6/7/11
Gone Fishing........
It's hard to believe that summer is upon us, seems to me I was just dragging all the Christmas decorations out of the shed to begin decorating, and here we are getting ready to celebrate the Summer Solstice!
It's also hard for me to believe that I have had this blog for 3 years. Seems like a few days ago that I was thinking about it and finally decided to try it.
I read alot of other blogs and I know mine is not even close to being a great one, but I do think for the purpose of sharing things with my family and friends, it is
a fun one. I have been very surprised by some of the people who leave comments for
me in that they have some of the more popular blogs and here they are reading mine
and leaving me a comment on how they like my post...very exciting for me!!
But over the last several months I have had a tough time posting things. Not that I am losing interest in it, I really do enjoy coming up with things to post,
but it has been hard to find the motivation to post very often. This has been a worry for me because I have several things I want share on here. But another blog
buddy who has been blogging for much longer than me, told me that maybe I need to step back for a while, give myself some time away from and then later on, take it up again. He has done this himself and he says it works for him. When you have a blog
you are constantly thinking of things you want ot post and share, or at least it has
been that way for me. So...I have decided to take a little vacation from blogging.
Just step away for a few weeks and not think about it.
For me,I tend to get so busy with "stuff" that the Summer is gone before I know
it and I have not done anything I had hoped to do during that time. I have lots of
fun things I would really like to do this summer, places I want to go and people I want to visit and catch up with that I have not seen in a long time. So this is
what I am going to devote my Summer to. And when I return to blogging, I will
get to share those adventures with you.
So over the next several weeks, enjoy your Summer!! Get out there and have
some adventures and enjoy life. I am reminded everyday in one way or another just
how fragile Life really is....and who knows....this just might be my last Summer,
and if it is, I want you all to be able to say that I really did enjoy it.
later
5/1/11
Maybe....
Maybe…we were supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that, when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.
Maybe … when the door of happiness closes, another opens; but, often times, we look so long at the closed door that we don’t even see the new one which has been opened for us.
Maybe … it is true that we don’t know what we have until we lose it, but it is also true that we don’t know what we have been missing until it arrives.
Maybe … the happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
Maybe … the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; after all, you can’t go on successfully in life until you let go of your past mistakes, failures and heartaches.
Maybe … you should dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you dream of, and want to do.
Maybe … there are moments in life when you miss someone — a parent, a spouse, a friend, a child — so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real, so that once they are around you appreciate them more.
Maybe … the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you’ve ever had.
Maybe . . you should always try to put yourself in others’ shoes. If you feel that something could hurt you, it probably will hurt the other person, too.
Maybe . . you should do something nice for someone every single day, even if it is simply to leave them alone.
Maybe … giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don’t expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but, if it doesn’t, be content that it grew in yours.
Maybe … happiness waits for all those who cry, all those who hurt, all those who have searched, and all those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of all the people who have touched their lives.
Maybe … you shouldn’t go for looks; they can deceive; don’t go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.
Maybe . . you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy
Maybe … you should try to live your life to the fullest because when you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling but when you die, you can be the one who is smiling and everyone around you crying.
(via creativeinspiration.tumbler.com)
Maybe … when the door of happiness closes, another opens; but, often times, we look so long at the closed door that we don’t even see the new one which has been opened for us.
Maybe … it is true that we don’t know what we have until we lose it, but it is also true that we don’t know what we have been missing until it arrives.
Maybe … the happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
Maybe … the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; after all, you can’t go on successfully in life until you let go of your past mistakes, failures and heartaches.
Maybe … you should dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you dream of, and want to do.
Maybe … there are moments in life when you miss someone — a parent, a spouse, a friend, a child — so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real, so that once they are around you appreciate them more.
Maybe … the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you’ve ever had.
Maybe . . you should always try to put yourself in others’ shoes. If you feel that something could hurt you, it probably will hurt the other person, too.
Maybe . . you should do something nice for someone every single day, even if it is simply to leave them alone.
Maybe … giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don’t expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but, if it doesn’t, be content that it grew in yours.
Maybe … happiness waits for all those who cry, all those who hurt, all those who have searched, and all those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of all the people who have touched their lives.
Maybe … you shouldn’t go for looks; they can deceive; don’t go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.
Maybe . . you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy
Maybe … you should try to live your life to the fullest because when you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling but when you die, you can be the one who is smiling and everyone around you crying.
(via creativeinspiration.tumbler.com)
4/30/11
Special Day
Today is a very special day in my family,it's my Mom's birthday, she would have been
93 today.
The first year after she passed away, her birthday was a really hard for me and my family. But I have been told that all the major holidays after a person passes can be
pretty tough, and they sure were for me. But after that first year, I always try and
use remember all the fun times we had with her on whatever special day we were celebrating.
Of course I knew this day was coming and had even discussed it with my sister, but
I had to get up really early this morning to get my car in for servicing and it was not until mid morning that I really remember it was her birthday.(to be really honest here, staying up till after midnight night before last really kicked my butt and I
am still feeling the effects,my brain did not even really wake up till mid morning this morning!!).
She has been on my mind all day. But then most days she is in my thoughts alot.
My Mom was a really great lady. She was always my best friend. I have a very lucky
guy in my life. I have had 2 very great ladies in my life that have always been
there for me, and I do mean always, my Mom and my sister, Jean. Not only are my Mom and my sister, but they both have always been my closest friends and allies.
So all day today I have been remember Mom's other birthdays I did have her here to share with.
My Mom was always hard to buy for, she had everything she needed and pretty much everything she wanted in life (except me living back in Texas close to her!!).
So every year we would ask her what she wanted for her birthday, and every year
she would tell us "O,don't get me anything, I don't need a thing". Well, after
my Dad didn't get her anything one Christmas because she told him the same thing,
there was no way in Hell I was gonna fall for that. My poor Dad paid for that mistake all year long! So if I thought about what I was going to get her, I never
shared that info with my brother or my sister, because that was golden information and they had to think up what they were gonna get her on their own!! And no matter
what it was we got her, she was always excited and about it when she opened it.
It is really hard to even try and put into words how much I miss her. She was always
such a part of my life. I am not really sure I will every completely get over
her being gone, but I am trying to learn to live with the big empty space in my life
that she once filled. But above everything, I am so very thankful that I had
her for my Mom, she was the Best of the Best.
Happy Birthday Mama!! I love you!!
later
3/8/11
On My Daily Drive.......
I have been driving the same way to work (and back) for over 8 years now. Over that time period I have taken several different routes to make the drive more interesting, but I always go back to the one I have used the most,the one I am using now.
I have also come up with different things to do and look for as I drive keep me alert and aware of my surrounds. My favorite thing to do has been to watch for the different stickers and emblems people have on the rear of their cars. Since I always keep my little camera with me I have been able to record some of my more favorite ones. I have to be discreet about it, I don't want some one charging out of their car and coming back to mine wanting to know why I am taking a picture of their license plate!!
So here for your enjoyment are some of my favorite things people have on the back end of their cars.....you should pay attention as you drive, I am sure you will come up with some favorites of your own.......
And My Favorite One so far.....
I have also come up with different things to do and look for as I drive keep me alert and aware of my surrounds. My favorite thing to do has been to watch for the different stickers and emblems people have on the rear of their cars. Since I always keep my little camera with me I have been able to record some of my more favorite ones. I have to be discreet about it, I don't want some one charging out of their car and coming back to mine wanting to know why I am taking a picture of their license plate!!
So here for your enjoyment are some of my favorite things people have on the back end of their cars.....you should pay attention as you drive, I am sure you will come up with some favorites of your own.......
And My Favorite One so far.....
3/6/11
Robin...and I 'm Not Talking About a Bird......
Growing up Gay in a small Southeast Texas town was not easy, trust me. There was so much I could not share with anyone...I mean ANYONE! So when the Batman series came on TV in the 1960's, I had to keep it to myself that I thought Robin was the most handsome man I had ever laid my eyes on!! Yep, I had a MAJOR crush on the guy who played the Boy Wonder on the Batman TV show. His real name is Burt Ward, at the time he was a young cute slim guy who had the greatest eyes and the cutest nose. But alas, time changes us all, I recently saw a picture of him and he, like myself, has expanded over the years!! I bet there is no way he can slide down that Batpole and jump into the Batmobile now days, and I sure bet he would get winded trying to run after Batman to catch the criminals now. I know I try not to run anywhere myself.
I haven't actually thought about him in a long time, but recently I came across a couple of things that jogged my memory and gave me smile as I remember those times.
I haven't actually thought about him in a long time, but recently I came across a couple of things that jogged my memory and gave me smile as I remember those times.
3/5/11
Just Trying To Enjoy A Nice Lunch.....
So yesterday I had a Doctor's appt in the after noon so I took off work at noon so would not have to rush to get there. I work in Beverly Hills and my Doctor is located in Alhambra (just a couple of miles from our house),which is pretty much across town. It was a really beautiful sunny Southern California day so I decided to treat myself to lunch since I had the time.
Now to many people, Burger King is not an exciting place to eat. But I happen to enjoy their food and every so often I will treat myself to something on their menu. Now I do have my favorite Burger King and it just happens to be on my way home from work! It is pretty close to downtown LA and when you sit outside you have a nice view of the downtown sky line (and the major 101 free way that runs close to downtown!)
So I got my food and made my way to their little patio area to sit out in the sun and enjoy my food and the beautiful day. I found a nice spot and just as I sat down, the first one appear....the pigeon. Now I am not talking about your run of the mill variety of pigeon, oh no, this one was a honken big pigeon. And it just landed on the railing about 4 foot from me and just sat there and stared at me. Now pigeons
are not an oddity here in LA. You see them all the time around certain eateries where they have BIG signs that at..."DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS". But I have to say
this was one of the biggest ones I have ever seen.
So I started unwrapping my sandwich and it just sat there and kept staring at me. Then it did something that startled me at bit, it jumped off the rail and onto my table!
I shooed it off and it jumped back on the rail and continue to just stare at me.
It made me think of the cartoon I had seen once where this vulture just sat and stared down at the guy who was crossing the desert on his stomach looking for water.
Then.....a second one landed, not far from the first and there they were, both of them staring at me. I have to say it did make me a little uncomfortable, but what really made me a little uneasy was when the 3rd and 4th ones landed on the same rail.
At this point I was half way through my meal and had made up my mind I wasn't going anywhere. It was MY afternoon off and I was going to enjoy sitting outside having lunch no matter what.
Then I noticed something that brought back memories of the Alfred Hitchcock movie,
"The Birds" to my mind. As I happened to look up at the telephones lines running
near by, there must have been 15-20 more of them sitting up there,and I swear they were all looking at me!!! The first one jumped on my table again and I shooed him
off and I got to thinking if they swarmed me ... I was gonna throw my packet of fries
up in the air and hopefully they would go for them and I could escape!!
I had flashback of the movie where the woman was running away from the birds and they were swarming her and eventually killed her. There I would be, sitting out on the patio at Burger King being swarmed by a bunch of wild pigeon while the inside
patrons ate and watched in safety.
It was at this point I was just finishing my last french fry when I noticed
one of them had gotten off the rail and was on the ground walking up to me on my right hand side. Guess he was gonna try to sneak up behind me. So I gathered up
my garbage and stood up thinking they would probably all fly away, but no....
they did not move.....not a one of them. They all sat there perched on the railing
looking at me. As I got up to throw my stuff in the trash, I did have a thought that
maybe I should not turn my back on them, maybe that was what they were waiting for, but not a one of them made a move.
After I threw my stuff in the trash I turned and walked back to my car, and when I go to my car I looked over and there they were, watching their next victim sit down and settle in to enjoy eating outside and enjoying the Sunny day, or so he thought.
later
Now to many people, Burger King is not an exciting place to eat. But I happen to enjoy their food and every so often I will treat myself to something on their menu. Now I do have my favorite Burger King and it just happens to be on my way home from work! It is pretty close to downtown LA and when you sit outside you have a nice view of the downtown sky line (and the major 101 free way that runs close to downtown!)
So I got my food and made my way to their little patio area to sit out in the sun and enjoy my food and the beautiful day. I found a nice spot and just as I sat down, the first one appear....the pigeon. Now I am not talking about your run of the mill variety of pigeon, oh no, this one was a honken big pigeon. And it just landed on the railing about 4 foot from me and just sat there and stared at me. Now pigeons
are not an oddity here in LA. You see them all the time around certain eateries where they have BIG signs that at..."DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS". But I have to say
this was one of the biggest ones I have ever seen.
So I started unwrapping my sandwich and it just sat there and kept staring at me. Then it did something that startled me at bit, it jumped off the rail and onto my table!
I shooed it off and it jumped back on the rail and continue to just stare at me.
It made me think of the cartoon I had seen once where this vulture just sat and stared down at the guy who was crossing the desert on his stomach looking for water.
Then.....a second one landed, not far from the first and there they were, both of them staring at me. I have to say it did make me a little uncomfortable, but what really made me a little uneasy was when the 3rd and 4th ones landed on the same rail.
At this point I was half way through my meal and had made up my mind I wasn't going anywhere. It was MY afternoon off and I was going to enjoy sitting outside having lunch no matter what.
Then I noticed something that brought back memories of the Alfred Hitchcock movie,
"The Birds" to my mind. As I happened to look up at the telephones lines running
near by, there must have been 15-20 more of them sitting up there,and I swear they were all looking at me!!! The first one jumped on my table again and I shooed him
off and I got to thinking if they swarmed me ... I was gonna throw my packet of fries
up in the air and hopefully they would go for them and I could escape!!
I had flashback of the movie where the woman was running away from the birds and they were swarming her and eventually killed her. There I would be, sitting out on the patio at Burger King being swarmed by a bunch of wild pigeon while the inside
patrons ate and watched in safety.
It was at this point I was just finishing my last french fry when I noticed
one of them had gotten off the rail and was on the ground walking up to me on my right hand side. Guess he was gonna try to sneak up behind me. So I gathered up
my garbage and stood up thinking they would probably all fly away, but no....
they did not move.....not a one of them. They all sat there perched on the railing
looking at me. As I got up to throw my stuff in the trash, I did have a thought that
maybe I should not turn my back on them, maybe that was what they were waiting for, but not a one of them made a move.
After I threw my stuff in the trash I turned and walked back to my car, and when I go to my car I looked over and there they were, watching their next victim sit down and settle in to enjoy eating outside and enjoying the Sunny day, or so he thought.
later
2/25/11
2/19/11
1/2/11
Looking Up From The Rut......
How often when you are outside do you actually take the time to look UP? When you are walking to the mail box or to your car or when you are out running errands or getting gas, do you actually look up and see the sky? If you are like most of us, probably not very often.
Have you ever realized sometime on your life's journey that your life seems kinda dull and you realized you were in a rut? You know what a rut is...Webster defines a rut as a fixed, routine course of action or thought, one regarded as dull and unrewarding. We have all been in a rut sometime on our journey.
Well,just yesterday I realized I have been in a rut. Sometime over this past year I slowly stopped doing things that I really enjoy doing and slowly my routine changed to the point that I spent more time at home doing nothing or glued to my computer..doing nothing. A couple of weeks ago on my drive to work I drove by
a park that I really love to walk in. For the past couple of years I stopped by
there most every day (except when we do not have daylight saving time and it is dark by the time I get here) and walked a mile, sometimes 2. But I realized it had
been months since I stopped by, not sure why, guess I was headed toward my rut.
I really enjoy going to the Annenberg Space for Photography, it is a beautiful Space
for different Artists to show their work. It is truly an amazing place. As I was driving to work last week I saw an advertisement of their latest showing and realized I had missed their last 2 showings, and I did not really know why I had
not gone....guess I was headed to my rut.
I have always been a big believer in living your life to the fullest, make the most of everyday you have because our days really are numbered and one day we will
run out of those numbers. I have friends who think I am a little crazy (and they could could really be right) because driving any distance to do something I really want to do has never been a problem for me. When I lived Palm Springs, there were
times when I would be at work and thing how nice it would be to go to Laguna Beach for dinner. I would get off at like 4 pm, run home and change and head to Laguna.
Now from Palm Springs that is like an hour and a half one way. Crazy, probably.
Fun...o you betcha. I could get there, spend some time on the beach, watch the sun set on the ocean, have dinner and be back home by midnight. I did that several times through the years and each time is a wonderful memory I will always have. (Even met a really nice guy on one of my quick trips and we ended up dating for a while....nice!) But I have realized that for whatever reason, I have not been on one
of my little adventures in a really long time....guess I entered my rut.
One of my greatest enjoyments over the last couple of years has been this blog.
I am always on the lookout for something share with you guys on here, but as I looked back over the last half of 2010, I realized all the things I did not share
with you...it was like I had just lost interest in blogging, which in reality, is not true, I really love it....it is just hard to do when you are in a rut.
They say the most important step in getting over a problem is realizing you have one!
(Heard that in a Co-dependency Group I use to go to years ago). So day before yesterday, I went to my park that I enjoy so much, and I walked a mile....and it was great. And as I walked I looked up and say what was around me. I noticed that
as I walked I kept looking down at the ground ahead of me. So I started looking up and when I did I could see the beautiful snow cover San Gabriel Mountains that
seem so close I could touch them. I noticed all the new trees they had planted in the park earlier in the year, and when I looked straight up from where I was when I stopped to catch my breath....I saw 2 beautiful Hawks circling right above me!! ( when I first saw them I checked to make sure they were not vultures circling me, I can not tell you how out of shape I have gotten in my rut!!) I had such a good
time! And yesterday,in the afternoon when it warmed up, I was back at the park doing another mile... it was great.
So look at where you are in your life right now.... 2010 was not a really good year.....we all got hit with so much negativity......are you in your own little rut?
If you are.....I hope you will join me in being "rutless" this year. I am not really big on New Year's resolutions...ok I have a couple... but my main goal this year
is to get out there and enjoy what life has to hold....hope you will join me .
Lets make this year the most fun and adventurous year we have ever had.
And yes, I am back to blogging so check back....you just might find something that will bring a smile to your face!!!
later...
Have you ever realized sometime on your life's journey that your life seems kinda dull and you realized you were in a rut? You know what a rut is...Webster defines a rut as a fixed, routine course of action or thought, one regarded as dull and unrewarding. We have all been in a rut sometime on our journey.
Well,just yesterday I realized I have been in a rut. Sometime over this past year I slowly stopped doing things that I really enjoy doing and slowly my routine changed to the point that I spent more time at home doing nothing or glued to my computer..doing nothing. A couple of weeks ago on my drive to work I drove by
a park that I really love to walk in. For the past couple of years I stopped by
there most every day (except when we do not have daylight saving time and it is dark by the time I get here) and walked a mile, sometimes 2. But I realized it had
been months since I stopped by, not sure why, guess I was headed toward my rut.
I really enjoy going to the Annenberg Space for Photography, it is a beautiful Space
for different Artists to show their work. It is truly an amazing place. As I was driving to work last week I saw an advertisement of their latest showing and realized I had missed their last 2 showings, and I did not really know why I had
not gone....guess I was headed to my rut.
I have always been a big believer in living your life to the fullest, make the most of everyday you have because our days really are numbered and one day we will
run out of those numbers. I have friends who think I am a little crazy (and they could could really be right) because driving any distance to do something I really want to do has never been a problem for me. When I lived Palm Springs, there were
times when I would be at work and thing how nice it would be to go to Laguna Beach for dinner. I would get off at like 4 pm, run home and change and head to Laguna.
Now from Palm Springs that is like an hour and a half one way. Crazy, probably.
Fun...o you betcha. I could get there, spend some time on the beach, watch the sun set on the ocean, have dinner and be back home by midnight. I did that several times through the years and each time is a wonderful memory I will always have. (Even met a really nice guy on one of my quick trips and we ended up dating for a while....nice!) But I have realized that for whatever reason, I have not been on one
of my little adventures in a really long time....guess I entered my rut.
One of my greatest enjoyments over the last couple of years has been this blog.
I am always on the lookout for something share with you guys on here, but as I looked back over the last half of 2010, I realized all the things I did not share
with you...it was like I had just lost interest in blogging, which in reality, is not true, I really love it....it is just hard to do when you are in a rut.
They say the most important step in getting over a problem is realizing you have one!
(Heard that in a Co-dependency Group I use to go to years ago). So day before yesterday, I went to my park that I enjoy so much, and I walked a mile....and it was great. And as I walked I looked up and say what was around me. I noticed that
as I walked I kept looking down at the ground ahead of me. So I started looking up and when I did I could see the beautiful snow cover San Gabriel Mountains that
seem so close I could touch them. I noticed all the new trees they had planted in the park earlier in the year, and when I looked straight up from where I was when I stopped to catch my breath....I saw 2 beautiful Hawks circling right above me!! ( when I first saw them I checked to make sure they were not vultures circling me, I can not tell you how out of shape I have gotten in my rut!!) I had such a good
time! And yesterday,in the afternoon when it warmed up, I was back at the park doing another mile... it was great.
So look at where you are in your life right now.... 2010 was not a really good year.....we all got hit with so much negativity......are you in your own little rut?
If you are.....I hope you will join me in being "rutless" this year. I am not really big on New Year's resolutions...ok I have a couple... but my main goal this year
is to get out there and enjoy what life has to hold....hope you will join me .
Lets make this year the most fun and adventurous year we have ever had.
And yes, I am back to blogging so check back....you just might find something that will bring a smile to your face!!!
later...
1/1/11
Where ever you are, there you are............
Well here we are, 2011. I can well remember when I was a kid (yes, I can actually remember back that far, and sometimes even farther), my friends and I would think about what the world would be like if we lived till the year 2000!!! Well now that I have lived these 11 years beyond that, I can tell you that NONE of what we imagined back then about what life would be like now was even close to what is really happening now. It is like that when you are young.
So here we are, 2011...a whole new year ahead of us....it is going to be up to us
to make it a better year than 2010. It's just not gonna happen on its own.
So I hope you will join me in making your own 2011 the best,most fun, full of new things and adventures year you have EVER had in your life....we can..we really can.
You just have to believe you can.....so get busy, we only have 364 more days left!!
Happy New Year!!
So here we are, 2011...a whole new year ahead of us....it is going to be up to us
to make it a better year than 2010. It's just not gonna happen on its own.
So I hope you will join me in making your own 2011 the best,most fun, full of new things and adventures year you have EVER had in your life....we can..we really can.
You just have to believe you can.....so get busy, we only have 364 more days left!!
Happy New Year!!
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