June 19, 2008

Modern day miracle

Now forgive me for being late to the party, but I am sooooo digging on the vanilla scented trash bags. It's not that I very often have rank smelling garbage, its just that the vanilla scent is a pleasant one. Hey, anything that gets me remotely interested in housework is a good thing.

I bought some for the office and discovered that a task I used to hate - putting in a new trash can liner - I now find enjoyable. I even switched all my cans at home to using the liners. In fact, if I am ever at your house and you need a new liner put in, I'm your man (of course, you must have vanilla scented liners and YOU must have already emptied the old trash.)

Posted by CDogg at 07:18 AM | Comments (0)

November 06, 2007

HUG COUNT

Okay, in my last podcast the subject of hugs came up. I decided to see how long it would take me to get 100 hugs. I have come up with a graphic that I will periodically use to report the progress. The experiment started on November 3rd. Feel free to go back and listen to the episode.

At the current pace, I will reach 100 hugs in 10 months. Hmm... I may need to speed this up a bit. How are you doing?

Posted by CDogg at 03:58 PM | Comments (0)

October 11, 2007

Feeling silly?

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Jake Focus (sounds more like my action star name)

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Chocolate Peanut Butter (that's just wrong)

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name),
C-Doe (not too far off from C-dogg)

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Blue Dog (the sad bounty hunter)

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Roger Redwing (sounds more like my cartoon name)

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Doe-Ch

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Gray Water (Not even sure what to think about that one)

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Bill Daniel (that works)

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Kouros Reeses Pieces (swing and a miss)

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
Gail Kay

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Moon Minneapolis (I had to go with 6th - couldn't remember 5th)

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Fall Zinnia (that's just goofy)

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Apple Shorty (I can't read that without laughing so I guess it works)

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Nothing Maple (whoaaaaa... that's deep duuuude)

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”),
The New Media Thunder Tour (HOLY CRAP - seriously, I am going to register that domain right now!)

(list nabbed from camellie times)

Posted by CDogg at 10:30 AM | Comments (1)

August 06, 2007

The Dangers of Wally-World

While in Wal-Mart the other day with Tony, I was reminded of how much I truly detest shopping. In an effort to stay conscious, I leaned against a rack of dress slacks... something shiny caught my eye. It was then that I saw the blood!

Here is the story as I imagined it:

Some dumb ass decided that it would be a good idea to steal a $20 watch. He got the package, (I am betting he was stock clerk) decided it would be easier to steal without the plastic case, took his box cutter and proceeded to not only free the watch but also take a good slice out of his own hand. Bleeding like a stuck pig with a stolen watch covered in the same was a situation that can only result in panic, so he tossed the watch inside the rack and ran to bandage his wound.

I am guessing that CSI would not be interested in the case as nothing was actually successfully stolen. I am also guessing that since the blood had long been dried, none of the store dicks noticed it yet. The interesting part of this whole thing has to be the guy watching through the little black bubbles on the ceiling. I can imagine his confusion at seeing me snapping a half dozen photos of a rack of pants. He probably figures I am a spy from Target. :)

Posted by CDogg at 01:24 PM | Comments (3)

July 18, 2007

Be "that guy" without being "that guy"

Ever thought those people drinking out of the wino bags looked cool? Well, now you too can be part of the "who cares about society" crowd.

Not worth the risk? Don't want to lose the wife, the job, the clean underwear?

All you have to do is leave the 40 oz'ers at the store and just grab the bag for your bottle of water. You too can look like a hardcore boozer!!

Just think of the fun when you are pulled over by the cops. After they yank you out of the car, tazer you silly, and toss a couple welts on your forehead with their clubs, you can say "gotcha!" with a nice size lawsuit. Good times!

Posted by CDogg at 10:08 PM | Comments (4)

June 23, 2007

Yeah Dave, you're right.

20/20 had a story the other night about luck. Are people really lucky? Are people unlucky? Is there any science to luck? The findings were that there is actually a difference between lucky and unlucky people. It's all in the attitude. With apologies to Dave for doubting him, I have to admit I am very lucky.

It seems that lucky people are open to new opportunities. Rather than being caught in their doldrums and beaten down by society, lucky people are always looking for the next opportunity to learn, experience, have fun, or grow. Rather than dismissing crazy ideas and invitations as impossible or likely to fail, lucky people instead think, "that might be cool."

The flip side of this lucky coin is that successful people rarely give luck any credit. When something works out, they chalk it up to experience and hard work. Who wants to be known as the guy that skates along on luck? I do.

I am okay with the fact that I am lucky. In fact, I am probably the luckiest person I know. I have great friends - a great family. I work in a great field. I get to travel when I feel like it. I find new experiences around every corner. The one caveat to all this is that I accept it all as luck as long as it is accepted that I have luck because of my attitude.

The good news there is that if you don't think of yourself as lucky, all you have to do is work on changing that perception. Next time you find money on the ground, a good parking spot, even see a butterfly... think of how lucky you are. Little by little, if you avoid the pitfall of blaming the universe when you step in a puddle, your luck will change.

Posted by CDogg at 06:26 AM | Comments (2)

May 22, 2007

Things that pain a bachelor

I did it... after dozens of comments over the past year about the sad state of my shower curtains, I replaced them. The ones I had were perfectly functional if somewhat rough looking. The cat (Nardo) tore a big hole in one and sure, there was a little mildew gathering on another, but come on - its a bachelor pad.

It's not that I'm too cheap to buy a shower curtain or two, its just not that important in my day-to-day life. Functionally, the ones I had were fine... aesthetically - not so much.

Shower curtains and the like are things that noone should have to concern themselves with. They should just be taken care of, like at a hotel. The whole idea of having to replace such a boring piece of my life is counter to everything that interests me, but I gave in to peer pressure and I have to say that I like the new ones a lot.

I guess that means that someday I might actually get around to painting again... don't hold your breath.

Posted by CDogg at 02:32 PM | Comments (1)

May 05, 2007

I hope he wins

Don Imus is sueing CBS for $40 million (the remaining amount left on his contract - plus incidentals.) I really hope he wins.

Alright, put down your stones and let me explain. First off, my opinion of Don Imus isn't that he is a racist or a bigot, he is just an unfunny radio dude whose humor is often at the expense of others. So what. Name ONE comedian who hasn't said worse. Name one rapper that hasn't said worse. Name one CBS executive that hasn't told something off-color around the water cool. (Okay, I can't verify that last one, but you get the idea.)

More important that stopping the Don Imus' of the world from uttering the phrase "nappy headed hos," (check me on that phrase, Grammar Girl) is making sure that our right to speak freely (no matter how stupid) is preserved.

Do I think this is a 'line in the sand' stand for freedom of speech? Do I think this is a crossroads that will forever change our inalienable rights? No... its just one ripple in an ocean of waves pushing back and forth. Do I think it matters? You bet... the break in the levees after Katrina started with just a little bit of water spilling over.

A bit too dramatic? Yeah, you're probably right... but I do hope the clueless old codger wins the lawsuit.

Posted by CDogg at 08:19 AM | Comments (4)

April 21, 2007

Busy day today

Wow... today is going to be a marathon sprint. Yeah, I know it's an oxymoron, but I will be hustling to get everything done and it will be going on all day... so deal with it.

It started at 5:30 when, as I posted on Twitter, "Crazy tomcat making murderous noises outside - Lou started barking inside - woke up - let him out - chase ensued - cat bolted - all quiet." From there, it was walk the dog, do the dishes, start the laundry, make some breakfast, answer email, and do this post. It continues with compile the rankings for the Pod Music Countdown (PMC Top 10), record the show, edit it, tag it, upload it, finish the laundry, shower, and shave. That's just by lunchtime.

After lunch will be the new episode of A Fresh Review, tag it, upload it, and post it. Then its pack the laptop, headphones, adapters, cables, etc. for the Copperheads game, edit some footage from a video production client, output it to .AVI, design the DVD menus, burn it, package it, and invoice it. Somewhere in there, I will also need to pack for the trip to Victoria tomorrow morning, get Lou's stuff ready, give Lou a bath, and burn a couple DVDs full of MP3 for my brother. (All legal) :)

Then when 'Mighty' Mike and 'Dangerous Dave' arrive, it will be time to head to the Berry Center where the Copperheads play arena football. We need to arrive shortly after 5:00 PM so that we can setup the equipment, record the pregame show, have the pregame media meal, grab all the needed documents for the show, and start pouring over the stats. The game will kickoff and we will be busy until it ends around 10:00 PM. At the end of the game, we will scurry into the bowels of the arena for the post-game press conference. (Hopefully, to discuss the team's brilliant performance.) The media frenzy will end about 11:00 PM and we will pack up and head home.

About midnight, I will make it to the house, let Lou out after 7 hours of 'holding it,' unpack all the crud from the laptop bag, sit in my recliner to relax a second, remember that I need to post the PMC Top 10, post the new countdown, and call it a night.

All that so I can get up early and head out of town.

(It may seem like I wasted a lot of time writing this post, but I am going to print it out as today's 'to-do' list.)

Posted by CDogg at 09:25 AM | Comments (0)

April 17, 2007

We have an R2 spotting

Have you noticed R2D2 on the streets of Houston? Check this out.

Posted by CDogg at 04:54 PM | Comments (1)

April 03, 2007

Is common courtesy dead? Discuss

A couple of recent events have made me pay attention to manners. Its not that I've run into a large amount of rudeness - just a lack of common courtesy. The simple things like "thank you," "you're welcome," and someone holding a door when you are entering right behind. I hope its just coincidence because its the everyday kind acts that keep us from ripping each others throats out.

Have I mentioned how much I appreciate you as a reader? Thanks

Posted by CDogg at 11:32 AM | Comments (5)

February 17, 2007

Have you hugged your local unabomber lately? As I returned from walking Lou this morning, I noticed my look in the mirror and totally thought unabomber. It could be just me, but it reminds me an awful lot of that sketch used to catch him. Okay, there are a lot of differences, but it just popped into my head and it seemed funny at the time.

Posted by CDogg at 08:17 AM | Comments (3)

February 04, 2007

Burning the midnight oil

I sit here blogging at 1:18 AM because I have an appointment at 2:00 AM and needed something to kill the time. My circadian rhythms are taking a major hit the past few days.

My normal bedtime is around 1:00 AM and my normal morning starts around 7:30 AM. These six and a half hours of sleep a night are actually an increase from what they have been most of my adult life. I used to thrive on about five a night, but find six and a half much more doable the past year or so.

Thursday, I was up until around 1:00 AM just doing my typical stuff. Friday I woke up a bit earlier than usual, around 6:30 AM and started my day. Friday night ended up being a long one as I was covering the International Fight League (IFL) event at Reliant Arena. By the time the fights ended and the hour and a half press conference finished, I made it home around 2:00 AM. Because I knew I had to get up early on Saturday and head right out in the morning, I went ahead and did some work on the computer (real bright idea.) About 4:00 AM, I decided I better get some sleep because I had to be at the Berry Center at 8:00 AM for the Texas Copperheads football tryouts. I finished up there around 2PM, went home to eat, and decided to blow off my dog park meeting that was scheduled for 3:00 PM. Instead, I took a catnap (about 30 minutes) while watching TV.

The appointment I have setup for 2:00 AM is an interview with a musician in the UK (hence the weird time) that I plan to feature on tomorrow's Pod Music Countdown. But, before you decide its all over and I can sleep all Sunday, it too is packed.

The Pod Music Countdown is played on several radio stations around the country and because of that, I am on a deadline. I have to get the show done before noon. The show takes about two and a half hours. That means that in order to get up, get dressed, walk Lou, edit tonight's interview, start the show, and complete it all by noon, I have to wake up by around 7:00 AM. But it doesn't end there - I am going to a Super Bowl party with the Copperheads team and as we all know... those things go all night. So after Sunday night, I will have averaged about four and a half hours of sleep in the previous four nights.

These weekends are rough - I'm ready for the work week to start so I can get some rest.

Posted by CDogg at 01:09 AM | Comments (0)

February 01, 2007

Aqua Teen Terrorist Force

Okay, so it was all a really stupid promotional gimmick for a really stupid television show... what is the underlying lesson here? I am sure that over the next few days and weeks, the message you will often hear will be how dumb it was for these guys to run this promotion. I think that is the wrong takeaway.

What about the paranoia of a nation that thinks everything is a bomb despite the fact that we have never had a "suspicious looking device" like this actually turn out to be a real bomb from a real terrorist group that did real damage? (Wow... how is that for the mother-of-all runon sentences (questions?))

What's next? Is the NSA, Homeland Security, and CIA going to swoop in the next time I am out geocaching? Think about that. There are hundreds of thousands of these caches hidden across every state in the US - a large number of them in ammo cans. Will this activity be banned? Will you have to register hidden items with Homeland Security... or will sanity somehow be restored and our government officials and news media stop feeding us fear long enough for us to just live our lives?

Posted by CDogg at 01:49 AM | Comments (2)

January 19, 2007

Things that go BUMP in the night

Early, early this morning I heard a crash in my attic. I couldn't imagine what it was... the only thing that came to mind was that maybe Nardo got up there and fell down the heater/ac vent or something. After seeing Nardo relaxing peacefully, I decided I better investigate. When I opened up the door to the furnace, I immediately saw a piece of PVC pipe laying askew and not connected to anything. As I looked further, I saw the vent coming off the furnace that should be connected to the roof was also disconnected and laying on the side. That meant that my heater was venting into the house - sounds like a recipe for gas asphyxiation. (Remind me to tell you about my ski trip to Colorado when the entire hotel was gassed.)

I figured I better change my schedule and take care of it, so I cancelled my tire rotation, and called Dave. No, not so that he could come fix it, but as an insurance policy. The attic is a dangerous place with cramped quarters, nails sticking through the roof right at temple level, and very few solid 2x4s to stand on. I asked him to call me in an hour to make sure I didn't fall through the sheetrock, get stuck in the brain with a nail, or gotten gassed.

Turns out, it was a pretty quick fix. In about 20 minutes, I had everything repaired, duct taped, and running smoothly. The interesting thing was that I found a BOATLOAD of tools up there. My nephew Brian who has a habit of not taking care of my tools was the last person in the attic. When he was staying at my house, I had him go up there with me to fix something. After it was fixed, I went down while he finished taping things up, cleaning, etc. I guess it was silly of me to assume he would bring the tools with him.

The good news is that I have several tools back in my toolbox, and that my pipes in the attic are fixed.

Posted by CDogg at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)

January 05, 2007

Resolution time?

I generally make resolutions throughout the year when it strikes me as a good idea... but I may try this New Years Resolution thing. I am just stumped as to what to list.

Should I lose weight? Exercise more? Should I try to save money? Maybe I should relax more? Visit my mom more often? Or maybe I could clean my house a little more frequent? I really don't know.

Hmmm... the more I think about it... the more I realize my old system works better for me. I resolve to make resolutions when they strike me. :)

Posted by CDogg at 09:40 PM | Comments (0)

April 26, 2006

I saw a new one!

Well, I have a new visitor to the backyard. For the first time, I have seen an Oriole in my backyard wilderness. I didn't think they were around these parts, but apparently they have started to migrate through here recently... or maybe I just never noticed them. These appear to the Baltimore Oriole (not the baseball team) from the looks of them and will be heading back up north soon to breed.

The last really cool new avian visitor I had was the House Finch I started seeing back in 2004. It has now become a regular guest. It is cool when I spot a new breed - especially one as colorful as this.

Posted by CDogg at 07:32 PM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2006

Refrigerator Letters 3

I am not sure who wrote these words of wisdom on my refrigerator... I am thinking it was Dave, but it could have been EJ, Mike, or Tony as well.

I also have no idea what it means because Mr. Zappa is not exactly overweight, nor is he overly tall. One can only assume that there is some sort of Brokeback reference in this one... but then which one of the potential authors would know that the Z-Man is, in fact, huge? Actually... isn't he dead?

That is the beauty and wonderment of refrigerator letters... for every bit of wisdom imparted, there are often perplexing quandries such as this.

Posted by CDogg at 03:50 PM | Comments (1)

April 19, 2006

Extra Soft my &@* - well, thats the problem

Let me start by saying that I am very brand loyal. When I decide I like a product, they have to really screw it up to lose me. I was wearing high-top white Converse basketball shoes long after it became uncool just because I liked them. It took them discontinuing the shoes to lose me as a customer. Well, that brand loyalty extends all the way to my backside.

I have bought Scott Extra Soft toilet paper for years. It was the best value in terms of softness and cost. Imagine my surprise today when I discovered it has changed - drastically. It was never the softest tissue on the market, but now it is like freakin' sand paper. And there was no warning on the package about it being "new" "improved" or even "suckier" - nothing. I can now say without hesitation that I am searching for a new brand.

I am sure I'll find something good in the end. :)

Posted by CDogg at 09:17 AM | Comments (1)

April 03, 2006

A big miss

Dr. Pepper is my all-time favorite soft drink. When they came out with Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper, I was skeptical, but tried it anyway. As it turns out - I really, really like the cherry vanilla version.

This weekend while visiting my brother's family in Victoria, I spied Dr. Pepper Berries & Cream. I grabbed one and hoped. Oh well. This new version is horrible. It tastes like grape soda mixed with A&W Cream Soda... a blend that is not pleasant at all. Oh well, I was getting a little too adventurous anyway - haha.

Posted by CDogg at 03:23 PM | Comments (1)

March 04, 2006

Housecleaning continues

Well, the garage sale is over and was a huge success. I moved a whole lot of stuff (at prices insanely cheap.) But hey, I have a lot more room now.

I am also selling some collectibles online that are much more valuable than garage sale fare. I started by listing some coke bottles on craigslist.com. This is the set created for the Houston Texans' inaugural season.

This set is a steal for the $20 listed, but would have only got about $1 at the garage sale.

Posted by CDogg at 05:52 PM | Comments (0)

February 07, 2006

Stupid Commercials - III

Okay, American Express has gone beyond dishing out bullsh*t to a new level of evil. Their series showing kids and their spending habits went from "______ was a born spender," to a new low.

The ad starts out "Randy Mayor was a born saver." Before you decide that Amex has seen the error of their evil ways and actually proposed something that is good for the public, think again. The commercial goes on to spell out how their new card puts money into a high yield savings account with each purchase, and Randy goes on to choose a medium popcorn over a small. What a great card - the more you spend, the more you save. As if!

Does anyone actually believe this stuff? Unfortunately, a lot of idiots probably see this as a good thing. Forget the fact that you have to spend roughly $100 to save $1. Attention all you rocket scientists out there... don't spend the money and put it into a savings account and you have done 100 times better! Please, please, tell me that this ad doesn't really work.

Posted by CDogg at 12:14 AM | Comments (0)

August 28, 2005

Good Luck to New Orleans

Wow, I just woke up from the longest day of the longest week I have had in quite some time. For the last week, we have been putting in some long hours filming and it concluded with the opening of the high school football season. Mike and I saw a game Friday night, got up well before the sun Saturday, and then spent the day in San Antonio watching games and reporting on them for the Lone Star Gridiron podcast. The night came to a close with a late night drive back that ran us smack dab into the middle of the wildest storm I have ever driven through.

We saw lightning off in the distance and watched the fireworks for about sixty miles before running into what felt like a hurricane. The wind was whipping wildly, the road was nearly invisible, and the lightning was amazing. It was constant and all around - blinding me over and over from the strobe effect. Several times I witnessed super large bolts striking what appeared to be dangerously close. They struck and stayed connected to the ground for three or four seconds at a time - I have never witnessed lightning that stayed there so long. It was like a huge one of those plasma globes that you put your hand on. Following each of the super-bolts was an bright green glow that emminated from the ground in a dome that seemed to rise about 100 feet into the air before fading away.

We finally made it through at about 2am.

It was only this morning that I heard about the situation facing New Orleans as I have been too busy this week to catch any news. The last I saw was early in the week when the hurricane was crossing the bottom of Florida and expected to whip back up and to the right, hitting the Florida panhandle.

I wish the people of New Orleans the best and hope that the city can bear the brunt without too much devastation.

PS. Am I the only one that remembers the show earlier this year Oil Storm, in which oil prices were rising from Middle East conflict when a hurricane slammed into New Orleans flooding the city, severing pipelines and toppling offshore oil systems? If the rest of the movie come to pass, it might be time to stock up on ammo. :)

Posted by CDogg at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)

June 28, 2005

"One Adam Twelve, see the man, hijacking in progress..."

It is now 1AM in the morning and I think I have done it! I was infected with the clicksearchclick hijack and have been busting my hump to get rid of it. I think it is gone... there is still a strange icon in my system tray but it doesn't seem to do anything anymore. I will have to figure out how to get rid of it.

It took several programs - Spybot S&D, Ad-aware, Hijack This, and LSPFix combined with a pretty rigorous series of reboots in safe mode, but it is gone. Please, please, please let it be gone.

Did I ever mention that I absolutely detest purveyors of spyware, adware, and the like? I think these folks should be strung up by their genitals and publicly flogged. I also think that everyone ever victimized by these evil bastards should be allowed to get a few licks in.

Anyway, I think it is cleaned off and frankly I am tired of dealing with it all.

Posted by CDogg at 12:48 AM | Comments (0)

May 26, 2005

It's no cheeseburger in paradise... but it sure is good!

I just invented a new sandwich and it rocks! I put a generous layer of crunchy peanut butter (Peter Pan) on a slice of bread and then place four Austin Cheddar Cheese Crackers on top. It is a bit crumbly so you have to be careful not to make too big of a mess, but it is excellent. I have always been one for trying interesting combinations of things I like. What are some of your wilder pairings? ...and don't waste my time with any boring peanut butter and banana sandwiches... everyone does that... I want to hear the originals.

Posted by CDogg at 05:46 PM | Comments (1)

May 12, 2005

They are even bigger now!

I took this picture the other day, before all the rains, to show how large my backyard sunflowers have grown.

Turns out I should have waited because now they are even taller and there are more of them. There is a wall of sunflowers basically cutting my yard into segmented little rooms.

There is also a steady flow of various bees nabbing nectar from the sunflowers, rosemary, and lavender. It is not quite living in the country... but it is getting pretty hard to see the other houses and the sights I do see, sure don't look very metropolitan.

Posted by CDogg at 08:08 AM | Comments (2)

April 18, 2005

Take Back Your Time

Does your schedule feel like a race? Hmmm... maybe there is a reason it is called the rat race. Do your kids/pets/significant other see less of you than your coworkers? Hmmm... there is something definitely wrong about that.

The industrial age was supposed to be the start of copious amounts of free time. In the 50s Americans were sure that they were well on the path to the 20hr work week. The information age was supposed to do the same thing... remember? Computers were going to make our lives easier - take care of our mundane functions - give us more time for relaxation and family. What happened?

We are putting in longer work weeks now than workers in the 50s. We work a full nine weeks longer than Eastern European citizens. The average American gets two weeks vacation - the average European gets SIX WEEKS! But, we are the superpower... we are the biggest economy... we are the most productive workforce... what gives?

True, we have created great strides in productivity... the problem is not that we NEED to work harder... the problem is that we WANT to work harder. Think that sounds crazy? ...hear me out. Maybe we don't actually want to work harder, but we do want what harder work buys us. We are trading our increases in productivity for STUFF! Plain and simple.

We put in our 60-80 hour weeks not so that we can put more money away - but simply to buy that next shiny purchase. We are being sold a bill of goods by the television... the bills says that "things" are the answer to happiness. When is the last time you saw a commercial that said... "hey, take some time off - spend it with your kids - walk the dog" Never, unless they were selling a kids play-place or a dog walking service.

Speaking of dog walking - did you know that in major metropolitan areas of the US, that is the fastest growing business? That is crazy. We have pets so we can spend time with them and then don't even have the time to take them for a walk. Medieval peasants put in less work hours than we do... they had time to sit out back with Rover.

What can you do? Well, it is unrealistic to think that you are going to just walk out of your job and start taking life slower... but there are little things you can do to take back your time.

1 - set aside some "you" time. This can be as little as 15 minutes to start... and it doesn't mean watching TV - that is not "you" time, that is "them" time. Go to the park and feed the ducks. Play catch with your dog. Play a silly game with your kid. Call a friend. Read a book. Listen to music (just listen.)

2 - cut back your dependence on "things." As your desire for stuff goes, so will your inclination to put up with crap for the sake of a check.

3 - never buy on credit. Even if you don't look at the added cost of credit... look at the time costs. You are trading your future hours of leisure so that you can have something now... that sounds a lot like indentured servitude to me. Grandma was right when she said, "If you can't pay cash for it, you can't afford it."

The next time the hustle of your schedule starts to get you down.. think about it... would you trade that DVD you've never watched twice for an hour of peace? Now remember that the next time WalMart has a sale on the directors cut of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

Posted by CDogg at 10:06 PM | Comments (1)

April 17, 2005

I am among the pod people again.

I did it... I broke down and finally replaced my stolen iPod. (Article on the theft) I started doing some research and discovered that my cycling miles dropped dramatically after losing my iPod. Despite several half-hearted attempts to get back into cycling, it never really stuck. I was thinking about it last week when I was riding and realized it was boredom that was causing me to stop after a couple miles. I used to not even notice the miles clicking by when I was listening to an audiobook on the iPod.

Sure enough, I loaded up with songs and audiobooks, went out for a ride and knocked out 10 miles before I noticed. I wanted to keep listening but knew that I better not overdo it or I would not feel like riding tomorrow. Call it justifying the expense, but all I know is that I will be out riding a lot more and that is a good thing.

Posted by CDogg at 09:35 PM | Comments (0)

March 08, 2005

Cell Phone Makeover

Posted by CDogg at 06:30 PM | Comments (0)

March 02, 2005

Hitchcock would be proud

I have a new visitor to the backyard. After a bit of research, I discovered that this fellow is a red-winged blackbird. He has been spotted at the feeder today hanging with the sparrows and doves. In addition, I saw a pair of cardinals and a blue jay. The cold snap has made my well-stocked feeders very popular.

Yesterday evening, I cleared a small section of the yard (about 3 feet by 4 feet) and planted corn. Yes, I know - corn in a suburban backyard is a bit strange - but it will make sense later in the summer when it attracts more birds. The small patch will provide perches for sparrows as well as corn on the stalk for some of the larger birds. There are already about two dozen "volunteer" sunflower plants growing from seeds scattered last season. In just a few short weeks they have skyrocketed already to one and two feet high. I expect a veritable jungle of tower sunflowers again this summer. The sunflowers bring the house finch, a bird that was very rare here a few years back, but seems to be slowly migrating down to Texas.

Posted by CDogg at 12:08 AM | Comments (0)

February 26, 2005

Going green and going "off the grid"

I am sure some of you will view this as a little nuts, but here is my current goal. I am going to go "off the grid." Okay, not full-on-survivalist-whacko-in-Montana off, but less dependent on the local energy company for my needs.

How can I do that? Well, to that end, I have already started by making my backyard into a "wildscape." My backyard, which I have nicknamed Turtle World, qualifies under national and state programs that encourage people to build mini wilderness areas in suburban backyards. It has running water, a bog, a lawn that is largely left to itself (ie native grasses are allowed to grow all season without mowing,) cover for small animals and birds, composting area, and food sources available for a variety of furry and feathered friends.

Creating a "backyard habitat" by replacing part of your lawn with native plants not only benefits wildlife, but it's less expensive and easier to maintain. Less lawn means less mowing. And many native plants are hardy and drought-resistant, so they need little or no water or care. Since these plants are more tolerant of native insects and diseases, they require no chemical treatments and thus are better for the environment.

The backyard project has been going for about a year and a half now and I must say that it is sweet. I haven't mowed the back in all that time (although I do create walking paths through the grasses with a weedeater) and I can sit out there year-round and watch the butterflies, lizards, toads, dragonflies, moths, spiders, native flowers, and a virtual aviary full of numerous types of birds.

So what is the next step in lowering my dependence on the power company and fossil fuels? Probably solar. I will either convert my water heater over to solar and/or install some solar panels to start capturing some of the sun's energy. Some have already heard of my plans to convert one of my pickup trucks to electric. The conversion combined with solar chargers can greatly reduce my use of fossil fuels.

All of this will take a lot of money up front, so it is not going to happen real fast, but hopefully, I will continue to make progress. I am also looking for ideas and tips. Do you know of something that can be done economically to reduce either electricity and/or gasoline usage?

Good Reasons to Reduce Your Lawn

• Save time and money that you would normally spend on mowing and fertilizing.
  
• Attract and provide for wildlife.
  
• Conserve water.
  
• Reduce mower pollution.
  
• Decrease run-off of fertilizers and pesticides.

Posted by CDogg at 12:14 AM | Comments (0)

February 23, 2005

Superman - unless I burn out...

Okay, it is time for my late February resolutions. I am not reaffirming New Year's ones - just creating a new drive to be more efficient, healthier, etc.

1 - Work out for at least an hour a day - biking is preferred, but can include just about any type of exercise.
2 - Write for at least an hour a day - it can be anything from blogging, to working on one of the numerous writing projects in the works.
3 - Spend at least an hour a day on old tasks left undone - this is my biggest problem area. Once I move on to something else, I avoid things left behind.
4 - Eat healthier - I will stick to my morning USANA nutrimeal shakes and bars and cook more. I will only go out to eat when I have a mystery shopping assignment or business meeting.
5 - Stop doing intravenous drugs - (just seeing if you are paying attention) well, at least that is one off my list already.
6 - Spend at least an hour a day marketing - this sometimes falls under category 3 as I start a venture, move on, and then it sorta lingers.
7 - Spend at least an hour a day on housework - with my plan to sell within a year, I need to fix up a few minor things and generally work on tidying up the joint.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of all things I need to do, but it gives me a good base from which to start. Accomplishing just these things in a day will put me light years ahead of the game. I know it seems like a lot of predetermined hours, but it is not that bad.

My normal workday lasts roughly 18 hours. No, I don't work all that time - but from start to finish it is about 18 hours of my day. Here is a normal workday...

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM Wakeup, feed & water dogs, let them out, answer emails, mix up breakfast shake
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM Do paperwork
10:00 AM - 12:00 noon Work on the issue du jour
12:00 noon - 2:30 PM Eat lunch, run errands - post office, bank, library
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM Chill - watch TV, surf for fun, work on latest hairbrained idea for new business - generally take a break from the serious work
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Work on the issue du jour - paperwork - continue work on hairbrained idea
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM Screw off - sim sports leagues, watch TV, eat dinner, play with dogs, bike, movie, theatre, go out etc.
11:00 PM - 1:00 AM Work on things I forgot to get finished during the day - continue work on hairbrained idea (or switch to new hairbrained idea by this time) - read blogs - post to personal and photo blogs.

There you have it - and no, I really do not sleep that much. Currently, a lot of my work time is interspersed throughout the day, but I still manage to get in quite a few hours of knuckle-down work. The point of the to-do list is to maximize the hours I am spending. Instead of general work - I want to focus on things like old tasks and marketing. Instead of general screw off time - I want to focus on things like working out and writing. I am not changing how I live, just putting more importance on some of the things I do... and now that I have committed it to writing, I will be more accountable as to the results.

Posted by CDogg at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)

February 22, 2005

Church Sign Generator

This site is TOO cool!

I took the liberty of modifying it a bit in Photoshop too, but for the most part they come out looking pretty darn cool right from the site.

Posted by CDogg at 06:29 PM | Comments (1)

February 09, 2005

The new nickels are here - the new nickels are here!

I was surprised the other day to reach in my pocket and discover a coin I had never seen before. I turned it over and saw that while it had Lewis & Clark on one side, it was a normal nickel on the other. I mentioned it to Manny and he said, "Oh yeah... you haven't seen those before?" or something like that.

Well, I was looking through my coins today and discovered yet another version of the 2004 nickel - this one had Lewis & Clark on the back. Intrigued, I decided to look them up and see how many versions there were... I discovered that the two I had found were the only designs released in 2004.

I also found out while surfing that there will be two new nickels coming out in 2005. The cool thing about them is that there will be a total remake of the front as well. I think the new nickel design rocks... the portrait of Jefferson on the obverse is much better looking and it really updates the look of the coins... I like the handwritten "Liberty" as well...

According to the US Mint, the coin will return to its original design in 2006.

Posted by CDogg at 07:57 PM | Comments (0)

February 07, 2005

The Joys of Home Ownership

People look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them I want to sell the house, buy a big-muckin' RV and travel the country. You gotta have a house - you gotta own your own home - you have to live the American Dream... uh, I call shenanigans on that one!

After a hard day of work, its time to relax in your castle, kick back in your recliner, and enjoy your domain - right? Maybe you decide you'd like to wash out the mini refrigerator that you loaned to your nephew only to get it back with 20 packets of rotten Jack-in-the-Box buttermilk sauce and about a four inch thick layer of hairy mold. Just maybe, you decide to knock out that chore before relaxing in your wonderful home.

And maybe - just maybe, you go to turn on the hose and the faucet shoots off at about Mach 3, strikes the neighbor's house with a clang and is quickly followed by a ten foot stream of water shooting from the pipe. Okay, no problem right - you figure, I'll just shot the water off at the bottom of the pipe and deal with it tomorrow... Then maybe - again, just maybe, you go to get some water from your kitchen sink and nothing comes out. It then dawns on you that that outside water hose is also the pipe that brings water into your entire house. No showers, no drinking water, no dishwashing, no clothes washing, no nothing that involves wetness until you get it fixed.

So you do what any self respecting homeowner would do... you go out in the dark to fix it. It could be that you reach in to see what actually broke and in the dark you do indeed find out the problem... and you discover the rusted off threads by ripping open the tip of your index finger in the process.

Nothing like climbing behind bushes that needed trimming months ago to wrench loose a 78 cent part so you can make a late-night run to Home Depot dripping wet - all so you can take a shower in the morning. Oh yeah, and I have to be downtown tomorrow morning at like 5:30 AM for a video shoot. At what point is this home ownership joy supposed to kick in? I love my house. I love my house. I love my - screw it... I HATE MY HOUSE!

Posted by CDogg at 07:59 PM | Comments (0)

February 01, 2005

I don't care about Michael Jackson

The last thing we need is another "trial of the century." Think about how many millions of man hours were lost over the stupid O.J. trial (did the outcome really have any importance in your life unless you were named Simpson or Goldman?) and multiply that by ten... talk about hurting the economy! It is going to take a year or two, eat up our airwaves, pollute the blog world, stifle anything remotely creative in journalism, and yes - captivate the world. It is so sad.

I guess it is a mixed blessing because while most of the world is concentrating on whether or not little Mikey touched little Jimmy's...... uh, jimmy - it will be an opportunity the rest of us to move up in the pecking order. (no pun intended) Office workers can move ahead by working while the slackers talk MJ around the cooler - business owners can move ahead by providing better service while their competitors respond just a bit slower because they have to hear one more CNN interview.

Posted by CDogg at 08:38 AM | Comments (0)

January 31, 2005

I fixed the water heater...

What a moron... no really, I feel pretty stupid over this one. My water heater went out last week... it just wouldn't heat water no matter what I did. I had long since fell into a deep hate relationship with this water heater as it has never worked correctly since I bought the thing a couple years earlier. When you turn the thing up hot enough so that you can take a hot shower - the pressure valve kicks in and it starts dumping water all over my garage.

Most of the year, this is fine... heck, in South Texas there is usually enough hot water resting in the pipes to take a hot shower. The only time it becomes an issue is when the temperature drops under 40 or so. At those times, all I get is ice cold water unless I go turn the temp up on the unit. I wait about five minutes, take my shower, and then go turn the temp down before it starts overflowing all over the garage. The problem is that I would often forget to turn it back down and head out for the day - only to return later to a stream of water running down my driveway and the street.

When it finally gave up the ghost and stopped heating altogether, I figured what the heck, I hate this one anyway - I will go get a new one. Before I could get one, I started feeling guilty about my wastefulness - afterall, it has a 9 yr warranty - surely, it would be a waste just to buy a new one. I decided to research the warranty... in the meantime, I have a 24hr Fitness a mile away and a membership.

It got me out from behind my desk and into the gym so I was in no hurry to rush out and get a new water heater. It was only today after finding out that I lack the paperwork to make a warranty claim that I was struck FINALLY by a flash of the obvious. Sure enough, the pilot light had simply blown out. I lit the pilot and decided to blog this while waiting for the water to heat enough for my first home shower in several days.

MORAL: It pays to wait sometimes... or in this case - saves ($238 water heater + $255 installation = over $500 with tax)

Posted by CDogg at 08:39 AM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2005

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Posted by CDogg at 10:46 PM | Comments (0)

January 13, 2005

Take a chill...

Apparently, there is a huge buzz about Prince Harry attending a costume party in ... (gasp) a costume! Okay, it was more than just a costume, it was a Nazi uniform complete with swastika armband... but come on people - it was a friggin' costume party.

Harry said he was "very sorry if I caused any offense or embarrassment to anyone." "It was a poor choice of costume and I apologize," he added.

Cut the kid some slack... he was at a costume party. People attend costume parties in all sorts of getups - some are quite offensive... and that is half the fun. The ability to take a joke is far more important than worrying that Prince Harry is making a statement condoning the actions of the Nazis.

The media, pundits and yes, fellow bloggers need to just relax a bit. THIS is not something worth getting your cockles up about... (I'm not even sure what a cockle is... but I seem to remember it being British so it seemed appropriate)

Posted by CDogg at 11:18 AM | Comments (0)

December 21, 2004

Mr. Fixit Returns

It was one of those evenings... a chance to do some of those niggling* little repairs that stack up over time. First, I completed the satellite wiring to the bedroom. I never finished it when DirecTV sent out a second receiver and TiVo.

I then moved on to my icemaker - it just stopped making ice a couple days ago. I picked up a new water feed relay since it was what appeared to be the problem. I am not convinced that fixed it although it does feed water now. I seems that the freezer isn't cooling as well as it was earlier... it could just be my imagination or the fact that I stick my head in every thirty minutes to see if I have ice yet. I will check in the morning to see if there is indeed another problem.

I also repaired the water hose in the back yard. The hose end cracked and wouldn't seal so I cut the end off, put on a new hose end and presto-chango, I have a working water hose once again.

Then as it the Gods were angry with my progress, the door sweep on the back door just fell off. I installed that one about six months ago using Liquid Nails because I didn't have anyway to attach it to the metal door... I guess the expansion and contraction from the weather changes did a number on the Liquid Nails. I will fix that tomorrow - again, I will probably just do it the same way because six months is not that bad for a 15 second fix.

*[no that isn't a racist term - look it up]
Definition: [adj] (informal terms) small and of little importance

Posted by CDogg at 10:25 AM | Comments (0)

November 12, 2004

Backyard getting some updates

First off, big ups to my man Dave for the donation of his old BBQ grill. As you can see in the picture, we cut the legs down and mounted it in the front portion of Turtle World. The idea for an 'outdoor fire' was from Pennie. She suggested that as it turns cooler, it would be nice if we could sit near a fire when kicking back outside.

The layout works great as Pennie sits on the right and would be more comfortable nearer the burning wood.

The wood in the picture is from my peach tree. I cut it down because it was looking pretty sickly as each winter at least one major branch has broken off when it gets icey and windy. The only problem with cutting down the tree was that it was center for a couple of bird feeders. To remedy the lack of feeding area for the birds, I sunk a cedar post in the ground and mounted two feeders on it.

Posted by CDogg at 10:43 PM | Comments (0)

October 31, 2004

What is happiness? Glad you asked...

Everyone strives for happiness right? Maybe so - maybe no. What exactly is happiness?

Happiness: a condition or state of well-being, contentment, pleasure; joyful, cheerful, untroubled existence; the reaction to having nice things happen to one.

Doesn't sound that bad to me. Let's start with what some famous people have to say on the subject...

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. -- Albert Schweitzer

Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory. -- Albert Schweitzer

Happiness belongs to the self-sufficient. -- Aristotle

That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest. -- Henry David Thoreau

It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day to day basis. -- Margaret Bonano

The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances. -- Martha Washington

It is not that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we do for ourselves. -- Chris Doelle

So why then are so many people miserable? There I have no information - because there I have no experience. I was sitting at the dinner table yesterday with my brothers and mom, discussing what terrible childhoods us kids had growing up. I was kidding with her about getting beat up by my brothers and forgotten on birthdays etc... (inside joke) and she said "you just never complained... in fact, you never said much of anything - you would just sit quietly and smile." I joked that I was catatonic from my traumatic childhood, but eventually let her off the hook by admitting it wasn't that bad.

It retrospect however, a recent discussion of happiness reminded me of the conversation and the fact that I really have no basis for understanding unhappiness. Sure, I have been upset, pissed off, angry, etc. but not for very long at a time. In fact, it is these lowest moments of my life that have become some of my funniest stories. They always lead to funny stories. Look at the stories on my website. Of the dozen or so that I have written, the two I like the most and the two that get the best response from readers are "The Great Potato Fire of 1990" and "Beware the Topos," both bad events turned to funny stories.

And before you decide that my life is rosy, lets look at the facts. I built a great business only to have it crash and burn resulting in a personal bankruptcy, I have a herniated disc in my back that knocks me out of commission more and more lately, I am overweight, I have high cholesterol, my dog just died, I pretty much screw up every relationship I am in, my house is mess, I have a broken pipe in the attic, I have an uncontrollable compulsion to save every worthless knick-knack that comes through my hands, I am behind in my work... it goes on and on.

So what is the point of this ramble? Don't ask me... I just write here. Also, don't expect me to understand when you break out the violins. Call me naive, call me insensitive - but don't save me a seat at the worry table - I am just not wired that way.

Posted by CDogg at 05:47 PM | Comments (0)

August 31, 2004

Annoying peccadillo...

It annoys me to no end when someone used the word 'orientated' when they should use 'oriented.' To be fair, they mean the same thing, but the correct usage in American English is the latter. Orientated is the British form of the word and therefor is incorrect usage in America.

While we are on the subject of language... do you know what the word in the title (peccadillo) means?

PECCADILLO: \Pec`ca*dil"lo\, n.; pl. {Peccadillos}. [Sp.pecadillo, dim. of pecado a sin, fr. L. peccatum. See{Peccant}.]A slight trespass or offense; a petty crime or fault.

It has long been a favorite word of mine - since my first-year college professor, Mr. Greenhill used it and challenged the class for a definition.

Posted by CDogg at 10:07 PM | Comments (0)

July 04, 2004

House Finch Spotted!

Kudos to Pennie for the identification of this winged beauty. I showed her some pics I took of the scarlet-topped critters and she did the Sherlock Holmes thing in coming up with the ID. The house finches (I have seen as many as four at one time) hang out on the spent blooms of the sunflowers picking the seeds out.

Even more amazing that the cool fact of a new guest, is that according to this zone map, we are really out of their regular area (just on the fringe.) I am thinking that while hanging out at some interstate bird truckstop, they heard about this really cool backyard and decided to swing by to snack on some sunflowers.

Posted by CDogg at 07:45 PM | Comments (0)

June 13, 2004

Why do it twice?

I sent an email to Pennie telling her what I did today and thought - "I can just cut and paste the email in the blog, rather than reword the whole thing." So here it is (well, the part about what I did anyway.)

I worked on rendering a video project. That requires short bursts of work on the computer followed by long wait times while it processes what I have done. The result is that I have a ton of free time in one and two hour segments, but really cannot go too far or production stops. I decided to "putz around the yard" durring the breaks.

Here is my putzing...

Dug up the area in front that I want to make into a cactus garden
Found some sand at the old construction site
Loaded a truckload of sand
Laid down sand bed for cactus garden
Planted the grass in the middle of the cactus garden
Trimmed front Rosemary bush
Trimmed front bushes on each side of garage door
Trimmed Red-tipped Photenias by server room window
Trimmed Sage bush near Brian's window
Trimmed bushes on Andy's side of the house
Stored all bush trimmings in both compost bins
Tore down deadwood from Carolina Jasmine (over compost bin)
Repaired broken fence behind compost bin (8 slats and one post)
Filled sand at Sparrow Beach
Filled in sand under pond to keep rats out
couple other things...

in other word - sweated my @ss off all day...

Then the storm blew in --- I opened the front and back door - propped screens to keep dogs from going out. While it rained like mad, the wind blew in amazingly strong gusts right through the house. The rain was coming at an angle that worked out great as only an occasional fine mist would find its way into the house. It was way cool!! I turned off the A/C and let Ma Nature do the cooling. There was a light and sound show as the lightning flashed and the thunder roared.

Very productive day - I got about 10 hours worth of editing work finished too.

Posted by CDogg at 06:42 PM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2004

Crazy days

The saying is "When it rains, it pours." I might have to agree right now. Well, I got off my @ss and fixed the threshold on my back door. (Kudos to Dave for the assist) After finishing the job off last night and feeling proud of my accomplishment, the snafu bug kicked in. Brian came home and decided to do his laundry. Well, all was normal until I went out to the garage about an hour later to discover, water all over the floor, Brian covered in sweat with tools in hand and my washing machine completely dismantled in front of him.

He told me that when it got to the spin cycle, the engine just hummed and did nothing. Let me just say that I was pleased as punch that for the first time in his stay, when something sounded funny, he did the right thing and shut it off. The same cannot be said for two weed eaters, two vacuums, a drill and a lawnmower - all of which are destroyed through his handling and care.

I get up this morning, intent on trying to figure out the washer, nearly fully resigned to the fact that I will probably have to do my clothes at a laundromat until I can buy a new washer and the other foot drops. My pond is silent as I let the dogs out. Sounds peaceful, huh? Yes, but there should be the sound of running water. Okay so the neighbor cats destroyed the babbling brook, but the pond should still be pumping water. It is silient.

Turns out there is something wrong with the outside electrical outlet. I checked all the fuses and nothing seems to be out. The outlet just doesn't work. As of right now, I have a cord run into the house powering the pump (and probably ruining the seal created by the new door threshold.)

And just when it seemed like it couldn't get any worse... a strange thing happened. It seemed like something from one of those creepy art films... I looked over to the peach tree which had recently been split nearly in half from heavy wind and on the droopy branch sat a perfect white dove. While all the rest of the birds scatter when someone walks outside - this one just sat there. It cocked its head to the side and watched. I know it is stupid, but it sort of gave me a peaceful feeling. I walked up to it and it just sat there. I stuck out my hand with my finger extended under its feet and it seemed frightened at first, but then stepped onto my finger as a perch. After setting him back down on the branch, I went inside to get my camera.

When I returned, he had left my peach tree and was pruning himself in the Green's oak tree. I got this shot off.

Maybe it means nothing, maybe it means that somebody's tame dove got loose. As I watched the dove, I glanced at the ground in the Green's yard and spied the fresh grave of Teddy. (see blog dated 6-9-04) I prefer to think it was Teddy who never got to say goodbye, just swinging by for a visit.

Posted by CDogg at 06:44 PM | Comments (0)