Happy 75th Elvis Celebration!

It's Elvis Presley's 75th Birthday! January 8th. Celebrate right here on this blog.

1. Watch the ultimate Elvis tribute video, ElvisMovies III. If you love Elvis at all, you owe it to yourself to spend the next 12 minutes and 26 seconds of your life celebrating along with me by watching my tribute video. It's the biggest and the best of my three ElvisMovies vids. You'll be amazed! You'll be entertained!

2. Party down in the comments section. What are your memories of Elvis, either the performer, if you're old enough to remember him when alive, or his music? When was the first time you heard him? What did his voice do to your emotions?

ElvisMovies III (December 2008, 12 min. 26 sec.447MB high definition wmv {HD} file, 1280x720)  The latest edition of "ElvisMovies", a mashup of Elvis Presley musical numbers, in widescreen and HD. The original images were culled from the Tivo'd films taken from Turner Classic Movies during the anniversary Elvis Marathon in 2007.

Elvis made 33 movies (31 narrative films, and 2 concert films), but they are really only one movie. From 1960, when he returned from the Army, to 1969, with the completion of "Change of Habit", our hero starred as quite a few similar semblances of himself, and gathered together half a dozen or so faux Memphis Mafia Members. The films paid tribute to in this video mashup are mainly from the Metro Goldwyn Mayer films. I remember the widescreen Hawaiian vistas, the motor boats, the seemingly endless string of Art Deco motels with kidney shaped swimming pools. The fisticuffs. The songs. The girls. All in glorious color. All more or less letting us see Elvis as he really was, and is. An American Icon. When cobbled together, these clips give us a greater appreciation that in fact, the performances in these films, largely derided and criticized, even by some of his fans, when they were released, (three times a year!) remain our legacy of this great performer, and besides his recordings and some early kinescopes from TV, are the definitive widescreen musical performances by which we remember him.

Elvis would have been 75 today. Viva Elvis on his 75th birthday.

I love all of pop culture, but I especially love Elvis. My brother, sister, and I all saw his movies when they were released, at the Saturday matinees at the El Monte Theater, and watched them repeatedly on Million Dollar Movie on TV when they aired. We had all the albums, a lot of the singles, and I started collecting his movies on home video as soon as they invented home video!

Join with me as I celebrate the life of this iconographic figure. Let me know your thoughts about Elvis, and if for some reason you don't know his movies or his music, I hope this celebration serves as the ulitmate introduction.

ElvisMovies webpage on MikeVideo. Includes ElvisMovies and ElvisMovies 2

Elvis Presley on The Cultural Blender (an AllThingsMike site)

Elvis Presley on wikipedia

Elvis Presley on imdb

Official Elvis Presley website.

Posted: 01/08/10 12:00 a.m.

Featured Grownups 10.1: Goals

We're almost a week into the new decade of the "teens". Featured Grownups first topic of the new year "is on goals.  What do you hope to accomplish this year, and this decade?" As usual when writing for a prompt, I'm doing things a bit differently.

My Personal and Universal Goals

I am a human being. Like all human beings, I was born, and I'm living my life, and at some undetermined time in the future I will die. So far, this life has lasted over 55 years. A personal goal might be that now since I've reached the first half century, I'd like to be able to see the next. I would be really neat to say I lived through the (19) 50s and perhaps some of the (20) 50s too. But maybe it's too early to be thinking so far into the future. The next half century for me is almost 50 years away!

I have written that my most forseeable goal would be just to make it to next year. I live in a senior mobile home park, and as I was taking my daily two mile walk around the perimeter on the first day of 2010, I passed a few friends and neighbors, as usual, and along with my normal salutations, added a hearty "Happy New Year" as well. When you live in a place like this, you get used to seeing people regularly leave, and not because they just move away. As I greet folks who might even be approaching their century mark on this planet, I can't help but think about mortality, and wonder if they'll be around next year, or even next month. This might be considered somewhat morbid, but I think not. As we age, and as more and more of our friends and family pass from existence, we just can't help it.

The idea of "long range goals" tends to morph into a zenlike "living in the moment" sort of goal achievement. Shorter range goals are more the norm as we ourselves get into the "long range" years.

A lot of my fellow "grownups" who are much older than I have chided me for calling myself "old". "Hey, sonny," one of these conversations might begin, "You're pretty young to be complaining about age!" For someone in his or her 70s or 80s or 90s, thinking about being in the 50s again would be sort of like me aching to be back in my 20s or 30s.

Most of my seeming "morbidity" when it comes to thinking about death is because so many people I have known are now gone, and most of the people with whom I now socialize are "getting up there" in years. Instead of making me feel as if I'm at death's door myself, however, I tend to "live in the moment" more than I ever have before. I've even declared that my 50s are my best decade "so far". I've live a pretty full book of life, with many amazing chapters, and I'm forever looking forward to turning the next page, and the next.

My personal goals, then, are somewhat simple. As I have repeatedly said about New Years' resolutions, they are to maintain my health, keep above the poverty line in my wealth, and attempt to be as creative and inspriational in my deeds as is humanly possible. I welcome new friendships and experiences, and on the other hand, I cherish the soft and comfortable routines I've developed over the first half century of my life. There were lots of changes in my last year, and I do hope that perhaps I don't have as many changes this year, but I'll take each day as it comes, looking forward to not only the sunrise (which occurs after I wake up!) but to the wonderful sunsets, and to the succeeding sunrises of our tomorrows.

I pray for humankind as always, and send all the postive energy I can summon to his disposal. My universal goals are for peace, harmony, and love amongst my brothers and sisters. Each decade might seem to be more hectic and full of change than the one which preceded it, but as a student of history, I know that there have always been pretty much the same problems, and "technology" has been just as daunting for previous generations as they are for the present one. Communication might be quicker, so the spreading of both truth and lies is faster than previously. However, when you think about it, most of the people of the generations who lived prior to the printing press couldn't even read, so the invention of the printing press must have been, to their generation, as awe inspiring as the computer was to mine. The generation who witnessed the inventions of automobiles and airplanes, some of whom are still around, must really have thought that the world was changing ridiculously fast during those times. And who knows what is around the bend, as we set our "goals" even now? There might be unforseen "goal breakers" abounding. The trick is not to worry too much about what happens, but to fashion our lives and modify our personal goals to conform to the world we live in. "Roll with the punches", as it were.

I've said and written before, and I'm sure I will say and write again, until that time that I physically cannot do so, that the internet affords humankind with the ability "right now" to spread love, a sense of purpose, and tolerance around the world. We can get to know our "neighbor" quite well, whether he lives next door or around the world, with the tools already in place. In fact, Xanga is one of those tools. We bloggers constantly meet new folks and share in their dreams, as we share our own.

Let us attempt to share our personal and universal goals together, in the coming year, and in the coming decade, for as long as we exist.

Uncle Mike Story 3: 20th Anniversary Edition

From the MikeVideo Archives:

"The Uncle Mike Story (Part 3)" from 1989

The video is 12 minutes and 29 seconds long and was remastered in Hi Def, but was created from the original VHS elements.

I will continue the Director's Commentary on the next post in a week or so. This episode covers the years 1971-1977 and includes these events: My Senior Year of High School, the family move to Glendora, Creative pursuits, College, My parents' death, My sister's marriage, My Friend Evan's bachelor party, My move to the South Bay, 1977 Vacation across country, Unemployment, and finally the Birth of niece Cinnamon, for whom the video was made.

This video was created 20 years ago as an "introduction" to my niece Cinnamon, my sister's daughter, to her "Uncle Mike", hence the title of the video. It is essentially a complete video autobiography of my life up to that point. I've broken the video up into seven 10-12 minute segments or "websisodes" which I am presenting on my blog.  EDIT: 01/06/10 6:15 a.m. pst. Frankly, I'm amazed this entry hasn't gotten more comments. I think this is the best "webisode" of this series I've presented. Oh, well. I'm grateful to those who have watched and/or commented so far, at least! MFN/ppf

Previous Episodes on WhenWordsCollide (Xanga):

PART ONE (1953-1964 Baby pictures, childhood, elementary school)

PART TWO (1965-1969 Junior High, First 3 years High School, The story of "Arnold") Entry also includes "Director's Commentary Part One"

Other Episodes available on YouTube:

If you would like to see the complete series, here are links to the episodes on YouTube PART 1 (birth-1964)  PART 2 (1965-1969)  PART 3 (1970-1976) (This one),  PART 4 (1977-1986)  PART 5 (1986)  PART 6 (1987-1988) PART 7 (1989) MFN/ppf 

Drunk Story: Chapter Two

Chapter One: Sure, I Buy the Stuff All The Time.
Chapter Two: Party House

Living by a schedule isn't particularly easy. Get up. Go to work or school. Go to the library. Study. Drive home. Go to bed. The work schedule changed every week, sometimes Wednesday and Friday off. Sometimes Monday and Tuesday off. Mike had implored his supervisor to give him today, Friday, and Saturday off this week. The schedule had reflected his wishes. As he sat on the lawn of the USC library, Mike thought about the upcoming party at Stewart Klein's house. In high school, the only parties he'd attended could not really be classified as such. They were more or less social gatherings. And nobody drank liquor.

Tonight would be different. Mike really looked forward to the party at Stew's.

The schedule dictated only one more class and that was Drama. Mike truly enjoyed the class. He leaned back on the grass, placed his briefcase under his head as a pillow, and looked up at the branches above him, moving animatedly in the soft breeze.

About five hours later and three blocks from Stewart Klein's house, Mike decided to buy some beer. He knew he didn't have to. Stewart's older sister would probably make beer runs later, but Mike wanted the satisfaction of getting away with the purchase. Since he really didn't feel nervous at the prospect, and since his mother had recently allowed him to keep his moustache, which made him look older, he drove into the parking lot with bravura, and easily picked up and bought a six pack of Michelob, if for no other reason than this was the brand he had shared with his workmates a few weeks earlier when he tasted the forbidden nectar for the first time.

Stew expressed surprise as Mike opened his refrigerator door and stuffed the bottles in with dozens of other brews. "Oh, I do this all the time", he lied, then asked for a bottle opener. Stew threw one to him, which he caught easily. As he pried off the bottle cap, he was introduced to those in the kitchen he did not know. Some of the guys worked at the rental yard where Stew worked, and Mike already knew most of them. The rest had attended Arroyo High School and were strangers. About eight people crowded the kitchen.

"Are you gettin' drafted, too?" an ex-high schooler asked.
"Not now, thank God." Mike downed a slug of the cold, soapy tasting liquid. "I got a three month deferment!"
"Well, congratulations," the boy said sarcastically. "I'm goin' in."
"Really?"
"You didn't tell me that!" Stew remarked soberly as he poured wine cooler for some girls who suddenly appeared in the kitchen.
"I just found out today. You know, they begin the good news with 'Greetings'."
"Well, hell, Tom. This party's as much for you then. Guys, raise your beers. To Tom!"
"To Tom!"

Mike sauntered into the living room and spotted an old friend sitting between two girls conversing. He stopped mid-sentence after noticing Mike. "Hey, Franklin, old man."
"Hey, Cummings."
"Girls, this is MIke Franklin. We used to call him 'Mouse' in the seventh grade."
"Hi girls. We used to call Dave 'Nose' in the eighth grade."

The girls giggled. "Mike, this is Marsha Lipcomb, ex-cheerleader. And this is Bunny."
"Bunny, what an interesting name."
"My real name is Maggie Babcock."

Mike plopped down in an oversized chair and gulped some more of his beer. "Well, how did you earn the name Bunny? By hopping around?"
"No, Mike, she..."
"Don't tell him." Bunny blushed a deep shade of crimson.
"Yeah, tell me. I think this is going to be good."
"Oh, I see you met the infamous Bunny." Stew approached Mike, handing him another beer.
"This IS going to be good."
"Oh, come on fellas." The girl smiled. She might have been slightly overweight, but her movements were graceful. She wore a peasant blouse and pastel blue shorts. Her hair, a soft black, was short and very curly. Her green eyes smiled along with her mouth, which was full and sensuous.

"We christened her 'Bunny' ..." Dave began.
"Because she dressed up as a Playboy bunny last Halowe'en."
"She REALLY looked sexy."
"The costume made everybody at the party want to rape her."
"Oh, stop it Stew."

Mike smiled at her and opened his second beer with an opener from the coffee table. "It's a cute story, and I'll bet you did look sexy."
"How come no one's talking about me?" Marsha questioned. "How come Bunny gets all the attention?"
"Oh, sorry," said Dave, nuzzling her shoulder. "Forgot to give you your 50 percent."
"How did you happen to get mixed up with these nuts? Or are you a nut too, Bunny?" Mike asked, leaning forward in the chair.
"I guess I'm just crazy too! I used to go to school at Arroyo High. Now I go to P.C.C. Where'd you go?"
"Rosemead. Now I go to USC."

As they engaged in small talk, the party began to swell to about twenty raucous kids. Mike noticed Stew introducing his new girlfriend, Paula, to the crowd. He'd met her once before, and liked her immediately. She exuded warmth and personality.

Suddenly, Mike felt dizzy. He excused himself and rose in order to got out to the kitchen for another beer. He liked the feeling, as if he were walking on a cushion of air. Everything seemed to become a bit more clearer, and even though usually gregarious, he was opening himself up much earlier to these kids, most of whom were strangers to him.

In the kitchen, some boys held a chug a lug contest. They polished off bottles and cans of beers every few seconds. A few guys were passing around a bottle of Seagram's Seven whiskey. Stew entered the room and poured another wine cooler for Paula, then grabbed a beer. "Mike, enjoying yourself? I noticed you've been spending a lot of time with Bunny, you sly fox."
"Oh, am I ever enjoying myself. You host a great party!"
"Well, drink up. When we polish off all of this, we'll just get some more!" He disappeared into the crowd. Mike finished his next beer in the kitchen, exchanging college stories with some of the guys. Suddenly a large blonde boy wearing a football jersey stumbled over to the refrigerator carrying four six packs of Budweiser.

"Who's that?" Mike asked.
"That's Moose. A party just isn't a party without him. He drinks two sixers before he even shows up, and then he nearly tears the house down. Last summer, he got so drunk he had to look at his Driver's License to remember his name, then after he passed out, six of us had to lug him out to his car."
"Sounds ominous."
"Oh, no. He's a sweet guy. Just don't ever cross him."
"Oh, I won't." The giant youth put his meaty arm around a much smaller boy.
"Hey, buddy. If I get too smashed, make sure I get out to my car okay. Okay?"
"Sure, Moose."

Mike returned to the living room. Bunny had moved and now stood talking to some other girls over by the hall closet. He surveyed the room as he sipped his beer; even though he didn't know a lot of the people, he felt right at home, and everybody proved to be friendly. Marsha Lipcomb, the cheerleader whom he'd met earlier, still sat on the same sofa, however now she had a drink in her hand and talked wildly with a boy seated next to her. She had her right hand on his knee. He cuddled her shoulder. Stew's girlfriend Paula, by now noticibly drunk, had three conversations going on at the same time. Dave Cummings strolled over to where Mike stood downing his beer.

"What happened to Bunny, old buddy?"
"She's over there. You shouldn't have left. Stick with her. She's a nice gal."
"Yeah, thanks Dave. I'll take that advice." He noticed Dave was beginning to slur his words, and he was moving a bit unsteadily. Mike felt fine himself. How many beers had he consumed? He couldn't remember. Dave left his side and almost immediately Stew appeared in his place, handing over yet another open bottle of beer.
"Mike, old friend. Let's chug!"

At this point, Mike felt he could do anything. "Sure, pal. Say when." He brought the bottle to his lips. A few others gathered round the two friends, including Bunny.
"WHEN" Mike swallowed the beer in four gulps, hardly having any time to taste the cold liquid as it sloshed down his throat. To his surprise, he put the bottle down hard on the coffee table before Stew had even finished. "Hey, pretty good." Stew exhaled, "You win - another beer!" The small circle of boys and girls laughed. Mike reached out for the beer. He was swaying slightly and laughed. Stew moved over to Paula, who was sitting on an end table, laughing uncontrollably.

"She's really drunk." somebody said.

Mike walked through the front door and closed the screen door behind him, not really drowning out the noise of the party, and sat down hard on the porch steps. If he was drunk, he liked the feeling. By now, he could tell the effects of the alcohol. A haze seemed to attach itself to whatever he looked at. The dizzyness had increased so much that he sometimes had a difficult time keeping upright, and the bushes and trees in the yard were starting to move horizontally across his field of vision, even though he knew they were solidly rooted in the ground. Any cares or thoughts of the schedule of his life were seemingly gone. He felt as if he could "will" something to happen and it would.

Suddenly the screen door burst open and Moose crashed out onto the porch, causing Mike to turn and stand, as the giant attempted to steady himself between the corner post and Mike's shoulder. "Hey, little buddy." Moose threw a beer can out to the middle of the lawn and in the same motion popped another.

"Hi, there. You're Moose, aren't you?"
"Yep, and who are you?"
"My name is Mike. Glad to meet ya." Their handshake was clumsy but tightly grasped.
"Are YOU drunk???" Moose glared seriously into Mike's glazed eyes.
"Yeah, wanna make something out of it?"
"No."
"Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Drunk."
"Hell, no. I never touch the stuff." He whirled around in order to step on the grass but lost his balance and fell. He laughed as did Mike. "Hey, little buddy. Help your old pal Moose up." He stretched his hand. Mike tried to pull him up, but both ended up tumbling back onto the moist grass.
"You are too drunk." Mike said.
"I guess I am." Eventually they got to their feet, Moose, draping his arm around Mike's small shoulders, said "Look at the sky. Ain't it bee yoo ti ful?"
"Yes it is. Beautiful."

"Bee yoo ti ful" Both of them laughed. After a few more blissful moments of contemplation of the sky, MIke returned to the house. He soon drifted into conversation with a couple of movie buffs. As he downed each fresh beer, he felt better and better. He didn't tell anybody that this was really his first time being drunk. He felt supremely invulnerable and wonderful.

Paula didn't feel as wonderful. After she vomited twice and was put to rest in Stew's bed, he explained that this was the first time she'd ever been this drunk. MIke laughed along with everybody else. He'd lost track of time. He felt he could go on like this forever. He'd made many new friends, even if he probably wouldn't remember their names or faces at this point.

As the night quickly passed, guests soon started to leave. Mike felt as if he could read everyone as if they were an open book. He had pushed himself over to Marsha Lipcolm and started to grab her, saying, "I really like you," but she had successfully avoided his advances, muttering that it was time she went home, and he should too.

The party had begun at 7:00 p.m. By 2:00 a.m. the last guests had left and the party was over. Mike helped Stew clean up the liviing room. Still drunk, he knocked over a couple of empty glasses, but nothing broke. Six or seven people were still hanging around. As predicted, Moose had been carried to his car where he still lay reclined on the front seat, passed out cold.

"That was one helluva party, Stew!" Mike exclaimed, tossing some crumpled and crushed beer cans into a paper sack. "I hope you don't get drafted so you can have some more of these."
"Yeah, it was fun, wasn't it? Boy, you sure did get drunk."
"You weren't all that sober, either, buddy."
"You know, Mike. This is by far the drunkest I've ever been. I think."
"Same here," Mike replied, somewhat ironically.

Bunny appeared from Stew's bedroom as Stew marched back into the kitchen with an armload of dirty dishes. Mike stopped her and sat down on the coffee table. "How's Paula?"
"She's still pretty sick." She sat down on the sofa and leaned over to Mike, whispering, "Stew shouldn't have gotten her drunk. She can't hold it."
"You don't think it was all his fault? Did you see the way she was downing those wine coolers?"
"Yeah, but he got her to do it."
"Oh, Bunny. If she didn't want to get drunk, she wouldn't have gotten drunk. She had a lot of fun up until..." his voice trailed off.
"Well," Bunny smiled. "I'll bet she doesn't do this again for a while at least. She sure will get a lot of ribbing at school."
"That's for sure."

"Oh, hi Bun. Is Paula okay?" Stew entered.
"All right, I guess. But she's still heaving occasionally."
"God, did she get drunk. I didn't know what was happening for a while there."
"Stew, I think it was the dancing."
"I didn't see that!" Mike exclaimed.
"Oh, wow." Bunny related the incident as Stew walked back to his bedroom to check up on his girlfriend."Stew put on an oldies record and Paula went crazy. She must have done every old dance there was. It was just after that that she threw up."
"Oh, really," Mike maneuvered himself from the table to the sofa beside Bunny. "I'm starting to get dizzy. I have to lie down."
"Really."
"Yeah, you can be my pillow." He lay his head in her lap and looked up. He thought she was incredibly cute. She wiped his forehead and smiled down at him.

"You got pretty drunk yourself, Mike."
"I know. I still am. I feel great." He hesitated, "and I'm glad I met you."
"You're sweet." she grasped his hand.
"No, I mean it. You were the best looking girl here."
"Oh, come on."
"No, I MEAN it. I wouldn't lie to you." He brought her hand up to his mouth and lightly kissed it.
"Then why did you make a play for Marsha Lipcomb?" she asked devilishly.
"Did you see that?" Mike's face, already pretty red,  turned two shades redder.
"I saw every thing." She laughed.
Mike cuddled her a bit closer. "I can stay here for the rest of my life"
"Oh, you are sweet."
"I hope I see you again."
"Oh, don't worry. You will."
"Can I be sure?"
"Of course."

Stew entered the room again. "Whoa. Break it up. You get drunk and get romantic. Mouse, you sure are growing up quick."
"Oh, shut up."
"Don't mess with Bunny, though, she's a black belt. She'd as soon kill you as look at you."
"Yeah, sure."
Bunny stood up, causing Mike to roll off the couch. "No, he means it." She said, laughing.
"You should all go home now," said Stew. "I'm starting to fall asleep and I don't want any naughty stuff on the floor. Besides, I have to drive Paula home."
"Okay, Stewie." Mike said.
"Yeah, goodbye, Stewart," said Bunny, collecting her purse and jacket from the hall closet. At the door, she paused and blew Mike a kiss. "Goodbye you drunken nut."
"Goodbye, my soft pillow."
As she disappeared into the night, Stew came up to Mike. "You ARE drunk. You didn't even ask for her number."
"Oh, come on Stew. I just met her."
"So?"
"Well, I guess I'm just not as much of a bon vivant as you are."
"Yeah, or else you're just too drunk."
"Oh, shut up. I'll see you next week."
"Okay, and I'll tell Bunny you're in love with her."
"Don't you dare." He slammed the screen door and breathed in the cold night air.

On the way home, Mike noticed that he wasn't quite able to control his car very well, and figured it must be all that beer, even though it was a couple of hours after he'd had the last one. As he drove, his mind summoned up a picture of Bunny, so different from other girls he'd known. So open and bright. Does she like me? He couldn't answer that question so didn't even try. He thought about girls at school, and about Kathy, his unattainable first love. He just avoided hitting a parked car, and realized he should be concentrating on his driving, and not beer soaked thoughts of love. He'd have to practice driving while drunk until he got used to it. His parents wouldn't appreciate it if he brought home a traffic ticket, or if he got thown in jail, or worse yet, if he were hurt or killed in an accident. He stopped his reverie, slowed down a bit, and began to concentrate on the road ahead.

Next time:

Chapter Three: Strawberry Hill Forever

The New Decade Awaits

"This Moment"
Poetry by Michael F. Nyiri
January 2, 2009 5:40 a.m. pst

In a moment everything can change
Good can turn to bad
Familiar becomes strange

For the moment all might seem as bliss
No one predicts their moments
Or what becomes of this

Living in this moment doesn't tell what's next
To live within the moment though
Will give us perfect rest

For the moment everything is fine
Breathe deep and relax
No need for sadness or to whine

The moment turns we know not when
It might play through
Or change around the bend

In a moment one can lose a life
A time of greatness
Can turn easily to strife

In a moment one can breathe a sigh
For as the moment passes
Good luck is surely nigh

No one can predict the future
Nobody should dwell in the past
In a moment it all might be different
Or this moment might long truly last

Meet the New Decade, same as the old Decade? Perhaps. But then again, who knows? I'm sure there will be more reality show celebutantes which we don't even know right now swimming in the fame pool during the next decade. We had a recession this decade. Time for the stocks to rally and everybody to get a raise. Hey, it's gotta be better!

Children who were born at the cusp of the New Millennium just a few moments ago are now celebrating their tenth birthdays. They'll have driver's licenses and college terms dues at the end of the next.

I wrote an essay on my website in 2002 entitled "The Next 30 Years". Inspired by  a country song by Tim McGraw:  "Something has to be said which connects the dots, puts everything into perspective, and unites the warring "tribes" of humanity. If this doesn't happen, then we're doomed. I see this clearly, and I have this now beautiful website, which, if ever visted, and investigated, would offer the visitor some knowledge and talent, and might, with the help of these "essays" share in the ultimate truth of humanity and join me in discouraging the apathy and hopelessness we see every minute of every day.
I'm astounded when I think of how my own life now seems notoriously wasted, and even when I do in these rare enough instances these days type a few random paragraphs into the word processer, those words never seem to be the ones which were in my thoughts, and they merely serve no purpose really, rather than as a plea to sanity, if not humanity's, then surely my own."

2002. Just a blink of the mind's eye, until I look in the mirror, of course. Weird to think that nearly 10 of those 30 years have already passed. I really don't feel as if my life has been "wasted" anymore. I have even seen some "readership" of my website and blog, so this is cause for celebration.

I got this blog in 2004. Each year, I celebrate the passing of another, with my resolutions for the future, and I say "good riddance" to the past. I'm forever looking forward, even as I cherish that past, which has given me so many good memories and shared experiences. A lot of the folks with whom I shared those experiences are no longer around for some reason or other. I was telling a friend the other day. "Look, you're one of the 'last buddies". One's dead. One's in prison, One's homeless." To which he replied, "Two are dead.". I'd forgotten about the other guy. Oh, what a fickle fate filled oddessy our lives become after a while.

I use the Xanga tags feature and I've got a whole section labeled "New Years", (Yes that's the link to the section.) Resolution from the 2005 post: "New Year's Resolutions? Stay healthy, try to curb the debt, and find entertainment and enlightenment in every situation. Same as last year. And the year before that." In 2006 I evaluated and reassessed everything I outlined in 2005. In 2008 I posted pictures of my fat self, and proclaimed that instead of making the same resolution to lose weight, I was just going to buy larger clothes sizes, which I did. I didn't even bother with a New Year's post in 2009. Been there. Done that.

This is different, I will proclaim, even as I know it really isn't. It's the new DECADE. The "teens" are upon us! Health, wealth, and enlightenment for 2010? Hey, I'm wiser maybe. If it happens, it happens. A LOT happened to me in 2009 (you might remember I just said I didn't write any "resolution post" at the beginning of 2009.) I got through the year, and I'm here right now, waiting for the next. I've even got a couple of bottles of Korbel Brut chillin' in the fridge for midnight. I'm going to celebrate being around.

And that's my resolution for this year. To be around next year to make hopefully the same resolution. I must admit, I've been somewhat gluttonous this holiday season. I love to eat, especially candy, cake, chocolate, ice cream, pile it on. I'll start dieting sometime in January. (Like. I. Do. Every. Year.) I'll be going in for my yearly checkup sometime soon. I've got the opthamologist and the periodontist, and who knows what other ologists and ontists to see this year. (And I thought my health problems were over, whoa, nelly, I'm another year older, don't you know.)

I do make plans. My "five year plan" to get into a senior mobile home park came true this past year. I've got my hip fixed (Well, it wasn't in the plan for it to break, but oh well.) My next five year plan is to be debt free by the time I hit the big 6-0. (Coming up in less than five years!) And hopefully by then I'll do some traveling.

In the meantime, I think I'll keep blogging here on Xanga, and hoping for more interaction, more comments, and more camaraderie and friendship. Maybe I'll even MEET someone in "real life" this year. (I am planning on celebrating the New Year at midnight tonight with a buddy, so I won't be celebrating alone!)

Life is good.

Happy New Year! Happy New Decade!