SO FAR,NOT A KNIFE FIGHT, NOT YET ANYWAY.

The media has spent a lot of time pointing out the sniping of late between these two.It's barely present tonight,couched in "agree to disagree" velvet gloving.
The most glaring difference to me is their gender and ethnicity,but by virtue of it,proves that, by democratic standards anyway,it doesn't make any difference.Intelligent,earnest and sincere,they both are doing an excellent job of putting the cards on the table.
No Reagan too...a nice plus.
Oops...Wolf tries to bait Hillary...denied.
Finally,the most important issue,the war.And the gloves come off.Denials,recriminations and defending herself as making a measured decision,he making the point that he was right all along.
Small knives coming out.
The little breaks where the media try to spin things is american idol like and insulting.As were the intros.When the other commentators came out, I expected to see Paula and Simon.
We're not that fucking stupid CNN,OK?
Now,since apparently there are lots of hollywood bigshots in the audience,we are now talking about censorship in the movies/media...Jeez...who cares?
They drop the big bomb on Hillary about Bill horning in...we are heading in to shitville I'm afraid.
Nice response though.
Final question?The dream team ticket...Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama.
How fucking cliche'...they both answered well.
So,no surprises...no knives,just a measured debate on the issues,refreshing.
And no Reagan rattling!

Odds and Ends
I was off work today, but got up early which was not surprising considering I went to sleep at about 8 PM the night before. I hooked up the laptop to the stereo, cranked up Pandora to provide some tunes and discovered our 1/4" phono to RCA cable was only giving me one channel. Ah well, one channel is better than none, but I think a trip to Radio Shack is in our future. That's assuming Radio Shack even carries the cables and I'm not so sure that's a common enough application for them to carry it.

I'm still battling Cedar Fever, but managed to pull off a few loads of laundry and even touched the long-abandoned Club Spit website. Didn't get very far on updating the website, just did a quick revision to the index page, but will eventually add some of the more recent info to the site which hasn't been updated since 2002 despite our drummer Bill's protests. I'm pretty much out of space there so any sort of revision will involve deciding what to keep and what to toss to make room for new material, a task I haven't wanted to mess with for the last five years or so. But my recent cavalcade of memories got me to thinking about the old website again so I figured I'd touch it up a little bit at a time. And well, we could use a little of that old Club Spit spirit around here these days.

PACK MENTALITY


A shot in the dark as I was headed for bed...Irene's on the watch as Theo is OUT.She followed me out,only to disappointed with no treat...not.A pretzel with peanut butter,no small prize for looking after her big brother.
I love this shot.

LIVE AND IN CONCERT!THE LYING MOTHERFUCKING 4!OR TONIGHTS FINAL GOP DEBATE...

Imagine if you will,on the floor in front of mom and dad's TV in the 70's,it's 10:30 saturday night...

Hi,I'm Don Kirshnah and welcome to In Concert...Tonight we have a special treat for you,a command performance of the famed Lying Motherfucking 4.While each member lies in his own unique way,the lies blend,creating a dissonance that you will either eat up like mama's fried chicken,or urk up like gramma's gifelte fish!

Set one:The new material,which sounds suspiciously like the old material...and lot's of shout outs to the man credited with fostering and proliferating this genre...did I mention,we are live from the FILLMORE EAST!How many times can they yank this man out of the grave and shake him at us like a figure head/puppet of the mainstream?How MANY???

Set two:The last release,which sounds suspiciously like the new material.More shout outs to "the man who made it happen".Please,I'm sure he's flattered,oh wait,he's DEAD and irrelevant to this new generation.

Set three:Chestnuts...please give him a rest.

Set four:The encore...why would a corpse,with no relavence to current trends give you a contract?Come on...

...I was fairly disgusted that they would yank his bones out of the grave for which seemed like a 1000 times.
The giant plane was cool though,but not as cool as that giant pig back in the day,oh wait...

GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS

Good:Ghouliani has dropped out of the race-HURRAH!!
Bad:McCain is now the front runner and has his support,so on the GOP side you have cranky old man vs. cardboard cut out,Romney.Many people may pisshaw the strapping my dog to the roof of my car incident,but on a core,human level,this says something about his character.Not to mention his son torturing a dog to death,at summer camp where he was a counselor.
I wonder who the VP will be in this future pairing?
Good:Obama still in the race.
Bad:Edwards bailed before super tuesday.
Good:He didn't do the immediate knee jerk suck up endorsement that rudy did.Preferring to wait and meet with them both individually beforehand.
Bad:Hillary is still in the race.Accusations of race baiting are flying both ways.This can't be good.
A note to Bill,back off a little bit jack ass,you are not running for office.Let Hillary prove herself the right choice or just another bought and sold washington politician.I'm not convinced either way.
And the really bad news...Nader's making noises-again.Jeez.

A surreal week
I think I may actually have less than a foot in the land of the living so far this week. Between the allergy symptoms and the medication taken to treat the symptoms, life has seemed more like a bizarre dream than the reality I'm used to experiencing. I've gone to work and done my work stuff. But, I've not done my work stuff very well and the weird part is that I haven't been too concerned about that. I'm sure some of the dream like quality is from the unusually large amount of time I've spent sleeping, but the waking moments have been pretty odd too and filled with flashbacks to certain times in my past. The weirdest one was yesterday when I got in the car to go to the corner store for a few things. As I got in the car, I was already experiencing that flashback sensation. And then when I started the car, the radio came on at the exact start of the Foghat song "Slow Ride" which happened to be from the same time period the flashback was referencing... well, I guess that doesn't sound so weird on paper, but it seemed strange at the time. I can't remember a time before when I was sick and had so many memories come sneaking up on me, but I also haven't been this sick from allergies in a really long time...probably over twenty years.. maybe in the past I didn't have quite so many memories out there that could come sneaking around.

I'M SICK,AND NOT JUST THIS CEDAR SHIT.

I've got a myriad of illnesses breathing down my neck.High blood pressure,borderline diabetes and this cedar fever kicking my ass.I got a phone call last night from a friend who was also sick,and she was bored and calling friends she hadn't talked to in a while,from her sick bed,and I was one of those friends.It was nice to talk to her,I'm glad she called me.So I mimicked her today,I called my buddy from the shame about ray video,my son,and my red VW driving girl from high school...I truly love that girl,and she said as much with our "psychic connection" comment,and she is spot on right.There was a reason I called her,as much to reconnect,as it was a reason to reconnect with the old days.But I wasn't done yet,I called the hotel Free in Colorado...and he answered the phone like he knew what was up already.
-snip-
Way too personal after second thoughts...

But at least I'll fucking look good doing it in my new coveralls!

HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA FUCKING HA

Otherwise known as the state of the union address by that inbred pile of bad cum that dripped down his momma's leg and ended up bein' a brown stain on the mattress. Kudos to Full metal jacket and R.lee Ermey,for that one.
I for one,cannot wait for the load of horse shit this miscreant will try to cram down our throats.If you support/or supported this shit wipe of a fucking miserable excuse for a politician,much less a fucking human being (hat tip to FMJ once again) you should kill yourself now.Seriously,you can use my gauge.It's locked and loaded.
So...let's see what the ass hamster has to say.
Are you picking up hate vibes?If you aren't,you're a republican.
Here we go...Let's mark this memorable event with the decorum it deserves.
(definitely not safe for work,or perhaps your well being)Well dammit...(did I mention I was the priest of god dammit)?I couldn't find the clip,but it involves fisting,anal sex and female urination,and not in that order,if you get my meaning.
Anyway,back to the lie fest.Get ready to self flagellate in bloody disbelief.
I dare you.
Double dog dare you.
Wow...i just lost 60 minutes of my life that I will NEVER get back,I just have to clear the blood from my eyes from the bludgeoning of the right wing propaganda I just endured.
Two words...three actually...plutocratic ass rape.
Let me recap...as the post SOTU blabbers on in the background.Oh look!Token niggers and rich whiteguys everywhere..I'm signing more autographs than Vanilla Ice...too bad he knows he sucks and I just don't get it.
The economy:
Murfhhh blah blah blah...lie,misrepresentation,blatant lie
(soft focus close up of condoleeza rice...we'll call her "worf")
Social programs:
Murfffhhh...glub glub...Bottom line:Lies and I shit on your grave middle class...(Camera shots of the white guys I've bought off and worf...who by the way,has a snapper)!Have you seen the trailer for Teeth?That's condi.lie lie lie.
The middle east:
War bitch!How hard can it be?The surge worked!Just look at how many more people are dead,how much more proof do you need?Iran-you'd better check yourself before you deck yourself...know what I'm sayin'???Boiyyy!
(Camera still of worf...then Obama with his new homey,Ted"Chappaquiddick" Kennedy...whose heartfelt endorsement made me and my dogs sick.Seriously...dog vomit).
And the audience...in lock step with the bullshit,pretending to give a fuck,standing and applauding on cue,regardless of party line,sickening.And that collage of negroes and rich white guys,disgusting and contrived.And a perfect example of why we are reviled as a nation.
And cheney,hitting his shot glass full of gin,jumping up with Nancy as if on cue
If I wasn't already sick...oh,you get the picture.
FUCK BUSH and the corrupt coat tails he rode in on.

One foot back in the land of the living
I spent the weekend in bed feeling about as miserable as I've ever felt. Things finally eased up yesterday afternoon after I added Benedryl and a humidifier to the treatment mix. I was able to go into work today, but it was Rob's turn to succumb. This appears to be what folks in Austin call "Cedar Fever" seeing as the pollen count was super high over the weekend and the symptoms match perfectly. Most folks don't actually run a fever and just feel like they have one, but I usually do develop a fever when my allergies are this bad, probably due to a secondary respiratory infection. That actual fever part is past now and I'm just dealing with the basic Cedar Fever symptoms - the red, burning, itchy eyes, the tickle in the throat which makes one cough constantly, the itchy and stopped up ears, the constant sneezing in between the coughs, enough nasal congestion to drown an entire Roman army, and a malaise so pervasive that just getting up to grab another box of a Kleenex seems like moving a mountain. I'm lucky that I don't get this every year like some folks. Rob gets it even less often than me, but when it does hit either one of us, it always hits hard. And so, having survived my day at work, I'm now popping some more Benedryl and going back to bed where I shall remain until tomorrow morning. Unless Rob needs something to help ease his misery, but he usually just wants to be left alone.

MAN,WHAT A DAY,AND IT'S NOT EVEN HALF OVER

I get up this morning feeling like shit.Fever,congestion,sneezing-the works.But i tried to soldier on and went into work anyway.I felt like shit but I was looking good in my new overalls.It's like Fernando Lamas used to say "it's better to look good than to feel good,and you look mahvalous".
Yeah,well,that works good in theory.
I made it to break time,and then I bailed,and that's when my day truly tanked.I walked (up hill in the drizzle)to the parking garage.Rode the elevator up to the 11th floor (which is where we lowlife construction workers have to park now).I noticed my reserve light was on but I figured I could make it a mile to the nearest gas station.I was wrong.
I ran out of gas at 2nd and congress,barely making it to the curb which was a no parking zone.
I figured I'd call one of my work buddy's on my cell.Only one problem with that plan,my cell was not in my snappy new overalls...it was on the charger in the kitchen.Dammit!
I scoped out a pay phone by Tesoro's trading company and decided I would call Ann,since I didn't know any buddies phone number.God damn cell phone speed dial-at the house,in the kitchen,mocking me.Did you know a local call costs 50 cents now?I had 50 cents,so it was all good-but highway fucking robbery,the last time I used a pay phone it was 10 fucking cents.
The pay phone was broken...it would'nt have mattered anyway,because Ann's cell was (as usual) dead.
So I struck out (up hill and in the drizzle)searching for another pay phone.Apparently,that pay phone is the only one in a 7 block radius,the reason I know this is because I walked 7 blocks,yes,uphill and in the fucking drizzle,all the way back to the tower.And to make matters worse,my zippo was dry,so I couldn't even labor my lungs more by smoking a cig while walking up hill...did I mention drizzle?
I stopped at the Littlefield market and bought a crack lighter so I could smoke (that'll show me).
So,my buddy chuck drives me to the gas station where I buy a gas can *and 2 gallons of gas.

*This makes #5 in a series.I'm thinking E-Bay.

OK...so I lied,it's only 4,but I swear there were 5...that's the new leaky shit one in the middle
We get back to the rodeo,and it is still there...emergency flashers calling out to anyone who would care "I'm out of gas because my reserve light is a lying bastard".
My new gas can sucks...It leaked like a motherfucker,covering my hands and the rear quarter panel with stinky stinky gas.The spout attachment fell into the can half way through the process.
Insert more drizzle.
At least I didn't get towed,so it wasn't a total wash.

THAT ANONYMOUS GUY REALLY PISSES ME OFF

But it almost always leads to posts like this one...first up,our wedding song...we had this one played as the march in...And march in we did..almost 15 years ago and this song still makes me smile,and think of Ann.Every time.




Then this one,which was a great song to begin with,but took on a special meaning when a patient of mine,named Ray,had a fatal heart attack at the dinner table in front of god and everyone,but most importantly,a dear friend of mine,who was one of my employees...and he had the misfortune of working that night.I remember the phone call.



The lemonheads do a shit right version of amazing grace(see comments from god day post),couldn't find it,so these will have to do.life and death sort of sums it up right?
You inspire me.

SICK AS A DOG-WHAT'S YOU'RE STORY?

If there was ever a reason for me to start doing drugs again,this video is it.



Higher than a motherfucker indeed:)
But that's not what I'm writing about tonight.Tonight,I'm rambling.Have a seat...
my girl is sick,really,in the bed full of several medications sick.And I have been doting on her...food(very little),ginger ale and a humidifier.As the dogs stand guard over her,I make my periodic checks.I don't think I'm being a nuisance.
I went to Borders last night and cashed in a coupon for the Simpson's movie and one that I had been looking for for years-Once were warriors-about ancestors of the Maori .I can't explain it rightfully,it's a painful thing to watch,but you'll better be for doing it.
There's a guy that works there who used to be my clinical supervisor at CLC West,where i was a "milieu coordinator",which is gay ass fancy for team leader...did I mention Mike is gay?See "milieu coordinator"...right.
Anyway,we are almost 20 years away from when we worked together,and it's nice to see him whenever I go in for a book or movie.We have a nice chat and it's nice to know there are people around from back in the day who smile when they see you.
I've lost so much weight that my pants and belts don't fit anymore.My tools pull my pants down at an alarming rate,so I've been wearing some denim bib overalls that Ann bought me years ago for christmas.They don't fall down and are tool friendly.Today,I got a pair of duck overalls at the local Dickies store.Duck pants (and overalls) are wheatstraw in color and very tough.We have several pairs of the pants and they have out lasted every other jean/trouser in our wardrobe.
Finally,I replaced the wall lighting in the bath room and the living room lighting.Not too shabby for an old fart.

Bathroom lighting....

Living room lighting.

TEETH!~BITCH...

Have a good one...If I was a priest - I'd be the priest of god dammit.Love that line...

IT'S SUNDAY

You know...god day.So in honor to god and all the inherent shit that goes with sunday...a hymn.
Enjoy...

THEY BOTH LEARNED SULLIVAN'S TRICK

To different degrees.Irene can place her foot on the plate-container and hold it in place on the floor,while Theo (grumpy old dog) places his foot on the plate-container,but follows it around the house...for example:the spaghetti I gave him tonight started in the kitchen and ended up in the living room.Hey,he's old.you got to give him that.
Sully was a pro at lock the plate - container down to the floor,he was an ace at it,always using his right paw.I miss my boy,but he lives on in Irene and Theo...at snack time at least.
It's funny really,how I attach so much of who I am to my animals...not just the dogs,but the turtles as well.I love them all.But none as much as my Beenzie.She is 8 years old at least,and I rue the day.
I rue the fucking day.

Lets get it over with all at once
I threw my back out again on Thursday. Although that implies that I actually did something like lift a heavy object when the truth is I just woke up that way. Slept funny? Sat too much at work? Or was it that Physical Therapy was a bit much on Wednesday? The doctor's office answer was that ups and downs are normal and I probably did sit too much at work on Monday & Tuesday and maybe I also overdid the PT, but not to worry about it - the odds are I will get better eventually without surgery, but it will take time. I have two days off tomorrow and my body decided to take advantage of that by giving me one hell of an allergy attack (or is the flu?) and a stomach bug on top of that. So in between puking, I'm shivering under the covers while generating a Mt. Everest made of tissues from my runny nose and coughing constantly. Mind you, I'm not complaining and I think it's great that I'm going to get all this out of way in one fell swoop. Except for the part where I'm sick on the one weekend off I'm going to have in a long time. Oh well, maybe there will be a good cheesy TV marathon or two this weekend.

A NEW DESKSCAPE...A NEW BEGINNING?


Not.Clutter is an amazing thing,I couldn't wait and cleaned the rest of my desk last night (god damned full moon fever craziness)and I must admit,it looks good,real good.I just hope I can prevent the onslaught of clutter.That thing that takes over every aspect of my life except work.
My tool bag is well organised,my cart is well organised .
Already,in less than 24 hours,I have random shit taking up space on my desk...two flashlights,an extra jeebus bobble head,the box set of band of brothers that belongs to my father in law.And,in the process of cleaning the desk I found two joints that had been buried under piles of shit for months.I know it's been months because I haven't smoked any weed in months and the last time I bought weed was almost two years ago.Fucking clutter could get me busted.
And then there's another kind of clutter.The clutter that happens in your brain.This morning as I was rushing around trying hard not to be late for work,I had "One armed scissor" by At the drive-in rolling on loop in my head...Why?Frequently I have bugs bunny singing "la-lala-la -la-la-what's a matta for you"?from the cartoon version of the barber of seville...that I watched when I was a child.Why?Ex girlfriends and wives (2) pop into my head at odd times and wonder how they are and remember mostly the sex-good and bad,and the defining moments of those failed relationships...why?I don't ruminate on any of this stuff (except the bugs bunny cartoon) it's just clutter that flies around in my head.
Maybe I need to defrag my hard drive...

I'VE GOT A FEVER...






For the uninitiated,here's the skit from SNL:

More cowbell

Funny funny shit.

GRATUITOUS CUTE PICTURE OF OLD GRUMPY DOG SLEEPING FOLLOWED WITH HORRENDOUS DESK PICTURES

This is Theo,in his spot,close to mom and dad,but most importantly,the heater.


I've been ignoring my desk cleanliness for months now,so much so that it takes two shifts to clean it up.Here's the right side,after cleaning...


Nice,huh?Here's the left side...which will be purged tomorrow...

Jeebus doesn't look too happy back there in the corner :).He'll be all good in 24 hours...
I'm such a slob:)

AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE...

Our crew has been whittled down to just five.The foreman,a journeyman,an three IJ's.We will remain for the duration of this job.I'm glad I get to stick around to "bring it home".After it's done we will all move on to the next big job that's just starting up.
Big props to the foreman for playing it right,keeping his core people and ensuring us continued employment.Of my four co workers,I have worked with them all almost from the beginning at UT and other projects.It's a comfortable mix.I'll miss the guys that have moved on,but only until the next job.That's one of the cool things about this contractor,they hang onto their people and you make the rounds,seeing each other again doing the same shit,only in a different environment.I like that.
There's been a sickness going around the tower of late,and this past weekend it got me a little bit.Saturday I felt like shit,and Sunday I stayed in bed and slept a lot.I've never been one to get the crud going around ever in my life until a couple of years ago.Now it seems,age is finally catching up with my metabolism.It knocks me down a little but I still manage to rally back faster than other victims.Back in the day I never got sick...meh.
When Ann gets sick,she's the "I want my mom-needy kind of sick",and I am happy to oblige.I'm just the opposite,I'm the dog that crawls under the deck and lays in the mud till I feel better...I don't want anything but to be left the fuck alone,anyway...

Still bored
About all I have been doing this last week or so is working and then recovering from working. I have watched a lot of really bad TV since I can do that laying down. There's been some good shows, mostly on PBS, but those have been far and few between. I've probably watched more movies over the last month than I usually do in two years, but I'm not a big movie fan so that hasn't been particularly exciting. Work is the same old stuff, nothing new there. Something is bound to spark my interest eventually, though I'm still pretty limited in what I can do physically. Still, I'd rather be bored than have to deal with some major crisis so I guess I'll count my blessings there.

OUR CITY IN ACTION!

Across the street from the tower is a church and an office building,between those is an alley where homeless people sleep on cardboard laid out on the ground.Today was shitty,drizzle and rain all day and low 50's.I noticed from our vantage point on the 7th floor this one guy had not moved in almost 4 hours,you could see the wind flapping his shirt around,but he was still.I wondered-is he passed out from a binge on wild irish rose or is he dead?After consulting with my co workers,I called 311,the non emergency version of 911.I explained the situation to the responding operator,who promptly transferred me to 911.Funny thing though,as if on cue,as soon as the first operator answered,that motherfucker rolled over.I was trying to tell the 911 operator that he had moved,and was most likely ok,but he was bent on asking me a litany of inane questions,verifying the location of the possibly dead,yet moving indigent at least 4 times.Some sample questions:
"Is the person standing,sitting or laying down"?I told you already,laying down.
"Is the person breathing"?I can't tell...from the 7th floor across the street.
And all the while assuring me it was ok if I couldn't answer these questions.
My call was abruptly terminated when the operator had to answer another 911 call,but he assured me help was on the way.
I hung up and instantly the air was alive with the wailing of sirens!The ambulance turned the wrong way down the one way street and roared into the alley,lights a blazing.The EMT's leapt from it and basically scared the shit out the guy,who jumped up,gathered his shit and walked away.
One of my co workers chuckled and said"Damn Rob,you fucked up his beauty sleep".
Indeed.Poor guy,I was trying to help.

NEVER TRUST A JUNKY...



Just one fix....

TEXAS SOLVES IT'S ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT PROBLEM

With the help of local grocer...

CHILDHOOD IS OVER RATED

For the neighbors great-grandkids that is.I have lived in this house a long time,off and on since 1976,and steady since 1992.To have a window into the lives of other people is a mixed bag to say the least,but first,a little background.
The neighbors have a son (my age),who married young and had 2 kids in a row.For reasons somewhat unknown,those kids spent most of their lives at the grams house,with the mom never around,and the dad making periodic visits between uh,I'll call them "appointments" with the state (I'm only going on what my mom told me,she was the busy body).
Anyhow,flash forward a few years and lo and behold, the daughter gets pregnant and married and has what we can only estimate as "2 to 4" children with her cholo looking husband.
Guess what?These children spend most of their time next door,sans mom and dad.Their driveway is in close enough proximity to our desks that we can hear the wails of despair when they are dropped off (or picked up for that matter,it's hard to say what disturbs them most),sometimes daily.These kids are always crying and screaming and wailing.
These protestations are met with a litany of shut ups and threats of giving them something to cry about,in between the parents/family members arguing and yelling amongst themselves.
We have to hear this shit almost every day.
There is no indication of abuse,just turmoil and unhappiness.And while on the face of it it is annoying,it is also heartbreaking to hear these kids cry about not wanting to be separated from mom and dad.
There was action at this house in the past,but not since Ann and I have been in it (except for the police visits for noise complaints...and there have been many).Our neighbors are good people over all,I have no truck with them,but sometimes I wonder how they ended up this way.So full of conflict and discourse.
But mostly I'm irritated by having to hear it all the god damn time.

Back at Work
Today was my second day back at work, but I'm only working six hour shifts per doctors' recommendations. I'm glad I listened to them because that last hour of the six is a bit of a challenge. It's also a challenge to get the number of exercises done that I'm supposed to do now that so much of the day is taken up with work. I can't do them all in one fell swoop when I get home so I've had to get a little creative. The physical therapist showed me a modified version of the one I have to do 100 times a day so I've been sneaking some of those in at work on my "restroom" breaks. We have a large woman's restroom with a spot that works nicely - no one has come in the restroom yet when I'm exercising, but I'm sure I'll get a strange look at some point. I do some of the easy ones in the morning, the really difficult ones after I've been home for a few hours and recovered from sitting at work and more easy ones off on and in the evening before I go to bed. I'm having a hard time remembering which ones to do, how to do them and how many to do. I didn't write it all down because I normally have a very good memory. Unfortunately one of the side effects I get from codeine is that it really screws up my memory. The effect on long term memory is only temporary as far as I know based on past experience, but the short term memories of anything that happens while I take it is pretty much lost forever. I was hoping this wouldn't happen if I was only taking it at night, but no such luck. The Vicodin has gone a long way to helping me get at least some sleep at night so I don't want to stop taking it, however, I'm in danger of really screwing things up at work and also messing up the finances at home (if I don't remember those automatic withdrawals and coordinate our other spending then we will end up with bounced check fees and that's VERY expensive.) I emailed the doctor's office to see if I need an appointment to find out if there is an alternative medication I can take. Hopefully they won't make me come back in and pay a $20 copay just to get a different medication, but it seems like these days I need a doctor's appointment for everything that I used to just be able to call in for and I suppose I can thank HMOs, PPOs and Managed Care for that.

The reduced hours at work have me a little concerned since I'm not working enough hours to qualify for the health insurance and I might have to pay hundreds of dollars a month to keep it. So far the company is cutting me some slack on this since it's likely to be a temporary situation. And in another surprisingly generous move on their part, they let me use my vacation time for the time I was out. Normally vacation time has to be approved in advance and the request submitted to payroll no later than the start of the pay-period. It's a big hassle for payroll to process a request late, but they did it for me anyway, whew! I didn't have enough vacation to cover all of the days missed, but I did have enough time to at least get a small paycheck next week so things are not looking as grim as they were a few days ago.

Well, I'm off to do some more exercises and any more discussion here would just be an attempt to delay doing them (it's the really hard ones, hence my temptation to keep typing...)

I CANNOT BE SHAMED (IN THIS MANNER)

I went to the doctor this afternoon after work and after signing in, an annoyingly perky little chick in scrubs whips out my billing information and informs me I have an $80.00 balance,which is odd because the last three visits there the billing gnome told me there was no co-pay and they billed my insurance directly-thank you,have a nice day.I was asked to pay.Not an unreasonable request.What I object to is this request was done at check in,in front of other patients in the waiting room.I had to explain to the girl in scrubs that due to recent financial strains I could not pay until Friday,in front of other patients,in the fucking waiting room.
I don't have a problem owning up to being dog ass broke,but can we please do it in private?My billing status is no one else's business.It was more than a little embarrassing.It angered me in fact,in a what the fuck??? sort of way.Since I value my relationship with my doc,I repressed the urge to make a scene and twist off on these idiots calling bullshit on them (p l c i s was soon joined by someone I assume was in the billing department,a slacker type dude with a soul patch,who assured me:"that's cool man,even I have a balance").Hey,you know what?fuck you.
Punk.Anyway....
My doctor declined to see me today,I understand that,he provides a valuable service and should get paid.He did however,through his assistant/nurse provide me with dietary information and some samples of a med that I tried to fill on Friday that because of my shitty insurance (deductible!new year!Ka-ching!) costs me over $100.00!Did I mention we are currently dog ass broke?
While he declined to give me his time,he still gave me his care by extension.And I appreciate that.He's been my doc for a long time,this is an example of why.

LOGIC DENIED

The contractors who are doing the new elevator interiors showed up on Friday and started installing said interiors.In all the elevators!They are stainless steel and walnut affairs,that,while I find them bland and uninteresting,no doubt cost a shitload of money.
So for the next couple of months they will be assaulted by work carts,ladders,core drilling rigs,wheelbarrows and trash carts just to name a few of the cumbersome items we tradesmen cram into these elevators.Nicking and scratching and denting the shit out of them.It won't matter if they cover them with a protective barrier,trust me,they will get damaged.It's inevitable.
I would think items like this would be scheduled after the big work is done,say,when it's down to a punch list(fine tuning) situation that involves tools you can carry on your belt.
But that's just me.
Oh,and speaking of the elevators...none of them were working this morning.

LAZY DAY

We spent most of the day back in the bedroom watching TV and chatting back and forth.We watched the hollywood episodes of mythbusters and then Predator 2 and predator on Spike TV.
Since Ann spends most of her TV time watching PBS programming,her ability to suspend belief is limited,and she points out holes in continuity like Tim Russert at a democratic debate.
And the predator movies are cheese cloth when it comes to continuity,but hey,it's fun/dumb entertainment.
The dogs were in heaven,having us both back there,lavishing them with pets and treats all day.
Theo especially enjoyed getting the mom and dad treatment,stretching out between us for the shared pets.Lots of contented dog sighs and stretches .Beenz spent her time in the pocket,but got her share of love as well.Family day really,for all of us.
Our bedroom is cave like,walls and ceiling painted the darkest blue,so even in the middle of the brightest day,it's dark.Very soothing.
The most effort I put out was to cook dinner.
A picture perfect Sunday if you ask me.

Housebound
Rob's post talks about our little foray out into the world tonight. It was really nice to get out since my back has had me pretty much housebound for quite some time. You see, back on the 3rd of January I was getting ready for work and was walking out of the bathroom when I felt pain in my lower back, similar to what had happened the month before and the month before that, but much, much worse this time. The doctor said the symptoms indicated a probable herniated disk and referred me to a physical therapist. The physical therapist agreed with the diagnosis. It would take an MRI to confirm, but both of them decided I could be spared that expense since even if it wasn't herniated, the physical therapy would be the same. The physical therapist was also curious if I had ever been told that I had scoliosis. Well, yes I was aware of it since I was diagnosed with it as a child, but I was told it was not enough to need a brace or cause problems down the road. Apparently that was somewhat incorrect, at least by today's standards, but I'm sure at the time (well over 30 years ago) it was right in line with standard medical advice. Unfortunately the combination of scoliosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lack of exercise and the job I've had for the last three years which involves sitting all day long have all added up to a pretty messed up lower back. The good news was that specific exercises could actually help to push things back into place which could prevent future nerve damage and eliminate the need for surgery. The bad news was that it wasn't going to be easy, I wasn't going to be pain-free any time soon and there was no guarantee that it would do the trick. I did have to take some time off work, not just because sitting is pure agony and that's what I do all day at work, but because sitting was the worst thing I could do and I also wouldn't be able to do the exercises if I was working. And it's true what I've heard about physical therapy. It does make you feel worse at first, then just about the time you start feeling better they add an exercise or two or three that makes you feel worse all over again. But the thought of avoiding surgery is a good motivator for me so when I want to give up on that 15th repetition and not make it to twenty I just think of that and manage to eek out five more. I go back to work on Tuesday by which time I should be able to tolerate sitting for an hour or so at a time (I figure I'll just take a "restroom break" every hour to get in some stretching and walking.) I haven't figured out how I'll work in the amount of exercises I have to do, but maybe if I do them before work, during my lunch hour, after work and before bed... well, something like that ought to do it. But I do have to go back to work since I've been spending lots of money on doctor visits and not earning anything for two weeks. It's pretty ironic that all those years where I had jobs that provided sick leave, I never used it and now when I *do* need it, here I am working at a job that provides no such benefit. But even as a "victim" of the hardship of this lack of benefit, I'm still not convinced that an employer should be the one to provide it. But that's a topic for another post someday.

ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER

So,I saw Woody on Friday,found Wendi's my space page and threw a couple of messages back and forth with her,and then I called their father.We go back a long way...a really long long way actually.
We've stayed in touch sporadically over the years,but not so much in the last 3-5 years.
We decided to meet at Patsy's cowgirl cafe for dinner and to hear a local cover band called the eggmen.If you guessed they are a beatles cover band you would be right.
Patsy's is a relatively new place,a roadhouse eatery.
A good time was had by all and it was really nice to see them again and catch up.I know we'll be doing it again in the future as well.As I've mentioned in previous posts,there seems to be a trend of us connecting with old friends,renewing friendships left dusty from too much...uh...other shit going on and our homebody like lifestyle.
I can't remember the last time Ann and I went out to hear music made by other bands besides our own,it was very nice,and I don't think we could have picked a better band to reintroduce ourselves to the act of going out.
These guys are very good at what they do and have it broken down into sets,the sets chronicle the beatles career trajectory.Set one is the early stuff,set two is the psychedelic period and set three is a mish mash of other bands of the time(we missed that one as it was way past our bed time:)).Set two was my favorite,just because I really love that period for the beatles and the version of I am the Walrus was nothing short of amazing.
They had costume changes and sound effects,and the dancing!The crowd I mean.What a cross section of people twisting and swimming and frugging away like mad.It was a joy to watch.Mostly it was middle aged women out there shaking it and it was a vibe you could feel,they were having a great time.
And so did we.
Added bonus:Jalapeno Charlie was our waiter!He's been a fixture on the austin restaurant / bar scene forever and it was nice to see he's still kicking!He remembered me and Ann from the El Mercado days.
All in all,a very cool saturday night...and it is way past my bedtime,so good night!

I HAVE NOTHING TO BITCH ABOUT TODAY

This morning at break I went to Hickory Street for a breakfast sandwich and while ordering this cook came out and exclaimed "ROB!!!oh my god!!!How the hell are you"?!!!I had NO idea who I was talking to.He gave me a hearty handshake and asked about my son.I was confused,perplexed.
While I was waiting for my order and he had retreated to the kitchen,I asked the cashier/hostess for his name.She said "I don't know what his real name is,but he goes by Woody".
Gone was the near afro hair I remembered...I haven't seen this kid in years!But when she said Woody it all came back to me...Woody,born a month or so after Kyle,brother to Wendy,my "niece",someone I also knew from the get go,who is now 27 years old.And it set off my hard drive(the organic one in my brain) and I remembered things forgotten for years.
And while the day was a hodge podge of drudgery and bruised and bloody knuckles,I was transported to a different time.Now,Woody is special in my heart,but his big sister is my girl.We have been through so much together from the get go.
And I rolled on those memories for the rest of the day with a smile on my face.

I'VE GOT SOME THINGS TO BITCH ABOUT.PART THREE.

Aggressive pan handlers (though creative,aggressive pan handlers) really piss me off.Where I park at the HEB grocery is based on 2 things:It's close to the entrance and it allows easy exit to get home.Unfortunately,it's close to the bus stop,which provides an endless stream of down on their luck types every 15 minutes.Some of these are not averse to hitting up patrons of the HEB for money as they load their groceries into their cars.
Here's a dialog I had the distinct displeasure of having the other day:
I'm loading my groceries into the back of the rodeo as this guy approaches me from the bus stop.
Guy:"Hello sir,how are you this afternoon"?
Me:No response,because anytime you hear that,you know it's hit up time.
Guy:"I was wondering if you had a dollar so I could catch the bus,for real,I just need bus fare,really."
Me:"I'm sorry,I don't have any cash".(I didn't,but that's beside the point,anytime you hear "for real" and "really"it is almost a certainty that the request involves drugs or alcohol.
Guy:"I have a large bottle of Tres Ami shampoo I will trade you for a dollar".(!?)
Me:"I told you I don't have any cash"
At which point he gives me an eat shit and die look and skulks off.
This was an on the way home from work stop,so I had not been drinking,which is sometimes the case when I go to this store,so I exercised great restraint in not twisting off on this asshole,had it been a saturday afternoon run for dinner I probably would have jumped up into his shit about this obvious gaffe in pan handling etiquette,never show your hand.
As I drove away he was at the bus stop sitting dejectedly by some skanky chick,who was no doubt ragging on him about his ability to come up with another 40.
Jeez.
Moving on...ears that stink.I have stretched ears...and wear eyelets.If you fall behind on the hygiene maintenance of said ears,they begin to smell.And while you think the smell is restricted to the area immediately around your head,you are wrong.In the elevator today and in the close quarters of the bathroom of a condo I heard the following:
Elevator:"Man,does somebody smell shit"?
Bathroom:"It smells like some un-douched pussy in here"!"What the fuck is that"?!
I knew it was my ears...I could smell them,getting whiffs off and on,but I remained silent.I mean,what do you say?"sorry guys...it's my ears,they smell like nasty pussy if I forget to wash them,know what I mean...heh-heh"?
So I stopped on the way home and bought some summers eve...just kidding.
They got an alcohol bath tonight.
Oh yes...there's more to come.

IV'E GOT SOME THINGS TO BITCH ABOUT.PART TWO.

Politics,or more specifically, the citizens of the united states.By candidate-how can you people support Huckabee?Face it Huckabee's,we are a secular nation with a small but exceedingly loud faction of screaming idiots(who also bother to vote)who think our country should be run by the teachings of gawd.Come on...He's dangerous. His vision of godliness throws every rational thought out the window in regard to,well,everything.Lock up the homos!Pray for an answer!fuck him and you if you support him.He is the most dangerous of them all in my opinion.Baptist-pious-slimy.
Romney...he looks like reagan!!!He's reaganesque!!!I should vote for him because he looks like reagan!!!Fuck you.Plus he's a Mormon,which by definition makes his belief system even weirder than you fucked up evangelicals.His kids are chickenhawk pussies AND he strapped his dog in a carrier on top of his car...You've seen the Stepford wives?He is the Stepford politician.Not to mention his flip flopping like an epileptic on key issues.
McCain...gawd love him(when it suits him)...he was a Viet Nam era POW...that fact alone should preclude him from running for office with all that PTSD flyin' around.He is truly unhinged.I guarantee you he sees a gook in every wood pile.You want world war III?Vote for this asshat.
Rudy...Fuck this mobbed up pile of 9-11 shit...he's a joke.
Ron Paul...he's the only viable one in my opinion,I like his politics,but he's from Texas,and he's crazy-you can't trust a crazy guy from Texas,no matter how much sense he appears to make.
Thompson-HAhhhhhhhhhhHA!What a waste of time.He's almost as much of a joke as Rudy.Almost,but not quite,and only because he looks like a hanna-barberra character.
So...to sum up...The GOP has dick this time around,it's not a question of the lesser of 2 evils, it's a question of level of retardation-dems to follow...Don't forget to vote.Like it makes a difference.

HOME



Wow...

I GOT SOME THINGS TO BITCH ABOUT. PART ONE

Age is at the top of my list,there's this dude at work who is 10 years older than me,and,yes,he is still a "dude" as I am still a "dude",even at 48,because of where we've been and where we came from (class wise) we will always be "dudes".
Anyway,we we're having a chat about Ann's back issues that evolved into a chat about how many medications we have to take everyday.He's up to 10,after telling his doctor he needed to cut back on his med consumption.I didn't ask how many he'd been on before this discussion with his doc,but it was more than 10.Up until late in 2007, I was on 5,all geared at controlling my hypertension,which curiously,was very resistant to this chemical assault,it would bring it into the park,but we were never unconcerned.
Turns out,my pre-diabetes is the culprit.So,have I been taking poison needlessly because of my doctors inability to diagnose me properly?Or was it me and my wanton ways that masked the true cause?Should I have just carried on blindly only to pop off at 50,or 60?Or god forbid,70 or 80?I pity the person that has to deal with me at that age.Imagine the poo flinging baboon at the zoo-that's me at 80.
Let me say up front,that while I was a wild and crazy guy in my youth as far as drugs were concerned,I was never a big fan of pills-ever.
I preferred to smoke it,snort it and drink it...mescaline notwithstanding.:)
But now,as we get older,things start to fall apart,and there seems to be a pill to delay that falling apart regardless of the cause.
Nobody wants to die prematurely,I for one do not,There are still many things I want to see and do.And I want my friend to be around for a long while as well.
But at what cost?
Surely all these chemical "solutions" are altering the evolutionary plane.
And yes, I believe in evolution.Not a big surprise,I'm sure.
More to come...

WHY DO WE MOVE THINGS?

Because we can,apparently.I move things from the normal resting place at home a lot...keys,my knife,DVDs,just to name a few.My mom used to say of these lost items "I put it in a safe place"-yeah,like the time the safe place for my "disgusting hippy jeans" was in the trash.Thanks mom.Really,just kidding mom.Really.While I am ambivalent about the existence of gawd,I am certain my mom could reach down and smite me anytime she wanted,under her own power!
Besides I got them out of the trash and hid them in the woods,where I would change some mornings.SSsshhh!
But today I was moving smoke detectors,or rather the cable and boxes meant to power and house said detectors.This involved the removal of sections of ceiling,some as large as 6x4 ft..If the existing cable is not long enough to accommodate the relocation,well,you have to replace the cable which usually means relocating it as well.
It's,uh,challenging...
I scuffed my knuckles up pretty good doing just that because the space between the ceiling I removed and the original one is about an inch & 1/2.Joy:)
But,hey...I like a challenge-that pays.

And a good time was had by all, including the gimp
We gathered at the shop, aka Club Spit East, as mentioned by Rob in a previous post. Our drummer Bill was absent due to a bad knee, but I would be the gimp referenced in the title due to a back that's giving me quite a bit of trouble right now. I ended up playing very little bass due to the strain on the back, but I did manage to enjoy the wondrous effects of beer consumption and have a very good time anyway. I also inadvertently gave myself the title of "Samsquanch", what Bubbles on the Trailer Park Boys calls Bigfoot. You see, we filmed the event so that we'd have a recording of the songs we were working on in order to refine and tweak things later on. Well, since I wasn't playing much I ended up walking in front of the camera a time or two. I'm not a small person and between that, the large flannel jacket I was wearing and the close proximity to the camera, I couldn't help but say "Look, there's a Samsquanch," the first time I saw myself walk by when we reviewed the tape. And then everyone ran with it so I guess my new stage name is now Samsquanch.


Rob has been working on a song about our friend Mark who killed himself a while back (see archives from July 2004) and it's been a tough one to write. He sang what he'd come up with so far and managed to make everyone cry, even people who didn't know Mark. We made a lot of other noise tonight, some of which will be usable, some of which will not but that's how it goes. A few of our songs were birthed fully formed, but that's pretty rare and nothing like that popped out tonight. Usually it takes quite few "practice" sessions to flesh something out and now that we've added Jon to the mix it will take some time to incorporate the new influence. Jon brings his own unique style of guitar playing to add to Rob and Tracy's unique styles and that's the magic of jam sessions. It's sort of like cooking - a little bit of this, a little bit of that and the end result is frequently something mighty tasty.

But we missed our drummer and grill-chief tonight. We are a band, but we are also friends and if the instruments and amps disappeared, we'd still be getting together to barbecue and shoot the shit - it would just be a little less noisy. And since we are currently on an acoustic bent, any required drums in the near future should work well within any knee rehab requirements.

The night ended with us snagging an awesome chair which was a shop relic that came from who knows where. But my sore back proclaimed it as a chair that was made when people knew how to make chairs and Tracy graciously offered it to us so we decided to cart it home. It wouldn't fit in the car so we had to tie to the roof.




Rob forgot completely about it when we pulled into the driveway and under the carport. Oops! Fortunately, it simply flipped over and survived the ordeal unscathed. It was originally destined for the front porch, but Rob decided it was the perfect chair for his desk and now you can just call him Mr. Cleaver when he sits there (as in Ward Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver) since it's at least that old.

OUR EVER CHANGING VERNACULAR



And I always thought marijuana was the flame,LSD was the fuse and heroin was the "bomb".
The bomb...ha!

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION UPDATE

Tomorrow at 2pm,we are gathering at Club Spit East* to lay down the primary tracks of the EP.I already have two songs worked out and two in the semi-worked out stage.I have invited my dear friend and guitarist in our first band together (way back in the 80's) to join us because his finger picking is so unusual and innovative and the fact that acoustic collaborations we did in The Left For Dead days seemed to work well...of course,that's based on a memory from 1986.
LT went by CSE* today and set things up and did a sound check with the condenser microphones and called to give me a thumbs up on the sound.We are recording "in the round"so to speak...two channels through two condenser, or omni directional mics that can pick up a fly farting at 30 feet.
We will be recording to analog cassette and VHS.Which means we will have a video record as well.
I didn't ask him to do this he just did it on his own,and that's really cool.He kept referring to what i would want to do,being that it was initially presented as a "solo" project.But whatever we end up with will be a Wolves@th'Door EP...not a Wolf@th'Door or a Rob Clattenburg recording.
I've been playing with these folks for years,and we are what we are,despite the subject matter.
I don't know what the rest of us are bringing to eat,but I made a giant pot of carne guisada.
I'm excited.

PIZZA NIGHT!

We order pizza sometimes,but I like to cook it myself.Tonight I made a "Canadian"bacon and black olive...what defines Canadian bacon anyway?This shit came from Lansing, Il.




Anyhoo...I also made one with garlic alfredo sauce instead of the usual red sauce with the same ingredients.I like to call it "the stormfront" or the "white power special"-Just kidding,it's called a "white" pizza,but I like to shake things up with the addition of the "black" olives.

I'm not so big on chain bought pizza,but there is nothing like home made-I love it,especially cold in the morning with a glass of milk.

On an unrelated note,I need to give props to our foreman,who apparently lobbied his ass off today,and as a result we are safe and intact as a crew for a "while"...which I take to mean until the airport job kicks off at least,and we will migrate there.This dude is young but has wisdom and has our best interests at heart,and we all appreciate him and his efforts.And,the airport is close to my house as well,so no sorry ass commute is in my future.For now anyway.

A DAY IN THE LIFE...AS TOLD BY THEO,THE INCREDIBLY OLD AND GRUMPY DOG.

Around 4 in the morning,I take up my position between mom and dads head on the pillows.Then,at 5:15,the alarms started going off and I got excited.I knew that soon my dad would get up and go to that scary room where the water shoots out of the wall and I could completely take over his spot on the bed, which is warm,where I would watch him get dressed and ready for work while he talked to me in that voice that makes babies crazy,but I will give him cursory mini wags of the tail,because after all,he is my dad and if he didn't go to work he couldn't buy my food and I would have to eat his turtles.HA! I mean woof!
Then,my mom gets up and goes to the scary room,and if she closes the door,I stand by it and bark once...a woof actually,because I can't be bothered to bark at everything anymore, every 3 seconds,because I have poor object relation formation and also,she is the only one who can let me outside,they call it "go potty" for some reason,but what I do is mark my territory...the same territory I've been marking for 10 plus years,nobody else marks it,but god damnit it's mine.Then I come back in,wait expectantly by the magic treat closet,get a treat and then demand fresh water.After creating a puddle of monumental proportions on the floor,I go back to the bedroom and realizing I can't jump up on the bed right by the bed anymore,I go out in the hall and make a running leap onto it where I settle down for a nap.
When the neighbors get active,moving things about on the car port and running machines and their mouths I bark at them.This happens several times a day.Then there's the barking at the post man and the meter readers.Then I nap some more.Dad gets home at 3:45 or so,and I come out and say hello and return to the bed,unless I didn't go out at lunch,when mom comes home to eat and somehow prompt him to open the door(stupid human)
and let me out.My sister,Irene and I have an understanding about the trash can,as well,which we survey daily,and if the lid is left off,I pull the tasty bits out (I'm taller) and she scatters them about and we chow down.The beauty of this is there is no way for mom and dad to identify the offender,so we are equally admonished and show some shame and it's all good,and...they clean up the mess!Score!All the way around.
Around 4:30 p.m. I come out of the bedroom and lay down by the front door awaiting moms return from something called a job.Irene does the same thing for dad,but I can't be bothered.
I spend my evening on my bed (pictured) by the magic heat device and demand food at the same time every night.(hey...I'm old and set in my ways)And I get pets,lots of pets,from mom and dad.Around 9 pm,I start making overtures to the bed every time they head in that direction.
And they usually cave in and it's snuggle time.
And they think they have me trained...HA!I mean woof!
I think I might teach Irene to type...I know she has stories to tell.

THIS JUST IN

Check out this link:

50 most loathsome 2007


And,in the "it had to happen" or "we worked ourselves out of a job" or "fucking contractors" departments...we were told today that we have run out of work at the tower of evil and that tomorrow our foreman would pick the few that would remain and the remainder would be given the choice to sit at home and wait for a new job to kick off,or be laid off and go to the hall and sign the books.The construction end of this job has fallen behind and while there's still plenty of shit for us to do,we can't do it until they do what they need to do.It's a frustrating reality of the construction trades.If I could invent a multi trade metronome,I would be the richest man on the planet-But,back to the books and the hall...
There's a lot of work going on in Austin right now,so,you would get picked up quickly.But with another contractor.And I'm quite happy with the company I've been working for since this whole electrician thing took off.In fact,I'm fortunate to have been able to work for one electrical contractor for this long.I like the people I work for.So I'm not keen on the idea of going to work for someone else.
If I am not one of the ones who gets to stay (cross your fingers for me!),I will sit at home until they call me back to work.There's a big project coming up soon,and while it will be tight,I'd rather do that than move on,or in the parlance (sort of) "drag up".
Plus, there's my vacation fund money to tide us over if need be.Not exactly what I wanted to spend it on,but you do what you gotta.
Right?

DOGVILLE...2008




Theo,in his decline into old dogma,looks at me increasingly in denial of his name,like the line of his white hair scar compliments of Sully in a fight that saw blood spewed evrywhere,spots of black on the metal walls testament to his resolve.He outlives sullivan by a year,and his nuzzles in the middle of the night are his testament to his missing him too.Cuddles to make up for the absense of a fallen brother.And Irene,anxious to get in the pocket and curl up in the warmth of our love...does she remember sully as well?90 pounds of dog missing from our pack bed?I miss him.And I think that maybe they do too.I know Ann does.And as Theo fades from our memory I hear him say I am not Theo,I am dog,I am canis...and I choose you to be my master.
They got my baby covered,that's for sure.And that jagged spot between them is mine.
Cuddles and snuggles that speak a language all their own...of sighs and stretches that speak a language of love...dogs and man.Powerful magic.

Brrr...
It got rather chilly last night (low 20's) and didn't warm up much today. Now I know that 20's isn't that cold to many, but just a day or two ago it was in the 70's here so as usual, the quick switch makes it feel even colder. Even Rob, Mr. I Love The Cold, felt chilly at work today and has already retreated to the bedroom and crawled under the covers. And I didn't get fired, but maybe it was because it was so cold in the office that no one bothered to look up from being huddled in their jackets to notice I was still there. Turns out the heater is broken at work... again. Theo's old bones were as stiff as mine when I got home because our house stayed chilly and the temps are dropping even more as I type. I just finished a bowl of soup and a cup of hot tea to warm up before I make a quick store run. Although it will be painful to venture out, the heater's on in the bedroom, the dogs are warming up my spot on the bed and Rob's already under the covers ready to cuddle so I've got plenty of warmth look forward to when I get back home. Well, time to take the plunge - it ain't getting any warmer out there!

New Year
It didn't start off in quite the best way yesterday. I was a very grumpy person due to a lack of sleep, cheap champagne the night before and the emotional fallout of the events of last week. I got up way too early on New Years day, but then came to my senses and spent most of rest of the day cat-napping and lounging in bed. I was sorely tempted to cure my foul mood with a little "hair of the dog", but resisted and instead found some pretty good television shows on the History Channel - American Eats and The Universe. Conked out early and got a fairly good night's sleep. This first work day of the year should be interesting since I might get the word that I'm fired if the execs are back from their holiday. In fact, I should be dressed and heading out the door right now, but I'm still in my pajamas. I guess a part of me really doesn't want to find out...

UGLY,UGLY MUSIC

I love me some TAD...



Happy new year!