MLB Predictions

NL East

y-Atlanta

Washington

NY Mets

Philadelphia

Miami

NL Central

y-Chicago

w-St. Louis

Milwaukee

Cincinnati

Pittsburgh

NL West

z-Los Angeles

w-San Diego

San Francisco 

Arizona

Colorado

AL East

z-NY Yankees

w-Toronto

Boston

Tampa Bay 

Baltimore

AL Central

y-Chicago

w-Minnesota

Cleveland

Kansas City

Detroit

AL West

y-Houston

Oakland

Anaheim

Seattle

Texas

NLCS

Los Angeles over Atlanta

ALCS

NY Yankees over Chicago

World Series

Los Angeles over NY Yankees

Perception of People

I have focused so much on how other people think of me. And I know so little of the truth. People will so often avoid confrontation, that they will never tell people what's going on. They simply walk away with their opinions and judgments hidden inside. What's scary is this kind of dynamic happens between family and friends too, it's not just some random person you just met. And I know I'm guilty of it. I try to think well of people. But it is hard some of the time. 

I wonder if one day, maybe in the next life, perhaps I will learn those private thoughts. Who was my trust well placed in? Who violated that trust? I think the answers I would uncover would astound me. 

We can't erase hate in this world. Our minds are full of sin and darkness. That can not be changed. All we can do is suppress it. And as this country and world descends faster and faster towards hell, I struggle so hard to hide how I feel. 

God, please forgive me for my horrible thoughts, my terrible words, my offensive actions. I am so wanting to be a great man, one that you would be proud to call your son, your own, your good and faithful servant. But I am so limited, so oppressed, so battered, so rejected. There are these obstacles that I don't know if I can get past. I struggle to last a single hour without violating your word. Truthfully, I cannot imagine me without my anger, my frustration, my self doubt. Even in heaven, how could my failures ever be separated from me? 

My disappointments seem to be so much more prevalent than my success. I feel like just a regular person, who will live for a few decades, die, and quickly be forgotten. I have no wife, no kids, no siblings, just a few good friends. And I'm 39, it's probably too late for any major changes to happen now, well, positive changes anyway. All I feel I can do now is work hard, save money, enjoy a trip and great meal once in a while, and eventually, I'll probably work myself to a sudden death. 

This Order Was Creepy...

Yes, that was an order I had to shop for today. God bless her, if I don't deserve a good tip for delivering those items...Maybe I should have picked up some chocolate and vodka as a bonus. 

Ted Nugent With The Truth

Ted Nugent wrote Joe Biden a letter via Facebook and it is going viral fast. Just in case it is censored, here it is in it’s entirety.

Dear Vice President Biden,

Although I refused to listen to it, I understand that during your presidential acceptance speech, you were calling for the unity of Trump supporters.

I remember four years ago my President Trump also called for unity. I remember how Congressional members of your Democratic Party responded by boycotting his inauguration. I remember how you and your Democratic party cheated and used the greatest law enforcement institution of this country to spy on my President Trump's campaign. I remember how you and your Democratic Party created a fake Russian dossier to try and impeach my President Trump. I remember how your speaker of the house ripped up my President Trump's beautiful State of the Union speech on National TV. I remember how you and your Democratic Party tried to impeach my President Trump over a Ukraine phone call. You accused my President Trump of pay to play. Come to find out Joe, it was really you and your son Hunter.

I remember how you and your Democratic Party blamed my President Trump over a pandemic that he had nothing to do with. I remember how you and your Democratic Party encouraged rioting and looting of my great United States of America. I remember how you and your Democratic Party used the media to spread lie after lie about my President Trump. I remember how you and your Democratic Party stole the election from my President Trump. This Trump supporter remembers all that Joe, and will NOT be unifying with your Democratic Party. Your abject criminal dishonesty is treasonous. You belong in prison along with the rest of the Swamp.

Ted Nugent

The End of America

I rarely, rarely put up political posts, because I know those who disagree with me will throw a hissy fit. For some of those people, that's the only time they comment on or react to my posts, which is quite sad for them. If you're feeling compelled to do that here, save your time and have your delusional celebration on your own.

But as my heart is filled with dread and pessimism as I consider the people who are taking over the White House and Capitol Hill, I can't be silent, even at risk of being censored like many others like me.

Do not ask me to believe that a president who was voted the Most Admired Man in America, above Barack Obama and a distant third Joe Biden in a recent Gallup poll, who got more votes than any incumbent in history, who got more votes than Obama did when he was elected in 2008 was somehow defeated by a man who has obvious cognitive impairments, who lost the first three Democratic primaries and was almost out of money and a woman who dropped out of the race almost a year before the election. Somehow this Democrat “dream team” managed to get over 80 million votes??? Really???

The President hurt a few feelings by being honest on social media and in press conferences. And for some people, that's what apparently matters most. It's amazing how so many people are ignorant to the truth of the last 4 years that he did his job and did it very well. Seek the truth, because you won't hear it on mainstream or the big cable news networks.

Here's what I've learned about American politics in the last several months. One party largely lacks morals and ethics. The other largely lacks balls.

It's our last night as a great country for a long long time. God, I can't ask you to bless America. We do not deserve it. I just ask you somehow to please forgive us.

NHL Predictions

East

Boston

Philadelphia

NY Islanders

Washington

NY Rangers

Pittsburgh

Buffalo

New Jersey

 

North 

Toronto

Montreal

Winnipeg

Edmonton

Calgary

Vancouver

Ottawa

 

Central

Tampa Bay

Carolina

Florida

Dallas

Columbus

Nashville

Chicago
Detroit
 
West
Colorado
Vegas
St. Louis
Arizona
Minnesota
San Jose
Anaheim
Los Angeles
 
Semifinals
Boston over Tampa Bay
Vegas over Toronto
 
Stanley Cup Finals
Vegas over Boston
 

Hello 2021

As I sit here in Richmond on this first day of the year of our Lord 2021, I think about what a terrible year we just survived. I think of all the people who died, whether or not it was COVID related or not, from Kobe Bryant to Tom Seaver to Brodie Lee, Kenny Rogers to Charlie Daniels to Charley Pride, and as an old soul, I recognize that the world is changing. And I fear, for the worst.

As I gaze to my left in a certain brewpub, I see a perverted rainbow flag. And it just makes me sick to my stomach how accepted it has become. Love may be love, but right is right, wrong is wrong, and sin is sin. And what most people call love, it's an impulsive feeling, a cry for acceptance. They don't know what love truly is, the sacrifice of selfishness, the truth telling, the enduring through hard times. To most of the snowflakes, it's just a temporary impulse. How tragic. I pity them, I don't hate them. Of course when you disagree with them, they think it's hate. But it's just pity that they don't know any better. 

I don't know how I would've survived in journalism. I am a writer at heart, but I left the industry in 2010 because it wasn't going to pay the bills and there was simply no room to advance as the industry fell onto its ass during that recession. But as I see the way major networks and tech giants are able to manipulate and distort truth, I realize that as a man who has morals, standards, and values, I would have been swallowed up and spit out. And as a current consumer, I believe there are many people who still love this country and recognize why we became the greatest country in the history of civilization. Unfortunately, there is a certain loud minority that wants to ruin everything for reasons I still don't understand. And the people who have the power... they can do whatever they want. 

I can't change the world. I feel like the best I can do is continue to work and save and have a little fun, and do it as long as I can while we incur God's inevitable wrath. The world is a bad place and people are not good. By and large, they will do good when needed, but they are out to help themselves and will step on anyone they need to in order to survive. If that makes me paranoid, well, I think I have a right to be. After seeing the injustices that have been incurred on my family, I expect no help from anyone. Divorce, prison, addiction, job loss, deceit, health problems, how much more do I need to see around me and in some cases, endure myself?

So how will I push through? The simplest answer is I can't afford not to. I know no other way. I live my life, I live with passion and purpose. Whether that's at work, in the gym, or even with friends and family. I never want to be a bore or lackadaisical. I need to have my integrity, and I will always be loyal to my convictions and beliefs. If that offends a few people along the way, I'll take that as I'm doing something right. I recognize there is a fine line between discrediting the belief vs discrediting the person. So if there's one thing I can make a better effort at doing better, that might be a good place to start. 

I hope 2021 includes new friends, real love, travel, more inner peace, and a closer relationship with God. Stay tuned...

Month Off

As I write this, we are one day from the happiest day of the year, Dec 23, AKA Christmas Adam. Ten quick hits:

1) Elvis Presley's original Christmas album is fantastic from start to finish.

2) As upset as I am about the Jets likely losing Trevor Lawrence, what's even more important is hiring the right head coach. Without a great coach, no quarterback will ever turn this sorry franchise around.

3) At least we have hockey coming. Jan 13, let's get started.

4) I made a roast duck and it worked out really well. I made a homemade spice rub, coated the duck at near the end with honey, and it turned out great The only problem is you don't get a ton of meat on the bone like you do with other meats.

5) I think it took 2-3 years, but I really feel like I now have legit friends in Virginia.

6) The Virginia Jets Fan club will not stop meeting unless every restaurant and bar is suddenly closed.

7) Ginger ale and Gentleman's Jack with lime is the perfect cocktail

8) It felt like Thanksgiving had this huge build up to it, weeks and weeks of being thankful during a disastrous year. But Christmas, it feels so under the radar. 

9) Rest In Peace, Aunt Linda. Go and suffer no more.

10) I try to be nice to people. But I will never respect the mind of a person who actually voted for Sleepy Joe and Harlot Harris. I only assume they are delusional or ignorant. And yes, the election was completely rigged. President Trump won fair and square.

Top 10 Favorite Athlete Lists

Current Athletes

10) Sam Darnold

9) Mekhi Becton

8) Jeff McNeil

7) Pete Alonso

6) Mika Zinbanejad 

5) Michael Conforto 

4) Noah Syndergaard 

3) Jacob deGrom 

2) Artemi Panarin

1) Henrik Lundqvist

Favorite Jets

10) David Harris

9) Laveranues Coles

8) Wayne Chrebet

7) Dennis Byrd

6) Shaun Ellis

5) Kevin Mawae

4) Jonathan Vilma

3) Jerricho Cotchery

2) Nick Mangold

1) Chad Pennington

Favorite Mets

10) Curtis Granderson

9) David Cone

8) Michael Conforto

7) Carlos Beltran

6) RA Dickey

5) Jacob deGrom

4) Matt Harvey

3) Darryl Strawberry

2) Jose Reyes

1) Mike Piazza

Favorite Knicks

10) Jeremy Lin

9) Tyson Chandler

8) Xavier McDaniel

7) Allan Houston

6) John Starks

5) Latrell Sprewell

4) John Wallace

3) Carmelo Anthony

2) Marcus Camby

1) Patrick Ewing

Favorite Rangers

10) Chris Kreider

9) Ryan McDonagh

8) Derek Stepan

7) Alexei Kovalev

6) Tomas Sandstrom

5) Artemi Panarin

4) Ryan Callahan

3) Brian Noonan

2) Brian Leetch

1) Henrik Lundqvist

Favorite Golfers

10) Happy Gilmore

9) Fred Couples

8) Tom Watson

7) Bernhard Langer

6) Colin Montgomerie

5) Lee Trevino

4) Adam Scott 

3) Brad Faxon

2) Patrick Reed

1) Greg Norman

Emerald Coast, Round 2, Part 4

I woke up for my last day in Florida, left Achilles still sore from the prior day's run. We drove west into Lower Alabama, through Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. It was striking to see the level of hurricane damage that had occurred from a month prior. Not just trees being knocked down either. I'm talking about mall signs being blown out, used mattresses still being left by the curb waiting to get picked up by a garbage truck. There were a lot of very nice new apartment buildings on the inlets that were probably designed to hold up in the extreme weather. But for every new building, for every sign of hope and progress, there would be a knocked over trailer or an out of service gas station.

We drove north to the town of Foley, where they have an extensive outlet mall. I have to say I think the gimmick of outlet malls are long over. A lot of times it seems you have to pay the same price you would pay at any other store, it's just that there are a lot more options to choose from. 

For days leading into the trip into the Gulf Coast of Alabama, I was searching for a restaurant to stop. I wasn't looking for 5 stars, just something unique and local. Reading through a book I got at AAA, I read a paragraph about the fantastic food at Jesse's and it looked like a place worth trying. As we walked into the dining room,  I was struck by the remarkably rustic decor. Old bookshelves, weathered signs, dilapidated musical instruments accented the brick walls. 

The server gave me two beer samples from a couple of local breweries, an amber and a pale ale. I went with iced tea. For the app, we got the New Orleans BBQ shrimp, which I order every chance I get when I see it on a menu. This wasn't the best I've had though. We got 5 shrimp for $12, and they were cooked well, but close to overcooked, where they were starting to taste a little rubbery. But I didn't love that sauce, it was more of a tomato flavored fish stock, not as dark in color as I usually would expect. We also were given a pair of warm crusty rolls served in a brown paper bag with a side of honey butter. Truth be told, I could've used another roll or two! 

And then the lunch got right! I thought about their pecan pesto salmon, but I was drawn to the beef tenderloin risotto. Hard to say why, I had never ordered risotto before as a main dish. I may never do it again, because I don't think it could live up to this one. Copious chunks of pan seared tenderloin, with mushrooms, tomato, garlic, parmesan, green onions. The veggies were diced so fine that the green onions may have been the biggest one. The beef was seared ask the way around, juicy as can be. The rice was cooked perfectly, a little creamy, but definitely not too heavy, and so satisfying on the cloudy, rainy day that we were experiencing. Fifteen bucks, a complete steal. I think I'm going to start learning how to make risotto and if I can make mine taste half as good as theirs, I'll consider that a success. 

For the other entree, we ordered their $16 amberjack special with a feta glaze, a sun dried tomato sauce, sauteed spinach, and served over fried garlic risotto. I really like amberjack, though it's very hard to find. This was a nice thick piece, grilled well and the combination of spinach, tomato, and feta always works well together. 

For dessert, we shared the pecan bread pudding for two with vanilla ice cream. Really really good, not too different from other bread puddings I've had but the crunch of the local chopped pecans was a fine addition. 

The steak prices are certainly high for dinner, but there are so many great options for both lunch and dinner that don't require spending a ton of money. 

After a 2 hour drive home through the rain, we were just going to stay home. I took a nap on the balcony outside trying to take in the last moments of summer before heading back into the stress of every day life. I had the sausage and peppers that we had cooked days prior and watched the World Series.

On my final morning, I lifted weights before Mom dropped me off at the airport. Of course, at the ticket line, there was a guy in Brady jersey and I noticed he hand his wife were having issues with their passports. Put it this way, they looked to be from another country, not that you ever know. As I went through security, the guy was a few yards behind me. The security guy was ribbing me about my Jets hat and I asked security to detain him based off the jersey.

This airport takes some major hits in my book. None of the outlets worked to charge my phones. They didn't have a loudspeaker system to announce the standby passengers. Thankfully, I heard her yelling my name and I got to select my seat, which I'd never been able to do before for a standby flight. After arriving in Charlotte, I got bumped of the 4:40 plane, it was me and one other person getting bumped. So I hung in the Charlotte Terminal E Plaza for a while. Thankfully, they have a Potbelly. Same order as always. Big Mediterranean with chicken on wheat with everything, no mayo, no mustard, extra pickles.  Except they had no pickles, so I asked for extra cucumber. And one more Wicked Weed beer for the road. I got home to Newport News around 9:30 pm

Emerald Coast, Round 2, Part 3

I made 6 eggs and an English muffin for breakfast, I was nice enough to let mom have two eggs. We drove to Topsail Park and rented a kayak. We had it for 4 hours and cost $50.00. Mom wouldn't go too far away from the starting point, which bothered me, though I was never going to say it. That was not an argument that I needed. But I guess I wanted a little bit more of an adventure. We lasted 90 minutes on the lake. Then we ate a Jon Smith's Italian sub that we had brought along. The Italian cold cuts was pretty good, especially when I added the hot cherry pepper relish for a little extra heat. But I will stick by this principle until the day I die, regular ham has no business on an Italian hero sandwich.

We got back and I really had a desire to run, especially after my legs had been stationary for the last 2 hours. So in the Florida heat, I decided to run westbound, shirtless down the scenic coast highway. After about 20 minutes, I felt a pain in my left Achilles. I made it about four miles or so, but I really ran 3.25 along with alternating running and walking the last mile. I limped back into the apartment, applied sunscreen, and laid in the sunset for an hour, trying to catch my breath and forget about the discomfort. 

After a shower, it was time for dinner and we went to Boshamps. Holy crap. And I mean that in the absolute most positive sense. What a great experience I had. The two of us arrived around 630 on a Monday and were told the wait would be 60 to 90 minutes. By the grace of God, we found two seats in the outside rectangular bar. Even though there wasn't live music going on, there was still a happy relaxed energy that was easy to sense. 

Grits, one of the bartenders, was super friendly and engaging. I started with a mojito, but I tasted more soda than anything else, such as lime, mint, or rum. Decent but not too good. 

Then the food started coming. The Devils Crab app in a Mason jar. Lump crab meat, fried saltines, a couple varieties of peppers (I'm thinking jalapeno and Fresno, since one of them was red but overbearingly hot), a little seasoning, and not much else. And more fried crackers with a little salt and pepper for dipping, and they gave us a long thin spoon for scooping. Now this wasn't saucy, it wasn't a dip. The dominant ingredient was crab meat, followed by crunch and spice. Satisfying, a creative presentation, but not a heavy dish that exhausts the stomach. They gave us a perfect amount of crackers for the dip too.  

As for the entree, I thought about their crawfish  salad because I love fried crawfish. Grouper is huge down there but I don't love the flavor and it usually gets overpriced anyway. I have always been a huge snapper fan when I can find it, so I went with the Snapper Destin. A large filet of red snapper, topped with jumbo lump crab, two gulf shrimp, served over mashed red early potatoes, braised local greens, lemon butter, and béarnaise honey roasted nuts. 

This truly may have been the best fish dish I've ever eaten. Crunchy, meaty, salty, hearty, a  complex fusion of flavors that came together perfectly. $39.99, and it was well worth the price. That plate went back to the cleaning crew  totally empty. 

They only had one dessert available, a cake with Maker's Mark rum, so instead I drank a Lucky Dog cocktail with vodka, and several fruit juices. Sweet finish to a dynamic meal. 

Now this isn't cheap for dinner, so lunch or happy hour might be a wise way to go. But this was a special experience and that snapper may well have been the most memorable part of my 5 day Florida trip. 

Emerald Coast, Round 2, Part 2

We started the day by driving over to Topsail Park, which is about five miles east of where we're staying. We inquired about taking a kayak later in the week, although my mom felt a little uneasy with the possibility of alligators. We walked about two miles to the beach and turned around. There were a lot of dunes, but my gosh, they're nothing like the midwest. These are more like hills, there's a ton of grass growing on them, and people aren't even allowed to walk on them either. What's the fun of a sand dune that you can't climb up?

Anyway, after cleaning up, we headed to Faith Assembly Church in Destin, or the Rock and Roll church, which is where my mom always goes when she is visiting. It's a blues based music church that is more of an older crowd but has a lot of youthful energy. You've never heard Amazing Grace until you've heard it performed mid-tempo blues with a sax solo in the middle.

It's definitely not a slick and polished church: there are no lyrics displayed anywhere, the stage lights were off when the service start, their online giving link is down, and on Facebook, they misspelled the world "church." But I guess there's something appealing about the rawness and realness of a church like that. Definitely worth returning.

Mom wanted to head over to Bass Pro Shoppe. It's funny, we had never gone there, and now we've visited twice in 9 months. All I could think about is if I had to do a Shipt order form this store, I would be so screwed. Fishing supplies, hunting gear, marine equipment, I may as well as have been staring into the human brain. She wanted to get a waterproof pouch for her kayaking and she was able to get that. I wasn't looking to buy anything, but when I saw the silver pouch containing the ready to eat Italian sausage sandwich, I nearly threw up in the aisle. It looked like a Manwich inside of the worst looking bread of all time. I swear, it was like some drunk guy said, "How can we go a few steps more disgusting from a combination of a sloppy joe and a hot pocket?"

I did make one stop inside of a spice shop. For a small bag of chimmichuri rub and a container of Butcher's Rub, I paid $19. These are the purchases that make all the sense in the world to me.

The sun was starting to emerge from the gray clouds so we headed home and I put some sun block home so I could have a little beach time. My friend, Cristin, drive two hours form Tallahassee and we met up for about an hour. It was OK but as I suspected, it did not feel like anything more than an online friendship. I wasn't disappointed, it was pretty much what I expected. I mean, let's face a little reality, when a girl is in her 30s and hasn't been kissed, there's a reason for it, and it is usually not her own choice.

It was around 3 pm and the Jets had just lost their seventh straight game. So i walked over to the beach bar at Pompano Joe's. As it turned out, it was Happy hour. On a Sunday afternoon too! I drank 4 Rum punches, $5 each. Was glad to drop the cash!

Mom made shrimp broccoli and pasta for dinner. The only other thing I remember about that night is doing this 1000 piece puzzle about the history of television which was so complicated. I think I spent 3 hours just putting the end pieces together. I also found out two bitches I used to know found guys to marry. More reasons for more beer. And sometimes alcohol is the only way to get through a jigsaw puzzle.

Emerald Coast, Round 2, Part 1

I feel fortunate to have even made it on the 7 am plane out of Newport News. 24 hours before my flight, the color on the standby website was orange, meaning I had a fair chance. I think 15 of 64 seats were open, and i was the first standby listed, so I wasn't worried. 

Well after not being able to get an Uber, I had to drive myself, which will cost me an extra 15 bucks or so. Check in and security were a breeze and I began my hour long wait at the terminal. I wasn't feeling any more uneasy than I usually do before I fly, I actually tend to relax once I'm on the plane. I checked the flight listing and it was suddenly oversold be one person, meaning about 15 or 16npeople had booked the flight in a 24 hour span. And I counted about 45 people or so in the terminal for the only plane that would leave that airport until 11 am. Then as a family of five wearing LA Dodgers gear showed up 15 minutes before departure, I don't know why, it suddenly set me off. It's actually a blessing for me that I can wear a mask in the airport, so people can't see me glaring. 

So the ticketed passengers all get on. There were 5 of us trying to get on. They call a Richardson, who is sitting next to me and clearly smokes a lot of cigarettes judging by the smell. Then they call an Otis. How are these two people going ahead of me?! I'm a D1 and checked in first! Finally the gate agent called my name and I got the last seat on the plane to Charlotte. 

Sadly I can't get into the Admirals Club anymore, which makes airport drinking and phone charging a whole lot harder. And all the food I've had in the Charlotte airport has sucked. They have the absolute worst pizza I've had in the last ten years. But I did find a plaza that had Potbelly, Bojangles, Shake Shack, and Wicked Weed beer. Not too shabby. 

It is almost scary how quickly my phone drains. I swear, 4 hours of moderate usage, and it's practically shot. 

Lunch was at The Shack in Fort Walton Beach. This was my first lunch spot on my trip, I wanted some seafood on the waterfront. Sadly with the heavy rain, we had to sit inside, right next to the storm windows. Would have been a great view on a clear day though. We started with the boom boom crawfish, which had a sett and slightly spicy Asian sauce and served with diced tomatoes and green onions and served over a bed of lettuce. Pretty good, but the crawfish didn't need the sauce Just deep fried with some lemon and tartar sauce or remoulade would have suited me just fine. 

For my main course, I had a plate of grilled mahi mahi with French fries and broccoli (I paid an extra 3 bucks to lost the mayo-based cole slaw). Fish was really good, a pretty good sized portion, nicely seasoned, and their tartar sauce was really zesty, it definitely didn't taste like the generic tartar that so many restaurants tend to serve. Their fries were those long wedge slices, and they tasted really good when dipped into some honey mustard.

I wouldn't necessarily call this place special, there are many that I would consider comparable in terms of atmosphere and menu. But on a clear day, it's a nice place to visit.

We did some window shopping down Highway 98, which is the main drag that is just as much under construction now as it was when I first visited a year ago. Two lanes each way and the equivalent of four more lanes that are nothing but dirt, road cones, and empty cranes. We actually stopped into a couple of shoe stores. Sadly, I would've had to pay $140 for another pair of On shoes. Nothing quite worked, so we went to the home on Miramar Beach and unpacked.

Looking for some live music on a Saturday night, we went to Graffitis Funky Blues Shack. Their variety of pizzas named after musicians really caught our eye. I could've ordered the Stevie Wonder, but I don't think I would've been able to see it when they brought it out. 

But that aside, we got a 3 topping 12 inch pizza for 9 bucks. It was a pan style pizza, not thin crust, but not so dish either. They served it with a decent amount of parmesan already on top. I think it could've used a little more sauce but it was still a very enjoyable meal. Throw in four good size glasses of happy hour wine, and it cost me $23, and that's with tax included! That's a steal. 

They had music going on in the parking lot, a 3 piece keyboard based blues band with a vocalist. Really nice relaxing sound. But then certain types of customers were getting a little too close and it was quite disturbing, so I was ready to go pretty quickly. We stayed for the first set and then left. 

Top 10 Country Music Lists

Top 10 Favorite Male Artists

Johnny Cash

Waylon Jennings 

Kenny Rogers

George Strait

Eddie Rabbit

Earl Thomas Conley

Charlie Daniels

Toby Keith

Ricky Van Shelton

Keith Whitley

Top 10 Favorite Female Artists

Linda Ronstadt

Trisha Yearwood

Tammy Wynette

Martina McBride

Emmylou Harris

Loretta Lynn

Patsy Cline

Miranda Lambert

Dolly Parton

Danni Leigh

Top 10 Favorite Duos/Groups

Oak Ridge Boys

Blackhawk

Restless Heart

Pirates of the Mississippi

Midland

Alabama

Gatlin Brothers

Brooks & Dunn

Zac Brown Band

Montgomery Gentry

Diamond Rio

Over One Month

Life has been so hectic and I feel so uninspired to write at times. Then again, I have no audience, so I'm sure nobody feels deprived. Let's do 10 quick hits. 

1) YouTube has old Yan Can Cook shows up from a San Francisco TV station. I think this is the show that got me into cooking more than any other when I was a kid. It didn't matter that I never cooked any of the recipes from that show. It was the energy and fun from that show that showed me cooking could be an art. When Martin Yan smiles, I smile. When he tells a dad joke, I laugh. Can't help it. 

2) I met such a great girl while horseback riding. Yet I am terrified to ask her out. She just seems so busy with school. Probably the girl who's not looking for a guy... until the right one comes along. And I'm no great girl's fantasy. 

3) The Jets. The Jets. The Jets. They are not getting any better. Not now, not tomorrow, maybe not ever. 

4) Every time I want to spend money, but I refrain, there is an internal victory in me that I have discipline. And usually, it's on food.

5) I completed a 4 week dumbbell workout, where I focused on certain body parts each day. Typically, I would do a little bit of everything. But man, with these workouts, I would feel the burn in my chest and legs for 2 or 3 days afterwards. I'd like to maintain this workout  but I think it would be tough once I start seriously running again. But what is the human body truly capable of enduring?

6) I have this fascination with visiting Annapolis, MD. I think I could spend 3 days there easily. But I would like for the Naval Academy and Maryland State House to open back up already...

7) I made something of a pact with God that if my biggest pains in my life was related to women that would be alright. Just as long as I could make a fair living, save some money, travel a little. I wonder if that was fair. Because I don't even need to be in a relationship for a woman to break my heart. Maybe my independence is my God. Doesn't seem like the most stable foundation, does it?

8) I miss being in a church where I feel I'm part of the community. Where the pastor teaches me, entertains me, and challenges me. Where the people take me in and actually have time. Where the music isn't loud overproducted and ovesung rock and roll. Where I have opportunities to serve in unique and creative ways. I hope God has that for me. 

9) If Donald Trump isn't reelected, I'm truly terrified of where the United States will be headed. The more I live, the more I realize the people who are truly hateful, intolerant, and dangerous are the extreme left. And to see my mother on the left now just because he mentioned the word pussy... I'm ashamed of her. 

10) 36 hours until Florida. I'm dying for a break from the daily stress that I live with. I have not taken voluntary time off from work since maybe February. I've freaking earned it.