29 December 2008
Verbal Engineering
The following scenario is one that we are discussing in my Business Class that i am taking. Right now we are covering Human Resources. I agreed with Nicole and every chick in the class has busted my ass about it. In my opinion i defended what Nicole did but it sure pissed of the women. The men in the class tell me to keep up the good fight but they don't want to piss off the women.
Here is a statistic for you, 42% of all women who go out under FMLA for childbirth do not return to work.
Susan, who is visibly pregnant, has applied for a job with Bradley Corporation. Nicole, the hiring manager, has invited Susan to interview based on the strength of her resume and is not aware of her pregnancy. When Susan arrives at her interview with Bradley Corporation, Nicole is taken by surprise. Although Nicole thinks Susan would make a very fine employee, she wonders if Susan will stay in the position if hired.
Nicole is worried about having to train Susan and get her situated in the new position only to have her quit after her maternity leave. Nicole is savvy enough not to say, "I'm not going to hire you because you're pregnant" out loud, but she has decided that she will not hire Susan.
What would you have done if you were Nicole? Be prepared to defend your position.
Here is a statistic for you, 42% of all women who go out under FMLA for childbirth do not return to work.
Susan, who is visibly pregnant, has applied for a job with Bradley Corporation. Nicole, the hiring manager, has invited Susan to interview based on the strength of her resume and is not aware of her pregnancy. When Susan arrives at her interview with Bradley Corporation, Nicole is taken by surprise. Although Nicole thinks Susan would make a very fine employee, she wonders if Susan will stay in the position if hired.
Nicole is worried about having to train Susan and get her situated in the new position only to have her quit after her maternity leave. Nicole is savvy enough not to say, "I'm not going to hire you because you're pregnant" out loud, but she has decided that she will not hire Susan.
What would you have done if you were Nicole? Be prepared to defend your position.
28 December 2008
Another hurdle cleared
Well, Christmas has come and gone. I fared much better than i thought i would. I was expecting a lot of..... well, I'm not sure what i was expecting. I just didn't think it would turn out to be fun. In the end it was a pretty good Christmas.
I got off work at 1500 on Tuesday and have been off since. I spent Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday with the GF and her family. GF had to work Christmas night, Friday and Saturday night. We found the time to be with one another and we both had a Merry Christmas.
She understood this was a difficult time for me and gave me the room i needed but stayed close. It was wonderful. Now that the holidays are behind us we look forward to getting on with our lives. We will start our own new traditions.
I spent some time with my Grandson. It was in the 70's here so i took grandson out riding on the motorcycle. That child has no fear and loves to ride. He likes it when we go fast. I don't believe in getting a child clothes for Christmas. I got him trucks, and lots of them. I also got him a Thomas the Train set. The boy was happy.
One of the nights GF had to work i went next door to Mardy and Samantha's. We drank plenty of beer and burned some steaks. Now she has new pictures of me passed out on their couch. Its a funny sight. Me passed out holding a beer and an 80 pound pit bull sleeping next to me. Life is good.
I hope Y'all had a Merry Christmas and I'll see you soon.
Ray.
I got off work at 1500 on Tuesday and have been off since. I spent Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday with the GF and her family. GF had to work Christmas night, Friday and Saturday night. We found the time to be with one another and we both had a Merry Christmas.
She understood this was a difficult time for me and gave me the room i needed but stayed close. It was wonderful. Now that the holidays are behind us we look forward to getting on with our lives. We will start our own new traditions.
I spent some time with my Grandson. It was in the 70's here so i took grandson out riding on the motorcycle. That child has no fear and loves to ride. He likes it when we go fast. I don't believe in getting a child clothes for Christmas. I got him trucks, and lots of them. I also got him a Thomas the Train set. The boy was happy.
One of the nights GF had to work i went next door to Mardy and Samantha's. We drank plenty of beer and burned some steaks. Now she has new pictures of me passed out on their couch. Its a funny sight. Me passed out holding a beer and an 80 pound pit bull sleeping next to me. Life is good.
I hope Y'all had a Merry Christmas and I'll see you soon.
Ray.
25 December 2008
Christmas, why December 25th?
Scholars can't agree on exactly when Christ was born, but how long has Christmas been celebrated on December 25?
The exact circumstances of the beginning of Christmas as we know it remain obscure. The oldest existing record of a feast to celebrate the birth of Christ is in the Roman almanac called the Chronographer of 354 or the Philocalian Calendar. This almanac noted that a festival commemorating Christ's birth was observed by the church in Rome in the year 336. Chronographers of the third century were the ones who reckoned December 25, around the winter solstice, as the most likely day of Christ's birth. Many historians believe that the church stirred up interest in a festival at this time of year to counter the pagan festivals surrounding the solstice, but no historical document proves Rome's involvement. The record shows that such a festival was adopted throughout the Christian world by the year 458. The word Christmas comes from "Christ's Mass."
24 December 2008
Frank Feldman, I feel his pain......
A man walks out to the street and catches a taxi just going by.
He gets into the taxi, and the cabbie says, "Perfect timing.
You're just like Frank."
Passenger: 'Who?'
Cabbie: "Frank Feldman. He's a guy who did everything right all the
time. Like my coming along when you needed a cab, things happened
like that to Frank Feldman every single time."
Passenger: "There are always a few clouds over everybody."
Cabbie: "Not Frank Feldman He was a terrific athlete. He could have won
You're just like Frank."
Passenger: 'Who?'
Cabbie: "Frank Feldman. He's a guy who did everything right all the
time. Like my coming along when you needed a cab, things happened
like that to Frank Feldman every single time."
Passenger: "There are always a few clouds over everybody."
Cabbie: "Not Frank Feldman He was a terrific athlete. He could have won
the Grand-Slam at tennis. He could golf with the pros. He sang like an
opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star; and you should have
heard him play the piano. He was an amazing guy."
Passenger: "Sounds like he was something really special."
Cabbie: "There's more... He had a memory like a computer. He remembered
Passenger: "Sounds like he was something really special."
Cabbie: "There's more... He had a memory like a computer. He remembered
everybody's birthday. He knew all about wine, which foods to order and which
fork to eat them with. He could fix anything. Not like me. I change a fuse,
and the whole street blacks out. But Frank Feldman, he could do everything
right."
Passenger: "Wow, some guy then."
Cabbie: "He always knew the quickest way to go in traffic and avoid traffic
Passenger: "Wow, some guy then."
Cabbie: "He always knew the quickest way to go in traffic and avoid traffic
jams. Not like me, I always seem to get stuck in them. But Frank, he never
made a mistake, and he really knew how to treat a woman and make her
feel good. He would never answer her back even if she was in the wrong;
and his clothing was always immaculate, shoes highly polished too. He
was the perfect man! He never made a mistake. No one could ever measure
up to Frank Feldman."
Passenger: "An amazing fellow. How did you meet him?"
Cabbie: "Well, I never actually met Frank. He died. I'm married to his damn widow."
Passenger: "An amazing fellow. How did you meet him?"
Cabbie: "Well, I never actually met Frank. He died. I'm married to his damn widow."
22 December 2008
Motivational Posters
This one just cracked my ass up. I know there is nothing funny about domestic violence, unless you put it in a motivational poster.
20 December 2008
Familiarity
Tonight really sent my head and my heart in two different directions. Sometimes i wonder if i should just crawl into a cave and be alone. The battle raging in my head seems to be too much to overcome. Let me explain.
If you are a newly wedded couple, you will not understand. For those who have many years under their wedding belt it all makes sense. When Ruth and I married she had two kids fully grown. Over the years we came to know each other and a family bond was formed. The same goes for her Father and her Brothers and Sisters. After 8 or so years i was Uncle Ray who everyone expected to see at family gatherings and i was a part of her family. Her family entrusted items to us. Items that belonged to her Mother, her Grandmother her Father and his family. We were the couple that everyone new would be together forever. Her family expected us to store all these items and display them at Christmas and other holidays. The familiarity was there that everyone expected.
And we did. Items from her children's childhood, her childhood, my childhood, her great grandmothers nativity set, her Father's mother's nativity set, all these things were brought out at the appropriate holiday. Her family expected to see these things and we always had stories to tell about them. We were together so long i could tell her stories from her childhood. We were the Aunt and Uncle you expected to see at family gatherings and we knew the secrets of each others family. Life was good.
The reason i talk about this is because about 2 weeks ago her daughter called me and asked if i would send her the Nativity sets that her Mom used to set up at Christmas time. Parting with the Nativity sets wasn't the issue. I simply didn't want to go digging through all of Ruth's decorations to find them. Then i realized that i was being selfish. I called her back and told her i would find them and send them to her.
I went in the back yard to the shed where i put all of Ruth's stuff. I opened it up and started hunting for the Nativity sets. I found them, wrapped them up and shipped them off. Actually, the new GF helped me find them. She was very understanding and supportive. When i packed them for shipment i took one last look at them and knew i wouldn't ever see them again. This didn't bother me either. These items belonged in Ruth's family and now her daughter would be the one to carry on the traditions out in California.
What messed with my head was tonight. I have completed my Christmas shopping. I told everyone not to buy me anything for Christmas. I wasn't doing Christmas this year. The only one i was buying gifts for was my grandson. period. Not open for discussion.
I went to the shed to retrieve the wrapping paper and other stuff. We kept it in a big plastic storage container. When i opened it up it just made me start crying. All the paper and ribbon and tape and everything that Ruth and I used last year and previous years to wrap all the gifts. It was right here where it was supposed to be and just like Ruth was in the other room. After i wrapped the first gift i went through the box to get the tags to indicate who the gift was for. I wrote on the tag to Seth from Papa Ray and Nana. Just habit i guess and then i lost it. My emotions took control and i had to walk away. Almost a whole year later and i still can not control my emotions when it comes to Ruth. I am so weak sometimes.
As i sit here and type this i look around. Everything in the house is exactly like it was when Ruth died. There is actually potato chips still in the bag on the baker's rack that was there the night she died. I haven't changed anything. You have to question whether or not this is healthy behavior or not. I simply don't know.
Ruth used to go all out for Christmas. This house looked like a department store with all her decorations out. It was beautiful. This year i didn't put up a tree or a single light. I just wasn't in the mood. It doesn't feel like Christmas to me.
People tell me that only a new Love can replace and old Love. Those people are full of shit. You CAN NOT replace and old Love. You may find new Love and make room for it in your heart but it does not replace the old Love. When a union between a man and women is ended by death rather than divorce or seperation, that Love never dies. When your spouse dies while your still in Love, that Love will be there forever i think. One must learn to move on and accept the fact that their loved one is gone and there is nothing you can do about it. Sometimes life just sucks.
If you are a newly wedded couple, you will not understand. For those who have many years under their wedding belt it all makes sense. When Ruth and I married she had two kids fully grown. Over the years we came to know each other and a family bond was formed. The same goes for her Father and her Brothers and Sisters. After 8 or so years i was Uncle Ray who everyone expected to see at family gatherings and i was a part of her family. Her family entrusted items to us. Items that belonged to her Mother, her Grandmother her Father and his family. We were the couple that everyone new would be together forever. Her family expected us to store all these items and display them at Christmas and other holidays. The familiarity was there that everyone expected.
And we did. Items from her children's childhood, her childhood, my childhood, her great grandmothers nativity set, her Father's mother's nativity set, all these things were brought out at the appropriate holiday. Her family expected to see these things and we always had stories to tell about them. We were together so long i could tell her stories from her childhood. We were the Aunt and Uncle you expected to see at family gatherings and we knew the secrets of each others family. Life was good.
The reason i talk about this is because about 2 weeks ago her daughter called me and asked if i would send her the Nativity sets that her Mom used to set up at Christmas time. Parting with the Nativity sets wasn't the issue. I simply didn't want to go digging through all of Ruth's decorations to find them. Then i realized that i was being selfish. I called her back and told her i would find them and send them to her.
I went in the back yard to the shed where i put all of Ruth's stuff. I opened it up and started hunting for the Nativity sets. I found them, wrapped them up and shipped them off. Actually, the new GF helped me find them. She was very understanding and supportive. When i packed them for shipment i took one last look at them and knew i wouldn't ever see them again. This didn't bother me either. These items belonged in Ruth's family and now her daughter would be the one to carry on the traditions out in California.
What messed with my head was tonight. I have completed my Christmas shopping. I told everyone not to buy me anything for Christmas. I wasn't doing Christmas this year. The only one i was buying gifts for was my grandson. period. Not open for discussion.
I went to the shed to retrieve the wrapping paper and other stuff. We kept it in a big plastic storage container. When i opened it up it just made me start crying. All the paper and ribbon and tape and everything that Ruth and I used last year and previous years to wrap all the gifts. It was right here where it was supposed to be and just like Ruth was in the other room. After i wrapped the first gift i went through the box to get the tags to indicate who the gift was for. I wrote on the tag to Seth from Papa Ray and Nana. Just habit i guess and then i lost it. My emotions took control and i had to walk away. Almost a whole year later and i still can not control my emotions when it comes to Ruth. I am so weak sometimes.
As i sit here and type this i look around. Everything in the house is exactly like it was when Ruth died. There is actually potato chips still in the bag on the baker's rack that was there the night she died. I haven't changed anything. You have to question whether or not this is healthy behavior or not. I simply don't know.
Ruth used to go all out for Christmas. This house looked like a department store with all her decorations out. It was beautiful. This year i didn't put up a tree or a single light. I just wasn't in the mood. It doesn't feel like Christmas to me.
People tell me that only a new Love can replace and old Love. Those people are full of shit. You CAN NOT replace and old Love. You may find new Love and make room for it in your heart but it does not replace the old Love. When a union between a man and women is ended by death rather than divorce or seperation, that Love never dies. When your spouse dies while your still in Love, that Love will be there forever i think. One must learn to move on and accept the fact that their loved one is gone and there is nothing you can do about it. Sometimes life just sucks.
19 December 2008
The bailout explained
Once upon a time a man appeared in a village and announced to the
villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.
The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the
forest and started catching them.
The man bought thousands at $10 and, as supply started to diminish, the
villagers stopped their effort. He next announced that he would now buy
monkeys at $20 each. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they
started catching monkeys again.
Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to
their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys
became so scarce it was an effort to even find a monkey, let alone catch
it!
The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50 each! However,
since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would buy
on his behalf. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the
villagers: "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has
already collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when the man returns
from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each."
The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys for
700 billion dollars.
They never saw the man or his assistant again, only lots and lots of monkeys!
Now you have a better understanding of how the
WALL STREET BAILOUT PLAN
WILL WORK !!!!
villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.
The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the
forest and started catching them.
The man bought thousands at $10 and, as supply started to diminish, the
villagers stopped their effort. He next announced that he would now buy
monkeys at $20 each. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they
started catching monkeys again.
Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to
their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys
became so scarce it was an effort to even find a monkey, let alone catch
it!
The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50 each! However,
since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would buy
on his behalf. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the
villagers: "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has
already collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when the man returns
from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each."
The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys for
700 billion dollars.
They never saw the man or his assistant again, only lots and lots of monkeys!
Now you have a better understanding of how the
WALL STREET BAILOUT PLAN
WILL WORK !!!!
18 December 2008
The question that threw me
I was talking about relationships with a buddy the other day and he told me that you don't really know your girlfriend until you have a major fight. He said you need to know if she fights fair or dirty. The way he explained it at the time made good sense. He then asked if the GF and I have had a fight. I told him no, it's no big deal. He says to wait and see.
When it comes to relationships, i am very flexible. I don't care what we eat, what's on TV, where we go for the most part. I like to think that i am as flexible as Stretch Armstrong. On the other side of the equal sign is the inflexibility. I will not waiver on my belief in Pro-Life, 2nd Amendment, Catholicism and my creed "Loyalty above all else, except honor"
I was tested in one of the above listed beliefs. It was not my shining hour. I could have responded, retorted and reacted much better than i did. In the end, it is what it is. Now she knows without a shadow of a doubt where i stand. There was a rift created between us and i created this rift. For this i take responsibility.
I was confiding in a great friend and he asked me if i Love her. I looked back at him and said "What is Love?" Neither of us could define it. We had examples but what is the real definition of love. Love will make a person do things they wouldn't normally do. What causes this? Is it a chemical thing? What makes a person do stupid things for love? What is the difference between Love and Lust?
To me, Love is when you put that persons needs and wants before your own. It is as simple as that. Love can not be measured by money or any other monetary object. It is a feeling that makes you want to please the one you Love.
A buddy of mine was having relations with a married women. I asked him how he could do something like that. How would he like it if some guy was banging his wife. He told me " I never saw a ring that could plug that hole. I saw a rock that could plug it once, but that was only one time" I guess the definition of Love varies from person to person.
Am I in Love? Maybe, sometimes i think i am and sometimes i think our relationship is so fragile that the blowing wind may break it. I figure that when she becomes the most important thing in my life and i put her before everything, then that is real love. Only time will tell.
The following are what other call Love:
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love." - Sophocles
When it comes to relationships, i am very flexible. I don't care what we eat, what's on TV, where we go for the most part. I like to think that i am as flexible as Stretch Armstrong. On the other side of the equal sign is the inflexibility. I will not waiver on my belief in Pro-Life, 2nd Amendment, Catholicism and my creed "Loyalty above all else, except honor"
I was tested in one of the above listed beliefs. It was not my shining hour. I could have responded, retorted and reacted much better than i did. In the end, it is what it is. Now she knows without a shadow of a doubt where i stand. There was a rift created between us and i created this rift. For this i take responsibility.
I was confiding in a great friend and he asked me if i Love her. I looked back at him and said "What is Love?" Neither of us could define it. We had examples but what is the real definition of love. Love will make a person do things they wouldn't normally do. What causes this? Is it a chemical thing? What makes a person do stupid things for love? What is the difference between Love and Lust?
To me, Love is when you put that persons needs and wants before your own. It is as simple as that. Love can not be measured by money or any other monetary object. It is a feeling that makes you want to please the one you Love.
A buddy of mine was having relations with a married women. I asked him how he could do something like that. How would he like it if some guy was banging his wife. He told me " I never saw a ring that could plug that hole. I saw a rock that could plug it once, but that was only one time" I guess the definition of Love varies from person to person.
Am I in Love? Maybe, sometimes i think i am and sometimes i think our relationship is so fragile that the blowing wind may break it. I figure that when she becomes the most important thing in my life and i put her before everything, then that is real love. Only time will tell.
The following are what other call Love:
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love." - Sophocles
"Attention is the most basic form of love; through it we bless and are blessed." - John Tarrant
"We love because it's the only true adventure." - Nikki Giovanni
"Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays. Clutch it, and it darts away." - Dorothy Parker
"Love is friendship set on fire." - unknown
"Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing." - Goethe
"To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia." - H.L. Mencken
"Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it...It really is worth fighting for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk everything, you risk even more." - Erica Jong
"Sometimes love is stronger than a man's convictions." - Isaac Bashevis Singer
"Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness." - Oliver Wendell Holmes
"Maybe love is like luck. You have to go all the way to find it." - Robert Mitchum
"Love stretches your heart and makes you big inside." - Margaret Walker
"Love has no awareness of merit or demerit; it has no scale... Love loves; this is its nature." - Howard Thurman
"Love is like war: Easy to begin but hard to end." - Anonymous
"Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other." - Rainer Maria Rilke
"Where love is, no room is too small." - Talmud
"Loves makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place." - Zora Neale Hurston
"Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." - Mark Twain
"Love is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day." - Nicholas Sparks
"To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven." - Karen Sunde
"A love song is just a caress set to music." - Sigmund Romberg
"Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit." - Peter Ustinov
"Love is like a violin. The music may stop now and then, but the strings remain forever." - unknown
"Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence." - Erich Fromm
"In the final analysis, love is the only reflection of man's worth." - Bill Wundram, Iowa Quad Cities Times
"Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile." - Elizabeth Browning
"Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song,
A medley of extemporanea;
And love is a thing that can never go wrong;
And I am Marie of Roumania."
- Dorothy Parker
"To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer. But suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down."
- Woody Allen,
13 December 2008
Movie Review
This week i was up in Borger TX and GF was working nights. She calls me Thursday afternoon and tells me that Friday night will be "date night" for us. My response is what it always is, Woo Hoo, i love date night. I ask her what the plan is and she tells me she will let me know. Even better, i don't have to figure out what to do. Life is good. I have learned to trust GF and her plans. We have so much in common that i don't have to worry about going to some play or stupid shit. We both like the same things.
On my way home from Borger i get the plans. We are taking her parents out to eat and then GF and i are going to Academy to look around and then we are going to the 2140 showing at the drive-inn. Sounds like a damn fine evening to me.
Dinner goes well and the conversation is great as always. We leave the restaurant and head over to Academy. We pick up what she is looking for and we go thru the gun section. I am standing around salivating and she looks at me and says " I can't take you out in public can I? At least it isn't other women that light your fire" so she drags me out and off to the movies.
We decided to see Four Christmas's and it is one funny movie. It has a well rounded cast and is funny as hell. It stars Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, John Voight, Tim McGraw and a host of others. Laughed our butts off.
We pull in and find our parking spot. We head to the concession stand and get our goodies. The movie starts and we are about half way thru the movie when GF leans over and kisses me. I'm thinking that's cool and then she does it again. I look at her and say "hold up"
She gives me this puzzled look and says "excuse me"
I say "Look here women, i spent $12 to get in here, $10 on popcorn and soda and you want to make out? I don't think so. When we were teenagers, making out at the drive-inn was cool. We had no choice then, that's the only place we could be alone. We both own our own homes, if you want to make out, we can do it there, not at the drive-inn. We 40 years old and i am here to watch a movie. Keeps your hands and your lips to yourself until the credits roll"
You do believe i told her that, right?
If you do then your nuttier than a squirrel turd.
But seriously, the movie is pretty good and i will buy it when it comes out on DVD.
Ya'll have a great weekend.
On my way home from Borger i get the plans. We are taking her parents out to eat and then GF and i are going to Academy to look around and then we are going to the 2140 showing at the drive-inn. Sounds like a damn fine evening to me.
Dinner goes well and the conversation is great as always. We leave the restaurant and head over to Academy. We pick up what she is looking for and we go thru the gun section. I am standing around salivating and she looks at me and says " I can't take you out in public can I? At least it isn't other women that light your fire" so she drags me out and off to the movies.
We decided to see Four Christmas's and it is one funny movie. It has a well rounded cast and is funny as hell. It stars Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, John Voight, Tim McGraw and a host of others. Laughed our butts off.
We pull in and find our parking spot. We head to the concession stand and get our goodies. The movie starts and we are about half way thru the movie when GF leans over and kisses me. I'm thinking that's cool and then she does it again. I look at her and say "hold up"
She gives me this puzzled look and says "excuse me"
I say "Look here women, i spent $12 to get in here, $10 on popcorn and soda and you want to make out? I don't think so. When we were teenagers, making out at the drive-inn was cool. We had no choice then, that's the only place we could be alone. We both own our own homes, if you want to make out, we can do it there, not at the drive-inn. We 40 years old and i am here to watch a movie. Keeps your hands and your lips to yourself until the credits roll"
You do believe i told her that, right?
If you do then your nuttier than a squirrel turd.
But seriously, the movie is pretty good and i will buy it when it comes out on DVD.
Ya'll have a great weekend.
11 December 2008
The Big 3 can kiss my ass
In 2007 GM sold the same amount of cars as Toyota. Toyota recorded good profits and GM wants 16 Billion dollars. What is wrong with this picture?
In my business, if i want to succeed i must do it better than my competition. If i am more expensive, i have to convince my customer that he gets more value from my product than my competitors. Sometimes i do, sometimes i don't. That is the nature of business.
We have the best technicians in the business and that comes at a price. Our company wants 10 years plus employees so we will pay for it. In turn, we are normally higher priced than our competition. I have well paid salesman to educate our customers that they get a better value with us than someone else. We are the largest and the 2nd oldest company in our business. You get what you pay for.
The Big 3 need to restructure their business to become competitive with those who are whipping their ass. I would guess that the UAW is driving their cost through the roof. The UAW can either back off or their people will be unemployed. Its time to make the hard decisions.
In my business, if i want to succeed i must do it better than my competition. If i am more expensive, i have to convince my customer that he gets more value from my product than my competitors. Sometimes i do, sometimes i don't. That is the nature of business.
We have the best technicians in the business and that comes at a price. Our company wants 10 years plus employees so we will pay for it. In turn, we are normally higher priced than our competition. I have well paid salesman to educate our customers that they get a better value with us than someone else. We are the largest and the 2nd oldest company in our business. You get what you pay for.
The Big 3 need to restructure their business to become competitive with those who are whipping their ass. I would guess that the UAW is driving their cost through the roof. The UAW can either back off or their people will be unemployed. Its time to make the hard decisions.
10 December 2008
The class of 57 had its dreams
The other day the GF and I were riding around and The Class of 57 by the Statler Brothers came on the radio. I guess we both kinda drifted off in our own thoughts. I started thinking about my dreams when i graduated in 85. I suppose that GF done the same thing.
After the song was over GF asked me if i thought i had lived a fulfilling life and if i was happy. I smiled and looked her in the eyes and said "Of course i am happy, why do you ask?" she replies "i was just wondering if you had fulfilled your dreams"
I cocked my head to the side and thought about it for a bit. I said " I guess i didn't fulfill my high school dream of being a professional cowboy but i have had an interesting life" She says" What made your life so interesting?"
So i explain. Whether or not a persons lives a fulfilling life is a matter of perspective. What i consider fulfilling you may not. To me it has been. I am 41 years old and have been to 32 states and 22 countries.
I have lived in Italy and toured Europe and the middle east. I have walked the 14 stations of the cross, seen the manger where Christ was born, the church where He performed his first miracle, the river He was baptised in and the place where He was crucified.
I flew over the Swiss Alps in a decompressed military POS, traveled to England by ferry, train, plane and double decker bus. I have pissed on the Eiffel Tower and almost died in Beaumont Ser Mair, where they filmed Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
I have seen the Mediterranean Sea as smooth as a sheet of glass. I have sailed through the Realm of the Arctic Circle and been on top of the world.
I have seen the Gladiator Stadium in Athens Greece and passed out from Ouzo in Athens. I have been on all the continents and have visited government run whore houses in Turkey.
I have jumped out of a perfectly good airplane and snorkeled in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Sea. I have swam in all bodies of water surrounding CONUS and two of the Great Lakes. I have ridden a boat through the Sault ST. Marie locks.
I have been shot, stabbed, cut and hit with a bull whip. I have ridden bulls and bronchs and did a little roping.
I have found God, totally ignored him when he cramped my style and found him again. Now i try to live my life to serve him.
I have tried almost every drug out there and was addicted to Heroin and Hash for a while. I have watched as a best friend almost died in my arms from an overdose and i never saw him again after they flew him to Naples Italy.
I stood behind another best friend when he was wrongly convicted by a Mississippi court. I'm not saying he was innocent, but he got convicted of a crime he didn't commit. He did get it appealed a few years later.
I have looked a man square in the eyes and lied about the relationship between his wife and myself. Back then i didn't have a problem with it, now i think it is repulsive.
I have been locked in a burning compartment on a Naval ship where a human life is expendable and will be sacrificed to save the ship. It was put the fire out or die trying. I have extricated dead bodies from automobile accidents and performed CPR for 45 minutes on a 16 year old girl in Fritch TX in the middle of the highway. Her Father was driving to work and came up on us doing CPR on his little girl. The Chief of Police asked if we would help contain her Father if he went after the other driver. I told the Chief i wouldn't do shit to stop him and wouldn't see a damn thing. That fucker had it coming in my opinion.
I have had an employee arrested, charged, tried and walked for killing his 7 week old baby. They said they didn't have enough evidence. I told a Texas Ranger to dig up her body. That should be evidence enough. He didn't like me after that.
I have taught doctors and nurses CPR and countless others. I had one of my classes make the evening news. I have failed people in those classes because they were lazy or stupid. You either do it or don't. Its pass or fail. No middle ground.
I have fought against Marines in countless bars overseas, and then beside them when the locals started trouble. I have gotten drunk in Burger King too many times to count. It is hard to beat a Whopper and a Heineken. I have eaten God knows what overseas and in Louisiana. I can not stand the taste of Camel or Mutton.
I have seen The Rock of Gibraltar, sailed the Straits of Gibraltar, Seen the Suez Canal, the Pyramids in Egypt, Buckingham Palace, The White House, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Roman Coliseum, The Vatican, the running of the bulls in Spain, and on two continents at one time (Turkey).
I was there when we killed Muammar al-Gaddafi's (Kaddafi) daughter and was at the Wailing Wall minutes before a Palestinian grenade attack.
I have married and buried my best friend, my wife. I have seen a lot of things only Veterans would understand and been places most people only dream about. I believe that i have lived a fulfilling life and wouldn't change anything. My experiences have helped define who i am and what i believe. In 41 years i have experienced a lot. I can only dream of what the next 40 years will be like.
After the song was over GF asked me if i thought i had lived a fulfilling life and if i was happy. I smiled and looked her in the eyes and said "Of course i am happy, why do you ask?" she replies "i was just wondering if you had fulfilled your dreams"
I cocked my head to the side and thought about it for a bit. I said " I guess i didn't fulfill my high school dream of being a professional cowboy but i have had an interesting life" She says" What made your life so interesting?"
So i explain. Whether or not a persons lives a fulfilling life is a matter of perspective. What i consider fulfilling you may not. To me it has been. I am 41 years old and have been to 32 states and 22 countries.
I have lived in Italy and toured Europe and the middle east. I have walked the 14 stations of the cross, seen the manger where Christ was born, the church where He performed his first miracle, the river He was baptised in and the place where He was crucified.
I flew over the Swiss Alps in a decompressed military POS, traveled to England by ferry, train, plane and double decker bus. I have pissed on the Eiffel Tower and almost died in Beaumont Ser Mair, where they filmed Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
I have seen the Mediterranean Sea as smooth as a sheet of glass. I have sailed through the Realm of the Arctic Circle and been on top of the world.
I have seen the Gladiator Stadium in Athens Greece and passed out from Ouzo in Athens. I have been on all the continents and have visited government run whore houses in Turkey.
I have jumped out of a perfectly good airplane and snorkeled in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Sea. I have swam in all bodies of water surrounding CONUS and two of the Great Lakes. I have ridden a boat through the Sault ST. Marie locks.
I have been shot, stabbed, cut and hit with a bull whip. I have ridden bulls and bronchs and did a little roping.
I have found God, totally ignored him when he cramped my style and found him again. Now i try to live my life to serve him.
I have tried almost every drug out there and was addicted to Heroin and Hash for a while. I have watched as a best friend almost died in my arms from an overdose and i never saw him again after they flew him to Naples Italy.
I stood behind another best friend when he was wrongly convicted by a Mississippi court. I'm not saying he was innocent, but he got convicted of a crime he didn't commit. He did get it appealed a few years later.
I have looked a man square in the eyes and lied about the relationship between his wife and myself. Back then i didn't have a problem with it, now i think it is repulsive.
I have been locked in a burning compartment on a Naval ship where a human life is expendable and will be sacrificed to save the ship. It was put the fire out or die trying. I have extricated dead bodies from automobile accidents and performed CPR for 45 minutes on a 16 year old girl in Fritch TX in the middle of the highway. Her Father was driving to work and came up on us doing CPR on his little girl. The Chief of Police asked if we would help contain her Father if he went after the other driver. I told the Chief i wouldn't do shit to stop him and wouldn't see a damn thing. That fucker had it coming in my opinion.
I have had an employee arrested, charged, tried and walked for killing his 7 week old baby. They said they didn't have enough evidence. I told a Texas Ranger to dig up her body. That should be evidence enough. He didn't like me after that.
I have taught doctors and nurses CPR and countless others. I had one of my classes make the evening news. I have failed people in those classes because they were lazy or stupid. You either do it or don't. Its pass or fail. No middle ground.
I have fought against Marines in countless bars overseas, and then beside them when the locals started trouble. I have gotten drunk in Burger King too many times to count. It is hard to beat a Whopper and a Heineken. I have eaten God knows what overseas and in Louisiana. I can not stand the taste of Camel or Mutton.
I have seen The Rock of Gibraltar, sailed the Straits of Gibraltar, Seen the Suez Canal, the Pyramids in Egypt, Buckingham Palace, The White House, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Roman Coliseum, The Vatican, the running of the bulls in Spain, and on two continents at one time (Turkey).
I was there when we killed Muammar al-Gaddafi's (Kaddafi) daughter and was at the Wailing Wall minutes before a Palestinian grenade attack.
I have married and buried my best friend, my wife. I have seen a lot of things only Veterans would understand and been places most people only dream about. I believe that i have lived a fulfilling life and wouldn't change anything. My experiences have helped define who i am and what i believe. In 41 years i have experienced a lot. I can only dream of what the next 40 years will be like.
08 December 2008
Merry Christmas to me
The other day i get a wild hair and decided to do some knife shopping on the Internet. I looked at the Cold Steel knives and many others. when it was all said and done i bought Cold Steel knives from here, much cheaper than Cold Steel themselves, and thought all was good in the world. Then i find out that about half of the knives i ordered are illegal in Texas. What a jip, but who cares. These aren't the first illegal items i have ever owned, right?
I picked up these little beauties which are fiberglass reinforced plastic. Supposedly they can pass thru a metal detector. I nice little boot knife to have on your person, provided you don't get caught. The manufacturer does put a hard to remove metal key chain on the handle. Notice i said hard to remove, not impossible. These are illegal in Texas. I can't figure out why.
I picked up an assortment of throwing knives as well. Throwing them is a lot harder than i thought it would be. If anyone has any tips on throwing knives, i would like some advice.
This little gem is my favorite. It is perfect for when words aren't enough. You simply grasp the T handle and let the blade protrude between your ring finger and bird finger. Punch like a boxer. You can definitely ruin someones day with this. Make sure you check your states laws before you buy a push dagger like this. You do not want to be caught with it.
I figure i have been concealing a handgun for so long, how hard can it be to conceal a push dagger. If i have to use it, just throw it away before the cops get there and swear up and down he started stabbing himself. This is Texas after all.
I picked up these little beauties which are fiberglass reinforced plastic. Supposedly they can pass thru a metal detector. I nice little boot knife to have on your person, provided you don't get caught. The manufacturer does put a hard to remove metal key chain on the handle. Notice i said hard to remove, not impossible. These are illegal in Texas. I can't figure out why.
I picked up an assortment of throwing knives as well. Throwing them is a lot harder than i thought it would be. If anyone has any tips on throwing knives, i would like some advice.
This little gem is my favorite. It is perfect for when words aren't enough. You simply grasp the T handle and let the blade protrude between your ring finger and bird finger. Punch like a boxer. You can definitely ruin someones day with this. Make sure you check your states laws before you buy a push dagger like this. You do not want to be caught with it.
I figure i have been concealing a handgun for so long, how hard can it be to conceal a push dagger. If i have to use it, just throw it away before the cops get there and swear up and down he started stabbing himself. This is Texas after all.
07 December 2008
Two things
Two things in this world will make a man do things he wouldn't normally do. Can you guess what they are?
Sex and money. Notice i didn't say Love. Love is a word used too often to camouflage Lust or sex.
I am lucky in the sense that when i lost my wife i was still in love. I was not interested in a sexual relationship so when i met my current GF, sex was not an issue. I think it intrigued her that i wasn't looking to get "lucky". Back in the day we called this the "Jedi Mind Trick".
Most women think that all men want is sex. When your wife or GF ask you to fool around, tell her your not interested. This will blow her mind. She will make up all kinds of shit in her head and the next thing you know, you are almost raped by her. This is the Jedi mind trick. It works every time.
With power comes responsibility. Use this knowledge only to benefit those in need. Do not abuse it.
Gf and i are getting along very well. I finally met someone who's OCD is worse than mine. If you ever go into my pantry you will find all my canned goods sorted and stacked by contents. I looked at GF's pantry and hers are the same as mine except in alphabetical order. Be still my quivering heart...
When i do laundry, my clothes are organized. I put them in the closet or drawer on the right and pull from the left. that way all clothes are worn equally and they don't wear out prematurely. GF has her clothes numbered. I like it.
I am 5 weeks into this relationship and i am happy as a lark. I have taken her to church with me and she gets along well with my friends. The future is looking good. Everything seems to be coming together well. I am back to being my old self. Life is good.
Here is my dilemma. Can a person be too happy? If i am happier than i have been in many years, what does this say to my previous marriage? I believe that a person can have more than 1 soul mate. I am not comparing the two relationships, just noticing the differences. If something seems too good to be true, is it?
I guess there is only one way to find out. I know my heart was broken before but i can not let that stop me from pursuing what might be. I'll let you know what i find.
Sex and money. Notice i didn't say Love. Love is a word used too often to camouflage Lust or sex.
I am lucky in the sense that when i lost my wife i was still in love. I was not interested in a sexual relationship so when i met my current GF, sex was not an issue. I think it intrigued her that i wasn't looking to get "lucky". Back in the day we called this the "Jedi Mind Trick".
Most women think that all men want is sex. When your wife or GF ask you to fool around, tell her your not interested. This will blow her mind. She will make up all kinds of shit in her head and the next thing you know, you are almost raped by her. This is the Jedi mind trick. It works every time.
With power comes responsibility. Use this knowledge only to benefit those in need. Do not abuse it.
Gf and i are getting along very well. I finally met someone who's OCD is worse than mine. If you ever go into my pantry you will find all my canned goods sorted and stacked by contents. I looked at GF's pantry and hers are the same as mine except in alphabetical order. Be still my quivering heart...
When i do laundry, my clothes are organized. I put them in the closet or drawer on the right and pull from the left. that way all clothes are worn equally and they don't wear out prematurely. GF has her clothes numbered. I like it.
I am 5 weeks into this relationship and i am happy as a lark. I have taken her to church with me and she gets along well with my friends. The future is looking good. Everything seems to be coming together well. I am back to being my old self. Life is good.
Here is my dilemma. Can a person be too happy? If i am happier than i have been in many years, what does this say to my previous marriage? I believe that a person can have more than 1 soul mate. I am not comparing the two relationships, just noticing the differences. If something seems too good to be true, is it?
I guess there is only one way to find out. I know my heart was broken before but i can not let that stop me from pursuing what might be. I'll let you know what i find.
03 December 2008
I'm a college boy
Today i started my first semester with Kaplan University online. A month or so back i had a lot of free time and a little extra money so i started researching online colleges. I started talking with Kaplan and when we pulled my military transcripts, i had 48 hours and Kaplan would transfer 30 of them into a degree for me. An associates is 90 hours and a bachelors is 180 hours. I am 1/3 rd of the way to my associates so i figured why not go for it.
With my veteran status they gave me a price of $230 per credit including books. That is a damn good price. My company has a tuition reimbursement plan and when i talked to HR about it, they agreed to pay double what they normally pay because my degree is in business management. In reality i can have my associates in two years and cost out of my pocket will be $3,000. I plan on doing it a lot faster than two years so my cost will increase also.
I am taking 10 hours this semester. Not bad for having a full time job. My two classes are Introduction to Business and Academic Strategies for the Business professional. Each course is 10 units and we have a week to complete each unit. I completed mine today in about 3 hours. If it continues to be this easy i will up the classes that i will take.
I can feel my brain growing already LOL
With my veteran status they gave me a price of $230 per credit including books. That is a damn good price. My company has a tuition reimbursement plan and when i talked to HR about it, they agreed to pay double what they normally pay because my degree is in business management. In reality i can have my associates in two years and cost out of my pocket will be $3,000. I plan on doing it a lot faster than two years so my cost will increase also.
I am taking 10 hours this semester. Not bad for having a full time job. My two classes are Introduction to Business and Academic Strategies for the Business professional. Each course is 10 units and we have a week to complete each unit. I completed mine today in about 3 hours. If it continues to be this easy i will up the classes that i will take.
I can feel my brain growing already LOL
02 December 2008
Fear
Yesterday i realized that i was living in fear. Not a particular fear, just fear of the unknown i think. Last night i shook of that fear and became myself, again. Now i feel really good.
I am an administrator at my job. Yesterday two individuals had words and almost resulted in a physical confrontation. For whatever reason, this shook me awake. For the last two years i have been in a position where the employees kinda had the upper hand and were taking advantage. All that changed last night.
This morning we had a branch meeting and i layed all the issues on the table. I made some changes with personnel and informed them that if they didn't like, they were free to leave. They will operate under my structure or take their toys and go play elsewhere. I refuse to be held hostage by the employees any longer. If i must start over with new ones, so be it, i will.
What amazed me was how many of the people liked the new structure and jumped behind it. This recession is not going to hurt my company. The services we provided are mandated by the government so it must be done. With companies laying off like they are, we have a better pool to pick from for new employees. In the past two years you couldn't hire anyone out here. Now the oil companies are parking rigs and the hands are looking for work. The tail no longer wags the dog. All the men who left solid companies to go work the drilling rigs for a fast buck, are left out in the cold. I'm sorry this happened but if you can't see your future, don't expect me to see it for you.
3 major companies in this area have started or announced their layoffs. It will result in about 950 people into the labor pool. An entire plant is shutting down within 6 months. In a town of 100,000, that is a big influx.
Everyone at my company is safe as long as they continue to perform at the top of their game. The days of employees threatening to leave if they don't get a fat raise, gone like the wind. The next 18 months will be dicey put we will prevail. We will not fail, failure is not an option!
I am an administrator at my job. Yesterday two individuals had words and almost resulted in a physical confrontation. For whatever reason, this shook me awake. For the last two years i have been in a position where the employees kinda had the upper hand and were taking advantage. All that changed last night.
This morning we had a branch meeting and i layed all the issues on the table. I made some changes with personnel and informed them that if they didn't like, they were free to leave. They will operate under my structure or take their toys and go play elsewhere. I refuse to be held hostage by the employees any longer. If i must start over with new ones, so be it, i will.
What amazed me was how many of the people liked the new structure and jumped behind it. This recession is not going to hurt my company. The services we provided are mandated by the government so it must be done. With companies laying off like they are, we have a better pool to pick from for new employees. In the past two years you couldn't hire anyone out here. Now the oil companies are parking rigs and the hands are looking for work. The tail no longer wags the dog. All the men who left solid companies to go work the drilling rigs for a fast buck, are left out in the cold. I'm sorry this happened but if you can't see your future, don't expect me to see it for you.
3 major companies in this area have started or announced their layoffs. It will result in about 950 people into the labor pool. An entire plant is shutting down within 6 months. In a town of 100,000, that is a big influx.
Everyone at my company is safe as long as they continue to perform at the top of their game. The days of employees threatening to leave if they don't get a fat raise, gone like the wind. The next 18 months will be dicey put we will prevail. We will not fail, failure is not an option!
01 December 2008
Diesel $2.50 a gallon, Dually Fender $600, Cat-free, look on GF's face, priceless
Have you ever been cruising along and some dumb ass cat try to run out in front of you? Sometimes you have to swerve real hard to take them out. Sometimes you don't.
So we are driving down this little country road about 50 mph just looking around. We are talking and just having a good time, the world is in harmony. About 50 yards ahead of me a cat shoots out into the road. I was just goofing around and stomped the gas and swerved for the cat. I had no intentions of taking out said feline, i was just goofing.
For whatever reason, i think the cat was suicidal, it decided to come back across the road and play chicken. When it did this i instinctively turned the wheel to avoid hitting the cat. (i swear i was trying to avoid the cat). I missed the cat with the front wheels but it got caught up between the dualls in the back. After it spun around a time or two it became dislodged and shot through the fiberglass fender. It didn't actually put the whole body thru the fender, just a portion of the head.
Now i am pissed that this cat cost me a fender and i am being accused of killing animals for the fun of it. "It's just a cat" was not the desired response she was looking for.
So now i have a pissed off women, a dead cat and my truck smells like dead pussy. Lucky me.
* no animals were actually harmed inthe telling of this story
So we are driving down this little country road about 50 mph just looking around. We are talking and just having a good time, the world is in harmony. About 50 yards ahead of me a cat shoots out into the road. I was just goofing around and stomped the gas and swerved for the cat. I had no intentions of taking out said feline, i was just goofing.
For whatever reason, i think the cat was suicidal, it decided to come back across the road and play chicken. When it did this i instinctively turned the wheel to avoid hitting the cat. (i swear i was trying to avoid the cat). I missed the cat with the front wheels but it got caught up between the dualls in the back. After it spun around a time or two it became dislodged and shot through the fiberglass fender. It didn't actually put the whole body thru the fender, just a portion of the head.
Now i am pissed that this cat cost me a fender and i am being accused of killing animals for the fun of it. "It's just a cat" was not the desired response she was looking for.
So now i have a pissed off women, a dead cat and my truck smells like dead pussy. Lucky me.
* no animals were actually harmed inthe telling of this story
Too damn funny
Ricky and his wife went to Las Vegas and had this picture taken. He had the photographer superimposed his head on my body. I told him he was wrong for doing it but he didn't listen.
When i look at this picture i simply laugh my ass off.
When i look at this picture i simply laugh my ass off.
26 November 2008
Memories and Beer
Tomorrow will be the first Thanksgiving without my wife. If today is an indication of what it will be like, i wish it was already over. Last year my parents where here for Thanksgiving and it snowed 4 inches. That was the first time i think my parents saw snow like that. It was an awesome Thanksgiving.
This year i will be alone for Thanksgiving. Being alone doesn't bother me. Its the fact that the one person whom my life revolved around is no longer with me. I don't know what to do with our old traditions so my plan is to do nothing. For 4 years in the Navy we learned how to be alone on the holidays. When your stationed overseas Thanksgiving isn't celebrated. You just deal with it.
My girlfriend will be working tomorrow so i have the day to myself. Her family gathered for Thanksgiving last Sunday. I got to meet most of her family. Everything went fine as planned. Me and her Dad get along just fine other than the fact that he is a former Marine and i a former Sailor. We jabbed at each other a bit and had fun with it.
I must admit that in the last 12 years, Thanksgiving at GF's families place was a lot more civilized than i am used to. You see my in-laws are a rough sort. Hell, damn near all of them had spent a little time as guest of the local law enforcement's public hotel. They didn't consider it a good gathering unless the cops were called. When i was at GF's gathering i was constantly on guard for a sucker punch or something. Old habits die hard LOL. Not that the in-laws gathering weren't fun, we had a blast, they just weren't normal i guess. They were simply what happened when a bunch of rednecks get together with a lot of booze and free time. I must say that i was at home with them. Since Ruth's Dad passed in December 2007 and Ruth passed in January 2008, her family has fractured and gone their separate ways. They will not be getting together for any holidays. There is some bad blood between them now.
A side not to the above paragraph. One Thanksgiving a couple of years back, we hosted it. Everybody came over and as usual the beer was flowing, the food was good and the shit was being talked. Everybody was having a good time until Brother-in-law decided that his step-daughter's, cousin's husband, wasn't treating her right. Sounds kinda trailer parkish i know, but it is the truth. Anywho, words were shared and a fight broke out. After we pulled them apart, Brother-in-law had a huge piece of the dudes ear in his mouth. That guy was bleeding like a stuck pig. I couldn't stop laughing. It was so "Mike Tyson" it cracked me up. I think i still have that hunk of ear in a zip lock bag somewhere.
Now you have a glimpse of what i am used to, and it all stopped overnight. As i move forward and try to untangle my thoughts and traditions, i look to the future and wonder what the future holds for me. I am a chameleon in the sense that i easily adapt. Hopefully i can establish new traditions with the GF and we have a future together.
GF is a really good person. She knows that i still love Ruth and always will. She can accept that and allows me my time when i need it. I couldn't ask for a nicer person to be with and she understands my demons. I only hope that i can live up to the be the person she thinks i am.
Happy Thanksgiving and may your holidays be blessed.
Ray
This year i will be alone for Thanksgiving. Being alone doesn't bother me. Its the fact that the one person whom my life revolved around is no longer with me. I don't know what to do with our old traditions so my plan is to do nothing. For 4 years in the Navy we learned how to be alone on the holidays. When your stationed overseas Thanksgiving isn't celebrated. You just deal with it.
My girlfriend will be working tomorrow so i have the day to myself. Her family gathered for Thanksgiving last Sunday. I got to meet most of her family. Everything went fine as planned. Me and her Dad get along just fine other than the fact that he is a former Marine and i a former Sailor. We jabbed at each other a bit and had fun with it.
I must admit that in the last 12 years, Thanksgiving at GF's families place was a lot more civilized than i am used to. You see my in-laws are a rough sort. Hell, damn near all of them had spent a little time as guest of the local law enforcement's public hotel. They didn't consider it a good gathering unless the cops were called. When i was at GF's gathering i was constantly on guard for a sucker punch or something. Old habits die hard LOL. Not that the in-laws gathering weren't fun, we had a blast, they just weren't normal i guess. They were simply what happened when a bunch of rednecks get together with a lot of booze and free time. I must say that i was at home with them. Since Ruth's Dad passed in December 2007 and Ruth passed in January 2008, her family has fractured and gone their separate ways. They will not be getting together for any holidays. There is some bad blood between them now.
A side not to the above paragraph. One Thanksgiving a couple of years back, we hosted it. Everybody came over and as usual the beer was flowing, the food was good and the shit was being talked. Everybody was having a good time until Brother-in-law decided that his step-daughter's, cousin's husband, wasn't treating her right. Sounds kinda trailer parkish i know, but it is the truth. Anywho, words were shared and a fight broke out. After we pulled them apart, Brother-in-law had a huge piece of the dudes ear in his mouth. That guy was bleeding like a stuck pig. I couldn't stop laughing. It was so "Mike Tyson" it cracked me up. I think i still have that hunk of ear in a zip lock bag somewhere.
Now you have a glimpse of what i am used to, and it all stopped overnight. As i move forward and try to untangle my thoughts and traditions, i look to the future and wonder what the future holds for me. I am a chameleon in the sense that i easily adapt. Hopefully i can establish new traditions with the GF and we have a future together.
GF is a really good person. She knows that i still love Ruth and always will. She can accept that and allows me my time when i need it. I couldn't ask for a nicer person to be with and she understands my demons. I only hope that i can live up to the be the person she thinks i am.
Happy Thanksgiving and may your holidays be blessed.
Ray
25 November 2008
23 November 2008
Dating for idiots, from a novice point of view
1) A pellet rifle is not the preferred method of removing a stray kitten from a tree, according to some women. No matter that you damn near broke your neck climbing a ladder after the bastard and it kept going higher and it wouldn't shut up and was driving the dog crazy. In the end, the problem was solved, just not to her satisfaction.
2) No matter how polite you are or the nicest tone of voice you can muster, if you tell a grocery store clerk to check their insurance for sterility coverage because they are to stupid to reproduce, it will be frowned upon. It is best to bite your tongue, show the dumb ass how to make the correct change and walk out the door with a smile on your face.
3) Everything is relative. For example, if a senior citizen says something to you, you take it with a grain of salt. If your 6'5" and weigh 325 pounds, you may be accused of having road rage and being a bully behind the wheel. I just think i am aggressive and don't like idiots.
4) If you and your girlfriend are shopping and a scantily clad young women you recognize starts walking towards you, get the hell out of there. It is impossible to explain to your new girlfriend how you know Kandy who works at Jaguars Gentleman's Club. you are behind the 8 ball from the start, and you will dig a hole for yourself that is impossible to climb out of. The old "she is a friend of my niece" shit will not work.
5) If you introduce your new girlfriend to your friends, never, never under any circumstances get involved in a bet that you can fit your head in the glove compartment of your truck, or any vehicle for that matter. There is no positive outcome. Just walk away.
6) "These pants are fire proof" is the stupidest comment you can make when hanging out with your friends. everything burns when exposed to a torch. bet your paycheck on that.
2) No matter how polite you are or the nicest tone of voice you can muster, if you tell a grocery store clerk to check their insurance for sterility coverage because they are to stupid to reproduce, it will be frowned upon. It is best to bite your tongue, show the dumb ass how to make the correct change and walk out the door with a smile on your face.
3) Everything is relative. For example, if a senior citizen says something to you, you take it with a grain of salt. If your 6'5" and weigh 325 pounds, you may be accused of having road rage and being a bully behind the wheel. I just think i am aggressive and don't like idiots.
4) If you and your girlfriend are shopping and a scantily clad young women you recognize starts walking towards you, get the hell out of there. It is impossible to explain to your new girlfriend how you know Kandy who works at Jaguars Gentleman's Club. you are behind the 8 ball from the start, and you will dig a hole for yourself that is impossible to climb out of. The old "she is a friend of my niece" shit will not work.
5) If you introduce your new girlfriend to your friends, never, never under any circumstances get involved in a bet that you can fit your head in the glove compartment of your truck, or any vehicle for that matter. There is no positive outcome. Just walk away.
6) "These pants are fire proof" is the stupidest comment you can make when hanging out with your friends. everything burns when exposed to a torch. bet your paycheck on that.
20 November 2008
Walking in a mine field
So i am dating this lady now and i didn't realize how awkward it would be. It is like negotiating a mine field.
After being married for almost ten years i thought i was well trained. Apparently i was wrong. There is a huge difference in dating and marriage. For example, if you tell the one your dating " I am dating you because i want to, not because i need you " they may not take it the way you meant it, or you meant it the way they took it. I am not sure yet. Life is a puzzle.
At 41 years old i guess i am set in some of my ways. I am willing to compromise on some issues but on others i am not willing to budge. I guess we have to see what we are willing to live with or without. I call this the awkward stage.
The time when you have to watch what you say and do. I'll be glad when this is over. For example, she thinks i have a bit of road rage. Do you know how hard it is to drive and not honk the horn or yell at some idiot? I am also learning that an honest answer is not always the best answer. I have to really watch my answers.
I also found that i have to keep her away from my friends that tell stories about some of the stupid things i have done. She doesn't understand why anyone would do that. For example, one night someone dared me to wear a pair of camo speedos to the bar so i did. the problem was i got enough beer in me to show them off. They got pictures.... and they have come back to haunt me. She doesn't think that was funny.
It is what it is and i am what i am. I will be myself and will be accepted as is or rejected. No one is perfect and everyone has baggage. We have to decide what we can live with and draw our line in the sand.
Peace.
After being married for almost ten years i thought i was well trained. Apparently i was wrong. There is a huge difference in dating and marriage. For example, if you tell the one your dating " I am dating you because i want to, not because i need you " they may not take it the way you meant it, or you meant it the way they took it. I am not sure yet. Life is a puzzle.
At 41 years old i guess i am set in some of my ways. I am willing to compromise on some issues but on others i am not willing to budge. I guess we have to see what we are willing to live with or without. I call this the awkward stage.
The time when you have to watch what you say and do. I'll be glad when this is over. For example, she thinks i have a bit of road rage. Do you know how hard it is to drive and not honk the horn or yell at some idiot? I am also learning that an honest answer is not always the best answer. I have to really watch my answers.
I also found that i have to keep her away from my friends that tell stories about some of the stupid things i have done. She doesn't understand why anyone would do that. For example, one night someone dared me to wear a pair of camo speedos to the bar so i did. the problem was i got enough beer in me to show them off. They got pictures.... and they have come back to haunt me. She doesn't think that was funny.
It is what it is and i am what i am. I will be myself and will be accepted as is or rejected. No one is perfect and everyone has baggage. We have to decide what we can live with and draw our line in the sand.
Peace.
17 November 2008
What a scary thought, gun control
You're sound asleep when you hear a thump outside your bedroom door.
> Half-awake, and nearly paralyzed with fear, you hear muffled whispers.
> At least two people have broken into your house and are moving your way.
> With your heart pumping, you reach down beside your bed and pick up your
> shotgun. You rack a shell into the chamber, then inch toward the door
> and open it. In the darkness, you make out two shadows.
>
> *One holds something that looks like a crowbar. When the intruder
> brandishes it as if to strike, you raise the shotgun and fire. The blast
> knocks both thugs to the floor. One writhes and screams while the second
> man crawls to the front door and lurches outside. As you pick up the
> telephone to call police, you know you're in trouble.
>
> In your country, most guns were outlawed years before, and the few That
> are privately owned are so stringently regulated as to make them
> useless. Yours was never registered. Police arrive and inform you that
> the second burglar has died. They arrest you for First Degree Murder and
> Illegal Possession of a Firearm. When you talk to your attorney, he
> tells you not to worry: authorities will probably plea the case down to
> manslaughter.
>
> "What kind of sentence will I get?" you ask.
>
> "Only ten-to-twelve years," he replies, as if that's nothing. "Behave
> yourself, and you'll be out in seven."
> *
>
> *The next day, the shooting is the lead story in the local newspaper.
> Somehow, you're portrayed as an eccentric vigilante while the two men
> you shot are represented as choirboys. Their friends and relatives can't
> find an unkind word to say about them. Buried deep down in the article,
> authorities acknowledge that both "victims" have been arrested numerous
> times. But the next day's headline says it all: "Lovable Rogue Son
> Didn't Deserve to Die." The thieves have been transformed from career
> criminals into Robin Hood-type pranksters. As the days wear on, the
> story takes wings. The national media picks it up, then the
> international media. The surviving burglar has become a folk hero.
>
> Your attorney says the thief is preparing to sue you, and he'll probably
> win. The media publishes reports that your home has been burglarized
> several times in the past and that you've been critical of local police
> for their lack of effort in apprehending the suspects. After the last
> break-in, you told your neighbor that you would be prepared next time.
> The District Attorney uses this to allege that you were lying in wait
> for the burglars.
>
> A few months later, you go to trial. The charges haven't been reduced,
> as your lawyer had so confidently predicted. When you take the stand,
> your anger at the injustice of it all works against you. Prosecutors
> paint a picture of you as a mean, vengeful man. It doesn't take long for
> the jury to convict you of all charges.
>
> The judge sentences you to life in prison.
>
> This case really happened.
>
> On August 22, 1999, Tony Martin of Emneth, Norfolk, England, killed
> one burglar and wounded a second. In April, 2000, he was convicted and
> is now serving a life term.
>
> How did it become a crime to defend one's own life in the once great
> British Empire ?
>
> It started with the Pistols Act of 1903. This seemingly reasonable law
> forbade selling pistols to minors or felons and established that handgun
> sales were to be made only to those who had a license. The Firearms Act
> of 1920 expanded licensing to include not only handguns but all firearms
> except shotguns.
>
> Later laws passed in 1953 and 1967 outlawed the carrying of any weapon
> by private citizens and mandated the registration of all shotguns.
>
> Momentum for total handgun confiscation began in earnest after the
> Hungerford mass shooting in 1987. Michael Ryan, a mentally disturbed Man
> with a Kalashnikov rifle, walked down the streets shooting everyone he
> saw. When the smoke cleared, 17 people were dead.
>
> The British public, already de-sensitized by eighty years of "gun
> control", demanded even tougher restrictions. (The seizure of all
> privately owned handguns was the objective even though Ryan used a rifle.)
>
> Nine years later, at Dunblane , Scotland , Thomas Hamilton used a
> semi-automatic weapon to murder 16 children and a teacher at a public
> school.
>
> For many years, the media had portrayed all gun owners as mentally
> unstable, or worse, criminals. Now the press had a real kook with which
> to beat up law-abiding gun owners. Day after day, week after week, the
> media gave up all pretense of objectivity and demanded a total ban on
> all handguns. The Dunblane Inquiry, a few months later,
>
> Sealed the fate of the few sidearm still owned by private citizens.
>
> During the years in which the British government incrementally took Away
> most gun rights, the notion that a citizen had the right to armed
> self-defense came to be seen as vigilantism. Authorities refused to
> grant gun licenses to people who were threatened, claiming that
> self-defense was no longer considered a reason to own a gun. Citizens
> who shot burglars or robbers or rapists were charged while the real
> criminals were released.
>
> Indeed, after the Martin shooting, a police spokesman was quoted as
> saying, "We cannot have people take the law into their own hands."
>
> All of Martin's neighbors had been robbed numerous times, and several
> elderly people were severely injured in beatings by young thugs who had
> no fear of the consequences. Martin himself, a collector of antiques,
> had seen most of his collection trashed or stolen by burglars.
>
> When the Dunblane Inquiry ended, citizens who owned handguns were given
> three months to turn them over to local authorities. Being good British
> subjects, most people obeyed the law. The few who didn't were visited by
> police and threatened with ten-year prison sentences if they didn't
> comply. Police later bragged that they'd taken nearly 200,000 handguns
> from private citizens.
>
> How did the authorities know who had handguns? The guns had been
> registered and licensed. Kinda like cars.
>
> Sound familiar?
>
> WAKE UP AMERICA , THIS IS WHY OUR FOUNDING FATHERS PUT THE SECOND
> AMENDMENT IN OUR CONSTITUTION.
>
> "..it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate,
> tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.."
> --Samuel Adams
>
> If you think this is important, please forward to everyone you know
> Half-awake, and nearly paralyzed with fear, you hear muffled whispers.
> At least two people have broken into your house and are moving your way.
> With your heart pumping, you reach down beside your bed and pick up your
> shotgun. You rack a shell into the chamber, then inch toward the door
> and open it. In the darkness, you make out two shadows.
>
> *One holds something that looks like a crowbar. When the intruder
> brandishes it as if to strike, you raise the shotgun and fire. The blast
> knocks both thugs to the floor. One writhes and screams while the second
> man crawls to the front door and lurches outside. As you pick up the
> telephone to call police, you know you're in trouble.
>
> In your country, most guns were outlawed years before, and the few That
> are privately owned are so stringently regulated as to make them
> useless. Yours was never registered. Police arrive and inform you that
> the second burglar has died. They arrest you for First Degree Murder and
> Illegal Possession of a Firearm. When you talk to your attorney, he
> tells you not to worry: authorities will probably plea the case down to
> manslaughter.
>
> "What kind of sentence will I get?" you ask.
>
> "Only ten-to-twelve years," he replies, as if that's nothing. "Behave
> yourself, and you'll be out in seven."
> *
>
> *The next day, the shooting is the lead story in the local newspaper.
> Somehow, you're portrayed as an eccentric vigilante while the two men
> you shot are represented as choirboys. Their friends and relatives can't
> find an unkind word to say about them. Buried deep down in the article,
> authorities acknowledge that both "victims" have been arrested numerous
> times. But the next day's headline says it all: "Lovable Rogue Son
> Didn't Deserve to Die." The thieves have been transformed from career
> criminals into Robin Hood-type pranksters. As the days wear on, the
> story takes wings. The national media picks it up, then the
> international media. The surviving burglar has become a folk hero.
>
> Your attorney says the thief is preparing to sue you, and he'll probably
> win. The media publishes reports that your home has been burglarized
> several times in the past and that you've been critical of local police
> for their lack of effort in apprehending the suspects. After the last
> break-in, you told your neighbor that you would be prepared next time.
> The District Attorney uses this to allege that you were lying in wait
> for the burglars.
>
> A few months later, you go to trial. The charges haven't been reduced,
> as your lawyer had so confidently predicted. When you take the stand,
> your anger at the injustice of it all works against you. Prosecutors
> paint a picture of you as a mean, vengeful man. It doesn't take long for
> the jury to convict you of all charges.
>
> The judge sentences you to life in prison.
>
> This case really happened.
>
> On August 22, 1999, Tony Martin of Emneth, Norfolk, England, killed
> one burglar and wounded a second. In April, 2000, he was convicted and
> is now serving a life term.
>
> How did it become a crime to defend one's own life in the once great
> British Empire ?
>
> It started with the Pistols Act of 1903. This seemingly reasonable law
> forbade selling pistols to minors or felons and established that handgun
> sales were to be made only to those who had a license. The Firearms Act
> of 1920 expanded licensing to include not only handguns but all firearms
> except shotguns.
>
> Later laws passed in 1953 and 1967 outlawed the carrying of any weapon
> by private citizens and mandated the registration of all shotguns.
>
> Momentum for total handgun confiscation began in earnest after the
> Hungerford mass shooting in 1987. Michael Ryan, a mentally disturbed Man
> with a Kalashnikov rifle, walked down the streets shooting everyone he
> saw. When the smoke cleared, 17 people were dead.
>
> The British public, already de-sensitized by eighty years of "gun
> control", demanded even tougher restrictions. (The seizure of all
> privately owned handguns was the objective even though Ryan used a rifle.)
>
> Nine years later, at Dunblane , Scotland , Thomas Hamilton used a
> semi-automatic weapon to murder 16 children and a teacher at a public
> school.
>
> For many years, the media had portrayed all gun owners as mentally
> unstable, or worse, criminals. Now the press had a real kook with which
> to beat up law-abiding gun owners. Day after day, week after week, the
> media gave up all pretense of objectivity and demanded a total ban on
> all handguns. The Dunblane Inquiry, a few months later,
>
> Sealed the fate of the few sidearm still owned by private citizens.
>
> During the years in which the British government incrementally took Away
> most gun rights, the notion that a citizen had the right to armed
> self-defense came to be seen as vigilantism. Authorities refused to
> grant gun licenses to people who were threatened, claiming that
> self-defense was no longer considered a reason to own a gun. Citizens
> who shot burglars or robbers or rapists were charged while the real
> criminals were released.
>
> Indeed, after the Martin shooting, a police spokesman was quoted as
> saying, "We cannot have people take the law into their own hands."
>
> All of Martin's neighbors had been robbed numerous times, and several
> elderly people were severely injured in beatings by young thugs who had
> no fear of the consequences. Martin himself, a collector of antiques,
> had seen most of his collection trashed or stolen by burglars.
>
> When the Dunblane Inquiry ended, citizens who owned handguns were given
> three months to turn them over to local authorities. Being good British
> subjects, most people obeyed the law. The few who didn't were visited by
> police and threatened with ten-year prison sentences if they didn't
> comply. Police later bragged that they'd taken nearly 200,000 handguns
> from private citizens.
>
> How did the authorities know who had handguns? The guns had been
> registered and licensed. Kinda like cars.
>
> Sound familiar?
>
> WAKE UP AMERICA , THIS IS WHY OUR FOUNDING FATHERS PUT THE SECOND
> AMENDMENT IN OUR CONSTITUTION.
>
> "..it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate,
> tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.."
> --Samuel Adams
>
> If you think this is important, please forward to everyone you know
13 November 2008
Contrast of life
Two weeks ago i was in a bad place. I was depressed and just didn't have a good attitude. I had tried dating and decided it wasn't for me. I couldn't find anyone i was willing to spend time with and was ready to be alone for a while. Then all that changed by a chance meeting.
I was walking into the hospital when i saw her. The way she carried herself, she had an air about her. I stopped her, introduced myself and started talking to her. I stayed there until 0130 that morning just talking and watching the election returns. We decided to go out the next night and we hit it off. We have spent every evening together since.
Two lost souls and a chance meeting in a hallway. It always happens when you least expect it. I am not sure where this will lead but i am going to persue it to find out. If i have my way, the journey will be just as exciting as the destination.
I was walking into the hospital when i saw her. The way she carried herself, she had an air about her. I stopped her, introduced myself and started talking to her. I stayed there until 0130 that morning just talking and watching the election returns. We decided to go out the next night and we hit it off. We have spent every evening together since.
Two lost souls and a chance meeting in a hallway. It always happens when you least expect it. I am not sure where this will lead but i am going to persue it to find out. If i have my way, the journey will be just as exciting as the destination.
04 November 2008
You have to go read this article
I was browsing a fellow bloggers site and came across this article. It is the best written article i have read. Please go read it and let him know what you think of it.
02 November 2008
The third person
He goes to bed that cold fall night thinking of her. He sets his clocks back one hour to conform with the end of Daylight Savings Time. He can't believe that she is gone. Gone forever. No phone call, no one last chance to say I Love You, simply gone. The tears well up in his eyes as he drifts off too sleep.
This is the time when he lost her. The Winter days are shorter and he already longs for Summer. Fall is just started and he is hating the holidays and the winter season. He just wants the warmth of the sunlight back. He misses her. His heart is heavy.
He awakens early that Sunday morning. He looks at the clock and it is 0300. The moon is full and the moonlight cascades in thru the blinds. His dreams were filled with her and he can not sleep. He walks out on the back deck with cold beer and contemplates drinking it. He decides what the fuck. Drink it. He chases that beer with a shot of Crown. The whiskey going down his throat warms him. He stares at his garden.
He planted the garden last spring. He was bored and she had all these potting plants and pots. He pulled out all the plants and planted vegetables in the pots. They were lined up along the fence so the sprinkler would water them every other day. They produced a lot of vegetables and he had shared them with his friends. He longed for the day that he planted them.
He stares at the two trees that they planted on Arbor day. The leaves are gone and they look like twigs sticking out of the ground. Many times he thought about pulling them up. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. They reminded him of her and her Love for him. He remembers the smile on her face when he dug the holes for them. She carefully paced off the distance from the house and the fence to have them in the perfect spot in the back yard. Those two stupid trees meant a lot to her. At the time they planted them, they were an obstacle for mowing. He wished she was still here to see them. A tear rolls down his cheek.
He is sitting in a green lawn chair in his skives staring at his makeshift garden. Noticing the leaves falling and the barren stalks and his mind starts to wonder. He has a fresh beer in his left hand and a bottle of crown in his right. He is oblivious to his surroundings. His mind drifts off to an episode of M.A.S.H.
It is the spring and Father John Francis Patrick Mulcahy had planted a garden. He tends to his garden and in due time it yields home grown vegetables. They have fresh corn and peas and such and they enjoy the summer in Korea. The shows moves forward to winter and they celebrate the holidays. When New Years rolls around Colonel Potter comes in dressed as Baby New Year and gives a toast to the upcoming year and prays for Peace Talks and the War's end. As the show ends the camera pans out to the garden in its barren state and only stalks and the remnants of a scarecrow remain. It reminds him of his life. It was once full of life and growth and now all he can focus on is the remnants of what once was. A scarecrow in tattered clothing brings thoughts of his own existence to mind. Is that what he is? A scarecrow in a decomposing garden hoping for spring once again.
In the distance he hears a beeping sound. As he drifts back to reality he realizes that the sound is his alarm clock going off at 0530. The normal time for the clock and as usual he is up before it goes off. He finishes the beer and debates on whether or not to go to church. He walks to the bedroom to silence the alarm. He can not focus and his mind is drifting. He simply misses his wife.
He lays back down in bed and pulls the covers up to warm his body. His mind is numb. He looks longingly at the spot where she used to lay. He prays for sleep but it will not come. He lays there staring at the ceiling holding a pillow wondering what the day holds in store for him.
What does this day hold in store for him? He misses his wife......
This is the time when he lost her. The Winter days are shorter and he already longs for Summer. Fall is just started and he is hating the holidays and the winter season. He just wants the warmth of the sunlight back. He misses her. His heart is heavy.
He awakens early that Sunday morning. He looks at the clock and it is 0300. The moon is full and the moonlight cascades in thru the blinds. His dreams were filled with her and he can not sleep. He walks out on the back deck with cold beer and contemplates drinking it. He decides what the fuck. Drink it. He chases that beer with a shot of Crown. The whiskey going down his throat warms him. He stares at his garden.
He planted the garden last spring. He was bored and she had all these potting plants and pots. He pulled out all the plants and planted vegetables in the pots. They were lined up along the fence so the sprinkler would water them every other day. They produced a lot of vegetables and he had shared them with his friends. He longed for the day that he planted them.
He stares at the two trees that they planted on Arbor day. The leaves are gone and they look like twigs sticking out of the ground. Many times he thought about pulling them up. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. They reminded him of her and her Love for him. He remembers the smile on her face when he dug the holes for them. She carefully paced off the distance from the house and the fence to have them in the perfect spot in the back yard. Those two stupid trees meant a lot to her. At the time they planted them, they were an obstacle for mowing. He wished she was still here to see them. A tear rolls down his cheek.
He is sitting in a green lawn chair in his skives staring at his makeshift garden. Noticing the leaves falling and the barren stalks and his mind starts to wonder. He has a fresh beer in his left hand and a bottle of crown in his right. He is oblivious to his surroundings. His mind drifts off to an episode of M.A.S.H.
It is the spring and Father John Francis Patrick Mulcahy had planted a garden. He tends to his garden and in due time it yields home grown vegetables. They have fresh corn and peas and such and they enjoy the summer in Korea. The shows moves forward to winter and they celebrate the holidays. When New Years rolls around Colonel Potter comes in dressed as Baby New Year and gives a toast to the upcoming year and prays for Peace Talks and the War's end. As the show ends the camera pans out to the garden in its barren state and only stalks and the remnants of a scarecrow remain. It reminds him of his life. It was once full of life and growth and now all he can focus on is the remnants of what once was. A scarecrow in tattered clothing brings thoughts of his own existence to mind. Is that what he is? A scarecrow in a decomposing garden hoping for spring once again.
In the distance he hears a beeping sound. As he drifts back to reality he realizes that the sound is his alarm clock going off at 0530. The normal time for the clock and as usual he is up before it goes off. He finishes the beer and debates on whether or not to go to church. He walks to the bedroom to silence the alarm. He can not focus and his mind is drifting. He simply misses his wife.
He lays back down in bed and pulls the covers up to warm his body. His mind is numb. He looks longingly at the spot where she used to lay. He prays for sleep but it will not come. He lays there staring at the ceiling holding a pillow wondering what the day holds in store for him.
What does this day hold in store for him? He misses his wife......
I guess i am an asshole
As many people know i am a member at several Internet sites for singles who are dating. I can honestly say that i am not looking to get laid. I really am not that interested in sex right now as i am still in love with my wife. This puts me in a unique position to Jedi Mind Trick a few women. .
In Odessa TX it is too easy to find an intimate overnight relationship. All you have to do is go to the bars and be available. This really scares me. That is why i joined the Internet sites. A few of them are Faith based and in my opinion i meet a better quality person there.
This little story is about a non faith based site. It goes something like this:
Most sites have a feature where you can wink or send an emotigram or something like that to someone to express your interest. I received one of these little flirts and used the site furnished "Not Interested" feature to respond.
This apparently pissed of the sender and she wrote me a scathing Email to let me know that i am an asshole.
Truth be told, everyone who knows me knows that i am an asshole and i do not try to hide it. I call them like i see them and i have been accused of being "brutally honest". This is me. I am who i am.
I decided to respond to "pissed off sender" and the conversation goes something like this:
Thank you BBWLOOKINGFORLOVE for viewing my profile. I am sorry that my response to your flirt fell on such a despondent personality. Not everyone on this site is a chubby chaser. I viewed your profile and you stopped just short of saying that you are a skank whore that is looking to get laid.
Your pictures indicate that a buffet is your kriptonite and maybe you should think about a life style change before judging me on my responses. This is a dating site and people post pictures so that one can view the photographs and determine whether or not one is interested. A person of such a rotund physique as yourself must know that not all men like fat bitches.
I was trying to be nice and let you know like a gentlemen that i am not interested. Since you can not fathom chivalry i will come straight to the point and tell you my intentions. I find you disgusting and i hope you share this with your desperate friends. Women like you give lady's a bad name and most men are not interested in hogging unless on a college bet.
I hope you gain some understanding from this and feel free to share with your obsessed friends so they will not flirt with me. Have a great day and may the force be with you.
In Odessa TX it is too easy to find an intimate overnight relationship. All you have to do is go to the bars and be available. This really scares me. That is why i joined the Internet sites. A few of them are Faith based and in my opinion i meet a better quality person there.
This little story is about a non faith based site. It goes something like this:
Most sites have a feature where you can wink or send an emotigram or something like that to someone to express your interest. I received one of these little flirts and used the site furnished "Not Interested" feature to respond.
This apparently pissed of the sender and she wrote me a scathing Email to let me know that i am an asshole.
Truth be told, everyone who knows me knows that i am an asshole and i do not try to hide it. I call them like i see them and i have been accused of being "brutally honest". This is me. I am who i am.
I decided to respond to "pissed off sender" and the conversation goes something like this:
Thank you BBWLOOKINGFORLOVE for viewing my profile. I am sorry that my response to your flirt fell on such a despondent personality. Not everyone on this site is a chubby chaser. I viewed your profile and you stopped just short of saying that you are a skank whore that is looking to get laid.
Your pictures indicate that a buffet is your kriptonite and maybe you should think about a life style change before judging me on my responses. This is a dating site and people post pictures so that one can view the photographs and determine whether or not one is interested. A person of such a rotund physique as yourself must know that not all men like fat bitches.
I was trying to be nice and let you know like a gentlemen that i am not interested. Since you can not fathom chivalry i will come straight to the point and tell you my intentions. I find you disgusting and i hope you share this with your desperate friends. Women like you give lady's a bad name and most men are not interested in hogging unless on a college bet.
I hope you gain some understanding from this and feel free to share with your obsessed friends so they will not flirt with me. Have a great day and may the force be with you.
31 October 2008
Spent my Birthday with Mr. Murphy
Last Friday we order some 40" OD Field Machining equipment to re-cut a tongue and groove in a 33" OD flange in Wichita Falls TX. We go to pick it up at Fed Ex Heavy on Monday and find out equipment is in Iowa. What the shit? We are due at the job site Tuesday AM.
We order another machine from Chicago and have it driven via hot shot to the job site. Due to the complexity of the machining required i solicit another machinist from our Long view TX location to help out my machinist. They call me Tuesday AM. The call goes something like this:
Machinist- you didn't look at this job before you bid it did you?
ME - No, it is a standard tongue and groove, what is the problem?
Machinist - the top flange is 33" OD (outside Diameter) and the bottom flange is 25" OD
Me - what the shit, how can that be, are you sure.....?
Machinist - did you send me here because I'm pretty or because i know what i am doing. We need a 30" machine so get it coming.
Me - I'll order it and i am on my way. You better hope i am not ordering another machine for no reason, butt plug
So i load up about noon on Tuesday and set out for Wichita Falls TX. I get there about 5 hours later and go straight to the job site. The machinist was right. Two different OD flanges bolted together. This was going to be a bitch of a job
A little background on a tongue and groove flange. One flange has a tongue machined onto it. This particular one was .512 thousandths thick and .250 thousandths tall. The receiving flange has a groove machined into it. this one was .562 wide and .187 deep. Our tolerance was plus or minus zero. Now it sounds simple enough but you must know that we could not locate center on either flange due to distortion of the flange and the receiving flange was welded on an 18" nozzle. We couldn't measure off the OD of the flanges because the chlorine had eaten the flanges to the point where there was a lot of pitting and we didn't know which was true. We had to establish reference points on both flanges and work the math backwards to make it right. Remember that when you set the top flange down, the tongue and groove have to match and the flange we could remove weighed about 500 pounds. A welder had spent Monday overlaying the flange with weld build up so we could machine the two flanges back to spec. Never a good sign.
Customer tells us that the Heat Treat guys will be there on Wednesday to Stress relieve the flanges. After that much welding, the flanges become brittle so they must be cooked about 6 hours at 1300 degrees to relieve the stress in the metal and eliminate premature fatigue of the metal.
We are machining the dollar plate when the 2nd machine arrives at 1900. I help one machinist set up on receiving flange and he starts cutting away. I was floating between the two helping out when needed. At about 0230 i notice that the thickness of the flanges doesn't match the engineering drawing and call the customer to inform him. He said keep going, we said OK. About 0630 we finished both flanges and turned them over to the customer for inspection. They performed a dye penetrate test and both flanges had indications in them. An indication is a point on the flange where the weld does not meet the code and must be cut out and re-welded. This is a common problem with non-automated overlaying.
The welder gets back at it and we wait for him to be done. When he is done we re-machine the flange to specs and do another PT test on it. We go through this process several times before the flanges pass inspection. (Note) the welder was damn good. He was trying to do what few people can do.
Around 1700 on Wednesday we dry fit the flanges and they mated well. We were done. We were on-site for 34 hours and tired. The customer was so happy that we worked it through that he took us out for Beer and steaks and let me tell you we put a hurt on his credit card. I got to bed about 2230 Wednesday and i was done.
Tuesday was my birthday so i spent it in a plant in Wichita Falls TX with two good friends doing what i love to do and eating cold pizza for supper. It definitely kept my mind off my personal issues for a couple of days. I must admit that i enjoyed my birthday this year.
We order another machine from Chicago and have it driven via hot shot to the job site. Due to the complexity of the machining required i solicit another machinist from our Long view TX location to help out my machinist. They call me Tuesday AM. The call goes something like this:
Machinist- you didn't look at this job before you bid it did you?
ME - No, it is a standard tongue and groove, what is the problem?
Machinist - the top flange is 33" OD (outside Diameter) and the bottom flange is 25" OD
Me - what the shit, how can that be, are you sure.....?
Machinist - did you send me here because I'm pretty or because i know what i am doing. We need a 30" machine so get it coming.
Me - I'll order it and i am on my way. You better hope i am not ordering another machine for no reason, butt plug
So i load up about noon on Tuesday and set out for Wichita Falls TX. I get there about 5 hours later and go straight to the job site. The machinist was right. Two different OD flanges bolted together. This was going to be a bitch of a job
A little background on a tongue and groove flange. One flange has a tongue machined onto it. This particular one was .512 thousandths thick and .250 thousandths tall. The receiving flange has a groove machined into it. this one was .562 wide and .187 deep. Our tolerance was plus or minus zero. Now it sounds simple enough but you must know that we could not locate center on either flange due to distortion of the flange and the receiving flange was welded on an 18" nozzle. We couldn't measure off the OD of the flanges because the chlorine had eaten the flanges to the point where there was a lot of pitting and we didn't know which was true. We had to establish reference points on both flanges and work the math backwards to make it right. Remember that when you set the top flange down, the tongue and groove have to match and the flange we could remove weighed about 500 pounds. A welder had spent Monday overlaying the flange with weld build up so we could machine the two flanges back to spec. Never a good sign.
Customer tells us that the Heat Treat guys will be there on Wednesday to Stress relieve the flanges. After that much welding, the flanges become brittle so they must be cooked about 6 hours at 1300 degrees to relieve the stress in the metal and eliminate premature fatigue of the metal.
We are machining the dollar plate when the 2nd machine arrives at 1900. I help one machinist set up on receiving flange and he starts cutting away. I was floating between the two helping out when needed. At about 0230 i notice that the thickness of the flanges doesn't match the engineering drawing and call the customer to inform him. He said keep going, we said OK. About 0630 we finished both flanges and turned them over to the customer for inspection. They performed a dye penetrate test and both flanges had indications in them. An indication is a point on the flange where the weld does not meet the code and must be cut out and re-welded. This is a common problem with non-automated overlaying.
The welder gets back at it and we wait for him to be done. When he is done we re-machine the flange to specs and do another PT test on it. We go through this process several times before the flanges pass inspection. (Note) the welder was damn good. He was trying to do what few people can do.
Around 1700 on Wednesday we dry fit the flanges and they mated well. We were done. We were on-site for 34 hours and tired. The customer was so happy that we worked it through that he took us out for Beer and steaks and let me tell you we put a hurt on his credit card. I got to bed about 2230 Wednesday and i was done.
Tuesday was my birthday so i spent it in a plant in Wichita Falls TX with two good friends doing what i love to do and eating cold pizza for supper. It definitely kept my mind off my personal issues for a couple of days. I must admit that i enjoyed my birthday this year.
28 October 2008
Destination Heaven
Last Saturday was our Fall Festival at church. Each year the Youth Group puts on a skit and they do a great job. This year the skit was called Destination Heaven. It was about two young girls who decided to skip church to go to a college party and they died in a car wreck on the way home. They both went to Heaven to be judged. One got in, and one didn't make it.
What got my attention was how they interpreted the judgement in Heaven. I guess it is what everyone would expect. God or Jesus sitting on a throne, angels all about the place and someone reading the Book of Life to see who's name is recorded and who's name isn't recorded. But is this how it really is? I guess no one reading this would really know. But let's break it down.
If you look at the World Clock at the bottom of this page, you will notice that it reports about 167,000 deaths per day not counting abortions. That works out to about 1 death every half second, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.
We can prove the statistics of the death rate. This is fact. When you die you have to go to heaven and be judged in 1/2 of a second. This doesn't leave God much time to review our prayers let alone answer them. The judgements would keep him busy full time. We believe that with God all things are possible so there must be a way for all this to happen, we simply don't know it.
Now reading from the Bible it assures us that God knows our hearts intimately and every hair on our head is numbered. I want to think that on my judgement i would get to spend some quality time with God but the shear number of deaths points to the fact that i can not do this.
I am going to have to do a little more research into this. If you have any ideas, i would love to hear them.
What got my attention was how they interpreted the judgement in Heaven. I guess it is what everyone would expect. God or Jesus sitting on a throne, angels all about the place and someone reading the Book of Life to see who's name is recorded and who's name isn't recorded. But is this how it really is? I guess no one reading this would really know. But let's break it down.
If you look at the World Clock at the bottom of this page, you will notice that it reports about 167,000 deaths per day not counting abortions. That works out to about 1 death every half second, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.
We can prove the statistics of the death rate. This is fact. When you die you have to go to heaven and be judged in 1/2 of a second. This doesn't leave God much time to review our prayers let alone answer them. The judgements would keep him busy full time. We believe that with God all things are possible so there must be a way for all this to happen, we simply don't know it.
Now reading from the Bible it assures us that God knows our hearts intimately and every hair on our head is numbered. I want to think that on my judgement i would get to spend some quality time with God but the shear number of deaths points to the fact that i can not do this.
I am going to have to do a little more research into this. If you have any ideas, i would love to hear them.
21 October 2008
I made it
I am back from my yearly pilgrimage to Louisiana for hunting season. This year was bittersweet. I hadn't been home since Ruth died and i new that people would offer their condolences. I wanted to go home but i didn't want to deal with everyone. You take the good with the bad i guess.
It was a typical year. Lots of beer drinking, 4-wheeling and bullshitting. My nephew cooked a catfish courtboullion this year. He is one damn fine cook at 17 years old.
I showed up with 5 30 packs of beer, we bought 3 more cases and two bottles of Ameretta. It took 2 days to sober up. That is the #1 reason my jeep is no longer running.
We were down at dead mans creek and their is a set of ramps to drive the ATV's across. My Brother decided that only pussies need the rails. Real men can cross the creek. After we crossed it in the ATV's we decide to try it with the jeeps. Big mistake.
I shattered a universal joint trying to get across that damn thing. Oh, it was about midnight when we tried this. We tow the jeep back to camp and the next day i replace the U-Joint.
The drive shaft later kept throwing the U-Joint so i changed the sleeves that hold them. That stopped the problem. Here is a little hint, if you shatter a rear U-Joint, check your front shaft. Good advice.
I didn't and i happened to bend my front drive shaft to where it looked like an S. Later the next day i was crossing another creek and twisted the rear shaft in two pieces. Not a good day for my jeep. Oh well, that is the price of fun.
It was a typical year. Lots of beer drinking, 4-wheeling and bullshitting. My nephew cooked a catfish courtboullion this year. He is one damn fine cook at 17 years old.
I showed up with 5 30 packs of beer, we bought 3 more cases and two bottles of Ameretta. It took 2 days to sober up. That is the #1 reason my jeep is no longer running.
We were down at dead mans creek and their is a set of ramps to drive the ATV's across. My Brother decided that only pussies need the rails. Real men can cross the creek. After we crossed it in the ATV's we decide to try it with the jeeps. Big mistake.
I shattered a universal joint trying to get across that damn thing. Oh, it was about midnight when we tried this. We tow the jeep back to camp and the next day i replace the U-Joint.
The drive shaft later kept throwing the U-Joint so i changed the sleeves that hold them. That stopped the problem. Here is a little hint, if you shatter a rear U-Joint, check your front shaft. Good advice.
I didn't and i happened to bend my front drive shaft to where it looked like an S. Later the next day i was crossing another creek and twisted the rear shaft in two pieces. Not a good day for my jeep. Oh well, that is the price of fun.
08 October 2008
I'm a tad bit confused
The Fed and other countries have slashed interest rates, my 401K is down, The Dow Jones 30 is down and we approved $850 Billion dollars for a bailout. What the hell is wrong with this picture?
Now we hear that the credit lenders are freezing the lending. Hum.... If a bank is a business and a business is in business to make money, and banks make money by loaning money, what good does it serve to halt all lending? That is a head scratcher.
My 401K being down doesn't bother me. I knew when i started it that i would take the most risk because that has the most payout. Although it is down now, it will come back up. Even Dave Ramsey says that you should not play with stocks unless you want to stay in for at least 5 years. In 5 years i will be fine. That doesn't worry me. I know where 100% of my 401K is invested and the companies it is invested in. You see i live in the Permian Basin which produces 13% of US market crude. Crude is around $100 per barrel. I invested in companies that deal with the crude industry. No matter what Wall street does, we will still need crude. The companies will stay up and running and will be here for the long haul.
All those idiots that bought Mortgage back securities, that is their problem. If they collapse, too bad for them. Citicorp, Wells Fargo and Bank of America are buying the the banks that made stupid decisions so the banking industry doesn't seem to me to be in bad shape. Hell, its just like the food chain. The stronger ones eat the weaker ones and the strong survive.
I say let the market fall and it will purge itself and come back stronger.
Now we hear that the credit lenders are freezing the lending. Hum.... If a bank is a business and a business is in business to make money, and banks make money by loaning money, what good does it serve to halt all lending? That is a head scratcher.
My 401K being down doesn't bother me. I knew when i started it that i would take the most risk because that has the most payout. Although it is down now, it will come back up. Even Dave Ramsey says that you should not play with stocks unless you want to stay in for at least 5 years. In 5 years i will be fine. That doesn't worry me. I know where 100% of my 401K is invested and the companies it is invested in. You see i live in the Permian Basin which produces 13% of US market crude. Crude is around $100 per barrel. I invested in companies that deal with the crude industry. No matter what Wall street does, we will still need crude. The companies will stay up and running and will be here for the long haul.
All those idiots that bought Mortgage back securities, that is their problem. If they collapse, too bad for them. Citicorp, Wells Fargo and Bank of America are buying the the banks that made stupid decisions so the banking industry doesn't seem to me to be in bad shape. Hell, its just like the food chain. The stronger ones eat the weaker ones and the strong survive.
I say let the market fall and it will purge itself and come back stronger.
01 October 2008
How the bailout could affect me
Right now i am torn between supporting and destroying the bailout. It will have farther reaching implications than people think.
Yes the banks lent money on mortgages that people could never repay. They simply overvalued the homes figuring that the market would grow and increase equity in the home without the homeowner paying down any principle. That and they come up with interest only loans assuming the equity growth in the same manner.
What happens if the banks have to re-write all the bad loans. It freezes the credit market and it will be harder for someone to get a loan. Doesn't seem like an issue for you and me who pay our mortgage on time and pay our other debts on time. But the issue goes much farther than that.
The companies that we work for usually doesn't require cash up front for the work that we do. They bill the customer. By the time an invoice is generated, sent, received, processed and payed, your looking at 30 days or more. The time frame from the time the work is completed until the payment is received is called Day Sales Outstanding, DSO. If your DSO gets too long, your company has a revolving loan with a local bank to cover cost such as payroll. A company usually has millions of dollars tied up in DSO.
The company that you're working for has a revolving loan to cover their expenses such as your invoice. You see where we are going with this. If the companies can not get this loan they can't cover their cost. If they must reduce cost, where is the biggest cost for any company? Their people. They cut people, we lose jobs, no one wins.
I don't want the bailout myself but we must keep the credit freed up so we can continue to conduct business. This will in fact affect all of us in the future.
The other side of the coin is your 401K. It is handled by investment bankers who bought these junk mortgages. We are likely to see out 401K's drop. I don't worry about mine because i do not have a single dollar invested in the mortgage crap. I am 100% in the stock market with companies i think will survive this crisis. Not everyone can say that.
If you have another perspective of this, i am interested in hearing it.
Yes the banks lent money on mortgages that people could never repay. They simply overvalued the homes figuring that the market would grow and increase equity in the home without the homeowner paying down any principle. That and they come up with interest only loans assuming the equity growth in the same manner.
What happens if the banks have to re-write all the bad loans. It freezes the credit market and it will be harder for someone to get a loan. Doesn't seem like an issue for you and me who pay our mortgage on time and pay our other debts on time. But the issue goes much farther than that.
The companies that we work for usually doesn't require cash up front for the work that we do. They bill the customer. By the time an invoice is generated, sent, received, processed and payed, your looking at 30 days or more. The time frame from the time the work is completed until the payment is received is called Day Sales Outstanding, DSO. If your DSO gets too long, your company has a revolving loan with a local bank to cover cost such as payroll. A company usually has millions of dollars tied up in DSO.
The company that you're working for has a revolving loan to cover their expenses such as your invoice. You see where we are going with this. If the companies can not get this loan they can't cover their cost. If they must reduce cost, where is the biggest cost for any company? Their people. They cut people, we lose jobs, no one wins.
I don't want the bailout myself but we must keep the credit freed up so we can continue to conduct business. This will in fact affect all of us in the future.
The other side of the coin is your 401K. It is handled by investment bankers who bought these junk mortgages. We are likely to see out 401K's drop. I don't worry about mine because i do not have a single dollar invested in the mortgage crap. I am 100% in the stock market with companies i think will survive this crisis. Not everyone can say that.
If you have another perspective of this, i am interested in hearing it.
30 September 2008
True Story
Dear Mr. Ray
Your application to join this online dating agency has been rejected.
With regard to the question "What do you like most in a woman?"
"My Pecker"
is not an appropriate answer!
Your application to join this online dating agency has been rejected.
With regard to the question "What do you like most in a woman?"
"My Pecker"
is not an appropriate answer!
29 September 2008
27 September 2008
One tough year
When i joined the Knights of Columbus, i met a bunch of really nice guys and we quickly became friends. The Knights stick together and we hang out a lot together. One in particular is a fellow coonass transplanted here as well. Me and Eric hit it off and i have talked about him on this blog several times.
Well Eric had three hunting buddies. Darell, David and myself. About June of 07 Eric's oldest daughter got married so like good friends will do, we went to the wedding and got drunk and embarrassed ourselves and Eric's family. Good times were had by all. That evening Darell informed me that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. Later that night i also learned that David's wife had been diagnosed with the same cancer. I was devastated.
Treatments began and Darell and David's lives began to change. September 28Th, Darell's wife succumb to the cancer and passed away. It was a sad day for all of us. In November, David's wife lost the battle and that was another sad day. January 29Th Ruth passed away and my life is no longer the same.
All three of Eric's hunting buddies lost their wives in a 4 month spread. Tomorrow marks 1 year for Darell. I know he is having trouble and i pray for him. We were talking the other day about how our lives are so different from a year ago. It is amazing at how your perspective changes when you loose your wife. I asked Darell if he has been out hunting with Eric. He said no. He asked if i had been, i said no. I can't afford the price to hunt with him. We had a good laugh.
Please keep Darell and David in your prayers as they labor through the 1 year period. This is significant because it means that all birthdays, holidays and anniversaries have been completed. Trust me, the first of these events are the hardest to get through.
Well Eric had three hunting buddies. Darell, David and myself. About June of 07 Eric's oldest daughter got married so like good friends will do, we went to the wedding and got drunk and embarrassed ourselves and Eric's family. Good times were had by all. That evening Darell informed me that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. Later that night i also learned that David's wife had been diagnosed with the same cancer. I was devastated.
Treatments began and Darell and David's lives began to change. September 28Th, Darell's wife succumb to the cancer and passed away. It was a sad day for all of us. In November, David's wife lost the battle and that was another sad day. January 29Th Ruth passed away and my life is no longer the same.
All three of Eric's hunting buddies lost their wives in a 4 month spread. Tomorrow marks 1 year for Darell. I know he is having trouble and i pray for him. We were talking the other day about how our lives are so different from a year ago. It is amazing at how your perspective changes when you loose your wife. I asked Darell if he has been out hunting with Eric. He said no. He asked if i had been, i said no. I can't afford the price to hunt with him. We had a good laugh.
Please keep Darell and David in your prayers as they labor through the 1 year period. This is significant because it means that all birthdays, holidays and anniversaries have been completed. Trust me, the first of these events are the hardest to get through.
25 September 2008
Dang
The madam opened the brothel door to see a rather dignified, well- dressed, good looking man in his late 40's or early 50's.
"May I help you?" she asked.
"I want to see Valerie," the man replied.
"Sir, Valerie is one of our most expensive ladies. Perhaps you would prefer someone else," said the madam.
"No. I must see Valerie," was the man's reply.
Just then, Valerie appeared and announced to the man that she charged $5,000 a visit. Without hesitation, the man pulled out five thousand dollars and gave it to Valerie, and they went upstairs. After an hour, the man calmly left.
The next night, the same man appeared again, demanding to see Valerie. Valerie explained that no man had ever come back two nights in a row - too expensive - and there were no discounts. The price was still $5,000. Again the man pulled out the money, gave it to Valerie and they went upstairs. After an hour, he left.
The following night the man was there again. Everyone was astounded that he had come for the third consecutive night, but he paid Valerie and they went upstairs. After their session, Valerie questioned the man. "No one has ever been with me three nights in a row. Where are you from?"
The man replied, " South Dakota ."
"Really!" she said. "I have family in South Dakota ."
"I know," the man said. "Your father died, and I am your sister's attorney. She asked me to give you your $15,000 inheritance."
The moral of the story is that three things in life are certain:
1. Death
2. Taxes
3. Being screwed by a lawyer
"May I help you?" she asked.
"I want to see Valerie," the man replied.
"Sir, Valerie is one of our most expensive ladies. Perhaps you would prefer someone else," said the madam.
"No. I must see Valerie," was the man's reply.
Just then, Valerie appeared and announced to the man that she charged $5,000 a visit. Without hesitation, the man pulled out five thousand dollars and gave it to Valerie, and they went upstairs. After an hour, the man calmly left.
The next night, the same man appeared again, demanding to see Valerie. Valerie explained that no man had ever come back two nights in a row - too expensive - and there were no discounts. The price was still $5,000. Again the man pulled out the money, gave it to Valerie and they went upstairs. After an hour, he left.
The following night the man was there again. Everyone was astounded that he had come for the third consecutive night, but he paid Valerie and they went upstairs. After their session, Valerie questioned the man. "No one has ever been with me three nights in a row. Where are you from?"
The man replied, " South Dakota ."
"Really!" she said. "I have family in South Dakota ."
"I know," the man said. "Your father died, and I am your sister's attorney. She asked me to give you your $15,000 inheritance."
The moral of the story is that three things in life are certain:
1. Death
2. Taxes
3. Being screwed by a lawyer
21 September 2008
To be Catholic or not to be Catholic, that is the question
The other day i went to church and they were passing out these buttons. The buttons read " You can't be both Catholic and Pro-Choice". Me being the shit stirrer that i am i accepted the button and then looked at the lady and said Why not?
She said Why not what?
I said Why can't i be Catholic and Pr-Choice?
She simply stated i just couldn't. Not the answer i was looking for.
If a person has an abortion, can they call themselves a Christian?
If Christians are forgiven, then it stands to reason that they haven't lost their Christianity over the abortion.
Is abortion wrong? Any normal thinking person must agree that slaughtering a baby is wrong. Is there a time when an abortion is OK?
The bible says to render unto Caesar what is Caesars. This means we must follow the law of the land. If the law says its OK, the general populace says its OK, why is it wrong?
The Bible has many instances where murder was rampant. They even killed babies. If it was OK then, why is it wrong now?
If you oppose abortion, should you must also oppose the Death Penalty? Murder is murder right. Can you be a Christian and believe in the Death Penalty?
If you oppose killing through abortion and the death penalty, then you must oppose war or any confrontation that could result in a killing? If you don't subscribe to this thought process, can you be a Christian? Where does it stop?
If you are against abortion, are you against all forms of abortion? Birth control is abortion. The morning after pill is abortion. If you practice contraception, are you a christian?
If a person doesn't want children but wants to be married, can they be a Christian if they ensure they don't have children?
I guess it depends on how "Good" a Christian you want to be.
She said Why not what?
I said Why can't i be Catholic and Pr-Choice?
She simply stated i just couldn't. Not the answer i was looking for.
If a person has an abortion, can they call themselves a Christian?
If Christians are forgiven, then it stands to reason that they haven't lost their Christianity over the abortion.
Is abortion wrong? Any normal thinking person must agree that slaughtering a baby is wrong. Is there a time when an abortion is OK?
The bible says to render unto Caesar what is Caesars. This means we must follow the law of the land. If the law says its OK, the general populace says its OK, why is it wrong?
The Bible has many instances where murder was rampant. They even killed babies. If it was OK then, why is it wrong now?
If you oppose abortion, should you must also oppose the Death Penalty? Murder is murder right. Can you be a Christian and believe in the Death Penalty?
If you oppose killing through abortion and the death penalty, then you must oppose war or any confrontation that could result in a killing? If you don't subscribe to this thought process, can you be a Christian? Where does it stop?
If you are against abortion, are you against all forms of abortion? Birth control is abortion. The morning after pill is abortion. If you practice contraception, are you a christian?
If a person doesn't want children but wants to be married, can they be a Christian if they ensure they don't have children?
I guess it depends on how "Good" a Christian you want to be.
13 September 2008
New Toy
So i am driving around in Borger TX and come across this little jewel. It is an 07 Rhino with 277 miles on it. Got it for a good price. Brought her home, changed the oil and went riding.
10 September 2008
Burgers, fries and cherry pies
As you may have noticed i haven't been blogging lately. I simply haven't had the time. Monday i drove down to San Antonio and Tuesday morning we gave a presentation to one of our customers. I left San Antonio at 1300 and drove up North of Amarillo. 9.5 hours later i pulled into Borger.
As i was driving through San Angelo i looked down and noticed i was low on gas. I had already drove through town so i started looking for a gas station. I saw one and pulled in. I was out pumping gas when i noticed the name of the street i was on. It was Martin Luther King Blvd. You damn well know that every MLK Blvd is not in the best part of town. I pumped my gas and hauled ass.
On another note, i am happily supporting McCain/Palin. I am voting more for Palin than McCain. I actually feel much better about the republican ticket with her on it. She has done a great job in Alaska and hopefully she can be a positive influence in Washington. Just so you know, i'd hit that!!!
As i was driving through San Angelo i looked down and noticed i was low on gas. I had already drove through town so i started looking for a gas station. I saw one and pulled in. I was out pumping gas when i noticed the name of the street i was on. It was Martin Luther King Blvd. You damn well know that every MLK Blvd is not in the best part of town. I pumped my gas and hauled ass.
On another note, i am happily supporting McCain/Palin. I am voting more for Palin than McCain. I actually feel much better about the republican ticket with her on it. She has done a great job in Alaska and hopefully she can be a positive influence in Washington. Just so you know, i'd hit that!!!
Ike
With the impending threat of Hurricane Ike, the Governor of Louisiana is
considering a
mandatory evacuation of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. In response
to this possibility, the Governor of Texas has ordered the demolition of
all bridges between the two states. Texas figured it would be cheaper to
rebuild the bridges.
LMAO
considering a
mandatory evacuation of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. In response
to this possibility, the Governor of Texas has ordered the demolition of
all bridges between the two states. Texas figured it would be cheaper to
rebuild the bridges.
LMAO
09 September 2008
Parenting and Paternity Awareness
In the fall of 2008 this curriculum will be taught to all high school students in Texas. What is P.A.P.A?
The learning objectives of p.a.p.a. include: responsible parenting, a basic understanding of paternity and child support laws, skills for healthy relationships, financial implications of becoming a parent, impact of father involvement, benefits of stable family relationships on children, and relationship violence prevention. It should be noted that p.a.p.a. is not a sex education curriculum.
They teach children needed to know items. They learn how much child support cost, what diapers cost and all the hardships involved in having a child at such a young age. I think it is a great awareness tool to help give the kids the reality check they need before they engage in premarital activities.
It is about time they do something right.
The learning objectives of p.a.p.a. include: responsible parenting, a basic understanding of paternity and child support laws, skills for healthy relationships, financial implications of becoming a parent, impact of father involvement, benefits of stable family relationships on children, and relationship violence prevention. It should be noted that p.a.p.a. is not a sex education curriculum.
They teach children needed to know items. They learn how much child support cost, what diapers cost and all the hardships involved in having a child at such a young age. I think it is a great awareness tool to help give the kids the reality check they need before they engage in premarital activities.
It is about time they do something right.
02 September 2008
Jack Wheeler
Jack Wheeler on the O-Man
JACK WHEELER is a brilliant man who was the author of
Reagan's strategy to break the back of the Soviet
Union with the star wars race and expose their inner
weakness. For years he wrote a weekly intelligence
update that was extremely interesting and well
structured and informed. He consults(ed) with several
mega corporations on global trends and t he future,
etc. He is a true patriot with a no-nonsense approach to
everything. He is also a somewhat well known mountain
climber and adventurer.
Written by Dr. Jack Wheeler
The O-man, Barack Hussein Obama, is an eloquently
tailored empty suit. No resume, no accomplishments,
no experience, no original ideas, no understanding of
how the economy works, no understanding of how the
world works, nothing but abstract empty rhetoric
devoid of real substance.
He has no real identity. He is half-white, which he
rejects. The rest of him is mostly Arab, which he
hides but is disclosed by his non-African Arabic
surname and his Arabic first and middle names as a way
to triply proclaim his Arabic parentage to people in
Kenya . Only a small part of him is African Black from
his Luo grandmother, which he pretends he is
exclusively.
What he isn't, not a genetic drop of, is
'African-American,' the descendant of enslaved
Africans brought to America chained in slave ships.
He hasn't a single ancestor who was a slave. Instead,
his Arab ancestors were slave owners. Slave-trading
was the main Arab business in East Africa for
centuries until the British ended it.
Let that sink in: Obama is not the descendant of
slaves, he is the descendant of slave owners. Thus he
makes the perfect Liberal Messiah.
It's something Hillary doesn't understand - how some
complete neophyte came out of the blue and stole the
Dem nomination from her. Obamamania is beyond
politics and reason. It is a true religious cult,
whose adherents reject Christianity yet still believe< / B>
in Original Sin, transferring it from the evil of
being human to the evil of being white.
Thus Obama has become the white liberals' Christ,
offering absolution from the Sin of Being White. There
is no reason or logic behind it, no faults or flaws of
his can diminish it, no arguments Hillary could make
of any kind can be effective against it. The
absurdity of Hypocrisy Clothed In Human Flesh being
their Savior is all the more cause for liberals to
worship him: Credo quia absurdum, I believe it because
it is absurd.
Thank heavens that the voting majority of Americans
remain Christian and are in no desperate need of a< / B>
phony savior.
His candidacy is ridiculous and should not be taken
seriously by any thinking American.
Pass this on to every thinking American you know!
JACK WHEELER is a brilliant man who was the author of
Reagan's strategy to break the back of the Soviet
Union with the star wars race and expose their inner
weakness. For years he wrote a weekly intelligence
update that was extremely interesting and well
structured and informed. He consults(ed) with several
mega corporations on global trends and t he future,
etc. He is a true patriot with a no-nonsense approach to
everything. He is also a somewhat well known mountain
climber and adventurer.
Written by Dr. Jack Wheeler
The O-man, Barack Hussein Obama, is an eloquently
tailored empty suit. No resume, no accomplishments,
no experience, no original ideas, no understanding of
how the economy works, no understanding of how the
world works, nothing but abstract empty rhetoric
devoid of real substance.
He has no real identity. He is half-white, which he
rejects. The rest of him is mostly Arab, which he
hides but is disclosed by his non-African Arabic
surname and his Arabic first and middle names as a way
to triply proclaim his Arabic parentage to people in
Kenya . Only a small part of him is African Black from
his Luo grandmother, which he pretends he is
exclusively.
What he isn't, not a genetic drop of, is
'African-American,' the descendant of enslaved
Africans brought to America chained in slave ships.
He hasn't a single ancestor who was a slave. Instead,
his Arab ancestors were slave owners. Slave-trading
was the main Arab business in East Africa for
centuries until the British ended it.
Let that sink in: Obama is not the descendant of
slaves, he is the descendant of slave owners. Thus he
makes the perfect Liberal Messiah.
It's something Hillary doesn't understand - how some
complete neophyte came out of the blue and stole the
Dem nomination from her. Obamamania is beyond
politics and reason. It is a true religious cult,
whose adherents reject Christianity yet still believe< / B>
in Original Sin, transferring it from the evil of
being human to the evil of being white.
Thus Obama has become the white liberals' Christ,
offering absolution from the Sin of Being White. There
is no reason or logic behind it, no faults or flaws of
his can diminish it, no arguments Hillary could make
of any kind can be effective against it. The
absurdity of Hypocrisy Clothed In Human Flesh being
their Savior is all the more cause for liberals to
worship him: Credo quia absurdum, I believe it because
it is absurd.
Thank heavens that the voting majority of Americans
remain Christian and are in no desperate need of a< / B>
phony savior.
His candidacy is ridiculous and should not be taken
seriously by any thinking American.
Pass this on to every thinking American you know!
A good day
While the family is back home fighting Gustav, i was at the range sighting in my new .17 HMR. This target is 100 yards. The two on the bottom were me dialing up the settings. The remaining 6 shots were pretty good.
After shooting the paper we went to the silhouette range and was knocking down prairie dog cutouts at 150 yards. I like the .17 a lot. It is a fun gun to shoot.
After shooting the paper we went to the silhouette range and was knocking down prairie dog cutouts at 150 yards. I like the .17 a lot. It is a fun gun to shoot.
28 August 2008
A new phase
I have entered into a new phase of my life. It has been 7 months since i lost Ruth and i tried dating. So far i have gone out with 4 women. 1 of them more than once. As it has been years since i have dated, it is hard for me to tell if it is going good. i would assume that it isn't.
I took some advice to be myself and it seems to shock some women. Oh well, if they don't like it, they can take their ass down the road.
one lady had enough meds in her purse to start a pharmacy. When she told me what she was taking, i told her i had to go. Not interested.
One lady could out drink me and liked to wrestle. That would have been fun but i got scared.
One lady didn't Hablo very well and i simply don't have the desire to say everything 2 or 3 times.
The last lady is where i may have made my mistake. I took her to a friends party where i was being a little too celebratory i reckon. The question now is how do you get the shit back in the horse?
Either my heart or my head isn't into it so i really don't care. For some reason it just doesn't matter to me. Oh well, i guess i will have to wait and see what happens.
The other night we all went out to this little dive bar to hang out. I woke up in bed the next morning wearing nothing but a pair of women's undergarments. Not sure what happened but it looked like i had fun. Just kidding, really, Not.
I took some advice to be myself and it seems to shock some women. Oh well, if they don't like it, they can take their ass down the road.
one lady had enough meds in her purse to start a pharmacy. When she told me what she was taking, i told her i had to go. Not interested.
One lady could out drink me and liked to wrestle. That would have been fun but i got scared.
One lady didn't Hablo very well and i simply don't have the desire to say everything 2 or 3 times.
The last lady is where i may have made my mistake. I took her to a friends party where i was being a little too celebratory i reckon. The question now is how do you get the shit back in the horse?
Either my heart or my head isn't into it so i really don't care. For some reason it just doesn't matter to me. Oh well, i guess i will have to wait and see what happens.
The other night we all went out to this little dive bar to hang out. I woke up in bed the next morning wearing nothing but a pair of women's undergarments. Not sure what happened but it looked like i had fun. Just kidding, really, Not.
27 August 2008
No child left behind
My name be Ebonies Li Herenandez, an AfricanHispanicAsiatic-American girl who just got an award For being the best speler in class. I got 67% on the speling test and 30 points for being black, 5 points for not bringing drugs into class, 5 points for not bringing guns into class, and 5 points for not getting Pregnut during the cemester.
It be hard to beat a score of 120%. The white dude who sit next to me is McGee from the Bronx He got A 94% on the test but no extra points on account of he have the same Skin color as the opressirs of 150 years ago.
Granny ax me to thank all Dimocrafts and Liberals for suporting Afermative action. You be showing da way to true equality.
I be gittin in medical skool nex an mabe I be yo doctor when Hillory take over da healtcare in dis cuntry.
It be hard to beat a score of 120%. The white dude who sit next to me is McGee from the Bronx He got A 94% on the test but no extra points on account of he have the same Skin color as the opressirs of 150 years ago.
Granny ax me to thank all Dimocrafts and Liberals for suporting Afermative action. You be showing da way to true equality.
I be gittin in medical skool nex an mabe I be yo doctor when Hillory take over da healtcare in dis cuntry.
25 August 2008
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