Day 59: Executive Course

I am SOOOOO proud of Liz!

We have been playing golf for a little over three and a half weeks and she finished her first nine holes today! Granted, we didn't keep score and it was a Par 3 executive course, but none the less she DID it! I would have to say it was a bit of trial by fire to boot. I kinda threw her to the wolves so to speak. I didn't explain much about chipping or ball lie. The first thing we learned was pace of play. More precisely that there is one.

After she ditched her skinny latte we were in good shape. She was doing exceptionally well for her first time and made a few really good shots. As we moved through the holes I took the time to explain some of the finer point of the game and the rules. She finished up very strong. Strong enough that she wanted to go to the range and continue to practice.

Afterwards she even wanted to go look for clubs at Golfsmith. Did I mention that I think I have created a monster. Soon enough she is going to be kicking my ass. I just can't get over how well she is doing in such a short time. I guess I know what to get her for her birthday coming up.

Day 58: LBC

Liz and I hit up Long Beach today for the LA Golf Show. Let me just say that I think I have created a monster! We wanted to go practice a bit, but the weather didn't permit it. It was a pretty good time at the show. Liz got a chance to see some photos really cool courses. This is important because she now is stoked to take a golf vacation... as soon as we can finish a full course that is.

We left the show and toured around downtown Long Beach. It amazes me that I have lived here for 3 years 11 months and 11 days and there are still cool places I have never been to. I highly recommend a trip there during the day. It is really beautiful. We went and ate in Belmont Shores at a place called The Creperie. We actually ran into a bunch of my old neighbors from Hollywood in random fashion. Made even more random due to the fact that they live in Austin and Boston now.

All in I would say it was a pretty great day! I think we are going to take it easy tonight and I am not complaining! I could use an easy night in with a beautiful woman watching movies. So, I going to do just that...

Day 57: Stepping Out

Last night was great. It was really awesome getting a chance to hang out with Tyler and Paul. I love being around creative people because it ignites a flame in me that seems to have flickered a bit slower as of recent. Tyler is one of the more creative people I know and it really gets me thinking when I am around him.

I realized that over the course of the past two years I have become more sheltered with my ideas and lackadaisical about actively turning them into reality. I have fallen in to a menial existence that is predicated on making a check to pay the months bills only to worry about the next ones. I am counting days until money arrives in order to try to get through the difficult ones at hand. Is this really living??? I say no!

I have to come to realize that I am so worried about tomorrow that I am forgetting about today. I don't mean to take away from any of the things I have said about forward thought and goal setting. I merely am trying to draw a line to differentiate the good forethought from the very bad.

I have also come to realize that the only way I can fix this situation is to open my eyes and step out of  the line I have been so begrudgingly trudging. I think a perfect way to start is to take a look at some of the creative projects I have in my life and starting to put a bit more effort into seeing them to fruition.

I think I have been a bit scared to put myself out there for a while ( there is a back-story... I will get to it), and the fear of failure is sitting at the head of my emotional class. I have to get around this! I have to find my fire again!

I guess the only thing to do is to beat back that fear (which has never been a problem for me previously), and find a way to remember the person I once was. I definitely know he is still there someplace. So, I am stepping out! I am removing myself from the line and I am choosing a different path. I am not sure where that path will take me, but hopefully it will be in the right direction. I am not quitting my job and moving to Paris! No no... I would definitely choose London if I was going to do something that crazy! I am, however, going to put myself back out there!I guess the best way to put is... in order to effect change in one's life one needs to change.

Here's to change

Day 56: Old Friends

I haven't always lived over in Santa Monica. I used to live in a truly kick ass apartment in Hollywood. The building I lived in was built in 1929 and has some serious history. I was extremely lucky to have met some of my dearest friends there. At one point there was a group of about 15 neighbors that all congregated on the rooftop patio for BBQ's and drinks.

I hardly get back over there, but tonight Liz and I are going out for drinks with our two favorite people from the building, Tyler and Paul. Tyler and I have some Film and TV projects we are working that we needed to discuss. Tyler is launching a new horror community on the net and he wants me to help him produce to original programing. I, of course, am stoked.

I am really looking forward to hearing about what he has to say, but I am actually mainly excited to be around some good friends. I have been a little down this week and getting around these people is almost guaranteed laughter. I need that right now...

I will keep you posted on what comes of the meeting!

Day 55: Postponed

SOOO...

I work my butt off on the presentation I was supposed to give this week sometime, right?!?! I was a bit inquisitive as to why I had not been informed as to when the meeting was. Much to my disappointment, the President of the company I am presenting to has been called away for upwards of a month. This is bad news!

This means all of that work that was fresh in my mind and ready to be delivered in mind-blowing fashion has now been shelved. I have been asked to hold off for a month! At least! I am afraid that the presentation I crafted is going to get shelved in my consciousness and I am not going to remember the delivery, intent, and cadence when it comes time to retrieve it. God forbid it go shelved next to "College Memories," I think they are still drunk! If that is the case I will probably only remember half of it!

Needless to say, my demeanor hasn't changed much since yesterday. I just hope that I get through the rest of this week unscathed!

Day 54: The Wait

Everyday I wake up and I think that things are going to be different. I rise in the morning and I think to myself that today is going to be the day that changes everything. The catalyst that makes all of the work that I have been putting in worth it. The one day that gets me out of debt and takes 50 unwanted pounds off my body...

That day hasn't come!

The hardest thing about initiating major change in ones life is the wait to see them take effect. I talked about setting small goals to alleviate some of these issues, but there is still going to be an amount of time that is necessary to allow for the roots of change to grab hold of the soil that is ones life.

A good axiom is that Rome wasn't built in a day. While this may be true I seem to think that there were a lot of pissed off Romans that had to wait.

I try to be upbeat on this thing, but sometimes it is a bit hard. I want everyone to know that this is a struggle. A damn hard one at that. Right now I have faith that things will eventually get better and that my roots will grow. I just wish someone would throw me some freakin' Miracle Grow!

Day 53: Anonymous

"Man, good job so far! I hope you keep on writing somehow and somewhere..."
                                                                             
What you are looking at is my very FIRST comment! I am so stoked that:

1. Someone is reading this!
2. They think I am doing a decent job!
3. They want me to continue!

I have only told a few people that I am even doing this and, of the people I have told, have only given the address out to one person! That means that said anonymous comment was from a genuine person that I don't even know!!! I am pretty excited about that. 

I would like to hear more from whomever is actually reading out there. It gives a little bit of purpose to what goes into this and I guess that is the true intention of this whole project. I wanted to commit to something that is all mine that truly only I will know if I give up on. The goal is to not give up!

I hope the people out there reading this are still enjoying it and I want to thank you for your time Anonymous! It meant a lot to me that you decided to let me know how you felt!

Day 52: Lazy

Wow... last night was one for the record books! Liz and I are having a hard time moving from the couch. We want to go to the driving range, but our bodies aren't complying with our minds.

I believe that it is okay to take a break sometimes! It is important not to burn yourself out entirely. If you let yourself recharge a bit then the fight to push forward on your path of determination becomes a bit easier. Sometimes this is made even easier with Domino's pizza! Om nom nom nomm om. Sorry... I know... it is a weak moment. Like I said, I think it is okay as long as you rebound the next day and push twice as hard!

Must... seek... couch!

Day 51: 40 Years

Over the past few months I have been sharing my fears of turning 30 with a friend of mine whos shares the same fears about turning 40. Tonight is his big night! He is leaving his 30's in style at an enormous party being thrown for him at the W hotel in Hollywood. It is interesting to explore why humans put such weight on aging into a new decade of life. There are so many social stigmas placed on age that it becomes very harrowing as we approach a turn into a new decade of life. There are constant questions that arise in your mind as you contemplate your existence and try to compare yourself to an outdated standard that, for some reason, we still attribute to our age. For example, it has been a wide assumption for years that people are supposed to be married with kids before they are thirty. I know two people that fall into this category in my life.

The social climate has changed and thereby so should the stigmas! 40 is no longer old! "Over the hill" is a passe term! Long live "the 30's are the new 20's!" I refuse to comply to social stigmas and I invite you to create your own!

Day 50: Presenting

WOW 50 Days!

Let me start by saying that Power Point is not my best program! I have been working on a presentation for one of my clients over the past two weeks. It has been a pretty gruling task to say the least. I finaly gave a dry run of the finished product to the head of the company this afternoon. I was showcasing the presentation to them before we go to their bosses to actually present in a few weeks. Even though it has taken me quite a while to compile it I would have to say it has been well worth it!

Now, Power Point might not be my forte, but presenting sure is! You can put me in front of 250,000 people and I would eat it up. I have always loved it. I walked out of the meeting today knowing that I killed it! I knocked it out of the park! They President and Vice-President of the company were so excited about what I created for them that they gave me a cigar... which is a pretty big deal LOL! Seriously though I could see the appreciation in their eyes for what I had done for them. My hard work was evident and has secured a lasting relationship with that client.

I'm not saying all of this to get a pat on the back. I am more saying it to emphasize the point that if you try hard enough and practice long enough good things come about. I didn't know Power Point before getting thrown into this mess and to be honest it is way above my job expectations that I created it, but I was dillegent! I powered through to figure it out and secured a sale that perhaps would have been lost otherwise.

This is important to think about in times that are difficult. If you go the extra mile for those around you I promise it will get noticed and you will ultimately see the benefits from it!

Day 49: Cutting

One of the things that I have been focused on this year so far is to focus on my hobbies. As I have said in previous posts I used to be devoted to the film industry. After getting a little burnt out I took a step back and redirrected my energy toward the aspects that I could do in my spare time and that I got the most joy from. The result was an increase in editing jobs. My roomate recently put me in touch with a prospective client that has a show tha needs to be cut and I have been tasked with the job.

I love to edit because it allows me to get outside my head. All the stuff I am trying to change in my life right now can be daunting and a bit overwhelming. Sometimes it helps to just remove myself from the thoughts completely. Editing does this for me! In all reality it is a form of creative thearapy. It is important to take a step back sometimes, and when I am cutting that is exactly what happens. I don't worry about my phone or my email... I just focus on the task at hand. In this case it is to create a kick-ass travel show.

I think it is important that everyone have something like this. It doesn't have to be editing either, it could be knitting if that is what does it for you. Times are hard right now for everyone, but it is important that we don't lose sight life. Having something in your life that allows you to enjoy the day, even for a moment, makes a world of difference.

Day 48: Flu Shots

So, after much deliberation I decided to get the H1N1 flu vacine a while back. I haven't gotten a flu shot since I was like ten years old and I seem to make it through the season every year unscathed. It seems to me that the people that get the shots end up getting sick more often than not. I know that my thought process is not based in any sort of evidence compounded from a medical journal, not that thaey would publish it there, but I really believe it true.

Ergo, I was VERY apprehensive about getin the H1N1 shot. The thinng is... I have been sick since I got it! I never get sick and I have been sick for almost three months off and on. I am going crazy! It is very hard to find the energy to go to the gym to further my battle with weight loss when I can hardly get out of bed. At this point I also think I should be given stock in Kleenex. I am so ready to be healthy again. I wonder if anyone else feels the same way I do?

Day 47: 5 People

Okay, now that  The Alchemist has left my life for a while ( I am still deciding who to give my copy too so if you want it... let me know) there is definitely a vacancy on my bookshelf. I have been looking for another book to read whilst trying to put off reading Allan Carr's The Easy Way To Quit Smoking. I am by no means the type of person who reads a lot of self-help or inspirational books, however, I feel that now more than ever may be a time to indulge.

A co-worker of mine was telling me about a book by the author Mitch Albom, you may remember Tuesday's With Morrie. I loved this book a lot! I also highly recommend this, but I have already read it, and unlike The Alchemist once may be enough. He did recently write another book that seems like it may have some bearing on what is going on in my life right now.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven is officially next on the list! It apparently starts 50 minutes before the main character, Eddie, dies in a horrible accident. The end is the begining because the book takes place in Heaven and details... well... the five people you meet there. It is more a retrospective on life and judging ones self worth, which for the most part, is what I am doing to myself right now. I figure it may give a bit of insight to what this whole thing is about.

Oddly, I am excited to read another inspirational book. As I said before they are not on the top of my charts and I usually have to stagger them out a few months. For some reason this one just... fits.

I still need to go get it, but I feel that it will fill the void left very well. I will update you as I go along as to the intriguing points. Until then, I will be waiting to see who wants a copy of  The Alchemist..

Day 46: Holidays

I am going to revert back for a moment to the Monday after the Super Bowl, or "Super Monday" as it were, to bring up the fact that Presidents day is stupid! Don't get me wrong, I fully agree that there should be a day devoted to our Presidents. Furthermore I believe it should be a national holiday. Is too much to ask that the damn thing coincide with the Super Bowl? It is like a week later! More importantly NO ONE observes it! Sure, schools and government agencies do, but hell, UPS even delivers!

I am not trying to bad mouth this day... I just think there should have been some forethought into the whole thing. Imjussayin...

Day 45: V-Day

Cue Wagner's  booming classical overture "Ride of The Valkyries"


Valentine's Day! What a day.  Some people akin it to single's awareness day (SAD for short). Others, mainly female, seem to think that there is a special type of magic tat can happen on this day. They stand firm that for 24 hours there is nothing that can go wrong in this world. I would venture to say that 80% of said group is sorely disappointed by about 2PM. There is yet another faction that tends to disregard the day exists and scorns the thought of it to any who may broach the subject.

I like to think that I am somewhere in the middle of all of this. I am always excited at the prospect of a romantic day and now that Liz and I have been through three of them we both are beginning to realize that the thing that truly matters on this silly day is that you are spending it with the one you love. The monetary gifts don't matter as much as the quality time spent being with each-other.

We kept it easy this year for gifts. We both know where we stand with our money so I asked her not to do anything for me and she did the same for me. I assumed she listened to me... we all know what a dumb-ass I would be had I listened to her. I ended up getting her a really cheesy card that happened to actually have a meaningful script in it and a makeup bag. Hers had broken about a month ago. I was very excited to get her something that she would really use and that she would really appreciate. She, of course didn't listen to me and got me two t-shirts and a kick-ass gym bag from  Puma.

After we traded gifts we headed over to a Sunday brunch space called the Overland Cafe. They happen to have a $4.99 all you can drink champagne special until 2PM. Two bottles later we "Floated" a couple of blocks away to the driving range and spent close to three hours there. It was awesome! We ordered a couple of beers on the range and I finally sold Liz on the whole idea.  She is hooked! She did extremely well and I was very proud of her.

We spoke with an older gentleman for about forty minutes. He was very interesting. He was waiting to go pick up his girlfriend from the mall to take her out to dinner when she got off work. Mind you he is 89 and she was 70! He told us about WWII, designing suits for men, and how beautiful Liz was multiple times. It really was a blast.

I am so thankful to have such a great friend for a partner and I couldn't have asked for a better day. I hope that you all had a great day as well and that your night continues accordingly. Good luck!

Day 44: Mardi Gras

A buddy of mine is having a Mardi Gras party tonight, or I should say his wife is. I got a frantic phone call yesterday explaining that she had been planning it but "forgot" to mention it to him so that he could invite his friends. If I didn't know that his wife was the sweetest person on earth I would have to say that the whole thing stunk as bad as the French Quarter. It seems rather convenient that, save myself and one other,  all of his less civilized single friends didn't make the cut. Ah, the married life!

I am completely jazzed about the whole thing though. She is making muffaletta sandwiches and Hurricanes. She is bringing in Zapps chips, Abita beer, and, most importantly, a king cake ( with plastic babies). For those of you who don't know what a king cake is just imagine a huge cinnamon roll with bright icing on the top. As you're delighting in the delectable danish derivative chance may have it that you gnaw into a plastic baby doll. This is told to bring luck and prosperity in the coming year. That is what Mardi Gras is all about after all, having a party and living it up before Ash Wednesday can come along to make you repent it all away.

This should be a pretty good one though and I look forward to the upcoming festivities. Technically I have a few more days before I have to get serious about Lent ( I will touch base on this Wednesday if you are confused).  Right now... I am going golfing. I just hope that I don't beat these guys so bad that they want to give golf up for forty days! Enjoy your day!

Day 43: Boys Night Out

So I am pretty excited about tonight. I am getting a chance to go out with some of my guys that I haven't spent much time with lately. Were heading into Hollywood to hit up a fancy club for my very good friend's birthday party. The cool part about it is that the guys I am heading out there with have never met each-other. Normally I am a bit apprehensive to sticking a bunch of strange people together, however, tonight I feel completely okay with the whole thing. These guys individually are some of the most intelligent and reverent people I know so I am guessing that putting everyone together should be quite an event.

I guess this is relevant to this blog because all of these friends have come into my life within the past three years, some as recent as the past six months! I am thankful for them though... I feel that I have been through a lot when it comes to friends and at this point in my life I have developed a good enough bull-shit sensor to pick out the people that are going to be beneficial to my life in some way. The good lord knows that there is a constant onslaught of those who would be detrimental. I would be lying if I said that I never met anyone like that... but I do have to say that there aren't any left in my life at this point and that if I choose to bring friends in it is because I truly think that they are looking out for my best interests as I am theirs.

It is a long journey to understand why this is important. Some may never actually understand it. I thank god on the reg that I have come to understand it... and I thank him for bringing me the people that do truly care about me. I hope this entry gets you thinking about who is in your life and how they factor into your mix. Life is short... I hope that you are the type of friend you want to have in your life!  Most of the time your friends are mirror images of your own behaviors. Take a moment and ponder that...

Day 42: Regroup

I want to take a moment to get some things off my chest that I figure might need to be said at this point...

Let me start by saying that I want everyone to understand that I do NOT think that I have all of the answers. I hope that my ramblings don't make me sound like an ass. I know sometimes I can get a bit preachy, but it is usually only because I am talking about a something that I am passionate about. I hope that I am the last person to actually bring a "holier than thou" attitude to the plate. Please, please, PLEASE let me know if I ever start to sound that way. I like to think that the reason I am doing this is because I don't know squat and that is kinda the impetus to the whole thing. My main concern is that whoever is reading this realize that I have made mistakes that I am trying desperately to fix. I hope that if you are in a similar situation you can use my advice to not be where I am right now. I sure as hell don't want to sound like a self righteous ass in the process though...

I am sure I am going to have to go back and reference this post once every six months or so. I am okay with that as long as the point of the project is coming across. Thanks again for taking the time to read along with me and I hope that I can help you a bit with the trials you are going through.


Dustin

Day 41: Big day

I had a very big meeting today. I followed the rules set forth in the Alchemist recently and have allowed myself to be open to the world around me. I can't quite explain what that means just yet... but it is life altering! I was very excited for today and, overall, I think it went exceedingly well.

I think that when someone is trying to actively change something in their life people notice. Not just the inner circle of people you deal with on the day to day. I am more specifically referring to casual interactions. Its like you have an glow that shines brighter when you are happy and working toward the better overall you. It is hard to explain, but I have noticed a difference in the way people are interacting with me.

I think it could also be a bit of the excitement of really trying to take over my life. I feel more alive today than I have in a long while. As more details become available on my meeting I will fill you in...

Day 40: Alchemless

I finished the Alchemist today. Again, it seems to come into my life at the most useful times. It amazes me how much insight one story can give you on your life, on multiple occasions, in many different ways, throughout multiple readings.

I hope that some of you may have read it by now and can agree with me in the previous statement. I have a lot of tough decisions looming in my life right now and I can honestly say that re-reading this book has brought much clarity into the process.

For those of you that haven't read it, I urge you to again! Everyone can take something away from this book...

To following your personal legend!

Day 39: Super Monday

I read an article today in which someone proposed the idea that the Monday following the Super Bowl be deemed a national holiday. I completely agree! While I didn't even drink yesterday, I know a lot of people that did! I think that driving on the 405 this morning was exponentially more dangerous than any other day of the year due to the fact that I am pretty sure the majority of the drivers were still probably drunk! To make matters worse I have a stomach bug and would have loved to not even come into to work at all, but I have a big presentation to prepare for. Just my luck.

The game itself was fantastic! I couldnn't have predicted that one and overall I would say that it was a truly deserved win by the Saints! The commercials wer mediocre at best though. I wonder what has happened over the past three years in the ad world. It seems that the recession has forced all the major companies to lay off any of their talent. Ultimately I would have to say the evening was entertaining. Moreso for my sister, who actually happened to be there! Too bad she was rooting for the Colts...

Day 38: Golf Lessons

I know that the wrong sport is represented in the tagline today... being that it is the superbowl and all. The reason it is up there is because I finally got Liz out to a real  golf course and went to a real  golf range! Verdict??? She LOVED it! We started out slow... with an extra large bucket of balls. I think the important thing about fostering an interest in someone for the game of golf is patience. On both ends for that matter! As a teacher it is very difficult to not see automatice results in your students. What you have to understand is the golf is not an "automatic" process. It take years of practice to develop the muscle memory required to consistently and accurately hit the ball. That being said I was just shooting for her to actually make contact with the ball! Which she did! She nailed a couple nine irons about 70 yards... down the pipe! I was ecstatic with her performance and so was she. She was enjoying so much actually that we went back and got another bucket.

This gives me hope for her journey into the world of lunacy that is the game of golf. To be honest, her swing looked pretty damn good! I am excited to actually find her a club that fits her. I have total faith that her skills will only skyrocket! Now we are off to cook fajitas and watch the big game in the comfort of our living room!

Day 37: Married Life

While I would be willing to admit that my outlook on life is changing to think more and more toward the big "M" word... I think we all know that I am not quite to there yet.

The reason I bring it up is to segue into my friends house warming party. We just got back and it was a whole lot of fun. They just got married and moved into their first place in Irvine. They had rented out the clubhouse at their complex and we spent the night playing different bar games. All in it was a blast!

All night I had a feeling that there was something different about the party... I couldn't put my finger on it. It wasn't anything bad just... strange. Then I figured it out. EVERYONE there was married save about three people!

Now, I have a lot of married friends, but this was the first time that I personally felt that I had transcended the realm of post college to being an adult. I have been in numerous situations like that numerous times before, but the difference is I saw myself in a different light. This time... there wasn't a difference.

Without realizing it, I guess life has caught up with me, and... I'm okay with it!

Day 36: Activities

So my wonderful GF Liz came to me earlier this week with a desire to branch out. She stated that she was bored on the weekends and felt that we were letting our youth slip away. It is funny how this conversation coincided with what I had been thinking about as well. With much deliberation and clarification on what she actually meant by the whole thing ( I was kind worried she was dumping me) we set out to create a list of things to do. We wanted to create a hobby that we can both enjoy together! After brainstorming a pretty good amount of ideas we settled on starting out with some cooking classes as well as cultivating her interest in golf.

I know a lot of guys reading this will have just made a sour face, an audible chuckle, or a combination thereof, but I think that it is a great idea to teach her to golf. I really think it is a great sport for couples to learn simply because once the female understands why it is so important she is more likely to be agreeable to you playing with the guys and, moreover, designing trips around playing! That is good for everyone! As far as the cooking classes go... if you made a sour face or a chuckle... you are probably single! If you are, get in a cooking class! Women love guys that know their way around the kitchen and it is a great way to spend some quality time with a lady you may be interested in (cheaper than going out most of the time too).

I look forward to the challenges that are in front of us. I know that deciphering what we can do together isn't always going to be easy, but in the end it will be worth it!

Day 35: X-Ray

Wow... This week isn't going so great. I went to the doctor today to get an X-Ray on my foot that they had ordered a while back. I believe I have mentioned that I hurt my foot last summer playing soccer while training for the Chicago Marathon. I actually have a condition called Planters Fasciitus. Long story short we all have a tendon under our feet that connects from the heel to ball of our feet. When you don't have proper arch support this tendon can be stretched and irritated. It is VERY hard to heal. It takes time and minimum exertion. This condition doesn't bode well for someone who is trying to run a marathon and is required to run at least 3 miles just about every day of the week.

Let's just say I wasn't very happy when Doc told me I can't run for at least 6 months! That puts a rather large damper on my whole entire year! I now have to do all the things I have been talking about in this blog without actually running!?!? He said that it may heal a bit quicker... in the 3-4 month range. While that is still a long time I may be able to train for LA again next year. So, here I am, at square one...

My plan is to get to the gym more. The workouts are going to consist of 20-30 minutes of elliptical and then in to weight training. I figure I am going to have to work on getting my muscles toned and trim in order to stay off my foot and be ready when I can get back on it. I guess it isn't the end of the world, but it isn't exactly the greatest news ever. I am upset that I can't play soccer, wiffle may have to take a bit of a break, and I can't even walk the golf course...

I will work through this! I have made a commitment to myself and I expect to honor it.

Day 34: 11 Years

In following yesterday's post I have yet another remembrance. Eleven years ago today I lost the most influential man I have ever known, my father, Walter Lee Weaver Jr. He battled with a form of cancer called Multiple Myeloma for three years. Ultimately I got a call at about 6PM from my mother that I should get a plane ticket home because Daddy just died... I had spoken to him ten minutes earlier. He was 55.  My dad loved life and spent every moment he could outside doing something with his hands. He taught me many things about the outdoors such as fishing, hunting, and how to correctly landscape a house. Most important though he taught me what it meant to be a good person, a good husband, and a good Dad.

Half the reason I am doing the project is because I feel that I have watched the last decade go by inactively. I sat in a bar til 2AM on a friday night and completely screwed up the next day. I have only recently had the epiphany that there is much more to life than this. I realized that I am not half the man my father was at my age and it has given me the strength to change that. I wonder what he would say to me if he were still alive. I wonder if I have turned out as he expected, and if I would be in the situation I am in right now if he were there as I was making my mistakes. I know that I will never know the true answers to these questions, but I like to think that he would be proud of me for some of my accomplishments. I also like to think that some of my shames would never have happened.

My father was an amazing guy... the type of man you are proud to call "Daddy." He left Mom with a lot on her plate. I have to say that she is the best Mom, and Dad, a guy could ever ask for. She seems to think that what I am doing now gives him reason to shine a smile down upon me from heaven. I know that I was very lucky to have a great dad for 18 years. Some people never know their father, or worse they know them, but wish they didn't. For that I am thankful, and to all the people out there who's father is still around... take the time to tell them you love them. You never know how long you are going to have them for. One thing is for certain, not a day goes by that I don't miss my father, and I wish that I could tell him I love him right now.

I miss you Dad...

Day 33: Tragedy

I found out today that a buddy of mine was driving up in Wisconsin at 3:30 in the morning yesterday and lost control of his car. He went of the road and hit two trees. He wasn't wearing his seat-belt! He was ejected from the car... the authorities didn't arrive until 9AM and he was pronounced dead on the scene. Although I wasn't as close to him as a lot of my friends I still feel that he touched my life. Justin Mentell was an amazing person and a fantastic artist. He had a great career in TV and film and had recently decided to focus on painting.

He was younger than me! I spoke with my roommate about it and we both were pretty floored by the whole thing. It puts life into perspective when you lose some one. It is especially difficult  when they have so much to offer this world. Justin truly was a great soul. He was always humble and kind. He never had a bad thing to say. His light was bright and now that is gone he will truly be missed. Rest In Peace buddy...

Please visit his website for details on where to make donations.

http://www.justinmentell.com/

Day 32: Numero Dos

Ahhh February... a month riddled with awesome hollidays and bad movies. We get to look forward to Valentines day, which for men is a very sharp double edged sword. There are the Oscars, which celebrate movies that weren't released in February (the major studios "dumping" month). Most importantly, like a new hole of golf, we get to start over! We can put January behind us and start fresh. There is no need to linger on things if we don't need to. While the past will always affect you, your present will define you, and the future is what you make it!

So here is to a fresh start and living in the present. May you have a great February!