January 1, 2008 - 12:30 AM
The phone rang.
Rodney and I were driving back home after having a great New Year’s Eve celebration at some friends’ house. We were on the interstate when Rodney got the phone call.
“Oh my God!” I heard Rodney say.
A series of questions followed as I listened curiously, knowing that it was bad news.
His Dad had a heart attack and was in the emergency room. It was the second attack in an increasingly long history of health problems. At 68 years old, it was becoming more and more difficult for his Dad to bounce back from these episodes.
“I don’t think he’s going to make it through this year,” I told Rodney. “What are we going to do if he dies?”
“I don’t know…” Rodney said.
(Rodney’s Dad survived.)
June 10, 2008 - 5:10 PM
I walked in the door of our home, a strong silence in the air. Have you ever heard a strong silence? It’s amazing how the absence of any noise can be so loud.
“Ohhh Nooo!” I heard Rodney scream from upstairs.
I knew exactly what happened, as a feeling of dread and disbelief took over me. I ran up to Rodney, where he was on the phone.
He flipped it closed, and started making sounds… sad sounds… hurt sounds… sounds I’ve never heard from a human being.
“He’s gone, he’s gone,” Rodney whimpered, putting his head down in the keyboard on his desk.
(Another heart attack… this one, he did not survive.)
June 14, 2008 - 2:00 PM
I stared down at the floral pattern on the funeral home carpet, my vision blurring as tears filled my eyes, then clearing as they poured over and ran down my cheeks. I felt the cold air press on me from the vent over my head as soft sounds of sobbing and sniffling filled the room. Every few minutes, I’d hear an unexpected gasp as the emotions became too strong for people, and they let their pain out.
Was this really happening? Was my Rodney really without his father now? The feelings were incomprehensible as I tried to understand how people go through this every day, around the world. How does anyone deal with losing a parent? I just can’t imagine it.
And his Mother… never again giving him a kiss goodnight. Never again, looking over and seeing him sitting next to her. All the little things which we take for granted and think don’t matter. Those are gone. They are no more.
June 15, 2008 - Father’s Day
Looking at a blank computer screen, I wonder how to even begin to pay tribute to the man every one called “Pa”. It didn’t matter if you were family or friend, he was Pa. Sometimes he was even Pa-Pa.
When people pass on, I know we often say the best things about them. We say “He was such a nice person” and tuck away any negative or unkind words. But really… really… he was a nice person. It’s not just a saying. Pa would help anyone out. He was always there for you.
I feel bad for not saying more to him, as we often do feel regret after someone dies. I feel bad for not keeping in touch more, not spending more time with him.
How silly of me to think we had forever to say these things. How naive of me to think he’d always be there.
Well, since I’m incapable of putting it into words, I guess I’ll just repeat something Rodney said yesterday.
“He was my hero… I want to be just like him.”
Hold your Fathers tight today. Tell them everything that’s in your heart, without fear or hesitation. If you don’t have time, make it, find it. Do it.
I think I’ve finally come around to enjoying Madonna’s Hard Candy album.
There are at least 4 songs on there that I genuinely love:
- 4 Minutes
- Miles Away
- Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You
- Voices
But why does she keep saying her sugar is raw? Miss Madonna, if your sugar is raw, you need to put some Preparation H Cooling Gel on it and sleep it off like the rest of us do. Mmm-kay?
I read a lot of sites that drag out the bad news about gas prices as much as possible. You know the media… let’s milk a situation for everything we can so people are ready to kill themselves. I’ll never understand the sick fetish with making people as depressed as possible when they hear the news.
I believe in being optimistic in every situation. There is always a way to improve a matter if you just put your best foot forward and give some thought to finding a solution. Let’s take a look at the topic…
The Root of the Problem
We’ve set ourselves up to be dependent on other countries to provide our resources, and now we’re at their mercy. On that note, let’s do a survey on where our fuel comes from. “Somewhere far away” does not count as a valid answer.
Yes, the price of gas is high. But for every problem in history, a solution is found and people become stronger and smarter as a result. Our country has to find a way to get through this, and we will. I promise.
A Need for Change
In some crazy way, this is a good thing. High gas prices will apply the needed pressure to find alternatives. It will also force the automobile industry to stop selling gas guzzlers. There is no excuse for people to think a car that gets 30 miles per gallon is a good thing. Are you kidding me? Cars in other countries get much better mileage than that.
And consumers need to make better choices too. I can’t tell you how many friends we have that buy big SUV’s because they “need the extra room for their dog”. Honey, please. Unless you take your dog out with you every single day, it is not a necessity. Dogs will fit just fine in the back seat. If there isn’t enough room, they’ll make room. Dogs are limber.
As for kids… I grew up with two older brothers and when we went out with the family, the three of us were packed together in the backseat of a car. We never had an SUV. Yes, it was a bit tight. Yes, we felt a bit cranky. But we survived and there was no long term damage. The point is, you don’t need a bus to drive your kids around.
Better Options for Employees
I know what it’s like to drive 45 minutes to work every day. The people out there with long commutes are suffering, and I get that. But again, this is probably an opportunity for improvement. Some jobs can be done from home. I’ve heard that a lot of companies are looking into 4 day work weeks instead of 5.
In addition to saving on gas, this is a wise decision anyway. I’ve been preaching that for years now. Many people work better when their work schedule is condensed down to more concentrated periods. How many people out there slack off a little during the week and save some tasks for Friday, just because they don’t matter? Wouldn’t you work better and more efficiently to get them done on Thursday if you knew you’d have Friday off?
Work should not rule our lives. We spend most of our time on this earth working, and you can’t take that money to your grave with you. I think it’s a better idea to have longer weekends so you can spend more time enjoying life, and also cut down on driving. I also think people will be better employees when work is condensed down, so it’s a win-win for everyone who has that option.
Optimism Goes Far
I know it’s easy to be upset about these things, but optimists always find a solution. If gas prices are bothering you, take the optimist path rather than the pessimist path. There is a good chance you’ll find a way to help with your gas expenses. Most likely, whatever you come up with will make your life better for the long haul.
I’m not denying that the price of gas is high. That’s just a matter of fact. Anyone can do the math. I’m just saying that attitude makes a difference with every problem. 
A lot of you have asked what I thought of the Netflix Player I bought a few weeks ago… so here’s my feedback on it.
The Good: Using the Netflix player is incredibly easy. When you’re logged into your Netflix account online, you can browse to see what movies are available to watch instantly. They are marked with a navy blue icon. Just add it to your Instant Queue, and you’re ready to watch it on your TV. The only thing you need is an internet connection to the player, which can be done by wire or wirelessly through your network. The clarity and sound is wonderful. I couldn’t believe I was watching a show over online streaming on the TV. The $99 price tag is perfect.
The Bad: A lot of people have complained that the selection is limited. Unfortunately, the blame actually falls on movie studios that stubbornly refuse to allow their content to be made available for online rental. Netflix is working to negotiate with studios and I feel confident that they will have much more to choose from as the year goes on. They are already adding more content daily.
The Ugly: I had a technical question and called Roku, who makes the product. They will be your point of contact if you have a question that is hardware related. The first question they asked me was what I was using for my wireless network. When I told her it was an Apple Airport, she immediately told me to call Apple and said she wouldn’t help me.
This is inexcusable. The Apple Airport is simply a wireless router, just like any other brand. It has nothing to do with Windows or Mac, or anything like that. It’s just a box. And there’s no way Apple is going to provide support for the Roku box. Roku is the maker, and they should provide support for their product. Not Apple.
Further, the Netflix Player is intended to compete with Apple TV. They have a long way to go if they refuse to help anyone using an Apple product.
The Bottom Line: Crappy support aside, the Netflix Player is wonderful! It’s affordable, reliable, and we’ve been so impressed with it. We did have some troubles on the first day, but I suspect the box was in the middle of a service update. Just like Tivo, the player automatically downloads updates from the internet periodically. After being on for a few hours, it was fine and there have been no more problems.
I spent most of the afternoon on the phone, and it seemed like I had to sit through some annoying country music song before I could actually talk to each person. Argh. This horrible trend must end!
A phone is not a jukebox. I hate suffering through music I don’t like just to talk to someone. It puts me in a very foul mood.
Yes, I get it. Your skin is white, your neck is red, and you’re proud to be an American. Please find a different way to express yourself. I don’t make you listen to the Village People when you call my phone.
A double slap on the hand for those who are business owners. Be a professional and answer your phone like one. You do not need Willie Nelson to provide you with an introduction.
It’s not just about country music (although that pisses me off the most). It’s about the constant crap consumers buy into from their cell phone providers. I feel the same way about text messaging. I don’t even have a text plan (gasp!). Why would I pay another $30 per month to receive messages on my phone when I am at my computer 16 hours a day? Did e-mail stop being cool?
Now at least with that, I can understand how it makes sense for some people, especially those on the go. But for me, I’m usually at the computer. So no texty for me.
As for the music… I see no point. You’re making an assumption that everyone likes the same thing you do and everyone has time to sit through it when they call you.
Bad phone etiquette x 1000.
First I want to start with Senator Clinton, and then I want to finish with Senator Obama…
Senator Clinton was my personal choice for the next President. I have passionately supported her throughout her campaign and defended her during some of her darkest days. I didn’t agree with everything in her campaign, but that’s what support is… It’s believing in a person even when you disagree with them. Support is not to be confused with agreement. It’s the same with a loved one, a friend, a colleague. You might not always agree with them, but if they’re important to you, then you should support them. Senator Clinton was important to me. I wanted her to be President.
Having said all that, Senator Obama won, and he deserves my respect and support. He has always been my next choice. I don’t dislike him, or having any major problems with him. I simply liked Clinton better. But he has many qualities I admire, and the bottom line is that he is our official Democratic nominee.
So I want to say congratulations because he’s made it. I want him to win in November. I want him to take us all the way to Washington. I believe he is a stronger choice than McCain, and I believe he will help get our men and women home safely. I also believe he will help build a better America for all of us.
It’s very important that he and Clinton work out their differences and move forward in a way that is productive for America. Will she be the Vice President? That remains to be seen. I really would enjoy that. But it can only work if they can truly work past their differences.
Whatever the case, it’s important to realize Clinton has millions upon millions of supporters. She only lost by a very small margin, and this needs to work out in a way that brings Clinton’s supporters over to Obama. Those numbers are crucial for November.
We need those votes to nail down a solid win against McCain. I hope we can all work together to get Obama in the White House. Our country cannot afford to go backwards anymore.
Why, oh why, did I sign up for this?
A new site has hit the web, called FaceStat.com. You post a photo of yourself and strangers judge you. They judge your age, attractiveness, trustworthiness, intelligence, and even use words to describe you.
I should preface by saying I’m a very sensitive person. Very sensitive.
But anyway, I did it. These are the results…
My age: 31 (I’m 26, thank you very much)
My trustworthiness: Super trustworthy
My intelligence: Bright
My race: Other (WTF?!)
My attractiveness: Not bad (Some voted “repulsive”, others voted “not bad” and “good lookin”. The median vote was “not bad”.)
Words to describe me: Nice, happy, outgoing, earthy, cheesy, attractive, goofy, pleasant, trustworthy, and whoa
In a cold, harsh world where people are uninhibited online, I guess I made it out fairly unscathed. It could have been worse, right?
An article about the men’s underwear store Rodney and I started will be in the June issue of Out & About Newspaper.
Click the graphic below for a larger, hi-resolution copy of the complete article.
On a sidenote, we now offer international shipping to anywhere in the world. A lot of people on this blog asked about that when we first opened, and now we can provide it.
We laughed, we cried, we applauded! I’ve never been to a movie where I felt like the audience was so connected to the film. It’s everything a Sex and the City fan could ever hope for!
It truly is a movie for the fans. If you aren’t a fan of the show or haven’t seen it, most of the film’s dialogue will be over your head. But if you are familiar, you will love it!
12 more hours until we meet up with our favorite fag hag to see Sex and the City. I can’t wait!
The reviews have been negative, but you know what they say about sex… even when it’s bad, it’s still good.
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