In the words of Tommy Boy “I passed! I passed! Oh, man! I got a D+! I’m gonna graduate!”

In June I started training in Muay Thai, and Filipino Martial Arts at my friend Ervin’s studio, I.M.P.A.C.T. Athletes. Last week I had my first test and the above is the video. As you can see, I kinda got my butt kicked and have a lot to work on. It has been a lot of work, but I really have enjoyed it. Lots of new friends and my confidence level has grown tremendously!

Post from my blog: A Guy Called Nick: My Thoughts, My Experiences, My Life
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I passed! I passed! Oh, man!

I have always been one who loves to try new beers….dark ones, light ones, bitter ones, sweet ones. It doesn’t matter…I pretty much love them all. A few years back I was cruising through the grocery store in search of something new and happened upon a crazy colored box from Magic Hat Brewing Company in South Burlington, Vermont. I took that box home that night and that same my love affair with this brewery began.

4 times a year (I think with every season), they offer these sampler packs. I look forward to them…every time I am in the grocery store I check to see if the newest of the new colorful boxes are available. In these sampler packs they offer an assortment of their brews. Let me tell you…I have yet to run into one that I did not like.

My only beef with Magic Hat is that I have yet to win their Mardi Gras contest. Every year they put on a contest and the winner gets flights and hotel for four people to visit the brewery and party with them at Burlington’s annual Mardi Gras parade. Even though the pictures of this event usually show people standing in feet of snow, I am determined to win this contest.

If you haven’t, get out there and pick up a box of this fantastic beer. It is sure to please!

Post from my blog: A Guy Called Nick: My Thoughts, My Experiences, My Life
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Magic What? Magic Hat!

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The Beast Lives

This may not look like much to you, but to me this is a treasure.  After a few years of searching for one of these I finally found one on eBay.  It’s a windshield frame for my Triumph.  One more piece of the puzzle is coming together.  I really can’t wait to get my car on the road.  I am tired of watching it collect dust.  I am tired of it being used as a shelf in my garage.

Post from my blog: A Guy Called Nick: My Thoughts, My Experiences, My Life
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One Man’s Junk is Another Man’s Treasure

I’d like to witness a Solar Eclipse someday.

Post from my blog: A Guy Called Nick: My Thoughts, My Experiences, My Life
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Solar Eclipse in China Today

26. Visit a factory where something is being mass produced
27. Go Deep Sea Fishing
28. Convince my sisters to go in business together
29. Have a party with a keg of great beer
30. Grow a full beard (I like to call it a manbeard)
31. Have a more positive outlook on things that are important to others
32. Live and work in a foreign country
33. Teach someone else how to juggle
34. Learn to consistently nose ride and actually hang all 10
35. Drive a right hand drive vehicle
36. Have an art studio
37. Learn the art of video editing and make a documentary
38. Create a non-profit organization to benefit someone who needs it
39. Clean my garage and keep it clean
40. Make home made ice cream
41. Write a song
42. Fly an airplane
43. Read “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand
44. Invent something that the world needs and patent it
45. Visit Area 51
46. Go to Space Camp (I always wanted to do that when I was young)
47. Drive an old school Mini Cooper
48. Grand Canyon donkey ride
49. Learn to tie a double windsor knot on a necktie
50. Pan for gold

Post from my blog: A Guy Called Nick: My Thoughts, My Experiences, My Life
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Things to do before I die: 26-50

1 – 25

1. Shape a surfboard
2. Visit Tibet
3. Finish restoring my Triumph
4. Drink coffee at a Starbucks in Seattle
5. Learn Tai Chi
6. Learn proper CSS markup
7. See Wayne Dyer speak
8. Get a master’s degree in something
9. Learn to sew
10. Overcome my obsession with creating stress for myself
11. Screenprint original Tshirt ideas
12. Orchestrate and join in a massive food fight (stole this one)
13. See if you really can light a fart with a match
14. Ride on a motorcycle
15. Learn to play guitar
16. Reconnect with my best friend from high school
17. Make it through a Marilyn Monroe movie with Christy
18. Camp in Yellowstone
19. Drive across the United States in a convertible
20. Have a tattoo removed
21. Have sushi in Japan
22. Meet someone famous
23. Swim (float) in the Great Salt Lake
24. Drop in on a 12 foot half pipe.
25. Surprise Christy with a trip to somewhere requiring a passport.

Post from my blog: A Guy Called Nick: My Thoughts, My Experiences, My Life
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Things to do before I die: 1-25

Eating out of the palm of my hand….he he he.  I’ve got skills.

Post from my blog: A Guy Called Nick: My Thoughts, My Experiences, My Life
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Turd Under the Nose Update # 2

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Turd Under the Nose Update

Every once in a while I meet a person like this.  A lady at the post office for instance.  For a period of about a year I went to this one post office EVERY DAY (i was selling a lot of stuff on eBay at the time).  And every day this lady had the face that says “You are a douchebag and I do not like you.”  She had little or no sense of humor and rarely cracked a smile, she was there for the paycheck and that is all.  After about 2 weeks of dealing with her, I decided to make it a personal goal of mine to make her crack a smile and to make her have a little bit of a better day.   I would watch her interact with other customers and it seemed that she hated each and every one of us just as much as the customer before (maybe more).  That being said, it fueled my desire to make her more pleasant.  Every day I would smile and ask her how she was and learn a little bit more about her.  After about a month of this, it happened.  I got her to smile and I even got her to laugh!  I was thrilled. 

This was 5 years ago.  I don’t go to the post office quite as much as I used to (Maybe once or twice a month now), but when I do go, she remembers my name and cracks a big smile for me!  I always feel accomplished when I see her.

The point of that story is this.  I have 5 days to make this client smile.  Will I be successful?  My friend that works with this person says its impossible.  We’ll see about that.  I am on a mission.

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Code Name: Turd Under the Nose