FYI...

So, I have been feeling pretty crappy the last couple of days, so I broke down and took a trip to the walk in clinic this morning. Turns out I have a mild case of bronchial pneumonia, and another sinus infection.

Will the joy never end?

OK OK OK, all that crap aside. My Halloween bash will be on the 21st this year. That gives us all about 3 weeks to pick our costumes. I still have no idea what I am going to do. I do this every year. I say "This year I am going to plan ahead!" then I usually pull something outta my ass at the last minute. LOL. Any ideas for a clueless Ville?

Pay 50 bucks and pick up the garbage

So I dragged Jeanette out with me to see the show. We arrived at just the right amount of time. We got our tickets at the door, found our seats and about 5 minutes later the show started.

Arlo came out, along with his 2 kids, Saralee (guitar) and Abe (Keyboards), and his son in law Johnny (Also on guitar) and another dude on mando and steel guitar. They opened with an instrumental jig just to get the juices flowing, and then Arlo began to tell stories and back up with tunes. He was in perfect Arlo form.

They performed quite a few of Woody's songs, some originals by the kids, and of course a few of Arlo's classics and some new stuff. The highlight of the evening? After a brief intermission, Arlo came out and sat center stage to perform "Alice's Restaurant Masacree" in its glorious entirety. He has added and amended the story in a few key places to make it more understandable for a new generation, but it was still the same old Masacree that Arlo fans have known and loved for 40 years. I was just f&*#ing ecstatic. I was grinning from ear to ear and laughing and feeling so good!!

They ended with "This land is your land", a familiar Woody classic, and encored with a song that Woody had written on his death bed. Arlo had taken the lyrics and set his own tune to it. It was a sweet piece, about peace. Really lovely and moving.

After the show J and I went across the street to a little tavern called "Stonewall Jackson's" (we just call it The Wall), where we met up with Steph and Joel. We drank and laughed, bitched and moaned, waxed philosophic, laughed some more, drank some more and generally had a great time until we closed the place down.

I have not had so much pure unadulterated fun in such a long time. I felt free and easy and younger than I have in years. As Arlo put it, I felt "...that kind of peace that you have on the inside, that make dogs lick you and babies like you."

Thanks Arlo for a great show, and thanks to my friends for all the fun after.

I don't want a pickle....

"... I jus' wanna ride on my motorcycle..."

I'm going to see Arlo tonight!!!! Whoo hoo. I just happened to run across an article in the local paper. He and his family are performing tonight at the Seretean Theatre here in Stillwater.

This is going to be great. I had the good fortune to see him once before, years ago in Denver. He is one of my favorite talents of all time. I will undoubtedly have something more to post later.

I need a vacation

For those of you that do not know what it is I do for a living. I am a Staffing Consultant for Express Personnel Services. One of 500+ branches worldwide. My job description has many components. One of them being, I put people to work. I try to find jobs for people that come to us for assistance. Most of the time, I really love what I do. But lately it seems as though no one wants to work. I mean, they say they want a job, so I get them a job. How do some of these asshats repay me? I'll tell you. By calling me at noon to say they had a flat tire on the way to work this morning. "Your shift started at 8 a.m. right? Then why are you calling me at noon?"

This wouldn't be so bad, except this is not the first time something similar has happened. Last time she did this, she asked "What should I do?" I said "Go to work, I don't care if your shift is over in 3 hours, GO TO WORK" Well, she didn't go to work. So this time, I just simply told her to not return to her assignment.

Everyday I wake up wondering, "What asshat is going to fuck up today. Which one of these irresponsible jerkwads is going to try to ruin my day today.?" And then they have the nerve to turn around and somehow blame it on me? Workers as well as Employers. Ass Q. Hat didn't go to work today, and it is somehow MY fault. I can't make them go to work! I can't drag their lazy asses out of bed and tug them by the ear to get to work.

I've always been a cynic, but this place is really beginning to magnify it.

I need a good strong drink and a vacation. Preferably not in that order.

I seriously want to organize a weekend trip to Vegas in the next few months. Just 3 or 4 days of forgetting about reality.

It would be fun if we all went together! Lets do it!!!!

Ever feel like this?

That is all.

On taking food from strangers...

Some guys from a local church came into my office today, selling banana bread.

My response: "I don't take home made food from strangers."
One guy's response: "Oh, it's ok, we're Christians."
My response: "Well, THAT doesn't mean anything."
Their response... blank stares.
My response: shrug and walk away. I don't think they got it.

Reminded me of something that happened here at work last year.

It was the Friday after Thanksgiving and myself and a co-worker were volunteered to pull payday duty. These 2 yahoos come in with a bucket of suckers asking for donations for some Christian church.

My response: "I don't donate to churches."
One guy asks, "Why?"
My response: "I'm not a Christian."
One guys asks, "Then what ARE you?"
My response, not in a terribly pleasant tone: "I'm a PERSON."

Even my co-worker was dumbfounded by the ridiculous and insulting question. I think his buddy was embarrassed too. He looked at the guy and just said, "Let's go."

Here's what I have to say about that:
I don't need your religion, I don't need to be fucking saved, I don't donate to your crooked churches and I don't want your fucking banana bread!!

I think I do just fine as a good human being walking around on this crappy little ball of mud we call earth. I'm good to people, I love and care about my friends and family and I believe whole heartedly in the golden rule. I live far more Christ like than MOST Christians I have ever met. Yet somehow I am the one going to your dreamt up flaming hell?

So please, and I mean this in all sincerity and with a loving heart. To all you banana bread hawking, sucker toting money grubbing hypocrites KISS MY PAGAN ASS!!

Ahhhh... Better. Thank you.

Croc hunter has ceased to be...

Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" was killed today. Although I never really watched his program, I was always intrigued and fascinated by his seemingly fearless approach to animals. He educated and entertained a whole generation and I truly believe he will be missed.
The story of his death reads as follows:

"He came on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Stainton, who was on board Irwin's boat at the time.

I am just glad, for his sake, that he went out as he lived, loving and appreciating life.

The problem with the past is that it rarely stays there

Do you ever think about people from your past? People you used to know? Whether they be old lovers, friends, hell even enemies. And do you ever wonder if they ever think of you? More over, do you hope they do? Or, can you not imagine that they have forgotten about you altogether?

I have been in the process of creating an online photo album. Something akin to Flickr, but it is called Webshots. While in the process of perusing the site, I ran across an old friend. Someone I was really close to once. I met him when I was 18. (Jesus, was that really 20 years ago?)

Anyway, one can say he was my "first love". Don't forget, I was 18. He was (well and still is) 6 years older, a musician and cute like a bug. He and I became pretty good friends. We went to the movies, to the beach, went to the local music stores during local events and took drives into the Ventura mountains. Chrast he drove like a maniac!

So anyway, I e-mailed him today. Nothing much, just a "wondering how you have been" kind of thing. His response...."Sorry, I'm really bad with names." Seriously??? No really...Seriously!? I mean, he said more than that, but he still didn't know it was me, not for sure anyway.

Wow. So I wonder to myself. Are there people out there that think of me and couldn't imagine that I would ever forget about them?

I hope they don't e-mail me any time soon.