My friend DJ asked me to tell him "a story about when you decided you enjoyed cooking." This is my response to him: I've always liked cooking. I grew up in the kitchen with my aunts. I didn't start to love cooking until I started working at The Cheesecake Factory at Valley Fair mall in San Jose,CA. It was just after I started Expediting, one of my managers started talking to me asking how I liked Expoing. Told him I really liked it and that my favorite part was learning how to cook the food on the menu. That is when he started talking to me about layering flavors and how every single item on the menu was designed to hit every part of the tongue. From that point on I just stared playing. Mostly trying to recreate dishes from each of the thousands of amazing places my wife and I would eat in the Bay Area. I cooked often for years after that, but my big AH HA moments didn't come until culinary school. Once I learned methods and procedures, it was over. Researching flavor combinations and enhancing my palette became priorities. And now, here I am. I am the most relaxed in the kitchen. When I am creating something, even if it is just dinner for the family (which still uses at least three to four pans several utensils and a grip of ingredients) everything else slips away and I find myself in a place that is nothing but love. It is another kind of church for me which is funny because all those years ago when I was tugging on apron strings I remember my aunts talking to God the whole time, and though we probably each have/had our own ways of thinking about God he was/is in every dish.

Rise

Rise, my brothas, rise

Like the Sun that sets on souls in slums, on benches bumping gums, on streets packing guns and those on the run



Like a Phoenix from the burning ashes of corpses and crosses, another person lost is a cost we cant afford. Still, our loss is ignored



Rise my brothas, rise like mercury, temperatures climb and freeze in time. Thirsty for knowledge with a squeeze of lime. Brothas out in the grime making dime off of rhyme and crime. Forgetting schooling, still fueling a need to succeed in a crooked world of greed



Rise my brothas, rise like MC So & SO to the top of the charts. Winning our hearts with tracks of ho smacks as our culture flow slips through cracks of establishment sidewalks. No one listens when a man of pride talks. Just Pimp strides and glocks, outlines of white chalk



Rise my brothas, rise like a fist and twist your grill to a grimace and topple this menace of government. Another brotha sent to war, another mother bent to wail for another son that's sent to war or jail. Can't tell where we went wrong. Revolution used to be the song, now its "bling-bling"ing to belong. How far we've gone.

Trade off

Reading quite a bit of Utopian and Distopian fiction has gotten me thinking about what I would give up to end suffering in the world. In these books, people have no idea what they do not have yet everything is peaceful and joyful. What would you give up to ensure that everyone on the planet was happy? Art, love, emotion, pain...

Kite-Plucky

Those are some fun words. The word kite brings to mind two things. One is a note passed between prisoners is called a kite, and the other is a memory of me and some friends in the back of a pickup truck following a run-away kite when I was about 10 years old. I think I should get a kite. I remember them being a lot of fun. So I have been sitting on my ass for the last four days and have to go back to work tomorrow. I would much rather sit at home and watch cartoons. Ha, there's my tie in…Tiny Tunes. I used to watch that show all the time. And my favorite character was Plucky Duck…"Water go down the hoooole". Nite Y'all!

 

"We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations."

Anais Nin

Lack-Afterclap

So if some of you are unaware, I am a GEEK. Gadget/Comic/Movie/computer Geek. I get excited about things that most people could care less about. I would say the only thing my wife might lack (aside from being the most positively, absolutely most wonderful woman, wife and mother in the universe;-) ) is the fact that she could give a damn about much of the stuff I get geeked about. She is really supportive though. She can smile and nod with the best of them. I am sure she gets plenty of entertainment just watching me talk about stuff sometimes. Well tonight I saw her get excited about Iron Man 2 which was kinda cool. Granted it was because it was a great movie and not for all the comic nerd stuff sprinkled throughout. Excited about a lot of comic book movies coming out…Thor, Captain America, The Avengers, Nick Fury (rumored)-it's gonna be a great couple years. Also with and android tablet on the way and an FCC amendment that will keep Cable companies like Comcast for restricting access to some sites and the introduction of the HTC EVO coming next week it is gonna be a pretty cool year as well. Nite Y'all!

 

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power -- Green Lantern's light!"

-- Green Lantern

Wealth-Malapert

I remember when I used to be a malapert individual. I can still be bold, but not in the destructive way I was before. I know I have said all this stuff over and over, but looking at these pictures we had taken today has reminded me how rich I truly am. It is not a material wealth, it is one that is worth so much more than all the cars, houses and "stuff" I used to think I wanted. It feels so good to be so truly happy and in love with my life and my family as I am right now. Blessed! Nite Y'all!

 

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.

~Joyce Brothers

Stand-Matriculate

I have an ill headache that is kinda crippling me right now. My head hurts so bad I can hardly stand. Gotta get up early. Seeing as how I've matriculated I now need to buy books. Financial aid becomes available tomorrow and I want to get there early so I'm not waiting on line forever. Nite Y'all!

 

"I thought so hard I got a headache."

J.D. Cobb

Withheld-Mugwump

Mugwump? How the hell am I supposed to use that? I'm not really stuck in the middle of any controversial issues. The last debatable issue I was undecided about was the nature nurture: alcoholism/addiction issue and I resolved my opinion on that. I do remain flexible on most things though. More-so than most I think. I think there is too much rigidity in some peoples beliefs. So much that they become bull-headed and refuse to see the possibility of anyone else's views. I think that if everyone gave more than they withheld in respect to compassion and empathy towards the ideas of others this world would spin a little easier. Nite Y'all!

"Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too."

Frederick Buechner

Stride-Muliebrity

So today didn't go as badly as expected. I walked in and hit my stride right away. The majority of my tables were great. They were nice and happy and most of them were pretty fun. This mother's day went well. Hope you all called your mothers. Nothing says muliebrity like having a child. Thanx Moms. Nite Y'all.

 

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.

~Jewish Proverb

Trial-Chevron

I had a trial of sorts today. everything just seemed so wrong. Managers were giving conflicting directions, co-workers were being a pan in the ass and there were some guests that were being just awful. I was having a horrible day until my wife, daughter and son showed up and brought me a milk shake. I got a big hug form my little girl and a kiss from my wife and it turned my day around, until someone poked a hole in my milkshake cup. That just made things suck again. Tomorrow is gonna be a battle. Going into work on Mother's day is like going to war. I should just put stripes, stars and chevrons on my sleeves. Might even need to bring a helmet and a side arm. People! Listen! Pay Attention! Love your mother? Then don't make her sit in the lobby of a restaurant for 2 hours. Buy her some flowers and tell her you'll take her out whenever she wants. Oh well. Nite Y'all.

 

"If you realize what the real problem is - losing yourself - you realize that this itself is the ultimate trial."

Joseph Campbell

Lashes-Eristic

An eristic topic arose today out of a simple facebook post. I posted a status update with the theme song from "The Big Bang Theory" and it triggered a pretty turbulent situation. One friend continued the conversation along the lines of scientific thought and another chimed in with biblical revelations type talk and with comments from both sides of the debate lining me up for my hundred lashes. The beauty about beliefs is it helps direct people in a direction they feel is appropriate. There is no right or wrong answer, although I am sure quite a few might disagree. I have always had my own personal value system. I didn't always follow it but it was there. Now I try to live them. For me what it all boils down to is humility, forgiveness and acceptance. Nite Y'all.

 

 

"Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it."

-- Hardy D. Jackson

Depth-Perpend

I sit here and perpend the events of the evening. My daughter was telling my tonight that some kids at school call her names like "Jerk" and "Stupid". I think about the things that I have been called in my life: Nigger, Stupid, Liar, Cheater, Loser, Jerk, Drunk, Druggie, Asshole and so many others. At one point or another I deserved every name I was called and even now a few of those can be apropos from time to time (I realize I am not perfect), but now I am called by many names that are such a long way off from those others: Father, Husband, Brother, Friend, Man. It broke my heart hearing my daughter talking about these "mean things" they were calling her. I sat her down in front of me and told her that sometimes everyone acts like a jerk. As for being called stupid I asked her what she thought of herself, whether she was smart or stupid. She told me that she thought she was smart and I said that's all that matters. I asked her if all the kids at school thought she was stupid and she named off seven or eight that thought she was smart and then I asked her what she should do and she said "just play with the ones who think I'm smart." Amazing how someone who is just 5 can grasp a concept with such depth and help me realize a few things about myself in the process. Nite Y'all.

 

"Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

J. K. Rowling

Roller-Vamoose

It is kinda funny that this new format that I'm using makes me think of captcha codes. Well today was the last day of the term for me and today was also my last final. I am pretty sure I did a good job on it. so that will be the third of my A's for the term. Got one B. it was in a four credit hour class. So my GPA for the term is gonna be about a 3.8 overall will be about a 3.92. I am still amazed at how far I've come. Sure I have had some/plenty/many ups and downs. I have fallen down a bunch but like they say in the roller skating movie Roll Bounce, "Hey, if you don't fall, how you gonna know what gettin' up is like, right?" well it is time for me to vamoose. Nite Y'all.

 

"If you're robbing a bank and you're pants fall down, I think it's okay to laugh and to let the hostages laugh too, because, come on, life is funny."

Jack Handy

Chained-Iatrogenic

I have been feeling quite untethered as of late. I remember feeling chained to insanity and selfishness. Now the only thing I feel tied to at all, other than my family, is humility. I have been through so much and come so far. It amazes me how little people really understand about addiction and alcoholism. Even doctors. I was once put in an iatrogenic situation when I hurt my back and the doctor prescribed me muscle relaxers and said it was okay because they were non-narcotic. Alcohol is non-narcotic and it had me fucked up, and I used to take muscle relaxers for fun. All that is over now. I'm not saying I am cured. I am far from it, but now I am aware and in the moment no matter the situation and that is that only way I'll win this battle. Nite Y'all.

 

A loser doesn't know what he'll do if he loses, but talks about what he'll do if he wins, and a winner doesn't talk about what he'll do if he wins, but knows what he'll do if he loses.

Eric Berne

Regardless-Jnana

Regardless of what you might have thought I did not disappear from this planet. I simply took some time to kind of reconnect with the stuff that was/is important. I have been undergoing a Jnana of sorts. There have been many times I had thought about writing, but I just couldn't figure out what to write about. So my new method is I take my oneword.com word and my dictionary.com word and include both into my daily bloggerization (I made that one up). They should be hyperlinked, but if they are not I am sure you brainiacs can figure it out. Hope you are all doing well. Hope to hear from you. Nite Y'all.

 

"We live in a moment of history where change is so speeded up that we begin to see the present only when it is already disappearing."

R. D. Laing

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble

I am currently in the process of writng a paper for english. The subject is Nature vs. Nurture: Alcoholism. I am puting a lot of past experience into it and some old wounds are are being picked at. Some old resentments are starting to creep up. It is kind of scary. Thank God that i have God to help me through this. God grant me the serenity to accept the things i cannot change

These are the Droids you're looking for

Got a new phone this week. Its pretty nice. Running android os so ilove it cuz i love Google. This phone has made me think about my life. Just like technology i am advancing as well. I remember when all you could do with a mobile phone was to use it as a phone. Now there are additions that make them better. Now they really can accomplish anything.


Don't wait until everything is just

right. It will never be perfect. There will always be

challenges, obstacles and less than perfect

conditions. So what. Get started now. With each

step you take, you will grow stronger and

stronger, more and more skilled, more and more

self-confident and more and more successful.”

Mark Victor Hansen

Ch Ch Changes

I know I have been gone a while. Been busy procrastinating, with some work and school sprinkled in. the reason I am writing know is I saw an old friend today. Got me thinking about the direction my life is going now. This friend of mine was the best friend a person could have. He knew everything about me and I knew everything about him. Unfortunately, our friendship went south just as I was making these big changes in my life. As I was moving forward, he wanted to remain stagnant. So now the question is…am I better off without this person in my life.

 

We always thought we'd look back on our tears and laugh, but we never thought we'd look back on our laughter and cry

Henry David Thoreau

With a little help from my friends

"You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed. You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest." I have been blessed to have learned what I have learned. Sometimes I know more than others do and sometimes I ask for help. I have the intelligence that some would die for and to others I'm as dumb as a brick. What it all comes down to is how will I live this earthly plane? How will I be remembered? The only way I know how to greatly impact this world is to give all the love I am capable of giving and urge my kids to love too. So do something for someone. Call a friend or a family member and tell them you love them. Smile at a stranger and say hello. Hold the door open for someone. I am willing to bet it will make you feel better than it makes them feel. 'Nite Y'all.

 

"Without humility there can be no humanity"

John Buchan quotes

Mi Familia

"You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights." I feel on top of the world today. Everything just feels right. I was joking with my wife that when I was younger and I told people that one day I was gonna have naked girls all over my house I wasn't expecting them to be Barbies, baby dolls and a four year old. But that is what I have. Another thing I have is a baby boy who just adds to the love I feel in my heart. There are no sights better than that of my family. And I owe it all to the most loving, beautiful, forgiving, wonderful woman in the world. My wife.

 

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.

~Erma Bombeck