2012's Flynn List

2012 has been rolling along for 7 full days now.  to be quite honest, it seems the same as 2011, 2010, but not like 2009.   :)

now, i am not trying to say that a new year isn't a good thing.  i am all for something that a person can use as a 'line in the sand' to help them make positive changes.   hey, i know that i need the reminders that i need to keep improving.  

so, this year i am making a list of things that i would like to accomplish for myself.   it really is kinda like a  continuation of my bucket list.   yes, i have a bucket list.   just something to help me keep a big picture of what i want to do and the person i want to become.

and, they say when you make a document like this public, it becomes more difficult to conveniently forget about your goals, resolution, or whatever you call it.

so, with no further ado, the 2012 Flynn List:

1. SixSigma Black Belt certification
2. Buffalo 1/2 Marathon
3. Complete 1 advanced speech manual for Toastmasters 
4. Hockey Hall of Fame
5. Baseball Hall of Fame
6. Niagara Falls
7. Visit at least 2 'new' cities
8. No more 'benders'
9. Improve the quality of my communications with my friends 

the list seems pretty simple, huh?  some of the items have been on my bucket list already, but this seems like a great time to make it happen.   i think the important part to any type of list like this is to balance items that are fun with those that will make you grow as a person.   sure, it is great to go to places and have fun, but if you are unhappy in your soul then what is the point?   hey, i am all for being unhappy at times, it truly is from this point that we grow as a person.  i do speak from experience.

so, what is my little bit of departing wisdom?

easy.  figure out what you want to accomplish or at least something you want to work toward.  write it down.  tell somebody.  be accountable.  be willing to try and maybe even fail.  be realistic.  be honest. be vulnerable.  be you.  and, if you don't want to be you than work on becoming the 'you' you want.

-tffjr

merry christmas.

the title?  well, that relates to the number of page views i had today.   i think that must be the most ever on a single day.   i guess that is my present from the "web".  :)   honestly, it is nice to know that my words are at least being seen.  are they having an impact?  well, i can only speak for myself but they do help me to put words to "paper".   so, to my "viewers"i say thank you.

holidays are a tough time of the year.   at least for me.   it makes me miss people who are no longer in my life.  i miss them but i also remember how important they were in my life.   and, that always leads me back to the idea of making the most out of my time with people in my life.   and, i have to tell ya that is always a good idea.

that is my wish for everyone, to get the most out of their relationships with the people in their lives.   and, to also be looking to make new relationships with people.

that thought make me smile.  and, now i want to change my take on holidays.   they are tough and rewarding.  yeah, that is makes more sense.   tough is fine.  we grow from situations that are not easy.   i mean we all have heard the phrase, "no pain no gain".    i have been through all this before, so i won't repeat it as a christmas gift to all my "followers"

reflection is wonderful.   but, it can cause stagnation.   we all need to remember what we had, where we were, who was with us, and how we got from there to here.     (not to sure on this idea's path)

so, let me live you with this.   tell people you care about that you care about them, simple as that.

oh, and don't do a blanket text message.   at least put the person's name in the damn message.   baby jesus would want you to.  :)


merry christmas.   oh, and i can ask one thing?   if you read this, can you just leave a comment, as simple as your name.   consider it a christmas gift.


-TFFjr

My Christmas List

this started with a quick FB posting.   it was a "Dear Santa, Please keep the troops safe" posting.

but, it got me thinking of a whole "christmas/ wish list.   so here goes:

Dear Santa,

Here is my wishlist.   I know you are a busy guy, so I understand if some of this stuff will take a little longer.   Thanks in advance.   -TFFjr

1. Our Troops,  Keep them safe & get them back to their families as quick as possible.

2. My Family, Please convey how important they are to me and I am truly blessed to have them in my life.

3. Friends, I really forget to let them know how much I miss them.   I often take our relationships for granted, and never realized the importance until I don't see them daily.  Let them know that I will make work to make more contact.

4. DRV, Please keep an eye on her.  She is a wonderful person who deserves as much happiness as you can squeeze in that sleigh of yours.

5. Grandma,  I miss her dearly.  I am sure she is doing here crosswords 'upstairs' with the people she loves.  Let her know that I am not gonna be there for a very long time.

6. Mel,  Please make sure that her baby-girl will be healthy and be the handful I know she was growing up.

7. My roommates (lol),  The 'rent checks' are coming.  

8. Buffalo,  Please keep the snow away.  I think the city is actually enjoying it.

9. Bills Fan,  A new team owner.

10. Sabres Fan,  A blockbuster trade OR something to kickstart this team.

11. Politicians,  AS MUCH COAL AS YOU CAN CARRY!!!!!

12. America, An honest assessment of where the country is and the moral strength to make DIFFICULT DECISIONS.

13. Future Me,  Let him know that I am working on getting better everyday and I think he will like what shows up to meet him.

Happy Holidays.

-TFFjr

life is...

... tough.
... what you make of it.

we have all heard those phrases.  right?   i am making an assumption.  if you haven't then stop, go outside and talk to somebody until you hear it.

welcome back.

my personal feeling is that the 2 statements should be combined into:
"LIFE IS TOUGH BECAUSE OF HOW YOU MAKE IT"


to often people do not acknowledge their own component in where their life is.   when all is well, it is "hey I did that".  but, when it is bad, it is "hey they did that".   i am no different.   i have said both those statements, and sometimes as a run-on sentence.  :)    now of course we live in a big world with extensive interactions with people, groups, etc.   and, anytime you have that many interactions there will always be some things that aren't in your best interest.  

BUT.

i recently had an adventure that made this new statement seem very obvious to me.   it is the choices we make that define our life.   and, if you make 'bad' choices then of course life is gonna get tougher.  so, find a way to make smarter and better decisions.  will this eliminate all the toughness of life?  hell no.  but, it will sure as hell minimize it.

Editorial Note:
i had really big plans for this thought initially.  was really gonna drop the word-hammer on it.
well, i got tied up into other stuff and the train never really got the steam going to power through.
i am sure my loyal reader(s) can understand and are laughing now.

-just a few more thoughts

sigh...

the holiday is over. with a second just a few weeks away. seems like the first one is about be grateful for what you have and where your life is. the next one feels like it is more about wishing where you can be and what you can add to your life. and, that doesn't seem like such a bad thing; the ying to the the yang. maybe that order works too, know what you have and then you can look to see what you can add.

( i look at this screen, and i want to put more words on it. my mind feels like it is running a marathon is mud. legs moving but no real movement. i am tired of seeing the issue but being unable to resolve it. hell, one might say that i have not truly identified the problem. note: like 5minutes passed from that last sentence)

i offer no insight to anybody. possibly, i offer a glimpse to my issues, my insights, my ways and maybe that offers something to folks. we all need to resolve our issues and yes, we do need assistance from others. however, we each have to be ready to acknowledge ourselves, seek assistance, and work through the process of change.

i am moody. i am overweight. i am not balding but i am greying. i am living with my parents. i am unemployed. i have good friend but i don't ask for help. i have a sense of humor that mixes sarcasm, filth, current events, and makes people smile. i have great teeth. i need to smile more. i have loved and lost. i have broken hearts and have had mine broken. i am helpless romantic. i am a great cook. i love my new car. i have been to europe. i have driven across the country. i love my family. i cry during some movies. i have been fired. i swear to much. i don't go to church but i believe is something that is more than me. i love pbr. i love pizza.

i love that i wrote this. again, it wasn't for you but it was for me. sure, i have some shit that sucks in my life but i have some great stuff too. strike the balance between those two side.

it is like somebody once said to me, over wild turkeys, " there is always somebody worse off than you and there is always somebody better off that you"

i leave with that thought.

Thankful.

sure, that is an easy title for something to write about given Thanksgiving is this week.

to often we lose sight of this holiday. we think of the gluttony that will ensue for a few days. diets are placed on hold. televisions are put on extra duty, if we could watch 25hrs we would. football is consumed only slightly less than turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin cheesecake.

hey, my blog so my menu.

however, i truly find this holiday (and maybe all of them) is about family. it is a time to be grateful that these people are in your life. oh, and family is how ever you wish to define it. :)

and, sometimes it is about remembering those members of your family that have moved on.

last year, my grandmother passed away in october. she had lived a long life but finally decided that she ready to go. and, she was living out in california near my aunt. grandma was a person who never wanted to be a "bother" to anyone, especially her family. maybe, that is a family trait? :)

what does this have to do with thanksgiving? my mom decided that she wanted to put bury my grandmother's ashes with her family in buffalo. i was coming home for thanksgiving, so it was decided to have a small ceremony the day after thanksgiving. and, i am glad that happened. now, it will always remind me to think and remember how special my grandmother was to me.

pumpkin-head(l) and pauline(r) -1975

thanksgiving, now carries something more for me than it used to. and, it all came back to me when i heard about a friend's father passing away this past saturday. she will be coming back to buffalo for thanksgiving and the funeral. i expressed my very heart-felt condolences and really did have an idea of what she could be feeling. ( i say could because we all grieve in our own way)

but, i am sure she is grateful to be supporting and supported by her family. she must be remembering all of those wonderful times about her father.

so, i guess i will leave with you this. be grateful for the time you have with anyone, but especially with those that are truly important to you. squeeze every bit out of those experiences. and, really examine what you are truly thankful for.

God Bless All of your wonderful troops.

-pauline & pumpkin-head

Are we really that sensitive?

watching the news again and i heard about the flap over the President making a "lazy" remark about America. of course, the 2 sides were in disagreement about the "we" in the statement. in one corner it referred to "business investment" and the other was the overall American people.

NEWS FLASH!!!!!

YOU ARE BOTH CORRECT!

it is really that bad to say we have gotten lazy? i don't think so. maybe, it might be the slap in the face or the kick in the ass that we collectively need. of course, it is a broad brush-stroke that we are applying. and, to often the image is only of physically being lazy. trust me, there is plenty of lazy to go around; intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and politically.

(the list continues on...)

and, you know what? we have made several advances in technology that have allowed us to have more time, and freedom to do other things that are not historically called worked. this could be seen as lazy when viewed from an older generation.

we are no longer a society that takes the time to have full-length conversations on anything, except fantasy football and reality show voting results. in my opinion, this is the worst lazy we are faced with . if we can NOT even have a full-contact, feature film length conversation on issues then we will continue to stay on the "couch".

i make no promises that i know all the answers or even most of the questions. but, i am willing to other my ideas and welcome the opportunity to discuss yours.

oh, and anyone who says that it is un-patriotic to say that America needs some work is just out of touch. i love America as much as anyone but we do have things we need to work on. and, to sweep garbage under the table is offensive and in my opinion un-American. America is about facing your problems and striving to resolve them. Hey, we do it for everyone else in world. Now, it is time to work a little bit at home.

GOD BLESSS ALL OF THE WONDERFUL MEN AND WOMEN WHO PROTECT US EVERYDAY. WE CAN NEVER SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH.

YOU ARE THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FREEDOMS THAT WE ENJOY!

AND, WE NEED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU!

disguises

funny, how things can be packaged as one thing but really be something completely different.

i started to think how things, ideas, feelings, or whatever are one thing on the "inside" but often are the opposite on the outside.

just a few examples:

- Hostility masking Indifference

yeah, this one has a political undercurrent. if you stop, listen to the news (why?) you will be blasted with the vitriol of partisan and polarizing political speech. the "blame game" goes back and forth, the ends playing off against each other and unfortunately the "sane" middle. the pendulum swings back and forth but never moves anywhere, net effect is zero. "+500" plus "-500" equals ZERO. basic math, people. i have mentioned this before but both parties love the status quo and strive to keep it there. and, that is the indifference. no real desire to make any change to the system.

ok, so there is the problem. what is my resolution? much to long to put here. :)

term limits, campaign finance, and legitimate third voting option.

-Brashness masking Scared

yeah. who hasn't been here? what is the saying,"put on a brave face" or "don't let them see you sweat"? and, for the most part it isn't a bad thing when combined with moderation (secret for everything = moderation). however, this can be a problem when you don't truly allow yourself to be open to you situation, willing to learn from situation. i have never learned truly learned anything unless there has been pain associated with it. pain can come in many forms, financially, physically, mentally, or maybe the worse emotionally. however, all this does is lead to making your stronger. so, let yourself be out there at times because there are more people in the same boat. and, 2 paddlers is better than 1.

i know that i have been in both of those examples to often in my life. i like to thing that they were in my past BUT i know that i still dip my toes in those ponds. how can i not? life is tough and always changing. sometimes, you need to put up walls to stop the "elements" but you have to still get outside the walls. all storms will pass. and, then you gather up what you need and venture out beyond the walls again!

-happy trails!

higher standards

well, there is a phrase that gets thrown around a bunch, especially these days.

and, you know they are right we should hold people to higher standards.

BUT, HOW ABOUT WE HOLD OUR INDIVIDUAL SELVES TO THAT HIGHER STANDARD FIRST?

wow! wouldn't that be a nice change. maybe just maybe we wouldn't have all the craziness that seems to hang over our collective being, like a thunder cloud. maybe, then we can stop the blame game and work to resolve the underlying problem's root cause. oh, this by no means that people should not be held accountable for their inaction or actions. like i have said in the past, freedom carries with it a corresponding accountability & responsibility for the actions & deeds you exercise.

notice that i am not weighing on specifics of right or wrong. hey, i am no perfect being or bearer of the "higher standard". i know that i have to continue to strive for that but i like to believe that i am accountable for my actions and deeds. i make mistakes. you make mistakes. mistakes happen but are "we" learning from them and not repeating them? God/ Allah/ Buddha/ Jevoh/ Mother Nature helps us if we are not.

just a few thought for today.

quality is...

been thinking about quality, its implications, its impact, and how i related to it.

now, this is probably been heightened by job search process and starting back on a fitness regimen. maybe, i can figure out a good marketing tag-line for myself in the process :)

QUALITY IS...

- PATRIOTIC;

from a pure manufacturing pov, if you make a great product then you will develop a market. that can't be to bad for our economy, right?

- CONTAGIOUS;

the more success you have, then the more you want. imitation is the highest form of flattery, or why not follow the best in a particular industry. makes sense to me.

- HARD-WORK;

you have to be honest, being the best takes work. however, isn't the other option just a really shitty choice? we as a country have gotten away from this...we want our cake but refuse to bake it!

- TEAMWORK;

this is really easy to see when compared against the partisan nature of our government and politics. nothing is done alone. we all require help, even if really small in nature. even a huge loner, like the unabomber, needed help like the postal service. (ok, that example was out there).

the idea being great things are done not by individual efforts but with team work

- CONTINUOUS;

kinda like a snowball rolling down a hill. (it's november in buffalo...of course a snow reference)

similar to contagious. you want to keep making improvements. we know that nothing stands still, change is going to happen. why not, get in front of it and build the fix before it is even needed. i know we can do it.

just a few ideas about quality. i think i have a good basis for something here. but, feel free to help yourself to the idea and build upon for yourself.

-just a few of my "quality" thoughts