Contemplating the future

I've never been more open to moving than I am now. The cold has a little to do with it. The fact that I don't want to be here when the Cubs win the World Series has a little to do with it. Yeah, I said it. The lack of close friends in this area and growing number if friends around the country has something to do with it. The fact that my father had talked about moving somewhere for two decades and never did also has something to do with it.

But here's what it really comes down to. I feel I'm progressing personally and professionally pretty quickly. As a result, I'm gaining confidence to a point that I have more to offer than what I knew. And that's saying a lot, considering the confidence issues I've had since I was a kid. I do enjoy the culture of Chicago, it's truly special. I have been here on and off for 19 years and all of the last 13. It's a home. But I don't believe this is where I want to live the rest of my life.

I do not know what city I want to move to, though I have a few ideas. The advantage I have is working at the school that I do, there are dozens of locations across the country. I have no lack of options. And with the work I've put in with this company, and ten years experience in this industry, I know what I have to offer. I'm just keeping my mind open and I believe by this time next year, something in my life will be different. It better be, because I want to be willing to take more chances and take a more proactive approach to my life.

Lead me oh Lord. Guide me along the way. Show me how to listen to you first, before anyone else. Amen.

Portland, Day 2

We got up around 7 and I walked straight into the gym. The one good thing about my balcony was it was just steps away from the gym. It was your typical cheap hotel gym: a couple of cardio machines, a water fountain, and a universal lifting machine, which is impossible to figure out. I ran 3.5 miles in about a half hour, as I recall. It's not as fast as I used to go, but I did use some inclines. And it gave me the confidence that if I wanted to do a 5k again, I can still do really well with some training. I'm convinced I'm still the only person who likes the treadmill over running outside. I'll say it again if the temperature is under 50 degrees, I ain't running outside.

After cleaning up, we headed to Ohno cafe near USM for breakfast sandwiches. I got us each an egg, bacon, and Vermont cheddar on a bialy. Good stuff. In the cafe, it was a lot of people who looked like they were ready to take a hike. Lot of beards, colorful clothes, a homeless guy with long shaggy gray hair just came in and got a custom coffee for himself. The night before, we're driving through a quiet part of downtown and we saw a series of people high as can be just stumbling their way through the middle of the street, totally oblivious to the possibility that a car might be oncoming. Portland, Maine and Portland, Oregon are so similar, it's frightening.

Anyway, it was a very overcast day, there was a 90 percent chance of rain forecasted. Mom forgot her wallet, so we had to go back to the hotel to get that. Thankfully, the hotel was only about 6 or 7 minutes away from the ferry terminal, so it was just a way to kill a few minutes. She had arranged for us to take the mailboat route off of Portland and to all around the surrounding islands. Unfortunately, on a day like this, the visibility was so low had we could not see more than a couple of yards off of the boat. Also, it was quite cold off the coast; my rain slicker wasn't quite enough.

What a lot of people do is take these large boats just to get around to different places. I can't imagine living like this, where I'd require a boat that only runs every few hours and costs $16 to take me to the mainland and supply all my groceries, mail, supplies, etc.  The whole ride took almost three hours and we were both anxious for it to end.

I did notice that the area was incredibly pet friendly. I guess a lot of the residents keep animals. The boat we took had at least five or six dogs at a time.

After getting into the car and turning the heat on, we drove north on 295 to Freeport, home of LL Bean. This was a really intriguing town, with tons of outlets and shopping spots. By this time, mom's knee was so bad that she was really struggling to walk. She did buy a pair of black shoes from Clark's, which will be getting mailed to her in the coming days. I hope this pair works out, she has so much trouble finding shoes that are comfortable on her feet.

I checked out the Bass stores, and it seems every time I go into a Bass outlet, I make a purchase, usually shoes of some kind. This was no different, as I got a pair of chocolate brown sandals for about 45 bucks. I almost brought a blue and white checkered shirt from Brooks Brothers, but the truth is I could really use dress slacks more, so I passed. I did try out the LL Bean outlet, but nothing in there caught my interest. I guess if I was into fishing or camping, it would be more my speed.

We did grab two bowls of clam chowder at the Lobster Cooker. They came in paper bowls with a side of oyster crackers. Eight bucks per bowl seemed like a lot, but it was an excellent chowder and I could really taste the large pieces of clam as well. Very hearty and satisfying on a chilly day.

By mid afternoon, mom appeared ready to collapse. But we stopped at a place called Wilbur's chocolates where I got a bag of salt water taffy for my co workers and a slice of blueberry pie for myself. Maine is well known for their blueberries and they were incredibly bright and flavorful in this pie. We went back to to the room (the chlorine condo) and mom napped for maybe two hours. As for me, I watched the Bar Rescue marathon and Family Feud. This Mets game didn't quite turn out so well.

By 5:30, we were ready for dinner. I had made a reservation for the Grill Room at 6:30. But we just have a knack for being early, so we figured we'd try. Mom actually had been hesitant to go, because she didn't want me spending too much. Granted I'd spent over $150 already, but I knew this looked like a great spot.

We got a spot on the street, that I never would have taken because I hate to parallel park. After mom bought the first two glasses of wine, we got a table. The coarse salt came in a bowl, not even a shaker. We were given focaccia with a distinct salt and rosemary flavor. The olive oil that accompanied was definitely aged, it had a notable sweetness to it.

We started with scallops topped with a bacon truffle vinaigrette and a frisee salad. Two scallops for 14 bucks! That's really steep, but they had an excellent flavor. And now, I'm all for adding bacon to any vinaigrette.

Mom got the swordfish special with lobster mashed potatoes (which likely jacked that price up about 10 bucks) and fiddle heads. They're a green that look like kiwi fruit but have a bitter taste to them. I guess they're used often in Maine cooking. Why they have that name, I have no idea.

As for me, I knew for a week in advance that I'd be getting the coffee and ancho chili rubbed pork chop with creamed corn, spinach, crispy onions and cider glaze. The spice of the coffee and ancho complemented the corn beautifully. Somehow the onions were gone almost immediately! The chop was very well cooked, no pink, but still very juicy. I would rate it almost as good as da pork chop at Ditka's. I also enjoyed a wonderful glass of Malbec for just seven bucks.

We were so loaded that dessert wasn't even a thought. Back to the room for more Bar Rescue, Beat Bobby Flay, and a few minutes of the NBA finals, which was over quite quickly. I would've watched ROH until mom said it was time for bed!

Flying back was a little tough. Security was actually the easiest I've ever had since 9/11. I didn't have to take liquids out of my bag, I didn't need to remove my shoes, and my computer stayed in my bag. I just took out my phone and belt and I walked right through.

Even though the flights looked wide open from Portland to Philly really on, we would find out it wasn't so easy. The weather from the previous night resulted in American cancelling flights. So all those people showed up the next morning. Mom got on, but I wasn't so lucky. I got bumped off two flights, which did give me a chance to listen to Joe and Evan on WFAN.

But after the second bump, I had a two hour wait and I was off to the bar especially since I hadn't eaten all day. I got a tall shipyard export ale, which was an outstanding beer. Medium bodied, copper in color, smooth finish. I had a chicken and bacon sandwich, which wasn't great, but it was ok. I was actually proud of myself for getting steamed veggies instead of fries as my side. I chatted with a local guy who is a power line worker in Maine. He had one of the classic lumberjack beards and the New England accent. Very cool dude, but that accent should just not be allowed.

I did get on the 1:20 plane out to Philly. The strange thing was when I got off the plane to the terminal, I saw the departure board, and there were no Chicago flights listed at all. So I had to run back to the main board two terminals away, only to find out I had two more terminals to go. Two days prior, I was slowly pushing my mother through these hallways in wheelchair. Now I was running to get to the gate on time.

I got there and it looked like a sardine can. There were 14 standby passengers, and I was 13, which was crazy. The key was I went up to the gate and made myself a thru passenger, meaning I was making a connecting flight. All of a sudden, I moved up from 13 to 6 and got a seat.

As I type this, I'm just flying over the eastern border of Michigan. As I reflect over this trip, I'm grateful I got to travel. I don't really have any interest in returning to Portland though. Hopefully New Mexico or Washington state will be checked off the list in the next couple of months.

Portland, Day 1

I hadn't been to Maine in 14 years. But it was mom's birthday weekend and I hadn't been there in 14 years. American airlines had only recently gained access to their airport after the merger with US Air. But they only fly into D.C., Charlotte, and Philadelphia. I think the last time I had to take a connecting flight on American was when I went to Mexico.

We missed our first plane, so we took a 7 a.m. to Philly. I'd never flown there before, but I was impressed week ask the so on the wall and city history on display. For instance, on one of the moving walkways, there were posters displayed of movies that had been shot in Philadelphia. Since mom's knee is still in really bad shape, I pushed her around in a wheelchair over the terminal. We went to Tony Luke's and split a cheesesteak, which was absolutely tremendous.

The flight to Portland took off a little bit late, but the gate agent never gave us a reason or timetable. So everybody was just sitting around wondering what was going on. We left about 45 minutes late. The disappointment was we had to cancel our boat trip that afternoon. We landed and picked up our rented red Nissan Altima, which only had 1100 miles on it and cost just 20 bucks a day.

We drove south to Kennebunkport, which is well known for being the Bush's residence. It's a classic New England coastal town, very little space to move, and a lot of little local shops right off the water. And of course, there was plenty of seafood. We went to Mabel's, one of the best known seafood joints in the state. Mom asked recommendations and wound up getting a two pound stuffed lobster with shrimp, crab meat, drawn butter, and God knows what else. I was fine with broiled scallops. We also split some fried whole belly clams, maybe my favorite fried seafood. It wasn't a cheap meal, but it was wonderful.

The weather in Maine is pretty crazy, I would actually call it bipolar. When we got off the plane, it was around 80 and sunny. By the time we finished lunch maybe two hours later, it was maybe 65 and the sun was tying to fight its way through a completely a gray sky. We did walk around Kennebunkport and they had a lot of nice souvenirs. Very classy, not trashy. But finding a parking space is just brutal. It's one lane roads with tons of pedestrians. So the traffic moves at the speed of kites and the space is so limited. After fifteen minutes, we did find a lot.

From there, we headed a little farther north to Old Orchard beach, where mom used to spend summers when she was really young. As we drove down Route 9, which is the coastal road in that town where everything is going on, it reminded me a lot of Coney Island. A huge amusement park, a lot of families, and a demographic that was very lower middle class. I also noticed a ton of Canadian flags. I guess they like to come down in the summers and warm up in Maine. We also went through the neighboring village of Ocean Park, which is another beach community. As we approached the old summer camp where my grandfather used to be a camp counselor, mom just started crying. She was thinking about growing up and how much it hurts her to think about how fractured her family has now become. It's not easy to watch, but I just figured it was best to give her a few minutes to get some more emotion out. Both of my parents have become absolute softies when it comes to crying, over the last 5 years.

By now, it was approaching 6:00 and I just wanted to go to the hotel, check in, and clean up. We checked into the Clarion, near the airport. I hadn't seen one of these hotels since I was last in Newark. We got a room on the first floor, which I'm not used to. I was happy about not needing to use elevators. Until we opened up the door to the room and then it hit us. The pungent smell of chlorine and bleach. The balcony of our room overlooked the indoor pool. After I was in the room for about 5 minutes, I got more used to it. But every time we'd return to the room over the weekend, we would open the door and that brutal chlorine smell would hit us fresh all over again.

Mom napped for an hour and I tracked the end of the Mets victory in Miami. Around 6:30, we drove six minutes east into the arts district of downtown Portland. We had dinner at Slab, a Sicilian style pizza pub with a really nice bar and dark interior. I had a German lager and one square piece of pizza. To us, it really tasted like pizza bread. The crust was pretty chewy and the cheese was really hard to notice. It was ok, but if I went back, I would have tried something else.

From there, we drove a little bit east on Congress St and walked into Blue, an intimate live music venue. They had a jazz trio playing, a sax, bass, and drum. I like that they didn't charge a cover, but the suggested donation was $25. Most covers for these kind of venues are maybe $10, $15 at the most. So I felt it was steep, but I figured they did that because they hope people will be extra generous. I drank a bourbon sweet tea, with black tea, simple syrup, lemon, and Bulleit bourbon. Pretty good cocktail, and it was satisfying, especially with spice of the bourbon.

N.Y. day 3

Saturday night was actually pretty low key. Gina, Jimmy, and I were going to go to a Cuban restaurant in Ridge Hill but they were booked between 6 and 9:15. So instead we stayed behind and had some buffalo chicken meatloaf, mini potatoes, asparagus, and homemade key lime pie.

Jimmy's mom made breaded avocado bites as an appetizer. I ate two of them and my stomach throbbed for the next hour. I don't know if it was the quality of the avocado or she put something like mayo on to help the breading stick. Anyway, Jimmy, Gina, Peter, and I made a grocery store run to New Rochelle and during the thirty minute ride, I felt I could hurl. Thankfully I didn't. We spent the rest of the night playing uno and watching old game shows on tv.

I woke up on Sunday around seven, much earlier than the others. Jimmy got up and made coffee. As a non coffee drinker, I opted for water. On the other hand, Gina needs about five cups to just begin functioning. Jimmy and I went to get bagels and I got a dozen to bring home. I did show Jimmy and Gina how to do some DDP yoga. Since Gina is a trainer, she was mostly observing. But Jimmy tried a few things for five minutes and stopped.

They were going to brunch and a beer garden to celebrate Gina's birthday, while I was going to Citi Field. I'd heard rain was forecasted for Sunday, but by the time I got to Queens, it was just cloudy and 60. It took about 90 minutes to get over there. I met Joe Curci, three plus years in the making. I gave him a big hug and we went into the stadium. I spent a good amount of time in the Mets Hall of Fame and team store.

For food, I hit up Mamas of Corona for an Italian sub. And since they have coke now, I happily spent $5.50 for a bottle of cherry coke. Noah Syndergaard pitched and his 100 mph fastballs and 90 mph sliders were awesome to watch. Michael Conforto belted a long home run and the Mets won 3-1, sweeping the Brewers in three games.

We had to leave in the eighth inning adj I could get to the airport. The night before, I realized I booked myself for a flight on the 29th, not the 22nd. So I switched my flight to the 6:55 and realized that the flights were a lot more full than I realized. All the flights were either red or yellow, meaning no chance to fair chance of getting on as a standby passenger. I told Joe that I needed him to drive me to LaGuardia and I wanted to leave early. We took the backroads and he got me there at 4:10. Thankfully, with no luggage to check in, I printed my boarding pass and headed through security, which was a lot easier than last year even I got frisked and screened privately.

I knew there was a 5:50 flight, but it turned out there was also a 4:50. I headed over to D3 and the flight was already boarding. I spoke to the gate agent as professionally as I could and asked to be placed on the standby list for this fight. There were already 15 names on the standby list and only two had been confirmed at that pint, so I thought I had no chance to get on, I just wanted a better chance to get on. She explained I had to go to the rebooking center at D1 to do it in the future, but she'd do it this time. I told her thank you and I appreciated her service and that I didn't want to add any stress. I walked back over to my bags and put on some music.

Five minutes later, they gave me a last call. My eyes perked up and I sprinted to the gate. They told me to get my bags. I ran back got my bags, and ran back to the counter again! I had to check my bag in, but I was on the flight. I was baffled, but thrilled to get home in the early evening.

Now to find some dinner...

N.Y. day 2

I woke up at 6:30. Jimmy's friend Gina had stayed the night over, but I didn't know that when I arrived and everyone was out cold. They're close friends, but they have that vibe where you're convinced that they're a couple. I guess it's more brother and sister than anything.

So Gina had to go to work for a couple of hours at the gym where she trains her clients. Jimmy had to work a bunch of hours at the men's clothing store where he's a salesman. So I left on my own and took the 6 train all the way to the end, at the Brooklyn Bridge stop. I walked across the bridge, took a bunch of pictures. Even on a cloudy day, you can get some wonderful views of the city. I took shots of the Freedom Tower, Statue of Liberty, Verrazano Bridge, etc.

Then I really wanted to explore Brooklyn, because I hadn't really done too much of that as a kid. I headed into the Metro tech area, which is a refurbished urban area. I saw LIU, Borough Hall, the Brooklyn Law Academy. I wonder if that's where Vinny Gambini from My Cousin Vinny graduated law school. Anyway, this neighborhood is not too far from Junior's cheesecake, which wasn't a draw back either. I had to stop and get a piece of pineapple cheesecake. And its still true, there is no other cheesecake in the world anywhere near as good as Junior's.

Then I just kept walking south on Flatbush Avenue. I saw the Barclays Center, which is where the Nets and Islanders play basketball and hockey. It is one weird looking arena, between the brown wood design and the weird almond-shaped structure of the building that I have never seen anywhere else. Right next to that is the new Atlantic terminal, which has a lot of chain store shopping and restaurants. I even stopped in DSW to check out some shoes, particularly summer shoes. But I felt I'd spent enough money on clothes this trip. I continued to walk down Flatbush towards Prospect Park. They have a big statue of John F. Kennedy. And it was just a really relaxed area to walk down. My dad said it wasn't the best neighborhood, but I've had no difficulties.

Gina picked me up and we drove 40 minutes to L&B Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn. They specialize in Sicilian square shaped pizza. I hadn't been there in maybe five years.  Gina is a rather stubborn driver. The parking lot has maybe fifteen spaces, so parking comes at a premium. They should actually have a valet service, they'd make a lot more money. We drove the same loop five or six times trying to get a space. Finally, she pulled into the lot and waited for a car to pull out and she took it.

She only had one cheese slice. Now one of these pieces is about the size of a playing card, they're not enormous. When I told her I was having three, she stared at me in disbelief. She thought there was no way I could put three down. And just as we got out of the car, the rain slowly started falling. And all the available seating is outdoors. To eat pizza in the rain, it's something that needs to be done quickly. I finished them in a couple of minutes and I could have easily eaten two or three more.

I asked her to take me by my grandparents old house on Bay 20th Street. It's amazing but I never realized how hard it was to drive and park in the Bath Bay neighborhood. But the outdoor stairs that led to that house seemed so daunting when I was a kid. Now they seem so small. I just took a minute, paid my respects, and went on my way. It took us about 90 minutes to go from Brooklyn to Pelham Bay. During that time, we talked about everything from church to fitness to bad jobs to driving habits. She's a very blunt New York girl, and we got along quite well. I'm realizing when I'm in New York, I'm mellow by comparison.

N.Y., day 1

After arriving at LaGuardia Airport around 9:30, I took the S60 bus into Northern Manhattan where I connected to the 6 train, which I took north to the Bronx. I dropped my luggage off at the house I was staying at in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx. After changing, cleaning up, and charging my devices, I caught the 6 train for an hour long ride back into lower Manhattan. By the way, it is so refreshing to see a subway that operates every 5 to 10 minutes all day long, unlike and Chicago.

I got off at Bleecker Street and walked east on Houston (pronounced How-stin) Street to Katz's Deli. I was really in the mood for a pastrami sandwich and this is by far the best place to get it. The one thing they do differently than many delis is they hand slice it instead of machine slice it, so the slices or little bit thicker than they would normally be. And the police was absolutely packed. It was just a huge crowd of people. Well one line I spoke with some people from around the country. They were from places like Sacramento, Baltimore, and Baton Rouge. The sandwich was amazing with some Swiss cheese and mustard.

Then I took the J train to the financial district where my dad used to work. I walked south to the lower tip, Battery Park. While sipping on a German lager beer, I removed my shoes, socks, and Mets pullover shirt, so I could get a little color on my skin. I did the same thing last year and it was so relaxing.

After an hour or so, I headed north on Greenwich to the North Pool and South Pool of the September 11th memorial. I want to to take some time and pay my respects. But I still feel like there's more to do with this memorial site. It's been 15 years since the tragedy, and I still have the feeling there's going to be an even bigger museum then there already is.

From there, I brought a pretty nice 3/4 sleeve t-shirt at Mets Clubhouse. It's blue sleeves with a gray torso and the Mets logo across the front. Also, it's Dri-Fit, so it's lightweight, but great in rain. I also spent about an hour just hanging in Bryant Park. I watched a lot of people play games like chess and Chinese checkers. There was even a spot for a bocce court. Every time I see old man play bocce, I think of my great grandfather. It's just a really cool small spot to hang out. Then I took the 7 train over to Citi Field. Then I gotta to a good start when I got up the subway and they were giving out free cups of Haagen Dazs ice cream. Thank God they had vanilla in addition to peanut butter chocolate.

I met up with my FB friend Lori and I got into the game for free just for trading her my free Mets Rushmore t-shirt. It was about as ho-hum of a one run game as I have ever seen. At least the Mets won. Then I had to take the 7 train west back to Grand Central and connect to the 6 train and head all the way back north to the Bronx. I got back to the house in Pelham at 11. I had been awake for about 20 hours. I can't remember the last time sleeping on a couch felt so welcoming.

Security checkpoint mistake

I've been communicating with this girl for four days and she is definitely catching my interest. One of the things I found very interesting was she is a security agent at terminal 3 at o'hare airport. What is so funny is that's where my mother is a gate agent. I found out she was working the early shift on Friday so I'd have a chance to meet her when I flew east.

I got up at 2:30 a.m. for my flight to NYC. She warned me that morning that the line was already out the door at 3 am. I was worried and drive to the airport at top speed. So much for these three hour long security lines. I got through it in 15 minutes. I got to see her after I came out of the full body scanner.

But little did I know, I guess I aggravated the girl. I mentioned to her colleague, who she was standing next to, that we were meeting for the first time. It turns out she didn't appreciate that I said that at work. She messaged me later, telling me so. So I had no idea it would bother her and now I've probably blown this.

Why do so many women feel the need to ruminate on a mistake men make and then bring it up again and again. I'm not taking about a bad mistake that keeps getting made. I mean an error that we made, we didn't know it would offend her, and now we can't get back in their good graces.

My mom has accused me of being insecure. There's a little part of me that still may be insecure. It comes down to this. I like the girl, even though we've only been chatting for four days. And I want her to like me. And I know what it's like to do the slightest thing wrong, try to make amends, yet still get tossed away by a woman. It's happened several times and that's a main reason why the idea of dating has me feeling so jaded. Because I have to tip toe around and if I do something wrong, women rarely, if ever forgive. And that's sad. Truly sad.

Month off

Well, after a one month break, I'm back in action. I'm a few days away from finishing my fourth straight six day work week.

1) I'm one week from returning to NYC. I'm thinking this time I'm not going to spend as much time in Manhattan like I usually do and I'll hang out in Brooklyn instead.

2) I tried painting last Saturday night with my friend Natalie. Not the outside of a house, like I used to do. But we went to an art supply store and bought paint, canvasses, palates, brushes, and a color wheel. The latter of which, I still don't know why we needed it. I already knew red and yellow make orange when combined. But I found an image of a sunset online and went for it. I didn't want to do anything too crazy, I was more concerned about the colors appearing on the canvas add I envisioned them. And I'm pretty pressed with the result. I can see myself getting into it. The only thing is what would I do with the paintings once they're done.

3) It's finally starting to feel like spring in Chicago. Two straight days in the 60s and sunny.

4) The social events which I used to be able to count on happening have just dried up. I've seen this cycle so many times that it doesn't surprise me. I'm just glad that I'm working as much as I am so that it doesn't have to bother me too much.

5) And truth be told, some of these people, I don't even care to spend time with anyway. There was one young singles group in Naperville that I attended a couple of times. Now I realize these type of groups can be clicky. But this one felt very closed. I'm not comfortable interrupting conversations or sitting down at a table where no one knows me but the other people all know each other. The way I was treated, it felt like I was intruding. So I'm really not interested in returning. Maybe it's that I'm almost 35 and have far less tolerance for BS than I used to.

6) Can Bernie Sanders just quit?

7) I'm feeling more and more like I could leave Chicago and be happy. Drastic change isn't something I'm comfortable with, but I'm feeling more and more receptive to it. Not sure where I'd go, but the mid Atlantic region, Dallas, Arizona, and North Carolina are on the list.

8) Part of me wishes I had a dog to go home to. The other part of me knows the dog would be alone 12 hours a day, and I'd be sleeping 6 of the other hours. A dog doesn't deserve to be alone like that.

9) Candied bacon from Honky Tonk BBQ. Stellar.

10) Knowing that I have the ability to get under certain people's skin without even trying is an interesting experience. I've never set out to upset people, unless they offended me or got personal with insults. Once I realized that I just have a knack for getting this one guy frustrated, I didn't expect to have the feeling of power and satisfaction that it gave me yesterday. But then I asked myself how many times have I given that same kind of power to other people over the last three decades? And how many more times did people try to push me just to get a reaction from me? It shows me that it's important to stay in control of my temperament. There are certain situations that continue to challenge me, but when it comes to challenging interactions with other people, I need to maintain control of myself.

Yes, no sports mentions in this post and only one on food. I'm getting more diversified.

Top 15 Merle Haggard songs

In honor of the Hag, I'm posting my 15 favorite Merle songs of all time.

1. Misery and Gin
2. I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink
3. Ramblin' Fever
4, Carolyn
5. The Fightin' Side of Me
6. Okie From Muskogee
7, Pancho and Lefty (w/ Willie Nelson)
8. You Take Me For Granted
9. That's the Way Love Goes
10. Today I Started Loving You Again
11. Mama Tried
12, If We Make It Through December
13. Working Man Blues
14. A Bed of Roses
15. The Bottle Let Me Down

Lonely Days

Four times I have tried singles events through Meet up. And all of those four times, I have come away terribly disappointed. I've given it every fair chance and absolutely nothing works out. The environment is so non conducive to meeting people. People show up, they find someone immediately they're comfortable with and they'll spend the rest of the night talking. If you're not one of those lucky people, then at the end of the night, you are one lonely son of a bitch. Twenty five dollars I paid, just to reinforce the fact that I am completely unappealing.

I have basically come to the conclusion that the only way that a guy can get a girl is to either be really rich, be really good looking, or be a complete smooth-talking scam artist. And I'm not any one of those three things. I guess that leaves me out in the cold.

Just had to get that off my chest.

Wrestlemania Predictions

US Championship
Kalisto vs Ryback
Prediction: Kalisto

Usos vs Dudley Boyz
Prediction: Dudley Boyz

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Prediction: Goldust, Heath Slater, Cesaro (if there is a surprise return)

Total Divas vs. BAD and Blonde
Prediction: Total Divas

New Day vs League of Nations
Prediction: League of Nations

Ladder Match for the Interncontinental Championship
Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Dolph Ziggler vs Zach Ryder vs The Miz vs Stardust vs Sin Cara
Prediction: Kevin Owens

AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho
Prediction: AJ Styles

Divas Championship
Charlotte vs Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks
Prediction: Sasha Banks

No Holds Barred
Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lesnar
Prediction: Dean Ambrose

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Triple H vs Roman Reigns
Prediction: Roman Reigns

Hell in a Cell
Shane McMahon vs the Undertaker
Prediction: Undertaker


Just did 500 free squats in 10:15. Feeling good. Guess I can go eat some more pizza now.

Six days a week

So I'm I'm a stretch where I'm working 17 of 21 days, and when I'm working, that means three hours of commuting. I find that Friday nights are becoming basically meaningless. If there's a social event happening on Friday, I'd really rather not even go. And I have been such a social butterfly in my life and now I feel like I'm stepping back from that. It's not that I'm becoming anti social, but maybe the big group just doesn't hold the appeal and excitement for me that it once did.

We finally hired a new girl. She's really cute, from Long Island, and an Italian. What's not to love about this hire! Unfortunately cnn I found out today that she moved here with her boyfriend. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I know it's not a great idea to mix business and pleasure, I personally never have, but I can't say I would have been opposed to it.

Thank God my dad sent me his new address, which I didn't even know was going on. Otherwise, I would have totally forgotten to send him something for his birthday. I'm pretty ashamed to admit that. But at least I didn't already mail a card because it would have gone to the wrong address.

I'm going to see Alonzo Bodden do stand up on Saturday night. I'm really only doing it because of the groupon, more than 50% off. He's really funny, but more and more lately, he's been going into these ultra liberal crusades, which are just annoying. I just hope I don't have to hear a monologue on why gay marriage is harmless. I don't need it or appreciate it.

A pint of Brooklyn lager for five bucks on the train ride home. Don't mind if I do.

MLB Predictions

National League
East
y-NY Mets
x-Washington
Miami
Atlanta
Philadelphia

Central
y-Chicago
St. Louis
Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
Milwaukee

West
y-Los Angeles
x-Arizona
San Francisco
San Diego
Colorado

American League
East
y-Toronto
x-New York
Boston
Tampa Bay
Baltimore

Central
y-Cleveland
x-Kansas City
Detroit
Chicago
Minnesota

West
y-Houston
Anaheim
Texas
Seattle
Oakland

NLCS
NY Mets over Chicago

ALCS
Toronto over Cleveland

World Series
NY Mets over Toronto

The Pudding Debacle

I have this co-worker who is really pretty, but she just comes across as being high maintenance and a little bit spoiled. She does like my cooking, she raved when I made banana pudding and roasted vegetables for two different pot luck meals.

So her birthday was coming up and she hinted she wanted some banana pudding. She didn't ask politely, it was more like "You're gonna make me banana pudding, right?"

I went with her game and decided to make it. Get birthday was on a Tuesday, I made the pudding Monday night. I put it in a new 13 x 9 rectangular pan that I was using for the first time. It had an attachable handle to make it easy to carry.f

So I took it on the train, had no problems. Then came the ten minute walk to the office. Not even halfway through, one of the sides comes loose. And the whole pan topples over, upside down all over canal street. Every banana, every Pepperidge Farm chessmen cookie, and almost all the pudding.

People have said I should have taken a picture. That wasn't the first thought on my mind. My thought was to get the hell out of there. I said something I shouldn't have said and kept on walking up the street.

The whole day, I went nowhere near my coworker. I was hoping maybe she'd forget all about it. Well, she said nothing that day. Next day...different story.

She came up to me on Wednesday and in a voice void of emotion, she just said "Adam, yesterday was my birthday. You didn't wish me a happy birthday and no banana pudding."

As my face was turning red as a cherry, and I began to feel completely embarrassed, I tried to explain what happened. She would have none of it and walked away.

I don't know if she cared or not. But to make this one up, I probably owe her pudding, a trip to Hawaii, and a gift car to Nordstrom

Signs of life

Well it is March. This is the time of year when the Midwest pretty much decides it's spring. We still need to wear winter jackets, but our truth aren't chattering soon as we step outside. Hats and gloves are optional.

I'll have to save a separate post for last weekend in Michigan. For now I'll say I have no desire to go back to Detroit, but Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor are cities I would definitely return to.

I'm working three straight Saturdays and I just finished number one. I'm just thankful I'm off on Good Friday, or I'd be working three straight six day work weeks.

I expect the Rangers to make the playoffs, win one series at the most, then promptly get eliminated by Washington. This team has blown so many late leads this season, which was just unthinkable in the last three or four years. The defense has completely regressed, especially Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, and most of the forward this team counted on to step up have failed. The three biggest culprits are Rick Nash, Chris Kreider, and Kevin Hayes.

In one of my ncaa brackets, I got 29 of 32 first round games correct. That's the good news. The bad news is in that bracket, I picked Michigan State to win the national championship.

Getting some notable gray hair towards the front of my head. It's not something I like. They say great hair is a sign of maturity and wisdom. I think it's just a sign of age. I think about coloring it sometimes. I don't mind some gray, but I don't want the salt to overwhelm the pepper yet! Then again, I'd much rather have a head of gray than a clean scalp.

I want to run again. I saw an ad for the shamrock shuffle in Chicago, which I ran two years ago and it gave me the itch. The issue is when can I devote the time to training. I know I can still go. The issue is simply time...and my refusal to run outside when it's below 50 degrees.

Song pick: "Full of Fire" Al Green