Saturday 28 March 2009

The Rarest Seen Type of My Blogs

Here's one for you Mr. Anonymity.

I woke up today. Is that enough good for you? No? Fine.

After work yesterday I went to Auto Zone to get something to patch a cracked hose in my car's engine bay. It's a rubber hose that runs from the side of the exhaust manifold, to the boost control module, and it has a crack in the first bend in it. Not good. VW tried to tell me it'd cost $500 for them to fix. I found the hose from a VW/AUDI parts warehouse retailer, for only $43.95, online. So the only thing I can figure VW wanted to charge me $500 to replace it, is that they were going to charge me $125 an hour in labor to let my engine cool down before they took it out , and put a new hose in. Screw that, I'm handy enough to just do it myself. However, this being the pay period for rent, it was either buy the hose (oh, it is a specialty hose with all kinds of bends and special functions, not just a straight hose), or go grocery shopping. I'm going with food! So anyway, I bought a repair kit at Auto Zone for $3. When I got it home, I found out it wasn't gonna work for this application. So this morning, after waking up and having a bit of breakfast, I went back to the store, and made a exact cost swap out (what are the odds of that?!) for a different product, super duper heat resistant black duct tape. So far it seems to be holding just fine, YAY! I will get the new hose next pay period, when I have a little more expendable cash flow. Take that VW!

On to other news. Ever since my work switched payroll companies there have been the occasional screw up at their end. So when I checked my bank account yesterday morning, and saw that I had an extra $20, I figured it was just another flub on their part, and that they'd realize the mistake and, well, correct it. However, I actually checked the pay stub today, and compared it to the last couple (oh, I've had direct deposit for years, and rarely check the pay stub, I just file them away), and holy guacamole batman! I forgot that thanks to our new most excellent president, we aren't getting raped so badly by the feds on our federal income tax, so I actually am getting an extra $20 per check! That's almost an extra tank of gas for my car!!! YAY!!! Thank You Mr. President, rock on with your bad self!!!!! (I never thought I'd be saying that in my lifetime, but there you all go!)

Anyway, after getting the tape for my car today, I headed to the local Family Video, and rented a movie. I haven't watched it yet, but when I do, I'm sure I'll post my opinion of it right here. It's some kinda chick flick, involving swords and fighting. I hadn't heard of it before today. It's called Two Tigers. Not my normal kinda movie (I really didn't like the Kill Bill movies), but I went out on a limb and rented it anyway. From there I headed to the grocery store, and picked up the necessary ingredients to make myself some guacamole, and some Cool Ranch Doritos with which to eat it! I even remembered something from way back when, and threw one of the avocado seeds into the finished product, as to keep it fresher a little longer. Even though I figure there won't be much left to go bad after tonight. Oh, handy tip for any foodies out there that make use of avocados, if you leave the pit in the unused portion, the fruit (flesh?) won't go bad!

Before I made some delicious snack food, I happened to turn on my television and caught the last half of today's Bulls game, against Indiana, and the Bulls rocked!!! That was an amazing game to watch, and I whooped and hollered, and scared the hell outta my poor cat, Marley, and possibly some of my neighbors, but whatever, I may not be the most avid Bulls fan out there, but I still love the game! The Bulls WON! And it's good to see the home team play so damn well, regardless of the sport, um, except football, the american kind that is. I love soccer (real football, as it's played with your feet, and a ball, duh!), and think that this country has too many sports to watch, and soccer won't fully catch on for a while, if ever. Oh well, It is one of the better sports around, and it just so happens to be the worlds sport. Anyway, GO BULLS!!!

I hope that satisfies the anonymous commenter's desire for me to write a more upbeat post for once! Now to sit back and listen to some good music, have a couple of beers, and wait for the sun to go down just enough for me to turn on my projector, and watch the movie I rented (stupid western facing windows) . Until the next time, good music for all, and good eats as well!

Peace out y'all!

Friday 27 March 2009

Breaking Up With Friends

Hey y'all. I hope everyone is doing alright.

First things first, Sean, if I wrote a book based on any of the posts I've made on this blog nobody would think that everything in it was fact, and it would be published and placed in the fiction section. Chrisaida (aka Pich), you were the one person who kept me just sane enough to not completely flip out on our old biology teacher, Mrs. Woodlock, although I did get her fired. Lisa, I feel bad that you lost your husband, and I also feel bad for what I whispered to him after the conclusion of the ceremony and before the reception. Mom, I can't thank you enough for putting up with me, the son that has put you you through so much crap over the last 3 decades. Dad, I don't think you read this regularly, but if you read this one for any reason, I'm very sorry I ruined your Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band record insert all those years ago (you might be a millionaire if I hadn't taken scissors and cut out the uniform pieces, really really really sorry about that!). April, (although I doubt you read this blog anymore than the couple of times you had, but if you you do, please let me know!) I miss chatting with you, a great deal as a matter of fact! To all others, sorry if I caused you any discomfort mentally or otherwise, for the most part anyway!

Okay, with all that said, back to the title of this post. I just broke up with a friend of mine, in a somewhat childish way. His name is George (in my cell phone it's George 1, just as to help keep the 3 Georges in my phone organized). He has the same kind of personality of my boss Matt. The difference is that my boss, as self important as he is, at least did get out in the world and make his own life. My newly divorced friend George, however, is 27 and hasn't done a damn thing to justify in any way shape or form the kind of attitude he cops. He gave me shit, nonstop, for being a non-optimist, when he has no idea why I'm not. Without going into the entire history we have, I'll just tell you about tonight's dealings with him.

I got a phone call from a 414 area code, at 7:27 this evening. I was thinking it might be Chantelle, but it wasn't. It turned out to be a courtesy call from VW, to ask me how happy I was about the service I got from them this week. I told the poor girl (who I have talked to many a time now, I think she intentionally takes my number to call, as it's always the same girl who has called me for the last several years), that I was very displeased with one specific thing that I was told. She told me that she thought it was crappy that I was told, and that she would have Brian call me. I told her to go ahead and do that, and at 7:34 my phone rang again, from a local area code number, without a name. I answered it assuming it would be Brian. I was wrong.

The call was from George. To put it simply, as to not get into the entirety of the dealings, he asked me to explain why I had been so harsh in a message I left him the other night. In said message, I had simply told him what I thought, without swearing or yelling, about blowing me off on this last Tuesday, when he knew damn well I was down and out. In any case, I started to give him the reason, and not even 5 seconds into it, he cut me off to tell me I was wrong. That was it. I argued with him for another minute or so, neither of us giving in, and I hung up the phone. I sent him one last message, stating simply, that you don't ask somebody to explain why they did what they did, and then cut them off before they can complete the explanation. That may be adolescent like, but as an adult I feel that one should wait for the answer to be given completely before disputing it, even if a retort is needed. Is that to much to ask?

I know I have shunned many of my old friends for being that way. They yell at me for being so immature for acting that way. However, I've found that in all adult dealings, and with my extraordinarily short list of close friends, while in a debate/discussion/Q&A or business dealing, the way to get through a dispute is to let one person speak until they are finished, and then respond. I have been guilty of not doing so in quite heated situations, I admit, however, this was not one of those situations. So I chose to end the "friendship" we'd "had". Is it wrong that I don't feel bad about doing such a thing?

Okay, once again, I digress. If any of you read all of that, without skipping sentences or entire paragraphs, I commend you.

It's Friday night, and I've had some beer now (it's currently 9:09 p.m. CST, USA), and I'm just sitting here listening to some good music and blogging. I so wish I had some good news to post about, instead of droning on and on about not so good shit. I did see a mallard when I got to work this morning. It was all alone, and I wondered who would find a girlfriend first. If I had any money to bet, I'd put it on the duck.

Okay, maybe tomorrow something grandeur and good will happen, but until I find out if that's true, I'm just gong to continue listening to music, and enjoy the fact that I have no alarm clock to worry about going off in the morning, YAY!!!!!!!!!

Peace out y'all, and good tunes and food for all! If I could supply both of those things to everybody, I sure as heck would! Until the next psycho blog, I bid you all adieu, goodnight all, and sleep well when you do.

Thursday 26 March 2009

Not Too Sure

Hey Y'all

I got my car back today! Yay! That means that I have the option to find a new second job again! But wait, I'm not sure that I want to work two jobs. I am currently 29, and will be 30 later on this year. I often feel like a failure, because I have not broken the $30 grand a year mark. There is a line in a song that goes like this "You say that money isn't everything, but I'd like to see you live without it." I feel like most everyone I know, and drive next to, and live next to, and talk with, and see from day to day has any idea the hell I go through every damn day just to get up and go to work with a smile (grimace) on my face. I may have put myself in this position, however I have no way to save myself when shit goes wrong. Financially anyway (despite my phsysical and psychological issues). I have no credit to my name, and won't until 2013.

I want to find a job that I look forward to going to every day. Don't tell me to go back to school. There is nothing a school can teach me that I don't already know. Okay, there is a lot a school can teach me, but I will not go to it, just to get the "skills" to work a "job" that I would rather shove the pencil in my own eye, than earn the paycheck. There needs to be something out there that would suit me, I just can't seem to find it.

I am currently thinking that I want to point my future to absolute rock bottom (as I'm closer to that point than not already), just to force myself to find a change in this path. I really can't think of what to do right now. I feel trapped and screwed (although I haven't felt the soft touch of a woman in too damn long). I've been through some shit that most everybody never believes. Hard times that way too many people are going through right now in this country. I am about ready to put myself back in that situation, just in order to kick my ass back into gear. It's pretty fucked up that I am willing to hit rock bottom on purpose, but right now I fail to see any other option. I am constantly broke, no really, broke to the point where after paying my bills on payday, I have no idea how I will be able to go to the grocery store and buy anything. Let alone go on a date . No joke, on pay day's, I am already out of money once the bills are paid. I just don't feel like I am meant for this. The rat race is not for me. I own one almost complete suit (minus a suit jacket), so even if I did pretend I wanted to work in an office, I wouldn't be able to dress to code, not that I want that kind of job at all, just trying to make a point here. But considering that I make well above minimum wage right now, and I still can't pay the bills, and have a life outside of my apartment at the same time is really depressing the hell outta me. Yet I can't just suck it up and do something I don't like/want to do! Most of the "rats" can't seem to get that, because they belong in the system, and rarely ever see outside the "box". Well I see the whole big box, and circle, and trapezoid, and oxigon, and so on. I've never felt quite right, and I've never been a "team player". I just don't want the masses lifestyle. That is where my problem lays, and although I know that, I still refuse to be a drone!

Not using spellcheck tonight, so if I didn't spell everything properly in this blog, kiss my ass, I'm not an office puppet!

Peace out, and good music to all a y'all

Wednesday 25 March 2009

?....??..........?

Prepare yourself Pish, or Pich if you'd prefer (even if nobody has called you that since JHHS), this isn't gonna start very happy, just flustered.

I am fed up with profit hungry companies, and the bull hockey practice of the one I just returned from, Game Stop. About 2 months ago I went there, and bought a used copy of Civilization Revolution for my PS3. Mind you it was USED, and I still paid $55 for it. Now that I haven't had a part time job to supplement my full time income, I figured that since I'm broke as a joke I would sell them the game back. Figuring I'd get about $20 for it, as it's a newer game, and it's a blue ray game for the PS3, I headed over there. Imagine the look on my face when the guy said "Okay, you get $9.60 for this." !!! I shook my head and said "You're telling me that I just paid $55 for the game, used, and I'm not even getting $10 back?!" He just looked at me, and responded with the ever so explanatory "yup." Then, the real kicker happened. The label printer, which prints the price labels for the games they buy, was right there. I looked at the labels it spit out. They are reselling the game, used (obviously) for ...............$55!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(well, to be fair, $54.99)

Unbelievable!!!!!!

So much for getting some dinner tonight AND a proper lunch at work tomorrow. Feeling a little flustered, and a bit befuddled, I took the money and left. On my way back (oh, mind you all, to do this I kinda sorta used the work van) I decided to stop at the local BK, to get a whopper w/cheese. In today's cost of things, just the burger came to $3.73. I drove up to the window, and waited for it to open. When it finally did, I handed the guy on the other side of it 4 singles, and the window closed again. When it reopened, he handed me the burger, and one lonely little, no longer even shiny, dime. I informed him that it wasn't the right change, and he looked at me blankly for a second, and then ACTUALLY ASKED ME HOW MUCH CHANGE I THOUGHT I WAS SUPPOSED TO GET BACK?!!!! I stared at him for a few seconds, just waiting to see if the light bulb would even start to flicker in his head, but alas it did not. So I did the math for him. Then he stared at me some more, before finally opening the change drawer, and slowly counting out the remaining $0.17 cents he owed me. Sheesh. Way to go what ever math teachers that kid has had over the years, and to the manager who thinks he's qualified to work the drive through window. Maybe he should just work the make line, oh, but then he might make 1 hamburger, instead of 2 whopper juniors, with cheese.

Okay, now for something good to report.....ummm, oh right! It has been confirmed! More than my family reads my blog! Oh wait, I've already used that one. Okay, hold on, uhhhh (Mr. Moon would kill me for the use of filler words), alright got one. I found it a bit amusing today, when my boss, Matt, kept insisting that I have always told him that I'm Wiccan! I've never once, at all ever claimed that, as I'm not now, nor will I ever be that specific religion! I call myself paegan, but that is not at all the same as Wiccan! Okay, so that isn't really "good" news, but I did find it more amusing than the first two things I reported in this post, so you will all just have to live with it, ha!

Okay, back to watching Wheel of Fortune. If there are any other secret readers of my blog, feel free to comment on anything you read about, at least once in a while. Doing so might just cause me to blog on a more standard basis, and maybe even lift my spirits enough to find happier topics to ramble on about! That's all for now.

Peace out y'all, and happy midweek to you all. May you all have had at least one tasty meal today, and heard one song that made you smile and/or groove to!

P.S. Spellcheck (on top of telling me I've just spelled that wrong, even though that's how it's spelled by them), is trying to tell me that I misspelled Wiccan, and it's suggestion is the rarer male version of that faith called Wicca. Really?! (yes really, no joke)

Tuesday 24 March 2009

I Miss My Hooptie Mobile (Whip, Ride, Car)

Okay, so it's not a Hooptie (hoopty?) mobile, as only one girl has ever been in it since I've owned my current V Dub, and she was my best friend's girl, so that doesn't really count. Go figure, as soon as I started posting about missing my VW, a VW commercial came on the television :(

My V Dub has it's heart ripped out right now, and some of it's arteries too. On the plus side, I was able to get the price down from nearly $2,000 for the repair it needs, to much closer to $1,000. Still a ridiculous cost for just a clutch (well it's actually the flywheel and the throw-out bearing. Not that anybody but me, and any random VW enthusiasts, or gear heads, know what the throw-out bearing, or a flywheel is, but they are very important to a manual car)!!! But I need my car. I really really need my car. No public trans for me. Even though one of my bosses tells me that the train stops at the station near my work 3 times before he leaves for work himself. Guess what, not from where I live. Maybe if I moved back to Cook County, specifically Chi Town, I could catch an early train and get to work on time. However, here in Libertyville, Metra doesn't think the upper crust folk need to start work at 7 a.m.. Guess what Metra? I share the road, sometimes at 6:30 a.m., and sometimes at 7 a.m., with thousands of other people coming from this here town, heading south!!!

In other news, it's raining, and that makes me feel a bit better. Hey Booger Brain, the only reason your text depressed me even more than I already was last night, is because it wasn't raining here at all, and I miss having a dog very very much (or immensely if you'd like)! I miss my grill too, but at least I can go downstairs, to storage, and look at my grill, pet it, scratch it behind the ears, and watch it chase it's own tail...oh wait, those are dog things, not grill things. But I wouldn't mind throwing it a bone now and again, with some muscle still connected to it of course. Oh fine, flesh. Not good enough? Okay then, with some meat still connected to the bone. What would be even better would be having 2 bones to throw my grills way, because that would mean that I once again have somebody else to cook for! But alas, my grill just sits there in the dark, locked away, like a dog at the pound :(

Now I'm sad, lonely AND hungry. Damn. One of these days I will have something good to post about, I promise! I just don't have a time line for you guys and gals. Oh, wait, I do have something to look forward to right now. Easter weekend! Not so much for that holiday, but I will be spending it with my family up north, eating some wonderful foods, and laughing (and maybe even singing and laughing, and generally being goofy!), and sharing life with my fam and a friend or two! Yay! Oh, and it is the same weekend as my parents anniversary, and my sister's birth anniversary (aka, birthday)! So that's holidayish enough for me!

I think I'll end it here, while I've got a smile in my mind.

Peace out y'all, and good music and food to all! I wish I could provide it for everyone, but I've gotta work on that second half for a bit before I can, he he he...

Saturday 21 March 2009

Nothing Came to Mind

Hey y'all

For starters, I haven't really needed to use the term "y'all" when typing a blog post before. Maybe now that will change though.

Today started out not all that different than a whole lot of days have started in the past. I woke up feeling well, and a little bit hungry. However, once again, on the weekend between pay days, I didn't have any money to go grocery shopping. However, I did, and still do, have cereal and milk. No juice though (kinda like Smokey), but food is food, regardless of what you have to drink. So I had a bowl of cereal. While masticating, I remembered something I'd thought about last night, trying to find a way to get the back door of my old work van to open from the exterior again. You see, that van has seen a lot of stuff in it's existence, much like me, and about 6 months ago the door stopped opening by the exterior handle. Meaning that this last Friday, while I was filling in for one of my drivers (who is in the middle of the desert, that lucky s.o.b), I had to contort myself to get to the back of the van to open the door from the inside. This is not good for my back.

If you're a newbie to this blog, I have a bad spine, as it's twisted a bit, and I have a couple pinched nerves and a tailbone that fuses a bit more everyday.

Anyway, I went to work, and took a really close look at the release cable in the back door of the van. I had brought my full tool box with me, and I came up with an idea to get the door to work. I realized that the cable that releases the latch was intact, but that it lacked the tension to do it's job, when you pulled on the exterior handle. So I took a wall anchor, and modified it in such a way that it would create the needed tension. It worked! For a few pulls anyway. Then the lock failed, and I couldn't get the door to open from either side. After driving home again, and doing a lot of other things, including trying to get some money for food, it hit me. I headed back to work, but this time with a dremel tool and a washer. I did my thing, and it worked! The door now open from the outside, without the lock failing!!! I was ecstatic!!! Then, the kind of luck I have kicked in. I got back into my car to drive home, and the clutch started acting funky. It got worse and worse as I approached my apartment. Crap, I need a new clutch. So I called the dealership.

As it turns out, my car isn't all that standard, and to replace the clutch, I have to replace the entire transmission! Crap!!! Stupid collector edition cars! I didn't know that it was a collector's edition when I got the car, but I've been fully aware for a while now, but still, I didn't expect the clutch would be any different than any other 5-speed I've owned before. It turns out that it'll cost $1,900 to fix. I don't have that kinda money. I struggle to get by paycheck to paycheck. I've lived alone for a few years now, and I can't save any money because it all goes out the door as soon as I get payed. So now I'm left with quite the quandary. I can't afford to fix my car, taking public transportation to work is not an option for me (I found that out a couple of years ago, and it hasn't changed), I will lose my job if I can't get there, and I have so many bills that a pay cut will ruin me. I don't know what to do! I hate this feeling!

Okay. As I've written many times before (when I thought more people than my Mom and Sister were reading this blog), if you read this whole post you deserve an award! As most people just don't have the attention span to get through that many words in one sitting. That's all for now. Hopefully I'll have more cheery things to post in the next couple of days!

Good music for all, and good eating too! Peace out y'all!

Friday 13 March 2009

My Own Friday Night

As most of you know, well the only two readers I actually know read my blog, I quit my job at Dominos tonight (I really hate that every spell check thinks I'm misspelling Dominos, they all want me add an apostrophe!). It was a long time coming, and before Monica was transferred I talked about it. So in my own rationalizing of it, I gave way more than a two week notice. Today was the day though, I just couldn't take it anymore. No tips and low pay makes Dave go...something..something... (Ahh, the Simpson's)...

I digress. It is also true that I am tired of posting this blog. I talk to the only two people I think read it anyway! If I don't get more than 13 different people to post a comment, any comment, on this random blog session in one month from now, I will stop posting anything here. Kinda pointless to keep it up when I tend to tell my family what I've posted before they read it anyway. Ya know?

Lisa, I hope you got the song I sent you, and that you like it. I have a strange feeling I may have sent it to you a couple of years ago... If so, I hope you still like the song!

Mom, sorry I swore so much when we talked earlier!

Peace out, and good music for all!

Tuesday 10 March 2009

Monday Blues and Late Tuesdays

Yesterday was Monday, and it went by like most Mondays do. However, when I left work, I headed over to Dominos, to pick up my paycheck. My heart was lifted a bit when I saw Monica's car in the parking lot. I went in and she was up front, wearing no hat. It's a rare thing for me to see her without her Dominos hat, but it was nice to see her red hair laying unencumbered. She asked me why I was still standing around after my check was handed to me by somebody else. Then she a got a glint in her eye, and she asked if I was hanging around so we could talk one last time before she heads up the Gurnee store. I let the corner of my mouth turn up slightly, and said "Yes, that is indeed why." Then she smiled, and we got to talking, sharing stories with each other that we hadn't ever brought up before together. After about half an hour, she had to get going, and I needed to head to the bank, so we left together, but got into our separate cars, and turned right. As soon as she had started her car, my heart sank again. That was one of the last few times I will probably ever see her again. Then, as I was waiting in the bank drive through, I started thinking about how odd it is to lose contact with both the red heads in my life, so close to each other. April, being the other one, was a bit of a punch to the gut, but we only talked online. Monica, however, I got to chill with, so in a way it is kinda harder to know that friendship is almost gone. Needless to say, I was a bit saddened by this, and still am today. However the Georges came over for a couple hours last night, so that was cool.

After they left, I watched the episode of House that I had recorded earlier, listened to some music, made what I believe will be my final "status" comment on Facebook, and then went to bed at the reasonable hour of 11 p.m.. Yesterday, I was feeling kinda crappy, presumably from some cashews I had picked up at Aldi on Sunday. I didn't drink any more than usual last night, or stay up later than usual, but somehow I managed to sleep right through an hour and a half of WGN Radio blasting right next to my head, and my phones alarms, and my Mom calling me. I was finally awakened by my boss Joe calling me at 8:11 this morning, of crap!!! I hate being late, really really really hate being late. I am rarely ever late to work in the morning, but I still beat myself up over it when I am. I still feel guilty, even though I am home from work now. I'm wondering if my phone is going to ring in about an hour, asking me if I'm coming in to drive tonight. My answer will be no, like it was last week. However I did check the schedule when i stopped at Dominos yesterday, and nobody had been written in for tonight. The normal driver had his license suspended because he forgot to pay a ticket. Oops. However, feeling kinda depressed and lonely, I have started drinking, so I wouldn't be willing to drive anyway, even though I haven't even finished one beer yet. Oh well, it's not like I plan on working there for much longer anyway, so nanner nanner nanner, ha!

Sometimes I hate when I get out of work at 3 p.m., as it tends to spark a daily depression. Most days, as soon as I get home, and close my apartment door, I know that I can expect not hearing from anybody at all until the next day. Which is fine every once in a while, but not so much when it's that way 365 (or 366) days a year, for 3 years. It's enough to make me a bit crazy, and it leads me to post super long blogs, even though I'm still pretty sure I can count the number of people that read this using only half the fingers on one hand. Oh well, whatever, that's what music is for. YAY MUSIC!!! On that cheery note, I'll shut up now, for a while anyway.

Peace out y'all!

Saturday 7 March 2009

$%&@!!!

Arrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here it is Saturday night, and once again between Thur, Fri and tonight I didn't even come close to clearing $100 in tips. I really need to find a new place to deliver for. Between the shitty tips, and the complete bullshit rules there are at Dominos, I almost walked off the job tonight. I got dicked by my new manager misquoting the price of an order that I delivered, so I didn't get a tip, AND I lost the part of the delivery charge that I get! But here's the one good story i have from tonight. A few stops after the one I lost money on, I arrived at a new customer's house. A kid answered the door, and I handed him the pizzas and told him the total, he said he would go get the money from his mom. While I was waiting, his little brother came to the door. He told me he had a dollar for me. He took his Velcro wallet out of his pocket, and after struggling a bit to get it open, he pulled out the one dollar he had in it and tried handing it to me. I told him that he should hold on to his money, but he still kept holding it out for me to take. Not being one to take money from kids, I tried protesting again. But he firmly held out the dollar bills, looked me dead in the eyes and said in a calm manner "I don't want it!" So I took it, figuring it was my "tip", and still feeling bad for taking it, he turned to walk away, but then turned back to me and said "Thank you!", then smiled at me, and then walked away. His mom did tip me, a lousy $0.78, but that kid made up for it. However I will be trying to find a new place to deliver for, as I got some very sad news yesterday. Monica is being transferred to the Gurnee location, so tonight was the last time I will see her. It was very sad for me, I feel like I'm losing a friend. When she was leaving tonight, I told her it was good knowing her, and she just kinda blew it off and said goodbye. Ouch. It's almost like not having April to talk to, but not quite, well kinda, because at least I got to actually physically speak with, and see Monica. But no longer, damn. So I will be searching for a new job, and hopefully i can hand back my stupid hat and stupid shirt, and tell Domino's to shove them somewhere rather uncomfortable ("like the back of a Volkswagen?", hee hee, thankyou Mallrats). Until then, I will grit my teeth, and suck it up like an adult. Hating every moment of it. On that note, I am going to imbibe some beer, tok some wacky green stuff, listen to some music, and try to relax a bit before what I hope is a proper lazy Sunday.

Peace out y'all, and I hope you are all doing well.

P.S. April, will I ever get to talk with you again? 12 years was a long time to wait, and I really hope it isn't another 12 years until we talk again. I hope things are going better for you!

Sunday 1 March 2009

Used Music Store Shortage

Hello again, didn't think I'd be blogging twice today, but here I am anyway.

I went out for my drive a few minutes after my previous post, in a search for some "new" music. Okay, so it came out in 2006, but I have not heard anything by the UK band The Heavy. At least not that I'm aware of. I grabbed my latest phone book provided by some guy who can fit into an above counter cabinet, and looked up used music stores. I found one in Lake Zurich, Yahoo Local(ed) it, and it came up with an immediate link with a map to get there. My mistake was in not dialing the digits listed before embarking. I got out to Lake Zurich in pretty good time thanks to my GTI (of course obeying the Rules of the Road to the letter), only to discover that in the bustling shopping district at Rtes 22 and 12, that particular store was gone. And it's not alone, the nearest one I can find, online anyway, is in Hoffman Estates, and if memory serves me, I'm pretty sure that one is gone as well. The internet may be great for many things, but it has killed a little thing called music retail shops. The kind of place where you can actually drive to in your car, or walk to if it's close enough. Open a door, interact with actual humans, and most likely find the album you want, or at least not leave empty handed. Not the point and click instant gratification crap called ITunes, or Napster, or any of the torrents and whatnot. I know that WAV files are damn near close to Master CD quality, but there is something about having a disc (or for you old true audiophiles, vinyl) that you can handle, and art work that you can hold, and all the info about everything that went into making the album, that you just don't get when you download it. And I dare to say, that CDs still sound better than the same album does on my IPod. So the internet has killed the jobs of people who really love music as much as me, and most of you! Damnit!!! I finally broke down and tried going to the mall, but in such a bad economy, I was surprised to find absolutely no available parking spot. That was enough, I'd had it. Feeling somewhat defeated and deflated, i went to get some food, and have since returned home. I'm now listening to some cds I already have, and doing some laundry, and feeling quite content about that. I still want to find a used music store though! Maybe tomorrow...

Until then, I hope you've all had a peachy keen weekend, and I will talk with some of you later (or all two of you as the case may well be).

Oh, and April, if you happen to read this at any time, I hope you are doing better, and that you've laughed at least once today.

Peace out y'all

Why I Like Driving My Car

For me, on most mornings, this is the first thing I see when I look out my bedroom window. When the sun is already up anyway. (I can pick out that badge with only moonlight :) )





It almost looks like it's already driving. Luckily however it's not, because if it were I'd have a car through my bedroom wall. Which is rarely a good thing.

I would go on, but I think I'm going to go for a drive.

Happy Lazy Sunday to all!
















It almost looks like it wants to be driven.