Is there a 12 step program for...

...turkey addiction?

When you buy a 20 pound turkey and there are just the two of you for Thankgiving, you get one thing guaranteed - leftovers.

Thursday lunch - turkey giblets.
Thursday dinner - traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings.
Friday lunch - hot turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes and green bean caserole.
Friday dinner - turkey and rice soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.
Saturday lunch - turkey and rice soup.
Saturday dinner - turkey and mashed potatoes.

Do you see a theme here? Up for lunch today, yes you guessed it turkey and rice soup. And for dinner some turkey salad sandwiches.

We gave turkey soup to our neighbors and still have enough for 4 more meals. We have enough turkey for at least 4 more meals, which means it may be a full week of turkey.

You may think I am complaining but no. I love turkey and I am in a gobble, gobble heaven. To me it is a high from a never ending Thanksgiving.

Find X

I wish I thought of this is high school algebra.

Minivans, Cougars & Menopause - Oh My!

It is 7:15 AM on a Saturday morning...what do you do? Go to Facebook. That will kill some time in early morning, right? Yes. Even better, you see your neighbor Anjanette is already on too. Yippeeeee!

Now, Anjanette is one of my favorite people to chat with. Since she is from the east coast too, she actually understands what I am talking about more often than not. Plus she is funny as hell and can keep up with my random nature.

Take this mornings chat in just under an hour we went covered:

• minivans
• cougars
• menopause
• elementary reports
• the movie Christmas Story
• college reports
• first cars
• high school fashions

Hopefully she will not mind me sharing our IM chat from this morning.

7:19am Tom - get back to bed.
7:20am Anjanette - ugh!
7:21am Tom - I know. It was too much clue playing. (reference to game night last night at our house)
7:21am Anjanette - hey, Sam forgot today is Saturday, and he's picking up his new (used) minivan this AM, so could we go to a later movie? (we are going to see Four Christmas today)
7:22am Tom - yes, we can.
7:22am Anjanette - cool...sorry about that.
7:22am Tom - he bought a minivan?
7:22am Anjanette - yes, the stalker van finally died. (Sam owns a white van for his dry cleaning business; it looks like the type of van to lure children with candy)
7:22am Tom - yeah. I mean, darn.
7:22am Tom - what time do you want to go instead?
7:22am Anjanette - 1:30?
7:22am Tom - ok.
7:23am Anjanette - thanks.
7:23am Tom - the movie is at 1:45 at Flatirons. Do you want to meet there or will you be home before?
7:23am Anjanette - Yes we can leave from here.
7:23am Tom - ok...let's leave at 1, so we have time.
7:23am Tom - not sure how busy afternoon will be and it takes 20 to get there.
7:23am Tom - does that work?
7:24am Anjanette - ok! we can drive!
7:24am Tom - cool, in the new minivan?
7:24am Anjanette - I don't think so - he won't have all the paperwork done. The Civic.
7:25am Tom - darn.
7:25am Anjanette - yeah.
7:26am Tom - I was going to pretend Sam was the Dad and be the screaming kid in the back of the minivan throwing my juice box at him.
7:26am Anjanette - oh he'd love juice all over the new minivan :):)
7:26am Tom - you know you have accepted you are in a stable relationship when you buy a mini-van.
7:27am Anjanette - well, he justifies it because it's for work, it's not like we're ever going to haul around kiddies.
7:27am Tom - but the ladies will not know that.
7:27am Tom - they pull up and think soccer Dad.
7:27am Tom - he is officially off the market and never able to go back on with a mini-van....it is better than a wedding ring because you can see it miles away.
7:29am Anjanette - or, it just upped his cougar rating.
7:29am Tom - huh, I did not think of that.
7:29am Tom - that may be true.
7:30am Anjanette - yes...those cougar ladies loooooovvvvveee Sam.
7:30am Tom - that they do.
7:30am Tom - you should get a bumper sticker for the back of the mini-van that says, I break for cougars.
7:31am Anjanette - you should do that - I will give you the $.
7:31am Anjanette - That would be HILARIOUS.
7:31am Anjanette - forget it he just read our IM.
7:32am Anjanette - or one of those signs that says cougar on boards.
7:32am Tom - http://site.animalden.com/images/cj/12399.jpg.
7:33am Tom - ha.
7:33am Tom - I found Sam's favorite new site - http://www.sugardaddies.com/date-a-cougar.gif.
7:34am Anjanette - oK they are younger than me. Cougars are like 50.
7:34am Anjanette - at least they are in my mind
7:34am Tom - yeah, they get younger every year.
7:35am Anjanette - crap
7:35am Tom - http://www.dateacougar.com.
7:35am Tom - I don't know...you may be a cougar already.
7:35am Tom - they seem younger than we thought.
7:36am Tom - I may send Sam's info to this women - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcK5HgmKMYI.
7:37am Tom - did you know they have their own channel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sz1eEWgGDk&feature=related.
7:38am Anjanette - OMG! I still contend that to be a cougar you have to be 50.
7:38am Anjanette - I think the main requirement is that you've been through 'the change.'
7:38am Tom - I love that you put the change in parenthesis.
7:38am Tom - That made me smile.
7:39am Anjanette - Sam asked me last night when I would go through 'the change' - he said what, like in three more years or something!!!
7:40am Tom - ha!
7:40am Tom - now that is damn funny.
7:40am Tom - that made me laugh out loud.
7:40am Tom - Did he do air quotes when he said 'the change'?
7:41am Anjanette - no, we didn't do air quotes (but I do like air quotes)
7:41am Tom - I love that Sam called it the change.
7:41am Tom - I bet that is what his Mom calls it.
7:42am Anjanette - Probably!
7:43am Tom - this can help you - http://www.earlymenopause.com.
7:43am Tom - there is a checklist.
7:43am Tom - or even better this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKiMr4K9Pt4.
7:45am Anjanette - oK I have always had all the mental symptoms on the checklist and if I ever get the physical ones just shoot me and bury me below the pond.
7:45am Tom - it is a deal.
7:46am Anjanette - I can feed the koi for the next 10 years.
7:46am Tom - that is true...they do live to be 80, so that will help.
7:46am Tom - the internet really does have everything. How did we live without it?
7:46am Anjanette - I don't know! I still remember going into the library in college and thinking oh, crap I wonder if they have any books analyzing Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome left or if all the other assholes in my class already checked them out.
7:47am Tom - yeah, school reports were always a bitch.
7:47am Tom - if you procrastinated you always had to select your topic based on what was left for books
7:47am Anjanette - esp when u needed like 3 different citations
7:48am Tom - Yeah....kids have it so damn easy today.
7:48am Anjanette - they have no idea
7:48am Anjanette - it's like walking down hill both ways, metaphorically
7:48am Tom - in the 3rd grade I did a report on the life of the Osprey.
7:48am Tom - it was my first choice.
7:48am Tom - I was really interested in birds for some reason.
7:48am Tom - I thought this was a good memory to share.
7:48am Tom - on the cover I drew a picture of an osprey and colored it.
7:49am Anjanette - cool! My fave elementary report was about Norway.
7:49am Anjanette - I thought it was cool because it was shaped like a spoon.
7:49am Tom - it is shaped like a spoon. Was that your lead?
7:49am Tom - I brought the report to class in one of those plastic covers with the binding...I was such a kiss ass.
7:49am Anjanette - oh that was good.
7:49am Tom - yeah, I figured the plastic binding gave it a little extra something to set it apart from the others.
7:50am Anjanette - yes! I too was a kiss ass - I traced a picture of it and colored it in and labeled it like a map, and I think I also brought in a kitchen spoon
7:50am Anjanette - like in A Christmas Story. A ++++++++++++++
7:51am Tom - that is what I was thinking too...I love that movie.
7:51am Tom - you'll shoot your eye out.(this is when the movie quotes ensue)
7:51am Anjanette - I can't put my arms down!
7:51am Anjanette - meat loaf meat loaf double beet loaf.
7:51am Tom - oh fudge...but I didn't say fudge.
7:51am Anjanette - I triple dog dare you.
7:53am Tom - only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.
7:53am Anjanette - yes - that's the best part of the movie. You win!
7:53am Tom - and let's not forget - I want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle! which is the central theme.
7:53am Tom - I should have done a paper on that movie.
7:54am Anjanette - you would have gotten an A+
7:55am Tom - I did a paper on college on whether cartoons like Scooby Doo with stereotypical females like Daphne and Velma were just a reflection of society or perpetuated the behavior in new generations.
7:55am Anjanette - in the third grade?
7:55am Anjanette - oh, in college.
7:55am Tom = I got an A+. The professor thought I was deep.
7:55am Anjanette - Wow!
7:55am Tom - I just wanted to watch cartoons, but he thought it was a very poignant questions on the power of media in children.
7:56am Tom - what an ass! I wrote it 2 days before it was due and it was supposed to be based on a semester of research.
7:56am Anjanette - my best paper was called "On Public Spitting."
7:56am Anjanette - I analyzed why men spit in public and compared it to animals pissing in corners to mark their territory. It was for Sociology.
7:56am Tom - that is a good one too.
7:56am Anjanette - yeah, but it does sound pretty spot on.
7:56am Anjanette - I do kinda think stereotypes are perpetuated - like Barbie! What a delusion. Tricking little girls into thinking that you will be tall, have thin thighs and perpetually pointed feet.
7:56am Tom - I would have given your paper an A too.
7:57am Tom - yeah, if a real women looked like Barbie she would fall over.
7:57am Tom - I did my Psychology paper on how people to do not like to point out when your friends do something stupid.
7:57am Tom - I sent 20 birthday cards to friends and family on the wrong birth date and tracked how many responded to tell me I sent it on a date that was not their birthday.
7:58am Anjanette - That is funny.
7:58am Anjanette - I would have told you.
7:58am Tom - only one person did...my Mom.
7:58am Anjanette - to me that's like not telling someone that their zipper is down.
7:58am Tom - the other 19 said nothing.
7:58am Anjanette - of course I'm way blunt.
7:59am Tom - you are, but I appreciate that.
7:59am Anjanette - that's actually really surprising!
7:59amTom - I also did a test of nice beeping versus mean beeping.
7:59am Anjanette - ?
7:59am Tom - if you honk at people walking once they do not do anything.
7:59am Tom - if you honk at people walking by and you do a double beep, beep honk...they always wave.
7:59am Anjanette - so is mean beeping multiple beeps by definition?
7:59am Tom - I tested it like 50 times...and it is true.
7:59am Anjanette - three or more
7:59am Anjanette - huh!
8:00am Tom - yes...a beep, beep, beep is seen as more friendly.
8:00am Tom - not sure why.
8:00am Tom - it seems more like a warning to me...but I think people just like to wave so they do not seem rude.
8:00am Anjanette - my first car, a Ford Fiesta, had the sweetest little beep - like teet teet! :):) and so no matter whether I was mad or not it always sounded sweet.
8:00am Anjanette - but maybe I was always just double beeping.
8:01am Tom - my first car did too...it was a Ford Escort and people called it the pussy horn.
8:01am Tom - that made me sad.
8:01am Anjanette - ha!
8:01am Tom - I also had florescent window wipers.
8:01am Anjanette - oooh tacky
8:01am Tom - how people did not know I was gay in high school is beyond me.
8:01am Tom - they were florescent green
8:01am Tom - but the late 80's/early 90s were a strange time in deed.
8:02am Anjanette - wow, though I don't think the window wipers were the main hallmark / key distinguishing factor
8:02am Tom - yeah, it was probably the fact that I was quite nelly and couldn't throw a football...more than the window wipers.
8:03am Anjanette -or maybe it was because you didn't like girls
8:03am Tom - that too, but I pretended in high school
8:03am Tom - I bet you wore a lot of hair scrunchies
8:04am Anjanette - no, actually not a lot of scrunchies, but I did wear a lot of really long sweaters with footless dance tights
8:04am Tom - ah...how Jennifer Beals of you.
8:04am Anjanette - very
8:04am Tom - did you have a sweater dress?
8:04am Anjanette - no, I was cooler than that I had big sweaters that I wore like a dress (didn't have money for actual sweater dresses)
8:04am Tom - http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.22121679.jpg.
8:04am Anjanette - it looks like she forgot to put on pants!!
8:04am Anjanette - did u flip up your izod shirt collars?
8:05am Tom - no, I was too much of a geek to wear izod...come on.
8:05am Anjanette - it looks like she forgot to put on pants!!
8:06am Tom - I did wear Bill Cosby style sweaters when I dressed up.
8:06am Tom - http://www.originalprop.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/bill-cosby-show-sweaters-charity-ebay-auction-x425.jpg
8:06am Tom - I sort of looked like her - http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1087/879126720_01fc5b049c.jpg
8:07am Tom - this poor girl...you know she played softball and just wasn't "interested" in boys
8:08am Tom - I used to shop at the Chess King...remember them
8:09am Anjanette - Oh yes...I remember the Chess King! Wow, you were the patchwork sweater dude.
8:09am Tom - they were cool in the early 80s, but wore them in the late 80s when it was the patchwork sweater.
8:09am Tom - I actually had a brown and black one.
8:09am Tom - did you shop at the Deb?
8:10am Anjanette - I did a little - but mostly I turned my clothes from dance class into school clothes
8:10am Tom - nice...very Jennifer Beals.
8:10am Tom - good thing you were not an ice skater...those outfits are harder in mainstream high school
8:12am Anjanette - yes
8:13am Tom - ah, high school...such magical times
8:13am Tom - you do wish you could go back now and relive with the knowledge you have now
8:14am Tom - permanent record my ass!
8:15am Anjanette - heck yea!
8:16am Tom - well, I must go...Dale is waking up and he says I spend too much time on the internet.
8:16am Anjanette - ciao

Finally, some snow.

It finally snowed some last night. It was starting to get embarrassing to say I lied in Denver, but have not seen the white stuff this year. Now, as you can see,(these are the views from my back patio wondow; too cold to go outside for photo shoot)we are not talking much in terms of accumulation, but since we have only seen 1/10th of an inch in the Denver metro area between October and November, I will take what I can get.


I always love the look of a fresh snowfall. It is so beautiful when everything is covered and is is pristine, before the dogs, children and cars have tracked across everything. Hopefully we will get a little bit more, so everything actually is covered.

Happy winter!

Get a clue!

Tonight our friends/neighbors Sam and Anjanette joined us for dinner and game night. We had homemade turkey and rice soup that I made from the leftover Thanksgiving turkey and grilled cheese sandwiches provided by Dale. Sam and Anjanette provided some delicious brownies for dessert.

The highpoint of the evening was not the meal (even though everything was quite delicious), but the fun we had playing the board game Clue. I forgot how much fun it was to actually play Clue. None of us had played in many, many years, so we actually had to read the directions to remember how to play. It was a lot of fun and almost everyone won a round or two (sorry Sam). It was a good time.

Growing up board games were not a lot of fun for me. As a kid, I tended be overly sensitive, tended to lose a lot and I tended to cry a lot (not a fun combination). However, in my defense, my sister will confirm that it was a sport in my family to see how long it took for Tommy (me) to leave the room crying after we started Monopoly. Well, I did not cry at all tonight and even won one round. Ah, childhood...so funny how you look back and cannot remember why things bothered you so much.

Thanks to Dale, Sam and Anjanette for a fun evening.

What the hell is wrong with people?

This story, Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede, shows how we can be so wrong as a society - check it out. There are even photos.

Justin - All Grown Up

Now I have never been a huge Justin Timberlake fan, but as he ages, I am starting to change my mind. This video is one of the times when I am starting to think...wow, look who is all grown up and is damn hot.

Last night I had the strangest dream

I woke up in a hospital room. I was alone. I was lying in a hospital bed wearing a white gown and was covered in wires that were hooked to machines. I had no idea where I was or how I got there. I tried to call out, but I had no voice. I tried to find a nurse call button, but could not. I started to panic. There was nobody in the room. Nobody walking by in the hallway. I kept trying to talk, but could not make a sound.

I finally started to pull the wires off myself to get up. It hurt like hell and took forever. I kept trying to pull each wire slowly as it really hurt. At some point a wire set off some sort of alarm. There was a loud buzzard ringing. Suddenly a TV dropped from the ceiling with the image of a nurse. Suddenly, what seemed like a picture was actually a real nurse speaking to me. She said, "Thomas Whittaker, you need to stop that immediately. You are hurting yourself." I tried to talk but could not. I had no voice at all. Again, the TV nurse said, "Thomas Whittaker, you need to stop. Your sister will not be happy." Exhausted, I stopped. I was sweating and finding it hard to get my breathe.

Suddenly the TV changed from the nurse to a summary of my medical statistics. It showed I had been in the hospital for 5 years, 7 months, 6 days, 3 hours, 47 minutes and 11 seconds. The time kept increasing with each second. It showed I had been in a coma. It showed I once had a punctured lung and a broken leg.

The freakiest part came next when the TV changed to security camera footage. It showed me and Dale standing on a street corner. I saw a white car back up from a parking space very fast and hit me. The car backed right into me, but missed Dale. It was weird because the accident was shown like it was seen from a nearby security camera, but it showed all different angles as if they pulled footage from 4 different cameras at different sides of the intersection. It showed the accident, Dale standing with me and the paramedics taking me away. It just kept repeating itself from different angles.

Where was Dale now? Why did the TV nurse tell me my sister would be upset if I got up. Why couldn't I speak? I started to really panic at this point. I kept trying to talk. Nothing. I started to slowly pull out the remaining wires. Again, the same nurse on the TV. She said, "Thomas Whittaker do not do that. Stop touching your wires. Your sister will not be happy."

I did not care. I finally removed all the wires. As I got out of bed, a new TV dropped from each ceiling tile, directly in front of me. Every time I got past one TV, a new one would appear. The same nurse appeared on each screen. The nurse on the TV kept saying the same thing. She said, "Thomas Whittaker do back to bed. Thomas Whittaker you must stay in your room. Your sister would not be happy."

It was so weird. There were no staff anywhere. As I walked the hallway, more TVs with the same nurse. I passed rooms with patients asleep in their bed, but no nurses or doctors anywhere. I kept trying to talk but nothing. I tried to find a mirror in the hallway, so I could see what was wrong with my throat, but could not find one. I felt my face and neck numerous time, but everything felt okay. It felt like I spent hours wondering around the hospital. I was in a lot of pain and at one point sat in a chair in the hallway. I started to cry. I felt overwhelmed and confused. The TV with the nurse dropped from the ceiling and this time said, "Thomas Whittaker crying will not help. Go back to your room." It scared me that she could see me. She knew what I was doing. She knew I was crying, but just appeared on a TV. I decided I needed to get out of the weird ass hospital.

I made my way out of the hospital and saw no cars on the street. No people. Everything was quiet. It was dark, so I assumed it must be very late. It was probably after midnight. I did not know what to do. I felt very confused still. I figured I would still be in my hospital gown, but was now dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt (no shirt), socks and sneakers. I did not remember getting dressed, but figured I must have.

I could see a Starbucks across the street with an open sign. I figured if I drank something hot maybe I would get my voice back, so I started to head across the street. As I walked TV screen started to come out of places. The mailbox had a TV pop up. Again, it was the nurse. She said, "Thomas Whittaker you must go back inside. You are not allowed to leave the hospital. We need you to come back. Your sister would not be happy." I kept moving and a newspaper box would have a TV pop out the top. The lamp post of the corner would have a small TV screen appear. Each time the same nurse. She had the same message and the same tone each time.

I finally made it across the street to the Starbucks. Again, no people. No staff. The place was empty. I looked around and suddenly a TV dropped from the ceiling. It was the nurse, but this time she was dressed as in a Starbucks apron. She gave me the same message and said, "Thomas Whittaker leave Starbucks. Go back to the hospital immediately. We can only help you at the hospital." Okay, what the hell was with this nurse?

By this point, I was totally freaking out. I did not know what to do. On the counter was a computer kiosk where that read enter your order here. It was a touch screen. There were a bunch of coffee options and a box for keyword search. Using the letters on the screen I typed in chai tea all while the TV nurse dressed in a green Starbucks apron and visor kept repeating the same message return to the hospital over and over.

The kiosk returned a message that read, we no longer serve CHAI TEA. Starbucks discontinued CHAI TEA on JULY 11, 2010. Please make another selection. I started to panic because I do not drink coffee and did not know what to order.

I woke up. It was 5:28 AM on my alarm clock. I was safe and sound in bed. However, I could remember everything about the dream. It seemed so damn weird and vivid. It was like watching a movie. I could remember everything, including how I felt, how I kept wondering where was Dale and why did he leave me in that hospital. Why would my sister be unhappy if I left? And most of all, how could Starbucks stop serving chai tea.

Dream are so damn weird. Does everyone else have weird, random dreams like this too? I saw an interview where the women who wrote Twilight said it came to her in a dream and each chapter would appear to her that way. Is this my Twilight? Is it about evil TVs talking over the world? It is a bit Max Headroom (remember him from the 80s?), but it could work. Maybe it was the fact that I ate too much yesterday and it resulted in weird dreams. Who knows? But that said, I am having a long talk with Dale today that he better never leave me in a hospital. I do not care if I am in a coma for 5 years or not. I expect him to never move on and visit me for 8 hours a day (at least).

Happy Black Friday

For those of you up at 4:00 AM to hit Kohl's or Best Buy - good for you. For all of you who are going shopping today, please stay out of mine and Dale's way. Happy Black Friday!

The Life of a Turkey

Aren't I pretty?

Huh, wonder what that axe is for?

Look what Dale bought.

Why am I in this turkey condom?

It's getting hot in here!

Next stop, Tom's belly.

My thanks to Dale for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day dinner, with rolls, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, turkey, sweet potatoes (not featured as I don't like them) and corn fritters. Everything was delicious.

My Thanksgiving Morning

Well, another wonderful Thanksgiving morning has come and gone. So many wonderful memories exist for me around this wonderful holiday. This morning I made it a Twitter/Facebook holiday and updated my status throughout the morning. It was a fun way to capture the holiday, my thoughts and all that was happening.

• 7:38 AM - planned to sleep in until 8:00 AM, but 7:20 AM is not too bad I guess.
• 7:40 AM - was hoping to get a newspaper on my driveway so I could look at the shopping circulars, but we did not get one. Thinking of stealing one.
• 7:41 AM - watching unofficial Thanksgiving Parade on CBS until official Macy's Day Parade starts on NBC at 9:00 AM. The CBS broadcast is never good.
• 7:47 AM - watching Mary Poppins sing in Parade (well near Parade). I used to love that movie as a kid. I may go eat a spoonful of sugar now.
• 7:56 AM - time to do a little blogging on what I am thankful? What are you thankful for in your life?
• 8:09 AM - did you know turkeys can run up to 25 MPH? Seems like they could out run the axe more than they do.
• 8:12 AM - watching Grease the Broadway cast sing in the Parade, well again near the Parade...looks like they are at a gas station in Queens.
• 8:13 AM - oh forgot to mention I got drunk dialed by a former blond co-worker last night who sang Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls to me. Funny.
• 8:25 AM - it is weird the Smurfs are making their debut now in the Parade; so popular in the 80s, so sort of a late debut.
• 8:35 AM - there are 3 women from Hopewell Junction, NY gobbling on TV; my college friend Mike M. is from there...they may be his relatives.
• 8:39 AM - not having a newspaper is freaking me out; I need the circulars; which neighbor's paper can I steal?
• 8:47 AM - 15 minutes and the Macy's Day Parade will be on NBC. Get ready. I hope Dale wakes up soon, so we can eat breakfast.
• 9:05 AM - I am hoping everyone else is having a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving too.
• 9:13 AM - why does everyone love Miley Cyrus? Weird.
• 9:17 AM - here comes Snoopy!!! I love Snoopy. He has appeared in more Thanksgiving Parades than any other character.
• 9:27 AM - watching White Christmas the musical in the Parade. Dale loves that movie. One of this holiday favorites.
• 9:38 AM - Dale's awake. Yeah breakfast!
• 9:51 AM - starting with cranberry/orange bread toasted from Great Harvest. Yum.
• 9:56 AM - and a banana; nature's...well candy is taken with raisins, so I guess bananas could be nature's penis. Yum?
• 9:58 AM - it is nice to see some traditions do not end and the Radio City Rockettes are back every year in the Parade.
• 10:07 AM - here comes Tom Turkey in the Parade.
• 10:11 AM - Dale is washing our TV. Apparently a bath is in order before you cook his ass.
• 10:17 AM - Dale is stuffing the turkey's butt with oranges; he does that vs. stuffing; gives the turkey a great juicy flavor.
• 10:25 AM - our turkey is cooking thanks to Dale. If it was left to me we would be eating TV Dinners.
• 10:37 AM - Hello Kitty in the parade reminds me of my friend and co-worker Sara.
• 10:38 AM - Mr. Peanut has a Nut Mobile. I want a Nut Mobile.
• 10:40 AM - Hair the Musical is back on Broadway in February. Color me excited.
• 10:48 AM - Keith Haring has a balloon in the Parade this year. How cool! I have a tattoo of one of Keith Haring's work.
• 10:57 AM - my giblets are almost ready.
• 11:00 AM - giblets, giblets, giblets...the best part of any Thanksgiving. dale calls them my turkey inners, but they are still delicious.
• 11:11 AM - the turkey giblets are now in my belly. Get in my belly!
• 11:18 AM - ah, Kermit the Frig...a Thanksgiving tradition. It is not easy being green.
• 11:26 AM - the Muppets have a new Christmas special on TV in December...yippeee!
• 11:31 AM - Dale may be making corn fritters today. I have never tried them. Anyone know any good recipes?
• 11:43 AM - I am going to take the dogs for a walk soon and get me a newspaper.
• 11:54 AM - Kermit is singing...I love the Muppets. They remind me of being a kid. In hope. In dreams.
• 12:01 PM - It's Santa Claus!!!! He is here. The ending of a wonderful and perfect Parade and the start of a wonderful holiday season.
• 12:05 PM - well my Thanksgiving morning has come to an end - breakfast, Parade, giblets and great memories.

Believe in hope and have dreams

My friend Kath sent me the link for this today based on my Facebook status about Kermit the Frog. The Muppet Movie was one of my first movies and it made me believe in hope and have dreams. It will always hold a special place in my heart...just like the traditions of Thanksgiving and the Macy's Day Parade.




Thanks for bringing back a great memory Kath!

My favorite parade balloon this year

This was my favorite balloon in the Macy's Day Parade. It was a tribute to pop artist, Keith Haring who would have turned 50 this year, if he had not passed in 1990.

This holds a special place in my heart, as I have a similar work of Keith Haring tattooed on my right thigh. Yes, folks, I have a tattoo. My tattoo is the same design, but is two male figures holding a heart (see below). I got it many years ago while on vacation in Provincetown, MA.

Next time you see me, ask me to pull down my pants and I can show you.

What I Love Most About Thanksgiving?

I know it is strange, but I love the giblets. Yes, those parts of the turkey some of you use in the stuffing, but most of you throw away are my favorite part of the holiday and bird. Why?

1. They are delicious. You cook up the neck, liver, heart and gizzard, sprinkle on some salt and you have a wonderful snack that comes once a year.
2. It is a wonderful memory for me. Each year my Mom would cook me the giblets and serve them to me as I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. It always made me feel special that I got the giblets. I blogged about this last year when I wrote about my childhood Thanksgiving memories.

My new tradition is Dale making the giblets for me. It is so sweet that he keeps my childhood traditions alive for me, especially when he too thinks the giblets are pretty gross. That is love folks.

Why Am I Thankful?

On Thanksgiving I think it is important to look at your life and reflect what and who you are thankful. I have a lot of reasons to be grateful, so this post will be a bit long.

My Partner, Dale - he makes my life a joy; words cannot express what his love means to me; having him as my partner has always felt comfortable and right; I met Dale just over five years ago and these past years with him, I have truly felt blessed every day; he allows me to be myself and tolerates all my bad habits (like blogging too much); he also creates a home that is a serene and peaceful retreat from the stress of the world; I love you Dale!

Our Dogs - Millie and Zoe - these two dogs are such sweethearts; they give unconditional love and are always there to rest their head in your lap on a difficult day; they constantly make me laugh and smile; and they are great companions when you want to nap.

My Sister, Rachel - my sister and I were always at odds as kids, mostly because I was an annoying, younger brother following behind her and her friends; however, I am thankful as adults that we a good have a relationship; although we do not see each other often, we do chat online, via email and by phone; most of all I am thankful because I know that if I needed her, she would be there for me, no questions asked; that support is so important.

Wonderful Neighbors - Dale and I live in suburbia; we live on the traditional street you see in all the TV shows where every house is a man/woman and 2.5 kids, but somehow, we got lucky and landed in a neighborhood that accepts us for who we are - man/man and 0.0 kids; best of all, four of our neighbors have become four of our closest and dearest friends; Toby, Nicole, Sam and Anjanette are so dear to us; they are wonderful, kind, caring and an absolute delight to have in our lives; I am proud to call them my neighbors, but blessed to call them my friends.

Dear Friends - Dale and I are both truly blessed to have such wonderful friends in our lives (that I am sadly forgetting probably in his post and already apologize); many of them I consider more than friends, but my extended family; we have so many friends that are in our lives - in some cases daily, sometimes occasionally and some just online; I have friends going as far back as 6th grade like Mike that are still a part of my life and my touchstone; friends like Stacey and Jenn from high school who remind me of the boy I was; college friends like Rob, Nell, Chrissy, Patrick who remind me of the fun we shared and the man I was becoming; co-workers from over the years like Henry, Laura, Jennifer and Dean that still remain in my heart; best friends like Rob and Scott, who are across the country, but in my thoughts all the time; co-workers like, Becki, Sara, Mike, Erin, Terri, Ronnie and Brandon who make work enjoyable and keep me sane; friends like Barb, John, Jeannie, Heather, Matt, Michelle, Mark, Eric, and so many others who I am so thankful to have in my life; all my friends from over the years who I now communicate via Facebook and Twitter like Lizz, Jennie, Kirk, Kath who make me smile everyday; all of these people are such a delight and I am so happy to have you in my life; thank you for being my friend.

My Health - although back pain this past year has been less than delightful, I am blessed to be healthy, even carrying some extra weight, which is something I am going to start working on very soon; I watched both my parents battle cancer and my dad battle heart disease, so I know how fortunate I am be healthy; there is so much pain and disease in the world, so I think everyone who wakes us healthy each day should feel truly blessed.

My Parents - Although my Mom is gone and my Dad is on the other side of the country, I am thankful for how they raised me, the love they gave me and the man they helped me to become; their unconditional love and support was a blessing; I think of them each and every day.

Hope - I am thankful to see America have hope again and rally toward change and progress; to me, Barack Obama is the face of this hope and I am proud that he will be my President in a few weeks; there is so many Americans struggling each and every day, including today on Thanksgiving and I hope to see America move out of this economic recession very soon.

My Blog - I know this sounds weird, but for me, I am thankful to have my blog as it is my journal, my way of sharing, my chance to vent and my way of staying in touch with all my friends and loved ones; I am thankful for so many readers and all of you who comment and share back.

So there you have it, that is what I am thankful for. I know I have used this word quite a bit today, but I am blessed. I am blessed to have such a good life and such great people to share that life.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with friends, family and love.

A Letter From Your Turkey

Take this quiz...see how you do....it is not easy.

Who needs a mood ring?

Funniest Comment of The Day

My co-worker, Jessica who is from England referred to the Macy's Day Parade today as "Your Shopping Parade". She has never watched the parade and figured since it was an American tradition and hosted my Macy's it was about shopping. Not balloons, not floats, not marching bands...just shopping. It was quite cute and funny (she also refers to bathing suits as swimming costumes).

However, I think her comment may be an excellent idea. Perhaps Macy's should dress up all the marching bands and entertainers in Macy's clothes and scroll a toll-free number on the bottom of the screen telling you how to order their outfits.

Just imagine it now:

• Who wants Miley Cyrus' dress? Call 1-800-BUY-MACY.
• Love the Kermit the Frog Balloon? How about a Kermit the Frog backpack? Call 1-800-BUY-MACY.
• You too can dress like the Radio City Rockettes. Call 1-800-BUY-MACY.and order their skirts.

It may help Macy's get over a slumping economy. I know it is not traditional, but it may bring a revenue stream to the parade.

Thanksgiving Memory

Do you all remembering making these every year as a kid? Do you remember the first time thinking how cool it was that tracing your hand looked like a turkey?

Ah, childhood Thanksgiving memories. We also used to make pilgrim hats with construction paper. Do kids still do this?

A wonderful surprise from my past

Last week before vacation I got a wonderful surprise when an old college friend, Patrick friended me on Facebook. (It sounds funny that I just used the word friended, which I do not think is actually a word.)

It was fun to read Pat's profile and see he was married to his college girlfriend (and my good college friend) Chrissy. He is now a principal in upstate New York and has three wonderful children. (I then friended his wife Chrissy.) Patrick and Chrissy were a few of my favorite people from college and sadly we lost touch. It is great to see they are happy.

Today I got a special treat and got to chat with both via IM. It was fun to catch up on their lives. Just IMing them today brought back a flood of good times together and fun memories. Some of my best memories from college and funniest stories involve either Chrissy or Patrick. I always remember Patrick as someone I looked up to and admired. He was truly a great friend and was always there to listen. To most Pat was seen as very serious, but he actually was quite funny and had a very dry sense of humor. Chrissy was (and I am sure still is) such a sweetheart. I always remember her smiling. She was one of those people you loved being around as she had such positive energy. Just hanging out in a dorm room with Chrissy could be a party in itself and full of laughs. It is nice to have them back in my life, if only virtual (hopefully we even get to see each other one of these days). I stole their picture from Facebook, so you could see them too (I hope they do not mind).

This past year since I joined Facebook I have reconnected with friends from high school, college and past co-workers. To me it is great that there is a on-line community that allows you to stay in touch with people who may be miles away, but are still fond in your heart. I may have outgrown throwing sheep on Facebook, but truly am thankful for the re-connection with friends.

Funny video...check it out as it will not be posted long.

Justin Timberlake is damn funny in this.

This may get me back to church

This was forwarded to me by my friend Terri, who got it from our friend Ronnie, who probably got it from someone else too.

Those WERE the Droids I was looking for!

For those who love Star Wars, you will get this image. TK421 realizes his mistake.

Source: ContentWritingAdvice on Flickr

Kickin' It Old School (In My Head)

Last night they played this song, It's Tricky by Run DMC on Dancing with the Stars, well their own version of it at least. Now it is stuck in my head. I woke up humming it. I miss when rap was fun.

Why is my commute full of weirdos?

I am surrounded by weirdos.

On the 16th Street Mall Shuttle I stood next to a guy and girl in their mid 30s and witnessed a weird exchange. From their conversation, they used to work together a few years back and just ran into each other. The guy, named Bruce told the girl (never got her name, sorry) that he joined a gym yesterday and planned to be ripped by the new year. At first I thought he was kidding. Trying to be cute. He wasn't. He spelled out his workout plans. Okay, firstly that is just over a month away and secondly, you are fatter than me. Yes, it is nice to be optimistic, but come on. That was not the weird part though. On the bus where we could all hear, he asked the girl on a date. He said he always thought they had a connection. She said no, but thanks. That is not the weird part either. As she was getting off the bus she said good luck getting ripped and burst out laughing. That is not the weird part either. After the door closed, he turned to me and said, he lied. He didn't join a gym. He just thought it would impress her. Besides, he already has a girlfriend. Now, that was weird.

At Market Street Station where I catch my bus home I realized I could not make it home without peeing, so I headed to the men's room. There are two urinals and I stood next to a blind man with a white cane. Okay, I assumed he was blind from the cane. Anyhow, he kept turning and looking at my penis while I peed. He practically bent down to get a look. Hello. You see blind and I am peeing. I did not know what to do, so I just finished peeing, washed my hands and left. Again, weird.

Downtown Denver is weird.

And people say I have too much free time

Whomever took these photos has a lot more free time than me.

Source: Powerpig

Wow, 16.9 inches! Can you believe it?

16.9 inches is the average amount of snow Denver usually has by this point in late November, but October and November have proven to be unseasonably warm and dry. So far we have only seen 0.10 inches of snow in metro Denver. Yes, just 1/10th of an inch of snow.

As much as I hate the snow, a dry winter can prove disastrous in the summer and signal a drought. Even the mountains seem to be suffering a bit this year. I can't believe I am saying this, but let it snow!

My Book Report by Tom Whittaker

While on vacation (and just prior) I knocked out a few books I thought I would mention in case anyone is looking for something to read. I feel like I am back in the 3rd grade reading a book report in front of the class, but here goes:

Life with My Sister Madonna by Christopher Ciccone. I read this book just before I left for vacation. In this memoir, Madonna's brother tells about his life 1growing up with and working with (he has been her backup dancer, her personal assistant, her dresser, her decorator, her art director and her tour director) the iconic star. It is an okay read, but seems to come about mostly as a chance for Christopher to cash in financially now that he and the Material Girl had a falling out. We all know Madonna is a shrewd business woman and at times most likely ruthless, so you will not learn a lot of new things from this book, but if you are someone who has followed Madonna through her career, it is somewhat interesting.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson. I started this book before I left for the cruise and finished it up while on the book. This book was amazing and I highly recommend it to everyone. My thanks to my friend Terri, who recommended it to me (and let me borrow a copy). This book is so incredible, you find it hard to believe at times, this book is actually a true story. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor that used the Fair as a way to obtain victims. By telling the stories of both men, you learn that a single place in time can be the scene for two very different, yet interwoven tales. Amazing does not seem like a strong enough word to describe this book.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. I love, love, love the writing of David Sedaris and was extremely excited when this book came available from my hold list at my local library a few days before I left on vacation. This book is another wonderfully wicked and humorous collection of short stories from the quirky, off-beat mind of Sedaris. It seems impossible that this man could have anything more to tell and make us laugh, but he delivers once again. I personally love the story of his encounter with Becky, a fellow passenger on a plane. I read this on my flight to Miami and actually laughed out loud. I finished the book on the cruise and actually had a women stop me at lunch one day (when I was carrying the book) and tell me she was reading the book on the cruise too. She said her husband thinks it is crazy that the book had her laughing out loud.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. Again, I love, love, love the writing of David Sedaris and figured when I picked up When Engulfed in Flames from the library, why not picked up another great David Sedaris book to take on the cruise. I decided to re-read this great collection of short stories. I love the way Sedaris decribes his brother Paul, also known as The Rooster in this book, plus his details of his trips to the speech therapist as a kid. I too went to a speech therapist as a kid, so I can relate to his story. If you have not read anything by David Sedaris, you are missing out. Get a copy of any of his books today.

Up next for me are So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger, which was recommended by my friend John Hill and sTori Telling by Tori Spelling, which I am shocked to get since 150 other people have it requested at the Jefferson Country Library. In case you are wondering, yes, I am a little embarrassed that I went to the library today to pick up a book by Tori Spelling, but what can I say, I like Hollywood gossip and figure this book is like a giant People magazine. Plus, I like a mindless book from time to time, especially when reading on the bus at 6:00 AM. Mindless is the most I can handle early in the morning.

I have The Alienist by Caleb Carr on my list too, which was recommended by my friend Lizz Schwartz-Dinnegan, but if you have any other great books you recommend, please pass them my way.

Come Sail Away, Come Sail Away

I did not take many photos on our cruise (which is really unlike me), but I thought I would share a few. We sailed with our friend, Barb Pemble, from Miami on Friday, November 14th. We stopped in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and St. Marteen before heading back to Miami on Saturday, November 22nd.

On the cruise, you are assigned a dinner table. Dale, Barb and I were assigned in the Silver Dining Room to table 333, with three wonderful women from St. Louis named - Audrey, Darlene and Wanda. They were all in their early 80s and truly made our cruise special. They were so kind, interesting and accepting of Dale and I. It was great to hear their stories, learn about their lives and meet three women in their 80s still living their lives to the fullest.

Darlene and Wanda are sisters. Wanda has three children and Darlene spent the majority of her life teaching on military bases including in Germany and Japan. Audrey was truly Rosie the Riveter, having worked in a plant that made bullets in World War II, while he husband was off fighting. Audrey is a widower, who in 2004 carried the Olympic torch at 79, at 80 she went sky diving and at 81 hiked the mountains of Peru. She has 4 children, 15 grand-children and 22 great grand-children. All the women attend church together and volunteer at a food bank in St. Louis. They were truly inspirational and it was sad to say good-bye at the end of the trip.

It was a wonderful week at sea and enjoyable for our first cruise. We had a great time and are thinking we may do a cruise next year to Alaska.

370H55V

I hate when people have personalized license plates you cannot figure out. You sit at a red light for 3-minutes and race to figure it out before the light turns green, but you do not get it. This is the best personalized plate ever and takes it to a whole new level. Is it illegal to put your plate on upside-down?


Source: Phonecam on Flickr

Irony

Dale and I got back to Denver today around 3 PM and home around 4 PM. We traveled for 7 days on a cruise through the Caribbean and had no sea sickness, however, since coming home I keep feeling like everything is moving. I have sea sickness, but on dry land and at home. What the hell? This is ridiculous.

Life Lessons for Everyone

I came across this list on a blog I regularly read. I liked it so much, I figured I would share. My thanks to Michael Moniz for this.

Life Lessons

1. Life is very short, you need to be living it now.
2. Being honest is a whole let less work than lying.
3. People do not change unless THEY want to.
4. You do not need to believe in karma because karma believes in you.
5. Point to your own successes. There are enough people who will point out your failures.
6. When you say, “I love you.” truly mean it.
7. True friends make life better whenever you are with them.
8. Always forgive but never forget.
9. When you thing something is wrong, it probably is.
10. Your health is a gift you need to treasure because it goes bad, you will miss it.
11. Take risks.
12. Face your fears.
13. You don’t need to impress people, they need to impress you.
14. Smile a lot.
15. Leadership is all about building relationships.
16. All relationships are built on trust.
17. Love your family because they are the only one you have.
18. Learn to say no and mean it.
19. Excuses are just lies.
20. You have to love yourself before someone else can love you.
21. Bad things do happen to good people, how you handle them is what makes the difference.
22. Life should be fun.
23. When opportunity knocks you need to be dressed and ready to go.
24. Stress will kill you so learn how to deal with it.
25. Make time for yourself.
26. Always be open for love and friends.
27. Don’t think about the people who don’t like you, think about the people who do and why.
28. Being young comes from the inside.
29. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, you learn the most from them.
30. You are looking for your best friend when you are looking for your life partner.

Source: Michael Moniz

Hi Blog Readers! I am still on vacation. Do you miss me yet? I scheduled this post before I left. I will tell you all about the vacation once I get back.

Ain't That The Truth

Hi Blog Readers! I am still on vacation. I know it seems like I have been gone for a while, but it has only been a few days. I scheduled this post before I left. I will tell you all about the vacation once I get back.

I bet the line for this is very long

Source: InventorSpot

Hi Blog Readers! I am on vacation. I am actually on a cruise in the Caribbean and I am still counting the days until George Bush is no longer our President. I scheduled this post before I left, so you would not be bored while I am having so much dam fun. I will tell you all about the vacation once I get back.

Is it weird?

They have AA meetings each day on board, which I think is great for anyone who needs those meetings.

However is it weird that they meet in one of the bars. Now it is a bar that does not open until 5 PM and the meeting is in the afternoon, but it is still a bar.

When your childhood idols turn bad

We are all faced with the reality of childhood idols growing up and turning bad. Just look at Gary Coleman, Leif Garrett and Britney Spears. But who knew it went this far.




Hi Blog Readers! I am on vacation. I am on a cruise in the Caribbean - soaking on the sun and sucking up the drinks. I scheduled this post before I left, so you would not be bored while I am living large on the Love Boat. I will tell you all about the vacation once I get back.

Funniest Star Wars Ever

For those who are true fans of the movie. Or perhaps not, as those people usually cannot laugh at it. Anyhow, as a kid, I had every Star Wars action figure, toy, you name it. I had it all. I gave it all away in my early twenties. Yes, I am an idiot.

Hi Blog Readers! I am on vacation. You probably already heard, but Julie McCoy and Gopher have been hanging out with me this past week on my cruise. They say hi. I scheduled this post before I left. I will tell you all about the vacation once I get back.

A Bit Random

On the cruise ship you of course have a TV in your cabin and the channels are broadcast via satellite through DirectTV.

All the local channels (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC & WB) are all the Denver affiliates, so we get all the Denver local news.

Dale and I assumed that they make it so each cabin receives the local stations for their hometown. How amazing is technology and what a great thing for Carnival to offer, right? This way, even on vacation, the few minutes of TV you watch in the morning and late night feels a little bit more familiar and like home.

Well this is the random part - we have come to find out everyone has Denver stations in their cabin. Weird, huh? Why would a cruise based in Florida offer Denver local stations? Now Florida stations I would understand, but news from the Rocky Mountains is just plain strange. Great for Dale and I, but still strange and a bit random.

Funny Joke

It is Monday, February 2nd, 2009 and a little old man walks up to the White House and tells the guard, "I would like to see President Bush."

The guard says, "I am sorry sir, former President Bush is no longer in office, so he does not live here anymore."

The old man says, "Thank you," and leaves.

The next day, Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 the same little old man walks up to the White House and tells the the same guard, "I would like to see President Bush."

Once again, the guard says, "I am sorry sir, as I said yesterday, former President Bush is no longer in office, so he does not live here anymore."

The old man says, "Thank you," and leaves once again.

The next day, Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 the same little old man walks up to the White House and tells the the same guard, "I would like to see President Bush."

A little more annoyed, the guard says, "I am sorry sir, as I said the past two days, former President Bush is no longer in office, so he does not live here anymore."

The old man says, "Thank you," and leaves once again.

The next day, Thursday, February 5th, 2009 the same little old man walks up to the White House and tells the the same guard, "I would like to see President Bush."

Visibly annoyed, the guard snaps, "Sir, former President Bush is no longer in office and does not live here."

The old man says, "Thank you," and leaves once again.

The next day, Friday, February 6th, 2009 the same little old man walks up to the White House and tells the the same guard, "I would like to see President Bush."

Extremely annoyed, the guard shouts, "Sir, as I said the past four days, former President Bush is no longer in office and does not live here anymore. What do you NOT understand?"

The old man says, "Oh, I understand President Bush is no longer in office. I just love to hear you say it each day."

This was told to me by my friend Barb and made me laugh.

I found this interesting

Check it out - I Wonder What Will Go Through The Mail. I may start mailing myself weird things to see if they show up.

Hi Blog Readers! I am on vacation. I am with Dale and our friend Barb sailing through the warm waters of the Caribbean. I scheduled this post before I left, so you would not be bored while I hanging out with Charo. I will tell you all about the vacation once I get back.

What cruise line?

A few of you have commented or emailed to ask. We are on Carnival's Liberty, which hits the eastern Caribbean.

A life of leisure can be...

...heavenly, but exhausting.

Today was a nice, relaxing day. We woke for breakfast around 9 AM.

We followed breakfast with some sitting on the deck, where we got some sun, read a bit and consumed some midori-coladas. Yum.

Around 1:30 PM we went to lunch, which was followed by a nap because lunch and being waited on in general can be exhausting.

It is now 4 PM and we just docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We will be taking our first trip off the ship for some sightseeing, dinner and shopping. It will be nice to visit a new city.

Vacational GPS

I am quite impressed with my navigation skills on the cruise ship. I looked at a map on day one and not since, yet I am easily able to remember where everything is located.

The confusing part for most on our ship is that not all the floors go all the way across. Most have restricted access in the middle, so to get the rear of floor 5 from the front, you need to walk to the rear of 4 (which is not blocked in the middle) and take the stairs or elevator.

To me it has been a breeze, but we have heard a lot of people complain. I also found Europe, even the windy streets of Venice with no signs, easy to navigate too.

It is funny but I cannot find or remember where anything in Colorado is, but on vacation I have no problem. Weird. My internal GPS only seems to work on vacation. But that is okay, Dale can find anything in Colorado, so it is a good balance.

My dream come to life

This is my dream - musicals in my real life. What can I say, I grew up thinking the TV show Fame was really how high school would be. can you imagine when I got into high school and nobody broke out in song in the cafeteria.

Thanks to my sister, Rachel for sending this my way.

Hi Blog Readers! I am on vacation. I am on a cruise, sitting on the deck and reading a book as you are reading this post. I scheduled this post before I left, so you would not be bored while I am having dinner with Captain Steuben. I will tell you all about the vacation once I get back.

This is the life

Slept in late.
Rainy outside.
Ate breakfast.
Got a 90 minute stone massage.
Saw hairy chest competition.
I did not win.
Wandered the ship.
Ate lunch.
Sunny skies.
Nap in cabin.
Zzzzzzzzz.

The Pepsi Challenge

Hi Blog Readers! I am on vacation. I am actually on a cruise in the Caribbean (just stating a fact, not trying to rub it in, really) as you are reading this. I scheduled this post before I left, so you would not be bored while I am loving the warm weather and drinking fun alcoholic treats. I will tell you all about the vacation once I get back.

All Aboard

Cab pulled up.
Luggage taken and whisked away.
Line for security.
Quick.
Line for registration.
Quicker.
Photo taken.
We board ship.
Buffet lunch.
Long lines.
Chicken marsala yummy.
Lemonade refreshing.
Chocolate cake a bit heavy.
Stopped at spa.
Massage scheduled.
Found our cabin.
Our cabin is nice.
We have a balcony.
We face off the back of the ship.
Should be some nice views.
This will be a good place to spend the next 7 days.
Everything is unpacked.
Let the relaxing begin.
Oh, fire/evacuation drill first.
Then some drinking for sure.
Maybe some gambling.
Time will tell.
Looking forward to first stop in Puerto Rico.
Bye!

The Pretty Men of South Beach

After seeing all the hot, toned pretty men of South Beach, I have reached a conclusion. It is a lot of work to look that good because you see them jogging everywhere. They are never standing still. Being fat, is so much easier. All you have to do is eat chips and watch TV. Now the results are not as good, but you get a lot more sleep.

Gay Germans & Dale 's Starbucks Voodoo

We are at South Beach in Miami. Dale and I slept until 9:30 AM. Our favorite part of vacation. Although we love our dogs dearly, they are not here to wake us up.

We finally dragged ourselves from our slumber, showered and found a nice outdoor cafe for breakfast by 10:30 AM. It was nice to sit outside, watch the people pass by and enjoy eggs benedict. Dale had a western omlette.

The outdoor cafe became over-crowded a bit with some gay, German tourists, who were loud and rude. Thankfully it was not during our whole meal, just toward the end. Damn gay Germans.

On a random note, I know some German words. I took German my senior year of high school for something to do. I took the class with me friend Stacey and we spent most of the time laughing rather than learning the language. To this day I always think German is a very harsh sounding language. I actually just heard from Stacey this week. She shared a photo of her new son, who she delivered earlier this week.

Dale and I popped over to Starbucks afterwards. I always joke that the people who work at Starbucks in Denver always treat Dale better than me. They always remember his name and drink order. The same holds true in Miami. Today the staff flirts with Dale and the girl even smiles at Dale and says she is making his drink special. I get no special looks or treatment as usual. What power does have over the staff of Starbucks? I do not understand.

Next we took a nice stroll along the ocean, drank our Starbucks and enjoyed a beautiful morning of sex in the sand. Just kidding. We did not drink our Starbucks.

We just checked out of our hotel and hopped a cab to the port to our ship. Bon Voyage!

Enjoyable evening in Miami

We are having an enjoyable pre-cruise evening in Miami. A nice outdoor dinner of salmon and a few mojitos are already calling my stomach home. The weather is perfect in the 80s and now finally dipping into the 70s.

I love walking along the beach and Ocean Drive. I love wandering in other cities. I adore the unfamiliar. I like seeing new faces and different places that come with every turn. I always seem to find so much pleasure in the unknown.

Our hotel is nice. A little rough around the edges but what I am used to in the art deco area of Miami, having stayed here before. Most of the beach hotels are older, so you lose some modern convenience for the charm. Overall, I am pleased. Besides it is one night.

I have also come to realize I find a tremendous amount of peace being at the ocean. I feel calm and centered. Perhaps that is where I am truly meant to live. Something to think about. Dale also seems comfortable at the ocean.