What to Wish For

"Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don't wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom." Earl Shoaf

I'm Getting Too Old For This Shit

Or am I just getting started?

I have been through yet another major upheaval in my life. Again it is all my own doing based upon a host of choices I have made and once again as I find myself at the end of the tumult, I also find myself -- grateful.

I’m not grateful for the ugliness that passed. But I am grateful for the things I still have and the opportunities this event creates before me. I am eternally an optimist. I can not help this any more than I can help taking my next breath. It’s what gets me up every morning, in the dark, striving to improve, thinking nothing is ever really hopeless despite my apparent inability to think myself out what I’ve gotten into.

A sense of humor also goes a long way. And I know that no matter how dark or bleak it seems, a funny side will emerge and I will be doubled over laughing at mostly my own stupidity as soon as I’m done licking my wounds.

I’ve said before that I am my own best audience and consistently seek and keep my own counsel, but today, right now, when I need it the most, what I find the most comforting are my friends. And as I crave a shoulder to cry on, I have not one but many, and for that I am extremely grateful. If vulnerability had an older stronger-willed twin sister, I believe she would be called empathy.

I have been ridiculed pretty harshly as of late for my passion in social networking. I laughingly call it my make-believe world because it is not tangible, but that being said it is no less real than me sitting at my desk typing. And sometimes my make believe world is even more real to me that those who I can see and touch. I do not exactly know why this is, but suspect it’s because underneath the technology we’re all human, and as such, we have a natural inclination to give of ourselves. In the virtual world, all we really have to give is nothing more than a brief exchange of time and interest.

What I really desperately think we all seek is simple connectedness. I know I do as I allow the tears to stream down my cheeks, my breathing is ragged and I cringe at my own vulnerability. Intrinsically female I wanted to be; strong in my vulnerability. Yes, today I believe I reached that goal … all by myself …without being challenged by another. Oh wait. No. There was that very loud slap...last night. And no it wasn’t playful…but that ironically I enjoyed. See I just can’t keep the sun from shining.

I fell in love with this declaration: "I was rendered mute by my own overactive imagination seizing on an idea that demands its fullest attention." It's versatile and sexy all at the same time.

Men show their character in nothing more clearly than by what they think laughable. -- Goethe

The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity. Francis Maitland Balfour

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Change is in the air. I’m in transition. I can feel it. Maybe it’s the change from DST to EST. Maybe it’s the change from October to November, even though in the sunny south the seasons have yet to change. Maybe it’s because my book was just rejected after two agents at the same agency considered it seriously for months. Or maybe it’s simply because there’s no SNF – Sunday Night Football. Regardless, my life is in transition and that’s never a comfortable place for me to be.

Yes, living is all about change and if you don’t adapt you die. I know all that. I even embrace change. I call it growth. It’s just that I find the uncertainty of it all daunting. I AM the master of my domain, the captain of my ship and the sheriff in my hometown. That’s pretty well established. The issue is that I HAVE to take a next step…but which step should it be? To the left or the right? Forward or backward? Because I know that whatever move I make will affect my future. And the million-dollar question is which future do I want? This is critical because I have to make a move. And it’s not just about me. That’d be easy. I have to consider the other humans, one of whom is still so delicate. Selfishly I know what I want to do. Go for it 100 percent. That’s my nature.

And I also know that which I want, I will get. I always do. It’s not boastful. It’s simply because I will not quit until I do. And that is where my problem lies with transition.

Strength

"Strength is happiness. Strength is itself victory. Inweakness and cowardice there is no happiness. When you wage astruggle, you might win or you might lose. But regardless ofthe short-term outcome, the very fact of your continuing tostruggle is proof of your victory as a human being."-- Daisaku Ikeda

Show Me Everything and Tell Me How

I’ve been away from blogging for a while - a month to be precise - and I apologize profusely. However, I’ve been doing what I call percolating; processing what I’ve learned so I can turn it into a blog. So in reality I have been blogging. Just not posting.

Semantics aside, a lot has happened as of late. I grew my following and followers on Twitter to more than 2,000, finding and accepting people one tweet at a time. It’s been a very exciting and rewarding process. I’d go so far as to call it an adventure. I call it that because I have very eclectic taste. My followers/following run the gamut from cooks and chefs to authors, writers, editors and agents; Navy SEALs and other military men; musicians, business consultants, physicians, philosophers, restaurateurs and poets as well as those who tweet anonymously under an alias with a provocative name and even some with whom I tweet in Spanish.

Most recently, the latter two groups have taken up most of my time, I happily admit. Because with these people I have found amusement, excitement, sincerity, depth and, even dare I say out loud, a friendship or at the very least a kinship that I have come to cherish.

In my virtual world, I have in-depth conversations about very real issues with people who essentially are strangers yet willingly open themselves up to me to share real feelings. I am fascinated by this exchange because of its depth and simplicity. I’ve always said the Internet is both intimate and impersonal simultaneously and because of that, the ability to reach out and connect albeit anonymously is a huge draw.

But I don’t do anonymous. As my mother used to laughingly say “I am me.” I don’t know how to be anyone else. Nor do I want to. I’m fine with me, faults and all. And because I feel this way about me, I don’t want other people to be anything other than who they are. It’s probably why I follow people named loveboobs and lickme as well those who legitimately are who they say they are. I love learning about people. Who they are and what makes them tick. And through that process I become more human and discover more about me.

So far, it’s been purely a joyous experience and I don’t imagine that will change. Removing real world obstacles, such as looks and labels, has been very liberating. One of my friends with a VERY provocative name is really funny. Had I not been amused with his boldness to put that name out there, I’d never have known that and laughed with him. Had I not been curious about the guy behind the dark shades and cowboy hat with the ranting post, I’d never have met the profoundly deep and sensitive guy I talk to nearly every day. Had I not been openly sharing stuff about my crazy life and thrown in a little Spanish I would never have met the beautifully romantic soul I now follow in his language. Had I not been curious about guy asking me provocative questions, I'd never have met the man who I believe holds the key to my success in the future.

So all this brings me full circle to the title of this blog. “Show me everything and tell me how” are lyrics in the song “Strangers Like Me” by Phil Collins in the Disney Movie “Tarzan.” Lately these words have resonated with me because I do not only want to have these friends virtually. They are not imaginary friends that I’ve created. My books serve that function. They are real people and I thoroughly enjoy their company. I would love nothing more than to be face to face; one on one. Let’s get lunch or dinner. Enjoy a few happy hours. Come to my home. Hang out and be part of my life. Why? Because I want to know more. “Show me everything and tell me how.” I’m open. Ready and waiting.

And I mean what I say. We will meet. It's just a matter of time.

"Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work." -- Mark Twain

Thank You My Friends

Years ago I read this saying: “What is the question for which my life is the answer.” I believe it’s translated from Hebrew and has its founding in Hassidism, but I could be wrong. I wasn’t able to confirm that and only did a quick search. What’s important is that this question has stayed with me over time and I refer back to it every time I find myself at a crossroads.

Not surprisingly, this happened today. Yesterday, I got word from the literary agent I want to represent me that she is reading my book and having another agent in her office read it as well for a second opinion. I took this as good news. I also informed her that now may be the ideal time to market my book given a host of serendipitous circumstances. She thought that was great news. As you may or may not know, the publishing industry is in a state of flux. It’s shrinking and changing given the advances of technology and the shift away from physical paper books. So a new writer, trying to publish a book through a major house is pretty much the needle in the haystack scenario. Very difficult. Rarely happens. So as you can imagine, this tiny shred of good news filled me with immense joy. Crying joy. Begging and pleading with God joy to please allow this to happen. Allow my book to be published.

Then as I signed online, today, my daily quote was as follows. “When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it.” -- W. Clement Stone

What is the question for which my life is the answer? I think this is it. I do wake up every day with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on my books, making new friends and checking in with old friends. The journey I began last August with A SEAL in Uniform and continue with SEAL Master and Navy SEALs: Catch One continues to fill me excitement and determination. And because I began this journey from a place of passion with the mind set to enhance my life, I believe it to be genuine and correct.

And now I am here. Writing romance, talking about love, excitement and sex. Juicy sex actually that I have to tone down in fact, but it has given me a place from where to launch and a place to connect because after all we’re all human. We all want the same things. To love and be loved. To be sated and satisfied. To mean something. To matter.

And now I do. And you do too. In less than the past year, I have signed on to Facebook, Twitter and Blogger. I took on the name reddywriting, the very first email address I ever had, as my brand and announced to the world that I can be found @reddywriting.com, @reddywriting/Twitter, @aol, @gmail and @yahoo, though the latter I rarely use. And now I have new friends. Most of them virtual though no less real. I reconnected with old friends on Facebook, made new friends on Twitter, and share my thoughts via this blog as regularly as time permits. I chat, instant message and text. Being online has become a necessity and my phone nearly a permanent appendage to my body. But most importantly through this process I have become more human and a better me because of it.

The point of this rambling is to say thank you. Thank you to everyone I have met in the past year. Each of you brings a new dimension to my life and I am very grateful for that. I welcome you to share your lives with me as well whenever the mood strikes or you wonder “what is the question for which my life is the answer? “

Three Things In Life

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back:
1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person:
1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Inability to forgive

Three things in life that you should never lose:
1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable:
1. Love
2. Family & Friends
3. Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain:
1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Three things that make a person:
1. Commitment
2. Honesty
3. Hard work

My First Twine-Up

I've been into Twitter big time for about six months now. So much so I have heard complaints that maybe I spend too much time there. I defend myself by offering that others watch hours of mindless TV and at least I'm interacting with people, but it seems the jury is still out on whether or not I could be more productive with my time. Regardless, I've learned a lot about interpersonal communication and netiquette or the lack there of. And on Twitter I really have met a very interesting and ecclectic cross section of people around the country and even the world. Meeting new people and making new friends are areas in my life that I had cordoned off for some reason and decidedly missed. I vowed for 2009 to change that and here, finally, is proof.

I attended my first Twitter event. It was a wine tasting hosted by Matt Horbund @mmwine at a fabulous restaurant called Himmarshee on Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale. Pictured are my husband Alan, me aka @reddywriting on Twitter and my friends Freda and Carol. I c0nnected with a dozen people I speak with regularly and had a really fun time. I look forward to the next one and count myself very fortunate to have made new friends live and in the flesh despite the fact that we began virtually.

The Thrill of Accomplishment

I love meeting deadlines - It forces me to focus and make touch decisions. I totally get the sex high soldiers get after battle.

"There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go." -- Richard Bach

All this success advice about not being fearful is silly. I'm not afraid! It just takes time to build the network and connections needed to succeed.

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

My Hero

"Out of every 100 men, 10 should not be here, 80 are nothing but targets, 9 are the real fighters and we are lucky to have them for they the battle make. Ah, but the ONE, ONE of them is a WARRIOR, and he will bring the others back." ~ Heraclitus 500 BC

The Alligator in the Shadow

Last night or rather this morning, I dreamt that a woman was eaten by an alligator. I watched the whole thing and was powerless to help. While the dream woke me and scared me, it wasn’t like other nightmares I have had. I think it was supposed to be prophetic.

Here’s what happened. I was at an event. A women’s event. There was a presentation; a woman speaker. She was the equivalent of a female Navy SEAL but since there are none, she was called something else. Her presentation was enjoyable; funny and inspiring. There was jewelry; lots of sparkly dangly earrings on display. The bathroom was behind a makeshift office/studio. There was only one. There was a group of women who were involved in the event. A clique. They were nice enough. I was making new acquaintances. Alan and Corey were there, but since it was my gig, Alan took the lead on Corey so I didn’t have to worry, which of course I did anyway, but less than if I were the only one in charge. After the event, I went to the bathroom, but the line was too long, so I decided not to wait. Alan was getting impatient, constantly asking me to leave. I don’t know why I couldn’t leave. I kept feeling tugged in two directions.

Then I found myself outside at night, in the dark, on a fairly well lit street. The women were jogging, in a group. I was with them. They weren’t running fast. All were fit and wearing cute athletic clothing. The street was a dead end and one of the women lived in the last house on the block. It was a nice corner lot with lots of land. The dead end was blocked off by a guard rail. It seemed safe enough. The weird thing was the grass was dead or at least uncared for. There wasn’t a lot of landscaping either, but the house itself was nice; simple but nice. Inside the door I could see the floor was linoleum and littered with kid toys. It was very white. Not a lot of furniture, but not lacking either. I figured she must have been a stay at home mom. In fact, most of them were.

In front of the house there was a sidewalk, the street, more grass and than a canal. Across the canal were more homes; another neighborhood. Because I wasn’t part of this group, I wasn’t my normal chatty self. I was more introspective and observant. I was studying them, sort of. After the run, we gathered in the street in front of this woman’s house and said our goodbyes. I was apprehensive. I didn’t like the look of the canal or the dark, desolate feel to the end of this street, It just felt ominous.

Before I could say or do anything, one of the nice perky women who was still talking and saying her good byes, jogged over to the canal and looked in before she lept across it. At one spot she saw the dark shadow of an alligator and stopped herself from jumping in. She said something like, “Oh, there’s an alligator, I almost jumped in the wrong spot.” Then she just moved over 10 feet ran and jumped across. She missed the other side, of course, as she had countless times, landed in the water with a big splash and started to climb her way out over the bank. The alligator she saw didn’t move, but a larger one she didn’t see did. It swam underwater directly toward her. She was talking about it, saying, “Oh it’s an alligator” and then became panicked when it struck. There was a big splash and a scream, then lots of screams. The alligator pulled her underwater in a death roll and when she came up for air she screamed again. She must have screamed 6 or 8 times. I kept looking for blood, but I was too far away. All I saw was the dark shadow and splashing. I was transfixed. Glued to the spot. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. No one seemed to do anything. Yes, all along, I knew what had happened was going to happen, but I was helpless to stop it and yet it seemed like this was an everyday hazardous occurrence to those around me.

When the screaming stopped, I was a confused, shaking mess. Everyone around me seemed to start moving again. Husbands were called, children located and yet no one called the authorities. No one ran from the alligators. It was as if they just accepted that this happened and moved on.

Afterwards I found a cell phone and called Alan. I could barely talk, I was so shaken. Somehow I managed to get to the mall where Alan and Corey were. I was relieved to see them. I desperately wanted to cry, feel or do something, but I couldn’t. I was numb. Then I realized it was a dream. I forced myself awake and just lay there trying to figure it out.

"Live your life as an Exclamation, not an Explanation." -- Source unknown

Inspiration for Writers

I was running this morning and Edwin McCain's song "I'll Be" came on my Ipod. I've loved this song since I first heard it and the reason is not only the haunting melody, but the languishing lyrics.

The few simple words in the very first line make me melt - everytime I hear them. The songwriter blends the perfect combination of vivid description with evocative emotion that forces me to listen and pause. I yearn for someone to say those words to me...aside from ma'am of course.

"The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful, stop me and steal my breath..."

Anything's possible if you've got enough nerve." -- J. K. Rowling

Out of Africa

Out of Africa is one of my all-time favorite movies. My husband's too. Everytime it's on we instantly get hooked - like it or not. Recently I watched it (on video) intentionally. Then it was on TV randomly a time or two after that and we watched it again. Not only are the actors great, but the scenery, cinematography and even the sound track are so attractive. But it's the writing that grabs me. There are several lines that have stayed with me since first seeing the movie in 1985 all those many years ago.

I am posting three of my favorite lines and I believe, they are in chronological order.

Karen Blixon is back in Denmark fighting syphillis. She says, "I stayed in my room and tried to remember the colors of Africa."

Denis Finch-Hatton asks to move in. Blixon replies, "When the Gods want to punish you they answer your prayers."

Brau, Blixon's estranged husband, confronts Finch-Hatton about moving in with his wife. He says, "You could have asked." Finch-Hatton replies "I did...she said yes."

No wonder it won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and legendary film critic Roger Ebert gave it the highest rating of five stars. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Surprising Signs You'll Live to 100

I saw this on AOL this morning. It's from Prevention magazine. And I just had to post. It's great news for me and those who are lively, active, curious and lovin' life.

Extroverts, runners are more likely to become centenarians

You're the life of the party

Outgoing people are 50 percent less likely to develop dementia, according to a recent study of more than 500 men and women age 78 and older from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Participants also described themselves as not easily stressed.

Researchers speculate that their more resilient brains may be due to lower levels of cortisol -- studies show that oversecretion of this "stress hormone" can inhibit brain cells' communication. Science-backed ways to cut cortisol levels: Meditate, sip black tea, or take a nap.

You run for 40 minutes a day

Scientists in California found that middle-aged people who did just that -- for a total of about 5 hours per week -- lived longer and functioned better physically and cognitively as they got older; the researchers tracked runners and nonrunners for 21 years. "What surprised us is that the runners didn't just get less heart disease -- they also developed fewer cases of cancer, neurologic diseases, and infections," says study author Eliza Chakravarty, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. "Aerobic exercise keeps the immune system young." If you don't like to run, even 20 minutes a day of any activity that leaves you breathless can boost your health, she says.

You like raspberries in your oatmeal

Most Americans eat 14 to 17 g of fiber per day; add just 10 g and reduce your risk of dying from heart disease by 17 percent, according to a Netherlands study. Dietary fiber helps reduce total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity, and boost weight loss. One easy fix: Top your oatmeal (½ cup dry has 4 g fiber) with 1 cup of raspberries (8 g) and you get 12 g of fiber in just one meal.

Try some of these other potent fiber-rich foods: ½ cup of 100 percent bran cereal (8.8 g), ½ cup of cooked lentils (7.8 g), ½ cup of cooked black beans (7.5 g), one medium sweet potato (4.8 g), one small pear (4.3 g).

You feel 13 years younger than you are

That's what older people in good health said in a recent survey of more than 500 men and women age 70 and older. "Feeling youthful is linked to better health and a longer life," says researcher Jacqui Smith, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. "It can improve optimism and motivation to overcome challenges, which helps reduce stress and boost your immune system and ultimately lowers your risk of disease."

You embrace techie trends

Learn to Twitter or Skype to help keep brain cells young and healthy, says Sherri Snelling, senior director for Evercare (part of United-Healthcare), a group that sponsors an annual poll of U.S. centenarians. Many of the oldest Americans send e-mails, Google lost friends, and even date online. Researchers say using the latest technology helps keep us not only mentally spry but socially engaged: "Stay connected to friends, family, and current events, and you feel vital and relevant," says Snelling.

You started menopause after age 52

Studies show that naturally experiencing it later can mean an increased life span. One reason: "Women who go through menopause late have a much lower risk of heart disease," says Mary Jane Minkin, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine.

Provided by Prevention

You make every calorie count

Researchers in St. Louis reported that men and women who limited their daily calories to 1,400 to 2,000 (about 25 percent fewer calories than those who followed a typical 2,000-to 3,000-calorie Western diet) were literally young at heart -- their hearts functioned like those of people 15 years younger. "It's about not just eating less but getting the most nutrition per calorie," says study author Luigi Fontana, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine. Study subjects stuck to vegetables, whole grains, fat-free milk, and lean meat and nixed white bread, soda, and candy. If you cut empty calories and eat more nutrient-rich foods, your health will improve, says Fontana.

You had a baby later in life

If you got pregnant naturally after age 44, you're about 15 percent less likely to die during any year after age 50 than your friends who had their babies before age 40, reports a recent University of Utah study.

"If your ovaries are healthy and you are capable of having children at that age, that's a marker that you have genes operating that will help you live longer," says lead researcher Ken R. Smith, PhD, professor of human development at the university.

Your pulse beats 15 times in 15 seconds

That equates to 60 beats per minute -- or how many times a healthy heart beats at rest. Most people have resting rates between 60 and 100 bpm, though the closer to the lower end of the spectrum, the healthier. A slower pulse means your heart doesn't have to work as hard and could last longer, says Leslie Cho, MD, director of the Women's Cardiovascular Center at the Cleveland Clinic.

You don't snore

Snoring is a major sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder that causes you to stop breathing briefly because throat tissue collapses and blocks your airway. In severe cases, this can happen 60 to 70 times per hour.

Sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, memory problems, weight gain, and depression. An 18-year study found that people without OSA were 3 times more likely to live longer than those with severe apnea. If you snore and have excessive daytime drowsiness or mood changes, talk with your doctor about a referral to a sleep center.

You have a (relatively) flat belly after menopause

Women who are too round in the middle are 20 percent more likely to die sooner (even if their body mass index is normal), according to a National Institute on Aging study. At midlife, it takes more effort to keep waists trim because shifting hormones cause most extra weight to settle in the middle. If your waist measures 35 inches or more (for men, 40 inches or more), take these steps:


1. Work two or three 20-minute strength-training sessions into your weekly exercise regimen to preserve lean muscle mass and rev metabolism.


2. Eat a daily serving of omega-3s to help combat inflammation and seven daily servings of fruits and vegetables, loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants.


3. Get 25 percent of your daily calories from healthy fats -- such as monounsaturated fatty acids -- which protect your heart and may help you store less fat in your belly (for a 1,600-calorie diet, that's 44 g).

You get your blood tested for vitamin D levels

For optimal disease protection, we need at least 30 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood, reports a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Nearly 80 percent of Americans have less than that. Vitamin D not only helps bones ward off osteoporosis but may also reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and infection, says lead researcher Adit A. Ginde, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. If needed, you can take a daily supplement to get your numbers up. Doctors can measure your levels with a simple blood test, but periodic monitoring may be necessary -- vitamin D turns toxic at 100 to 150 ng/mL.

2009-08-18 15:03:41

Recipe for Miracles

Ingredients:
1 part of knowing who you are1 part of knowing who you aren't1 part of knowing what you want1 part of knowing who you wish to be1 part of knowing what you already have before you1 part of choosing wisely from what you have before you1 part of loving & thanking for ALL you have ("bad" included)

Mixing Instructions:
Combine ingredients together gently and carefully.Using faith and vision, mix together with strong belief of the outcome, until finely blended.Use thoughts, words and actions for best results.Bake until blessed.Give thanks again.Yield: Unlimited servings
(Author Unknown)

I'm Struggling

It’s the summer. August and hot. Typically this time of year, business is slow. School hasn’t started yet and folks are wrapping up their vacations. It’s reunion time -- kick back and relaxin’ time.

Mentally, I’ve been on vacation too. And it’s even worse this week because EVERYONE is home; my husband and BOTH kids. My only solace is that I know come Monday, I will be up at six a.m. with hundreds of “to-dos” flooding my brain, but right now; today, the sun is shining, the palm trees are blowing and the reflection of the cool blue pool is beckoning me near. The truth be told, the thought of wearing a bikini all day is mighty appealing.

So needless to say I have been less productive than I like. Simple tasks take me days to accomplish. And this disturbs me. Greatly. I feel sluggish. Slovenly. And while I hate this feeling, I have no motivation to change it…yet.

So as I force myself to sit here and do something, anything, my mind is on meeting my friend for dinner, sharing a great bottle of wine and catching up on our lives.

“Come Monday. (At least I’m hoping) It’ll be all right.” Jimmy Buffett

Why I Love Navy SEALs

“I don't give a fuck what your plan is. If mine sucks I don't care about that either. Force of intensity matters! Trying harder matters. I will take my plan and SOP's and jam 'em down your throat. It is that simple!”

Around the World Twice

One of the awesome, amazing and erudite :0 ) Navy SEALs that I consult with on my books sent this to me in response to a question about fear. I have since confirmed with other team guys that no one knows who wrote it, but it's been around a long time, probably at least as long as the SEALs themselves.

It's called Around the World Twice.

I'm a lover, a fighter
An American naval UDT SEAL diver.
That's a rootin tootin shootin paratroopin
SCUBA diving demolition double cap crippin'
Frogman - last of the bare-knuckle fighters
No muff too tough, I dive for five
Tuck suck fuck nibble 'n chew
Dine and intertwine, masturbate
Ejaculate and copulate
Drive Navy trucks 2by's, 4by's, 6by's
and those big mother fuckers that go Shhh Shhh
and bend in the middle.
Been around the world twice
Been there and done that twice
Talked to everyone once, seen two
White whales fuckin
Been to two pig pickin picnics,
And I met a man with a marble head and a wooden cock . . .
and ladies, if ya don't like my face . . . you can sit on it ! ! !

Anonymous

While I wait for my naturally productive drive to kick as I approach the end of my summer, I thought I’d post a few goodies I’ve received recently.

As I mature…
I've learned that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just assholes.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes.
After that, you'd better have a big willy or huge boobs.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others
They are more screwed up than you think.

I've learned that you can keep vomiting long after you think you're finished.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, unless we are celebrities.

I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades, and there had better be a lot of money to take its place!

I've learned that 99% of the time when something isn't working in your house,
one of your kids did it

I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon
and all the less important ones just never go away.

Wasted Time

I wish I could stand on a busy corner, hat in hand, and beg people to throw me all their wasted hours. - Bernard Berenson

"The past does not define you, the present does."
Jillian Michaels

The difference between reality and fiction? Fiction has to make sense.
Tom Clancy

“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see.” -- John Burroughs, American naturalist and essayist important in the evolution of the U.S. conservation movement.

Humor

"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place." Mark Twain-

Food Fetish

I love food. Always have. (And the only reason I don’t weight 400 pounds is that I have the occasional fetish of using food creatively.)

Although I live in South Florida and have since the early 1970s, my fondest food memories are from Brooklyn, New York, where I grew up. Lundy’s was my first restaurant memory -- eating lobster with my parents and LOVING it. I remember watching fisherman bring in their fresh catch of the day in Sheepshead Bay and my dad knowing exactly which restaurant to eat at to get the exact fish he choose. I remember eating a table away from Woody Allen in Chinatown during the Chinese New Year celebration. And at other times stopping at what seemed liked every street vendor in Little Italy. As an aspiring foodie in New York, even at that young age, I was as familiar with the meat packing district as I was with the garment district.

My childhood is filled with Sunday morning memories of fresh bagels and appetizing, which meant lox (not the wimpy Nova everyone eats today), chubs aka smoked whitefish, herring, bananas and sour cream, blintzes and knishes – served with mustard only. I remember stopping at the curb while my dad ran in and got us Nathan’s – apparently the only edible hot dog on the planet -- and those still-to-this-day awesome French fries.

For the first 12 years of my life, I remember visiting South Florida, where I live now, and eating freshly baked pecan rolls until I exploded at Patricia Murphy’s in Fort Lauderdale, which no longer exists.

Given my history, it’s no wonder I fetish food now. I will go anywhere and pay anything for good food. As a result of that early food education, today, in every city I visit, I research indigenous food. I spend weeks on it. Ask everyone I know. It kills me to have been somewhere and not tried or missed a specialty. I’m like a wannabe Calvin Trillin or novice Anthony Bourdain with much less culinary skill, education, ‘tude and mental agility.

I have files full of info on restaurants I want to visit, though, I confess, sometimes I don't even use, because when I’m in a city, aside from the Zagat-rated and well-publicized places, I rely on the locals to direct me well. If you know food in a city I may visit, I want to talk to you. In Chicago, I went with a native and ate very, very well. I still crave authentic Chicago-style deep dish pizza. In British Columbia, I had references from another foodie who’d just been and ate amazingly well. Toronto, same thing.

In Italy, Greece, Egypt and Turkey, well, we just asked around. It was the best three weeks of eating I have ever spent. When I returned home, I spent the next six months trying to duplicate what I’d eaten. And while most were at best facsimiles, I did create my own spaghetti carbonara that I actually like better than I was served. I have, however, never figured out the Doner kabobs in Turkey that were amazing. I still have no idea what they were, how they were made or what the hell they were drizzled with that turned me on so. And how did they puff up that pita bread? I did, however, become an expert at Bakalava. I ate it for three weeks straight. In every city we visited. Our fridge was loaded from top to bottom with Bakalava. It was so full, we had to sacrifice the wine. Yes I know sacrilege, stooping so low as to ice it down each night ‘cause there just wasn’t enough room for the food to keep it cold.

And still I’m not done. My New Year’s Eve is not complete until I have Sevruga Caviar and Champagne (yes with a capital C - French only) with crème fraiche, chopped egg and blinis. Every stone crab season has to include a trip to Joe’s on South Beach or I’m not happy. And I used to dread the end of oyster season until they were able to ship those luscious barnacles in year ‘round. I’m still on a journey to find the best chicken wing, which seems like a life-long pursuit. A couple of years ago I dragged my family totally out of the way from Toronto to Albany to eat at the original home of the chicken wing – the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY.

So after reading the above, I’m sure it’s no surprise that I also gravitate toward people who love good food. Not quantities thereof, but definite quality. I can talk nuances with the best of them. Though on a ski trip to the Dolomites at the Swiss/Italian border, I did mistake parmesan curls for truffles. Oops. No problem though. I was with foodies and they instantly set me straight. And after that minor debacle, we hit an Enoteca (wine bar) and dove into a wheel (gironde) of Tete du Moine (Swiss) cheese that I still scrape into (stinky) florettes and relish to this day with any Italian Red.

These days, I dream of having my own personal chef. Someone who can knock my socks off with his culinary expertise. Talk to me for hours about which taste mixes with another and why. What drink brings out the subtleties of which foods. And try to tantalize my taste buds into surrender. I’m not sure it’s possible, but I’m certainly up for the challenge.