They call me the WORKING MAN and I guess that's what I am!!!!!!

 AND THIS MONTH, I exercise my right to use my blog whichever I want!!! You see, there is one rule to 'blogging'. 1. It's MY BLOG and I can do what I want to it. So I created a little 'montage' of me WORKING on casa de McBride the last ten years...

 Oh and don't worry Alex and Geddy (They wrote this), no one reads or sees this blog anyways. So no need to call the lawyers to sue my @$$ for copyright infringement.

 I actually did a couple of things to casa de McBride this month... I got a REALLY CHEAP screen door for the back. I painted it up and sanded it for days to get the perfect slam of it when it closes. I felt like Steely Dan (if you are old enough to remember them, you will know what I am talking about), so what do you think?

 After all of that, I filled in all the holes I accidentally I drilled in it, put another coat of paint on it and put back in the screen. Not bad for a $20 dollar door...

 I also 'dethatched' and over seeded my yard... If you have kids, then there is NO NEED TO DO THIS STUFF. Because it's time consuming and I can promise you will BE 'that guy' when they and their friends play on it....
 

 HEALTH ALERT!!!! So I am doing some PT (physical therapy) so I can cope and adapt with some 'issues' I have with some balance stuff. It helps but I found that I already do 90% of the exercises already when I work out in the morning. The other 10% was taught to me by a SUPER HOT therapist! GOOD LORD!!!!!!! Ask my friends and family and they will tell you that I can't stop talking about how hot she is!!!! So here is my dilemma, do I keep going mainly to see the HOT therapist or just incorporate the stuff I have learned in my workout routine and be done with PT???


 OH and one last thing, I hope you don't mind me using you as my 'emotional tampons' but I have to vent about something. FYI ALL politicians, Republican AND Democratic, running for president, WE DO NOT live in a democracy!!! FOR THE LOVE OF BABY JESUS! We live in a 'republic'!!!! OKIE DOKIE!!!! Thanks for that!!! I feel better.
 

10 years of having my own roof over my head!!!!!

 I bought it in July of 2005 but my newly retired parents and I did some TLC (new paint and carpet) while it was empty. I actually moved into it on Labor Day weekend, Sept 2005. Oh and blogged about it too!! I'm too lazy to recap how I got it BUT that is why I blogged then so I can just give you a link to it and you can read all about it!!! That right there is called a 'WIN/WIN' situation! I don't have to repeat myself and YOU can just take your mouse and click on the link and YAHTZEE! 1. http://raspix.blogspot.com/2005/08/woo-hoo-i-finally-bought-house-i-set.html
2. http://raspix.blogspot.com/2005/08/i-placed-bid-on-it-next-day.html
3. http://raspix.blogspot.com/2005/08/alrighty-july-15th-came-and-i-closed.html
4. http://raspix.blogspot.com/2005/08/in-last-two-weeks-we-have-painted.html

What will he next ten years bring you ask? I can say without doubt that it WILL be paid off and I am sooooooooooooooooooooo going to have a MORTGAGE PARTY (don't know what one of those are? WELL look no further. Other stuff will happen I am sure of that, do I know what, KRIPES, I don't know... What? You thing I am a psychic?!? BUT I do know I will be doing THIS when it's paid off..

 10 years have come and gone BUT there is ALWAYS stuff to do around casa de McBride BUT this is one thing I didn't do!!! It just started growing up it. I took a picture and sent it to Thompson, the guy that knows EVERYTHING, and he said it is a 'Virginia creeper' "It will have dark purple berries that birds love." He also had a theory on how it got there,  "some bird landed on your mailbox and $hit a seed out and VOILA!!!!" HA!!!!!

 Oh and here is an update for ya about some brain 'stuff'. I went back up to Duke Medical to have an MRI done so they can compare it with the one I had done in 2010. Luckily there wasn't a "OH CRAP! we need to get him back here ASAP!" moment so I don't have to go back until April. I also start some physical therapy this week. 

 No moment of zen or anything just the best put down EVER!!!!! ADMIT it, you sooooooooooooooooooo want to say this to someone...

 Speaking of God having mercy on your soul. If you or your wife's email comes up on this then you my friend are, what I like to say, SCREEEEEEEEWED!!! Better get a good divorce attorney....

And so the saga continues!!!!

 I've been dreading this since I scheduled the appointment in JANUARY!!! YEAH, the waiting list to Duke Medical Center (they are the cream of the crop in medical) is that long!!! ANYWAYS!!! The 'uncertainty' is what has been driving me nuts!!!  Mrs. Boike and I went up there today, 8-5-15, to get another opinion about this stupid brain stuff going on in my head!!!!! So here is the running diary:

 Wednesday- WOO HOO!!! I just added this app to my phone and I am writing this from the waiting room BEEEEEEOTCHES!!! ANYWAYS, I am in the waiting room, hence the name, for my appointment... Mrs. BOIKE drove us up here in her sweet @$$ Prius!!!! Man and I thought the MPGS I got were good but DAAAAAAAAAAAMN!!! The trip up consisted of me nervously rambling about NOTHING!!!  POOR MRS. BOIKE HAD TO LISTEN TO THAT FOR 2 1/2 HOURS! ANYWAYS!!! I was examined by TWO DR.s AND let me tell ya, they DID NOT leave any stone unturned. We sat there for about an hour just asking and answering questions. Next was the physical examination... They watched EVERYTHING I did whether walking or just the way I talked and sat. They drew stuff on a piece of paper and asked that I draw the same thing they drew. AGAIN, VERY DETAILED! After all that, the older Dr. gave me his opinion, he said that I DO have spinal cerebellum ataxia but it's mild and with some 'adjustments' in my life, I can control it getting worse. THE MAIN THING he suggested was that I stop drinking. SURE THIS SUCKS FOR ME BUT you have to do what is best and I plan on doing it. BASICALLY, I DON'T have a choice. SO REPEAT AFTER ME, "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" "ANDY CANNOT HAVE A BEER WITH ME!!!" COOL???? This is NOT a cure, matter of fact, there is NO cure BUT it will help slow the symptoms!!! He also suggested I go to physical therapy to just 'know my limitations' so I don't really hurt myself trying to do stuff...

 I go back next for an MRI and that will help give them more info that in turn, will HELP ME!!!! As long as they don't say 'HOLY SNIKES, His MRI looks bad, call him STAT and get his @$$ up here." I  will go back in April and I plan to ALWAYS see him because he was that good.


 Oh and I sent this to my mom like 15 minutes ago before I posted it for ALL TO READ because she pulled the 'CATHOLIC GUILT' thing on me with precision HA!!! I sent her a text saying that we were on our way home and that I would tell everyone about my visit on my blog. She sent me a text "Travel safe, hate having the world know anything before I do." That right there kids is why I call her 'CATHOLIC KATE' Oh and anyone out there that thinks they can 'guilt' my brother and I into anything, is SADLY MISTAKEN because after 40+ years, WE ARE IMMUNE!!!

I sooooooooooooooo have a car that is 50 years old this month, SORRY, LAST MONTH.

 I tell myself that I will NEVER forget the way I got a 1965 Mustang BUT I have seen how you forget stuff the older you get and I don't want to EVER forget about this. So I wrote it all down so the nurses at the old folks home can put me in front of a computer and I can read it.

 As a kid, I vividly remember riding around in my Grandma McBride's Mustang when we went to Ohio at Easter and in the summer,

HA!!!! Grandma with an indian boy in AZ.. Not the most 'politically correct' picture EVER!

 So in 1989 Grandpa and Grandma came down to Charlotte to watch me while my parents went to Hawaii. One night during a dinner of Stouffer's lasagna, I think she made that EVERY night while they were there HA! Come to think of it, she's 94 and made it for me the last time I saw her... ANYWAYS, they asked me about my first job which was a dish boy in the cafeteria at Mercy Hospital South. I told them that it was sometimes a 'challenge' dealing with some people BUT it was all OKIE DOKIE with me because I was saving up my money to buy a Mustang like the one Grandma had. It wasn't like a 'EUREKA' moment and they waved a magic wand and a Mustang was in the drive way or anything. It was one of many conversations we had at the dinner table and we just moved on to the next topic. About 6 months later, it was a Friday night and I went with my friends to a football game. I had to call my parents and tell them that my friends and I were eating pizza at GODFATHERS on Park Rd. after the game. So back then we didn't have cell phones LIKE THE PUNKS DO TODAY, so I went to a pay phone and BY GOD! I STILL know where it is, with Chris Seitz and Jenny Szany because they had to call their parents too. I called and my dad answered and said that was fine but when I got home we have to talk. I wasn't sure if he was pi$$ed or not. For a second there I thought they found my porn stash or some empty beer cans that I MIGHT have had accidentally didn't dispose of properly and I was in really big trouble, BUT pops kinda hinted that it was a good thing and that my grandparents are some really good people for what they have done.
 My cousin Chris told me a few years ago that he was out looking for a truck and he saw a Mustang and said to himself, "hey this is grandma's old car". He called grandpa and told what he saw, so he and grandpa went out to look at it and grandpa did a little negotiating and bought it with all intentions of giving it to me...
 Grandpa had it looked over by a mechanic and a week later, he drove it down for me..... HA!!! 7 1/2 hours in a car with no A/C and over 100k miles is NOT something the faint hearted would do BUT he was a man on a mission!!!! ALSO, recently when I was up seeing her, Grandma told me, after I said that her Mustang was turning the big 50, that it was the first car she bought with all her own money! A fact that she is very proud of EVEN to this day. She wanted a sporty car and Ford just introduced the Mustang at the World Fair in New York City in April 1964. THAT was the car she wanted BUT the demand for them was so much, HELLO, they made over 1 million of them in two years, that she had to wait a full year to get one. When she fianally got one, her and Grandpa took it everywhere, from the southwest, Florida and South Dakota just to name a few of the places......

 Who knows how to read this? THIS GUY and now you do too!! 

Warranty Number: 5F07C778577
Year:	5	1965
Plant:	F	Dearborn, MI
Body Series:	07	2 Door Hardtop
Engine:	C	289 2v V8
Unit:	778577	778577

Miscellaneous Vehicle Data
Body:	65A	2 Door Hardtop, Standard Interior
Color:	J	Rangoon Red
Trim:	26	Black Crinkle Vinyl, Standard Interior
Date:	06U	July 06, 1965
D.S.O:	32	Cleveland
Axle:	6	2.80:1, Conventional
Trans:	6	C4 Automatic

More Info coming soon...

BODY	COLOR	TRIM	DATE	DSO	AXLE	TRANS
WARRANTY NUMBER
THIS VEHICLE IS MANUFACTURED UNDER UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN PATENTS AND PATENT APPLICATIONS A PRODUCT OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY

So without of all of my BLABBERING, here it is in all it's glory.

 HA!!!! I use to drag race back in the day and someone gave me a 'trophy' for winning a race. It hangs in my garage and TOM SHORT RD. is actually very close to where my parents live now...

 I even use to show it off at car shows and I won awards for it..

 AND here it is today, sad I know....

 It hasn't run since 2000 when I was in WI. and I drove it to the apartment I rented when a former girlfriend and I broke up. When you're a teenager, you do, pardon my FRENCH, stupid S#it, to a car and I was no exception... When I lived up there, I worked at a machine shop and we had EVERYTHING to work on it and get rid of the CR@P I did to it when I was a stupid teenager. In between all of that, I decided to move back to NC. So we just put it back together enough for me to put on a trailer so I could haul it back home and it just sits there. The plan is that when I pay off the house in 2019, I will put that money into a fund that will only go to getting the Mustang back on it's feet again. 

  When ever my nephews come over they want to sit in it and have me take a picture. 

 No moment of ZEN this month just some advice to the few that work with me and read this.... KIDS, make sure you have your F.U1./Emergency fund ready because a storm is coming..... Some CLOWNS, actually it's just one, we work with will TRY to spin it and say that "As long as we are the best at what we do then we will be fine". AHHHHHHH NO BUDDY!!! That's NOT how it works tool! We are #'s and cost $ and if that is too much then we will be cut loose.... I've been there 13 years and have seen my share of this!!! Heck I have been laid off myself twice..... WOO HOO!!! Corporate America RULLLLES!!!!!!!

1. A lady that I sit next to told me that her dad always told her "have your F.U fund ALWAYS ready and have atleast 6 months of expenses". So I thought that was a great name for an 'emergency' fund and that is what I named mine.

SLIDE-PA-LOOZA 2015!

 So on my annual tour, my cousin Chris and I spent some quality time going through and transferring all the photo slides my Grandma McBride gave him. HA! We used the same projector that Grandpa got for Christmas in the ealy 60s...

 So with my iTouch, beer, a slide projector, an actual screen, pizza and MORE beer, we converted all of them and I posted them here!

****** Disclaimer******
Most of these pictures are not labeled so don't think we were too lazy to label them. In most cases, the only thing we knew was from the box they were in.

I'm knee deep in my annual tour, come by if you want while I am gone. I have my cool new neighbors and their grand daughter, GRACEEEEEEEE on one side looking over casa de McBride and a dog that will bark at anything he sees (including me) on the other And a SWEET camera... OH and again, make sure you use the front door.

 With all the traveling I have done in the last month and sitting in my room with this damn itchy poison oak and being stung be some little bastards AKA yellow jackets, I haven't done anything to casa de McBride. So I decided to give out some 411 (that's 'street' for information) about my current being!!!! HA!!

• I had a blast up in MN. with Dan and his family!!!! He took me all around like Duluth and Two Harbors. GOOD LORD!!! It was June and I STILL was freezing!!!! I can only image how cold it is up there in January!!
• Dan and Melissa have this one friend Carrie who is HOT and has like 15 husbands!!!! GOOD LORD!!!! And she's not Mormon either, BESIDES, who am I to judge????
• I think this MIGHT BE the biggest urinal I have EVER seen!!!

• The Minnesota Twins have a pretty sweet stadium.

• I have the SON of GOD as my co pilot now, thanks to John (One of the funniest guys I know).

• I'm going next month to the Duke Medical center (They are the CREAM of the crop in medicine) to get another opinion about this dang brain stuff going on.... You ask if I am nervous, and I say "DOES A BEAR $HIT IN THE WOODS?"
• My friend's kids are SMART AND TALENTED!!! They have more smarts in their pinky than I do in my whole body!!! DUDES, Kallen, the youngest knows CHINESE!! GOOD LORD!!!! I know a few words in Spanish!!!!! (Rolling my eyes in disappointment)...
• I'm not gonna lie to ya, I LOATH what I do, and there is one person to blame for that, THE GUY IN THE MIRROR (ME).  As Forrest would say.
• Drove my Civic with 110k on her and it didn't give me ANY trouble, I'm still of the effing mindset that 100k is the limit for a car. This WAS true in the 70s, 80's and 90's BUT a car these days with that mileage is still just a teenager!!! 
• It has been so hot down here that I HAD to install an A/C window unit so I could sleep...... Now this is HUGE for me because I have NOT had central A/C for years because my unit (HA HE SAID 'UNIT') broke down years ago and I am too cheap to get a new one so I bought two CHEAP window units at Walmart.
• I'm not sure if it's just me in my 40's (Hello, mid life crisis) but I get depressed and angry A LOT! 
• I have a new phone servicer (SAME #) but a carrier that is freakin' $10 a month!!! I LOVE saving $$$$! I heard Clark Howard talk about this services for years and I FINALLY made the switch and thank GOD I did because their customer service is 'OFF DA CHAIN' (That's 'street' for REALLY GOOD!!!!!
• Thanks to TUCCI, I have a new drink for my Sunday evening cocktail so I can TRY to sleep on Sunday nights. 
• A young guy and his wife did something to help their future and it makes me really proud that they thought about their future and NOT the present..... He says it's because I gave him this last year..
  
  
    I DID but he and his wife did the work!!! I just 'suggested' he try it....... OH and so you know, I give this book to people getting married, a young couple, a single parent or just someone I feel needs it... SOME just leave it in their desk never to be seen again (SHONTEEA) but others do eventually read it and a eureka moment happens and they change for the better!
• I hope my friend and his family start a NEW 'positive' chapter of their lives in St. Petersburg Florida.

And now your moment of ZEN!!! This a house for sale up here in MN. and I have some thoughts BUT I will wait for you to actually see the video the guy made to sell this 'house'..

• This guy has WAY too much $!!!!! WHAT THE CRAP? If you were to buy it then YOU would have to GUT the place unless you are as 'alternative' as he is....
• Did you see him in the video? He looks kinda slimy with a 'used car salesman' look to him.
• DUDE!!! You live in Minnesota!!!! NOT some exotic part of the world!!! 
• He has a FOG MACHINE!!! Hello RAVE/ORGY!!!!!!

And here is a great spoof on it!!!!!!And it's pretty funny!!!!!

Steps to 'DA ODE TO B@@B' Version 2.0!!!

 So as the FEW people that actually read this know, I added some steps from my patio to 'DA ODE' a few months ago, WITH HUGE FANFARE!!! I'm so kidding about the last part of thatsentence!!!!! Where was I? OH YEAH! I received some 'pavers' from Mrs. Boike (MR. had them bordering his garden.... With inspiration from EVERY art teacher I had in my years of fine education (Not really, I HATED art class and usually was a disruptive little punk) I came up with a design with the pavers and all the bricks I had, ANOTHER thing or THINGS that were given to me by the Boikes.

  Did you see the stuff I used to glue the bricks together? It's epoxy from Hysol (they are no longer called that, where Big RON, POPS, worked for years!!!! I have a ton of it.

 I can hear him saying "Andrew, that stuff was NOT designed to hold bricks together." Just so POPS and everyone else knows, I am FULLY AWARE of this but I am not looking to hold stuff together because firetrucks and stuff are going to drive over it. I am just looking to keep stuff together just so it won't move around when someone steps on it.. OH and I know that the yard looks like $hit... It's a work in progress so stay tuned!!!

  A very happy thing happened to me as well, I had a visit from an old friend!!!!! Thompson came down and saw me for a night!!! There are only 2 people that I have EVER known that, I'm pretty sure, knew/know EVERYTHING. Those two people are Mr. Williamson (RIP) and MIKE THOMPSON!!! After the divorce of my best friend and his EX, I figured that I would NEVER see this guy again because that is the way life works. People come and go in your life. Not gonna lie, I almost cried with joy when he sent me an email asking if he could come and stay a night while heading to his grandparent's in FL. ANYWAYS!!! We hung out on DA ODE TO BOOB and drank PBR and talked about all the times we had on July 4th and other great times we had!!!!

  Friends have ALWAYS meant alot to me, Not just Thompson but EVERYONE that I have crossed paths with, some (NOT friends) need to know they are #1 with me and I am sorta glad I will NEVER see them again...

 Others have shaped me into the person I am today. Like this guy!!!!

 Gary S. is one of those people and to show him that I remember A LOT of stuff he did for me while a little kid. I was daydreaming one day and I vividly remember he had the LEGGY "MMMMM ALL THOSE CURVES AND NO STOP SIGNS" Ms. Direct Connection 1984 poster in the garage..... So I went on eBay and found one of those posters and NOW I have her in my garage too!!!! Just a little memory of him and to say that I think about him and all the stuff he did for me even though I was little BRAT!!!

I'll be starting the 'TOUR' earlier this year with a trip to MN. AKA the GREAT WHITE NORTH! Yeah I know that's Canada but MN. is close enough!!!

I'm going to MN. to see an old friend from A-TOWN that I have not seen in 25+ years! Should be fun!!!! So feel free to come by while I am gone AND USE THE FRONT DOOR....

Sorry to get all mushy and wax ecstatic on ya BUT it is my blog so I guess that allows me to write about ANYTHING I want!!!!

And now for your monthly 'ANSWERING CRAP' where I answer a spammer's, usually stupid question: "Hi there, I do think your site might be having browser compatibility issues. Whenever I look at your web site in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in Internet Explorer, it's got some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other than that, wonderful site!"
Well spammer! Try this or this and use it for ALL browsing! It's ALOT safer than Microsoft Explorer. As if YOU care but for all of you that read this, USE THEM!!!!!!!

Now for your moment of ZEN and rememeber that you and I are ONLY little ticks turds compared to MOTHER NATURE!!!

 


  

Just your ordinary average guy...

 Thanks for that Mr. Walsh.... Well I am average with a few things that sort of set me apart. Oh and there is one BIG glaring thing in this song that is SOOOOOOOOOOOO not me, I DO NOT have a Chrysler product!! They have and will always be $HIT!!!!! HA!!!!!!
 Being that I have been a homeowner for almost TEN years, I closed on it July 2005, and a young 25 year old asked for some of my knowledge on buying a house, I decided to give all 5 of you that read this, some advice on buying a house.

• First off, DO NOT listen to all of your friends that are telling you that you are dumb for not buying a house because rates are so low. They say "You are just throwing money away by renting, buy a house because at least the money is going towards paying it off and house values NEVER go down." UMMMM let me stop those clowns right there, they don't ALWAYS go up in value. Be like the turtle in the 'Tortoise and the Hare' and just take your time looking and these are the things you have to think about before making one of the biggest financial decisions in your life. 

1. I know you have a plan for your life. Get a good job you love to go to and do, marry, have 2.5 kids, love and do EVERYTHING your in laws say, you will ALWAYS stay in one area of the country, THE LIST goes on. BUT as a 42 year old, I can tell you that 'life' throws you curve balls and sinkers all the time. Stuff like job loses, divorces (I KNOW, NOT very 'positive' of me BUT I have a few good friends deal with it) and moves happen. So "THINK" before you take the plunge......  
2. ASK yourself the question " Do we plan to stay here for at least 5 years or we want to go to another part of the country?" If you do then just RENT for now. It's OKIE DOKIE! Side note, "the kid", I CAN'T believe I just called her that!!! MY GOD, I'm old!!! Anyways, she wants to move and live in California, so buying here and then having the stress of being a long distance landlord by default is NOT GOOD!!!!! FYI- RENTERS SUCK!!!!! I have examples of this and I will gladly share them with you over a frosty beverage. DEFAULT LONG DISTANT LANDLORD: where you have no choice but to rent the house out just to make the mortgage payments and you live in a different part of the country and can't 'check up' on the renters so you PRAY they are not changing the oil in the Harley on your living room floor.....

• Shop around for a mortgage, at least 5 places will do. DO NOT try to get a mortgage from one of the big monster mega banks. They cannot compete with a credit union or a regional banks rates. SAD BUT TRUE!
• Know your limitations- The person that sells you a mortgage will SAY 'Mr/Mrs. SOandSO, you qualify for 2 times the mortgage." Don't take the bait because you will end up 'house poor'. That is where all of your pay check goes to your mortgage payment and you have nothing left for anything else.  GOOD LORD!!!! I had to stop typing because I am watching Bailey for the weekend and she just let loose a doozy of a fart!!! I have to leave the room and try to escape the smell of DEATH!!!! BE RIGHT BACK!
• OKIE DOKIE! I think it's safe to go back in the room and type some more. WHERE WAS I? Get a conventional 15 year FIXED mortgage! DON'T consider those crazy @$$ adjustable rate or interest only ones!!! They can totally screw you up!! The mortgage broker will TRY to sell one of this to you because it GETS you qualified for the mortgage and they get the commission (HELLO CAPITALISM) BUT just remember to K.I.S (Keep It Simple) with a 15 year mortgage. If you can't afford the payments then OH WELL!! You are NOT ready to buy a house. Oh and DON'T tell yourself you will pay a 30 year like it's a 15 year because you are sooooooooooooooooooo kidding yourself....
• Have at least 20% for your down payment... Because if you don't then you will have to pay PMI, you will see how much money you are spending for it every month and KICK YOURSELF for NOT saving the 20% for a down payment. 
• Learn to just walk away from a house... I can guarantee that there will ALWAYS be a 'MYSTERY bidder' who has a higher bid than yours. It's what realtors do!!! So just be that person that says, "That's OK" and walk away.... 8 out of 10 times they will accept your offer because there WASN'T a higher bid and YOU called their bluff.  Kenny Rodgers would be so proud of you!

•  Do NOT buy one of those stupid home warranties!!!!! I thought I had to when I bought my house. It's like driving down the road throwing $100 bills out the window! Those companies try to do EVERYTHING NOT to have to pay for stuff in your house.
•  Know that BUYING is TOTALLY different then renting. EXAMPLE- when you own a house, you CANNOT just call your landlord because the sink is backed up. YOU have to fix it!!!! In my job, I have come to the conclusion that there are RENTERS AND OWNERS!!!! Some people accept that stuff that happens has to be fixed by them. Others just can only handle giving a check to a landlord each month because the LANDLORD has to fix stuff that breaks NOT THEM. 
•   One last thing, GET YOUR 'FINANCIAL BUTT' in order before making such a huge financial decision. If you have debt such as student loans, car or credit card debt, get those paid off and out of the way before even THINKING about buying a house.  Don't be that guy/gal that has a house payment AND other payments to make!!!! They will stress you out! The poor B@ST@RD "MAN! I have this mortgage payment to make and this STUPID student loan to pay too!!! I sure hope I have enough left over to pay for my electricity."

Some of these tips MIGHT sound 'financially conservative'.... FYI- I'm guilty as charged and SO cool with it!!!! I much rather be safe than sorry!!!!

  Now back to your regularly scheduled program. Nothing exemplifies that I am just an ordinary average guy more than the fact I was on this site the other night and it had a link to this showing you how to get your yard to look like the out field of a MLB stadium. Oh and here is one for the fine folks like me that have a ride on mower. Pretty exciting stuff huh?
  AND as promised, the newest wall in the front yard that will reduce my time mowing to 1.5 PBRS! THANK GOD Bjorn, my mower, has a cup holder!!!!

And now for your monthly 'ANSWERING CRAP' where I answer a spammer's, usually stupid question: "An outstanding share! I've just forwarded this onto a coworker who was conducting a little homework on this. And he in fact bought me lunch because I found it for him... lol. So allow me to reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to discuss this issue here on your internet site." I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo glad your co worker bought your lunch!!! All because you forwarded my blog to him!!!!!! Where did you go, Sizzlers? There porter steak is to die for!!!!!

 

That's all I have for ya this month so LET'S Be careful out there! 

 

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?