The year was 1995. I was a single man riding around on a brand spanking new CBR600F3. My first street bike, it cost $6800.00 out the door. I few years earlier I had sold my 1989 Yamaha YZ 125 dirtbike which cost round $3500.00. My car at that time was a 1989 Mazda MX6, red sport package with a sunroof. It was my first brand new car. $12,400.00. My two bedroom apartment with living room, dining room, full kitchen with dinette and washer and dryer cost $595.00 a month.
The year is 2025. The average car price is probably around $50,000.00. Sportbike style motorcycles cost $15,000.00 and up. Dirtbikes cost around $10,000.00. The exact same apartment where I lived now rents for $1900.00 a month.
And I forgot to mention something: the main keyboard in my home mini studio was a 1995 Ensoniq ASR10 Sampler. Considered an industry standard it cost $2500.00. The 2025 equivalents go for 6k to 10k.
And the world is worried about the price of eggs………lol!
2025. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Let’s work together to make it the best one yet.
I am a Maryland Terps sports fan, especially football. I like to go to the first game to see how the new players look. I was supposed to be sitting in the very seat providing the view above.
But it was not to be. Woke up a little light headed and fatigued. The game started at 12 noon and I didn’t get out of bed until 9:40am. I still prepared to go just in case my body and brain decided to cooperate. Neither one did so I was figuratively seeing red.
I am watching the on the TV in the second picture posted. Not a bad view just not the one I preferred on this beautiful outdoor football Saturday. Not so bad when you think about it though. I’m in the comfort of my own home. I can put my feet up on the chairs. No concession stand lines. Don’t have to pay for meals. No waiting in line for the restrooms.
And it’s peaceful and quiet so I’m enjoying the game while literally seeing red.
Supernatural. What goes through your mind when you think of this word? Like myself I bet that most people have a negative connotation which is well deserved. In pop culture the word often refers to evil events from unknown entities. Many horror movies use the word similarly.
The actual definition of the word supernatural states: a manifestation or event attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. No mention of good or evil. Which leads to this recent revelation.
The guitar pictured above, the Epiphone ES 335, my guitar, has supernatural powers. No seriously folks, you gotta listen to understand.
I bought this guitar as a birthday gift for myself in January 2023. For about a year I researched several guitars to find one suited to the sound I wanted. After many music store visits, demos, inquiries and questions I originally settled on two other guitars: American Fender Stratocaster or a PRS 22 Semi-hollow. I was pretty much sold on either (or both….) of these guitars. Played a bunch of different ones. Was considering color choices. Until …
I saw two 335-style guitars at the local Guitar Center. Sire Larry Carlton 335 and the Epiphone ES335. Picked them up, plugged into an amp, and I heard THE sound. Warm, full, vibrant. Just what I wanted. So I chose the Epiphone (or did it choose me …..?) because it felt “right” to my heart, ears and hands.
Here is where it gets…… interesting. January 8, 2023. There are three Guitar Center locations within 30 miles of my house. Store 1 is closest, store 2 is next and store 3 is the farthest away. I went to store 1 to buy my guitar but it was not in stock. I was told that store 2 had the the guitar so I prepaid and went to store 2. I get there and they say the inventory was wrong so they don’t have it either. But store 3 has ONE left.
After driving 25 miles south I now have to drive 45 miles northwest to store 3. I get there and go inside expecting the worst. The store is alive with activity. I make my way past, look on the guitar wall and there it was. In the exact color I wanted.
As I stared at this guitar for a few minutes my eyes were drawn to an obvious imperfection on the body. For some unexpected and unknown reason this gave the guitar more appeal to me. To this day I cannot explain why I immediately felt this way about this guitar. I buy it and take it home.
The guitar’s supernatural powers were not apparent early. It was subtle and took some time to reveal itself. One of my favorite places to practice is in my family room on the loveseat. We have two large sofas and the aforementioned loveseat in this room. The loveseat is my wife’s favorite because it is a rocker and recliner. But IT IS my favorite seat for practicing. When I finish I set the guitar on one side of the loveseat until I’m ready to practice again much to the dissatisfaction of my wife.
At first my wife did not approve. Every time she saw the guitar she would move it and ask why it was not “downstairs where it belonged”. To make it worse I would move my wife’s beloved pillows to make room for my guitar. My wife would pile them right on top of the guitar. One morning I woke up to my wife upset about something. It turned out that all of her loveseat pillows were on the floor. All of them while the guitar was “sitting” in it’s seat just as I left it. I didn’t know what to say. I certainly didn’t put the pillows on the floor. Come on now. I’m a reasonable and rational person. I wouldn’t throw my wife’s pillows on the floor just because she piled them on top of my brand new guitar. I wouldn’t do that. And of course a guitar could not do that, right?
Initially, whenever I would practice and my wife was at home she would sarcastically comment about the guitar. “He’s off to La La Land again.” “How long are you gonna practice?” “That guitar has you living so random.” (My favorite!) Inexplicably and unexpectedly, my wife now requests my presence on guitar whenever she’s in the kitchen or family room! She even asks, “Are you gonna practice today? Occasionally she’ll even sing along. When she cleans she no longer touches my guitar. Unbelievable! What is in this guitar?
That’s not all. The loveseat is no longer my wife’s favorite seat. One day I was sitting on the sofa and my wife walks in and says, “You’re in my seat. Go sit on the loveseat with your guitar.” What is up with this guitar?
Whenever my oldest son would see me practicing he would just start a conversation with no regard. Now if he sees me he gives a silent salutation, a nod and a smile. Every now and then he’ll say, “You serious about that guitar huh dad.” Then he’ll chuckle with approval. I rarely curse when addressing my children but I use these occasions to have some fun of my own. I respond, “Damn right boy! Gotta learn this shit before I get too old…..!
If these incidents are not strange enough consider this. The guitar has curbed my appetite for junk food. Whenever I get hungry while practicing I crave cakes and cookies but somehow end up eating graham crackers and fruit. Is it watching and attempting to control me? Also, whenever I go downstairs to practice in the music room I leave the guitar there. When I come back upstairs I find the guitar is somehow back in it’s place on the loveseat……..what the hell? How? Is it following me? One day I was looking at other guitars online. I went to the kitchen to cook some food and cut my finger. I think the guitar was jealous. Probably should have gotten stitches as it bled and hurt for two days. After the second day I took off the bandage and picked up the guitar and the bleeding stopped. Instantly. No more pain either. What is in this guitar?
You see. I now wonder if I chose this guitar or if it chose me. It keeps grabbing my hands whenever I try to put it down. It takes up ALL of my leisure time and personal life. It chose me at the perfect time. I never had a chance to entertain my mid life crisis. Now ten years later my heart and mind are fertile ground for selfish pursuits of passion. I have become a selfish husband, absentee dad and delinquent son, brother, uncle, nephew, friend. My apologies everyone. I hope to break the spell sometime soon. In the meantime time…….
If anyone decides to stop by and say hello do not look at or touch this guitar. There is something strange going on with it. I don’t want to be responsible for any unexplainable changes in your lives.
Well, I finally took the Blackstone Griddle out of the box. Cooked some burgers on Saturday. Not bad…..I have to get used to the level of heat it creates and it seems that the food requires a little more seasoning. But I will adjust. I like being able to cook everything all at once
So for today my family ordered pepper steak with vegetable fried rice. The precooked meal is pictured above. I’ll have a picture of the cooked meal tomorrow.
There’s a lot going on in American politics everybody. Believe me I’ve got my two cents to add. However, before I do, I have to tell you something.
I’m in big trouble. I mean BIG trouble. You see the EMPTY Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet chocolate chip bag above? Well, it’s not supposed to be empty.
You see, I have what some people call a sweet tooth. I myself admit to being addicted to junk food, especially chocolate.
For the last few years my family has been “encouraging” me to eat healthier. In other words, “discouraging” me from eating my favorite non healthy foods. And I have surprisingly gotten better. I gave up my chocolate chip breakfast muffins. I now drink soda once every other weekend. I haven’t bought candy bars, honey buns or cakes in months. I only eat doughnuts when someone else buys them (maybe once a month).
You would think that my family would appreciate that, right? And they do, but …….. Let me explain.
I am not in denial. I am addicted to junk food. My mind and body just feel better after a piece of cake or chocolate chip cookies or a Pepsi. For real. Man when I go too long without them I feel sluggish and my mind isn’t as sharp.
So while I have been staying away from all of my favorite sweets, I still have my urges. Hence the bag pictured above. My wife likes to bake chocolate chip cookies which is good because I like to eat chocolate chip cookies. My wife likes to keep a bag of chocolate chips in the pantry so she can bake without having to go shopping. So…
I recently discovered this to be extremely convenient and beneficial. With no other sweets in the pantry these chocolate chips became my ally. Whenever I crave a Snickers I just grab 6 to 8 chocolate chips. No cake in the house? Grab 6 to 8 chocolate chips. No honey buns around? Grab 6 to 8 chocolate chips. And I only eat chocolate chip cookies for the chocolate chips anyway! So I’m doing my wife a favor by saving her time and effort. You get the idea. And it is working. I am saving time and money by avoiding trips to Walmart and Dollar General for snacks. I am eating healthier. But…..
Somebody hates when I eat the chocolate chips. Whenever she’s around and I reach for the bag she yells, “DON’T EAT THOSE CHOCOLATE CHIPS. THEY ARE FOR MY COOKIES.” But I HAVE to eat those chocolate chips. If not I’ll go back to my bad eating habits. My wife does not care. I am not to eat out of that bag for any reason.
But I can’t help it. Not every day, but every now and then I grab 6 to 8 chips out of that bag because I HAVE to. I function better. Thing is, I have to sneak into the pantry to get the bag. My wife can hear me get that bag no matter where she is in the house. One day I thought I could sneak it out of the pantry while she was upstairs in the bath tub. As soon as I opened the bag she yelled, “STOP EATING THOSE CHOCOLATE CHIPS. I NEED THEM FOR MY COOKIES!” How the hell did she hear that? It made me mad!!! So I started eating 10 to 12 chips at a time. She yelled at me for eating half the bag and made me mad again. So I started eating 15 to 20 chips at a time.
Well now the bag is empty, the last few chips shown here were eaten today before dinner. My wife doesn’t know it yet and so I have a dilemma. Do I get rid of the bag or just leave it in the pantry and let her discover it later? Either way I am in big trouble.
So, if I turn up missing any time soon you all know what happened.
If I’m still around next weekend I’ll share my 2 cents worth of politics.
You know the saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new Tricks”. Well, based on the amount of unsolicited mail (USPS and email) I receive for people of a certain age I am definitely an old dog. And when it comes to eating habits and dietary choices I need to learn some “new tricks”.
Back when I was a young adult food choices were a bit more limited. You had the obligatory fast food, the standard casual dining, the neighborhood eateries and maybe a specialty diner or two. That’s it. Oh, and pizza joints for good measure. Sushi bars??? Forget it. No Chick Fil A’s in Maryland either. Customizable salad bars and faux Mexican burritos?? In California maybe but not where I grew up.
Saturday July 20, 2024. 5pm. I want a quick bite to eat, just something to “coat my stomach” before I eat my Bruster’s large waffle bowl of two scoops of vanilla, two scoops of cookies & cream with M&M topping. Now, back in the day that choice may have been McD’s, Burger King, Kentucky Fried (KFC for you hoppers) or Vizzini’s. With a Coke or a Pepsi. But in 2024…..
Gotta eat a little healthier. So it’s CAVA instead of cake. Greek chicken pita. No Coke, Pepsi or Slurpee. Nope. Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Tropical Island Punch. Guess it’s a little healthier…..Still gonna eat my ice though. Which proves one thing.
I am still an old dog at heart, but I have in fact learned a new trick.
This is a Blackstone Griddle. I never knew I needed a Blackstone Griddle. But, for the past few years my WIFE has insisted that I did in fact NEED one. She knew all of the models, knew how to season the cooking surface, knew all of the accessories and most importantly knew the price!Aaaalright……
So, when my family asked for MY “opinion” on what would be a great Father’s Day gift I “suggested” my usual suspects: my motorcycle of choice, anything music and/or a weekend “Dad Vacation”. Good. All set. Nothing too extraordinary. However, my family had an even better idea!
Picture the box above. Key word being box. Now don’t get me wrong. I am grateful for any gift I’m given and truth be told I am looking forward to cooking on the Blackstone. But you see, my idea of a Father’s Day gift is one which requires no work or exertion from me. Maybe others working and putting in effort for Dad’s benefit. Maybe…..?
So it’s been what, about a month since Father’s Day? Right? Blackstone still in the box? Right? Uh huh. So now Dad has to assemble his own Father’s Day gift. And I bet you can guess who’ll be cooking his “Father’s Day dinner” on the Blackstone can’t you? You guessed it.
Hey to all you young dads and husbands. Take heed: no matter WHAT they say otherwise your wife and children will find ways to use your love as benevolence for their benefit. So protect and appreciate Father’s Day, our only day.
Well, it’s time to get to work. The day has come to open the box. I have to pretend how much I begrudge it, complete with huffing and puffing loudly with unusually bad body language. 😊 I’m not giving them the satisfaction of knowing how much I’m going to enjoy cooking on it. Then they’ll expect me to cook for them more than I already do. I intend to use it to cook healthier meals for myself. It is my Father’s Day gift after all.😎
The Real Life Corner 