Six months ago, my former health insurance called to let me know that they were reversing a health insurance claim. They initially paid it in full back in 2024 but found a way to determine they no longer were liable. It wasn’t a small sum. It was $8 grand. What in the actual fuck? I’ve … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Tears of a Clown – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
This is a tough one. I’m not quite sure how to answer this one. I haven’t met any tourists who have royally screwed things up on their travels to America. For Americans who travel abroad, I always recommend eating the local foods. One of the fun parts of travel is tasting the culture. And even … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
Easy. Three Little Birds by Bob Marley. This song always gives off good vibes. When I was in college, we once brewed our own beer. While making our home brew, we played Bob Marley’s Legend album on a loop the whole time. I remember being at the brewing supply store deciding how many bottles to … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Three Little Birds – Bob Marley
I think I was about 10 years old when my parents had the bright idea that I learn another language. Classes were on Saturday mornings, which conflicted with my prime time cartoon time. What the hell was I doing in a classroom this early on the weekend? At the end of the year, we had … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Yellow Ledbetter – Pearl Jam
When I was in my early thirties, I experienced a panic attack at work. I was working 80 hour weeks juggling multiple client projects. The stress level remained high. I remember closing my office door, breaking down, hiding from the world. I’d never experienced a panic attack before. It felt like the weight of the … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Demons – Imagine Dragons
What comes around goes around. I used to believe in karma. Until the current administration entered the scene, that is. That guy seems to be teflon and nothing seems to stick. He can do and say the absolute worst and get away with it Scot free. I want to believe what comes around goes around. … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Tears for Fears
I don’t know for sure if there is such a thing as a soulmate. It could be true. I can’t say for sure. What I do know for sure is that marriage takes time and effort. It’s a spectrum of emotions, from absolutely wonderful to incredibly difficult. I’m sure there are plenty of times when … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Don’t Give Up On Us – David Soul
When I was a kid, I always wanted one of those individual jet packs from The Jetsons. How cool would it be to fly around solo? I also wanted Scotty from Star Trek to beam me up. I always wondered if there was proper quality control and if they were ever missing a particle or … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Add It Up – Violent Femmes
I think minimalism is fine. People who believe in it, you do you. I’m never going to knock it. Personally, I’m not quite as extreme. I don’t need new stuff all the time, but I’m also not going to live in depravity. I’d like to have the option to buy something if I really wanted … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: New Orleans Instrumental No. 1 – REM
Even though I live near Hollywood, my life is nowhere close to being a blockbuster storyline. There have been a few times when there may have been the beginnings of a movie plot. Just the beginning, though, thank goodness. Here are a few story pitches from my life. Brain Surgery – Although everything turned out … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Spin the Bottle – The Juliana Hatfield Three
Steps. I need more of them. Sitting is the new smoking they say. The only difference is I love smoking, but don’t. Having a smoke is completely relaxing. Too bad I can’t light one up while taking a stroll. I worked with a friend that smoked a pack a day. I don’t blame her. She … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Walk This Way – Run DMC
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
MyGenXerLife 