It is nice to hear your voice

Are you one of those people who get bored easily so you try different things, like new

apps and social media connections? Yeah me too, … well kind of. I am sure you know I really am not that active on the other platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, SnapChat), but I DID sign up for a podcast account so I can talk instead of posting, writing or typing. I had a lot of friends/fans tell me that they would rather watch or listen to me as sometimes it is not so easy to read. Maybe like me, you need bifocals so reading small text can be a chore or just plain impossible.
Some of my fans have said they just love listening to my deep baritone voice. So I went back to the site, Anchor, and uploaded a new, fresh picture of me and recorded a quick daily podcast on my iPhone. The thought process behind this is if it is super easy for me to record and upload a podcast, I just might be a lot more inclined to do so. I think impromptu, go with the flow, fly by the seat of my pants is the way to go. And as you know I am going to be in Vegas this weekend, staying at the Bellagio. If any of my fans/friends happen to be around grab me for a selfie or a drink.
The “plan” is I can just whip out my iPhone and start talking/recording and then my friends/fans can just listen to me. I won’t be taking my computer so there probably won’t be any blog updates. I will be posting pictures to my Instagram, so if you follow me there you will see some fun stuff. I almost forgot, here is the link if you want to follow my podcast. I think you can use Spotify if that is your favorite podcast app. It is also available on GooglePlay, iTunes, and Amazon Music!

I always wanted to be a news anchor. So this will be me dipping my toe in the water. Shout out to Jurassic sequel whatever … very predictable, drags at parts, and lots of big scary dinos. Dr. Strange 2 just released on Disney+. Yes, I already downloaded it to my iPad and I will be watching it on the airplane. Do you like my new “work” shirt? I made it myself. I found the patch with my name on eBay and then I bought a Dickies blue shirt and super glued the patch. Originally it was going to be a Halloween costume, but I really dig it. I think I will take it with me on vacation, just for shits and giggles.

 

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Vegas Countdown!

June 25th I will be chilling in Vegas! I will be sure to write up a review and post a lot of fun pictures.

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The Million Roses

Have you heard about The Million Roses company? I recently saw one of their products watching “Selling Sunset” on Netflix and I was intrigued. I looked them up online and found that they cultivate and grow these beautiful roses and preserve them for up to 3 years. So wow. Now they are a little pricey, but considering their shelf life compared to fresh cut roses, it isn’t that bad. It just so happened to be my mother’s birthday so I decided a box of roses would brighten anyone’s day. If you are looking for an awesome gift, then I highly recommend you give some of these to a lucky someone.

I was not paid for an endorsement. If you sign up for their text messages you will get a 15% off (one time use) coupon/discount. Do that before you buy.

 

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Who’s Your Daddy?

Imagine for a moment that “mom” can’t get pregnant. So she goes to a fertility doctor and gets a sperm donor (a medical student) and has a baby. Yay! This is a true story. You decide at some point in life to take a DNA test and accidentally find out you have a whole lot of siblings. Same dad, different mom. Oops.

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I did one already with CRI but this one is with 23 and me. There is a new Netflix show called “Our Father” and it is pretty wild. I just ordered the one through 23 and me in case I accidentally have any siblings I don’t know about. It will be interesting to compare the results and see if there are any discrepancies. It will take awhile before I have any results, but I will be sure to post them once I have them. CRI didn’t have that option as they keep their results private.

 

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Look 10+ Years Younger

Hey guys – welcome back to my site/page! So you are probably wondering what I did to look so much younger. A really simple thing that guys (and girls) can do to look younger is to have your eyebrows professionally done. I’ll admit that I had/have an eyebrow “thing”. Meaning I am sort of a snot when it comes to judging people’s brows.  And if I have ever mentioned your brows to you … well you probably deserved it. And hopefully with a little gentle guidance you went and did something about it. Plucked, tweezed, went to a salon.  Some people are just genetically lucky when it comes to eyebrows and brow ridge. Others have to put a little work and effort into it. When I was young and in my 20’s this is what my eyebrows looked like. Over time, mens’ eyebrows do one of two things … grow crazy wild, or lose them all together. And sadly, some guys eyebrows turn white, which really makes them look older. So a very simple, and semi pain-free experience is to have your eyebrows microbladed. Individual hair lines are “tattooed” on your brows. Does it hurt? How does getting your teeth scraped at the dentist sound? Well that’s how is sounds, but it doesn’t feel like it. If it starts to hurt just say “Ow.” and she will put more numbing medicine on you. But literally it is just a few minutes of pain. My tattoo hurt more. Braces hurt more. So if you are in Colorado and you want to look younger and improve your looks you can call Maria at 720-779-4270 Palace of Aesthetics in Arvada. She said anyone I referred could have the same Groupon price of $160. Just mention my name and you are gold. I gave her nice tip since the normal price is $500. I know right? But now I can wash my face and go swimming without worrying about my eyebrows washing off. Ladies know what I am talking about. Plus, fuller thick eyebrows makes you look younger.
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So do you want to hear my eyebrow story? I guess now that I have semi-permanent eyebrows I can share my story. Back in junior high school I was sitting in math class and I overheard one of my friends making fun of this girl who had horrendous eyebrows. It was like the first thing you noticed about her and immediately all you could think of. They laughed and laughed and it stuck with me. At the time, I also had unkept natural eyebrows. But they were bad, and needed attention. I didn’t know what I was doing but I studied dozens of male models eyebrows and then I tweezed like cray. Man that hurt. It was awful. And because I didn’t know better, I used Sea Breeze on them afterward, and OMG that was the dumbest fucking idea ever. But I never had to worry about anyone making fun of my eyebrows. It wasn’t until I worked at the jewelry store that one of my friends asked if I ever thought about making my brows darker, instead of … overplucked. Well, COVID happened and I wasn’t going anywhere and so I just got lazy and let them grow back to what they were intended to be. And then I started investigating eyebrow makeup products, watched YouTubers videos/reviews and finally came to my own version of doing my brows. The EASIEST, fastest way to do them … for me, is using a semi-permanent tattoo marker, made by Bic, yes you heard me right. I just fill them in and it stays for a day. It was made for skin and it doesn’t rub off. Tah duh! Now this only really works for dark haired guys. While this is really pretty simple, it still takes a few minutes every day to do this. So that is why I opted for microblading. Guys can seriously improve their attractiveness/looks variable by doing this one simple beauty procedure.

 

So many of you are wondering what I thought of “Morbius”. Are you into vampire movies? If you are, then you will like this one. Do you like Jared Leto? Then you will like it. If you answered no, then don’t watch it. Wait until it hits HBOMax. If DC were to reinvent the “Batman” and not the original, they would turn a man into a “bat” by being bit by one right? Spiderman power syndrome. A guy who can control bats and drinks blood. Well, here he is, but his is called Morbius, not Batman. AND he is a bad guy. Personally I am WAY more into MoonKnight on Disney+. The whole Egyptian god thing is fascinating. And in case you forgot, taxes are due on Monday in the United States.

I bought a thousand dollars of airbnb, the other day and it already has gone up $16 in a few days. Who knows what it will be worth in 20-30 years? I used Robinhood if you need a recommendation. There were no fees when I purchased the stock. Super easy, super simple.

 

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I Work Hard For the Money!

Have you ever noticed that society is fickle AF? It encourages small creative individuals to go big or go home. But when they make it big, they want to knock them down. Just because someone has figured out how to earn money does not mean they are obligated to give it away. Kim (Kardashian) has worked hard her whole life to be successful. She sort of worked retail once. Not like me slaving away at Walmart and Bob’s Super Store, but kind of close. My VERY first job was cleaning cars at the local car dealership. I think I was paid $10 a day, but that was bank to me. While I didn’t know it at the time, it taught me to detail my own car for years to come. Every nook and crack cleaned with a Q-tip. That was before my days of throwing newspapers on people’s front porch.

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Yep, I was a newspaper carrier for years and years. I learned the value of customer service, earning tips, counting back change, and of course, a healthy dose of exercise every single day. I grew strong from carrying heavy heavy bags of paper, and then throwing those perfect cylindrical weapons of destruction. I also learned the very useful skill of prospecting and sales. When a new person would move into a renter house, I would deliver the newspaper for a week with a note saying it was complimentary from me. After a week, I would go knock on the door, introduce myself and sell them a subscription that they needed to pay for now. It was like, a whole $5. Worked every time. As a carrier I got one free subscription for myself … which I gave to them for a week. After getting used to reading it, people just wanted it. Today they call it a free trial subscription, one month free. Technically I was an employee, but I never paid any taxes to the IRS for my newspaper money. When customers would write a check to the Kearney Daily Hub, I would just signed their business name, and then my name and deposit into my personal checking account. Never once did they ask for an employee verification to prove I could deposit it. I guess after I got onto my bicycle and pedaled away they knew I was for probably the paperboy. “Oh no! That kid stole a $5 check!” Yeah, not likely some kid broke into a house and wrote a check to himself for $5. That would be just stupid. Gotta say, of all the jobs I have ever done, that was one of the worst. Think about all that shitty snow in the winter. Yeah, you can’t ride a bike very easily. And the summers. My God the summers were blistering hot. The worst ever.

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The torture didn’t stop there. In Nebraska they do this thing called “detasseling”. WTF is that right? Well,there are millions of ears of corn that grow little seed-like tassels that need to be pulled out in order to grow big. Well, children are exploited for slave labor and they do it. It is hard, hot sweaty dirty work. And I did it. One summer was all it took and I was grateful forever for my shitty job at Taco Johns.

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All of these horrible experiences taught me that being educated, smart and making wise financial decisions would prevent me ever having to do those jobs again. So if I could offer you one piece of advice that would/could change you forever, it would be … invest in real estate. And there is no reason why you couldn’t do that now. Just saying. Good in sales? Take the test and be a real estate agent. Have some equity/capital/savings? Invest in a rental property. If you are military or veteran, take advantage of the LOAN. Zero down. Buy low, hold it, sell high. When it appreciates on its own, take out another equity loan to buy another house. Rent it out, and when it appreciates, take out another loan for the down payment and buy another home. Rent it. It does not have to be in the same town the you live. $28 a day, is $10k a year. In 2 year, $20k, which is enough to find a starter home to rent. Home sales historically are the only for sure investment that will guarantee you an increase in value over a long term period. If you don’t have your own equity, do you know someone who loves and trusts you with theirs? Do your parents have thousands in their paid off home that they would loan you some of that in a home equity loan you promise to pay every single month on time? Do not buy at the peak of the market, only buy when a property is at its low point. Find a deal, something that might need a cosmetic face lift.

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Real Estate, ownership of it, will be a safe retirement plan. In 30 years from now, what would a brand new home be worth? New homes are still being built, who says you have to live in it to buy it? No one. Well, in Denver they have some weird rental home ownership laws. Don’t buy in Denver. It is overpriced and at the peak. Wait a few years when there are way too many properties for sale. There are new homes being built by the airport, in a community called Reunion. I think they start at $400’s. In 30 years it would be worth close to a million. Naturally you will need to have excellent credit to pull this off, but if you can and do, then when you retire you will have dozens of homes you can sell. What would a 4-5 bedroom new home rent for these days? I am guessing around $4k–$5k a month. A $400k mortgage is only $1700 a month, but you are collecting twice that in rent. Hmmm. That seems like a no brainer to me. Just saying. Say you got a full $5k a month for rent. Or $60k is about $40k in profit. JUST for having that $80k for your 20% down. You either pay it down fast, or you live off of $40k a year just for being the landlord.  Now imagine you own 5 properties, each making $40k. That is almost $200k a year, … for doing nothing but be rich. Heck yeah, I think I like the sound of that. Don’t you?

 

 

“Being rich is all about mindset. Did you invest that stimulus check in AMC or MGM or did you spend it? Mindset.”
–Aaron M. Stephens, M.B.A.

 

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Travel Tips and Tricks

So if you didn’t know I am a seasoned traveler. I used to travel for work and I was on an airplane almost weekly. So when you are lugging heavy suitcases for what seems like miles, you learn a few tricks here and there to make your life easier. So I will share some of those with y’all while they are fresh in my mind.

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Get yourself a passport badge carrier. I just found a better one and linked it for you. I bought 2. One for me and one for my partner. I got mine from Viking Cruises, but you can easily buy one on Amazon or in the gift shop at the airport. Put your smartphone, drivers license, boarding pass, AirPods and regular earphones in there. Now you won’t forget where you put one of those items. Seriously, you will panic when you lose your phone in some irregular pocket. And I actually recommend getting the paper boarding pass and putting that in there too. That way you aren’t taking off your mask to unlock your phone or put in your passcode. Or you can screenshot the boarding pass if it isn’t in your apple wallet.

 

Use a bag/string backpack that folds up easily. Keep your coat(s) and extra clothes in there. When you are on the plane, you can put your coats in there and make it a pillow. The straps will hang nicely on your headrest. Take an empty water bottle through security and then fill it up with ice and your favorite beverage before you get on the plane. That goes for water, juice or alcohol. Mimosa anyone? If you aren’t driving and you are flying, chug a lug pooh bear. Keep it folded and flat in your pocket or carry-on until you get on the plane.

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Wear boots.  They are easy on easy off. No laces or metal. They are more comfortable. Bring an extra pair of running shoes and sandals. People spend so much time taking their shoes on and off at TSA. Although if you get TSA Pre check, you can skip that step all together. I’ll just wear boots. They also make me taller. They are loud on tile and command attention when walking through a silent hallway or room.

If you are an apple person, then your AirPods have noise cancellation feature. Go into bluetooth in the settings, and go into the options. It makes a big difference  when the plane is in the air. And you can block out crying kids. Keep those AirPods in your passport carrier when not in use. It is super easy to lose them or misplace them and then you are freaking out you just lost your $250 buds.  Or just use your 3.5mm corded headphones with the airlines video screens. Delta will sell you a pair for $2 if you forgot, so don’t buy them in the airport.

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Depending on how much you travel, and how much you can withstand standing in lines, you may want to invest in a CLEAR membership. It lets you jump the TSA line. And when there is a thousand people waiting to go through the rat maze, it is super handy.

Do you check a bag or do you carry on? It depends on your airline, your budget, and your level of tolerance, … meaning, how much patience do you have to wait in another long line for your luggage. I have discovered the power of a very well packed carry on bag, thus eliminating the need to drag around another heavy bag, especially if you have a long ways to go. Suitcases through NYC is very common, as is it in Las Vegas.

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I traveled with a friend once who said she didn’t want to have to wait for her luggage, so only do carry on. It was difficult at first, but I was able to make it work by not packing too much. You could always buy more clothes and go shopping. That is another strategy. Only pack clean socks and underwear, one shirt, one pair of work out pants. Voila, now you are packed so light you HAVE to go get something to wear, or be forced to just wear the same jacket every day. I accidentally left all my hanging shirts and had to buy new shirts, while on vacation. It actually was a fun break from the normal stuff. Keep in mind, in pictures, if you are outside it is usually the same coat/jacket in every picture — unless you are going somewhere warm. For me personally, tank tops are super easy to pack and take up no room at all. And when you are on the plane, it gets super cold a few thousand miles in the air, so wear layers so you can shed and put them back on. Also think about what sunglasses you like best and the ones that you look good in photos. There is nothing worse than forgetting your sunglasses and then buying a cheap pair that look and feel not so good. Glasses and sunglasses are a part of your identity.

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Remember that the world is opening up again, and people are starting to travel more. There are still staffing issues, and as a result, less planes that fly, and less options for cancelled flights, delays, stand-bys, and …. long, long lines everywhere. Most people are considerate and there wasn’t any issues with masks. Sure in the airport, no one is policing you if you take your mask down. Just don’t take it off. Obviously with food and drink you don’t have to wear one. But everyone I talked to said they all had the shot and booster.

My advice is to pick your favorite airline and fly exclusively. I choose Delta. I wasn’t even in their little club but they treated me like a king. Of course it also helps to tell the flight attendants/gate agents, “OMG, I LOVE YOU GUYS! DELTA is my BITCH!” They laugh and tell me they love me too! Works like a charm every time. Hey — free upgrades don’t just happen magically on their own. It sometimes takes a little nudge of happiness for someone to make your wish come true.

 

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Fly the Friendly Skies

If you think I am going to write about the “No Fly Zone” request that has been ongoing since the war, you are wrong. I am talking about normal people flying coach, in the United States.I just got back from sunny Pensacola, and due to the time constraints was unable to secure a discounted flight through Frontier. Now I am not dogging on Frontier, and normally everything with that airline is just fine. They only fly certain days and very limited routes. Not good. They also nickel and dime you for everything. It is … in my opinion — for the budget conscious minded. You have to remember that everyone is in a different stage in their life than you. So what is costly to you, might be pennies to another. So, if you are like me, you go to the different sites, plug in your dates and see what costs what. Clearly there are price differences and some are way more than others. Why?  Greed. Those seat prices change daily, and usually hourly. Some people see one rate while others see a discount. Some companies have deals that they buy seats at really low prices and then start selling them at a premium the closer the travel date. Frontier, Southwest and Spirit are all discount airlines. There are no tier levels. No first class. You get basic, very basic service. For some people that is JUST fine. You might have a second home on one of their direct flights, so you literally have no luggage as you have two homes full of clothes. I also discovered that if you are loyal and fly just one airline, they will reward you in forms of freebies.
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So where am I going with this? Well fortunately for me, I flew Delta this time. I decided it was worth the risk to apply for their top tier credit card, American Express Delta Reserve, which has a steep annual fee, $550. Naturally it arrived after I landed. I actually didn’t need to have the physical card as I was able to load it to my apple wallet, along with my boarding pass. Very cool. My electronic ticket, on my phone, also had my AmEx Delta card loaded, so when I checked into the lounge, they knew. One of the big perks is you get in their Sky Lounges, and you get 1 bag free, up to 8 people on your ticket. So that is like, $480, because you have to pay to get them back home. Bummer right? So what was new for me this time was the opportunity to request a complimentary upgrade from MAIN Cabin to Comfort Plus or even First Class. Well I quickly found out that those First Class seats are only awarded to Diamond Medallion, which I am not. However, 3 out of 4 air busses I managed to score a Comfort Plus seat, which was valued at thousands. And if you were sitting next to me from Pensacola to Atlanta, then you paid $1888 for the window version. I was in the middle, which is great so I can cross my left OR my right leg. And as silly as it sounds, it is much more relaxing to sit that way. Now, if you buy basic economy, which I guess must be like an Expedia ticket, you are not eligible for upgrades. So there were medallion members who I beat out for my seat. So I guess in “theory” my 3 seats were worth  $5664 in total. That is CRAY CRAY!! I didn’t dare tell my new friend I got my seat for free, … with only an AmEx Delta Reserve card. And get this, … although I have been a SkyMiles member for 2 decades, I only had 300 miles recorded. So the secret is your goal is to be a silver medallion Delta skymiles member, with the AmEx card. Buy a main cabin seat, and get the FREE First Class upgrade. With the card you can bypass their flown miles and number of flights requirement by using the card. Sure you have to spend $25,000 in a year, but if you buy a new iPhone or two, new Mac Pro or two, a DSL camera with all the accessories, it won’t take long at all. And I personally have dozens of eye glasses with outdated prescriptions, so that could easily be thousands of dollars. And we aren’t even talking about really going shopping at the Cherry Creek mall. Vuitton could do some serious damage.  I actually don’t have any luggage or bags from them. I sport a bright yellow Coach backpack. It’s on my Instagram. They say the upgrades are strictly  based on tier-level, miles flown, … but I think we all know it really is up to the GATE agent who can override one passenger and give it to another, just like when you go to a restaurant and the VIP takes your table while you wait with the buzzer in your hand. If you are a “Chad” or a “Stacy” it is always in your best interest to let the gate agent know you are one of the hopefuls waiting for that upgrade. If you are an INCEL … and I don’t mean this in a mean way, but then do not check in with the gate agent. Hotties get priority over fuglies. And there are way more of those than you would care to know. I must just be super lucky because I sat between Chad and Stacy. And there were no babies on my flight. Thank God. They gave out free headphones in First Class and Comfort+ to plug into their headrest on demand video screens. Although literally everyone had their own AirPods plugged in. AirPods do not work with their system as there is no bluetooth. I watched part of the new Scream movie. Airlines aren’t dicks like they used to be by making you shut your devices off and take your headphones off. They let you zone out, fall asleep and they leave you alone. After you stuff yourself with awesome food in the lounge, you don’t want to eat a bunch of snacks. I had a very strong bloody Mary, so I took a nap.

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If you want to get the Delta Reserve card, click here. (Expires 06/08/2022) You will get 100k points that you can use to upgrade your main cabin flights individually, which is cheaper than using all of them at once for a free flight. If you buy a Comfort+ and you are medallion you will almost for sure get the First Class upgrade. But don’t do that until you reach at least silver. May the odds be ever in your favor. Sure it has a fee. But look at what I got in just one trip. Thousands of freebies. Food and drink. And if have to do a layover, 90 minutes is just perfect for deplaning, getting to the right terminal and getting food/drink and restroom. The app keeps you updated and if you have an apple watch, that also notifies you so you don’t miss boarding.

 

 

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Slot Machines

I love playing slots. The slot machines in Blackhawk and Central City in Colorado are just okay. The slots in Vegas are totally overboard and wow factor. Some go as high as the ceiling and have giant screens, some have 3 screens. So I found this website that actually lets you play for free. They call it practice. I think that is an awesome idea as you can really understand which games pay better based on the bonuses and multipliers and free spins. The graphics and animations are pretty amazing, considering it is all on your computer monitor. I haven’t tried playing on my iPhone or iPad.

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The software they use for each game is exactly like the software used on the computers/slots in Vegas. I discovered that a machine uses a random number generator (RNG) each time you hit the spin button, so in theory … each spin is independent of the prior spin and every spin has a lucky chance at winning the jackpot. So if you want to check it out and play for free, just go to slots.lv — but if you want to play for real money, then use my referral link and you get free gaming money. It’s hard to just watch your pretend money multiply and you could have won that if you used real money. I used a credit card, which of course had to be verified by fraud, since it is an international company used for online gambling. My Caesars Rewards credit card was as good as any as I get tons of points from that card that I can use for free hotel rooms and free game play when I am in Vegas. The first time you deposit money into your gaming account you get a bonus … I put in $250 and they gave me $500 for a total of $750. So I am still playing on their free money bonus. But I always practice first before I play for real. I am pretty sure you have to be of legal age. So have fun! Only gamble what you are willing to lose.

 

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Colorado is Cursed

Thursday afternoon hellfire winds tore through the Rocky Mountains, knocking down power lines sparking the first of many wild winter fires that would destroy the lives and homes of many. The Mile High city has seen less than an inch of rain and zero snowfall. As of now, the fires still burn like mad on New Years Eve. Over 600 high-end luxury homes, … gone. Burned to the ground. The Target in Superior … gone. 36 and McCaslin was hell yesterday. The sky darkened as the black smoke traveled for miles blocking out the sun, where it was only a bright pink ball hidden in the clouds of smoke.

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If you text REDCROSS to 90999 you can donate $10 to help the effort. They add it to your cell phone bill.

Pray for the much needed snow & precipitation to extinguish these flames of doom. Give thanks that you and your family are safe and still have a place to call home.

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And were you one of the few million who ventured out to see the all new Spiderman movie? <raises hand> Yes, it was a great movie and well worth the 2 hours of mask wearing. Matrix fans?  Yeah, guilty. What did I think of the reboot? I will just say that I loved the first and even the 2nd one. The 3rd was kind of a stretch, but I was highly disappointed that they recast Morpheus. Fishborne didn’t die. He just wasn’t invited back to the party. Truth? Don’t waste your time. You will be sad. Do you like scary movies? Antlers and Old are both thumbs up from me. And if you are reading this, then you made it to New Year’s Eve!!! Yay you’re not dead! Let’s all have a drink that 2022 is going to be a bigger, better, safer adventure for all of us. Cheers!

 

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