BART

Well, the ongoing saga of Carbo continues ... I am now on the BART - Bananas Applesauce Rice and Toast and I am finding success in this program. Here is the deal, rice needs gravy or at least heavy butter But if it is going to settle me back down, then so be it. I can tell you that I am craving pizza like a pregnant person!

Other news! Tonight is the Beat the Winter Blues event at 9:00 p.m. at my home! Oh yeah, in spite of all the turmoil in my tummy, the blues will come to life tonight for those who want to learn more about United Way of Allen County. Drop me a line if you want more information. It is fun and festive and will happen ONLY once. I can guarantee you this ... one time only!

Continuing other news! I may have a big announcement on Wednesday! Yes, another one! This has been the year for Carbo. Who says that turning 40 may not come with some great perks! The last big news concerned my birthday, this is more about a way for me to do something I love and perhaps fulfil a bit of my dream as well.

Finally, today is Leap Year Day ... so for everyone who complains they need one more day ... you got it! Enjoy it. Party on!

Well ... day 5

This has been a rough week for my body! Uggh, I thought Saturday I was blessed with food poisoning as I was down for the count Saturday evening and all day Sunday.

Monday I thought I was turning the corner and had soup for lunch but it did not stay with me long. Tuesday I was feeling better and lunch and dinner went well however, I was up all night like I was Saturday night. This is still the case as of today. I have not kept any food in my stomach since Friday night!

I know that I need to make that phone call to the doctor. I dread these calls, nothing is more of a time waster than sitting in a doctor's office with people who are grumpy, more sick than I.

I feel fine, look fine (well this is subjective) and don't ache or have a fever. I have read the internet to see if I can self medicate, and I have a few alternatives I may try today before I place the phone call. This exercise of life has dropped 12 pounds from me ...

My life is too jam packed to stop to see the doctor and even more importantly not sure I can sit in a doctor's lobby for an hour waiting unless they have a bathroom near by ...

Dinner 4 Five at 6!

The monthly event I host occurred last evening at the Summit Club!

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A great dinner was wrapped within super conversation and delightful anecdotes to give us perspective and hope.

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Sometimes this social network dinner is very bountiful with questions about life with fun comments and stories. Sometimes the group clicks from the time the butts hit the seats and there is no need for questions to stimulate conversation. The later was the situation last evening.

Fort Wayne has been a magnet for everyone at the table - a love of family, a love of new life, a love of starting fresh but Fort Wayne presented hope for a bright new future with friends, family or etching history through tough determination.

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If you would like to be at a Dinner 4 Five at 6, drop me a line, it may be just time to make some new friends!

God's Paint Brush

Before you go all ape and think I have got "all religious" on ya, this morning is a day when I realize that sometime somethings are in the hands of a high power.

Initially, I was going to give credit to Mother Nature, but I have not seen her since an episode of Rudolph. So, to my surprise, as I look outside the Carbo retreat this morning, a beautiful landscape of trees each one trimmed in white snow, glistening.

Now, I have not been on the roads, but from my window this morning, it is a gorgeous sight.

This has been a rough snow season for many, but the largest group effected have been those who produce or provide salt. There is a shortage, near crisis mode, and in the near days we may see it rationed to specific people. It must be the fault of global warming, or Bush! or the writer's strike. I blame them all for this injustice.

Anyway, enjoy the snow and the beauty it brought us today, in God's name ... I am joking with ya, enjoy the day!

24 hours and counting ...

Saturday evening around 10:00 p.m. my night just began! It continued to be a non stop torture as I think I had food poisoning. Uggh.

I made a couple determinations during this 24 hour time frame - I like my guest bathroom better than the one off my bedroom. I dropped 8 pounds in 24 hours, which is pretty nifty in a supermodel kinda way. Nothing taste good when it returns for the second visit.

This morning I am able to stand straight up, but I can tell that it is not business as usual. Fun Fun!

A website you need to know ...

Last night, as I was sitting on highway 69 for a half hour, I heard a commercial for a new website and it sounded like a brilliant idea.

So, this morning I checked it out ... http://www.findtoto.com/. This is a company that will call a radius of neighbors if your pet becomes a missing animal. There are different size packages based upon the number of homes you want to have them call.

It sounds like a great idea, in theory, but then I thought probably not many people have home phone numbers. This is why there really should be cell phone directories associated with our homes. Unfortunately, it would only be used for bad -- like telemarketing -- not for the good of reuniting pet and owner.

As a pet owner, I am certain I would do everything in my power to bring my pup back home.

What a ride!

Tonight, after I had a dinner to celebrate a friends 87th birthday, it took me an hour to get home. Thirty minutes to go 1/2 mile, to my exit, due to the cars that were bouncing off once another on 69.

Not a lot of snow fell, but enough for the goof-balls to drive fast and then go down the ravens, or off the road or into guard rails not to mention into other vehicles.

Isn't it odd that when three lanes of traffic are stopped for as far as the eye can see that stupid people believe they can make a fourth lane? I wanted to push them off the road. If I had water in my vehicle I would have poured it on the brim to only aid in their course for death or at least scare them to death. Then when the road opened up, only one lane opened, meaning everybody had to cooperate ... except for those in the fourth lane they thought they owned the road!

I finally made it home and Clyde and I went for a quick and brisk walk and we both decided it was time to turn in for the night ... but not before I wrote about the dumb drivers on the road. Most likely you will see their tracks on the side of the road, or their bumpers even.

SOLD OUT

Wow, within 24 hours, the limo trip went from 8 seats to a 14 seat limo. The new limo crew will be headed to Chicago in March, watch for more fun facts, photos and stories when we take to the streets.

If you want to be put on a waiting list, just drop me a line!

Take a trip ...

The Carbo excursion to Chicago is scheduled for March 15, 2008. You, too, can be part of the "Limo People".

An early morning departure for the Windy City will start with a few simple drinks, some rockin tunes and great fun as we take to shopping and dining in the city that hosts some of the greatest stores (except for the loss of Marshall Fields) in the world ...

Want to join? Drop me a line. Space is limited however the fun is endless. We will leave at 7:00 a.m. and should return around 8:00 p.m.

Employee and Flavor of the Month ...

Yesterday, I took a break from work and went around the corner to Dairy Queen to enjoy a Blizzard.

The flavor of the month is called "Choco Cherry Love". Guess it is in tribute to those who had Valentines and are crushing on the entire concept all month.

The lady in front of me ordered it, and said what is in it? Well, if not already declared, is should be soon announced, the Employee of the Month explained the drink of the month has vanilla ice cream with chocolate and strawberries.

The lady said "where does the cherry come in" ... he said I am not sure, just may be because it is red.

Oh my! Welcome to the next generation! For the fun of it, I ordered it just after she asked this question, but mine did not have any strawberries?!?

Grammy, what big ... everything ... you have ...

I TIVO'ed the Grammy's and I watched them last evening.

Wholly Moses, what happens when the Kool-Aid person is portrayed by Aretha Franklin and crashes through your window and get caught in the drapes!?!

I can not imagine how many yards of cloth went to make her swaddling cloth dress.

It was a true distraction, I have no idea if she even sang a song.

I am just stunned. Where is the intervention ... stop her before she eats again.

Egg-sactly what Fort Wayne needs ...

As some of you may know, I have been playing "Bob Villa" doing some home remodeling at a friends home. We decided to break for lunch yesterday and we went to Calhoun Soup, Salads and Spirits.

I have heard of the restaurant, that it was new, it was on the Calhoun corridor that is being revitalized (which I am not sure I saw that when I was on the road) and I heard that the staff was friendly.

Here is what I found: the building is a flashback to a Chicago neighborhood restaurant with original wooden floors, exposed brick walls and charm that you can't buy. The tables are not close to one another allowing you to have a conversation without your table neighbor finishing your thoughts.

The wait staff, she could not have been more friendly if they drugged her. She was perky but not like fake saccrine, she was the real deal. I did not see anyone else working but I was near the front of the building, near the glass windows.

There were large flat screen tv's around the room, which were a nice touch but so not necessary. But, if I was on a bad date, perhaps it could have made it better to have caught part of Everyone Loves Raymond ... but I am not dating this year, so salvation from bad dates is not necessary.

I digress, as I always do, I ordered the Egg Salad BLT The best of both worlds. A BLT with creamy egg salad. Served on White, Wheat, Rye, or Sourdough bread.$4.99. I selected the Rye. It was served with chips and one side, and my side was mac and cheese. I had ice tea too.

It arrived fast, great flavor, super price and the refill on the tea made it before I slurped up air. Bravo! At the end, she offered the dessert menu and I ordered apple caramel pie. Have to tell ya, the pie was awesome, but our waitress had not tried any of the desserts before so she could not give us a recommendation. Someone needs to sit her down and give her an employee perk! I think restaurants need to have the staff be able to sell by personal experience.

Anyway, this place is great. Near downtown, nearly perfect meal.

Texas ... has whore hair in it ...

Yesterday was Valentine's Day! The romantic day filled with candied hearts and smelly roses. That is, if you are in love, or think you are in love! The rest of us smucks, simply went about our lives having grand times without headache or strings.

My peeps and I intended to go to Texas Whorehouse, err, Roadhouse for dinner because that is the best place to see love in bloom with an onion bloom in the center of your table. However, the wait was two hours! What? Two hours for something called "steak" with a price of 2 for $9.99?

We planted ourselves at Applebees Neighborhood Bar - where the locals go!

First off, the damn menu is a child's book! It has bright blocks of color on each of the 8 pages. Ordering from this menu reminds me of the old Geranimals, where you had to match the pieces together to get something.

After about 45 minutes of trying to determine what I wanted from the purple side that matched with the red side which ultimately went with the green side, the picture above captures that our table had so much food that we thought we were at a buffet!

Speaking of buffet, our waitress, who I will lovingly call Buffy, was a real bitch. Young chick who was upset that someone did not buy her a carnation arm coursage!


Our group ended with a dessert overdose giving us an assortment of desserts which I did not regret ordering at the time, but this morning I feel like Aretha Franklin. Oh my!

What I found is that I had more fun this Valentine's Day than any other past celebration. To anyone who bought flowers, or jewelry or candy and this morning feels like a loser... you are.

What is red ... and has female life form?

It has been no secret that "going green" is the most important social movement in decades.

We have been told that we are ruining our Earth, that ice caps are meltings, global warming occurring, and we are just going to roast like a marshmallow here in our home town.

Hmm, did you hear what researches have found out? Mars, the pretty red planet that is dressed for Valentines but is going no where like someone I know, is either only populated with females who use extra strength Aqua Net (and a few high-haired men, too) or their global warming is being caused by something too!

Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, says the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the sun.

"The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars," he said.
Solar Cycles

Abdussamatov believes that changes in the sun's heat output can account for almost all the climate changes we see on both planets. Mars and Earth, for instance, have experienced periodic ice ages throughout their histories.

"Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance," Abdussamatov said.

So, according to National Geographics, it is not my fault for driving an SUV, or to the cow that farts in the wind as much as it is the big ole sunshine.

Get on the ball ...

Whine ... there is nothing to do in Fort Wayne.

Insert ... Friday evening Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana's annual Masquerade Ball. A great event to attend because the price is right, simply $25.00. Even better, the money supports the organization with fund development to provide programming and professional development. Who cares about what it does for the group, what will it do for you?

Ah, yes, you have a last minute outing to impress your friends and family. Knowing the inside track to the hottest party in town can earn you big points. It also is a place where you can forget about Thursday (which is Valentine's Day) or extended it one more day if you had a remarkable evening.

Tickets are available through Ridge Napa Valley on Highway 14 in the Auto Mall or you can get tickets at Pint and Slice on Calhoun. While at the Pint, grab a bite to eat because you will need your energy because the Ball has live music and a generous portion of hot babes and beaus that will populate the dance floor.

Don't delay or you and your friends (whom some have already bought tickets but didn't think you were cool enough to come) will miss out on this amazing evening in Downtown Fort Wayne.

Just so you know ....

It is hard to believe that I have clocked almost forty years of life already! I am very proud of what I have accomplished and the friends I have been able to surround myself with from my days as a White Swan worker to being the mascot for L.S. Ayres to many years in human resources to my current gig as the president of Tri State Maintenance, Inc.

Recently at a Jim Brickman concert in Fort Wayne, before the show backstage and after the show through the meet and greet I had an idea but did not know if it would be possible.

I asked Anne Cochran if she would consider singing for my birthday. Well, she opened her mouth and started to sing the "Happy Birthday" song. I said, no not now, but I do appreciate it, to come back to Fort Wayne for my birthday?

She said for my people to call her people. My people called her people and while on the island, I received a phone call. Her people said YES and my people (which is only me, of course) calmly stated thank you and traded information on how to reach me and what type of musical/sound equipment she would need.

Needless to say, I am on the edge of my seat, top of the world to have such an amazing 40th celebration. An intimate evening with Anne Cochran toasting to 40 simple years, but all memorable!

Carbo finally remembers part of his trip ...

For nearly two weeks, I spent bumbling around parts of southwest Florida. Some on Little Hickory Island and the rest on Palm Island.

I brought my IPOD and sat on the beach most of the days at Palm Island. When not there I was either in my condo relaxing in front of the television or with a book. Plus on the island was a bar/restaurant which I would loving rename the fallopian named after the two flamingos which look more like an anatomy class diagram than two birds.

The weather was gorgeous, somewhere near 80 or past that point every day. It never rained and I did see clouds time an again but that is okay because I did not want to be a lobster.

Did venture out a handful of times for some wonderful dinners: Melting Pot (fondue restaurant), Ruth's Chris (great steakhouse), and many local restaurants too.

Finally, I attended an art fair in Fort Myers, bought tile for my new kitchen and a ceiling light to prepare for the summer re-construction of the house. By the way, something AMAZING happening on the island ... and coming up in a future blog ... I will share it with you!

Don't Drink and Buy!

Month ago, I had a Tupperware Party where I could have just drank water or tea but I didn't. As I unpack what I purchased, it appears I was my own very best customer.

Thank goodness I am adding on to the kitchen this summer!

Welcome back!

While I was on vacation, my house was secured with more than my alarm system ... luckily for me the overhead door was secured shut by the loss of power in the garage. A fuse popped or blew or gave way but the end result meant that there was no power to my garage which contains my freezer.

So upon my arrival home, I clicked my garage door opener and nothing happened. I sat and panicked because I did not know if I had a key to my house. I have become reliant on the simple push of a button to gain access to my house that I normally do not carry a key let alone have a key when I am on vacation.

I tried to see if I could pry the door open, but as I am sure the neighbor who watches every move I make could have stated, it was not budging. I realized that perhaps in my haste to depart, my winter jacket in the trunk may just have my office and house keys. Low and behold, I did have the keys.

Once inside the house, and then the garage, I realized what had happened. My freezer was prepared for the winter blast and an event I have scheduled at the end of the month. All the food was lost. So I wheeled the garage dumpter to the freezer and proceeded to unload everything inside ... except my frozen Heath Bars.

So moral of the blog today is make sure you have keys to your home and perhaps someone else does as well!

Everything must come to an end ...

Well, I am back from a much needed relaxing vacation. I had to return today because of the one year celebration of life of Anna Nicole Smith.

Yes, somehow, we have all managed to move on in our lives without her in it. Pictured above is the happy (somehow rich) family after the birth of her baby.

Dannielynn, the person with the strongerst IQ and communications skills out of three pictured, is now 17 months old. Her every steps will be captured today as she heads back to the grave .... ET Exclusives, Access Hollywood ... you thought Super Tuesday got big publicity - my guess you have not seen anything!

Let's see how it unfolds. I could be wrong, I sometimes can be ...