There was a time...

There was a time, when I was much younger, that I could leave the house, with my mother's blessing, and, travel throughout the city.
I was prob'ly 11, may be 12, when the wanderlust struck me.
 But, my friends and I would walk, or ride bikes, all over the Reno area, without fear of capture, or molestation. We would stand on the corner of 1st and Virginia and just... watch the people.
I believe it's when I first started to understand facial expressions. I slowly began to see things like happiness, despair, and, even the odd expression of wonder.

We would range as far as Idlewild park (which is quite a ways from where we lived), over to Virginia lake (even farther), even as far as the North valleys.
Not once, did it enter our young minds that there was any reason to be affraid.
My point? Well, I'm writing this, and you're reading it. I'm still here, and, still fearless. Well, may be not fearless.

We couldn't wait to get out of the house. Weekends, summers, school holidays, it didn't matter. The days were always an adventure in the wings. From tubing down the ore ditch, to building a rickety ramp for our bikes. Catching pigeons under the Virginia street bridge, or, catching crawdads by Wingfield park. There was always something to do... OUTSIDE. Camping (even if only the backyard), finding a way to talk the parents into going to the lake (Pyramid), anything just to be outside.

As the high school years came along, I became friends with new people. People I'm still friends with today (you know who you are). Outings became a bit more (if very little) adult. We would trek out to the desert for bon-fire parties, beer, and, girls (Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill helped alot, in that department). Drive-in movies, and *parent chaperoned* BBQs. Please note the *'s, yeah, parents were never there.

All of us met the girls we thought we'd marry, we went steady with them, and, for all kinds of reasons , and, excuses, went separate ways. Some of us heart broken, some... not so much.

Life, as we knew it, continued to flow around us, and, us through it. We've all grown, well most of us grew, Jeff stayed the same hieght (you know I'm just joking). Career paths, and, families have taken the place of the adventures of youth. Yet, aren't we still on the adventure?

I'm still bobbin' an' weevin'... I ain't knocked out, yet. I believe I'll go fishin'.

Memorial Weekend

Well, friends and neighbors, it is, once again, Memorial Weekend. And, for most, it's a chance for a good BBQ, and, 3 days off. Not to mention, the imbibing of your favorite beverages (adult, or not).

So, let's try to keep in mind the reason for this particular holiday. Rememberance of our fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. Try to keep in mind the reasons we have the freedom to celebrate days like these. Please, keep in mind the families of those who've given the ultimate sacrifice for said freedoms.
I wont get into a solemn sermon about the price paid, lives lost, or, changed drastically, in defence of our liberties.
I'll just say, keep them in mind.

Also, because some of us WILL be imbibing, be responsible. Come home safe. Don't drink and drive. I want to be able to have long chats with all my friends, and, family, for a great deal of time to come. BE SAFE.

That's it. My public service announcement, for this weekend.

If you do bob n weeve, let some one else drive. Have a great summer, and, many more to come.

Co. politics

I've a few things to say about company "politics", as pertains to people who think they are in tune with said politics.
1; Don't bitch at me, because I did something right, and, you got in trouble. If you didn't do something for the customer, because you were in a hurry to go home, on a "early out", or, if you were just plain lazy.
If you have a butt-load of points, because you're continuously late, or call in ALOT, don't get pissed at me when things come around and bite YOU in the ass.
If you have a problem with me, talk to ME. Don't go bitching to your buddies(who're prob'ly up there, in points), don't let them put their 2 cents into a conversation that doesn't concern them.
2; Don't tell me I'm on "Thin Ice" with you, when, in the grand scheme of company happenings, you have no pull, at all. I don't care who you THINK you are, I care who you actually are. Basically, if you don't sign my check, you need to shut the fuck up, and, step the fuck away from me.
3; If you're teetering on the brink, I don't care. Your performance is not my concern. As I've stated, don't blame ME for doing MY job. If you're worried that your job is threatend, take a look at yourself, don't point fingers and blame others for YOUR problems.
4; I don't give one shit about your problems, politics, friend circle, ego, or, how bad-ass you think you are. You are not my concern. My concern is doing what I've been hired to do. NOT pleasing a bunch of people, whose main reason for being at work is to get something for nothing, and, whose work ethic is less than desirable.
I believe I have a pretty good work ethic. I, also believe, if yours is not on par with mine, or, more impotantly, the company's, you should prob'ly consider employment elsewhere. Or, go back to unemployment, and, let the rest of us pay for your laziness. Because we already are, you're just in the way.
So, get out of the way, or, get run over.
Don't like what I'm saying? Tough!
Yap about me behind my back? I don't care!
I have a more loyal following than you. Everyone can see you circling the bowl, getting ready to be flushed.
Worry about your empty threats? Not hardly!
Watch you grope at straws, trying to keep your job? Oh, HELL yeah!

I'm bobbing and weeving, are you?
Didn't think so.

Just some random Sh%t

Hello, my friends (and enemies), this evenings blab has no particular string. Just a bit of random thoughts thrown together. A few things that've been bubbling through my head for awhile.

The first thing is this, do ancient alien theorists really believe what they're trying to make others believe? I mean, how does a straight, level, well worked stone become... "Obviously"... made by extra-terrestrials? Where do these leaps of logic come from?
I do not say the Nazca lines (in Peru) aren't mysterious. Gotta wonder what those folks were thinking, when they made them. And, I have to admit, best seen from the air.
 Still, messages to the Gods? Or, really good artists thinking outside the box?
I don't believe we're alone in this infinitly huge universe. I mean, really? How arrogant do we have to be, to believe WE are the only intelligent life in the VAST cosmos? Even if we are alone, it seems like an awful waste of space.
I won't, however, go to the point of saying that we were absolutly visited by aliens. There has to be some REALLY tangible proof, not just a (relatively) good "Theory".

Second, and I prob'ly should have made this first, is "RUDE"...
There's no reason for it, I won't entertain it, I just will not put up with it.
My line of thinking is this, I respect everyone at face value. That is, until they give me a reason not to.
 Being rude is the quickest way for me to drop a person from my list.
Treat others as you would like to be treated.
It's that simple.

Third, and prob'ly the most (or, what I believe) important... I don't care who you are (or think you are), what you do, how important your job is, or, how important you think you are, you have to have some fun... each day, go out of your way to have some fun.
Tell an "off-color" joke, pull a good (harmless) prank on a co-worker, call off work to go fishing, do something to have some fun.
If you don't, what's the point of living?
Every one of us has the capacity to laugh, why not try to use this gift... daily?

Fourth, the other guy IS bobbing and weeving.
Bob n weeve, or you're gonna get knocked out.

And... It begins

And... It begins.
 The endless political ads for the 2 guys running for President. The endless diatribe between every news organization that supports them. The constant nausia that comes from both.
The ads will likely show up during every commercial break on TV. If it's fair, they'll alternate. Or, whoever has the most money, will just over run the other guy's ads. That's a hint, by the way. And, on that note, I still don't believe either candidate is worth the vote. I still think write-ins are our best bet, couldn't be any worse than the choices given.
I'm not talkin' about write-ins like... Bill the Cat & Opus, Snoopy, Pat Paulson, or Newt Gingrich. I'm speaking of real, honest choices.
A local pastor, a governor with realistic ideas for change, a woman that has a plan for turning our country off the road it's on. I think you get my point. If you don't get it, you're prob'ly gonna write-in Garfield, or, Calvin and Hobbs.
As for the diatribe between news organizations... I'm sure everyone of you has their favorite network, be it CNN, Fox, MSNBC, whatever... Try to listen, carefully, to all that they say. Watch for flip-flopping, backtracking, and, even downright lying.
There's some really wide differences between some of these networks. If it's possible for you, try to check them all out, before you settle on who's right.
My money's on local news, they don't have any reason to tilt either way. And... they're local, they gotta live where you do, face their public every day. It's not in their best interest to try to sway you politically.
Nausia? Well, ya just gotta handle that on your own.
If you don't bob n weeve, you're gonna get knocked out.