Many Life Changes in Store for Hair Farmer Joe in 2008

Wow - things are happening so fast in my life that my head is spinning!

My wife and daughter got back from 2.5 weeks in Kiev Ukraine last Saturday. I had missed them a lot, but Lena and I have had issues for most of the 5 years we've been married. On Sunday we decided that its time to divorce. It started out as a big argument, but since my initial outburst, we've actually been getting along very well. We seem to be in agreement on most of the issues involved in the dissolution, especially the fact that most important in this deal is Jackie Kennedy - who doesn't deserve to continue to live with two unhappy parents.

We've decided that they will stay in the rental house we've been living in here in Bellevue for the last three years. I have started searching for a new place to live. It will probably be a shared housing situation for awhile to conserve money (and so that I can afford to pay more child support than required). I'm going to wait to buy another house until the market finishes returning to some sense of normalcy (it is still so very over priced). I have a couple of great options already and am actually looking forward to a change - although I will miss seeing Jackie every day ...

As a result of this split (and so I can afford to do a lot of skiing this season), I will need to start making better money again, so I have started looking for a job to supplement my (very small) income from the newspaper. There are so many things I can do with my skills and experience and really nothing I cannot do. I prefer to work in real estate or possibly even as a computer tech (I like building and fixing computers), or accountant (too much experience there) but have been keeping my options open.

A big challenge that I'll have in finding the right job is my current appearance. As a budding hair farmer, I have been having a lot of bad hair days. I'm currently in the really bad looking phase between well groomed and long hair. When it gets a little longer I think I will have some better control of it.

So now I am not only looking for a new job and new place to live, I'm also looking for a new love interest - or at least to date. I'm really not looking forward to dating after five years of marriage, but I'm not going to wait around - I signed up on Match.com this evening. I'm thinking being a hair farmer might be a challenge here too - what do you think?

I have made a commitment to grow hair for children and Locks of Love - I'm really hoping that I can stick with it, despite the need and desire to find new housing, work and a lady. Anyone have any predictions?

Baseball's Mitchell Steroid Report

Today's long awaited release of the Mitchell Report on steriods for Major League Baseball has caused a lot of controversy, brought up some new names and raised even more questions.

The biggest names that came out today were Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. (I've always had a big dislike for Clemens as he's such an asshole. ) Most people have realized that Barry Bonds was one of the biggest (and most successful) offenders for a long time. Many of us who have been baseball fans have long realized that steroids have been used by hundreds of major league players - to not see that you pretty much had your head buried in the sand.

I first realized the problem many years ago when I was living in San Diego and my old summer league catcher Tom Lampkin was traded to the Padres. Although he was never a star big leaguer, he did have a solid career as a back up catcher for about six different teams. When I used to know him (until he was 19 or 20), he was just a skinny kid who could hit singles. When I saw him playing in the bigs his arms had grown as big as my legs. That just does not happen naturally or by weight lifting alone ... BTW - It really kind of sucks when somebody makes "The Show" and then won't even talk to their old friends ... I really admire people who remember where they came from and have no respect for those that don't.

As far as the big backlash of the steriods report, I hope that baseball can put it in the past. My personal opinion that any record by someone proven to be a steroid user should have an asterisk next to it. Whoever is proven to have used banned performance enhancing drugs (while they were banned) is a cheater, and should be banned from baseball, the record books and the Hall of Fame. If the drugs they were taking were not banned at the time, I don't think we can or should hold that against them. I would probably have done the same to get any advantage possible - or to simply keep up with the competition.

Familiar Faces in Bellevue

Last night while standing outside with friends taking a smoke break from a great dinner at Firenze, I thought I recognized someone walking out with a group of women. I couldn't grasp her name right off the top of my head (I don't think I've seen her since Bellevue High School graduation in 1981 except for possibly at a couple of class reunions) - and I'm still a little self conscious about my appearance during the early stages of hair farming, so I didn't say anything. In doing a little research, her name in high school was Lucille Pessa and I think her married name is Mullins. Cannot say for sure it was her - but I'd bet on it ...

It's interesting to continue to see faces from the past since I moved back here to Bellevue from San Diego three years ago. On the other hand, some of my best old friends I still have not seen. Apparently any people from my past have no desire to go there ... (Shurtleff - you are at the top of this list - I'll soon be divorced and you haven't even met my wife - or daughter!). Not sure why I wrote that, as I'm pretty sure that Matt (like many of my old friends) doesn't use a computer.

Another person from Bellevue High School that I ran into recently is Kelly Carlson (formerly Chamberlain). She recognized me at Trader Joe's in Bellevue a few weeks ago and was so very friendly (despite my scary looks) it made me feel good. She owns a home staging business with Michelle Jackling (formerly Richmond) called Motif. I hope to be able to help them get some business through advertising in Eastside Business newspaper. Michelle used to be a really good friend (and the first person I ever kissed!), but I haven't seen her for almost three years since I moved back up.

OK - so much for reminiscing, back to the present ..

A Quote Worth Reading

The following quote was included in today's International Council of Shopping Centers Smartbrief e-newsletter:

A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking." --Earl Wilson, columnist and author

It struck me how true this is. After being attacked by the Realtors as a member of the evil "media" (despite also being a Realtor myself), I'm thinking about taking a vacation - and canceling my memberships to the Realtor organizations.

McCafferty's Pub - Redneck, barroom, celebrity, grandchildren humor and more.: A Few Blonde Jokes and a Blonde Video

I stumbled across this post and just had to share it. Make sure to check out the video clip from the Newlywed Game ...

McCafferty's Pub - Redneck, barroom, celebrity, grandchildren humor and more.: A Few Blonde Jokes and a Blonde Video

Sonics Choke Again, Now at 0-6, How Long Can PJ Last?

As I predicted on opening day, the Sonics have been in some exciting games - and have a losing record. Even I did not think they would go 0-6, but since they play the Pistons on Sunday, I have to think they will be 0-7.

The announcers are saying that they just came up short, but realistically it really came down to poor coaching. PJ says there is future rotation changes coming, but how long can he continue to start Earl Watson (Watson was badly used by the Jazz in the first half). How long can PJ last? I was glad when Sam Presti was hired as GM, but his Spurs loyalties can only go so far....

The good news is that Durant, Green and Delonte West all look like they will have really good seasons. Too bad they don't have a big man to help them out.

Opening Day for Seattle Super Sonics - Perhaps Their Last Year in Town?

I'm looking forward to tonight's Sonics opening day game against the Denver Nuggets, but if something (anything?) else comes up I will skip watching the game. I'm hoping Jacqueline Kennedy will want to go trick or treating, but she is not yet 4 and none of her friends' parents will let them go.

I'm looking for the Sonics to be sub-500 this year, but think that they will have an entertaining and exciting team with both Durant and Green making sudden impacts. I was very happy when they got rid of Ray Allen - the guy can shoot, but has no idea what defense is. As the saying goes - defense wins championships and the Sonics had no chance with Ray gunning and playing ole on d. I'm also ok with Rashard Lewis getting away, he's a decent player, but very soft and no superstar. Definitely not worth the money.

As a life long Sonics fan, I'm bummed at the current ownership situation and would really like to see them get out of town sooner than later - unless the team gets resold to a different, local ownership group. As far as I can see, the NBA model is broken - a bunch of guys getting paid way too much money and the average family cannot afford to go to the games. With the extremely high cost for food and drink and constant blaring of hip hop music, I don't even enjoy going to the games any more. I vote for throwing my support to college hoops and look for the UW Huskies to have another great season.

BTW - I had to laugh when Dallas owner Mark Cuban was interviewed on tv at their game tonight. He was asked what kind of conversations the Mavs had been having with the Lakers about obtaining Kobe Bryant. He said "none" and that the Mavs getting Kobe "is not going to happen". He is a smart man - I know what he was thinking and wanted to say - Kobe Bryant is a great scorer, but does not play team basketball and any team that gets him would be taking a step backway.

I'm so sick of the media and sportscasters talking about how great Kobe is - he is a cancer and he will never win another championship unless he goes to a team with at least two other superstars - like Ray Allen going to Boston who also now have Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. BTW - I still doubt that the Celtics really have a chance with Allen on their team.

Canadian Geese in Downtown Bellevue?

I took this (not very good) photo of a flock of Canadian geese that has apparently settled on the property next to Bellevue City Hall and across the street from Meydenbauer Center.

Bellevue Reporter Once Again Littering Our Driveway

Back in August I wrote a post about The Bellevue Reporter littering our driveway with their newspapers. One email to the City of Bellevue, got very quick action, with the City sending the Reporter Newspapers a warning letter. This letter says that their actions are subject to a $100 fine that can be doubled for each additional offense.

That worked for a very short time, but once again they are littering our driveway and neighborhood. I've sent them numerous emails asking them to take care of this problem once and for all, but I have got zero response - and another paper since writing them last week.

I just wrote them one more time to see if they are going to take care of this issue and if I do not get a response by noon, I will be contacting the City again.

If you are having similar problems with papers littering your driveway, I would fully recommend contacting your City.

I do not read like or read the Reporter newspapers and am not willing to continue to have to pick them up and throw them in the recycle bin. I know I am not alone, as I've had numerous people contact me about this.

The Bravo Real Estate Blog: Bravo Brokers Announces Free MLS Listing Service

The Bravo Real Estate Blog: Bravo Brokers Announces Free MLS Listing Service

I think that our $500 Flat Fee Listings are packed with value in that we provide personal service, deliver a yard sign and lock box and take digital photos. These guys are only in a small part of the country, but I'm not sure anyone will be able to afford to provide free MLS listings for long. There are definitely costs involved that will need to be recovered through other business, advertising revenue or business losses ...

Real Estate Search Sites Coming Around Nicely

The new real estate search sites for Seattle Homes and Eastside real estate are really coming around nicely. It's great to be able to go to one page and see how many homes are listed for sale in each city/town in the area. Want to know how many homes are listed for sale in Bellevue? How about Seattle? Tacoma? Take a quick visit.

I really like what Steven Chris has done (he is especially good at SEO) in a short period of time.

Hair Farming Isn't for Everyone, But ....

Some of you might not know that I have become a Hair Farmer. I am growing my hair for Locks of Love to donate to a child who has lost theirs.

The goal is to not only grow my own, but also recruit 999 other people to grow their hair out to make an important difference in a very difficult time for some very unfortunate and deserving kids. Are you up to it? Will you become a Hair Farmer too?

Senior Driver

This is one of the many great funnies that my friend Ray Hironaka has sent me from Honolulu, Hawaii. At least it made me laugh ...

Senior Driver by GRANDMA

The other day I went up to a local Christian bookstore and saw a "Honk if you love Jesus" bumper sticker.


I was feeling particularly sassy that day, because I had just come from a thrilling choir practice followed by a powerful prayer meeting, so I bought the sticker and put it on my bumper.
I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection just lost in thought about the Lord and how good He is, and I didn't notice that the light had changed.
It is a good thing someone else loves Jesus; because if he hadn't honked, I'd never have noticed.

I found that LOTS of people love Jesus. Why, while I was sitting there, the nice man behind started honking like crazy, and he leaned out of his window and screamed, "for the love of God, GO! GO!" What an exuberant cheerleader he was for the Lord.

Everyone started honking! I just leaned out of my window and started waving and smiling at all these loving people.

I even honked my horn a few times to share in the love. There must have been a man from Florida back there, because I heard him yelling something about a sunny beach. I saw another man waving in a funny way with only his middle finger stuck up in the air. When I asked my teenage grandson in the back seat what that meant, he said that it was an Hawaiian good luck sign or something.


Well, I've never met anyone from Hawaii , so I leaned out the window and gave him the good luck sign back.


My grandson burst out laughing; why even he was enjoying this religious experience.

A couple of the people were so caught up in the joy of the moment that they got out of their cars and started walking towards me.


I bet they wanted to pray or ask what church I attended, but this is when I noticed the light had changed. So I waved to all my sisters and brothers, smiled at them all, and drove on through the intersection.


I noticed I was the only car that got through the intersection before the light changed again, and I felt kind of sad that I had to leave them after all the love we had shared, so I slowed the car down, leaned out of the window, and gave them all the Hawaiian good luck sign one last time as I drove away.

Praise the Lord for such wonderful folks!

Major League Baseball Has Become a Pussy Sport, Fans Suffer

According to an AP story posted at Yahoo news, The Yankees rookie pitching sensation Joba Chamberlain has been suspended for two games for throwing two straight pitches over the head of Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox. He didn't hit him with a pitch, didn't get into a fight, he just threw two pitches out of the strike zone.

I'm so sick of MLB turning baseball into a sport for pussies. They allow body armor for hitters (one of the reasons that Barry Bonds can sit on the plate waiting for meatballs to hit), and eject pitchers for throwing inside or knocking down the hitters. How are the pitchers supposed to protect themselves from the batters hitting line drives right back up the middle?

Pitching inside has long been part of the game to keep things more even between pitchers and hitters. In today's game, because the players are so blatantly overpaid (and fans overcharged at the ticket box), MLB will do anything they can to keep them from getting bumps or bruises. This takes much of the strategy and entertainment out of the game and I don't like it.

I don't know how Bob Watson lives with himself after doling out this type of punishment.

Perhaps the Stupidest Thing I've Ever Done

I’ve admittedly made a lot of stupid mistakes in my life. Yesterday, I made perhaps the worst ever.

I rode my bicycle to downtown Bellevue and did a short weight workout at Epicenter Fitness at Bellevue Place. It was short, sweet and had me feeling good. I was looking forward to grabbing some sushi from nearby Sushi & Rolls Express, as I frequently do after a good workout. (Disclaimer here - I did register and design their simple website and advertise their business for them, but have never been compensated).

Usually when I leave Bellevue Place on my bike, there is nobody to block the way out and I just ride about the arms that let you in and out at the toll booths. This time, they were all occupied and I decided that I would just follow out the SUV in front of me. Unfortunately, I had no idea that the arm would come down so fast and it came down and almost decapitated me. It very closely knocked me off my bike and probably looked either funny as hell or horrifying (depending on how one looks at things). A number of people stopped their vehicles to see if I was ok. Normally I would be very embarrassed, but I was too injured to think about my pride.

I did manage to make it for my regular spicy tuna roll and then basically limp (or wobble) my way home, but the damage had been done. The worst part of this is that I already have been through major problems with my neck including two herniated discs … Today I am one hurting unit and am really hoping that this latest incident doesn’t lead me down the same roads again. By the end of the day, I’m having some real problems and actually went down and bought a new neck collar.

Not really sure why I’m writing this here, don’t want or need sympathy, I guess it just feels a little better to let my frustration out.

What's the Deal about Burying Glass Bottles?

Many years ago, I used to work for a pretty high profile guy who prided himself on being eccentric (not just weird or strange like myself, but plain eccentric). He used to bury glass bottles in the ground down by the bayou ... saying something about surprising the hell out future historians.

I haven't thought about it in a long time, but he did have some skeletons in his closet - I wonder if the burying the glass had anything to do with getting rid of those skeletons?

Bellevue Reporter Littering Our Driveways

I've asked very nicely - three times ... Each time my request has been ignored. It is time to do something about this problem.

Since the King County Journal was purchased and shut down, the new owner has started printing many of its "Reporter" newspapers more frequently. Not too long ago, the postage hikes hit the newspaper industry hard and they decided instead of mailing to every address in certain areas, they were going to deliver to every address in certain areas - including ours.

While I think there is a definite place for the Bellevue Reporter, I don't personally like it and don't have time to read it. I certainly don't want it thrown in my driveway. It is a waste of ink, paper, plastic and valuable time - both mine (for when I actually have to pick them up to put them in the recycle bin) and the person who continues to throw them in my driveway - even when there is already a stack of unread papers in the same spot ...

I have asked nicely three times and actually thought this problem was taken care of before I recently left on a two week business trip. When I returned from the airport, there may as well have been a sign on the front door "Out Of Town - Please Break In and Steal Everything" - which is what criminals must think when they see a stack of unread papers in the driveway ...

So this is not just a problem of litter and waste, but also a matter of safety. I don't want anyone thinking there is nobody home to watch the house because I have a bunch of papers (papers I don't want or read) thrown in my driveway.

I hope that 1) Sound Publishing and The Bellevue Reporter will start honoring requests from people who do not want their driveways littered. and/or 2) The City of Bellevue will force them to stop littering the driveways of Bellevue residents.

What do you think? How should this problem be solved?

Pikaba

Using Pikaba to Find Where to Get Molson Golden in Bellevue Washington?

Introducing Pikaba - All You Have to Do is Ask

Wine Therapy? Only in Ukraine ....

I love being married to a Ukrainian .... things are so different there. Check out this story from BBC on Wine Therapy.

Health Club Etiquette

I can relate to many of the people who regularly go healthclubs to workout, as I occasionally get into a groove where I go a lot. It makes me feel good, gives me energy and help keeps (some of) the fat at bay. I usually enjoy being around like-minded people.

I guess that is why it especially pisses me off when people at the gym show little or no consideration for anyone else but themselves. It has happened at every gym I have ever gone to, so it is not a problem confined to a single company, location or part of the country. I currently belong to Epicenter Fitness and go to the location in Bellevue Place in downtown Bellevue. The facilities are great, the employees friendly and I have made a few friends while exercising there.

Nonetheless, I do have a few rants about some of their clients (I guess they could be guests of the Hyatt hotel next door - as they also are allowed use of the facilities.

This morning there were three things that happened that just should not happen in a gym - or anywhere else where people have common courtesy.

1. I was in the middle of a long session of cardio, wearing headphones and watching the news. Two young ladies got on the machines next to me and proceeded to gab incessantly. The matter was made worse by the fact that they both also had headphones on, which made them have to speak (yell?) louder to each other. It's not that I don't care about people, but I really don't need (or want) to hear about a complete stranger's shopping trip to the mall, or how she thinks that her boyfriend is cheating on her. It's just none of my business - and I really just wanted to work out and watch the news in peace.

2. The well-meaning gentleman who wanted to adhere to club rules and wipe down his machine after done using it. That is great - but he should not be spraying the cleaning chemicals into the air - or into the faces of other members. If I want to be exposed to the noxious odors, I'll spray myself in the face. Next time - please spray the cleaner directly onto the paper towel (not onto the machine) and do it away from other people so they are not forced to smell and inhale these chemicals.

3. The middle-aged woman who apparently was hot (and bothered?) before she even stepped onto the cardio machine. Without asking me or anyone else around her, she turned the fan next to me and the machine I was on full blast before getting on a machine next to me. This may not seem like a big deal to most people, but for me, who has two herniated discs in my neck it is a major problem. You see, when I am warm (and halfway through my cardio workout), I cannot have wind (or a fan) blowing on me, or it severely tightens up my neck muscles and causes me a lot of pain for the rest of the day. It would have been a considerate thing for her to ask me if I minded and I would have explained so she could use a different machine starting out. Instead I was forced to change the machine I was using.

Anyone else out there have any similar experiences or other health club etiquette they would like to share?

Downtown Bellevue Safeway Possibly the Worst Grocery Store Ever

I don't do a lot of grocery shopping, but tonight I had to pick up a few things and stopped in at the closest grocery store to my house - Safeway in downtown Bellevue. Although they have a number of nice people that work there, it is possibly the worst grocery store in the entire world.

They never have enough checkers, ensuring that almost every visit, their customers will have to spend an unnecessary portion of their lives waiting in line. Tonight was no exception - what really pissed me off is that they charged me for all my groceries, but failed to bag them all. I got home without the juice that was needed for Jackie Kennedy.

For now on - it's QFC for me ... (when I cannot avoid the grocery store).

Riding Elevators in Downtown Bellevue

I'm not sure if this is a rant or a rave, but probably just an observation.

Lately I've been riding in an elevator at least twice a day - mostly going to and from Epicenter Fitness in Bellevue Place. This morning on my elevator ride to the cardio machine, I realized that almost 35 years ago, I (usually along with my younger brothers and/or a friend or two) would walk or ride our bikes to ride in one of the only elevators that existed at that time.

I'm not exactly sure, but I believe it was the building on 112th Ave NE where the Puget Sound Blood Center is located.

I guess that the more things change, the more they remain the same .... (this doesn't make sense at all).

Anyone else have any elevator observations? I once did a free fall in an elevator in the Chevron Building in Houston, but that is another story for another day.

Dead Cardinal Pitchers' Dad Blaming EVERYONE Else But His Drunk Son

It was a terrible thing when St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Josh Hancock died in a car accident at the end of April. I felt especially bad for the organization, his teammates and family when it was announced that he was drunk at the time and that there was pot found in the car. Afterall, they were still reeling and dealing with their loss and the media would not let up to get a story.

An AP story today says that Hancock's father has filed a lawsuit against the restaurant where Hancock had been drinking, the tow truck that he crashed into and the owner of the stalled car the tow truck was trying to help. He is blaming everyone except for the person who was responsible - his son. Nobody forced him to drink, nobody forced him to drive (in fact I believe the people at the restaurant tried to get him to take a cab) and nobody but Josh crashed his car. I'm sure that his father is still in a lot of pain with the loss of his son, but he should accept the fact that it was his son that made the bad decisions that led to his death - and that it was very lucky he didn't any innocent people.

NBA stands for no basketball allowed - The Fix is IN

A couple quick rants (quick because the NBA is not worth any more of my time).

The most boring and dirty team in the world (Tim 'Crybaby' Duncan's San Antonio Spurs if you didn't know) has virtually been handed a trip to the finals after the refs ripped off the Phoenix Suns in the last series. Really too bad, especially considering total cheapshots by Robert 'big shot bob' Horry and Bruce 'stinky' Bowen.

Tonight LeBron James and the Cavs got ripped off at the end of a hard fought team. King James took the ball to the hole and was totally hacked by Rip 'hack' Hamilton. The refs just looked away (they were probably scared of the fans in Detroit).

I cannot say if the league has directed the refs to make such crappy calls in favor of the always favorites, but they have affected too many games in an unacceptable way. I will not watch any more NBA games for (at least) the rest of this season. It's not worth my time.

Woman has twins at 60, hopes to inspire others - at the expense of the twins????

This story from the AP and the Seattle Times website talks about a The psychologist who purposely got pregnant and gave birth to twins at age 60. She claims to have done it to 'inspire other women".

I was 40 when my daughter Jacqueline was born - and I feel bad for her to have such an old father. (it's a good thing her mother is much younger).

I feel terrible for this lady's twins - they are going to have a lady as old as a great grandmother for their mom. How much energy can she have for them at that age? Perhaps SHE should be seeing a psychologist - or better yet, a psychiatrist (so she can get prescribed some drugs for her mental condition).

Lincoln Square Cinema Shows its Cracks

Although I don't normally go to a lot of movies, I have been to 4 or 5 at Lincoln Square Cinemas in the past few months. Being the cheap guy that I am, I don't like paying $9.75 to see a flick. I tell myself its a nice new theatre to rationalize the consumer rape - but last night I had a bad experience.

I was there to see Fracture with Anthony Hopkins (what a terribly dreadfully boring movie). The worse part was that there was an inconsistency with the screen (it looked like a rip or tear) towards the upper left handside of the screen. It was very large and very distracting throughout the entire movie. I almost went to complain on a number of occasions - but kept on thinking "they HAVE to know there is a problem with this screen".

Anybody else have a similar experience?









Skidoodleski, Eastside Business

Happy Mothers Day to ALL Mothers

Although it is apparent that all my good intentions for this Mothers Day were for naught, it is my wish that ALL mothers are recognized for their amazing contributions.



Here are a few of the mothers with an impact on my life: Baba and Granny, Elena acting like a queen.

Happy Mother's Day to All Mothers - especially Jackie Kennedy's mom and my mom.

Great Grateful Dead Download Site

Working on a lot of paperwork this weekend to finish up my taxes. Tired of having the tv on in the background (gotta get rid of that boobtube), so decided to listen to some music.

Lately I have been feeling a great deal of stress and needing to burn some energy. I decided to do a search for a local Dead cover band. I wasn't successful at finding any shows tonight, but did find a great Grateful Dead download site. I was able to download the entire Dead show that was in Seattle on August 27, 2003. I can even play it on iTunes and have burned a couple discs to play in the car and share with friends. Check out: http://www.archive.org/details/gd83-08-27.aud.hinko.16439.sbeok.shnf

What a long, strange trip its been ....

skidoodleski

Lion Dance at Chinese New Year Gala

Unfortunately I didn't get any great pics, but here is a photo of the lion dance at last week's Chinese New Year Gala put on by the Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce and The Hong Kong Club.

Obviously Not Too Much Blogging in Paradise

I just read my last post on this blog and I guess the answer is that I wouldn't be doing too much blogging or this blog would have more posts. To be fair, I do blog at a number of different sites, including Active Rain, the Eastside Business Community Weblog and more.

Blogging from Paradise ... How Much More Blogging Would I Do?

Every time I come over to Hawaii to visit my friends, I fantasize about moving over here - or at least living here part-time.

With views like this, I would probably be blogging a lot more - or maybe I would be outside enjoying too much ...

This is Kaneohe Bay ... I wish I had a boat ... or even a raft to float on ..

No Big Game Boycott Afterall, But No Excitement

Although a bout with the flu has given me an excuse to turn the tube back on this weekend, and I just wasn't able to keep myself from turning on the "Big Game". It's been a close game, but just doesn't see to have a lot of excitement.

I can only hope that Manning chokes as he usually does during the post season. It's looking like it's his to lose.

Although I'm not a big Prince fan, it was interesting to me that he was playing guitar in the pouring rain .... Is that modern technology, or was he "finger synching"? (could he have been lip-synching too?) Does anyone know?

Three Days In A Row With No Boob Tube

The last three days have been great! No television - and I seem to be getting more done.

Have also been to the gym for 7 of the past 8 days. I kind of have a strange goal for my work at the gym in the next few months. I want to gain about 20 pounds while losing bodyfat. My goal is to be 200 lbs with 10% bodyfat. I started out at 180 and have already gained (at least) a couple of pounds - that won't be the hard part. Getting down to 10% bodyfat will take some real discipline that I have never had before .... According to my scale at home, I am currently 14.7%

My goals of reading and writing more this year are taking shape. I'm blogging quite a bit more on a number of blogs and have a couple of books going at the same time. I'm currently reading a book called "Realty Blogging" by Richard Nacht and Paul Chaney from Blogging Systems. It's a very informative read and I will be writing more of a review for Eastside Business when I am done.

Blog, Blogs, and Blogging About Blog Books

The other day when I was checking my post office box, I had received a number of books in the mail. It's not unusual that I receive books in hoping that I will review and publicize said books either in one of my blogs or in the print edition of Eastside Business, but was interesting was that there were two books about blogging. I'm super psyched about both of them and am anxious to digest. It turns out they were actually sent to me at my request - and I have met three of the four authors involved.

Realty Blogging is by Richard Nacht (of Blogging Systems) and Paul Chaney. Blogging Systems has had a big presence at the two Inman Real Estate Connect conferences that I've attended. Both last summer in SF and earlier this month they held special sessions for attendees. Richard was on a panel at another session I attended about blogging for your real estate business and I was able to meet him afterwards. With my love of both real estate and blogging, I'm really looking forward to this book.

The other blogging book that I received is called Publish and Prosper - Blogging For Your Business and is written by DL Byron & Steve Broback. DL and Steve put on the world famous Business Blog Summit (which I recommend that you attend at all costs). If you go here - you can also get a free copy of this book.

It was two years ago at the Business Blog Summit that I heard people like Robert Scoble (formerly of Microsoft, currently VP of Media Development at PodTech.net and co-author of Naked Conversations, a great book about blogging that came out last year), and Buzz Bruggeman of ActiveWords, along with DL, Steve and many more people speaking about the benefits and fun blogging. I guess that was what got me hooked. Thanks guys ... ;-)

Resolution Update (Make Sure to Check Out Epicenter Fitness)

I just realized from looking at my last post in this blog that it has been a full two weeks since I've posted here. Not sure what that says about the progress on my resolution to write more this year. It is true that I do write a number of different places, but I really thought I would be posting here more often.

Here is a post from the other day on the Eastside Business Community Weblog:

New Year’s Fitness Resolution Starts (Fashionably?) Late

Posted by Joe Kennedy under Business , Bellevue , Eastside Business

It’s kind of interesting that I would use the term “fashionably late”, as someone said it yesterday in a meeting - as I was thinking that there is no such thing - there’s nothing that can be positive about someone being late and wasting other people’s time.

Still the same, I was in no hurry to get to some of my New Year’s resolutions this year, especially considering the fact that this was the first time in my 44 years that I have every set resolutions for the New Year. To make a long story, longer - I finally decided to join a gym. Not just any gym mind you, but Epicenter Fitness in Bellevue Place.

Last night was my first decent workout since I started working for HomeTeam back in June of last year. It’s something I definitely have to do more often, but like everyone else, I have been busy.

I understand that Monday was known as Black Monday - the day that many people fall off of their New Year’s resolutions. It’s kind of funny to me that I would just be starting on mine and many had already given up.

The Epicenter Fitness location in Bellevue Place is right next to the Hyatt Hotel and a number of great restaurants (it may be tough to pass them by after a tough workout), and has a lot of great equipment, good cardio gear and the best thing is that they have a swimming pool. I’m sure our entire family will enjoy that. Jackie Kennedy loves to swim!

The facilities are great, staff is friendly, memberships are reasonable, parking is free. The gym is open from 5am - 10pm most days druing the week, so I’ll probably spend my time there in the evenings. Hope to see you at Epicenter!

Update as of today (1/25/07): I have been to Epicenter Fitness for the past three nights and I haven't seen YOU there! Come on in - they have some pretty good deals on memberships and have FREE parking in Bellevue Place. It's not a huge gym, but does have a swimming pool and has not been crowded on any of the times that I've been there.

Eastside Business, skidoodleski

Jackie Kennedy is Great Topic for Google Ad Words

I was just looking at this blog and noticed that most of the Google ads were Jackie Kennedy-related. Hadn't noticed that before, but it must be because the link to my daughter's site - the real Jacqueline Nataliya Kennedy is on the blogroll.

I don't get to spend nearly enough time on her site, but will be loading some new photos again soon.

Back on the Tube Boycott

Yes, it was difficult to try to not turn the tv when I was sick and then out of town. I guess that it is a habit that has become so ingrained in me that having the tv on actually makes me feel comfortable.

That said, I am feeling more comfortable all the time to NOT have the boob tube on (even in the background). I'm more focused and able to accomplish a lot more without it (which is a good thing since I litterally have stacks of work both here in my home office, as well as my downtown office).

Just over 10 days into the New Year, I am feeling very good about the success of my resolution and look for it to carry over into an ongoing way of living. I haven't spent as much time writing or reading nearly as much as I would like to, but so far this "year" I have spent more time doing both than I did in a similar time period last year. I have momentum, focus and the desire to make this life change.














skidoodleski, Eastside Business, AAA Properties

TV Update - Excuses for Turning on the Boob Tube

If you've read any of my most recent posts, you've read that one of my biggest goals for 2007 is to cut back on hours the tv is on and increase my reading and writing.

The first few days went very well and I was enjoying life without television. Thursday was my third day in a row without tv, but I ended getting violently ill most of the night (don't think it was from tv withdrawal). Friday I stayed home from work and slept most of the day, but eventually got tired of being alone and listened to pounding rain on the roof of our house. So .... I foolishly turned on the tv. Not a great way to break a streak.

Yesterday I was on a plane for a good portion of the day on my way here to New York City for the Inman Real Estate Connect conference. I have to admit that as soon as I checked into the hotel (right after trying to get an internet connection) I turned on the tv in my room to watch the Seahawks get very lucky to get past the Dallas Cowboys in their first round wildcard playoff game.

I'm still not feeling that great and didn't get started this morning until about 9am and could not get an internet connection at all (I eventually ended up changing rooms this afternoon so I can get connected). I was planning to attend the final day of taping of the most recent HomeTeam television show, but by the time I was able to get ahold of the people on set, I was informed that the "reveal" had been moved up from 1pm to 11:30am and that I probably would not be able to get there in time. My mistake, as I was really looking forward to finally seeing part of the show being filmed. I look forward to watching the latest New York (Mount Vernon) HomeTeam episode when it airs across the country (next month?).

Since I wasn't able to make it to see the reveal, I spent some time exploring the city in the morning - finding the conference hotel, checking out Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building and then came back and ..... turned on the tv in my room so that I could watch two more NFL games - each involving a NY team. My buddy Rolf's team is the Jets and they got beat up pretty good by the Patriots this afternoon. Right now, the NY Giants aren't looking so good against the Eagles. I was really pulling for the Jets, but every time I see the Giants play I want them to get their butts kicked - and probably will as long as they have a Manning on their team.

The reason I will never pull for a Manning is the way that Eli and his father handled the draft situation when the Chargers had the first pick in the draft and Archie told them not to draft his son because he would not play for them. They drafted him anyway and immediately traded him for David Rivers, who has led them to the best record in the NFL this year. I really wish I could see the Mannings watching the Chargers playing the in the Superbowl.

But I badly digress .... The point of this entire post was supposed to be how difficult it is (at least for me) to avoid television - especially while sick, traveling and/or during football playoffs. I'm not giving up, but I definitely have room for a lot of improvement. On the positive side, I did get well into a book called "Mortgage Confidential" by David Reed while on the plane yesterday and will be doing a lot of blogging from the Inman conference in the next few days.

Stay tuned.

Cold Turkey For Two Days

Today is my second day without tv and I'm Jonesing for a football or hoops game on the tube. Not really a big deal, but I do feel like I'm getting more done without it.

The past two nights have been spent building a new pc and installing software (tonight), so I haven't read or written as much as I would have liked. I will have time to improve on that in the coming days and weeks.

First Day Without TV Fairly Non-Eventful

Yesterday was the first day of my resolution to watch less tv. The goal is to spend more time reading and writing each day than the number of hours that the tv is on. Yesterday's stats:

TV - 0 minutes, 0 hours
Writing - 45 minutes
Reading - 30 minutes

The tv number is good, but I need to enhance the other numbers. This is a great opportunity.

Television is a Hard Habit to Break

Despite the fact that I work for a company that has a nationally syndicated television show, I'm making every attempt to not watch as much tv this year. That includes just having a game on in the background while I am working on the computer.

This is going to be very tough. I've been home from the office for almost an hour and I've probably walked up to the tv in my office to turn it on. So far I have resisted each time. We will see what happens by the end of the night. This is only day 1.

My real goal around this is that I want to spend more time reading and writing in the next year that I spend with the tv on. Is there anyone out there who does this already? I would really like to hear from people who read a lot or write a lot - or both.

2007 - An Opportunity to Get Closer to Greatness

Not sure why I just wrote that title, but when I tried to delete it I couldn't. Cannot explain that.

2007 is the first year that I've ever made a single New Year's Resolution and I've made a lot of them. In (most of) my previous 44 years on the planet I made a conscious decision NOT to make resolutions. This year, I feel I am in need of many. Here they are (in no order of importance):

Read more - books, magazines, mostly real estate related

Write more - I will be making a conscious decision to spending more time writing for Eastside Business, real estate industry publications, various blogs and putting together Another Book of Miracles. Right now I'm not quite sure what I want to write about, so I will be spending much of my writing time just jotting notes and telling some stories here. Beware.

Watch TV less - I really don't spend much time fully concentrating on a television show, but have gotten into the very bad habit of always having it on "in the background". I may end up having to get rid of the television in my office, as I have threatened many times previously. My wife Elena won't have me getting rid of it - perhaps she thinks it helps keep me in my place ... (which is one of the reasons that it has become a problem).

Be healthier - this is really a two parter - diet and exercise. I want to put only healthy things into my body and need to make the time to get regular (daily?) exercise.

"Do more" - as with most people I am sure (especially those who own and/or run their own businesses), I feel like I am constantly very busy and never have time to do the things that I want. I miss many meetings and events each month than I would like to and I want to start attending and contributing to more of them. My goal here is to attend one addtional event each week.

Spend more time with my family - although I don't think I will ever be converted to a shopper, or someone who likes to go to malls, I definitely want to spend more time with the girls. This is undoubtedly my most important goal and will take the effort that I am willing to give it. I am very lucky to have the chance to spend time with Elena and Jackie Kennedy.

I guess that is about enough rambling for now. I have a feeling these blog posts will be boring enough for most to keep people away from this blog in droves. I can just imagine the numbers of readers it won't have ....

I'm off to Fry's to exchange some parts for the pc I am going to build this week.

skidoodleski