Month: November 2008

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Here Comes Winter

We’re supposed to get some snow tonight and the forecast looks like it’s going to be cold and/or snow all this week. Yep, I love it.

We’re going to go through the first big morning of snowfall at work. That means making sure everyone knows about about school closings/delays, traffic and what’s coming next. We have the Power of 5 at work so those 5 live doppler radars will be providing a good look at what’s coming our way.

Sure, Greater Cleveland has been through this before but it’s time to remember how to learn how to drive on snow and/or slick streets.

I have to go to Target this week because my bachelor refrigerator is once again living up to its name. I have a little work to do before I fall to sleep before heading into work this morning. Ah, I love bundling up for work instead of doing the button-down shirt and dress pants thing.

I’m happy to experience the seasons!

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Saturday Surprise

I’m excited about tonight. I’m not going to spend the night at Rock Bottom, it’s still awesome, but I’m going to venture outside of the land of the Cleves for a little dinner at a place in Lakewood. I also have a stop at one of my favorite Cleveland haunts. I’ll talk more about them tomorrow after this evening.

Sometimes it’s nice to do something different and experience places where you haven’t gone before too much. I’d argue with anyone that there’s nothing to do in Greater Cleveland. Finding things to do in the fall is a little more challenging than finding stuff in the middle of summer. Quite frankly, I’m happy to be free of all of the summer events. We’ll do them all again next year and it’ll be fun.

For now, it’s time to embrace what’s coming our way, more fall and winter. There’s skiing to be done this winter, I’m looking forward to it because I have some new skis. I can’t wait to get them out on the slopes. Hopefully, I’ll get to go to New York for the first time to see what those slopes are like. I also suppose I have to invest in some of the newest skiware, you don’t want to be seen on the slopes without the proper attire. It’s been a while, no snow skiing in South Texas.

Fall and winter bring the holidays and I’m looking forward to them more this year than ever. It’s going to be great. There is a lot of activities on the horizon. Still more Browns games with Kevin and one that Kevin is taking a pass on and allowing me to take someone. Jason Mraz, with backstage possibilities, two days before Thanksgiving, then there’s the holiday and then a Colts vs. Browns game.

I also have to get a trip to Detroit in before it gets nasty out there. Maybe I’ll cross into Canada to stop at one of my favorite places across the border, I hope it’s still there. It’s called Kildare House and it’s great. I fell in love with the little joint when I lived in Michigan.

Finally, I want to congratulate my friend, Beau, for his upcoming wedding in February. I’m going down to South Texas (specifically South Padre Island) for the big event. I’m confident he’s found a girl who he’s prepared to spend the rest of his life with. It’s amazing how things change so fast. He’s one of my great friends and I’m happy to be part of his wedding. It’s truly special when someone asks you to stand up for them during a wedding ceremony and I’ll happily do so. So congratulations Beau & Angel, I can’t wait to be there for that special day in February.

But what I’m looking forward to most of all right now, is a special surprise night this evening,

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Guardian Angels

My great grandmothers. I’m blessed to have known both of them. I just wish I could have known them longer. Their influence on my life is evident everyday.

I found this picture while looking through a bunch of others. I just wanted to share them with everyone. They each were different women and each have remarkable stories about raising large families and loving every one.

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The Inner Working Of My Brain

Welcome to an intimate tour of my brain. Don’t expect too much!

I just had to laugh out loud because I went to get something in one room, let’s say the bathroom and I walked into the other bathroom. My brain was on auto-pilot. Maybe it’s because of my lack of sleep, maybe it’s because I have too much on my mind or maybe it’s just because I’m not that spry thinking young 20-something anymore. Hey everyone take note, getting older isn’t necessarily fun.

For some reason staring at someone or something seems to focus me. I get caught all of the time looking at someone and they’re all like “why are you starting at me?” and I’m all like “I’m trying to remember something and you’re helping me do that.” and they’re all like “Oh, it’s kinda creepy.” and I’m all like “Oh, sorry, I just remembered what I needed to remember.” and they’re all like “Your welcome… {roll eyes}”

Sometimes I wonder if I’ve become a creature of habit. I try to drive different ways to and from work so that I don’t get my car in a rut. About every time that I’ve moved I’ve taken the wrong way home at least once, heading to my old place instead of my new one. That’s how my brain works. Sometimes I wonder if my brain is more like the auto-pilot from “Airplane” or the one that really helps real pilots fly a plane.

This is the end of the nickel tour of taawd’s brain. Other parts of the facility are currently off limits for your own safety.

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My Virtual View

If you haven’t played around with Microsoft’s Virtual Earth, you may find it more entertaining than Google Earth. It interacts with the latest radar to provide a simulation of the cloud cover over a certain spot.
This is the 3-D virtual view from my balcony, give or take a couple of feet and degrees. Check it out on your own. You’ll enjoy it!

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Two Great TV Moments

I’ve been busy recently and haven’t really been paying that much attention to television.

I’m sure some of this has already been discussed but I have to mention both of these gems.
First, “Family Guy”…

On their trip to the Peter invites the rest of the Griffens to sing a road song, then launches into “The Rose” by Bette Midler. Hilarious and actually, I’d love to hear the rest of the song. It wasn’t that bad.

Second, “How I Met Your Mother”…

“The Young & The Restless'” Eric Braeden guest starred as Robin’s father. Funny, he played the same part on the sitcom as he does playing “Victor” on the soap opera.
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Sick & Tired

The title of this blog says it all… I’m sick and I’m tired.

Just search sick on this blog and you’ll get to read the exciting adventures of what happens when taawd falls ill. I’m more sick than Browns fans coming out of the stadium after a day of tailgating and when the team just blew another decent lead to lose to their opponent. I know what my problem is, I’m run down, I work overnight and I’m trying to keep my life on the high wire without disrupting the balance and sending me down to the ground without any net. A bit over dramatic? Sure, but this is a blog. Whadda ya expect?

I put in some wicked long hours at work this past week. There was this silly little thing called an election we covered. I fought to get any and all sleep I could without losing my mind, which I did actually do once. You also can’t just sleep and work. Sometimes you have to push the envelope a little and do something for yourself to be happy in the midst of everything else.

I’ve spent most of this gray day under the covers alone, bored, coughing and trying to alleviate this headache I have. What I don’t have is a voice. It left me Friday and hasn’t found its way back yet.

Sure, I’m doing all of the things you should do, taking the meds, drinking tea (decaffeinated, of course) eating chicken noodle soup, taking the vitamins and resting.

Whine alert: I don’t want to rest. My place looks like Hurricane Andrew hit it. There are mounds of laundry, some dirty, some clean, on my floor that are starting to take the shape of the Appalachians. Dishes adorn my living room as if they are decorations. I tore apart some of my closets looking for something and those boxes that I went through didn’t clean themselves back up. The nerve, I know!

So you can send your good thoughts, prayers and vibes my way on a speedy recovery and some organization.

I just ain’t up to it today. I know healthier days are ahead and that’s what gives me hope and happiness.

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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.]

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Thursday Night Football

The Browns can sure put on a pre-game show. It’s the game itself where Browns fans have the problem.

There was much hype before the game about Brady Quinn taking the field. I heard people say “a look into the future of the franchise” I heard people cheer him on when he took the field. I heard the Browns play the “Mighty Quinn” as they called his name. In the end, Browns fans sat through a game that toyed with their emotions. For the second week, we sat watching a decent amount of points on the scoreboard dwindle away into a deficit. Browns fans left the game booing the team and the coaching staff. It was not a good Thursday night for football in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame city.

Check out the picture of Quinn in the style of an Obama-like “Change” image that has been circulating around the Internet. Browns fans will eternally have “hope” but it’s usually about “next year.”

Which brings me to another topic, the horrible Sprint service inside the stadium. Sure, you could look at my phone and see full bars of coverage. Try to send a text message or a picture through e-mail to your blog and you’ll encounter with the network. It won’t send a text message when you want, but at one point when the network catches up, you’ll get all of the text messages that were sent to you.

My Samsung Instinct won’t queue the messsages to an outbox. Instead, the “smart” phone simply tells you the message fails to go through and saves a draft. Of course, you never know when the network will catch up to you so you have a limited time to get the text message or make the phone call during the game.

I do see people with phones calling and texting, I’m sure they have different services with networks that aren’t overloaded during the game.

Does anyone else have a similar problem with their Sprint phone or with their cell phone service?