Today I witnessed a double homicide

I was even able to snap a few photos before the police arrived.











I suspect this crime will go unsolved. Sad. They seemed like such a sweet couple.

Busy morning & afternoon

It has already been a busy day. Dale and I woke up around 8 AM and he made me some eggs for breakfast (love that guy of mine). We then headed to my work office at 10 AM so we could clean up around the office a bit and I could get caught up on a few things. At noon we headed to Johnny Rockets (today is my diet free day) for some lunch and then over to Banana Republic for a little shopping (entire store 40% off). Dale got some cool new sunglasses and I got a new bag for traveling and messenger bag for work. Up next we hit Dollar Tree for some greeting cards, plus I got some Otter Pops (score). Next stop was Home Depot for some chemicals for our pond, which they did not have, so we tried O'Toole's Garden Supply instead. They did have the chemicals we needed in stock. After that we hit Safeway to pick up eggs, bread, spinach and tomatoes for breakfast tomorrow with the Krouts. We are now at home. I am blogging and Dale is taking a 30-minute cat nap before we get ready to go bowling.

All I can say is we need to start having 3-day weekends, so I can fit all this stuff in and still have some me time.

These flowers...

...that my sister and her kids gave me for Easter just continue to get prettier and prettier.

Do you believe in signs?

I do. We just signed The Children's Hospital as a new client at work today. When I left the office I saw this banner for The Children's Hospital on the light post directly outside my office. How funny? Maybe The Children's Hospital does this for all new partners.

Do you ever have one of those days where...

...you feel you need to do something drastic to shake up your life a bit? That is how I feel today. I feel like Dale and I should jump in the car with our dog Zoe and start a new life in another state or even country. I just feel like I am in a bit of a rut this month and need to somehow shake things up. Maybe I need to start simpler than uprooting our lives, but you get the point. Does anyone else ever feel this way?

120 days until Denver’s Great Urban Race

Yes, in just 3 months it will be time to race around Denver like insane people for the Great Urban Race. We had such a great time last year, I cannot wait for this year’s race. We did not win last year, but we did finish and best of all we had an blast and it was probably one of my favorite memories from 2010. If you have thought of doing this, it is a fun event…you solve clues, do challenges and run around Denver. It is crazy. Here are some shots from last year’s fun with the Spencers and the Stubbendicks.

 

 

Diet Update: Day 27 of 80

It is Friday, the sun is shining and I decided to treat myself to a chai tea. It is 200 calories of liquid pleasure and every now and then, you have to spoil yourself...even when dieting.

A Little Less Enamored by Fairy Tales

I find the coverage of the Royal Wedding somewhat interesting but what I do not like is how much everyone wants Kate Middleton to be the next Princess Diana. The poor girl has such a shadow to live in that it seems so unfair in my opinion. I hope she is able to find her own path or at least live up to the expectations as she seems like a nice girl.

I also find it interesting how invested people in America can feel for a wedding of two people they have never met. I keep hearing over and over on television how everyone loves a happy ending, as if Prince William's life is over with this wedding. There may be years and years of more happiness or even unhappiness in his future. Who knows? I guess people just want a good story.

What I find incredibly sad is that people in America can be so enthralled by a wedding of two strangers in London and completely happy for them, yet these same people are so divided in this country on the topic of gay marriage and civil unions. People say that William deserves his happy ending..,well, don't Dale and I deserve our happy ending? Don't we deserve the right to declare we want to spend our lives together as a married couple or have a civil union. We have been together for almost eight years, are fully committee...yet we cannot marry or have a civil union in our state. We have to have special paperwork drafted so we can make medical decisions for each other or God forbid visit each other in a hospital. We do not get the tax benefits of a married couple. Dale will not receive my Social Security if I passed, nor I his. We do not have the rights provided to heterosexuals in this country. Hell, we still cannot donate blood, even though all blood is screened. A heroin addict who shares needles can donate their blood and I cannot because I am sexually attracted to men. How absurd is that?

I just wish as a country we could be a little less enamored by fairy tales and a little more focused on the fact that our own citizens are being discriminated. I don't even care if it is gay marriage as I understand many see marriage as a religious ceremony. Then, make marriage a religious ceremony. Allow the state to perform civil unions - whether a man and woman, woman and woman or man and man. Leave marriage to the churches. And if not, then remove laws that grant rights based on marriage on a local, state and federal level as that is discriminatory when not everyone can marry the person they love.

I deserve the right to be in a legalized relationship with Dale. I deserve the same rights as all Americans. I do not mean to rain on Royal Wedding as I wish William and Kate all the happiness...but I just wish I could have that happy day too. A day where people came to celebrate mine and Dale's love. A day where people wore big hats for me.

It does not get much better

I like evenings like tonight, where it is just simple, last minute fun. We joined our friends Sandy & Steve Stubbendick for dinner at Jewel of India for dinner. Best of all, 25% of the check went to Project Angel Heart. Good food, good cause, great friends...it does not get much better.

1/3 of the way into my diet

Well I am almost 1/3 of the way into my diet and although I hoped to be a little further along in terms of pounds lost, I feel good and 8 pounds lost is better than 0 pounds, right? My hope is to lose 2 more pounds this week, which would wrap up April for me 10 pounds lighter than I started. This would also be 45 pounds lost since last June.

Overall, the diet has been okay. I am not one of those dieters who cuts all carbs or anything like that instead I try to be more practical since I love carbs far too much. I continue to follow these five principles:

1. Track everything you eat with something like www.MyFitnessPal.com, who has a handy iPhone app or something just as easy. I find by simply tracking it forces me to be truthful to myself. I cannot pretend my lunch was "light" when it was in fact not. It also makes me think about my day. If I know I am going out to dinner, it makes me think to cut back at lunch to afford the extra dinner calories or walk more during the day. I cannot recommend tracking enough as I think it is the largest contributor to my 43 pound weight loss this year.

2. Limit daily calories. I am currently limiting mine to 1,200 daily. This will be different for everyone depending how much you want to lose, but I recommend a goal as without goals you have no way of measuring success. I do not get into tracking fat, proteins, etc. It is too much work. I find when you track calories, you tend to make healthier choices and the rest just all works out naturally.

3. Do not eat after 7 PM on Sunday through Thursday and 8 PM on Friday and Saturday. Now there will always be exceptions to this rule as life is messy and shot happens, but if you try your best to eat dinner early and avoid late night snacks, you will be more successful on your diet.

4. Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. This is huge as it cuts down on hunger. This can be hard, so buy yourself a large Water bottle that is at least 40 oz. Fill that and focus on that during the day. That will guarantee you 5 glasses. If you do not like the taste of water, add lemon or low-cal flavor packets. Don't make this an excuse and drink diet soda instead.

5. Increase your activity. I am not someone who likes exercise or the gym. I know this about myself, but I love being outdoors, so walking is perfect for me. I try to walk an hour per day, which sometimes does not happen but usually in a week I get in at least 7 hours of dedicated, focusing walking which is just over 20 miles. This is 7 hours I probably would have been on my ass. Walking is an easy, low-impact option for everyone. The excuse is always time - make it. Walk the dog, walk the kids, park extra far in the Target parking lot...do whatever it takes to get more activity. I walk to/from work after I get bus downtown rather than take shuttle to guarantee I at least get 30 minutes of walking. Taking stairs instead of an escalator or elevator are great too.

So that is it - just 5 things to remember. Now, I will not say it is easy and wonderful as dieting sucks. Cake and candy are easy and wonderful. However, this plan is doable. It is realistic to me and for me it works. Find what works for you and stick with it.

Happy Tolerable dieting!

Hint, hint

It is funny, but when it was Dale’s birthday, I said he did not want any gifts, which was true…he never wants anything for himself (he is a saint). I still got him a special things for his birthday including a surprise birthday celebration. I however am a little different as I want a few things for my birthday. I know this makes me sound horrible, but I never claimed to be perfect.

I figured since it is about 60 days until my birthday, it may be a good idea to start putting out some hints for Dale of what I would love for my birthday. Now, I do not need all these things. Hell, I really do not need any of these things as I am blessed with good health, great friends, a wonderful family and Dale is the best gift ever. However, if Dale is looking for a gift idea here are some suggestions.

A pair of Garris Plain Toe Italian suede shoes in chocolate in size 12 from Johnston & Murphy

 

An iPhone 4 in black from Apple

 

The Live Butterfly Garden as seen on TV (shut up, you know you want one too)

 

A surprise Flash Mob to any song featured on Glee in Seasons 1 or 2

 

An iPad Logitech case with keyboard from Zagg

The world is too berry-centric

This blog post ended up being a bit of a rant for which I apologize. It started out simple enough and just took on a life of its' own. So if you do not read, I understand.

I was at my friend Sandy Stubbendick's house on Sunday for Easter dessert. Our friend, Tammy Robles was there making said Easter dessert, which was a lemon tart with a pecan and grapefruit sauce. Sandy commented how hard it is for Tammy to come up with a dessert that does not contain chocolate, since she (Sandy) is not a fan of chocolate and does not contain berries, since I have a thing against berries that involves berries, dogs and urine (long story). I commented that I do not like grapefruit, but love lemons. Sandy got a piece of paper and told me to write down the things I did not eat so she had the full list. Ugh. Am I really that guy? Am I that picky? Sadly, yes.

Now to my defense, I never, ever expect people to plan meals around my weird food dislikes. It is my issue and I make due. I truly love that Sandy is such a caring friend that she tries to go above and beyond to have meals that to not alienate me. However, let's be honest...it is not like I cannot afford to miss a meal or dessert. Also, I tend to always be able to find enough I like in any meal. If i do not eat the side dish provided, I just eat more of the entree. If I do not like the dessert, I stare at the host or hostess and imagine them dead (just kidding). I did eat Tammy's lemon tart and even tried it with the pecan and grapefruit sauce. The sauce was okay, but I preferred the tartness of the lemon tart without the sauce, which was funny since everyone else said they loved how the sauce cut down the tartness. The tartness was the best part. Again, this just demonstrates who different my taste buds seem to be from everyone else.

So there I sat at Sandy's kitchen island listing all the foods I do not like that included (in no particular order):

Berries (yes, all berries...the next question is usually strawberries and yes, that includes strawberries)
Red grapes (I do like green and black grapes)
Cherries
Olives (both green and black)
Coconuts
Pineapples (this one seems to drive Dale particularly crazy)
Relishes
Sweet pickles (I only like dill)
Coffee
Mangos
Apricots
Peaches (it is like biting into a fuzzy arm)
Pears
Honeydew melons (the smell is horrible)
Oatmeal (I hate the texture)
Cottage cheese (reminds me of baby vomit)
Crab legs
Mussels
Fruit cocktail (which makes sense when you read above, huh?)

I am sure I am missing several from this list, but it is all that came to mind at the moment. Now, I will note that I love lima beans and calf liver, which are things that apparently 99% of the world apparently despises. I also love mushrooms, which people find ridiculous since they are a fungus from the ground. I even like sardines.

It is just difficult sometimes as I think everyone thinks I am a bit of a freak when it comes to my foot dislikes. I think i am just more sensitive to textures of foods and as a result tend to stray away from foods with unique textures. Maybe I am just more vocal in what I do and do not like. Maybe most people just sit there and eat foods they do not like? I don't know. I just figure there are more than enough foods out there I love, so why eat foods I do not like.

A lot of people read a list like the one above and think, when what do you eat. Plenty. Hell, I am not starving and would not have been 275 pounds last year if I could not find foods I like, right. By food group, I eat:

Grains - I eat any type of bread, rice or pastas
Dairy - skim milk, all cheeses, vanilla yogurt, eggs, butter
Meats - I pretty much like any type of meat
Fruits - apples, oranges, bananas, green grapes
Vegetables - corn, potatoes, lettuce, onion, tomatoes, beans

So, as you can see I have plenty to pick from. I just think as a society we are too "berry-centric" in our desserts and that is the part that everyone finds so unusual. In reality, I dislike berries for several reasons - 1) the taste usually overpowers everything else; 2) they are gritty and I hate gritty and then there is 3) the whole childhood incident with a dog pissing on berry bushes, which most people assume is the only reason. I get all berries are not coated in urine (only some). I just do not like the taste of berries and when you see a scuzzy dog pissing on them, it is just the final nail in the berry coffin.

Sometimes I think it would just be easier to lie and say I was allergic as most people tend to accept allergies with ease. However, you say you just don't like the taste of something and people think you belong in a circus cage.

Step up one and all....come forward and see the man who does not eat berries or drink coffee. Join us as we watch his face as he spits out this sip of coffee and makes a horrified face of disgust. Laugh as we move a plate of blueberries closer and closer to him.

My favorite question is always what comes immediately after I say something like, "I do not drink coffee." it is usually something like, "Have you tried it?" No, I am 38 years old and I never tried it. I just walk around saying I do not drink it, but it never once ever dawned on me to actually try it. Thank goodness I stumbled upon you. Thank you! Or even better, "Here, try it!" as if they have to physically see me ingest something I hate to in fact prove I do not like it. My guess is they are visual people, who have to see the disgusted look on my face to believe that I could not possibly like a peach. I assume these people must also walk up to a person in a wheelchair and refuse to accept they have a handicap unless they are willing to pull themselves up and try to fail walking. Thank goodness they do not expect me to make out with a woman before they accept I am gay. I can just see it, "No, kiss her and prove to me you don't like girls."

Okay, I am done ranting about berries and my food dislikes now. But please remember, we are all different and this includes our food tastes. That is what makes us so special. Most of all please know that you NEVER need to prepare a special meal for me. I will always make do.

I Was Told There'd Be Cake

On am on a plane from Denver to Boston and I just finished reading the collection of essays, I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley. It was a cute read...nothing that will change your life, but an amusing read to kill time for a few hours. It is the tale mostly of a twenty-something year old woman raised in White Plains, who moves to Manhattan. There are cute antedates of childhood, high school, college, losing her virginity, her first job and Manhattan apartments. To me it seemed like it was almost a prequel to Sex and the City and how you would expect Carrie Broadshaw's life to be as a teen and young adult. All in all, I was hungry the day I went to the library and the word "cake" jumped out at me in the title so that is why I picked it. I doubt I will rush to read Sloane's second book. However, I think the audience for her writing probably leans more toward women, so those females reading this may want to check her books out.

Sign of the future

This morning I had an unmistakable sign that I am in fact getting older. I woke up, stretched and in that simple stretch threw out my back. What the hell! I am 38, not 78 years old. I now have a nice knot right in the middle right of my back. To add insult to injury, this happened a few hours before I left for the airport. So here I sit right now 18,000 feet above the ground on a 4 hour flight from Denver to Boston in a small, tight, uncomfortable chair with a knot in my back. Sadly, this just seems like a sign of what is to come as I move into being middle-aged. Ugh.

The older I get

People continually baffle me. It seems the older I get, the less I understand people. I have also learned that people on planes are even more baffling. The women behind me brought jalapeño peppers for a snack on the plane. These peppers are so damn strong, my eyes were actually watering at one point. Who the hell brings jalapeño peppers on a plane. A sandwich - yes. Some chips - yes. A banana - yes. A bag of jalapeño peppers - hell no. Does this only seem weird to me?

More Easter fun!

The Easter fun continued this evening for Dale and I as we went to our friends, Sandy & Steve Stubbendick’s house for dessert. It was a great time with Sandy & Steve, their daughter Shannon and our friends Tammy Robles and Clydelle Coburn. We brought an apple pie and Tammy made an incredible lemon tart with a pecan and grapefruit sauce. Everything was delicious. After dessert, we spent a few hours laughing and playing a new game called Sushi Roll, which was a bit complicated to learn, but ended up being a blast. Thanks to everyone for a wonderful Easter. We had a great time. It was beyond Chow Fun!

Easter Tulips

Look at the gorgeous tulips The Hanley's gave Dale and I for Easter. Best of all, we can plant the bulbs in the ground for flowers again next year.




They also gave is large bubbles and wands, which I am very excited to use. Dale says I need to wait for a nicer day to use them. I can't wait.

Easter fun with the Hanleys

Today Dale and I joined my sister - Rachel, nephew - Ryan and nieces – Kristin, Lauren, Jillian and Camryn for Easter lunch at White Fence Farm. It was a lot of fried chicken and fun. As always I captured lots of photos. Thanks to Dale and the Hanleys for a great afternoon.

The Hanleys posing with (and like) the Easter Bunny (Jillian, Camryn, Ryan, Lauren & Kristin – left to right).

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Jillian showing her Easter spirit and “love” of America.

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At dinner waiting for the food.

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At the petting zoo…picking out our lunch.

Me showing my American spirit.

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Dale heading to the bathroom (left); Lauren and Kristin all smiles (right).

Another great Couples Game Night

Last night's game night was a blast. Tim & Shannon outdid themselves and killed it as hosts. The food was incredible. A huge shout out to the jalapeño pepper appetizer and the pistachio dessert - both amazing. Also, how considerate to give me my own bottle of wine...talk about generous and hospitable hosts.

We played the game Cranium Scribblish which seemed a bit complex at first (that may be because I was on my 2nd glass of wine by the time the game started) but proved to be a ton of fun. It combines the game Pictionary with the childhood game of telephone, where each person passes along a message and you see how screw up it gets by the end. The funniest drawings and captions last night in my opinion go to Tim Spencer (but I did have a few glasses of wine so maybe they were not funny at all).

Sandy & Steve won the game and trophy and at midnight we called it a night (which was probably a blessing for the Spencers who were probably thinking when will these people leave). It was a great night. I love this group of friends.

On a side note, Dale just explained that the Spencers did not give me my own bottle of wine. I was the only person who drank wine last night as everyone else had a fruity, tropical rum concoction and I just took it upon myself to drink the entire bottle. Weird. Perception is funny. I say they gave me my own bottle still and I say they expected me to drink it. I was just doing what was polite.

Diet Update – Week 3 of 11

I lost 5.5 pounds last week for a total of 8 pounds down since I started three weeks ago (and 43 pounds since June 2010). I personally do NOT understand it. The previous two weeks I averaged 30 miles of walking and lost 1 pound each week. Last week ,I barely got in any walking due to the rain/cold and there goes 5 pounds. I think my body finally said, “Uncle” and accepted we were going to start losing weight again. I think the initial calorie shock reduction to 1,200 calories each day has finally set in and is working. I imagine I may have lost even more last week, but I did not follow my diet last night at game night enjoying tortilla chips, guacamole, jalapeño peppers, butterscotch chex mix, caramel chex mix, more tortilla chips, pistachio ice cream, bread budding and a bottle of wine. However, I refuse to miss fun evenings like last night and have no regrets. So how excited I am to be down 8 pounds already. I am now 27 pounds away from my goal of being 200 pounds.

Happy (very happy) dieting! If you are on the same journey as me, stay focused and keep at it…weeks like this will be coming your way.

The Easter Bunny came, the Easter Bunny came!

Yeah, the Easter Bunny came and brought special treats for Dale and I since we were so nice all year (okay, Dale was nice but apparently the Easter Bunny does not have Santa like powers to know when I was naughty). We scored some major candy.

I am so happy after finding my Easter basket behind the living room couch – tricky bunny!

I love me the Peeps.

Dale finally found his Easter watermelon on the kitchen cabinet.

Dale’s candy loot.

For Two Reasons

It's 7:24 AM on Easter morning.
I have been awake for an hour.
Dale is still sleeping.
I'm waiting for him to wake up for two reasons.
1. So I can give him his Easter Basket.
2. Then, we can watch the Macy's Easter Day Parade.
Oops.
Wrong holiday.
But really some retailer needs to get a national TV show around this holiday.
Missed opportunity.
The 1st Annual Target Easter Sunday Parade live from Los Angeles.
And at the end of the parade...wait for it...the Easter Bunny.
I see lots of marketing opportunity.
I am still waiting on sleeping beauty Dale though to rise.
I think I will make him breakfast once he wakes up.
Maybe.
Unless he insists.
In other news, one of our smoke detectors is chirping.
Low battery.
It started 20 minutes ago.
I should get up and track down which one.
And change the batteries.
But I won't for two reasons.
1. The chirping may wake up Dale.
2. It sounds like work.
I'm fairly sure I cannot not work on Easter.
Dale just stirred!
False alarm.
He is snoring again.
So back to Easter and work.
I think it would be sacrilegious to change the smoke detector battery or something.
I am pretty sure I read a psalm about that somewhere.
No worketh on Easter Sunday.
So really I am not being lazy but following my faith.
We are going to White Fence Farm for lunch today.
My sister, four nieces and nephew are joining us.
I am excited for two reasons.
1. Fried chicken.
2. My family are funny as hell.
I should probably not reference hell on Easter.
Pretty sure I read a psalm on that too.
Do not talketh of hell on Easter Sunday.
We are also going to the Stubbendicks for dessert this afternoon for two reasons.
1. Dessert makes Tom happy.
2. The Stubbendicks are so much fun.
The chirping alarm seems louder now.
However, no movement from Dale.
Thank goodness this was not a real emergency.
My stomach just growled.
I imagine my stomach as the plant from Little Shop of Horrors.
It is evil, sarcastic and says, "feed me" all the time.
I all imagine it is voiced by a soulful black man with a deep baritone.
Hey, Dale rolled over.
He said, "hi honey."
Yeah.
It is 7:48 AM.
It is great he is awake for two reasons.
1. My stomach is hungry.
2. That chirping alarm is driving me crazy.
Happy Easter everyone.
I hope it is wonderful.
Later.

Happy Easter

Remember, not all Easter bunnies are as cute as you think. If you are having your kids photographed this Easter please pick a good looking bunny as these photos sometimes last for decades.

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Enjoy other gems like these are www.sketchybunnies.com. The site is hysterical.

It's 12:49 AM.

I should be sleeping.
But I'm not.
Just got home from Game Night at the Spencers.
I drank way too much.
At least a bottle of wine seems like too much.
I am in bed.
Dale is already asleep.
Zoe is already asleep.
Not me.
Feels early.
But that may be the wine talking.
I already checked Facebook and Twitter.
And played 8 games of Words with Friends.
Both Dale and Zoe are snoring.
Had a great time tonight.
The Spencers and Stubbendicks are such good people.
Dale and I are blessed to call them friends.
I am looking forward to Easter with my sister, nieces and nephew tomorrow.
Will be fun.
Well I should try to get to sleep.
I have a hangover planned for tomorrow morning.

Night
Morning.

Dale's Easter Basket

For Dale's Easter basket I went old school with a whoppie pie, sugar daddy, chuckles, peeps, mallow cups, candy buttons and other fun candies from yesteryear. I put it together in a ceramic watermelon we already own and I even found edible Easter basket grass made from sugar, which is fairly cool.



I put it all together on Friday and it has been sitting on top of our kitchen cabinet (where the ceramic watermelon usually lives) since then and Dale has not noticed yet. Funny.

The winners

Sandy & Steve won game night.

My bottle of wine

So good.

Look it's me

After some (lots of) wine.

Couples Game Night Trophy

Dale and I are a part of a Couples Game Night with our friends Tim & Shannon Spencer, Sandy & Steve Stubbendick and Sam & Anjanette. We get together every other month for a night of games, drinking and laughs. We are meeting tonight and the Spencers are hosting. One of my favorite parts is that the winning couple takes home a beautiful trophy when they win. Dale found the trophy at Goodwill and the winning couple has to add something after each victory. The Spencers won the first two times, so they added the Madonna-esque bra and arms. Dale and I won last time, so we bedazzled the right arm with a beautiful tattoo, bracelet and ring. I think it makes it that much more fun.

Daffodils have given way to tulips

I love daffodils but they seem to come and go so quickly. All but one remains in our front yard, but all the tulips are starting to pop up now, which is a welcome sign of Spring (even though we had snow flurries today). I snapped this photo earlier today of one of my favorites.

So far it is the day before Easter…

…and Dale has not had me dye any Easter eggs. He has not taking me shopping for a new Easter outfit. He did not let to sit on the Easter Bunny’s lap when I saw her this morning. I have not seen him running around the house hiding any Easter eggs. So far this is not the most exciting Easter weekend. I guess there is still hope for tomorrow, right?

Dale tends to not trust me…

…when it comes to me going to the grocery store alone. He has good reason not to trust me. I tend to leave with a list of 3 things and return with a car load of stuff. I am what you call an “impulse shopper” and he does not see this as a good quality. I think it shows that I am able to be spontaneous. He disagrees. What can I say, I get distracted and I am easy convinced to buy things based on their packaging. I am especially susceptible to those things they place near the register.  They seem to get me every time. However, this morning Dale sent me to the grocery store with a list of 6 items and I came home with only 7 items. This is a huge success for me – only 1 extra item. I needed an Easter card for Dale so that was my extra item, so really it was not something for me, but rather for Dale…so I think I should get an A+. Dale did not agree and said I only deserved a B. I plan to do some extra credit later and try to get it up to a B+.

Friday Night at Joe’s Crab Shack

Last night, Dale and I joined our friend Donna Frazzini for dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack. Oddly, it is less than 5 miles from our home and a place we pass close to almost daily, yet we had never been there. It was a fun place and it was great to catch up with Donna. Donna and I even shared one of their giant steamer pots with lobsters, clams, shrimp, corn, sausage and potatoes. Since I did not dip in the melted butter, it was actually pretty healthy for my diet (yeah, Tom). I also had a very light lunch knowing that we were going to dinner. After dinner Dale and I ran some errands to Joann Fabrics (I know that sounds uber-gay) and Home Depot (I know that sounds uber-butch) and then came home. I watched a little TV on my iPad and then called it a night.

I'm bringing sexy back

Well, not really. Imagine me showing up to your house on Easter like this.

Honoring Earth Day

I quit work early today and honored Earth Day with a nice 5-mile walk along Standley Lake. I figured what better way to celebrate the wonders of our Earth than being out in the beauty it provides us. It felt great to be out again walking after 4 cloudy/rainy days.

Everybody poops

Or so I learned in graphic detail tonight on the bus ride home. No, I did not crap my pants...so are safe to keep reading (well, relatively safe). Usually there are only a few of us on my bus for the last few miles of the route. Sometimes I am the only passenger for the last 10 stops. Tonight, there were two of us the last few miles - myself and a man in his late forties, who was sitting directly in front of me. Close to the end of the ride his cell phone rang and he took the call. He turned around after he started talking, as if to see if anyone was left on the bus. He did not turn around fully, so I do not think he was me sitting directly behind him. If he did, I doubt he would have gone into detail with the caller (who I assumed was his wife) about the diarrhea he had all day. Yuck!


Even with my iPod on and headphones in my ears, I could still hear him talking. Phrases like, "the shits," "it's been non-stop all-day" and "no, it's all liquid" were not what I wanted to be hearing at all. It was fairly embarrassing for the guy, when I pulled the cord for my stop and the bell rang. His head snapped around so quickly and there he saw me, starting to stand up. I assume he is probably convincing himself right now that my music was so loud there was no way I heard his crappy conversation (see what I did there...I used crappy to describe the conversation because it was about poop). So why share this? Misery loves company. If I had to hear the details of his diarrhea, it is only fair you share in the joy too.