Of course, one of the most important things that has happened to my life since February,  my bike.  During the coldest and wettest weekend of March I successfully passed the  motorcycle safety class, which was good because my mind was all over the place then.   About two weeks later I purchased a used Honda Shadow and I’ve been riding it as much as I can.   I reached that first milestone of 1,000 miles, then doing my first run.  There is just something therapeutic about jumping on the bike and riding a few miles and letting things work out in your head, or go away long enough for you to enjoy the experience.

I’ve also been very busy being WM of Mozart Lodge #121, it really is like a second full time job.  I love it, but it’s been a stressful few months, and I’m looking forward to a small break in so much to do each night.  From this task, and some of the other people watching I’ve been doing, I’ve actually wondered why I never went into the field of sociology.  Of course, a lot of this has involved Lionshead Puzzle Caps, so expect that page to be updated soon!

ps. I love how everyone is pissed about the oil spill, and yet so few are doing anything about it.

When available, try to eat lunch in a park. If you can find one with few benches and a lake, then you have hit a home run.  At a minimum, you just need a place to park, or a place to sit.

It may sound funny to make this a rule, but believe me, it has many benefits.

1. You save money by bringing  your lunch and not going to a restaurant, it’s probably healthier too.
2. Sitting in the park gives you time to slow down and relax and recharge without external stimulus.
3. It is nice to just get out of the workplace and to be surrounded by nature.  For instance right now, the leaves are changing/falling, and the wind has a nice chill.
4. I like to use this time to reflect, on what is going on around me, and to help me realize what is important to me.
5. It is a great time to study your Masonic ritual, I think the geese in Medford already know the MM exam.

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Pinups for Pitbulls is hosting a huge all-day event at Cheerleader’s Bikini Bar in S. Philadelphia. Event includes Keynote speakers from the Pit Bull Hoax (Drayton Michaels www.pitbullguru.com), Kathy McGuire, President of NJ Aid for Animals, Buzz Miller of Buzzy’s Bow Wow & Meow , Little Darling of Pinups for Pitbulls and so many more!

We’ll have all kinds of wonderful vendors, Burlesque & Side Show performers, Art Auction & Raffle, and so much more! There will be adoptable dogs attending the daytime event and well-behaved dogs are welcome!
We will also be releasing the 2010 Pinups for Pitbulls Calendar at this event — see below for more info!
You don’t want to miss this amazing event!!! It will be our biggest event to date!
If you can’t make it to our event, you can make a tax-deductible donation here!

Cheerleaders 2740 South Front Street Philadelphia, PA 215) 467-1980 http://philly.cheerleadersweb.com

Day Event: 2-6pm, ALL AGES WELCOME Dress Code for Day Event: Casual & Fun
Evening Event: 6pm-1am, Club Age restriction 21+

Dress Code for Evening Event: *Fashionably Casual

- Ladies, Casual or Dress Up! Pin Up!
- Men, no hoodies/hats/undershirts/workboots, etc.

- No Cover Charge Until 6:00pm
After 6pm $15 General Admission
VIP Admission $30 (Includes 2 Hour Select Open Bar and Dinner Buffet from 6pm-8pm)

PERFORMANCES BY:

Little Darling – Founder of Pinups for Pitbulls, D’arcy D’Lux and Miss Candy Mayhem!

I think Ginger and I will be making a trek over the bridge for at least a portion of the day time event.  She needs to make some new friends.

Take your birthday off from whatever job you work, you will need the day off as you should always see the sunrise on your birthday.    On the beach would be best, but any sunrise will do. This is the time to think about what you want your year to be, not Jan 1st.

The theory on this one is pretty self explanatory, While this year for my birthday I didn’t make sunrise, it was only because I thought of it too late.  I however was sitting on a lifegaurd stand listening to the waves crash against the beach for a couple of hours in the early hours of the morning.   It really got me thinking about how the year was starting a new for me at that point, not the 1st of Jan.  This year, I will be on the beach watching the sunrise on that special day in July.

I am the Senior Warden of Mozart Lodge #121,  a small lodge,yet a powerful one.  We may not have the finances of some of the major players, nor do we have the number that they do, but we have forward momentum.  As one that always seems to end up on the side of the underdog, I can see so  much potential with our lodge it is just plain sick.  If elected, I will be installed as “Worshipful Master” of the lodge come December 6th, 2009 for the 2010 Masonic term (if interested in attending the installation, please contact me).

I’m not worried about running a good business meeting, paying the bills, or having good entertainment. I know I’m good at those things.  What worries me the most is that we get enough people for our events, for our lodge to grow.  Less than a month ago we had 55 people come out to a Camden Riversharks game, which despite their  loss, was an amazingly good time.  We even had awesome fireworks show afterwards just to make up for it.   I sit here, wondering if  tomorrow we really will have 50+ people again show up for our “Annual” fishing trip.  We missed last year, which was my fault.  I was  busy doing so many other thing for the lodge, that I just did not have time to put things  together.  This  has once again been a year of moving forward,

Although I sit here after 11 PM drinking a gin (Bombay) gimlet,  I worry that we have enough sandwiches, if everyone will show up, if we will have enough food, cigars, and drinks.   There is a lot of pressure being me,  honestly.   “Some” people look at me and think that “I have little or no stress”, but let us be honest and say that there is a lot.  I’ve taken the saying that the “Junior Warden is the social director of the lodge” and expanded that to the thought that “I was the Junior Warden, and now much relinquish command to the next guy” .   I now realize that  a year later and a few months, that in less that six months,  IWILL be WM of Mozart Lodge # 121.   I will let the example set from myself, stand, and hope that they can stand as  future officers of this fine  Lodge behind me which I hope they can stand up to.

Nanna drinking a PBR

The Lake at Buehlers Idlewild

Karley and Matty

Chilling with Bacon and Sauasge

The following Saturday was the Mozart Lodge #121 Beef and Beer, which consumed many days of planning, and running around. Which was all worth it, as we managed to have over 80 people come through the door, and after expenses we managed to raise about $500 for the Masonic Charity Foundation, which is how they fund the Masonic HOME in Burlington, NJ. The next day I went to the Camden Rivershark’s game where they did a nice presentation by the Warrior’s Watch , and Sicily sang the National Anthem w/ her class.

The next weekend was pretty quiet as I remember it, I think I worked on my gimlet recipe.  On the 13th I ran all over the state, there was a christening in the AM, then I shot down to Wildwood for the longest DeMolay banquet in history, Congrats Wes!   Followed by a visit to a southern gin joint till the wee hours of the AM. Seriously, it was like 5,  I was tired for all of Flag Day.  Then on the 19th, was the Mozart Lodge trip to the Camden Riversharks. We managed to get 65 people together with very short notice. On account of the iterest of this trip, and the amount of people we had to turn away the day of the game, next time I’m just going to buy out the whole section and fill that.

That is about enough for the broad strokes of social events for the month, I’m sure there were other things I have forgotten or not cared to write about today.

Then there was cooking…. Well lots of cooking, but the only things I have pictures left of or even bothered to take are my crappy donut balls, my awesome french bread, and one of my staple foods, PBR and Pierogies. The donut balls were done on a whim, and I wanted to try something with baking powder instead of yeast. As a result, I was not impressed at all and next time I will be sure to do those with yeast. Now my French Bread was really nice, the best I’ve done yet. Next time, I’m going to add some I-Tai herbs though, cause I’m crazy like that. The last pic is just for me, mmmm.

My Dounut balls kinda sucked

My best French bread yet.

PBR and Pierogies with peppers and onions.

Most recently, there was Father’s Day thrown in the mix there. We had a bbq over at Dave’s and had a good time. I got to spend a few minutes relaxing in the hammock sipping a DFH Midas Touch, which is still one of my favorite beers.

Just chillin in the Hammock, drinking a Dogfish Head

Currently I’m in the midst of planning our annual fishing trip (LMK if you wanna go!) and getting my “term plan” set for my year as WM, pending my election of course.  While I’m thinking of planning, what really gets me is the way no one likes to make a reservation early.  I must admit, it adds a whole new level of complexity to planning large events… Anyhow, that is more than enough for now.

The next day was the Boat Drinks Botanical put on by the DSPHC. Which as always was a blast, the Calypso Nuts were there, as well as Jim Morris and the Big Bamboo Band. The above picture of my feet was taken while just relaxing and enjoying myself. Unlike the JO parrothead who was either too drunk or too stupid to figure out that I was standing in line holding a plate when he called me an ass for “not being in line”. I only saw some lady, whom I hope has more respect for herself than to be married to that JO, walk away with him in tow, and no more for the rest of the day. I tell ya, it is really guys like him that give parrotheads and the Church of Jimmy a bad name… Kinda makes me glad I’ve never seen JB in concert.. But I digress..

The next day, it was up and back to Jersey for a meeting at the Hoban’s for a pre-Buehler’s planning commission meeting. AKA a bbq and some wine, all I know is I have to get a buttload of goldfish for this weekend.

I’ve added some pics from this weekend, as well as added a bunch from my phone in the 2009 photo gallery. I also expect to be updating more frequently, and also letting you know where my feet have taken me!

Now that I’ve said it here, it will be time to start it, after some coffee and I take the lodge trestle boards (newsletters) to the USPS…

In Join Or Die, I paint myself having sex with the Presidents of the United States in chronological order. I am interested in humanizing and demythologizing the Presidents by addressing their public legacies and private lives. The presidency itself is a seemingly immortal and impenetrable institution; by inserting myself in its timeline, I attempt to locate something intimate and mortal. I use this intimacy to subvert authority, but it demands that I make myself vulnerable along with the Presidents. A power lies in rendering these patriarchal figures the possible object of shame, ridicule and desire, but it is a power that is constantly negotiated.

I approach the spectacle of sex and politics with a certain playfulness. It would be easy to let the images slide into territory that’s strictly pornographic—the lurid and hardcore, the predictably “controversial.” One could also imagine a series preoccupied with wearing its “Fuck the Man” symbolism on its sleeve. But I wish to move beyond these things and make something playful and tender and maybe a little ambiguous, but exuberantly so. This, I feel, is the most humanizing act I can do

An example of her interesting works

Make sure you check out her page, I assume she has showings out in the San Fransisco area.

I had slightly more success with the different recipe, but not to the point where I”m happy by any means. I really think my oven might not be getting hot enough. I  need to really experiment with it more,  and perhaps mix the two recipes for a “best of” attempt. Hopefully come Saturday I’ll have the pita project perfected, or at levels to an acceptable level.

Late in the evening of my Snow Day, on comes the sickness.  First the runny nose, then the sinus pressure, and finally a 6+ foot tall 180 lb baby of a man.   So me being me, I goto bed, get up and goto work.  Only to leave an hour later, get home and goto bed.  Then I’m up at 4-ish and up to WJMC to get ready w/ dinner and the Official Visit to our Lodge.   I was doped up on DayQuil and Sudafed, with a bandaid on my nose because it would not stop bleeding from where it slit on the side.  Oh what a night…..

Followed by 12 hours in bed, then a day on the couch, it was off to Collingswood for the Scottish Rite business meeting.  I wa sback to work today, but it took me a few hours just to get my email sorted out, and I’m not even caught up on my weekly tasks.  I guess that’s what happens when your first day of work occurs on a Thursday.   At least tomorrow is Friday, I have an another OV then I get to take a break this weekend.