I'm getting too old for this sh....

In the past month or so, I have managed to pull a couple of all-nighters. Not such a big deal when I was younger, but I'm not really able to do this crap much these days. The funny part about them was the similarities.

Night one: A friend from high school was coming in town for Thanksgiving so a group of us decided to get together at a bar downtown called Veet's. We had a great time catching up and telling old war stories from high school - well, I listened to old war stories, I was a good kid who never did anything (meaning: My mother taught at my high school and so I couldn't get away with anything if I wanted to). We talked, we drank , we sang... ok so we didn't sing but we did talk and drink, until those in our group with children decided it was time to depart. By this time I had gotten a message from the wife of another high school friend that she and some others where on their way to Chantilly's, another club not downtown. So, those who didn't go home went to the next bar. We got there, I danced my friends laughed, I didn't see them laugh but I'm sure they did, then they left. And I finished the night with three woman, one married to a friend from school, one dating a friend from school (not the same friend) and one just a friend of the group. We drank some more, I was the designated "husband" or "boyfriend" as needed to scare off the annoying predators trying to hook up with my friends till we ventured out to Denny's for breakfast. We had a great time talking and joking over breakfast food and coffee with the exception of my friends wife (by the way I should note here that she has become one of my very best friends) brought up my ex girlfriend... somewhat the buzz kill. Then home to crawl into bed at about 5AM.

*WHEW*

Night two: This past weekend we decided to have another get together at Veet's with more friends coming home for the holidays. We had a great time exchanging old war... ok I won't go into that part again. We drank, we talked - still no singing. Till we pretty much closed the bar down. At which point, I moved on to Chantilly's having gotten a message from a couple of friends that they where on the way there. Not the same group of friends this time. I went alone this time as everyone else was acting their age, and met up with two girls and one guy I went to school with. Funny note here - the guy was the missing boyfriend (now ex) from the previous all-nighter. I WAS going to be good but they forced me to drink more and by that I mean they handed me the drinks... didn't take much to twist my arm. We drank and talked and laughed. I did not dance this time. Then we headed out to Waffle House and ended up at Denny's, in the same booth I had been in about a month before. We had a great time joking, laughing and talking over various breakfast foods and coffee until... wait for it... one of the girls brought up my ex girlfriend. This time though we had the additional buzz kill of dealing my buddy's ex girlfriend and while neither night really went down hill on these topics they where not the best way to end a night. We finished eating and headed out into the morning. Again I was in bed around 5AM.


I AM GETTING TOO OLD FOR THIS SH... but it is way too much fun to not let it happen again.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year... YEAH RIGHT!!!

Let me start by saying I do love Christmas. Allow me to add, I hate it too. I love the reason for Christmas, celebrating the birth of Christ. I used to love the family get together - to an extent. But then, the family get together is also why I hate it.

Christmas comes down hard on the single person unless they are not interested in being anything but single. Commercials, at this time of year, are all geared towards family and couples and can be especially depressing when you are alone. I get tired of hearing "Every kiss begins with Kay..." Kiss my A@#. Oh, and I really don't care that he went to Jarod's.

Getting together with the family used to be the one boon at Christmas, until my parents started going down to Miami to spend Christmas with my middle brother and his family. I understand why they do. But it tends to leave me to having lunch with my oldest brother and his family, when they remember to tell me when it will be. That sounded bad... I love my brothers but you may have noticed a little theme here - My brothers and their families. UGH, me single them married. Which is why I also hate the family get together.

And so another Christmas is upon us, with it's commercials written to rip the heart out of the single people of the world, family get togethers - maybe but, on the bright side, we have all the lights and television specials. But most of all we have the birth of Jesus.

So I love it and I hate it all at the same time... just get me through another one please!

A Thought

An epiphany, if you will, no great man or woman was ever thought such without some greater purpose. That isn't to say they needed to strive for world peace or needed to cure an epidemic, it is just the desire to be a part of something greater than themselves.

Where this comes from is in response to someone saying, "Until you love and accept you just exactly as you are right now...no woman will be able to do it either." I will try to make this the only bit about myself. I know who I am. I am and I am know I am not perfect, but I am wiling to be better to be a part of something. I love myself but I lack confidence based on my own life experiences. There was a time this didn't come through but I know it does now. I try.

But I don't believe loving yourself is enough. I know too many people who love themselves and are not happy. Men and women alike strive to be a part of something greater. It may be in politics, teaching, religion, science or entertainment, but it is that drive to be a part of something greater that truly makes someone happy. The happiest people I know are the ones who love their families more than themselves and see the achievements of their family as their greatest offering to the world. When a person is not able to achieve something greater than just loving themselves then they are not satisfied.

To be a part of something grater than oneself is an achievement. A person who helps build a family is just as much a success and is just as happy as the person who finds a cure for some fatal disease.