Here’s something pretty crazy I thought I’d share:

As a former Personal Fitness Trainer of more than a decade, I knew better. I knew better than what you ask?  Eating a horrendous amount of potato chips and other fatty foods while busy playing my guitar and blogging before bed. Oh and let’s not forget the cold Moosehead beer or shot of whiskey on the rocks.

Luckily I am from a hereditarily small to medium sized family, and the weight I gained was unnoticeable, (except to me) but man you won’t believe the calories and fat I consumed. Here goes:

I was routinely eating as little as 4.oz to as many as 8 or 9.oz of Wavy Lays chips every evening while writing and playing my guitar. Are you freaking kidding me? If you do the math that is NUTS! At 150 calories per ounce and a whopping 10 grams of fat per ounce, I was consuming between 600 calories and 40 grams of fat, to as much as 1350 calories and 90 grams of fat, all in a span of 3 hours EACH night! DAMNIT, that is totally insane!

That right there is an example of how fat and calories add up. Now I am getting/eating a 1 to 1.5 .oz serving of pretzels which happen to be naturally fat free, (or close) and 1 table spoon of Ranch dressing. That’s a total of 170 calories and 7 grams of fat, and I never eat all of the Ranch or pretzels. And even by the lowest figures I am eating 430 calories and 33 grams of fat less than before.

As a Personal Trainer, this was the type of thing I used to always do for anyone who asked. Most people, including myself, were always shocked at what we were putting into our bodies.

So, are you overdoing it?  If you need any advice or have information of your own to help someone, then please leave it here or message me!  I can't imagine the yearly total on that stuff?

P.S. If you are wondering, I gained  12 lbs.  I went from 165 lbs to 177 lbs in 4 months.   And yes, I still enjoy a cold  (or two) or a straight up shot of CC or Jim Beam on the rocks!

This morning as I was preparing Sunday dinner for some friends and family, I ventured into my own world as I usually do. I like to call it “taking a trip without leaving home,” aka “day dreaming.”

Anyway, unlike many times before, this little day dream session cost me some food. Not paying attention, I forgot to drain the water from what was going to be a three cheese baked macaroni and cheese dish with seasoned buttery bread crumbs. It looked horrible!

The good thing is that I obviously caught the mistake, but what if I hadn’t? Would you have told me if you knew, or would you in some noble fashion try to spare my feelings? Let me say this: I hope you would’ve told me.

I ask because of a similar mistake that occurred with one of my family members several years ago when I was young. The only difference was that mine was made from scratch and the family member made theirs from the box. Three boxes in fact, and all three boxes were swimming in about 6 cups of water. Pardon my expression, but it looked like SHIT, and tasted even worse!

Yeah I said “tasted”. In my family everything was always, “hush hush.” It was either, “don’t say this because people might think,” or “it’s not polite to say this or that” etc. Do you know the type I’m talking about? So in family like fashion, I was made to endure a nice big serving of macaroni and cheese-water!

How dare they do that?! First of all, you are allowing friends, family, etc, to make an ass of themselves and suffer possible humiliation over their mistake. Secondly, why do that to a child? They’re not the family dog, they’re human just as you are aren’t they? Hell, I wouldn’t even feed my dogs a culinary debacle such as that. Oops, let me rephrase that because I don’t think that mac and cheese from the BOX counts as a culinary debacle, more like a stovetop brain-fart!

So, would you speak up and spare the person cooking it the embarrassment, or would you allow it to reach the table and just set back and watch everyone suffer? This can apply to anything and not just food.

Not to rain on your Christmas parade or anything, but is this recession not causing a depression that's leaving you feeling as though you need a good decompression?  I mean gees, I have NEVER known of a time in my life that's been so damn bad in relation to the US dollar and our economy.  And this:  If you received a gift card today, you might want to take a glance at this list I found just a few minutes ago.  It's a list of retailers who are either in deep trouble, or who are flirting with the bankruptcy courts.

Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)
Ann Taylor - 117 stores nationwide will be closing.
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, and Catherine's -Closing 150 stores nationwide
Eddie Bauer will close 27 stores and more after January.
Cache will close all stores.
Talbots closing down specialty stores.
J.Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)
Pacific Sunwear (owned by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores - more to be closed after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down all remaining stores.
Bombay closing remaining stores.
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January
Home Depot closing 15 stores and 1 in NJ (New Brunswick)
Macy's will close 9 stores after January
Linens and Things closing all stores
Movie Gailey closing all stores
Pep Boys closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penny closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down all 12 stores
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stores
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Lowes will close some stores
Dillard's will close some stores.

So, do you have a gift card from one of these stores?  If you do then you better go and spend like crazy before they move from your neighborhood or bite the dust altogether.

If you're like me you're asking yourself "what in the world is going on?"  Uh, a war, that's what!  Plus we now have a new and very inexperienced President getting ready to run our country, and the fact of the matter is this:  Barack Obama is our President, like it or not.  He's what our public voted for and he is EVERYONE'S President.  Unlike some people, I was taught to respect the man in the oval office whether he was my choice or not.  This is America, the best nation in the world, and the nation that's taken for granted by its citizens more than any other nation in the world.  

So now what?  First, get your gift card and spend it before the company goes out of business.  Next, let's get behind our new government and get our Soldiers home, then get our economy back to where it once was.  'We' (I mean that collectively) can NOT afford to watch the Big 3 automakers go under.  That would be a catastrophe!  Once the economy hits an upswing, then so will the job market.

So as this old year leaves and a new one enters we all must remember to keep a positive attitude, take care of each other in our times of need and weaknesses, and always remember that tomorrow's a new day.

As always: Much love to all!

I just wanted to take the time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.  May you also be blessed with good health for the upcoming year.  (You'll need it after stuffing your pie-holes for two straight weeks.)

Hopefully I'll be back on and blogging more as well.  I've received several messages concerning my whereabouts, and like many of you, I've been extremely busy.

Anyway, I hope all of you are well, and I look forward to spending 2009 with you blogging and having fun just as I have in years past. 

Much love to all!

Nothing says "I don't give a s%t" like triple shot of bourbon with Coke, or gives you the poker face to say, "yeah it's the greatest gift ever" like a double shot of 12 year old whiskey on the rocks.  

I'm actually kidding, but haven't you wished that you could escape that awkward bit of time when someone gives you a gift that totally stinks?  You know what I'm talking about, something like a limited edition bar of Old Spice or Oil Of Olay soap, or a  sweater that's uglier than a pile of dog shit?  I mean seriously, who's going wear a brown and yellow sweater with fake leather shoulder pads?  Inmates maybe?
Yeah, that sweater, don't ya love it?

I was reminded of this seasonal tragedy while standing in the check-out at Wal-Mart yesterday when a young lady in her mid to late 20's began to unload her buggy in front of me.  In doing so she sat not one, or two, but four packages of translucent green storage containers on the check lane.  She then looked at the cashier and said, "oh, aren't these so cute, and cheap?"  "I'm  going to give them to both of my aunts, and take one to work for our gift exchange party."    Oh yeah, nothing says fun and festivities like three or four ugly green food storage containers neatly stacked one inside of the other!  Gotta have those bad-boys!

What is it with people and their sudden retarded taste in gift giving?  Or are they just out of the loop when it comes to coolness and etiquette?  Seriously, unless it's your Mom, what does it say when you give someone soap?

Thank God for the gift card!  A few years back gift cards were looked upon as a cop-out, but now it's considered cool and savvy.   The only problem is that the people with poor taste are the ones who continues to buy the economic vomit known as seasonal gifts.  

So what's the solution you ask?  Unfortunately I don't think there is one unless you revert back to my first paragraph, then you must be careful and do it in moderation.  You also need to refrain from speaking your mind while on the Bourbon (or booze of choice) as well, as this might hurt aunt Gertrude's feelings, thereby causing her to seize up and commit to silence for the next six months.

Every time I let my guard down and begin to give organized religion the benefit of the doubt, a story like this one comes along and smacks reality right back into my head.

To get you up to speed, I'll briefly take you back to October 24th 2008:  A horrific car crash claims the lives of four high school cheerleaders, as well as a grandmother and an unborn child near Huntsville, TN.  No alcohol, drugs or any foul play was said to be involved, just four innocent young girls driving home after a friends birthday party and a Friday night high school football game, much like many of us did in our young lives.

Fast-forward:  As if this freak accident wasn't sad, mournful and heart-wrenching enough, a so-called Baptist church based out of Kansas is protesting the school where the cheerleaders were students, calling their deaths "Gods punishment."   Now the principal of the school where the deceased girls were students is having to call off school for the day because these spineless shit heads are protesting outside of the school.

Wow, you have to be kidding me?!  I'm speechless.  In fact, read for yourself.  It's churches and people such as this that sent me running as fast as possible from any church, much less a church like this.

So tell me, what do you think about this?  Is this not just a total mockery equivalent to spitting on the graves of these people who died?  And to think, this so-called "free speech" and "freedom of expression," is what our men and women are dying for abroad.  Disgusting! Totally fucking disgusting!  Every member of this church can kiss my ass!  

Tell me - is there some sort of foods(s) that no matter how they're dressed up or the taste disguised, they ALWAYS taste the same?  Whether you love it, or whether makes you puke?

Here's why I ask.  I just had a little argument about Subway.  Don't get me wrong, but I can tolerate Subway every once in a while - just not EVERY day!  And why?  The BREAD!  Yep, it doesn't matter whether it's plain, dark, Italian Herb and Cheese, or the plethora of other breads at Subway, THEY ALL TASTE (and smell) THE SAME to me.

Is it me, or does this type of thing happen to everyone?  Seriously, there are times that I nearly vomit smelling that bread.  It's the only bread that I'm aware of that you could serve with a pile of dog shit and it would taste like an Italian BMT, Spicy Meatball, or a Chicken Ranch. 

What foods annoy your nose?

One week and it's on!  Halloween is just one week away and what better reason for me to act immature and post vile, no value having schit such as this.  

Fall has fallen, and that can only mean one thing - it's Halloween time!  Yes indeed, one of my most favorite times of year, and as usual, I have transformed my blog to a creepy and spooky Halloween blog for the last half of the month.

Okay enough about me - what are you doing for Halloween?  Are you a sugar freak, a dress-up freak, a pumpkin carving freak, or a bit of all three? (Oops, I failed to mention rolling trees and houses with toilet paper, but I don't do that - not me?)  Eh?  Or do you just set home and cut your toenails while eating pizza?

Please share your Halloween festivities or a spooky story. K?

Breast cancer, a devastating disease that affects millions of women worldwide.  Whether young, old, your mother, your sister, girlfriend or wife, it can attack anyone, and if not caught soon enough it can be fatal.

For those of you who have been around for a couple of years, you know that I always do my blog in pink during October.  It's just a very small token of awareness as I have had people in my own life with breast cancer.  One being my own mother.  Luckily her cancer was very minimal and it was completely eradicated, conversely though, it has proved devastating for others. 

So please spread the word and help make sure that the women in your lives are doing what they need to do to keep this devastating disease at bay. 

Much love to all!