Wednesday
Between the time I had last talked to my manager on Monday to the time in seeing him on Tuesdsay morning, my manager apparently had calmed down at least a bit. He was angry, really, at this customer that had come in - off of one of my craiglist ads and a person I had spoken with on the phone at length - the customer had no clue what he was doing. The customer was also mad because "ben told me you have tubing". The man lied through his teeth. The discussion about what we had never included tubing and in fact, if the man would have known what he was doing at all, I would have been able to figure out that he needed more tubing and would have told him to head to Home Depot.
I'm not saying all is hunky dory in the manager/employee relation world, the meeting never materialized. But I did speak my peace about the situation regardless. He is uptight about something - I'm guessing it's his personal life that is still raising it's ugly head in the situation with a fresh divorce and his now ex wife saying she may be getting let go at work. My manager is stressing that she will, in turn, ask for even more money in child support.
Changing the subject, the "polls" showing more Americans driving less. Do we really need a poll to tell us that when the cost of gasoline hits $4 per gallon, people that aren't exactly rich are going to cut back on driving to bare bones minimum? Here's another one the polls aren't even asking yet: driving habits will change substantially. Gunning it from being stopped at a intersection will start to resemble more like a turtle with it's legs cut off - people are going to change their driving habits as well. I've already started doing that, I'm certainly not immune to the effects of expensive gasoline. Last time it got this high, I wanted to get a motorcycle, still wish I could!
I'm still waiting for some kind of bombshell to land from the IRS. It's only been 20 days and I'm hearing it's a lot longer than that before they are getting to returns after receiving them - I am preparing myself for the worst is all I can say about that. If it turns out any better than that, then I can and will be elated. I could certainly use 5 grand right now.
But, especially with the IRS, don't be countin' your chickins' before they be hatchin'.
With that, I am offa here, work day is almost here and there appears to be plenty to do in the truck routing system to keep me busy today.
ben
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tuesday 5/3/2011
Tuesday
Trouble at work.
My manager - for whatever reason the source of which I have no clue - has been getting increasingly curt and short with me. Yesterday there were several indications that something is not right - although WHAT - again, I don't know.
But, the culmination of yesterday's angst towards me was with this drip irrigation stuff I have been selling on Craigslist. He called me 4 times after I got home from work, a man had shown up to buy some of the stuff and clearly, my manager was not happy. I had informed him this guy was coming.
The problem was this guy didn't know what he needed and it took up a lot of my manager's time. Well, I don't know what to say, that's the nature of selling things, people need information they are definitely going to ask the people that are selling the stuff. The kicker, though, was when he called me and told me that this guy had told him that we had "everything he needed" to expand his existent system and that I had told him we had the tubing as well.
I had, of course, said no such thing. Not even close. So my manager, getting extremely cranky on the phone with me, told me he sold the tubing I had brought in - tubing that I had bought and paid for - to give to a manager that needed some for a project he was going to do. So, he sold my personally owned tubing to a man that was clearly not telling the truth about what I had told him, and then, on top of that, put the tubing on a ticket and the money that is owed me is going to go to the company's coffers instead.
Further, he is getting increasingly agitated, he tells me it's not his problem about the tubing and that "you are going to have to explain to ... ...... about why the tubing is going for yourself".
If I do that, it is going to make HIM look pretty bad. He sold 400 feet of my pipe for the price of 100 feet and then took that money and gave it to the company? Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture? My manager then declared that we are going to have a meeting tomorrow morning - which will be this morning of course.
May 3, 2011 5:56 AM
Anonymous said...
Yes, indeed, and let's do. And, let's get beyond irrigation junk and all the rest of it and find out what the source root of the problem is. Let's deal with THAT and get that out of the way, because if, for whatever reason, he doesn't like me, my work or WHATEVER, then perhaps it's time that we go to higher management and perhaps it's time that I ask for a transfer to the main store downtown.
I'm actually not opposed to the idea, either. It's half the distance to the main branch as it is to the store I am working at now - meaning cutting my fuel costs in half getting to and from work. Now, I really don't want it to go that far, I somehow doubt it will look good on either one of us if this has to be forced into going before upper management, but I will say one thing that's for sure: I will not work under abusive management. I have quit more places than I can remember because of that very issue alone. If a manager cannot contain himself and keep his feelings to himself - in constantly expressing some sort of discontent against an employee - then it's time for that manager to find something else to do with their career, cause managing? Ain't exactly in their realm of things that they are good at.
I went through months and months of this guy's daily drama with his divorce and him ending up in severe depression to the point that he would be practically slumped over his desk all day long, listless, non-responsive, I was basically doing all of the work around here. He did his paperwork and that was IT. I gave him an open ear to dump on, and I finally suggested he see a doc to get some "happy pills", cause he definitely needed them.
I do believe I have gone FAR beyond my "normal" job duties in dealing with his personal stuff on a daily basis. In reality, I COULD have brought it before upper management and informed them of the situation going on over here and please do something about it. I didn't do that and I didn't even think to do that. So, receiving this "bad" side on a near daily basis now is starting to get old - and quickly.
I am hopeful that we can just work this out and move on. Really, I am.
I don't know, but the work day is here and he will be in in about 40 minutes. What this day holds, where it is going, I don't know, but I find the texture of it unappealing at best.
ben
Trouble at work.
My manager - for whatever reason the source of which I have no clue - has been getting increasingly curt and short with me. Yesterday there were several indications that something is not right - although WHAT - again, I don't know.
But, the culmination of yesterday's angst towards me was with this drip irrigation stuff I have been selling on Craigslist. He called me 4 times after I got home from work, a man had shown up to buy some of the stuff and clearly, my manager was not happy. I had informed him this guy was coming.
The problem was this guy didn't know what he needed and it took up a lot of my manager's time. Well, I don't know what to say, that's the nature of selling things, people need information they are definitely going to ask the people that are selling the stuff. The kicker, though, was when he called me and told me that this guy had told him that we had "everything he needed" to expand his existent system and that I had told him we had the tubing as well.
I had, of course, said no such thing. Not even close. So my manager, getting extremely cranky on the phone with me, told me he sold the tubing I had brought in - tubing that I had bought and paid for - to give to a manager that needed some for a project he was going to do. So, he sold my personally owned tubing to a man that was clearly not telling the truth about what I had told him, and then, on top of that, put the tubing on a ticket and the money that is owed me is going to go to the company's coffers instead.
Further, he is getting increasingly agitated, he tells me it's not his problem about the tubing and that "you are going to have to explain to ... ...... about why the tubing is going for yourself".
If I do that, it is going to make HIM look pretty bad. He sold 400 feet of my pipe for the price of 100 feet and then took that money and gave it to the company? Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture? My manager then declared that we are going to have a meeting tomorrow morning - which will be this morning of course.
May 3, 2011 5:56 AM
Anonymous said...
Yes, indeed, and let's do. And, let's get beyond irrigation junk and all the rest of it and find out what the source root of the problem is. Let's deal with THAT and get that out of the way, because if, for whatever reason, he doesn't like me, my work or WHATEVER, then perhaps it's time that we go to higher management and perhaps it's time that I ask for a transfer to the main store downtown.
I'm actually not opposed to the idea, either. It's half the distance to the main branch as it is to the store I am working at now - meaning cutting my fuel costs in half getting to and from work. Now, I really don't want it to go that far, I somehow doubt it will look good on either one of us if this has to be forced into going before upper management, but I will say one thing that's for sure: I will not work under abusive management. I have quit more places than I can remember because of that very issue alone. If a manager cannot contain himself and keep his feelings to himself - in constantly expressing some sort of discontent against an employee - then it's time for that manager to find something else to do with their career, cause managing? Ain't exactly in their realm of things that they are good at.
I went through months and months of this guy's daily drama with his divorce and him ending up in severe depression to the point that he would be practically slumped over his desk all day long, listless, non-responsive, I was basically doing all of the work around here. He did his paperwork and that was IT. I gave him an open ear to dump on, and I finally suggested he see a doc to get some "happy pills", cause he definitely needed them.
I do believe I have gone FAR beyond my "normal" job duties in dealing with his personal stuff on a daily basis. In reality, I COULD have brought it before upper management and informed them of the situation going on over here and please do something about it. I didn't do that and I didn't even think to do that. So, receiving this "bad" side on a near daily basis now is starting to get old - and quickly.
I am hopeful that we can just work this out and move on. Really, I am.
I don't know, but the work day is here and he will be in in about 40 minutes. What this day holds, where it is going, I don't know, but I find the texture of it unappealing at best.
ben
Monday 5/2/2011
Monday
By now, the entire world knows that Osama bin Laden is dead. Bullet to the brain, is what it sounds like they did. Good riddance. The guy holed up in some fortified compound in Pakistan, certainly raises my eyebrows about Pakistan's real intent.
They buried his dead carcass at sea, which I think a shame. I think it would have been nice for Americans to be able to go take a piss on his head. Lay his body to rest in a freaking concrete sewage vault and let several toilets worth of piss and crap fill it up.
I have no sympathy for him or his ilk. I can only imagine what those pathetic losers are going to try to do in "revenge". I hope nothing, but history might say something else.
So, the news will be filled all day long with this stuff, I wish I could listen to all of it. This is the kind of thing I will sit and listen to on the radio or watch on TV for hours on end.
Hat's off to the men and women of our military that make such things happen. I'm guessing Navy Seals teams? Aren't those the people that go in and do such things? Sorta just waiting for more info to come out about how this operation was carried out.
It's been a long time coming. That's what I can say. It's almost a decade since the Twin Towers were brought down and now here we are. I can only imagine what those families of lost loved ones in 9/11 might be feeling now, I am sure the news media will pick up stories, track some of these people down and do interviews.
The images of people jumping out of windows over 90 stories up have never left my mind. Or watching the jumbo jet plowing into the side of the second tower, not actually seeing the death, but knowing that everyone inside of that plane had just been killed along with however many people were in it's way when it crashed into the tower. The fact that this mouthy, arrogant, cocky son-of-a-bitch just took a bullet to his brain must offer to some of the surviving family members/frieds/those that were there some sort of consolation that this guy has finally met a just ending.
Work day is here. The world celebrates. I am in the middle of it.
ben
By now, the entire world knows that Osama bin Laden is dead. Bullet to the brain, is what it sounds like they did. Good riddance. The guy holed up in some fortified compound in Pakistan, certainly raises my eyebrows about Pakistan's real intent.
They buried his dead carcass at sea, which I think a shame. I think it would have been nice for Americans to be able to go take a piss on his head. Lay his body to rest in a freaking concrete sewage vault and let several toilets worth of piss and crap fill it up.
I have no sympathy for him or his ilk. I can only imagine what those pathetic losers are going to try to do in "revenge". I hope nothing, but history might say something else.
So, the news will be filled all day long with this stuff, I wish I could listen to all of it. This is the kind of thing I will sit and listen to on the radio or watch on TV for hours on end.
Hat's off to the men and women of our military that make such things happen. I'm guessing Navy Seals teams? Aren't those the people that go in and do such things? Sorta just waiting for more info to come out about how this operation was carried out.
It's been a long time coming. That's what I can say. It's almost a decade since the Twin Towers were brought down and now here we are. I can only imagine what those families of lost loved ones in 9/11 might be feeling now, I am sure the news media will pick up stories, track some of these people down and do interviews.
The images of people jumping out of windows over 90 stories up have never left my mind. Or watching the jumbo jet plowing into the side of the second tower, not actually seeing the death, but knowing that everyone inside of that plane had just been killed along with however many people were in it's way when it crashed into the tower. The fact that this mouthy, arrogant, cocky son-of-a-bitch just took a bullet to his brain must offer to some of the surviving family members/frieds/those that were there some sort of consolation that this guy has finally met a just ending.
Work day is here. The world celebrates. I am in the middle of it.
ben
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Saturday 4/30/2011
So, the cockroach infestation has grown worse. A while back, I bombed the entire house - with a LOT of bombs everywhere. The house was fumigated very well. It did the trick - for a bit, but, it did not eradicate them. So anyway, when one of the tenants came to me a few days ago and said: hey, Ben, I said 50 of them in the utility room, I took the spray and zapped as many of them as I could! - that was a sign to to get REALLY serious about this situation.
Not that there were 50 roaches, that was QUITE the exaggeration. But, time to give out a notice to everyone and time to pull out the poison guns and definitely time to do extreme cleaning.
Quite a lot of time has elapsed since I started this entry. I sometimes to that, especially on weekends. The neighbors would not deal with their barking dog today, it sat there at the fence barking at me and my dogs for some time. I turned on heavy metal music, aimed directly at their windows and it's been on for - several hours now. I have been out there several times including taking a nap next to one of my ponds - the sound of water falling is quite soothing - the dog was barking and I just let the music rip. Since they refuse to give me the peace I expect to have in my own back yard, I expect that they will be listening to some pretty dreadful music - all night long, actually.
That's the point too: peace. You don't own property to have someone else's issues messing with you. You have the right to peaceable use of your own property.
Lol. More time passed. More blaming of George Bush, now he's the culprit, apparently, or at least part of it according to some dude that made a film with the following coming off the news blips: The film suggests that if there are problems in American education, they are largely due to standardized tests, overambitious parents, insufficient funding, and George W. Bush.
ROFL. This tickles me to tears. I just love the never-ending finger-pointing at George Bush. HE must be the cause of all of our societal woes. I do hope Mr. Bush takes the same humor in such, because frankly? A load of crap. IMO, of course.
Our society is truly messed up.
Not that there were 50 roaches, that was QUITE the exaggeration. But, time to give out a notice to everyone and time to pull out the poison guns and definitely time to do extreme cleaning.
Quite a lot of time has elapsed since I started this entry. I sometimes to that, especially on weekends. The neighbors would not deal with their barking dog today, it sat there at the fence barking at me and my dogs for some time. I turned on heavy metal music, aimed directly at their windows and it's been on for - several hours now. I have been out there several times including taking a nap next to one of my ponds - the sound of water falling is quite soothing - the dog was barking and I just let the music rip. Since they refuse to give me the peace I expect to have in my own back yard, I expect that they will be listening to some pretty dreadful music - all night long, actually.
That's the point too: peace. You don't own property to have someone else's issues messing with you. You have the right to peaceable use of your own property.
Lol. More time passed. More blaming of George Bush, now he's the culprit, apparently, or at least part of it according to some dude that made a film with the following coming off the news blips: The film suggests that if there are problems in American education, they are largely due to standardized tests, overambitious parents, insufficient funding, and George W. Bush.
ROFL. This tickles me to tears. I just love the never-ending finger-pointing at George Bush. HE must be the cause of all of our societal woes. I do hope Mr. Bush takes the same humor in such, because frankly? A load of crap. IMO, of course.
Our society is truly messed up.
Friday 4/29/2011
Friday
Well, the date was interesting. The doggy park we were going to meet at was - closed until May 25th! Lol. We went to another one - the one where Dobermans are brought and like to bit Prince, the black Great Dane, who in turn will bite them back.
No Dobermans last night, at least not purebreds, there was one mixed breed that was definitely part Dobey and yes, that dog started trouble with Prince. Just before Prince was going to do something, I got him away from that scene. What IS it with Dobermans and Prince? No clue there.
Well, we talked quite a lot with several interruptions of course, being at a doggy park and dealing with doggies. Unfortunately, other ladies were stopping me asking about the dog and I didn't want to be rude, so I engaged them in conversation but then, trying to get out of that to get back to the lady I came to meet up with? Well, anyway, it went well, I thought so and we are going to meet again sometime very soon.
Okay, Trump in the news again. I'm guessing this is going to be regular feed in the news blips. This guy is seriously talking running for president! I'd pick him over Obama any day, but I don't know that I would pick him over a serious republican contender.
Crazy stuff going on it this world. My neighbor across the street with the brain tumors is apparently on her last leg and her daughter was over there last night moving her stuff out. She wants $16,000 for that old trailer. I can say the property is worth that much, the trailer? Needs to be razed. What I'm afraid of is what sort of people that kind of price tag usually attracts, if history repeats itself and how would I feel about such living directly across the street from me? I already have enough "neighbor" issues in that neighborhood. I can only pray that whoever ends up getting it is going to have some semblance of being a normal human being (or more likely: family).
Jimmy Carter can blast the U.S. and SK for withholding food distribution to North Korea all he wants, but I have a question, cause I have a bit of experience in this field: HOW do we know WHO is ending up with the food? They going to let humanitarian workers into the country over there to hand-distribute the stuff? Cause' if they aren't, my guess the food goes to the million man army first before any of it is ever seen by the real, actual starving people over there.
THAT would be my only concern in sending more food over there - that it gets into the hands of the people that are actually being oppressed by Kim and his ilk.
I really could care less about the "Royal Wedding" - I'm just completely uninterested. I don't know what the hype is about it, I have read about it and still haven't figured out why so many people are enamored with it, but at least it's OVER.
Ummm, well whatever. The weekend is almost here. A bunch of small deliveries in our truck routing system for work today - adding up to not much. Last day of the business month, too, and our numbers? Pathetic. Oh, and I thoroughly enjoyed my drive up to Globe yesterday, though the trip into the mine was rather arduous. Have to sit through an almost 20 minute video, follow another vehicle into the mine and then, to unload the truck, we all had to have a safety meeting and sign a paper that we had attended!
I'm SURE glad I don't have to do THAT everytime I make a delivery! No big plans for the weekend - never really are I suppose - but I will figure something out.
G'day.
ben
Well, the date was interesting. The doggy park we were going to meet at was - closed until May 25th! Lol. We went to another one - the one where Dobermans are brought and like to bit Prince, the black Great Dane, who in turn will bite them back.
No Dobermans last night, at least not purebreds, there was one mixed breed that was definitely part Dobey and yes, that dog started trouble with Prince. Just before Prince was going to do something, I got him away from that scene. What IS it with Dobermans and Prince? No clue there.
Well, we talked quite a lot with several interruptions of course, being at a doggy park and dealing with doggies. Unfortunately, other ladies were stopping me asking about the dog and I didn't want to be rude, so I engaged them in conversation but then, trying to get out of that to get back to the lady I came to meet up with? Well, anyway, it went well, I thought so and we are going to meet again sometime very soon.
Okay, Trump in the news again. I'm guessing this is going to be regular feed in the news blips. This guy is seriously talking running for president! I'd pick him over Obama any day, but I don't know that I would pick him over a serious republican contender.
Crazy stuff going on it this world. My neighbor across the street with the brain tumors is apparently on her last leg and her daughter was over there last night moving her stuff out. She wants $16,000 for that old trailer. I can say the property is worth that much, the trailer? Needs to be razed. What I'm afraid of is what sort of people that kind of price tag usually attracts, if history repeats itself and how would I feel about such living directly across the street from me? I already have enough "neighbor" issues in that neighborhood. I can only pray that whoever ends up getting it is going to have some semblance of being a normal human being (or more likely: family).
Jimmy Carter can blast the U.S. and SK for withholding food distribution to North Korea all he wants, but I have a question, cause I have a bit of experience in this field: HOW do we know WHO is ending up with the food? They going to let humanitarian workers into the country over there to hand-distribute the stuff? Cause' if they aren't, my guess the food goes to the million man army first before any of it is ever seen by the real, actual starving people over there.
THAT would be my only concern in sending more food over there - that it gets into the hands of the people that are actually being oppressed by Kim and his ilk.
I really could care less about the "Royal Wedding" - I'm just completely uninterested. I don't know what the hype is about it, I have read about it and still haven't figured out why so many people are enamored with it, but at least it's OVER.
Ummm, well whatever. The weekend is almost here. A bunch of small deliveries in our truck routing system for work today - adding up to not much. Last day of the business month, too, and our numbers? Pathetic. Oh, and I thoroughly enjoyed my drive up to Globe yesterday, though the trip into the mine was rather arduous. Have to sit through an almost 20 minute video, follow another vehicle into the mine and then, to unload the truck, we all had to have a safety meeting and sign a paper that we had attended!
I'm SURE glad I don't have to do THAT everytime I make a delivery! No big plans for the weekend - never really are I suppose - but I will figure something out.
G'day.
ben
Thursday 4/28/2011
Thursday
A trip to the mountains in queue today. Our branch is having a very slow month, indeed, we'll take what we can get. This time to a supply house up in Globe. This particular company usually sends their semi down to us to pick up the materials they need - their truck is down.
I've seen their truck many times - it should be put down permanently!
And then, of course, the dog park date. I've had some pretty interesting reaction to the question that is always asked: where are you going to go? This lady is totally into dogs, she has some fancy breed - one of those take one of this and one of that and see what comes out type - so why not? It costs no more than the gas to get there, if the date is a dud, we go about our lives, nothing gained but nothing lost either.
This particular person speaks more than a mile a minute - I think she goes about 10 miles a minute. I wonder, sometimes, how long a person can go on for before they realize the other individual hasn't said anything - or has tried and just couldn't quite get any words to fit in the billionth of a second between the other person's words? Lol. Doesn't really bother me, but I do like to get a few words in there once in a while.
So, finally, Obama releases the "long" version of his birth certificate. Why didn't he do this a long time ago? I guess there are STILL people that believe it's a fake. Does it really matter now? He's the President, he has been for over 2 years now, what's done is done. I don't agree with much of what he has done or is doing, but I do believe this issue should be laid to a rest. As for Trump, well, I think the idea that he would actually run for President is a bit - out there. He's more like a comedian and a circus clown than the person that you would look at and say, gee: that's presidential material right there.
I'm sure he has the money smarts, but in his case, I would definitely be suspect of hidden agendas.
Umm, my time has run out, gotta get the truck loaded and ready for a run into the hills!
G'day.
ben
A trip to the mountains in queue today. Our branch is having a very slow month, indeed, we'll take what we can get. This time to a supply house up in Globe. This particular company usually sends their semi down to us to pick up the materials they need - their truck is down.
I've seen their truck many times - it should be put down permanently!
And then, of course, the dog park date. I've had some pretty interesting reaction to the question that is always asked: where are you going to go? This lady is totally into dogs, she has some fancy breed - one of those take one of this and one of that and see what comes out type - so why not? It costs no more than the gas to get there, if the date is a dud, we go about our lives, nothing gained but nothing lost either.
This particular person speaks more than a mile a minute - I think she goes about 10 miles a minute. I wonder, sometimes, how long a person can go on for before they realize the other individual hasn't said anything - or has tried and just couldn't quite get any words to fit in the billionth of a second between the other person's words? Lol. Doesn't really bother me, but I do like to get a few words in there once in a while.
So, finally, Obama releases the "long" version of his birth certificate. Why didn't he do this a long time ago? I guess there are STILL people that believe it's a fake. Does it really matter now? He's the President, he has been for over 2 years now, what's done is done. I don't agree with much of what he has done or is doing, but I do believe this issue should be laid to a rest. As for Trump, well, I think the idea that he would actually run for President is a bit - out there. He's more like a comedian and a circus clown than the person that you would look at and say, gee: that's presidential material right there.
I'm sure he has the money smarts, but in his case, I would definitely be suspect of hidden agendas.
Umm, my time has run out, gotta get the truck loaded and ready for a run into the hills!
G'day.
ben
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday 4/27/2011
Wednesday
I had a woman once reply to one of my few Craigslist ads that I have posted in the personals section looking for a relationship saying that my ad was "too long" and had "too much information" in it.
I asked her why, though not in the least bit disuaded from doing things the way I do them regardless of what anyone thinks. "It's a turn off". As if she were speaking for every lady that lives on the face of planet. Lol. I wrote her back and said maybe it's a turn off for YOU, but considering the response, I'd say you aren't exactly speaking for EVERYONE.
I had another one that was - quite dominant to say the least - getting into it through an email discourse that ended up with: gee, I'm not changing, better go find someone that is already in the pansied state that you are searching for.
My "latest" ad = which was weeks ago now - only netted in a few replies. It only takes the right one. You see, if you want to have a relationship and in thinking about that in starting up with a complete and total strange, I rather believe more information - at least relevant info - is better than a 2 liner: I'm a guy, I like to go the movies, now will you marry me?
Even the lady that I am allegedly going to meet tomorrow evening (I only say allegedly cause' it ain't a done deal until it actually happens, and with Craigslist, that is definitely not even close to being guaranteed) said she was only haphazardly looking through the ads from the dudes cause' - most of the ads were quite pathetic.
I've heard that many times over to the point that I started reading some of their ads, too, to see if ther really was any entertainment value to it, and jumping jehoolas - hilarious. Some of the stuff guys write trying to "lure" a woman is worse than pathetic, it's Neanderthal. I mean, we're talking DESPERATE people. Although I would like to find a relationship sooner or later, I am in no way, shape or form anywhere even near the ship called Desperation. That is not a club or a cruise line that I have joined or have even signed up for and don't intend to get there.
I do not, ever, want to repeat history is the reason why.
Changing the subject - totally - Taco Bell now has it's panties in a bunch. Who CARES if it's beef or not? As long as the ingredients of their tacos and such aren't HARMFUL, I know I couldn't care less. I occasionally go in there and get 3 or 4 crunch Fresca tacos - that's their reduced fat/calorie menu. 4 of them equals 600 calories. Somehow, I doubt Taco Bell lost much business to these clowns that tried to sue them because of making alleged false claims.
2 teens kill a woman and then burglarize her home. Couldn't they have just stolen whatever and let the woman live? That was their only motive: stealing. They got caught shortly after and now? I am guessing prosecution is going to go after the death penalty. Why not? It isn't a deterrent to others to not do the same thing, if it were, this stuff would have stopped happening long ago. No, it's just justice meted out. Of course, I'm rather for putting them in a small cell, solitary confinement and letting them sit there and rot for the rest of their lives, a punishment I think that is far worse than a death sentence.
I just don't get all the senseless killing.
Well whatever. Work day approaches - though there is absolutely NOTHING to do in our truck routing system. This is going to be a very bad month, numbers wise, for our store if something drastic in terms of orders coming doesn't change in the next 2 days.
Oh well. Nothing I can do about it.
G'day.
ben
I had a woman once reply to one of my few Craigslist ads that I have posted in the personals section looking for a relationship saying that my ad was "too long" and had "too much information" in it.
I asked her why, though not in the least bit disuaded from doing things the way I do them regardless of what anyone thinks. "It's a turn off". As if she were speaking for every lady that lives on the face of planet. Lol. I wrote her back and said maybe it's a turn off for YOU, but considering the response, I'd say you aren't exactly speaking for EVERYONE.
I had another one that was - quite dominant to say the least - getting into it through an email discourse that ended up with: gee, I'm not changing, better go find someone that is already in the pansied state that you are searching for.
My "latest" ad = which was weeks ago now - only netted in a few replies. It only takes the right one. You see, if you want to have a relationship and in thinking about that in starting up with a complete and total strange, I rather believe more information - at least relevant info - is better than a 2 liner: I'm a guy, I like to go the movies, now will you marry me?
Even the lady that I am allegedly going to meet tomorrow evening (I only say allegedly cause' it ain't a done deal until it actually happens, and with Craigslist, that is definitely not even close to being guaranteed) said she was only haphazardly looking through the ads from the dudes cause' - most of the ads were quite pathetic.
I've heard that many times over to the point that I started reading some of their ads, too, to see if ther really was any entertainment value to it, and jumping jehoolas - hilarious. Some of the stuff guys write trying to "lure" a woman is worse than pathetic, it's Neanderthal. I mean, we're talking DESPERATE people. Although I would like to find a relationship sooner or later, I am in no way, shape or form anywhere even near the ship called Desperation. That is not a club or a cruise line that I have joined or have even signed up for and don't intend to get there.
I do not, ever, want to repeat history is the reason why.
Changing the subject - totally - Taco Bell now has it's panties in a bunch. Who CARES if it's beef or not? As long as the ingredients of their tacos and such aren't HARMFUL, I know I couldn't care less. I occasionally go in there and get 3 or 4 crunch Fresca tacos - that's their reduced fat/calorie menu. 4 of them equals 600 calories. Somehow, I doubt Taco Bell lost much business to these clowns that tried to sue them because of making alleged false claims.
2 teens kill a woman and then burglarize her home. Couldn't they have just stolen whatever and let the woman live? That was their only motive: stealing. They got caught shortly after and now? I am guessing prosecution is going to go after the death penalty. Why not? It isn't a deterrent to others to not do the same thing, if it were, this stuff would have stopped happening long ago. No, it's just justice meted out. Of course, I'm rather for putting them in a small cell, solitary confinement and letting them sit there and rot for the rest of their lives, a punishment I think that is far worse than a death sentence.
I just don't get all the senseless killing.
Well whatever. Work day approaches - though there is absolutely NOTHING to do in our truck routing system. This is going to be a very bad month, numbers wise, for our store if something drastic in terms of orders coming doesn't change in the next 2 days.
Oh well. Nothing I can do about it.
G'day.
ben
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday 4/26/2011
I posted an "entry" this morning in the comments section of yesterday's post - gone. Oh well.
My date for Thursday is still on - on more than I thought. She texted me a few hours ago and we got into a texting session - which I can say that I really don't like texting that much - so we ended up on the phone talking instead. How can you start a relationship texting? You would have to push those miniature buttons forever! My fingers are too big for those little keys, I have to use what little amount of finger nail I have to push those buttons - though I can say after almost 2 months of this nonsense, I am starting to get better at it.
Anyway, she has texted me severed times today and after I started writing this entry - and hardly getting anything written - she called me again. She's a nice, talkative blonde : ) I can talk forever with people, this is not a problem : )
Oh who cares about the tenants and the notices and all the other junk today.
G'nite.
ben
My date for Thursday is still on - on more than I thought. She texted me a few hours ago and we got into a texting session - which I can say that I really don't like texting that much - so we ended up on the phone talking instead. How can you start a relationship texting? You would have to push those miniature buttons forever! My fingers are too big for those little keys, I have to use what little amount of finger nail I have to push those buttons - though I can say after almost 2 months of this nonsense, I am starting to get better at it.
Anyway, she has texted me severed times today and after I started writing this entry - and hardly getting anything written - she called me again. She's a nice, talkative blonde : ) I can talk forever with people, this is not a problem : )
Oh who cares about the tenants and the notices and all the other junk today.
G'nite.
ben
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday 4/25/2011
Monday
Well, what did you do yesterday on Easter? Umm, for me?? Besides talking to my mother for about 45 minutes on the phone, I was also having to deal with the police - umm, was it twice or three times?
Yup, the trailer trash next door. This time, however, I started the "trouble". The guy has been giving me dirty looks all week long. This coupled with the fact that he called the police on us about vehicles that, it turned out, were legally parked in the street.
Time to turn the tables. If the guy would just keep to himself and stop messing with me, I wouldn't even go here, but I did yesterday. His face was facing the wrong direction and his car was parked on the sidewalk. I called the police, who rather quickly came out and went to their door to tell them to move these vehicles immediately.
The "man" came out, said something to the officer while pointing at me, the officer shook his head and forced him to move the vehicles regardless. However, he did not move the vehicle on the sidewalk, only the van. So, the cops had to come back and deal with him again.
This time, however, the "man" made threatening gesstures to me - I had to smile: I was taking a video of everything. He said something in Spanish that I didn't understand because he said it so quickly, I assume with his gesstures is was some sort of threat.
I then went to the side of the house where my Koi ponds are, there they were, in all of the trash and junk laying out there, putting up metal sheets on their awning. I thought I might as well go the gusto and shot a 5 minute video of him - not saying a word to him or her - while they were doing it.
He got mad. Lol. Should have I have done any of this? Probably not. The "man" has crossed my line, however, and I am not exactly going to be pleasant to them - ever again actually. I have tried for years now and it's gotten me nothing but police over at my house.
So, I went inside my house and maybe 2 hours later? The police are out front of my house, ringing the doorbell. This time, I took the camera with me and yes, I fully intended on videoing the police as in the past, they have been very disrespectful and I figured to get it on film and possibly post it to YouTube.
This guy started in on me, of course. And, as usual, the people next door lied and exaggerated. No surprise there. There were 3 cops there - no surprise there, either. They must not have had much to do yesterday in dispatching 3 different cars to a call as petty as the this one.
April 25, 2011 6:03 AM
Anonymous said...
He attempted to tell me that I could not video my next door neighbors, that it "could" be considered harassment.
That got me going pretty good. HARASSMENT? YOU want to talk about harassment? I went off about the dogs, his threats, and the junk in their back yard that I am exposed to. Especially the dogs. They tell me the same thing every time: Call the police if their dogs are barking at 2:00am. Yes, officer, I have, they said they can't do anything. One cop got a surprised look on his face.
"They told you we can't do anything?!~!" Yes. On and on. In the end? The cop that was "handling" the call changed his tones towards me dramatically - but that only happens after I go through the entire story. ALWAYS, at the beginning, they think I am the guy starting the trouble.
They advised me - as others have also - to get an Injunction Against Harassment, and frankly, I may actually do that. That is, when I feel like driving downtown, finding a parking space and spending the time it's going to take to get one, and then, potentially, having to go to court again if they want to contest it. No idea whether they would or not, not that that would scare me.
So, that was yesterday.
Now? Water under the bridge. Just another day on my street. I AM getting sick of their crap, though. The cops are always telling me to just keep to myself. I always have to tell them to tell THOSE people to MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS and there would BE no problems. I don't normally start the stuff with them, yesterday I freely admit that I did, but only after a week of this guy giving me the "bad-@$$" looks every time I come home from work.
They didn't spend much time over there when they went back over, which is quite unusual, they normally are talking with them at least 20-30 minutes. Apparently my story got through to them. I did call those people trailer trash, told the cops they are not normal people and invited them to take a look at the side of their house. I also invited them to look at the damage their dog has done to plants at the front of my property. Yes, when you can start pointing things out, it gives a bit different perspective now, doesn't it?
I'll take their advice on Animal Control. They claim you have to keep calling them to get anywhere with it. Okay. The next time I hear those dogs barking incessantly at 1:00 am, I will call the police and the next day I will call Animal Control again. My guess? It will get me NOWHERE in dealing with them and their dogs.
Oh well.
Work day approaches. There are a few things to do in the truck routing system, thankfully. I hate starting Mondays with nothing to do, it really makes a day draaaaaaaag.
G'day.
ben
Well, what did you do yesterday on Easter? Umm, for me?? Besides talking to my mother for about 45 minutes on the phone, I was also having to deal with the police - umm, was it twice or three times?
Yup, the trailer trash next door. This time, however, I started the "trouble". The guy has been giving me dirty looks all week long. This coupled with the fact that he called the police on us about vehicles that, it turned out, were legally parked in the street.
Time to turn the tables. If the guy would just keep to himself and stop messing with me, I wouldn't even go here, but I did yesterday. His face was facing the wrong direction and his car was parked on the sidewalk. I called the police, who rather quickly came out and went to their door to tell them to move these vehicles immediately.
The "man" came out, said something to the officer while pointing at me, the officer shook his head and forced him to move the vehicles regardless. However, he did not move the vehicle on the sidewalk, only the van. So, the cops had to come back and deal with him again.
This time, however, the "man" made threatening gesstures to me - I had to smile: I was taking a video of everything. He said something in Spanish that I didn't understand because he said it so quickly, I assume with his gesstures is was some sort of threat.
I then went to the side of the house where my Koi ponds are, there they were, in all of the trash and junk laying out there, putting up metal sheets on their awning. I thought I might as well go the gusto and shot a 5 minute video of him - not saying a word to him or her - while they were doing it.
He got mad. Lol. Should have I have done any of this? Probably not. The "man" has crossed my line, however, and I am not exactly going to be pleasant to them - ever again actually. I have tried for years now and it's gotten me nothing but police over at my house.
So, I went inside my house and maybe 2 hours later? The police are out front of my house, ringing the doorbell. This time, I took the camera with me and yes, I fully intended on videoing the police as in the past, they have been very disrespectful and I figured to get it on film and possibly post it to YouTube.
This guy started in on me, of course. And, as usual, the people next door lied and exaggerated. No surprise there. There were 3 cops there - no surprise there, either. They must not have had much to do yesterday in dispatching 3 different cars to a call as petty as the this one.
April 25, 2011 6:03 AM
Anonymous said...
He attempted to tell me that I could not video my next door neighbors, that it "could" be considered harassment.
That got me going pretty good. HARASSMENT? YOU want to talk about harassment? I went off about the dogs, his threats, and the junk in their back yard that I am exposed to. Especially the dogs. They tell me the same thing every time: Call the police if their dogs are barking at 2:00am. Yes, officer, I have, they said they can't do anything. One cop got a surprised look on his face.
"They told you we can't do anything?!~!" Yes. On and on. In the end? The cop that was "handling" the call changed his tones towards me dramatically - but that only happens after I go through the entire story. ALWAYS, at the beginning, they think I am the guy starting the trouble.
They advised me - as others have also - to get an Injunction Against Harassment, and frankly, I may actually do that. That is, when I feel like driving downtown, finding a parking space and spending the time it's going to take to get one, and then, potentially, having to go to court again if they want to contest it. No idea whether they would or not, not that that would scare me.
So, that was yesterday.
Now? Water under the bridge. Just another day on my street. I AM getting sick of their crap, though. The cops are always telling me to just keep to myself. I always have to tell them to tell THOSE people to MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS and there would BE no problems. I don't normally start the stuff with them, yesterday I freely admit that I did, but only after a week of this guy giving me the "bad-@$$" looks every time I come home from work.
They didn't spend much time over there when they went back over, which is quite unusual, they normally are talking with them at least 20-30 minutes. Apparently my story got through to them. I did call those people trailer trash, told the cops they are not normal people and invited them to take a look at the side of their house. I also invited them to look at the damage their dog has done to plants at the front of my property. Yes, when you can start pointing things out, it gives a bit different perspective now, doesn't it?
I'll take their advice on Animal Control. They claim you have to keep calling them to get anywhere with it. Okay. The next time I hear those dogs barking incessantly at 1:00 am, I will call the police and the next day I will call Animal Control again. My guess? It will get me NOWHERE in dealing with them and their dogs.
Oh well.
Work day approaches. There are a few things to do in the truck routing system, thankfully. I hate starting Mondays with nothing to do, it really makes a day draaaaaaaag.
G'day.
ben
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Lowe's Free Tree Day/Earth Day
So, I guess today is Earth Day? And Lowe's is giving away 1,000,000 trees. I just called the one down the road from me, in about 30 minutes they are going to be giving theirs out and yes, I intend to be there in 30 minutes. It's a 10 minute drive, no time pressure here to get this done and get over there. I am, of course, totally into trees: the more, the merrier.
Came out to my kitchen this morning to find a sink loaded/filled/stuffed with dirty plates and such. This is a HUGE no-no on ben's "Don't EVER Do List" for tenants. I got pretty sour pretty quick, it's a good thing tenants weren't out here because the first one I saw? I would have let'er loose. Instead, I dealt with the mess and will be handing out notices to everyone. I am already charging 2 tenants extra for not cleaning the bathroom - they don't want to do it, they are going to pay someone to do it for them.
No dogs barking. I went outside last night because of the noise of the neighbor's dogs barking incessantly and yelled out very loudly: SHUT YOUR DOGS UP!!
Nothing happened. SHUT YOUR DOGS UP OR I AM GOING TO CALL THE POLICE (this is THEIR modus operandi, why not do the same with them? Oh, because it's juvenile, that's why)!!! I didn't hear another peep from those dogs all night and not even this morning when I let my dogs out.
The boom box I had put away? Is also back out on it's stepladder, aimed at their windows. I am through with being civil with these people, just fight fire with fire at this point. I have no tolerance or civilities left for them, at all. They are a hoard of trailer trash and they LIVE like trailer trash. When you think of someone living in an old trailer with trash dumped all around the place, this is EXACTLY what they are living in and how they live!!
PIGS.
Well, anyway, I'm only half dressed and I need to get ready to go to the free tree event!
G'day.
ben
Came out to my kitchen this morning to find a sink loaded/filled/stuffed with dirty plates and such. This is a HUGE no-no on ben's "Don't EVER Do List" for tenants. I got pretty sour pretty quick, it's a good thing tenants weren't out here because the first one I saw? I would have let'er loose. Instead, I dealt with the mess and will be handing out notices to everyone. I am already charging 2 tenants extra for not cleaning the bathroom - they don't want to do it, they are going to pay someone to do it for them.
No dogs barking. I went outside last night because of the noise of the neighbor's dogs barking incessantly and yelled out very loudly: SHUT YOUR DOGS UP!!
Nothing happened. SHUT YOUR DOGS UP OR I AM GOING TO CALL THE POLICE (this is THEIR modus operandi, why not do the same with them? Oh, because it's juvenile, that's why)!!! I didn't hear another peep from those dogs all night and not even this morning when I let my dogs out.
The boom box I had put away? Is also back out on it's stepladder, aimed at their windows. I am through with being civil with these people, just fight fire with fire at this point. I have no tolerance or civilities left for them, at all. They are a hoard of trailer trash and they LIVE like trailer trash. When you think of someone living in an old trailer with trash dumped all around the place, this is EXACTLY what they are living in and how they live!!
PIGS.
Well, anyway, I'm only half dressed and I need to get ready to go to the free tree event!
G'day.
ben
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Friday 4/22/2011
Friday
Now it's REALLY Friday, lol.
Yesterday was a very long day at work.
3 different trips, out until almost 4:00 pm.
Of course, today has almost nothing to do in the routing system, se la vie.
I haven't got much this morning. I woke up out of a really strange dream that I can't quite seem to shake from my head.
I was living in a house on the side of a large mountain with a bunch of relatives. That's strange in itself - who wants to live with their relatives? Anyway, one of my Koi ponds was up in a giant barn/garage like structure on the second floor. The thing caught on fire and I was, for whatever reason, trying to catch the fish and save them (In real life? the fish would burn! I ain't riskin' my life for fish!).
It was in a remote area of the wilderness, the house that is, but it was set on this REALLY steep mountainside. I remember leaving to get out of there as the house was burning, walking along a dirt road, looking up and see at the top of the mountain a wave of lava coming over it. The next thing I know, I'm climbing up a huge tree to escape the lava.
As I said, it was a strange dream. Why it's stuck in my head, no clue, usually dreams just fizzle out of my mind - but, obviously - not always. Not only that, the alarm clock had been going off for over a full minute before I finally woke up out of it!
Oh, Caleb's graduation. This should be lovely. My dad and my mom - who haven't seen each other since 1985 - will be "forced" to be in the same place, at the same time. Not only that, my brothers are coming. My brothers haven't spoken to my dad in like 6 years. I am guessing this whole situation is going to be VERY uncomfortable for all of them. Well, they don't HAVE to come. I guess they don't even have to sit together, I'm guessing they probably won't.
One thing that is good out of all of it: My brothers and mom are pitching in together to buy Caleb a brand new laptop as a gift. You can't beat that with a stick!!!
G'day.
ben
Now it's REALLY Friday, lol.
Yesterday was a very long day at work.
3 different trips, out until almost 4:00 pm.
Of course, today has almost nothing to do in the routing system, se la vie.
I haven't got much this morning. I woke up out of a really strange dream that I can't quite seem to shake from my head.
I was living in a house on the side of a large mountain with a bunch of relatives. That's strange in itself - who wants to live with their relatives? Anyway, one of my Koi ponds was up in a giant barn/garage like structure on the second floor. The thing caught on fire and I was, for whatever reason, trying to catch the fish and save them (In real life? the fish would burn! I ain't riskin' my life for fish!).
It was in a remote area of the wilderness, the house that is, but it was set on this REALLY steep mountainside. I remember leaving to get out of there as the house was burning, walking along a dirt road, looking up and see at the top of the mountain a wave of lava coming over it. The next thing I know, I'm climbing up a huge tree to escape the lava.
As I said, it was a strange dream. Why it's stuck in my head, no clue, usually dreams just fizzle out of my mind - but, obviously - not always. Not only that, the alarm clock had been going off for over a full minute before I finally woke up out of it!
Oh, Caleb's graduation. This should be lovely. My dad and my mom - who haven't seen each other since 1985 - will be "forced" to be in the same place, at the same time. Not only that, my brothers are coming. My brothers haven't spoken to my dad in like 6 years. I am guessing this whole situation is going to be VERY uncomfortable for all of them. Well, they don't HAVE to come. I guess they don't even have to sit together, I'm guessing they probably won't.
One thing that is good out of all of it: My brothers and mom are pitching in together to buy Caleb a brand new laptop as a gift. You can't beat that with a stick!!!
G'day.
ben
Thursday 4/21/2011
Note: I had it stuck in my head this morning that it is Friday, when, in actuality, it is Thursday. Get to do a do-over tomorrow.
Friday
Performance review given out yesterday. Mostly good marks but with a black eye punched. Of course, the issue with the DOT giving me out warnings. I get pulled over frequently enough - in fact just a few days ago. But my truck was not inspected, just weighed. The truck was almost empty, they weighed two of the 5 axles and then moved me on.
Oh well. I am sure there are drivers all over the country that are getting this kind of junk and there isn't much you can do about it. There are also other drivers in my company that have received tickets with fines - I received no such thing.
But in this new era of new rules and regulations that have just come out, it almost makes no difference on your record whether it was a violation with a warning or a violation with a ticket and fine. You know, I have no control over god-attitude DOT officers, especially the 20-somethings that have attitude written all over themselves. This has been going on for decades, there is nothing new here.
They pull you over to find violations. They don't care how petty it is or the fact that it has nothing to do with "safety", they will write you up for a loose bolt on a passenger seat that no-one ever sits in. Companies with management that has no knowledge of the trucking industry and how DOT officers approach these situations simply point at the driver and blame you. You have to be perfect, but more: your truck has to be perfect as well.
I also got a mark on "communication". Yes, well, I have to say that I communicate with everyone in the company that I need to communicate with, when I need to communicate with them. I was asking about that and didn't get any specific instances - which is what I need to see whether I am really guilty of that or just because it's an inexperienced manager - who - btw - went through a divorce and would show up to work listless. I was dumped with the workload while he sat in his office with extreme depression. I didn't care about the workload, but he wasn't communicating with me - almost at all.
But, whatever. I can't change the review if I wanted to, I do care, but there is nothing I can do about it.
Regardless, there is a huge volume of work to do today, stuff got dumped into our routing system just before I was leaving to go home yesterday. I doubt it will all get finished - too much work in too little time to accomplish. I always try, of course, but I have enough experience to know what can be done with a 2 man crew and what can't be done.
As for right now? Go read the news.
G'day.
ben
Friday
Performance review given out yesterday. Mostly good marks but with a black eye punched. Of course, the issue with the DOT giving me out warnings. I get pulled over frequently enough - in fact just a few days ago. But my truck was not inspected, just weighed. The truck was almost empty, they weighed two of the 5 axles and then moved me on.
Oh well. I am sure there are drivers all over the country that are getting this kind of junk and there isn't much you can do about it. There are also other drivers in my company that have received tickets with fines - I received no such thing.
But in this new era of new rules and regulations that have just come out, it almost makes no difference on your record whether it was a violation with a warning or a violation with a ticket and fine. You know, I have no control over god-attitude DOT officers, especially the 20-somethings that have attitude written all over themselves. This has been going on for decades, there is nothing new here.
They pull you over to find violations. They don't care how petty it is or the fact that it has nothing to do with "safety", they will write you up for a loose bolt on a passenger seat that no-one ever sits in. Companies with management that has no knowledge of the trucking industry and how DOT officers approach these situations simply point at the driver and blame you. You have to be perfect, but more: your truck has to be perfect as well.
I also got a mark on "communication". Yes, well, I have to say that I communicate with everyone in the company that I need to communicate with, when I need to communicate with them. I was asking about that and didn't get any specific instances - which is what I need to see whether I am really guilty of that or just because it's an inexperienced manager - who - btw - went through a divorce and would show up to work listless. I was dumped with the workload while he sat in his office with extreme depression. I didn't care about the workload, but he wasn't communicating with me - almost at all.
But, whatever. I can't change the review if I wanted to, I do care, but there is nothing I can do about it.
Regardless, there is a huge volume of work to do today, stuff got dumped into our routing system just before I was leaving to go home yesterday. I doubt it will all get finished - too much work in too little time to accomplish. I always try, of course, but I have enough experience to know what can be done with a 2 man crew and what can't be done.
As for right now? Go read the news.
G'day.
ben
Wednesday 4/20/2011
Wednesday
Ummm, I always hate when I forget to update this blog and get the entries on comments to their own spot.
Oh well.
Brewer vetoes the requirement to check presidential candidate's credentials as to place of birth. Good. I don't like Obama, at all, but our state has enough contention going on to need to heap even more upon it. It is a useless waste of legislature's time to be drafting this kind of bill up and then going through all the motions to get it passed.
They have better things to do.
The price of food is continuing to rise. Especially seeing that scenario in the meat department at the local grocer's. Dairy products, too. In fact, just about everything. I'm beginning to wonder if some of this stuff I have been hearing for some time now isn't going to come to pass: food is going to get so expensive, some people aren't going to be able to afford to buy it. Others are going to be severely affected by it.
I dunno. I am not feeding a bunch of mouths right now so it really isn't affecting me that much. The trailer tenants are already complaining about it - they have limited finances and this kind of thing happening isn't helpful to their situation. I can always tell when they are down to their last pennies - they start eating mac and cheese or other types of noodles. I gave them a 3 pound package of ground beef yesterday, it was on sale.
But, the sales aren't that great - at least right now - as it is. That 3-pound pack at $6.19 on sale would have been around $2.50 in a similar sale only a year ago. The regular price of ground beef has soared, actually, to the point I don't even buy the stuff right now. If a good sale comes up on it anytime in the near future, I will be a lot of it.
Another example are the 5 pound chubs. A year ago, not even that long ago: $9.99 and you could get it much cheaper if it was on sale. Now? Over $13 for that same chub. That's a substantial rise in the price.
Things at work, completely changing the subject, are going in a - strange direction. I won't go into details, but even the feel of it is pretty much out there. I'm not sure what is going on, where it is leading to or what the final results will be, hold onto my seat and let's go for another roller coaster ride.
In reality, when times get rough in most societies, more people turn to God. I was just musing about that. I wonder if that's true in these current times. Especially America. The land of the free - and increasingly a lot of corruption at all levels. Meanwhile, people are homeless, hungry, broke. It's all around you, you may not see it because you haven't really looked. Or you may not WANT to see it. Who knows.
I am done with this one, as I seem to be wandering all over the place.
G'day.
ben
Ummm, I always hate when I forget to update this blog and get the entries on comments to their own spot.
Oh well.
Brewer vetoes the requirement to check presidential candidate's credentials as to place of birth. Good. I don't like Obama, at all, but our state has enough contention going on to need to heap even more upon it. It is a useless waste of legislature's time to be drafting this kind of bill up and then going through all the motions to get it passed.
They have better things to do.
The price of food is continuing to rise. Especially seeing that scenario in the meat department at the local grocer's. Dairy products, too. In fact, just about everything. I'm beginning to wonder if some of this stuff I have been hearing for some time now isn't going to come to pass: food is going to get so expensive, some people aren't going to be able to afford to buy it. Others are going to be severely affected by it.
I dunno. I am not feeding a bunch of mouths right now so it really isn't affecting me that much. The trailer tenants are already complaining about it - they have limited finances and this kind of thing happening isn't helpful to their situation. I can always tell when they are down to their last pennies - they start eating mac and cheese or other types of noodles. I gave them a 3 pound package of ground beef yesterday, it was on sale.
But, the sales aren't that great - at least right now - as it is. That 3-pound pack at $6.19 on sale would have been around $2.50 in a similar sale only a year ago. The regular price of ground beef has soared, actually, to the point I don't even buy the stuff right now. If a good sale comes up on it anytime in the near future, I will be a lot of it.
Another example are the 5 pound chubs. A year ago, not even that long ago: $9.99 and you could get it much cheaper if it was on sale. Now? Over $13 for that same chub. That's a substantial rise in the price.
Things at work, completely changing the subject, are going in a - strange direction. I won't go into details, but even the feel of it is pretty much out there. I'm not sure what is going on, where it is leading to or what the final results will be, hold onto my seat and let's go for another roller coaster ride.
In reality, when times get rough in most societies, more people turn to God. I was just musing about that. I wonder if that's true in these current times. Especially America. The land of the free - and increasingly a lot of corruption at all levels. Meanwhile, people are homeless, hungry, broke. It's all around you, you may not see it because you haven't really looked. Or you may not WANT to see it. Who knows.
I am done with this one, as I seem to be wandering all over the place.
G'day.
ben
Tuesday 4/19/2011
Tuesday
This will be a short(er) one. Not much time left before work.
The only item of interest is a conversation I had yesterday with Lynnette, one of the trailer dwellers.
She started telling me this story about the kid tenant - again. I had thought we had gotten past some of this stuff. Apparently and definitely not.
What she told me started to make me mad. She told me she was mopping the kitchen floor and that this kid came out -- and walked on the still wet floor. She asked him not to do that, can he wait 10 minutes until the floor dries? No, he replies, he his hungry.
So, you are so hungry that you can't wait a few minutes until the floor dries? Please? No, he replies again, I am hungry right now and I am not going to wait. The third request fell on deaf ears.
UNBELIEVABLE. WHAT planet did this kid drop in from? Planet EGO, apparently. I am god, I can do whatever I want, do not interfere with my activities.
It goes on. She has told him in the past to NOT start the dishwasher. He used to start the thing half full. Seriously, the machine wouldn't be even half full and there is he, wasting my electricity, hot water and those dishwasher tabs - which are expensive btw - on half a load of dishes. Apparently Lynnette's fuse blew on that one: Do not EVER start this machine again!! I guess she lectured him on the fact that I usually have the thing crammed full - more than she has ever seen anyone get into a machine and still have the dishes come out clean.
Well, as a matter of fact, that is true : )
This isn't the end. I was informed that he goes out my side door where the fish are to - allegedly - piss if he wakes up and the bathroom is being used. ?@!!!!!@#$@#$%Q$*@$)@$
Lynnette said basically he's being doing that since he moved in. I had no clue. I have never seen him going out there - not to do anything. Well, that door has a double deadbolt on it - meaning it is keyed on BOTH sides and yes, the door is now deadbolted shut.
Then there was the coup de grace. Imagine listening to all of this in one conversation. He got up yesterday morning and was having a cow about the bathroom being full. One moment of humor, yes, I was laughing. That's because fully 3 people in a row used the bathroom including taking showers - keeping him out and apparently complaining loudly to Lynnette.
I told Lynnette I would deal with him on the floor cleaning issue, what a freak. No, she exclaims loudly, do NOT do that!! She didn't want to be seen as a tattle tale. Well who cares? What's the kid going to do? I very reluctantly agreed to not say anything, but the issue of the dishwasher DID come up.
You see, it wasn't just that he started the machine, he started it with a casserole dish in there, a small one, but it was over the top of the telescoping thing that raises up when the machine starts and sprays water on the dishes on the upper rack. Without that, those dishes do not get clean. Further, he did not rearrange the silverware so that it wasn't all crammed into one compartment. Half of that didn't get clean and he also didn't arrange the dishes so that water could get through all of it.
I addressed him on that and flatly told him to never operate that machine again, did not say please or thank you, just don't touch it.
I have my own plan about forcing this kitchen floor issue. I will just clean the floor when he is home and hope that he comes out while the floor is wet. I have already had one show down with him about this quite some time ago. I had thought THAT situation had been taken care of.
That's it. My time is up anyway. There is actually more to the story with this kid, but, no biggies.
G'day.
ben
This will be a short(er) one. Not much time left before work.
The only item of interest is a conversation I had yesterday with Lynnette, one of the trailer dwellers.
She started telling me this story about the kid tenant - again. I had thought we had gotten past some of this stuff. Apparently and definitely not.
What she told me started to make me mad. She told me she was mopping the kitchen floor and that this kid came out -- and walked on the still wet floor. She asked him not to do that, can he wait 10 minutes until the floor dries? No, he replies, he his hungry.
So, you are so hungry that you can't wait a few minutes until the floor dries? Please? No, he replies again, I am hungry right now and I am not going to wait. The third request fell on deaf ears.
UNBELIEVABLE. WHAT planet did this kid drop in from? Planet EGO, apparently. I am god, I can do whatever I want, do not interfere with my activities.
It goes on. She has told him in the past to NOT start the dishwasher. He used to start the thing half full. Seriously, the machine wouldn't be even half full and there is he, wasting my electricity, hot water and those dishwasher tabs - which are expensive btw - on half a load of dishes. Apparently Lynnette's fuse blew on that one: Do not EVER start this machine again!! I guess she lectured him on the fact that I usually have the thing crammed full - more than she has ever seen anyone get into a machine and still have the dishes come out clean.
Well, as a matter of fact, that is true : )
This isn't the end. I was informed that he goes out my side door where the fish are to - allegedly - piss if he wakes up and the bathroom is being used. ?@!!!!!@#$@#$%Q$*@$)@$
Lynnette said basically he's being doing that since he moved in. I had no clue. I have never seen him going out there - not to do anything. Well, that door has a double deadbolt on it - meaning it is keyed on BOTH sides and yes, the door is now deadbolted shut.
Then there was the coup de grace. Imagine listening to all of this in one conversation. He got up yesterday morning and was having a cow about the bathroom being full. One moment of humor, yes, I was laughing. That's because fully 3 people in a row used the bathroom including taking showers - keeping him out and apparently complaining loudly to Lynnette.
I told Lynnette I would deal with him on the floor cleaning issue, what a freak. No, she exclaims loudly, do NOT do that!! She didn't want to be seen as a tattle tale. Well who cares? What's the kid going to do? I very reluctantly agreed to not say anything, but the issue of the dishwasher DID come up.
You see, it wasn't just that he started the machine, he started it with a casserole dish in there, a small one, but it was over the top of the telescoping thing that raises up when the machine starts and sprays water on the dishes on the upper rack. Without that, those dishes do not get clean. Further, he did not rearrange the silverware so that it wasn't all crammed into one compartment. Half of that didn't get clean and he also didn't arrange the dishes so that water could get through all of it.
I addressed him on that and flatly told him to never operate that machine again, did not say please or thank you, just don't touch it.
I have my own plan about forcing this kitchen floor issue. I will just clean the floor when he is home and hope that he comes out while the floor is wet. I have already had one show down with him about this quite some time ago. I had thought THAT situation had been taken care of.
That's it. My time is up anyway. There is actually more to the story with this kid, but, no biggies.
G'day.
ben
Monday 4/18/2011
Monday
Tax Day.
The day of Fear. The day the Federal Government through the Department of the Treasury via the IRS wants to instill the fear of man into you. File your tax returns or else.
I guess it's the whole fear thing that they try to convey that turns me off.
So here we go again with rising fuel prices. I mean, some parts of the country are already paying over $4 per gallon, it was $3.67 at a station I saw on the way to work today. They have you by the throat. You wanna drive, you will pay the price and there isn't a thing you can do about it. I have no choice. Well, I suppose there are always choices, but getting up at 3:30 am to ride a bike to work doesn't sound like much fun, neither does taking a bus that would take 2 to 2-1/2 hours to get to work. How high is it going to go, that is my question.
Here's some humor: the House has passed Ryan's bill to cut the deficit. Humorous because everyone knows it's not going to pass through the Senate and even if it did - Obama would most certainly veto it. I don't know about anyone else, but I would like to see a plan that, since it's going to take 10 years to do it - would call ALL of the deficit out, regardless of what that means cutting out of the FAR-too-long reach span of the Federal government.
The interest payments on our debt alone is staggering when put into visible numbers (versus "them" just talking about it in generic fashion). One thing I hope remains true: that the pressure is on from the American people - a lot of us anyway - to get this mindset that they can just spend as much as they want and it doesn't matter what we think - out of Washington. Good luck with Obama, right? lol. Still, there IS pressure. They can't just ignore the entire caucus anymore. Some people may hate the Tea Party, but that grouping of individuals has done more to force the issue of spending than any other grouping in modern history.
Just sit back and take a totally neutral look at the Federal government, the money it gets in on a yearly basis and the money it spends, including the interest to pay for the loans that we continually seem to be acquiring to keep the government's doors open. If you could get past party line and emotion in such a view, then perhaps you might start to see that regardless of who got us here and into this mess - something HAS to be done about it and now, not 10 years from now, now.
This mentality of living in debt and that it's somehow acceptable needs to go out the window. Statistics show that many Americans are paying down their personal debt - if they can - getting out of credit card debt and attempting to even save more.
I upped my 401k deductions to 5% so that I could realize the full benefits given by my company in their match. Dollar for dollar on the first 2 percent and 50 cents on the dollar on the 3 beyond that. It's free money and I ain't gettin' no pension. My only trepidation is the doomsayers forecasting that later this year, the stock market is going to take a dive again and so are your stocks.
Ahhh, well, I am going to probably dump all of my money into the safest venue I can find in the next month or so. I did that last time and I didn't lost near as much, percentage wise, as several people I know who said they lost almost everything. BUT, the same people came back a year later and said they had gotten it all back!
Regardless, work day approaches and there is some driving to do.
G'day.
ben
Tax Day.
The day of Fear. The day the Federal Government through the Department of the Treasury via the IRS wants to instill the fear of man into you. File your tax returns or else.
I guess it's the whole fear thing that they try to convey that turns me off.
So here we go again with rising fuel prices. I mean, some parts of the country are already paying over $4 per gallon, it was $3.67 at a station I saw on the way to work today. They have you by the throat. You wanna drive, you will pay the price and there isn't a thing you can do about it. I have no choice. Well, I suppose there are always choices, but getting up at 3:30 am to ride a bike to work doesn't sound like much fun, neither does taking a bus that would take 2 to 2-1/2 hours to get to work. How high is it going to go, that is my question.
Here's some humor: the House has passed Ryan's bill to cut the deficit. Humorous because everyone knows it's not going to pass through the Senate and even if it did - Obama would most certainly veto it. I don't know about anyone else, but I would like to see a plan that, since it's going to take 10 years to do it - would call ALL of the deficit out, regardless of what that means cutting out of the FAR-too-long reach span of the Federal government.
The interest payments on our debt alone is staggering when put into visible numbers (versus "them" just talking about it in generic fashion). One thing I hope remains true: that the pressure is on from the American people - a lot of us anyway - to get this mindset that they can just spend as much as they want and it doesn't matter what we think - out of Washington. Good luck with Obama, right? lol. Still, there IS pressure. They can't just ignore the entire caucus anymore. Some people may hate the Tea Party, but that grouping of individuals has done more to force the issue of spending than any other grouping in modern history.
Just sit back and take a totally neutral look at the Federal government, the money it gets in on a yearly basis and the money it spends, including the interest to pay for the loans that we continually seem to be acquiring to keep the government's doors open. If you could get past party line and emotion in such a view, then perhaps you might start to see that regardless of who got us here and into this mess - something HAS to be done about it and now, not 10 years from now, now.
This mentality of living in debt and that it's somehow acceptable needs to go out the window. Statistics show that many Americans are paying down their personal debt - if they can - getting out of credit card debt and attempting to even save more.
I upped my 401k deductions to 5% so that I could realize the full benefits given by my company in their match. Dollar for dollar on the first 2 percent and 50 cents on the dollar on the 3 beyond that. It's free money and I ain't gettin' no pension. My only trepidation is the doomsayers forecasting that later this year, the stock market is going to take a dive again and so are your stocks.
Ahhh, well, I am going to probably dump all of my money into the safest venue I can find in the next month or so. I did that last time and I didn't lost near as much, percentage wise, as several people I know who said they lost almost everything. BUT, the same people came back a year later and said they had gotten it all back!
Regardless, work day approaches and there is some driving to do.
G'day.
ben
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sunday 4/17/2011
Plunked the tax forms into the mailbox on Friday - with extra stamps just in case on the Federal return envelope - and now wait for the s to hit the fan. I am just glad to get it sent out in time, if the IRS wants to dispute any or all of it, that does not, therefore, negate that it was sent out in time and they can't try to tell me that I don't get that 5k worth of credit. I can honestly say that until I actually have a check from the IRS in my hands, I don't expect or have any hope of getting ANY of it back. Rather, I expect them to try to find some way to not only not give me the money, but try to take more.
You may gather that I neither like the IRS nor do I trust them. Not after having read horror story, after horror story - etc. ad nauseum.
I have some people coming over in 4 hours or so to get some pond plants. I try to give them away versus cutting them and chucking them. They are all growing way too fast right now, that time of year I guess. Taking over almost one entire pond, there is PLENTY there to give away. Pond plants don't take a green thumb, either, just pluck them into pots, put them in the water, watch them grow.
Much time passed. 2 families came over separated by an hour and I got the plants in my pond thinned out greatly while listening to stories of people with ponds that they know nothing about. One family bought a short-sale home with a huge pond. The house had been vacated for well over a year. The pond, according to them, was dried up and there were numerous fish bodies and other stuff laying in it. I can't imagine a person who has gone to the trouble to install a very expensive pond and then just let the fish die in it. If I was losing my home and couldn't take my fish, I would give them away before just letting them sit in there to eventually die.
The second family was quite interesting. Parents and kids. The story was that they had gone on a pond tour, saw the ponds and were inspired. More to the point: the 16 year old boy wanted to put a pond in their back yard and began telling me how he spent 6 months digging it out by hand. The entire family was all ears while I was explaining the art of pond plants. I can actually see about half of that pond now without plants obscuring the view! It's a bit nicer to give the plants away than to just just the trimmings in the trash.
Umm, time's up. Work week en-queue.
G'nite.
ben
You may gather that I neither like the IRS nor do I trust them. Not after having read horror story, after horror story - etc. ad nauseum.
I have some people coming over in 4 hours or so to get some pond plants. I try to give them away versus cutting them and chucking them. They are all growing way too fast right now, that time of year I guess. Taking over almost one entire pond, there is PLENTY there to give away. Pond plants don't take a green thumb, either, just pluck them into pots, put them in the water, watch them grow.
Much time passed. 2 families came over separated by an hour and I got the plants in my pond thinned out greatly while listening to stories of people with ponds that they know nothing about. One family bought a short-sale home with a huge pond. The house had been vacated for well over a year. The pond, according to them, was dried up and there were numerous fish bodies and other stuff laying in it. I can't imagine a person who has gone to the trouble to install a very expensive pond and then just let the fish die in it. If I was losing my home and couldn't take my fish, I would give them away before just letting them sit in there to eventually die.
The second family was quite interesting. Parents and kids. The story was that they had gone on a pond tour, saw the ponds and were inspired. More to the point: the 16 year old boy wanted to put a pond in their back yard and began telling me how he spent 6 months digging it out by hand. The entire family was all ears while I was explaining the art of pond plants. I can actually see about half of that pond now without plants obscuring the view! It's a bit nicer to give the plants away than to just just the trimmings in the trash.
Umm, time's up. Work week en-queue.
G'nite.
ben
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Friday 4/15/2011
Friday
Yayyyy, it's Friday!
This is hilarious: Arizona legislature okays birther bill - which requires any and all presidential candidates to prove via birth certificate or some other acceptable means that they were born in the United States.
The wild, wild, west. Well, whatever. I'm sure the opponents of this particular bill will do.....what? Tell everyone to boycott Arizona again? Lol. It still amazes me that one of our own state's senators actually got that going when the Immigration bill was being considered.
Ummm, I think I'll leave the realm of the politics - though I do find no small amount of amusement and entertainment from the bickering and bantering back and forth between the two parties about how we should - or apparently should not - reduce the nation's deficit.
Regardless, I am sending in one tax return today and probably go ahead and file this year's as well. Work on the other 2 years - of which I have the paper work sitting around somewhere, get it over with, wait for the IRS to start heck and heterdyne, I am sure. What's another round of drama in my life?
Went to the JROTC event last night where they hand out awards. Caleb got two of them. His final days of being on top of his particular world in High School are drawing to a close. Then he's off to new adventures. The ex was there, too, she snapped a pic of Caleb and I.
Almost scary. No more kids in the house? Maybe I need to go out and find a ready-made family, lol. I don't want any more babies, but I wouldn't mind doing the sports thing with baseball and all that over again with another one.
Anyway, no great plans for the weekend. I am, however, talking with a nice looking gal in email back and forth. I know she's nice lookin' cause she has sent me about a dozen different pics. This lady actually seems to be normal!! Christian, no drugs, doesn't smoke, don't know about kids, has a job, career, even money! Not that not having money is a disqualifier, but my wouldn't it be nice to find someone that is self supporting and isn't in want. I dunno, we're talking back and forth. Amazingly, this person replied to a Craigslist ad. I stopped doing those after several failed attempts last year to meet - anyone that has even a close semblance to being normal. But, whatever is in all of us that drives us to be with someone - got me going again. I didn't want to; pay for Match.com and was having no luck with Plenty of Fish, figured to try the freebie route again.
Umm, oh, the weekend. Well, probably the same routine. Caleb is gone to some sort of camp this weekend, I am still considering taking a day trip out of town just to get a new perspective - the mountains tend to do that for me.
G'day.
ben
Yayyyy, it's Friday!
This is hilarious: Arizona legislature okays birther bill - which requires any and all presidential candidates to prove via birth certificate or some other acceptable means that they were born in the United States.
The wild, wild, west. Well, whatever. I'm sure the opponents of this particular bill will do.....what? Tell everyone to boycott Arizona again? Lol. It still amazes me that one of our own state's senators actually got that going when the Immigration bill was being considered.
Ummm, I think I'll leave the realm of the politics - though I do find no small amount of amusement and entertainment from the bickering and bantering back and forth between the two parties about how we should - or apparently should not - reduce the nation's deficit.
Regardless, I am sending in one tax return today and probably go ahead and file this year's as well. Work on the other 2 years - of which I have the paper work sitting around somewhere, get it over with, wait for the IRS to start heck and heterdyne, I am sure. What's another round of drama in my life?
Went to the JROTC event last night where they hand out awards. Caleb got two of them. His final days of being on top of his particular world in High School are drawing to a close. Then he's off to new adventures. The ex was there, too, she snapped a pic of Caleb and I.
Almost scary. No more kids in the house? Maybe I need to go out and find a ready-made family, lol. I don't want any more babies, but I wouldn't mind doing the sports thing with baseball and all that over again with another one.
Anyway, no great plans for the weekend. I am, however, talking with a nice looking gal in email back and forth. I know she's nice lookin' cause she has sent me about a dozen different pics. This lady actually seems to be normal!! Christian, no drugs, doesn't smoke, don't know about kids, has a job, career, even money! Not that not having money is a disqualifier, but my wouldn't it be nice to find someone that is self supporting and isn't in want. I dunno, we're talking back and forth. Amazingly, this person replied to a Craigslist ad. I stopped doing those after several failed attempts last year to meet - anyone that has even a close semblance to being normal. But, whatever is in all of us that drives us to be with someone - got me going again. I didn't want to; pay for Match.com and was having no luck with Plenty of Fish, figured to try the freebie route again.
Umm, oh, the weekend. Well, probably the same routine. Caleb is gone to some sort of camp this weekend, I am still considering taking a day trip out of town just to get a new perspective - the mountains tend to do that for me.
G'day.
ben
Friday, April 15, 2011
Friday 4/15/2011
Friday
Yayyyy, it's Friday!
This is hilarious: Arizona legislature okays birther bill - which requires any and all presidential candidates to prove via birth certificate or some other acceptable means that they were born in the United States.
The wild, wild, west. Well, whatever. I'm sure the opponents of this particular bill will do.....what? Tell everyone to boycott Arizona again? Lol. It still amazes me that one of our own state's senators actually got that going when the Immigration bill was being considered.
Ummm, I think I'll leave the realm of the politics - though I do find no small amount of amusement and entertainment from the bickering and bantering back and forth between the two parties about how we should - or apparently should not - reduce the nation's deficit.
Regardless, I am sending in one tax return today and probably go ahead and file this year's as well. Work on the other 2 years - of which I have the paper work sitting around somewhere, get it over with, wait for the IRS to start heck and heterdyne, I am sure. What's another round of drama in my life?
Went to the JROTC event last night where they hand out awards. Caleb got two of them. His final days of being on top of his particular world in High School are drawing to a close. Then he's off to new adventures. The ex was there, too, she snapped a pic of Caleb and I.
Almost scary. No more kids in the house? Maybe I need to go out and find a ready-made family, lol. I don't want any more babies, but I wouldn't mind doing the sports thing with baseball and all that over again with another one.
Anyway, no great plans for the weekend. I am, however, talking with a nice looking gal in email back and forth. I know she's nice lookin' cause she has sent me about a dozen different pics. This lady actually seems to be normal!! Christian, no drugs, doesn't smoke, don't know about kids, has a job, career, even money! Not that not having money is a disqualifier, but my wouldn't it be nice to find someone that is self supporting and isn't in want. I dunno, we're talking back and forth. Amazingly, this person replied to a Craigslist ad. I stopped doing those after several failed attempts last year to meet - anyone that has even a close semblance to being normal. But, whatever is in all of us that drives us to be with someone - got me going again. I didn't want to; pay for Match.com and was having no luck with Plenty of Fish, figured to try the freebie route again.
Umm, oh, the weekend. Well, probably the same routine. Caleb is gone to some sort of camp this weekend, I am still considering taking a day trip out of town just to get a new perspective - the mountains tend to do that for me.
G'day.
ben
Yayyyy, it's Friday!
This is hilarious: Arizona legislature okays birther bill - which requires any and all presidential candidates to prove via birth certificate or some other acceptable means that they were born in the United States.
The wild, wild, west. Well, whatever. I'm sure the opponents of this particular bill will do.....what? Tell everyone to boycott Arizona again? Lol. It still amazes me that one of our own state's senators actually got that going when the Immigration bill was being considered.
Ummm, I think I'll leave the realm of the politics - though I do find no small amount of amusement and entertainment from the bickering and bantering back and forth between the two parties about how we should - or apparently should not - reduce the nation's deficit.
Regardless, I am sending in one tax return today and probably go ahead and file this year's as well. Work on the other 2 years - of which I have the paper work sitting around somewhere, get it over with, wait for the IRS to start heck and heterdyne, I am sure. What's another round of drama in my life?
Went to the JROTC event last night where they hand out awards. Caleb got two of them. His final days of being on top of his particular world in High School are drawing to a close. Then he's off to new adventures. The ex was there, too, she snapped a pic of Caleb and I.
Almost scary. No more kids in the house? Maybe I need to go out and find a ready-made family, lol. I don't want any more babies, but I wouldn't mind doing the sports thing with baseball and all that over again with another one.
Anyway, no great plans for the weekend. I am, however, talking with a nice looking gal in email back and forth. I know she's nice lookin' cause she has sent me about a dozen different pics. This lady actually seems to be normal!! Christian, no drugs, doesn't smoke, don't know about kids, has a job, career, even money! Not that not having money is a disqualifier, but my wouldn't it be nice to find someone that is self supporting and isn't in want. I dunno, we're talking back and forth. Amazingly, this person replied to a Craigslist ad. I stopped doing those after several failed attempts last year to meet - anyone that has even a close semblance to being normal. But, whatever is in all of us that drives us to be with someone - got me going again. I didn't want to; pay for Match.com and was having no luck with Plenty of Fish, figured to try the freebie route again.
Umm, oh, the weekend. Well, probably the same routine. Caleb is gone to some sort of camp this weekend, I am still considering taking a day trip out of town just to get a new perspective - the mountains tend to do that for me.
G'day.
ben
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Thursday 4/14/2011
Thursday
The US Navy has a LASER now? Lol!!! Captain Jean Luc Picard to Data: Fire lasers! I mean really, that's Star Trek type of stuff! I guess it's still apparently in testing mode or something, but that's quite the leap in technology - at least to me it is.
Planes and things having to do with them seem to pop up quite frequently in the news. Of which I am always fascinated, regardless. The senator that landed a Cessna on a closed runway that had construction personnel working on it at the time of his landing? Crazy!
Or air traffic controllers falling asleep on the job?!!! My gosh - those people make a LOT of money, THAT if nothing else oughtta make them stay awake for a job as important as that one! Heck, let ME take all the training and get in there, I'll become a night owl to rake in that kind of dough!!
Problems at work? Yes. I'm not sure where this one is going, either. I'm not going into it here, on a public website, viewable by anyone in the world, just junk.
2 of 3. I have 2 of the 3 things I needed to get out this week done. Child support and the loan modification documents - that had to be notarized AND had to have 2 witnesses. Next is the tax return. I have everything that I know of that I need to have to send it in, including the fire report which I obtained yesterday. I was amazed at how many units had been called out on that. In a 28 minute period of time, there had been 14 units dispatched.
I DID find it odd, though, that with all this detailed information they had on this, the "Received" time was not on that paper and the "Entered" time - the time between being received and entered into the system has "elapsed" showing as "error". It was less than 3 minutes from the time dispatched to the time the first unit was on scene - which makes sense since the nearest fire department is all of 2 blocks away. However, I remember thinking at the time that it was taking awfully long for them to get there - it appears from that paperwork the dispatcher apparently made an error in GETTING the fire department dispatched.
The house would not have been saved, but much more of my personal belongings would have if they had been there even a few minutes faster. It's ancient history now, no use crying over spilt milk, but I WOULD like to know what, exactly, happened.
Time's up.
G'day.
ben
The US Navy has a LASER now? Lol!!! Captain Jean Luc Picard to Data: Fire lasers! I mean really, that's Star Trek type of stuff! I guess it's still apparently in testing mode or something, but that's quite the leap in technology - at least to me it is.
Planes and things having to do with them seem to pop up quite frequently in the news. Of which I am always fascinated, regardless. The senator that landed a Cessna on a closed runway that had construction personnel working on it at the time of his landing? Crazy!
Or air traffic controllers falling asleep on the job?!!! My gosh - those people make a LOT of money, THAT if nothing else oughtta make them stay awake for a job as important as that one! Heck, let ME take all the training and get in there, I'll become a night owl to rake in that kind of dough!!
Problems at work? Yes. I'm not sure where this one is going, either. I'm not going into it here, on a public website, viewable by anyone in the world, just junk.
2 of 3. I have 2 of the 3 things I needed to get out this week done. Child support and the loan modification documents - that had to be notarized AND had to have 2 witnesses. Next is the tax return. I have everything that I know of that I need to have to send it in, including the fire report which I obtained yesterday. I was amazed at how many units had been called out on that. In a 28 minute period of time, there had been 14 units dispatched.
I DID find it odd, though, that with all this detailed information they had on this, the "Received" time was not on that paper and the "Entered" time - the time between being received and entered into the system has "elapsed" showing as "error". It was less than 3 minutes from the time dispatched to the time the first unit was on scene - which makes sense since the nearest fire department is all of 2 blocks away. However, I remember thinking at the time that it was taking awfully long for them to get there - it appears from that paperwork the dispatcher apparently made an error in GETTING the fire department dispatched.
The house would not have been saved, but much more of my personal belongings would have if they had been there even a few minutes faster. It's ancient history now, no use crying over spilt milk, but I WOULD like to know what, exactly, happened.
Time's up.
G'day.
ben
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Wednesday 4/14/2011
Wednesday
I'm starting to think about getting ready to go to bed last night when the cellphone rings. I hear this voice on the other end of the phone and immediately recognize it, notwithstanding the fact I haven't heard it in over 2 years.
Albert, my buddy from Little League days. We used to coach teams together, had our boys in the program and all the other stuff I did in that organization. Without going into an hour and a half of conversation of details, it was nice to hear from an old friend. I didn't have his telephone number and he apparently lost mine. He was at Albertson's yesterday - where my son works - went up to him and my son didn't recognize him!
Lol. I thought that amazing because we spent a LOT of time at ballfields together. But then recognition sparked: coach!
Okay, well anyway.
Quoted from a White House official: ""The president will advocate a balanced approach to controlling out of control deficits and restoring fiscal responsibility while protecting the investments we need to grow our economy, create jobs, and win the future,".
Since WHEN is Obama concerned with spending cuts? Or "fiscal responsibility"? PLEASE spare me. The ONLY reason he has jumped on that particular bandwagon is because he was on the LOSING side of the proposition!! More people, apparently, want out-of-control spending eliminated than don't!! So suddenly he is concerned about a situation that up until now, he didn't give a rat's @$$ about. Spend, spend, spend, his motto and the likes of him.
We are expected to live within our means - if we cannot - then we lose things, like houses and cars. I have no idea why the federal government and the ilk that run it think that that organization should be run any differently.
And let's can this talk of a democracy. We are a REPUBLIC, NOT a democracy. If you don't know the difference, look it up, there are definitions for it all over the web. There are important distinctions that make this - or should make this - a republic, not a democracy.
Just wanted to throw that out there.
I was reading the mortgage documents 2 days ago and it said: "Must be returned not later than April 15th". Yikes!! I thought I had until the end of the month to get that back in! I got to the bank yesterday to get a notary on all the paperwork, had to have 2 witnesses meaning - it isn't going to get sent out until this afternoon. Thank goodness for Federal Express! It's already prepaid, it will be sitting in their office tomorrow, fully a day in advance of the 15th.
Speaking of the 15th, tax day. Well, I guess they moved it up to the 18th. I'm getting mine postmarked by the 15th, I don't care, sounds like a nightmarish bad joke by the IRS: "Fooled ya, you were supposed to have it in by the 15th!" GONNNNNNNNNNG!!! You lose!!
I guess they wouldn't REALLY do that, but I don't trust that portion of the government as far as I can throw it - and considering I can't throw it anywhere, that tells you how much trust I have in it and the people that run it.
The paperwork is done, I still have to go to downtown Phoenix and get the proof that I actually did have a house fire. Today or tomorrow, either one, I'll get that piece of paper and that will be the end of it, send that stuff into the state and feds and then - let whatever trouble they want to start about it - begin!! I KNOW they aren't just going to let this pass by them, this is potentially audit material, couldn't care less, bring it on. I'm not going to get railroaded over by the IRS, not if I can help it.
Regardless, the work day almost here - not much to do, but there are some pickups that allegedly have to be done today.
G'day.
ben
I'm starting to think about getting ready to go to bed last night when the cellphone rings. I hear this voice on the other end of the phone and immediately recognize it, notwithstanding the fact I haven't heard it in over 2 years.
Albert, my buddy from Little League days. We used to coach teams together, had our boys in the program and all the other stuff I did in that organization. Without going into an hour and a half of conversation of details, it was nice to hear from an old friend. I didn't have his telephone number and he apparently lost mine. He was at Albertson's yesterday - where my son works - went up to him and my son didn't recognize him!
Lol. I thought that amazing because we spent a LOT of time at ballfields together. But then recognition sparked: coach!
Okay, well anyway.
Quoted from a White House official: ""The president will advocate a balanced approach to controlling out of control deficits and restoring fiscal responsibility while protecting the investments we need to grow our economy, create jobs, and win the future,".
Since WHEN is Obama concerned with spending cuts? Or "fiscal responsibility"? PLEASE spare me. The ONLY reason he has jumped on that particular bandwagon is because he was on the LOSING side of the proposition!! More people, apparently, want out-of-control spending eliminated than don't!! So suddenly he is concerned about a situation that up until now, he didn't give a rat's @$$ about. Spend, spend, spend, his motto and the likes of him.
We are expected to live within our means - if we cannot - then we lose things, like houses and cars. I have no idea why the federal government and the ilk that run it think that that organization should be run any differently.
And let's can this talk of a democracy. We are a REPUBLIC, NOT a democracy. If you don't know the difference, look it up, there are definitions for it all over the web. There are important distinctions that make this - or should make this - a republic, not a democracy.
Just wanted to throw that out there.
I was reading the mortgage documents 2 days ago and it said: "Must be returned not later than April 15th". Yikes!! I thought I had until the end of the month to get that back in! I got to the bank yesterday to get a notary on all the paperwork, had to have 2 witnesses meaning - it isn't going to get sent out until this afternoon. Thank goodness for Federal Express! It's already prepaid, it will be sitting in their office tomorrow, fully a day in advance of the 15th.
Speaking of the 15th, tax day. Well, I guess they moved it up to the 18th. I'm getting mine postmarked by the 15th, I don't care, sounds like a nightmarish bad joke by the IRS: "Fooled ya, you were supposed to have it in by the 15th!" GONNNNNNNNNNG!!! You lose!!
I guess they wouldn't REALLY do that, but I don't trust that portion of the government as far as I can throw it - and considering I can't throw it anywhere, that tells you how much trust I have in it and the people that run it.
The paperwork is done, I still have to go to downtown Phoenix and get the proof that I actually did have a house fire. Today or tomorrow, either one, I'll get that piece of paper and that will be the end of it, send that stuff into the state and feds and then - let whatever trouble they want to start about it - begin!! I KNOW they aren't just going to let this pass by them, this is potentially audit material, couldn't care less, bring it on. I'm not going to get railroaded over by the IRS, not if I can help it.
Regardless, the work day almost here - not much to do, but there are some pickups that allegedly have to be done today.
G'day.
ben
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