Don Kowalewski
Writer. Ad Sales and Marketing. Social Media Content Creator. Aeropress Coffee. Makes the best salsa in the world.
Things I Do: I Bowl
It’s Thursday …the most wonderful day of the week. It’s the night I exercise my American manhood and I go bowling – granted, it’s a co-ed league, but still.
Tonight, I’ll have finally established my new average, and I’m not ashamed to admit I sand-bagged a little. Perhaps at the detriment of the team (we’re off to a 7-28 start), but I think now that I’ll be bowling over average, we’re gonna make a run.
We also welcome back our Fulcrum Bowler (aka Bowler #3, aka Steve). Tonight’s bowling’s highlights will include, but are not limited to:
- Eating warm lettuce
- Watching Game 5 of the Tigers-Yankees ALDS through the silhouette of a hob-goblin (though someone told me the game was moved to Friday, but that’s possibly only because they don’t want me to watch because I’m a Tigers jinx)
- Watching Bowler #4 bowl with a sturdy back. This time of year, no issues for Bowler #4. In about 3 months, it gets painful to witness all of the stretching, arching, aching, and pure torture he goes through to get through another season.
- Meeting the “New Guy”. I am certain things will be very awkward for the first 4 frames, but by the 5th, we will all be whistling, drawing pictures, and spinning quarters.
- Knowing that even though Joe & Barb are not slotted to bowl tonight, they will show up, for the whistling, drawing, and quarter spinning.
- Not knowing what place we are in – hopeful that we are in first, frightful that no recaps have been posted, which could mean another year of cellar dwellers.
- Talking with Paul about the benefits of polishing the ole bowling ball, removing the old oils with Windex, and never actually doing any sort of maintenance, but pretending that it will happen.
- Bowling the first 200 game of the season, and celebrating with the ceremonial run to the other side of the alley, and high fiving the “men” until you get sucker punched in the gut
Things I Love: September Birthdays
If you’d have told me 10 years ago that I’d have two kids both born in the month of September, I very likely would’ve punched you square in the face and un-Friended you on Facebook (if Facebook had existed). I’m serious. But here I am, ten years later, and I’ve had to change my whole world view because that’s exactly what happened …two of my kids were born in September.
I have never been a fan of September born people, but I love my two little Septemberians (I’m assuming that’s what you call folks born in September). And the good news about having two of your children with birthdays so close together, you get to throw a combined party and get all that gathering of family out of the way in one shot.
One of the traditional songs my family sings at birthday parties is “Happy Birthday” and while of I have fond memories of my mother and my aunts taking the high notes while Uncles sang bass, and grandma beat-boxed (we would’ve dominated as a family a capella act on The Sing-Off, btw …recaps of my favorite show at spunkybean), it’s entirely possible we sounded more like we do in the videos below.
I know at least one person who hopes the new “screaming” v. “singing” doesn’t catch on. And I’m sure the “screaming” was a one-time thing, right? Cuz I know kids …they hate screaming and laughing.
Hard to believe my youngest is 5. Enjoy this little-known birthday song and let me know if you need to know where to send gifts.
Things I Do: Ghost Write
Is ghost-writing 1-word or two? Either way, in addition to the blogging I do, I also ghost-write. I ghost-write for two celebrity/gurus and just this week, I penciled a deal (which hopefully will be re-written in ink, soon) to author a memoir for a pretty awesome guy who works in my industry.
Turns out this is not uncommon. There are many successful men and women who are really great at being successful at what they do, and all of them would like to write a book they can brag about, but despite all their success, writing is totally intimidating.
Or, some of them just plain can’t do it.
I can. Meaning, I can write.
I was halfway through a sales book with a friend (and I kinda dropped the ball), but now I’ve got a real deal with a real timeline and the subject of the book could make for a really interesting project.
Have you ever read Tuesdays with Morrie? Me neither, but lots of people did. As I understand it, Mitch Album had a favorite professor from his college days and years later, Mitch, then a successful newspaper columnist, got back in touch with his old professor and wrote a book about him. And that book was a mega success and inspirational.
It is my hope this book can be something like that.
I have a stack of speeches, essays, newspaper and magazine articles, letters, stories, and quotes that I’m supposed to turn into a book. Fun.
Just promise me you’ll buy a copy when I finish. OK? OK.
Things I Do: Coach Soccer
The fall season is underway and my 3rd Grade girls team is 1-1 while my 1st Grade boys team is 0-2 (including a 9-0 drubbing this past weekend). Score shouldn’t matter. It’s a recreational youth league. Right? The primary goal is for all the kids to have some fun, run around and get some exercise, and if along the way some kid falls in love with soccer and becomes a soccer star, so be it. Truly …that’s the goal. It’s my goal. Team are comprised of any kid who wants to play. Any kid, at any age and of any skill level can sign up and play, and I’m glad there’s a rec league that caters to that.
My goal, in fact, is that my kids enjoy practice as much, if not more, than games.
However …it’s human nature. We all keep score. It was true for my Kindergartener’s tee-ball in the summer, and it’s the same for soccer. When a team loses, and especially 9-0, it doesn’t go unnoticed …by anyone. Luckily, I’ve never seen 6-year-olds play soccer like the team we played this past Saturday, and even the opposing coach shrugged his shoulders after the game when I complimented his team and a few of his players and he said, “I know …I’ve never seen anything like it …these boys could beat my 4th Grade daughter’s team.” You should’ve seen these 6-year-olds. Passing …spacing …relentless attacking and they had moves. This one kid did a spin move and a step-over!!!
I’m mostly concerned with trying to teach my boys which direction to run, and this kid’s doing step-over spin moves.
Needless to say, this is still going to be a super fun season for my 1st graders.
My third grade girls won Sunday, and I’m really glad for them. Once again, this is a rec league so score and wins/losses aren’t the main focus, and that’s never my focus …but I have a group of girls that work so hard, it’s nice to see their efforts rewarded. Also, as the guy who raised his hand and said, “I can coach. Soccer is my sport. I played it my whole life. I love soccer. Soccer is da bomb” …as the guy who said that (I may or may not have said “soccer is da bomb”) it’s also nice to see them have success and get a win because it validates my coaching …just a touch …and rewards their hard work (we practiced for an hour in the pouring rain last Wednesday and not a single girl complained).
Turns out, and the season will tell me if this is true or not, that I never taught the girls to score. When I played soccer, I played defense. I have a knack for bothering people, so it was a perfect spot for me. And, I lacked that little part of the brain that makes great scorers. I think some of it is instinctive. There are just some people who, when they hear the word “go”, they charge like a bull …screaming and yelling and throwing caution to the wind. These people are the goal scorers. Then there are people who, when they hear the word “go”, start a little slower. They want to think things through. And I think these people make great defenders. On defense, there’s quite a bit of observation that takes place. Analysis of the opposition. Defenders react to situations and learn what all the situations look like. Defenders thrive on some structure and systems. Forwards embrace the mayhem. Forwards and goal scorers only need to know one thing …”What is the end result I want? Ball inside that net? OK. ROOOOOOAAAAAR!” And off they go, with reckless abandon, and those goal scorers are of the mindset, hey, they’ll just adjust on the fly and eventually it will all work out.
What I’m saying is …I’m over analyzing this (defender). What I’m also saying is, I now have a theory that I’ll use to teach the girls scoring and show them how to get into better scoring positions and hopefully I’ll identify those goal-scorer types that thrive on chaos, and teach them how to best manage chaos and, hence, score goals.
And then I’ll write a best-seller business and sales book based on these theories.
This was all a long way of saying that I love soccer, I love coaching soccer, and the season has “kicked off.” Ha! Puns. Love them.
Thanks for reading and if you need me, I’ll be revolutionizing the soccer world.
Lung Stuff: I Have Bronchiectasis
I have a lung disorder ..and you-oooo, don’t. Yup …lucky me, I had a really, really bad cough back in 2007 and because I assumed I was still Superman, I just tried to cough my way through it and treat it with bottle after bottle of Robitussin. Turns out, it was a massive bacterial infection and, voila, two-week-long hospital stays later, here I am. Living with Bronchiectasis. For long periods of time between “incidences” I have no issues. I run. I bike. I yell and laugh heartily (can you really “yell heartily?”).
At times, I forget I even have Bronchiectasis. But then, out of the blue, at the most random of times, it hits me. I cough and it’s phlegmy. And sometimes I taste blood. And sometimes I see blood …like last night. There I am, minding my own business during Curriculum Night / Meet-the-Teacher Night at my kids’s school and I’m talking about Michigan State football and then I cough …and then my chest gurgles, and I cough some more (like, rather violently) and voila! … I’m coughing up blood. Just a tiny amount, mind you. I would say the equivalent of a 1/4 teaspoon.
This should not alarm me, according to my doctor. People with Bronchiectasis experience this from time to time. Or do they? I don’t know.
You might think this isn’t a very good blog entry for this blog (and my wife would agree with you), but I have an ulterior motive – I want people Google’ing “bronchiectasis” to find this and chat with me.
First, I’m not entirely convinced I have Bronchiectasis. But if I do, is this coughing-up-blood party trick common? Should I be taking a breathing treatment? Are their exercise enthusiasts who live with this condition and still run triathlons and marathons? Is Bronchiectasis, as my doctor says, simply an annoyance but not life-threatening? Or is my life expectancy diminished because when I hit my 60s I’m almost guaranteed to get pneumonia one day and then …curtains?
Or maybe I don’t have Bronchiectasis and some doctor online will give me a second opinion and questions to ask my Pulmonologist?
“But, Don,” you ask, “what is Bronchiectasis?” Here’s a pretty good explanation I found in a 2004 chat room. Most of the chat rooms/discussion threads I found were from 2008 or earlier. I want to start some new conversations.
Here is some information about bronchiectasis that I hope you find helpful. Inflammation causes damage to the airways of the lungs. When the airways become dilated this is called bronchiolectasis. When the airways become distorted with areas where mucus can collect this is called bronchiectasis. It can be difficult to clear this mucus because of damage to the normal methods that the lungs use to clear mucus. This can lead to episodes of infection. Traditionally an ongoing infection can lead to the inflammation. So it is important that lung infections are treated. Pulmonary hygiene is very important in preventing and controlling lung infections. Using an inhaled bronchodilator may help to loosen the mucus. Many people find the routine use of a mucus clearance device to be very helpful in clearing the mucus from their lungs. This is a small device that you exhale into causing a vibration in your lungs that loosen mucus so that you can cough it up easier. The names of 2 types of devices are Flutter Valve and Acapella. Bronchiectasis can result from airway blockage along with infection, so it may effect only one area of your lung. If your recurrent lung infections are always in the same area of the lung, surgery to remove that portion of your lung may provide a cure.
It seems to happen after I pig-out. Is that normal? I mean, when I have big, rich meals (like a big steak, or like a second helping of cake & ice cream) I get the cough. 
When I drink red wine it seems to flare up. Do any other Bronchiectasis sufferers notice a similar correlation? If eating fewer calories and never drinking eliminates most of my symptoms, I’m very cool with that. But if those aren’t triggers for anyone else, I’ll do some more asking.
Oh, and now that it’s turning to autumn in Michigan and temperatures are dropping and there’s cool/damp air, could that be something?
Thanks for reading. Chime in. Offer advice, opinions, encouragement, or simply point and laugh. My next blog entry will be silliness, I swear.
Oh, and here’s some links to some articles mainly because I want trackbacks and get Bronchiectasis hobbyists involved in this dialogue.
UPDATE (9/16/2011): Thanks to my sister and her superior web-search skills, she found a GREAT ARTICLE and a SUPPORT GROUP.
I might also have “Popcorn Lung.” Yes, that’s a real thing. I pop popcorn 2, 3, or 4+ times a week. I use an air-popper (could there be a better way to put popcorn seed particles and dust into the air?). All my flare ups recently have occurred when I drank red wine AND at popcorn. At Disney World, I ate popcorn almost every day (it smells sooooooo good) and what my kids didn’t finish, I’d eat theirs, too. In an August flair-up, I had multiple bowls of popcorn at a fance restaurant before having a glass (or three) of red wine. Yesterday, someone in my office horribly burnt a bag of popcorn in our breakroom (and it made me cough) and I then went out and had two glasses or red wine.
Stay tuned for more breaking news!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001199/
[THIS IS THE BEST ARTICLE: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/950379/a_lung_disease_called_bronchiectasis.html?cat=5]
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Respiratory-Disorders/Flying-with-Bronchiactisis/show/283391
http://forums.webmd.com/3/heart-disease-exchange/forum/295
http://www.keywordspy.com/organic/keyword.aspx?q=bronchiactisis
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071202224457AAgASCL
Things I Make: Mix Tapes
Making a mix tape is a lost art.
I still make mix tapes.
Actually, I make “playlists” on my mp3 player nowadays, but same difference.
Recently I read a really good blog post by @ChristyTV where she discussed how music was way better back in the day. It’s worth reading.
It’s a topic I think about quite a bit. Music mattered to me for years and years and most songs and CDs are tied to some sort of memory or milestone. Then I graduated college and it seems like music stopped. Some of my college friends will tell you, indeed, music did stop right about the mid-90s and everything since is over-produced, commercialized crap.
That’s what old curmudgeons tend to say.
But I’m still makin’ mix tapes, and I have lots of music that’s tied to major milestones, and I suspect you do, too …you just might not realize it. No, I’m not makin’ mix tapes for girls I’m hoping to impress, carefully choosing a playlist that includes songs with lyrics that tell a story and simultaneously prove how cool and hip and intellectual I am. Instead, I’m makin’ mix tapes for girls who ride in car seats in the back of my SUV I can’t afford, and the mini-van I never dreamed I’d own (lease). I make mix tapes (playlists) for my kids and their friends whom I drive to school every morning. I carefully monitor Radio Disney, Top-40 stations, Disney Channel, and So Random! for the perfect blend of lyrically appropriate hits that keep my kids on the cutting edge of Top-40 shlock, but without crossing the line lyrically into a place where I’ll have to explain what certain things mean.
Like, as catchy as the song “Moves Like Jagger” is, I don’t want my 5, 7, and 8-year old singing these lyrics.
“Take me by the tongue
And I’ll know you;
Kiss me till you’re drunk
And I’ll show you.”
I’m just sayin’ …if you are in your 30s, chances are you think all music sucks. There’s a never-ending cycle of musical phases and the older generation is genetically coded to hate all music that didn’t happen during their own puberty. And chances are you romantically hold dear certain songs that are tied to certain eras and moments in your life, but don’t live in the past. Open your ears and listen to the music around you and realize this horrible modern music is the music that you’ll dance to at this year’s Daddy Daughter Dance, that your kids will ask you to turn up when it comes on the radio, and someday when we’re all empty-nesters in our 50s and 60s and we somehow hear a song from Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Hot Chale Rae, and the “High School Musical” soundtracks, we’re going to have to wipe some tears from our eyes and we’ll wish they still made music like that.
Listen to some bad, awful music today. Dance with your kids. Press ‘play’ below and turn it up …tonight (tonight).
Things I Did: Sold Salsa at a Farmers Market
I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday and I’m five days removed from my first ever salsa sales event at a farmers market in Michigan. Although just about everything was going against me having any sort of success, mostly the weather pretty much shutting down the farmers market, I still managed to sell salsa to just about everyone who tried it.
For me …wow. Random strangers trying some of my salsa and my salsa recipe and loving it. Loving …it!
Then, with almost a third of my salsa unsold, thanks to the power of Facebook (and a little big Twitter), I sold out the rest of my salsa by Tuesday and have some future orders waiting for my next batch.
What now? To follow the Donnie Jalapeno saga, make sure you bookmark Donnie Jalapeno Salsa, ‘Like’ Donnie Jalapeno on Facebook, and follow @DonnieJalapeno on Twitter.
So, I’m now a salsa magnate, and I’m also dropping my kids off at school again every morning. Seeing my little tikes in their crisp Catholic school uniforms dutifully heading into school after giving me a hug/kiss goodbye – that’s the best part of my day, every day.
I like fall and back-to-school. There’s something extremely comforting and soothing about strict routine. 7pm – wake the kids. 7:10 – make coffee, unload dishwasher, have breakfast. 7:30 – brush teeth, hair, pack backpacks/briefcase. 7:40 – leave for school.
Despite the routine, the routine always manages to be hectic and crazy, but still …it’s a routine and I function better with routine.
Time to make the salsa. Thanks for reading.
Things I’m Doing: Started Another Blog; Getting Ready to Launch My Salsa Company
I took the week off from blogging about me because I started another blog to support the worldwide debut of my salsa. So, for those counting at home, yes …I have this blog you’re reading, spunkybean, I blog as a ghost for two clients, and now I have Donnie Jalapeno.
As you know, I’ve blogged a few times about my salsa. I’ve been perfecting the recipe and making this for years. And for years, people have ranted and raved about it. I’ve always been extremely flattered, and that was about it. But people have been so supportive, they’ve almost been relentless about insisting that I sell it.
So, now I am.
The results of the “name Don’s salsa company” are in, and I’m going with my original idea for a name …”Donnie Jalapeno’s Salsa.” Lots of reasons, but you’ll have to follow the Donnie Jalapeno blog for the unfolding story of Donnie Jalapeno. I think I’m still going to give somebody free salsa for life by way of a random drawing.
Whatever you do, don’t stop reading and checking this blog, however. I’m still going to update it daily.
And if you find yourself in the Stanwood, Michigan area, make sure you stop by the Tullymore Farmers Market this Saturday, sometime between 8am and 1pm, and buy some Donnie Jalapeno Salsa. I’ll be the guy in the sombrero.
Things I Love: People Who Love Great Coffee as Much As I Do
If you put yourself out there, sometimes people notice. I made a video for my buddy Matt about making multiple cups of coffee via an AeroPress, and then some random guy on YouTube responded to my video with a video of his own. In it, he shows how, even while camping, he manages to prepare magnificent coffee for his family. I hope the guy puts as much care and thought into, oh I don’t know …food. But …I gotta respect his coffee passion.
Here’s @jcwalton‘s video response to my AeroPress video. Mad respect for the man.
I know what you’re thinking …“this! is a blog entry!?!?! This is bull crap!” And I agree. I have much, much to share about the run-up to my salsa’s debut at a farmer’s market, back-to-school stuff, book writing, my trip to a coffee roaster in Dearborn, and a new blogging/writing gig. You’ll just have to sit their on pins and needles. If you’re bored, watch that coffee video again.
Things I Make: Salsa and Big Decisions
It’s Sunday and that’s usually a day off here at the blog, but I thought I’d quick blog about my first ever Board of Directors meeting at my salsa world headquarters (salsa yet unnamed, world headquarters = my kitchen). My trusty assistant and I, if anything ever becomes of this li’l salsa experiment, are hard at work dividing up tasks, arguing over the spreadsheets and how to spend the seed money, and brainstorming the best ways to make this actually work.
But, before I begin, I’m mucho inspired by Jenny and Matt, co-owners of Jenny’s Wild Bean Dip which my wife and I agree is, by far the best bean dip we’ve ever tasted. “But, Don,” you ask, “really …it’s just a bean dip, aren’t you being a bit overdramatic?” And I answer with an emphatic, tear-filled, down-on-my-knees screaming to the heavens … “No, good sir! I am not. Prepare to duel!”.
Remember, I make everything dramatic.
Anyway, Jenny and Matt are basically living the dream and the plan that I plan and dream for my own salsa company. In fact, and it ain’t like the two of them are driving his & her Bentleys …they are actually succeeding far past any expectations I have for myself, and consider me impressed (and inspired). “Like” them on Facebook. Check out their site. And above all, find them at a farmer’s market near you and pick some up. You’ll be addicted. I promise you (I think they’re at the Birmingham Farmers Market every Sunday).
Quick update on the “Name My Salsa Company Contest”. The prize is free salsa for life.* Lots of chatter. I’m close to settling on a name. Last chance to submit yours and get in the contest. You don’t actually have to name my company, but anyone who offers any suggestion will be in the running and the drawing. Even if I go with one of my own name ideas, somebody’s still winning. At the end of the day, I want at least one person to have a good impression of my salsa company.
Here are the Top-7 current ideas.
Salsalogy(Salsaology)- Donnie Jalepeno
- Don’s Delights
- Assburners
- Salscience
- Salsamaniacs
- Salsalewski
- Donnie Pepper’s Salsa
That’s about it. I’m 6-days away from my first big event (if I haven’t waited too long to register and sign-up …oops). And unlike many crazy ideas I’ve had, nobody is really telling me I’m completely crazy on this one. Which is weird …most people love to tell me how crazy I am. But, I’ll go with it. Full of optimism and full of spice. I hope for many more awesome salsa-related entries soon. I’m just excited at how official this is all seeming. Ole!
* I’m not exactly sure why I’m including an asterisk, but I’m including it anyway because with every contest, there needs to be some sorta disclaimer and I just can’t think of anything I want to limit from this awesome prize. Like, maybe “free salsa for life” should be defined as “free salsa, up to 16 ounces per week, for life.” That seems fair. And only if I don’t fold the doors on my salsa company, then you get salsa for life. Oh, and I’m kinda leaning towards my own choice of a name …so in your face, greedy friends.
Don Kowalewski 