Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Back To The Theatre

Barely an hour after quitting Walmart I already had tech work at the theatre for the upcoming show Wrong Window that my gloriously gorgeous wife is costarring in! This is my first show since 1776 last year! Now that's a long time!

ChristinA, the manager that was the catalyst for my quitting last night probably isn't a bad person. She's probably just a very unhappy person and takes it out on the associates around her. I'd like to say I didn't resort to personal attacks on her, her obvious problems, or anything about her. Her attitude however is deplorable. She's mean, angry, and walks with an air of superiority.

She didn't know the situation and yet jumped to the conclusion that someone had just left trash to dump. A very inaccurate assumption on her part and couple that with her horrible attitude and not to mention the sheer gall it takes to jump down someone's throat the moment they show up to do their job and if there were any justice in the world SHE would be out of a job not me.

That's not the way the world works though.

My quality of life has dramatically been raised due to ChristinA though. I'm now home in the evenings and as it happens I'll be able to spend more time with my family:) The show is a start and I'm happy to be involved and thrilled to have been asked! I now have weekends free again, the first time since last August. No more sixty six hour weeks. The money was nice but you know something, it's not everything and we'll get by regardless!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

So...I Kind Of Quit Walmart

I guess the last straw came tonight. Here's what happened.

I get there early and clock in. 4:45 on the dot! I get into the produce back room, take care of the organics, take care of the cardboard, and do some stocking.

About six I decide to take out the trash because it's over flowing since I'm usually the one that takes it out.

The Walmart managers decreed that every two hours from seven A.M. on they will be there to unlock the compactor so everyone can dump their trash. I know this and left the trash on a cart knowing they will call me at seven to dump the trash as I know no one else will do it for me.

So the call comes over the intercom that they are there and it's open. I start heading back and arrive to the strains of Christina's whiny voice reminding me that there's a compactor schedule. I reply I know there's a schedule and proceed to dump the trash. Keep in mind it's heavy, sixty or seventy pounds a bag and there's four of them.

I admit to being a bit grumpy however she started on me and I snapped back at her. She says don't snap at her. I'm only doing what I'm supposed to do, dumping the trash no one else will dump. She says we need to go to the office to talk about it. I say I'd love to, and then it starts.

The frustration starts to flow, I tell them I was left again by myself another night because they left Nate off of the schedule. I was holding things down again. And she says I'm not going to talk to her that way.

1. I wasn't out of line.

2. Again she jumped on me first with a very nasty attitude while not knowing or asking why I did what I did.

She again said we need to talk in the office, I said that we didn't. I tossed my badge at her feet and my box cutter on the floor and left.

I feel like an oppressive weight has lifted from me:) I'm done, even if the huge cow like manager got on her chubby knees and apologized herself.

Goodbye Walmart. We've been together since August and I feel our time has come to part ways:)






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Judgment Day

Michigan is a make or break state for Mitt Romney. Arizona is about as conservative as our state is and they should dislike Romney but would they go for Santorum or Paul? It will bring the final front runners into focus and probably be Newt's Waterloo. He should go the way of fallen contenders after today but is going to stick around for Super Tuesday on March sixth anyway.

For the first time Ron Paul has leapt in front of Obama in a national poll and would beat him 43% to 41% but the poll is within the margin of error. Paul, the conservative/libertarian even picks up disenfranchised liberals dissatisfied with Obama and his handling of...well everything!

Our country needs attention right now. We're broke, we're mired in financial disarray, and I still feel that our economic woes aren't over with yet. The next administration will have a lot of work to do. Hopefully a willing and conservative congress, united on common grounds behind him, and we'll start to see a lot of progress as we get out of these Carter-like years an onto bigger and better!

Keep watch tonight, if Romney takes Michigan then he could wrap this up soon, if Santorum does then it'll be a longer fight for sure.

Monday, February 27, 2012

One More Time

Here we go for another week! The Date is nearly off book right now from Wrong Window! They still have a month of rehearsals left! She and Piano Genius have also been practicing very hard for Cabaret this coming week, they sound incredible!!!

Don't miss this show, you'll be disappointed if you do! If the blues is your thing, you'll enjoy this very much!!! It's going to be great and I'll make it this time too as I'm off Thursday and Friday!


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Sunday, February 26, 2012

How Walmart Lost My Optimism

I'm really not liking a lot of our Walmart customers. Me, the optimist who always believes in a better humanity, a better tomorrow. That things will always get better than they are now.

A few months of working retail and seeing how people treat each other and naturally you as a worker will change that point of view. My main pet peeve is that they will take something from the store, most likely frozen, and just leave it where ever they feel like, to thaw and ruin.

They'll get huge carts full of groceries and just leave them on purpose somewhere. Last week there were two large carts packed full...just left between produce and meat. This happens every week!

Last night I almost got ran over by a manic nine year old that his oblivious mother, and I use that term lightly, let push the cart. Naturally he pushed it as fast as he could making people down the action aisle dodge him! I wanted to thump the kid on his head and resisted the urge to knock him the F out! I know that's bad but I did resist, however that doesn't change the fact that I had that thought and urge.

If I knew how to work the intercom I'd get on there and say something like, "Will the clueless person who left X in the produce section to thaw/rot/or generally tick me off, please report back to produce so you can be humiliated in front of the other clueless shoppers please!"

Which would be immediately followed by a meeting in one of the manager's offices, in which they would likely secretly thank me for doing what they've been wanting to do for years!

It wasn't but a few short weeks ago I was literally frazzled, my brain's circuits were fried. I came home and went immediately to bed and stayed there in the dark. The Date would ask me a question and I had a hard time answering. There were so many people in our section it was like Six Flags in our area!

I will recover my optimism once again but for now it's in a trunk, packed up in the back of my head.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

She's Home!

We got Thing 1 back home yesterday to rest in her own bed! She's resting up and getting ready for a handful of doctor appointment followups in the next couple of weeks.

She's doing well and feeling better! Thank you all for your prayers!

I stopped off yesterday after work and got a haircut and straight razor shave at Blue Jay's. I really enjoy that place, it's a bit of a throwback place where men can hang out. He usually has beer in the refrigerator next to the barber chairs that you can help yourself to, even on the base haircuts he uses a straight razor to do detail work and a hot towel.

The straight razor shave, once a mainstay of the barber shop has seemingly faded away over the years. I don't grow much of a beard over the course of a week however he told me the experience really wasn't so much about the shave but the relaxation that comes along with the shave. I believe that! It was nice!

It's a great experience and I'd recommend it for all of my men friends out there!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Good Interview

Thing 1 is still in the hospital. They are going to do a scope sometime today and see what else is wrong. She is still in pain. That's a tough virus.

The director's interview went really well. I feel confident they liked my ideas for the show and are probably going to put it on the schedule for this October. I think we came up with enough alternatives to a drop down screen and projector to make it a viable show.

It'll be a fun fun show to do!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Maybe Today

Thing 1 could possibly come home today from the hospital! The let her back on solid foods and hopefully she'll get over the nausea part. She's had a rough couple of evenings but we are hoping the virus is passing now.

I've got a director's interview tonight at the Theatre. I've submitted Night of the Living Dead as the Halloween show. I wanted to incorporate video into the production as in filming the opening cemetery sequence and opening with that and then the basement and closing sequences where the zombies are rounded up and shot.

It's a bit ambitious but someone has to break down those barriers. If the tech side can't be ironed out then I said I would resubmit another season when it can be done the way I see it.

I'm off this evening and I'm glad! I need this break badly now. It's been tougher on me lately. My coworkers at Walmart have decided to play musical call ins lately and I'm seemingly the only one that comes to work when scheduled to. Last night I actually had a coworker but he got a reprimand on his call ins.

I guess the difference in me and them is that I'm willing to do what it takes to support my family and one of them doesn't particularly care if he keeps a job or not.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Rolling Along

Thing 2 has given herself quite the short haircut, she looks very Joan Jett-like at the moment. She wanted her natural color to come back in faster.

Thing 1 is still in the hospital and they are still thinking it's a virus of some sort. Still no solid foods but they are keeping her for observation and doing blood work until they know for sure.

It's my Walmart Friday, naturally one of my dwindling coworkers called in last night and left me alone to do everything. Meh, I guess it's no big deal in any case. It's a matter of priorities as Teehee and I discussed last night. He stopped in for groceries and we had a nice chat for a bit. It was nice too, he made me feel pretty good! A rarity for me recently as life seems to have me and my family on the kicking tee for a while now.

We'll survive, we'll always survive.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Random Notes

Well the initial diagnosis of Thing 1's kidney stones proved false. They now don't know what is causing her pain. After an ultrasound, and X-ray they came up empty handed on any kidney stone. They should have something figured out today we hope. The Date is worn to a frazzle. She's slept by her side the past couple of nights, rarely leaving her. Any thoughts and prayers headed to us would be greatly appreciated.

Thing 2 and I have carried on and are holding down the fort. I'm glad that we were off yesterday! That was a big help in getting things prepared for the week and I did get a little rest yesterday before heading to work.

I finished the Hunger Games trilogy. It might be for young adults but the content is definitely more horror adult. There are some grisly deaths going on there and some scenes of horror. I'm now embarking on War and Peace and I'm going to make a run at that novel. I've read it's really good after the first hundred pages and it's a still a struggle up to four hundred. We'll see. I'll do my best.

I had a nice chat with my Northern Brother yesterday and he was telling me he remembered how he enjoyed our food when we had a restaurant. As well he should, he worked there quite a bit and did deliveries from time to time when we moved it to this town and made pizzas. Those were fun high school days!

He asked if I was ever going to open up a restaurant. I said I'd love to and have even talked to The Date about what the ideal restaurant would be like here for us to run. It'd be amazing! I'll keep this cat in the bag for a while though but rest assured I'd be able to cook as much food as I ever wanted to and feed as many as I could. Nothing would go to waste, ever.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Kidney Stones Strike Again

Not me by the way, but we believe Thing 1 has one and is currently in the hospital in order to determine if it is or isn't a stone. She had a CT scan and the appendix was ruled out as a cause. The Date has been by her side all night.

I'm headed up there very soon to see her and see if there is a diagnosis yet. After having over twenty of the things I can tell you what the symptoms are and it looks to me that she has them. We'll see though. She'll have to drink more water from now on for sure.

Thankfully I'm off today as it's President's Day! I'll have to head to Walmart later on but if things aren't settled yet then I'll probably call in. We'll see how it goes.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Bright Sunny Day

It's more like spring right now than winter. The mild winter continues. The rain from yesterday and the day before are long gone. I've still got to go in and do my time at Walmart today though. I'm not thrilled about wasting such a nice day but hopefully tomorrow will be better and we can enjoy that one too.

I've got to tell you all why Thing 2 is a special girl. Something she did yesterday was simply amazing! Her place of employment was going to throw away some bananas that were starting to brown. A whole shopping cart full! So she went to her manager and asked if she could buy them because she couldn't throw out good bananas while there were hungry people out there.

The manager agreed if she could find a box then she could buy one bunch and stuff the box with as many as she could get in there. So for less than two dollars she bought a huge box of bananas and The Date and Thing 2 went in search of a place to give the bananas to.

The YWCA took them and were grateful to have them. They never get fresh donated fruits or vegetables. Then in a moment of sheer brilliance Thing 2 asked her mom, "Why didn't any of the older people there think of this? I'm fifteen."

Yep, brilliance I tell you.
I'm very proud of her, she'll do well in this world.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Hank 3

I've been skirting the fringes of enjoying the music of Hank 3. Country music royalty with a lineage second to none. The son of Hank Williams Jr. and the grandson of Hank Williams Sr.

He takes the mantel of outlaw country from the early days pioneered by Johnny Cash, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, and naturally David Allan Coe and brings it into modern times. His music borders on punk mixed with Appalachian mountain music. He's not afraid to mix in zydeco with thrashing guitars or crying steel guitars.

He'll never be heard on broadcast radio. He hates pop country with a passion. His latest effort was released last September and was three separate releases. The main was the double album effort Ghost to a Ghost/Gutter Town. The first part is his version of country, heart rendering loneliness along with ghostly arrangements and raw country lyrics. The second a mish mash of whatever you have and was allegedly inspired by his living in a haunted house.

It's either a love or hate work but it's undeniable that it's unique and creative. Perhaps one of the most creative recordings to come along in a long time in fact.

If you are a country fan of the older stuff, can't relate to the new class of manufactured music sung by generic acts, or just in the mood for something different Hank 3 is your cure.




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Friday, February 17, 2012

Amnesia

Abostang was kind enough to buy me a game called Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It's on many lists of being one of the scariest games ever created. Why? You can't fight back.

It's dark, atmospheric, the sound is very creepy, and it all evokes the afraid of the dark primal fear inside you. You wake up in a dark mansion and have to find the inner sanctum. Something is following you, sometimes it's invisible and you can only hear it while you are running through water.

Abostang and I were on Skype and played probably about half of the game last night, I got stuck a few times while he had a few of the puzzles figured out by the time I got there. We both explored different areas and it's gone pretty well so far!

Oh, one other thing, if you stand in the dark too long you lose your sanity. However sometimes you need to hide from the thing following you and hiding in the dark is the best way to do that.

For a twenty dollar game it's very reasonable considering the only time I've felt like this while playing a horror game was the first Resident Evil. That had some legitimate scares in there and it was so fun! Amnesia is on par with that.

It's for the PC and any PC today can easily handle this game.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

But He's Good

“Safe?" said Mr. Beaver."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.” C.S. Lewis

This is a quote from The Chronicles of Narnia. It refers to Aslan the lion who is the king of Narnia as they are talking about if he's safe to be around. Well he's a lion, lions are dangerous. Even tame lions are dangerous but Aslan was good and that made all the difference.

God is good but he's also a terrible God. Sometimes we think of him as a buffet. We'd like some of his goodness, mercy, love, and joy but often overlook his holiness, justice, sovereignty, and wrath. Equally all apart of Him.

I've heard people say they use parts of the Bible and it's more of a guidebook to them. Yes and no. More no actually than anything else. It's a tapestry of God's revelation to us. I've often pondered at how an atheist can look at the grandeur of nature and not see God at work.

You can't have God's mercy while being impenitent at the same time and at that point the guidebook is clear on what happens so tread lightly. He's dangerous.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

First Friday

Of the week. Yeah, I'm off from Walmart after tonight. Last night wasn't too bad, busy enough the evening went fast but slow enough to catch my breath from the horrendous weekend and Monday night that really killed me.

I hauled pallets on Valentine's Day from the back and located them for the overnight stockers to put on the shelves. It wasn't hard and a nice change of pace from the produce section.

Work was work actually. I call Walmart, Walmart and my real job work. I miss one day and things pile up. Now that's not a bad thing either because if we get caught up with the very few remaining amount of people we have now then we'll never get anyone again. One of our guys who just came off of shoulder surgery is going back soon to have the same shoulder worked on again. He'll be off another three to six months very soon.

We are used to being short handed though, it's the way we roll. If we had a full crew I don't know if we'd know what to do anymore. It is what it is.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentine's Day

The day that really singles out single people and exorcises them right out of society. There's not a day in the year more polarizing than this day. You loyal readers know this as I was single and struggled through this day year after year for most of my adult life.

I finally just called it Tuesday instead of Valentine's day. Just another day on the calendar, another day to look at the bright side of things, and another day to be happy I was alive.

A day is just that, a twenty four hour period in which the sun rises and sets in our sky. We get morning, afternoon, and evening and we get it for another day. We can do what we want with it but I chose not to dwell on the fact I was single and to enjoy everything I could about it otherwise.

So if you see a single person out there today, either include them or steer clear of them but be nice to them either way.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Snow Storm

We had a good four or five inches of snow last night. Schools are closed but I'm headed in to work today and then Walmart after. I'll be leaving pretty soon actually, I need to allow myself some drive time.

The snow is starting to melt a bit already though, there's a warmer southern wind blowing. By tomorrow it should be clear roads and business as usual!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

The Broken Streak

Well my blogging streak that went back to 2006 was broken yesterday when I failed to blog. I got busy yesterday morning and after I got home I had forgotten all about it! I had blogged every day since since the streak started, over two thousand consecutive posts.

Well as I've said many times lately it's more like an exercise for my brain than it is to actually keep track of what kind of film I'm working on. Lord knows that died off a long time ago. Projects nowadays just seem to hit the talking about stage and die off a quick death from there.

For the past six months it's been about a lack of time and money. Before that it's been a lack of motivation I guess. I don't know the exact reason for sure. Probably a combination of many things at the wrong times.

Well I guess the top news is the death of Whitney Houston today. I've got a hard time sympathizing with her or her indulgent and likely drug induced death. She had a beautiful voice but she traded that away for drugs instead so I don't really call it a tragedy. I'm sure someone will say she was in pain, well so what. Lots of people are in pain daily, lots of people struggle on a daily basis but don't turn to drugs to numb themselves from it.

Her life turned into a train wreck and she struggled a lot. She had a great gift and threw it away. I felt the same way about Heath Ledger, I don't have a lot of sympathy I guess for self indulgent superstars who can't recognize their own talents and choose to take care of them.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Very Good Day!

So today I decided was going to be a good day! The Date and I decided we'd spend it together and we headed to the city. On the way we treated ourselves to Eischen's chicken for lunch.

With full and satisfied bellies we arrived in the city and headed to the big mall. The Date wanted some flannel pajamas and I needed new socks and boxer briefs. We chatted all the way down, and just enjoyed each others company.

We headed to Macy's and found her perfect paid of pajamas and then over to Penny's and found what I needed. It was just nice to get out of town for a while and enjoy my day off. I can't really qualify with words how much I enjoyed today.

After we found what we came for I talked The Date into having a Chinese reflexology massage. She enjoyed the heck out of it! We then headed our weary selves back home where The Date had to work Dinner Theatre tonight. She'll be super tired when she gets back home after working all evening. She'll probably be asleep before she hits her pillow in fact!

Here's to a great day, may we have a lifetime of them!

Thursday, February 09, 2012

I'm Off Tomorrow!

I'm blessed with a job in which I can take every payday off and still earn a little bit of leave. I'm taking tomorrow off for that reason! I'm already off from Walmart so having a real day off from both jobs will help. Once I'm able to quit Walmart then I'll concentrate on building my leave back up again. It won't take long either. In June I'll earn more than I am now and I'll be topped out as far as how much I can get.

That's the hook of this job, they give you more time off each year and more money. Before you know it you've been there forever!

Tonight I'm cooking sweet and sour chicken for Crime Reporter and the family. I do so love to cook, there's something simple in the process. Preparing food for others to share, it's something we all need to do a few times a day. Might as well learn how to do it right:)

Keep an eye towards Syria. Let me tell you the Middle East has always been a powder keg but I am not sure that the public will support another ground incursion. We are war weary right now. We've cleaned up Iraq, Libya, working on Afghanistan, and Iran is always on the horizon. Yes Syria is a bad place and they are killing hundreds of people per day. It needs help but are we really in the position to send that help right now?

Syria is going to explode and that might trigger the strike against Iran that Israel is waiting on. Talk about world war three, that should do it.

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Notes From Walmart

These are just collected mental notes I've made since I've worked at Walmart. They are only based on my observations and my own internal dialogue. They may not reflect reality, just what I perceive people are thinking or doing.

As I'm coming in I see the McDonald's manager chain smoking his life away. He has a defeated look in his eyes as if to say, "Everything has lead me to this, what happened?" He lights another cigarette off of his last one and leans against the wall. I'm sure he's calculating how many he has to smoke before his life is sufficiently shortened to his satisfaction.

You can always tell those customers who have a bit of self awareness from those who don't. You can always tell who is lonely and who isn't. You have the people who have no awareness at all and walk around in their own personal world, customized just for them with McNuggets in the top of the shopping cart and throwing things into the basket as slow as possible. They also will clog up the aisles with no regard to those around them. You don't exist to them because they really don't know anyone is around them.

Usually these people are very overweight. A testament to their sloth and arrogance. "I own this space, it's mine and so is your space. My time is my time and so is your time, the time you wait on me to move from your speedy life. So here I shall stand, in your way, causing your frustration and annoyance."

Then you have the lonely, those who spend hours in the store in the evenings as if picking up the energy of those around them will ease their loneliness. Three or four times a week they need their fix of people. They will put on their best clothes and stroll the entirety of the store. Wanting nothing but to feel connected to something, something other than what they have. Spending time with their friends, the strangers around them. Perhaps holding out the hope of a short conversation with someone, anyone. Sometimes I oblige.

There are those who wish to break free and yet trapped by the job. You might throw me into that category on some level but not with that job, my real job. Those who know they can do better but the years have passed them by faster than they thought possible. What happened when they had the chance? Did they decide on security instead of the unknown. The devil you know I suppose. The ones you have at home depending on you, so you do it and do it and do it. You have fun when you can, you keep busy as if that helps fill the space where fulfillment would have fit nicely.

And that brings to a close a few of my mental notes I've collected over my working career at Walmart. They aren't bad nor good. They are just what I see and due mainly to my boredom and overactive imagination the situations I paint for them.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Two More Days

Yesterday when I got to work at Walmart they had a gap in workers and everything was low or out. One of the managers asked if I'd clock in early and get things caught up since we were busy. I did and I got to come home a bit early!

It was a busy night but it went by fairly fast. I've got two more nights and then I'm off two. I'll have completed nine straight days of Walmart labor. This coming February twenty seventh will be six months. Hard to believe really. Six months.

Hadn't really planned on working there six months but that just goes to show how my plans usually work out, they don't. For whatever reason they never do, something comes up and spoils everything every time.

I'll have Thursday and Friday off though and I'll enjoy that a lot! Then it will be back to the normal schedule I was working, five on two off at Walmart. It's not complicated really as in reality it's always seven days a week at one job or the other.

Monday, February 06, 2012

Meh Game

In ten years will anyone remember this rematch from a few years back? Perhaps not, we'll see. A few miscues on either side and one crucial catch kind of dictated how this game went. It really wasn't that exciting or high scoring.

Both teams played a very controlled style of football. It wasn't a thrilling game such as when the Rams played the Titans and the game ended literally on the one yard line. It wasn't high scoring and it wasn't a blow out.

The commercials had some funny spots and I likely missed the best one because I had to work and showed up in the second quarter.

Work was alright. Busy and one of my coworkers got a DDay or Decision Day. That means they are on Walmart probation. It's a shame too, she works very hard and didn't come back from lunch the day before as she got ill after eating. She's had a rough life and still has a sense of humor about things.

I've been trying to get her to go back to school again and learn to be a X-Ray tech or something along those lines. She said that was her dream job and there's no reason she couldn't accomplish that with some hard work. Not as hard as working the rest of your life at Walmart hard though.

Perhaps this is the bit of motivation she'll need to pursue a better life for herself. I hope so! She's a good person!

While I was at work yesterday The Date and R installed a new porch light! Incredible what a difference a small thing like a porch light makes! She's one of a kind, my love, my wife:)

Sunday, February 05, 2012

Super Fun

Last night was a lot of fun! Haven't been bowling in forever and it was just enjoyable! I bowled an outstanding thirty nine the first game and came in last. The second game I had three fluke strikes in a row and won. Don't know how but I did it.

Tonight is the Super Bowl party and I plan on making buffalo chicken dip. Very simple recipe and it's awesome for sports parties!

A can of chicken breast.
Buffalo wing sauce (your favorite brand)
Ranch dressing (your favorite brand)
Cream cheese
Shredded cheese (your favorite type)
Spice it up with sliced jalapenos.

Put the chicken in a baking dish and use a fork to separate it into smaller pieces. Add in the sauce, the more you use then the spicier it will be. Use the Ranch, the more you use the creamier it is. Put in the cream cheese and shredded cheese. Put it in the oven at three fifty for twenty minutes and it's done!

There are no correct amounts to this recipe. It's all up to your individual taste!

Saturday, February 04, 2012

Super Bowling Saturday

Tonight we are planning on doing something really fun! It's been forever since I've been bowling and I'm sure that The Date will wallop me. She had a bowling class, she knows way more than I do and if I can keep the ball between the gutters I'll be doing good. I'm thinking I can break one hundred!

Piano Genius, R, and Thing 2 will be attempting the ball rolling sport. It should be a lot of fun! I'm really looking forward to seeing how this is going to go!

I've got the dog on my lap, a pulled pork roast in the kitchen that R had a recipe for, and I'm done with my Walmart shift for the day!

Let the ball rolling commence!

Friday, February 03, 2012

Rainy Friday

Yes it's Friday for some, just another workday for me as my first Friday isn't until next Wednesday. Then I'm off from Walmart for two nights.

Anyone noticed lately how Hillary Clinton has taken to wearing Mao suits? She's got her hair combed straight back now, has the little button collar of a dark suit around her throat. Mao would be proud.

Well whatever her reasoning is I'm sure she'll enjoy unemployment this coming November.

I'm into the third book of The Hunger Games and it's alright so far. Second chapter so I can't tell much right now about what's going to happen yet. After this I'm going to attempt War and Peace. Much has been made of the length of that novel however it's really shorter than many novels I've already read. George R. R. Martin's series is longer for example.

Depending on which translation you get it's around twelve hundred to thirteen hundred pages. The Kindle version I got was a tick above twelve hundred. I understand the first hundred pages are a bit tough to get through but it flows after that. We'll see, I'm about three hundred pages from starting it so it'll be soon.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Groundhog Day

Well today is my mother's birthday and it is also groundhog day. When Punxsutawney Phil (yeah I had to look up the spelling) will be held aloft by the mayor or some such office and we'll see if he sees his shadow or not. If he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter if not we get an early spring.

I don't know about you but this entire winter has been pretty much an early spring. Very mild and little in the way of snow or ice. I guess it's making up for last year's very harsh winter. We had it all last year and lots of it!

Regardless of Phil's prognostication this year it's too late for a long cold winter. We might yet see some rain or perhaps even snow but it's too warm to stick around long and it's too late in the winter for spring not to be around the corner.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Not Even Close

Florida decidedly gave the primary to Mitt Romney last night, walloping Newt by double digit numbers. It appears that we'll have a moderate as our nominee this go around. Let's hope that his VP pick is a stalwart conservative and can steer Mr. Romneycare away from such notions in the future.

I'd be thrilled with someone along the lines of Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio, Tom Coburn, or of course Rand Paul. Ron Paul has stated that this is his last hoorah and he won't run for office again. Any of those conservatives would do well to keep Mr. Romney's feet to the fire and on the straight and narrow. I've no love for Mr. Romney, he's plastic and distant but most of the country has little say in the matter.

His election will likely hinge on that VP pick at this point. He pretty much has the nomination wrapped up and while I've no love for Mr. Gingrich's occasional forays into the liberal realm and even less for his personal life the fact is that he just isn't playing well to the people. Romney's defeats have been narrow, his victories massive.

This is our system and until we come up with a better one we'll continue to get candidates such as Romney to guide the country back to prosperity. God help us.