Friday of a Holiday weekend
The weekend actually started on Friday morning. My boss and I had a meeting with the Budget Director and the Chief Information Technology Officer. (1) When we first met with the CITO he mentioned that nothing will change except the functions of the duplication center, shipping and close the stockroom. The stockroom would directly involve me, and I inquired into the reasoning (2), he caught my drift and nervously laughed and said “Don’t worry we’ll find plenty for you to do”.(3)
My boss jumped in before I started jumping ugly (4) and asked if he had seen the stockroom and everything in there. He agreed to make a quick visit and give me a chance to make my case. The visit went well he agreed to my recommendations, but said the stockroom would be a full service institution, and he issued a decree stating I would do ALL ordering. The decree was sent to all managers.
Two weeks ago I received a request for 2 dozen retractable pens, and I followed through with the order. I got two bids, took the lowest and sent it to budget. I heard nothing for two days, I asked the Administrative Assistant if she had heard anything, and she told me that the Budget section went ballistic at not having prior information. The requisition is on hold indefinitely, and she didn’t know why I wasn’t informed (5).
I was horse collared by the budget director in the hallway (6) and we had a brief discussion about accounting procedures, why she was not advised, and she was requesting a meeting with CITO, her boss, my boss and me. She wasn’t happy about the way things are done and in Accountant speak she indicated she didn’t like having a stockroom because the budget dollars are tied up in ASD and direct cost accounting should be used which is something I reminded her I had been asking for using the $10 million accounting system.
I spoke to my boss and we both agreed it is a fait accompli, she gets what she wants, and no one either has the balls to challenge her, they are dazzled by her looks (7), or they don’t have any idea what is going on and it is too small a matter to involve the higher ups.
By now you are saying, get to the meeting. Friday comes and we go and the budget director’s boss is not there, but a thin nervous man is there. I don’t know who he is but I notice the CITO did not sit at the head of the table which is curious since it is his meeting, and his meeting room.
The budget director shows up 10 minutes late, and during that time we chatted a bit and it was evident to me that she had already made her case and we were there as a courtesy. She outlined why she didn’t want me doing the supplies any more using the current cost allocations, why the budget dollars shouldn’t be tied up in ASD with a yearly reconciliation, and why her staff is too busy for more timely accounting entries.
I pointed out why from a economy of scales it is better from a fraud and waste standpoint, and I was interrupted repeatedly, she did apologize for it but she said her case is made and if there any other questions make them now because she has to go. I asked “So what happens to my duties (as if I didn’t know), the CITO laughs again and repeats “Don’t worry there is plenty for you to do” about accountability will reside with the managers, but he started stammering and stuttering rather badly. This is a “tell” that he is hiding something, and deviating from his prepared script.
The Budget Gal reassured me that I am a valuable asset and “You have skills”, I kind of lost my cool and said “that is what I was told when I was exiled to the basement”. No one said anything and she left. After she left I asked the CITO “So all this is about saving her staff work” and the nervous guy went into a soliloquy speaking to no one specifically stuttering so much I have no idea what he said.
My boss and I speak afterwards and we make note of recent decisions. We may lose the gal who does shots with the department secretary and the CITO. She isn’t an asset and will not be missed, the term employee hired to help me has had his duties used to cover the gal who does nothing, but they may not retain him. I’m two years from retirement and they won’t replace me in the stockroom.
There will more deliveries for me, waste and abuse from the Admn Assistants, and new opportunities for me. I’m not going to seek competitive bids anymore since they don’t care, and they don’t know that since I saw it coming I ordered enough for 6 months.
Should be interesting.
(1) We used to be under the Administration Services Division (ASD) until last month, a change that raised a lot of questions since our bureau runs the functional part of the building such as cars, maintenance, mail, and property control.
(2) The stockroom has been a target of closure for many years, other agencies have the individual operating units order their own supplies. There are reasons on either side. I’ve thought its better from a economy of scales to order for everyone and deliver as they use them. When each orders their own there is waste, and it is expensive to order in small quantities.
(3) Now isn’t that a fucked up thing to say to someone. That is a “tell”, a lie of omission. There is a plan and they are not ready to reveal.
(4) In a most polite non threatening way that would not emasculate him
(5) Kind of a retaliation, but Budget is queen of the May and they pretty much do what they want, I’m kind of petty with them and enjoy when they fill miffed.
(6) We used to be really tight years ago, I helped train her, we used to eat out lunch together, and it was initiated by her, because of her looks she was kind of shunned when she first started, and we got to know each other really well. She had a bad break up and was fixed up on a date, a guy she married and she changed everything about her appearance. She went from a very attractive lady, to a well bred society looking lady.
(7) It is a strange thing having good looking ladies for a friend, outsiders inquire if anything is going on, haters as why I’m with a phony, and they find an excuse to say howdy when I’m with her and flirt a bit
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Am I that bad a writer?
A very close friend of mine has a very well written and thought out blog, one of his features is “people I know” and he featured my blog with respect of what it is like to live with a drug addict. He stated that he admires my leaving it all on the table and I should publish a book on the matter. He also cited a problem that I am familiar with. My “stream of consciousness” prose isn’t very user friendly. I tend to write in a blaze of glory, and use spell check only to ensure accuracy, not readability. I have very long sentences and have been chastised since I was 6 that while grammatically correct, it gives the reader an ice cream headache and my pov is lost.
Since I have problems with authority I rebelled, took the criticism as an attack on my beliefs and refused to yield.
I always wanted to be a writer, but since I was far too stubborn, I didn’t learn to work at my craft, my brain worked faster than I could hand write, and since this was before word processors, typing proved to be a impossible chore. I was weak, I gave up before I fired a shot.
As I approach retirement I wished I kept a log of my wars with authority, every slight, every block in my path. It also would have been helpful to have written even a paragraph a day during my 19 year journey with the DA.
So I will start writing about several things on my mind and return to my ‘musings’, and post only the abridged version, and work on the chapters of my masterpiece.
Only a few will read, if I reach the journey by faithful and diligent work, I will be the victor, or at least have a few stories to tell my fellow inmates at the asylum
Since I have problems with authority I rebelled, took the criticism as an attack on my beliefs and refused to yield.
I always wanted to be a writer, but since I was far too stubborn, I didn’t learn to work at my craft, my brain worked faster than I could hand write, and since this was before word processors, typing proved to be a impossible chore. I was weak, I gave up before I fired a shot.
As I approach retirement I wished I kept a log of my wars with authority, every slight, every block in my path. It also would have been helpful to have written even a paragraph a day during my 19 year journey with the DA.
So I will start writing about several things on my mind and return to my ‘musings’, and post only the abridged version, and work on the chapters of my masterpiece.
Only a few will read, if I reach the journey by faithful and diligent work, I will be the victor, or at least have a few stories to tell my fellow inmates at the asylum
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Adventures of the DA
Suicide calls from the DA are much like a falling star, much excitement at first, but after many years of them they can be interesting, they lost their luster.
Yesterday when I went to pick up the DA she said she needed a ride to Crumb ____ the dealer who broke her window , she asked for the money I had for her public defender and bus ride and I declined and told her we have to go. She wasn’t dressed nice but I let it go, as we started she said she had to go to the dealer because she needed a hit before we left. I stopped the car and told her to get out, she started yelling and I got out of the car and screamed “get out of the car I am not taking you to buy crack, I am taking you to court” she refused and I pulled out the money and threw it in the yard, when she went to get it I locked the door and drove off .
She called and told me that she pleaded not guilty, and a court date was set and she faced 90 days. After work she called and said the police gave her a traffic ticket for something and she signed the guilty line and her fine was $57 but she had 30 days and would give me the money to write a check, (I’ll worry about that later).
She didn’t call back, so I called her this morning and she told me that she locked herself out of the house, and went in through the broken window she was supposed to have fixed, furthermore she was surprised she woke up. With a heavy sigh I took the bait and she was depressed she had no smokes, treats for the cat, no money, and no Klonopin. I told her I can help with everything but the cash and then she told me it didn’t matter because she wanted to kill herself, and that she took a bunch of Benadryl last night and was going to take more. She wanted me to mail a letter to her dad, and to take care of the cat, told her I wasn’t going to take any smokes or anything to a dead person and she again reiterated it didn’t matter and to take care of the cat.
I called an hour ago and she didn’t answer, but when she is at wits end and has Benadryl she often takes 5-6 and sleeps it off, and I will try every hour before I go home get the meds she wants (we have the same prescription, but mine is for restless leg syndrome) I suppose you may be wondering why I don’t rush over there but after 20 years, I know it is a ploy for cash, and tonight I dread going over there. My situation eats up every moment. If they had not changed the cat policy I would still be at my old place and when I was there I pretty much ignored her as she didn’t need me then. Her dad would take her 50.00 a day and buy her food with her food stamp card. I was out of the loop except for a request for a hamburger from McDonalds and the change from a Ten.
She answers and sounds morose but would like some cokes along with the other stuff. So I get the cokes, smokes, meds and……
A brief interlude
One banana, two banana, three banana, four
Four bananas make a bunch and so do many more.
Over hill and highway the banana buggies go
Coming on to bring you the Banana Splits show
Making up a mess of fun, Making up a mess of fun
Lots of fun for everyone
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
Four banana, three banana, two bananas, one
All bananas playing in the bright warm sun,
Flipping like a pancake, popping like a cork,
Fleagle, Bingo, Drooper and, Snork
Making up a mess of fun, Making up a mess of fun
Lots of fun for everyone
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
(background singer - La-----aaah!)
Two Banana, four banana, one banana, three
Swinging like a bunch of monkeys hanging from a tree
Hey there everybody won't you come along and see
How much like Banana Splits everyone can be
Making up a mess of fun, Making up a mess of fun
Lots of fun for everyone
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
The DA got jumped, and the gal then jumped her accused her of disrespecting her house, ans she had a ring that left 3 stitches. But she got some Percocet, and that is always a plus.
Later the DA calls and says she almost got arrested because she was on he sidewalk in front of a hotel she has been banned from, she was cuffed and placed in the back of the squad car. They could not find the paperwork, so they let her go.
She praises God for watching over her, and I reminder her that I warned her that even if she stays on the sidewalk, the owner will call the police and she will be arrested. She kept saying “ I was on the sidewalk” and I kept saying “don’t matter” she screamed at me “you don’t care” and reminded she needs $2 and 5 packs of smokes by Tuesday.
Almost funny
Yesterday when I went to pick up the DA she said she needed a ride to Crumb ____ the dealer who broke her window , she asked for the money I had for her public defender and bus ride and I declined and told her we have to go. She wasn’t dressed nice but I let it go, as we started she said she had to go to the dealer because she needed a hit before we left. I stopped the car and told her to get out, she started yelling and I got out of the car and screamed “get out of the car I am not taking you to buy crack, I am taking you to court” she refused and I pulled out the money and threw it in the yard, when she went to get it I locked the door and drove off .
She called and told me that she pleaded not guilty, and a court date was set and she faced 90 days. After work she called and said the police gave her a traffic ticket for something and she signed the guilty line and her fine was $57 but she had 30 days and would give me the money to write a check, (I’ll worry about that later).
She didn’t call back, so I called her this morning and she told me that she locked herself out of the house, and went in through the broken window she was supposed to have fixed, furthermore she was surprised she woke up. With a heavy sigh I took the bait and she was depressed she had no smokes, treats for the cat, no money, and no Klonopin. I told her I can help with everything but the cash and then she told me it didn’t matter because she wanted to kill herself, and that she took a bunch of Benadryl last night and was going to take more. She wanted me to mail a letter to her dad, and to take care of the cat, told her I wasn’t going to take any smokes or anything to a dead person and she again reiterated it didn’t matter and to take care of the cat.
I called an hour ago and she didn’t answer, but when she is at wits end and has Benadryl she often takes 5-6 and sleeps it off, and I will try every hour before I go home get the meds she wants (we have the same prescription, but mine is for restless leg syndrome) I suppose you may be wondering why I don’t rush over there but after 20 years, I know it is a ploy for cash, and tonight I dread going over there. My situation eats up every moment. If they had not changed the cat policy I would still be at my old place and when I was there I pretty much ignored her as she didn’t need me then. Her dad would take her 50.00 a day and buy her food with her food stamp card. I was out of the loop except for a request for a hamburger from McDonalds and the change from a Ten.
She answers and sounds morose but would like some cokes along with the other stuff. So I get the cokes, smokes, meds and……
A brief interlude
One banana, two banana, three banana, four
Four bananas make a bunch and so do many more.
Over hill and highway the banana buggies go
Coming on to bring you the Banana Splits show
Making up a mess of fun, Making up a mess of fun
Lots of fun for everyone
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
Four banana, three banana, two bananas, one
All bananas playing in the bright warm sun,
Flipping like a pancake, popping like a cork,
Fleagle, Bingo, Drooper and, Snork
Making up a mess of fun, Making up a mess of fun
Lots of fun for everyone
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
(background singer - La-----aaah!)
Two Banana, four banana, one banana, three
Swinging like a bunch of monkeys hanging from a tree
Hey there everybody won't you come along and see
How much like Banana Splits everyone can be
Making up a mess of fun, Making up a mess of fun
Lots of fun for everyone
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
Tra la la, la la la la, tra la la, la la la la
The DA got jumped, and the gal then jumped her accused her of disrespecting her house, ans she had a ring that left 3 stitches. But she got some Percocet, and that is always a plus.
Later the DA calls and says she almost got arrested because she was on he sidewalk in front of a hotel she has been banned from, she was cuffed and placed in the back of the squad car. They could not find the paperwork, so they let her go.
She praises God for watching over her, and I reminder her that I warned her that even if she stays on the sidewalk, the owner will call the police and she will be arrested. She kept saying “ I was on the sidewalk” and I kept saying “don’t matter” she screamed at me “you don’t care” and reminded she needs $2 and 5 packs of smokes by Tuesday.
Almost funny
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
letter to the DA
A letter to the DA
The DA may be near the end of the run, she has a court date for panhandling where she was told not to and picked up two more citations for going to the same place, what is unusual, is that none of the tickets were given by a cop, but were mailed. This tells me they are serious on getting her and she has to get a public defender. Her luck will probably get her off completely with probation involving drug testing, or she will get the 18 mos in the pokey
May 11, 2011
Dear DA
It appears that every week I get more concerned over your safety and freedom. Thursday May 5th I bought 92.00 worth of food. 10 Pizzas, 8 yogurts 3 hungry man TV dinners, 2 cases of cokes, crackers, candy, two loaves of bread, some lunchmeat and I can’t remember what else. Monday you said that you were almost out of Pizza and smokes, and while I understand the smokes, I do not understand the lack of food. Last night you called and said you have NO FOOD.
I simply cannot believe that you ate all that food and soda, I don’t know if you trade it directly for crack, or if you take it to a store and get credit you later sell for said crack. I cannot force you to eat and since it was your food stamp card, I suppose I should have no complaint, but I have to cover you for the next 3 ½ weeks, and I cannot afford to provide food and smokes while you piss your life away.
Every time I think you hit a new low you manage to surprise even me. Your call today first asking for 5 bucks and then getting mad at me because I didn’t leave 5 bucks this morning is unacceptable. Your demeaning behavior hurts me a great deal, and it is sucking the life out of me, I have been eating lots of fat and sugar and I am back to 245. I am not blaming you; It is my problem that I choose destructive behavior in response to your behavior.
You expressed surprise when you got another ticket and you are some illusion if you think you will not suffer some punishment, you have been on probation many times and if the judge looks at your record, they may tack on a UA. You have gotten two more criminal trespass tickets and I am really afraid the judge will make an example out of you, you can’t do a year in Jail, and your family might take matters into their own hands. You dad isn’t well enough to go to his Grandson’s graduation should mean something to you (unless he is coming but not telling you so he can relax and not have to deal with you, which should also mean something to you)
I still care for you deeply, and I feel your sense of hopelessness, I see the sadness in your eye when I drop off food or smoke, and you beg for money starting at $5 and going up to $20. I sense the desperation when you demand I drive the 4 miles to drop off $2 for a bus trip we both know is BS. You get really mad like 5 bucks isn’t much but it adds up, last month when you gave me 100 when it was 300 you really put me in a hole. I should have my new glasses now, and my debt to health care paid off. I’m entitled to have a little fun now and then, but I can’t, I can’t really afford it and I’m not in the mood. Fighting with you over money is really stressing me out, it must stress you out, but I promised to help with food and smokes. I’m not responsible for getting you started on Crack, and currently you don’t want to get better, you just want your next fix and you sell the drugs that are supposed to help you for more Crack. I dread tomorrow giving you a ride to court so you can fix the first item, I know you will want money, and I know you will insist I have a fortune and that 20 bucks isn’t that big a deal. IT IS
In the Laundromat Sunday you started crying and holding my hand, I wished I could make the world better, but I can’t take care of myself, and you are spinning out of control. I don’t want you in Jail, but I can’t let you ruin what little dignity I have left. I still care
Love
The fatman
The DA may be near the end of the run, she has a court date for panhandling where she was told not to and picked up two more citations for going to the same place, what is unusual, is that none of the tickets were given by a cop, but were mailed. This tells me they are serious on getting her and she has to get a public defender. Her luck will probably get her off completely with probation involving drug testing, or she will get the 18 mos in the pokey
May 11, 2011
Dear DA
It appears that every week I get more concerned over your safety and freedom. Thursday May 5th I bought 92.00 worth of food. 10 Pizzas, 8 yogurts 3 hungry man TV dinners, 2 cases of cokes, crackers, candy, two loaves of bread, some lunchmeat and I can’t remember what else. Monday you said that you were almost out of Pizza and smokes, and while I understand the smokes, I do not understand the lack of food. Last night you called and said you have NO FOOD.
I simply cannot believe that you ate all that food and soda, I don’t know if you trade it directly for crack, or if you take it to a store and get credit you later sell for said crack. I cannot force you to eat and since it was your food stamp card, I suppose I should have no complaint, but I have to cover you for the next 3 ½ weeks, and I cannot afford to provide food and smokes while you piss your life away.
Every time I think you hit a new low you manage to surprise even me. Your call today first asking for 5 bucks and then getting mad at me because I didn’t leave 5 bucks this morning is unacceptable. Your demeaning behavior hurts me a great deal, and it is sucking the life out of me, I have been eating lots of fat and sugar and I am back to 245. I am not blaming you; It is my problem that I choose destructive behavior in response to your behavior.
You expressed surprise when you got another ticket and you are some illusion if you think you will not suffer some punishment, you have been on probation many times and if the judge looks at your record, they may tack on a UA. You have gotten two more criminal trespass tickets and I am really afraid the judge will make an example out of you, you can’t do a year in Jail, and your family might take matters into their own hands. You dad isn’t well enough to go to his Grandson’s graduation should mean something to you (unless he is coming but not telling you so he can relax and not have to deal with you, which should also mean something to you)
I still care for you deeply, and I feel your sense of hopelessness, I see the sadness in your eye when I drop off food or smoke, and you beg for money starting at $5 and going up to $20. I sense the desperation when you demand I drive the 4 miles to drop off $2 for a bus trip we both know is BS. You get really mad like 5 bucks isn’t much but it adds up, last month when you gave me 100 when it was 300 you really put me in a hole. I should have my new glasses now, and my debt to health care paid off. I’m entitled to have a little fun now and then, but I can’t, I can’t really afford it and I’m not in the mood. Fighting with you over money is really stressing me out, it must stress you out, but I promised to help with food and smokes. I’m not responsible for getting you started on Crack, and currently you don’t want to get better, you just want your next fix and you sell the drugs that are supposed to help you for more Crack. I dread tomorrow giving you a ride to court so you can fix the first item, I know you will want money, and I know you will insist I have a fortune and that 20 bucks isn’t that big a deal. IT IS
In the Laundromat Sunday you started crying and holding my hand, I wished I could make the world better, but I can’t take care of myself, and you are spinning out of control. I don’t want you in Jail, but I can’t let you ruin what little dignity I have left. I still care
Love
The fatman
Saturday, April 30, 2011
What a revolting development
First the DA update:
We were supposed to do her laundry, and I agreed to pay for it, as all her cash goes to…, well you know. Some merchants complained to the police and got a restraining order to keep her from panhandling on her property. One merchant went a step further and obtained her mug shot and wrote a description of her panhandling activities and titled it JUST SAY NO TO XXXXXXXX. Naturally this upset her so much she went right back there and resumed asking for money and now she was mailed a ticket.
I called this morning to she if she was ready and she asked for the money instead and said she does not need to do laundry. So instead of getting mad I dropped off the money, smokes, and cokes and when she asked for more I high tailed it out of there. Her freedom is not for long, which causes me a problem with the cat as I don’t have enough to get a place of my own let alone one that takes cats.
With the morning free and the house empty I go to the senior citizen center to download some podcasts since wifi is free
Last nights dream, or rather this mornings dream. I’m in a new apartment, I smell the paint and I’m signing the lease. A knock at the door and a woman I’ve know for years comes in with a clip board and she says she is there to inspect the apartment. I notice the woman look pretty much as she looked when I first met her. I haven’t seen her in years, and I haven’t really thought of her since her and her husband moved away.
We exchange pleasantries and she goes around checking things. A small closet has been converted to an atrium and there is a single chair on a sand box surrounded by rocks and desert plants. She asks the nature of the room and I tell her it is a Zen torture chamber. She giggles and I ask her what she has been up to. She says “I’m still an exhibitionist” which was a point of contention with her husband 20+ years ago. She removes her shirt and I’m about to ask her something and she stops me and says “ don’t ask, I’ve grown” (you know what I was going to ask, and for the record I’ve never seen her naked, but she wore the minimum of clothing back in the day. Her husband used to invite me over for a beer but I declined when he warned me that XXXXXX usually walked around naked, it kind of seemed like a penthouse letter, and while I don’t need the grief he often carried a gun on his hip, which is enough to keep me away)
She removes the rest of her clothing and finishes inspecting the house, and we talk about old times and I try to ignore looking at her, I look away and she now has four breasts. My inner voice says “come on dude, four breasts?” and I wake up.
Pretty strange dream, wasn’t all that erotic, it was more matter of fact nakedness. Wonder what it means, get a new place, get a new life, spend time in a zen garden with a naked ex-hippie? Who knows?
We were supposed to do her laundry, and I agreed to pay for it, as all her cash goes to…, well you know. Some merchants complained to the police and got a restraining order to keep her from panhandling on her property. One merchant went a step further and obtained her mug shot and wrote a description of her panhandling activities and titled it JUST SAY NO TO XXXXXXXX. Naturally this upset her so much she went right back there and resumed asking for money and now she was mailed a ticket.
I called this morning to she if she was ready and she asked for the money instead and said she does not need to do laundry. So instead of getting mad I dropped off the money, smokes, and cokes and when she asked for more I high tailed it out of there. Her freedom is not for long, which causes me a problem with the cat as I don’t have enough to get a place of my own let alone one that takes cats.
With the morning free and the house empty I go to the senior citizen center to download some podcasts since wifi is free
Last nights dream, or rather this mornings dream. I’m in a new apartment, I smell the paint and I’m signing the lease. A knock at the door and a woman I’ve know for years comes in with a clip board and she says she is there to inspect the apartment. I notice the woman look pretty much as she looked when I first met her. I haven’t seen her in years, and I haven’t really thought of her since her and her husband moved away.
We exchange pleasantries and she goes around checking things. A small closet has been converted to an atrium and there is a single chair on a sand box surrounded by rocks and desert plants. She asks the nature of the room and I tell her it is a Zen torture chamber. She giggles and I ask her what she has been up to. She says “I’m still an exhibitionist” which was a point of contention with her husband 20+ years ago. She removes her shirt and I’m about to ask her something and she stops me and says “ don’t ask, I’ve grown” (you know what I was going to ask, and for the record I’ve never seen her naked, but she wore the minimum of clothing back in the day. Her husband used to invite me over for a beer but I declined when he warned me that XXXXXX usually walked around naked, it kind of seemed like a penthouse letter, and while I don’t need the grief he often carried a gun on his hip, which is enough to keep me away)
She removes the rest of her clothing and finishes inspecting the house, and we talk about old times and I try to ignore looking at her, I look away and she now has four breasts. My inner voice says “come on dude, four breasts?” and I wake up.
Pretty strange dream, wasn’t all that erotic, it was more matter of fact nakedness. Wonder what it means, get a new place, get a new life, spend time in a zen garden with a naked ex-hippie? Who knows?
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Origin of easter eggs and Cousin Chuy's ramblings
I was watching Good Friday news coverage of the Penitentes in the Philippines, and it brought to mind Cousin Chuy who according to family lore used to be a member in good standing. He doesn’t speak about it much; I remember when my parents used to go to the Chapel in Lyden for the Good Friday procession,
(I once had the honor of holding the Crucifix leading the procession, I was about 8 and I wish I could say it was because of my Pious nature, but the kid originally selected didn’t seem interested, didn’t listen to the head Penitente, and someone spoke to my dad and I was selected).
I once pestered him about the Order, and he would always tell me that it is very secretive, I would never get in, if I did I wouldn’t like it, and they would not tolerate my long winded diatribes about the true nature of the Bible and my demands on who the final editor was,
(I want to know what he left out, assuming it is a he, cause women weren’t allowed to read, unless they had money or a title, but I still doubt a woman would be allowed to edit the final draft, unless she was a ghost writer).
He got tired of my questions, and he was out of beer, and he said he wasn’t in the order anymore, and he left the order because they have a lot of rules, and his travels were frowned upon. His recollections of his travels were outright banned, but he told me his stories and I hope to publish them some day.
Irregardless of his standing in the community, (he relocated long ago but has a small home near the river where the fish have a strange luminescence quality under a full moon) he relayed to me a story of the origin of Easter Eggs as told to him by a German Wiccan travel guide he met in a beer garden in Weimar. I don’t remember the whole story, and frankly I thought he made it up. I did a Google search and found something similar to the story he told. It is evident Cousin Chuy mixed in Greek and German mythology but I must admit it has been 40 years since his relegation.
The story of how Easter Eggs came to be as told by Cousin Chuy.
A long time ago, back when the old days were the news days, there was the chick that went by the name of Ostara and what was unique about her was she was a Goddess who bore a resemblance to Zeus, but there was never any parentage established. The other gods liked her well enough, but she was a bit aimless, liked to hang out with the animals, swim with the fishes, and loved wine.
This troubled the minor gods mainly Chaos and Chronos who may have been jealous of her looks, her carefree attitude about rules, she was always late, and she loved playing drinking games, especially pin the tail on Athena (although to be fair it wasn’t actually Athena but a rather crude mock up of her involving straw, honey, and a bear).
Zeus got tired of all the complaining so while playing craps with Hemera, (he was on an impressive winning streak), and he told her he would forgive the debt if she found something for her to do. Hemera had a rather novel idea of placing Ostara in charge of spring. Spring used to arrive pretty much at the whim of Zeus, and it was very confusing to the animals, plants, and particularly the astronomers who never knew when to start the calendar, and picked April 1st out of sheer spite.
Ostera was excited at the opportunity to have a job that involved one day of work and she excitedly prepared for her first job which she decided to call the Equinox because it sounded really funny and was hard to say after a few glasses of wine. Her cousin Dionysus was really bummed out at her getting the gig because 1) she was always drinking his wine, 2) Zeus let her get away with avoiding the rituals and she still got her allowance, and 3) Dionysus really hated astronomers when his application to have a month named after him was rejected, and he lavished them with much wine.
Dionysus caught Ostera in a particularly weak moment, (she had a short attention span) the day before the Equinox and he visited her with many jugs of wine. She tried to say no, but gave in and they had a grand time. She got very drunk and slept in the next day.
Ostera awoke to the angry chatter of the animals who came out of hibernation, birds who were cold and hungry, and the laughter of the gods who didn’t like her who believed that Zeus would cut her off.
Ostera immediately waved her cape called to the gods to begin the spring and the earth warmed, the buds appeared on the trees and the animals went about their business. Dionysus laughed the hardest and mocked her. Inconsolable, Ostera walked into the fields and was horrified to find a bird that was trying to get off the ground, but could not as his wings were frozen solid and useless. Sobbing, she attracted the attention of Artemis who took pity on her and she said she would help her build new wings for the bird.
Ostera excitedly crafted new wings of such extraordinary color and beauty, she felt compelled to cover the rest of him in beautiful colors. The bird overjoyed at flying and his new appearance, flew over the countryside displaying his new appearance, and had many fans that believing he to be a new god made many offerings and begged favors of him. The bird not knowing any better bragged to the other birds that they must treat him as a god and do his bidding.
Naturally this angered the gods, and Ostera was bummed out as well and she approached the bird to give him some advice to mellow out a bit. The bird refused. He believed himself to be a god and wanted his place known to all.
The angry Ostera having no choice waved her cape and the bird was transformed into a hideous mangy hare. Seeing his appearance in a stream the hare cried for mercy as people have no use for an ugly mangy animal except as food. Ostera gave him the gift of speed and sharp claws so he could dig the earth and burrow himself under the protection of a den.
The hare still in shock asked once again for mercy, for his new lot in life was more then he could bear. Ostera having a soft spot in her heart and knowing it was her mistake that started the whole mess granted the hare one favor.
“For all of time you must hide your hideous appearance from man, you must use your speed to flee from his arrows, you must live in the earth for safety. However once a year you will regain your beautiful feathers, and you will be allowed to lay eggs of the most wondrous colors and sizes, and you will lay these eggs in the fields where the children will delight in finding them, and they will sing the praises of the magical hare who lays the most desirable eggs.”
Satisfied the hare hopped off into the forest. Ostera never had any problems with him again, but did make the acquaintance of a particularly obnoxious groundhog that was not searching for the miracle of life, but was obsessed with renting out his shadow.
I apologize for the rambling length, but Cousin Chuy can be a bit long winded.
(I once had the honor of holding the Crucifix leading the procession, I was about 8 and I wish I could say it was because of my Pious nature, but the kid originally selected didn’t seem interested, didn’t listen to the head Penitente, and someone spoke to my dad and I was selected).
I once pestered him about the Order, and he would always tell me that it is very secretive, I would never get in, if I did I wouldn’t like it, and they would not tolerate my long winded diatribes about the true nature of the Bible and my demands on who the final editor was,
(I want to know what he left out, assuming it is a he, cause women weren’t allowed to read, unless they had money or a title, but I still doubt a woman would be allowed to edit the final draft, unless she was a ghost writer).
He got tired of my questions, and he was out of beer, and he said he wasn’t in the order anymore, and he left the order because they have a lot of rules, and his travels were frowned upon. His recollections of his travels were outright banned, but he told me his stories and I hope to publish them some day.
Irregardless of his standing in the community, (he relocated long ago but has a small home near the river where the fish have a strange luminescence quality under a full moon) he relayed to me a story of the origin of Easter Eggs as told to him by a German Wiccan travel guide he met in a beer garden in Weimar. I don’t remember the whole story, and frankly I thought he made it up. I did a Google search and found something similar to the story he told. It is evident Cousin Chuy mixed in Greek and German mythology but I must admit it has been 40 years since his relegation.
The story of how Easter Eggs came to be as told by Cousin Chuy.
A long time ago, back when the old days were the news days, there was the chick that went by the name of Ostara and what was unique about her was she was a Goddess who bore a resemblance to Zeus, but there was never any parentage established. The other gods liked her well enough, but she was a bit aimless, liked to hang out with the animals, swim with the fishes, and loved wine.
This troubled the minor gods mainly Chaos and Chronos who may have been jealous of her looks, her carefree attitude about rules, she was always late, and she loved playing drinking games, especially pin the tail on Athena (although to be fair it wasn’t actually Athena but a rather crude mock up of her involving straw, honey, and a bear).
Zeus got tired of all the complaining so while playing craps with Hemera, (he was on an impressive winning streak), and he told her he would forgive the debt if she found something for her to do. Hemera had a rather novel idea of placing Ostara in charge of spring. Spring used to arrive pretty much at the whim of Zeus, and it was very confusing to the animals, plants, and particularly the astronomers who never knew when to start the calendar, and picked April 1st out of sheer spite.
Ostera was excited at the opportunity to have a job that involved one day of work and she excitedly prepared for her first job which she decided to call the Equinox because it sounded really funny and was hard to say after a few glasses of wine. Her cousin Dionysus was really bummed out at her getting the gig because 1) she was always drinking his wine, 2) Zeus let her get away with avoiding the rituals and she still got her allowance, and 3) Dionysus really hated astronomers when his application to have a month named after him was rejected, and he lavished them with much wine.
Dionysus caught Ostera in a particularly weak moment, (she had a short attention span) the day before the Equinox and he visited her with many jugs of wine. She tried to say no, but gave in and they had a grand time. She got very drunk and slept in the next day.
Ostera awoke to the angry chatter of the animals who came out of hibernation, birds who were cold and hungry, and the laughter of the gods who didn’t like her who believed that Zeus would cut her off.
Ostera immediately waved her cape called to the gods to begin the spring and the earth warmed, the buds appeared on the trees and the animals went about their business. Dionysus laughed the hardest and mocked her. Inconsolable, Ostera walked into the fields and was horrified to find a bird that was trying to get off the ground, but could not as his wings were frozen solid and useless. Sobbing, she attracted the attention of Artemis who took pity on her and she said she would help her build new wings for the bird.
Ostera excitedly crafted new wings of such extraordinary color and beauty, she felt compelled to cover the rest of him in beautiful colors. The bird overjoyed at flying and his new appearance, flew over the countryside displaying his new appearance, and had many fans that believing he to be a new god made many offerings and begged favors of him. The bird not knowing any better bragged to the other birds that they must treat him as a god and do his bidding.
Naturally this angered the gods, and Ostera was bummed out as well and she approached the bird to give him some advice to mellow out a bit. The bird refused. He believed himself to be a god and wanted his place known to all.
The angry Ostera having no choice waved her cape and the bird was transformed into a hideous mangy hare. Seeing his appearance in a stream the hare cried for mercy as people have no use for an ugly mangy animal except as food. Ostera gave him the gift of speed and sharp claws so he could dig the earth and burrow himself under the protection of a den.
The hare still in shock asked once again for mercy, for his new lot in life was more then he could bear. Ostera having a soft spot in her heart and knowing it was her mistake that started the whole mess granted the hare one favor.
“For all of time you must hide your hideous appearance from man, you must use your speed to flee from his arrows, you must live in the earth for safety. However once a year you will regain your beautiful feathers, and you will be allowed to lay eggs of the most wondrous colors and sizes, and you will lay these eggs in the fields where the children will delight in finding them, and they will sing the praises of the magical hare who lays the most desirable eggs.”
Satisfied the hare hopped off into the forest. Ostera never had any problems with him again, but did make the acquaintance of a particularly obnoxious groundhog that was not searching for the miracle of life, but was obsessed with renting out his shadow.
I apologize for the rambling length, but Cousin Chuy can be a bit long winded.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Tragedy and the grammer police
There has been tragedy in the family. A beloved cousin a few years older died suddenly while mowing his lawn. Death is the natural order of things. My cousin is one of those people who were a pleasant encounter. He was embarking on a spiritual journey that would have brought his family much joy and pride. He would have made a fine deacon. He was loved, he is missed.
I am far too devastated to speak of memories of him, and the sudden passing is of a nature makes me think “why” and simultaneously “make the best of every moment”
Early Saturday morning I was reading a blog that places a comic strip, and questions its effectiveness, vulgarity, and if it makes sense. He strip was about a father explaining the manner in which a new roll of toilet paper is used to replace the old one and not use a towel, a common family problem. Someone commented that they were under the impression that the kid was supposed to be bright. My Comment below:
I work for a state agency and until a few years ago we has a summer youth program where youths 16-22 were hired to do light office work and make connections, I’ve been there 20 years and for the first 15 years mostly HS students were hired who had some kind of connection to someone who worked there, every summer it cost more time to keep an eye on them as they were supposed to be honor students but they acted like they had the IQ of a tomato, it never really bothered me because it was my first job after college but I had to shake my head a few times, when the youth turned the internship program into a 10 week spring break fun fest, the agency only hired college students, and as for myself while I never used a towel my dad lectured me on the importance of not leaving him “stranded”
Someone who uses the nom de plume of Proginoskes replied:
DrDAN … They’ve invented these things called “periods”. They break a long sequence of words into readable chunks. You should try it some day.
The next comment was a little in my defense but did bring back a memory of my youth, He goes by Igelino; I think they have traded barbs in the past.
Progi, I thought only girls had those. DrDan uses commas, thankfully, so he must be a boy. We were required to read respected literaturists way back when, and they weren’t called run-on sentences, but rather stream of consciousness. Hee hee.
Way back in the 70’s when I was a very unhappy but precocious 7th grader, I was introduced to the concept of each subject had not only a different teacher, but a different classroom, very bizarre. I , (and all the 7th graders had to dodge the 9th graders who took delight is scaring the hell out of the 7th graders, I remember getting pushed around, but a friend who sold weed (and gave the persona of being Psycho) put out the word. The time structure wasn’t called ‘Sessions” or “classes” but was called “periods” and it said so right on the class schedule. For example
McKinley Class Schedule
1st Period- Subjective Interpretation of the English Language
2nt Period- Area studies of enslaved 3rd world countries
3rd Period- Math you never think you will need until trying to read a bus schedule
4th Period- P.E. or humiliation by future S&M Bondage bottoms
5th Period-Indoctrination of the American Way, morning session Liberal, Afternoon session Kill all Commies
So you be walking the hallways checking out the 8th and 9th grade babes, avoiding the Jocks and speed freaks, run into someone you know and asking them what are they doing after 3rd period and they would say every single time “I don’t have periods only girls have periods” funny the first 100 times but for two years I heard it every single day in the hallways and I think I even heard it a few times in HS.
I was away from the PC for a few hours, (about 12) and I saw what the Proginoskes wrote and out of curiosity I googled his name and as it turns out it is a unseen character similar to a dragon or Seraph with many wings and eyes in a book entitled “A Wind in the Door”. I have never heard of it, but it seems like a book like Naira or the ring books. Proginoskes could also be a female, on the shy side of 21 studying intently for her collage boards and full of venom for poor sentence structure, I probably should have looked up what her user name is and I might have taken a different approach. The anger in the post made me think of a retired English professor or HS teacher who in their spare time wails away at sentence problems. I didn’t think there were grammar problems, and for some reason I write long sentences. I did a spelling and Grammar check on word, admittedly it is a poor substitute for writing professionally. A contribution to a blog shouldn’t count, but every English teacher I’ve had said “no excuse for bad writing”, “spelling always counts”, and I don’t care if it is in the dictionary Mr. DrDAN you can’t use it in polite society.
Irregardless below is my retort (and if you are about to say irregardless is not a word I offer the below)
Irregardless is an informal term commonly used in place of regardless or irrespective, which has caused controversy since it first appeared in the early twentieth century. Most dictionaries list it as "nonstandard" or "incorrect". Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that “there is no such word.” There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance.
Thanks to Miriam Webster
Proginoskes
You are not the first, nor will you be the last to make that suggestion, (I received critical praise in red ink from a holier than though English Grad student “teaching” 101 in college and he was less than amused when I asked if I could use exclamation points, but I digress) and I probably would have made the same comment Igelino made if I had checked back sooner, but it would have be in a very long sentence of pointless chunks of words whose sequences would have run into each other ad nauseam; I’ve heard of people who experience seizures when there are flashing lights on television, however I must admit I’ve never heard of a perceived excess usage of commas, or lack of menstrual cycles in sentence structure causing them; I will take your advise with a grain of salt (or sand as it is used in limited areas of the southwest), and refrain from hoping you be subjugated to endless donations from the “save the sentence” foundation!
Because I assumed it was a very young male or old male I had a 500 word essay in my head that would have been fun to write, and if I received a response I would have, and still might, it involves starting with the sentence “The boy walked his dog” and carrying it out to 500 words.
To all my friends who might come across this, and agree that my posting are hard to read through, I will try to be mindful.
I am far too devastated to speak of memories of him, and the sudden passing is of a nature makes me think “why” and simultaneously “make the best of every moment”
Early Saturday morning I was reading a blog that places a comic strip, and questions its effectiveness, vulgarity, and if it makes sense. He strip was about a father explaining the manner in which a new roll of toilet paper is used to replace the old one and not use a towel, a common family problem. Someone commented that they were under the impression that the kid was supposed to be bright. My Comment below:
I work for a state agency and until a few years ago we has a summer youth program where youths 16-22 were hired to do light office work and make connections, I’ve been there 20 years and for the first 15 years mostly HS students were hired who had some kind of connection to someone who worked there, every summer it cost more time to keep an eye on them as they were supposed to be honor students but they acted like they had the IQ of a tomato, it never really bothered me because it was my first job after college but I had to shake my head a few times, when the youth turned the internship program into a 10 week spring break fun fest, the agency only hired college students, and as for myself while I never used a towel my dad lectured me on the importance of not leaving him “stranded”
Someone who uses the nom de plume of Proginoskes replied:
DrDAN … They’ve invented these things called “periods”. They break a long sequence of words into readable chunks. You should try it some day.
The next comment was a little in my defense but did bring back a memory of my youth, He goes by Igelino; I think they have traded barbs in the past.
Progi, I thought only girls had those. DrDan uses commas, thankfully, so he must be a boy. We were required to read respected literaturists way back when, and they weren’t called run-on sentences, but rather stream of consciousness. Hee hee.
Way back in the 70’s when I was a very unhappy but precocious 7th grader, I was introduced to the concept of each subject had not only a different teacher, but a different classroom, very bizarre. I , (and all the 7th graders had to dodge the 9th graders who took delight is scaring the hell out of the 7th graders, I remember getting pushed around, but a friend who sold weed (and gave the persona of being Psycho) put out the word. The time structure wasn’t called ‘Sessions” or “classes” but was called “periods” and it said so right on the class schedule. For example
McKinley Class Schedule
1st Period- Subjective Interpretation of the English Language
2nt Period- Area studies of enslaved 3rd world countries
3rd Period- Math you never think you will need until trying to read a bus schedule
4th Period- P.E. or humiliation by future S&M Bondage bottoms
5th Period-Indoctrination of the American Way, morning session Liberal, Afternoon session Kill all Commies
So you be walking the hallways checking out the 8th and 9th grade babes, avoiding the Jocks and speed freaks, run into someone you know and asking them what are they doing after 3rd period and they would say every single time “I don’t have periods only girls have periods” funny the first 100 times but for two years I heard it every single day in the hallways and I think I even heard it a few times in HS.
I was away from the PC for a few hours, (about 12) and I saw what the Proginoskes wrote and out of curiosity I googled his name and as it turns out it is a unseen character similar to a dragon or Seraph with many wings and eyes in a book entitled “A Wind in the Door”. I have never heard of it, but it seems like a book like Naira or the ring books. Proginoskes could also be a female, on the shy side of 21 studying intently for her collage boards and full of venom for poor sentence structure, I probably should have looked up what her user name is and I might have taken a different approach. The anger in the post made me think of a retired English professor or HS teacher who in their spare time wails away at sentence problems. I didn’t think there were grammar problems, and for some reason I write long sentences. I did a spelling and Grammar check on word, admittedly it is a poor substitute for writing professionally. A contribution to a blog shouldn’t count, but every English teacher I’ve had said “no excuse for bad writing”, “spelling always counts”, and I don’t care if it is in the dictionary Mr. DrDAN you can’t use it in polite society.
Irregardless below is my retort (and if you are about to say irregardless is not a word I offer the below)
Irregardless is an informal term commonly used in place of regardless or irrespective, which has caused controversy since it first appeared in the early twentieth century. Most dictionaries list it as "nonstandard" or "incorrect". Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that “there is no such word.” There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance.
Thanks to Miriam Webster
Proginoskes
You are not the first, nor will you be the last to make that suggestion, (I received critical praise in red ink from a holier than though English Grad student “teaching” 101 in college and he was less than amused when I asked if I could use exclamation points, but I digress) and I probably would have made the same comment Igelino made if I had checked back sooner, but it would have be in a very long sentence of pointless chunks of words whose sequences would have run into each other ad nauseam; I’ve heard of people who experience seizures when there are flashing lights on television, however I must admit I’ve never heard of a perceived excess usage of commas, or lack of menstrual cycles in sentence structure causing them; I will take your advise with a grain of salt (or sand as it is used in limited areas of the southwest), and refrain from hoping you be subjugated to endless donations from the “save the sentence” foundation!
Because I assumed it was a very young male or old male I had a 500 word essay in my head that would have been fun to write, and if I received a response I would have, and still might, it involves starting with the sentence “The boy walked his dog” and carrying it out to 500 words.
To all my friends who might come across this, and agree that my posting are hard to read through, I will try to be mindful.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
my latest dream
April 14, 2011
This morning I had a dream that the alarm messed up, a young girl from the subcontent started, she had dirty blond hair, no accent, she was very cute and stared at me a lot, people noticed and gave me grief, teasing not judgemental. I was counting something and she was next to me not saying anything, I asked her what she wanted and I asked her if she was married and how old she was, no and 21 I remember thinking that I’m not supposed to ask those questions, and the gal said I shouldn’t worry that she would go out with me. I told her how old I am and she said it isn’t a big deal, More teasing from the crew, I had to train her in my job and people were sent to try to trick her and I showed her that people want some things and are not above a departure from the truth, but it not a big deal “just say no” it is then I noticed there was a small monkey in the room and it was hers, the monkey was very agitated about the PC and was pointing and screeching at it, “This is ridiculous it has to be a dream” I think and I wake up and the alarm goes off a few minutes later
This morning I had a dream that the alarm messed up, a young girl from the subcontent started, she had dirty blond hair, no accent, she was very cute and stared at me a lot, people noticed and gave me grief, teasing not judgemental. I was counting something and she was next to me not saying anything, I asked her what she wanted and I asked her if she was married and how old she was, no and 21 I remember thinking that I’m not supposed to ask those questions, and the gal said I shouldn’t worry that she would go out with me. I told her how old I am and she said it isn’t a big deal, More teasing from the crew, I had to train her in my job and people were sent to try to trick her and I showed her that people want some things and are not above a departure from the truth, but it not a big deal “just say no” it is then I noticed there was a small monkey in the room and it was hers, the monkey was very agitated about the PC and was pointing and screeching at it, “This is ridiculous it has to be a dream” I think and I wake up and the alarm goes off a few minutes later
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
da update
April 8-13, 2011
I weigh 238, I have opportunity to woke out but I find excuses
THE DA UPDATE
Yesterday I did laundry, I tried to get the DA o come along and do her own laundry but she demurred and gave me 3 bags and borrowed another 20 and promised to pay 400.00 when she got her money today and told me to be there before 7;30 am, I was waiting and she came back with 100.00 because she said her dad wanted the money split up, part of it made sense because I have always asked her dad to get the money split up, but her mom refuses to do that because she has pretty much written off the DA and believed in tough love. This is nothing new going back almost 20 years her mom wanted her to get her SSI on the 1st and nothing else reasoning that sobriety can only be accomplished through self determination and it is hard to argue with that. Her dad up became alarmed by the carelessness of the DA and would give her 50 a day, at the time I thought was foolhardy, but her dad wanted her to be free. I’m he guessing heavily subsided the other girls. I remember about 20 years ago the DA’s little sister quit her job because no one liked her and got married had two kids, was apparently verbally abused by her husband, who lost his job, moved out, and eventually killed himself. She didn’t work and the point I was getting to (in a horrendously long about way) was that his daughters were very good about letting him know when the first of the month was coming up because either would remind him to send the check. Funny man the judge.
The other had a horrible marriage in college and when it didn’t last she moved to Colorado with a chum and moved back a few years later and joined the DA in her activities before the DA was shipped off to a mental facility (I’m very curious to see how she got clean) which probably messed up the DA into a feeling of worthlessness which we share. The elder married a former jock who worked at a beer distributorship and was very arrogant (which was not well received at first, it was sort of like commoners in a royal family), I was impressed at first but I knew it wouldn’t last. The older daughter was creamed on a ski sloop by a kid on a snowboard and received a settlement which allowed her to use the house the judge had given her (each child got a house, nothing fancy) and upgrade, I remember once when we stopped by for some family dinner when the DA was allowed to attend, and the elder daughter asked for the deed so they could transfer to her (had to be the jocks idea) , in the friggin same room as I was (if it was a point of manipulation, it would be brilliant). Embarrassed the Judge said they would talk about it later and I’m sure he ended up loaning the money for the remodel, then the kid snowboarder hits the Elder, breaks her leg and they move into a very nice house in an upscale but not exclusive neighborhood , The jock who used to make himself known says nothing, he finally lost the battle and was emasculated or he got sober and changed his ways so be it. Both Daughters are ok enough, when they were younger they partied together, but they managed to clear a path and raise families it bothers me that they completely shun the DA but given her propensity to lie, cheat, and steal I can’t blame them
The DA was supposed to pay me 400.00 to clear her tab but she had me wait until the money arrived and came in stating the Elder wanted to know why I was there and I had to pay rent, also the Judge split the payments so she doesn’t blow all the money, problem is that the DA gave me 100.00 and ½ of 500.00 is 250.00, I have a feeling she lied and blew the rest, she had a few fits demanding a few dollars when I dropped off some smokes, but gave me a bottle of Vodka she stole ( which I hope she continues because she will get arrested). Yesterday I had a brief work out (1 mile at 2.7 mph) actually got a bit dizzy and did a little shopping, the DA called and said she needed smokes so I went to drop them off and she said she need a few dollars and when I only had twoshe got upset and said I had to take her to a place about a mile away to get some meds, after the meds she also went out to make money and basically roaped m,e into waiting. I put on the head phones and ignored her and refused the kiss when I dropped her off
Today the Da called to tell me the police were at her house and that she had been panhandling at the place she was warned not to panhandle at, also someone wants to give her a cat, I told her it would be a bad idea because if something happened to her I would only take care of the Malogato and it wouldn’t be fair to the other cat, she called later to say she needed 10.00 and that if she gets arrested to go get the money to put on her books , but she would pay me back when she got the money, I gave a firm no and she said that just for saying no she would get the other cat, she makes threats to get money but I am up against a wall. If she puts my stuff on the lawn I guess she does and I walk away forever and try to find a way to take care of the cat.
I weigh 238, I have opportunity to woke out but I find excuses
THE DA UPDATE
Yesterday I did laundry, I tried to get the DA o come along and do her own laundry but she demurred and gave me 3 bags and borrowed another 20 and promised to pay 400.00 when she got her money today and told me to be there before 7;30 am, I was waiting and she came back with 100.00 because she said her dad wanted the money split up, part of it made sense because I have always asked her dad to get the money split up, but her mom refuses to do that because she has pretty much written off the DA and believed in tough love. This is nothing new going back almost 20 years her mom wanted her to get her SSI on the 1st and nothing else reasoning that sobriety can only be accomplished through self determination and it is hard to argue with that. Her dad up became alarmed by the carelessness of the DA and would give her 50 a day, at the time I thought was foolhardy, but her dad wanted her to be free. I’m he guessing heavily subsided the other girls. I remember about 20 years ago the DA’s little sister quit her job because no one liked her and got married had two kids, was apparently verbally abused by her husband, who lost his job, moved out, and eventually killed himself. She didn’t work and the point I was getting to (in a horrendously long about way) was that his daughters were very good about letting him know when the first of the month was coming up because either would remind him to send the check. Funny man the judge.
The other had a horrible marriage in college and when it didn’t last she moved to Colorado with a chum and moved back a few years later and joined the DA in her activities before the DA was shipped off to a mental facility (I’m very curious to see how she got clean) which probably messed up the DA into a feeling of worthlessness which we share. The elder married a former jock who worked at a beer distributorship and was very arrogant (which was not well received at first, it was sort of like commoners in a royal family), I was impressed at first but I knew it wouldn’t last. The older daughter was creamed on a ski sloop by a kid on a snowboard and received a settlement which allowed her to use the house the judge had given her (each child got a house, nothing fancy) and upgrade, I remember once when we stopped by for some family dinner when the DA was allowed to attend, and the elder daughter asked for the deed so they could transfer to her (had to be the jocks idea) , in the friggin same room as I was (if it was a point of manipulation, it would be brilliant). Embarrassed the Judge said they would talk about it later and I’m sure he ended up loaning the money for the remodel, then the kid snowboarder hits the Elder, breaks her leg and they move into a very nice house in an upscale but not exclusive neighborhood , The jock who used to make himself known says nothing, he finally lost the battle and was emasculated or he got sober and changed his ways so be it. Both Daughters are ok enough, when they were younger they partied together, but they managed to clear a path and raise families it bothers me that they completely shun the DA but given her propensity to lie, cheat, and steal I can’t blame them
The DA was supposed to pay me 400.00 to clear her tab but she had me wait until the money arrived and came in stating the Elder wanted to know why I was there and I had to pay rent, also the Judge split the payments so she doesn’t blow all the money, problem is that the DA gave me 100.00 and ½ of 500.00 is 250.00, I have a feeling she lied and blew the rest, she had a few fits demanding a few dollars when I dropped off some smokes, but gave me a bottle of Vodka she stole ( which I hope she continues because she will get arrested). Yesterday I had a brief work out (1 mile at 2.7 mph) actually got a bit dizzy and did a little shopping, the DA called and said she needed smokes so I went to drop them off and she said she need a few dollars and when I only had twoshe got upset and said I had to take her to a place about a mile away to get some meds, after the meds she also went out to make money and basically roaped m,e into waiting. I put on the head phones and ignored her and refused the kiss when I dropped her off
Today the Da called to tell me the police were at her house and that she had been panhandling at the place she was warned not to panhandle at, also someone wants to give her a cat, I told her it would be a bad idea because if something happened to her I would only take care of the Malogato and it wouldn’t be fair to the other cat, she called later to say she needed 10.00 and that if she gets arrested to go get the money to put on her books , but she would pay me back when she got the money, I gave a firm no and she said that just for saying no she would get the other cat, she makes threats to get money but I am up against a wall. If she puts my stuff on the lawn I guess she does and I walk away forever and try to find a way to take care of the cat.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
musings that should have posted last week and need an edit
the following needs an edit but i lost my train of thought
3 days till 50. I’m not as bummed as I thought I would be
First morning without Lucky, we cried and we all share memories of the pets that have lived in the house since 1965. The Malogato has his birthday tomorrow his 6th, he doesn’t seem happy there or at least he cries a lot when I leave, its very hard to leave him and it is compounded when the DA hustles me for a few dollars, I’ll get him a card, a new light, and 10 bucks for the DA to “buy” him something
Last night I had a dream I’ve never had before or any type like it. I dreamed I was with someone ( the person was not known to me now but in the dream I trusted him like a buddy) and we were walking down a hallway and I head a lot of people cheering, at the end of the hallway was a float and we climbed on and I was handed a bag of beads to throw, I was at Marti gras and there was alcohol everywhere, we were moving and I was throwng beads to thousands of people, but none of the girls were playing the game they would blow kisses plead but not show, so I threw the anway and kept drinking, I go inside the float and there seems to be hundreds of people, fade to black, sunshine and I’m on a bed in a very old house in a tiny room and I get out of bed and my friends slaps me on the back and sayd ‘Man you were really drunk last night, get cleaned up time for another parade, at this point my logic cenitcits kick in and I say to myself, its already lent marti gras is over, I then wake up, wonder why no flashers for me
Fifty, cincuenta, cinquanta, cinquante, fünfzig, vijftig, fimmtÃu, (기수), Wu shi, no matter how it is said it is a lot, not so much a depressing number as it is reflective, I remember all the hope there was before me when I was a mere lad of 5, reading to the class with the ease of a sober beatnik poet, the endless possibilities I had simply for reading, I was going to skip one maybe two grades, writing was hard but I worked at it, all the stupid English grammar rules you learn to know but couldn’t name off the top of your head, I had a working knowledge, I was ready to skip the grade bullys notwithstanding, parents proud, but ………….reality hit when I tried to decipher the associative and commutative properties of math, I remember not seeing the point of the whole thing, “I can see the answer right there why am I breaking it up, tell me teach, why am I going through this trouble, what is algebra and I will get my mouth washed out if I say bra”. Even to this day every time I tried to do math I got pictures of breasts in my head, it was really distracting in college when the weather was warm and I’m trying to concentrate . I could add subtract, knew my times table and give me a piece of paper I could even divide, beyond that ………….. didn’t get it , still don’t
I really never got above a c in any math class from HS through college calculus, the function of x from zero to one sounded like a metaphysical experience expounded by Dr. Timothy Leery. What is x and what is its function, how does the slope of a curve determine interest rates? It still sounds made up, when I see mathematical equations in photos of the current math genus and the caption explains how the equations explains the material properties of time travel I admit I am befuddled? how many people would know its real, and solving it seems made up as well, F-Einstein pretentious over marketed bastard, still don’t believe his relative time travel and apparently no one can and animation explanations seems like cartoon physics. Anyway my academic career ended with bullies and math and I gave in instead of challenging it and knowing know I would have been wise to keep a journal and stick to it, always conjured stories off the top of my head, but I could not write fast enough to keep up, maybe I had ADD in HD, maybe it was the self loathing, it could even be the LSD experiments the Psychological major baby sitter got my parents to sign me up for.
I’m not ready to be 50 but I am ready to be retired, thinking back to my folks when they turned 50 I knew they were tired but not why, the why is answered, it isn’t so much the grind as it is the path you’ve chosen is probably in the direction it’s going to go, maybe a few deviation due to crisis or celebration but the horizon is close enough you can make out certain details and it probably isn’t bad, it may be even pleasant. But the missed opportunities are glaring, I am saddened that I didn’t reproduce but given the situation with the DA it is probably best as I would be a single dad fighting he trust fund for custody
3 days till 50. I’m not as bummed as I thought I would be
First morning without Lucky, we cried and we all share memories of the pets that have lived in the house since 1965. The Malogato has his birthday tomorrow his 6th, he doesn’t seem happy there or at least he cries a lot when I leave, its very hard to leave him and it is compounded when the DA hustles me for a few dollars, I’ll get him a card, a new light, and 10 bucks for the DA to “buy” him something
Last night I had a dream I’ve never had before or any type like it. I dreamed I was with someone ( the person was not known to me now but in the dream I trusted him like a buddy) and we were walking down a hallway and I head a lot of people cheering, at the end of the hallway was a float and we climbed on and I was handed a bag of beads to throw, I was at Marti gras and there was alcohol everywhere, we were moving and I was throwng beads to thousands of people, but none of the girls were playing the game they would blow kisses plead but not show, so I threw the anway and kept drinking, I go inside the float and there seems to be hundreds of people, fade to black, sunshine and I’m on a bed in a very old house in a tiny room and I get out of bed and my friends slaps me on the back and sayd ‘Man you were really drunk last night, get cleaned up time for another parade, at this point my logic cenitcits kick in and I say to myself, its already lent marti gras is over, I then wake up, wonder why no flashers for me
Fifty, cincuenta, cinquanta, cinquante, fünfzig, vijftig, fimmtÃu, (기수), Wu shi, no matter how it is said it is a lot, not so much a depressing number as it is reflective, I remember all the hope there was before me when I was a mere lad of 5, reading to the class with the ease of a sober beatnik poet, the endless possibilities I had simply for reading, I was going to skip one maybe two grades, writing was hard but I worked at it, all the stupid English grammar rules you learn to know but couldn’t name off the top of your head, I had a working knowledge, I was ready to skip the grade bullys notwithstanding, parents proud, but ………….reality hit when I tried to decipher the associative and commutative properties of math, I remember not seeing the point of the whole thing, “I can see the answer right there why am I breaking it up, tell me teach, why am I going through this trouble, what is algebra and I will get my mouth washed out if I say bra”. Even to this day every time I tried to do math I got pictures of breasts in my head, it was really distracting in college when the weather was warm and I’m trying to concentrate . I could add subtract, knew my times table and give me a piece of paper I could even divide, beyond that ………….. didn’t get it , still don’t
I really never got above a c in any math class from HS through college calculus, the function of x from zero to one sounded like a metaphysical experience expounded by Dr. Timothy Leery. What is x and what is its function, how does the slope of a curve determine interest rates? It still sounds made up, when I see mathematical equations in photos of the current math genus and the caption explains how the equations explains the material properties of time travel I admit I am befuddled? how many people would know its real, and solving it seems made up as well, F-Einstein pretentious over marketed bastard, still don’t believe his relative time travel and apparently no one can and animation explanations seems like cartoon physics. Anyway my academic career ended with bullies and math and I gave in instead of challenging it and knowing know I would have been wise to keep a journal and stick to it, always conjured stories off the top of my head, but I could not write fast enough to keep up, maybe I had ADD in HD, maybe it was the self loathing, it could even be the LSD experiments the Psychological major baby sitter got my parents to sign me up for.
I’m not ready to be 50 but I am ready to be retired, thinking back to my folks when they turned 50 I knew they were tired but not why, the why is answered, it isn’t so much the grind as it is the path you’ve chosen is probably in the direction it’s going to go, maybe a few deviation due to crisis or celebration but the horizon is close enough you can make out certain details and it probably isn’t bad, it may be even pleasant. But the missed opportunities are glaring, I am saddened that I didn’t reproduce but given the situation with the DA it is probably best as I would be a single dad fighting he trust fund for custody
Saturday, March 26, 2011
letter to a lawyer
A few years ago I leaned back in my chair, and the chair broke and I smacked my head on the floor, I had some x-rays, saw a doctor and I submitted the bills to workers comp. At the same time I joined the diabetes club and had some test done and something happened with the billing and the charges got comingled, so I wrote a couple of letters and some got paid and some didn’t. A lot of the charges are of the 8.99 variety which add up, and the insurance industry is so screwed up, one office visit can generate 4-5 letters of service and separate charges. So I got a letter from a collection agency asking for 108.51 but no explanation, I called and left a message, got a call back and it got ugly and she hung up on me so I sent the following letter, when I write letters of protest they are always at least 1000 words, and written in an annoying manner, so all punctuation and grammar is intentional. enjoy
law offices of lawyer dude
11111 main street
suite 6079
city
notation: claim of diagonstic
march 23, 2011
dear Mr. lawyer dude
TO BEGIN WITH I RESPECTFULLY DISPUTE THE CHARGES AS LEGITIMATE.
i received letter (see attached) on march 18th respectfully submitted from a legal assistant MS collector, it is in regard to a claim in the amount of 108.51 from diagnostics, and the amount was not itemized; i had a incident a few years ago that involved workers comp, i was also having some tests done at the same time and some of the billing got compiled together, as all procedures were done by the same hospital- --------, and the doctors that provide the service -------partners.
i called on saturday/sunday and left a message at the number 999-999-9999 and dutifully entered in the extension number provided 9999, and left a brief message stating that due to my ongoing concern with workers comp if eye cannot verify what the claim is for eye cannot pay.
at 10:32 am mdt, monday march 23, 2011 i received a phone call presumably from your associate the legal assistant a.k.a MS collector, i cannot be sure because I had a hard time hearing what she was saying and i believe she had a hard time hearing what I was saying, a bad connection is the likely problem and maybe part of the problem i which I found a little disturbing and I will follow up with, which could have been avoided, but unlikely as our conversation turned ugly rather quickly, I informed her that I did not have the letter in front of me, and i had to repeat this a few times.
there was no invoice attached or itemized statement detailing what the alleged debt is, since (as I have previously stated there is a worker’s comp dispute that involved the mixing of charges for the workplace incident and some other health related charges) i could not tell what the charges are for I am not in a position to tell what is legitimately mine and what should be handled by the good people at our human resources department. i tried to explain this to your associate who I believe to be a female, and if I am incorrect please give my most sincerest of apologies, but she appeared to focus on payment, which I understand, your business is collections, you get assigned debt from presumably all fields, endeavors and associations , and you collect a portion of the proceeds and everybody wins-the creditor gets the majority of the claim, the debtor pays what is owed, and you collect your fee, i understand this, but apparently your associate chose to speak to me as you would a ill tempered child, and frequently spoke over me, the bad connection notwithstanding, led to a poor communication and frankly let to hard feelings on my part; when i asked for an invoice she set her sail for insisting that I call the aforementioned diagnostics, which I found troubling as i have dealt with the workers comp claims and in every instance was sent a detailed invoice which I either took to the good people of our human resources department to take care of, or cut a check; when I pressed for an invoice your associate claimed that due to patient privacy she could not, but I was free to call the creditor; this was insulting as her demeanor was most unprofessional, but i’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt that she (again assuming I was speaking to a female) may have had a troubling or insulting call prior to her contacting me.
i said if i cannot determine the nature of the claim, then I have no choice to dispute the claim, she immediately went into lawyer mode and alleged i was not making an sense as she said “how can you dispute a charge when you don’t know what it is”, now re-read that again and let it sit in, if you went to a restaurant, had a good meal, and got a non-itemized bill for $108.51, you would naturally ask for a detailed list of what the charges are for; i countered the logical counter retort essentially inquiring, how can i be expected to pay anything when I don’t know what the claim is for, she countered again she could not tell me what the charges are for, and I told her I’ve only gone to _________ hospital and clinics and she said that I didn’t understand that if a hospital sends out blood work and independent lab will do the work, and I asked is this for blood work, (wondering if she can’t tell me what the charges are for is the reference to blood work is an example or if she can tell me what the charges are for and doesn’t want the trouble of getting the invoice out to me which is either an example of laziness, company policy, incompetence, poor customer service cause why do the work when you can get someone else to do it, or a combination of all of the above) she told me that she is trying to give me the number to diagnostics which is unacceptable from my position because it appears to me she is only interested in collecting and not determining if it is legitimate because i suppose if the claim is not valid, your company collects nothing; we continued to go in circles I asked her for her name and she retorted “it’s in the letter sir” which was confusing to me as we had already established that I did not have the letter in front of me, she abruptly hung up on me which I find to be demeaning as you hang up on your high school girlfriend when she tells you the limo you want to get isn’t big enough, or if someone becomes abusive, no good bye, no “good day sir” no “i can’t continue in this manner if you want to dispute the claim kindly send a letter”; I cannot emphasize enough how unprofessional I found your associate to be and hanging up me is frankly childish.
i am going to fax this letter today along with the letter i received and I will follow up with mailing this taking advantage of the good people at the US post office confirmation technology, furthermore I do not want any verbal communication as it would be pointless and counterproductive , when i receive an invoice I can make a educated informed decision on if the claim goes to the good people at our human resource department of if I need to cut a check, further i want no verbal contact with this person as i will return the favor and hang up on her, i’m done with her, apology not needed nor probably warranted from her view point, listen to the tape.
once again I I RESPECTFULLY DISPUTE THE CHARGES AS LEGITIMATE DUE TO LACK OF ITEMIZATION
respectfully submitted this day march 23, 2011
law offices of lawyer dude
11111 main street
suite 6079
city
notation: claim of diagonstic
march 23, 2011
dear Mr. lawyer dude
TO BEGIN WITH I RESPECTFULLY DISPUTE THE CHARGES AS LEGITIMATE.
i received letter (see attached) on march 18th respectfully submitted from a legal assistant MS collector, it is in regard to a claim in the amount of 108.51 from diagnostics, and the amount was not itemized; i had a incident a few years ago that involved workers comp, i was also having some tests done at the same time and some of the billing got compiled together, as all procedures were done by the same hospital- --------, and the doctors that provide the service -------partners.
i called on saturday/sunday and left a message at the number 999-999-9999 and dutifully entered in the extension number provided 9999, and left a brief message stating that due to my ongoing concern with workers comp if eye cannot verify what the claim is for eye cannot pay.
at 10:32 am mdt, monday march 23, 2011 i received a phone call presumably from your associate the legal assistant a.k.a MS collector, i cannot be sure because I had a hard time hearing what she was saying and i believe she had a hard time hearing what I was saying, a bad connection is the likely problem and maybe part of the problem i which I found a little disturbing and I will follow up with, which could have been avoided, but unlikely as our conversation turned ugly rather quickly, I informed her that I did not have the letter in front of me, and i had to repeat this a few times.
there was no invoice attached or itemized statement detailing what the alleged debt is, since (as I have previously stated there is a worker’s comp dispute that involved the mixing of charges for the workplace incident and some other health related charges) i could not tell what the charges are for I am not in a position to tell what is legitimately mine and what should be handled by the good people at our human resources department. i tried to explain this to your associate who I believe to be a female, and if I am incorrect please give my most sincerest of apologies, but she appeared to focus on payment, which I understand, your business is collections, you get assigned debt from presumably all fields, endeavors and associations , and you collect a portion of the proceeds and everybody wins-the creditor gets the majority of the claim, the debtor pays what is owed, and you collect your fee, i understand this, but apparently your associate chose to speak to me as you would a ill tempered child, and frequently spoke over me, the bad connection notwithstanding, led to a poor communication and frankly let to hard feelings on my part; when i asked for an invoice she set her sail for insisting that I call the aforementioned diagnostics, which I found troubling as i have dealt with the workers comp claims and in every instance was sent a detailed invoice which I either took to the good people of our human resources department to take care of, or cut a check; when I pressed for an invoice your associate claimed that due to patient privacy she could not, but I was free to call the creditor; this was insulting as her demeanor was most unprofessional, but i’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt that she (again assuming I was speaking to a female) may have had a troubling or insulting call prior to her contacting me.
i said if i cannot determine the nature of the claim, then I have no choice to dispute the claim, she immediately went into lawyer mode and alleged i was not making an sense as she said “how can you dispute a charge when you don’t know what it is”, now re-read that again and let it sit in, if you went to a restaurant, had a good meal, and got a non-itemized bill for $108.51, you would naturally ask for a detailed list of what the charges are for; i countered the logical counter retort essentially inquiring, how can i be expected to pay anything when I don’t know what the claim is for, she countered again she could not tell me what the charges are for, and I told her I’ve only gone to _________ hospital and clinics and she said that I didn’t understand that if a hospital sends out blood work and independent lab will do the work, and I asked is this for blood work, (wondering if she can’t tell me what the charges are for is the reference to blood work is an example or if she can tell me what the charges are for and doesn’t want the trouble of getting the invoice out to me which is either an example of laziness, company policy, incompetence, poor customer service cause why do the work when you can get someone else to do it, or a combination of all of the above) she told me that she is trying to give me the number to diagnostics which is unacceptable from my position because it appears to me she is only interested in collecting and not determining if it is legitimate because i suppose if the claim is not valid, your company collects nothing; we continued to go in circles I asked her for her name and she retorted “it’s in the letter sir” which was confusing to me as we had already established that I did not have the letter in front of me, she abruptly hung up on me which I find to be demeaning as you hang up on your high school girlfriend when she tells you the limo you want to get isn’t big enough, or if someone becomes abusive, no good bye, no “good day sir” no “i can’t continue in this manner if you want to dispute the claim kindly send a letter”; I cannot emphasize enough how unprofessional I found your associate to be and hanging up me is frankly childish.
i am going to fax this letter today along with the letter i received and I will follow up with mailing this taking advantage of the good people at the US post office confirmation technology, furthermore I do not want any verbal communication as it would be pointless and counterproductive , when i receive an invoice I can make a educated informed decision on if the claim goes to the good people at our human resource department of if I need to cut a check, further i want no verbal contact with this person as i will return the favor and hang up on her, i’m done with her, apology not needed nor probably warranted from her view point, listen to the tape.
once again I I RESPECTFULLY DISPUTE THE CHARGES AS LEGITIMATE DUE TO LACK OF ITEMIZATION
respectfully submitted this day march 23, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Farewell to an old Kitty
March 21, 2011
4 days till 50. I’m not as bummed as I thought I would be
A farewell to Lucky the kitty that lived at my parent’s house. I never really knew him, he usually hid when visitors came over, his name was actually Bennie, my mom and dad called him Kitty, but I called him Lucky. I got to know him a little when I moved in. I would see him in the morning around 6:00 am when I fed the mama cat, he would slowly walk over and stare at me, stare at the dish, and I would get him the wet food. He usually had ½ a can in the fridge, which puzzled me because Lucky barely weighed 5 lbs but mom said he was 18 and was getting ready to die. He would eat the can and while I was eating my breakfast and would stare at me and I would always open a new can and he would eat it all. Eventually I would give him whatever was left at night when I took my shower, and we would have a little chat and scratch.
He used to sleep in the closet where I’m staying and when I closed the door at night he used to tap the door to come in and tap it to go out. He started sleeping in the shower and my mom said he goes in there to drink the water. He looked really old and moved really slow and if he felt annoyed he would slowly walk away.
He loved my mom and dad, when my mom was in the hospital he cried every night at her bed and that really hit home with my dad and made my mom’s absence real. When mom came home Lucky was happy and stayed by her side. When mom got better he would sit on the couch between them until it was time for bed and let them know it was time for lights out.
The last couple of weeks I knew his time was about over, when I fed and sang with the Mama cat (who is a feral cat I had spayed) he would watch from the door, and last Thursday he sauntered over and ate from the mama cat’s food and the Mama cat moved over and let him eat, I was really touched by this, and it was the last time I saw him really involved in his surroundings. Friday morning he looked at me a usual but there seemed to be sadness about him, he didn’t sing like normal and he kept eating and drinking real slow. When I came home that night he was missing and came out late at night, and slept in his litter box. He slept the rest of the weekend and stayed in one spot, and didn’t respond when stroked. Sunday night we all knew he wasn’t happy and it was time. Monday he saw a vet and joined the universe. I remembered I had taken a photo of him and got some copies and the reality hit home he was leaving. This morning I said goodbye and by 10:00 he was gone, the idea he might be throw in the trash bothered my mom so arrangements were made to have him cremated with other kitties and ashes spread in the mountains.
Finally, why I called him Lucky, my sister got a cat and was living with a sociopath when she couldn’t take it she moved in with my parents, this was about 15 years ago. The cat got out and my sister was very upset and called the pound daily. Finally she got a call the cat was there and came home. The Cat took to the surroundings especially my parents, when they were petting him they noticed he had no claws, the wrong Kitty came home, but since the new kitty bonded with my parents and my sister didn’t notice the difference. He stayed, a comfort to my parents, a sometime companion to my sister, and a part of the family. The house seems empty without you Lucky, I truly hope you didn’t suffer anymore than you wanted to, and I appreciate you letting us know it was time
Monday, March 14, 2011
Malogato goes to the doctor
Malogato goes to the doctor
Thursday afternoon my seemingly eternal boring life came to left turn as I received a call from a hysterical DA crying that the kitty has a bare batch under his chin and it is bleeding and it is AN EMERGENCY, this, the day after the DA had me take time off from work to take her to the dentist only to have her break down like a 7 yr old until I gave her a few dollars. I take time off from work and venture into the lair of the dragon, and the crying DA points to the cat and Malogato comes up to me and rolls on his back and I scratch him and he doesn’t seem the worse for ware but I see the bare patch.
Kitty reluctantly got in his carrier ( he really hates it, he often gets me back by ignoring me at first and then smacking me in the head when I am taking a nap) and he cried all the to the vet. We got there and since Kitty wasn’t in distress and we had no appointment, we waited about 20 minutes and I opened the door and scratched his ears and head and he calmly sat inside and watched a very hyperactive puppy jump around, and I swear he rolled his eyes.
We were called in and I let him out and he explored the room and the tech weighed him (14lbs 9 oz, but no tummy, he is a most impressive cat and not pretentious like those pure bred cats you see at shows Malogato says they should be called “inbreed” instead of “purebred”) the Vet-tech remarked n what a big head he has, which apparently among cat lovers is a remarkable thing because it is “lion” like. Imagine my Malogato a lion? More likely a panther, a fearless panther, She shared she once had a kitty that had a large head and he too was fearless and no she has a kitty that hides under the bench at the vet, meanwhile Malogato is banging on the cabinet doors trying to open them. (pets have short lives, our gift from God to appreciate the lives and gifts we have, I’m not particularly religious, I believe in God, just don’t feel the need to dedicate and sacrifice everything and core in gratitude and shame of worship)
Malogato had his temp taken, and he glared at me when it was taken but he kept pretty still and I asked while I was there if he could get his shots since they are due in May. The doctor came in and she is really sweet and nice and has the small town girl look to her. She took him back and the initial estimate was $ 460.00 and I didn’t have it but he got his rabies, and leukemia plus a antibiotic. The distemper and blood work will have to wait till this summer. Malogato got a bit of a shave and something rubbed on his owwe. The total came to 168.00 and hopefully his insurance will cover ½. The vet as usuall gushed over the Malogato and mentioned his face and could not determine the source of the patch and thinks he may have picked himself and kept scratching at it.
Malogato and I had a few hours to ourselves, he got his shots and got to enjoy a few moments visiting.
Enjoy the video
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
John Cleese owes my dad 50.00
It is strange how memories jump into your conscience, we were watching the Lobos game and they were well ahead of a team the suspended their big man for admitting to a sexual relationship with his girlfriend. Rules are rules but I felt bad for the kid for having his business aired in public. There has been a lot of discussion on whether the kid deserved to get suspended, he signed an honor code, and I signed an honor code in a HS boarding school I went to, and you have to follow the rules. The school really screwed this kid by outing him, and if he were just suspended for not following team rules, and leave the honor code out of it, and the media was told it was an internal matter, the kid could have been saved a lot of grief.
Back to Mr.Clease, and why my dad is deserving of $50.00 cash, or mostly cash. My father is from the vacuum tube generation, I remember as a young lad staring wide eyed at the glowing tubes, my dad blowing the dust out of the insides and giving the radio or TV a good whack, which surprisingly worked. I suppose the equivalent would be turning the computer of HD TV on and off. When VCR’s became affordable I had to program the VCR because my dad went ballistic turning the little wheels trying to tune in the station, and cable ready VCR’s came in soon afterwards.
The VCR’s of the day promoted on screen programming, a feat my dad never mastered and after recording the wrong show several times he would call me and I would do it for him. There was a commercial with John Cleese of Monty Python pitching a universal remote that was voice activated, he would say , as best my memory can recall “Record start 8:00 end 10:00, how hard is that”
Well the old man went out and bought it and was assured by the good people at Baillos that is was full proof, and was a steal at $50.00. He brought it home read the manual very carefully and went over with it with me. To work you had to repeat every word the unit said like “start”, “end”, and all the numbers, a low whisle would start and rise in pitch and move on to the next one, if it did not understand it would say “Repeat” and you would say it again.
The Old man had me set it up and started “one” my dad says “one”, “repeat” and on and on and on, and he started to get pissed, and I wanted to but my gut laughing, except I couldn’t laugh, I was biting my hand. He started swearing in Spanish and yelling for my mom “R____..what the hell is wrong with this? ” He face was red, he gave up and he never took it back
So Mr. Clease cough up the 50 bucks
Back to Mr.Clease, and why my dad is deserving of $50.00 cash, or mostly cash. My father is from the vacuum tube generation, I remember as a young lad staring wide eyed at the glowing tubes, my dad blowing the dust out of the insides and giving the radio or TV a good whack, which surprisingly worked. I suppose the equivalent would be turning the computer of HD TV on and off. When VCR’s became affordable I had to program the VCR because my dad went ballistic turning the little wheels trying to tune in the station, and cable ready VCR’s came in soon afterwards.
The VCR’s of the day promoted on screen programming, a feat my dad never mastered and after recording the wrong show several times he would call me and I would do it for him. There was a commercial with John Cleese of Monty Python pitching a universal remote that was voice activated, he would say , as best my memory can recall “Record start 8:00 end 10:00, how hard is that”
Well the old man went out and bought it and was assured by the good people at Baillos that is was full proof, and was a steal at $50.00. He brought it home read the manual very carefully and went over with it with me. To work you had to repeat every word the unit said like “start”, “end”, and all the numbers, a low whisle would start and rise in pitch and move on to the next one, if it did not understand it would say “Repeat” and you would say it again.
The Old man had me set it up and started “one” my dad says “one”, “repeat” and on and on and on, and he started to get pissed, and I wanted to but my gut laughing, except I couldn’t laugh, I was biting my hand. He started swearing in Spanish and yelling for my mom “R____..what the hell is wrong with this? ” He face was red, he gave up and he never took it back
So Mr. Clease cough up the 50 bucks
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
First Kiss
March 1, 2011
Well the DA called last night and claimed she was done with drugs and asked for help on staying clean, I don’t know what to say but I listened, I was then informed that she has worn all hers and the socks I left behind, curious I asked her how many times she changes socks, “3-4 times”. When I inquired in the reason, she has a foot fungus and when she goes for a walk, she has to change them. She goes on a walk to panhandle money and has some story that gets her enough to get a fix, but anyone out there if you feel the need to give, don’t give more than a few bucks, if you feel the need to give 50 bucks, cut a check to the homeless project, or a school in the area.
Memory
I’ve mentioned the kindergarten before, and many of the kids in the kindergarten would follow me (or I followed them) to parochial school, except for a few. Two of them, can’t remember their names, but were “the couple” in class. The guy was “dreamy by all the girls, and the gal was the “it” girl in Class. She was taller than most of the boys and she wore bright colors (this was 1966), and leotards and she was pretty enough most of the boys didn’t have that “gross I hate girls” attitude towards her, of course all the girls hated her, I remember thinking of her a s a hippy because she dressed the “flower child” part. Either way she was beyond my sights, even if I knew anything about girls. During play time they would hold hands and kiss, and we would stare and the adults thought it was cute for a while and would ask them to keep a space in-between.
There was this gal who lived down the street who was in my class whose name was J______ but I hung out with her older brother who was a worldly man of 6 or 7. She used to come over and I don’t remember anything specific about playing with her but one day we were lying in the grass and she asked me to be her boyfriend, and I remember my heart pounding, and I said yes and she turned and kissed me I kissed her back, and my mom started pounding on the window and told me to come in. She teased me that I was starting to look like J______ and I got teased by the family, remember I was 5 and that feeling stayed with me for a long time. So it goes.
Valentine’s day came around and we all exchanged valentines and I was messing around in the yard and I found a rock that was kind of heart shaped and I took the rock to class and asked Mrs. Stone (irony eh?) to help me scratch “I Lov U”. I was really excited and gave it to J____ , and my hopes were crushed when she laughed and said “what do I want with a stupid rock”, I got mad and took the rock and put my arm back to throw at her and she screamed and started running and I yelled “you stupid doo-doo head” and I tried to throw it over the fence, but I hit her square on the head.
She started crying and made a scene and I was scared I was going to get a spanking, but she didn’t need stitches and I was not allowed to take part in snack time for a few weeks and my dad gave me a whooping. And needless to say J_____ didn’t kiss me again, and we made up sort of but she didn’t go to the same school. And a year later they moved away.
Spring break maybe 18 years later, Las Vegas, and we were staying at the Tropicana. We were around the pool, and I was lit, some of the crew I was with was playing Blackjack at the table in the middle of the pool, and on of my friends nudges me and she says “the blond girl is staring at you” , now I play joke on people all the time so I’m like “get out of here’ , but she walks up and asked are you d____ from A_______, and I say “yes I am” and she says “I’m J____ remember me from the neighborhood” “ I’m thinking ITS HER, I”M GONNA GET LUCKY ON SPRING BREAK so I tell Her “Of course I remember you, how is it going” she smiles, kicks me in the nuts, and says “who’s the doo doo head now” and walks away laughing and her friends are laughing at me wearing bikinis.
I’m on the ground heaving, my friends are laughing at me, and I didn’t see her the rest of the week, I lost all my money, got shut out of seeing Rodney Dangerfield, and in the interest of fairness everything after my mom knocking on the window didn’t happen, but it makes for a good story
Well the DA called last night and claimed she was done with drugs and asked for help on staying clean, I don’t know what to say but I listened, I was then informed that she has worn all hers and the socks I left behind, curious I asked her how many times she changes socks, “3-4 times”. When I inquired in the reason, she has a foot fungus and when she goes for a walk, she has to change them. She goes on a walk to panhandle money and has some story that gets her enough to get a fix, but anyone out there if you feel the need to give, don’t give more than a few bucks, if you feel the need to give 50 bucks, cut a check to the homeless project, or a school in the area.
Memory
I’ve mentioned the kindergarten before, and many of the kids in the kindergarten would follow me (or I followed them) to parochial school, except for a few. Two of them, can’t remember their names, but were “the couple” in class. The guy was “dreamy by all the girls, and the gal was the “it” girl in Class. She was taller than most of the boys and she wore bright colors (this was 1966), and leotards and she was pretty enough most of the boys didn’t have that “gross I hate girls” attitude towards her, of course all the girls hated her, I remember thinking of her a s a hippy because she dressed the “flower child” part. Either way she was beyond my sights, even if I knew anything about girls. During play time they would hold hands and kiss, and we would stare and the adults thought it was cute for a while and would ask them to keep a space in-between.
There was this gal who lived down the street who was in my class whose name was J______ but I hung out with her older brother who was a worldly man of 6 or 7. She used to come over and I don’t remember anything specific about playing with her but one day we were lying in the grass and she asked me to be her boyfriend, and I remember my heart pounding, and I said yes and she turned and kissed me I kissed her back, and my mom started pounding on the window and told me to come in. She teased me that I was starting to look like J______ and I got teased by the family, remember I was 5 and that feeling stayed with me for a long time. So it goes.
Valentine’s day came around and we all exchanged valentines and I was messing around in the yard and I found a rock that was kind of heart shaped and I took the rock to class and asked Mrs. Stone (irony eh?) to help me scratch “I Lov U”. I was really excited and gave it to J____ , and my hopes were crushed when she laughed and said “what do I want with a stupid rock”, I got mad and took the rock and put my arm back to throw at her and she screamed and started running and I yelled “you stupid doo-doo head” and I tried to throw it over the fence, but I hit her square on the head.
She started crying and made a scene and I was scared I was going to get a spanking, but she didn’t need stitches and I was not allowed to take part in snack time for a few weeks and my dad gave me a whooping. And needless to say J_____ didn’t kiss me again, and we made up sort of but she didn’t go to the same school. And a year later they moved away.
Spring break maybe 18 years later, Las Vegas, and we were staying at the Tropicana. We were around the pool, and I was lit, some of the crew I was with was playing Blackjack at the table in the middle of the pool, and on of my friends nudges me and she says “the blond girl is staring at you” , now I play joke on people all the time so I’m like “get out of here’ , but she walks up and asked are you d____ from A_______, and I say “yes I am” and she says “I’m J____ remember me from the neighborhood” “ I’m thinking ITS HER, I”M GONNA GET LUCKY ON SPRING BREAK so I tell Her “Of course I remember you, how is it going” she smiles, kicks me in the nuts, and says “who’s the doo doo head now” and walks away laughing and her friends are laughing at me wearing bikinis.
I’m on the ground heaving, my friends are laughing at me, and I didn’t see her the rest of the week, I lost all my money, got shut out of seeing Rodney Dangerfield, and in the interest of fairness everything after my mom knocking on the window didn’t happen, but it makes for a good story
Weekend Blues
I’m sitting in the Erna Fergusson Library using the free wi-fi because the Farmville game put me over my allotted gigabytes. Currently I am downloading the Norton Utilities, because my free trial expired a few months ago and I am tired of collecting product CD’s and boxes that take up space that could be used for interesting bottles I find or use. I used to have a very cool beer bottle collection but the DA said “you are 45 years old, get rid of it”….. grrrrrr “yes dear”, mainly because I never got around to numbering the bottles and forgot the significance of the bottles or the beer that once was inside them, I suppose it doesn’t matter but some of the beers aren’t available, or available around here anyways. The DA has had a couple of interesting days, Thursday her birthday started out ok, but she got her meds and did a soma coma. She called about 4:00 and sounded three sheets to the wind. So Applebee’s was out, and that was a relief to me, she called later and sounded worse and she kept calling. Friday was another strange day, the DA had smokes, her cash from her dad, but had no shampoo, she demanded the shampoo or else my stuff goes in the street, again, I flat told her no and told her to grow up, later “kitty” called and said mom is sorry and feels bad, later calls indicated she was on another soma coma.
Sat
I slept in a bit, and by sleeping in I mean I awoke at 8:00. The DA called and wanted when was I gonna be there and deliver the shampoo, I told her to let me get acclimated
To the day and I was not emotionally ready to venture outward into the light, naturally she asked “what the hell does that mean” and I bluntly said “I’m not ready” apparently it is a good thing I was not ready because she needed a few items, so I went shopping for myself and a few thing for the DA, but I forgot the shampoo, I visited with the Kitty and the DA hit me up for ten bucks with the Famous “I’ll pay your back”, later I got the call that I forgot the shampoo, and screaming and multiple calls and cokes and shampoo and I went the next day and got it, and I got the wrong shampoo. ARRRG
Sun
Stayed up late Saturday night and slept in, woke up and everyone was gone, I went and saw the feral cat and we sang a duet and I fed her on the floor, she has not been jumping on the table another homeless cat come by and eats whatever is left, maybe the mama cat is playing me but I enjoy our duets and she usually sleeps on the chair part of the day. Saw the Oscars and they were ok, I also tried the E-cigarette and it is pretty close but when I had an actual smoke I chained smoked in the cold chilling wind
Sat
I slept in a bit, and by sleeping in I mean I awoke at 8:00. The DA called and wanted when was I gonna be there and deliver the shampoo, I told her to let me get acclimated
To the day and I was not emotionally ready to venture outward into the light, naturally she asked “what the hell does that mean” and I bluntly said “I’m not ready” apparently it is a good thing I was not ready because she needed a few items, so I went shopping for myself and a few thing for the DA, but I forgot the shampoo, I visited with the Kitty and the DA hit me up for ten bucks with the Famous “I’ll pay your back”, later I got the call that I forgot the shampoo, and screaming and multiple calls and cokes and shampoo and I went the next day and got it, and I got the wrong shampoo. ARRRG
Sun
Stayed up late Saturday night and slept in, woke up and everyone was gone, I went and saw the feral cat and we sang a duet and I fed her on the floor, she has not been jumping on the table another homeless cat come by and eats whatever is left, maybe the mama cat is playing me but I enjoy our duets and she usually sleeps on the chair part of the day. Saw the Oscars and they were ok, I also tried the E-cigarette and it is pretty close but when I had an actual smoke I chained smoked in the cold chilling wind
Friday, February 25, 2011
The night I met the Judge's daughter
February 24, 2011
Today is the DA’s birthday, and while get got her present on Valentine’s Day (her valentine’s present was given on 02/01/2011) tonight it is takeout from Applebee’s. I am sad to report that I have been gaining weight lately and it is because I am having home cooked meals, still having trouble with stress related binging on candy bars which are expensive considering that the vending machine doles them out at a buck a piece. The commission for the blind runs the vendor license, and I suppose that is a good thing, but since Blind people get an extra tax break where do they get off selling a Baby Ruth for a buck?. Cut back on the sugar, cut back on the smokes, cut back on the portions, don’t buy premade meals, etc.
I’d starting this in the morning and adding to it when a memory become clear, there is only one radio station that comes through and it is the oldies station, I was never a fan of Do woop or silly 60’s songs but I am starting to gather a intense hatred. In boarding school a close pal used to sing love potion #9 in the shower, it sounded great in the shower, that song plays 3-4 time in a 10 hour period, and I wonder where is 34’th and vine and is it significant to the song?
I first met the DA on a spring night in 1978, after transferring back to the local school system, and as I have mentioned there was talk I had been at a reform school, and since I didn’t want the hassle I let it go. R____ came up to me and said hello, and I didn’t remember him but he said I got in a pen fight with him in Jr. high and he had a blue line on his forearm which was advantageous because it was picture day, so his school picture shows the blue line on his arm, a few years after we reconnected later his mom chided me for ruining his school picture, she was sort of joking (like most people who met me back then she was convinced I was always stoned).
I kept hearing about the Judge’s daughter, she became an almost mythical character, “guess what the Judge’s daughter said last night, she said she might like me”, she was always know as the PT (prick tease although I don’t think that phrase has gone out of favor), and R_____ had a few friends at school who spoke about her in derogatory yet still reverent terms. Who is this Judge’s daughter, what powers over HS boys does she have, now as I said I was a loner and I really didn’t cultivate any particular look except “stay away” (except for M_____ which is another story). There were lots of pretty girls and I had zero self confidence, but people thought I was smart and I had just come from a place where I lived on campus and there were 70 in my class to a city School where there was about 800 in the class. Not that I was a Romeo, I was in the dorms and dates were out of the question, and there was a couple of gal I liked that were in my time zone , but I was a Head banger back then with a heavy Pink Floyd influence, and I thought dancing was against the code, and if there was anything I would change it would be my attitude towards dancing, I couldn’t dance and as the DA told me years ago, most guys can’t dance, but girls put up with it and suppress their laughter because girls like to move and dance when they are kids and learn their seductive moves early, and guys usually don’t start dancing until they have to and use the same move no matter what the tempo is. If I was a dancer then … well my life would have moved in different direction even if it was lat as college.
One fateful night that spring, R____ and J____ showed op on a Friday night and asked if I wanted to go cruising to Eastdale and South U and the Judge’s Daughter and her friend B____ might be there, we got to Eastdale and went to the Mickey’s across the street, suddenly she was spotted, we went to the car and drove around in a circle and we pulled next to her facing in the opposite direction, we chatted and I looked at her and she was cute, a chatter box, and she looked at me batted her eyes, and asked if I was Valdez (back in the day we fellas called each other by our last name, wonder if that still happens), she then asked if I was a mexican and I started to asked her WTF and she said “You better behave or I’ll tell my dad”,”go ahead “ I say, well then she said something I would never forget, she invited me to go along and the guys said “No don’t do it”, (I still don’t know why, but I can guess), the Judge’s daughter said “come along you might get lucky”, I start to climb out of the car and she rolls up her window and takes off in her jeep with the wooden front bumper. “dude, what I tell ya, she is a real PT” says R_________-
We met a few times and ended up working next to each other, but that is for another day
Today is the DA’s birthday, and while get got her present on Valentine’s Day (her valentine’s present was given on 02/01/2011) tonight it is takeout from Applebee’s. I am sad to report that I have been gaining weight lately and it is because I am having home cooked meals, still having trouble with stress related binging on candy bars which are expensive considering that the vending machine doles them out at a buck a piece. The commission for the blind runs the vendor license, and I suppose that is a good thing, but since Blind people get an extra tax break where do they get off selling a Baby Ruth for a buck?. Cut back on the sugar, cut back on the smokes, cut back on the portions, don’t buy premade meals, etc.
I’d starting this in the morning and adding to it when a memory become clear, there is only one radio station that comes through and it is the oldies station, I was never a fan of Do woop or silly 60’s songs but I am starting to gather a intense hatred. In boarding school a close pal used to sing love potion #9 in the shower, it sounded great in the shower, that song plays 3-4 time in a 10 hour period, and I wonder where is 34’th and vine and is it significant to the song?
I first met the DA on a spring night in 1978, after transferring back to the local school system, and as I have mentioned there was talk I had been at a reform school, and since I didn’t want the hassle I let it go. R____ came up to me and said hello, and I didn’t remember him but he said I got in a pen fight with him in Jr. high and he had a blue line on his forearm which was advantageous because it was picture day, so his school picture shows the blue line on his arm, a few years after we reconnected later his mom chided me for ruining his school picture, she was sort of joking (like most people who met me back then she was convinced I was always stoned).
I kept hearing about the Judge’s daughter, she became an almost mythical character, “guess what the Judge’s daughter said last night, she said she might like me”, she was always know as the PT (prick tease although I don’t think that phrase has gone out of favor), and R_____ had a few friends at school who spoke about her in derogatory yet still reverent terms. Who is this Judge’s daughter, what powers over HS boys does she have, now as I said I was a loner and I really didn’t cultivate any particular look except “stay away” (except for M_____ which is another story). There were lots of pretty girls and I had zero self confidence, but people thought I was smart and I had just come from a place where I lived on campus and there were 70 in my class to a city School where there was about 800 in the class. Not that I was a Romeo, I was in the dorms and dates were out of the question, and there was a couple of gal I liked that were in my time zone , but I was a Head banger back then with a heavy Pink Floyd influence, and I thought dancing was against the code, and if there was anything I would change it would be my attitude towards dancing, I couldn’t dance and as the DA told me years ago, most guys can’t dance, but girls put up with it and suppress their laughter because girls like to move and dance when they are kids and learn their seductive moves early, and guys usually don’t start dancing until they have to and use the same move no matter what the tempo is. If I was a dancer then … well my life would have moved in different direction even if it was lat as college.
One fateful night that spring, R____ and J____ showed op on a Friday night and asked if I wanted to go cruising to Eastdale and South U and the Judge’s Daughter and her friend B____ might be there, we got to Eastdale and went to the Mickey’s across the street, suddenly she was spotted, we went to the car and drove around in a circle and we pulled next to her facing in the opposite direction, we chatted and I looked at her and she was cute, a chatter box, and she looked at me batted her eyes, and asked if I was Valdez (back in the day we fellas called each other by our last name, wonder if that still happens), she then asked if I was a mexican and I started to asked her WTF and she said “You better behave or I’ll tell my dad”,”go ahead “ I say, well then she said something I would never forget, she invited me to go along and the guys said “No don’t do it”, (I still don’t know why, but I can guess), the Judge’s daughter said “come along you might get lucky”, I start to climb out of the car and she rolls up her window and takes off in her jeep with the wooden front bumper. “dude, what I tell ya, she is a real PT” says R_________-
We met a few times and ended up working next to each other, but that is for another day
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
what a drag budget people are as long as they aren't doctors
February 22, 2011
Circumstance and happenstance strikes again, beginning with the DA and her daily struggles. She finds a lump a couple of weeks ago, and uses it as an excuse for bus money to the doctor, which must be some bus since she needed 10 bucks, never made the doctor but the 10 bucks is gone, so it goes. She finally goes to the doctor, (which for the first time I hear loves her, or so he says), gets her meds but doesn’t mention the lump. She is bugged but the doctor’s profession of love (I’m hopping she is exaggerating as usual) but since he gives her the pills she wants she puts up with it, and since Medicade is paying for it, gets the pills for free and sells them on this network of addicts who keep each other supplied in pills traded for drugs at our expense.
“My Beef of the day” sponsored by Lemon drop bullion cubes, perfect for that special lady you want to impress but don’t want to spend a lot of money just yet.
Before I start I must mention that I am in the public library cause I needed to renew my card and they have free wi-fi, but since there are about 30 people here it is a bit slow.
The work day was relatively uneventful, I finally got the 40 monitors, laptops and two giant servers out of the cage. 11 laptops to go, but 5 pc’s arrived today sans monitors which makes it a major pain to get them inventoried.
It was a bit of a bummer, but par for the course, I was handed some papers concerning a procedural transfer of a vehicle that was designated for the department secretary, but not wanted by the incoming secretary. I started the paperwork as a favor, and initiated a change order under the existing purchase order. It was signed by the Chief financial officer, and sent to budget where the worker bee assigned to the coding I was using returned it to me with a paragraph stating I had the wrong PO, I also noticed that it had the wrong last name, now I’ve been there almost 23 years and I worked in the same area for 20 years before I was cast out of the financial area like Adam, and to the basement where I admit the group is a bit more lively and sociable. I do notice the budget worker bee is very timid and usually avoids eye contact, which those of you who know me, are not surprised, but I was up there long enough she should have known my last name, also I send her weekly e-mails seeking approval of requisitions for various items needed for the continuing operation of the agency, and each e-mail has my full name, number, location, etc, etc, etc.
So I went up there and we chatted a bit and she wanted me to do it a certain way, and I asked for an explanation on why I have to use an existing purchase order that does not have the vehicle in question on its books, I expected an answer along the lines of, “to keep the vehicles in one PO together” but she didn’t do that, just that I had to do it and she either didn’t comprehend what I was saying, or didn’t care. Irregardless I said that I needed an e-mail from her and I would do as she requested and she refused, saying that her hand written note would do, and I lost my cool and told her “not gonna do it”, she said “then its not gonna happen” and I replied that “don’t matter to me, I’m doing this as a favor, and you got my last name wrong” she asks me what my last name is, and I admit to being dumfounded, “you really don’t know my last name” and I walked away, another problema for our long suffering but very cool bureau chief. I know I’ll lose but the head of budget will have a few words to say and I’ll use the old paperwork trick, cause I have no formal notice requesting transferring the vehicle from the secretary’s office to the motor pool, which would then necessitate using the accounting coding current used by the fleet. I should be a bigger man, but it is inexcusable for the budget working bee to cop an “because I said so attitude” and not know my last name. A pox on the Budget working bee and the honey trail she leaves behind
Wt 136
2 sugars
3 smokes
Circumstance and happenstance strikes again, beginning with the DA and her daily struggles. She finds a lump a couple of weeks ago, and uses it as an excuse for bus money to the doctor, which must be some bus since she needed 10 bucks, never made the doctor but the 10 bucks is gone, so it goes. She finally goes to the doctor, (which for the first time I hear loves her, or so he says), gets her meds but doesn’t mention the lump. She is bugged but the doctor’s profession of love (I’m hopping she is exaggerating as usual) but since he gives her the pills she wants she puts up with it, and since Medicade is paying for it, gets the pills for free and sells them on this network of addicts who keep each other supplied in pills traded for drugs at our expense.
“My Beef of the day” sponsored by Lemon drop bullion cubes, perfect for that special lady you want to impress but don’t want to spend a lot of money just yet.
Before I start I must mention that I am in the public library cause I needed to renew my card and they have free wi-fi, but since there are about 30 people here it is a bit slow.
The work day was relatively uneventful, I finally got the 40 monitors, laptops and two giant servers out of the cage. 11 laptops to go, but 5 pc’s arrived today sans monitors which makes it a major pain to get them inventoried.
It was a bit of a bummer, but par for the course, I was handed some papers concerning a procedural transfer of a vehicle that was designated for the department secretary, but not wanted by the incoming secretary. I started the paperwork as a favor, and initiated a change order under the existing purchase order. It was signed by the Chief financial officer, and sent to budget where the worker bee assigned to the coding I was using returned it to me with a paragraph stating I had the wrong PO, I also noticed that it had the wrong last name, now I’ve been there almost 23 years and I worked in the same area for 20 years before I was cast out of the financial area like Adam, and to the basement where I admit the group is a bit more lively and sociable. I do notice the budget worker bee is very timid and usually avoids eye contact, which those of you who know me, are not surprised, but I was up there long enough she should have known my last name, also I send her weekly e-mails seeking approval of requisitions for various items needed for the continuing operation of the agency, and each e-mail has my full name, number, location, etc, etc, etc.
So I went up there and we chatted a bit and she wanted me to do it a certain way, and I asked for an explanation on why I have to use an existing purchase order that does not have the vehicle in question on its books, I expected an answer along the lines of, “to keep the vehicles in one PO together” but she didn’t do that, just that I had to do it and she either didn’t comprehend what I was saying, or didn’t care. Irregardless I said that I needed an e-mail from her and I would do as she requested and she refused, saying that her hand written note would do, and I lost my cool and told her “not gonna do it”, she said “then its not gonna happen” and I replied that “don’t matter to me, I’m doing this as a favor, and you got my last name wrong” she asks me what my last name is, and I admit to being dumfounded, “you really don’t know my last name” and I walked away, another problema for our long suffering but very cool bureau chief. I know I’ll lose but the head of budget will have a few words to say and I’ll use the old paperwork trick, cause I have no formal notice requesting transferring the vehicle from the secretary’s office to the motor pool, which would then necessitate using the accounting coding current used by the fleet. I should be a bigger man, but it is inexcusable for the budget working bee to cop an “because I said so attitude” and not know my last name. A pox on the Budget working bee and the honey trail she leaves behind
Wt 136
2 sugars
3 smokes
Monday, February 21, 2011
I was a carny for two weeks
I turn 50 next month, and upon reflection I suppose like many other people I have made many mistakes, some of which I continue to do, but I have flashes of memories that I need to get down while the mind is fresh or the connections are fresh
The picture above is from one of my cooler expierences, it was 1977 and I had transferred from the boarding High school to the public high school, I will give the reasons later but it was a move that was necessary both financially and emotionally, declaring war on a misbegotten belief or motive on people that did not need the grief that were trying to help me was a bad mistake, however a part of me thinks that it was 1) funny, 2) somewhat deserved but I could have handled it much more maturely, so it goes
Back to the memory, I didn’t know very many of the people in HS, a few remembered me but most have a vague memory that I did something and went to the boys school, which at the time was a 2 year commitment, this was before drugs and gangs led to minors committing adult crimes. Minor crimes could get you sent to “reeducate” you, since I was bulled in Jr High, I did little to change that perception, and those that bullied me, left me alone, my sister who was a year behind me could have contributed to this, but by HS she “changed” and was a girl who had a bad reputation some of it deserved, some of it not. It caused my parents immense grief, and her behavior led to her having a accident in college that damaged part of her brain, a tragedy because she was a beautiful gal and could have done something if she changed, or a drug addict that would have ruined my parents until she finally OD’d.
But I wanted a class ring, and if I recall the rings were about 150.00 and I needed to get a job,it was and is a friend of my mom’s said that the state fair hired temporary help, my sister got a job at a pizza place that hired hot chicks and she had fun there and did a fair amount of drugs and hooked up, had fun, if I had that chance I probably would have done so but if you look at the picture I didn’t look cool and I was about 40 lbs overweight.
I went to where the semi’s were unloading and I got no commitment, but I found a woman named Vi who said they wanted to see me work first, so I helped unload and set up one of the booths on the midway. We all finished about midnight, and the next day I showed up early and found no one remembered me, I ran into Vi who was opening up the booth and I asked her if she needed me, now this on of those moments where chance stepped in and gave me a break. The night before a kid, about my age, was assigned to Vi, and he was swing from the crossbeam and it broke and he broke his leg. He was on crutches and they put him somewhere else and Vi asked me to hop in the booth, and we worked out the hours, and I had a job. No salary was discussed, and I didn’t expect to get minimum since it was cash.
The game involved a spinning wheel with holes at the edge of the wheel and a hole surrounded by a color, I think there was 16 colors, around the edge of the booth was a square with a color and you would put a quarter on a color, A mouse was placed in the center and a cover was put over it, the wheel is spun, and the cover is lifted and the mouse runs to a hole, and if you had a quarter on that color you got the prize which was a decent looking stuffed animal. Vi told me that she was charges by the square foot and she was in the second best place and I think it was $50.00 a square foot, and it was about 10X10 , maybe a little smaller. She needed to make on average about $100 per animal, and that the State fail stop was a bit dreaded because there were mostly lookly loos. Her husband had the booth next door and was clearly 10-15 years older, Vi looked about late 40’s her husband had to be retired. His game was a beer bottle lying on its side and you had a pole a string and a ring toss hoop and the game was to get a bottle to stand on its end before falling off the board.
I heard lots of stories, mostly the teenagers were runaways, and the workers that put up the rides looked like hell’s angel’s, big, tattooed, hairs and scary looking but they were very nice to me, and asked if I wanted to join them. They were the enforcers and policed the midway, a couple of times some of the want to be gangs would get rude or hassle some of the booths and they would get into fights, one tall black dude called the daughter of one of the booth’s some kind of name and the guys and his friends called them out and walked off, a few minutes later some of the ride operators were walking off and they had these huge spanner wrenches in their arm of their jacket and wet after them. About ½ hour later the midway was closed down, a horn sounded and everyone hurried to batten down the hatches. I never found out what exactly what happened but a kid got stabbed just outside the midway. The next day the manager came over and told me that if anything happened, if anyone started anything I was to yell at the guy running the skee-ball game 30 feet away. Nothing happened where I was but there were a few fights, and they had a plan in case it got large scale. Mostly problems were confined to drunks that accused the game of being a cheat, and the state police dealt with them.
The fair ended and I helped tear down the booth and load it and I went to the trailer and got $125.00 and a pink stuffed animal which I gave to little sister, which pissed me off, and he explained that take into consideration that I would steal some money. Which I never did, but I did help a few pals from the old school I went to “win” some stuffed animals and look impressive in front of their gal. Vi got our address but I never heard from her and she wasn’t there the next year, and the people I did recognize either did not remember or pretended to not remember which is the same thing.
I slept in the next day which was a school day, and my mom and dad went down to the fair and had a chat with the Carnival manager and I don’t know what was said but they got me another 50.00, which took care of the ring and frankly I used the rest for beer. My sister worked the pizza the next year but I didn’t even try to work a booth. The son of my friends left with the carny’s, he hooked up with one of the men, and eventually died from AIDS, nice guy. Anyway that was one of my experiences, more fun than anything, saw a different side of life, and got a class ring out of it.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
new year, old song, different ending?
Intended to start 31st but the DA has stayed clean as far as I know, and has clinged to me for support, but feels like she is sucking my positive energy out, but frankly I’m far too cynical, listless, afraid to try anything, to have any actual positive energy. When I walk the halls some come up to me to say hello but they don’t visit anymore and I feel uncomfortable visiting them, and I find my self making outrageous comments to make it easier for them to avoid me and I wonder how close were they to me to begin with. Budgets are up for grabs, my motivation is zero, 903 days to early retirement, unless the new governor changes the deal, which is her right, I have enough to buy a year, but I was hoping to use that to pay off all debt. I have a plan to pay everything in 3 years, but it requires living with the DA with little rent, and her staying sober, if by chance she went to jail for a long time, I doubt that I would have the opportunity to live there for more than a year, especially if her dad were to fall ill,
I have these fantastic ideas and I wish I knew how to use the cell better so I could record them, but they fritter away as I get caught in the fog of life
On the second I weighed 230, but that night I weighed 240 and the same this morning
Goal is to get to 200 by the summer equinox
I have these fantastic ideas and I wish I knew how to use the cell better so I could record them, but they fritter away as I get caught in the fog of life
On the second I weighed 230, but that night I weighed 240 and the same this morning
Goal is to get to 200 by the summer equinox
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