Done

Move is 100% complete. My body is trashed. Three aspirin, a glass of wine, another glass of whine, and off to bed.  Once again, I'm reminded if I knew what it meant to get old, I would have put it off for a few years.

99% Done

Move almost done. Tomorrow, a few pieces to storage, trash dumped. and a final vacuum.

Leaving the Barrio

The move is proceeding on schedule and should be completed by Wednesday.

Two nights ago, I was going out to my truck when I heard a loud "crack". A grey car was going down the street with the passenger side window down. The passenger was hollering at the driver, "Go, go, go!" The car reached the T intersection, ran the stop sign, and sped off.

I didn't see a flash, and the noise didn't seem to be a bullet breaking the sound barrier. Doubt if I was a target, too random,  and my path downstairs wasn't visible from the direction the car was traveling. Nothing has developed in the neighborhood in the past two days.

My sister, the Northeast Colorado dispenser of snark, attributes it to residents getting an early start celebrating my departure.

Veterans Day

On this day we honor our veterans and those serving, I think this picture sums up the majority of our population.

A tad bitter? Me? Hell yeah. 

There is one service member I know who, when some civilian gives him the supercilious, "Thank you for your service", nods, says aloud, "Thank you." Under his breath he is saying, "Fuck You!"

Yes, I know, some people are sincere in their appreciation. Most are thinking, "Thank God I'm not you." If not, more than 1-2 % of the population would want to serve.

I graduated from high school in 1961. I never doubted I would serve. In my "community" it was expected. Vietnam heated up after I was out. By 1971, people, against the war, gleefully pissed on those who did go. I once hired a 173rd vet, for a minimum wage job, because he demanded it.

"Glenn," I said, "I'm embarrassed to hire someone with your qualifications for a minimum wage entry level driving job."

"Damn it", he replied, "I need a damn job. Any job!"

He did well with the company and replaced me in a few months. Ended up making a career with them.

There were far too many Glenns. I suspect today those leaving the service face hidden obstacles being hired. Let me make this plain. Those mealy mouthed chicken shits making the hiring decisions don't want people around them that remind them of their true nature; gutless wonders.

The people who have my sympathy are those who want to serve and can't.

November 11th might not be the best day for this rant. So be it.

I'm not going to be part of the hypocritical crowd with their phony one day of honoring veterans and the rest of the year pissing on them. 

As always, your mileage may differ.

Rudderless Ship of State

Dick Morris had a disturbing video up on 11/5, talking about how Obama’s lies will start hampering his ability to maneuver. He goes on to talk about past Presidents and how their lies and/or missteps hampered them. A similar article appeared in PJ Media. Worth a listen/read.

http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-wages-of-spin/ 

https://snt146.mail.live.com/default.aspx?id=64855&rru=getmsg%3fmsg%3dE6863D61-463E-11E3-BE02-00237DE41A96     

 

None of this prompts any joy on my part. While I loath him, his cronies, and the Chicago style politics, we are stuck with him. We don’t need another Jimmy Carter sitting in the Rose Garden picking fuzz off his sweater. As a rudderless ship of state wanders, the Rahl Emanuels of the world flourish, pushing their own agendas. I came of age during the Johnson Administration and the chaos of Vietnam and the stateside riots. I don’t want to see that again.

Another view, in PJ Media, of the Middle East and the Lightbringer.

http://pjmedia.com/victordavishanson/middle-east-is-double-dealt/

Maybe I like this because I’ve always believed we should stay the hell out of their affairs and let them settle their own problems. It is not our job to change the world. Yes, I am an isolationist.

Just finishing reading, “All Hands Down” by Kenneth Sewell, a book about the loss of the USS Scorpion. My biggest conclusion is Walker should be taken to sea and dumped into shark filled waters several minutes after several buckets of chum have been dumped.

Don’t know why a landlubber like me is interested in things Navy. The closest I’ve been was a trip on a troop ship, and operating a 27’ Bridge Erection Boat in the Engineers. Many less enlightened relatives were, or are currently, sailors. We even have a couple of naval infantry in the mix.

Here is a nasty threat looming regarding Obamacare. Have children, don’t have health insurance? Expect a visit from Child Protective Services.

The move is proceeding on schedule. The recently acquired property inspection client I’ve dropped. What they required was too much brain damage for not enough money. Shocking, to those who know me, was a sober reflection of the risks verses my age. Climbing around snow covered structures taking measurements is dangerous, and I don’t heal as fast as in my younger days. Someone will undoubtedly accuse me of using common sense. Alas, I must carry that burden.

Grandkids Having Fun

Wish I could have been there.

Free Cheese Central

After twelve years in a “lower socioeconomic” neighborhood, I’m preparing to move. The initial attraction was, and remains, cheap rent. For ten of those twelve years, I was on the road most of the time. The joke was, my clothing lived here. Now, the landlord wants to take advantage of the gentrification of the neighborhood, fix up the dump, and move in his sister. Oh well, I’m tired of the place, and the twelve steep steps up to the deck and entrance don’t favor my arthritic knees. Despite the upgrading of the neighborhood due to the outflow of illegal  immigrants, this is still Free Cheese Central.

Before I got too disgusted with the Democratic Party to continue attending meetings, I became acquainted with many people in the neighborhood. That is why I feel free to call it Free Cheese Central.

 I’m living in a Progressive paradise judging by my neighbors. The occupant of the unit below me is on disability, receives Section 8, food stamps, Medicaid, and free or reduced utilities. She has been married five times to three different men, proving that some men are slow learners. She has five adult children. There is a parade of men who appear to be halfway house residents visiting her. I will grant that, for her age, she looks “hot” in a trashy way. Of course, dressing like a sexy teenager when you are fifty may not be the best look. When she worked, she was a bartender, and she dresses like she is on her way to work every day. None of this bothers me. What bothers me is she is a negative, passive aggressive professional victim and a viscous gossip who doesn’t mind her own business.

Next door I have a sixty year old hippie, a mental health counselor with a huge temper issue, and perpetual student. As long as she can get student loans, she is in school. Last I heard, she was going for a doctorate. She will never live long enough to pay back those loans, but she gets enough to live on plus her work earnings.  She has several dogs, none that has ever been groomed, cats, finches, fish, and a cockatiel, all in a one bedroom 800 sq. ft. house. In her yard there is a greenhouse, three or four chicken coops,  and several chickens. Her place is overgrown with unkempt flower beds. She feeds the squirrels and the squirrel population in our block needs to be seen to believed. Need I say, Hillary is “her girl”? She loathes me for being a knuckle dragging misogynist NRA member who is homophobic. I’m not homophobic. I will call a duck a duck. She seems to think she can go all wretched on me and is horribly offended that I won’t “take it”; that I’ll tell her what trees make shingles. Two views of her yard.

I haven’t decided just where I will move, but will probably stay in the area. Most likely, the move will be a few miles North of my present location.

The moving won’t be too bad as I’ve never been one for accumulating many possessions.

Blogging will be sporadic, unless something really pisses me off. Your patience will be appreciated.