Does A Tramp REALLY Need A Stamp?

What is it about a simple little tattoo that can create so much controversy? Whether you love them or hate them, it's pretty much guaranteed that everyone has an opinion about them. And a rather strong one at that.


Does it really classify a woman as a Tramp, a Slut, a Sure Thing? I would have to think that there are many other 'qualifications' that need to be met before one can be placed into that elite category.


I don't mind saying that I myself am a huge fan of the lower back tattoo. I don't feel comfortable referring to them as "Tramp Stamps", let alone all of the other degrading names that have been associated with them. No need to go into those here, I'm sure we've all heard them and most are extremely degrading.


Exactly why I love these tattoos, I'm not quite sure myself. I haven't quite 'pinned it down' as it were. One thing's for sure though, when applied with taste, they can be sexy as hell.



Yikes, did I just say that? I guess I did. Maybe it IS the fact that I think they can be super sexy, especially on an already attractive woman. But the tattoo alone isn't the ONLY thing a woman can do to look sexy. A nice pair of low rise jeans with a bit of thong 'sticking up' above the belt line, the proverbial "Whale Tail" can also be a wonderful addition to a womans wardrobe.


Not to say that this 'combo' can't be worn by women of all shapes and sizes but if they are being displayed as a means of getting attention to a certain 'area' that normally wouldn't, let alone shouldn't be displayed publicly then that could be an issue.



But when a women leans over and you happen to catch a 'sneak peek' at her lower back, discovering that it holds an unforseen 'treasure' of sorts, it just doesn't get much better than that. At least not in my book.


As they say, "some things are better left unseen" and in the case of alot of these tattoos, I'd have to agree that 'out of sight, out of mind' might have been a better way to go. Perhaps it's because the owners can't actually see what's going on behind them that allows them to display these 'disasters', seemingly without a care.



As with anything else, tattoos can be taken to the extreme and beyond, with the limits of bad taste being exceeded in no time. However, the decision is entirely up to the 'owner' and you'd have to think that quite a bit of consideration was taken before they ever let someone apply something to their body that no doubt would last a lifetime.


Although I do have my doubts as to the talent posessed by some of the so called 'artists' that actually perform the work. While some are exquisite works of art, others look like they were 'scratched in' by some poorly trained meth addict in the back of an alley. I realy do feel sorry for some of these women as I would hope that what they ended up with is not how their dream tattoo started out in their mind. Truly a shame.




Which also brings to mind all of the criticisms concerning how the 'tattooees' will look once they get old and wrinkled. What will happen to their 'butterfly' at that point? Will it just look like a wrinkled old vulture, hovering over it's prey?


C'mon now, at that point, even if they do have somebody back there checkin' it out I'd find it hard to believe that the person is going to make a comment about it. I could be wrong but I just don't believe that's enough of a reason not to get a tattoo in the first place.


Is this the same ol' thing, where the people that don't have the guts to get a tattoo choose to talk down the ones that can put up with the pain for a whole bunch of individuality? I'd hate to think they are that shallow but you just never know.


In fact, who came up with the name 'Tramp Stamp' in the first place? Wouldn't "Buttper Sticker" have been a bit more 'neutral', somewhat less degrading? I'd assume it had to be a hater of Tattoos of all kinds. More than likely they also hate that other wonderful invention, the Belly Button Ring. But that's an entirely different post altogether, one that I'll more than likely get into later.



Could it be that most of the women that posess the lower back tattoos choose to display them for all to see that causes some women to be so against them? Could they be jealous? Perhaps these women don't feel comfortable enough with their own bodies to 'let it all hang out', let alone put a sign on it sayin' 'look at me'.




I've never been a big fan of women that wear next to nothing in public. I've always preferred to leave something to the imagination, a little somethin' for later. Especially when it comes to women I'm dating. Call me old fashioned but I'd like to think that there is something that is somewhat special, 'off limits' and only for me to see. Like I said, I'm old fashioned.


Just like the whole fake boobs thing. And yes, you guessed it, I'm not a huge fan of the quadruple triple double D's. I'm all about the 'real deal', gimme real A's as opposed to fake triple G's anyday. Not only do they tend to look disproportionate to the rest of their bodies, they tend to 'feel' all wrong and again, it's just not for me.



Sometimes I wonder what the actual stats are on fake boobs. Do guys really like them as much as women think they do or is it more of a thing where women do it to impress other women. I think the media has a bunch to do with it and while I agree that a bit of enhancement is ok, not to mention for medical reasons, but some of these women take it too far. OK, WAY TOO FAR!


Which could also be said for some of the women and their tattoos. I've heard that it can become addicting and since I don't currently have any tattoos of my own, I'm only guessing but I wouldn't be surprised at all to hear that it is indeed true. No doubt some have taken it way beyond the 'mainstream' to a point that's it's just about bordering on insanity.


Almost every square inch of their body being covered in tattoos is way beyond attractive. At that point it's just seems a bit obsessive and then it gets kinda freaky. By no means am I saying it's wrong but again, just not for me.


Which brings us back to my original point. While tattoos aren't for everyone, each individual should be able to decide for themselves what is right and wrong for them. It has nothing to do with what anyone else thinks and they surely shouldn't be labeled in any way for choosing to fly their 'freedom flag'.


So to all the women out there that have been 'branded' as Tramps, I want to commend you for living life on your own terms and not givin' a damn what others think. Because without you, we'd never know who the 'good girls' are.



I'd love to hear your opinion. If you're a fan of Tramp Stamps, I'd love to hear about it. If not, I'd enjoy hearing about that as well and perhaps all the reasons why you don't like them. And if you enjoyed this Post, I'd appreciate it if you'd share this with your friends.

FOCUS! Focus! Focu.... Hey, Did You See THAT?

Focus. Such a simple word. Heck it's only five letters, how tough can it be? Apparently extremely difficult, for me anyway. I seem to be surrounded by so many distractions these days, each of them prying me away from all of my intended tasks.

Every night I create my 'tomorrow list' , my list of goals for the next day. Sure, no guarantee that I'll get any of them done but more than likely I'll accomplish at least one or two. Not too much to expect, is it? Which in turn gives me some semblance of moving forward towards my goals. And to be honest I need to feel as if something is getting done, otherwise the days fly by and at the end of the week, all I have to show for my effort is the same list I started with, only it's five times longer than Mondays list.


Very defeating to say the least. Give up, pack it in, forget about everything I'm trying to accomplish? Nope, I just keep pluggin' away at it, hoping to make it through another day of relentless interuptions. Yet at the end of the day it seems to be more or less the same ol' story. Nothing to show for it but a headache and an ulcer. Not exactly what I was looking for, that's for sure.

Kind of reminds me of Tiger Woods and his Father Earl. Tiger would be practicing, hitting golf balls on the Driving Range or wherever and just as Tiger was in the middle of his backswing, his Dad would knock over his golf bag or throw a couple balls in front of him, something to that effect. Anything he could do to distract him from what he was doing.

At first, all this did was anger him. You know Tiger, I'm sure he was cussin' up a storm. But as time went by, he gradually began to learn to cope with these distractions and 'play through' them. If you follow golf at all then I'm sure you've seen Tiger stop his golf swing, at the beginning of his down swing because of some type of distraction. For anyone that's ever played golf, you know how difficult this is. Once the body is moving, it's nearly impossible to halt all of that forward momentum. At least not without throwing out your back in the process.


Yet Tiger has done this on many occasions, choosing to 'cancel' the shot rather than hitting the ball when he's not 100% commited to it. He would much rather start over completely than to hit a shot that he's not comfortable with. That takes some split second decision making, not a maybe I will, maybe I won't attitude. Again, only a rare few are able to even attempt this, let alone pull it off. In fact, I was watching a Tournament a few weeks ago....sorry, I kind of lost my focus for a minute. Back to my original thought. What was it again? Oh yeah, Focus. Highly sought after yet one of the most elusive of all traits.

This morning is a prime example of letting all the distractions around me take over, redirecting my focus to other areas and not allowing me to focus on the task at hand. Five TVs going at the same time but only two people home [and one of them is on the computer]. Most of the TVs seem to be on the same channel, yet all of them are about 3 seconds out of 'sync' and so it seems as if they are all screaming from various 'bottomless pits'. HELLO, HELLo, HELlo, HEllo, Hello.....HOW, HOw, How......


Dishwasher roaring away, the soapy water whooshing back and forth as the dial 'clicks' from position to position. Click, Clack, Bammm! With each cycle change I can hear the 'system' go through the motions. Lather, Rinse, Repeat! Oooops, that's if you're shampooing your hair. Lost my focus a bit there.

As I was saying, with every cycle change of the dishwasher a new distraction is evoked, causing me to lose my train of thought again. Hmmm, why is it so easy for me to focus on the sounds of the dishwasher but nearly impossible for me to continue to focus on my writing?


Then the Tea Pot starts to whistle it's never ending tune. Like a screaming Steam Locomotive barreling down on me, my mind instantly travels back to the 60's TV show, The Wild Wild West and that bitchin' Train Jim and Artie always ended up celebrating on at the end of each adventure. Jeez, that Caboose was so beautiful inside. Funny how they never showed the Engineer. I wonder if there was anybody piloting that train? And that coolishly evil 'mini~me' guy, Dr. Miguelito Loveless, he was such a great nemesis. Did you see the episode where they....sorry, distracted again.


What's THAT noise? Oh, the friggin' vacuum. Yes, that is a necessary task around the house but does it have to be done NOW? Why can't it be done when I'm out of the house, running errands or something? Who does the scheduling around here anyway? Then it occurs to me. I should probably help out around here a lot more and I could start by doing some of that vacuuming myself. How will I find the time to fit THAT in to my schedule as well as all the other things I need to get done? Then the guilt starts. Yep, I better put that on my list.

Where the heck is that list anyway? Oh, here it is. No, this can't be it, it has a date on it from two weeks ago. Unfortunately this IS the correct one. I never bothered to start a new one, just kept adding to the old one. Didn't have anything I could cross off so might as well keep it going. Why waste the paper? Oh, that reminds me. I need some new legal size yellow tablets to write out some rough drafts for some of my future Blog Posts. Hmmm, where's my Office Depot list? Have you ever been to Office.....sorry, distracted AGAIN!


Holy crap, what was THAT? Sounds like the Space Shuttle just took off from Bryans Air Force Base! As I run to the window, I realize it's the Tree Trimmer guys that pulled up across the street earlier this morning. My ear plugs helped to deaden most of the chain saw noise but when they fired up the Chipper, no ear plugs invented are ever gonna knock down that turbine from hell. At this point all I can hope is that they attempt to shred a limb that is just way too big, jam the machine and have to call it a day. I mean, I hate to have anybody miss any work but it sure would be nice to have them call it a day a bit early. Hmmm, I wonder if they get paid by the hour or if they're on salary? I had a salary job once and I nev...sorry, distracted again. Dang It!

As I was saying, Focus seems to be so hard to come by these days. With the world around us so full of noise pollution, it's nearly impossible to find a place to 'hide out', far away from all of the distractions that seem to keep us from our intended mission. All I want is just a little peace and quiet for a change. Is that too much to...hang on, somebodys at the door. BRB....


"No thanks, we just rent here. Sure, I'll give your card to the Landlord but I know how cheap he is so I doubt he'll want any of these trees trimmed. I'm sure he'd much rather just wait for the next storm to do the work for him and save some money. His theory is to let Mother Nature take care of it. If it's meant to come down, it will." Speaking of storms, just a few days ago we had an incred.....ooops, got a bit distracted there.

Focus. Why is it so easy to focus on all of the outside distractions and not on the more important tasks? I want so badly to get these things done. This got me to wondering. Am I'm just making excuses? Cheesy reasons for never getting any work done? Shouldn't I be able to write in the middle of a hail storm, with the doors and windows wide open, all the TVs on, stereo playin' full blast, gardner weed whackin' the bushes and a.... uh oh, what the heck is THAT THUMPIN'?


Not another Police chase! That helicopter sure is flyin' low and now it's doin' circles! THUMP, THUMp, THUmp.... Maybe they have the guy surrounded already? That sure would be nice, then perhaps they could 'wrap it up' sooner. Just drag the guy out of the car already! I mean c'mon, guilty until proven innocent, right? More than likely he carjacked the Minivan anyway and now that it's absolute junk from the Spike Strips and the PIT Maneuver you put on it, commence with the 'beat down' and haul him to the Gray Bar Motel. Speakin' of police chases, did you see that last episode of Worlds Dumbest Criminals where the guy tried to....dammit, distracted again!


OK, no more excuses, I gotta stay focused or I'll never get this Post finished! I'm not usually one to just start writing a new Blog Post from scratch. It's very rare, if ever that I just sit down and write one 'on the fly' but for some reason I feel very inspired this morning and no doubt I need to vent a bit. Normally I do a rough draft first and then whittle it down so that it's only way too long as opposed to being WAY WAY TOO LONG!

Yes, I admit I have an issue with overly long Blog Posts but I hate to feel 'cramped' and to have my thoughts stifled by the so called 'rules' of the Blogosphere. Who made up these rules anyway? And who's gonna enforce them, some kind of Cyber Sheriff? Flyin' around in a 'Virtualcopter', screaming out on his bullhorn, "That Post is TOO LONG! Delete It Immediately! Put your two typing fingers in the air and step away from the computer!"


Like in that movie that Sly Stallone did called Judge Dread. He was some sort of Lawman from Outer Space, flyin' around and passing judgement on all these Cyberdudes. That was back when movies only cost about $7.00, nowadays they are outra....jeez, gettin a bit off track again. I gotta work on that.

I really have to get better at staying focused, that's for sure. I'm beginning to feel like an Octoblogger with thirty five arms, each of them working on something without the others knowing exactly what that something is.


Multi~multitasking, which is never good because for the most part none of the tasks are ever completed and the few that are are basically done half assed and by no means anything to be proud of. I take pride in everything I do. That's why I tend to put 110% in to whatever it is I'm doing, regardless of its level of importance. Doesn't always show but I know inside that I did my best. I think that all started way back when I first....Damn Dogs, what are they barkin' at NOW? Hold that thought, I'll be RIGHT BACK....

Ummm, I THINK I Can Help You Over Here!

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE? I just can't figure this out! Seems like every time I turn on the TV, another Bank has been robbed. Or at least another 'attempted' robbery. Seems like most of them don't get away with it and those that do make it out the door end up with a bag full of blue dye.

Now, I realize that times are tough and people have to do what they have to do to survive. Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm in NO WAY condoning ANY type of illegal activity. Not whatsoever. In fact I couldn't be more against it.

I'm 'old'school' in my thinking and I believe we all have to work for what we get in life. And the harder we work, the more money we make. Or at least that's how it should be anyway.



Our Country was founded on this principal and I believe that's what has helped to create the Superpower that we are today. Well, that we were at one time. Not too sure where we stand in the 'global' scheme of things these days but I'm sure you understand what I'm trying to say.

But hard work seems to have been replaced by taking the easy way out. How can I get the most for doing the least. The world 'owes me', now gimme mine! And no doubt that type of mentality is going to be our demise.


Which brings me back to all these Bank robberies. There probably aren't as many attempts as it appears, due to the vast amount of Banks that are out there in relation to the amount of attempts, yet they always seem to make headlines. Whether it be in print or online, there's no shortage of 'bad guys' lookin' for a 'free ride'.

This got me to thinkin'. I know, uh oh, there he goes thinkin' again. This COULD be dangerous! No really, this is starting to bug me. Recession or no recession, there's just no excuse for stupidity. If you're going to do anything in life, do it right the FIRST time.

I don't know about you but I can't EVER recall walking in to a Bank, completely avoiding the 'mini~maze' that guides you to the Teller windows [yeah, the one with the huge sign that says ENTER HERE!], proceeding to walk straight up to one of the Tellers that is just waiting for you with open arms and saying "Gimme ALL Your Money, NOW!"


First off, seems to me like just as soon as you walk in the Branch, someone, whether it's a Guard or somebody in New Accounts will make eye contact and smile. I always like to smile back, it makes for a better day.

Next obstacle is the Maze, a series of 'twists and turns', designed to create some semblance of 'uniformity' and to guide you to where you REALLY wanna go.

Not that it hasn't happened but it's very rare, like one out of every forty times, that this maze is empty. Like I mentioned, extremely rare. Yet even on those special occasions, I STILL do as the sign tells me and I begin my journey at the entrance to the maze.


Don't get me started on those 'rule breakers' that, once they've taken care of their banking, INSIST on walking backwards through the maze. What are they thinking, don't they KNOW they are breaking the rules? Apparently not or they wouldn't do it in the first place, right? Actually I'm not too sure but it definitely makes no sense to me. Perhaps they like to live life 'on the edge'.

So chances are, once you get to the 'line up', there will be at the very least one or two people in front of you. More than likely there will be many more than that but let's just assume that you won't be the only person waiting for a Teller.

Some people filling out Deposit slips, others scratching out there info on a Withdrawl slip, HOPING that they will have sufficient funds to complete the transaction. Some even on their Cell Phones, trying to look important, in an effort to make the Tellers hurry up. Good luck with THAT one.

Of those making withdrawls, most of these people need a different amount of money than what the ATM has to offer. And if you're at all like me, you've had those times where you needed cash but your account balance showed less than $20. Yep, I said it. LESS than the $20 minimum and NO, I'm not proud of that statement.

That's when you HAVE to take the 'walk of shame', going inside the Branch and asking for your $18. But you need a balance of at least $10 just to keep your account open. Then it's decision time.


With about forty eyes staring at you from the lineup in the maze, burning holes in the back of your head, PRESSURING you to HURRY UP and make up your mind so they can complete their transactions and get back to their day, you HAVE to make a split second decision. 'On the fly' no less because you surely weren't prepared to make such a 'life altering' decision when you walked in the door.

Hmmm, should I take out $8 and keep my account open or just say screw it, take the entire $18 out and close it down? But if you close your account, won't that mean you'll have to fill out a bunch of extra paperwork? Oh, the anxiety.

That in itself could take even longer than YOU planned. But what the hell is $8 gonna buy you? One trip to the Jack in the Box 'Dollar Menu' and that pretty much blows you're wad. YIKES, What SHOULD I Do? Just thinkin' about this is stressing me out, I gotta move on.

OK, so you're finally at the front of the line. So close you can almost read the names on the little 'signs' next to each Teller window. Out of the thirty eight teller windows available, only three are open. Why is that?



Where the hell is Denise, Becky, Sherrie, Lisa, Tanya, Robin, Shaniqua, Melissa, Terri, Carla, Justine, Ricki, Charlene, Dustin, Christy, Yolanda, Shana, Missy, Barbara, Deborah, Mary, Joshua, Katherine, Brandi and all the other 'missing peeps'. Why aren't they at work? Don't they realize I'm in a hurry? I've got places to go, things to do, people to meet! I've got to get on with my day. Jeez, if you're not gonna show up for work at least have the courtesy to take your sign down the night before. It just looks tacky, you and your time off, rubbin' it in our faces. Why must you mock us?

That's about the time that I see IT! The giant HD Big Screen TV monitor, seemingly staring at me. Actually, it's difficult to avoid looking at it since it's right in front of you, staring back at you.


Hmmm, that guy looks kinda familiar. I'm not the least bit into guys but he's kinda handsome, a bit rugged lookin'. Perhaps he's a GQ Model? He looks a bit like me but 20lbs. heavier. Wait a minute, that IS ME! That's ME staring at me! But from a completely different angle. How can that be?

Then it dawns on me that I'm being filmed by some kinda 'Nanny Cam', probably in the ceiling or something. That answers the question about the weird angle. Jeez, I feel like I'm at the local Indian Casino, about to lose my last dollar on some 'rigged' game of Blackjack.

Wow, until now I never thought about the similarities between the two establishments, the Bank and the Casino. Taking out my last dollar, about to throw it away. ON CAMERA! Not good.

And I sure hope I wasn't cussing out loud about all the truant employees, they'd have it on file. I'd sure hate to have them treat me differently after viewing the footage, that would truly be a shame.

"Ummm, I Can Help You Over Here!" A bit startled, I'm faintly aware of a voice coming from somewhere far off in the distance. I look around and then I see IT. Scanning the entire counter, spanning just about the same distance as the front straightaway at the Indy 500, down near the end I can barely make out a slight movement above the counter top. Is that a Hummingbird? Nope, it's the Tellers hand waving to me, signaling me to head in her direction.


Can't really see any more than her hand, especially from this distance. The Teller 'wall' is kinda tall so it makes it difficult to actually see anybody until you're directly in line with the window. So I begin the long walk, kinda like in the movie Nine Mile and I start to hear the crowd in the maze chanting Dead Man Walkin' and...ooops, gettin' a bit side tracked.

Finally, face to face with the Teller. Such a beautiful smile, perfect for a Teller. Looking at her 'sign', I break the ice with a "Hi Brittney, how are you today?" Of course, as I'm saying this I'm just hoping that she's working at her own station and not somebody elses. That would really be embarassing if I called her by the wrong name.

"Please swipe your card." I guess that's about it for the idle chit chat. She's got a job to do and she wants to get it done. No BS'n around today. Which is more than fine with me. After being in line for what seems like forever, I'm about ready to get this whole thing over with because by now it's just about lunch time and there's bound to be a huge lineup in the Drive Thru at Jack in the Box!


With the transaction completed, I begin heading for the front door. Why is it that they have everything so blocked off that you're forced to walk by all of the angry people still waiting in the maze, dying to get to the 'cheese'? Cruel I tell ya', just down right cruel.

Getting back in my car, I can't help but reflect a bit on this mornings 'experience'. This whole banking 'thing' seems rather ridiculous at this point. Isn't it MY MONEY? Last time I checked it was anyway. If so, then why the hell is it so hard to get it back in my pocket? I could go on and on about this but I won't. That's an entirely different story, one I'll save for later.

Finally, made it to Jack in the Box. Jeez, I'm starving, can't wait to get me some food. What the heck is this, another lineup? You gotta be kidding me! It's not even lunch time yet. Good thing I got out of the Bank so quickly, any longer and this line could have really been bad.


As I stared at the "If you can read this, YOU'RE TOO CLOSE!" bumper sticker on the minivan in front of me, I began to think about all the people waiting in the Drive Thru in front of me. Then I noticed the 'Mi Familia' stickers on the back window. You know which ones I'm talking about, the little 'cut outs' that show the entire family, right down to the dog.

Yikes, there's Papi, Mami and about fourteen kids. Oh, and their dog Pepe'. I sure hope they aren't ordering for the entire family, that could take forever. Oh well, I guess I should be grateful that I made it this far. I mean, there could have been some friggin' idiot tryin' to rob the bank at the same time I was in there so in essence, I'm pretty lucky.


Which got me to thinkin' about the Bank again. And the fools that try to pull off these heists. I guess what intrigues me the most is how on earth are these so called 'Bank Robbers' getting through the maze and up to the Teller windows without being spotted? I mean c'mon, they don't seem to posess a whole lot of creativity, not to mention zero individuality.

It's as if they all bought BANK ROBBERY FOR DUMMIES, glanced over Chapter One on How to dress properly for the occaision, then got so excited that they didn't read any further before they ran to the Bank to test out all of their newly discovered knowledge. All of them seem to exude such a high degree of stupidity, it amazes me that so many of them make it as far along in the process as they do.


It's hard enough for us 'regular' folks to get to the Teller window, how in the heck are THEY making it with such apparent ease? Especially when they are wearing some of the most ridiculous disguises ever conceived.

Just a quick heads up to all the Bank Managers and Tellers out there. When you see a guy [or gal] walk in the front door wearing a Baseball Hat and Sunglasses, there's a pretty good chance that they're up to no good and you might want to think about keeping an eye on them. Perhaps even put your hand on the secret button, just in case. I don't know, it's just a thought.


And is it just me or is this THE most popular Bank Robber 'outfit' out there? Running a close second has to be the 'Hoodie' with the bandana around the neck. After that, you're pretty much in the 'Ex Presidents Mask' Category and at that point, it's pretty obvious that you're not there to make a Deposit. No doubt it's going to be an Illegal Withdrawl and things are gonna get ugly real quick!


A bit startled, I hear "My name is Felicia, would you like to try our new Jackalicious Jackburger Combo Meal Supremo for only $14.99?" I'm thinkin' jeez, for that price it better come with a Lobster Tail. And butter.

Somewhat stunned, I mutter "Uh, no thank you, I can't really afford that. Can I just get two Chicken Sandwiches, small Fries and a small Diet Coke?" To which she replies, "OK, so that's two Chicken Neckwiches, Le Mini Fries and a Dixie Cup Size Diet Coke? That'll be $17.88 at the first window. Please pull forward!"

Dang, that seems expensive! Maybe I SHOULD have gotten the Jackalicious Jackburger Combo after all. Too late now, I've already ordered and I sure as heck ain't gonna try and back up. Too many people in line behind me. Man, if these prices keep goin' up, I'm gonna have to rob a Bank.

If You're Gonna Dream.... DREAM BIG!

FINALLY! It's about time. I was beginning to wonder if it would EVER happen again but fortunately for me, it did. After all the time I spent searching for it, I finally found that 'spark' again, that elusive 'trigger' that would reignite the fire within me. The 'fuel' necessary to keep the dream alive, allowing me to remain focused on achieving my goals. I found my WHY.



Yes, my WHY. Now, while that might sound crazy to some, I'm sure others can most definitely relate. We all need a reason. A reason to get out of bed in the morning, to go to work each day, to continue to struggle through the most difficult of times,. A reason to persevere, to challenge anything and everything put in our paths, attempting to keep us from accomplishing our goals. Our reason why.




I don't believe it is something that can be 'manufactured', it has to come from deep within us. A place that even we can't manipulate. It has to be part of our heart, our soul, our true inner being. An invisible force propelling us forward, pushing us to break down any walls standing in our way.



It could be as simple as Fear. Fear of failure, a fear of commitment, even a fear of actually achieving your goal and wondering what lies ahead after that, whatever your fears may be, it takes a serious and dedicated commitment to conquer your fears and to remain focused on your goals.




Passion is also a huge part of the equation, an excellent reason why. When you're passionate about something, don't you feel as if you will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to make it happen? I know I sure do. If I'm passionate about it, I go at it full bore where as if I'm kinda 'on the fence' about it, I do what it takes to get it done but for the most part, not much more than that. Without passion, our 'why' doesn't really stand a chance of survival.



That's not to say that I won't do a good job because I will. I don't know the meaning of 'half ass', it's not in my vocabulary. It's not my nature to only do what's necessary to 'get by'. But with that being said, I also know that if I'm following my dreams, chasing something that I'm passionate about, then I go at it with a much stronger effort, giving it 150% of my time and effort until I've knocked it out of the ballpark. With passion comes a constant reminder of why.



I'm willing to bet that this is the same for most people. Of course there are those that are basically just 'time milkers' and they prefer to live their lives just getting by. Where good enough is good enough, why do anything 'extra'? That is SO not me, not my way of thinking at all. I feel that true effort should have its own rewards. The more effort you put in to something, the more you get in return.



Doesn't have to be a tangible 'thing', just a good feeling inside from a job well done. Or even knowing that you have helped someone else, that too can give you a feeling of satisfaction, another good reason 'why' that a job done 'half way' could never hope to provide.



So how do we go about discovering what truly motivates us, what it is that drives us to go above and beyond the call of duty, to do whatever it takes to accomplish our goals? A reason why? I feel that's a very 'individualistic' thing and only we ourselves will know where our motivation lies.




For some of us, it's family. Knowing that we have loved ones that need our love and support will give us the 'never give up' attitude that is critical to make it in todays world. For others, it could be personal growth that fuels our fire. And still for some, it might be as simple as money. Not to say that obtaining money is simple, it's just that if you can narrow it down to a basic driving force, it will really help you to remain focused.




In fact, if your goal is to make a ton of money, it might help to have a good idea of exactly what it is that you'll do with all your money once you have it. Why are you going to make all this money anyway? To provide for your family, friends, a new home, a car, a boat, something to that effect. Narrowing down your focus will help you to remain on the straight and narrow. Surely there will be bumps in the road, you can bet on it and you'll want to continue moving forward despite the obstacles you're likely to experience.




This is where I've been struggling so much over the last couple years. As I have continued to fall from the tallest sky scraper around, losing everything I ever owned [and more], not only have I lost all my 'stuff' but I've also lost all of my desire. My motivation, my passion, my reason for living, all of these driving forces have pretty much been erased from my memory and replaced by a ton of woulda coulda shouldas, all surrounded by lots of negativity. Most definitely not the best set of circumstances for a person attempting to 'restart' their life, that's for sure.



And to be honest, it's been a bit nerve racking to say the least. Losing your MOJO is very daunting. It's not like you can go to the 'MOJO Store' and pick up a twelve pack of MOJO Juice and suddenly find all of your inspiration again. As I've come to learn, motivation doesn't come in a bottle or a can. Dang it, sure wish it did. Things would be so much easier.




How does that saying go again? Inspiration, combined with Perspiration equals Motivation? Something like that. Anyway, I'm sure you get the point. It requires some form of action but action alone is not enough to keep you on the right track, to remain disciplined enough to keep going.



You have to have passion and that's the part that scared me the most. I'd lost my passion and I had no idea how or IF I was ever gonna find it again. While I still had some of the same likes and dislikes, none of them seemed to hold enough ooomph for me to chase after them. As I mentioned earlier, I had pretty much gotten to the point that I didn't really care whether or not I even got out of bed. EVER.




Heck, why would I? Nothing much going on, might as well lay here all day. Even the fact that I was more than likely gonna be livin' in the back of my Honda Pilot [at least until they repo'd that as well] in the near future didn't seem to be enough of a 'spark' to get me going. I don't like to talk or think about giving up but to be honest, I came very close a few times to just sayin' forget it and packin' it in.



I started to envision myself as one of those guys standing on the freeway offramp, cardboard sign in hand. I've heard those guys make pretty good money so it wasn't like I was TOTALLY giving up on everything, just 94% of me was throwin' in the towel.




If it wasn't for my dear friend Annabelle, I probably would have already given up but she wouldn't let me. She always had such a way of putting things into perspective, showing me what was truly important and what was BS. I miss her more than words can even describe, she meant more to me than I could ever tell her. I wish she was here now so I could let her know that I think I finally found it. I finally found my why.




Sure, some people might consider me to be extremely superficial, saying that I'm out to impress other people, worried about keeping up with the Jones' or even worse, attempting to cure a midlife crisis. All of these couldn't be further from the truth. I'm in search of whatever it is that will make me happy again. That 'something' that will give me the answer to my why.



And to those that say "It's just a car", that would be like me saying "It's just a family." I'm not here to tell you your WHY is or isn't any less important than mine is, it's just different but as long as you find one, that's all that matters.




I have to admit that finding true love WAS my main driving force in life. I quit drinking about four years ago in an effort to find the love of my life but that has turned out to be a complete disaster and so at this point I have more or less come to the conclusion that I am meant to be alone forever and like it or not, I better just get used to it. Not that I'm 'giving up', more like I'm 'giving in'. Sometimes you have to know when to let it go.



After losing my Condo, along with another couple properties, I'm in no hurry to have another mortgage to deal with so even if I could afford it, I highly doubt I'd buy any property again. I wouldn't mind having a rental property or two but besides that, no 'mortgage stress' is just fine with me.




So what's left? What is it gonna take to get me fired up and motivated again. Travel? Another big dream I have is to travel the world, to explore the U.K., Europe, Australia, every exotic beach on the map. But is that enough of a driving force? Traveling alone isn't all it's cracked up to be and so that dream has lost a bit of its sparkle. Not that I don't want to see the world, it's just that it's not as high on my list as it once was.



Jeez, no wonder I've been having so much trouble getting stoked on life again, my list is just about empty. It's all starting to make sense to me now. If I was reading this Post about somebody elses life, I'd say they had every right to just pack it in and start looking for a spot on the sidewalk to set up their 'Cardboard Condo'.





Unfortunately, this is MY story and so I have to deal with it. No other option. After whittling down my list of reasons to move forward, searching for my why, knowing full well that there are only a few other things in life that I'm passionate about, it's come down to getting the car of my dreams.



Yep, a car. Now, I know most of you are saying "What is he thinkin', a car? What kind of motivation is that?" I know, anybody can buy a car, no big deal. Well, I've been a 'car guy' forever, way before I even had a Drivers License. From day one I've loved foreign cars. BMWs and Porsches were my 'thing'. Someday, someday, I continually told myself throughout the years but it wasn't until about two years ago that the 'dream' finally came true. Better late than never I always say.




But along with everything else I lost, no doubt that hurt me the most. Property is one thing, losing 'my dream' was another thing entirely. Had to jump through some major hoops to get it and to see it leave, without me behind the wheel is something that I doubt I will ever forget. At least not any time soon.




Along with the 'car', I lost what little bit remained of my desire. My desire to succeed. After all, my dream came to an end. What am I supposed to do after that, invent a 'new' dream? As I would come to learn, that wouldn't exactly be too easy. How do you replace a dream you've had for 30 years? Especially one that manifested itself into fifty times better than anything I could have ever hoped it would be.




But replace it I must. Otherwise I'm destined for a life of zero. A life of nothing. Which really isn't my style at all. I'm not here to merely survive, I'd much rather strive to thrive. To do my best despite my surroundings. All I need is a reason, a reason why.




I've always been into Antiques and Collectibles, I love things that are old, untouched and original. The number one rule in the Collectible World is "Rare is where it's at" and I feel that way about most everything. If it's very limited production, the only one in existence, that type of thing, then I get super excited about it.



So last Saturday I decided to pay a visit to the "Dream Store", otherwise known as the Porsche Dealership. I'll be the first to say that I HATE going to Car Dealerships of any kind. Just as soon as you step foot on the Lot, they are on you, wanting you to sign your life away on the dotted line. Although I have to admit it's much better nowadays, with all the info available on the Internet they know that buyers are not the 'sitting ducks' they once were and the Salesmen [and Saleswomen] can't really shoot fish in a barrel any more.



As I walked over to the new Panamera, anxious to see one in 'real life', I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. While Porsche is known world wide for their World Class Craftsmanship, it's taken me some time to get used to a four door Porsche but I won't hesitate to say it was damn nice. The interior was absolutely stunning and if I had a spare $150K and I was in the market for a four door sports car, I wouldn't hesitate to look closer at one.




"Can I help you?" Uh oh, here comes the Sales guy and he's looking at me like a sitting duck! "Oh, that's ok. I just wanted to check the 'Pan' out for myself. I've read so much about them, I wanted to see one in real life."



We talked for a bit and I found out that this guy was actually pretty cool. No high pressure BS, just good info in a relaxed conversation. And as we got to talking, I asked the question that I had really come there to ask in the first place. The MAIN reason for my visit. Have to admit I was surprised by his answer. Very surprised.




"Do you plan on getting a 2010 GT3RS in any time soon?" There, I said it. The only car on my mind for the last year, if not longer and to see one would be a dream come true. Just like the 2007's & '08's, of which there were only a total of 200 produced for the North American Market [including the fifteen that went to Canada], the 2010 GT3RS is limited to three per Dealership. They just started arriving in this country about two weeks ago and I've only read about one up to this point, at a Dealership in Northern Calif. and they wanted $40K over sticker price. That's one hell of a mark~up in my book.




As it turned out, the guy that bought the RS got if for $20K over Sticker because he had just spent $150K two weeks before on a new Panamera. I won't go in to the fact that he drove the RS off the showroom floor and immediately to a local 'Go Fast Shop' to have some modifications done to it. Not sure I'd have the guts to modify one of the most incredible cars in the world, especially when it's BRAND NEW! Must be nice to have money like that.



To which the Salesman replied, "We just sold a new 2010 GT3RS earlier in the week. The buyer used his Orange 2008 GT3RS as a 'trade in'. It's sitting on the Showroom Floor if you want to take a look at it." "IF I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT?" I did my best not to RUN inside but I'd have to think he had a pretty good idea that I was interested in seeing it. You just don't find these sitting on the Showroom Floor of your local Dealership. Most were purchased by Collectors and rarely for sale.





As I got closer to the large glass doors, I could see the orange reflection bouncing off of the other ten Porsches on the floor and every other reflective surface near by. And then, there it was. The Magic Pumpkin. I'm not a diehard fan of Orange but knowing full well that even when you're rich, you don't have a whole lot of choices when it comes to color, I'd be more than ecstatic to own it.




They were available in Orange, a unique shade of Green, an exotic looking Black and a light Silver. A very rare few were 'special ordered' in White and of course, with White being my favorite color for a car, if I could have my choice, I'd pick White for sure. And with the Ceramic Brakes and Yellow calipers, you'd have one of the rarest RS's out there. Now THAT'S what I would call a dream come true.




Once I managed to roll my tongue up off the floor and back into my mouth, which enabled me to speak again, I asked a few more questions which lead to "Mind if I sit in it?" Fortunately for me he replied with an "Of course not, go ahead." And with that, I adjusted the seat to my liking and made myself comfy. With the closing of the door, I knew I was home.



Alcantara Heaven, this leather filled dream machine sucked me in and I never wanted to leave. With only nine thousand miles, this baby is like brand new. And as hard as it was to believe, it looked like it was taken care of by someone that was as 'detail crazy' as I am, which was just icing on the cake.




Turns out it was owned by a guy that races RS Porsches just like it, professionally. Jeez, I guess when you drive one on the weekends, you need one for the weekdays. Sounds like one hell of a plan.




"Want me to take your picture?" "Heck Yeah!" So I hand him my iPhone and mumble a few instuctions. That was about the best I could do at that point considering how dizzy I was and all. After the 'photoshoot', I continued to stare at everything I could inside the car, wanting to absorb every little bit of the experience.



Right down to the deviating color of the stitching on the leather on the dash, seats, pretty much everywhere, this baby was full of options. Even had the original window sticker laying on the dash and as I glanced at it, trying to add it all up in my head as fast as I could, I realized the guy paid at least $150K for it back in '08. Now THAT'S a lot of money in anybodys book.




As I came back to reality, I reluctantly opened the door, proceeded to say goodbye to my 'leather cocoon' [for now] and stepped out of the car. I continued to take some pics of the outside of the car. While not wanting to look like a total dreamer, I knew this was a special occasion and wanted to take in as much of it as I could.




It's priced right in line with the few others that are currently available throughout the Country at $125K, which might seem like a lot of money but considering that the 2010 GT3RS cost this guy right about $200K by the time he left the Dealership, $125K doesn't look so bad!



I said my goodbyes and a big thank you for the experience. Again, not wanting to look like a 'poser' I did my best to contain myself but no doubt I left there a changed person. Changed for the better. I finally found my WHY and I couldn't have been happier. Well, that's not exactly true. I would have been MUCH happier had I been driving it off the showroom floor.



All the way home, I found myself going over all kinds of scenarios in my head. Different ways that I could some way come up with the money to make this happen. Yeah, it's gonna take some time and a bunch of hard work but it IS possible. Anything's possible! Why is it that the things that turn me on are always so damn expensive? Just my luck I guess. I don't like them because they cost a lot of money, I like them because I like them. Period. It's not MY fault they cost a flippin' fortune!





To be honest, I really don't care what it costs. I'm just so grateful to have finally found a reason to get out of bed in the morning, to work hard, to strive to thrive. To me, it's priceless. This won't completely erase the fact that I won't have a woman to cruise around in it with me BUT I have a strong feeling I'll be having such a good time that I probably won't even notice I'm alone.




And if you happen to see a White GT3RS with the Vanity Plate "MY~WHY", go ahead and wave. Chances are I'll pull over and give you a ride. Who knows, you just might find YOUR WHY while we're haulin' a$$ around town!