As always, please send me feedback if you'd like: dmblum33@hotmail.com
I recently spent a few days in Denver for work, from a Wednesday to a Saturday. A few things from that trip stand out to me:
We were lucky enough to be staying in a Hyatt, so it was pretty nice. The first night we were there, we went to the restaurant on the 27th floor, which was called Peaks. The wall to the outside was all windows, so we were looking at the Denver skyline the entire time. It was insanely gorgeous. Like first date in a chick-flick gorgeous. From our hotel, we could also see Invesco Field, which is where the Denver Broncos play. We were encouraged to share rooms with one other person, and as an incentive to do so, they gave us each $100, because that's cheaper than paying for a hotel room for three nights. The guy I roomed with refused to have the TV on when he was trying to sleep, and also thought the NBA team in Denver was called the Raptors. (It's the Denver Nuggets. Raptors play in Toronto.) So that was an adventure. I also learned that every man over 45 that's wearing a business suit is creepy and leers at young women. Anyway, we did actually do some work there, and early on Thursday afternoon, I saw that I had a text from my sister that said "Give me a call when you have time to chat." That's never good. So, I took a quick break and walked outside to call her. Knowing me better than anyone else on the planet, she starts the conversation with "don't freak out, everything is fine, but Dad had be taken to the emergency room in an ambulance today." Of course it's always when you're across the country that kinda stuff goes down. What happened was, my dad had felt a weird feeling in his ear the night before but didn't think much of it. When he woke up on Thursday morning, he had a hard time keeping his balance and equilibrium, and was dizzy. He later said he couldn't take much more than a few steps before he would fall. He actually got dressed and in his car to go to work before he thought better of it and called in sick. But he was getting progressively worse as the morning went on, so he called my mom at work. She told me that his first words were, "I need help." I know a lot of people think of their parents as being Superman or Superwoman and as never being vulnerable, that they can handle any situation, so hearing that gave me chills. It still does just typing it. She left work to come get him, and at this point, they still have no idea what's wrong, only that he can't walk and that he's really dizzy and off-balance. On the way home, she called two of my aunts that live within a couple miles of my parents (no idea how she did this while she was driving, we literally have to write her instructions on how to use a DVD player) to see if they could go check on him to make sure it's not an emergency. Neither of them were home. She then called my dad back to see if he needed an ambulance. Of course he said "no". By the time she got home, though, he had gotten worse, and they couldn't safely walk him down the garage steps to get into the car. So they ended up calling the ambulance, and soon after they got him all hooked up to the machines, they knew it wasn't anything life-threatening. He does have a history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and with the dizziness, who knew if it was a stroke or something like that? It ended up being vertigo, which affects the inner ear and your balance. He got medication for that and has slowly gotten better over the past couple weeks, although he can't hear anything out of his left ear, and the doctor says he might never get that back. Which is weird, because he hears great out of his right ear for someone his age. But he told me yesterday (his 72nd birthday) that he did some running in the back yard, just to see if he could do it. And he could. He has some appointments coming up that might be able to solve the ear issue, hopefully, and I was able to spend the rest of my time in Denver without worrying too much. The other highlights? Meeting a man named "Fishbones" and walking around the city by myself in the dark after a few cocktails in the hot tub and flirting with the red-headed sales girl at the t-shirt shop. ("Flirting" is the one where you try to be witty and charming and they refuse to make eye-contact, right? Actually, she said she liked my accent, so I bought $60 worth of shirts. The lesson, as always: I'm an idiot)..
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| Here's a picture of my dad at his 50th birthday party. This look on his face is one that I'll always have in mind. Such a contagious laugh. Great man. Per usual, our 60" HD television makes an appearance behind him. (He lost his left arm at age 19 in a farming accident.) |
Don't give up on the people you love. Your patience and faithfulness may be just what they need.
I don't trust anyone who doesn't like country music.
Christian Ponder > Christian Grey
Winnie Cooper still attractive as of 2005, per "How I Met Your Mother".
I'm turned off by poor handwriting.
Few things make me prouder than the amount of people who tell me how sweet my mother is. I kinda like her.
What's that Luke Bryan song where he mentions his truck?
Does that couple in the Cialis commercials finish their crossword puzzle or do they end up fucking on the porch instead?
Jennifer Aniston was cold a lot on "Friends".
Is Snooki's baby still alive?
How many times does your female neighbor have to lay in the hall crying before you call the police? Asking for a friend (my roommate).
I like the episode of Pawn Stars where the guy is asking for $20,000 for his stuff but settles for 14 bucks.
I have a crush on Kelly Kapowski.
"Her face is the worst thing about her." - Me, drunk
Don't stumble over something behind you.
Regarding late night infomercials, does Colon Flow come with a free Sham Wow and Monster Ballads disc?
Don't waste your hurts. They're your credentials for helping others.
A couple weeks ago I went to see a good country music band called Maiden Dixie. The next time they're in the area is November 3rd at Rollies, make an effort to go see them if you dig country music. They put on a great show, and the singer/lead guitarist is a great guy, his name is Jesse. I'll be up north deer hunting, so go take my place on the dance floor!
I recently visited my brother's families in southern Minnesota, and we went to my niece's soccer game in the afternoon. During her game, her sister (pictured below) was on the playground playing with some kids she knew, and others she didn't. She ran over to me to tell me that the boys were being mean, so I told her to ignore them and don't join them. A few minutes later, I checked on her and she is standing in front of them, needing to look up because she's shorter, and she wasn't backing down an inch. I could just picture her being like "hey, I don't wanna have to do this, but if you wanna throw, I'll throw." She was just trying to talk nicely to them, and they ended up apologizing, but a part of me wanted to see her give them both Stone Cold Stunners. Love that girl.
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| My niece on my shoulder, riding home from her sisters soccer game. This must be after she sang Bon Jovi's "Shot Through The Heart." Cutest ever. |
On the topic of visiting my brothers families, one of my favorite things to do is drive there alone at night and listen to my iPod. They live almost 3 hours away, and it's time to myself that I can think, drink coffee and sing terribly to terrible music. Something I got to thinking about on this drive down was how different I am than the "stereotypical guy". In no way am I saying I'm better than the "stereotypical guy", we all know my insecurities. I'm not sure what triggered these thoughts. My sappy music probably helped. The beautiful, clear night likely did as well. But I remember glancing at the moon and thinking, "what I wouldn't give to be laying by a lake, looking at this sky with a girl that I'm in love with." I think that's weird. I don't think many guys think that way. But I like that part about me. I hear a lot of guys talk negatively about their girls, and whether or not they're serious or just trying to appear macho in front of their buddies, it's just not for me. I can honestly say that the guys that I'm close friends with respect their girls as much on "guys night" as they do with her by their side. And that's admirable, I think. I've separated myself more from people that I'm not comfortable around. Why bad mouth them? It's not funny, it makes you look insecure, and if it's actually true, why are you with them? I don't even talk negatively about girls that I liked in the past. Sometimes things don't work out. I still liked them at the time, and to my knowledge, none of them knowingly or willingly hurt me. So you move on. There's several things that I really look forward to when I find "her", but one big one is showing her off to the people I care about. Having her meet my friends and family, and seeing them form relationships as well. That's the kind of stuff I think about.
What section does "never puked from drinking" go on my resume? Accomplishments?
When I went to football games in high school, I spent about 5% of the time watching the game, 5% of the time walking to get food at the concession stand, and 90% of the time trying to find my crush and see if she was cold enough to wear the mittens I made in sewing class. Chivalry.
I've been told several times that I "don't look like I'd listen to country music." I have no idea what that means, but I think liking several genres of music makes people more intriguing.
Missed Connection: You were glancing at me in amusement on 35W a few weeks ago. I was singing "Just a Girl" by No Doubt with accompanying air drums. Contact me.
If the world ever runs out of water, it's because I order it every time I'm at a restaurant and never touch it.
Not my proudest moment, but I was recently showering at the gym when I heard a song for the first time that I liked, so I sprinted to my locker to get my phone and Soundhound it. (p.s. the song was "Complicated" by Parking Lot Rockstar)..
They say Cancer men understand women better than any other sign in the Zodiac..
My mom always hounds me about how much money I spend on books, but she doesn't know that I've owned the same combination lock from the bike lock I got when I was 13 and rode to my little league baseball games. The money I save on combination locks, I buy books with :)
For a few minutes, I'm turning this post over to a co-worker of mind that works at our Grove City, OH location. I met her a few years ago when I was out there helping them for a couple weeks. She is the receptionist there, I thought she was pretty, so in a panic I insulted her sarcastically and then emailed her later to apologize. We've remained really close since then. Our friendship has become even tighter based on my recent efforts to become closer to God. She also has a close relationship with Him, and we've used that to support each other in times that have been difficult. Her and her husband recently went on a trip to Jamaica, and she told me about a specific event that touched her. I asked her to write about it and how it affected her, and she did. I'll post that below, but first I will give you a face to go with the story. You can see why I needlessly insulted her to have a reason to follow up:
"Recently I spent a vacation week in Jamaica. I couldn’t wait
to get there and forget my entire life here full of schedules, problems, and
stress. That’s their motto, you know - No Problem Mon!!
One of the tours we chose was a half day three stop bus tour
that took us to an old church from the 1600 or 1700’s, a “basic” school which
would be similar to our preschools- kids there were 3-5 year olds-and finally a
plantation where they grow coffee, bananas, sugar cane, pineapples, cocoa
beans, etc and had some random animals. It promised a served jerk-chicken
lunch and an exciting day. This tour wasn’t going to be as fun as our day at
Dolphin Cove but we signed up anyway hoping to taste some fresh foods and take
some cool church pictures.
The church was pretty cool. We took lots of pictures and
nearly sweat to death in there. Next we went to the school. It was a simple
rectangle building with wooden stairs out front with a high fenced in yard. The yard had all dead grass and there were a few used car tires laying out or
sticking out the ground. This was the “playground”. We all gathered outside the
front door to get some instructions and while we were waiting a little boy came
out to wash his hands. There was a white bucket on the steps with a faucet
attached. This little guy washed his hands off with the bucket water and hopped
back into class. It was snack time! When we entered the kids were all
sipping out of juice boxes and eating some form of Jamaican cheese its. They
wear purple school uniform dresses for the girls and purple shirts with khaki
pants for the boys. I have never seen so many gorgeous children in one room in
my entire life. Each “classroom” was made by dividers because the school was
basically one giant room. You could walk between the classrooms by walking past
each divider wall. They had the little ones at the back and the 5-year-olds at
the front. At first we just stared at the kids and they stared at us! They
encouraged us to talk to them, take their pictures, hug them- but it just felt so
weird like culture shock. They let tourists go in preschools-never would this
happen in the US! I tried to ask the kids what they were doing at first but
they were just busy eating their snacks and chit-chatting with each other.
I felt so overwhelmed that this was their classroom and their
school looked like a mini compound. Some of the boys started rough-housing and
I thought, 'I better wait outside. This was cool, but it’s not for me.' I stood
out there for a minute and I felt like God said to me “What are you doing out
here? Don’t you know they need your attention? Tell them they are special”. I
went back in the school and found a little group of girls spinning around in
circles and running around the room. I asked them what they were doing and if
they liked school. One girl looked up at me and said “I want to see
you”. I wasn’t sure what that meant! She tugged on my shorts again and
said “ I want to see you”. I promptly got down on my knees so that we were
close to eye level. She locked her eyes on mine and just stared while she was
sipping on her juice box. She told me her favorite color was blue and I was
wearing a blue t-shirt. She started rubbing my shoulder to feel the fabric,
seeming like she was breathing the whole experience in. I asked her the normal
5-year-old questions like does she like school, does she have brothers or
sisters (which she had like 5) and what was her favorite subject. She liked
answering my questions and I don’t think it really mattered what the questions
were because we were just staring at each other regardless. I noticed the bow
on her dress was untied and so I asked her if I could tie it. She said yes and
when I tied it I said "there, now you have a gorgeous bow." Other little
girls started gathering around us. I think I was the only adult who was on the
floor and I felt a little touch on my hair. I turned around to see about three
girls staring at me. I said “you can touch my hair if you want.” CHAOS ENSUED.
They all started running their fingers through my hair and petting my head. It
was a little girl mob and it was awesome. Somewhere in between I started
getting hugs and I did not want to leave. Looking at their faces and telling
them how beautiful they were was very emotional. They wanted hugs so bad. FROM
A STRANGER! I could barely walk out the school door because they just kept
hugging my legs and waist so I was hoping I wouldn’t trip and fall down on
them! The teacher had to pull them off of me so they could sing a song for us
called “Mango Time,” which was hilarious and adorable. I wanted to stay there
for longer but we had to go. I’m so glad that I went back in that school. It
made me wonder how many kids got hugs everyday or were told they were special.
I’m glad I got to tell them. It really made all my "first world problems" seem
completely ridiculous. The poorest of schools in the United States is not even
close to the condition and supplies that that school had. Meeting those kids
was the best hour of my entire vacation. I didn’t want to cry my eyes out in
front of them although one other lady in our tour did. She didn’t want to
leave them either. Those kids growing up and being loved is what life is about.
The fact that the buffet at our resort ran out of strawberry banana smoothies
in the morning vanished from my mind! I heard one couple complaining that there
"wasn’t enough alcohol in each drink they ordered" - never mind that the resort was
all inclusive with four bottles of liquor in your room each day. Or the other
couple who complained that it was "ridiculous to make a 'reservation' at one of
the resort restaurants." Were these people out of their minds? Don’t forget how
blessed you are, and that you have something to give that doesn’t cost a thing."
Other than just being really cool, I felt this Bob Marley quote went well with her story. She could have stayed outside of the school, and ignore the feeling that she had to go back in and interact with the children. She could have went back in and ignored the attention of those kids. If she had done that, she wouldn't have felt the emotion and love from them. She wouldn't have touched their lives, and they wouldn't have touched hers. I love stories like that. She's right, those moments are what life is all about.
I downloaded an app on my phone called The Chive, which declares themselves "probably the best site in the world." I can't really argue. They post a lot of humorous pictures, heart-warming pictures, and pictures of really hot every-day girls. I'll give you a few examples:
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| One of the coolest pictures I've ever seen. A soldier returning home to his girl. |
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| Good Grief. |
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| This wasn't in The Chive, but it's me as a baby and I'm really cute! Could use a smaller forehead, but beggars can't be choosers. |
There's a presidential debate tonight, and as always, I have little interest in watching it. Don't get me wrong, I understand the importance of politicians. I just think 99% of them, if not more, are liars and crooks. I know that America isn't in great shape right now, but is that Obama's fault, or is he trying to recover after Bush's mistakes? I'm not smart enough to know, which is why I typically vote for the candidate that I'd rather have a beer with and appears most genuine. All I want is for my family and I to have freedom, make a comfortable living, give my children a good, affordable education, get medical care promptly at an affordable price, and to have money to retire comfortably. And maybe have enough coin on the side to spoil the future Mrs. on occasion. If you can do that for me, let me know. I'll write you in.
A couple recent text exchanges with my roommate:
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| We're clearly inseparable. |
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| "Ladies men", you could say.. |
I wrote earlier about my visit to my brothers a few weeks ago, and I had a good conversation with my oldest brother, Bryan, when I got there. I arrived around midnight on a Friday, which is fine since both of us are big night owls. This night, I didn't have much of a choice since I drank about 5-gallons of coffee on the way down. Anyway, we sat around watching Sportscenter for a while, and he asked me about my recent baptism. I had been baptized as a baby, but I wanted to make a more conscious effort under my own will to do so as well. The main reason I was visiting this weekend was to attend their church on Sunday, because the pastor was going to talk about his battle with depression. My brother thought I would be interested in it with my past issues, and I did too. But Friday night, he and I discussed several things: how I can use God to help me get through anxiety problems, how politics are moving away from how God wants us to live, abortion, gay marriage, why bad things happen to good people, how we idolize money, fame and celebrities instead of God, how it's almost taboo to talk about God to others now, etc. We even talked about how God is working with me to find the right girl. If it doesn't work out with one, rather than beat myself up or think it was something I did, I just need to trust that it wasn't the right situation for me. I don't need to know the reason or think it was my fault, it just wasn't in God's plan. I'm not going to go deep into our conversation, because although it was one of the best conversations I've ever had, it was also personal. And I'm not going to beat people over the head with my belief in God, but I'm not ashamed by it either, because it's made me a much better person. I'm still the same guy, sarcastic and funny, "sweet and romantic", I just have a better grasp of what to worry about and what to trust Him with. A couple points I'd like to make though:
One, if you don't believe in God, or any higher power, that's your right and your business. But I'd suggest reading a book called "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo. His 3-year-old son died during surgery and went to Heaven, only to come back to life and tell his story about what Heaven was like, knowing things that a 3-year-old couldn't possibly know and hadn't been taught yet. He met his sister, who had died in a miscarriage before he was born and his parents had never told him about. He met his Grandpa and recognized him, even though his grandpa had died years before he was born. Those are the only things I'll share, because I don't want to ruin it, but it is an incredible book. Even if it doesn't change your beliefs, it's a phenomenal story. I've borrowed it to several people, all of whom were deeply moved by it.
Two, as I said, your beliefs are your business. If you're a non-believer in God or any other higher power, great. But here is how I would maturly argue that: let's put how the world began aside. If you believe that we suddenly appeared on Earth, or something other than God was behind life on Earth, you're fully allowed to think that. Put aside how everything is connected, the beauty of the outdoors, the machine that is the human body, etc. Put all of that aside. For the sake of argument, right now you don't believe and I do. Let's pretend for a minute that you're right. There is no God or higher power. Regardless, I'm going to live my life with integrity, kindness, compassion and love towards others, honesty and altruism, to the best of my ability. I'm going to treat people right, care about them and try to be a solid person. I'm going to try to be as "God-like" as I can. At the end of the day, if I'm wrong and there is no God, no Heaven or Hell, we end up in the same spot. We're just tied. Buried and that's the end. But what if you're wrong? You can't go back. You can't change the person you were. What if you're wrong?
As I do a lot of times, I'll close with some lyrics that I like.
"Overwhelmed" by Tim McMorris
From the first time I saw you
I knew that you'd be mine
And from the first glance you gave
My world it slowed, you stopped the time
And in that moment I could see all of the things that we would be
You were the girl I was waiting for, that I would ask to marry me
Like the beauty of the sun you light my life so I can see
You make me laugh and show me how, just how good this life can be
And in our moments filled with joy, is where I live, where I am free
Lay in my arms, I'll hold you tight, just like you like, continually
And I am, overwhelmed, by you
Am, overcome with joy
You've, taken me higher, and shown me what love can do
Where would I go, or be, without you
There's something in your smile that gives me strength to carry on
And there something in your words that lingers even when your gone
Oh I've dreamt, that a time like this would come, fulfill my life
Who could of known the one who'd bring it here would be my lovely wife
I could sing a thousand songs about you still that would not do
There's a million tiny things that make the things that you do, you
I wouldn't trade our time together, wouldn't trade for anything
Cause nothing else here in the world can bring the happiness you bring
And I am, overwhelmed, by you
Am, over come with joy
You've, taken me higher, and shown me what love can do
Where would I go, or be, without you
"I Do Not Love You" by Ron Pope
I do not love you for the way you kiss
Though your lips, they can put me at ease
And I do not love you for your sweet green eyes
Though I love when they’re looking at me
And I do not love you for the way your hands
Can touch me and quiet my soul
I love you for all of this and so much more
I do not love you for the way you dress
Though you do look so lovely tonight
And I do not love you for the things you know
Though I’ve always admired your mind
And I do not love you for the way I feel
That first moment you walk through the door
I love you for all of this and so much more
And all I know is you’re the part of me that keeps me strong
And what I want is for us to face forever
Standing up together, eyes turned towards the heavens, arm in arm
I do not love you for the way my heart
Seems to live somewhere inside your chest
And I do not love you for the way your arms
They can hold me until I forget
And I do not love you for the way you’ve been
Exactly what I’m looking for
I love you for all of this and so much more
I love you for all of this and so much more
