how ya eat an elphant is one bite at a time

Sooooo what can be the elephant be?  A big project, a long term investment plan, reading a book, starting an exercise plan, changing your life style, fixing your house, climbing a mountain in our life, getting an education, developing a new relationship, etc. 

A golf buddy who was riding with me the other day told me that a long time friend won't talk to him any more--how come?--I think it's 'cause I didn't rent my farm to him but I don't know for sure (i.e. and he could be all wrong like I am sometimes).  Sooooo that made me think.  Some folks (e.g. friends, acquaintances, family, neighbors, buddies etc) have certain actions that irate me (i.e. might not be irritating to others but only to me--maybe). They aren't going to change soooo I need to change.  I need to zipitup!
Suck it up cupcake, buck up, just accept them as they are!   Accept reality. Rub some dirt on it! Shake it off!  I probably have the problem.  Soooooo solve the problem ervie!  It ain't that complicated!  I'll just let it go.  It's not really that important.  It's just my ego, I'm acting like a baby.  Let me just calm down.  Let me look at it from their point of view.  BUT I don't have to spend a lot of time around them if I choose not toooooo--it's my choice!  Eat the elephant one bite at a time.  Such is life. 
Maybe, just maybe! We are teaching our children the wrong stuff (e.g. learning to beat the governmental system for free stuff). Maybe! Maybe we are barking up the wrong tree! Maybe! Maybe we aren't eating the elephant one bit at a time but trying to eat the whole elephant in one bite or not eating the elephant at all (i.e. let someone else feed me).  Be realistic folks--If the government is going to give you everything you want, why would you want to change.  It just ain't going to happen. 

Arlene was at her salon getting her hair done while I rode bike. Got done but she wasn't done sooooo I went into this salon and wanted to read the Des Moines paper. The Des Moines paper was below their standards I think.  I remember a sign on the wall that said something like this--Natural beauty isn't normal!  And beauty isn't cheap either let me tell ya!  Sooo there was a little waiting area soooo I just sat down. A client got done with her hair work, paid, and then came and sat down by me (i.e. waiting for her daughter to get done). She was very attractive, petite, happy, well dressed with long black hair. Sooo we got talking and she told me that everyone things long hair is a lot of work. It isn't. I can really only have it cut twice a year (i.e. trim around her face by herself she said). I asked her if she works out to stay is such great shape--some but not always; I eat but small portions and not some foods; she was raised eating vegetables, fruits, little meat but no ice cream or pastries.
She told me she was a Vietnamese boat person and came over at the age 13 and came to Fargo (i.e. she said he was born in 1980). Her and her husband owned a restaurant for 18 years working 12 hour days 7 days a week in the Cedar Valley. During this time they purchased rental property and now he manages the rental and they both manage/own a nail store (i.e. toenail and fingernail). I asked her if the change was hard--no no, it was such a great opportunity for us to come to America. We wanted to work but there was no work in Vietnam. Hard times made us stronger. We are very happy. We are very appreciative. We have three children and are doing very well. Attitude folks, attitude. They aren't sitting on the couch eating chips trying to figure out the system.

One day at a time!  An old friend who took care of his physically handicapped wife (i.e. MS) for many years told me when I asked him how he handled that situation (i.e. one big elephant) said--erv, you just take one day at a time.  MissPerfect says--Don't say it, do it!  Sunday I talked to a friend who had a heart attack and had a couple of stints put in.  Sooooooo how's it going--ok, I'm doing rehabilitation now and working some--soooooo what do they tell you--they tell me I can eat anything I like and need to do things I don't like to do (i.e. the big elephant)!--what do you think of that--I have my own conclusion--and what's that--I'm going to eat some of the stuff I like and just in moderation (i.e. he needs to loose 50 pounds).  He says--Now I'm going over to moms and eat a massivehuge dinner (i.e. an elephant of a meal).  Huh, interesting.   Sooooo how ya eat an elephant is one bite at a time!  Ya gotta change your life style my friend (i.e. but you don't have toooooooo)!  I saw on a billboard on I-80 last Sunday this--We can live as we choose!

Hawks fall for the fake!  Sucker!!!  Gottcha again.  At the MI State game that I went too, MI State faked a putt and was successful.  I read it in the paper sooooo it must be right--For the second time this season and the sixth time since 2010, an opponent successfully executed a fake punt or field goal against the Iowa football team.  How many times does it take to figure that out!!!!  Da!  After the game I went across the street from Historic Kinnick Stadium and saw Brent Ridder.  He's from our community.  I have known him since  he was a kid.  He has been in the University of Iowa Hospital since April.  He is on a heart pump waiting for a heart transplant.  I can't imagine being there that long.  I just can't.  How do you eat an elephant is one bite at a time but...!

ItchieBitche says--Sometimes a person needs to just move on.  Don't be soooo hard on  yourself (i.e. don't beat yourself up).  You can't eat the whole elephant at one time.  You just can't.  As a ex-office support staff use to say to me--erv, shit happens (i.e. just accept it).  That's just the way it is.  Sooooo don't get sooooo excited.  Just accept the fact that that's the way it is (e.g. you can't get a par or better on every hole--ya just can't--you are going to have bad holes--that's just the way it is).  Don't try to figure it all out--you can't!  Accept reality.  Rub some dirt on it!  Shake it off!  Buck up!  Such is life.

How in the world did we get ourselves in this pickle!  Now we got this massivehuge elephant sitting on us.  What are we going to do about it.  LuckyEddie says--First of all, we got into this pickle by one little bite at a time and secondly we need to get out of this pickle by one little bite at a time.  Folks (i.e. my opinion) it ain't goin' toooooo  happen.  No way!  Won't happen.  Our country's financial situation will not change until we have a massivehuge disaster (i.e. the snowball is rollin' down the mountain side and gaining size and speed--it can't be stopped).  It can't be fixed any other way.  The government is like a big bleeder that can't be stopped.  Folks don't want to fix it.  I read it in the paper sooo it must be right--The majority of the folks are now living off the government (i.e. partly or entirely) .  The majority of folks don't want to change that (i.e. love it and learned to depend on the freebees and giveaways).  To get elected, ya gotta give folks more stuff.  Everyone wants someone else to pay for their life style (i.e. not everyone but many--the majority).  No one wants to give up their subside.  No one.  Soooo, it just can't be fixed until we have a disaster.  It will have to be a big one.  We are not to that point yet (i.e. we still are finding ways to manipulate the system to make it work but it can't continue for ever--our parents and grand parents said that tooo).  We just continue to kick the can down the street!  It's not if but when!  It will probably happen when we can't borrow any more or our money is worthless (i.e. can't just keep printing it).  In business, folks go broke.  Sooooooo no use to get excited about it.  I can't do a thing about it.  It's just the way it is and will continue to be.  Accept reality. Rub some dirt on it! Shake it off! Buck up! Yabut I sure hope you younger folks keep paying for my Social Security.  In fact I could use a raise in payment.  Interest rates are down!!!!  Golf isn't getting any cheaper you know!!!!  Such is life.

Opinions are just that, opinions.  And most of the time we don't agree with each others' opinions.  Everyone has an opinion about everything.  Arlene and I had an incredible experience happen to us last Sunday morning. It just fell in our laps. Way unexpected.  It was such a neat surprise. Just the opposite of what I expected. A WOW!  I told a couple of friends about this and one emailed me back--neat surprises are neat...........sorta sounds like "it's nice to be nice to the nice"(Frank Burn's quote from MASH)!  Yes, some folks were really nice to us.  I don't know if we are nice but it was nice of them to be nice to us.  Very uplifting.  Our feelings were not opinions, they were real.  I saw a bumper sticker going down I-80 heading to see Chet, Jessica, Charlie and Henry last Sunday afternoon that said--Out of opinions!  Soooo how ya eat an elephant is one bite at a time!  Talk about eating--Charlie was working her tongue on something in her mouth--soooo what you got in your mouth Charlie--Mabel's (i.e. their dog) hair!  Yuck!  It adds fiber to her diet!!!

How do you play 200+ 9 hole rounds of golf in a summer?  One round at a time.  We played 18 last Saturday.  It was windy.  We were the only ones on the course.  I wonder why!  I don't like wind any time but especially when playing golf.  Over our favorite beverages after the 18 I asked the other three guys--Sooooo how many 9 hole rounds have you played this summer?  The champion round player had 200+, next about 120, next was 100 and then me about 60.  How can I compete with those guys anyway!  We have a good time.  We pretty much shoot the same numbers sooooo that makes it fun. These guys play until you just can't play anymore.  They have weather shades that they put on their carts with gas heaters inside.  I might try that this year if I'm invited to play with them.  I never did that before.  I read while eating my oatmeal with a half a banana on it--Some people go to such extremes that their judgment is impaired and they become fanatics.  Ok, if it takes 2 hours to play 9 holes that means I spent about 120 hours on the course this summer.  That's 3 40hourworkweeks (i.e. I'm retired and time means nutten to me).  That seems like a lot.  BUT how about the champion round player at 200+.  200 at 2 hours is 400 hours or 10 40hourworkweeks.  He probably averages about 40 strokes (i.e. maybe less) soooo that is 8,000 shots.  Now that is a lot of shots folks.  I know of no one, I repeat no one, who plays that much golf in a summer.  That is his hobby and he loves it.  There is not a shadow of a doubt that this guy never gets overgolfed!  Such is life. 

I read this while eating my oatmeal with a half a banana on it--SusieQ said, "I was bitter, angry, foul-mouthed person, and I didn't care what anybody else thought.  It was all about me--me and my mean spirit."  Ouchy ouchy!  Then she grabbed the elephant by the tail and with one bite at at time she changed herself completely (i.e. a 180 degree reversal).  She had to get beat up (i.e. dinged up as my friend says) to understand herself for the change to happen but it happened.  How do you think she did it?  What do you think was the Xfactor in the modification?  How do you think she looks now?  Our lives can change alright.  It can be done and is done.  But for many, it seems that something drastic has to happen first.  Why is that do you think? 

One bite at a time!  As I'm writing this sitting in our sun porch early in the morning drinking my coffee, I see a gal running on the street.  She is in her mid 40s probably.  I see her  when I run in the morning some times.  She seems disciplined.  She has lost, I bet, 40 pounds.  She looks way different (i.e. I have to careful how I say this in this crazy world today).  I'm not saying that she looked like an elephant before, don't misunderstand me!  Why do you think she is doing that?  What caused her to decide to do this?  Why do some folks change and others don't?  Huh, interesting.  One of my golf buddies lost 20 pounds  recently.  He looks good.  Seeee I can say that about him.  LuckieEddie says--You better be careful saying that erv, the world might take that wrong as this old world is sorta kinda different these days. 

I'm totally convinced that exercising is more attitude than physical ability. Totally convinced! A person can be talented but if they have a bad attitude, they are basically useless. I would rather be around folks with average ability but have great attitudes. But, if you have talent, a good personality, a good heart, and a great attitude, you will be dynamite. I'm involved with WHO (i.e. we help others) in our church. I really enjoy the folks who are in this group--they have great attitudes (i.e. don't sit on the couch eating chips and complaining).

 

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

 

erv

 

MyFriendJean says--Enjoy life...this is not a rehearsal!

UPI: Just in

News flash:

The Washington Redskins drop the word "Washington" from their name because it is 
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