My Wife pulled off a huge success today! She took a group of untested teens and younger to a theatre contest and they brought down the house!
They had three judges there, they were famous for theatre success and had Broadway directing experience. One judge had taken his show to this same contest and wound up winning the international competition.
After performing your show then the judges come down while the cast sits on the front row and they give you show notes. My wife was called "An excellent director", "Congratulations on a wonderful and fun show", and had practically everything good to say to our cast.
Let me set this scene a little, the show that went on before ours and after ours didn't have such kind remarks.
Our show was interrupted several times by thundering applause and laughter! This show that My Wife, GhoulGal, and Teehee put together was simply amazing! When you consider that we rehearsed in the lobby, didn't have a full cast and barely had enough to put on the show we could while doubling up some roles, rehearsed with lights for the very first time yesterday on the competition stage and that was only the second time of rehearsing on stage period, the limited experience at least half of the kids had while for a few it was their very first experience at all, and this was done during summer camp season! The full cast wasn't there for rehearsal four or five of the six weeks!
When you consider all of that AND add that our teens were competing against regular season adult shows they simply rocked this show! No other way to say it! They did their director's proud!
I'm very proud of my wife for taking the time to bring this show to the stage, it'll be an experience that will not soon be forgotten by me or the cast! Sunday we find out what if anything we've won. I feel great about our chances of bringing home some excellent awards for our troupe!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Saturday, July 07, 2012
First Friday Cabaret
Yes this is one of my infrequent blog posts while my project is underway for the next three months.
I have to blog special occasions and this one is special!
My Baby and Piano Genius rocked cabaret last night! To a standing room only audience too! They played for nearly a full hour and had massive ovations after every song and music number! I was so proud of both of them and especially the song that Thing 2 joined them on, Louisana. Her violin cried while My Honey provided the soulful voice and Piano Genius provided the core of the sad song.
The story is about a flood in Louisiana in 1927 and six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline. Such a deep and soulful song that really brought the house down!
The night was amazing! They did so well!
I have to blog special occasions and this one is special!
My Baby and Piano Genius rocked cabaret last night! To a standing room only audience too! They played for nearly a full hour and had massive ovations after every song and music number! I was so proud of both of them and especially the song that Thing 2 joined them on, Louisana. Her violin cried while My Honey provided the soulful voice and Piano Genius provided the core of the sad song.
The story is about a flood in Louisiana in 1927 and six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline. Such a deep and soulful song that really brought the house down!
The night was amazing! They did so well!
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
The Blog Posts Will Be Sporadic
Over the next few months the blog will be very sporadic. I'm working on something in the mornings now and that'll take away from my blogging for now. Over the past month they've been pretty hit and miss anyway and that's one of the reasons.
So for now something else demands my morning attention and I might go a week or more without blogging. I'll return to my regular blogging schedule eventually though!
So for now something else demands my morning attention and I might go a week or more without blogging. I'll return to my regular blogging schedule eventually though!
Monday, July 02, 2012
Monday Monday
Here we go again folks! A short work week for the wonderful Fourth of July! The day in which our Founding Fathers decided to break away from England and venture forth upon a new path of governing!
Come on Wednesday! Looking forward to a day off in the middle of the week! Yeah it'll be hot at work today, I'll have a lot to do and I'll sweat so much that I'll feel grimy and dirty for days but I'll make it through, come home after and enjoy my Honey this evening!
That's enough to get me through today!
Last night My Honey saved the Theatre from burning down! She was there when things went Bang! It seemed the AC unit had blown up so she went around and checked the breakers and then called the power company. Good thing! With the heat the way it is I wouldn't be surprised if the power grid downtown just went up in smoke!
I'll have to talk to her today about what happened as I was sound asleep when she got home from rehearsal.
Come on Wednesday! Looking forward to a day off in the middle of the week! Yeah it'll be hot at work today, I'll have a lot to do and I'll sweat so much that I'll feel grimy and dirty for days but I'll make it through, come home after and enjoy my Honey this evening!
That's enough to get me through today!
Last night My Honey saved the Theatre from burning down! She was there when things went Bang! It seemed the AC unit had blown up so she went around and checked the breakers and then called the power company. Good thing! With the heat the way it is I wouldn't be surprised if the power grid downtown just went up in smoke!
I'll have to talk to her today about what happened as I was sound asleep when she got home from rehearsal.
Sunday, July 01, 2012
It's Running!
The pool is running away! The filter works fine, the new pump is a work horse, and now I'm filling up to the right amount! I'll go chemical shopping today and then it's all done! The triple digit heat will mean nothing anymore!
The girls and My Honey are happy and that's what is important:) There is now a way to cool off in the hot sun and feel refreshed! That's the goal!
The girls and My Honey are happy and that's what is important:) There is now a way to cool off in the hot sun and feel refreshed! That's the goal!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
The Pool Days
Today will mark the first time in roughly ten years my pool in the back yard will be operational. Fully operational. It's nearly full now. My neighbor happens to work on pools for a living and this year we actually have the funds to do some minor repairs and get a pump and get the filter going.
The last pump was pretty old and locked up and after looking at the prices I decided it wasn't worth it. However my neighbor happens to have a newer pump and we just purchased it. He'll be over when it starts to cool off and we'll get things lined out!
The pool has been shocked and via a submerge able pump the water is circulating as it's filling. During the hundred plus degree days to come it'll be very nice!
So the pool days are now upon us!
The last pump was pretty old and locked up and after looking at the prices I decided it wasn't worth it. However my neighbor happens to have a newer pump and we just purchased it. He'll be over when it starts to cool off and we'll get things lined out!
The pool has been shocked and via a submerge able pump the water is circulating as it's filling. During the hundred plus degree days to come it'll be very nice!
So the pool days are now upon us!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Chief Justice Roberts
As we made it through this triple digit week we now find ourselves on the verge of a weekend! Yeah it'll be a busy weekend but you know something? It's forty eight hours off and not at work! My oven of a shop will stay unused for the next two days and I won't be there!
Well yesterday something pretty big happened. Obamacare was upheld by the supreme court. Chief Justice John Roberts was the surprise swing vote in this case. A shock to everyone however as this article points out this might have been a crazy brilliant gambit that will allow everything to happen just as the conservatives want to happen and boil liberal frogs one degree at a time.
I'd say if Chief Justice Roberts thought along these lines then he without a doubt set the table for conservative win after conservative win for decades. What's even more important to remember is that the next president will be selecting two if not three justices in the next eight years. The dreaded Ginsburg is hanging in there but she will retire in the next eight years, Stephen Bryer is in his seventies. Kennedy is in his mid seventies as well and he usually sides with the liberal wing. The third could very well be a conservative judge in either Thomas or Scalia.
It's not all bad, and if this is accurate as I said above, it could be political gold for the long term. Obama is now forced to call his mandate a tax and that tax is now leveled on mainly lower and middle income families that can't afford to purchase health insurance. It won't bother those that have insurance or those that can afford it in the least. It's a gigantic tax though on those that can't afford health insurance and now it's unavoidable that Obama has to run on that.
Well yesterday something pretty big happened. Obamacare was upheld by the supreme court. Chief Justice John Roberts was the surprise swing vote in this case. A shock to everyone however as this article points out this might have been a crazy brilliant gambit that will allow everything to happen just as the conservatives want to happen and boil liberal frogs one degree at a time.
I'd say if Chief Justice Roberts thought along these lines then he without a doubt set the table for conservative win after conservative win for decades. What's even more important to remember is that the next president will be selecting two if not three justices in the next eight years. The dreaded Ginsburg is hanging in there but she will retire in the next eight years, Stephen Bryer is in his seventies. Kennedy is in his mid seventies as well and he usually sides with the liberal wing. The third could very well be a conservative judge in either Thomas or Scalia.
It's not all bad, and if this is accurate as I said above, it could be political gold for the long term. Obama is now forced to call his mandate a tax and that tax is now leveled on mainly lower and middle income families that can't afford to purchase health insurance. It won't bother those that have insurance or those that can afford it in the least. It's a gigantic tax though on those that can't afford health insurance and now it's unavoidable that Obama has to run on that.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Today Is The Day
This is the day that will make or break the present president of the United States. Today his legacy will be determined and he'll go down as a Carter or a better Carter (who by the way has been criticizing Obama about the drone strikes, if you have Jimmy Cater criticizing you about something you know you're doing something right) either way Obama will be compared to that failed presidency.
Today the Affordable Care Act will be ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court. No one knows how much will be struck down right now but if the individual mandate is struck down then the whole thing will fail. Obama will be wearing his bruises for a while as he heads into his campaign trail rhetoric.
Believe me, he and his cronies believe it'll stay intact. I believe it'll at least be gutted enough to where it'll be ineffective if not outright struck down. Then there is no way in the world where this congress will get something passed before the election. If the law stands then it'll be repealed if Romney is elected. Well that's what he says anyway. I really don't trust Romney that much and think he might wind up as Obama light but time will tell.
Regardless of what happens today it'll be interesting and it'll make a difference one way or the other for every single American. Whether you'll be forced to buy health insurance or pay a fine if you don't. Today is the day that I feel Obama will go up in smoke and have a hard time recovering from.
Today the Affordable Care Act will be ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court. No one knows how much will be struck down right now but if the individual mandate is struck down then the whole thing will fail. Obama will be wearing his bruises for a while as he heads into his campaign trail rhetoric.
Believe me, he and his cronies believe it'll stay intact. I believe it'll at least be gutted enough to where it'll be ineffective if not outright struck down. Then there is no way in the world where this congress will get something passed before the election. If the law stands then it'll be repealed if Romney is elected. Well that's what he says anyway. I really don't trust Romney that much and think he might wind up as Obama light but time will tell.
Regardless of what happens today it'll be interesting and it'll make a difference one way or the other for every single American. Whether you'll be forced to buy health insurance or pay a fine if you don't. Today is the day that I feel Obama will go up in smoke and have a hard time recovering from.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Bring It Heat!
One of my coworkers and I might have discovered the perfect summer lunch meal. Seven layer dip.
It's easy to make, filling, and very tasty! You don't have to cook it, it's served cold and in my hot oven of a shop that's the best thing about eating something cold!
I made up a dip last night, it's actually eight layers though: refried beans, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, cheese, olives, jalapenos, and for a topper, bacon bits! Yes, this will feed me the rest of the week and possibly into the hottest times of the summer!
I'm ready now for what the summer brings! I was just about sandwiched out anyway. This will be good for a long time though!
It's easy to make, filling, and very tasty! You don't have to cook it, it's served cold and in my hot oven of a shop that's the best thing about eating something cold!
I made up a dip last night, it's actually eight layers though: refried beans, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, cheese, olives, jalapenos, and for a topper, bacon bits! Yes, this will feed me the rest of the week and possibly into the hottest times of the summer!
I'm ready now for what the summer brings! I was just about sandwiched out anyway. This will be good for a long time though!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Dog Days
Even though summer has officially just begun last week we are in the heat of it. The triple digit temperatures are here for a while. They are relentless and won't let up until the occasional front moves in, likely on accident or we get the very rare summer thunderstorm.
Yeah we will be mired in the heat, broiled, sauteed, and fried. My shop is pretty much a convection oven in the summer time. It's nice and toasty in the winter though. I was pretty sweaty at work yesterday, drenched in fact but when I got into the office to cool off it felt darn good. I stood under the fan, practically our only source of AC as we are on the end of the line when it comes to getting cold air pumped in. There just isn't much left by the time it gets to us.
I dread summers in our shop. I'll keep the powerade close by and plenty of water with me though. We'll knock this summer out too!
Yeah we will be mired in the heat, broiled, sauteed, and fried. My shop is pretty much a convection oven in the summer time. It's nice and toasty in the winter though. I was pretty sweaty at work yesterday, drenched in fact but when I got into the office to cool off it felt darn good. I stood under the fan, practically our only source of AC as we are on the end of the line when it comes to getting cold air pumped in. There just isn't much left by the time it gets to us.
I dread summers in our shop. I'll keep the powerade close by and plenty of water with me though. We'll knock this summer out too!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Heat Problems
So earlier in the week the heat was starting to get to me. It hit me harder on Friday, Saturday I was filling ill, and then yesterday it knocked me for a loop. I hydrate all the time. Problem this time is that I probably hydrated too much with just water perhaps and had sweated all of my salt away. I felt super weak yesterday, got dizzy easily, and just felt horrible.
Thankfully My Honey came to the rescue, she got me some powerade! That actually helped me to start to feel a lot better! I stayed in bed though for the remainder of the evening but yeah I feel almost decent this morning. I've got another two powerades in the fridge and I'm taking one to work
I don't feel as weak this morning. Hopefully I'm recovered, I'm feeling like it!
Thankfully My Honey came to the rescue, she got me some powerade! That actually helped me to start to feel a lot better! I stayed in bed though for the remainder of the evening but yeah I feel almost decent this morning. I've got another two powerades in the fridge and I'm taking one to work
I don't feel as weak this morning. Hopefully I'm recovered, I'm feeling like it!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Day Off
I took a day off from the blog yesterday. I napped a bit. My Love had a big event last night and she did an outstanding job as the Emcee for the Texaco Country Showdown! Great job honey! I'm very proud of you!
Other than that I was out of sorts most of the day and into the night. I didn't feel right at all. I finally left the Showdown and came home where I tossed my cookies from the day and headed for the couch to recuperate. My Love found me when she got home and helped me to bed.
I'm feeling a bit better this morning, not all good yet but better. Hopefully the day will be better to me than yesterday.
Other than that I was out of sorts most of the day and into the night. I didn't feel right at all. I finally left the Showdown and came home where I tossed my cookies from the day and headed for the couch to recuperate. My Love found me when she got home and helped me to bed.
I'm feeling a bit better this morning, not all good yet but better. Hopefully the day will be better to me than yesterday.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Wait 'Til Next Year
Today Thunder fans will join the familiar turf usually inhabited by Cubs fans as they pack up the remains of their season and head home. Cubs fans usually are just hoping for a win now and then while the Thunder will be anticipating the first in a string of championships though. Big difference.
Last night one of the most disliked athletes in all of sports claimed his first title in LeBron James. The Thunder are poised to dominate the NBA for a very long time though. They have one of the youngest teams in the league, they are also all under contract for quite some time!
We as a state can enjoy this team for the foreseeable future and expect them to represent us well!
Nice season Thunder! We're glad you made it!
Last night one of the most disliked athletes in all of sports claimed his first title in LeBron James. The Thunder are poised to dominate the NBA for a very long time though. They have one of the youngest teams in the league, they are also all under contract for quite some time!
We as a state can enjoy this team for the foreseeable future and expect them to represent us well!
Nice season Thunder! We're glad you made it!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Almost Over
The week is nearly done. Our sore kitty is still sore and has a cold. He hides under the bed but the vet said as long as he is eating and his stitches aren't draining he'll be fine. He stayed on my lap all last night for attention.
My Baby has a spectacular cast for Audition and rehearsals with the teens are going well! I'm very proud of her and the job that she is doing! The Theatre will be very well represented!
Tonight is Third Thursday, the acoustic music night at the Theatre. I'll be up there tonight with the tech.
My Baby has a spectacular cast for Audition and rehearsals with the teens are going well! I'm very proud of her and the job that she is doing! The Theatre will be very well represented!
Tonight is Third Thursday, the acoustic music night at the Theatre. I'll be up there tonight with the tech.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Thunder Down But Not Out
The Thunder have a shot tomorrow night at bringing the series back home but they are down 3-1 right now and face elimination. If they can deny LeBron James a ring I know America will be happy and I know Oklahoma will be thrilled at their first professional sports championship!
Yes they have enjoyed national championships before but this is the pro level. The big time. This time the whole state is united behind a team instead of in different college camps.
Even if they fall tomorrow night it's likely that they will be a NBA Finals participant for at least the next five years. They have dynasty written all over them and could likely be the next Spurs or Lakers and be perennial champions. They are young, they are under long term contracts, and they are getting this experience at a very young age. They are going to be a juggernaut for the years to come.
We'll get very used to seeing the Thunder play at this high level and in the next ten years they'll eventually have a rebuilding time and be at the bottom for a year or two before climbing back up to the top again. It's just the cycle of sports. Players will come and go, the team will rise and fall, and we'll win and lose.
Right now the Thunder are definitely rising though!
Yes they have enjoyed national championships before but this is the pro level. The big time. This time the whole state is united behind a team instead of in different college camps.
Even if they fall tomorrow night it's likely that they will be a NBA Finals participant for at least the next five years. They have dynasty written all over them and could likely be the next Spurs or Lakers and be perennial champions. They are young, they are under long term contracts, and they are getting this experience at a very young age. They are going to be a juggernaut for the years to come.
We'll get very used to seeing the Thunder play at this high level and in the next ten years they'll eventually have a rebuilding time and be at the bottom for a year or two before climbing back up to the top again. It's just the cycle of sports. Players will come and go, the team will rise and fall, and we'll win and lose.
Right now the Thunder are definitely rising though!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
It's Starting Again!
Today is my Monday Tuesday. Got the kitten all back home yesterday evening. He's doing fine. We could tell when the pain meds were wearing off though. He slept in the nook of my arm all night, he's much better this morning though. He'll be up today and walking just fine I'm sure.
Thing 2 beat Diablo 3 last night, well on the normal level. She's going to try nightmare difficulty next and we'll see how that goes. I know how hard that is though, it'll be tough on her! She'll have fun though, she really likes the game.
My Honey's rehearsal went well last night for her OCTA show! She and I did the light plot that she has to send off. Talk about tough, without seeing the stage or the lights to tweak them and play with them the way you want, it's darn hard. You really can't see how they are going to look but we did our best with what we had to work with. It's a very funny and touching show! The teens are good, it should do well in competition! I'm very proud of her:) She's done a great job!
Thing 2 beat Diablo 3 last night, well on the normal level. She's going to try nightmare difficulty next and we'll see how that goes. I know how hard that is though, it'll be tough on her! She'll have fun though, she really likes the game.
My Honey's rehearsal went well last night for her OCTA show! She and I did the light plot that she has to send off. Talk about tough, without seeing the stage or the lights to tweak them and play with them the way you want, it's darn hard. You really can't see how they are going to look but we did our best with what we had to work with. It's a very funny and touching show! The teens are good, it should do well in competition! I'm very proud of her:) She's done a great job!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Nice Weekend
Today I took Liddy to the vet to get him fixed and get his shots. I took My Honey her Keurig coffee pods she forgot this morning. Now I'm just going to enjoy the final day off from work!
Now that I'm earning more leave I decided that after this I'm not going to take off so much and let it build up as far as I can. I'll have roughly seventy hours now, I'd like to build it up past two hundred if possible though. It'd be really nice to have that kind of leave in the bank.
So now to chill and wait for Thing 2's appointment this afternoon:)
Life is good.
Now that I'm earning more leave I decided that after this I'm not going to take off so much and let it build up as far as I can. I'll have roughly seventy hours now, I'd like to build it up past two hundred if possible though. It'd be really nice to have that kind of leave in the bank.
So now to chill and wait for Thing 2's appointment this afternoon:)
Life is good.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Father's Day
Today was my first official and real father's day. My girls, all three of them, got me a shirt, "You Can't Scare Me I Have Two Daughters"
It's been upgraded to my favorite tshirt.
I made a lemon and garlic pork loin on the BGE today. Yummy stuff. My Lady Love and Thing 2 have gone for coffee with Piano Genius. He wasn't able to attend last night's party for her so he suggested coffee tonight for them. Great guy!
The Thunder will be tipping off in about an hour from now. I've done little to not much today and it's been nice. Tomorrow will be taking the kitten to get fixed and Thing 2 has a check up in the afternoon. I'm off work so I'll handle that:)
It's been upgraded to my favorite tshirt.
I made a lemon and garlic pork loin on the BGE today. Yummy stuff. My Lady Love and Thing 2 have gone for coffee with Piano Genius. He wasn't able to attend last night's party for her so he suggested coffee tonight for them. Great guy!
The Thunder will be tipping off in about an hour from now. I've done little to not much today and it's been nice. Tomorrow will be taking the kitten to get fixed and Thing 2 has a check up in the afternoon. I'm off work so I'll handle that:)
Yesterday And Today
Yesterday was super busy, we were doing the final touches for Thing 2's sweet sixteen party! It went off without any problems at all and she was one very happy girl at the end of the evening with her new set of pearls! Lots of people showed up and I can tell you she is one very loved young lady! Her Theatre family loves her almost as much as her family!
Then we had a big rain storm, big but all too brief. It stormed for maybe a half hour or less and blew away. It looked threatening but nothing else appeared. All in all a top notch day for the family!
Friday night My Honey got me tickets for Charlie Daniels in Newkirk. Let me tell you something, that man deserves to phone in a performance if he wants to. He's seventy five. He had a stroke a couple of years ago. He's had his ups and downs. He is literally a living legend but he also puts on a super show! He tore up at least two bows, tossed another one to the audience, and can tear up a stage with is guitar playing. That man wouldn't phone in a performance if he was paid to! His band was very talented in their own right.
Most of them were songwriters as well and each of them had their own time to shine on stage. The drummer had at least a five minute solo that was making everything vibrate in the house! His lead guitar player could easily be in any band he wanted to be in and be a superstar. He could shred a guitar neck. The keyboardist was easily as good as Piano Genius himself. Do yourself a favor, if The CDB is in your neck of the woods, go see him. It's worth your time!
Today will be a nice day. The Thunder will be playing tonight in Miami and will win back home court advantage. They were beat so now they have a loss out of the way. They should be ready to go down there to Miami and tromp them on their own home court!
Then we had a big rain storm, big but all too brief. It stormed for maybe a half hour or less and blew away. It looked threatening but nothing else appeared. All in all a top notch day for the family!
Friday night My Honey got me tickets for Charlie Daniels in Newkirk. Let me tell you something, that man deserves to phone in a performance if he wants to. He's seventy five. He had a stroke a couple of years ago. He's had his ups and downs. He is literally a living legend but he also puts on a super show! He tore up at least two bows, tossed another one to the audience, and can tear up a stage with is guitar playing. That man wouldn't phone in a performance if he was paid to! His band was very talented in their own right.
Most of them were songwriters as well and each of them had their own time to shine on stage. The drummer had at least a five minute solo that was making everything vibrate in the house! His lead guitar player could easily be in any band he wanted to be in and be a superstar. He could shred a guitar neck. The keyboardist was easily as good as Piano Genius himself. Do yourself a favor, if The CDB is in your neck of the woods, go see him. It's worth your time!
Today will be a nice day. The Thunder will be playing tonight in Miami and will win back home court advantage. They were beat so now they have a loss out of the way. They should be ready to go down there to Miami and tromp them on their own home court!
Friday, June 15, 2012
20 Years
Today in 1992 I was hired at the place where I currently work. Since that time I've gone through two full rounds of BRAC, three presidents, massive world changes, two domestic terrorist attacks, nineteen super bowls, the Bulls legendary seasons with MJ, dramatic personal changes, gained new friends, lost old ones, and the best things, I've gotten married and I've now got two beautiful daughters!
If you would have told me then all of that I wouldn't have believed you. A strange thing happens as you grow older, you want more security instead of more of the unknown. You gamble less with your future and start planning for when you are too old to work. When you are twenty two you aren't capable of thinking about your future, it's hard enough planning to the end of the week, when you are forty two you realize that the word retirement is a real thing and that you are headed for it sooner than you think.
I also realize I've done this kind of work for over half my life now. It's been twenty three years and probably a few more months than that that I've done this. I can tell you it's hard on your body and who knows what kind of health ramifications I've got in my future but I try to be safe. I use my gear every day.
Good lord above has it been this long? I get my extra week of PTO now. It'll build up faster than ever and that's a great thing. It also means that I'm ten years out from being eligible for the pension. I'm vested now but being able to collect it is a great thing! It'll be the main plank in our retirement planning, I've got My Love set up as my successor and she'll enjoy the benefits for life after I'm gone so security is a big deal to me. You think more about taking care of those you love and making sure they can do well in your absence. So yeah, sometimes you think about your mortality once in a while too.
Twenty years.
Twenty years.
If you would have told me then all of that I wouldn't have believed you. A strange thing happens as you grow older, you want more security instead of more of the unknown. You gamble less with your future and start planning for when you are too old to work. When you are twenty two you aren't capable of thinking about your future, it's hard enough planning to the end of the week, when you are forty two you realize that the word retirement is a real thing and that you are headed for it sooner than you think.
I also realize I've done this kind of work for over half my life now. It's been twenty three years and probably a few more months than that that I've done this. I can tell you it's hard on your body and who knows what kind of health ramifications I've got in my future but I try to be safe. I use my gear every day.
Good lord above has it been this long? I get my extra week of PTO now. It'll build up faster than ever and that's a great thing. It also means that I'm ten years out from being eligible for the pension. I'm vested now but being able to collect it is a great thing! It'll be the main plank in our retirement planning, I've got My Love set up as my successor and she'll enjoy the benefits for life after I'm gone so security is a big deal to me. You think more about taking care of those you love and making sure they can do well in your absence. So yeah, sometimes you think about your mortality once in a while too.
Twenty years.
Twenty years.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Twenty's Eve
Tomorrow is a big day for me. It's my twentieth anniversary at work. That means I earn my final week of vacation leave and will accrue leave very fast and it means that I've got ten years left before being eligible for my pension. That's a big big deal too. With the current contract they have added one and a half times the amount that is contributed on a hourly basis. It'll provide a decent retirement on it's own but add in the 401k I'm kicking in to and it'll be a comfy retirement package!
Yeah, June 15, 1992 was the date. Hard to believe I've made it this far. Tomorrow I'll have a far more detailed blog about the past twenty years. Sheesh, that's almost half my life when you type it like that.
Twenty years, where does the time go?
The Thunder play game two tonight in Loud City! They might do the rope a dope again and let the Heat wear themselves out as they did in game 1. We'll see how they'll come out, if it's swinging or if it's just cruising to the second half.
They will play the next game in Miami and there they'll probably want to set a tone and let Miami know they are here to play for real. LeBron, hero turned villain, probably won't have enough "umph" to get the Heat to a title this year. They have run into a very young wrecking machine that can play at such a high tempo for the entire game if they want to. If this team stays together for the long term then we can have a TwentyTeen dynasty on our hands!
Yeah, June 15, 1992 was the date. Hard to believe I've made it this far. Tomorrow I'll have a far more detailed blog about the past twenty years. Sheesh, that's almost half my life when you type it like that.
Twenty years, where does the time go?
The Thunder play game two tonight in Loud City! They might do the rope a dope again and let the Heat wear themselves out as they did in game 1. We'll see how they'll come out, if it's swinging or if it's just cruising to the second half.
They will play the next game in Miami and there they'll probably want to set a tone and let Miami know they are here to play for real. LeBron, hero turned villain, probably won't have enough "umph" to get the Heat to a title this year. They have run into a very young wrecking machine that can play at such a high tempo for the entire game if they want to. If this team stays together for the long term then we can have a TwentyTeen dynasty on our hands!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Thunder Up One
The Thunder did their rope a dope style of play, letting the Heat get confident in the first half and then actually starting to play in the third quarter. The Thunder always own the second half! They usually tie things up in the third quarter and hit the gas in the fourth and pull away.
The other team is usually tired by that point and can't keep up with the young and energized Thunder!
Next game is tomorrow night and I predict the same thing will happen. The teams from the east just aren't as good as the western teams. If it goes five games I'll be surprised. Most people say six games. I guess it can happen because the middle three games are at Miami. We'll see, but we know that the Thunder can win on the road without any problems.
The other team is usually tired by that point and can't keep up with the young and energized Thunder!
Next game is tomorrow night and I predict the same thing will happen. The teams from the east just aren't as good as the western teams. If it goes five games I'll be surprised. Most people say six games. I guess it can happen because the middle three games are at Miami. We'll see, but we know that the Thunder can win on the road without any problems.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Wool
People came out of the woodwork yesterday to complain to the grievance committee member that inhabits my office and shop. Just another day in the life.
I had a ton of work to do as well. Parts for two jets were just for starters and it got busy from there!
Anyway I finished a book called Wool: The Omnibus Edition by Hugh Howey at lunch yesterday. It's pretty good. It paints a time after the world quit working and there are seeds of people planted in one corner of the world. These seed banks are silos and the silos are huge and inhabit thousands of people each. Entire systems from oil pumps to water pumps to gardeners and even livestock.
The interesting thing about this book is that it's a self published novel on Amazon for the Kindle. The first book was about fifteen thousand words and qualifies as a novelette. After the reviews from it wanted more story he wrote another one and another one and kept going. That started last April.
The book has gained attention from a long ways away too. Ridley Scott just purchased the movie rights to it. A hardback edition is in the works for the UK, he plans on staying independent in the States though. He's also very accessible. After I finished reading the book I emailed him my thoughts. He replied back himself! He says it's important to stay in touch with the people that read your material and months ago he was cleaning book shelves part time and writing on his breaks.
Mr. Howey seems a humble and goofy guy! I'd say get Wool and enjoy it, a new business model and brand new way of getting new stories out to people and bypassing the book making machine that usually dictates how and what we read and from whom.
I had a ton of work to do as well. Parts for two jets were just for starters and it got busy from there!
Anyway I finished a book called Wool: The Omnibus Edition by Hugh Howey at lunch yesterday. It's pretty good. It paints a time after the world quit working and there are seeds of people planted in one corner of the world. These seed banks are silos and the silos are huge and inhabit thousands of people each. Entire systems from oil pumps to water pumps to gardeners and even livestock.
The interesting thing about this book is that it's a self published novel on Amazon for the Kindle. The first book was about fifteen thousand words and qualifies as a novelette. After the reviews from it wanted more story he wrote another one and another one and kept going. That started last April.
The book has gained attention from a long ways away too. Ridley Scott just purchased the movie rights to it. A hardback edition is in the works for the UK, he plans on staying independent in the States though. He's also very accessible. After I finished reading the book I emailed him my thoughts. He replied back himself! He says it's important to stay in touch with the people that read your material and months ago he was cleaning book shelves part time and writing on his breaks.
Mr. Howey seems a humble and goofy guy! I'd say get Wool and enjoy it, a new business model and brand new way of getting new stories out to people and bypassing the book making machine that usually dictates how and what we read and from whom.
Monday, June 11, 2012
It Starts Today
All of the unhappy people will start lining up outside the office this morning to tell the grievance committee member how unhappy they are with the contract. How do I know? Because he's also my coworker and the same people were unhappy with the last contract too.
I will know this contract inside and out before the three years are up on it. I'll be able to answer questions left and right because I'll know the agreement better than probably Johnny Friendly that negotiated it in the first place. I'm not a shop steward but by golly I'll know it as well as they should. My coworker and I talk about the situations that arise and there are lots of them. Mostly it's easy to solve. For the most part it's about not being late to work and that their supervisor is picking on them because they punched in two minutes late....every day.
Yeah, that's a common one actually. And because I know the agreement and my coworker knows it and for some reason the supervisor fails to read it and understand it then there is always a loophole in how they try to give the employee a letter. Always. They never follow procedures correctly. What was a slam dunk turns into the supervisor having egg on his face.
Usually the employee is at fault too, that's the thing! They usually deserve the letter or even being terminated because they are lazy, screwups, never come to work and are out of leave, or they just don't care and would rather be somewhere else. However because the supervisor makes a mistake 95% of the time they keep their job, aren't grateful they get out of trouble, and will continue to go about their ways as if nothing happened. Until they get in trouble again.
Yeah, all of that begins today and you know something? I'm glad because the alternative would have been me standing in a ditch again. I'm not standing in that ditch again. I'll listen to the malcontents talk about how they hate the deal but didn't vote on it, they were busy doing whatever else they were doing that kept them from spending a half hour and listening to the negotiating team explain everything. I'll listen to the malcontents talk about how bad their jobs are despite being paid very well. I'll listen to the malcontents and wonder what in the world they would do when they had to go apply at Walmart and deal with managers I dealt with that thought I was an imbecile and spoke to me as they would a third grader. All the while thinking, actually knowing I made more than they did and had been in the workforce much longer than they had.
Yeah that magic starts today. The phone will be ringing before I'm even unable to unlock the office door. I know it will be and I'll answer it, and I'll tell them to come on down with their questions because I'm happy that I'm able to go to work today and not stand in a ditch.
I will know this contract inside and out before the three years are up on it. I'll be able to answer questions left and right because I'll know the agreement better than probably Johnny Friendly that negotiated it in the first place. I'm not a shop steward but by golly I'll know it as well as they should. My coworker and I talk about the situations that arise and there are lots of them. Mostly it's easy to solve. For the most part it's about not being late to work and that their supervisor is picking on them because they punched in two minutes late....every day.
Yeah, that's a common one actually. And because I know the agreement and my coworker knows it and for some reason the supervisor fails to read it and understand it then there is always a loophole in how they try to give the employee a letter. Always. They never follow procedures correctly. What was a slam dunk turns into the supervisor having egg on his face.
Usually the employee is at fault too, that's the thing! They usually deserve the letter or even being terminated because they are lazy, screwups, never come to work and are out of leave, or they just don't care and would rather be somewhere else. However because the supervisor makes a mistake 95% of the time they keep their job, aren't grateful they get out of trouble, and will continue to go about their ways as if nothing happened. Until they get in trouble again.
Yeah, all of that begins today and you know something? I'm glad because the alternative would have been me standing in a ditch again. I'm not standing in that ditch again. I'll listen to the malcontents talk about how they hate the deal but didn't vote on it, they were busy doing whatever else they were doing that kept them from spending a half hour and listening to the negotiating team explain everything. I'll listen to the malcontents talk about how bad their jobs are despite being paid very well. I'll listen to the malcontents and wonder what in the world they would do when they had to go apply at Walmart and deal with managers I dealt with that thought I was an imbecile and spoke to me as they would a third grader. All the while thinking, actually knowing I made more than they did and had been in the workforce much longer than they had.
Yeah that magic starts today. The phone will be ringing before I'm even unable to unlock the office door. I know it will be and I'll answer it, and I'll tell them to come on down with their questions because I'm happy that I'm able to go to work today and not stand in a ditch.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
The New Contract
After going over the deal and talking to the negotiation team I voted the way I thought I would. It's a pretty good deal, probably the best we could get given the economy.
The insurance is a bit confusing but not as bad as I thought it'd be. It should work out pretty much like it is now. Yeah, I'm positive several mad people will get up there and vote to strike no matter what, yeah the union did mishandle the information distribution.
I think it's a reasonable deal though and one we can easily live under!
We are good for three more years, the base isn't going anywhere anytime soon! Labor peace will reign for the foreseeable future!
The insurance is a bit confusing but not as bad as I thought it'd be. It should work out pretty much like it is now. Yeah, I'm positive several mad people will get up there and vote to strike no matter what, yeah the union did mishandle the information distribution.
I think it's a reasonable deal though and one we can easily live under!
We are good for three more years, the base isn't going anywhere anytime soon! Labor peace will reign for the foreseeable future!
Yesterday
I really didn't feel like posting yesterday. It just didn't occur to me as my mind was wandering from the contract talks to auditions and if we were going to have enough people to fill out the roles of the show My Honey wants to do. It's a show for the Gaslight Teens and it's going to be a festival piece. A competition show.
The Theatre hasn't had a show in this competition in about ten years now and this one will be a great show! It's funny! Well the auditions rolled around and by the skin of our teeth we made it! We've got enough teens to make a show of it! That was a massive relief!
The other big deal that had me on pins and needles all day was the contract talks at work. I heard from the grapevine last night that moneywise this is a fair deal, very reasonable and good for us. The con is that the insurance has become a jumbled mess now. As it was explained to me it's pretty confusing. That might be enough to make a lot of people vote in a bad way.
However when you put it into perspective it lays out like this:
1. This economy sucks and won't pick up until you know who is Out of office.
2. We are fortunate to have a job in today's world let alone a good job, sometimes you have to put up with the bad like this to get in on the good. Yeah maybe the insurance isn't what we wanted but the money is good and it's a good place to work. They are tripling the amount they are contributing to the pension and the cost of living raises are about what we've gotten every year. I can live with the bad and bite my tongue for three years to keep from winding up in the ditch which brings me to the third point.
3. I'm not striking anymore. If the choice is a jumbled mess of a plan and a strike, then I'll figure out the jumbled mess of a plan. My vote counts for two thirds more than a vote to strike. It's not based on simple majority, oh no, a strike has to pass by two thirds. A "No" on the strike vote carries more weight.
I think yesterday worked out fine after all.
The Theatre hasn't had a show in this competition in about ten years now and this one will be a great show! It's funny! Well the auditions rolled around and by the skin of our teeth we made it! We've got enough teens to make a show of it! That was a massive relief!
The other big deal that had me on pins and needles all day was the contract talks at work. I heard from the grapevine last night that moneywise this is a fair deal, very reasonable and good for us. The con is that the insurance has become a jumbled mess now. As it was explained to me it's pretty confusing. That might be enough to make a lot of people vote in a bad way.
However when you put it into perspective it lays out like this:
1. This economy sucks and won't pick up until you know who is Out of office.
2. We are fortunate to have a job in today's world let alone a good job, sometimes you have to put up with the bad like this to get in on the good. Yeah maybe the insurance isn't what we wanted but the money is good and it's a good place to work. They are tripling the amount they are contributing to the pension and the cost of living raises are about what we've gotten every year. I can live with the bad and bite my tongue for three years to keep from winding up in the ditch which brings me to the third point.
3. I'm not striking anymore. If the choice is a jumbled mess of a plan and a strike, then I'll figure out the jumbled mess of a plan. My vote counts for two thirds more than a vote to strike. It's not based on simple majority, oh no, a strike has to pass by two thirds. A "No" on the strike vote carries more weight.
I think yesterday worked out fine after all.
Friday, June 08, 2012
No News
The negotiating committee and the company have been holding their cards close to the vest. We know nothing right now and not only that but there is quite a bit of confusion about when the vote to accept or reject is. Originally it was supposed to be tomorrow, June 9th. Now it might very well be Sunday, or tomorrow.
Our union has dropped the ball on communication for sure this time. One of those in charge needed to iron out this date...like a month ago instead of the day before the weekend we are supposed to vote! There is a fundamental problem that means one of two things has occurred.
One: The union leaders are inept and it never crossed their minds to set a solid vote date for the rank and file to vote on.
Two: Negotiations aren't going in a good direction and that means there are some bad things in the new contract that they can't settle on or are bad for the membership but can't or don't want to do anything about. This is called ramrodding by the union. Meaning they will ramrod a bad deal down the throats of the rank and file and don't want to give us any time to read the contract in it's entirety.
This has happened before and it was over twelve years ago. They instituted a pay freeze for three years on grades one through four but got everyone else got pay raises. This was unfair to those that work pretty darn hard but the union didn't see it that way. So those that made the least amount of money got the shaft and the union let it happen. They didn't give anyone time to digest the contract, they didn't want you to think about it, they wanted you to vote and screw your fellow brothers and sisters that didn't earn as much as you did.
So now the game is afoot so to speak, our committee that is representing us has kept things quiet. Our main leader, Johnny Friendly is retiring this year. He used to be a mechanic where I work but got elected into the business representative office and hasn't looked back. He has about thirty contracts he works on or negotiates on a regular basis. However he hasn't worked under one of those contracts at all. He is as union as union can be. He's not a popular guy to most people as when he wants something he tends to leave out facts to get his way on something. When he wants something to happen, it happens no matter what the committee wants. What he usually wants benefits the International in some fashion like the insurance company they want to bring in.
It's of course a health insurance company that's administered by the....union. You guessed it! We'll see how that plays out this weekend.
Our union has dropped the ball on communication for sure this time. One of those in charge needed to iron out this date...like a month ago instead of the day before the weekend we are supposed to vote! There is a fundamental problem that means one of two things has occurred.
One: The union leaders are inept and it never crossed their minds to set a solid vote date for the rank and file to vote on.
Two: Negotiations aren't going in a good direction and that means there are some bad things in the new contract that they can't settle on or are bad for the membership but can't or don't want to do anything about. This is called ramrodding by the union. Meaning they will ramrod a bad deal down the throats of the rank and file and don't want to give us any time to read the contract in it's entirety.
This has happened before and it was over twelve years ago. They instituted a pay freeze for three years on grades one through four but got everyone else got pay raises. This was unfair to those that work pretty darn hard but the union didn't see it that way. So those that made the least amount of money got the shaft and the union let it happen. They didn't give anyone time to digest the contract, they didn't want you to think about it, they wanted you to vote and screw your fellow brothers and sisters that didn't earn as much as you did.
So now the game is afoot so to speak, our committee that is representing us has kept things quiet. Our main leader, Johnny Friendly is retiring this year. He used to be a mechanic where I work but got elected into the business representative office and hasn't looked back. He has about thirty contracts he works on or negotiates on a regular basis. However he hasn't worked under one of those contracts at all. He is as union as union can be. He's not a popular guy to most people as when he wants something he tends to leave out facts to get his way on something. When he wants something to happen, it happens no matter what the committee wants. What he usually wants benefits the International in some fashion like the insurance company they want to bring in.
It's of course a health insurance company that's administered by the....union. You guessed it! We'll see how that plays out this weekend.
Thursday, June 07, 2012
Thunder Up
The Thunder took the Western Conference Crown last night and are headed to the finals to face either the Heat or the Celtics. In all honesty I believe they just beat the three hardest teams to beat in the NBA over the past month. They started with reigning champs Mavericks, then took it to the perennially good Lakers, and knocked off the well oiled machine Spurs.
Any of those teams would have destroyed any East team that made it to the finals. The East is just weak this year. I'd really be shocked if the Thunder got into a series that went to game six, but more than likely they'll win in five or a sweep.
Negotiations are going smoothly reportedly. They plan to have everything wrapped up by tomorrow and we are supposed to vote on Sunday now. That gives me pause though, if the unthinkable happens again then there will be little time to come to an agreement and get back to work on Monday. The results of the second first strike vote came in last night and a friend called me with the results. They were good, we had enough people show up this time to sanction a strike.
Let me be clear, I'm not voting strike unless they take money away. Many share that same view, strikes suck. No one wants that to happen again. Not us, not the company, not the military, no one. No one won last time and no one will win this time. We only got what we had out of the strike, not one cent more. That's what I expect to happen again, to maintain what we have with probably less of a cost of living raise each year which was 3.75% the last three years. I expect 1% honestly, the government is broke.
More zombie style attacks have occurred lately including one in Louisiana and another one in Miami. Keep in mind this is drug fueled and so far the victims haven't turned to anything but patients in the hospital. That rules out a self sustained Zombie Apocalypse of Doom. We are safe...for now.
Any of those teams would have destroyed any East team that made it to the finals. The East is just weak this year. I'd really be shocked if the Thunder got into a series that went to game six, but more than likely they'll win in five or a sweep.
Negotiations are going smoothly reportedly. They plan to have everything wrapped up by tomorrow and we are supposed to vote on Sunday now. That gives me pause though, if the unthinkable happens again then there will be little time to come to an agreement and get back to work on Monday. The results of the second first strike vote came in last night and a friend called me with the results. They were good, we had enough people show up this time to sanction a strike.
Let me be clear, I'm not voting strike unless they take money away. Many share that same view, strikes suck. No one wants that to happen again. Not us, not the company, not the military, no one. No one won last time and no one will win this time. We only got what we had out of the strike, not one cent more. That's what I expect to happen again, to maintain what we have with probably less of a cost of living raise each year which was 3.75% the last three years. I expect 1% honestly, the government is broke.
More zombie style attacks have occurred lately including one in Louisiana and another one in Miami. Keep in mind this is drug fueled and so far the victims haven't turned to anything but patients in the hospital. That rules out a self sustained Zombie Apocalypse of Doom. We are safe...for now.
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Busy Day
This morning I've got to take Jet to the vet, later on this afternoon take the big cats to the vet for their shots, I have to go vote on the second first strike vote, and My Baby has a MRI for her back. All in all a packed day!
Thing 2 will be at the Theatre all day with drama camp and busy with that.
Governor Scott Walker won by a landslide last night on his recall election. You'll recall he limited collective bargaining agreements with public sector (Not the private sector unions mind you) unions last year. That made the public sector unions angry and then the fight was on! Money poured in to take out Walker and to defend him and what he's been able to accomplish.
In the end the unions lost and it wasn't even close. The people of Wisconsin wanted Scott Walker and loved the job he was doing. So it's all over now but the crying and with liberals you'll get a LOT of that. They'll spin it in so many different ways you won't be able to see straight for a week.
You might be thinking that there is a bit of hypocrisy on my part and you might be a little bit right. However I'm a member of a private sector union. There is a contract between the military and my company, and there is a contract between my company and our union. None of it effects the public taxes as a public sector union does. In fact I wish I could kick in to my own pension fund as Scott Walker had the workers in Wisconsin do. I'd put in quite a bit on my own if it was possible.
Thing 2 will be at the Theatre all day with drama camp and busy with that.
Governor Scott Walker won by a landslide last night on his recall election. You'll recall he limited collective bargaining agreements with public sector (Not the private sector unions mind you) unions last year. That made the public sector unions angry and then the fight was on! Money poured in to take out Walker and to defend him and what he's been able to accomplish.
In the end the unions lost and it wasn't even close. The people of Wisconsin wanted Scott Walker and loved the job he was doing. So it's all over now but the crying and with liberals you'll get a LOT of that. They'll spin it in so many different ways you won't be able to see straight for a week.
You might be thinking that there is a bit of hypocrisy on my part and you might be a little bit right. However I'm a member of a private sector union. There is a contract between the military and my company, and there is a contract between my company and our union. None of it effects the public taxes as a public sector union does. In fact I wish I could kick in to my own pension fund as Scott Walker had the workers in Wisconsin do. I'd put in quite a bit on my own if it was possible.
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Negotiating Problems Already
It turns out that what was supposed to be a swift and smooth week of negotiations got off to a rocky start. We had a strike sanction vote a full month ago. Without a sanction from the international union we would have no negotiating power at all and basically whatever we vote on Saturday would be null and void. We'd be forced to accept any proposal set forth by the company.
So some idiot didn't catch the fact that we had no sanction until yesterday...less than a week before our big vote. So the local called for an emergency vote and that takes place tomorrow. Basically what this means is that the company doesn't have to bargain in good faith with us. They can just sit back and let their proposal stand until they find out the outcome of Wednesday's vote. If we still have no sanction then we're in trouble and would be working under rules that even Walmart wouldn't apply to its workforce.
I read the company's proposal yesterday. Some of it is quite draconian. I like that word draconian, it's darn dramatic!
Anyway hopefully they will bargain in good faith with us until we achieve a sanction from the international via our vote.
Wednesday will be a busy day, My Honey will go in for a MRI to discover the cause of her back pain and I'm taking in our kitties to get their shots and one of them needs fixed. Jet has gone into heat twice so it's passed time to get her fixed.
So some idiot didn't catch the fact that we had no sanction until yesterday...less than a week before our big vote. So the local called for an emergency vote and that takes place tomorrow. Basically what this means is that the company doesn't have to bargain in good faith with us. They can just sit back and let their proposal stand until they find out the outcome of Wednesday's vote. If we still have no sanction then we're in trouble and would be working under rules that even Walmart wouldn't apply to its workforce.
I read the company's proposal yesterday. Some of it is quite draconian. I like that word draconian, it's darn dramatic!
Anyway hopefully they will bargain in good faith with us until we achieve a sanction from the international via our vote.
Wednesday will be a busy day, My Honey will go in for a MRI to discover the cause of her back pain and I'm taking in our kitties to get their shots and one of them needs fixed. Jet has gone into heat twice so it's passed time to get her fixed.
Monday, June 04, 2012
Bilderberg
The Bilderberg conference has just wrapped up. It's a real thing not a conspiracy theory woven from scraps of information taken out of context from an uncle's cousin that once knew a waiter from the inside.
The conference is held each year in a different location and usually has the global power brokers present. Global bankers, leaders of industry, heads of state, lots of big wigs. It's also completely secret which ALWAYS leads to conspiracy theories. For instance this is a prime one,
Four years ago it was held in Virginia I believe. All of a sudden while it was going on Obama and Hillary disappeared for about four hours from their schedules, I also remember this being reported by the embedded reporters, and later that day Hillary had dropped from the race. The theory is that the Bilderbergs had decided Obama was the one to continue while Clinton was just hurting his chances by staying in the primaries. They were neck and neck with Clinton losing little ground to the Chicago Machine.
Alex Jones, alarmist, paranoid, and seemingly delusional radio personality, covers the Bilderberg conference each year. He continues to try and get a spy inside it. He infiltrated the Bohemian Grove once about ten years ago which is similar to the conference. Say what you will about Jones, and he never helps himself by linking everything to some kind of plot for the elites to control the population at large that it's ridiculous but he's a true believer. If he's wrong then there's no harm, if he's right though then there are some serious problems worldwide.
I like him because he uncovers things in congressional bills that do have a real world effect on us as citizens. Those are bills and laws that are being passed on a daily basis and sometimes they aren't what they seem to be. I'm against law enforcement using drones over the states for instance and I'm definitely against them being armed. I'm against the military using drones over the states, that's a violation of Posse Comitatus which prevents the military from engaging in law enforcement activities in the states. I'm more for states to decide on how they want to live and limiting federal powers. Things that work in New York don't always work in Florida and they sure don't work out west a lot of the times.
I've written about Jones a couple of times when something he brings up really bothers me and could be another degree of freedom being lost, similar to a frog being boiled one degree at a time. Sometimes he's dead on with what he is talking about and sometimes you just shake you head while you are turning the radio station. The Bilderbergs are real though, it's not a secret. What they talk about is secret and that's the fodder for conspiracy radio for weeks!
The conference is held each year in a different location and usually has the global power brokers present. Global bankers, leaders of industry, heads of state, lots of big wigs. It's also completely secret which ALWAYS leads to conspiracy theories. For instance this is a prime one,
Four years ago it was held in Virginia I believe. All of a sudden while it was going on Obama and Hillary disappeared for about four hours from their schedules, I also remember this being reported by the embedded reporters, and later that day Hillary had dropped from the race. The theory is that the Bilderbergs had decided Obama was the one to continue while Clinton was just hurting his chances by staying in the primaries. They were neck and neck with Clinton losing little ground to the Chicago Machine.
Alex Jones, alarmist, paranoid, and seemingly delusional radio personality, covers the Bilderberg conference each year. He continues to try and get a spy inside it. He infiltrated the Bohemian Grove once about ten years ago which is similar to the conference. Say what you will about Jones, and he never helps himself by linking everything to some kind of plot for the elites to control the population at large that it's ridiculous but he's a true believer. If he's wrong then there's no harm, if he's right though then there are some serious problems worldwide.
I like him because he uncovers things in congressional bills that do have a real world effect on us as citizens. Those are bills and laws that are being passed on a daily basis and sometimes they aren't what they seem to be. I'm against law enforcement using drones over the states for instance and I'm definitely against them being armed. I'm against the military using drones over the states, that's a violation of Posse Comitatus which prevents the military from engaging in law enforcement activities in the states. I'm more for states to decide on how they want to live and limiting federal powers. Things that work in New York don't always work in Florida and they sure don't work out west a lot of the times.
I've written about Jones a couple of times when something he brings up really bothers me and could be another degree of freedom being lost, similar to a frog being boiled one degree at a time. Sometimes he's dead on with what he is talking about and sometimes you just shake you head while you are turning the radio station. The Bilderbergs are real though, it's not a secret. What they talk about is secret and that's the fodder for conspiracy radio for weeks!
Sunday, June 03, 2012
Lazy Day
Got up, fixed breakfast, did the dishes, and then later on had a cigar with Beersnob.
Just didn't have a lot on my agenda today and I did it to the fullest!
Tomorrow the grind starts up again. Negotiations will be in full swing. We'll get tidbits about how they are going.
We'll vote on Saturday so by Friday we'll probably have the best and final offer. It'll be a stressful week and I'm really wanting to avoid last time. So here we go!
Just didn't have a lot on my agenda today and I did it to the fullest!
Tomorrow the grind starts up again. Negotiations will be in full swing. We'll get tidbits about how they are going.
We'll vote on Saturday so by Friday we'll probably have the best and final offer. It'll be a stressful week and I'm really wanting to avoid last time. So here we go!
Saturday, June 02, 2012
One Great Day
This morning started off simple enough, coffee. Then My Honey got up and we sat on the back patio and had coffee. Then I took Thing 2 to set call for Shakespeare. After that I thought I'd go gas up and had the idea to sand the upstairs floors. They are hardwood and needed refinished as the last owners of the house glued carpet to them.
So I rented a sander and then helped my mom pick out a new laptop for her at Staples. I happily headed home and got to work. First of all the main sander was HEAVY! I bet it weighed seventy five or a hundred pounds. It did the job though. After about three hours the main floor was sanded with thirty six and eighty grit while Thing 2 had sanded the edges with a smaller sander.
Then we moved everything from the landing into the bedroom and sanded it and then we did Thing 2's room. I started a little after eleven this morning and returned the sanders at a quarter til six. It was nonstop sanding except I did take a couple of short breaks.
While I was doing this My Love and R were preparing for a send off party for Tech Guy. They were making finger foods all day and getting the photos perfected for the table center pieces! What a great job they did too! The cake looked tremendous! The table decorations were top notch!
We had a big portion of our Theatre Family show up and wish Tech Guy and his family good luck in their new endeavors! Everyone will be saddened by their moving and the Theatre will be poorer for their leaving.
We (mainly My Love and Tech Guy) have been talking over shows for the past two hours and finally we shut it all down around eleven and I took out the trash. Tech Guy walked with me and we said our, "See you laters" as neither of us knew it'd be a goodbye. He'll still have the same phone number and will, for a while, keep the website updated for us.
They will be greatly missed!
So I rented a sander and then helped my mom pick out a new laptop for her at Staples. I happily headed home and got to work. First of all the main sander was HEAVY! I bet it weighed seventy five or a hundred pounds. It did the job though. After about three hours the main floor was sanded with thirty six and eighty grit while Thing 2 had sanded the edges with a smaller sander.
Then we moved everything from the landing into the bedroom and sanded it and then we did Thing 2's room. I started a little after eleven this morning and returned the sanders at a quarter til six. It was nonstop sanding except I did take a couple of short breaks.
While I was doing this My Love and R were preparing for a send off party for Tech Guy. They were making finger foods all day and getting the photos perfected for the table center pieces! What a great job they did too! The cake looked tremendous! The table decorations were top notch!
We had a big portion of our Theatre Family show up and wish Tech Guy and his family good luck in their new endeavors! Everyone will be saddened by their moving and the Theatre will be poorer for their leaving.
We (mainly My Love and Tech Guy) have been talking over shows for the past two hours and finally we shut it all down around eleven and I took out the trash. Tech Guy walked with me and we said our, "See you laters" as neither of us knew it'd be a goodbye. He'll still have the same phone number and will, for a while, keep the website updated for us.
They will be greatly missed!
Friday, June 01, 2012
Friday!
Tonight I'll be stopping to get a hair cut after work. After that home and at seven thirty I'll be ready to go run Cabaret at the Theatre. It'll be a busy evening for sure.
Last night Piano Genius and My Honey were practicing in the dining room. They sounded amazing! I know I'm biased but GOOD LORD they really sound great when he plays and she sings those old blues songs!!!
I really think the original musicians of those songs must be looking on and are very proud that they are sung so well!!! My baby does the blues well! I'm so proud:)
Last night Piano Genius and My Honey were practicing in the dining room. They sounded amazing! I know I'm biased but GOOD LORD they really sound great when he plays and she sings those old blues songs!!!
I really think the original musicians of those songs must be looking on and are very proud that they are sung so well!!! My baby does the blues well! I'm so proud:)
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Nanny Zombie State
More than anything people resent being told how to live by those in power. Well I don't know about most people but the instant contrarian in me really starts to get riled up.
New York City has placed a ban on large sugary drinks such as Big Gulps and Slurpees. Mayor Michael Bloomberg the once Democrat, turned Republican, turned Independent so he could grab and hold power has decreed that drinks larger than sixteen ounces are now banned.
The sheeple in NYC have voted this power hungry politician into office and now like a tick he has burrowed himself in deeper and imposed draconian living laws on salt, sugary drinks, and other such things that deny personal responsibility to those living under those laws.
Well if anything were to be justice for a Nanny State politician it would be that one of the fauxzombies that have been popping up lately such as the man in Miami that was eating the face of another man after he got high on bath salts it would be that they find all of the nanny state politicians and devour them as they have devoured our freedoms to live as we see fit.
While yeah the evidence is factually the same as the leading edge of a zombie apocalypse the actual fact of the matter is that it would have spread far faster than it has and the victim would have turned by now and have to have been put down. So don't get excited yet dear readers, I'm not pulling the alarm bell yet. Stay vigilant my friends, you'll be the first to know it when it happens as I always monitor these events closely so you don't have to!
New York City has placed a ban on large sugary drinks such as Big Gulps and Slurpees. Mayor Michael Bloomberg the once Democrat, turned Republican, turned Independent so he could grab and hold power has decreed that drinks larger than sixteen ounces are now banned.
The sheeple in NYC have voted this power hungry politician into office and now like a tick he has burrowed himself in deeper and imposed draconian living laws on salt, sugary drinks, and other such things that deny personal responsibility to those living under those laws.
Well if anything were to be justice for a Nanny State politician it would be that one of the fauxzombies that have been popping up lately such as the man in Miami that was eating the face of another man after he got high on bath salts it would be that they find all of the nanny state politicians and devour them as they have devoured our freedoms to live as we see fit.
While yeah the evidence is factually the same as the leading edge of a zombie apocalypse the actual fact of the matter is that it would have spread far faster than it has and the victim would have turned by now and have to have been put down. So don't get excited yet dear readers, I'm not pulling the alarm bell yet. Stay vigilant my friends, you'll be the first to know it when it happens as I always monitor these events closely so you don't have to!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Half Way
We are at the half way point of the week. The PC is acting up this morning, I'll do some maintenance on it tonight and get it running again. It's been abnormally slow the past couple of days so it might be time to clean it all up and get rid of some unused programs.
We'll see what it takes to get it back in tip top shape again.
We'll see what it takes to get it back in tip top shape again.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Back To Work
Here we go! One busy week ahead!
Thank the Good Lord My Honey is feeling much better! Her back has loosened up and she can walk and drive now. That was one tough week.
Last night we went for ice cream and let Thing 2 drive. She did pretty good, she's doing well with driving. I'm proud of her! Today she starts drama camp at the Theatre. She's one of the helpers for the next six weeks, more or less a kid wrangler. That'll keep her busy though and she's been getting bored at home.
Same job for me! Negotiations will be the talk of the work day for the next couple of weeks. I can tell you straight up, we won't strike again, too many people will vote not to. I'm probably one of them, I don't want to go through that again and put my family through that again. It sucked.
I believe we vote on the new contract June 9th. It expires on the 10th.
Thank the Good Lord My Honey is feeling much better! Her back has loosened up and she can walk and drive now. That was one tough week.
Last night we went for ice cream and let Thing 2 drive. She did pretty good, she's doing well with driving. I'm proud of her! Today she starts drama camp at the Theatre. She's one of the helpers for the next six weeks, more or less a kid wrangler. That'll keep her busy though and she's been getting bored at home.
Same job for me! Negotiations will be the talk of the work day for the next couple of weeks. I can tell you straight up, we won't strike again, too many people will vote not to. I'm probably one of them, I don't want to go through that again and put my family through that again. It sucked.
I believe we vote on the new contract June 9th. It expires on the 10th.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Remember
Today is Memorial Day. It's to remember those who wore the uniform and gave everything to protect our freedom and our way of life. It's changed from Decoration Day gradually over the years to Memorial Day and for the uninformed in our society it's the unofficial start of the summer season.
For those of us who are informed as to the history of this solemn day it's a time to reflect upon what those in uniform died to protect. What we enjoy today and take for granted was paid for by those few who have answered their country's call again, and again, and again.
Remember those that gave all today, to fight for oppressed people around the world. Remember those still in combat today and their families that miss them. Remember those families that have lost their loved ones to duty.
For those of us who are informed as to the history of this solemn day it's a time to reflect upon what those in uniform died to protect. What we enjoy today and take for granted was paid for by those few who have answered their country's call again, and again, and again.
Remember those that gave all today, to fight for oppressed people around the world. Remember those still in combat today and their families that miss them. Remember those families that have lost their loved ones to duty.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Thunder Up!
Watching the Thunder take on the Spurs in game one of the conference finals! Lots of friends hanging out and having a good time!
If OKC can steal this one at San Antonio then they've got a great shot at winning the whole thing! The eastern conference just isn't as strong as the western conference. OKC would really go ape over a major championship!
If OKC can steal this one at San Antonio then they've got a great shot at winning the whole thing! The eastern conference just isn't as strong as the western conference. OKC would really go ape over a major championship!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Three Days
Yesterday My Love got in to see the doctor. She's got a new set of meds to take and she's actually moving around better than all week long! She still hurts quite a bit and locks up but when I say moving around better its in the relative term.
I think we'll start to see daily improvements now! I think the worst is over with! Thank goodness, I know she's going stir crazy having to sit there and just heal but if she doesn't she'll just extend the time it takes to get better.
The pills make her drowsy and loopy as can be, it's kind of funny! However if she doesn't take them she starts to be in pain like early in the week and can't move.
Today will be an easy day at work, the past two days have been super busy. Everyone wants their stuff done before the weekend. Yesterday afternoon it started to slack off some but I still did a last minute rack of wheels! Today everyone will be in weekend mode!
I think we'll start to see daily improvements now! I think the worst is over with! Thank goodness, I know she's going stir crazy having to sit there and just heal but if she doesn't she'll just extend the time it takes to get better.
The pills make her drowsy and loopy as can be, it's kind of funny! However if she doesn't take them she starts to be in pain like early in the week and can't move.
Today will be an easy day at work, the past two days have been super busy. Everyone wants their stuff done before the weekend. Yesterday afternoon it started to slack off some but I still did a last minute rack of wheels! Today everyone will be in weekend mode!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Slightly Better
My Honey could move around some yesterday, not a lot and she got to hurting fast but she could move. That's improvement! She has a doctor's appointment this morning so we'll be able to at least get an idea of what is going on and if she needs treatment. At the bare minimum she'll be able to get her prescription filled up if recovery is going to be longer.
I really think she's feeling a bit better though! I'm encouraged by yesterday!
I really think she's feeling a bit better though! I'm encouraged by yesterday!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Still Hurting
My Love is still down in the back. I'm getting her fed and getting her the pain pills. She's got her coffee and she's starting to wake up:)
She's still in a lot of pain though. The doctor at the hospital said it'd start to loosen up by today or tomorrow and if it doesn't to follow up with another doctor and get a MRI scheduled soon. Thing 2 will probably be home soon and take care of her while I'm at work. She spent the night with some of her friends to start summer off.
She's still in a lot of pain though. The doctor at the hospital said it'd start to loosen up by today or tomorrow and if it doesn't to follow up with another doctor and get a MRI scheduled soon. Thing 2 will probably be home soon and take care of her while I'm at work. She spent the night with some of her friends to start summer off.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Pain
My Love is laid up in bed. Her back is giving her fits to say the least. They didn't find any damage with the bones so that's good! She's on bed rest and medication. She'll have Thing 1 helping her this morning and Thing 2 after school.
Today is the last day of school too! Which is kind of sad, Thing 2 and I have been driving to school every morning. We stop at a quick shop and get morning coffee and a paper then head to drop her off. It's been a real bonding experience, something simple like that. An easy routine in the mornings.
After today My Honey will have plenty of help to help her around should she need to move. This coming weekend is a three day weekend. Negotiations will be starting late next week and I believe we vote on June ninth. Hopefully it'll be a long term contract and it'll be much like we already have.
Not asking for much at all, mainly security right now. I know that's hard to come by in the Obama Age with this kind of unemployment. That's what I'm shooting for though and I hope it goes as smoothly as it possibly can.
Today is the last day of school too! Which is kind of sad, Thing 2 and I have been driving to school every morning. We stop at a quick shop and get morning coffee and a paper then head to drop her off. It's been a real bonding experience, something simple like that. An easy routine in the mornings.
After today My Honey will have plenty of help to help her around should she need to move. This coming weekend is a three day weekend. Negotiations will be starting late next week and I believe we vote on June ninth. Hopefully it'll be a long term contract and it'll be much like we already have.
Not asking for much at all, mainly security right now. I know that's hard to come by in the Obama Age with this kind of unemployment. That's what I'm shooting for though and I hope it goes as smoothly as it possibly can.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Hurt
The Date is injured. Her back is very hurt and we spent yesterday pampering her and helping her walk from place to place but mainly getting her situated in one place and trying to keep her there for an extended amount of time. That's harder than you think, she's a mover, a go getter!
By evening time her back had loosened up enough to walk around herself and with less pain but that was a small gain as the pain was still pretty intense. She's a real trooper though! Nothing was going to slow her down so she took a cello lesson from Thing 2 and a beginner's cello book I got for My Love:) We kept her in good spirits and made it though the day:)
I made supper last night (Thing 2 cleaned and made a new place for a garden in the back yard) and watched The Spirit of St. Louis with Jimmy Stewart. It's been years since I'd seen it, I want to say I was in my early teens but it's a good movie! That was a huge feat in nothing more than a flying gas tank. Today long distance flights or even indefinite flights are easily possible with the help of midair refueling. Possible? They are common place.
Flying nonstop across the Atlantic for the first time, that was a different story and took aviation from county fairs and put it into the mainstream. Serious people paid attention after that and eventually we went to the Moon.
By evening time her back had loosened up enough to walk around herself and with less pain but that was a small gain as the pain was still pretty intense. She's a real trooper though! Nothing was going to slow her down so she took a cello lesson from Thing 2 and a beginner's cello book I got for My Love:) We kept her in good spirits and made it though the day:)
I made supper last night (Thing 2 cleaned and made a new place for a garden in the back yard) and watched The Spirit of St. Louis with Jimmy Stewart. It's been years since I'd seen it, I want to say I was in my early teens but it's a good movie! That was a huge feat in nothing more than a flying gas tank. Today long distance flights or even indefinite flights are easily possible with the help of midair refueling. Possible? They are common place.
Flying nonstop across the Atlantic for the first time, that was a different story and took aviation from county fairs and put it into the mainstream. Serious people paid attention after that and eventually we went to the Moon.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Dead
The subject of my boycott of scotch has died. The convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi is no longer among the living. That's a good thing. He'll be doing time now in hell after blowing up a Pan-Am flight that killed two hundred and seventy people.
He was released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, which prompted worldwide scorn. He arrived back to a hero's welcome in Libya to live out his days there while the people he killed remained dead and the families still missed their loved ones.
Yeah well, down the hatch.
He was released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, which prompted worldwide scorn. He arrived back to a hero's welcome in Libya to live out his days there while the people he killed remained dead and the families still missed their loved ones.
Yeah well, down the hatch.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Work Day At The Theatre
Thing 2 and I will be headed down to the Theatre at nine this morning to help clean out the prop room. Lots of furniture needs to go, it's broken, or will never be used again.
My honey will be representing in the Walk for a Cure this morning with her team from work! After that she'll join us for some clean up time. I know it'll go faster if we get more people but a lot of people are busy this morning and this weekend.
Regardless I'll be there, I know Tech Guy will be there and Thing 2 and My Baby will be there:) We can do big jobs!
My honey will be representing in the Walk for a Cure this morning with her team from work! After that she'll join us for some clean up time. I know it'll go faster if we get more people but a lot of people are busy this morning and this weekend.
Regardless I'll be there, I know Tech Guy will be there and Thing 2 and My Baby will be there:) We can do big jobs!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Obama Notes
Last night was Third Thursday, today is payday, tomorrow the weekend starts! It's a busy time! Next week school lets out though and summer starts for the Things.
Work continues for us adults though.
In political news, in 1991, long before any of the "birthers" knew there was such a person as Barack Obama, his literary agent had Barack Obama listed as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
This was on the website until 2007 when Senator Obama decided to make his run for the White House. Then they changed it. So there are two possibilities here:
1. Obama lied to sell books and make himself more of an international man then before he had designs on the White House.
2. Obama lied now about his place of origin to run for the White House and launched the greatest case of fraud on the country and American people of all time.
It's one of the two. I'd love to see the media actually pursue this as they did everything that even hinted at a scandal with President Bush but they won't. It's probably already being swept under the rug now as I type this.
However politically speaking Romney should stay away from this issue, he's leading in the polls now and after the debates he'll gain ground when he makes Obama defend his record. Obama has been in office for three and a half years, his first and only term is nearly finished. There's been a TON of smoke around this issue, perhaps there might be a spark of truth after all.
Work continues for us adults though.
In political news, in 1991, long before any of the "birthers" knew there was such a person as Barack Obama, his literary agent had Barack Obama listed as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
This was on the website until 2007 when Senator Obama decided to make his run for the White House. Then they changed it. So there are two possibilities here:
1. Obama lied to sell books and make himself more of an international man then before he had designs on the White House.
2. Obama lied now about his place of origin to run for the White House and launched the greatest case of fraud on the country and American people of all time.
It's one of the two. I'd love to see the media actually pursue this as they did everything that even hinted at a scandal with President Bush but they won't. It's probably already being swept under the rug now as I type this.
However politically speaking Romney should stay away from this issue, he's leading in the polls now and after the debates he'll gain ground when he makes Obama defend his record. Obama has been in office for three and a half years, his first and only term is nearly finished. There's been a TON of smoke around this issue, perhaps there might be a spark of truth after all.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Tech Refresher And Training
Last night our soon to be moving Tech Guy gave us a refrehser course on the technical aspects of the Theatre. He and his family will be moving away to Houston to pursue new opportunities, we wish them the very best! He has done a ton for the Theatre and can't be replaced, it's that simple. He's one of a kind for sure!
With that said the Theatre will need to recruit new tech people for the upcoming seasons. A handful of people now run the shows and that will wear us all very thin soon. We need new blood to come in and learn the ropes of putting on a show tech wise. That will lighten the load off of everyone.
It's an important job and often overlooked by our Theatre friends, well until they need someone or two people up in the booth and can't find anyone. So I'd encourage all of the directors in our Theatre, all of the regular actors in our Theatre, and anyone that might be interested to contact the Theatre and get a bit of training on how to set up the lights and sound and run them during for a show. Otherwise that stage might be blacked out at the worst moment when you can't find anyone and don't know how to run it yourself.
With that said the Theatre will need to recruit new tech people for the upcoming seasons. A handful of people now run the shows and that will wear us all very thin soon. We need new blood to come in and learn the ropes of putting on a show tech wise. That will lighten the load off of everyone.
It's an important job and often overlooked by our Theatre friends, well until they need someone or two people up in the booth and can't find anyone. So I'd encourage all of the directors in our Theatre, all of the regular actors in our Theatre, and anyone that might be interested to contact the Theatre and get a bit of training on how to set up the lights and sound and run them during for a show. Otherwise that stage might be blacked out at the worst moment when you can't find anyone and don't know how to run it yourself.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Back To Normal
My incredibly talented daughter has won the part of The Fiddler in the summer musical! I'm a proud daddy! I know my love is also very proud of her! She texted me the cast list while I was snoozing away and I thrilled for her!
After yesterday's diversion into a long awaited game, today will be returning to it's normally scheduled life. Nothing fancy, I'll be picking up the work in the shop where I left off Monday as I'm sure I know exactly what is there to do now. I also figure I know no one worked the parts I was working on.
We don't have enough people. The new guy has to have surgery now, tomorrow I think. He muscle was torn from the elbow and he'll be out for weeks if not months.
I don't believe the contract will yield anymore people either, we'll just be where we are until they figure out we are understaffed and it bites them at the wrong time and in front of the wrong people. I also believe that the contract will be quickly settled, I don't expect anything resembling a raise for the next three years. The country is broke, we've been spent into a black hole and we probably won't be able to get our way back out of it unless reasonable politicians agree on true spending cuts and that's not likely to happen!
Negotiations should go very smoothly this time, no one wants a repeat of the last contract. No one. The heads involved in the last round for the company have been fired and replaced. Soon they will swap proposals and we'll see how far apart both sides are to start. I don't think it'll be far at all. I'd vote for a contract extension right now if they extended our current contract we have. I'm thrilled with it! It's stable and fair. I don't see that happening though.
After yesterday's diversion into a long awaited game, today will be returning to it's normally scheduled life. Nothing fancy, I'll be picking up the work in the shop where I left off Monday as I'm sure I know exactly what is there to do now. I also figure I know no one worked the parts I was working on.
We don't have enough people. The new guy has to have surgery now, tomorrow I think. He muscle was torn from the elbow and he'll be out for weeks if not months.
I don't believe the contract will yield anymore people either, we'll just be where we are until they figure out we are understaffed and it bites them at the wrong time and in front of the wrong people. I also believe that the contract will be quickly settled, I don't expect anything resembling a raise for the next three years. The country is broke, we've been spent into a black hole and we probably won't be able to get our way back out of it unless reasonable politicians agree on true spending cuts and that's not likely to happen!
Negotiations should go very smoothly this time, no one wants a repeat of the last contract. No one. The heads involved in the last round for the company have been fired and replaced. Soon they will swap proposals and we'll see how far apart both sides are to start. I don't think it'll be far at all. I'd vote for a contract extension right now if they extended our current contract we have. I'm thrilled with it! It's stable and fair. I don't see that happening though.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Diablo Day
The original plan was to start playing Diablo at midnight last night at launch. However launch turn out being at two a.m. our time. So plan B was quickly implemented. Go to bed early and get up early and start the quests!
Abostang agreed and thus I headed off to bed to get up at four in the morning to experience the long awaited Diablo 3! We were able to get in twenty levels before the Blizzard servers were taken down for emergency maintenance.
Thus ended my questing day. Abostanf is probably still playing away!
It's a well polished game, practically idiot proof in fact. It would be cool to have a bit more of a learning curve to it but playability and accessibility have always been the cornerstones of the Diablo series. It's simplicity and it's just fun!
I enjoyed it quite a bit and I'm looking forward to leveling up and taking out evil once again!
Abostang agreed and thus I headed off to bed to get up at four in the morning to experience the long awaited Diablo 3! We were able to get in twenty levels before the Blizzard servers were taken down for emergency maintenance.
Thus ended my questing day. Abostanf is probably still playing away!
It's a well polished game, practically idiot proof in fact. It would be cool to have a bit more of a learning curve to it but playability and accessibility have always been the cornerstones of the Diablo series. It's simplicity and it's just fun!
I enjoyed it quite a bit and I'm looking forward to leveling up and taking out evil once again!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Diablo 3 Launches Tonight
At ten o'clock our time D3, a game that's been in development for many, many years finally gets its launch date. Abostang and I will be there at the launch online and start our quest to defeat evil. I'm off work tomorrow but I also have quite a few errands to run during the day. After that I'll get a few hours in before returning to work Wednesday and resume our normal working schedule.
Diablo was one of the very first online games you could enjoy on the free service Battlenet. It was designed to match people up with other people and adventure together, a real breakthrough at the time when most people had a 33.6 modem or less. The 56K was on the horizon but costly when you could find it locally.
Anything faster was a dream.
It was a true milestone in the history of gaming and lots of companies took notice as people started to populate the randomly generated dungeons. Diablo was unique and now D3 has made sales history by being the most pre-ordered game of all time.
In the world of the gamer this is big and I'm starting it tonight!
Diablo was one of the very first online games you could enjoy on the free service Battlenet. It was designed to match people up with other people and adventure together, a real breakthrough at the time when most people had a 33.6 modem or less. The 56K was on the horizon but costly when you could find it locally.
Anything faster was a dream.
It was a true milestone in the history of gaming and lots of companies took notice as people started to populate the randomly generated dungeons. Diablo was unique and now D3 has made sales history by being the most pre-ordered game of all time.
In the world of the gamer this is big and I'm starting it tonight!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Nice Day
The Things and I took my mom out for an early mothers day lunch. After that it's been fairly quiet and slow.
Thing 2 is house managing the show tonight and I'm going to watch game seven of the Nuggets and Lakers to see who the Thunder will face Monday night. I've got some laundry going and not much else.
I miss my honey.
Thing 2 is house managing the show tonight and I'm going to watch game seven of the Nuggets and Lakers to see who the Thunder will face Monday night. I've got some laundry going and not much else.
I miss my honey.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Fail Wars: Viking Shores, Provoked
So the fail warriors have decided to invade the Faroe Islands on their most popular holiday, St. Olaf's Day. They intentionally drove a mini van with graphic images on it of the last grind or whale kill on it's side. They played whale and dolphin sounds to try and drown out the festivities but that was quickly shut down.
They were intentionally provoking the peaceful people who were trying to enjoy their holiday and had tried to be civil with the Sea Sheterrorists. The festival goers were nonplussed and engaged with the terrorists until the police shut down the area and kindly asked them to move out of the area.
One of the funnier clips was of a patron peeing on the minivan. Then we go to the home shots of the festival where the citizens open up their homes to each other and serve food. They play instruments and sing for each other and it goes well into the night. Everyone seems to really enjoy each other and it's a very fun and peaceful celebration until the Bridgette Bardot docks in the harbor to stir things up.
Again they use the tactic of provoking these friendly people by putting themselves in the middle of things. By docking at the harbor that is the home of this massive celebration they ask for trouble. By having the camera crews with them they are hoping for an incident. A small group of cars assembled on the dock to shout at the terrorists. That's about as far as it went until a man boarded the vessel, the idiot that said he didn't want to engage was about two thirds the size of the man who boarded the ship. He laughably said it was hard to restrain himself from physical confrontation.
He would get curb stomped if he engaged this viking descendent in fisticuffs. All in all a lot of noise and little action. The fail warriors continue next week with the finale. They will try to stop a ancient tradition of people who feed themselves from the hunt and harvest. Then no doubt they'll go back to their ships and smoke a bale of pot while slapping each other on the back on being intolerant of other cultures.
They were intentionally provoking the peaceful people who were trying to enjoy their holiday and had tried to be civil with the Sea Sheterrorists. The festival goers were nonplussed and engaged with the terrorists until the police shut down the area and kindly asked them to move out of the area.
One of the funnier clips was of a patron peeing on the minivan. Then we go to the home shots of the festival where the citizens open up their homes to each other and serve food. They play instruments and sing for each other and it goes well into the night. Everyone seems to really enjoy each other and it's a very fun and peaceful celebration until the Bridgette Bardot docks in the harbor to stir things up.
Again they use the tactic of provoking these friendly people by putting themselves in the middle of things. By docking at the harbor that is the home of this massive celebration they ask for trouble. By having the camera crews with them they are hoping for an incident. A small group of cars assembled on the dock to shout at the terrorists. That's about as far as it went until a man boarded the vessel, the idiot that said he didn't want to engage was about two thirds the size of the man who boarded the ship. He laughably said it was hard to restrain himself from physical confrontation.
He would get curb stomped if he engaged this viking descendent in fisticuffs. All in all a lot of noise and little action. The fail warriors continue next week with the finale. They will try to stop a ancient tradition of people who feed themselves from the hunt and harvest. Then no doubt they'll go back to their ships and smoke a bale of pot while slapping each other on the back on being intolerant of other cultures.
And The Weekend
Will be here after today's work is done! All in all it was a busy week and then a slow week, today will again be fairly slow. That's the way of our cycle at work, too busy to keep up and then it just stops until the next wave of inspections start and they start to tear down more jets. Then we can't keep up.
Not sure what the weekend will bring but I'm sure we'll get through it and carry on into the next week:) This is what is called the daily grind.
We got Thing 1 fixed up with a car. My brother sold us his Saturn Ion for well under book value. The bank had the papers ready to sign before I arrived to sign them! That's how fast it went! Very smoothly! I like that!
Not sure what the weekend will bring but I'm sure we'll get through it and carry on into the next week:) This is what is called the daily grind.
We got Thing 1 fixed up with a car. My brother sold us his Saturn Ion for well under book value. The bank had the papers ready to sign before I arrived to sign them! That's how fast it went! Very smoothly! I like that!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The Box
The supervisor that started the boxes that have hurt our night shifter and will likely hurt many other people is named Joe. Joe isn't the most popular guy where I work, he's not the brightest guy either. He's pretty stubborn actually.
He bugs all of the mechanics about things that really don't matter much. That irritates them a lot. We've bugged him about these boxes and how heavy and dangerous they are but he won't change his mind. So now that one has actually injured a man we (well I, with the help of a few other guys and one manager) decided to fix the first box with a decal.
Joe's Box of Death with a thumbs up beside it.
He'll freak out. He'll be pretty upset and the first thing he'll want done is have a letter of reprimand written on your humble writer. This has been countered by the manager that loves the box decal, told him that they were dangerous, and said he'd handle that if it should be attempted.
Today should be interesting!
He bugs all of the mechanics about things that really don't matter much. That irritates them a lot. We've bugged him about these boxes and how heavy and dangerous they are but he won't change his mind. So now that one has actually injured a man we (well I, with the help of a few other guys and one manager) decided to fix the first box with a decal.
Joe's Box of Death with a thumbs up beside it.
He'll freak out. He'll be pretty upset and the first thing he'll want done is have a letter of reprimand written on your humble writer. This has been countered by the manager that loves the box decal, told him that they were dangerous, and said he'd handle that if it should be attempted.
Today should be interesting!
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Man Down
Well we broke the new guy the other night. Yep, he didn't ask for assistance when lifting a huge steel box and tore the muscles away from his elbow in his arm. He will likely be out now for a long time, he goes in for a MRI Friday and after that they will probably schedule surgery unless they try rehab. I doubt rehab would work but what do I know? I only would have asked the guy in the office for help lifting a hundred pound steel box that's four feet long and two feet high!
Sheesh, now we are down another man and they won't replace him. One had several surgeries including a liver transplant, another just had his second shoulder surgery after the first surgery failed, and now the new guy is down. That leaves us with six people with one of those on nights. Five on days and one on nights to keep up with ten docks of aircraft, ground power, flight line, and base shops.
Sigh...we keep busy and I'd rather be down men than be out on the street looking for work. It's all about perspective.
Sheesh, now we are down another man and they won't replace him. One had several surgeries including a liver transplant, another just had his second shoulder surgery after the first surgery failed, and now the new guy is down. That leaves us with six people with one of those on nights. Five on days and one on nights to keep up with ten docks of aircraft, ground power, flight line, and base shops.
Sigh...we keep busy and I'd rather be down men than be out on the street looking for work. It's all about perspective.
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Busy
Talk about a busy day! I was swamped yesterday at work, all day. Parts piled up while I worked priority stuff and that literally took me the whole shift.
Today will be similar, I already know what's there and I can guess what has been done and what hasn't.
Contract negotiations open up the last week of this month. Our contract expires on June first, doesn't seem like three years since the worst two weeks of my life but it has been. Everyone at work still remembers how much striking sucked and I doubt they will vote that way again. I know I won't unless it's a must have to situation like cutting my pay in half and even then I am not sure I'd vote that way.
Neither side wants that to happen again and both will do their best to insure it doesn't happen. I'll go on the record right now and say if they renewed our current contract I'd vote for it as fast as I could check the box.
Today will be similar, I already know what's there and I can guess what has been done and what hasn't.
Contract negotiations open up the last week of this month. Our contract expires on June first, doesn't seem like three years since the worst two weeks of my life but it has been. Everyone at work still remembers how much striking sucked and I doubt they will vote that way again. I know I won't unless it's a must have to situation like cutting my pay in half and even then I am not sure I'd vote that way.
Neither side wants that to happen again and both will do their best to insure it doesn't happen. I'll go on the record right now and say if they renewed our current contract I'd vote for it as fast as I could check the box.
Monday, May 07, 2012
And Away We Go
I'm not sure what our schedule is this week but it went from day to day last week! Thing 2 had to write out her schedule for us. This week I just don't know right now. I think most of the events are over with right now for the year.
I don't think anyone has a show to do but I do think Thing 2 is going to audition for Fiddler on the Roof this week as the fiddler. The Date has a busy week at work, I don't even know her schedule but I know how busy she's been and this week will be no different!
I know what I have at work this week and it will be moderately busy. Did lots of yard work and work on the pool yesterday. I'm pretty sore actually. We might actually have a pool going this hot summer!
I don't think anyone has a show to do but I do think Thing 2 is going to audition for Fiddler on the Roof this week as the fiddler. The Date has a busy week at work, I don't even know her schedule but I know how busy she's been and this week will be no different!
I know what I have at work this week and it will be moderately busy. Did lots of yard work and work on the pool yesterday. I'm pretty sore actually. We might actually have a pool going this hot summer!
Sunday, May 06, 2012
Busy Day
Cleaned the garage with my honey and Thing 2. We went a long way to getting the pool cleaned up too.
Now after grilling burgers we are chilling and getting the evening going!
Bought my first ticket to a show last night, we went to see Don't Drink the Water on stage at the Gaslight. Woody Allen written and well done by cast and crew! Lots of laughs!
Now after grilling burgers we are chilling and getting the evening going!
Bought my first ticket to a show last night, we went to see Don't Drink the Water on stage at the Gaslight. Woody Allen written and well done by cast and crew! Lots of laughs!
Saturday, May 05, 2012
Avengers And Thing 2
Yesterday Thing 2 had her violin solo. Beautiful was a understatement! I teared up fairly quickly as she began and some very beautiful noises came fr the antique instrument. The Date and my mom were speechless as Thing 2 began. The Date was understandably nervous but that quickly went away as the bow began to dance on the strings!
She received a superior rating! I'm a very proud daddy!
Last night I found myself all alone for the evening. The Date had gone to take care of her dad for the evening, Thing 1 was at work, and Thing 2 was spending the night with an orchestra friend.
So since the satellite receiver hadn't arrived yet I decided to call Abostang and take in a late movie! The Avengers fit the bill perfectly, late movie, in 3D, and a movie I'd been looking forward to.
It was good, maybe one of the best comic book movies. The standard heroes had to fight amongst each other before learning how to work together storyline was followed. The sequel should be better since all of that is out of the way now and the villain is Thanos. A very powerful character who fell in love with the mistress death. Nearly godlike in his powers, he should really give the Avengers a run for their money in a couple of years.
Was looking forward to the trailer for Dark Knight Rises but it wasn't to be.
I'm so-so on that movie, it could be better than the previews show. Time will tell.
She received a superior rating! I'm a very proud daddy!
Last night I found myself all alone for the evening. The Date had gone to take care of her dad for the evening, Thing 1 was at work, and Thing 2 was spending the night with an orchestra friend.
So since the satellite receiver hadn't arrived yet I decided to call Abostang and take in a late movie! The Avengers fit the bill perfectly, late movie, in 3D, and a movie I'd been looking forward to.
It was good, maybe one of the best comic book movies. The standard heroes had to fight amongst each other before learning how to work together storyline was followed. The sequel should be better since all of that is out of the way now and the villain is Thanos. A very powerful character who fell in love with the mistress death. Nearly godlike in his powers, he should really give the Avengers a run for their money in a couple of years.
Was looking forward to the trailer for Dark Knight Rises but it wasn't to be.
I'm so-so on that movie, it could be better than the previews show. Time will tell.
Friday, May 04, 2012
Last Day!
Well of this week it's the last day, we still have a whole string of weeks to get through until, well whatever. So I guess there really isn't a last last day, just a last day of this week long cycle where we have to go to work before getting two days off.
Anyway, Thing 2 has her solo this morning with Weezy's mom as her accompaniment! She does so much for all of the kids, teens, and especially the theatre! She deserves a community award, she volunteers for so much and offers her time freely.
Slight chance of rain later on today. Go figure, it's Tristate. That's the way it happens!
Anyway, Thing 2 has her solo this morning with Weezy's mom as her accompaniment! She does so much for all of the kids, teens, and especially the theatre! She deserves a community award, she volunteers for so much and offers her time freely.
Slight chance of rain later on today. Go figure, it's Tristate. That's the way it happens!
Thursday, May 03, 2012
Winding Down
Today will be pretty busy, yesterday was at work. Today will be the same. It happens when you're the only one in the shop.
Well a couple of days ago the satellite receiver went out, another one is being shipped to us so last night I pulled out a real gem of a movie. The Majestic, a little known movie that I'm positive I've blogged about before, years ago.
It's about a screenwriter in the communist witch era that has an accident and loses his memory. He winds up in a small town and is mistaken for one of their war heroes who disappeared in WWII. This is a movie about honor, patriotism, and friendly people in a small town. There isn't one bad frame in this movie which was directed by Frank Darabont of Shawshank Redemption and The Walking Dead fame.
It's not surprising that you've probably never heard of it but it's a special movie, if Frank Capra were alive today and making movies, he would have made this movie. If you can find it I'd strongly suggest you check it out, it's worth your time:)
Well a couple of days ago the satellite receiver went out, another one is being shipped to us so last night I pulled out a real gem of a movie. The Majestic, a little known movie that I'm positive I've blogged about before, years ago.
It's about a screenwriter in the communist witch era that has an accident and loses his memory. He winds up in a small town and is mistaken for one of their war heroes who disappeared in WWII. This is a movie about honor, patriotism, and friendly people in a small town. There isn't one bad frame in this movie which was directed by Frank Darabont of Shawshank Redemption and The Walking Dead fame.
It's not surprising that you've probably never heard of it but it's a special movie, if Frank Capra were alive today and making movies, he would have made this movie. If you can find it I'd strongly suggest you check it out, it's worth your time:)
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
All By Myself
That's the song that'll be ringing in my head today at work. The Lead has gone to a union sponsored conference in the city today and tomorrow. So I'll handle everything for two days. It's an unspoken law that the phone will ring three times more when one of us is in the shop by ourselves.
Not sure why it works like that but it does. I'm sure there is an inspector lurking in the wings waiting to pounce on me as well. We'll see, hopefully things will go smoothly but they rarely do when it's one person. The new guy has gone to nights. He asked how long he'd be there, I told him until he retires. The guy with eighteen years of seniority has been on nights for sixteen years and will be there until he retires. He said he won't might nights, yeah, until you work it for a while then you'll mind nights.
The Date has been feeling very under the weather, last night she had a pretty hot fever going on. Before I went to bed she was cooler as she had taken some ibuprofen and it was working. Hopefully she'll be better today:)
Thing 2 is practicing for the Tristate festival, she gave us a list last night of every place she has to be from Thursday and into the weekend. It's a lot! She'll do great though:) Love them all:)
Not sure why it works like that but it does. I'm sure there is an inspector lurking in the wings waiting to pounce on me as well. We'll see, hopefully things will go smoothly but they rarely do when it's one person. The new guy has gone to nights. He asked how long he'd be there, I told him until he retires. The guy with eighteen years of seniority has been on nights for sixteen years and will be there until he retires. He said he won't might nights, yeah, until you work it for a while then you'll mind nights.
The Date has been feeling very under the weather, last night she had a pretty hot fever going on. Before I went to bed she was cooler as she had taken some ibuprofen and it was working. Hopefully she'll be better today:)
Thing 2 is practicing for the Tristate festival, she gave us a list last night of every place she has to be from Thursday and into the weekend. It's a lot! She'll do great though:) Love them all:)
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Amazing
Towns north of us were grazed or hit by tornadoes last night while south of us got hammered by severe weather, us? Well we remained safe from the dangerous weather once again! Yes we get flooded from time to time but not badly, we get freezing weather and ice storms, but we are usually safe as can be from tornadoes.
Everyone who lives here feels the same way, we've all sat in front of the TV watching Gary England protect people from dangerous storms. We've all gone outside to watch the skies and see what's being talked about, I dare say that everyone in Oklahoma is at minimum an amateur meteorologist in some form or fashion.
Yes we are safe again but this year the storms keep rolling in, last year we were well on our way to a record drought and triple digit temperatures. This year the drought has ended and we're getting plenty of rain to keep things green and growing!
Everyone who lives here feels the same way, we've all sat in front of the TV watching Gary England protect people from dangerous storms. We've all gone outside to watch the skies and see what's being talked about, I dare say that everyone in Oklahoma is at minimum an amateur meteorologist in some form or fashion.
Yes we are safe again but this year the storms keep rolling in, last year we were well on our way to a record drought and triple digit temperatures. This year the drought has ended and we're getting plenty of rain to keep things green and growing!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Storms And Crickets
Usually I sleep very well during stormy weather, I did last night as well until about three o'clock when the crickets started! I've been drifting in and out since then and truthfully I'm not that rested right now.
Thing 2 has made it back from her New Orleans orchestra trip! She had a lot of fun and took about five hundred pictures! That reminds me of the old days of film when you were limited on what you could take a picture of. You only had like twelve frames of film to use then you had to buy another roll. Then after all of that you had to take it someplace and have it developed so you couldn't actually see your trip pictures until well after your trip was over with.
Oh, technology! Now you have a better camera on your phone than some of the old cameras combined! It's crazy when you consider it that way! We are probably on the second generation of kids right now that will grow up with no film and have no idea what a one hour photomat is!
Thing 2 has made it back from her New Orleans orchestra trip! She had a lot of fun and took about five hundred pictures! That reminds me of the old days of film when you were limited on what you could take a picture of. You only had like twelve frames of film to use then you had to buy another roll. Then after all of that you had to take it someplace and have it developed so you couldn't actually see your trip pictures until well after your trip was over with.
Oh, technology! Now you have a better camera on your phone than some of the old cameras combined! It's crazy when you consider it that way! We are probably on the second generation of kids right now that will grow up with no film and have no idea what a one hour photomat is!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
5
5
How do I tell Sam about what I just witnessed in the hall? I turn back to face him and see that he's practically passed out, face first into his own beer can pyramid. Now suddenly unburdened from that weight of truth I sit down beside him and ponder our next steps.
Certainly surviving tops the list. Without a radio for news or electricity for, well electrical things, I'm in a quandary about how to go about surviving. Normally I'd look it up online and find a few message boards of experts of the subject I was going to learn about. Now? Well I don't know.
No electricity means no power, means no cell phones, means no contact with anyone or anything. Wow, thing, that's the feeling I got from the people in the hall. Not human but not bestial either. Perhaps mutant of some sort? A result of this horrendous rain we've been experiencing?
It doesn't matter really, it's all speculation as we have no expert guidance to go by right now so the population is left to their own imaginations about what is happening outside their doors. I go to the window and see the water at flood levels. It's lapping up to the entrance of the building, the streets perhaps a foot under water, the lower parts of town completely under water. But this is walkable if need be in case escape becomes necessary, runnable? No. Swimmable? No, too shallow and slow but walkable. Again I think air boat!
How do I tell Sam about what I just witnessed in the hall? I turn back to face him and see that he's practically passed out, face first into his own beer can pyramid. Now suddenly unburdened from that weight of truth I sit down beside him and ponder our next steps.
Certainly surviving tops the list. Without a radio for news or electricity for, well electrical things, I'm in a quandary about how to go about surviving. Normally I'd look it up online and find a few message boards of experts of the subject I was going to learn about. Now? Well I don't know.
No electricity means no power, means no cell phones, means no contact with anyone or anything. Wow, thing, that's the feeling I got from the people in the hall. Not human but not bestial either. Perhaps mutant of some sort? A result of this horrendous rain we've been experiencing?
It doesn't matter really, it's all speculation as we have no expert guidance to go by right now so the population is left to their own imaginations about what is happening outside their doors. I go to the window and see the water at flood levels. It's lapping up to the entrance of the building, the streets perhaps a foot under water, the lower parts of town completely under water. But this is walkable if need be in case escape becomes necessary, runnable? No. Swimmable? No, too shallow and slow but walkable. Again I think air boat!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Fail Wars: Viking Shores
Wow! Where to start?
I guess from what the premise of the show is. The liberal sea hippie terrorists known as the Sea Shepherds are going to try and halt a thousand year tradition in the Faroe Islands. The islands are a small chain in the North Atlantic.
They harvest pilot whales each year for food. One twenty foot whale can feed a hundred people according to the debut show. The show starts with a little background on the tradition and the ever alert looking Paul Watson. He ventured to the islands in 1986 and they attempted to arrest him for interfering with the harvest. He is just now returning and I suspect that it mostly has to do with the show and the need for TV dollars or he wouldn't be there, he'd be sticking to the Japanese hunt on the other end of the globe. The show introduces the two ships, the Steve Irwin and the formerly named Gojira, the Brigitte Bardot. No mention of the Bob Barker joining the other two ships. The people of the Faroe Islands are preparing for the arrival of Watson and his merry band of terrorists by welcoming them into port after clearing their passports.
Meanwhile Watson and the Steve Irwin are being detained in Scotland and have their ship impounded. They have to clear bond or risk forfeiting their ship, which I would find hilarious. However that would also end the show fairly quickly so we can't have that. So everyone knows they post bond and get out of port and continue to the Faroe Islands.
The Brigitte Bardot docks in port and are immediately set upon my customs agents and police who are expecting their arrival. They are friendly and ask the crew questions to which the hippie terrorists resort to lies almost immediately by saying they are there for research. Everyone knows their real purpose there, in fact part of their plan is to have sonar beacons secretly brought to the island by a "covert operative" also known as an illegal smuggler. The beacons are integral to the Shepherd's plan this year to herd the whales away from the coastline and the illegal van is stopped as soon as it hits the Islands and the beacons taken thus ending the well thought out plan. In typical liberal fashion they can never be straight up honest with anything they do. I wouldn't have a problem with Watson if he was as forceful as his rhetoric.
If he wants to save the whales, dump his crew, take his ship, ram and sink the whaling ship and go down with both ships. Be a man about it. End whaling and be a martyr for the cause. But no, he won't do that instead relying on sabotage and subterfuge to carry out his mission of cutting off the supply of food to actual human beings.
One particularly poignant scene from the show is when the foreman of the harvest comes to the docked Brigitte Bardot to explain their heritage and tradition in peace and understanding. He's very pleasant and trying to relay his message to the flippant Shepherds as best as he can but they refuse to listen with an open mind and reason, also a typical liberal trait. The foreman, Marnar Andreasan, hands the Shepherds a book entitled Two Minutes which refers how long the harvest lasts from start to finish. It's a coffee table book full of graphic pictures of a harvest. Mr. Andreasan tries to explain it's not as barbaric as it seems while the smirking captain Fraser Hall. He refuses to listen and continues to openly point out his mission which is in direct contradiction to what he told customs earlier in the show.
Mr. Andreasan leaves his encounter and welcoming mission with the Shepherds as a very frustrated man, his point of view falling on very deaf ears. Later the Shepherds leave the dock and port only to continue to goad the citizens of the Islands by docking in yet another port. The very same place where perpetual second banana Peter Hammarstedt visited a year prior on a scouting mission for Watson. He has to be pretty upset by now at his lack of promotion to a higher rank by Watson as he continues to be the second mate on nearly every ship he is on while others are given the captain-ships.
Regardless they dock once again in less friendly territory to incite the population, there really isn't a better explanation than that, they want an incident to happen. They have no other reason to be there. The show ends when the people gathering on the dock start to challenge the crew of the Brigitte Bardot thus ending Fail Wars until next week.
I really don't have any words for these idiots, they probably enjoy a strong support base from Obama true believers and that's shrinking by the day. They have the typical liberal philosophy that they are open to any lifestyle or way of life as long as they approve it, otherwise they will do what they can to end your way of life. They are militant in their views and don't mind hurting people in the process. If Watson was as dedicated to his cause as he claims he would do things differently as I said and man up about it. I'm not sure I'd slow down if Paul Watson was in a crosswalk but that is never likely to happen.
They harvest pilot whales each year for food. One twenty foot whale can feed a hundred people according to the debut show. The show starts with a little background on the tradition and the ever alert looking Paul Watson. He ventured to the islands in 1986 and they attempted to arrest him for interfering with the harvest. He is just now returning and I suspect that it mostly has to do with the show and the need for TV dollars or he wouldn't be there, he'd be sticking to the Japanese hunt on the other end of the globe. The show introduces the two ships, the Steve Irwin and the formerly named Gojira, the Brigitte Bardot. No mention of the Bob Barker joining the other two ships. The people of the Faroe Islands are preparing for the arrival of Watson and his merry band of terrorists by welcoming them into port after clearing their passports.
Meanwhile Watson and the Steve Irwin are being detained in Scotland and have their ship impounded. They have to clear bond or risk forfeiting their ship, which I would find hilarious. However that would also end the show fairly quickly so we can't have that. So everyone knows they post bond and get out of port and continue to the Faroe Islands.
The Brigitte Bardot docks in port and are immediately set upon my customs agents and police who are expecting their arrival. They are friendly and ask the crew questions to which the hippie terrorists resort to lies almost immediately by saying they are there for research. Everyone knows their real purpose there, in fact part of their plan is to have sonar beacons secretly brought to the island by a "covert operative" also known as an illegal smuggler. The beacons are integral to the Shepherd's plan this year to herd the whales away from the coastline and the illegal van is stopped as soon as it hits the Islands and the beacons taken thus ending the well thought out plan. In typical liberal fashion they can never be straight up honest with anything they do. I wouldn't have a problem with Watson if he was as forceful as his rhetoric.
If he wants to save the whales, dump his crew, take his ship, ram and sink the whaling ship and go down with both ships. Be a man about it. End whaling and be a martyr for the cause. But no, he won't do that instead relying on sabotage and subterfuge to carry out his mission of cutting off the supply of food to actual human beings.
One particularly poignant scene from the show is when the foreman of the harvest comes to the docked Brigitte Bardot to explain their heritage and tradition in peace and understanding. He's very pleasant and trying to relay his message to the flippant Shepherds as best as he can but they refuse to listen with an open mind and reason, also a typical liberal trait. The foreman, Marnar Andreasan, hands the Shepherds a book entitled Two Minutes which refers how long the harvest lasts from start to finish. It's a coffee table book full of graphic pictures of a harvest. Mr. Andreasan tries to explain it's not as barbaric as it seems while the smirking captain Fraser Hall. He refuses to listen and continues to openly point out his mission which is in direct contradiction to what he told customs earlier in the show.
Mr. Andreasan leaves his encounter and welcoming mission with the Shepherds as a very frustrated man, his point of view falling on very deaf ears. Later the Shepherds leave the dock and port only to continue to goad the citizens of the Islands by docking in yet another port. The very same place where perpetual second banana Peter Hammarstedt visited a year prior on a scouting mission for Watson. He has to be pretty upset by now at his lack of promotion to a higher rank by Watson as he continues to be the second mate on nearly every ship he is on while others are given the captain-ships.
Regardless they dock once again in less friendly territory to incite the population, there really isn't a better explanation than that, they want an incident to happen. They have no other reason to be there. The show ends when the people gathering on the dock start to challenge the crew of the Brigitte Bardot thus ending Fail Wars until next week.
I really don't have any words for these idiots, they probably enjoy a strong support base from Obama true believers and that's shrinking by the day. They have the typical liberal philosophy that they are open to any lifestyle or way of life as long as they approve it, otherwise they will do what they can to end your way of life. They are militant in their views and don't mind hurting people in the process. If Watson was as dedicated to his cause as he claims he would do things differently as I said and man up about it. I'm not sure I'd slow down if Paul Watson was in a crosswalk but that is never likely to happen.
Day Of Twisters
Sadly Syfy has gone completely batty, today they have no less than THREE tornado movies. Ice Twisters followed up by Alien Tornado, and then the stellar sounding Space Twister! Yeah...what happened to Japanese giant robot movies? At least I enjoy those...a lot actually.
Yes I do have the Ultraman boxed set. Yes I do have a Godzilla boxed set and have followed that up with a couple of newer Godzilla movies (NOT the US versions thankfully) but the man in a rubber suit movies destroying tenth scale cities. Heck you can even watch Johnny Sokko and his Robot on Hulu for free! I watched that as a kid in Missouri and we only had three channels!
If I had the money and studio space I'd make one of those movies! At least they'd be entertaining! Well to me anyway.
So what do I do for a case of bad movies on Syfy? Easy, I let them know I don't watch this type of junk and change the channel until Ghost Hunters comes on Wednesday night.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Taking The Step Out
I've never been a fan of using the term "step" when referring to a parent that has taken on the task of raising children. Yeah there are bad step parents (If not Disney wouldn't have made such a fortune) but there can also be bioparents that are just as bad if not more so.
Now that I'm a father for real and the step has been taken out I really don't feel that much different but I just know that it's real, make sense? I would do my best to protect the girls no matter what, ask Thing 1 about a couple of talks I've had with her former boyfriends. I'm a protective person by nature, add daughters to the mix and look out!
I see idiots all the time with kids they don't deserve, it's really pretty special to be a parent now and to take care of what their mother entrusted me with.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The Adoption
Today is the big day. At nine thirty this morning I'll become a father for the first time, a real father. My wife has shared the best thing she has with me, her daughters. Her beautiful, intelligent, talented daughters.
I'm grateful for my wife and I'm grateful for the girls, my daughters.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
4
4
It was well into the next day when we first heard the noises. A shuffling, scratching thudding noise in the hallway. The radio batteries died a few hours before and the silence of the apartment was loud other than the slight drumming rain that persisted into its fifth day.
We were missing the reports of the floods now and all of the havoc many feet of water was causing. Other reports of people out in the rain during rescue efforts were starting to get sick. Those were interesting but then due to the dead batteries they stopped along with our only line of information to the outside world.
The sounds in the hall kept up to the point of needing someone to check it out. Sam and I did rock, paper, scissors to see who investigated the hall. I lost, I'm not sure Sam would have been able to open the door anyway, but I was. Barely. Getting up I knocked over the beer can pyramid and found my way to the door in the hazy dark.
I opened the door to see a couple of National Guard uniforms with bright reflecting vests. I felt better but they really didn't look well. "What's up?" I got a reply of "Aaarrrrggggmmmmm!" in a moaning cadence. "Aaaarrrrggggmmmmm!" not being a word I was familiar with I closed the door. And locked it.
It was well into the next day when we first heard the noises. A shuffling, scratching thudding noise in the hallway. The radio batteries died a few hours before and the silence of the apartment was loud other than the slight drumming rain that persisted into its fifth day.
We were missing the reports of the floods now and all of the havoc many feet of water was causing. Other reports of people out in the rain during rescue efforts were starting to get sick. Those were interesting but then due to the dead batteries they stopped along with our only line of information to the outside world.
The sounds in the hall kept up to the point of needing someone to check it out. Sam and I did rock, paper, scissors to see who investigated the hall. I lost, I'm not sure Sam would have been able to open the door anyway, but I was. Barely. Getting up I knocked over the beer can pyramid and found my way to the door in the hazy dark.
I opened the door to see a couple of National Guard uniforms with bright reflecting vests. I felt better but they really didn't look well. "What's up?" I got a reply of "Aaarrrrggggmmmmm!" in a moaning cadence. "Aaaarrrrggggmmmmm!" not being a word I was familiar with I closed the door. And locked it.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
1, 2, 3
1
It wasn't the the rain that woke me up, I guess it was the loud thunder clap. The scientist talking heads said this would happen once the satellite failed to reach the International Space Station. Shouldn't it have been burned to a crisp on reentry? Or fried by the ionosphere, troposphere, or magnetosphere, some sphere that protects us from our own hubris? Weather satellite? Really?
We'll never know what was on that thing for sure but I can see the effects of it pouring down the gutters. "A chance of a light rainstorm, just like a spring storm!" Right, "It isn't wise to mess with Mother Nature!" isn't that the old Chiffon commercial motto? Guess the only thing to do right now is roll over and go back to sleep.
2
Three days of this downpour has even the lying scientists worried now. The worry has etched itself all over their sleepless expressions. The news channel stopped taking commercial breaks yesterday evening to run wall to wall weather coverage. New Orleans is underwater, mudslides have destroyed half of California, New York's sewer systems are backing up onto the streets. Florida's coasts are blurring with the ocean while Texas is flooding with great gusto.
3
What I wouldn't give for an airboat. My cell phone plays the ominous Imperial March tune that signals me that my friend Sam is calling. Good guy, a bit jumpy but good.
"Hola" I answer. "It's the end of the world!" greets me from the other end. "On Channel 19 they are talking about our electric plant having three feet of water inside if this keeps up another day. The diesel powered pumps will run out of fuel and the roads are gone!" his anxiety getting the best of him this time, I gently reminded Sam that it's never happened before and the National Guard was called out. I said they had the right equipment to handle floods and stuff like this.
This seemed to calm him down so I said to come on over if he's scared and we'd ride it out together. He came from the second level apartment up to mine and we hung out on the couch together He opened the door at the same time the lights flickered and then went black. Sam immediately freaked. Whining like a little girl would be a kind description, a complete and total cheerleader that gets hit by a passing bird during prom pictures would be more accurate.
I pick him up and haul him to the couch and offer him one of, as far as I now know, a beer from the last remaining intact thirty packs that inhabit my refrigerator. I weighed my options carefully before offering but decided if the world was indeed ending as Sam has earlier surmised then I might as well have a beer with him. Since the electricity was now out, for who knows how long, I scrounged up a radio and sent Sam back down to his apartment to find batteries.
He did and returned, and brought back, as far as I now know, the last remaining six packs of beer in existence. It took us a while trying to find a station to find out what was going on. Nothing like listening to the impending doom around you on a static filled station. We tried the aluminum foil antenna trick, I had Sam hold the antenna while extending his other arm out. There was just a lot of interference in the air so we settled on the only station we could barely hear that allowed us to sit on the couch and drink the slowly warming beer.
It wasn't the the rain that woke me up, I guess it was the loud thunder clap. The scientist talking heads said this would happen once the satellite failed to reach the International Space Station. Shouldn't it have been burned to a crisp on reentry? Or fried by the ionosphere, troposphere, or magnetosphere, some sphere that protects us from our own hubris? Weather satellite? Really?
We'll never know what was on that thing for sure but I can see the effects of it pouring down the gutters. "A chance of a light rainstorm, just like a spring storm!" Right, "It isn't wise to mess with Mother Nature!" isn't that the old Chiffon commercial motto? Guess the only thing to do right now is roll over and go back to sleep.
2
Three days of this downpour has even the lying scientists worried now. The worry has etched itself all over their sleepless expressions. The news channel stopped taking commercial breaks yesterday evening to run wall to wall weather coverage. New Orleans is underwater, mudslides have destroyed half of California, New York's sewer systems are backing up onto the streets. Florida's coasts are blurring with the ocean while Texas is flooding with great gusto.
3
What I wouldn't give for an airboat. My cell phone plays the ominous Imperial March tune that signals me that my friend Sam is calling. Good guy, a bit jumpy but good.
"Hola" I answer. "It's the end of the world!" greets me from the other end. "On Channel 19 they are talking about our electric plant having three feet of water inside if this keeps up another day. The diesel powered pumps will run out of fuel and the roads are gone!" his anxiety getting the best of him this time, I gently reminded Sam that it's never happened before and the National Guard was called out. I said they had the right equipment to handle floods and stuff like this.
This seemed to calm him down so I said to come on over if he's scared and we'd ride it out together. He came from the second level apartment up to mine and we hung out on the couch together He opened the door at the same time the lights flickered and then went black. Sam immediately freaked. Whining like a little girl would be a kind description, a complete and total cheerleader that gets hit by a passing bird during prom pictures would be more accurate.
I pick him up and haul him to the couch and offer him one of, as far as I now know, a beer from the last remaining intact thirty packs that inhabit my refrigerator. I weighed my options carefully before offering but decided if the world was indeed ending as Sam has earlier surmised then I might as well have a beer with him. Since the electricity was now out, for who knows how long, I scrounged up a radio and sent Sam back down to his apartment to find batteries.
He did and returned, and brought back, as far as I now know, the last remaining six packs of beer in existence. It took us a while trying to find a station to find out what was going on. Nothing like listening to the impending doom around you on a static filled station. We tried the aluminum foil antenna trick, I had Sam hold the antenna while extending his other arm out. There was just a lot of interference in the air so we settled on the only station we could barely hear that allowed us to sit on the couch and drink the slowly warming beer.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Begin Again
Here we are again, the beginning of the week. Welcome Monday! The sooner we get you started then the sooner the week will be over and we can start the weekend again! It was a good weekend.
I think we all had a pretty good weekend actually. The Date was happy, Thing 2 was happy with her new violin, and Thing 1 was happy because of prom.
So all in all things are pretty good:) Far cry from a few months ago!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Good Saturday
The day started off with waking up after my darling wife knocked it out of the park again singing on the Jazz Stroll! While she and her guitar player accompanist had a different set of songs they were comfortable with they still meshed on a few songs and did a great job! My honey's sultry voice resonated through the Turpin reminding the audience of true cabaret entertainment with smoke filled rooms and jazz speakeasys! A true event!
After that I trimmed up a brisket and got it injected and rubbed down. Then I wrapped it all up and put it in the fridge to marinate for about fifteen hours. I put it on at midnight last night and pulled it at six this morning and wrapped it up in foil and it's now resting for lunch.
I took Thing 2 to work at eight and we picked her up at one. Then she took her money she was saving (and gifted) for a new violin and purchased a very old fiddle. There was an indoor garage sale with nothing but musical instruments. The owner fixes old violins, guitars, and other string instruments and sells them. He's a very nice man that loves to see young kids have any interest at all in playing! Thing 2 picked up the fiddle from the wall she really liked and he gave her a bow.
The rich tones from the two hundred plus year old fiddle resonated throughout the house! It sounded amazingly beautiful! So after she decided on that fiddle the negotiation began on price! This is where her mom and I stood back and let her handle it. Thing 2 laid out her cards right up front and said she had a certain amount, the gentleman countered with twenty five less than she had (which was way less than asking price) and said he would throw in a bow and case for her! Her pick of what he had! He only wanted to be told when she played it so he could come and watch her.
So Thing 2 went around and picked up the bow she liked and case and then put it all on the floor and put it together. Then the wonderful gentleman gave her twenty five back and said to buy herself lunch with it! After we got it and her home she played it all afternoon! The sound is incredible, it is rich, full, and vibrant. It's two hundred five years old and was repaired once by a master in nineteen twenty nine I believe. She's thrilled with it and so are we!
Friday, April 20, 2012
Friday!
Well yesterday I took Thing 2 to take her written driver's exam. She passed! I now have another permitted driver that's a teen! I'll start letting her drive short distances with me in the passenger seat. After that we'll probably hit the country roads, every kid should learn on country roads. That's one of the best benefits of living in a rural place, you do have country roads.
I don't imagine there being much in New York City as far as unpaved anything so I'm just partial I guess.
Last night I worked Third Thursday, something I'll likely do more often because of the imminent departure of Tech Guy and his family from town for greener pastures. It was pretty packed last night. Lots of people wanting to play now. It's grown quite a bit since it first started and has become a mainstay of the local music scene.
I'm looking forward to after work, I'm planning on visiting my favorite barber shop and having a trim and possibly a shave. We'll see.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Nice Evening
I took off work early to take Thing 2 to take her permit test. She barely missed passing by two questions! So close!
We'll let her study up a few days and try it again. She'll ace it this time! I know she will!
Crime Reporter came over last night for supper and all three of us, The Date, Crime Reporter, and I, had a nice conversation for a few hours. We enjoyed cigars in the front yard and just chatted the evening away. I had grilled bratwurst and hot dogs and made shells and cheese for a side.
Over half way finished with Bloodstains, it's darn hard to put down but I've wanted to several times. The ramifications of this book are really pretty big if they are true. He would be one of the most prolific killers that is not named Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Castro, or Pol Pot. Holmes was nothing but a predator and everyone was game around him. He walked in a different reality where stalking someone lasted minutes or hours but not much longer than that. Whether they are true or not this evil existed and he is dead, either from execution in the nineteenth century or old age in nineteen sixty.
My fantasy baseball team is sitting atop the cigar asylum standings and I took a 10-6 lead last night over my opponent after being tied most of the day at eight each. My hitting isn't very good at all but my pitching is the best in the league. I used my top draft picks on the top pitchers available while everyone else went hitters or sluggers.
Today is Thursday, tomorrow is payday. Life is good.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Sausage Breakfast
This morning I got up right after the alarm went off at a quarter til six. I had a craving for link sausage and knew we had some in the fridge so got up, showered and put on my work clothes, and headed into the kitchen. Thing 2 always gets up about fifteen minutes before me so she was getting ready for school.
I heated up the small skillet and put in five links to cook crispy brown. That'd be plenty to get a guy going in the morning and get him energy once he got to work! All in all a satisfying morning and now it's time to get the dog outside and get The Date's coffee and start her on the waking up process:)
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Deadliest Catch Tonight
One of the best shows going continues tonight as the fleet falls on hard times in the Bearing Sea. With an epic storm, numerous injuries, and general mayhem in line for the fleet this season it'll be a wonder if any of them go back next season.
Thing 2 and I did some lawn work last night after her orthodontist appointment. She has a spot all raked out under a tree so we bagged up everything she raked and I put it on the curb. We picked out some flower seeds that will look pretty good where she wants to plant.
Nothing unusual to report this morning, all's well this morning! I'm about to make The Date her morning cup of coffee and get her to start waking up. Thing 2 is ready for school, Thing 1 is soundly sleeping away. The cats are running around and will soon start their eight hour naps. The bunny has been fed, and I'm about to put the dog out. The zoo is in good shape!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Nice Sunday
Yesterday was fairly busy for a lazy day. I mowed in the morning, got laundry going, and Thing 2 did the dishes and weeded part of the yard and cleaned up the patio. After that I headed to Beersnob's house for cigars until about seven. Got to hang out with Teehee which is always nice!
Had a nice time!
Today it's back to work and I believe auditions for Shakespeare in the Park are tonight for Anthony and Cleopatra. It'll be a big cast and comes on the heels of the summer musical which also has a big cast. They really need to separate these two shows for several reasons but mainly it's two big shows and our actor pool isn't that large. Not to mention Shakespeare is a brutal show in the heat of the summer and it's a TON of work. You unpack everything and then pack it back up after the show. I'm done with that show for a while, I've put in my Shakespeare time.
Things are going well right now:) Here's to continued success:)
As an aside, Bloodstains is pretty disturbing and not for the feint of heart.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Sunday Morning
We survived the night, stormy as it was. It makes for darn good sleeping weather I can tell you! Yeah you might wake up a little bit when the initial thunder and lightning hit but after that you doze back off with something on alert in the back of your mind listening for tornado sirens. Every Oklahoman has that special siren sense.
I bought my first pair of Chuck Taylor Converse All Stars Friday, well my first pair since the late seventies and early eighties when Nike came into prominence and kind of took over the shoe world. Yes I had a few pairs when I was a youngster and I just thought, "What the heck, give them another shot at your shoe buying dollar!" So I'm now sporting a pair of black monochrome, high top Chucks. I even went so far as to go to their website and play around with the shoe custom creator for a while. It's pretty fun to build a shoe from scratch and have them send it to you! If it were manufactured in the USA I'd say it'd be the perfect shoe! But then again few things are anymore...
Yeah you can make your own custom pair of rubber soled shoes that will announce your presence with canvasy style. I remember wearing them as a kid until the rubber toe separated from the rest of the shoe and the eyelets strung down onto the laces as they gradually wore out. Sure the high tops take a bit longer to lace up and tie but what the heck, it'll make a darn good cigar smoking shoe! I usually only buy one pair of shoes at a time because I wear them out at work and ruin them in under a week. But now I have a work pair and a home pair of shoes. Pretty rare for me actually.
The day looks like it'll be warmer and sunny. I didn't see much on the radar coming in yet but I don't doubt that something could at any given moment. We'll see!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
H. H. Holmes
On a lark I purchased a book called Bloodstains on Amazon for the Kindle. It is about the great great grandson of Herman Webster Mudgett also known as H. H. Holmes. Holmes was America's first serial killer in the late nineteenth century. His main atrocities were committed during the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.
He built was he called The Castle or Murder Castle. Holmes lured victims from the fair there and subdued them in a special room with a chloroform flowing pipe under the bed. After the victim was unconscious and pliable he and his assistants would take the victim to the basement that was equipped with acid vats for body disposal.
Jeff Mudgett was willed two tackle boxes from his unloved and solitary grandfather, Bert. In the bottom of one of the boxes was a hidden compartment that held two old diaries allegedly written by Holmes himself. The writer of the diaries had some pretty wild claims and was seemingly a Forrest Gump of serial killers gliding in and out of some major historical events. While Holmes was supposedly executed in 1896 the author of the diaries lived until 1960. Holmes claimed to have been in London in 1888 and could very well be a main suspect for the infamous Jack the Ripper.
While not finished with the book yet the author is now trying to certify that the diaries were in fact written by H. H. Holmes or were an elaborate hoax. The author was a practicing lawyer and knows what he is doing when it comes to this type of research. It's an engrossing story and one that I'd wager few today are familiar with. For the Kindle price of $2.99 you really can't go wrong.
I'd say this is a companion book to Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City which told the parallel stories of Holmes and Daniel H. Burnham, the architect of the 1893 World's Fair. This is one engrossing story and you'll have a hard time believing it really happened.
If you have a Kindle or are interested in this style of history I'd highly recommend that you pick up Bloodstains. It might give you nightmares as H. H. Holmes was one horrific individual and walking evil.
He built was he called The Castle or Murder Castle. Holmes lured victims from the fair there and subdued them in a special room with a chloroform flowing pipe under the bed. After the victim was unconscious and pliable he and his assistants would take the victim to the basement that was equipped with acid vats for body disposal.
Jeff Mudgett was willed two tackle boxes from his unloved and solitary grandfather, Bert. In the bottom of one of the boxes was a hidden compartment that held two old diaries allegedly written by Holmes himself. The writer of the diaries had some pretty wild claims and was seemingly a Forrest Gump of serial killers gliding in and out of some major historical events. While Holmes was supposedly executed in 1896 the author of the diaries lived until 1960. Holmes claimed to have been in London in 1888 and could very well be a main suspect for the infamous Jack the Ripper.
While not finished with the book yet the author is now trying to certify that the diaries were in fact written by H. H. Holmes or were an elaborate hoax. The author was a practicing lawyer and knows what he is doing when it comes to this type of research. It's an engrossing story and one that I'd wager few today are familiar with. For the Kindle price of $2.99 you really can't go wrong.
I'd say this is a companion book to Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City which told the parallel stories of Holmes and Daniel H. Burnham, the architect of the 1893 World's Fair. This is one engrossing story and you'll have a hard time believing it really happened.
If you have a Kindle or are interested in this style of history I'd highly recommend that you pick up Bloodstains. It might give you nightmares as H. H. Holmes was one horrific individual and walking evil.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Friday!
We all made it! Congratulate yourselves for another good week of work so we can have a weekend of play!
Looks like a stormy forecast this weekend though, possibly clearing out by Sunday. Hopefully that is, The Date will be coming back by then and I'd rather her have dry highways and safe weather to drive in!
Not a lot to report really, the new guy at work is getting better. We really don't have a lot of justification to send him back. He's just not what I want which is young and able to work circles around me like I used to do to my current coworkers. I'm the youngest and I'm forty two, two others out of seven are in our forties, everyone else is mid fifties up.
The Date is doing very well with her job! Still loving it! I'm loving it when she comes home and I'm cooking and she tells me what happened during her day! I sat outside last night in a folding chair and she sat on the porch and we talked about our days. It was nice! I'll miss her this weekend when she's gone.
Looks like a stormy forecast this weekend though, possibly clearing out by Sunday. Hopefully that is, The Date will be coming back by then and I'd rather her have dry highways and safe weather to drive in!
Not a lot to report really, the new guy at work is getting better. We really don't have a lot of justification to send him back. He's just not what I want which is young and able to work circles around me like I used to do to my current coworkers. I'm the youngest and I'm forty two, two others out of seven are in our forties, everyone else is mid fifties up.
The Date is doing very well with her job! Still loving it! I'm loving it when she comes home and I'm cooking and she tells me what happened during her day! I sat outside last night in a folding chair and she sat on the porch and we talked about our days. It was nice! I'll miss her this weekend when she's gone.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Almost Over!
The weekend is almost upon us! The Date is heading to her dad's house Friday to take care of her dad this weekend and get him stocked up, I really don't have a lot in the way of plans. Thing 2 and I will probably come up with something on our own to do. It'll be rainy so we'll be limited on what we can do.
Maybe a trip to her favorite Asian store in the city and get her stocked up on some stuff. She loves that place! We'll have to look at her work schedule and see what it allows.
Sunday is the one hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Beersnob and I will likely enjoy a cigar and libation.
Maybe a trip to her favorite Asian store in the city and get her stocked up on some stuff. She loves that place! We'll have to look at her work schedule and see what it allows.
Sunday is the one hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Beersnob and I will likely enjoy a cigar and libation.
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