"El Lay" Lesson: Try Something New

Many of us face an uncertain future in these trying times, but, in these times, it is a good time to try something new. You have to stretch the boundaries of your comfort zone. Most successful transitions involve a trial and error process. Having the courage to try is a success. As the OGDUDE13 states: "Is it better to try and fail or to fail to try." You decide. You can beat defeat by considering my advice.

1. Isolate The Incident. View the incident as a learning opportunity.

2. Channel Positive Experiences. What can you use from this to create success.

3. Adjust Your Sights. To increase your odds of success, break the effort into parts you can do.








Don't forget the old saying, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

Until the next lesson. Stay Down!

"El Lay" Lesson: Teamwork

Teamwork can be difficult to measure. Here are some questions to consider when you are evaluating how well your group functions as a team. The more OGDUDE13 acknowledges this the more effective your team will be.

-Are you aware of complaints and gripes among team members about each other?

-Do you hear compliments between team members?

-Do team members regularly eat lunch together or interact socially outside of the workplace?

-Do you often find yourself trying to cover for one team member who is absent or swamped with work?

-Do staff members know what tasks their teammates can handle?

-Are teammates asking you to help them with things they could have handled among themselves?








My take on this is that you have to sit down with all of them and lay down the law. The way the economy is, they have no choice but to work with each other. If they want to keep their job, they would have to do this.

Let them know that unemployment is NOT a good thing. You will see an immediate turnaround.

Until the next lesson, Stay Down.

"El Lay" Lesson Holiday Edition: Home for the Holidays

The Christmas season is already here, and with this comes the annual trek of far flying relatives. This is an absolutely necessary tradition that has occurred for centuries. These relatives always arrive via greyhound bus or airplane. They expect you to pick them up at the bus depot or aiport and you have to be on time or they will be very critical of you. You will be expected to wine and dine them. Your home will be at their disposal and you may want to get upset at them when they become unbearable.









Hell, after the first night, they have already worn out their welcome. They never offer to pay for any of the amenities you are providing them with and you can bet they will be expecting you to pay for their admission to Disneyland and other fine establishments. The funny part about all this is that when you visit them, they never treat you this good. They don’t have all the fine establishments there like we have in “El Lay“. There is nothing to do there, so you will leave within a couple of days. Where as when they visit, they want to stay at least a week and make sure that by the time they leave, you are nice and miserable. But hey, isn’t this what the holidays are all about? Spending time with the members of your family that you wouldn’t otherwise see until someone bit the big one.


Untill the next lesson “Stay Down”
and MERRY X-MAS


Family Fun From: OG DUDE

"El Lay" Holiday Lesson: Holiday Parties and Cheer

During these times of gift giving and mirth making most folks don’t have time to really enjoy the moment. These individuals feel they have to provide the best possible Holiday season party that they stress themselves out completely. This is totally ludicrous! All you have to do is slow down and enjoy the festivities, instead of making them. There are plenty of Christmas parties starting with the Thanksgiving Holiday all the way up to New Year’s Day. You need to attend as many of these as possible and enjoy this once a year spirit that surrounds us. If you prepared the Christmas party the previous year, don’t try and outdo yourself this year, just have somebody else throw the damn party.











Work on getting invited to as many parties as possible. Believe me, you will feel better about Christmas. Trying to make the perfect Christmas costs way too much and will never ever go as planned. Avoid the unhappy critics that will always be there and get sauced up at a friends party. Let them be miserable somewhere else for a change while you party across town. Remember this year your attending the party not planning one. Once you’ve enjoyed being on the guest list at the party train you will wonder why you’d never thought of this sooner. Take the OG DUDE’S advice and pour yourself a tasty “Sancho Claus” while planning what party to go to rather then what napkins to put out.



Until the next lesson, “Stay Down.”
Author: OG DUDE

Los Angeles Holiday Lesson: Sancho Claus

The Holiday season is upon us and with this festive atmosphere comes heavy eating and even heavier drinking. You will undoubtedly be offered many types of Christmas foods and numerous spirits to wash them down with.









Everybody is filled with feelings of glee and positive moods because as you and I both know, Sancho Claus is coming to town! With this in mind the OG DUDE is prescribing the perfect drink for this holiday season. Just as “The Brown Mexican” became a fan favorite party drink, this new one, Sancho Claus, will become an instant Christmas classic.




















But be careful, the Sancho Claus is another one of the OG DUDE’S drinks that will settle easy and relax you quick. It’s a “creeper” and will definitely put you in one hell of a festive spirit!

• Ingredients:
• 3 oz. Eggnog
• 3 oz. Peppermint schnapps
• 3 oz. Whiskey

You can either blend this drink or stir it well and serve it on the rocks in a 10 to 12 oz. highball glass. After all the excitement of making the drink go ahead and enjoy this Holiday concoction with friends and family alike. What can I tell you but to drink safe, be thankful for Sancho Claus and to have a Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas.
Until the next lesson, “Stay Down.”
Mix Master and Author: OG DUDE

• (Remember always measure to taste, sometimes the OG DUDE’S drinks can be a bit strong.)

"El Lay" Lesson: Holiday Spending

The Holidays are here. It’s time to start getting ready for the busy days of shopping and celebration. It’s easy to get carried away by the Holiday spirit. But with higher prices putting an extra strain on your budget it’s more important then ever to plan your holiday spending more wisely. Being a smart shopper will help you avoid a “Holiday Hangover” in January from extensive debt. Let the OG DUDE provide you with some tips in making the most of the dollars you spend this Christmas Season.























1) Make a List and Check It Twice: Making a gift list and a budget will help you avoid impulse spending.

2) Trim your Budget: Consider what is important to you. This way you can cut back unnecessary gift giving.

3) Sale Shopping: Due to a weak economy this year retailers will be promoting price cuts on inventory.

4) Choose Gifts With Value: Money is always a good value gift.

5) Resist Temptation: Do not open any store credit cards. You will pay later!

6) Recycling: Similar to what I do. Give away gifts that you received in the past that never got opened or can be sealed up real neatly. It is a good way of getting rid of junk.















As previously noted in an earlier lesson, the Christmas Season is a prime time for identity thieves. Make sure your credit card never leaves your sight and keep all receipts in your pocket, not in a shopping bag. The Christmas Season is a special time so be sure to enjoy it all month long. Be nice, be merry and don’t be dazzled by the twinkling lights.


Until the next lesson, “Stay Down.”