Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Write Alphabetical Advice

Ask "How's it going?" instead of saying "You look terrible."
Best friends are just family that you get to choose. Don't choose lightly.
Courage and honesty are different things. But oftentimes the most important truths require courage to tell.
Don't talk to people while they poop. It's weird.
Eat at places that you can't eat at home when you travel.
Free food always beats no food.
Give better than you get 
Having money doesn't mean you need to spend it.
If someone holds a door open for you, say thank you. Even if it's their job to do it.
Jokes aren't funny if you have to explain them.
Knowing when to keep your mouth shut is just as important as knowing when to speak up.
Listen to edutainment podcasts. Learn something while you laugh.
Movie conversation: only acceptable if both parties have seen the movie. And even then, you both have to be okay with it.
Never use absolutes
Offer help when it's needed. Don't be too proud to accept it when you need it.
Please and thank you every time will get you things you don't deserve from people when you really need them
Quit holding on to grudges. Likelihood is the other person cares significantly less than you do.
Relish opportunities to dress up. You'll feel different in a well-tailored suit.
Swimming. Riding a bicycle. Changing your own oil. Cooking more than just pasta. Playing a musical instrument. All skills you don't NEED to but should learn
Talk about things other than work.
Understanding and comprehension are more impressive than speed. No one cares that you finished your book in a day if you can't intelligently discuss what you read.
Very often, she'll be the one who's right.
Wallowing needs to happen sometimes. It's got a 48 hour expiration date.
X rated content is plentiful on the Internet. Don't ever pay for it.
Your word is your bond.
Zebras are genetically more related to giraffes than horses. (See what I said about learning while you enjoy yourself?)

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Musings on a Late-Night Publix Run

These are my thoughts on my trip to Publix that I just got back from.


-It's an interesting group of people that are shopping in the final hour of a supermarket being open. I'm not one to judge, particularly as I don't have kids of my own, but I can't imagine when you've got a young toddler that a post-9pm Publix trip should be a "grab everything you need" trip. A full cart and a melting down child don't seem like the best combination.

-I've reached a strange point in my life when I go to Publix so late because I haven't had enough vegetables. The purpose of the trip was to grab tomatoes and cucumbers so I could have my salad. Never thought I'd see the day.

-Breyer's Company: Putting Oreo cookies in chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla? Feel free to throw your hat in the ring to run this country. You've got my vote in November if you do.

-I have zero idea how a Subway survives right next door to a Publix. Unless you're getting a promotional sub of a certain size that only costs a single bill with President Lincoln on it, they're the same price. Why someone would take Subway meat over a real deli less than 100 feet away is something I will never understand.

-The deli staff at the Publix on the corner of 535 ad 192... What a collection of weirdies. But still, consistently friendly and good at what they do. Kudos.

-Dude in the Produce Department: There's a good chance that I have my earphones in because I'm not looking for much interaction. But you know what really fries my rice? When you get my attention, get me to take out my earphones so you can talk to me, and use that opportunity to rip on my baseball team because I'm wearing a Marlins shirt. You, sir, are an ass (and my baseball team has won twice as many championships as yours has in the time we've existed. So suck it).

-Lady Bagging My Groceries: First and foremost, I highly doubt that your name is "Phfazzy." That notwithstanding, my encounter with your produce comrade almost made me keep my earphones in at the checkout. It's just courtesy. But holy goodness. For you not to acknowledge me or the two other people before me? Really? Because you're busy reading the Publix weekly ad? Holy crap.

That is all. I miss blogging.


Thursday, January 26, 2012

This Is How Exciting My Days Off Are...

First, let me tell you how on top of trends I am in that I began the first season of LOST today. It's apparently going to piss me off, so I might as well get used to it.

But to the reason for today's post (and hopefully a return to more regular posting):


I decided it would be a good idea to try to get at least somewhat healthier. Today I went to Publix to pick up some things to make lunch with and decided to make my meat sauce with ground turkey instead of ground beef. Not my favorite decision of all time, but I can work with it. It's slathered in tomatoes and garlic and spices, so I figure there's a way I can gussy it up just right and it'll be fine.

But I can't just do things for the sake of doing it. I need "credit." So I call Ashie to tell her the good news. She responds with her trademark enthusiasm. I start explaining how I'm not trying to revolutionize my diet. I figure if I cut out red meat in my spaghetti sauce, I can feel less guilty when I indulge in a steak some other time. She said she agrees. She doesn't eat cookies (or was it ice cream) so she can have wine. Astutely pointed out that neither of us is really a revolutionary.

Which got me thinking. We're not Paul Revere. We're those people that kind of lean back in their chairs at dinner and say, "Have you guys heard about the Red Coats? Apparently, they're on their way." And then return to our Shepherd's Pie (made with ground turkey, of course.)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

C'mon, Guys!

Dear Producers of Friday Night Lights,

I've done nothing but sing your praises for the past 5 years (With the exception of the Tyra/Landry/murder storyline. But we're pretending that never happened). I own each season of your show on DVD. You have crafted one of the most realistic-feeling shows I've ever watched. You have an uncanny ability to get me to care for these characters as if they were real people. I'm exceptionally saddened that there are only 5 episodes left of your show.

That being said, if you plan on bringing back a beloved character for the surprise emotional climax of one of your last episodes, DON'T LIST THE ACTOR'S NAME IN THE GUEST STARS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EPISODE.

Sincerely,

TBone

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

I Love Living in Florida

I have an inability to get to sleep sometimes. Well, kind of a lot. I wouldn't call myself an insomniac, because I usually sleep every night, but it's usually no more than 4-6 hours. This is why I'm cranky when I wake up. Almost always. Just plain cranky. Don't speak to me within the first 20 minutes of being woken up unexpectedly.

Since sleep is precious, you see, I become rather consternated (spell-check says that's not a word. I beg to differ. I just used it as one. take your red squiggly* line elsewhere). So, last night, at 2:35 in the morning, it sounded like my upstairs neighbors dropped an anvil on the floor, jarring me from my about-to-be-asleep state. I've had issues with them before, so I was not pleased at all that this was happening again. I considered pulling a Mr. Heckles, and banging the end of my broom on the ceiling obnoxiously. I considered another nasty-gram expressing my displeasure at the recurrence of the noise problems. But I knew if I got too riled up, I wouldn't get to sleep at all, so I let it go, and went to sleep.

A friend of mine was chatting with me today about how she'd been up late playing with her dog and a similar loud noise terrified the pup. I mentioned how weird it was that we both heard my anvil-dropping neighbors, considering she lives 20 minutes away from me in a house that has no upstairs at all. I learned that the noise wasn't in fact my neighbors, but the sonic boom of the space shuttle Endeavour returning to our atmosphere.

You got lucky, upstairs neighbors. This time.





*"Squiggly", incidentally, is a real word and doesn't get a red squiggly line beneath it.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Let's try this again, shall we?

A renewed attempt at keeping this blog updated. Really. If you still check back periodically to see if I've updated, I appreciate it. Hope it's been worth the wait.

Overheard tonight at the Tavern:

Guy in the Booth Attached To Ours(to his friends): How long should someone shake hands with someone else before it gets awkward?

Me (to my friends): He just answered his own question! Before it gets awkward. You need to let go of the other dude's hand before it gets awkward.


Sheesh. And this is coming from a table of mid-20s dudes who have come to a TAVERN to order beers and hot fudge sundaes and Boston Cream pies.

More observations and musings coming soon. Keep reading.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Why I'm Going To Die Alone (Part 1 of Many)

Let me start by saying I'm not necessarily proud of this post, but it just made me nerd-giddy, so I had to post it.

So, two Starfleet officers are on shore leave on a resort-like planet. They're at a bar, scoping out exotic women. One spots a pair that he deems attractive behind the other one. How does he let him know?

"Hey, Malcolm. Bearing 1-8-0."

Teehee. I'm a nerd. Deal with it.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Well that was fast....

So, I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to upload a picture every day for the next year, but I sure as hell didn't expect the streak to end so quickly. Oh well. It's been a hell of a week. I'm trying to keep spirits up, and one of the ways I will try is by writing. Here's my picture for today:


You've got to be kidding me, right? There's enough of this drivel to necessitate three entire sections at Barnes & Noble? (There is another one right behind me that you can't see). It makes me sad. I was talking with Ash and Becki about this (check out both of their blogs as well. I follow them) and I get that it's a fad. But I'm much more okay with reading Goosebumps books than I am with kids reading this. I don't know why all this vampire junk stirs up such emotion in me, but ugh. I fear for children. Please, if you're a teenage girl, and you're reading this, and need something to replace these books, let me know and you can borrow some Encyclopedia Brown or Choose Your Own Adventure books.

And, on a sidenote: I take all these pictures on my phone, and email them to myself to upload here. So far, each of the pictures has had a file size of more than 1MB. The picture of my first meal of 2011 was 1.3MB. Those plastic, non-floppy, floppy disks (the 3.5" version) could only hold a maximum of 1.44 MB. That disk could barely hold that one picture. A dorky sentiment, perhaps, but how cool is that? That my phone can hold over 1000 times what was the standard mobility option for memory 12 years ago.

Oh well. Just stuff I think about.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Really?

Today's picture:


Really? You're going to serve me breakfast without being in operation? I think this particular Applebee's is trying to tell me that I'm free to use their tables if I bring my own breakfast.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Comfort Food

So, for day one of the photo experiment, I'm posting something I'm rather proud of. Behold, my first home-cooked meal of 2011



That is a lemon pepper chicken with a potato onion and corn hash and a salad of cucumbers and tomatoes. It was kind of a gloomy day for me and I felt like comfort food was needed. Luckily, this meal was already begging to be made by my temporary roomie, so it got made on a day I really needed it. AND! I got on good authority that there's a new cookie craze sweeping the nation: Scotchies


There they are. Oatmeal cookies with little butterscotch chunks in them. They're no oatmeal raisin, but they're certainly a delightful treat in case someone isn't a fan of raisins. Quasi-interesting nugget of information on my life: I do not like oatmeal. I do not like raisins. But oatmeal raisin cookies are my favorite cookies of all time.

Hopefully the next picture will have a better story. Or something funny related to it. But tonight ended with a phone call that made my heart happier than any comfort food could, so here's hoping we ride that wave into tomorrow.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Resolution

It's a new year. People make resolutions to better themselves. I'm going to make a concerted effort to write here more. I used to write in a journal all the time and it would often make me feel better to vent and put my thoughts into words, so this will be my resolution. We'll see how well it works. In addition, I'll be trying the great picture experiment. I'll be posting a picture a day for the next 365 days. The rules as dictated to me: I have to be the one to take the picture, and the picture should be taken that day. We'll see how that goes. Anyway, here's to a great 2011!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Just Call me Dr. Phil

Sometimes I just seem to articulate things just the way I want to to illustrate a point. For example:

My Friend: I think I just turned him into a bad guy.

Me: No you didn't. You can't turn someone into a bad guy. You just kept him beyond his expiration date. "Break up with by 11/20." I feel like right now we're in front of the proverbial relationship fridge with you holding him and asking me to see if he smells weird.

That'll be 5 cents

Monday, November 8, 2010

Sometimes...

This picture doesn't do it justice, but only a Florida sunset can turn a tourist wasteland like 192 into a postcard...

Friday, October 29, 2010

Misunderstanding Friends (Part I of Many)

What she said: Oooh. I found a book I needed for teaching. I need Professional Ed and English Grade 6-12.

What my mind came up with: A dude in a sharp suit with glasses with a nametag that says Ed.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

This isn't going to be a constant theme...

Football has inspired me to write again. Don't stop reading. Two things:

1) This one won't be as introspective
2) I don't intend to make a habit of sports-related posts. But this really fries my rice.

Brett Favre broke a couple of bones in his foot last Sunday. He currently holds the record for most consecutive games started by any football player. It's still active and currently at 291. That means he has been the starting quarterback for whatever team he's played for every football Sunday since September 27, 1992. I'm not Favre fan, but I mention that because it's a big deal that the streak could end on Sunday and everyone all over sports is talking about it.

ESPN is filled with so-called journalists and analysts. Multiple times over the last few days I've heard this: "Favre's two fractures in his foot could put his consecutive-starts streak in jeopardy." NO, DUMMIES! Not could. He may not start on Sunday so his streak IS CURRENLY in jeopardy. UGH.

That is all.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Conundrum

So, I don't know if you're a sports fan, but a football game got me to thinking today. Bear with me, it's not all sports related.

The Miami Dolphins lost Sunday to the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-22. Popular opinion is that the Dolphins are a an average to slightly above average team. The Steelers are a great team. Their defense is in the top 3 in the league. Today, though, the Dolphins were in it for the entire game. 22 points is the most anyone has scored on Pittsburgh all season long. And, if it weren't for a controversial call by a referee at the end of the game (and, let's not kid ourselves, it was the wrong call) the Dolphins would have won the game.
 On the other side of that coin, the Dolphins beat the Buffalo Bills the first week of the season 15-10.  The Bills have yet to win a game this season in six attempts.
I point this out because it got me to thinking: Is it possible to feel better about something in defeat than in victory? I was happier with the way the Fins played against Pittsburgh in a loss than in Buffalo in a win. Is that something that can be applied to my everyday existence? I feel like, with a few exceptions, nothing is going right lately in any aspect of my life. I'm not saying I don't want things to get better, but is there a corollary here? Are there defeats that can be looked at in life and be able to take solace in effort or proximity to success?
Part of me wants to believe that. But, at the end of the day, a win is a win, no matter how sloppy it looks.
Thoughts?

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Rule of Drinking

A friend of mine was considering drinking alone last night. She'd had a rough night and felt it might make her feel better. She were afraid that drinking alone, though, is dangerous and the beginning of alcoholism. I suggested drinking in moderation. When it comes to wine, moderation might be a difficult concept. So I suggested a rule:

"Moderation is still being able to spell it"

You're welcome.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

TBone vs Philosophy. Part I

Which is more useful, the Sun or the Moon?

Unknown Philosopher: The Moon is more useful, since it gives us light during the night, when it is dark. The Sun shines only in the daytime, when it is light anyway.

Me: No one ever talks about the moon expanding. Or going supernova. The moon doesn't give us skin cancer or burn us. We've gone to hang out at the moon (we even brought a cool little car). I totally vote moon.

 Who wins?

Monday, October 18, 2010

Letter to Charlie #1

Dear Charlie,

If you decide that this is how you want to fall asleep....







...please don't be mad at me when I wake you up thinking you're dead. It's just because I love you.


Love,
Dad

See what I did there?

Get it? It sounds like my "take" on life... but it's not. It's punny.
You might want to get used to that. I tend to tell awful jokes. Luckily, I sometimes tell stories that happen to be pretty funny.
I used to write a lot. I wanted to be a writer for a long time. I like making people laugh. And sometimes I just need to vent. So that's what this is going to be. Hopefully it'll make you laugh. Maybe sometimes it'll make you think. I expect it to be pretty consistently entertaining.
I'm an applause whore, so feel free to comment. I like to know what people think.

So here goes...