Sleepless Nights - What I'm Thinkin

(*NOTE - I am home sick today from work. Yes, me, Marc Sawyer, missed work because I'm sick. Ugh. Since I have nothing else to do, and I can't sleep anymore, I figured I'd make a blog post. So here ya go.)

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People always ask me "What do you think about when you can't fall asleep at night?" As we all know, this is virtually every night for me, so my answer always tends to turn into quite the opus.

Short Answer: I think about some pretty bizarre stuff.

I always end up asking myself questions that I have no way of finding out (or my own opinion doesn't cut it as a legit answer). So here's a brief look into a couple random things that have kept me up and thinking over the years (I'm sure I will either add to this post, or do a second chapter sometime later on in this blogging experiment):


Taste Test - If you and I each take a bite out of the same apple (any piece of food will suffice, but apple is the food of choice today), and I like the taste and you do NOT like the taste, what is actually occurring? Do you and I taste the EXACT same thing, and make a value judgment based on whether that is a satisfying taste? Or do we actually taste two different things based on our digestive or anatomical makeup? Do I have a specific set of tastebuds that allow the apple's taste to be appealing to me, but your tastebuds are aligned or sectioned off differently so it only grabs the sour tasting part of the apple? I'd like to think that the apple has ONE taste that, if all of us had the exact same palate, would provide us with the same sensory experience. But because we do NOT have the same palate, our tastebuds make the biological decision for us. As opposed to us tasting the same thing and then us judging it like we do a band we're listening to. I know, I know...weird.

Pain Tolerance - This is a tougher one because I know a lot of it has to do with body type. I have always wondered when someone is in a lot of pain, or if I have got hurt but realized it didn't hurt that bad, if we react the same to similar injuries, or is there such a thing as better "pain tolerance"? Let's say you and I are both of equal size and shape and muscle mass (so basically non-existent in this case, right?), and we each get kicked in the shin at the EXACT same velocity and force, do we feel the same amount of pain? Does it hurt one of us more than the other? Do we both feel the same pain, and then react differently because of our brain's makeup? Are our senses feeling the exact same amount of force and damage to our leg, and then we decide how much it hurts? Or does it feel TOTALLY different when that same kick happens? Does your body just have neurological and anatomical differences compared to mine that completely alter the sensory experience? Yes, folks, this is one I think about all the time.

That's it for now. I'm gonna go eat an apple and kick my own shin.

Marc's Endless Sports Rants

First off, I apologize to any of you non-sports fans out there reading this (although I think we all know that the total number of people reading this is smaller than the loyal fan base of NBC's "Parks & Recreation"...man that show blows). This post is just me ranting and raving about sports...And this is definitely just the tip of the iceberg in terms of things that do/don't annoy me. It's just what is on my mind today.

The Things that Drive Me Bonkers

1) Run hard to first base on a groundball. Holy hell. I don't care how much money Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez or Ryan Howard is making in the big leagues...you run all the way through that base.
2) Is it just me, or has the NFL's overall tackling ability gone to hell in the past 3-4 years?
3) Why is it that Wide Receivers are now the most-talked about OFF-THE-FIELD athletes in sports? They are babies who can't catch a ball without wearing iso-toners. Gimme a break.
4) Calling all outfielders - Use two hands to catch the damn ball in your glove. Period.
5) Every time I see a soccer player flop on the ground with a fake injury to instigate a yellow card after virtually no human contact, I secretly wish the ref kicks him in the groin to keep him down there.
6) The NBA is just one big double-dribble. Point guards get away with murder. John Stockton is probably turning in his graving...oh wait...he is still alive? Sign him up Utah!
7) Palming is not a legal dribbling move...so stop it. The basketball is not a tray of wine.
8) Baseball players who chew tobacco - You're on national television, inflicting potentially countless forms of cancer upon yourself in front of impressionable youth ball players that have no other wish than to BE YOU...if you don't like it, choose a different profession.
9) Contrary to popular belief, baseball hats are NOT food. So stop folding them in half like tacos or leaving them uncurled like flat pancakes. You take the hat, you naturally curve it with the palms of your hands so each end bends to the side slightly. Not that hard people.
10) Baseball players who confuse their uniform pants with kids footsie pajamas. Manny Ramirez, CC Sabathia, Khalil Greene (that's right, you just got a Khalil Greene reference)...shape up. You wear those pants about 3 inches below the knee, and wear some high socks old school style baby!
11) Team Carousels - I mentioned this in an earlier blog post - but man, why can't NBA teams have the same returning 5 starters every year? And MLB have the same 5-man rotation? Ugh, it's hard to follow teams anymore...we just follow our players.

Things that (surprisingly) Don't Drive Me Bonkers (some of these may surprise you)

1) I like touchdown celebrations...if they are well-rehearsed, topical, and creative (I know majority of you will disagree with this one...but I love a good dance move)

2) I don't mind the backwards baseball cap in NON-GAME settings. As long as you wear your hat straight forward - no sideways crap - in the game, I don't care what you wear outside of the game. Ken Griffey, Jr. revolutionized the backwards hat when he would wear it in the mid-90's Home Run Derbies. He is the reason you will see my hat backwards time to time.

3) Hockey Fights - Anyone that grew up watching Mighty Ducks II knows how important fighting is to hockey. Just remember what Russ Tyler's brother taught Ken Wu on the streets! "Stick. Gloves. Shirt."

4) Players ACCEPTING big contracts. I emphasize accepting because although I have a huge problem with what players get paid, I do not blame them for ACCEPTING a team's offer. When Alex Rodriguez was presented an offer of $252 million by the Texas Rangers, what was he gonna say, "Uh, geez guys. That's an awful lot of money. Could you cut that in half please?"! No! I'd take the money too, if it was offered to me. I'm not saying he should have been OFFERED that money...and trust me, there is a blog rant coming about sports salaries, don't you worry.

Things I'm Torn About

1) Tennis Grunting - It takes a decent amount of effort to run down and hit a tennis ball as hard as the pros do. I have no problem with loud exhaling that may come off as a small "grunt". However, the borderline orgasmic (or pained) sounds women like Martina Hingis or Serena Williams make have no place in professional tennis. I'm not being sexist, I just haven't heard Andy Roddick or Roger Federer "enjoy" themselves that much on the court recently.

2) Talking in Third Person -Normally, this would immediately fall into the "Things That Drive Me Bonkers" category, but I have one exception...Ricky Henderson. I could listen to that numskull talk in 3rd person, all day, every day. Sometimes I think he forgets he is even talking about himself. Pure entertainment.

3) Quarterback Protection Rules - Alright, I get some of the rules that protect quarterbacks from losing their heads and limbs when they are helpless. But last I checked, their name is on the football roster...which means they are a football player. You get your butt pounded just like the guys blocking ahead of you. If you stay in the pocket and wait for a bit before getting rid of that ball, you ask for it. So unless you're a behemoth like JaMarcus Russell, or can stay ahead of the pack like the old Michael Vick (pre-jail time), you better get used to some bumps and bruises when I become commissioner of the NFL...

4) 9th Inning Closer Introductions - these are getting a little out of hand. I grew up in the glory years of Trevor Hoffman running in from center field while the crowd rocked out to "Hells Bells". These were some of the most magical sports moments in my short sports-infused life. However, it is too common now. It is a performance. And they give it to some guys that don't deserve the pomp and circumstance (yet, at least). I like Heath Bell, but he doesn't deserve his own entrance music and video in San Diego. ESPECIALLY coming on the heels of Trevor.

That's it...for now. Man, I am starting to sound like an old curmudgeon.

Just a Regular Life Update - With Some Tangents

So this is just a life update...no theme to this post. Just Marc.

Went to the 13th Annual Ballast Point Brewery Beer Festival on Saturday down at Liberty Station with some great friends...it was awesome. Despite it being quite hot (we hit the jackpot with a bench in the shade), we had a great time, and definitely took advantage of the TEN tastings that are offered with the price of admission (a respectable and relatively affordable $25). There were breweries from all over San Diego, including some I had never heard of, and some great new beers! I recommend this event to anyone who enjoys a good brew and a fun outside environment.

Next up - November 6th, San Diego Brewers Guild Beer Festival at the World Beat Center. Went there two years ago, and it was a great time. Check it out!

Other than that, I am officially settled into my new place. I got a brand new sectional "L-Shaped" couch, blew up and framed some of my photography for the walls, and feel like it's actually my place and completed! I love the place, and am very happy with the relative proximity to work and the freeways. So yay for that.

Thanksgiving is coming up, so I'm excited to make my (what has become) annual trek up to San Francisco to see the bro and sis. This is my favorite trip every year, not as much for the holiday as goofing off with the sibs. I'm the baby of the three, and I make sure I act like it (and if I don't, they don't hesitate to remind me).

A few posts ago I established some new goals for myself to stay motivated and do the things that I enjoy, with no excuses. I know some of you have stayed on me about this (THANK YOU!), so I thought I'd let my loyal readers (cuz I know all of you have bookmarked my blog and check it religiously three times/day) know how I fared in Week One.

Refresher Course on 3 Goals (including this week's outcome):

1) SURF ONCE A WEEK
-Surfed Campgrounds on Saturday from 7:00-9:30am
2) RUN 3 TIMES/WEEK
-Ran Sunday afternoon, Thursday morning, and planning on running this afternoon (will confirm later)
-UPDATE - Yep, ran Sunday afternoon
3) NEVER PUT CAMERA DOWN
-Shot night photography Tuesday & Friday, shot sunset Saturday

Sorry if this was a boring post for you readers or if it was lacking sufficient rants and ravings about random pet peeves...but it's my blog, not yours! HA!

Favorite Meals in San Diego

I love food. If I could marry food, I would (sorry ladies). And for those of you that know me, you also know that my metabolism allows me to consume virtually any quantity of food at any given time. And as you also know...all the weight goes to my feet.

Living in San Diego, there are countless culinary options to appease my ever-changing palate. Be it classic San Diego mexican cuisine, fresh seafood from the San Diego Bay, gourmet dining at local breweries, refreshing breakfast/brunch joints across the coast, or even the local hole-in-the-wall establishments who specialize in grease and deliciousness...we've got it all.

In this episode of "Marc's Food Obsession", I will be attempting to name my TOP 5 FAVORITE MEALS IN SAN DIEGO.

THE CRITERIA
1) Now when I say "favorite", do I mean a meal I could eat for the rest of my life? Or is it strictly just the best meal I've ever had, consistently? For this exercise, I define "favorite meal" as the food that, upon touching my taste buds for the first time, creates such a cathartic reaction that I literally have to put my utensil down, take a deep breath, and make some exaggerated gesture of appreciation to portray the magnitude of the culinary intensity I am experiencing.

2) I am by no means rating the restaurant. I am strictly judging off of one single dish. Granted, the majority of the places I mention would receive high marks in a "Restaurant Review", but that is of no relevance to this exercise.

3) I tried to keep the choices specific to our area. Option #4 is a bit of a stretch, as the chain also exists in L.A., but there's no way I'm leaving that one out. But, for those of you wondering why I don't have Wings 'n Things on this list...thats' why.

4) I only chose 5 meals, so there are plenty more deserving of Honorable Mention. I apologize to any snubs of your palatable favorites.

THE ENVELOPE PLEASE....
1) Mac 'n Beer Cheese - Stone Brewery

This is the most ridiculously, incredible, salivatingly tasty dish in history of the universe. Describing it would do an injustice to it, so here is the menu description - Classic Mac 'n Cheese made with Stone Smoked Porter & Garlic Beer Cheese with sundried tomatoes, basil and Smoked Porter Sausage


2) California Burrito w/ Guacamole - Rico's Taco Shop

North County kids know what I'm talking about. This is a good-size burrito with carne asada, cheese, sour cream, and....FRENCH FRIES. Yep, don't waste my time with potatoes, this is the most epic burrito in San Diego. But of course, no burrito is finished without a healthy dose of Rico's hot sauce covering EVERY bite (no exceptions).

3) California Delight Sandwich & Very Berry Smooothie - Swami's Cafe

Oh man, nostalgia. They have the BEST sandwiches, and this is my personal favorite. Avocado, jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, sprouts, Dijon, mayo on a croissant (for an extra buck). Smoothie has apple juice, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, & boysenberries. Such a refreshing meal. Yum.



4) Double Chili Cheeseburger with Fries - Original Tommy's Burgers

My best bud (aptly named Tom) introduced me to this in 2007, and man have I been missing out. It is greasy, salty, cholesterol-loaded heaven (see diagram to left). And you gotta start by using your fries to scrape off excess, oozing chili off sides. Napkins optional.


5) Western Cheeseburger w/ Bacon and Basket of Fries - Chief's Burgers & Brew

Simply put...huge burger, best flavor in town. Ridiculously thick strips of fatty bacon, perfect BBQ sauce...oh man.



Honorable Mention
Pizza Carlsbad & Sharkbite Red Ale - Pizza Port Brewing Company
Bacon Breakfast Burrito - Pipes Cafe
Red Trolley BBQ Cheeseburger & Garlic Fries - Karl Strauss Brewery


Yea...so for those of you in San Diego...go check these out.

(I'm gonna go eat my PB&J, Doritos, and apple juice-box in my office now...)

Appreciating Life

I appreciate people who appreciate life. I have found myself consistently being drawn to those who spend their time relishing the life they are living, rolling with the punches dealt to them, and doing it all the while with a smile (that rhymes...awesome).

So many of us get bogged down in the agonizingly boring day-to-day minutiae that confronts us at every turn. The small details, the random problems, the teeth-pulling interactions...those will always be there. But in no way does that define who we are or how we live our lives.

Simply put - I am surrounding myself with people with passion. This theory sounds so basic and elementary, but focusing on it and surrounding myself with these types of people has had an amazing effect on me and how I choose to prioritize and live my life. Spending time with people who genuinely appreciate life and who rarely let things negatively affect them is so incredibly refreshing and inspirational for me. I consider myself a relatively upbeat person with lots of energy, but I have never considered myself immune to falling into ruts or losing sight of why I'm happy to be living.

I have friends that have dedicated large portions of their lives to meeting certain life and career goals, and have never wavered from that path, and are now exactly where they want to be. I have friends who have strong passions and know what makes them happy, and they sacrifice other parts of their lives to make sure they allow themselves time to do the things they love.

Over the past few months, I have realized that certain parts of our lives are formalities. We will always have the annoying nuances of work, paying bills, car maintenance problems, laundry, and shaving (ugh, I hate shaving). But when you can get to the point where you accept these minor facets of life and allow yourself to see beyond them, this is when you set yourself up for success.

I can't tell you how impressed I am with the people who work 10-12 hour days and come home and are immediately ready to say "Hey, let's go out and get a drink" or "I can't wait to go on a run", or "I'm gonna cook a great dinner." They never once complain about their long day, or make excuses for why they can't go do something because they are tired or have no motivation. I really hate excuses, and I'm starting to realize how easy it is to avoid them altogether. Those of you I'm talking about, you know who you are. I appreciate every day I spend with you, because you give me perspective on what is really important to me.

I feel at my best with my friends. Again, you know who you are. This past May I was in Washington D.C. with some college friends, and I was walking with one of them at the 9/11 monument outside the Pentagon, and I just had one of those out-of-body moments where I was able to see myself...and I realized how much I loved the person I was when I was with those friends. So you UCLA kids, you have a huge impact on my well-being and happiness. Thank You.

I still have some amazing friends that I've known since high school. These guys are my glue. They know everything about me. And they still treat me with the most respect of anyone I know. We will always have each other's backs for the rest of our lives, and to have that kind of feeling of comfort and safety with your boys...it makes you feel empowered and appreciative. You guys know who you are.

And now I am meeting new people. I will NEVER stop meeting people. Talking and getting to know people is my favorite thing. The past couple months I have had the amazing opportunity to meet some incredible people, and even better, continue to get to know them. Spending time with these people immediately gives me a renewed sense of life and energy, and it is so refreshing, it's hard to explain. To those of you who have made your way into my life circle, I love what you have done for my happiness, confidence, and enthusiasm.

I love surfing. I love running. I love photography. I love cooking. I love driving. I love being outdoors. There's nothing that should get in my way of doing any of these things. And it is people with passion that remind me how possible it is to achieve all I want in my life.

I want to be successful. I'd love to make tons of money. But more than anything, I hope at any given juncture in my life, I can say I am happy. Not content. Not fine. Genuinely happy.

Here's to all of you attaining that happiness too.

Motivation - The Eternal Struggle

Recently I have found myself uncharacteristically annoyed with my lack of motivation. The reason I am frustrated is because there are certain things I have always loved doing (i.e. surf, run, shoot photography), but recently I have somehow found a way to almost entirely remove them from my free time exploits.

What the hell?

SURFING
I have been surfing since I was 13 years old. When I was in high school, I surfed every day, sometimes twice a day for four years, and it is no secret to any of you who know me (and especially that have had the experience of sitting on a board in the water with me) that surfing is the single most relaxing thing in my life (this may become a post in itself later - surfing serenity). I could never catch a wave for a whole session and still have an incredible day (and believe me, those days have happened). My surfboard is now a piece of free-standing wall decor in my bedroom corner, and I have surfed maybe 3 times in 2009. So how do I explain the fact that one of the things I love to do most, I have let fall completely by the wayside? I guarantee you any explanation I try and offer will not be a legit excuse. My biggest "excuse" is that I have moved to a place that is further from the beach than I have ever been in my life. But that is a relative statement, seeing as it would take me 20 minutes or so to get to beach. This is a matter of me being spoiled and missing the days of 2-minute car rides to Ponto/Grandview/Swami's. Other excuses include less time after work (so why don't I surf before or on weekends?), and less friends to surf with (I enjoy surfing alone, so that's bogus).

RUNNING
I have been running since before high school. I ran track. I ran during college. I started running when I came back to SD from college. But within the last two years, my love affair with running has come to a screeching halt. And it has nothing to do with liking running. It is strictly a matter of sitting at home and saying "I could put running shoes on right now, or I could cook some dinner and relax...". I really hate this. I am starting to be disappointed in myself, which is never a good thing.

PHOTOGRAPHY
And then there is photography. I have been interested in photography for quite some time, but only within the last 2-3 years have I become serious about wanting to shoot regularly and improve the quality of my work. Right now, photography is the only thread I am still hanging on to, but barely. I will still get up on a weekend and decide just to drive wherever my car takes me and shoot whatever my camera lens aims. But even this is no longer a guaranteed phenomenon. I still require some internal coaxing to make it happen.

And therein lies the problem. I, for some reason, am needing to be convinced that it is something I should be doing. Apparently "want" is no longer the driving force in my thought process, which is sad. I need to get back to what it is I love to do, why it is I love it...and just go do it. I have fallen into the extremely unhealthy rut of passively denying myself the joys of life that I so passionately cherish. You would think that statement alone would motivate me to get my ass outside and buck the trend.

So what is it? It is my life-long battle with motivation and personal accountability. Now, I would consider myself an extremely responsible, driven person. But for some reason, when it comes to my own personal well-being and enjoyment, I somehow let that stuff take a backseat, thanks to a bizarre passive attitude I have developed. What's worse is that I am aware of this problem, and yet I am still letting it happen.

People reading this will say, "Well, just get up and go do it." And to those of you thinking that...you are absolutely right. I have no argument with your logic. That is exactly what I should be doing. Surprisingly, writing or addressing your problems often gives you a new perspective on what otherwise may have seemed like a beaten-horse issue. And that's what this post has done...reminded me of how UTTERLY RIDICULOUS this new trend is, and how I need to shake it fast.

THE REMEDY
So now what? I have decided to try and hold myself accountable again. But not to the point where I feel I am forcing these activities...I just want to give myself the opportunity to do them again. So, here's the plan (and I would be more than happy if any of you decide to follow up with this and continue to encourage this process):

1) I will surf at least once/week. It will probably be weekends, but I do not want to limit my options.

2) I will run at least 3 times/week. I know, lame goal to some of you runners out there, but I need the consistency of a routine to get me started.

3) I will never put my camera down. Any opportunity I get, I will shoot something new. I am going to start putting together day-trips for myself, pointing out places I'd like to go experiment shooting (like my old days of Coronado, La Jolla Shores, Zoo, etc.).

Sounds like a bunch of poppy-cock, doesn't it? Marc writes a blog post, and by the end of it he now has a renewed lease on life and his personal joys? That's rich, I know. The obvious question now is...will I follow up?

There's only one way to find out. And I'm excited to see.

Did We Learn a Different English Language?

So we all have our vices. We all have our things that do well. And we all have things that drive us absolutely up the wall. And for those of you out there reading this that are guilty of the following linguistic crimes...you're killin' me.

Listed below are the two linguistic offenses we will address today:

1) We have a fully functional English language. We do not need to make up new words.
2) Words have proper pronunciations. Use them.

*I should also preface this by saying that I, myself, have at some point been guilty of both of these offenses. However, upon learning I was violating these two colloquial codes of conduct, I quickly altered my speech to reflect the correct change. MY VIOLATION - I thought the correct phrase was "for all intensive purposes". Then it was explained to me that the phrase is "for all intents and purposes." I felt like an idiot. Then I got over it. So my goal here is not to bash and embarrass...it is to enlighten and hopefully correct some common misconceptions about the English Language.

Issue #1 - We have a fully functional English language. We do not need to make up new words.
This is not a rant about words like Bootylicious, Dank, and Dope making their way into every day language. This is about words and phrases that people actually think are real words and phrases, but in reality are totally made up.

Here are three examples to illustrate my point:
-irregardless
-run a tight shift
-spitting image

Hopefully (but not likely) all of you realize that none of those are real words or phrases. Let me say that again...

"IRREGARDLESS IS NOT A WORD!" Ya got it? Holy hell, I got annoyed just typing that word. The word is REGARDLESS...irregardless is not a word. Don't say that word, ever.

I won't go into long detail about the other two, but here's a brief explanation. It is "run a tight ship" (not shift), and "spit and image", (not spitting). However, if you're wondering where that second phrase came from, there is a good explanation here.

Issue #2 - Words have proper pronunciation. Use that.
If I took the time to write out the laundry list of mispronounced words, my blog would eerily resemble the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, so I will limit the list to those that have the nail-on-the-chalkboard effect on me.

Mispronounced words (with ACTUAL word/pronunciation in parentheses):
-supposably (supposedly)
-excape/expecially/expresso - there is no friggin "X", ok?!
-sherbert (sher-BET)
-bowlth (both)
-cran (cray-on)
-mere (mirr-or)
-nucular (nuc-lee-er)

Again, just typing these words puts me on edge. My mom still says "both" wrong...with that damn "L" sound. I understand "crayon" is not an easy word to say immediately, but it is because we are all lazy as hell and don't take the time to ENUNCIATE OUR WORDS...they have syllables...use them.

I know, I know...I need a life. But who needs a life...when you have a blog?

Facebook

Yep, that's right, I am blogging about Facebook. By no means am I proud of the fact that the oddly-acceptable-stalking-network known as Facebook is such a pervasive medium that it has earned itself a place in my blog. But, as my boss says, "It is what it is...".

Let me first start out by saying I am a supporter of Facebook's original intentions, and that I frequent the site at least 3 times/day. The fact that I can be re-connected with my kindergarten best friend, or keep tabs on friends across the country is phenomenal. Facebook has created a new means by which people can keep in touch with people with whom they otherwise may have fallen out of touch.

But I HATE what Facebook is doing to interpersonal communication.

It is no secret that I am a talker. My favorite thing to do is to talk to people in person and get to know them. One-on-one physical interactions with friends (and strangers) provide arguably all of our best moments in life. We will never get to the point (I hope) where we start saying "Man, that was one of the best conversations I've ever had...over FB Chat". We are physical beings, needing real-life, in the flesh interactions with our friends and family...and those days are slipping away.

*It should be noted here that Facebook is by no means the first invention to have this effect. People might try and cite MySpace as the culprit, but when you think about it, you can trace this trend back to cell phones, text messages, Internet, and even as far back as the telegram. Our society has consistently and continually come up with new means of convenient discourse.

So what is it specifically about FB I don't like? I don't like that I know someone went on a cruise two weeks ago, and yet, I haven't spoken to them in two years. I don't like that I know one of my old friends just broke up with their girlfriend, and I found out through a depressing "broken heart" icon on my News Feed. And I really don't like that instead of picking up the phone and catching up with someone, both me and my friends settle for the obligatory Wall post that reads "It's been forever, how are you?!" First off, it's debatable that the person asking the question is even seriously concerned about the answer. But even if they were, do any of us really expect to come back to our FB Wall to find a narrative opus from our friend detailing the recent exploits of their lives? No, we know, without fail, the response will be "I'm good! Workin' a lot, but nothin too crazy. How are YOU?" A successfully deflected question, that now puts the onus on you to choose whether or not you want to respond (which either way, that person won't care).

People who are FB friends with me know I rarely post photos, and for the longest time, had ZERO information about myself on my profile. I want people to find out about me through me, not my FB status. Now, I finally gave in and put an actual photo of myself up there, because if someone is trying to find me, the silhouette photo of me wasn't really much help. And I have slowly put some music interests up, as well as a grab-bag list of unimportant factoids about myself.

Do you realize there was a time where if I wanted to talk to you or get hold of you, I would have had to jump on my covered wagon or make-shift bicycle and go to your house? Or even before the days of cell phones (or as my friend Branden so aptly named them "electronic leashes"), you couldn't just shoot them a text or voicemail, you still either had to find them on a home phone, or go see them.

I'm not as worried about my friends that live in Washington D.C. or Florida (or overseas), because FB, in my opinion, helps with keeping in touch with them. It's the people that live in California, and especially San Diego, that I have no excuse to be relying on Facebook. You all know how much I crave attention, how much of a chatterbox I am, and how much I thrive on making a fool of myself in front of my friends...and Facebook is undercutting those goals.

I'm not suggesting we do away with Facebook, because I think it is actually a warranted public service. I am merely suggesting we not rely on it as the primary source of communication between friends, and that we remember why we became friends in the first place. Facebook did not create our friendship, it is just preserving our line of communication. So remember the times we met, why we became friends, and why we are still friends...and use that as our base for communication.

Sorry Facebook, you ain't gonna replace me.

Sports Depression

It should come as no surprise that my first dedicated blog post is about sports. Ever since my mom taught me how to read a box score in the newspaper when I was 6 years old, I have been addicted to everything and anything about sports: the statistics, the smells, the debates, the famous plays, along with all the other pointless minutiae that single-handedly provides people like Vin Scully and Dick Enberg with the most amazing jobs on earth.

As a kid, I grew up in the sports heydays of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Jerry Rice, Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds (when his waist looked like my waist, not when his bicep looked like my waist), and, of course, my hometown hero, Tony Gwynn. Sports were my life. I watched them, played them, and day-dreamed about them.

Sports were THE constant. I knew when I turned on the TV, I'd see Jordan and Pippen on the Bulls battling Stockton & Malone on the Jazz. I knew Junior Seau would be lighting up both the fans and the opposing quarterback at Qualcomm Stadium. I knew it was "Primetime" any time Deion Sanders set foot on the field. And I knew that regardless of how bad the Padres were, Tony would be back the next season.

I have one simple question - what the hell happened?

Sports has become a new type of TV drama. The "industry" (and who the hell started calling sports an industry?) is consumed by arrests, public tirades, drug charges, petty name-calling, domestic abuse, and players demanding more money. Sports teams have become revolving-door carousels for all players, the media has inundated us with meaningless crap-ola that we shouldn't even CARE about (and yet we do), and worst of all...no player EVER stays on the same team. Jordan finished with the Wizards. Malone a Laker. And Seau just recently began his 476th stint with the Patriots...

To illustrate my point, take a look at the TOP 7 Headlines of the day on ESPN.com:

-Limbaugh fires back; is Faulk next in Rams bid?
-Report: Players ask Redskins to back Zorn
-Pitino: Players won't lose game time over arrest
-Pujols in no hurry to talk extension with Cards
-Cavs treating flu-ridden LeBron for H1N1 virus
-Rodgers refuses to rip Packers' porous O-line
-Jones-Drew rebukes Jags play-calling

No scores. No awards. Not even a bloody trade rumor. It's about pompous jackasses (Limbaugh), power-hungry (not to mention COMPLETELY politically-incorrect) ownership (Redskins) cheating coaches (Pitino), whiny players (Jones-Drew), and unloyal players (Pujols). And just because Lebron James is a "high-profile" athlete, we now consider it huge news that he is being treated for Swine Flu? How many people in the world are getting that treatment without a single word being said (actually, he probably gets private Swine Flu vaccinations that aren't available to the general public, but that's besides the point)?

As for Rodgers...he actually did something GOOD by not ripping how HORRENDOUS his offensive line was in their Monday night loss to Minnesota (which I can say, after having watched, the fact that Rodgers left the game on his own two feet and with all of his teeth is a physiological miracle). But what does the headline say? That he is "refusing" to rip his team? As if that's a bad thing? The media is almost encouraging that he SHOULD be ripping them a new one! Drives me bonkers.

Sports are no longer constant. They are a made-for-TV soap opera, with people who confuse their surnames for their jersey numbers (SEE: Chad Ochocinco) and people who can't decide if they should un-retire for the 9th time to play for their arch-rival (SEE: Brett Favre, Roger Clemens). This stuff makes me sick.

I still love sports. I always will. But not like the 80's and 90's...

But, hey, at least I've still got Tony.

Bloggin the Dream

Blog or Bust?

Well, I've been toying with the idea of creating a blog now for about a year, and every time I came close to creating it, I always ended up saying "What am I going to write about...?" But after debating this question internally for a year, I realized there was really only one way to find out...

Which brings us to this blog. This will be a social experiment, 1) to see how (if) I stay motivated to post regularly, and 2) to see if there is actually anything interesting about me! The blog posts that ensue will be wide-ranging, covering topics that include (but certainly not limited to):

-food reviews
-photography
-sports rants
-who I'd like to be in another life
-things that keep me up at night (maybe a blog in itself)

Simply put, I'm writing about...Livin' the Dream.

Enjoy the ride.