Building A Better Dave

A mall that was a part of my childhood is on life support and in April the last store (JC Penny). I'm not sure why this is making me so sad. Sure it's part of my childhood, but I guess in a way the Mall is a mirror of me. It was so big and so strong, and now it's on its last breathe.  If something so big and strong can die, then it's just a reminder that we all need to maximize our time on the planet.  I'm walking around the mall, taking mental pictures of its 860,000 square feet because soon I won't be able to.  MENTIONED Bookends by Simon and Garfunkle. on YouTube

My Dad would always let me know that life is not fair.  I have found that weight loss is a lot like walking the wrong way on one of those moving sidewalks at the airport. If you're walking the wrong way you would need to really walk fast and then if you stopped for a second you would be catapulted backwards very very quickly.  I had to wear a suit for the first time since 2018 and my "Lucky Green Suit" no longer fits. This brought on a bunch of emotions and I took a second to take a second to embrace the hatred of myself, the disappointment, the frustration, and really took a second to remember how this feels.  I have fooled myself with lies like "one won't hurt" and many others.  It's working. I'm back down to 222 and headed the right way. It's not easy. It's not fair, but life's not fair.

While I plan for it, and know its coming, and still make the day special, not celebrating Christmas on December 25th is still a little weird.  Today I talk about how it appears people have given up on going to Christmas on Christmas Eve. I miss soft, warm, candlelight services of my childhood with my whole family.  What did I do? I went to the movies....

This weekend I attended the wedding of my ex-wife. Awkward? Maybe a little, but not really. I am getting more comfortable in my role as a "family friend."  I got to bust out my prayer licks and freestyle a prayer. I got to meet what would've been my step-grandkids.  It's one thing to go to a wedding because you have to, but in looking back it's cool to go because you're invited. 

My brother leaves for Floriday and my family celebrates Christmas before he leaves (in this case almost two weeks early). It was a great time with family, food, and loud squeals of delight over one gift. The gift is highly confusing for me. It's a what? Like, really?  Yeah... I don't get it. 

I was singing some Christmas songs in the kitchen when a very strange question popped in my head. What if the birth of Jesus happened today?

Merry Happy Whatever. It's like fuller house without the boobs. The Irishman - Great cast. Three and a half hours. Surprise (spoiler) a bunch of mom guys whack people. Shocking. The Movies That Made Us - So far this is great. I love all the behind the scenes info.  Back in the Game - It's easy to see why these people are broke.  Hamilton Beach " Smokeless Indoor Grill"

WOW 2019 is almost over. Matthew Dicks has an exercise he swears will slow things down. You write a sentence or two about your day. So many people think they don't have stories. They do, but they don't remember them. I'm trying to do this and it's cool but it takes discipline.  Here is Mathew Dicks on YouTube

Sports are kind of weird as we: Watch millionaires comment on Athletic millionaires In front of people who can't afford the tickets Who can't afford the parking or the $7 hot dog Their comments have zero outcome on the game, but it gets us wound up. We all want to be winners and those colors for my team represent ME, and I want to be a winner. If we lose our day is shot.  For me, I was happy I started the day with 20 minutes on the bike skipping breakfast having one giant meal and not going over my calorie budget Seeing my family including the little peeps. I was also happy that on the way home, I skipped all the fast food (even though I was thinking about it).  I went to best buy and now I'm trying to figure out if I need the indoor smokeless grill.... (by the way Best Buy has this as a deal at $69, but its $59 on Amazon). In the end, I'm leaning toward this Hamilton Beach (I already have a George Forman...) Mentioned In This Show Al Roker battles butter man E.T. Holiday Reunion Commercial 2019  

Today I talk about some steps I took to make riding my new exercise bike a little easier. It brought back some memories.  I also apologize to anyone I may have offended by saying this podcast was not great.  Set a goal you have to grow into. I like that phrase.

Dolly Parton Confuses me. She comes across as family-friendly. We all know she has giant boobs, and somewhat defies gravity when she stands up.  I thought it was inappropriate when she openly flirts with Jimmy Fallon and seems to be a little weird. She talked about how her husband wants a threesome (jokingly with Jennifer Anniston). The first episode of heartstrings has Julianne Hough playing Jolene who also has her boobs hanging out in every scene. I guess I'm just confused. How can we have t-shirts that say "Hey my eyes are up here" and then when you have a woman in charge and influences her own series and it features boobs o' plenty. Some might say, "its just Dolly being Dolly, and she's done this her entire life," I just find it confusing. 

A four-page typed up a letter from what I believe is my Great-great-grandfather as he talks about the days Oklahoma becomes a state. This makes me believe I was born to be a podcaster.  I was also glad to hear nobody got molested.

Today I share some thoughts about a new large purchase for the Nordictrack S22i, and how I made some changes to be able to afford it. I'm also using the Noom App, which has some pretty cool stuff (think weight watchers accountability in an app).  

I can tolerate a sappy romantic Christmas movie, but this one takes the cake. I will give them the credit they through in a ghost story (so kudos for creativity) but the message of this movie was hideous.  I love that the ghost is not freaked out by anything when he reappears every year.  IMDB Page The Spirit of Christmas Trailer on YouTube

I decided to put up my Christmas Tree, and at times when I do this solo, it makes me a little melancholy. So when I did it tonight, I didn't do as good a job of "spinning it" in my head.  But I'm not dating anyone. So I guess that means I do it solo.  I'm not sure why, but I know someone who loves old traditions and is easy to entertain.  I had plan C sitting in front of me the whole time but my tunnel vision left me decorating a tree alone.  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Harry Belafonte Christmas Album on Spotify Harry Belefonte Christmas on Apple

I was interviewed for a show about not being able to have kids. That's not a door I open often.  I was just interviewed to talk about #metoo and how guys can understand how to talk to women without being creepy. I'm not creepy, but I'm worried I might say something that I feel is nice, but it could be taken as harassment. In the end, never comment on someone's appearance.  I've always been the night in shining armor. She pointed out that maybe somewhere I learned that "love is when Dave helps someone" and I thought that might've been my Mom who was home alone a large amount of time during her marriage as my Dad was a long-distance truck driver.  I love to dissect me to see why I do what I do, so I can be a better person. Have you ever taken any time to better understand why you do what you do and see if there is a way to do it better. Mentioned in this Episode Weight loss app Noom 9save 15% off with this link

have you ever been so mad you can't fall asleep? I can't believe they are replacing another Akron Ohio landmark Stricklands Ice Cream with the chicken shack. This is insane...

While its fun to pick on your little brother, little brothers don't stay little forever. We remember the times when we got hit in the head with your class ring, the swirlies, and more.  You know what they say about payback...

Scott and I went to Al's house. He put on this song and we looked at each other. How is he doing that? Wait, play it again (and again, and again). Clueless. Like put a gun to my head and I couldn't tell you how Eddie Van Halen was playing eruption. Now every seven year old at Guitar Center can play it with their eyes closed.  Eruption, Ain't Talking About Love, Jamie's Cryin, Ice Cream Man, my favorite was Atomic Punk in which David Lee Roth makes noises that much like Eddie's guitar it had me going, "Wait, how did he do that?"  Another great memory from this album is my mom walked in and heard Ice Cream Man (an electrified Boogie) and said "I could jitterbug to this" so we moved the coffee table and she taught me how to jitterbug. The best part is I could see my remembering what it was like to be in her 20's in the 1950's and just have fun. It's one of my top 10 memories.  This album is so good, I don't play it. I save it for days when I need a pick me up. It never fails to put a smile on my face Van Halen I

I was three years old when my brother called me into the "Rec Room" and put an album on, turned out the lights, and locked me in the room. I was three, and this was easily the most scared I had ever been in my life.  The album was Jimi Hendrix Electric Ladyland and the "song" was ...And the God Made Love.  This contains one the guitar tone that was so rude, so angry, I didn't understand what I was hearing.  Electric Ladyland on Spotify Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) on YouTube Electric Ladyland on Apple