Sunday, September 11, 2005

Going, Going.... Gone

I hate to do this to you folks, but I'm outta here. No more. Done.

You might want to check this out, instead.

In other words... update your links, please.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Becoming What You Are

Being a Chicago Bear fan, I feel a little uneasy knowing Jerry Angelo is at the helm. The Rockford Register Star recently had a few quotes from him that leave one scratching their head.
“You can’t play around the quarterback,” Angelo said. “I’ve changed my tune on that over the years. The quarterback’s got to make plays. At some point in the game, he’s got to stand tall and he’s got to make plays.”

“I don’t believe that you put unrealistic expectations on rookies. You have to let rookies become rookies.”
There is another one there that makes the head swim, and a little further down is a classic quote from center Olin Kreutz.

I can follow Kreutz's, Angelo.... well, maybe it's just me.

Gone Golfin'

Got up too early this morning... I've got a golf play day to participate in. I don't even know who this is to benefit, other than me.

What guy wouldn't jump on the chance to say that they were in a foursome with three women???

Straight White Blog Birthday

Many moons ago, before time could be counted... ah, shit... I guess it was last year. Anyway, at a comment party at Madfish's, I ran into some guy named Eric... of Straight White Guy. I went over to his blog, saw the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, and knew this was one cool cat.

I've been stopping in almost every day since then, with a couple of exceptions. I go there for the stories, his posts about music, and his observations... as Jim from Parkway Rest Stop says, ""Eric can write beautifully about "nothing" better than anyone." The man is a great story teller and writer... and should you ever get to meet him, you'll discover that he is a great human bean. I'm just not sure what kind.

Anyway, he's celebrating his second birthday/blogiversary whatchamathingie today, and he'd like to say "thanks" to us. We should be thanking him. Make sure you stop by and thank the lad.

*raises bottle* Thanks to you, my friend!

Okay, Eric... where's my bottle of Sapphire?

Friday, September 09, 2005

Who Dat?

What kind of an idiot nails a garage door shut and closes the overhead door, locking in his only garage door opener? Who kicks open the door, rendering the un-openable unclosable?

Who gave this blog it's name?

Mortars, Marines, And Muppets

The night was dark... an oily dark. Even the stars didn't throw much light. There was no "twinkle."

After the eyes got accustomed to the night, one could make out eight shadowy figures split into two groups of four. They were huddled around what looked like two tree stumps. The stumps were mortars, and each group was a gun crew.

Behind them, a radio crackled to life, and a red flashlight beam lit up a small area about fifty yards back inside the woods. Within seconds, a fire mission was sent to the two guns... deflections and elevations, followed by rounds and charges. The crews went to work in near silence, the clink of metal on metal a sound that would carry through the night.

First one, then the other mortar fired. An illumination round popped open, and began it's graceful descent to the ground. Within seconds, the HE (high explosive) round from the second gun hit the ground. After the concussion, the night returned to silence, the illume round still floating slowly to the earth.

The radio again came to life with a correction. Almost immediately, the new numbers were given, and the gunners readied the mortars. Another two rounds went out, with the scenario a repeat of the first, only this time closer to the target.

Another correction was radioed in, the new data figured instantly. Data was passed to the gunline, along with the order for a five round fire for effect. The gun crews silently readied their rounds.

As the illume round from the first gun was popped, the first HE round from the second gun was dropped down the tube. Immediately following the loud bang, you could hear a loud impression of the Count from Sesame Street: "ONE! One round down range! Hahahah..."

The next round is dropped, and again, the "Count" cried out: "TWO! Two rounds down range... hahahah!" This time snickers were heard from those in his crew.

This kept going on, with the snickers giving way to laughter, not just from his crew, but the whole section laughing harder each time.

When the last round is dropped, the Count finishes: "FIVE! Oh, five beautiful rounds down range! Hahahahahahahah......" This was followed by one of the crew announcing loudly in a very well done impersonation, "Hi ho, this is Kermit the Frog reporting live from Camp Lejeune... tell me, sir, do you think any frogs were killed by that last fire for effect?" The place fell apart with laughter.

These were the guys I went to Advanced Mortar Gunnery School with. A strange group. Hell, it seems that most of my friends from any stage of my life might fit into this group. I just thank gott that I'm normal.

What brought this about? I was whistling "People In Your Neighborhood," and got one of the other guys to start whistling Sesame Street songs. Once he got going, he wanted to hear this story again, and my impression of those involved.

I figured y'all might enjoy it, too. Not to mention getting an earworm from a person who likes to share.

Must Click News

NSFW. Foamy the squirrel covers Katrina. The squirrel says it all.

Damn, I've missed him.

Hat tip to Romeocat of Cathouse Chat.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

A Tardsday Letter

Dear Fellow Drivers,

I am a good driver; do not debate me on this fact.

I am a cautious driver; I have never been in an accident, 'though I have narrowly missed quite a few. I've seen them happen all around me, yet, my skills keep me safe.

If 55 is a safe speed limit, 45 should realistically be safer... right?

I keep an eye out for my fellow drivers (you); if I deem a situation potentially unsafe, I will intervene. If a car tries to pass me on a narrow country road, I will kindly drift over to block their pass, unless I approve the distance in view as "appropriate."

On the interstate, I set my cruise at 67 and get into the fast lane so that drivers with speedometers that may be off will be able to maintain a safe speed.

All that I do is for others, and yet, a one fingered salute from them to me is not uncommon. Often, they yell something about 'A show.' I don't understand this lack of appreciation.

I, my friends, am the reason you can celebrate Tardsday, and still... no thanks. Please folks, just a simple nod will do.

Thanks.

Your Protector,

L. Tardo

Awesome Alliteration

Not much sleep. Brain not right work.This means I'm without an actual post, and weird things are free to flow. So I tell you what... let's play a game.

To entertain ourselves when we used to travel a lot, a friend and I used to come up with very strange stories following the formula found in Berenstains' B Book. We didn't stick to it totally, but tried to keep all nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs starting with the same letter. Some of the letters work better than others, but I'm going to save my favorite for another time.

I'll kick it off, and feel free to follow in the comments. You don't need to use whole sentences... if you only can think of a word that fits, throw it in. No need to keep it clean. Repeat words are not a problem. Ready? Using the letter A:

Adam the angry armadillo ambled aimlessly....

UPDATE: This isn't a novel... it's just fun. Characters are free to come and go. As long as we have fun, it's all cool.

Bou's Birthday

Hey, everybody... today is Bou's birthday! She's turning 20 again, so swing on by and wish her the best!

Happy Birthday, Blog-Sis! Forty... geesh. :)

I figure, since she kinda likes Johnny Depp, I'd give her a bathtub shot.

Oops... wrong Johnny. Here's the real McCoy.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

A Legacy In The Making

"What's your daddy do for a living?"
"Er... uh... well... he steals dolls, and sells them."

Be proud, my child.

Off The Island

Gilligan casts off.

Bob Denver dead at 70.

Tips For Hunting Stingy Things

Due to my hours and a hectic schedule, I haven't spent much time outside of my house during the heat of the day. Lawn mowing was done in the fading light, or early morning. So it came as quite the surprise the other day when I discovered that my house is a hive. No kidding. Hundreds, if not thousands of bees, living in a hole in my wall, above my kitchen roof. Some had even made it into the attic... they covered the window.

I've rid myself of them, hopefully, and have decided to share a few tips. Things that may make the experience as easy and pain-free as possible.

1. Wait until dusk, or even dark: Bees, wasps, hornets all return to their nests or hives at the end of the day. Flying around scaring and stinging folks is hard work. After a couple of tankards of mead, they're down for the night. Strike whilst they're passed out.

2. Wear appropriate clothing: Try to cover as much skin as possible. Wear gloves, hat, long sleeve shirt or jacket, jeans and jump boots if available. Netting may help, but don't get carried away... you'll need to be able to move.

3. Use the proper spray: Approach the nest/hive with caution. There were still many milling about when I did this... and it was well after dark. Use a foam, preferably one that will spray from a long distance. Do not use a regular spray, no matter how much the helpful hardware man tells you that it works just as well. Foam knocks them down, spray... well, that leads to the next tip.

4. Plan your route of egress: In my case, I had to climb on top of a roof to get to the wall just below the eaves of the next roof. You want to allow for things to happen. Say you use a regular spray... I can guarantee that you're not using the ladder to climb back down. This is where the jump boots come in. You're feet are going to sting, but at least you're quickly back to the ground. Sprinting is a good plan.

5. Remember this: "Stop, drop, and roll", is a totally asinine thing to do. "Duck and cover" rates right there, too. Welts will accumulate faster than you can say "Raid." Stinging pests about to die want to take someone with them. YOU WANT TO KEEP MOVING. Trust me on this.

6. Celebrate the killing of your enemies with a beer... or gin and tonic... or whatever. Just consume plenty of alcohol.

Hope these are of some help to you. Good luck.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Pattern Mussed

Blogging pattern is going to change. Going into work now at noon 'til nine thirty, so most posts will be in the morning, or later at night.

All part of the exit.

Beecuz

Killing time draws nigh
Hive inside the wall must go
Watch my ass get stung.

Monday, September 05, 2005

A Belated Birthday

'Tis the Great Omnipotent One's birthday... as of yesterday. Go on over to Bou's, and send him your best wishes!

Content

Antibiotics are gone... alcohol is a go.

Dopplebock for breakfast? Nectar of the gods.

I could never be an athiest after tasting a good beer.

Labor Day

It's Labor Day, when folks traditionally do three times as much work as usual.

Get back to work, and enjoy your day.

What Else Would You Expect?

Checking out the Munuvian blogroll yesterday, I found Martinis, Persistence, and a Smile. A lot of celebrity updates there. I stumbled across this post about Vanity Fair's Jennifer Aniston cover being the best selling issue of the magazine, ever. Methinks I should check this out.

Wow... here it is. There's an article there, but I can't get past the pic to read it!

Mmmmmmmmm.......

Another Meme

Found this meme over at Techography, home of Bloodspite. Thought it funny that I didn't know about a third of the songs, and of those I did know, most I didn't give a rip about, one way or the other.

Top 100 songs for '85

1) Go to musicoutfitters.com and, in the search box provided, enter the year you graduated high school.

2) From the search results, click the link for the top 100 songs of that year.

3) With the resulting list:
a) bold the songs you like,
b) strike through the ones you hate
c) underline your favorite
d) and ignore the ones you don't remember or don't care about.

1. Careless Whisper, Wham!
2. Like A Virgin, Madonna
3. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Wham!
4. I Want To Know What Love Is, Foreigner
5. I Feel For You, Chaka Khan
6. Out Of Touch, Daryl Hall and John Oates
7. Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Tears For Fears
8. Money For Nothing, Dire Straits
9. Crazy For You, Madonna
10. Take On Me, A-Ha
11. Everytime You Go Away, Paul Young
12. Easy Lover, Phil Collins and Philip Bailey
13. Can't Fight This Feeling, REO Speedwagon
14. We Built This City, Starship
15. The Power Of Love, Huey Lewis and The News
16. Don't You (Forget About Me), Simple Minds
17. Cherish, Kool and The Gang
18. St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion), John Parr
19. The Heat Is On, Glenn Frey
20. We Are The World, U.S.A. For Africa
21. Shout, Tears For Fears
22. Part-Time Lover, Stevie Wonder
23. Saving All My Love For You, Whitney Houston
24. Heaven, Bryan Adams
25. Everything She Wants, Wham!
26. Cool It Now, New Edition
27. Miami Vice Theme, Jan Hammer
28. Lover Boy, Billy Ocean
29. Lover Girl, Teena Marie
30. You Belong To The City, Glenn Frey
31. Oh Sheila, Ready For The World
32. Rhythm Of The Night, Debarge
33. One More Night, Phil Collins
34. Sea Of Love, Honeydrippers
35. A View To A Kill, Duran Duran
36. The Wild Boys, Duran Duran
37. You're The Inspiration, Chicago
38. Neutron Dance, Pointer Sisters
39. We Belong, Pat Benatar
40. Nightshift, Commodores
41. Things Can Only Get Better, Howard Jones
42. All I Need, Jack Wagner
43. Freeway Of Love, Aretha Franklin
44. Never Surrender, Corey Hart
45. Sussudio, Phil Collins
46. Strut, Sheena Easton
47. You Give Good Love, Whitney Houston
48. The Search Is Over, Survivor
49. Missing You, Diana Ross
50. Separate Lives, Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
51. Raspberry Beret, Prince and The Revolution
52. Suddenly, Billy Ocean
53. The Boys Of Summer, Don Henley
54. One Night In Bangkok, Murray Head
55. If You Love Somebody Set Them Free, Sting
56. Obsession, Animotion
57. We Don't Need Another Hero, Tina Turner
58. Material Girl, Madonna
59. Better Be Good To Me, Tina Turner
60. Head Over Heels, Tears For Fears
61. Axel F, Harold Faltermeyer
62. Smooth Operator, Sade
63. In My House, Mary Jane Girls
64. Don't Lose My Number, Phil Collins
65. All Through The Night, Cyndi Lauper
66. Run To You, Bryan Adams
67. Glory Days, Bruce Springsteen
68. Voices Carry, 'Til Tuesday
69. Misled, Kool and The Gang
70. Would I Lie To You?, Eurythmics
71. Be Near Me, ABC
72. No More Lonely Nights, Paul McCartney
73. I Can't Hold Back, Survivor
74. Summer Of '69, Bryan Adams
75. Walking On Sunshine, Katrina and The Waves
76. Freedom, Wham!
77. Too Late For Goodbyes, Julian Lennon
78. Valotte, Julian Lennon
79. Some Like It Hot, Power Station
80. Solid, Ashford and Simpson
81. Angel, Madonna
82. I'm On Fire, Bruce Springsteen
83. Method Of Modern Love, Daryl Hall and John Oates
84. Lay Your Hands On Me, Thompson Twins
85. Who's Holding Donna Now, Debarge
86. Lonely Ol' Night, John Cougar Mellencamp
87. What About Love, Heart
88. California Girls, David Lee Roth
89. Fresh, Kool and The Gang
90. Do What You Do, Jermaine Jackson
91. Jungle Of Love, The Time
92. Born In The USA, Bruce Springsteen
93. Private Dancer, Tina Turner
94. Who's Zoomin' Who, Aretha Franklin
95. Fortress Around Your Heart, Sting
96. Penny Lover, Lionel Richie
97. All She Wants To Do Is Dance, Don Henley
98. Dress You Up, Madonna
99. Sentimental Street, Night Ranger
100. Sugar Walls, Sheena Easton

And I've gotta be honest... I hated Wham!, and that's the only reason they are all marked as hated. I truly only remember one of the songs.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Katrina In The Tropics

Once again, out of the kindness of my heart, I respond to a blogger's plea. Dax was begging for help. He's asking for another Katrina post, and he sounds sarcastic desperate. So I decided to feed his fascination with Katrina Kaif ('least I assume that's who he's talkin' about) and give him a link to a photo. Maybe it will distract him from the hurricane.

Helping... it's what I do.

Barfleflickle!!!

Tammi and her memes... she likes to pin'em on ya just when you thought you avoided it. She's got her latest meme up, which for some reason she's trying to blame on Eric. Well, anyway, here's my responses:

1. Person who most influenced your musical tastes:

I'd have to say my father. He wasn't a musician, that I know of, but he always had music going in the barns. In the dairy barn, he kept polka playing. And when the hogs were farrowing, he kept the now defunct WMAQ playing it's country music to keep the sows from getting startled. I still like a bit of both of these types of music, but I think you can tell that I lean a little towards Rock-n-roll now. Just a little. And, as you probably already know, I got my love of Johnny Cash from him.

2. Top 5 songs to drive to:

This isn't really fair... there's a hell of a lot of good tunes for driving. But I'll try;

1. Jesus Built My Hot Rod - Ministry

2. Superstition - Stevie Ray Vaughan

3. Warped City - Ministry

4. Wait and Bleed - Slipkot

5. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due - Megadeth

5. Jesus Christ Pose - Soundgarden

5. Tennesse Flat-top Box - Johnny Cash

5. The Way - Fastball

5. Mate, Spawn and Die - Lard

5. Walk - Pantera

5. Funk #49 - James Gang

5. In The Arms Of God/Stone Breaker - COC

5. Impetus - Clutch

5.... oh alright, I'll stop now. But there are too many to accurately answer this... it all depends on your mood.

3. # of CD's you own:

Somewhere in the neighbourhood of gnakdjfak hundred. Meaning: I don't know. Two years ago, it was a little over 1,200.

4. Song/CD you were listening to when you lost your virginity:

Like A Virgin - Madonna... not! Actually, I think the "Holy Grail" may have been playing in the other room... I kept telling her to go away, or I'd taunt her a second time. Really, I don't remember any tunes at all. Oops.. I mean this question is too personal to answer.

5. Song(s) played at your wedding:

Never been married, but if/when I do get hitched, I think I'm going to offer the organist an extra $50 to play a dirge. Heheh... I may need the same song played at my funeral the next day!

6. Favorite sad song:

The one that makes my throat tighten and heart feel heavy? Johnny Cash singing "Hurt."

7. Song you'd like played at your funeral:

"So Long, Farewell" from the Sound Of Music. Really.

No further blogger shall be harmed with the passing of this meme... unless they choose to be so burdened. If so, let me know, or trackback.

Kennedy Hill

There's a tale around here of a ghost who wanders Kennedy Hill road, north of Byron. Most stories I've heard make her sound like Resurrection Mary, from Chicagoland. I do remember hearing about her when I was in middle school, a little over 25 years ago. Then, I heard she was a woman in white, dressed in flimsy clothes... in the middle of winter. A car stopped to pick her up, she got in, then disappeared. But, that was told by kids, to a kid. I didn't really believe it.

A few years ago, I was looking for a house to rent. Back in the woods off of Kennedy Hill, there is a huge house, with different drives coming into it. At each drive, is a house for the gatekeeper. I was checking into renting one of them. That's when I was reacquainted with the ghost.

A co-worker was trying to help me find a place, and when I mentioned that, he was genuinely concerned. "That stretch of road is haunted," he said. "There's a ghost of a woman that's been seen right there." I laughingly teased him about it, and got the usual suggestion that I perform an impossible act with myself. I also mentioned it to another friend who'd lived in Stillman Valley for over 40 years. She wasn't as concerned, but she did make sure that I knew about the ghost.

I don't really believe any of this. I do believe in ghosts, but I think this is just a variation of the vanishing hitchhiker urban legend. Looking it up, I only found one mention of her, and that was one sentence, found early on in this piece. She could be real... and that would rock. But I'm thinking it's a load of crap.

HOWEVER, I drive through that area quite often, and mostly late at night. And I can't help but wonder a bit. Part of me would really love to see a ghost, while another tells me that should I ever get to witness one, I'll be changing my shorts afterwards... shortly after I make a new doorway in the nearest wall.

I drove through last night on the bike, and that thought came again. It can be an eerie area, especially this time of year. Deer run through there all of the time... some big ones. And knowing that, as you drive, it appears things are moving alongside the road. Of course, it's just you being overly cautious, but it can make things seem creepy.

I'd like to think that were I ever to see her, I'd pull over and offer a ride... just to see what would happen. But reality suggests that I would give the engine what gas I could, and be out of there like a flash.

What would you do?

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Release

There isn't anything like a nice 200 mile jaunt on the bike to change how you're feelin': 80o, sunny without a cloud in the sky. Fewer cars than normal, thanks to gas prices. Just what the doctor ordered.

Have I figured out what I'm going to do? Nope. Am I nervous about my situation? I suppose... somewhere deep inside. Do I give a rip? Though I know I will later on, the current answer is HELL NO!

Riding is good for the soul.

Rabid Hoses

Read a couple of stories over at Phin's and Acidman's about out of control hoses. No, no, no... it's not what you're thinking. We're talking AIR and WATER hoses. Damn prevs! Reminded me of a couple of incidents that happened where I used to work.

We had a new mechanic come to our floor... a real asshole. We were deburring a bunch of baseplates, and really trying to haul ass... they were supposed to ship first thing in the morning. There were three of us, deburring gott knows how many baseplates. We'd deburr the edges, stamp the part symbol number on, then file it flat. You only needed one air tool. Of course, unless you were the asshole... then you showed off all of the tools you had.

Now the fittings we used on our airlines were not quick disconnect... they looked like these. So to change tools, you either walked over to the wall, and turned the air off, or you kinked the hose. I was in the middle of stamping a plate when I heard an airline let loose and an inhuman scream.

There was the new guy, laying on the floor in the fetal position that Acidman mentioned, holding his nards and trying to protect his face from the evil hose. Much as we didn't want to, we got the air shut off, and went to laugh and point at check on him, and make sure he was okay. He was sobbing.... which just made us cry with him. Okay, our tears were from laughter.

We should have let the hose beat him to death. Turns out, the bright one had kinked the hose to change tools, but when the new tool wouldn't go into the fitting, he let go of the kink to try and use both hands to hook the tool up. Never had a chance. A Darwin award in the making, and we had ruined it.

We had almost stopped laughing until he puked... then it started all over again. Trying to get a little relief, and maybe a bit of sympathy from us, he came back holding a bag of ice over the boys. Heheh... we were crying! One of the funniest things I've ever had the privilege to be around. 'Course, if that were me, it wouldn't have been the least bit funny.

The other incident is nowhere near the first one, but it was pretty good nonetheless.

We used to screw a male fitting into these thick gallon jugs. You duct tape it, connect the air hose to it, and wait for an unsuspecting victim. Once the victim approached the blast area, you turned the air on, and that bottle would make a huge BOOOOM! We called them "bottle bombs," and they would scare the crap out of you even if you knew they were about to go off!

A crew of shippers had come up to our floor and were packing up a very large crate. While they left for break, we made up a bottle bomb, and placed it under the crate. Then we waited for the buzzer, and just cracked the air, allowing the pressure to slowly build.

They got back and started in again while we were all just waiting. The best part was that one of them was straddling the hose. Now before you think that we were trying to hurt someone, I've gotta point out that the end of the hose couldn't come out from under the crate until you used a crane to lift it... we had left just enough room to keep the hose from getting pinched off. Anyway, nothing happened. That bottle had to have been huge... it just wouldn't blow. So one of the guys got impatient, walked over to the valve, and cranked it up.

When that sucker went, it was loud as hell, and the hose was jumping back and forth between that shipper's legs... they started doing a twisted dance. Actually it looked like they were playing hopscotch on a huge grid... jumping side to side, leaping all over the place! I almost felt bad... almost.

Ah.... good times, good times.

Friday, September 02, 2005

The Fritzies

Alright, I know all ten of you are just dying to know who got the 16 oz Fritz's Wooden Nickel glass. Well, here's the way they came in, according to my Sitemeter.

At number 22,221 was an unknown referral, though I'm pretty damn sure that it was Marty.
One hit too late was Sissy, at 22,223. That would have been cool, as I was her 10,000th hit.

22,222? A screen shot. Someone from came over from phin's place, making him the lucky winnah. He gets not only a fine, fine piece of elegant glassware, but the promise that if/when we ever meet, that glass will be filled with the libation of his choice.

A huge honorable mention goes out to Livey, who came in at 22,220. The woman is a living example of persistence... she was tryin' to get me in a boots only pose. Count yourself lucky, Livey... that's not a pretty sight!

Thanks to all of you who have been visiting over the past year and gave these hits to me. You all rock.

Bright Criminal Of The Week

A heist should require a bit of thought... at least more than a couple of minutes worth. Just my thinking.
"A bank robbery failed because one of the alleged robbers was worried that his electronic tracking ankle bracelet would go off and alert his probation officer if he was gone from home for too long, police said."
Criminals is de craziest peoples!

Lose Thumbs While You Sleep!

It's no secret that I have some pretty strange dreams. Don't really know why, but they seem to like me. Always have, since I was a kid. Heh... back then, the dream that I had for the longest time was me being shoved into a pipe, grates welded on the ends, then dropped into deep water. 'Course, I drowned. These started when I was about five, and went until I got into high school. Driftin'....

A little while back, I dreamed that I lost my left thumb. Ripped it right off, as in the whole digit going back to the wrist. It was a fairly gorey dream, but the only thing I clearly remember is freaking out about my thumb taking a haitus.

I had this dream a couple of different times within about a two week's period. Thumb always gone, though in different ways. Last one I remember clearly was getting my hand slammed in a car door. Splat... thumb gone.

Well, that wasn't so weird. What WAS strange is that I had a dream shortly after these that seemed to tie in. It was a very short dream... I woke up in a cold sweat almost immediately.

In that dream, I was trying to work on a machine or something, and I reached out to grab ahold of another something. As my hand went out in front of me, NO THUMB! It didn't get ripped off, it just wasn't there. No scars... it had healed nicely, I guess. I woke up checking to see if I still had my thumb.

Wonder what the hell that was supposed to mean?

The Explanation

Here's the scoop on my post about taking a leap. I didn't really mean for it to sound cryptic... I just wanted to make sure that folks in my workplace didn't know what was going down. Not their business, though they seem to think so.

One way or another, I will be losing my current job. The company is going to be going through some changes soon, thinning the workforce and moving workcenters, and I've made it pretty obvious that I don't care for the job. Oh, I do a great job while I'm working... I just hate being a machine setup and operator. Part of what makes this a hard decision for those above is the fact that I run excellent parts. And, as my boss said, "You're one of our best operators... but it's plain to see that you don't like the job." Anyway, I had a nice sit down with my boss, and we didn't try to bullshit each other.

When all was said and done, it came down to three options:
1. I take a position in another department.
2. I try to bullshit them that I suddenly love standing in front of a machine.
3. I leave the company for a job elsewhere.

The first option sounded tempting, except that it is going to be a five dollar an hour pay cut. Heh... I don't make that much now! One suggestion was for me to take this position, and bartend on weekends to make up what I lose. I do this until I find another job.

The second option just ain't going to happen. Even if I did try that, I only have a month to show my undying love for the job, or I'm flat out gone.

With the third option, I have the "luxury" of looking for another job, while staying around for another month. The boss has offered to try and work with me on scheduling interviews and such. Hell, the owner actually called the staffing agency asking about possible jobs for me! Boss says that's the first time he's ever seen him do that.

So there's the reason behind "The Leap." I'm not really looking for advice, I just thought it funny, in a weird way, that a person could go from liking the opportunity for something new, to being afraid of making a move. Familiarity is not a friend in the long run.

This could work out to be a very good thing... I'll just have to see how I make it play out.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Burned

"Would you like Hot or Mild sauce with that?"

"No, thank you. I'll have the Fire sauce, please."

"Okay."

Fire... F-I-R-E.
Mild... M-I-L-D.

FIRE= warm "hot" sauce
MILD= giggle juice

They don't even sound the same. Leastways, not to me.

Idiot gave me mild.

Katrina Relief

Apothegmdesigns is auctioning off a custom blog design to the highest bidder, as a way to help provide relief for Hurricane Katrina.

Go to phin's blog for more details, or to make a bid.

Help out, and get a kick ass looking blog!