The Coolest Guy in the World

 Check this guy out. Pretty amazing video here......

Pffffttt… I can do that

First Round of Golf 2010

Yesterday, I played golf for the first time since I had the surgery on my ankle.
The weather has been spectacular all week and I have really been looking forward to a day of relaxation on the golf course. I've been anticipating using the new Scotty Cameron putter I received for my birthday as well. I went to the driving range earlier in the week in an attempt to readjust my body to the feel of the golf swing and have been practicing putting in the house.
I went in to work early around 12:30 and finished my day around 6:30 the tee time wasn't until 8:30 so I stopped at IHOP for breakfast. I arrived at the course around 8. I was playing with Doc and Bob Herrbert a 76 year old Canada Dry retiree.  Anyway, we had a good time. The golf was ok. I opened the season with an 84. Included 1 birdie quite a few pars but 3 dreaded double bogeys. Overall I was pleased with my play but most definitely have a few things to work on. We're going back today to play with the group. Tee time is around 8am. Stevie's will be here at 7 and ewe will head over. Hopefully, I can get a couple birdies and win some cash.

More reflections on turning 50

We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing. ~Herbert Spencer

After 1 week of being 50 years old I have found myself reflecting on the upcoming decade and what I might have to look forward to or not.
It's funny, as we get older the older "old" get. When I was 30 I thought 50 was old. Now that I'm 50, 70 is old. I suppose turning 50 is when we catch a glimpse of our morality and it becomes a life review of what is important and what isn't. I've heard that the 50’s maybe the best decade of your life – the kids are grown and you have about as much money as you’re ever going to make in your life. Probably, true for me the money part but my kids aren't grown and the next ten years most likely will be the most financially burdensome years I will ever face.
Some days I want to keep on fooling myself and the world. I want to hang with the 30 year old's, party like a college student, and live with reckless abandon. Other days, I want to embrace 50. I want to enjoy where I am...as I am...and not worry what anybody else thinks. I want to slow down and relish the things that I truly enjoy. Maybe it is true, "50 is the new 30."
I look back on my thirties with such fondness of those years. My kids were so young and we were so happy. How I long for those days again. I see my 60's as when those care free no worry days may appear again.

Windows 7

I have been running windows 7 ultimate on the new computer we purchased back in December. It is a beta version of Windows 7 Ultimate. I thought it was activated and was going to be able to continue running it indefinitely. As it turns out early last week I kept getting messages that windows must be activated in X days. I tried for days to figure a way around this message but was unable to get this version activated. So as hard as it was I actually trudged up to Best Buy this morning and purchased a copy of Windows 7 for my computer.
I had to do a clean install and reinstall all my programs but I feel good about having a genuine version of Windows 7 running on our computer.
The more I use it, the more I like it. There are a lot of little simple nuances that make me think that Microsoft is moving in the right direction.
Examples:
* Right-click on menu item and you can simply “pin” it to either the start menu or task bar.
* User configuration is now in a folder called users/userxxx
* It’s even aesthetically pleasing.
* Installed most of my programs without a hitch. If they were older programs I can run them easily in XP mode. Overall I give Microsoft an A+ here.

2nd Blizzard in days takes out 100 year record

We are living through some of the most extreme winter weather we'll ever experience in the metro region this morning. Heavy snow, winds exceeding 40 mph, and true whiteout conditions have paralyzed the entire region. It's not often we witness a 100-year-plus record fall. Perhaps it's fitting it went out in such extreme fashion today. National Airport's preliminary (2 p.m.) snow total of 54.9" for the 2009-2010 winter thus far puts D.C. above the previous high mark of 54.4" set way back in 1898-1899. Baltimore has also broken its all-time record with this event.
Snow will gradually diminish through early evening as the precipitation shield slowly drifts to the north and east, but strong winds gusting to around 50 mph will continue through the evening causing ground blizzard conditions and drifting snow.
Several suburban D.C. school districts, which had already canceled classes since Monday, simply ran up the white flag Wednesday and told students to stay home until Feb. 16.
All the three major regional airports — Reagan National, Washington Dulles and Baltimore-Washington International — shut down only a day after fully re-opening from the first major storm on Saturday.
Not that anyone was eager to travel. Entire neighborhoods in the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland — including some still without power from the last storm — were effectively isolated for lack of snow plows even on major arteries.
The latest wintry blast pummeled most of the northeastern U.S., producing heavy snowfall into New York and New England. But its impact was felt most in the mid-Atlantic region, which was in the bulls-eye of last weekend's blizzard.
"It is something that really is unprecedented for the mid-Atlantic states and certainly Washington," said Bob Ryan, a meteorologist for NBC4-TV.
Even by Canadian standards, the pair of fierce storms — dubbed Snowpacolypse and Snoverkill — would be considered severe.

Turning 50 Years Old

I turn 50 later on this week. Where do I fit in life now, why has it changed so much, and what will I do in the future? Can reaching 50 really change things that much? No, it is just a number but it does make us stop and think about what we do for the rest of the time that we have. Nevertheless, no matter how you cut it, 50 is a big deal. I don’t know why-I do not want any big celebrations.Rather than dwell on the depressing aspects of turning 50, I'm going to list 50 things, people and or accomplishmnet's that I'm grateful have been part of my life these past 50 years.
The List is in no special order.

1. My wife Maureen has to be top on my list. 21 years of marriage and we're still best of friends.
2. My Mother always there to listen. Another best friend.
3. My Father gave me encouragement, work ethic  and helping hand when I needed it.
4. Brothers and Sisters where there to share the normal family experiences.
5. Growing up in Bowie, MD. That was a great place to be a kid. Not so now....
6.  My mother-in-law Joyce Buswell and her extended family.
7.  The Ruyter family with 11 kids who lived behind us. Still friends with some of them today.
8.  8 years at St Pius X School. I know now the difficulty of funding private education
9.  Walking or riding a bike to and from there everyday. Wish kids could do that today
10. Teachers - Sr Richard (2nd), Mrs. Devany (5th), Mrs. Lee (6th), Sr. Margret (8th)
11. For good or bad my First Kiss, Smoke and Drink--7th Grade
12. Friends Steve, Joe, Roy, Bob, Pete and Michael.
13. Sledding at the Mansion for hours. Then hot chocolate at home.
14. Ice Skating, playing hockey on both Foxhill Lake, Allen's Pond, and the Front Lake in Crofton.
15. Day trip on my bike to places like College Park and Annapolis and home by dinner.
16. The Boy Scouts --- 3-4 years of Scouts. Every boy and girl should join Scouts
17. Scout Leaders Mr. Shea, Mr Napolitano, adn Mr Knestout.
18. Summer Camp. Twice at Camp St Charles in Southern Md. First time away from home.
19. Vacations with the family, especially times at Cacapon State Park.
20. My one year at Arch Bishop Carroll and riding the bus there.
21. Met the Crossed family that year and we've been good friends to this day.
22. Taking guitar lessons and playing rock music. Instilled appreciation of music I still have.
23. Building Bicycles with parts I accumulated from various trash and Recycling places.
24. Summer visits to NJ and hanging with my cousin Michael.
25. Delivering both Washington Post and Baltimore Sun. Taught discipline and order.
26. My friendship with the Jones family. Each of them has meant something to me.
27. My Uncle Bob and his endless stories. 
28. Met my dear friend Marty Wielert and became friends with his entire family.
29. Mitchell, Malcolm and Terry Wielert, have all been helpful to me at certain times in my life.
30. High School parties, hanging at the Pitt, Belair Liquors, J-mart, the tracks, Fletchertown Road.
31. Used cars. Cars, 1st --- 71 Chevelle, VW's and working on them.
32. First Job at McDonald's- Lied about my age so I could work late.
33. Hitch hiking to Ocean City. Did that numerous times. Meet some characters on the way.
34. Earnest Osti -  Worked for him for about 3 years. He taught me a lot about hard work.
35. and Trust.  Learned how to drive big split axle trucks, fork lifts and front end loader while there.
36. Robert Collins. Learned how to drink with him. Saw him blow his hand up when a tire exploded.
37. 1982 first got first hired at Canteen. interview and hired by John Fowler and Art Beneke.
38. Become friends with Wally Scott, Scott and Mark Weaver, Burek and Kassabian.
39. Take up golf in 1984 and have enjoyed it ever since. Still Waiting for hole in one.
40. My Wedding Day December 10th 1988. Made me a better man. Changed me forever.
41. The birth of my first child. Jack, born on April 21, 1989. Another huge milestone.
42. The birth of my first daughter Jamie, born February 20, 1991.
43. Bought a single family home in 1996. This was a 3rd house but now really felt like home.
44. The birth of my third and final child Jenna, born on October 14, 1996.
45. Became Shop steward at Canteen Vending in 1998.
46. Putting all three of my children through Catholic School for 8 years.
47. Elected President of Teamsters Local 67 in January of 2004.
48. Watching both Jack and Jamie graduate from South River High School.
49. Attempting to put Jamie through College. It's very difficult but a solid investment.
50. Still be able to exercise a little at age 50. I have my health and family.

Wow, after I wrote this list I see there are quite a few things I have left out. Seems I have had a very eventful life. When I reach 100 I'll come up with another list and maybe it will be more complete.
You can only perceive real beauty in a person as they get older.

The Blizzard of 2010

	It finally finished snowing around 6pm lat night. On Friday I went out and shoveled every 2-3 hours in an effort to stay ahead of the storm. Needless to say, when I awoke on Saturday it looked as if I had done nothing. Saturday was the same deal. Jenna and I went out every few hours and attempted to clear our walkways and driveway. The final accumulation must be around 33 inches. I measured it and got 25 inches but that was after it had compacted. The snow is halfway up my eight foot fence. I've never seen this much snow.
This was a heavy, wet snow that has caused numerous problems in the Mid Atlantic. The National Guard has been called in but has yet to show up on our street. Hopefully, a plow will appear sometime today. I would just like to walk up the block and visit the neighbor's. My trees on the side of the house don't appear as if they are going to survive this storm. They took a beating back on December 19th when we got 19 inches. This will just do them in. I'm sure I'll have to remove them in the spring.
	I've done so much shoveling this weekend that my entire body is sore. I guess it is from using all the muscles that don't get used to often. I'm dreading when the plows finally come. The mountain of snow a the bottom of my driveway that will need to be removed is crazy. It most likely will amount to a couple of tons of snow.

My snowman is bigger than your snowman.

I didn't actually build this snowman but the snow we had earlier this week was perfect for building a nice snowman. I can't imagine how this guy built this one. He probably just shaped it out of a huge pile of snow. Anyway, I'm in the snow frenzy once again. They are calling for 17-22 inches of snow here in the Baltimore Washington area. Supposedly, it will start around noon tomorrow and continue all through Saturday. After work today I ventured to the grocery store to stock up for the weekend.

I think every crazy in Crofton was there. The shelves were close to empty. I can't imagine what the shelves will look like later on this evening. I glad I got in when I did. I'm actually looking forward to being snowed in this weekend. I have plenty of booze and food and as long as we don't lose power, what's not to like. Sunday, we'll venture out and see if we can't build a snowman to match this one.

Why do some men (boys) wear earrings?

To rebel. Many men wear earrings to show that they are non-conformist. In our society it is becoming more and more difficult to separate yourself from the masses - to be an individualist. I think earrings and tattoos fall into the same category. People want to be different - to stand out from the crowd. But the more people that adopt a fad, the less the more the actually conform. In the end, I think the best way to stand out is to simply be your own unique self. But a lot of people have trouble just being themselves. They are afraid to be totally transparent, therefore they resort to other means to try to stand out.

Many men also wear earrings to rebel or stand out in the crowd. People like to do things which they are instructed not to do. Many also tend to think that wearing it would separate themselves from the masses
- to be an individualist.
The truth is as much as you want to be in the humans who wear earrings category the truth is you're not. You're in the males who wear earrings category. This is slightly abnormal in our society, it won't hold you back at work as much as wearing high heels would, but it won't help. This is unavoidable because people make subtle judgments of everyone they meet constantly and it's mostly unconscious. It'd be nice if no one was discriminated for having bad taste in fashion or something like that at work but it's unavoidable. Feminism is able to tackle the issue of gender discrimination because it is such a wide sweeping issue that we can work hard to retrain people. But you can't retrain people to not discriminate at all. People need to know that the guy coming out of that dark alley with his hand in his coat probably isn't going to be your friend, and those sorts of judgments will inevitably continue into the rest of your life. Basically unless Donald Trump starts wearing earrings you're screwed. The image out there is that being an earring wearing male is unprofessional and that judgment would be nearly impossible to change. This is true in the same way a guy not wearing suit is considered unprofessional, or a guy wearing an 80's sport jacket. People need ways to try and figure out who cares more about the job and while they aren't always accurate, it's not changing. Its' pretty clear to me that men and earrings are going to have a tougher time advancing in corporate America. Just don't do it.

Stealing it all From the Future until there is none.

Obama doesn't get it...none of "them" do. You do not spend money that you do not have!!!! You cannot spend money that you do not have!! And if you do manage to spend money that you do not have you have done so only by teleporting yourself into the future and robbing the wealth of those yet to come. Even worse!! Another 100billion is being printed up (borrowed) with interest, to send unemployment checks to those unfortunate enough to be without a job. What productivity comes from this? What return on investment does this 100billion get? Nothing!!! It is total plundering of the future for a totally non-productive feel good, keep the masses quiet program that leaves behind only massive debt w/interest and the undigested bits of food the unemployed @#$% out. Nothing was made, nothing was improved, nothing built. Millions of people get free money donated by you and borrowed by your government and we get absolutely nothing in return. Poof!! Gone!! 100's of billions gone to money heaven leaving a debt tombstone with rip carved on its stoney face.

During the depression we created work programs for the jobless millions. They lived in camps, ate like kings, reclaimed farm land, built parks, bridges, roads. These programs built self worth as the men and women gave an honest days work for honest wages and something valuable was left behind. Massachusetts had over 100 such camps and programs. Every state had them and they used the borrowed and tax dollars to make their homelands a better place.
How did we survive the great depression? There was no social security, no unemployment, no social welfare, no hand outs only hand ups!! We didn't treat the nation as a population of entitled, we treated ourselves as a nation of doers and shapers who held work in high regard. We pulled together as a people not whine and protest about our special interests and right to free slop at the expense of our neighbors. We didn't subsidize car purchases, home purchases, appliance purchases. We didn't steal from our children and grand children to support our delusional entitled lifestyles.
If for no other reason than the fact that we deserve all that we get from the coming @#$% storm by being so arrogant and blind, we deserve it because we are collective thieves of the future. We want it all, we think we deserve it all, we demand it all even if it means that no one who comes after us has a damned thing.

UGH: More Snow!!

The Washington-Baltimore area was preparing for 4 to 8 inches of snow as the storm approached. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for parts of Maryland and Virginia and the District of Columbia. About a foot of snow was reported in the Richmond area in Virginia, the weather service said.
In northern Virginia, the weather caused several muti-vehicle crashes along Interstate 81in Shenandoah County, Virginia State Police said. Four people were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
Transportation officials were urging drivers to stay off the roads.

The weather also cut short a farewell celebration Saturday at the National Zoo in Washington for young panda Tai Shan, who will be flown to China on Thursday to become part of a breeding program. The storm left roads icy and snow packed across the South, and thousands were without power as ice accumulated. Although police said they had to clear hundreds of wrecks overnight, there were no deaths or serious injuries reported.

Will Kimbrough in the House

Went to a friends last night and saw Will Kimbrough perform. He played 2 hour and half long sets. What a great time. Will Kimbrough has written and collaborated on a number of songs with Jimmy Buffett. Most recently Buffett recorded Nobody from Nowhere on his latest album Buffett Hotel. Will opened the night with that song and then proceeded into how he came about to write the song. Awesome song. Check it out.
Here's a version with the full band.

Will Kimbrough’s upcoming full-length studio album is his fifth solo offering, and delves into subject matter that most professional musicians deal with at one point or another--the conflict between family and career, love and work, parents and children. Kimbrough easily related to the theme and realized its universal condition with listeners and their lives. He played a cut off this album, Three Angels last night. Here is an accompanying video of the song on you tube.

Quote of the Day

I'll promise to go easier on drinking and to

get to bed earlier, but not for you, fifty

thousand dollars, or two-hundred

and fifty thousand dollars will I give

up women. They're too much fun.

Babe Ruth

Quote of the Day

The secret of concentration is the secret of

self- discovery. You reach inside yourself

to discover your personal resources, and match them to the challenge.

Arnold Daniel Palmer

A pig can run faster than me

I think I am now the slowest human on earth. My treadmill time is about 9.5 minute mile for about 45 minutes. Afterward, I'm somewhat tight and like to do my elliptical machine for 15 minute cool down. Hopefully, if I can manage to continue this routine 2-3 times a week for the next few months, I'll be able to actually run or play some tennis in the spring. It's hell getting old. These achy bones are not like they used to be. It seems the abuse of my job has finally begun to catch up one me. 50 in 2 weeks.

WVU vs MD Swimming

The West Virginia University swimming and diving teams split dual meets today with Maryland at the Eppley Recreation Natatorium in College Park, Md.

The men defeated the Terrapins, 136-107, while the women fell, 133-108. The Mountaineers had nine athletes record at least one win in the efforts with seniors Kayla Andrews and Brandon Robinson, sophomore Brad Eichenseer and freshman Rachael Burnett all recording two wins apiece.

The was the first time we had gone to an official college meet. A college meet is so much more enjoyable than the club swim meets the kids have gone to for many years. The facility is beautiful, the events had only one heat and the meet was superbly run, so everything went right as scheduled. The team spirit was also on display on both the deck and in the bleachers. "Lets go Maryland" and "Let's go Mountaineers" were heard throughout the couple hour long meet. Diving is also included. After a number of swim events they break for diving. These kids can really dive. Flips and twists executed mostly to near perfection.

Jamie only swam the 200 Breastoke event and swam a nice race. She went out very fast to see what she could do in the first 100. She is attempting to get a qualifying time in 100 Breast for the Big East Championship meet in February. We're so proud that she has been able to experience the team spirit and everything that goes along with swimming for WVU. I hope her back holds up and that she can continue to work as hard as is required.

This Cold Sucks

I have a cold and it sucks. I hate having a cold. I went to bed Friday evening knowing I was going to have a cold the next morning. You know when you have that itchy feeling in the back of your throat. Once my throat begins to bother me I know I am going into a full blown cold and life will suck for at least a week to 10 days.I spent the entire day blowing my nose. A pocket of tissues doesn't cut it. I've gone through half a roll of paper towels and my nose looks like a tomato. Tylenol Cold and Flu is worthless! Tylenol is great for fevers and headaches, but they should really stay away from trying to help out with other symptoms. I've been using DayQuil and that has been helping out somewhat. I'm really old school and don't take much medicine I just let things run their course. I went to the dentist this afternoon and when they saw I had a cold they sent me home. They claimed that when doing fillings all the water vapors in the room are very contagious.

Crescendo Team 2009

This picture was in last weeks edition of the Bowie Blade. Click on image and you can read the caption. Each year at the Bowie city meet, a meet where all the pool in the city compete against one another, there is the climatic crescendo relay. Each relay team is made up of 1 girl and one boy from each age group. Naturally, the coaches uses the fastest kids in each age group. This is the winning Belair Bath and Tennis crescendo team from last summer. Jamie is on the far left. 

Droopy Drawers

I never could really grasp why the young men today wear their pants like guy in this cartoon. You all know what I'm talking about; young boys and (sadly) young men wearing their extra baggy jeans and shorts nearly beneath their ass, exposing their boxer shorts for all the world to see.When I visit the public High School where my two oldest attended it amazes me to see how many of the young men are looking like gangsta wannabe thugs. Some communities have already outlawed pants hanging down around your ass. In case you were wondering how I feel about kids who wear their drawers down around their asses — I think they’re freak’n morons. Which is exactly why I don't think there should be any laws prohibiting them from wearing them.
It makes it a lot easier to pick out the morons and idiots around you when they wear such obvious markers. Clearly a label for me to tell my daughter who the hell to stay away from.

Vacation

I am on vacation this week. Vacation, as in I don't have to go to work at the Vending company. I still will put in some time at the Union hall but no Canteen.
Weeks like this make me long fro the retirement years. It is so nice sleeping until 8-830, reading the news either int he paper or on the internet along with a pot of coffee. I so long to do live like this forever. To just hang out all day in PJ's. I watched 2 movies today, learned 2 new songs on my guitar and even exercised. I feel great. 
Dinner is in the oven, Maureen and Jenna will be returning soon and we'll have dinner together. No worries.

Growl all day and you'll feel dog tired at night. ~Anonymous