Aquatic Adventures

The New Breed of 'Yinzer'

Dubbed Winter Fury by the Weather Channel, we're still seeing some snowfall.  While we were supposed to get another 3-8 inches over the last couple of days, I'm not sure if that happened... and even with it snowing off and on (but pretty regulary), it was strange how it wasn't sticking... until last night.  Within an hour or so, the roads were covered enough (and at rush hour) to bring out the stupid in people. 

Years ago when Pittsburgh got a lot of snow every year, drivers were used to/knew how to drive in it.  At 14 years old, my Dad showed us how to drive in the snow... how to keep moving... how to stop, etc.  Nowadays, with the birth of the SUV, it has spawned the uprising of a whole crop of idiot.  Over-zealous, impatient, feeling omnipotent, too confident, not confident enough... SUV drivers are the worst, causing most of the problems, taking the crown from mini-van drivers.  With mini-van drivers (usually moms with 2.5 kids), they are used to getting shit done, with no choice but to plow through to get their offspring to their soccer game... their trip to the mall... psychotherapy and shock treatments... and they understand the limitations of their vehicles.  They knew they wouldn't be cutting through no fields or jumping any curbs.  But with the SUV driver, this is like giving a loaded M-16 rapid-fire semi-automatic weapon to a mall-walking, blue-hair.  Shit is going to get crazy, yo.  Usually your yuppy, extension wearin', coach bag toting, white zinfandel sipping (with one ice cube) wanna-be, the trouble usually comes in with them underestimating their power to go (proceeding too slowly up a hill, stopping the momentum of people behind them) or thinking that the Escalade can stop on a dime at 50 mph... you can't stop 3000 pounds of leather, 18" rims and gold trim that easily.  All poor assumptions and poor technique (as well as poor hairstyle choices) on their part.  As part of the 'yinzer' drivers test, I think you should be able to handle your vehicle in the snow and be able to drive through a tunnel maintaining speed.

Yesterday, I drove upon a line of traffic on a hill that usually isn't any problem... and sat dead-stop for ten minutes along with probably 50 cars... with some idiot at the front who screwed everyone up.  I finally jumped the curb and took a shortcut through a field in my 4x4... minivan drivers:  suck it, bitch.  Traffic much?

YUM !! (Hats)

A Passing Smile

Today I went to the viewing of my friend Denise's Dad.  When I walked in the door of the funeral home, all you heard was laughing and people talking... it was one of the most lively services I have ever been to. 

After my Mom passed away in '94, I used to have dreams of my Dad passing away... I'd wake up in such a cold sweat and even now, I don't usually turn my phone off because I am, in the back of my mind, just waiting for the phone call.  Sometimes when I look in on him and he's in his comfy chair in his sitting room across the hall from my bedroom passed out in front of the TV, it doesn't look like he's breathing and I panic... short of getting out a mirror to see if he'll fog it up or not.  Throughout my life, my Dad has never been around physically, with his job and with me living in Philly, but he was always there for the things that I needed him for.... to help me move... to help me with a car problem, etc.  And now, even with me pretty much taking care of him in every way, it will still feel like I'm on my own for the first time when he goes.

I'm not afraid of death.  If I was told I was going to die in a week, I'd feel like I lived a pretty good life and done a bunch of things.  Since I'm an organ donor, I'd like the rest of me to be donated to science... and the scraps to be cremated and spread in the ocean... no need for a coffin, etc... with my beliefs, I'd just be all dressed up with no where to go. 

I'm not one for the pomp and circumstance around dying.  I do, however, get the chills when I see the vehicle procession on the street.  It's awesome how there's so much respect for the person from people that don't even know who it is.  I never really believed in the whole funeral process though... it's grueling for the family to endure (when my Mom passed, to make it through 2 days of 4 viewings and a funeral... all I remember is how much I didn't want anyone around)... you see people that couldn't bother to be around you when you were alive... and rather than celebrating your life, it's a celebration of your death.  I think it's the Jewish people that have a big party... that's the way it should be done.  Besides, there are so many reasons why someone passing could be a good thing; to end their misery if they are sick, to go to their reward (if you believe that) or to join their loved ones in heaven (if you believe that).

Today, by laughing and celebrating the love and laughter that Denise's Dad brought to everyone in his life, you walk away remembering those things... not the devastation and grief... not the sickness and loss... but the gain from having that person, however long or brief, in your life... that's what the focus should be.

(Btw... it's also the first time in about a year and a half that I left the house without a hat on my head)

Old Spice Commercial

Last week, I posted the current Old Spice commercial... apparently, it's getting all kinds of attention and accolades.  Ellen featured it on her show and is having the actor appear... and it looks like it will win a Clio award for advertising.  There's a video on youtube that shows the making of it.  With little CGI involved, the boat was a set that was built on the shoreline... and the shower set was built on top of that and lifted up by a big crane... the shirt took 57 takes to get to land over his head.... and when he walks over to do the oyster scene (a mechanized hand with the diamonds shooting up through it was edited onto his hand), he sits down on an apparatus that actually shifts him onto the horse... all without him breaking character.  It's amazing how they did it.

Now that you know all of that.... take another look....

I'm on a Horse

AI Update

It was a night of upsets on AI last night with two girls and two guys leaving the show.  You have to remember that, this early in the game, nerves play a huge part in the performances so it's hard to really get a feel for the singers.  It's also based more on a popularity contest at first until personalities come out over time.  Having said that, those that went home weren't as shocking as some who got to stay... based on their performances the other night.

I am a very monogamous person.  When I date, I only date one person at a time.  And I need to have relationships in my life defined... if we're friends, that means that I don't want to see your tids and bits... if we're dating, you better not be displaying your tids and bits for someone else to oogle your goodies.  It's just how I operate.  With the major shock of the night being one of my potential suitors, Tim Urban, staying when I was sure he'd be out of there (based on performance, not cuteness factor)... I may have to blur my boundries a bit... and date both Tim and Lee, at least for a few more weeks. Almost falling on the ground when announced... even Tim was shocked that he made it through. 

It was good to see that Kris Allen is finally getting over the end of our relationship from last year, with a pretty convincing performance of Let It Be... I applaud his strength to get up there and sing it to me to show that he's trying to move on.  Perhaps a montage of some of our moments together would have been more appropriate than a backdrop of little Haitian childrens, but whatever he needs to do to get through it.  Maybe he was trying to say that he's still thirsty for my love?

To Each Their Own

Hello, Deer Kitty...

A woman in Harrisburg, PA snapped these pics of a deer that comes to visit her cat every morning...when you remove human nature, it's just unconditional, unprejudicial love. We should take a lesson...

Man Vs. Wild

Having lived in downtown Philly, I was perfectly comfortable to walk around the streets with no problem, day or night.  When you expect something to happen, you are ready for it so it doesn't bother you as much.  Put me in the middle of the woods and it's a different story.  With visions of Blair Witch Project and Deliverance, my mind goes into a frenzy.  I would also consider myself 'outdoorsy', but I suppose, honestly, that if I get too far away from a Starbucks and an electrical outlet, I go into convulsions.

One of my favorite shows is Man Vs. Wild.  The host, Bear Grylls, puts himself (and his camera crew) into dangerous and crazy conditions around the world to show how to survive and find your way back to civilization and get rescued.  Parachuting out of a plane over the Andes, being dropped off in the Sahara Desert, chopping through the rain forest in the Congo... each show provides different challenges for the sense of survival.  Seeking shelter, finding food and water, avoiding predators... all part of the journey.  It's not abnormal that he would be facing drought situations having to drink his own pee, eating scorpions or fish eyes that burst in his mouth, beheading snakes, sleeping in a tree.... and that's just on the way to L.A.X.  With no inhibitions, some of the more bizarre things he has done includes crawling into the carcass of a camel to stay warm at night in the desert, giving himself a dirty rainwater enema on a homemade raft in the middle of the ocean to hydrate, and stipping naked to jump into a freezing cold lake to show how to get out and deal with hypothermia... all while on camera.

Forever dirty, wet and spewing his own brand of English humor and unique words, even while slurping down cow balls, he's adorable.  While there's speculation that sometimes he sleeps in fancy hotels on his expeditions, anybody that's willing to put themselves directly into horrible situations, eats the crap that he does and is willing to show his who-ha, deserves a Marriott mattress sometimes, since the information he gives probably saves a lot of lives.

It really makes you think if you'd be able to do this to survive...

American Idol Update

I've been a little behind this season with American Idol.  By this time, I have selected my AI boyfriend and we've moved in together already.  I've been trying to catch up... finally watching the top 12 girls tonight.  With Simon stating that it was the girl's year, I expected some great things... none of them had the 'wow' factor and they really weren't good.  Katelyn Epperly and Michelle Delamor seem to be the commercial favorites... but my favorites are Didi Benami and Lilly Scott, with Siobhan Magnus close behind. 

For the boys, there weren't even that many that stood out, in fact, having to make a boyfriend selection might send me back to mackin' on girls again.  Two of my original favorites for BF were Lee Dewyze and Tim Urban.  Tim didn't make it in the top 24 but, after someone was removed, he was brought back in.  Cute as a button and looking current, he choose a song that he just couldn't pull off... so I'm hesitant to pick him because the only way that he'll be back is on the cuteness vote.  Lee did Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars and most of the judges said it wasn't good... but Simon totally disagreed... so maybe I'll have my people contact his camp and set up a date for me to tell him that I've picked him.  Still though... Tim... let's do lunch... it's not over for you yet.

Timber !!

Most times, Mother Nature is working against me;  too much humidity to breath... pouring down rain... not enough rain... it makes landscaping difficult.  But in this instance, the heavens have opened up, plopped down a few feet of snow on top of the trees, and broke them in half or uprooted them.  Marriott, my big client, had me take 7 tall bushes out last week... and today (I thought I'd be working over at my Dad's) I got a call to take out 3 pine trees that fell against the building/glass windows.  So I cut them down/up and took them to the composting site... and cleaned up a number of other trees that snapped... and there are another 5-7 that I'll have to take out around their pool.  Last season, I suggested that we take them out since they were half-dead... see, they should have listened to me.  Not only that, but I'll get to put new stuff in to replace them this year.

I always hate to pull out a tree... since I'm definitely a tree-hugger to an extent... the way the branch brushes up against my cheek... the way the leaves blowing in the wind call out to me in a sinuey whisper... the way the bark feels against... Oh.. sorry... nevermind. 

It was sunny and 40 degrees out... except for the snow, it was the perfect day to be out... I can't wait to get back to work. My friend, Matt, called me today and was complaining about having to clean up after everyone at work.  I told him to be glad he didn't have to clean up after Mother Nature... that bitch makes a mess... tearin' it all up.

Condolences

My condolences and thoughts go out to my friend, Denise.  Yesterday, while she and her family was visiting her sister in San Diego, her father (who was home) took a turn for the worse and then passed away.  I don't have clear details at this point as to what exactly happened, but he's been sick for many years.  I'll be attending the services tomorrow night.

Denise and I have known each other since the mid-eighties.  We went to high school together and both worked at a local Italian restaurant, where we were constantly having a great time.  She has been a great friend ever since.  Denise is, by far, the easiest person to make laugh... and she's forever looking at the bright side of things.  Always laughing and being bubbly, it's difficult to see someone who gives so much to the world have something taken away, and her light is dimmed.

Trouble With Hoses...

Screw Punxy Phil

With only about 24 or so days until Spring, it looks like we're going to get a run for our money up to the very end thanks to that big rat.  This reminds me of when we were little... it seemed there was always this much snow on the ground throughout winter.  It's refreshing when it doesn't come down a foot at a time, and the sunny day on Sunday broke our 'snow every day' trend for 26 days straight.  Right on the verge of breaking the record for all time snowiest February on record, it looks like, with 5 more days left in the month and another storm heading this way (with an expected 1-8 inches)... we're going to have no trouble beating that.  Global warming... or winter wonderland?  Either way, it bears thought.

Last night, the Tuesday movie group saw Shutter Island in XD.  With a running time of over two hours and beautifully shot, it is jam-packed with information, twists and turns.  When there's a disappearance of a woman at a hospital for the criminally insane on a secluded and more heavily-guarded island than Alcatraz, U.S. Marshalls (DiCaprio and Ruffalo) are called in to investigate.  Questioning the patients and the staff, a web of deceit starts to unravel that puts him in jeopardy of never leaving.  Half-way through the movie, you don't know what to believe... what's the truth and what's a cover up becomes the question as things take a dark turn.  Much more cerebral than I expected (but welcomed happily), the story was intricately designed to keep you guessing right up until the end.  Definitely not an uplifting movie, it puts you uncomfortably close to understanding more about how the mind works (or doesn't) and feeling a loss of control.  Without giving it away, DiCaprio delivers a stellar performance... did someone say Oscar?   I give it 4.5 sessions of shock therapy out of 5 (save the half session for when you are about to watch Jersey Shore).  It's a must-see.

Today, I'm going to get the ball rolling over at my Dad's place again.  I've been procrastinating, especially with the heat set at 45 degrees.  Before you know it, Spring will be here and I'll be too busy with landscaping again, so time to buckle down.  I have the kitchen to paint, and the basement... some cleaning and getting rid of some things, and then it should be ready to rent or put on the market.

Take A Breath...

All you have to do is read a few of my posts and you can tell that I don't have a problems talking... and talking... and talking.  The thoughts in my head race much faster than I can process and get out of my mouth.  And whether it's time allotted or page space, it's usually not enough.

When I write, I try to use proper grammar and spelling, since it's a pet peeve of mine.  I think that I do the 'hyphen' pretty well, but my biggest over/mis-used piece of grammar is the punctuation, the ellipsis.  Used to indicate a pause in speech, an unfinished thought or at the end of a sentence, it suggests a trailing off into silence by using three periods or 'dot, dot, dot' (...). 

I guess the problem comes in when I'm always going off on a tangent or trying to tell the back-story.  Because I usually have verbal vomit, that comes across on paper as well.  Plus, there isn't usually an actual stopping point... and my thought process is one big, long, ever-lasting, continuous, never-ending... well, you get the point, point, point.

One of the things that resonated from my Body Electric workshop in December was the use of breath control and just breathing in general.  With more oxygen going into your body, there's a heightened sense or self, both physically and mentally.  Physically, more oxygen in your body makes you alert... and makes your nerve endings more sensitive, among other things.  Mentally, by being aware of your breathing, you are more in control and paced.  Meditation and yoga both use breathing in their teachings, as does Body Electric.  The need to find your center of gravity or energy is important in many aspects of your life.  In my life and in my writing, it's something that I need to work on...

Receding the Recession

The Puddles in My Mind

I'm really looking forward to the rain. After 26 straight days of snow coming down, it will be nice to have something different happen, and to wash away some of the snow and mainly the dirt. 

With the constant barrage of things that occur on a daily basis in life, and like the rain coming down clearing things away, your brain processes life's stresses and emotions... and you have to wonder where it all goes, if anywhere.  I know that I process things logically rather than emotionally like most other people do.  That's not to say that compassion doesn't play a part in my process... I'm just not the kind of person to sit and cry about something, although sometimes I wish I could.  Instead, the logical part of the situation gets resolved and the emotional part gets held down or filed away.  And whether its that I don't feel I can allow myself to be anything other than strong, with responsibilities (especially family) weighing me down, or that I'm afraid of letting go because there won't be an end to it or it will be a downward spiral that I can't stop... I walk around feeling like (and this will be graphic) I have to throw up, but only have the dry heaves.   I can't force myself to cry, although I feel like an upset stomach filled with acidic emotions. 

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks"; that's pretty depressing when you realize somewhere along the way, you didn't learn or get what you needed to be able to function in a certain way or the walls or processes you put in place can't be torn down or re-worked.  So you're stuck with 'you' for the rest of your life... and I'm not sure all the self-help books in the world can help.  Years ago, I had to take some pre-employment personality tests... and one of them was the Gallup 'Strength's Finder' test.  Based on the belief that we won't change much and rather than focusing on your weaknesses, you should focus on your strengths, it puts into perspective that who we are at this point in life, is basically what you have to deal with.  However, throw in self-confidence or self-worth issues, and you may not be able to see your strengths at all...and you end up just 'being, which is where I am...  Just a rainy day with lots of puddles with no where for the water to go.

Incidentally, my 5 top strengths were COMMAND / ANALYTICAL / ACTIVATOR / RESPONSIBILITY / CAUTIOUS

Another in the Verizon/AT&T Feud

For Matt

My friend Matt works for an engineering firm that builds nuclear reactors... from the stories he tells, I'm not sure why there haven't been more people killed.  It's amazing to me that these people have great jobs fu@king things up and I pull weeds for a living... the world isn't right.  This is how Matt starts his day:

Going to the Dogs...

Movie Sequels

Even after seeing The Wolfman for the second time last night, it still made me jump out of my seat even in the spots that I knew something was coming.  It's funny how with movies nowadays... they leave a little glimmer of light streaming through the open door of a sequel... even with the movie last night... there's bound to be another one with the way they ended it.  We are definitely creatures of habit when it comes to our entertainment... after all, we are on American Idol 9 now... Spiderman 4... and how many times can we raise Freddy Kruger from the dead?  We like for the story to go on.  I keep up with movies quite a bit.... here are a few sequels coming down the pipeline....

Avatar 2:  Men in Blue

Twilight 3: Moon Me

Friends, Coming and Going

After a few hours of work, we got Berry moved in this morning... probably the easiest move I have ever done (with not a ton of stuff, sunny but cold weather, and moving into a first floor apt), it made any of my 30-some moves in my life seem like a picnic outing in the park.  In other friend news, I just found out that Terry and Mo are moving right in my townhouse community in March.  After showing Terry my place months ago, I guess it was a lot more space than they have now... Welcome to the neighborhood!

I can't believe we have had two sunny days in a row... it's been absolutely beautiful.  All that's supposed to change, with some more systems working across the country.  I'm not sure if we've hit the 40.2" needed to break the record for snowiest month ever here in Pittsburgh, which was set in January of 1978.  With 8.5" being the average that we usually get... that's like... 5 year's worth of snow.  Remember... only 27 days left until Spring... I can't wait to get back to work.  I was able to take the trucks out of the garage and scrub it down/squirt it out yesterday... it felt good to get all that slush and salt out of there.

A bunch of us are off to the movies tonight... with the snow on Tuesday, most didn't get to see The Wolfman... so I'm going to see it again.