Expat Jon takes on the world (well... Sweden)

The oldest I feel nowadays is when I hear new music.  It's a conscious thing.  I try to pretend I like it, but I can't help but reflect on "the good old days" when "music was music".  It's basically the oldest thing you can say.  So I don't say it... but I THINK it.  Whenever Jason Derulo says "big fat butt!" I roll my eyes and wish for the good old days of R&B. I remember when "old people" used to make fun of music that I liked.  They would reminisce and talk about when music was good.  Normally I would chime in as well.  I always prided myself on being familiar with the "Old School". When I was a kid, I was all about R&B.  I mean, I liked hip-hop/rap, but R&B was where it was at.  I was always really really into some girl and R&B would be the music to help me understand my emotions.  Of course, two weeks later I would like a different girl (standard kid stuff) and a new song would express those newe...

Sometimes things from the past belong just there.  In the past.  I was recently smacked in the face with this fact.  My friends and I regularly reference memories of our childhood.  We talk about things that were awesome and shaped our lives.  On most occasions those references include clothes, games or movies.  When it comes to movies, I'm obsessive.  I want everyone to see the movie.  I love dialog, so I memorize the cool quotes and then use those quotes in real life situations.  Normally I do this with popular movies so I don't look like Rainman.  But here, I look like Rainman anyway because movies that were popular back home might not have been popular here. My movie-watching prime was from the late-80's to early 00's.  I still watch movies regularly, but I must say I'm not quite the repeat watcher that I used to be.  The last movie I obsessed over was "There Will Be Blood".  You can't really go around quoting that m...

    It all started when I was 23 years old.  I was still in the Air Force, living in Turkey and at the peak of my physical condition.  I was pretty proud of myself.  I was on the squadron basketball and softball teams.  I did PT with my squadron.  I had just got back from Iraq, and I had nothing but extra time on my hands to hit the gym extra hard (I also didn't have as much access to bad foods).  To me, I looked GOOD.  So one day I was doing my all-by-myself-in-my-dormroom flexes in the mirror when it hit me that I was missing something.  I would look at least 8% better if I got my nipples pierced!  That would put me over the top with my sexy!  My boy OX had them and he was quite the lady's man.  He was in great shape.  My other homie Marco had gotten one nipple done, but he passed out from the pain and didn't get the other one.  He had since removed it.  I'm sure it couldn't be that bad though.  And i...