Rogaining My Life Away

Rogaining My Life Away

I've done it. I ordered the generic version of Rogaine. Minoxidil is the magic ingredient and it promises to restore my masculinity.

I know the negatives. It'll make my scalp itch. Maybe even dry it out some. It may not work even for me. And if it does, I'll have to use it for the rest of my life.

I paid $55 for a year's supply of the stuff off ebay.

Ask any bald man: Is $55 a year too much to pay for hair?

That's a rhetorical question.

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Romancing The Stone

Romancing The Stone

I'm beginning my Life 3.0 and this weekend was one of mile"stones" for me. I bought a car, a 2004 Pontiac Aztek. It's ugly, I know ... it's so ugly I love it. More on that later ...

I also finalized moving to a new house. More on that later ...

What really made this weekend special was yet another kidney "stone."

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Biltmore on a Budget

Biltmore on a Budget

This past week, I took a vacation to Asheville. I don't live there yet but I've planned on moving there after the New Year. So I figured that I should at least vacation there since I've never actually been. So, to ring in the New Year, I took off for a week.

On Friday, my traveling companion and I decided to visit Biltmore because neither of us had ever been.

We drove in the gate and parked. Went in the visitor's building where you purchased your tickets. Looked at the prices. Not bad. The "Self-Guided Audio Tour" was only $8. The "Behind the Scenes Tour" was $15. The "Rooftop Tour" was $15.

Very reasonable.

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Let Men Do Men Things

Let Men Do Men Things

My dad and I just finished a garden retaining wall / walkway project we started a few months ago. We worked on it diligently every weekend it wasn't raining and this weekend, finished it in the drizzle. We built a 5-block high retaining wall and dug out a walkway three inches deep at forty by five feet. It was a big project.

As we were finishing up, in the rain, shoveling river stone and sweating like the out-of-shape men we are, my mom popped out on the deck and said, "Looks great! I think you need more rock."

My dad and I looked up at her and immediately said, "We know. We're not done."

"We're getting another half scoop," my dad said. We were spreading the first scoop and had already accessed we needed an additional half scoop to finish.

"I think you need a whole scoop," Mom said.

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The Bathroom Chair

The Bathroom Chair

I went to a married friend's party this past weekend. There were mostly couples there but my buddy promised me there would be some single women too. So I went.

It was awkward at first because I haven't dated in a while but their house is huge so whenever I needed to disappear for whatever reason, there were plenty of places to go.

As at most decent-sized parties, there are mini-parties that formed in key areas. The kitchen. The living room. The den. The deck / back porch. The game room. The bathroom.

The bathroom?

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A Regular Seven

A Regular Seven

I got a chance to see my two nephews this past weekend and as always, their innocent insight into the world proved to be enlightening. From Monkey Poop to thoughts on what colors of food are edible, they have a knack of pointing out things that us "adults" miss.

For instance, did you know that nicknames should make sense?

My cousin has a little boy named Kyle but because the grandfather is Kyle and the uncle is Kyle Junior, this Kyle is referred to as "Little Kyle." Sounds reasonable enough, right?

Until you mix kids into the equation.

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Thoughts On Being Thankful

Thoughts On Being Thankful

Thanksgiving is approaching and although it's not as big a deal in my family as Christmas is, I always try and take a moment to remember what the holiday stands for. Figuratively. To be thankful.

I'm thankful for my family. They are always there and always support me. Even when I screw up and let me tell you, I've had some doozies. Family is first and foremost in my life; I've taken some hard knocks to learn that one.

Then there's my health. When I'm not popping out kidney stones or collecting yellow jacket stings or pulling muscles, my body is pretty solid. I eat healthily-although some would argue; I still believe pizza comprises all four food groups-and I can do just about anything important that needs doing.

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