I used to think that I was Ken, but then everyone I worked with for years kept putting the "y"
on the end of my name all of the time. Somewhat reluctantly, I finally accepted my true "Kenny-ness" a while back.
As you can see by the picture below my first rule remains "Do NOT take things seriously until it IS time."
Life is too stressful if you don't take the time to laugh regularly.
As long as you know when
it IS time, you'll be fine.
Athough I'm not currently employed, I am not at all unhappy at almost
56 years young, and I know that a new job is just around the corner. I have been a widower for
over 5 years now, having lost my almost 37 year old wife suddenly to a pulmonary embolism in August 2006.
One thing I probably "could" use in my life now is "the companionship of a Good Woman" (just
where DOES that quote come from anyway ?!?). While I have been searching diligently for my second
career I have been taking advantage of my free time to volunteer at one of the animal shelters in Ingham
County to take pictures of "the kids" for their FaceBook page, and also to help socialize and take care of
them. I have also been regularly taking "head shot" photographs of others in my weekly Career
Networking Group at MI Works for LinkedIn or other applications, and I have been enjoying helping out my
"friends" whenever I can.
I like to think that I have a great sense of humor, and I would like
to find more opportunities to exercise it. I don't think that I smile as much as I should, but I
do love to laugh out loud. During my last few years working in TV news, when I was working studio
camera a few of us in the studio would regularly share funny lines from old movies and TV, and I LOVE those
classic quotes. "As God is my witness, I swear I thought that turkeys could fly." (from "WKRP In
Cincinatti") or "Badgers ?!? We don't need no steenking badgers!" (from "UHF" with Wierd Al Yankovitch) or
"Somebody is going to have to go back for a sh**tload of dimes" (from "Blazing Saddles) or "Yoiks, and AWAY"
(from "Robin Hood Daffy"). A lot of obscure trivia questions fly around, and I am truly amazed at
what I know that I didn't know that I knew (get all of that ?). I love "observing" people and the
world around me, and I'm ALWAYS looking for what is "just not right" in the world to make a little innocent
fun of -- sorry, but there is SO much fodder out there for us to laugh at on a daily basis. Why
do you think "The People of WalMart" website is SO popular ?!?
I weigh a bit more than I would like to right now at 283 lbs. (but I'm working on it --
I swear :)
I recently read Dr. Oz's book "You, On A Diet", and I'm trying to figure out how to start eating a bit differently
so I can accomplish some "waist management".
I decided a couple of months ago to forego drinking alcohol for a while, which will cut out a lot of useless
calories AND generally make me feel better as an added benefit. Now I just need to get myself walking, and the
pounds will just disappear.
I spend a fair amount of my time at home watching TV, although I am also
an avid (and fast) reader. Some of my favorite shows include: "Last Man Standing", The Middle",
and "CougarTown" on ABC // "Big Bang Theory", "Two Broke Girls", and "Mike & Molly" on CBS // "Diners,
DriveIns, and Dives" and "Iron Chef America" on FOOD // "New Girl", "Breaking In", and "Kitchen
Nightmares" on FOX, // "Chelsea, Are You There ?" on NBC // "Royal Pains" on USA // a few shows on DisneyXD
and Nickelodeon // and "Unforgettable", "Criminal Minds", "NCIS", and "GCB", too.
My favorite author has to be Clive Cussler, and I read just about
anything he writes (even with a "helper"). I like humor, adventure, mystery, murder, military,
sci fi, nonfiction, and well, almost anything. I really DO enjoy reading, and love how reading a
book really fast can feel like almost actually living it in real time, so you can't keep me away from my
reading. I continue to try to find books that really draw me into them and that somehow increase
my knowledge base, as well.
I love movies, too -- especially comedy, silly, action and adventure.
I'm ready to see "The Three Stooges" and "Mirror, Mirror", and can't wait for the third "Men In
Black" movie this summer.
I LOVE to cook, and don't do it enough lately, partially because of the
Lilliputian size of my kitchen and total lack of counter space for prep. I'd like get back to
cooking fancier and more exciting things more often, but I simply don't have anyone to cook something
special for right now.
You can guess that I also like to eat -- I figured out a few years ago
that I truly AM a Foodie ! (you can find my not-recently-updated Foodie blog at "foodiewords.wordpress.com")
I like to try new and exciting things, and think that feeding your body should be an EXPERIENCE
to enjoy and savor. What are my favorites ? Indian food (curries -- my dad grew up in
India as he son of Presbyterian missionaries, and somewhere growing up I became the first of the three kids
to figure out how awesome curries are). Lobster (my parents hosted a "clam bake" lobster picnic
every Memorial Day Saturday for about 25 years -- it started through the University of Illinois "Gourmet
Club" in the mid-60s) Sushi (my little brother worked for Kodak in Asia for a few years and got
me into eating raw fish, although I'm not tremendously adventurous about it -- I love salmon and tuna, but
don't go anywhere near octopus or eel). I swear I'd eat rocks with Bearnaise Sauce -- it is my
all-time favorite food booster.
At the moment my all-time favorite restaurant EVER is
"MELT Bar and Grilled" in
Cleveland, home of a large and varied array of absolutely incredible grilled cheese sandwiches !
I am eager to enjoy MORE restaurants that have been featured on "Diners, DriveIns, and Dives" -- so far I've
visited 3 :)
I became a NASCAR fan in 1998 (thanks to my wife Kathy's love of Dale
Earnhardt Sr. and the sport of stock car racing), and nowadays "my driver" is Denny Hamlin in the FedEx #11
Toyota in Sprint Cup. I'm also a fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr., and I am excited that Danica Patrick
has made the move from IndyCar to NASCAR. I have been lucky enough to meet almost a dozen drivers
since becoming a NASCAR fan, and I have been impressed that every one of them has put interacting with their
fans up front. The last race I went to in 2005 was the fall night race at Charlotte Motor
Speedway with Kathy and her sister and brother-in-law (an awesome evening of entertainment, of course), and
I miss all of those great "at the track" experiences. Now that I have moved "home" to less than
90 minutes from Michigan International Speedway I am DETERMINED to take my college best friend Billy to at
least one race this summer, even if it is only to see Danica in the Nationwide Series on a Saturday.
I wouldn't pass up a chance to sit through an exciting race with a female fan, if the opportunity
arises.
I gained an affection towards travel at an early age. While I
was in 4th grade my dad took a sabbatical from teaching at the University of Illinois to research a book
on Landscape Architecture based on the classic European forms, so I got to tour Europe for 8 months with him
and my mom and my younger brother in a 66 Ford Econoline van. My baby sister was born less than a month after we returned to
the United States. We also drove through the US while I was young, so I have seen most of the 50
Continental states :)
During the few years that I had with my wife Kathy we went on a total of 6 cruises, our first in
December 1998 with a 4-night on Royal Caribbean's "Sovereign of the Seas". During the next few
years we enjoyed 4 other cruises on Carnival and another cruise on RCI with Kathy's family in 2005.
A year after Kathy's passing I braved the adventure of a solo cruise on Carnival "Triumph", and in
August 2008 my parents took our entire family (12 of us) on Carnival "Valor" for a family cruise, so I have
now cruised 8 times in all and I am looking forward to more.
I also like to travel to other cities, and if you check me out on
FaceBook (just ask who I am there) you can see a map of all of the cities I have visited in my life.
I have always loved camping (I was a Boy Scout), and Kathy and I got
into a little bit of RV-ing with her parents for a few years. I don't have a tent right now, but I'm sure
I can find a cheap one if I ever find the perfect camping partner :)
Now that I am "home" only 70 miles or so away from my younger brother
(who is a consummate fisherman) I am hoping to learn how to finally become a successful angler this summer.
Dave lives on a small lake where we can catch bluegill and maybe even bass, and he is involved
in some much bigger fishing ventures, as well.
I would love to have a travel companion again sometime, because sharing
the travel experience always makes
it a much better time together. It doesn't matter whether it is sharing a tent in the great
outdoors or cuddling in a fancy cruise cabin -- having someone to share the fun with is the BEST.
