A Day In The Life

Get to know your friends

We all have friends that we are very close to, some friends are even closer than others. If we are very fortunate we even have two are three best friends during our lifetime.  I have a special rule about Best Friends; you can only have one best friend at a time, otherwise the title is meaningless.  For my purpose: “Best” according to definition is: Finest, Greatest, Top, Unsurpassed, Superlative, Preeminent, Paramount, Grade A, etc., etc. The bottom line is that there can only be one occupying the title at one time.  In my mind there is no age requirement, for a best friend.  Growing up I had what I considered best friends, which can be, until proven otherwise. 

According to Urban Dictionary: 

Best Friends are very special people in your life. They are the first people you think about when you make plans. They are the first people you go to when you need someone to talk to. You will phone them up just to talk about nothing, or the most important things in your life. When you’re sad they will try their hardest to cheer you up. They give the best hugs in the world! They are the shoulder to cry on, because you know that they truly care about you. In most cases they would take a bullet for you, coz it would be too painful to watch you get hurt.

Having said all the above, are we as familiar with our friends, as we ought to be? Unless your friend is someone that you have known since childhood and you grew up together, not very likely, and for all the right reasons. I usually don’t know details about my friends because I don’t like to pry (interrogate) into my friends’ personal life. I just had breakfast with a very, good friend that I have known for over 28 years, and I learned more about his life history in one hour, than I’ve ever known in all the years of knowing him.  I also shared some of my personal history with him (you might say in-kind).

Now that I have just experienced that conversation, I feel like I know him that much better, and while there were no earth shattering revelations forthcoming, I feel like I know him a lot better. One of the ways that I arrived at the conclusion that I didn’t know enough about my close friends is, that my wife might ask me a question about a friend and I don’t have the answer.  I still don’t interrogate them, but I’ve decided to learn more.

It’s not too late to get to know your friends better.  Anyone would be honored to share more, while at the same time appreciating that you have had such respect for their privacy over the years.  Get to know your friends better if you don’t already.  It leaves you with a good feeling.  I still only hold one friend at a time in the Best Friend Category, and I recently awarded that title to my best friend M., and he is stuck with it for life; mine or his whichever expires first. The best is yet to come…

Remember When Songs Told a Story 2

Remember the Times

I don’t know about you, but music was everything to my friends and me.  (See: Remember When Songs Told a Story – posted: July 13, 2013).  One post and even 20 posts on this subject wouldn’t do it justice.  I can’t decide if all of my favorite songs that I grew up with were favorites, because of the music or the lyrics (message).

Music was the center of everything, every day of your life.  If you were sad, it seems that a song would come along on the radio that would remind you of the loved one you just lost, or broke up with.  Likewise, if you were happy almost every song gave you a reason for further celebration.  The popular artists of the time almost always sooner or later would record some religious music (Green Grass of Home-Elvis Presley), so even when the occasion was sad, you could always go to your favorite artist for the right message.

If you had a car that you were proud of and wanted to just drive and enjoy, what better way than to have the radio on full blast (careful not to blow the speakers).  Radio speakers back then were not meant to handle the music love awakening of the Baby Boomers:  I don’t remember being aware that I was a part of the Baby Boomers growing up but I was a part of it, and dang proud of it.

In our youth, we didn’t only listen to the music, we actually sang along with it: We knew the lyrics and didn’t care who saw us singing along. Many years would go by before we started tuning in to the special radio stations that carried our type of music, and even further down the road before our music became known as Oldies. 

I’ve even thought of opening a franchise of diners that catered to the Baby Boomers, selling only pizza, hamburgers, fries, and milk shakes (maybe a salad bar for special diets), and providing a disc jockey to play music from the 50’s and 60’s, on Friday and Saturday nights.  On Sunday night we would offer the same menu of food and music, with the addition of 70’s, and 80’s.  We could stay open from 6 pm for dinner with music starting at 8 pm, and closing by 11 pm, by closing early no one has to be embarrassed that they had to leave early.  Can you imagine dancing to; At the Hop-Danny and the Juniors, Under the Boardwalk-The Drifters, or I’ll Remember (In the Still of the Night) -The Tokens.  The possibilities are enormous.  Let’s not forget that Col. Sanders was 65 when he started the successful franchise known as KFC.  The best is yet to come…

Taking Care of Business

Taking Care of Business

Most people are happy to just be in the place where they are in life.  Not much excitement in a seeming boring day.  They get up in the morning get ready for work, kiss the wife and kids goodbye and off they go.  They put in their day at work and go home, to spend time with the family, and start the cycle all over.  That is the average life; and then there are the people that don’t have even that because they perhaps lost their jobs in the bad economy.  On the extreme of the life spectrum there are the people that find themselves through some talent and a lot of luck, with a multi-million dollar contract in one of the following; NFL/NBA/MLB or perhaps a hit song on Youtube.

I’m sure you have heard of easy come, easy go, some people’s fame and fortune is only the proverbial 15 minutes of fame.  Personally, I would prefer the above described boring life, with an opportunity to work at improving it.  Many people who are given the opportunity for apparent overnight success, waste it by abusing the privilege.  Some examples are: abusing growth enhancing hormones, steroids, alcohol, prescription drugs, etc., etc.  Some rock stars, and sports figures start hanging out with movie stars, and dating sometimes marrying other like celebrity types, or groupies.

Every opportunity I’ve ever had in life, I’ve used my monetary gains, or other life advantages to help my family.  Some (not all) of the overnight successes all of a sudden get a bad case of amnesia, and act like they hatched out of an egg, forgetting the poor parents that struggled to get them a start in life.

If humbleness and gratitude ever comes back into style, our society will have a better chance of surviving the obvious decline that we are fast headed for. It seems that our system of checks and balances is starting to make a comeback, and finally some sports stars are being held accountable.  It has however, gone so far out as to have some abusers believe that they can get away with murder, drug use, assaults, and cheating.  I’m sure that I don’t have to mention any names, because all you have to do is turn on the news, and plenty of examples will come flooding at you (such as Lance Armstrong).

Let’s help our children to raise our grandchildren, with the strength and convictions of Humbleness, Gratitude, and Positive Attitude.  The best is yet to come…

Life Transitions

Dealing with change

 Life transitions (changes) abound throughout life.  You could say the biggest transitions and the ones with minimal interaction from us are at the beginning (birth) and at the end (death).  Yet the transitions in-between are the ones that we have to understand and learn to adjust to.  Some we can control, and some we can’t.

Examples:  If your wife or girlfriend wants to separate from you, you may try to fix the situation, but failing that a separation is in the cards.  If the company you work for wants to let you go (fire you), you may well be beyond the point of saving your job.  If you are deep in debt living from paycheck to paycheck and you get citation for driving while under the influence; your finances are about to get worst, your insurance will increase, your license might get suspended (that you could have prevented).  However, once it happens, you will have to tighten the belt and ride it out.  Perhaps one reaction could be; that was dumb if not stupid, and I might have killed someone or myself (also known as the silver lining).

Here are some words of wisdom from an expert: Major life transitions -- moving to a new city, becoming a parent, retirement -- can be an exciting and invigorating part of life. Yet transitions, even happy ones, can also be stressful and bring up mixed feelings.

·       Recognize that transitions are hard because they can shake your sense of identity. We naturally define ourselves in part by our surroundings. When these surrounds change, it can be disorienting. Getting married changes your identity from a single person to a partner. Having a child changes your sense of identity from wife or daughter to now include being a mother. A new job changes your identity or role at work. Carrie, for example, was delighted to have been giving a promotion at her company. Her new position had more responsibility, which she liked, but as a manager she no longer had the peer team she was used to working with. She missed her former colleagues and felt overwhelmed. 

·       Being in transition is a wonderful opportunity for growth. Take a look at the parts of yourself and your life that you most value-- how can you bring those parts of yourself into your new role? Next, look at the areas of yourself that you'd like to make changes to. Perhaps you've been neglectful of some important area of your life. Transitions are an opportunity to begin practicing new habits and ways of interacting with others. 

·       Remind yourself why you chose to make the change. In the midst of feeling a little lost during a transition, it can be easy to regret your decision. Why did I break up with Dennis? I'm lonely and it's hard to find someone new. When doubt creeps in, review the reasons you made your decision. 

·       Recall other times in your life when you've successfully dealt with transitions. What helped you get through that period in your life? Looking back, how do you feel about the past decisions you've made? What were you proud of, and what would you have done differently? Reflecting on your past can help you to make good decisions as you move forward. 

·       When you're in transition, it's easy to become overly focused on yourself. One way to shift your focus is to look at others who may need your help. If you're at work, it may be a coworker who you notice is having a bad day. If you're in a prenatal yoga class, reach out to another mom-to-be that seems like she is having a hard time. Making an effort to support others helps you remember that everyone struggles at times, and that human connection can be a powerful aid in helping get through it. 

·       Part of what helps you feel secure in transition is having a support system. Make an effort to stay connected; keep in touch with your family, call up an old friend who lives in the area you just moved to, volunteer or get involved in an organization, ask a new co-worked to join you for lunch. Find people who you can really talk to; whether it's a trusted friend or close family member, being able to share how you're really feeling can be a tremendous source of strength for you.- Dr. Shannon Kolakowski Psychologist, Relationship Expert, Author

Avoiding unnecessary transitions is a good idea, but many people insist in making their own mistakes, and that has always been and unfortunately won’t be changing anytime soon.  Amongst the bigger transitions in life that create the most stress:  in no particular order, relationship change (break-up), change of residence, death of a loved one.  The best is yet to come….

Coming of Age

Coming of Age

 I have pretty much always been a small town person.  My environment growing up was one where you could leave the doors to your car or house open and no one would violate your space.  Maybe we were just lucky to be surrounded by great upstanding people.  Some of the movies of the time as far as being scary were beyond the possibility of reality.  Those movies made you afraid of the dark, but not afraid of the people around you.  Some examples were, Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, Dawn of the Dead, Dracula. 

My awakening with regards to people around you first came with the movie Easy Rider:

• Easy Rider is a 1969 American road movie written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper. It tells the story of two bikers (played by Fonda and Hopper) who travel through the American Southwest and South. The success of Easy Riderhelped spark the New Hollywood phase of filmmaking during the early 1970s. The film was added to the Library of Congress National Registry in 1998.
• A landmark counterculture film, and a "touchstone for a generation" that "captured the national imagination," Easy Rider explores the societal landscape, issues, and tensions in the United States during the 1960s, such as the rise and fall of the hippie movement, drug use, and communal lifestyle. Easy Rider is famous for its use of real drugs in its portrayal of marijuana and other substances.

Throughout this film were many firsts for me. Looking back, my discovery of so many things that are common today make me seem naïve, and sheltered.  I guess I was that and more. The idea of two free-spirited young men dealing in buying and selling drugs seemed at odds with each other.  Having what appeared to be a lifestyle of no structure, and simply go with the flow attitude, just didn’t make sense.  The many other things in the movie that gave me pause for thought were the scenes in the commune, the use of LSD (imagery), the attack and killing of Jack Nicholson’s character while they slept, the scenes at the brothel, and later in the cemetery.  I would have never guessed that scenes from that movie would someday become our everyday reality.

Fortunately for me, I’ve never been one to be influenced by movies with negative messages.  When I walk out of a theater after seeing a comic book hero on the screen, I feel great, and even imagine how it could have been better, or what the direction the plot might take for the sequel.  In all honesty, when I saw Easy Rider at a drive in theater, I drove home bothered by what I had seen (especially the ending where both main characters get shot and killed for no apparent reason).  I drove away fully knowing that what I saw was fiction and could never happen in real life.  Who would have thunk!  The best is yet to come…..

Making the Most of Your Day 2

Web Site Tools

 In my lifetime, I often found myself over committed to tasks that could have easily been delegated to someone else with a lesser work load.  That self-sense of responsibility is quiet often unnecessary.  If you look at your work operation as a team (or your family affairs as a team effort) there is nothing wrong with all team members contributing to a final outcome.  Remember that life is much like the operation of a family farm:  You need to prepare the field (ground/dirt) turn it, fertilize it etc.,) before you plant the seed and water it.  All those mentioned processes need to happen if you are ever to see a successful harvest.  If we are to lessen the work load on ourselves, we first must prepare others around us to take over or share the load.

Aside of sharing the load to lessen our own, and making time for those things we want to do, there are other things that you can do to improve your daily schedule; consider the following tips: 

• Use website blocking tools: Spending too much time on YouTube, Pinterest, eBay or Twitter? Turn your browser into a nanny state by setting up a website blocking tool so that even if your resolve weakens, you won't be able to feed your addiction -- even if you restart your computer. 
• Instead of meeting, videoconference:  Meetings are a huge time sink when you factor in travel time. Nearly everything a face-to-face meeting accomplishes can be done via videoconferencing. With the advent of Skype and other face-to-face options, it's fast, easy and cheap. And because no cars are involved, it's good for the planet. 
• Avoid rush hour:  In many urban areas, rush hour traffic traps drivers in gridlock. Leaving for work an hour earlier can cut 60 minutes or more out of a daily commute. By coming in to work at a less-traveled time, you'll leave earlier as well and avoid outbound traffic. In some cases you may have to request a schedule change from a supervisor.  Some information for this post came from MSN Living

Everyone’s circumstance is different even if just slightly.  You may have to play with the information supplied to make it fit your particular situation.  Some of the above suggestions may seem too simplistic, but it’s always the little things that we tend to overlook, and that can make a significant savings in time and money.  The best is yet to come….

Making the Most of Your Day

Control your email

 Have you ever wondered where the time went over the last week or two?  Do you remember when the year was just in its first month, and here we are staring at Labor Day and back to school.  Do you realize that half of all things you were looking forward to during the year have come and gone?  Winter to me is like Mondays to most people.  It’s my least favorite season (weather-wise), and it comes around way too fast.

The alternative which is for time to stop is not an option, however, there may be a way to slow down your day, so you can accomplish more.  Here is a quick and short list of just some of the culprits for your time loss every day: 

• Email overload: Manage your email inbox and divert nonessential correspondence using mail filters, smart mailboxes and folders. Establish email rules to stop spam, automatically reroute incoming items to specific folders, and flag important senders.  My attitude about unsolicited mail is that 85% or more of it is after your money, and not necessarily by giving you anything in exchange.  Whenever I see unsolicited sales discounts of up to 60% I rationalize that I can save100% by not even opening the email (same applies to junk US Mail).  I decided a long time ago that a savings is only a savings if it coincides with something I was needing or wanting.
• Set goals: If your workday begins with a cup of coffee and a few minutes browsing your favorite sites, you've rewarded yourself before you've accomplished anything. Instead, set small goals and hold off on treating yourself until those tasks are done. Setting goals and deadlines will boost your productivity and prevent you from wasting time first thing in the morning.  If you are not careful you can get in front of your computer, and find that you have just spent two or three hours before you realize it.  Browsing the internet is fine as long as you have a goal.  Set a timer on your smart phone if you have to, to remind you when one hour has gone by.  Prioritize your favorite sites so you don’t go from one interest to the next and the next.  If internet has a strength it is that it is addictive, and loaded with plenty of sites of interest. 
• Limit social media:  Once you go on Facebook, you know what happens. Stop checking social media constantly. Instead, restrict your viewing time to no more than 5 minutes, three times a day -- morning, midday and evening. You'll still stay on top of things but you won't get sucked into games, sharing memes or lolcats, and you'll regain a good chunk of your day.  Life is interesting, but Facebook is to present time what day-time soap operas where to anyone that stayed at home in earlier years.  Unless you have figured out how to make a living from Facebook or the internet, you shouldn’t let it control your life.  Some of the material in this post came from MSN Living

There are many more ways to regain some of your quickly disappearing time, the above items are only some of the more problematic, and addictive ways to lose control of your very valuable time (day or night).  The best is yet to come….

Best Scary (Suspenseful) Movies

Count Dracula - Bela Lugosi

I have always been a very big fan of scary movies.  I don't believe that I am part of a small group.  If you are anything like me you don't approve of gore for gore's sake.  I appreciate a quality production effort, great script and even better acting.  I know it sound like an oxymoron scary and quality all in the same sentence.  However, because we spend our hard earned money, we have the right to demand or at least support the few quality projects that come along.

 My memory on scary movies go back to Béla Lugosi, Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and others from the era.  I would gladly admit to attending to the premieres releases of their magnificent work, unfortunately like many of you I only know of their work, long after the fact.  As an example; I enjoyed the camera work and production on the remake of "The Fly," with Jeff Goldblum, but it didn't really come close to improving on the classic first effort.  

The Masters:

Borris Karloff

·       Béla Lugosi (10/20/1982 – 8/16/1956): In 1927, he appeared as Count Dracula in a Broadway adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, where he was talent-spotted as a character actor for the new Hollywood talkies, appearing in the first Dracula film with sound. Through the 1930s, he occupied an important niche in popular horror films, with their East European setting, but his Hungarian accent limited his repertoire, and he tried unsuccessfully to avoid typecasting. Meanwhile, he was often paired with Boris Karloff, who was able to demand top billing.

·       William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff: was an English actor. Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster inFrankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and Son of Frankenstein (1939). His popularity following Frankensteinwas such that for a brief time he was billed simply as "Karloff" or "Karloff the Uncanny." His best-known non-horror role is as the Grinch, as well as the narrator, in the animated television special of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!(1966).

·       Vincent Price (5/27/1911 – 10/25/1993): Price's first venture into the horror genre was in the 1939 Boris Karloff filmTower of London. The following year he portrayed the title character in the film The Invisible Man Returns (a role he reprised in a vocal cameo at the end of the 1948 horror-comedy spoof Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein).  In the 1950s, he moved into horror films, with a role in House of Wax (1953), the first 3-D film to land in the year's top ten at the North American box office, then The Mad Magician (1954), and then the monster movie The Fly (1958) and its sequel Return of the Fly (1959). Price also starred in the original House on Haunted Hill (1959) as the eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren. He played Dr. Warren Chapin, in The Tingler, a 1959 horror-thriller film by the American producer and director William Castle.

Vincent Price

I have seen my share of bombs to name a few:  The Thing, The Blob, The killer Tomatoes, The Monster from the Black Lagoon, and Godzilla to name a few mediocre efforts.  Some movies are considered cult worthy because of the laughable and almost amusing effort. 

Amongst my favorites (and I reserve my right to add to the list at a later date): The Fog, Halloween. Friday the 13^th, The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Shinning, House on Haunted Hill, and Carrie.  I am sure that I missed a few, but you get the idea. 

Two reasons why I have distanced myself from the horror genre of movies:

1. The Horror movie industry has gone to great lengths to become about slash, and gore (which I don’t care about),
2. My wife doesn’t care to feel scared especially if it’s not necessary (I am beginning to agree with her), I do enjoy suspense.  

The best is yet to come….

Best of Music: Classic Rock Bands

Satisfaction-The Rolling Stones

I know that before I publish this post I would get arguments, about the Top 5 best Classic Rock Bands.  Please keep in mind that this is one man’s humble perspective.  I would welcome your comments, and names of your Top 3 favorites.  Growing up we didn’t have iPods or mp3 players.  We relied of transistor radios, or vinyl records to keep up with the music, eventually we progressed through to 4 track, 8 track, and then the big innovation cassettes!  I hope that you can see through my sarcasm, however, at the time it was the best we had.  I remember having 5 speaker surround stereo sound system in my 1968 AMX (two seat sports car) with 8 track, and a light bar on the dash. 

I would travel between Santa Cruz, California and Los Angeles, with my music at a proper (mind blowing) level, and the colors inside my car changing with light bar lights and the beat of the music.  The many cars I passed along the way would usually give me a look that combined bewilderment and approval at the same time.  Then as now I enjoyed being at the leading edge of technology.  At the time the only way to stay in the front end of technology was to visit Los Angeles regularly.  At the time it seems that the innovation would arrive at New York, and Los Angeles first.  Imagine Japan and Hong Kong were in the middle of the technology universe even then.

Back to the subject at hand.  The point I was making is that I not only enjoyed live and recorded music, but used the best possible delivery system I could get my hands on for listening to the recorded music.  It’s almost unfair to name my top five because depending on the circumstance and mood I could easily shuffle the 10 bands, and call them all number ones.

Satisfaction-performed live

Keep in mind that the positions in many instances are interchangeable: 

• #1 The Rolling Stones, during the 60’s and 70’s with Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards in charge of writing songs, the Rolling Stones produced hit after hit to become one of the most influential bands ever.  My favorite song is Satisfaction. 
• #2 AC/DC, I loved and still do love their riffs.  Even in modern times they continue to play as they did back then.  My favorite song is You Shook Me All Night Long. 
• #3 Journey, they have a unique style in making music.  My favorite song is Don’t Stop Believing. 
• #4 Led Zeppelin, had some of the greatest guitar solos of all time.  Jimmy Page re-defined the way the guitar should be played.  My favorite song is Stairway to Heaven. 
• #5 The Eagles, are one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time, having sold over 150 million records.   My favorite song is Hotel California.

You Shook Me All Night Long-AC/DC Live

I am going to try to quickly bring this post to a conclusion before I decide to make changes to the line-up.  Here is another disclaimer:  I have a very wide range of appreciation for music to include all genres from Classical Music to Outlaw Country, Heavy Metal and beyond.  I welcome your input regarding your top 3 favorites. The best is yet to come….

Remember When Songs Told a Story?

Those Were Truly the Good Old Days

 There was a time (our time-our generation) when you could find a song that would relay the exact message about how you felt about some person you loved or were interested in.  Some great examples are:  I Want To Hold Your Hand, PS I love you – The Beatles, I love How you Love me - Paris Sisters, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen - Neil Sedaka, Venus In Blue Jeans – Jimmy Clanton, There’s a Kind of a Hush - Barry Manilow, In The Misty Moonlight – Dean Martin.  Even something as basic and repetitious as The Twist – Chubby Checker, and Rock Around the Clock – Bill Haley and the Comets told a story.  I could go on for a month writing song titles.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - Neil Sedaka

Music beyond the 80’s took a direction where not only did music not tell a story, but even the songs titles were purposely misspelled.  When searching for a song, you didn’t (and still don’t) know if you should use proper grammar or slang for the title.  To this day I still listen to many songs for the melody, and many others for the message.  A great example of the message is the song Yesterday with Roy Clark.  That song always makes me sad, because even though I don’t have any regrets, in my life (not the same as I didn’t make any mistakes), I know that many of us ended up well, because of some force bigger than us.  I still like to use the old saying better lucky than good.

In The Misty Moonlight - Dean Martin

Another great song for the message as well as the melody is a newer song with Alan Jackson “Remember When.”  That song tells a story that fits the majority of us in our generation, and the appropriate music combined with the lyrics can bring you to tears if the moment is right.  We were very fortunate to have lived in a time where musicians (artists) were made humble by the environment they lived and worked in.  The artists of our times were not spoiled by the record companies with millions of dollars, and fake life styles, that today is the ruin of many performers.

Abraham, Martin and John - Dion

Whenever I need a mood adjustment, I can count on music from my era to put me in the right frame of mind.  The best is yet to come….

Road Trip Adventures

·       Today, modern road tripping is a fast growing hobby, and not just a means of vacationing. Groups dedicated to the art of the road trip, known either as professional road trippers or road enthusiasts, are becoming prevalent online.

·       Road tripping, to some, has indeed become an art. Road enthusiasts frequently debate on proper gear, attire, and electronics.

·       Other frequent debates include type of road trip (a ‘moseying’ road trip vs. a set schedule), use of in-vehicle DVD players to pacify young passengers, and, to a lesser extent, destinations.

Our Chariot of Choice

My wife and I enjoy taking a road trip, where it’s just the two of us, and we can decide to let each other ride in silence while listening to music, or enjoy a relaxing conversation.  We definitely never take a road trip so we can discuss problems or otherwise negative subjects.  I am usually in charge of preparing the music for the road.  In today’s wonderful world of digital music it’s a pleasure to take that particular task on.  I always make sure that the music is fairly equal in selection (her favorites, my favorites, and our favorites).  If by chance our grandchildren go along on a trip, than the effort is to get enough Educational and entertaining  DVD’s, and/or Apps for the iPads to keep them occupied.  They get to wear head phones so we can listen to our music.

My wife’s and my taste in music, is very similar, and when slightly different we still tolerate whatever that difference may be.  On a recent trip of ten hours (roundtrip) I prepared a thumb drive with over 500 songs and we never got to listen to all the songs.  Our music taste runs the gamut from Willie Nelson (On the Road Again), Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice), Carrie Underwood, Julio Iglesias, and Pitbull, and everything else in between.  I can’t leave out a sprinkling of Tex-Mex.

On our most recent road trip we had a perfect experience except for a slight traffic bottle neck near the end of the trip; we traveled 60 miles in 3 hours, but I couldn’t have asked for better company.  I had my sweetheart with me and great music to keep us from getting frustrated.  We also planned ahead and had with us a small ice chest with ice cold water, and some soft drinks, plus cold fruit.

To Love Somebody-Michael Buble

I’ve never been in such bad traffic, and in such great and joyous spirit.  The best is yet to come….