All in all, it was a kick ass freggin day. I got to see a lot of history, see a awesome show, get some cool gifts and get a wicked sunburn.
Here's the link in case you wanna check it out
www.thunderbirdballoonandairclassic.com/

Thinking about nothing.

Don't ask why I am thinking the way I do, I just am. I was thinking recently about why people come and go into your lives. What purpose they serve, and how one doesn't know why they arrived in your life til after they are gone. A person may enter your life for 60 seconds, or be involved with you for years. You may think you know everything about that person and they still find a way to show or tell you something new.
With that in regards, I offer you a tid bit more of not necessarily a reason, but an example of such a scenario. Its a cheesy one at that, but as someone coined earlier that I read, they came into my life for a 60 second snapshot. This person was my high school physics teacher, a Mr Guillermo Ulloa. Now, I sucked at physics, as a matter of fact, I think I got a C in his class.
But of all the shit like kinetic and potential energy and other crap that you figure I would retain, the one thing that stuck with me and always will, was a simple life lesson. I forgot the context of why he told us this, but he did anyways.
He said that people are inherently dumb. Not necessarily stupid, but dumb (stupid people are unsavable, but dumb people just haven't been taught something). You're dumb, she's dumb, he's dumb, I'm dumb...We're all dumb. You're all dumb because I know things that you all don't know, and I'm dumb because you all know things that I don't. The reason that we are all here together is so that we can LEARN from eachother to make things better and to get along, otherwise we're destined to remain dumb, and eventually become stupid.
It takes a minute for it to sink in, but after it does, it makes perfect sense. We need to learn from eachother, in all aspects of life. Life, love, happiness...our jobs, our families...complete strangers...Everyone's included. By that rational then, we are all equal and on the same page. We're not separated by our jobs, our classes, our races or sexes or ages. I hope to put something in a bit of a perspective for someone out there. There's nobody "better" than you out there, and at the same time, you aren't "better" than anyone else. For somewhere at any given time, there is someone out there that can show you up on something..just as equally as you teaching another a thing or two.

Time to honor

The holiday season is approaching, and once again, soldiers will be separated from their homes, jobs, family and loved ones.
Despite our political differences, hopefully there is one paramount that will join us all, and that is undying support for our troops.
They deserve our attention for their sacrifice, no matter how seemingly unfair or pointless the cause is. If you think this way, then you differ from me, but we should both agree that our boys and girls overseas deserve our gratitude, prayers, support and praise. They do not need to come home after fighting for 15 or more months to show up to boos, ridicule, chastising, condemnation or disrespect. They are overseas doing a job that most of us wouldn't have the skill or bravery to accomplish. They are deserving of our accolades and thanks. If you see a soldier anywhere..In your family, on the street, in the airport, in a restaurant..Where ever....Stop and say hello and thank you. It will make their presence here with us feel wanted and worthwhile.
While you are here, please take the time to view this tearjerker Flash animation at
http://home.insightbb.com/~armedforcestribute/ . You will need to have sound for this link.
And if you have spare time and money, please visit the USO website at www.uso.com
to give our troops a chance at a brief escape back to homeland reality and a small piece of mind.
Thank you all, for our men and women over there!

Old West? OK corral style

Today I woke up after 4 hours of sleep to take my folks down south to take in a part of the old west. We headed down south of Tucson way to take in some sights. We started off with a real quick visit to San Xavier del Bach, a pure whitewashed church and mission just south of Tucson. It was a magnificent sight. A little ragged and old, but it still had enough interest and history.
I ended up getting a candle and my annual xmas tree ornament there for a couple of bucks. Not bad for a hand painted piece.
We left there and headed southeast to our destined location, the old west town of Tombstone, AZ. After the old west days died off into he early 1900's, the town saw some revival in mining for metals in WWI and for lead in WWII. Afterwards, the town pretty much became a ghost town until they embraced tourism as a source of income. So in a nutshell, the town wouldn't exist if not for the nostalgia. The main historic area consisted of about 5 square blocks of old west town. The rest of the city is tiny and sparse.
We ended up seeing a skit show and shootout at an amphitheatre like venue called Helldorado.
Pure cheese baby. The actors are old school bit part actors and stuntmen throwing out cheesy one-liners. But, for as cheesy as it was, it was very amusing and definitely worth the $5 a head you drop to go in. Go ahead and check it out for shits and giggles.
On a side note- the main actor/host that played the sheriff was a decent actor for his old age. I forgot his name, but he was in the recent Tombstone movie, played Abe Lincoln in Bill & Ted's excellent adventure, and tours the country acting as Abe Lincoln for various events.
We walked around town a bit looking at various stuff, taking in the knowledge that these streets once had blood shed on them and famous figures once walked the streets. I would have done more, but I didn't push the folks to go into a saloon and have a beer and a whisky or take other tours of other historical shit. There will be other visits for that stuff.
We took plenty of pictures, and saw a lot of cool stuff. We headed home for the 2 hr drive and hit up Texas Roadhouse for a good old western prime rib dinner...which was...and always is fucking to die for! So now I have some serious food coma going on and am thinking of heading to bed a little early. Tomorrow is gonna be a fun day...time for the dentist again. I get to have another filling and a fitting for my prosthetic in the morning, bright eyed and bushy-tailed.

Mind your P's & Q's Mister!

I think that I am going to personally take on a crusade. A crusade of what you may ask? Something that has been bugging me especially lately, and I see it more and more on a daily basis.
Manners...Yes, you heard me right, manners! People have forgotten the essentials of manners, common courtesy and general pleasantries-and its driving me insane. This next generation of xtreme sports and reality show shock jocks hasn't been taught right. Ranging from a simple excuse me, to could you pass the salt please? All these little nuances have been forgotten.
So yes, I'm starting a crusade. It may not be a massive world changing event, but at least a personal crusade that will hopefully affect at least one person. I see it at work on a daily basis, directed at me most of the time. People are just fucking rude.

"uh, hey man...can I get a jack and coke and a bud light?"
"Um..No."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Well, you forgot to say fucking please man."
"Oh...Oops, may I please have one?"
"That's better...Sure...Here you go brother man!"

Honestly..Is it that FUCKING hard to say? To spend that extra 1/4 of a calorie and 1/2 second to say one fucking word that makes life so much easier to stand, let alone function in? Don't people realize that they can get where, what, how and who they want easier and faster if they apply common decency and respect in their daily lives? I know its a irrelevant question seeing that I already know the answer. The answer is no...Of course not. Its all about the Me and mine..The I generation. Hell, I'm all about the "I" generation too...I just achieve my means faster by treating people better.
What do you think that poor high schooler is gonna do at the Subway shop when I go up and say please when ordering? He aint gonna drop anything on the floor by "accident", or skimp on the mayo, spit on my food, or even rub his ball sweat on my bread...unless he's that fucking cruel for no reason (which would, by Karma's balance scale, mean that his dog is gonna get run over by a semi later on that day). If anything, he may throw on an extra tomato or "forget" to ring up a soda.
What I'm trying to say is that the long forgotten teachings of manners DO pay off. You may get a random little bonus like having someone lite your cigar for you or even get out of a traffic ticket.
But the best reward will be to walk away knowing that someone doesn't hate you and thinks that you are a decent person. If we could all do that..Then we could actually live with eachother.
So, if you come into my home or bar and find me being short and acting like an ass to you for apparently no reason, check yourself out to see if your etiquette is lacking around me.
That's my rant...and I'm stickin to it!

Wally world

Now, I know two things for a fact. One, Walmart is a Mecca for times when, at 3:30 in the morning, you really need to go get a toothbrush, roll of duct tape and a cubic zirconia ring all for $20. Secondly, the fact that besides my father, my Mom is in love with Walmart. As common with most 68 yr old women, she falls square in that demographic. Add to the fact that where home is in the Bay Area, she doesn't have one close by to go to..say in a 10 mile radius. Here..Its across the street. Excuses are made up to go walk to walmart...gee..that milk looks low...Let's walk to walmart. You need some dryer sheets? Walk to Walmart. The brand new bag of dog food had a cup served out of it this morning...Lets walk to Walmart. Walmart, Walmart, Walmart. Did I fail to mention that there is a nasty annoying habit of her to repeat the SAME story over and over again..like 5 times in an hour? We just ate dinner and I heard her say Walmart like 10 times, and tell a story about the bakery and produce section there three times.
Ok, I know you got bread there yesterday, and donuts there this afternoon. I had one, they were tasty...now finish eating your chicken dinner. For the record, I did not buy the chicken at Walmart..Just so that I wouldn't put more fuel on the fire to talk about Walmart.
God help me, if there would be anything wrong with the folks moving down here, it would be to hear the same story on a daily basis on how a French bread loaf cost her a buck fifty. The only thing worse than hearing that would be to know that more than likely...there would be another story on another item waiting for tomorrow. Its a viscous cycle.
But god bless her and Wally world...Its still a wondrous place.

Judgment Day

It ws judgment day for me at the doctor today. For all of you interested individuals out there, I passed with flying colors.

The doc couldn't find anything wrong with my lungs, or how they function. He ended up diagnosing it as severe allergies and prescribed me some heavy duty allergy meds to see if they will put a dent in my symptoms. IF they don't work, then he can have me consult an actual allergist, but it probably won't come down to that.

Everything else passed as well. Nothing on my xrays, the bloodwork came out fine, and by golly, I passed an STD screen also. Nothing like being free and clean and breathing easy again.

So celebrations are in order! It is amazing though, the power of the human mind and its ability to play tricks opon itself. I had convinced myself that I had everything from asthma to emphysema. That is my mind though, always the worrisome one and bit of a hypochondriac at times. It just makes the end result of nothing being wrong taste all the more sweeter.

Now I can center on other stresses in my life. The usual ones, like job, family, love life, whether I have enough milk in the fridge to last through tomorrow..Etc...

But kudos and thanks to all of y'all that have been concerned about my health the past month. It hasn't gone unnoticed and it makes me happy to know that I have friends out there who care. May karma smile opon and reward you greatly!

All I want for Christmas

The holidays are coming soon and I was asked the question the other night by a friend of mine what "I" wanted for Christmas. I said that I didn't really ever ask for anything, and just hoped that no family member gets me that cursed holiday sweater that I would never wear. She said that I should start saying what I would want or need to avoid all that trouble and to make it easier on people to shop for me.

So without further adieu....my Xmass list.

1) an Ipod Nano mp3 player with at least a 4gig drive.

2)a new carpet steam cleaner

3)a authentic custom jersey of my favorite football team

4)a new hammock and stand from www.hammocks.com

5)a new headboard and footboard for my bed

6)a spare dvd player for the bedroom

Granted now, these are too big and bad. I don't think that Santa will be able to fit all them in his sleigh...so instead, this is what I really want.

THE REAL LIST

1)good health and luck to all my family and friends to make it through another year.

2)good health for me

3)to be able to see my family again

4)to have our troops overseas come home safe.

5)dog toys for Jenny

6)a renewal for my membership to the Surfrider Foundation

7)6 pairs of new socks, and 6 pairs new underwear

8)to take a roadtrip somewhere in 2006 with friends

9)anything history related, books, movies..Etc.

10)for someone to donate to the USO.

For the boys-author unknown

THE FINAL INSPECTION

The soldier stood and faced God,

Which must always come to pass.

He hoped his shoes were shining,

Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, you soldier,How shall I deal with you ?

Have you always turned the other cheek ?

To My Church have you been true?"

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,

"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.

Because those of us who carry guns,

Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,

And at times my talk was tough.

And sometimes I've been violent,

Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,

That wasn't mine to keep...

Though I worked a lot of overtime,

When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,

Though at times I shook with fear.

And sometimes, God, forgive me,

I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,

Among the people here.

They never wanted me around,

Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,

It needn't be so grand.

I never expected or had too much,

But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,

Where the saints had often trod.

As the soldier waited quietly,

For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now, you soldier,

You've borne your burdens well.

Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,

You've done your time in Hell."

It's the Soldier,

not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press.

It's the Soldier, not the poet,

who has given us the freedom of speech.

It's the Soldier,

not the politicians that ensures our right to Life,

Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

It's the Soldier who salutes the flag,

who serves beneath the flag,

and whose coffin is draped by the flag.

THESE COLORS DON'T RUN

Showtime with Tom Walbank & Dick Dale

The Dick Dale concert was last night at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix.
There is just something about a small venue coinciding with a great show. The last concert I went to was like 14 years ago at Shoreline Amphitheatre in the Bay Area with like 70,000 people. The show I went to last night was about 150 people in a venue no bigger than my house. Simply one of the most entertaining and musical appreciating shows ever.
When we first got there and waited in line outside, we noticed that we were pretty much the youngest people there. It was nice to see all the old time die hard desert surf heads out there. The 70 yr old longboarders with the surf shirts and surfboard logos on them, topped off with a grizzly addams beard.
We got in and situated, grabbed a cocktail and waited for the show to begin.
Now, I haven't listened to Blues in a long time, and have never been to a live Blues show, but the opening act was simply like honey in my ears. If you get the chance look up Tom Walbank and the Ambassadors.
They are a Blues band out of Tucson, and trust me, they have their shit together. Funny thing is, that this Blues band consists of 3 white boys. You will love them. I almost didn't care if they were just an opening act, I wanted to hear more, but I still had the sweetest act coming up next. I ended up picking up a copy of their CD there for $10.
There was about a 15 minute intermission between acts, and Dick Dale entered in style. The drummer and bassist were already on stage, and Dick started to play outside in the parking lot. He walked in doing a rippin guitar solo. Dick is by far the king of surf rock, if there is even another person out there who can compare to him. He played for about an hour, mixing in some blues and soul, did a great rendition of House of the Rising Sun, and ended with a tribute to the boys overseas by finishing with Amazing Grace. A former Air Force man himself, it was a fitting ending to the show.
All in all, the venue was spectacular, small and cozy-and the music was simply to die for.
If you are interested go check out Tom Walbanks site at www.tomwalbank.com
and Dick Dick Dales site @ www.dickdale.com

Let the rain fall.

Well...after a lovely camping trip, I am partially convinced that whatever condition I have is allergy related. Up in the mountains for 5 days, I was breathing fine (except for the strained shoulder). The SECOND...second I descended into the valley, stuffy dry sinuses, nosebleeds, and the same old shortness of breath feeling in my chest. There has got to be something in the air down here. Hopefully this rain will clear out some of the pollutants, allergens and excessive grass seeding in the valley. Anywhos, I did get my pulmonary function testing and xrays done at Desert Sam this morning, so I should be going to the doc to hear the results within a week. At least the tech at the testing center said everything looked fine, even though she didn't really know what to look for.
One hell of an apparatus they have there to test your ass with though. Strap a hose into your mouth connected to 2 computers, two scuba tanks and a generator. Easy enough, and normally there is no pain. But do you think that it would be that easy for me? Fuck no. I work Sunday night, get out at 4 am, need to be up and at the hospital at 730 am. That wasn't so bad. The fact of me sleeping for those 2 or so hours wrong and throwing a rib out was nice though. So every breath I took hurt like a bitch. And the tech wants me to breathe into this Frankenstien-like machine deep and fast???It sucked. I had to apologize for wincing to her as she tested me, and am sure I could have performed a lot better if not for that damn rib out.
Got back and slept for a bit. Ok...I slept for 6 hours. Short nap. Get up and scrub baseboards for the impending parental visit. Pretty fun day. Add in a rainstorm all day and you'ld need a bottle of prozac.