Moving SUCKS!

I haven't posted in nearly a month! For the past 30 days, I have spent every spare moment packing household items for the move across town...or tossing old unwanted items out! A friend of mine told me that if you haven't used something in 7 years, toss it! I shaved several years off that formula and tossed even more! Actually, I gave most of it to charity and will definately use the tax write off.

Our realtor asked to show the place today to a couple considering a move from North Fort Myers to this area. I told her if they didn't mind staring at a ton of boxes and clutter to some on over. To our amazement, when they showed up, it was people we knew. Small world. One thing is for sure; if they choose to move here, they will pay far less than we did. Gotta love that buyers market.

What else has been going on in the world. I did catch a significant amount of Olympics coverage while I was packing. I love most sports and the Olympics are always a must watch in our home. How about those little Chinese girls and the age dispute! I love how the Chinese government comes up with excuse after excuse. The sad part is the IOC will just brush it under the table and lifve will go on. Sports are played by rules. When you break the rules, you are penalized. Maybe they will be a cooling down period of a couple months then the bombshell will drop. One way or another, there is no way a few of those girls are 16 years old!

What else...politics! Naa....not going there.

I took some great pictures of Fort Myers from a highrise on the beach last week but when I went to download them to the computer, I remembered I had packed the USB cord. The camera has a high speed SIM chip that will not sync with the laptop. I could get techie but I doubt anyone reading this would understand.

Tori's first high school football game is this coming Friday night down in Naples. I can still remember mine back in 1981 (did I just type that?). The thing is, I still feel young. I suppose that is a good thing....I think. I've always said I am never going to grow up. It was such a simpler time then. My parents have moved back to my hometown but I wouldn't shake a stick at the town these days. That is hard to say too. It was a great town to grow up in. I couldn't walk down the street without someone I knew beeping the horn or offering me a lift home. Of course, most towns have changed like this. Some change is NOT good.

Oh well...to end on a positive note...this coming Saturday is the first day of COLLEGE FOOTBALL! GO BUCKEYES............SCREW MEATCHICKEN.

Another week, another carrot

Another week down and 5 more lbs. lost. At this rate, I'm going to have to start eating a lot more. I found a grow house in San Carlos this week, and met the most kind old man...who also happened to be the neighborhood pervert. Funny story...he is really harmless...just likes to watch the girls.

We have decided to move to another condo out toward the beach. We have two more months here. The packing will begin this week. With two months to go, moving day will be a breeze. Yea right.

Oreo, our Italian Greyhound, had the pin taken out of his leg this week. He is limping but doing a little better each day. He will always be a hyper little guy and I will always worry about another break. The pin is about 5 inches long, really thin, and super strong. It is made of titanium. I'm sure he is glad to have it out. He can finally move his bottom joint (like our wrist...none of my degrees are in vet science).









Let's see here...sporting news of the week. A minor league player was arrested for felonious assault after throwing a ball that hit a fan in the forehead. What a loser.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-midwestleague-brawl&prov=ap&type=lgns

Bret Favre (I pronounce it Fav - ra....like in Something About Mary) has shown his true colors and in doing so, has lost all credibility...IMHO. Another loser.

My Buckeyes may be going to a two quarterback system this season. While this option has its goods and bads, it worked extremely well for Florida when they wiped us off the field two years ago. If Pryor is the "second coming" of Teabo, bring him on. Mix things up! Life is about change. Grasp it and run with it. GO BUCKS!

Quote for the day: "Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change." (Confucius)

39 days and counting...

39 days until what arguably to native Ohioans (and wannabes), is the best time of year. Opening day kickoff is 8/30 and as usual, the haters have come out of the closet. Why is it that every year, those who are NOT Buckeye fans, make comments in the media that they "hate" Ohio State? The latest was Carson "I am a weenie and will FAIL MISERABLY IN THE NFL" Palmer. Yes, I cannot stand dissenters of my Buckeyes. Sure I don't particularly like teams that beat the Bucks - the the Gators - but I highly admire their work ethic, history, and true fans. Just like our nemesis up north - I refuse to utter their name - I respect the team and their fans. So for Mr. Palmer, just wait until 9/13 and we'll see. Remember also....you'll be playing in Cincinnati this year - or most likely warming a bench with your fat butt.

Quote of the day: "Football is an incredible game. Sometimes it's so incredible, it's unbelievable." (Tom Landry)

One week down...

Maybe I should change the title of this blog to "Memoirs From the World's Most Educated Meter Reader." The meter reading job started Monday and as of today, I have lost 7 lbs. Another month and I'll be down to my ideal weight (168 lbs.) and be able to start lifting weights again. Too bad you can't lift weights while gaining muscle mass AND lose weight at the same time. Alas, our mere human bodies are just not capable of that.

The things I saw this week solidify my perspective on the human race. End result = NO HOPE IN HELL! How we have made it this far quite simply defines the word "miracle." I'll start blogging my experiences as the weeks go on.

Many in the office asked why a guy with a Ph.D. is working in the meter reading office. My answer is, "I want too." Having worked in corporate America, albeit a mere short time compared to my peers, left enough of a bad taste in my mouth to last me forever. This job affords me the opportunity to work outside (a passion) and see the sights, and gather information for my future tome. WARNING: The title in the first sentence, as a result of being posted herein, is my intellectual property. ;)

42 and counting...

Just another day right? Birthday's on Sunday's have always sucked for me. Add to that the 4+ inches of rain we are supposed to get today and that makes for a very boring day. I'll just stay inside and make Tori do lots of lessons on her online Algebra course. While that will make my day, she no doubt will argue. Hee hee hee.

I'm going to do something tomorrow morning that I have not done in nearly 12 years. I am going to get up and go to work! Raising Tori at home while Terri worked (and earning 5 additional graduate degrees) was an extremely rewarding experience and while I do not want to pat myself on the back, I feel I did a pretty good job. Now that Tori is entering high school - something I still cannot believe - it is time I get back into the workforce and make some $$$.

Quote for the day: "Middle age is the awkward period when Father Time starts catching up with Mother Nature" (Harold Coffin).

Rain, rain, go AWAY!!!

3+ inches or rain today and going. The forecast is for even more tomorrow. You just have to love the rainy season in SW Florida. Needless to say, today was an indoor day so nothing new to report. There wasn't even anything on TV unless you wanted to watch Michael Jordan parading around a celebrity golf tournament with a huge cigar in his mouth. No thanks.

Quote of the day: "I think knowing what you cannot do is more important than knowing what you can do. In fact, that's good taste." (Lucille Ball)

Photoshop

The New York Times is set to publish in its Saturday (7/12/08) edition that the picture of four missiles being fired in Iran yesterday is actually one missile filmed from different angles and "photoshopped" to appear like four missiles. This picture has been picked apart by dozens of media outlets and shows what is obviously a fake photo. In today's technologically savvy world, did these Iranians actually think we'd fall for this one? Oh wait, they don't think. What a farce.

On another note, the term "photoshopped" has become so prevalent in our society that it has been added to some dictionaries. I'm not sure if it has made Webster's yet. Anyone know?

Want another example? This one is a juicy one! Our local sheriff's race is heating up. Don't get me going on this election. I have extreme opinions on this one. Anyway, the current sheriff's executive secretary was recently partying with friends in the Keys when someone took this picture of "what appears" to be her peeing in public. The gals name is Brandy Cartaino. When blown up, the picture clearly shows some kind of stream coming from the place where streams come from and making a puddle on the ground. The sheriff insisted it was the hem of her mini skirt. The best part is when the picture was sent to a local news station, the stream was cut short of the puddle on the ground, BUT...part of Brandy's foot disappeared in the obvious photoshopped picture. I'd post that picture here also but oddly, it is not to be located on any of the local media's websites.

So what's the bottom line? Photoshop and you are going to get caught?

Quote of the day: "Life itself still remains a very effective therapist." (Karen Horney)

The Birthday Card

I just got back from the mailbox. Thankfully none of the neighbors were watching me this time around. My parents sent me a birthday card (42nd on 7/13). I opened the envelope up and it read, "Glinda the birthday fairy, came by to sprinkle some of her special 'aging dust' on you." I then opened the card and heard what I thought was a cell phone going off really loud with a buzzing type ringer. The problem was, I was not carrying my Treo (read: piece of crap), nor was anyone else around. So...here I am looking around everywhere trying to figure out where this ringtone is coming from when there is a sudden scream coming from the card! Inside the card is a picture of a bug zapper with the comment, "Don't worry -- I took care of her." The buzzing noise was Glenda's "glitter" and the scream was Glenda getting zapped. Good one Mom -- you got me again. Just wait 'til next March.

Now...as little as two years ago, I would have immediately known the sound was coming from the card. What is it about the magical age of 40 (or in some cases 41 or 42) that everything seems to head south? The eyesight went at 40. The mind is now playing tricks on me! The right knee that I had scoped 5 years ago is going to need a second round within a year. Thankfully I am in the best physical shape of my life (albeit the right knee) but how long will that last? Uuugghhh!

First post!

How INAPPROPRIATE that my first post to this new blog would be made with a hijacked wifi! My cable modem bit the dust last night during a really bad electrical storm. Everything in the condo was off EXCEPT the cable modem and it sacrificed itself. There was a bugle call early this morning...sorry if you missed it. Thanks to an undisclosed neighbor who obviously has an unsecured wifi. I'll get a new cable modem next time I'm at the store.

As promised, I must dedicate this post to my friend Diane. Her blog motivated me to start my own. I've actually had the blog for over a year but never posted to it. Diane is a friend from my high school days at Newark High (Newark, Ohio). While it has been over 24 years since I've seen Diane, we now stay in touch via the net.

I'll post daily and include some pics once I figure out which ones out of the thousands I'll no doubt go through.

One more thing...I'll finish each post with a quote of the day.

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." (Socrates)