NTN

Have you ever gone to a restaurant that had one of these screens set up? We have one where I work, and we're looking to capitalize on what they have to offer.

So Much To Blog About

Yet I've forgotten most of it! Arrgghh! I left work this afternoon and went to the local branch of our public library to pick up a movie I'd reserved. While there I browsed some books and other movies, and checked out some others.

I have added the books to my AllConsuming.net reading list, which I have placed on Dan's Domain, my homepage.

This morning I went to see the psychiatrist. He was out sick so I saw another one. I got a new prescription for Adderall-XR, and I'll supplement that with the Adderall I've been taking. I'm still taking Lexapro to get more seratonin in my system.

My boss at work talked with me about some upcoming plans he has for me and for the restaurant. I'm not comfortable sharing them all right now. We also discussed a problem I and a coworker had this past Sunday.

I'm off to watch some prime time television and examine my daughter's Trick-or-Treat candy stash. Oh yeah, and eat dinner.

Lewis Has Bengals Believing

The Cincinnati Bengals are 3-4 in their division, and a division title is within their reach for the first time in years. Honestly, I'd just be happy to see a winning season. But, of course I'll be thoroughly delighted if they win their division.

Go Bengals!!

Democrats for Bush in 2004

Yes, it's true. I found it via JoshClaybourn and blogdex.

"My Dreams are Weirder Than Yours"

... so goes the tagline for this blog, especially since this is a journey inside my mind. Susan shares a dream she had recently, and it's weird, too.

The Matrix: Revolutions on IMAX®

The Virginia Air and Space Center will be showing the third installment of the trilogy on its IMAX® screens. The U.S. Air Force Museum has an IMAX theater, but they're not doing this. Instead they'll be showing a double feature about Dolphins and Stormchasers. Maybe later perhaps.

Pets Are Good For Your Health

Yahoo! Pets Tips:

Did you know that having a dog can be good for your health? Studies have shown that petting a dog decreases blood pressure and heart rate, while increasing one's sense of well-being.

This is one big reason why we got a dog in the first place and why we strongly considered him for when we searched for an apartment.

My Four Walls

I just found out that Lucas has linked back to me via BlogShares.

Hernia Scar

I remember as a little boy, that I would wake Mom and Dad up on a Saturday morning, for example, by running in and jumping on their bed. I didn't care if I landed on my Dad or not; in fact, I thought it was an extra bonus if I did.

I bring this up because I've wondered if my daughter Keisha would do something like that. I'm also more concerned because, when I was little, I had a few hernia operations in my groin area, and lately, I've become more aware of how sensitive the area around the scar is. I'm acutely aware of this being the weakest area of my body, and I know that a blow to that area would be devastating.

A Story of Friendship

During the first World War, a soldier in the trenches saw his friend out in no-man's land -- the ground between our trenches and those of the enemy -- stumble and fall in a hail of bullets. He said to the officer, "May I go, Sir, and bring him in?"

But the officer refused. "No one can live out there," he said. "I will only lose you as well."

Disobeying the order, the man went to try to save his friend, for they had been like David and Jonathan throughout the entire war. Somehow, he got his friend on his shoulder and carried him back to the trenches, but he himself lay mortally wounded, and his friend was dead.

The officer was angry. "I told you not to go," he said. "Now I have lost both of you."

With his dying breath, the man said, "But of course it was worth it, Sir."

"Worth it?" asked the officer in disbelief. "How could it be? Your friend is dead, and you are mortally wounded."

The boy shrank from the reproach, but, looking up at his officer's face, he said, "It was worth it, Sir, because when I got to him, he said, 'I knew you'd come.'"

from a plaque I saw in Linda R.'s bathroom

Fall Color Reports From Around Ohio

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has been publishing reports of the foliage from around Ohio. We've been able to see some amazing colors in the Miami Valley; that's for sure. This helps to make the cooler weather and shorter days a bit more palatable.

So '80's!

KateSpot just found out about Duran Duran reunion near where she lives in New Jersey. I'm a fan, too. Not only of them, but also of The Power Station, which had D2 bassist John Taylor and the late Robert Palmer as vocalist.

Last week while driving to work, the local radio station played their version of "Bang A Gong (Get It On)", so I naturally had to crank up the volume. Of their version and the original by T. Rex, I think I like theirs better. The original is not bad, though.

Remember the cool video for Bang A Gong? It was as though the dancer became hyperkinetic or something during the song.

Some of the More Unusual Drinks I've Made

In response to a previous post about Lynchburg Lemonade, Carla asks:

I've never had this one before but people say that it's nice...so I've gotta ask you Dan, what are some of the more unusual drinks you've been asked to make?

Hmm... the more unusual drinks? Bend Me Over is one. It contains a shot (1 fl. oz.) of Crown Royal whiskey, a shot of Amaretto liqueur, and a splash of Sweet & Sour mix.

Another one is something called a Fired Up Friday. It contains a shot of Peach Schnapps, a shot of Cranberry Juice, and a small amount of Bacardi 151 rum. 151 is the "proof," which means that it contains 75.5% alcohol by volume. The bottle actually has a flammable warning and a flame retardant seal. I poured so many of them one night that I just about gagged from the Peach Schnapps smell.

I love to mix drinks, but I would probably never drink them myself.

One drink that I actually tasted back in bartending school was called a Red, White, and Blue. This is a drink that I would love to have again. Unfortunately, it's not that big. In a 1 oz. "Pony" glass, you layer Grenadine, White Créme de Cacao, and Blue Curacao by "spoon-floating" each liqueur, respectively, 1/3 of the way into the glass. I've been aching to make this drink for the military folks that comprise the majority of the guests at the bar where I work. Right now, I'm waiting for us to get some White Cr&eactut;me de Cacao.

Sometimes, I suggest different drinks to people who may not know exactly what they want. About a month or so ago, I suggested a Blue Margarita to one lady, and she wound up getting her friends to like it as well. It's made just like a regular Margarita, except that it uses Blue Curacao instead of Triple Sec. It tastes exactly the same, too. Only the color is different. The recipe is 1-1/2 oz of Tequila, 1/2 oz of Blue Curacao, 1/2 oz of Rose's Lime Juice, and 3 oz of Sweet and Sour mix.

I also suggested a Sloe Screw to one lady. It contains 1 oz of Sloe Gin (which tastes like strawberries) and 2 oz. of Orange Juice. Any drink name that with a sexual connotation has Orange Juice (Screwdriver, Harvey Wallbanger, for example). More interesting trivia for you to share with your friends.

Happy Birthday!

... to my lovely wife of nearly 8-1/2 years, Jennie! I love you, sweetheart!

"Can You Point Your Finger and Do 'The Twist'?"

I, like KateSpot, can indeed. I mean, who says that the Wiggles music is only for kids anyway?

Favorite Mixed Drinks

This idea, meme, or whatever you call it, may become a persistent one. I recently had a Lynchburg Lemonade. It was very good, especially for someone who doesn't like the overpowering taste of alcohol in what they drink.

Lynchburg Lemonade contains 1 oz. of Jack Daniels, 1/2 oz. of Triple Sec, 3 oz. of Sweet and Sour mix, and 1 oz. of 7-Up or Sprite, topped off after shaking and pouring into a 5 oz. glass. Garnish with a lemon.

Return of Some Old Friends

In a little over 12 hours we're expecting to greet some old friends who've spent the last 18 months in Japan. You may recall that I mentioned them at the beginning of the year, in a Prayer Request.

It will be good to see Lee and Cindy again.

Superblessed.net Christian Blog Awards 2003

Ganns Dean, the Official Superblessed Blogger of Journey Inside My Mind, is having his 2nd annual Christian Blog Awards. The nominees are at his website. My "Letters to God" blog is nominated in the "Most Introspective Blog" category. I'm flattered and challenged at the same time by it.

One important thing to note: for some reason you have to highlight all the text in order to read the post. Start from the top, click your mouse button, and drag it all the way to the bottom of the page.

Open Mike at the Living Room

It's Open Mike at the Living Room. Darren has offered to let others comment on whatever fancies them, and I posted the following comments:

Hi, everyone. My name is Dan Johnson, and I live in Dayton, Ohio USA. For the past two and half months I've been working as a bartender at a hotel in the area.

I've struggled a lot with how to demonstrate Jesus in a profession that almost lends itself toward debauchery. I've also seen a huge amount of dishonesty and gossip.

I'm reminded that Jesus hung out with drunkards, and that I'm "in the world, not of it." Yet the practicals of how I live a godly life at work are not always obvious.

October is a Wonderful Month, Especially for Cookies

Via the U.S. Newswire:

Profile America -- Thursday, Oct. 23 -- October is set aside to recognize many causes and activities -- for instance, it's National Roller Skating Month and National Construction Toy Month. But there's one celebration that pretty well touches everyone, regardless of age, background, or interests -- it's National Cookie Month, recalling the tradition and aroma of fresh baked cookies as a symbol of good times. Whether chocolate chip, peanut butter, or any of the dozens of other recipes, cookies are one of America's favorite treats. While many home cooks still bake their own cookies, there are more than 7-thousand retail bakeries around the country, and cookies make up a good part of their almost 2-billion dollars in annual sales. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at http://www.census.gov.

See? I told you.

Pumpkins

A woman was asked by a co-worker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

The co-worker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc., and then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

via email from J9

Making Google Better

Ian's Messy Desk from Canada offers this quick tip on how to tweak Google's search engine to make it more efficient. Cool. You may want to tweak the preferences at Google.com if you live in the U.S., instead, however.

Another Tiring Day

I got home from work at about 45 minutes ago. I went in at 11 AM. I worked over 40 hours this past week, with the majority being in the last two days. Needless to say, I'm beat. I had this great post in mind, but it has since evaporated from what remains of my consciousness.

Cincinnati Bengals 34, Baltimore Ravens 26

At first I had a hard time believing it was happening. At work the game was blacked out from the NFL Sunday Ticket because, we think, it was a home game in Cincinnati (only an hour or so away) and it may not have sold out in time. So we settled for seeing score updates.

Nevertheless, I am excited that the Bengals won in the Jungle. It was an obviously sweet victory for Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis, who helped build the Ravens defense that went to the Superbowl in 2000.

Howstuffworks "How Radar Detectors Work" - Laser Guns

I recently mentioned my encounter with one of Dayton's finest. I sought to learn more about the laser gun used to catch me, and I found out that laser is pretty reliable.

On 10-8, the officer was on duty

... at least to catch me speeding on my way to work. I was cited and I have to either appear in court or pay the ticket.

The only problem is that I don't know which. Instead of telling me what to do when I got the citation, I was told to call this telephone number after 7 days from receipt of the ticket. Then I was to find out whether I could pay it.

Procrastination struck again, and I didn't make the phone call. Now the only time I can do it is on Monday morning, the day it was written that I was to appear in court. Prayerfully, I can call the phone number at 8 AM, and they will say that it's something I can pay. Otherwise I'm supposed to appear at 8:30 AM, which currently seems impossible.

New to the Blogroll

Welcome, heartrunes.

Bartending Joke

"The best thing for you to do," explained the Doctor to his patient, "is to give up drinking and smoking, get up early every morning and go to bed early every night."

The patient paused and then asked, "What's the second best thing to do?"

(waits for rim shot...) This Oldie but Goodie comes via Bartending Magazine -- Fun and Jokes

Web Design Practices

Web Design Practices is a web site dedicated "to helping designers understand what design practices are currently in use on the Web—and aims to gather research about the usability of commonly-employed design practices."

link via BlogDex

My Distracted Mind

I've been having an ADHD moment.

I came home from work this afternoon, at about 5:45 PM and greeted my family. I noticed that Jake, our dog, was very eager to see me. Jennie mentioned that she hadn't taken him out since she'd been home, which was about 4 PM. I started to change my clothes, and I got as far as taking my work shirt off and emptying my pockets. I'd even taken off my belt.

Then the phone rang, and I walked out to the kitchen to see if it was a phone call from someone I wanted to talk to. No message was left, but I did notice that we had a couple messages, so I checked them.

Keisha came in the kitchen and starting calling out, "Oscar... Oscar..." Oscar is my mom's boyfriend, and when she lived with us, he would call almost every day for her, leaving a message that began like this:"Margaret... Maaar-gret... Maaaarr-gret!"

When Keisha said that, I asked her if she wanted to call her Nana later. She said yes. Then I realized that we needed to recharge our BigZoo.com long distance card. To do that, I would need to get on the Internet.

So I sat down at the computer, and, of course, I had to put some music on. So I did. Then I connected to the Internet, and of course, I had to check my email and blogs and stuff.

Then Jennie mentioned that dinner was ready, so we sat down for dinner, and the computer was still connected. We ate dinner, and I returned to the computer. I posted a couple things to my blogs, answered some email, made some comments to others' posts.

I finally realized that I still need to recharge our BigZoo.com card. So, I changed into some jeans and put on the sweatshirt that I'd worn this morning before Keisha went to school.

Also, Keisha's been upset with me because she couldn't find the tiny dolls she gave me before she got on the school bus. I thought I came back inside and put them on the counter, but they weren't there. Did I say she was upset? She was. Very. At me. I told her to go to her room and pray about how she was feeling.

As I've been typing this post, Jennie and Keisha were talking about where these tiny dolls could be. I mentioned to Jennie that I was the "point person" because Keisha gave them to me just before she got on her school bus. Jennie asked me what I was wearing when that happened, and I realized that they were probably still in my pocket. I checked, and yes, they were!

Keisha was glad as I handed them back to her, and she walked with Jennie toward her room. "My Daddy lied," she said. Jennie let out a laugh.

"What?" I asked Jennie.

"She said, 'My Daddy lied to me'."

"Oh."

It wasn't that I was intentionally trying to keep the dolls from her; I'd just forgotten where I'd placed them. I had planned to help Keisha find them, once I got the BigZoo.com card recharged, and - oh yes, that's right - I still have to take the dog out. I'm amazed at his patience. I really am.

So, now, I conclude this post. It's after 7:30 PM. I'm going to recharge the BigZoo.com card like I said I would an hour ago, and then I'm going to take Jake for his walk. After that, I'm going to come home, Keisha will call her Nana, and the world will be in harmony once more.

My world at least. Maybe. Now, where are my shoes?

It Can't Smell That Bad!

Keisha just went to the bathroom, and all of a sudden Jennie and I started hearing something spray. Jennie started to chuckle, and I became perplexed. The spraying from the bathroom continued, and I realized that Keisha was spraying air freshener all over the bathroom, and it was spreading throughout the entire apartment!

Jennie said, "It can't smell that bad!"

I asked Keisha if she'd gone poop (there - I said that word!), and she said that she only went pee (that other word!). So Jennie sent her back to the bathroom to turn on the exhaust fan.

Ugh!

I Didn't Have to Go Back After All

Someone, maybe Mark Twain, once said that common sense is not so common. I believe that has been one of the truths in my life.

Yesterday I inadvertently brought home the keys used to unlock the locks to the liquor and beer cabinets at work. I was mortified and called work to tell them that I'd be bringing them back later. We had a men's meeting for church, and afterward, I drove the 20 minutes back there, only to have the servers and other bartender tell me that I didn't have to return after all. Yes, I would need the keys to UNlock the cabinet, but not to LOCK the cabinets!!!

I took the opportunity, nevertheless, to chat with some of the customers. I got some free beer from one of their pitchers, and, in general, had a good time.

He Has Great Taste!

I think that Mike Zellers, aka '_monk', aka 'spacemonk', has some great taste in life. In today's post he mentions some coconut noodles and a mango/lime with soda drink. He also likes jazz and Dido. Moreover he likes 'Alias'!

Here are my comments to his post:

It sounds like you're having fun... I'll have to try that drink sometime. I've heard "White Flag" a couple times on the radio station here in Dayton. I'm hooked on Dido, too. I've also gotten my daughter hooked. Every time she hears her sing "It's not so bad, it's not so bad" (from "Thank You"), she starts singing along.

I missed most of "Alias" this past Sunday. That's not to say that I didn't see it. I was working at the bar, and I had the TV turned on to the show, but I was distracted by doing work and couldn't pick up the storyline very well.

My wife attempted to tape it and "The Practice", but she inadvertently had the VCR set to Fox, so we got to watch part of "Varsity Blues" instead.

Rain, Rain

It's raining today in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of Aviation. Thought you might want to know.

Officials Update: Announcing the Official Canuck!

This blog is proud to announce the appointment of Bene Diction as the Official Canuck of Journey Inside My Mind! To find out more about becoming an Official of this blog, let me direct you to the appropriate section on the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page.

Here's a big salute to all the current officials:

• Official Iowan
• Official Blogger of Introspection
• Official Superblessed Blogger
• Official Goof
• Official Canuck

Also, let me remind everyone to stay off the "Mooch List"...

Cheers!

Where Did That Post Go?

I just lost a post I was writing... :(

A Sonic Boom Anniversary

On this date, in 1947 in the California desert, a test pilot named Chuck Yeager piloted the Bell X-1 faster than the speed of sound for the first time in history. Visitors to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. can see this history plane on display. (via U.S. Newswire)

Of course for me, I'm vividly reminded of this scene at the beginning of the movie "The Right Stuff," which is one of my all-time favorites.

On Wednesday, March 19, 2003, I blogged about finding a picture of a sonic boom. Check it out.

Continuing the Journey

Tomorrow I have a therapist appointment. I posted some thoughts in a poem entitled "Reflection" to "Streams of Consciousness".

At the last meeting, the therapist recommended I get some "stress balls" to keep my hands busy instead of picking. I did that, and, if I have them nearby, I've found them to be helpful.

Speaking of Self-Injury, I found this great article entitled "When Pain Is All You Have," which you may want to read to get a better understanding of self harm. I also found this article/message board thread on WebMD that contains ways others keep themselves safe (i.e., what to do instead of self-injury).

Note: the next few paragraphs contain details of self harm and may contain triggers for those who may be vulnerable.

Last night, however, I started messing with a scab on my wrist. It was close to being healed, and I started picking the scab off it. Eventually, I saw that if I continued to squeeze the area, the blood blister underneath would pop. It did. Then I saw how thick the scarry skin around the scab was. I decided to bite it in order to make it smoother. Of course there was some bleeding.

I looked for the hydrogen peroxide, which I usually administer after an episode like this, but I couldn't find it. I took a wad of toilet paper, soaked it in cold water, and applied it to the wound so that the bleeding would slow and stop. Then I found the Band-Aid™ Liquid Bandage kit and applied the liquid bandage to the area.

Anti-Leech Spambot Stopper v.1.1

Head over to the link to see how adding this link to your web page can catch spambots in their own game. Read more...

Thanks to Bene Diction for pointing me to Lilac Rose's post.

U2 Sermons

I found this interesting site via blogs4God.

I think that the big reason why I enjoy U2's music is the spiritual aspect of it. How inspiring it was to see Bono open his jacket during the 2002 Superbowl Halftime show to display the American flag. You may recall that this happened at the end of "Where the Streets Have No Name," a song that helps us to long for heaven. What a moving sight. That, along with the scrolling names of all those we lost on 9/11/2001 during "MLK" and the beginning of "Where the Streets Have No Name."

Winds of Change

I saw a link to the blog "Winds of Change," and I was reminded of the song of the same title by The Scorpions from over a decade ago. What a great song, talking about the changes going on in the former Soviet Union (song lyrics to 'Winds of Change' by The Scorpions).

Then I was reminded of an AISEC International meeting I attended back in college. Some of the members had returned from an international meeting in which there were other members from around the former Yugoslavia. These members, our local group reported, vowed that they would not fight each other, even though they saw that their country was headed toward civil war. Our local delegation reported that, at the end of the conference, they all had joined hands and sang "Winds of Change." Tears were in everyone's eyes. It must have been a moving experience.

I also remember hearing about how our church had just sent a mission team to Moscow, and how God's Winds of Change were moving there.

It's interesting how a single phrase can bring back all these memories.

I Love A British Accent

Carla mentions another in what I suppose is a collection of Cool Things To Do With An English Accent. Her post and it's comments reminded me of what happened last night at the restaurant where I've been bartending.

We have one British gentleman who is on loan from Her Majesty's Royal Air Force. He's been a regular for a few weeks now. Then, last night, I met a woman from North London whose accent was just lovely! I told her so, and she was tickled, to say the least. She was vacationing with some of her other 50-something friends. I told her that listening to her accent was just so refreshing that I almost wished that I could tape-record her voice to play back when I get down.

We discussed how, in her opinion, Americans have butchered the "Queen's English." It was quite humorous, actually.

So, with that, mates, I'm going to pouhr some moh tea! (chuckles)

Let's Give Them Something to Blog About

That's a rephrasing of a Bonnie Raitt song (insert your link here), of course. If you're ever searching for something to blog about, let me direct you to the Topics blog. The blog is no longer being updated, but it contains several interesting ideas; some of which I thought of. For example:

• Do you have any songs in your music library that have the same title but are from different artists? Do you have any that are not covers (i.e., remakes) of the original song but still have the same title? (Feb 26 '03)
• Do you have, or have you ever had, any chronic illnesses? For example, for the first 7 years of my life I could practically count on getting an earache. (Feb 22 '03)
• Post an entry in a foreign language that you know. (Jan 22 '03)

With that in mind, let me encourage you to let me know if you post about any of these topics. I'm interested in your thoughts.

Here's a Thought

Especially for those of us who spend a lot of time driving...

Always carry a litter bag with you in your car. When it gets full, you can just toss it out the window.

New to the Blogroll

Abyssal Mind. I found this blog, in my referrer logs, and upon a casual examination, deemed it worthy of inclusion. Especially since my blog is about a Journey Inside My Mind!

RSVP

This game is a great time-waster.

UGHHH!

We're settling into our new place, and I can see that I'm definitely overwhelmed with emails. Over 300 to go through. Fortunately, most of it is spam, so it will be a quick process to delete them.

More to come later.

Journey Inside My Mind

Okay, so I lied. I wanted to mention this in a separate post and do it while it was still fresh in my head. You may know from reading my blog in the past, that I struggle with self-injury (for more info, do a Google search in this blog; I'm too tired to find a link to a specific post right now - sorry). Basically, I pick at scabs on my body to make them bleed.

At my last visit to the therapist, he recommended that I get some of those stress balls, that you squeeze to relieve stress. I had told him that I felt like I needed to keep my hands busy (read "distracted") so that I would be able to resist the urge to pick.

On Thursday afternoon, Keisha and I walked up and down the toy aisle at the local Meijer store, and I bought two of those stress balls.

High-Flying with the Kitefliers

Just one more quick post before I head off to bed...

This week at the hotel where I'm working, we've been hosting the American Kitefliers Association. They are having their National Convention and Grand National Competition in Dayton, Ohio this year as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of flight.

These people have been a lot of fun to serve, and they sure have been keeping the bar busy! One of the gentlemen in the group is celebrating a birthday this week, and, as a card was being passed around, one other gentleman brought it up to me and asked me to sign it, since I was a part of this event, too. He asked me to make sure the recipient would know it was his bartender who'd signed it. So, I wrote: "Happy Birthday! Dan the Bartender" I suppose that was good enough.

Remind me to mention more about the guy who gave me his band's CD, and to include the link I got from one guy who maintains a newsletter.

Bye for now!

Time is filled with swift transition

• Mom arrived in Texas this past Tuesday. She called us and talked with Jennie and Keisha; I was out for bit. I look forward to keeping in touch with her via her blog and via email.
• We're moving this weekend to our new apartment. Jennie and I have the day off, and I took Saturday off as well. Lots of work to do in order to make this happen. Pray for us!!

'Alias' - Back and Still Kickin'!

I saw the season premiere of 'Alias' this past Sunday, but I havent' thought of posting until Mike left me a comment about it. The title of this post is meant to be a little "tongue-in-cheek" because, if you've ever seen the show, Sydney Bristow uses a lot of karate, kung fu, and probably some other martial arts to get her point across to anyone who attacks her.

I was surprised that she attacked Vaughn, and I'm encouraged so far by what I've seen. I have an idea of what happened to Sydney over the past two years, but I think I'll reserve it for a later post.

I mentioned to Mike in comments to his post that I'm thinking of adding the first two season's DVDs to my Christmas list this year. That, and perhaps the same for CSI.

It's A Boy!

Congratulations to Ganns Dean, the Official Superblessed Blogger of Journey Inside My Mind, and his wife! Head over to his blog to visit and take a look at baby Nathan.