Giving In…

Maybe it’s a deal where I’m getting older or maybe I’m getting smarter. I’m sure it’s NOT the latter but I’m just starting to give in to different things.

There are words that bother me. If Narm can love pie charts, I can love words. I don’t like “cancelled” spelled “canceled”. “Cancelled” just looks right but it’s the preferred British way of spelling the word. The preferred American word is “canceled”. Yes, I know it doesn’t look right. I have other words that I like one way even though they may be preferred another way.

Enough about words, how about emotions. I’ve always been quick to be passionate with my response to things, even if it’s not the correct passionate response. I’m learning you can’t just fly off the handle. I guess I thought people were more forgiving and not so sensitive. You have to be careful in e-mails, you have to be careful talking to people. It seems like everyone is so defensive about things. Isn’t this how wars get started?

I’d rather joke, smile and have fun than be poisonous with my words or actions. What brings more to the table and makes everyone feel better? I think you understand that’s a rhetorical question.

I know we all have our own insecurities. I work in television and come in contact (thankfully) with all sorts of people. What I’ve found over and over is that we are all human. Our little minds process things in different ways all in the line of making sure “number one” feels comfortable, safe and maybe even a little better than the next guy.

This is such a special time of the year. We all seem to forget some of those things and let down some of the walls we build up and defend the rest of the year. It’s also a very stressful time. Everyone is running to get things done. It’s a deadline, Christmas is coming and the countdown clock ticks every second, minute, hour and day closer to the holiday. Some people handle deadlines better.

My challenge to you is to give into the Christmas (holiday) spirit and smile instead of looking the other way. Say hello instead of saying nothing. Give instead of receive. Love instead of hate. You could make a difference in another person’s life without even knowing it.

What we do have the ability to do as humans is have an effect on others. Why not make it a good one instead of a bad one. You never know when someone out there will smile at you when you’re having a dirty and rotten day.

Maybe if we all give in a little more, this little place in the universe might just function and spin a little smoother,

(p.s., sometimes I have to admit, I don’t know where my blog posts will end. I didn’t plan for this one to go this direction. Maybe it will brighten up someone’s day or change their way of doing things and make them see things in a different way. If that’s the effect, it was worth my time this afternoon when I should have otherwise been sleeping. Happy Christmas! That’s another post though.)

The Biz Of Busyness

No, there’s no typo there. It’s not business rather busyness.

The one thing I see over and over again while I stumble across my favorite blogs and others I don’t normally read, you’ll see a disclaimer that reads something like this: “Sorry for the lack of posts but I’ve been crazy busy.”

I’m not immune to the syndrome, let’s call it IBBS (I’ve Been Busy Syndrome). There’s one cure for the problem just sitting yourself down and letting your thoughts flow through your fingers. I don’t like it when I go to my favorite peeps’ blogs and they haven’t updated and I’m sure you’re not happy when you visit taawd’s little space on the ‘net and don’t see any update. It’s a major crapper.

Sure right now, I should be:
folding clothes (I have two mounds, whites & colors, in my place)
eating breakfast (My stomach is growling)
paying bills (I’m sure someone wants my money)
cleaning up my place (I’m having VIPs stop by this evening)
sleeping (I can always use some sleep)
doing some work (I have a little organization to do for my project for GMC)
relaxing while playing this online game that I’m addicted to (one of my fellow players sent me a message wondering if I was okay because I wasn’t “on” as much.)
several computer projects (a little photoshopping, fixing my network, switching two of my computers around)
working out (seriously, I’ve become lazy and fear flabbiness)

But, I gave all of those things the “up yours” to write this blog so that I overcome the IBBS. I promise not to let it get the best of me.

Don’t let it do the same thing to you,

[by the way, do you twitter? if so, follow me at twitter.com/taawd, you might be able to keep up with me just as well there.]

taawd’s Beauty Secrets

Okay, I got your attention. First, let’s clear up the air, I ain’t beautiful and I don’t really have a secret, that’s Narm, but then again he’s talking about deodorant.

I have dry skin, I’ll admit it, I flake like people want it to on Christmas Eve. I use expensive lotions to hide my skin’s anger. Now, come to find out it’s because I use bar soap on my face. I didn’t know you could mess up your face by using soap. I’m a dude.

Sure, I use the occasional hair product. I have straight hair otherwise. Sure, I like to wear a little cologne, I like smelling good. (That secret is Hollister’s Jake, in case you Internet junkies want to know what makes the taawd smell so spiffy!) Sure, I use expensive shampoos and conditioners to keep what remaining hair that has taken up residence on my dome not leave like Ohioans fleeing to other states. By the way, I’m one of the people who moved back because I missed it so much. Flee to the Clev people!

Anyhow, I got the beauty advice about skipping the soap on the face from a great friend who was appalled after seeing me quickly washing my face. Of course, I only do that for select people or if I don’t feel like taking a shower. You know, a quick touch-up to make yourself look refreshed. Hey, you can do it too all it takes is a wash cloth, a sink and soap facial cleanser.

So next time you see me out and about sporting that radiant skin about town, you’ll know why my face is also wearing a smile because it’s no longer angry. Wait, are we still talking about skincare.

Whatevah!

[the preceding message was brought to you as a public service of taawd’s thoughts, serving the Internet for oh, about three or so years, give or take a couple of months either way or 728 posts.]

The Game Of Catch-Up

The week has arrived, the birthweek. At the risk of seeming cocky, I don’t celebrate just a birthday, it’s an entire week of fun. Hey then getting older isn’t as stressful and depressing. The last sentence was there to pacify anyone who would claim I had a big ego or something. Truth is, I don’t, get over it.

Friday night was a night of absolute rest. I loved it, every minute of it.

Saturday night was the Emmy’s you saw the update, I didn’t win, again it was just an honor to be nominated. The after-party for me was a lot better than the Emmy’s themselves.

During the ceremony, something went awry in the Marriott and the fire alarms went off. Everyone looked around wondering it was part of the show, then we got word, we had to evacuate the place. Half way to the end, everyone had to leave their table and head outside into the sticky Saturday night Cleveland air. Just as I hit the door, one of the worker told me it was okay to go back. I then walked back up the escalator and once again took my seat. NewsChannel 5 took several awards. I’m not going to list them here but congratulations everyone!!

Sunday was filled with sleep and then getting ready for the game. I wondered was Father Time effing with my clock because it was 5:00pm somewhere and that somewhere was Cleveland. That creeped up on me. My friend, Kevin, brought up some cornhole boxes and some beanbags. I’m now a proud member of the clan of people who own them. My grandparents made them for me. How awesome are they? Seriously!

We got some Rock Bottom (Sign Update: ROCK OTTOM) and I want to tell you the sliders are great on Gamedays. Shameless plug, if you haven’t gone to Rock Bottom, check it out, or check it out again. It’s got a great group of servers, great food, brews and management. Thanks Marco for the birthday present food. I love the Big Cuba Melt (you’ll find it on the menu as Little Havanna Melt, I have to be different) There several tappings coming up this week. Don’t miss them.

We headed down to the game, got to hang out with Rebecca, Rodger, Dave, Marie, Kevin and Nicole for a little tailgating. The game’s outcome wasn’t what I wanted. There are a fun group of people in Section 514. One woman’s thong was riding so far up I thought it was almost her bra. Thanks to the guys in the row below us for providing witty commentary.

During the night as Kevin slumbered on the couch, I got about 7 text messages and calls. Many of them about power. Having no power can be both scary and inconvenient. That’s why if you have a home phone, corded phones can be your friends. I hope the power is restored soon. It does give you an excuse though to be late for things. “My power was out!” Sometimes you just need days like these.

So here I am, sitting on my floor (I’m a big floor person) and thinking about the last year and all of the changes. That’s another blog. I looked forward to this week for weeks and I’m contently bored. There’s a strange phenonomen I experience I look at the clock a lot when it’s 9:20pm. That’s a special day… ‘tember 20! The countdown is on folks to the age of 36. It should be a good year. Hopefully one of the best, I’m ready to take it all on, sign me up, coach, sometimes it’s better not knowing what you’re getting yourself into and just going one step at a time. That’s my new motto, it’s good advice!

Love Stinks! Can You Smell It?

Two of my friends recently broke up. I have known one of them longer than the other but they both are important to me. One of the two is probably hurt and feeling lousy at best. I don’t know for sure because I’ve only had a short text conversation.

This all got me to thinking about relationships, break-ups and taking sides. I remember after my split with my former fiancee, I cut off all interaction with her and her family. Over the course of our relationship, I became very close to one side of her family. I hate still to this day that I can’t see them or their children who really loved seeing me. To see them again though would bring up bitterness and scars I choose not to relieve. I can’t believe it’s been two years since I last saw them.

I hate that one of the two people in the aforementioned couple isn’t communicating with anyone that I know right now. I understand where that person is coming from as they deal with the break-up but it’s tough. You come to know people, get used to them in your life then when they aren’t, you feel like a little part of your life has been taken away.

I know that person reads this blog so I’m hoping they’ll see this post and know that people understand their feelings. I know first hand how tough break-ups are. I suffered, rebuilt my life slowly and now I can finally write about such things without feeling hurt. All of the cliches apply.

  • Time heal old wounds (or takes the sting out of them)
  • Live one day at a time
  • Everything happens for a reason

I stumbled across this site a long time ago and it helps with coping with the loss. I just wonder if they have one for lost friends.

The Workout Continues

I’ve been so proud of myself keeping up with my workout routine. If Paul isn’t available to go downstairs to our workout facility, Dan is. Dan always wants to work out weights, abs and cardio all at the same time. I have to remind him that I’m not as young as he is. I, am not however, admitting being older than him.

He does have a point though, I need to get back into my routine of doing more cardio. Remember when I was up to seven miles on the elliptical? I do, that’s how I lost a lot of weight. I’ve toned up a lot. I’m very proud of what I’ve done. I still want to lose a little more weight, especially around that mid-region area. I know it involves diet. I hate dieting, I’d rather run all day than worry about dieting.

Like I’ve said before, it’s better to have people to encourage you while you’re working out. I know that’s the case for me.

Orange Barrel Zone!

Thanks for hanging with me. I’m trying to complete the change over to https://taawd.com/ for my blog. It’s not been an easy transfer so some people may not have been able to get to my blog yesterday.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to stop blogging anytime soon. If you can’t read my posts at taawd.blogspot.com, just head to https://taawd.com/. Both of them over the course of the next week will get you to my blog.

For now, I’m waiting on the Internet to catch up to my changes. In case you don’t know, it takes two days or so for everything to get ironed out.

Thanks for checking out my blog,

p.s., Happy 30th Birthday Luke!

“I’ll Look Back & Laugh, Right?”

One of my friends, Lori, left a profound comment at the end of one of her myspace blogs. “I’ll look back and laugh, right?” Her entire blog was interesting to read but more than anything I hope she realized what an interesting thing she wrote at the conclusion of the entry.

I’ve made mistakes in my life and think it’s the end of the world. Some of them were more life changing than others. My life mistakes aren’t for this blog or for the Internet. I know what they are and I deal with them, some everyday.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to transport yourself forward in time and see how you’ve dealt with current situations and problems in your life? I look back at some of my errors and situations now and can laugh about them or at least smile. Somehow everything you do seems to happen for a reason. It’s a lesson in life. The right way to do something or just a reminder you don’t know everything.

I think the answer to Lori’s question is “yes, you’ll look back and laugh”. Somethings just take a little longer for you to find the real humor in them. I’ve found that humor for somethings and somethings I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to crack that smile. I hope so though…

Who Needs Sleep?

I do but actually I’m feeling the most refreshed I have at this time of the morning all week long.

Here was Wednesday’s sleep schedule:
12:45 – 5:00pm
10pm – 12:40am
1:15am – 2:30am

I don’t know what that adds up to being. I could figure it out but I don’t wanna. I just know it’s the most I got all week. I’m not as cranky and even got accused of being energetic, not perky as my co-worker, James, called himself.

I also got through 45-minute workout. (Read: Tired taawd out and better sleep!)

Let’s now look forward to the weekend. This week has been particularly long for me. I know it’s the schedule but I truly wished Wednesday was Friday. I plan to take it easy and relax a little. My place has suffered a little in the cleaning department. Anyone know a good maid?

By the way, I no longer resemble Shaggy. I put more money into Cleveland with my first ever haircut downtown. I hate the fact I’m not going to my normal barber out in North Olmsted but by the time you figure in gas and time costs, it’s just as cheap to go get my hair snipped minutes away from my apartment.

Run, Baby, Run!

I’m trying to keep a more accurate journal of my running. Today, I backed off a little bit and got 5 miles in. I’m trying to keep it around 6 or 7. I don’t know much else that can clear my head and get my mood to change so drastically.

I’ve been asked to do some blogging about changes in the television industry. A series of blog posts on that topic is just ahead. Also, I have a couple of rant posts upcoming (call them evergreens).

They are:

  • McDonald’s just bulldozes their restaurants and then reconstructs them.
  • No paper towels in businesses, just hand dryers
  • Music that’s got me listening

That’s three blog posts today and a run. Good times…