Building a Better Dave

It's weird as a person in his fifties who loves technology. I find it cool, and it scares me to death.

Today I share a story about picking up a package the day after I delivered it at the Amazon pick-up center.

I have found when you start doing math to see if you can eat or afford something. When this happens you may be very close to doing something that you regret.

I saw the peloton bike and then read about the NordicTrack S22i which is "cheaper" but still an arm and a leg. However, if I cut out so many of the monthly payments I make to different sites and figured I can now "afford" it.

The good news is I'm down 2.3 lbs. My legs are on fire cause I went a too far and now I'm using Soak Fitness Spray (which it turns out went out of business). This makes me legs feel liek they are on fire so I forget that they are sore.

This is the album that introduced me to Randy Rhoads. Randy WAS MY DUDE. I LOVED the mixture of classic and heavy metal, and I learned every note on every record. It took me hours, but I did it.

When Randy died in 1982 it wrecked me.

My hero was dead.

I wore a black armband to school to show I was in mourning.

I found a clip on YouTube with Randy explaining how to play Revelation mother Earth, and that was the song that I was like WHAT? as well as Mr. Crowley.

Randy Rhoads clinic on YouTube

Randy Rhoads isolated guitar Mr. Crowley

Blizzard of oz on Apple

I'm 11 years old in Mrs. Lewis' class who was the coolest teacher ever. Everyone had gone out to recess but me and my best friend grabbed the little record player and cranked it up to 10, and through the distorted speaker I head these things on the guitar called "Artificial Harmonics" come out of Ace Frehleys guitar.

We just kept playing the song "She" over, and over, and over.

Kiss Alive I on YouTube

Kiss Alive I on Spotify

My first concert was the World Series of Rock

July 28, 1979[24]

• Aerosmith
• Ted Nugent
• Journey
• Thin Lizzy
• AC/DC
• Scorpions

But I saw Angus Young and was like WHAT? and that lead me to buying a Gibson SG. I bought everything they did, and LET THERE BE ROCK where every song is great, and I just played the grooves off this album.

Let there be rock on YouTube

Let there be Rock on Spotify

I saw a band open for Ozzy I had never heard of, and MAN WERE THEY HEAVY. I immediately went out to buy their album.

There was only one problem. My ears could not comprehend what I was hearing. At times it sounded like someone making fun of heavy metal.

It was so fast and the guitar solos sounded like a fax machine in heat. Metallica's Ride the Lightning was like nothing I had ever heard before.

In looking at 10 albums that changed my life, starting at number 10 is British Steel by Judas Priest. It was like nothing I had never heard of. It was HEAVY and it wasn't by accident.

The singer was amazing, and I loved the song Steeler that had about 90 seconds of the band playing one note at the end of the song. I loved that (in listening to it tonight, it's VERY hard not to play air guitar).

Tomorrow, a band I heard open for Ozzy who had music that was different I couldn't comprehend what I was listening.

Fear is a reaction - courage is a decision

• a fluke of getting up early is my catalyst.
• Planting your flag can make it easier to move

I'm playing with Healhtywage

Start your own wager

Join my team challenge for $20

Attention: There has been a shaving accident.

You gotta me kidding me.... Oh Geez...

Hmmm....

Here we go.....

I had a second family in my early twenties. Post Mom, they were my cheerleaders, my support group, and all-around second family.

Over the years different insecure girlfriends steered me away, and we lost touch. With divorce number two under my belt, I had nothing stopping me from reconnecting. I had thought about it.

I'll do it next time I'm in the neighborhood. I should call first. Why do we feel so awkward when we lose touch with people. Then we reconnect and you pick right up where you left off. I know if I had done this, and reached out we would've picked right up.

I can't do that now. It's not an option. A blown opportunity that put a mirror in my face and I can see how I was a really sh*tty friend in the name of love, I left people who truly did love me.

I feel ashamed, and not to happy with myself.