much has happened
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Monday, July 23, 2012
ANGER-an assignment
This is my first homework assignment on anger
I retyped it and my answers are in bold as though I am responding to the author
The Challenge of Anger
Copyright 1999-2004 by Lynn D. Johnson. Reproduction permitted. Contact ljohnson@solution.consulting.com
Perhaps anger is a practical joke that Mother Nature has played on the human race. In a primitive society, anger helps us survive. We can fight off aggressors or drive away bears or lions from our flocks with the energy that anger gives us. But in a civilized society, anger generally backfires and causes much trouble.
{Anger in primitive society was essential, and I would say it is still essential, I still have a fight or flee reaction in dealing with people. Fleeing is likely walking away or moving on with a dismissive look or comment, and the fighting hasn’t been physical
Since I was a kid, it has been verbal and not necessarily screaming, although screaming is well used to convey displeasure and works quite well with strangers.
In a fight or flee situation screaming “get away from me” may be over kill when dealing with strangers asking for money because “they are out of gas” but after saying no a few times yelling brings atttention and whether it is a pan handler or someone else being difficult it is very effective because it takes the situation to the observation of others.
This doesn’t no work with coworkers or a customer service representative at a store because there are policies against this kind of thing and you look like an ass because there is no imminent danger.
In this case anger does backfire and will cause trouble at work because there are policies and even a moderate volume discussion makes you the bad guy, even if you are in the right.
This is the main point; anger is triggered when I believe I am in the right. The world must know I am in the Right! No matter is too trivial, too insignificant. Civility demands it, they must know I am right, the flip side of the coin is and a great quote used probably by Khufu advisor who told him “You have to choose your battles” and repeated by nearly everyone who either told me I crossed the line or overthought the situation.
But often the battle chose me. I try to keep an aloof demeanor. If I cold I would wear head phones and listen to pod cast, jazz, metal, etc. But people like to stop me and ask a question, and don’t like it when I request an E-mail. Some do not like this, they think I am being an ass or a anal retentive nonhuman. I get the E-mail and it is very brief and I try to comply, but if I tell them I cannot do it or they need paperwork. Well then it is on. Their return e-mail usually contains threats of going to my boss, and so on and so on.
It is not enough I have policy to stand on, if I don’t get the apology I feel it is necessary to remind them about procedures, and they were wrong. Who are they to treat me in that manner? They are human beings trying to get something with the least resistance so they can get some brownie points that could lead to a promotion or a better job. They want to move on and if it takes a few short cuts, it is nothing to them. I wish I could keep that in mind. Making them look, feel, or act stupid adds nothing to the task at hand. I just wish they would follow their own beliefs when the tables are turned. I can’t let it go when they don’t show the same consideration. I don’t feel good to be the “bigger person”}
The reason for this is very simple. When we are angry we are less intelligent. The part of our brain that directs anger is called the “reptile brain”. It gives us the energy to fight our enemies. We react primitively and instinctively. The higher brain is quiet on the sidelines. We lose our ability to think clearly and intelligently. And in a modern society, thinking clear is vital. While anger helped our ancestors survive, today it makes it very hard for us to flourish and profit. I suggest that we can challenger anger. We can set our goal to be more calm, intelligent, and effective. We can decide to not let anger control us.
{This is curious because I can accept the notion I am less intelligent, I don’t know if I am operating at my higher or lower functions. If I win the argument (I don’t get in physical confrontations for obvious reasons) but if it is a pyrrhic victory; does this make me less intelligent. The ends may not justify the means, but backing off and look foolish in my eyes, let alone others (pity may show empathy, but it hurts to be on the receiving end). If I stay intelligent and don’t let irrationally take over, but I come out lesser and lose, do I really stay the better person. Once again “choose your battles” comes into play.
Effective anger can be profitable, clear thinking sounds fishy to me. To be at a higher state of mind may be the desired, and this may be “clear” thinking. But anyone telling me they have steps to clear thinking, makes me take a half step back, likely it is because self-help groups, or religious groups tell me they have the way or the light to a clear head kind of freaks me out. It may be my experience with 12 step groups or the weird stuff you hear about scientology.
Most successful people got there by picking their battles, making allies, defeating weaker opponents, and I’m not talking playing dirty, they played the game on an open field and used every advantage to their success. Ask the ones they stepped on, and it John Q honestly says the better man one, then John Q was operating at a higher level and the people he bypassed have a good feeling about him because he played “fair”
But. If I am truly thinking clear, if I am at the higher level, if I am calm, does this increase my intelligence, or does it give the illusion of intelligence, does a calm demeanor convey greatness, intelligence, leadership. Does the anger really go away or can it be misdirected, taken apart, reassembled, and repackaged to give the air of calmness. If I believe I am in control of my thoughts, rational, feelings, i.e. anger, doesn’t this lead to a false sense of authority, pride, even look down on the poor souls? Is this a form of reverse anger. What is the optimal point that I want to achieve?
(I have to confess I am unfamiliar with the term Reptilian brain. I googled it a read a bit and I would like to know the derivation of the term. I have not studied reptiles but I’ve never heard of an angry reptile, it would seem something hissing at me would be defending it territory or hungry) }
Reflect on the usefulness of anger
Recognize that while anger is a natural part of our selves, it is also generally not helpful. If you wish to live a more calm intelligent and effective life, start here. Think thoughtfully and deeply about how effective anger is in your life. How is it working so far?
{It doesn’t work out well at all. People who care told me that I need to talk to someone and consider meds. The “self” I think I project to others is loved by those who know me. Being honest with myself, I want to project confidence, being cool, approachable with questions, and in the flip side if I need a favor I am granted the favor with a select few.
However most are afraid to ask me for items because I was charged with saving $$ in the past and I did so diligently. I am willing to work with others but If I am treated like my area is a Wal-Mart where they ask and I serve with a smile, then there is a problem. I always fell back on policy, but the current regime has no priority, whereas the prior was anal retentive. Anger and a scowl also keeps people away from me, I may be conveying a bad message, but it could be the extra 100 lbs which keeps women from smiling at me, I never figured this out, even if I thought a smile from a lady as I passes was an invitation to ask for a number. If the lady was horrified, she could easily outrun me and laugh hideously as she would mock me over her shoulder. }
You can see from reflecting on that when we use anger we generally get nowhere. We might yell and storm at family members and they temporally change. But soon they go right back to doing what they did before. So we yell and storm some more, which temporally helps. But when you look at the whole picture, you can see that being chronically angry does nothing to help create better situations. It just drives the problems under ground. And they do pop up again, don’t they?
{But does no yelling do anything? If there is a cycle of frustration and yelling, then aren’t we actors in a macabre play? Chronically angry isn’t good for anyone, and I don’t know anyone chronically angry. Even Chronically angry people enjoy a good meal. This doesn’t address the occasional outburst or “Flip” comment. I can’t be disciplined for “flip” comments, but I can for Rage anger}
Road Rage
What about anger with people outside of the family, such as those who drive in irresponsive ways? Aren’t you justified in becoming angry with these people? After all, aren’t’ they a menace to safe driving? Actually if you take a broad view, you will see that challenging a dangerous driver is just creating more danger. As we said, people are less intelligent when angry. They do irrational things. They act impulsively. Do you really want the bad driver in the other car acting more irrationally and impulsively? Well, that is what you get when you try to correct their behavior. They get angry and therefore they are dumb and don’t learn from what you are doing.
{I don’t honk, people here carry guns, and carry them proudly, I don’t flip off, I don’t stare, if I cut someone off and I know it I give an acknowledgement of fault. If someone is honking and gesturing I shrug my shoulder. }
So getting angry with people in traffic is actually a problem of excessive optimism on your part. You really believe it will help them to be mad at them, but when you take a broader view, you can see that anger didn’t work.
What is the real result of anger?
Our challenge is to look at whether anger really helps. The comic Richard Pryer once set himself on fire while using drugs. He later said “I jumped up and I was on fire! And I ran out of the house on fire! And I learned something from that. I learned that when you are on fire, running down the street people get out of your way”
Could looking at anger like that help you? Could you see an advantage to thinking that all anger does is to get people to jump back away from you, but it really doesn’t help. It doesn’t really change anything for the better? People you don’t know generally learn nothing of value from your anger. People you are close to simply learn that all they need to be fearful of you. Since fear and love cannot happen at the same time, anger is robbing you of the love that we all want and need.
{I accept this, but I maintain anger cannot be eliminated completely. How do you stay in a higher power without looking down on people, how do you maintain a calm demeanor without going ballistic when a referee blows a call against the Lobos. I’ve seen this, I’ve known people who I never saw got mad and were calm, laughed at stress, let insults roll off their shoulder. But get a softball game going and the umpire calls them out. “Boom” The Lobos lose a close game “Boom” their day is ruined. I think we all need some avenue for frustration. I don’t get angry if I miss a light or someone makes a mistake. It’s part of life, ironic because the people telling me I’ve gone to far are the same one who ask why I didn’t get mad at a perceived slight.
Sports have become a standard for much anger, and a unite-r. We can rally around the flag and have a deep dislike for someone who doesn’t cheer for the same color uniforms}
A New View of Anger
Why not look at anger as a bad habit that grabbed you and has been interfering with your happiness and satisfaction ever since? Suppose you think about habits generally. Don’t we all have some good ones and some bad ones? If you simply see anger as a habit that is inefficient you may feel some freedom from it.
{It is hard for me to let go, I suppose that by hanging on to my anger I have control, or the illusion of control. If I get a lot of grief from a line supervisor I let it go to a certain extent, if they have lost control of their anger and become “less intelligent”, I let them know, I have talked to them like children, they didn’t like it but pushing it further would involve more people and in government jobs non one (except me) wants to involve the higher ups. It becomes a stalemate which means “they” win. That makes me unhappy and resentful. I don’t see the freedom aspect from letting them win, walking over me, getting the best of me. Sort of not eating a bag of candy, my inner self mocks me and I give in and consume the bag.}
Many times, just looking at something in a new way is healthy. Please try out this idea about anger that it really doesn’t help. Try thinking of it as simply a habit. And see if you feel more free and healthy from that idea.
I have tried it in the week and I guess it reinforces the old “choose your battles carefully”
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Agnostic Ash Wednesday Chub Club
Agnostic Ash Wednesday Chub Club
Another Lenten season is upon me. I haven’t been a strict Catholic since I was a young lad, and I attend once a year, usually the Easter Vigil mass. Something about the ritual of Catholicism keeps me from venturing towards another church. The rules are pretty much the same, the “thou shall not’s” are similar. I don’t like being around people so I’m not active in anything really. I don’t really have a hard core belief, I believe in an afterlife, but I look back and see what I was taught and I laugh at my naiveté. I don’t laugh, outwardly at least, at adults who believe in the doctrine I believed when I was 13.
Christmas would seem the most logical time to embrace or question faith. I suppose it is the shopping for sales, or the perfect gift, or filling out cards with comments that are non secular but express warm greetings. The birth of the Son of God by a virgin, who will grow up to die a horrible death for sins of a chubby Hispanic that will not occur for 2000 years does stretch the limit of imagination.
It is Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. If you live in a fun area it is doubtful you are at work. You would be on a parade route catching beads with your children or grandchildren and trying not to get caught by your old lady looking at women baring their all for some beads. Sounds like fun.
I sit in my disheveled office working on paperwork and hoping no one bugs me. This is my goal every day, to not get annoyed by somebody. This has a sister companion thought, I must bug whomever bugs me. I don’t get bugged by the performance of my normal duties. I am bugged by the entitlement that some feel.
An example: Yesterday was a federal holiday, but not a state holiday. President’s Day is celebrated the day after thanksgiving. 5:00 on the dot one of the needy persons came down and wanted something posted and certified from our mail room, our Bureau Chief and I explained that the mail room closed at 3:00 and no one is available. In a snide manner (which showed the extent of her face lift) she said “None of you know how to do it?”, normally I would go ½ ballistic and use my mental thesaurus to explain in careful details that a reasonable person would keep track of their duties to the point, if they needed something special they would give a heads up.
However, A mental mule gave me a kick to the head, and I said “Even if we could, the Post Office is closed today and no mail is going out”, dejectedly we walked away and said out loud “What am I supposed to tell them”, to which I told the BC “Tell them to do their job and be prepared”
Moving on
The DA turns 50 this week and she has been crying and is depressed because her sisters get special presents on momentous birthdays, and she gets very little. I try to explain that her behavior dictates the present. Her sister got a trip to Alaska for her her 50th, the DA gets 50 bucks.
The DA has been deemed Mentally incompetent to stand trial, but she has been arrested 4 times for crossing a parking lot and a cop saw her and shoplifting which almost got me in trouble because the Cop was bored and I don’t like cops, ( I was doing laundry and didn’t know what the DA was doing until a cop came). So the DA is acting like she has a get out of Jail free card, but she doesn’t like to wait, so it costs 50.00 to bal her out, and the cops don’t seem to care they are wasting her time
Actual fat man musings:
Lent starts tomorrow, as I have mentioned, I believe but I don’t really want to explain or become inconvenienced. I like ritual. I like the ashes aspect, or the thinking behind it. I haven’t tried to give up something for lent in a very long time. I had a thought a few days ago to form a weight loss group during Lent for “Lost Catholics”. It would be the Agnostic Ash Wednesday Chub Club. A club for people wanting to quit some vice, smokes, booze, etc, and we would work towards losing weight, with the idea that if one goal is reached, the others would fall in line.
There is a sinister idea behind the Agnostic Ash Wednesday Chub Club, but I haven’t formed it out fully
I weigh 242, smoke, booze on Fridays
Let’s see how I do dealing with the DA’s 50’th
Another Lenten season is upon me. I haven’t been a strict Catholic since I was a young lad, and I attend once a year, usually the Easter Vigil mass. Something about the ritual of Catholicism keeps me from venturing towards another church. The rules are pretty much the same, the “thou shall not’s” are similar. I don’t like being around people so I’m not active in anything really. I don’t really have a hard core belief, I believe in an afterlife, but I look back and see what I was taught and I laugh at my naiveté. I don’t laugh, outwardly at least, at adults who believe in the doctrine I believed when I was 13.
Christmas would seem the most logical time to embrace or question faith. I suppose it is the shopping for sales, or the perfect gift, or filling out cards with comments that are non secular but express warm greetings. The birth of the Son of God by a virgin, who will grow up to die a horrible death for sins of a chubby Hispanic that will not occur for 2000 years does stretch the limit of imagination.
It is Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. If you live in a fun area it is doubtful you are at work. You would be on a parade route catching beads with your children or grandchildren and trying not to get caught by your old lady looking at women baring their all for some beads. Sounds like fun.
I sit in my disheveled office working on paperwork and hoping no one bugs me. This is my goal every day, to not get annoyed by somebody. This has a sister companion thought, I must bug whomever bugs me. I don’t get bugged by the performance of my normal duties. I am bugged by the entitlement that some feel.
An example: Yesterday was a federal holiday, but not a state holiday. President’s Day is celebrated the day after thanksgiving. 5:00 on the dot one of the needy persons came down and wanted something posted and certified from our mail room, our Bureau Chief and I explained that the mail room closed at 3:00 and no one is available. In a snide manner (which showed the extent of her face lift) she said “None of you know how to do it?”, normally I would go ½ ballistic and use my mental thesaurus to explain in careful details that a reasonable person would keep track of their duties to the point, if they needed something special they would give a heads up.
However, A mental mule gave me a kick to the head, and I said “Even if we could, the Post Office is closed today and no mail is going out”, dejectedly we walked away and said out loud “What am I supposed to tell them”, to which I told the BC “Tell them to do their job and be prepared”
Moving on
The DA turns 50 this week and she has been crying and is depressed because her sisters get special presents on momentous birthdays, and she gets very little. I try to explain that her behavior dictates the present. Her sister got a trip to Alaska for her her 50th, the DA gets 50 bucks.
The DA has been deemed Mentally incompetent to stand trial, but she has been arrested 4 times for crossing a parking lot and a cop saw her and shoplifting which almost got me in trouble because the Cop was bored and I don’t like cops, ( I was doing laundry and didn’t know what the DA was doing until a cop came). So the DA is acting like she has a get out of Jail free card, but she doesn’t like to wait, so it costs 50.00 to bal her out, and the cops don’t seem to care they are wasting her time
Actual fat man musings:
Lent starts tomorrow, as I have mentioned, I believe but I don’t really want to explain or become inconvenienced. I like ritual. I like the ashes aspect, or the thinking behind it. I haven’t tried to give up something for lent in a very long time. I had a thought a few days ago to form a weight loss group during Lent for “Lost Catholics”. It would be the Agnostic Ash Wednesday Chub Club. A club for people wanting to quit some vice, smokes, booze, etc, and we would work towards losing weight, with the idea that if one goal is reached, the others would fall in line.
There is a sinister idea behind the Agnostic Ash Wednesday Chub Club, but I haven’t formed it out fully
I weigh 242, smoke, booze on Fridays
Let’s see how I do dealing with the DA’s 50’th
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Valentines day
I deliver ups/fedex in addition to the volumn of paperwork I do. I usually have someone else do it, but he has been attached to mail , and we recently lose someone who was detailed out because they didn't fit in. I had no problem with this person but they burned a lot of bridges and when spyin alligations came to light, there were trust issues
12-13 flowers or candy came in today and I got someone to help me cause very simply I'm really bad with names, I have a dour disposition, and I hate the look of ladies I pass as I wheel the cart of flowers past them.
A coworker who I have worked with 22 years and tried to emparrass me at every turn, said she doesn't like flowere anymore because she doesn't like dealing with the expected BJ later.
Part of getting old I guess
12-13 flowers or candy came in today and I got someone to help me cause very simply I'm really bad with names, I have a dour disposition, and I hate the look of ladies I pass as I wheel the cart of flowers past them.
A coworker who I have worked with 22 years and tried to emparrass me at every turn, said she doesn't like flowere anymore because she doesn't like dealing with the expected BJ later.
Part of getting old I guess
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The terrorist Budget accountants vs me
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
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
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
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