26 Miles

Get Off My Lawn

// June 11th, 2010 // No Comments » // Life

I have more than a few friends who can relate to this…

Dentists

// June 8th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Life

Good dentists are hard to find.

I went the same dentist for 20 years and only through the misfortune of the insurance gods had to switch last year, then again this year after another insurance change.

I’ve never had a cavity, and despite an imperfect dental hygiene routine have managed to avoid the chair for anything but a regular cleaning now for my entire life….until today.

New dentist says I need a ‘deep cleaning’. Yes, new dentist, who looks more like a recent high school grad than a seasoned practitioner. New dentist, who I just met 5 minutes ago and took one X-Ray and now thinks I need ~$450 worth of work. I’m thinking not.

I’m thinking I’ll be going back to my old dentist and paying out-of-network rates and praying I never need any serious work.

It’s a shame the confluence of dental degree-printing schools and the failed insurance system in the US has led to the dentist-as-used-car-salesmen situation. It makes people not trust dentists, much less new dentists. I felt like they had the cartoon cha-ching dollar signs in their eyes when we came in. At least a little subtlety might have carried the day. At least let me get through one-single-visit with just a normal experience before dropping the give-us-big-dollars-or-your-up-to-now-perfect-teeth-are-all-going-to-fall-out pitch on me.

The Way I Am

// February 24th, 2010 // No Comments » // Life

I like this one…

Sonny Throckmorton’s lyrics. Merle Haggard’s performance.

The Way I Am…

Wish I was down on some blue bayou,
With a bamboo cane stuck in the sand.
But the road I'm on, don't seem to go there,
So I just dream, keep on bein' the way I am.
Wish I enjoyed what makes my living,
Did what I do with a willin' hand.
Some would run, ah, but that ain't like me.
So I just dream and keep on bein' the way I am.

The way I am, don't fit my shackles.
The way I am, reality.
I can almost see that bobber dancin',
So I just dream, keep on bein' the way I am.

The way I am, don't fit my shackles.
The way I am, reality.
I can almost see that bobber dancin',
So I just dream, keep on bein' the way I am.

I just dream, keep on bein' the way I am.

Someday…

…until then, another day… to watch the bobber dance, to dream, and to keep on bein’ the way I am.

Keep It Simple

// February 22nd, 2010 // No Comments » // Life

If there were any single piece of advice I could give anybody, this would be it: Keep It Simple.

Make it your mantra and live by it.

My life has never once been improved by adding complexity to my life, and made only better by simplifying.

This applies to everything, how you approach relationships, finances, faith, hope, expectations, parenting, work — everything.

There’s no area of life I’ve found that doesn’t benefit from application of this mantra.

It’s liberating, truly.

People tend to over-think everything. I’m no exception. But when I can re-center around what’s truly important it comes down to very, very few things, and everything else is just window dressing.

Can You Spot Me 2 Cents

// August 3rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Life

Because clearly the people at some restaurants cannot.

Went to get some of my favorite sweet-bread-encapsulated-chicken-nugget provider for breakfast. The total $3.02. Change $1.98. Seriously! Can’t spot me $0.02 Mrs. Manager? Then the nerve to say “God Bless You” as I’m driving off. Fortunately God is more merciful than she felt this morning.

But the capper was lunch. Now in possession of $7 and 98 cents in cash, I head to my favorite pizza buffet for lunch. The cost. $7.99. Will they take my $7.98 and risk losing that 1 CENT in profit. OF COURSE NOT! OH COME ON, SERIOUSLY!

I know times are tough but have you heard of pay it forward?

So I debit-carded my $7.99 lunch and am still in possession of my $7.98 in cash, which I’ll happily spend somewhere else.