I love dogs BUT......

 
 My sweet elderly neighbors to the left of me have this little dachshund and I REALLY think he hates me.... He goes nuts when he is outside and sees me..... We are talking 'foaming at the mouth' nuts!!!!! HA!!!! Poor Mary, the neighbor, ALWAYS apologizes about him constantly barking at me. He has even nipped at me when I tried to pet him one time. That's when I decided that we were NOT going to ever like each other and I was cool with it. Mary and I were out talking and she told me a good story about the SATAN DOG! One night he went after a possum. Now I have SEEN those little bastards TEAR UP another animal. So Rocky is barking his head off at this possum and all of the sudden she doesn't hear any more barking. She assumed that the possum killed him. She told her husband Bob to start pulling the floor up in the shed and 'get the body' before it started to stink. He starts taking it up expecting the worst, when Rocky jumps up UNSCATHED. I guess they were having a STARE DOWN with each other. Not gonna lie to ya, I kinda wished the possum unleashed hell on him!!!!!! I would have been cool with it. Am I going to hell for saying that???
 One more story if you got time, I can't go into FULL detail because I am not done, BUT they have a fenced in back yard and it's right next to my property. A lot of trees, bushes and vines have grown over it so I started clearing it. There was this one stubborn bush that was not cooperating with me and my sawz all. So I had to get on all fours to get it at a better angle. I ALWAYS wear ear plugs when I am using the saw and they kind of put me 'in a zone' where I just concentrate on the matter at hand. So picture me on all fours focusing on getting the right angle to cut on the bush. Okie dokie ya got it? GOOD! So out of the corner of my eye, I see something running at me. I'm like "OH HELL WHAT THE CRAP!!!"and I lose my balance and I am just laying on the ground trying to desperately get up and run for something, HELL, ANYTHING to give me some sense of shelter. It gets closer to me and it's a small brown thing and is barking like NUTS at me.... "DAMN IT!!!! It's Rocky!" That little dog scared the bejesus out of me!!!!

 HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE or as I like to call it HAPPY 'girls have to start shaving their legs again' SEASON!!!! So here's something I can talk about because it's finished.... I got some more cheap @$$ bricks from Home Depot and built ANOTHER wall!! If you are keeping score at home, this is the THIRD one I have built. By my estimation, this will reduce my mowing to 1.5 PBRS!!!!!! Oh the sacrifices we have to make sometimes!!! HA!!! SON OF A!!!! I didn't like the way it turned out so I have to redo part of it!!!! SORRY! I will post it next month.


OH and HELL has officially frozen over because I, Andy McBride, eats a leafy vegetable with EVERY meal now. I put kale or spinach in a blender and then sprinkle it on everything I eat. I even made a little garden to start growing it myself.... NOW I am a very novice gardener and I WILL fail a few times BUT it's all trial and error. So by the end of the summer, I will have some kale, spinach and lettuce!!!! Oh I haven't started growing broccoli yet, BABY STEPS RIGHT????

 And now for your monthly 'ANSWERING CRAP' where I answer a spammer's, usually stupid question: "Hi there to all, how is the whole thing, I think every one is getting more from this web site, and your views are pleasant in support of new visitors. my homepage: unique wedding favors for guests." The WHOLE thing is great if you really cared, spammer!!!!! I have the power company coming out to prune some trees for FREE!!!!!! Oh and you really need to work on your homepage!! It looks like an 8 year old designed it and they only used technology from 1999!!!!!! (I would give a link to it but it's full of potential viruses, FYI- my anti virus program was working OT to get rid of them all.)

 YOUR MOMENT OF ZEN!!!! Oh can you pass the bag or Doritos too? THANKS!

Oh and mark my words, POT will be legal in ALL 50 states in the next 5 years!!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE to 152 things about me!

 Just sitting here on a Wednesday 2-25-15 night during a sleet/snow storm that we here in the south CANNOT handle and drinking a yummy Bailey's or whatever ALDI' s knock off brand is, while updating my list of THINGS ABOUT ME!!! It was 125 NOW it's 150!!!! (APPLAUSE)So without further ado:

1.Name- Robert Andrew McBride. I was only called Robert on the first day of school by a new teacher or when I was in trouble with my parents. I have been called AndY (NOT AndI), Drew, RA and Andrew.
2. Does NOT have cable TV.
3. I still laugh like I am in 8th grade when someone calls another person 'douche bag'. Another good one is when my older brother calls me R Gay.
4. I don't hate anyone, even you Mary. Sure there are people I choose not to associate with but that's as far as I will go. Hate only eats you up inside.
5. Piggy backing on #4. You can tell BIG TIME if I don't want to associate with you.
6. I'm what you call a 'penny pincher'. I live by the motto, "if you can't afford it then you don't need it." Credit card companies are like the evil empire in Star Wars.
7. I think Dave and Sammy were both great for Van Halen. They brought a lot to the table. Gary Cherone was a full fledged debacle.
8. Politically I refused to be labeled! I am conservative on somethings and liberal on others. I think ALL politician's sole job is to piss down your back and tell ya it's rainin'. We vote for a virgin to do a whore's job! Sad but True! I'm all about 'free will'! Only you truly control your destiny. It's still “We the People' Right??????
9. I think people use verses from the Bible to TRY to justify their actions.
10. You can sit there and tell someone till you're blue in the face how you would deal with a certain situation but I think you have no idea what you are going to do if it happens.
11. Stress to me is being an 18 year old kid about to storm the beaches of Normandy knowin' damn well that the chance of living are slim to none.
12. I LIKE the Buffalo Bills and Sabres BUT at the end of the day I know I have a freakin' mortgage payment to make at the beginning of the next month so I don't live and die with every win or lose. PRIORITIES!!!!
13. I love watching documentaries.
14. The instrumental at the end of 'Layla' is the ultimate to make out to.
15. The only reason I loved school (Charlotte Catholic High School '92) was seeing all my friends..... I was a terrible student. I think my final GPA was like 2.3 or something like that, but I put on my 'big boy' britches and went to community college for 2 years then to Appalachian State University and I have a 4 year degree and I have the diploma to prove it!!!
16. I have never been married and so I DON'T have a crazy ex that's still pi$$ed I got the couch from the family room in the divorce.
17. I cried uncontrollably and had to be helped out of the hospital room the last time I saw my grandpa alive...... Does it make me less of a man??? I don't think so....
18. I have over 1900+ songs on my iPod ranging from every decade from the 50's on up and every style. My musical tastes were formed by hearing what my older brother and his friends listened to. Also songs that remind me of certain chapters in my life. UPDATE: As of 4/19/20, I have over 2222 songs! I and II.
19. If I'm not talking it's because I'm really sick and if I open my mouth I'll yack.
20. I (USE TO) drink beer and wine and that's it.. I would welcome a random drug test because I know I would pass with flying colors. Other people at work????? Well!?!??!?! Let's just say I would stay really busy having to do all the work that others did before they were canned.  I wrote this before 8/05/15 when the Dr. advised that I stop drinking. FYI- I have NOT had a drink since.
21. I think all your priorities in life change when you hold your child for the first time. It's no longer about you, that little guy/gal totally relies on you.
22. A footnote to 21, I HAVE NO CHILDREN NOR AM I ANY BABY'S DADDY!
23. Is a picky eater.
24. Knows that some countries CANNOT handle freedom.
25. If you ever get a hand written letter in the mail from me it's a pretty good sign that I really, really, really like you....
26. Is NEVER in a hurry to get someplace.
27. I don't wear underwear.... Too restrictive!!!! I gotta let'em breathe ya know! WHAT???? Too much info???
28. Usually comes up with some great ideas while driving or when someone is yapping about some crap in a meeting.
29. I try to go to mass every weekend. Let me stop you before you tell me that you grew up Catholic but don't go anymore because you disagree with the church. I know you can make a case about the Catholic Church having all kinds of problems but let me ask you, doesn't every religion have issues????? This is how I see it, there has to be someone, guy or woman, up there looking over me because they have gotten me out of a lot of jams in my life.... Plus it's kind of a family tradition..... When Peter Cawley got off the boat from Ireland in the 1800's he was Catholic....
30. Has trouble sleeping on Sunday nights, always has and ALWAYS will.
31. Thinks Sammy said it best in 87, BUT ONLY when YOUR house is in order!! 

32. Always winks at the little girl with Down syndrome when I am in the communion line.

33. Has seen Sade twice and frankly she is the ONLY artist I would still pay money to see. OK, I'd pay to see Rush too!!!

34. LOVES taking naps!

35. Loathes 'plastic' AKA fake people.

36. Was born at Olean General Hospital.

37. Could give 2 $hits if you are gay, a different race, religion. If you are cool with me then I am
sooooooo cool with you and if you are an @$$ then I will be one to you too. We are ALL in this $hit together right?

38. Can be snobby to you.

39. Likes my sister-in-law because she puts up with my shenanigans.

40. Knows how to weld.

41. Is a home body.

42. Hates the circle of life.

43. Lives pretty close to Lancaster Speedway and is cool with it.

44. Is a loud talker.

45. Remembers a lot of things that people have done to me and vice verse.

46. Can yell with the best of them.

47. Knows that money and power are some crazy drugs.

48. Is over 40 and is STILL afraid to tell my mom if I got a chick 'knocked up'.

49. Believes in the 'crock pot' and NOT the 'microwave' style in most things in life.

50. Likes 'routine'!

51. Is flirtatious but that doesn't mean I want to swap spit with ya in a luke warm shower.

52. LOVES snacking on pretzels. MATTER OF FACT, I am eating some as I type this!!! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

53. Cares more about others than I do about myself.

54. Opens a door for a lady and gets pi$$ed and says "YOU'RE WELCOME" if she doesn't say thank you.

55. Can't sing.

56. Won't talk to ya if I am pi$$ed. Something I learned from my mom.
57. Tells you how I feel whether it's good or bad so no one can EVER say "GEE, I wonder what Andy thought?". Does it get me in trouble sometimes? Does a bear $hit in da woods?????
58. Believe it or not, BUT there are things I DON'T talk about!!
59. Does NOT have a criminal record.
60. Is pretty good finding stuff on the Internet, PUBLIC RECORDS EFFING ROCK!
61. Knows that sometimes you just have to realize that you can't fix 'stupid'!
62. Drives sixty MPH unless someone is actually driving slower than me and I have to pass them FYI- that RARELY HAPPENS!
63. ALWAYS breaks into the Phil Rizzuto voice when I hear 'Paradise By The Dashboard Light' "OK, got a real pressure cooker goin' here."
64. Is moody.
65. 'Tolerates' some people.
66. Likes dogs more than cats.
67. I'm only Quicken Loan's (mortgage) beeeeeeeeeeoootch... I hate debt with a passion. 
68. Is NOT politically correct.
69. Hates litter bugs.

70. Has a pretty good F.I.C.O score.

71. Likes their fries and the way they kiss but other than that I am not fond of the French.

72. Has no desire to travel abroad.

73. HEY!! I was born that year. ANYWAYS, thinks that we MIGHT be better off if CA. fell in the ocean. Just sayin'.

74. Will let you talk about something that 'you think' is right so you will look like an idiot to others.

75.  Knows in most situations it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

76. Thinks you have to have some mental issues to think the only way out of a situation is to kill yourself.

77. Thinks EVERYONE has something in their past that they are not too proud of.

78. Trust is HUGE with me!

79. Lives by the motto 'if you don't ask, you don't know'.

80. Will TEACH you how to fish and will NOT give you one!

81. Gives a hand wave and acknowledgment when someone lets me into a lane and EXPECTS the same from someone.

82. HATES pickles!
83. Worked at a radio station.
84. Is one stubborn S.O.B!
85. Knows how to do a Rosary.
86. I think everyone has baggage. With that said, there are two kinds. 'Carry on' which is small enough to stow in the overhead compartment/under your seat. Or 'check in'....... It's so big the airline has to put it in the cargo area because you can't bring it on with you...
87. Knows that if you put something on DA BOOK (f\b) you have to EXPECT someone will respond with something that you don't agree with!
88. Thinks torturing in some form is okie dokie. It makes ya talk! I know it would 'help' me sing like a canary. 
89. Drives a Honda Civic and will NEVER get anything but a Honda for as long as I am on this planet.
90. Doesn't like calling customer service (usually it's someone in India) but I ALWAYS have patience and I am friendly to whoever I talk to because it's NOT their fault that the company they work for is trying 'to cut corners' and save some money which puts the poor person in a quagmire.
91. Knows there are only two guarantees in life. 1. You WILL die. 2. You WILL be taxed. 
92. If I only say "OK" to you then it's a pretty good chance that I can't say anything else because I am so upset that I will start crying.
93. Has been spat on twice in my life.
94. 99% of the time I DON'T trust someone with a hyphenated name.
95. May not agree with 97% of the stuff he pulls BUT I would have some beers and watch a game with President Obama.
96. The first thing I notice if we are talking is if your glasses need to be cleaned.
97. Refuses to 'text' and drive at the same time plus it's against the law.
98. Kinda gets fired up if I send you an email and or a text and you don't respond.
99. I will 'admire' a woman from afar but will not do anything more about it.
100. I keep very good eye contact with ya when we are talking.
101. I can still rattle off my childhood best friend's phone number.
102. I tend to giggle A LOT when I am writing an email or a reply on DA BOOK that I think is pretty darn funny at least it is to me.
103. I love being an uncle to three pretty cool kids but it sure is nice to be able to go home to my quiet house.
104. Knows that YOU cannot make someone love you!
105. Can change the oil in my car and I kinda like doing it.
106. Doesn't smoke.
107. Is an EXPERT in my opinion.
108. Thinks that hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20.
109. I really don't give a poop about 'keeping up with the Jones'... Odds are that they are as broke as MC Hammer.
110. Doesn't have any tattoos. I figure there is nothing in this world so important that I want to go through the pain to have put on my body.
111.  Likes giving a 'gift card' for Christmas or birthdays. Some might say it's NOT 'personable' BUT I have found that it gives people a choice in getting something they like instead of ACTING like they are happy with a sorry @$$ gift you gave them.
112. Loves 'pushing the envelope'....
113. Knows that to some people I am ALWAYS going to be 'little Andy'
114. Believes Lee Harvey Oswald was a part of a bigger conspiracy and DID NOT act alone.
115. Can be extremely loyal, sometimes to a fault.
116. Does yoga 6 days a week and I'm NOT a new aged hippy!
117. Accepts the world as it is.
118. Thinks that if there are NO kids, pets or $ involved then there is NO need to have ANY contact with your ex. There is a reason why they are called the EX!!!
119. HATES the circus!
120. Believes that it is a form of child abuse if you don't plan to pay for your child's future college expenses.
121. ALWAYS carries a Rosary in my right front pocket.
122. Kinda likes saying something to pops that causes him to give me the 'BIG RON I'm sooooo disappointed in you' look........
123. Hates looking at someone's bad teeth.
124. Sometimes get scared about my future.
125. HATES being late and being absent from stuff. As matter of fact, I have told my bosses that if they don't hear from me and I don't show up to work, they BETTER call 911 because I am either dead or incapacitated.
126. Loves being a smart @$$, good luck trying to get a serious answer out of me.
127. Thinks the ONLY reason people say they are 'sorry' for something is because they got caught.
128. Kinda gets FIRED UP when someone doesn't capitalize the 'B' in my last name.
129. Knows that I am ALWAYS gonna be 'that guy' in WI.
130. Has a 1965 Mustang
131. Lives well below my means!
132. I KNOW I am just a number. I'm NOT ROBERT A. McBRIDE, I am employee # 5*25*6.......
133. EVERY choice ya make in life has 'pros' and 'cons'.
134. Has a very sensitive 'risk meter'.
135. Would NEVER want to win the lottery because I don't think, AS A HUMAN, we can handle it. One day you are an average guy, the next you are a millionaire. That will make ya go 'cuckoo for cocoa puffs'!!!!
136. Is a donor.
137. Is a 'worker bee', I'm too blunt to EVER be a leader. I don't have a 'filter'....
138. Knows what love is but it's NOT a story for all to hear because it's kinda disgusting.
139. Has a house, not a mansion or anything special but it fits me just fine.
140. Picked up a hitchhiker once, sure he reeked of booze but we had a pretty good conversation about politics.
141. I tend to think people are smarter than they really are.
142. I had a very normal childhood, and my brother and I never went without.
143. I hate any form of gambling because I usually lose and I LOATH losing $.
144. Knows CPR 15 x 2 BAAAAAAABY!
145. Been known to pick up a penny, HEY it ALLLLLLLLL adds up in the end!
146. Will go 'TEAMSTER' on my bosses if I need to!!
147. Loves looking and usually laughing at the trashy tabloid magazines in line at the grocery store.
148. Has noooooooooooooooooo problem using a word that is rarely used in the English language anymore, READY FOR IT??? The word is 'NO'!!!!!!
149. Was a shy kid (WHAT HAPPENED YOU ASK)
150. Not a big fan of the band Journey! NEVER has and never will!!!!
151. No matter what my financial situation is, I read a menu right to left...... The price is on the right kids.....
152.. AND FINALLY, knows that opinions are like @$$ holes, EVERYONE has one!

 And now for your monthly 'ANSWERING CRAP' where I answer a spammer's, usually stupid question: "However we understand that, for many people, $450 could seem like an obscene quantity to spend on a blender."
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!!!! GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY it IS too much for a freakin' blender!!! You should be ashamed of yourself...

I leave you with your moment of zen... hippies dancing!!!!

I bet their parents are sooooo proud and love their grown kid living in their basement!!!!

 This is MY 'red neck' version of the 'squatty potty'. Try it out!!! You will be glad you did!!

 And this is what STP stands for.

GOOD LORD!!!! It's ABOUT time!!!

 Not much going on, I TAKE THAT BACK. I have STUFF going on at casa de McBride BUT I am not ready to reveal that stuff yet...... I'm kind of in an emotional funk too because a guy that was my boss in the past left to go to a new position. Not gonna lie to ya, HE protected me, my mouth and EGO from the firing squad a few times. I KNOW certain people will be 'licking their chops' to make me suffer now that Jamie is gone. UPDATE! As of 1/23/15, the guy who I report to, has officially put me on written notice, That's WELLS talk for being two steps away from being canned. MAYBE it's time for me to move on... 13 years is long enough don't you think? Plus it's winter and it rains A LOT down here and these old bones don't like being cold AND wet. It flat out SUCKS! ANYWAYS, enough of me whining like a little girl, I FINALLY got confirmation that WIGS for KIDS got my donated hair. I ONLY donated it JUNE 30th!!!!!!

Hi, just a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have donated your hair to Wigs for Kids and asked to receive an email to acknowledge the donation instead of a postcard. Don't forget to add info@wigsforkids.org to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox!

Wigs for Kids provides hair replacement systems  for any eligible child who has lost their hair as a result  of chemotherapy, radiation treatments, alopecia,  burns or other medical circumstances. Your donation will enable us to further provide  quality hair pieces, products and services to kids so  that they can continue their active lifestyles without  feeling insecure about their appearance.  People like you make it possible for  Wigs for Kids to fulfill its mission of: "Helping Children Look Themselves  and Live Their Lives!" Thank You! Follow Us:   Wigs For Kids   "Helping Children Look Themselves and Live Their Lives!" 24231 Center Ridge Road, Westlake, Ohio 44145 p: 440.333.4433  //  f: 440.835.1084 // www.wigsforkids.org Follow us on

 So I got that going for me, WHICH is nice...

 In case you are like the MAJORITY of people out there that NEVER read it, here is the post where I described the HELL also know as GROWING OUT MY HAIR.

 And now for your monthly 'ANSWERING CRAP' where I answer a spammer's, usually stupid question:
"I've been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or weblog posts on this kind of space . Exploring in Yahoo I ultimately stumbled upon this website. Studying this info So i am satisfied to convey that I've an incredibly good uncanny feeling I came upon exactly what I needed. I such a lot undoubtedly will make sure to do not overlook this website and give it a glance on a constant basis."
DUDE!!! This cracks me up, "This kind of space"... Who says that????? GOOD LORD!! People, read the whole thing, I'm 99% sure that no one in the continental U.S of A speaks like that.

 Before I go back into my cave for a month, I want to say THANKS to a guy that I loved to talk to because I felt like I was talking to my Grandpa Cawley.

 It was his brother Bernard 'Bernie' Cawley. He passed away in January and though I really didn't get to know him, his wife and daughters until a few years ago, they were always super SWEET to me!!! I also want to thank him for being one of the 5 people that actually read my blog. How do I know this? His daughter told me he did on several occasions. Just a little secret, I ALWAYS put stuff in here because I KNEW it would make him chuckle. R.I.P Bernie, have a Guinness waiting for me if I get to Heaven. OKIE DOKIE?

The post that never was!!!!

 Remember when there was a bonus track on an album? ARTIST "This is a track we worked on BUT we had a change of heart and didn't finish it so it didn't make it on the album." Record label "We can reissue it later on and MARKET the 'bonus track' and people will buy it again! We will make a ton of money". WELL here is your BONUS TRACK! WOO HOO!!! Let's begin...... As you may know from talking to me or you are one of the 14.9k (I SWEAR TO GOD) followers of my brother on Twitter, I have an autistic nephew, JACK!

 I know the kid has some 'uphill battles' in the future and I deal with my life like he does, 'I know I have some 'issues' BUT I'm cool with the way I am'..... I think we ALL should deal with stuff the way he does! CAN I GET AN 'AMEN' FROM THE CONGREGATION?????? HA!!! ENOUGH of me preachin' to ya....... When I was designing DA ODE, I had the idea to just have a concrete circle around it poured, nothing fancy. Just a slab so I could tile it. Through the years, I had collected some old tile from projects and I have asked others if I could have any tile they had from theirs. HECK even got some from the parking lot of the old tile company in Olean, NY when I was up there. FYI- I was happier than a politician walking into a hotel room full of hookers and a mountain of 'nose candy' on the night stand when I saw all the tile in the parking lot. Picture me on all fours just picking up tile in an abandoned factory's parking lot! Pretty hot huh? Oh and I also got some from when Boike and I went to a 'we are selling everything' sale at the 'house of sorrows' UGH, there was so much mold that I got sick for it BUT I did get a box of tile for a dollar! SCORE!!!

 Meet Charlie-Airle! My God son (YES! I'm a Godfather!!!! This kids rocks because he is a very giving kid. He knows that his older brother has 'issues' and he protects him... He understands his role and accepts it. That's pretty cool if ya ask me.

 Last but not least is Nicholas! He soooooooooooooooo reminds me of ME at that age.... SHY to most people (WHAT HAPPENED YOU ASK), moody, clingy to his mom and the youngest..... OH and he has freckles like his grandma and I did...

 Like me, he LOVES firing up/annoying his older brothers and chuckling at stuff that might cause them issues. Example:. His friends, brothers and him were playing football and I was chilling out with my cousin by the outdoor fire place (YES I SAID OUTDOOR)

drinking some of my sister-in-law's foo-foo beer, when I hear some crying. I find his brother Charlie laying on the ground crying and saying that he's hurt because Nick fell on his leg..... Trying to be a mature adult figure, I consoled Charlie but the little kid in me came out and I started to chuckle because Nick was too. He was giggling like "HA!!! I just made my older brother cry."

 So there you have it, all McBride boys accounted for...

 Not sure if it's a 'generational' thing BUT the boys do not like FREE STYLE! They need to have directions to anything they do. So when I told them to just pick any tile and just put it wherever and treat it like the Legos I have: the key phrase was MAKE IT UP. They balked at it and SORT OF did it. So this was the moment when I decided use an idea they came up with and use it..... Jack used some of the tiles to spell his name.

 So I took the idea and 'borrowed' it like Steve Jobs did and this is what I did. It may not be 'perfect' but I know for a fact that I ain't and I am soooooooooooooo 'KOOL AND THE GANG' with that....

 ATTENTION! That WAS what this blog post was suppose to be BUT I was out putting some junk wood in the fire pit and some of the tiles were coming up already. I had a tarp over it and everything but it STILL got wet. FYI ANY MORTAR hates moister and the bond breaks down.... So at that very moment I decided to scrap my idea and take up all the tile... SIMPLICITY is golden!!! So DA ODE is just a fire pit and a concrete circle around it...... I and others can just sit out there in the chairs my Grandma McBride macromed and drink some beer while the fire is kickin' and I DON'T have to worry about any of the tile cracking or coming up. SOMETHING I DID do for DA ODE was weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllll that will be in part II.......

PART 2 of DA ODE!!!!

On one of my world tour trips, I hung out for a night at casa de Sonneborn in Erie, PA. Scott, his wife Cory and two very funny kids, we hung out around their SWEEEEEEEEEEET fire pit and I was exposed to one of the coolest cup holders I have EVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER seen! 

I thought, I SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO have to have one of those and after a trip to Home Depot and Big Lots for some spray paint to honor Eddie Van Halen before he went all 'COO COO for cocoa puffs' (let me know if you ever want to hear my 'E.V.H and Dukes of Hazard' theory) I can say that I have one now!!!!!

ALSO I got one of these for Christmas!!!!

WOO HOO!!!! My step grandpa RUSS had one at resort de Terman and I sooooooooooooooooo wanted one ever since!!

And now for your monthly 'ANSWERING CRAP' where I answer a spammer's, usually stupid question:
"My brother recommended I might like this website. He was once totally right. This submit truly made my day. You cann't consider just how much time I had spent for this info! Thank you!" You are soooooooooooo welcome there spammer!!!!!! Next time actually read it and NOT be like 99% of the people that tell me that they love my blog but have NEVER actually read it.

Oh and of course your moment of ZEN!!! NO LINK this month it's just a comment, DO YOU REALIZE that there are teenagers out there that have NEVER seen DA BILLS in the playoffs?????????

'HAPPY whatever doesn't offend you'!!! Version III

Welcome to the 3rd annual... Because I like MOST of you, I'm here to give you some knowledge about finance, computers, cars and a few things in between so YOU can have a net worth of $1 MILLION DOLLARS like me! HA!!!!!! KIDDING OR AM I!?!??!!? You decide............. SO YOU KNOW, being this is the 3rd edition, I add links as I think about them throughout the year and they are in RED!
The majority of stuff I am about to give you is FREE and info that I think will help you out! WOO HOO!!!

FINANCE:

• https://www.mint.com/ It's a great way to MANAGE your finances. It downloads all of your bank and loan accounts.
• https://www.feex.com/ So with ANY investment you have, 401K and stuff like that, there is a FEE the company running it charges you. This site runs the #'s for you and tells you what the total fee will be when you retire! Sure it asks you for the log in to your investment BUT IT IS TOTALLY LEGIT!!!! KRIPES if Clark Howard mentioned it then I am aoooooooooo cool with it!
• http://www.irs.gov/uac/Free-File:-Do-Your-Federal-Taxes-for-Free  I can't speak for you BUT, I hate paying taxes! If I have to do it, why not for FREE!!! That's right kids, you can file your taxes for FREE instead of paying for Turbo Tax or something. 
• https://www.creditkarma.com/ https://secure.creditsesame.com/signup1 These give your credit score ###### NOW IT'S NOT YOUR TRUE FICO SCORE BUT IT'S CLOSE AND GIVES YOU A 'BALL PARK' FIGURE!######
• https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp -It's your RIGHT as an AMERICAN CITIZEN to be able to pull your credit report each year FOR FREE!!!! DO IT and check for errors. The credit reporting agencies are NOTORIOUS for that kind of stuff!
• http://www.clarkhoward.com/ and http://www.daveramsey.com/home/ -THESE two are my 'GO TO GUYS' when I have ANY financial question, WORDS can't describe what I have learned from them!!!!!! They rock like KISS at the Thomas and Mack Center at Las Vegas in 88!!!! I KNOW BECAUSE I WAS THERE AND 'Rock 'N' Rolled All Night and Partied Every Day'!!!!!!
• http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/personal-finance-credit/credit-freeze-and-thaw-guide/nFbL/- THIS is one of the only ways you can protect yourself if your ID is stolen. It's not 'STEEL CLAD' but it's worth doing because if someone that has stolen your I.D tries to apply for more credit then they will get rejected because your 'credit' has been frozen and only YOU have the codes to thaw it....So in conclusion, DON'T believe all the crap companies like LifeLock and others try to sell ya (they work like this, they monitor your credit AFTER it's been stolen! This is the ONLY way to protect yourself!!!! BE PROACTIVE!!! If you MUST (rolling my eyes) sign up for some I.D protection then why not do it for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee https://www.allclearid.com/enroll 
  Oh and ask your state representative WHY you can't protect your child's ID http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/personal-finance-credit/sample-letter-request-credit-freeze-legislation-mi/ngXG7/ 
• https://investor.vanguard.com/ -THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT so settle down! More than likely WE, anyone under 50, will NOT have social security or it will look completely different when it's our time to retire. IT'S SIMPLE MATH!!! This is a good way to prevent being on the 'Alpo retirement plan' (That is when you can't afford 'people food' and you have to eat dog food to survive. They make it as easy as a prom date to set up an I.R.A and their customer services reps are knowledgeable and NOT a freakin' call center in India! They can also help you set up a 529 plan. Watch out because I am about to get on my soap box!!!!! Being an expert on MY opinion, I think it's YOUR duty as a parent to save for your child's education. You need to start right when you find out you're 'knocked up'!!! Don't be that mom/dad that has to expose your child to student loans because YOU weren't prepared and you have to look your child in the eye and say 'I'm sorry' when they are 23 and have over $30+ in student loans they have to pay back.
• http://www.missingmoney.com/Main/StateSites.cfm, http://unclaimed.org/ Almost ALL 50 states participate in this... Any $ that is owned to YOU has to be given back to YOU! Use these site to find any $ that MIGHT be owed to you and the state HAS to give it to you. 

COMPUTER:

• http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage -This is a FREE anti-virus program for your home computer. It's all you need TRUST ME ON THIS! I have been using it for YEARS and I have had no problems ever!!! 
• http://www.newegg.com/ - NOT FREE but D@MN good to have so you are NOT 'up a creek' if your computer dies..... You'll be glad you backed up your pictures from your 'experience' at Mardi Gras 99!!!! 
• http://www.openoffice.org/ -So you're all set to pay a lot of $ for Microsoft Office? WELL!!!! This looks a little different BUT is basically the same thing and it's A LOT cheaper then Microsoft Office!!! IT'S FREE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, and Google Docs is cool too! Happy now Karen?
• http://www.iobit.com/advancedsystemcareper.html -This FREE program scans your computer and fixes 'issues' that are making your computer run slow.....

AUTO:

• http://www.recalls.gov/ Don't be that guy/gal that has possible 'issues' with your car because you weren't aware of a recall that was issued by your auto maker months ago! Register your email and they will send you a notice if there is a recall on your car!
• http://www.scangauge.com/products/scangaugee/ Sure it costs money BUT it's worth it!!!! You will recoup it by driving smarter...... I have had it for almost ten years and it ROCKS!!!! It plugs into your OBDII connection (the computer on your car). KRIPES! It's all they do when you take your car to a mechanic.... They plug in to it to see what's wrong with it.  

MISC:

• http://www.ehow.com/ This site RULES!!! It shows you how to do ANYTHING!!!! KRIPES!! It helped me learn how to freakin tile and I would say it turned out OKIE DOKIE!
• http://www.antennaweb.org/ It's ALL good if you think of me as a NERD, I'm cool with it, but I know about TV and radio stuff (HELLO! I'm a 'TV and radio production' degree holder from ASU, YEAP I went to college, SHOCKER HUH? ALL stations in the USA are mandated by the FCC to broadcast in HDTV! I know the reason they did this but I will spare you that info, all you need to know is that you can get a 'CRAZY' amount of channels (network TV, NOT ESPN and stuff) just with an antenna! ********** AGAIN! NETWORK TV NOT CABLE STATIONS************* BUT don't fret because you can ask Shonteea, coworker of mine, about some reality show and she will give you detailed events of each episode (THANK GOD FOR MY iTouch! But seriously, Almost all of the network (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX) plus all the cable channels, ESPN, CNN, BRAVO, ALL have the shows on their web sites so you can download and watch them and this will help you put it on your TV instead of the screen on your computer.
• https://twitter.com/, https://www.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhome.php%3Fsk%3Dapp_2915120374, https://plus.google.com/ Say what you want about social media, TWITTER and 'DA BOOK' aka Facebook, Google+ BUT they are GREAT because of all the info you get from them! PEOPLE! I get all the information I can handle about football and other stuff by 'following' people from current and past players of the Buffalo Bills and news outlets from around the country. KRIPES! I knew Ryan Fitzpatrick (one of MANY Ex-Bills QB) was going to throw an interception because he tweeted that he had a hang nail early in the day. HANG NAIL= INT!!!!! PLUS Famous people will reply to you if you ask them a question! KRIPES! I almost FAINTED when Thurman Thomas 'retweeted' me!!!! MY life was complete at that moment!
• http://www.straighttalk.com/ - One of those contracts that most companies make you sign are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO '20th century'. Straight talk is a contract FREE phone service that RULES, been a customer since 2010. Depending on the phone you select, it works off the Verizon, ATandT or the Sprint networks..... I, ANDY McBRIDE, HAVE NEVER HAD 'ISSUES' WITH NOT GETTING OR SENDING A CALL!!
• http://mymixer.wordpress.com/ After you get your new phone, go here to make custom rings instead of PAYING FOR THEM. I made one out of this song for a call that comes from someone that I do not know and each person in my 'contacts' has their own ring tone. 
• On the theme of 'STICKING IT TO THE MONOPOLY TELEPHONE/CABLE COMPANY', this thing is like totally rad!!!! I have been using it for the last few months and I would have loved to say, that I have zero to .00000001% issues with it BUT I had a slight issue when I got it and they had to send me a new one. The language barrier was inconvenient but I got through it. You pay for the unit and depending on how much data you use, you can use this to check, you pay this a month. If you think that paying for the unit up front is not your ' cup of tea' then I advise you continue being DA MAN'S personal  BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTCH!!!
• http://www.startsdownload.com/picasa/ - This is for all of you that are over the age of 60!!!!! This is a free photo editor. So the next time you take pictures of your grandkids and they are sideways or scanning something and NOT cropping it. I think YOU should edit it through this site BEFORE you post and, cause me and others, a kinked neck trying to view it. 
• http://wncgreenblogcollective.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/amys-energy-efficiency-gift-buying-guide/ - I'm not a freakin' 'tree huggin' hippy' even though I looked like one when I had long hair, BUT I do like saving money and this is a ,במתיקות that's 'SWEET' in Hebrew, link of stuff that will help you save money and possibly 'live off the grid' thus stick it to 'THE MAN'. 

There are other sites but I can't think of them right now but I hoped these helped ya out a little. MERRY CHRISTMAS KIDS and I hope Santa gave you everything you asked for this year.

P.S. I wrote this to all of my coworkers AFTER 'THE MAN' laid off most of the people in our department AKA 'BLACK WEDNESDAY': "OKIE DOKIE! The past week has REALLY put things in 'perspective' so I decided to write, as my co worker Shonteea would say, the little 'ANDY BEEEEEEEEEOTCHIN' investment guide'. I want to get this out because I want y'all to know this if they decide that we are not needed anymore. This will be short and sweet but I think you'll get the gist of it so you are NOT on the 'Alpo retirement plan' (You are sooooo broke when you retire that you have to eat dog food because you can't afford 'people food'). FIRST OFF, I think it's pretty cool that you ask me for financial advice, contrary to popular belief, I like helping people BUT I DO have my limits! Just ask my cube mate!!!! ALRIGHT, enough of the warm and fuzzy cr@p, let's get down to business. 

- ALWAYS remember that the turtle ALWAYS beats the rabbit. Apply this phrase to your investing. You are NOT looking to make the 'quick buck' in the next week, month or year because there is a really good chance you will loose it just as quick.

- K.I.S (keep it simple and yes DULL! Boring mutual funds= less risk. Single stocks= A LOT of
  RISK. Look at mutual funds that have been around for at least 10 or more years and average a
  good track record.

- DO NOT use the news as your financial adviser, the news is all about DOOM and GLOOM!   
  KRIPES, their motto is 'IF IT BLEEDS, IT LEADS'!  

- Look at what your 401k is in once in a while, I'll be the first to tell ya that I am bad at this. I just 
  looked at mine today and when I was helping some other people out a few months ago, for the
  first time in years. BAD ME!!!

     1. You can adjust your funds that you are in manually or you can keep them in one of the
         'target market' funds (just figure out when you want to retire, the year, and put your money in
         that. It's like 'auto pilot' for your money. It's personal choice....).
     2. Well Fargo matches up to 6%, so set your contribution to at least that and ALWAYS add to
          it no matter what. 'Catholic Kate' AKA my mom (NO I don't call her that to her face) instilled
          in me to ALWAYS contribute to it. She also did a fabulous job with the whole 'Catholic guilt'
          thing!!!
     3. There are some GREAT references that they offer us that explain the 401k plan A LOT better
         than I do. Just log in to your account and on the top of the page there is a tab called
        'Planning and Education' then click 'Education Resources Center' and read to your little 
        heart's content . Also just search '401k' on the internet.   
 I could go on and on about this but I won't because I you to roll you eyes at me and say "OK!
 I get it old man!' "

OH AND ONE MORE THING! I have a sweet drink for you to enjoy during the winter months. It consists of Baileys or the knockoff stuff I get at Aldi, hot chocolate, a Keurig (you are a SIMPLETON if you don't have one) a generic K- cups adapter you get at Dollar General.............. Put 2 shots of Baileys in a mug and fill the K-cup with some hot chocolate. run your Keurig. Mix the hot chocolate with the Baileys, AND VOILA!!! After two or three you will feel 'comfortably numb' and enjoying the great holiday season! YOU'RE WELCOME!!!

And now for your monthly 'ANSWERING CRAP' where I answer a spammer's, usually stupid question: "Legal Service, who says you should be over 18 years of age and on the advertising car insurance for 1 day display most people did not notice them. This would normally be cause for concern however, I know that I'm not making a major purchase house or car in the next section. Even if you are buying a house, can use 'loans for bad credit' domain."  LEGAL SERVICES??????? SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET, but I must pass because I have a friend who is a lawyer and gives me some excellent legal advise when I need it......... NO!!!!! Not "Hey Carb, how do I dispose of a dead homeless guy who nobody is gonna miss, body???" 


Speaking of a Keurig, here is the Kim Karashian edition and your moment of zen!!!! WIN/WIN BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABY!!!

The way it is! So I am just going to RAMBLE!!!

 I like to be somewhat prepared for stuff to happen, which in life, happens A LOT!!! I knew things at my former employer were slowing down. Let me first state, that I ANDY MCBRIDE made the choice to stay at a company 14+ years. I was COMFORTABLE... To put it in another way 'it was MY dirty diaper and I was happy sitting in it'. I knew I was just a # so I ALWAYS kept an emergency fund of 6 months of expenses. HELL, EVERYONE should have one of those. I have that AND they have to pay me until Dec 2016 for the 14 years of service I gave them. ANYWAYS!!! I live 'below my means' so $ has not and will not be a problem for me while I am looking for a job.... Not just ANY job but one that I actually enjoy going to......

CHRIS!

This is CHRIS!!!!

 My cousin, who 6 years ago, I didn't have too much contact with.... Mostly because of the age and distance (Mansfield, OH) difference BUT things are way different now... I see him at least twice a year... In June when I go on my tour to see my friends and family in OH, NY, PA and VA. Also in October when he and his girlfriend come down to casa de McBride in L-TOWN! I WILL NOT elaborate but the guy has lived and seen A LOT in his life but he is still standing and we have become great friends throughout the six years of actually getting to know each other. When I go up there he takes me around Mansfield and shows me the places where our grandparents worked and other stuff he knows I would like to see. He also tells me stuff about my grandparents that I didn't know- like our grandfather use to smoke A LOT!!! WHOA! He is also VERY handy and brings me on jobs he does like re-plumbing a bathroom! WOO HOO!!!! I know how to do it now!!!! Anyways, he CAN'T sit still which is great for me when it comes to doing stuff around casa de McBride.We get a plethora of stuff done!
-We painted the porch because I was sick of treating it with Thompson water seal EVERY YEAR!

 While the paint was drying to put a 2nd coat on some of the areas, he split a bunch of wood I had from trees that my neighbor and I have taken down through out the year. FYI- So I have PLENTY of split wood for a DOLCE (that's 'sweet' in Spanish) fire in the ODE TO BOOB AKA fire pit.....

 We then painted my room, something I have been meaning to do for a couple of years!! HA!!!

 Oh, this is the color it is now....

 His girlfriend and I went to Lowes and I asked her to pick out a color. She started asking a bunch of questions on what color my bed spread was and what other colors were and said something about "well this might be a good color and grabbed this and said "What do you think?" I took it from her and said "DONE!!" The whole process took 90 seconds!! HA!!!!!

 He has also helped fix some electrical stuff and even brought his two rototillers last fall and helped me mix in all the coffee grounds I get from work..... FYI- this was just the 1st stage of getting grass to grow back there.

 I don't think I mentioned that he is a great cook too. The last night he was here he made a special marinade for a pork loin and some potatoes!! It was very YUMMY IN MY TUMMY!

 And now for your monthly 'ANSWERING CRAP' where I answer a spammer's, usually stupid question:
"These firms connect hedge funds may play in and I have stated certain information and issues regarding any real money from them. SevenOh, and ready to place marketing third. Inventory Availability Calculated field: Unit Price X Quantity = represents the largest European automaker, rose more than once, not simply rely on a membership in societies, do it on your own."
Answer: First off, I don't think I will EVER get past the atrocious grammar.... OKIE DOKIE, now that I have said my peace, I and others might as well go to the bank, take out our life savings and go down the road throwing $100 bills out the window. I think it would be just the same as 'investing' in your hedge fund!

Path to a little slice of HEAVEN!

That's my brother Mike and Grandpa McBride in 1972 and after seeing this picture, I decided to make my own little brick path from the patio to 'DA ODE' AKA fire pit. So with the PLETHORA of bricks the Boike's have, I made my version....

Sorry for such a SHORT entry but I SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO finally cut the cable company out of my life. The 'high speed' internet and it's really high payments are gone and I have one of these now. I made the cheapo mistake of only buying 1GB of data to get me through a month, well that went over like a fart in church! I blew though that faster than a college kid 'shotgunning' a beer on a Friday night but don't worry, I bought more GBs and I should be good; even though I had to wait until the 20th of September. So I didn't have any internet service unless I went to someplace with WIFI access like McDonalds. HA!! I went there every morning to download my pod casts I like to listen to at lunch and in the car. ****COMMENTARY**** Things must be just fine and dandy at the cable company because they didn't EVEN try to retain me as a customer. I find this hard to believe because the days of their MONOPOLY on internet access and TV are numbered with technology evolving for us commoners:
http://www.apple.com/appletv/ 
http://www.google.com/tv/get.html
http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/technology/more-choices-cheap-internet-tv-streaming/nd6Qy/
https://fiber.google.com/about2/

OKIE DOKIE!!! My commentary is over and now back to your regularly scheduled program...

IT'S TIME for me to answer a spammer's, usually stupid and grammar filled error, email: 
"Does ƴouг website havе a contact pаge? I'm haνing a tough time locating it ƅut, Ӏ'd lіke to send you an email. I've ǥot somе suggestions fоr yoսr bpog yߋu miǥht be inteгested in hearing. Eіther ԝay, ɡreat site and I look forward to sеeing it improve oger time."
Answer: A contact page? No, you can just leave a comment about it and I there is a 98% chance I will reply BUT I highly doubt you will notice that being you just send out 'spam emails' to EVERYONE and hope some poor bastard responds to ya!

Now it's your moment of ZEN. Just in time for Halloween!!!!!

HAVE A GREAT MONTH PEEPS and have a happy NASTAS (SATAN) day, I mean Halloween! It's all cool with me because it gives ladies around the country the excuse to dress SLUTTY!!! WOO HOO!!!