I’m not the most touchy-feely guy out there, nor do I think I am an “all about Me” kind of guy either. But when it comes to some things I just have a one track mind - Golf. I can’t help myself.

When the weather starts to break and turn warm, the Golf Channel seems to find more air time in the living room, and the siren call of the course seems to invade my every thought. It could be worse I suppose, but it gets maddening. This is especially true when spring warmth turns to summer heat.

My poor wife, I know that she’s not all the fond of the game in general, but god bless her she tries to be interested. That’s why I have a big case of Golf Guilt. She makes the effort. I on the other hand have trouble concentrating watching the various game shows she likes - Cash Cab, Jeopardy, and Wheel of Fortune. Maybe she has Game Show Guilt? who knows, but one thing is for certain, she has the patience of a saint when it comes to my obsession with this stupid, maddening, and childish game.

Our kids are getting older now, so maybe my guilt isn’t nearly as heavy a burdon to carry because I have a playing partner in my son, and hey, aren’t I doing something with my son? Character Building! Thats it! Ok, never mind he’s a pretty cool kid, and my daughter would prefer to do stuff with my wife… Hey maybe we both win on this one? She gets to hang out with the oldest and I get to hang with the boy? No longer do I have visions of the frazzled wife tending two little ones while I chase down a way-ward ball in the trees. This was especially hard to think about standing over a 6 footer for par…but no longer!

It kinda looks like its a win-win for everyone! Right?

Isn’t writing cathartic? I think so…

Ok, I don’t normally get all weird about my birthday. Usually it’s one of those things that are inevitable, unchanging, the march of time and all that. This birthday though, has given me quite a bit of stress. Once you crest 4-0, you are no longer considered young…well young at heart, but that’s not very comforting. I do suppose it could be worse. It can always be worse. Ah well, what the hell. I need to get over this in a big way. Yay, prime earning years…! ugh.

As you can see by the frequency of my posts, I haven’t written anything for almost two weeks. Sorry about that. Things have been so busy at work that when I got home the very last thing I wanted to do is type more on a keyboard.

I’ll get better about this I swear. ..

Anyway, what’s on my mind now is golf. Well, golf and motorcycles. The weather is turning warm and my thoughts are starting to wander. I hope you all are having nice weather and enjoying alittle sunshine. If not, maybe tomorrow. I have nothing interesting to add, just wanted to put something on the screen, trying to make a habit of writing… (Ok. THIS is cool!)

I’ve always had a dream of owning my own business. I know it takes alot of hard work and dedication, but that is a challenge I openly invite. So it’s no surprise at least to myself that I have a blog.

You see, as with most everything there is a learning curve, and blogging is no different. I was never the honor English student. As a matter of fact, I detested writing reports, reading the books that we were assigned, and basically anything outside of what I would have considered wanted to read and or write. But as time went on I kind of grew to love reading and writing. I have had many starts and stops as well as a few different iterations of DannoDog.com, but I am now more than pleased to have a blog and the business portion coming from advertising.

Maybe I wasn’t ready for a convensional business, but I think I am for this blog. Some of you may have stumbled in or maybe you’re someone in my family who has taken pity upon me because I have little to no traffic yet. Thank you just the same.

What’s the moral of this story? That if you are visiting small business websites and reading startup books they all have great advice such as - Entreprenuer.com, SBA and Fast Company. But don’t pass up the opportunity to do something that’s right under your nose. Something that you may not love to do, but something that you can do that won’t seem like work…at least not at first.

I wish I could find it. Yesterday on Good Morning America there was a short 5 second clip of a teenage girl stand out in front of her school (it looked like a school in the back round), and she said, I’m not kidding about this, “I don’t wanna die…!”. Yep. She actually said that, and the worse part is a national television news program played it. I have now lost any shred of respect I had for that show and their talking head  news anchors.

Idiots.

There was a Opinion page on CNN this afternoon by Ruben Navarette Jr. explaining in not so many words that we need to lay off the fence jumpers down on the border. It isn’t illegal aliens fault. Stop blaming them. Sounds like Mr. Navarette has an agenda all his own because I couldn’t find much if anything concerning illegals carrying the virus. Well, aside from a few calls to close the borders to keep the LEGAL Mexicans out.  You know the ones that come across in the morning to work, then go back across to Mexico apparently to their virus addled families. THAT is the greatest risk, well aside from the vodka soaked college students returning from spring break…

The swine flu is just a strain of the flu. I would be willing to bet that if you have received the flu shot in the past, you vary well may have received this virus in your vaccination. So please, take off your masks, er…better yet, leave them on. It makes me feel like I’m an extra on ER. Oh wait that was cancelled wasn’t it? Too bad. George Clooney would have known what to do… Scratch that, I’m on a real life episode of Scrubs.