Thoughts of a Common Man

Life is 90% about just showing up. I tell my kids all the time: "Show up and shut up." The Bills have a Pro Bowl Defensive Tackle, Marcel Dareus. He makes about 10 million dollars a year. He needs to really show up 16 times in a 52 week year. Against the Dolphins Dareus was suspended, by his own coach, for the first quarter. That suspension came down based on the fact that Dareus was habitually late for his meetings during the week, supposedly all season long. The boss dropped the hammer. It reminded me of when the kids were young. I'd give them until 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings to empty all the garbage cans into the big can in the kitchen. As is human nature, they were scrambling to do it at about 8:58 each Sunday. One morning Matt got to it at 9:02. When he finished I broke the news that he wasn't getting his allowance. He was late. He broke the deal. "Being a little rough on a 7-year-old, aren't you?" Kathy asked. "Absolutely ...

I was handed a couple of I-Tunes cards for Christmas. I had one CD in mind...Natalie Maines. She has a wonderful voice and I had heard her sing a couple of songs on Howard Stern...so I ordered it on my phone. It was available to listen to...6 minutes later. Isn't that incredible? And I did listen to it and was immediately impressed with each song. So I sent Natalie a tweet to thank her for making the CD. She replied, thanking me for buying it. Isn't that crazy? I've always had a soft spot in my heart for her anyway as her band was basically ruined because she voiced her opinion about George W. and was threatened with bodily harm. Evidently her right to free speech isn't quite as important as that duck dudes is. And perhaps everyone should just shut-up about what they think and feel, but the basic difference being that she is of a profession where protest sort of is part of the job description. Yet the instant voice that everyone has is best illustr...

I'm starting to move around a little better...which is good, of course, but it has led me to different places in the house where clutter has been allowed to build. An O.C.D. dude with a new year dawning does not get along with clutter. It started in my room and the book shelves. They are becoming overfilled and there are a lot of people out there who are of the mindset of tossing them into the trash...I could never do that. "You won't read them again," my beautiful wife explained. "But they need to stay," I said. "They are memories." So I organized them a bit. Then there are my hundreds and hundreds of CD's. All the music is now on my I-pod or phone, but I can't just discard those CD's, right? They are sorted nicely. I don't know about you, but I'm not good with buying music this way. It's so impersonal. Yet at least I am still buying my music. Way too many people simply steal it. Tell me how that is possible. ...

So, we're getting there, right? 2013 is almost in the books...and as you go through the year end lists and all the review, with an eye on making 2014 the greatest year ever, just remember to temper those expectations a little. Shall I make some predictions? (Sam loves when I predict things because he saves the blog and brings it back and beats me over the head with what I have wrong). 1). I said 49ers over Broncos for the Super Bowl. I'm good with that. I'll stick right there. 2). I said the Bills will finish 6 & 10...they are one final loss away from making that come true. 3). The 27-Time World Champion Greatest Franchise in the History of Organized American Sports - the New York Yankees will get title Number 28 this year. Robinson Cano will openly weep before each game as a Seattle Mariner. 4). We lost James Gandolfini this year and that still makes me shake my head. There aren't any actors out there I wish harm to, but there will be a couple of shoc...

I'm not a hard guy to shop for. I only like a few things and I'm not real quiet about those passions. If you buy me something with the inter-locking NY in blue on it, you'll probably be all right. The 27-Time World Champion logo will also get you extra points. This year I got a few Yankee mugs and Yankee ball markers for golf and a Yankee tool to fix ball markings on the green. (That won't get much use as I hardly ever make a mark on the green...my ball usually goes screaming in, but read it and weep Grape Apes - it goes with my Yankee putter!). I also like Springsteen and there are usually items related to the god of music that make an appearance. But the gift of the year this year was simple: The gift of reading. My kids each bought me a book. My wife grabbed me the new Stephen King Novel (She was real worried that I'd see it before Christmas, but I stayed out of the book store). In all I gathered 8 books to read...and I spent a few minutes try...

There was a moment, with a house filled with my in-laws when I turned around and spotted a two-foot tall kid clutching a blanket who was sort of tugging at me. "Where's Melky?" He asked. "You don't want to meet Melky," I said. What I really wanted to ask was: "Who the hell are you?" And I'm not sure if I'm getting too old or what, but I can't keep track anymore. There were so many kids running around...and they have so much damn energy...and their voices are piercing. "Have you seen Landon?" Someone asked me. "Michael Landon?" I asked. "Which one is Landon?" I got a weird look. Hell, I don't even remember how old my kids are. They like to play the: "What grade am I in game?" Sam is in 8th. When they asked me a few weeks ago I honestly guessed: "Sixth?" So, you see, I'm at a distinct disadvantage when new kids are introduced on the scene. Then I took to p...

My big sis posted a photo of Dad the other day. Just a beautiful shot, right? And it occurred to me that in the photo that he was about the same age that I am now. And thankfully, we all shared those days with him. And it got me thinking about Christmas. And life. And love. And what happens after it appears to be gone. And like the Grinch my heart started to grow. Because I've been fortunate. So damn fortunate. We are all just chasing love. When you're standing ten deep in a line at a department store worried about getting somewhere else to buy something else you're doing it for someone you love. When you're waiting for the damn thing to pop up out of the turkey at the same time that the potatoes are ready for you to mash them... ...yeah...love. When you're loading the car and sitting there waiting for the wife and kids to get in so that you're not late for the next stop, your patience waning... ...remember the love. My Dad's...