Drones

back and forth
left to right
sands of time
twist and wind
like a clock
tick and tock
everyday
fades away
wall to wall
in a cage
same old game
everyday
round and round
world of play
bound in chains
dying dreams
fading day
after day
so much life
fades away
born in hope
dead in time
trapped in maze
rats and minds
none are free
reality
sets in slow
seems to grow
dreams like waves
swept away
crumbling soul
shattered hope
day to day
try to cope
looking close
they're all drones
in disguise
made with bones
bloodshot eyes
little kids
boys and girls
hide behind
adult world
killing time
just like day
after day
fading dreams
fade away
like our minds
turn to stone
dying dreams
living drones

Doing it My Way

Keeping it short but sweet this post.

Work, life, love, weather, etc., all taking up time.

(ok probably not THAT much, but still.....)



I'm a big fan of Frank Sinatra, and also a big fan of Bono.
Did you know he's the only person to ever be nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Grammy, and Nobel Peace Prize??


So it's very cool to read this editorial from Bono regarding the current times and new year and how 'Old Blue Eyes' can help us relate to it.


And if you haven't recently, go listen to some classic Sinatra.
It'll do your soul good.

Welcome To My Island

Mention the words "paradise" or "tropical" and most people tend to immediately think of some deserted island, with powdery white sand and crystal blue water, and nothing on the horizon but a giant orange sun and the reflection of waves as they bounce off in the distance.

I imagine myself in a beach chair made of native wood, sipping a Corona or a margarita under the cool shade of a giant palm tree and a coconut falling on my head.

(maybe not the coconut part....)

ahhh..


Back to reality!!

I've found myself lacking a lot of motivation as of late.
Besides working out and going to the gym, and maybe my writing, I've come to realize that I don't have much motivation when it comes to any other aspect of my life - especially my career.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very fortunate and thankful for my current position, but does it bring me a sense of accomplishment?
No.

Do I have any passion for what I do?
Unfortunately, yet again, no.

I don't despise it, but I can't deny the urge to start, well, LIVING a little more of the life I envision in my mind.

For a guy with such an active imagination, this may be a challenge, but I can't help it! Be it a selfish notion or not, I see myself doing something remarkable and admirable. Whether it's something that makes me famous, or rich, or loved the world over, there's just something ELSE I need to do some day...............so why not make that day come sooner rather than later????

Having said that, I have decided to apply for the best job in the world.

I can't quite explain the new sense of excitement I've had since Flor sent me that link this morning.

It's not just an escape - I LOVE nature and the ocean!

Anyone who knows anything about me knows I love fishing and camping and hiking and bugs and being outdoors for any an all reasons. Boating, crabbing, lobstering, kayaking, rock-climbing, trail-running, snorkeling................I'm there!

Could this be something I was meant to do???

We'll see.............

I'll be accepting any ideas for the video application I have to send in.
Can you think of something I should say or show?
Let me know!!

..............and if I by some chance make it, you're invited for a drink and a naked romp around my island!

Link:

Doing Fine in '09

2008 was a year that seemed so much longer than it actually was.

A lot happened.

Engagements, weddings, babies, deaths.........

It was a year of firsts,
a year of accomplishments,
a year of regrets,
and a year of hard work.

As I look back on it, the optimist in me can't help but think it was a positive year.

I wouldn't say I'm lucky, but on the whole, things went well for me.
Although, most people who know me would totally disagree and say that I am indeed lucky.
Oddly enough, when it comes to something totally random like a scratch-off lottery ticket, I tend to win more times than not, while others don't.
Then there's gambling, but my game is blackjack and I think that requires just enough skill to say that you can't entirely rely on luck alone in order to be a winner.

(Then again, I did lose a nice chunk of change on New Years Eve in AC with all the 13s and 14s I was getting, and all the 20s and blackjacks the dealer was getting)

BUT, as this editorial can attest, luck is likely just a state of mind combined with the amount of tension you feel.

For a person like me who is usually mellow, this may just explain it.


I don't have any real resolutions this year - other than to keep up with the fitness regimen I've been on the past few weeks, and to pursue more enriching activities to fill my time with.

Career-wise, it's hard to give up something so stable in times like this, but the thoughts of pursuing something new are there.

Perhaps a Masters degree?
A new line of work?

Can you picture me giving up my high-paying job in S0Ho and becoming a Personal Trainer in San Diego or a Nature Survivalist in Colorado??? (seriously...........can you?)

I, as well as others I'm close to, are beginning to rethink what makes us happy in life - friends, family, career, ambitions, etc., and attempt to move in the direction of a more fulfilling existence.

Some have referred to it as a "quarter-life crisis."
While that does accurately describe it to a degree, it's hard to sum up all the doubts and anxieties in one little stupid catch phrase.

Either way, I look forward to 2009 with the same optimism I brought from 2008, and I wish the best out of life for all those I care for as well as myself.

And of course, it's always necessary to keep one's sense of humor......

Oh Hai!

Well hello there, my dear friend.

'Tis indeed been a while since I've stopped by for a visit.

Days and weeks have passed, and also has time and memories come and gone.

Thanksgiving was sweet and hearty; full of smiles and laughs and the warmth of family.
Weekends were spent divulging in reckless dancing and drinking and enjoying the company of friends.

Tedious nights spent working, along with enlightening hours of conversation; all spent in the same room on the same days.

The same miles covered by train rides with the comforting sounds of music to relax me to sleep, and, to provide daily doses of forced reflections upon an always optimistic yet melancholy soul.

Giant trees carried and decorated for Christmas, twinkling lights hung, and candles dispersed and lit to create the perfect holiday sanctuary in the comfort of my own home.

Heartfelt conversations.

Fits of secret jealousy.

Days of pity as friends lost their jobs.

Minor milestones along with minor disappointments.

In all, a decent yet comparably minute span of life.

And yet, life, still it is.

Good night.

Water, Water Everywhere....

I'm a Pisces, so I should naturally love water.......and for the most part, I do.

But the past two weeks have me realizing how annoying and yet necessary water can be.
The most recent event was the giant water main that broke and caused me to have no water for a day.

Just my luck that I'd try to take a shower and have the water completely stop half way through.


Oh well...

So here's the first and big story that got me feeling all this aqua annoyance......

Last weekend, I was putting in new molding in the spare room.
I'm renovating it to make it an office/guest room.

So Sunday I finish the last piece of the main baseboard and started - but didn't finish - the quarter-round.

Monday & Tuesday pass with no problem........

Wednesday morning my neighbor from downstairs comes ringing my doorbell asking if I have a leak or something in my place because he has water coming down through his ceiling!
I'm a little perplexed because I'm pretty sure I would've known if I had any leaks, but I check anyway and sure enough, all my sinks and toilets, etc. are dry. So I tell him to call the Home Owner's Association because maybe a sprinkler pipe burst or something.

SO I try to go back to sleep but I hear them downstairs making noise and cutting into the ceiling, etc., and the 30 mins later the HOA guy and a contractor come ringing my doorbell asking to check my place out. They look around a little and the guys asks, "Is this baseboard new?"

"Yeah, I was just putting it in this past weekend."

He goes into the spare room and looks at a sprinkler head up near the ceiling and follows it down to the floor and sure enough -- right in line with it is a nail I had used to put the baseboard in.

"Look. Yup. That's gotta be it. Your neighbor downstairs has a leak, so it's gotta be that nail. Why don't you come downstairs with us so you can see."

So I go down with them and sure enough, you can see the bottom part of that sprinkler pipe with a slow trickle of water coming down it. But what was worse was that the nail not only punctured the pipe but sealed the hole at the same time - resulting in a very slow leak that took 2 days for anyone to notice. This is actually worse because now the water has soaked into the beams and base flooring on my level and through the guy downstair's ceiling.

In my head I'm like "MOTHERFUCKER! You gotta be kidding me!!"

I admit that my first reaction is one of slight perplexity and annoyance, but also a few gripes.

GRIPE #1
I hadn't done anything wrong!
I was using standard nails of standard length AND it wasn't like I was blindly nailing into the wall, I was using a stud-finder and it beeped over the damn pipe - which is why I nailed there!!

GRIPE #2
The damn pipe is PVC!!

Now, this isn't just a pipe for your sink or toilet, this is a FIRE SAFETY system!!
It would seem common sense for a vital system who's sole purpose is SAFETY, to be made of something more durable than PVC plastic.

I asked the contractor if that's normal and he said it was common because PVC can expand slightly if the water inside freezes.
Makes sense, I suppose.........but C'MON!!!! REALLY??!!??
ALL the buildings I've ever been in that have sprinklers have metal pipes!
Most stores, office buildings, dorms........... my work office that I'm in right now has metal pipes!!

GRIPE #3
There is NO space between the drywall and the pipe.
Anyone even putting up a painting with a 1-inch nail could've hit that pipe.
Again - doesn't something about that seem idiotic?

So continue my story......
The guy tells me that they will be contacting the Fire Safety company to come out and repair the pipe. At this time, I get a call from my boss that I need to come into work ASAP because of some serious "stuff" going down right now...........(that is a whole 'nother post)......

Fast forward about 2 hours and the guys are there to repair the pipe.
They shut off and drain the sprinkler pipes from the ENTIRE building.
BTW - law requires them to have a Fire & Rescue truck on standby in the parking lot since now the sprinklers are turned off. (doesn't THAT reflect the vital importance of a fire safety system???)

So they bust a hole in my wall and cut and replace the pipe and the whole process takes about 3 hours since they have to put on this sealant/epoxy-type stuff and wait an hour for it to dry.

By the next day, I'm dealing with my neighbor who is actually pretty cool about it.
He knows it was a pure accident and not really due to any mistakes or negligence on my part.
Unfortunately, he couldn't stay at his place for two nights while giant fans dried everything out.

A day after that, and my insurance company sends a guy over to assess the damages.
He's really cool and says stuff like this happens all the time and to just let insurance deal with it.
But, when I ask him about building codes and some other stuff, he does say that there is a minimum distance of 5/8inch that the hole for the pipe is supposed to be from the edge of the base stud. This one was obviously less - around 1/4inch.
This gives me a good starting point and some pertinent info should I need to contest this whole debacle later....

So skip a few days and it turns out that minus my $500 deductible, my insurance comp is cutting me a check for $445.
NICE!
Also, I find out that my neighbor's claim is covered by my liability, which has $100k coverage, so at this point I'm thinking everything is good. I can do the repair work on my place myself and end up MAKING a few hundred bucks after all is said and done.........

.......NOT SO FAST............

Yesterday I have a note stuck in my door from the HOA.
Basically, they're stating the damage to the sprinkler pipes - being caused by MY renovation work - is MY responsibility to pay.
The attached invoice = $811.

FUCK!!

I should've known this wouldn't go away so easily.

I'm starting to really hate community housing..................


TBD

Let It Burn

This past Thursday and Friday were Teacher Convention days, so I took the days off and Day and I decided to go up to the new MGM Grand Hotel & Casino at Foxwoods in Connecticut.

We've been to Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods a few times and I love to gamble so why not.

Wednesday night, I'm checking out the line-up of shows they have there and amidst the lame acts of Seinfeld, Wynonna and Manheim Steamroller (who is kinda somewhat cool in a lame way....) I was surprised to see that USHER was performing there Friday night!

So after much giddy excitement on Day's side, I reserved two tix for us which only cost a meager arm and leg. But, what the hell. I love his songs and I'm sure it'll be worth it.....

NOTE - Connecticut drivers SUCK ass!!!
If I had to diagnose the problem, I would have to say that:
#1 - they get scared driving in the rain
and
#2 - they don't know how to fucking drive!!

There was literally an accident almost every 10 miles and it ended up taking us over 5 hours to get there. Granted, it was raining heavily at times, but that shit happens all the time in Jersey and we don't go crashing all over the damn place.

Anyway, we get there and the place is pretty damn cool.
It is definitely smaller than most hotels and casinos, but its stylishly hip and well layed out and the rooms are very sleek and clean. The bar in the middle of the casino floor has a live DJ who was spinning really good music and everyone was friendly and it wasn't crowded.

So if you know me, you know I like to play blackjack.
.........and furthermore, I'm pretty good at it.
I may be jinxing myself here, but I tend to win more often than I lose.
For anyone considering going to a casino - blackjack really, truly has the best odds in the house.
Its the only game where your own decisions can greatly increase your odds of winning.
Anyway, long story short, I ended up winning over $400 which covered my half of the room and my concert ticket.
SWEET!!

Fast-forward to Friday night and after leaving the table where the insecure Chinese guy almost got into a fight with the old-but-trying-to-act-young guido from Jersey, we head over to the concert........................and the show is HOT.
We sat about 70 feet away or so and it was a really, really good show.
He is such a great performer and a true R&B legend in the making.

So after the show we grabbed something to eat and then decide to hit up the blackjack tables again. We're playing for a while and then I glance over to my left and here walks in Usher with his bodyguard! He stands there about five feet away from me for a few minutes scanning the area and then decides to sit at the table next to us to play some blackjack.
(for those who are wondering, it was a $25 table. Yeah I was surprised he wasn't doing it up baller style in the high rollers area too)

Anyway, you're not supposed to take picts in casinos but we managed to snap one anyway.

"Whats that? A soft 17? HIT ME!!!"



Yeah so that was pretty cool seeing him there.
His bodyguard was keeping people away and we didn't want to be those annoying fans so we just let him be............


Now for some very sad news...........

The world's ugliest dog has died of cancer.

AAHAHAHHAH!!!

So very sad, indeed............


LOL!!




(I know, I'm going to hell. I'll save you a seat because I know you laughed also!)