Dave Mancuso dot Com

Whenever I leave my diet I can tell. When I eat carbs I feel tired within a few hours. The next morning, I have that draggy feeling and it’s hard to get up. If I eat something full of sugar I feel sick for the rest of the night.

Sugar and highly refined flour are like alcohol or drugs to my body–I even get a hangover. So it’s back on the wagon for me.

Besides, I’ve got to be in good shape for the Outer Banks and the Smokies in the next two weeks. Of course, what this really means is that I’ve got to be in good enough shape to handle my little wiggly children on vacation without collapsing every night in exhaustion.

🙂

I will, for sure. Wil Wheaton writes over at WWDN about a new effort to make a movie out of Watchmen. Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins created this masterpiece, perhaps the best graphic novel ever made. If this project ever comes to fruition, I’ll be the first in line to buy tickets.

Tonight I spent a great deal of time calling nine different stores for this Igloo thermoelectric cooler in vain–they were all sold out. I then find the cooler in the KMart two miles from my house (for much less than the price at the web link above).

Now I just hope it fits in my van.

🙂

If you ever have the time, go to the urban legends website Snopes.com. I think the main page looks a bit obtuse at first, but poke around and you’ll find some amazing stuff on urban legends and hoaxes.

This is a rule I’ve learned by painful, painful experience (did I mention painful?):

When buying anything, be ready to walk away from the sale in an instant, right up to signing on the dotted line, especially if you really want it.

Often, this rule applies even after signing the dotted line.

I put this in because I’m looking at purchasing something this month, and I need to resharpen the edge on my mental “sword”…

My brother Joe is on his way to Tokyo as I write this. He spent the last few days in Seattle.

Of course, only this could happen to my brother Joe: he called me from the border yesterday because he decided to go to British Columbia, Canada, for lunch. That would make 4 countries he’ll have visited on his trip: Peru, Bolivia, Canada, and Japan.

He’s visited the US too, of course, but his home in Guam is technically a US territory, so he didn’t really leave the country to get here (or live there).

Also, Joe called me from the SEATAC airport today–his flight was overbooked, so he volunteered to be bumped form the flight. You know the drill–get bumped, then get a free pass on the airlines good for one year, right?

Not with Joe. He didn’t get bumped, but instead got a first class seat to Tokyo for his trouble.

Only Joe Mancuso.

Or Joe Way–he pulls this kind of stuff all the time too. Disgusting, isn’t it?

🙂

While watching Cosmic Voyage, a film about the universe and the microverse, shown in IMAX theaters last year:

Five Year Old Alyssa: Wow, this isn’t as boring anymore. It’s actually getting interesting.

Four Year Old Drew: Yeah.

Alyssa: Look Drew, thunder! Cool.

Drew: Yeah.

Alyssa: See, Drew? God makes thunder, not Kevin.

Drew: No–Kevin makes thunder.

Alyssa: You’re wrong. See right there on the screen? God makes thunder!

Drew: God makes thunder…AND Kevin makes thunder.

Alyssa: Whatever.

Later, at end of movie:

Alyssa: Wow. If that’s a ride, then I want to go on it.

My friends Joe and Laura (not my brother Joe–this is a different guy) moved away today to North Carolina with their two little ones. Sad times for me, although I’m glad for them–new jobs, close to family, nice place to live.

My psyche is wired a bit differently from most people–I may not see someone for ten years and then connect like no time has passed at all. I usually don’t miss people because they’re often in my thoughts (and heck, the Internet keeps people only microseconds away). This time is different. I guess I’m getting old (or middle-aged, at least). Good luck, Joe and Laura–may the wind be always at your back.

My brother Joe has returned from South America and is now in Seattle for a short stopover on his way home to Guam. I hope he comes back next summer.

Despite the picture of Joe in South America below, most of his trip was in freezing weather at very high altitudes. Joe hiked up to Machu Picchu and also crossed over into Bolivia for a short time.

Dad, Joe and me, and little Drew. Taken on June 21, 2003: