Best and Worst of 2009

During one of my daydreams this morning I started to replay my 2009 in my head. I decided to try to come up with a top 5 best and worst things that happened this year for me. I thought long and hard about what highlighted, both good and bad, my 2009. I came up with 6 good things and 4 bad things; and the 4th bad thing is a stretch. I can honestly say that 2009 was full of many, many good times, few awkward moments, and even fewer bad moments. I've gained friends, met wonderful and sometimes amazing people and have a renewed sense of individuality that I haven't had in many years.

2010 (my 2010 outlook will be coming soon) looks to be a year of transition for me. As the life of a bachelor plays out, you come to notice that the very few down, unplanned moments of my life feel empty at times. At times, companionship is the missing piece to complete happiness. While not necessarily a requirement the personal connection, or bond, with another person is unrivaled when compared to similar possibilities of sharing with another person; I'm talking about love. My philosophy has always been, and most recently reinforced, that "Love will find you. There really isn't a need to go looking for it." But just as romance is about the possibility of love, the possibility of love is not without the opportunity for romance. Which is probably why I meet people seemingly everywhere I go. Not that there is an active search for love, but that there is always a willingness for opportunity. 2010 will be a year of opportunity. But that's a topic for another day. Without further delay, my best and worst moments of 2009!

Top 4 Worst Moments of 2009

4. A Misplace Step
When relationships end sometimes things are returned, personal possessions reclaimed and each person goes there own separate ways. This is not typically how things play out with me. I remain friends, or at least special day (birthdays & holidays) social with every ex I've had since college. It's just how things seems to be. One particular item from my last relationship was misplaced. In my "I haven't seen it in a few months" frantic search in my attic, I took a step between the beams and placed a perfect hole through my bedroom ceiling, sending a crack shooting in multiple directions. No, I still haven't found it or fixed the ceiling yet. 2010...2010...

3. Ice Water in the Face
There comes a moment in your life when it seems like nothing can go wrong; your bank account looks obese, your personal life is flying high and your professional life is buzzing. You've got nothing to complain about. And then one fateful night your perfect little world stops spinning (or maybe it was spinning too much). And suddenly you find yourself doing something you rarely do (or at least it rarely negatively impacts your life), make a mistake. For the most part, my actions are deliberate and controlled, my reactions reserved and my world relatively peaceful. Every so often I find that I lose track of the Enjoyment of Life / Out of Control ratio and it gets too close to a 1:1 ratio; which is not good. On this night not only did I make a mistake, that actually was something I look at as a positive, that ratio was so bad that I didn't even realize it until days later.

2. A Farewell Concert
We all know that death is simply apart of life. I've have the unfortunate claim to having attended more funerals in my life than years alive. It's not a good life stat to have. This year one of my cousins, Lil Bobby, passed as a result of brain cancer. He kept it from just about everyone until the impact of having it was too obvious to hide. During what otherwise was a routine good day I received a text from one of my cousins telling me that he had been rushed to the hospital and subsequently transported to a hospice; and we all know what that means. By the time I arrived at the hospice all of my family had already left. For the next few hours I spent at the bedside of my heavily sedated cousin, a cousin who had seen me go from a young kid to a grown man, talking to him and eventually just sitting there playing the "Relax" playlist on my iPhone silent and listening. As I left I told him that everything was going to be ok and that I was happy to have had the moments we had together; and also to tell his father, who passed a few years ago, I said hello. It would turn out that I would be the last person to see him. Less than 12 hours later, he passed away. I decided not to attend his funeral. The effects of cancer had taken enough of a toll on him to where he weighed less than 100 pounds. Post mortem changes were not something I was interested in seeing. At the time of the start of his funeral, I closed my eyes and had a moment of recalling the good memories we had. That was a better way to remember him to me.

1. 45 Minutes of Nothing
The day for me was like many other days since I started taking Septa to work; early rise, a little less than 2 hour commute and an arrival at work at 8:56. At 8:58 that day my world stopped. I received a call from my aunt telling me that my uncle, someone I talk to practically every day, was in the hospital because he had discomfort in his back and chest around 4 that morning. Less than two days before, he along with a good number of my family had all been at my house for a Labor Day BBQ and great times. Less than 48 hours ago there was no indication that this day was coming. As I listened on the phone, it took about 10 minutes before I realized that this wasn't a typical trip to the ER. Ten minutes in I realized that at that very moment my uncle was not alive. That moment, or minute, in time would be one of 45 minutes that my uncle would be technically dead. ER doctors and nurses performed an amazing feat to not only stabilize him to fly him to a different hospital for emergency surgery, but to not give up. 45 minutes is a long time for anything; running on a treadmill, walking in the cold, good (or bad) sex, waiting for food when you're hungry. 45 minutes and 7, yes 7, shocks later he was stable and on a life saving helicopter ride. For me my world stopped but for my uncle, for 45 minutes, his world ceased to exist. The recovery and the medical treatment to get him back to his feisty self can only be described as amazing. There are things I didn't know you could do to the human body that I now know you can do. As this was the worst event for me in 2009, the outcome was probably the best.

Top 5 Best Moments of 2009 (and 1 honorable mention)

Honorable Mention: Myrtle Beach

For the past two years my golf club has gone to Myrtle Beach for a few days of golf and good times. This year was full of tons of laughter, great golf and lots of clubbin. I can't wait for this years trip.

5. Labor of love
One thing I love to do from spring to fall is barbecue. Labor Day, my family came over to eat some good food, have some good fun and share many, many laughs. It was also the first time I had seen my youngest brother since he was a toddler. It was an amazing day. The only downside was losing a water fight with my little cousins after dominating them early. They decided to get smart and turn off the water supply to the hose. I was left defenseless; it was a massacre after that. To say I was exhausted after all that cooking and fun would be an understatement.

4. Chillin Weekend
If you know me, then you know that once Labor Day passes it's hit and miss (usually miss) trying to plan anything with me on the weekends before December. I'm simply all over the place, from Penn State games to Navy games to Phillies games to vacations; I'm a tough guy to get a hold of. Two weekends ago one of my best friends came down (or over) to hang out for the weekend. Friday night would be a trip to the Sixers game. He surprised me with court side seats to watch one of my favorite players of all time, Allen Iverson (I call him AI) up close. A bonus would be DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin sitting right in front of us most of the game. Saturday would be the Army-Navy game. From the 8am tailgate to passing out watching Blood and Bone it was a day full of good times and good fun. New and Old friends joined us for the tailgate and game and back at my place for more food and good times. The cap would be the Villanova-Temple game Sunday afternoon. As if we couldn't have a better weekend, we got to watch Temple shoot the lights out and upset a then undefeated Nova team. Eric and I have seen many games, had many tailgates and plenty of good times before this weekend. But this weekend sits easily among the best experiences we've had together.

3. Favrelujah!
A second trip to Minnesota this year would be the second installment of the Big 10 Tour that myself and my best friend Julie started last year. This year timed perfectly as we saw the Wisconsin Badgers - Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday after a surprisingly great "tailgate" at a local bar and then stayed for the Monday Night Packers - Vikings game. We even squeezed in a Christening on Sunday. But we had so much fun the entire weekend, and you couldn't ask for better company especially on Saturday LOL. I look forward to Wisconsin next year and the 5th quarter :-)

2. It's Your Birthabirthary, yeah...
I've been to Aruba before. The last time was over a year ago. I've been to Atlanta before. I was eight. It was undoubtedly the best 10 day period of 2009 for me, yet its just the 2nd best moment of the year; 2.7% of my year and yet only #2. But man was it an awesome 10 days. First Aruba provided daily laughter, great food, amazing sun, well made drinks, my typical one night of meal-skipping-inebriation and, what is becoming a frequent part of my travelling, a bobcat attack. But the best part has to be the on camera display of my lack of easy humiliation. That's right, karaoke. It started with "Fergalicious", moved on to "Stand By Your Man", then "My Heart Will Go On", mixed in some "Rump Shaker" and was capped off with "Anniversary" by Tony! Toni! Toné!. A few bars into the song I was reminded that this was about an anniversary, so I changed the word to "Birthabirthary" and walked about the bar singing with the other people whose birthday it was in addition to my best friend Julie. Gotta love tequila :-)....I flew from Aruba to Atlanta to meet up with my best friend Darren for our yearly Eagles Road Trip, and also to get together with my cousin who lives there. To say that the weekend was amazing is minimizing how much fun my cousin and I had and also Darren and I had. I don't think I was asleep before 4 any night I was there because my cousin has to be one of the few people I know who can party like I like to do; all night. And the game against the Falcons, ha! That was an emotional and amazing sight. I cried. I literally cried because that building was so full of emotion for the return of Vick. The love in that place was abundant and intentional. And the Eagles won, which is always a good thing. It was just 10 days out of the 365 1/4 days that made up my 2009. But these 10 days are days I will never forget.

1. Brotherly Love
A day of fun with siblings is always a good thing. A day of fun with siblings who had not all been together in the same place at the same time in almost 20 years is a great thing. A Friday late in the summer, my sister and my two younger brothers, with my nephew, all headed to Great Adventure in Jersey for a day of sibling (and nephew) fun. You just can't imagine the feelings that rush through you when it hits you that you are sharing a moment that you couldn't image happening a year ago. Although the skies opened late that afternoon and sent us running for cover and cut short our amusement, we all had a great time hanging out together and later eating pizza at my place. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I say a joyful smile is a never ending story.

Here's to a great conclusion to 2009 and an amazing 2010, not only for me but for all of my friends (near and far) and family....

Top 10 Instant Replay Needs

Instant Replay, a game changer in the NFL; avoided by simply going no huddle and running any play you can think of. A necessary part of football with so many bodies flying around and the impossibility of seeing everything. It works in the NFL because its use it intended to fix the ultimate wrongs; mistakes that can change the outcome of the game. But what about other sports? What about parts of our lives where instant replay could be of great use? Here's my top 10 areas where instant replay should find a way to be implemented:

10. Down goes streaker!!! Down goes streaker!!!

Ever go to a game and suddenly your eyes are drawn to someone who had finally decided that now was the moment to run on the field. I understand the draw; in most states its only a misdemeanor - and really it should be on everyone's sports bucket list, right? But what is deserving of replay all the time is when the streaker is taken out by the security or a player who just stuck his shoulder out and just plants the guy (its usually a guy). The streaker is never some 345 pound guy who's agile. It's always some shirtless 140 pounder who zig zags his way for a few minutes until the inevitable "bam!" happens and the guy just gets rocked off his feet.

9. What goes around...

There are times that I advocate beating the crap out of children, be it publicly or privately; sometimes they simply deserve it. Especially when you see that one mean f*** who is blatantly disrespectful to their parents or picks on other kids. I love when the parent just has enough and snatches the kid so hard you thought you actually saw a trail of that kids life behind him for a second. Then the kid just gets it, and the tears start flowing. Its that face the kid makes just as he/she realizes that they are about to get jacked up that I love. And then the defeated, I just got my ass whooped, look on their face afterwards....ahhhhhh justice.

8. Walking used to be easy...

Ever just walk into something? A wall, a glass door (damn you Windex!) or better yet a screen door? I used to have a screen door on my back door to my house; the sliding kind. Not anymore, because people kept walking into it. I don't know how it happened so many times, but people would actually walk full stride into it. I thought about pinning a sign saying, "Screen in place!" so that it would stop, but the door got damaged before I could (yes by someone walking into it LOL). I remember having a conversation with someone through the door and they heard their cell ring. So they went running inside, right into the screen door. Oh I replay that one in my head sometimes just to see their face - the utter shock and temporary confusion about what to do next LOL

7. Watch your step!

Ok, so this may be the meanest of the top 10. Have you ever seen someone running across the street and just as they are about to jump up on the curb, gravity exerts its powerful influence, rendering the height they lifted their leg lacking of the required height necessary. What following is a symphony of chaos as they futilely try to stay upright: whoa-hoa-hoa-whhhoooaaa splat! Papers go flying, cell phones crashing, and they attempt to become gymnastically inclined by rolling into the fall only to make it worse. You, try your hardest to maintain calmness only to blow snot into your hand from trying not to laugh...

6. I swear officer! I swear!

Who hasn't been pulled over for running a light and tried telling the cop, "It was yellow when I went into the intersection"? Wouldn't it be nice if there was a frame by frame replay you could do, from your viewpoint, looking at the light? Obviously I'm not talking about the red light cameras at some intersections. I'm talking mini cameras mounted to your car. That way you can go, "see! it was yellow!". The obvious downside is if the replay is upheld and you did run it LOL.

5. Boom-Boom-POW!

Now I may lose half of my audience on this one, but there is something about a woman with strong legs and a serious power walk that just puts me in a trance. I'm talking the hips are rockin like a little man is sitting on her shoulders counting out a beat (1-2-3! 1-2-3! 1-2-3!) and another little man is closely following her just tapping each cheek, on that same beat, so that they ripple just enough and her shoulders flow like a see-saw revealing just a shadow of what you're missing by staring at her ass. It's like when Jeniffer Lopez walked to the door to let in Michael Keaton in "Out of Sight". Tear drop....tear drop...

4. You're outta here!

This probably happens 700 - 800 times a year. A runner slides into or runs to a base and is called out or safe and TV replay shows the opposite to be true. They introduced replays for home runs, why not the same for close plays at the plate at least, or all bases. If it can change the game, replay it.

3. How the hell did I get here...?

We've all had one of those nights where we wake up the next day thankful that we made it home. We've also had mornings where we woke up next to someone who didn't have the benefit of beer goggles anymore or had a voicemail from a friend saying how much of an ass we were the night before. Wouldn't it be nice if you could replay those nights to see if maybe the beast you woke up next to slipped you a mickey or if you really told your best friends fiance that he slept with someone else two weeks before when you were all hanging out? Or even better, how the liquid confidence got you that hottie you've been lusting after for months. File that one under, "Yeah, there's a captain in me too".

2. Oh my god!

Remember "What Women Want", staring Mel Gibson as the guy who can hear the thoughts of women (by the way I'd jump off a bridge, slitting my throat on the way down, if I could actually hear the insanity running through the mind of all women LOL)? There was a scene with Marisa Tomei (hottie!) where they have this amazing sex (in fact, she just keeps saying "Amazing!" after they are done) because he can hear how she wants it and where from her thoughts. Hopefully some of you have had mind shattering sex at least once, but preferably more than once. Wouldn't it be great to replay that instantly - and no I'm not talking about video taping it, although to each their own ;-). I know people who know me must be surprised that this is number 2, but it can't always be about the sexual experience with me :-P

1. Uncontrollable...

We all have those cherished moments when something happens so unexpected with family, friends, partners, etc; unexpected hilarious moments. One such moment happened with my dad this past weekend. I have never, ever seen my dad laugh uncontrollable. Ever. We were playing Taboo (great game if you've never played) and he was giving the clues to myself and my cousin (guys versus girls game). The word was snacks and so he said, "potato chips", over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again until time expired. Once we realized it was snacks, he said, "That's the only snack I eat!" and we all started cracking up. For some reason the more seconds that past, the funnier it got until we laughed uncontrollable for about 3 minutes. You have to know my dad to understand why uncontrollable laughter is just not something that he does. I get my laid back, controlled persona mainly from him. That's my number one reason to have replays in life. That's a moment that will replay in my head forever.

NBA Playoffs recap...

I like what's happening in this years playoffs. A great first round series with the Baby Bulls, the boring Spurs booted from the tournament and Ron Artest making Kobe miserable LOL

To me it comes down to this:

1. Houston is physical, in your face and, oh yeah, they actually can shoot.
2. Boston doesn't need home court to win a series. They lose it. They take it back. They win. (see '08)
3. When the Nuggets play defense, no team in the NBA can beat them. Their offense is that good.
4. The worst team in the playoffs right now is the Mavericks. I actually think Atlanta could beat them.
5. No series the rest of the way will be even close to as good as the Celts-Bulls series. We can only hope for a Cavs-Lakers or Cavs-Nuggets final. The story for the Celts getting there would be great, but they would probably get swept this year. And who cares about the other teams really? LOL
6. I'm beginning to get bored with Dwight "Superman" Howard. At least Shaq has a jump hook and Yao has a step back jumper. How can "Superman" be one-dimensional? Doesn't that violate the rules of using a comic book name as an alias???
7. How is it that Eddie House can constantly get open looks at 3-pointers? I mean seriously. How many times can this guy come off the bench toss in 3's like he is tossing me a volley ball at a pool?
8. Is Dirk not the biggest wuss you have ever seen? I mean comeon!!! Grow some already. Take a charge! Give a charge! Knock somebody on their ass! SOMETHING! If I see one more fade away in the paint I'm going to toss my glass at the wall. How does a 7-footer fade away ten feet from the basket. Man up!!
9. Kobe just annoys me. You're good. We get it. But unlike MJ, you can be shut down and completely taken out of the game with the right person guarding you. And unlike MJ, your 50 points can actually be meaningless in a blowout loss.....and, well lets leave the past in the past.
10. Why couldn't the Bulls-Celts series be the Eastern Conference Finals and the West be the Nuggets and Lakers....damn.

My all-time Eagles

If you are a true (yeah I bolded true) Eagles fan - I mean you found yourself crying when you saw NFL Countdown break in with the story that Reggie White had passed, you remember where you were when Jerome Brown was killed, you remember (and still feel a sting) what was going on when Randall's season was ended with a vicious shot to the knee and effectively ended a promising season, you've yelled at the tv in vain hoping that a running play would be called or you've stared blankly at the tv after the first round pick was announced - a real NestEgg, you probably have a list of your all-time favorite Eagles; either because they were great at how they played or you felt bad that they didn't win the big one here. Well, today I am presenting my all-time Eagles starters. Now this is based on putting the best football team on the field; without considering favorites.

And without further ado:

OFFENSE

QB: Donovan McNabb - This one seems obvious. I don't remember Jaws on the field, but even if I would have seen him play more I doubt that he would trump DMac. It's a shame that he carried this team for half of his career with very little offensive help. If he could have gotten talent around him during his prime who knows. But he will retire, as an Eagle or not, as the best quarterback in team history. The Eagles didn't learn the lesson of wasting talent as was the case with the QB of honorable mention.
Honorable Mention - Randall Cunningham

RB: Brian Westbrook - What can you not ask this guy to do? Block, catch, run, return punts, return kicks - Go Score!!! He is the big cog spinning the other offensive mini-cogs on the Eagles right now. As he goes, so goes the offense; although a certain rookie receiver is starting to spin some on his own too. BWest is the most explosive back since a little lightening bolt named Charlie Garner. It seems like he's beginning to wear down from all the use the Eagles are getting out of him. He in the first player I remember making teams fear the screen.
Honorable Mention - Duce Staley

FB: Keith Byars - I still remember this beast lifting Pepper Johnson off his feet and sending him flying 5 yards through the air, seven months after being Pepper's best man in his wedding, leading the way for Randall who was coming around the corner. Then the Eagles called timeout to watch the replay several times on the scoreboard. Keith was one of those players who did everything before BWest wore the mean green. He'd throw a pass, make a crushing block, turn a bad pass into a first down and flat out ran over people. He was also one of my favorite players because you knew he never, ever gave up on a game.
Honorable Mention - Cecil Martin

WR: Terrel (TO) Owens - As controversal as this Eagle was, I'd have him back in as long as it takes to sign my name. Even today he commands double teams, or at least rolled coverage. Without him, the Birds don't get to the SuperBowl; if you doubt that you've either got an agenda or you don't know football. TO has me issues, granted. But you can't deny the skill TO has.

WR: Fred Barnett - Not many people will remember Freddy, or his 95-yard TD catch from Randall Cunningham his rookie season (after Randall danced in the endzone, made Bruce Smith loose his jock strap and fired a rocket 60 yards in the air) or his sure hands and clutch play. He was Randall's safetly valve; his big play target and was a great professional. He had high hopes and 3 (2 and 1 50 yards short) 1000 yard seasons before injuries did him in.
Honorable Mention - Mike Quick, Calvin Williams, Donte Stallworth

TE: Chad Lewis - When DMac had nothing early in his career, he had Chad to look to. Chad was a tough blocking, sure catching, hard nosed tight end who - because what other options were there - drew double coverage and still abused defenses when the game play allowed it. It can be argued that if he didn't get hurt in the NFC Championship game, and LJ Blah didn't have to play, our offense would have been much different.
Honorable Mention - Keith Jackson

Offensive Tackles: Jon Runyan & Tra Thomas - Mean, hardhitting tackles.
Offensive Guards: Jermaine Mayberry & John Welbourn - Physical tough guys.
Center: Raleigh McKenzie - A beast back in Randall's day.

DEFENSE

DE: Reggie White - Is there a need to elaborate on this one. Reggie was and it still the best defensive end to ever bless an Eagles jersey. Letting him leave was a travestry then and is still to this day. His club move destroyed linemen.

DE: Clyde Simmons - Mr. Consistent. Clyde would seal a play back to the linebackers or crush 3rd down hope with a timely sack. Granted, he benefitted from the pressure caused from the other side, but he was still a beast.

DT: Jerome Brown - His loss to the Eagles was devastating. He was the heart and soul of that Gang Green defense. The middle was a scary area for offenses to run when he roamed the area. No bigger loss was felt to that team than his death in the off-season.

DT: Darwin Walker - This may suprise many. But I think he was underrated on bad Eagles teams. You rarely found him in a bad spot and he came up with timely play after timely play.
Honorable Mention - Mike Golic

LB: Byron Evans - Ohh this was a mean mother-shut my mouth. He might have been the hardest hitting linebacker on the gang green defense. On top of his hitting, he could cover with the best of them.

LB: Jeremiah Trotter - Here's another one that should have stayed with the Eagles. Free Agency sent this man temporarily packing to Washington where his best assets weren't used. He's a big hitter, not a cover guy. But he smashed many a running back.

LB: Seth Joyner - The silent leader, smashing heads and taking names. He was a run stuffing, tight end locking down linebacker. He was a smart player who you rarely found lost in space.
Honorable Mention - William Thomas

CB: Eric Allen - In my opinion the best corner I've ever seen play in an Eagles uniform. He is the reason I wanted to play corner; because he embodied what a skilled player who studied his opponent looks like playing the game.

CB: Troy Vincent - Classy and crafty. Troy could come up and take out a running back trying to get the edge or smack a receiver that though he had a routine catch; causing an incompletion. He was from the Eric Allen mold of corners who you could depend on to shut down half of the field.

SS: Andre Waters - You want to make a receiver nervous about coming across the field? You want to make a quarterback think twice about leaving the comforts of his pocket and scrambling? You just want someone who doesn't give to craps about his body? Andre was the man. He hit harder than anybody I have ever seen his size and at his position. I remember when he took on Craig "Ironhead" Heyward in the hole and planted him. Sick hitter. Sick!

FS: Brian Dawkins - My all-time favorite Eagle. He bleeds green, burns from the passion of Philly and , oh yeah, plays some serious football. I can rattle off hundreds of plays that BDawk has made in his career, but it goes without saying that he is the best ever to play that position as a Bird. I had hoped that somehow the Eagles would have gotten him a ring, but it wasn't the case.
Honorable Mention - Bobby Taylor

SPECIAL TEAMS

P: Jeff Feagles - Who did it better. Great leg and is one of the best at the coffin corner kick.
K: David Akers - The most accurate and beloved kicker in Eagles history.
KR/PR: Brian Mitchell - Was a solid threat everytime he touched the ball.

My list is based on my Philadelphia Eagles viewing timeframe; basically from 1988 on.
Feedback is welcome but these are my birds so you better be coming correct!!

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!!

A cleansing does the body good

There comes a time (or many times) in an adult life when you find that you may be more like the runaway train then a steady locomotive. It's not so much that you aren't enjoying life; quite the contrary. You're enjoying all aspects of life, from the things you do professionally, to the delicate balance that is your personal life - ultimately you're happy. But sometimes the groove you find yourself in, although you're happy, threatens to run you into the ground if left unchecked; the pace simply can't be maintained longterm.

Snapshot the last month for me. Most nights after work I settle in with a light, healthy dinner and a glass or two of cabernet. In addition to that daily routine I found myself eating massive amounts of sushi (not necessarily a bad thing) and consuming lots of alcohol. In the last month, assuming 30 days, I can confidently say I had been to a bar, restaurant, club and/or event at least 23 of those days; and on those days if I slept 6 hours, that was a good sleep. Needless to say my healthy eating, working out and vitamins were most likely being equalized by the lack of sleep and partying. The derailment came about 10 days ago when after a night of drinking Long Islands from about 7:00 PM to 2:30 AM and finding an after hours party courtesy of some people I met that night, I got about 3 hours of sleep. The next day I sat in bed and ordered pizza for breakfast. That night, I met a friend of mine for her friends birthday, mainly because I had cancelled on her so many times I felt compelled to go; not to mention it was close to my house so I could just go home if I was bored. Typically, I ordered a LI. But this time upon taking the initial sip, I realized I couldn't consume anymore alcohol. I sent it back and ordered a water. That's when I knew; I need to take it down a notch for a little while.

So I decided to detox for 7 days (turned out to be 8); no alcohol of anykind. I also decided to do a natural body cleanse. I can't describe how hard it is to go to bars and order water over and over, but I was proud of myself for seeing the detox through. With everything I have coming up in the next few months (travel, running races, golf), I wanted to make sure that I was as healthy as I could be. So I set out to clean out my system and to help me I chose a product, "Detox7 Dietary Supplement", made by Northwest Natural Products. I've never done a detox using a product before so I didn't know what to expect, but I assumed that I would spend a lot of time in the bathroom. That was not the case. This is not a laxative in any way. Instead, steadily through the 7 days I acquired a tolerable taste for water (I hate the taste of water) and my energy level steadily increased. During the seven days each morning you are instructed to take a fiber powder with water and then follow it up with a cup of water. An increasing number of detox caplets are required in the morning and also at night to aide in the detoxification process.

Along with the detox I maintained my healthy diet and continued to take my multivitamins in the morning and at night along with my semi-daily workouts. Breakfast consisted of a banana, a WaWa bowl of mixed fruit and a (non-high fructose corn syrup containing) fruit juice. For lunch I would have a salad and/or a wrap and for dinner a lite meal (salad or boneless skinless breast with veggies). In the end, the one thing I've taken from this is that it's ok to have fun and party, but my biggest issue was lack of sleep and water consumption; two things I have no problem going without. During my detox I shot my best round of golf ever. There must be something to this water thing...

My sex bucket list

So, my best friend Julie and I were talking and decided that we would do a list of people we would have sex with if our tiny little worlds were under our complete, dictatorial, control. Here is my top 10 list:

1. Jessica Alba
It was way back in the day that a show, "Dark Angel", premiered and I took a liking to the female star of the show; one Jessica Alba. Her career has turned her into a bonafide hottie; and I in turn have turned into a stalker-recessed. To me, Jessica is like an beautifully aged glass of Cabernet; bold, yet stunningly beautiful.

2. Janet Jackson
While Janet may not be the number one Diva in the business anymore, she is still one of the baddest women on the planet. I still get the urge to YouTube the "Lonely" video just to see her rip her shirt open during the bridge. Her voice, coupled with a candle and some baby oil can destroy a bedroom in a matter of hours. She may very well be the sexiest woman alive in my mind.

3. Halle Berry
What can you say about Halle. She's gorgeous. She might have been #2 but the potentially "crazy" factor made her my number 3. From 'Boomerang' to 'Swordfish', she's just hot every time you see her.

4. Kate Beckinsale
She is ridiculously sexy in the 'Underworld' movies. Her accent adds another level of hotness to her and her physical shape and, bluntly, firm body put her in the top 5.

5. Paura Patton
You might remember her in the movie 'Deja Vu' with Denzel. She has that classy, yet freaky, look to her. She almost seems too innocent to be a bad girl. Yet, you can see a level of passion come through with her acting that just makes you want to find a secluded island somewhere to see her in her comfort zone. From top to bottom, she's gorgeous.

6. Adriana Lima
This Brazilian bombshell first caught my eye in a Victoria Secret commercial a few years ago. Her amazing eyes and stunning body are only enhanced by the sexy flow of the accent-saturated words that present themselves when she speaks. Intelligence goes a long way to sexiness to me, and she hasn't shown any lack of intelligence - she's smokin'!

7. Jessica Biel
Now some may go, "Wh Wh What?!?". This goes to my attraction to a physically strong woman who can still rock a tight skirt or put a hurtin on a dress. Jessica does both. Her role in 'Stealth' required that she get a little muscle going. Her "brick house" in the waterfall scene blew me away and her big smile is massively inviting. Adam Sandler felt the set of her best features in 'I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry'.

8. P!nk
The punk rock, yet equally classy cutie with the powerful voice and beautiful curves has been a long, long time favorite of mine. I could easily have made Pink #3 or #4, and I only attribute this low ranking to lack of seeing her recently (other than when I look at her on her application on my iPhone LOL). She takes risks, but looks just as sexy covered in mud as she does with a skirt and black boots. She's short and compact with a toned body and a great smile. As they say, "I love me some pink!"

9. Megan Fox
She's a newcomer for me and she bumped out the longest running crush I've had (Alyssa Milano, since I was a teenager). While not the most intelligent appearing, she is a stunning beauty. 'Transformers' was her coming out party and she definitely heated it up. But its the pics and footage that I've seen of her since that movie that's allowed her to crack my top 10.

10. Christina Milian
She has a lot of what I think makes a woman hott; caramel brown smooth skin, thickness where it matters, cuteness and a beautiful smile. She struts like a woman who knows what sexiness looks like. One other thing I like is naturally curly hair, which she has plenty of, and a very seductive voice. Her latest video shows off all her assets.

Honorable Mention:
11. Alyssa Milano - Have had a huge crush on her for a long, long time.
12. Kerry Washington - 'I think I love my wife' was just hott. She's moving up.
13. Ciara - Probably surprising to many that as much as I drool over her, that she didn't make it. But compared to the others on this list, babygirl can only get a mention.

The David Rating

There are conversations in your life that transcend complexity and deceit, invoke deep thought and tough decisions or inspires awareness and reflection. Sometimes a simple question spawns a conference of ideas - goals, hopes, dreams and innate possibilities - previously dismissed or unnoticed. Life is full of varying relationships (depth, intensity, intimacy, influence, etc.) which serve to guide you from your earthly beginning to your earthly end.

Relationships are the offspring of your makeup, who and what you are, and constantly push and pull you off the main road to draw the life shape that will hang in the hearts and minds of those you touch once you are gone. The picture of you they see comes from the impact you have on their life; the relationship you and that person shared. But more specifically, the picture is based off the relationship expectation versus the outcome (weighted by how much a discrepancy between the two means to them) of the relationship. In other words, if I believe you are marriage material and you turn out to be a better friend, how important I feel it is that you are my friend will determine if I see our relationship as a failure. If it were wife or nothing, not reaching that marriage level will have a bigger negative view than if I was ok with us being great friends.

I had a conversation today where a buddy of mine asked me what the "David Experience" was. In my twisted and overactive mind, I ran with the idea of describing that experience. But I took it a step further and described my experience in "The David Rating"; a listing of relationship levels that I think adequately describes how I perceive the flow of relationships. They are as follows:

• Buddy: Involves occasional conversation and the sharing of personal experiences, along with infrequent public outings (happy hours, etc). No intimacy is shared.


• Friends & Family: Involves all of the Buddy level, but with more frequent conversations and public and private get togethers. No intimacy is shared.


• Certificate: The lowest level of intimacy in The David Rating, but only on a private level. Communication is infrequent between each get together and personal connections are limited.


• Bronze: The lowest level of personal connection, but a connection nonetheless. Intimacy is more personal and contact is more frequent. Communication is more cyclical, but also more frequent. Public outings are minimal but may occur; although private encounters are the overwhelming majority.


• Silver: The best non-committal / intimate level. Intimacy is more intense and highly personal. Communication is frequent, and public and personal outings are discretionary. Extended encounters are voluntary and frequently occur. Dates, meals, massages and other extras are included random times and are sometimes done on request.


• Gold: Includes all Silver amenities with the added level of an exclusive experience, limited to just one person. In many ways, this level can be interpreted as a "relationship"; and includes all perks of being in a relationship.


• Platinum: Includes the Gold level for the rest of your life, or unless the agreement is terminated (i.e. divorce).

I ask the following questions of any two people in any relationship (answer individually and without the other person knowing the answer until you reveal together. Swapping answer sheets may be a good idea):

1. What level would you consider your relationship to be at right now?


2. Based on everything you know about the other person what level do you honestly foresee or want your relationship to top at?


3. With regard to question #2, would you be ok with your relationship staying at the current level and not moving to the level you chose in #2 (assuming the level was higher than the level chosen for question #1)?


4. If the level you chose for #1 was higher than the other person, how would you feel?


5. If the level you chose for #2 was higher than the other person, how would you feel?

Optional Additional Questions:

1. When you met the other person what level were you honestly looking for?


2. If the relationship with the other person were to dissolve, what level would you be looking for in future relationships?


3. What is the highest level a prior relationship ended at?


4. What is the lowest level a prior relationship ended at, that you wanted to go higher?

I think a lot about relationships in life and the footprint that is left on those I come across. While this post it directed at (in my case) opposite sex relationships, the idea of relationship accountability - treating people fairly and always being honest - should never be lost; regardless of what type of relationship it is.

I just had to say it...

Are you kidding me? I mean are you seriously kidding me?!?!? The Bush cat dies and it is a top 5 bullet item on news websites??? In an IM with my best friend Gerri, I had a little mini-rant:

"That CAN'T be one of the top 5 news bulletins with Israel and the economy and the auto makers and jobs and Obama and the NFL and the car accident on 95 this morning and the new school in Arizona and the random fact that birds flap their wings 200 times a minute or the fact that I ran out of toothpaste this
morning...get my point yet? LOL"

I really, really don't like watching or reading the news. The media is right down there with plucking my pubic hair and listening to a cat in heat as the worst possible things that I can be stuck doing 24 hours straight.