How To Lose 44 Lbs. Without Really Trying

         I am amazed and delighted with how well my weight loss plan worked. It seems that the combination of cutting calories(under 1500 a day), no soda, no late night binging, a lot of green tea and water, taking CLA Tonalin pills(available at GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, etc.)some treadmill work and a lot of walking has helped me trim down from 230 to 186 currently. It does seem like a lot of steps, but when you consider that I did not do any working out in a gym and I never really skipped a meal and I did occasionally cheat a bit with Taco Bell and Wendy's and Domino's Pizza(because I work there), I am proud of what I accomplished here. I did do about 50 push ups and sit ups everyday and they did get easier as I lost weight.
         In case you're wondering, the CLA Tonalin pills are healthy and they do an awesome job of burning belly fat. I had a real beer gut for many years, and though it's not completely gone, it is quite diminished. I did also try Hydroxycut but I heard about way too many health issues with them to continue. They are very bad for the liver and heart. I don't just want to be a skinny corpse.
       The main thing is, I feel better about myself. I don't look in the mirror and say that I'm a fat bastard anymore, I say that I'm alright, though I will focus on hitting the gym soon and "pump it up".Whatever gets the ladies to notice me..........

The Roller Coaster Ride Continues......

Since I last posted, things have really been up and down. I'm not sure where to begin, therefore I will just spit out what's happened and what I hope happens in the near future.
        First, about two weeks ago, I started totally freaking out, because I couldn't land any job and my bills started to feel overwhelming. That's why I posted some crazy stuff and then deleted it.Once again, my apology if I caused any of my readers to worry about me. Everything is quite a bit better since then. What happened to change things? Well, first I was called the next day for a job. It's not exactly a tremendous career move, delivering pizza for Domino's, but it's an insanely busy store. I averaged $17.50 per hour for last week. That's not too shabby. Next, I went to see a room in an apartment in Stuy Town and I liked it enough, and I guess the lady liked me enough for us to agree that I could be her roommate for at least three months, and possibly longer, at a very fair price, which she later lowered to an even better price. It will allow me to get myself established in Manhattan, and near the neighborhood that I grew up in.
       This snowstorm has been awful, which my fellow New Yorkers know all too well. It's unbelievable that there are side streets that no cars can pass through, three days after the snow stopped falling. The city dropped the ball on this and the mayor's sucky attitude doesn't help. He has a limo drive him to his office every day and he really shows that he don't really care for the little people.That seems to be the way that all the government folks act towards us hard-working people..I'm sure there are some that do care, but it sure doesn't seem like it.
         I want to thank everyone that reads this and I want to wish all of you a wonderful 2011!

Homeward Bound

I'm sitting in the railway station. 
Got a ticket for my destination. 
On a tour of one-night stands my suitcase and guitar in hand. 
And ev'ry stop is neatly planned for a poet and a one-man band. 
Homeward bound, 
I wish I was, 
Homeward bound, 
Home where my thought's escaping, 
Home where my music's playing, 
Home where my love lies waiting 
Silently for me. 
Ev'ry day's an endless stream 
Of cigarettes and magazines. 
And each town looks the same to me, the movies and the factories 
And ev'ry stranger's face I see reminds me that I long to be, 
Homeward bound, 
I wish I was, 
Homeward bound, 
Home where my thought's escaping, 
Home where my music's playing, 
Home where my love lies waiting 
Silently for me. 

Tonight I'll sing my songs again, 
I'll play the game and pretend. 
But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity 
Like emptiness in harmony I need someone to comfort me. 
Homeward bound, 
I wish I was, 
Homeward bound, 
Home where my thought's escaping, 
Home where my music's playing, 
Home where my love lies waiting 
Silently for me. 
Silently for me. 

The Prior Post

I deleted that post last night because it was wrong for me to say that you readers don't love me. I just get very frustrated with things sometimes and I may overreact some times........besides, Opie & Anthony keep getting rehired, why can't I??? I love you all....

My Plans/Resolutions For 2011

     Like most people out there, I usually spend the month of December hustling around, getting ready for the holidays. I'll make my gift list out and go shopping, though this year, I've had to curtail my generosity, due to having great difficulty finding a job. Besides the holiday madness, like most people, I'll reflect on where I am in my life and I'll think about how to improve things over the next year. I'd have to say that physically, I'm in better shape than this time last year. I'm 37 lbs. lighter than the fat blob I was. I still have a ways to go and I'd like to work on improving my physical strength but overall, I've made great progress in that area.
  I took a step back financially due to my employment difficulties but I do see a light at the end of this tunnel with the interviews coming up this week. Hopefully, I will land one of these jobs and in 2011, I'll be able to work on developing two other streams of income through my e-business that I'm working on and hopefully be able to get out there and do some karaoke or DJ gigs. Maybe sometime during the year I'll get through the hiring process for either a court officer or corrections position. There's a lot of potential for me out there and I just hope it works out.
   I would like also, to be able to move back to where I'm from, the East Village or somewhere close to there. Oceanside is not a bad location, with its proximity to Long Beach and it's under an hour to Manhattan, but for future employment opportunities, I feel that it's necessary to free up some of that travel time, especially if I have three or more different things going on. Also, with my weakness in terms of social skills(don't let my Facebook or party planning skills fool you) I feel the need to be around as many women as possible, and Manhattan is the best place for that. An issue related to that is, the need to maybe lower my romantic expectations ever so slightly. I know that I may be aiming a little too high in this area. Miss Perfect is not exactly beating down my door, but maybe if everything goes right for me in 2011, she might at least, send me an email or a poke.

The Facebook Numbers Game

This new idea, to write a message as a status update to someone who supplies a random number is interesting and fun, in my humble opinion. The only drawback will be a crowded newsfeed. What I'll do here is assign Facebook friend numbers to the friends that I want to write a short statement about. I obviously won't state who they are, but I think it would be interesting to see what I come up with:

#1 - A cool dude who thinks in a very similar way as I do. I wish I was as humorous as you.

#7 - I don't envy the tough life you have. I do wish I was your age again...

#9 - I know you forever and I really appreciate what you are trying to do for me. I owe you big time!

#10 - One of the reasons I am so grateful for Facebook. You may be my favorite Stuy alum of all!

#14 - I have always admired you lady! I'm very pleased with how you have turned out.

#19 - For you, I see an amazing future! Go get 'em!

#26 - I wish I had the chance to know you better at Stuy. We totally disagree politically and religiously, but I respect you so much!

#39 - The very first girl I ever liked in my life. I am so proud of how you have turned out!

#47 - Talent with a smile. As simple as that...

#52 - Probably the coolest and most beautiful lady to grow up in the East Village.

#86 - The same as #52 but 3 years older...

#117 - Give me back my Ipod!!

#120 - My favorite female classmate, freshman year at Stuy and I still think you're awesome!

#122 - Probably the most beautiful NY politician. Glad to be your friend.

#126 - Dude, if you keep your head together, the sky's the limit. I really mean that.

#140 - One of my best friends ever! I'm so glad that we are in touch again. I love you man!!

#143 - I'm grateful to you pal, even though I don't always show it.

#156 - I have only met you a few times, but I seriously dig you!  :)

#170 - The same with you as #156

#173 - Damn, I wish I had your job!

#180 - You know, somebody tried to fix me up with you! LOL

#187 - I still love the tattoo! Thank you!

#204 - I'm so happy that you've found the happiness you deserve. It gives me hope.

#221 - I dig you so much, but you're 2,000 miles away!

#227 - You are a special, supportive Stuy friend, and I appreciate it so much!

#231 - I only really had one year to get to know you but I think you are such a sweetheart!

#251 - You are so damn cool lady, and smart!

#275 - 20 years ago, I thought you were all that!!! LOL

#291 - One of my best friends at Stuy, glad I have a chance to pal with you again...

#299 - I never knew you at Stuy, but I admire you so much now. You're gonna win that Tony someday, i just know it!

#319 - Barely knew you at Stuy, but always admired your beauty! :)

#322 - I've known you 34 years, believe it or not, and I still value your friendship big time!

#332 - My FB Mama! I love ya!

#347 - We've been through a lot pal and I'm so glad I've known you!

#352 - The coolest Stuy chick I've known....

#357 - The first place I've ever worked. I hope you can stay open for many more years.

#367 - I love ya dad!

#372 - Another one of my oldest friends. I'm sorry we've drifted apart...

#383 - Boy did I dig you back at St. Stan's! LOL

#389 - Amazing beauty and amazing spirit, keep on rockin!!!

#410 - Such a cool chick, I've always admired you(and your sister!) LOL

#419 - My first teenage crush!! Boy does time fly...

Have fun trying to figure out who each one is. I will not admit it, unless you are this person......

Why The Heck Do I Enjoy Karaoke So Much??

  This is a question that I've been asked by several people who don't really get why such a "silly bar activity for drunks" has become such a big part of my existence.
    First, let me give you a little bit of my story. I was always a very shy guy that never wanted to do anything in front of any crowd of people. I would hesitate to get in front of a class in school to explain something on the blackboard. I would hardly ever lead conversations with people. I was very introverted, and in a lot of ways, I still am quite inhibited, though I have made great strides in recent years.The reason that I ended up being very interested in karaoke was an old girlfriend of mine, who was into karaoke, and she would sometimes drag me to a bar to do karaoke. She would try to convince me to go up and sing, and I would say, "No way! You have fun darling" and I would watch everybody sing. Well, one night, I had a few extra drinks and she was able to convince me to try one song. It was Elvis Presley's "The Wonder Of You". I guess I sounded ok, because a lot of people were clapping when I was done. That made me feel great and set off a light bulb in my head. From that point on, I enjoyed it more and more and soon, a weekend couldn't go by without me visiting a bar to sing. If the place didn't have karaoke, I wouldn't go there. I was now dragging my girlfriend to the bar, instead of the other way around. In her words, she had created a "monster"!! Within a year or so, my relationship with this lady ended, but I kept going to karaoke nights and after a year of it, I decided to buy my own DJ/Karaoke equipment and look for my own shows to host. I went to bars all over NYC and was able to book some shows. I also friended some of the other hosts and they gave me some valuable tips on how to be a good host. I also had the chance to fill-in for some of them from time to time. It was a wonderful time. At one point, I had shows 5 nights a week. The mistake I made was relying on it as my only income. By the time 9/11 had occurred and soon after that, it became a lot harder to book these gigs and some of the crowd that was coming had disappeared. Without a big following, it was harder to command the same pay for these gigs and I basically went back to working for other hosts, who had bigger followings. Nowadays, I just grab whatever bookings I can get and I do karaoke more for just fun.
    To answer the title of this post, I just like singing my favorite songs and I don't really care what people think of my singing voice. I think I sound ok, as long as I sing songs that are in my range. Over 12 years, I've been able to figure out what songs are better for me to do. It's helped me to be out with people more and some of the friends I've made through this activity have been well worth it.

All The Time

All the time I thought there's only me
Crazy in a way that no one else could be
I would have given everything I own
If someone would have said "you're not alone"

All the time I thought that I was wrong
Wanting to believe but needing to belong
If I'd've just believed in all I had
If someone would have said "you're not so bad"


All the time, all the wasted time
All the years waiting for a sign
To think I had it all
All the time


All the time I thought there's only me
Crazy in a way that no one else could be
I can't believe that you were somewhere, too
Thinking all the time there's only you



All the time, all the wasted time
All the years waiting for a sign
To think I had it all
All the time

The Top Ten Things I Am Grateful For This Thanksgiving

I may not have everything that I want in my life. I don't have a fortune or a wonderful wife or my own home, but I can come up with ten things that I am certainly thankful for:

1. My Health - Yes, a lot of us may have the sniffles this time of year and those who are in my age group and older probably have aches and pains every now and then but generally speaking, most of us are in good health and it is not something to take for granted. That is part of why I've focused on losing weight and getting in better shape. The older we get, the harder it will be for us to do this.

2. Facebook - It may sound silly, but I will be forever grateful that these social networking sites came along to make connecting with friends, old classmates and family so much easier. About 5 years ago, I was in touch with only one of my 392 Facebook friends, my father. The rest of you were a distant memory, Now I'm Mr. Reunion guy, and I'm very glad that I am.

3. Indoor Plumbing - I'll leave this one to your imagination, but think of what the Pilgrims had to do, back in the day.....

4. Freedom To Believe Your Own Beliefs - This is a big one to be grateful for. It may seem that our government is slowly taking some of this away in recent years, but we still have it better than nearly everyone else in the world. I've changed my mind on politics and religion a few times in my life. I am glad that I have that liberty, and so should you.

5.Domestic Pets - They are the the most loyal living things you'll ever know. You can't take them for granted because you'll miss them when they're gone.

6. Your Family's History - Whatever ethnicity (or combination of) you are, you should be proud of where your family came from. Most likely, you are more well off and/or have more opportunities than anyone in your ancestry.

7. The Great Outdoors - Even if you live in Manhattan, there's always the joy of having a place to go to be near trees and grass and enjoy the sunshine....

8. Drive and Determination - Everybody needs these two things to help improve their lives. I've been going nowhere fast for a long time until I stumbled across these two things in recent years due to the motivation of many of my wonderful friends and family. I will forever be grateful to you guys. You know who you are.....

9. Football - Yes, I know this is limited to mostly my male friends, but what is Thanksgiving without watching football. Thankfully, the 8-2 Jets are playing tonight! J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS!!!!!

10. Being Able To Remember The Great Times Of Our Past, And Not So Much The Bad - I remember great times, like HS graduation, friends and family weddings and many great parties that I've DJ'ed. I'm glad that I've forgotten 8th grade, Mr. Fisher's class and disco(just kidding about that....)

Everybody have a wonderful day! Gobble, gobble

I Guess Returning To Oceanside Will Have To Do, For Now....

Yes, back to working for somebody else, hosting karaoke and DJ-ing parties and struggling to find a day job, but at least I will get to see some friends instead of living in the middle of nowhere, with my parents, who I do love, but they are getting up there in age and it's sad to see, plus the lack of privacy bothers me. There's also the dog, Leo, who was obviously abused by someone down the line, because he barks at me, every single time I come home and it bothers me. Most people wouldn't know this about me, but I can't stand barking dogs, screaming babies, or anyone yelling at me.
    It's a step closer to my goal, of living in Manhattan again. If the court officer position comes to fruition and I go to the Academy, it is located in downtown Manhattan and it pays enough for me to make that move. In the meantime, I will continue to focus on getting myself in shape, saving my pennies and hopefully things will work out.

I Wanna Go Home!

From my observations of others who have moved around in their lives, I can see that some people have a nomad's mentality. They can adjust very easily to moving from place to place and can settle in very well with new people and surroundings. I know others who refuse to budge from where they are and will do whatever it takes to make things work out. I, due to circumstances that were sometimes out of my control, have had to move around in my life. From the East Village of Manhattan, to Maspeth, Queens, to Whiting, NJ, to Oceanside, Long Island, and back to Whiting, NJ. I never really felt that I fit in in Queens, though I was there for 12 years. In New Jersey, I could barely get a job at all, except for working in various pizzerias. That hasn't changed this time either. In Long Island, I actually enjoyed being there, near the South Shore, but after my Census job ended, I couldn't find a suitable replacement. I love my parents but I do not want to live with them. I don't feel free here to do what I want and being surrounded by elderly people is depressing. I want to go back to NY and I want to be in very familiar territory, back on the east side. I know that it has become expensive, but it is such a cool place to live now. I think it would be a lot of fun. I've been looking at Craigslist a lot and I think I could possibly afford to at least rent a room in someone else's apartment, if I can land a very steady job(like court officer) and try to get my DJ/Karaoke business going again. I know that means I have to have a few things go my way, but my friends know how determined I can be. I'll make it work. I HAVE TO!!!

My Reunion Projects

Three and a half years ago, I woke up one morning and said to myself, "Boy it would be nice to see all of my old classmates from the class of '83 at St. Stanislaus School and the class of '87 at Stuyvesant High School." I just sat there and thought about how in the world could I possibly accomplish this, considering that I had lost touch with my 20 living classmates from St. Stan's.(There were 21 but sadly, my buddy Jimmy Duval passed away in '93 from cancer) and about 770 classmates at Stuy. I had not joined any social networking sites or the Stuy Alumni Association at this point and figured that it would be impossible to gather these people together.
   What started the ball rolling was the suggestion by a co-worker at the time, to check out My Space. She was a member and thought that I could possibly track some of these people down. I soon found a St.Stan's classmate named Dave who was on there and I mentioned to him about my intentions. he said, "Don't worry, these social networking sites will take off and you'll find a lot of people". I also found a few Stuy classmates, but no one that I was really dying to be in touch with. I soon stumbled upon a Yahoo board for the Stuy class of '87 and found some very interesting old classmates that I was happy to find. They were about to have their 20th reunion and considering that I had not done too much with my career or personal life, I didn't think that an underachiever like me would be someone that my classmates would want to see and I skipped going to it. I did find the comments by my classmates to be quite interesting. After a week or two, I got my courage up and posted a hello to everyone and explained my reasoning for not going to the reunion. I was pleasantly surprised by the response of several people that I was being silly and that I was part of them, no matter where I was in my life and that I should get involved in getting together with them. After that, I decided to attend a holiday season get-together of some Stuy classmates. I had a wonderful time and had the chance to chat with some people that I knew well and some that I never really knew at Stuy.
     At that point, I joined Facebook and was shocked at how many friends I soon found on there. It was wild to me, how quickly my friend count grew into the hundreds. I noticed how easy it was to set up events and spent all of 2008 trying to find as many classmates as I could. I friended 7 of my St. Stan's classmates and maybe another 25 from other classes there. I also friended about 75 classmates from Stuy. I noticed that no one seemed to be interested in setting up any get-togethers and I decided that maybe I'm the person to do it. I began setting up Facebook parties. I was excited about the opportunities to finally see some of my old friends in person. If I may say so myself, I think I've done a good job of it. I do think that a lot of people feel that it has had it's run and I do agree. That's why I will start having them less often. I will have one St. Stan's party in 2011 and now that I'm a member of the Stuy Alumni events committee, I will just help setup whatever events they decide on as a group. I will organize the 25th Stuy '87 reunion in 2012. After that, we'll see
     I do have to admit that there's one ulterior motive for all of this networking. I am still single at 41 and I was hoping to maybe find an old female classmate that I might get to know and who knows....... but, it seems that I've scared off a few of them and I still fear that the parade has passed me by. Hopefully, I'm wrong, but overall, I'm very happy to have found so many of you and hope to find some more.

Kissing A Fool

(I don't have anything to write about today. Instead, here's a late 80's favorite of mine)

You are far,
When I could have been your star,
You listened to people,
Who scared you to death, and from my heart,
Strange that you were strong enough,
To even make a start,
But you'll never find
Peace of mind,
Till you listen to your heart,

People,
You can never change the way they feel,
Better let them do just what they will,
For they will,
If you let them,
Steal your heart from you,
People,
Will always make a lover feel a fool,
But you knew I loved you,
We could have shown them all,
We should have seen love through,

Fooled me with the tears in your eyes,
Covered me with kisses and lies,
So goodbye,
But please don't take my heart,

You are far,
I'm never gonna be your star,
I'll pick up the pieces
And mend my heart,
Maybe I'll be strong enough,
I don't know where to start,
But I'll never find
Peace of mind,
While I listen to my heart,

People,
You can never change the way they feel,
Better let them do just what they will,
For they will,
If you let them,
Steal your heart,

And people,
Will always make a lover feel a fool,
But you knew I loved you,
We could have shown them all,

But remember this,
Every other kiss,
That you ever give
Long as we both live
When you need the hand of another man,
One you really can surrender with,
I will wait for you,
Like I always do,
There's something there,
That can't compare with any other,

You are far,
When I could have been your star,
You listened to people,
Who scared you to death, and from my heart,
Strange that I was wrong enough,
To think you'd love me too.
I guess you were kissing a fool,
You must have been kissing a fool.

Get That Pen Ready Mr. President

I know that absolutely nothing will get done by our government in the next two years, now that a party of misguided characters, known as the Tea Party has energized enough right-wing conservative voters to swing the House to a republican majority and narrow the gap in the Senate. Now we will get a new version of pork-barrel crap that will be disguised as important reform bills. The truth is, those who are against President Obama will work very hard to make sure he is looked at as the bad guy, by forcing him to veto a lot of bills that will pass in the next two years and cause nothing to be accomplished. Then, present a republican candidate for 2012 that will "get things done".. The whole political system in this country is starting to make me sick...........

The Insane Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear

Yes, I was one of the estimated 250,000 politically aware Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert fans that traveled from the wee hours of the morning to assemble in the Washington Mall in D.C. for this fun and entertaining day. It is the biggest mass of people that I have ever experienced at an event, and I have been to Earth Day in Central Park in 1990. That was 100,000 people but that paled in comparison to this. The ride down there from Whiting, NJ was a fairly easy three hours. The roads are pretty empty at 5:30am. Once I arrived in D.C. at 8:30, there were a strong bunch of people already there as the line at Starbucks was half-way down the block, but once we got closer to the starting time of the festivities, the invasion of people had begun. You pretty much had to stay in the section of the crowd you were in, or have to say "Excuse me" about a thousand times to move anywhere. There were hundreds of porta-potties there but by showtime, there was a very long line to use them. Luckily, I went very early and didn't have to wait as long.
   As for the Rally itself, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert were quite entertaining playing each side of the political argument. Jon, playing the "we need to bring government back to by the people, for the people" side and Stephen playing the "we need to be afraid" side. The musical guest were a fun, diverse mix from The Roots to John Legend to Yusef Islam(Cat Stevens) to Ozzy Osborne to the O'Jays and Tony Bennett. The signs and posters given out were an interesting mix. I received a Prop 19 sign for the legalization of pot in California and also a Team Fear sign and a Rally towel. I also meet with two fellow Stuy alums there(and wish I found some others there).
    Overall, it was worth the trip, but the 4 hour ride to New York was tough. Heavy traffic the first half of the trip. But, I would do it again.I never really had a chance to travel much in my life, now I will plan on doing it more. Happy Halloween all!!!!

God

(Here's another song that has a lot of meaning to me. John Lennon is one of my idols, not just because of the Beatles, but because I consider him a role model, when it comes to his thoughts and beliefs.)

God is a concept, 
By which we can measure, 
Our pain, 
I'll say it again, 
God is a concept, 
By which we can measure, 
Our pain, 
I don't believe in magic, 
I don't believe in I-ching, 
I don't believe in bible, 
I don't believe in tarot, 
I don't believe in Hitler, 
I don't believe in Jesus, 
I don't believe in Kennedy, 
I don't believe in Buddha, 
I don't believe in mantra, 
I don't believe in Gita, 
I don't believe in yoga, 
I don't believe in kings, 
I don't believe in Elvis, 
I don't believe in Zimmerman, 
I don't believe in Beatles, 
I just believe in me, 
Yoko and me, 
And that's reality. 
The dream is over, 
What can I say? 
The dream is over, 
Yesterday, 
I was dreamweaver, 
But now I'm reborn, 
I was the walrus, 
But now I'm John, 
And so dear friends, 
You just have to carry on, 
The dream is over. 


(I apologize if this upsets anyone, but those that really know me well, understand that I have a need to be upfront and honest, even if it makes others uncomfortable. That's how I roll.)

Somebody

(There will be days when I will have no idea of what to post on here. Today is one of those days. In these situations, I will write the lyrics to a song that expresses how I am feeling. Here is a favorite of mine, that I dedicate to all of my wonderful female friends out there.)

I want somebody to share
Share the rest of my life
Share my innermost thoughts
Know my intimate details
Someone who'll stand by my side
And give me support
And in return
She'll get my support
She will listen to me 
When I want to speak
About the world we live in
And life in general
Though my views may be wrong
They may even be perverted
She'll hear me out
And won't easily be converted
To my way of thinking 
In fact she'll often disagree
But at the end of it all
She will understand me
Ahhhh.......

I want somebody who cares
For me passionately
With every thought 
With every breath
Someone who'll help me see things 
In a different light
All the things I detest
I will almost like 
I don't want to be tied
To anyone's strings
I'm carefully trying to steer clear of
Those things
But when I'm asleep
I want somebody
Who will put their arms around me 
And kiss me tenderly
Though things like this
Make me sick
In a case like this 
I'll get away with it
And in a place like this 
I'll get away with it
Ahhh...

I want somebody to share
Share the rest of my life
Share my innermost thoughts
Know my intimate details
Someone who'll stand by my side
And give me support
And in return
She'll get my support
She will listen to me
When I want to speak
About the world we live in
And life in general
Though my views may be wrong
They may even be perverted
She'll hear me out
And won't easily be converted
To my way of thinking
In fact she'll often disagree
But at the end of it all
She will understand me

I want somebody who cares
For me passionately
With every thought and
With every breath
Someone who'll help me see things
In a different light
All the things I detest
I will almost like
I don't want to be tied
To anyone's strings
I'm carefully trying to steer clear of
Those things
But when I'm asleep
I want somebody
Who will put their arms around me
And kiss me tenderly
Though things like this
Make me sick
In a case like this
I'll get away with it

The Pizza Asylum

      When you call in to order a pizza or order online(for you anti-social creeps out there), you probably have no idea what goes on at the pizzeria or what kind of mix of personalities are working together to create such enjoyable, high calorie, high fat, totally unhealthy crap. This motley crew of whack jobs that I work with create an atmosphere of total lunacy and though no one is exactly making mega-dollars here, the job can be a lot of fun and there are many characters here who play their roles and deserve their due.
    To protect their innocence(as if), I will use nicknames for each person. I am affectionately(or not) known as "Benny Go Home" because it seems that each time I work there(three separate times now), I always work there with future plans to return to New York. The general manager of the store is known as the "Boss Lady By The Lake" because she lives in the town of Lakehurst, where the store is located. She's down to earth and very cool, but she will crack the whip when the inmates get out of hand. One of the assistant managers, known as "Crazy-E", should either be on stage or in a straight-jacket. Actually, probably both at the same time. His goal in life seems to be to crack everybody up. It certainly seems to come naturally to him. It wouldn't shock me at all to see him in the movies someday. I always look forward to working with him because I know that I'll be laughing all day. The other assistant is known as "The Hammer" because he is very handy with tools. He also is a computer whiz and I'm sure that his career will involve fixing them.
     The other delivery drivers in this store are whacked-out in one way or another. The old man known as "Burnt Like Toast" must have had vast experience with LSD, PCP or large quantities of airplane glue in his younger days. He's out there somewhere. "Scott On The Rocks" obviously was dropped here by aliens. He's very unusual in some ways. The guy known as "Zero-Wheel Drive" has no idea what he's doing with his life, but he loves Pink Floyd which is a very cool thing in my humble opinion. The last driver is known as " Military Precision" because he was in the military and he's always on time and never gets lost on a delivery.
       The part-time inside workers are interesting in their own ways. The monday night manager, known as "Monday Warrior" is vicious and crude with his humor, he can't stand Burnt Like Toast and I fear that one day he will flip out and use the sandwich knife on everybody. "Wonder Boy" is one of those know-it-all types that you wish you could slap. Last but not least, there is "Cinnamon Spice" who wants to rule the world, just with her sweetness.
        I enjoy the lunacy that occurs because it helps me take my mind off the reality of the job that there are many cheap-skates who don't tip well at all and there are too many slow drivers on the road, which drives me absolutely nuts at times. I freely admit that I'm totally guilty of road rage. The job does pay enough for me to survive, but hopefully it's just a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

My 300 Favorite Songs Of All Time

I am into all kinds of music from all eras, so this list was a lot of fun to put together. I hope you enjoy it too.

#300 What Do All The People Know - The Monroes(1982)
#299 Your Love - Lime(1981)
#298 The Angry Young Man - Billy Joel(1974)
#297 Somebody To Love - Queen(1976)
#296 (Wish I Could Fly Like)Superman - The Kinks(1979)
#295 Falling - LeBlanc & Carr(1978)
#294 War Pigs - Black Sabbath(1971)
#293 Feels So Good - Chuck Mangione(1978)
#292 At Midnight - T-Connection(1979)
#291 Champaigne Supernova - Oasis(1995)
#290 E=MC2 - Big Audio Dynamite(1986)
#289 Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode(1981)
#288 Fantasy Girl - Johnny O(1988)
#287 Keep The Fire Burning - REO Speedwagon(1982)
#286 Zanzibar - Billy Joel(1978)
#285 Destroyer - The Kinks(1981)
#284 Whip It - Devo(1980)
#283 Dreaming - Blondie(1979)
#282 The Best Of Times - Styx(1981)
#281 Longview - Green Day(1994)
#280 Fool(If You Think It's Over) - Chris Rea(1978)
#279 Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division(1980)
#278 Hot Blooded - Foreigner(1978)
#277 Everyday I Write The Book - Elvis Costello(1983)
#276 Move Your Feet - Junior Senior(2003)
#275 Lady - Styx(1975)
#274 She Believes In Me - Kenny Rogers(1979)
#273 All Apologies - Nirvana(1993)
#272 The Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy(1976)
#271 This Is Radio Clash - The Clash(1981)
#270 The Stranger - Billy Joel(1977)
#269 Everybody - Madonna(1982)
#268 Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting - Elton John(1973)
#267 Don't Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra(1979)
#266 The Breaks - Kurtis Blow(1980)
#265 Love Is In The Air - John Paul Young(1978)
#264 Dreamin' - Will To Power(1987)
#263 Barbie Girl - Aqua(1997)
#262 Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton(1978)
#261 Listen To What The Man Said - Paul McCartney & Wings(1975)
#260 Cold As Ice - Foreigner(1977)
#259 Confusion - New Order(1983)
#258 Daniel - Elton John(1973)
#257 Paranoid - Black Sabbath(1970)
#256 Heat Of The Moment - Asia(1982)
#255 Let Me Take You Dancing - Bryan Adams(1979)
#254 Vienna - Billy Joel(1977)
#253 How Long - Ace(1975)
#252 One Way Or Another - Blondie(1979)
#251 Kissing A Fool - George Michael(1988)
#250 I Write The Songs - Barry Manilow(1975)
#249 Lithium - Nirvana(1991)
#248 Follow You, Follow Me - Genesis(1978)
#247 Hello, It's Me - Todd Rundgren(1973)
#246 I'll Stand By You - Pretenders(1994)
#245 The Middle - Jimmy Eat World(2002)
#244 Year Of The Cat - Al Stewart(1976)
#243 An Innocent Man - Billy Joel(1983)
#242 All Night Thing - Invisible Man's Band(1980)
#241 Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones(1969)
#240 Detroit Rock City - Kiss(1976)
#239 You're My Best Friend - Queen(1976)
#238 The Tide Is High - Blondie(1981)
#237 Baby Hold On - Eddie Money(1978)
#236 Goodbye Girl - David Gates(1978)
#235 Everlasting Love - Carl Carlton(1974)
#234 Captain Jack - Billy Joel(1974)
#233 Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin(1969)
#232 Dirty Work - Steely Dan(1972)
#231 Think - Aretha Franklin(1968)
#230 867-5309/Jenny - Tommy Tutone(1982)
#229 Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello(1979)
#228 Change - John Waite(1983)
#227 Holiday - Madonna(1983)
#226 You And Me - Alice Cooper(1977)
#225 I Feel Fine - Beatles(1964)
#224 Trampled Under Foot - Led Zeppelin(1975)
#223 Doctor's Orders - Carol Douglas(1974)
#222 Diamond Girl - Nice & Wild(1986)
#221 Deacon Blues - Steely Dan(1978)
#220 Born to Be My Baby - Bon Jovi(1988)
#219 Hello I Love You - Doors(1968)
#218 Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - Casinos(1967)
#217 The Power Of Gold - Dan Fogelberg(1978)
#216 The Dance - Garth Brooks(1990)
#215 Hearts - Marty Balin(1981)
#214 Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne(2007)
#213 She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5(2004)
#212 Lady Marmalade - Labelle(1975)
#211 You Get What You Give - New Radicals(1999)
#210 Yellow Submarine - Beatles(1966)
#209 Honesty - Billy Joel(1978)
#208 Cool For Cats - Squeeze(1979)
#207 Paid In Full(Remix) - Eric B. & Rakim(1988)
#206 A Question Of Lust - Depeche Mode(1985)
#205 Always - Bon Jovi(1994)
#204 Jump Around - House Of Pain(1992)
#203 Round And Round - New Order(1989)
#202 The Captain Of Her Heart - Double(1986)
#201 There But For The Grace Of God There Go I - Machine(1979)
#200 Midnight At The Oasis - Maria Muldaur(1974)
#199 Don't Think Twice - The Wonder Who?(1965)
#198 Peg - Steely Dan(1978)
#197 Mandolay - La Flavour(1979)
#196 My Sharona - The Knack(1979)
#195 In The Bush - Musique(1978)
#194 This Is It - Kenny Loggins(1979)
#193 Adia - Sarah McLachlan(1998)
#192 The Logical Song - Supertramp(1979)
#191 Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon(1985)
#190 Lovefool - Cardigans(1997)
#189 Angel Eyes - Lime(1983)
#188 Life In The Fast Lane - Eagles(1977)
#187 Back To Life - Soul II Soul(1989)
#186 Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John(1975)
#185 Regret - New Order(1993)
#184 Mr. Roboto - Styx(1983)
#183 Two Princes - Spin Doctors(1993)
#182 Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - Police(1981)
#181 Masterpiece - Atlantic Starr(1992)
#180 Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin(1970)
#179 Freedom '90 - George Michael(1990)
#178 Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley(1987)
#177 Something About You - Level 42(1986)
#176 Sing - Carpenters(1973)
#175 Cotton-Eyed Joe - Rednex(1993)
#174 An American Trilogy - Elvis Presley(1973)
#173 Babe - Styx(1979)
#172 Light My Fire - Doors(1967)
#171 You Spin Me Round(Like A Record) - Dead Or Alive(1985)
#170 Bus Stop - Hollies(1966)
#169 Show Me The Way - Styx(1991)
#168 Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-Lite(1990)
#167 Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers(1992)
#166 I Love You - Donna Summer(1977)
#165 The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground(1990)
#164 Swearin' To God - Frankie Valli(1975)
#163 True Faith - New Order(1987)
#162 When The Heart Rules The Mind - GTR(1986)
#161 Laughter In The Rain - Neil Sedaka(1974)
#160 The Heart Of The Matter - Don Henley(1989)
#159 Come To Me - France Joli(1979)
#158 One Of These Nights - Eagles(1975)
#157 One Headlight - Wallflowers(1997)
#156 Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2(1983)
#155 Try Jah World - Third World(1982)
#154 Let It Be - Beatles(1970)
#153 Fool In The Rain - Led Zeppelin(1979)
#152 One - U2(1992)
#151 O.P.P. - Naughty By Nature(1991)
#150 Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode(1990)
#149 Together Forever - Rick Astley(1988)
#148 My Sweet Lord - George Harrison(1970)
#147 Into The Groove - Madonna(1985)
#146 Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid(1984)
#145 Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar(1979)
#144 Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John(1975)
#143 The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - Genesis(1974)
#142 I'll Be Around - Spinners(1972)
#141 Cracklin' Rosie - Neil Diamond(1970)
#140 That's The Way(I Like It) - KC & The Sunshine Band(1975)
#139 I Remember You - Skid Row(1990)
#138 Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel(1968)
#137 Since I Fell For You - Lenny Welch(1963)
#136 Never Say Goodbye - Bon Jovi(1986)
#135 Losing My Religion - R.E.M.(1991)
#134 Black Dog - Led Zeppelin(1971)
#133 Running - Information Society(1986)
#132 Amanda - Boston(1986)
#131 Sussudio - Phil Collins(1985)
#130 Never Too Much - Luther Vandross(1981)
#129 Goodnight Saigon - Billy Joel(1982)
#128 Silly Love Songs - Paul McCartney & Wings(1976)
#127 Hollywood Nights - Bob Seger(1978)
#126 Wanted Dead Or Alive - Bon Jovi(1986)
#125 Turn Turn Turn - Byrds(1965)
#124 I Got You - Split Enz(1980)
#123 It's Raining Again - Supertramp(1982)
#122 I Can - Nas(2003)
#121 Silent Morning - Noel(1987)
#120 Superman(It's Not Easy) - Five For Fighting(2001)
#119 Strangelove - Depeche Mode(1987)
#118 Blue Monday - New Order(1983)
#117 Can't Smile Without You - Barry Manilow(1978)
#116 Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs(1976)
#115 Out In The Street - Bruce Springsteen(1980)
#114 They're Coming To Take Me Away, HA-HAH!(1966)
#113 Crazy - Gnarls Barkley(2005)
#112 Sowing The Seeds Of Love - Tears For Fears(1989)
#111 Streetplayer - Chicago(1979)
#110 Who's Crying Now - Journey(1981)
#109 Let's Groove - Earth, Wind & Fire(1981)
#108 Christmas Wrapping - Waitresses(1981)
#107 White Lines(Don't Do It) - Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel(1983)
#106 Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force(1982)
#105 More Than A Woman - Bee Gee's(1977)
#104 Walking In Rhythm - Blackbyrds(1975)
#103 Badlands - Bruce Springsteen(1978)
#102 Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin(1971)
#101 Here I Go Again - Whitesnake(1987)
#100 Tainted Love - Soft Cell(1981)
#99 You Really Got Me - Van Halen(1978)
#98 Ain't Nothin Gonna Keep Me From You - Teri DeSario(1978)
#97 Ain't No Stoppin Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead(1979)
#96 September - Earth, Wind & Fire(1978)
#95 Running On Empty - Jackson Browne(1978)
#94 Just Remember I Love You - Firefall(1977)
#93 That's Where The Happy People Go - Trammps(1976)
#92 Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again - Fortunes(1971)
#91 Build Me Up Buttercup - Foundations(1969)
#90 Delilah - Tom Jones(1968)
#89 Good Vibrations - Beach Boys(1966)
#88 Another One Bites The Dust - Queen(1980)
#87 Angels - Robbie Williams(1997)
#86 We Can Work It Out - Beatles(1965)
#85 Little St. Nick - Beach Boys(1963)
#84 Beth - Kiss(1976)
#83 Piano Man - Billy Joel(1974)
#82 Rio De Janiero - Gary Criss(1978)
#81 Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order(1986)
#80 (Just Like)Starting Over - John Lennon(1980)
#79 Tempted - Squeeze(1981)
#78 Miss You - Rolling Stones(1978)
#77 Top Of The World - Carpenters(1973)
#76 Maggie May - Rod Stewart(1971)
#75 Kashmir - Led Zeppelin(1975)
#74 Revolution - Beatles(1968)
#73 Summer In The City - Lovin' Spoonful(1966)
#72 I Was Made For Lovin You - Kiss(1979)
#71 Mack The Knife - Bobby Darin(1959)
#70 I Love Rock 'N Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts(1982)
#69 Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie(1981)
#68 Layla - Derek & The Dominoes(1970)
#67 Every Breath You Take - Police(1983)
#66 How Much I Feel - Ambrosia(1978)
#65 Your Smiling Face - James Taylor(1977)
#64 Billie Jean - Michael Jackson(1983)
#63 Lowdown - Boz Scaggs(1976)
#62 With Or Without You - U2(1987)
#61 We Will Rock You - Queen(1977)
#60 We Are The Champions - Queen(1977)
#59 Taxi - Harry Chapin(1972)
#58 Instant Karma - John Lennon(1970)
#57 Sympathy For The Devil - Rolling Stones(1969)
#56 Happy Together - Turtles(1967)
#55 Long Train Runnin' - Doobie Brothers(1973)
#54 Magic - Pilot(1975)
#53 Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley(1969)
#52 Whispering/Cherchez La Femme/Se Si Bon - Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band(1976)
#51 Mandy - Barry Manilow(1974)
#50 Easy Lover - Phillip Bailey & Phil Collins(1984)
#49 Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad - Meatloaf(1978)
#48 You Are Everything - Stylistics(1971)
#47 God Only Knows - Beach Boys(1966)
#46 Positively 4th Street - Bob Dylan(1965)
#45 Eve Of Destruction - Barry McGuire(1965)
#44 Rich Girl - Hall And Oates(1977)
#43 You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine - Lou Rawls(1976)
#42 Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson(1982)
#41 Ramblin Man - Allman Brothers Band(1973)
#40 Cara Mia - Jay & The Americans(1965)
#39 Here Comes The Sun - Beatles(1969)
#38 Things I'd Like To Say - New Colony Six(1969)
#37 Darlin' Beach Boys(1968)
#36 I Go Crazy - Paul Davis(1977)
#35 Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry(1976)
#34 Dancing In The Moonlight - King Harvest(1973)
#33 Amazed - Lonestar(2000)
#32 In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins(1981)
#31 Runaway - Bon Jovi(1984)
#30 Weekend In New England - Barry Manilow(1976)
#29 Native New Yorker - Odyssey(1977)
#28 Telephone Line - E.L.O.(1977)
#27 Stayin' Alive - Bee Gee's(1977)
#26 You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Party - Beastie Boys(1987)
#25 My Way - Frank Sinatra(1969)
#24 Sky High - Jigsaw(1975)
#23 Nice To Be With You - Gallery(1972)
#22 Something - Beatles(1969)
#21 Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen(1975)
#20 Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana(1991)
#19 Livin On A Prayer - Bon Jovi(1986)
#18 New Year's Day - U2(1983)
#17 Faithfully - Journey(1983)
#16 Rock This Town - Stray Cats(1982)
#15 Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor(1982)
#14 Keep On Loving You - REO Speedwagon(1981)
#13 Come Sail Away - Styx(1977)
#12 Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel(1970)
#11 He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother - Hollies(1970)
#10 Rock And Roll All Nite - Kiss(1975)
#9 You Should Be Dancing - Bee Gee's(1976)
#8 You Make Me Feel Brand New - Stylistics(1974)
#7 Open Arms - Journey(1982)
#6 Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen(1975)
#5 More Today Than Yesterday - Spiral Starecase(1969)
#4 Yesterday - Beatles(1965)
#3 Imagine - John Lennon(1971)
#2 Don't Stop Believen' - Journey(1981)
#1 Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen(1975)