Lets use this thing

Yes, I'm trying to get back into the habit of posting here.  

1: Exercise will reduce stress even if you don't realize you have any.

2: Sometimes the only smart answer is to walk away even in affairs of the heart.

3: Having a snarky comeback will almost always cause more trouble than it is worth.

4: I need to spend more time out of the house.

5: It only takes a small change of circumstance to shift your life and/or lifestyle in major ways. 

Thanksgiving was good.  My mom came out and we had a family dinner at a local resort.  It was odd to just show up 15 minutes before a reservation and then order a meal.  We were in and out in less than 90 minutes.  I really missed having left overs the rest of the weekend.  I mean, who cooks Thanksgiving weekend?  LOL

My car is having some issues and that sucks.  That's going to be money out of pocket when all I have in there are some dead moths.  I NEED new tires (at least 2) and to change out my tail lights.  I may just change out my head lights as well.  At least besides the tires it appears to not be anything to serious.  There is some body work I need done but that can hold off for a few months.  Having to pay those back taxes really put my back to zero. 

I've opted out of going to Dickens this year.  I just can not justify the expense for a day in SF. I'll already be there for New Years so that will have to do. 

One of my uncles is in the process of dying.  It looks like he will not last into next month.  But he is already past the day they said he would pass so maybe he will recover.  He has liver cancer and has been battling with it for several years.  It had gone into remission a few years back but has returned.  He's been in the hospital for a couple of weeks.  I missed seeing him when he was in the an LA hospital.  I thought he would be there more then a couple of days then be released.  Instead they transferred him to another state and then he took a turn for the worst. 

I took the weekend off from exercising.  Its been an interesting journey.  My run on Monday was a third faster then when I did the same run 3 weeks ago.  I have adjusted my push ups to a format which will get me back into gymnastics form.  Good god, these are kicking my butt again.  I was doing about 500, 2 to 3 days a week and last night I managed 165.  LOL  I can feel it!

I am in the market for  a new job as well.  I'd like to get back to the Long Beach/Huntington Beach area or move up to the San Francisco region.  Ventura just isn't doing it for me.  I'm not leaving without a job though.  It is nice to have a decent paying job and I would love to get another one, this time in a location I like. 

That's it for now. 
Have a nice video...

-Saint

Laws of Power: 4-Always say Less then Necessary

4- Always say Less then Necessary

When you are trying and impress people with words, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make in vague, open ended, and sphinx-like. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

In the court of Louis the XIV, there were often long and involved heated debates about various issues. Eventually two ministers would be chosen to take the debate to Louis himself. They would at times take days and weeks preparing their side of the argument. After Louis had heard both sides of the debate, he would simply say, "I shall see." Then Louis would say nothing more on the subject. After some time would pass the ministers and courtiers would simply see that some action had happened.
Louis the XIV was a man of few words and all the more powerful because of it.

In life, there are those who appear to be average and those who seem to always speak with the wisdom of the ages. Often times it is only a matter of how and when they choose to speak. Try and only comment when you have something to say. If you are stating the painfully obvious then try to do so in a manner which leaves the listener wondering if you are speaking to them on some higher level.

When I used to do extra work (in movies and TV shows), I would usually take a book with me and kinda sit off to the side and read. At the same time I'd be keeping tabs on the conversations around me (you never can really get to much privacy on a set). When something would pop up that I had personal knowledge concerning , I'd pop into the conversation (unless it seemed more private, you can tell) and give my input. After awhile people kept including me in their conversations just to hear if I had something to say.

There are few times when talking a lot is to your advantage in the long term. There may be a situational advantage but even that is a short term gain with little or no long term effect.   At times I have found myself on this end of the spectrum as well.  I have said more then necessary.  After a while people would just ignore what i had to say because they would think of me as a "know-it-all". 

"Oysters open completely when the moon is full; and when the crab sees one it throws a piece of stone or seaweed into it and the oyster cannot close again so that it serves the crab as meat. Such is the fate of him who opens his mouth too much and thereby puts himself at the mercy of the listener."
~Leonardo di Vinci 

This is life

Hey there.

Five Things I Learned This Week

1: Sometimes the only reward for a job well done is being worn out.
2: Death happens. Its not the end of the world from everyone.
3: If you are going to judge a chicken fast food restaurant by the owners politics and /or religion then you need to step up and judge every other company by the same standards.
4: The hype is true. I'm fucking amazing.
5: Never trust someone when they tell you they will be ready/done/arriving/leaving or pretty much anything in 5 minutes.

Let me start of by saying... not being on FB seems weird. I keep getting half tempted to go back so I can see who is eating what, and listen to political rants, and have idiots tell me that medical care is really a plan to kill me and my kids, and... Oh wait, not at all. I love not being on that site. For me the clincher was that my feed was so jacked up and also my options for security had been reduced to the point of being a joke. Now, I will miss the fact that a lot of my friends have migrated over there from various other sites and on the occasion when it worked I could communicate with 1000 people at once.

Now as for my life. I have a couple of major things going on at the moment. First, I have paid off all of my bad debt. That leaves me with a great feeling inside and a few hundred extra a month. Well saying extra implies that I don't have places or things to spend it on. Bwahahaha. That really would be awesome.

Secondly, I need to get into a new apt. I need to get into one soonish. My living arrangements were based on the fact that I needed to pay off a ton of old debt. Well, that is done. I'm sure i am good until the end of the year if I need to. But still... WTF is going on with rents? I swear rent has gone up by 50% in the last 5 years. I'm certain that my pay hasn't.. Oh wait. OK I was making $0.00 before so I have had a huge increase. Still, the cost of living has really jumped. I don't want to get a roommate that I don't know. Anyone have a sexy, rich, single female friend who wants to be sugar mama to an awesome man?

Burning Man is coming up. I have a ticket technically but I still have not payed my friend for it. To be honest, I am considering not going at all. I'm just not feeling it. It means taking a week off of work and also spending money. Also, i find myself without a carpool buddy. I am giving myself until next week to figure it out. I can always find a random carpool buddy if need be. And I know that as soon as I get there, I'll be feeling it. OK who am I kidding? I'll most likely be there. Anyone know someone who needs a ride out? Preferably hot, female, single, and wants to jump my bones (I am so half teasing). I'm heading up early (Friday the 24th) and will leave either early Saturday morning (Sept 2nd) or Sunday in the early AM.

Dating life has been a little odd. Yeah, I know, I have no issues getting laid.  Heck, I have no problem finding people to go out with in general.  My problem is finding anyone of any real substance whom I share a mutual attraction with. Seems I am getting bored so fast these days. Now there are people who I do find super appealing but they have no interest in me, or they are so jaded that I realize I don't want to be with they after a while. Now I know there are people out there interested in me whom I don't have any interest in and I know I am far from perfect. OK not really that far.   Than again, I am having a great time dating around so why mess with a good thing.  Heck, it has been so long since I had an actual girlfriend that I am not even sure how that would work. The optimal situation (in my head) would be me having a serious relationship with someone who was ok with me stepping out side of our relationship on occasion. Kind of a limited open relationship.

Work. Is. Boooooring. My job is boring me to tears. I also need to start making more money. That is going to mean I have to go someplace else or start my own business. Pains in the ass. So as of now, I am casually looking for a new job. It's funny to me how there used to be some much work out there that someone could quit a job and find a better job in 3 months maximum. Now people who are qualified can't find work in their fields of expertise. WTF? OK, No political ranting (tosses soap box into fire pit).

I went to LoJ a month or so ago and it was fun. The most thrilling part to me was spending time with a couple of my friends. I'm thinking I won't be back. But it has been a good 3 years. I also did Bat's Day at DisneyLand a few months back. Tthat was awesome. I likely won't be back for that either because DisneyLand has raised their rates beyond ridiculous.

Faire and me are no longer having our torrid affair. I've been doing less and less of it over the last 5 years and the last couple of faires I have attended have been less then spectacular for me. I just don't enjoy it that much any more. sure I love drinking and hitting on women as much if not more then the next guy, but I have never needed faire for either of those activities. Other than that, I'm really not doing much these days. My street gigs are dated (to me at least), I no longer am on stage, I don't work for any vendors, and I am about done with the whole thing after 2 hours. It was a great ride, but for now it is over. I'm sure I will visit from time to time still, just a whole lot less.

All in all my life is amazing. Some people have died over the past year (a lot of them) and some have simply moved on from my life. Other wonderful people have come into my life and I am well satisfied.

Ciao

-Saint