The earliest book that I remember reading was Where the Wild Things Are. I remember the illustrations more than anything. What comes to mind is Max being crowned king and dancing with the wild things. It’s hard to believe the book is over 60 years old. I was curious about the themes of the book. … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Wild Thing – The Troggs
Sometimes you wonder what came first. The chicken or the egg. Which one preceded the other? I ask something like that about myself at times, too. I work in risk management. It’s my job to understand, prepare and advise on a spectrum of outcomes, from best to worst case scenarios. It’s the scenarios that lean … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Shake It Out – Florence and the Machine
Blackjack is all about feel. I like a table full of nice people. Chatty people are good, but also people who have the EQ to know when not to be. And nobody wants angry guy at the table. It’s even worse when he’s angry drunk guy. It’s just bad juju and even worse karma. When … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Heaven or Las Vegas – Cocteau Twins
One of the football coaches taught my high school social studies class. On Friday mornings, he would describe a funny scene from Cheers that aired the night before. He’d laugh his ass off after the punch line. I still remember his loud hearty laugh. Because of him, I started watching the show and was hooked. … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division
After class, I nervously stood in line to speak to my professor. I somewhat rehearsed what I was going to say. It still sounded clumsy, but I myself was a clumsy underclassman. How would he react? Would he be upset or offended? It turns out, he didn’t care one bit. It was a big lecture … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Bohemian Rhapsody – The Crowd Waiting for the Green Day Concert
I transitioned into a new role when I was in my early thirties. Although I felt I earned the new role, there also was a cross sense of imposter syndrome. People who struggle with imposter syndrome believe that they are undeserving of their achievements and the high esteem in which they are, in fact, generally … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Don’t Get Me Wrong – The Pretenders
I’m pretty much a realist. During my career I was often referred to as the voice of reason. I’m not sure I’ve ever questioned reality. Maybe that’s both the pros and cons about being pragmatic. Not very exciting, I know. There are times when I’m exhausted and wake up in a daze, searching for reality. … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Absolute Reality – The Alarm
I was surprised I liked Moneyball so much. At the time, I wasn’t a baseball fan. I used to think the sport was too slow to watch. Later I would learn I just didn’t understand or appreciate it. I’m surprised I watch as much baseball as I do now. Was I a Brad Pitt fan? … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: The Show – Lenka
When I was in my twenties, this never crossed my mind. Ever. This seemed to be a topic for mature adults, not twenty somethings trying to have fun. In my thirties, I was too busy working and building a career. Surely there would be time for such things after I was older and wiser. I … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Stuck in a Moment (Letterman Version) – U2
I’m not a big fan of the phrase and whatnot. I don’t even understand it. I mean I do, but not how I’ve heard it being used. People seem to throw it on the end of any sentence randomly. Whenever I’d hear it dropped three times within a short conversation, I’d shake my head inside … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Apathy – The Whatnots
When we were little, my brothers and I played this road trip game. The first person to see and call out an out of state license plate got to punch the others in the arm. Juvenile, I know. In our defense, we were kids. We also sang the hundred bottles of beer on the wall … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Blue Highway – Billy Idol
Mount Whitney is the tallest peak in the continental US and stands 14,505 feet above sea level. It’s a two day hike and we were excited at the prospect of reaching the summit. We faced a few challenges, though. First, we were rookies and had no idea what was in store for us. Sometimes ignorance … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: The Mountain Wins Again – Blues Traveler
We had dinner with friends last weekend and learned both are now retired. Wow! What a surprise. I caught up with a former co-worker yesterday and learned he retired two years ago. I’ve never heard him sound so relaxed. Next month we are celebrating a good friend’s retirement in Vegas. It’s been awhile since we’ve … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Joy – The Sundays
I’ve mention The Way a few times on this blog. Starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Esteves, a father walks the Camino de Santiago with his son. The Way (2010), starring Martin Sheen and directed by his son Emilio Estevez, follows Tom, an American ophthalmologist who travels to France to collect the body of his estranged … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Country Road – James Taylor
I downloaded the Duolingo app on my phone. Fifteen minutes a day to learn a language? Cakewalk. The first few weeks were a breeze. Then life got busy. A skipped a day. Then a few more. That’s when Duolingo unleashed their muscle. First it was just a friendly nudge. A nag. Haha. Cute. Then it … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Rock Me Amadeus – Falco
I know this would fall under the chick flick category, but I really enjoyed Under the Tuscan Sun. I think the idea of impulsively ditching your life to start another in the Italian countryside sounds like an appealing option that I’d never have the stones to try. When I visited Tuscany, I understood what all … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Romeo and Juliet – The Killers
I recently started having my Saturday morning coffee outside. I brew a cup and sit just outside our front door. I like to come out early before the neighborhood wakes up. Yes, it’s a little cooler in the morning, but I like the morning chill. What I noticed the most are the birds. There is … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: August and Everything After – The Counting Crows
I need a kick in the butt. I can feel it. I’ve been too sedentary and need the motivation from a good ass kicking to get me out of this rut. No, not actual violence. I’m talking about a challenge that stretches me to hell and back. One that feels like it’s beating my ass … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: The Climb – Miley Cyrus
I was excited that I made the cut to purchase Olympic tickets. I was studying the website, trying to get up to speed so I wasn’t fumbling around on my day to buy. Where was track and field? Oh, they refer that as athletics. Weird. What’s the difference between artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics. I … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Eighties – Killing Joke
I’m not a TV or movie buff. I don’t have an eye for filmmaking. I can’t tell you the cinematic genius of a scene. I just like what I like. What I do like, is a great monologue. And there are certain monologues I go to when my mood draws me in close. They call … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Give You My Lovin – Mazzy Star
When I was in college, a bunch of us took dates to our first musical. It felt like a very adult evening out. We made reservations at a nice restaurant before the show. The waiter suggested a bottle of wine. Sure, we were no strangers to drinking. Our beverage of choice back then was beer … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Red Red Wine – Neil Diamond
I enjoy reading Darryl’s blog My Little Corner of the World. It’s full of wonderful short stories and reflections. If you are not familiar with his blog, I encourage you to visit and give it a read. Thank you, Darryl, for nominating me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. I enjoyed reading your responses and appreciate … Continue reading Sunshine Blogger Award
I was reading a post from Just Rojie about a quarter life crisis and it got me thinking. Have I ever experienced one? Thinking back, the root of any of my life crisis only existed because I allowed work to dominate my life. I remember once having an epiphany moment. I was sitting in my … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Locked Out – Crowded House
I saw a driverless taxi on the road the other day. I knew they existed, it’s the first time I saw one in action. My reaction was a mixture of surprise and wonder. It was odd seeing a bunch of empty cars driving on the streets. Wild. My father in law could benefit from this. … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Let Her Go – Passenger
We passed by a gas station and shocked to see gas at $6.50 per gallon. WTF? Thankfully we gas up at Costco where the prices are cheaper. The last time I gassed up it was under six. It’s crazy thinking anything sub $6 sounds like a good deal. Southern California is pretty spread out and … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Forgotten Years – Midnight Oil
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