As you may have known from my Facebook or Twitter stream, Sharon and I just spent 6 days in New Orleans, LA. I have to admit that it was a good time from start to finish. We were active everyday with local attractions and activities (because I loathe going somewhere new and just sitting around), as well as consuming more tasty food and beverages than we could possibly handle.

Below is the massive summary of everywhere we went in New Orleans, LA (with links if you’re more curious):

• ate at La Bayou Restaurant (once for food, twice for drinks)
• put some money in a slot machine at Harrah’s Casino
• went to House of Blues (saw Zoso, a Led Zeppelin tribute band)
• walked around Bourbon Street (every night)
• had beignets at Cafe Du Monde (twice)
• had lunch at the Acme Oyster House
• took a class at the New Orleans School of Cooking
• took the Mardi Gras World tour
• ate at Deanie’s Restaurant
• stood in no A/C and standing room only for a set of old time jazz at Preservation Hall
• ate at Bourbon House
• visited the Voodoo Museum and went on the Cemetery Tour offered there
  
• took a dinner/jazz cruise on the Steamboat Natchez
• went on the Garden District Walking Tour
• rode the Canal St. Streetcar
• went to the New Orleans Museum of Art
• ate at Oceana Grill Restaurant
• souvenir shopping on Decatur Street
• had our last meal at Mother’s Restaurant
• and through it all drank a ton of Abita Beer and Southern Pecan Beer

There were a few things that we wanted to do but didn’t (Aquarium, Swamp/Alligator Tour, Strip Clubs… okay, just kidding on that last one, honey), but maybe on our next trip. All in all, it sure beat the hell out of going to Vegas or Puerto Rico again. Thanks for reading. Cheers.

I know I’ve been a bad blogger. Personally I blame Twitter and Facebook.  And ESPN and Wikipedia. They have been stealing internet focus away from blogging for the past 7 months. Okay, maybe the past 23 months is more accurate. As you know, my free time is not what it used to be, and the prime time I have should all be focused on the creative efforts that I’m “supposed” to be blogging about. Alas, I’m sure it’s all the same to you— unless I write something useful for you right now.

So, because I care about the random folks who may be reading my blog, here’s my 2 cents— start your New Year’s resolutions… again. You know you already know them, and you know damn well that you haven’t done all of them. Or even any of them. Yes, fess up.

Because (and I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again) if you have something you want to do, then what is stopping you from doing it? Don’t wait for January—get to it already! You don’t know what the future will hold. You may think you have all of the time in the world, but unless that thing is playing shuffleboard in a retirement home and not remembering what the score is— then no, sorry but you don’t.

Of course, I’d be a liar if I told you that I didn’t say these things as much for myself as I do for anyone who reads this. But I’m right here with you, having a long commute and job that takes 90% of my daily energy, and then trying to cram the rest of my life and dreams into the leftover 10%. It’s not ideal… but we have to make it work. We have to.

Thus, in the neverending pursuit of how to transform Jack Shit into Hot Shit, it appears to me that waiting for the New Year and the fresh start is just an illusion. Time goes on no matter what, it won’t stop for you, and it won’t even be courteous and wait for you if you woke up 5 minutes late.

So get to it. Now. Cheers.

1. Some days, it’s nice to revisit the past. Of course, if you got your ass kicked a lot, it’s best you stay in the present.

2. Congrats on your achievements! I’m very excited to hear that you’ve done something no one’s EVER done before.

3. Somewhere, there’s an ancient machine that measures all of the cynicism in the world. You think the machine overloads during the holidays?

4. Somfucius say: Man who is short on Facebook status updates may have a busy life. Or maybe he just didn’t feel like posting frivolous bullshit.

5. On the grand scale of Twitter trending topics, I’d rather be Tiger Woods than Michael Jackson. A scandal still beats being dead.

6. Always wait for at least 3 Subway announcements before leaving. Twice they said service was suspended. Then 2 minutes later it was fixed.

7. It’s better to be a spontaneous failure than a meticulously planned failure. At least you have some time for a beer afterwards.

8. I’m still trying to figure how the hell I tweeted like this every morning for months. Maybe it’s time to start again? Nahhhhhhhh.

9. This morning’s SomBlock is sponsored by 2012, because the Mayans thought it would be funny to fuck with naive people in the future.

I won’t lie, the past three weeks were a real creative drain because of all of the website updates. It’s just NOT our favorite thing to do art & design wise.

But now that the site is in a good “working” state per Saturday’s updates, Sharon and I both had a very productive Sunday getting back to work on our various projects in the studio. I executed an intricate die-cut on a new set of paintings, while Sharon split her time between 3 new bracelets.

It felt good to be working on physical objects again, and not on JPEGs, PNGs, and CSS. Web programmers, you have our sympathy. Unless of course, you love it and you make a lot of money, then you have our envy. But I digress.

Of course, most of our hard work to get Somrod Creative to another level is still ahead of us, as we’re trying to find ways to market and promote our art and jewelry to the world. But we’re taking the next step, and hopefully can make it all work out in the very near future.

Thanks for reading. More updates coming soon. Cheers.

Yes, we know it took us forever to update the website, but finally all of our new content is live. Check it out now:

http://www.somrod.com

Please feel free to peruse all of the different projects that we have been working on, and feel even freer to pass this link onto anyone who may find it interesting. Also, let us know what you think, and what you suggest we should make more of.

Thanks to all who lent their support and feedback over the past year. We hope that it’s all uphill from here. Cheers!

1. “The future’s uncertain, and the end is always near.” – Jim Morrison

2. Yes, it’s true. Today is the last SomBlock for a while. This occasion will be marked by Mother Nature hocking a series of big lugies on me.

3. I wrote a SomBlock every weekday for 4.5 months, including vacations & holidays. This serious commitment was making my wife crazy jealous.

4. In that time, I didn’t work on my started 2nd novel or make any new podcasts. The AM train time is now theirs. Maybe some sleep too.

5. In lighter news, there’s a good chance that this huge alligator in front of me has fed recently and that… hbb mbght nbbt eebbt mbb. Shbbt.

6. Somewhere, a man was caught having an affair by his wife, and she’s beating him with an indoor tree. And you thought your morning was rough.

7. So, @Ms_SRod has dared me to buzz my hair to look more like Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails. At least that’s what she said in her sleep.

8. In the future, soft drinks and other beverages will be enhanced with stronger stimulants. Imagine: “This Coke has 75 mg of methamphetamine”.

9. Somfucius say: Man who knows day job is killing him may be stressed, but makes more inspired art than naive work drone.

10. When the Subway conductor says there’s a sick customer but you see 10 cops staggered along the platform outside— there’s no sick customer.

11. In the end, it’s always about impact. If you don’t make a difference to the world now, then you need to start finding a way. Get on it, man.

12. I should have been taking the local all this time. I always get most inspired 9 minutes before I finish the express train tweeting. Oh well.

13. When I reach 2000 tweets, Twitter will be sending me a rubber stamp so I can stamp “I KNOW Y2K!” on my forehead. Admit it, you’re jealous.

14. Oh that @Somrod, has too many debts to pay. So he waved goodbye, saying “Don’t you cry, I’ll be sarcastic in short bursts later in the day.”

15. This morning’s SomBlock is sponsored by you. Thanks to all who let me know I made them laugh. Now get back to your brainwashing, monkeys.

*** Every weekday from 8-9am while traveling from Stamford to Manhattan, Mark Sahm writes a block of thoughts on his Twitter account (@Somrod) via his iPhone.***

1. Sometimes you just know. Sometimes you think you know, but it was actually fantasies from the night that you had too many shots of tequila.

2. You always hope that change comes with a parade behind it, but often it arrives with the Mario Bros theme playing on an old clock radio.

3. I will see your winky emoticon, and raise you a full punctuation rendered fail whale.

4. I’m trying to decide if I’d rather be a compensated spokesperson or the guy who airbrush painted the full body of Rebecca Romijn for X-Men.

5. I enjoy the people who have Bluetooth earpieces that blink like the Borg from Star Trek. How about a robot claw to go over your hand too?

6. Unfortunately, if you have to be that constantly connected, you were assimilated to a drone long ago. I don’t care what level of VP you are.

7. Is it a bad omen if Beck’s ‘Loser’ keeps coming on your iPod at random every time you approach your office in the morning?

8. You know you’ve passed your breaking point with a situation when you can’t possibly talk about it without F-bombing the verbal countryside.

9. This AM’s SomBlock is sponsored by mental masturbation. Take that however you want, but it’s time to stop sulking & go find some brain lube.

*** Every weekday from 8-9am while traveling from Stamford to Manhattan, Mark Sahm writes a block of thoughts on his Twitter account (@Somrod) via his iPhone.***

1. Beautiful morning today, nice crisp air, the sun and clouds are playing… Then I realize I still have to go to work. This morning sucks.

2. This is the part of my life where I’m waiting for NASA to visit me seeking my expertise in blowing up a giant asteroid hurling toward Earth.

3. The iPhone is great at keeping you connected to your email. Unless we’re talking about work email which you should disconnect at home.

4. We are a generation where telling someone that they’re about as exciting as an Excel spreadsheet is universally understood.

5. My nasal passages always seem to clear at the same time I sit next to a guy whose breath smells like he chewed wet cigarettes and manure.

6. Dear smokers, cigarettes make you smell like shit inside and out, no matter what perfume you spray or breath mint you use. I’m just saying.

7. I heard that if a bloodhound enters a packed Subway car with no A/C during July, their nose explodes.

8. No animals were ever harmed in the making of the SomBlock. Unless you consider me an animal. But that’s just rude and uncalled for.

9. Somfucius say: man who tracks down where he made past mistakes may get closure, but spends too much time running in wrong direction.

10. This morning’s SomBlock is sponsored by the dark clouds approaching. Hey clouds, welcome back. Thought you let me off the hook. Silly me.

*** Every weekday from 8-9am while traveling from Stamford to Manhattan, Mark Sahm writes a block of thoughts on his Twitter account (@Somrod) via his iPhone.***

1. I feel about as inspired this morning as the guy writing about lack of inspiration. And then, I ran into Future Me and he shook his head.

2. Celebrity death on Twitter is like a candlelight vigil super-glued overtop of an ejector seat.

3. I started following some celebrities this past week, and truth be told, most celebrities are as boring as stale radishes. Go average folk!

4. They really need to make some kind of slow person staircase in Grand Central Terminal when going down to the 4-5-6 before I have to go loco.

5. I have determined that if the Invisible Man and Selma Hayek (circa ’95) made an adult film together, it would be the greatest thing ever.

6. Do sharks ever eat a remora in those moments when they’re not attached? It’d be the equivalent of walking with a candy bar stuck to you.

7. How many of your vices could you give up at once? Asked the man playing MegaMillions while eating a Chipotle burrito & thinking about beer.

8. I’ve never been to a candlelight vigil for an eaten remora but the Invisible Man has. Flashback humor! This is why I have 3,000 followers.

9. This AM’s SomBlock is sponsored by a steamy affair with 3 sexy women, because I have no idea what that’s like but it makes a great sponsor.

*** Every weekday from 8-9am while traveling from Stamford to Manhattan, Mark Sahm writes a block of thoughts on his Twitter account (@Somrod) via his iPhone.***

1. Happy Monday? Sure, why the hell not? You got any better suggestions?

2. You know you’re getting old when you don’t know a single one of the songs that won an MTV VMA Award. But then, maybe that’s a good thing.

3. Last night, I played a board game called Smart Ass. Needless to say, I kicked ass and took names. I didn’t get any prizes for this though.

4. Stocks for Doritos, Bud Light, and La-Z-Boy soared over the weekend. Yes, football season has officially begun.

5. I enjoy when people put their fingers in their ears as the Subway is approaching. Those wussies. What’s that you say? I can’t hear you.

6. In the future, the Subway will be whisper quiet, floating on force fields. It will still be overcrowded and never arrive on time though.

7. It’s so gratifying when you’re the only person not to force your way onto an overpacked Subway car, then another pulls up & you get a seat.

8. Remember the pledge: at 2000 tweets, the SomBlock drinks a beer from the wrong Holy Grail. It will crumble to dust, but do so with a buzz.

9. This morning’s SomBlock is sponsored by the sarcasm that makes my world go round. Wouldn’t you like to be a sarcastic smartass pepper too?

*** Every weekday from 8-9am while traveling from Stamford to Manhattan, Mark Sahm writes a block of thoughts on his Twitter account (@Somrod) via his iPhone.***

1. It’s hard to believe it’s been 8 years since I was standing on 5th & 35th, looking downtown in shock. #neverforget

2. I don’t believe everything happens for a reason, but the reasoning to be gained was immense. I hope people learned. That’s all I’m saying.

3. Lots of uniformed presence on the platform and train this AM. Dear MTA, this is a good thing on a regular basis, okay?

4. I will give tourists on Wall Street a full 3 count to take their photos if each other before I walk through it. I think that is fair enough.

5. Nevertheless, it’s safe to say that a blurred image of me walking exists on the digital cameras of about 100 European or Asian tourists.

6. In lighter news, last night was the final show ever for Nine Inch Nails. But was it the last to be played by Trent Reznor? I don’t think so.

7. Somfucius say: Man who is always hypersensitive about the past fails to grow in his acceptance of the world’s differences.

8. It figures that the first time I wear long sleeves in 4 months, I sit in a train car with zero air circulation. *tugs shirt repeatedly*

9. At tonight’s Super Furry Animals concert, God show me magic or kiss me with apocalypse. Either way I win. Although I’d prefer a Slow Life.

10. This morning’s SomBlock is sponsored by how difficult it is to make a good joke on a rememberance day. Better to bite your tongue than not.

*** Every weekday from 8-9am while traveling from Stamford to Manhattan, Mark Sahm writes a block of thoughts on his Twitter account (@Somrod) via his iPhone.***

1. 104 tweets, 9 days, break, shift gears. Do things to make an impact. I know if I don’t make an impact, then it’s time to try something else.

2. Because damn it, I could use some change in my life more than an alcoholic could use a shot of bourbon. Just a shot of change, that’s all.

3. When you wake up in the morning, do you feel more like taking on the world, or like the world is taking you on a ride on the Tilt-O-Whirl?

4. Just the two of us. We can make it if we try, just the two of us. If not, let’s rob some banks, party, and go out in a hail of bullets.

5. Found out that you can share apps with other authorized iPhone users in the new iTunes. Now me and @Ms_SRod are even more Siamese twins.

6. When a baby cries on the train, do you: A. Feel bad. B. Turn your music up louder. C. Offer a pacifier. D. Offer an Ambien.

7. There was a hole in her Georgia O’Keefe painting and his spitting viper crawled through it. Rule: Never mix pet stores with art galleries.

8. If you’re suffering from writer’s block, just remember: you could be suffering from writer’s block and chased by cannibals riding cheetahs.

9. This morning’s SomBlock is sponsored by the machine that makes a mistake. You’re only human, buddy.

*** Every weekday from 8-9am while traveling from Stamford to Manhattan, Mark Sahm writes a block of thoughts on his Twitter account (@Somrod) via his iPhone.***

1. Is it Wednesday or Tuesday? *sigh* I hate having to reset my office drone work week clock.

2. So Apple’s introducing new products today. Yawn. It’s a good thing I’m not a fanboy (says the man typing on his 2nd iPhone).

3. What I want from Apple is a new iPod that also is an effective stun gun, just in case I need to get even with rude people on the street.

4. In the future of course, there will be iPods that project force fields made of 1990′s MC Hammer albums. No one will dare touch them.

5. Facebook is great for finding old friends, but bad when you suddenly realize they’ve haven’t seen you since 20 pounds ago.

6. Learned that MTA Mail N Ride lets you save 2 credit cards on your account in case the 1st card expires, you’ll still get your ticket.

7. When making decisions, most people could use the red X in the air (with buzzer noise) from Family Feud to appear.

8. Sometimes you don’t realize how many stupid people there are in our nation until you hear them talking next to you on the phone.

9. This AM’s SomBlock is sponsored by all those losers hoping for the iTablet to release. Not gonna happen. (Shh, that’s reverse psychology.)

*** Every weekday from 8-9am while traveling from Stamford to Manhattan, Mark Sahm writes a block of thoughts on his Twitter account (@Somrod) via his iPhone.***

1. The balance of train seats tried to hit me with a SRO, but I snagged a seat in a 4-seater where the HVAC vent gives no footroom. Lucky, eh?

2. Somedays work can be the mental equivolent of getting smacked in the face repeatedly with a shovel. I suspect today might be such a day.

3. The Tuesday after a 3 day weekend is filled with fun surprises that all the people who were on vacation had forgot about before they left.

4. If anyone asks me how my weekend was, I’ll say that I killed a VW Bug full of clowns & spent the rest of the weekend burying all 20 of them.

5. A midlife crisis is just teenage angst with a higher credit line and a reduced libido.

6. An uncomfortable seat on an old train into NYC always makes me realize I wasted way too much time this weekend. A faux Monday cements this.

7. There should be a superhero that flies around letting obnoxious & idiotic people see how the world perceives them. Call him Loud-MFer Man.

8. Somfucius say: man who dreams of instant fame may just find it, but more than likely found a bad reality TV show with humiliating stunts.

9. This morning’s SomBlock is sponsored by its evil twin SomBlack, the prince of dark tweetness. Okay fine, so they’re conjoined twins.

*** Every weekday from 8-9am while traveling from Stamford to Manhattan, Mark Sahm writes a block of thoughts on his Twitter account (@Somrod) via his iPhone.***

1. You know your life is sad if you wake up on a holiday and the first thing you think of is a silly bit of writing you do every weekday. Shit.

2. But it’s nice when you’re able to stay to committed to things even when you don’t have to. Thank you, drugs. You lead me through the dark.

3. I’m kidding of course. The only drug I abuse is crystal meth, but it really goes great with a pesto sauce and sprinkled overtop of a salad.

4. I could use one of those life-changing realization thingees though. Anyone know if I can get one on eBay? I don’t want to spend too much.

5. So I’m only 135 away from 2000 tweets. This is monumental for me, as I’ll have proof that I’m verified as a creative time wasting idioteque.

6. Somfucius say: man who OD’s on self-depreciating humor may amuse total strangers on web, but may also jump off Tappan Zee Bridge in reality.

7. Of course, the drawback of SomBlocking at home on a holiday is you can get interrupted by your wife asking you to carry a basket of laundry.

8. It’s so hard to get back into the writing frame of mind after you’ve been disturbed. But, I was already ‘disturbed’. Guess I’m alright then.

9. Did you know Labor Day started from a print press operator that went into labor & accidentally crushed her boss? They gave her the day off.

10. Actually, Labor Day was started by CEOs who needed to silence the rising contempt of their workforce. Plus they wanted an extra day of golf.

11. I’m going to spend my Labor Day on the computer making web graphics and futzing with CSS tags, which may sound like… *brain disconnects*

12. This AM’s SomBlock is sponsored by hardworking folks who spend their workday emailing, checking Facebook, and tweeting. You deserve today.

*** Every weekday from 8-9am while traveling from Stamford to Manhattan, Mark Sahm writes a block of thoughts on his Twitter account (@Somrod) via his iPhone.***

1. If you think you’re going to hit rockbottom, be sure to bring a sledgehammer with you.

2. A half empty train is like a warm gun on an otherwise stressing and annoying day. Whoops, was I supposed to say ‘happiness’? You’re funny.

3. Unpublish button to fix missed typo, you’ve failed me for the last time. *pinches fingers together*

4. The only vacation that really matters is one you make permanently from something else. Anything else is just a momentary distraction.

5. I’d like to tell you that you’ll get a lot accomplished this 3-day weekend. Of course, for most of you, that means drinking and overeating.

6. Is God really dead? Or is he merely playing a simultaneous neighborhood game of hide-n-seek with children all over the world? Right.

7. Don’t worry, sometimes I can’t even tell if I’m being sarcastic or not.

8. I went out to find my happy place, but discovered it had already closed for the summer.

9. Is it true that Michael Jackson was buried in King Tut’s tomb, and is making an undead comeback in The Mummy V?

10. To my 20 non-spam related followers, I hope you can end the summer with a bang. Of course, I’m talking about exploding Molotov cocktails.

11. This morning’s SomBlock is sponsored by the end of the world as we know it, and I feel like finding an ice cold beer at 8:43 in the morning.

*** Every weekday from 8-9am while traveling from Stamford to Manhattan, Mark Sahm writes a block of thoughts on his Twitter account (@Somrod) via his iPhone.***