Mom you will be proud of me

I woke up really early on Saturday and cleaned my entire house. Well the downstairs that is. I think my roommates can fend for their own rooms. Cleaning really wasn't my thing growing up, partly because it was not seen as a necessity in our house. I guess I can thank her for wanting to keep the house, the bathrooms, the garage and the backyard clean because it has rubbed off on me for the better. It's weird, because I really don't like to clean, but in this house it keeps you on your toes. Also, it is sort of a way to work the stress out of my system that the gym doesn't take care of. So now I can rest on Sunday and relax. Maybe take a nap. Who knows. Alas...... my room is clean! Anyone have a suggestion?

Friends make my life so Rich

Friends are ones that come from afar but will meet you at the drop of a hat. (Even if it was $104.51)

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.

Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.

A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.

A Man of Promise

My brother has never received the proper respect and admiration from myself throughout his life. If you have not met Aaron, He is one of the most kind, determined and honorable men that I know. He goes about his way to make sure that people around him are taken care of and comfortable in their environment. He's a great Uncle (3X now), a great friend to MANY, and the best brother anyone could have. There have been many times that Aaron has gone to many extents to help people get through difficult times. One example of my brothers Kindness was when he orchestrated the trip down to AZ to watch U2 in concert last October....... Why does he deserve respect and admiration from his big brother? For many, many reasons. However, here is one that might mean nothing to others, but it blows me away every time I look at the pictures. Driving 12 hours to AZ, dealing with a brother that is pissed off (sorry mom) beyond recognition, because life loves to throw curveballs at people; however in my situation I received a knuckleball. And throughout all the bickering in the car and complaints about whatever issue I was having at the time he endured it and put me in my place and told me the truth about how I really make people feel. Even throughout this 12 hour trip to go wait in line for another 15 hours to see my favorite band, all he ever worried about was that my sister (that at the beginning of the car ride revealed that she was pregnant with her 2nd baby girl RUBY ) was comfortable in line and I had enough food while waiting in line. Ex. breakfast run to McDonalds. This posting goes out to you Aaron l. Ruff. Thanks for being a great brother even though sometimes I tend not to reveal my true feelings. You truly are the best brother any one could ever have.

When you try your best but you don't succeed

When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse.
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
And high up above earth or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones
And I will try to
FIX YOU

Puts a smile on my face every time

Just a minor detail in my life.
I love U2.
From the first time my sister played me
U2's first single "Out of Control", I was instantly hooked on the raw sound. The four Irish blokes really don't even know the magnitude of emotional support that they give their fans through their meaningful, lyrical ballads. This song in particular has been my favorite ever since 1987. I remember it was in the spring right before the Ruff family moved out to Cali when my sister popped a double sided u2 tape in the good old station Wagon. And that's when the addiction kicked in. Whether it's the 8 concerts that I have attended (4 front row), or the crazy memorabilia that keeps adding up, or the search for the latest u2 song/remix, I will never lose my love for the boys from Ireland. This specific video from Slane Castle is and has been my favorite of all the "Out of Control" performances, because they sing this song verbatim from their first concert in 1981. So if you ever want me to sing this song to you verbatim, I will not have any problems remembering the lyrics while singing my karaoke heart out. Enjoy :)

My Buddy Monrovia Scarlet Scout Prinz

There are many people in this world that I love. I love them for all sorts of reasons. Because they are family, because they are a friend to me, or because I just think they are the CAT'S pajamas. Nothing compares to my adoration for my niece Monrovia scarlett scout Prinz. April 13th 2008 (the day after) was the first day that I met this amazing little girl. RoRo was born with profound hearing loss a
difficult pill to take for anyone being brought into this world. My Sister and my Brother in law were hit so hard with the fresh news upon the days and months following her birth that they really didn't know what to do. I remember the anguish that I dealt with the day my sister told me what the Doctors revealed to them. Why her, why my sister, what have they done to deserve this? Monrovia has been through a lot in her lifetime. She deals with more Dr. visits and travel time to her AWESOME school http://www.deafkidstalk.org/site/
than anyone can imagine. However; every day she is learning something new and is motivating not just me, but everyone that meets her! Monrovia has been such a bright spot in my gloomy and dreary 09-10. I try to tell myself if RoRo can do it, then I can get myself through the difficult situations, while hopefully making a few people smile. When Monrovia was born, I gave my sister a cd with U2 songs made into beautiful lullabies.
http://store.rockabyebabymusic.com/ecom2/index.php/music/rockabye-baby-lullaby-renditions-of-u2.html
I was so sad and mad at the same time, that she was not able to hear our favorite band. However, by the grace of GOD, and tons of hard work, Monrovia with her cochlear implants (http://goodbuthard.blogspot.com/2008/09/for-instance.html) is now able to hear everything around her. And one day, she will know the effects that she has had on everyone around her during the first two years of her life. Thank you buddy for your inspiration, you are very uplifting to me :)

Amazing...................

From time to time I have trouble reminding myself of why I choose to support teams from the one and only Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I have lived in California for almost 20 years and I continually have given my support to my Phillies, Flyers, Sixers and Eagles, amid speculation from my friends that I am insane. However, my thoughts are if you enjoy something that you like in your life that is always there for the better or worse, you should stick by it until it becomes unbearable. And even after that continue to focus on a cure and eventually it will turn around. Few things do not work out :(........... but if they do rebound and turn around you should rejoice in the moment. The past few years have been difficult for a ton of people that I know, IE: friends, family, co-workers, etc... I can include myself in that large group and also add that my friends, family, and co workers have really helped me get through this tough span. However, I get a little extra motivation in my daily grind when my team is winning. My beloved Phillies have been in the World Series the past two years winning it once and have a chance to go back again this year. My Eagles have done pretty well for a while, not winning the big game, but they are always a presence. The 6'ers...... well let's skip them. The Flyers on the other hand have been doing very well this year. They have a new coach, a young team, and an amazing goaltender that just joined the 1st team 6 games ago. My team in ORANGE are two games away from returning to the Stanley Cup Final. The Phillies carried me through an indescribable year in 08 with an emotional victory and I'm hoping that the Flyers can also add to that in 2010. I know that it sounds selfish, and maybe even a little crazy that I'm hoping for this, but I think it will just add to my tumultuous roller coaster of a year.