Blast From the Past-Blowin' in the Wind

Oops

2012-01-27T09:34:00.003-05:00

Oh geesh, I got a call last night and it seems that my post yesterday was a complete misunderstanding. The ADHD in me does leave my writing somewhat confusing. I sometimes hop from subject to subject and my writing gets inter-woven by interpretation and can leave even myself confused, even when I proof read it all three times. I should have got my lazy butt up and deleted that post last night.

I also had a new commenter on here a few days ago and with the internet, things can just get mixed up and then I get defensive, another issue I need to work on LoL Even my issues have issues of their own ; )

Tis a very wierd day here today, I'm liking this not so seasonal weather, however right now it's 65 degrees outside, rain and makes me wonder if we will get some lightning and thunder today. It was warmer at 7AM this morning then it was yesterday afternoon. El Nino is making for a very mild winter which I am enjoying to the max, the lower heating bills are equally welcomed.

I'm so bored and restless it's hard to sleep for very long. I imagine my first week back to work will help with that and get into my routine, being the creature of habit that I am at this age.

I used to be so spontanious, not that it was such the best thing, but it did work at that time. Getting older and set in your ways is so true. I'm so used to the same wore out TV reruns that I have watched for years, classic though, MASH, Sienfeld among some others. Since I've been off work I have started watching some different shows that are actually reruns now, I'm just way behind. I guess I started watching The Big Bang Theory about 3 months ago and I started watching My Name Is Earl about a month ago. Both are right up my alley. I like stupid funny!

So anyway, yesterday is forgotten and today is a new day to continue moving forward with expectations that I have set for myself. I HAVE to lose some weight, and if I can get back on track I want to stop smoking, but right now I have enough on my plate LoL no pun intended~! : )

I just need to remind myself at times that things will work out and everything will be fine, however it's so easy to let negitive thoughts get in the way. My best guess on my current anxiety should be put to rest once my employment is confirmed, they have only one job ad on Monster.com right now and that is for a general manager. I imagine they are waiting on future interviews to allow the future general manager to be present during the interviews of their future staff.

The job for general manager has been online for a month, it's very hard to find really sincere skilled labor in this area, I'm sure they know this already and it is wise for them to get the right staff in place without just hiring a bunch of people and see if they work out. In my case my history as a chef here is a real plus, I know the people that frequent the bars and restaurants on a regular basis and have a good relationship with those folks as putting out great food with pride.

I have the requirements for a management position, however after my last employer I may be just a little gun shy on a job being responcible for the whole staff as well as the money. I just don't need all that stress in the beginning. I am inquring about the Sous Chef position which means, "Under the chef," meaning I would be at most just have to make sure quality is maintained and food is handled in a safe manner to prevent food bourne illness(food poison).

If the line cook position pays enough I may just settle for that in the beginning so I can learn their system and the way they prepare things in accordance with the corporate chef's recipes to maintain consistancy. I'm used to jobs where I just walk in and do my thing, here I'm going to have to make thing the way we are told until I can maybe offer up some dishes as a nightly special to see if it's practical in this setting. Then as time goes by if a better position opens up and I feel comfortable about it I can just jump on it then.

Just thinking about this too much as I have just posted here is part of my problem, worrying. That too shall pass, for now I think that's enough for one day. Hope all is well and happy : ) Peace~!

Just Common Sense

2012-01-25T10:51:00.003-05:00

Alright, I've been to the new DR. and the outcome was exactly what I was hoping for today. I showed her the last prescription that my family Dr. wrote for me in December, followed by the prescription that was written by the mega practice of Peninsula Cardiology. All she did was just shake her head and told me she could sit all day and tell me about that practice, as she used to work for my DR. and was connected with Peninsula, she knows the deal. She even told me they were being shitty (she didn't use that term) about getting patients records transferred, that place doesn't care about people, all they care about is numbers $$$

I told her that I practically had to climb over people to get to the window to get the measly script that they wrote for me. She asked me was I comfortable with the dosage I had cut back to, I told her that all I was concerned about was withdraw if I had to cut that dosage in half again and she did agree that the dosage I'm currently taking is reasonable for someone who has been taking that drug for almost eighteen years.

Because I'm unemployed they work each patient on a sliding scale depending on income. Today my visit was only $20 with a request for blood work for my next visit in May and that blood work is only going to cost me $24. Whew, what a load off my mind.

After I got done the paperwork prior to examination the nurse took my blood pressure and it was high, 160 over 110, then the DR. took my BP again before I left and it was still high at 160 over 90. Soooo, as if I don't pee enough she put me on a fluid pill for my blood pressure, that's a new one on me, I feel old now, fluid pills?

Well, for today all is well and now it's time to relax and let that blood pressure go down. Of course as I knew I was almost 200 lbs and that tells me I need to lose 20 to 25 lbs, that will also help the blood pressure and I'll have to start exercising before I get back to work and that should help also.

Hell, if Obama has his way with his State of the Union message last night, I'll be eligible for another year of unemployment! Have I said I can't wait to get back to work? Oh course I have, I'm bored to death and all I want is a decent job, not unemployment. Until that time, I'll take the money honey : )

That's all I got for today Good Peoples. Peace!

The Sun Is Shining!

2012-01-24T14:30:00.002-05:00

No complaining today, what a beautiful day! It was cloudy when I got up but it didn't take long for the sun to come out, and right now it's in the 60's here. The forecast is still two days of sun then two more days of rain, it's just nice to see the sun again, it's been dreary for the last four days.

The ground is still wet and muk'ed up but I am going to take some time and play fetch with Woody here shortly. Not that much going on until my visit to the DR. tomorrow and see what she is going to say about my meds. I have weened down on the meds to half of what I was taking, if she says my prescription has to stay the same then I'll have to cut the dosage in half again.

I have been doing good on less medicine, however I have been on this drug almost eighteen years so abruptly cutting me off like that was concerning me and having withdraw. So far so good. The less of that medication I take, the better it will work when something really gets on my last nerve :O So I'm ready for my dose of reality.

Ideally she will leave me where I'm at, three, one mg pills per day, that's the dosage I started on way back when and I've gotten through the worst part. I have however been smoking more cigarettes and eating too much, I need to drop some pounds as it is now.

I can't wait to get back to work, that will help me keep my mind off of the meds and cigarettes and keep my hands busy. Until we meet again.....Peace!

Nevermore?

2012-01-23T12:17:00.005-05:00

Well, I guess Edgar Allen Poe is rolling over in his grave, as the team named after one of his short stories, "The Raven," got eliminated from the playoff hunt for a bid in The Super Bowl. Ray Lewis was questioned after the game, and before the reporters could ask the question he said, "I'm still hungry and no I am not retiring before you even ask the question!"

It was a hard fought game that came down to a field goal in the last few seconds to tie the New England Patriots and go into overtime. They played a team most people thought would take an easy win over the Ravens and played right down to a nail biting finish.

Ray Rice was heard saying that they are a team of 53 players and didn't want anyone hating his kicker that missed that final field goal. A replay did show that the seam on the football was not lined up with the posts when he kicked it, so the blame could go to the hiker or holder, but all in all they lost as a team seeing an opportunity for a touchdown was bobbled and stripped for a touchdown earlier.

Pass the buck, ah, it's for real, Baltimore is out and fate is to blame. I will refrain from bashing the kicker as the team did show their presence for 64 full minutes of the game. It is too bad for the kicker as that miss could very well cost him his job. That kind of reminds me of the question as to why the Philadelphia Eagles let their place kicker David Ackers go when he could boot a 60 yard field goal?

Moving along to the second game, another close game that was decided in sudden death playoff overtime. Again, this was another close game all the way. I must admit that I did fall asleep before the overtime started. The last thing I remember was the coin toss, so as for details I'm a bit short on the play by play in overtime that resulted in a win for the New York Giants.

Yeah, I was wrong on both my calls. I must say the only game that wasn't a contest from start to finish in the playoffs was The New England Patriots game against the Denver Broncos that did turn into a walk away for New England. Every other game in the playoffs could have went either way making for some games that are just what football is all about.

Why talk about the weather when you can't do anything about it? Because I can : ) This is three straight days of rain all day, supposed to have a two day break then a couple more days of rain. I'm not complaining because I'd rather have rain than snow any day. However, poor Woody just doesn't understand why I don't want to go outside and play fetch with him, I have just a small yard and it's a mess out there. His feet are dirty enough when he comes in without me tracking in more.

It's going to be a long two weeks until the Super Bowl. I do have my appointment with the new DR. on Wednesday. I guess I'll be rooting for the N.Y. Giants in the Super Bowl as they are in the same divison as my favorite team the Philadelphia Eagles.

That's aLL Folks! Have a great week. Peace and Happiness

Butt Ugly Day

2012-01-22T09:27:00.004-05:00

If you take the hills out of this picture, as the eastern shore is as flat as a pancake, the picture could be here. Today is a rerun of yesterday and just down right ugly. Yesterday the high reached 40 degrees for only a short while and that looks to be another repeat today also. Yet, tomorrow is calling for temperatures in the 60's. That's how we roll here!

I have to go get groceries today no matter the weather, hey at least no signs of snow as of yet and we are close to February. Today is the last week of football before the Super Bowl. New England is a tough team to beat, and they are at home today.

It's all from the heart here on, and I will still hope that Baltimore manages to squeek out a win along with the San Francisco 49'ers to bring two brothers to battle as head coaches of NFL's two top teams in football this year.

Ugh, time to get my shit together and get to the store and get-r-done. Peace

Cold And Dreary Day

2012-01-21T11:31:00.003-05:00

It did snow over night, my bones were right. I got up a couple times during the night and saw about as much snow as in this picture. It did turn to rain and for the most part was all gone when I got up except for a few little spots. It's still a damp dreary day YuK.

No football on today, OMG what will I do? Saturday TV sucks. I have plenty of DVD's, I guess I'll have to pick out a few I haven't watched in some time and rehash them. I was going to the grocery store today, but it's just too ugly outside and will grocery shop tomorrow. I have three seasons of The X-Files and both movies, might be the route I take.

I'm just plain drawing a blank right now, the brain wants to go on strike! Hope everything is wonderful in your world. Peace

Etta James

2012-01-20T13:24:00.002-05:00

Today we mourn the loss of a great blues singer, Etta James, at the age of 73. In real life, little about James was as genteel as that song, "At Last." The platinum blonde's first hit was a saucy R&B number about sex, and she was known as a hell-raiser who had tempestuous relationships with her family, her men and the music industry. Then she spent years battling a drug addiction that she admitted sapped away at her great talents.

In other words, she was one of music's original bad girls.

"The bad girls ... had the look that I liked," she wrote in her 1995 autobiography, "Rage to Survive." ''I wanted to be rare, I wanted to be noticed, I wanted to be exotic as a Cotton Club chorus girl, and I wanted to be obvious as the most flamboyant hooker on the street. I just wanted to be."

James' spirit could not be contained — perhaps that's what made her so magnetic in music; it is surely what made her so dynamic as one of R&B, blues and rock 'n' roll's underrated legends. The 73-year-old died at Riverside Community Hospital, with her husband and sons at her side, her manager Lupe De Leon said.

"It's a tremendous loss for her fans around the world," he said. "She'll be missed. A great American singer. Her music defied category."

I did copy most of the above from MSN music news. She broke barriers of age, color and sex in a man's world. May God bless and keep you always Etta. R.I.P.

Peace and Happiness aLL~!

Evolution Craft Brew House

2012-01-19T10:58:00.006-05:00

I finally got hooked up with the corporate chef Sheckles of SouthernBoysConcepts yesterday. I'm still waiting for a formal interview however yesterday I got the grand tour. When he showed me the brew room, the huge empty room, he went through a detailed description of the brewing process as he did with everything he showed me. Leaving me feeling comfortable suggesting that I would probably start before it opens to go over policy, procedure and recipes. Then some mock operations to get the employees in gear for opening day.

A project of this size is impossible to pick a definite date of opening until the date gets closer. Speculation at this point is February 22nd, I've seen the health department hold up brand new projects just due to stupid shit. So there is the possibility of other setbacks, however you can clearly see the work going on here and they intend on opening ASAP as all they have done is spend a lot of money so far.

This operation will allow their out put of brewed beer to increase 400%~! Some of the silos in the brew house will be as close to the ceiling in that large room as they can get, 30 to 40 ft. tall. The taller the tank, the less floor space required to allow for future expansion. These guys really got it going on but it's a huge investment, they are also creating more and more jobs as this will also be their 5th restaurant in this area, all of their restaurants have different themes, names and menus yet are still within the corporate operations. The Brew House will also be their corporate headquarters in the offices upstairs.

I took my sister out to dinner last night at the Georgia House in Milsboro Delaware. It's named that as both owners went to culinary school in Georgia. They have a very good reputation and a couple good restaurants going on under that name. My sister had the Crab Cakes and I got the Shrimp Pesto Tortellini that was so rich I could not eat all of the Ricotta filled tortellini but did pick all the shrimp out, man I was bloated : ) Oh, before dinner we both got a cup of cream of crab soup and I had a small Cesar salad.

Lawdy, my stomach still feels tight : O Now the last thing on the old bucket list is taking my sister inlaw to Sobo's (A SouthernBoysConcept) a very upscale Bistro that the brothers changed the name to Beerstro, very popular and expensive but the food is to die for, really! I know what I'm going to get, the Spinach salad with crumbles of apple wood smoked bacon, candied pecans, Feta cheese with an apple wood smokey vinaigrette, then I'll also get the Calamari(Fried Squid)in Orange sauce, I know, but I love it. I ate real octopus in Mexico and really it does taste just like shrimp! I have no idea what Nanci will get, I just know she said that's where she wanted to go because they have the best home made potato chips she's ever had there!

In summary, I did have a big day yesterday and the next thing is to start a new bucket list : ) Oh, this version of Voodoo Child, the audio isn't great, but I grew up with my good friend Doug Bounds on guitar in the YouTube here. Enjoy!

That's aLL Folks~! Peace

Hair Ball (Harbaugh)Super Bowl?

2012-01-17T11:13:00.003-05:00

This picture is from my great niece's blog site Tanzania 2012. If you look just to the left of that road, off in the distance it looks like a pyramid. Not sure what that object is, maybe I should read the text again. Can you imagine a month long safari in Africa? I'm sure it's something she'll remember her whole life : )It is a good picture for this rainy day, but I'm not complaining, I'm sure as hell glad it's not snow!

What's a Hair Ball Super Bowl, you ask? Well, long story of two brothers that both played professional football as quarterbacks, and later became head coaches of two pro football teams. Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh, "IF" they both win the last games in the playoffs they will meet head to head in the Super Bowl, a first in NFL history. Their father too, was a pro football quarterback, would make for an interesting day in their household that day.

Most likely Mom & Dad will be there should either make it, maybe Mom would pick one and Dad the other? Tough call either way : ) Since I have no dog in this fight, my heart would love to see both the Baltimore Ravens and San Fransisco 49'ers win next week to bring the brothers together for the last and most important game of the year. The battle for that illusive Super Bowl ring!

Compared to last year, this has been a mild winter so far. Both of my utility bills, Gas and Electric show a savings of a $1 a day compared to what my bills were last year, totaling a $62 savings in the last 31 days! Got to love that!

I do have an appointment to see someone next Tuesday in regard to my medication indifference. I know this women, she used to work for my doctor and doubt she would put me in the situation that I'm in now. So that does give me some room to breathe, be patient and all should come out fine. I can deal with cutting back but the difference I'm faced with now is just rude. I do believe even a first year pre med student would question that call, if that's what they call Obama-care, he can shove that sideways up his ass! : P

With no disrespect to my late father, my God I must say I do miss Jerry Garcia equally. It surely ranks up there with the early death and murder of John Lennon. Hard to fight back a tear listening to this song, "The Weight." : /

Peace, Love and Happiness to ALL~!

I Need A New Drug Or A New Doctor

2012-01-15T10:00:00.003-05:00

Well, I guess I need to find a new doctor. My DR retired at the end of December. I got a letter from Peninsula Cardiology that stated they would be taking my DR's patients and there wouldn't be a charge to transfer records. Sounded good.

During the transition I needed to have my anxiety meds refilled, so I called made an appointment to see one of my DR's nurse practitioners that is now working there and requested a prescription.

Apparently this is some kind of clinic that doesn't have a real doctor and sounds like they are stifled, when I went to pick up my prescription the place was packed like a cheap whorehouse. I was told that due to regulations they have to go by it did not allow them to prescribe the amount of my daily dosage. Mind you I've been on this medication for almost 18 years now.

The prescription they wrote me was like cutting my legs off at the knees, in effect, without warning they cut my dosage of an addictive medication by 75%. I would agree I may need to cut back some, however this is a harsh reality and would hope another doctor can at least meet me halfway during the time that I presume I may have some withdraw symptoms.

My DR did give me some names of a few DR's and he said they shouldn't have a problem with the medications I'm taking. I have been diagnosed ADHD, severe anxiety disorder. My Mom always told me when I got my first teeth she no longer had to cut my finger nails because I bit them off even as a baby. As I got older I still bit them until they bled, I used to get frustrated trying to fix something and would get angry and break it!

I used to punch brick walls, computers you name it. I didn't have that problem so much with people, I never was a fighter, just bad nerves. Sudden outbursts of frustration has always been an issue. I was blessed with my father's patience and my mom's fiery temper, it's more like a curse or walking time bomb!

I finally caved in about 18 years ago and went to some counseling, which led me to the name of the DR I was seeing. He started me on the meds and over a period I started to mold into a better person. After about 8 years on Ridlin I took myself off of that medication as it had helped round off my edges and no longer felt it was making anymore changes, it helped to modify my behavior and have done well until now.

I'm lucky that when I got my last prescription before my DR retired I was like a chipmunk and had some extra stashed when I called to find out about this new deal WTF? So I have yet to touch my new prescription yet and have been weening down and tomorrow I will make part of my mission to get an appointment with a real doctor and not a nurse practitioner, let the new doctor make the call. I'm sure when he/she sees my med records they will see right now I'm caught between a rock and a hard place.

What EVA! Life goes on~! It's not like I'm DR shopping for Oxycontin, I'm looking for something that a great DR had me taking a long time now and it has improved my quality of life. That's the important part. Other than going over to this clinic and grabbing somebody behind the counter by the collar and yanking them over the counter yelling, "You wouldn't like me when I get angry," what else is a man supposed to do? LoL Whew!

Man, yesterday's first football game was a cliff hanger until the last second. In less than the last 4 minutes the lead changed 4 times! What a rocker. Alas that game did upset my picks and so far I'm one for two! I did feel a little sorry for Tim Tebow, he's been under criticism for showing his religious side. I'm not going to try and shove religion down some body's throat, however I'm also not going to try and steal it away from him.

So Tim Tebow didn't make it all the way. He's still young, has only started 16 pro football games and in a season that had a pending strike and made the training season a lot shorter than it should have been, I think he's done darn good! No doubt at some point in his career I think he'll be sporting a Super Bowl ring one day.

Good luck to all out there in blog land in whatever the mission to be yours today and every day, should you decide to accept it ; ) Peace~!

Friday The 13th/Weekend Football Picks

2012-01-13T14:35:00.009-05:00

The bar graph above says about all the status quo and big money controlling government and media that anyone needs to know.

Well, I'm not superstitious so it's just another day here in the hood for me. Poor ole Joran Van der Sloot got 28 years for pleading guilty of murder of a young Peruvian woman. Natalie Holloway, this woman, how can you not wonder how many times he's done that and gotten away with it?

The sentence does sound light for murder, however 28 years in a Peruvian jail probably has him wishing he got a death sentence, and we can't rule that out at some point during his stay at that nasty prison hole.

I'm going to make my picks for this weekend's week two playoff games. I was going to pick one upset game, but I've backed down from thinking Houston beats Baltimore in Baltimore.

OK
*New Orleans Saints at the San Francisco '49'ers, I'm taking the Saints!
*Denver Bronco's at New England Patriots, I'm taking the Patriots!
*Houston Texans at the Baltimore Ravens, I'm taking the Raven's against my first instinct!
*New York Giants at Green Bay Packers, I'm picking the Packers to take this game!

When I worked as the chef of Waterman's Cove in the '80's and '90's we used to get some football pools to gamble on, and some of us had side bets on our own favorite teams. Some bets where made with points, some straight up. Hell the Indianapolis Colts where so bad after they moved from Baltimore that I gave this one kid Joey (he was about 19) the Colts and gave him 28 points, that's like giving him a four touch down head start and I still cleaned his clock that year. He liked Minnesota and Indianapolis for his two favorite teams and both where at low points in their existence. Lucky for me : )

My favorite team is the Philadelphia Eagles for some good reasons. I was born in Baltimore so I grew up a Baltimore Colts fan, Johnny U Yehaw! Then the owner of the team packed them up in the middle of the night and moved the team to Indiana. If you grew up way back in the day before all the divisions, I mean I was a Colts fan, how was I to be a Redskin fan? If you were from Baltimore we didn't play that, I was a man without a team! I had to make the call and I liked to be different, weren't many Eagles fans here back in the day of Randal Cunningham, Reggie White, Jerome Brown and Clyde Simmons and so the pick was done.

Everyone knows about my great love for animals, when I heard the Eagles picked up Micheal Vick my stomach had a sick feeling. I had to get over that, the man served 2 years in a federal prison, has changed his ways, talks to youth about such behavior(dog fighting) and is very generous to the ASPCA. I can't be that man's judge or just up and hate my team, now if he was found to do anything, even smacking a dog he'd be off my list of people to root for, I couldn't even root for the Eagles if they didn't drop him like a bad habit!

I don't like just hopping on the band wagon stuff, however when you are playing with points, you gotta go with who you think can make that point spread. Way back I did quite well betting on football. The year Joe Montana and Dan Marino locked heads in the Super Bowl, San Francisco '49er's VS the Miami Dolphins I jumped on the '49er's and road that wagon all the way to the end. That was a very good year $$$ Ching Ching However to do that kind of betting you need to be watching football or TV programs about all the games 24/7 to be on top of which teams had key players injured and all that crap. Can't run like Dat no Mo~!

I always say, "I rather be lucky than good," LoL Peace Out!

Time To Get Serious

2012-01-12T10:36:00.006-05:00

Last night, I saw on the local news that the new Brewery and restaurant is expected to open in 30 days. Today I saw on Monster.com the advertisement for the general manager only, so far. Now is the time to get that sit down interview as soon as chef Sheckles is ready.

I have my resume ready, letters of recommendation, and some pictures of some party trays I whipped up for a lady's 100th birthday party, pictured above(click to enlarge)and a photo of me me dishing up some Guinness Stew for St. Patrick's Day. I wish I had all the pictures of the parties we had there. The activity director had the complete portfolio as it was actually her job to arrange the parties with family members and my job to make it happen. Can't blame her, all I had to do was request a copy, grrr too late now.

I'm more interested in a kitchen manager job or Sous Chef, I don't want a job buried in paperwork like I had at the previous job. They haven't started to advertise those positions yet, however, now is the time to corner him and get my interview under way. John Sheckles is the corporate chef and goes by the name of "Sheckles," we've worked together before so I am quite optimistic about this position. I already know a lot of people in the corporation and both brothers that own SouthernBoysConcepts.com.

I'm going to need to start working out with some light weight training and exercise or my first day of real work will kill me! Lazy time will soon be over. It's been a nice ride though, time to focus on the job now, get my strength back and work at losing a few pounds too.

That's All Folks! Peace

The Laugh Or Two Along Your Way

2012-01-08T10:19:00.003-05:00

I haven't much to yak about today, however I'm very glad that I bounced back early yesterday and got my home chores done. It's not bad outside today, 51 degrees right now, not as nice as yesterday's 69 degrees but much better than last winter.

This week I need to make plans to sit down and eat with my sisters for their Christmas presents. Nice time to get out myself and enjoy a good meal in a nice restaurant and we can catch up on some family matters and have pleasant conversation enjoying our time together.

Have a happy Sunday and a good week upcoming! Peace

Karma Is A Real Bitch

2012-01-07T14:11:00.003-05:00

I was going to blow off cleaning the windows today because I still felt a bit under the weather this morning. I don't know if it was the meds but man I had a nice burst of energy after I finished my coffee today. Feeling like night and day compared to last night. I not only cleaned the windows that I had painted, I cleaned all the windows, inside and out!

Right now it's 69 degrees outside and I have the windows open to blow out the germs and stale air. It's really been a nice day. After this second post today I am going out to play fetch with Woody. The first football game comes on at 4PM, I'm going to watch it of course but I have very little interest in either team, Cincinnati Bengal's VS the Houston Texans, one never knows though, it could turn out to be a good game.

Now on to the "Karma" part of my post. As most of you know that follow my blog, I was terminated without good reason. They didn't even try to deny and appeal my unemployment because of the fact that I was terminated without proper warnings and they failed to produce any documentation of alleged activities on my part.

They tried to say that I was terminated because of poor performance. I worked there for well over eight years, was promoted to Director of Culinary services and received over $5000 in bonus money about seven months prior to my termination. That's is a nice bonus but after taxes it was about $2700. Does that sound like somebody that performed poorly? The unemployment department didn't buy that bull shit either and I was awarded the unemployment max, I forgot exactly how much I really get, but every two weeks, after taxes it's $714.

Still haven't touched on that Karma yet. After working there for eight years I questioned the fact they they didn't have a grease trap(a septic tank type thing)to catch grease so it doesn't get into the city sewers and onto the waste water treatment plant, that kind of stuff isn't good for the treatment plant and according to city code they were supposed to have one. For years I warned executive directors and regional directors when I had access to them, but everyone failed to follow through to be in compliance.

I was reading a local blog and read an article about the new owners of a new business had opened up on Main St., (Mojo's) and during inspection they picked up that the place didn't have a grease trap, even though other restaurants had operated there it wasn't discovered until the new business was opening which caused them to have to fork up another $50,000 to have the pavement out back dug up and had a grease trap put in to comply with city code.

Well, I saw that as an opportunity to make a comment on that blog article about my former employer. I never mentioned their name as it were, I merely stated that I was aware of another operation on said Drive, and it just so happened that said former employer was the only commercial kitchen on that very short Drive and somebody took the hint and did some investigating : )

The former maintenance man came by my house yesterday laughing because somebody from there called him and told him what I had done and now they are in the process of digging up the asphalt and parking lot to install the new grease trap BaHahaha This place is a lot bigger than that small restaurant on Main ST. so it's probably going to cost way over $50,000!

My next move is to blow the whistle on state required training and fraud. Whenever we were supposed to get some kind of state required training, somebody just walked around the building getting employees to sign the form that they had received said training and they were not in compliance with that either. A lot of that stuff is important training when working with older, frail and weak immune systems of the older residents.

In summary, the SHIT has hit the FAN boss, duck! LoL It's not about vengeance really, it's more about seeing that those old folks don't continue to get ripped off. I still keep in contact with a few residents by phone, they call me sometimes and I'm still friends with many people there.

Ahhhh Karma : ) Peace

The Return Of The Ick

2012-01-07T10:17:00.005-05:00

I'm once again feeling just a tad under the weather, my sinus still. I have seen several different commercials on TV that suggests some cold meds, I.E. NyQuil do not contain anything for sinus relief. So as I went about getting a boatload of groceries yesterday I purchased Vick's sinus medicine, I was feeling putrid again last night and was up until about 3AM, however I did wake up much relieved. Hope this finally gets me over the hump without having to go to the doctor.

First round of football play-offs start today, so yesterday I got what I needed to make a chili bean dip, some chicken wings marinaded in Tequila and lime and most of what I need for about two weeks. I may have to pick up a couple things this week but not much. I forgot to buy Feta cheese for my organic mixed greens salad. I add bacon bits, candied almond pieces, feta cheese and a walnut-raspberry vinaigrette, it is yummy, it would cost you about $10 in a fancy restaurant for a salad like that.

I think the Green Bay Packers will go all the way, however they have to get past a strong offense of the New Orleans Saints to get to the Super Bowl. We'll see!

I have broke into that fourth pack of cigarettes the other day, but am only on my 4th cigarette out of that pack so I still have almost four packs. I'm too cheap to just throw them away, so when I'm ready it shouldn't be as hard to quit since I've only been smoking one or two a day.

I hope the winter remains mild and it was in the upper 60's yesterday, and again today it's already up to 58 degrees. I got my gas heat bill yesterday and my bill was just over a $1 a day cheaper than last year for the same period, that's a great thing!

That's all Folks! Peace.....

Bucket Lists & New Blog Links

2012-01-05T12:00:00.006-05:00

Wow, yesterday I almost finished my latest bucket list, took all the dust collector antique bottles, ashes of three dogs and such off my entertainment center and got down and dirty and dusted everything. Yuck, it was so bad even the dust bunnies had dust bunnies of their own. There was no actual dusting, that would have created a dust cloud like the one that surrounds Pig Pen on Charlie Brown.

I had to take an old towel, wet it good and wipe everything down. Why I don't like dusting and doing windows, I just don't know, but Woody won't do it, all he wants to do is go outside and play regardless of the weather. I also got real anal with the dog hair, I was on my hands and knees, I'm sure if he could Woody would vacuum up his own hair, that would be one for UTube LoL huh? Dog running around the house with a vacuum? One for stupid pet tricks! The only thing left on this current bucket list will have to wait until Saturday when the temp goes into the upper 50's and that's cleaning the outside windows to allow that free heat/sunshine in the house. Cleaner the windows, more rays!

For some reason after I upgraded my blog design I lost the links to some other blogs that I had on the right side of the blog design. The new design had some tweeks to it and I finally figured out how to get those blog links back up. Doria I entered your URL, however for some reason you're not showing up, just wanted you to know I did include your blog but I have to see why it isn't showing up!

The main reason I did take the time to figure it out and add the links is the link to Tanzania 2012. My great niece Alyssa is now living there, Tanzania, Africa to do some studies with animals. I think she wants to become a Zoo Director or work her way to a position of that sort. Should be an interesting read, she has lots of followers already, 65 by my count this morning and I just got her link this morning. She's only been there a few days. Good way to keep her parents and friends in touch, I know everyone is glad that she's taking a bold step in a journey to a foreign land, however, I'm sure they will worry just a tad too.

Well, I'll have to start a new bucket list of things to do that don't cost much LoL Oh, I do have two more things on my bucket list but they are easy enjoyable tasks, sitting down and breaking bread with my two wonderful sisters : ) Good luck to Alyssa and the rest of those out there in the blog sphere. Peace and Happiness!

Oh No! The Weather Just Realized It's Winter

2012-01-03T10:48:00.003-05:00

I guess it's time to think warm thoughts. It was in the upper 60's on Sunday, today the wind is blowing 15 to 20 MPH and feels more like 20 degrees outside today. Tomorrow morning is supposed to get down to around 15 degrees!

My sinus has finally eased up, the first day in a week I don't feel like somebody cold cocked me in the face! Lawd I have a lot to do, laundry, general cleaning cleaning etc., at least I kept the dishes washed. I haven't shaved in over a week and look like something that just crawled out from under a rock. Think I'll use my hair clippers to pre-shave before I take the razor to my face!

I haven't done jack shit in so long there isn't much to yak about today except the weather. Too bad we can't change presidents for the new year, well, not until late in the new year I hope and pray! Toss Obama like a rotten salad.

May we all have a great new year with lots of Peace, Love and Happiness!

Happy New Year~!!

2011-12-31T12:06:00.004-05:00

Wow, what a last three days. I thought the bug I had was gone, I guess as usual it turned to a sinus infection. Until this morning I was on my third straight day of a headache. My head hurt so bad last night one might think I had something terminal, it was a bad cluster headache. After 54 years I do know my own body and was most sure I had the sinus infection.

When I had health insurance I would have already called the DR's office for antibiotics for a sinus infection, since every time I get a cold I do get a sinus infection. I was up all night, coughed, moaned, groaned, used my humidifier for a vaporizer, pulled the humidifier beside the bed and got a large towel and put it over my head to capture the steam to go up my nose and head. Then got one of those blue things out of the freezer for coolers and had that on my head for about another hour.

I got no sleep, no sleep at all. At around 6AM I fed Woody and let him out and I made some coffee because caffeine is good for a headache. All in all DR. Chaney was right but I didn't snap out of it until about 8:30AM, I finally fell a sleep for about four hours. I'm feeling much better, nuked the rest of my coffee and am drinking that now.

I am breaking News Year's Eve tradition this year and instead of watching the 24 hour Twilight Zone marathon, tonight I will be watching The Big Bang Theory marathon. I just started watching that show about a month ago and it does make me laugh out loud right here by myself LoL

I imagine I will be watching both really, you know how Seinfeld puts it, "Men don't want to know what's on TV, men want to know what "else" is on TV" with that remote in hand : )

I do think that I'm over the hump now with that grunge shit. I did lose a couple pounds in the last four days, appetite was minimal, however I snapped out of it just in time to eat my giant skrimps I love to dip in butter on New Year's Eve : P

What else can I say? I feel like a new man for the new year. Peace and Happiness~!

Tripe Journalists

2011-12-29T13:50:00.001-05:00

I think I hijacked this picture from my great nephew's father from a face book post, it reminded me of the movie "Sleepy Hollow." I've really been slack with posts this half of the year. There's no contract or minimum, it's all up to me. This year has been a roller coaster ride but all in all I think I'm much better off right now. This time last year I was still wondering if my brain would ever function normally again after the multiple anti-depressant sleigh ride I took from July until November when I quit taking the shit cold turkey.

Hell, it couldn't get any worse than that psycho trip I was on for months! I am paranoid enough without drugs, those prescription meds were one hell of a trip! I can see how a weak minded person would go suicidal, serious up! Maybe a good thing I did experiment with psychedelics until my mid to late 20's, not that I wanted to be tripped out in my 50's, however I did have a grip on things most likely from my previous experiences and knew the world wasn't coming to an end.

I guess I could just post music with no verbal communication from myself. I had no clue about what I was going to talk about today, walla, I have two paragraphs already! I must admit that my writing about scraping and painting actually took longer than the actual work itself, that alone is some writing skill. I'm just as good as our regional newspaper the Daily Tripe, I can manufacture my own bull shit without their help.

At our 35th year class reunion quite a few people asked why I was no longer writing editorials for the paper. My subjects ranged from local and national politics, the severe pollution of our Wicomico River that was constantly getting flows of raw sewage from our city's waste water treatment plant, a couple times the amount exceeded 1 million gallons per spill and shutting down the river.

This began as almost a bi-weekly event. The one editorial that really blew the lid off was the one I wrote about thinking of everything that goes down your drain goes in the river. Urine, feces, blood, tampons, flu and other virus related material, bleach, drain cleaner, drainage from the hospital and Vet offices, among everything else that goes down the drain. That article launched my name within the mayors office and I was nick-named "One of the Dirty Dozen," that hated that lying witch, bitch with a passion.

There were a few of us that dared to rock her shit floatin' fuckin' boat! When you tell me to sit down, that's when I'll stand up and throw shit at ya right back! I heard the day that editorial of mine hit the paper she threw a drunkin' fit and went to the paper and cussed out the editor : ) YES~!!!

Then a blogger actually discovered an illegal sludge pit just a few feet from the river. What's a sludge pit? The crap that over flowed the waste water treatment plant and just hadn't spilled in the river yet. Totally illegal on many levels besides moral levels.

The newspaper has frankly become a trashy media machine with slanted views, outright lies and frankly poor journalism. I told the people that asked that question I just refused to be part of that trashy media outlet, and felt any contribution from me was just helping them work less for nothing. Sometimes, they edited my writing slanting it to a view more acceptable to them (or the Mayor). My last editorial in that paper had been hacked up in bits and pieces and they even printed it with the end of a sentence removed and never even placed a period at the end they hacked off. I'll not have my opinion changed by a not-so-bright editor when I'm not even getting paid and make my writing look poor. Granted grammatical I could use improving, however would rather it be printed in my verbiage, flaws and all.

I had more articles make it to print than any one person during those years. It was before blogs and a way to vent and do creative writing all in one shot. They are now considered "Yellow Journalism," (google yellow journalism) by most of Salisbury's locals "in the know." Anything they print now must be seriously debated and questioned for under handed politics. Wow and I didn't think I had anything to write about! A real sweet "Stella Blue" for those Jerry lovers ; )

Love ya All. Peace and Happiness~!

The Count Down

2011-12-23T14:40:00.002-05:00

If you live around here you will have to dream of a white Christmas! A couple of days ago I thought I was coming down with the flu bug. I ached all over, headache, body ache, funky sinus thing a lots of congestion. Good thing it must have just been a 24+ hour thing, I did sleep until 11AM today and that is very rare for me, however I must have needed it and I feel a lot better today. I thought my holidays would be ruined, running hot and cold, put sweat shirt on, take sweat shirt off.

For many years I used to get the Christmas Blues. This year has been a roller coaster of emotions, however this year I think I've made it unscathed. I have so much to be thankful for, a great family, a roof over my head and even though not working I'm financially doing OK.

I'm a lucky man! Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Felix Navidad, Happy Hanuka, Happy Kwanzaa and any other holiday I may have over looked. Peace and Happiness!

Great Weekend

2011-12-19T09:46:00.003-05:00

Wow, that fast, the weekend has came and went! Yesterday was quite a day for football, a lot of upsets making the chances for playoffs a possibility for a few teams. As bad as my Eagles have been playing they even stand a long shot at making the playoffs. Yesterday was a sloppy day for both teams. Both the Philadelphia Eagles and the NY Jets had numerous turnovers, the Eagles did tromp the Jets in the end.

The Baltimore Ravens must have left their defense in the clubhouse and took a romping. The saying, "Even a blind squirrel can find an acorn," proved to be true yesterday as well for the Washington Redskins.

The last three days mother nature has made it clear that winter is here. The grass outside is so crisp it cracks to walk on it. All I need is one mellow weather day to finish up caulking the two windows I've finished painting. After that I will take one window at a time on the couple windows I have left when the weather allows it, I'm really good to go and no longer have to worry about getting a citation from the city for window treatments.

What we call "Victory in Iraq," was more like sneaking out in the dead of night the way the Baltimore Colts did to their fans decades ago when they moved to Indiana. Only time will tell if the new government in Iraq is a success. Was it worth 8000 deaths, 30,000 wounded and a trillion dollars? That's the trillion dollar question.

I'm still wishing for Ron Paul to pick up some steam, however government controlled media seems to fear the man. In the last debate Michelle Bachman called Ron Paul's ideology dangerous, really? Peace, dangerous? She did raise the hairs on Ron Paul's back and he bit back as he insists we should only be at war with a declaration from congress, what the hell it's only the constitution! I provided a performance by Ron Paul during that debate.

This new world order sure is scary. I pray for a peaceful resolution for all of the conflicts in this new world order, right now it's doesn't seem orderly at all with many GOP candidates sounding about ready to start a war with Iran in these debates.

Ms. Bachman, isn't the IAEA the same system that declared WMD in Iraq? IAEA is not our elected congress, bitch! (International Atomic Energy Agency)

Warren Lankford was in my graduating class. He did a spur of the moment tune by Elton John at our reunion thanks to the band allowing him the time solo, a music major in school he has made a business of recording in Atlanta. This is the only UTube I could find by him, I need to try and search further. I hope everyone is ready for Christmas, it's coming whether we are ready or not, I'm ready! Have a great week everyone! Peace

Blogging

2011-12-17T10:42:00.002-05:00

A quote that I read about blogging, "Never have so many, said so much, to so few." I blog usually while drinking my morning coffee, it helps pass the time, keeps the brain active and a place to air my grievances during the holiday of Festivus! It also is a place to vent, therapeutic, Woody doesn't want to hear it : )

The day before yesterday I finally got the next two windows scraped and painted and some winterizing done for colder weather. I still need a little caulking work, it's windy outside today making it feel colder than it really is but I saw that by Wednesday the temp would be in the 50's again.

Yesterday I managed to finish up my Christmas shopping and I went to the grocery store and stocked up for another week. I bought another humidifier so that my guitars don't get dried out, I like to keep the humidity around at least 50%, anything under 40% humidity isn't good for wooden instruments.

Last night I cooked a London Broil that will provide another meal tonight. Last night I had a baked potato and peas with it, tonight I have a vegetable blend of sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, onions and a southwest seasoning and finish up the peas from last night.

Not much in way of plans today, I need to cut my hair and get a good shave. Saturday TV does suck, at least there is an NFL football game on later today. Well there is always football on Saturdays but I don't keep up with college football.

I've rambled on enough for one day! Peace

Positive Thinking

2011-12-14T11:21:00.000-05:00

It's easy to say think positive, however this has been a difficult time in the last year and a half. The loss of two great long time four legged best friends, the loss of my brother the day after Thanksgiving and the loss of a very close friend and room mate for years, in late November. Not to mention thinking I was losing my mind on two anti-depressants just over a year ago and the recent loss of a job.

I could be wallowing in misery but I know things happen for a reason. I believe that the people and pets I love are still with me, they are just in another dimension, I can't touch and feel them physically, however I know they are beside me spiritually.

I am much happier away from my former place of employment, the hate there was contagious. I'm thinking a whole lot more clearer and don't have to worry about what is going to go wrong next. I'm thinking positive about the potential job at the Brewery and restaurant job, I will feel even better when the details are hashed out and finalized. Right now the big focus for the owner is getting the place set up and still in the stage of tearing down and not yet beginning to the point where you can actually see a restaurant vision. Right now it's just a huge warehouse but it's happening.

All in all I am really blessed and remembering that every day is what keeps me going. Like my friend Lenny likes to say, "Things can always be worse." He is so right.

The owners of Southernboysconcepts.com LLC also are partners with a chef in Antique, Guatemala. Probably the only thing I didn't do in Mexico during my six month stay was be a tourist. We lived just like the Mexicans did, the three brothers I went with had been going there for years and we even had a brick surf shack where we could lock up our stuff if nobody was around or if we wanted to make 45 minute trip to a real town and grocery shop, get 100lb blocks of ice and plenty of fresh drinking water. There was a local town that we frequented for staples and eating at a few beach restaurants. They still didn't have running water or electric there, all dirt roads, it was like going back in time. No TV, no newspapers, no rain. I think it rained twice while I was there and the dirt wasn't even wet.

The house wasn't much except one big room, however it overlooked the Pacific Ocean and the view from the front door was the now famous surf point at the mouth of the Nexpa river. Years ago I would have got my butt kicked for giving away that secret surf spot, alas, now progress has it overflowed and is now a tourist spot. Some of those surfers also smuggled pot into Texas. I wasn't involved, however people from Surfer Magazine were there surfing and taking pictures. This didn't go over well with the people that wanted to keep that spot secret, and there was some destruction of their vehicle, surf boards etc. The pictures they took did end up in Surfer Magazine with a small caption, an "undisclosed location."

That house was owned by a local artist and big wave surfer Pat Tobin who lived with his wife and two kids about an hour away. About two years ago I googled his name because he was selling his art in his home state of California. During the Vietnam draft, instead of going to Canada like many draft dodgers, he packed up his boards and moved to Mexico and made it his home. My google search was successful, however I found out he had just passed away from long term alcohol abuse.

Myself and one of the brothers did take a 3 day trip to Acapulco, slept in the van in the parking lot of the nice Hyatt there and paid $3 a day for use of the bathrooms, showers, a towel and a reclining beach chair beside the pool with a swim up to bar :P To tell you the truth Acapulco wasn't what I thought it would be, we did go out on the town a few nights, but once off the main strip on the beach the town was mostly a shanty town of poverty and blight.

There were a lot of pan handlers there hitting on tourists and I blew most of them all off, with one exception, a very elderly women with a very young child had her hand out and I just walked by like she wasn't there. About a block and a half down the street I started thinking all the change in my pocket didn't equal $3 and that would be enough to feed both of them for a day or two and possibly longer on rice and beans the staple of many there, soooo I ran back and gave the lady all of my pocket change. I felt better!

The only thing I do regret is that I didn't do a little more touristy type things, especially seeing the Mayan pyramids in the rain forrest. So at some point after employed for Evolution Craft micro brewery, I wouldn't mind taking a trip to Guatemala and check out the Mayan ruins there. They make some fine clothes too, very colorful and hippy-ish. One of the brothers of Evolution does have his pilot's licence and maybe I could catch a ride, not really sure how he and his brother gets there. Right now it's just a thought.

One of the things I noticed as soon as we crossed the border was how easy it was to pay your way out of anything for just a few dollars. While we were four long haired surf rats with the van packed with all kinds of shit, propane lamps, stove and a huge refrigerator that we used for a giant ice chest to keep the beers nice and cold, among all our other belongings. After we got our visas we pulled up for an inspection search, the first thing the brother that was driving did was slip the guy five bucks, he looked in the van and waved us through. As we were passing through I noticed a whole family, parents, kids and grand parents and they were taking everything out of their vehicle searching for who knows what? Ah but our journey began! We lived about 400 miles south of Puerto Vallarta or about 1000 miles south of the border in the state of Michehuacan.

We took shifts driving and actually made it 3500 miles from home in three and a half days, yup, that's about 1000 miles a day! I could go on all day about that trip, but it's warming up outside and time to get outside and get some work done. Needless to say Mexico is now a dangerous spot even for four rough neck looking males. I do have some pictures of that trip, once I get working I need to buy a scanner so I can put them on a disk and post some of those memories.

Until the next time, Peace ALL~!

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

2011-12-13T12:52:00.001-05:00

Man, I wouldn't want to either one of them thar critters coming down my chimney, I believe I'd be reaching for my gun LoL

The holidays are coming on fast, I don't have much to buy, but really need to get thinking and get to it on a week day when places aren't so busy. Later in the week it's supposed to have a few warmer days and I'll need to finish up outside.

I'll be seeing some family Christmas Eve but haven't picked a spot for Christmas day yet. I have a few options just need to make the call.

It's going to be at least another month and a half before the construction of Brewery and restaurant gets operating. I'm really getting bored not working, good thing Woody keeps me occupied.

That's ALL FolKs~! Peace

World Peace = Oxymoron

2011-12-10T11:13:00.000-05:00

Before taking office, every one of our government representatives take the oath of office declaring to abide by our constitution. Yet the only one that will stand up and declare our wars unconstitutional and people like to call him a nut case. That nut case is Ron Paul and he's got my vote just because his views on government policy hasn't changed in over 40 years serving as a Texas state representative.

The biggest thing that most people have to leave their children is a huge debt provided by corporate greed with their hands in the pockets of politicians. Special interest has more to do with our current government policies than that of all the voters combined. Just how many more Vietnam's must we endure.

Lately there have been threats of going to war with Iran for the same reason we went to war in Iraq, weapons of mass destruction that we can't really prove are there. If you ask me, the war in Iran has already started, that's why when Obama withdraws our troops from Iraq at least 8000 of those soldiers will be headed to Kuwait. I guess prosthetic legs and arms are big business these days.

All I'd like for Christmas is good health and world peace, not asking for too much, am I? Check out the short speach by JFK at the beginning of the first Video.

Peace, Love & Happiness!

The Day The Music Died

2011-12-08T12:55:00.000-05:00

John Winston Lennon, (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Along with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.

Born and raised in Liverpool, Lennon became involved as a teenager in the skiffle craze; his first band, The Quarrymen, evolved into The Beatles in 1960. As the group disintegrated towards the end of the decade, Lennon embarked on a solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". After his marriage to Yoko Ono in 1969, he changed his name to John Ono Lennon. Lennon disengaged himself from the music business in 1975 to devote time to his infant son Sean, but re-emerged in 1980 with a new album, Double Fantasy. He was murdered three weeks after its release.

Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, his writing, his drawings, on film, and in interviews, becoming controversial through his political and peace activism. He moved to New York City in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him, while his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement. Nixon tried to have Lennon deported in the now famous Supreme Court ruling, "John Lennon VS The United States", Lennon was awarded his green card and made a citizen in the U.S.

At around 10:50 pm on 8 December 1980, as Lennon and Ono returned to their New York apartment in The Dakota, Mark David Chapman shot Lennon in the back four times at the entrance to the building. Lennon was taken to the emergency room of the nearby Roosevelt Hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival at 11:07 pm. Earlier that evening, Lennon had autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for Chapman.

Ono issued a statement the next day, saying "There is no funeral for John", ending it with the words, "John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him." His body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. Ono scattered his ashes in New York's Central Park, where the Strawberry Fields memorial was later created. Chapman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years to life; as of 2011, he remains in prison, having been denied parole six times.

Gone is the biggest influence in my life. Viva the peace revolution. Give Peace A Chance!

A Season For Giving

2011-12-03T11:14:00.002-05:00

Times just seems to fly by after Thanksgiving and before we know it Christmas is here! The thought used to ill me. I'm just not a big fan of the extra work that is usually thrust upon me for the holidays associated with working around food (Christmas parties, etc). I have one Christmas decoration and that is a manger scene that my father made when I was just a wee little one. At some point some of the manger people had broken and some were just out of scale size with others so a couple years ago I bought all new and nicely detailed manger peoples and have a few things left from the original to keep in place. That's it!

Years ago, I can remember helping my Dad put up lights and decorations that my Mom wanted up and we both did a lot of huffing, puffing and grumbling. After my Dad pasted away I did the same thing with my brother, we despised the work like our jobs weren't enough work and Mom would buy more stuff every year GRRR That's what Mom wanted so that's what Mom got, you know that old saying, "If Momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy." : )

I took that attitude that the best part of Christmas was stolen, not by the Grinch, by greedy retailers that would sell their souls to the devil to turn a big profit, while many were left broke and hungry during and after the holiday. The best part of all holidays is just spending time with family. Now even that is a bit diminished, everyone has their own plans, family spreading further apart in distance and everything is done in a rush and before you know it, Christmas is over. There just isn't enough time to do everything we'd like to do in only one day. That's about all I got to say about that!

For a couple of people in my family my only gift is a meal out, on me. That insures some quality one on one time to get caught up on family matters, I don't have to shop, it works for me and who doesn't enjoy a nice meal somewhere? There are so many in my sisters family they now draw names so instead of having to think of what to get everyone they only have to worry about one nice gift. Makes sense.

Oh lawd, there isn't crap on TV on Saturdays, it's just a bit too cold today to even want to think about working outside. What I miss about living home on the holidays is the leftovers we'd eat for days! So today I have decided to cook a meal of marinated pork tenderloin in garlic and peppercorns. Mashed taters, mushroom gravy of course, stuffing (Boxed, half corn bread half regular mixed together) and some whole green beans and tomorrow I can enjoy a day of football and eat some leftovers without much hassle.

My friend Bubba's Celebration of Life will be Monday at 2PM at the American Legion in Ocean City, Maryland. I'm sure I will see a whole lot of people I haven't seen in ten to twenty-five years along with his family and two brothers. I really miss my years working on the boardwalk, but it's just not the same at this age. The crowds and traffic all drive me nuts, I don't think I've been to the ocean in ten years and I only live 30 miles away.

In summary, I don't plan on doing shit this weekend. Count my blessings, eat and work more with Woody. I'm really glad I'm not working right now, the training Woody needs takes time and patience to get him out of that unruly puppy stage to a well behaved pet that I can take with me where ever I go, we aren't quite to that point yet but he's still young and I got lots of time. If I could only teach him to paint and or harness some of his energy everything around the house would be done.

Well, they do say once you become a homeowner the work is never all done. On the flip side the money I pay in mortgage is like money in the bank. When I get older I can sell it, pocket some retirement money and move to a 55 and older community based on income where I don't have to worry about paint, plumbing and grass among the other pains in the ass a homeowner goes through, it's all worth it in the end. Well I hope it is and I hope that the end is quite some time away ; )

Peace and Happiness!

December One

2011-12-01T11:20:00.002-05:00

The picture above will help us all remember what winter actually brings, Burrr. Weather here is unpredictable because we are right along that line of central USA that could bring a blizzard, or, I've even seen it get up to 72 degrees on Christmas day! A real grab bag of weather here.

I got to get my shit together here, it's warming up outside and that means get to work outside.

Peace my friends!

Climbing from the Rut

2011-11-30T13:42:00.005-05:00

After the week I had last week I expected a bit of depression without having anything else turning south. So the last few days I have been a humble blob laying around and watching movies and the BooB Tube. The weather sort of fit the mood as it were, cold, dark and dreary. It wasn't as bad as I expected. I managed to pull off Thanksgiving with a serious thankful feeling.

It's hard to get real depressed with Woody around, he just tries so hard to be man's best friend. He's too smart for his own pants. Since I been teaching him to sit, and stay he's gotten used to them treats. The stay part is still a challenge, but he's getting it. Now he just comes to me and sits down! I say no to the treats because he didn't earn'um, and he doesn't get it! He didn't react to a command so he didn't earn'um LoL Everyday is a treat for him He's mess..... : )

It's time to push forward now, it's a bit cold outside but I really should be scraping some paint today. The time is now, once I get back to work I won't feel like doing it, so starting tomorrow I must try and take on this challenge like the expectations of a real job, you know, work it right? That's what I used to tell people at work that acted like they had too much to do, "That's why they call it WORK!"

I will allow myself one more day to fart around the rest of this day, but starting tomorrow I have to get to work! It's not that cold that I can't bundle up a bit. Once it gets to a freezing point, painting is not good when it's freezing, so I gotta get-R-Done.

I also found out that the guy that took my Culinary Services Director job has turned in his notice already. Baaahahhaa the guy didn't even make it ten months! I'm not Mr. Perfect but I do give a days work for a days pay and more. I worked at one restaurant for ten years as chef and they let me go due to downsizing in the mid 1990's. After I left, the problems got worse and the owners were all asking the staff, "well, who used to take care of that?" Answer, was always, Tim.

So these eggheads at the old folks farm deserve what they got, the old folks that pay big money to stay there are the victims of that corporate greed we hear so much about these days. Hey, when you're screwing old people out of their homes and last dime then turn you loose do think they care? Because they have drained those people of their life's savings? Of course they don't care, once they don't have your $$ in their pockets they could care less where you go, if you don't have the money you have to get out of there.

May they all go to hell together! They could offer me $20,000 more a year than I was making and I'd still turn it down. There is only one heaven, and there is only one way to get there, do right by others, they can't pay me enough to be free from that guilt. I'm finally free : ) I still can't walk on water, but I'm free of guilt.

Life is challenging, it's a good thing that I like a good challenge. Peace ALL!

Death Don't Have No Mercy

2011-11-26T08:45:00.005-05:00

Even with the loss of my very good friend "Bub" King, I made it it through the holiday festivities in good spirit. Bub was as much a brother as he was a great friend.

When I called my sister on Wednesday to tell her that he had passed away, I told her, "If somebody called and told me Pat (Bub's younger brother) or even my own half brother who was almost 72 (Norman) had past away I wouldn't have been surprised." Late yesterday afternoon my sister called to tell me that my half brother Norman had passed away earlier on Friday. He at least lived for another Thanksgiving, we won't have to think about Thanksgiving as the day he died. However it will bring back the fond memories of the things we did and holidays we spent together.

I say half brother, but he was the only blood brother that I ever knew. At times Norman was my friend, employer, my brother and at times he watched over me like a father. "Stormin'" Norman lost his storm about ten years ago from a stroke. He wanted to just die after that.

My niece had got him into a nice assisted living place here in town and he started making some progress. He got so he could get around with a walker, he kept up with football and who was doing what. Sometimes I would pick him up to go to family holiday gatherings, our mothers funeral and sometimes we'd just take a cruise and I'd let him smoke a few cigarettes. He later was moved to another nice assisted living property but he never wanted to do anything but lay in bed.

Just over a year ago he changed. He had become more combative with staff that were just doing their jobs. That ended his stay and was moved to a nursing home and all went downhill after that. My sister and I both had visited him many times and he just acted like we were interrupting his sleep time or whatever. He just gave up and was waiting to die. Sometimes he just acted like we weren't even there. I must admit we both stopped visiting because it was a depressing scene. I'm not going to beat myself up for that, and I told my sister the same thing when the subject came up. There's no need for us to feel guilty, he chose his path without us.

He was one to never admit he had a depression problem, even though it runs in the family. Sometimes I get depressed about not being able to do things I did when I was younger, I can imagine the depression from not being able to even walk on your own any longer. I think he gave up too early, however I can imagine how he felt, he wanted to die.

We do not pick our own date to end our life in this world, or shouldn't, it should be put. However, Norman is now where he can once again do whatever he wants, he's probably waking up my father from a nap, I can hear him, "Wake up Jack! The fish are biting!"

I'm doing OK even though the grim reaper has came to visit me twice this week. It is what my brother really wanted although he leaves behind two daughters and four grandchildren. For that, makes it bittersweet. The fact is, he simply hasn't had a life of any quality for over a year, and now he finally rests in peace.

Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine, life still has too much to offer for me to allow myself to wallow in the grief. I do believe in life everlasting. It's the quality part that's most important.

Sorry, but I just don't feel like dancing today. The only song that I'm going to attach is the title of this post that was written by old black and blind, The Reverend Gary Davis. This is a version by The Grateful Dead.

Rest in peace my brothers, Norman and Bubba. Peace to all!

Losing a Close Friend

2011-11-23T09:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I found that I had lost a good friend of many years, Freddy "Bubba" King. One of three brothers, the middle brother. I used to work with them on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland in the late '70's until the mid '80's at their Mothers store. We were in the heart of downtown there, selling cotton candy, candied apples, soft pretzels, ice cream, snow cones, funnel cakes among a few other things. After years working for their mother who treated us all like her children, and the six month trip to Mexico I took with the three brothers, I felt like the forth brother, many times people would ask me that.

I was taken by surprise, I would not have been surprised if the call was about the youngest brother who has a big heart, however he could never stay on the right path. I'm afraid Bub's death may be very similar to the death of Amy Winehouse, long term alcohol abuse finally caught up with him. He was 56 years old, his body has been sent to Baltimore for autopsy and services for him will be sometime next week. The results of the autopsy may take a month to find the actual cause of his death.

Bub was always a giver, I can't count the many times I saw him reach in his pocket and give somebody down on their luck some money, knowing he'd never see that money again. He and his wife had separated, and he's left three children behind. They are old enough to understand the life style is what the problem was at least. They had to live with that growing up, however I'm sure they are saddened by the loss of their father, I know I am.

I had to get off of that path many moons ago, partying like we did back in the '70's and '80's. I hadn't seen Bub in about 5 years, yesterday I found out that he had moved here to Salisbury, just about a mile away from me however I didn't know it and didn't hear from him at all.

Next week I will most likely see a lot of old friends at Bub's funeral, many who are still on that wrong path. I'm hoping the youngest brother will finally see the light, get his act together and get off of the booze. He's been jailed a couple times for multiple DUI's. I can pray for him, the rest is up to him.

Rest in Peace Bub King! Peace and Happy Thankgiving to all.

Tye Dyes Make For Big Day

2011-11-20T09:36:00.006-05:00

I don't check who or how many people visit my blog everyday. However, the day I posted the tye dye art was maybe my biggest blog day ever, sixty-two visitors. I know I made sure I tagged that post with the words "Dirty Hippies" and "Tye Dyes," tagging is something I usually forget. Maybe I should remember that!

My plans for painting this week look like they may be ruined by a forecast of rain Monday, Tuesday AND Wednesday GRRRRR. It's supposed to be mild weather though, so if it doesn't happen or has breaks between rain spells I will probably still do some scraping. I can't procrastinate because it is winter and soon it will be cold every day.

After Black Friday, (Shopping for idiots day) I will go to Home Depot and or Lowes to check out what I need to fabricate the screen frames and some screen. I can do that inside when it does get too cold to do anything outside.

I finally got around to revamping my rock and rock scrap book containing the ticket stubs and pictures with friends over the years. My old scrap book was falling apart and I was fearing losing some ticket stubs so I bought a new one. I have seen sixty Seven concerts of major recording artists live. It's hard to believe that it's been since April that I saw Hot Tuna with a friend in Easton, Maryland.

I have been to 32 Grateful Dead concerts over a 20 year period. Other artists include, Saunders and Garcia, Roy Buchanan (twice), Jefferson Starship, Frank Zappa, Carlos Santana, Crosby, Stills and Nash (Twice), Stephen Stills, Jethro Tull (twice), Fleetwood Mac, Yes (Twice), Bob Weir Band, Bobby (Weir) and the Midnights, Rick Danko and Paul Butterfield, Allman Brothers (Twice) Stevie Ray Vaughn (Twice), Robert Palmer (Twice), Blackfoot, Heart, ZZ Top, Crack the Sky, Marshall Tucker Band (Twice), Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws w/ Foghat, Rossington-Collins Band, Donnie Van Zant (38 Special), Johnny Van Zant, Peter Tosh w/ Jimmy Cliff, Roy Book Binder (Three), Little Feat (Three), Bob Dylan (Twice), Laurence Juber, Hot Tuna (Four)

That adds up to over sixty seven concerts because a few I saw were at the same venue. When I think back that there were many times I could have seen Pink Floyd, Bob Marley and many more I could kick myself in the butt! Back in the day I could have gotten a ticket to see them for less than $20 and gas was under a dollar a gallon! My ticket to see the Dead for the first time in 1974 was only $5 and they played almost five hours!

The only thing to do is move forward. My next show may be Phish if they come to Philly, Baltimore or Washington area. Years ago when my nieces hubby would mention Phish I always teased him, telling him I was really "Never was a Phish-Head." LoL I think it used to get under his skin, hope he realizes that I was only being my sarcastic self and joking. That is a very tight band.

Hope all is well in your world and everyone have a great Thanksgiving! Peace

Saturday's Feed Bag

2011-11-19T10:25:00.002-05:00

The picture above was stolen from my great nephew's father, former blogger Oceanshaman. He finds some awe inspiring material and motivational thoughts of the Buddha and now just posts on Facebook and gave up blogging. "Never before have so many people with so little to say, said so much to so few" - A quote about blogging from Dispair.com. Keep on truckin' good peoples!

I blog primarily in the mornings while drinking my coffee just to pass the time, however there are some lessons learned by networking with others. LoL "Networking," just a fancy way of saying "I surf the Internet!" As you can tell from the time of this post I slept in today : )

Man, the soup came out just great. It reminded me of Mom's house while the soup was simmering. Because corn is now used to make ethanol, the price of everything has gone up. Corn oil, corn, cereal, beef and chicken (corn fed) and gasoline is still higher than it should be. The beef I saw was so expensive, even the cheaper cuts of meat that it was going to cost me over $10 for the soup beef alone. I found a small marinated pork loin that was on sale for $5.94 so I got that instead of beef. "The other white meat" is better for us anyway!

I cubed up the pork, I did skip the potatoes and used a little cabbage, celery, onions, frozen mixed vegetables and a can of diced tomatoes, a little crab claw and low sodium beef broth so that I could add some Old Bay seafood spice to give it that kick and the taste of crab soup. Man, it was some good eatin' and later I fell asleep like a baby around 9:30PM. I woke up about midnight and remembered that I had left Woody outside LoL The front porch light was still on that was my reminder and like a good boy he was sitting by the front door. I watched TV for a couple hours at that point and fell back to sleep around 3AM.

I'm glad I have this time off to spend with Woody, now I'm training him some manners and to sit and stay, all the things you want a dog to do however they have to be taught when you get them young. In the past I had always found dogs just a little older and already had those manners and training. I was just lucky Woody was already house trained when I got him, the rest is up to me and we are progressing very well.

I got my rescue Black Lab Maxx at the Worcester county humane society and couldn't believe how well he was already trained. I could throw the ball and tell him to stay and he wouldn't move until I said "Go!" It's hard to believe he's been gone a year and a half already. I've had five dogs during my 18 years here in this house. Unfortunately when you get older dogs they don't live as long as they do when you get pups. My first dog to live here was my Irish Setter, "Bones." I named him that because when I found him in West Ocean City he was eating out of the dumpster of the restaurant I was working at and was a bag of bones, ribs showing etc. He was probably ten when we moved here.

If Woody lives a normal life span of a dog he will probably be my last because I'll be in my mid sixty's by then. He's settling in fine now, he was a bit hyper and demanding when I first got him. I think he was younger than they told me because he was chewing stuff, a sign of teething. Either he's done teething or learned from a few whacks with the rolled up newspaper that the only thing we chew in the house are his own toys, not my shoes!

And life goes On! Peace

Women and Music

2011-11-18T11:07:00.002-05:00

I just love music, however sometimes I forget about the many women that make some beautiful music. Lately I've posted some UTubes of Natalie Merchant, Carol King among a few others on facebook, the list is endless. I try to be diverse with my music however, at times I just get in a rut. I didn't notice until after the fact that I posted Eddie Vetter's version of "The times they are a changing," twice within a couple of days. We all get those brain farts, F' it! So women of music is my choice this day.

It's cold today, so my plans are to get my shopping done for a week. It's supposed to warm back up to the 60's on Sunday but that's football day so there is no scraping paint or painting allowed on Sundays during football season : ) The weather is supposed to stay mild during the days next week so I will be doing more scraping and painting. Mom used to make a Vegetable Beef soup and sometimes added some crab meat to it, all the stuff is on my grocery list and some hot soup is just right for this weather and will make for a few days of eating and I can freeze some.

You would think I would be posting more now that I'm unemployed but I am keeping busy. I'm not only making home improvements and cleaning things that usually get neglected, and even though I'm sure of future employment I'm still doing detailed searches for jobs. The way that I was taught at the class I attended and found out about the Berelli shot gun factory.

Good paying jobs are easier to find at the websites of the companies themselves listed under employment opportunities. These companies really don't want to advertise and have to screen one hundred people, they prefer someone who would research the business and know what they do as a business. They look at it as a skill. Very smart and no money for advertising.

Enough diarrhea of the mouth for today and onto some sweet music. Natalie wrote the tune "Wonder" while working with adults and children with special needs. Watch the video and you will see adults and children with Downs Syndrome and other special needs and they are having a wonderful time making this video. Makes you feel all fuzzy inside, gotta love it!

One race, the Human race. Peace!

Shirtz and Tapestriez

2011-11-17T16:39:00.000-05:00

Nothing but shirts today my friends. These shirts were made by the guru of tye dyes, Jeremy STRebel, that is spelled correctly I do believe. He's offered my friend Chuck some tips to take his dyes to another level. I don't know much about him personally, however, he's from Hawaii and now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. I got that much off of facebook. I like the Smiley Face and may ask Chuck if he's got that one down and buy one from him. Even these days from my online research they are making a comeback in a big beautiful way of artworks. Wall Tapestries too, actually the second tapestry from the top is one of Chuck's, I have one he did a long time ago in my bedroom. Hope you enjoy, as usual, Peace!

Rainy Dayz

2011-11-16T09:52:00.003-05:00

It's a rainy day with possible thunder storms later in the day. Monday it was so warm and I couldn't sleep until I opened a window to let in a breeze, and that was over night. The day time temp's have been just right for getting my first two windows completed, primer, painted, caulked and cleaned! I was hoping for a one shot deal however the guy at the paint store recommended a primer as there was quite a bit of bare wood.

With a few more windows just as bad if not worse I may just need two gallons of paint anyway to do all ten windows and the trim around the door. Now that I know the scraping is the easy part, the paint is just peeling off fine, no sweat, I may get the worst of them done before real cold weather sets in.

It's slow going in that 20,000sq. foot warehouse for the new brewery. People are there every day now and it has been advertised on several TV stations and the local rag of a newspaper that it's the future home of Evolution Craft Brewery, Restaurant and Brew Pub and the corporate offices of Southern Boys Concept. Hell I can wait it out! : )With a 13 week unemployment extension I can collect until June! Well, the restaurant may not open as planned in mid January, however I expect to be employed much sooner than June anyway. It is nice to know I have that security net though or I might be working at Mickey D's! LoL French Fry chef : )

Glenn, do you know anyone that custom makes screens with frames? My old aluminum frames have metal rot and are falling apart. I heard of one guy a while back who was also in the phone book that was very reasonable. He even came to your house to do the work. I called and called leaving messages, however he never returned my calls. Even if he was very busy at the time you think he would have called to set up a future date. I may have to try and do that myself, I can give it a try and can do that right here in the house whether it's cold outside or not, shouldn't be that hard.

I used to just take home scraps from work to eat, now that I'm cooking for myself again I think I've put on at least ten pounds in just a month and a half. I don't eat as much when my hands are in the stuff all day, plus the boredom on days like this and the darkness comes earlier now, eating is the option, I have cut back on my smoking. About three or four a day, I should quit, it's when I have my morning coffee that I smoke and maybe one more during the day.

Not much else to babble about today, have a great day. Peace!

Better Day

2011-11-13T11:08:00.003-05:00

This picture is about ten years old, me with my ole faithful Black Labwieller "Pebbles." She was the best watch dog that I ever had and I've always had a dog or two. We could be in the house and I couldn't hear a thing then she'd growl, I'd look out the window, sure enough someone was walking past the house on the sidewalk or in the street. She was a sharp shooter she was!

OMG I felt like shit all day yesterday and the night before. Runny nose, body aches, man my nose was sore from wiping it so much. I woke up about 3AM and took 800mg of Ibuprofen and a generic Benedryl, feeling better right at this moment and did get some sleep and real rest. I hope this is just a 24 hour type bug.

I talked to my nieces hubby about gun smith classes and he wasn't aware of any schooling for such in the area. With what he does, weapons he uses in work gets him trained straight at the manufacturer. He was surprised also when I told him Benelli had a factory in Pocomoke. I did find an online class that costs almost $1000 by Ashworth College from Georgia, that did look very in depth and offered certification, however, my grant money can't be used for out of state tuition.

I'll need to talk to my nieces hubby again on Thanksgiving and listen to his opinion of an online course for this and let him take a peek at their website. In the mean time I am going to request additional information at no cost of course. If I really want to proceed in this direction I may have to cough up the money. I just need to see how much weight an online course carries. The course provides a text book each, one for revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, one book for pump action and semi-automatic shot guns, one book for bolt action rifles and so on, five or six text books in total and a small kit of hand tools. Something to keep in the back of my mind for now.

That's about all I have today folks. Peace!

Happy Veterans Day!

2011-11-11T08:26:00.003-05:00

My thanks do go out to all those that are serving or in the past have served our nation to protect our freedoms and liberties! Many have given their lives so I can sit here and freely voice my own opinions right or wrong. God bless you all!

I was very surprised at Wednesday's unemployment workshop. It wasn't at all like a resume and literature information class for the illiterate. It was very informative about Googling or "Fishing" for jobs that are not likely to be posted on sites like Craig's list, Career builder, SimplyHired etc. Jobs you really have to research to find and are likely to pay a lot more than jobs listed by conventional means. Everyone in class looked middle class or above, I wasn't surrounded by a bunch of people that acted like they weren't interested in getting back to work. Everyone had skills in varying occupations.

I ran across one job during the class that was about gun smith-ing, there is a Berreli (Sp?) shotgun factory in Pocomoke, Maryland, I never knew that. One lady in class said that her husband took a 6 week course to get a certification as a gun smith however he had to spend the six weeks in the mid-west. This is something I wouldn't mind taking a class to learn another trade. In short, there are some good jobs out there but you have to work hard Googling to find them, government jobs etc.

If my nieces hubby wasn't so busy with his firearms training job and a weapons specialist in the National Guard he could teach me all I need to know, however he couldn't give me certification, not to my knowledge anyway. It's something to think about, it is a job that I would be able to do when get older and even retired, plus my interest in weapons for sport, I may find the job more settling.

The media is now on focus with the Evolution Craft Brewery move, so I'm glad I got my name out there very early and before the hiring process even begins. I still have time to take a six week course before the place is ready to open. A lot of classes are offered up by Wor-Wic Tech and up to $8900 in funds to pay for classes, however I don't have a year or two years to spend in school without a job.

Even if I acquire a job I will still be eligible for those re-training monies for three years as it stands right now, however the class instructor suggested taking advantage of this benefit now is better rather than later in case there are further budget cuts and that makes sense, the money might not be there next year.

With the wind it's cold outside, Woody wanted to go out so I let him go freeze his none chucks off LoL He's like a kid, wants in then wants out not long after coming in the house.

Have a great weekend. Peace!

A Shirt For Critter

2011-11-08T09:04:00.004-05:00

How about this one Swampman? LoL Yeah, even that one is a bit much for me at my age too. I did send Chuck a check for the shirt I posted on my last page and should be getting it real soon. I'm going to my nieces house for Thanksgiving, the one whose hubby is the firearms instructor and will wear the shirt that day. He always breaks out lots of toys that day, guns, more guns, targets, skeet etc. One big family shoot out! : )

I finally got motivated and got the paint scraped off of my double windows outside of the living room. A lot came off, it really wasn't too bad because a lot of it just peeled off in some big pieces. A nice one coat primer and paint in one isn't cheap, around $30 a gallon but that's what I need so I may as well get something good and hope it does cover in one coat. My house is small and I have a total of 10 windows, it's just a face lift really to avoid a citation from the city, all the windows really need to be replaced so no need to really get into detail with them.

Tomorrow I have to attend an unemployment workshop from 8:45AM to 2:30PM. I already have resume, cover letters etc., that's what the class is about and I'm going to take my portfolio with me with my resume already on disk. It blows my day but it is mandatory and they will have information about continuing education and how to access the money to do so also. I still am thinking about an intermediate computer class, however you never know, something else might strike me when I see what the options are offered.

That's all Folks. Peace!

Tye Dye By Boykin

2011-11-06T07:51:00.005-05:00

This is a tye dye shirt that I ordered from an old friend that I haven't seen in years however have been reunited via facebook. Chuck (Charles Boykin) works designing programs at Scientific Games International for the Georgia State Lottery and lives in Alpharetta, Georgia with his wife April, daughter Jade and a son Charles. Dang, I bet Jade is twenty years old now, how the years go by!

Way back in the day Chuck used to make tye dyes and travel the summer Grateful Dead tours selling his wares and rattling his bones to the groove. As you can see he has a talent for this little side gig that will help educate the young Boykins. Chuck has his Doctorate of Mathematics and was always sharp with numbers. I went to his house one time and he was working on a calculus problem that covered both sides of ten pages and he still hadn't got to the conclusion. He has a numbers kind of brain.

Not much else to yak about today, can't wait until this shirt arrives!

Peace!

Solid Rock Guitars

2011-11-05T13:16:00.004-04:00

With not much going on in my life right now except the waiting, it's been hard to find things I want to write about. I saw my buddy Lenny had posted a few UTubes this morning and he called and asked if I could pass those UTubes onto Swampman. I would almost bet that SwampCritter has already heard of Tommy Taylor from Temperenceville, Virginia already, however one never knows and I'm happy I have something to pass onto the masses.

Tommy Taylor owns his own guitar manufacturing business and makes all his guitars by hand locally. For more information on Tommy Taylor I would suggest his website Solidrockguitarsco.com. Since I just found out about him today I'm not going to stretch it that I know that much about him except for watching the videos that I am about to post. Damn he's been a wood worker for years however just started building guitars a few years back. Lenny wants to get a kit and give it a try, he's been building cigar box guitars for a few years now.

Since I'm starting to get bored, this week I may inquire about money available for the unemployed to take a class, as of this point I don't know about what yet. In the early 90's I was unemployed and got $1500 to take a course on comprehensive computers and that helped me a whole lot, as at that time everything was changing into the computer world, cash registers, just everything and the knowledge was quite useful at the time, not that many people were googling and things weren't as easy as they are now : )

So, in the near future I will be looking into a 6 week course, that's how long the computer class was, if it's a little longer it will still work for me, you can never get enough education, something I didn't take advantage of when I was younger. I graduated high school, however I really didn't work hard at it and now know that if I had I'd be a lot better off. What the heck I've paid my share of taxes in my 40 years of working, get some money back and learn something. But who knows, there are a lot of people coming out of Universities to a market of not many jobs in their field. Still, life is good!

Peace

Feed Me The Blues

2011-11-04T08:53:00.003-04:00

Man I've been lazy this week. I did go by the new brewery and things are starting to pick up, there are people there every day now. At opening the restaurant is going to be quite small. The huge building does need a face lift all over and money to do it all at once just isn't happening. To move the brewery itself from Delmar to Salisbury is going to be a huge expense.

The good thing is there will be plenty of room to expand once the money starts flowing. Right now the dining room and kitchen area have no floor drains. There is enough electric in the building to run a small city, however for the most part it goes nowhere. A lot of work to be done, but all in good time.

I did purchase the DVD of Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides. I liked the series of movies, however I think the first and the third were the best out of the four movies. I have watched the new one twice already and don't mind buying a DVD I know I'll watch even more if the mood strikes me. I bet I've watched the first one at least 10 times.

Johnny Depp is a good character actor. If you've never seen "What's eating Gilbert Grape," it's a really good movie, one of his first movies to really draw my attention. It's about the life of a young man living in a small town taking care of his severely obese mother and mentally handicapped little brother. Another cult movie by Depp is called "The Ninth Gate," Depp playing a rare book appraiser that gets caught up in a theme of Satanic book collectors trying to summon the devil.

I was all set to start paint scraping today, however right now it's raining. I'm at the point where just hanging out and watching the boob tube and music just isn't enough and I'm getting bored. It's supposed to be nice this weekend, I'd like to at least get the double windows in the living room done.

Hope everything in your world is going good. Peace!

Duane Allman

2011-11-01T06:39:00.004-04:00

Ugh, a rainy, cool ,damp morning. The last three days I think I must have watched almost every horror movie there is, well maybe not that many.

I'm so glad to be away from the hate at work. The lady they hired to replace me only lasted three days because she was white, she was treated like she didn't exist, that's the biggest problem there and the department head before me created those monsters and was supposed to take care of them them before he got promoted. I dealt with that shit for going on nine years, she had no idea what she was getting in to, I feel bad for her because she seemed like a real nice person.

He got awards and bonuses for doing absolutely nothing. Most weeks he didn't even work 30 hours a week. When he became regional director he started making everyone do all the things he didn't do when he was a department head. He got his job by bashing his regional director who battled twice against cancer. It's all gone to his head. I think he's well on his way to the road to hell. How can you live with yourself? Who cares right? I'm outta there AND doing better.

Last night was the Halloween party and closing night at the Red Roost Crab House. Now there should be a big push to get the new restaurant up and running. I know Tom said he wanted to be open first of the year, however I don't see that happening, maybe February or so, but you never know with this group if they want something done in a hurry they will hire a huge contractor to come in and knock a lot of it out in short order.

I already have an invitation for Thanksgiving at my favorite place to do family gatherings, my nieces whose hubby is the firearms instructor! There will be some shootin' goin' on that day! YeeHaw! Targets and skeet shooting. He breaks out all kinds of stuff for Thanksgiving : ) I better get some exercise to strengthen my wrist and trigger pull with those snap caps I bought. It's yucky out today, I can sit inside and pull that trigger as long as I can stand it.

I found some old Duane Allman tunes, some from the Anthology Album, some from his studio musician days. I have quite a few so I can't post them all today, I'll post more of them tomorrow. I hope everyone had a great Halloween and hope you stay warm and dry. Have a great day. Peace!

Are You Ready For Some Football?

2011-10-30T11:00:00.003-04:00

Man has the weather changed. We were lucky we didn't get snow, however the news reported this morning that some areas north got a much as two feet. Ouch!

My team, the Philadelphia Eagles are playing the Dallas Cowbells tonight ; ). So I'll watch the Baltimore Ravens as the early game and probably take a break from football between four and seven. I've spent the last two days watching horror flix, some on TV, some I have on DVD. Man the Exorcist 3 is almost as scary as the original, much better than the Exorcist 2, gives me the chills, good thing Woody is here to protect me LoL

It rained and was yucky outside all day yesterday so Woody wasn't very happy. It's cold today but the sun is shinning so we can play some fetch today. My boy loves me being home everyday : )

Most of what I'm posting today is some very old Grateful Dead, mainly show casing Ron (Pig Pen) Mckernan. Swamp Critter, I found that version of "Hard to Handle" I said was one of Jerry's best solo's, at least with that song, couldn't find the one with video but it's the version I was talking about, no mistaking. About 4:30 seconds into the song the solo begins. Pig Pen was a blues singer, used to hang around the Hell's Angels and looked like a rough and tumble guy. He played keyboards and harmonica and he died of long term alcohol abuse in 1972.

Bruce Hornsby must have a horseshoe up his rear end because the Dead have had six keyboard players with only one left alive. It was like a curse.

This week it's going to warm up a bit so it's time to get to work on those windows and start being productive. This year I will also be able to do family gatherings for all of the holidays! Yeah, I was supposed to work Thanksgiving and Christmas, LoL now the old boss can take my place ahhahahhaa!

Have a great weekend. Peace!

TGIF

2011-10-28T09:43:00.003-04:00

I'm not even working but I'm sooo glad it's Friday. I battled the unemployment website on Wednesday long enough to get my resume attached and fill out the 18 web pages of info they wanted, done deal!

Yesterday I finally got my unemployment debit card with three weeks, $1071.00 on it and that was with taxes taken out. I went to the bank and had it all transferred to my checking account. Went to Walmart and did some serious shopping. I usually just hit and run but since I no longer bring home food to eat from work I have to buy more. At least I get to eat what I want instead of something that was going to go in the trash.

OMG we may get snow tonight or tomorrow, the weather has taken an awful nose dive. I don't care for cold weather much. I made a promise to help one of my favorite local politicians Terry Cohen do some door to door stuff to make sure citizens understand a charter change so that city council members can have access to the city attorney without having to get the mayor's permission. He's a real weenie and now he's claiming that the city council is trying to over throw the government.

He just wants too much control, just like the mayor we couldn't wait to get out of office. He's a real drama queen. Our city council votes on matters that involve a whole lot of money and in my opinion I think they should be as informed as they need to be about legal matters before making a decision to vote on a project.

It's cold and I really don't feel like doing this but I voted for this lady to do the things she is doing so I will help out today anyway.

Peace and Happiness!

Anarchy In Our Streets

2011-10-27T12:05:00.004-04:00

It's a pirate's life for me. Some of the young people taking part in Occupy Wall Street may not have clearly defined objectives, however it's a wake up call to our government that what is happening around the world can very well happen here.

It's still over a year until the next election and things can get much worse if the citizens are going to treated like the blacks in the south during segregation. Citizens haven't raised this much stink since the Vietnam anti war protests (Four students dead in Ohio/CSN) and I feel this is just the beginning of a much more organized revolt and blood shed right here on our own soil.

Obama is clearly more involved with getting re-elected than he is at fixing anything that is broken. For Obama, pulling troops out of Iraq will just help fund his reign of terror for the domestic war machine he is waging against people that have the right to protest his foreign and domestic policies. I'm 54 years old and I can say that this is certainly the worst president we've had in our country's history.

At least Nixon finally resigned. LBJ could actually be the worst president ever, however the government thinks that the people can't handle the truth of the Kennedy assassination and the 50,000 pages of classified documents that are close to 50 years old are still too sensitive for the citizens to bare. So the jury will be out a long time on LBJ.

I can relate to these kids, both of my parents were screwed in their elder years by the greedy corporations they worked for and their unions. The greedy corporation that I was working for has been caught allegedly misappropriating funds and allegedly stealing from the very old folks we were supposed to be servicing and protecting from such actions. I would like to know why the State's Attorneys office isn't getting involved? I'm so glad I got terminated and collecting unemployment. I don't want my good name associated with the larceny of the elderly.

I guess I've always been a rebel and always will be, it's a pirate's life for me. Revolt if you want! This is America.....Damnit!

Life Begins.....Again

2011-10-25T09:50:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I began my mission to get some things done. I am now registered with the one stop job market, however now I have to figure out how to download my resume to my account. It started getting the best of me yesterday and I just had to put it down and walk away.

I may have to go personally and stand in line for some technical help to get that resume on there, it's required. Monday definitely isn't a good day, man that place was packed yesterday with people wanting to use the computers to file their unemployment claims. I got that done here at home on Sunday on my computer.

I did get the yard cleaned up (Dog doody and trash), took my paddle fans down in the living room and took them outside to clean, man they were dusty. Vacuumed up some Woody hair and did some cleaning then the grocery shopping. I made an awesome Andoullie sausage and shrimp Jambalaya, enough for two days of good eatin' : ) Black beans, rice, corn, tomatoes, onions, green and red pepper, garlic and cajun spices. Kicks Ass!

It's cold outside right now but later I will be outside working on these double living room windows that need a lot of paint scrapping. It's supposed to get cold the next couple of days then return to some warmer weather later in the week. It will be warm enough this afternoon to just get things started, getting started is the hardest part with a procrastinator! Once I get started half of the job is done. I'm even going to clean the windows while I'm out there, I hate cleaning windows!

All's well, wishing the same for you! Peace

I'm In The Money~!

2011-10-23T09:31:00.004-04:00

I received my letter of approval from the unemployment office yesterday and my debit card is on the way! My former employer can't even appeal the determination, I knew I was wrongfully terminated. Fuck them and the horse they rode in on the bastards.

Scamming the elderly, a job to be proud of huh? Some of the things I've seen go on should be reported on 20/20 or 60 Minutes. They fired another department head (marketing director) 2 days ago, sounds like they are dismantling the business preparing to fold it up and close the business. I know they now have a lot more problems than when I was there, even if they asked me to come back I don't have to do it and would still receive unemployment. I've been through that with another employer a while back, unemployment told me I did not have to except any job from them.

I told them where the problems were and they kept the problem people. C.C. gets just what he deserves. Hope he enjoys that $150 bottle of cognac I bought him last Christmas because he told me I owed him so much for what he did for me. I'll not bend over in front of that asshole again. Yeah, I still owe that prick. What comes round goes round, I'll let God sort him out.

It's party time people, have a great day! Peace

Vote For Real Change - Vote Ron Paul

2011-10-22T11:48:00.005-04:00

Why do people call Ron Paul a whack-job and a kook but can't debate him seriously over a single issue with him without backing down in the debate? Nancy Reagan had a psychic making decisions for good ole Ronnie. Now THAT is kooky!

People need to know that the only great change electable is Ron Paul. In order to get Ron Paul elected he must win in the primaries and except the nomination of the Republican party. I was a registered Democrat for 35 year until I recently changed to the republican party solely to be able to support Ron Paul in the primary elections. If he doesn't win the primaries, he's done.

You can always change back to your former party, and in the general election it doesn't matter because you can vote for either party. Some states are different but that's the way it is here in Maryland.

The main stream media fears Ron Paul and it shows from his straw poll votes versus the amount of media coverage he gets (None), what are they afraid of? Fair and balanced news? A man that the media fears is the man for the job. Good news doesn't sell! He's not interested in special interests.

For a long time I've heard the rhetoric "We need a revolution." Well this is the time to do away with an over burdened government hell bent on destruction with 700 military bases in 150 different countries. All paid for by the great American taxpayer that is having a hard time rubbing two nickles together. We need to shut down many of those bases and bring our troops home to serve OUR homeland!

At this point I am not afraid of Ron Paul's age, however it may be the last chance we have to vote for honest meaningful changes and bring back Liberty and Justice for all.

Even Obama is hearing Ron Paul's message with his all of a sudden decision to bring military troops home from Iraq. I would bet however that the DOD will continue to keep highly paid government contractors (Mercenaries) in place there in Iraq along with the CIA. Four thousand deaths after the fact.

Vote for Liberty. Vote Ron Paul

Peace!

The Evolution Has Begun

2011-10-21T09:49:00.004-04:00

I made my first visit to the old Ice Plant that will house the new home of Evolution Craft Brewery and met with the owner and an old friend. There is a lot of work to be done, right now it's a matter of tearing out unnecessary pipe, conduits and other junk from the building so the construction can start. They are still working on drawings and the layout of the infrastructure (plumbing and electrical). This place is huge, the offices upstairs I assume will be the new home of SouthernBoysConcepts.com corporate office and it is all finished and painted.

I also paid a visit to the Brewery where it is at this point, just about seven miles away. Everyone in there was very busy trying to keep up with the out of control demands for Evolution Craft Beer. I heard that at a local beer festival, with breweries from all over the country, Evolution won the blue ribbon for their limited edition Pumpkin Ale which is almost sold out already.

Of course I'm still waiting on the state for my determination of unemployment. Worse case scenario is I'll take a seasonal job somewhere for the Christmas holiday, then when the restaurant is almost ready to open I'll be meeting with all new staff for an initial meeting.

Tom and John Knoor had just got into providing health care for their employees when I worked at the Red Roost part time 10 years ago. Of course I didn't inquire because I had health insurance from my primary employer. He's come a long way since then. The location is right along a busy part of town, along RT.13 and Eastern Shore Drive, another busy area and right across the street from the hospital. You can't ask for much more traffic flow than where it is to be located.

The song "While my guitar gently weeps" really surprized me when Prince (not one of my favorite artists) rips a very nice guitar solo. I must give him credit I've heard him play guitar before and he can shred.

My course is set to sail on and do what I need to do to carry on. Hope you all have a great day.

Peace and Happiness!

Another Day

2011-10-17T10:19:00.007-04:00

I didn't get a call from unemployment today for a follow-up. So I called to ask why and they told me that it was because no more information on part was needed. This could be a good thing. I was never informed that what I was allegedly doing was grounds for discharge. The lady at the unemployment office asked me that question so that may be good for me. I should receive a determination by mail today or tomorrow, boy they sure use a lot of paper.

When I bought my computer Brainwaves suggested I used AVG, a free anti-virus and malware scanner and it's worked great. Now, mind you that you can purchase one that is much more expensive, but why? I've never gotten a virus since I went with them and I used to use Norton and McKafee and still got virus'.

I saw last night that for free I could try their (AVG) computer tune-up program. Man, it cleaned out a lot of junk files and things from places I would never had thought of, it also did a thorough analysis of my operating system and made many suggestions to delete some things I didn't need because I wasn't using it and programs I didn't need or some other changes, getting rid of a lot of that crap really did a number on this computers functions. Opened up another 10% free space in RAM.

After the inital scan it found 218 problems and with a click of the mouse this program fixed them all. I've seen some online companies that check your computer for free for you and tell you how many problems you have, however you have to buy it first before it will fix anything and that always turned me off. Well after this one worked so well and free for two days and was so easy I did purchase that program for two years at $44.99. It's well worth it when that computer starts slowing down, keeps the trash out.

It's time to move on~! Peace

Judgement Day

2011-10-16T10:19:00.004-04:00

I should get my determination for unemployment early tomorrow. My former employer is one of those greedy corporations that care more about corporate profits than what the actual customer pays for, being, good care in their elder years. They are just plain ripped off. If they knew how much corporate gave me to feed each person each day many would probably decide to move out just because they know they are no more than dollar signs in the eyes of many at corporate.

Promise them steak and fresh fish and they get hot dogs and some kind of Asian fish grown in a trash ditch. The way they treat their employees explains why the union is trying so hard to get into this greedy corporation, if I've been treated this way, I'm sure there are many sad stories out there and victims of the greed.

My story isn't that sad, there are jobs out there and even though I'm sure I have one I may go to work part time so I don't have to spend all my savings just waiting on the new restaurant to get opened up. If unemployment is approved I'll be seeking work, however not many will be willing to hire me when I tell them I have to quit when the brewery restaurant opens. So I can work on the house and just keep collecting unemployment until I start my new job.

I now feel a duty to friends, family and all people in general just how these operations work, their intent is to get all of their parents money even if it means selling their house to get it! God, I wouldn't want to be them on Judgement Day. I don't know how they sleep at night, count their money I guess.

Oh my today is the Philadelphia Eagles VS the Washington Redskins one of the biggest rivalries in the mid Atlantic. My good friend RG AKA afterthegoldrush is a Redskin fan so this could be interesting. I have the urge for corn beef and cabbage with potatoes, so I better shoot on up to Food Lion for a corn beef with the works and get cooking before the pre-game stuff starts.

Don't cry for me Argentina, I will survive. Peace

Songbird

2011-10-14T13:40:00.005-04:00

The waiting is the hardest part. I had my interview with an unemployment representative today and should get a determination on Monday. It sounds like they really have no grounds and I'll be eligible to collect, however they do have a chance to appeal it if the unemployment office approves it. Seventeen days to be exact. She did ask me some questions that may leave the person on the other end quite surprised. If I'm denied I know where to go to get low income or free legal services to escort me to my unemployment appeal.

I don't want to get into specifics about my rebuttal because someone might be looking for something here on my blog, so I must keep everything mum. Mark my words if I really wanted to talk about company business to a resident there are really some things that would upset most residents a whole bunch.

If I get screwed out of unemployment I will have to pull out all stops and I will let somebody know how much money I was getting to feed these people that were paying $5-$6000 a month to live there for a room smaller than a hotel room. Once one person there knows the rest of the residents will all know in short order and have every right to be very, very upset. If I really wanted to talk company business to a resident I know I can hurt them, however have made no attempt at doing so at this point.

So come Monday I will get a thumbs up or a thumbs down, if down it's no doubt I will obtain legal services and appeal. Plus have an axe to grind.

Well, the sun came out for a while, now it's raining again. Weather is calling for sun the next few days but a little cooler weather. Looks like this rain may be an on again off again type thang today.

Finally found some Fleetwood Mac with Peter Greene and Bob Welch. Enjoy some Fleetwood Mac~! Peace

Looks Like Rain

2011-10-12T10:54:00.004-04:00

Another ugly day here on Delmarva. Somebodies been hard at work posting a lot of Dead shows that I've never seen on UTube before.

I can't wait until this interview on Friday is all said and done, when I know I'm still going to have money coming in it's going to be Party Time! Since my unemployment benefits are in effect based on what I was making as the Department Head (45K)I am to receive the max $430 a week, but they will be taking taxes out so I don't get screwed later come tax time.

Having said that, what I will be eligible for is actually about $200 a month more after taxes than I was taking home after taxes when I stepped down to a servers position wages. This year I should get back most of what I put into taxes for a change. Life is good, ain't it? I'll try not to rub it in too much, working does suck!

I'll be eligible for 99 weeks I think, however as soon as I know I get this job I want I will need to cut it loose and get back to work, but that probably won't happen until after the New Year. Until then, Rock On! Peace

Electric KooL Aid?

2011-10-11T11:46:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I had to do a few upgrades to my computer. I got the parts from Brainwaves and was going to install them as usual and they said they would do it for no extra charge while I waited. I buy all my computers there, they are refurbished, however they suit my needs until they can no longer be upgraded and are fairly cheap.

Yesterday they installed a new processor fan (Real problems if that gets hot) and doubled my RAM (Random Access Memory) from two GB to four GB all for just $40. I'm trying to be very frugal right now but the fact is I will need a computer to file my unemployment claims and do job search as needed, so it was a much needed upgrade.

Ever since I upgraded this blog and Facebook made it's memory hogging changes I was getting a prompt saying I was using too much RAM, or a lot of RAM. That slows things down and can cause screen freeze which is a pisser.

Yesterday I also had to go to Walmart to pick up just a few things, now I'm set. If everything goes well Friday (phone interview with unemployment) and I am approved for unemployment which I should, I have plans to get the paint I need and get to work on these windows (Lots of scrapping and painting). I might as well, I need to stay productive and the work needs to be done. Also, I'll get what I need to make the new screens myself the frames are shot.

Here's some Dead that I've never posted before, the Dead keeps my blog alive! There is also a video about alchemist Owsley Stanley nicknamed "Bear" who played a huge role in the "Electric KooL-Aid Acid Tests" a book written by Tom Wolfe. This was all happening around 1964-65 and he made acid for Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Airplane and of course the Dead. Chances are if you took acid in the '60's it came from Owsley.

Peace!

Only The Best

2011-10-10T09:21:00.003-04:00

Ha! I bow to your superior guitar skills. I never really believe in the best at anything. My father always told me just when you think you are the best, someone will come along and knock that chip off of your shoulder. The ever loving truth.

All these guitarists are great in their own way, however, how can UTube claim to the "Best guitar solo" of all time. I know it's others that post that dumb shit and opinions are like assholes, everyone has one!

Each and every one of these guys are great, I'll let you decide who you really think is the best in the world of all time. Of course I pick Jorma. I'm just being a smart ass this morning due to the grits I ate yesterday watching the Eagles football game.

The suspense was great, with just minutes to go the Eagles were coming back from being down 14 points and with just minutes to go were on a serious drive to tie the score and "Choke," cough, cough another frickin' turnover! Even my dog Woody can hold on to the ball better than that and he can't shoot himself in the foot either!

Enjoy the greatest of the greats. Peace

Where Did The Party Go?

2011-10-09T15:27:00.003-04:00

Last night's 35th year class reunion was great. I guess I should have had a few drinks to loosen up but I never really did get into the get down and dirty party boy I used to be. I really did have a great time but it sure wasn't as much fun as it was when I was drinking. I did have some great conversations with some people I haven't seen in 5 years, some even a lot longer.

I need to get more into some more social situations in the sober mood to learn how to still loosen up and have some nutty fun again. I may have to check into a pool league or something to get me out of the house and more comfortable around a lot of people again. I just felt a bit stiff last night.

I have run across some great songs today and some Grateful Dead documentary type UTubes. I saw Stephen Stills with his own band and sometimes he doesn't sound like CSN at all, he can really shred that guitar like he does in this song "Go Back Home," with Eric Clapton.

If you have a real keen ear you can hear when Clapton cuts in on the lead part of the guitar. I saw Stills' with his band at the Tower Theater and he can rip it himself and it was one great show. Just later than his "Manassas" era. Also a very different version of Little Wing by Carlos Santana and Joe Cocker.

Hope you enjoy the jams. Peace

Reunion Night

2011-10-08T11:18:00.003-04:00

Now that is what I call "Punkin' Chunkin.'" Who got that under aged pumpkin drunk?

Tonight is our main event, the dinner/dance at the Elks club. I was supposed to attend a small meet and greet last night and see RG and another friend there. About 3:30PM I had a headache and laid down, when I woke up it was 6:14PM and the event was to start at 7PM. Feeling better but nice and comfy in my bed I decided to just call it a day and go tonight when there would be a majority of the people there.

I think, only fifteen people signed up for last night but I think what I missed the most was that by coincidence two brothers Stan & Bart were playing music there last night. They used to play the local clubs and cafe's when I was in high school. I'm not even sure if I can party two nights in a row now, even if I'm not drinking.

I'm also being very frugal with money until I make sure I start collecting unemployment. The companies suggestions for my termination are very unclear and I was never really told what it was I actually did that warranted a termination for unsatisfactory performance or formally written up for the three occurrences that allegedly happened 9/12, 9/24, 9/25 until my termination on 9/29. The 24th and 25th the supervisor wasn't even there and all that was written on my copy of the corrective action was that I discussed company business with a resident on all three occasions 9/12, 9/24 and 9/25.

If my performance was unsatisfactory why then did they employ me for almost 10 years and give me a $3500 bonus in March? Bogus BS is what it is, business is down and they are losing about $100,000 a month compared to about 2 years ago. Cutting staff is what they are doing.

If it was that sensitive I doubt that they even agree to divulge the nature of these unknown conversations with the unemployment office which should secure the approval of benefits. I don't lie as we are taught to do, so if I said it, it was a truthful statement. If we are out of something, (which we are all the time) we are supposed to make something up like, "it was out of date so we had to throw it out," or blame it on the company that delivers said products or in other words lie to the residents. It's never the companies fault LoL If we were out of something we were out, I couldn't go in the bathroom and shit one out!

I'll be glad to get past this point of economics and focus on my new endeavor at Evolution Brewery and Restaurant. Until then Woody and I must get much needed exercise and sun light to keep the mood mellow and trudge forward.

Peace and Happiness~!

Year of the Cock

2011-10-06T16:39:00.006-04:00

OMG Doria I wanted to post a comment on your blog today but I don't know why it won't let me, the same other blog that I had a problem with before is again the same way, I can't comment.

Welcome to the born in the Chinese year of the Cock club ROFLMFAO~! Most places you see it, that says year of the Rooster.

My father was in a Washington DC hospital in the early 1990's for roto blade heart artery surgery. My sister and I accompanied my mother up to stay in a hotel for the duration with her.

After we got my father settled in and felt comfortable we retreated to our hotel that had a Chinese restaurant in the hotel. While sitting there checking out the menu I couldn't help but start reading the place mat with the Chinese Zodiac on it. I noticed it said that I was born in "The year of the Cock!" I looked up over my glasses at my sister and she was about to bust out laughing but we managed to hold it down. Still wonder if my Mom ever noticed LoL : ) Hehehhee

Peace

Little Red Rooster

Ten Year Anniversary of Afghan War

2011-10-06T15:54:00.010-04:00

You will find very few reminders that today, is the ten year annivesary of the war in Afghanistan unless you happen to run into a legless veteran today. No reminders, no thank you's to the victims or their families that gave all they could give for a greedy nation. No music today, just the silence of a lost generation that goes thankless.

Peace

Positive Vibrations

2011-10-05T15:17:00.002-04:00

I think I've posted this picture of Jerry's guitar "Rosebud" before. I found a few studio tracks of the Dead doing some songs I've never posted, reason being many times the video or audio just wasn't very good.

Not much to add to my history today, except I did get my first round of paperwork from the unemployment office today and I'm ready to do whatever needs to be done to get this on line and money in the mail. No more waiting on the mail for checks, it's all done by debit card now and need to remember applying for an Independence card too just to help with food.

Enjoy a few tunes you may not have heard before. Peace and Happiness!

Play Safe - Snap Caps

2011-10-04T14:52:00.003-04:00

A big thanks to SwampCritter on the tip about the snap caps and invitation to his property. If things work out real good and I get the unemployment, I can take both the pistol and a guitar down to see him and make a day of it.

My nieces hubby did mention snap caps, however he was trying to give us a weeks worth of training in a couple hours. Snap caps are just imitation bullets and these are a maroon color to be no mistaking them for the real thing. They are made according to firearm specification, however instead of an ignition pin it has heavy duty rubber piece where the firing pin hits to prevent unnecessary wear and tear on the weapon, especially the firing pin.

They weren't cheap at Gander Mountain, $40 for just ten of them but that's all I need. Yup, ten fake bullets cost as much a hundred real ones! But if I really want to get good at hitting my targets and maybe enter competition I'm going to need to get that "feel" that he's talking about. Knowing how far I can pull that trigger back before it surprises me and fires, causing me to miss my mark. For a soldier or policeman it could mean a matter of life or death.

When he talks about hitting a target, he's talking about hitting the same hole you just put in the target with a previous bullet! That's how accurate you need to be to even think about competition.

If Maryland ever passes the concealed weapon law, I do want the very best in training and weapons handling. I am planning more trips to get full on military and police training, not just for accuracy but also for hands on safety and taking good care of my weapon.

Even though I have already inquired about a future position, this next week or two is going to be some down time to rid myself of the negative waves of my former job. Encouraged to lie and so forth. I don't know how some people can even sleep at night doing what they do for a living, putting lipstick on that fatty rancid bacon in hopes of making it a purdy pig. Perhaps part of the reason for a declining business at a time when more older people are getting older than at any other time in our nations history.

Even National Security can't keep some things secret forever. Reap what you sow and all that good stuff. That's why some families opt to pay private sitters extra to keep an eye on their family's gate keepers. Now, I understand why the use of cameras were forbidden there, surely something caught on camera would have more law suits than Carter had liver pills. Hiway robbery to say the least.

Well, that's all I got to say about that for today. By the time I see the two attorneys I am about to talk to on Friday, I may be able to go further into detail about a couple of things or I may have to keep it covered until the right time. I could literally write a book even though the title "One flew over the Cuckoo's nest" is taken.

Maybe I'll title mine, "You have the right to fall on your face." Legally it is true and does protect possible intentional neglect.

Dry Firing

2011-10-02T14:21:00.003-04:00

Myself and another young man got a good formal firearms training lesson yesterday. I think I will be going up periodically to receive more training to improve my mechanics, strengthen my muscles and mental memory.

The most important part of accurate shooting is from muscle memory and pulling a smooth trigger. No jerking or snatching the trigger causing barrel alignment to move. My nieces hubby told us he shoots 8 inch steel plates from 100 yards in competition and can hit his target every time! With a pistol~! Shooting with two hands that are held a special way and arms straight out and set right turns your pistol into a rifle in theory for more accuracy. We got a real firearms training lesson with the full on emphasis on safety and hearing protection. No hearing protection, will cause certain deafness. I've always believed in that part.

He had us rookies shooting from about 25 feet which he said is how his new recruits are trained because that is about the distance across a large room. The younger kid Matt was a natural, I didn't do bad for not having shot a gun in two years until last week. My trigger hand is arthritic so I need to do some exercising to get some more strength in my right wrist and my trigger finger. But young Matt was dead on and his Dad was proud of him LoL

He told us both the best practice is dry firing, which I had never heard that term. He said, "when you're sitting at home watching the football game or TV, make sure the gun is not loaded, and sit and practice pulling the trigger to get the feel of the pound pressure it takes to fire your weapon, smoothly pulling that trigger." It's the most important part of being consistent and it doesn't cost a thing. I was shocked to even hear him say that, "practice in the house!" : )

What can I say about a firearms instructor? He's a gun nut and has all kinds, a literal arsenal of weapons. He showed us a few military war games practice weapons that he has. During actual war games for National Guard he's got several mock M-4's (Assault rifles) that use gas to fire plastic biodegradable BB's and they use those to actually shoot at each other when practicing war games or hostage situations for the police. They are small like a BB but leave a red stain if you get hit like a paintball. Good for real time real reaction situations. I want to play LoL : )

Enough talk about guns but I do want to get into this more, he likes doing it so why not? So after gun play was over I scooted a couple miles down the road to my sisters house and paid her a visit for some conversation then we went out to dinner at the China Buffet up in Georgetown. It's owned by the same people that have one here in Salisbury, man, they had steamed clams plus everything else on that buffet. I ate pretty much 100% clams and shrimp, a few vegetables, no rice, their coconut shrimp were awesome and the bill was just over $25 for both of us!

I had a great time yesterday and came home bloated and ready to kick back and watch TV with Woody : ) OK time to kick back, watch some football and play "aim at football player and pull trigger!" Do myself some dry firing, watch some football and decide what to cook for dinner.

Peace Out Good Peoples!

Busy Day

2011-10-01T09:08:00.004-04:00

Got to keep it short today. I'm heading up to Georgetown to do some target practice with my nieces hubby the firearms instructor for the Delaware State police. The reason I never use their name is the fact that he is also still on the SORTI squad, also known as SWAT team.

I had a great interview yesterday for the job at the new restaurant on Eastern Shore drive that will be a part of the new micro-brewery two blocks from my house. Being short on time this morning, check out yesterday's comments for details of my interview. What a load off I tell ya!

I wanted to post a version of the Stones doing Satisfaction with Kieth playing the guitar left handed but the embed was removed.

Stay tuned, same Bat time, same Bat channel. Peace

Stress Separation

2011-09-30T09:17:00.003-04:00

I am now officially unemployed. On Sunday I will be putting in my first claim for unemployment. Terms of my separation will be subject to the determination of the unemployment office, however claims made against me were weak, much hear say and there are two sides to every story. If I was such a bad person why did they keep me there for almost nine years and give me a $3500 bonus in March?

For me, it's a great weight lifted from my shoulders. For a long time I've been talking about wanting to go back to an employer that I used to work for part time, Southernboysconcepts.com Since that time, even in this economy he has opened three more restaurants and his own microbrewery that has been very successful.

I can look out my front door and see a now vacant Ice Plant that is in the stage of being the new home for Tom and his brother John's growing beer business, the brewery. Along with that plan is to be a brew pub and a full scale restaurant. My intentions are to get in there, and much to my surprise the grand opening may be as soon as February.

Yesterday I talked to one of his restaurant managers here in Salisbury and learned that one of his restaurants just lost three people. So today my intentions are to strike while the iron is hot. Get my foot in the door in any one or several of his restaurants until the new place two blocks from my house opens. I can walk to work! I may even be working before I want to LoL I still have a nice nest egg and I will receive my last paycheck that will include forty hours of paid time off that I still had accumulated.

Even though I'm prepared for the long haul financially, if this opportunity arises tomorrow I'd rather get my foot in the door of the new restaurant and will jump in to help out until that time rather than sit on my ass and collect unemployment.

The chef at one restaurant (Boonie's) was off yesterday, but today he has to work at one of the other restaurants (Red Roost), so that does suggest they need some help, his wife is very soon to deliver his second daughter also, so I know he'll want some time off. I've been wanting to disengage myself from my former employer for some time due to stress related issues and this just makes it easier to focus on moving forward and get back to doing what I do best and that is cooking and presentation.

It's much easier to find a job when you aren't working because that is focus priority. Much like the executive director that was terminated, she found a job working for a competitor in less than two weeks. There are jobs out there if you really want one.

I do really want out of working with the elderly. It was very rewarding for a while, however the degeneration of many of the elders you work with can be depressing after years of serving them with all your heart and now is the time for me to move on. Along with the hate that exists within the staff I was working with, this is the best thing for me personally. I have no regrets.

I have all my ducks in a row, resume, copies of documentations, letters of recommendations and certificates needed to turn in for my job search. I should have done this long ago but it only took me about a half an hour yesterday and I'm ready. I'll be doing my first interview today and see what's cooking at SoBro's concepts.

In summary, I am doing fine and I always land on my feet. When I bought my house I made sure not to listen to the bank and Realtor and take a loan out for a bigger house for a much bigger house payment. My mortgage is half of what it would cost to rent a place and that includes my homeowners insurance and city and county taxes all in one payment. I can survive even if I had to wash dishes somewhere. I'm here to stay!

Peace & Happiness!

I Was There - It's A Space Case

2011-09-27T08:23:00.002-04:00

With a ten minute (Supposed) time limit on UTube I'm surprised that this tube is still up. I saved it over a week ago but thought for sure it would get yanked so I didn't post it. It's still there so I'm going to post this 3 hour and 43 minute show. It was with Bruce Hornsby on keyboards along with Vince Welnick.

It's was nice to view this show again, it's even better than I remember. I have well over 100 hours of GD concerts on DVD and enjoy them all, they never do a song the same way twice. My last show was 7/16/1994 again at RFK Stadium just over a year before Jerry died. Thirty-three Dead shows in total.

I saw "Yes" twice, the Washington Capitol Center 7/24/1975 and the Philly Spectrum 8/2/1977, one day after my birthday. Yes was one of the British versions of Acid rock. Great space music and solid jams.

When I changed from sitemeter to the blogger counter I lost over 3000 hits. I can't remember if there was an option to exclude my hits to sitemeter to my own blog or not, however blogger automatically sorted them out and tossed them.

The vacation went well considering it rained almost every day. I spent a whole day at my niece and her hubby's place in lower Virgina and another whole day at another nieces house to do some target shootin'. In between raindrops Woody and I had plenty of time to play fetch and do some walking. Of course Woody dropped a couple of nuggets on the Salvation Army football field, a grounds keeper saw us and I pulled out a plastic shopping bag from my back pocket and picked up the steaming pile and all was well : )

Enough Hub/Bub for now, hope everyone is doing well. Peace and Happiness!

Another Government Shutdown?

2011-09-23T12:04:00.004-04:00

Another dispute between Harry Reid and John Boehner, two civil Primates?

Sorry Bill couldn't help but steal some thunder! LoL I thought after the last threat to shut down government, a bill was to be agreed on that would extend the budget through the 2012 elections to avoid this gridlock once again?

Guess I was wrong, I could just spit nails. I feel the need to grab Harry Reid by the tail and throw his ass up side a brick wall. There will be a plea by democrats that any stalling is only going to affect people affected by the recent hurricane and floods from getting their payouts. Shit, people still living in trailers after Katrina. Our U.S. Treasury has been robbed and they want to play "Shock the Monkey?"

Maybe we can get Harry Reid a road trip to China where someone may mistake him for dinner, crack his skull and eat his brains, hope they aren't hungry, doubt they will make a meal.

Financial Collapse

2011-09-23T08:24:00.003-04:00

I called Comcast on Wednesday and declared, "I'm not paying this much for this Muffler!" It's just me at home, I watch shows I've watched 100 times before. After some minor haggling I just claimed that times were tough, everything goes up except my pay (Which she agreed) and I just needed to trim some fat from my budget.

She was very understanding, it's just me here and I didn't feel like I was getting my monies worth. I ended up with the same services for $25 less and free Starz network on Demand for one year.

Yesterday I watched a documentary on the financial collapse of 2008. Seems this huge mess started during the Reagan administration when banking deregulation started. Slowly more deregulation came, however Greenspan and Bernenke the last two Fed chairman's weren't for more bank regulations.

The most damage to our financial institutions happened during the Bush administration when bank regulations were practically stripped allowing banks to do what they wanted and our bank rating systems (Moody's, Fitch, Standards & Poors) hopped the wagon for the free ride and gave banks and lending institutions that were giving out very high risk loans and kept the triple "A" ratings. Fraud in my book and many people should be held on criminal charges.

It was such a twisted web of deception only few in congress insisted on investigations. The global economic system was turned into a giant Ponzi scheme.

While most of the damage was done during the Bush administration from 2003 to 2008, along with two costly wars the first nails were hammered into our coffin. The stupid thing that Obama did was to make the very people that were running these financial into ruins and killing the economy were hired by the U.S. Treasury to oversee the mess.

The foxes watching the hen house. That's like asking a crackhead to watch your valuables while you're on vacation. The Fed are the crackheads, the enemy and need to be dissolved. We can keep printing dollars until they are only worth .05 cents, it's happened to other countries, it can happen here. In my opinion the reason jobs are so are hard to find is the fact that now days so many people need to work two or three jobs to make ends meet, all because the dollar isn't worth a shit.

These very people that Obama appointed left the financial market after taking $1 Trillion from 2003 to 2008 in salaries, bonuses and other perks. I will agree that Obama inherited an impossible task, however, I think he's proved he's not the man or woman to get us back on track.

I'm all for letting the Bush tax breaks on corporations expire, however I just don't think that's going to be enough to get enough jobs created in time to get the country back on track without things getting much worse. I hate to say it because I hate taxes like everyone else, but it seems to me we need to go back to the tax rates of the Clinton Administration while at the same time making drastic cuts to our bloated Federal government. A modest tax increase for me wouldn't be much and I would just need to tighten the belt a bit more.

The answer is NOT another stimulus and send out more $600 checks to everyone to just go out and buy something pretty! I paid bills with my stimulus, frivolous spending is not the answer.

Many republicans argue that raising corporate taxes is raising burden on people that create jobs, they have had these tax breaks for 10 years and we've been losing jobs ever since. The tax code needs to be simplified, people that have kids shouldn't be allowed an exemption when their families require more tax funded programs than a single person, that's not a fair tax.

Anyway, that is what I got out of the documentary narrated by Matt Damon and the above is my opinion of what needs to be done to improve our economy.

By BRUCE BARTLETT, The Fiscal Times
September 23, 2011On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve announced new measures to stimulate the economy. The stock market was not impressed and has fallen subsequently. Analysts point mainly to continuing debt problems in Europe and a growing belief that the U.S. economy may weaken further. I believe that another factor is concern that improving prospects for a Republican victory next year is strengthening the hand of so-called inflation hawks at the Fed, meaning that there will be less monetary stimulus than markets had anticipated.

The leading candidate for the GOP nomination is Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has repeatedly accused Fed chairman Ben Bernanke of “treasonous” actions for trying to stimulate the economy by increasing the money supply – “printing money” as Perry calls it. Perry even threatened Bernanke personally, saying, “We would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas.”

I don't particularly care for Perry. It's your choice!

U.S. Mail

2011-09-21T13:11:00.000-04:00

It's no wonder the U.S. Postal system is going broke, they pay top dollar with the best benefits and hire from the same stupid and lazy work pool as everyone else.

Today I noticed the mailman pull up in front of my house and deliver my mail. walking my whole 25 feet of sidewalk. Then the jackass got back in the vehicle, started it up again and drove 30 feet to my neighbors house? How freakin' lazy can you get? They must go through vehicle starters like a crackhead goes through a $25 rock of crack! My whole street only has about 20 houses.

The post office should go to a 4 day week, deliveries on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. That's what happens when the government takes control of something, profits go out the window and let the taxpayers subsidize their ineptness.

Vote for Ron Paul! Peace

Shootin' Tomorrow

2011-09-19T12:55:00.000-04:00

The rain ruined my plans to go out to Watts Island, just a stones throw from Tangier island in search of native American artifacts. I really did just need a few days to unwind and that I did even though the Eagles lost their football game to the Atlanta Falcons, Goooo Doria.

Good day for RG I suspect, his Washington Redskins won, a bad day for Miss Ronnie too as her Baltimore Ravens bit the dust also. Agh, a couple of rainy days to recharge the batteries I needed anyway.

Tomorrow I am going down to the lower Virgina coastal area but really don't want to get out over the water and try to get to Watts island, it's a rough ride across the sound to get there. The bouncing is hard on the back. I am taking the pistol and plenty of ammo to do some target shooting that I have really been wanting to do. I need to stop by Walmart and buy some targets.

I finally managed to post a UTube on FB in an unconventional way, but it worked. FB like sitemeter is really hard to get any tech support from a free Internet application. My link button is gone but oh well I'm not going to post much on FB anyway.

I have managed to get the clothes washed, dishes done and shortly after this post I will be buzzing my hair off. I need to do my favorite thing that I hate to do and that's some dusting and vacuum up Woody woodchuck hair. He's loving me being home and getting a lot of attention and fetch time.

There are two things I need to do the rest of the week before I go back to work on Sunday. I need to start getting some exercise and get my resume updated. I'm not looking for a job at this time but I do want to get up to date and apply at the Microbrewery Pub and Restaurant that I will be able to see looking out my front door. It may be a year before all is completed and ready to start serving up home brew and good food. The way the economy is it won't hurt to get my foot in that door early.

I hope everyone is fine and dandy! Peace

Live and Let Live

2011-09-17T09:02:00.001-04:00

I like the new format from Blogger with just one problem, the Blogger site counter and sitemeter conflict and has caused sitemeter to stop logging visits. Oh well, so long to sitemeter. Trying to get tech support for a free computer widget is like pulling teeth from an alligator with just two hands and pliers. Just not worth the time or fingers.

My first day of vacation and I slept in until 7AM GRRRR. I guess that is sleeping in compared to getting up at 5AM as usual. Besides trying to stay off of the Internet I've been trying to stay away from the news too that also adds to anxiety. So I don't know about the weather around the country but the temperatures here took a steep plummet. Eighty degrees one day with the A/C on and fifty degrees the next day and the heat on, Damnit! I hate when that happens, can't we just get a short break from utilities?

I usually have the news on while I'm sitting but don't at this point. As I look to the west it looks dark and my fingers are all achy and crippled up which suggests a possibility of some rain on the way. I should have some x-rays done on my hands soon, lately when my fingers and knuckles crack it sounds like bones breaking and causes minor pain. What a drag it is getting Old'er!

So everything here in grumpy old man land seems to be back to normal. I was really hanging by my last thread last week and yesterday waiting to get off work. I felt like the nuts at work were extracting my pubic hairs one by one. Cheers to a nut free diet of eight days. Sometimes it's like having sixty mothers, nobody deserves those demands and that madness! Peace : )

Re: Depression

2011-09-15T16:48:00.003-04:00

I did get pretty much the response I expected from one person in my post of depression. A denial. In their own words, the person was so depressed at one time, he knows he's not depressed now. The part I didn't expect was the remark where the said person admitted to be so depressed, and how well it was handled that only a "Lesser man would put a gun to his head." Touche' however I don't feel like the lesser man here, that is for sure and he had no apples to compare to my oranges. Most people feel their problems are bigger than those of others, it's human nature.

You can get depressed because your dog dies, Dad dies, anyone dies, yes you can get depressed because it's raining. However depression is whole different animal that doesn't really have anything to do with death, or being that social animal you want to be or things you can't achieve. Depression is a chemical imbalance in your brain. You can have all the money in the world, in a room full of people and feel like the only person in there. A lot is said about depression, much is misunderstood. There are stages. Don't believe me just Google it!

I took a couple years of psychology just to give me some insight to myself and what makes our brains tick. I'm very comfortable of the way I've lived my life, it's not me that's trying to make changes in behavior, religions to try and find that guiding light, in the darkness. If that "lesser man" crack means one less friend, so be it!

When you read a friend posting on FB about being depressed, sounding lost, whatever, if it's a joke you'll never get sympathey. My intentions were those of concern, a cheap shot sucker punch is, what it is calling me a "lesser man."

Vacation starts tomorrow at 1:30PM and 8 days (Wahoo) to take my break from being indentured servant, indentured LoL no pun intended ; ) I hear that a lot at work, "Has anyone seen my teeth?"

Love, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Depression.

2011-09-13T10:45:00.000-04:00

I have been for sometime wondering about how to approach the subject without upsetting anyone, or going over the edge of what is and is not my business. However, I have have several friends that seem to be on the edge of serious illness. People I care very much about and have been there for me when my time came to separate fantasy from reality.

I will add that even though I've known these people a good long time I still don't "Really" know them inside out. We'll call the first subject Alan. Alan over the last few years has had many tough loses family wise. He worries me the most because he keeps a lot of things locked up inside. The one thing left he has to cling to has moved out of area, and for what he's been through I can only assume there is some deep separation anxiety added to the depression.

I have been down that road of illegal and legal drug abuse, add alcohol to that and it can be an awful mixture. It makes you feel a little better at the time and forget the troubles, however problems that deep will still fester. Medications are there to help, but some refuse to admit that just a few beers won't hurt. Alcohol is a depressant! Like I said I'm not one to scold, I've been through it all, everything but a needle in my arm. Loaded pistol to my temple with a finger on the trigger. Thirty years ago or so.

That's a long story about me that we don't need to get into, this post isn't about me, however as I looked down on my lovely Irish Setter and wondered what would become of him I quickly put the gun down, thoughts of what it would do to family and the carnage the police and EMT's would have to deal with, and I never thought of doing that again.

Alcohol is the demon, I'm afraid is bringing my first buddy Allan down. Nobody will ever admit it. Right now he is in a very fragile state of mind and I'm not here to feed him any BS, but the combination of meds and alcohol are not good for the depression he suffers. Just because you aren't driving doesn't mean that the alcohol is OK, even fake beer (Or just one real one) isn't good because it too still contains a small amount of alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant. It may help you forget the problems for a time, but when you wake up you are right back to square one if not going backwards.

My friend, if it's just a mid life crisis, do what I did and get a couple tatoos. Take one day at at time, don't make any rash decisions. Save that invitation to move with the family until you need more support like finding your teeth and getting a diaper change LoL Don't wear out your welcome yet ; )

You still have me to help you find your teeth and whatever, but when it comes to diapers you're on your own buddy~!! : )

Another friend, 62 years old, we'll call Bobo and former co-worker is also now having some deep depression and or drug abuse. He does legitimately have some issues, however many are brought on the the evening barrage of drug advertisements. He mixes meds that aren't made to combine and also drinks on top of it. He craves a women, however when we talk it seems that women seem to cause a lot of his anxiety and depression. He's an easy going guy and I can see him getting used a lot and the let down just makes it harder. Basically he expects the drugs to work with no expectations from himself.

Many people just don't realize that it takes weeks for some drugs to work properly and alcohol continuously flushes the drug from the system, thus it does no good what so ever, can make the symptoms worse and is just plum a waste of money if you're just pissing it right out.

One problem we all share is that the Internet, websurf, blogs, Internet chat groups to find the "Soul Mate" LoL Ten years ago I spent almost 3 years online talking to a couple ladies I thought had good intentions. The Internet does dominate a lot of our free time. There is life beyond the web. After a certain amount of time talking hours on the phone and online chatting if I couldn't get them to meet for a coffee under their own conditions, I usually found out that they were just lonely housewives that were attention starved from not getting any attention at home or in their own twisted mind thought they had some kind of control over me.

Myself, I think I best fit the no spouse category. I was pretty much an only child, a half sister and brother that were married and out of the house when I was a toddler, so I'm used to solitude, revel in it, gives me a lot of thinking time. I'm not a very talkative person most of the time. I don't like to be grilled about, "How was your day?" "My day was fine, how was your day?" Bla, bla, bla.

As far as women, I have been lucky, working in Ocean City and just plain luck I've probably slept with around forty different women. 98% of those women were before AIDS was accepted as more than just a gay person disease. There were times when I was sad the summer had come to an end and I was once again losing a lovely gurlfriend. Than there was the devil in me that couldn't wait for the girl friend to go back to college so I could do her room mate~!! :O What a pig/dog, pig/dog.

These words today didn't just come from my fingertips this morning, I've been thinking about this post for several days, things I wanted to say with out hurting anyone's feelings and hope I did as much. These are people I care about as much as family, probably converse more than some family.

Myself, I've come to the conclusion that I must distance myself from Facebook and the web, not scrap it completely, however stop letting it lead me around like a hog with a ring in it's nose. There is very little "Social" in social networking, cool word though. Actually sounds like a verb, but I says NOT~!

Join me, crawling out from under my rock and getting back to the real world. Peace and Happiness!

Too Much Of Everything Is Just Enough

2011-09-09T18:45:00.003-04:00

I'm just getting broke in here with the new blog format. I still have sitemeter, it's just hidden. I worked tonight and have to get up at five AM so I won't be trying to figure out much, not tonight anyway. It's still got all the old bells and whistles, just located in a different spot and a lot of stuff I haven't even had time to check out yet.

Soooo, on with the tunes I go and exit stage left! Peace

Thirteen Inches of Rain in Two Weeks

2011-09-08T10:31:00.003-04:00

I was thinking about hunting for some arrowheads today, even had a friend lined up to go along but with the rain like it is the tide will be much like it's not low tide at all and there won't be much beach and sand to look over.

So today I will watch part deux of Stephen King's four hour movie, "The Storm of the Century." Looks like a break in the rain so I'll take some time to play ball with Woody before it starts to come down in buckets.

Enjoy the rain, read a book, watch a movie or just take a nap. Peace

Trying to Stick to my Word

2011-09-07T08:41:00.004-04:00

Freedom Fighters

I had said in a earlier post that I was going to try and just post vid's or UTubes that I have yet to post in the last 4 1/2 years. Some songs are timeless, what can I say and I need my John Lennon fix today.

It looks right nice outside today, however the weather is calling for heavy showers later, the last of hurricane Lee's heavy rain then off the coast it goes! I'm on vacation next week, that's when I'll put new spark plugs in the car, along with an air filter and PCV valve. Get travel ready, I'm excited about traveling to another corporate property and see how they do things. I learn a few new tricks at each place.

The business manager Debbie re-submitted my expense account from back in May so maybe I'll see that money soon. I need to check the low tides today to see if I want to make a trip down to the island and look for Indian Artifacts. All the storms and rain should have stirred some things up, I need some good luck!

Have a great day and may the great bird of Karma sit on your shoulder today and every day. Peace Good Peoples!

Hardy Har Har

2011-09-06T19:09:00.002-04:00

Work is really starting to move in the right direction. It all started with the "Big Cheese" getting the axe and a few worthless minions following her. Boss man doesn't sound like he's done yet : ) It had gotten so bad that I just hated to walk through that front door. Gettin' much betta~!

Hope you get a chuckle here. Peace and Happiness!

Talking Heads

2011-09-06T07:35:00.004-04:00

After a long summer drought and a very hot May, June and July, August went out like a lamb and September is looking like a wet one. I'm so sick of hearing people say "It's hot." Oh bullshit! I don't think we had one 100 degree day in August. Today it's not supposed to peak just over the mid seventy's. It is too hot, it is too cold, well good people, it's fuckin' JUST RIGHT! No heat on and no A/C on is a good thing, saves money.

We got eight inches of rain from Irene and it looks like Hurricane Lee is just going to dump a lot of rain on us with no damaging winds. I'm having fun cooking again and can't wait to get back at it full time with that 35% bump in pay. TGIF, for me anyway, I have Wednesday and Thursday off. It's supposed to rain the whole time but I don't care, Woody and I will hunker down, watch some Tube and just mess around.

After all this rain it might be a good time to look for Indian arrowheads that may have washed up. Let it rain, I have a poncho and big rubber chicken house boots! At least I most likely won't see anyone else out looking for them.

Have a great week, Hump Day is Mine! Peace

Chef'ing This Week

2011-09-04T08:42:00.003-04:00

I'm doing what I do best this week, cooking dinner up while another employee is on vacation. Fixed my bathroom floor yesterday, along with getting groceries and some time spent with Woody. Also washed some clothes and cleaned the house.

I've been getting some stuff done around the house limiting my online time. While looking for tools to fix the floor, my shed is full of tools I forgot that I have. My tools, Dad's tools, Brother's tools. That's my next project, getting the shed cleaned up and all the tools in one place. I must get some junk out of the shed so that I can get some junk out of the house.

I know someone that will come pick up all my junk I don't want, no matter what it is, he'll haul it away and do something with it. Old lawn mower etc., anything I want gone.

Tomorrow is our Labor Day cookout, with hurricane Lee heading north from the gulf rain is predicted for tomorrow. We'll still have a party regardless if it's inside or out.

Hope everyone enjoys the holiday! Peace

More Okie

2011-09-03T09:05:00.005-04:00

A few more tunes from my favorite Okie (From Oklahoma) J. J. Cale and a few funnies today. I can't figure out why the latest Pirates of the Caribbean is taking so long to be released except they are holding it for a big Christmas marketing drive. It's not on Pay Per View and the DVD doesn't come out until October. But I want to see it now!

Today is grocery day along with fixing a hole in the bathroom floor, vacuum up some Woody hair and relax, relax, deep breaths. Things are getting better at work, actually the dismissal of one or two more people should about wrap it up and the biggest problems will be gone. It's coming!

The business director re-submitted my expense report from back in May for just under $200 and I will recoup my money and be ready for another road trip sometime now that I have new tires. On my next days off I'm going to get a new air filter, spark plugs and a PCV valve and replace that stuff myself.

After 16,169 hits and 22,693 page views I will be checking out Blogger's new options in the next few days. I doubt I change my format much, just see what the new options are anyway.

I'm hoping my buddy at work Andy gets the Executive directors position, not that he will treat me any differently, I just think he's the best person for the job. He's been there long enough to feel our pain in many areas and he actually knows what he's doing. He was robbed of that job due to cronyism when he applied the last time and he was the one with a degree in business.

A change in Executive directors still wouldn't entice me to ever pursue the Culinary Department head job again. The demands are still there and a high stress level, I like Vince and think he's a good fit for that job. He's having the same problems I was having, limited budget to try and keep 64 individual residents happy and a challenging staff that is now being addressed. He just had to see some things for himself, he couldn't take action on something just because another employee said it was so, I know that all too well and you just can't let everyone go at one time and put added stress on the good employees.

The only thing for sure is change, it's constant. Have a great weekend! Peace

Monkey Butts

2011-09-02T16:41:00.003-04:00

This one is for you Doria. There is a local blog called "Alive in the Chesapeake," I used to work with this guy a long time ago and sometimes he's just a genius at some off the wall humor. I posted the picture from his blog so you can use it on yours sometime. I know you aren't into politics but his caption for that photo was about The Speaker of the House of Representatives and Obama going at it and he called it "Obama, Boehner solve most recent dispute like civilized primates." ROFLMFAO~!!

Don't forget to vote for Ron Paul!

Heheheee LoL Peace

Willie Nelson

2011-09-02T15:52:00.004-04:00

Ahhh to be off until 10:30 Sunday feels good. We have one cook on vacation next week so I'll be in the kitchen chef'in up dinner Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday and have Wednesday and Thursday off.

Still trying to get used to these new hours and next week I'll be working nights again LoL Taking my vacation Sept. 18, 19, 20, 21,22,23,24 : ) I do need this break from work after the last couple months of too much damn drama. Four people have been fired this month of August and a few more to go! Finally glad upper management sees a semi house cleaning is necessary. ^5's to the Bosses at corporate.

Enjoy some Willie, I did! Peace

New Blogger Interface

2011-09-01T16:22:00.003-04:00

I see that blogger has some new updates that I will have to check out when I get the time. Just getting adjusted to thie new 6AM to 1:30PM shift. I like it though, even in the winter I'll be off with some daylight to spare.

I had a little release of tension this week when two little young POS's at work got fired! Yay! All mouth and bullshit. A couple left to go and it might actually be a fun place to work again. Get those haters out of there!

Other than that just been cleaning up a few small limbs from the storm, took the plywood off of my living room windows, laundry and what nots. At least that plywood is now already cut to fit that window if we get another hurricane.

Time for a few tunes and kick back, Dark Side of The Moon is great. Peace

Facebook Blows

2011-08-30T08:38:00.004-04:00

You can put lipstick on a pig, however it is still what it is, a pig. Seems that facebook has removed my option to link my videos. The whole link option is gone. Some get annoyed because there are so many UTube links, what eva! That's why I still like my blog because it's mine! I went into facebook help and many are having the same problem. One guy commented his link option was gone but his wife still had hers.

Really, it's OK with me because I'm trying to limit my online time so I can get more productive here on the homestead, like work, there's always something that needs to be done. Right now my car is about three blocks away getting four new tires, oil change and new filters for the tune of just over $500! OUCH! I had a flat this week that was just the first of my four dry rotted tires to blow and I don't want to change them one at a time, get a better deal on all four anyway and I won't have to worry if I'm asked to travel to another property to work and help out.

I haven't bought new tires in about 10 years so the sticker shock was a bite, however it had to be done. Just my luck they are odd sized tires. Later today I have to take down that plywood from my living room double windows. I put that up because it's an old, old window with the small panes and dry cracked and falling out window putty. All of my electronics, wide screen TV, stereo and computer with all those wires were right behind them. It's already cut to size if I need it again!

Anyway, here's some more J.J. Cale. Have a great day. Peace!

J. J. Cale

2011-08-29T17:16:00.003-04:00

Wow what a week at work. A few people living in some low lying areas had to evacuate their homes and we've been just a little short handed at work but things went real well.

Almost last minute the company I work for had some contractors come and board up all the 1st level windows to prevent anything that might have been blowing around from coming through any window. The awning was completely removed and everything around the building was tied down! I thought that was very proactive on their part, I too thought it might be a direct hit but we got real lucky and we are due in this area for that 100 year hurricane! Even though we had everything tied down that didn't mean surrounding neighbors did the same thing.

On another note, I'm always talking about how mouthy and lazy some of the people I work with are, one just bit the dust today! She just got fired from her other job at KFC just over a week ago. I hope this is the first of several and the rest will either fall in line or suffer the same fate I hope! We have a few that just spend too much time sitting down on the clock doing nothing, there is always something to do or clean damnit : ) Break up their little clique boss, put them to work and they won't have time to run their mouths and talk about everyone else all the freakin' time!

OK Tim, take a deep breath LoL Whewwwwwwwww

I posted some J.J. Cale a long while back, he's kinda country. On the way home from Food Lion today I heard a Bob Dylan version of one of his songs on the radio and decided to look for some different tunes by J.J. I found some. I have saved quite few, most are just audio no video but again, it's all free and I like his music and would love to see him live. So I hope you like what I've picked and tomorrow I will be off work and my car will be getting new tires so I'll probably be spending some time song surfing.

Hope your week got off to a good start too! Peace

Safe and Sound

2011-08-28T07:57:00.003-04:00

All is well here at my house. My power flickered a couple times yesterday afternoon that caused the TV cable to go out and I had to wait for it to reboot each time. My digital clock never skipped a beat so still having power is a miracle. Actually the wind is still strong this morning but the deluge of rain we got overnight has slowed down. One report is we got eight to ten inches of rain and maybe more in some areas!

Due to a cook who had to evacuate his double wide in a trailer park, I am going in at 10:30AM to help with lunch and do dinner. I wasn't really excited about having to work at six AM this morning anyway after yesterday. I did board up my living room window Friday evening because that's where my wide screen TV, stereo and computer with all the wires sits.

We have had one known death here in Maryland and a reported tornado in Ocean View Delaware. To tell you the truth I was so tired I slept through most of it. There is some flooding in low laying areas here. One thing is for sure, it could have easily been much worse if Irene had been just about fifty miles closer to shore. The eye wall stayed off the coast.

Wow, just lost power long enough to kick my clock off, now I must reset it due to my bragging I guess : )

Soooo, everything is fine here, comment on your experiences with this monster. Hope everyone is safe and sound and had no property damage. I really wonder about my niece and her family that live along the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, however I have no way of contacting them right now. It floods down there at a normal extra high tide.

Peace and Happiness, Stay safe~~!

Songs below with Fleetwood Mac's original guitarist Bob Welch

The Perfect Storm

2011-08-26T08:53:00.001-04:00

Is there such a thing?

BAAA Humbug

2011-08-26T07:02:00.003-04:00

Right now is the calm before the storm. It sounds like this hurricane may even gain strength and it's looking like a very good possibility that we get the worst. For the first time since we moved here in 1969 I am hearing evacuations for my county (Wicomico)30 miles inland from the Ocean.

These evacuations don't affect me as they are calling for people living in low laying areas near rivers to get out. My house is very close to the river here in the city harbour, however my house is 23 feet above sea level. I also have to work all weekend so if worse comes to worse I can go there and stay, we have vacant rooms and I can take Woody with me. One thing for sure it sounds like it could get to be a big mess, trees down, power outages etc.

My cousin called from Baltimore because she was worried about me and the warnings, I'm calling her this morning to tell her thanks but I'm staying put since I'm working anyway and have a place to go if need be. If power is out I'd be better off at work, we have a generator that will run the whole building and holds 800 gallons of diesel fuel.

Anyway, on with my daily post since I probably won't be able to post again until next week. I have to be at work at 6AM tomorrow and we are expecting the worst part of the storm between Saturday night and Sunday AM. I live just 5 blocks from the hospital and when power shuts down we are top priority, however the power workers won't be up on those poles during the storm. They will likely be busy clearing downed electric lines from fallen trees.

Until we meet again, stay safe! Peace

Hurricane Irene 2011

2011-08-25T08:15:00.002-04:00

Will Irene come ashore here in the mid Atlantic? Only time will tell. My house was built in 1954 and has survived it's share of bigger storms. I have the 15 gallons of water I've started saving for anarchy LoL and food. I need to get a new flashlight and some candles and I'll be set. Woody is also set for food!

We are supposed to be having an Hawiian Luau later today with gusty winds and possible storms later in the day. May have to move the Luau inside, that's no fun. Many of the residents don't like to come outside anyway, it's either too hot or too cold.

I have a headache and my shoulder and neck ache, summin' is working up that's fur sur. I'm ready to put in for my week vacation soon. In a couple of weeks I have to take a break. Work has been stressing me out bad, not the job really, some of my co-workers are haters.

Hope you are safe and sound where you are, I'm here for the duration. Peace

Earthquake on the East Coast?

2011-08-24T09:09:00.003-04:00

There is a lot of talk on the news about the 5.8 earthquake that was centered southwest of Washington DC. I was in the Fruitland Walmart at the time and didn't feel a thing. I have heard the North Walmart did get some rattling. There has been some structure damage to some bigger concrete and block built buildings here though. With the locusts already here and a hurricane coming up the coast I'm just waiting for the plague to join the party! Will I need to tuck my head between my legs and kiss my ass goodbye?

It's a shame that Roy Book Binder was so close attending the Philadelphia Folk Festival but it looks like that is as close as he's coming to us here on the Delmarva Peninsula. Delmarva being the crossroads of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

That's my buddy Lenny playing Birch Blues.

Have a great day! Peace

Your Laugh or Two, Maybe Three!

2011-08-23T12:07:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I got up with Goldrush to shoot a little pool and go get a bite to eat. I did get my Calamari fix, I wanted to go somewhere else really but Sobo's is the only place in town to get some good fried Squid! : )

Today is grocery day, vacuum up, wash just a few dishes and spend some time with Woody and relax before returning to work tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy some clips from "The best of Johnny Carson!"

Have a great week. Peace

Zoned Out

2011-08-22T02:34:00.005-04:00

I was so tired when I got home from work, I took care of Woody and let him out, then began watching "Zodiac," the movie about the Zodiac killer. I think I must have watched ten minutes and I was out like a light.

I didn't wake back up until about 12:30AM and Po Woody was still outside :O Yup he was ready to come in! I started watching TV but there isn't anything on my 250 channels, and so here I am at this time wide awake.

I think I'm going to put a Grateful Dead DVD in and chill out and hope to get back to sleep in not too long. Soooo Enjoy my post of the day! Peace

Sugar Mountain

2011-08-21T08:17:00.002-04:00

One more day to work until my days off. I'm ready, this week sure has been interesting. It's been a long strange week at work, more changes are still forth coming and I can't wait.

My nephew in-law is a DeadHead too, he is also into Phish. The older we get the more we get set in our ways. There were times he would bring up the subject of Phish and I'd take a jab saying, "I just never was a Phish Head." I think I was more jealous that at my age I just couldn't expand in the ways of my youth.

Phish is a great jam band and today I have a few jams of Trey with Phil & Phriends. Really nice jams for some DeadHeads and PhisH-Heads : )

I also have a post of David Gilmour doing a one man acoustic version of Shine on your crazy Diamonds. Nice

Hope you all had a great weekend! Peace

Not Here You Ain't~!

2011-08-20T18:50:00.002-04:00

I said my new blog format would be things that I've never posted before. With the Dead, that will get me though a lifetime! These are some really great tunes if you are a DeadHeaD : ) Powerful. Most are slideshow but good quality music and the Dead at their best.

Hope

2011-08-19T07:56:00.002-04:00

As I anticipated, yesterday I was asked if I wanted to commute to another corporate property that is having staff issues and help for a few days. This proves to me that my regional director has all the faith in the world in me or he would not be asking me, he'd be asking someone else.

Virginia Beach is the place, the dates undetermined at this time. He also assured me that our local business director would be helping me with expediting my last expense report to recoup my money. Going to another property is challenging, walk into a different kitchen and everything I need is not where I'm used to it being.

Virginia Beach would be a great place to go this time of year, lots of things to do, many good restaurants and of course the Atlantic Ocean. I also used to go there once every winter for giant food show conventions, so I know the area a bit.

Someone posted a comment suggesting that something illegal may have happened. That's far from the truth. It really had to do with something involving employees and that's enough said. If things were that bad there I quit even in this economy!

We have been needing wallpaper in the dining room for sometime. That's more than just a notion at an estimate of $10,000 to wallpaper just the dining room. When things like that are done, corporate spends as much as needed for quality materials that will hold the test of time and enhance the property itself, and shall it will be done!

Have a great weekend! Peace

Let There Be Light

2011-08-18T07:29:00.003-04:00

A nice sunrise this morning. Well, yesterday my regional director called to say come see me tomorrow. Am I getting fired today? LoL I don't think so, he wouldn't give me a warning like that. I have a feeling he may want me to make another road trip to a problem property for a few days.

I still haven't received my expense account money for my road trip back in May! Almost $200 would have almost paid for the new tires I want if I'm going to be making road trips like that. I have mentioned this problem to five different supervisors and not one has taken the time to help me find out why I haven't received the money yet : / If this is the case I may have to decline to travel as this is draining my savings and nobody wants to follow threw and help me get my money.

It may have to do with some of the shake up at work, I really have no idea except it's my intentions to eventually return to my chef position one day. Not department head, just chef/lead cook. My only gripe at work is really the lazy people I work with which really is just a handful. I do work hard and I guess everyone should work that hard, however if they all did I imagine they wouldn't need me! eeK

Soooo, rather than dwell on this any longer I'll just have to wait until I get to work and see what exactly is happening. I was depending on that expense money to pay my $344 car insurance for six months but as it looks now that too will have to come out of my savings next month. End of Story, until next time! Peace

Literal Dive for Wisdom

2011-08-17T07:08:00.006-04:00

A had this post for today in mind yesterday. As I was running over it on my drive to work I was thinking it's a lot like Bluezy's Virtual Dumpster Dive. The first post was just one I found on wisdom quotes from some movies. Oceanshaman does a lot of wisdom posting and earth hugging video's and I adopted one to post, however that led to several others. So I'm not trying to be a copy cat here, just thought the posts go hand in hand.

Big drama at work yesterday. Finally some things have taken place that may and should improve morale at the work place. There will be some necessary changes, some in personnel who come to work for a paycheck, however try at every angle to get out of their designated job duties. It's time for accountability.

About three weeks ago I found out our regional vice president had been fired. I don't know much about the details of that but he really seemed overzealous. Yesterday our 1:30 staff meeting was to announce that our executive director was no longer with us. The other candidate for that job several years ago had more qualifications for the job, however was overlooked due to cronyism.

It was also announced that over the years our property had made a lot of money for the corporation, however not enough money was going back into the building in capital improvements. Corporate supplies most of the money for capital expenses, however it is expected that some money for improvements come from the property itself instead of being tucked away for huge department head bonuses and now it's time to give it back to the residents. Honestly, I was becoming ashamed of working for a greedy corporation. This news gives me a different outlook on the corporation.

Over the years things get worn, torn, faded or whatever, and need replacing. For instance, last year I had a point taken off of my Quality Assurance audit due to peeling wallpaper in the dining room. I had no control of having that wallpaper replaced in that huge dining room, the Culinary director before me had tried to get that done also. The audits of our departments are much like a report card for the department head.

In summary, I'm looking forward to some of these changes, there are a few people that really need to go in my department. The thing I'm looking forward to the most is once again being proud to be part of an organization that gives back to it's customers and it's employees. The residents pay good money to stay there and deserve the best things possible.

Happy Hump Day Folks! Peace

Home Grown

2011-08-16T09:28:00.001-04:00

I found what I want to make from my blog, home grown musicians. The play at home people that are quite great in their own way. The only problem is getting much background on these people. I know that Stephen Bennett is Stephen Bennett, I guess. One guy I found known only as Vic, I found he is from Holland and his name is Vic van Kampen and that's about all I know about him, except for his talent.

Damn Vic has his embeds removed. To view just Google "Vic plays, The Wind cries Mary ( J. Hendrix)." This really cramps up my post today!

My buddy Lenny does the same hing, he has a machine that can accompany his guitar with drum back beats or other instruments and helps make it interesting. I have Lenny here today solo, playing Embryonic Journey by Jorma Kaukonen. We've been friends since 1974.

I will still be posting the greats of music here if I can find things I haven't posted before. One such video is of Eric Clapton doing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."
I don't know if this video is still on Facebook as I posted, it seems that lately some of my posts disappear from my home page. The songs are still on my profile page but for some reason no longer on the news feed page makes me wonder if I'm getting hacked.

The weather has cleared up and the body feels better. We got about three inches of rain over the weekend. One area about one hundred miles north got nine inches of rain Saturday alone. eeK! The cold front that moved threw brought temps in the sixty's this morning and low eighty's for the day. Not bad at all for August. Let's hope we have a late summer and don't just turn from summer to winter as it does sometimes.

Have a great week. Peace!

Tip From The Swampman

2011-08-15T10:12:00.002-04:00

I guess we Roy Bookbinder fans won't get a chance to see him this year unless you want to make a long road trip. The Globe Theater in Berlin, Maryland has hosted him quite a few times, however his last few shows didn't draw too many people. I don't know what people expect in this area without much entertainment of his caliber. I thought being close to Ocean City he could draw enough people to make it worth his while. Damn shame.

"Chicken Stock" (A lame attempt at a local rock festival) is a laughing stock if you ask me, I wouldn't park outside to hear it for free on a fuckin' bet! Who the hell came up with the rock festival name? Those performing for the most part, their expiration dates have expired. Thanks but no thanks.

I have a couple UTube's to post of a gal named Ruth Wyand who will be playing in Chincoteague on October 22nd and I will most likely try and attend. The videos aren't HD, however she sounds like someone I'd enjoy seeing live.

My back was killing me all day yesterday, lot of rain and more expected today so my back doesn't feel much better. I do need to get to the grocery store today and of course spend some time with Woody. We played fetch yesterday a couple of times in between down pours. He's getting so he drops the ball when he comes back so he doesn't work me trying to get it from him. He's learning and turning out to be a nice dog.

Hope you enjoy the tunes and have a great week! Peace

Ron Paul

2011-08-14T12:19:00.003-04:00

Obviously the storm is not as bad as it looked, not lightning wise anyway, we are getting some good rain though.

I was trying to get some clips of the first republican debate to post, however for some reason CNN has them so the embed as been disabled and I am not able to copy and paste them.

If Ann Coulter doesn't like Ron Paul that just gives me more will to hope he gets elected. The truth is out there somewhere. I want to believe!

God bless our Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness