Whats your vision?

Do you have the vision to look beyond where you are today, see things that other people cant see, see new possibilities? If not.......you should.



I wanted to create this blog it inspire not only myself but also others to look beyond the simple reality that we all want to see. To have a vision of the world and the people that surround us that is more complex and has more depth than we typically see. It seems to be more than common occurrence that we have taken things at face value and not considered what the possibilities are. Our quick paced, technology driven, idol worshiping world is on the downward slope. I'd like to think that some of us are intelligent enough to do something about it.

We'll see.

Self Reflection and writting about it.

I was getting a haircut the other day and the friend of mine who does the cutting is in her ever lasting state of chaos. She has several men in her life that she is always second guessing her break from, a great son who has a less than stellar father, two jobs that she is constantly working, etc. In addition, she has been contemplating some serious questions about life and where she is heading. She makes comments about wanting the big house, fancy car, and nice things. She is comically wondering when she will find a man who will pay for it all, and knows that none of that will likely come true. In the end she is searching for "what's next" and how she is going to get there.

I know that this isn't some kind of life circumstance that hasn't been known before but rather a frequently occurring scenario that many young women and men are facing today. The issue is that most of us haven't been taking any time to stop and put forth any effort into some self reflection.

So yesterday I opened up a dialogue with this friend of mine about whether or not she has taken any time to just look at her situation and maybe think about it more than she might like. I've encouraged her to start a journal or blog on how she perceives life. Write about the people, ideas, situations, problems, and other variables that life is throwing at her. Choosing to do the same thing my self, I am looking forward to sharing it with friends and family. Only I've decided to do it in an open forum and accept any praise or scrutiny that comes along with it.

Have studies shown that doing this is effective in achieving personal satisfaction or a healthier sense of self? Will opening up ones mind and heart and getting it down on paper help in life's progression? It couldn't hurt and that's why I'm here.

Doing the Happy Dance.

I just talked to a surprisingly friendly IRS representative and Karen and I DO QUALIFY for the First time home buyer tax credit! That's right, we were fortunate enough to wait just long enough to get in on the $7500 incentive for purchasing a home. This credit, unlike the previous credit does not have to be repaid.



This has been a nerve racking part of buying a house. First we were going to get it, then we weren't. Then we put an offer on a house in November. Someone was willing to pay just a few hundred more than we were. We really wanted that house too. Fortunately it didn't go that way and we ended up at our current home.



The part that I don't get is how so many websites have so many different bits of information on the topic. The most confusing part is that http://www.irs.gov/ has the wrong information. That's right folks, the IRS has the incorrect information up. I was so happy to hear the news that I forgot to tell the woman on the phone. If you know me at all, you know that I am a big proponent of letting people know when their information is wrong. It's not that the IRS is doing it on purpose, chances are the guy or gal in the IT department is just behind the times.

In the end however, I am excited to get the dollars because as predicted things are costing a lot more than anticipated. People warned me.....and they were right. Take what you thought remodeling your house was going to cost and double it. I was hesitant to believe them, but they were right.

So a special thank you to the stimulus bill for my First time home buyer tax credit. You may not like the stimulus or the president, but I'm doing exactly what it was made to do. I'm putting the money right back into the economy and getting the money moving again.

Until next time. This is life as I know it.

The update of life. Where are we heading from here?

Over the next nine weeks I will be planning my wedding, getting married, finishing my house, moving in, and going on a honey moon. It's going to be a busy couple of months. In addition, my work is slowing down from Mardi Gras and picking up speed on the Central West End Art Fair and Taste of the Central West End. Needles to say, my post Mardi Gras workout hasn't been coming along as well as I'd like.

In the next few months I am going to strive to pick up this blog and run with it. I took my inspiration from Jeff O'toole who put all of his thoughts right out there. He took some backlash from friends and family who read his posts, but he spoke his mind. I hope that As I write about things that are going on in my life, people will read them and understand that I don't really give a damn if they like it or not. In the end, we all have an opinion and they should be understood. I'm not saying that everyone should have the same opinion as me or even agree, what I am saying is that we should all respect each others thoughts and have a dialogue if we so choose.

I plan on writing about so many things that I have on my mind from work and events to travel and adventures. I am going to use this to explore my own thoughts as well as the thoughts of others. I hope blogging will generate a new passion for things as I go forward. Even more so, I want to bring many of you along with me.

So until next time (which may be this afternoon) stay true to you, and live the adventure.

Marc Mendolia