201 Street

I think that when it comes to improving the environment, small steps add up to huge differences. I just read Next Day Blind’s press release that said they are replacing their company fleet with hybrids as they break down or there is a need for a new one.

They are reducing their carbon footprint and they making a difference to everyone. If more companies took small steps like this, we would have our envirnoment back sooner. It is like how you can change your light bulbs to the new, envirnmentally friendly ones and it makes a huge difference. Why don’t more people do these things?

Drug and alcohol addiction can be devastating to families. But there is hope through drug rehabilitation. The difficulty is choosing the appropriate drug rehabilitation center for your loved one. Finding one that is within your budget and that will meet all of the addict’s needs can be difficult but more doctors will have recommendations.

Questions arise such as, “Should I send my heroin-addicted son to heroin addiction treatment or do most rehabs treat all addictions?” And the answer to this question is that centers such as Gatehouse Academy can treat all addictions and you will not need to enroll your loved one in a center for a specific drug.

This trying time is heart-wrenching but do not let it tear you and your family apart. Instead of letting the addiction win, hold strong to each other. Seek help for yourself. Al-Anon and Nar-Anon offer the support you will need to learn how to deal with this and you will feel better about the choices you have made and are going to have to make.

Those who play golf on a regular basis tend to think that their instructors have the best job in the world. Many wonder just how one goes about landing that fantastic job that keeps them out on the greens nearly all day long. Just like any profession, careers in golf require an individual to have a strong foundation of education to start from. The sport of golf is now a multimillion-dollar industry that stands all on its own and has developed very unique nuances. Getting an educational degree geared for the golf industry is the best way to get one’s foot in the door.

Though there are plenty of curriculums that revolve around golf instruction, there are many more professions that branch out from the golf industry. In fact, there is a golf job for just about any practical skill set. From management to grounds keeping, individuals will be able to find a degree that will get them where they want to go. When one decides teaching golf is truly their calling, they can look forward to a career instructing young children or even big name professionals. The only limits to a career in golf are the ones individuals make for themselves.

Traveling is one of my absolute favorite things to do. I love traveling across the United States, Mexico and Europe. But what I get myself as souvenirs from these trips surprises people a lot of the time. Instead of bringing home a sombrero from Mexico or a miniature Leaning Tower of Pisa, I keep my maps as a keepsake from trips. I went through all of my storage boxes a few years ago and I found trinkets from past trips that did nothing but collect dust and take up space. That is why I now keep my maps as souvenirs.

My Italy map has cappuccino spots on it. While I was there I drank coffee all day long. I walked around the country or took buses everywhere that I went. My map got a lot wear and tear. It’s wrinkled and stained but it has a lot of character and I have it framed. It hangs on the wall of my study.

I am from the Heartland of American so I grew up in the perfect position to drive around and see this great country. Needless to say, my maps of United States are very worn. I have been from Oklahoma to Florida, Oklahoma to Michigan, Oklahoma to California and everywhere in between. I am not even close to finishing my U.S. travels so that map will not be retiring any time soon.

And my Mexico maps have seen better days. I tend to fly to Mexico because it can be dangerous to drive around that country. But once I’m in the area that I want to be, I rent a car and see all of the sights. I saw the entire city of Mexico City and even the ruins of Chichen Itza. The beaches were beautiful and that trip was one that I will never forget. I did retire those maps because they were really used. I think I’ll treat myself to a new souvenir the next time that I take a trip to Central America.

I am a big fan of the San Francisco Ballet and as a patron, I often run into the same people. Last year I ran into Arthur Trueger. He is one of the most well-established patrons. He doesn’t ever seem to miss an opening. And whenever I go, I always hear people saying, "Look, there’s Arthur Trueger." That makes me wonder if he feels like the paparazzi is following him.

Not only is he a fan of the ballet, he loves the Japanese culture. He is learning how to speak Japanese and he is a member of the Japan Society of Northern California. He must be involved with other NorCal arts groups. I know that Arthur Trueger is a patron of the Oregon Shakespeare Society. He really loves the arts which is great because he is always busy in the venture capital world.

So, whenever I spot him at the ballet, I always smile to myself because his presence and participation in the ballet makes me realize that life can’t be all about business. We have to find other things that we love and pursue those or we’ll end up being unhappy and in need of culture. Mr. Trueger is a man of many talents. But I like the fact that he is a man of many interests.

Tattoos have become very popular in the past few years and as a result, all-things-tattoo have improved. In the past when you would go into a tattoo parlor, they often looked dirty and they did not smell very sanitary. One would never know if the equipment was properly cleaned. And often there would be a tattoo artist that was rude and sort of elitist.

Times have changed and so has the tattoo industry. The assortment of tattoo flash that customers can choose from seems endless and a lot of the time the tattoo artist will even draw or customize one for any of their clients. They usually have the most state of the art tattoo equipment. And as an added bonus, artists just starting out have access to amazing tattoo starter kits. They practice on materials that feel and look like human skin. This adds to the talent level of the individual artist.

Also, since all of these advancements the ink has improved and it keeps its brightness for longer and they do not discolor the way they used to. Cover ups, new tattoos and touch ups are all improving because the industry has been streamlined. And the growth does not seem to be slowing down. Tattoo artists make a good living so they work a lot and they depend on repeat clients. When the artist depends on you as well, the product improves and improves.

This year’s French Open is sure to be as exciting as ever, maybe even more so. That is because the defending champ, Rafael Nadal, lost a match on the clay court recently. The past two years have shown Nadal versus Roger Federer in the French Open schedule of the final match. Rafael Nadal plans on defending his title but Federer wants the Roland Garros trophy to complete his collection.

Federer has been ranked number one in the ATP for 223 weeks consecutively. And for the past 144 weeks, Nadal has been in second place. These two will surely face each other in the French Open 2008. Federer hired Jose Higueras to help him master the skill needed to win on the clay court. Higueras has coached others to the top, including Michael Chang who won in 1989. I think this is a last-ditch effort for Roger to win this tournament because retirement is looming on the horizon for him.

But the rivalry is always fun to watch between these two. In 2007, they had a special court designed for an exhibition game. It cost more than a million dollars and was half grass and half clay. Nadal won this but both said they had a lot of fun and want to do it again. I think that they should do it as a fundraiser. What a waste of money to build an elaborate court that will only get used once. They could make money off of it and give it to those in need.

Either way the French Open of 2008 will be fun to watch. Nadal was hurt and we’ll see if it affects his game. Federer wants the title so badly he can taste it and we’ll see if he gets to with his new coach.