Proud New Member of the Dollar Shave Club

I use my razors for way, way, way too long.

My current one has probably been in use for around 3-6 months. Shameful, I know.

Granted, it still does a sufficient job, but I'm a grown man and my face deserves better.

Especially when I want to trim into a 'stache, like for Movember or Cinco de Mustache.

Plus, summer is upon us and I'm looking to do some triathlon training and maybe a race or two this year.

Which, yes, means leg shaving. Don't judge.

On the suggestion and referral of my buddy Scott, I joined the Dollar Shave Club today.

You probably remember their awesome commercial from a while back:

I went with the $6/month, 4-blade option. But they also have $1/mo, 2-blade and $9/mo, 6-blade options.

And you can do every-other-month if you aren't too hairy. Figure I'll start monthly, though I'll probably end up switching to the every-other-month plan.

Each option comes with 4 cartridges, so that's plenty to get through a month or two, right?

Ladies, how does that price compare to what you pay? Would this work for you, or just for guys?

If y'all want in on this, you can CLICK HERE (full disclosure: I'll get a $5 referral credit, thanks!).

Happy shaving!

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Hot Cocoa and "The Polar Express"

I love a good cup of hot cocoa. I really, really do.

Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside (hmm, just realized that 'fuzzy' is an odd term for an internal feeling, but we'll let it slide since it's an accepted phrase).

The cup also reminds me of Christmas-time back in elementary school, because we'd visit the school library and watch a slideshow with an audio-cassette that read The Polar Express book to the class.

Does that sound familiar to anyone? It was the version where the audio-cassette would make a beep sound when you needed to change to the next slide. And let me tell you, it was a big honor to get to be the kid in charge of clicking to the next slide. I can't recall if I ever had that opportunity, but if I did, I assure you I was on cloud nine the rest of the week.

Maybe that version is out of print now, because I couldn't find a digital copy online. There were a couple mixed-media items on eBay, but I'm hesitant to buy it without knowing it's the right set. 

Anyway, my favorite part of the audio-cassette was the page about how the kids on the train were given hot cocoa. After that page's text was read, but before the beep, a server on the train sang "Hot cocoa cocoa cocoa! Hot cocoa cocoa cocoa!" Not sure why, but I absolutely loved that part.

So each time I make hot cocoa, whether at work or home or camping or wherever, that little tune pops in my head. Would you like a cup? I'll even sing the song to you when I deliver your warm beverage.

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"Life is Like a Mop"

Inspirational speeches come from all sorts of places.
I watch a fair amount of movies, so that's one of my primary sources.

For example, the blue-faced Braveheart rallying cry (link).
Or the Herb Brooks "beat the Russians" peptalk from Miracle (link).

But right now, I'm really taking to heart this motivational speech from a favorite childhood movie, UHF.

Because even though I may feel like my life is "full of dirt and crud and bugs and hairballs and stuff", it can be rinsed off and I can start all over again.

Side note: Awesome that "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is playing at the climax of his speech. I'd never verified it before, but the version used in the movie just so happens to be sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (source) with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Pretty cool, huh?

And so, friends and random readers, consider this my virtual standing up, going to the window, and yelling, "These floors are dirty as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"

Anybody got a spare toothbrush?

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The DFW Monorail

Ah, Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW).

Every time I go through this airport and have to switch terminals, I have the opportunity to remember the classic 'Monorail' episode of the Simpsons.

If you've never seen it, you need to look up a clip or at least read the lyrics. Actually, no, only watching the clip will suffice.

For example, it includes such lines as:

Apu- Is there a chance the track could bend?

Salesman- Not on your life, my Hindu friend!

Just go watch it.

Update: Since I love you guys so much, here is the clip.

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End of One Road, Beginning of Another

Looks like both cases from my 'Accepting What You Can't Change' post are decided.

#2 wasn't really in doubt. I don't anticipate him seeking reconciliation, as that'd require him admitting fault.

But today I was informed that #1 will not happen either. No reconciliation to be had in the future.

Which means I'll be eating the rest of these Raspberry-flavored Milanos tonight, since I don't feel like going to buy a gallon of ice cream:

I hate knowing that we'll no longer be in each other's lives, but having finality is a good thing as it allows for leaving it to God and moving on.

"What the future holds, I don't know
Gotta stand up, dust myself off,
Just for now, it's the end of the road."

Here's to new beginnings on a new road.

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Tunes-day Trio: I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

We all have rough days.

Days when we are exhausted, exasperated, and/or extended beyond what we can handle.
Days when we need an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on.

So today the Tunes-day Trio shares some songs about supporting/strengthening/carrying on.

The honorable mentions:

-"I'll Stand by You" by The Pretenders, made me happy to be reminded of this solid share, Rachel!
-"You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban, I'm not really a JG fan, but this is spot on, Miss Megan
-"With a Little Help From My Friends" by The Beatles, one of the more upbeat support songs on this list
-"Hold On" by Wilson Phillips, some very deep lyrics in this one, contributed by Miss Megan

I hadn't heard these next two before, but AmandaStretch shared them, and I liked them very much:
-"All Will Be Well" by The Gabe Dixon Band 
-"You Can Close Your Eyes" by James Taylor

And a final honorable mention that's particularly special to me from junior high and high school:

-"Lean on Me" by Bill Withers

It was tough separating the Tunes-day Trio from the honorable mentions, but these three rose to the top:

"You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel, sung by Sissel

I'd never heard this song before, but it's beautiful, especially when sung by Sissel. I like that it isn't specific (in the song, at least) as to who is walking with the person, so it can be taken in different ways. Thanks for broadening my musical knowledge, Miss Megan.

"Carry On" by Fun. (acoustic version)

Some days, this is the song that gets me through. Kinda feels like a human version of Dory's "Just keep swimming" mantra from Finding Nemo.

"Stand By Me" by Ben E. King

This goes right along with Rachel's share by The Pretenders, so I think it rounds out this list nicely. When the chips are down, and maybe we are, too, sometimes we just need to know that someone will stand by us and care about us while we're struggling, helping us to rise back up.

Next Time
Now that we've explored a little of the support and helping each other when times aren't at their best, maybe we ought to lighten the mood a bit. In fact, I know we should. We have a lot to be thankful for, as life is (generally) very good for us all.

So how about we make the topic of the next Tunes-day Trio: gratitude/thanks/thankfulness.

Because we're all very blessed to have what we have.

Please submit your song suggestions in the comments, and let's all join together in a big thanks-fest!

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Accepting What You Can't Change

I've had a couple big relationship things weighing heavily on my mind lately.

Not high profile to most people, even in my inner circle, but the situations are hard on me nonetheless.

The two cases have to do with apologies and the giving and receiving of forgiveness.

Case #1- I've apologized and I'm waiting to see what she decides to do. I was in the wrong, so she'll be fully justified in deciding to accept my apology or not. I'll understand either choice.

Case #2- I've apologized and tried repeatedly to mend our friendship, and it looks more and more like the person will not reciprocate apologies and allow us to continue as friends. He's shown to be stubborn and vindictive and bully-ish, so I can't see reconciliation happening.

So when a friend posted the link to this ThoughtCatalog article, it was a godsend to me:

"How to Accept What You Can't Change" by Brianna Weist

Its lessons - particularly #7 - support what I recently read in a book about apologies and forgiveness:

If your first attempt [at apologies/reconciliation] fails, I suggest you make a second and third attempt. An apology says, "I value this relationship, and I want to deal with this problem." The refusal to apologize says, "I do not value this relationship, and it's okay with me if we continue to be estranged." We cannot force an apology but we can extend the olive branch and express our willingness to forgive. If, in the final analysis, they are unwilling to restore the relationship, you may then release them to God and release your hurt and anger to Him. Don't allow their unwillingness to deal with the problem destroy your life. It takes two people to build a positive, healthy relationship.*

Once we've done our best to seek forgiveness, the ball is in the other person's hands.

In case #1, she can choose to accept my apology and forgive (maybe she already has), with or without the option of reconciliation. She would be justified either way. At this point, I can release my pain and hurt to God. Of course, my preference would be reconciliation between the two of us.

In case #2, I've done all I can do, and as I don't see any forgiveness occurring, I can release the relationship to God and move on. Sometimes friendships end. I suppose all relationships have a lifecycle, even ones that began half a lifetime ago in high school.

So now I can just allow things to happen as they may (for these cases) and accept what I can't change.

*Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married, by Gary Chapman, pp 71-72. I highly recommend this whole book to anyone wanting healthier relationships, both before and after marriage. Lots of it can also be applied to improve friendships.

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Happy Mother's Day, Mamas!

There are a lot of amazing mothers in my life.

Some are current and some are future moms, but they're all women I'm proud to know and they're such great examples to me of how to love and care for those around them.

And because they've all showed me how to be joyful and have a sense of humor, here's a treat honoring mothers by Kid President:

Again, to all the current (and future) moms, I hope you have a very happy Mother's Day!

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'This is Water' is Great for Perspective Adjustment

This morning, my buddy Clint shared a video called 'This is Water' with me.

It's based on an excerpt from David Foster Wallace's 2005 commencement address at Kenyon College, and  its message was just what I needed to hear. My attitude needed an adjustment, and this hit the spot.

Yes, I realize it's 9 mins long, but watch it on your lunch break or something, because it's worth it.

Everyone's going through things, and we can't know their situations.

I'm going to work on choosing to see the water all around me.

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