Our Global Economic Crisis Claims Another One ...

Oh Iceland, I barely knew thee. Reykjavik was always on my list of places that I wanted to visit. Maybe some day but not now. So if the Government has failed what the hell is in its place? Is Iceland an anarchist state now? It happens to the best of us I guess. 2009 I guess is the year that job security becomes a luxury item. It has affected my immediate family and I'm sure someone you know has been affected to. Can I just tell you I think I am in shock. Enough has happened in the past two weeks and with all the stresses that have happened in it I'm feeling kind of numb. You could tell me a box of kittens was just run over in the street and I don't think it would phase me. My only fear is that I'll find myself alone one night and it will all hit me, and in case that night comes I keep a bottle of vodka under the pillow. With the exception of a few highlighted moments its been a pretty shitty January. Oh well.

February is right around the corner and bring on Groundhog Day! Not this weekend but the weekend after I get to go up to Vermont as well. Do a little visiting with friends and then its off to my old college to start my term on the Alumni Council. For those of you don't know where Lyndon State College is or for those of you want to reminisce I give you LSC-3-D.

Set Phasers for Fun

Well the past 24 hours have been good. While no one really walked out of Mohegan in riches we certainly all had fun. Right Sharon? Last night was fun while also being incredibly cold. For those of you didn't know last night I went to see Back to the Future at the Coolidge. It was a midnight showing so I got to Coolidge Corner a little early I thought about getting a bite to eat but I wasn't very hungry. So after a quick run through the Bookseller I settled into Starbucks for some Apple Chai and some quiet time to read and wait out my movie. I am very into this book Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson the weather geek in me just loves it but that is just the icing on the cake. Its well written and Erik has a way of portraying the times in which he talks about in such a way that you feel like you are there. Unfortunately for me Starbucks closes at 11, so I was booted into the cold. My only other option being CVS I decided I would just go wait in line. It wouldn't be too long before they let us in.

Boy was I wrong. A whole hour later I was finally able to to warm up inside the theater. Prior to that though we waited outside in line in 12 degree weather. I fortunately was prepared mostly for the wait but I was only wearing some old New Balances on my feet which didn't insulate well from the cold. I am fully convinced had I waited longer frost bite would have started to set in. It was that cold. I fared better than my younger theater goers who doffed skinny jeans, vans, and hoodies. Why we didn't have an EMO Popsicle could only be explained by their knack for finding warm pizza out of the dumpster behind the Upper Crust. What can I say I roll with an elite crowd. Actually I didn't know them and had nothing to do with their subsequent selling of said pizza to make a quick buck.

Finally after figuring out some fancy crowd control we were let in and led to the theater. Honestly I felt like I was nine again watching this movie and despite having seen it hundreds of times before on DVD it was so much better on screen. I can't wait for March when they do Karate Kid (hear that Melanie!.)

Arriving home at 3 AM didn't give me much time for sleep as some good friends and I were heading down to Mohegan for some fun. Moe introduced me to the Wizard of Oz slots which were very playable and allowed me to experience many bonus rounds, but my true moment of serendipity arose when we ventured into the new Casino of the Wind. Or is my friends like to call it the Alcove of the Wind do in no small part to its relative size to the other casinos. It was there though that I would find Star Trek the Slot Machine. To say I geeked out was an understatement and totally what I needed at the moment. Some may remember my post in 2007 on the Top Gun. Well this blows it away in every way. So far I have only seen them in the Casino of the Wind. The most fascinating part of this slot is that you can choose a persona as you have the capability to collect medals which allow you to play other slot games on the same machine as you advance in rank. Since its all saved, in two months I can go back and continue as if I was still sitting at the machine this afternoon. Not too mention it was just cool. I think the beauty of it was lost on my other gamblers but I enjoyed it.

By the way I'm just putting this out there. Why is it that you give people a chance to smoke somewhere and they completely destroy themselves. I mean I swear these people are smoking 3 times more than they ordinarily would at any given day. And as a precautionary note if you are that ADDICTED to something then should you really be gambling in the first place? Just a thought.

Powerless

I don't know what it is. Maybe its the over all melancholy day I've had so far; knowing that I am going to be out late I really haven't done much. Maybe a touch of seasonal depression, or maybe my current mood is brought about truly by the current condition of so many I know in my life. Overall I am fine. I have everything I need, maybe not everything I want but at this point in time I'll settle for that. Whats troubling me are the amount of people I know who are in distress for whatever reason. The reasons are many from financial to medical to emotional and back again. While the reasons are varied they all carry one striking similarity. I can't help them; no matter how much I want to there is simply nothing I can do to help. Short of granting wishes, miracles or even simple medical marvels I can not do a damn thing to help these people, and I believe its starting to take its toll on me. Now mind you no one has asked for my help, but I am not the type of person who can just hear bad news or tales of struggle without becoming empathic.

It was just this week that I realized just how much is going on and it arrived at the same time I realized how much I can't solve all the problems. My natural response is to do just that, but that is up to the people with the issue to solve on their own. Otherwise it doesn't really go away, it just gets put off. Knowing that the responsibility is off my shoulders doesn't make it any less harder to see and while I offer as much support as possible. I fear its not enough. So I guess my next lesson to learn is to have a little faith.

Let Me Just Say This . . . Fuck Valentine's Day

Does that make me sound bitter? I hope so but not for why you think. As if Christmas didn't bring its own gifts and cards, and Thanksgiving wasn't enough to show how thankful you were. Nope you need to buy more pointless crap just to let your significant other how much you care about them. No pressure or anything, I mean it should be real easy to show them how special they are with the mass produced cards Hallmark is chomping at the bit to drive down your throat. Oh and don't forget the chocolate in any and all forms. Especially the cheap ones in CVS cause you know nothing says love like brown chocolate wax sold for $20. Wait there's more. FLOWERS who doesn't like flowers. Hell I like getting them and have given them.

Whats my beef then? Why the sudden caddishness? Maybe its the smugness of advertising, telling me that "Valentine's day is just around the corner, make sure to run right out and buy . . . " Shite! Enough, in the past week I have seen two friends lose a job, more who are still without jobs, and even more for whom job security went from being a given to a luxury. Hallmark doesn't care if you love your partner of 10 years. Hell they would sell "Thanks for the hookup last night, make sure to get yourself to the free clinic" Cards if they new it would sell and not piss off the masses. All they care about is the money. So works not going well make it up with a card. SCREW 'EM. Time to show people what really matters.

You want to send a message this Valentine's Day. Kill two birds with one stone. Do something nice, do something special. You want to make that person feel special do something unique not what every other poser is doing. At the same time send a message to the Hallmarks of the world. Your hard earned money is yours, we spend far to much of it already on things that are not necessary. Make a card, put some effort into it, make it special. Or you could always just throw some money at just to get it done. You tell me whats a better picture of your relationship?

This Valentine's Day leave corporations out of your love life, you'll thank me for it later.

Year of Projects

Maybe it should be considered a character flaw, maybe its a sign of a burst of creativity; call it what you will but I find myself with a glut of projects I want to do. Of course none of this has to do with work. That's a different beast. All of it is personal and in most cases artistic or creative. Whether its writing, carving, burning, mixing or cooking I got a project for it. 2008 was the year of the ideas so 2009 calls out to me to be the year of finished works. Its time to put nose to the grindstone and make some of these lofty goals a reality. The best part is though its all fun stuff. So it doesn't feel like work. At the same time though I still want to have fun, and I need to take a more active role in the social calendar this year. Instead of looking for those events to go to and waiting for invites; I'm going out and making them and being creative about it. Its not necessary to spend a lot of money just to hang out with people. I say this as I plan on going to Mohegan Sun this weekend. But its true and I intend to be doing a whole lot more once the weather gets better outside. For now though we have to find things to do inside. Like this weekend in case your not a friend of mine on Facebook feel free to check out the Coolidge Corner Theater for Saturday nights movie hosted by Johnny Cupcakes. Yeah I know its late but live a little why don't you. Nothing is more awkward than when I meet people in a bar or out anywhere really and I ask them "So what have you been up too?". Their reply is usually something along the line of "work and then I come here". Here being the aforementioned bar and such. Well that's all fine and good, but it leads to a quick conversation since I can't usually relate to that. I prefer to go and do stuff; anything, something, not just TV, not just Karaoke. I don't mean to offend and if I do, I apologize, but my life needs to be so much more than that. Maybe that's what others are content with but I am not. I'm not proposing you kill your TV and abolish the drink, but do get out and experience something. Don't repeat a song already created by someone else. Don't settle for watching a life less ordinary when you can live a life less ordinary. Create music, go sledding, make a sauce, do something and I guarantee you a day to remember and a story to tell.

Thanks for listening.

So I'm 32, What's new with you?

So another year older, fortunately the passing of this birthday also seems to be coinciding with some marked improvements in health. I no longer need my Nebulizer to breathe. My cough is almost gone. I have a lot more energy and no more pain in my lungs. In a few ways this birthday managed to pull off what others have failed miserably at. And that is to not suck. If you need to know more you can read here. Since that list was posted in 2007 the Doomsday Clock was set to five minutes to midnight due to North Korea's Nuclear testing and in 2008 we lost Bobby Fischer of chess fame.

What did 2009 bring? Well as far as world events go I believe they may have been pretty tame. My weekend has been less than innocent. My birthday festivities started early actually on Friday night as I was at a friends house in Newton when it was realized it was after midnight and technically the 17th. Melanie announced to all that it was now in fact my birthday, and I was treated to a celebratory half-yard of beer. I must admit I did a good job downing it, without the spillage and purging that befell some of my other rivals. Wii and Rockband dominated the night but not before I was introduced to a lovely party game called flip cup. I must say I always knew Melanie and I were talented but with Chuck we just dominate.

Making up for lost time over the past few weeks this was going to be a late night so when the option to continue the evening into the morning presented itself I was all game. 3:30 AM is decidedly the best time to visit an IHOP not just for the culture but also because its when the food tastes the best. Finally I strolled into my bedroom at about 5 AM and didn't wake until noon. I woke to find myself still clothed from the night before and in need of water and some ibuprofen. Not cause of a hangover mind you but because of Boxing and Tennis on the Wii that caused my shoulder to kill. Anyways it was a few short hours later I was on my way to Providence to meet up with Dan.

He was at Tom's house and upon arrival I learned that he had been making homemade sauce from scratch since 11 that day. Let me tell you it was the best damn smell I've experienced in a while. I wanted to stick my face in the pot it was so good. I'll refrain from telling what was in it for risk of upsetting my Saucier boyfriend, but I will let you know it was the best sauce I have ever had. (sorry Greg) Complete with Fresh pasta and a homemade bruschetta made with roasted tomatoes, garlic, yellow peppers and eggplant it will easily be the best meal of 2009. Of course music and company were just as pleasant. Finally a birthday worth remembering. We ended up going out later for drinks and ended up at the Providence Eagle which was pretty cool. Here another first was achieved. It was the first time in 10 years that I voluntarily requested a shot of Jack Daniel's. After a rather traumatic experience ( a blog for another day) in college I would recoil even from the mere smell of the elixir but last night put an end to that moratorium. What was also amazing was that for the second night in a row I got to see someone vomit. Oh dear. Some people just can't hold their liquor.

Heading to bed I had made some tentative plans to go to Mohegan Sun but those plans were quickly dashed when morning came and the snow fell. Having taken two hours to drive back to Boston from Providence it was decided to postpone the festivities. But even that could not put a spoil on a rather successful birthday weekend. This week will prove to be busy but also historic. I am looking forward to Tuesday with much excitement. While most likely it will transpire like any Tuesday before, but it will also go down in history as we swear in our new president. So here's to the end of a successful birthday weekend and a new era.

"LUKE, I'm your Father!"

ugh

So a well over do trip to the Doctor has revealed that I in fact have not been suffering from some persistent cold with a lingering cough. I in fact have bronchitis and pneumonia. The odd thing was I didn't feel that bad and until recently did not realize how much my ability to breathe had been compromised. Near as we can tell I truly did get a cold back around Thanksgiving but before it left it developed into bronchitis, which left relatively unchecked developed into pneumonia. Did I mention that my asthma hasn't been this bad since I was a teenager. Well now that it is known what I have the next stage is getting better. This is the first time I came home from the pharmacy with a brown bag full of prescriptions, and lets not forget my new gift from the Dr. Its called a Nebulizer and its designed to deliver my inhaled steroids right to my lungs. While using it I sound like Darth Vader complete with vapor for effect. Afterwards the steroids leave my feeling and looking like Whitney Houston during the withdrawal years. I'm jittery, nervous, spastic, and for some reason can't stop shivering. I had been accommodating for this illness for so long that I forgot how sick I was. Ever since my appointment yesterday I have gotten progressively worse, almost as if I have finally given myself permission to be sick. Its very weird. So I am taking the day off from work. I hate to use it so early in the year and I know there is a lot of work to be done, but I keep reminding myself that this is what sick days are for and that if I don't take the time I won't get better anytime soon. So I will take a day and be back tomorrow just need a day to get on these meds and get acclimated and rest and I should be back on my feet again. As disgusting as it sounds with this new machine and meds I am wheezing more and coughing up more junk. The doctor says its natural because before my lungs weren't even open enough to do that much.

I am not telling you all this to complain, for what would I complain about. I am sick, and it was my own fault for not persisting on going back to the Doctor a few weeks back. Mostly I am just telling you so you know whats going on with me and second let it be a testament that there is a difference between the power of positive thinking and living in denial. If your not alright GO TO THE DOCTOR. "You don't know the power of the dark side."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShKEc0qumy8&feature=related

The City is Cold

But it contains the hottest blood of all.

Boston is going through a particular cold snap at the moment. Just as it would seem in time for outside activities. New Years Eve was chilly as well as tonight. This evening while driving back to my apartment I was thinking to myself and reflecting on life in general. Normally I don't partake in such pessimistic notions but things today frankly are quite shitty. At least for me, but I have a hunch that something if not partially disconcerting has effected your life as well. I mean I just had a great dinner with friends I should be happy, but I'm not. Somewhere in that 10 minute ride home something took root in my mind and changed the mood around.

So given the proximity to this past weeks festivities I figure the New Year has not started off all that well. 2008 is gone and with it all the issues but here is 2009. Does anyone really believe that the mere date can affect ones personal outlook on life. One simple tick of the clock does not denote change. So if we are sitting here thinking that now that its a new year everything will be glorious we are in for a world of hurt and disappointment. The only way 2009 will be better is if we choose to make it so. If we choose to celebrate life, if we choose to let go of fear, if we choose to make change, if we choose to take responsibility, if we choose to see love. These are the only ways 2009 will be better than 2008. So my challenge to you and to myself is to find that thing that made 2008 less than all it could have been and make that your resolution for this year.

Love, its so powerful and yet so fragile, is anyone truly its master? Find me one who is so confident in love; and I shall show you a fool.

For Auld Lang Syne my Friend ( Or Mizery Loves Company )

So I am a little disappointed in myself this year (er Last Year). I took a look at my posts and I have half as many as the year prior. So much for writing more. I will try and turn it into a positive though. As I have had less time here to write I can only assume I was just to plain busy doing stuff, and in a way I was.



Last Year's Resolutions:

1) To be a Good Person - I think I have been good, there were times though . . .

2) Lose weight and become fit - OK still working on this one

3) Value the friends I have and be open for new relationships - Damn Straight! Gots me some great new friends this year and I love the ones I have.

4) I believe that I am here for a reason, what that is I can not say, but I know that as long as I leave myself open to life I will find all the opportunities I could ever want - I definately had a lot of opportunities present themselves this year.

5) Infatuation is fast, Passion can be a flash in the pan, but Love is worth sticking around for. Its every bit more elusive, but I am hoping to find it one day. - Ain't that the truth.

So here's to blogging and doing stuff this year. In fact lets keep the resolutions from last year carry them forward and add blogging more.

2008 Garrett Awards

Keeping up with a tradition here are my pics for this year modified a bit.

1) DRINKING BUDDY OF THE YEAR: Wow its almost a 4 way tie this year and is the reason why I'm drinking less in the New Year. Dan, Jeff, Melanie and Joey of course.
2) LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD (longest friend) Melanie I remember when I thought she was the quiet one, and not nearly as freaky as me. Alas I was wrong and relationship bloomed thats lasted for years. Bitch!
3) NEWCOMER AWARD - COOLEST NEWEST FRIEND Rob for reasons too numerous to mention.
4) HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR Two Days in May and September when I was quite literally high over the skies of Vermont and Canada in a balloon.
5) POINT OF THE YEAR YOU REGRET Jeager Bombs
6) BEST HOLIDAY Thanksgiving there was alot to be thankful for this year.
7) My SONG FOR 2008 Sinnerman-Nina Simone
8) MOVIE FOR 2008 Making their Own
9) TV SHOW FOR 2008 MSNBC and CNN Election Night 2008 Coverage
10) CELEBRITY OF 2008 Sarah Palin (you don't really expect me to consider her serious do you?)
11) WORST/HARDEST DAY OF 2008 yikes Christmas was a little rough this year.
12) BEST RELATIONSHIP?Me and Melanie
13) COSTUME OF THE YEAR Warlock- My only costume for Wally World
14) RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR Publick House
15) BEST DECISION MADE THIS YEAR Saying yes to an invitation to get drinks from a man I'd never met on facebook.
16) WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR Survive it seems somewhat appropriate
17) STUPIDEST IDEA I don't think I had any this year, can you think of any Elizabeth?
18)WHO IS THE CRAZIEST FRIEND OF THE YEAR? Raisa(Allison your safe)
19) MOST LOYAL FRIEND Once again they all take the award.
20) BIGGEST CHANGE OF THE YEAR Realizing I am capable of Loving another again.
21) BIGGEST BITCH/ASSHOLE AWARD A couple people last night I think take the cake.
22) NEW YEAR RESOLUTION Keep having fun, and spreading some positive messages.
23) THE PERSON WHO INSPIRED YOU THE MOST Dan
24) THE PERSON WHO SUPPORTED YOU THE MOST Elizabeth and Nora two years in a row.
25) THE MOST ELUSIVE FRIEND Jeff Marcy HA!
26) BEST TRIP Oh Canada! and Florida
27) WORST TRIP I thought it was going to be Texas but I turned it around and had a good time.
28) BEST PURCHASE/INVESTMENT My Mazda
29) MOST EMBARASSING MOMENT Can't seem to remember one this year.
30) BEST PARTY Wally World Halloween Party/Pre-Thanksgiving Party