Everything Old is New Again...

My journey has turned full circle.

After a six-year separation, my wife and I have reconciled. So, I resigned, liquidated my possessions and packed three suitcases. And as I type, I am preparing to board a flight from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and return to Orlando, Florida. There is always hope despite the turmoil one can endure during a marriage.

Marriage is never an easy arrangement. However, with perseverance and a sincere desire to strive for a successful partnership, the sky truly the limit.

Stay tuned.

- Giovanni

Pittsburgh Steelers, The Chief and Their Six Lombardi Trophies

Several days ago, during a business trip, I had the luxury of being inside
the Steelers training facility on Pittsburgh's South Side.
This is what I saw while visiting.

Locker room during renovations

Steelers Six Lombardi Trophies

Art Rooney, Sr. aka "The Chief"

Franco Harris and the
Immaculate Reception

Changes to Kitchenmandu

It's been some time since I published anything here - work often gets in the way. In the future, I plan to spend more time providing helpful and interesting content and sincerely hope the recent blog changes and updates will make things more appealing and easier to read.

Please feel free to offer advice and comments. Thanks for visiting.

-Giovanni

New and Improved

After relocating to Pittsburgh nearly four years ago, my wife has finally agreed to pay for the divorce she so badly wanted....SIX years ago!

Now, I can begin to seriously move on with my life. New city. New career. New friends. New beginnings.

Wish me luck!

Avoiding Ingrown Toenails

Whether it's work or play, many of us are on our feet for more than 8 hours a day. And because we spend so much time walking, running and/or even standing, caring for our feet is often linked to our overall well-being. I am no different.

My Personal Experience

When my feet hurt, I'm miserable. I lack tolerance. My patience is virtually non-existent.  Believe it or not, I have actually been accused of being 'abrasive' after a long day of walking around the warehouse on sore feet...feet that at times kick the corner of a pallet, or stumble over a small box I didn't see while carrying large cases of toilet paper! I am convinced that my big toe's sole purpose is to find sharp corners and table legs.

For years I made every effort to abide by the one rule I learned as a young boy about toenails....trim them straight across versus curved like fingernails.

It always seemed to work for me. It seemed to work for my daughter as well. However, there were rare occasions when I would experience a little pain when wearing shoes during warm days at work. If my toenails were neatly trimmed, I simply dismissed it as tenderness caused from wearing shoes for extended periods. Ya know, wearing socks and shoes too long causing the skin to become extremely soft and easily pierced. But then I done a little research.

Number One Tip

While square-shaped toenails are the rage nowadays, make sure you, or your manicurist, leave a slight roundness at the outer edges of your nails. Painful ingrown toenails "are more likely to occur when the corners of your nails are wide and square," according to Rite Aid Pharmacy's Rite Health Journal. 

After reading this tidbit, I decided to alter my habit of trimming my nails straight across. Now I'm feeling a little better -- except when my big toe finds a table leg or corner of a pallet.

For more foot care tips read, "How Can I Prevent Toenail Fungus?" on Yahoo!Voices.

Sources:

Personal experiences
Rite Health Journal, Summer 2011, Page 19

Flagging Libido?

As a middle-aged man, I often have concerns that my libido will eventually wilt....and that a low libido alone would be my internal signal that my eventual demise draws nigh. Have you experienced the same thoughts? Not so fast!

Testosterone therapy may help you regain your interest in sex!

According to Adrian Dobs, M.D., M.HS., an endocrinologist at St. Johns Hopkins University, "A treatment for erectile dysfunction and a flagging libido due to an age-related decline in testosterone usually involves testosterone replacement therapy."

However, and there is ALWAYS a but, before taking one of the testosterone supplements available -- pills, injections, skin patches, gum and gels -- it is extremely important to be medically screened to eliminate causes other than age. An example? Diabetes. Diabetes can cause testosterone levels in the body to plummet. Sleep apnea can as well.

While testosterone therapy might very well assist a few of us with a decreased libido, some studies suggest it might increase our risk of heart attack and/or stroke -- IF we have other chronic heath issues/conditions.

A Funny Joke I Read Today While Taking a Break from Facebook

It's a beautiful day here in Pittsburgh, so I decided to take a break from Facebook. As I thumbed through some old magazines I had lying around, I came across this doozy of a joke in a Reader's Digest. Hope you enjoy it as well.

Every night, Harry goes out drinking. And every night, his wife, Louise, yells at him. One day, one of Louise's friends suggests that she try a different tack. "Welcome him home with a kiss and some loving words," she says. "He might change his ways."

That night, Harry stumbles back home as usual. But instead of berating him, Louise helps him into an easy chair, puts his feet on the ottoman, removes his shoes, and gently massages his neck.

"It's late," she whispers. "I think we should go upstairs to bed now, don't you?"

"Might as well," says Harry. "I'll get in trouble if I go home."

Source:
Reader's Digest, August 2010, p.24