More of the Music I've Been Listening To ...

Beth Nielsen Chapman ... I wish the sound on this was a bit cleaner. I was introduced to BNC's music several years ago ... This is from her best album, "Sand & Water"

What I'm Currently Listening To

I've been in kind of a mellow mood ... maybe it's all that meditation ... LOL ...

Mary Chapin Carpenter




John Berry (had the pleasure of hearing this song performed live when he played the Luzerne County Fair)



Mary Chapin Carpenter again ..



MCC again ... (wish I could have found a clearer version)


MCC once more ... (not so mellow, but I love the philosophy!)

A Bunch of Things I Really Like

Want to know me a little better? (Of course you do, how silly of me to ask). Here are a few things that might give you a bit of insight into my personality and life. Then again, maybe not ... It's almost 1:30AM as I'm writing this and I'm kind of tired, so maybe it's just all meaningless babble. Regardless, I am passionate to one degree or another about each of the points that follow.

** SheilBea, my daughter (it would be kinda weird if I didn't like her wouldn't it?)

** The sound of my daughter's laughter, especially when she is watching the movie, "Mama Mia" (yes, I've seen it; I'm comfortable enough in my manhood to risk expulsion from the Man Club and admit it. And you know what? It was excellent!)

** Teaching & training Martial Arts (Korean Tang Soo Do, 3rd degree Black Belt; American Kenpo Karate, 1st degree Black Belt; CDT, Tactical Master Instructor; experience, but no official rank in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, capoeira, Aikido, judo. Training was eye-opening and made me look at myself in a whole new light. Teaching was the most profoundly life changing experience of my life. )

** Meditation (various forms, but with a heavy emphasis on mindfulness; probably the best thing I ever did to maintain my sanity in the midst of chaos)

** Spider-Man (movies, comics, cartoons, the whole shooting match ... since I was a kid)

** The scent of Sandalwood (soothing, relaxing, clean, and exotic)

** Coffee (flavored isn't bad, but I prefer plain, unflavored brews from all over the world)

** Beer (Guinness is my all-time favorite {God is a Guinness drinker, so I've been told} and microbrews and regional varieties over mass-produced swill like Budweiser or -- worst of the worst -- Coor's Light)

** Autumn (As much as I like summer, I think I'm more of a Spring and Fall kinda guy. I love the change of seasons, the crunch of dried leaves underfoot, and the slight hint of woodsmoke on the crisp October air. For the absolute best description of why I love Fall, I refer you to the prologue of Ray Bradbury's amazing classic novel, "Something Wicked This Way Comes.")

** Nature photography (I don't have the time for this I once did, but when I was younger I was quite prolific. I sold several compositions but was never in it for the money. It was a way of connecting with the natural world.)

** Pumpkin pie (Homemade is best, of course, but I will eat any kind I can get my hands on ... even Tastykake!)

** Creme brulee (my favorite dessert ever ... want me to do something -- anything -- for you? All you have to do is ply me with this!)

** Crisp, freshly ironed white dress shirts (especially with jeans or khakis)

** Khaki pants with lots of pockets

** Halloween (Maybe it's the time of the year, but this holiday -- and particularly its history -- has always held a creepy appeal to me)

** Fresh sheets (nothing like 'em ... cool cotton on a summer's night and warm flannel in the winter)

** Candles

** Being a student (one of the greatest joys in life is learning. I once heard advice that said, "Do not go to bed tonight as stupid as you were when you woke up this morning." Those words have had a profound effect on me and even at my age I find school to be, for the most part, an exhilarating experience)

** Rum (most varieties, but I am especially partial to the darker West Indian, Puerto Rican, and Barbados overproofs)

** Spiders (I have two tarantulas -- a Chilean Rose Hair and a Brazilian Chocolate -- & I'm working on a third)

** Sleeping with the windows open in the Fall (the early Fall ... not like the ridiculous, arctic weather we're having now)

** Facebook

** Blogging (There is freedom in this medium)

** Reading (Just about any genre. Favorite authors: Stephen King; Terry Brooks, The Shannara series of fantasy novels; , Nicholas Evans, The Horse Whisperer and others, Nicholas Sparks {yes, I am truly a sap}; Andrew Marks, Falling Bodies, Micheal Grant Jaffe, Dance Real Slow; Ben Sherwood, The Man Who Ate the 747 ... and so many more ...)

** Movies of all kinds (see my profile for exactly how wide the range)

** Shaving (no really ... I find it to be very soothing and it relaxes me, almost like meditation)

** The sound and smell of laundry in the dryer (call me crazy but there is something very relaxing and "homey" about this)

** Wicker furniture (even I don't know where this one came from)

** Walking in the evening (especially on a warm summer night down by the lake or down my road)

** UFC & WEC (I don't watch sports as a general rule, but I cannot get enough of Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting)

** Travel (anywhere from down the street to a foreign land ... I like meeting new people, seeing new places and learning the history of both ... I have a long list of places I want to visit)

** Stargazing (I don't do it now as often as I did when I was younger, but I still take time when I get home from work to look up at the night sky and marvel at the vastness. There is nothing like a dark night full of stars to put one's problems into their proper perspective)

** Chuck Norris (the Martial Arts connection aside, and ignoring all the tongue-in-cheek "Chuck Norris Facts" that are found on the Internet, the man is a personal hero of mine for his efforts to educate at-risk children, and for the adversity that he overcame early in his life. He is a living embodiment of what it means to not only wear a Black Belt but to BE a Black Belt; in many ways I aspire to the example he has set)

** Ghosts (I am endlessly fascinated by books, movies, and documentaries centering on the supernatural and paranormal. Is it real? I have no idea, but it certainly does make one wonder about what exactly we don't know about our world)

So there ya go ... almost everything you NEVER wanted to know about me, but never thought to ask. I'm sure I have forgotten a few things, -- and for that I apologize -- but as I said it's really late and my brain is fried. If any of you who know me can add anything to the list, feel free; I'd definitely love to know your opinions.

My Birthday

On Monday, October 5th, I turned 45 years old. For the reasons detailed in the last three posts, I consider that something of a milestone. Honestly, I never thought I would make it out of my thirties.

For the most part, my life is good, and I feel pretty good, in many ways better than I have in a long time.

I celebrated my birthday a day early, on Sunday the 4th, since Monday I had school from 8AM til 2:30PM and worked from 3:00PM til 11:00PM. My daughter SheilBea arrived at my house late on Saturday night, so that made for a good start to the weekend. She is a teenager now and her schedule is full with academics, cheerleading, coaching, and social events. We don't spend as much time together as we once did -- or nearly as much as I would prefer -- but I understand that she is growing up so I cherish the moments we do have; it's quality rather than quantity these days. The hardest part of being a divorced, single father has always been the time I have forfeited with my daughter; it is time that I can never recover. We are close, my SheilBea and me, and for that I am grateful. At the very least, we talk by phone nearly every day.

SheilBea brought me a birthday present: the 2-disc, widescreen special edition DVD (she knows me so well)of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." I am a huge comic book and movie fan ... and while Spider-Man has really been my guy since I was old enough to know what comic books were, I am a fan of most things Marvel. SheilBea, on the other hand, is a fan of Hugh Jackman ... and not necessarily for his talent as an actor. How the hell did my baby girl get old enough to notice things like Hugh Jackman's butt? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was changing her diapers? Where did the time go?

That night we watched the movie together, until she got too tired to stay awake. Earlier in the day she had accompanied the junior girls cheerleading squad that she coaches to a competition in Wayne county. Last year, before she took over coaching responsibilities, the team had received a very respectable "Honorable Mention"; this year under her guidance, however, they brought home three trophies! She was as proud of "her girls" as I am of mine.

After she went to bed, I stayed up for awhile, studied a bit for school, washed a few dishes and watched another movie ("Redbelt") until I, too, finally nodded off around 2:00AM.

The next day started with a trip to the store with Theo to pick up a few things for my birthday dinner. Even though she and I are no longer involved -- at least for now :-) -- we remain best friends. She is an incredible cook -- no exaggeration, she could be a professional --and every year on my birthday for as long as we were together she would cook the meal of my choice. Some years were gourmet surprises, others were homestyle foods. This year I opted for ribs. Normally, during the week, I eat a very healthy diet -- alot of salads, heavy on the vegetables, low in saturated fats, and only rarely red meat. I usually allow myself one day each weekend as a "free day" -- a day to eat whatever I want without guilt. Well whattya know! My birthday celebration fell on a weekend! So we did ribs on the grill with sides of asparagus and spaghetti squash (both buttered!!) and a thick, rich peanut butter pie instead of a traditional cake. I am a sucker for peanut butter so I made sure to not only leave plenty of room for a big piece, but to take any leftovers home with me!

All in all it was a very good day. I got to spend it with the people I love the most -- SheilBea, Theo, Molly & Colleen -- had a terrific dinner, and got a really cool gift.

Why, then, after all of that, do I feel so goddamned old? 45 isn't old ... is it?