Happy New Years

 Friday, December 31/21

So here we are at the turning of another year, exchanging the old for the new, raising our glasses in a toast to better things to come.

The last two years have been a strain for so many people, whether it be money problems or emotional issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic. I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing to see this year come to an end and holding out hope that we turn the corner in 2022.

I've got nothing planned other than to maybe watch a movie or quietly read and raise a glass of whiskey to the world around me as the clock strike midnight. One absolute truth will be that regardless of what I'm doing Miko will be either curled up in my lap or snuggled up next to me.

I wish each and every one of you a very Happy New Year and hope the next year brings us peace, health, prosperity, and happiness.

In 2022 I'm hoping to end my bachelorhood, maybe break 90 more than half the rounds I play, enjoy many more smiles and laughs with Miko, and bask in the love that is my grandchildren as each of them grow and develop into amazing kids.

What are your wishes for the new year?

My name is Marcus and these are my observations on dating, golfing, raising a puppy, working from home, and being the best father and friend possible.

Questions or comments can be sent to me at ooasm2018@gmail.com and I promise to respond to each message.

Today's musical suggestion is "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins

Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday's

 Friday, December 24/21

I would like to take this moment to wish each of you reading this blog entry a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of Holidays!

Christmas brings me both joy and sadness as it allows me to spend time watching my ever-expanding family come together under one roof, with all the verbal and visual madness you can imagine that brings and reminds me of yet another year without my mom as she would have been celebrating her 84th birthday tomorrow.

My plans for Christmas Eve are pretty low keyed as I'm just back from taking Miko for her last walk of the night and will be heading down to the family room to light up the tree and snuggle up on the couch as I watch one of my favourite movies - Love Actually.

I know there are a lot of debates around what makes a movie a Christmas movie but in my humble opinion, Love Actually is absolutely a Christmas movie given it is set in the weeks and days leading up to Christmas.

Just as Die Hard is a Christmas movie as there would be no reason for John to be visiting Holly and the Nakatoni Building if it wasn't for Christmas.

It's kind of funny how 3 of my 5 favourite Christmas movies are sort of violent: Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and Home Alone.

What is the fifth Christmas movie you ask? "Miracle on 34th Street" of course (either version).

Here is a confession that might catch you by surprise given how much I enjoy movies but I've yet to ever see "It's a Wonderful Life".  Shocking I know and I don't really have any plans to remedy that any time soon.

I'm off for the next five days and hope to get some things tidied up around the house and maybe work on a year in review blog entry for New Year's Eve, we'll see that happens between now and the 31st.

I'll end this entry by sending my heartfelt wishes that we are all able to spend time with family and friends, that we rejoice in the little things life offers us, and we remember to be nice to those we come across as this time of year can be hard for some people, this guy included but I've been working on seeing the good in people and situations.

Marcus

Today's musical suggestion seems rather fitting to be "Carol of the Bells". I've included a link to the YouTube video of this song performed by The Bands of HM Royal Marines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR0KhfUGQGQ

As always, I can be reached at ooasm2018@gmail.com and respond to all messages.

Silence

 Sunday, October 03/21

Silence........

Oxford Languages defines silence as the complete absence of sound (noun) or the prohibition or prevention of someone speaking.

Both are pretty good on their own and I'm not smart enough to come up with a better definition myself so let's go with these for now.

But while I agree these are good I'm also in disagreement as I'm sure we've all had those moments where the silence around us is actually quite deafening in its loudness.

Stop and think about that for a moment and I'm confident each of us can remember a time or two when that statement is perfectly true.

I know of one such moment and I hope I never have to relive it again in my life as the silence I experienced as I sat in a hospital chapel and prayed for hours was so loud that my entire body trembled from it.

I don't mind the silence, think that sort of goes hand in hand with being a self-observed introvert, and can actually take it or leave it. I love to play music in the background when I'm home reading or even working during the day in my home office, but I can just as easily sit in silence to read or work, guess it depends on the mood.

This morning has been a silent one so far, having risen early to take Miko for a walk before the forecasted rain started and getting some stew going in the slow cooker as my son and his girlfriend and baby Max are coming for dinner later this afternoon.

I was sitting on the couch reading one of the many romance books on my tablet, don't judge me for this activity as I judge myself enough for it, when Miko crawled across my lap to half sit on me and half sit on the armrest of the couch and proceeded to go to sleep. I didn't really think anything of it for a few moments until I heard her softly breathing and knew she was deep into her 4th of 5th nap of the day and it dawned on me that Miko made the silence easier to bear, that she has made a lot of things easier to bear these past few months.

My life has seen a series of changes the past few years and I wasn't really prepared for them and that has resulted in me taking some steps back from things and sort of just allowing the silence to wrap me up in a cocoon, but I think that period is over and I can sort of see the old me coming back into focus.

I've still got some decisions to make but I'm feeling more assured that whatever final resolutions I come to will be what is right for me.

Sometimes all it takes is the gentle snore of a puppy to break the silence and put a smile on your face.

My name is Marcus and these blog postings are my little attempt to share bits of what it's like to be a middle-aged male still hopeful of finding friendship and possibly even love in an ever-changing world.

So this tune was playing yesterday on my home from going to Costco with my daughter and it made me wistful to receive one again........"Call Me In The Afternoon" by Half Moon Run

Got a thought you'd like to share? Maybe a question? Have an issue with something I've said in one of the blog entries? Well let me know at ooasm2018@gmail.com and maybe we can have a chat about it.

Rock Is Far From Dead

 Sunday, August 29/21

So I read somewhere that there is this feeling that rock music is dying a slow death what with the dearth of new artists and while that part might be true let me say this, the vanguard is doing a hell of a job keeping the barbarians at the gate.

Case in point, the Foo Fighters, one of my all-time favorite groups continue to make amazing music but also bring us new things to love about music.

If you think music is dying or can't push the emotional boundaries like it always has than I invite you to watch the YouTube video from the August 26th performance by the Foo at the Los Angeles Forum where they play "Everlong" with an 11-year female drummer named Nandi Bushell and she absolutely kills it!

Nandi has a bit of a following as she challenged Dave Grohl, lead singer of the Foo and former drummer for Nirvana, to a drum-off on a couple of videos, and from what I've heard and read, she pretty much took him down big time, which is pretty amazing given he is considered one of the best drummers of all time.

Now Dave being Dave, embraced the challenge and publically acknowledged his ass whipping as the great guy he is and made this little moment happen to showcase just how good she is and the simple fact that music bridges the gap between ages, races, and genders.

Enjoy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsDgrKdczAE

Marcus

Vaccinated - One Down, One to Go

 Thursday, May 20/21

Today was my first Covid-19 vaccination and so far so good.

Other than a sore arm I'm not having any kind of reaction to the Pfizer vaccine that Ottawa Public Health is using along with that from Moderna as well.

No, this isn't an attempt on my part to sway anyone one way or the other when it comes to getting vaccinated.

Whether you get vaccinated or not is strictly a personal decision and my only hope is that you make it from an informed stance that is based on real science and not a bunch of YouTube videos, Instagram posts, or Tik Tok clips.

No matter the decision you make, I respect your stance, may not agree with it, but I acknowledge your right to take that stance and hope you return the same respect towards those you might not agree with.

Holding opposing viewpoints doesn't make anyone a bad person.

Please be safe, take care of yourself, and no matter our differences, let's get past this and get our lives back.

My name is Marcus and this blog is nothing more than my own observations of life around me and my experiences as I try and navigate being single in my 50's, spending time with my grandkids, striving to break 90 this season, and maybe, just maybe if the stars align perfectly, having my very last first kiss.

Today's musical suggestion is "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw.

Questions and comments are always welcome, reach me at ooasm2018@gmail.com

I'm Getting A Puppy And Need Some Help

 Sunday, May 09/21

So as many of you know from previous blogs I used to have a female Schnoodle named Moki that we had to let go of in September 2019 after she developed lymphoma and made it almost 6 months longer than they thought possible.

Her loss hit me really hard and I wasn't sure I could ever entertain the thought of getting another dog as it just felt like I would be dishonouring the love and affection Moki brought into my life for almost nine wonderful years. My kids both told me to never say never and that Moki wouldn't want me to go through life without another pupper in it so I've tried to keep an open mind the last few months.

Over time I've come to realize that my heart is big enough to have love for another puppy and the time was right to begin thinking about it again.

I've been researching puppies the last few months but the prices people are asking and getting just blow my mind, I know we are in a pandemic but it honestly feels like some folks are taking advantage of things and boosting prices to obscene amounts.

I had resigned myself to waiting until things calm down a bit when I was told by my son's girlfriend that her aunt's Shi Tzu was pregnant with a litter that would be due around early May and she was asking for one for me.

Lily, the aunt's dog, had a litter of 7 puppies last weekend and all of them are females!

When I was looking to get a new puppy I had been leaning towards a boy and had two names picked out to choose from Kashe and Giggsy.

Now my dilemma is that I don't really have any female names picked out, though I have come up with two this weekend that I'm considering, Miko and Nolly.

The puppy I am tentatively getting will be a brown female so I'm opening up the blog to name suggestions and would love some help from my followers.

So what say you?

Send suggestions to ooasm2018@gmail. com and I promise to post an entry with a list of all the names submitted and we can debate the pros and cons of each, though the final selection will be mine and mine alone to make, given I've never gotten to do so in the past, my ex or my son named the last couple of dogs I've had in my life.

Thank you in advance for the help :-)

Marcus

Happy Mother's Day

 Sunday, May 09/21

I'd like to take the moment to offer up my sincerest thoughts and wish all the mom's out there a very Happy Mother's Day.

Being a parent isn't easy nor does it garner the recognition that it should, being a mom is even harder as you are usually the glue holding things together behind the scenes.

We aren't issued a how-to-guide when we become parents but somehow instinctually we seem to know what needs to be done, well at least the female part of our species does as I'm the first to admit when we had my son I turned to my ex more times than I care to admit with what had to be that proverbial "deer in the headlights" look on my face whenever something new came up.

To this day I still remember the panic I felt when she told me she was going out with her girlfriends and leaving me alone with him and asked her "like are you sure that is a smart thing to do babe?"

She laughed and said I had it this and don't stress too much, use it as another opportunity to bond with him, which I did and continued to do from that point onwards.

I've sent out Happy Mother's Day texts to three women today:

My ex as she is an amazing mom and did a wonderful job helping to raise our children into the adults they are today

My daughter who has followed in her mom's footsteps and makes Jack and Solara feel so loved and wanted in this crazy world we call home 

My son's girlfriend as she now carries the next generation and will hold him in her arms this coming August

There was a fourth that I wanted to send but held back as it's no longer my place, though not a day goes by that I don't wish it was and I could send texts as they popped into my head.

My name is Marcus and I hope today finds you sharing warm thoughts and reaching out to loved ones to remind them of how much they mean to you and saying those precious words we all want to hear "I love you"........................

Simple Text With A Sad Message

 April 28/21

Yesterday I received a text message from someone I worked with asking if I had heard that one of our coworkers had passed away over the weekend and it caught me completely off-guard.

I worked with them at a job that was four positions in the past but one I'd spent almost 8 years at in a variety of different positions. I started out as a financial analyst, moved to a senior financial analyst, acted as the interim controller on two separate occasions, and spent a few months as the interim chief financial officer during these 8 years so I interacted with pretty much every employee in the company at one time or another.

One of my favourite people was Robert, he was our VP of Operations and always had time for me when I had questions, comments, or just need to shoot the shit about things. I found out a few years ago that he actually told the president that it was stupid that I was only ever the interim controller and he should have just given me the position permanently as I was the best they'd ever had in that role.

What is kind of funny was that I never even knew he thought that highly of me during my time there.

Robert was a pretty nice guy and I have to say that the news of his passing has rattled me more than I thought it might as I have nothing but fond memories of sitting in his office and listening to him explain how our customer service, implementation, and technical groups worked to support our software development and sales.

Over the course of my career, I've crossed paths with more people than I can count or even remember but Robert was one of the good ones.

Rest in Peace my friend and I hope you get to spend countless hours tinkering with the engine on one of the many cars you had tucked away in your garage.

My name is Marcus and people come into our lives for a variety of reasons, some we know and some we don't, Robert came into mine and helped me develop a sense of confidence in dealing with others.

Why No Easter Googlet Google?

 Sunday, April 04/21

So I'm used to seeing the cute little Google Applets on the home page celebrating holidays and special events or individuals so imagine my shock today when I booted up my laptop and saw the Google Chrome home page didn't have anything celebrating Easter.

I'm hoping this was just an accidental omission and not somehow a statement about religion or the Easter Bunny as that would just be taking things too fucking far with cancel culture.

I'd love to see an explanation about this but doubt it's going to happen, prove me wrong Google......

Marcus

Happy Easter!!

 Saturday, April 03/21

I hope everyone had a relaxing Good Friday and is able to enjoy Easter Sunday with family and friends.

We're doing the family gathering down at my daughter's place, which seems to be where we gather more and more these days, and I'm sure to have lots of smiles and laughs with the grandkids, especially my granddaughter who has become more and more taken with me and trying to get me to snuggle and watch Peppa Pig with her all the time, there are worse ways to spend an hour than having her sitting in my lap and leaning back against my chest while I plant little kisses on the top of her head.

Stay safe, be healthy, and watch out for one another.

Marcus

Wasn't My Story to Tell

 Saturday, April 03/21

So I've been sitting on something the past couple of months that I really wanted to talk about but it wasn't my story to tell at the time.

Now it's my story to share......

I am happy to share the news that another baby will be joining the clan come this August when my son and his girlfriend will welcome baby boy Maximino Atlas to the world.

We learned the gender of the baby last weekend and it was kind of funny to see those who thought it would be a boy outnumbered those who were hoping for a girl almost 5 to 1. Both my son and his girlfriend were hoping for a boy and this grandpa, well I'm always just hoping for healthy and happy when it comes to my kids and grandkids.

There is a tradition in the family that girls have a specific middle that starts with the letter J, there are 7 generations of women who now carry that middle name, and boys have a middle name that starts with the letter A, not locked to one A name but that middle name just begins with A. My son pointed out that our future arrival has my exact initials and he thought that was kind of cool.

I was shocked when he shared the news of the pregnancy and think he was worried to tell me for fear I might be mad or disappointed in him in some way.

I'll admit that becoming a father at 22 wasn't how I saw his family life starting but I also know he's going to be a great father and they'll have a village behind them as they enter this new phase of life.

The families blended well together at the gender reveal that his sister set up and hosted for the couple last weekend. Pretty sure my daughter is as excited at becoming an aunt as her brother is at becoming a father and I've already warned her I'm not fighting her for time with the baby as she has her own, she laughed at that but I'm sure she thinks she's going to get first dibs, silly daughter lol

I'm working on another post about the actual gender reveal and a couple of things that happened that left me a little misty-eyed that didn't even revolve around Maximino, so stay tuned over the next few days for that post.

Sadly, as I gain a new grandchild I'll be losing a son as he'll be moving into his girlfriend's parent's place to be her and the baby when it comes. That is going to take some getting used to on my part as I've really looked forward to those weeks he's with me and now I'm going to be an empty nester full time come the end of this summer.

My name is Marcus and I can't wait to meet my next grandchild, but in the meantime, I guess I'll be cruising Babies-R-Us and working on my golf game.

I think today's musical suggestion will come from deep within my library in the form of Orangutan Gang by Shadowfax. They were a cutting-edge new-age jazz fusion group that gained some traction in the mid 80's. YouTube or Google them and let me know what you think of them.

Questions or comments are always welcome, even the not-so-nice ones, at ooasm2018@gmail.com

Here's a Thought

 Sunday, March 21/21

One day, maybe I will be that guy who goes to brunch and orders an acai smoothie and egg white omelette. Today is not that day. Today it will be French toast with bacon and a Long Island Iced Tea.

Marcus, I am who I am, nothing more, nothing less........

Samantha Garman's Sibby Series

 Tuesday, March 16/21

I've really got to work on my marketing skills so I can start getting compensated for doing book reviews lol

But until such time as I'm not doing these for free, I guess you get the benefit of my voracious reading appetite and learn about some new authors and why I either like or dislike something they've written, in the end, it is up to you to try them for yourself or take a pass, doesn't help or hurt me in the least which path you decide to follow.

I do all my eReading on my iPad using either Books by Apple or Kobo as my platform of choice. The benefit to both is that each offers up some free eBooks and thus is an easy way to find new authors without breaking the bank, and bank is important when you are going through a book on average every 1 to 1 1/2 days. Pretty sure I've mentioned in past blogs that I gave up cable television back in 2019 and haven't really missed it all that much, what with turning once again to books as my primary source of entertainment.

Now onto this little gem of a series by Samantha Garman.

No, I won't give away anything on the first two books in the four-book series that I've read so far other than to say............WOW!!

It isn't often that I can sit down to read a book and know there are going to be parts that just have me laughing out loud without any shame.

The main character is named Sibby and let's just say this about her........I want my own Sibby in my life as I know things would never be dull with her around.......actually I'm sort of hoping the dating Gods take pity on me for my extended dry spell relationship-wise and grant me this one uber super favour and bring me a Sibby.

The one plot twist I'm going to give away is there is a rule in the books called Sibbys Rule. It is a take-off on Murphy's Law and oh so appropriate in oh so many ways, trust me on this one ;-)

The characters are diverse, the plot twists catch you off guard, and in the end, you finish with a smile and anticipation for the next book in the series.

I can honestly say I've only been disappointed with one plot twist, and you know what I'm referring to Samantha, and hope it comes back full circle in the next installments as we both know Sibby is in need of some advice on life.

So if you are looking for a good read that will last more than a book or two I wholeheartedly recommend the Sibby Series from Samantha Graves. It's a romance with more than a dash of humor mixed throughout the pages.

My name is Marcus and while I usually blog about dating, relationships, being a parent or grandparent, current trending topics, and golf, I'm trying to mix things up so as to not get boring, boring is never good.

Today's musical suggestion is Colors by Black Puma.

As always, you can reach me at ooasm2018@gmail.com for a chat or vent/compliment me on something. I prefer the latter but understand the formed happens as well.

Vivaldi, Bridgerton, and Dare I Say A Little Optimistic Hope................

 Monday, March 15/21

I like music, no strike that, I love music, in all its many glorious genres.

There is a genre or artist for whatever mood I might find myself in at any given moment.

I don't always know what I want to experience right off the bat but I do know that something usually presents itself to me and then I'm off like a bird flitting from tree to tree, loving the journey.

Yes, I said experience when referring to my musical moments as the right song literally moves me from the present to somewhere so much better emotionally.

I've had this happen with so many different genres/artists that it's almost now second nature.

When I'm stuck on a project for work I've found some serious release in "Enter Sandman" by Metalica or something by Linkin Park. The words seem to reach deep inside me to let out my angst, to allow me to process things better.

Manchester Orchestra is another one that has me sitting back when I listen to their album "A Black Mile To The Surface" especially the song "The Silence"

I think I could just sit and listen to music and let it take me away without any qualms.

Now combine music with a story, whether it be a movie or a book, and you've got yourself, one happy little blogger, happy like a puppy on a walk, like a fashionista watching models prance down a runway in Milan or Paris.

Sometimes my mood craves something classical and in those times I usually turn to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, The Nut Cracker, or Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

Lately, it has been more Four Seasons as I find the pace changes up enough to keep my mind racing, imagining various scenes around me flashing by in a whirl.

I started to watch Netflix's "Bridgerton" to see what all the fuss was about and the opening score had me feeling itchy as if I was missing something before it finally dawned on me, it was a remapped version of Vivaldi's Four Seasons and I could feel my heart swell inside my chest.

The vision that Max Richter had to recompose this classic is stunning, the combination of the original with the introduction of some electronics literally had me sitting up and feel the notes, my heart pounding in my chest, almost as if I was right there part of the scene unfolding in front of me.

Even as I sit at my desk writing this entry I have Richter's album playing in the background and I can feel tears in my eyes as I hear the notes with some inner part of my heart, acknowledging that though I might be alone in the world, that somewhere out there in the greyness that represents all the endless possibilities yet to be experienced that there might just be one more connection for me to make before my time comes to an end.

I've struggled with the whole relationship thing for several years now and have come close to just saying "fuck it" more than once and giving up, resigning myself to facing my future alone, but then something happens and I'm reminded that when we least expect love, it has a way of finding us, not when we want it but more often when we actually need it in our lives.

I think watching Bridgerton is one of those moments for me. It is an interesting story that offers heartache, love unrealized, redemption, and love in all its finest glory. 

Bridgerton and Max Richter's recomposed Four Seasons might just be what saves me from a life of loneliness, at the very least it has given me hope once more to open myself up to what the future might hold for me.

I've been totally in love two times in my life, the kind where there is nothing you wouldn't do to see that person happy, so much that the first time saw me move from Southern California to be with the woman who allowed me to be a father to her daughter and along the way gave me my son as well. The second time came out of the blue when I was fortunate enough to meet Corrine and open myself up to the possibility of love with her. 

Love is fleeting and I know that better than most given my own history, but love can also be something so much more than just a moment in time, it can save a soul, it can offer hope, and yes, it can hurt like a dagger to the heart when it doesn't work out as hoped, but you can't have one side of the coin without the other side as well, so I'm willing to feel that pain once again for the opportunity to have the joys it offers as well.

I was once asked how I'd know I was in love again and this might sound kind of simple but for me, it will be when I imagine taking a holiday with her and where we might go. My free time is precious to me so if I'm at that point where I'm planning a trip with her it means she has my heart as I can't ever see myself going somewhere with someone who hasn't earned a spot in my heart.

My name is Marcus and these are my ongoing adventures in dating, being a father, grandfather, and trying to consistently break 90 in golf while mastering the perfect 8 iron from 135 yards.

My musical suggestion today is "Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons" in conjunction with "Bridgerton" on Netflix. Two treats for the price of one blog reading ;-)

Want to chat or comment about the entry? You can email me at ooasm2018@gmail.com

Covid 19 - The Pandemic One Year Later

 Sunday, March 14/21

So last Thursday, March 11th, was the one-year mark since the world stopped in its tracks with the World Health Organization declaration that we were in a global pandemic and we needed to avoid contact with one another.

Workplaces shut down as people were either furloughed or told to work from home. schools sent pupils to begin the revolving online learning, something some of us had done for a course here or there but never in such numbers and never for so prolonged a period of time. Hospitals cancelled elective surgeries and began placing emphasis on treating the hardest hit. Pharmaceutical companies began the rush to find a vaccine to combat the virus.

The last year has seen a wide range of events come about, not the least include......

• Social unrest develop in the United States around inequalities
• The worlds largest democracy hold an election where mail-in balloting, the safest way to vote, led to the largest voter turnout in history, was disputed by the losing party and faced numerous legal challenges that were all proved to be false.
• The introduction of new terms like "Super-Spreader" and "Karen and Darren". The first used to describe public gatherings were attendees didn't practice safe distancing and/or wear masks to lessen the chances of infecting one another. The later term developed to describe people who act so self-entitled that the only criteria they live by are how something might be infringing on their self-perceived rights versus the safety of those around them. Yes, these are the people who claim the right to go maskless and the hell with anyone they might come into contact with.
• The development and testing of not one, not two, but three vaccines from an assortment of pharmaceutical companies that are even now helping to combat this insidious virus that has killed over 2.6 million people worldwide, over 500K in the U.S., and over 22K here in Canada.
• The majority of countries introducing border restrictions would have been considered extreme but for the fact that they actually did help minimize the transmission of the virus. Island nations like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and to some extent the United Kingdom were able to use these closures to help stall the spread.

The one thing that has stood out for me has been how most people seemed to become more human towards one another, willing to be more understanding, and genuinely caring about those around us.

I know that for myself I can honestly say I've tried to step back and really see how my actions might help or hurt someone and have taken to doing more random acts of kindness as I think they go a long way in helping us see how something so small can mean the world of difference to someone.

We never know what someone is going through and if something as simple as a smile might make a bad better a little bit better, well sign me up today and 3 times on Sunday.

The world is hopefully slowly getting back on track to return to some form of normalcy, whatever that might mean these days, but I earnestly hope we don't lose that small sense of humanity that seemed to come out these past few months as we realized we were all in this together, that working towards a solution was going to take a tremendous team effort, one that we have achieved.

My heart goes out to those who have lost a loved one, knowing that words can never replace that loved one, that only memories now reside where once a person was creating smiles and laughter.

My name is Marcus and my heart aches for what we've had to endure and I hope with everything I have that we never have to experience anything like it again.....

I thought about not adding a musical suggestion to this entry but feel one is probably needed now more than ever so.........

Vivaldi's Four Seasons Symphony feels like the best possible one I can make. As I've been writing this entry I've had a YouTube video running on the second screen from Max Richter. The link is included below for those interested in seeing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w59suJUvGfc

Books & Music......The Nectar of My Life

 Saturday, February 27/21

I've posted before how the big three are what I enjoy the most, well except for golf which really does rank above the big three of music, books, and movies.

I was reminded again today how valid this really is for me while sitting at the nook that separates my kitchen and living room enjoying my breakfast and reading on my iPad.

I was reading a freshly downloaded free eBook titled "Wrong Text, Right Love" by Claudia Burgoa. Yes, another romance story, sue me but being as single as I am these days means I need to live vicariously through books since my own experiences have been far and few between lately thanks to that whole pandemic thing we are living in at the moment.

So in the book, the main male character is working from home, sounds so much like me so far, and thinks how the music he has playing in the background could be misconstrued to sound like classical but is actually an instrumental written by RaminDjawadi, from the Game of Thrones Soundtracks to name a few, and that made me do a little research and download a song called "Light of the Seven" that is an amazing work, one I highly recommend you take a moment and listen to on your own.

So now I've downloaded a few of his albums and find them very easy to have playing in the background while reading or probably even working.

So here is proof positive that one art form can feed an interest in another, allowing us, mainly me, to continue to expand my portfolio and enjoy while doing nothing more than getting through another day.

As for the book......I'm enjoying it immensely and appreciate how Claudia is building the story. The odds are good I'll be buying some of her other books as I can never have enough ready to go when I finish off a book.

I think this goes without saying but will put it out there once again......I receive no compensation in any form from the artists, whether musical or literary, that I recommend. Not saying I would be averse to being offered some compensation but as of this moment, I'm making these recommendations solely based on my own enjoyment. If I was ever to receive compensation I can assure you that I would not allow it to sway my opinion one way or another, I'd still tell you if I thought something was good enough to spend your hard-earned money on or total shit and to be avoided.

My name is Marcus and these are the stories around my ongoing attempts to date, survive a pandemic, master the perfect 8 iron from 130 yards, and experience my very last first kiss.

Today's musical suggestion is "Light of the Seven" by Ramin Djawadi from his Game of Thrones Season 6 soundtrack. Did you really expect something else after I've hyped him the post? Silly reader lol

Questions, comments, or even an offer to compensate me for reviewing a book or album, what it could happen, can be sent to me at ooasm2018@gmail.com

Bell Let's Talk is Thursday, January 28th

 Saturday, January 23/21

Hello, today's blog entry is short and sweet as it's just a reminder that this coming Thursday, January 28th is the annual Bell Let's Talk Day.

It is designed to remind us that mental health is more important than we think, that mental issues come in all shapes and sizes, that each of us has it in ourselves to make this world a little better than we found it.

For the most part, there are no natural indicators that someone you come across might be suffering from depression or another form of mental illness.

That person who opened the door for you could feel an overwhelming sense of dread.

The person who said good morning to you and you made a face at for being so bold as to address you when you don't even know them could be trying to overcome an issue at home and hoping for nothing more than an acknowledgement that they are alive.

Sometimes we don't even know that those around us are even aware of how we are feeling as we haven't even shared our fears and thoughts.

That last point was actually my own experience many years ago with my ex-wife. Winter used to be my downfall as the shorter and darker days messed with me pretty bad, so bad that my ex thought at one point that I might try and take my life, something I'd never do but we'd never had a conversation around how my mood changed a bit from mid-December to April. I learned about her worries one day when I went to take some Tylenol for a headache and couldn't find any in our bathroom, I asked her if we were out and she said no and proceeded to go into our walk-in closet to get them out of her jewelry box. I looked at her like what the hell were they doing there and she looked at me and honestly said "I was afraid to leave them out where you might use them"

To say that stunned me would be an understatement. I asked why she thought that and she said she knew I was struggling and just wanted to make sure I was there for her and the kids, that I didn't do anything that I couldn't undo. I looked at her for a moment, glanced out our bedroom door towards our children's bedrooms, pulled my wallet out of my pocket and dug out the employee health insurance card, walked over to the phone on my nightstand, and called the EAP number on the card and asked to speak with someone.

I never understood how much my own feelings had been putting my family under pressure, that they were walking on eggshells around me fearing they might upset me. That was the first time I've ever been to see someone to talk about my feelings and it hasn't been the last time.

I hope none of you learn anything like this from your own families as it really was a shocker as well as a reminder that though I thought I was facing my fears on my own that they were having a huge impact on those I loved the most.

We don't all have access to resources to help us through tough times so if you find yourself in need of someone to just hear you speak then I offer up myself to be that sounding board.

Please remember this, you are not alone and though you might not know it, there are people who truly care for and about you.

My name is Marcus and I am here for you......

Contact me at ooasm2018@gmail.com if you need to talk about anything, and I do mean anything

VI KEELAND "The Invitation"

 Thursday, January 21/21

So as I've already admitted in a prior blog posting, I enjoy reading romance novels.

It's something I started doing back in 2018 when I was laid up post surgery and chemo treatment that allowed me to get my mind off things.

I used the free book offers on iBooks and Kobo to get started and along the way discovered a group of authors who I've really enjoyed reading over the past couple of years, so much so that I've actually moved beyond the free offerings they've made available to round out my portfolio through purchases whenever they offered up something new.

Vi Keeland is one such author. I preordered her most recent release "The Invitation" based on how much I liked other works from her that I've read as well as the synopsis posted on iBooks.

This recent offering became available to download on Monday morning and it had me hooked after the first few pages. I'm not going to give anything away about this story other than to say it had me laughing out loud at some of the exchanges between Stella & Hudson, and I literally mean bursting out loud laughing, as well as a very interesting hook at the end.

I'm not getting anything from anyone for saying any of this so take my recommendation as you will, but it was honestly one of my best purchases and one I'm sure to read more than a few times over the next few years.

The only drawback to the book? I became so caught up in it that I finished it Monday night!!

My name is Marcus and this blog is my attempt to share stories about dating, being a good parent as well as a good grandfather, dealing with working from home during a pandemic, dreaming of my next round of golf, and maybe if I get lucky, meeting someone nice and possibly sharing my last first kiss.

Got a comment, question, or complaint? hit me up at ooasm2018@gmail.com and I promise to get back to you.

Today's musical suggestion isn't just a song but rather an entire album. "A Black Mile To The Surface" by Manchester Orchestra. There are more than a few songs on the album that made me feel something inside and the entire album just flows really well. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.