Summer of Dan

Deflated like a beachball at Fenway

Last night as I was getting ready for the gym I asked the Niff if she's seen my workout notebook. I keep track of all the cardio, cross training, and lifting I do. I have gotten out of the groove of doing that and was looking to get back into it and needed my notebook. The exchange went like this, verbatim.

Me: "Hey, do you know where my workout notebook is?"

Niff: "Why do you need it?"

Me: "To keep track of my progress"

Niff: "Hold on a sec, I can help you with that, I just need to find any old blank notebook"

Goddamnit. She's good. Too good.

Live life abundantly

Have you ever heard someone say "I have a book in me..."? I've heard it quite a bit. I've always felt like I've had at least one in my. Growing up I used to take one of my 2 "portable" typewriters and write stories. Pointless stories. 

But the seed was there. I always have too many ideas, just don't put them on paper like I used to. I am thinking of buying a typewriter like I used to have. Maybe my dad still has one of my old ones. It's much different than writing on a computer where you can easily be distracted by an instant message, get off track and check the weather for the weekend or even just go back and self edit whatever you are writing. You can't do that with a typewriter.

I'm thinking whatever it is, it will likely be a collection of short stories, maybe a combination of fiction and non-fiction. November is National Writing Month, but I really want to start this process before that.

I think going through Mantown and finally getting it as close to it as being settled as it ever has (ie: purging all old shit I no longer use/look at/need) is stirring this up again. I've held onto a lot of shit in my life and it's time to let it go and move forward. In the infamous words of Walt Disney that is exactly what I will do - Keep Moving Forward.

Such a beautiful disaster

The Niff and I had to go to Wal-Mart yesterday. Sadly, there was no other place we could think of to buy what we needed. It's always a visual car accident when you walk in there: massively obese people that haven't showered in 6 weeks wearing clothes they have no business wearing and a steady stream of children they can't control and likely can't even afford.

Now, I don't have a holier than thou attitude about looks - far from it. But there are just a few things you shouldn't do when you are in public.

1. Dress like you just got back from Woodstock, stains included.
2. Scream or swear at your children like a drunken sailor.
3. Leave your house without checking a fucking mirror.
4. Wear crocs. Ever. Even not in public. 
5. Wear clothing that is 3 sizes too small. I'm sorry, but if you are 300+ lbs, I don't think you really fit into anything that is Extra Large. I'm just guessing here.

Yesterday was all of that but on crack. I seriously felt like I was the best looking person there, that is how awful it was. People missing teeth, people with ketchup on their shirts that are already stained from God knows what, people wearing crocs that look like they trudged through 3 miles of septic sewage in them, people that had so many fucking kids they couldn't find them all. It is the whitest of white trash you can imagine.

Next time I have to go in I am going in with a video camera. I swear.

Awesome Random Picture Friday - Part IV

 

 

 

Awesome Random Picture Friday - Part VIII

 
 

 
 


  

What Michael Jackson did for me

I grew up in the 80s and when I think about my first musical memory the first thing that comes to mind is Michael Jackson. I had all his cassettes and knew even then that his music was different.

Quite simply, Michael Jackson opened my mind to new kinds of music. He was amazing because of his musical range - his songs still invade my head and once they are there they hang for some time. It's far from a bad thing.

The thing that saddens me most about his death is he didn't get one more go around. Weeks away from his comeback tour, there was one more chance for him to see what kind of an impact he's made on people. It's sad because all Michael wanted was to love and feel loved. And I think this comeback tour would have helped him make peace with some of his demons.

It disgusts me when people talk about him as if he was a piece of shit pedophile and that they are glad he is dead. Whether he did or didn't do any of that we'll never know, but I do know that no one should be ridiculed in their death, no one should be torn down like that.

For me, Michael will always be about expressing yourself shamelessy in all facets of your life. 

I'm not the type of guy that can dance, but listening to his music, from the time I was a kid dancing in the kitchen to one Flack's wedding a couple years ago, made me feel like I could, or at the very least didn't have to be ashamed with my extreme lack of rhythm. 

He'll always be the King. Always.

Awesome Random Picture Friday - Part VII

 

 

 

Awesome Random Picture Friday - Part VI

 

 

Awesome Random Picture Friday - Part V

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your best crazy face

I feel like I've accomplished quite a bit lately and that's always a good thing.

• It's always good to get fresh perspective. Starting a garden does that for people that have never done any of that horticultural stuff before. I'm looking to grow the biggest pumpkin ever. I have 3 shots. We'll see how this turns out.
  
  
• In order to keep a true perspective of one's importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him. ~Dereke Bruce
  
  
• It's been five years since I got my last license and I decided to shake it up a bit. A lot has changed in the last 5 years: the Sox won the World Series not once but twice, we elected the 1st African-American President, gay marriage was just signed into law here in New Hampshire and I got a new license.
  
  Before:
  
  
  
  Note the hair, the half smirk, the general look of content written on my face.
  
  After:
  
  
  
  This is my temporary license, I assure you the color version will be much better. Note the hair is gone, I have that wide eyed look and am grinning like a serial killer that was trying to get caught.
  
  Like I said, a lot changes in five years.
  
  
• I realized the other day that, perhaps because of a pack rat mentality, I have a lot of items that I've had for over ten years: my first pair of basketball sneakers (Garnett's  actually, almost mint condition which I've worn no more than a dozen times), my Nike Triax watch I bought in high school over 12 years ago (still wear it), my first stuffed animal I was given when I was a baby (Beary, he is the shit), 2 pairs of Oakley sunglasses, one is almost 13 years old, the other is almost 9 - these are my only sunglasses and I wear them all the time), a letter from sophomore year given to me from my girlfriend when she broke up with me (yes she handed me the letter and watched me read it rather than tell me out loud). These are just a few things. When I think about purging stuff and being free from all the excess crap I have I am inspired by this site: http://www.goodbyewafflemaker.com/ which was featured in a tech blog about someone using the web ala Craigslist style to get rid of everything she owns. I love the idea.
  
  But I'm not getting rid of everything.
  
  
• When you are depressed, check out this site. http://theanimalblog.tumblr.com/ If that can't make you happy then you have serious problems and I am guessing you are already in therapy.
  
  
• I came across this site that is an advertising campaign albeit an old one where Adidas puts up trashcans 10 feet in the air to advertise for their shoes.
  
  
  
  The only person that I know could put my trash away for me would be Flack. And I would like to see that. Live in person. And I would make him do that for me.
  
  
• Another site that I love - Terrible Yellow Eyes. It's a site dedicated to art that is inspired by Where the Wild Things Are. AWESOME.
  
  
  
• I really need a new camera. The one we have is over 4 years old and does the job for your normal snapshots but nothing spectactular. We can't add lenses, it can be super slow sometimes, and although it's a good camera we both feel weighed down by the lack of features. I want to be able to take pictures like these:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Sometimes the Niff hits the nail on the head
  
  
  
  
• OK...what?!??!?
  
   
  
• Techie Toy not yet invented that would own all music players - the P3 or the Portable Pandora Player. Not an MP3 player, but a music player that streams wirelessly using free cellphone technlogy (think Kindle's Whispernet) that connects to your Pandora account so you can always have random music. If I could invent anything I'd shut the hell up about it but I can't so the idea is out there for someone to make millions off.
  Enjoy, think of me when you are swimming in it, and just give me a free one, that's all I ask.