Shut out

Why is it that the people we most want to talk to are the ones who shut us out? Maybe cause when someone we don't want to talk to shuts us out we don't notice.

Anyway I'm feeling shut out today, which is never a good feeling. I try to help, I try to talk sense and be fair and balanced etc. I still end up pissing everyone off.

Screw me.


R

Official rat policy

Today we get a memo from HR that states among other funny things 'Don't handle dead rats with your bare hands'

uh good safety tip there, thanks for that.


In other news I regret to inform you that my big New Years Eve rat juggling show has been moved offsite.

2004

End of the year lists can be a drag, so I will resist the temptation to do some BS best of list here. I will just cite a few things that I dug in 2004.

The opening credits of Napoleon Dynamite
the Interpol album
the film Sideways (made better by seeing it with Michael)
The AC Newman record is a real grower
America's Game how pro football captured a nation
Damien Rice
Seeing Closer
My trips to Denton
The left of the dial box
Phoenix, Air, Tahiti 80 and other French swank pop bands
Nick Cave
Actually sticking with my workout all year
Netflix
the Vitamin store
Learning to blog (thanks Megan)
People actually reading lame blog (bonus)

There are tons more, but screw it I hate year-end lists.

R

More on the customer service thing

Sprint spends millions of dollars trying to get people to do something I've already done, and more importantly continue to do. So here I am a customer under contract, and it honestly doesn't take a whole lot to make me happy. But they fall short, cause they don't care about customers they already have.


I always rant on this subject, but companies spend millions on their image, and advertising. They choose to save money in a very important area the front line. When I walk in Subway the most important person who works for their entire company is the person I will come in direct contact with. It's not Jared I find in my local Subway, it's more likely someone who is either gangsta, or disinterested teen. There goes your carefully crafted expensive image right out the window. Why don't companies spend just a fraction more to get someone behind the counter who actually gives a shit. In a way I can't blame the current crop for not caring, if you aren't paid a decent salary how can you have anything invested.

It just seems odd to me.

Dancing about architecture

RE: Zivan’s 100


I find it funny that I played name that tune with the mystery disc, and the only song I had no clue about was from Graham Coxon. As a dyed in the wool blur fan it’s a bit of a statement about how I feel about the solo work. Anyway on to the rest of the songs. Lot’s to like here, REM, Jellyfish, Radiohead all passed easily. In fact it’s a bit hard for me to rip on anyone who has so many good choices. Kate Bush earns extra points, and having the guts to include that Dolly Parton track wins you bravery points in my book. Picking Emotional Rescue shows that this was not a drill, and David is not playing to the crowd which is always good to see. My fondness for Squeeze and Pavement will help to further tether my distain for the likes of Smoke on the effing water! Smoke on the water would make my worst 100 list. As for Lump, I hear the hook it’s just not catching me, I feel like spongebob just riding the lure and letting go. I can’t really endorse Night Moves either, but hell man you put the Three degrees on here so I can’t rip you at all. I’m pretty sure I’ve turned that Three degrees song up everytime I’ve heard it. You won’t draw me offsides with the likes of AC/DC or Jet either as I believe there is a place in this world for rawk power chords. Philadelphia Freedom will probably get you some stick here, but it reminds me of Shawnee Kansas backyard baseball so I won’t go there. I was already tarred and feathered for letting bad music slide because I had nice memories associated with it.

There’s plenty of sure fire jukebox hero homeruns on here Radio radio, middle of the road, & Sabotage are all solid as a rock.

It’s a shame the Ben Folds Five were never as good as that first record. I really thought they were going places and while they had their moments it was never quite like that again.

I’ll let you slide on the time it took as well, since I’m on deck and I spent Christmas trying to get started. I may throw out Dylan, Beatles, Stones, Who, Sinatra etc just in the interest of getting this thing done before ‘06’

For the most part I dig your party mix, and if you throw out Smoke on the water, and Night moves I think we’re good.

Can you hear me now?

I'm soooo pissed at effing Sprint!

On December 8th I changed my plan to one with more minutes, and then on Dec 14th I paid my bill in full two weeks before it was due. In fact the website says I owe 0.00 right now. So I was quite surprised to receive a message at lunch saying my service has been cut off, and that I need to make a payment to restore service.


What the fucking fuck?!!!?!?!?!?!


After 30 minutes on the phone with me they seem to have it sorted out. They apologized and gave me some 'courtesy minutes' and tried to make nice but I'm still swole yo.

Those who know me are well aware that shitty customer service is my big pet peeve, and this will go in Sprint's permanent record. The worst part is at the end of the call she recited the standard up sell rap like it was just an ordinary call.

R

Can't get outta bed

Once again it's a real drag coming to work. No one seems to be working this week, and the truth is I did nothing yesterday.

I was working on cracking my mother's code. When she says 'how do you find each other in this big house? she means you don't need this much house. When mom says "wow is that new" she means you spent too much. And so it goes.

I feel silly blogging and bitching about anything given the effig Tsunami tragedy. So much of our focus can be on such trivial issues. We should be thankful we don't have more serious concerns.

I'm having to use my personal laptop since no one here this week has admin rights and I need to run new software. So once again I must wonder why the fuck am I here, I could so do this from home.

No Netflix due to the holiday, but Open water comes out today so I may watch that.
Music-Wrens, AC Newman

R

Rats

This is an old building where I work, and we have fields all around here. So naturally we have a few rats. Last week the rodentia was getting bad so one of our guys put out some bait. We took four days off, and I was dreading what we'd find today when we came back. Sure enough there are dead rats all over the place. It's sooo gross!! I almost stepped on one when I opened the closet...yikes!

I hope we found most of them, because the smell is really awful if they are in the walls or ceiling.


Yeah it's really gross to come back to this when I'd rather be home in bed like most of the town.

R

Aftermath

My house looks like it was hit by a Christmas tornado. Had lots of little kids at my place for Christmas. I got to hand out gifts which made me a hero. There was a shadow cast over the proceedings though as the news came that my grandfather had taken a turn for the worse, and my mother could only stay about an hour because she was headed back up to be with him. I realize there is simply no such thing as a 'normal Christmas' there are always problems. My brother and I are working out when we are going up as well.

Otherwise it was all good. I ate and spent way too much, and my teams won.

Now I'm very tired, and one of the few in the office today...yawn.

R

AKA

Not sure how Kent got my email address. Perhaps from Classmates.com I dunno. It's one of my alias email addresses. I think this one's called Red McGrady. I like to have fake names, not sure why. I think it all started back in my record club days. I would order 12 free cds and agree to buy however many at club prices in the next year. Roberto Mintez never fulfilled his obligation to buy, and neither did my cat who also had several memberships.

Even now about half the mail I get is addressed to my fake company Championship Entertainment. Championship is named in tribute to Nick Hornby's record store in High Fidelity.

So from Charles, Phil, Red and all the rest here at Championship happy holidays to you.

I'll keep it with mine

Ok slight revision to that last post. Just received some Swedish chocolates, and yet another popcorn tin. I'm taking today's stuff home because A. there will be no one here for four days, and B. this building has rats.

Oh and the Swedes make their heart shaped chocolates look like several other body parts. Swedish erotica indeed.

Happy Christmas is you choose to celebrate it, otherwise happy Saturday.

I'll be whipping your ass with my year end lists soon enough.

R

Snowing

We have big snow fall, but the ground is too warm for a white Christmas.

It felt good to give away all the free stuff I got this year from Suppliers. Jars of salsa, tins of sweets & chocolates, and barrels of popcorn. In the past I would've taken it all home, but this year I put it all in the kitchen here at work for everyone to share. Maybe I'm growing up a bit, or maybe I just don't want all those calories around me. Either way it felt good to give it away.

I'm so ready to get out of here, the office is empty.

I'll dedicate Ghost town by the Specials to FDI today.

R

Christmas wah wah

I listen to my juddering bones
the blood in my veins and the wind in my lungs
and I'm breathless without you
still your hands
and still your heart
for still your face comes shinning through
and all the morning glows anew
still your soul
still your mind
still, the fire of love is true
and I am breathless without you-Nick Cave

Yes this blog is still hung up on the Nick Cave cd, and no he wasn't 'great in Moonstruck' but that is a funny line.


I got a random email from an old friend, and what a nice surprise it was. Kent and I have known each other so long that we sang the Blues Brothers cover of Soul Man together when it was in the charts. Good to hear from him, since I'd be too chicken shit to contact any old school friends.


I read an article last night that suggested sociopaths do very well in the corporate world....of course they do. When being simply selfish isn't good enough.

Yesterday I got two postcards from two different companies stating that the gifts I ordered will be on backorder until Jan 27, and Feb 2 respectively. This is a bit of a pet peeve for me. When I place an order online you should 1. be able to tell me if it's not in stock right then and there, but baring that 2. you should email me as soon as you know there is a problem, not snail mail! They have my email correct, they sent me order acknowledgements, but when it's time to break the bad news they send snail mail. WTF? So I will spend tomorrow in a scramble to get replacement gifts lined up.

Errrrr!



Music-tindersticks, Nick Cave, Ani Difranco

Siblings

I told my siblings that if they insist on buying me gifts they should consult my Amazon wish list, my Cd Universe wish list, my Amazon UK wish list, or just go to the Sanrio store.

Today I learn that my Cd Universe list is not viewable....errrrrr

I fixed it now I think.


Yeah slow news day round these here parts.


R

All these things I've done-the Killers

When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
One more son
If you can hold on
If you can hold on, hold on
I wanna stand up, I wanna let go
You know, you know - no you don't, you don't
I wanna shine on in the hearts of men
I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand

Another head aches, another heart breaks
I am so much older than I can take
And my affection, well it comes and goes
I need direction to perfection, no no no no

Help me out
Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner
You know you got to help me out

And when there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
These changes ain't changing me
The cold-hearted boy I used to be

Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner
You know you got to help me out
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down

I got soul, but I'm not a soldier
I got soul, but I'm not a soldier
...

Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner
You know you got to help me out
You're gonna bring yourself down
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down

Over and out, last call for sin
While everyone's lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done
If you can hold on
If you can hold on

El Norte

I never meant 2 cause u any sorrow
I never meant 2 cause u any pain
I only wanted 2 one time see u laughing
I only wanted 2 see u laughing in the purple rain-Prince


I wish the Denton job would come through, but I'm getting a bad feeling about it. Maybe the hiring freeze will be lifted in the new year. I'm kinda liking the vibe up there. Or maybe I'm just tired of shady west Dallas.

Got a conference call with effing Sweden today. My morale is low for lots of valid reasons. I found out they have no intention of replacing Nathan, we will all just have to do pieces of his job. We are under paid and feeling taken advantage of. I'm not great at holding my tongue, so we'll see.

Nick Cave, Jeff Buckley, and American music club

R

The sun always shines on TV

My 97 year old grandfather isn't doing very well unfortunately. I need to get my monkey ass up there to see him. Hey, maybe I can use it as an excuse to skip out on the in-laws.

I have a question for you goodly blog reader. Why would someone steal bags full of leaves?
On Saturday I raked up about ten bags full of leaves, and placed them out by the curb. Later in the afternoon I returned from running errands to find all the bags gone. Do they have value? I half expected to get a note reading;

Thanks for the leaves, by the way did ya get the honey?


I raked leaves and put up effing Christmas lights. No, as a matter of fact this isn't the life I envisioned for myself. Much of life is compromise, or defeat.

Both my teams won.

R

Cry baby cry

I've pissed everyone off with my whining. I'm shocked by how personally people take my bitching. Sorry I just needed to cry out loud a bit, I know it sucks to read it. You are always free to read something else.

Happy holidays to you and yours.

R

Turn Minter's middle aged crisis into a portfolio win

Sorry this blog has turned into Oprah.

Another day, another prescription pill is found to cause heart damage. Explain to me again why we want to take the teeth out of the laws that enable you to sue these companies? It seems the only recourse the victims have, and I've yet to see any evidence that doing so would truly lower the cost of healthcare. Of course I could be wrong.


The Apprentice was awful last night. I feel so violated for investing in it all season. All that protracted live crap with effing Regis, I mean honestly!



Netflix-Breathless, Walkabout
Music-Joanna, Nick Cave, and Q. Lazarus' Goodbye Horses (yes the one from Silence of the lambs 'it places the lotion on it's skin')

R

Hello Kitty

Sorry this blog has been bumming everyone out lately. Nothing but Hello Kitty from here on out...I promise.


Joanna Newsom was worth the wait, but I can't think of anyone who I could recommend this one to. It's too Bjorky, Edie Brickelly, and features a harp too often for you lot.


I love rainbows, kittens, and little baby ducks.

You're fired

Now the flu shots are in danger of going to waste. Nice! Too bad this wasn't a project for the Apprentice crew, they would've done better than this.

Mother's little helper

Really bummed me out to say goodbye to Nathan today. He and I have gone through some unbelievable shit together in the last two years, and somehow came out of it as friends.

I can't tell if what I'm feeling is normal human emotion, or something more serious.
Isn't there a pill for all of this now? Don't we live in an age where we need not feel pain or sadness. I'm sure happiness is just a prescription pill away right? I see it in all the papers, and on TV.


I'm extremely emotional, and emotions aren't considered very masculine. I can assure you it isn't pleasant to feel ashamed of your feelings.

Service awards

We just had our company holiday lunch. As they were handing out service awards I couldn't help thinking I hope I don't make it five years here. If that plaque finds it's way to my hand, either things have improved drastically, or I will have a gun in the other hand.


Sorry to be so dark today. Not much to smile about.

Studies

My life is sham I prentend that I'm me
My life is a sham I pretend that I'm free-American Music Club

Study: Married people are healthier and live longer.

To my single friends,

Don't fall for this type of propaganda ok? I promise it's not worth it. Note it doesn't say anything about happiness.

How long you wanna live anyway?

RUN!

fly fly

Do they know it's Christmas

I received a brochure addressed to a former employee with the headline;

"how can you exploit the fuel crisis in Asia into a portfolio win"

Is this what we are put on this earth to achieve? Exploit for a portfolio gain? Is this what's important? or right?


I think the reason so many people get depressed this time of year is the simple fact that Christmas failed, the message is lost in a sea of commerce. We are too busy exploiting Asia to give a shit about anyone else. And I'm no better cause I have freewill to stop working here, but so far I have stayed. And yes this blog is often about effing Coach bags so yeah I get it, you don't have to say it.

All men are evil.

Wednesday

'You get old, you can't hack it anymore, and that's it. That's your theory?-Trainspotting


I overcame my OCD compulsion to exercise last night and went to bed early. I feel like I'm coming down with something so I'm trying to fight it off. I bored everyone I spoke to yesterday, and I'm danger of doing the same today. So my apologies in advance.

This Nick Cave CD is so brilliant! I've never been a huge fan, but this thing is amazing. Disc two has taken up permanent residence in my player.

Today is my friend Nathan's last day here at work. My posse is now gone, I must now become a one man force.

I'm really looking forward to the life aquatic, and in good company.

R

Dude

My 'free' Dell laptop only cost me $500...dude! But I'll be able to sit at Starbucks and roll wireless, woo hoo! Yes those guys are dorks, and now I am one too. The free one just didn't have enough bells and whistles for me.

And yes I'm now officially broke. My Coach bag will have to wait. Never fear, the FDI holiday bonus is a $30 Target gift card, so stand back.

D had me pull an extremely loose tooth out last night, and when I speculated about the tooth fairy payout he says;

'I'm not sure there is a tooth fairy, I'm pretty sure fairies are fantasy'

As a parent you get good at not confirming or denying the existence of magical fairies.

Music-Nick Cave, Cake, Godley and Creme.
Netflix-Kimba the white lion (as I try once again to bond with my son through bad shows I liked as a kid. Underdog, & Speed Racer previously failed to reach him)

R

Whoa

I always watch my failed football team at my brother Ryan's place. In a year like this one, it becomes more about family than football. Each season we tinker with game day traditions that we hope will influence the outcome of the game. Last year we ate the same thing every week since our team was winning we didn't dare monkey with the formula.

In August my brother helped me move, and we found my old Mork action figure complete with mullet. For those of you who are too young to remember Mork was a TV sitcom starring Robin Williams as a space alien living in suburban Denver (yes it was as bad as that sounds) Anyhoo my brother asked if he could be the keeper of Mork, and I acquiesced. It was tough to give up the Mork in the age of eBay, but my brother is always the one who helps me move and he doesn't ask for much. He did get the Barbie Benton poster also, but other than that he asks for very little.

The night of our first game of the year I took the Mork figure over to Ryan's place and we took turns making bad jokes in our best hyper-active fake Robin Williams voices. You can probably do a better Robin Williams in your head than we do anyway so try it;

Mork - 'whoa the Chiefs aren't looking so good, maybe they should throw the bomb. Speaking of bombs did ya ever see death to smoochy?

And so it went, the bad jokes and losses piled up. Those of you who follow football know that my team is terrible this year, and has been called one of the biggest disappointments in the league.

Tonight I will go to Ryan's not because my team has a shot at the playoffs (they don't) and not because I think we will win (we prolly won't) but because I love my brother and this is what we do.

Lovely day

Lunch was so nice, it's hard to come back to work.

Nice sunny day, good for not working.


This blog is liking the new Nick Cave, and we haven't even heard disc 2 yet.

Frontin'

I've seen some hard hard places come down to smoke and ash-Joni Mitchell

The moth don't care when it sees the flame-Aimee Mann

My mail problem is getting to be a real problem. The dude at the PO box had to use a big cardboard box for my mail yesterday.

Word of my recent music transgressions has gotten around it seems. I received my CD Universe order yesterday;

Cure-three imaginary boys reissue -Check
Sally Timms In the world of him-check
Joanna Newsom milk-eyed mender-che...urg...Brooks and effing Dunn!

Somehow I got Brooks and Dunn instead of sweet clean Joanna Newsom. I feel so violated!!! I'm sure it's due to my Celine Dion problem. What other explanation could there be? I've been a happy CD Universe customer for many years and they NEVER send the wrong title. So I gotta get this B & D cd sent off before somebody sees me.


Not much to report otherwise. I'm shopping online for Christmas gifts and trying to resist buying the perfect Coach messenger bag. Why am I the easiest person on my list? My check card has smoke coming off it.

Music-Three imaginary boys reissue, & Jamie Cullum
Netflix-not here yet : ( guess it's the Christmas mail slow down, or maybe they wouldn't fit in my box.

R

It's personal but they need to know

The trouble with blogs is people read them. Not many people in this case mind you, but readers nonetheless. So invariably there are things I cannot or will not post here. On a day like today that leaves little to blog about.

So I will move along safe in the knowledge that even in this most open forum I'm still hiding something.

Is this it?

I need someone to bail me out. Send in the clowns, bring on the dancing horses, watch that man.

Sorry blogger's block.

R

There's only one Steven Gerrard

Liverpool 3 Olympiakos 1


Much rejoicing!

Tips on tipping

This time of year I usually tip some people who provide services throughout the year. The paperboy, trash man, and letter carrier get a little something from me. Not much mind, just something for the effort.

I like to be a generous tipper, and I have a soft spot for paper people cause I've done it in my life and it's hard work for very little pay.

My dilemma is I've only been getting the New York Times for a month, and due to a mix up they missed me two of the four Sundays. So does this person deserve to be included for hitting at 50% so far? Not sure it's the delivery person's fault that I was missed.

Holla if you hear me

R

Dear Santa

I won't bullshit you S, we all know I'm not a good boy. But for the 37th time;

Gibson Les Paul
Marshall stack
Jaguar XJS

As for the details of actually knowing how to play guitar etc. just don't worry about that so much.


R

Over the counter culture

I don't embarrass easily when it comes to buying things. Condoms? sure why not? what's the worst they could think? honestly? Hell you should buy condoms once a month whether you need them or not just to keep your name out there.

Lingerie? even better, who's with me.

Cake toppers? yeah you wanna make something of it?

Journey CD? I'll play it louder just knowing you disapprove.


Today I met my match. My mom wants the new Celine Dion for Christmas, so at lunch I had to face it. I honestly toyed with buying it along with Motorhead or somesuch to try and still feel like a man.

It is with great shame that I admit to adding to the Dion fortune.

Now I'm sitting on the curb wrapped in a blanket rocking back and forth while you whisper 'it's all over' reassuringly.

R

you don't like needles do you?

No, not really. Why do they always say this? Hands up who likes needles?

I don't really like getting kicked in the balls either for the record. WTF?


Every inch of me is full of pain oh you should've come over
my broken bones can smell the rain and their aching to be covered-JB (LMB)


R

Bittersweet me

Gold teeth and a curse for this town
were all in my mouth, only I don't know how they got out dear
Turn me back into the pet I was when we met
I was much happier then with no mindset

the Shins

Ship Building

I'm gonna play this Vandross
you gonna take yo pants off
I'm gonna play this Gladys Knight
me and you gonna get right-Kanye West

And who says there are no great poets anymore?

'Due to congestion at the port of origin the SS Independence is delayed' All my incoming and outgoing ships are behind. This is of little use in the production meeting when we discuss short parts and materials.

I must've been struck by lightning yesterday, that's the only explanation for my loopy mindset.

Music-Massive attack, Jeff Buckley, Joni Mitchell, Chet Baker, Ry Cooder, Damien Rice, and the Cuisine non-stop new French generation comp. (this is dedicated to the 'boycott France' bumper sticker I see every day on the drive in.

Netflix-A night to remember (tear jerker) Duck soup, and Le Cercle rouge

R

Monday

I can't sleep tonight
Everybody's saying everything is alright
Still I can't close my eyes
I'm seeing a tunnel at the end of all of these lights-Travis

Judging from the blog rate of my online buddies, I'm not the only one who feels like he cannot keep up these days. It's a race, but I think we all lose.

Tale of the tape;

6'3 1/2"
218 lbs

Considered high risk due to family history and genetic high cholesterol. Hold me.

A recent Newsweek survey finds that 55% of Americans think 'every word of the bible is literally true' err....How do you comment on something like that.....it does explain some things though.


On Saturday I got my annual Social Security statement. Is this thing depressing or what? I suppose it's good to be put in my place from time to time. "no, you didn't make any money in 2003 either! the best part is seeing that in 1984 while being humiliated at Chuck E Cheese I earned a total of $914.00. No, that doesn't buy a lot of dancing on the ceiling.

R

Livestock

I've been prodded, had blood drawn, pee collected. I've been sized up, asked about my habits, my past. All so I can give this company more money..I love this country!

It's awkward to say the least when your life expectancy is being sized up in this way. I felt like a cow at the state fair. 'Paw I'm a gonna win us a blue ribbon this year fersure'

I lied about being the outdoor type

Get me too far away from a hot shower and hair care products and I start losing life force. I enjoy nature and the outdoors in small doses. As for camping I simply don't understand the appeal. Maybe some of you can show me the light. My only camping experiences involved some unfortunate factors 1. my parents 2. my sisters 3. my brother 4. my own awkward adolescence. I seem to recall just passing the time listening to cheap trick cassettes on my headphones til the batteries died.

Now that I've grown up (some) and read Walden a few times I wonder if I might feel differently.


R

We suck young blood

Today this blogger is on a fast til my insurance agent's henchmen get here to give me a mini physical in my office. They want blood and urine, and I hope it stops there. Any other bodily fluids are off limits (I must have some standards) I sure hope they stay out of my ass.

Fasting til 10 AM is no hardship, but for this blogger it's an unwelcome change in my eating habits. I usually get my Yoplait on by 6.

My drive home took three hours yesterday. There was a horrible accident involving an 18 wheeler and 9 cars, sadly a young woman died. It's sad that it isn't even front page news.

Remember that Negativeland album that said 'even though I'm afraid of freeways I deeply accept myself' of course you don't.

R

Idiot savant

The latest disc in our little music group comes from David Z, and in an effort to force us to listen with as little prejudice as possible he has not labeled the cd. This of course challenge me as a music dork. So after one listen,and without doing any research here is my best guess on the tracks.

1. Intro/Commercial
2. Jellyfish (the title escapes me)
3. Jet-Get what you need
4. Ben Folds Five-Kate
5. Shaking through-REM
6. Never said nothing-liz Phair
7. Unknown
8. Song 2-blur
9. Lump-Presidents ...
10. 'Fight like a brave' era Chilis? Yeah I think so, though it could be Fishbone or the Untouchables
11. You shook me all night long-AC/DC
12. The real me-the Who
13. Hate to say I told you so-Hives
14. Specials the song title isn't coming to me immediately
15. Radio radio-Elvis Costello
16. Middle of the road-Pretenders
17. Strokes 12:51
18. Isn't this one of those early early punky Police tracks? or is it a Police sound-alike? Not 100% but I have heard it before somewhere.
19. Doctor Wu-Steely Dan

I'll find out in a few weeks how I did when his essay comes in.

R

Always crashing in the same car

I smashed my green 626 to the tune of a Nice Strong Arm cassette in Austin TX.

I smashed my blue Mazda Protégé to the tune of the Poises frosting on the beater, Dream all day specifically.

I smashed my blue Protégé again to talk radio on the way to a job interview. It was an omen, I got the job and it blew.

Wanna go for a ride?


R

A lot can happen between Thanksgiving and Christmas

There is a tone my mother can take in her voice that I've heard only twice in my life.

12 years ago this month;

Answering machine- 'Rob, I need you to call me...click (there was that tone)

Hello mom?
Rob.....we lost dad today
You're kidding (I've always regretted this stupid response)
No I'm not
Wha....what happened
He had a heart attack they think...I need you to fly up as soon as you can
Ok, I'll leave in the morning

Click

Never forget that tone.

The other time was when she asked me to 'come help me get this dog out of the pool'

I was 16, and listening to Ocean Rain (vinyl) on headphones when I heard that one. Our elderly dog had fallen in the pool and either drowned or had some kind of cardiac arrest and then fell in. Under a full moon on a clear indigo Texas night I first pulled my beloved dog out of the pool, and then proceeded to dig a hole in our back yard. (no, this isn't how you are supposed to handle this, and yes I'm sure it's in violation of numerous city and state codes. My mom was raised on a farm, and that's not how they roll out there) So I dug and I dug and we laid to rest Dolly the dog.


I don't want to hear that tone ever again.

R

Stadia

I have a stupid question.

It is widely assumed that the new Cowboys stadium to be built in Arlington will steal all the action from the Cotton bowl. The thinking is that Texas-OU and Grambling-Prairie view will naturally jump to the newer bigger facility as soon as it's ready to go. I don't necessarily disagree with this logic, however why did Texas stadium not steal these events? Texas stadium was once the new hot stadium, and even now in it's dilapidated state is still a better stadium than the Cotton Bowl, and it's much closer to Dallas proper than a stadium in Arlington will be.

What's the difference?

Minter's 11

I'm organizing a heist. You in or are you out?

Dial M for molester

This has nothing to do with anything, definitely a dear diary type entry.


Somewhere about the sixth grade long before the days of caller ID I got a phone call after school;

me-"hullo"
caller- "there is is! who's this"
"robbie"
"I knew it was you I was just playing, hey it's your favorite uncle"
"uh.... (I stalled since I don't have an uncle that could be called favorite, and at any rate none of them sound like this redneck, but unsure I answer) Bob?
"yessiree, how'd you know?
"dunno lucky guess I spose"
"well Robbie, your mom wanted me to call you and talk with you about you peeping on her"
huh?
"yeah, your mom told me that you'd been peeping on her when she was in the bathroom"
"no I haven't done anything like that"
"well yes you have, and she's upset about it"
(finally several comments late I start to catch on)
"I think you have the wrong number"
"no I don't Robbie now you need to listen to me"

CLICK

The phone rang for the next two hours off and on, I would alternate not answering with picking it up and hanging back up. Finally it stopped around dinner time.

Never told a soul about it, probably should have.

I was so gullible that even after this I had doubts; maybe it was an uncle I don't know that well, or maybe that time I barged into my mom's room to ask a question and she was half undressed gave her the wrong idea etc.

Anyway I'm glad it didn't have any lasting effect on me. No, sadly this will not be last brush with molestation I will report.

See you on the next Oprah.


R

By the way I need to pitch my new 900 number, all your incest voyeuristic fantasies fulfilled.

Shopping for clothes

Sentimental powers might help you now
let's skip the hearts and flowers, skip the ivory towers
you'll be disappointed and I'll lose a friend'

-ABC (yes it's bombastic, over produced, and every bit as quintessentially 80's as the movie Wall Street, but I like it. And don't knock the gold suit either, the young cool Elvis wore one too.)

Yesterday I bought a fetching Geoffrey Beene oxford shirt. It's red, well not just red, a 'You'll never walk alone LFC red, a Chiefs get em' next year red, I'm hot blooded check it and see red. There is a greater than zero chance I will look good in this pup, but I'd still bet the under if I were you.

I need to extol the fitted shirt. I can't roll in XL or L territory, I'm too much of an orangutan, my arms are too long for an L, and the XL has too much room to move.

Fitted is where it's at, if you must stop short of bespoke. The only drawback is the packaging. I removed three tags, cardboard, plastic strips, tissue paper, and 5 pins AFTER I took the wrapper off. There is always one extra pin holding the shirt back after you are sure you've cleared it for laundry.

Today if I have time I will post some pretty dark stuff on this blog, so if that's not your bag, you can 'next blog' on over to some hearts and rainbows blog and read about the five people you meet in heaven.

R