Everyone loves a parade!

Remember when the television show "Family Ties" went down the tube, that slow spiral downward. Well this kid was hauled on to make it cute, but he ruined it. Well, my theory may just be dead-on. Well almost dead-on... Former child star Brian Bonsall, who played Andy Keaton in "Family Ties," was arrested on charges of assaulting his girlfriend.

These child stars should go through extensive therapy following being on a show. Look at Brittney Spears! Good gracious, another train wreck.

How about the anorexic Mary Kate and Ashley? Talk about freaks on parade. The television is filled with creepy kids. Oh well, this makes my 200th Blog entry since I began this hobby last summer. Enjoy the weekend. I will be back with more rants, thoughts and happenings very soon.

Plan A B or C

Ah, yes spring break has hit our community right between the eyes. Most of the city closes down, and the rest who remain refuse to do much work in revolt because they could not get time off work or the money lacked.

Well, you don't have to be out of town to enjoy the easy-going nature of vacation in a seedy little town. Heck no, thanks to Planned Parenthood, you can be as slutty as you need to be, want to be, and never fear that the actions will cause a Christmas baby.

Beginning the first day of Spring Break, Planned Parenthood of Indiana will offer free emergency contraception at nine of its health centers, including the one at 3914 W. Jefferson Blvd.. Emergency contraception lowers the risk of pregnancy when administered within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse. In August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter status for Plan B emergency contraception for women ages 18 and older.

So live it up, make new friends, don't worry about first names. Nope, because Plan B (because Plan A would have been think before you got your silly ass in a cheesy motel), will allow you to abort a baby before it becomes a baby. Guess I am a bit less like Rosie than I could even imagine. Oh, yeah, Plan C, wait until you get married but of course that sounds so ... old fashion.

Let's hear it...

The past couple weeks some new music has hit the stores, actually some of the music is old but so glad that it is out. Stevie Nicks fans rejoice with an awesome greatest hits collection! Dolly Parton fans (okay, just me) scurried to the store to get the 1978 and 1980 re-issue of a double CD: Great Balls of Fire with Dolly, Dolly, Dolly. Truly, as a child these were two albums I play to the point of nausieum. One was on a 33 1/3 and the other an 8 Track. I have them both today (surprise, not everything is gone!)

Aqua Lung released a new CD along with Air, the Coors and I am the one of the last people on earth to buy Mary J. Blige's latest CD.

It is time to switch some tunes in one of my IPODS. My 60 is nearly full and the 40 is being pumped with only jazz tunes.

Anyway, I hope you head out and purchase some new music. It brings a smile to my face every time I throw a CD on and it does help one stay calm. Enjoy the weekend.

Fill'er up!

Last night, I attended City Council to show support for the Harrison Square project as it was being discussed by a few councilmen who were advocating the plan and a few that were hoping Fort Wayne could turn back the clock and act as if the citizens have not heard of this concept.

I learned alot from the meeting, and I will share my knowledge:

1. Ten hours sitting in chair is horrible, my ass did cut off all circulation to my legs.

2. City Council members must be the only people who drink out of Solo Cones in plastic holders. I was shocked as I have not seen this in decades.

3. Which, this really opened the door to learning: the older (of course more sage) council members do not want to see Fort Wayne change its downtown structure. Why? It would only show how they had been unsuccessful when they: said no to 69 going through the city...said no to the Wizards stadium being built downtown (the first time)... said no to the relocation of the Coliseum. It really is about keeping everything the same so we will never know what we have missed.

4. Voting during the election in the primary is critical to help send a message that just because one is old, does not make him the historian about the past modifying the future by squelching the needs and wants of our community and citizens.

The cup did run-ith over last night of all the reasons why the project should proceed. Also, two and one half persons spoke about how the moon made of cheese, the world being flat and the horrific concept of baseball being American and living in our Downtown could just ruin our way of life.

Ugh, write your letters, phone your councilman, stop them on the street and let them know that you have a voice, it needs to be heard and the future is in economic development of our downtown. Many of these people voted against progress over the years, this is their chance to do right by our community.

It will sting for 20 seconds...

For three hours yesterday I felt like Stevie Wonder! I know, begin to write the hate-mail, but I have broad enough shoulders to take it.

I went to the eye doctor to have an eye exam, I guess you need to do this as often as you have a mammogram if you are a female over 40, or an air filter if you are a home heating/air condition unit. Anyway, I was doing well, passed the blood pressure test, the alphabet soup test and then came the two drops in the eye process. Well, she would have had an easier time dropping liver in my mouth than those two drops in my eyes. She soon found out why I do not wear contacts! I am a freak when someone touches my eyes, or attempts to.

Fort Wayne headlines almost declared our next homicide, it is that bad for me. Well she won, she dropped two drops of acid into my eyes! Good lands alive, I was dropping tears like Trump does bitches mmhmm! Anyway, it was that cataract test, dilation of the pupils. Followed by the remaining part of the eye exam. In the past two years, my vision has altered a tad, so a new prescription will be needed. Not a big deal, but what was a big deal was the drive out of the parking lot.

Even with sunglasses I felt like I was staring into an arc of a weld. Somehow I made it to the office and then home. thanks to the seeing eye car, I made it back. I think I would rather have a cataract than my eyes dilated again. Bottom line, new glasses are on the horizon.

Smoke'em if you got'em

With all the talk recently about the rat-poisoned dog and cat food, I stumbled across a story that made me wonder the risk we all may be in as we eat nearly anything. The top 10 list of foods that are the dirtiest has been released. Some seem pretty obvious like: chicken, beef and turkey (the top three) need to be fully cooked. Hint: Jack in the Box forgot to cook theirs all the way. Followed by raw oysters (which could lead to sex, and then you die!!!!!) and eggs. So there are the top five death by foods! The next one shocked me: cantaloupe! Yes, the fruit with the inch thick rhine. It is stated that you need to wash the outside thoroughly as you cut the fruit, you are pulling into the fleshy fruit the bacteria from the outside by the knife. Peaches are ranked 7th! Rounding out the bottom three spots: pre-packaged lettuce, deli meats (those terrible deli workers) and scallions. So there you have it, death by food is just just a refrigerator away.

Doesn't this make you wonder how our ancestors ever survived!?! It was not as if refrigeration was around for many of them, or they had cleaning techniques for their knifes or cutting boards (just toss it in the river and let it drip-dry!) However in 2007, we are being knocked off one by one by eating fruit, feeding out dogs or cats moist foods or lettuce at an Olive Garden. Good luck my dear friends, forget the second hand smoke getting you, it is in your refrigerator.

Not in my hollowed out tree!

My friends, it is time to sign up to attend the Girl Scout breakfast! This event is simply one hour, conducted on one day each year. This time, it is April 25, 2007 at 730 at the Marriot.

My sister was not a Girl Scout, none of my girl friends have been Girl Scouts (that I know of) and my ex-wife was not a Girl Scout as a child either. So, you ask, why am I an advocate for the Girl Scouts? Well, it is very simple... think where you would be without Girl Scout cookies? It is like the Keebler Elf but real!

Not really the truth, but it is a factor in my warped mindset. I know it is everyone's role to help promote children to develop better friendships, skills and communication techniques. The Girl Scouts, like the Boy Scouts, focus on the developmental of each child. This is not to say that a parent can not promote this behavior in the home, however, children need to be able to interact, react and work in harmony.

I hope you will respond in favor of attending this informative and rewarding breakfast next month. If you would like, please email me or respond in affirmation that you would like to attend this important breakfast.

Rock n Roll

Well, I did it. Rock did not trump scissors. My hair is now being swept up by a broom. I have clipped the curls, so.... you all have a blessed day!

Bless you and your little car

As you hit the roads for Spring Break or simply heading to work, please be mindful of the drivers with the "In God We Trust" license plate on the back of their vehicles.

You may notice them from afar before you get close enough to see the plate. You may also see their fronts before their backs. They will most likely be the person weaving in and out of traffic. Perhaps bouncing in and around their lane like an old Atari Pong game. In parking lots, they normally come close to hitting you as you walk, or back into your as they pull out of a parking spot.

I have seen more near-misses or close calls or wreckless driving lately and nearly everyone I have spotted have been driving under the influence of God's plate. The plates are new to Indiana as of January and came about because of a recent act that was passed. House Enrolled Act 1013, authored by Rep. Burton and passed by the General Assembly in the 2006 legislative session, allows for the manufacture and purchase of state license plates featuring the words, “In God We Trust.” No additional fee will be enforced for purchase of the plate, as is the case with all other specialty license plates. It will be offered for all vehicle types, including cars, trucks, and SUVs.

As you take to the roads, know that we all have a choice in driving, lets hope that if your plate does not say in "God we Trust" that at least he is there to protect you from the people with the plates.

Heads wins.

Next week is a fun-filled week. Visit to the eye doctor, the dentist and the hair-cut place. Have given much thought about just whacking the hair off and have a new-me all within a week. Never have done it, have come close with a wicked hair cut at a Hair Gallery about 15 years ago. Trust me, I nearly lost an ear as the lady fought with her boyfriend and chopped my hair like she was using a weed whacker.

This cut would be intentionally removing it. Plus I will have new glasses, and my teeth all polished could be a fun new thing. So between now and next week, I will have to make that decision as to which way the coin will fall Heads or tails.

Out on a limb

It is that time of year when Dancing with the Stars Returns to television. The producers have searched high and very low to find the next batch of dancers. We have that one kid from the boy band Joey Fat One, the 2004 Miss America Shandi Kennessey, an achy breaky Billy Ray Cyrus, Sacrine Sweet Leeza Gibbons, NBA all start Clyde Dexler, CLIFFY! from Cheers, Heather Mills who will have new leg for the gig thanks to Paul McCartney, Laila Ali the World Champion Boxer, Ian "90210" Ziering, Apolo Anton Ohno (no relation to Yoko Ono), and Paulina Porizkova. What a talented group of dancers to be. So if you are a betting person, and you just might me if you filled out your brackets, I recommend don't put your money on the lady with removable leg. Actually, I think it would be easier to eliminate people than say who is good. Paulina the supermodel is challenged to walk unless it is straight down a runway, so she is out soon. Cliffy will get the sympathy vote but he is out, he walks like he has actually carried mail for forty years. Ian Ziering does not have a chance, everyone is still upset with the way he acted on 90210 not his behavior, just his poor acting skills. Leeza Gibbons, goodness she is as bad of a choice as would have been Mary Hart! Shandi Hennessey, as long as she is not doing coke, she may last through the middle of the show. Clyde Dexler will make it for a tad because he is of color, that is always a big hit on the show. Heather Mills, girl-got-the-get-to-go, she will be one of the first ones to leave. Leaving us with Yoko's non-son Apolo, Laila Ali the prize boxer, Joey FatOne the boyband singer, Billy Ray Cyrus the country singer. I am not sure I am going to watch the train wreck. I just should say "break a leg" except to Heather who, well, poor girl has hobbled to the bank with all of Paul's money. Wonder if she got the Christmas ornaments too!

You're in Luck!

I am nearing 200 blog entries and along this path, you probably have picked up tid-bits of facts, fictions and views that I have, hold and express.

Today I thought I would share a few details:

1. Born and raised in Fort Wayne.

2. Cooking is a hobby and eating is my past time.

3. I collect CD's (not the money kind, rather the music style)

4. Favorite plate of food would be tuna casserole. (Hint, if you want to hit on me, bring over tuna casserole!)

5. Fears?!? Fire. I am petrified of fire.

6. Tears!?! Not a big crier, but I do cry at standing ovations. Can't watch with interest a happening where a standing ovation occurs.

7. Emotions?!? Well, I still harbor strong resentment from my divorce. Though I began the process, I am honked about how the personal property was divided. I do have a materialistic side as well as sentimental side. I still think, something I bought or received as a child should be mine not my ex, but oh well.

8. Religion?!? Well, I am Catholic as I check a box, but as for practicing, for example last night I had a pizza with sausage, pepperoni, ham and bacon. Hmm, guess Kraft and Mrs. Paul's did not get me to feel too guilty.

9. Music!?! Best song is "Piano in the Dark" from Brenda Russell. Love the showmanship of Dolly Parton (plus her old vinyl has been finally pressed to CD this week!!) Chicago has the brass to keep me pumped while Phil Collins early stuff after Genesis still plays in my IPOD.

10. Television?!? Well, since the 1970's I watched Guiding Light, and I do today. I am also a fan of Law and Order (all of the franchises). The Closer. Mad-tv. Lost. The View. I like programming that I can turn on, lay back in my lounge chair with my blanket, my dog and my drink and watch without having to think one single second. Lost pushes the envelop at times, I almost have to think, but I am hoping at the very end, it is wrapped up nice and neat so I understand what I have watched for three years.

11. Drink!?! Yes, line 10 did mention drink. I am an iced-tea freak. I am also hooked on flavored sparking water. I do not drink soda, so the sparking water reminds me of soda just better. I drink a bucket of milk a day (thanks Mrs Cow!) When I am celebrating life, I go for a grapefruit martini, a cranberry vodka, light on the cranberry, or a sweet white wine.

12. Soap?!? Well, I have another quirk. I love to use a different soap every day. I have an enormous collection of shampoos that smell like everything from a forest to a field of flowers to foods to some horrendous chemical.

13. The scents?!? While it is true that the soap entry says something, further deep down, I use a different cologne every day. I have about 15 different types and each day I will rotate a new scent. I burn candles that have scents and when I cook, I know my food is done by smell.

14. Luck!?! Well, I am not a big winner of contest. I am not the kid that was picked in the top during rover red rover, and really do not like to be noticed if I have done something beyond a made up threshold. However, I will say I have found luck to be what I have made it to be. I follow my heart which sometimes gets me where I am going and along the path I have met amazing people to be part of my magnetic society. Seldom do I make a friend that has not stuck around for a very, very long time.

As you raise your green beer mug today, toast to the Harrison Square project. As I hope luck is on our side.

Safe?!? Oh, I don't think so!

Have you taken time to be part of the American craze, American Idol? I tuned in and watched the train-wrecks for the first four or ten thousand hours of auditions. You know, since Anna Nicole faked her own death (oh, I am sure you have heard that rumor, she is alive!!), there has been a decrease in train-wreck shows until the audition programming of American Idol. Well my pick is Melinda (she is the third person on the bottom row). I do like Stephanie and Lakisha too. But the stand out performer, for being tone-deaf is this Sanjya or something remotely close to that. I really don't care if I offend him with his name being spelled wrong, I am still working to reseal my ears that gushed of blood from watching his miserable performance of "Ain't no mountain high enough" on the Tuesday show. Somehow, "America voted, and Sanjya, you... are safe!" No, we are not safe. Doesn't the Patriot Act protect us from this? Where is the ACLU when we need protected. P.E.T.A. please, throw some red paint!?! Well, I recommend if you want a little bit of music in your life, tune into the results show, hear the snippets but if you have nothing to do in your life (as I realize I must be in this category) watch the ten hour production on Tuesday and the result show the next night.

It is is hip to click your hip

Everyone is like, hey Carbo, why so political lately? We liked the blogs about your life and food and product endorsements. So I thought about the recent series of writings and realize I have been plugging away at the Harrison Square project. I mean, heck, I was standing at the standing room only event last night at the Allen County Public Library. (The library that people boo'ed and hiss'ed at because it was too big, too much money...) The night could not have been better. YLNI kicked it up with a straw poll at the end to find that 90% in attendance were in favor of mix used housing, hotels, a park, retail and a big'ole kickball field.

So, I thought, today, I will not blog about Harrison Square rather I am going to tell you other late breaking news! If you are leaving your house, put a belt on. buckle it baby. This is not a way to force people's pants to hit at the waist, of course that would be a waste of time. No, this is a seat belt law that would require anyone in nearly any vehicle, except a school bus (because we know that no one cares about the kids) to buckle up or .. well be fined, or jailed or run over or something very terrible. You say, but I am a truck driver (though, I do not know if I have any truckers who read my blog), but you say count me out of that sissy belt law! (I think that is how a trucker would talk about a seat belt) Well tooboooy on you. Unless you are driving, or riding a bus, you will be strapped into your deathbed of a vehicle. It needs to clear the senate, but you can just about bank on it being a done-deal.

Speaking of done-deals, I sure as heck hope the Harrison Square project is a done deal, soon.

The facts:

WHAT’S NEW: A bill that would require nearly everyone riding in vehicles in Indiana to wear seat belts cleared a Senate committee Tuesday, but the members eliminated a provision that would have altered the way local road funding is distributed.
WHAT IT DOES: All people in vehicles would have to buckle up, including those in both the front and back seats of most vehicles, including SUVs and pickups.
WHAT’S NEXT: The bill with the roads provision included has passed the full House. The full Senate will now consider its revised bill. The House could either approve the Senate version and send it to the governor to sign, or it could end up in a joint House-Senate conference committee, where a compromise would be sought.

Hold your sandbag, please.

I am sure you remember, or have read, perhaps viewed it on TV that Fort Wayne saved itself twenty five years ago due to the flood. Community members alike came together to fill, pass and place sandbags in order to keep our city from floating away.

Tonight, however, community members alike will come together to sandbag the attempt to save our city. Harrison Square is an opportunity to take our flooded past and change it from blight to bright... with economic development.

Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana will host at the Allen County Public Library at 6:00 p.m. the opportunity to hear all sides of the story. See Hardball Capital, Political people, Downtown Development staff, young professionals and outdated older view points all gathered downtown to flood the emotional conversation and yield great facts. And, yes, there is plenty of parking!!

Imagine if Fort Wayne, twenty five years ago, sat back and thought 'lets just wait'. Imagine the region we now know as Fort Wayne would have been destroyed. Imagine if Fort Wayne passes by the economic opportunity placed in front of it.... we can't say 'lets just wait'.

Rock the vote! Shape our city! Share your thoughts! Sound off! Make history as YLNI hosts its first public forum and it could not be a more important topic. YOUR FUTURE.

Coming up roses!

You can tell it is spring time! Birds chirp, clocks are changed, temperatures are warming up, green growth popping out of the ground and orange pylons popping up all over the roads. Don't forget the growing number of pot holes. Oh yes, it hit 74 degrees today and road construction began in high force. Hopefully you were able to enjoy the day as tomorrow, as you know, it will change.

Snap, Crackle, Fire!

The last product endorsement by Carbo was the Magic Bullet. Oh baby, that is the bomb in kitchen appliances. Well, today my name is being attached to the Woodwick Candle. This really is an awesome product. It comes in many scents, looks like Yankee Cankee candle in price but it burns through a wood wick. It sounds like the whistle of a fire, or the crackle of a fireplace.

The Old Virginia Candle Company has introduced the elegant new WoodWick candle. WoodWick candles feature a natural wood wick & combines the soothing sound of a crackling fire with premium fragrances for the ultimate candle-burning experience! The WoodWick 22oz jar fragrances up to 180 hours and the WoodWick 11.5oz jar fragrances up to 100 hours. Each highly scented WoodWick candle includes a finely crafted wood lid. Price: $18.97 to $24.97.

I found mine at Hallmark but they are on the web also at: http://http://www.candlesforever.com/woodwick.html

The only draw back, is this crazy stupid wood lid that does not fit ... do not pick it up by the lid, though after you simply touch the lid, it will fall off so you won't really have to worry about that mistake.

...can stop a clock....

This weekend, time is on our side or a pain in our back side, uncertain how you will view it. Most people in Indiana have took a stance to support or venomously oppose the change to Daylight Savings time. I grew up in the country, and we got up early most of the time anyway, and it was dark. I like the fact that it is more light later at night, so I support it.

As part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that President George W. Bush signed in August 2005, daylight-saving time (DST) begins on the second Sunday of March in 2007 instead of in April. You should set your clock forward one hour March 11 at 2AM. Daylight-saving time ends on the first Sunday of November. It is believed this change will help save precious energy.

Well I can tell you that I will not be up at 2 a.m. However I am not too concerned about my clocks because I think half of my clocks in the house are still the same from the last time we did this day light savings time. I do not wear a watch, so as long as my cell phone changes (and it should automatically) then I really don't have much concern.

Consider this, it was in 2005 that Indiana joined the rest of the country in Daylight Saving Time, leaving only Hawaii and Arizona that do not observe this practice. This should not surprise anyone that Indiana residents fought modernization, as you know, don't get me started on the elderly gatekeepers to our community holding back the opportunities to be like everyone else.

Sometimes I feel like Indiana is the back drop to Little House on the Prairie and we are waiting for Michael Landon to return from the dead to tape a reunion episode. Don't change anything, or he may not return!!! In some ways, we have stopped the clock to progress, but at least this year, we can change our clocks (if we can figure out how to do it).

Wheeling toward death!

Last night, I heard two hours of education about the Harrison Square project. Comments and questions followed a brief presentation. If you could slice the room into two halves it was young vs old in the determination if we see progress and economic development or if we wait until we can find something different than a ball field. The conversations began at 630 p.m. Commentary ranged from put up a string of motels instead of one hotel or.. the next generation must have something to wrap their arms around in order to call Fort Wayne home. One man, who has been a season ticket for many, many years, refuses to go to any games if the baseball stadium is moved downtown. Sighting traffic, parking and a strong opinion that the old ball diamond is just perfect. I would assume just like his first set of reading glasses, or training wheels on his bike. There would be no reason to consider changing anything, anytime. Oh, which lead to one gentlemen saying change the downtown streets to allow for bikes to go from place to place rather than cars. Bike paths throughout downtown will save our community and retain our youth (YUP!). There were people who stood up and said really inane comments about lets put a big roof over the ball diamond to "well there are only a couple games in the spring, summer and fall...who needs it". However, the comment that was the very last one shared, and happened to be one of my favorites, but I have to say first, that around 8 pm, many of the older people got up and left. HOW Fort Wayne is that!?! "Mildred, grab my cane, we got to get home - we will be out on the streets past 8:00 p.m. We are taking our life in our own hands!!!!". No, the killer comment was simply that, Harrison Square will not allow wheel chairs, parking etc. If we "mark his words" Fort Wayne will be the sight of a future wheel chair massacre as the congested traffic will pick off wheel chaired person after wheel chaired person. To help visualize what the Harrison Square would do for wheel chair people, imagine a person in a wheel chair on one side of the street, the light turns green for the cross walk, but within seconds, the cross walk light would turn instantly red and speeding cars would t-bone the wheel chair. A vicious plot by Hardball Capital to eliminate handicappable people! For the city councilmen on hand, this had to be so very obvious, the community needs this boost and the youth and business-minded residents depend on your YES vote come April.

When the wheels left the road...

Growing up, my grandmother would always state she was just "watching stupid TV!" She was adamant that there was nothing worth watching but would watch anyway. (Then Dallas came on, that changed the entire world of television, but I digress). Well, last night while I was watching "stupid TV" I saw a commercial for a new car, I could not tell you the name of the car if you held a gun to my head, but after watching it I wish you would... The commercial shows a new car, with its sleek new design driving up the building, along the ledge of the building, with simply one wheel touching the ledge. The reason I think I may have forgot the name of the car manufacturer was that across the bottom of the screen it informed stupid-me, that this was simply a fantasy, cars cannot drive on one wheel atop a sky scrapper. Imagine my surprise when this tid bit of knowledge was shared with me, and the world. It was then I realized, it was "stupid TV" that forced the advertisers hand because many people who have become addicted to television cannot tell fact from fiction. Case in point, this is how a lack-luster talent like Anna Nicole Smith made it to the top of the TV towers, but someone forgot to put across the screen for her, this is truly fantasy!

My future in someone else's hands...

Never thought I would become rilled up over much, I am pretty calm, even-tempered person, but I am growing deeper concerned over the Harrison Square project. I am thirty-eight years old, active in many not for profits plus I have company that covers multiple states. I understand the idea of investing in something, making a stance, and giving back to the community. I find great surprise when our city is being handed millions of dollars in opportunities to create and generate economic development through the addition of a mass of land to become the home of a new stadium, housing, shopping, entertainment and lodging only for a very irritable group of elders in our community to say 'we don't need it or want it'. This is not about raising taxes, or having this grand construction in a popular residential neighborhood. This is not about thriving business closing and having their property ripped from under them. I can not begin to tell you how terrifying this could be if Fort Wayne loses this opportunity to have a venue in Downtown Fort Wayne which can have multi-uses. It is not the whine about "it's not about baseball..." No! It is not about baseball, it is about economic development. It is about the future our city, the future of our community and the youth of our community that should be afforded the chance to have a better life, with better options and the ability to call Fort Wayne home. If you find this yet unclear of which side of the construction fence you are on, or if you would stand on fire to help save our community or if you're hoping that the city falls into a big fat sink hole, then you must show up Thursday for the Northeast Indiana Neighborhood Partnership meeting. This will be held at Good Shepherd Methodist Church, 4700 Vance Ave. at 6:30 p.m. Please grab a friend, a spouse, a neighbor and show up and hear the rest of the story! This is beyond just doing something for yourself, this is survival for our community.

Rock Nut Granola

About 15 years ago, a friend of mine said that I had to try Grape-Nut cereal. It was awesome. Put it in the microwave to warm it up. Well, I did as I was told. I poured the rocks and dirt clusters into a bowl and placed it in the microwave. I have never been able to touch the likeness of granola again. That was until I was inspired by the Fresh Market to buy a container of Cherry Vanilla Granola. It really was good. Full of flavor and it did not cost a tooth to eat it. So, my product recommendation for the month of March is the Cherry Vanilla Granola from Fresh Market. It is found in a two pound see-through plastic container.

Yuppie-cuppie of coffee

Since a child, I have found the scent of coffee icky. As an adult, I have found a better phrase, "no thank you". However deep inside I still think icky! I have never tried coffee, rather I have tried espresso. Wrong first experience I have been told.

I do have coffee-envy. I see all my friends complaining about the high price at Starbucks. Those who aren't complaining are mad that one has not been built at the end of their neighborhood drive. Yesterday, I did stop in a Starbucks. I was really tempted to try one, just to see if I could fit in, and be cool (rather warm from coffee). I looked at the vast menu of coffees, mild, medium, which reminded me of my dilemma every time I am standing at Krogers trying to recall which taco sauce I liked Medium or Mild, I like Hot for chips, but I am always confused if it was Medium or Mild. One is thick like ketchup and not that great...but anyways, I have digressed.

Then there were the flavors to help make it not taste like coffee, I can see the merit to the flavorings if it taste anything like it smells. However, when the uplifting perky girl asked "wchaawant" I stuck with the tried and true, "Carmel Apple Cider". As I walked around, I felt my yuppiest in the grown up cup that looked like coffee but was simply apple cider. Possibly some day I will get the nerve up to order a medium, but my luck it was really suppose to have been a mild.

Slumber Party

The past month has been a whirlwind for me. Work has been busy and exciting. World of volunteering has been thought provoking and enlightening. Home, well it is where sleep occurs and very little cleaning.

As a kid, I was always surprised when my grandfather could just come home from work, sit in his favorite black leather chair and his head would soon be cradled into his chest as he zonked out, fast asleep. I had always thought, dang that has to hurt when you wake up. Well, I have found myself the past couple nights recreating that image. TV on, dog either on my lap or at my feet and I am out light someone slipped me a downer.

Ironically I was not too sore when I awoke from my slumber. Interesting how some things get past down from generations. This weekend it is a pretty calm weekend, some work, some play but hopefully a tad more sleep.

The week approaching has many activities planned and work will be compounded by the intense snow that has happened within the last two weeks in Wisconsin and Michigan. Good thing that every flake is different, because it seems like in the family tree things are very much the same. Before I nod off in this chair, I wish you a great weekend.

Stand in Line...

March 8, 2007 the Northeast Indiana Partnership is hosting a get-off-your-lazy ass and hear the facts about the Harrison Square Project. Actually, it is a bit more than becoming informed it really is a showing to a couple councilmen that there is either support or not from those that may or may not re-elect them in their upcoming term. Where should you be...at Good Shepherd Methodist Church, 4700 Vance Ave., across from Snider High School. The hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. Mark Becker, with the city of Fort Wayne, shall present the facts (without newspaper or media censorship) allowing for questions, answers and comments. In my own right, I am a business leader and I do hope that others who are passionate about living in a city that has more to offer than a Walmart in every corner of the community, or a Walgreens at every major intersection attend this hearing. Recreation, entertainment and housing remain key for a downtown community. In addition the forethought of planning is part of this plan, as the schematic will show where and how to get around this section of Downtown. If you read this blog, then you really need to show up at the hearing on March 8. Sound off now or show up then, but be a part of the future of Fort Wayne.