I can’t help but feel nostalgic when it rains.  Southern California is basically a desert where water was once diverted so people could inhabit the place.  Measurable rainfall is an odd event that usually causes other rather major events like mudslides and multi-car accidents.  Mudslides occur when rain falls on a mountainside that was burned bare the summer before and the top foot or two lets loose and comes crashing to the bottom.  Anything in its way will be buried and likely never heard from again.  The multi-car accidents however, are preventable.  Unfortunately,  the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz said it best, “If I only had a brain.”  He had to be talking about driving in the rain in So Cal.  I will always be amazed how some of these people make it to wherever they are going.  The speeds stay the same as dry conditions.  The lane changing and tail-gating stay the same as well.  Driving home today was an adventure, but I made it safe, much to the chagrin of at least five knuckleheads.  I can’t help but think about Hawaii whenever it rains.  The sound of the drops hitting the fronds of the palm tree outside my window takes me back every time.  The only thing missing to take me back to Florida would be the cracking of thunder and lightning blasting across the sky every few seconds.  This rain is a much more peaceful one.  I do long for the rumble of thunder every now and again, but not today.  Today I am enjoying that rare sound outside my window that takes me back to the islands.  #MyAumakua

Today was one of those days.  It all started when I showed up at work.  The customers, challenges, issues, and problems were non-stop all day.  Busy days are nice because you work on many different issues and when you finally have a chance to look up, its lunch time.  Today was not quite that fluid.  I seemed to work on something for an hour or more only to look up at the clock to see it has been fifteen minutes.  After getting chewed up, yelled at, cursed, and on occasion, thanked my day was finally over.  I changed into some workout clothes and headed to my favorite parking lot at El Segundo Beach.  I got out of the car and immediately hit the path.  No stretching or warming up, no sir.  I just started walking.  Every now and again I would speed into a trot or a shuffle as we called it in the Army.  I walked about a mile, then I scrambled down some rocks onto the beach itself.  The sun was preparing to set and it was just beautiful along the entire coast.  I looked up at the bike path I just exited and there was a small group of people.  All of them with their back to the beach and the setting sun.  I continued walking not really thinking too much about it  but started to notice that everyone had their back to the sun.  I suddenly realized that all these people were taking “selfie” pictures.  I have to tell you, I just don’t get it.  Are you so intent on proving to someone, anyone, that you were actually at the place you took the selfie at that you actually miss the very thing you are showing yourself off admiring?  I guess there are some things I will never understand.  The sunset was amazing.  I don’t think I will ever take that for granted.  But hey, if ya can’t beat em…

There are few things that satisfy me more than getting things done.  Your character and experience is constructed on things you have done.  To claim something as an experience you had to have completed it.  You can’t be a mountain climber if you have never climbed a mountain.  A little more down to earth are the day to day things we all deal with and getting them done.  I make a list every morning that I simply write “to do” at the top of.  I then sit and think of the things I want to accomplish today along with all the things I know I must accomplish today.  I prioritize each item on the list and check them off as I go.  Toward the end of the day I look at my list and see if there is anything I have left to complete.  If there is I try to get them done.  Sometimes I will deem something that is incomplete as not important and push it to the next day.  You have to be careful with that though because before you know it you will have four things that you have been moving and then they begin to become important.  As some of you may know, I recently finished writing a book.  The pleasure I have being able to say that is beyond explanation but I sure hope I don’t overdo my talking about it.  It has taken me only fifteen years to be able to say that my book is complete so it is a big deal for me.  I will be publishing it in the next few weeks so keep an eye out for “My Aumakua.”  Look, if you are talking about doing something or wishing you had the time for whatever it is, I say write it down and work at it until you can check it off.  Satisfaction comes with completion whether you pass or fail, win or lose, the key is that you tried.  You made the effort and attempt.  Go for it.  Oceanic White Tip Shark drawn with charcoal.  JO

I didn’t write my daily blog yesterday because I just plain ran out of time.  I had to work, then I had a very important appointment to select a very important piece of jewelry.  After that, I came home and had a few things to do before taking my everything out for a nice dinner to celebrate St. Valentines Day in style.  Yesterday was a good day.  Today, I ran to the grocery store in the morning.  While getting important things, I found myself browsing the “suckers aisle” as this other shopper put it, for a little candy heart.  May as well, right?  While exiting the store, I paused at the door to allow an older couple room through.  When I did this, the rather large, refrigerator box shaped (expletive) behind me, walked around me, then between the couple coming through the door, all while staring into his phone.  This move wiped the smile off of the faces of the couple and replaced with the unanimous look of disgust seen at most grocery stores.  It provoked an uncontrollable exhaust from me in the form of “dick!”.  This is probably the same moron that passes a line of cars exiting or entering a freeway and cuts in front of everyone.  This move doesn’t make you smart or look like a “go-getter,” oh no, this makes you an asshole. Sometimes people who do this actually wave to you as if to say “thank you.”  I especially loathe these people because I did not extend the courtesy you just stole.  Had I done that, waved you in for example, a wave is the proper response.  It is a real shame that people are no longer learning these very important life tools.  The guy who stormed through the door I was politely waiting at heard me and turned around with a scowl on his large, square head.  All I could think to do was smile and wink.  There are a lot of people in the world that could really use a good ass whoppin.  The number growing exponentially on an hourly basis.   Deep breath and a chuckle.  Have a good week.  

Today I was able to experience a couple things that really chap my ass.  One thing that gets me all bent is lazy speaking skills.  What is that you ask?  Well, let’s take the upcoming romantic holiday, St. Valentines Day.  Pretty simple actually and a very clever twist on a story to get people spending money a month and a half after Christmas.  I was subject to three, yes, three people today at three different times refer to the upcoming as “Valentimes Day.”  Really?  I have this quirky thing I do if I am unsure how something is pronounced or what its meaning is, I look it up and make sure I am using it correctly.  On that note, I am not perfect nor do I expect anyone else to be.  I just find it aggravating when someone is so lazy they don’t even try to do the work of finding the correct letter. I don’t correct, I just let that person go on doing what they do.  So I guess it must not bother me that much, right?  Lastly, I had a customer show up at 3:58 today.  That is two minutes before we close.  Keep in mind, we have been open at this point for 9 hours and fifty eight minutes.  I know because I have been in the branch for ten hours and thirty eight minutes.  This particular customer has a habit of showing up at this time of the day just about every time he comes to see us.  Today, I was in no mood.  He walked in with a smile and laughingly said “Man, I just made it!”  My glare was that of a sniper, only thing missing was the scope.  “I just need to return a few things and ask you if you have ever heard of a product that…blah blah blah!”  I couldn’t help it.  I cut him off right there.  “Listen, I’ll process the return for you but if you need advice, ask google.  We close in one minute and thirty seconds so if you need to pick up something else I need to know now.”  He looked at me for a few and retorted “Whats the big deal, You’re not closed yet and besides you’ve got nothing better to do.”  Yes, he said that.  I took a deep breath and explained that we are open for ten hours a day and I am here before and after those ten.  I told him if he couldn’t make it to us during our regular business hours, there is a Home Depot right down the street.  If you are going to charge into a place when they are closing their doors, have the courtesy to know what you want and get in and get out.  People have families they miss and a life outside their work to get to.  If you need more time with the specialists, don’t snag them all up at the end of the work day.  I can guarantee that you will not get good info or product when you are the last man standing ten minutes after closing time.  Rant complete.  Starting weekend sequence…NOW!

Today, the President of the United States graced us with his presence here in Los Angeles. (eyeroll)  He flew in on Air Force One for the approximately twenty second time since January of 2015.  (cha ching!) I was very excited to hear that he was flying all the way across our great country to appear on the Ellen show and attend two fundraisers at a couple of rich, Hollywood Director’s home’s to support something.  (his upcoming unemployment I guess.)  I am a big fan of the Ellen show! (Never seen it, its on while I am at work!)  On the morning news they spoke of his visit and the reporter called the afternoon to come “Obamajam,” trying to make light of the fact that our humble leader and civil servant was flying in at 2 pm, the beginning of rush hour.  (great idea!)  I once read to move the president anywhere utilizing Air Force One it costs the taxpayer one million dollars an hour.  If this is true, his visit to Ellen today has already cost us five million, the flight from east to west. (how thrifty) I have never seen a president in my life that has spent as much time on talk shows.  I don’t want to know my presidents personal side.  I don’t want to know if he sneaks out of the white house to grab a big mac every few days or likes to wear different colored socks under his trousers.  I would rather read about my former presidents cute little personal side in his/her memoir after they leave office.  I find it incredibly foolish for a sitting world leader, any world leader, to travel this way for such a meaningless and useless reason.  I wish our President would spend a little more time in the Oval Office and a little less time swooning celebrities.  Mr. President, we are involved in a war in case your advisers have failed to remind you. Thankfully, I am not the parent of an active duty service member or I would be one hundred times more upset than I am.   The perks you enjoy are earned and you sir have not earned them as far as I am concerned.  I haven’t seen too much of this “change” we were promised, except for taxes and fear going up and confidence going down.  Myself and the (apx) 3 million other Angelino’s who were sitting in snarled traffic hope you had a nice time on Ellen. #POTUS

I had another good day today mostly because I made plans to hit the beach after work, again.  It is a regimen not unlike medication I have prescribed myself.  A couple times a week, one of those a weekend day, I am demanding that I go to my happy place.  In my case it is the beach or near the ocean.  I would say that I am lucky to live by the ocean but the truth is I work very hard so I can live here.  I put in very long, challenging days to be near the water.  Today I went to another favorite spot called El Porto.  This surf spot is at the northern end of the famous “Strand” which lines its way through Hermosa, and Manhattan Beach.  Nestled at the doorstep of some of the most extravagant beach homes in the world is a pretty good beach and surf spot.  Beach volleyball was made famous here, on this very beach.  I had a really good session made extra fun by the lack of people around and the abundance of non-humans and, well, some of the humans.  There were dolphin swimming around and seagulls floating about through the line-up.  Watching pelicans fly in formation, close to the surface of the water and actually surfing the air pressure wave in front of the water wave is one mesmerizing sight.  The trip was capped off by a group of locals hanging around talking and complaining about how the rent has recently skyrocketed in the area.  I overheard one guy say that he pays $3200.00 for a one car garage “but hey, I can be in the water in sixty seven steps.” Sounded like a deal to me.  As I finished tying my board to my truck, I overheard one of the locals say “Hey! Look at that whale out there! It is in the line-up, man!” I was pretty sure there was no whale out there, not that close but likely a dolphin.  I looked in the direction he described and was shocked to see a full sized whale surface and exhale not fifty feet from the line-up of surfers.  I guess I came in a little too early.  Maybe next time I will be so lucky to be that close to a creature as amazing as that.  Truthfully I was stoked to be as close as I was being in the parking lot.  Medicine taken, time to head home and enjoy the rest of my hump-day.  Find out what makes you happy then write a prescription to yourself.  The side-effects are minimal, trust me.

As many of you know, I have written a book.  The title of my book is “My Aumakua” and is set to be published within the next sixty days.  I am very excited to report that my good friend Ken Morsette, whom I met in the Army and have stayed friends has painted a beautiful work of art for my cover.  Ken is a truly gifted artist.  He lives in Box Elder, Montana which could be about as far away from the ocean as anywhere.  What he painted is truly wonderful and I am not about to spoil my cover surprise here.  Isn’t it amazing how the mechanism of friendship works?  I lost touch with Kenny when I was transferred to Pearl Harbor, HI, only to reconnect thanks to the wonders of Facebook.  I sent him a copy of the manuscript, well, what I had at the time and he looked it over and painted by inspiration.  What he came up with is truly awesome.  I cannot wait to share.  You will be hearing more about my artist friend as I will be showing you a lot of his material and accomplishments in the future.  Ken, if you are reading this, I cannot thank you enough.  You are gifted and I am proud to call you my friend.  #MyAumakua

I work in South Central Los Angeles, California.  The area is well known throughout the world for its spicy history.  Most of the notoriety the area possesses is due to gang activity and crime, unfortunately.  I personally don’t find it to be all that bad but I do go in to work very early and am usually out of there before the sun sets so maybe I miss the spicy stuff.   Today, someone decided to celebrate the Chinese New Year with firecrackers.  Outside my office window that is along the street a couple guys were attempting to stave off evil spirits for the new year.  I could hear someone talking outside my window and at one point I even looked out through the security bars.  When the firecrackers were lit, and then exploded, my Army training kicked in and I hit the deck.  I literally dropped on the floor.  The others in the office were sitting, stunned and frozen with fear.  When we realized that they were firecrackers and not a gun we all breathed a sigh of relief.  The chances of the noise coming from a gun in that area are pretty good, firecrackers, much less.  I wasn’t even embarrassed.  It did get me thinking about the world we live in today.  It is a shame that a couple guys celebrating their cultures holiday could be mistaken for something terrible right outside my window.  So Happy Chinese New Year everyone, may all the loud bangs you hear in your future be from firecrackers too.

Growing up, I wish I knew that people were subject to placement into percentages.  Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately,  all I knew was that you had to do the best you could, and if you did better then the other guy, well, you won.

This is not the way reality works.  So sorry to be the one to bust your bubble.  I spoke of “awards” before but, this is different.  When I joined the Army the first thing stripped from me was my identity,  the second was my acceptance of loss.  You lose, well, YOU LOSE! Suck it up and drive on!  DRIVE ON.  Don’t whine, and don’t cry, DRIVE ON!  Keep at it, whatever it is you are after, keep driving.  I have a friend  that worked really hard toward a degree while working a seemingly menial job. After achieving this degree the difference in their life is astonishing.  The amount of effort is unfathomable to the majority of us, but to them, the one percent, it is, well, it is what makes them the one percent.  If you are willing to put the time, effort, and pain into placing yourself into the 1%.  I support you…100%  You really have to put in the effort.  Nothing in this life will come to you for free. If you want it, work for it.  Work your ass off for it.  If you don’t get it...KEEP WORKING!!!!