I like -

1) I LOVE the smell of salt in the air. I especially love the way salt collects on our skin while we play at the beach all day.

2) I like running.  I literally run wherever my little mind will take me and I rarely run the same path twice. I run for time and heart rate. Its all I have left now that my Soccer days are over as a player.

3) I am a tone freak. Heavy Strings, Tube amps and vintage guitars are a combination made in heaven. I have a sound that is as unique to my guitar playing as it is to the sound of my own voice. My guitars all bear the scars of this discovery process. I am all about Music.

4) Put me in the water. I love to surf, swim, scuba, snorkel…You name it. Swimming in a pool just doesn’t cut it.

5) Love, Love, Love hot sauces!!! D’elidas from Panama is hands down my absolute favorite but I have to import it from Panama myself!!!

6) I have all but quit drinking but I still love the taste of A few libations. My favorite beer is Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA.  I was once a big Rum drinker and have a sizable collection.  Save yourself some time and trouble and get you a bottle of Santa Teresa 1796 from Venezuela. 

7) Musicians, Artists and Athletes - I get on well with folks who have this sort of intellect.

My daughter - Um, the sun rises and sets on that young lady. it is so cool spend time with the new improved version of myself. Lately she has taken to crushing me in the pool and over the road. I only wish I could sing as well as she does and I’m a good singer. She is an absolutely lovely human being.

9) My wife - She is the go to person for anything that is fun in my life.  She loves adventure.  She is beautiful and absolutely brilliant. I have not met anyone like her before or since. I am a lucky man.

10) For some reason I am great with plants. I view it as a curse actually. While I love plants, I am stretched to my limit. Everywhere I go they seem to follow me.

Certainly this isn’t everything. If you choose to fill your life with love there will be many things about you that will find their way into your very soul.

May the Spirit of Christmas be upon each of you!

Peace,

Bobby

Factoid - In my house, if you know which teams are playing on Monday night football, I’ll give you 5 bucks…This includes my wife, daughter and exchange student.

I rarely get hit but sometimes it happens.

I’m exhausted from the weekend. The Foundation raised almost 8 grand to give to the families who suffered with flooding during our last nor’easter.  Saturday was long and I didn’t get to bed until 3am…Literally a three ring circus!!

I attended 6 parties over the weekend.  At one party I played about 20 songs and everyone listened or sang along. *Whew* the drunks were out in full force!!

Anyhow, I am exhausted. 

May the spirit of the holiday be with you!

Peace,

Bobby

Yom Kippur ends at sundown.  This is the holiest of all Jewish holidays.  During this time they seek out forgiveness of their sins against God and others…Interesting that this is their holiest of all days. I think it to be the most lovely of all traditions and holidays no matter who you are or what you believe.

The fall is here and is evident in the way the shadows dwindle on the landscapes. I will do my very best to embrace the fall although I do not like it.

You can still find me on the beach in my spare time. My skin still reflects my time spent by the water. No worries, I’ll be there through the winter….

Things I love? Hmmm these things are beyond any little list.

This journal has and always will be about the people, places and things I love.

Stay tuned.

Peace be with you,

Bobby

Perhaps the best fishing pier on the planet….

Back in the days when my drinking habits were a little more intense it was well known that I was not a fine wine drinker by any stretch of the imagination. In other words, if you have an expensive bottle of wine don’t waste it on me because I have no clue.

A good bottle of wine to me is something made with apples, peaches or strawberries. Many times this stuff is homemade. I always prefer to drink from plastic cups thank you very much.

Some of my neighbors attended a wine festival last weekend and of course I declined. I may as well go to a paint tasting contest. Yuk. Oh, I’m sure it was fun and all but wine just isn’t my thing.

I have friends that travel to Napa and France just to tour the wine country. They are REALLY into it.

Anyhow, one of my friends told me she had a gift for me this Sunday. I waited outside talking to her husband and I’m thinking to myself * I hope it isn’t a bottle of wine*….

Sure enough she comes outside and is carrying a bottle of wine. Not just any bottle of wine either.
This one happened to be a bottle of Apple - Strawberry wine. With a cork no less…from Bedford Virginia of all places. Check out www.peaksofotterwinery.com

You know what? That was a very thoughful & wonderful gift. Most wine snobs wouldn’t be caught dead with this stuff.

Care to grab a plastic cup and join me on the patio?

Cheers,
Bobby

Go on, you know you want to make this a happening place. This is precisely the reason everyone is writing in this space.

While you may or may not know this, if you click on an ad it helps the bottom line of keepconnectedlive. I click on some of the stupiest ads I have ever seen everyday when I log into this place.

Why?

Like any business, it requires funds to operate. You know what? I click on these bloody ads in an effort to make sure Matty is successful. I absolutely want my friend to be successful. So do you.

Success brings more success. Ultimately, you make this a better place when you click an ad.

What made me think of this? Hmmm…

I just want to make sure our little place prospers.

Go on, click an ad. Pick the craziest one and roll your eyes. It may be insane but remember you are doing this for all of us.

Peace be with you,

Bobby

Hmmm…

You know I sit around and chirp from time to time about the things I love and do well. Most folks are inclined to crow about good things in their life and I am no different I suppose.

Ahhh…So then why not talk about the stuff you don’t do so well?

I flat suck at Basketball. I just do. Oh sure I’m a good athlete but my passion for Basketball and desire to play the game ranks right up there with a slug. Want to win? Don’t pick me because I suck.

I will mess with the electrical panels in the house but I don’t like getting jackhammered by voltage when I make a mistake. Yikes!

Alligators? Um, I don’t like them at all. Count me out. I might knock your grandmother out of a wheelchair getting away from those things.

Chickies crying about this or that? I don’t know what to do. The worst is watching my my mom, wife or daughter cry. Why don’t you just nuke me? I don’t know what to say usually. UGH!

Ladies and Gentlemen I cannot rap. Nope. I tried. Several times. Not happening. Same thing holds true with that country twang in an attempt to sing country. Forget it. Neither one of these things are in my blood and musically I believe they are closely related.

Dancing? Oh my God! You and I both know the only reason I”ll consider dancing to begin with is because perhaps I’ll get lucky later with Nurse Ratchet. She likes it. I hate it. Oh, I also suck at it too.

Ever meet a guy who could pick up chicks like a magnet? I’m the antidote for that guy. Let’s just say I am Lerm’s evil anti opposite. The dude has skills. I DO NOT. Hilarious. I have NO SKILL.

I have many flaws. Lots and lots of flaws actually. I am human you know?

I recognize that my friends and family know many if not most of my flaws.

Guess what?

They love me despite my shortcomings….

Not perfect? Who cares?

Peace,

Bobby

 You might believe I do not have a sense of humor.  If you have been reading my journal lately, I can absolutely follow that line of thinking.

My sense of humor revolves around making fun of myself and those I love.

Menopause has sure done a lulu on poor old Nurse Ratchet.  You know she is beautiful and smart and all that other good stuff.  Being a health care provider may give her some insight into “why” she has aches and pains from time to time.

Oh not her….Sore hips, sore knees and a sore back. I recommend taking glucosamine and fish oil…Works wonders for me really.  She will figure it out eventually. God bless her pointed little head.

I visited an old friend yesterday. He has four girls. Poor bastard. I haven’t been to his house in almost 5-6 years. I recall him telling me about that same time his wife could be up to some *suspicious* activity.  Suspicious Activity in that we actually met the wife’s “personal trainer” at a dinner party right after she had her last baby.

Um, the baby looks like the trainer. Really? How do I know?

Um, I don’t think my Irish friends have any Samoan bloodlines…The little girl had dark olive skin and black curly hair. She looks Just like the old personal trainer.

I didn’t have to ask any questions. I just stood in awe of his ability to forgive and love his family.

Mabel asked me if I said anything to him about it.

I told her “no”.

She was an innocent and very respectful young girl.  Having said all this my mind was a blur.

What do I mean?

Well, imagine sitting on the beach minding your own business when out of nowhere Sasquatch (Easysleeper) comes strolling by the water with a fish no less… be thankful he wasn’t wearing a speedo.

Seeing her walk around was kinda like that…

One of those moments.

Peace,

Bobby

Thank you everyone for sharing my little bout of self pity.

I managed to write that post right after I left my doctor’s office and I had to rationalize the whole encounter.

I have been able to manage my blood pressure since I was 27 years old with exercise. From a physics perspective it is entirely possible to lower your blood pressure if you can increase the diameter of your blood vessels.

More muscle = More vascularity. I can make that happen over time.

Moving on…

We are hosting a party for my wife’s co-workers on Saturday. We are pitching a canopy, bringing out the seadoo, catering lunch and providing beverages and music. Beach Party baby!!! We expect 50 to 60 folks and we will be playing bocce ball, horseshoes and just enjoying the sand, sun, and surf.

Our exchange student arrives Saturday just before 7 pm (Same day as the party). She is in for a shock. Like her sisters, we expect her to be exhausted from the journey. I also expect her to become homesick from time to time.

She will be amazed when she walks into the grocery store/department store for the first time!!

They still buy meat from a butcher and vegatables from a different store and so on…..

Sanja (her sister) just sent me the nicest letter and told me that living with us her senior year and then going to college were the best times of her life. She was excited for her little sister.

I expect Kelly and Jovana to get along well. Certainly we have all kinds of friends and family who are anxious to meet her.

Big changes are coming to the land of Fijufic this Saturday.

Peace be with you,

Bobby

Its the people in my life…..

I Love the embrace of my wife of course. To me she is beautiful.

My daughter. She is my buddy. She also is like me in many ways yet she is a girly girl. Smart, funny and very versatile.

I could write about my family forever. I love them all so much. Could you guess that Love has been the central theme of my journal over the last 5 or so years?

My little brother has escaped alien control and is back in our lives. This is a precious gift. The Berklee boy has the interview of his life today! Big changes in the last month for him. All wonderful and coming quickly.

I’m leaving for Cape Hatteras, NC in an hour or so. I see the surf is going to be up all weekend and I can’t resist. I get to be on the beach with my wife, sister, daughter and brother-in-law while we surf and go four wheelin’.

Life is way too short to engage in activities or hang around people you don’t like. We simply don’t have time for that stuff.

Yes, of course I worry and realize life isn’t perfect. What little I do know has me clinging to my advocates and activities I enjoy.

I also know I am loved in abundance and can never be a failure by virtue of this fact.

See you on the beach.

Peace,
Bobby

Things that make me crazy.

1) If I see another dude with one of those “man purse” things around his waist I’m going to lose my mind. Scratch that, they look pretty stupid on chickie’s too. What in the hell are you thinking? They should be illegal.

2) Kooks. We are all kooks to some degree. Sammi, Sue, Luna and this Rebel Octane chick for instance are on the extreme end of that spectrum.
A kook for this discussion however is someone who surfs but does not know surfing etiquette and or how to surf safely around others. Kooks will whack you with boards and they endanger not only themselves but others. We call them “f**king kooks” and yell at them and splash water should they get too close. Kooks are worse than sharks. You know a kook when you see one.

3) Racism - Makes my blood pressure go up. I don’t get angry but it sure does make me scratch my head. I don’t care if you are purple and come from a long line of human beings that have always been purple. Now, if I catch you drinking all my beer then you will get called names that may have something to do with your upbringing and you will deserve it.

4) Pickin’ your nose in the car. Awww God, don’t flick it on the floor. Westy thinks we aren’t looking when she pulls up next to us at a stoplight but you know what? We ARE looking. Picking at your ears and other parts evokes a similar response. Sometimes you have to scream at the top of your lungs “DON’T EAT IT!!!” Awful.

5) That guy. You know “that guy”. No matter what conversation or subject “that guy” will find a way to talk about himself. Non-stop of course. I could speak to “that guy” about the death of a recent loved one and he would find a way to talk to you about his spastic colon at the dinner table. Amazing. Even more amazing is how they scare people away.
“That guy” is an idiot.

6) Swimming pools? Really? Yikes!!! OMG, That looks like a big urinal to me. In fact, um, oh nevermind…..you don’t want to hear the rest of the story.

Of course I have a million others….And yes, I will rip you a new one for wearing crocs, especially if you are a dude….

Peace be with you,

Bobby