Beaches and my Soapbox

I figure February is as good a time as any to discuss getting the heck out of the cold weather, especially since we moved back to NJ after 8 years in southwest Florida (the Ft Myers/Naples area). I'll poke my nose into a few other topics as well. First and foremost I think, as with any undertaking, a mid-winter, warm-weather escape requires the proper frame of mind. You have to get your noggin in the game. Music is a great way to do that. I've got a playlist on my iPod called Beach/Beer Mix. It's the one we turn to on a Friday after work, a lazy Saturday afternoon, when we have friends over. Hell, it's the play list we play the most. A small sample of the usual suspects will give you the basic idea: The Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson, Bob Marley and. Then there are some more lesser-known contributors to our slightly buzzed Friday evening repertoire...Archie Roach, Paul Weller, and Taj Mahal among others...but you get the idea. It's mellow, feel-good music with a summertime, shoes off and I-don't-give-a-damn-until-Monday attitude. 

So you're looking to get away, but where to go? Um...I'll be boring and say Florida but there are a few reasons why other than the fact that nearly everyone's grandparents are there as well this time of year. First of course is the excellent weather right now. Second is the excellent weather. Third is our locally lousy weather. It's also not too far, flights are relatively inexpensive, no passport required...and...lean in a bit closer, this is a secret...I know of a great, really great, family-run hotel right on the beach in Naples that also happens to have one of the top-rated restaurants in the region. It also happens to be one of the few restaurants in the entire

area ON the beach, not to mention being one of the few remaining hotels on the beach in Naples. What? you say. Tell you this well-kept secret. Twist my arm. OK. The Vanderbilt Beach Resort has been owned and run by the Moore Family since 1968. It's old-style Florida. Don't expect over-the-top suites and over-the-top prices. Do expect the friendly charm you would expect by a family-run establishment, well-appointed rooms, a fantastic beach right outside and a phenomenal restaurant, The Turtle Club, on-property all accompanied by the best sunset dining in Naples. 

If you're looking for something a bit more rustic (i.e. camping), I strongly suggest you make reservations to camp out on Cayo Costa, an island/state park off the west coast by Fort Myers. Cold running water only (including showers), dirt roads, very, very, very few people and accessible only by boat, this place is truly an undiscovered gem, rated by Outside Magazine as one of the best getaways in the country. Those are my kids in the pic from when we went out there for a weekend of camping a few years ago. As you can see, not a soul in sight except for us on a gorgeous May weekend.

On to more mundane items now that you're wistfully thinking of someplace other than where you are. As I'd mentioned twice now in previous postings (Nov 2 and Nov 18) about Ford doing well. Seems those folks in Detroit are at it again, proving the world wrong that American auto manufacturing is ready to be put 6-feet under. Seems their sales are up while over at Toyota things are trending downward. Granted retail sales are down but fleet sales are way, way up. 

There happens to be a minor sporting event this Sunday called the Super  Duper Bowl or some thing like that between the Sinners and the Fillys..or is it the Saints and the Colts? Nevertheless, it seems Madden NFL, after accurately predicting 5 of the last 6 Super Bowls, is calling it that they'll be celebrating down in The Big Easy come Sunday night. I dunno. While it would be pretty cool to watch The Team Formerly Known as The Ain'ts win the Big Dance (I know...mixing my sporting terminology), I'm not too sure I'd be wanting to bet against Manning and his Colts. That guy is just too damn good.

Now I'm going to get on a bit of a soap box for a few minutes and state that in general people need to stop being such freakin' pussies. I like to stay apolitical in this blog so don't take my ranting as leaning one way or the other...the only direction I'm leaning is for people to buck the hell up and stop their whining and constant maneuvering to make the other guy look bad or take advantage of a situation.  Now look: I'm not advocating or endorsing what people said or did. However what I am doing is condemning the reactions to what people said and did. 

Exhibit 1: A mom in Denver is suing the school system after her 6 year old son's hands and mouth were taped with masking tape after he was misbehaving in class. OK. I might be a bit upset over that if it happened to my son although maybe he would have deserved it. That's beside the point. The annoying thing is that this woman is now suing for, get this, $500,000!!! Because her son was taped up with masking tape? Overreaction? You betcha...which is a nice segue into the next overreaction.

Exhibit 2: After Rahm Emanual called a few people and their idea "f*cking retarded" (he was referring to a group of conservative democrats actually), Sarah Palin called for his ouster based on his insensitivity and use of the word "retarded"...keeping in mind that Palin has a mentally challenged toddler at home. Fair enough. But....first of all, he didn't say this in a public forum. Instead it was apparently during a behind-closed-doors meeting. Second, I think people might get more upset with his use of the f-bomb than the word "retarded". Third was Palin's statement that rings about as genuine as a Gucci purse for sale on the street of NYC. I quote: "Just as we'd be appalled if any public figure of Rahm's stature ever used the 'N-word' or other such inappropriate language, Rahm's slur on all God's children with cognitive and developmental disabilities -- and the people who love them -- is unacceptable, and it's heartbreaking." I don't espouse going around calling anyone a retard but I like to think of the old "those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" i.e. I'd be willing to bet solid coin that at some point in her day Sarah has called someone a retard or an idea retarded. Lesson that needs to be learned: While we need to respect all Americans regardless of ability, find some real issues to take issue with Sarah; as well as every other politician, left and right, who finds affront at the slightest burp if it will get them air time. Case in point ---->;

Exhibit 3: At a speech given in a high school in Nashua, NH earlier this week, Obama said: "You don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you're trying to save for college. You prioritize. You make tough choices." Well, you can guess what happened next. Everyone and their uncle from Nevada...even Harry Reid for crying out loud, Democratic Senate Majority Leader, lined up to take their turn ripping the POTUS a new ANUS. Mayor Goodman of Vegas said Obama was not welcome in his town...that's a friendly attitude that'll  be certain to bring the tourists in droves. I think I can be pretty confident the president was using Vegas in the metaphorical sense in that it's intimately connected to gambling...excuse me...gaming. Yet the torches and pitchforks came out as claims were made that Vegas doesn't need the president tearing them down and driving away tourism. Ummm...seems to me if no one had said a damn thing about all this, no one would have heard about it and it wouldn't be driving away tourism....if it is at all. I mean really, while we may be dumb the American public ain't that stupid. If people want to go to Vegas, they'll go to Vegas. and not take too much stock in the president's analogy. The folks there need to practice their own tag line a little more "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"....sheesh. There's a reason Las Vegas is called "Lost Wages". Which leads me to my final exhibit.

Exhibit 4: I really, really, really wish someone could get both houses of Congress, both sides of the aisle, sit them down and say, no yell, at them "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? "These guys are more interested in getting re-elected then they are in solving our country's problems. Case in point...and I can't believe he actually said this, Lamar Alexander-R Tenn. said with respect to the whole partisan stalemate, and I quote because you have to read it to disbelieve it, “When we do policy and get good results, there is always the possibility that Democrats might gain a little politically,” he said. “But I think our main job here is to help the country.” WHAT? Are you kidding me? He's worried that if Congress actually succeeds in solving a problem that the Democrats might make political gains? What about country first, party second? And that he "thinks" they are there to help the country? He "thinks"? I'd like to "think" that was a pretty self-evident truth (to paraphrase the Declaration of Independence). Please elected officials. Left and right. Talk to one another. Dems - don't leave the GOP out of discussions. They are intelligent people with ideas too. Elephants please don't throw a monkey wrench in every effort the donkeys try to move forward just because you can. You ARE there to help the country...all of you.

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The Holiday Season is upon us once again and I hope you had a good Thanksgiving with friends and family. We took the kids and joined my sister-in-law and her family on Thursday and went into NYC for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We drove in through the Lincoln Tunnel and found parking to be a breeze since the parking rules weren't in effect.

If you've been to the parade before you know how much fun it is; if you've never been I highly suggest planning on it for next year even if you're from out-of-town. We flew in a few years ago, stayed in the City and went to watch the balloons being filled the night before.

So on to this week's blog...

1. The Competitor - Sports
2. Mr. Muscle - Fitness and Health
   
3. Your Ride - Cars
4. Greenbacks - Career/Money/Finance
5. Toys - Gadgets (i.e. boys toys)
6. Tasty Licks - Music, Movies, Books and other Entertainment
   
7. Arguing - Politics
8. The Great Outdoors - hunting, camping, extreme sports
   
9. WWWD? (What Would Ward Do?...think about it, it'll come to you) - Family
10. Black Socks & Flip-Flops - Personal Appearance
    
11. Honeydew - Home Improvement/Tools
12. The Wide World - Travel/Vacation
13. Eye Candy

The Competitor - This refers back to two recent news stories (#1 and #2) - one from before Thanksgiving but I forgot to mention it in earlier posts - so shoot me.; and the other I saw posted today. It seems that Northeastern University in Boston and Hofstra on Long Island have dropped - yes dropped - their football programs after more than 70 years for fairly similar reasons. According to the Northeastern, "the investment required to make it competitive was too high." It was also noted that this was a forward-looking statement in that needed renovations to the stadium coupled with what it would take to make the program competitive were major factors in the decision. While supposedly relatively low attendance (around 2,000 per home game) was not a factor, I can't imagine if the stadium was packed for each home game the decision would have necessarily been the same.

The spokesman for Hofstra said that the $4.5 million annual budget will be directed toward other uses and coupled with "...the low level of interest, financial support and attendance among our students, our alumni and the community, the choice was painful, but clear."

Now a disclosure. Much as you see in a statement when a reporter owns stock in a company about which they are righting a story or some similar happenstance in order to be transparent so as not to be accused of hiding bias, I have to admit a bit of a bias here. My alma mater cut the varsity team I was on in college while at the same time massively expanding the football program. AND...Northeastern was one of the schools my team competed against...AND their program is still there. So excuse me if I see a bit of irony in this story. Next!

Mr. Muscle - Burn 800 calories an hour! Guaranteed! Sound too good to be true? One thing in life I've learned is that if it sounds too good to be true it invariably is. However, there are exceptions to the rule. In this case it's a way to win the annual Battle of the Bulge; and I'm not talking about the WWII event. No, I mean the fight against those unwanted pounds that seem to slip on oh-so-quietly while you are having that extra drink, those too-good-to-pass-up cookies Aunt Mildred makes each year or yet a second, er third, helping at that holiday dinner party.

Luckily I've found a great way to win that weight-gain fight and even usually manage to wind up the holidays lighter than I started. My chosen torture method? The Concept2 Holiday Challenge - this year is the 10th Annual. Between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve the goal is to row 200,000 meters on the Concept2 rowing machine (affectionately known as an "erg"). Not all at once mind you! Not as hard as it may seem but yet not quite as easy either. Mainly it takes dedication (in fact when I'm done writing this evening I have to hop on the erg and row 10,000 meters, which will take me just under 40 minutes). My prize? I get a small commemorative pin...and some personal pride in having completed a goal. You can do this no matter what your form of exercise - set a goal to complete by Christmas or New Year's Eve in terms of distance or time and then make that goal known to your family and friends. Each year my wife knows I've committed to completing the Holiday Challenge and makes sure I don't slack off. That "public declaration" is a tremendous motivator to following through.

Concept2 has a great interactive website with an online logbook to record how far you rowed each session. I've been recording my meters since the 2000 "season" and it's great to be able to look back and see progress over time...and not so great to see when I've slacked off or am starting to see the effects of age!

Rowing is a phenomenal way to get in shape via a low-impact exercise which burns more calories per hour than just about any other exercise. When I'm in good shape, I can burn over 1,300 calories an hour rowing. 1,300! Even when I'm not in the best of shape I can still torch about 1,000 an hour. If you're interested in where to find a fitness club with a Concept2 rowing machine, click here. It'll take you to the website's Indoor Rower Finder. And if you have further interest in rowing as a sport, the best way to find information on a local rowing club is to contact USRowing.


Toys - Do you have an iPhone? Skip down to the next entry; if not, keep reading. This is about the iPod Touch. My oldest son just got one for his birthday. Wow. Just wow. It truly is a small hand-held wonder. Because it's not a phone, it accesses the web via a wireless connection, and since we have Verizon FIOS in the house, this works perfectly. However, it was funny as I was driving him home from practice last night and he kept calling out the wireless networks we were driving through. You can browse the web, retrieve and read email, download and play music (it even has a halfway decent built-in speaker considering that it's only about a 1/4" thick), get apps just like for the iPhone, as well as the usual weather, stock quotes, calculator. Damn - I just realized you can link directly to YouTube and watch videos.

I also have to give my son props - he bought the 2nd generation version from the Apple Store for about $200 instead of the 3rd generation and saved $40. Then for $5 he went online and upgraded to the 3rd generation software. Net savings? $35. Not sure if I'd have thought of that myself. All-in-all even after only having messed around with it for a short while I'd give it two thumbs up.

Honeydew - Want an easy way to make your kitchen look snazzy that you can do yourself? How about a tile backsplash? In a weekend you can fill in that space between the top of your counter and the bottom of your kitchen cabinets with some gorgeous tile, learn a new skill, add value to your home (yes, even in this abysmal market) and earn valuable points with your significant other for a boys' night out .

The pic to the right is a natural stone tile job I did for some friends last year. While the stones came attached to sheets, the shape of the sheets (a slightly spiraled 4-pointed star) and the way they fit in an offset pattern made for an interesting challenge. For my own home I selected sheets of 2" slate tiles that conveniently filled the space between the countertop backsplash and bottom of the cabinets (typically 12") with no cutting. It pays to think ahead!

What tools will you need? Tape measure, tile cutter, tile snips, tile trowel, tile file, scraper, putty knife, level, rubber float (to apply the grout) and a utility knife (always need one of those). While you can do the job with a manual tile cutter, I highly recommend renting a tile saw to make the job go faster and easier. If you can find an assistant (example shown below) that's a big help. You'll also need mastic - that's the "glue" you use to stick the tile to the wall. Make sure you use the right kinds as it differs for ceramic vs. natural stone tile. Finally comes the grout and its myriad color choices. It's amazing how vastly different the project can turn out depending on your choice of grout color. Also determine if your tile choice has bullnose tiles available. Those are the ones with a slightly rounded edge on one side that you use where the tile field dies into an open space on the wall.

Lay the job out ahead of time working from the center, making sure you know if any cuts will need to be made and where. What you want is for any cut tiles to wind up in corners and immediately under your cabinets and not in highly visible areas. You also don't want to have to cut tile once you have mastic up on the wall. Plan ahead! Follow the directions on the tub of mastic; in particular any having to do with preparing the wall to accept the mastic such as a primer or roughing it up with sandpaper. I usually put up 1 or 2 square feet at a time depending on how easy or complex the particular section is. Slab it on with the smooth edge of the trowel then flip it around and use the toothed edge to remove excess and create the ridges necessary for the tile to properly adhere. While you might be tempted to put on "just a little more mastic" than required, think twice - when you put the tile on and press it to the wall, any extra will squeeze out between the tiles and make for a tough time grouting especially if you don't clear it out immediately and it dries.

Working around switches and outlets is often the trickiest part of the job. Shut off the breaker for any electrical switches and outlets in the area to be tiled, then remove the cover plate. You'll need to loosen the switch/plug so you can pull it out and away from the box - just don't disconnect it (unless you want to). Use masking tape to protect the switch/outlet from mastic and grout. You'll have to reset it at a new depth once the tile job is done so make sure you bring the tile close enough to be covered by the cover plate and so that the flanges will rest on the new tile.

Once you get going the job is fairly easy, especially since most tiles these days are self-spacing. I recommend placing the tile saw outside as it can get fairly messy. Even if it's outside, place a drop cloth under it as the dirty spray of water can leave a stain on your floor, porch or deck that is hard to remove. As you complete a section of tile, take a piece of corrugated cardboard about the same size, hold it to the wall over the tile and rub hard with your hand to help level and set the tile. When you are done setting the tile it needs to set up for 24 hours before you grout it. Clean up and have a beer or two. I'll explain the fine art (actually the fine mess) of grouting in my next posting so come back for more!