Focused at Fifty

"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 ...

"Enjoying a beer flying the friendly skies!"  Airlines promote separation of the classes! When I fly, I know that the one thing I insist upon is an aisle seat. I used to want the window seat. No longer. You can have it. The pics you will take will come out crummy anyway. TRUST ME. I like the option of getting up for the bathroom without having to climb over people. And as I get older, my poo cycles are VERY important to this 48 year old man. I don't mind any seat really. Emergency seat, over the wing, front, back, its all good. Well may there is one exception I am experiencing right now. I am in the last row of the plane, with the bathrooms right behind me! i am hearing every high powered vacuumed swoosh of the toilet flushing. Luckily no smells yet 3 hrs into this 6 hour flight. I am also hearing the gossiping and chatter of the flight attendants. I love it. Nothing really that bad. The one gal says to the male flight attendant, can you please go to 15E, I ...