Phanysthat... She Thinks This Blog is Fabulous...

Thanks Susan.

I humbly accept.

But getting a a blog award is not like getting TARP money and squandering the cash on things like Christmas bonuses, Super Bowl parties and naming rights to baseball stadiums. No siree Bob. Uh uh.




This award comes with strings attached.

No, not these kind of strings.

But the five you see below. You see, in order to complete this transaction, I have to dish about five addictions:

1. My journals. I write something everyday... and I mean everyday. If it's not here on my blog, then it's in my red, hard-cover journals. This is 25 year I've been keeping a journal. I rarely ever go back and read them. The time that I have made me cringe at either the thought I expressed, the way I expressed it or both.

2. Dunkin Donuts Coffee. Okay. I know caffeine is a drug and, therefore, addictive. I get that. But it tastes so much better than a cup of that over-hyped crap from Starbucks. And not only that, when you ask for a regular coffee (with milk and two sugars), you get a regular cup of fucking coffee and not some queer look from a barrista who keeps asking you if you want a latte. Full disclosure. I became hooked on Cafe Bustello con leche as a kid; essentially a latte.

3. Text messaging. I love it. I know that it's no substitute for human contact, but sometimes phone conversations can be quite annoying, especially when you have to endure a full hour of someone yakking about their bunyon surgery. However, I'm well aware that's not a smart thing to do while driving...

4. Walking. Give me a choice between riding in a cab or walking to a destination a mile away and I'll walk. Give me a warm Spring evening shrouded in fog and I am out there. My fondess for walking was born out of necessity. As a teenager, in order to save money, I'd pass on taking the bus and walk where I needed to go. Over time, walking became a way to release my tensions and attain a quiet respite from a cacaphonous world where I could hear myself think.

5. Books. I'll read just about anything that's bound if it catches my fancy, including the works of the matriarch of all things right-wing, Ayn Rand. There are many writers I admire, not the least of which is Pete Hammil. But over the years, my tastes were forged by such greats as John Milton, William Butler Yeats, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Irving and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Okay... here are my five recipients

Randal Graves
Okjimm
Pissed in NYC
Mauigirl
Tengrain

Giving The Finger

Okay, Randal... since you asked....

Or is it "since you tagged?"

And since I'm too weak a blogger to not comply with a meme request...

I come forth with the fourth pic in the fourth folder in the following file path on my laptop:

C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\My Documents\My Pictures

The Rules:

1. Go to the 4th folder in your computer where you store your pictures. (I did that)
2. Pick the 4th picture in that folder. (See photo below)
3. Explain the picture. (Can you hold your fucking horses?)
4. Tag 4 people to do the same. (They're all going to hate me, but okay..)


It is my distinct pleasure, dear readers of this most humble of blogs, to give you:

The Finger

No, not this finger....

But this one....


Here's the explanation. I broke it playing touch football about 15 months ago. I was on offense running a 15-yard out pattern. The guy playing defense didn't bite on my move and jumped in front of me to intercept it. So I stuck out my left hand to knock it down. The outcome? Blind searing pain!

But what I learned from this event was not that fingers can't stop footballs. No, the lesson from breaking my finger is that I need to develop a thicker skin for hospital emergency room snark. I posted it about it once. But you can forgo clicking through to that link because after it was all said and done; after the insurance cards were handed over; after sharing the same space with people who were legitimately in need of emergency care; after the x-rays were taken and the treatment dispensed... phew! I walked away with a new sense for the phrase "I hope you feel better."

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I tag the following folks. And if you don't comply, may the dogs of Hades hunt you down and maul your left pinky!

Distributorcap - because he hates memes
Alecto - because I always tag her
Tengrain - because he's the king of photographic snark
Dianne - because she's got a blog devoted to photography

I'm an (Un)Sexy Bookworm

First it was okjimm, and now it's Randal Graves.

Will these tags never end?






However, this meme is much easier for me to do because I am a book worm...

and I'm sexy as a muthafucka.

Here's how this one works:

You need to go the nearest book you find, whether it's this one or this one. Next, open it to page 46 and write out the fifth sentence on that page, and the next two to five after that. Once, you've done that, pass the meme onto five other bloggers you know.

So here is page 46 of Pete Hamill's "North River"

The cause of death was always life. Across many years now, he had comforted people he knew would soon die. He hoped too that he could reduce their immediate pain. He hoped his consoling whispers would do them no harm. He hoped too that he could reduce their immediate pain. He could not carry them around in his head like luggage.

I wish I could tell you all how this random passage from one my favorite authors is resonating with me now. Perhaps I should have chosen one from The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch which was underneath the Hamill book.

Hey! Rules are rules. Far be it from me to step out of line.

Okay... here are my usual suspects.

Skippy
Mauigirl
Alecto
Blondesense Liz
okjimm (because you tagged you me, sucka!)

If you done, it already fuggedabodit. If not... well get cracking.

Gee, thanks okjimm!

Wowsers! Nothing more says, "I care" like being tagged in the blogosphere.

This time the love comes from my favorite blogger from Wisconsin, okjimm who writes okjimm's eggroll emporium. So, ya wanna know six random things about me now. Well, I'm going to need to pop open a few frosty ones to take this one on because it may take a while.

Before I get going, there are a few administrative items that need to be addressed.

The Rules

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Write six random things about yourself.

4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.

5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Ya got all that? Good. Here are my six.

1. I'm 5'9" and wear a size 10 shoe.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. I have an unfulfilled desire to perform unscheduled oral surgery with my fists on smug and sanctimonious people.
   
   
   
   
   
3. I'm a closet Bee Gees fan.
   
   
4. I taught Noodle how to laugh like Butthead... (uh... huh huh)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. I wanted to name a son of mine Jackson, but Skippy wouldn't let me.
   
   
6. This Christmas, Skippy and I received this red bra as a gift.
   
   

Okay, show's over! Go and watch Obama get sworn in or something hopeful and useful like that. And, please, I'm trusting you all not to let that Bee Gee thing get out.

Here are the six I tag.

Skippy
Susan
Alecto
Blondesense Liz
Dianne

If you've done it, great. If not, take a shot. If you don't care to, remember what I said about that Bee Gee thing... shhhhh... mums the word.

Grown Up Tag....

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

I'll DO It ...

A few days ago, I told Randal Graves I'd respond to this meme. "I'll DO it!!!!" , I said. So here goes:

1. Where was I ten years ago?
I don't know. I try not to think back that far. As I recall I was working for this HUGE hotel chain in their flagship hotel wondering how in the hell I could take a job that kept me out of my house for 15 hours a day. Noodle was 6, Zeb was 4, and Rick was 24 months.

How come babies lives are measured in months until they turn two?

I hardly got to see my kids that year. Such is the life of desktop/server/network/anything-that-gets-plugged-into-a-wall technician. It's too bad this meme didn't get sent to me in 2009. Then, this answer would much shorter. I got the fuck out.

2. What was on my ToDo list today yesterday?
There really was no To Do list, per se. Just a react-to-the-moment, stream-of-consciousness, run-on-sentence list. I woke up in the morning in need of a run, so I ran 6 miles from my house to Southard Pond and back, then I tried to finish my "peep" post, but I had to drive Noodle to work, after which my pal Larry called to offer me 4 Field level box seats, which I took only to see the Mets fall to their knees and blow another September pennant race game that I surprisingly took in stride because professional athletes don't give two shits about me ......(breath in...breath out).... Then I came home, had Italian take out for dinner, covered the pool for the winter with Skippy, finished my peep post, walked the dog, watched Entourage, wrote this diatribe, and then... ZZZZZZZZZZZ....


3. What would I do if I were a billionaire?
I'd give it all away to the Wasilla Church of God.... Nah. Governor Palin beat me to it when she tried to build her bridge to nowhere. So, that leaves giving half to Skippy and the kids, buying an open-ended plane ticket to Hong Kong and become an international playboy. I'd spend it lavishly on women and booze and then.....

beep...beep...beep... beep

Skippy would shake me from my slumber and shout "Wake up Spartacus! You're having that stupid International Playboy dream again!"

Seriously, I'd pay off the debts of almost everyone I know, create an endowment that provides liberal arts and science scholarships at my alma mater, CUNY-Queens College to worthy students who otherwise could not afford them. Then, I would go on the two-year round-the-world trip with the family (or without), because I'd want to see all there is in the world before I die. Which leads me to....

4. Five places I've lived:
Depends on what amount of time is considered lived. Whether the time span is one-week or one year there are too many to mention, so here are my favorites in no particular order:

One Week+ List
Southfields (NY),
Chicago
Hong Kong,
Mexico City,
San Francisco

One Year+ List
Jacob Riis Houses (East Village, Manhattan, NY)
Richmond Hill (NY)
Mineola (NY)
Floral Park (NY)
Lindenhurst (NY)

5. Bad habits:
Oh jeez, do I hafta?

Okay....okay... I said I'll do it

1. I blog
2. I play pull my finger...alot
3. I fall asleep with the TV on
4. I smoke stuff... sometimes
5. I... am stopping at four.
   

C'mon... I can't tell all my secrets. This is a family blog after all.

Okay...for this meme I tag

Alecto
Diva Jood
Mary Ellen
Dianne
FranIam

Go to it girls...If you haven't gone to it already.

At Alecto's Request

Fellow blogger Alecto tagged me with this meme a while back and I've finally gotten around to doing it. The meme works like this:

Go back through your archives and post the links to your five favorite blog posts that you've written. ... but there is a catch: Link 1 must be about family. Link 2 must be about friends. Link 3 must be about yourself, who you are... what you're all about. Link 4 must be about something you love. Link 5 can be anything you choose. I think this is a great way to circulate some of the great older posts everyone had written, return to a few great places in our memories and also learn a little something about ourselves and each other that we may not know. Post your five links and then tag five other people. At least TWO of the people you tag must be *newer acquaintances so that you get to know each other better....and don't forget to read the archive posts and leave comments!


Link 1: Family
This post is about a trip I took into the New York City with my family last September. We went in to spend an afternoon with my brother Joe, his wife Janette and their son Lucas. They live in Morningside Heights, which to me is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Manhattan. I chose this post not for what it says in words, but what it says in pictures. I tried to select the ones that reflect most the magic of that day, but here's a link to the rest of the pics we snapped.

Link 2: Friends
This one was an easy choice. I've been playing softball with these guys for years, and despite our many life changes and challenges, we've managed to keep the team going. This year is season 9 for the Mohawks and right now, we're chasing the league with our 0-4 record. But there's a whole summer of softball to play and lots of beer to consume. We're still "...a fraternity of imperfect men who simply want to play a game for the fun of it." Indeed, we will. Play ball!

Link 3: Self
I wrote this letter to my father several years ago when I gave up on my Roman Catholicism and my belief in God. I consider this the most difficult post I'd ever published; not so much because it describes my path to atheism, but because it describes the man whose life I've tried so hard to emulate. My father's shoes are still too large for me to fill.

Link 4: Something I Love
Poetry. I've been writing in this form for as long as I've put pen to paper. While I do a great deal more narrative writing on this blog, I have countless notebooks of my poetry that would attest that this is the writing I prefer to do most. I've published 14 poems on my blog of all of which I am proud to share. The one I've linked to here is one of my favorites.

Link 5: Wildcard
It's post number 57. I couldn't choose one, so I asked Eileen, my wife, to pick a number between 1 and 125 -- the number of published posts on this blog. The post she chose contains links to performances by my brother-in-law, David Mullen, at the Triad (in NYC) on October 10, 2007. He performed two numbers from is new CD, Mahoney's Way. He's awesome, but I'm biased. Click through to the link and take a listen for yourself.


I know I'm supposed to tag five people to tag, but I can't really think of anyone at this moment. Anyone reading this post is welcome to take a crack at it. If not, then at least follow the link above to Alecto's site. She makes a mean challah bread when she's not killing her tomatoes.

Tag Me Once, Tag Me Twice....

I was tagged by DCup and Kelso to do a minimalist memoir. Well, since this one's been flying around our district of Blogovia for quite some time, I probably won't invite anyone to play. Or maybe I will. You'll just have to read through wontcha?

Okay.... A stripped down tale of this life in six words. Hmm, let's see. I got it:





Could never shut the fuck up.







Okay, here are the five bloggers I tag:

Pissed In NYC, Pissed Off Patricia, Mauigirl, The Cunning Runt, and Morse

Here are the rules:
1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post.
4. Tag five more blogs with links.
5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

Damn it! I've Been Tagged Again (Part 1)

Last night, the birthday boy Mathman, musical memed me. Never one to refuse a challenge and having a functioning Creative Nomad MP3 player from 2003, I thought I'd give this a shot.

The read out screen is broken, which made it hard to see the song title, but what I could not read and remember, I looked up when I got to work and connected the device to my laptop. I also caution you that algorithm Creative uses to shuffle songs really sucks. It doubles up on bands alot.

So, without much further a do......

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY? 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Paul Simon

2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Geronimo, Unwritten Law

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Sunday Morning, No Doubt

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Over The Hills and Far Away, Led Zeppelin

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? Walk This Way, Aerosmith

6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Communicator, Bush

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? When the Levee Breaks, Led Zeppelin

8. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS? Papa Was A Rolling Stone, The Temptations

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Uncle John's Band,, The Grateful Dead

10. WHAT IS 2+2? Live Wire, AC/DC

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Hear About It Later, Van Halen

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Kick Him When He's Down, The Offspring

13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Push, Matchbox 20

14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Crackerman, Stone Temple Pilots

15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? I Wish It Would Rain Down, Phil Collins

16. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), Marvin Gaye

17. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? All I Want, The Offspring

18. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? Bad Boys Running Wild, Scorpions

19. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Shot Down In Flames, AC/DC

20. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Standing In The Shadows of Love, The Four Tops

21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? June Bug, The B-52s

22. WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS? Wots....Uh, The Deal, Pink Floyd


Happy birthday, Mathman. I hope your day was wonderful and that you got everything you wished for.

CDP, I did not forget you. It's late, I'm tired, I have a very long day ahead of me tomorrow, and your tag requires much more thought than my brain has the capacity to put out right now. I believe the word is called "fried".