Day 7

Random Thought Day...... Mondays sure can be depressing, can't they? Luckily this is a short work week, as Leah and I are headed for C-Town on Thursday morning to both break the fast and for a wedding. Its strange how Mondays always have a different feel to them, as do Fridays and Sundays. So much anticipation to get to the weekend on Fridays, so much anguish on Sunday night's about having to wake up for work the next morning, and Mondays always seem like such a long week is ahead of me. The last few weeks have seem to last longer than normal. I don't know why, just the truth.....Yesterday I went to Buffalo Wild Wings (B-Dubs) for lunch and to watch the first half of the Browns game with my friends Dave and Sara. Dave and I love us some ding dings. First off, their wings are the whup - especially the Spicy Garlic. Sports bars have come a long way since the old days of Flo and Eddie's on Chagrin. My dad and I always used to talk back in the pre-sports bars days how we always wanted to own a sports bar with a ton of big screen tv's, satellite dishes, good greasy food, and every game on. Because as anyone who knew my dad, knows that there was nothing that made him happier than eating greasy food while watching sports. Now a days, sports bars are a dime a dozen. For some reason in this city though, nobody seems to be able to get it right........After months of trying unsuccessfully, I have finally gotten myself a pair of Paul McCartney tickets for next Tuesday night at the United Center. I have never seen him live and haven't been to a big concert in years. To me, you only have a few chances to see a living legend, a Beatle no less. This could be me only chance. The Beatles cross all age boundaries. I have loved them for years, and my father in law Max in his mid-50's also loves them as much as I do. I'll be very interested to see the range in age of the crowd. I heard Howard Stern say last week that by his youngest daughter's request, he saw McCartney at Madison Square Garden and it was amazing. He said it was so incredible to see it through his 14 year olds eyes because he has been such a huge fan since he was that age.........Say what you want about living on the west coast when it comes to the weather - I don't think I would get sick of a climate like San Diego where it is 78 and sunny everyday - but there is something to be said about the changing of the seasons and the colors this time of year in the Midwest. When the sun is out, like it is today, there is some kind of aura that you get when you are walking around outside in this neighborhood. That being said, I can hear Max all the way from Arizona saying "just wait a few more months, and then come back and talk to me about how you are enjoying the changing of the seasons. There is a reason you come here to visit every December." He and my mother in law Stacey moved out of Cleveland in 1975 and never looked back. They have been on the west coast on and off for the last 16 years. Orange County, CA (twice) and now finally settling in Scottsdale, AZ. The day of my father's funeral was a classic Cleveland November day. Cold, gray, and blowing snow. A few days later, Max told me at the cemetery the day of the funeral, was the coldest he can ever remember being in the last 20 years. I told him he was soft, but I loved him anyways......My friend Teddy got engaged this past weekend, that makes 7 weddings Leah and I have in 2006. Yikes........My fantasy football team is now 3-2 after my big blockbuster trade and two straight wins......Now I don't want this to sound like I am a diehard workout guy, but in the last two months, I have been using one of those elliptical machines for 30 minutes in my building's gym. Over the past 3 weeks or so, I switched to a regular treadmill. According to the treadmill, I am burning about half as many calories as I do on the treadmill. Then why is it that on the treadmill, I sweat a lot harder and I am way more tired? Makes zero sense to this guy...........

Song Of The Day: "Close One Yesterday" by Buju Banton. A spiritual, uplifting message in this reggae track. "Said I had a close one yesterday, Jah put an angel over me. Be strong, on a firm meditation, one day, things must get better."