Its Been Such a Long Time...and my BROWNS still suck!!!

Well folks, like the old hit song Long Time from the classic rock group Boston, its been such a long time since I actually updated this blog. Just haven't really felt like it as there's always something more important. Like my family (wife & girls), this road-trippin job , Browns games....well maybe not so much this season.

Speaking of my Browns, well they're off to their usual sucky start, 0-2 after two games and a lackluster performance against the Denver Broncos last Sunday. I know this is going to be a rebuilding season for the team but sheesh, can't they at least generate some freakin touchdowns?
No wonder the defense gets so gassed in the 4th quarter, they're on the field for most of the game because our offense can't generate any freakin offense.

In other news, I may a possible career change opportunity come up over the course of the next 12 months or so. I won't comment on it much more than that at this point but in involves people we know who know other people who are in a position to help. Which is something I haven't had with past career "possibilities".
The drawback, I may have to take a cut in pay. But it would offer two things I find quite valuable and worth the reduced pay. One is the fact I'll be home most of the time. Two, there are possibilities for some honest to goodness career advancement.
A few years ago I wouldn't have been interested. But funny how a job that has you away from home can change one's perspective.

In a update to a previous blog, my old teen hangout Randall Park Mall has now closed down for good. What was once a fun place for a guy in his teen days to hang out, shop and meet girls is now a dead hulk of a empty building.

Informational Wikipedia Article on RPM.

Well our girls continue to grow up and get taller (and prettier, ). Gigi is now 10 years old, Laci is 5. My how the time goes by so fast.
Well if I think of anything else....well Kyrsten (my wife), I love you dearly.

First Blog for 2009.

Well folks, while Lane is scratching his head looking for my original Ruby Tuesday Thinkings posting, thought I'd put this up to summarize as much as I could, the original posting (which I was going to copy over to my Blog but somebody got a stinky fin...err....itchy delete finger before I could copy it.

Inauguration Day: No I did not watch it, I just got the quick 1 minute version as during the ceremony, I was out on a fitness hike thru the California desert mountains. We're spending some time at a shopping center in Rancho Cucomonga B4 heading towards Edwards. My candidate (Mitt Romney) didn't get in so I could care less about the 170M party the Democrats threw for the Obamessiah Coronation. Instead I've decided to set my sights to the future, namely 2012 and the hope that a Sarah Palin/Michael Steele (B-Greg knows Mr. Steele rather well I think) would bring back to this now-bankrupt government.
And that's all the political commentary I have here.


Much happier, taking my family ice skating (for the first time ever) over the Christmas holidays. I was quite a scene all of us getting used to the ice skates. Since I have a roller skating background (from my teenage days), I managed to master the ice skates rather quickly and helped my girls do the same as you can see.

Oh well, I'm not quite Brian Boitano but hey.




All the Christmas lights, the ice rink in downtown Cocoa and family members (including some family from St. Petersburg joining us) made for a real nice Christmas evening.


Also a couple days later, the lovely lady of the house and I went to see the Lippizaner Stallions show as their annual tour stopped in Orlando. Kyrsten had been wanting to see this show for a long time but never did until this Christmas season.
At the arena before the show.




More coming as I think of it but for now, time to rest up for Edwards.

Randall Park Mall memories

Well folks, I was busy passing the time and did a search on one of my old favorite shopping venues (back as a teenager), Randall Park Mall up in North Randall, OH. Found the Wiki entry for RPM and the entry on Deadmalls.com

Sad to see the place is now pretty much a empty, falling apart hulk.

Back in 1976 when it opened, the place was packed to the gills with shoppers and it was THE place to shop in Northern Ohio. In fact it was briefly the world's largest shopping mall. While it wasn't my normal everyday hangout, I do have some memories of the place (along with the now vanished Richland Mall in Johnstown,PA).

Over the next few years, I'd do a lot of Christmas shopping there, see some great movies at the triple theater there and enjoyed the mall Christmas decorations.


Randall Park Mall Memories:

- My first date (where I actually got my mom's car for the date) was to Randall Park Mall (a girl named Rita) and my first viewing of Star Wars back in July 1977.
I did something right because I got kissed out in the parking lot after the movie.
and I ended up putting a dent in mother's car (I just got my license a week ago).

- I got my first tux from Diamonds Men's store (for a Christmas dance, 1977 with my then-girlfriend Michelle, ) at RPM. It was a white dinner jacket tux with black pants.

- Saw the movie Animal House for the first there at RPM. Joined up with the gang for the movie. This one was memorable because... well a little background here. My friend Jim had his girlfriend Connie with him. Well Connie's sister Cheryl and I liked each other and Connie was really protective of Cheryl (the girl in my USMC picture).
During one of the movie's romantic scenes, I commented , hey, there's Cheryl and I, which of course Connie overheard.
I almost didn't get out of the theater alive.
(Cheryl and I liked each other but weren't dating quite yet).

- Bought all my BROWNS jerseys at the Koenigs in RPM.

- Bought a pair of Adidas tennis shoes at the RPM Koenigs for the then-unheard of sum of $38. Boy did I get some razzing from the gang on that one. Wore them over to Connie's birthday party.
Well, Cheryl thought they were cool.

- In fall of 1977, I bought my own weight set at the Sears at RPM. Included 225 lbs of weights, a bench press, long bar and two dumbells.

- Last movie I saw at RPM was Superman III back in 1983.

- Memory is hazy but my last visit to RPM was in 1985 or so. Even then the place was starting to show wear & tear. With other malls opening closer to Aurora OH (or high-class malls like Beachwood Place) , RPM started to lose shoppers, especially to Beachwood.

- I still have some old 110 slides that I shot inside the mall back around Christmas 1976.



Anybody here from the Watercooler or other boards remember this mall? Its pretty much closed down now with only the Sears store, a handful of local shops and the Ohio Powersports Institute still there. It was supposed to close in June of this year but seems a religious group wants to buy it and convert it to something.

A Harvest Moon Dedication to My Lovely Wife, Kyrsten

Well, thought since I'm home with my lovely, I write a nice little song for her and post it.

Actually, the song was written by Roland Kent Lavoie, better known in the artistic world as "Lobo". It was one of my favorite songs back as a 13 year old teen guy with budding romantic thoughts streaming thru the windmills of my then-teenage mind.


For Kyrsten:

I'D LOVE YOU TO WANT ME
written by Lobo

When I saw you standing there
I bout fell out my chair
And when you moved your mouth to speak
I felt the blood go to my feet.

Now it took time for me to know
what you tried so not to show
Now something in my soul just cries
I see the want in your blue eyes.

Baby, I'd love you to want me
The way that I want you
The way that it should be
Baby, you'd love me to want you
The way that I want to
If you'd only let it be.

You told yourself years ago
You'd never let your feeling show
The obligation that you made
For the title that they gave.
Baby, I'd love you to want me
The way that I want you
The way that it should be
Baby, you'd love me to want you
The way that I want to
If you'd only let it be.

Thursday Thoughts

Just thought I'd type out whatever knucklehead idea comes into my cranium.


BROWNS vs New York Giants: A Monday Night game and everyone (in the sports media) picked the Browns as their surprise team for 2008. Alas, watching my Browns this season is kinda like watching the stock market lately or the Presidential Debates (nothing political now). Its just plain depressing and you end up feeling like that time wasted watching the debacle could have been better spent on some other activity. Like maybe trimming my mustache with a weed-whacker or something.

Well folks, here's hoping that somehow the Browns can pull a Miami Dolphins and defeat one hell of a football team (uh, that would be your Giants) or at least give them one hell of a game. (I'd rather not think now what will happen if the Giants duplicate the butt-kicking from that pre-season game).


On another note, I hate to think that $500 I spent for near-front row seats to the Browns vs. Jaguars game in Jacksonville (Oct 26th) was not money well-spent (I hear laughter somewhere). Then again the Jaguars have been having their problems as well so that could actually be a decent game. It will be the first one for my little 9 y/o cheerleader. BTW, the Pop Warner games she cheers at had a lot more intensity than that Browns vs Bengals Lunesta pill I watched a couple weeks ago, even if we did win.


WHY CAN'T IT BE SARAH: I listened to the second POTUS debate and McCain put me in the mind of my Spanish professor back in college. Nice guy and all but he could rival Lunesta as a sleep aid. If McCain does end up winning this election, it will be because Sarah Palin dragged his butt first across the finish line.
Oh how I wish it was Sarah running for POTUS.

Way to GO McCain, Sarah Palin....UPDATED

You know folks, this is getting real interesting. For once I'm writing about John McCain and actually praising the guy instead of beating him on his white-haired head (figuratively speaking of course, please no Secret Service visits). As a Reagan Republican, I wouldn't have given a wooden Butch Davis nickel for McCain's chances in the election a couple months ago. But Lordy, he's been running one smart campaign and Sarah Palin is a GOP winner all round. He might yet win this thing.

I must say now with Sarah Palin and Cindy McCain, he sure surrounds himself with beautiful classy ladies. He might yet get my vote and save us from Obama and $10 a gallon gasoline.

Reading Sarah Palin's record as Alaska governor, I do have to say, why isn't this classy lady at the TOP of the GOP ticket and running for President herself? Us Reagan Republicans have been shouting for over 20 years for another Ronald Reagan and the Good Lord may have just sent us one, and she's a lady.

Its been a long time that I've felt this happy as a Reagan Republican but Lordy, it feels good.

John McCain and Sarah Palin have a big trump card in their Election Day quiver, that being a decent energy policy if they run with it. Which McCain seems to be doing (smartly) in his campaign and his selection of Sarah Palin who is a big advocate of drilling for oil, particularily in Alaska where her constitutents want the jobs. And we still get the research into alternative energy resources (wind power, solar power, nuclear fusion) that Obama is making such hay about. McCain realizes that we still need oil, preferably our own oil, to run the economy until such niceties as electric/fuel cell cars and nuclear fusion reactors become practical and affordable.


I see on the net that the guys are noticing she is attractive. And happily married with 5 kids. I'd say we got quite the family lady for a VP (and perhaps later, President). And about time as well.

To quote the late James Brown...."I Feel Good".

UPDATE: Well folks, I've been perusing the politically liberal sites (such as Daily Kos) and in a nutshell, a lot of Obama supporters are losing their sausages over this.
However, one Obama supporter had a decent intellectual take on Sarah Palin's selection. No real surprise as Russell Glasser is quite the intellectual (Master's degree in computer engineering which trumps my Bachelor's in Computer Science). You can read his take at "Kazim's Korner"

Russell's Take on Sarah Palin

He even gave me a mention. Thanks.

Late Suimmer's Night Musings, Browns Pre-Season, the Olympics

Well folks, I know its been awhile on the blog. Haven't had much chance to simply sit and type more fun non-sense but hey:

First of all, the stinkin power supply on my laptop died. Well it was 3 years old but still.. I ended up getting a new laptop from Best Buy for half the price of the one I got 3 years ago, and with more than triple the performance. That's what 3 years of tech progress gets you. Really hated to buy another one but the display was starting to get a slight flicker when I adjusted the screen and as anyone who knows about laptops can tell you, once the LCD screen goes, time for a new laptop.
(And yes, I did order a new cheap power supply for my old laptop which I'll keep for now as a backup. Hope the screen holds out.
Did I mention that I still hate Microsoft Vista. Wish I could have stayed with XP but at least this one seems to run OK).
Sheesh, this laptop (HP Pavilion dv6000) has more memory and power than my home desktop, and is lighter to boot.
Also my older laptop had trouble with incoming digital TV signals, it was simply too slow to process them. No problem with analog TV but analog goes away in a few months anyway. The new one has a digital tuner and software built in.

Only what, 10 days or so till the 2008 NFL Season opens. A lot of people pick my Cleveland Browns to be a playoff contender (I hope). Unfortunately they have really stunk in pre-season but pre-season games are worthless anyway. You can look great in pre-season, then stink up the joint when the regular season gets underway. Here's to a 2008 Browns playoff team.

The 2008 Olympics are over but I always enjoy watching, especially the swimming competition (having once been a competitive swimmer). Its so great seeing the hard work and dedication of our Team USA athletes pay off with Olympic medals. I managed to get our little girls, Gigi and Laci to watch as well, especially the female events such as gymnastics, swimming and diving. Trying to teach them early what hard work can do for you. Hope the lessons take hold. I always feel a little melancholy when the Olympics are over as I know its two years till the next one (or four years till the next Summer games) as I enjoy watching them.
My wife, Kyrsten enjoyed the Equestrian events which we were able to watch online, her being into equestrian sports herself.


Well one of our girls got to try on her new cheerleading outfit. Gigi (9) was so excited to try on her outfit for the first time (and I got the pics to prove it). She's cheering on a Pop Warner cheerleading squad for kids. I like to encourage her into athletic endeavors as the lessons learned will carry on with her (which is why I encourage her to watch the Olympics as well).
I might post a pic here later but I'm always concerned about posting pictures on the Internet so I'm not sure yet. Just so beaming proud of her though.
Her sister Laci (4) goes to the practices to watch as well, which I encourage. Hey you never know, we might have the next Nastia Liukin, or Dara Torres here.

The Jacksonville Jaguars NFL site is now offering their single game tickets for sale and after seeing the prices for our section for the Browns-Jaguars game in October, I see I got a decent deal on the 4 tickets I already got. Guess getting my tix early paid off.

I'll add more to this posting as I think of it. Right now my brain is toast and its hot outside. Despite that, I always feel sad when summer ends, even in Florida.