Leadership

I had a front row seat in Scott's leadership for dummies class this weekend.
 
I was the dummy.

Our medium sized group met and helped a lady move her house on Saturday.  We actually just moved all her stuff and left her house where it was.  It was nine steps up and down from her front door to the street - and we moved to a second floor apartment.  I should mention that she took her appliances with her as well.
 
When we arrived, not much had been done.  Stuff wasn't packed, boxes weren't together...we were basically starting from scratch and it was a bit overwhelming...but then Scott stepped up. 

He took over and it was brilliant.  I was the connection from the lady (who has M.S. and isn't able to lift much) and our group.  I was sort of waiting for her to give us our marching orders, but Scott quickly understood that she wanted us to take over.  And that's just what he did.
 
Within three hours we'd taken apart cribs, bookshelves and beds.  We'd loaded cars, SUV'S (for those who hate mother Earth) and pickup trucks (for those who love NASCAR).  We took apart a fridge and moved it along with a stove.  Couches & recliners and dressers oh my...

If Scott hadn't taken over, I'm fairly certain that we'd still be there.
It was a pleasure to watch and to follow his lead...so thanks doc...

Birth announcement

My big brother (we'll call him "Brian") turns one day older tomorrow.  He's also officially one month older...and one year older on December the 5th.

So here's my problem.  We purchased for him a magazine subscription to the Excellence in Sports Programing Network.  So what do you give someone on their birthday when all you have is a paid bill?

Here's the other issue - he's in Egypt.(insert 80's music reference here)  It seems a little much to travel to the Middle East...or Africa...or Kentucky for that matter, just to give him a card letting him know he'll soon enjoy 12 months of sports reporting that he could obtain on the world wide web for free...but this way we kill a few trees and give his mailman something else to fill up his mailbox.

Maybe we shouldn't look at it that way.  So I'm thinking that maybe we send him an e-card?

School Picture Day

Getting my picture taken today.  That's kind of an odd one, because they're realy taking nothing from me but my likeness.  Ultimately they'll be giving me a picture and taking nothing from me.  I should say right here and now that my faith doesn't allow for the idea that those magical picture taking machines actually steal your soul.  I don't want to ram my religion down your throat, but that's just what I believe.

Having said that, I really dislike having someone point a camera in my direction and saying, "now really Sean, smile!  Smile for real!  Just smile!"  It's far too many exclamations for something so mundane.
 
I should also mention that my teeth were bound by metal braces for nine years.  I was well versed in the closed mouth smile, or smirk.  It was through my formative years that this habit began and it's hard to break a habit that was formed while I was being formativedated.
 
But I was told to wear a dark shirt and smile at 1 o'clock today.  I'd rather live my life on my terms (see young Brad's weblog for insight) and shun the cameras flash and click...but alas, I a man who follows orders...

I'm just hoping I get one of those plastic combs...

Do as I write

I am struggling to lift my arms up to the keyboard and type this.  I have been lifting the weights for a while now...or so I thought before today.

Today I began an actual program.  Before today I would lift what was, to me, a decent amount of weight...get tired...and then go home.  This morning was different.  Today I followed the advice of a book.  It was like having a personal trainer, only you have to count for yourself...and save $50.  It was also incredibly difficult.  It's interesting what having an expert's opinion will do to something as simple as lifting weights.
 
So after one day of following this new lifting plan, I'm really hurting.  At the same time, I feel like I now have the knowledge to "train" someone else.  I've read about and now know the program and could take just about anyone through it..and it would work.  Silly, but true.  My internet-touch even has instructional videos on hundreds of exercises...so if I forget how to do something, I just click a button.  Presto-bamo everybody wins.
 
About fifteen years ago I was asked to teach a parenting class.  I wasn't a parent and I thought it was a silly idea (teaching the class...not parenting)...so I did it (the class...and eventually the parenting).  The things I said were true, and I believe people might have even learned a few things from this non-parent.  You can teach people stuff that you're not really doing.
 
We do it all the time (we being parents, teachers, coaches, pastors, Amway salespeople, you get the point by now talkers).  Sad, but true.  It's easier to teach/write/talk/preach than it is to do.
 
I've done enough talking, and this morning I did a little doing.  I like the doing better...it's just harder.
(you get the irony of me running home to write this, right?)

A flock of seagulls

I ran today.
I had a new gameplan in the gymnasium and it wasn't fun.
At all

A few months ago I went in and "ran" for one minute.  I walked for 19 and ran for 1.  The next day I walked for 18 and ran for 2.  Then 17 & 3...and so on until I hit 30 minutes of "running".  After I was comfortable with my thirty minutes of running (really it was more of a jog or an incredibly fast walk complete with the pumping of my arms and the constant threat of vomit) I started increasing my speed every day.

I also started lifting weights.  The problem with lifting weights is that they're really heavy.

And much like my running goals, I set some lifting goals...and eventually met those.

So I've decided to try something new...and today it began.  I walked, then jogged, then jogged a little faster...and then faster...until I was running the fastest that I have since being chased by the secret police after I wrote that scathing article about flip flops in Pravda.

It was awful.
And tomorrow I'll do it again...and it won't be so bad...or maybe it will...but I'm going to do it on Thursday too.  I've had a little success in the past three months with incremental goal setting, and ultimately I don't want to drift into 2010 wishing I'd be more proactive with my time and health.

I'm not waiting until the end of December to start my resolutions and start living how I want to live.  There's just not enough time to waste another month.

Butterball

Thanksgiving came and went without one person saying, "I think we should all go around the room and tell everyone what they're most thankful for"
...and for that, I am thankful

I don't need a national holiday sponsored by Butterball to tell me what to do.
They can't hold me down to their oppresive rules of how I should live my life.
 
Having said that - today is Cyber Monday and I'll take this national holiday as my opportunity to express my gratitude towards:
-JR for frying a turkey on my front lawn
-Jimmy, for not making me call him JR
-The Steg-fam for making my personal favorite foot item of the holidays, while simulataneously making our entire medium sized group a Christmas compact disc with my personal favorite Christmas/Kwanza/Hanukkah song (hint: think BNL & Sarah McGlaughlin)
-The Elders for burying the Youngsters by a score of 35-28 in backyard football
-Prescriptive medicine for keeping the Boyd family alive
-Mr. Bob Saget
-Annie for being awesome, beautiful, funny & an above average speller
-Isaac, mostly for his storytelling and life experiences that play out well with his telling of stories
-You
-Scott D and his frantic football hijinks

The Rules

I think it's time someone set up some basic rules for everyone's benefit.
 
Who should make these rules, you might ask...
Paul Smiley, that's who.

That's not the point though.  The point is that most of us are floundering out here looking for someone to set up a system of sort.
 
First question for Paul:
  What are the parameters for the Celebrities die in three's rule?

We need a time limit.  Do they have to die at the same time?  Same Day?  Same Week?  Same Month?

What constitutes a "Celebrity"? 
    Everyone has been on tv.  There are over 1,000 people who currently have a role on a daily or weekly tv show that's shown nationally.  Television has been around for 75 years (ish?) and that means that roughly everyone sort of qualifies.  Throw in politicians, radio personalities, Oprah guests and beauty queens...well, Paul needs to draw up some sort of venn diagram to lay this out.
 
For instance - if Don Rickles, Roddy Piper & Squiggy all die within 10 days, does that even count?
 
Should there be lines based on the field?
-Actor needs to be a lead in a top 10 show, nominated for an Oscar or an Emmy or married a Gabore sister.
-Singer needs to have 2 top ten hits or been married to Cher.
-Reality contestant or "star" shouldn't count unless they've been a member of our society of...I mean been a Scientologist for at least ten years and been a fourth level Gosmonaut.

I also think it's a three day rule.
So if Gary Busey, Cloris Leachman and Michael Stipe go down in the next 72 hours...well, then we're talking.

when the day is long...and the night...

Thwarting the bad people

A couple of things to get this thing kicked off.
   1.  This was mostly an excuse to use the word "thwarting"
   2.  I love lists

I've got a rock solid, genius idea for fighting crime pacifist style.
Here's what you do:
    First I need you to buy one of those plastic rocks that have a "secret" compartment in them.  Most of these look pretty much like plastic rocks that have keys hidden in them.  If you happen to get one that looks like a rock, you'll want to spray paint it gray or brown...or any color that will make it look more fake...but sort of like you were trying to make it camoflaged. 
 
   Now you've got a really obvioius hidden key.

   Second step.  I want you to go through your key chain and remove the 1-7 keys that you never really use.  I'd also like you to remove that annoying keychain that is actually bigger than the keys.  That's just silly.  If it's a bottle opener, we may need to have a separate talk about your acting like a 19 year old frat boy. 
Moving on.  I want you to take one of those extra keys...and put it in your fake rock.
 
  THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.  You can't put a house or car key in the fake rock.  That'd be stupid.  Don't be stupid.  Why would you want to be stupid? 

   Next you need to put that rock somewhere in front of your house. 

  What will happen next is that some devious criminal will happen upon your hidden key and attempt to unlock your front door...and then your back door...and side door.  Who has a side door though?  Not the point.  The point is that we're giving criminals False Hope.  What's worse than false hope?  Maybe people wearing one senquined glove as some sort of Michael tribute...outside of that?  Nothing.
 
If you want to cut down on criminal behavious, set them up to be dissapointed.  It just makes sense.
 
Side note:  you can do the same thing with your car.

you're welcome.

Staycation is on...in 8 hours

Looks like I'm not working so much next week.

Oh sure, I'm with the Q City Players tonight (and two shows on Sunday).

You could call that work...but I lean towards that being play with benefits.
Get to be a part of Turkeyfest tomorrow, and watch Ohio State beat that team up north later on...
Backyard football and hanging with our small group, so there will be stretching out and diagraming plays...
 

But I'm still looking for great ideas for late November in Cincinnati.

Ideas?

The Doctor is on the Table

A friend of mine came up with the idea of a series of tubes that would traverse a breakfast restaurant.  You would then have unfettered access to delicious coffee right at your table.

I'd forgotten about this genius idea until today, while listening to a podcast...someone submitted the idea that individual tables should have fountain machines.
GENIUS

What's not great about that?

You can't think of anything, right?

O.K. maybe you like to shoot holes in even the greatest of ideas.
-What about the cost Sean?
  it cost about 2 cents to fill up a glass of delicious Diet Dr. Pepper...and they'll be lining up to sit at a table with a truly bottomless glass of that treat.
-Um...well...it just seems like you're trying to take jobs from poor waiters and waitresses.
nope, we just made their job easier.

Now I just need one of you entrapaneurial types to take this and run with it.
If you can get Chipotle on board, that'd be a bonus...