Got Stress?

Ok, so it's not as bad as what some people may be going through. But it certainly adds stress to myself as well my family.

Jobs.

One of the biggest stressors (I feel) we have due to countless factors...job security, job application, job interview, did I even make the list for an interview, how much does it pay, is it a permanent or temporary position, the list goes on and on. Well, since I'm an impatient person, it drives me nuts to wait and find out if I either made a list of referred people, when the interview is, and did I get the job. Right now, I have about 3 things going for me, but it's the "sit and wait game." And I'll be leaving for a week for reserves here pretty soon, and I'm afraid that I'll miss a phone call and worse yet...miss the opportunity for an interview. Now, I know there are laws to help protect that about military reserve members and allowing them time to still get the opportunity for an interview. But none the less, it's a stress factor. I've been told once before, "It's out of your hands so don't worry about it." I disagree since every application has a fighting chance...just as long as your qualified for the job, and you don't get screwed by the "good ol' boy" syndrome. You know, the people that know people and get the "special referral" to the person that hire's. I guess I'll leave all that to fate, but still between the time I put my application in, and the time I get an answer back...the stress will be there chipping away at my lifespan! Isn't life wonderful??

How much?!?!

This just in...

According to the USAToday, the cost to support both wars (Iraq & Afganistan) could reach astronomical levels. Lets put it this way...no way our current generation would pay for this which brings me to this point...how the hell are we going to pay for this? So far, we've spent $604 Billion dollars! 604! That's crazy. And the expected number for the cost of both wars...$2.4 Trillion dollars...TRILLION! Honestly, I don't know what else to say. I just can't believe that this much is being spent on a war that no one really supports. I'll leave my personal opinion out of this, but as one of the troops, all I ask is that the American public to please support the troops. It's their hard work, and determination that allows us to wake up every morning to be free. Oh, and one more request, please pay proper respect to the American Flag. God Bless America!

About time for a review!

Recently, I broke down and bought another mountain bike with the intention to ride several miles a day, but never really go to the riding part so much. I'd say I have about 100 miles logged into it so far, no where near what I wanted on it yet. Anyhow, I figured I would do a short review on the bike just incase someone else is shopping around.

All in all, the Cannondale F6 with CO2 Frame Technology is pretty good. It's my first mountian bike with the Rapid Fire shifters, and it's taken some time getting used to them. My previous bike (which I stupidly sold to a friend in Alaska!) was a Cannondale Super V-500. Yellow in color, this full suspension was a great bike. I should've never sold it. But I did, and time to move on. This year, I finally bought another Cannondale but decided to go with a hardtail this time...the F6. For what I was using it for, and since I'm in need of some conditioning for riding again, I started off in the middle-lower range. But it's almost a sin to call this a mid-lower range bike. It's got a lot to offer, at a "not a lot" price. With the front suspension traveling in harmony with the roads, its smooth. The shifting is flawless, and the braking is appropriate. Although there could be some more bells and whistle's to it, I certainly can't complain. Later on down the road, I wouldn't mind upgrading some of the components since those are kinda "entry level." As far as looks, there is the "Race Red" pictured above, then there is the "Lightning White" color which is what I have. At first I wasn't a fan of the "Lightning White", but it grew on me. In summary, if you're looking to get back into riding and plan on upgrading after some time...this is the bike. I'm a firm believer in the quote, "You get what you pay for." After a few weeks of shopping around, this was a wise choice. Now if I could just get the time and motivation to get back on the thing, and log in some miles!

Am I hooked?

...I would have to say yes. I'm hooked on blogs. I don't know what is was, but since about two months ago, I've been on this blog kick and I can't seem to knock this habit free. Wait, not a habit, but an addiction. Of course it started off reading one of my friends (Bluey) blogs and was fascinated with all the sorts of things you could do. From that moment on (a little over a year ago) I started Seawall Times. Since then, I'm also a part of 2 different private blogs, and now just recently started my 2nd personal blog dedicated to nothing but all firefighting. Another hunger I've been starving for is reading other people's blogs. If I saved everyone I've enjoyed reading, my favorites list would probably be maxed out(if it could do that). Anyhow, I have a few select saved to my favorites, and I'm just addicted to reading what other people have to say. Am I becoming obsessed with this? Is it just a phase? Is it possible that I'm becoming educated in some way? Who know's, but I actually enjoy hoping onto the computer and reading as many posts as I can. Then I try to post something myself about something that has happened in that day or my life and I throw it all out there. Regardless, I think it's a no-brainer decision that I'm "hooked like a fish." Thanks to all that developed Blogger.com, and all of those who take the time to write. Ain't technology great?!?

Personal Tug of War

Sure there are millions of decisions we all make each day. Some are for the good, and some are for the bad. But what about career changing decisions? Now, granted my decision isn't necessarily a career changing, but it's about as close as you can get. I'm talking about my career in the Air Force Reserves. I just reached my 10 year mark about 2 months ago, and I've pretty much made my decision to stick it out for another 10, and retire. Now, just in case you didn't know, I'm a firefighter both civilian side, and reserve side, and have been for all 10 years of service. I love my job, and would never trade it for the world...civilian side. Now, reserve side, I'm weighing my options about what I should do, because to be honest, I don't think I can take much more the of B.S. anymore. It used to be fun, it used to be educational. Not the case anymore. So I begin thinking, maybe I'm just burning myself out with all this firefighting. Maybe I need to learn another trade to kinda balance myself out. And lets face it, learning another trade is nothing but beneficial to anyone. As far as my options? Well, there are a few jobs that I'm real interested in that have vacancies. Public Affairs(PA) being one. I want to learn more about photography, and I like writing stories...could you tell? I'm not necessarily good at it, mainly because I'm not exactly "politically correct." You see, my bluntness hurts me in that department. Another job prospective is a Historian. I love, LOVE history, but this job will only be base specific and it's one of those jobs that aren't in the spot light(which is ok by me). Another catch is I'll never make more than E-7 (more than likely). And the last job I'm seriously interested about is one that I found out about today. It's called Readiness. It's kinda like being a firefighter, but not. Did I lose you? Well, from what I understand they are closely related, but I don't have to put on all the gear that military (Air Force) firefighters have to put on. They respond to HazMat incidents, and in war time scenarios, they check for damage, UXO's, chemicals in the air, etc. It seems like a pretty good deal, and the more I think about it, the more I wouldn't mind persuing it. BUT, here's the catch. Will I let my guilt and pride get in the way of perhaps bettering myself? What I mean by this, I'm proud to wear the Fire Protection badge on my uniform. I worked my tail off getting to the point I'm at now. I tend to think that I'll feel guilt after (and if) I leave the fire service...but technically I'm not leaving it since I do it civilian side. Just as the title of this post says, I'm really in a personal tug of war. It's been on my mind for about 3 years now...actually 4 if you count when I was active duty. Is it time for me to just swallow my pride, and move on? Hundreds, if not thousands have already and are completely glad they moved away from the fire service. But is it for me? I guess I could argue with myself endlessly. Do I want to??? What do you think. I got better things to do than sit and ponder what to do. I suppose I should make out a "Pro's/Con's" sheet, and decide from there. But, I think I should follow my heart on this one. The only thing I can really say now, is stay tuned...(to be continued).

Oh Canada...(insert their national anthem melody)

I just watched a video from Military.com and I gotta tell you...it doesn't get any closer than this! The sounds of bullets whizzing by, the tone in their voice shouting commands like "Let's go Bravo!", the battle gets intense. But thanks to our Canadian counterparts, they get the job done. End result, Taliban compund was raided, and by the looks of things, terminated. Best quote of the clip is the final words..."Right on boys, their definately going to wonder who the Canadians are from here on out, thats for sure!! Does it get any better than this???

Every dog has it's day

Lets just set the mood, shall we?!

You just cut the grass, edge the grass on the sidewalk, and sweep up all the clippings. You yard looks great. Next thing you know, hours later, there lies a huge pile of something foreign, sometime foul, something brown and lumpy...yes it's fresh dog crap. 5 occasions later, you start to fued and get filled with anger, thinking a walker-by let their dog do their business in your yard, and not cleaning up afterwards. Bloody savages.

It's 8 o'clock in the morning, and everything is usually quiet. You throw some breakfast down, and your quiet morning suddenly comes to an end from hearing a dog barking. Apparently, this dog has bit a child, and took off running. The next day it runs down someone who was jogging by. And the next day, it gets into another fight...this time with a passer-by walking their own dog.

In a span of 2 weeks, there has been 7 huge piles of dog crap, 1 kid bit, 1 runner run down, 1 dog-walker incident, countless livid neighbors...it's almost starting to sound like a chirstmas song. Well, oddly enough I talked to the police about it, and apparently the owner has been fined for her dog running loose 5 TIMES! Now, for what I'm about to say, do not take out of context. Not only do I own a dog, but I love them dearly. I've had my fair share of getting bit by dogs, and I'm not talking about a minor flesh wounds...I'm talking a gaping puncture wound and being able to see tendons, and bone and lots of blood loss. I mentioned to the police officer that the next time, I wasn't going to be so nice and "shoo" him off to the horizon. I'm not going to use my own hands, nor a broom stick...but I have a non-lethal way of hopefully taking care of this myself...a paintball gun. Come'on Fido, bring it on, cause I got several paintballs with your name on it! No more snarling or snapping at me, no more biting kids (especially mine) and no more crapping in my yard. You ass is history!

I'm hooked!

For most of you that know me, I'm not usually a health nut when it comes to food. But lately, I kept hearing that green tea is so good for you, blah, blah, blah. So, I decided to see what all the hype was and bought some Diet Lipton Green Tea. I actually bought the diet accidentally, not looking at the bottle. After about half way through drinking this, I was really enjoying it...until I looked at the label again, noticing "DIET." I blurted out "Damnit! Why did I buy diet!" But I finished the drink with mild disgust and went on with my day. Well, a few days later, I bought another bottle making sure it wasn't the diet. After cracking the cap, and taking a swig, I wasn't as impressed. I thought to myself, "You know, the diet was actually better tasting than the regular...odd." So before I left the gas station, I ran back in and bought the diet...just for instant assurance that I did like the diet. Sure enough, I did. So now I'm on this big Diet Green Tea kick, buying cases from Sams Club. I'm so addicted to this stuff, it's not funny. And maybe it's a mental trick, but my body does actually feel better. And it's the little stuff too, like I always had sinus blockage...I just never seemed to breathe a fresh breath of air. I don't notice it much anymore. Day-to-day energy seems better. And surprisingly I tend to keep better focus on things. It's really weird how this actually makes me feel better. Hell, usually it was the Jim Beam that made everything better! Not that some green tea drink could ever replace my bourban/whiskey! What kinda Scotsman would I be if I gave that up! But long story short, this stuff rocks and I'm totally hooked. And for only $10.88 for a 24 pack of this stuff, it's a steal! That's about .45 cents per bottle! Sure beats the $1.29 I was paying at the gas station...crooked bastards!!

Mission Complete!

It's been one of those chores I kept saying, "I'll do it next weekend." Trying to decide if I wanted to drop $500 on a professional spray-in bedliner or just a do-it-yourself kit for my truck wasn't easy. After going through the pro's and con's about it, I just decided to do the "Do-it-yourself" kit, which turned out to be a ball buster. I'll set up the sequence of events. I have a 99 Toyota Tacoma which is my daily runner and it's a great little truck. Keeping in mind that it's about 8 years old, I wanted to protect it for many more years to come (that is, if I decide to keep it). I don't really do that much towing/hauling with it, mostly just to get me back and forth to fire calls, and reserve weekend. Occasionally, I'll head to Lowes or Home Depot and pick up some wood/plywood for various projects. If you know me, then you know how anal I can be sometimes about things, and how organized I try to be. I guess I could be diagnosed with OCD...no kidding. Anyhow, I decided to attempt the Herculiner kit but I had to go 110% with it...no half-ass job for me. So, of course the prep work was the hardest part about this chore. Again, since I'm anal about stuff, I removed everything from the bed of the truck...the tie downs, the brake light assemblies, the tailgate, the tailgate latches, EVERYTHING! And of course, things didn't go as planned (as is in any project). A total of almost 4 hours of drilling out 2 bolts, this was beginning to be one big headache. To make a long story short, through hard work and determination my brother got the bolt out finally, without destroying the threads too...a big plus if you ask me! After finally getting all the hardware out, I washed the bed of the truck, used a chemical cleaner called Prep-All, and got it nice and clean. Finally we could start applying the Herculiner. After several hours, and 2 coats later...we were done. It looked great. It was so good, if you ran your arm across the bed, you would probably cut yourself! A special thanks to my brother who helped me out, big time...and a big warning to all who decide to do this. Wear long sleeve and don't wear something you like. Once this crap hits your skin, unless you wipe it off right away using Prep-All (or some sort of Acetone based cleaner) it will be stuck to you for at a minimum of one week. Again, since I'm anal, all the hardware I had to either get new stuff or burn a little elbow grease to get the old stuff looking good. I did a combination of the both. I bought all new screws for the tie downs (to include one new tie down). And sanded everything else. After sanding, I primered it, and painted it with several coats. Then I used some grease so these new parts didn't get rusted into place like they once were. Oh, and good luck finding tailgate bolts for an older Toyota. Dealership supposedly didn't care them, local hardware stores don't really carry metric sizes, and auto stores were hit and miss. I finally found something identical at Auto Zone (thanks guys) and it worked out just fine. In summary, if you decide to do this project on your own, then make sure you have A.)Plenty of time B.)Are able to get spare parts C.)Patience!! D.)A place to park the truck inside a clean garage and finally E.)Plenty of time. Thank god its over with. I think next time I'll go pay the extra cash to have it done.

Hard Knock Life...

After a long two weeks spent in the warm and humid climate of Georgia, I can finally say mission complete! Pictured here, are a few technicians in whats called a "Level A" suit for a Hazardous Material emergency incident. The job of a HazMat Technician is to (offensively) mitigate the chemical exposure to prevent further leak/exposure. Never an easy task. Unlike most firefighting operations when you go in full speed, balls to the wall get the job done quick and go home, these kind of emergencies are played out like a chess game. Between researching the product, finding compatable Chemical Protective Clothing (CPC), containters to store "methyl-ethyl bad stuff" in and then contacting every Tom, Dick, and Harry that has anything to do with this chemical can take hours, even days. Believe it or not, I'm not trying to get into the specifics, but with HazMat situations, there are so many unknowns. Anyhow, I just spent 2 weeks learning what all the MANY tasks this job involves and it wasn't easy. After multiple days of lecture, 2 days of in-suit/hands on, and two 50 point tests later, I am now certified in accordance with NFPA 472. What does this all mean?? More money to be possibly made, and hopefully more job offers! It's all about that dollar, right!

Long story short, the class was great and I learned a ton of stuff I hopefully will never have to use.

Phoenix Mishap

As most of us know, two Phoenix local news choppers were out covering a high-speed chase and flew into each other and crashed...resulting in 4 fatalities. Thousands of people take risks everyday for our jobs understanding what the outcome may unfortunately be...death. Law enforcement, pilots, firefighters, high-rise building workers, the list goes on. Speaking on my behalf, being a firefighter I've accepted the risks and understand that maybe one day, I too could become another statistic. Now, as sad as it was to the family and friends of the 4 guys that were killed in the helicopter crash, I sympathize. But I was really disturbed when I heard a couple things about this story. First off, as the accident happened, and was being covered by yet, another helicopter, I was listening to the one gentleman on TV. His statement (not exact words) was as follows: "These guys were great hero's and hopefully now people will understand the risks and hazards these guys take everyday" blah, blah, blah. Now, personally I'm not sure flying a news helicopter would be a "heroic" job...unless in the rare occasion they were using their helicopter for some sort of rescue. That's issue number one I have. The second issue I have is about the gentleman that was involved in the high-speed chase and what he's getting charged with. Rarely (0.001% chance) would I side with the criminal, but in this case they're going to try to charge him for those 4 men that died. That criminal never asked for the media to cover him by air, let alone at all. As bad as I feel for the members of the crash, I can't see charging the criminal with 4 counts of negligent homicide. Absolutely unacceptable. If anything, those helicopters were in the wrong place at the wrong time, obviously not paying attention to one another, and lack of communication. Ultimately putting danger to the lives of the people below them. Often I worry about that when I'm on scene at a fire or a bad vehicle accident. Aside from having to call in air transport, it bothers me to see a helicopter hovering about where I am...for that exact reason. So in that scenario, would you put the homeowner on trial because his house was on fire, and the local news decided to cover it? I mean, where do we draw the line? Would an old lady be charged negligent homicide because she ran a stop sign, slamming into a car resulting a catastrophic accident? No life threatening injuries on the ground until 2 wandering helicopters touch rotor blades, and fall uncontrollably to the ground possibly killing innocent bystanders or emergency crews that were near or at the scene of the vehicle accident? I know our judicial system is totally screwed up and all, but where is this country really going? Things are getting way out of hand. I'll end this with one FOR SURE no brainer. Those 2 sicko bastards in Connecticut that raped and killed that doctors family...immediate death penalty if you ask me. It's a good thing I'm not a judge! =)

Mile high club?

We never even came close to being a mile! Several feet of air is what separated us from the top of the tree's. The other day, I got the chance of a lifetime to go up in one of the Army's Blackhawks and fly on one of their missions. Considering this was my first time in a helicopter, it was definately a flight to remember. Kudos to the pilots as they were fighting the gusty winds that day as we flew over the scenic Wisconsin farm lands. Fighting the winds myself, you can see the doors were wide open and I was in the "hot seat." It was great being able to look down and see the land go by at break neck speeds; then to only see it disappear as we banked hard to the right and all I could see was a blue cloudy sky. Then another hard bank to the left, and all I can see are trees and grasslands upclose and personal. After getting my stomach out of my ankles, we leveled off and cruised for a while. Overall, the flight was a blast and it was great to see parts of Wisconsin that many locals probably haven't. If ever given the chance, I would highly recommend. Thanks again to the flight crew for allowing us to go up! Definately a new perspective of the other branches and what they do.

Jigga What??

Product is supported by Jay-Z, right? Wrong.

I was watching ESPN2, the 2006 World Championship of Poker, when it was interrupted by Verlander's no-hitter during the 8th inning. Congrats to him by the way... Anyhow, during a commercial break, I see this commercial for the pictured product. Thinking this was a bogus commercial for something funny, turns out this is an actual product. So, I went on-line to check it out. Apparently, this product has been around since 1958, but it's the first time I've heard of it. I couldn't believe of the ever-so-close simularity of the racial slur. As a matter of fact, half paying attention to the commercial, I thought they did say that racial slur. After reading the history on Jig-A-Loo, turns out they explain the name. See for yourself. Anyhow, good luck Canada...cause once Al Sharpton see's this product, get ready to pucker up for some bullshit! LOL

Death by Ben??

I've heard of some crazy, odd, and bizarre ways to die, but this has to top the charts. I just happened to come across an interesting article while browsing around. Apparently, a 17 year old girl overdosed on methyl salicylate, an anti-inflammatory found in sports creams. Move over ephedrine...you too anabolic steriods; the new precautionary drug to watch for is Bengay! It's insane to think that a supposedly harmless (or should I say helpful?) medicine could potentially poison someone to death.
So I guess next time your old bag of bones get sore and weak, be sure to use this lethal stuff cautiously. Perhaps a soak in the bath would be better? Poor girl...

Bloody English!

I understand standing up for what you believe in...I understand showing your support for what you believe in...but has it gone too far? Lately, the bandwagon to jump on, is to protest the war like to hippies did back in the 60's. I don't quite understand that, cause these men and women fight for our freedom. I don't understand that one guy who chains and locks himself to a tree, just so it doesn't get cut down. And for the basis of this post, I really don't understand protesting England's royal family for supposedly mistreating animals. Apparently, Prince Philip beat a fox to death during a fox hunt. Now, maybe I'm real heartless, but who cares if he did that. It's a hunt! Well, some nasty S.O.B. decided in his protest, he would cook up a Corgi, (which is also the Queen's favorite dog) and eat this cooked dog, on the streets of London. Now, look at this dog in the picture. This is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and it doesn't look like there is much meat on this thing. Granted, he seasoned the meat with some good stuff...but what a whack-job! It's a dog! A nasty little chipmunk chaser! But, I guess if it got his point across, then he succeeded. Although, I'm not sure why you would eat an animal that looks so close to a fox...maybe that's why he decided on the Corgi. I guess people go through any medium to be heard. But, I'm sure he could've done something a little more tasteful (no pun intended!)...like a blog maybe??

The latest craze...

Well, I'd say for about 2 months now, I've been playing disc golf and I think I'm hooked. Late last summer(I think), my brother and I played it, and I was already looking forward to the next time we went out and played. It wasn't until a few months ago when I bought my own disc's and I'm glad I did. This has to be one of the greatest sports, granted you don't run into some arrogant people that have been playing it for a while. But, it doesn't matter how bad you mess up a throw, at the end you can still laugh it off. The exercise you get from it is awesome cause usually you walk, I'd say on average of about 2 miles. Which is pretty damn good cause usually it's through the woods/trails and you're going up hills, down hills, and so on. Another nice thing I've learned is it can easily be a family sport. Kids can throw it and have a good time, and everyone gets out of the house to indulge in some outdoor activities. I've played quite a bit in the past two months, and I'd definately have to say I love it. The one time, we went to a course in Wexford, PA and there was a tournament going on when we got there. We were able to play through since it was ending, however on one hole, (they were skipping around a little) they cut in front of us and played through. Watching them throw was unreal. What seemed effortless to these guys, they were sending these disc's to the next zip code! I learned a little just from watching them and their techniques. Also, I never really imagined the different ways to throw these damn things. There's the traditional throw, a side arm throw, a discus type of throw, and I'm sure there are more. Anyhow, to make a long story short, check this sport out. It doesn't matter how good/bad you are at it; it's good fun to be had by all that play it. Unless you just don't like doing any physical activity at all, I assure you it's worth a shot. And believe it or not, there is a sanctioned organization for it:

http://www.pdga.com/

Check it out!

From high to low...

This past weekend, I had reserve duty and I usually go to the base first to get issued a hotel room. Nothing unusual, right? Wrong. This weekend, they were expecting 3 other "outside" groups and things were getting packed. So my usual stay at the Holiday Inn wasn't going to happen, as it was full. The lady tells me I'll be staying at the Raddison...which is usually a real nice hotel. But here was the problem...it was almost halfway back from home! So, basically I just waisted my time and money driving all the way to the base and then given a room at a hotel over a third of the way back home. Well, I of course wasn't too happy about the whole thing and cursed the whole way to the hotel. I checked in, and found out every room had the "Sleep Number" bed in it. At that point, I was ok with having to come all the way back to the Raddison. Then I walk in the room...JACKPOT BABY! There was a jacuzzi in there, with the king size Sleep Number bed. I was in heaven! So, at that point I was definately ok making the extra long haul. The HIGH.

Now, let's fast forward a day to Sunday. After driving all day (9 hours to be exact) to Atlantic City, I was ready for a nice evening of sleep. I checked in at the Holiday Inn on the Boardwalk, and went to my room. Well, I walked in the room and about puked. There was a smell of humid funk in the room, and it just felt dirty. I was willing to accept the funk and rough it out as I was only there for 5 days. Well, I get ready for bed, pull back the sheets and inspected the bed. Now, I'll disclose some secret information my wife has taught me. She made the mistake on telling me to look at the bottom of the bed to make sure no one has put crap at the bottom of the bed. When I say crap, I mean crap-shit-poop, whatever you want to call it. So, with this now deadlocked in my head (till the day I day unfortunately) I look. No poop. I start with my forward motion just about to lay down while something else catches my eye. I stop dead in my tracks and look closely. It's broken glass! And it's all over the bed-under the sheets. I call the front desk, and get my room changed. Now, I'm on room #2 and it too is humid and has a very slight funky smell. No where near as bad as the previous one. I tough it out for the night. The next day, I realize there is mold on the ceiling over in the corner, and there is pieces falling on the nightstand next to the bed...and the wireless internet doesn't work in that room. So, I call again and get my room changed. Now, I'm on room #3. So far, so good. (knock on wood) The LOW.

The bad thing is, it's not like I'm even that picky or prissy about room quality. Just as long as I can live in it. So for future referense (or future warnings), don't stay at the Holiday Inn at the Boardwalk. It's nasty as all hell! I would feel cleaner if I rolled around in an oil spot at a truck rest stop. Somebody do something about this place!!!!

You got owned!!

Yes, I did get owned...in racquetball. Yesterday, is the first time I played in about +4 years, and I got my ass handed to me. And I have to credit my brother, Griffin, with those wins. We must have played about 8-10 games. I was starting to feel exhausted after about the 4th game, and we took a break. After the break, I started to finally get more than 3 points. Yea, I know...3 lousy points. I was looking for ways to gain strategy with my brother as he was out playing me. I finally found it with my serve. I found my serve that I used to be so good in, and I took full advantage of it. At about game 7-ish, I finally managed to get about 8 points, then 10 points. And I swore that I wasn't leaving until I beat my brother. And then the odds looked slim as there was 2 guys waiting to get in the court. It was our last game...my last shot in redemption. I had a 2 point lead. Then to 3...then to 4. Finally, it was game point...14-10. I hear my brother chant, "No pressure, don't choke" echo throughout the racquetball court. I serve it, and waited...and waited...NO RETURN! Match point! I finally WIN!!!! There is much credit to my brother as he seriously whooped me in the previous games, but at least I finally managed to squeeze a victory out my ass! Hey bro, thanks again for the bruise you gave me in the middle of my back...jerky! I'll take that as a badge of honor!

WANTED: New Morning Radio Personality

John Donald Imus Jr., a wanna-be shock jock that really got himself in a political mess. And what does he decide to do to get himself out and apologize for his alleged racial slur??? The one and only, Rev. Al Sharpton. Now, why in the world would you apologize for your racial comment to one of the most racist people around? Sharpton hates white people and it's clear as day! Poor Imus humiliated himself by going onto that show and Sharpton "nailed him on the cross." Apology after apology, making statements like, "I bet I've slept with more black kids in my house than you have!" to a man who called in to Sharpton's radio show, Imus kept digging his own grave. But lets look at the actual statement made.

"Nappy headed hos." is what he said about the Rutgers women's basketball team. Is that really a racial statement? I mean, anyone can be nappy haired, right? You wake up late for work, and roll out of bed and get dressed to go to work. Normally you don't care about your hair if you're late. So, just as common, a co-worker could say your hair is nappy. You don't wash your hair for a day or two; it could get nappy. White, black, brown, what ever your color of skin...anyone could have nappy hair. Even if it is considered a racist comment...it certainly could've been worse. I personally, don't like Imus, and could care less what happens to him. As the same for Sharpton. Here is one funny thing about the whole Imus ordeal. During the Sharpton/Imus show, another caller on the phone was talking with Imus, and he made a reference. The reference was "You people." Immediately, Sharpton and his staff went crazy. "What do you mean, You people?" I couldn't stop laughing cause after that point, you can't win. It was one thing while Imus was on his radio show and makes an alleged racial statement, and then you go into the lion's den and say You People!! Hilarious!

Finally, this is going to be one of those stories that will continue for like 4 months. The fact of the matter is he apologized...be done with it and move on. Not Rev. Al Sharpton. Between Michael Richards, and now Imus, Sharpton is on a roll. Note to self...if you're a celebity, and you say something racist or politically incorrect, DON'T GO TO SHARPTON (or Jesse Jackson for that matter)! They're a pure example of a racist! Talk to Bill Cosby or go on Soul Train or something. I really find it funny that the black community (or any community for that matter) can see this as a racial statement. Now, if Imus called the basketball team a bunch of blueberry pickers, darkies, tar babies, heebs, rag heads, micks or crackers ...that might be racist. Nappy headed hos; sorry, doesn't meet my standards for racism.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Another one down, who know's how many to go.

So its Sunday, April 1st, April Fool's Day. I'm on my way back home after spending the day helping a buddy out, and I get a phone call. It's my father-in-law. He says to me, "Hey, your wife hit a deer on such & such street. I ask if everyone is ok, and he says her arm is bleeding. My mind is racing and wondering what I'm going to do still being 15-20 miles away from home. So of course I ask how bad is it. He states that it's pretty bad.

Now, I'm thinking, how the hell does she hit a deer on this road, and its this bad. And how the hell does she cut only her arm...was she trying to give the deer a high five? I sit there in silence, thinking, (occasionally a few swear words roll off the tongue). Finally, I ask "Are you B.S.'ing me? Is this an April Fools Joke?" Then I hear a loud audience of laughter in the background and I started to steam. After a few minutes of profanity, and name calling to my father in law, I couldn't believe he would do that. Talk about tempting some fate, eh? I told him to expect what he did, back...and twice as bad. So I finally get back home and go out to my father in laws house and share a few laughters with him, and just pretend to be suspicious after a few minutes. Right before I was about to leave, he kept asking me what I did. I just laughed and said nothing. I could tell it was starting to bother him as I really didn't do anything, but played it off like I did. And then came the sample of what he'll be getting. His youngest daughter was upstairs getting ready to go out, and her boyfriend was in the room with her just hanging out waiting until she got done. After I went up there to say a quick hello, I came back downstairs and waited for about 5 minutes. I then started "feeding" my wife a fabricated story (which she even thought was true). I also made sure I was telling the story loud enough for my father in law to hear. So I begin saying to my wife, "Wow, I can't believe your sister is allowed to have boys in her room yet." I knew this would set her off on a tangent, and she was hooked for my story. I continued on saying that as soon as I walked in her room, she was just putting on her jeans. I said to my wife, "Geesh, I can't believe your sister would change her pants like that in front of her boyfriend?" Of course my wife started flipping out, and then my father in law over heard everything. So, now I got them both started up, saying "She better not be doing that shit!" The more they were getting pissed, the funnier it got. He starting walking toward the staircase and right behind him was my wife. As soon as his foot hit the stair, I yelled, "Gotcha suckers!!!" He froze in his steps, and I could see his face getting red. He looks back at me and says, "You son of a bitch!" I broke out in laughter, and told him, "See, doesn't feel so good, does it!" Justification at it's best.

Unfortunately for my father in law, I'm not done yet. As was once quoted, "I have not yet begun to fight!" Hopefully, he'll get the message not to mess with the best...I always get the upper hand, damn it!!!