Here is what is happening in my world as of late . . .

Tag Archive for: Update

[update #5 – part 1]

The Big Drive North

Not sure if you knew this – but I am essentially what, in the industry, is known as a long distance driver extraordinaire . . . it is a gift (curse) that I discovered way back in the day – and is more than likely directly linked to my unbridled stubbornness – or in other terms . . . I can sometimes be just too dumb to know when to quit – which should not to be confused with the times that I quit with hair-splitting lightning-like dexterity –

Yeah – even though I sometimes usually never change my mind – there are times when I tend to directly contradict myself – immediately after making a declarative statement . . . which tends make my mind change itself – at which point I inevitably sit down – take in the countryside with a deep breath – and throw in a white flag of surrender.

Back to the story?!

The other day (after heading a sad and hearty fare thee well to a bunch of nice people) I packed the car so full of stuff that [Seriously funny analogy/call back type line here ala “that car was so fat” “how fat was it” “that car was so fat that instead of ‘wash me’ the back window started speaking Spanish . . . it was all like ‘nada mas. . .’ all like ‘lo siento – pues este es muy necessaro que tu throw some of this junk out!!’ heh heh heh” – yeah – definitely something like all of that.] – so full that it was very full – what more can I say?

The dog (Irving Brown Socks) was also making the trip – and the worst part of the whole ordeal came early on for him when after attempting to leave my first stop out of town . . . I hopped into the car to find him whining and whimpering – very urgently – and after quickly checking him out to figure out the problem – my stomach turned when I found that the tip – and seriously just just the tip of his tail was stuck in the door. He received multiple treats – and I am happy to say that he has shown no ill effects since this little misunderstanding happened – although I did notice that the trip to the rocking chair factory that he had organized for the family in North Carolina at the end of the month has been cancelled – so that is a bit sad.

More to be continued

[update #4]

A Scary Hat Up There.

I was up in the unfinished attic the other night – you know – the attic where you need to step on the top-most part of a 7 (seven) foot ladder to get into . . . the attic where once you do pull yourself up (and it is dusk turning into night) all you have is a flashlight and a little of the moon to guide your way around the creaking wood slat floor? Yeah – well this is that attic.

I was installing cable into a couple of the bedrooms in the temporary headquarters – and couldn’t figure out how to get over the rooms where the cable was supposed to go – there was a wall blocking my way – a creepy black wall that was maybe made of some sort of tar paper or something. It was one of those odd moments where the space that you are in isn’t matching up with the space that your brain is expecting/anticipating/calculating – where something just feels a bit off . . . So I started to run the flashlight over the wall (at which point it really started to feel like what I would imagine being an explorer – or at the very least an explorer in a video game would feel like) and then I found a seam in the wall – which lead to a hinge – boy was this getting exciting! I took a couple of steps back and then as clear as day there was a door in the middle of the wall with an old-timey metal sliding latch to keep it shut. I am not even going to lie – it was a scary entrance.

I took a quick breath and then unlocked the latch. The door opened – scraping the floor as it went – and there was the space from the room that my brain had been looking for – along with some old headboards, a crib and a shelf.

I ran the wires over the wall and then had to situate myself under the shelf so that I could pull them in the rest of the way . . . that was when I started to notice the things that were on the different shelves. There wasn’t all that much stuff and most of it was just old (like crumble when you touch it type of old) papers and a couple of those pull down and then flap-flap-flap when they go back up window shades. But then my flashlight hit the tip of a ribbon that was mostly buried under a bunch of bits of stuff – so I brushed some of the crumbles away – and had to back up (yes – I took a step back – indeed) – because there it was . . . a creepy creepy hat.

After shaking the hat off I showed it to my wire installing helper – who was stationed at the bottom of the ladder – and who seconded the notion that it was indeed a hat of the creepy variety . . . I put it back in it’s place – and went on about my cable installing business – always conscious of that hat on that shelf.

I don’t know the history of the hat – but I’m not sure that I need to. All I do need know is that it is about 12 (twelve) feet up and 8 (eight) feet to the right of where I sleep . . . and that the hat is in no way my friend.

[update #3]

Oh holy beans . . .

For some reason lately – totally out of the blue – I have found myself exclaiming the phrase “Holy Beans!” with the occasional “Holy Franks & Beans” sometimes thrown in for “good” measure.

I am not sure where the phrase came from . . . did I pick it up from one of those young turks at day care – perhaps it is yelled day after day on the newest hippest cartoon/commercial that my brain gets glued to on a regular basis and which will invariably form the foundation for my social/buying habits for most of the rest of my life – or, and this is the most likely the case since you hardly ever watch what you say around my impressionable ears, did I just learn it from you?!

I guess that it is fun to have a go to exclamation that can be thrown into random situations . . . for instance “Holy Beans! I get to go home now?!” or “Holy Franks & Beans! I seriously can barely even believe that just really happened right there in front of my face – where normally things like that rarely ever happen at all and where if they ever even do happen, it’s never actually right in front of my face – which is why I have been prompted into such a long and drawn out exclamation for the situation at hand . . . which – sadly – has now passed due to the longevity of this . . . uhm . . . I talked way too long – so never never never mind anyway(s) . . .”

Mostly – though – shortly after the phrase(s) pop out of my mouth, I just end up rolling my eyes (internally so as to take a good look at myself) and wondering at what point I became a caricature of a 1920’s street corner newspaper boy who mumbles to himself and occasionally utters throwaway phrases instead of having polite conversation like I was taught long ago in finishing school . . .

But I guess figuring out the answer to a question like that would be similar to catching rain in a jar and wishing for soup . . . which is a whole other can of corn.

[can of corn ]

[can of corn]

[update #2]

The ship is taking on water(s)!

Everybody! Quick! Grab a bucket and start bailing this old tub out. . .

No, seriously, as the (self-appointed) Captain of this ship – I have to inform you that one of the games that I have been playing is one of those pretending type of games where when the bath tub starts filling up with water . . . I pretend that I am actually in a sinking ship . . . which is kind of odd – since never in my wildest imaginings would I figure that I would be taking a shower while going down to meet Mister Davey Jones at the bottom of the deep dark depths in a sinking ship – but I guess that is kind of beside the point.

Usually I wait until the water gets just over my feet – but not quite to the ankles. I wait because I don’t want to be a ninny (yes – I said it) who freaks out over a splash of water on the deck . . . boats tend to get water in them from time to time. Conversely – I absolutely have to start fretting way way before the ankles – because by that point . . . things really are looking grim – and the crew (the ones that haven’t already abandoned ship) are generally ready to keel haul me straight into the shackles in the brig to pay a fishy fee for all of my worldly misdeeds. As if they were any kinds of saints while they were traipsing about the land loving shores of ‘Peco Peco Bay’ during all of their miserable lives anyway . . .

One day I guess I will have to figure out what in the world is actually wrong with the (nameless at this point) boat – why water is always seeming to come in – how that can be fixed – and also on a slightly different note – how to build some sort of bridges between the crew and I so that whatever problems that this sinking ship scenario has brought up can be ironed out once and for all . . . perhaps a pot luck?!

[update #1]

The New Job . . .

Along with the big move also came the jump to the new job – which just happens to be the old job. You see – you see – the job that was now officially is the job that . . . uhm – is. It’s also the job I won’t be able to go into – or mention ever again – for fear of repercussions . . . they sometimes break knees up in these parts – and I do so enjoy all of the time that I spend with my unbroken knees.

With all of that being said – I do feel that I am slightly at liberty to share one or two quick asides from my first day at work that won’t cross over any company lines. The very first thing that I noticed – after tying on the old brown on tan apron is that the place really seemed to be much unchanged . . . the sounds, the camaraderie, the smells – they were all their and – frankly – they were still awesome. The one thing that I’d notice that was shocking was when Frank (oh jeez – I guess that I shouldn’t mention names – but this guy really took me under his wing and showed me the ropes on the first day – so why not give credit where credit is due I say?!) took me over to the grease vat – which was already at a rolling boil . . . and the place hadn’t even opened yet. Evidently they had gotten some new burners for the fryers – and boy but those babies could pump out some serious flame!
I was so excited to get my hands on the controls of the new equipment that I hardly even noticed when ‘Paco’ the kitchen cat sauntered over my way and started to my butt his head against my leg – no doubt trying to entice a good scratch behind the ears – but I had learned my lesson years before when after trying to give ‘Paco’ a pretty little pat – the only thanks that I received in return were a few well placed claws and teeth and claws for my troubles . . . boy that ‘Paco’ sure can be ornery sometimes!

All right – I have definitely said enough about the job . . . but it sure does feel nice to fall back into the sheets of nostalgia to find that the bed is still the same bed – with the same pillows, the same throw – and of course – the same old sham.

Sorry if the end got a mite flowery with the imagery there – but truth to be told . . . getting back into the trenches – well the experience is just really tough to put in words . . . simply put . . . it is just the bomb.