No more list

After reading last weeks posts and putting my self to sleep, I've decide to spare you the agony and not attempt a post everyday again. So that’s that.

Found out this morning on my cold, slow commute to work that today, January 21^st, in 1982 Ozzy was hospitalized after biting the head off a real bat that a fan threw on stage. Ozzy was later quoted saying, “I thought it was a plastic prop.” I’m sure he had enough drugs in his system that it probably killed anything that bat was carrying.

So the weather has been brutally cold this past month dropping down into the negatives on some days. The weather report said the temperature dropped forty degrees in less than forty hours. On top of that we went from a few inches of snow to torrential downpours and warmer weather that melted all the snow and created flooding then the temp dropped back down to low teens, freezing rain and snow making central Ohio a huge ice skating rink. Driving to work is a real hoot. They are calling all the temperature drops a polar vortex, not exactly ideal weather to be outside. All this brings me to this coming weekend, which I had planned on getting out and doing a little winter fly fishing plus bringing the camera to see if I could get some creek and snow bank photos but if the temp is below twenty, probably won’t make it. Nope, I’ll just sit inside and drink coffee.

Amber and I went and saw the movie Wolf of Wall Street on Friday. It was a good movie and Leonardo Dicaprio is one hell of an actor. The movie was filled with drugs, money, sex, and F-bombs, like I said a good movie. Saturday we met friends at the Columbus Winter Beer Fest and had our fill of good brews and bad. One was infuse with bourbon that I’m pretty sure made my voice deeper, chest hairier, and probably gave me a manly scar on my face. Fruity beers which I hate, IPAs, amber ale’s, lagers, we had them all, well not all of them but we tried our best. And what’s beer without pizza? So we headed out to a quaint little place named Fabians in what is called the Short North. They serve Chicago style deep dish pizzas and aside from not being in Chi-Town itself the pizza was the real deal. We got a small BBQ chicken and it was amazing at about four inches deep. Our friends got a supreme, a Stromboli, and some garlic bread and no one was disappointed.

Last thing for the day, I was driving home from the store on Sunday and saw a license plate that read “OOH YEA” I’m pretty sure it was the Kool-Aid guy.

Ok this is the last thing, this Saturday I will be celebrating a friend’s birthday out and about but if you are searching for something to do around Columbus, Barleys Smokehouse is celebrating a fellow Scotsman and poet Robert Burns by offering a Robert Burns dinner with a four course Scottish meal including haggis, Scottish ales and single malt Scotch. They will also provide some bag pipes and poetry for entertainment. 

Week one; Topic five

So here it is, Friday the last business day of the week and the last day for my topic on being a better/healthier person. Now we have discussed health in different aspects diet, exercise, social and work life, and even touched on mechanical (car) health but what about health during a zombie apocalypse? Well it’s easy; step one buy a gun and become amazingly accurate because you’ll want to conserve ammo. If you don’t buy one before the outbreak steal one. Step two, stock pile food. No one is for sure when the outbreak will happen so best to start now. Step three while you are waiting for the zombies to arrive go ahead and get into great shape that way you‘ll be able to run from them without tiring. Hopefully they’ll be the slow kind and not the insanely fast running and jumping kind because if that happens no one will survive. Step four, after the outbreak, if movies have taught us anything, stay away from hospitals and/or military bases/camps, that’s usually where it starts or where they concentrate to. Step five, learn how to drive a semi or some other very large heavy duty vehicle. Speaking of which, why don’t they ever get into a semi, dump truck, or trash truck in the movies and just run over everything, make sense. Step six, learn basic survival skills… self explanatory. Seven, include only the closest family and friends. When ducking and hiding from a horde of zombies you don’t want to be sneaking around in a big crowd and if you do find yourself in a large crowd stay close to the fat or sick ones, at least you can outrun them. Eight, place blunt objects such as bats, clubs, sledgehammers or any other tool with some weight to it strategically around your safe house. This way you always have a weapon close by. Number nine, learn basic first aid and pay close attention on learning how to control bleeding. If someone in your group is hurt, even if it wasn’t from a zombie, quarantine them until they are perfectly healthy. Better safe than dead. And number ten the final step to being prepared for the end, never go into an unknown building that has no lights and in the dark. Even if you have a flashlight or flamethrower, do not go in there.

But seriously there is actually, people out there that are certain and are preparing for a real life zombie breakout and I used to think they were crazy. That is until I heard of Krokodil. Krokodil has been deemed “flesh-eating zombie drug,” and that’s exactly what it is. After injection of this drug vessels start to shut down cutting off blood supply to the area of injection and the area starts to die. So while these people are getting high body parts are falling off. Flesh just falls away from the bone like dead leaves from a tree. Think about it a group of these drugged up “zombies” walking towards you on the street, flesh hanging, mind altered from the drug, what do you do? See the steps from above and hope that the drug hasn’t given them super fast running speed. If you have a strong stomach Google krokodil and look at the pictures. I refrained from posting them to keep upsetting any weak stomach readers. If you do look at the pictures, what I’ve noticed is some of the people on the drug seem to be in no pain at all with an arm bone showing, which is probably why this is known as the zombie drug.

So lessons learned this week; stay healthy, stay positive, don’t do drugs, and be prepared for the zombie apocalypse.  

Week one; topic four

Today’s topic at being that better/healthier person is the job/social life. When it comes to talking to people I can keep up a conversation, most times, even with a stranger. The best way to talk to people whether it be a friend, family, or the general public is know what’s going on in the world or at least read the headlines. It’s better to know a little rather than nothing at all that way you at least have the line, “Yeah, I remember reading something about that.”  I’ve found that if they bring it up then they know more about then I do so I just let them talk. Social media can help keep you informed and in contact with people but don’t be glued to it. I try not to look at my phone when hanging out with friends or family, especially when having a conversation with them and never at the table unless obviously you are showing them something. It’s rude and makes you look bored with them. I fail at this sometimes then think of it later and feel bad about it. When meeting new people or even people you already know always give a firm handshake. I hate when I go to shake hands with someone and they offer limp hand, especially men or worse when we miss each others hand then it just becomes awkward. Always make eye contact. When talking with people I try to switch between there eyes and mouth so they know I’m focusing on them. Plus I don’t always hear to good and am slightly ADD so it helps me pay attention. Never hesitate to tell someone, quietly now, that they have something on their face, in their teeth or have a wardrobe malfunction. It might be embarrassing at the moment to them or even you but they will thank you for the fact that they won’t walk around the rest of the day like that. As for your job, always work hard, whether you like your job or not, and take pride in it. If you’re a cook at a fast food place be the best damn cook, if you’re a CEO of a fortune 500 be the best damn CEO. Hard work has always paid off. It looks good, it feels good, and when that asshole next to you gets fired because he is lazy then it is you who gets the last laugh. I once read a quote, not sure who said it, but it went something like don’t do two things half-assed do one thing whole-assed. Don’t be too proud for a job; be proud you have a job. Last but not least learn how to have fun and relax, that will keep you healthy and happy.  

week one; topic three

I didn’t get this posted yesterday so here it is today;

Today’s topic is car maintenance. Cars are a factor in almost every ones day to day life. The US alone averages just over 800 cars per 1000 people, we rank third in cars per capita with San Marino and Monaco taking the number one and two spots. That means we rely on those four wheeled creatures to carry us from point A to point B. Because of that we need them to run, and run well. Just like your health you need to keep your ride just as healthy and the best way is proper maintenance. Now I’m not going to go on about how you need to know how to replace a timing belt or a ball joint or even change your own oil although it is a good thing to know but there are a few things that, I feel, every man, scratch that, everyone should know about your car. Here is my list of must knows;

1.      First and foremost, know what every button, lever, switch, and light means. These days every car comes with a manual, but if you don’t have one you can figure it out online. You laugh but when I worked as a valet I had a guy who sat there, in his car and complained that we broke it because it wouldn’t move. When I came around to the driver side there was a bright red light above his steering wheel that said “BRAKE”. So I told the fellow that his emergency brake was on and when he releases it he can go on. He followed up with, “How do I release it?” Yep, some people. Back to the point know everything about the inside. Also, the little lights on the dash mean something, learn them.

2.      Next kind of goes along with number one, know where the fuse box is. The fuse box is usually inside the cab of the car. Know where it is and it wouldn’t hurt to know how to change a fuse. It’s not always what is wrong with the car but usually when something electrical happens to my car that’s the first thing I look at. It’s a cheap easy fix less than $5 for fuses at the auto parts store. The best part is the labeling for the fuses is usually pretty good.

3.      Moving outside your car, know how to check your tire pressure, how to add/remove air, and how to change a tire. The tire always has written on it what the proper pressure (PSI) should be and most air pumps at gas stations have tire gauges that check the tire pressure when you hook up to the valve stem.

4.      You should know how to open your hood.

5.      And how to jump a battery and keep a set of jumper cables in your car.

6.      Know how to check the fluid in your car that includes oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and transmission fluid. And know how to refill them if needed.

7.      Last is huge especially during the winter time, how to replace a windshield wiper.

Knowing these little things about you car can save you from being stranded and you won’t need to rely on someone else. Plus, if you ever find someone stranded you might be able to help them and that would make you a hero. 

week one; topic two

Today’s topic; health, including diet and exercise. One of the most important factors for being a better/healthier person is your overall health. The best thing for that is, of course, eating right, exercising, and topping it off with a yearly exam with your doctor. Now I don’t like going to the doctor so I tend to avoid that but I suggest you go. But if you are as stubborn as me then try to take these steps to help keep you from having to make that trip. Let’s start with diet. Now I’m not going to tell you to completely stop eating one thing or the other instead try substituting some of the bad for the good. Trade that candy bar in for a banana some days and eat your chocolate another day. All I’m saying is to try to cut out few things and replace it with good. It isn’t that hard. That way you aren’t eating less just eating better. After you have mastered that then take away a few portions. Instead of two scoops of mashed taters take one, instead of two burgers eat one. Keep this up and next thing you know you will be eating healthier without even thinking about it. I’m no health nut but I can tell when I’m eating healthier by the way I feel. Most recently, as you may have read before I have been running, a lot. I have found that running sheds the weight like a snake sheds skin. Weird fact we, humans, actually shed our skin more often than a snake when we lose dead skin cells. I have burned more calories running than I ever have. I’m not saying you have to train for a marathon or run everyday but a mile, half mile, six miles whatever you can do is best. Hell any cardio style workout is the best way to shed that winter weight that’s been there since 2004. Not only does it help trim some LB’s it’s also pertinent for a healthy heart and that will help keep you away from the exam table. Working out is a stress reliever as well, clearing your head and releasing anger mostly because you’re too exhausted to think about it. I workout at night after work which kind of helps decrease the stress of the day, but not everyone can workout at night. My wife doesn’t like to workout at night she prefers a morning routine. You can even do a few workouts at work if you don’t have time. A friend of mine works out during his lunch break before he eats which helps curb his appetite and keeps him from stuffing himself during lunch. Take the stairs instead of the elevator helps a little. And as everyone has said five minutes is better than none, ten better than five and so on. Another aspect to staying healthy is keeping your mind sharp. The best way to do that is reading and brain games like puzzles. There are literally thousands of websites offering puzzles and games that help with “training” your brain. Also if you are musically talented, unlike me, then learning to play a new instrument or new songs helps with the brain health as well.

Pretty much everything you have heard before a thousand times but it is key to becoming that better/healthier person. See you tomorrow.  

Week one; Topic one

In an effort to write more posts this year I have come up with a slight solution, I have decided to try a list each week for the rest of January, three weeks with a post everyday minus the weekend. For instance, since we are two and a half weeks into January and everyone is either on the road to their resolution, just starting it, or still determining what to do, why not look at a common one, being a better/healthier person. Each day this week I will post a subject and my thoughts on the matter, suggestions, and share a few things I’ve learned in my many attempts to be a healthier/better human being.

Today’s topic; hygiene and dress, yes that’s two but they kind of go hand in hand so I merged them. Let’s start with hygiene. Now I’m not the prettiest or the best groomed man on the planet but I can assure I am clean. I shower regularly and I would say I don’t smell, of course after I work out that all changes. One of the best ways to lead a healthy life style is to be clean. Trim your nails, clean behind your ears, wash your hands, and brush your teeth are just a few things we have heard growing up and that should be well implanted in your brain by now. The worst thing about working in the medical field is the smell of some patients. Now I realize that not everyone can help it whether it’s because they are unable to care for themselves or because they live with a thousand cats. A bar of soap and a shower is the least you could do. No sense in me telling you to be clean shaven or keeping your hair nice and neat since I’m not one to stay trimmed up myself but at the very least, keep it clean. Also your teeth, they don’t have to be bleach white but they shouldn’t be brown or any variant there of, the closest to white that you can get them the better. I hate the dentist more than anyone but a yearly dentist appointment will help, a biannual visit is better. A clean mouth also helps with fresh breath. Nails are the same trimmed and clean. I have worked on greasy cars before and I know how much the grease stains the digits and stays under the nails but if you work hard enough you can get it clean. In conclusion keep it clean.

Along with hygiene, as I said before, is your attire. I’m not going to give you fashion advice because I am in no way qualified to give anyone fashion tips. If it was up to me I’d wear T-shirt and jeans everyday and still find a way to not match. That being said, what I mean by dress is wear what you have and wear it well. Everyday I go to work I dress in what I would consider business casual. I ultimately feel better when I can wear brand new clothes but unfortunately I can’t afford a brand new outfit everyday so I wear what I have. I keep my clothes clean and try to keep them ironed. Again, feeling good is key to a healthy life style and I feel good in clean clothes. Well fit clothes are a good thing as well. If your everyday attire is jeans and a T-shirt, then a well-fit pair of jeans and shirt is a plus. And you don’t have to spend much to achieve it. Kohl’s, JC Penny, even Target has some great deals on clothes that will fit proper. A friend once told me that he always dressed as if he was going to meet someone that day. He didn’t wear a suit and tie everyday but he also didn’t wear clothes with holes. Now there are exceptions of course, like if you’re going to mow the lawn or work on the car. The point being, wear it well.

So that’s it for today like I said tomorrow I’ll have another post form my list of the week.