Everest: Beyond the Limit!

I understand tis' the season and I would like to wish everybody a happy and safe holiday. However if you have time or a TiVo system I highly recommend watching Everest: Beyond the Limit on the Discovery channel. I have been captivated by this gritty and informative documentary on what exactly it takes to reach the summit of the highest mountain in the world. Anyway there are running a marathon starting at 5pm today and I can't say enough good things about the show. Enjoy!

Ashamed to be from New Jersey

Most of the people around the country have a pretty bad impression of New Jersey and usually I am the first to disagree with them. While it is true that our great state has plenty of problems such as overcrowding, traffic and guidos it also has many advantages that we take for granted. Growing up in northern New Jersey where else in the world can you be in New York City in the morning and the beach by noon the same day. We also have access to to gaming and entertainment in Atlantic city as well as some of the best talent theaters have to offer right on Broadway. Museums are never far and golf courses and ski lodges are aplenty and easily accessible. Alright enough of the New Jersey and you perfect together commercial and time to get to the point.

While making my daily miserable commute to work in Manhattan the other day I had one of these Holy Shit, I wish I was from anywhere, but New Jersey. Being stopped in traffic as usual on Route 3 in Secaucus right before the 495 Halifax , I just happened to look out my driver side window and couldn't believe the amount of crap that was on the side of the road. I understand this is New Jersey and pollution has always been a problem, which makes this even worse. I mean if you grew up in this area and you are appalled by the amount of liter on the side of the road you know it must be bad. Adding to the usual things such as cups and tires that we are used to seeing on the roadways, I was also greeted by used diapers, mattresses egg containers and I am not sure but I could have sworn I seen Vito Spadafore's fat dead carcass laying over there.

So while the Xanadu and Equinox projects are getting underway, just a few hundred yards from these high end complexes is probably the most polluted highway this side of Baghdad. That's right nothing like spending millions on a beautiful golf course and having your drive hit off the rim of a 1985 Buick. The only thing I can imagine that would be more rewarding is enjoying a nice breakfast on the balcony of your new overpriced condo and taking in not only the sights of the Manhattan skyline but also the oil and gas containers that liter your neighborhood, but hey that indoor skiing should be a hoot.

So instead of just bitching about the problems over the next forty five minutes it took me to go the remaining 4 miles to work I decided to try and come up with a solution. Of course it starts very simply by not throwing anymore shit out your window, which I already don't do and encourage all others not to, but there has to be more. Anyway I came up with a few quick ideas: We could also exercise that excellent temp agency The Orange Jumpsuit Brigade. Why let the people that can't behave themselves sit around in our local jails and do nothing but eat sleep and have access to free weights while we go to work and pay for things like gym memberships. Did you ever stop to think while we pay $50 or more to a gym every month, the same guy who stole your car gets to go for free? I say get these bozos out there and I am not talking once a week, hell lets get them out there everyday.

Along the same lines, lets get some juvenile deliquents out there to help the big boys clean up. Too often we let our young people get away with crime and vandalism with just a slap in the wrist. Besides if they do get locked up what the hell is sitting around for a year going to do for them. Let's throw them in school until noon and then it's time to hit the highway boys!

We could also use people who are unemployed. Hey, I understand that you have to look for jobs, but Saturdays and Sundays you should be free. I mean it must be nice to sit home and collect $465 a week for doing nothing, but look at it this way you are still making over $400 for two days worth of work.

I am also going to look into organizations that allow everyday people to volunteer their time and help clean up. More info to come on a later day. Sorry about the nasty tone, but this is your mind goes if you are given too much time in a car. Why do you think 90% of truck drivers are crazy?

Later! By the way please feel free to offer any suggestions you may have.

Successful Sunday all Around

After having a pretty shitty Saturday after my car broke down and having to take a 12:05 am bus home from Manhattan I was hoping Sunday would be better and luckily it was.

I Woke up early and made my way back into Manhattan so I could participate in the Joe Kleinerman 10k in Central Park. It was my first race with the New York Road Runners Club and I was pretty happy with my result finishing the 6.2 miles in 55 minutes.

After that was done I headed back home and spent the next couple of hours running around getting ready for the first annual Green's Christmas Extravaganza, which turned out to be a great time. Walking the red carpet to the event were fellow bloggers K. Rove and Ricky as well as a posse of pregnant women. Anyway before long the homemade eggnog was flowing and a a good time was had by all, especially yours truly who lost a couple of hours somewhere along the way.

On a side note, I would just like to thank everybody who came by and blessed our house with their presence. I feel like life would be nothing if you didn't have any friends to share it with and as far as I am concerned my friends are the best there are. There is nobody I would rather share all of my great experiences with.

I also would like to send a special thank you out to Mrs. Green who did a terrific job hosting the party as she always does. Everything looked beautiful from the Christmas tree right down to the fake shiny silverware. I am proud to call her my wife. Aside from keeping everybody's belly's full she also had to deal with my drunk ass, but hey nobody said getting into heaven would be easy.

10k, Then Christmas Party on Sunday

First off, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts in the past couple of weeks, between long days of opera, holiday stuff and an expectant wife I really haven't had much time to do anything of late.

That said I am really pumped for the holidays and this Sunday in particular. In the morning I will be running a 10K race in Central Park (6.2 miles) that will hopefully be the first step toward my goal of running the New York City Marathon next year, so anyone who may happen to be in the city on a Sunday morning whether it be from the night before or waking up early I invite you to come on down and cheer.

Later on in the day Mrs. Green and myself will be hosting our first annual Holiday Christmas Party at our house and I welcome everybody who is reading this to come. I am looking forward to seeing everybody together for the holidays and hopefully a good time will be had for all. A full review of the party will be given on Monday.

Anyway it is 1:00am and I am tired see everybody later!