Midlife Awakening

So, I just turned 30. Yep, I am officially no longer a kid. Well I guess that happened a long time ago but that is another story. My wife would say that I have acted 30 for a while. I am not convinced. My next big move to further establish my youngness is to purchase a motorcycle. Yes, I finally got my wife to agree to let me buy one. If you are thinking, what you don't need 'permission' to do something, you are your own man. Well, I am here to tell you (along with every other married man) that the opinion or sanction of your wife is required prior to any major decision. Sure you can be the man and just do it. And some would say that it is better to ask for forgiveness than for permission. This may be true in most situations or relationships, but not with your significant other. She will not let it down, period. Every time that you want to use the thing that you bought or bring up anything related to it, she will remind you that it was not part of a co-op agreement. And you may risk her being her own woman and coming home with a bag full of clothes, new jewelry, or a new man. This is no exaggeration. It has been done and will be done again.

I am so lucky to have someone that understands me. She loves me and lets me do most of what I want. But I still haven't received the okay to skydive. Maybe that will be next... or not. So some may call my getting a motorcycle a pre-midlife crisis, but I say not. It is simply one person realizing that this is something that the person they care about the most wants and letting them do it. This post is for you Babe. I love you.

Chicken, Dodo, Pigeon?

People are an interesting sort. Have you ever been somewhere (a restaurant, mall, movie theater, or outdoor festival) and found yourself just watching? I often find myself doing this on a near subconscious level. Most often, I'll be sitting at an airport gate awaiting my next airplane ride. My headphones are in and my eyes glazed over. It may partially be due to the fact that normally my flights are early on Monday mornings, but I think not. I tend to be a morning person. Once I am awake, I am awake. And anyone that knows me knows that I notice things. Sometimes it's big things like who was at a meeting and how did we drive there. And sometimes it's little things like what people were wearing, or how many pencils and pens were on the table at the meeting and what color they were. So maybe my voyeuristic tendencies are just another part of my noticing things but I do see people...and they're not dead.

So back at the airport, I notice the 'seasoned businessman'. I do not identify with this group although I wear a shirt and tie, enjoy reading the Wall Street Journal, and get excited at the possibility of getting a seat in the exit row. There is the young family. Husband and wife clearly showing the signs of many sleepless nights and sporting their venti cups of morning juice. While their kids run around the waiting area and other passengers hope that they won't be sitting near them. I see the 'girlfriends'. They are young twenty-somethings who don't stop talking and flipping the pages of the resent issue of Cosmo looking for tips on how to better themselves. And there are 'the geriatrics'. The older folks shuffle around the airport smelling of soup and medicated lotion and ride either in wheelchairs pushed by underpaid airport aides or in carts cruising through the airport with the driver shouting and honking their horn for you to yield. But what would society be if all were alike?

I was walking to my gate this Monday after passing through the TSA checkpoint. I continue down a wide hallway with several other people. I tend to walk quickly and so do not normally pace myself with others. Most people adhere to the 'rules of the road' and stay to the right. But there are always dissidents. I see a woman about 20 yards ahead of me. We make eye contact and are on a direct collision course. Neither of us diverge from our path. As we get closer, I go right. And she goes left. Then I go left. And she goes right. As this short dance seems to continue, I stop. I let her choose a path and pass me without further confusion. I get to my gate and find a seat. I began to reflect on my near encounter. When two people do this with their cars, bikes, or motorcycles it is intentional and we call it chicken. What do you call it when to people do this while walking and it's unintentional? Perhaps Dodo, or Pigeon.

Fool Me Once - Shame On You, Fool Me Twice - Shame On Me

I spent another week in Santa Fe, NM. I have to put a plug in for Hilton before I continue with my story. If Hilton had been taken private last year by Blackstone, I would buy the stock. Now I enjoy financial analysis as much as the next guy, but everyone knows that can only take you so far. Most people make stock purchases with their emotions not their minds. A perfect example of this occurs daily. People don't want to do the research themselves to determine whether or not a company merits the asking price in the markets. So what do they do? They do what Americans do best...watch television! A passionate financial guru yells that this company is a good deal and that another is as good as throwing your money in the garbage. And what inevitably happens? People buy the one and sell the other. So enough to justify my purchasing desires. I stayed at a Homewood Suites (Hilton affiliated brand) this week. If you look at the sidebar, you know that I travel a bit. I decided early on that I would be loyal to one hotel chain in anticipation of climbing their loyalty program ladder. Hilton's program requires that you have a minimum of 60 nights on a rolling calendar basis to qualify for their top-tier rating of Diamond. I have reached that rating and maintained it for nearly 2 years now. This is not necessarily something that I'm proud of. But anyway, as a Diamond member you are entitled to complimentary breakfasts, snacks in your room, and room upgrades. I have received the first two benefits on nearly every visit. This was the first stay when I was 'awarded' a room upgrade. They put me in the Executive Suite. It was more like a 1200 SF townhouse. The room even came with a complimentary bottle of California Sparkling Wine. I was impressed to say the least. My favorite was laying in the large soaking tub watching the Jazz play the Lakers on television. Definitely something that I need to look into putting into our own house. Enough on that.

I was working at the same location in Santa Fe near the downtown plaza. The weather was cold and rainy. The new sod on the plaza was green and the leaves on all the trees had started to transform the area from an eerie old historical landmark to an inviting place where one would enjoy spending lunch under one of the mature shade trees. One day at lunch, I was walking around the plaza looking for something to eat. I wasn't too hungry but needed something to tide me over. I walked past the infamous Subway and stopped. I don't mind Subway and now I know how they work their 5 dollar special. So, I decided to try again. The store was packed. I stood in line and looked to the menu to make my decision. To my surprise, they had changed the menu! There were no more checks or circles to look for. The menu had a separate section where it plainly stated which subs were included in the special. To my dismay, they had removed the turkey from the list so I went with the roasted chicken. I chose my toppings, and arrived at the register. The attendant asked me would I like a combo meal. I looked up at the menu and saw that you could add a drink and chips for an additional 2 dollars. This would normally cost near 3 dollars if purchased separately. I agreed. After paying, I sat down to eat and was reviewing my receipt. I thought that Santa Fe (and New Mexico in general) just had higher sales tax. And they do, but the attendant had charged me the full price of the drink and chips separately. Not at the combo deal pricing. As I approached the counter to ask about the error, I overheard the attendant explain to another customer that it was not fair to allow a discount on top of a discount. This is ridiculous! This would make about as much sense as McDonalds discounting their BigMac sandwich to increase sales but then not allow you to purchase a combo meal with it but rather charge you the full price if you were to buy your fries and drink separately. I returned to my seat feeling shamed that I had fallen for a marketing scam related to the allusive '5 dollar foot long'. I can say that I will not give Subway another chance. Quiznos, here I come.

I can't believe the deal!

You're watching your favorite show on television and they break to commercial. Ugh! Now you'll have to endure 2 to 4 minutes of ads for products that you don't even want. You would mute the commercials or change the channel until your show came back on but the remote is too far away and you're tired. You work for a living and you need your rest. So you submit. First there's a commercial about a new cleaning product that will revolutionize the act of cleaning. The man on the television says that he doesn't know how anyone could live without it and that he personally guarantees the effectiveness of its renown cleaning power. Next comes a commercial for the local burger hut. I've yet to have food served to me at one of those restaurants that even looks close to the one in the advertisement. I blame illegal immigration! Well, not really but that is what some of my right-wing friends would have me think. But that is another issue. Lastly, a commercial for the newest sleek looking car on the road. Oh, you have my attention. Who doesn't like a nice looking vehicle. The announcer tells me how my life will change and somehow I'll be the successful, super-macho man that I've always wanted. Then he tells me that if I come in before Saturday that all I have to do is sign a contract and drive it off the lot. I am really excited now! Over the next 15 seconds I am assaulted with images of 'my car' cruising through the city or on the perfect windy country road. But wait, I hear muttering. Is someone talking? Oh right, the sign and then drive promotion does not include taxes, licensing, and fees. So really I'll have to lay down $2 to $3 thousand, then sign and drive the car away.

What is it about advertising that requires they sell you on the product and then quickly tell you about of the things that make the deal or product unattractive? They must think that the average consumer is a moron, and maybe they are right. I personally don't mind disclosures. I think that they are there for a purpose, but they should be obvious... not hidden or delivered in rapid-fire speak.

I recently visited a sandwich shop. You know, the one where the guy ate like three sandwiches a day and walked 2 miles each way to get them. Yeah, that's how he really lost the weight. You try starting out morbidly obese and then force yourself to walk 6+ miles a day just to get your food. You'll lose weight too. Anyhow, a couple of coworkers and I decided to hit the shop and try the newest promo... a foot long sandwich for only 5 bucks. It seems simple enough. We walk into the store and there are signs everywhere about the promotion. 'Just pick your bread, meat, and toppings, and we'll do the rest.' I decided that I was feeling good and was going to get the roast beef on Italian cheese bread. I added pepper-jack cheese, jalapenos, olives, green peppers and a stripe of Dijon mustard. (I like spicy food.) The attendant was cheerful and quick. My coworkers and I commented on how could the chain be making money on a deal like this. I get to the register with my carefully wrapped sandwich in hand. I tell the cashier that I have a foot long roast beef on Italian cheese. She tells me, 'That will be $9.02.' 'There must be a problem,' I said. After a rundown in the screw job, I come to find that only 4, yes 4, sandwiches on the menu are eligible for the deal. All three of us purchased sandwiches not on the 'approved list'. We were informed that only the sandwiches with a check mark next to them are part of the $5 foot long promotion. For those of you who haven't seen a Subway menu recently, they have changes the low-fat sandwiches that qualify under the amazing weight losing endorser's plan from being specially marked to their own category. The menu now has a Fresh Fit section (these are the <6 grams of fat sandwiches, then there are the Fresh Toasted, and lastly Local Favorites (These are the cold cut combo and tuna. Are they really 'favorites'?). Anyway, had the sign, the sandwich maker, or even the commercial told me this I would have made sure that I looked for the check marks. Incidentally, one of the choices is turkey and I love turkey. I'm not saying that I won't go there again, but just that I will watch out when buying a sandwich on a deal.

The Land not so Enchanted

So I just finished spending another week in the heart of New Mexico...Santa Fe. When I think of Santa Fe, I think of the things that I learned in history class when I was a teenager. Santa Fe was established over 10 years prior to the Plymouth Colony. This was to be the centre for the Spanish Empire north of the Rio Grande. Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in North America and the oldest European community west of the Mississippi. The 'square' in the heart of town is very similar to what it would have been over 150 years ago. The streets are narrow and cobbled, and the buildings are made of adobe. Santa Fe has a height ordinance in effect that restricts structures to 2 stories of 15 feet each. The ordinance limits the height of structures so that the surrounding vistas may be enjoyed by all those in the area and not just those who can afford to build higher. The county is strict in enforcing the code and exceptions are not made. Even McDonald's is required to limit the size of the 'golden arches' and plant them on the ground. I have to say that it is nice to see some trees and not just buildings when driving by on the highway. You can almost pass the area by without noticing the city. But all of these things aside, I don't find the attraction. The town is very 'old school' in the ways that things are handled and bureaucracy is king. I am not a fan of southwestern art, so the shops filled with hand crafted rugs, turquoise jewelry, and endless paintings of a desert sunset do nothing for me. As Santa Fe is a tourist destination, everything is expensive. I even got the shaft a Subway shop in the downtown area that charged me nearly 9 dollars for a foot-long roast beef sandwich. I was not impressed. I lived in New Mexico for 9 months in 2006 and drove around most of the state. I don't have anything against the people that live there, but it's not for me. I probably won't visit the city outside of business trips. If you have the time and money to take a vacation and the choice of where to go, I would pick somewhere else and just browse the pictures that others have posted on the Internet.

Great music

Have you ever been to a concert, or heard a song on the radio and said, "I wish that was cool again"? If you are like me, it happens on a regular basis. Recently, I went to the Smashing Pumpkins concert in Phoenix, AZ. It was awesome. Billy Corgan hasn't lost any of the energy he exuded as a young punk. I still couldn't believe that he's 40! But then again, I haven't been in high school for 11 years. Ahhh, reflection. Anyhow, the concert kind of awoke those feelings of invincibleness that we all have when we are young. You know, you tend to have more thoughts of 'Hey, I can do that' or 'Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but it's what I want to do.' The other thing that the concert instigated was my thoughts to other bands that I near worshiped in high school. Most of them have gone by the wayside, no longer recording or performing. There are the resolute few, that continue to perform old hits no matter how small the venue. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I found out that the Pumpkins had at least somewhat come back together. My wife and I attended their second to last show back in 2000. It was cool. Of course, there is something about a 6' 3" bald guy yelling into a microphone at a crowd of devoted listeners that is odd. I digress. The other bands from the 90s that still record usually stink. The band is off drugs and have come to inner peace. It was the drugs and constant turmoil that made them great. Case in point, Stone Temple Pilots. Then there are those that have expired due to various causes. Another example, Midnight Oil. I don't mean to ramble, but with all the crap on the radio today how can one not reflect upon a better musical era. The only thing that gives me comfort is that 'Pop' finally passed and the likes of Christina, Britney, and all the boy bands are behind us.

Golf in the desert

I am going golfing today. I am not quite sure why since it is supposed to be like 107. There I will be sitting on the fairway of the 8th hole. Did I mention that my tee time is at noon? There is a little method to this madness. It's called fiscal responsibility. Really, I am mostly just cheap. What else would I do with $20? I will enjoy 3 hours of sweating in the burning hot sun. It's not all that bad. Supposedly, someone from the clubhouse comes around with ice to refill your cooler (if you brought one), and you can find water every couple of holes. Of course, a local boy got sick just a couple of weeks ago from drinking from one of them. What's life without a little risk, right? My next post may be from a hospital bed. I could be laid up with a bacteria or parasite from quenching my insatiable thirst, nursing a pulled muscle (I am not a proficient golfer), or suffering from 3rd degree burns. Here's to having fun!