“And the highways getting longer and the saddle’s getting cold, I’m much too young to feel this damn old. All my cards are on the table with no ace left in the hole, I’m much too young to feel this damn old.”
Garth Brooks
46 years of age is, by no one’s stretch of the imagination, considered old. With that said though, it’s pretty obvious that my body is in rebellion right now.
Actually, it started about a week ago, when I was getting out of the truck at work. All of a sudden, my lower back started to ache, right above the belt line, to a point where I was walking around like I was in my 80’s. Damn but it did hurt. All of last week, whenever I had to do anything strenuous, the back would give me fits.
By the time Sunday rolled around, I thought I was getting better. The left side of my back didn’t hurt anymore, and the pain on the right side was manageable. Still not at 100%, but better nonetheless. Since one part of me was getting better, my body had a meeting and conspired against me.
Back: We’re not all the way good yet, but better.
Stomach: Really? Think it’s time I acted a fool then. Let me send the boy running for the toilet a couple of times, let him get some exercise.
Asshole: Let me get in on the fun too. Every time he shits, I’ll make him hurt so bad he’ll want to scream like a little girl. (And he did that)
Right Knee: Oh, I need me some of that action. Time to kick in some ache.
After they had their little meeting, the torture began. First, at 3:30 AM, my stomach sent an urgent message to my brain that it had need of the bathroom, right the hell now. As I was sitting on the throne where all men are equal, I noticed that my knee was hurting as well. Not a throbby or sharp kind of hurt, just a dull ache.
Going back to bed didn’t help much, and getting up was not a reason to celebrate either. The entire day has revolved around extra trips to the bathroom and doing so with back and knee pain. With all of this going on, I was understandably less than motivated about doing any serious work today. I got a few things accomplished, but nothing that required a lot of physical effort.
Now I’m home and fresh from the shower, and there has been some improvement. The knee isn’t so bad, but the back is still letting me know it cares, and I foresee the stomach having a Krakatoa-like reaction later on this evening.
I guess it’s my bodies way of telling me that I’m no longer in my 20’s or 30’s, and shouldn’t continue to act like I am. Start taking better care of things, maybe eat a little better and jack up the vitamin intake. Probably need to schedule an appointment with my beloved curmudgeon doctor again as well.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Random Noise from the Guam Desk
Random noise for a Monday evening……..
-Because I was a little bored and knew no one would be around, I worked all day Saturday. It was a Good Thing, because I ended up getting a lot accomplished. I always have one or two nit-noid little projects that I can never seem to find time for, and got most of them accomplished. I made up for the extra work on Saturday by doing absolutely nothing on Sunday, not even bothering to get out of my pajamas.
-For some reason, my lower back is just killing me today. It was fine until right when I got to work, then it decided to lock up on me. Any type of bending hurts like hell, from picking stuff up off of the kitchen table to wiping my ass. Wish I had a bathtub at home to soak my bones in. Part of getting older, I guess.
-At the direction of The Gorgeous One, I have been trading emails with her doctor in Manila to get the full story on her health. Unfortunately, the news is not good. Now none of the issues are life threatening, but they do have some impact on her quality of life and a couple of other things. I forwarded the emails to Her Wifeliness and am going to have her read them herself, because explaining it all would take entirely too much time. She’s going to be disappointed, but there really isn’t a hell of a lot we can actually do about it. I sent her some money on Friday so that she could extend her airplane ticket, but at this point in the proceedings don’t know if staying there is an option, since we are pretty much out of options with the doctors.
-No update on the brother-in-law situation and his kidnapping. There is still no word from the people who took him a month ago. The wife’s family had a press conference last week, but I have yet to find anything on the web that mentions it. I’m trying to remain as upbeat as possible for my wife’s sake, and I pray for him a couple of times a day, but the reality of the situation is that he’s probably dead. This event has put some Pure Fear in the hearts of the family, and I worry about my wife constantly.
-My daughter has apparently gotten into the habit of letting my wonderful grand daughter play with her cell phone, because every now and then I’ll get a phone call that the Caller ID will say is my daughter, but I will hear a little 15 month old voice in the background spouting gibberish. It’s the cutest thing you have ever heard, but may not be so cute when my daughter gets her phone bill. On my part, I only let her rattle on for a few minutes before hanging up.
-I don’t care what anyone says, there is nothing better in the world of sports than playoff hockey. The hits are harder, the game seems faster, and you get to see hockey at its purest. My beloved Colorado Avalanche are up 2-1 in their series with the San Jose Sharks, and the Godless Communist Detroit Red Wings are behind in their series with Phoenix. As for the Eastern Conference, I’m pulling for New Jersey, simply because I like Martin Broduer, who is the best goalie in hockey since Patrick Roy retired.
More later maybe. Must have Motrin for the back and a hot cup of tea sounds like a good thing to have right now.
-Because I was a little bored and knew no one would be around, I worked all day Saturday. It was a Good Thing, because I ended up getting a lot accomplished. I always have one or two nit-noid little projects that I can never seem to find time for, and got most of them accomplished. I made up for the extra work on Saturday by doing absolutely nothing on Sunday, not even bothering to get out of my pajamas.
-For some reason, my lower back is just killing me today. It was fine until right when I got to work, then it decided to lock up on me. Any type of bending hurts like hell, from picking stuff up off of the kitchen table to wiping my ass. Wish I had a bathtub at home to soak my bones in. Part of getting older, I guess.
-At the direction of The Gorgeous One, I have been trading emails with her doctor in Manila to get the full story on her health. Unfortunately, the news is not good. Now none of the issues are life threatening, but they do have some impact on her quality of life and a couple of other things. I forwarded the emails to Her Wifeliness and am going to have her read them herself, because explaining it all would take entirely too much time. She’s going to be disappointed, but there really isn’t a hell of a lot we can actually do about it. I sent her some money on Friday so that she could extend her airplane ticket, but at this point in the proceedings don’t know if staying there is an option, since we are pretty much out of options with the doctors.
-No update on the brother-in-law situation and his kidnapping. There is still no word from the people who took him a month ago. The wife’s family had a press conference last week, but I have yet to find anything on the web that mentions it. I’m trying to remain as upbeat as possible for my wife’s sake, and I pray for him a couple of times a day, but the reality of the situation is that he’s probably dead. This event has put some Pure Fear in the hearts of the family, and I worry about my wife constantly.
-My daughter has apparently gotten into the habit of letting my wonderful grand daughter play with her cell phone, because every now and then I’ll get a phone call that the Caller ID will say is my daughter, but I will hear a little 15 month old voice in the background spouting gibberish. It’s the cutest thing you have ever heard, but may not be so cute when my daughter gets her phone bill. On my part, I only let her rattle on for a few minutes before hanging up.
-I don’t care what anyone says, there is nothing better in the world of sports than playoff hockey. The hits are harder, the game seems faster, and you get to see hockey at its purest. My beloved Colorado Avalanche are up 2-1 in their series with the San Jose Sharks, and the Godless Communist Detroit Red Wings are behind in their series with Phoenix. As for the Eastern Conference, I’m pulling for New Jersey, simply because I like Martin Broduer, who is the best goalie in hockey since Patrick Roy retired.
More later maybe. Must have Motrin for the back and a hot cup of tea sounds like a good thing to have right now.
Annoying Things
A short listing of the things that are currently annoying the hell out of me…..
PEOPLE WHO HIT “REPLY ALL” ON ALL EMAILS
If you want to voice your opinion on something that you are working on in a collaborative effort, it’s great. I’ve done it a few times when it relates to projects I happen to be involved with. Unfortunately, where I work, people do it in an irritating fashion. A few of the swine that work in the Corporate HQ have a habit of sending out emails to everyone in the company over trivial bullshit, and invariably there will be at least 3 people who will “reply all” to let everyone in the company know that they are in fact irreversibly stupid. I don’t know who they are trying to impress, but it’s not working on me.
What would be cool is to see someone do a “reply all” when they have completely snapped, gone bat-shit crazy and just wanted to vent. THAT would be entertaining.
TURTLE RACERS
For those of you unfamiliar with the term, this is when you have two cars driving the same speed, usually lower than the posted speed limit, and one is trying to pass the other because they happen to be going 1 MPH faster than the car getting passed. This is highly annoying to those of us who regularly ignore the posted speed limit, like me. If you aren’t willing to do the speed limit, fine. Keep your happy ass in the right lane, and let the Big Dog run.
“IT IS WHAT IT IS”
This particular phrase has gained some popularity where I work, to the point that everyone is now using it way too often. In fact, it’s a rare thing to have a conversation about a work related issue when this phrase doesn’t get used. I find it annoying and it just shows that some of my coworkers have zero imagination.
PARANOID BEHAVIOR
There are some people in our corporate HQ who act strangely paranoid all the time, particularly when it comes to saying anything derogatory about the company or the executive management team in general. They act as if someone is actually monitoring what they say and will later use it against them. These same people probably shouldn’t come over to where I work, where we speak our minds and use colorful language to do so. These same people would probably be offended if they heard one of the executives referred to as an “ass-monkey”, which is one of the tamer names used in the building where I work.
CRAZY PEOPLE
I’ve always had a problem with people who live right on the edge of insanity. I don’t mean those of us who are crazy in a good way; I’m referring to those who are out of their minds all the way around. The people who obsess about the painting of a parking lot. Those who yell random gibberish at strangers on the street for no apparent reason. Where I live, most of these folks happen to gather at the grocery stores, which is odd in its’ own right.
PEOPLE WHO STARE AT THE MENU IN FAST FOOD PLACES
I’m one of those guys who pretty much knows what I want to eat when I walk into a place, so it’s irritating to be behind someone who stands in line for 10 minutes and still can’t decide what they want to eat. It’s fast food, not trying to decide whether or not to invade the Asian land mass. Pick something and move on.
MEETINGS FOR THE SAKE OF HAVING A MEETING
There are enough utterly pointless moments in life without having to endure meetings that accomplish nothing, other than to say “we had a meeting and discussed it”, whatever “it” happens to be. We do this on a regular basis where I work at, once a week at least, and it’s a day that I can pretty much write off as far as getting anything accomplished.
Music on My Mind
NOTE: If you have been reading my gibberish for a long time, like since the mid 2000's, you may have seen this before. If not, enjoy.
Music. Its something that’s a very personal thing to most of us. For some of us it defines us, shapes our feelings, becomes far more than just something that helps to get us through the day or background for our lives.
There are people who write for magazines that make a very good living as music critics. They listen to it, analyze it, form their opinions and then tell their readers whether or not something is good, mediocre, or whether it is shit.
There’s more to music than that, though, whether something is good or bad. Those two criteria are pretty basic but don’t cover the whole thing. Music, like any other artistic endeavor, is about feelings, location, a moment in time or a place, a whole spectrum of intangibles that are impossible to explain and damn hard to understand.
A song can mean different things at different times in different locations. A prime example of this has occurred in my own life. My musical tastes have always been in the classic rock-country-southern rock areas, with a taste of punk, jazz, and classical thrown into the mix for good measure. I try to be open minded about all kinds of music, but there are types and artists that I usually avoid like the plague because in my mind they aren’t worth wasting my time on.
Celine Dion was a prime example. I never really liked her music, thought it to be lame, mindless housewife music. Thought she did music that had nothing to do with me. This all changed one day a few years ago in the strangest of places at the strangest of times. I was in the Philippines, taking a ride with my sweetheart, her sister, and two friends of the family. It was 95 degrees outside, and we had just finished some shopping. The night before, my sweetheart, this woman that I love more than my own life and I had spent the night talking and making love. It was one of those nights when two people really feel like one person. Anyway, we were riding along, heading to a restaurant for some seafood. She had her head on my shoulder, our arms entwined, the air conditioner in the car was blasting, the sun was shining. As we are riding, our friend puts Celine in the CD player, and plays Beauty and the Beast, her duet with Peabo Bryson.
In the space of 30 seconds, unexplainable total clarity. This wasn’t lame, and it wasn’t some crap pop song. All of a sudden, this one song actually meant something to me, became important. I know it may sound cheesy and lame to someone reading this, but at that moment in time, a new meaning was discovered. Hearing those voices singing while having this incredibly beautiful woman who loves me more than I deserve close by my side made this song and this artist important in my life. Five years have passed since this happened, and I still love this song because it reminds me of that slice of time. I joke with my wife that she’s the beauty and I’m the beast, but the song had the same effect on her as well.
It’s about moments like this one and millions of others that help to transcend music in our lives. Its OK to read critics in music publications and online. Some of these critics are really good and letting you know what’s there, kind of an overview of what the particular artist is trying to say. What is not OK is to base your selection of music based solely on what these critics have to say.
If there is a particular artist you are fond of and the critics pan their latest work, chances are there may be something there that will appeal to you in some way anyway.
Music. Its something that’s a very personal thing to most of us. For some of us it defines us, shapes our feelings, becomes far more than just something that helps to get us through the day or background for our lives.
There are people who write for magazines that make a very good living as music critics. They listen to it, analyze it, form their opinions and then tell their readers whether or not something is good, mediocre, or whether it is shit.
There’s more to music than that, though, whether something is good or bad. Those two criteria are pretty basic but don’t cover the whole thing. Music, like any other artistic endeavor, is about feelings, location, a moment in time or a place, a whole spectrum of intangibles that are impossible to explain and damn hard to understand.
A song can mean different things at different times in different locations. A prime example of this has occurred in my own life. My musical tastes have always been in the classic rock-country-southern rock areas, with a taste of punk, jazz, and classical thrown into the mix for good measure. I try to be open minded about all kinds of music, but there are types and artists that I usually avoid like the plague because in my mind they aren’t worth wasting my time on.
Celine Dion was a prime example. I never really liked her music, thought it to be lame, mindless housewife music. Thought she did music that had nothing to do with me. This all changed one day a few years ago in the strangest of places at the strangest of times. I was in the Philippines, taking a ride with my sweetheart, her sister, and two friends of the family. It was 95 degrees outside, and we had just finished some shopping. The night before, my sweetheart, this woman that I love more than my own life and I had spent the night talking and making love. It was one of those nights when two people really feel like one person. Anyway, we were riding along, heading to a restaurant for some seafood. She had her head on my shoulder, our arms entwined, the air conditioner in the car was blasting, the sun was shining. As we are riding, our friend puts Celine in the CD player, and plays Beauty and the Beast, her duet with Peabo Bryson.
In the space of 30 seconds, unexplainable total clarity. This wasn’t lame, and it wasn’t some crap pop song. All of a sudden, this one song actually meant something to me, became important. I know it may sound cheesy and lame to someone reading this, but at that moment in time, a new meaning was discovered. Hearing those voices singing while having this incredibly beautiful woman who loves me more than I deserve close by my side made this song and this artist important in my life. Five years have passed since this happened, and I still love this song because it reminds me of that slice of time. I joke with my wife that she’s the beauty and I’m the beast, but the song had the same effect on her as well.
It’s about moments like this one and millions of others that help to transcend music in our lives. Its OK to read critics in music publications and online. Some of these critics are really good and letting you know what’s there, kind of an overview of what the particular artist is trying to say. What is not OK is to base your selection of music based solely on what these critics have to say.
If there is a particular artist you are fond of and the critics pan their latest work, chances are there may be something there that will appeal to you in some way anyway.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Thursday from the Guam Desk
My beautiful grand daughter, who I am convinced will someday rule the world.Getting caught up on this thing we call life………
--My daughter called me this afternoon, clearly distraught. My son-in-law was hospitalized last night, and the doctors are having a hard time figuring out what exactly is wrong with him. He’s been having some serious health problems now for about a year, and it’s starting to wear on my daughter. His name is Russell, and if you pray, I would ask that you pray for him. While you’re at it, pray for my daughter as well.
--The news from the wife in the Philippines is that they have received confirmation from “unnamed sources” that her brother is still alive. It has been 17 days since a van appeared in front of his house and 4 armed men took him away. To be honest, I had my doubts and still do, but the wife says it’s true. She’s still stressing and our conversations are still brief, as if I’m being a burden to her. I’m still trying to be the supportive and loving husband, and not taking it personally. We’ve gone from talking twice a day to once in the evening, and I miss her, a lot.
--Did you ever walk into the grocery store in a big hurry, grab a few things and head home, only to find upon your arrival at the house that you bought the wrong shit? This happened to me recently. I made the mistake of buying nonfat milk instead of real milk. Maybe it’s a taste thing, but nonfat milk is nasty, even on cereal or in coffee. I want my milk to have the fat, because the fat is what makes it taste good. On the subject of milk, does anyone think that paying nearly $9 for a gallon of milk is expensive? To me it almost seems obscene to pay that much for milk, but that’s what we pay here on Guam. Oh, you can get the Foremost milk that is made here, but it’s so horribly bad that its undrinkable.
--Recently, I applied for another position in my company, and the COO pulled me to the side last night before I left work to talk about it. It’s about a 99% possibility that I won’t get the position, for reasons political and otherwise. It is my belief that the Home Office already has someone picked for the job, and just won’t do me the courtesy to tell me to my face. I have no problems with rejection, but I do have a huge problem with evasiveness and being treated with zero respect, especially when I put in 60 hour work-weeks and did well on my last performance appraisal. I don’t like being treated like a child, especially by my employer. A lot more would get done if certain people in our company would man up, but I’m not going to hold my breath and wait for that to happen.
-- If you haven’t seen it yet, go rent the movie 2012. One of the best movies I’ve watched in a long time, with some incredible special effects. John Cusak is also quite good in it, along with Oliver Platt, whose character is a first rate asshole. Pretty decent way to spend nearly 3 hours, and I think I’ll end up buying it. If you are a cheap bastard like me, you might want to consider buying “previously viewed” (meaning used) movies at Blockbuster or your local video store. I’ve never had one that didn’t play, and the prices are usually pretty decent.
--The Government of Guam recently enacted a new tax on cigarettes, and it will now cost you $6.75 per pack to smoke. Even more incentive to quit, as if I needed it. If they really wanted to make money, they need to tax light shitty beer. They’d make a killing on this island.
That’s all for Thursday from the Guam Desk. I have a book that I need to finish and some TV that requires my attention as well. Always remember the fine teachings of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson: "When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro".
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Issues of the Day, Part 1
Sometimes, I get in trouble for voicing my opinion. There are times when discretion is the best course of action, and I generally keep my mouth shut on those occasions. There are also times and places where I feel I can say what I think and not worry too much about what anyone else thinks. A lot of people make the mistake of asking me what I think about something, and kind of wish they hadn’t asked the question once I have spoken up.
It’s time I said my peace about some of the issues of the day, and since this is my blog, it’s a perfect format to do so.
Politics
It’s no secret that I hold politicians at the same level of esteem as crack whores, lawyers, and used car salesmen. It is my opinion that, aside from the military, there is no such thing as selfless service in government anymore. It’s all about what can I do for me, how can I pad my bank account, stay in office, hold on to some power. We are a long way from what the Founding Fathers had in mind when this country was formed as far as government is concerned. I have more respect for a street whore than I do a member of Congress, especially the Senate. We won’t even go into my opinion of the Government of Guam.
Health Care
A lot of hubbub recently about the health care bill that went through Congress. To be honest, I don’t have an opinion about it, simply because I haven’t had a chance to actually read it. There are also a lot of people on both sides of the issue that have also not had a chance to read it either, yet feel it is there duty to either support it or bash it, sometimes going apeshit crazy in the process. The way I look at it, if you don’t know all the facts about it, it’s best just to shut the hell up about it until you can get educated on the issue. Read the actual law, study up on it. Then, feel free to either support it or not.
I do think that it’s a real shame that so many Americans don’t have insurance, can’t afford insurance, and in a lot of instances, can’t afford proper medical care for their families. The greatest nation in the world, yet we have a lot of people suffering. A lot of people in the insurance industry that I could lump in the same pile as crack whores, lawyers and politicians as well. This is aside from the recent problems my wife and I have had with our insurance company, the bastards.
Sarah Palin
Please, woman, give it up already. Your 15 minutes were over a long time ago. While you are a very attractive woman who I would happily have sex with in a New York minute, you lose me as soon as you open your mouth and start your yabbering. Go back to Alaska, write your books, do your television, enjoy your grandkids, and shut your pie hole.
Hunger
There is absolutely no excuse for the fact that many in America go to bed hungry every night. Not in a country that produces an abundance of food the way America does, where farmers are paid not to grow crops. Sadly, a lot of those who are hungry are children, little ones. It pisses me off that the politicians, when approached about the issue, will give lip service to it and then do nothing about it. People lose their minds about disasters in other countries, yet there are people in the towns where they live who will not eat today, or may not eat enough. I’m not saying we shouldn’t care about what happens in other places, like Haiti, but we need to focus more of our energy and resources on taking care of our own as well.
More later this week, including some really controversial shit that will more than likely piss off a lot of people and amuse others.
It’s time I said my peace about some of the issues of the day, and since this is my blog, it’s a perfect format to do so.
Politics
It’s no secret that I hold politicians at the same level of esteem as crack whores, lawyers, and used car salesmen. It is my opinion that, aside from the military, there is no such thing as selfless service in government anymore. It’s all about what can I do for me, how can I pad my bank account, stay in office, hold on to some power. We are a long way from what the Founding Fathers had in mind when this country was formed as far as government is concerned. I have more respect for a street whore than I do a member of Congress, especially the Senate. We won’t even go into my opinion of the Government of Guam.
Health Care
A lot of hubbub recently about the health care bill that went through Congress. To be honest, I don’t have an opinion about it, simply because I haven’t had a chance to actually read it. There are also a lot of people on both sides of the issue that have also not had a chance to read it either, yet feel it is there duty to either support it or bash it, sometimes going apeshit crazy in the process. The way I look at it, if you don’t know all the facts about it, it’s best just to shut the hell up about it until you can get educated on the issue. Read the actual law, study up on it. Then, feel free to either support it or not.
I do think that it’s a real shame that so many Americans don’t have insurance, can’t afford insurance, and in a lot of instances, can’t afford proper medical care for their families. The greatest nation in the world, yet we have a lot of people suffering. A lot of people in the insurance industry that I could lump in the same pile as crack whores, lawyers and politicians as well. This is aside from the recent problems my wife and I have had with our insurance company, the bastards.
Sarah Palin
Please, woman, give it up already. Your 15 minutes were over a long time ago. While you are a very attractive woman who I would happily have sex with in a New York minute, you lose me as soon as you open your mouth and start your yabbering. Go back to Alaska, write your books, do your television, enjoy your grandkids, and shut your pie hole.
Hunger
There is absolutely no excuse for the fact that many in America go to bed hungry every night. Not in a country that produces an abundance of food the way America does, where farmers are paid not to grow crops. Sadly, a lot of those who are hungry are children, little ones. It pisses me off that the politicians, when approached about the issue, will give lip service to it and then do nothing about it. People lose their minds about disasters in other countries, yet there are people in the towns where they live who will not eat today, or may not eat enough. I’m not saying we shouldn’t care about what happens in other places, like Haiti, but we need to focus more of our energy and resources on taking care of our own as well.
More later this week, including some really controversial shit that will more than likely piss off a lot of people and amuse others.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Mondays Don't Always Suck
Notes on the Human Condition and other gibberish from my home here in Hagatna……….
-A 13 hour workday can be an ass kicker sometimes, while on others it can be a very satisfying experience. Today was one of the latter. Because of my insomnia, I was wide-ass awake at 3:30 this morning, so I decided to just give up and go to work early. From the time I arrived at work until 12 hours later, it was nonstop. So much so that I finally got to sit down and eat lunch at 3 in the afternoon. I finally arrived home at 7 PM this fine evening, satisfied that the company that provides me with a paycheck got their moneys’ worth today. I’m tired, but in a good way.
-Tuesdays where I work generally suck, because Tuesdays are Meeting Day. We have what is known as a Network Leaders Meeting, where a small group of us get together with the bosses and talk about what is going on and what we are doing. These are mostly frustrating exercises in futility, as we generally go for 4 hours or more and get nothing accomplished. Usually the conversation gets sent off in some weird direction, and any attempt to get back on track is met with confused looks from the bosses. I will be downing the coffee tomorrow morning and throughout the meeting like it is my One True Friend.
-My friend Craig and I are taking turns being the Designated Asshole a couple of times a week. We don’t plan this, but for some reason it just happens. Someone in management will do or ask something so horribly Wrong and Stupid that one of us is forced to resort to dickheadish behavior, right on the verge of Rudeness. It’s nearly always necessary, and sometimes it can be a lot of fun, if done right.
-This afternoon I had an encounter with what can only be considered a retarded member of the canine family. I’m driving down the main highway here on Guam, doing about 60, when I notice a dog crossing the road up ahead. I slow down, thinking that the animal will cross the road and I’ll be on my way. This dog decides that lying down in between two lanes of a very busy highway is a fine idea, and does so. I stop my truck about 10 feet away from said animal, and gently honk the horn, trying to urge him along to Somewhere Else. This causes the dog to get up and sit down right in front of my truck and stare at me for a good 30 seconds, bewildered as to what could be making such a horrible noise. I’m at the point where I’m getting ready to get out of the truck and encourage the dog along with a crowbar, when, for reasons unknown, the dog tears ass back across the road from whence he came.
-I got invited to go hear one of my friends play in his band this weekend at a bar, and I finally got off my ass and went to see them. He has been inviting me to check out his band for 3 years now, and something always comes up and I can’t go. In spite of the fact that I promised my lovely bride that I would be on my best behavior while we are apart, I went and checked them out. The band was really good, playing the kind of music I like to listen to. My friend plays bass, and they were jamming to some classic rock with the odd country song thrown in for good measure. The bar was nice, but not the kind of place I would normally hang out in, and the drinks were pricey even by Guam standards ($5 for domestic beer). That and the fact that there was a Navy ship in port and the bar was crawling with sailors kind of threw off the atmosphere of the place. I stayed until about halfway through their second set and my third beer and went home.
-Usually, when my company gives us a long weekend, I will at one point end up back in the office. Normally it is sheer boredom at home that drives me to it. This weekend was different. Other than going out for the odd domestic chore like laundry, I stayed in the apartment, watching TV and sleeping a lot. Friday afternoon I was in Deep Nap Mode, waking up to find out that it was dark outside already. A little food, a shower, and back to bed, falling asleep with the television on. Not a bad way to spend a weekend with the wife not being on island. If I can’t have the pleasure of her company, I can catch up on my laziness.
More later, possibly. Need food and a cold drank.
-A 13 hour workday can be an ass kicker sometimes, while on others it can be a very satisfying experience. Today was one of the latter. Because of my insomnia, I was wide-ass awake at 3:30 this morning, so I decided to just give up and go to work early. From the time I arrived at work until 12 hours later, it was nonstop. So much so that I finally got to sit down and eat lunch at 3 in the afternoon. I finally arrived home at 7 PM this fine evening, satisfied that the company that provides me with a paycheck got their moneys’ worth today. I’m tired, but in a good way.
-Tuesdays where I work generally suck, because Tuesdays are Meeting Day. We have what is known as a Network Leaders Meeting, where a small group of us get together with the bosses and talk about what is going on and what we are doing. These are mostly frustrating exercises in futility, as we generally go for 4 hours or more and get nothing accomplished. Usually the conversation gets sent off in some weird direction, and any attempt to get back on track is met with confused looks from the bosses. I will be downing the coffee tomorrow morning and throughout the meeting like it is my One True Friend.
-My friend Craig and I are taking turns being the Designated Asshole a couple of times a week. We don’t plan this, but for some reason it just happens. Someone in management will do or ask something so horribly Wrong and Stupid that one of us is forced to resort to dickheadish behavior, right on the verge of Rudeness. It’s nearly always necessary, and sometimes it can be a lot of fun, if done right.
-This afternoon I had an encounter with what can only be considered a retarded member of the canine family. I’m driving down the main highway here on Guam, doing about 60, when I notice a dog crossing the road up ahead. I slow down, thinking that the animal will cross the road and I’ll be on my way. This dog decides that lying down in between two lanes of a very busy highway is a fine idea, and does so. I stop my truck about 10 feet away from said animal, and gently honk the horn, trying to urge him along to Somewhere Else. This causes the dog to get up and sit down right in front of my truck and stare at me for a good 30 seconds, bewildered as to what could be making such a horrible noise. I’m at the point where I’m getting ready to get out of the truck and encourage the dog along with a crowbar, when, for reasons unknown, the dog tears ass back across the road from whence he came.
-I got invited to go hear one of my friends play in his band this weekend at a bar, and I finally got off my ass and went to see them. He has been inviting me to check out his band for 3 years now, and something always comes up and I can’t go. In spite of the fact that I promised my lovely bride that I would be on my best behavior while we are apart, I went and checked them out. The band was really good, playing the kind of music I like to listen to. My friend plays bass, and they were jamming to some classic rock with the odd country song thrown in for good measure. The bar was nice, but not the kind of place I would normally hang out in, and the drinks were pricey even by Guam standards ($5 for domestic beer). That and the fact that there was a Navy ship in port and the bar was crawling with sailors kind of threw off the atmosphere of the place. I stayed until about halfway through their second set and my third beer and went home.
-Usually, when my company gives us a long weekend, I will at one point end up back in the office. Normally it is sheer boredom at home that drives me to it. This weekend was different. Other than going out for the odd domestic chore like laundry, I stayed in the apartment, watching TV and sleeping a lot. Friday afternoon I was in Deep Nap Mode, waking up to find out that it was dark outside already. A little food, a shower, and back to bed, falling asleep with the television on. Not a bad way to spend a weekend with the wife not being on island. If I can’t have the pleasure of her company, I can catch up on my laziness.
More later, possibly. Need food and a cold drank.
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