tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84487859557797311122024-03-05T16:57:15.266-08:00Speed and LightAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-3410382907222188682013-01-27T10:40:00.000-08:002013-01-27T10:49:12.765-08:00How to Take Great Car PhotosCar guys and gals have always liked to photograph their cars, and cool ones we find along the way. It’s part of car culture. The proliferation of smart phones and inexpensive digital cameras has revolutionized the world of the amateur photographer as well. Social media makes it easier than ever to show off your ride, or one you spotted to your friends, and the rest of your followers. Taking those pictures in a creative and high quality way though could get you a lot more +’s, shares, and thumbs up. <br />
I’m not saying that photography is an easy art, however car photography does not have to be difficult in order to get high quality shots. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfdm4gYIbTA1HdFMvda3fxGmZ-yHMuSomYM4Fka_ez23QyyleVhAgmT_0F04RhLGm02q-cSdbMf34xKRMHZvrqoSIB-8tbJJYFBZoTu7iCRW-jhatajwnvtm3NtyzayuBEp5pSCgrb581/s1600/Wrong-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfdm4gYIbTA1HdFMvda3fxGmZ-yHMuSomYM4Fka_ez23QyyleVhAgmT_0F04RhLGm02q-cSdbMf34xKRMHZvrqoSIB-8tbJJYFBZoTu7iCRW-jhatajwnvtm3NtyzayuBEp5pSCgrb581/s640/Wrong-1.jpg" title="WRONG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>FAIL</b>: This photo has a lot of problems. First the trunk is open, second the big bag next to the car is distracting, last the wheel is cut the wrong way. The angle and zoom are also not great. </span></span></td></tr>
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The first tip I can give you is to look at the internet, web or E-magazines, as well as those in print. Yes their photographs were taken by professionals, with no doubt years of experience, likely with some expensive equipment, and edited on an office computer, using expensive software. That does not mean that anyone who is willing to take some time to compose a photo, using the equipment they have in hand, can’t turn out a few a high quality photos for their own use. <br />
I’ve been photographing cars since I was a teenager, and doing so for magazines and publications for the last fourteen years. I’m going to share with you some of the basic tips, tricks, and guidelines that I use to get great photos. This is not meant to be the end all guide to automotive photography, and I don’t claim by any means to be the best in the business. I have learned from many of the best though, and while I’m still always picking up tips from those photographers, I can hold my own these days fairly well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFwKaVCxAv2q2XLV_gd-vceEz_vha257_lbxaWi0NXwbvBFQKmD3KTmzqCvM1ZsNzQuBfQGcFfHCQXpeJgC3dvLL9uUerqYch7B5U30e1jT7eMcEzfxA89TvufzrftYumSbS2O4_xYuv_/s1600/Wrong-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFwKaVCxAv2q2XLV_gd-vceEz_vha257_lbxaWi0NXwbvBFQKmD3KTmzqCvM1ZsNzQuBfQGcFfHCQXpeJgC3dvLL9uUerqYch7B5U30e1jT7eMcEzfxA89TvufzrftYumSbS2O4_xYuv_/s640/Wrong-2.jpg" title="WRONG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>FAIL:</b> This photo also has several problems. The first is the front wheels are cut facing the camera. This is a big mistake. No one cars about the car's tire tread and what it looks like, show me the face of the wheel, it makes the photo much more attractive. The second issue is also the composition or zoom of this photo. There's too much of everything else and not enough of the car. This is distracting, after all the purpose is to show off the car, not the pavement, grass and trees around it.</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>How the Door was Opened</b><br />
For me the door was opened into automotive photography years ago by an article similar to the one you’re reading now. Then editor of <i>5.0 Mustang Magazine</i>, Rob Kinnan ran a one page editorial on how to take quality pictures, for the “Reader’s Rides” section of the magazine. Kinnan would later become my mentor while editor of ProMedia’s Race Pages magazine. I owe a lot to his guidance through the years, and he remains someone whom I seek advice from to this day. Those tips got me practicing more with my camera, and eventually I honed my craft into a career. So without further delay let’s get down to the basics of photographing cars.<br />
<b>Time of Day</b><br />
This is perhaps the most critical tip I can give you. Unless it’s simply unavoidable do not photograph a car when the sun is high in the sky. The best photos are always the ones taken at sunrise, or sunset. Typically I prefer sunrise, during the dawn hours, before the sun is over the horizon. There is ample light at this time for good pictures, you can go outside and comfortably set things up ahead of time, and depending on the time of year and your location have anywhere from about 30 minutes to an hour of useable life. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6HB7V1WSQWUlSoEkZ0fL41N-9hnQLZ9QTMbPzQeWjyKi5a5-8EF-wtIT5Cz3a9lEVtQ8LbMKaCLTXXLc5Vopo-yZBJfK-Vgq0dtK_zMStuPJQ5EClSDPsCPuWz2bWl38XdMQPYfkKjEr/s1600/nikon-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6HB7V1WSQWUlSoEkZ0fL41N-9hnQLZ9QTMbPzQeWjyKi5a5-8EF-wtIT5Cz3a9lEVtQ8LbMKaCLTXXLc5Vopo-yZBJfK-Vgq0dtK_zMStuPJQ5EClSDPsCPuWz2bWl38XdMQPYfkKjEr/s640/nikon-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I shot this photo of my '98 GT just before sunset. Notice how I got a little low, tilted the camera to add some "drama" and got close to the car. Also the wheels are cut to the right, allowing the face of the wheel to be seen, much more interesting than tire tread. There are fewer distractions to take your eyes away from the detail of the car.</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I also like late day shoots for many cars. Depending on time of year, this is late in the afternoon (winter) or late evening (summer). Typically I start my shoot when the sun is starting to make everything gold and yellow outside. As it continues to set I adjust my camera, and will keep shooting until I have no more useable light. Some of the best photos I’ve ever shot of a feature car were under these conditions. <br />
These conditions give you more even lighting, they reduce the glare, and they may also add interest to your background by having the effect of the sunrise or sun set add visually to the picture.<br />
Mid day pictures often have significant glare, and can throw off the camera, the color, and the shoot. What could be an awesome car photo, is ruined often by too much light. <br />
<b>Set it Up</b><br />
This is possibly the second biggest area that I see cause poor photo outcomes when it comes to car photos. Sometimes in our excitement to get the shots rolling, we forget some basic rules, only to find our mistakes when reviewing the shoot later. This has happened to me on more than one occasion, its an easy mistake to make. Take a few minutes to set up your photo area and then take a little extra time thinking about each shot before you snap it. <br />
<u>Remove distraction:</u><br />
Get the trash out of the picture. Old cups, bags, boxes, etc. These all detract from the photo and distract the eye of those looking at it later. There does not need to be an old fast food bag under the tire, or the car, or beside it. When I can, I actually take my leaf blower with me, or a broom to a shoot, and clean the pavement off in the area I’m using before I bring in the subject car. Leaves, sticks, big rocks, these are all in the way.<br />
Think about bright colored cones, signs or parking lot stripes as well, avoid these things if at all possible. You want the photo to draw your eyes to the car, not staring at objects around it and thinking to yourself “what’s that.”<br />
<u>Light at your back</u><br />
If the sun is up, you’ll want it at your back. This avoids your subject being washed out by the sun (also called backlighting). You can have the light as much as about 60-70 degrees to one side of you, after that you may start to get sun spots. If the sun is below the horizon this is less of a worry, and not a big deal, just pay attention if it’s sunrise that you may need to move. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlVzVhTRF_84irVyrGRCdEa20l-MzFqwf8ViIGLTHScJyDsIShRTLO1J3NnbnvP7zBtRk5SDoCSZw3xJ26JHxXyuB9zn4MEnfeJbe1k5FJF1AOjewWq4YMlZ_zKeJXdbh-bhoMTcnD-di/s1600/nikon-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlVzVhTRF_84irVyrGRCdEa20l-MzFqwf8ViIGLTHScJyDsIShRTLO1J3NnbnvP7zBtRk5SDoCSZw3xJ26JHxXyuB9zn4MEnfeJbe1k5FJF1AOjewWq4YMlZ_zKeJXdbh-bhoMTcnD-di/s640/nikon-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Location is a major player. Your location should not be more interesting than the subject. Location should if anything add to the appeal of the photo, and further make the car stand out. </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<u>Location</u><br />
Don’t get yourself into any trouble for trespassing or breaking laws. However your driveway may not be the best place for your next photo shoot. The local track or drag strip can make a good background. Industrial areas, an old barn, or building, etc. Just make sure that the car is your focal point, background is just that it’s background, not the focus so be careful and don’t let that overwhelm the car. <br />
Be aware of your surfaces. All cars look good on pavement, some look good on gravel or dirt, avoid grass. Shooting car photos on grass used to be the trend in the mid 90’s. I’m guilty of it, but really it just doesn’t look like a natural environment for the car. So be aware of that. Old industrial sites, and buildings with some character or architectural interest make good sites for backgrounds. So do high tension power lines, and power stations. You can also just use a blank wall, or empty road. Avoid backgrounds with people in them, also try to avoid homes or multiple buildings, although sometimes these can look good depending on the setting. Rule of thumb to ask yourself goes back to, would this photo make it in a magazine? If you can answer yes you’re on the right track, no doesn’t mean it’ll be a bad photo, it just means you can do better.<br />
<b>Is the Car Ready?</b><br />
This is a big one too. It’s especially hard when I go to race tracks where tire rubber, dust, etc all make a car very dirty over the course of a day. Not to mention fingerprints from working on the cars. <br />
If it’s your car, a friends, etc. Take some time to get the car cleaned up. No big bug splatters, no splash from the drive home. I always say make it showroom clean, clean it like you’re going to show it to someone to sell it to them. That should do the trick.<br />
Along these same lines, make sure the windows are up when you shoot the car. Unless you’re shooting a topless car, (convertible, targa or T-top, with the top down or panels removed), make sure the doors are all closed securely (and trunk) and put the windows up! This gives the car a much more even appearance in the photo.<br />
<b>Tire Angle! </b><br />
This is my biggest peeve in car photos. I see more and more pros doing this these days, and I hate it, simply because it’s a big error. Unless you have some super cool custom tread, or top secret prototype, no one is interested in seeing your car’s tire tread. If I’m looking at pictures of a car, the face of the wheel is what I want to see, not the entire rubber of the tire. So always make sure the front tires are cut in a manner that you’re seeing the face of the wheel, not the treads. It looks better and makes for a more interesting photo. If you’re taking a profile shot, (straight on the side), you can leave the wheels straight. Trust me on this, your photos will look significantly better with the tires cut so the wheel faces you on whatever angle you’re shooting from. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWY5oWMDlXOmUC-TKjz12BKS2LWnesu5rwi51ebF9JGi0FOIyGtRS-mGuh_hIOoFzkERZf5LAvZOAXW_7pw8Tq7HYDsUe0NlZFHL6G2eT6H1slYFhMS1IvaSBeYuLj8HYRdx9vanfnpSM/s1600/Wrong-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWY5oWMDlXOmUC-TKjz12BKS2LWnesu5rwi51ebF9JGi0FOIyGtRS-mGuh_hIOoFzkERZf5LAvZOAXW_7pw8Tq7HYDsUe0NlZFHL6G2eT6H1slYFhMS1IvaSBeYuLj8HYRdx9vanfnpSM/s640/Wrong-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>FAIL: </b>The problem with this photo is that the car is dead center, and it looks like the photographer is 40 feet away with no zoom. There's nothing interesting going on around the car, just empty dirty road, and lots of trees. The angles are good, the execution is flawed. </span></span></td></tr>
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<b>Framing</b><br />
This is another huge area where I see mistakes made. For the most part you want to get the entire car or side of the car in your picture. Don’t cut off the sides, the back or the front. Also don’t move too far away, use a close up framing. If the background is interesting or provides a nice contrast you can highlight some of it, but remember this is a car picture, no one is interested in what’s going on a quarter mile away, or that you stood twenty feet away to get it. If your car is parked in a parking space crammed between two cars, move it. Same goes for cool cars you see at shows. Don’t be shy, ask the owner if he’ll move it out so you can snap a picture. Just don’t make a habit of doing this to every car there. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5eYCET1gyouf-jiUJYq7qYvlfZZMcV8x4pdSVsaqZ29blHpazDzQ7Ur0gclWSQ_fiEnY6G-Qoye23KfDsSnEFcll6_I_jNnH41lwJMpkCtyeal0B_S6aTgVAz3Sxj0kQ4-DiG_q7n9Vr/s1600/nikon-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5eYCET1gyouf-jiUJYq7qYvlfZZMcV8x4pdSVsaqZ29blHpazDzQ7Ur0gclWSQ_fiEnY6G-Qoye23KfDsSnEFcll6_I_jNnH41lwJMpkCtyeal0B_S6aTgVAz3Sxj0kQ4-DiG_q7n9Vr/s640/nikon-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Partial shots like this are cool as long as they highlight cool detail or are purposeful. In this one I was trying to highlight the curve of the rear quarter panels, a cool body feature on these cars that I've always loved with the SN95 body style.</span></span></td></tr>
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<b>Move Around</b><br />
Move around and play with angles for your photos. A straight on front or rear shot, or straight profile is not always as interesting as one with some angle, or a shot at what we call a 3/4 angle. Play with the tilt of the camera, put the nose of the car in the top corner or the frame or near it to add some drama. Zoom in from a little bit of distance and change the depth of field for the background. <br />
You can do some close up shots that don’t show the entire car on an angle. These can be interesting if done right, but don’t make that your only angle. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUYo7_8G6d2ETrz6r26Yk67x54wUWhIinIRHtqWM45RmUxTKPH8LXQzyKz3E58gMEmJQE_L7YoOO1tSBWsqjUCtdvHTfBpuayHpU5AExvuvyz3nuqulpssqoiUDVHm3RQkixq75m3rmvp/s1600/nikon-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUYo7_8G6d2ETrz6r26Yk67x54wUWhIinIRHtqWM45RmUxTKPH8LXQzyKz3E58gMEmJQE_L7YoOO1tSBWsqjUCtdvHTfBpuayHpU5AExvuvyz3nuqulpssqoiUDVHm3RQkixq75m3rmvp/s640/nikon-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Moving around and experimenting with angles will often yield incredible results. This is one of my personal favorite angles when shooting both classic and late model Mustangs. The car's long good stands out and the whole thing just takes on a different look. I found this angle simply by experimenting years ago, I use it often, almost on every Mustang I shoot these days. It may also work good on other vehicles, it all depends on the lines, and it's up to you to judge. </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeIF6zow2ZsIj22KQKaNVuOH8UuDR3iy0s5IcTvvWh-jxKdfsI2rEE1WFrvjToSgCweu_zMy0K63l3hQPxjC4uP8HtVutDGfln7yiQHOQiil4PBQRephbJYZxu98FGlL7WNsnjVAE2vAM/s1600/Before-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeIF6zow2ZsIj22KQKaNVuOH8UuDR3iy0s5IcTvvWh-jxKdfsI2rEE1WFrvjToSgCweu_zMy0K63l3hQPxjC4uP8HtVutDGfln7yiQHOQiil4PBQRephbJYZxu98FGlL7WNsnjVAE2vAM/s320/Before-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before editing, not a bad photo.</td></tr>
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<b>Editing</b> <b>is Important</b><br />
Do something with your photos after the fact. When I started taking digital photos no one thought they could use them in magazines because of previous failures. I explained it was all about the post processing, and within a few years the magazines I worked for were no longer accepting film, slides or negatives.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ytiXsT4uf45vJyebdPUJ-geFF-j0z6Qnn89BK9tpfOGZ3ycGGct5aQ-Mt24cNEVp-JeQnAoaleK1SPnVhdkiD9lKJsqXC1Rcmbx4scRjTwA9qxAcO857Jr7MIWAFAQHMv8zLEWpUCOdI/s1600/nikon-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ytiXsT4uf45vJyebdPUJ-geFF-j0z6Qnn89BK9tpfOGZ3ycGGct5aQ-Mt24cNEVp-JeQnAoaleK1SPnVhdkiD9lKJsqXC1Rcmbx4scRjTwA9qxAcO857Jr7MIWAFAQHMv8zLEWpUCOdI/s320/nikon-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After editing, a much more vivid photo,</td></tr>
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I had a professional photographer that I follow on Google+ talk about the importance of editing one day. The gist of it was this. A camera is a tool, a device, cold and unfeeling it captures the world in raw detail as information only. We as humans see things not only with our eyes from an analytical perspective but also perceive things when we see them, you feel something, smell something, maybe your heart rate changes, or it makes you think of something else. For many of us cars are an emotional thing, we get excited, nostalgic, or happy when we look at certain cars. The camera can't convey your emotion, you have to add that back when you edit your photos, show the world what you were perceiving and feeling when you took that picture, give the photo life. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJggu591E8-hbz5Ntb6mZtu4C0jd3M_1C-1w9sHAgkymbMk_ihv85xsXUjtqR9Y-jDiRoeLgNSDjNRnTDHjYhaVdx4QrrwUpt_SdyGbwEQemwc_Ps4ue1JYbJmehmyPUx6CsjEfvBP4JM/s1600/Before-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJggu591E8-hbz5Ntb6mZtu4C0jd3M_1C-1w9sHAgkymbMk_ihv85xsXUjtqR9Y-jDiRoeLgNSDjNRnTDHjYhaVdx4QrrwUpt_SdyGbwEQemwc_Ps4ue1JYbJmehmyPUx6CsjEfvBP4JM/s640/Before-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Unedited, not a bad looking photo, this would be acceptable to publish. Scroll down though to see the post edited version. </span></span></td></tr>
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Personally I use Adobe Lightroom 4 to get my photos corrected, and add some effects. There are plenty of lower cost apps and programs out there though for someone who’s not going to edit large numbers of photos every week. Do something interesting with your pictures, bring out the colors, add some vignetting, crop to remove distracting items. It will make a big difference in the final product.<br />
Just don’t get too carried away. Unless I’m making an HDR or art project, I like to use software to make things look correct, crop and focus. Too much editing is like too much makeup and plastic surgery, it can go from good looking to ugly and unnatural in a hurry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISo22AMzCo8Gx0pJU0NybPOAVK-LNcwtVNDchU-U_J4DBFUI5UGTEjJVliXxzrpt8tePdxem7lFtDIGHsIu3OcqdY75zrXxZjN056soUoJr1aGyF0SOtu8oHqomh8ARWzq2Chp5HQ7Gbi/s1600/nikon-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISo22AMzCo8Gx0pJU0NybPOAVK-LNcwtVNDchU-U_J4DBFUI5UGTEjJVliXxzrpt8tePdxem7lFtDIGHsIu3OcqdY75zrXxZjN056soUoJr1aGyF0SOtu8oHqomh8ARWzq2Chp5HQ7Gbi/s640/nikon-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Same photo after editing. Which would make you more likely to pick up a magazine, click on an article, or check out an ad?</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3NoubwJo15shC9707xzclQ88Z8CuSMn8sGGSmeRw2PiCC2_5Nwj0JdKRC4dF8wXq6rvCZCYV7hDDQhbpHTXhCXQWPNAoizC3oYzDwkqW4tLOnMwQL161zr8xLR09ukwZVdTqu4hfixqB/s1600/apple-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3NoubwJo15shC9707xzclQ88Z8CuSMn8sGGSmeRw2PiCC2_5Nwj0JdKRC4dF8wXq6rvCZCYV7hDDQhbpHTXhCXQWPNAoizC3oYzDwkqW4tLOnMwQL161zr8xLR09ukwZVdTqu4hfixqB/s320/apple-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Taken on my iPhone 4s, edited in Lightroom 4, proof equipment isn't everything </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Equipment</b><br />
I personally shoot on my Nikon D3200 right now. This is a higher end consumer level DSLR, I recently upgraded to this camera, it’s not the highest end Nikon and it’s also not necessary for you to snap some good pictures of your car. Most smart phones have at least a 5 megapixel camera in them, which is plenty for a decent shot. The same holds true for many small point and shoot digital cameras. As the old adage goes the best camera is the one you have with you.<br />
If you have a tripod or a way to steady your camera that is always helpful. Some cameras have stabilization features, and those can also do wonders for you. A flash for interior and under hood shots also goes a long way, but I haven’t even touched on those in this blog. <br />
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I could go on into a technical discussion about camera settings, rule of thirds (which often doesn’t apply to car photos), and editing. This blog though is just intended to give you the basics, just a few things to keep in mind next time you’re snapping some still photos of your ride. Action photos, are an entirely different animal. For now go clean your car, get out to an interesting location, and take some great car pictures. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-69586205530082824982013-01-13T09:26:00.000-08:002013-01-13T09:26:59.077-08:00Billy's Bad Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbvNy71TX5KIIAvMcWtly_-6uzE0FxsrcpW7qa_v74bFoYXKUfoqZ3VumhcCHkltq4CG_3Hf1c1RooTr5K5GU4sP0m5UwmohtEvVefoD6pFjEwBoHHx-rvS7tmVQA40HoKn8grJSIqipj/s1600/set03-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbvNy71TX5KIIAvMcWtly_-6uzE0FxsrcpW7qa_v74bFoYXKUfoqZ3VumhcCHkltq4CG_3Hf1c1RooTr5K5GU4sP0m5UwmohtEvVefoD6pFjEwBoHHx-rvS7tmVQA40HoKn8grJSIqipj/s1600/set03-1.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This was the shot I had set out to capture for Glidden that weekend</span></td></tr>
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Nearly eleven years ago, I took a stab at running my own race track photo sales business. I was an overly ambitious 23 year old with neither the business sense, nor experience to make the endeavor work. After nearly two years I had to fold the business and go back to working a regular day job. I don’t regret my attempt, or the consequences that come from it, I simply look back at it as a reference point for making better decisions today, and move on.<br />My business shot everything digital, and printed it from computers in a trailer that I’d customized with the help of some friends. I could produce a print as big as 11x17 inches within about 15 minutes of shooting the photo if needed. Most of the other businesses who did the same line of work had bulky photo processors, the big kind you see at Walmart and the like, crammed into their trailers. Their photos were great, but their technology typically required those companies to either have someone man the trailer constantly, or stay up all night printing orders from Saturday to be delivered on Sunday.<br />One person who offered support and advice to me during this time in my life was Billy Glidden. Those who follow NHRA racing and even Mustang and outlaw level street car racing know this name. Billy on several occasions worked out deals with me to provide photos for him to use either for his sponsors or other promotional work. It was a good relationship. Billy also provided me with a lot of good advice. He referred a lot of business to me. I haven’t seen or talked to him in a number of years as I’ve spent time away from the race track until recently. Next time I do run into him, I plan to thank him for all that advice, and the experience that came with it.<br />The World Ford Challenge, was a huge event during this time, drawing some 45,000 racers and fans combined. I ambitiously landed the deal to be World Ford Challenge 5’s official, and only photo vendor. That race was held the second weekend in May, 2002, at Gateway International, in East St. Louis.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGEJcrO_Kz5vQtCZ-8-b_Yk8clLZheLaJaqRpzRHp3qbMbG6m8_OMAkSK94SPkWIzpzlnTCHcEDT8De4bPOS0PX4Eww3BhPRHNirKhgYEB8h6sbZ-4bSwmziw3phQuwBoZRLCuCAKtlPA/s1600/Set02-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGEJcrO_Kz5vQtCZ-8-b_Yk8clLZheLaJaqRpzRHp3qbMbG6m8_OMAkSK94SPkWIzpzlnTCHcEDT8De4bPOS0PX4Eww3BhPRHNirKhgYEB8h6sbZ-4bSwmziw3phQuwBoZRLCuCAKtlPA/s1600/Set02-12.jpg" height="260" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pro-Stock Legend Bob Glidden was also on hand, driving his son's Outlaw 10.5W car that weekend. This is a good wheels up shot that has been retouched recently in Lightroom 4</span></td></tr>
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In addition to all the crazy Mustang and Ford madness of the weekend, NHRA Pro-Stock legend, Bob Glidden (Billy’s father) was going to step out of retirement, and drive Billy’s older outlaw car, while Billy drove the newer Pro 5.0 chassis which met the safety standard at the time to exceed 200MPH. <br />Prior to the event there was much press, and internet buzz about Bob competing. I headed to Glidden Racing Engines one Friday night, about 2 hours from my home, to take some promotional photos. I no longer have a disc of those photos, although I may have my own printed copy somewhere. Billy and his dad posed beside the cars, near sunset, in front of the shop. We ran on the bottom of the photo “The Legacy Continues...”. I agreed to do a limited print run of the photos, providing Billy with several copies. I would sell the others and give part of the money back to Billy as a commission, since I was essentially making a good deal of money from them. <br />Unfortunately it rained two of the days of the WFC5 event. Unable to sell as many starting line photos as I would normally have, our top seller was the Glidden father-son photo. Fans came to our trailer throughout the weekend and bought copies of the limited photo, printed in 11x17. I have no idea today how many we did, I think we limited the entire run to 200 pictures, maybe less. Bob and Bill were at their trailers, either between rounds, or during the rainouts, they autographed those prints for fans if requested. <br />Had it not been for that photo I’d have walked away from WFC5 deeper in the red for the event because of the weather and bad planning on my part. That photo took away some of the financial pain.<br />Billy had also asked me to get some photos of his Pro 5.0 car which had a special sponsor across the doors. The sponsor, was a St. Louis Ford dealer. I was also sure to get photos of Bob’s car as well.<br />Bad luck for Billy turned into a bit of good fortune for me. The photo you see of the red car with the fireball over the hood, is of Billy’s car having a rare nitrous backfire. Billy is a nitrous guru, knowing perhaps even more about setting up, and running nitrous than many that design and sell systems. I snapped this photo at just the right moment, with my Nikon D1x, what was considered to be the premiere digital SLR camera at the time. This was a time when nearly everyone else was still shooting film. <br />My shot was the only one to grab the extent of the fireball. That D1x shot at an incredible frame rate for the time, and I had photographed Billy enough over the years to know when his car was about to launch. you just get a feel for that when you work the starting line as often as I did. I had hoped to get a good wheels up shot. Instead as soon as the clutch was let go, the car backfired in dramatic fashion. <br />The photo made the cover of ProMedia and NMRA’s magazine, Race Pages. I also was paid for providing the photography to ProMedia for the event. This was the first and only cover photo I ever snapped.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVT2cJhG0bM0AdDX0pdiGRSU0kStz4Eg4Zx-5hIAotxV0YVfI_YB03oGwZNfEqJ581_TntYRWlzkMnfovKAP2wUx9RD38YnrAmQlNZSitvbWwrQnsvgiLNcNaCUFoIpSEbjA-PJoF4FXq/s1600/Set01-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVT2cJhG0bM0AdDX0pdiGRSU0kStz4Eg4Zx-5hIAotxV0YVfI_YB03oGwZNfEqJ581_TntYRWlzkMnfovKAP2wUx9RD38YnrAmQlNZSitvbWwrQnsvgiLNcNaCUFoIpSEbjA-PJoF4FXq/s1600/Set01-3.jpg" height="197" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This is the shot that became famous for the weekend. Experience, timing, equipment and luck made it possible.</span></td></tr>
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I recently came across the picture when I climbed up into the rafters of my garage and pulled down about 30 old archive cd’s I’d made before my original processing system went belly up in 2007. I’ve altered this photo recently, giving it lighting correction with Lightroom 4, and cropping it some to put the focus on the car more and less on the crowd. This is one of those shots that literally is a moment frozen in time. When the shot was taken, no one had yet processed, or reacted to it, the moment was that instantaneous, and surreal. I didn’t even fully realize it. I seldom close both eyes, and all I saw was a flash, and felt some heat. Realizing what had happened I immediately looked at my view screen, hitting the playback button, I found that I did capture the important image. <br />Sometimes it’s not just about good equipment, or the proper settings. Sometimes even the best timing and reflexes of a young person or a veteran starting line photohrapher aren’t enough either. Sometimes you just get lucky and an ordinary moment turns into something miraculous captured forever.<br /><br />Don’t forget to visit my site www.donaldcreason.com, also follow me on Gogole+, Twitter: @DonaldCreasonJr, and Facebook. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-80173697274658436572013-01-06T19:35:00.000-08:002013-01-06T19:35:09.461-08:00Time for Change<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ut6hNTMn_5sX48-Dg05ZBL7FiJvHJhJbZHxWcoiw2BpMUKKSSTrNNoS41RwHm2sspMYvBp_6VcXqi7gIjIuWd9tbZZ8dOvhtlUtsfS495MiCzRo3QZNtgDBi2U0yLiC2LTQOHMkN89rI/s1600/Set01-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ut6hNTMn_5sX48-Dg05ZBL7FiJvHJhJbZHxWcoiw2BpMUKKSSTrNNoS41RwHm2sspMYvBp_6VcXqi7gIjIuWd9tbZZ8dOvhtlUtsfS495MiCzRo3QZNtgDBi2U0yLiC2LTQOHMkN89rI/s1600/Set01-8.jpg" height="186" width="320" /></a>In the past I've struggled to make this blog one about my personal experiences to share with family and friends. That has proved more difficult than I originally imagined.<br />
The new year brings about some change for me and for my blog. Being a freelance writer and photographer these days, I want to make sure that I don't limit the exposure of my work. That being said I'm starting both a web site which will link to this blog, and display my work as a photographer. I will be discussing here the thing I know best which is cars. However, I'm not setting this up as another typical car related web site or blog. My work is sometimes limited for the company that I write for, because for the most part I write assigned stories, and occasionally dig out a few on my onwn.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzdvQyi3CnY1D3X01_BLsNl-EQAfrgAuVdtwjxkyJbh5_wOm6BNGRFwBZmzy91NOmMlVM_v2HE93wfzeI4l8cJO1eFAD_CKtnPqskRzxk6gEkxpgY2sBgJY4X2ucYWdQgkN7VzbDkROZp/s1600/Set02-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzdvQyi3CnY1D3X01_BLsNl-EQAfrgAuVdtwjxkyJbh5_wOm6BNGRFwBZmzy91NOmMlVM_v2HE93wfzeI4l8cJO1eFAD_CKtnPqskRzxk6gEkxpgY2sBgJY4X2ucYWdQgkN7VzbDkROZp/s1600/Set02-9.jpg" height="231" width="400" /></a></div>
With that said, I will be using this blog to discuss any number of several things. At times I may discuss a certain picture I've taken. The old cliche is that a picture is worth a thousand words. I may not be able to squeeze that many out about any single image. I have however taken through the years, thousands of photos of cars. I intend to discuss both newer photos, as well as revisit some of my favorites.<br />
I'll also discuss my opinons on things going on within the automotive world. Everything from changes in the industry, new models, classics, etc. I intend to report things here that I may not have the oppurtunity to report elsewhere.<br />
News stories are abundant in the automotive world on a daily basis. Some of those get published with the company I work for. Others may not meet their criteria but because they interest me I may report on them.<br />
From time to time I may do the same with a particular car. There are thousands of beautiful cars out there that will never make a magazine or web feature otherwise simply because they don't meet the stiffer criteria that many of those publications hold. I'm not saying I'm lowering my standards, in fact it takes a great deal for a car to catch my attention. There are cars out there though that I feel deserve some form of feature. I'll do my best here.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GaqMl1d6yiPR9K64wJ7wBRBuaNwi8s9iGhWitD882XC7vnjEEvu9vrE_KbdK6dxjrKBdvxPB5jPVg5zgEMK8kIAGI9BuZI-MZcKwKLM_gZPTtjm7uVOlqaTHlmpip61rlk1eyP3Uq4-g/s1600/Set01-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GaqMl1d6yiPR9K64wJ7wBRBuaNwi8s9iGhWitD882XC7vnjEEvu9vrE_KbdK6dxjrKBdvxPB5jPVg5zgEMK8kIAGI9BuZI-MZcKwKLM_gZPTtjm7uVOlqaTHlmpip61rlk1eyP3Uq4-g/s1600/Set01-3.jpg" height="158" width="320" /></a>I want to take submissions from my readers, requests, and offer advice. The majority of my work will reflect late and early Muscle Cars, classic cars, street rods and hot rods. I will not object though to talking about four wheel drives, and even imports, though I lack some experience with both.<br />
I'd also like to offer advice here and there on various automotive topics. This will be more of my opinion so you can take it or leave it. It will be based on my years of experience.<br />
Last but not limiting will be my own projects. I may rarely get to publish stories on work with my own vehicles in any other outlet. So I'll occasionally show you what I'm working on and how it's going.<br />
I hope you enjoy this blog, and take the time to come back each week to see what's new. I'll be using Social Media as a way to promote it, and hope to see it grow in it's following over the next year.<br />
Best Wishes, and Happy New Year<br />
<br />
-DonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-53552717991638888912012-10-31T12:58:00.000-07:002012-10-31T12:58:01.497-07:00The Next Step<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznGGHnIhmgtUr2atd5ZCnQp3WqJVGmo9OfvbBj2o_tCPAwZ5pZoYHm3NASED4CB1l4OWUqeIbhztCF1CWZeBTZry7q6IvKT90j3Busl-qs8aFr7ZL0GiR2tA0yrrwhyphenhyphenYW5mk2iet1JOTv/s1600/DSCN0222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznGGHnIhmgtUr2atd5ZCnQp3WqJVGmo9OfvbBj2o_tCPAwZ5pZoYHm3NASED4CB1l4OWUqeIbhztCF1CWZeBTZry7q6IvKT90j3Busl-qs8aFr7ZL0GiR2tA0yrrwhyphenhyphenYW5mk2iet1JOTv/s1600/DSCN0222.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>My job for the past six years, serving customers at Pro-Tech in Buckner, KY</i></span></td></tr>
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This entry is being published on October 31, 2012, Halloween, and many of you may not read it until a day or two after it hits. I'm writing this one for both my friends, followers of my blog and my customers of the last six years at Pro-Tech.<br />
For over six years now I have been the Service Manager, Office Manager, whatever you want to call it at <a href="http://www.protechautorepair.com/">Pro-Tech Auto Repair</a> in Buckner, KY. John and Marty the business owners, gave me this opportunity on referral from a former co-worker of mine. Coming into Pro-Tech I was leaving a job where I had been less than satisfied with my former employer's tactics, honesty and integrity. I was also paid on commission and having to use high pressure sales tactics to earn a living was not something I was typically comfortable with. Often it involved coercive and exploitative sales tactics that my former boss insisted on, they were designed to take advantage of a customer's lack of knowledge about their car and maximize the dollar totals on each ticket. This type of selling did not fit my personality or my moral values.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeDp4cmM-8h3AjKKblUVyvXlPF1bQLWCjv7VuCHjRFPA-7auGRgEddx2IoMDvXfXhuPAWdXkWxiIx6SXi-WvgLSndb2aU1iLlbtVf_xHm3G4g1IOOjGPoxPNhXfn2FrOwvXLN4LZWtZUj/s1600/final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeDp4cmM-8h3AjKKblUVyvXlPF1bQLWCjv7VuCHjRFPA-7auGRgEddx2IoMDvXfXhuPAWdXkWxiIx6SXi-WvgLSndb2aU1iLlbtVf_xHm3G4g1IOOjGPoxPNhXfn2FrOwvXLN4LZWtZUj/s1600/final.jpg" width="200" /></a>Pro-Tech offered something different. I was paid on salary, I was expected to perform and do my job, but instead of hard, high pressure, and deceptive sales tactics they simply took the recommendation approach to repairs and maintenance. The atmosphere in the shop, while geared toward working hard and maximizing our usage of time is almost always a lighter mood than most places I have worked. Employees are treated more like family and friends, especially when they are sick or need to care for family.<br />
John and Marty as well are smart businessmen. In spite of the economic downturn the shop remains in a very stable and positive position. Blessed with better planning and sense than most, this is a shop that will last when many others will fail.<br />
Their commitment to their customers and to doing the right thing will always keep business coming through the doors. I can not say enough good things about Pro-Tech. I've been treated well, and while all jobs have their burnout factor, and not all days are sunshine and doughnuts, overall this has been the best job I ever had to wake up and go to Monday-Friday.<br />
I've said in the past, this would be the last shop I'd ever work for unless I started my own. I grew up in and around the car business. I now have just shy of nine years experience first hand working in service advising and management on the repair side. I know a good shop operation when I see one. I would put Pro-Tech above anyone out there in terms of honesty, integrity, skill, expertise, customer service and commitment. They are number one, without a doubt. If I'm not working there, this is who will be fixing my cars when I can't do it myself.<br />
With all that in mind, you've probably guessed by now that I'm saying goodbye to this job. Why would I do such a thing now, at this time in my life? It is not to leave and go to another shop, even though the turnover rate in the repair business, especially for service advisors and front counter is often very high. It's also not to start my own shop or purchase one. There's a much deeper explanation that all of you should read on to find.<br />
I've been presented with an opportunity, a carrot dangled in front of me that I simply can not resist. An offer that tantalizes the teenage kid inside of me. This offer is too good for me to pass up. It bares more explanation as to why I find it so intriguing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rodauthority.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloAMsN7OA0LN3UcVRiNj4Qh_kN4ZG4LbrcPWVmxs817Z83q9X5WVdoVpHwDX_h5KDJi4qtvNB7-DS_tKiDo0sd5XNvqMuQAvnzkkGxwbDMEuqy87mmLOcM5Fod_8iMokTA6LMRZ_uEK8o/s1600/ra.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.rodauthority.com/">Rod Authority is one of many of the E-mags I've been writing for</a></span></td></tr>
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Many of you who are my friends on FaceBook no doubt have seen me post numerous car related articles and teasers from photoshoots. Most of the articles I have posted have been written by me. I love cars, that's no secret, but I also love to write, as this blog should be evidence of.<br />
Last winter I wrote a blog entry titled <a href="http://donaldcreason.blogspot.com/2012/01/almost-famous.html">"Almost Famous"</a>, you can find it among my archives. I laid out some of my past in automotive writing. I've loved to write since I was ten years old, and I've loved cars
since I was a little kid. As a pre-teen I'd discovered car
magazines, and the world they opened up of new, and modified cars, trucks
and hot rods. I spent countless hours with magazines sprawled out on
the living room floor, my bed or the kitchen table pouring them over the
way some kids read fantasy novels. My world revolved around when the
next issue hit the door. At the same time cable networks like TNN (now
Spike) were just starting to run the do it yourself shows that compose a
large part of their weekend lineup today. I even read the car review in
the local paper each week and looked through the autos section to see
what news there was of the business. I was obsessed.<br />
As a teenager
in my high school English Lit class I had to do an assignment. I can't
remember now which year I was in, but I want to say it was either
Sophmore or Senior. Either Mrs. Dye or Mrs. Lucas was my teacher
depending on the year. The assignment was a presentation on things about
you and your life. You had to make it all fit in a paperbag and part of
it could be what you aspired to do after high school, whether college
or career, etc. I couldn't make a car magazine fit in the bag, but I
photocopied the cover to an issue of <i>Car and Driver</i>, folded it twice and set
it inside. As part of my presentation I revealed that I wanted to write
about cars for a career.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkj2wEalf8LJ70N_QfdTIpXytXa6GIzK-ayF-0eQFGgrez3JT4y0r_Dclww0s-KSwOJWTeb83wzzIcsCjk54Tcq306NTpY5TBdGWWLtGJvpF2b322sslO9bdVxNKVYjtWhISZfcLabI06/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkj2wEalf8LJ70N_QfdTIpXytXa6GIzK-ayF-0eQFGgrez3JT4y0r_Dclww0s-KSwOJWTeb83wzzIcsCjk54Tcq306NTpY5TBdGWWLtGJvpF2b322sslO9bdVxNKVYjtWhISZfcLabI06/s1600/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Car's like Mike Webb's Mustang GT are just some of what I've been writing about.</span></i></td></tr>
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I've come close to that goal in the
past, as I talked about in my "Almost Famous" entry. I had until this past
year resigned myself to believing that those days were long gone,
simply a young mans pursuit and that I would probably never again be
back in the magazine business. Certainly never full time as I had dreamed of doing in my childhood.<br />
Not long after I posted "Almost Famous" to my blog, I saw a FaceBook post from the man I used to write for, James Lawrence. James is now president and owner of <a href="http://powertvmedia.com/">PowerTVMedia</a>. A California based company specializing in automotive performance industry E-magazines as well as advertising and web development. I jokingly commented in the FaceBook thread about the job openings that it was too bad you had to live in California to do them. James offered me a job if I'd move to California within hours of that comment, a move that at this time in my life I can not make. He then followed that up with an offer for me work freelance on the side, as much as I thought I could handle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFl7NeUmcelNdl-kQBEOzYIKAHPWCoQRWDqET1zRgLfwWjChoCX-TBywxZpDrqX2W6mS0feSxkskJna8MMJr6laHadE752G-u6kUMSLw7pKzKYYnwUJNtHdsnTjtAilU5pt_bxxkui6Mx0/s1600/photo(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFl7NeUmcelNdl-kQBEOzYIKAHPWCoQRWDqET1zRgLfwWjChoCX-TBywxZpDrqX2W6mS0feSxkskJna8MMJr6laHadE752G-u6kUMSLw7pKzKYYnwUJNtHdsnTjtAilU5pt_bxxkui6Mx0/s1600/photo(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I'll be covering events like the Street Rod Nationals which is close to home.</span></i></td></tr>
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So almost as quickly as I had given up on a dream that I thought was lost forever, I was off again, freelance writing about cars. I'm not traveling like I used to but writing all the same. Technical articles, car features, and news stories. I scrubbed out the rust and cobwebs from my writing skills, cleaned up my camera and have been back at it on the side ever since.<br />
Some months I've cranked out a huge body of work, amounting almost in some cases to a full time income. Others I've not been able to produce as much due to time and family constraints.<br />
Towards the end of September my managing editors came to me with a job offer, asking what would it take to get me to leave Pro-Tech and work for them full time from home. We went back and forth, there were a lot of questions of how much work, what my status would be with the company, etc. In the end this is an offer that I can not pass up. PowerTVMedia is growing and thriving. In my opinion they really do have lightning in a bottle with respect to the direction of automotive publishing. All publishing is moving in the direction of electronic, and I've said for years that by the time I'm in my forties print publications like magazines and newspapers if not fully extinct will be so few in number that they'll be the exception and not the rule.<br />
With this offer to write full time, I get the opportunity again to make that childhood dream a reality. I'll be compensated apporpirately. I'l have some flexibility, do a small amount of traveling and get to meet more new and interesting people along the way.<br />
Perhaps most importantly I get to work from home or on the go, wherever I can setup my laptop and get a wifi connection.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHloguZQtahbCUzgz7NbsM-3nHTVXM_gn0nMVs4MhwrnWv_SuMNLWkaw3cwf1HcCOKqWmCFNebur_Zurxy4TL2nHjG8WmfruT6I23_RVnmMGXMxT0WB3CZacYYxKDQM2Dh9loaDF4md1oD/s1600/photo(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHloguZQtahbCUzgz7NbsM-3nHTVXM_gn0nMVs4MhwrnWv_SuMNLWkaw3cwf1HcCOKqWmCFNebur_Zurxy4TL2nHjG8WmfruT6I23_RVnmMGXMxT0WB3CZacYYxKDQM2Dh9loaDF4md1oD/s1600/photo(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In my PowerTV shirt at my home office.</i></td></tr>
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November first is The Next Step, the day I start writing for a living. The day I get to start doing what I've always dreamed of. I'll be sad walking out of Pro-Tech and locking up the shop for my final time on October 31, an appropriate scare for Halloween, as change is always scary. Still not many people can say they had the opportunity to work at what they always dreamed of. If I can follow that dream even for a short while, even if for some reason it doesn't work out, I can always say that I took a shot at it, gave it my best. That in the end is more than what most of us can say about entire careers and sometimes sadly our lives.<br />
I wish all of you who have made my years at Pro-Tech so good, the very best, I'll see you around the community, at festivals, 5k's, and the store. You can follow me here on my blog, you can also friend me on FaceBook, Google+ and follow me on Twitter @DonaldCreasonJr. You might even see me on the other side of the counter at Pro-Tech getting my own car worked on. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-19389939154516242972012-10-26T19:31:00.001-07:002012-10-26T19:31:11.607-07:00Just Being DadIt's interesting being a father now. Of course I'd say that, I'm a father now. While I was able to prepare certain aspects of my life for being a parent there were certain things I was totally unprepared for.<br />
For instance the way my daughter's eyes, even at just 5 weeks old follow me and look for me when she hears my voice. How sometimes when my wife can't seem to calm her down, she really does just want daddy.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpV4VyMVt58C21MzPB79v4VoI3X0FulN5c-TfJi3A-517sz1nN6p8JhMFA4Z5PvjqN5ub5Ii3yIa57pcX9EIH9QohxxQtNJjDNrhcCJmFBYXnCDQtmf4mwIp6cjgkSJYo_9HlO5GXP0LYN/s1600/IMG_2420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpV4VyMVt58C21MzPB79v4VoI3X0FulN5c-TfJi3A-517sz1nN6p8JhMFA4Z5PvjqN5ub5Ii3yIa57pcX9EIH9QohxxQtNJjDNrhcCJmFBYXnCDQtmf4mwIp6cjgkSJYo_9HlO5GXP0LYN/s1600/IMG_2420.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a>When Cora was born via C-Section I was given the chance to hold her first. After she'd been cleaned up some and examined by the doctors, weighed, etc. I sat back down and they handed her to me, swaddled in clean blankets. I'll never forget the moment the assisting physician showed her to us the first time, or that moment holding her for the first time in the hospital. She began to whimper and cry, and Sydney said, "Sing to her, sing her song." So I began, "Cora Sue, won't you come out tonight,, won't you come out tonight..." just a little bit, just as we had been jokingly singing to her for weeks while she was still in the womb. She immediately stopped crying and looked up at me.<br />
Now at home, I love to lay on the floor next to her, and watch her as she looks at toys suspended above her, or seems to make an attempt to reach out for me or Sydney when we lay beside her. Tummy time is also a priority, and I have to say I'm a proud father when I see those little arms do a mini pushup or that head successfully turn from one side to the other.<br />
I know that this is just the beginning, we're only creeping up on six weeks at home, and I can already see how much she's changed from the pictures we took in the hospital. It makes me wonder how much more she'll change in the next year, the next five years, and on. I look forward to every minute of it. I know there are times when it's not fun, it's challenging, we've already run into those with some crying and gas pains in the evenings. Still though, she's a well behaved baby, and I hope for our sake she stays that way throughout her young life.<br />
I woke up early one morning a few weeks ago, raised my head and looked at Cora asleep in her bed, Sydney lying beside me and just looked around the room. I thought to myself, what else is there, really? I have never been more content or happy in my life, I don't know how we lived without this child for so long, or how life could be any better. We've endured much in the past year, but we now know it all lead us to this place, and this is better than we ever could have imagined.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com1La Grange, KY 40031, USA38.4166464 -85.416921138.3171184 -85.5748496 38.5161744 -85.2589926tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-72602159056273750782012-09-09T19:35:00.002-07:002012-09-09T19:35:54.840-07:00Groundhog Day, the Countdown til Cora Sue's Arrival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzg0qtiyzH_FpFXHHbgNgt3tLLUHZMcXoRjVKpkYsaX5bCBsEd202i1DDgdM6J_o71za6BHyfUAXDdK7quSb6qvgbLMwKbcLP7hzQ-XkmC0JlE92yocTLoSOUIASGeIs-THtZYBIydS07/s1600/us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzg0qtiyzH_FpFXHHbgNgt3tLLUHZMcXoRjVKpkYsaX5bCBsEd202i1DDgdM6J_o71za6BHyfUAXDdK7quSb6qvgbLMwKbcLP7hzQ-XkmC0JlE92yocTLoSOUIASGeIs-THtZYBIydS07/s320/us.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Groundhog Day<br /><br />The Countdown til Cora Sue<br /><br />Lately I find that I feel like a combination of a kid on Christmas Eve and Bill Murray's character in the movie Groundhog Day. Or maybe I'm stuck in that old Tom Petty song... The waaaaiiiting is the hardest part, everyday... something something something, I can't remember the lyrics without hearing the song but you get the point.<br /><br />Let me clarify this analogy a bit for the uninitiated. In the movie Groundhog Day, Murray plays a weatherman who's stuck with the unenviable assignment of covering the weather and emergence of Punxsutawney Phil and the festivities that turn the Nation's attention on this small Pennsylvania town one day each year. The trouble is that everyday Murray wakes up only to find that it's still Groundhog day. He finds he's repeating the same day over and over again. To get out of this he must fix what's wrong in his life.<br /><br />I don't feel like I need to fix anything so wrong in my life that God or the universe is punishing me in some way but allowing me the opportunity to get things right. Each morning when I wake up, I'm starting to feel like it's the same routine again and again, will she arrive today, or maybe tonight, or most likely not at all.<br /><br />So each night I head to bed giddy as a kid on Christmas Eve, hoping that tonight's the night. That tonight my wife will wake me up, or at least give me a good wack across the chest and proclaim that now's the time!<br /><br />Now if this all sounds unreasonable and that I'm crazy for wanting to jump right into sleepless nights, etc, well maybe I am.<br /><br />Let's look at some facts for just a moment. My wife, Sydney has had a remarkable pregnancy. No morning sickness, zero, none. No strange cravings for odd foods or strange combinations. No close calls, no emergency runs to the doctor's office or hospital. No indigestion, no heartburn, none of the maladies that plague so many pregnancy's. In fact up until two weeks ago she's had no swelling, we believe a round<br />of three or four days in one week of meals out may have caused a rise in her blood pressure and an increase in swelling, only to see her BP go back to normal after a day and the swelling all but completely disappear after two or three days. We truly have been blessed with a total lack of drama throughout this pregnancy.<br /><br />I attribute much of her good condition to the following. Sydney was in excellent physical shape when we conceived this baby. She swam on a regular basis, stuck to a very healthy diet, her weight and blood pressure were both right on target. Throughout her pregnancy she has continued this regiment of exercise and healthy diet. She even added walking to her routine to augment her lack of being able to swim as many laps as she had been.<br /><br />Next there's rest. Since around the twenty eight week mark, the start of the dreaded third trimester, she's been off work. This is in part due to her being a teacher and in part due to her specialized teaching. She won't have any students until this December, so she is simply using some of her personal days so she can prepare for the baby's arrival and also to rest.<br /><br />Last but not least for us is prayer. Say what you will but we have prayed daily. We have prayed for her health and safety and for the safety of our unborn child. I firmly believe that God has blessed this pregnancy and the child my wife carries.<br /><br />Still though, the due date is this week, and I have to be honest I fully expected our baby girl to be born sometime sooner rather than later. After all, Sydney is 35, she has a mother who had toxemia and preeclampsia while carrying her. Syd herself was born sometime around the thirty week mark. I have spent most of this pregnancy on eggshells waiting for something to happen, similar to what happened with her and her mother all those years ago. It hasn't and for that I thank God everyday.<br /><br />Cora's later arrival too has helped in that we have the house ready. Sydney spent much of the early summer cleaning out rooms. Last fall I remodeled our bathroom which means it's now ready for our new addition as well. This spring and early summer we completed work on what is to be Cora's bedroom. This bright and colorful room received new paint, new carpet, new or refinished furniture, and all kinds of colorful and friendly decorations. Last weekend I purchased a carpet cleaner, a big heavy duty model that<br />heats it's own water and scrubs deep. I spent several hours running that machine all over the house (except Cora's room with the new carpet). What a difference it made on our floors.<br /><br />Our bags are packed, Sydney thought of everything, in fact there's so much stuff that you'd think we were going out of town for two weeks, not to the hospital for a couple of nights. The bags are even loaded into her car already. All we need to do on the way out the door is feed the cat, grab the phones and iPad, and remember to lock the doors.<br />
<br />
The car seat is loaded in the car, strapped in securely, I check it once a week and adjust as needed. I have tinted the window's on Sydney's new car to keep the sun off our new arrival as she rides along. I had the oil changed a month ago, expecting something to happen any day.<br /><br />Baby clothes are sorted, washed and put in the appropriate places. Baby toys that were given to us have been unpacked and cleaned, batteries purchased and tested in each one.<br /><br />Early this spring I was given the opportunity to start freelance writing again, perhaps part of the reason why I haven't blogged in so long. This extra income has helped buy things for Cora's room, and will help offset the cost of her childcare and needs once she arrives. I don't believe in coincidence, and as such I once again give credit to the Lord above for showing me an opportunity when our family needed it the most.<br /><br />Now we're down to crunch time. There was a blue moon just days before labor day. I don't believe in such, but it was fun to imagine that Cora might be born under such circumstances. Well that myth is out the window for us because it had no affect on said baby. Nor did my birthday, the labor day holiday, or a hurricane the remnants of which supposedly passed through our area.<br /><br />I'm anxious to see our baby girl for the first time. To hold her, to hear her cry, to kiss her little face, even to change her diapers. This may sound odd for a lot of men, but all I have hoped and prayed for is a healthy child, it never mattered to me whether we had a girl or a boy. I look forward to spending time with this new life, to watching her grow. I realize that not everyday will be perfect, but life never is. It's an old cliche that patience is a virtue. That may be true, but it's a virtue because it's so darn difficult to maintain.<br /><br />One of the things I do for both my own entertainment and to make Sydney laugh is make up alternate lyrics for familiar songs (or make up a song of my own) and walk around the house singing it. Lately it's been a variation of Buffalo Bill from It's a Wonderful Life. The original goes something like Buffalo Bill won't you come out tonight, come out tonight, come out tonight. I've been replacing Buffalo Bill with "lil Cora<br />Sue".Sydney laughs every time.<br />
<br />I should be happy and relieved that everything has gone so well, so far. For me this is like being at the end of a big project, in fact for Sydney and I this is our greatest undertaking ever, both individually and as a married couple. So I'm anxious for this part of the project to be over and the next chapter to begin.<br /><br />Some have suggested that Sydney eat spicy food to get things going, swearing that it sent them into labor. We already eat a lot of spicy stuff, so this won't work either. She already exercises regularly so strenuous activity is also out.<br /><br />Maybe I should start a project, something involved, I've been talking about a kitchen remodel since I finished the bathroom last year. That would probably do it, as soon as I started ripping up the floor, or working on the plumbing, Sydney would probably walk in to tell me it's time to go. Elbow deep in dirt and dust and I'd have to go to the hospital a filthy mess.<br /><br />Seriously though, I just can't wait, everyday right now feels like Christmas eve. Anxiously I await, sometimes waking in the middle of the night and finding it difficult to fall back asleep because I'm so excited. There are times when I can't wipe the smile off my face thinking about what it'll be like to see her for the first time. What it will be like to hear her laugh, and watch her play. I can't wait to get my present. lil, Cora Sue won't you come out tonight, won't you come out tonight, lil Cora Sue won't you come out tonight, and plaaaaaaay by the light of the mooooon!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-19627438623340964952012-02-28T13:07:00.000-08:002012-02-28T13:07:01.551-08:00She's Your Wife... Not Your Maid!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I might be going on a bit of rant here, but there’s something I need to address with a few husbands out there. Recently my wife recounted a conversation with a friend, this friend shared that her husband seldom helps around the house. He tends to sleep in on Saturdays while she gets up and begins cooking and cleaning. Her husband doesn’t understand on Saturday night when he wants to go out but she’s wiped out and ready for bed. This friend of my wife’s is also pregnant (as is my wife). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying this guy is a bad guy or that their marriage is in trouble. I don’t even know him (or her) personally. I hear these kinds of stories from my wife and others from time to time and I have to say it bothers me. So let’s begin with some background on why it bothers me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I was a kid my mother who is a nurse would often have to work weekends. This left at least three if not four or five kids at the house with dad many times. Dad often enlisted us to help with age appropriate chores, but regardless of how we helped the chores got done, they weren’t left for my mother to do when she got home after being at work all day. Dad worked hard too, he put a lot of hours in at his job as well, but my parents viewed taking care of the kids and the house as tasks that they must address equally. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can recall on many occasions as a kid helping fold laundry with my siblings, running the vacuum, mowing the yard, pulling weeds, helping make dinner or helping my dad with various maintenance or improvements to the house or the yard. As a teenager I’m sure that I displayed the typical teenage laziness and occasional laze fare attitude of many teenagers, by then my mom seldom had to do any weekend shifts, still I had to do chores or whatever task was asked of me or face the consequences. I can recall many weekends when I had stayed up too late, only to be awakened bright and early usually by my dad alerting me to get my tail out of bed and ready to do some work. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fast forward to today. I’m married now. I’ve found that throughout my life I find joy in doing things that make others happy. I’ve also found that when you’re married sometimes even the smallest things can mean the most to your wife. I don’t do it to score points or earn my allowance as I might have as a child. I do it because I love my wife and because I view our marriage as one of equals, especially in terms of the roles we play in taking care of our home. We both work full time jobs, we both must deal with family issues and we both have other things on many occasions we’d rather be doing than cleaning, cooking and laundry. However these things must get done and if we share the workload they get done faster. Since we enjoy doing many of the same things together it only makes sense that if we help one another out we both get what we want faster.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So husbands I have to ask, if you’re not helping your wife out, why not? Are you lazy? Do you not know what to do? Are you worried you might miss the big game this weekend? Never mind that the big game is probably on for several hours at a time, there’ll be a big recap in the half hour to hour long postgame show that follows with all the important highlights you missed and again that night online and on sportscenter. None of these are an acceptable excuse. You can turn on the TV and run it in the background while you clean if there’s a game on that you want to watch. The vacuum cleaner won’t suck the life out of you while it’s sucking the dirt out of the carpet. Laundry is easy, (what did you do when you were single anyway?). Cleaning the bathroom can be disgusting but as a husband are you not supposed to want to protect your wife? So protect her from the germs and filth in the bathroom and get in there and scrub, it just takes a few minutes anyway. If you have questions about where a certain cleaner is, what to use or what should go in what cycle in the laundry, just ask her. Better yet figure it out yourself! (just don’t’ experiment with laundry cycles and her clothes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dishwasher is also another device that was made to be convenient, not frightening, I promise that loading and unloading it will not break your back, and running it is a task of pouring out some soap, flipping a knob or just pushing a few buttons. We’re men, we pride ourselves on being able to do complicated manly tasks, why can’t we do the seemingly complicated buy terribly simple household ones as well.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then there’s cooking. I go back to, what did you do when you were single? You didn’t live off carry out and going out all the time, or at least I hope not. You don’t have to cook every night, or even every week but once in a while it would be nice for you to contribute to that too. While we’re talking about dinner let’s talk about what’s for dinner. My wife and I decided long ago that since we both work full time jobs that cooking something different and new every night is not always feasible. So what happens most weeks is that we fix something to last the whole week. We might fix a large pot of soup or chili, a big batch of barbecue. Lasagna, spaghetti, there are lots of things you can fix that will last all week. This makes getting a healthy meal by a reasonable time easy to do and neither of us feel as though we waited the whole evening to eat dinner. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I promise this won’t kill you, it won’t upset your stomach or send your taste buds into some kind of funk. You can even make two things and alternate them between different nights. We usually make dinner on Saturday or Sunday afternoon and it’s ready for the week. I will admit that my wife cooks more often than I do, but many times while she’s in the kitchen I’m tending to something else.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I’ll close this entry out by saying husbands if you really want to show your wife how much you care it’s not always about buying flowers or taking her out to dinner (though that doesn’t hurt either). Sometimes just pitching in and doing your share of the housework is enough to let her know how much you really love her, and I promise she will really appreciate it. After all she’s your wife not your maid.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-56878651803880810622012-02-14T07:09:00.000-08:002012-02-14T07:09:20.373-08:00The Future of Pony Cars<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Future of Pony Cars</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pony cars are a segment of the automotive landscape near and dear to me. I love and respect all three major manufacturer’s versions of these cars as offered in both past and present iterations. All had their perspective strengths and weaknesses and the argument of who built the best one could go on for days if not weeks at a time. This entry is not a focus of where they’ve been or who is building a superior product, rather it’s where they are and where they are headed. I will tackle each of the Big 3’s offerings here and offer what are my opinions of the future of each car. I may be completely off on all of my predictions here or only partly correct, so just remember these are just my opinions and not any facts of production yet, but they are based on my daily readings of various blogs and news stories about the Big 3 or about the pony cars.</span></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxflk6wIV0V0iKuF1bYsm3nDBJpj5cTxOWqMIWt38tMKg49lpVpq4rY63C6-cNTNisUrvqjnv4ZVUm0EG48nZcywgipWWwLAB8oKkQ-KJPD927Ixq8aBFlO4r_BD0Cc8iQTotqUPJm3ox/s1600/ford-evos-concept-xl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxflk6wIV0V0iKuF1bYsm3nDBJpj5cTxOWqMIWt38tMKg49lpVpq4rY63C6-cNTNisUrvqjnv4ZVUm0EG48nZcywgipWWwLAB8oKkQ-KJPD927Ixq8aBFlO4r_BD0Cc8iQTotqUPJm3ox/s320/ford-evos-concept-xl.jpg" width="320px" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Is this the shape of the next Mustang?</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Up first is the car that started it all, the original Pony car the Ford Mustang. Significantly revised for 2005 and updated several times since then the Mustang today offers a solid performance value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The current V6 base model makes more horsepower than many of its V8 predecessors, the legendary 5.0 badge and displacement made their return recently and offered one of the best V8’s Ford has ever produced in terms of performance and technology. For 2013, the Mustang will get a slight bump in power, some cosmetic changes and that’s about it. The Shelby GT500 model gets the significant improvements with a revamped 5.8L DOHC V8 producing an astounding 650HP. Along with that you can get electronically controlled suspension and a top speed in the coupe of at least 200 MPH, provided you can find a police free, empty stretch of road long and straight enough for you to safely enjoy such a feat (better keep that one to the track). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Mustang will celebrate it’s 50<sup>th</sup> birthday soon and it would seem that the original Pony will be maturing a bit. Rumors are flying around that the long used 8.8” solid axle will be ditched for an independent rear suspension, let’s hope it’s superior to Ford’s previous attempts at offering an IRS equipped Mustang in the 1999-2004 Cobras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the Mustang is to be a “World Car” in line with Ford’s current “One Ford” strategy it would make sense that an IRS is probably a sure thing in the next generation Mustang in order for it to compete on a global scale.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rumors abound as well of a four cylinder version coming onboard perhaps in lieu of the current V6. This may make sense as well. The upcoming Focus ST will offer a 250ish HP 2.0L Ecoboost direct injected and turbo charged four cylinder. I would venture that with some tweaks to displacement or in turbo and injector size as well as computer calibrations that this same engine could be applied to a rear drive configuration in a Mustang with the same power as the current V6 offering. Let us hope too though that the next generation car is light enough to make good use of a 4 cylinder base powertrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I am writing and editing this both <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Top Gear</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Motor Trend</i> have rumor reports of a 2.3L SVO powertrain rumored for the next Mustang.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would expect the 5.0L engine to live on, though I would imagine it will be an updated iteration to feature direct injection allowing for perhaps more power and better fuel economy as well as lower emissions. Remember folks CAFÉ restrictions are coming soon and they threaten to strangle all manner of cars within the auto industry not just the performance cars and big trucks. Direct injection for the 5.0 also makes sense. The current engine’s cylinder heads are setup to easily allow for direct injection as designed originally. Some revisions in designs and tooling as well as a new intake manifold and valve covers are the biggest bits of what will be needed to make this change physically to the current engine. This change may also allow for another bump in the engine’s compression ratio.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Shelby GT500 if it survives I imagine will also make use of the 5.0L. While Ford made a significant investment in the current 5.8L adding new tech such as piston cooling jets this engine is essentially becoming long in the tooth. Still a derivative of the modular platform that was developed way back in the 1980’s and first seen in Crown Vic’s as a 4.6L in the early 90’s this engine is destined to go by the wayside soon. While the 650HP number is quite spectacular from the current car and the most powerful production Ford engine ever, I don’t see how it can last in this form with the new CAFÉ standards looming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SVT also is rumored to be going by the wayside as we know it and being incorporated into the ST line as part of the “One Ford” vision. This may also contribute to the Shelby receiving a heavily hopped up version of the 5.0, quite possibly making at or close to the current 650HP mark. A lot of this may also depend on what the competition is doing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As far as chassis and body goes on the new Mustang. It is my hope that it will be a smaller car, lighter in weight and stiffer. Since this will be the first truly worldwide Mustang sold in multiple international markets would expect the interior to be a little more upscale. The current chassis is good but there is always room for improvement. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANu0CDEBjUqf8kwPLKYpCBBWlLk9MPE4Qg98RNlyUJzsK_ZGZC1_haX0PClkDOGKWf__bqu44Gti3xKVkcP6lfp045WUXYpVzmyDCUYfAqUGHJH5sCUWcb29KpRthX19mo8-JEiEvvr1b/s1600/ford-EVOS-concept-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANu0CDEBjUqf8kwPLKYpCBBWlLk9MPE4Qg98RNlyUJzsK_ZGZC1_haX0PClkDOGKWf__bqu44Gti3xKVkcP6lfp045WUXYpVzmyDCUYfAqUGHJH5sCUWcb29KpRthX19mo8-JEiEvvr1b/s320/ford-EVOS-concept-06.jpg" width="320px" yda="true" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As far as appearance goes, what will it look like is perhaps as big a question for most people as is how much horsepower will be under the hood. I say look no further than the EVOS concept for your basic shape and design. This concept according to Ford represents the styling direction of Ford for the next several years. Looking at multiple pictures of this concept there are several things that standout as to why I believe this is the shape of the next generation Mustang. The first is the car’s layout, it is very much Pony car in it’s long hood and short rear deck or even hatchback design. Now forget about the four gullwing doors, that’s just a concept car design gimmick to get attention at shows. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look closely at the photos too and you see some big brakes on this car, also a performance car hallmark these days. If you removed the taillights from the rear deck and replaced them with an updated variant of the Mustang three bar design that harkens back to 1965 as well as has been back in use since 1994 in some variation or another. Stretch the too thin front lamps down, move the grille up and change it from the current shape to a more traditional for Mustang trapezoid shape, stick the running Pony in the middle and there you have it. </span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now for all you bowtie lovers, let’s talk about the Camaro. This car was late getting back in the party having only just recently come back to market. Like anyone who is late to the party though, the Camaro has made a big entrance. Coming on the scene besting it’s chief competitor (the Mustang) by 100 horsepower when it debuted the Camaro has made waves once again in the pony car/muscle car market, just as it did back in 1967. The styling of the current car can be a bit polarizing, it also kills visibility from the driver’s seat, some love it, some hate it. I will admit from my perspective that while the concept was great at the time it was revealed GM was too slow to market with this car and it came in far too late in the retro crazy pony car rebirth. In spite of all this the Camaro has managed to outsell the Mustang the past two years in a row, no small feat, and probably partially attributed to loyal fans holding out for the Camaro to return to the scene. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The upcoming ZL1 Camaro promises even more fun for those who can afford the sticker. Much like the GT500 is Ford’s top Mustang offering the ZL1 will be the top shelf Camaro. Currently boasting a supercharged 580HP as well as electronically adjustable suspension technology taken from the Corvette, the ZL1 will be a force to be reckoned with on the street and track. Make no mistake about it there will be a horsepower and a performance figures war between Ford and GM for supremacy, bragging rights and customer’s cash at least until 2015.</span></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUOo62de6SJZ8U2QQbGRZMacnyywi0a0LZMuZ7BOouI74cGSuNh4QCWVxzOccconPs2Ss9nTmKGY4WAhh2_bSFqEZzcfOgi3-wYyHZVspFBxA_ii9yeDKObex7UDOnr5seN4QYlemFNQN/s1600/CODE130R-FRONT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUOo62de6SJZ8U2QQbGRZMacnyywi0a0LZMuZ7BOouI74cGSuNh4QCWVxzOccconPs2Ss9nTmKGY4WAhh2_bSFqEZzcfOgi3-wYyHZVspFBxA_ii9yeDKObex7UDOnr5seN4QYlemFNQN/s320/CODE130R-FRONT.jpg" width="320px" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>My opinion Code 130R = 2015 Camaro</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Also due for a refresh in 2015 the Camaro faces the same challenges as the Mustang in terms of fuel economy while maintaining performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GM has already shown its hand in terms of what will be under the hood though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next generation small block Chevy V8 is set to debut in the 2013 Chevy Corvette. Much like the LS1 debuted in the mid 90’s in the C5 corvette the new small block will debut here in GM’s flagship before various versions of it make their way throughout the production line over the next few years. Technology that GM V8’s have made due without (and by made due I mean done very well for themselves) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for the last several years will be standard on this engine, variable camshaft timing and direct injection are promised. We know in the C7 Vette that displacement will drop to 5.5 liters although GM maintains that performance will be equal or better than current power outputs. It would make sense that the Camaro will receive either a 5.5 liter, 5.0 liter or similar version of this same engine, with the same or slightly less power than the big brother Corvette makes. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Base powertrain is also likely to be a forced induction four cylinder. GM has a lot more experience in this department than Ford having developed hot cars like the Cobalt SS and the turbocharged Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice a few years back. They also have already proven these types of powertrains in a rear drive applications (the above mentioned Pontiac and Saturn). I would expect these four cylinders to also deliver the same or better performance than the V6’s they will likely replace though their power output will likely be in the 300HP range. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The ZL1 like the GT500 will either remain or will be the last gasp of the high horsepower battle between Ford and GM. I fully expect the ZL1 to get even more power before 2015 as Ford and Chevy duke it out for pony car muscle supremacy. If the ZL1 remains it will likely be just as the GT500 would be a lower displacement but still high output engine. Still utilizing forced induction this GM performance bruiser could theoretically continue fighting against Shelby until the market for such cars dries up.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsfitOHab-pzBUP7Jd_m7P8fU2wMvSVCrG7px18hLx2d4NiAzxvRWGuf6ROaWNUhVIN-_NN65i2y0OFGvVd_xjRqaWNknpUTGS8vocBnC7iBAa_JZ42zhPpH_9NBJw_1T0Ykj3uKyNe73/s1600/CODE130R-REAR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsfitOHab-pzBUP7Jd_m7P8fU2wMvSVCrG7px18hLx2d4NiAzxvRWGuf6ROaWNUhVIN-_NN65i2y0OFGvVd_xjRqaWNknpUTGS8vocBnC7iBAa_JZ42zhPpH_9NBJw_1T0Ykj3uKyNe73/s320/CODE130R-REAR.jpg" width="320px" yda="true" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As far as appearance and chassis goes. Much like I believe Ford has already shown their cards in this respect I also believe that GM has shown it as well. Look at the Code 130R concept car from GM. Right now GM has an issue, an age issue. The average age of a Chevy buyer is 55. They need to attract a younger audience. However building two rear wheel drive performance cars in the current market (the Camaro and the 130R) makes little sense to me as one could cannibalize the sales of the other. This might have made sense in the 1960’s but today there is too much competition from other brands, let alone from within. Higher ups at Chevy have said they will tour the Code 130R concept this year to gauge public opinion. I see this as the next Camaro and Chevy shifting the focus from aging Baby Boomers and 40+ crowd buyers for Camaros back to the youth market that the car was originally intended for in the 60’s when it first debuted.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Other reasons I believe the Code 130R to be the next Camaro, it is built on the same platform as the upcoming Cadillac ATS sedan. This is also the same platform that the next generation Camaro will ride on according to GM. Again final shape and styling are all subject to a little tweaking but the retro theme is now literally old and will most likely see its end with the debut of the next car. This small lightweight car would be a true pony car in every sense. The concept also featured an independent rear suspension, something already present in the current Camaro. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Inside I would look for plenty of upgrades to the Camaro over even the current car. I also would imagine a new infotainment system similar to what will be offered on the upcoming ATS. Again I might be totally wrong on this prediction but the more I look at the pictures of the Code 130R the more I say, there’s your next generation Camaro.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the handling department I expect the electronically adjustable suspension which is debuting on the upcoming ZL1 to trickle its way to the option packages on future Camaros, perhaps even on this generation car as well as the next generation much like it has over the years on the Corvette where it first appeared. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Transmission wise I think a 6 speed manual is the available transmission across the board in all models as well as possibly an eight speed automatic. Rumor is that a seven or eight speed manual trans will be available in the upcoming C7 Corvette, if this is true I would look for that to take the place of a 6 speed manual in the 2015 Camaro.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last of the Big 3 ponycars is the Dodge Challenger. Little has been mentioned other than a few whispers about the future of the Challenger. Rumor has it that this nameplate is going by the wayside along with the current “big” car. The Challenger is a big car indeed, bigger than either the Camaro or the Mustang. While stylistically the closest appearing to its retro inspiration it is also the lowest volume seller of the three. Still the Challenger is a good car, with great power and plenty of options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a car is a platform that was missing from Chrysler’s lineup for over 30 years in terms of a rear wheel drive pony car. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All of my info on the future of a Chrysler pony car is based on rumors I’ve read and speculation on my part. Chrysler has been either tight lipped or is simply behind in developing a plan for what’s next. Rumor has it that Chrysler will replace the Dodge Challenger with an SRT branded ‘Cuda or Barracuda model in the near future. The car will still be rear wheel drive. Powertrains are as yet unnamed. I would suspect a variant of the Hemi V8, perhaps even with variable cam timing and Chrysler’s displacement on demand systems shutting down individual cylinders during even or part throttle cruising to save fuel. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would also suspect much like Ford and GM that a four cylinder forced induction base model engine will be offered that is at least the equivalent in power and performance to the current V6 base model. If the current model is an SRT brand only though, it is possible that it may only be offered as a hot V8 and in limited production. Think little brother to the Viper but not a high volume car like the Camaro or Mustang. Another possibility is that the Pentastar which is Chrysler’s new V6 could remain an option as the base engine in the ‘Cuda as this engine offers significant refinements in terms of power and efficiency, all of this is of course speculation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the styling department Chrysler has said that the replacement for the Challenger will not be retro. This is the first of the big 3 to come out and make this statement known. Though they have said that the new car will pay homage however to the models that came before it and bore its name just not in a completely retro fashion as the Challenger does. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would also make sense that the ‘Cuda replacement will be a much smaller car than the current Challenger.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chrysler has in the last two years made dramatic improvements with respect to interior quality throughout its lineup, I expect this to continue here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This really is all I have read or know about what’s coming from Chrysler with respect to their pony car, a model which may have been neglected in the recent merger with Fiat due to the increased focus on small cars. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chances are if you’re reading this blog posting you have at least some interest in performance cars or pony cars in general. What I hope is not going to happen is 1974 all over again. Manufacturer’s back then delayed far too long and did not develop the necessary technologies and strategies to meet consumer and government demands. Performance can be had in smaller, lighter packages but without sacrificing V8 power and while netting better fuel economy. Let’s hope that the Big 3 learn from the past and don’t set our performance figures back 20+ years because they were unable to cope with changing times and standards. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-41848834651591535502012-02-02T13:49:00.000-08:002012-02-02T13:49:58.798-08:00A Geographical Oddity<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A Geographical Oddity</span></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJk7Zp-mBFQ5CTAw3wcjsIIzY9ZKWJl22_g69JQ87lE0UJQzgoVgjfoJbg-MVmtBk_fdwdFNLrwdGDQfrOJC-yLxgy4YsAZm2DZ-W_4BRDQirt25Rur2F0WdkiLh9ZOn9kITXLeRa-5Op/s1600/O-BROTHER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJk7Zp-mBFQ5CTAw3wcjsIIzY9ZKWJl22_g69JQ87lE0UJQzgoVgjfoJbg-MVmtBk_fdwdFNLrwdGDQfrOJC-yLxgy4YsAZm2DZ-W_4BRDQirt25Rur2F0WdkiLh9ZOn9kITXLeRa-5Op/s320/O-BROTHER.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em>On this day I nearly was a man of cosntant sorrow</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I felt like I was in a movie, one movie in particular came to mind, even a specific scene from “O Brother Where Art Thou”. I’ve seen this film I don’t know how many times and I found myself now in a situation that resembled a comic moment from that movie. Let me back things up to how I got there first.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was a very hot and humid summer day a few years back, I’m going to say around 2007, or 2008. Sydney and I had left the house late in the morning and were headed to her sister’s home outside of Bloomfield, KY. We were going to a birthday party for one of my nephews although at this time I don’t remember which one. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since these three nephews in particular are car crazy there was no debating on which car to drive, we took my Mustang. The kids always got a kick out of it, primarily because its loud and to them it’s fast (It’s fun to me not necessarily what I would describe as fast). The car’s loud, (because of the changes I made to the exhaust), it’s shiny, it looks pretty good and it’s a Mustang so the kids are into it. I try to make it a point to bring it over on special occasions since it usually gets them excited. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since this car is only driven in nice weather it also spends a lot of time sitting in my garage. Normally I keep a trickle charger or battery maintaining device connected to the car so the battery does not drain during long periods between drives. That being said on this particular day the battery was low because it was summer and I hadn’t hooked the car up the charger (I drive it a lot more in the summer). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to jump start the car to get it going. I had no reason to be worried otherwise, it had been sitting for about a month as I’d been to busy to get it out and drive it. I was working under the false assumption that a jumpstart and the drive to see the kids would be enough to recharge my battery. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon hitting the interstate I realized I would need to get gas at some point if I was to make it to Bloomfield. I decided that I would stop at one of the several stations that dotted hwy 55 between Jeffersontown and Taylorsville, planning to stop closer to Taylorsville since it would give the battery longer to be recharged by the car’s alternator. I chose a gas station and pulled in, filled the tank up and to my horror found that the battery still lacked a strong enough charge to start my car. Since I had yet to make the changeover to a manual transmission that I desired to have in this car from the automatic transmission it came with there would be no push starting. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was certain that the gas station which featured a small general store/food mart would sell jumper cables as I can recall seeing them at several gas stations through the years. This however was not the case, there were plenty of fireworks and overpriced engine oil, but no jumper cables to be found.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good Samaritan inside the gas station offered to go to his house, retrieve jumper cables and come back to get me started, he made good on his offer and I thanked him profusely. Back on the road I knew there was a NAPA auto parts store just on the edge of Taylorsville, my plan was to stop in, buy a new battery and a wrench to install it, this would keep me going not only for the day but also be a better solution to this minor but agitating problem. I found it ironic as well that as someone who worked in the car business daily I was on the other side of the counter so to speak, now in need of someone else’s assistance so I could remedy my car woes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon arrive at NAPA I left the car idling with my wife sitting in the passenger’s seat and ran inside. I was certain they would have a battery since it should have been a common size fitting many Ford and other applications . Approaching the parts counter a rather greasy man with a scraggly beard and dirty t-shirt seemed to ask with his eyes </span></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCQ8Euo5XtknoUIelMCuYz7yED9UNn_mnuKVqyoYH1XRNI2BegNndn2bMuOqPHPXT2wDxZlOwGsBC843Swbimu4rBXeiy8hH87Os_cF4iUEvH-Ixqug3tOzN3f22MtjxFrTKL9I-NEnN3/s1600/mustang2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCQ8Euo5XtknoUIelMCuYz7yED9UNn_mnuKVqyoYH1XRNI2BegNndn2bMuOqPHPXT2wDxZlOwGsBC843Swbimu4rBXeiy8hH87Os_cF4iUEvH-Ixqug3tOzN3f22MtjxFrTKL9I-NEnN3/s320/mustang2.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">How hard could it be to find a battery to fit this car?</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Whaddya need city boy” (he didn’t say that, he didn’t say a word). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Hi, I need a battery for a ’98 Mustang, 4.6L.” I began. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He grunted and began staring at his computer as if it had heard my voice and was going to give an audible response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He finger pecked away at the keys and tapped the keyboard a few more times.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Ain’t got it, could have one Monday, probably more like Tuesday though.” He said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“You don’t have something that I could substitute in it’s place do you? I’m not from this area and so I really can’t wait until Tuesday.” I asked.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Nope, but you can try ole Smitty’s gas station ‘round the corner, he might have one.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said in between drags on his ashy Marlboro. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Great thanks”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I made my way out the door and kept my fingers crossed that the car had not stalled or shut off for some inexplicable reason. Five minutes later I was “’round the corner” at “ole Smitty’s”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found an older man, balding with white hair and glasses sitting in coveralls on a bench in the shade just outside the garage door on the side of the building. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“How you doing” I greeted him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Well, it’s hot” he replied grumpily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that reply, I wanted to smartly say “well you know it’s probably not the best weather for coveralls” but I refrained. I could already tell this was most likely also going to be futile, since I wasn’t driving a 1975 Chevy or 1984 Ford pickup it would seem that no one stocked batteries that fit anything but these two models. I would soon find that this premonition had been correct.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After telling the man what battery I needed he lead me to a room in the back where he had batteries literally stacked or piled almost floor to ceiling. After scanning his “Inventory” for a few minutes he said:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Ain’t got one, probably have it Monday, more like Tuesday”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was at that moment I realized I was trapped in a scene similar to the one in “O Brother Where Art Thou”. If you’ve seen this movie try to recall the scene at the general store where George Clooney’s character (Ulysses “Everett” McGill) is looking for parts to repair his broken down (and stolen) car as well as some “Dapper Dan” hair jelly. The store owner tells him both the car parts and the hair jelly are about two weeks away, to which Everett replies “Well ain’t this place a geographical oddity, two weeks from everywhere”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That one line sums up how I was feeling about Taylorsville on this particular Saturday afternoon. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am thankful to say that we made it to the birthday party, and with the aide of my brother in law Terry we hit the Wal-Mart in the big metropolis of Bardstown, KY to get a battery so Sydney and I could get home that evening. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I grew up in and still live in what I consider a small town, but I have to say that I was probably spoiled by living in such close proximity to Louisville. It always seemed if we couldn’t find what we needed as kids we were just a short drive from somewhere else that would have it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was interesting also to be the customer for a change and remember that helpless feeling when you’re hoping someone else can help you with your car. Sometimes in my work life I forget how much more I know about cars than many of my customer’s and how they must feel being on the other side of the counter. It’s times like that when I need to remember how I felt standing in that NAPA store or there with “ole Smitty” trying to get something as simple as a new battery so I could get on with what I had planned for my Saturday. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-15514339190061937802012-01-26T14:21:00.001-08:002012-01-26T14:21:45.589-08:00I loathe mediocrity<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I loathe mediocrity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to make a clear distinction before I even start. Trying your hardest and failing is part of life and that is not what I mean by settling for mediocrity. It is when you put forth only the minimum effort and end up with a result that is just passing or then failing that you have strived for mediocrity only. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Trying for mediocrity really bothers me. We’re all guilty of it on some level. Sometimes we just don’t feel up to the task that is at hand. Sometimes it’s a task that we’re really not enthused about. Sometimes we just don’t know what we’re doing. So instead of putting out that effort that could end up in a great result we just put out enough to know that it satisfies the criteria for completion.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This could stem from a fear of failure. Often a go big or go home, an all or nothing attitude is what it may take to succeed at a difficult task. The less difficult path may not offer as stellar of a result but may offer the safety net of no chance for failure. That’s not to say that striving for excellence is always a do or die, win or lose scenario since each situation is different. Putting out what is acceptable instead of exceptional though is what we see all too often in our society and what continues to lower the bar for others and bring us down a notch as human beings and as a society.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Too often in recent times we had discouraged competition, thwarted healthy rivalries and detracted from the hard work of those who are successful, in order to not offend or upset those who are only putting for the minimal effort. I would argue that we should instead be rewarding and incentivizing those who do well, who succeed and put forth the extra effort and encouraging those who put forth a worthy effort but fall short of the goal to try harder the next time. Those putting forth only the minimal should be encouraged to put more effort in, incentivized to put their best effort forward and praised for it only when doing so. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On several occasions I’ve read in horror stories of little league games that don’t keep score, where everyone gets a trophy at the end of the year. Really? Playing and not keeping score was called “practice” when I was a kid not a “game”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does this scoreless type of competition really teach those kids? I’m all for teaching equality and fairness, for praising a hearty effort. I also feel though that teaching kids that putting forth your best effort and failing is sometimes all that you can do and that you must face that throughout life. I’m also for the old cliché “to the victor go the spoils”. Teaching these lessons to kids is a good life lesson and when done properly will help make them a stronger individual as an adult. When those same kids try and fail showing them how to seize the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and try again is often one of the best teaching aides we can find. How else do we learn how to do something right if we don’t first understand what didn’t work on the first attempt? A toddler would not take their first steps without first learning what didn’t work to get them moving independently on two feet. Why would we coddle our kids and expect them to not learn the same things from their own efforts elsewhere in their lives? Why do we do this to ourselves and our co-workers or family as well?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Consider Thomas Edison. Edison was one of the great scientific and engineering minds of the 1800’s, revolutionizing the way we use electricity and coming up with a practical and safe electric light bulb (among many other fantastic inventions). Depending on the account you read it is said Edison failed to satisfy his requirements for an electric light bulb anywhere from hundreds to thousands of times before finding the right combination of correct parts and processes to create the bulb that satisfied his demands. Edison is often famously quoted as saying he did not fail hundreds (or thousands) of times he simply found that many ways not to make a bulb. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Imagine if Edison had simply strived for mediocrity. Safe, practical, longer life bulbs might have taken years or even decades to perfect if ever at all. The industrial revolution might have stalled or at least slowed down greatly. Reliable lighting in our homes and work places might have taken years to develop. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Consider this as well. There is often talk about decreasing the demands placed on medical students. These students often must work grueling hours completing internships as well as finding time in between to study what would seem to be a ludicrous amount of material in order to take and pass tests. I would argue these tests and ways of doing things exists for a reason. Physicians make life and death decisions, even treating a minor illness if done poorly could turn into a major ailment for a patient. Would you keep going to a physician who was unsure, indecisive or who appeared to cave under pressure when it was time to make difficult decisions? I am by no means saying physicians are perfect or that they never make a mistake. However if we lower the bar, relax the standards and settle for mediocrity with our medical professionals what quality of service are we going to get? Are you going to want to be treated by a mediocre physician?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you ever been somewhere and received bad service? Whether it was a restaurant, a retail store, getting your car fixed or buying a car? Why were you unhappy with that service? Chances are good it was because someone involved at some level, maybe not even the person you were dealing with was only putting forth a mediocre effort. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a country we have in many ways settled for mediocrity because it’s comfortable. We’re fat, we’re lazy, instead of playing sports we pay big money for cable or satellite or game tickets and we watch other people get paid millions to play. We spend hours in front of the TV stuffing our faces in a comfy chair, if you like that sport so much why not go out and participate in a recreational league? Their all over the place. We’ve generally accepted and decided that it’s ok to file for bankruptcy; it’s ok to be on welfare or food stamps or other public assistance. I’m fine with you being on public assistance of some sort if you really need it, what is not ok is people who mooch the system and abuse it because they’ve settled for mediocrity instead of striving to be the best they can be. Those who choose to sit at home in their subsidized housing watching daytime tv and waiting for their next check to come in so they can buy some more scratch off lottery tickets at the store. The same goes for bankruptcy, if you’ve done all you can and you’re left with no other alternative then you are forced into it. If on the other hand you went out ran up a bunch of bills and instead of paying them you just decided it would be easier not to work hard and pay it off, then you have settled for mediocrity. There are all types of examples I could keep going on about, it has become too easy to take the low road instead of the high road and that’s the point I’m trying to make. What are we missing out on, what are we limiting ourselves to?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I run in an event/race I know my limits and I work that entire race to run at the limit I set to meet my goal. Prior to that event I have spent countless hours in the weeks or months prior putting countless miles under my feet. I spend time training my body to get faster, become more efficient and be stronger. I spend hours each week in the swimming pool as cross training, improving my heart muscle, getting stronger and my improving my lungs. I stretch, I eat healthy food. On race day I often wake up at 4 or 5 am to eat a breakfast that will provide me with the energy I will need in a few hours (I go back to sleep after I eat). On some of those training days when my alarm goes off very early and I need to get a run in, or on those nights when it’s cold and rainy and it would be easier to stay in bed or stay on the couch than go to the YMCA and swim, I remind myself that I’m working toward a goal and that settling for mediocrity is what too many other people are doing at that moment. I really think that training physically has made my attitude better, and made me a better worker and better person. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes these are economically and in some ways socially difficult times. No, you are not expected to be the next Thomas Edison. Hardship though is often the fire that tempers an individual and breeds innovation. If we could all strive at our daily lives the way that we do at many of our personal goals, the way that many of our relatives did during times like the depression or the second world war then we might lose that acceptance of mediocrity and might make our society and our world a better place. Think of what we could do if we would just hold those ideals of doing our best high again.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-16723779902636598662012-01-19T16:28:00.000-08:002012-01-19T16:28:51.296-08:00Do You Kiss Your Mother with that Mouth?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b>Do You Kiss Your Mother with that Mouth?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Is it a case of life imitating art? I believe that may be a part of where this particular problem stems from though I do not completely blame movies, music or media entirely. I do realize that yes this is a free country and that the first amendment guarantees us free speech. What troubles me is the proliferation and rampant use of foul language in everyday settings, which seems to be growing.</div><div class="MsoNormal">You may be guilty of it yourself. I will grant you that in private or under extreme stress sometimes there may be no better word in the heat of the moment to describe or fit the agony, frustration or turmoil you are currently suffering. I would admit to being as guilty as anyone of giving in and using this type of language in the past, though as of the last several years I have made a conscious effort to curb that to a number of occurrences per year that could be counted on both hands at the most. As an alternative I often times mutter complete nonsense to myself as I’m working on a frustrating or difficult project; it usually makes me laugh and lightens my mood.</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-8e1cvkZH2zMFAX0AV_H0DGCHq2GCqYlqswT1l8hKdOPDZRn4fHBIJAT6eHRR8F2FNkmTZPIUKvJxuwWYKJpxG4LMxN5t0wABa2g6tIq2ezFdEFVDCW_OZUqAszJiWdYAZ5Fc7QnTsRV/s1600/soap+poisoning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-8e1cvkZH2zMFAX0AV_H0DGCHq2GCqYlqswT1l8hKdOPDZRn4fHBIJAT6eHRR8F2FNkmTZPIUKvJxuwWYKJpxG4LMxN5t0wABa2g6tIq2ezFdEFVDCW_OZUqAszJiWdYAZ5Fc7QnTsRV/s1600/soap+poisoning.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">If Ralphie were a real person today he'd go blind from soap poisoning</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Back to my opening statement, consider this; Hollywood is constantly trying to push the envelope, as is the music industry in many cases. The problem with language as I see it is that they’ve gone as far as they can go. Unlike gore, sex and nudity which “artists” will continue to push the limits of, there are only so many swear words available. So the only way to go further is to just keep piling on the expletives. When the only adjective in a sentence is the constant repetition of the same four letter word (or that word conjugated various ways) it makes little sense from a grammatical or reasoning standpoint, and it completely turns me off to what I’m watching (in this example). </div><div class="MsoNormal">Given the proliferation of such language in pop culture, it would seem that it has thus become more accepted in daily life, including in public use. As a kid I can rarely remember hearing the F-bomb being dropped in any place but in a movie. Keep in mind I grew up with a dad in the car business and spent quite a bit of time around a business environment both blue collar and white collar. I can recall no times prior to my teenage years hearing that word used in an open setting. </div><div class="MsoNormal">However today I hear this word among many others used on a regular basis. Not only do I hear it, I read it where various web sites, social media, etc contain stories or quotes containing not only that one but sometimes that one used several times or worse. Recently I had two college age women in our waiting area/office at work. One girl took a phone call on her cell phone and had a conversation that I can only describe as very colorful with the person on the other end. She not only used several colorful phrases but dropped the F-bomb at least every other sentence (sometimes three or more times in one sentence). This was all casual conversation for her, she was not angry or stressed, she was just using it in the same way I might use the phrases “messed up” “not right”, “unbelievable”, “whoa”, “you’re kidding” “blue”, “pretty”, “awesome”, “oh yeah”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People will come to my desk and speak this way across the counter to me, or when they call on the phone. They are not necessarily directing anger or hate toward me as the word might imply in some cases but instead are using it as an adjective to describe something casually. This really makes me want to ask someone to leave and come back when they can speak in a language that resembles daily English and not the script from the latest horror movie.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Does anyone realize how stupid they sound when every sentence contains the same word used repeatedly? Yet it’s supposed to have a different meaning? Or it may be used as various parts of speech in the same sentence, noun, verb, pronoun, adjective, and adverb. When the same word is used repeatedly in this manner and it outnumbers the words that actually relate to what you’re talking about I have to say you don’t look just look and sound stupid, you come across (at least to me) as a complete moron with a limited grasp of the English language.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Read this sentence aloud and see if you can keep yourself from laughing or smirking; “I loving love you you loving mother lover, you’re such a loved up little love.”Ok so I made that up, but you get the idea I have replaced most of the parts of speech used in that sentence with the word “love”. You’re probably reading that thinking, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever read. Do you see what I mean about the prolific usage of the same (or even multiple) profane words in a sentence. Replacing it with something that is not profane takes away the dagger’s edge of nastiness from the sentence and instead reveals how ridiculous it sounds.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Recently I was at my physician’s office for a routine checkup. I was alone in the waiting room. Another man came in and began talking to the receptionist. He was obviously frustrated and without getting into the details being a little bit whiney for not getting his way. He proceeded to start swearing at the receptionist. Without thinking I stood up out of my chair ready to ask him to leave (I really don’t know what got into me other than not wanting to see this young lady be bullied) she glanced my way and so did he “You will not talk to me like that!” she shouted. Glancing back at me standing up now and then back at her he backed down and apologized to her. I don’t know that I would have even done anything more in that situation but I’d like to think maybe I helped her take a stand and not be verbally abused by an abrasive person.</div><div class="MsoNormal">There was a time when using extreme amounts of expletives was reserved for combat situations, prison, R rated movies, comedians looking for shock value, backrooms, bar fights and private, quiet conversations. Such words were only shouted during those emergency moments when you’re about to crash your car, fall off the roof, stumble into a frozen pond or just smashed an extremity with something heavy or when two drunks were about to duke it out. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Not long ago using such coarse language was considered rude and disgusting in the presence of women and children. Saying such words in the wrong company was in some places enough to literally get you kicked out of an establishment, knocked out or in some cases maybe even have a gun pointed at you. In fact when I was a kid I can remember my grandmother saying that as a girl (think 1930’s) she was walking down the street with her older brother, a man walked by and said something foul (she never would say what the word was), my great uncle (her brother) proceeded to knockout the other man and leave him lying in the street for speaking in such a manner in front of his young sister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I see no reason for us to go back to the horse and buggy days in terms of how we deal with rude people, or the ways of life in rural Kentucky during the early 1930’s I do see a need for us to be more creative in our use of language and to exercise some courtesy, morality and civility. We should not be so coarse with each other, or so casually use these types of words, especially when we’re out in public. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Watchdog groups often cry foul over TV, music and video game violence, language or portrayal of women. They claim children may be influenced or desensitized by repeated exposure to such things. I believe as a society we may have been desensitized to the weight such foul words carry. In fact I would wager that since foul language has become so common place that not swearing may bear more leverage in a heated moment than letting loose of such words. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just think about it the next time you’re having a conversation or are stuck in a moment where you might use an expletive, be creative and see what else you can come up with.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ll get off my soapbox now.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-61490359627900628702012-01-12T18:15:00.000-08:002012-01-12T18:25:58.427-08:00Almost Famous<div class="MsoNormal">Almost Famous </div><div class="MsoNormal">–why I love cars and what I’ve done about it for most of my life</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It must be in my blood. That’s really what I think it ultimately boils down to. Either that or the car business itself has a sci-fi type of attraction that keeps drawing me back to it. Looking into the evidence further though I think it’s a combination of genetics and conditioning. Whatever it is, over the last nearly eighteen years I have come full circle in my work life and realized that I’m probably where I belong (or at least where I belong for now), read the story below to find out the details.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As a kid I was fascinated with cars. I can remember from a very young age sitting out in front of our house with my older brother Dan and naming the cars as they went by. By “young age” I don’t mean seven or eight, I’m thinking more like four or five at the oldest. I had a fascination from early on with cars and with anything that had wheels and moved. </div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD34ZTtjSXySPRa7fbZVZiemD5ECHvV0srxZAmHQA91PXDWVKZeGGy85SyXWA9AFlq3xtzHjwaaFTqgg0w3AXPEtiDpetp-5yOZ3JIMPNEvyZXaSp9-wE4GAvszwHtskEotHja370w5DHK/s1600/transformers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD34ZTtjSXySPRa7fbZVZiemD5ECHvV0srxZAmHQA91PXDWVKZeGGy85SyXWA9AFlq3xtzHjwaaFTqgg0w3AXPEtiDpetp-5yOZ3JIMPNEvyZXaSp9-wE4GAvszwHtskEotHja370w5DHK/s200/transformers.jpg" width="140" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I can remember some of my favorite toys being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hot Wheels</i> cars, rolling them across the kitchen floor to “race” them, or constructing plastic tracks for a similar purpose. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Transformers</i> cartoons was probably my favorite cartoon as well. It featured action hero robots that turned into cars, how cool was that, the cars saved people and turned into robots, and shot lasers and blew stuff up five days a week on afternoon prime time for kids TV. For a car obsessed kid, it didn’t get much better.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another memory that comes to mind was probably sometime between the ages of six and eight being asked what I wanted to do when I grew up. I can remember very plainly stating that I wanted to work with my dad. My dad at that time was the service manager for a local Ford dealer. As is common with most boys I looked up to my father, he was my hero, the one who scared off monsters under the bed, took me to work with him on occasion and knew everything there was to know about anything.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dad had a “demo” car as a job perk, which was often a station wagon or later a minivan because there were a lot of us kids to haul around every weekend (demo meaning demonstration model). Demos used to be more common than they are today in the car business, dealers would often give managers and some other employees(usually salesmen) a new vehicle to drive for a few thousand miles each month to get some new iron out on the roads. This was also a great way to show friends, neighbors, etc what came from where you work. So a new car every month appealed to me, something new to look at, explore and appreciate in the driveway. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">At such a young age I was also able to visit my dad at work on a somewhat regular basis, occasionally he would stop by his office on a Saturday to take care of something or grab some paperwork often bringing my younger brother David and me along. I had a firsthand look at the inner workings of a dealership at a very impressionable age. Looking back now on those memories it seems very surreal, and maybe that was part of the appeal when I was so young. The sounds of tools clanking and ratcheting, the hissing of compressed air, the shining new cars, the smell of wax and glass cleaner, the crazy greasy guys in the back fixing cars and the sharply dressed smooth talking men up front selling them. There were glossy books with pictures of the newest models and “technology” for me to flip through as well. To me it was always a picture too of people working together for a common cause, when customers came in to the shop to either buy a new car or get their car serviced or repaired, someone was there with a smile to help them. When everything was finished there was often a handshake and a smile. That at least is how it appeared from child’s perspective.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It didn’t help much that my older brother Dan began working at the car dealership as soon as he was old enough either. Dan was a car nut already and I would say between him and dad largely responsible for my interest in cars in general. From my perspective as a young boy it just seemed like this was the place to be, working at the dealership was doing something important. Cars were the coolest thing I knew of, so what could possibly be better than working around them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At the ripe old age of 14 I was going to work with my dad at the dealership during the summers. I would help take out trash, file paperwork for him, organize and clean various things. I was paying my dues so to speak. At 15 I was at the dealership several days a week cleaning cars all summer. I think as a teenager I really began getting a closer look at the real world of the car business. I loved cleaning the cars though, getting new cars ready for delivery/customer pickup or to go on the showroom floor, or detailing a used unit to be put on the lot, it was hot, dirty, sweaty work, perfect for a teenage boy obsessed with cars. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I remember that particular summer hearing from my dad “Son, don’t get into this business”, he was at the time half joking and half serious. Much like any work situation, where there are individuals there is eventually bound to be drama between them. Conflicts of one sort or another probably occurred more often than I was aware and as a manager he sometimes had to deal with these issues. That summer some of the shine on the car business might have dulled a bit and I was no longer sure working around cars in this setting was what I wanted to do. In the meantime it was work and it paid and I got to be around all those cool cars so I didn’t mind.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I spent the summer that I was 16 again washing cars. That summer was even better, I had a license, I could now drive the cars that I was being paid to clean, now I got paid to drive them, put gas in them and organize them on the lot. Less enthused about being in the heat I spent as much time as possible tidying up the cars that were on the showroom floor. That job though was something that we rotated each day, since you could literally spend at least a half hour basking in the air conditioning while you were cleaning those cars we took turns everyday on who cleaned the showroom cars.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Like many teenage boys I became increasingly obsessed with how cars worked. I had built and still did build model cars, I had a clear model engine that I could move by hand. Keep in mind at this point in time computer animation was still in its infancy, Jurassic Park had been the high point of CGI to that day and the internet was still a dark and mysterious place that was not so easily navigated. Much of what I read in magazines was left to my imagination to visualize with only a few usually very grainy black and white photos to help. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I read nearly everything I could get my hands on about cars, various car magazines with reviews, magazines about hot rods and how to modify your cars to go faster or look cooler. I can’t count the number of car stereos and stereo components I installed not only in my own car but in my friend’s cars as well. I detailed a few cars for friend’s parents on the side and even did a little side maintenance work for some of them. Much to my dad’s chagrin I did or attempted to do a lot of maintenance or repair work on my own cars, changing spark plugs, changing engine oil, I was still a bit intimidated in doing anything more extensive but that was changing. . I was able to get a fairly good grasp on most concepts though, probably better than most people my age at the time. That technical mindedness has continued to be useful nearly every day of my adult life. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">During this same time in my life I met Tom Milazzo. Tom and I were both bored in Chemistry class and the teacher had the misfortune of sitting us next to each other. Not knowing, but quickly discovering it we were both car nuts, particularly Mustangs. There really is no way I can calculate the amount of hours I spent with Tom during my last two years of high school. Working on our cars, reading magazines or cruising around. Lifelong friends are hard to find, but Tom and I still swing wrenches together on each other’s cars over sixteen years later. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">At this point in my teenage years I also loved to write, what a great thing I thought it would be to combine my love of writing and cars with a job in the car magazine business, writing for a publication. I didn’t realize it at the time but my opportunity to do this was just a few short years away.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Much like the weather, the many pastimes of teenage boys (and my wife tells me grown men as well) can change quickly. By my senior year of high school I was looking at going into computers and technology over working with cars. After spending nearly every summer at the dealership working in some capacity the car business itself had further tarnished in my eyes. The world of technology was changing rapidly and PC’s because they had become so much cheaper were finally in wide proliferation, the internet was about to explode and change the world forever. I thought that computers were my golden ticket to the good life so that’s where I focused a lot of my attention at school. I figured I could get into computers, make a bigger paycheck than in the car business and fund my car hobby/addiction without working in the car business. At the time I didn’t realize how deeply ingrained in my DNA cars really were. I had also not yet experienced the mystical car business vortex.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A year after graduating high school I landed a job with a local company working the helpdesk for their IT department. It was good money for a guy who wasn’t even 19 yet and the benefits offered by that fortune 500 company were substantial to say the least. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvhGv7j6gVLUcglt6ZxGiqlRAl6-YP43DnuPnovnWWSerOHufKadIkUKv8pdPGMZmEVQsPbS51_SDGauH3TTKxgS0r3y6WOhv5KvqmJixfKwEYTNgeb3yDTT233JPQsqbj3JmlYBiO_-h/s1600/86+Mustang_blog.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvhGv7j6gVLUcglt6ZxGiqlRAl6-YP43DnuPnovnWWSerOHufKadIkUKv8pdPGMZmEVQsPbS51_SDGauH3TTKxgS0r3y6WOhv5KvqmJixfKwEYTNgeb3yDTT233JPQsqbj3JmlYBiO_-h/s320/86+Mustang_blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">November 1998, me with my 1986 Mustang. I miss that car like an old friend</span></i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">In nearly all of my free time I was working on my own Mustang that I had bought at the end of my senior year of high school. I raced that car almost weekly (sometimes twice weekly). I had also started and was working on a web site that featured write ups and photos about local Mustangs from the track and their owners. I was writing about cars and racing one in my spare time. The internet was still pretty green in the automotive journalism area so I was having a good time and a little success as I created a nice niche for myself.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the fall of 1998 a new drag racing organization the NMRA (National Mustang Racers Association) came to Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, KY. I headed to the event with my brother Dan who was the track Chaplin for Beech Bend through a program called RFC (Racers For Christ). Taking my camera along I shot race coverage of the event and rushed home Sunday night to get my film developed and post the story to my little web site. By Monday morning I had the first online version of the race coverage anywhere. Apparently I drew more attention than I realized when I received an e-mail from the then head of the NMRA, James Lawrence asking me to call him about my coverage. Keep in mind these were the days before digital photography was widespread, internet coverage of events of any kind and live streaming were nearly nonexistent or seldom lived up to their hype, after all it was 1998. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Through that phone call with James I developed a relationship with the NMRA that lasted for about five years. James asked me to check in once a month, let him know my thoughts on both the local and national scenes with concern to drag racing and Mustangs, racing trends and the performance industry. The NMRA was going through its early development phases and obviously they wanted to establish as many links around the country as they could (keep in mind that no one had ever thought of something like facebook or myspace at this point). That winter during a regularly scheduled phone call with James I received an invitation from him to talk with the then editor of NMRA’s monthly magazine <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Race Pages,</i> Rob Kinnan and become a regular freelance contributor. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That moment changed the way I viewed and participated in racing forever. Rob Kinnan to me was a giant of the car magazine industry. He had begun his career at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hot Rod Magazine</i>, served as editor at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">5.0 Mustang Magazine</i>, both of which I read feverishly on a monthly basis, he had only left that job to purse a then better opportunity with the NMRA and subsequently the parent company they formed ProMedia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This situation at the time was ideal for me. I had switched full time jobs to work for the IT department at KY Lottery. This job required that I work 12 hour shifts but in a two week pay period (14 days) I only worked 7 days and still made a full time salary (this was due to the number of hours worked). With my typically cooperative schedule at KY Lottery I was able to travel to NMRA events around the country on my weekend’s off. I was able to checkout a lot of cool cars and trucks, watch tons of great racing, get to know some of the racers and people I had only ever read about in magazines as well as meet all kinds of new and interesting people. If that wasn’t enough of a benefit I could often find enough material for freelance articles that I typically covered at least what it cost me to go to the events from my stories being published in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Race Pages</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I contributed anywhere from one to four articles in nearly every issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Race Pages</i> for over three years. I also changed the way they dealt with photography. I bought an Olympus digital camera (I believe an E-10 was the model). It was a 4.5 Megapixel camera at a time when most digital cameras from a retail store were 1 or 1.5MP at the most. I worked with my local camera dealer and a few friends at how to correctly process digital images for print. Through my work I was able to convince NMRA and ProMedia to allow me to stop submitting film or slides and start sending work in on disc. Before I ended my freelance career with ProMedia and NMRA they were no longer accepting film or slides and instead had made the transition to all digital photography. I’d like to think I get a little credit for starting that trend.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">During my freelance time with ProMedia they had also started a second magazine. There was a time when I contributed a large amount of content to it as well as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Race Pages</i>. Rob Kinnan called me on the phone one day; overwhelmed with his workload he was offering me the position of editor at this new magazine. Rob and the chiefs had met and decided Rob needed less work load, (I can hardly imagine being editor of two magazines at once). There was a hitch though; the job would require me to move to California, thousands of miles away from most of my friends, all of my family and a stable job. The pay would not be enough either for me to support myself and live on my own. Having no connections in the area near where I would be working and having no means to move on my own, I had to decline the offer. I did counter offer to do the work from where I lived, since most of it required traveling to races by car or plane, or dealing with freelance writers on the phone as well as a lot of work that would be completed on the computer. The in house staff needed someone present in the flesh though and we had not yet reached the age of telecommuting that we live in today where this might have been possible. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvLE7qdVLsL90izlDkcz7Tf55yfenofBbYyvHRpM8v7wfAh22VOQtAX0CAUZYbkVo9S7STqulPeRU0J5ueVEVqQChqZgLAg4XY05AN4D5YCLVi8lcL1PLi31eImK5FVCJ5TW4oqNjqcEm/s1600/almost+famous.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvLE7qdVLsL90izlDkcz7Tf55yfenofBbYyvHRpM8v7wfAh22VOQtAX0CAUZYbkVo9S7STqulPeRU0J5ueVEVqQChqZgLAg4XY05AN4D5YCLVi8lcL1PLi31eImK5FVCJ5TW4oqNjqcEm/s1600/almost+famous.bmp" /></a>My childhood friend who has known me the longest, Kelly, once remarked that the entire experience that I had as a freelancer reminded her of the movie “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Almost Famous</i>”. In some ways I might agree, a young guy from a small town gets to rub elbows, hangout and travel with some of his childhood heroes, while getting an inside glimpse at an industry he’s fascinated with and write about the experiences. With the exception of falling in love I think we have many of the key plot points from that movie (though I will admit to being infatuated with several girls that I met along the way during that time).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A few years into the freelance endeavor I decided to attempt taking my writing and photography skills into a full time career. I started my own business and spent the next year traveling the country to various racing events including NMRA both selling my photos to racers and fans as well as working on freelance articles. Unfortunately this was not an optimal full time career and between mistakes made on my part and a lack of sales I had to cease operations in late 2003 and close the company up for good in 2004. Having left KY Lottery nearly two years prior I was jobless for the first time in my entire adult life.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It would seem though that the mystical vortex of the car business would open up again and suck me back in. In January of 2004 I received an opportunity to work at the same dealer group as my dad. Byerly Nissan needed a person to serve as both service adviser and a parts truck driver. I could fit both ends, I knew enough about cars, the car business and how they worked to be a service adviser, I was good with people (which was a big plus) and I could “sell” work to customers that their cars needed. I had a clean driving record too so I could fill the second part of this dual role. My dad was the service manager for Byerly Ford located in the building next door, I was finally about to do what I said I’d wanted to do as a little kid, work with my dad, for real, as an adult.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I stayed at Byerly for about a year and a half eventually becoming solely the full time service adviser for the Nissan dealership(they needed me more on the service lane than in the parts truck so a new driver was hired). Driving to Dixie Highway from Crestwood each day, leaving at 6:30 in the morning and not getting home until 7:00 or later each night was wearing on me though. I found a job with an independent shop closer to home and left the dealership. I stayed in that next job for a little over a year, then I was made aware of a better opportunity at Pro-Tech, and I jumped on it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So today here I am, still in the car business. I’m the shop manager, service adviser, office manager, tech guy, whatever hat I need to wear today guy. Mostly I’m the manager/service adviser. I work for two very good owners who do a very good job not only taking care of customers and running an honest business but also at taking care of their employees (I’ve been here for over five years now). Like any job I have days where I go home and wonder if it’s really what I should be doing with my life, but those days when things click and go like they should, when everything falls into place and all the pieces work together like the gears of a clock, I know I’m where I belong, and doing what I’m meant to do (at least for now).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I will say that I sometimes miss traveling to the races, seeing all the action, the smell of tire smoke and racing fuel, standing on the starting line and feeling my chest shake from the sound of the engines, and meeting all those interesting people. Camping with the Dedpedal Racing guys, hanging out with the ProMedia staff, heading up to Indy to see my friend Jason McGrane and his now wife Audri. Riding with Beefcake in his latest toy and being the seat of the pants dyno in the passenger’s seat somewhere on an interstate in the Tri-State area. Spending the night on the couch at Ian and Sherrie Mullane’s hosue so Ian and I can leave early the next morning to drive all day heading to the next big event. Sitting in the race control tower and talking with Mike Galimi, Dr Meyer, Cindy Edwards and others during bad weather. Strange hotel rooms, late nights at the track, sleeping in my truck or in my photo trailer a tent or a friend’s RV and long hours on the road. That stuff was for the young single me. Married now, with a house, a nearly 50 hour a week job and trying to start family I have little time for those particular adventures. I do make it to about one NMRA event each year, and Sydney and I occasionally go to the local drag strip to watch or participate in some racing. During the summers we try to hit some local car cruises and shows when time allows. I still talk with a lot of the friends I made in the racing world, and I read about it online or in print, though I don’t follow the race results like I once did. I’d love to write some articles here and there but I have little inside info these days, my finger no longer on the pulse of the racing world like those glory days so long ago.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTzMKkwrk6bdsaPfBhRaYKkiSRZXh3kXoKQsHpbjEQx7WteOstcxu325hwiJc2Vthe6yj6orREPmb6O-dG1cdbPBgplff8-qZwy9Gei4Bln1CQvRN4HyiiI1AtiAI149UHlft4jOgmn0H/s1600/98GT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTzMKkwrk6bdsaPfBhRaYKkiSRZXh3kXoKQsHpbjEQx7WteOstcxu325hwiJc2Vthe6yj6orREPmb6O-dG1cdbPBgplff8-qZwy9Gei4Bln1CQvRN4HyiiI1AtiAI149UHlft4jOgmn0H/s320/98GT.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>My current toy, a modified 1998 Mustang GT</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">You could say I’ve come full circle in 18 years. These days writing this blog, swinging wrenches on my own Mustang and my friend’s cars during some of my leisure time seems to be my two best creative outlets. Cars will always fascinate me and I’ll always have something in the garage to tinker with, change and modify. I will also continue to use this blog as a creative outlet for the part of me that enjoys writing. That for now is more than good enough.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-5910551036810127392012-01-05T18:38:00.000-08:002012-01-05T18:38:24.388-08:00Personal Top 10<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:PixelsPerInch>72</o:PixelsPerInch> <o:TargetScreenSize>544x376</o:TargetScreenSize> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Personal Top 10</span></div><div class="Body1"><span> </span></div><div class="Body1"><span>2011 has finally made its exit. Every December and January there are all manner of top 10 lists abound in the media. There are the top 10 movies, the top 10 celebrities, the top 10 political stories, the top 10 songs, top 10 albums, there might even be a top ten of top 10 lists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than espouse my opinion on any of these subjects I simply offer up my own personal top moments of 2011. So without further delay here are my top 10 of 2011.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">10) Just barely making the list at number 10 is Getting on Social Media. I had resisted Facebook for the last few years. I will admit I was tempted to jump on a few times but always felt I had better things to do with my time. This past November however I was left with little choice when we decided to open a FB page for the shop, to be an admin on this page required me to also get on the bandwagon. I don</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t regret it. Communicating with old friends is both interesting and fun. It</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s also very cool to see the pictures posted by various members of my family; some of those things may not have been easily shared or would have been easily forgotten. </span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I also got on twitter and began blogging. Both are interesting. Twitter as a friend said is like a big party line, the more people you follow or follow you, the bigger the party, so I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">m on there if you care to follow me @DonaldCreasonJr. I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ve found my favorite two things on twitter are; one how rapid I can now get news both local and national very quickly; and two doing a live tweet of a movie. A live tweet is where several friends plan to watch the same movie at the exact same time. We then tweet our thoughts, comments, or adlib dialog to one another. This is a fantastic and fun way of having a movie night with your friends when you can</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t all get together. </span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Blogging has given me a fantastic outlet for my thoughts. Things I may not have written down otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am finding that this weekly or twice weekly outlet is both sharpening my writing skills (which have been used very little lately) and has provided the platform for me to lay out both opinions and personal experiences. As my old friend Rhonda says in her blog, </span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Blogging is cheaper than therapy</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> and I find on some days that is definitely true even if the entry never gets posted.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">9) Taking a college class occupies spot number nine on my list. This past spring I decided to see if I could hack it if I went back to school. Having never completed a degree I was also kicking around the idea of should I get one and if so, what should that be and what would I do with it.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I signed up online and took principles of psychology class via KCTCS. I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the class though not always the time it required for me to maintain a high grade. I don</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t know if I will choose to continue taking classes or not. In large part this is due to the time demands and I also do not know what I would get a degree in or do with it. My job satisfaction and security are the highest they</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ve been in recent years, I make a decent paycheck; I have some stability and seniority since I have been in my position for so long. I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">m not sure I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">d want to give any of that up, not that I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">d have to with a degree, but to have a degree for the sake of having one also doesn</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t make a lot of sense to me.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg862aFw1rLRc_ctgejbIl-XvRDKcj-hMhp8dYvW5hhxTIY7exr8Z8TsNjb3pOZfzdmWMmIjT9UBoIMV3q7y1krySHVORrnCdGfqdsErraiIs1DYf53-Q6bn7aYtx-9Hevd9qHkcjzDDMWa/s1600/family_vacation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg862aFw1rLRc_ctgejbIl-XvRDKcj-hMhp8dYvW5hhxTIY7exr8Z8TsNjb3pOZfzdmWMmIjT9UBoIMV3q7y1krySHVORrnCdGfqdsErraiIs1DYf53-Q6bn7aYtx-9Hevd9qHkcjzDDMWa/s320/family_vacation.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Family Vacation at Siesta Key, Florida, July, 2011</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">8) Coming in at number eight is Family Vacation with the in laws, for the first time. We took a family vacation this year with my in laws. This included Sydney</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s parents, her sister and brother in law and their four children. I was resistant to this idea at first, I get but two weeks of total vacation time each year, and I only get what I call the </span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">major</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> holidays off. So my r&r time is very precious to me. That being said we were able to set some sensible ground rules for the week and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I would do it again under the right circumstances and I have never seen my mother and father in law so happy.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">7) Dan and Sherry moving back home to Kentucky is sitting proudly at number 7 this year. In 2003 my brother Dan and his family moved to Springfield, MO. This was both a happy and sad occasion for me. I was happy for them and the opportunity that this move represented. However I was very sad, Dan and I had always been exceptionally close, Sherry had been around since I was nine years old and both their daughters were the closest of any niece or nephew that I had at the time. They moved back to Kentucky a few years later but still lived an hour and half away in Cynthiana. This spring they were presented with an opportunity to move back to our area. They say this is the last move period, and I believe them. I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">m happy to have my brother</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s family less than two miles from my house. I look forward to all the fun times and new memories to come.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">6) Number six, though it could be higher on the list is the birth of baby Micah. My baby sister and her husband</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s second child Micah was born just before Christmas this year. If he is anything like his older brother he will be a delight to be around. There is no better Christmas gift than a new little one in the family and I am exceedingly thankful that Micah arrived safely and is in perfect health.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">5) Overall Fitness gets us halfway through the list. I talked a lot about this in a previous blog so I will simply say this. I can run 10 miles; I have competed in multiple 5k and one 10k races. I am training for the mini marathon. I can swim 2 miles, I workout 5-7 days a week. I feel great; my resting heart rate is 48 beats per minute. My blood pressure and cholesterol are the lowest they</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ve been in years. I am not going back to being unhealthy, ever.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">4) Competing comes in at number 4. I competed in and continue to compete in races. I love to compete in a friendly environment; it gets me out of my shell, away from my comfort zone and lets me see how I stack up against others win nothing more than bragging rights or a trophy is up for grabs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have won my age group a couple times in some races, which is good but I plan to be better. </span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Competing gives me goals to set for the next race especially when I don</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t even place in my age group. Competing humbles me as I hear results of those who completed a race five, six, or even nine minutes ahead of me. Competing is good and I look forward to more of it next year. My first competition of the year is coming up this Saturday at Cherokee Park, the Frostbite 5k, wish me luck, or better yet come out and run or walk the course yourself!</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">3) Taking third is joining Southeast Christian Church. My wife had been a member and I a regular attendee when we met, we had drifted to a couple of different churches but had never settled at any one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drifting was a result of Sydney</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s family moving to a church closer to her sister</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s home near Bardstown. We had no family to attend church with and we weren</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t planning to drive over an hour each week to Bardstown to do so.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">We came back to Southeast along with Sydney</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s family last winter and joined shortly after the first of the year. It really does feel like home when we attend each week.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">2) Deciding to be a parent. I covered this extensively in another blog. It comes down to this, we are trying to become parents. Even if for some reason we do not have a child biologically of our own we will eventually become parents by choice through adoption (we may eventually choose to adopt as well). I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">m happy with either method though obviously having one on our own might be a little more fun in the getting started phase.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">1) Making the top of the list is an important one to me, getting baptized. I finally got dunked. I had been a believer for most of my life. When I was in my late teens or early 20</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s I had even made a commitment as an adult to follow Christ, for some reason I had just never finished things up formally and been baptized. Not being baptized is kind of like shaking hands but not putting your signature on the contract in some ways. So with my brother in law Terry doing the honors I was baptized with my niece Delaney at the end of January. This will always be one of the most memorable evenings of my life and something Delaney, Terry and I can share together forever.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">2011 was an eventful year for us. I could write out more things and make this list even longer but I see no reason to do so. I hope that each of you reading this gets what you want and deserve out of the New Year as I hope I too can meet all my personal goals. Remember to enjoy life to the fullest, pursue your dreams and seek God</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s wisdom in your decisions He will always guide your heart in the right direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Happy New Year.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: #0400; mso-bidi-language: X-NONE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0400;"></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-9201500167866296402011-12-29T20:16:00.000-08:002011-12-29T20:16:15.650-08:00Losing A Third of MyselfLosing A Third of Myself<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeAUlrQ0d5-pnX_jyThRWQPJl3Lsh762F_9RdWympypwDK_Eev6gWjVfAMjQ5B4RUMz9pBBOmEoQx2AEnLptl1oP-sx2FPmTY-SJfxqNqZb5tOkQ6xs4I3oesULizCRsl8Q4GeUcriXzi/s1600/Before-June2010001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeAUlrQ0d5-pnX_jyThRWQPJl3Lsh762F_9RdWympypwDK_Eev6gWjVfAMjQ5B4RUMz9pBBOmEoQx2AEnLptl1oP-sx2FPmTY-SJfxqNqZb5tOkQ6xs4I3oesULizCRsl8Q4GeUcriXzi/s320/Before-June2010001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>June 2010 just before it all began</i></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">As the end of 2011 approaches and 2012 is about to dawn I thought it would be appropriate to write this installment of my blog about weight loss. Many of us have a tendency to overindulge in comfort foods and sweets during the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s Eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really you can</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t blame anyone. Candies, cookies, cakes, pies, turkey, stuffing, ham, cornbread, pudding, all manner of delicious foods are brought out during this time of year. Many people feeling riddled with guilt will turn to some method or another to lose weight as the sun rises on January first or second. Some of you are like I was just two years ago, already overweight to begin with and your holiday gluttony will make little difference in your appearance, weight, or how you feel. </span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Before you step on the scale and groan though I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">d like to share with you my own experience with weight loss and what I have found to be true about losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight as well as staying healthy. </span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The first thing you must realize is that there are no quick fixes. Just as there is no viable get rich quick scheme that will make you wealthy beyond your dreams while working from the comfort of your own home selling widgets on e-bay and then selling your widget buyers the tools to start their own widget business, there is no fast healthy way to lose weight, remain healthy and maintain that weight. Much like making a fortune, losing weight and being healthy is a long term commitment, in essence it is a lifestyle change. Rule of thumb as all the exercise video and diet pill or system commercials start rolling out on January 1st, if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Getting fit and losing weight is also not for quitters or those easily frustrated. It should also not be undertaken alone or without the support of someone close to you. The more support you have the better.</span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The last paragraph may have turned many of you off. For those who stuck around to see what I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">m talking about please pay careful attention. Let</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s lay out a few ground rules here. First and foremost, seek your doctor</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s approval before you go to the gym or change your diet drastically. Yes you can roll your eyes but it</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s true. Having a physical is a good idea, if your heart, joints and lungs can</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t handle the load of exercise you</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">re likely to suffer some manner of medical malady from your attempt to lose weight rather than reap the benefits of it. That being said it</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s also a good idea to know where you started, what</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s your weight officially, what</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s your blood pressure, what</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s your cholesterol (total, HDL and LDL), what</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s your resting heart rate. These are all numbers you should inquire about and write down.</span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next realize that this method worked for my wife and I. I am not promising you success by following what I did, however it would stand to reason that if you did follow what worked for us you should experience at least some kind of results. Last ground rule, commitment. There is no room for quitters, the quitters are the ones sitting at home right now grazing on a bag of greasy (insert snack food name here) and watching whatever garbage their television spits out and poisons their mind with. (No I am not anti-television it</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s just if you</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">re unhealthy you can do a lot better than sit around and watch the junk that</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s on tv while stuffing your face with junk and wondering why you</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ve got more junk in your trunk).</span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Now we get down to the business end of things. My wife and I made two primary changes in our lives that allowed us both to lose significant amounts of weight and improve our overall health dramatically. This all started Independence Day weekend of 2010 (fourth of July). This was a typical weekend at our house, I was off work for the holiday and had spent most of the morning doing some yardwork. After showering I just wasn</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t feeling refreshed,I was still feeling sweaty and wanting to chill out for the rest of the day. So we headed to the local public pool. </span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd68dB9DW70sR9z190NjdFPXLKlVlc9aiHobcbJczGat9aaiHuQ4WRjlLYZ4-b16hQ0Pz1oJ-I2o3w6u_EoxK8aPwCJJcOog1Qz2__-a2D5HSfgSvBynFKuMC4ltFbTJt5iTowlUXWtkcm/s1600/swimming2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd68dB9DW70sR9z190NjdFPXLKlVlc9aiHobcbJczGat9aaiHuQ4WRjlLYZ4-b16hQ0Pz1oJ-I2o3w6u_EoxK8aPwCJJcOog1Qz2__-a2D5HSfgSvBynFKuMC4ltFbTJt5iTowlUXWtkcm/s200/swimming2011.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Me swimming @ YMCA</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Upon arriving at the pool we found a sign, </span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Closing early for Swim Meet</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">. Who has a freakin</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> swim meet on Independence Day weekend? At least we still had a membership at the YMCA was my next thought, though I probably hadn</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t set foot in there for six months or more. They had a pool and were less than five minutes away so we headed to the </span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Y</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">. Upon arriving we found that most of the pool was consumed with small kids and a few serious lap swimmers. There was however one lap lane open at the far end. So we hopped in. I felt instantly relieved, there</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s just something about the water that relaxes me, I don</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t know if it</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s the sensation of buoyancy or something else but I always find getting in the water (as long as it</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s a comfortable temperature) is relaxing. </span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Since we were in a lap lane, we decided to see if we could actually swim a lap. Let me set this up for you; one lap is counted as down to the far end of the pool and back. The pool itself is 25 yards in length. That</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s seventy five feet to one end and seventy five back. That doesn</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t sound like much does it? I swam as a kid all the time, friend</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s pools, local public and private pools, swimming was fun, swimming was easy, how hard could it be to get from one end of that pool to the other, easy right? WRONG! Oh so utterly and terribly wrong. By the time I made it to the opposite wall I was panting and really thought I might drown, or have a heart attack, or both. </span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">After resting for about five minutes I swam back to the other side of the pool. For some reason I decided to try this a few more times that day until I had completed four laps. A whopping 200 yards of movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A strange thing happened though, I had a good time, my wife and I had enjoyed laughing at ourselves, and I think we both enjoyed the challenge. Besides it felt good to be in the water. Although neither of us had great technique, form or grace in the water we decided to come back again later that week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had on previous occasions stated a desire to get back into better shape and be healthier, but in my laziness I had neglected to find the medium to do so. This appeared to be it. </span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I also was motivated by a recent incident that previous winter in which I took my mother to the doctor and was mistaken for her husband. Now I have never thought that my mother looked her age, but the nurse had the chart, which would have indicated her age and I was sitting right next to my younger brother who is only two and a half years younger than me. So either I looked old or she thought my mother was one crafty cougar. Either way it did not sit well with me.</span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Three weeks after we had first tried lap swimming Sydney and I were hooked on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were able to put together 20 laps at a time, it took us about 30 minutes. By the end of September I could swim 35 laps in about 45 minutes, 35 laps is a distance of 1mile in the Y pool. An entire mile, I could swim a mile. Also by that time in September I had managed to lose 25lbs, I was down from 267 to 242. Sydney also had lost about 10 lbs by this time. </span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">We also made changes to how we eat. We started by reducing our portion sizes at all meals. I went to eating a half sandwich for lunch a handful of chips and a pudding cup. I ate a single cup of yogurt and half glass of orange juice for breakfast, no more doughnuts. I ate one serving/portion at dinner instead of two or three. I began curbing and eventually all but fully eliminating my intake of fast food. I love a good burger and fries, but eating the </span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Supersize</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> was literally killing me. I went to eating off the dollar menu, $1 fry, $1 cheeseburger, $1 diet coke. I switched from regular coke to diet sodas (although I don</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t drink that much soda to begin with). I decreased the amount of sugar we put in a pitcher of tea (Sydney drinks water only except at breakfast).</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNokgRASpuRR1zRA0UYdoef-RkVvlCKbVEv6N3F7-SZ2SPrc14qRi38GmfM8XgiGXi89D4Iok0uyUCHYQBy8ZjdVM-nE6EXMPZ_8oN6aB45puXiAF6eo1sGATMyX7FCf6MgOx_ZkTBxx3u/s1600/July2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNokgRASpuRR1zRA0UYdoef-RkVvlCKbVEv6N3F7-SZ2SPrc14qRi38GmfM8XgiGXi89D4Iok0uyUCHYQBy8ZjdVM-nE6EXMPZ_8oN6aB45puXiAF6eo1sGATMyX7FCf6MgOx_ZkTBxx3u/s320/July2011.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 year later, July 2011</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Sydney and I both have a sweet tooth. Sydney is also a great cook, but we made a choice to stop keeping sweets stocked up in the house. No more stacks of cookies, large pans of brownies or cakes. Instead we keep granola bars, yogurt, nuts and fruit in the house. These things tend to fill you up faster and are better for you (if you buy the right kind). Eventually I phased out fast food burgers nearly altogether, instead choosing to go for low fat sandwiches at Subway, occasionally I will still eat a burger from a fast food joint but it</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s a rare occurrence. </span></div><div class="Body1"><span><br />
</span></div><div class="Body1"> <span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">It is worth mentioning as well that if I eat fast food now for lunch I pay for it later. I don</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t pay for it on the scale, but I truly find out what the meaning of empty calories is. Within three hours of consuming this type of junk food I am dragging, I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">m tired, my stomach hurts, my head hurts, I just want to lay down and sleep, my skin feels greasy like my body is trying to purge the offending fat through its pores, I honestly wonder how anyone can eat like that on a regular basis. I really wonder if it</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s like a drug and people get addicted like I imagine smoking is, seemed good at the time, but after you</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ve been off it for a while it</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s terrible.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8Cb2XWEb0gNJk67IAphOf2pe3eDw1zqBRgiMhDvvJ4oL0r_VBGS7FpCbFTMkRwKq9hPOE7oDaYmB-8_qHpEdafenm5_EfOIR2tJtYxrMfy0HAzntjW-DQbsgzB5uQveeJJb2LAROa_RY/s1600/Running2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8Cb2XWEb0gNJk67IAphOf2pe3eDw1zqBRgiMhDvvJ4oL0r_VBGS7FpCbFTMkRwKq9hPOE7oDaYmB-8_qHpEdafenm5_EfOIR2tJtYxrMfy0HAzntjW-DQbsgzB5uQveeJJb2LAROa_RY/s320/Running2011.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Running on the beach, July 2011</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">By Christmas of 2010 I had lost over 50lbs, I was approaching 215, Sydney had lost nearly 30 lbs. I was already satisfied at this point with the way I looked and felt, and that was what I consider a crucial key to our success. We counted every pound as a victory, by that Christmas I knew if I didn</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t lose any more weight I was already healthier, I was already doing so many things right. </span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">By April I was down to 200 lbs. I decided to add running to my weekly regimen. Sydney can</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t run, she had back surgery a few years ago and the surgeon specified no running. So she stuck to swimming only. By my 32<sup>nd</sup> birthday in September of 2011 I was down to 185lbs. Today I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">m at 182. I have run in multiple 5k races and one 10k race. I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">m signed up for the Derby Festival Mini Marathon this coming April. I just ran 10 miles for the first time a few weeks ago. I am up to swimming 2 miles a couple times a month when time permits me to do a one hour swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We swim 30-50 minutes 3-4 times a week and I run an additional 3 days a week for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours at a time.</span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">So what</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s your secret? That</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s the question I am asked the most when I encounter people who I haven</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t seen in a while. I will sum it all up below for you and I promise there is no other magic or tricks, no pills or secret formulas, just what I list.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 37.65pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: list 37.65pt; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Commit that you are going to change your life to be healthier. Realize that exercising and eating healthier are like marriage, they are intended to be a long term commitment for better or worse and til death do you part. AND if you cheat you are only cheating yourself and you WILL feel guilty about it.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 37.65pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: list 37.65pt; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Exercise 3-5 times per week for 30-60 minutes at a time. This needs to be exercise that gets your heart rate up, preferably aerobic or close to it. Running, biking and swimming are great for this. There are also dance classes, step aerobics, zumba, aqua fitness, jazzercise, all manner of workouts you can do in this area.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 37.65pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: list 37.65pt; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Exercise at the YMCA. The YMCA worked great for us, we were able to get solid advice and tips from the people who work there. The </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Y</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> is family oriented and does not tend to be intimidating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suggest if you can</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t go to the YMCA because of location or scheduling that you locate a family friendly gym or, interview and hire a personal trainer. The bottom line here is you need some guidance, do some research and get some help with setting up your program. If you can</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t do these for financial reasons then do one of two things. Find somewhere to make some cuts so you can fit this in your budget, or do some research online, read some books and some articles and work with your doctor to help you develop a basic plan that you can follow at home.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 37.65pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: list 37.65pt; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Have a partner. Just like going through life is easier with a partner, so is getting in shape. It does not have to be your spouse although I tend to believe that if you are working out together then you</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">re both on the same page about where your health should be and your marriage will be better for it. It also helps keep you off the couch when laziness and frustration strike, not wanting to let your partner down or them getting you back in line and motivated is a great asset in the war against your waist.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 37.65pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: list 37.65pt; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Adjust your diet appropriately. You don</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t have to eat sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower 24/7 to eat healthy. You don't have to become a vegetarian or give up pizza or steak. There are tons of low fat, low salt, high protein, high vitamin, incredibly tasty and good for you recipes out there. There are loads of them online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do the research, your body will thank you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cook at home often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plan your meals ahead of time and even prepare your food ahead of time as much as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you will not be tempted to eat out when you are tired after a hard day of work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also don</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t deny yourself. If you</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">re at a party and you want a piece of birthday cake, eat it. Don</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t be rude by not having at least as small piece, but don</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t go back and eat another piece followed by two or three more. You can still have a steak or a slice or two of pizza, you just need to look at those foods as treats instead of staples of your diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a break once in a while and hit your favorite restaurant for a good sit down meal. Divide your plate in half or split it with someone. Save the leftovers for lunch or dinner the following day. This keeps your portion control correct but allows you to really enjoy something you might have been craving. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 37.65pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: list 37.65pt; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Reduce your sugar intake. Switching your drinks to water is the best bet, but you can also switch from regular to diet sodas, just don't drink them in excess. If you prefer tea or coffee try using less sugar, and give yourself time to adjust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also realize that alcohol, (beer, wine, whiskey) is full of sugars or empty calories even though you may not be able to taste it.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 37.65pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: list 37.65pt; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Understand that getting in shape and getting healthy takes time. It can take you a year or more to get in shape and get healthy, depending on your goal and your current condition. Stay focused, stay motivated and seek support when you feel down.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 37.65pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: list 37.65pt; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Set realistic goals and count every pound, every mile, and every lap as a victory. Focus on the positive, look at what you accomplished today, not what the scale says you haven</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t accomplished YET. Also if you</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">re having a down moment remember that if you are off the couch and moving you</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">re doing way more than you would be if you were sitting still.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 37.65pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: list 37.65pt; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Eat a snack. I tend to pack a snack for in the morning and late afternoon. I will munch on a handful of almonds, an apple, a cheese stick, something healthy between breakfast and lunch then again between lunch and dinner. This helps me not feel like I need to eat as much at the next major meal, it also keeps my energy up.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 37.65pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: list 37.65pt; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">This last one is a controversial one. I canceled my satellite TV service. I grew tired of having over 200 channels and flipping through to find only something numbing to watch as I veg</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">d out and fell asleep each night. I was truly disappointed with the offerings on TV during prime time, either disgusted by the things I saw or unimpressed at the lack of imagination in it. I</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">m not a huge sports fan either so many nights there was little on that I actually wanted to watch. So I cancelled my service, subscribed to Netflix and now I watch about an hour of TV a day and the local news before work and before bed. Some days more TV some days less, but I don</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t have it pulling at me to come watch something that I might miss, or DVR 100 hours to catch up on over the weekend instead of exercise. With Netflix it</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ll still be there when I get back home.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I'm pretty sure I could keep going but this blog is already long enough.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYv9JrxaWirkfNEoLyGM8XWmuRQacUm1bg5m7wkAnsmgk8ExDwNleNlS_c5WIS7w_d9q-TTiCyb34du6z-eW3m61DAy5sUXzF72Lr6gMvVUToodXMSo9UEZUoYXgSrmd6ifSuZdwMhrFh/s1600/pants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYv9JrxaWirkfNEoLyGM8XWmuRQacUm1bg5m7wkAnsmgk8ExDwNleNlS_c5WIS7w_d9q-TTiCyb34du6z-eW3m61DAy5sUXzF72Lr6gMvVUToodXMSo9UEZUoYXgSrmd6ifSuZdwMhrFh/s320/pants.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Old pants (navy size 44) and new pants (khaki size 32)</span></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, coronary artery disease, arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, are all scary terms. I can</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t promise you that by doing what I</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ve done that you will not at some point in your life face one or more of these dreadful ailments. What I can tell you is that even if you do, if you are healthier your chances of coping with those conditions and improving your health are much better.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I started out at 267 lbs, maybe more since I didn't weigh myself for about 2 weeks at the beginning; I was in a size XXL shirt and a 44 waist in my dress pants. I weighed myself on the first and third weekends of the month for the entire year as I progressed. When I started out my elbow, my shoulder and my knees would pop and creak as I got out of bed every day. Seldom do I have a problem like that any longer. I can keep up with my young nieces and nephews when I get together with them; I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">m able to play whatever game they</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">re into at that time. Today I wear a medium in most shirts, a large in some but that</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s usually due to my shoulders not my stomach or waist. My dress pants are a 32 and that's at my belly button not hanging below, I weigh 182 lbs, I'm the size I was when I walked across the stage at my high school graduation.</span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1WiNj2yDoxHQWG-k_PRg79PhSKvipzly85sx6o4Hy7AUYNgv01g6HDUsIZjYUo0N-hj0M5iRS9SlhWE9MiSC5x5q2QhrLS1hgTZw7vnmA12YRD3B0MyzxmCU1TolM7ghY82OmStJOqFx/s1600/shirts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1WiNj2yDoxHQWG-k_PRg79PhSKvipzly85sx6o4Hy7AUYNgv01g6HDUsIZjYUo0N-hj0M5iRS9SlhWE9MiSC5x5q2QhrLS1hgTZw7vnmA12YRD3B0MyzxmCU1TolM7ghY82OmStJOqFx/s320/shirts.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Old shirt XXL, New Shirt M</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Recently I had to do some work on my roof at my house, I noticed my balance had dramatically improved from the last time I was up there a little over a year and half ago. I also recently helped my brother move into a new house, again not being out of breath at every step when I was helping with something heavy was a great. It's also nice to not run out of breath playing tag or any type of ball game with my nieces and nephews. </span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The last thing I will say is this. We only get one life, one chance to be here on this planet. I want to be with the ones I love for as long as I possibly can, hopefully exercising and making healthy choices will lead me in that direction. Chances are your loved ones want you around too; there is no excuse outside of being limited by a medical condition that you can give me or them that is a good enough reason to not make an effort at being healthier. Even if you don</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t get to live that longer life, you will at least be able to say when your time is up that you did everything to get the most time possible from a health standpoint. Too often we look to mediocrity as the standard or the acceptable achievement in our society, accepting it as ok. What we should be looking towards is excelling, especially in the area of our health.</span></div><div class="Body1"><br />
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</div><div class="Body1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">This blog contains the author's experiences with weight loss. The author is not a health care professional or fitness instructor. This information is presented as an example of how two people lost a significant amount of weight. If you are planning to undertake a weight loss, diet or fitness program you are strongly encouraged to seek professional and medical advice. The author assumes no responsibility for anything good or bad that results from your use of the information contained herein.</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: #0400; mso-bidi-language: X-NONE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0400;"></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-70649290913354845482011-12-21T13:18:00.000-08:002011-12-21T15:11:36.435-08:00Truly Blessed<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Truly Blessed</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we approach Christmas day I find myself looking back on this year and seeing just how blessed I really am. Counting your blessings is nothing new. People have been talking about it for centuries, perhaps since the dawn of civilization. I wonder though, how often in our fast paced, gotta have it now society do we really pause to count our blessings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNPwFHeyV6fAjlnKzVAmyRAuCYqaH6YT58Xi7k5A297q2AWx1zTeScMlOkx6zAMnuBAEdw_yd5zIzusYsQ50CWAY4bo1GmHcmeGSjeYjiWMaoJH2EI6e_8brBIhca2AiG69MSvZwK8YXk/s1600/WHITE+CHRISTMAS.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNPwFHeyV6fAjlnKzVAmyRAuCYqaH6YT58Xi7k5A297q2AWx1zTeScMlOkx6zAMnuBAEdw_yd5zIzusYsQ50CWAY4bo1GmHcmeGSjeYjiWMaoJH2EI6e_8brBIhca2AiG69MSvZwK8YXk/s1600/WHITE+CHRISTMAS.bmp" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In one of my favorite Christmas movies “White Christmas"Bing Crosby sings a little song about counting your blessings. This song is actually my favorite in the movie, more so than the song which shares the same name as the title or any other in the entire film. To borrow an expression from my friend Travis McClain if you were raised by heathen wolves and have never seen “White Christmas" well I have to question your upbringing but more importantly you should watch this Christmas classic, it’s from a golden age of cinema and music.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So in keeping with the Christmas theme let’s talk a little about why we’re so blessed, why I feel like I’m blessed and why that might truly be enough for most of us for Christmas.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s start with the basics. If you are reading this, as far as I know you are still alive (I don’t know how else you’d be reading it and thinking about that is kinda creepy). The precious gift of life bestowed upon each of us alone is both miraculous and perhaps one of the greatest gifts of all. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moving on, let’s talk about health. You’re alive aren’t you? Yes I know some of us have all manner of ailments, terminal illness or conditions. I don’t mean to make light of any of it. I’m blessed enough to be in very good health this year, the best health I’ve been in years. How are you doing? If you’re not so great consider that much of the rest of the world outside the USA may not be as healthy as you are. Imagine if you lived in a country where something as simple as penicillin was nearly impossible to get, or where you had to sleep under a mosquito net at night and pray you didn’t get malaria. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re able to hug, and greet your loved ones this Christmas you are blessed with at least some semblance of health.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This brings me to my next point, family. I have my family. I have a wonderful wife, whom I love dearly. I often hear people complaining about marriage and I just don’t get it. Yes there are times we don’t agree and we about once a year get into a heated debate or argument. We never yell and we don’t fight. Maybe our marriage is different, I don’t know, but I truly am blessed with a wonderful wife to share my life with. Both my parents are still alive, I get to spend time around this Christmas with each of them. All of my siblings are still alive and I look forward to seeing them, making jokes with them and visiting this year. For the first time in eight years all my siblings live within a 15 minute drive of one another. This too is a great blessing. There are nieces and nephews to see and play with and even Syd’s grandparents who are in reasonably good health and in their 90’s. If you have any family at all to share this Christmas with, you are blessed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moving on there’s country. If you think about it, if you were born here in the USA, you hit the lottery, by comparison to many other places. There are some in the political realm as well as others outside it that would have you believe that our country is in poor shape, I disagree. Yes we have our issues, but would you rather live somewhere else? Really? Come on and think about that for a minute, most of the freedoms we enjoy including the one I’m exercising to write this blog, are but a dream in other countries. I’m not going to bother going through the bill of rights here, and I’m not going to enter into a political debate about this group of people versus the other. I’m simply going to say that no matter what side of any issue you’re on, this country is still pretty<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fantastic! If you live here in the USA, you are blessed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have a job. Yes that’s something to be thankful for and count as a blessing in these difficult economic times. I will admit that there are days when I gripe about my job. There are even days when I wonder what it would have been like to do something else. I sometimes consider if I should finish my degree and pursue something else. I think though that this drive to be better than I am is just part of who I am and this blog is about being happy with what you have. So let’s face it, if you are working you are blessed. You’re not scrambling over a border fence, hopping on a raft or begging in the streets. Again I don’t mean to belittle anyone, I certainly have empathy for those who are struggling here and in other parts of the world but whether you are sitting in a corporate office or flipping burgers in a fast food establishment you are blessed if you are able to work and have a job that provides you with at least some income. And if you’re not working by choice then you are truly very blessed indeed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have a home, a roof over my head. Again I don’t mean to drag this out but I think many of us take for granted having a place to call home. Every night I have a warm bed to sleep in, a pillow to rest my head on and a roof over my head. I have doors that lock (to hopefully keep people out that aren’t supposed to be in my home), running water and electricity. All of those things are rare in many parts of the world. Right now having a home that’s still standing is rare in some parts of the country, if you don’t agree take a look at the folks of Joplin, MO, where vicious tornadoes destroyed most of the town and the homes this past spring. If you have a roof over your head, consider yourself blessed this Christmas season.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have my faith. I’m not going to preach to you except to say, I have the salvation and peace that can only be found in Christ. My faith is the rock I lean on in hard times and stand triumphantly upon in the good times. I often pray about difficult things, but I also try to remember to say thanks for the little things as well. My faith gets me through the bad and the good, and I try to be mindful of it and thank God for it in both types of situations. If you have faith, especially in Christ at Christmas time, you are blessed indeed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was sitting around last night (I drafted this on Monday) and my wife was preparing to do Christmas shopping, we already covered what I really want for Christmas in a previous blog, she was asking what “material” thing to get me. I couldn’t really give her an answer. I really feel so blessed and fortunate this year that there is nothing in a store or shop that she could buy me that would make my life more complete or happier. I have all that I need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure there are gadgets and toys that I want to play with. Those gadgets and toys however new and shiny will fade, wear out, become obsolete or break or I will lose interest in them. The things I am blessed with are the really important gifts, the ones that are permanent and lasting. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This does not mean that I’m implying that any of us should stop buying, should stop shopping or consuming. Our frenzied need to acquire things, upgrade old things and consume commodities drives our country’s (and in many cases the world’s) economy. I’m simply saying if you pause to truly take stock of what you have already, do you actually need anything but that which you are already so blessed with this Christmas? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0nt6a6lwDiNYEJawKOV9qSiTLfjPcnmwfu4gnUnkkPRIdHm0sFMR6_T-0kOvd9tonAdLEKnfuVhYleS6mVeriMOaa4l-HdRq0M1kynAEuLewBUIqQxV7opiyXJc0Ur1K3F7pYRnBEz6d/s1600/bingcrosby_whitechristmas_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0nt6a6lwDiNYEJawKOV9qSiTLfjPcnmwfu4gnUnkkPRIdHm0sFMR6_T-0kOvd9tonAdLEKnfuVhYleS6mVeriMOaa4l-HdRq0M1kynAEuLewBUIqQxV7opiyXJc0Ur1K3F7pYRnBEz6d/s1600/bingcrosby_whitechristmas_05.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I could continue counting blessings that most of us take for granted, clean water, food that is not contaminated, access to healthcare professionals, the list goes on and on. I will instead close this entry by simply saying this; we should all follow Bing’s advice in that song from “White Christmas”, “when you’re tired and you can’t sleep, count your blessings instead of sheep, then you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Merry Christmas Everyone</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-44692462149701539432011-12-16T13:40:00.000-08:002011-12-16T13:40:03.359-08:00Mid December Madness<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mid December Madness</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtCMYRqExGtKz-vBi22uL7GyjyifeEAbp0i72cKYCjRvSXySFf9E01ujwqEgm7BwK6a8AEvr0XqYN-foYVcgAh1A_FaTS_uARiW6bZwZBATArftszilfyYG3HRSJUwUor2z3BrlIf12_5/s1600/scary+snowman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 114px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 109px;"><img border="0" height="200px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtCMYRqExGtKz-vBi22uL7GyjyifeEAbp0i72cKYCjRvSXySFf9E01ujwqEgm7BwK6a8AEvr0XqYN-foYVcgAh1A_FaTS_uARiW6bZwZBATArftszilfyYG3HRSJUwUor2z3BrlIf12_5/s200/scary+snowman.jpg" width="200px" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It would seem that for most of us December is a particularly hectic time of year. The Christmas Season (I refuse to be PC and call it a “Holiday” season). There are gifts to buy, cards to find, fill out and send. Parties to plan or attend, house cleaning for guests, food to prepare, last minute changes and last minute guests! Did I mention the tree to put up as well as the lights and decorations? Don’t forget to call, text, tweet or facebook appropriate greetings to everyone you know on the appropriate days.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Piling on top of the typical December festivities for me though is an unusual phenomenon that plays out every few years. It would seem that many major events in my life have occurred within a few days of each other on the calendar though in different years. I’ll try to go through those chronologically for you now.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I was in high school I was in band. I will admit to being a band geek, if you were in band you must face the fact that you were on at least some level a band geek (there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just a fact). Regardless of the “geek” status my experiences with band were mostly positive. During my four years in high school band we were a mostly close knit family of friends. In fact several of those friends I keep in touch with today. We worked hard together, we laughed together we even cried together. The crying is what brings me to this particular event. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>December 19, 1994. This was the first weekday of Christmas break. I was a sophomore, 15 years old. I think 3 of my friends had spent most of the weekend at my house hanging out, playing video games, watching movies, typical teenage boy stuff. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometime early that afternoon the phone rang, it was a band parent. I believe that particular parent thought on the phone that they were talking to one of my parents and not to me. A band member had been killed in a car crash that morning. Windy Wyatt was gone, a junior, flute player, member of the color guard, a friend. She had perished in a single car crash on hwy 393, just a few miles from school. I had just spent part of that Friday talking with Windy in the band room before the bell rang signaling the end of school for two weeks. What it was that we talked about I can’t recall now, I simply remember that she had spent some time with me and some other friends. I can’t say we were extremely close, but we were friends none the less. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course the funeral and a memorial service followed such sadness and loss so close to the day of the year that was normally for most of us so happy. I can remember much of the details like they were yesterday even though it was nearly 17 years ago. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Obviously this type of event affects any normal human being, but it probably does even more so during those turbulent years of adolescent development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can remember I wrote several papers in English class for years to come reflecting on the events that unfolded during this time (and obviously I’m writing about it again today in this blog for the first time in 15 years). This was the first and only time in high school a friend of mine would pass away. Those who make it through their school years without experiencing such loss should consider themselves lucky.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Flash forward a year later to 1995 and I began what was the longest “relationship” of my teenage years. Somewhere around this same weekend I began dating the same girl I would date for the rest of my high school career and into the first semester of college. We went to the prom together, oh those magical days when you think you’re inseparable and you know you’ll spend together forever. Most high school romances seldom workout to be forever. Mine certainly didn’t. She moved to Florida a few months after I graduated, we had of course all manner of differences and obviously we just weren’t meant to be. So sometime in this same week of weirdness, nearly two years to the day after we had first “officially” gotten together, we split sometime in mid December of 1997. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Needless to say I was devastated at the time. Most of my close friends had left and gone to school far away. I had a limited social network with which to lean upon. Further my own little world that I had built around her being a part of was suddenly shattered; I was unattached, undating for the first time in two years. For most of my high school career I’d had a girlfriend on my arm. Now I was in college, things were different, I was different, it would take me a long time to recover from this, but the good news is I came through it better than ever.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I was twenty three I started my own business, shooting photographs at racing events and at weddings (a strange combo I know but I had a knack for both). I was a good photographer and a decent writer. At that time I wasn’t nearly as good of a business man. I made several egregious errors. I chalk those up to being naive and knowing too little about the actual day to day operations of a business. On December 13, 2004 my business folded for good, it was finished and I walked away from that chapter in my life. The monster of mid December madness claimed yet another victim, my dream of working for myself and doing what I loved.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I still shoot photographs, I do the occasional wedding. I also consult and provide photo services for attorneys. I just do that work on the side. Sometimes work requires my photography skills and it’s nice to step away from my desk with a camera and do something different for a few minutes. Occasionally I take on a project just for me, for fun. If you’re reading this blog then by now you understand that I still write. I had almost forgotten for a few years how much I truly enjoy getting my thoughts on paper. I had forgotten too how much fun it is to be behind the lens of a good camera.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">December 17, 2004 is to date the most memorable and important day of my life. It’s the day I married my best friend, the love of my life, my Sydney. We fell in love quick, meeting on Derby day in May of that year. We were engaged in July and married that December. She loves to recall that I gave her two options when she asked what I was thinking about a wedding date, Christmas Break or Spring Break (she’s a teacher). She said something along the lines of “well I don’t want to wait let’s get married Christmas Break”. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So on a chilly Friday night in December at Duncan Memorial Chapel in Crestwood, KY we said our “I do’s” in front of only family and a handful of very close friends. Her face as she walked down the aisle is forever burned into my memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our lives together just seem to get better and better every year. The madness lost this one, instead we get a happy day and that makes all the times the madness took a day as it’s victim seem less sad.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I write this today, December 14<sup>th</sup>, my little sister has just given birth to her second son. She and her husband are celebrating the birth of little Micah, 6 lbs, 10oz, 19” long. A healthy little boy, with two very happy parents and one probably anxious big brother, sitting here writing this I can’t wait to meet Micah for the first time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is worth mentioning too that while it was not mid December, it was on December, the 5<sup>th</sup> of 1996 that my niece Kaelin was born. Kaelin was the first grandchild for my parents and thus my first niece. Her father (my brother Dan) and I were always really close as I grew up even though he is nine years my senior. I spent a lot of weekends at Dan and Sherry’s house playing with little Kaelin, feeding her curly fries from Arby’s as a toddler, though most of the time she licked the ketchup off and handed me back a soggy and cold fry. Kaelin’s birth and the time I spent with her when she was little are some of the brightest memories I have of my teenage years.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I should also say that I don’t believe some cosmic phenomenon, or supernatural force is at work or just chooses to pray upon my life at this time of year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s only been in recent years that I’ve noticed the correlation between these events and the calendar. I just find it interesting and something worth writing about. I’m not out for sympathy or shock value, there are certainly those who have endured far worse around the holidays than I have. That said I just want to stress that this blog is more about the unusual relationship between the dates of these major occurrences in my life, rather than a “woe is me”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whatever the mid December madness brings, it would seem that it’s quickly piling up the happy over the sad these days and that my friends is the reason why I don’t mind all the memories good and bad of this time of year. The secret is to remember the lessons of the hard and sad times but to focus more intently on the joy of the happy ones.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-74406823243540988952011-12-14T13:25:00.000-08:002011-12-14T13:25:39.718-08:00What I really want for Christmas.<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"What I want for Christmas."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuYMFz4nx_5CON1pQATMMTh-Jkwj6eBrB_v08PpQX9huqMQsMkvJfOYvwiGqEy9c4eEtd8pqxu8F2i43lyGX_YYaV55Di5HZIdlFAPA0OxqJ4Kz0bGHMCjnF0JLh6ZxagLfbps7oLyVg_/s1600/ralphie.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuYMFz4nx_5CON1pQATMMTh-Jkwj6eBrB_v08PpQX9huqMQsMkvJfOYvwiGqEy9c4eEtd8pqxu8F2i43lyGX_YYaV55Di5HZIdlFAPA0OxqJ4Kz0bGHMCjnF0JLh6ZxagLfbps7oLyVg_/s1600/ralphie.bmp" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That line always brings back to my mind images of Ralphie in “A Christmas Story” standing in front of Mrs. Shield’s desk handing in his theme. I can’t help but smile when I think of that when someone asks me “what do you want for Christmas?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The older I get the harder it is to come up with what I want for Christmas. Years ago DVD’s were a great gift, but now I have Netflix and I’m selling most of my DVD’s for a few bucks each via E-bay. I was big on RC cars about two years ago, but that hobby too has faded and I may sell off part of my collection. I need a new camera, I want one with higher resolution but I will probably buy that myself to make sure I get to try out a demo model in the store before committing the required dollar amount.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Swim gear was a good gift last year. I was in the process of losing a lot of weight and anything to help me be a better swimmer or get a better workout in the pool was a great idea. I’m still swimming and now I’m running too, but I have just about every piece of running gear I could need, so what do I want.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I often joke with my wife when she asks this question that a new 5.0 Mustang GT would be great, or an F150 Raptor. Either of these items would be mostly practical, fun and great gifts. They’re guaranteed to make me smile when I see them and probably giggle like a 4 year old when sitting behind the wheel the first few times. Still that’s not exactly what I have in mind this Christmas.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The thing that I would love the most does not come with four wheel drive, 32 valves, 412 horsepower, or lifted suspension. It comes in a plastic sealed package and it can only be used one time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would love to see a pregnancy test from my wife that indicates positive. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That in and of itself might normally require very little explanation on the parts of some people but let me elaborate a little further. 11/11/11 is a day that will go down in infamy in mine and my wife’s lives. That was the day we suffered the loss of a miscarriage. While the pregnancy was only five or six weeks along the pain and tears were as real and as many as if we were holding our dying child in our arms. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In seven years of marriage I have never seen my wife so upset, and in my 32 years I have never been so physically and emotionally drained at one time, literally for the first time in my life feeling helpless, weak kneed and nauseous at the events unfolding in front of me that morning at home. Standing in the bathroom doorway that morning I broke out into a cold sweat and after a few seconds had to sit on the floor. That’s something at least for me that I’ve never experienced in my life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This summer was the first time in our marriage we had talked seriously about the idea of starting a family. The idea had come up in the past but we’d always put it aside. The truth may have been that I was always scared of the unknown. All the typical worries that I’m sure pass into any perspective parent’s minds ran through mine. I probably all these years didn’t want to deal with those thoughts or just felt I wasn’t ready to be a father so when the idea of starting a family came up we always seemed to agree that later was better than sooner. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This summer though we made the decision that it was time to really try. To end years of birth control pills for my wife, get her doctor’s approval and start a family. My wife even went through the trouble of switching her class at work which was comprised of special needs three year olds to a class with older children so she could avoid exposure to certain infections that some of her current students carried. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My father in law did not renew his tickets to the NASCAR race at Talladega Super Speedway for April, a race my wife has attended with him every year since before I met her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Changes were in motion everywhere for everyone. Even my outlook on certain things, hobbies, work that needed to be done to the house, my career, it had all changed. Then on that day, 11/11/11 it all seemed lost, nothing mattered, I would have moved heaven and earth, fought a thousand raging zombies of the apocalypse or signed away my earnings for the rest of my life to ease that emotional torture for my wife. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fortunately for both Sydney and I we are resilient people. We found comfort in our faith and in talking with family and friends. We spent the afternoon of that awful day with Sydney’s parents. We went home and held each other close. We read scripture and we both prayed, we made sure to attend church that weekend. Those things gave us comfort, hope and peace.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have made preparations to try again for that positive pregnancy test. Most of these or I should say all have been on Sydney’s part. We learned she is RH negative. This blood condition can cause a miscarriage and so she received a simple but expensive treatment to help correct this, she will receive another when she’s pregnant at I believe 28 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other blood work has also been performed to check for any other issues or detriments, thankfully none have been found. These are all answered prayers, though I continue to pray that insurance will continue to cover this all. However because the pregnancy was so early when the miscarriage occurred no one can tell us for certain what caused it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I look forward to this Christmas though I have to say that 8 weeks ago I was looking forward to sharing good news of another baby on the way to join the extended family. I look forward to fixing up the back bedroom in our house this spring in anticipation of a child occupying it soon. I even look forward to giving up some of my hobbies and “toys” to make more room in our lives for the little one we hope is coming next year. Maybe we’ll be fortunate and we’ll get a positive result on a pregnancy test for a happy new year, but I doubt we’ll know anything before Christmas gets here in less than two weeks.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Still though I pray, look forward even more to and hope that next Christmas I’m holding a new baby in my arms, looking at the Christmas tree and thinking about what the new year will hold for that little one, a little one with the last name Creason. Santa can’t bring me that gift, only God can and I want that precious gift more than any other I’ve wanted in my life.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448785955779731112.post-31401414253172162742011-12-08T14:29:00.000-08:002011-12-08T14:29:05.700-08:00What's in my head... or Random Thoughts, First EntryMy wife often will ask me "what are you thinking about?". What I usually reply is what most men probably reply to their wives "nothing" or "flying monkeys" (an inside joke). Truthfully most of the time when she asks me this I'm either in a daze or focused on task at hand like driving. Many times I don't know what I was thinking but sometimes it's easier to answer "flying monkeys" than it is to explain what I was thinking. <br />
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy once had a bit about this and said something along the lines of most men are simply thinking "I want something cold to drink, and I wanna see something naked!". While I have to admit this may be sometimes true of all of us for me it goes much deeper than that.<br />
I have an eclectic range of hobbies and things that fascinate me. My primary hobbies being things that go fast or generate lots of horsepower. I love cars, trucks, racing, off roading, motorcycles, four wheelers. Almost anything with wheels. I like guns and shooting. I'm not a gun fanatic, but I do keep an NRA membership, I do enjoy reading about guns, shooting guns, watching TV shows about guns. That's no different than I like shows about cars and reading about cars. If you read murder mysteries, watch CSI on TV, read your local newspaper filled with stories about who got shot last night does that make you a murderer? I think not.<br />
I like remote control cars and planes. I like photography and even worked for a number of years as a freelance photographer and journalist for a few automotive magazines. To this day I still from time to time contract as a wedding photographer. <br />
I play around with video editing on my PC. When time and budget allow I like taking on a home improvement task, I recently remodeled the bathroom.<br />
I like movies, to me there is no better way to spend late night on a Friday or Saturday than sitting at the movie theater with some popcorn taking in a cool flick.<br />
So needless to say I like all kinds of things. This gets me closer to my point. At any moment any of these things may be bouncing around my head. I might be plotting a way to get the latest thing that's caught my fancy, a new phone, a new gadget, a new tool, a new gun, a new accessory or speed part for my car or my truck. I might be solving a problem with any one of those hobbies that I've been working on. So when I answer "flying monkeys" it really probably means that the issue in my head might take longer to explain than I have or want to spend time explaining. It could also mean that I don't want you to know what I'm thinking about because you'll think it's silly.<br />
At the same time though I'd like to think I'm a compassionate person and not wholly obsessed with only the things I care about. I might be thinking of something to surprise my wife, a gift or project I plan to put together without her knowing. I might be thinking about a friend or family member who is struggling<span style="background-color: yellow;"> </span>with something. <br />
Sometimes random bits and pieces from a church sermon will pop in my head, those insights might lead me to answers of some of life's bigger questions. I feel as I grow as a Christian man that my ability to cope with lifes' challenges by seeking God's wisdom might help me. Often times I dwell on things from church for a few days.<br />
Yes this blog is jumping around from thought to thought but that's kind of what this one is about.<br />
Recently I've thought about selling my Mustang. I've thought about it a lot. In a nutshell the car is constructed for the show and race scene, not ideal for a daily driver and incapable of carrying car seats which I hope to have a need for in the near future. It's not practical. However I hate to leave myself hobbled for horsepower and the outlet that the car provides me. What to do, what to do? Replace the car with a new Mustang that can carry a car seat and is far less radical than the current one, this would then become my everyday car? Seek out a long term project requiring countless hours of my time and money to complete? I might get bored, lose interest or get frustrated. Pursue a hobby outside of high performance cars, maybe 4x4 trucks? But that too has drawbacks when it comes to hauling children. Shelf the horsepower hobby for the next 20 or so years until we've raised our kids and their out of the house? What would take it's place as my major creative outlet? I haven't decided what to do yet, but it does dominate a lot of my daydreaming time.<br />
The point of it all is this. In spite of what we might admit to or might not admit to, I think men in general are a lot deeper than just a single track mind. We're just sparing you ladies the boredom of having to deal with all the details.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14151597491196762057noreply@blogger.com1