Up or...

Up or…

by Drew Bankston

I am a very positive person. I get up each morning expecting the day to be amazing and I am seldom wrong. To me, each day is amazing. I have life, I have a job, I have a few friends, I have a family, and I have dreams and goals that I continue to work on with the anticipation of seeing them come true and reaching them someday.

Every now and again, however, I run into people who don’t think or feel the same way as I do. These negative people used to irritate me and bring me down. I would get grumpy and allowed their attitude to change mine. What a really crummy thing for me to allow someone else to change my attitude and change how I view my life. Once I realized what was going on, I determined to change that part of my life, I couldn’t change them, so the change had to come from within.

Today I worked with one of those people. I watched and listened as this person painted a picture of a life that was filled with woe and self-pity. I chose to just listen only, smile, and continue to be positive. After doing all of this I came home and found that my attitude was just as crisp and chipper as it was when I first woke up this morning. I was happy. I was ready to tackle the night and have fun.

It’s so important to realize how much we control our own lives, our own emotions, and our own futures. So often we allow outside circumstances to creep in and change how we feel about everything, but keeping focused on how we are and where we want to go will propel us farther and faster than you could ever hope for. Always stay up. Don’t let there be an alternative. No “or”, just always up. By doing so you’ll see your world improve and your days progress to a level that you’ve never known to exist. Always up!

If You Take Another Step You Might...

If You take Another Step You Might…

by Drew Bankston

It seems like every now and then I go through periods of reflection, thinking about where I am in life, where I’ve been, and where I still want to end up. I think that we all go through this type of thought process from time to time. Today I’m looking at how many things I have on my pate and wondering if I really need them all infant of me in order to be happy.

Happiness can often be elusive and fleeting. For some, happiness comes while hanging out with friends or family. For others, it could just be the opposite finding happiness only when alone and doing the things that one person enjoys. For still others, happiness can come from totally different sources. I used to think that for me, happiness came with being constantly busy and changing the ever elusive dream of success. Well, maybe not so elusive. I feel that my entire life has been a success. Perhaps it’s time, however, to drop one of the businesses that I’ve been so keen on perpetuating, but which one? I love them all.

If you’re like me, you love life and everything that goes with it. Yeah, even the bad parts. I use those as learning tools. So each day as we go through life and walk that path through time, each step brings us closer to something. Sometimes we become discouraged and decide to just quit. If there’s something you love, however, why would you quit? What if you took that one more step? What would lie ahead if you just took that one more step? If you quit, then you would never know. Keep taking those steps toward your passion and you’ll find out. That’s what I plan on doing. Next week we can talk about where those steps might lead.

And Then it Happens to You

And Then it Happens to You

by Drew Bankston

When I used to teach Kung Fu, one of the things that I would tell my students is that with time and distance things become less impactful. For example, we here in Colorado might hear about a shooting in Florida. We’re sad, outraged and bothered by it, but not as much so as if it happened in our town. When we look back on a tornado that wiped out part of a nearby town, it’s less impactful ten years later than it is today. Time and distance make things less urgent in our minds.

Sometimes we hear about a person on the news, who is being stalked or harassed, and to us it’s just another news story. But what if such an event were to happen to you? What if something happened in your life or the life of a loved one that was not getting resolved? What if you suddenly and unexpectedly became the target of undeserved attacks and you needed help? How would you handle such a situation?

I only bring this up because recently this has happened in my life. I’m learning that there are some very disturbed people in this world. Thankfully, I know several people who can help with this situation and things are in the works unbeknownst to the perpetrators. Like a tiger, I sit back and watch until the time is right and everything is in place, then when I pounce, they don’t know what hit them.

It’s sad that there are people like this in the world, and even sadder that they have no idea what their thrill-seeking can do to the lives of others. Why would someone do this? I have no idea. Money? Grins and giggles? Whatever it is, it’s still bullying and not at all acceptable.

Be kind to others, friends, and help those in need.

Oil Absorption

by Drew Bankston

Today we'll talk about how the skin absorbs certain types of oils. We will classify oils into three different categories of absorption: slow, moderate and fast. Let's start out by talking about some oils that are absorbed into the skin slowly, and what this means to you.
A few oils that are slow to be absorbed by the skin are: avocado oil, shea butter, oat oil, castor oil and evening primrose oil. 

These oils, if rubbed onto the skin, will sit on the surface for a long time before the skin can efficiently adsorb them. Consequently, the surface of the skin will feel oily for a very long time once the oil is rubbed on. 

You might ask then, why would you use any of these oils on your skin? When you combine one or more of these oils with others that absorb quickly, in something like lip balm, your lips become soft instantly and also have a slight sheen. The slower absorbing oils then keep your lips soft for hours making the lip balm a longer lasting variety. Next week we'll talk about oils that absorb with a more moderate speed.

Lit'l Bit Bar and Grill Review

Lit’l Bit Bar and Grill - a Food and Establishment Review

by Drew Bankston

I was invited to come to the Lit’l Bit Bar and Grill and took my wife there for a night out. It was a 40-minute drive and I was really hoping for a good meal and a fun night out.

We arrived and walked in the front door. A quick look around revealed a bar, a small dining area, a small dance area with DJ booth and beyond that was a room with pool tables.

The bar was busy and close to the bar were a few full tables. Music was playing and we enjoyed each classic country song!

We seated ourselves since there wasn’t a hostess and waited for the waitress to come over with the menus. We continued to wait and did so for over 5 minutes. I thought about heading out but finally, the waitress came over and asked us if we wanted drinks or if we wanted to eat as well. My wife ordered her favorite margarita and I asked for a Sprite since I was driving.

We looked through the extensive menu and both decided on the Chili Cheeseburger. It sounded good and seemed to me to be a unique experience.

The patrons were laughing and having a good time at the bar and another waitress was opening time talking with 2 couples at another table. It was almost like Cheers where the regulars and locals were the ones getting the attention but we were lost in the background.

My wife’s margarita arrived and seemed to be missing the tequila. (See photo). She ordered a different drink which tasted better.

The food arrived and was really good. The combination of the half bun with a burger smothered with chili as well as green chili was a stroke of genius. I wished that the burger was a handmade patty but I believe that it was one of the pre-made kind from Costco or Sam’s Club. The fries were seasoned well and a delight.

Dinner was done and the waitress dropped off the check. We spent about $41 which seemed a little pricey and ended up heading out the door to find stronger margaritas since those were a weak point at this establishment.

I give Lit’l Bit Bar and Grill a B- for the food and atmosphere. The atmosphere is great if you’re a local or regular but if you’re looking to drop in for a meal and a good time and from out of town, I’d keep looking.  By the way, for comparison, here is the margarita that we had at our next stop!

Drew Bankston is the author of the Tokorel series and 9 other novels, and loves eating and having a great time. Watch for more food and establishment critiques coming soon!

Fantasy vs...

Fantasy vs……

By Drew Bankston

This past week has been, to me, something out of a fairytale.

Monday morning at 3:30am I caught a shuttle, went to the airport and flew to New York. I had never been to New York, and more importantly, I had never been involved in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

The first night we were all treated to a wonderful reception dinner. It was something that would have only happened to celebrities or dignitaries. It was something that made me feel extremely special. I’m not certain that anything in my life between now and the time I leave this world will ever be as special and exciting as that dinner and what was to follow.

After the dinner, we all went to our first rehearsal. We sang our song for the first time and it was beautiful. Still, we rehearsed for three hours and then ended the day around midnight.

The following day started with an early breakfast, more rehearsing and then lunch. I took that afternoon to catch-up on some sleep, a visit to Macy’s on Herald Square and then another three hours of rehearsing.

On Wednesday, we had our final rehearsal in the morning. I took the afternoon to walk around the town. I saw the parade balloons being inflated. I saw Broadway. I saw Times Square. I walked through Central Park and saw the memorial to John Lennon. Then I walked back to the hotel and turned in for an early night.

The following day was the parade. Breakfast at 4am. Off to another hotel to change into our costumes. 6am and on buses to take us to our float where we learned our positions, practiced our songs a few more times and then waited for the parade to begin.  We sang our two main songs, “We Wish you a Merry Christmas” and “Deck the Halls” over and over again along the parade route but I didn’t mind. Seeing the looks on the faces of the children and the adults, the smiles when I would look at or point at anyone made me want to continue singing.

We sang our premier song in front of Macy’s on 34^th street and even though I was on the backside of the tree, it was still incredible and amazing.

After the parade ended, we all went back to the hotel and returned our costumes, walked back to the Pub where we shared a Thanksgiving lunch and then I was off to the airport.

It was a whirlwind visit but I made some amazing friends and still communicate with them via Facebook today. We all were involved in a historical event. The first ever Macy’s singing Christmas Tree float. They might do more, but none of the future floats will be the first. This week will be back to the normal and back to the old grindstone. I was given a few things to remember my experience with, and I will never forget. In fact, my mind will probably embellish the events of the week as time goes by. I will never forget my experiences there and how they have changed my life and how I think about it. I’ll share more with you in upcoming blogs, but for now, just know that my life will not be the same, but it will be better.

Leaving on a...

Leaving on a…..

By Drew Bankston

The time has come and here I sit on a jet plane on my way to New York. I never thought that I’d be writing my blog from thousands of feet in the air, and yet here I am doing so.

In a few hours, I’ll be on my way to the hotel, resting up and preparing for the welcome meeting where all of us will meet together for the first time. After that, we head off for our first rehearsal. It’s going to be a whirlwind week but, I think, incredibly fun. I’ll be posting frequent updates on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/drewbankston) and may even add an additional blog this week. We’ll see how time goes.

It was fun watching people at the airport today and seeing the many different types. Some looked sad, tired and totally out of it while others seemed to anticipate the future. Most of those in the airport were strangers, just as on the plane here and now. Some people, like the couple next to me, know one another. I actually know two other people on the plane, but we aren’t sitting in close proximity to each other. Lauren is the other person from Colorado who will be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with me. She brought her husband, Kwon, who I know from when he was running for mayor in Fort Collins. Perhaps when we get to the airport, the three of us can muddle through finding out Lyft driver together.

Despite the unknowns of New York and the upcoming week, there is a great deal of excitement connected to this trip and the once in a lifetime opportunity that comes with it. How many people can say that they’ve been in this parade? How many can say that they were a part of a brand new float, a brand new song, and brand new Macy’s tradition? Not many I would guess. I’m going to meet so many new people, make numerous new friends, and enjoy so many new experiences that it may be overwhelming, but I’m certainly going to be grateful for the opportunity and take advantage of every moment.

So check back during the week and see what new and exciting adventures I’ll share. It’s going to be fun my friends. I’m glad that I can take you along with me through my words!