January 23, 2011
When Sheryl and I started dating, I was broke and out of a job. When my birthday rolled around, she asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I usually don't want anything, but that year, I REALLY wanted to see Wilco perform at the Meadowbrook Music Theatre. Sheryl got us tickets, and I had an absolute blast.
That concert helped me understand how deeply Sheryl loved me. When I look back on concerts, that one fills me with down-to-Earth good feelings. It makes me feel warm and bubbly.
Tonight, I sit watching Wilco's "Ashes of American Flags" DVD, relaxing, sipping the Green Fairy. Sheryl is in bed and it's 9:20pm.
Our day was full. Our week was busy.
And tomorrow, my angel - my wife - celebrates her birthday. We'll be the same age for 6 months.
It wasn't a mistake that I put this DVD in. The way Sheryl made me feel on that birthday by taking me to see such an amazing show...
... is exactly how I want her to feel every day - not just her birthday.
So today we unofficially celebrated her birthday. And we did yesterday, too, having dinner with friends we hadn't seen since August. At a Mexican restaurant in Mexicantown. Following a Detroit Tigers game.
Following that theme, we went to Tigerfest today at Comerica Park. We had so much fun! Despite standing in line for two hours to get sourpuss (I say that with respect!) Jim Leyland's autograph, we had some crazy unexpected events happen, including me telling Don Kelly that I wasn't jealous that my wife had his ball in her hand! Go figure!
The fun Sheryl had today was definitely the fun that I had at the Wilco show. We have memories together of such great experiences that no one will ever be able to take from us, and that is truly special.
Just like my wife.
Punkin, on our wedding day, you promised to make me laugh every day. I promised to myself that you will always feel loved, and will always feel special. You have kept your promise, and I continue trying my best to keep mine.
I know you know that I love you, and I hope I never give you reason to question that.
Happy birthday, sweetheart. May every day be a mini Tigerfest. With fajitas and sangria. And good friends. And laughs and laughs and laughs.
And love, baby, love.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Body parts
Bought my first ever bottle of the green fairy last night. I am always amazed by how legendary things seem less formidable when experienced - like absinthe and Neu Schwanstein...
Bought my first ever bottle of the green fairy last night. I am always amazed by how legendary things seem less formidable when experienced - like absinthe and Neu Schwanstein...
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
The Front
Coming home from an awesome vacation can be difficult. In many ways, you feel ready to jump back into the rat race and accomplish a lot. But on the other hand, you have grown accustomed to the awesome vacation life...
I would love to find that happy medium - a location in the rat race where I feel like me 100% of the time - and not someone the rat race makes me. And daily naps. I want daily naps on a daily basis.
I want to use my brain to accomplish great things - then spend a half hour or so in the hot tub.
I wonder what it would be like to mesh my personal desires with my professional desires. To call in sick when I need to catch up on reading Kurt Vonnegut, or feel like riding my bike instead.
I wonder what it would be like to have a money tree that only me and my family and friends can have access to. And since I've crossed the reality border paragraphs ago, the money tree must regrow its leaves within a week.
That would be sweet.
And then I could go wherever I want - which right now means someplace that my hands and feet are not constantly cold and my wine is not my whine...
Coming home from an awesome vacation can be difficult. In many ways, you feel ready to jump back into the rat race and accomplish a lot. But on the other hand, you have grown accustomed to the awesome vacation life...
I would love to find that happy medium - a location in the rat race where I feel like me 100% of the time - and not someone the rat race makes me. And daily naps. I want daily naps on a daily basis.
I want to use my brain to accomplish great things - then spend a half hour or so in the hot tub.
I wonder what it would be like to mesh my personal desires with my professional desires. To call in sick when I need to catch up on reading Kurt Vonnegut, or feel like riding my bike instead.
I wonder what it would be like to have a money tree that only me and my family and friends can have access to. And since I've crossed the reality border paragraphs ago, the money tree must regrow its leaves within a week.
That would be sweet.
And then I could go wherever I want - which right now means someplace that my hands and feet are not constantly cold and my wine is not my whine...
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Years' End
Last night, Sheryl and I got home from our grand vacation.
Two weeks ago, we drove down to Hollywood, Florida via Huntersville, NC. We relaxed, hung out, then headed down to Key West, which was a big highlight for me. I love the Keys so much - they bring back so many positive memories for me.
After the Keys, we went back to Hollywood, and eventually left for Charleston, SC. We're looking to move down South, so visiting Charleston was a little more than just sightseeing.
Oh, and there was Georgie, too.
Georgie the ghost apparently haunted the B&B we stayed in. Nice. I'm such a sissy with that stuff, and Sheryl milked it to no end.
Ultimately, there was no Georgie sighting, and all was well.
The trip home was long - we were essentially on the road for 17 hours, but we got home before the ball dropped in Times Square.
And now we look at the new year. 2011. It seems like just yesterday it was 2010.
I can't wait to see what great things 2011 will bring!
Over the weekend, I need to make sure I'm ready.
Happy new year, everyone!
Last night, Sheryl and I got home from our grand vacation.
Two weeks ago, we drove down to Hollywood, Florida via Huntersville, NC. We relaxed, hung out, then headed down to Key West, which was a big highlight for me. I love the Keys so much - they bring back so many positive memories for me.
After the Keys, we went back to Hollywood, and eventually left for Charleston, SC. We're looking to move down South, so visiting Charleston was a little more than just sightseeing.
Oh, and there was Georgie, too.
Georgie the ghost apparently haunted the B&B we stayed in. Nice. I'm such a sissy with that stuff, and Sheryl milked it to no end.
Ultimately, there was no Georgie sighting, and all was well.
The trip home was long - we were essentially on the road for 17 hours, but we got home before the ball dropped in Times Square.
And now we look at the new year. 2011. It seems like just yesterday it was 2010.
I can't wait to see what great things 2011 will bring!
Over the weekend, I need to make sure I'm ready.
Happy new year, everyone!
Friday, December 24, 2010
The Eve of Christmas Eve
Last night, Sheryl and I sat outside on the front porch of Vino's on Duval in Key West. We had completed a full day of riding scooters and sightseeing, and had an incredible dinner at Mangoes.
As we sat, drinking our wine of the moment, I realized I was a little chilly. So I took a blanket off the chair next to me, and covered my legs - bare from the knees down.
Watching people walk by, overhearing bits and pieces of conversations - in English and other languages - we gazed at the Christmas lights decorating the businesses across the street.
I had a sudden moment of clarity. I was in the perfect place at the perfect time doing the perfect thing with perfect company.
Another blessing.
Last night, Sheryl and I sat outside on the front porch of Vino's on Duval in Key West. We had completed a full day of riding scooters and sightseeing, and had an incredible dinner at Mangoes.
As we sat, drinking our wine of the moment, I realized I was a little chilly. So I took a blanket off the chair next to me, and covered my legs - bare from the knees down.
Watching people walk by, overhearing bits and pieces of conversations - in English and other languages - we gazed at the Christmas lights decorating the businesses across the street.
I had a sudden moment of clarity. I was in the perfect place at the perfect time doing the perfect thing with perfect company.
Another blessing.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Conclusions
There are many reasons to count our blessings. I acknowledge my appreciation for things daily.
Lately, I've been working on an experiment using the concepts discussed in "What the Bleep Do We Know?"
And I've found that these concepts can and do work. I also found that it was very difficult to step away from old habits and develop new ones. Oddly enough, I found that by being cold forced me to whine and bitch about being cold, rather than focus on my blessings and experiment.
I've talked about some parts of my experiment, but there was one I did not want to discuss until a couple of days ago.
They say that it takes three weeks to change habits. So, I decided that I wanted to change my drinking habit.
It wasn't easy to accomplish his. I got some hassle, but I persisted. I didn't know what to expect, but I did know that if I was able to achieve my goal, then my sense of will power was strong enough to accomplish anything in life. Yes, somewhat drama-queenish, but something nonetheless I felt I needed to prove to myself.
And I learned some things, too. I learned that I slept better. I learned that I felt better. I felt that I could focus better.
And people who knew me 10+ years ago won't comprehend this, but I learned that I missed drinking wine, and experimenting with wine more than anything.
Over the last year or so, I haven't really enjoyed what rum and other hard liquors have been doing to my body. Of course, I have had a tendency to drink excessively at each sitting as well, but that don't count, right?
So the experiment is over, and I am eager to take these lessons I've learned and find out how they help me become a better person, and what amazing things I can accomplish.
It's all a process. And if we're lucky, we never stop learning and testing ourselves.
There are many reasons to count our blessings. I acknowledge my appreciation for things daily.
Lately, I've been working on an experiment using the concepts discussed in "What the Bleep Do We Know?"
And I've found that these concepts can and do work. I also found that it was very difficult to step away from old habits and develop new ones. Oddly enough, I found that by being cold forced me to whine and bitch about being cold, rather than focus on my blessings and experiment.
I've talked about some parts of my experiment, but there was one I did not want to discuss until a couple of days ago.
They say that it takes three weeks to change habits. So, I decided that I wanted to change my drinking habit.
It wasn't easy to accomplish his. I got some hassle, but I persisted. I didn't know what to expect, but I did know that if I was able to achieve my goal, then my sense of will power was strong enough to accomplish anything in life. Yes, somewhat drama-queenish, but something nonetheless I felt I needed to prove to myself.
And I learned some things, too. I learned that I slept better. I learned that I felt better. I felt that I could focus better.
And people who knew me 10+ years ago won't comprehend this, but I learned that I missed drinking wine, and experimenting with wine more than anything.
Over the last year or so, I haven't really enjoyed what rum and other hard liquors have been doing to my body. Of course, I have had a tendency to drink excessively at each sitting as well, but that don't count, right?
So the experiment is over, and I am eager to take these lessons I've learned and find out how they help me become a better person, and what amazing things I can accomplish.
It's all a process. And if we're lucky, we never stop learning and testing ourselves.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Notes on the Experiment
I've only been working on this experiment for a week or so, and I can already say that I feel confident that it will work. There are too many coincidences to make me think otherwise.
There are four items that are part of the experiment:
1) Identify moments in the day that Sheryl and I are grateful for (thus opening ourselves for positive occurrences);
2) Receive a job offer down South (which nearly happened, but I realized that I wanted to stay at my current position a little longer, so I turned down the opportunity);
3) and 4) They still have not occurred, so I will keep them to myself... until they do occur. I am confident they will.
But the gist of the experiment has been to determine whether I could change things in my life by changing the way I think about them.
I have been really fascinated lately by the Quantum Edition of "What the Bleep Do We Know?" There are hours upon hours of bonus information regarding quantum mechanics and quantum physics, and this is what ignited the concept of my experiment.
Daily, I think it's important for me to remember: "I make myself available to the infinite possibilities." By saying, and believing in this, I recognize that there is no limit to my life. There is nothing I can't do (without the proper work being done).
And now I'm excited to see what I can accomplish with this knowledge.
Let's finish Items 3 and 4 first, eh? :)
I've only been working on this experiment for a week or so, and I can already say that I feel confident that it will work. There are too many coincidences to make me think otherwise.
There are four items that are part of the experiment:
1) Identify moments in the day that Sheryl and I are grateful for (thus opening ourselves for positive occurrences);
2) Receive a job offer down South (which nearly happened, but I realized that I wanted to stay at my current position a little longer, so I turned down the opportunity);
3) and 4) They still have not occurred, so I will keep them to myself... until they do occur. I am confident they will.
But the gist of the experiment has been to determine whether I could change things in my life by changing the way I think about them.
I have been really fascinated lately by the Quantum Edition of "What the Bleep Do We Know?" There are hours upon hours of bonus information regarding quantum mechanics and quantum physics, and this is what ignited the concept of my experiment.
Daily, I think it's important for me to remember: "I make myself available to the infinite possibilities." By saying, and believing in this, I recognize that there is no limit to my life. There is nothing I can't do (without the proper work being done).
And now I'm excited to see what I can accomplish with this knowledge.
Let's finish Items 3 and 4 first, eh? :)
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Life
On the day that I learned that Elizabeth Edwards died, I went with my amazing wife to see the pulmonologist.
18 months ago, a CT scan showed a spot on my lung. My oncologist - as thorough as he is - put me through three more CT scans to ensure everything was alright. And then sent me to the pulmonologist. As long as the pulmonologist said everything was okay, then I was in the clear.
Well, I am in the clear, although he wants one more CT in the spring.
So, how did I celebrate?
I went to the Y, and rode 16 miles on the trainer.
It's good to be alive. How do you celebrate your life?
"Life has no limitations, except the ones you make." - Les Brown
On the day that I learned that Elizabeth Edwards died, I went with my amazing wife to see the pulmonologist.
18 months ago, a CT scan showed a spot on my lung. My oncologist - as thorough as he is - put me through three more CT scans to ensure everything was alright. And then sent me to the pulmonologist. As long as the pulmonologist said everything was okay, then I was in the clear.
Well, I am in the clear, although he wants one more CT in the spring.
So, how did I celebrate?
I went to the Y, and rode 16 miles on the trainer.
It's good to be alive. How do you celebrate your life?
"Life has no limitations, except the ones you make." - Les Brown
Monday, December 06, 2010
The Daily Dose
As part of my experiment, I have been trying new things: being more positive, being more aware of my surroundings and opportunities, appreciating what I have, and focusing on my desires.
Part of being more positive has included asking Sheryl what the best part of her day was just before she goes to bed. Doing this helps both of us to focus on something positive before going to bed. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I have been sleeping really well lately...
The other things come and go, but as I work on each aspect of this project, I get a kick out of finding ways to make the best of myself and the opportunities available to me.
As part of my experiment, I have been trying new things: being more positive, being more aware of my surroundings and opportunities, appreciating what I have, and focusing on my desires.
Part of being more positive has included asking Sheryl what the best part of her day was just before she goes to bed. Doing this helps both of us to focus on something positive before going to bed. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I have been sleeping really well lately...
The other things come and go, but as I work on each aspect of this project, I get a kick out of finding ways to make the best of myself and the opportunities available to me.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
This morning, I tried to focus on the experiment while I was working out, but didn't have a lot of time tonight to meditate on it.
Tonight was big, though, met a personal milestone, and helped make someone's day. These are positives that will help along the way.
As I further refine the parameters of the experiment:
Today, I make myself available to all possibilities that will ultimately lead to a positive outcome.
My favorite part of the day was seeing all of the smiles I saw tonight, including hearing my aunt say that she hasn't laughed that hard in a long time. Made me think about all the laughing I did today. Very positive. :)
Tonight was big, though, met a personal milestone, and helped make someone's day. These are positives that will help along the way.
As I further refine the parameters of the experiment:
Today, I make myself available to all possibilities that will ultimately lead to a positive outcome.
My favorite part of the day was seeing all of the smiles I saw tonight, including hearing my aunt say that she hasn't laughed that hard in a long time. Made me think about all the laughing I did today. Very positive. :)
Friday, December 03, 2010
The experiment...
So I am working towards a moment that will be a great benefit to me. I am trying different things, like eliminating negativity from my life. By doing this, I believe that I can make more positive things more available to me.
There have been some struggles over the last few days, but there has definitely been some positively stranger things happening as well. Today, despite some non-positive occurrences, I found that there were a number of occasions where I was "in the right place at the right time". Or "someone was just looking for me," and there I was. This is an important development towards my goal.
Something else important came to me as well. Three quotes that idealize things I need to keep close during this experiment:
"The ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice you to become the person it takes to achieve them." - Jim Rohn
So I am working towards a moment that will be a great benefit to me. I am trying different things, like eliminating negativity from my life. By doing this, I believe that I can make more positive things more available to me.
There have been some struggles over the last few days, but there has definitely been some positively stranger things happening as well. Today, despite some non-positive occurrences, I found that there were a number of occasions where I was "in the right place at the right time". Or "someone was just looking for me," and there I was. This is an important development towards my goal.
Something else important came to me as well. Three quotes that idealize things I need to keep close during this experiment:
"The ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice you to become the person it takes to achieve them." - Jim Rohn
"Find peace in your heart. It will spread over the world. The effect of it is strong and immediate." - Yoko Ono
"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." - Charles Darwin
These have all come to me since I decided to undergo this experiment. This tells a big tale.
Today, I open myself to all positive opportunities, and recognize the changes within me, and around me, no matter how small or how large, that occur as a result of opening myself up to these positive opportunities.
I'm getting excited to see what happens next!
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
I am performing an experiment. I expect that the outcome will be favorable for me, and it will take 45 days to complete.
Each day, I add a piece of the puzzle, ultimately ending up with the desired outcome.
Bear witness to this experiment with me. Let's travel the road together.
Today: I open myself up to all possibilities.
Each day, I add a piece of the puzzle, ultimately ending up with the desired outcome.
Bear witness to this experiment with me. Let's travel the road together.
Today: I open myself up to all possibilities.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thanksgiving thoughts - 2010
One of my daily affirmations is "I am gracious, accountable, and focused."
Grace, in my mind, is to be appreciative of what you've got. So in a way, Thanksgiving is every day for me.
I am grateful for things that fall into major subsets - people, situations, and things.
I am grateful for my wife, who swore she'd make me laugh every day, and she keeps her word.
I am grateful for my mother, who is probably my best friend.
I am grateful for my brothers and sister, because no matter what, we know we can count on each other.
I am grateful to be back in touch with many family members that I'd fallen out of touch with.
I am grateful to be alive, and to have a chance every day to make a positive impact on the world around me - especially my wife's world.
I am grateful to understand what it is to be healthy, and to be healthy and happy.
I am grateful for a job that reminds me that I love to work, and I love being a technical writer.
I am grateful for my bikes - Shtiya and Moyo - my strength and my heart.
I am grateful for the wisdom that I earned from the University of Hard Knocks.
On the night before Thanksgiving, I listen to Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" album, and Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". They remind me of when I first truly listened to those albums - on the day before Thanksgiving, when my grandma came to spend the night, and help my mother with Thanksgiving dinner preparations. When I think of my Grandma Rodgers, I recall how much I love her, and how much I love my Grandma Cummings. Both named Rose, ya know...
So thank you, Thanksgiving, for granting me the memories that remind me that our past is a blueprint to our children's future.
Thank you everyone.
One of my daily affirmations is "I am gracious, accountable, and focused."
Grace, in my mind, is to be appreciative of what you've got. So in a way, Thanksgiving is every day for me.
I am grateful for things that fall into major subsets - people, situations, and things.
I am grateful for my wife, who swore she'd make me laugh every day, and she keeps her word.
I am grateful for my mother, who is probably my best friend.
I am grateful for my brothers and sister, because no matter what, we know we can count on each other.
I am grateful to be back in touch with many family members that I'd fallen out of touch with.
I am grateful to be alive, and to have a chance every day to make a positive impact on the world around me - especially my wife's world.
I am grateful to understand what it is to be healthy, and to be healthy and happy.
I am grateful for a job that reminds me that I love to work, and I love being a technical writer.
I am grateful for my bikes - Shtiya and Moyo - my strength and my heart.
I am grateful for the wisdom that I earned from the University of Hard Knocks.
On the night before Thanksgiving, I listen to Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" album, and Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". They remind me of when I first truly listened to those albums - on the day before Thanksgiving, when my grandma came to spend the night, and help my mother with Thanksgiving dinner preparations. When I think of my Grandma Rodgers, I recall how much I love her, and how much I love my Grandma Cummings. Both named Rose, ya know...
So thank you, Thanksgiving, for granting me the memories that remind me that our past is a blueprint to our children's future.
Thank you everyone.
Monday, November 22, 2010
A Rock Lobster Treat
I just spent the last 30 minutes writing a piece that touched my soul regarding John Lennon, and the PBS special "American Masters".
And through a computer glitch, I lost it. It was deleted.
Gone.
Finito.
It must have divine providence.
Thank you, my spiritual guides. I love and miss you.
I just spent the last 30 minutes writing a piece that touched my soul regarding John Lennon, and the PBS special "American Masters".
And through a computer glitch, I lost it. It was deleted.
Gone.
Finito.
It must have divine providence.
Thank you, my spiritual guides. I love and miss you.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Get Back Jojo!
People always talk about "If I could go back in time, I wouldn't change a thing...". But what if you really had a chance to go back?
What if the you who you are now, could go back in time? What if you could take someone with you? I mean, I would totally take Sheryl. I think we would have so much fun being as wise as we are after 43 years (44 for me), and seeing how different things would be.
If it wasn't for cancer, I would not be the person I am now. Sheryl and I might not have ever met. BUT... what if we were already married, and what if I could be 35 again, and not have to go through cancer again, but still have the glory of youth and excitement of all the years ahead of me?
Instead of 40 glorious years together, we could have 60, and we could have fewer aches and pains, and blah blah blah...
I love my life. I say it over and over, and I completely believe it. Sometimes though, I gotta admit. I wish I had everything I have, but could have a few less worries, and have the spirit of being young.
Oh well, I guess that's what I get for watching live Weezer videos while nursing a bit of a cold. :(
People always talk about "If I could go back in time, I wouldn't change a thing...". But what if you really had a chance to go back?
What if the you who you are now, could go back in time? What if you could take someone with you? I mean, I would totally take Sheryl. I think we would have so much fun being as wise as we are after 43 years (44 for me), and seeing how different things would be.
If it wasn't for cancer, I would not be the person I am now. Sheryl and I might not have ever met. BUT... what if we were already married, and what if I could be 35 again, and not have to go through cancer again, but still have the glory of youth and excitement of all the years ahead of me?
Instead of 40 glorious years together, we could have 60, and we could have fewer aches and pains, and blah blah blah...
I love my life. I say it over and over, and I completely believe it. Sometimes though, I gotta admit. I wish I had everything I have, but could have a few less worries, and have the spirit of being young.
Oh well, I guess that's what I get for watching live Weezer videos while nursing a bit of a cold. :(
Saturday, October 09, 2010
Red Red Wine...
In the late 60s, Jimi Hendrix recorded an album with the Band of Gypsys. The amazing album has a song on it that Clapton and Winwood recently covered, called "Changes".
The first lyric is "My mind is goin through them changes, I think I'm goin outta my mind..."
And that thought lingers with me as I look back on today's visit to the Cloverleaf Wine Shop in Royal Oak.
But that's not truly the beginning of this story. It really starts a couple of years ago.
I am perpetually trying to improve myself. Tweaking and changing, trying to become a better person. Part of becoming a better person is trying to live long enough to achieve betterdom. One night, I decided to choke down some red wine. After all, it's been lauded as a health enhancer, and I am all for enhancing my health.
A day or two later, I thought I'd choke down red wine again.
And eventually, something crazy happened.
Actually, two somethings crazy happened:
1) I got better results from my doctor.
2) The red wine eventually started tasting pretty okay.
So... on trips to Costco, I started trying different red wines, and actually found one in particular that I liked.
Now we fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. Sheryl and I went to Royal Oak for dinner, and stopped by the Cloverleaf - a small, locally run wine and crafted beer shop.
Scott, an employee there, greeted us, and offered to help us find something or answer any questions. By now, I had grown weary of simply looking for bottles of red wine with cool labels. I wanted to gain a little knowledge, and understand a little more about what the hell I was drinking.
Scott took some time with us, and supplied a few suggestions based on my weak explanation of what I thought I liked in a wine. He explained flavors, grapes, growing locations, costs and the like. Most of which went over my head.
And we walked out of there with five bottles of wine. Most of which were in the price range that I felt comfortable paying for.
As soon as we got home, I popped open a bottle that Scott highly recommended - Tres Picos. Sheryl and I both loved it. In fact, I thought it was the best damn wine I'd ever had...
It turned out that I really enjoyed three of the five bottles, and "merely enjoyed" the other two.
Fast forward again to my visit to the Cloverleaf today.
I walked in and started looking at bottles of wine. I still wasn't sure of what I was looking for, but I knew the general area to look in, to find something I might like. Scott walked by.
"Dude," I said, "you were dead nuts on the Tres Picos. It was the best wine I'd ever tasted."
If you think about this, this is something that everyone wants to hear about their job. This is the ultimate compliment (aside from giving someone a raise...), no?
So Scott and I talked about wine. He made more recommendations, and I started to sort of kinda understand what he was talking about.
"My mind is goin through them changes, I think I'm goin outta my mind..."
Mr. Beer Drinker. Mr. Tequila Taster. Mr. Rum Drinker, Vodka Drinker, Margarita Drinker... talking wine???!!!
Yes, 10 years ago, I would have never seen it coming. 10 years ago, I would have never seen marriage coming, either. 10 years ago, I would have never seen cancer coming.
It's all about growth, I guess. It's all about betterdom. The more you learn about things you don't know, the more learned you become, no?
So here I am, eager to taste the five new bottles of wine that I got earlier today.
Crazy.
Changes.
In the late 60s, Jimi Hendrix recorded an album with the Band of Gypsys. The amazing album has a song on it that Clapton and Winwood recently covered, called "Changes".
The first lyric is "My mind is goin through them changes, I think I'm goin outta my mind..."
And that thought lingers with me as I look back on today's visit to the Cloverleaf Wine Shop in Royal Oak.
But that's not truly the beginning of this story. It really starts a couple of years ago.
I am perpetually trying to improve myself. Tweaking and changing, trying to become a better person. Part of becoming a better person is trying to live long enough to achieve betterdom. One night, I decided to choke down some red wine. After all, it's been lauded as a health enhancer, and I am all for enhancing my health.
A day or two later, I thought I'd choke down red wine again.
And eventually, something crazy happened.
Actually, two somethings crazy happened:
1) I got better results from my doctor.
2) The red wine eventually started tasting pretty okay.
So... on trips to Costco, I started trying different red wines, and actually found one in particular that I liked.
Now we fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. Sheryl and I went to Royal Oak for dinner, and stopped by the Cloverleaf - a small, locally run wine and crafted beer shop.
Scott, an employee there, greeted us, and offered to help us find something or answer any questions. By now, I had grown weary of simply looking for bottles of red wine with cool labels. I wanted to gain a little knowledge, and understand a little more about what the hell I was drinking.
Scott took some time with us, and supplied a few suggestions based on my weak explanation of what I thought I liked in a wine. He explained flavors, grapes, growing locations, costs and the like. Most of which went over my head.
And we walked out of there with five bottles of wine. Most of which were in the price range that I felt comfortable paying for.
As soon as we got home, I popped open a bottle that Scott highly recommended - Tres Picos. Sheryl and I both loved it. In fact, I thought it was the best damn wine I'd ever had...
It turned out that I really enjoyed three of the five bottles, and "merely enjoyed" the other two.
Fast forward again to my visit to the Cloverleaf today.
I walked in and started looking at bottles of wine. I still wasn't sure of what I was looking for, but I knew the general area to look in, to find something I might like. Scott walked by.
"Dude," I said, "you were dead nuts on the Tres Picos. It was the best wine I'd ever tasted."
If you think about this, this is something that everyone wants to hear about their job. This is the ultimate compliment (aside from giving someone a raise...), no?
So Scott and I talked about wine. He made more recommendations, and I started to sort of kinda understand what he was talking about.
"My mind is goin through them changes, I think I'm goin outta my mind..."
Mr. Beer Drinker. Mr. Tequila Taster. Mr. Rum Drinker, Vodka Drinker, Margarita Drinker... talking wine???!!!
Yes, 10 years ago, I would have never seen it coming. 10 years ago, I would have never seen marriage coming, either. 10 years ago, I would have never seen cancer coming.
It's all about growth, I guess. It's all about betterdom. The more you learn about things you don't know, the more learned you become, no?
So here I am, eager to taste the five new bottles of wine that I got earlier today.
Crazy.
Changes.
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