Nashville here I come...

Well once again I find myself on an American Airlines flight at this moment. My Mother and I are flying from NYC to Nashville to meet up with my Father. From Nashville it’s on to Memphis and then home. I have to be honest here; I am getting very tired at times I think snippy. However, I think since I have had very little sleep since Saturday I’m doing pretty good. Oh and to the brat sitting behind me, I hope that we hit some really good turbulence and that tray table that you incessantly keep slamming open and closed pops you right in the face, or at minimum pinches your finger.

I (HEART) NY

As far as I am concerned, I still believe that New York City is the greatest city on Earth. One disclaimer, I haven’t been fortunate enough to see other great cities of the world: Paris, Rome, Tokyo, et al, (though they are on the proverbial to do list) so using the places I have been able to experience as comparison I stand by my previous statement. NYC has so much to offer everyone who visits her. The museums, culture, shopping, sightseeing, theater, fashion, the list goes on and on. It’s no secret, I love New York, in fact, I love it so much, were I able find a job there I would move in a ‘New York minute.’ I really enjoyed this most recent visit to NYC, and I hope that my Mother feels the same. While in NYC my Mother and I saw/visited/experienced the following: Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Bergdorf Goodman’s, Bloomingdales, Henri Bendel, Chinatown, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Times Square, Greyline Bus Tours, Brooklyn, Wall Street, Ground Zero, MTA Subway system (DART take note) and many others. Also, we were in the City during the annual Gay Parade, and let me just say this, you haven’t experienced NYC until you’ve been there during Gay Parade. We hit other great spots like The Met, The Guggenheim, and The Empire State Building during our previous visit.

I'm on my way...

Hello Blog World…I promised lots of updates on my multi-city vacation so ‘look out’ here comes the first one. At this very moment I am sitting next to my mother in First Class on American Airlines flight #712 bound for New York - LaGuardia. We have about 1.5 hours left on this flight before we reach the “Big Apple.” I am a bit disappointed though, I rented some newly released movies from iTunes and for some reason the sound is so low we aren’t able to hear it over the roar of the two Rolls-Royce twin turbine engines powering our flight. One point of clarification…the music stored on my laptop – perfectly fine, it comes through loud and clear. No clue what’s going on? Let’s hope that I find time tonight to watch the Curious Case of Benjamin Button since the iTunes rental expires in 24, well now 23 hours and 26 minutes. We have so much to do while in New York and Tennessee. I have been to NYC before, and this time I hope to be able to do all of the things my Father and I weren’t able to squeeze into our schedule. Also, this time I am hoping that NYC has somewhat calmed down, we were there only months after the September 11 terrorist attacks and the everyone was still on edge: automatic assault rifle toting police, closed streets, closed tourist attractions, debris and ruble still left on the site of the World Trade Center’s…

Lastly, is it just me, or does SkyMall have this most awesome, eccentric, and handy items ever?!?!

SERIOUSLY-I'm so sad! Michael Jackson dead, I am devastated. The "King of Pop" cannot be gone. RIP Micheal, I hope your house was in order. You'll be missed!

A lot on my mind

I know that I say this all the time and that it may loose some of its clout if I keep throwing it around, but I have been so very busy this week. On top of everything going on at work, my vacation is coming up…rapidly. I fly out to New York City in a couple days and have so much to do before then. Cleaning, Laundry, Packing, Errands, the list goes on and on. From New York City we are flying to Nashville, and then from Nashville on to Memphis. I’ve never been to Nashville or Memphis and am looking forward to the chance to see them. While in NYC, we have a full schedule from the time the car service picks up at the airport until the time it drops us back off. Not so sure about the activities during the later leg of the trip, all I know is that we are hitting up the Opry and Graceland. I’m getting excited and hope that it’s a memorable yet enjoyable time. I am going to eat my way through the Big Apple, Nashville, and Memphis because after that, my diet starts. No more of this half-assing it either, it’s on when I get back.

As many of you know Jon & Kate + 8 will now be (Jon + 8) (Kate+8) = The Gosselin’s. I’m so sad; I can’t believe that they’re really going to split. I can’t, I won’t believe it. I have posted many times about J&K+8 so you already know my feelings relating to the family and the kids. However, I do think that Jon isn’t really trying anymore; he wouldn’t even attend one marriage counseling session, not even one. As a father and a husband he owes it to his children and his wife/ex to undertake every effort to make it work. After that, if no reconciliation is possible, get a divorce. I am a firm believer that sometimes people do fall out of love with each other; it’s sad, but true. Just my personal opinion…

So with all that being said, I need to get a shower and get to bed. I haven’t been to bed prior to 1:00 am this entire week thus far.

Also, let me know if you know of any “must see’s” in Nashville or Memphis.

Sorry Blog'ees! I've been so busy with work and preparing for my upcoming multi-city vacation, I haven't had a chance to blog. I promise to update soon.

Three down four to go...

Let me take this time to ‘knock out’ so to speak, three of the Upcoming Blog posts I had previously mentioned. First on the list, Chipotle meat selection practices.

I was really amazed/awed when I discovered Chipotle’s meat selection practices. Not to fear devout factions of Chipotle followers, it’s actually good news! Unlike many fast-food institutions today, Chipotle actually has standards [strict] when it comes to selecting meat for their mouth-watering, delectable urbanized take on the burrito. Since its inception Chipotle has been serving sour cream and cheese free of hormones, organic beans, and naturally raised pork, chicken and beef. Last month it announced it would buy locally grown produce whenever possible. Meat destined to become a Chipotle burrito receives no antibiotics, eats a vegetarian diet and must have access to either open pasture or deeply bedded pens. I actually saw on the Nightline program where the founder/creator of Chipotle physically inspects all farms before agreeing to purchase their meat. Doesn’t sound like something that Ronald McDonald or Mr. Jack in the Box would do. Just one more reason why I like Chipotle…

NYC Prep is exhibiting signs of becoming my newest TV obsession. Technically, it hasn’t started yet, but Bravo has been showing 30 minute ‘sneak peak’ segments of the upcoming series. If you haven’t seen it yet, whip out that TIVO remote and hit record, save yourself the trouble and go ahead and set it up for a series recording, I did.

Do you ever have a situation in an all too familiar milieu where you completely blank out losing all common knowledge? Let me give you some sample situations: I’ll be driving my car, and I’m the only one in the intersection, and for a short time, I honestly cannot remember if I am supposed to stop on green, or go. I’m serious people. Or take for instance; I can’t remember my current age. Someone will ask, “How old are you” and I say, “23, no I’m sorry, I’m 24, oh no, wait, I am actually 25. Wait am I 25, or am I 26, no, I’m 25. Yes, I’m 25.” Also, when I am going through the motions of a monotonous task like preparing a memo, I think to myself, “is “its” a word?” or an all too often used word such as “she,” is written, and then the Id, Ego, and Super-ego are all having a debate as to if it is spelled correctly (Sidebar: my fear/refusal to scribe on easel pads in front of the public stems from this irrationality.) I think all this comes from my illogical tendency to replay things over, and over, and over in my mind until I can no longer comprehend the simplest thought. Does everyone have similar issues, or am I just plain ass crazy?

The Piano Man...

As you all know I like most every genre of music out there; and, Christian music is no exception. The most notable exception to this rule is Reggae, and there are a few others but I’m not going to get into all of them. On to the point of my blog post, not sure how many of you know this, but I took two years of piano lessons. Cut to 15 +/- years later and I can’t play a lick. I ran across this amazing original arrange of As the Deer composed by a gentleman on youtube.com. Check it out; it’s so original and inspiring.



Once I change jobs, and my work schedule settles down somewhat, I fully intend to take up piano lessons again. This is no joke; I would love to be able to play the piano. While I understand this isn’t a terrible easy task, it’s not an impossible one either. Hard work and practice will pay off, along with a good teacher.

Upcoming blog posts…

I know my devout blog followers wait, each day, with bated breath for a new and exciting blog post from ‘moi.’ While I don’t have time tonight, I've been keeping a log of musings/tirades I wish to elaborate on.

• My absolute hatred of Spencer & Heidi, and their mockery of the Christian faith.
  
• Yet another birth by the inbred Duggar family, for more info on the Duggars, please see my fellow blogger Telle’s post entitled “Televised Motherhood.”
  
• Chipotle meat selection practices.
  
• What I believe to be my newest TV obsession – NYC Prep.
  
• My upcoming vacation; I’m flying with my parents to New York City, then Tennessee, then Memphis in two weeks.
  
• My all too often lapse(s) in common knowledge.
  
• My suspicion of Barak Obama and his transparency polices regarding White House Visitors.

Hangover

After church today, Tay and I went to lunch, and then to see Hangover. Lunch was great and so was the movie! If you haven’t seen Hangover, run, don’t walk to a theater near you. It was hilarious, but let me say this; it is most definitely not a movie for children. If you have ever been to Vegas you will most undeniably relate to the various melees in the movie. Don’t take my word, check it out for yourself. Since we went to the movies I was able to see the previews of upcoming feature films. I am by no means a ‘movie buff’ but I can honestly say that I want/plan to see all but one of the movies previewed. I’ll give you a sneak peak below…

The Final Destination – even though this lineage of movies totally freaks me out, I’ve seen them all. This final installment appears to be just as unique and captivating as its predecessors. I thoroughly enjoyed both Final Destination 1 & 2.

The Proposal – I’m sure that you have seen the theatrical trailer for this movie set to be released in a few days. I just hope that all of the funny parts of the movie haven’t been showcased in the trailer. It looks funny, let’s just hope it is.

Orphan – this movie terrified me, and as many of you know I don’t really watch scary movies, but I want to see this one. This movie isn’t really a “blood and guts” type of movie. It’s more of a suspense/thriller, a mosaic of twists and turns left for you to deduce and put together – if you will.

Bruno – this movie is really an assault on the general publics’ intelligence, but I want to see it none the less. It looks funny as hell, and if you saw Borat you'll know what I’m talking about. It was so stupid it was funny and Bruno appears to be just the same.

Tuesday’s random ruminations

I’m sooo tired. Tonight was the second “Community Budget Forum” meeting in a series of four and growing. Not only do we have to work at the meetings, we have to pack up and load and unload all the charts, easels, supplies, etc. My feet hurt from standing, and I honestly don’t know if these meetings make the City Manager’s job easier or more difficult. I’ve also got a very busy day ahead of me tomorrow; it’s a council action agenda.

The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien – sucks. I’m so over it. Bring Jay back.
Kendra – sucks. I could only stomach her in short segments on Girls Next Door, and now an entire show of her – too much.
Little Couple - artistic greatness.

The new Taco Nachos from Jack in the Box are de’lish. You should try them…soon. Also, since we are on the topic of healthy foods, the Mini Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, also from Jack in the Box, are great.

Kobe Bryant is on fire here lately. Even though the Lakers lost to the Magic in the most recent finals game, Kobe has seriously ‘earned his keep,’ so to speak. I am really awed with his God given athletic abilities. Makes me wonder, was I not paying attention in line when God was handing out special abilities. I honestly don’t think that there is any one thing/ability that I can do better than anyone else on Earth.

Another successful weekend!

This was another busy, yet successful weekend. Saturday I got up early and went to Park Place for a car wash. From there I drove out to my parent’s for lunch with them prior to my nephew Jeremy’s first birthday party. Jeremy turned one on June 5th. It’s so hard to believe it, it seems like just yesterday I was making fun of his “Michelinesque” appearance straight from the hospital, what’s even hard to believe is that my niece Julie is 6! I can clearly still remember the morning she was born…seems like just yesterday. Anyway, Jeremy had a good birthday, full of LOTS of cake and icing and presents. Isn't he handsome!

Sunday morning began with church, then lunch. From lunch I came back and cleaned the apartment from head to toe. I even hung some curtains that I’ve been trying to get around to for 10 months now. I am by no means a procrastinator. I’m not 100 percent satisfied with the end result of the curtain story, but the progress made was none the less a vast improvement over the plain wall and wood blinds. I’m going to think about how I want to proceed, a valance, a new rod, totally new curtains… Lastly, I gave Wester Man a bath. Now, I’m watching the final segment of the ‘The Last Templar,’ and gearing up for what appears to be a very busy week at work.

For whom the Eckhart Toll(es) - no more!

I'm just not sure what Oprah was smoking at the moment in time when she picked Eckhart Tolle as one of the coveted 'Oprah's Book Club' authors. He’s a total tool; and, his writing is hardly the pithiest thing I’ve ever read. While I’m no Random House editor, I do think his works are weak and unimpressive, if you ask me. Any author who writes “thinking has become a disease” deserves no more of my time or available intellectual space.

Reexamining a classic…

I have been so busy these past few weeks it’s unreal - I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I sure have. It’s always something around here, working late, budget town hall meetings, family functions, grocery shopping, birthday shopping, etc. However, I recently found the time to reread one of my favorite books. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by none other than Oscar Wilde.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to read this book, you need to mark it down on your proverbial “to do” list. The book is a cautionary tale of a life of vileness and dishonesty that allows for self-reflection of your own actions and impulses. Probably one of the most famous quotes from the books is “How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrid, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June. . . . If it was only the other way! If it was I who were to be always young, and the picture that were to grow old! For this--for this--I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give!” That’s basically the foundation of the book. I’m not going to spoil the story for any potential readers, but basically Dorian is able to manipulate the way he ages. Instead of his body that ages and reflects the events of his life, he has the mis/fortune of a portrait of himself that begins to exhibit the signs of aging and a life lived without regard for consequence.

I find that I enjoy rereading books that I already own. You catch so many things that you may have missed the first time around. I have read Augusten Burroughs book, Magic Thinking, no less than three times in the past three years, and every time I reread it I find a new joke, a new quip, or some other interesting or enlightening thing I missed the previous read. You should try it.

Some of my other all time favorites:
Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
Magical Thinking – Augusten Burroughs
Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer
East of Eden – John Steinbeck
Chasing Daylight – Eugene O’Kelly
Dispatches from the Edge – Anderson Cooper
Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain

I'm just saying...

I’m a celebrity – GET ME OUT OF HERE

That has to be the most stupid show; furthermore, Heidi and Spencer Pratt have to be the two most ill-bred, uninformed, self-seeking, spoiled, preposterous, and egotistical human beings on the face of the earth. They made me nauseous just watching their shenanigans in the jungle. It really disgusted me the way that Heidi “proclaims” to be a hardcore Christian person. Saying a prayer about everything: the bugs, her dry shampoo spray, the heat, the fire, her dumb ass husband, the list went on and on. As a real Christian person, I know that there are things that I do, that I shouldn’t, things I say, that I shouldn’t, things I drink in excess, that I shouldn’t. Anyway, in my opinion she appears to be a total charlatan when it comes to being a Christian, and being a Christian myself I know that I shouldn’t judge others. So let me close my post at that.

Flight 447

I’ve been following this story since it was communicated this morning. As someone who flies a lot this is both saddening and terrifying. The Airbus airplane which departed Rio de Janeiro at 7:03 am bound for Paris France is missing. There is so much that is unknown about the Air France plane, it’s just such a tragic event. I have to say this though, I really disagree with French President Nikolas Sarkozy and how he handled the situation. He met with the families of the 228 people aboard the flight telling them “there is little hope that they will be found alive.” While I understand that more than likely their family members were killed in an unfortunate chain of events, I don’t think that I would personally have told them “there is little hope their loved ones will be found alive.” Until they are found lifeless – there is hope, no matter how little, no matter how slim the chance, there is hope. If it were me, I would have taken a totally different approach. I’m just saying…

Home sweet home…

I spent most of this weekend out at ‘the compound’ also known as my parent’s house…ha ha. I didn’t do too much there this weekend, just a lot of low-key rendezvous. Washed my car, trip out to the pond with the shotguns, laid out by pool, lunch with my Dad, dinner with family, and a short stop at a car show in Rockwall. My car was filthy both inside and out, and while I didn’t have the time nor energy to clean the inside, I did manage to hand-wash the exterior, complete with wheel scrubbing and tire shine application. My next car related task…a waxing. I took a trip out to the pond with the guns and was shocked to see how much the water level had risen in the few weeks since my last visit. Check out my photo it’s an actual picture of the pier on their pond. I laid out by the swimming pool on both Saturday and Sunday, and as a result both Krit and I are fried like a piece of bacon.

Later Saturday night I went to Rockwall to a car show benefiting a police man killed in the line of duty. It was fun, but let me say this; there are definitely some strange people out at those things. Sunday my Mother cooked lunch for the whole brood: fried chicken, gravy, new potatoes, green beans, and rolls, and for dessert an apple pie. If you wonder why I can’t ever loose weight…there’s your answer. My Mother cooks like that EVERY Sunday. I’ll be home again this Saturday for my nephew Jeremy’s first birthday. I don’t have a gift for him yet though, I’m still working on that.