What are you thankful for?

For the most part my blog is about me. It's about my thoughts my feelings my adventures and my trials. But today I want it to be about you.

I want the few out there who regularly read my blog (and I know it's a small bunch) to open up your hearts and minds and tell me what you are thankful for.

As those of you who have good reading comprehension know this is the day two years ago when my Dad left this earth. At first I thought it was sad that I didn't realize he was my hero until he died but today I honor him as I do everyday as being the guy who gave me the guidance to find the wisdom I have today. I love you DAD and you will always be in my heart and mind.

Some things I am thankful for:

• My beautiful, caring, fun and adventurous wife Nina. She makes my sun rise in the morning and makes even the most diffcult day one of love and to be remembered.
• My friends and family who have supported me and enriched my life
• The challenges that life has brought me that keep me ever learning, ever growing
• The folks who produce the Syrah, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel especial in Santa Ynez and Paso Robles
  
• Opie & Anthony - they keep me sane and make me laugh through the longest day at work
• My Poker Buddies

The list is endless for me. I am very thankful for what I have and what I am.

It interesting to note that for the last 3+ years I have worked in a less than positive environment, for and with people that are selfish and jealous, never understanding why I am a victim to this situation.

I think I figured out why on this day of thanks.

I was put in a hostile, negative environment to open my eyes to the joys I have outside of work. To cherish that which makes up my life and does not dictate it. To appreciate that it's those who I love and care about and choose to spend my time with that matter, no matter if it's a small percentage of my time spent of earth. It makes this quality time more special to me.

Now that I have reached this catharsis it is time to MOVE ON!

I encourage your comments. Don't be shy! Let your voice be heard!

Happy Thanksgiving one and all!

Smoke gets in the Office Space

I guess I shouldn't have taken my daily walk today. The sky seems pretty clear and the air doesn't smell as bad as yesterday but when my trip was complete I was left with a headache to the power of Tylenol sinus. Alas it will pass soon just to be replaced with the stress of dealing with my co-workers here at Dunder Mifflin West.

Here's what we got:

The old dude who thinks he deserves respect because he's old. This guy will go on and on about subjects that most of the general population doesn't know a thing about to impress them that he knows something when he is really just blowing smoke. I figured him out early on when he informed everyone that the word Tiramisu was based on the root word "Terra" meaning earth because it is traditionally made of sponge cake covered in espresso so that it looks like a cross section of the earth.

The "C" level manager that worked his way up from the assembly line to the Board of Directors yet never took a management class in his life and thus does not know how to relate to or manage people. The guy that loves to impress people with sophisticated concepts like "metaphors" and can never admit to being "wrrr", "wrrron", wrong.

The mid-level manager who got dumped into his role by accident and got the responsibility but no raise and no new title. He's the guy that the "C" level dude dumps is trash on. While the mid-level dude fears the people below him who might know more than he and has no concept of what half of people in his department do and thus cannot properly evaluate them. He has to do what he can to keep the smart people below him at bay and in turn they are not utilized for their full worth while he promotes "the old guy" to unknown heights of incompetence and failure.

The twenty-ish "supervisor" who management likes because she is cute and personable. Truth is she is smart and she thinks she is ready to run the department but lacks the necessary training & experience to handle such a role. She doesn't realize that the reason she is getting kudos from management is because they are using her to advance their agenda at half the cost of a qualified supervisor. Some lessons cannot be taught in school and must be learned through experience.

Then there's the guy who has but one thing left that his truely his, the red stapler, and it's just a matter of time before they take it away from him.

Goodbye Grandma

It seems that November is the month when people die.

November 6, 1992 was Mom.
November 27, 2006 was Dad.
November 9, 2008 was Grandma.

One of the things that made my Grandma's passing different was that she was ready. She had lived almost 93 years, had outlived all of her friends and many of her family. She had experienced many things and had a life that after my Grandfather died in the 70's she dictated all on her own. In a way this power isolated her as she was never the one to "go along" with the crowd.

Some things I will never forget about her:

• The Denver Opera "in the Round"
  
• Her Paintings and the way her and my Mom encouraged me to explore the fine arts
• The way she would make this sound like she was sucking wind (Suss!) when I would drive her around town and not hit the brake when she thought I should
• The little pig magnet on her fridge that said "He who indulges, bulges"
  
• Her tight purse strings (I didn't say they were all complimentary)
• How she would always have a 5pm cocktail break which consisted of Cutty Sark on the rocks and a small bowl of popcorn which she would purchase already popped in a big bag from the King Soupers.
• How she would never call, or write me if I didn't call or write to her first and how she would never leave a message on them new-fangled answering machines
  
• The fact that every year before and after Mom died I would go to see her and all I would hear was how much she loved and appreciated my brother who seldom visited

Her passing is a bit strange for me because there was a time that I was very close to her but not so much in the last few years. For the most part I have fond memories of her and I will never forget her and how she contributed to my life. How after my parents divorced and my Mom moved back home to Denver she cared for my Mom and how my Mom took care of her.

I hope that she had fond memories for me.

My Night with the A-Rabs

"You know the bible is just like the koran" mumbled the pasty faced, rather tall, hippie lady as she tried to pass off her literature just outside the venue. It seemed that though she was quite demure she still had an agenda with a passion to turn those hate filled Muslims. And what better place but the annual middle eastern festival in Garden Grove, California.

The hippy chick was not the only one there with an agenda. Also in attendance were recruiters from the FBI and CIA. In large blowup enclosures with phrases on the side like "Secret Missions Start Here" and "Your Future is Our Future" but most important was "If you don't speak another language don't bother". I have to think that if I was a young fit arab man I could make some serious bucks spying on my countrymen. It's a wonder there was not a line of folks at these booths, not there wasn't a lot of countrymen to witness the start of the betrayal.

There was a good selection of food including kebob, falafel, and the best humus I have ever tasted. It was interesting to see the large quantities of hookah's. A hookah is a special pipe for smoking flavored tobacco. One booth had dozens of flavors including key lime, blackberry, and spice. Did you know that Salma Hayek is half Lebanonese? Well you can imagine there were a number of her sisters there as well. For how the Muslim faith is protrayed as very conservative there was a lot of skin showing and one booth that was all about sexy music videos.

My Cambodian wife when faced with the looks are stares of the various festival-goers said "I feel out of place/unwelcome". I told her "welcome to my world". It seems that there are few places that I go which make me feel welcome and with the exception of a couple people who I gave money to when I made purchases the rest didn't seem to want me around.

I couldn't help but notice that there was a number of attractive young girls (late teen early twenties) who were draped in Palestinian flags or had those checkered bandanas ala Yassar Arafat tied around their heads. I understand pride in hertitage and "country first" but given the fact that most of the time I see someone with this garb on it's in a terrorist message on Al Jazerra I wonder what message is being sent. I didn't ask these ladies as not to offend, after all I was an outsider in their territory but it makes think that either al Qaida or Hezbola is recruiting more effectively than the FBI or CIA or these head dresses mean something else.

It could be that the reason we did not feel welcome at the festival is because it is a place where Middle Eastern folks can be comfortable with each other and not have to feel they have to present a different persona as they perhaps do outside the confines of this grassy area. I like experiencing other cultures I just hope that these cultures under King Obama will be more open to welcoming me. Maybe if I wear an Obama 2008 badge on as I walk around town others will hug me more?

Nah.

Obama Day 2

Thanks to Howard Stern we have some audio that validates my conclusion that people do not vote based on the issues. And perhaps they only voted based on skin color.

Also the dude is like only a quarter black but clearly the black community loves him.

Enjoy: Why Are You Voting for Obama?

Looks like Wall Street doesn't like him so far (take tongue, insert into cheek)

Before you pass me off as a right-wing conservative I would point out the following:

• I support gay marriage
• I support a women's right to choose
• I support stem cell research

But I aint no dummy, dummy

And in support of the coming together of the United States under President Obama when I get home tonight I plan to find my neighbors yappy kick-around dog and sacrifice him.

Obamanation

IT'S DONE!

No more can the USA be declared a racist country because a black man is now president.

What other things are off the table now?

• 40 acres and a mule
• Reparations
  
• Getting to work on time
• The glass ceiling
• "The Man"
• The Struggle
• The correct way to refer to blacks
  
• Any other race centered excuses for not succeeding

"My friends" you now have what you always wanted. A "somewhat" black man is now president. Did anyone see his recently passed white grandmother by the way? But yet he is black, he married a black woman, has black children. The dude is black so you win, the white man loses and we can all live in harmony now. :-)

Any of you reading this that think the reason that Obama won was because of his stance on the issues are just kidding yourself.

Any of you who think he won because he held the banner of "CHANGE" high are ignoring the fact that every candidate from the opposite party in a presidential election rides that Change banner like an angry mule in the 40 acres of desert.

Any of you that think the reason he won was because he is black. Well you guys are right.

And who wouldn't want the job? I mean the guy gets to take the blame for further bloodshed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The truth his he won't bring the troops home in 60 days as he previously promised. And the economy he has inherited? What a prime time to be president when you get to take the blame for a failure like the current state of wall street and the sub-prime mortgage disaster. The fact is the president has little to do with destroying or saving the economy and when one of the political pundits last night said that under Obama the economy would start coming back in 6 months I laughed. Yeah and so will the troops.

The biggest hypocrate of the night has to be Jesse Jackson. After this money hungry scumbag called Obama "the N word" in a candid moment less than six months ago he is standing there crying at the success that is President Obama. The dude was crying because it isn't President Jackson on that stage. This guy is an example of what's wrong in this world. Hopefully the age of Obama will mean the end of the Jackson era. At the very least.

And to you conservative middle class idiots that voted for this guy I hope you enjoy the higher taxes that your buddy Obama will impose on you. How can anyone possibly think that in a economy of federal bailout that the individual would get his taxes cut and not see them go the other way (higher for you slow people)? You are a bunch of fools and you will pay (literally) when this liberal leader and his liberal senate and liberal house start taking your money and giving it to all those programs that support people who would rather depend on government assistance than go get a job at the local BK.

And mark my words, by this time next year when all those people who thought Obama would change their lives and make it ok for them to miss a mortgage payment discover that nothing has changed you will hear a lot of pissed off people. It's going to get ugly.

Where did Hillary disappear to?