While my Toyota Avalon is in the shop being given a whole vehicle makeover (or nearly so), I am driving a Dodge Magnum wagon, rented for me by the company that is doing the work on my Avalon. The Dodge Magnum looks like it is pissed off...an angry automobile. It was, no doubt, designed to be bad-ass looker...something teenagers would covet and to which they would affix loud mufflers, lots of chrome, and painted flames along the sides. The one I'm driving is black, with tiny flecks of silver. I couldn't find one on the web that looks quite like that, but here's a link to a picture of a Magnum.
The black version I am driving actually is appealing, visually. Driving it, though, is like driving a tank whose steering is very, very loose. And it's loud...inside, it sounds like the engine noise has been amplified and is routed through the sound system. If I were given the opportunity, I could give Dodge some very good pointers about how to improve the vehicle's appearance and, more importantly, how to improve the driving experience. First thing, they should give the job of redesigning the car to Toyota, Honda, or some other foreign automaker that has proven itself competent. Raising the rear roofline would help, as would replacing the engine with something much more quiet. And adding sound deadening insulation would be a sure bet to improve the driving experience. Better, tighter steering, along with a less choppy ride would help.
Oh well, Dodge won't ask me. I'm not going to buy one of these beasts, but I do like the concept of the sports wagon. If I can't have a Honda Element (which I have not driven, but which I like more and more every time I see one), then at least I can dream of wagons and things.
Enough for tonight...I have time to waste!
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Another Time Tired
Not sure why, but I am tired again...enough that I won't have the energy to do another burst of words. So, no blog worth its salt tonight. Soon, I will write a big splash, but not tonight. Good night, everyone.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Voices & Wishes & Horses & Wings & Carnage
OK, I'm becoming a bit of a geek. I stumbled across an interesting little Java script yesterday and have incorporated it into my Internet Resources Page (linked to the right where it reads "See my Internet resource page.") If you go to that page, you'll see at the bottom of the left hand column "Move your mouse over this to hear the voice of the Geezer." If you do, indeed, move your mouse over it, you will begin downloading a wav file of my voice saying something inane. It's really pretty slick, though, and seeing all of the stuff that Java script can do, along with various other sorts of programming languages, etc., makes me want to learn to do some of the "stuff."
For example, as of now, all of our databases are strictly Access-based and are not usable on or from the web. If I knew more, I could perhaps link them, but that's not the direction I want to go. I'd like to have all sorts of functionality online, enabling clients to update their own records, etc. That would enable me to streamline lots of stuff and would enable me to either have a smaller staff or accomplish more with the staff I have. Of course, this supposes I will stay in this business. No guarantee of that. I wish I could snap my fingers and make some of these things happen. Which reminds me of something my wife once said, as she was trying to remember the phrase "If wishes were horses then beggars would ride." She didn't get it quite right, though, and it came out: "If wishes were horses we'd all have wings." I laughed for a week. I still laugh whenever I remember it.
Now on to something entirely different. I heard someone, whose name escapes me, being interviewed on the radio about his life's work. He was asked whether he had ever thought how he would like his obituary to read; his response (which was wonderfully funny) led me to write my own ideal obituary in his style, absent the niceties:
If someone finds my blog by doing a search on the internet, I can find out which search words they used to find it. I've been surprised during the last couple of months; at least four times, people have landed on archived postings dealing with the pronunciation of turmeric. Their search terms? They have entered into Google, with no quotation marks, pronounce turmeric. And there it is!
For example, as of now, all of our databases are strictly Access-based and are not usable on or from the web. If I knew more, I could perhaps link them, but that's not the direction I want to go. I'd like to have all sorts of functionality online, enabling clients to update their own records, etc. That would enable me to streamline lots of stuff and would enable me to either have a smaller staff or accomplish more with the staff I have. Of course, this supposes I will stay in this business. No guarantee of that. I wish I could snap my fingers and make some of these things happen. Which reminds me of something my wife once said, as she was trying to remember the phrase "If wishes were horses then beggars would ride." She didn't get it quite right, though, and it came out: "If wishes were horses we'd all have wings." I laughed for a week. I still laugh whenever I remember it.
Now on to something entirely different. I heard someone, whose name escapes me, being interviewed on the radio about his life's work. He was asked whether he had ever thought how he would like his obituary to read; his response (which was wonderfully funny) led me to write my own ideal obituary in his style, absent the niceties:
John Geezer, age 143, was killed yesterday following a duel after being challenged over the affections of a young woman. Geezer's challenger, a man 90 years younger than he, confronted Geezer and accused him of seducing the young woman away from him with lies and treachery. Geezer denied the charge with a wink and a nod, but suggested that, had it been true, it would have been understandable that the young woman would have preferred him to the challenger, considering the scoundrel's limited intelligence and sexual inadequacy.
The challenger was the first injured in the fray, with Geezer's bullet grazing his temple, while the challenger's bullet failed to find its target. Both men abandoned their pistols after the first shots were fired, continuing on with swords. It was then that Geezer's superior age failed him, as his aggressor's agility allowed him to plunge the blade into Geezer's heart, ending his life in an instant. The challenger's sweet victory was short-lived, though, as the young woman whose honor he had questioned pulled the sword from Geezer's chest, swung it at his neck, and laughed as his head fell to the ground from his severed neck.
If someone finds my blog by doing a search on the internet, I can find out which search words they used to find it. I've been surprised during the last couple of months; at least four times, people have landed on archived postings dealing with the pronunciation of turmeric. Their search terms? They have entered into Google, with no quotation marks, pronounce turmeric. And there it is!
Internet Resource Center...Fixed
I discovered that the Internet Resource Center I wrote about yesterday was uttlerly useless to users of Mozilla...so, I recreated it using legitimate HTML coding software (previously, I had simply saved a MS Word document as a web file). Anyway, the resource center is now readable by Mozilla users...apologies to those who may have thought the problem was on their end...it was not.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Internet Resource Center
The computers at my office all have been set to open a resource page whenever the internet browser is opened; all staff have the same resource page, which is then linked to various client resources, their websites, etc.
Having done that at my office, I thought it would be valuable to do the same for my PC at home. I'm not a fan of the "favorites," as getting them organized just the way I like is not as easy as I'd like and having an enormous drop-down list doesn't appeal to me. So, I created my own personal internet resource page. On the assumption that some who read this blog from time to time might have similar interests, I've posted a modified version of the resource page so anyone with access to the internet can access the resource page. A link to the page is posted in the upper right corner of this blog (See my Internet Resource Page). You can also view the resource page by clicking here. I'm perfectly willing to add other links that I find valuable, so if you have suggestions, by all means let me havfe them. On my personal page on my home computer, I have a long list of restaurants my wife and I have visited or want to visit, with links to their websites or reviews in local papers. I figure most readers of this blog are not local, so I removed them...so there is plenty of space for things that are of interest to you. Many of the media links are to local media, too...but I figure you can always get value by visiting media sites.
Having done that at my office, I thought it would be valuable to do the same for my PC at home. I'm not a fan of the "favorites," as getting them organized just the way I like is not as easy as I'd like and having an enormous drop-down list doesn't appeal to me. So, I created my own personal internet resource page. On the assumption that some who read this blog from time to time might have similar interests, I've posted a modified version of the resource page so anyone with access to the internet can access the resource page. A link to the page is posted in the upper right corner of this blog (See my Internet Resource Page). You can also view the resource page by clicking here. I'm perfectly willing to add other links that I find valuable, so if you have suggestions, by all means let me havfe them. On my personal page on my home computer, I have a long list of restaurants my wife and I have visited or want to visit, with links to their websites or reviews in local papers. I figure most readers of this blog are not local, so I removed them...so there is plenty of space for things that are of interest to you. Many of the media links are to local media, too...but I figure you can always get value by visiting media sites.
Friday, November 25, 2005
My Wife Makes Wonderful Food
I mentioned yesterday the menu wife and I planned for Thanksgiving...most of the work was done by my wife. She is an exceptionally good cook...chef is the better term.
We had almost all of the food I described, except the yeast rolls. That turned out to be too much. Everything was fanstastic. The turkey was, indeed, very moist and tasty, courtesy I suppose of the citrus stuffing.
We had a nice wine with dinner, too, a German white wine called Grauer Burgunder Trocken, which I learned by a bit of internet research is the same thing as what is known as Pinot Grigio in Italian wines. Nice dry wine, held up well to the spiciness of the brocolli and rice casserole (lots of hot stuff in it).
It's late in the evening (actually, it may still be Thanksgiving, but it's almost morning), so I am going to call it a night. Maybe I'll write more mundane stuff tomorrow, maybe not.
We had almost all of the food I described, except the yeast rolls. That turned out to be too much. Everything was fanstastic. The turkey was, indeed, very moist and tasty, courtesy I suppose of the citrus stuffing.
We had a nice wine with dinner, too, a German white wine called Grauer Burgunder Trocken, which I learned by a bit of internet research is the same thing as what is known as Pinot Grigio in Italian wines. Nice dry wine, held up well to the spiciness of the brocolli and rice casserole (lots of hot stuff in it).
It's late in the evening (actually, it may still be Thanksgiving, but it's almost morning), so I am going to call it a night. Maybe I'll write more mundane stuff tomorrow, maybe not.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Taste Buds Waiting Impatiently
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today, my wife and I will make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, something we have not done for quite awhile. The menu will include a roast 10-3/4 pound turkey, pumpkin soup, gravy, cornbread stuffing (outside the bird), cranberry sauce (whole berry version for me, gellatined version for my wife), broccoli & rice casserole, and yeast rolls. Last year, at Christmas, I gave my wife a gift she had long sought; a double oven. Two ovens will come in handy for today's meal.
A woman who works for us mentioned the way she roasts turkey and she swears it makes the entire bird really moist, so we're going to give it a shot (though not exactly the way she does it). She advises peeling an orange, a grapefruit, and a lemon, cutting them up into chunks, and stuffing the bird's cavity with them. She then cooks the bird at 250F, one hour per pound. We'll probably kick up the heat and reduce the cooking time, but we will do the citrus.
Speaking of food, I have a hankering for highly spiced vegetarian stir-fry of my own creation and for seafood. Not today, of course. But soon, perhaps this weekend, I will create my own version of stir-fry: broccoli, cauliflower, water chestnuts, onions, carrots, cabbage, zuccini, radishes, cilantro, snow peas, and assorted other stuff that may come to mind. I cook all but the last five ingredients in a mixture of fish oil, hoison sauce, and vegetable oil (a tablespoon or two each) on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the veggies just begin to soften, then I add the remaining ingredients, plus various peppers (red Thai peppers are good, but crushed red pepper flakes will do the trick, too). When the entire mixture is of the proper degree of tenderness (it's a personal thing, I think), dish it up. Sometimes I eat it with steamed rice, but it's fine on its own. If a bit more zip is required, drizzle on some Srirachi sauce (the orange sauce in a bottle with a rooster on it).
As for seafood...lots of possibilities. Shrimp ceviche is wonderful and easy...peel and devein shrimp and cover them with lime juice, diced jalapeños, diced onion, cilantro, diced tomatoes, and refrigerate overnight. If you can get your hands on fine Alaskan halibut, it's even better than shrimp. Ahi tuna, encrusted with cracked pepper and quickly seared but left very rare is wonderful. Poblano pepper stuffed with a mixture of shrimp, flounder, and feta cheese and baked quickly so the pepper is still a bit crunchy but the seafood is cooked and the cheese melted is also good. I could go on for years about seafood...or any food, I suppose. That's the reason I have to get into a regular exercise regimen.
Today, my wife and I will make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, something we have not done for quite awhile. The menu will include a roast 10-3/4 pound turkey, pumpkin soup, gravy, cornbread stuffing (outside the bird), cranberry sauce (whole berry version for me, gellatined version for my wife), broccoli & rice casserole, and yeast rolls. Last year, at Christmas, I gave my wife a gift she had long sought; a double oven. Two ovens will come in handy for today's meal.
A woman who works for us mentioned the way she roasts turkey and she swears it makes the entire bird really moist, so we're going to give it a shot (though not exactly the way she does it). She advises peeling an orange, a grapefruit, and a lemon, cutting them up into chunks, and stuffing the bird's cavity with them. She then cooks the bird at 250F, one hour per pound. We'll probably kick up the heat and reduce the cooking time, but we will do the citrus.
Speaking of food, I have a hankering for highly spiced vegetarian stir-fry of my own creation and for seafood. Not today, of course. But soon, perhaps this weekend, I will create my own version of stir-fry: broccoli, cauliflower, water chestnuts, onions, carrots, cabbage, zuccini, radishes, cilantro, snow peas, and assorted other stuff that may come to mind. I cook all but the last five ingredients in a mixture of fish oil, hoison sauce, and vegetable oil (a tablespoon or two each) on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the veggies just begin to soften, then I add the remaining ingredients, plus various peppers (red Thai peppers are good, but crushed red pepper flakes will do the trick, too). When the entire mixture is of the proper degree of tenderness (it's a personal thing, I think), dish it up. Sometimes I eat it with steamed rice, but it's fine on its own. If a bit more zip is required, drizzle on some Srirachi sauce (the orange sauce in a bottle with a rooster on it).
As for seafood...lots of possibilities. Shrimp ceviche is wonderful and easy...peel and devein shrimp and cover them with lime juice, diced jalapeños, diced onion, cilantro, diced tomatoes, and refrigerate overnight. If you can get your hands on fine Alaskan halibut, it's even better than shrimp. Ahi tuna, encrusted with cracked pepper and quickly seared but left very rare is wonderful. Poblano pepper stuffed with a mixture of shrimp, flounder, and feta cheese and baked quickly so the pepper is still a bit crunchy but the seafood is cooked and the cheese melted is also good. I could go on for years about seafood...or any food, I suppose. That's the reason I have to get into a regular exercise regimen.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Man says they're not rats...they're squirrels
Pest control guy came back this morning...they had put out traps, poison, etc. two or more weeks ago, yet I continue to hear scraping, galloping, running, THINGS up in the attic. I called pest control guy, explaining my deep unhappiness with the results of their efforts. He came by this morning. He checked the poison stations (they don't like using poison...afraid rats corpses will get trapped inside walls, creating horrific odors; I share the concern, but since traps were ineffective, I allowed as how they should invade the attic with shotguns or use poison and they opted for the latter) and found that they hadn't been touched. So, he announced, our intruders are not rats, but squirrels.
I'm a little less concerned, but only slightly. I want the bastards gone. I want them out. I want to know where they get in and I want it fixed. I want to blow in new insulation, as the beasts have beat it down so every leaf falling onto the roof now sounds like a nuclear explosion. I'm certain the electricity and gas bills are higher as a result of the beasts, too.
Maybe Friday or Saturday, I will go to Home Depot or some such place and get a squirrel trap. The pest control guy doesn't do squirrels, but he says the traps are effective and don't harm the animals. At this point, I'm ready to have squirrel chile, but I guess I don't want the little buggers to squeel in pain, either.
That's my pre-Thanksgiving-Day story. What an amazingly exciting life I lead. It's almost too much to deal with. Oh boy.
I'm a little less concerned, but only slightly. I want the bastards gone. I want them out. I want to know where they get in and I want it fixed. I want to blow in new insulation, as the beasts have beat it down so every leaf falling onto the roof now sounds like a nuclear explosion. I'm certain the electricity and gas bills are higher as a result of the beasts, too.
Maybe Friday or Saturday, I will go to Home Depot or some such place and get a squirrel trap. The pest control guy doesn't do squirrels, but he says the traps are effective and don't harm the animals. At this point, I'm ready to have squirrel chile, but I guess I don't want the little buggers to squeel in pain, either.
That's my pre-Thanksgiving-Day story. What an amazingly exciting life I lead. It's almost too much to deal with. Oh boy.
Clearing the Weeds in the Office
The three work days this week are dedicated, at least in part, to turning my office into a more livable place. I have allowed everyone, including myself, to be messy to the point of insanity...boxes strewn all about the office, piles upon piles of papers, nothing organized in any sort of logical fashion. Things are hidden in plain sight. Supplies are purchased because we cannot find those that are right before us. In my defense, and in the defense of our staff, we have been godawful busy. But that's no defense. So, this week we are throwing unused materials out (thanks to Marilyn on our staff and her engineer boyfriend, most of the paper goods have been carted away to be recycled). And we have an enormous pile of boxes in my office that will be hauled away tomorrow to the storage space we rent nearby.
Velma, our steady, hardworking lady who is unflappable in the most trying circumstances, has invited her son-in-law to visit with his pickup truck and take the boxes to the storage space. Velma was born and reared in the Rio Grande Valley; she is of Mexican descent and speaks Spanish fluently (though many in her family do not speak English and she seems to refuse to require her children to speak Spanish).
I suspect that, once the weeds are cleared, our office will be a friendlier place to be and an easier place to like. It just gets depressing seeing masses upon masses of paper, strewn about in utter randomness.
I have plans to paint the walls in the office in the near-term. Another effort to elevate the mood (mostly mine) and get people feeling good about being shut inside.
Next steps will include, most decidedly, heavy efforts to find new business. That's a must. We're looking at ending this year with at least a $16,000 loss, not something we can tolerate long. We need new business and we need someone to devote fulltime to our own for-profit association. Absent that, we will go under, no doubt. How I will pay for that someone is anyone's guess. How I will find someone I can trust is even tougher. I have had two...make that three...people dedicated to the association and none of them have done anything like the job they should have done. I MUST stop talking about it and do something...fast.
I have to clear all the weeds and redirect, fast, or lose more than I can afford to lose. Focus. Focus. That means I need to devote blog time to business. Or I need a new life.
I have an idea...how does "Street Coffee" sound? Don't share the term...don't share the idea. More on this Australian-inspired idea soon.
Velma, our steady, hardworking lady who is unflappable in the most trying circumstances, has invited her son-in-law to visit with his pickup truck and take the boxes to the storage space. Velma was born and reared in the Rio Grande Valley; she is of Mexican descent and speaks Spanish fluently (though many in her family do not speak English and she seems to refuse to require her children to speak Spanish).
I suspect that, once the weeds are cleared, our office will be a friendlier place to be and an easier place to like. It just gets depressing seeing masses upon masses of paper, strewn about in utter randomness.
I have plans to paint the walls in the office in the near-term. Another effort to elevate the mood (mostly mine) and get people feeling good about being shut inside.
Next steps will include, most decidedly, heavy efforts to find new business. That's a must. We're looking at ending this year with at least a $16,000 loss, not something we can tolerate long. We need new business and we need someone to devote fulltime to our own for-profit association. Absent that, we will go under, no doubt. How I will pay for that someone is anyone's guess. How I will find someone I can trust is even tougher. I have had two...make that three...people dedicated to the association and none of them have done anything like the job they should have done. I MUST stop talking about it and do something...fast.
I have to clear all the weeds and redirect, fast, or lose more than I can afford to lose. Focus. Focus. That means I need to devote blog time to business. Or I need a new life.
I have an idea...how does "Street Coffee" sound? Don't share the term...don't share the idea. More on this Australian-inspired idea soon.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Glenn Mitchell Died
I'm writing this to document the day I learned Glenn Mitchell died. He actually died yesterday at his home.
I never met Glenn Mitchell, but I felt like I knew him well and I truly enjoyed his company. He was host of a noon-time talk show on KERA 90.1, an NPR station in Dallas. His daily shows were always interesting, due in part to his very interesting guests but due, in larger part, to his ease with them and his intellect. On Fridays, the first half of his two-hour show would be the "Anything You Ever Wanted to Know..." portion. Listeners would call in with questions...about anything...and other listeners or Glenn or someone on the KERA staff would attempt to answer them. Those shows were wonderful. His 'Christmas Blockbuster' was an annual event; 20 hours, I think, of nonstop Christmas music, most of it very odd and off-beat. That's where I first heard 'Santa, I Want a Goat for Christmas.' I had, for years, thought his show would be a shoo-in favorite if it went national. I learned today that a trial was scheduled for XM satellite radio, beginning next February.
When I heard that he had died, my first reaction was disbelief, then an amazing sadness. Tears came to my eyes; this guy I've never met was like a good friend. Today, I have read and heard so many others say the same thing. He'll be sorely missed.
I never met Glenn Mitchell, but I felt like I knew him well and I truly enjoyed his company. He was host of a noon-time talk show on KERA 90.1, an NPR station in Dallas. His daily shows were always interesting, due in part to his very interesting guests but due, in larger part, to his ease with them and his intellect. On Fridays, the first half of his two-hour show would be the "Anything You Ever Wanted to Know..." portion. Listeners would call in with questions...about anything...and other listeners or Glenn or someone on the KERA staff would attempt to answer them. Those shows were wonderful. His 'Christmas Blockbuster' was an annual event; 20 hours, I think, of nonstop Christmas music, most of it very odd and off-beat. That's where I first heard 'Santa, I Want a Goat for Christmas.' I had, for years, thought his show would be a shoo-in favorite if it went national. I learned today that a trial was scheduled for XM satellite radio, beginning next February.
When I heard that he had died, my first reaction was disbelief, then an amazing sadness. Tears came to my eyes; this guy I've never met was like a good friend. Today, I have read and heard so many others say the same thing. He'll be sorely missed.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Theatre
Last night, my wife and I went to a play entitled Humpty Dumpty at the WaterTower Theatre in Addison. The play, which was written by Eric Bogosian, was staged by a company called Second Thought Theatre, which was formed in 2003 by a group of five actors and playwrights, most of whom got their theatrical training in the Baylor University fine arts department program. The fact that the play was held in a very small theatre, with an audience of no more than 60 people crammed into the tiny hall, made it especially interesting.
The play was interesting. While some of the changes in characters' personalities seemed abrupt and implausible (I assume the playwright can be blamed for those foibles), the actors were very good at directing attention away from those abrupt transitions and toward the characters. The company's website describes the play as follows:
Their next production will be The Caucasian Chalk Circle, by Bertolt Brecht. I've not seen it, nor have I read it, but what little I read about it at the company's website does not appeal to me.
It was a bit on the long side. It started at 8:00 pm and we did not get out of the theatre until 10:30. Being out at an unusually late hour (for us) gave us the opportunity to indulge our need for a snack. Rather than go through the hubbub of finding a restaurant that serves appetizers, we stopped at the local Kroger's and bought doritos and jalapeno bean dip to eat at home.
Anyway, going to a play made me think of the fact that my wife has been wanting to get season tickets to the theatre and I think that's a likely candidate for a present for her sometime soon. In the meantime, I got tickets to see The
Santaland Diaries, the David Sedaris piece about his stint acting as a Santa's elf at Macy's during the holiday season. We've heard Sedaris reading his piece on National Public Radio; it was hilarious. He won't be in the play, of course, so it remains to be seen whether it will be as entertaining. Unlike last night's play, The Santaland Diaries will be held on the WaterTower Theatre's main stage, which is considerably larger and has room for many, many more audience members (though it's not a huge facility; I'd guess the main stage theatre will hold about 200 people...though it could be double that, considering it has a second level).
I've often thought of volunteering at a theatre company...doing anything...to get a behind-the-scenes look at how a play is planned and produced. While I have a good idea of how it comes together, my idea is based on my perception and it may have nothing to do with reality. I've thought about it, but never acted on it; maybe it's time to actually explore that.
Speaking of exploring things, my wife and I visited an artglass shop a week or two ago and marveled at the wonderful artwork on display. In addition to sophisticated art in glass, the shop had stained glass on display, as well as complete stained glass projects. What I found most appealing was the fact that they offer classes. I have talked...for years, and that is not exaggeration...about learning stained glass, but have never found a class that was convenient, affordable, fit my schedule, etc. This time, though, I think I found it. They've not published their 2006 schedule yet, but my guess is that I'll be taking at least one class sometime next year. I'd further guess that it might be a present from my wife, who tends to remember such things as gift possibilities.
Enough for today, at least enough nonfiction. Maybe I'll turn my attention, later today, to some of the fiction pieces I've started. Rather than post snippets on the blog, though, I think I'll try to come closer to finishing some of them before releasing them to the world.
The play was interesting. While some of the changes in characters' personalities seemed abrupt and implausible (I assume the playwright can be blamed for those foibles), the actors were very good at directing attention away from those abrupt transitions and toward the characters. The company's website describes the play as follows:
Humpty Dumpty tells the story of a group of young urban over-achievers on a weekend country outing equipped with everything but survival skills. After a huge disaster of an unknown nature strikes, they are forced to reconsider the meaning and purpose within their lives and relationships once the protective shell of modern goods - both material and social - has been broken.
Their next production will be The Caucasian Chalk Circle, by Bertolt Brecht. I've not seen it, nor have I read it, but what little I read about it at the company's website does not appeal to me.
It was a bit on the long side. It started at 8:00 pm and we did not get out of the theatre until 10:30. Being out at an unusually late hour (for us) gave us the opportunity to indulge our need for a snack. Rather than go through the hubbub of finding a restaurant that serves appetizers, we stopped at the local Kroger's and bought doritos and jalapeno bean dip to eat at home.
Anyway, going to a play made me think of the fact that my wife has been wanting to get season tickets to the theatre and I think that's a likely candidate for a present for her sometime soon. In the meantime, I got tickets to see The
Santaland Diaries, the David Sedaris piece about his stint acting as a Santa's elf at Macy's during the holiday season. We've heard Sedaris reading his piece on National Public Radio; it was hilarious. He won't be in the play, of course, so it remains to be seen whether it will be as entertaining. Unlike last night's play, The Santaland Diaries will be held on the WaterTower Theatre's main stage, which is considerably larger and has room for many, many more audience members (though it's not a huge facility; I'd guess the main stage theatre will hold about 200 people...though it could be double that, considering it has a second level).
I've often thought of volunteering at a theatre company...doing anything...to get a behind-the-scenes look at how a play is planned and produced. While I have a good idea of how it comes together, my idea is based on my perception and it may have nothing to do with reality. I've thought about it, but never acted on it; maybe it's time to actually explore that.
Speaking of exploring things, my wife and I visited an artglass shop a week or two ago and marveled at the wonderful artwork on display. In addition to sophisticated art in glass, the shop had stained glass on display, as well as complete stained glass projects. What I found most appealing was the fact that they offer classes. I have talked...for years, and that is not exaggeration...about learning stained glass, but have never found a class that was convenient, affordable, fit my schedule, etc. This time, though, I think I found it. They've not published their 2006 schedule yet, but my guess is that I'll be taking at least one class sometime next year. I'd further guess that it might be a present from my wife, who tends to remember such things as gift possibilities.
Enough for today, at least enough nonfiction. Maybe I'll turn my attention, later today, to some of the fiction pieces I've started. Rather than post snippets on the blog, though, I think I'll try to come closer to finishing some of them before releasing them to the world.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Respite
I'm back to blog briefly, though don't know how long it will last. I needed time away from it...probably still do. I was away from Thursday afternoon until yesterday (Friday) afternoon at a client association board retreat. It was held at the incoming chair's lake home about two hours east of Dallas, on Lake Holbrook. The intended "let's bond" atmosphere did not emerge for me, probably because of my contribution to the "share a secret" game the host set up. Each person was to share something interesting about themselves that others at the event would be unlikely to know. I decided to share that "I lean to the far left, politically." I knew that would go over well with this group, many of whom avow their super-patriotism by making verbal assaults against victims of hurricane Katrina, countries that do not readily roll over to U.S. imperialistic demands, etc.
Anyway, the response was predictable. "You're in business for yourself and you're a liberal?!" How could that be, they wondered? My revelation simply goaded them to their worst. I took it all without comment; I just thought to myself, "what a bunch of utterly uninformed idiots!" I did, that is, until one of the most demonic republicans among them talked at length about how great a person Paul Newman is for all he does for the world. I pointed out that what Paul Newman does in lending his name to good causes and contributing money from his salad dressing sales to charities is suspiciously liberal in tone. "Not all liberals are bad, but most of them are," the ugly American responded.
Anyway, the response was predictable. "You're in business for yourself and you're a liberal?!" How could that be, they wondered? My revelation simply goaded them to their worst. I took it all without comment; I just thought to myself, "what a bunch of utterly uninformed idiots!" I did, that is, until one of the most demonic republicans among them talked at length about how great a person Paul Newman is for all he does for the world. I pointed out that what Paul Newman does in lending his name to good causes and contributing money from his salad dressing sales to charities is suspiciously liberal in tone. "Not all liberals are bad, but most of them are," the ugly American responded.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
I Am Loudon Wainwright III
Sometimes, I wonder who I am and how I get here. The last few evenings, I have been listening to a CD my oldest brother made for me. An entire CD of Loudon Wainwright III music.
Mind you, I have had this stuff for well over two years now. But somehow, I just got around to listening...really listening...to it. I've listened to it before, but it didn't catch me then. It has now.
I think I know, now, that I am Loudon Wainwright III. I know, I know, that cannot be. But maybe it is. You see, I think I wrote all of his music. And I think I'm the one singing. I realize my voice is very different from his, but I must have been possessed when I made the album. Have you ever seen Loudon Wainwright at the same time you've seen me? I rest my case.
Seriously, the guy's music is absolutely outstanding. It's music I wish I had written. It is storytelling at its pinnacle. Would that I could do what he has done.
OK, so now you know. Loudon Wainwright III. Bob Dylan. Greg Brown. Leo Kottke. I'm a groupie, I guess. It's disgusting, but fun!
Mind you, I have had this stuff for well over two years now. But somehow, I just got around to listening...really listening...to it. I've listened to it before, but it didn't catch me then. It has now.
I think I know, now, that I am Loudon Wainwright III. I know, I know, that cannot be. But maybe it is. You see, I think I wrote all of his music. And I think I'm the one singing. I realize my voice is very different from his, but I must have been possessed when I made the album. Have you ever seen Loudon Wainwright at the same time you've seen me? I rest my case.
Seriously, the guy's music is absolutely outstanding. It's music I wish I had written. It is storytelling at its pinnacle. Would that I could do what he has done.
OK, so now you know. Loudon Wainwright III. Bob Dylan. Greg Brown. Leo Kottke. I'm a groupie, I guess. It's disgusting, but fun!
For the Love of Spyware
Today, after quite awhile of dealing with problems on the computer in use by the young Australian lady who joined my staff recently, I decided I had to give up. No one could figure out how to remove all the adware, spam, etc., etc. that had found their way into the machine. Reinstalling Windows, getting the latest and greatest virus and spyware killers...nothing worked. So, after screaming silently for hours and hours, I went to Best Buy to get a new computer. I bought one...one day I'll write why Best Buy is destined to go down in flames like Service Merchandise...and it is now in the back seat of my car. When my wife arrives home from a client monthly meeting tonight, I'll transfer it to her car. Tomorrow, my little (actually, quite tall) Australian will spend her time loading all sorts of software on the computer. I will spend my time at Municipal Court, wondering if I will be selected to be on a petit jury.
Spyware is worse, in many ways, than malicious viruses. The writers of both deserve one thing: to be slowly butchered, in stages, and forced to watch as ravens, buzzards, rats, and wolverines tear away their wounded flesh. These dudes write nasty code just because they can. Code that does immeasurable harm to businesses, individuals...lots of people. They are the same sorts of vermin who join gangs so they can attack and abuse people. I'm opposed, in principal, to the death penalty in most cases...for these guys, though, I'd take pride in throwing the switch, jamming the needle into their tight little arms, or plunging the dagger into their neck.
Jesus, I'm testy today! I'll stop writing so my natural mellowness will envelope me again. Deep breath...slowly exhale.
Spyware is worse, in many ways, than malicious viruses. The writers of both deserve one thing: to be slowly butchered, in stages, and forced to watch as ravens, buzzards, rats, and wolverines tear away their wounded flesh. These dudes write nasty code just because they can. Code that does immeasurable harm to businesses, individuals...lots of people. They are the same sorts of vermin who join gangs so they can attack and abuse people. I'm opposed, in principal, to the death penalty in most cases...for these guys, though, I'd take pride in throwing the switch, jamming the needle into their tight little arms, or plunging the dagger into their neck.
Jesus, I'm testy today! I'll stop writing so my natural mellowness will envelope me again. Deep breath...slowly exhale.
Demons and Daylight
I wrote bizarre little piece about 'my demons' on Saturday, but it was over the top. I might be able to sell it, though...some people lap that stuff up.
Yesterday, I walked 7.6 miles...far beyond what I should...and today I'm paying the price. Wounded lower back, still chafed, wanting to know the appropriate middle ground. But still wishing I could do more of it. Do it more often. Walk instead of drink and eat when I get home from work. I should do it.
Wednesday this week I have jury duty. Thursday afternoon and Friday I go on a board 'retreat' to a board member's lake home about 1.5 hours east of Dallas. I'd rather eat nails. Saturday evening, my wife and I are going to a play. I can't walk myself into a bleeding, chafed, worn-out idiot before the play, that's for sure.
Recently, I decided that dawn and dusk are the times the roof-rats are active in the attic. Not sure whether they leave in the morning and come back in the evening, or vice versa. I wish they would leave, never to return. I don't care whether they leave at daylight or dusk...I just want them gone. Daylight. That's an odd word, isn't it? The word is no doubt older than artificial light...or I think it is. So, why attach 'day' to light? Surely there were no night lights before electricity.
I received an interesting email this morning entitled carrot, egg, coffee. A young woman asked her mother how she could deal with her demons and her bad luck. Her mother used three pans of water to boil a carrot, an egg, and coffee. After 20 minutes, she asked her daughter to tell her about what was in each pan, then explained the point of the exercise: The hard, unbending carrot, when faced with the adversity of boiling water, became soft. The fragile egg, when faced with the adversity of boiling water, became hard and unyielding. The coffee, when faced with the adversity of boiling water, merged with the water to yield a pleasant aroma and a wonderful taste. The mother asked her daughter to explain the lesson. It was as expected: when faced with adversity, are the you sort of person who will yield and be molded by adversity, will you because hard and brittle, or will you make the most of the situation? Not a particularly attractive lesson, but a lesson nonetheless.
My wife, out of the clear blue (and without reading my blog...I know, she never does), showed me an ad from the D/FW Ethical Fellowship, "a non-theist, ethics-centered community of people dedicated to deed before creed." We'll see..."
Yesterday, I walked 7.6 miles...far beyond what I should...and today I'm paying the price. Wounded lower back, still chafed, wanting to know the appropriate middle ground. But still wishing I could do more of it. Do it more often. Walk instead of drink and eat when I get home from work. I should do it.
Wednesday this week I have jury duty. Thursday afternoon and Friday I go on a board 'retreat' to a board member's lake home about 1.5 hours east of Dallas. I'd rather eat nails. Saturday evening, my wife and I are going to a play. I can't walk myself into a bleeding, chafed, worn-out idiot before the play, that's for sure.
Recently, I decided that dawn and dusk are the times the roof-rats are active in the attic. Not sure whether they leave in the morning and come back in the evening, or vice versa. I wish they would leave, never to return. I don't care whether they leave at daylight or dusk...I just want them gone. Daylight. That's an odd word, isn't it? The word is no doubt older than artificial light...or I think it is. So, why attach 'day' to light? Surely there were no night lights before electricity.
I received an interesting email this morning entitled carrot, egg, coffee. A young woman asked her mother how she could deal with her demons and her bad luck. Her mother used three pans of water to boil a carrot, an egg, and coffee. After 20 minutes, she asked her daughter to tell her about what was in each pan, then explained the point of the exercise: The hard, unbending carrot, when faced with the adversity of boiling water, became soft. The fragile egg, when faced with the adversity of boiling water, became hard and unyielding. The coffee, when faced with the adversity of boiling water, merged with the water to yield a pleasant aroma and a wonderful taste. The mother asked her daughter to explain the lesson. It was as expected: when faced with adversity, are the you sort of person who will yield and be molded by adversity, will you because hard and brittle, or will you make the most of the situation? Not a particularly attractive lesson, but a lesson nonetheless.
My wife, out of the clear blue (and without reading my blog...I know, she never does), showed me an ad from the D/FW Ethical Fellowship, "a non-theist, ethics-centered community of people dedicated to deed before creed." We'll see..."
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Walking
Well, I guess I have to use the blog for something, so I'll record the occasional accomplishment. Yesterday's walk was probably 3 miles, if that. Today, though, I did a long one, indeed. I walked 7.6 miles and have the aching feet, angry knees, and badly chafed inner thighs to prove it. The walking shoes are goners...I finally threw them out when I got home from the walk; should have done it ages ago.
I've been reading about walking shoes, how to prevent chafing, how to deal with it, the best clothes to wear to avoid chafing, etc. I bought another pair of shoes today, since the old backup pair actually was worse than the ones I wore out.
Now, I just need to get into the habit of walking daily...I was in the habit for a long while, but got out of it.
I've been reading about walking shoes, how to prevent chafing, how to deal with it, the best clothes to wear to avoid chafing, etc. I bought another pair of shoes today, since the old backup pair actually was worse than the ones I wore out.
Now, I just need to get into the habit of walking daily...I was in the habit for a long while, but got out of it.
Time Out
I may take some time out from blogging. I wrote some things yesterday that I chose not to post...one a snippet from a piece of fiction I am calling 'The Sacred Civil War' and another a piece I called 'Veterinary Priest.' Neither were satisfactory. It's possible that both of them will be stuffed into a closet, never to see the light of day. I think I need to decide what I want to write about...personal travelogues, personal poetry, novels, short stories, political diatribes, or all of the above. If the latter, I need to get better across the board.
I have yet to finish my personal travelogues of the shrimp-fest in Falba and a couple of others. Maybe I have adult onset ADD. I can't seem to finish one project before I move on to the next. I think, though, it's more likely that I just want a different environment. The heat and hate of Texas are taking their toll on me. I'm perhaps the worst of the haters, but that's getting old. I want to mellow a bit...treat everyone better, including myself. I'd love to move somewhere else and start over. If only I could figure out how to get my wife on board with the idea...just drop it all and start anew! I think we could have a wonderful life, if we could just risk it all. I'm feeling a need for church, without the religion.
Anyway, I may continue to write a little on a daily basis, or I may not. I just want to remove yet another little obligation. I should spend my writing time walking, anyway. And I should reduce the booze and the food. Speaking of food, lunch today was not bad...fish tacos for me, fried oysters for my lovely wife...there I go again! I have to get back to cucumber and radish mode!
I have yet to finish my personal travelogues of the shrimp-fest in Falba and a couple of others. Maybe I have adult onset ADD. I can't seem to finish one project before I move on to the next. I think, though, it's more likely that I just want a different environment. The heat and hate of Texas are taking their toll on me. I'm perhaps the worst of the haters, but that's getting old. I want to mellow a bit...treat everyone better, including myself. I'd love to move somewhere else and start over. If only I could figure out how to get my wife on board with the idea...just drop it all and start anew! I think we could have a wonderful life, if we could just risk it all. I'm feeling a need for church, without the religion.
Anyway, I may continue to write a little on a daily basis, or I may not. I just want to remove yet another little obligation. I should spend my writing time walking, anyway. And I should reduce the booze and the food. Speaking of food, lunch today was not bad...fish tacos for me, fried oysters for my lovely wife...there I go again! I have to get back to cucumber and radish mode!
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Bobcats
News reports tonight say bobcats are roaming around north Arlington. Several pets have been killed or injured. I'm interested in recruiting the bobcats to my neighborhood. I'll even give them a nice place to stay. They can spend time in my attic. I'll promise food delivery, in the form of roof rats, and safe passage to open country after the rats are gone.I've written quite alot tonight, but none of it is ready for inclusion on the blog. Lots of odd fiction, some in serious need of rewrites, other in need of explanation.
Maybe more this weekend. I'm hoping for energy tomorrow morning to walk to Starbucks again. I really need energy to do it weekdays...every weekday. Or, even better, I could get a bike and ride to Dunn Bros., which is about 9 miles from here. Better than Starbucks, but looks like a dead wringer...same Wi-Fi, same plush seating, same design...only the colors are different.
I watched, for the 3rd or 4th time, a show called, I think, '3 Wishes.' As the name implies, it's a tear-jerker. Three families are granted wishes...sounds bogus, right? I cannot believe how poignant it is! Every time I have seen it, I have had tears in my eyes. It pisses me off! I hate being such a weenie. 'I don't know much about macho-ness, but I hate to cry--it gives me such big distress...'
These shows really do annoy me...some timesl, I think they are bogus bullshit, others I feel such empathy for the people they help. I would rather just do it myself, without the TV coverage. I need a bit more money to do that, though.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
End of an Error
I want to get a bumper sticker for my car...one like I saw on another car recently. It read "January 20, 2009: End of An Error." That day, of course, is to be the day the next President of the United States is sworn into office. It could happen earlier, if George Bush doesn't survive that long.
The sticker won't be placed on my truck...I no longer own a truck. Today, I delivered the title to Pick and Pull, an auto salvage yard. They, in turn, went to pick up the truck; the proceeds of the sale of the truck or its parts will benefit some charity...don't recall which one. It's the only one that was willing to take a car to which I do not personally have title, but for which I had the Louisiana title in my possession. The charity is, I think, a Jewish charity based in New Jersey...they claim they use the money to help kids. They will, at some point, send me documentation of the value that I can then write off on my tax return. And so, today was the 'end of an error' of mine, too. I can't be blamed for the first one; I actively campaigned against George Bush...I suggested he be used as feed for chemically-dependent buzzards.
I have lots of new ideas. Things I can do to improve my business, my life, my house, and things I can do to enjoy life more, work less, have my wife work less, and generally be happier. I'll write about them when I get around to putting them to use. Tonight, I will drink wine, eat stuffed tilapia, watch mind-numbing television, listen to music (maybe), and hope the rats in my attic die soon.
The sticker won't be placed on my truck...I no longer own a truck. Today, I delivered the title to Pick and Pull, an auto salvage yard. They, in turn, went to pick up the truck; the proceeds of the sale of the truck or its parts will benefit some charity...don't recall which one. It's the only one that was willing to take a car to which I do not personally have title, but for which I had the Louisiana title in my possession. The charity is, I think, a Jewish charity based in New Jersey...they claim they use the money to help kids. They will, at some point, send me documentation of the value that I can then write off on my tax return. And so, today was the 'end of an error' of mine, too. I can't be blamed for the first one; I actively campaigned against George Bush...I suggested he be used as feed for chemically-dependent buzzards.
I have lots of new ideas. Things I can do to improve my business, my life, my house, and things I can do to enjoy life more, work less, have my wife work less, and generally be happier. I'll write about them when I get around to putting them to use. Tonight, I will drink wine, eat stuffed tilapia, watch mind-numbing television, listen to music (maybe), and hope the rats in my attic die soon.
People Who Care or Don't
Today I had my meeting...people who I asked to offer advice and counsel to me on making my business move ahead the way it should...what I should do to make it better.
I got some good advice. Some not so good. Some of them cared. Some didnt't. The hard part is figuring out who does and who doesn't.
I'm tired. I will sort it out tomorrow. After I deal with the truck...either I get it out of the lot, or they will have it towed and I will have to pay the towing fee, plus impound fee. Bastards. No one wants to give someone a break. I hope to have the ability to make all of them pay for their callousness. A lead pipe, a dark alley, alot of blood. Maybe I am getting too wierd. Gotta stop...don't want to act on it...just wish someone would.
I got some good advice. Some not so good. Some of them cared. Some didnt't. The hard part is figuring out who does and who doesn't.
I'm tired. I will sort it out tomorrow. After I deal with the truck...either I get it out of the lot, or they will have it towed and I will have to pay the towing fee, plus impound fee. Bastards. No one wants to give someone a break. I hope to have the ability to make all of them pay for their callousness. A lead pipe, a dark alley, alot of blood. Maybe I am getting too wierd. Gotta stop...don't want to act on it...just wish someone would.
Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Smart Is a Matter of Perspective
A 52-year-old geezer should be able to figure out how to unload a vehicle, without going into a panic in the process. Should. That's the operative word. Reality smacks back with earthy laughter, sharp comments, and stinging criticisms.
I bought a truck without checking it out. I believed the guy I bought it from, a guy who lives just a few streets away, who said it was in great shape. He was selling it for his son-in-law, so he didn't have a reason why it didn't have a Texas inspection sticker or license plates..."I guess he just didn't want to go to the trouble; he lives in a small town in Louisiana and there's no market there, that's why he asked me to sell it for him."
If life is, in any respect, fair, I will actually witness the bastard's demise as someone breaks an axe handle over his head. But I am the one who was realy, truly, remarkably stupid.
Back to the issue...I have been unable to even give the truck away. Junk yards don't want it...won't take it. The garage to which I had it shipped via tow truck wants it gone. They won't take it, either.
If I'm lucky, the organization I spoke to today will, in fact, tow it away from the garage where the dead truck sits today, and give me a receipt indicating I gave the ttuck to a nonprofit association. If they don't pick it up, god knows what I will do. Pay the garage for looking it over and having it towed...and then have it towed to my home.
Today, there were ballots cast in Texas. Later on, we'll probably get proof that Texas is an ultra-conservative state. One of the items on the ballot is a constitutional ban on gay marriage...or anything resembling gay marriage. I am certain it will easily pass; Texans seem to believe the state has every right to dictate what is the 'right' relationship between two people and what is the 'wrong' relationship. My opinion is that it's none of the state's business. Were it in my power, I would revoke the state's right of control over relationships. I'm not in control.
I bought a truck without checking it out. I believed the guy I bought it from, a guy who lives just a few streets away, who said it was in great shape. He was selling it for his son-in-law, so he didn't have a reason why it didn't have a Texas inspection sticker or license plates..."I guess he just didn't want to go to the trouble; he lives in a small town in Louisiana and there's no market there, that's why he asked me to sell it for him."
If life is, in any respect, fair, I will actually witness the bastard's demise as someone breaks an axe handle over his head. But I am the one who was realy, truly, remarkably stupid.
Back to the issue...I have been unable to even give the truck away. Junk yards don't want it...won't take it. The garage to which I had it shipped via tow truck wants it gone. They won't take it, either.
If I'm lucky, the organization I spoke to today will, in fact, tow it away from the garage where the dead truck sits today, and give me a receipt indicating I gave the ttuck to a nonprofit association. If they don't pick it up, god knows what I will do. Pay the garage for looking it over and having it towed...and then have it towed to my home.
Today, there were ballots cast in Texas. Later on, we'll probably get proof that Texas is an ultra-conservative state. One of the items on the ballot is a constitutional ban on gay marriage...or anything resembling gay marriage. I am certain it will easily pass; Texans seem to believe the state has every right to dictate what is the 'right' relationship between two people and what is the 'wrong' relationship. My opinion is that it's none of the state's business. Were it in my power, I would revoke the state's right of control over relationships. I'm not in control.
Monday, November 7, 2005
No Post Tonight...Probably
I'm not ready to write tonight. I wanted to write this morning, but got up too late...had to get to work. Maybe later...maybe another day.
Sunday, November 6, 2005
What I Did Yesterday and This Morning...Nothing More Interesting to Write About
This morning, I awoke earlier than I do on weekdays, just as I did yesterday. I tend to wake up early on weekends; I guess I don't want to miss any of my free time when I am not chained to my desk. So, as I did yesterday, I went for a walk. I headed south this time. I went east yesterday. Today's walk was much longer, probably 2-3 miles, maybe longer.
I walked to a different Starbucks today, expecting to buy a large coffee and read a copy of the New York Times. They had copies, but none available for casual coffee drinkers to borrow...I would have had to buy a copy and then either lug the monster home with me or read just a tiny fraction and leave the expensive paper behind. I'm inclined not to throw money away, except on worthless vehicles, so I opted not to buy a copy. I settled for a 'venti' black coffee, my usual. Despite the fast-paced walk on concrete this morning, my knees did not revolt like they did yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon, my wife and I went shopping for a new camera for work. I need a decent digital camera so I can take pictures at client events. I was planning on buying a Canon SD 450 Digital Elf, but ended up buying a Nikkon Coolpix S1, which is a tad cheaper and which has features I like, such as optical zoom, versus a mechanical zoom. Earlier in the day, I ordered a new pair of frames and lenses...I hope to be able to read books again in about a week! The shopping center in which the camera store is located is in a very, very expensive part of Dallas; it's where people who really do have lots of money (versus those who only look like it...but have lots of debt) spend time. I don't fit in there...but even the rich like Starbucks coffee, so I zipped in to the Starbucks in the center and bought a large iced coffee while the salesman at the camera store was pulling my camera gear together. My wife had an iced tea and lemonade, which wasn't half bad, though a tad sweet for my taste.
After picking up the camera, we stopped at another shopping center and wandered around, window shopping. We went to the Orvis store in the center, hoping to find a shirt similar to one my wife bought for me recently; it's similar to a collar-less cotton sweater, but has four buttons in front, just under the neckline...there's probably a name for the style, but I have no idea what it is. No luck there, but I did see some interesting hats and discovered that I could take a one-day shooting course for only $450 if I so desired. A 2-day fishing course would only cost me $295.
One of four restaurants of a local chain, Taco Diner, is located in the shopping center. The place has wonderful food and we decided to have an early appetizer (we were there about 5 pm). We each ordered a margarita on the rocks and we shared an order of their appetizer sampler, which included wonderful nachos al pastor, flautas, mushroom quesadillas, guacamole, and sour cream. We left the sour cream, but the rest of the plate was empty when we got up to leave. By the time we left, my knees were torturing me. Spending a long time standing and a long time strolling through shoppping centers seems to be rougher on my knees than a long, brisk walk.
On the way home, we stopped at a video store and rented Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. If you haven't seen it, don't bother. The book doesn't translate well to the big screen, in my opinion.
Enough of this 'day-in-the-life' diatribe. More later, when my creative juices are bubbling.
I walked to a different Starbucks today, expecting to buy a large coffee and read a copy of the New York Times. They had copies, but none available for casual coffee drinkers to borrow...I would have had to buy a copy and then either lug the monster home with me or read just a tiny fraction and leave the expensive paper behind. I'm inclined not to throw money away, except on worthless vehicles, so I opted not to buy a copy. I settled for a 'venti' black coffee, my usual. Despite the fast-paced walk on concrete this morning, my knees did not revolt like they did yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon, my wife and I went shopping for a new camera for work. I need a decent digital camera so I can take pictures at client events. I was planning on buying a Canon SD 450 Digital Elf, but ended up buying a Nikkon Coolpix S1, which is a tad cheaper and which has features I like, such as optical zoom, versus a mechanical zoom. Earlier in the day, I ordered a new pair of frames and lenses...I hope to be able to read books again in about a week! The shopping center in which the camera store is located is in a very, very expensive part of Dallas; it's where people who really do have lots of money (versus those who only look like it...but have lots of debt) spend time. I don't fit in there...but even the rich like Starbucks coffee, so I zipped in to the Starbucks in the center and bought a large iced coffee while the salesman at the camera store was pulling my camera gear together. My wife had an iced tea and lemonade, which wasn't half bad, though a tad sweet for my taste.
After picking up the camera, we stopped at another shopping center and wandered around, window shopping. We went to the Orvis store in the center, hoping to find a shirt similar to one my wife bought for me recently; it's similar to a collar-less cotton sweater, but has four buttons in front, just under the neckline...there's probably a name for the style, but I have no idea what it is. No luck there, but I did see some interesting hats and discovered that I could take a one-day shooting course for only $450 if I so desired. A 2-day fishing course would only cost me $295.
One of four restaurants of a local chain, Taco Diner, is located in the shopping center. The place has wonderful food and we decided to have an early appetizer (we were there about 5 pm). We each ordered a margarita on the rocks and we shared an order of their appetizer sampler, which included wonderful nachos al pastor, flautas, mushroom quesadillas, guacamole, and sour cream. We left the sour cream, but the rest of the plate was empty when we got up to leave. By the time we left, my knees were torturing me. Spending a long time standing and a long time strolling through shoppping centers seems to be rougher on my knees than a long, brisk walk.
On the way home, we stopped at a video store and rented Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. If you haven't seen it, don't bother. The book doesn't translate well to the big screen, in my opinion.
Enough of this 'day-in-the-life' diatribe. More later, when my creative juices are bubbling.
Saturday, November 5, 2005
More Random Thoughts from a Burnt-Out Geezer
This morning, the world doesn't look quite so bleak to me as it did last night. Nothing changed, other than I've had a good night's sleep, took a walk this morning to a retail area about a mile away, and bought a very large cup of coffee from Starbucks. The walk probably cleared my head more than the coffee, about half of which still remains in the 'venti' cup sitting beside my computer. I'll make my way through it, though.
I listened last night to PBS as Jimmy Carter spoke of his latest book, Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis. I've never been much of a devotee of Carter, but I have appreciated his efforts with Habitat for Humanity and his foundation's battle against worldwide poverty. Both of those activities came after his presidency, which I think was weak. He tried to be a 'man of the people,' but his efforts to shed the trappings of power seemed staged; he just could not convey his message in a way that captured the imagination of the American people or the world at large.
Something Carter said last night caught my attention. He said "I wish I knew then (during his presidency) what I know now about world poverty." He then spoke about how utterly insufficient the United States' contributions to efforts to eradicate poverty are. I believe he said the USA contributes something like $0.16 per every $100 of GNP to the third world, which apparently is a fraction of what other developed countries contribute. It was clearly his contention that, if the USA would spend its once-considerable resources on helping the rest of the world break the bonds of poverty, the USA would not be viewed with such violent animosity by so much of the world. I wonder if it takes ALL presidents 25 years post-presidency, touring the poorest nations of the world, to come to that startling revelation. Despite my misgivings about how long it took for Carter to come to that realization, he did say some things that all Americans need to hear. He suggested that the Bush doctrine of preemptive war was unprecedented and irrational and puts the US at far greater risk than did a prospective attack by Iraq. He suggested that Americans were mislead by the Bush administration when Bush was lying to us about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. About 49% of the American people knew that...and voted accordingly in 2004; now, many of the other 51% have come to that realization, though far too late.
This world needs a nation that provides leadership by example. I'd like to see an American administration come to power and take the following steps:
There's more, but I'm tired of writing.
Today, I go select frames for my new glasses. I'll get plastic ones this time...a bolder look, my wife tells me. It's hard to care about a bolder look, but I'll try.
I listened last night to PBS as Jimmy Carter spoke of his latest book, Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis. I've never been much of a devotee of Carter, but I have appreciated his efforts with Habitat for Humanity and his foundation's battle against worldwide poverty. Both of those activities came after his presidency, which I think was weak. He tried to be a 'man of the people,' but his efforts to shed the trappings of power seemed staged; he just could not convey his message in a way that captured the imagination of the American people or the world at large.
Something Carter said last night caught my attention. He said "I wish I knew then (during his presidency) what I know now about world poverty." He then spoke about how utterly insufficient the United States' contributions to efforts to eradicate poverty are. I believe he said the USA contributes something like $0.16 per every $100 of GNP to the third world, which apparently is a fraction of what other developed countries contribute. It was clearly his contention that, if the USA would spend its once-considerable resources on helping the rest of the world break the bonds of poverty, the USA would not be viewed with such violent animosity by so much of the world. I wonder if it takes ALL presidents 25 years post-presidency, touring the poorest nations of the world, to come to that startling revelation. Despite my misgivings about how long it took for Carter to come to that realization, he did say some things that all Americans need to hear. He suggested that the Bush doctrine of preemptive war was unprecedented and irrational and puts the US at far greater risk than did a prospective attack by Iraq. He suggested that Americans were mislead by the Bush administration when Bush was lying to us about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. About 49% of the American people knew that...and voted accordingly in 2004; now, many of the other 51% have come to that realization, though far too late.
This world needs a nation that provides leadership by example. I'd like to see an American administration come to power and take the following steps:
- Admit that the United States made a horrible, tragic mistake in invading Iraq, but commit to seeing the transition to a new government through until the Iraqis can take care of their own security.
- Immediately shift the strategy in Iraq away from a purely military one to an approach that engages all legitimate groups.
- Divert a large portion of military expenditures in Iraq to civilian infrastructure restoration and training Iraqi personnel to maintain and secure the infrastructure.
- Undertake a massive effort to identify, develop, and make available alternative sources of energy; this effort should rival in size and financial commitment all previous national priorities and it should be made clear by the administration that it is the highest priority.
- In coordination with the alternative energy priority, undertake a similar effort to identify, develop, and make available alternatives to petroleum products for use in plastics, carpet, fabrics, and all other products that rely heavily on petroleum derivatives.
- Announce a policy position that acknowledges the primary role of every nation to behave in a way consistent with serving the interests of the world's population rather than behaving exlusively to serve its own selfish interests.
- Realign the budget priorities of the country so that the United States' contributions to international development in impoverished countries is at least equal to the highest levels of other countries in the developed world.
- Assert that the internal policies of the United States will be directed toward enabling every American to have access to employment that will enable him or her to raise a family of four at a level above the poverty line.
- Become a party to the Kyoto accord.
There's more, but I'm tired of writing.
Today, I go select frames for my new glasses. I'll get plastic ones this time...a bolder look, my wife tells me. It's hard to care about a bolder look, but I'll try.
Friday...End of the Week, or End of the World?
It's Friday evening. The workweek has ended for me. My wife and I left work early today to visit our ophthalmologist...both of us needed a checkup and both of us desperately need new lenses. After we got our checkups and tentatively selected new frames (both need them, too), we stopped off at a Mexican restaurant and sat in the bar, drinking margaritas on the rocks. Each of us had two. Nice end to the week, wouldn't you say, so why am I feeling so down?
I could blame it on my car problems. I could blame it on my roof-rat problems. There are many circumstances or people or issues to which I could direct the blame. But I think it's the world we live in. It's the fact that, as an individual, there are so many things over which I have no control, and not even a voice.
George Bush. He's an embarrassment to the United States. It's worse than that, of course. He's a lethal danger to the U.S. But it's even worse than that. He's a very real danger to the survival of mankind, and I'm not talking long term here, either. I believe that, if left to his own agenda, Bush's policies will result in massive and irreversible global climate change, world war, religious violence on a scale never before seen, and worldwide economic collapse are imminent. Anyone who knows me more than casually knows how I feel about George Bush. I've never felt so vehemently about anyone in any office, much less the presidency of the U.S. The man needs to be removed from office, with XXXX, if necessary; it needs to happen soon if this planet has any hope of survival with a quality of life that makes life worth living. I realize that could be construted to be a statement advocating the [edited out to protect myself from being the victim of the Bush fascists] of the United States government. Five years ago, I could not have imagined ever endorsing such an idea, much less initiating it. Today, I feel compelled to shout it from the rooftops. When I see a car with a bumper sticker showing support for Bush, I'm tempted to shoot the driver the finger and attempt to run him or her off the road.
It's not just Bush. The president of Iran is cut from the same cloth. An utter asshole who should have been assassinated at the same time Bush should have slit his own throat. Then there's Hugo Chavez, a nutcase who loathes Bush as much as I do...but who ought to look at his own policies and agendas before throwing stones. And, of course, the thugs who rely on Islam to give them credibility as they murder indescriminately in the name Allah. I say put people who rely on religion to direct their every move in a big blender and use their remains for chicken feed.
It's reality today, though. It matters not whether a person is a Muslin, Christian, Buddist, Hindu, etc., etc. Everyone points the finger and draws a line in the sand...if you don't share my beliefs, you're an infidel and deserve to be tortured and kllled. Fuck them! I promised myself I would leave this stuff behind, but I just can't. I see too much and hear too much.
I'd like to think the week I just spent in the office led me to the end of the week. But I listen to news programs...I see Bush say, in response to a question about whether he will be polite when he talks to Hugo Chavez, "Of course I'll be polite. That's what the American people expect of their president, that he'll be polite." (or something very similar) Right. That's what we expect. Not that he will provide good leadership. Not that he will guide the country's government to do the right thing and help elevate the world and its people. No, we just want the motherfucker to be polite! And we want him to go to church, because if he goes to church, that must mean he recognizes the supremacy of a magical being who somehow gave us all life. Bullshit! I'm so tired of being tired of this I could scream!
So, you tell me...is this the end of the week, or the end of the world?
Before you answer, think what bird flu could do, if it manaages to overcome the limits to cross-species infections and becomes capable of transmission with human-to-human contact. 70% of the world's population could become infected, I've read. 40% of the U.S. population could become infected, and 2% could die. To stop the pandemic, people would be prevented from going to work and interacting with others. That would ultimately result in the power grid failing. After that...a nasty scenario.
Maybe all this is why I'm down. I kind of hope tomorrow I feel a bit more optimistic. This whole scenario truly sucks. Makes me want to live in another galaxy, populated by decent beings.
I could blame it on my car problems. I could blame it on my roof-rat problems. There are many circumstances or people or issues to which I could direct the blame. But I think it's the world we live in. It's the fact that, as an individual, there are so many things over which I have no control, and not even a voice.
George Bush. He's an embarrassment to the United States. It's worse than that, of course. He's a lethal danger to the U.S. But it's even worse than that. He's a very real danger to the survival of mankind, and I'm not talking long term here, either. I believe that, if left to his own agenda, Bush's policies will result in massive and irreversible global climate change, world war, religious violence on a scale never before seen, and worldwide economic collapse are imminent. Anyone who knows me more than casually knows how I feel about George Bush. I've never felt so vehemently about anyone in any office, much less the presidency of the U.S. The man needs to be removed from office, with XXXX, if necessary; it needs to happen soon if this planet has any hope of survival with a quality of life that makes life worth living. I realize that could be construted to be a statement advocating the [edited out to protect myself from being the victim of the Bush fascists] of the United States government. Five years ago, I could not have imagined ever endorsing such an idea, much less initiating it. Today, I feel compelled to shout it from the rooftops. When I see a car with a bumper sticker showing support for Bush, I'm tempted to shoot the driver the finger and attempt to run him or her off the road.
It's not just Bush. The president of Iran is cut from the same cloth. An utter asshole who should have been assassinated at the same time Bush should have slit his own throat. Then there's Hugo Chavez, a nutcase who loathes Bush as much as I do...but who ought to look at his own policies and agendas before throwing stones. And, of course, the thugs who rely on Islam to give them credibility as they murder indescriminately in the name Allah. I say put people who rely on religion to direct their every move in a big blender and use their remains for chicken feed.
It's reality today, though. It matters not whether a person is a Muslin, Christian, Buddist, Hindu, etc., etc. Everyone points the finger and draws a line in the sand...if you don't share my beliefs, you're an infidel and deserve to be tortured and kllled. Fuck them! I promised myself I would leave this stuff behind, but I just can't. I see too much and hear too much.
I'd like to think the week I just spent in the office led me to the end of the week. But I listen to news programs...I see Bush say, in response to a question about whether he will be polite when he talks to Hugo Chavez, "Of course I'll be polite. That's what the American people expect of their president, that he'll be polite." (or something very similar) Right. That's what we expect. Not that he will provide good leadership. Not that he will guide the country's government to do the right thing and help elevate the world and its people. No, we just want the motherfucker to be polite! And we want him to go to church, because if he goes to church, that must mean he recognizes the supremacy of a magical being who somehow gave us all life. Bullshit! I'm so tired of being tired of this I could scream!
So, you tell me...is this the end of the week, or the end of the world?
Before you answer, think what bird flu could do, if it manaages to overcome the limits to cross-species infections and becomes capable of transmission with human-to-human contact. 70% of the world's population could become infected, I've read. 40% of the U.S. population could become infected, and 2% could die. To stop the pandemic, people would be prevented from going to work and interacting with others. That would ultimately result in the power grid failing. After that...a nasty scenario.
Maybe all this is why I'm down. I kind of hope tomorrow I feel a bit more optimistic. This whole scenario truly sucks. Makes me want to live in another galaxy, populated by decent beings.
Friday, November 4, 2005
Bicycles
A friend of mine participated in a bicycle ride in support of a cancer research organization a few weeks ago. I contributed $25 on my friend's behalf; he was riding for a good cause, one in which I have a particular interest. This morning, he sent me an email with several photos attached...all of him in the race. He said he rode only just over half of the 100 miles he had committed to, due to equipment problems.
It's interesting that his message came this morning, as I have been thinking about buying a bicyle and using it for exercise. Naturally, because I am a devotee of comfort, I would want something really comfortable...something that won't be hard on my back, my legs, my neck, all of me. His message, though, prompted me to start looking tonight at bicycles...what people think are good models, etc. I'm not looking for a racing bike, nor a mountain bike. More of a touring bike, but since I am not planning on cross-country tours, a lower-end version.
I would ask my friend, but I have the impression he's a bike snob. Nice guy, but a bike snob; I asked about his bike, and he told me what it was...I checked, discovered it was a $1200 bike...and he mentioned "upgrading: next year. For years, he thought the only car in the world was the Volvo. I think he was a car snob, too. And he's probably a food snob...he's been vegetarian for 10 or 15 years. We're not close friends...only see one another occasionally, and then only in connection with association management meetings, etc. He's a good guy, nonetheless...some association management types these days seem to do things like ignore the plight of thousands of desperate people in hurricane-ravaged, flooded cities. Actually, I have a lot of admiration for the guy to have survived being an association CEO for more years, by far, than I lasted. He's generally just a very nice, generous guy, to boot. But I've never met his wife...odd, my wife has been to many association events, but his wife has not, to my knowledge, ever attended one that I've attended. Maybe she hates association execs...maybe she has to look out after the kid...maybe she has better things to do...maybe she's off doing her own thing. It really is none of my business. Why did I bring it up? Don't know.
I found several nice bikes at $1500 or more...obscenely overpriced, in my opinion (but I gather that lots of bikers consider their expensive bikes as status symbols...morons!). Anyway, I found considerable support for Schwinn bikes in the $750 range as good bikes. That's still way too much for me. So, I started looking for used bicycles. The Schwinn Fastback (2004 model, anyway) was talked about by those in the know about what makes a good bike, as a very good value at $749. But I cannot find a used Schwinn Fastback at a reasonable price. So, I'm going to keep looking. But, considering my problems with transportation of late, and my dwindling financial resources, I may not buy one anytime soon. But I do want a bicycle. Damned if I remember what happened to the one I took to Chicago when I moved there...I know I didn't sell it, and I know I didn't move it back to Texas, so it may well still be chained to a post in my Chicago apartment's parking garage.
There are newly-minted biking/walking paths near my house...not beautiful, but a good place to start biking. Of course, I would need helmet, biking garb (or I could just ignore the nutcases and wear sweatsuits), but those things are more affordable. First, I have to find the bike! When I do, I will promise myself to ride at least ten miles per day. That might help reduce my massively stuffed belly.
It's interesting that his message came this morning, as I have been thinking about buying a bicyle and using it for exercise. Naturally, because I am a devotee of comfort, I would want something really comfortable...something that won't be hard on my back, my legs, my neck, all of me. His message, though, prompted me to start looking tonight at bicycles...what people think are good models, etc. I'm not looking for a racing bike, nor a mountain bike. More of a touring bike, but since I am not planning on cross-country tours, a lower-end version.
I would ask my friend, but I have the impression he's a bike snob. Nice guy, but a bike snob; I asked about his bike, and he told me what it was...I checked, discovered it was a $1200 bike...and he mentioned "upgrading: next year. For years, he thought the only car in the world was the Volvo. I think he was a car snob, too. And he's probably a food snob...he's been vegetarian for 10 or 15 years. We're not close friends...only see one another occasionally, and then only in connection with association management meetings, etc. He's a good guy, nonetheless...some association management types these days seem to do things like ignore the plight of thousands of desperate people in hurricane-ravaged, flooded cities. Actually, I have a lot of admiration for the guy to have survived being an association CEO for more years, by far, than I lasted. He's generally just a very nice, generous guy, to boot. But I've never met his wife...odd, my wife has been to many association events, but his wife has not, to my knowledge, ever attended one that I've attended. Maybe she hates association execs...maybe she has to look out after the kid...maybe she has better things to do...maybe she's off doing her own thing. It really is none of my business. Why did I bring it up? Don't know.
I found several nice bikes at $1500 or more...obscenely overpriced, in my opinion (but I gather that lots of bikers consider their expensive bikes as status symbols...morons!). Anyway, I found considerable support for Schwinn bikes in the $750 range as good bikes. That's still way too much for me. So, I started looking for used bicycles. The Schwinn Fastback (2004 model, anyway) was talked about by those in the know about what makes a good bike, as a very good value at $749. But I cannot find a used Schwinn Fastback at a reasonable price. So, I'm going to keep looking. But, considering my problems with transportation of late, and my dwindling financial resources, I may not buy one anytime soon. But I do want a bicycle. Damned if I remember what happened to the one I took to Chicago when I moved there...I know I didn't sell it, and I know I didn't move it back to Texas, so it may well still be chained to a post in my Chicago apartment's parking garage.
There are newly-minted biking/walking paths near my house...not beautiful, but a good place to start biking. Of course, I would need helmet, biking garb (or I could just ignore the nutcases and wear sweatsuits), but those things are more affordable. First, I have to find the bike! When I do, I will promise myself to ride at least ten miles per day. That might help reduce my massively stuffed belly.
Thursday, November 3, 2005
Cars Are Not As Important As People...At Least Not All People
I'm phenomenally tired of dealing with car crap. But I'm making progress. I've about decided it will be much smarter of me to invest almost $5K in my 1997 Avalon than to buy a new, or even a used, car. There's no assurance it will last, but I am going to hope...loudly and with passion...that it will.
My truck, on the other hand, is open to debate. I consider myself certifiably stupid for having bought it, at least without checking it out.
Now, as for people...most people for whom I have even the remotest respect do not proclaim their religious beliefs to the world. But those who do announce their religiosity piss me off. Increasingly so. So, I am at odds with Muslims...Christians...Jews...Hindus...etc. People who aggressively try to impose their religious views on the rest of the world should be stopped...whatever is necessary, it should be employed.
I am doing my best to be tolerant. But I am afraid religious zealots and bigots do not qualify for my tolerance. They are similar, in that sense, to bad cars.
My truck, on the other hand, is open to debate. I consider myself certifiably stupid for having bought it, at least without checking it out.
Now, as for people...most people for whom I have even the remotest respect do not proclaim their religious beliefs to the world. But those who do announce their religiosity piss me off. Increasingly so. So, I am at odds with Muslims...Christians...Jews...Hindus...etc. People who aggressively try to impose their religious views on the rest of the world should be stopped...whatever is necessary, it should be employed.
I am doing my best to be tolerant. But I am afraid religious zealots and bigots do not qualify for my tolerance. They are similar, in that sense, to bad cars.
Tuesday, November 1, 2005
Bad Truck
I had the pickup towed to a shop yesterday...I had decided to have them quote on fixing it so I could get it inspected and the title transferred to my name. I finally located a company that will work on old cars with carburetors (not even the Ford dealerships will). A couple of days ago, I tried to start the truck, but couldn't get it to turn over. I assumed it was the battery.
I learned today that it needs a starter, solenoid, and new battery cables....to the tune of $500...just so they can tell what is wrong with the carburetor and brakes.
That's not going to happen. I'm pretty sure I'll have to scrap it.
I've paid about $2000 so far for this lesson: The fact that someone lives just a few streets away is no assurance that he won't rip you off.
I learned today that it needs a starter, solenoid, and new battery cables....to the tune of $500...just so they can tell what is wrong with the carburetor and brakes.
That's not going to happen. I'm pretty sure I'll have to scrap it.
I've paid about $2000 so far for this lesson: The fact that someone lives just a few streets away is no assurance that he won't rip you off.
Just waiting...being cool
Rather than rushing to fill in the blanks, tonight I am just waiting. I'm trying to be cool...no pressure on me to finish a thought. So, there will be no message of any consequence tonight...unless I wake up later, with the urge to communicate!