Friday, November 12, 2010

Essay My Son Riley Wrote

I am so proud of my son for writing the following essay about Veterans. he won second place in an essay writing contest for this:

My Family Tree Of  Veterans
By Riley Wilson

My family is full of veterans. My great grampa Angelo Zanghi  fought in World War ||. He was one of the soldiers that landed on Normandy Beach. He even spent a whole day in a foxhole.

My grampa Pete Parker fought in the Vietnam War. He was in the Central Highlands with the 4th Infintry Division. He was in many battles.

My grampa Omie Wilson was in the Air Force for 20 yrs. He was a Military policemen .

They are all important to me. I feel happy and proud all at once . They risked  their lives to give us freedom. I see history in my family tree . It’s great to have such grand veterans.
 

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Congratulations GOP....but....

Last night Republicans took control of the House and made major gains in the Senate. As a Conservative I am very thrilled by this , but I also remain very guarded in my optimism for our country . We as the people who voted these people in need to not let them off the hook just because we voted them in, we need to hold them accountable just as we did the people we just voted out or we will not fix the issues that we need to fix to get our country back on track.

We didn't put into office to blame the democrats either, we want to move forward and see improvement in our country, we don't want to hear that the previous administration left us with too many issues that we can't expect change over night. None of us expect that , we do expect things to continually get better . I am sick of hearing from our current leaders that the Bush Administration left us with such a mess that it is going to take some time to fix . The fact of the matter is that the those same leaders also contributed to the issues because the democrats had control of the House for the last two years of the Bush Administration and along with Bush contributed to the issues. We now have control of the house and we need to put forth our ideas to help improve our country . Yes the President will stand in our way and will do what he can to prevent us from furthering our agenda, but history will show that if the country is not doing well , he will not get re-elected. Bill Clinton learned to meet us half way and got re-elected, if Obama is smart he will do the same. 

We do not have enough power yet to undo everything that has been done , so do what we can right now within our power to make our country better. This means that  health care  needs to be put on the back burner for the moment and we need to create legislation that will get our economy moving again and in turn create jobs . We need to get people back to work and grow our country again.

Congratulations to the GOP,we are counting on you to come through on your campaign promises! Good luck!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Oh the Phone Calls!!!!

For the past week the phone has been ringing off the hook!!!

Our home phone almost never rings, most people contact us now via our cell phones. However the politicians have our number and they are using it. What my biggest issue with this is why when I talk back to them ... they just keep on talking. I find this rude, even Thurman Thomas (Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills Running Back) called. I thought this is cool I get to talk to Thurman....but he just kept on about  Carl Paladino.

Speaking of Paladino , I thought when he called  , we were hitting it off  . He was asking me questions about how sick I was of the direction that New York State is going in and stuff like that. I was answering , then I started asking him some questions of my own and he just kept on going about his opponent. I just wanted to know what he had for dinner and what color socks he had on. I was shunned.


The phone calls keep coming and no one wants to have a conversation . My wife tells me that she talked to a live person today, but she only told me that after i left the toilet seat up...so I can't really believe it.

Oh well .....

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Coffee is Kicking Some Sense Into Me

I really don't know where my dislike of Halloween started , I used to dress up as a kid and loved it.My wife reminded me that I dressed up in the early days of our relationship as well. I do secretly enjoy watching the kids get ready for Halloween, but what bothers me is the adults dressing up. I really don't know why.

Whatever the reason , I was reminded by something I tell my kids all the time. Sometimes in life you you have to do things that you don't want to do. There is no sense complaining about it , because complaining about it only makes it worse for you and the people around you.So I will bundle up tonight and  take my kids trick or treating and I will most likely enjoy it .

This is not a Scrooge on Christmas morning moment, I am not waking up this morning after 3 ghosts visited me last night and now will keep the spirit of Halloween in my heart. I still don't like it. It is not about me though. I look into my kids eyes and see the excitement and it reminds me of the excitement that I felt long ago for this holiday .

Everyone please have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

My Thoughts as I drink my first cup of Coffee

It is Saturday morning and I have the house to myself today. There is plenty of things to do to keep me occupied though. Before I start my chores it is very important that I drink my coffee , this is to loosen the cobwebs from last night as the cobwebs are disappearing these thoughts came out.

  1. I find it interesting that people don't understand that the selfish decisions they make can really affect the people that they care about,their position in life and could really impact their future . I understand that people can be unhappy in their current situations and need to change that , but sometimes the need to change their situation can result in a snap decision that can make your situation worse. I obviously have a situation in mind , I pray that whatever damage has been done will be minimal and easily fixed.
  2. I do like Carl Palidino, but not sold on him as Governor. Even though I share in many of his thoughts that doesn't mean that I believe that he will make a good leader. To me his character is in question, I can't get out of my mind the e-mails he sent using racial slurs ,whether it was a private e-mail or not it shows poor judgment. This does not mean I will be voting for Andrew Cuomo though, I may have to write someone in.
  3. I wonder if the dropping ratings for Soap Operas can be blamed on Facebook. I think that Facebook and social sites like it is a wonderful place to connect and re-connect with friends and family. It is also a place where people air out their frustrations as well, which you have every right to do so. But the conflicts that are posted on the site can provide the same ,if not better drama than Days of Our Lives. It is your profile , do what you want with it.
That's it for today , got to clean my house ,mow the lawn . If I get that done , then I won't feel so bad about the nap I am going to take later!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

I Can be DJ now

In early August I made a decision to leave a job that I had been with for 22 years .I was nervous about the switch , I was leaving something that I was extremely comfortable with and according to most people , I was pretty good at . I left for a job that I had no experience at and I love it. Sure it gets frustrating at times , but when I come home ... I am home. the job stays there. I can be DJ now.

My wife will tell you that I am more like the man that she married now. I feel more like myself and for that I am thankful. I feel alot more playful now and my outlook on life is exremely positive. I wish I would have made the move a year earlier, in February of 2009. That was when things started to turn for the worse for me .

I always wanted to succeed in work, wanted to achieve promotions . I wanted the company I worked for to be the best , I wanted to take care of my bosses and the people who worked for me. Life was pretty good at Denny's until February 5th of 2009. We ceased being owned by Denny's and were owned by another company. To this day I believe that the owners of Top Line Restaurants are good people who have good hearts. I only hope that some day they will see that a couple people that they have trusted to make decisions for them , are not making the right ones.

I have kept in contact with a few people since I left and find some of the stories of the decision making very interesting. One in particular is very very troubling to me , but this is how they want to run things and honestly I am no longer a part of it , so I am going to let it be.

I am not writing this to try to throw anyone under a bus, anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not that way. I honestly want to wish Top Line all the success in the world. I have many people for whom I care about that are with the organization and I want nothing but the best for them. I write this because it is part of the process of moving on . Truth be known, I have even thought about stopping in and visiting.

I started moving on last year. Early in the year my father became sick, that forced me to take a look at myself and make some changes in my life. Many of these changes I have documented so I won't repeat them here.The main one was how I handled stress. Before the first thing that came to mind when I was stressed was having a beer, now it is going for a run.

Now the next step is getting my relationship with God back. I am so grateful that God is forgiving and I realize that that I need to show Him that I am serious , I intend to do that.I think for that reason my brother in law seems to be contacting me more, which is a good thing.

I guess the lesson in this is that if you feel that you have lost your way, and are not yourself anymore, there is always time change . Sometimes you may not know how to do it , but not doing anything about it is not going to change anything.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

A Week Later

On September 12th I completed a goal, I finished my second marathon in under 4 hours , 3:55:53 to be exact . This came after a few months of training with the goal in mind of breaking four hours , that goal was set after I ran a 4:28:14 in my first marathon last year. It was my sister in law , who is quite an accomplished marathon runner, said to me "You should break 4 hours ...easy". Well Kristen I did it, it wasn't easy though many obstacles were in the way, but now I am shooting for 3 hours and 40 minutes in my next one (Buffalo in May 2011).

I have told the story many times why I started training and running marathons, yes I was drunk when I signed up for the first one. That first marathon was so special to me , I had a chance to run it with my brother and sister , it will rank as one of the best days in my life.

This race is also one that I rank right with the first one, I got to share it with my wife ,kids and my mother in law. My kids got to see why Daddy spends so much time running and hopefully will learn that the time and dedication that they put in to something will pay off. It also helped me seeing them holding signs and cheering for me and some friends who ran it as well.

Something happened to me while I was training for this marathon though, I started to feel a closeness with God. I came to the realization that God has been waiting for me to renew my relationship with him and I have used the time while running to become closer to Him.

Life is good

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Dj finished under four hours!
Dj passed The twenty mile marker. he is doing great!
Dj has passed The half way point at The erie marathon

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

NFC Predictions

Here we go...the NFC's Turn

NFC East
1 Dallas
2 Philadelphia
3 NY Giants
4 Washington

NFC North
1 Green Bay
2Minnesota
3Chicago
4 Detroit

NFC South
1 Atlanta
2 New Orleans
3 Carolina
4 Tampa Bay

NFC West
1 San Fransisco
2 Arizona
3 Seattle
4 Saint Louis

Super Bowl Green Bay beats Baltimore

AFC Predictions

OK Here we go here are my AFC Predictions,Tonight is the NFC and tomorrow my week 1 Picks:

AFC East
1 NY Jets
2 New England
3 Miami
4 Buffalo

Not sold on Miami....

AFC North
1 Baltimore
2 Cincinnati
3 Cleveland
4 Pittsburgh

Too many issues in Pitt

AFC South
1 Indianapolis
2Tenessee
3Jacksonville
4 Houston

Not Sold on Houston...

AFC West
1 San Diego
2 Oakland
3 Denver
4 Kansas City


Monday, August 30, 2010

Relax..... You can Trust Tim Hortons


It seems that every time I log on to facebook these days I see more and more people who "Like"this link: You will NEVER drink another TIM HORTONS COFFEE after seeing this!.

Everyone needs to chill out! You can walk into any restaurant and find unsanitary issues if you are looking for them. I worked in the restaurant business for 22 years and during that time we tried our best to keep things sanitary and safe for our customers, but things happen. You do your best to minimize those mistakes and train your employees to keep your high standards of sanitation.


The fact of the matter is that unsanitary conditions are everywhere, if you are looking for them, you will find them. People are on high alert at restaurants because of heightened focus on food safety in the media today and bloggers who write entries that people take as fact. (Such is the case here). Every restaurant has to go through health inspections at least once a year. Many restaurants conduct there own inspections (which are usually tougher than the state or local inspections).


The next time you "like" stories like these please take a look at where you work, where you live . Even though we all try to keep things clean and safe, it is impossible to do it 100% of the time. Illness from unsanitary conditions are rare, this is because our body's immune system can usually fight these things.

Also on a side note....Tim Horton's does not put MSG or Nicotine in their coffee..look it up.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Tommorow's 20 Mile Run

Friday, August 13, 2010

I wrote on the wall on FB to a friend


Hey *****,

I am not going to lie I am not familiar with the everything associated with the free zone so i am not going to speak to that. I do consider myself a conservative , but I don't think that we can solve the issues of our country,state or any government by having one sides opinion matter over the other. The issue with this country is that we are all so caught up in our own opinion and believing that it is right and the other side is wrong that we don't listen to other opinions . We just tune them out and call the other side names.

The founding fathers created a country where we will succeed because of the difference of our ideas are to be discussed and through that discussion hopefully we can come up with the best solution to solve the problem.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Friday, August 6, 2010

Thank You!


22 years ago my friend Scott and I got on our bikes and went up and down Route 60 in Fredonia. We spent the afternoon filling out applications for the local businesses on the strip. We then returned to my house to watch “The Brave Little Toaster” by Disney.

After that I received two phone calls one from Perkins and one from Ponderosa . I interviewed with Ponderosa first , then Perkins. Perkins offered me a job as a cook and I accepted . I took the job and I only wanted to work it for the summer. I was going into my senior year of High School and didn’t want to be tied down by a job.

My father then became ill and I needed to keep this job, and I am glad I did. Over the next 11 years I worked with some of the best people on earth . I met my wife Sheri there . I worked for a man who went on to help shape my life as well as countless other people’s life as well . Larry was and is such an important part of my life.

In 1999 the Perkins franchise sold it’s stores to Denny’s . We had two days to learn a new menu and new “Standards” . It was a difficult time, but one full of opportunity. I met Vince and he gave me a great opportunity to move into management with Denny’s.

In 2002 I transferred to the Angola location and had an opportunity to work with Vince , there I grew so much and within a year I was the General manager of the store. Vince has always been fair to me and has shown me respect . He has always taken an interest in me and for that I am truly grateful. It is tough knowing I will not work with him anymore.

I appreciated my time with Denny’s corporate. I always felt valued and appreciated. In 2009 Denny’s sold all of the stores to a Franchise Group and things began to change. The purpose of this entry is not to bash anybody , it is to thank them. I was not a good fit for this company (New Franchise) and they were not a good fit for me. I wish them luck and success in the future.

There are many of you that are reading this that have worked with me at Perkins or Denny’s. . I am blessed to have gotten to know so many people through the 22 years I have worked with you. I have so many close friends that I have met through work and many more friends I have met because of work. As I approach my last day with the company , I have to smile and be thankful to God for bringing such wonderful people in my life.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me since 1988, you will all have a special place in my heart!

DJ

Monday, July 12, 2010

My Thoughts on LeBron James and Cleveland


It has been a few days since the announcement and I think I am ready to talk about it. When he made his announcement I had to say I was angry, felt bad for my fellow fans of Cleveland sports teams and the business owners of the city of Cleveland who profited off of the James for the past 7 years. I even re-posted a comment that Dan Gilbert (the Owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers) on my Facebook page. I was angry, that is for sure.

However LeBron James made a decision that he felt was best for him and the people around him. I have to respect that, but I don’t have to like it. Under the structure of the contract he signed with the Cavs a few years ago he had the option to leave and sign with another team after the 2009-10 season. He had the right to leave and he chose to leave. He is now a member of the Miami Heat and has joined fellow Olympic team members Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to form a super team. If this works out and they are successful remains to be seen, they still have to play games. I will be rooting against them.
I think most of the Cleveland fans understand that he had the right to leave. They don’t have to like it. What gets me is the comments that I have read painting Cleveland fans in a bad light. Most of them are just telling us to shut up or stop whining. We have a right to express how we feel about this. We have the right to hope he falls on his face and fail. We have a right to let out our anger and move on. We have a right to call LeBron a coward, because that is how we feel and we are Americans. So just as you have the right to tell us to stop whining, we have the right to ignore you and continue to express our feelings.
Dan Gilbert had the right to write the letter that he did. I have to agree with the fact that he wrote it. It may have been harsh and I would have worded it much differently. He wrote it, he is a smart man and he knew what he was doing when he posted it. I think the fans of the Cavs appreciated the letter and it made them feel better about the desire of the organization to win.

What upsets me the most is the way LeBron left. He was put up on a pedestal like no other athlete in Cleveland’s history. The fans loved him and felt that he was one of their own. He could do no wrong in this city. LeBron gave us so many moments that we will cherish and I appreciate all of those moments. LeBron also received many things from the community of Cleveland as well. It was a great relationship. To go on national television and announce he was leaving just wasn’t the right way. It was cold and cowardly and he should have been man enough to break it off with Cleveland in person. The whole special on ESPN was about building his brand. He showed his true colors, he never cared about Cleveland at all, just about LeBron. He never even called the Cavs to tell them his decision. Yes, he didn’t have to, but if he cared he would have.
It is over and it is time to move on. It is something that we as Cleveland sports fans have always done after we suffer heartache that one of our teams have given us. We always come back and pour our hearts into the Browns, Cavs and Indians, with the hope that it will pay off. Go Cleveland!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

It’s 3:30 AM



Why am I up at 3:30 am on a day when I don’t have to work?

It is about crossing that finish line on September 12th in Erie PA.

It is about looking up at the clock as I finish and seeing that I not only beat my Personal Record , but beat it by so much that I will have to work harder for my next marathon so I can experience that feeling again.

It is about Practicing what I preach to my kids, don’t start something ,unless you see it through until the end.

It is about doing something that people think your crazy for , but you know deep down that they are impressed.

It is because my most of my competitors will still be in bed

It is because I have to do this!