I wouldn’t call myself a football fanatic and as much as I’d like to fit in with other guys, I couldn’t give you any stats on player’s average passing, carries, receptions, touchdowns or fumbles, because I have to use what little memory I have left for more important things like where I left my phone, why I went outside, and what did my wife want from the market again?
But when it comes to your favorite team making it to the Super Bowl, the hope of winning and being emotionally connected to the celebration takes on a life of its own. You somehow associate their win to you cheering them on from the comfort of your recliner. I didn’t realize I may be more of a football “fanatic” than I thought while I was sitting in church on Super Bowl Sunday.
As I sat there seeing people in their football Jerseys, and as much as I tried to resist, my mind started to wander towards the big game later that afternoon and I started imagining football fouls I could throw flags on…like when the worship leader switched the song midway through the first one; FLAG for False Start! I saw a family sitting in a different section than they normally do; FLAG for Offsides! I hear a baby crying; FLAG for Taunting! Watching a parent trying to keep their toddler seated; FLAG for Holding! Or even when the Pastor lost his place in the sermon; FUMBLE!
Bottom line is we all tend to get sidetracked by frivolous things that take our focus off what’s really important. I have to continually remind myself that those things that are truly meaningful to me are often sacrificed when I put too much on self-importance. When I spend too much time in being a victim of my past and being selfish with my future, I therefore neglect the present that writes my history and fulfills my destiny. I would submit we don’t only have “one life to live” to figure this out, we have two lives: the one we learn with and the life we live after that.
Sincerely,
The athletic, yet bench warming,
Dennis Muñoz
We use to have a precious Tea Cup Yorkie who I made up some unflattering terms of endearment for when she needed bathing. I’d say “Come on Cindersmella” or “Lets go Stinkerbell” in such an affectionate way when it was her bath time. You’d think I would get a cold stare, a growl, or at least the silent treatment. Instead, I got licks, tail wagging and giving me her belly to rub. That’s because tone means more than words ever could to our pets and I can honestly say that tone means more to me than words do also because how I say things will always mean more than my words.
Tone of voice can betray attempts to rectify, salvage or avoid digging a deeper hole even when using the most innocent and thoughtful words I can muster. Saying “I’m not mad” in a melodic tone is less threatening than using a monotone voice that betrays the peace I’m trying to maintain.
Let me illustrate tone in another way. Do you remember practicing scales or hearing someone else do it with a musical instrument? You can be spot-on in hitting the right keys or chords, but sometimes the tone is comparable to devious techniques used to make spies talk. Even without practice or training, the human voice is the most perfect instrument of all to convey our most sincere sentiments that will either build up or tear down, heal or destroy, convince or dissuade. If you still don’t understand how much damage can be done with how we say things, remember it only takes one voice at the right pitch to start an avalanche.
Our tone of voice is emotionally generated. If you are angry, happy, sad, or any of the twenty-seven base emotions studies tell us we generate, our tone adds credibility to our words. Try saying “I’m so happy” or “Watch out for that foul ball” with a flatness in your voice and see if your communications are effective.
10% of conflict is due to a difference of opinion, 90% is due to the wrong tone of voice. Don’t raise your voice, raise your level of self-control to gain and inspire respect. A voice of reason goes much further than a voice of authority and being understood is longed for more than being lectured.
Sincerely,
The enthusiastic, yet lethargic,
Dennis Muñoz
Quick question, how many times have you heard “We’ve got move to Plan B!” as a last ditch effort when the original strategy has failed in a movie, book, or real life? My guess would be the majority of us would admit after all is said and done “It didn’t go as planned”. Plan B seldom leads to Plan C, so maybe “Plan B” should be the place to start to prepare for Plan A. Somehow having to resort to Plan B has been given a negative connotation. It’s said, the most successful people are those who are good with Plan B.
I was talking with a couple who were planning on getting married and the discussion came up about having children. The couple said their goal is to adopt a child but since it would take a lot of discipline and planning to take on such a major responsibility, they agreed they would first Adopt a Highway to see how that worked out. Besides, apparently there are way too many orphan highways in our community. I mean, why create a highway if you’re not going to support it!? Sad.
Plans, in and of themselves are nothing, but planning creates tangible results out of “nothing”. The secret to reaching each goal lies in what Michelangelo once said: “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it. But that our aim is too low and we reach it.” Perfection of talent or skills is not a birthright, but only the measurement of many small efforts we put forth in a lifetime and achieving your dreams lie in a place where your passion, values and strengths meet.
The faculty or action of forming new ideas, images or concepts that is not present to the senses is imagination, and imagination is a preview of coming attractions if you follow the trail. If you only continue to just dream of the man you’d like to be, you are wasting away the man you already are today.
Sincerely,
The cheesy, yet lactose intolerant,
Dennis Muñoz
By nature I’m an introvert. I’ve been training for “shelter in place” all my life but even so, I miss talking with the guys, discussing social ills, world politics and our latest aches and pains. I realized just how much we all missed our conversations when our Zoom call ended with “you hang up”...”no, you hang up”...”no, yooouuu hang up” it was both comforting and disturbing.
I figured I’d try a different approach and reached out to an acquaintance who lives alone, just by himself, with no one else. I made time to stop by and see if I could cheer him up just a bit. He comes out and we sit on his porch and I ask him how he’s doing these days and he begins to tell me how he’s hanging in there, and that it’s really tough being alone. He wakes up, he’s alone...he runs errands, he’s alone...he goes to bed, he’s alone...he spends his whole day...just being alone. Then with a self-pitying and melodramatic exit he says dejectedly ‘I’m sorry, would you mind leaving, I’d like to be alone.” Alrighty, that took an obviously ironic turn.
What I realized is we as men, aren’t as vulnerable to solitude as we may think we are. In loneliness we can find something greater to live for if we would stop “licking our wounds” of rejection, separation, or self depravation from things that are not in our best interests. At the deepest core of our loneliness is a forceful desire to find ourself again in a virtual corn maze of haunting failures and inadequacies. Sometimes the pain of loneliness is just not being comfortable with yourself. Solitude reveals a richness of self, loneliness reveals a poverty of self and we seek out social acceptance and ‘being liked’ because it holds the feelings of loneliness at bay.
If you only look within for comfort from feeling alone, you might find in the long run, despair from memories that spur you to anger, discontent and further loneliness. Instead, try looking for the best in others and yourself and pray your loneliness motivates you into finding something to live for, a greater purpose to strive for. When there is no purpose to your suffering, the perpetual result is living a life without intention, ambition, and fulfillment. If you can’t be good company for yourself, how could you be good company for anyone else?
Sincerely,
The exciting, yet sleep inducing,
Dennis Munoz
Priorities
Saint Peter is at the Pearly Gates when he sees a man approaching and carrying a suitcase with him. Saint Peter runs to greet him and welcome him with open arms as they enter into Heaven and says “I can’t help but notice you have a suitcase with you, you know you won’t need anything here right?” The man says “Yes I know, but God has allowed me to bring my most valuable possession with me.”
Saint Peter is beyond curious as to what the man could possible value as his most prized property and asks if he could see what’s inside the suitcase. The man excitedly lays down the suitcase and slowly opens it for a dramatic effect with such pride and admiration to reveal many shinning and glowing bars of gold. Saint Peter says “Wait, God allowed you to bring your most valued possession and you bring pavement!? Oy, what a Schmoe!”
What use to seem valuable and important has been redefined. Is it just me or have our priorities changed overnight? I haven’t even finished trying to adjust to the “normal” world we lived in before this COVID-19 pandemic. I’m awkwardly trying to remember the new norms by wearing a mask over my face and not touching anything that others have already touched. I went to the bank this morning and felt a little like I was robbing it by walking in with a mask and telling the bank clerk to put my cash in an envelope and not to make any sudden moves for the hand sanitizer.
My understanding of “treasures” has been greatly improved with the global crisis we are facing. Hugging and kissing my children and grandchildren was a demonstration of my affection for them, now, keeping a safe distance when I see them is an act of love. Finding excuses to not attend social gatherings was once a luxury of time saved, but has now been relegated to phone calls where it ends with a heartfelt “Can’t wait to get together with you again soon”.
There may be many scary and troubling outcomes from this worldwide health epidemic and the financial devastation that comes with it, but what is most troubling and unsettling is that what we have found to be most valuable, will once again be lost when this crisis has ended.
Sincerely,
The nostalgic, yet forward thinking,
Dennis Munoz
Happy HallowGivingMas!
Have you noticed the recent cultural shift? More and more houses have put up Christmas decorations before Halloween displays have been taken down and even before Thanksgiving plans have been finalized! I’m not making this up, I actually saw Halloween decorations which included giant spiders wearing Santa hats! What’s next, giving out candy canes for Halloween?
I enjoy Christmas as much as anyone else, but I’d like the time to stop and be thankful for what I HAVE before what I GET. Is this the new norm rushing through holidays so we can return to our own sense of “normalcy”? Then I realized as I’m writing this, I’m sitting here having a turkey sandwich! Turkey! Am I jumping the gun on Thanksgiving too!?
I enjoy the anticipation of approaching holidays and basking in the festivities to the fullest extent and anyway, it’s risky putting up Christmas decorations too soon and I’ll tell you why. As much as I resisted, I caved to the social pressure and put up a colorful yard sign that says “There’s Always Room for Jesus at Our Inn”. Now my gardener Jesús is hounding me for a room. What could I say, he’s got me on a technicality.
I think it’s commendable to hold fast to reliving traditions that give us a longing for ‘the good old days’. Traditionalists are pessimists about the future and optimists about the past and these established practices are fragile treasures in a culture built entirely on the memories of our elders.
I realize holidays are a mix of both dread and delight and revive both merriment and misery of celebrated family time. But good or bad, holidays are one of the only opportunities to bring families together and are only as sacred as you make them.
Stress free, perfectly planned, agreeable, and cooperative family holidays are only true in our minds and traditions are being shaped by our choices. So before you attend your next family gathering, envision yourself not being invited to share in long standing traditions, visualize yourself without a family to share a meal with and more importantly, imagine yourself in your many tomorrows recalling the memories you created for yourself and your family today.
Sincerely,
The sharp, yet not lethal,
Dennis Munoz
I always thought “laughter was the best medicine” until I almost choked to death eating grapes while guffawing over a humorous anecdote. Since that close call fruit-fatality, here are some other cliches I’m starting to question:
“Head over heels in love” I mean shouldn’t that be the normal posture of any homosapien anyway?
“You can’t have your cake and eat it too”. So everyone gets cake on my birthday but me?
“There’s no such thing as a silly question”. True, there aren’t silly questions, just silly people
“When one door shuts, another door opens”...and that’s because I left a window open and the room pressure changed. It’s simple physics
“Just take the bull by the horns”. Sure, encourage someone to subdue a two ton animal by it’s most lethal feature.
I don’t know why I continue to use cliches and phrases that I don’t really understand. For instance, I may say affectionately “cat got your tongue?” Or tease the grandchildren by saying you kids are “running amok!” As I looked into the origin of these adages, I gotta tell you, I’m not quite as comfortable using them. For example, “cat got your tongue?” came from being flogged with a whip called “Cat-o’-nine-tails’ that caused such severe pain it left you with an inability to speak. So much for being loving. “Running amok” describes wild behavior from a peculiar mental affliction that caused otherwise normal Malaysian Amok tribesmen to go on brutal and random killing sprees. Yea, have fun kids.
Cliches are also known as “thought stoppers” because they discourage critical thought and meaningful discussions that men can hide behind as a symptom of their non-communicative skills.
All that being said, overused phrases are still fun to repeat but we as men need to learn how to use the 20,000-35,000 words an average person has in their vocabulary to improve our ability to communicate with each other. So remember last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague!
Sincerely,
The carnivorous, yet pet friendly,
Dennis Munoz
Here’s a true fact. Every man experiences romantic getaways. Some men enjoy romance on a weekend getaway, while some men get romantic and she says “get away”. Sometimes the only “spicy talk” you may hear is “pass the salt and pepper”. Yes gentlemen, the struggle is real.
Whether you’re single or married, having that special someone to snuggle with is a glue that holds a relationship together. Intimacy releases the hormone oxytocin for women, vasopressin for men, and tribarysong which gives you the urge to play romantic Barry White music.
There is so much to say about intimacy and the part it plays in a healthy relationship but I wholeheartedly believe from experience that anything more than hugging and kissing is meant for the marriage bed and there are good reasons why...
A study involving 2,035 married participants in an online assessment of marriage revealed, people who waited until marriage:
rated sexual quality 15% higher than people who had premarital sex
rated relationship stability as 22% higher
rated satisfaction with their relationships 20% higher.
The study showed prioritizing sex at the outset of a relationship often finds it underdeveloped when it comes to qualities that make relationships stable and spouses reliable and trustworthy. Experts report that premarital sex short circuits the emotional bonding process. Men’s view of “trying out the car before you buy it” approach is entirely self-centered. A study of 100,000 women linked early sexual experience with dissatisfaction in their present marriages, unhappiness with the level of sexual intimacy and the prevalence of low self-esteem. A real gentlemen doesn’t compromise a woman’s purity, he protects it.
Intimacy can be just laying back, laughing together at silly things, holding each other, and enjoying each other’s company. Passion is the quickest to develop, and the quickest to fade. Sex is a consolation when you can’t have love, when intimacy is non-existent and it can be done in ways that dishonor your character as a man. Seek intimacy to intensify sexual gratification if you’re married. If you’re single, seek the innocence of intimacy to screen out those pretty faces who are willing to settle for less than what you’re trying to be.
Sincerely,
The mischievous yet law abiding,
Dennis Muñoz
I was interested in finding out more about my ethnic makeup so I recently purchased one of those DNA test kits where you swab the inside of your cheek to find out more about your ancestral background. I swabbed right after eating a bowl of Lucky Charms and apparently I’m 10% Magical Leprechaun, not what I expected but it explains why I have such a fascination with rainbows. To be honest, I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t part of the bloodline of that Nigerian Prince who is always trying to give away millions of dollars. I did find out my ancestors didn’t venture too far from Central America which is probably why I tend to be a home-body.
We all like to think we are unique in some way. My family said when I was born, they got rid of the mold, but I found out later they had to use at least half a tube of Neosporin before the mold was actually gone.
In one way or another, we want our own identify that defines who we are to others. But identify is defined by what others think of us and not the image we’re trying so hard to portray. You may think you’re the funniest, nicest, wisest guy in the room, but only those in the room will determine that.
A drop of water may lose its identity when it joins the ocean, but men do not lose theirs in the world we live in. As men, our natural need for independence is born not for the development of society alone, but for the development of an honorable reputation. Our desire to be more than we really are is just ego and ego is only a very influential illusion. Allowing this ego-illusion to become your identity can prevent you from knowing your true self.
Unless we embrace the discipline of “plowing our own fields” to ensure the best fruits are produced from our individuality, we lose our individuality trying to please or placate others. Unless you create your own identity, others will create it for you.
Sincerely,
The humble and first to admit it,
Dennis Muñoz
Do you ever try to do good things for others but it doesn’t quite hit its mark? I know I have, like I use to send get well cards to hypochondriacs, but it never seemed to help them feel any better. Once, I bought my friend Mark a dog with a hair-lip because I thought he’d appreciate it calling his name when the doorbell rang, but he just seemed annoyed at me. We can all do things we think are “good”, but the problem lies in where we’re getting our definition of “good” from.
Are we influenced by society to join the latest worthwhile cause because it feels good? Do we try to replicate the noble accomplishments of those we admire? Is our motivation to do good unto others in hopes we can also reap the same rewards down the line? These are legitimate reasons for “trying to be good” but unless you use time tested foundational truths available to us all, your application and reciprocation may never sync up and it could be an endless exercise in futility.
What has proven to be profitable when I do, and failure when I don’t is this one principle that is the basis of every book written on the secrets of success; “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I believe we struggle to rise to the person we aspire to be because doing the good and right thing is counter-intuitive to our nature. Do you want to be treated with respect? Treat others respectfully. Do you want to be truly loved? Love unconditionally. Want more out of relationships? Give more. Want to be a wise counselor? Listen to advice. As honorable men, our duty is to leave this world in a better place then we’ve found it and if you’re reading this, it means you still have the gift of time to leave others with virtuous stories for your eulogy that will not only compel them to carry your memory, but above all else, to carry your legacy.
Sincerely,
The mysterious, yet always predictable,
Dennis Munoz
I decided to let my beard grow out because I wanted a new look and also to encourage my hair to make it to the top of my head. I give it a pep talk every morning “Come on! You’ve made it to my chin, nose and ears, you can do it!”. Until it musters enough motivation to fill in my bald spot, I just tell people that’s where my metal plate was surgically inserted. I like my beard, but my wife says I look homeless. I thought she was exaggerating until I was waiting for her right outside of Starbucks with a cup of java and someone dropped their loose change in my perfectly good coffee, but that’s okay because it’s like a prize waiting at the end of my drink.
I have come to realize my efforts to change my appearance or jump on some social cause occurs when I feel the need to become more trendy and relevant. The way we dress, the sports we follow, the humanitarian efforts we support are nothing more than advertising to others “hey, if you can relate, I’d make a great friend!”
There’s nothing wrong with that, we all want to get in where we fit in and sometimes the crowd we’re chasing is more for prestige than it is for the authentic friendship that doesn’t care if you have or don’t have the resources they could use for their own benefit.
For every group of influential people you are pursuing, there’s an equal amount of those who seek your acceptance into their own world of influence. There is no scientific basis for my reasoning, only what I’ve observed over my fifty plus years of conscious existence. If you look at your own group of acquaintances, you may be able to decipher which group seeks your friendship and which group accepts your friendship. I would encourage you to pursue those who seek your friendship rather than those who accept your friendship to be an encouragement rather than a compliment to their existence.
Sincerely,
The always sweet, yet non-caloric,
Dennis Munoz
Sometimes I wonder if strangers mistake me for a Bible Scholar when I’m out in public with my grandkids. Onlookers may think I’m showing off my knowledge of the books of the Bible when I call out the kids’ names... “Daniel! Isaiah! James! Mark! (and the twins) 1st and 2nd Chronicles!” Yea, I can see how that could happen and I wouldn’t mind if it makes me appear intelligent.
Of course we all want to make a good impression but sometimes we try too hard to impress others and it makes us look ridiculous. I tried that with my youngest son Anthony while we were both watching a survival movie. He was about six years old, sitting on my lap and in the middle of the movie we had this conversation...
Anthony: “Papa, if you were starving and there was no food in the house, would you eat a spider?”
Me: ( I thought, ok, here’s my chance to impress him with my survival skills) “Sure. If we didn’t have any food to eat, I guess I would eat a spider.”
A few seconds went by and he didn’t say anything about my courage or my will to survive...
Me: “What about you? What would you do if there was no food in our house to eat?
Anthony (without hesitation): “I would just go to my friend’s house and make a sangwich.”
Okay first of all, if I had known that was an option, I would have answered differently. Now I have to live with the shame of not being as resourceful as a six year old. I’m still seeing a counselor to help me work through feeling like I dropped to the lowest rung of natural selection, and I’m also seeing an entomologist to find out how many calories there are in eating spiders if the need arises.
What’s the lesson learned? First, make sure you have all the information in a scenario before answering. Second, make sure I have friends to feed me in an emergency. Third, its much more impressive when someone else sees your qualities without your help.
Sincerely,
The intoxicating, yet non-alcoholic,
Dennis Munoz
Sometimes it seems like the wife and I don’t agree on anything. I say black, she says white, I say yes, she says no, I say Marco, she says Polo...well, ok maybe we agree on some things, but the point is sometimes she’s right and sometimes I’m right. It’s taken many years to realize that each disagreement is not a crisis in the making but just part of learning to trust and be trusted.
I remember when I first saw her, I fell head over heels, primarily because I wasn’t watching where I was walking in the stairwell, but I gladly went along with any of her suggestions because I thought agreeing would make her happy. In all honesty it didn’t do either of us any good because as I look back, there were times where the best decisions were downplayed to avoid disagreements. Now I’m not the brightest knife in the refrigerator, but I am obligated to make decisions based on my experiences because the wisdom we acquire with the passing time is a useless gift unless we share it.
So next time you disagree with someone, don’t take it personal and remember, sometimes they say white, sometimes they say Polo.
Sincerely,
The provocative, yet family friendly,
Dennis Munoz
It’s becoming so common nowadays for men to get plastic surgery to become more attractive. A little nip here, a little tuck there, a smaller size here, a bigger size there and all for the purpose of being more alluring and confident. So I’m proposing a radically new concept that will please the masses and bring instant confidence, influence, popularity, and power to any man! I call it a ‘wallet enlargement procedure’.
Since it’s so easy to be influenced by what a man has and not who a man is, it’s no wonder we can make the mistake of prioritizing getting rich, getting buffed and getting attention rather than pursuing the attractive qualities that will never be subject to decay but only to honorable development.
Fortunately for the typical guy, a good woman isn’t captivated by a man’s wallet, but genuinely attracted to a man’s kindness to others, respect for himself, faithfulness, honesty and integrity. These are characteristics an honorable woman finds appealing in a man and which are the common denominators in all men. Although staying fit and dressing like James Bond may get you some initial attention, having attractive qualities will maintain the allure for a lifetime. So when your James Bond aura turns into a Gold Bond aroma, and your bulging muscles turn into bulging hernias, you can only hope that the character you are creating this day and the days to come, will enhance and preserve the respectable attention any man would want from those around him.
Sincerely,
The wild, yet domesticated,
Dennis Munoz
Being humble is often misunderstood. For instance, I once found a note on my pillow that said “You are the most amazing man in the world!” Yea, it was my handwriting and I was the only one home, but that’s not really my point at this juncture. Compliments, regardless of where they may come from, are not intended to embarrass you, only to magnify your strengths.
For most, it’s difficult to pay a compliment and when they’re given to us we tend to downplay or dismiss them in an effort to be “humble”. Getting compliments is a gift and may not be easy to receive, but the last thing you want to do is refuse this gift from anyone. Humility is freedom from pride and arrogance, not denying someone’s compliment of your character or actions. Rather than “it’s nothing”, “not a big deal” or any other dismissive gesture that may come to mind, a simple “thank you” is all that’s needed as you would say when someone hands you a birthday present.
So next time someone offers you a compliment, say “thank you but I’m so much more than that” ONLY in your mind to help you receive these types of gifts with open arms because you have to love yourself first, or you can never accept compliments from anyone.
Sincerely,
The tasteful, yet non-edible,
Dennis Munoz
Sometimes I wish you could pick your friends using the same technique used to pick out a well behaved puppy to bring home. What you do is hold the puppy up in front of you with both your hands and look it right in the eyes. If it stays calm and doesn’t struggle to get free, its a keeper!
Coincidently, this is the same technique I used on the first date with the woman I married, yea she struggled at first when I lifted her, but she eventually calmed down and I knew she was the one. But unfortunately most of the time you’ll have to just trust your instincts when selecting potential friends who have the same ideals and who bring out the best in you.
I can say I have lots of friends, which really means, I have many acquaintances but only a handful of true friends who make me a better person. I have a good buddy who I guess you can call “my right hand man”...but since I’m left handed, he really isn’t that necessary but what’s important is we bonded and he has made me a better person.
American author Jack Donovan says this: “Being good at being a man has more to do with a man’s ability to succeed with men and in groups of men than it does with a man’s relationship to any woman or any group of women. When someone tells a man to be a man, they are really telling him to be more like other men, more like the majority of men, and ideally more like the men who other men hold in high regard.”
So I would encourage you to step out in confidence with other men. You may be the man they will hold in high regard.
Sincerely,
The fruitful, yet non-fertilized,
Dennis Munoz
Growing old isn’t for the young. I recall the days when I thought I was a stud muffin and now, well I’m more of a bran muffin. In the days of my youth I remember how excited I was to “sow my wild oats”, now I’m just as excited to have my Quaker Oats. But if there’s any consolation to being my age, it’s this; I no longer have to worry about dying young.
I do have to remind myself when I look in the mirror that the wrinkles, loss of hair and the temptation to chase kids off my lawn have all come with an upside. Not everyone lives to be my age. I still feel like my memory should be perfect because I hardly ever use it. It’s like a steel vault, nothing gets in and nothing gets out. Moments still occur when I walk into a room and... forget where I was going with this story...
Anyway, if you’re not growing old, you’d better see your mortician cause something ain’t right. Growing old is a gift. I for one never knock my age because of the boundless rewards I’ve reaped along with my AARP discounts at Denny’s, such as age spots when if you connect the dots, you get a nice design. Gaining weight will keep the wrinkles away, and I’m getting more “shout outs” from everyone because I’m becoming hard of hearing.
So regardless of where you’re at in the spectrum of aging, just count your blessings, sit back and enjoy the ride to old age...but just remember to turn off your blinkers.
Sincerely,
The bubbly, yet non-carbonated,
Dennis Munoz