Treat 'em like dogs

  As you may know, I'm a dog guy. I grew up with a dog and so have my kids. As far as I'm concerned, my dogs  are a very important part of my family and help make our house, a home. However, I make sure they know their place in my pack, they are treated like dogs and are expected to act like dogs. They are not allowed on the furniture, they only eat from their bowls and they ride in the back of the truck. I expect them to watch over the property and my stuff, by barking when strangers, dogs, raccoons, possums, cats or any other unwanted beastie gets to close to the fence. As a benefit, I receive absolute unconditional love from my dogs. Nothing matters, not the time of day, the weather, or my attitude, my dogs love me unconditionally. In fact, they don't even mind if I sit down and enjoy a beer after we've gone for a walk around the block in the evening.
  It's also because of this unconditional love, I believe, people take advantage of their dogs. Dogs really aren't meant to wear clothes or costumes and I see people dressing up their poor dogs all the time. Dogs will do anything to make you happy and because your dog loves you so much, they will let you dress them and suffer humiliation for you. Dogs aren't people, don't dress them. Don't humiliate your dog stud, it just makes you look like a tool.
  I'd also like to revisit for a moment what we talked about in regards to driving with your dog in the car. Get the damn dog off your lap, I think it's pretty ridiculous to see a woman driving with a dog in her lap and now I'm seeing guys do it. The dog needs to be in the back, either the back seat or the back of the truck, not hanging half their body out of the drivers window. You've seen the picture of Honey in the bed of the red truck, she's secured in with a chain, so she can move from side to side, but will not be able to go over the side. Or put them in the back seat with the window down enough for them to put their nose in the wind, this seems to be a necessity for a dog.

   Another thing I've noticed about dogs, is, they like routine. It's one of the things that seems comforting to dogs. So get into a routine with your dog, it's the least you can do since they love you so much. I also believe that dogs and kids need a lot of the same things. They both need to go for walks with you, they both need to get dirty sometimes, they both need to be able to run as fast as they can for no apparent reason and they both need to spend time with you.
  So go on tough guy, give your heart to a furry angel, you won't be sorry. As long as you don't expect them to be any more than a dog. You'll be surprised at the love and companionship you'll receive, as long as you remember to treat 'em like dogs.

More good stuff

  Here's another beer i wanted to tell you guys about. One of my friends at work said it was worth a try. This is good beer, goes real well with the colder weather this time of year.

  Hope y'all have a good Thanksgiving.
 
 

Being a father

  I've been a dad for the last 22 years and both of my kids just keep getting better with age. I've always said the older they get, the cooler they get. As some of you know fatherhood is not easy and is all consuming, yet it's the most rewarding job I've ever had.
  Now, I'm not gonna tell you how to raise your kids, cause everyone has their own ideas and I think that there is more than one right way to go about it. What I can pass on to ya, is that you'll need to put you're childish ways aside, grow up and become the man your kid is gonna need and be the father they will look up to as an example of what a man is.
  Now when I say childish ways, I'm not telling you to quit having fun or that fatherhood is deadly serious all the time (just some of the time). But you will need to realign your priorities. Since you're now part of a family, you are not the most important person in the world, the little person you just created is. It's now time to step up, cause this is not part time, it's full time and you will be a father for the rest of your life. There is a delicate balance you need to maintain. You don't  want to lose track of the person you truly are, or those traits and traditions you want to pass on to your child. If you have a boy child, you will need to show him how to become a man and if you have a girl child, you'll need to show her how a man takes care of his family and the kind of man that makes a good father.

  I'm lucky enough to have a next door neighbor that is a shining example of a guy that should have never been allowed to breed. He's a person that should never have the word father associated with him. I leave for work well before the sun comes up, but, I'm also usually home in the afternoon before most other people. And there's probably three to four days of the week when I come home that this guy (I can't call him a man or a father) is standing in his open garage door drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. This wouldn't be so bad, except, this is where the neighbor has been standing for at least half the day. He also, unfortunately, has a daughter, plus the baby and mom live there also, and a couple more of her family. But this piece of crap, who is probably close to thirty,  would rather stand around all day smoking cigarettes and hanging out with the younger boys rather than step up and take care of his family like a man should. He's told me all his stories about where he use to work and where he wants to work (we've already talked about guys that are all talk and no action) and I'm really over it all. He just seems a little to comfortable living on a hand out and blaming everyone else for his lack of employment and the few times he's been out front with his daughter, he seems completely incompetent and removed from her.
  So you need to get over it tough guy and learn how to hold that baby and change diapers and become a father. Once you've mastered that part the little bugger will get bigger and the set of challenges will change and they'll keep changing, so you'll need to stay on your toes. There won't be a lot of time for you to be consumed with yourself. Your little person will ask you questions you never thought you'd be asked and you won't have the answers for. Keep cool, don't sweat it, you can find the answer together. But you will need to be the most genuine person you have ever been. The truths you will tell and the situations you'll find yourself in with your child will stagger you.
  Another thing you'll need to develop is tough skin, because there will be times when your child will hate you with every fiber of their being. But keep the situation in perspective, try to understand your child's point of view and try not to throw gas on the fire. Let everyone cool down and you'll find that the whole thing is usually not that big a deal, and when everyone is calm, it's easier to talk about what's going on. Remember that sometimes you need to be an authority figure first, and a friend second. That's not always easy, cause we all want to be liked and as a father, that's not always the case. But those moments are fleeting and you'll be surprised at the amount of love that you will receive from the little monster. They have this ability of blowing you away with the mountains of love they send your way.
  So take care of 'em, feed 'em, clothe 'em and give 'em shelter. Add some water and lots of love and you will be amazed at what cool human beings they will become.

Quit your whining

  We all have bad days, or even bad weeks, and we all pull through it. Unless you really like to wallow in self pity and no matter how bad you think it is, it will always get better, especially if you're man enough to make some changes. So quit your whining, we're all tired of hearing it.
  I've had the crummy days too, but what you've gotta remember is, that you're in charge of your own happiness. You're the one that needs to make the changes that will make your situation livable. Yup, that's right sparky, it's up to you. It's no one else's responsibility. Not your boss's, not your significant other's, not your coworker's, or even your mom's. It's yours. So the way to make the bad day, the bad week, or the bad life better, is to suck it up and make the change. Like we talked about before, change is not always easy, but necessary for your peace of mind, especially in this situation. If you truly want out of your miserable rut, stop whining and make the changes in your life.
  We've all known the guy that shows up to work just pissing and moaning how everything sucks in their lives, and it's the same sorry ass story every day. Nothing makes this clown happy, except his own whining. At first, suggestions are made to help this guy out, but he turns down or dismisses any help, saying it won't change a thing. Then it becomes clear that this guy doesn't want help, because he doesn't have the balls to take any suggestions, or make the changes that will bring him the happiness he says he desires. He just wants to whine about it, so everyone at work feels sorry for him, he likes the attention. It's kinda pathetic and very unmanly.
  I've also noticed when a guy begins making excuses about what someone else is asking him, the whiners voice gets high pitched and squeaky. If anybody gets squeaky in my house it is usually brought to the whiners attention very quickly and with much glee, and not by just me, my kids are pretty brutal when it comes to pointing out a squeaky whine. Try it, listen next time some guy is asked to do something he doesn't want to do. Listen to the pitch of his voice as the whine starts, he'll get squeaky. Especially if you continue to push the subject with the whiner, the squeak becomes really impressive. Keep it up and everyone in my house will begin to laugh and point.
  Another annoying whiner out there is the guy that blames everyone else for his situation. This pathetic whiner is a perpetual victim ( I have a real hard time with the victim state of mind ) and it seems a lot of the time it's the fault of the government. Everything that goes wrong in their world can somehow be traced to how "the man" is keeping him down. I get so tired of listening to this whine about the California government, that I've suggested to the whiner that they should move. Leave the state that causes you so much grief. Go if you're so uncomfortable and unhappy here. I know California isn't perfect and I'm pretty sure there is no perfect place to live. But it will be way better here, without his whiny ass around.
  So go ahead and vent, like I said, we all have bad days. Just make sure you move through the bad times and don't let the venting run your life. Don't let you're whining gain any momentum and turn you into a squeaky whiner that friends and family avoid.

Change is coming

  When I was going to high school in southern California, my friends and I used to listen to 95.5 KLOS, it's a rock station, that at the time, played new, current music. As I got older my musical tastes changed and I found myself looking for the newest music, leaving the rock music of my high school years behind. In fact the newer the music the better, and when my kids got older, they found all sorts of new music for me to listen to.
   The music world continues to change and I continue to seek new music, and every other aspect in our world continues to change also. So I hope you're ready, cause change is always happening.
  There's really no sense in fighting it, you're not gonna win, change will get you. It's kind of pathetic to see guys fight against it, they dig their heels in and just will not stand for this change. I hear things like, "well, not everybody is on the internet", when you suggest to them to go google something. They truly seem scared of anything different, anything new. They seem content to sit on their porches and watch the world go by.
  The really pathetic part is these guys usually seem to have peaked in high school. I know guys in their mid fifties that still talk about their glory days in high school. Really? For crying out loud, move on. If the best time of your life was high school, you should get more of a life. There's a great big world out there and it's moving pretty quick and changing all the time. You should probably get off your lazy ass and get moving, you're not doing yourself any favors by watching it pass you by. You should really try to stay relevant and current in this world.
  I know your rut is comfy and you've become use to it, but it's still a rut. Also, the lady in your life would probably appreciate something a little different from time to time. Try something new, something different, try to change it up a bit. Don't be scared of new technology, or music, or even people. Give it a shot, if it doesn't work out for you, you can always try something else. It's not life or death, it's just change. And change is good.

Just a quick observation

  I was stomping around when I noticed a desperate attempt at awesomeness, that had gone horribly wrong. I hadn't brought this up earlier because I had thought this particular clothing accessory had faded away. I was wrong.
  I'm speaking, of course, about the fanny pack. Fellas, and you ladies out there, a fanny pack is never ok. I don't care what color it is, or what the logo is on it, or if it has water bottle holsters on it, make all the arguments you want, just, no. Don't do it.
  As a matter of fact, you should probably avoid too many belt accessories. If you feel the need to wear a wallet chain, keep it to just the chain. Don't add a key chain that carries every key you have ever come across in your life, or multiple key chains, with even more keys. It just makes you look like the janitor. And there's nothing wrong with being a janitor, but I bet if you asked most janitors, they leave their keys at work. Also, don't add some cheesy looking folding knife in a crappy looking case, or a goofy looking cell phone case, even if it's a limited edition KISS case, you ain't cool with all this shit hanging from your dorky looking belt.
  About the only guys that can get away with wearing a lot of stuff around their waists are carpenters. These guys need to have their tools easily accessible and they can't be making multiple trips to their trucks to get things, especially if they are on the roof, or a long distance from their trucks. Time is always important in the construction industry, so they need to be very efficient.
  So go easy on the crap you hang from around your waist, it's not a good look. And I'm pretty sure the ladies don't find it sexy or think that it makes you look important. If you feel the need to carry around all sorts trinkets, get yourself a decent looking backpack, or a bigger car.

Women

  So I'm not gonna tell you guys that I know anything about women, but I do have some ideas about 'em and I can tell you how I "feel" about women.
  I've been married to a wonderful woman for 25 years and I can still say, to this day, that I do not understand her, or any other woman for that matter. One of the things that I do know, is that men need to treat women like the beautiful, delicate creatures that they are. Throughout the ages women have been treated with varying degrees of respect. You can pick any time in history and find that women were protected and oppressed at the same time. So I'd like to tell you to look to a certain time as an example how to treat women, but I don't think there is that perfect spot in history.
  What I can tell you is, to open the door for them. Simple acts of kindness, they are the fairer sex, you guys are the big strong ones, be nice to 'em. Now I understand that they can be frustrating and test your patience (remember, I've been married 25 years and I have a 19 year old daughter). But as much as you hate to admit it, almost everything you do as a male is done to get their attention, so you really do like 'em. I know some of you are gonna disagree with me, but near as I can figure it, men do most things in their lives for three different reasons. To impress other men of the tribe to ensure their place in the pack, to impress women and to feed and protect their family. That's why as pre-teenage boys we fight with each other and as teenagers and beyond we dress a certain way and drive certain cars and do other seemingly stupid things to impress women. Then we work hard to provide and protect our families while still trying to impress other tribe members and women.
  So you're already doing all this work you might as well be nice to 'em, it'll make your life a lot easier.
  I'm fully aware of those days when, we as men, just don't get along with the lady in our life and it's usually caused by miscommunication. What I can gather is, your lady has an idea in her head when she asks you some sort of vague question. Now, she already has a response in her head that she is expecting to hear you say. The problem is when you don't give the anticipated answer, that's when things start to go wrong. You see, women really think about things, really, a lot. As men, we are generally not thinking about these same things, and they can't understand that. What I have explained to the women in my life is, instead of asking me the vague question, explain to me what they're thinking so we can come to an agreement on their thoughts. Since we try to communicate this way in my house, I now get strange, very random things being brought up as topics for conversation. I know it makes sense to them but it usually catches me by surprise and yet makes for great talks and we can usually laugh at how the topic came up. The other thing I've tried to explain to ladies is, that men are pretty simple beings and when we say something, that's usually what we meant. Yup, that simple, we say what we mean.  
  The other thing I've noticed is that men try to use logic in their thinking, while women seem to rely mainly on their feelings. So if you don't realize your lady is approaching a decision by examining her feelings and you are trying to present your ideas, logically, the whole process has the possibility of going very wrong. No one way to make decisions or solve problems is the perfect way, we all have different methods. But if you take a second to realize where your lady is coming from, you may be able to avoid some arguments. A little compromise on your part will save you a lot of grief and you're man enough to let her be right aren't you? There's no need to push your ideas so hard that it causes her and you to become upset and it causes the decision to get blown way out of proportion. It's not life or death, relax and she will also. The situation will get handled, usually by using a combination of feelings and logic. That's why you two make such a good team.
  The last thing I want to touch on regarding women (I don't think we're done with this topic) before I go pour a beer, is crying. Sometimes women just need to cry, and as men we just don't understand this phenomenon. Typically as men, thinking logically, we want to fix her problem. When there is really none to be fixed, she just needs to cry. Giving credit to where credit is due, my awesome wife is the person who helped me learn this lesson. I've a teenage daughter crying in the backseat of my truck after volleyball practice and there I am, trying to fix her "problem". Every time I made a suggestion it just made the cry that much worse. Finally, my wife quietly told me to stop being logical and let her cry, we'd get her home and feed her, then suddenly all was better. Amazing, she just needed to get all the emotion out of her and get some food and it was all good again. Take this information fellas and use it, get her some ice cream, a blanket and just be there while she cries, don't try to fix anything. You'll be a hero and it's pretty easy, you just gotta be nice and be able to let her cry. It's ok that they are more emotional and we're more logical, it would suck if we were all the same.