Old and fat....

Early in my youth I determined not to grow old mentally.  There are reasons for this that I will save for another day because it is a novel and not a blog post.  Hopefully I can walk the line between maturing and not growing up mentally.  Some days I do a better job than others.  The line can be easily crossed and is, often.  I have had multiple motorcycles and will own another one before it is all said and done.  I would love to ride cross country. I want to parachute one day and have determined that next summer is my D-Day for this.  This is not a bucket list, or perhaps it is and I am in denial.  Who knows, who cares.  

Sweating the small stuff is generally what suffers with this mentality. We will always have small stuff in our lives and it usually sucks.  It sucks out our life and our enjoyment of the moment.  It can be like a small yapping dog nipping at our heels, all bark no bite.  Yet our mind fears the bite that we perceive is eminent when in truth there is no bite coming.  

Let me encourage you to disconnect from technology.  Take a thermos of your own coffee, perhaps even a book (kindle or nook) and go to a park.  Just go where there is no traffic.  Sitting on your deck or back porch doesn't count.  Get out of your normal zone.  Leave your cell phone in the car or at least mute it (not vibrate) if you must.  Sit and listen to the sounds of nature.  Birds singing, gentle blowing winds and quiet.  It can have the effect of refreshing your soul and recenter what is important in life.  You may even hear kids screaming as they are playing.  Remember when you use to play?  

Come play.....

Gum on your sole (soul)?

Have you ever gotten chewing gum on the sole of your shoe in the summer?  First  you are upset that you didn't see it, maybe feel a little stupid.  Next you call the person who was kind enough to leave the gift for you several names, none good, and may go so fart as to question his upbringing and intellect, as in stupid SOB.  I guess we presume women don't chew gum and if they do they don't leave it in the parking lot.  That is a misconception.  If there is an SOB then someone has to be a B, 'nuff said.

There is also 'gum' that gets attached to our lives and to our souls.  We get just as mad at ourselves and then at the situation that we stepped in.  Getting gum off the soul of our shoes can be easier only because we can visibility see when it is removed.  When it is attached to our lives it is not so easy to see it gone.  We can feel like we have removed it all, but there will be moments when we say, "I'm not so sure, I still feel a little......"

I guess we have choices at this time.  Do we just give up?  Do we keep trying to get the damn thing out of our live?  Do we accept it and learn to live with it?  You see the gum in our lives is usually attached to someone in our life.  So there in lies the quandary my friend.  What price are we willing to  pay to remove the gum.  I don't believe we can get the gum out of our lives totally without being called a SOB or a B by someone.

Learn as much as we can.  Be as educated as we can be. Live a long life and we are still just dodging gum in the parking lot.

Did you ever have a day...

Did you ever have a day where every slow car you encountered was in your lane.  Not only where they in your lane but they pulled out of a store onto the highway to get in your lane and slow down.  Did you ever have a day where everything seem to irritate you?  Where you even irritated yourself?  Yesterday was one of those for me.  In case some of the drivers I faced yesterday were confused whether they should be Heaven or Hell, I made sure they saw my vote for which direction I thought they should go.

On a different subject my job sends through the back roads of Georgia occasionally and yesterday was one of those days.  I stopped at a 1 stoplight town that had a McDonalds, which was attached to the side of a gas station/convenient store.  I ordered my meal and my usual dollar sweet tea.  Now the tea is so sweet I normally add a little un-sweet tea in my cup.  I didn't see any un-sweet at the drink station so I asked the career minded associates and was informed "We don't have un-sweet tea here."  My friends that is the deep south. I ate in the car with my doors locked.

I see unique signs for eateries while I am on the road.  I saw the sign below.  I bet you they don't have un-sweet either :-)

I also found my new favorite lunch place ;-).

Now if I would combine the two it would heaven on earth, LOL.

Today

It's not yesterday, it's not tomorrow yet it is the most important day we have. Decisions made today effect the following days, months and years. There are times I wished, like I am sure we all do, that someone would have grabbed me by my lapels and say "What the hell are you thinking?".  Now we just have hindsight and that sucks. Decisions we make usually not only effect us but others as well.  The decisions that effect others may, and often does, leads to confrontation.  And someone gets hurts.  If it is the other person, does that mean we are selfish?  If it is us does that mean we are weak? I had better move on and make a decision, the person behind me in line at Starbucks is getting restless.  :-)

International...

I can see what country people are from that look read this thing.  Are you ready to be surprised:

Pageviews by Countries United States 67 Russia 3 Germany 1

Compromise...

At what age do we become so accustomed to making compromises we forget who we are.  We forget what we are.  We forget that we don't have to make compromises?  One thing that should come with age is the ability to say no to ourselves and to others.  Being raised southern can be a great disadvantage in this area of our life.  I think I am tired of compromise.  I would rather grow old alone that compromise.  I don't want to 'blend' any more.  I want to be the unique person I am.  Alone....I can do it well if need be.  But I am done compromising.  Be who you are, stand for what you believe in, speak what is in your heart and let the chips fall where they may.  Just remember you will no longer be in the chips that fall, you will be the reason they fell.

Definition of COMPROMISE

1

a : settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessionsb : something intermediate between or blending qualities of two different things

2

: a concession to something derogatory or prejudicial <acompromise of principles>

ok...so what to write

Yesterday I was driving to Statesboro, GA for my job.  I drive some of the more rural areas and it is not unusual to see people of all ages riding bicycles along side the road.  But yesterday it was special.  I saw the same person 3 times.  Going to Statesboro he was riding one of these.  Yes a girls bike.
His right leg was amputated just below the knee.  He had a cigarette in one had and a cup of hot coffee in the other.  As he would take a puff of the cigarette or a sip from his coffee the bike would wobble.  But to his credit he was keeping a fairly brisk pace.  On the way back to Savannah he was going home (I  presume) and his pace was much faster because he was not smoking or drinking while driving.  As fate would have it I had to return to Statesboro and sure enough there he was.  This time he had a friend that was walking beside him. If you have ever tried to ride a bike and keep the pace with a person who is casually walking you know how challenging that can be.  Regardless my friend was up to the challenge.  With the slower pace the bike was wobbling more than the first time and his artificial leg was coming off the pedal frequently.  To his credit he did not spill his coke in a Styrofoam cup.  His friend had the same Coke cup.  On my return trip to Savannah I did not seem him.  I hope he made it home it time to give his daughter back her bike when she got home from school.

With...

Every closed door...is an open door.  With mistakes come learning.  With peace come more peace.  With understanding...never mind this one.  With life comes failures and successes.  As King Solomon said....to every thing there is a season and a purpose under heaven.  Just wished I knew what that is.

In Honor

This is in Honor of my Father who passed away September 13th four years ago.  A quiet man who had more genuine faith than any person I have known.  Dad you are still missed very much.

well finally

Here I sit at age 55 and I believe that I finally have the beginning of understand me.  When I say that I mean what draws me to other people and to certain type of women.  I am not going into details here.  I am reminded of the phrase Bill Murray's character kept saying in his movie What About Bob, 'baby steps...baby steps'.  I am not saying I have arrived by any means.  It is like when you wake up in the morning and slightly open one eye.  That's me, I am still in bed peeking out with one eye, but I at least know if the sun is shining.

1/2 empty....1/2 full....or just full of it...

There are days where when you wake up you feel alright and perhaps the day will be good.  Whether it turns out that way the day has been started with a somewhat positive outlook.  Then there are the days where, for whatever reason, the day just doesn't feel right. So you wait for the day to be revealed.  You walk with trepidation about what each next step, email, text or phone call will bring.

Then there are the days where everyone you have contact with just seems full of it.  So their being full of it makes it harder for us who just want to ease through the day with no complications.  Having come to this observation, I now have to ask myself 'Am I acting like I am full of it?'  This is were age is in my favor.  I can get to be an old man just because I can.  I can complain to the manager of McDonalds that their sweet tea is not  sweet.  Trust me I know sweet tea.  Just because I am old, also known as mature.

So as you start your day, ask yourself "Am I 1/2 empty, 1/2 full or just full of it?"

Pictures of downtown Savannah

 Tree lined streets, beautiful parks and squares and very interesting fountains and statues.  Enjoy.

Sandpaper

I have recently shaved off my goatee and then the part I left just on my chin. So I thought I would start exfoliating.  Oh my good Lord.  I should just get some 20 grit sandpaper and scrub away.  I thought if it was good enough for my cheeks, nose and chin that I should do my forehead.  OUCH. But on the plus side it does make shaving easier. I am trying to look younger without trying to look like I am trying but I fear the red chapped face is giving me away.

Pictures

I took some pictures of Savannah and will be posting them either tonight or tomorrow.

Waitress well not really

I had breakfast at McDonalds today because I was out early on a call.  The lady behind the counter was nice and was of Hispanic descent.  When she gave me back my change (which was a FIVE dollar bill) she pronounced it 'Fi'.  As I ate breakfast I realized it sounded like Pi.  I should have asked her what a Fi was. I understand the need to hire Hispanics, for the NON-english speaking Hispanics that eat there.

The above incident would have been mostly ignored but when she brought me my breakfast platter and I said she could remove the butter from my tray because I don't use it.  She laughed as she took it off the tray.  Was she laughing at me?  It certainly was not with me.

I should have held my hand up and asked her to give me "Fi"!  :-)

McDonalds Breakfast

I decided to go to McDonalds today and splurge on breakfast.  I mean how many days in a row can you eat cereal for breakfast?  I had my iPad reading about Sherman and listening to music minding my own business.  It is a small McDonalds, I was sitting near the rear door.  In walks a man of the Asian persuasion talking on his cell phone rather loudly.  I could hear him clearly over my ear buds.  Knowing the road noise outside was loud I gave him a couple of steps to lower his voice.  He did not.  He was not speaking in English but his native dialect.  He turned and looked at me as if to say 'What?'.  Without hesitation I looked at him and said 'Yaba daba doo' and smiled.  He was not very appreciative of my knowledge of Yogi Bear.

Today

This is  my favorite time of the year.  The weather is absolutely delightful.  I love drinking coffee outside in the cool morning air with my iPad.

1. Eat breakfast
2. Do laundry
3. Pay parking ticket
4. Take camera downtown and take pictures.  I will post these online so you can see them.
5. Eat dinner at Alligator Soul - downtown Savannah

It has been a slow week, work wise but the overtime hasn't been too bad plus I get time and a half for working on Labor day.  I am still reading two books on my iPad - General Sherman's Christmas:  Savannah 1864 and Too Big to Fail.

The headphones that was included in the deal for my HP webOS Touchpad absolutely ROCK.  So I listen to music when I  reading, till I stop reading and start singing (but not out loud).  I have inherited the singing voice of my father.

I found out that Buddy Guy will be in Gainesville, FL April 21st next year and  I am so going to be there.  I've heard B. B. King in concert.  I must hear Buddy Guy, he is 74.  One of the songs on his new album is '74 Years Young'.   So in six months I get to two great blues players, Joe Bonamassa (he opened for B. B. King when he was 12!) and Buddy Guy.  That rocks!!

To the manager of the Reebok outlet

You seem to a pleasant individual.  You were helpful but not overly so.  You made suggestions but were not overbearing.  BUT someone needs to tell you that you are losing your hair.  Both in the front and around the crown.  Having said that they should also tell you that a mullet is not the best look for that.  Except you didn't actually have a mullet. They should also tell you that a  pony tail doesn't work for you either, accept 'IT' was not actually a pony tail either.  The only thing I can tell you about 'IT', what ever 'IT' is, that 'IT' appeared to be Jheri curled. 'IT' appeared to be about a foot long with the curl, how long is 'IT' without the Jheri curl?   I apologize for staring and glad you didn't see me.  'IT' was narrow, 2 inches wide at the most. 'IT' confused me, were you an old rocker who can't grasp the  reality of your age or are you really trying to stay 'hip'?  Either way 'IT' ain't working.  If 'IT' is working for you can I please have a picture of the women 'IT' works on?  You know what they say is in front of every pony tail, is a horses ass.

Gentlemen can we talk?

Gentlemen, your pants should not have an adjective in their name.  Putter and comfortable should not be said unless you are describing someone's golf game.  Young men, if your 'shorts' hem is just above your ankles...you are wearing clam diggers (google it) and not men shorts.  Deal with it.  If your t-shirt comes to your knees you have a dress on.  I have noticed that people who wear their hats to one side and tilted often have a crooked view of life.  Why are you wearing expensive clothes yet never have any money?  I come back to the tilted hat again.  Do you call everyone brother because you really think they may be?  I'm just sayin'......

I can't make this up

The following is something I wrote over a month ago, perhaps 2 months now.  And they say rednecks are from the south.  The following is absolutely true but the names have been changed to protect...well not the innocent.  Welcome to my world as it was then....

First you have to know the players: 

Step-grandson:  AKA Spanky

Step-grandson’s GF:  AKA The Misses or sleeping beauty.

The other guy living here:  AKA Jethro  (this is where the redneck part starts Jethro is the brother of Spanky’s ex-girlfriend)  (I can’t make this stuff up).  He is the only one gainfully employed and does occasionally buy groceries.

Shed Boy:  Person who wants to rent our shed, friend of Spanky.

Terms you should be aware of:  DKDC – don’t know don’t care

Foreign Aid:  Direct financial aid Spanky and gang

Domestic Aid:  Household expenses

Spanky and The Misses share a room and Jethro has the 3^rd bedroom.  Spanky is unemployed but attending a Technical School to become a Medical office assistant.  The Misses is attending the same school to become –well I don’t really know.  Jethro does not have a car but is transported to work and back and everywhere else by Spanky.    Who is funded by my wife.  I don’t contribute anything to foreign aid except groceries and utilities that is getting cut back.  Spanky had a job working for walmart in the electronics department but was caught stealing.  Well as my wife put it, he didn’t actually steal the iPod.  No he just gave it to someone he knew was going to steal it.  See the difference.  HUH?  Since then he has lived on foreign aid and I do not contribute to foreign aid.

Spanky’s trunk’s two rear side windows, not full size ones, have been broken out and are covered with black duct tape.  His chrome tool box sits about 30 feet from the road and about 10 feet beside his truck.  Clearly visible from the road.  We also have an 89 Ford Bronco with front hitch chained to a tree beside the driveway.  It does not have an engine, no block.  We do have engine parts and the seats in the garage.  It has no top of any type.  This vehicle belongs to The Misses brother, I think.  Spanky drives my wife’s Mitsubishi spyder convertible.  It gets better gas mileage than the truck.  Oh and he has completely removed the exhaust system from the truck.  I don’t know why.  Spanky has a dog but guess who feeds it, takes it out, etc.  Not him and not me.  Hard to take the dog out in the morning when you don’t wake up til noon.

Jethro just appeared one day with Spanky’s truck full of furniture.  I figured he was helping move The Misses furniture here.  Then I discovered he was actually living here in the 3^rd bedroom.  Remember he is Spanky’s ex-GF’s brother.  He does have a dirt bike but has no insurance, no plates and no front light on the motorcycle. 

Shed boy.  One day about a week ago I noticed Spanky cleaning out the shed.  It is a nice brick shed but it has rafters and was built by the original owners in the lowest part of the back yard.  When it rains the shed gets about 2 inches or so in parts of the floor.  It does have electricity but no water, no plumbing, no windows that open.  It has nothing but vermin, bugs and the occasional snake passing thru.  Everything that was in the shed is either leaned up beside the shed, in the bed of Spanky’s truck or in the garage.  And that is how the toilet got in the back yard. I was informed that Shed Boy wanted to rent the shed.  Shed is still empty and no one living there yet, will keep you  updated on this development.

Please feel free to ask questions or for specific pictures. 

 

dogs and such

At one time we had 5 dogs at the house and 3 of them were mine.  Two rescues and a Snorkie.  When I relocated to Savannah I had to find the Snorkie, Sami, a new home so onto Craigslist we go.  I found a lady who had been looking for a Snorkie after doing research put couldn't afford to buy one.  She had 2 other small dogs and recently lost a dog due to disease.  Any way she has started a blog for Sami.  It just feels so great to find out one your pets has a great new home.  So now there are 4 dogs in the house.  I still need to find Frankie a good home.  She is a short border collie looking dog with a curled up tail, except when she runs and that tail straightens out a ships sail under windy conditions.  It reminds me of a rudder.  Frankie doesn't come up to my knee but she is as strong as an ox.  Poor child is bow legged and pigeon toed.  But she has never ever met a stranger.  Dogs have a unique way of touching one's soul.  Cesar believes in calm assertive, and I do to but I was raised also to believe that if I have the fear of God place in me I would mind better as well. :-)

 

ok...so...like...ummmm...i know right

If you were a teenager you and I just had a conversation.  So a couple of weeks ago I bought an HP tablet, you know the ones they stopped making.  Well I purchased it at Best Buy for $99 dollars.  I decided this week that I didn't like it as much as my iPad 1 that I have so I listed it on Craigslist.   Within in an hour I sold it for $150 cash plus a a pair of Klipsch One headsets.  They are the best I have ever had.  The bass is amazing.  They sell on eBay for around $50 so I think I did well.  It was encouraging none the less. 

Ok, let's try this...

Instead of finding a therapist I am going to start an online journal.  Nothing too personal as to embarrass but open and out there.  That is where I live...out there.  So buckle up and get ready for a boring ride.  You must be at least 42 inches in height to get on this ride.  No small children, Pregnant women or people with heart or back problems allowed.  If you are offended easily then this is not the blog for you to follow.  I am sure at one time or another I will touch the Ark of your Covenant and offend you.  Please don't take it personally as I don't take it personally when I offend you ;-).

Although a funny person with a quick wit and finding humor in the small things that red necks find funny.  Why red necks, because I live in the south.  I don't care for yankees and I don't care how they did anything up there.  Interstate 95 goes both ways.  If it is so great then go back.  We liked it here before you came down.  Give me a bubba with a jacked up truck who dips and I'll show you someone who will be more real than any yankee.  Bubba won't be pretentious.  Hard to be when your home has more wheels than your truck ;-).

There may be days with multiple posts and then some days I don't post a thing.  Deal with it.

Later