For The Greater Good

One thing I noticed at our wedding reception this weekend was a quality I'd not previously noticed in my best friend and best man, DJ. DJ and I go back a decade to when we were pledges of Kappa Sigma at Missouri State. We've stayed good friends and I couldn't imagine having another person stand up for me at my marriage.

But this weekend, DJ impressed me to a whole new level. My bud has the tendency to be shy and does not enjoy public speaking. Yet, he put that fear behind him to do the toast to the bride and groom. I've been to a lot of weddings over the years, but I'm not sure I've heard a toast delivered with as much sincerity as DJ had(but maybe I'm biased).

Then, later in the night, the real DJ(the one spinning CDs and leading group dances) wanted everyone to be on the dance floor. My bud DJ does not enjoy dancing-I mean really does not enjoy it. Yet, he put aside his discomfort, walked out on the floor and started cutting a rug as the music guy suggested.

For the greater good, my boy put aside his comfort and fun and risked potential embarrassment. Would he have done this at another reception? Highly, highly unlikely...but when it's his best friend, he's not going to rock the boat.

Frankly, I'm not the biggest fan of the ducky dance, either, but sometimes you put yourself out there to keep from making a scene and make others happy. DJ weighed out the situation, found that there was a greater potential of causing a disturbance by balking then just doing it. And he did. And I'm thankful to him for it. And for a decade of being my best bud. AEKDB.

Suck It Up!

Well, the last six weeks of wedding prep, wedding dinners and wedding receptions have left me feeling a bit soft around the ol' Engel waistline. So, it's time to get healthy again!

This time, however, I'm taking a few passengers with me on the health train. My stepdaughter is also wanting to make some lifestyle changes, so yesterday we were making a plan of how we'd reach our goals. Exercise every day, toning work with dumbbells, cutting calories and keeping accurate track of caloric intake.

Of course, one of the biggest issues with trying to diet and make that lifestyle change is the people around me. I can do okay on my own, but if everyone else is eating fried chicken and ice cream, it's going to be darned tough to make a whole wheat turkey sandwich and a small salad a meal!

So, I posed this question to Maddison: Will you be mad if you're eating healthy, and everyone at the table is having ice cream? Her answer, simple as can be, is genius: "I'll just have to suck it up!"

She's so right! Any change or new direction must be started intentionally. When difficulties arise, keeping the priority in sight is exactly what will help us achieve our goals. And when things just aren't going to be the way we'd like? Suck it up!

Where's Engel?

Remember the "Where's Waldo?" cartoons? Well, if you have the RSS feed set up for Engel's Ensights, you may be asking, "Where's Engel?" And here's your answer!

Last Wednesday, my beautiful bride and I traveled back to my hometown of St. Louis. The reason? Party, party, party!

Since we did a small, private wedding here in Orlando, we wanted to be able to party with all the folks who couldn't do a destination wedding. So, last Saturday night, over 100 of our closest friends and family members turned out to help us celebrate...and it was a blast! Thanks to all who came out for the festivities...pics should be posted soon!

Pics from Our Special Day - July 01, 2007

Divine Intervention

There's a cute joke that goes a little something like this:
A minister is asked by one of his flock to do a counseling session. In their talk, the parishoner drones on and on about his money problems, how he's in debt up to his eyeballs, how the bank is going to take everything away, blah blah blah.

The minister tires of the whining, but can't exactly shut the guy up. Instead, he says, "My child, go home and open the Bible...there, you'll find the answer."

A few weeks later, the same parishoner shows up to church in a chaueffeured limo, wearing an Armani suitt, sporting a Rolex and a diamond pinky ring. The minister, surprised, asks the obvious, "WWeren't you just poor a few days ago?"

"Yes, " the man answers, "And you were right! I went home, opened my Bible and the answer really was right there!"

The minister, still bewildered, asks where he opened the Bible.

"To Chapter 13, of course!"

Well, every so often, I try to find the answer coming through in other forms. Since I'm not usually one to crack open the Bible, I see if the divine spirits of the universe have a message for me in other ways.

Tonight was a stressor. Frustrated, tired,an early morning and a packed next few days. While packing my luggage tonight, I was thinking I needed a little help from above. As I walked to the stereo, I threw up a half-hearted prayer for Bruce Springsteen to be on the air(I get more inspiration from The Boss' lyrics than just about anything else). Was my prayer answerred?

Negative, Ghost Rider.

However, what -was- on the radio was, believe it or not, something that felt divine. Reo Speedwagon's "Roll With The Changes." Yeah, good message. One I needed to hear tonight. Thanks God. Or DJ on the radio. Or REO, whoever. Thanks...I needed that!

Our Lady Of The Forest

Everyone wants a happy ending. Sometimes, there's just no happy ending to be had.

This sentiment is one thatt about had me in tears last night. I'm currently reading David Guterson'ss, "Our Lady of the Forest", a novel about a 16 year old homeless girl who sees images of the blessed virgin in a Pacific Northwest rainforest.

Other characters in the story include a father and son, Tom and Tommy Jr. Tommy Jr. is a quadraplegic resulting from a logging accident.

The priest who visits the family keeps thinking how sad it is to see this 19 year old kid in a wheelchair, how awful it is for the kid to be so distant, uninterested and angry with the world. The priest is at the home to hear confession and give communion. When he asks Tommy Jr. to confess his sins, the kid simply says, "It's hard to sin in a wheelchair."

Everyone is looking for a happy ending, the priest thinks. Where is the happy ending in this story? Sadly, the priest thinks, there is not one.

And the priest is right(and yes, I know I'm acting like these aree real folks, not fictional characters). It IS a sad story, simply because the fictional Tommy Jr. is in the stage of despair and self-loathing. Will he get out of that and find a happy ending? Will he make a happy ending himself? These are only things that the person him/herself can determine.

Reading the thoughts of the priest just shed so much light on how we want everything to be wrapped up pretty in the end. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it does not.

The key is to be respectful of anyone going through difficult times-especially if those times seem permanent. We cannot(and should not even try) to minimalize the situations of another by saying, "Well, maybe everything will work out..."Simply be supportive of whatever realm this person is in. Help and support will make changes faster than trying to force change on another.

Who'd Have Thought Hockey Violence Would Be So Appealing?

There's an old saying, "Sometimes you go to a fight and a hockey game breaks out!" Back in the days when professional hockey was a lot more violent than it is today, this statement was a little more relevant. It wasn't uncommon to see a trainer walk onto the ice with a white towel in hand to wipe up bloody stains from the rink.

We're human. We're attracted to violence. And yet, when the hockey world decided to go on strike a few years ago, I really lost interest. Hockey was pretty well non-existant to me for a few seasons.

And now, in July, a good two or three months from the start of the 07-08 season, I'm pumped to get it started! Why? Because all other professional sports have disappointed me so much.

Michael Vic-you're an idiot.. No rationall, healthy human being enjoys watching animals tear each other apart. The fact you encourage dogs to do so is sick and twisted. I hope aan attack pit bull heads straight for your most sensitive areas.

NBA referees caught in scandal-Please, PLEASE blow the whistle on your fellow refs who are as shallow as you. Why? Two reasons: First, to get the cheaters out. Second, so the family can know what a scoundrel you are. I hope they go old school on you and affix your feet in a pair of cement wing tips. Shoeless Joe's name is fixed in history as a cheater-yours should now override his.

Barry Bonds and other MLB dopers-Thank you, thank you for showing everyone how to take shortcuts for personal gain. Why not just start knocking off liquor stores and banks while you're at it? I mean, who would even show up for a game(much less practice and spring training) if the fastest way to make money is armed robbery? You've left us all questioning what is real, and what is steroids? You've twisted my emotions...me and my fellow fans were freaking ecstatic in '98 when our Cardinal slugger broke the single season home run record. Now, that excitement falls in with the other major disappointments of life; learning about Santa, realizing high school is nothing like Molly Ringwald movies made it out to be, and realizing politicians have nothing but their best interest at heart.

So, folks, watch more hockey.

That's What It Takes

Just read an article in the Baltimore Sun about the adaptive gear used for a certain man to drive with his disabilities. John is 29 and was born without legs and without one arm. He utilizes a joystick on the floor of his adapted 2006 Dodge Caravan to steer through traffic, and voice commands and buttons he can push with his head to operate turn signals and wipers, etc.

Of course, this technology costs a mere $91,000. Yeah, $91 K. Ridiculous.

However, that is why it's great to be an American! One thing this country has consistently done right for the last couple of decades is to help people like John(and me, for that matter) use governmental funds to help level the playing field.

What do I mean? Well, John's van adaptations were covered by the state of Maryland-all $91K. He is now employed at a local Best Buy working in customer service which makes him (gasp!) a taxpayer!

The state of Missouri spent far, far more on getting me equipped for the world! Rehab teachers once a week for a year, six months of rehab school in Denver, all my college tuition and housing, all my books, all adaptive computer equipment and all the tutoring to utilize these things. I don't have an accurate figure, but my guesstimate is that the state of Mo spent well over $200K on my behalf.

And what did it do? Got me independent, got me making money and now, the government reaps that money back in tax dollars.

The asst. director of MD's Rehab Services, when asked about the $91K adaptationns for John's car, simply said, "That's what it takes to make John independent...it's a good return on investment!"

Good tax dollars at work, that's what I'd always say when folks would ask me how much my computer costs. Congrats to John and, because it is rarely said, thanks to the rehab services for people with disabilities for making John(and me) independent again...

Cranium-The Best Board Game Ever!

When I first heard of blogging, I thought it was a lame idea. I mean, who'd be so narcissistic to think others want to read their on-line journal about how they went to the grocery store, got in a fight with their significant other, all the mundane stuff of life?

So, I swore that I'd try to steer away from the mundane when I began to blog(and if you're wondering why I ever chose to start a blog some 18 months ago, you can read it back at the very beginning of Engel's Ensights).

Anyway, if I did write about the mundane, I promised myself it would always be with a purpose. something I learned that I hope others will learn from, too.

Lately, as I settle into married life and my new roles as husband and stepfather, I kinda sorta feel like the stuff I'm writing about is ho hum. If so, I apologize, I'm just so enamored and intrigued by this new thing called: parenthood.

Marvelyne and I have discussed at length how we want to be "that house." You remember "that house" when you were younger? The home of a friend where everything was great? You could forget all the problems of your own home life, walk into a place that overflowed with love and caring, where the atmosphere was laid back, fun, safe and secure? Yeah, we want to be "that house", both for our kids AND any other kids.

My heart absolutely breaks for kids with a crappy home life. Where the parents are drunks or abusive or even if it's nothing more than neglect-I want kids to be able to step into our home and, if only for a little while, feel like this is home as home should be.

Which brings me to my title about Cranium. It's been at least half a decade since I've played Cranium...and now that I have kids and just played a round with half a dozen teenagers, I have a totally new appreciation for the inclusivity of this game.

At least two teenss we were playing with were flipping brilliant-the kind of people you want on your team when playing trivia at Buffalo Wild Wings! And two more were the kind of kids who might be picked first in kickball, but last for intellectual games. And then there were three or four adults who played with the main purpose in mind to be sure the kids have fun!(This is especially crazy since in almost all games, I play for blood!)

Cranium: trivia, sculpting, music, drawing, actingword games. IIt is a HUGE way to level the playing field for anyone, but especially for kids and teens. The smartest person in the room may kick all butt at trivia, but may be so shy that she shrinks into a little ball in the corner if she has to speak in front of people. And the kid who makes D's may be the one who can best pick out the song in a "humdinger."

Either way, this game must, MUST be a staple in the homes of those who want to be "that house." It includes everyone, stretches your mind and, hey, it's just more fun than about any other board game!

Talking In A Language They Can Understand

One of my fav scenes from any movie comes from Three Men and A Baby. In it, one of the bachelors, recently laden with a new infant, is reading a bedtime story to the infant. And please know, I use the term, "bedtime story" loosely!

He is, in fact, reading about the Mike Tyson fight...but doing it in that baby talk voice that is usually used to start out stories with, "Once upon n a time..."

When another bachelor roommate walks in, the bachelor with the baby looks up from his cooing about Tyson's bloody lip and eye laceration and says, "You've gotta talk to her in a language she can understand!"

Well, today I found out about a new language called Jott. Jott is a way that you can use dictation software to interface with your cell phone to send text messages. I've had a cell phone with talking software for three years now, but I've never sent a single text message. Chalk it up to laziness or whatever, but the function keys and such just seem a big pain in the butt to send a five word text. But, apparently Jott has solved this for me!

My two new teenage stepkids are texting masters. As much as I use E mail, they are even bigger texters. This is a language that, until Jott came along, I wasn't able to speak...or I chose not to, whatever.

Either way, I'm pumped that this Jott service(which is not even intended for those of us who use talking adaptations) will now allow me to text with my kiddos more easily.. I can't wait to see their reactions when they're getting texts from me!

To find out more about Jott, check out:

www.Jott.com

Jott!

It's Just The Right Thing To Do

Yesterday, I met with a new accountant. Julie is exactly the kind of person I want looking over my shoulder-thorough, meticulous, but not uptight. Three traits that are sometimes diametrically opposed!

Several times during our conversations, she made the comment, "You just do that because it's the right thing to do." She was not referring to chairitable donations to get your taxes down to a certain level, but the "right thing" was strictly based on the idea of helping humanity and those around you.

Uncle Sam gives us the opprotunity to create some win/win/win situations with our taxes. I like this. Everyone does. But even the U.S. Federal government aside, as Julie said, you simply do things because it's the right thing to do.

Big Brother, Little Brother, ister too...

One of the collegiate orgs I belong to is NODA, the Natl. Orientation Directors Assoc. Welcome weeks, orientation weeks, whatever the different institution chooses to call their program, the focus is the same: creating a healthy, information-packed session about that particular institution for the new students.

Makes me think of my first week of school at the university formerly known as Southwest Missouri State. But, after reading a post to the NODA list serve today, I was introed to an idea I've never heard of, much less participated in.

So, picture it...an 18 year old is going off to school for the first time. What are the things to cover? Academics? Safety? Recreation? Yes, yes and yes. And every parent/guardian worth his/her salt will be imparting little bits of knowledge to their kid...those pieces of advice that are a parent's last way to influence their kid before turning them loose into the real world.

So, while all this is going on...what about said studdent's siblings? Particularly younger siblings? So often, the older sibling is idolized by the younger. Or, if nothing else, there's that influence that almost always happens with an older and younger sibling dynamic. But, again, what about the kid brother?

Today, one of the NODA members asked a question concerning thee sibling session...and I thought what a fantastic idea that is! I don't know how many universities and colleges use this, but when my big sis went off to college, as big of a punk as I was back then, I'd have liked a little info on how to deal with now being an only child in the home.

Whatever bits of knowledge can be learned by a kid bro or sis as their older sibling heads off to college for the first time are more likely to stick in that kid's head-and that influence of higher education might just be what determines whether or not a young teen will have a favorable idea of college.

Killer Weekend

Grass roots efforts kick butt!

Ridley Pearson. One of my favorite authors-and potentially one of the reasons I got married! When Marvelyne and I were just becoming friends, we talked about Ridley Pearson's detective novels. Ridley had just moved from the Pacific Northwest to St. Louis and, as luck would have it, we ended up living within a mile or two of one another. No, I've never met him, but I always hoped every time I took Carson out for a walk around the neighborhood that I'd meet the man!

Well, a few weeks ago, Ridley sent out an E mail blast to subscribers to his newsletter telling of his latest release, Killer Weekend. He encouraged readers to purchase the book within the first week because (as he honestly said), that's what the publishers want to see: immediate sales with a bang!

So, I love to support grass roots efforts like this. And, well, it debuted at #12 on the NY Times best sellers list! Today, Ridley sent out a "Thank you!" message to all who'd helped him(and his publisher) accomplish that goal. He's built a fan base of loyal readers. When he makes a request with a goal in mind, I'm more than happy to try to help him succeed. And the thank you today? Icing on the cake!

If you dig good detective novels, absolutely phenomenal character development and some of the best writing out there today, think about getting Killer Weekend for yourself!

That's One Big Tip!

Did you hear about the pizza waitress from Indiana who received a $10,000 tip from a customer? I love these sorta stories!

The customer was a regular and always asked to sit in this waitress' section. As regular customers and servers will do, they made small talk. One time, the waitress mentioned she wanted to go to college, but simply didn't have the money to pay for it.

Some time later, that same customer left her a check for $10K. Nice!

Now, throw this in to potentially show how cheap I am(okay, only when compared to this big tipper)...

A few weeks ago, my lovely bride and I went to dinner at Chili's. Since American portions at American restaurants are out of control, we've found that splitting an entree suits us well. Still, the waitress is hopping for drinks, refills of chips and salsa, just like we were having a meal that would be twice the cost.And, of course, the tip is determined by the cost of the meal...or so is modern day etiquette convinced us.

Well, in our case, that is kinda stupid. I mean, there's no reason why our waitress should have received less of a tip, just because we ate half as much. So, I ended up giving her a tip that was definitely bigger than the customary 15-17%.

And really, how did it hurt me? It added a buck or two to the overall cost of our dinner, but gave the waitress (probably) her biggest tip of the night. That little out of my pocket was a chunk of change in hers...and that's the way it should be!

This waitress was, hands down, one of the best I've had in years. A total sweetheart with a genuine smile...not the "I'm going to act nice to get a bigger tip" sorta smile, but a real smile. I'd have tipped her on her smile alone...and sometimes, that's enough!

Further Flattening of the arth

Several months ago, I read Tom Friedman's, "The World Is Flat", a book discussing and debating globalization and the development of "third world" countries. Every day, we see more flattening of the earth with outsourcing of American jobs to other countries, telephone services ran by nations on the other side of the world, etc.

Another "flattening" is through travel. Nowadays, our society is more mobil than ever. I can, after all, be on a plane and at my dentist(a mere 1000 miles away) in under three hours.

Just now, sitting in Orlando, FL, I saw a TV commerciall advertising the Cleveland Clinic. At first, I thought it was kinda odd to advertise a hospital which is four states away. Then, I remembered that the world is flat...and if you're ever going to jump on a plane for a doctor, you're probably going to be sure that doc is one of the best. The Cleveland Clinic is. Along with Johns Hopkins, UCLA, Yale, Vanderbilt, Barnes and Mayo, Cleveland Clinic is one of the best medical institutions in America.

Smart thinking, smart advertising and smart medical care-Cleveland Clinic has broken some new ground and helped flatten the world a bit further. In our world of constantly changing health care practices and the good, the bad and the ugly of patient care, it is smart moves like this which will help certain hospitals get better reputations than others.

Geeks!

While I was thinking about what to write in this post, or more specifically, how to phrase it, I started feeling old. See, yesterday I called The Geek Squad. Not familiar? I wasn't either until recently.

Geek Squad is a world wide company which does in home(and on site) computer repair. Pretty much anything you need; networking, virus and spyware, whatever. The Geek Squad has a memorable way to brand themselves and, this is what makes me feel old!

See, I remember the early 80s...a time when people didn't know how to spell "nerd" with an "e" or a "u"...I remember when everyone knew a geek, but no one wanted to be one! I remember vividly "Revenge of the Nerds" movies and how I swore I'd always act more like the frat boys and less like the Tri Lambdas(I was all of, what? 11 at the time?)

So, here's the story...The Geek Squad fixes computers. When you call their 800 number, you get a voice impersonator of Sean Connery acting like fixing your computer is top secret, double secret probation kind of business. Then, when you get a live person on the line, he/she will identify themselves as "Agent Smith with the Geek Squad."

After we'd determined the problem, set up a date for them to take a look and fix the notebook, Agent Smith gave me the 411 on the Geek Squad agent who'd be coming to my house.

"You'll recognize him by his clip-on tie, his white socks and, of course, his Geek Squad identification badge."

Now that being a computer geek can be cool, Geek Squad has gone throw back to the days of old. If this dude shows up with a pocket protector and masking tape around his black framed glasses, I'm going to be darned impressed! See, Geek Squad has embraced the afore thought negative image of the geek, the nerd, the dweeb...and now they're a worldwide company. And go figure! IPeople are going to call them computer geeks anyway, so they might as well own the identity, embrace it and yeah, you got it! Make millions off of it, too!

The B List

Well, here we are, just 10 days or so from the wedding reception back in MO for our wedding. Renting the venue, song selection for the DJ, catering options, invitations, RSVPs, yada, yada, yada...now I know why people elope!

The hardest thing to figure out is the guest list. Some who've responded in the affirmative have to cancel, others who missed the RSVP deadline are asking if it's too late.. Yet, I have enough of an idea to start filling in the dreaded B list(insert scary music).

What is the B list, you ask? Those people I'd like to invite...if there's room. A few days ago, I sent a B list invitation to my buddy, John O'Leary. O'Leary is a fellow speaker, as well as a good friend. You can see his story and business at:

www.rising-above.com

I told him right up front, "Look, dude, you're on the B list. Sorry for that, but you know how these things go." And he does since John got married just a few years ago. He wrote back today saying, "Hey, I love being a B lister! After you've invited all youur relatives and the people who used to change your diapers, the B list is the friends you choose to celebrate with!"

He's so right! Normally, folks would consider the B list to be, well, B grade. Anyone who has planned a wedding knows that's not necessarily true. And in John's case (as well as my other B lister friends) it's actually quite flattering. Thanks, O'Leary, for giving me that bit of insight. And readers? Please go check out John's site! He's one speaker I love to reccomend for keynotes! And for every booking he gets because of me, I get a free cup of Starbucks!

Jumping to Conclusions

As a college senior, I was fortunate to hear Dr. Drew give a program at my alma mater, Missouri State University. If you're not familiar, Dr. Drew is the physician on the MTV(and radio show), Love Line. This is a call-in show about sex, relationships and anything to do with the two(but let's face it, it's mostly sex).

Maybe it's because Love Line has given me a ton of great info over the years, or maybe it's because I briefly met Dr. Drew several years ago, but any time I happen upon "Love Line", I leave it on.

Tonight, I was kinda disgusted when a girl called in. Her name was Carlie and she is 13. Being disgusted that a kid would call into a sex show, I continued putting laundry away and walked out of the room. Basically, I figured that any sexual problem a 13 year old was having would make me so sad that I didn't want to hear that before turning in for the night. Well, I wish I hadn't left.

I don't know what her real question was, but I walked back in to hear her speaking about her alcoholic father and how she can't go to him for any help. Dr. Drew then asked the obvious question, "What about your mother?" The answer was even sadder: the mother attempted a suicide several years ago and is now so drugged up on script medications that she's unreliable. Throw in some addictions that the mom has and this poor kid really has no one to turn to. Dr. Drew then said, "Carlie, I command you to find a positive relationship with a responsible adult.."

You generally don't hear psycho-therapists "commanding" their patients, but young Carlie may just be mature enough to take Dr. Drew's advice.

After thinking about this, that commandment that she was given might just be the thing that'll save this girl's life. And how did she get that knowledge? By calling into a sex talk show I thought a 13-year-old had no business listening to. In reality, nothing on the show will hurt her psychie like her two jacked up parents will. So, talk on, Dr. Drew...and thankss for giving a little hope to the occasional kid who needs more than just sexual advice.And my apologies for jumping to conclusions.

An Exercise In Discipline

I just finished reading "Broken Prey", a John Sanford novel with the detective character, Lucas Davenport. In this novel, one of the underlying themes is that Davenport's wife has given him an Ipod and 100 downloads off I-Tunes. Davenport looks at the 100 downloaded songs as an exercise in discipline by choosing ONLY the top 100 rock songs of all time.

So, throughout the book, conversations will flash up debating whether or not Tina Turner is really considered rock, or if there are too many Rolling Stones songs on the list, etc. Another debate is whether a song like "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" covered by Guns-N-Roses is really a G-n-R song, or if the originator, Bob Dylan, should have his version on the list.

This, THIS is the sort of banter on which many, many hours of my young life has revolved around. Across a sticky tabletop witth Clapton tunes blaring over the bar's sound system, I have seen the personalities of my friends come front andd center whenn topics like this come up.

I love, LOVE debating such things! After all, it's an intellectual argument whichbrings new ideas and thoughts to the surface. Plus, it's more fun than talking sports.

At the end of "Broken Prey", a list compiled by the fictional Lucas Davenport was written. And, I was surprised to find, "Stairway to Heaven" wasn't on the list...and neither was "Wish You Were Here"...two songs I'd like to debate with Davenport...as soon as he materializes from fictional characterhood!

If We Can Get Through...

Okay, I hate to admit this, but I've kinda, sorta become a fan of home improvement shows. I know, I know, as a certified hater of reality television, why would I waste my time watching this stuff? Simple answer: I'm a capitalist.

Yes, a capitalist. The reason for watching these shows is learning abouut real estate investing. I'm not seriously thinking of flipping houses at this point, but if I do ever decide that's a possible source of income, at least I'll have a rudimentary level of knowledge.

Last night, I caught an episode featuring a young couple, both 21 years old, who were trying to flip their first house in order to have enough money to put a down payment on a home of their own. In their initial interview, the husband said, "Yeah, we're not real worried about this being real hard. After all, if we can get through a year and a half of marriage, we can get through anything!"

I really, really hope he was kidding-but he wasn't. I just wanted to pat him on the head and say, "You dear, dear little foolish boy..."

Granted, I don't know his marriage, but it's hard to think 18 months of marriage is enough to equip one for any task that lays ahead. Hence, I think he's got a pretty rose-colored view of the world...and yet? I like how he thinks. He's using the past as building blocks for the future; as futile and fragile as those building blocks are. If people look at their past accomplishments as supporting beams for their future, the obstacles in front don't look quite so high.

Admit It, Own It, Then Shut Up!

One big, big pet peeve with me is lying. Couple that with livingg out of integrity which is, of course, a form of lying. Well, yesterday while listening to a local news report, there was a shining example of both!

In a nearby suburb, a city politician was recently arrested for offering to perform a sex act on an undercover cop in a park at night. The official, when asked for comment, chose to divert the truth of the matter by saying, "I love this park! I helped build this park! I was only here to tour the park and see what condition it's in, if anything needs repaired, etc." That's not a direct comment/quotation, but you get the idea.

Oh, really? So we're to believe this "huge misunderstanding"(and that IS a direct quote) played out like Mr. Politician said? Please!

Look, if you do something wrong, admit it. wn up to the fact that you did, indeed, get caught. Then (wonder of all wonders), just shut up about it already!

Had said politician simply said, "I have no comment", I'd have thought, "Dirtbag!" and then finished folding my laundry. But as he chose to try to lie and cover it up, it became blog worthy material.

Look, everyone makes mistakes. That's part of life. When that happens, biggest thing most in the public eye do wrong is try to deny it and cover it up! When, in reality, our society is really pretty forgiving. Right or wrong, we are. After all, look at the dirtbags in D.C.! They've been there for years and we, as the public, have every ability to get rid of them. We haven't. They stay. And thus, we learn major lessons-admit it, own it, then move on.

Do It Right...Or Don't Do It At All

Just caught a business update that had some interesting news I'll get to in a moment. But first, a honeymoon reflection...

When Marvelyne and I flew to Cancun, we were on a air carrier I'd never flown before. It shall remain nameless since even bad publicity is still publicity. Anyway, the carrier considers itself a discount airline and, Lord knows, I love a bargain!

Yet, the way the airline runs is so ridiculous that you don't know whether to laugh or cry. For one thing, if your point is to get me from point A to point B as cheap as possible, then I don't expect frills. No need for beverages of any sort, definitely no need for alcoholic beverages, snacks canbe deleted, blankets, pillows, everything-just get me there, and get me there cheap.

Yet, this airline carrier offered soda. For sale. Fine. Yet, the passenger had to pay for the soda with a credit card. Seriously-they do not take cash!

If you're a frequent flyer, I could tell you tales to make your head spin about how ridiculous the rest of the trip on the plane was, but since it's not a generalized rant, I'll spare everyone the deets.

So, now back to today's business course. My favorite airline and company, Southwest Airlines, has announced that now passengers can book their travel using their paypal account. Yippie! Granted, I don't think I'll use this option, but the simple fact that there IS an option to book using paypal is kick butt!

Southwest does it right-they make it easy, cheap and accurate. That is what I want in any company I deal with! Thanks, Southwest, for once again beating the expectations of your customers!

I'm Smart! Who Knew?

So, one of my more annoying traits is overuse of a single word. Lots of people do this-get hooked on one word and then use it until it gets annoying. As of late, my word has been "ginormous." Yeah, my friends are probably cringing at hearing this one more time, but now (drum roll, please), it turns out Webster's agrees with me!

Every year, Webster's Dictionary adds new words to the list of "acceptable" English words. I think we all agree that this is sensible since things like DVR and IED are abbreviations which have become household terms. I mean, new words will have to be invented along with the physical inventions that are inevitable in a progressing society.

But ginormous? How did that one get in there? I mean, I use it...but there was never a Webster's employee calling me on the phone and asking, "So, Marcus, what do you think we should add to the dictionary this year?"

Well, according to the source itself, the fact I use the word is precisely why it IS in there for 07! Okay, maybe not me specifically, but the fact so many Americans use the word and it has been repeatedly seen in all media forms makes it good enough for Webster's.

Yeah, I'm cutting edge...in a ginormous way! Ha!

Catching Up

Well, even though I thought I'd blog sometime sooner than this, I was wrong! Chalk that up to loving married life, honeymooning and being with out-of-town family!

So, again, for those who want to know...some deets!

We left last Thursday for our honeymoon outside of Cancun, Mexico. It's been half a dozen years since I've been out of the country, but surprisingly, it wasn't too hard to get into old Mehico. The resort, The Excellence, was absolutely stunning, the food fantastic and, lemme tell ya, there's no better way than to relax when there's no cell phone coverage AND a lazy river 10 feet out your back door! It was truly what we needed after the last couple of months of running crazy with wedding prep, moving two households(one 1000 miles away) and just all the businessy end of getting hitched.

Because I've had several folks ask, no, Carson did not go honeymooning. I'm not exactly sure what Mexico's laws are concerning working dogs, but I didn't want to have to deal with those headaches nor taking care of Carson's needs while I should have been making multiple mango margarita marathons around the lazy river. He stayed here in Orlando and my parents were kind enough to house/dog sit for us for a few days. He did great without me for four days and, after some initial excitement at seeing Marvelyne and I again, he quickly settled back into his routine lifestyle; sleeping, eating, getting petted, etc.

One of the most striking things of our honeymoon was the demeanor of the Mexicans. There's a little something "off" about serving the needs of (primarily) Americans and Brits. Granted, there may be a few of their own countrymen who stay at the resort, but I'll bet a shiny new nickle it's a very, very small percentage. I wondered if there may be some resentment towards the gringos who they serve and rely on fr income. Yet, if there was any ill feelings, we saw none of them. In fact, a statement that was repeated almost everytime I said, "Gracias" was, "It's a pleasure, senor!" And, I think it was for everyone!

More later when I have a bit more time to reflect on some other memories of Mexico, but for now, just know I'm back and blogging resumes in full now!

So, Ya Want Wedding Details?

Well, it's official! Sunday, July 1, Marvelyne and I were married. It was a small wedding held in the home of Marvelyne's sister, Martha, here in Orlando. Since I've had tons of friends asking for the details, here ya go!

The original plan was to be married outdoors by the pool, but since the summer rainy season decided to show it's head right about wedding time, we moved the ceremony indoors. As Marvelyne says, "We do everything backwards anyway!"

We were fortunate to have the pastors, Leah and Jeff, not only hold the title of pastor, but also of friend. Leah and I have known one another since our first summer working at Camp Mo-Val, some 11 years ago. Marvelyne and Jeff have been friends just as long. It was incredibly special to have these two friends officiate our marriage. Thanks to both for giving part of themselves on our special day!

The groomsmen were DJ Grimwood, my old Kappa Sigma pledge brother and best friend, as well as Marvelyne's son, Jordan. Taylor and Maddison, Marvelyne's daughters, were the bridesmaids. Our flower girls were our neices, Lauren, Michaela and Gabby.

Our vows were written by us(duh, we ARE writers) and Leah and Jeff also made personal remarks concerning our friendship and marriage. Apparently, the first week I met Leah, (according to her), I said, "That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard, you crazy, granola eating liberal!" I have no recollection of this, but I wouldn't put it past me! Either way, there is hardly anyone who could have commented on "us" as well as Leah. The most touching testimonial she had was, "Marc loves life. And he makes everyone around him love life too." Thanks, girl, for that...

After the wedding ceremony, Marvelyne and I had a few minutes to ourselves in an upstairs sitting room(just enough time to wipe away the tears and touch up some make-up...hers, not mine). We also had a few minutes to re-engage with the kids before entering the meal poolside. Since the rain had ended, Carraba's and wedding cake were served outside. The night was beautiful, the friends and family precious andeverything was what we wanted-intimate, personal, funny and beautiful.

And, Marvelyne...I love you!