Category Archives: Life Stories

December 31, 2011

2012

By Paul Stagg

2011 was one of the hardest years I’ve had.  A tragic death.  Overwhelmed at work.  Unhealthy.

But with all the negative, there’s still a ton of positive.  My wife remains awesome.  Our relationship held up just fine to some serious strain this year.  I have a good job with a great company.  I got to Napa, NYC twice, and continue to enjoy the finer things.  We got two new (to us) cars.

I’m ready for 2012, because I’m motivated to get things back together.  To have balance.  I love to work hard, but I need to have time to cook, to talk, to engage socially.  I need to get back in the gym.  Sure, there will be days that work is all I do, but I need far more days that work isn’t all I do.

I need to be better.

And I will.

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December 18, 2011

Quiet

By Paul Stagg

Yes, I’ve been quiet.

Working hard, earning my keep.  Completely lost control of my life; it’s time to get it back.

Went to Savannah, GA for a long weekend.  We could live there.  At least 9 months out of the year, anyway.

Changes are coming.  Balance will return.  Got some goals, one of which is a total at the 2012 MD State PLing championships.

2 comments   |  tags: | posted in Life Stories

November 24, 2011

Take a Stand

By Paul Stagg

Once known as a holiday to give thanks for family, friends, and the opportunities we share, Thanksgiving is the beginning of our six week long celebration of the end of one year and beginning of the next.

The beginning of the holiday shopping season.

Tomorrow is “Black Friday”, the busiest brick and mortar shopping day of the year.  Not that long ago, it was simply just a very busy shopping day, not fraught with sales and incentives.  (I always thought it would make more sense for retailers to intentionally spread out the holiday spending over a longer period, but what do I know?)

What it’s become bothers me, and I think it’s time to take a stand.  Those who know me know I’m all for people spending money on whatever they want, whenever they want.  While I may not share the populations desire for constant consumption, I am a big fan of getting the things I want and that make my life easier for a good price.

But the day after Thanksgiving blitz has gotten out of control.

I remember a time (and I’m not that old) when you had to make sure you got gas on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, because all the gas stations were closed.  20 years ago, I worked in one of the first McDonalds to open for breakfast on Thanksgiving – we opened from 6 to 11 and served breakfast.  We weren’t all that busy.

Today, McDonalds are open 24 hours.  Convenience stores and grocery stores have normal hours (which I think is more a demand issue, which is fine).  Beltway Fine Wine?  Open.  Wal-Mart is open 24 hours.

And tonight?  At midnight, Target, Toys R Us, HH Gregg, Macy’s, Ace Hardware, Kohls, and many, many more retailers will open their doors.

Old Navy is open today!  120 Best Buy locations will open at 9PM tonight.

What happened?  Do we really need to start shopping 10-12 hours earlier?  How many families jump up from Thanksgiving dinner and rush out to go shopping?

You know who can stop this?  We can.  Start a movement.  Don’t go shopping until tomorrow.  Better yet, don’t go shopping this weekend at all!  Make this weekend about something other than the sale, other than the price drop.  Retailers will listen and adjust.

Maybe I’m getting old, but my Thanksgiving remains about family and friends, about a large meal and lots of wine.  This year, it’s about Ravens football, too.  All with my wife, parents, siblings, aunt, cousins, nieces, and nephews.  Not with some crowd trying to save $40 on a big TV.  Time with my family is worth more to me.

You?

Leave a comment   |  tags: | posted in Food and Wine, Libertarian/Political Stuff, Life Stories

November 3, 2011

In case anyone is wondering…

By Paul Stagg

I started growing my beard in October.  I’m not growing it for man cancer awareness, or for the playoffs.

I’m growing it because it was time to put on the man pants.  It is a message to myself to man up, face itching be damned.

And it will entertain my nieces and nephews.

Leave a comment   |  tags: | posted in Life Stories, Personal Development

July 31, 2011

All or Nothing

By Paul Stagg

Dave Tate calls it Blast/Dust.  He’s either all in, or all out.  I’m often the same way, and lately, it’s been all work.

Made the decision at the end of this week after missing a wine tasting party because of work that I’ve had enough and I need to take control.  Regardless of what you think, you are in control, and so am I.

So I’m resting up this weekend, and taking my life back.

Part of that is a training and diet commitment; I’ve been using work as an excuse and I need to get my head straight.  My health is important, and I have some unfinished business on the powerlifting platform.

One thing that will remain on the bottom of the priority list is blogging… I’ll update my training log, but probably not much other content; it will be sporadic, at best.

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May 17, 2011

Tribute

By Paul Stagg

One of the best friends I’ve ever had died over the weekend.

He was the guy who convinced me to join a gym 15+ years ago.  He was my first and last training partner.  No one since measured up.

I can’t measure how he changed my life with just that one thing;  he made me work hard, he made me show up.   His knowledge, motivation, drive, and inspiration not only changed me physically, it made me a much better person.

But our relationship was so much more.

We spent more time together than with anyone else for about 5 years.  We worked together, we trained together, and we socialized together.  We went through marriages and divorces.  We helped each other move.  We laughed until we couldn’t breathe.  We got in to trouble, and we kept each other out of trouble.

He was Pablo Suavé.

He was one of the nicest, most giving, good humored people I’ve had the pleasure to meet.

We’d grown apart over the years, lots of us do.  Different jobs, different priorities, different interests.  But I would have dropped everything in an instant on a call from him, and he would have done the same.

He wasn’t just my training partner, he was like a brother.

My heart breaks for his wife and his family.  I know how much he loved you, and I know how much you loved him.

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May 1, 2011

Block

By Paul Stagg

Been busy.  Work continues to be too much of the work/life balance.

Sat down today to write.  I had nothing else to do today.

Came up with nothing.

Training log will return Tuesday.

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April 16, 2011

One of the many reasons I love my wife

By Paul Stagg

I got this email today regarding a friend request she got on Facebook:

So I pull up her profile and I don’t recognize her, but she went to my HS so she probably knows of me from there.  I think about confirming the request, but decide to look around at her profile a bit before I decide if this is someone I want to know or not.  The first thing I notice is that she lives in Dundalk … hmmm.  Then, that she has 80′s hair … hunh.  Third, that she plays Farmville, so I’m probably just a way of earning points or something, which means I’m probably not going to become her friend.  But just to confirm my gut feeling, I read some of her posts.  When I come to this one, my decision is made:

“i didnt like the feeling I got at wallmart. You ever buy a sray bottle of something and it dont spray when you get it home. that makes me mad. So I decieded to spray one pump in the store before I buy I and a woman tugs me buy the shirt and says, What you doing!!! Id like to feel like I was steeling or something.lol”

So, pretty sure this isn’t someone coming over for dinner or something, lol.

1 comment   |  tags: , | posted in Life Stories

March 20, 2011

Sleep Deprivation and Control

By Paul Stagg

Still getting a handle on things.  Training was going pretty well, I was getting used to the early AM training and building some consistency.

Then comes daylight savings time, which is probably the best example of a pointless government intrusion in to your life.

Whatever, it’s still an excuse.  So my sleep got screwed up, and my routine got a little jumbled due to trying to do some fun stuff (a wine tasting and the Baltimore Foodies event at the Hippodrome).

I need to keep after the sleep schedule thing; I know from past experience that if I can build that 4:15 wake time habit, my sleep needs will diminish, making everything easier to handle.

I also just need to man up and stick with training in the AM.  I also need to balance some things to make sure I’m really doing things that add value to my life.  So with the AM training, I’m also working on spending more time cooking and drinking wine with my wife, and a little less time worrying about political news, blogging, and other extra stuff.

Once I get everything really settled (probably a month or so), I think I’ll be able to get more done.

1 comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Life Stories, Training

March 15, 2011

How To: Stop a Bully

By Paul Stagg

Patrick at Popehat (which you should regularly read) links to a widespread video from Australia showing a bully getting what he’s got coming.

I didn’t know there was an uproar, and frankly don’t care much.  I’ve said for years, as Patrick points out, there’s a solution to bullying.

There’s always a big brother, a bigger friend, or a Dad out there.  Eventually, the bully will run in to them.  Problem solved.  Some people, in many instances bullies, respond only to violence, and some well placed violence is the only solution.  I think in most cases, just the idea that there’s someone out there who will stand up to you can stop a bully.

I know from experience:  standing up to the bully works.  I didn’t ever have to kick the shit out of someone (I doubt I actually would have been able to take on the kid who bullied me in high school), but just standing up to the lout ended the behavior.  He didn’t know if I really thought I could kick his ass, but I made him think I could, or that I might at least try.

(Also, a big shout out to Facebook.  The kid who bullied me in school turned out to be a douchebag attention craving loser as an adult.  I wouldn’t have the satisfaction of knowing that without Facebook.)

Successfully standing up for yourself can be a valuable life lesson, too.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , | posted in Life Stories, Personal Development

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