Life Experiences & Observations

April 4, 2014

My Sweet Little Bullet

Last month my wife and I had our 16th anniversary. Don’t get too mushy about it because we are long past that. I am lucky enough to have a mother-in-law that is more than willing to send us a nice check to celebrate the occasion. Usually, my wife and I would use the money to go out to a nice dinner. My wife suggested this year that we buy something that we want for ourselves that we normally wouldn’t purchase. After going through several friendly jab conversations, we decided to split the money and each buy something we really wanted. My wife had been eying a hammock but has yet to make the lounging plunge. I had been eying the beautiful Nutribullet for quite awhile now.

My eating habits lean heavily to the healthy side and I am a sucker for a good smoothie. I even love smoothies that contain vegetables like Kale, Spinach, and Cucumber that would make most McDonald frequenting Americans want to puke. For many months, and heck years, I have spent way too much money buying vegetable/fruit smoothies from the latest and greatest smoothie shop. Well that ends today. I am now the master of my smoothie making domain. Just tonight I made three smoothies. One for me and one for each of my two daughters. I am pretty sure this machine is the greatest invention known to man. While that maybe an exaggeration it has to be in the top 10. Ok, top 100. Forget it, you just don’t understand what a good smoothie is all about. Next time you go out to that romantic dinner that costs you $100, just think to yourself that you could have bought a smoothie making machine that brings you the health and happiness that your marriage maybe lack.

Yes Hon, I still love you! And I love you too Nutribullet.

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April 3, 2014

Blank Slate Blog

So I almost messed up and missed a blog post today. But there is a keen difference between a close call and a true miss. Today I ended a two month journey to finding out the true cause of the various back and neck pain I have been having. I ran into Murphy and his crazy laws today in that my neck pain has been almost non-existent now that I know what it is and what to do once the pain returns. The pain doc is on call for the epidural cure all. Hopefully I won’t need to use the proverbial emergency pager. Until then, it will be back to the gym this weekend but with a more gentle approach.

You are probably wondering why I am calling this the blank slate blog. It’s because I had no content in mind when I opened up this page. I apologize for making you choke down this stream of consciousness written pollution. Hopefully you have some Chaucer on hand for a editorial detox. Today was one of those good days that doesn’t happen consistently. I went into work late, had a good conversation with a great doctor, played basketball with my daughter after work, and had dinner with my mother. And then I had to pull out this blog thorn right before bed… Ouch! Time for a band-aid. See you tomorrow!

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April 2, 2014

Blog-A-Thon Day 2

Welcome to day 2 of April’s Blog-A-Thon. Yesterday’s post was pretty silly but today’s post is going to be a little more serious. Just a few days ago on Facebook, a friend of mine posted a short story titled “The Egg” by Andy Weir. Prior to reading it I had never heard of the author nor the story. I was totally blown away! I am not going to go into too many details but it is a great read that everyone should experience. It basically outlines Andy’s view of the utopian interconnectedness of the universe. While it is meant to be fiction it could easily be misconstrued as the explanation for all of existence.

I consider myself far from religious, but for me this story truly hit home. In my own definition, I consider myself a practicing Jew with a Buddhist heart. I rate the impact of a artistic piece by the number of days I think about it after experiencing it. Since reading this story I continue to struggle with removing it from my mind. It’s imprinted on my brain like a scabbed over tattoo. Why is this? Maybe because of its depiction that no particular religion is correct. It has always bothered me that any one religion could consider itself the only path to God. Maybe its because he found a great explanation for the melding of all that is good and bad in this world.

Don’t let the religious overtones mentioned here impede you from reading it. Andy himself is agnostic so most people should get something out of it. I will end the blog here because I don’t want to drain all the juice out of my writing cerebrum. Read “The Egg” and then come back tomorrow. I look forward to blogging for the internet that is not listening.

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April 1, 2014

Here We Are – April 1st

So here we are, April 1st. The first day of my attempt to post a new blog everyday for a month. While this is only my first post I am already feeling nervous and scared. How am I really going to be able to come up with 30 new ideas? Why in the heck am I even attempting this? I really don’t think I have it in me. This is going to be extremely difficult. I don’t think I can do it! I really think I should give up. I just can’t do it! I can’t believe I am already giving up! This is ridiculous!! Who cares? Nobody is even listening. I quit, I really quit!! Ahhhhhhhhhhh… I failed!!

April Fools!

See you tomorrow.

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March 23, 2014

Where Does Eating Bugs Stand on the Diet Style Continuum

Two nights ago there was a guy on Shark Tank who uses cricket flour to make protein bars. As I see it there are four dividers between four different diet styles which are as follows: Carnivore — Omnivore — Vegetarian — Vegan. I was wondering if eating crickets jumps an individual from one style to another style. Believe it or not the pun was not intended. The crazy subliminal mind rears its wacky head.

Being a vegetarian myself I am in no hurry to eat bugs but I am interested in potentially trying their protein bar. I am unworried about how this would change where I stand on the continuum. After all, my vegetarianism originated mostly for health reasons. Currently I would say its still 75% health related but I definitely don’t like killing animals and understand some of the horrid conditions that go along with the meat industry. I do tend to prefer to take bugs out of my house and put them outside but I still probably kill more than I save. If I kill bugs anyway, it is probably more productive to eat them.

Ok, this analysis maybe getting out of hand. On another note, I do see how the impact bugs have on the life cycle of the earth since I currently compost and bugs play a vital role in that process. When’s the last time, however, that you have seen a vegetarian worry about how they treat bugs? I wish somebody was actually reading my blog so I could get some opinions. I am posting this in the hopes of getting some comments and being surprised by the number answers. So if you have any comments or thoughts, please add them below, Let the smart ass comments commence or better yet, provide a thoughtful answer. And yes I may just have too much time on my hands.

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March 19, 2014

Is Blogging Once a Day for a Month Possible?

I have been watching many YouTube channels recently to see what is popular. Based on my research I have determined that the two keys to channel popularity are…

1. Voyeuristic tendencies such as public pranks and using strange tactics to interact with strangers

2. The ability to just plain upload video blogs on a regular basis.

I know it sounds strange but you can be pretty boring on YouTube, just like this blog post, and still massively increase your viewership (in this case readership) just by posting regularly and at a high frequency. At this point I am too new to the YouTube creation world to start there, but I thought I might try blogging once a day, every day, for a month. While this is my first back to back post (yes I posted yesterday), I am not quite ready to take the plunge. So I am gearing up with this post and will hopefully blog once a day for a month starting April 1st. And no this is not an early April Fool’s joke.

I hope to blog again soon this month but stay tuned next month for a blog post everyday. The thought is already beginning to frighten me although I don’t know why. Yes I feel like Christian Slater in Pump Up the Volume who is talking on the radio and thinks that nobody is listening. Are you listening?? Are you out there?? If so, feel free to comment.

Thanks, Goodnight…. stop reading and go to bed already!

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March 18, 2014

Our Need it Now Internet Addiction

Last night we had a major crisis in our house. Nobody got hurt or was about to be hurt. We lost our WiFi and/or internet connection. I am not enough of a computer geek to know which and my wife was the one to fix it (proving my lack of computer geeky-ness) . Now at first glance this may seem like no big deal but I found myself reaching for my phone at least 6 times in the hour we didn’t have access. Sure I had a phone signal and could access the internet that way but I just couldn’t handle the sloggy turtle nature of it. And yes I just invented the word sloggy.

From looking up a simple item, to seeing what our friends are doing on Facebook, to Tweeting, to Instagraming, to Pintristing. Even my kids weren’t happy because their Kindle access was disconnected. How did we become so addicted to this need to have information immediately at our fingertips at anytime of day or night? How did we used to survive without immediately knowing, at our fingertips, what the Miley Cyrus was doing between her Oscar performance and going to the bathroom. It has gotten that bad. Am I going to point the finger at you for having this addiction?? Absolutely not, as I have it to. So onto the five step program to resolve this addiction…

1. Turn off your computer
2. Don’t panic
3. Turn off your Phone
4. Don’t panic

“What, Did you Say turn OFF your phone?”… Yes, and DON’T PANIC!

5. Breathe, Breathe, Breathe.

I am not sure how we got to this place in our society even though I certainly understand its advantages. I also understand that sometimes we need a break. So go outside, take a walk, hear the birds, meditate, or heck even go in the bathroom and take a shit without distractions. NO YOU CANNOT BRING YOUR PHONE!

Good Luck and don’t forget the steps.

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December 24, 2013

Learning About Comfort in Solitude

When you have a family like I do (a wife, two kids, and not to mention a dog), you get used to a lot of noise in the house. I often hear people say… “boy what wouldn’t I give for some peace and quiet.” But when the peace and quiet finally sneak up on them and become a reality, they are often faced with utter discomfort. The noise has become our body and mind’s security blanket. Don’t get be wrong, human interaction and companionship are very important. In fact, society often shuns those who don’t seek it out. Even I used to like spending time in solitude. It was a mental time out from life’s many stressors. But that was over 16 years ago. Long before I had a wife and kids. But as I sit here on my own, with my wife and kids out of town, I am slowly relearning the joys of solitude. Sure, at times, the TV tries to lure me into its visual racket. But the more moments I spend by myself, the easier it is to resist life’s digital temptations. Solitude is a test of the mind’s ability to handle the emptiness of chaos free environment. It’s a forced meditation with no bell to signal the end. You choose the end based on when you decide to let the in the static. But the next time this happens to you, I urge you to try meeting the silent air half way. Resist the temptation to run to the familiar. Learn to find comfort in solitude’s blissful holiday.

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December 14, 2013

Stuck in a Digital Bubble

These days it feels as if people are so concerned with capturing key moments on their cell phones that they don’t actually get to truly experience key moments anymore. Think about it. When was the last time you were in the midst of a beautiful experience and didn’t see an overwhelming number of cell phones floating like snow in the air in hopes of capturing a lifeless copy of the digital moment. Many people don’t realize that by doing so, they are actually missing all the rich sensory experiences that go with savoring that moment. Sure they have captured it on their digital devices but is recording a video of the Sistine Chapel the same as seeing the chapel with your own eyes. I think everyone would agree it is not. Because if it was, you would be able to see the world from the confines of your couch. And if it was, the famous landmarks of the world would be a desolate island with no inhabitants.

There is a time and a place for digital devices but if it is to capture some of the most beautiful moments you experience, you are allowing the digital cloak to hide the glorious sensory rainbow. I am trying not to complain about it as you are free to do whatever you please and I don’t want to be one of those people who rags on folks if they don’t act the way I think they should act. I just want to think about what you maybe losing out on when you prioritize capturing various moments on your digital devices ahead of experiencing them with your fleshy eyes.

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December 8, 2013

Kool-Aid Breath

I am masking my corporate Kool-Aid breath,
In hopes of not snuffing out, my dreams like a cigarette butt.

Can cloud nine swoop down and pick me up?
I can’t seem to crawl through the cracks of this cubicle jail
Barriers of bullshit expectations have me in a head lock
Damn you Jake “The Milkman” Milliman

Somebody save me from the corporate zombie walk
My undead colleagues don’t know they are not real.
The carpet smells like dank and moldy cat piss
The computers unravel my brain of yarn
I am picking up traction
Putting my dreams into action

I dare you to step in front of my dream locomotive
It will derail your excuses, and crack them wide open
I can’t wait to see their pupils, when I hand them the shock letter
Sixteen years of career smoke will be sucked away into the Ionic Breeze.
Don’t fail me now Sand Man
My dream mitt is ready to catch you.

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