Cornucopia of Manliness

This weekend I was down at a friend’s River house for a Man Weekend. Every so often guys get together to do Manly things, tell Locker Room stories, drink beer, smoke cigars and let loose in a way we can’t at work or in a relationship. As a single guy I am able to act this way more often then maybe some of my friends who are married or in serious relationships, because women still have some type of expectation of how men should behave. Like I said, I’m not currently in a relationship so I could be completely wrong on that point so let me know in the comments section. Either way it was nice to do things MEN enjoy doing with other MEN this weekend. There was the use of man tools which include our brains, shovels, power sprayers, etc. There were adventures on the open sea this weekend, which was a great conclusion to the weekend. Oh and did I mention there was alcohol and cigars. We even dealt with an irrational woman who couldn’t garden because our music was too loud, she couldn’t handle the BOOM, BOOM. But we are Virginia Gentlemen so we turned the music down and didn’t let it ruin the weekend. Why do I bring this up, especially after my earlier post on Man Nights, well why not talk about Manly Things, basically I had few ideas, I couldn’t get an entire blog out of so this is a cornucopia of manliness.

There is one thing that every man needs, and that is a Man Cave. It doesn’t really matter what is in his Man Cave as long as he has one. Sometimes men need to go some place to kick back and not be bothered, this is what keeps our stress levels low, it helps us live longer healthier lives. I have no statistics to back this up, but it sounds good doesn’t it. Men need a place where they can go and just be men. For some men, this may just be the garage, but in colder climates this may not be ideal in the winter months. For others it’s the basement or a room in the basement. It can really be anywhere. I worked with a guy who built a shed in his back yard. Kenny put a pool table, some bar signs, a TV (that he hooked to his satellite dish), a stereo, some benches, and a space heater (like the ones you see on construction sites in the winter). It was a place where we could get as loud as we want and drink and have a good time. No matter where this room is located it goes back to the days when we were boys and had our tree forts with signs on the door that read, “No Girlz Allowed.” For more information on Man Room's check out some of the Tool Man's ideas.

Man Movies, I’m sure I will leave some off, but you are free to add them to the comments. Any movie that involves The Duke is manly. John Wayne was the definition of manliness when he was alive. He towered over other men and made the horses he rode look small. I read once that Wayne would only drink his tequila with ice chips he got from an iceberg in Alaska, that’s just baller. Jay-Z wishes he thought of that. Some movies that stick out to me as Man Movies are Super Troopers, Scarface, Boondock Saints, The Hangover (although the longevity of this movie has not been proven yet), Blazing Saddles, Rambo, The Godfather, and many others. But things these movies have are crude humor and/or violence, they also have quotability. The man movie is becoming a dying breed though, it’s hard to find a movie that doesn’t have a ridiculous love story in the middle of it to attract female viewers.

The final topic is cooking, now I’m sure you are thinking wait cooking’s not manly, that’s women’s work. Well I’m not talking about cooking dinner or baking cakes, I’m talking about grilling. Men feel at home behind a grill, whether it be grilling up hot dogs and burger or slow cooking brisket. Have you been on the seasoning/marinades isle at the grocery store, its not small. It’s also the only place where women get lost in a store. They think teriyaki and bbq sauce is all they need to cook. Men can walk down that isle and find many different flavors to try, and others will make their own at home. Plus men love to eat.

So if you have your own ideas or disagree, let me know and post it in the comments.