Focused at Fifty

Stuff just in the center armrest compartment!  I have had a bad habit in the past of leaving my spare cell phone charger in my car. After I get home from work I usually try to grab it and put it in my messenger bag to be used later in the evening either in the family room or kitchen. I usually try to do this but this didn't happen the other day. John had asked to borrow the spare charger as he misplaced his two chargers. I was amiss as to where it was. It wasn't in the house so I figured I must've left it in the car on the front seat. Or perhaps it fell between them. I did remember grabbing it on the way out of office. Now my main turbo charger is plugged in behind my nightstand by the bed. It's just annoyingly difficult to reach if I need it so I usually keep it plugged in and use it at night. And there was no way I was giving up my turbo charger for him. I did offer to go out to the car and look for the spare charger. I guess John could've plugged in ...

90s Marc in my favorite club shirt (With Ritz-Carlton besties Grant and Serena) Do others mourn the loss of a favorite piece of clothing? That favorite shirt gets bleached and we have to toss it. A favorite sweater gets an unmanageable pull and it can't be salvaged. That pair of sneaks which are so old and worn, they may walk away themselves. Or sometimes it's as simple as a favorite shirt getting washed so many times it has shrunk down to where it no longer fits. (Um meee and ma belly! LOL) I had to "retire" a favorite shirt a couple weeks back. I did so with a bit of sadness as I have enjoyed wearing it these last couple years at work. I tend to favor blues in some form or another. It has sort of become a signature color for me. This one lasted way longer than it should have. It "served me well" you could say. The picture to the below right is it's replacement "blue shirt." I still have a another fav blue shirt from way back in...

I was walking into work one recent Monday and decided to cut across the smoking area of our government parking deck. It's a small triangular shaped overhang area, no bigger than a 10x10 kitchen. No one was smoking at the time, it was just me trying to save a step or two. I wasn't running late, just moving into work at a pretty decent clip. I diagonally crossed through the area when at that very instant a large drop of water fell from the concrete parking deck and landed exactly between my glasses and into my right eyeball! I screamed to no one, "WHAT THE HELL?" I quickly took off my glasses and wiped the bong water from my right eyeball as its remainder was dripping down my face. I am sure I caused a corneal abrasion from wiping my eye with my shirt sleeve. It had rained the evening prior. This large drop had perfectly navigated air currents to drop at the exact space between my eyeglass lens and my eyeball! I was freaking out. I rushed into work blindly scr...

Here are the quotes associate with my 4th podcast "A Great Friend, Mom, and Career Woman", my interview with good friend Becky Kitchmire. I also included a direct link to the podcast episode. http://frazzled.projectentertainment.libsynpro.com/frazzled-at-forty-episode-4-a-great-friend-mom-and-career-woman If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.  - Katharine Hepburn (actress) I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to said my ship. - Louisa May Alcott (author, Little Woman ) I have learned over the years, that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear. Rosa Parks (civil rights activist) Favorite quotes from my friend and guest Becky: Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker. - Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka (actor) Time is a precious thing. Never waste it. - Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka (actor)

( Photo by Simon Robben from Pexels ) This is a topic I know many of you can relate to. I know you are out there with me, in the deep dark night. We wonder together who among us, who is awake? I see you online late at night. We commiserate together, sleepless in that silent house on that dark street in that quiet town or city. We send sad and frustrated messages back and forth, "ME TOO!" 😡 I can usually figure out why I can't sleep. Last night, I worked out late but I'm usually OK with that. I can still fall asleep at a decent hour after exhausting myself at the gym. Some people recommend that you shouldn't work out so late, gives you too much energy. I've never had a problem. I sleep like a baby. Last night was different. I stared at the ceiling for an hour. Closed my eyes for an hour. Opened them and then BAM! It was already 2:30 AM. I got up, hit the head, checked the house, petted the cats for a bit, then got back into bed to try again. I know I...

(Pic courtesy of Pexels.com) I want to comment on something that I see happen fairly often. I was riding as a passenger in my buddy's car this past weekend when he was inching out to zoom across a busy intersection where there is no stop light. Friends from Schuylkill County will know this intersection. It's the one with Ken's Tires and Hoss's Restaurant on the corners at the Cressona Mall. You have to pretend you are in the 80s video game "Frogger" and zoom across the busy road to the mall area. I HATE this intersection. It's rather nerve-racking on an average day. You look right and left and repeat several times to avoid traffic driving through as well as traffic from ALL directions turning in and out of the shopping complexes on both sides of the roadway! If you get a time where there is no traffic coming from anywhere, consider yourself lucky because that is a rarity. He had inched out, looking to make his move. Someone was driving up to m...

If you are going through Hell, keep going. Sir Winston Churchill

Alice laughed:  "There's no use trying," she said; "One can't believe impossible things." "I dare say you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

1988 Porsche 911  1988 Porsche 924 GT 1988 Mazda Miata  When I was younger, I used to dream of driving a Porsche 911 or a Porsche 924 GT. I ended up with a Nissan Sentra and went happily on my way. In college, I loved and wanted a Mazda Miata. I test drove one in 1989 with my fraternity brother Steve. It was like driving a bucket of bolts, felt every bump! But it was really fun to ride. I went home from college and still drove that Nissa Sentra. BUT I had those posters of the Porsches on my walls throughout college! 1987 Nissan Sentra  Mom always LOVED the Honda's. She had an Accord for years and then when that died, got herself a brand new Civic. When she passed, she left the Civic to my sister Sheryl. Love that. 💖 1987 Honda Accord  I moved into Philly and didn't have a need for a car so I didn't get one until my late 20s. I've since owned mostly economical vehicles for work: a Ford Escort, a Saturn station wagon, a small Toyota ...

Just this past week, a young friend on Facebook was contemplating taking his own life. I had seen the post 2 hours after all of it started to go down. He had posted a "good-bye" message which had understandably freaked out and scared many people. His close friends began immediately reaching out to him. Luckily, and happily, his friends got in touch with his family and talked him out of it. It was shocking and saddening but became heartwarming to see all of these people (most that I don't know) come together and work together to try and save this man and get him some emotional help. It worked, they contacted his family, and he is here today. Hopefully he is getting the emotional support he needs and deserves. Today, he started his day off with a message on Facebook:  "Good Morning." I liked it and thought to myself, Yes it is, because you are still with us today my friend! Most people have difficult weeks here and there but no whe...

( LINK Suncoast Pic ) My second shortest job lasted just shy of one week. It was at that extinct dinosaur of a video store, Suncoast Video at the old Echelon Mall in Voorhees, NJ. http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/echelon_mall.html The year was 1990, I was 20, and the Star Wars Trilogy 3 VHS tape collection was just released. I was and still AM a total Star Wars fan! I was in a word, ecstatic! Being a poor college student, I could only wander between Sam Goody and Suncoast video and dream of what movies I wanted to buy! The Star Wars Trilogy was at the top of the list. But how to get it? I had finished my sophomore year at Rutgers with just barely enough gas money to get me from New Brunswick, NJ back to my hometown of Wenonah, NJ. Back from college for the summer, I immediately plotted on how I would be able to purchase the Trilogy. Dad asked me if I was going to get a summer job and I was said, maybe, I'm not sure, perhaps, something easy with lots of money. It was...

"Benetton ad from the  80's UGH" Those who are adults have each had them. I'm talking about those JOBS where we have lasted a week or less! Maybe it was planned, maybe not. We look back and laugh at those times as adults. Maybe we were assholes and deserved to get fired. Or maybe it just wasn't the right fit of a job for us. That being said, I wasn't fired. That actually happened once at a telemarketing agency. Another blog, another time. LOL Leaving the job at Benetton was MY decision! :) The second time at Sun Coast Video was actually a calculated event which I writing about in the next blog! I took the job at Benetton while I was at Rutgers University during my freshman year at college. It was 1988 and I went to work for them at their New Brunswick NJ location right next to the official Rutgers Bookstore. I had no retail experience whatsoever and told them that upon my hiring. They said no problem, we'll train you. My first day I was put...

Family Vacation Pics! As a child, there are memories which stick with you. Then there are singular memories which stand out, for better or for worse. There also may be the occasional odd memory from a trip in which you remember nothing else. Some are wonderful, like shell collecting during my early teenage years on Sanibel Island and others aren't so wonderful, like getting attacked by green heads (biting flies) at Strathmere Beach, NJ. Each of them cemented into your psyche bring you momentary joy or scarring you for life. This is a collection of the truly odd singular memories which stand out from various trips I took as child with my family, in random order, with a little explanation of each. I either chuckle or cringe each time I think of them! It's amazing what makes us up as individuals. #1.  I was 10 or so years old, snorkeling at the now defunct Holiday Isle Resort in Islamorada, Florida. Behind the hotel, there was a quite deep swimming lagoon and...

I think we need to always reevaluate and remind ourselves what is important in life. Most of what happens is not. Those that affect you positively, touch you, make you smile, are the important ones you need to constantly connect with. Forget those that bring you stress. God I wish I had this wisdom in my twenties. But those stutter steps and emotional injuries in my twenties have made me the strong person I am today. I miss the innocence though. Confidence and strength comes at a price. I wish everyone could gain the strength I have.  It's tough though. 

"Little Spider is there but ya can't see him. :)" As an unofficial rule, I normally don't comment on what is happening in our world, politically or religious. I will keep this to a minimum and keep it vague enough to satisfy my own viewpoint. I am so troubled by recent events. From the major, what is happening in the US and the world, to the smaller events (not minor, but smaller) like the election at my local Property Owners Association. It gets ugly, we all know this. And it gets me worried as well. I worry for myself and my rights and I worry for our seniors. I worry for my neighbors and I worry for our environment. I worry for the world my niece and nephew will inherit. We have changed so far from where our parents were, as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. It doesn't matter who you are, things have changed. And by the way, I don't want to hear anyone's opinion on the matter. It's not necessary. I am just commenting on how I'v...

"After 10 plus years, FINALLY immune to Max"   Allergies this week have been the bane to my existence! What a tough week. I had hoped the storms earlier in the week would've washed all the pollen away but I was mistaken. I woke up each morning with swollen eyes and suffered through the nights with sneezing attacks. Each morning, I hit the bottle of allergy medicine even before I hit the shower. I have lived with allergies throughout my 40 something years but these last couple weeks have been particularly tough. Allergies are a part of my life though. Most of the time, they're just an annoyance. I have eye allergies, asthma, skin allergies, and of course the sinus/nasal allergies. The prescriptions taken for each one arranged neatly in my medicine cabinet. I take what I need depending on what I'm suffering from that day and then go on about my morning. When I was younger, I went to an allergist in Cherry Hill, NJ. They gave me a skin prick test on ...

When I was out in San Diego, I discovered a couple awesome things about my Mom. After over 8 years since she passed, I think it's such a blessing when I learn something new. The first thing I learned (I mentioned it in my previous blog) was that my Grandpop Newman called my Mom "Goldilocks" as a child. My Mom's hair was golden blonde. My sister Sheryl recounted this memory for me as well as My Grandpop bestowing her, next, with the nickname "Goldilocks". I love that memory.   The other thing I found out was from  my niece Angelica. During my recent trip out there, one evening we had a great convo about the tattoos which we want done. I was about to get my Sailor Jerry style tattoo honoring my Mom and I excitedly asked her what she wanted for her first tattoo. She confidently showed me the quote below, which I immediately loved. I asked her where it came from and she said that Nana, my Mom, used to quote it to her often in a postcard or two and sometim...

(www.pexels.com)  Can you believe this? For all my partying and fun in my 48 years, I have NEVER been to Vegas! I am still a Vegas Virgin! Well my friends, I plan on going to Vegas with my brother Adam and his family sometime in March or April 2019 to celebrate my brother's 50th birthday and his daughter, my niece Angelica's 21st birthday! WOW. What a double event! I think the family will need a chaperone for those two AND Uncle MARC! (At least always for Uncle Marc.) Here are two GREAT commercials that I love from lasvegas.com . One is from a man's perspective and the other is from the woman's and then they meet up in each commercial. It is really a brilliant marketing campaign. The commercials are fun, colorful and playful. My Vegas experience will most likely end up with my in bed by 10 PM but a guy can dream, right? Please, I will do my utmost to have an exciting long weekend in Sin City! (Remember, whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!) I'd like...

( www.pixabay.com )  I went into this 48th birthday wondering what wisdom could I offer up to others that I have learned over the last year? Have I learned ANYTHING since I turned 47?  I believe I have and I hope you indulge my random, typically meandering thoughts. If you can believe it ... I am more mellow than last year. 😜  LOL I even chuckled at that statement myself, but I AM! In random order as usual:  I find myself just sitting back and observing more before I make a statement or reacting. Instead of flying off the cuff and saying something which I would regret, I take a breath and a moment to collect my thoughts. I make a conscious choice to stand back and formulate a well thought-out opinion before responding. This is probably my favorite nugget of wisdom from turning 48. Sometimes you think someone doesn't care for you but you are wrong. I don't mind being wrong in that circumstance. For years I thought that this certain person ...