It's Just Wrong...Plain and Simple!!!!!!

I briefly touched on this subject yesterday when I posted something on
Facebook, about a conversation between my boys and me. But I wanted
to go one step further. I want to blog and TRULY express how wrong
this is.

When I was a kid, I would get in trouble for fighting with my sisters,
mostly because we would be hitting each other. My parents both
instilled in me the importance of never raising a hand against a woman
in anger. It's wrong, on so many levels, and it should not be
done…ever!!! Now, at the age of 40…when I think back to that
teaching, I thank my parents on so many levels. I thank them for
showing me that women should be treated with respect. No matter what
they do…walk away. If they slap you, walk away. If they punch you,
walk away. If they curse you, walk away. If they get drunk and start
doing all kinds of stupid shit to you to send you over the edge, walk
away. WALK…AWAY!!!! That's what you should do. You never hit a
woman. Never Ever!!! And in turn, when you're only kids, you should
never get hit by girls either.

And to reverse that…if you're a woman, and your man hits you, leave.
Don't stay. Don't think its ok!! Don't think you deserved it. Don't
be afraid to be alone. LEAVE!!! NO MAN HAS THE RIGHT TO HIT YOU!!!!
EVER!!!!! JUST LEAVE HIM!!! If you can't right away…wait till you
can…then get away!!! I have never witnessed any kind of abuse
physically by a man to a woman in my presence. And to this point…I
think it's a lucky thing. Cause if I do…there's gonna be a
problem…and someone better just dial 9-1-1…because it will get ugly.
I have met women in my life, who have been in abusive relationships.
I have tried to help them, but it's very hard and frustrating to do
something to help someone, and they refuse to believe you or that they
need help. I have heard the pompous ass boyfriends / husbands talk
about how "no bitch is gonna disrespect me" bullshit!!! And my
response…so what's it like being a bully?? Do you feel like more of a
man??? Cause you know what…you're not…you're not a man…you're not
even a human being…to me you're just a worthless piece of shit.
That's what I think anyways.
There are bullies like this everywhere…and they all just need to go
away!!! They should all be locked up…for good!!! Seriously…I don't
get what makes a man think he has the right to hit a woman. I really
don't…it baffles me. And what do you think you're teaching your
children?? That if you have a daughter…never get out of line, or you
will get your ass beat?? And if you have a son, it's ok to bully the
weak…especially women…never let them get the better of you?? I sleep
better at night knowing I have taught my sons to never raise a hand to
a woman. I hope you all can do the same!!!

If you know someone who is being abused, and is afraid to ask for
help, or wants help but doesn't know where to go…here's a link to a
website the National Domestic Violence Hotline. www.thehotline.org
Go there for numbers to call, and all kinds of info.

Thank You!!

What have I accomplished so far this year…

Well…it's been a while…and the main reason is I have been kinda busy.
I have been training for a pro wrestling comeback, I have been
training for the Warrior Dash in the Poconos, and I had the Relay for
Life in late April. I have been also working crazy hours…and not
having too much "me" time. But…nevertheless…I thought it was time to
write a blog about what I have been up to.

First up…Training for a Pro Wrestling Comeback!!!

On Saturday, March 24th, 2012 there was a Professional Wrestling
Fundraiser held at the Florence Riverfront Middle School. The purpose
of the fundraiser was to raise money for my Relay for Life Team,
Friends Fight Back, and our fight against cancer. There were other
teams that helped out, and sold food & concessions, which was
awesome!!! We had live music, in the form of Terry the 60s Renegade,
Stacey Fitzpatrick, and the band VOLT. We had wrestlers from around
NJ donate their time and abilities in 7 grueling matches like Corey
Havoc, Atomic Dog, Barbado, Jersey Hurricane, The Freak, JC the
Outpatient, Abe Yusef, Patch, just to name a few. We had 3 title
matches planned for that night. Plus the bonus main event…the
concept, raise $1000 and I, Coach Layton aka The Battleship, would
step into the ring with an opponent never before faced, who was
ruthless, vicious, and just plain mean. He has fought in all kinds of
matches, hurt plenty of wrestlers…and he was gonna face ME. Who was
this wrestler?? Dangerous Dom Devito (3-D) is his name. And it
wasn't that we just scraped by, and raised $1001 that night. I know
several people would have taken a collection AT the show if we were
short to get me in the ring. Well…they didn't need to, by first bell;
we had brought in $1500. By the end of the night, we had $2500 total.
Apparently people in town and around wanted to see me get my ass
kicked!!! LOL But hey, it was all for a great cause.

Well…we had a great match, and while he pretty much laid the smackdown
on me…I came out victorious. Although, one thing a lot of people
don't know…the day before the show…I was doing some last minute
training, and did a maneuver wrong, and pulled a stomach muscle…or
two…all I know is that it freaking hurt!!! And when he body slammed
me on the gym floor (which had no padding) it hurt twice as much…UGH!!
But I managed to fight my way back to a victory. I won't lie…it took
a few weeks to heal. But, the promoter is trying (still) to get me
back in the ring for some more matches. Will it happen?? I don't
know…but stay tuned…because I will be sure to let you know if it
does!!

Next…Warrior Dash in the Poconos!!!

On Saturday, June 16th, 2012 my wonderful and totally awesome wife ran
the warrior dash with me and two good friends, Chris & Kevin. Let me
tell ya first…I had no idea what to really expect until I got there.
Oh sure I scoped out the course online, but still…they could easily
change things around on me…and then what do I do?? LOL Well…The
warrior dash for those who don't know…is a 5K with 14 obstacles to
conquer throughout the course. The really cool thing about this race
was that it was held at the Poconos Raceway. The course was 1 GIANT
lap around the racetrack. And there was a race team that was
practicing at the time. Well…there were plenty of people running this
course…and the money raised all went to St Jude's Hospital. By the
time we were ready to run the track at 2pm…over $2 million was raised.
Well…once we started it was not about how fast you got it done…just
that you got it done!!! I finished it in 1 hour 2 minutes 58 seconds,
if memory serves correctly. Out of the 4 of us…I finished fourth…but
we did the whole race together…Chris & Kevin, who are in WAY better
shape than me ran so far…and waited on me & Christy…not wanting to
leave us behind. We helped each other…we helped others…and we just
never quit!!! First obstacle was the Teetering Troverse which was a
balance beam basically, then the Rubber Ricochet which was running
thru swinging tires. Then there was a trench with barbed wire on top
to crawl under, then the Giant Cliffhanger which was the first rope
wall. There was the Deadman's Drop, a wooden hill climb, then a mud
walk with a Horizontal Hike. Then past the halfway point was the
Vivacious Valleys and the Great Warrior Wall…and this sucker was a
climb with a rope assist 25' STRAIGHT UP…tough as hell but I did it.
Up next was the Leader's Ledge, which was a mountain climb wall with a
tiny balance beam to use. And the final 3 obstacles, Cargo Net
Climb, the Warrior Roast, which was a jump of two fire logs, and then
the final Muddy Mayhem. That was the most fun…just a deep muddy river
that you had to swim/crawl thru under barbed wire. The whole
experience was totally awesome!!! I can't wait till next year!!! The
best thing about it was that I did it with my wife. Christy is in
much better shape than me, and she did the Insanity 60 Challenge
leading up to it. But she has a fear of heights…but she NEVER BACKED
DOWN!!! I love her for that!!! Ok…I love her for a LOT of things…but
that's beside the point!!! When we were all done…we were covered in
mud…we had trashed our clothes…our sneakers were shot to hell…and the
memory will live on forever!!! Had lots of great pictures, thanks to
Irene, Chris's wife. She totally rocks the picture world!!!

Well…that about sums up what's been going on so far…plus there was
coaching T-Ball for my youngest. Next up in the Fall is U-6 Soccer.
That will be LOTS of fun…looking forward to it!!!

As far as anything else new…well, we are having car problems so we may
need to get a new one. This makes sense since we have been without a
car payment for 18 months...LOL I own a 2005 Dodge Caravan, and it
has over 150000 miles on it…guess when I said I was gonna bury it…the
car thought I meant now…UGH!! Well…that's all I got for now!! Hope
everyone is having a great summer!! Until next time…

RANDOM STUFF...THE RETURN!!!

Well…it's been a while since I have written anything. And it's been a
while since I probably put anything out worth reading…LOL

Well…I hope this makes for good reading for someone!!

Jonny, my 4-yr old, has finished his 1st season of soccer…it was in
Westampton Indoor Soccer League!!! If you want to try something new
for indoor soccer…I HIGHLY recommend them!!! They take children from
other towns…and they divide them up in the various age groups!!! I
coached Jonny's team, with a BIG help from Matt, who has 8 years
experience playing in England, yes I said England, through HS &
College. He taught me a few things, he says I taught him a couple of
things…I dunno if I believe that…LOL…But, nevertheless, it was a great
season for our kids!!! The whole team was Pre-K age. And the other
teams we played were the same. It was AWESOME!!! I LOVE TO COACH!!!
Jonny…who does not get his athletic ability from me…scored close to 20
goals this season. Not that the league keeps score for the younger
kids, but I tried to keep track of Jonny's progress…and he got better
every game!! Jonny, Matt's son Jake, Jared, and Joshua were the
fastest kids on the team, bouncing off the walls!!! Like I said, it
was a great time…and we were able to help a couple of kids break out
of there shyness shell…the parents were very happy!!

Now, it is T-Ball for Jonny. I am coaching, but not doing the Head
Coach thing. I pretty much lost ALL my players…as they have moved
on…and with them, are the parents who helped coach. So I am an
assistant coach on another team Jonny will be on. Gonna be another
fun season!!! Of course every season, there are problems to deal
with. The new one for this year, is that there weren't enough
practice fields to go around for T-Ball. Of course, it's not because
we have too many teams. We are cut in half this year, and only have 6
teams. Most of the girls went back to the softball group, as they are
trying to recommence their T-Ball Softball group. I have heard how
they are having similar issues as we are with fields, but they are
managing. And another reason we have less teams, is that we have a
7-yr old league now. I think it's great to help prepare them for the
next level. But again…there is the issue of the fields. But we are
all making due…and trying to get by as best we can.

Let me see, what else is on my crazy ass mind?? Well…we have picked
our summer vacation spot. Gonna go to the OBX again this year. Got a
shore house with a few other families that we are good friends with,
and all splitting the costs. Gonna be a fun time. My wife wants us
to go down via the ferry…You catch it in Cape May and it takes you
somewhere in the Chesapeake area. Looks like that might be how we
start our trip down there!!

This May, I will have been married to my wife for 11 years…where the
hell did the time go?? How the hell did she put up with me for so
long?? Why is she still with me?? These and other questions, may be
answered someday…just not now…LOL

So…We had another successful year for the Relay for Life this year.
One big difference was that I was a LOT more involved than before. I
ran logistics for the event, and somehow was made an assistant
co-chair. And even worse yet…they asked me and a friend of mine to
run it next year. Oh boy…gonna be a busy time for me!!! But the
results…are so worth all the hard work and effort. In the past 3
years of the event, we raised over $300K for the American Cancer
Society. My own team had a very successful fundraising event, in
which we raised $3000, when combined with the teams that ran
concessions. My team voted, and decided to put on a Pro Wrestling
Fundraiser. So…the kicker was if we raised $1000 in ticket sales and
donations, then I, Coach Layton, aka The Battleship, would get back
into the wrestling ring. Well…we raised $2500 in sales and
donations…so I had to wrestle in the Main Event. But that is a story
for later. The Relay for Life was held on the last weekend of April.
We had 38 teams, and over 500 people that made up the teams. It was a
very successful event, considering the COLD ASS WEATHER…AGAIN!!!!
Last year, it was freezing temps, with high winds, all night long.
This year, it started of being windy as hell…and then after like 9pm
died down. But then…the temperature dropped…from 65 to 34…and we had
an overnight FROST WARNING!!! I could not believe it!!! I think that
if the weather was warmer, more people would have come out to see what
went on at this event. Just bad luck…and hopefully that will change
next year…as we are shooting for a warmer timeframe.

We all had a great time though. We even got a new team from the next
town over, in Burlington Township. So hopefully we can expand on
that, as well as maybe Bordentown, and try to make it bigger and
better!!! I mean why not?? It's all for a worthy cause!! We had fun
lap themes this year too. We had a Hawaiian lap, a Limbo lap, a
Pirates lap, a Backwards lap, a Basketball lap, a Flag Football lap,
but of course the best lap as well as most emotional and moving lap,
was the Luminaria lap. This was the lap that we turned off all the
lights, and lit candles for everyone, and had mini candles in the bags
that were decorated in honor, and memory of those who fought cancer.
I am getting goosebumps just thinking about it again, as I type it.
There was a slideshow with music showing those who we all honored at
the Relay Event. And when it was over, there wasn't a dry eye in the
place.

This year there was lots of cool music to get us going to as we walked
around the track. Some people even ran portions of the Relay…running
for like 3-5 miles at a time. My boys camped out overnight…we made
sure they were as warm as could be…and they were fine the next
morning. Now as for me and Christy…well we never got any sleep…though
we tried a couple times!! Finally crashed for a nap when we were home
around 130pm, and then when we went to bed for the night…I don't think
any of us woke up the next morning until 930am.

I am hoping that next year will be just as successful as the past 3
years. And if you are interested in participating in any way…give me
a yell!!!

Until next time, and I will reminisce about stepping back into the
ring!!! Have a Nice Day!!

Sorry to Everyone!!

My deepest and humblest apologies to all my readers. It has been way
too long since I posted any kind of a blog. I won't lie...75% of my
blogs are done while at work, usually when I need a moment, this helps
cool me down. Unfortunately...they are upgrading all the software on
the computers, and mine has yet to be done...and this results in the
blog site being in accessible to me!!! :-(

I will definitely try to force myself to sit down, and write some
random thoughts this weekend online from home!!! of course, the last
time I said that...It was February...and it's now May!!! LOL

Skunk 2 Family Dog 0

Well...you would think that my 13 year old Australian Shepherd would learn his lesson the first time. But no...he went after a skunk yet again. Not as bad as the first time...but still a smelly situation. Baths, groomers, lots of Febreze spraying, and trying to de-skunk everything is not my idea of a fun evening!! Stop messing with skunks Chewie...LOL

Heartfelt Sorrow

I know this is posting it late, but I would like to express my deepest sympathies and heartfelt sorrow to the family of NJ State Trooper Tezsla, for their loss of 11yr old daughter Isabelle. I would also like to wish the speedy recovery of her two sisters, and their friend Jon Zdybel, who were all seriously injured in the accident. No parent should ever have to bury their child. I hope all the children involved and touched by Isabelle, can move on and be the playful children they once were, the way she remembers them to be.

SORRY

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Been busy with life...getting stressed over lotsa stuff. Hope to have a blog by the end of next week.

L