Category: Ramblings (page 1 of 2)

The only time I’ve ever taken a deliberate break from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was when Laura and I moved from Connecticut to Florida. At that point, I couldn’t train because I hadn’t found a new gym yet. If I remember correctly, it took me about three weeks to settle on a place, but from then on, while we lived in Florida, I was back to training three times a week.

When we later moved from Florida to Maine, it was a similar story, though that transition only set me back about a week. Aside from illness or minor injuries, I’ve only ever missed a few scattered weeks of training since I began in 2008. I’ve never taken a true hiatus. But here we are in the year 2025, and my mind is tired, so I’m finally taking some time off.

I’m not in the above photo. It’s a random picture I found somewhere on the internet to represent scouting as a whole. It seems to have been captured somewhere in Eastern Europe or someplace like that, but nonetheless, I found it interesting.

“You know something? I wasn’t aware of that. You really changed my mind,” said no one ever after reading a political post their friend shared on Facebook. Have you ever heard of the old saying, “He’s just preaching to the choir”? It means that someone is speaking for or against something to people who already agree with that person’s opinions.

By the time I completed my tenure at Westchester Community College, I knew I wanted to become a professor. Of what? I had no idea. But I knew I wanted to teach. Today I think I would’ve been a superb professor of two disciplines; basic algebra and composition and literature. Algebra because it took me multiple attempts to finally get it, but once I did, I morphed into an algebraic champion with a knack for explaining its concepts to others – and composition and literature because I think I’d be a quizzical inspiration for young or interested writers. By the time I had graduated from graduate school at Binghamton University, I had already submitted my resume to one of my early professors at the aforementioned community college (Dr. John Christesen). He would pass it on to the college president (Dr. Joseph Hankin) for review. That entire endeavor, for some reason or another, never worked out. I’m not sure if there were any teaching positions available. Probably not. I really can’t remember.

This post is about 90s dance music and the New York City (and surrounding areas) nightclub scene. I’m not exactly proud of my taste in music back then, but I am proud of the countless good times I had in those nightclubs. There’s a lot to tell from that era, and if you were alive and if you happened to have resided in the New York tri-state area, you might relate to what I’m about to share. Or maybe you were annoyed by the whole thing. Or perhaps, like most people, you sat somewhere in between.

There are a lot of heavy metal bands out there. I’m no expert, but here’s what I know: most people agree that back in the late ’60s, Black Sabbath lit the fuse that started it all. And if you’ve heard of Ozzy Osbourne, you know the man may have been the spark behind some of the most loved, most followed music on Earth.

It wasn’t until moving to Maine that I experienced what many refer to as chilblains. I did a bit of searching around and I believe these things are also called pernio. Have you ever had chilblains? I’m sure you have. If you live in the north and if you’ve ever walked around outside during the winter in Crocs or cold boots with no socks on, I’m certain of it.

Since arriving in the state, Laura and I have engaged in a few “Maine” activities. I think this one might take the cake though. There aren’t many that are more Maine than cutting down one’s own Christmas tree. In the forest. In a whole bunch of snow.

The older I get, the more I think about what life will look like after I hit retirement age. I guess that number is supposed to be 65, though it feels pretty arbitrary. Right now, I don’t plan on suddenly changing the way I live just because I’ve crossed that line. Still, when I look at people who’ve already retired, I can’t help but feel a bit concerned.

I hate to admit it, but there was a time I was against motor vehicle inspections. I always thought they were a waste of energy. For me, anyway; they got in my way. The fact that they existed forced me to do something I didn’t want to do – an extra and irritating chore. And honestly, they still do get in my way, but that’s because of the simple fact that I know how to perform my own vehicle maintenance and repairs.