Saturday October 16TH 2010
Volume 3 / Number 6 / Edition 103
11 years ago back in October and November of 1999:
– The Shops At Sunset Place was the hottest new joint to hang out.
– AOL released Version 5.0, and the entire free nation celebrated.
– Moviegoers were blown away by “American Beauty”.
– The population of the world reached 6 billion.
– The Yankees swept the Braves 4 games to 0 to win the World Series again.
– EgyptAir Flight 990 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 217 on board.
– “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” skyrocketed to the top of the TV ratings.
– Exxon and Mobil combined to become ExxonMobil.
– The world prepared for the upcoming uncertainty that was Y2K.
1999 was certainly a party year as we ushered the end of a year, a decade, a century, and even a millennium. Even Prince made a big deal out of 1999 some 17 years earlier. He knew that it was gonna be big – and memorable. A lot of great party music came out in 1999. It was certainly a year to get up and dance !
Here’s the 1999 techno dance remix of the classic 1968 Steppenwolf track “Magic Carpet Ride”:
– It’s the 4TH season premiere of my ‘Walk-A-Thon’.
– This all started towards the end of 2007.
– I changed my diet and I quit drinking in 2007.
– I started taking care of my body during my ‘Rebirthing’.
– I quit smoking completely 30 months ago in April 2008.
– I am in the best physical and mental condition of my life.
– Thank You Jesus for giving me a second chance at Life.
– Thank You for giving up your Life so that I could Live !
– This morning I enjoyed a nice walk around my neighbourhood.
– It was a 40-minute and 19-second walk at dawn.
– Sunrise occurred 25 minutes into my walk.
– There wasn’t a cloud in the sky this morning.
– My neighbourhood was peaceful and quiet as the day began.
– There was 1 feline sighting and 1 fellow walker.
– Felines know that I am their friend and not their foe.
– Nearly halfway into my walk I realized that I forgot my iPod.
– I realized that I was listening to nature rather than loud music.
– Nature sounded beautiful – as it always does.
– My legs actually ached a little bit before the walk.
– That’s because of all of the walking from yesterday.
– I’m certainly out-of-shape as I begin this new season of walking.
– My legs were even more sore after walking a tough 2.1 miles.
– That’s 2.1 miles towards my goal of a 26.2-mile marathon.
– And my ‘Walk-A-Thon’ continues next Saturday morning.
Saturday October 09TH 2010
Volume 3 / Number 5 / Edition 102
I lived in the Great U.K. for 2 years and 1 week from November 1985 to November 1987. It was a wonderful (and quite memorable) time during my young life. I remember distinct details of those two years more than any other two year period in my life. There are many great memories – as well as a bunch of not so great memories. One of my best friends back then is now my longest-running friend. We still keep in touch with each other after more than 24 years even though it’s been nearly 23 years since we last saw each other. I wish I still had contact with my other friends back then, but I did some things that I’m really not too proud of. I was young and immature at the time (like we all were). It resulted in the end of friendships that should have continued on through the years. The past can’t be changed. History can’t be rewritten. I can only move forward into the future, and do the right things at the right times.
Thank You my friends for those two wonderful years of working, living, and playing in that foreign country that we once called home. Thank You for those 17 music concerts that we enjoyed together in London, Oxford, and Birmingham. Thank You for partying with me. Good Times indeed.
Happy Columbus Day Weekend ! Let’s BLAST-OFF this weekend !
WEEKEND GRAB BAG O’ THOUGHT:
Well the cooler temperatures and the lower humidity arrived with a vengeance just as soon as October arrived a week ago, and it’s been no fluke. The South Florida dry season has officially begun – a few weeks earlier than normal. Lately we’ve been struggling to get in to the 80s in the afternoons, and we’re dropping well into the 60s early in the mornings with wind chills into the 50s at times. It’s our coolest weather in about 6 months, and it feels so good ! I must get out and enjoy this scrumptious Chamber Of Commerce weather. Last weekend I quietly kicked-off my ‘Cultural, Historical, & Economical Stimulus Tour’ for the Winter of 2011 with visits to Homestead Bayfront Park and Biscayne National Park. This weekend my fun-in-the-sun plans include the upper Florida Keys and Monkey Jungle. Between now and next April I’ll also plan to spend some quality time at Zoo Miami, Jungle Island, Miami Beach, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Stuart, Naples, Fort Myers, Sanibel Island, Jacksonville, Panama City Beach, much of the NW Florida panhandle, Dallas Texas, The Bahamas, The U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Have fun will travel !
BEST LUNCH OF THE WEEK AWARD: Chili’s – For the 2ND time in 6 weeks the Quesadilla Explosion Salad wins the coveted award. If you’ve got a hearty appetitite for nutritious vegetable goodness then check out this masterpiece. It’s got grilled chicken with cheese, corn relish, cilantro, tortilla strips, and citrus-balsamic dressing – served with cheese quesadillas. I dig.
THOSE CRAZY CRAZY CATS:
Some day – maybe 5 or 10 or 15 years from now – I may be a cat owner again. It’s because of these lovable shenanigans from my feline friends:
BLATANT PROMOTION: Tomorrow night on my ‘Saturday Night Retro’ I’m flashing back 23½ years ago to the Spring of 1987 – back when I was a young resident of the British Isles. I’ll take a glimpse at what I was doing back then during my final memorable months as a teenager. After that I’m bring blogging back to Sundays ! That’s right – it’s the 4TH season premiere of ‘The Major’s Walk-A-Thon’. This year I’ve set a reasonable goal to walk a marathon – not all at once – but combined between now and April. I’m looking to walk 26.2 miles above and beyond my normal everyday walking. That’s an average of about 3.75 miles per month from October to April. In the fine tradition that is ‘The Major’s Walk-A-Thon’ I’ll blog about my walking adventures, and I’ll track my progress towards the goal. Don’t forget that you can follow me on Twitter in-between all of the weekend blog posts. Have yourself a safe and fun holiday weekend my friends.
