"Nervous"

nerv=ous – a: easily agitated or distressed; high strung or jumpy. b: marked by or having a feeling of unease or apprehension.

I’m not a person that gets nervous easily. In fact, those that know me would say that I’m very laid back and pretty easy-going. I don’t get too worked up about things. Sure there have been times in my life when I have been nervous. Haven’t we all?

In high school sports, there were a few times when I was more than a little uncomfortable. (state baseball, state golf, state basketball) When we went to state in baseball I was only a sophomore and starting at 3rd base. It was one of those situations when you are the youngster on the team that had 7 seniors starting. So one can understand if I had a few jitters before the game started. My senior year, when we went to state in basketball, I remember the “awe” I felt walking onto the court and warming up. We were playing the #1 team in state and defending champs. Basketball was always my first love and it had been a dream of mine to make state my whole high school career. So those first few minutes held some anxious moments. But the great thing about sports is that once the game begins you forget all about your nerves and just play.

There are other situations that occasionally I will be a little nervous. For example, sometimes when you first go out/hang out with a girl that you like. You get that nervous feeling and butterflies in your stomach. And usually this is a good thing. In fact, what’s nice about being a little nervous going into a first date is that you can usually learn a little about what you think of the person by the way you feel during the date. You start out nervous and then maybe you begin to feel a lot more comfortable as the night progresses. Especially if you realize that you have a good connection with that person and you can just be yourself. This is what I would call a "good nervous."

Obviously, another time in my life when I was nervous is when I went into the hospital for over 2 weeks. And I came to find out that my concerns and nerves were justified. But luckily everything worked out in the end.

The main reason that I decided on this topic is because during the next few days I will be going through a nervous/anxious phase. This usually happens 3-4 times a year for me, where I am nervous over a certain something for a couple of days. I won’t go into all of the details about what it is I am nervous about. Those of you that are my friends know what I am referring to. The great thing is that I have wonderful support from my friends and family during these times. And it really helps me stay somewhat calm because of their concern. It’s nice when they show an interest, knowing that I am going through some anxious moments. So to all of my friends, if I act a little off and a little stressed this week, please bear with me!

Keep on, keepin' on
-J

"Compile"

com=pile – a: to gather into a single book. b: to put together or compose from materials gathered from several sources.

So I was talking to my co-worker “B” the other day about what her Top 10 all-time songs would be? She said that “it would be too hard to choose. That there are too many factors and you have to break it down to top country songs, or love songs, or rock songs, etc.” I told her that “let’s say you had to pick your top 10?” I mean, there are factors in every Top 10 list. For example, if you ask me to pick my Top 10 women, are you talking about Top 10 brunettes, blondes, red-heads, celebrities, girls I know, girls I could actually date, by looks, all-around girls??? So, every Top 10 list has factors.

So I have decided to put together a compilation of my Top 10 songs ever! As you can probably guess, this takes some considerable thought. When talking about a Top 10 all-time list of songs, you must include songs that have some emotional value to you. There has to be reasons that a song makes the list. This list will be in no particular order. (It’s hard enough to list a Top 10, but to rank them is near impossible) So actually, I have put these songs in the order I would burn them on a CD. This is no easy task, but I do feel I need to prove to “B” that it can be done.

What you won’t see on this list is your garden variety greatest songs, such as: Smells Like Teen Spirit/Nirvana, Stairway To Heaven/Led Zeppelin, Hotel California/The Eagles, Freebird/Lynyrd Skynyrd, Wonderwall/Oasis, American Pie/DonMcLean, One/U2, Livin’ On A Prayer/Bon Jovi, Jack and Diane/John Cougar Mellencamp, or Like A Virgin/Madonna. All of these songs are regulars on "all-time greatest song" lists.

So to use the words of John Cusack in High Fidelity, “The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don't wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules.”

So here goes:

Track 1 – You Shook Me All Night Long/ACDC – This song brings me back to my high school days. It was one of those songs that just made you turn up the radio. Whenever this song plays in a bar it’s hard to find someone that is not singing along. This song has been known to be on a lot of “Greatest Songs” lists.

Track 2 – Every Rose Has It’s Thorn/Poison – This song would be in a strong running as my favorite all-time song. Bret Michaels does an excellent job at producing a rock ballad.

Track 3 – Far Behind/Candlebox – An excellent song with a great rhythm. Candlebox was one of my favorite cd’s when I was in high school. This song reminds me of regret and loss and the thought of not getting to say what you want to someone you lose.

Track 4 – Brown Eyed Girl/Van Morrison - A very catchy tune. Another one of these songs that when played in public everyone joins in on the chorus. It’s a great summer song.

Track 5 – Jane Says/Jane’s Addiction – I love the way this song sounds. Jane’s Addiction has a great sound and actually put on an excellent concert. This song is actually about a girl (Jane) the band lived with for a while in LA. She battled a heroin addiction. It actually hits kind of hard for me because of a good friend of mine that battled a drug addiction for several years before she passed away 5 years ago. L

Track 6 – Patience/Guns N Roses – #1 This song is my all-time favorite song and that is why it lands on Track 6. The key to making a great compilation cd is to have the best song towards the middle of the cd. Guns N Roses has a few songs that have been listed on “greatest hits” lists. I believe that this is their greatest work. It’s just an excellent slow, soothing song. The whistle solo definitely makes the song!

Track 7 – Shimmer/Fuel – I love the way this song sounds. It has a deep meaning about trying to remain friends with an ex when one of the involved parties wants more. Sometimes it’s hard to go back to the way things were in a relationship when there are still those feelings.

Track 8 – Jesse’s Girl/Rick Springfield – Yep, you guessed it – another great song that everyone joins in on. This song actually was a top 10 song on VH1’s greatest songs ever!

Track 9 – Old Blue Chair/Kenny Chesney – This song is my favorite to listen to while I’m on the boat during the summer. It’s just a very relaxing song. Kenny Chesney has some other good songs, but this would have to be my top one from him.

Track 10a – Its Tricky/Run DMC – Old-school rap at it’s best! Run DMC has produced some of the best rap ever and this song definitely does not disappoint. Many people would think of Walk This Way when you bring up Run DMC, but this song is my favorite.

Track 10b – Iris/Goo Goo Dolls – This is an excellent written song. The Goo Goo Dolls actually wrote this song for the movie City of Angels. I love the way this song sounds. It talks a lot about wanting to be with someone you can’t have. I think it is an excellent way to end the compilation cd.

So there you have it.... My Top 10 All-Time Greatest Songs! (okay, maybe you noticed that there were 11, but I came close!) But seriously, you can make a top 10 list about anything. The top 10 books of all-time, the top 10 movies, the top 10 bands, the top 10 things I miss about someone special, the top 10 movie quotes, the top 10 moments of our lives, etc., etc. In fact, each week I may try and put together a Top 10 list about something.

I hope you enjoyed the list! (You can also enjoy the songs below) What would be on your Top 10 songs???

Keep on, keepin' on
-J

"Opportunity"

Op=por=tu=ni=ty – a: a favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances. b: a chance for progress or advancement.

The world if full of missed opportunities. We all have probably had our share. I know I have. Whether it is that job I didn’t take or the girl I blew off or the trip I missed out on.

Well lately, I’ve decided that I want to try and stop missing out on life’s opportunities. I need to take more chances. Too many times we get complacent and remain stagnant. We play it safe! This may be in our everyday lives, our relationships or even our careers. Is this anyway to live?

I have a couple of friends of mine that currently are not taking advantage of the opportunities that are in front of them. They have opportunities to advance not only in their personal lives but also in their careers. What’s the worse that can happen? There comes a time when opportunities start to dry up. They’re not always going to be there. Sometimes you just have to have a little faith, take that leap. *maybe some people don't like money and free time???

A few of my favorite “opportunity” quotes:

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which had opened for us.”

“Opportunities fly by while we sit regretting the chances we have lost, and the happiness that comes to us we heed not, because of the happiness that is gone.”

"Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death.”

*I had another post I was going to publish today, but I felt that I needed to write this short one first.*

Keep on, keepin' on
-J

"Black"

black - a: producing or reflecting comparatively little light and having no predominant hue. b: cheerless and depressing; gloomy.

There are a lot of people out there that hate Valentine's Day. And by the title of this post, you would think that I am one of them. But actually, I don't hate Valentine's. Now don't get me wrong, when I say "I don't hate Valentine's Day", it's because I can tolerate it. Sure it's a holiday that has been commercially produced to help sell candy, cards and flowers. But it's also a holiday that us men can use to our advantage. It's that one day that it's safe to ask for forgiveness and you don't have to worry about your girlfriend wondering what you are up to. Maybe it should be called "Get out of jail free day" or "Get out of the Doghouse Day" or even "Honey, I'm sorry I came home late the other night, but here is a box of chocolates and a dozen roses, hopefully you can forgive me Day!"

As I've already stated, "I don't hate Valentine's Day", but this year it will be pretty blah for me. I am a little bitter toward the day this year. And the obvious reason for that is - i'm single! Actually, it's one of the first Valentine's in a while that I've been single. So I am not necessarily looking forward to Valentine's Day this year. I'm basically going to treat it as "Black Thursday!"

And actually this year, I don't mind being single. I've had some great Valentine's in the past. Whether it was the time I flew to Phoenix to surprise my girlfriend. Her friend picked me up at the airport and I was waiting for her when she got home from work with roses. We had a great 4-day weekend that I had planned from 2500 miles away. Or whether it was the time I took one of my girlfriends out to dinner and she surprised me with plane tickets to Vegas. And to top it all off - she surprised me with an unselfish act of insisting that I go there with some of the guys because she knew I would enjoy that even more! (Not to mention that she wasn't much of a Las Vegas fan) Those are just a few Valentine's Days that I have had in the past. There are others that were great also.

But this year, I kind of have mixed feelings about Valentine's Day. Sure it would be nice to have a Valentine, but the thing is - I don't want a Valentine just to have one. If I'm not going to be with the person I want to be with (which unfortunately I won't be) then I figure it's better to be alone. It really only means something if you are with someone you actually care a lot about. And since that is not going to be the case this year - I'm pretty content with being single. Also, the money I will save is a plus. In the past, I've been pretty generous to my Valentine dates when it has came to treating them to a good time. Whether it is expensive dinners, flowers, spontaneous trips, etc., etc. So it will be nice to be able to save some money this year. cha-ching!

So when you see me this year (I'll be the one wearing black), remember that I'm okay with not celebrating Valentine's Day! Tonight I'll be out celebrating V-Day in a different way - probably getting together with some guys to play poker! (And ladies don't worry, they are either celebrating with their wives/girlfriends on a different night or just view this day as another day)

With that being said, I wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! or Black Thursday!

Keep on, keepin' on

-J

"Poker"

pok=er – a: any of various card games in which players bet that they hold the highest-ranking hand.

Anyone that knows me well knows that I enjoy playing poker. It’s one of my favorite hobbies. I enjoy the challenge and the competition. It is often said that poker is where luck blends with skill to produce a game that is much like life, full of incomplete information and second-guessing. You can learn a lot about life by playing poker. Poker is an intellectual and emotional game that tests a person’s character, self-control, and courage. Here are some examples of why poker is like the game of life:

1. You can learn a lot by studying other people and their characteristics.

In poker this is called “reading” other people. By watching how they act or react during a hand, often you can pick up information on what kind of hand they are holding. This weekend, I played in a poker tournament that I told one of my friends that it was a “must win” situation. (now this is never a situation you want to be in, but I will expand on that more later.) I was putting a lot of concentration on watching how others were playing. Now people reading this are probably thinking that you should always play this way. Well that is true, but how many players take the information that they gain and actually use it.

In life, this type of ability will help you learn how to handle situations. By knowing where someone stands on a situation and whether you are being manipulated or not, you can make correct decisions. This brings me to #2.

*btw, “B” how did that A-J suited treat you? ;-)

2. Correct decisions

In poker it really boils down to using logic or intuition to make a correct decision. Sometimes these two agree and sometimes they don’t.

Unfortunately, in life you typically have more options than check, bet, or fold. Life is a little bit more complicated. You need to be able to gather all of the information you can before coming to a decision. In poker, you have limited information you can gain on each hand. Whereas in life, there are more avenues to gain data and information to help you pick the right path.

But one thing holds true for both – If you think you are beat, you generally are. By knowing when you are beat and folding, you are actually going to win more in the long run. The money you save by not staying too long on a marginal hand is sometimes the profit you gain. Maybe that hand or situation where you really want to put your money/effort in is right around the corner. So saving your money by folding in other situations gives you more money to be able to put in on the right situation.

3. Each day is a new day

Everyone is going to have winning and losing sessions in poker. Even the greatest players in the world do! The key is to learn the best way to play and to not overcorrect your play. You may be playing great poker for a couple weeks and losing. So you decide to change a part of your game, even though it’s not the right decision. You start winning for a couple weeks by playing differently. Well in the long run, this catches up to you.

In life it is very much the same. You can make all the right decisions and moves and things may just not work out for you that day or in that situation. But you don’t want to deviate away from your beliefs or your morals. Remember, sometimes even when you do play perfect or do everything perfect, you still lose!

4. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson

On every hand in poker there are lessons to be learned. What worked, what didn’t work? People should approach life in much the same way. In every situation there will be lessons to take with you. The most important thing is – when you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

5. Winning isn’t everything

I realize that this may be confusing. You may be thinking, why play the game if you aren’t playing to win? Well I would be lying to you if I wasn’t trying to win money every time I played poker. But obviously that isn’t going to happen. But I also play for other reasons. I play for the excitement, thrill, social aspect, challenge and competition.

As I mentioned earlier, this weekend I played in a poker tournament that I labeled a “must win” for me. And it wasn’t just about the money, there were other reasons I felt this way. Well, ultimately I did win the tournament. And maybe this type of pressure helped me concentrate more and focus more. But you never want to put yourself in that type of situation.

And that is especially true in life. You don’t want to back yourself into a corner where it’s a “must win.” You are not always going to win in life. Not everything is going to go your way. But it’s important to enjoy the successes, learn from the failures, cherish the experiences and friends that you make, and never lose sight of who you are.

There are other lessons that you can learn from poker that equate to life. Such as patience, money management, risk and reward, etc. But I won’t go into all of those right now.

You can lose all your money,
You can lose all your gold.
You can never lose your heart,
You can never lose your soul.

“Its not about what happened in the past or what you think might happen in the future, its about the ride. So enjoy the ride!”

Keep on, keepin on

-J

"Mardi Gras"

mar=di gras - a: celebrated as a holiday in many places with carnivals, masquerade balls, and parades of costumed merrymakers. b: shrove Tuesday.

Today is "Fat Tuesday" and it has been a night that I have enjoyed celebrating in the past. When I lived in Jackson, TN it was a much bigger deal than here in the midwest. I'm sure one of the reasons had to do with the fact that we were only 6 hours from New Orleans. Also, it generally is celebrated more in the south.

A little history on Mardi Gras: originated in Rome during the medieval times. It is generally accepted that Mardi Gras made it's way to America in 1699. But actually probably didn't begin in New Orleans until around 1827. The Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans have become quite elaborate in the past couple of decades. In French, "Mardi Gras" literally means "Fat Tuesday," so named because it falls on the day before Ash Wednesday, the last day prior to lent. Today, Mardi Gras is not only celebrated in New Orleans but also throughout numerous cities and states in the U.S.

I became a big fan of "Fat Tuesday" while I was living in Tennessee. Our boss used to have us all take Wednesday (the day after) off, so we could enjoy the night before. A bunch of us would head over to Barley's Brewery or TJ Mulligans and we would enjoy some cajun and creole foods. This would usually include a crawfish boil, gumbo, jambalaya, King cake, and of course, Hurricanes. (see recipe below)

Now that I have moved back to the midwest, it is not quite as widely celebrated. Their are still a few bars that will throw a big Mardi Gras bash, but not quite like the south. But don't get me wrong, you will still be able to find me and some of my friends at our favorite locations. There is one bar here that serves a mean jambalaya and gumbo!

So if you decide to partake in any "Fat Tuesday" activities tonight, please enjoy!

Hurricane recipe

1 oz. vodka

1/4 oz. grenadine syrup

1 oz. gin

1 oz. light rum

1/2 oz. Bacardi 151 rum

1 oz. amaretto

1 0z. triple sec

grapefruit juice

pineapple juice

Keep on, keepin on

-J