Reading Because I Want To

This past year, I started reading for fun again. I felt the need to read books instead of just watching the movies. Mostly because I think the movies leave a lot to be desired in the art of storytelling. I have to admit, it took me a while to get back into a habit of reading as an extracurricular activity. Most of the time, reading is something that I only do for my job or to read the ingredient label on a new food, when I have to watch out for some allergen. So is the way of society as we live. We do not get to read for fun. Picking out books of interest with stories that we can get behind; or reading documentaries about people in history that we want to learn about. In our fast-paced, don’t-get-left-behind race to our inevitable finish line, we read what we must to get through and move on. Which I feel is why most people have no urge to read. They don’t think about reading something to enjoy, it is all about reading because we have to. There are also those people that think listening to books via audio is the same as reading, but I won’t get into that since it is probably another ramble where I talk about if it actually compares. No for me, I have to actually read it, slowly as I may do, since I am clearly out of practice. It is not so much speed reading as reading at an even pace without missing story plot. I have gotten quicker throughout the year though. My goal was 10 books by the end of it. I am at 7, and quicker at reading, so hopefully, the next few months will be smooth sailing (with slightly shorter books to meet my goal). However, if I am reading to get to a goal of a certain number of books, does that mean I am then reading because I have to? It is probably a question for someone else to answer. Moreover, I don’t want to discuss that question in this post because then I will be making you read because you have to get to the end of my rambling. It is more words than sense. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Fall Around the Corner

With August at a close, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt, I am glad to be through the Dog Days of summer and looking forward to the Fall weather. Now, of course, I know that Autumn does not actually start until September 20^th, but, let’s be honest, much like Christmas seems to start November 1^st, Fall really starts in most people’s minds on September 1^st or roundabout after Labor Day sometime. I must admit that I am not a big fan of the Fall season as a whole. I detest pumpkin spice things and while I appreciate the changing colors of the leaves, I do not make any special attempt to see any one kind of tree that contains those colors. My full yard is usually enough leaves for me. No, for me, the changing weather is all I look forward to. It cools down a bit. You get to enjoy wearing your favorite jacket again. Most importantly you do not have to worry about being a sweaty mess everywhere you go, because it is nice enough to just enjoy being outside without having to show too much skin. With any luck, we will actually get to enjoy Autumn this year before it turns from desert hot to an instant snow storm, because where I am from this is usually the case. At any rate, regardless of how short it lasts, I will use it as preparation for the rest of the year. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

A Peek Behind the Curtain

Oftentimes when I am working at writing these rambles, it is not as easy as throwing an idea at the wall and then writing about it. Many times, I have to actively try to say something in these, even if all I intend to do is ramble. Most of these rambles are made even harder because talking is easy once a conversation has already started, but I purposefully have to start the conversation with an opening line. Once I get going it is easy enough to just type for a solid 5 minutes and get something down, but that start is very difficult at the best of times. The other 10% of the time I just write until I am tired of typing and then I wait a day and proofread and see if there are any improvements to be made, or if I even want to release the ramble at all. Let’s be honest, not all of them are worth reading, even if they are not necessarily supposed to be completely sensible. To be straight with everyone, I just wanted to give a glimpse into how my process works and maybe that starts a conversation about work in any form. The start, the ongoing processes that keep the work moving, and the struggle to keep coming back. The easiest part is the end. All I have to say is, “But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time,” and I am done.

P.S. See you next time.

Birthdays Don't Hit the Same

It is that time of year again. I grow another year older and everyone makes it seem like a big deal. Almost like one year makes me somehow completely debilitated and incapacitated to do anything for the next year. It wasn’t always like that though. In my youth, birthdays were a time to invite friends and family to celebrate you in a special way. You got to hang out with your cousins that you only saw at Christmas. Balloons, party hats, and cake, but as you get older, it becomes more a razz on how old you are getting. The cake gives you heartburn, the balloons are crazy expensive, and the party hats don’t fit your dome. It is better to almost ignore your birthday and just try to relax most of the day. Although if you work, usually your friends at the office must make a big deal of it so that doesn’t work on those birthdays. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means complaining. I still enjoy being above ground and look forward to the next year and what it will bring, but I imagine by another 30 or so years, birthdays will have been a dime a dozen, and I will care even less that I am aging like soured milk instead of fine wine. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Marry Your Friend Group

Please do not misinterpret the title of this ramble as me giving all of the noncommitted multi-partnered “situationships” a reason to continue their struggle. What I am trying to convey by this title is that people should have many friends before they ever consider trying to date. The reason? We learn social interaction by being socially active. If we have many friends that we spend time with, and I do mean many friends, of all shapes, sizes, colors, and genders, then we can become socially adept enough to relate to nearly anyone. This includes potential partners that we may end up spending a lot more time with for the rest of our lives. You always hear about these couples that say they married their best friend, and that is exactly how it should be. You cannot go from never knowing someone to being in a great relationship without at least being friends first. One night stands are not your friends. They are a way to satisfy a carnal urge and nothing more. I am not saying that it can’t blossom into something more, but it definitely takes work on both sides. That work becomes a lot easier if we already have the know-how of how a friend should be treated because we have many friends whom we treat with the utmost respect. I also detest the 90 Day Fiance trope. There is no way in 3 months you can completely know someone enough to make a committed relationship. It is fine if you are committed to committing and marry them and then get to know them. Just know there is a great possibility that the wedding cost will be a small sample of a larger divorce cost down the road when the person you married after such a short time turns into someone different. Save the money and get to know them as a friend first. It is also always a good laugh to me when I see vampires that barely touch grass thinking that they can just download an app and instantly find a partner that will be everything they want and more. It does not work that way. You have to be able to talk to people, have a friendly demeaner, give of yourself, and be empathic to the plights of others before anyone of any gender will ever give you the time of day. So to all those lonely ones out there, don’t worry about finding a mate in a hurry. Start first by making many good close friends, treat them with respect and dignity, learn to be socially adept in many situations, and then, and only then, will the dating scene become a place for you. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

It Is Not About Neo-Dystopian Outlaws

Have you ever seen a movie with a friend and gotten into a hot debate about what the movie was actually about? Is your friend one of those people who over-analyzes every scene in a way that makes it nearly impossible to enjoy said movie? Welcome to my life. A life full of watching movies alone, because I have more than one friend like this. Long gone are the days of simply enjoying a movie for what it is. Unfortunately, I have a friend group that actively try to get their rotten tomato basket full as they decide what movies are actually about. The Barbie movie was a woman empowerment movie that spelled out how bad it can get if we ignore the signs of sexism. The Rise of Skywalker was about overcoming inner darkness and how we choose our identity. I remember one time trying to have a conversation about what a great movie The Fifth Element was, only to be told that the movie was actually a view on a dystopian future where the female has become a true object of sex and the only real masculine character was Bruce Willis as Corben Dallas. Now don’t misunderstand me, some of this is probably true. Moreover, what is a great movie without a little subtext of one theme or another, but does every movie have to be analyzed to death? What is wrong with just enjoying a movie for what it is, a piece of cinema. We are not in English class folks. We can watch a movie, enjoy what we saw and heard, and move on. What’s worse is when you have a friend who clearly has a bias and tries to make their bias seem correct for every film they see. The inequality of people of different race, gender, faith, and social class is something that everyone should be aware of, but if you expect me to feel this sense of inequality in The Secret Life of Pets, you are crazy. I am a movie buff. It brings me great pleasure to sit for a solid 2 or 3 hours and gnaw a bucket of popcorn, but I refuse to have a lengthy discussion about how deep Meet Dave gets. For me, I just like any movie Eddie Murphy plays in. In the end, I guess the aliens in control of my body need to learn how to overanalyze movies instead of just having opinions about random subjects. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Don't Give Out Raisins

Trick or treat, smell my feet, here’s a ramble that can’t be beat, or something like that. Halloween is here and I cannot believe the conversation that I had with a parent a few days ago. Instead of giving out candy, this person was buying raisins to give out to the local candy grabbers because she did not want to contribute to the obesity problem in America. The conversation arose when she saw my shopping cart full of candy and wondered what I was going to do with it all. I explained that I was the hit of the neighborhood for giving out full sized candy bars and not those fun-sized jokes. She could not believe that I was being so irresponsible with the neighbor’s children. I had to hold back laughter as I listened to her explanation of why she had raisins in her cart. Let’s get something straight here. The obesity problem is not going to be fixed by not giving out candy at your house. In fact, it will probably not have an effect at all, because you will be known as the raisin witch of the neighborhood. Kids will avoid your house, and they will still be able to come to houses like mine and stock up on the good stuff. Honestly folks, it’s one day a year. What is the harm in having a fun-filled night of terror, tooth rot, and mild regret for the next day as kids fill up their pillowcases and plastic pumpkins, eat way too much candy, and possibly wet themselves from all the haunted houses they will visit. You are only young once and no child wants raisins, apples, toothbrushes, or pennies for Halloween. Otherwise, there may be a good egging and a roll of toilet paper in one particular house’s future. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Material Girls (and Boys)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s and bottles of bubbles, girls with tattoos who like getting in trouble, lashes and diamonds, ATM machines, these are some of my favorite things. Not mine personally, but it has become such a habit to want things, physical things. Every day we practice materialism in such a way that the world is racked with a surplus of objects that most of us don’t really need. Materialism, by the way, is the want of physical possessions above all else. So why is this such a bad concept? Is wanting a few nice things really that horrible? Not if the items are worked for and earned with a solid paycheck or two, but look at the national debt average. No one can actually afford the things they are buying. Materialism is also not so bad if we only cling to the items for a little enjoyment. However, there are people who gather entire collections of objects even at the detriment of the enjoyment of the item. Think stamp collectors who spend millions tracking down a single stamp only to throw it in a book and hope that one day it will actually be worth something. I have made a habit of being a minimalist. I have very few physical objects to my name, but I enjoy all of those things. When I add a new item to my ensemble it is because I know that I will use said thing in a way that helps me or brings me great pleasure. However, I also know that if I were to lose said item, it would not be the end of the world. Do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that owning things is bad. I am merely stating that when having nice things becomes the center for everything else, maybe it is time to take up a hobby. You know something simple, like shoe collecting. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Pleasing Our Parents

Growing up is a spectrum of emotions, challenges, accomplishments, and changes that is completely different for everyone. The one thing most of us have in common is different periods in our lives where pleasing our parents is the general focus. Now of course I mean no offense to anyone who lack parents, but even most of that group have a parental figure that still fits the bill when it comes to what I am talking about. When we are toddlers and small children, it is a joy to interact with our parents. We show them every stripe of Crayon, want their undivided attention, and inevitably ask them why at least a million times. Then we enter our teenage years and young adolescence and it seems like no matter how much our parents try to connect, they “just don’t get us” and we almost shut them out with a sign on our bedroom doors. However, the circle meets at the other end by the time we become a full-fledged adult. Then it becomes a race to see how successful we can become so we can visit for Thanksgiving and brag about our accomplishments to our parents. One kid becomes a doctor, while the other becomes a sports pro. The awkward middle child becomes a millionaire because everyone laughed when she bought some crypto using her college fund. Throughout it all, our parents stand by and watch as their kids go through this and do not seem to bat an eye when it all works out. I am not a parent, but I don’t think I could ever have that kind of patience, but then again, most people would say that forever is a long time. Besides that, it would make my parents overjoyed if I was to become a parent. It is part of the reason I am rambling about this now, because pleasing my parents is also on my bucket list. If only I could make them understand how hard it is to please my significant other. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Over-celebrating is Just Annoying

With the recent ending of Independence Day, I have had an epiphany: people over-celebrate holidays. I am not just talking about having too much fun or spending too much, which are potential problems in themselves. What I am talking about are the people who take a concept of a holiday and blow it out of proportion. Like on the 4^th, fireworks are great. The booms and pops are cathartic to our idea of celebration. If nothing else, they break up chest congestion from summer allergies, but they should be done on the 4^th and no other time. However, what usually happens, as with this past week, is it is a 10-day long affair of every night being kept awake by those very same booms and pops. To put it into perspective for those who cannot legally buy and set off fireworks, it would be like if you had to have candy ready for the entire week of Halloween. Which may sound great to the candy-collecting gremlins, but most everyone else would have the thought of, “Why can’t we just celebrate this on one day and move on?” That is the way all holidays should be. 1 or 2 days and move on without any leftover effects. It would be like if we painted our houses green for St. Patrick’s Day. We may love St. Patrick’s Day, our Irish heritage, and even drinking, but we don’t want our houses green all year. Or if Christmas was an entire week of giving presents every day. I’m pretty sure that is already a thing. So, next year, when the anniversary of the U.S. having a Twisted Sister moment comes around, let’s all make a pact to only buy enough fireworks for one night and one night only. Because I for one will enjoy the extra sleep this time next year. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Physically Attractive, Emotionally Taxing

It’s a tale as old as Gen Z. The story of a relationship doomed to failure because the two people involved in it are just not right for each other. So why do they stay together? The sex is good. That’s it. That is the only thing positive they can say about their partner. The truth is the two people in question began dating because they liked the way the other person looked physically. But sometimes one has to look past the bod and see if there are traits in this person that makes them mentally, emotionally, and completely enthralled with being around that person. In other words, don’t think so much with your nether-regions. Let the blood flow reach your brain and make solid decisions about a potential future partner. This isn’t a Hallmark movie. No one moves to a random town to inherit their great uncle’s estate and falls in love with the handyman. Most of the time it takes several dates of conversation and sharing of personal interests for partners to link up. Also understand that just because eHarmony or Bumble tells you a person’s interests and hobbies doesn’t mean that one swipe right is going to be the be-all, end-all. Sometimes a person will swipe a few times before they find one that they would even want to have the conversation with. Just remember that if you try to partner up and the only way you can stand to spend 15 minutes around the person is with their clothes off, then maybe it is time to take the L and move on. Because when it is all said and done, a year can pass in a snap and you may still be getting the jab from your friends of, “The sex must be good, because they are the worst?” But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

An Honest and Diverse Friend Group

Have you ever been sitting with your friends, look around, and realize that all of you are the same? It is not a stupid question. The next time you are with your extended friend group, glance at what they all look and act like. Are they all the same race, gender, background, etc? I will actually get to the point with this one. Your friend group needs a multitude of different personalities and nationalities. There is a reason TV shows now are including more than just the one black friend to the main character. The friend group in a program could include people of all different nationalities, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and even people of extended age ranges. Art should reflect reality. Our real-life friend groups should include this as well. I am not saying that your friend group should look like a “We Are The World” campaign, but if it looks like the cast of Friends, maybe look up diversity in the dictionary. This is not just me being my whimsical, non-sensical self. I have made every effort to expand my friend group with people of all different perspectives, because it allows me to become a better person by having my very diverse friends be honest with me if I am doing something offensive. For instance, you need friends to help you realize how racist you might actually be being on a day to day. Also, my gay friends help me see the perspective of the LGBTQ+ community so that I can proudly say that I am an ally. At the end of the day, making your friend group a melting pot only helps to open your mind to worlds very different from your own. Also, it makes holidays more fun because of all the different gatherings of which you can be a part. We are a part of a very diverse world, and I believe that the ultimate goal is to find connections for us all. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

No Crystal Ball, Just a Calendar

My favorite character at a carnival is the fortune-teller. The reason is because they are probably the richest person at the event. Why? Because everyone goes to them to hear about a future that may or may not actually happen. It is comforting to hear things about a life that we dream about, but a vision board can become reality with an attainable goal post and some grit. There is nothing that can’t be achieved with a proper plan and a level head. We all have it in us to accomplish great things. Most people usually do. There are thousands of doctors, lawyers, service men and women, entrepreneurs, and entertainers in the world. However, when I say attainable goals, I mean it literally. We cannot all be Sheldon Cooper and graduate college at 14. As much fun as kids have playing wedding in the back yard, most of us are not going to meet that perfect someone and be happily married in our early 20s. In this modern era, we may never actually own a house. When I say attainable goals, I mean things that could and probably might actually happen in a normal life. A life without Laurie Laughlin as our mom, a life without arranged marriages, and a life without ever having won the lottery. I am not saying we shouldn’t shoot high. I am merely saying that it is okay to go with the flow sometimes and do not get disheartened when we come in under the bar. Just adjust the trajectory and keep flying. There is a reason that they don’t sell 20 year at a time calendars. Some of us would plan that far ahead and might even ask the prognosticator to assist us. My hope is that we can all be happy living relatively normal lives with a few dozen high points as we accomplish the goals we set and knew we would achieve. However, if it were to be foretold that we would meet our one true love while we were wearing red shoes, then one of those goals would definitely be to buy enough red shoes to last us the rest of our lives. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

May Day and Other Such Fun

With the recent passing of May 1^st or May Day as many know it, it has come to my attention that we really do celebrate a day for just about everything. What I mean is those random days throughout a month that celebrate innocuous things like donuts, the mathematical Pi, squirrels. May Day itself is known as a day of play where people enjoy fun games outside in the sun. In fact, the first week of May is a great example of what I am talking about. May Day on the 1^st, then Star Wars Day on the 4^th (and may it always be with you), and then Cinco de Mayo on the 5th. I have no problem celebrating a few non-major holidays throughout a month. An Earth Day, a Parent’s Day, a national day of reading. They all sound fine enough now and again, but for every day to be a Taco Tuesday gets a bit redundant. We as a society have literally made a day for every member of our families, every food item known, every animal on the Ark, a day to talk like pirates, and even World Lazy Day. I know Sportacus wouldn’t like that one. I don’t know, maybe it is just my mildly pessimistic nature, but I feel like if every day is a celebration, an un-birthday if you will, then we aren’t really celebrating anything are we? But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

A Wittle Old to Get in Twouble

I have been on this planet for around 30 years and one of the things that always surprises me is how many people actively worry about if their day-to-day actions are going to get them in trouble. What I mean is they, as grown adults, are worried about people saying something to them, or chewing them out, as one person I know put it, for just doing what they need to do during a day. I have had coworkers with this mentality. They worried that the boss might be listening or they skipped one step in a process, nothing was harmed, and yet they sat and chewed their fingernails over if someone would find out. First of all, let’s just level and say that, as a grown adult, we have the rights to do just about anything we want, within reason, of course. We can eat what we want, sleep whenever, watch as much TV as our brains can handle, and, overall, just enjoy ourselves as human beings. Second, let’s all agree that the phrase “getting in trouble” is not the right terminology. I am not saying there are not repercussions for our actions. That is just not true. For instance, at work, for not doing what we are supposed to do or intentionally doing it wrong, we can be docked pay, made to take mandatory time off, or even handed a pink slip. In society, if we mess around we can be arrested, charged for our crimes, packed in a barred cell, and even given the electric chair if we mess around enough. However, in all of these cases, we are not getting stood in the corner, or being put in a time out, or having our hands smacked with a ruler. In fact, we are allowed to thoroughly object to those scenarios. I don’t know, maybe I am just mincing words. Maybe “getting in trouble” is a nicer way of saying something more derogatory. I just think that people that stand around worrying about if life is going to paddle their backside are missing out on bending some rules and having a funner time with everything they do. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

The Worst Song Ever Made

I can still hear it now. The noises of the singer as he tries to imitate every animal known to him. Then he gets to the sound a fox makes and literally makes something up. It is a trend in music since the beginning that, every now and then, a song has to be made just for the hell of it. Sometimes it is nonsensical, sometimes it is barely a song, but someone makes it and it usually becomes a one-hit wonder that is played at every prom, wedding, and drunken office party. The modern era sees this occur more often too because people are trying harder and harder to experiment with the sounds an audience will call music. However, as I said this is not something that is a modern trend. It has been going on since the beginning of music. The ancient civilizations played around with how fast they could bang a leather drum and keep in time. Then pieces of metal were smashed together and that was deemed musical. Beethoven liked the sound of “The Ode to Joy.” People in the south scrubbed their washboards and blew into jugs. The roaring 20’s had improvisation in jazz and artists like Coltraine played as fast as possible until it was just noise out of a brass instrument. In the 90’s, Daft Punk brought electronic music to us all. Death metal was a thing in the Aughts. Even all the way up to the current part of the 21^st century where we have people like Psy bringing it “Gangnam Style” and a dude making “fox” noises. So where does all of this lead. Well, I guess all I can say is that the worst song has not been made yet. I mean, if we as a civilization can endure all that and still want more, if music artists are still willing to try to make trash cans an instrument, if consumers still buy an album just because a certain musician is attached to it, then I guess we still have a while to go before music just becomes unpalatable. My only hope is that the taste never goes to a place of silent music where we just listen to the dust move in an old studio. Otherwise, this guy might just stick to the oldies, or by that time what will be deemed classical music. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Emotional Intelligence Makes Me Smart

Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, interpret, evaluate, and control emotions to communicate and relate to others effectively. It is a means of social connection that in a world of business moguls, book smarts, and AI is slowly being lost. However, it is a concept that is direly needed in order for a society to function. We cannot connect with others in our social circle without some level of emotional intelligence. While some people are naturally gifted with it, it is something that can be trained through practice. Although, even in our modern world, there is little time put into that practice. In olden days, you were saw as weak or yellow-bellied for being empathetic, but nowadays there are even worse “nice” words to describe the sensitive souls of the world. To prove just how important it is to have emotional intelligence let’s say you go to a therapist and they have the demeanor of R. Lee Ermey from that Geico commercial. It would be difficult to spill your inner thoughts to a drill sergeant like that. What if every time you were pulled over by an officer, the response was always, “I don’t care, here is your ticket, go away.” The defunding of the police would be immediate and unanimous. Teachers are another great example. If all teachers did was barf up facts for your child to remember and then regurgitate back, we could literally replace them with a robot or TV monitor. Finally, parents are the most important people to have emotional intelligence. Many times, your child is hurting emotionally and you have no idea why. Someone with honed emotional intelligence can easily figure it out. For those parents who lack emotional intelligence; don’t panic. With a little practice and enough Bluey episodes, you too can be an emotionally intelligent parent. My final thought on all this is we as an entire population should be working toward more empathetic interactions. We need to help people learn social skills as well as why the universe works. Because the truth is, it doesn’t if we cannot connect with people on some sort of deeper level at least once in a while. Moreover, when a child helps the opponent in a sports game up from a fall and claps a high five for effort, maybe instead of wondering why they are helping the enemy, we reward them for having the emotional intelligence to realize it’s just a game and hating the opponents only makes the game toxic for everyone. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Life's a Game and We're All Playing

Now, while I do love spinning that little number wheel and driving my car along the colored path, getting married, and having kids, I am not actually talking about that particular board game. Although, as a child we giggle while paying bills, gaining money, etc. in the game, and depending on what version, possibly meeting Hello Kitty, it is a true enough reflection of what life is. As youngsters, it is just a fun time, but as adults, we quickly learn the board game is a joke gone wrong. The adage is adulting is hard and I, as an adult, fully believe that. Working, paying bills, going to school, if you still are, dealing with people, all while trying not to end up in a padded room. It is difficult. The only solace I have is I know everyone—big, small, poor, rich, famous, and even bloggers—are playing the game. Some of us will be the bragging sore winner at the end claiming we knew what we were doing, even though it is clearly sometimes just luck, while others, sadly, won’t make it to the end of the path and our cars will be found on the side of the path that many never think they will take. So where am I going with all this. Well, honestly, I don’t know. I guess I am just trying to point out that if life is just a game maybe we should stop focusing on every single move and whether we are winning or not and just play. Twirl the spinner, move your piece, and hope that even if you don’t win, it was a fun time anyway. Also, remember that sometimes it is going to be a bumpy ride, but we should strap in anyway because Cinnamoroll might be around the corner. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

My Follow-Through Sucks

New Year’s resolutions are a tradition dating back to the ancient Babylonians that would pray to their gods that they may succeed in one manner or another. Usually this meant moving up in class, beating their next opponent, gaining extended knowledge, or even just good crops the next growing season. In today’s time, it usually means a weight loss or financial goal. The key word for me is “goal.” When you set a goal, especially one that is very high-barred, there is already tremors of failure. I personally do not set resolutions, if only because the crushing sound of defeat after six months is just too much for my ego. So, instead, I opt for accomplishments. In other words, every time I manage to get something done I celebrate, and I don’t worry about what I didn’t get accomplished. That way it is only good times when something actually gets done, and, with my procrastination habits, sometimes it does take a while. However, I encourage everyone to follow this method. Because it definitely is more fun than being depressed about what you didn’t get accomplished. Although, for some, it may be difficult because they are that successful and accomplish so much they would celebrate every day. Although celebrating every day, greatly accomplished or just muddling along, is a goal I fully stand behind resolutely. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Dieting On Holidays

It’s that time of year again. The time of year for delicious foods and decadent treats for all to enjoy. The time of year where we all have that one relative that we have to hide those foods and treats from because they don’t want to be tempted. My response to those people is always the same. Why torture yourself during the holidays? With all the dinners, office parties, get-togethers, and shopping we have to do, it is not easy to stick to your dietary essentials and be happy at the same time. In fact, I believe it’s the reason Ebenezer was so miserable. He was trying to keep his miserly figure and everyone kept giving him gift baskets. I have a rule for the last three months of the year and it is simply: Why bother? I start about a week before Halloween. I go in knowing that I am going to overindulge. When I get done Trick-or-Treating and checking my haul for razor blades, I immediately start eating some of it, especially if there is a 3 Musketeers in the mix. Then comes Thanksgiving. I know there is no way I will be able to keep my wits with warm stuffing, sweet yams, buttery mashed potatoes, extra creamy green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie with extra whip cream on the top. Then I turn around twice and it’s Christmas. I start December 1^st with a cookie in my hand. By the end of Christmas, I will have gained at least 15 pounds and will proudly display it knowing that I fully enjoyed my holidays with gusto. In fact, I usually don’t stop until around February because New Year’s is basically a drinking game, which is more calories. Luckily I don’t have a lover, so I don’t have to worry about chocolates on Valentines, which is why I find it a good time to stop. So, this year, take my advice. Let’s all celebrate the birth of Christ by sinning our asses off by being major gluttons and being damn proud of it. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.