Daily Dose of BS December 28

Are you ready for your yearly lie? Lots of us start the year ready for failure. How often have you said to yourself this is the year I am going to...it doesn't matter what the ... is since many of us have filled in the blank with some unrealistic goals. Like this year I am going to Start Exercising, Eat Better, Spend More Time with Family & Friends, Quit Smoking, Enjoy Life More, Quit Drinking, Get Out of Debt, Learn Something New, Have a positive frame of mind, Be Real, Think to the future, Smile more often, Respond to all emails in a timely fashion, or do things for me....I am not buying that in your mind you think you are going to do those things, but lets get real. How often have you made those little promises to yourself? When I was a smoker I made that new years resolution countless times.  I finally made the decision to quit and haven't had a cigarette for over 4 years.  I didn't do it as a New Years resolution.  I did it as a birthday gift to myself and was good for one year, each year I have given myself the same gift.  To make your resolution better obtainable I would make it realistic, plan ahead, reward yourself, talk about it, remember that most people think that if you make a mistake that you've blown it...use your setbacks as a stepping stone or a learning experience.  Don't beat yourself up and understand that you will have set backs...it is not the end of the world to take a step back when your eye is on the end goal...basically quit lying to yourself and set realistic goals and have a plan of attack.  Good luck in your endeavor to become a better person. 

Daily Dose of BS December 27

Now that Boxing day is done, I have a few observations of the past few days.  Lets start off with last Friday, my mother came for a visit, I love my Mom and enjoy spending time with her...but she likes to sleep in and when they come for a visit, they sleep till at least 8, by 8 I have 3 plus hours of my day in the bag...that and when they come they sleep in the front room which is between the rest of the house and the front door.  I enjoy reading the paper on weekend mornings.  Christmas Eve was Saturday, we went to church as a family, amazingly the kids offered to do the dishes for Christmas Eve dinner...I think the last time that they offered to do dishes was last Christmas.  We then unwrapped gifts, it is amazing that 2 months of planning and a years worth of saving for can be done in less than 30 minutes...30 minutes to unwrap all those gifts...WOW, and this year we went slow.  Kids went to bed in hopes of a visit from Santa.  He arrived with bells on...no really I heard them.  The kids were happy when they came down at 6:30 Christmas morning.  Got the goods hooked up, played in harmony for about an hour when the screams of unfair could be heard from downstairs and then the tattling of he's doing this and she's doing that...Christmas breakfast was served and not one of the 4 kids offered to do the dishes.  I guess that they got what they wanted.  Mom left Dad then came, I love my Dad but he is opinionated and we clash at times (I guess I am like my Dad)...Christmas dinner and then back to the rotary lights with Dad, open more gifts and watch the Packers.  Bringing us to yesterday and again the kids arguing from the basement about who knows what.  Went to a couple of stores to get a few things with the kids...you know gift cards need to be spent right away after all.  I now know why yesterday is called Boxing Day, as the parking lots at the stores you feel boxed in and in the big box stores you are overwhelmed with people...back to work and no boxes and no "Dad would you tell him to share!"  Happy back to work Tuesday.

Daily Dose of BS December 23

Merry Christmas, there I said it.  I hope to not get shot over my wishes for a great season.  When I grew up everyone said Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  Now we need to ask if it is ok to say Merry Christmas, and which New Year are you celebrating?  Call me old fashioned or naïve, I am wishing you good cheer for this time of the year, for me it is the holiday season.  I am not trying to push Christianity down your throat.  I was raised saying Merry Christmas, and I believe in the Christmas season.  I know that this time of the year is difficult for some and joyful for others, I am also aware that this time of the year is also a Holy time of the year for people with other beliefs, and if someone wished me Happy Chanukah I would not be offended, in fact I would embrace the fact that someone had good wishes for me.  I think that we as a whole have been too into the political correctness of the day.  It runs from those who won’t budge on the Merry Christmas and saying it’s Christmas damn-it and you should say Merry Christmas, to those who refuse to say or recognize the birth of Christ and the reason for the season.  Even the people who refuse to take part in any of the celebrating that is going on this time of the year.  Is it bad to enjoy the joy, the lights, the camaraderie of your friends and family, the smiles on Christmas morning when Santa delivers his goods?  I will continue to say Merry Christmas, for those that are non-believers please don’t take it as me trying to be political, it is a wish for good cheer, and by the way Happy New Year. 

Daily Dose of BS December 22

The guys I play cards with and I have a Christmas party and we exchange gifts and these gifts are the worst of the worst.  I think some of the guys lay up at night trying to think of the worst possible gift ever.  Last year one guy gave a padded toilet seat that he decorated with corn and chocolate bars.  It was hilarious...every year we try to out do the worst gift ever.  I found the perfect website for the white elephant gift person on your list.  Check out stupid.com, some of the stupid gag gifts that they have are a pooping reindeer sweater, a toilet coffee mug, a remote control whoopee cushion, a countdown clock, a doomsday calendar, a dashboard pole dancer and so many more stupid Christmas or white elephant gifts.  If you are looking to get the crowd to laugh at your January company Christmas party or to give the best gag gift for your gift exchange, I would check out stupid.com.  Back to my card playing friends, we have bah humbug friend, I will call him Tom...he hates Christmas, the whole Christmas season.  Well a bunch of my buddies decorated a 16 foot Christmas tree with lots of lights and a string of red solo cups, a huge Noel sign and put it on a timer all while Tom was out of town....I wonder if he'll send the electric bill to the card group....scrooge.   

Daily Dose of BS December 21

Hi my name is Bob and I have a hearing problem...I never get sick of hearing the jokes...what or huh.  The past 4 months have been great thanks to Beltone Hearing Center.  Last night I was watching tv with the volume at eight, when all of a sudden there rose such a clatter...I jumped from my recliner to see what was the matter, I opened the front door and to my surprise there was a small car with their hearing close to demise.  The bass was pumping so loud and so true...it was so loud I knew not what to do.  I wanted to run out and say turn it down, but was in fear that my voice would have been drown.  The kids were in the car, doing what I don't know.  I am sure that their ears were soon were to blow.  I wondered aloud and said to myself those speakers didn't come right off of the shelf, they scripmt and their proud...of the thumping of bass...it's too damn loud I wanted to yell in their face.  But thought once again about being young when I could hear, if they keep it that loud, they could be deaf by next year.  The season is among us to celebrate and be glad...having them turn it down would have them thought me their Dad...Merry Christmas to all and to all lots of cheer....and turn down the sound so that we all can hear.  

Daily Dose of BS December 20

My family and I made quick trip to Eveleth Minnesota (where the US Hockey Hall of Fame is) this past weekend, we left on Saturday morning and got back Sunday evening.  We went for a get together for my wife's family, for Christmas and such.  It was kind of fun as a couple of my brother in laws opened up and started telling stories about the trouble that they caused when they were kids.  I guess the statute of limitations ran out, that and their kids are old enough now to not try the stupid things that they did ( I am still holding a bunch of stories waiting for both those things).  The hotel where we stayed wasn't bad as they had a bar, and not on the windows.  The weird thing about the hotel is that they had ear plugs next to the beds and a card attached to them that read, please enjoy a quiet nights sleep, use these ear plugs to stop the trains noise.  It worked for the train but not for my kids snoring.  I Tivo'ed the Packers Game not Teeboed the game, meaning I DVR'ed it so that I could watch the Pack once I got home...my brother ruined my drive home and my Sunday night enjoyment of watching the game buy texting me this...It's all about the Chiefs...they beat the Pack.  I had avoided my buddies texts up to that point since they were at the game.  I figured my brother wouldn't be texting about the game right????  I was wrong.  

Daily Dose of BS December 16

Having friends is a good thing, there are so many ways to meet new people from the old school way of....school, to work to other friends to meeting people at a bar to online and all the ways in between.  I am very blessed I have many good friends, people who would do anything for either me or my family or other friends.  It is funny if you think about the way that we become friends, it all starts with the simple task of just saying hello.  Making eye contact and the ability to carry on a conversation.  This basic art of conversation is often lost with the way we are all now connected via the internet and texting.  What happened to the sit at the bar with a friend and being introduced to some of their friends and then carrying on conversation with them?  I got the chance to do just that last night.  One of my buddies who is an entertainer that travels the world has a friend who is an artist the two of them a retired guy and I got together for a few Downtown Browns at a local tavern last night.  We didn't solve any world issues, but did talk smart, told some stories and learned some about each other.  The art of conversation may be lost with modern forms of communication, but set me down with just about anyone and a beer and there will be conversation.