Happy New Year

I'm off to celebrate the New Year! I'm joing some friends for a small get together at a local state park. Group of friends were able to rent a small cabin. Shoulb be fun. I'll be sure to post some pics when I get back. I just wanted to type and wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope all of you have a succesful New Year! Good Luck with your resolutions! Be Safe, and I'll be blogging again in 2006!

Singles Organization

Many of you know I'm always full of ideas. Recently I was talking to some of my friends. I was joking around about starting up and Cleveland Singles Club/Organization. My friends told me it would be a great idea.

I have a lot of friends male and female who are really good people, but are unlucky in relationships. Just like me they are single, and looking for things to do to fill their schedule. A lot of people always ask me for ideas on things to do, because I always seem to be doing something. I like going out to the bars and clubs from time to time, but theress always so much more to do. I'm not rolling in the money, but I often find more to do than just sitting on my couch. Some things cost money, but I also to a lot of free things with my friends. Maybe it's just because I'm a "planner and organizer." I also get bored, so I try to organize social activities for my friends.

The tough thing is, us "Third Wheels" get a little worn down going to couples functions, and we also get bored going to the bars and clubs.

So, that gets me to my idea. Listening to some of my friends vent about their "singleness" or how "nice people" get tread over, I told them I was going to form a "Third Wheel Organization" for 25-40 somethings in Northeast Ohio. I would come up with a variety of social functions that singles could show up too to have fun and do something different to get them out of the house.

I'm starting to wonder if this idea is possible. I know of at least 5 friends who are interested. I'm going to have to pursue this more. People continuously tell me I know everybody and I'm always busy doing something, maybe I can share some of my ideas!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

My Trip to Florida!

I just got back from Florida; and it's time to get back to my blogging, so here's a review of my trip. The picture above is a picture of my mom, my grandmother and me. My grandparents surprised all of us by stopping in for a visit. They were on their way to see the rest of the family in Miami. They're both close to 80 and looking good! I got to see my grandmother, grandfather, four aunts, 2 cousins, my mom, my sister, my sisters dog and little brother. My brother's friend Cari joined me on the trip. My mom was also watching 3 children on the trip, so at one point there were over 15 people in the house!
The picture above is of my brother Jim, my sister Melissa, Cari and my mom at the Tampa Airport. Talk about a crazy airport to get in and out of. I think I circled 3 times trying to find the departures terminal. On the way back the pilot mentioned that the temperature difference was 50 degrees. It was 68 and sunny when I left Tampa and 18 when I got back to Cleveland! The weather wasn't the best in Florida for this visit, but 50's and 60's are better than single digits and snow. It was cloudy and rainy most of the time and got sunny the day I left, but no complaints here. The craziest story is, I took my mom, brother and Cari out to dinner at waterside restaurant on Monday night. While eating, we saw dolphins swimming by. 24 hours later, I was back in Ohio scrapping snow off my windshield.
This picture is of me and my brother at dinner at the City Pier restaurant. I don't think his sunglasses came off during my visit! He's cool like that! My family is about an hour away from the beaches in Tampa area. Everytime I go to visit, we go out exploring. On this visit we did some sight seeing on Anna Maria Island near Bradenton, Florida. Saw some dolphins jump out of the water at the beach; collected a ton of sea shells; and bought some beach souvenirs at the tourist shops.
This is another picture of the family. Mom always has to have a picture of her kids! She was busy the one night, so "the kids" snuck down to downtown Tampa to check out the sites. If you're ever in Tampa, you need to visit Splitsville. Splitsville is a bowling themed restaurant. The tables have personal bowling lanes set up infront of them. The food is really good and it was fun to have our own private lane. None of us were great bowlers, I tied for first place with a dominating 103! The good thing was I won a free game of bowling by getting a strike when it counted. Splitsville has a free game contest. If you get a strike when the head pin is pink, you win a game. My brother missed the free game by one pin. A little while later, Mr. 103 got a strike! My sister has the coupon as a early X-Mas gift! Melissa, you better use it!
This final picture is of the man I'm named after. My full name is Frank Cornelius Kitchen. This is my grandfather Cornelius Mack. He just turned 80. He's had some heart problems recently, but he's doing a lot better lately. The miracle of medicine!

Thats the cliff notes version of my trip to Florida. I'll add some more pictures in future posts!

Off to see Mommy!

Christmas is coming a little early for me this year. Airfares are ridiculous, so I'm off to Florida this weekend to see my Mom, brother and sister. I won't see my family on Christmas Day, but I get to see them during the season. I twill also be nice to experience some warm weather! 60 and 70 degree temps sound great compared to the snowy cold weather here in Ohio! I'll be back next Tuesday, so I'll post info about the trip and some more pictures when I return!

Another Cavs Game

Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets tonight! I've been to two games now and the Cavs are 2-0. As you can see the final score was 94-85.
Nike hung a banner of LeBron James outside of the arena when the season started. It's 225 feet long and 10 stories high! Hopefully the cars at the bottom of the picture give a clue to the size of the HUGE banner!

King Kong

I went to see King Kong tonight, and here is my review. Very Good Movie, Great Special Effects, could be a little shorter. The movie is over 3 hours long, so make sure you're ready (your butt is ready) to sit in a chair for 3 1/2 hours by the time all the previews and commercials are done. The movie is a cross between Jurassic Park, Titantic and Lord of the Rings. If you're squeamish, there are definitely some parts that will have you moving in your seat! If you're a animal lover/love your pet, you'll probably shed a tear. With any big special effects movie there are some scenes that get a little carried away. There are also a lot of times in the movie where you're trying to concentrate on the story without concentrating too much on the background and special effects. The movie was entertaining. I don't want to give away much, so go see the movie for yourself! On my movie rating scale I rate King Kong as a 4.

Movie Rating Scale: 5 - Must Own/Pay full price
4 - Go see the movie at the theater, full price or matinee
3 - Rental/Discount Theater
2 - Wait for Cable or TV
1 - Waste of time!

Christmas Spirit

I'm sure some of you wonder; "do people still have the Christmas Spirit?" I found out the answer over the past couple of weeks. The answer is YES! There are still some people out there who understand the spirit of the Season. I posted information about my cousin and his fellow troops in Iraq. I also posted information at work. I expected to collect a couple of items to mail my cousin. If you look at the picture to the left, you'll see I have more than a "few" items. I pretty much collected a car load full of food. One anonymous donor dropped off easily $100 worth of food at my office. I mailed out 3 boxes of food over the weekend. I also found out that several friends mailed boxes to Iraq and some other friends had their churches mail items. Several people have written letters. I am very thankful to be surrounded by a lot of caring people. I can't send all the food at once, so I'll be shipping it out every couple of weeks. I'm hoping to have everything shipped by February.

I told my cousin about all the well wishes and items coming his way. He sent me a post card, and here are a few lines: "Thanks for all the support and things are going well over here. I feel blessed, but of course, I can't wait to get home. Take care and Happy Holiday!"

New Year's Resolution?

It's getting close to that time of year when we start thinking about our New Year's Resolution/s. I looked up the definition online and found this link http://www.thefreedictionary.com/resolution . Call it a semantics thing but I like to make New Year's Goals. I'm definitely a goal oriented person so I like having something to shoot for. No matter if you call it a resolution, goal, oath, promise, decree, declaration or pledge make sure you share this information with people close to you.

This year I started meeting with my friend Kyle. We would meet to share our personal and professional goals with each other. We would also share information that could help the achieve his goals. Everytime we would meet, Kyle and I had the pressure to prove to the other that we were working on our goals. Kyle and his wife moved to Virginia in August, but we still keep in touch through e-mail. I wrote Kyle once and he thanked me for reminding him about his goals. Kyle e-mailed me this morning to ask me how I was doing. I have to thank him for the little push. I set a lot of goals last December and I'm proud to say I met or surpassed a lot of them. I didn't recognize this until I wrote Kyle to give him a "progress report." While typing my report I started to think about 2006. I always plan to have a better year than my previous year. I also realized this year, it's hard to achieve your goals if you don't share them with people close to you. I read a book that talked about setting up a "dream team." This a group of people you trust and are there to help push and support you. I feel I have a strong "dream team" and by sharing my goals I had the pressure of not only letting myself down, but also letting down my support group. I truly believe you can't reach your goals if you keep them inside. If you're proud of something you have to show or share it with other people.

So, I end my ramble with this... While you're thinking about your New Year's Resolutions, also think about the person or people you're going to share this information with. Call them you're dream team and let them know you're asking them to help you with your resolutions. Type up or write up your resolutions and put them somewhere you can see them (just to remind) after that, give that same list to your "dream team" and ask them to remind you about or help you with your resolutions. Who knows they might ask you to do the same thing. Its amazing what you can do or achieve when you're constantly reminded about it, or you have help. Good Luck to everyone in 2006! Think positive! And make those resolutions realistic!

Wishing for a Snow Day!

It's still snowing here in Ohio. Working at a college, I'm hoping, wishing, praying for a snow day. The weather people with their "Mega Power Triple Doppler 5Billion Radar" are predicting another 6-8 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow morning. This morning the temperature dropped to Zero! So, I'm a little tired of cleaning my car off every morning and I'd love to just lay in my bed Friday and have my weekend turn into a 3 day weekend!

News and notes the week:

Monday- Returned to my acting classes. It was a lot of fun. I was nervous and rusty at first, but I found my footing and by the end of the night (5 hours later) I did a scenes from CSI with another actor and I did a monologue from "Black Hawk Down." The classes are a lot of fun and a great way to just getaway. For 5 hours I thought about nothing else other than my lines and acting out my scenes.

Monday Part 2- Got to work to find a car load for food waiting for me to send to my cousin and his fellow troops. I know people have big hearts during this time of year. But an anonymous donar has a huge heart. So right now I'm trying to figure out a way to send everything I've been collecting at work. For everyone who's been mailing items to his unit....THANK YOU!

Tuesday -Got offered my first Professional Speaking date. Yep, I had a college offer to pay me some big money to come talk to students at a conference. I had to turn the offer down though! =0 ( The date was for April and I'll be in Australia.

Wednesday - Met up with my "Lost" group to watch the show only to discover that the show was a repeat!

Thursday - I went to the Gwen Stefani concert with my friend Rachel tonight. My first big concert ever. Ciarra was the opening act. There was a big difference between the "opening act" and the "main act." Ciarra can't sing live. I was impressed by Gwen Stefani. She sounded better live than she does on her cd/radio. The tickets were free, so that made things even better. My co-worker won them on the radio, so Donna...THANK YOU very much!

Time for me to go to bed. I have to get my rest for the "Snow Day" I know I won't get. I also have to get ready for 2 Holiday Parties this weekend! That's my life, busy busy!

Still Snowing in Ohio

I haven't typed much lately, I apologize. Since I've been away, its has snowed just about everyday. Today we're getting killed. There's at least a foot of snow on the ground. I rediscovered my snow driving skills this morning. "Turn into your slide." I had to remember that several times. Here are few pics from my office window and around campus. Yep, school didn't close. Even the employees were praying for a snow day!

Team Australia

Today I finally met the team that will be going to Australia in April. I also met the Rotary leadership. The people in the picture are (R to L) First Row: Al (District Assistant Governor), Amy (Team Alternate), Cynthia (Team Member), April (Team Leader); Second Row : Jack (District Governor), Dave (Team Member), Me, and Patty (Team Member). The group is a lot of fun, there were a lot of jokes at meeting/lunch. We have a lot of work to do before we leave. It looks like we'll leave March 30th and return April 30th. Several team members and myself are planning on staying a few extra days so we can see more of the country. Cynthia is talking about going diving at the Great Barrier Reef; I might have to take some scuba diving lessons. As of now, I'd like to stay in Australia for an extra week and visit some of the places we won't see while we're working. (Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef, and possibly New Zealand)

For more information on Rotary and the district, go to: http://www.rotarydistrict6630.com

More Cavs Game Pics

Here are some more pics from the game on Wednesday. Thank you for the invite Seidel Family!

My Christmas Tree is up!

I was a little behind schedule this year, but my Christmas Tree is finally up. With all the political correctness the season, is it ok to call it a Christmas Tree? My "Holiday Tree" is a towering 6 feet tall. I would call it a fake tree, but I've been informed that I must call it a "Permanent Tree." My good friend Rachel came over to help me with my "permanent" "Holiday Tree. " I would post a picture of Rachel, but she is camera shy. I guess my tree is the 4th tree she's assisted with decorating. It doesn't hurt to have a future interior designer assist you with decorating. I had to take two pictures of my tree because the flash was on and you can't see the lights. So, that's the story of my permanent Fake Holiday Christmas Tree!

Holiday Season or Relationship Season?

Relationships….This subject has been coming up a lot lately. I think it’s just that time of year. Every commercial or advertisement is about getting the perfect gift for that special someone. This is the time of year you’re supposed to be with your special someone or family. The weather is cold, so we spend a lot of time inside; and it’s boring to sit around by yourself. I’ve been talking to a lot of friends and relationships seem to be the #1 subject. The funny part is a lot of people come to me for advice or someone to listen too. That’s pretty funny considering I’m single!

“Do you have any romantic ideas?” “What would you do?” “Things aren’t working!” “Why/How are you single?” “I think my relationship is over!” “I’m so happy!” “I don’t understand men/women!” “Thanks for listening.” “What should I do?” “I want someone.” “I want to be in love.” “We need to find you someone Frank.” “What’s everyone doing for new years?” “I’ve met someone who doesn’t have the same dreams and goals as me, but I’m tired of being alone.” “Am I too picky?” “I’m never getting married!” “I’m too nice!” “I’m tired of being alone!” I’m getting too old!” “How does (blank) have a girlfriend/boyfriend and I don’t”

That’s just some of the comments I’ve heard. It’s just that time of the year and people want someone to share our time with. We all have to be true and honest to ourselves. We have our good points and bad points. These points may keep us in a relationship or make us single. Being true and honest to ourselves may not always make us happy, but at least we won’t be lying or cheating ourselves.

Just like a lot of people I’d like to have someone during this “relationship” time of the year, but I can’t just jump at the first woman breathing or shows me interest. I want that woman who gives me butterflies in my stomach and I think about constantly. Unfortunately I haven’t run into her yet. I have to be honest with myself and look myself in the mirror. Do I know what I like and don’t like; what personality I can get along with and what I can’t. For those of you who are lonely, don’t sacrifice yourself so you’re not lonely. For those of you in bad relationships, are you in the relationship just to be in one? For those of you in good relationships, just remember, all of us are jealous of you and you make us sick! LOL (Just Kidding) Honestly, the people who are in happy and good relationships are honest with themselves and each other!

So, to close my relationship ramble, I truly hope everyone finds that relationship they’re looking for. If you’re not in one, make sure you’re genuinely interested in the person you want to ask out/be with, not the fact of “I just want to be with someone.” If you’re not in a good relationship, ask yourself why you’re in it and are both of you truly honest with each other. And for those of you in a good relationship, don’t rub our noses in it, and share the knowledge of your success!

Movie Trailer

I love movies and I really love the trailers. Pirates of the Carribean has a sequle that comes out next summer. Here is a link to the trailer.

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/piratesofthecaribbeandeadmanschest.html

Cavs Game

Went to the Cavs game tonight with some friends. Great night! The Cavs beat the Clippers in overtime 112-1o5. Free Bobbleheads were given to everyone. We were part of a group trip, so we got free Cavaliers ski caps; the Cavs scored over 100 points so everyone got a free chalupa from Taco Bell; we got to go on the floor after the game to shoot some baskets ( I made my first three shots- 2 pro three pointers); my best friend got to meet one of his favorite basketball players. More pictures to come!

25 Days of Shopping Left!

Is it me, or is Christmas coming fast this year? I've started my shopping but I still have a lot to do! I've got to get my tree up too, and I've got cards to write! Wow, I've got to get my act together! We've been decorating at work and I got asked to draw something fun on the information board, so here's a picture of my newest creation! Happy Shopping and Decorating everyone!

Word from my Cousin

I was working on my laptop today and I saw my cousin Bernie was online. For those of you who don't remember, he's in the Army and stationed in Iraq. The good news is he's doing good. Found out he'll be home for a short "vacation" December 30th-Mid January, Then back to Iraq until June. I asked him how things were going and he told me pretty good, other than supplies being short. I asked him to send me a list of the soldiers needs and here's what he sent me:

Ramen Noodles, Hostess cupcakes or twinkes, baking flour, powdered sugar, snickers bars, pancake mix, baked beans, cooking oil, kool aid with sweetner, canned beef stew, pop tarts, gummy bears, muffin mix (blueberry, cherry, banana nut, apple) Pepperidge farm cookies, canned veggies, instant rice/any flavor, and a honey backed ham.

Bernie told me they only get supplies from the military once a week and the soldiers he's stationed with can only eat MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) for so long. So if you'd like to make some soldiers happy, please mail any food items or holiday cards/thank yous to:

Captain Samuel Glover
4th Motor Transportation Regiment
FOB Warrior
APO AE 09338

*** I've been mailing items to Bernie and things arrive in about a week! Make sure you ask the post office for a flat rate box!

Searching for my Creativity!

I've been doing a lot of cleaning today. While I was cleaning, I came across my old sketch pad and some art supplies. I also came across some old photos from a photography class I took. I started wondering, am I as creative as I used to be?

I think the answer is yes and no. To the left is a picture I drew at work to welcome people to our office. Most people were surprised that I drew the picture, and most were even more surprised to see that a lot of the pictures drawn on the information board are from me. At points I'm creative at work and in my life, but am I being creative enough?

I don't think I am, but doing my cleaning this weekend has definitely got my creative juices flowing again! People always come to me for ideas. I'm always using my creativity for other people, but what am I doing for me? The more creative I am the more I enjoy life. The less boring things are. Sometime I amaze myself with all the ideas I can come up with. I'm definitely going to have to start taking my own advice and applying that advice to my life. There are a lot of things I'm passionate about and most involve some form of creativity/not following the status quo. Life is short and there is a ton of things I want to do.

So my advice for me and the people reading this. Life isn't all about work; be creative; pursue what you're passionate about; and every now and then rediscover your past and so you discover your present and future!

Cool Holiday Website

With the Holidays approaching, I thought I'd share a link a friend sent me. This home owner definitely has a lot of free time! Check it out!

http://media.putfile.com/WizardsofWinter-SM

The Day After Thanksgiving

It's the day after Thanksgiving. Did I wake up at 3 Am to wait outside of a store for a "Early, Early, Early Bird Sale" that starts at 5AM? Was there something I wanted so bad that I wanted to fight a couple of thousand people for it? Did I have a good chance to get that special item that is limited to 1 per store with no rainchecks? Not really, because I did what I've done the last couple of years on "Black Friday"; I stayed asleep in my nice warm bed!

Yesterday I did look at the papers to see if there were any gifts I wanted to get family and friends, but there wasn't anything spectacular that I saw. Does anyone really show up to a furniture store at 6AM to get free deliverary on a Sofa? Is there a reason to go to a dark cold Office Max parking lot at 4 AM? Some of the stores opened at 4:30 AM and 5AM this year. It makes you wonder what things will be like 10 years from now....."Early Bird Specials start a 12:01 AM, get here early to beat the crowds, bring your Thanksgiving leftovers with you!"

Yesterday was good, I ate a lot. I split my Turkey Day at two houses. I went to my friend Rachel's to have our weekly viewing of LOST. I'm hooked on the show. Rachel, her sister Becca and I get together every week, rotating houses to watch the show. It started snowing on Wednesday night, so we were minus Becca. The weathermen were predicting 2 feet of snow. I ended up crashing in the guest room. I had one of her cats (Kitty) help keep me warm. I helped Rachel with some Thanksgiving desserts..assited with making my first pumpkin pie. Rachel still has to teach me on how to make that fancy pie crust. Woke up Thanksgiving morning to about 6 inches of snow covering everything. So watched some of the Turkey Day Parades with their cheesey music numbers and lip syncing and I headed over to my friend Scott's. Scott is my best friend and his family treats me like their second son. Dinner was great. I received several texts and calls for Turkey Day, so everyone who called or texted..THANK YOU! Everyone at Scott's had the post Thanksgiving dinner look on their faces, so we relaxed a bit, then I jumped back in my car to head back over to Rachel's. I got invited for another dinner, so left the 2 inches of snow at Scott's parents and back to the now 8 inches at Rachel's. I ate more food (great again) and really good deserts! Rachel's mom is a funny and nice lady. I'm going to start calling her "E-Harmony" or "Match.com". I think I'm officially part of the family now because she's trying to marry my off now, just like her daughters. We talked for a bit and I think she has my complete dating profile now! =0 ) She's just like everyone's mom, wants her kids or the people she likes to be happy.

So, after dinner, ended watching Daddy Day Care. We all made comments about the commercials, because every commercial was about "Beat the crowd..show up at 5 AM for our Early Bird Specials!"

By the time the movie was over more snow had fallen. So went to clean my car off again. When I came back into warm up near the fireplace, I swear the weatherman was crying on TV. He was predicting a HUGE Blizzard with 2 feet of snow and I think the fact that people were able to get on the roads and house weren't burried killed him.

So, back home last night, to climb in my warm bed and dream about how I wasn't going to be any "early bird," but how I'm going to be an lazy bird today!

I have no plans for the weekend, other than watch the snow fall (yes it's still snowing 2 days later), clean up some stuff around my place, make some pancakes (I'm hungry) and watch some movies. What a great way to spend "The Day After Thanksgiving!" The only way it would be better, is if I had someone special to be lazy with me!

Australia Update/Happy Thanksgiving

I just got an e-mail from the Team leader for the Australia trip. There will be 3 other people on the team including me and the team leader (April). We have our first meeting on Sunday, December 4th. April sent me a link to host district where we will be visiting. Here it is:
http://www.rotarnet.com.au/users/9/9520/

From what I can tell, I'll be in Australian wine country. I was talking to my boss and some friends, and I'm going to see if I can stay a few extra days so I can visit Sydney and New Zealand. I figure this is a once in a life time trip and I don't know if I'll ever get down under again.

More reports to come!

I also wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! We're expecting a ton of snow here in Ohio, so I will be stuffing my face at 2 friends houses on Thursday.

Football Season is over!

I play in a co-ed flag football league with my friends. The playoffs started tonight and our season ended tonight. We won our first game 34-8 but our hopes for a title ended as we lost the second game 30-14. Game time temps were in the 30's and there was a little rain at the end. We played the best team in the league in the second game. Tonight was the best we've played all season! We played in a Spring league and didn't win a playoff game, so we've got something to build on for the winter league. Our team is called the "Super Scrubs." Our team captain (Jason) designed the best uniforms in the league. A picture of our uniforms is above. To Jason, Rachel, Julie, Stephanie, Teresa, Brian, Matt, Tony, Steve, Bridget, Paul and White Frank..Great season and I'll see you on the frozen fields of Tremont in January!

Have you picked your Apple yet?

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Thinking about goals, things I want to do, places I want to go and more.
And as I thought more, I realized anything you want to do in life is like picking apples.

You can go pick apples off a tree; you can pick them from a bunch of apples at a store or market; or you can get them already packaged in a bag. You can aslo choose not to get any at all. The thing is no matter where you pick your apples, there are different types of "rightness" or "wrongness." The apples can be just right, not ready yet, going bad or rotten.

There are people who go and pick their own apples; there are people who have other people pick the apples for them; and there are people who just don't pick apples at all or wait for them to fall out of the tree. I'm working more and more on being the person who goes out and picks my own apples. By picking my own, a lot can happen.

#1 I'll have a great selection to pick from. I can pick one or I can pick a lot. Some will be just right; some may need time to ripen; but I can avoid the bad ones.
#2 I won't have to worry about someone keeping all the best apples for themselves.
#3 I'll have the good feeling inside of knowing I did something/ made something happen.
#4 I'll learn a lot that I can use for the future apple picking.

Picking apples is and can be hard work. I may have to climb a tree, drag a ladder to the tree, find a cherry picker, go to the store or knock the tree over. I'll may need some help along the way from other apple pickers. All I know is the hard work will pay off. I'll also learn a lot and life is about learning, be assertive and taking advantage of opportunities; not waiting around for something to happen!

Good Luck to everyone who's picking apples! Don't be the person waiting for the apples to fall out of tree. You never know what you might get. If you do get an apple or two, don't wait too long to eat/use it, it may go rotten or become full of wholes!

I've to run, I've got some apples to pick. For the other apple pickers in my life, thanks for knowledge of what to look for; the encouragement; or just showing me how to climb the tree/where to find a ladder! I plan on picking a lot of apples and I plan on sharing them with the people just listed! Life is short, pick your apples and don't let them go bad or get old!

My Wife?

The picture to the left is a picture at Geauga Lake Amusement Park. The woman on my left is my wife. A lot of you are probably saying..."What, Frank is married?" Let me explain. "My wife's" name is Angela and she was talking to me at a party last night and said she'd been reading my blog. I told her it was pretty sad that I haven't said anything about "my wife," so I'd type something about her.

She's a great woman. We're lucky enough to work together a lot. The picture to the left is from a commercial we shot together. We got paid to ride rollercoasters all day. The producers liked us so much we got invited back to work the Octoberfest promotions and commercials. Our daughter had a lot of fun working the commercial. I'm sure you're saying...."Frank has a kid?" Read more, I'll explain.

Angela worked for the American Cancer Society this year as the Chairperson for the "Where the Boys Are" Bachelor Raffle. She was so into the cause and raising money she volunteered me to be raffled off! If you don't believe me, co to this link. She see her pimping me to the lunch time news crowd:http://www.wkyc.com/video/player.aspx?aid=13281&sid=36001&bw=hi Our relationship is like that!

So, last night I went to this birthday party and "my wife" was there waiting for me. I had to be a good husband and keep my wife company. I wanted to scare off any guys who might hit on her. It's my job as her "husband."

If you haven't figured it out yet, Angela is a good friend of mine. We've worked a couple of commercials together as a couple. She joked with me last night about saying something about my wife on here, so Angela, here's my blog on you. For all the men out there. Angela really is married. He's a great guy named Joe. They always introduce me as Angela's TV Husband! It's kind of like those tv commercials, I'm not her husband, but I play one on TV.

Hope everyone enjoyed the story of my wife!

Good Ideas

I thought would type and share a couple of good ideas from this week:

#1 "Friends Thanksgiving Dinner" - My friends Brian and Teresa started having Thanksgiving Dinner the weekend before Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. That started having the dinners so our group of friends could get together and hang out before the holiday. Everyone is so busy with holiday, family, and other things; you never get to see the other people you're close too. So last night Teresa prepped a 22lb turkey and made a GREAT dinner for about 12 of us. Everyone definitely had that post Turkey dinner look on their faces!

#2 "The Best Gum" - Sometimes your friends share things with you and you say "This is great!" My friend Amber introduced me to a new gum that is great! If you get a chance, go out to the stores and a buy Trident- Tropical Twist Gum. The gum is sugarless, flavored with Orange and Kiwi and last forever. I shared it with a couple of friends at a party and they had the same reaction as me!

Ok, that's my good ideas for today. More will be coming soon!

First Snow of the Season!

It's snowing and boy is it a cold one this morning! It was 73 degrees about 36 hours ago, now it's snowing. The pics above are the view from outside of my apartment this morning and a picture of the "Mind ladder" statue walking into work. Definitely a day for staying in bed! Time for the great sweater, turtleneck and warm sox hunt to begin!

Who are "Normal People"?

I thought I would vent a little bit tonight. I worked the late shift tonight, so on the way home I decided to stop by a couple of stores to do some window/holiday shopping. Of course I had to look for some stuff for me. This is always an adventure. A lot of stores order items for normal people. These are the people of average/standard size! Obviously I'm not in that category. I think everyone must have short legs and short arms. I feel for female shoppers. I hear woman talk about having issues finding clothes that fit all the time; I feel your pain. I saw a few things I liked but when I go to try it on, I look like a little kid who's outgrown his clothes. Or the clothes swallow me. Just because you're tall doesn't mean you're wide! When I ask about something my size I'm told to check a company's or stores website. Thanks a lot why don't you have the stuff in the store?

Wow..the websites have items that might fit me (tall sizes), but there's an issue....you can't try anything on, you have to buy it and hope it fits! I did order a winter coat from the Gap.com; keep your fingers crossed for me. I know the internet is a great way to sell stuff, but offer some of the "irregular/non normal" sizes in the store. I think I've discovered if you're short or tall, good luck! If you want something that fits, you either have something made for you or have everything tailored! I don't think all of us can afford that. If you're lucky, you might be able to have something special ordered...who knows!

I also would like to know who designs some of the clothes out there? Do designers think people have huge heads now? Has anyone seen the necklines on some of the shirts lately? I thought the whole in the shirt is supposed to be big enough to get your head and neck through? I think I could slip a watermelon through some of the shirts I saw. I know our country is not the healthiest or smallest in the world, but is McDonald's and Burger King helping decide the size of clothes?

So, my night was somewhat frustrating. I realized the big shopping season starts next week. Winter is coming to Ohio (Snow is in the forecast) and I need some winter clothing. The good news is I saved money because I only found some shoes to buy myself. I also found some gifts for friends and family.

Good Luck everyone with your holiday shopping and personal shopping! =0 )

Family and Friends

Living in Ohio, I'm far away from my family. I have no family ties here in Cleveland. This year the holiday's will be tough because for the first time ever I won't see any family during the actual holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's). I would personally like to thank the airline industry for making it almost impossible to travel during the holidays! I did track down a deal, and I will see my mom, sister and brother the week before Christmas.

The good news is: I have a lot of great friends here in Cleveland, and around the country. My friends here in Ohio treat me like family and make things easier for me!
The picture to the left is just an example. My good friend Brian was on a recent trip and bought this t-shirt for me! He said he thought of me when he saw it. His wife, Teresa, is like a sister to me. The shirt is great! It's definitely something I'll be wearing a lot!

I won't be with my family this holiday season, but with my friends filling in, I have the problem most families have during the holidays, I have to decide who's house to go to for holiday dinners and who to spend time with! I might have to go to several places. Thank you Scott, Rachel, Amber, Brian and Teresa!

Jim's Artwork

My little brother has a talent for art. The pictures above are some of the pictures he drew and e-mailed to me recently. I'm planning to print these out and frame them. Keep up the great work Jim! Keep sending me pictures and I'll keep posting them on the internet for people to see!

Write a Soldier

My cousin, Samuel "Bernie" Glover, is stationed in Iraq. I worry about him all the time. Everytime I get a e-mail or phone call from him makes me happy and puts my mind at ease. You can imagine things get lonely, so if you can do me a favor, please write him. It will really help to get letters during the holidays. Letters and care packages would be great for him and his fellow soldiers. Bernie has always been there for his family and friends, so I'm doing what I can to thank him for all he has done for me and our family. If you would like to mail any packages, I've been told you can ask for a "flat rate" box from the Post Office and no matter what you put in the box will be mailed at the "flat rate". The "flat rate" is approximately $7. Bernie loves corn bread! Here is his mailing address:

Captain Samuel Glover
4th Motor Transportation Regiment
FOB Warrior
APO AE 09338

I'm Going to Australia!

Call me "Outback Frank" or "Kangaroo Frank"! I just got selected by the Cleveland Rotary to go to Australia for a month! I'll be "downunder" April 1-30, 2006. I'll be a part of the Rotary International Group Study Exchange Program. I'll be a part of a 5 person team the will act as "cultural ambassadors" for the Cleveland Area/United States. I'll be visiting Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. Our team will experience Australian culture and life; observe different professions and give presentations and speeches. When I return I'll talk to local groups about my experiences. I can't wait! I've been asked by several people to do the following: travel with me in my suitcase, bring back a crocodile, bring back a kola bear and to say hello to the "crocodile hunter." More information will be coming soon and I plan to post daily updates on this blog while I'm down under!

My first Post!

I've decided to start up my own Blog! I'm actually stealing the idea from friend! Thanks Teresa! I just want to share all my thoughts, ideas, what's going on in life, etc. With my family and friends! So welcome to "Frank's Life"! More information will be coming soon!