Jan 24 2012

It’s The First ‘T’ of The Week

So this is the second entry…

  1. I hadn’t heard my first country song until 2004 when I moved into a house with 4 cowgirls, one being my boss.
  2. Lived on an island for 4 years, yet I do not know how to swim
  3. Xingtea Green Tea with Honey is my favorite drink…I’m drinking one right now
  4. The first country artist/band I saw in concert was Montgomery Gentry when they opened up for ZZ Top at Greeley Stampede back in 2005.
  5. I haven’t spent 1 penny on anything related to the Harry Potter franchise
  6. Mango is my favorite fruit and I can eat it throughout the an entire day, which I have done.
  7. I use to work as an overnight stocker at King Soopers (roughly 3 months) and was the first person trained on the self-checkout machines in the Gunbarrel, CO store.
  8. I worked at Chuck E’ Cheese for 3 weeks for the sole purpose of being Chuckie once in my life.
  9. I made a $50 dollar bet with a roommate once that I could beat them in chess in 5 moves. I won.
  10. One night after work, I convinced the fellow patrons at Old Chicago in Fort Collins that my dad, who was present, was the guy the played Jerry Garcia in Half-Baked. They picked up our table’s bar tab. I was also 19 at the time.
Jan 18 2012

If I Had To Make My Top 5 List

Jan 17 2012

I’m An Open Book But You’ll Never Know Everything About Me

In order to keep me writing consistently. One habit I’m going to attempt to do at least every Tuesday is writing 10 random things about me or things I’ve done. First entry….

  1. I like to stay in hotels in random cities/towns, a different city/town each time, for a night or the weekend.
  2. I’ve had more female roommates than I have had male roommates.
  3. I hate the taste of Pepsi, yet I do contract work for them. (Mountain Dew is the only Pepsi product I will drink)
  4. I type over 100 words per minute accurately.
  5. I don’t know how to do the bunny-ear method when tying my shoes.
  6. I’ve been the same height since 7th grade.
  7. I had surgery on my tongue in 3rd grade because I couldn’t stick my tongue out pass my lips, looked like a 3rd lip.
  8. I was in speech class from Kindergarten through the 5th grade.
  9. I categorize everything and know when something is missing just by looking at the shelves.
  10. I prefer using sharpened pencils over mechanical or pens.
Jan 16 2012

Courage Is What It Takes To Stand Up And Speak; Courage Is Also What It Takes To Sit Down And Listen

Just Listen

Two simple words that, as adults, we don’t often say a loud to each other but every day each of us wants that.  To be heard and listened to.

We desperately want someone to take the time to hear us.  Really hear us.  But too often, we are too caught up in talking about ourselves to listen to anyone else’s heart.  We are in too much of a hurry to slow down and really listen.  There is too much to do and too little time.  If the conversation isn’t about us or things that are important to us, it’s easy to turn off or tune out.

We’ve all experienced being on either end of that scenario.  So we all just go through life figuring that’s just the way it is.  No one really wants to listen to who we are, or what we dream, our hopes, our fears.  And we settle for small talk that is quick and unimportant but puts a loose band-aid on the ache of our hearts that so want to be heard.

I ordered a sandwich this afternoon and when the waiter came up to our table with our entire order, he decided to strike up a conversation about what we were all working on/researching on our laptops & phones. He soon figured out that we are from out-of-state and went about telling us places to see, little joints to check out. But it didn’t stop right there, he sold these places to us. He began telling us story after story about each place, sometimes these places had multiple stories. His smile was from ear to ear as he spoke about his memories. This in turn fascinated us and we began asking him questions about who he is/what he does and it was obvious to see that his day was made….

I will most likely never see either this man again.  I hope that he felt heard and cared for in those minutes I was with them.  But I’m thankful for what they reminded me of once again.  The profound power of listening.  The small sacrifice of our own time and our own voice has the potential to touch another soul. With those we know and love and with the strangers who may “randomly” come across our paths.

Jan 16 2012

I Am Proud of My Long List Of Things I’ve Failed At

There are many things I am bad at & I am glad I found out. Trying is what matters… For instance, went on a date last year for the first time in my life and I totally messed that up. Probably will the next few times too.

Trying to live out each year with less regrets than the previous means having to take more risks. Finding that courage in yourself to get up, speak out, reach for whatever it may be. It’s the first month of the new year and you need to know what it is that is important to you. What would matter to you at the end of this year, month, week, day? What if you die.

How do you know someone is manipulating? When they lack remorse or regret.
What is the opposite of Regret? Acceptance & learning.
Not having regrets is synonymous with being open to growing & learning, allowing the tweak of pain to influence you.
No regrets means experimenting & pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Be authentic & accept that regrets are an important part of life. The regrets that are hardest to bear are lost opportunities, the unfinished business of the things you failed to risk is harder to live with than your mistakes. Look back over the year and consider the positive things you failed to say to those you love. Look back ever farther.

Now change that. Your future has arrived, are you ready to go?

By Elric • Posted in Life
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Jan 10 2012

Those Will Be The Best Memories (Part 2…)

1. An afternoon at China Dragon. A “new” employee mentions her daughter, Stephanie, was coming into the restaurant today. I was filling in as host that night as my brother had it off that day. This long blonde haired, blue-eyed beautiful girl came through the doors and came up to the counter with the biggest smile I had ever seen. I was struck speechless as she asked me if her mom was around…. I just pointed.  I sat her down and went to get her mom, without saying a word. Her mom asks “Why didn’t you say anything you silly goof?” I told her we were going to play this off as if I was a mute. She would come into the restaurant every day and for 2 weeks I would not say a word. Everybody was in on it. She was soon hired on as a waitress and I finally spoke, asking her to hang out. Not a day went by for the following 3 years where we were not together.

2. Sneaking into my first R-Rated movie. End of Days @ the old MetroLux Theatre.

3. Convincing everyone at Old Chicago that my dad was the dude that played Jerry Garcia in Half-Baked and then getting our tab paid for by the customers.

4. Concert hopping down in Denver when I was 20 with my roommates/friends/co-workers/band-mates.

5. Getting bottle service for the first time after turning 21 at Purple Martini and having my first dance with some girl at the bar.

6. Being attacked by a rottweiler in the middle of a blizzard during recess in the 3rd grade.

Jan 9 2012

Those Will Be The Best Memories (Part 1…)

Just a bunch of memories with my Colorado friends that have come around in talks recently…

1. 18 years old, recently moved to Boulder after HS graduation… 5 of us have been playing Halo all day and into the night when we started getting hungry. Someone says “A #2 with a coke would be perfect right now.” ….. We all look at each other, maybe 10 seconds later without saying a word, we hop into one of the guy’s cars and make our way to California to get some In-N-Out. After we ate, we turned around and headed home.

2. Had just recently moved into Lincoln Place in downtown Loveland, 4 years ago. A buddy (who may had very well been a roommate since he woke up every day on the couch) and I were playing Halo 3 when a friend down in Austin, TX asked “When are you guys going to come down and visit?!” … I turned to my buddy and asked “What are you doing the next 4 days?” .. “Nothing.” .. “We’re going to Austin.” … We left the next morning.

3. Sitting in the green room at Starlight in Fort Collins. (It is now called Hodi’s Half-Note). I was about to go on stage with my band that I had joined 3 weeks prior and had to learn all their songs on the bass guitar in that time frame. Never having ever played the guitar or performed in front of an audience, I was crazy nervous. Then I remembered why I agreed to do this as I saw the biggest smile on the lead singer’s face and remembered I was doing this for him so he could live out his dream of performing songs he had written in front of a crowd. I don’t remember looking up into the crowd until our last song where I then witnessed a mosh pit occurring and the lead singer’s family in tears of joy. Felt good.

4. When my boy took me under his wing after I had turned 21 and helped me get that shyness out of me. Going out every night, making friends, connections & enjoying 21 to the fullest. Being able to walk in through the back door, Goodfellas style through the kitchen, at Tailgate Tommy’s every Friday & Saturday was such a good feeling when the crowd inside see you come through those swinging doors and the line which always wrapped around the block wonder what’s up. Haha, ballin’

5. Waking up on a bed surrounded by stuffed animals. Obviously a young kids’ room when looking upon the ocean of toys on the floor. I slowly walked out into an empty house with all the doors being shut. Not knowing at all where I was, I just decided to chill on the couch hoping someone I knew would appear. About 4 hours later after having beers with 4 black guys I had never bet before and watching Dave Chappelle… my boy (from #4) comes out of one of the rooms and I feel relieved. He explained the situation after we left after watching a few more episodes of Chappelle.