Want to feel a bit better? Connecting with the simple things in life works wonders. Life’s pleasures surround us. It’s always a good time to slow down, smile more, enjoy a good conversation and cup of coffee with a best friend. Simple things make big differences in the quality of our lives. The following video shares the simple things of life that bring joy.
Month: October 2017
Fight On! You’ll Make It
Struggling to catch your dream? Fighting your way through writer’s block? Wondering if anyone but the person who loves you most will appreciate your talent? Join the club. It’s part of the initiation process to see if you and I are worthy to reach the dream. Fight on. Don’t quit. Okay, discouragement happens. It’s one of the club’s perquisites. Fight on. This short video will inspire you to fight on and help you to understand why you MUST persevere.
THE GAP by Ira Glass from Daniel Sax on Vimeo.
Renewing Imagination
Remember when you were a child and you entered a world you created? You and I still have our childlike imagination. Perhaps we’ve stored it in a closet or the attic. It’s time to find it, dust it off, and put to use to renew our life, renew our relationships, renew our community. Enjoy a 1 minute Vimeo video and let your imagination soar.
The Journey of Imagination from Wildek Entertainment on Vimeo.
She’s A Snob’s Snob
I feel like I’m walking in quicksand. I’m sinking deeper and deeper into La Flor’s world. Yesterday, La Flor told me her resume matched up perfectly with a job opening working for Big Carmen in his “other” business. You know about his “other” business. She invited me to work for Big Carmen. I passed, again. I hired a plumber to unclog my toilet after O’Leary stopped by to use it. I didn’t realize donuts had that much fiber. My front door is back on its hinges. I hope LC remembers to use the nob instead of his shoulder the next time he opens it. I’m going to talk La Flor out of working for Big Carmen. Let’s see how it goes.
La Flor and LC were out late last night, they’re sleeping in this morning. The house is quiet, until I hear, “LC, please get me a cup of coffee. I can smell it. Ray must have made it for me.”
Huh?
LC walked out of the bedroom in his pajama bottoms, hairy chest, disheveled hear, rubbing his eyes. It’s not his best look. He sees me, “Ray-mo is dis what they calls da break of day?”
I ignored his question. I already have La Flor’s coffee in her favorite mug, the one with her image on the side, “It’s over there, LC. Do you have a hangover?”
LC pretended as he didn’t hear me. He walked over to the coffee maker and grabbed hold of La Flor’s coffee cup, “Do use tinks, my beautiful, tough, and edgy woman will notice if I takes a sippy?”
“What do you think, LC? I’m not helping you if you do,” I said.
“Geez, can I has a sippy of yours?” said LC.
LC took my cup and walked back to the bedroom. A moment later LC reappeared, “Ray-mo, use got any bagels left? I got to toast one, spread cream cheese on it, cut it into fourths, and brings it with a nappy to my beautiful, tough, and edgy woman.”
“Yes, there are two bagels left, I was saving one for …”
“Me? Tanks. I won’t forgets dis,” said LC.
Dear reader, do you think this is a one time occurrence? I think not. It happens at least five times a week. LC is getting in shape running back and forth from the bedroom waiting on La Flor. He doesn’t seem to mind. A hour later, La Flor makes her entrance. I’ll rephrase that, the queen makes her entrance. Not a hair out of place, makeup perfectly applied, clothes and attitude – casual chic.
“La Flor, we need to talk. You can’t work for Big Carmen,” I said.
“Ray, Ray, Ray. You are the epitome of jealousy. You cringe when others are successful. You envy brilliant minds like Big Carmen’s and mine. You become so insecure when our shadows fall upon you.”
So much for a dialogue this morning.
“You’ve accepted the job? Do you know what this means? Are you ready to face the consequences?”
“Those are the wrong questions, Ray. You should ask, “Can I throw a party for you for being so successful? That would be good for starters.”
“Let’s have a civil discussion, La Flor. What will you be doing?” I asked.
“It’s under negotiations. One possibility is to be wheelman?”
“Wheelman? Do you know what a wheelman is?”
“Ray, I was born on the weekend, I’m not sure which one. Can you help me here. Another possibility is connoisseur of acquired property, especially jewelry. And, there’s a third option, it’s my fav,” said La Flor.
“Which is?” I asked.
“Teaming with LC so the Feds and local police don’t get too interested.”
“Did use call me, beautiful, tough, and edgy one? What does use need? I am at use beck and call. I am use dog and pony show. I am use gopher. What use wants, considers it done.”
“I see your teamwork is already paying off,” I said.
“Listen, Ray. I’m only going to say this to you. I want you to go with LC and me tonight. We’re going to case Francine Peony’s mansion.”
“Francine Peony, the famous writer? She’s always on the talk shows. Your going rob her place?”
“No. Big Carmen acquired an invitation to her party so the three of us can go. You can help us take notes of her jewelry, paintings, and other expensive items and report to Big Carmen.”
“You can’t do that,” I said.
“Francine is the snob’s snob. A little humility will be good for her. Now don’t say a word.”
Before I can speak, “Open up, it’s the police.”
“LC, let O’Leary in,” I said.
O’Leary comes in carrying a cup of to go coffee and a bag from MacDonald’s. “I’m on break. I don’t like to eat alone, so’s I taught I’d stop by.”
“Is that a happy meal?” I said.
O’Leary nods. “I skip the donuts today to keep my weight down. I like to keep my snacks light so’s I can keep trim and fit.”
I can’t see his belt. His belly is smothering it.
“Before I sits down. I’m going to turn around. Tell me if use can see my wire.”
“You’re wired,” I said.
“You betcha.”
“Who you after?” I asked, worried it was someone in the house.
“I’m not quite sure, but when I find them, I’ll know.” O’Leary turned around.
I said, “This is not police department issue. You going rogue?”
“How did you know?” asked O’Leary.
“You’re wearing the wire on the outside of your coat.”
Oh my. What’s going to happen at Francine Peon’s party? Come by tomorrow to find out.
Love Creates Miracles
Love always wins. Love conquers hate. Love creates miracles. Two men, from a culture far different from mine, teach me about love. They teach me about friendship. They teach me about the value of working together. They teach me about caring for the environment. If I could, I would personally thank them for being an example for me and all who watch this short Vimeo video.
“I Am His Hands. He Is My Eyes.” The Friendship That Built a Forest from Great Big Story on Vimeo.
You Can’t Keep Straddling The Fence
Why did I create La Flor? I’d like to uncreate her, but I can’t. She won’t let me. Okay, I get it. She’s beautiful, tough, and edgy. But she’s walking a fine line. On one hand, she’s La Flor. On the other, she likes bad boys. She head over heels over LC and waiting in the wings is Big Carmen, LC’s father, and head of the mob. She’s been a PI, lawyer, doctor, model, matchmaker, what’s next? Her matchmaker episode almost got me arrested for withholding evidence from O’Leary, the Irish cop. What was the evidence? A cream filled donut O’Leary wanted. I hear La Flor coming out her bedroom, let’s see what she’s up to today.
“Hi Ray, writing another boring blog?” said La Flor staring at her iPhone X as she walked by.
“No, my blogs are insightful, inspirational, and lots of fun,” I said.
“Why are you defensive, Ray? Don’t answer it, because you don’t know the answer, but La Flor does,” said La Flor switching into third person as easily as switching into the passing lane on a divided highway.
“Okay, why am I defensive?” I asked.
“Oh my, Ray’s asking for advice? Here’s the deal, you can’t keep straddling the fence. You’ve got to stop walking on the balance beam. You’re so close to edge you’re about to fall in oblivion. One step the wrong way and the alligators will have you for a snack.”
“Enough with the metaphors, La Flor. What tightrope am I walking? How far out on the edge am I? Am I walking on thin ice?”
Sorry, readers. It’s the only way one can communicate around here and have any chance of being understood. The odds are still 100 to 1 against me.
“LC and I think you’d be a perfect fit in the organization,” said La Flor.
“The organization? What are you talking about?”
“Big Carmen’s charitable organization where he gets donations from the rich and gives part of them to the poor. He’s thinking of expanding, ” said La Flor.
“No thanks.”
“Big Carmen told me he needs someone who is beautiful, tough, and edgy to work full time in his unadvertised business. My resume is perfect.”
“You haven’t agreed, have you?” I asked.
Before La Flor can answer, an explosion from the front part of the house. “Geez, Ray-mo, use needs better hinges. I busted use door trying to open it,” Hollered LC from the entry way.
I hollered back, “Did you try the nob or use your shoulder again?”
From the front foyer, “I taught da nob was for decoration.”
“Easy mistake,” said La Flor.
LC slid into the living room on his knees holding a brief case and offering it to La Flor as some sort of gift or sacrifice. I’m not sure which.
La Flor placed the briefcase down. She patted LC on his head, then said, “Before I open it, I don’t want to be disappointed. I going to do the checklist. Did you get their cell phones?”
“Checks.”
“Did you get all the swag bags?”
“Check a doddle.”
“Did you take all their diet pills, caffeine laced tablets, and baggies of cocaine.”
“Eyes over it like pepperoni on pizza, which by the way is the special tonight at Carmen’s Pizzeria for only six ninety-two for pickup. Delivery, you got to add two dollars.”
“Perfect. Let’s sit down and open it. I want you toss the diet pills, caffeine tablets, and cocaine. I’ll keep the swag bags and cell phones.”
“Hold on,” I said.
“Ignore him, LC. He’s going to go into one of his preachy moods again.”
“I’ll tunes my brain to FM 101.3. They play my favs,” said LC.
“FYI, Ray. LC and I don’t believe in putting drugs in your body. Most of models are anorexic, so we’re doing a big fav for them,” said La Flor.
On the street. A siren. The screeching of brakes. A car door slamming. A knock on the front door, “Open up it’s the police.”
LC hollered, “That use, O’Leary?”
“Yah. I gotta go. Can I use the toilet?”
La Flor hollered, “Yes, but use the one in Ray’s room.”
Ten minutes later, O’Leary saunters into the living room, “Use gonna need a plunger a little later, Ray. I advise staying away for an hour or so.”
La Flor went to the kitchen. She came back a minute later, “I stopped Ray from eating all the donuts this morning. I hoped you’d come by. Here’s a bag of six of your favs.”
“Tanks. I need some help. Somebody stole all the swag bags and purses from the Elite Model’s show. We found the purses next to the dumpster, but they didn’t have nothing in them. Any word on the street?”
La Flor doesn’t miss a beat, “I don’t want to send you in the wrong direction, but I saw something on, was it Facebook? Twitter? Snapchat? Instagram? Oh, one them.”
“Gives it to me, I bust this case, I might a promo,” said O’Leary. His voice muffled by a donut that filled up eighty percent of his oral cavity.
“I hear it was Tonya La Twerp. I mean Tonya Come Lately. I mean Tonya Too Little. I mean Tonya Trouble with two capital Ts.”
“Use telling me this was a gang effort? I’m counting four perps.”
“Das is correcto,” said LC.
“I don’t know Spanish. Can use say it in English?” said O’Leary.
This is how it went as O’Leary ate one donut after another. He left when I crossed my heart promising there were no more donuts in the house. O’Leary said he was out to take the gang of four Tonya’s off the street for good.
Come back tomorrow to see how it plays out.
Everyone Needs A Friend
Everyone needs a friend. We need someone who’ll set everything down when we need a hand.We need someone who’ll listen and listen until we feel better.We need someone who will accept us for who we are, warts and all, and still love us. Ye, we all need a friend. That’s the kind of friend I want to be. A young girl teaches us about friendship in short Vimeo video. Enjoy!
The Deer Whisperer from Brad Herring on Vimeo.
If Only You Were More Romantic
You’re probably what I’m doing hanging around with this cast of characters? I’ve wondered the same thing many times. It’s one of those questions without an answer. I’ve tried to escape, but each time I’m sucked back into their lives by an external force. Enough of my problems. We left off with poor Carmela who has a thing with TT being coerced to “test drive” O’Leary for a week. Carmela is in love with TT a former writer for Dr. Phil who is now Big Carmen’s family manager. Big Carmen sent TT off to New Orleans to meet with family (aka other mob members). Let’s see how it plays out.
Carmela eyes are filled with tears. She’s biting her lower lip. Her face is flushed. O’Leary looks away from his pizza and turns toward Carmela. He stares at her. Then he said, “Dat’s a good look.”
La Flor nudges LC, “It’s working. O’Leary falling for Carmela.”
I overheard her comment. I whispered to La Flor, “What about Carmela?”
“Look at her, Ray. Just look at her. She’s falling crazy in love with O’Leary. She’s filled with joy.”
“She’s about to cry, La Flor.”
“They are tears of joy. She’ll finally be free of TT. Oh, La Flor you are brilliant. And, such a good person,” La Flor likes both first and third person.
“LC talk some sense into La Flor,” I pleaded.
“You talkin small change? I can talk McKinley, Franklin, and Cleveland. But I ain’t gonna talk cents.”
“Why don’t you too love birds sit on the sofa. Ray will bring your food and drinks over. O’Leary, help Carmela out of her seat and escort her over,” said La Flor sounding more like a drill sergeant than hostess.
La Flor grabbed hold of LC’s arm and pulled him to the sofa. They sit down before O’Leary can take one more bite of pizza.
With La Flor and LC on the sofa, there is only enough room on the sofa for a tight squeeze for two ultra thin people. Carmela may have to sit on O’Leary’s lap. It’s called the donut effect in medical circles.
O’Leary stands, walks behind Carmela’s chair. Carmela hasn’t budged. “You da shy type. I can sees dis. Me? I’m more of da opposite. Likes they say opposites detract.”
“Just look at Carmela, LC. Her mascara is streaking down her face she’s so happy. I hope they hook up tonight. Let’s encourage them,” said La Flor.
“You’ve gone too far, La Flor. I’m not going to put this in the blog,” I spoke in a low firm tone.
“Too late, Ray. We’re live streaming.”
“Huh?”
“Since use is too shy to helps me. I will slides use out and carries use over to da sofa, chair and all,” said O’Leary pulling Carmela out. Carmela holds on to the edge of the table with a jaws of life grip. O’Leary tugged. Carmela tugged back.
“LC go and pry Carmela’s fingers loose. We can’t let her shyness block true love,” said La Flor.
I tried a different tact, “O’Leary, here’s a cream filled powered donut you missed. If you don’t get it, someone else might.”
O’Leary let go of Carmela’s chair. I stood on the opposite side of the table. The donut sat on a small paper plate.
“Hand it over, Ray,” said O’Leary in a cop voice.
“You have to come around the table and get it.”
“We can do this the hard way or the easy way,” said O’Leary.
“What’s the hard way?” I asked.
“I’ll book use for withholding evidence from a crime scene,” said O’Leary.
“What crime scene?” I asked.
“The one where somebody reports you’ve been mugged for a donut,” said O’Leary taking a swipe across the table at the donut.
I heard a car door close. Not a slam so I knew it wasn’t one of LC’s relatives. My doorbell rang. I knew it wasn’t Big Carmen. It rang again.
“LC please get the door. It could be important.”
“Whoever it is send them away from this love nest,” said La Flor.
I was doing my best to avoid O’Leary’s increasing aggressive swipes. He was leaning over the table. His belly resting on two slices of pepperoni pizza. I heard LC open the door.
“Is my darling here? I’m back early from New Orleans sweetie.”
Carmela jumped up from her chair, rushed past O’Leary, avoided the blocking hands of LC and did her version of the leap, knocking TT to the floor. TT lie prone on his back. Carmela straddling his stomach showering TT with kisses and mascara.
I tossed the donut to O’Leary. He caught it in his right hand and brought it in one motion to his mouth. When he finished, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and said, “Tanks for doing it the easy way.”
“I know better than to mess with the city’s toughest detective,” I said.
“You just ruined love, Ray. If only you were more romantic,” said La Flor.
“Like you and LC?”
“Exactly.”
This Is A Blind Date?
I think La Flor has found her niche in life, disrupting the lives of others. She’s really good at it. I think it is a gift. It’s not a gift I want or would regift. LC is her ally. He grovels. He jumps when she wants him to jump. And, he’s being groomed to be head of the DiMarco family when Big Carmen takes leave. La Flor encourages LC’s work for the family, she thinks LC is a saint. I’ll let you be the judge. Then we have O’Leary, the donut eating, bad coffee drinking, Irish cop. Today’s episode begins with La Flor and LC sitting on one side of the dining room table. O’Leary and Carmela sitting opposite, and I am at the table’s end or head, whatever.
“Tanks for invite to dinner. I love pizza almost as much as I loves donuts,” said O’Leary pushing one piece of pizza into his mouth and reaching for another.
La Flor look at Carmela who was staring at O’Leary’s conveyer belt in action. La Flor said, “O’Leary’s been voted the most eligible bachelor at the police department. He scored high on all the biggies.”
Carmela turned to La Flor and said, “What biggies?”
“He’s a rising star. They’ve already tapped him to be chief. He’ll probably be mayor, a senator, maybe President with the right woman, which could be you,” said La Flor.
O’Leary wiped some sauce, a piece of pepperoni, a bit of cheese off his face with his sleeve. He looked at it and said, “I’m going have to send this shirt to the cleaners. You got a paper towel.”
I said, “That rolled up cloth with the tips of a fork, knife and spoon, that’s your napkin.”
“It is? I never seen anyting so fancy. Use knows some very high brow tricks. Pretty clever, right Farmella?”
Farmella?
Carmela turned to O’Leary, “It’s Carmela.”
“Who’s Farmella? I taught (that’s how he says thought) Ray said use name was Farmella.”
Why me? Why do I always get blamed?
O’Leary continued, “Use is the most beautiful member of the udder (instead of other) species I have ever had a blind date.”
Carmela, startled, looked at La Flor, “This is a blind date? I thought you said it was a quiet dinner with friends? What will TT say if he finds out?”
O’Leary ignored the comment and reached for a cream filled donut.
La Flor knows how change songs in the middle of the song she’s singing. She said, “Well are you friend with LC, Ray, and me?”
“Yes?”
“Now you have a new friend, O’Leary.”
“But what about the blind date part?” said Carmela.
La Flor leaned toward Carmela, “Just between we girls (why she said this, I don’t know because LC and I were listening. I couldn’t tell about O’Leary, he was on his third course) he’s a better catch than TT. Just look at him. TT couldn’t keep up with him. And, you should hear what the woman at police headquarters say about him.”
“What?” asked Carmela.
“I’ll just say, because this is a family blog, you can’t put out his flame, if you know what I mean. I hear TT’s flame doesn’t burn that long. You can do so much better.”
“What do you mean. Flame? Burn? I don’t understand?”
“You poor thing. I’ve got so much to teach you and so little time. You are so innocent. A newbie. A glimpse of spring in a world that is rushing past you. Listen to me, I’m your mentor. TT is gone for a week, take O’Leary for a test drive. What have you got to lose?”
A test drive? Is La Flor nuts?
I’ve got to figure a way out of this conundrum. I’m going to grab a bag chips, some salsa, and see what’s on Netflix to clear my mind.
Believe In Your Possibilities
Do you have a dream? Is it big enough to hold the amazing gift you have to offer? Do you have a dream? Is it grand enough to make a difference? Do you have a dream? Do you have the fire in your belly to chase it? Say a resounding YES to each question. Get inspired. Believe in your possibilities.
