Have you ever had a crik in your neck?

Last week I had a job interview. Much to the dismay of my friends it was not in Austin. The day of the interview I awoke to find that my neck, shoulders and back were killing me. I took those worthless OTC pain killers but they did nothing to lessen the pain. As the interview time grew closer and the pain worse, I started to consider taking a muscle relaxer. I was pondering this aloud and my father was in earshot. I was wondering how dopey and sluggish a flexeril would make me when he suggested a completely different direction.

We were bloth on the back porch at the time because my parents are having renovations done to their house. The big problem with renovating your house, beyond the monetary discomfort, is that you go for periods of time where you are essentially banished from your own house. My parents have two dogs that I jokingly refer to as my younger siblings, and their presence seals the deal when the question of banishment comes up.

Anyway, on this particular afternoon, my father went back inside the house and he returned with a bottle of something. The next words out of his mough were, "Where does it hurt?". After I explained the source of the pain to him he told me to lift up my shirt.

For those of you who don't know my father, he is a funny guy. He gets these strange ideas in his head and he tends to always go overboard when it comes to pain relief. He once suggested that I get some sort of gel to put into my sinus cavity to knock out a sinus infection that I had. I mentioned it to the doctor and he looked at me like I was crazy. He explained that although the medication would work for that treatment that it was a very strong drug and that it should never be used for that purpose. Now that you have the idea as to what his cures are like I will continue and you will understand why I had a twinge of anxiety as he told me to lift my shirt.

With my back exposed and me leaning over my father started to spray something on my back. At first it felt cold, but that sensation didn't last for long. Quickly I started to feel a prickly sensation and a very strong smell hit my nostrils. It was a medicinal smell not unlike menthol on steriods. As the pins and needles continued he started to explain that this was a local analgesic that is used to cure muscle and joint pains. He continued to tell me that it would be fast working and that it should penetrate and ease the pain in a matter of minutes. All that I am thinking at this point is that I have an interview with an HR person followed by a panel interview in less that two hours and I smell absolutely horrible. I start to hope that perhaps the smell will dissipate as the spray evaporates.

Minutes pass and I am still stuck in this same train of thought. I have already considered what my opening line to the interviewers would be. I decided that I would break the ice by telling a condensed version of this story. I would start by asking if they have ever woke up to find that their neck was sore and had it get progressively worse throughout the day. This seemed like a good way to break the ice and I knew that I could easily turn the awkward smell into a funny situation putting everyone at ease.

My back is still wet. Ten minutes have passed and I can still smell the scent as if it was being sprayed on my back right now. The shirt is no longer raised to a ring around my neck. It has now been completely removed because I realized it is the only clean undershirt that I have. It is at this point that my dad decides to break the silence by telling me what this spray is really for. I should have known that this moment was coming. He tells me that yes, it is for muscle and joint pain but that it is usually used on horses. I couldn't make this up if I tried. He goes on to tell me that there is another version that is used on bulls but that he was unable to find that one. By now the pins and needles have progressed into a slow burn that makes my back feel like it is radiating heat.

I start to wonder if I am having some sort of allergic reaction to the spray. Am I going to have to explain a smell and a rash? Who knows? Should I go inside and get a towel right now to get it off? Survey says, yes. After wiping this horse tranquilizer off my back I start to sniff myself and question whether I should take a quick shower with my remaining time. The smell is still there (not as strong) and I consider that under my layers of clothing it will be acceptable, or hopefully completely unnoticed.

As a final test, I sniffed my shoulder through my suit jacket and I couldn't smell anything. The crisis was averted and I didn't need to joke about my scent in the interview. I have learned my lesson, next time I will be taking the pills, and I should never accept anything from my father without a complete informational interview including whether or not the intended patient should have fur or not.

Oolong Tea from Norbu Tea

Today I am trying the Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea from Norbu Tea. The packaging says that it is from the 2008 fall harvest. I am using 1.5 tsp of tea in a Tea Ball. I heated the water until it was about to boil and then I added it to my cup.

Originally, I let it steep for 2 minutes. I took a sip and my initial impression was that it had a pleasant earthy taste. It still felt a little bit weak to me so I let it steep for another minute. The water has taken on a pale yellow hue. As I sip the tea it doesn’t taste strong, but it isn’t weak either. The effects are almost immediate! The flavor is simple, but very satisfying. This is definitely nothing like the Black Tea that I typically drink… it’s better. It is a soothing tea yet there is definitely caffeine present. I’m not sure how much caffeine is in Oolong Tea, but my initial impression is that it would be great in the morning or in the afternoon as a pick me up. I can’t get over how simple yet flavorful it is. The front and middle of your tongue get the majority of the flavor. There is no bitter aftertaste. It is definitely a earthy, grassy flavor that is very satisfying.

I have let the tea cool some, and I am now getting completely different flavors. Now the flavor has become stronger. It is still earthy but it is more present. The flavor lingers on your tongue for a while. I feel like the outside edges of my tongue are receiving more of the flavor. I can’t wait to share this tea with friends. Now to find out how many times I can use the same leaves…I’m guessing 2-3 times. I would definitely recommend this tea to someone who is looking for an alternative to black tea.

Update: I just steeped the leaves a second time. There is less of a caffeine sensation, but the tea still tastes great!

Voted Most Likely To Steal Your Truck

I got so wrapped up with the end of the trip that I never got to tell anyone about how the trip to Colorado started. My father and I woke up early and we started to head out of Nacogdoches. Neither of us had eaten, and we had both heard good things about this place called the Country Kitchen, so we decided to give it a try. Upon arrival, I knew we had hit a jackpot. There was a table sitting next to us that comprised of two women and an older man. He was complaining about his inheritance from his mother and how his sister was a money grubbing you-know-what.

There were a few gentlemen sitting at tables alone. They wore coveralls and Lone Star hats. For those of you not from Texas Lone Star is both a feed and fertilizer company as well as the National Beer of Texas. These guys were probably not aware of the beer company and their hats were in support of the fertilizer company.

Our waitress was a young woman around 19 or 20 that was wearing a rodeo belt buckle that could easily serve the purpose of a plate in a jam (or if the situation required it the heavy collection of rhinestones could easily blind any would be attacker by collecting the moonlight into a blinding beam). Her shirt had a phrase that I will never forget. It said, “Voted Most Likely To Steal Your Truck.” I pondered on that shirt for a while and I decided that it was a country thing that I just wouldn’t understand. The food was excellent and my only complaint was that there were televisions in the room. I hate it when there are TVs because they always become the center of attention. I always prefer to observe the others in the room and engage in conversation much more than watching a flickering box.

As we left the car bottomed out. This restaurant had a parking lot that left much to be desired. It was essentially a dirt lot with potholes large enough to lose small dogs in. When arriving at the restaurant you don’t realize the large bump as you transfer from pavement to dirt. Upon departure the bump is much more obvious. Our departure was announced by a scraping noise as the bottom of the car rubbed against the pavement that is TX HWY 259.

Our goal for the first day of the trip was to make it to Amarillo, TX. After reviewing the map, we approximated our trip to take 9 or 10 hours, depending on how many stops we took. After about an hour of traveling, I realized that I could hear a rather strange noise. It sounded like a grinding, and it appeared to vary depending on our rate of speed. I pulled over to check it out and I discovered that a plastic piece was being dragged underneath the car. It was near the front on the passenger side, in front of the tire. The main function of this piece appeared to be keeping rain out of the engine compartment. I made the quick decision that it was worthless and promptly tried to break it off. Being in another vehicle than mine, I was without a knife and I couldn’t find a good way to break it off. I quickly settled on the second best solution and found a way to tuck it up out of the way so that we wouldn’t be dragging it any more. With that problem solved, we decided it was time to get farther away from home and closer to Amarillo.

The trip was pretty uneventful as we cut through Dallas and traveled down Interstate 20. At one of our quick stops we noticed that the broken car piece had come dislodged. I finally got the placement right the second time and we never had to deal with it again.

If you have ever made the trip from East Texas to Lubbock you will remember the extreme boredom that sets in during this drive. Once you are west of Ft. Worth there isn’t a lot to notice. The landscape becomes flat quickly and you are on the same road for a long time. You finally change roads at Hwy 84 to turn north to Lubbock. Once you make this turn you abandon the boredom associated with driving on an Interstate and replace it with the new sensation of being surrounded with cotton fields and wind turbines.

A little kindness goes a long way

I just finished a very poorly timed trip. I was pulling into Austin at 5pm on a Friday afternoon during labor day weekend. Stupid, I know. Anyway as I exited the freeway for one last time I looked out into the traffic with disgust. I turned left and almost rear ended the car in front of me. As I quickly stopped I silently yelled fuck in my head. Apparently I mouthed it as well. Over the blaring music in my car I heard a voice. To be sure of myself I turned down the radio and looked to my side. The guy in the car next to me was saying, "it's ok!" in a reassuring tone. As I returned the smile he said, "there ya go!" I just want to say thanks to that stranger and remember that life always gives you what you need. Sometimes it's just some reassurance from a stranger.

What's The Worst That Could Happen?

“First ask yourself: What is the worst that can happen? Then prepare to accept it. Then proceed to improve on the worst.”—Dale Carnegie

I was reading one of my new favorite blogs ThrillingHeroics.com this afternoon and I ran across a quote I had never heard, but had always intuitively known. The above quote from Dale Carnegie sums up how we should all do business and live our lives. Many of us tend to focus on the negative and worry about what could happen. Is there a place for this in our lives, of course. However, you cannot dwell on these things. You must be honest in what it is that you want to achieve, and be willing to take the risks to get there.

I have known for some time that I wanted to start my own business. I have worked for myself before, but I lacked the maturity at the time to stick with it. Now that I have completed my MBA (and many years have passed since my last venture out on my own) I am once again starting a company. Most of my friends, and some of my family as well, think that I am absolutely crazy. This is because most of the people that you know are thinking about what they can do to fit into an existing mold. This can be a good formula if you are only seeking limited success.

To truly be successful and happy in life, you should focus on what you can do that fits who you are. In order to do this you have to cast away your fears and do what you know is right for you. If you, like me, tend to have an adventuresome spirit the best thing you can do is to figure out what you want to do and then find a way to do it. Don't worry about the naysayer (there will always be naysayer) because in truth they are either worried because you haven't fit into a predetermined way to be or they are jealous because you are living out their dream to step outside of the box.

Top 20 Places I've Slept

The following is a list of the places that I have slept (yes quick naps count!). It is organized from my favorite places to sleep down to my least favorite.


1. My Bed – it may not be the best in the world but it is mine. Sleeping in my bed also means that I know where everything is and I can find pretty much anything without turning on the lights.

2. Other people’s beds – this includes hotels and the spare bed at my parents’ house… this even includes strangers’ beds. The point is, a bed is the ultimate trump card.

3. My couch – I have spent many a quality night (and don’t forget Sunday afternoons) while crashed on the couch.

4. Any hammock – hammocks are stationary (relatively) and therefore easily in the top 10. I prefer them when they are in Mexico looking out on the water.

5. Beaches – beaches are good, as long as you aren’t sleeping at Black’s Beach north of San Diego.

6. Poolside – a nap by the pool is always good (as long as its outdoors). Indoor pools have a strong and unpleasant chlorinated scent which makes sleep uncomfortable and tiled walls tend to reverberate the sounds of the children splashing which will probably make any sleep impossible anyway.)

7. My parents’ couch – this is one place that I find myself sleeping quite often. One of the best times to catch some z’s is after thanksgiving dinner (while the game is on)

8. An air mattress – I think you will agree that with the air mattress location is not a necessary piece of information.

9. A friend’s couch – It is always great when you discover that you friends are so kind as to offer their couch for your dreaming entertainment.

10. A stranger’s couch – Although it is great to be offered a couch, sometimes you just have to wonder if you are going to wake missing a body part or any personal item for that matter (dignity is included in the list of possible missing items).

11. Car – Because of the nature of cars, I feel that it is necessary to point out that they rank differently depending upon the circumstances. In this case, the backseat of a car is a great place to catch up on some sleep. This is also the first time that I will mention not only location, but inertia as well. Cars are not nearly as good if they are in motion. However, that being said, sleeping in the back of a parked car in TX during the summer is going to be way worse than sleeping in a moving car with an operational A/C.

12. A stranger’s floor – Much like the strangers couch before, you never know what you are getting into here. To make matters worse, the stranger being discussed either doesn’t have a couch or someone else has beaten you to it. Either way, you aren’t at the top of the pecking order here. If someone else is on the couch, it is also quite likely that you will be stepped on while the couch-dweller is making their way to the bathroom for some late-night relief.

13. Car – While sitting in the front seat of the car, sleep is possible and can be quite rewarding… It is also pretty cool because you are going somewhere new. The downside is that I never sleep that well while I am traveling. I quickly enter a coma like style of sleep and find it quite difficult to wake.

14. Tent – tent receives a low spot on the list because I have already mentioned the air mattress post stays constant regardless of the location. If you have a tent in your air mattress, you can easily expect me to feel like I am sleeping in one of my top 10 favorite places.

15. Airplane – Much like cars, I find it difficult to wake from my coma sleep while traveling. The added problem of airplanes is that I always get kicked in the back (if I’m near the window) or get hit by the drink cart (if I’m in the aisle seat).

16. Black’s Beach – I know I already mentioned beaches but this one is worthy of its own post with a lower ranking for sleep. I love that beach and it is absolutely beautiful. My reluctance to sleeping there is that it is a clothing optional beach and I have seen some freaks there. Plus, you never know where you are going to get sunburned… Although I have caught a few winks at Black’s, they were short and not nearly as satisfactory as your typical beach nap.

17. Bench – On more than one occasion I have caught a quick 15-minute nap on a bench. These occasions have always been unintentional. Sleeping in public isn’t the best because you are putting yourself at risk to whatever strangers want to do to you (Am I starting to sound paranoid?).

18. Classroom – During middle school and HS I got a lot of sleep in the classroom. I didn’t like it, but it was necessary. I still remember being used as an example in a biology class in HS. My teacher wanted to know how I slept through the majority of classes and yet still received higher grades than the majority of the class. It was not one of my favorite moments in school.

19. In the airport – A few years ago I had a layover in ATL from 2AM until 8AM. Rather than getting a room I decided to lie down and get some sleep in front of my departure gate. I had a very nervous sleep constantly worrying about someone stealing my bag that was also acting as my pillow. The worst part was waking up to find that my flight was boarding and that everyone was just stepping over me. No one had even bothered to nudge me or tried to wake me in any way. This has led me to feel that Atlanta is a crap city. Hopefully, time will change this perception.

20. On the ground – Offhand I can’t think of sleeping on the ground, but if I had to, it would probably be pretty miserable.

Dove Chocolate and Enlightenment

This weekend I am dog sitting for a friend. I have been sitting in the living room and watching a History Channel special on Edgar Cayce. While sitting here I decided to indulge in a Dove Dark Chocolate square that was sitting in the middle of the table in a bowl. The chocolates have sayings in them and I am a huge fan of the quote that was inside my chocolate. It read, "Enjoy Life's Daily Gifts." This is one of the things that I try and do everyday. Yes, there are days when I am more successful than others, but I try to approach everyday with a child-like sense of wonder and I try to focus on the positive. Making a conscious decision to do this had led me to weed out some of my friends.

Downsizing my friend population has become a sad necessity to maintain a positive attitude. If you know of a way to avoid this, please let me know. I would love to keep all of my friends close, but have been unable to find a way to achieve this. It seems that some of the people whose paths have joined mine tend to be toxic or at least unsupportive of the way that I want to see the world and the way that I want to lead my life.

In order to continue on the path that I feel like I am supposed to, it has become necessary to include these people less and less. Thinking about it makes me a little sad, but sadness is necessary to understand the human condition. I cannot remove sadness from my emotional palette any more than I can change my friends’ beliefs and attitudes to make them more aligned with mine. As I sit here this afternoon, a thought echoes in my mind... Surround yourself with the people you love, and the people who make your life better and remove the influences that pull you down into despair. Have a great weekend and let's all try to get through it in one piece.