DISCLAIMER: this blog is mine & mine alone. Thou shalt not blame family nor friends nor employer for what you may read here.
Fair Warning: this may be a very disjointed post about everything in general. Just random stuff bouncing around my brain that's starting to dissipate, disintegrate. If I don't do something semi-productive w/it, it's just gone. So here it is.
First, Michael Phelps is one of the most un-fucking-believable athletes I've ever seen. He ranks up there w/ the other GOATs (Greatest Of All Time): Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Mohammed Ali. What he's done in the 29th Olympiad alone is deserved of such lofty accolades, exclusive of his performance in Athens. The dude is just unreal. To see is to appreciate. I'm really hoping he wins his 8th gold medal this weekend, placing him alone in history. If you haven't watched the Olympics & caught Phelps' races, it sucks to be you, cuz he truly is remarkable, and unique. And if you've missed his races, you're missing not only history being made, but something/someone very special.
Vodka is not only my favorite alcoholic beverage, but it's gotta be the most versatile, or one of themost versatile. Just off the top of my head (and admittedly this is reminiscent of what's-his-name inForrest Gump), the drinks you can make w/vodka as the sole proof-rated ingredient: vodka & tonic, Screwdrivers, Greyhounds, vodka-cranberry, vodka-lemonade, Bloody Mary's, martini's, vodka on the rocks. For fuck's sake, what other alcohol could you realistically, logically, and in a socially accpetable manner drink for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Gotta love it. I like good beer too, but in the "stranded on a desert isle" scenario, vodka is the one alcohol I'd choose.
Speaking of which, have you ever played that game in your head? It's really simple: if you were stranded on a desert isle, what item of Category X would you bring? Or, if you could choose one of Category X for the rest of your life? For example, if you could bring the entire discography of one band along to the sandy shores of a tropical, albeit isolated paradise, who would it be? For me, off the top of my head, it'd have to be Oasis. If you could choose one alcoholic beverage to drink for the rest of your life? For me, in the Soda/Soft Drink category, it'd be Coke Classic. For alcohol & music, already answered that. BTW, you can't say "beer", and then choose Sam Adams White Ale one day, Dos Equis the next, a dandy Pale Ale the third. That's cheating. And cheaters done get killed in this game. j/k you all-too-serious foo's!
Actually, on second, thought, "beer" is an acceptable answer, and you can vary your sub-category of beer. I'd choose vodka, but not just vodka on the rocks. I like vodka for a number of reasons, one of which is the aforementioned versatility. So I'll let different brands and/or "flavors" of beer go.
I watched a DVR'd episode of "Dan Rather Reports" tonight - a news magazine type of show on HDNet. He was interviewing two former Marine captains, and one photojournalist about Iraq. Both of the former Marines were Ivy League graduates, and both had served directly under Gen. David Petraeus. The shutterbug had done multiple "tours" in Iraq, and had worked w/the two captains. I won't go into the content of the interview or the information passed on, nor will I delve into my feelings on the war. But, one fact stuck out: at the time of taping (must've been late July or earlier this month), the US had/has already been involved in Iraq longer than we were in WWII. Does that strike anyone else as way fucked up? I remember the build-up to the war in '02/'03, the bullshit press conferences & false justifications. Of course I remember the initial invasion, the fruitless hunt for WMD, the insurgency, the Surge, yada yada. But what I had not realized is that we've been in Iraq longer than we were active in WWII. Don't know if the time has passed that quickly, or I just failed to realize the relatively short duration of our engagement in the second World War. Apropos of nothing, other than to say that 1) this has been a relatively long affair and 2) according to any/everyone, it ain't ending soon. Dear god please do your country a favor & vote Democrat in November (and not just cuz of Iraq). OK, there's my soapbox, and I'm stepping off it, lest I find myself in a quagmire. But wait, Dubya did, and he's our fearless leader, so why can't I? Alright, alrigh, I'm done...
I realized again today how lucky I am to live in Florida. It's not for everyone, but it's most definitely the place for me. Friends of mine are moving to upstate New York. And when thinking about this, I realized it's quite possible that w/in the six to eight week timeframe, they'll be bracing for or getting smacked upside the head by Old Man Winter. How much does that suck?!!? I was born & raised in Iowa, have seen six-foot snow drifts, suffered -72 windchill, enjoyed nearly a consecutive week of snow-days in elementary school, and lived to tell about it. But I never ever wanna see that or feel that again. Upstate NY is known for brutal winters. I think Buffalo or Rochester or Syracuse is the Snow Capital of the US. I want none of that, trust me. So, thinking about the impending fate of my friends, I feel ever more lucky to be where I am. Summers are hot, but you adjust. You strip down, and wear as little as possible given the social setting. When at home I live in shorts, and stay pretty cool even during the worst of it. But living "up north", there comes a point when the mercury drops so far that no matter what you wear, no matter how many layers you put on, you're still fucking cold, and just utterly miserable. Been there, felt that, don't ever wanna go back.
The last scene of this episode is about happiness. One of my friends related an adage to me today. For the life of me I cannot recall it exactly, and in trying to convey it here will most likely not do it justice. But it was basically "life teaches the most valuable lessons in the hardest or most painful ways. what kind of system is that?". But it's kinda sorta true. When dwelling on the paraphraseology, I realize that I'm really totally happy at this point. I've actually felt this subtle yet overwhelming feeling of happiness, contentment, gratitude, and peace in the last month or so, not just today upon reflection of the saying. But I digress...
Sure, there are things I wish were different; I think most everyone can say that. But all things considered, all things being equal, on an even playing field, I really am happy. Happy w/my job, my friends, my house, my free time, my family, my dogs, w/what my future holds. Happy With My Life. It hasn't always been this way, but it is now. And for that I'm very thankful. But it kinda is what you make it, if you catch my drift. Things could be better, yeah. But things could be a whole lot worse. I'm lucky in sooo many ways and I know it, but haven't always appreciated it or given due thanks for it as I do now.
I've said this in previous blog entries, and am (still) remiss for not properly recalling & therefore crediting the source. But with the absence of good we do not know evil. The relational yet diametric opposition applies elsewhere: pleasure & pain, happiness & sadness, etc. My point is that when you go thru hard times, you really, truly appreciate the good times. Suffering the darkest night (the coldest winter) makes one appreciate the day (the summer) all so much more. I haven't gone thru terminal illness of a loved one or anything like that, no epic tragedy, but life's happenings & goings-on have helped me appreciate what I have now, and all the good things - no matter how small - that I'm blessed with. I feel I would be doing a disservice to the Powers That Be, the Fates that have shined on me & cut me these breaks if I did not take time to appreciate them, and make the effort to change my mind & be happy.
Well, that's it for now. my brain is empty, and my glass is too. I hope you've found something entertaining or valuable herein. At the very least, I hope that reading my ramblings is not a waste of your time ("shit,that's 15 minutes of my life I'll never get back"). Take care of yourselves, and each other. To quote the lyrics of Sublime: "life is too short/so love the one ya got"...
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