Birthdays and Getting Older...

I celebrated my 30^th Birthday yesterday and as much as I wanted to post about turning the big 3-0 I was just swamped.  Birthdays just aren’t what they used to be when you were young.  When you’re young, the world seems to stop on your birthday.  If you’re in school, the whole day is about you, if you’re not in school, you usually are doing something crazy and fun with your friends and family.  Nowadays, you still have to go to work and it’s almost like business as usual.  My co-workers at my company did decorate the shit out of my little cubicle and made the day as special as you can but I still was swamped with work and the day kind of went as it usually does.  After work, I had dinner with my parents, which doesn’t happen all that much anymore but still nothing spectacular and then home to play some video games then hang out with the wife.  Nothing crazy but my wife is planning a big 30^th birthday party in a week or so which will be crazy and fun.  I guess it’s not really fair to compare the milestone birthdays to regular birthdays because on regular birthdays, it’s just a regular old day once you get past 21.  Maybe it’s me but all the fun and special feeling of a birthday kind of die when you get past 13 years old (unless it’s a milestone age).

There is one more thing about turning old that I’d like to talk about.  It’s all this talk about being old and how all the aches and pains are going to start coming.  Well, guess what, I already have tons of aches and pains.  You’re talking to a guy who’s had about 20 surgeries in his lifetime.  I’ve torn both of my Achilles tendons, had two reconstructive shoulder surgeries, a back surgery and about 15 surgeries on my left eye.  I’m already feeling achy and creaky; it’s as if I was a 50 year old living in a 30 year old body.  It’s the worst at night and in the morning.  After waking up in the morning, I seriously feel like I’m not going to make it.  After a couple of Advil’s and a hot shower, I’m good to go.  I’m usually fine most of the day, then I hit up the gym after work and as soon as I get home and sit down for longer than 30 minutes, BOOM, it hits me.  The aches and pains are back.  Maybe it’s me but if MORE aches and pains are in my future I’m in big trouble because I already have enough of that shit!!!

The Love "Holiday"

Happy Valentine’s Day, or should I say, Happy Most Commercially Driven Holiday Ever Day!  There is no doubt that Valentine’s Day is a fake commercial Holiday but is that necessarily a bad thing?  I’m torn on the issue because I like that it gets people out there spending money helping stimulate the economy but also hates how it creates an atmosphere where you’re supposed to love someone extra special because it’s the 14^th of February.  I guess I lean more on the side of who gives a shit about Valentine’s Day because personally I don’t celebrate it.  Luckily for me I have a wonderful wife who feels the same way.  We don’t need one day and corporate America to tell us to love each other.  We hardly ever go out and instead enjoy a quite evening at home with a nice dinner.  It’s basically what we do on any night of the week so it’s business as usual on my home front.  Maybe it’s me but you should love the person you’re with extra special EVERY day, not just on the 14^th of February.

Don’t let me hold you back on buying the special lady in your life some chocolate, jewelry or flowers.  Many of those type of businesses rely heavily on Valentine’s Day and I know for a fact that the jewelry business has one of it’s busiest days leading up to the Holiday.  My mother-in-law works for a jewelry business and her salary is almost all commission.  She counts on the week before Valentine’s Day as about 25-35% of her salary for the entire year.  The other big events are usually Christmas and the month of July.  I guess July is big for wedding and engagement rings.  Either way, she relies on Valentine’s Day, so get out there big spender and buy that piece of jewelry.

My biggest complaint about the holiday is that it makes those that don’t have someone special in their life feel like a big piece of shit.  I don’t have any statistics on the subject but I’d be willing to bet that Valentine’s Day has an unusual amount of suicides compared to just a regular day of the year.  All the commercials, movies, television programs, basically any media or entertainment outlet makes being alone on Valentine’s Day a crime.  They basically say if you don’t have someone on Valentine’s Day, you’re a loser and here’s a gun, go blow your brains out.  I’m here to tell you people, if you don’t have someone on the 14^th of February, don’t worry, put down that gun, you’ll be fine.  There’s always the 15^th, 16^th, etc., etc.  It’s okay to not have someone on a made-up Holiday, it’s a gimmick, don’t fall for it!!

In the end, it’s good for the economy but bad for the psyche of single people.  Those with someone, just try to do what you do on TODAY, EVERYDAY with the one you love.  Maybe it’s me but Valentine’s Day should just be a reminder to love the one you’re with ALL THE TIME!

Dating in the Social Networking Age

I have a few single friends that are currently in the dating game and it got me thinking about how easy single people have it nowadays.  Social networking has made dating and asking people out way easier than it used to be.  I remember when you like someone you had three options, either go up to them face to face and start a conversation, write them a note or get a friend to let them know you were interested.  The face to face interactions were always the hardest as rejection is very hard to deal with face to face.  Nowadays with Facebook, text messaging and other social medial (Twitter) you basically can “talk” with someone for days before even meeting them face to face.  If you don’t like each other, you simply stop texting or sending messages via Facebook and its over.  No face to face rejection, no embarrassment and most importantly no headaches.

I’m a married man now so I don’t have to worry about this type of thing but man would it be easy now to meet and talk to women.  Maybe it’s me but social networking has made dating so much easier.

Connecticut Sunday Liquor Sales & Tolls...

Connecticut is considering passing a bill to lift the ban on liquor stores and grocery markets selling alcohol on Sundays.  All I can say to that is, “It’s about time!”  Not only because I will get to purchase alcohol on Sundays, but also it’s needed revenue for the state of Connecticut.  I keep hearing how the state is facing a deficit and is blowing through budgets like they’re birthday cake at a workplace.  Why not open liquor stores on Sundays?  Seems like a logical idea to me.  There are tax dollars to be made and the state could badly use that money.  The news stated that we are only one of only fourteen states left that has this Prohibition Era Blue Law that prohibits sales of alcohol on Sundays.    We are one of only 3 states that ban beer and wine as well as alcohol on Sundays.  My question is why are we living in the old days?  Maybe it’s me, but I think it’s time to lift the ban to better the state of Connecticut.

It’s just seems so logical, open the stores, increase revenue to the state by getting an extra day of taxes.  It’s an extra 3 to 4 days a month which works out to 36 to 48 days a year, so about a month of extra money coming into the state.  Every little bit will help with the deficit.

While we’re at it, I’ve seen people trying to put back in tolls on major highways.  At first I was against this but I think I’ve come around.  I think we should put the tolls on Interstate 95 down by New York and by Rhode Island.  This is a major interstate that many travelers frequently use that are from out of state.  Why not put up a toll or two on I-95 and collect some more revenue for the state?  I guess the major obstacle in this is the traffic that will occur.  I-95 is already a nightmare with traffic and slowing it down more could be bothersome but if the state really wants to get itself out of a hole, I say we have to be ready to deal with a little traffic and put the tolls up.

These two simple measures could give the state extra money and I can’t believe haven’t been done yet.  Maybe it’s me, but there seems to be some very easy ways the state can help dig themselves out of the deficit hole they’ve created.

Time To Start Running Idiots Over!

There is a problem here in Hartford, CT and I’m here to address it.  Every morning I almost kill two to three pedestrians because of their lack of common sense and stupidity.  I drive through the streets of Hartford and can not tell you how many morons just step into the street with complete disregard for their safety.  There is a safe way to cross a street that most of us were taught back in grade school, so how come everybody seems to have completely forgotten how to do it?   Everyday I see a moron cross the street not in a cross walk, dart out from behind the front of the bus or if they do decide to use a cross walk, they just walk across the street when they feel.  No need to wait for the electronic devices that are put there to indicate when it is safe to cross, nope, just walk when you feel because you either are an asshole or are in a rush.

I guess the one that bothers me the most are the dumbasses that dart out from the front of the bus.  I was taught a very long time ago to always go to the back of a vehicle then cross a street.  This is because, first you have a better view of traffic and most importantly, traffic can see you.  Guess what, if you dart out from the front of the bus and try to cross the street, I can’t see you and you have the potential to be run over like Grandma on Christmas.  I almost get one EVERYDAY!!!  It’s getting to be ridiculous.  What I also love is the looks I get from these retards like it’s my fault that I almost hit them because they can’t use common sense to cross a street.  F-U asshole!!

I’ve actually started honking a flipping off people a lot more.  Maybe this is the first step?  Maybe in time, I will just start plowing these people over.  I’m going to be honest with you perhaps that’s not such a bad idea.  Do we really want these idiots running around the city anyway?  These people are either really stupid or are complete assholes, and do we really need more stupid assholes in the world?  Maybe it’s me but if you can’t comprehend how to cross a street in a busy city, you should be run over.  A couple more weeks of this, I’m going to be playing grand theft auto here on the streets of Hartford!

When You Can't Trust Someone....MOVE ON!

When is enough, enough?  No I’m talking about the snow again, though on a side note big storm tomorrow that will last two days.  Yippeee!!!  I’m actually talking about relationships and fighting.  When is it too much to deal with and time to give up?  I have a friend who’s been seeing a girl for about 4 to 5 years.  It’s 4 to 5 because there was a brief time of about 8 months where they were sort of separated.  I say sort of because she was seeing someone else but still banging my buddy.  Anyway, these two people fought so much that both were walking on eggshells 85% of the time they were together.  Neither of them trusted each other and I can’t tell you how many times both of them were “done” but got back together the next day.  It was almost comical.  My buddy would come over and talk to my wife and I for 5 hours about how much he hated her and how he was done, then two days later they’d be together like nothing happened.  It was a relationship that was so sad it became funny and that we all behind their back would take bets on if the upcoming weekend they’d be together or apart.

I guess the biggest issue in their relationship was trust.  They couldn’t trust each other and it constantly was an issue.  If you don’t have trust in a relationship, you mine as well call it quits because it’s never going to work.  These two had so many trust issues it was insane.  When they weren’t together they automatically thought that the other was seeing someone else.  It was crazy!

Another issue was that they she was so selfish that there was no compromise.  It was either her way or the highway and a relationship will never work if there is no compromise.  Both people have to be willing to give and take and unfortunately for my buddy, there was no give on her end.  Just a lot of taking and he is a little to blame because he was “cool” with it for most of the time they were together.  He gave in way too much and she kept taking advantage of it.

This weekend shit hit the fan and I firmly believe they are done.  There was an accidental voice message left that she heard and went ape shit mad.  I think he did it self-consciously because he wanted it to end but didn’t know how to do it.  He came over yesterday and after our conversations, I firmly believe he’s done and going to move on.  Good riddance.  He’s too good of a guy to put up with this and we’ve been telling him that for almost 3 years.  In the end, I guess you have to figure it out yourself no matter how stupid you look during the moment.  And believe me he made himself look like a complete buffoon.  I just hope he’s really done because I don’t know if I can keep up the support when I know the relationship is never going to work.

Maybe it’s me but if you can’t trust someone and you’re fighting 80% of the time it’s time to call it quits.  It’s just never going to work…

UPDATE on Heat AND How the Snow is BAD NEWS!!!!

Need to worry folks.  The heat came back on at my house and I did not freeze to death in the comfort of my own home.  The heat in the bedrooms came back on Wednesday afternoon and in the living room on late Wednesday night.  Good thing too, because Bitch Nature decided to drop another 16 inches of snow on my ass on Thursday.  Now all I have to worry about is the fucking room collapsing and costing me handfuls of money.  The pellet stove people come out on Monday to fix that and I’ll finally be able to turn down the heat and stop using my precious oil.  Although I’m warm, I can see the dollars coming out of those baseboards and it isn’t very pretty.  I never knew how much I loved that damn pellet stove until it went out.  Monday can’t come soon enough!

Now let’s get back to the 16 inches of snow that decided to come from the sky AGAIN this Wednesday.  Seriously, when is it going to be enough?  I’ve had enough of this winter!  I know we were let off the last couple of winters, but you know what, I’m fine with that.  I think I’d be fine with 45-50 inches of snow a winter, not 50-60 inches of snow in ONE MONTH of winter.  We still have about 2 months more of this crap and from what the weatherman told me this morning, the model doesn’t look like it’s changing anytime soon.  We’re going to get creamed until late February and there is already another storm on the horizon for next Wednesday.  I call uncle Old Man Winter.  Enough is enough!

What really bother's me is all these people on Facebook and face to face interactions saying how much they love this snow.  Really?  You love this snow?  Either you must really be a ski fanatic or you really don’t give a shit about your personal property and most important investment, your house.  Or you plain don’t own a house and could care less.  Whatever the case, listen up!  This winter is absolutely terrifying if you own a house right now.  With 10-12 inches of snow on my roof, we are risking ice dams (flooding in the house due to build up of snow and ice near gutter systems), roof collapses and substantial damage to other property around your house (a hot tub and deck for me).  I am going to end up having to pay some daredevil to get up on my roof to shovel the ridiculous amount of snow I have up there.  I can’t get up there, its way too hazardous and a snow rake can only work on certain sections of my tall ass house.

My wife works for Travelers and about 75% of her claims are flooding in the house and roof collapses recently.  These claims are a lot of money and I just don’t understand with the long term ramifications of these snow amounts how anyone can say they love and they want more snow.  They can’t be homeowners, they just can’t be, because if they were, they’d be like me and terrified of losing a substantial amount of money or already losing money to prevent a disaster from happening.  Think people, THINK!!!!  This is a bigger situation than, “oh I love it, it looks so pretty….”

Maybe it’s me but we’ve had enough snow and people that don’t think so can EAT SHIT BITCH!!!  (Stole that last line from my 48 year old uncle and a rant he had on Facebook recently).

NOTE – This is not directed solely at my one and only follower.  He’s only one of about 10 people that have told me or that I’ve seen on Facebook that have expressed their undying love to the devil’s snow that’s dropping from the sky…..