My birthday week and a 30 Day Challenge

It is 8:45 pm

     It's a beautiful warm summer day in SE Michigan. The cheetah is downstairs looking out through his window,he was waiting for me to come home because he knows its canned catfood night. He was meowing,, roaring when I came home to feed him.
Got ESPN3 going on the computer listening to the UAPB-Texas State football replay...


Its been a while since I wrote so this might take a while...its been a up and down week.

I turned 50 on 26 August....normally a reason for a celebration with loved ones and friends...but instead the day found me over at St. Thomas a 'Beckett talking to Debbie Miller. It had been three months since I last talked to my regular grief therapist,Becka,from Arbor Hospice. My time with her was only supposed to officially last a year but Becka extended it to 14 months.

  Three weeks ago found me in a most difficult time as I was in a bad way and pretty close to walking off this mortal coil. I came out the other side hurting pretty badly but knowing I needed to talk to someone. So I reached out to Debbie and set up a appointment.
   Coming into her office,I saw it had been changed around a bit from the last time I had been there.
We started our session and I shared with her where I was at,she seemed to get a little edgy at this and I picked up on this but what could I do? I am just being honest,Lori and my bond was that tight. She asked me a strange question,she asked me if I thought I put myself in that box as she put it.
   While that is not the case because as everyone who has lost a spouse or a loved,the journey is different. I do NOT want to sit here in this sadness,if I did,then why is the point of even staying alive? Who desires to live with only half of you being able to function at any level? I thought it was asked with tinge of anger and now I am feeling uncomfortable with this line of questions when Debbie stops the session. She looked past me and said that I wouldn't have know this but her husband had died in May. He had a massive heart attack and had held on for a month before being placed on life support. It was Debbie who had to make the call to let her husband go.

 And just like that,it made perfect sense...why the questions,why the anger. I said I was sorry and said I wish I could tell you something,give you some advice but I can't. She said "I am glad,I don't want to hear any advice".
   She said "I want to know how are you are going to start moving on". Well my face must have said it all because she retracted that statement and said it wasn't then term she wanted to use.
I said I was glad because I really hate that term and said you will come to detest it as well.
 We talked about what plans God has for us,I struggle with that question everyday. There has to be a purpose and some days I see it and other days I simply see nothing. I know this will always be with me or anyone else going through this.

 The session for all intent and purposes was over as we talked about what happened to her husband. He complete blockage of one aorta and 95% of the other,Debbie said they call a "widowmaker" as mostly men suffer from this type of heart attack. She mentioned the month after her husband had died,his sister suffered the same type of heart attack but survived. Just another strange twist to the tale.
   I must admit,I am surprised,Debbie said she took two months off before coming back to work,that she came back so quickly sort of concerns me a lot. As a pastor of a large parish,the different types of emotions she has to deal with every day is rough as it is but doing so with a such a heavy loss.....I don't know....but I do know I will be doing my part by not going back and instead will look for someone else to talk to.

  The rest of the day was nice,was treated to lunch and some running around before coming back home.
Wednesday was another quiet day as I spent the day doing chores. My friend Sue had called the night before to take me to dinner on Wednesday but I suggested we do pizza and watch the first college football game of 2014.

  Sue loves football and so it was a easy choice....so that is how we spent my birthday on Wednesday. The game was Abilene Christian at Georgia State. The game was pretty exciting as it came it down to the last 4 seconds before GSU kicked a field goal and won,38-37. It was a fun way to start the season.
  Thursday morning saw me getting up pretty early to make the trek into Detroit to meet up with Lori's best friend and bridesmaid,Deb. She surprised me with a ticket to see Derek Jeter's last baseball game against the Tigers.

  I caught a ride with Marlene who works downtown and we made it downtown is 45 minutes. Traffic was pretty light and soon enough I was camped out at Tim Horton's drinking coffee. I peeked outside at a park where the annual Detroit Jazz Festival was being set up for the four day holiday. The festival attracts world class musical talent and its also free.

  I saw a few musicians walking about,many would be busking later on during the day. I sat back,enjoyed my coffee and people watched until Deb made to downtown.
We walked through downtown and looked at the light rail being built. This truly is what Detroit needs. The roads going through the heart of the city are narrow and cramped and parking downtown can be a circus. The light rail,just as it did in San Jose,will bring relief to those folks heading to a event.
  Deb took me to the The Hudson Cafe,a big,airy room which specializes in breakfasts. The food was excellent and very reasonably priced as well. Deb had mentioned that coming here on the weekends was pretty impossible as the lines waiting to get in are pretty long. Well on a early Thursday,the room was only maybe half full and the service was fast and friendly.

  We walked towards Comerica Park and soon we saw other fans heading the same way. We stopped at a sports merch place to look at hats....they didn't have any Yankees caps for some reason and the Tiger caps were 35.00,a little rich for my blood.
  We came out and finished walking to the ballpark,the crowds weren't too bad at the gate and the mood was pretty festive. There were as many Yankees shirts and jerseys as there were Tiger ones. Deb looked pretty nifty in her Rick Porcello jersey I have to say...it felt strange to see the park in the daylight and also without Lori. She loved baseball and we always had a good time at the games we went to.

  Since the game was a "get away" game for the Tigers,there wasn't any infield practice or batting practice as well. We did wait for an hour behind the Yankees dugout hoping for a glimpse of Derek Jeter but other then the pitchers getting their running in,only Chase Headley and Ichiro came out.
 The day was perfect and the game was pretty exciting,turned into a pitching duel and Brad Ausmus out managed Joe Giraldi. The Tigers pulled out the game in the bottom of the 9th,3-2.
   The battle to escape downtown was the normal Detroit nightmare,narrow roads,crappy drivers and the light construction made it an adventure to get out.
  We made it to Michigan Ave. and headed home...as we were,we passed by a location shoot on the Batman/Superman movie being shot at a local deli. Overall it was a very special day and I am extremely thankful to Deb for taking me.
 
 Got home in time to get ready for the college football season opener as San Jose State took on FCS squad North Dakota. Last year I watched the game against Sacramento State and was completely bummed as despite SJSU won,24-0,it was a ugly,boring win. This year,with a new look defense and some real talent running the ball,SJSU took care of business and blew out the Fighting Sioux,42-10.
 The passing game needs a lot of work and our best tailback was suspended for this game and the one against 5th ranked Auburn this weekend. The defense was fast and much more effective...plus no real serious injuries. Which is a good thing as the Spartans will need every single player in playing the best team they have seen since played Alabama in 2008. The spread is 31 points so there isn't many who think SJSU can pull off the huge upset.
  The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN 2,hoping for a minor miracle...would be quite a coup to win!!
    Joining the gym this week,feel much more into it this time as a couple of others at my work have joined so am hoping to get a good routine going. The city I live in has a nice trail system and they just completed linking up the main trails with the one right by the house.



  I actually decided to take my first walk down the new trail this afternoon...got about a quarter mile into it and noticed an overcast sky was turning darker so I decided not to risk it and headed back...just as I got to the Rodger Young,it started sprinkling lightly...drove home in about 5 minutes and as I pulled into my driveway,the heavens opened up and a thunderstorm dropped quite a bit of rain...
Seems like our weather is turning into Florida's weather...hot,humid and then it rains. Could always be worse...be hot with NO rain.
  But tomorrow is another day and I will try and walk the trail again.

My friend Brad started something a while ago on his FB page,he started listing 5 good things everyday that occurs in his life,some are small and some are big but he lists something every single day. I always thought it was a neat idea when he first started it but I have to admit,I find it very,very hard to find things to be happy about. Trying to find 5???? I love to but just isn't there yet.

  Then a very nice person named Jennifer Blanc-Biehn started a 30 day challenge starting in September and I decided to give it a shot...I started out posting on my FB wall but since I decided to post here instead.
 Here is my list so far

Day 1
I am grateful for my brothers Phillip and Monte. You two have really been so supportive with talking to me at anytime,

I am grateful for my job. The job itself isn't that great but the people I work with kick butt!

I am grateful for my cheetah,Paladin. He has been a joy..he makes me laugh every day on some level.

Day 2
1. Grateful for my good friend William Clark who I met while starting my first blog. 
Not only is he a true fan boy but loves baseball almost as much as I do. I am taking this time to wish him a most happy birthday!!

2. Grateful I have a home to come to. While it can be a lonely place to come home to,its a nice house and I am glad I live in a quiet neighborhood.

3. Grateful for having the passion to read pretty much anything put in front of me. I am not picky on what I read as long as I have a book with me.


Day 3
1. I am grateful to my friend Michael Hoover (R.I.P.) who let me read his vast collection of books and comics. It was because of Michael,that I became a fanboy. 

2. I am grateful to Joe Kelly. It was through Joe that I got my start in the music business. I helped him break down the stage and he got me hired on as a doorman at Marsugi's. He also got me hooked on the Simpsons as well. 

3. I am grateful to the hardy daisies that keep coming back to bloom every year.
Its a nice treat to walk outside to a a bushel of flowers solaring in the sun!!

Day 4

1 Glad that I am getting to join a gym again. The first around wasn't so fun but I think this will be more my speed. What a nice birthday gift!!! 

2. Discovering new writers,well at least to me. Read my first Elmer Kelton novel this past week,Kelton was a prolific writer of Westerns. I only discovered him because one of his collections was at my local Dollar Tree. 

3. Speaking of Dollar Tree,I am grateful my store has customers who enjoy reading. Because of this,our store has a high turnover rate of books which in turns leads to fresh titles. This isn't always the case at other stores where they have the same old musty books for months on end.


 Okay,I am going to post this and hit the hay. Thank you for reading this and feel to drop a comment.

If you are on Twitter,follow me @Jinzo_2400


shout outs

San Jose State - We believe!
Sue,Cheryl and Deb - Thank you for my birthday week.
Marlene- thank you for letting me Crash sit next weekend!!
Jennifer- thanks for the 30 Day challenge! Its been fun so far!
Hello Kitty - We know you are a cat.
Donna - sending you light and peace
Rome - we got it right with the Rock as Black Adam!! Could be very bad-ass!

San Jose State Football 2014 Preview

Its 1:47 am

   Quiet night,a little chilly but nothing heavy. Indianapolis is about to get rocked with some big T-storms which I am following on Twitter as I start to write this entry. We had a slight snow/rain mix this morning but nothing really worth mentioning.

So I am going to be doing my second preview of San Jose State's upcoming football schedule for next year.
My forecast for a 7-5 (I was hoping for a 8-4 year) was slightly off as the Spartans struggled with a poorly executed defensive plan (which I did forecast correctly) and finished a bad 6-6 and no bowl. That was an injustice in itself as the Spartans finished their first season in the Mountain West at 5-3 and defeated the two teams that did go bowling,Colorado State and Nevada Las Vegas,on the road. But bad losses to a very poor Nevada Reno team and a Navy team the Spartans had handled two years in a row before doomed them as far a bowl game.
  A lot has changed in the off-season. Coach Ron Caragher and his staff have been working hard to get ready for this year. The most positive change relatively speaking is Caragher hired a new defensive head coach. The trouble is I got to watch him up close and personal as former Syracuse HC Greg Robinson was Michigan's defensive HC for two years and his defenses struggled. It sort of scares me as Robinson coached a school that regularly finishes in the Top 15 in terms of players recruited. He had a lot of great players at the U of Michigan but they struggled mightily during his two years here.
  Robinson resurfaced on the college football radar last year when he stepped in at Texas to help Mack Brown after the Longhorns were trampled by BYU's ground game. Brown was forced out at UT and Robinson wasn't retained by the new coaching staff.
   So now he comes to SJSU....and he has a still potent defense in place,it just needs to be given the right scheme to play in. And it better happen quickly,while Coach Caragher recruited the 4th best class in the Mountain West,the Spartans are again going to be playing a very rugged schedule in 2014.
 With record setting QB David Fales and the gifted Chandler Jones heading to the NFL and losing 4 of 5 starting offensive linemen,the Spartans are going to tested right out of the gate. While the passing game has led the way the last two years,its going to be the running game that needs to take charge...and the Spartans are blessed with a lot of good tailbacks in Jarrod Lawson,Tim Crawley and returning star Tyler Ervin who missed last year with injuries. Jr Joe Gray looks to be winning the QB job in the spring and could very be the starter come fall.
   The defense still has NFL prospect Travis Raciti plugging the d-line but I am hoping Robinson switches Raciti to the outside of the line. Travis has a motor that never quits but being double teamed while in the 3-4 limited his true value and allowed teams to attack the center of the line. Playing a 4-3 will limit that option for other teams and Travis can handle anyone in a one on one match-up and make plays.
 Vince Buhagiar returns to lead the linebacker corp while Dasheon Frierson will head up the secondary.

The 2014 schedule:

Game One



North Dakota - 30 August

First meeting

SJSU opens up at home against FCS foe North Dakota. Lucky for the Spartans,its not North Dakota State,as the Bison has beaten many a FBS school including Kansas State last year. No,the Spartans get the Fighting Sioux in what should be a good game to break in new players and schemes. Last year SJS stopped a hard fighting Sacramento State squad 24-0. While I don't think SJS will blow out the Sioux on offense,I do see them winning this game.


at Auburn - 6 Sept.



First meeting

Wow...talk about a baptism in fire,the first road game is against Auburn who went to the National Championship game last year and upset Alabama as well. This will be a supreme test for the Spartans as they have yet to beat a SEC team,the last time they ventured down south,they got steam rolled by a very good Alabama team,48-3. I don't expect the Spartans to win but I (and the rest of Spartan Nation) just want to compete with the Tigers. Being blown out here cannot happen...losing a 10-14 point game will give the team some momentum..I know what some of you are saying,isn't a loss a bad thing? Yes and no...Auburn is going to be jacked after the monster year they had last year while SJSU is going to be starting a new QB behind a reloaded offensive line,to get a W would be a huge upset and it could happen as Auburn might overlook SJSU after opening the season playing SEC rival Arkansas.


After a open date,SJSU once again heads on the road to play Big 10 Minnesota.

Game 3



at Minnesota - 20 Sept

Minnesota leads the series 2-1
Last meeting, Minnesota 43,San Jose State 24

I got to watch this game and was pretty frustrated watching it. This game showed why the Spartans couldn't and shouldn't have played the 3-4. Raciti was contained most of the game as the Spartans failed to get any kind of a pass rush against the Gophers. Coach Caragher had watched senior tailback Jason Simpson have a good game against Sac State and insisted on running him to no avail against Stanford and the Gophers. SJS ended up with 47 yards on the ground and forced Caragher to take another look at his running game. David Fales had a monster game in a losing effort. This year will also see the Gophers rebuilding as they are losing a QB and have to reload on the defensive front as well.
  This game will be a toss up as Minnesota will have already faced two good teams in Middle Tenn and TCU before facing Lawson,Winston and the Spartans.


Game 4



Nevada  27 Sept

Nevada leads the series 4-13-0
Last meeting,Nevada 38, San Jose State 16

This was the game in my opinion that kept San Jose State home from a bowl game. The Wolf Pack game was by far the worst game the Spartans played last year. Coming off a bitter loss to Adam Muema and the San Diego Aztecs,the Spartans were crushed by the woefully bad Wolf Pack,a team that had been blown out 62-7 to Florida State earlier in the season. If the Spartans are to make a statement in the Mountain West,this is the game to do it. Pound the bad teams and dogfight the good teams. The Spartans don't want a repeat of last year in winning their opener then dropping three in a row. 1-3 and trying to win a bowl bid is a hard road to hoe. I do see a Spartan win here however.

Game 5



UNLV  4 Oct

SJSU leads the series 12-5-1
Last meeting,SJS 34,UNLV 24


Second straight week hosting a Nevada school,this time its the Rebels of UNLV. The Spartans had one of their better defensive games as they dominated the first half,shutting out the Rebels at halftime. The second was much tighter as a improved and well coached UNLV made it a game as SJSU hung on to win by 10.
Getting the first two league games at home is a golden chance to go 2-0 and put pressure on the rest of the division...win here and this could the start of something special.


After the second and final open date of the season,SJSU heads out on the road in league play.


Game 6


at Wyoming 18 Oct

Wyoming leads the series,2-6
Last meeting, SJSU 51,Wyoming 44


Perhaps the most exciting Spartan win of last as David Fales scored with mere seconds remaining as SJSU won a shootout with the Cowboys. Both teams clicked on offense while both defenses struggled all game long.Wyoming started strong but the lack of speed on defense doomed them and led to the firing of the head coach. Wyoming hired the coach at North Dakota State to help rebuild the team. They will be like the Spartans were last year,in transition with a new coach. A victory here would be huge in the bowl picture. The Spartans run game will be critical in helping keep a potent Cowpoke attack off the field.


Game 7



at Navy  25 Oct

San Jose State leads the series,2-1
Last meeting,Navy 58,SJSU 52 (2 OTs)


Last non conference game of the year and this series as SJSU travels to Maryland to battle Navy and its lethal option offense which carved up SJS despite the Spartans knowing what was coming. Navy's QB set a college record for most TDs scored by rushing in a single game last year. The 3-4 defense got totally gutted as the defense looked helpless and powerless to stop Navy. The Spartans,who had shut Navy out last time here,had no answers in stopping the option despite have much of the same players on defense from the year before. The Spartans will once again have to control the ball via the running game in order to sink Navy's chances for a win....if not,a loss is very possible here.


Game 8


Colorado State

SJSU leads the series 4-3
Last meeting- SJSU 34,Colorado St. 27

  This year Colorado State will be one of the favored teams in the Mountain West. This is a team on the rise again after stopping Washington State in the New Mexico Bowl. The Rams are explosive on offense but were uneven....scoring 66 points against New Mexico and an astounding 58 against Air Force. But between those games,the Rams were shut out by Utah State showing they still have a ways to go to becoming one of the better teams in the Mountain West. This is will be a swing game as in its anyone's game to win...or lose.


Game 9




at Fresno State

Fresno State leads the series 35-39-3
Last meeting,SJSU 62, Fresno State 52

  Normally the Spartans and Bulldogs meet in the last game of the season but not this year. But this is STILL San Jose State biggest game every year. Like many of the SJSU-FSU clashes in the past,last years game was a instant classic. Fresno came to Spartan Stadium ranked,undefeated and look to go to a BCS game. Derek Carr was having a fantastic season yet David Fales outplayed him in leading SJSU to a major upset and derailing Fresno's dreams for BCS glory. This was the first time SJSU had two in a row against the Bulldogs since the 86-87 games.
  Like SJS,Fresno will be rebuilding this year as Carr and Fales are heading to the NFL. They also will be playing a extremely rugged schedule...USC,Utah and Nebraska. So this game might be decided by which team is the less banged up squad.Fresno's schedule towards the end is much more friendly while SJSU has to travel back home to battle the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.


Game 10



Hawaii

Hawaii leads the series 10-13-1
Last meeting,SJSU 37,Hawaii 27

 Despite the shootout type score from last year,Hawaii was just awful. Beating Army in overtime is the only the thing that prevented a winless season for Hawaii. Famed offensive guru Norm Chow has been a complete bust as a head coach but the Warriors have shown some fight the past two years. The Rainbow Warriors are not really expected to improve much and they have always struggled on the road a bit. Chow will have his hands full in trying to win some of the close games Hawaii dropped last year. If the Spartans can jump on them early and keep the crowd into it,the Spartans should win this game in the 4th quarter. They will need to win as they end the season on the road at two of the better teams in the Mountain West.


Game 11



at Utah State

SJSU leads the series,17-15-1
Last meeting,Utah State 40,SJSU 12.

The Aggies of Utah State are starting to get it together. Despite head coach Gary Andersen moving to Wisconsin,the Aggies hardly skipped a beat by having a great season that saw them narrowing losing the Mountain West title game to Fresno State but bounce back strong to defeat Jordan Lynch and N. Illinois in the Pointsetta Bowl.
  The past two seasons,Utah State has spanked the Spartans,beating them two years ago by 22 and last year by 28 points. The Spartans have a lot to prove if they want to be considered a elite team in the Mountain West. Playing smart sound defense and limiting mistakes on offensive will enhance their chances of upsetting Utah State. Anything less and this could get ugly once again.

Game 12


at San Diego State

SDSU leads the series,5-12-1
Last meeting,San Diego State 34,SJSU 30.

Last year the Spartans led the Aztecs by 10 points heading into the last quarter. But thanks to the amazing Adam Muema,who scored twice in the last stanza,the Spartans went down in defeat at home. The was the first of three straight losses that killed any chance of a bowl game and a winning season. The Spartans couldn't contain Muema all night long and they wore down in the last quarter while San Diego State just got stronger. They defeated Boise State for the second year in row and went on to crush Buffalo in the Potato Bowl.
  Muema won't be back this year and the Aztecs will be hard pressed to replace that kind of talent. The Spartans however will have a full stable of good hard runners and could be poised to return the favor of a beatdown this year.

This season again has the potential to be a good one. Its critical that Caragher go to a bowl game and get the Spartans to a 3rd straight non-losing season. The benefits are paying off as the quality of the recruits are picking up,the team (and its fans) have to keep showing up and playing hard.

In closing I know this is pretty early but this is how I am looking at the upcoming season.

Thanks for reading and feel free to send me some feedback on your team.

If you are on Twitter,follow me @Jinzo_2400

Of volunteering,Nelson Mandela and a Christmas request

Its 5:51 pm

     Shivering my ass off upstairs....had to borrow one of Paladin's fleece blankets to help keep me warm. He is curled up on my bed with his two other blankets. Not turning on the heater as of yet. Not because I am a tough guy but simply can't afford to run it unless I truly need to. Doing more with less is my new normal. I have on a pair of socks,a heavy sweater,sweat pants and that fleece blanket. Maybe its the iced coffee that is chilling my bones more then normal.

 I had a good week all things considering,got a good start on the basement,completed a volunteer shift for the Goodfellows and decided to try and write a book. I got the idea from cleaning out my basement and now I'm in the early process of sorting things out. I know many people have suggested I do this and now I think its actually a good idea. I need something to jumpstart me again...its not easy to simply do that but it is maddening to know you control your own fate in regards of how you let a life changing event define you.

   I need to get back into doing the good habits I had developed since going back to work. My diet is so screwed these days what with not cooking very much but I have a idea about that as well and I am going to share that with you come Jan 2014.
  Its not a new idea but when you consider who is going to be undertaking it,I think you'll want to see how it goes.
 
  The week wasn't perfect however as we had a unpleasant incident happen at the job. The ASM (assistant store manager) who hired me in was suddenly fired. A co-worker said it was pretty strange as the ASM started her usual store duties when she was called into the back. A while later,she was escorted out the building. Our store manager told several employees that she wasn't with the company anymore and to respect her privacy. The last part is easy as the company has discouraged social contact between store management and the rank and file worker. In other words,we don't know how to even say "hello" to any of our upper management outside of work.
  Of course everyone was talking about it...I felt bad for both her and my manager,what a position to be put in...but there had to be a  reason for what happened. I know she is very talented and she will be missed!


 The big news this week - Nelson Mandela has passed away at age 95. Mandela,who languished in a South African jail for 27 years before not only winning his freedom but also becoming his nation's President,was a true champion for his people and fought hard to overcome the incredible damage that apartheid had ripped South Africa apart for many decades. As I have been fond of pointing out,we need only to be willing to look at history to see how to avoid making the same mistakes. Even as I write this,this country is going through apartheid in a economic and cultural ways that are very subtle and insidious manner. The top 2%,Wall Street and the so called political leaders are quietly working very hard of dividing and denying the average American the same chances for a quality life that they themselves have at our expense. Sadly we have no Nelson Mandela to boldly arise and help end this injustice. Instead we have mainstream media types whipping us into a feeding frenzy of hatred and mistrust. But I do know there are those of us who will continue to do the right thing and embrace our fellow human beings.

  Last night was was a great example of this. I got a call from Paula Kosbe who works in the Park and Leisure section of my city. She also is the leader of getting folks to volunteer at various events. Lori and I met her when we were among the first to volunteer for the emergency food bank,she is a sweet lady and works very hard. Well,I was one of the folks she called to help with the Goodfellows intake this week and the next.
The Goodfellows work very hard to help families who are struggling and have kids to have a normal Christmas. The family makes a request per child and then generous people pick the name and basically buy what the child needs as close as they can.
  Its really humbling at this time of year,the local newscasts always show different groups taking a small groups of kids shopping for Christmas gifts. What has always struck me is what these kids DON'T pick. They don't go for the "in" thing but for the simple things or perhaps a item of clothing they need.
Many shop for family members before themselves. The same thing goes for the families that submit a request through the Goodfellows. No PS/4 or Xboxes here. The folks that support a chosen family are given a guideline to shop by,warm clothes,up to 4 small toys and the Goodfellows also donate a book or two from various book drives throughout the year.
  This is where I was at last night...I was with a nice young man named Karl and a city employee named Tom. Karl and I would help the folks who were dropping the bags off. We would load them on carts or carrying them downstairs where members of Goodfellows who check them in and put them in the sorting rooms.
  In the past,the gathering would take a week and then the sorting and wrapping would take another before they delivered the gifts to the families. But they made a wise choice starting this year. Now they ask the sponsoring family to include wrapping paper. This allows the parents of the child to see what their child gets but also to wrap to gifts themselves,to partake of what Christmas joy there is in wrapping gifts.
  It was pretty slow at first with trickles coming in but as our shift went on,it got busier.
But between the cars coming through,we three talked college football,city politics and the like. Tom,whose job was to moniter the front lobby of the city hall at night,said it was a quiet job for the most part. He said local HOA meetings take place and once in a blue moon,things get heated. He has a button to the police station which is next door and if he can't help smooth out the problem,he presses the button.
  I said "They will get a chance to meet Brian and his new partner". I have blogged about Brian and his K-9 partner,Poncho,who used to eat lunch at the hotel I worked at. I went to Poncho's retirement a couple of years ago. Tom laughed at that and said that his daughter had been an Explorer for the police department and had influenced her to get into law enforcement. She is a campus officer at a local college.
  45 minutes after that discussion,Tom's phone rings and he starts talking....he moved away as another car came up and Karl and I jumped into action. As we came upstairs,Tom was shaking his head. I asked him if everything was okay and he said that was his daughter on the phone. Wednesday night,Poncho had passed away. We were just talking about him and now he is gone. We then told Karl about Poncho and showed him his picture in a poster that the city still had up.
  I remember when Brian said that when K-9 retire,they generally only live two years after they do. Its because they work so hard that the dogs seem to age prematurely. So while it was sad news,I wasn't too shocked,just that it happened and I was able to learn about it.

(This isn't Poncho,just gives you a idea of what he looked like)
  The night went one and and 25 minutes before the end of our shift,a truck pulled up...the lady and her group were dropping off 31 bags for 31 kids. It took her three trips to drop off everything. We helped carry it in to be checked off. And then it was over...and I started home.
   I decided to take a flyer and stop by the Blockbuster store that is going out of business. I wanted to see if my gift card that I got as a birthday gift would be good. The store had a few people in it and as I started looking for some DVDs for my stack,I was engaged by a friendly employee named Jason who noticed my U of Detroit sweater. We talked about Titan basketball (which is extremely rare out here in the burbs) and how its going to be a rebuilding year. Turns out not only is he working at Blockbuster,which will stay open for another month or so,but he also works at Calihan Hall where the Titans play. I told I had went through this when Farmer Jack closed its doors and if he had any luck finding another job.No luck so far (don't I know it) but he was plugging away. I thought it showed real character to hang in there at Blockbuster which is 25 miles from home for him and couldn't be paying him all that much.

 His spirit was hopeful and it was encouraging to see as most folks whose company is closing are bitter and upset. Its hard to stay professional when people make cracks about why your company is going away. The good news was my gift card still worked and I was able to get 4 DVDs out of it. Pretty happy about that because my Dollar Tree stash is getting low.
  Now for something weird.....while I can't really afford a Christmas this year,is it okay to ask for a Christmas card from any reader who would like to send one? I don't know if its tacky but when I hear about crowdfunding/sourcing...I am willing to take a chance and say I would like to get a simple card or two.
  At least I can keep one tradition that Lori and I had alive. We would wait until Christmas morning to open our cards (except from our families,those we had to open when we got them). It made for a fun build-up and we always re-read the cards from the year before as well.

So,if you are so inclined....here is my address:

Michael Sullivan
45249 Lemont Road
Canton,Michigan
48187.

And thank you of course.




I'm listening to the MAC Championship game on ESPN2 between Northern Illinois and Bowling Green. If the Huskies win,they are headed to a huge payday again by playing in a BCS bowl game. Bowling Green will also go bowling again.
   I am holding my breath as I don't know if San Jose State is going to get a bowl bid. While they did beat 16th ranked Fresno State,they still finished a mere 6-6. A terrible 3 game losing streak forced the Spartans to have to beat Fresno just be considered. While many sites have UNLV and Colorado State going before SJSU,I don't see that happening at all three schools finished 5-3 in the Mountain West and more importantly,the Spartans beat the Rams and Rebels head to head. That plus a explosive offense has me thinking they will be heading to the New Mexico Bowl as I wrote last entry. But instead of Oregon State or Washington State,the experts have SJSU either playing Arizona or Buffalo. If we had a defense,I would love to play the Wildcats but since we don't (we DO have a defense,just not a defensive coach worth a damn),we would be better off matched up with Buffalo. Come Sunday night,we will see if and where the Spartans will land. Then the critical off-season starts.
  2014 is going to be a monster year in terms of schedule strength as San Jose will play on the road,Auburn,Minnesota and Navy while hosting FCS North Dakota. This is why playing in a bowl game is so important,we need all the recruiting help we can get!



  Okay,so who watched the live broadcast of "The Sound of Music" last night? I stumbled across the last half of it and I watched with a mix of horror and a NASCAR race. It was so bad yet you didn't want to change the channel because wanted to see if someone would flub up. Well they did....when NBC actually decided to pull this off this trainwreck. Don't get me wrong,I think Carrie Underwood is a decent singer but she was just overmatched in this type of setting.

  This was one of Lori's favorite films and I got the DVD for her for a gift. It truly is a classic film and seriously,who else but Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer could we see as Maria and Captain Van Trapp? I know the network tried to put a positive spin by saying the public gave it a "B-" if you looked at Twitter last night,it got more like a F+. Not exactly a shining moment for NBC.
  And in a twisted case of irony,they kept showing the previews for "Saving Mr. Banks" which was the story of Mary Poppins.....which of course starred the same delightful Julie Andrews! Sometimes you just can't improve on perfection!




Well that is it for me tonight.....thanks for reading! Feel free to drop a comment or two.

If you are on Twitter,add me @Jinzo_2400


Shout outs

Lisa B- thanks for giving me a chance.
Nelson Mandela - For showing the world that one can keep their humanity,no matter what may come.
San Jose State Football - thanks for a great season
Suzanne West - For such a lovely picture!
Anthony Cardno - For such a awesome interview with Win Scott Eckert!
Dr. Bonnie - Courage!
E.G. -Pleasant......dreams??
Alana - thank you for the bread again!
Barb - as always,thank you for the dinners.
Tom Leyden - Curtis is a Met? Holy crow,we are in deep doo this year!
Pat Caputo - Thanks for always answering my SJSU tweets to you,you are a true gentlemen
Candye - Hope you are home soon!
Tiffany - Hope Dallas is ready for the Sanctuary of Style!

Rolling Blog

It's 10:35 pm

  It's another bitterly cold night here in SE Michigan. Paladin and I are watching "American Ninja" on YouTube. My brother Phil loved this movie so much,we wore out the local mom and pop video that had this on VHS. 

  

  Its two days before Thanksgiving. Tomorrow is the memorial service at St. Thomas a Beckets. It's going to a sad night for a lot of us who lost our loved ones this year. I am sure tears will be shed,memories shared...even some good times will be recalled.

I will write about the night on Thursday....but now I want to bring attention I saw on my Facebook wall from a very earnest young music lover named Dan Herman who lives in Pennsylvania.

This is clear proof that despite what some may say and think,the recession is still out here,still causing much pain and havoc.

This is what Dan posted publicly on his wall.

Spoke to landlord earlier today and decided to put up pretty much the remainder of what's in my bank toward the back rent. It's all I can do to keep from being evicted. I'm now pretty much broke, and I still have bills incoming. I'm still seeking work, going below my means to find work that doesn't fit my background.

Even if I find work this week, I can only hope it's local and that I don't go penniless because I can't get the bus or the train. 

Once again, I must ask for your help. Regardless of the fact that it's a holiday season (which is the better part of 6 weeks), I can't function without any income. I know, just about any of you probably can't either. This situation is dire. I don't know how short the eviction process is here in Philadelphia. I just don't know where or how I'd move at this juncture if I had to leave. 

I'm not ashamed at typing all this. It's better than keeping it all in and praying for the end to come quickly. It's almost like in poker, the idea of existing with a 'chip and a chair'. That's about the best way I can analogize this scenario to something else. 

So what am I doing? I've applied to jobs in any number of websites for the local area, including 10 miles out. I've started to reach some local stores re possible seasonal employment. I've also reached a few friends and relatives across the country who may have leads for work in their necks of the woods. At this moment I've no interviews pending, but a ton of applications are out there with my humble name on them. 

I am aware of some rental assistance agencies in the city. I don't know their reputation, what the process is, or anything. I just know they are there, and I'll resort to them if I must. Any insight on this would be appreciated greatly. 

Also I do have the Paypal button on the website as a possible means to build income. You can contribute as you will. 

I have my resume all polished, too. Contact me at cblue456 @ comcast . net if you want this file. 

Well, that's all I got. It'll take a lot of pain to bring me down. I'm hurting, but not so much that I don't have hope.

As I told Dan and I am writing this....that took a lot of courage to write. I know that I am not that far away from being in Dan's shoes. The economy is still in the pooper as jobs are getting harder to find that pay a decent wage. If you wish to help Dan out,you can contact him at the email address listed above.
  As I blogged before,I volunteer at a emergency food giveaway in my city. While the number of folks doesn't seem large (103),its still over 30 people up from where its normally at. I saw two different posts on my FB wall about huge crowds in San Jose (2,500) and Stockton (4,000!!) waiting to get a Thanksgiving meal. I don't know about Detroit this year but we chronically have a large turnout for a free hot meal or having a free turkey and all the fixings.

1 Dec
9:27 pm

Still writing this in fits and starts. Its another chilly day in SE Michigan. We are both in the den,I'm writing and Paladin is curled up on his fleece blanket. 
  Going back to last Tuesday night. Had the day but kept busy. I had already talked to Susan to let her know she didn't need to come down. Turns out she couldn't have anyhow as her new dog has a case of heartworm and she had to take him into the vet. I also talked to Marlene (Crash's mom) to also let her know she didn't need to come. She said she would try but as it was her late day...
  I was going to meet Michael and Deb at Antonio's for dinner at 5:45 before heading to St. Thomas at 7 pm. As I was getting ready,my neighbor Kathy came over. I hadn't seen her in over a month and I saw I had 20 minutes...which went into 35 before I managed to get free.
  It didn't matter,my stomach was too tied up to worry about eating so I made small talk as Michael and Deb ate (and thank you again for dinner). Pretty soon it was time to go and we drove down to St. Thomas where there were a lot more folks then I had imagined. People were slowly walking inside and we made our way in as well. I went to the men's room to get a little composed and saw a few other guys doing the same.
  I was a little perplexed as to why was St. Thomas having this service only two days before Thanksgiving? I mean,its rough already during the best of times but adding this to a big typical family holiday? I was wondering about that as we sat down.
  A priest who I had never seen before stood up and announced that St. Thomas's regular Father was going through some trials and "personal problems that he is struggling with" and that he had decided to "resign" that very day! Based on the snatches of talk I heard afterwards,this wasn't a huge surprise to the church members. 
  But as they made other announcements ,my eyes went to the back of the wall and I counted 52 crosses hanging there with a small candle burning.They did a Mass and then Debbie Miller (who I talk to as a grief therapist) read off the names quietly. After a song and a prayer,they invited a family member to come pick up our crosses. I was overcome with tears and Deb sat with me and we cried as Michael went up for me. I miss her so very much. The service ended and we made our way out where we ran into Marlene who had raced from Detroit to the service. We talked for a few and then I sent them on their way because they had a long drive ahead and worked in the morning. 
  And that ended this part of my life....

Thanksgiving was quiet...I had some very nice people offer to have me over to dinner including a young lady from my job whom I would have never guessed would have invited me. I was touched but I said "no" and just had a small dinner that Barb had gotten me. Paladin and I watched a 10 part series on World War II which Lori had gotten for me as a gift and I had yet to watch it....until now. It was very well done and I kept putting it on pause as I read about a key battle on my iPad. 
   At 4:45 pm,I drove to Target as I thought they were going to be open at 5 pm....turns out it was at 8. I wanted none of that and drove back home. 
   Black Friday went on in my work and while the business was heavy,it wasn't anything stupid as they showed in various Wal-Marts. Which cracked me up because there isn't any need to bum rush,Walmart has enough product to handle the early bird shoppers. But of course you can see what kind of people are acting a fool and ruining it for everyone else. Cops were out in force and were brooking no foolishness from anyone. 
  So my friend Kerri and her husband Andy are a hosting a Photo Challenge on Facebook. Every day has a theme and you have to post a picture that you took that relates to the theme. Its been pretty rough to figure out a few of them and very painful ones as well but I am posting nearly everyday. On some days,especially the theme that was "Fur",has been been a lot of fun. Lot of folks have a lot of furry friends that they showed out. I posted a few shots of Paladin. 
   The college football regular season ended last Saturday for the San Jose State football team. The Spartans were at one point 3-1 in the Mountain West and 5-3 overall before hosting San Diego State. The Spartans had a 30-20 lead in the 4th quarter but couldn't handle the Aztecs running game and lost 34-30 which started a 3 game losing streak and ending their bowl chances at they were 5-6 and hosting the 16th ranked Fresno State Bulldogs. The Spartans had dropped a 58-52 triple overtime game to Navy while Fresno was blowing up New Mexico,69-28. This game was going to be ugly....and it was. My buddy at worked stood there in shock as I asked him for the score...when he said 42-41 SJS at the half,I thought he was poking fun as me but he wasn't he was telling the truth! Not only were they winning,they played with great defensive will the second half and won,62-52,ending Fresno's chance to play a major bowl. 
  As for the Spartans,suddenly they are 6-6 and with their Top 10 passing game,will be a attractive team in a smaller bowl game. I am guessing they will end up in the New Mexico Bowl playing either Oregon State or Washington State. We'll know for sure by next Sunday. 
   Actor Paul Walker died yesterday in a brutal car crash....he was a passenger in a high powered Porsche when the driver lost control,hit a tree or a pole and blew up the car. Both men never had a chance as the car burned out of control. Walker rose to fame playing a former cop named Brian O'Connor in the "Fast and Furious" movies.
   Finished my Jack Reacher novel and started in on a autobiography by Army Ranger Captain Scotty Smiley called "Hope Unseen" in which he became to first Ranger to serve who also was legally blind. Should be a great book full of hope and courage. I'll let you all know how it turns out.
  Again,sorry my writing has been in spurts and starts. I am very grateful to you all who keep coming by and seeing if I have posted anything new. Well,now you know that I have indeed!

Guest blogger Susan Smiley (hmmm,wonder if she is related to Scotty) will my next entry and my interview with Brad Beneke will follow....

You can follow me on Twitter @Jinzo_2400


Shout outs:

Sue and Liane- thank you so much! I need a diet now!
Christine H- Next time,I promise.
Deb and Michael- Thank you for always being there for us!
Marlene- Same to you!
Alana- Dude,that bread is beyond good.
Morgan - Thanks for talking geopolitics with me and for also knowing who Paladin was named after.
 Kerri and Andy - Loving the challenge!
Scorpion - are you getting ready to relaunch the pirate radio station?
Jimmy - I still crack up remembering your encounter with David Blaine,I knew there was a reason I stayed upstairs!
 Tom Nelson - Happy birthday!
Sydney - Happy birthday!
and to whoever uploaded episodes of Mystery Theater on YouTube,you rock!
Dan Herman - hang tough...
Brad B. - Phil Hughes will be a steal for the Twins!

Let me tell you how funny cancer is...(and other stuff!)

Its 12:32 am

    Another cold grey day here in SE Michigan,its been a week since we have seen sustained sunshine here. Guess Fall is rapidly pulling out and old man winter is come to visit.

 Paladin is doing extremely well and is behaving like a boss. Yesterday,I opened the blinds in the living room so he could scope out the birds hiding in the shrubs,they were trying to stay dry from the all day rain we got on Halloween. He jumped up and was extremely animated,making chattering noises. Now before,he would be really tense and ready to growl if I touched him...but what I did was sit down and watch him...when I said his name,he jumped over and asked for a pat on his head and some sugar...impossible two weeks ago. Now I didn't open the window itself so he wasn't overwhelmed with the noises and smells. We'll have all winter to work on this issue and see if he can't find a happy medium come spring time. 

  I got some great news this week for a change.....our co-worker Justin is home today or tomorrow. He was our store's HR person and also a Naval Reservist who trained men to fight fires. Through some unholy reason,he was selected to go to Afghanistan and serve as a soldier manning a high risk security checkpoint. 

Before he left,Lori asked me to give him a cross of hers as a way of asking God to keep him safe and sane during his posting. I know he is home safe but until I get to talk with him and see for myself,I just hope he didn't see any combat or have to shoot in anger. The stress level he must have been under must have been immense. The good thing is he going to be able to come back to our store,in what position we don't know as we have a new scheduler since he left. I haven't spoken to him since he left,I know he talked to three other people but I can understand that,we have 110 employees and trying to stay in touch would be next to impossible. Just overjoyed he is home...

  The kitchen project is coming along well enough...Howard came by and applied another coat of mud to the crack and will be grouting the crack in the tile come this Monday. That will be part one of the house project,next we will be weatherproofing it before it really gets cold.

 

  Last Saturday saw me home and following the Wyoming-San Jose State on ESPN.com. It looked ugly as the Cowboys jumped to three 16 point leads before the Spartans came roaring back to stop Wyoming,51-44 as quarterback David Fales passed for 482 yards and 5 touchdowns and scored the winning score on a 1 yard rush with 8 seconds remaining. Leading the defense was ball hawk CB Bene Benwikere who had a interception and a fumble recovery. San Jose State is now 3-1 in Mountain West play and 4-3 overall. Today they will be at UNLV who is a surprising 3-1 and 5-3. This game is for 2nd place in the West Division and a must win for the Spartans before they come home to battle a much improved San Diego State team. 

  As for me,I will miss the game as I am going on my first social gathering since Lori's leaving. My coffee friend Sue from work is hosting a party at her house for the Michigan-Michigan State game. She is a die-hard Wolverine fan (I know,I keep trying to convince her she is rooting for the wrong team!) and she invites a ton of folks for a huge feast and to watch the game. Afterwards,if the weather allows,she is going to have a bonfire in her huge fire pit. I have to say,I am looking forward to going,even if I get there after the game. I am sure it will be a good time for everyone. 

  

  I was looking at my old entries...it was October of last year that we learned Lori's cancer had come back. That in six months,she would be gone. I get told all the time not to look back,not to have regret,not wonder "what if"...but its never that simple. It is what happens when you have nothing but the memories of a long struggle. I know that eventually that the good memories will come back...I look at our wedding pictures and the other signs that marked 14 years of being a couple.
  I have a friend on Facebook named Nancy Gershman,we have chatted a little but this week was a little different,she posted a interview on her website. Its part of a series called Tragicomedia in which she asks different people on how they deal with the death of a loved one and how humor plays a role.

  Its a bold idea and I grant Nancy that,its a subject I wouldn't approach and that includes if Lori was alive.

Well the interview I read was by a woman named Sandi,who calls herself "The Irreverent Widow" after her husband died of pancreatic cancer.

   What Sandi thought was humor merely comes across as crass and disrespectful. The crap about wearing sexy clothes,the grief group not having enough "good looking people",the doctor telling her husband that his wife has a nice ass...what a crock of horseshit. And that is what I wrote in my comment (I was very nice on Nancy's page but since I'm on my ground here,I can cut loose). 

 At my store,we have at two widows,a woman whose husband is very sick with kidney problems and a man who transferred from Florida to Michigan because his wife was dying and they wanted to be near family. Well his wife died four days ago....but I asked the three ladies if they saw any humor during their husband's ordeal and deaths. I shared the story on the website and they were pretty offended. I didn't tell them anything but what the interview said and I was neutral in the telling. The humor is found in the warm memories of the relationship,the days when you were lying in bed or on a blanket watching fireworks and made a joke of some little event. Small things like Derek chewing up a slipper or Lori burning a dinner so bad and I sat there telling her how good it was while my face said "what the devil is this"? 

  Watching someone you are in love with is not funny. There are some gentle moments,like drinking contrast before a MRI or watching Terrie and Melanie fuss over Lori. But there isn't anything funny at what cancer does. Sandi's idea of humor reminds me of what Chris Rock said about homelessness. He said if you see a homeless person with a funny sign,there haven't been homeless very long. 

  And that what I felt when I read her interview,she could use humor so easily,not so much as a coping mechanism,but I feel because there was a lack of a true love there...maybe they were more friends then soulmates,I don't know. I just found her to be a sorely lacking in the compassion department. Overly sensitive? Maybe....but I don't think so...

  You be the judge....here is the link to the interview.  Read it and then come here and let me know what you think. I did notice one thing about Nancy's series....the lack of comments. Not because she isn't a good a writer because she is but I think people are too taken back at some of the flippant answers that are so easy to say but maybe not easy to actually experience.

 

 So yesterday was Hello Kitty's birthday. She turned 39 years old and looks the same as the day she was born. I have written this many times but since there are always new readers just joining the party...Hello Kitty was pretty big in our house. Not crazy big but I always bought a Hello Kitty calender as Lori's first Christmas gift every year. I also got her one small Hello Kitty item as well...be it a pen set,a pad of paper,Christmas Tree ornament. It was one of my favorite things to give her,she would always insist on small items because she didn't want anyone to come over and see a house full of Hello Kitty.

 I spent the day at my store reminding folks that it was her birthday. It made me feel close to Lori today,she would have called me "goofy" and she would have been right.

 

My next entry will be on Sunday night and it will be by guest blogger Susan Smiley. I am looking forward to seeing what she has to write about this time 'round. And I am glad to say that its a much happier column then her first one.  

I worked on Halloween night this year. It was a miserable,rainy day and night. It pretty much washed out the kids in my sub from going trick or treating. I had written that many folks here had once again cut back on the displays that had been abundant that past three years. When I rolled in my sub at 8:30 pm,there wasn't a single kid out but that wasn't the case elsewhere.

  It seems like some subs are now posting signs asking that only those neighborhood kids who live there to be to go door to door. Too many churches from dangerous places (Detroit,Inkster) are loading kids up and heading to the suburbs to go trick or treating. We saw that happen three years ago and in fact we ran out of candy and Lori had to dash out for more. 

  One of my co-workers said 90% of the kids she saw were not from her neighborhood and that she ran out of candy far faster then normal. She was upset about this and said it wasn't fair to her own kids. What do you think? Would you be willing to pass out candy to a bused in group of kids?

Doing a 30 Day photo challenge this month with Andy and Kerri Appleton....we have a theme that we have to shoot a picture that best describes the word of the day. For Day One,Picture One....the word is "truth"

I will post the rest of the month as I blog along. 

Shout Outs!

Barb- Thank you so much!
Andy and Kerri - What a great idea!

Gretchen Peters - Not missing your show this time!
Nancy G.- Thank you for allowing me to comment on your page
Sue - Go Blue! (for this Saturday at least)
McFly - 3 World Series in 9 years? Break up the Red Sox!

Steve and Jimmy - Thanks for not blowing us out too badly
Maren- It was nice meeting you this week.
SU2C- That was so overwhelming this week,so very touched!
Brad and Michelle- Wish you were here to see number three with me!
Bene - Have another great game!
Noel - Get that knee better,we need you #23!
Susan- Going live on Sunday!

Follow Me on Twitter

@Jinzo_2400

  

Of home,writers and other fun stuff!

Its 3:31 pm

    Its a cold grey day here in Michigan. Yesterday we got our first snowflakes of the season. The snow season is going to be a heavy one I believe if we are getting it this early. No,we are not getting any real snow as of yet (pipe down there O mighty Queen of Snow) but its coming.
  Which is why I am happy to see that my house is finally getting fixed...Howard and his new worker came over today and worked very hard at getting the roof fixed and starting to fix the crack in the kitchen. It would have been a real disaster if it had gone unrepaired through the winter.
  Because they were coming and going,Paladin had to stay upstairs and out of the way. He was pretty miffed based on the scratching and meowing that went on. But I moved him upstairs and he was happy I opened his window.


  Well he was until he felt how cold it was,then it was all about getting on the bed with Derek's old polar fleece blanket. That is where I left him as I went back downstairs.
Howard works pretty quick and they fixed the roof and sealed the crack and put a first layer of dry wall mud down. Howard will come back out and hit it with a 2nd coat come Saturday. I will post a couple of pictures after its said and done.
   Going to be featuring two guest bloggers in the very near future,writer Rebecca Scarberry and the returning Susan Smiley who wrote a beautiful eulogy to her dog Hercules. Of course I am lagging well behind my interviews which I need to step up. Time to get to get going!
 So I am quite hooked on British writer Sarah Pinborough. She is one of the sharpest writers I have read to date and that is just her blog. I met her while surfing Twitter and had very lightly talked with her until last week when I started reading her blog and watching her win several writing awards in the United Kingdom.
She writes horror,Young Adult and hard hitting short stories. I have put her on my "Must Read" list and am keeping a sharp eye out for her books. You can discover her blog and her writing by clicking here.

 In keeping with my writer theme,local writer Mike White,who exposed Liane Spiderbaby (QT's main squeeze's plagiarism) and writes  Cashiers du Cinemart and hosts the podcast "The Projection Booth" has just launched a app for the podcast for the iPad. The app is free to download and is very highly recommended. A long time ago,Mike gifted me with a copy of his excellent zine and this is my way of saying "thank you".



To find out more about Mike White and his excellent podcast,click here.

Got some news this week from back home in San Jose. Seems like the building where the live music venue I helped booked,the EDGE,was torn down this week in downtown Palo Alto.



This was where some of the best bands played,booked by Jacek Rosicki and later on by Jimmy Arceneaux  and myself. Jacek did so much for the San Jose music scene,having the EDGE,attempting to rescue the Club Oasis and the Ajax Lounge. Buying the old Marsugi's building and converting it to a excellent restaurant named Agenda,trusting Jimmy and me with his venues. Meeting and working with the best staff ever in Monte,Geoff,Coach,Bonz,Jimbo,Pat Bagg,Melvin,the mighty Jimi Dave and sound guru Rees. Many others also helped make the EDGE the place for the best live shows plus the dance nights were pretty popular as well.
  Its sad to see such a historical building being razed for most likely condos or maybe a expanded parking structure..but I hold on to my memories in my heart and the friendships that I still have today. One thing that I still have from the EDGE? The Jimmy Cup....that is what Lori called the huge mug I used to drink my iced coffee from in the office. I used to drink 2 of those a day during shows and was always had lots of energy. I still drink my coffee from a huge drinking cup. Just one of those things. As always,I am so grateful for Jacek and Jimmy for throwing down with me for such a great ride.
  Happy to discover that I have a chance to do another volunteer project for the Home Depot after I missed the one last week. We are going back into Detroit to work at the Buffalo Soldiers Memorial. It most likely will be doing the same thing as we did for the VFW Hall a couple of weeks ago,landscaping,painting,deep cleaning and light replacement. My two partners in crime have also volunteered so we three are going down there together again,this hopefully in the right direction!
 But speaking of volunteers,my friend Kerri and her husband Andrew took part in the AidsWalk in Los Angeles this past weekend. They walked with a team the entire 6 mile route bringing attention that AIDS is still a deadly threat and that research must go on to find a cure. Her team raised an amazing 20,000 dollars!! That is so Wicked and so very kind that they were able to do this! This is very inspiring to say the least.
  I love hearing stories like this...it's what makes going forward is all about.We have a local pizza place called Vizzy's here in Westland who has been into recognizing local folks making a difference. They put the person on their Facebook page with a background story of what they did and thank them by buying them dinner.
  The latest story was about a 8 year old boy named Buster who one day decided to sweep and clean his street up. He called his effort "Clean Your Street,One Bag a Week" because he got tired of seeing the trash on his street. Vizzy's heard about this and honored him for his volunteerism. And I am thanking Paul V. and his Vizzy's Pizza for making a difference by honoring people like Buster.
  I started a new FB group page to promote only good news,I am sick and tired of the negative energy around me. I have had more then my share and so have many of my good friends. I want some light in my life and I really am going to work hard at getting there. I know I will have my bad days and nights but I don't want them to dominate my every waking moment. I will hold on to my Lori but that is all I want to handle right now...and I have a feeling many people reading this will agree. That is why I walked away from several toxic people as of late and embraced those who really are trying to make that difference.
 
  Pretty amped up for this Saturday as my San Jose Spartans (2-1,3-3) are celebrating Homecoming by hosting the University of Wyoming.I admit, three weeks ago,this game had me worried at Wyoming's offense was putting up huge numbers in getting a 4-2 record,including a very close game against 25th ranked Nebraska. So when Colorado State,the same Rams squad that SJS had beaten two weeks ago,played Wyoming,I thought the Cowboys had their 5th win in the bag. Boy,can a week of hard practice make a difference (I know,a recurring theme). Not only did Colorado State win,they destroyed Wyoming,52-22. Now Wyoming is 4-3 and fighting for a potential bowl spot.

   This Spartans have a six game season...I think they need to go 5-1 to get a decent bowl bid. I don't know if they can beat Fresno State but every other team on the schedule can be had,including a suddenly subpar Navy team.  The Spartans can finish 8-4 and get a nice bowl against a BCS team this year instead of a MAC team. Bowl projections have the Spartans facing the USC Trojans in the New Mexico Bowl...love to play SC but not in the first bowl game of the season and the lowest paying one to boot. Like to see a bowl slightly closer to home against SC so that both school fans can travel to the game. Somehow I just don't see a ton of USC fans going to the Land of Enchantment.


Okay then....time to wrap this up. Thanks for reading and please feel free to share/sign up/drop a comment

If you have Twitter,add me @Jinzo_2400

Shout Outs

Barb - Thank you for the dinners
Cheryl - Thank you for the Arizona Tea
Scorpion - Thanks for reaching out to Gunny. You are a true gentleman
Gunny - Hope that leg heals ultra fast and cleanly
Ann- My thoughts and prayers are with your mother..I know she won't go easy and without a fight!
The EDGE - Thanks for letting book some awesome talent on your stage
Howard Burkeen- For your hard work and Christian soul
Daryl and Justin - Time to saddle up again!
Bene and Noel - Own the Cowboys!
Kerri,Andy and jessica - Well done!
Paladin - Thanks for a great week
Lacye- For the hug
Brad - For the Five Good Things list you post every day. One day I hope I can do that.
Frank Bella - Sorry about your father.
Robin - All hail the Queen of Snow! (Go Cuse!)
Tiffany and Aaron - Good luck in the Big D!

Have Cat,Will Love 2 (and other stuff)

Its 12: 20 pm

   Its a cool chilly day here in SE Michigan. I have the windows open for Paladin as he loves to sit and look outside at the world. I have my front door open as well as he bounces from spot to spot. Our first week has been a pretty good one for the most part,he showed a little frustration about wanting outside by growling at me once. I had to take away his window and door for 15 minutes and went upstairs as well. Pretty soon I heard a tiny meow behind me and when I turned around Paladin meowed again...he headed butt my leg and I picked him up and his purr was full on.
   I went downstairs and let him have his window and door back...he has been the perfect gentleman since. But I have to admit,I was more upset at the shelter then Paladin. See,he was at the shelter for six months and because he was hostile to other cats,he had his own enclosure. Every time a staff member or a volunteer went inside,he was allowed to escape and go down the hallway. Now if had happened once or twice,I would consider it a accident and think nothing of it but the fact they didn't work with him to prevent this behaviour bothers me. They had me fill out a questionaire on how I would handle certain situations if they came up and I posted on their FB page,maybe it should be me asking them those questions. Paladin is used to being outside,this is what landed him at the shelter in the first place and not addressing this might not have ended with a happy ending for him if I had not adopted him. See,they had his ideal home being in a active house with kids...which his outside habits would have allowed and he might have ended up lost or even killed.
   But that aside,he is a very nice cat...he loves to run and play. He is pretty nimble around the turns in the kitchen and living room...he has normal sized paws so he tends to skid where as Derek Jeter and his huge paws always made the turn. The mornings are the best...he hears me wake up and he will meow,I tell him to come up and he races up the stairs and lays on my chest and purrs. He loves going under the blanket and will stay there for 10 minutes or so. Then its to the window and then back to the chest.
  I think the most puzzling thing about Paladin is the fact his first choice for a sleeping spot was a dining room chair,he has moved on to sleeping on the table (which never gets used). He likes to be held and I do the same thing as I did with Derek...I hold him until he wants down or even before so that he continues to enjoy that. He likes attacking me feet but since he is a little too mouthy,I don't really encourage that and will distract him from doing that.
 I do feel he would benefit from a friend but he doesn't play nice with others,it just can't happen.

I like to thank everyone who read my "Acts of Kindness" blog entry. I have mentioned this before but we bloggers love the comments you leave on our entries. It gives us meaning and purpose in continuing to write. And adding your name to the "Follow this Blog" also is very cool. And of course sharing it with your friends is also very kind. Which is why I would like to thank regular reader and guest blogger,Jessica Clackum,who graciously reposted two of my blog entries (about Derek and getting Paladin) on her own blog page. I didn't know she had done that until I went over to catch up on her blog. I was (and am) very touched by what she wrote and her friends did as well. Such a kind gesture and I am grateful!
  Speaking of acts of kindness....pretty pumped as I am getting ready for my 3rd and 4th volunteer projects at my job. We are heading deep into the heart of Hell (aka Detroit) to help repair a building that supports our military veterans. I don't know what I will be asked to do only that I will do my utmost to do whatever they want. This will happen on Thursday and next week will see us working on a community center in Wayne painting and repairing some school classrooms.
  And next Wednesday will see me working my first emergency food bank giveaway for the city of Canton in over a year. Lori and I both volunteered here for the first year it went live and I continued the second year after Lori started working at Lane Bryant. Of course once she got sick,I couldn't do this as much and last year,not at all. I know her spirit will be with me when I head back there...I called Paula,our city's volunteer project leader to let her know I would be there and after I hung up,the phone rang 5 minutes later and she asked me to volunteer for the Goodfellow's food drive in November which I gladly said "yes" too,I will be collecting food and then helping sort it out and making sure it gets to needy families for the holidays.

 Happy birthday to my friend Amy Lange!

Been reading a lot more as of late as the days grow short and the weather gets a little chilly. I finished "Chicken Soup For a Woman's Soul" last night...it was a good read and this is a series I enjoy a lot.


I know many think its a mushy collection but it isn't always so,good life lessons are in every volume about how ordinary people deal with extraordinary problems and issues. While yes,they sell the book with short stories about well known people,its the stories written by folks like you and I that are at the heart of each book.

Look over at the huge stack of books at my disposal,I am going to start Larry J. Sabato's "A More Perfect Constitution" tonight when I get home. It looks very interesting and now that I have picked it out,can't wait to dive into it. Just the fact the Founding Fathers felt the Constitution should never be static already has me hooked. This is another of my Dollar Tree finds. What a great place to get quality books if you keep your eyes out for them.




Glad to see San Jose State back in the win column! The Spartans,despite having key injuries to Bene Benwikere and Noel Grigsby,managed to overcome the University of Hawaii,37-27,last weekend. This was a key win as the schedule is a bit softer for the next two games and a chance for the Spartans to get into bowl consideration despite only being 2-3 on the year.


The big news is Head Coach Ron Caragher played six freshman,including two tailbacks,which infused much needed energy and possibly a running game for SJSU. This bodes well for the future...but I still have issues with the players Caragher is recruiting,they seem more suited for Div.II then a Div I school in terms of size at key positions. Small doesn't begin to describe how these players are,I think Smurfs would be the word I would use. But its still early and we'll see how it plays out.



Hope both Bene and Noel will be back in time for Colorado State which has shown marked improvement over last year's team...even playing Alabama very tough before losing in the second half. This will be a good test for SJSU as they go from Paradise to the Rockies in just one week!

Well,I am going to wrap this up....as you can see,I had a decent week...not a "good" week but not doom and gloom either. I am sure that is a welcome change for my regular readers.


Shout outs

Scorpion - The garage is almost finished! What a great journey and you did it the right way. You are a inspiration.
Bene- Get well #21,we need you back playing!
Jessica- Thank you so much for sharing my blog with your readers. I think I should start a page like yours.
Lindsay- John Keynes,where should I start reading first?
Terrie - Hope you are back to work tomorrow,you are so important to so many people.
Brad - 8 Questions this week...
Sinatra- Will call Saturday
Don - Our thoughts are with you!