Hiya, biped mammals,
How are you doing in this winter blast? I swear, sometimes I think that we ought to carpet bomb the hell outta Canada. Every winter they send down these cold fronts to torment us red-blooded Americans. Texas got a winter advisory out of the current cold blast. Lows at night are in the mid to high 20s while the highs during the day may make it above freezing. There are icicles hanging off of Black Thunder's butt! I don't recall getting this kind of weather this early in the season, particularly last year. Trust me, I would have remembered, with my major source of cleansing at that time being a hot tub. It seems that Texas gets this kind of weather in late January and throughout February. The thing is that we'll be close to 70 degrees in less than 50 hours. Yeah, that's how it is around here.
My bitch purse got a bit heavier these days. I had to buy some glasses. No, silly, not shot glasses, an implement employing vision assistance technology that you wear over your eyeballs. It seems that I have difficulty reading text at a distance; say, clearly seeing the menu board on a drive thru...or road signs...or adequately performing proper target acquisition procedures while operating the 20 mm auto cannon in the bed of BT which led to a couple of irritating moments. I have vision insurance and maxed out that periodic allotment but Jeez! I got the cheapest pair, after being tested by the eye doctor, and I still had to co-pay $35. I didn't know all the extra add ons that were available, things that seem to me that are necessary - anti-scratch, anti-glare, anti-skid, airbags, etc. Well, I did get a free case and a free cleaning cloth and free clip on shades. Basically, they are like a crapped out, rusted out '69 Volkswagen that is missing 2nd gear and the passenger seat. Oh well, since they are my first pair, they'll be a good...starter... pair to discover what I'd like in my next pair of glasses...beyond the X-ray vision and laser beam enhancements, of course.
While shopping at the Walmart superplex, I also picked up a cotton blanket for a mere $10 and it has worked out very well coupled with the small insulated blanket that I kept from last year. During the current cold snap, I don a hooded sweat shirt with a tank top and T-shirt underneath, and wearing only undies and shorts, wrap those two blankets around me and I be good for a few hours. I wake up around 4 - 4:30 AM and start BT to get warm. Oh, and I put on some sweat bottoms, socks and shoes. I drive her around for 30 - 45 minutes and then go to a fast food place for biscuit and gravy combo and hang out for a couple of hours waiting for the planet to warm up, reading a book and a paper that someone has left behind. The place also has premium lavatory facilities. This morning when I came in, the lady gave me a free biscuit and gravy to which I said Thank you. Pleasant surprises are everywhere, as there are nice people. I have had so many nice things done for me and I don't have any idea how to reciprocate.
I had to have the water pump in BT replaced. While I was working out Sunday, I looked out the window and noticed a wet spot under her front chassis. We don't like those kind of wet spots! The following day I had it checked out and it was a malfunctioning water pump. I was in luck due to the fact that it was still under warranty. The last one was replaced last January so I got outta there without spending a dime...this time. Still need to get that alternator though.
Last Friday, we had a Xmas dinner at work after closing, a pot luck thingy with a white elephant gift exchange. I brought a gift that was a liquor flask with a Jack Daniels emblem on it - it came with a bottle of my last purchase. It
ended up in the possession of the manager. The event was a pleasant time. Afterward, several of us were invited over to a employee's place where we commenced to imbibe for a time. I spent the night on the floor with a couple of other humans. That, too, was a good time.
The lighting in the camping spot has been reduced even further. Now all of the night lights are non-functioning, just me and Black Thunder keeping a solitary vigil in the dark that as gotten...darker.
Next time,
David
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Homeless - 64
Greetings, ya'll,
Hope you survived the Thanksgiving feast with all the beer, food, football, sneak naps and such. I think that the citizens should have a 4-day holiday like that at least once a month...or more...with pay. I had the opportunity to wash the full compliment of my winter gear at a benefactor's abode over the Thanksgiving holiday as well as help his family eat the feast that they prepared. Also, I think I drank some of his beer. Hey, every guest is supposed to do that, aren't they?
I splurged the other day...well, at Walmart, if such a thing is possible. I finally found and bought another soap sock. Those things are made of a nylon mesh material which, trust me, is a bit tougher than the human skin. One would think that they would last for awhile, as long as they're used for washing the human machine and not cleaning engine parts. The last one I bought which was the first one I had, began to fray, break down, became raggedly which was odd to me since I only used it to shower with, not clean the hull of an aircraft carrier fresh from combat operations.. I had been looking for another one for over three weeks without any luck. I spotted the product in Walmart but the few that they had in stock were in one color - a cute and girly light blue. Did I hesitate? Hell, no! Those things are useful in my current circumstances. And besides, it's not like I'm showering with anyone. I also bought a 3-pack of Hanes boxers. Yeah, they were needed. They are in pleasing dark designs and the size 36 fits perfectly and...never mind. Wearing new boxers does put a spring in a man's step. But then again, so does a home-cooked meal, a hot shower and the wet, hot, lingering kiss of an enthusiastic woman while sober.
I also bought a 3-pack of Ivory soap while in that lavish retail installation. I know what you're thinking. But, David, what about that girly soap that you buy that lasts a couple of months? If you recall, that bar of soap, huge and long lasting as it was (?), contained many girly stuff elements and lavender was among them. I've read somewhere in the science material that I ...read...that lavender, over continued usage, affects the hormonal structure of human males to the extent that it emphasizes the female hormone in males. Christ, no wonder I was misting up at a sunrise or s sunset, a playful puppy and wanting to hug everyone. I can only hope that over the next couple of weeks I get more manly and finally get rid of that flower vase that I have on the dash of Black Thunder.
I began the transition from summer gear to winter gear that I keep in BT. Yeah, it's starting to get a little chilly in these parts. Tank tops and shorts are not the ideal fashionable wear but I do have to keep a couple on hand. You could be wearing the hide of a wild animal in the early morning hours and at the end of the day, be in shorts and barefoot. Some of the summer stuff I'm going to throw away, not give away, due to the worn condition. I don't think Goodwill would accept them. That would free up some room in BT for the heavier stuff, like the sled and dog team. I have a couple of lockers at work and I'm using one to keep heavier clothing items. If anyone asks, I'll say You know you can't trust Texas weather, pardner! and leave it at that. There are days during the week that I get only 4-5 hours sleep at night, due to the cold that seeps through BT's young hide, and mine, and I try to get another 2-3 hours for some decent rest.
The lighting at the camping spot is below par which means I can't use the remaining light to work on the other project and I can't open the back sliding glass to let in some light to work by since the nipply coolness would make a cat want to curl up inside a fresh kill. There are times that I can work during the the morning hours for a bit. I recently bought a digital voice recorder that I can do some work and transfer it to the draft of the chapter that I'm working on but the effort is taking longer than I originally envisioned due to environmental constraints. There has to be a way to increase that time and effort applied to that project, some tactics and resources that I can employ that currently exist in my world. Still keeping an eye out for that and keeping the goal in mind...
Work is ...work, living from one paycheck to the next just as many people are doing. The reduction in fuel costs is a temporary reprieve, giving me time to save for a couple of things that BT needs, like a new alternator and some fuel thingy so that she will start smartly each and every time. And, of course, a $100 payment for liability coverage is due this month. It's a good thing that I pared bikini waxes and deep tissue massages from my budget.
Hope you survived the Thanksgiving feast with all the beer, food, football, sneak naps and such. I think that the citizens should have a 4-day holiday like that at least once a month...or more...with pay. I had the opportunity to wash the full compliment of my winter gear at a benefactor's abode over the Thanksgiving holiday as well as help his family eat the feast that they prepared. Also, I think I drank some of his beer. Hey, every guest is supposed to do that, aren't they?
I splurged the other day...well, at Walmart, if such a thing is possible. I finally found and bought another soap sock. Those things are made of a nylon mesh material which, trust me, is a bit tougher than the human skin. One would think that they would last for awhile, as long as they're used for washing the human machine and not cleaning engine parts. The last one I bought which was the first one I had, began to fray, break down, became raggedly which was odd to me since I only used it to shower with, not clean the hull of an aircraft carrier fresh from combat operations.. I had been looking for another one for over three weeks without any luck. I spotted the product in Walmart but the few that they had in stock were in one color - a cute and girly light blue. Did I hesitate? Hell, no! Those things are useful in my current circumstances. And besides, it's not like I'm showering with anyone. I also bought a 3-pack of Hanes boxers. Yeah, they were needed. They are in pleasing dark designs and the size 36 fits perfectly and...never mind. Wearing new boxers does put a spring in a man's step. But then again, so does a home-cooked meal, a hot shower and the wet, hot, lingering kiss of an enthusiastic woman while sober.
I also bought a 3-pack of Ivory soap while in that lavish retail installation. I know what you're thinking. But, David, what about that girly soap that you buy that lasts a couple of months? If you recall, that bar of soap, huge and long lasting as it was (?), contained many girly stuff elements and lavender was among them. I've read somewhere in the science material that I ...read...that lavender, over continued usage, affects the hormonal structure of human males to the extent that it emphasizes the female hormone in males. Christ, no wonder I was misting up at a sunrise or s sunset, a playful puppy and wanting to hug everyone. I can only hope that over the next couple of weeks I get more manly and finally get rid of that flower vase that I have on the dash of Black Thunder.
I began the transition from summer gear to winter gear that I keep in BT. Yeah, it's starting to get a little chilly in these parts. Tank tops and shorts are not the ideal fashionable wear but I do have to keep a couple on hand. You could be wearing the hide of a wild animal in the early morning hours and at the end of the day, be in shorts and barefoot. Some of the summer stuff I'm going to throw away, not give away, due to the worn condition. I don't think Goodwill would accept them. That would free up some room in BT for the heavier stuff, like the sled and dog team. I have a couple of lockers at work and I'm using one to keep heavier clothing items. If anyone asks, I'll say You know you can't trust Texas weather, pardner! and leave it at that. There are days during the week that I get only 4-5 hours sleep at night, due to the cold that seeps through BT's young hide, and mine, and I try to get another 2-3 hours for some decent rest.
The lighting at the camping spot is below par which means I can't use the remaining light to work on the other project and I can't open the back sliding glass to let in some light to work by since the nipply coolness would make a cat want to curl up inside a fresh kill. There are times that I can work during the the morning hours for a bit. I recently bought a digital voice recorder that I can do some work and transfer it to the draft of the chapter that I'm working on but the effort is taking longer than I originally envisioned due to environmental constraints. There has to be a way to increase that time and effort applied to that project, some tactics and resources that I can employ that currently exist in my world. Still keeping an eye out for that and keeping the goal in mind...
Work is ...work, living from one paycheck to the next just as many people are doing. The reduction in fuel costs is a temporary reprieve, giving me time to save for a couple of things that BT needs, like a new alternator and some fuel thingy so that she will start smartly each and every time. And, of course, a $100 payment for liability coverage is due this month. It's a good thing that I pared bikini waxes and deep tissue massages from my budget.
Next time,
David
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Homeless - 63
What be the word, fellow humans?
Long time, no hear.
I've been having to put more time in at work due to authorized absences of a couple of co-workers and haven't had as much time at my disposal. From what I've read, there are layoffs in the private sector but the work still has to be done and the ones that still have a job have to work more for the same pay. It seems if you have an MBA or other advanced degree and in control of a sizable business entity, that you could come up with a innovative solution that keeps everybody on board and still increase profits. What do they call that? Oh yeah, thinking outside of the box, something many of the lesser corporate personnel have heard. Jesus F. Christ, reduce labor cost and overhead by personnel reduction and increase the amount of work for remaining staff - I thought of that while taking business courses in junior college. An advanced degreed individual can't come up with something better? It has always been preached that an individual should have more than one skill set but why doesn't that hold true for corporations? Oh well, the possibility of the government bailing out a company out wasn't an option back then. These days, that option is probably included in the business plan.
When I take control of this section of the galaxy, from the opulent living quarters of Black Thunder, things will be different. Err, don't hold your breath and do maintain a secure hold on your 'precious'.
I had to buy a new bitch purse in mid-October; you know the fanny pack, butt pack, man purse, man pack, whatever. I don't wear it as such. I adjust the strap out enough that it fits diagonally across the chest and the 'pack' rides at mid back. I found this configuration more agreeable in the instances that I have to chase down the occasional squirrel or rabbit for a meal. The one that I've been using was with me for several years but experienced an increased period of usage over the past 17 months. The black nylon material that it was made of became faded and worn, coming apart at the seams - literally. The keys to BT was poking through a seam near the zipper and I really don't need to lose that particular item. Due to my current budgetary constraints, I was looking for a replacement that was durable, stylish and cheap. I went by a Goodwill place and didn't find anything. I stopped by a church sale and didn't see anything there either. I stopped by a Walmart and lucked out. For the paltry sum of $5, I bought a new purse, black, approximately 25% larger, which was much needed, and made of a thicker and tougher material. I hated parting with the old one since it has served me well in my times of need. I made the change over while sitting at the quiet pool on a pleasant Sunday and couldn't bring myself to put it in a dark, dirty trash can so I put it in a bush, deep enough to avoid detection for awhile, kind of a final resting place by the pool that we visited so often and enjoyed the solitude.
Jeez, I'm such a sentimental shit.
Oh, yes, I have moved up in the world and began clawing my way up the summit of the peak of good living. I was doing the laundry thing, scavenging in the trash for fabric softening sheets that I chunk in the dryer to get the clothes wrinkle free, soft and pleasing against the epidermis of the living machine that I inhabit, when I realized that I can buy my own without sacrificing a meal. Yes! I made the purchase and use one sheet per load and strut around the laundry mat as if I belong there.
The lighting in my camping spot has been reduced. A couple of the lights have shifted their status to that of non-functioning, the ones that I've used to work on the other project during the dark, and have been off for nearly six weeks which seriously inhibits my literary endeavors. I thought that they would get them repaired in a couple of weeks but maybe they see that as a way to reduce their power usage. I need to find an alternative, instead of the option of launching a solar mirror into low Earth orbit that immediately leaps to mind.
Things to remember not to do when you have hair long enough to tie back with a hair thingy. The human females already know these things just as they know a lotta other things but laugh among themselves when they see us males discover things for ourselves while making a fool of ourselves which we ourselves do quite often.
1) Do not smoke a cig on windy days with hair unsecured
2) Do not eat outside on windy days with hair unsecured
3) When you lay down on your back with hair unsecured, do not lift your hear head suddenly or your will experience a whiplash effect
4) After showering take care when you loop that towel over your shoulders to dry your back, vigorously sawing the towel up and down; your head might be inclined to follow
5) Be attentive when strapping on a seat belt
I'm certain that there are other activities that may involve a human female in a ...close encounter situation but, at this time, I have no experience in that context.
Circumstances have altered in my world concerning one of my pausing spots, at the back of a shopping center. There are young people, maybe high school age, that attend an all day thingy during the week that seems to be concerned with dance stuff. After coming out of the backdoor of a 'store', they break into groups and practice...dance things. And it ain't disco or Madonna-grabbing-her-crotch stuff. I thought that another 'hood' was being birthed but I overheard one of the young women say as she was passing by that she had forgot her Bible. So it's a good thing. At least, they're doing this thing instead of other things that are not as productive. I just have to find another place to pause at that is within my range that has shade and somewhat out of the way.
I've shared with you about my dietary regimen within the work environment in a previous entry but I've had the good fortune to find it getting old. Yeah, I know, the same thing does get old. These days I mix it up with salad fixings - a head of Romaine lettuce (what else!), several Roma tomatoes, a bag of broccoli crowns, sometimes a medley of such stuff, sometimes a cucumber, and a bottle of bacon flavored Thousand Island dressing. Oh, don't forget the bacon bits! That usually lasts 4 -5 meals. Other weeks, I buy a whole chicken and gnaw on that for three days. Trust me - it doesn't last more than three days. And for a late night snack, a handful of deluxe mixed nuts that I can usually catch on sale. Ah, life is good!
Guys, guys, guys - do not, I repeat do not talk on the cellphone while in the bathroom. It is unmanly and smacks of poor breeding. I have no problem with women doing that because...well, they're women and don't have the curse of the Y chromosome. And it's in their nature. I don't know if you guys noticed but human females frequent that facility in small herds.
I'm sure some of you are aware of the current economic annoyance that our nation is having to endure and will do so for many months. You know, the global financial situation that has significantly de-balled your retirement accounts or skewered you in the gizzard by being downsized or...never mind. It seems that our government is 'investing' our tax dollars in banks and other financial institutions to keep them operational despite the bad decisions that were made under the umbrella of greed. I believe the sum, please correct me if I'm wrong, involve a lot of zeros to the left of the decimal point that are interspersed with commas with at least one whole number leading the parade. I've read that there has been discussions about the bonuses to executives of those rescued institutions, regarding the continuance of their bonuses and unless those sums are paid out, the management of some of those institutions may not participate. Are you fucking kidding me?!? Let's see - I'm a financial executive, I made bad decisions, failed my employees that I'm having to layoff, betrayed the trust of my stock holders, put the national and global financial infrastructure at risk, drastically reduced the retirement accounts of millions of people and I still want my bonus? For what? A job well done? It was my idea that a bonus is a reward for a job well done, not for dragging a company into the cesspool of red ink.
When we citizens reach our breaking point and start lining up lawyers against the wall and shooting them, I may have a couple of suggestions about additions to that lineup.
...breathe in, breathe out, wax on, wax off...
I know what you are thinking. But, David, you're homeless, you don't pay taxes. Why should you care? I do pay taxes by way of the part time job that I perform and whenever I buy something, engage in a retail transaction. I can't afford shelter and other basic necessities but I still pay taxes. Seems there is an imbalance there, something is contradictory to our nations' creed.
To finish off this entry, rambling as it has been, I'm going to to propose an idea that some would say is unrealistic, that has no chance of happening, of being Utopian in nature or of being Draconian. I would agree but it does present possibilities that are somewhat appealing to entertain.
The term treason, as currently used, applies to military matters, of security concerns involving troop deployments, weapons research, production and/or deployment. I guess it also applies to overthrow the government or to whatever the government wants it to apply to - remember, they make the laws.
But imagine the repercussions if that term was applied to high ranking corporate decisions, ones that affect, say, our national financial infrastructure or other national framework? Granted, there should be a litmus test, something along the lines of Does this decision hurt anyone, does it help my family, community, country and the world at large?
I'm just thinking of how much BS would be avoided, and money saved, at the onset if a policy or set of rules were introduced along those lines; especially when we grabbed a few of those sorry human types and lined them up against a wall and made an example of them by ripping out their liver?
Just a thought,
David
P.S.
TO: Human Authority Figures
I'm not advocating insurrection, just a better, more responsible and mature way of conducting corporate operations.
Long time, no hear.
I've been having to put more time in at work due to authorized absences of a couple of co-workers and haven't had as much time at my disposal. From what I've read, there are layoffs in the private sector but the work still has to be done and the ones that still have a job have to work more for the same pay. It seems if you have an MBA or other advanced degree and in control of a sizable business entity, that you could come up with a innovative solution that keeps everybody on board and still increase profits. What do they call that? Oh yeah, thinking outside of the box, something many of the lesser corporate personnel have heard. Jesus F. Christ, reduce labor cost and overhead by personnel reduction and increase the amount of work for remaining staff - I thought of that while taking business courses in junior college. An advanced degreed individual can't come up with something better? It has always been preached that an individual should have more than one skill set but why doesn't that hold true for corporations? Oh well, the possibility of the government bailing out a company out wasn't an option back then. These days, that option is probably included in the business plan.
When I take control of this section of the galaxy, from the opulent living quarters of Black Thunder, things will be different. Err, don't hold your breath and do maintain a secure hold on your 'precious'.
I had to buy a new bitch purse in mid-October; you know the fanny pack, butt pack, man purse, man pack, whatever. I don't wear it as such. I adjust the strap out enough that it fits diagonally across the chest and the 'pack' rides at mid back. I found this configuration more agreeable in the instances that I have to chase down the occasional squirrel or rabbit for a meal. The one that I've been using was with me for several years but experienced an increased period of usage over the past 17 months. The black nylon material that it was made of became faded and worn, coming apart at the seams - literally. The keys to BT was poking through a seam near the zipper and I really don't need to lose that particular item. Due to my current budgetary constraints, I was looking for a replacement that was durable, stylish and cheap. I went by a Goodwill place and didn't find anything. I stopped by a church sale and didn't see anything there either. I stopped by a Walmart and lucked out. For the paltry sum of $5, I bought a new purse, black, approximately 25% larger, which was much needed, and made of a thicker and tougher material. I hated parting with the old one since it has served me well in my times of need. I made the change over while sitting at the quiet pool on a pleasant Sunday and couldn't bring myself to put it in a dark, dirty trash can so I put it in a bush, deep enough to avoid detection for awhile, kind of a final resting place by the pool that we visited so often and enjoyed the solitude.
Jeez, I'm such a sentimental shit.
Oh, yes, I have moved up in the world and began clawing my way up the summit of the peak of good living. I was doing the laundry thing, scavenging in the trash for fabric softening sheets that I chunk in the dryer to get the clothes wrinkle free, soft and pleasing against the epidermis of the living machine that I inhabit, when I realized that I can buy my own without sacrificing a meal. Yes! I made the purchase and use one sheet per load and strut around the laundry mat as if I belong there.
The lighting in my camping spot has been reduced. A couple of the lights have shifted their status to that of non-functioning, the ones that I've used to work on the other project during the dark, and have been off for nearly six weeks which seriously inhibits my literary endeavors. I thought that they would get them repaired in a couple of weeks but maybe they see that as a way to reduce their power usage. I need to find an alternative, instead of the option of launching a solar mirror into low Earth orbit that immediately leaps to mind.
Things to remember not to do when you have hair long enough to tie back with a hair thingy. The human females already know these things just as they know a lotta other things but laugh among themselves when they see us males discover things for ourselves while making a fool of ourselves which we ourselves do quite often.
1) Do not smoke a cig on windy days with hair unsecured
2) Do not eat outside on windy days with hair unsecured
3) When you lay down on your back with hair unsecured, do not lift your hear head suddenly or your will experience a whiplash effect
4) After showering take care when you loop that towel over your shoulders to dry your back, vigorously sawing the towel up and down; your head might be inclined to follow
5) Be attentive when strapping on a seat belt
I'm certain that there are other activities that may involve a human female in a ...close encounter situation but, at this time, I have no experience in that context.
Circumstances have altered in my world concerning one of my pausing spots, at the back of a shopping center. There are young people, maybe high school age, that attend an all day thingy during the week that seems to be concerned with dance stuff. After coming out of the backdoor of a 'store', they break into groups and practice...dance things. And it ain't disco or Madonna-grabbing-her-crotch stuff. I thought that another 'hood' was being birthed but I overheard one of the young women say as she was passing by that she had forgot her Bible. So it's a good thing. At least, they're doing this thing instead of other things that are not as productive. I just have to find another place to pause at that is within my range that has shade and somewhat out of the way.
I've shared with you about my dietary regimen within the work environment in a previous entry but I've had the good fortune to find it getting old. Yeah, I know, the same thing does get old. These days I mix it up with salad fixings - a head of Romaine lettuce (what else!), several Roma tomatoes, a bag of broccoli crowns, sometimes a medley of such stuff, sometimes a cucumber, and a bottle of bacon flavored Thousand Island dressing. Oh, don't forget the bacon bits! That usually lasts 4 -5 meals. Other weeks, I buy a whole chicken and gnaw on that for three days. Trust me - it doesn't last more than three days. And for a late night snack, a handful of deluxe mixed nuts that I can usually catch on sale. Ah, life is good!
Guys, guys, guys - do not, I repeat do not talk on the cellphone while in the bathroom. It is unmanly and smacks of poor breeding. I have no problem with women doing that because...well, they're women and don't have the curse of the Y chromosome. And it's in their nature. I don't know if you guys noticed but human females frequent that facility in small herds.
I'm sure some of you are aware of the current economic annoyance that our nation is having to endure and will do so for many months. You know, the global financial situation that has significantly de-balled your retirement accounts or skewered you in the gizzard by being downsized or...never mind. It seems that our government is 'investing' our tax dollars in banks and other financial institutions to keep them operational despite the bad decisions that were made under the umbrella of greed. I believe the sum, please correct me if I'm wrong, involve a lot of zeros to the left of the decimal point that are interspersed with commas with at least one whole number leading the parade. I've read that there has been discussions about the bonuses to executives of those rescued institutions, regarding the continuance of their bonuses and unless those sums are paid out, the management of some of those institutions may not participate. Are you fucking kidding me?!? Let's see - I'm a financial executive, I made bad decisions, failed my employees that I'm having to layoff, betrayed the trust of my stock holders, put the national and global financial infrastructure at risk, drastically reduced the retirement accounts of millions of people and I still want my bonus? For what? A job well done? It was my idea that a bonus is a reward for a job well done, not for dragging a company into the cesspool of red ink.
When we citizens reach our breaking point and start lining up lawyers against the wall and shooting them, I may have a couple of suggestions about additions to that lineup.
...breathe in, breathe out, wax on, wax off...
I know what you are thinking. But, David, you're homeless, you don't pay taxes. Why should you care? I do pay taxes by way of the part time job that I perform and whenever I buy something, engage in a retail transaction. I can't afford shelter and other basic necessities but I still pay taxes. Seems there is an imbalance there, something is contradictory to our nations' creed.
To finish off this entry, rambling as it has been, I'm going to to propose an idea that some would say is unrealistic, that has no chance of happening, of being Utopian in nature or of being Draconian. I would agree but it does present possibilities that are somewhat appealing to entertain.
The term treason, as currently used, applies to military matters, of security concerns involving troop deployments, weapons research, production and/or deployment. I guess it also applies to overthrow the government or to whatever the government wants it to apply to - remember, they make the laws.
But imagine the repercussions if that term was applied to high ranking corporate decisions, ones that affect, say, our national financial infrastructure or other national framework? Granted, there should be a litmus test, something along the lines of Does this decision hurt anyone, does it help my family, community, country and the world at large?
I'm just thinking of how much BS would be avoided, and money saved, at the onset if a policy or set of rules were introduced along those lines; especially when we grabbed a few of those sorry human types and lined them up against a wall and made an example of them by ripping out their liver?
Just a thought,
David
P.S.
TO: Human Authority Figures
I'm not advocating insurrection, just a better, more responsible and mature way of conducting corporate operations.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Homeless - 62
Greetings, fellow life forms,
Hope all is well with you but probably ain't due to the global financial difficulties. Oh, how we are sheep being fleeced...again. As it turns out, I'm probably one of the few that is weathering quite well the end of life as we know it, when you consider that the value I had in my retirement accounts at the onset of the crises is the same value that I have in those funds today...zero. Nuthin' from nuthin' leaves nuthin' or however the song goes. I was surprised that I wasn't hearing any news of distressed individuals initiating drastic actions because of the reduction of their financial status but this week I read a small article about people such as that. I suspect it is being downplayed considerably. I feel for them; it wasn't their fault but the failure of a system they trusted and believed in.
I've been sidetracked for the past 3 - 4 weeks by another writing project. Within the information dispersal system that I work...within...a short story writing contest was initiated with entries due by 9/30/08 with a constraint that the story be 3000 words or less. I thought that wouldn't be a problem and I could use the practice, maybe even receive feedback on the mechanics I employed in the construction. An idea came to me and I worked it. I was told by one of my esteemed co-workers that that would be around 10 pages double-spaced, 12 point Roman font. I didn't believe her. On the 29th after nearly 3 hours of typing the story in the requested format, I came to believe the young female human. I did a word count and the value returned was almost 3600 words and I was barely halfway through. I thought of chopping it up, reducing the scope and/or deleting some characters. I came to the conclusion that the story deserved more that that and I wasn't going to sacrifice the storyline for no stinkin' contest. Anyway, I'm putting the finishing touches on it now and the the last word count was around 9000.
Let's talk about cops and the homeless. Not sure of you but I've came across a news item now and them of how the homeless have not enjoyed the most nurturing relationships with the human authority figures who have lots and lots of weapons and backup and aerial surveillance and armed choppers and attack dogs and vicious attack sock puppets and...never mind. My experience in that regard has been just the opposite excluding a couple of instances.
The first instance I've mentioned in a previous entry. The second instance occurred 3 - 4 weeks ago around 4 AM. I had awakened for some odd reason and was having a smoke (a luxury, yes) when a cop cruiser whipped in, pulling up so close to the driver's side of BT that I couldn't have opened the door and get out if ordered. He shined one of those lights, one of the ones that can burn a retina out, that the cruisers have right in my face and asked what I was doing. I told him that I was having a cig and keeping an eye on the place and trying to catch a bit of sleep. Sometimes I'm too honest. He told me that it was illegal to sleep in a vehicle and he didn't want to see me here when he came back around again. He pulled out and left. I sat there, finished the smoke and thought fuck it - no place else to go, nothing else to do and went back to sleep. Hadn't seen him since.
In the rest of the encounters, they were concerned about my welfare, or at least, ascertaining that I was not Hannibal Lecter (tell me about the lambs, Clorice). They approached me by name - 'Mr. Jones' - and very respectful. Or maybe they just heard of the legendary Black Thunder
There was one time I was pausing at a ...pausing spot, working on the short story in the shade of trees in the late evening. The officer, a young man slightly built with a weapons belt that would make the Batman green with envy, approached and said that they were just checking on me due to the nature of the neighborhood. And I tell you it ain't the best. We talked a few minutes about where I worked, my current status, have I thought of staying at a homeless shelter (ain't happening) and my current endeavors. Now...let's take a side path for a moment. Once a month I buy 750 mils of Jack Daniels - ah, yes, the hair of the dog, that magical elixir that renders you bulletproof, ol' weasel spit. My limit is two drinks per occasion and for those of you that are thinking 'open container', I've taken note of the lawn care activities in my range and hide the bottle in a shrub here or there. When I want a taste, I visit the bush of choice (you know, that could be taken in another context that...never mind) for a couple of tastes, replace and move on. Anyway, I was working on my second taste and there ain't no way in hell he didn't smell it. He cautioned me about the location during the dark and I replied that I'm not going to be during here that time. He left and a few minutes later, so did I.
There was another instance of law leniency. I was traveling down a stretch of road that I...traveled many times before, keeping with the flow of traffic. As it turned out, the flow of traffic was doing warp 65 in a 45 MPH zone and, yes, I was selected out of the pack. I pulled over, kept my hands easily visible, he and his biceps approached and told me the situation. He was respectful, none of that gimme ten fingers on the hood, boy! crap. I showed him proof of insurance and license and he went back to the cruiser to do...what officers do in their cruisers. I was thinking I can't afford a ticket; hell, I can't even afford a place to live. Anyway, he gave me a warning and now I drive the speed limit through that area.
So, all in all, my experiences, to date, with cops, in my present circumstances, have been counter to what is generally believed.
Now, if only the global financial systems would reflect some of that same flexibility and understanding toward the common man before we decide to run amok.
Next time,
David
Hope all is well with you but probably ain't due to the global financial difficulties. Oh, how we are sheep being fleeced...again. As it turns out, I'm probably one of the few that is weathering quite well the end of life as we know it, when you consider that the value I had in my retirement accounts at the onset of the crises is the same value that I have in those funds today...zero. Nuthin' from nuthin' leaves nuthin' or however the song goes. I was surprised that I wasn't hearing any news of distressed individuals initiating drastic actions because of the reduction of their financial status but this week I read a small article about people such as that. I suspect it is being downplayed considerably. I feel for them; it wasn't their fault but the failure of a system they trusted and believed in.
I've been sidetracked for the past 3 - 4 weeks by another writing project. Within the information dispersal system that I work...within...a short story writing contest was initiated with entries due by 9/30/08 with a constraint that the story be 3000 words or less. I thought that wouldn't be a problem and I could use the practice, maybe even receive feedback on the mechanics I employed in the construction. An idea came to me and I worked it. I was told by one of my esteemed co-workers that that would be around 10 pages double-spaced, 12 point Roman font. I didn't believe her. On the 29th after nearly 3 hours of typing the story in the requested format, I came to believe the young female human. I did a word count and the value returned was almost 3600 words and I was barely halfway through. I thought of chopping it up, reducing the scope and/or deleting some characters. I came to the conclusion that the story deserved more that that and I wasn't going to sacrifice the storyline for no stinkin' contest. Anyway, I'm putting the finishing touches on it now and the the last word count was around 9000.
Let's talk about cops and the homeless. Not sure of you but I've came across a news item now and them of how the homeless have not enjoyed the most nurturing relationships with the human authority figures who have lots and lots of weapons and backup and aerial surveillance and armed choppers and attack dogs and vicious attack sock puppets and...never mind. My experience in that regard has been just the opposite excluding a couple of instances.
The first instance I've mentioned in a previous entry. The second instance occurred 3 - 4 weeks ago around 4 AM. I had awakened for some odd reason and was having a smoke (a luxury, yes) when a cop cruiser whipped in, pulling up so close to the driver's side of BT that I couldn't have opened the door and get out if ordered. He shined one of those lights, one of the ones that can burn a retina out, that the cruisers have right in my face and asked what I was doing. I told him that I was having a cig and keeping an eye on the place and trying to catch a bit of sleep. Sometimes I'm too honest. He told me that it was illegal to sleep in a vehicle and he didn't want to see me here when he came back around again. He pulled out and left. I sat there, finished the smoke and thought fuck it - no place else to go, nothing else to do and went back to sleep. Hadn't seen him since.
In the rest of the encounters, they were concerned about my welfare, or at least, ascertaining that I was not Hannibal Lecter (tell me about the lambs, Clorice). They approached me by name - 'Mr. Jones' - and very respectful. Or maybe they just heard of the legendary Black Thunder
There was one time I was pausing at a ...pausing spot, working on the short story in the shade of trees in the late evening. The officer, a young man slightly built with a weapons belt that would make the Batman green with envy, approached and said that they were just checking on me due to the nature of the neighborhood. And I tell you it ain't the best. We talked a few minutes about where I worked, my current status, have I thought of staying at a homeless shelter (ain't happening) and my current endeavors. Now...let's take a side path for a moment. Once a month I buy 750 mils of Jack Daniels - ah, yes, the hair of the dog, that magical elixir that renders you bulletproof, ol' weasel spit. My limit is two drinks per occasion and for those of you that are thinking 'open container', I've taken note of the lawn care activities in my range and hide the bottle in a shrub here or there. When I want a taste, I visit the bush of choice (you know, that could be taken in another context that...never mind) for a couple of tastes, replace and move on. Anyway, I was working on my second taste and there ain't no way in hell he didn't smell it. He cautioned me about the location during the dark and I replied that I'm not going to be during here that time. He left and a few minutes later, so did I.
There was another instance of law leniency. I was traveling down a stretch of road that I...traveled many times before, keeping with the flow of traffic. As it turned out, the flow of traffic was doing warp 65 in a 45 MPH zone and, yes, I was selected out of the pack. I pulled over, kept my hands easily visible, he and his biceps approached and told me the situation. He was respectful, none of that gimme ten fingers on the hood, boy! crap. I showed him proof of insurance and license and he went back to the cruiser to do...what officers do in their cruisers. I was thinking I can't afford a ticket; hell, I can't even afford a place to live. Anyway, he gave me a warning and now I drive the speed limit through that area.
So, all in all, my experiences, to date, with cops, in my present circumstances, have been counter to what is generally believed.
Now, if only the global financial systems would reflect some of that same flexibility and understanding toward the common man before we decide to run amok.
Next time,
David
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Homeless - 61
Hiya,
Earlier this summer, I had a sinus infection (I know, you can see this coming). I had been feeling like roadkill for a couple of days. I was being careful of what I ate, eating little, and drinking plenty of water. Yes, the previous 'incident' left a lasting imprint on my delicate mental balance, the invisible six foot tall rabbit notwithstanding. At the slightest indication of the presence of diseased mucus, it would be expeditiously expelled; I was not taking any chances of that evil sneaking down my throat like that creature from Aliens.
Sooo, I was awakened on that fateful night around 3 AM by the physical sensation of 'BATTLE STATIONS!!!'. OK, I was surprised but I thought I had it covered. By the way I was feeling, I calculated I had approximately 300 seconds and I did not fuck around. I thought of going in the store less than a 20 second walk distant but deleted that option because the guy that works there all night sometimes locks the doors to customers during that time of night and plus, he is just plain weird-goofy and I didn't want to waste precious time in exploring that alternative. There was a place I opted for less than a 90 second drive away where I knew the woman that worked there at night. Yes, she gave me free DP and was always nice and pleasant to talk with. I brought BT online and pulled out of the lot and came to the decision that I may not have that much time. There was a place less than a 20 second drive away that I had the access codes for and chose that destination. I got through the security gates, parked BT, got out and started walking toward the door with the access code ready, all the time telling my body less than 20 seconds, just hang on! I got to the door, opened it and that's when the body said EVAC PROCEDURES INITIATED! I'm standing at the door and in the middle of the night in tank top and shorts, with no one around and bowels decide to empty...less than 10 fookin' seconds from the porcelain throne. The agony of defeat, the bitter taste of a goal almost reached, a classic coitus interruptus. Since I was wearing dark gray gym shorts that had seen better days, the...ahem...biological material had no impediments in taking full advantage of gravity and reached the surface of the planet in a a most expeditious manner, though some...material...decided to take the scenic route, down my legs and enjoy the view while it lasted. Well, there wasn't much else to do but to continue inside to clean up. As I made my way to the bathroom, my body decided that it wasn't quite finished expelling evilness from the holy temple and initiated act two of the play of degradation and humility. You got to had it to the intelligence that governs our body - it knows what it's doing. I made it to the throne and deposited what was left into the municipal sewer system which turned out to be a mere pittance compared to the volume that already passed on the way to fame and glory. As I sat there, probably six or seven kilos lighter, I was thankful that no one was working out at this hour because I would have probably had to devote time and energy to bring them back to life and I wasn't exactly the stellar image of a white knight in shining armor. Sitting there, I evaluated the situation: 1) a pile of 'material' of truly epic proportions just outside the front door of the facility 2) an unmistakable trail of 'material' that left no doubt of the destination 3) the commode is a mess due to the evilness clinging to my legs 4) shorts are unsalvageable and 5) if anyone comes into the area, I'm fucked - cops are sure to called by a babbling, hysterical human that has witnessed something beyond their experience.
I thought of two options - one being to clean myself up as best as possible and vacate quickly leaving the mess for the maintenance crew; the second one being to clean myself up and clean the facility up as best as possible which is the one I chose. Using over two rolls of TP, paper towels and the bathroom soap, I cleaned up the bathroom. Then I cleaned myself up in the sink. Yes, there was a pool just outside that was an cleanup option but I heard that people can suffer dire consequences lounging in water that has been...tainted with evil...and I didn't want that on my conscious, and there were children that came to the pool area. I don't know how long I spent but it was not a quick process putting one leg in the sink and washing all the way up and then doing the other leg. The shorts went into the trash. I used my tank top to clean up the floor - it took several trips, with the rinsing and resoaping. The...pile...just outside the door I elected to leave because I didn't have any resources left. The place had no more paper towels, only blow dryers. The tank top, no, it did not come with me. It had served me well for a long time and I wished its' swan song was a bit sweeter but it went into the trash also. I don't know how long the cleanup took but I felt like the dark underlord himself was breathing down my back but I couldn't waste time worrying nor could I hurry nor could I fret about discovery - just be efficient as possible. Yes, some people do like to get a workout in the early morning hours. After finishing, I paused for an evaluation and determined that it was the best I could do with resources at hand. At that point, it came to me that I was standing there nikked...and there was a security camera in operation...and my truck was nearly 30 meters away...and to get there I would have to walk, run, or teleport by two apartment buildings and the main entrance to the complex. Did I mention that some people like to walk their dogs early, too? Oh, how the gods must have been laughing. I hope they ruptured their holy spleen, the bitches.
I went back to check the dry sauna and steam room for any article of clothing that I could use. Sometimes, for whatever reason, people sometimes left clothing behind, for some reason but probably unlike my reason for the night. I would've used a small bra, hell, even an eye patch - but it was to no avail. Of all the times that people left said clothing or towels behind, for reasons we will not explore at this juncture, this particular situation was bereft of alternate style options. Permutations flashed through my mind with the speed of an enhanced battle management software system: 1) initiate a kinetic strike from an orbital weapons platform that I have access codes to, targeting a near area and while everyone was looking that way, run to the truck 2) employ evasive tactics if encountering any incoming traffic that might enter the complex at this ungodly hour 3) in the event I meet anyone walking their dog or coming to work out, kill them immediately.
I chose a blending of all three, minus any killing, even the dogs. I walked to BT in the quiet darkness of the early morning and did not encounter nary a soul. Maybe the gods thought I have had enough for the night. When I arrived at BT, I put on some clean clothes and drove back to the camping spot where I discovered it was 4:40 AM. Time sure flies when you are having fun. I got lucky...except for the security camera...
So there you have it and I think there is a moral somewhere in this story.
Keep your friends close, your enemies closer and when you have a sinus infection, secure access to a commode with nuclear weapons if necessary.
Next time,
David
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Homeless - 60
Greetings, humans of September,
This section of the planet has experienced a significant temperature change. Instead of 100 F days, we are now having 80 - 90 F days which makes a shitload of difference when you are trying to sleep in your vehicle during the night. There have been several times that I'd wake up a couple of hours after going to sleep, slightly damp all over, including hair. Even the half pillow had wet spots and I ain't talking about the good kind either. I'd stay awake for an hour or so, have a smoke and some water and try to get a couple more hours of rest. There were a few times when I snuck into the quiet pool in the wee hours and soaked until I got chilly. The place is will lit at night time. I would get in the darkest corner of the pool and submerge with just my head above the water line because, well, my lungs can't extract oxygen from the water yet. I entered and exited the water quietly, not unlike a deadly anaconda that...never mind.
This summer I slept in BT with the windows fully down and back glass wide open, thankful for any night breeze that the universe gifted me with. I know what you're thinking - that's not exactly the safest option, given the neighborhood, is it, buckwheat? I agree but is was the best option. Last summer, I was a bit more paranoid with windows halfway up while sleeping. I don't know if I got braver, more stupid or grew to not care. Maybe I accepted the fact that the universe can have this life at any time but I did...well, I don't know how to put it...'program' myself to awaken if a normal night sound wasn't...normal. There were three times when I awakened to approaching footsteps in the early hours and my body rose up, head turning toward the source - a source that quickly widened the distance to BT without a word being said. I may have mentioned that I do not sleep in a pristine, secure gated community. Anyway, so far, so good...well, until a gang of drunken Amazonian pygmies out on a night of the town, spot me and drag me out of BT and have their way with me in a way that I won't notice until I try to sit down the next day.
The Labor Day weekend presented a unique challenge - namely, that of not working for two days and not showering. Pool water can only go so far and it doesn't help the hair. The place that I shower at was closed those two days and believe you me, the shower, shampoo and shave were a gift from the gods the following day. Every square centimeter of hide quivering with girly soap cleanliness, every strand of hair wanting to flow free and unfettered in the breeze whether there was a breeze blowing or not, and every shaved pore moisturized into soft supple submission. Ahhhhh....
By the way, when I wrote shaved, I meant my face, not any other areas that a significant portion fo the population defoliates on a regular basis. Not that I have a problem with that practice. I'm sure that the personal grooming habits of some people...never mind.
Rain can be a bit to contend with when you are living out of a vehicle. First of all, I can't sit on a covered balcony, comfortable and dry and pay witness to one of nature's soothing, life-giving wonders. It gets kind of warm sitting in a truck with windows rolled up. If you recall, BT's AC is offline. Second, the towels that I use to dry off with after a shower hang in the back of the truck for a few hours to dry off. Ditto for the half-socks I wear at work and double ditto for the clothes I work out in. And, hell, no, they ain't coming into the truck until they are dry and can be put into the dirty clothes garbage bag behind the drivers' seat. So when it rains for 2 or 3 days, the back of BT looks like a teenager's room after a long weekend. At those times, I do a load of laundry to make myself feel better and to alleviate any embarrassment of BT by driving her while she looks like a mobile yurt fresh off the Asian savanna with clothes waving in the wind on the streets of Dallas. Oh, the humanity...
That being said, rain can be a blessing. Several days ago, some rain came through the area and cooled things down a bit; say, to the low 80's and high 70's. After moving from the night spot, I parked and read some and took a nap that I didn't wake from until after 3 PM! I tell you, the sound of steady rain pounding BT's young hide affects me like a handful of Valiums. At the end of the event, I solved one of life's greatest mysteries. You know those vampire flies that bite? Not the ones that buzz around and annoy but the ones that take a piece of your hide for food? The ones that are the bane of humans, dogs, cows, horses and any other mammal that uses hemoglobin as an oxygen transporting agent? Their purpose for existence was to wake my young ass up at 3 PM on that day. If that little carnivore didn't eat on me some, I have no doubt that I would've slept right on through work. As it turned out, I wasn't late but I always show up early, anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours for the computer access time. A couple of co-workers mentioned my 'tardiness' and was wondering about me. So, rain can be a good thing.
A couple of times a week I get a sausage and biscuit at a convenience shop/fuel/bathroom place. This is the same place where I get the cheap cigs, the ones that will shred you throat if you smoke more than one every two hours. Now, I've tried this type of crap at similar establishments and they always tasted...offy...and I didn't buy those again. But this place charges only 99 cents per, hence the reason I tried it, and it tastes damn decent. Granted, it ain't grandma's but it does work well. And they throw in a free DP. I think they might like me, too. Or at least are tolerant of me.
Once a month but no more that twice, I wash and vacuum BT. Jeez, that long grey haired yak that lives in the truck when I'm not around seems to be shedding more. At least there is no trash lying around. I use the car wash brush on her rear end (truck bed, silly) and all over; rinse and vacuum and clean the interior and windows and rims and tires. Yes, for a brief moment in time, she is empty of cargo and my young ass. After she dries in the shade in the early morning, I apply the Quick Detail stuff I have to her finish and she ends up gleaming like a hound's tooth, all purty like. And that take care of cleaning my transport and living quarters for a sum of $5.
In conclusion, you have the totality of my summer routine in all it's orifice-tightening splendor. This summer has not seen any young women puking on the grassy knoll 'screaming for traction', no gays hitting on me, no kids tyring to sell me drugs, no bullets flying and no appearances of the dark underlord himself. Boring is good. However, there has been a burglary, some kids screwing with some moving trucks and a defenceless ATM being hauled screaming from it's place of worship. I had no part in the latter and I assisted the business owners in maintaining assets in the former two. Annd, there was another 'incident' ....
We'll take care of that the next entry,
Take care,
David
This section of the planet has experienced a significant temperature change. Instead of 100 F days, we are now having 80 - 90 F days which makes a shitload of difference when you are trying to sleep in your vehicle during the night. There have been several times that I'd wake up a couple of hours after going to sleep, slightly damp all over, including hair. Even the half pillow had wet spots and I ain't talking about the good kind either. I'd stay awake for an hour or so, have a smoke and some water and try to get a couple more hours of rest. There were a few times when I snuck into the quiet pool in the wee hours and soaked until I got chilly. The place is will lit at night time. I would get in the darkest corner of the pool and submerge with just my head above the water line because, well, my lungs can't extract oxygen from the water yet. I entered and exited the water quietly, not unlike a deadly anaconda that...never mind.
This summer I slept in BT with the windows fully down and back glass wide open, thankful for any night breeze that the universe gifted me with. I know what you're thinking - that's not exactly the safest option, given the neighborhood, is it, buckwheat? I agree but is was the best option. Last summer, I was a bit more paranoid with windows halfway up while sleeping. I don't know if I got braver, more stupid or grew to not care. Maybe I accepted the fact that the universe can have this life at any time but I did...well, I don't know how to put it...'program' myself to awaken if a normal night sound wasn't...normal. There were three times when I awakened to approaching footsteps in the early hours and my body rose up, head turning toward the source - a source that quickly widened the distance to BT without a word being said. I may have mentioned that I do not sleep in a pristine, secure gated community. Anyway, so far, so good...well, until a gang of drunken Amazonian pygmies out on a night of the town, spot me and drag me out of BT and have their way with me in a way that I won't notice until I try to sit down the next day.
The Labor Day weekend presented a unique challenge - namely, that of not working for two days and not showering. Pool water can only go so far and it doesn't help the hair. The place that I shower at was closed those two days and believe you me, the shower, shampoo and shave were a gift from the gods the following day. Every square centimeter of hide quivering with girly soap cleanliness, every strand of hair wanting to flow free and unfettered in the breeze whether there was a breeze blowing or not, and every shaved pore moisturized into soft supple submission. Ahhhhh....
By the way, when I wrote shaved, I meant my face, not any other areas that a significant portion fo the population defoliates on a regular basis. Not that I have a problem with that practice. I'm sure that the personal grooming habits of some people...never mind.
Rain can be a bit to contend with when you are living out of a vehicle. First of all, I can't sit on a covered balcony, comfortable and dry and pay witness to one of nature's soothing, life-giving wonders. It gets kind of warm sitting in a truck with windows rolled up. If you recall, BT's AC is offline. Second, the towels that I use to dry off with after a shower hang in the back of the truck for a few hours to dry off. Ditto for the half-socks I wear at work and double ditto for the clothes I work out in. And, hell, no, they ain't coming into the truck until they are dry and can be put into the dirty clothes garbage bag behind the drivers' seat. So when it rains for 2 or 3 days, the back of BT looks like a teenager's room after a long weekend. At those times, I do a load of laundry to make myself feel better and to alleviate any embarrassment of BT by driving her while she looks like a mobile yurt fresh off the Asian savanna with clothes waving in the wind on the streets of Dallas. Oh, the humanity...
That being said, rain can be a blessing. Several days ago, some rain came through the area and cooled things down a bit; say, to the low 80's and high 70's. After moving from the night spot, I parked and read some and took a nap that I didn't wake from until after 3 PM! I tell you, the sound of steady rain pounding BT's young hide affects me like a handful of Valiums. At the end of the event, I solved one of life's greatest mysteries. You know those vampire flies that bite? Not the ones that buzz around and annoy but the ones that take a piece of your hide for food? The ones that are the bane of humans, dogs, cows, horses and any other mammal that uses hemoglobin as an oxygen transporting agent? Their purpose for existence was to wake my young ass up at 3 PM on that day. If that little carnivore didn't eat on me some, I have no doubt that I would've slept right on through work. As it turned out, I wasn't late but I always show up early, anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours for the computer access time. A couple of co-workers mentioned my 'tardiness' and was wondering about me. So, rain can be a good thing.
A couple of times a week I get a sausage and biscuit at a convenience shop/fuel/bathroom place. This is the same place where I get the cheap cigs, the ones that will shred you throat if you smoke more than one every two hours. Now, I've tried this type of crap at similar establishments and they always tasted...offy...and I didn't buy those again. But this place charges only 99 cents per, hence the reason I tried it, and it tastes damn decent. Granted, it ain't grandma's but it does work well. And they throw in a free DP. I think they might like me, too. Or at least are tolerant of me.
Once a month but no more that twice, I wash and vacuum BT. Jeez, that long grey haired yak that lives in the truck when I'm not around seems to be shedding more. At least there is no trash lying around. I use the car wash brush on her rear end (truck bed, silly) and all over; rinse and vacuum and clean the interior and windows and rims and tires. Yes, for a brief moment in time, she is empty of cargo and my young ass. After she dries in the shade in the early morning, I apply the Quick Detail stuff I have to her finish and she ends up gleaming like a hound's tooth, all purty like. And that take care of cleaning my transport and living quarters for a sum of $5.
In conclusion, you have the totality of my summer routine in all it's orifice-tightening splendor. This summer has not seen any young women puking on the grassy knoll 'screaming for traction', no gays hitting on me, no kids tyring to sell me drugs, no bullets flying and no appearances of the dark underlord himself. Boring is good. However, there has been a burglary, some kids screwing with some moving trucks and a defenceless ATM being hauled screaming from it's place of worship. I had no part in the latter and I assisted the business owners in maintaining assets in the former two. Annd, there was another 'incident' ....
We'll take care of that the next entry,
Take care,
David
Friday, September 12, 2008
Homeless - 59
Guten tag, fellow humans,
Hope that the end of the summer finds you well and fully recovered from the Labor Day festivities - you know, the abundance of cold beverages, grilled food, good friends, laughter and the always ever crowd pleasing party thongs. Of course, let's not forget the music...the soothing rhythm and lyrics of gangsta polka.
Since I haven't had the resources lately to devote as much time to this project as I'd like, I thought I'd play a little catchup and share with you the schedule of a typical week during this transition life stage that I'm weathering.As you might be aware of, I work part time, 25 - 30 hours a week, at a knowledge distribution nexus with other humans whom I enjoy satisfying relationships with - except for one male mutant human that I would gladly pound into primordial paste if not for some silly laws that the human authority figures are sworn to enforce even if they knew I was morally right in executing that action for the benefit of humanity at large and...and...breathe in, breathe out, wax on, wax off...
OK, maybe more on that later...
I awaken daily around 5 - 6 AM to the emptiness of the camping spot, darkened by the lot lights being turned off before dawn. Like a good little trooper, I floss, brush the tuskies, stretch out a bit and think about what I want to accomplish that day. Of course, the days alive counter increments by one and I thank the universe for surviving another 24 hours. Then I enjoy a morning smoke as I pause and watch this section of the planet come alive. Traffic, people filling up with fuel, getting coffee, doughnuts and such, saying morning things to each other, good things I hope - the sounds of civilization that are the mainstay of urban living. I have yet to hear weapons fire in the area of someone securing the day's food supply, though - hey, there's plenty of squirrels around. Next on the morning's agenda is choosing among four locations where I'm going to execute the ritual of body evacuations, face washing and securing that elixir of the gods, Dr. Pepper. I never visit the same place twice in a row in as many days. Ahh yes, when you have the bounty of the Earth at your disposal, a morning cigarette and DP are a gift from the gods, the fickle bitches that they are. As the sun begins to rise in the east, I initiate ignition procedures of Black Thunder and move to one of three other locations that are less traveled to pause for 2 - 3 hours.
I work 3 - 8 PM Mondays and Tuesdays.. Weather permitting, I go to the quiet pool around 10:30 AM and read and write, eat, nap and swim a few laps to get the juices circulating. The solitude of the pool area is refreshing with the sound of the pool fountain splashing in the background. I may get 15 - 30 minutes of direct sunlight but the majority of the time is spent in the shade of the friendly trees, reading, writing, etc. Around 2 PM I make my way to the shower facilities before going to work.
On Wednesdays, I work 1 - 6 PM. From one of the places I pause at mid-morning, I depart around 10:30 AM to the shower facilities and then report to work. After work, I usually get a couple of beers and ice them down. Let me digress at this point. In May, I bought a small collapsible cooler that advertised the capacity of six 12 oz. cans. What wasn't advertised was that the remaining room left in the cooler is just enough for a little ice; say, a couple of hand fulls of ice cubes which doesn't keep the product cool all the live long day so you may have to drink a bit quicker than you are accustomed if you want cold beer. At any rate, the place I go to in these particular instances is crewed by Hispanic women, nice looking Hispanic women, OK, hot looking Hispanic women that let me get some ice, free, from the fountain drink console that is enough for my small cooler. The times that I went by their drive by window, I was always asked if I needed ice to which I replied no because I raided the fridge at work for a few cubes, There is another place I go to that sometimes have 12 packs on sale. I have another cooler, if it can be called that, I bought earlier in the summer for $1.50 that is kind of like a thin bag, all silvery on the outside and can hold a 12 pack with a bit more ice. Anyway, there are a couple of young Indian guys that work there and they let me get the ice I need for free. Yes, people are nice to me and I'm clueless as to why. Anyway, I then proceed in good order to the workout place and...workout for around 90 minutes after which I change into the long suffering swimsuit and hang out by the pool and enjoy the cold beers and read or do a crossword. If I'm lucky, the pool is devoid of human presence and I can have the time to myself.
Thursday is the day that I always have off. After the early morning has passed, I go to the library to max out my computer time working on projects or researching stuff for my other endeavors. Around 2 PM, I get a few beers and grab something to eat and head to the the quiet pool to eat, read, write, and/or nap . Around 5 PM, I crack open a beer and indulge. I usually stay at that location until dark before retiring to the camping spot around 9 PM after the their day of business is done and the lot is about empty. Doubtless, the situation and timing will change during the cooler weather.
Hope that the end of the summer finds you well and fully recovered from the Labor Day festivities - you know, the abundance of cold beverages, grilled food, good friends, laughter and the always ever crowd pleasing party thongs. Of course, let's not forget the music...the soothing rhythm and lyrics of gangsta polka.
Since I haven't had the resources lately to devote as much time to this project as I'd like, I thought I'd play a little catchup and share with you the schedule of a typical week during this transition life stage that I'm weathering.As you might be aware of, I work part time, 25 - 30 hours a week, at a knowledge distribution nexus with other humans whom I enjoy satisfying relationships with - except for one male mutant human that I would gladly pound into primordial paste if not for some silly laws that the human authority figures are sworn to enforce even if they knew I was morally right in executing that action for the benefit of humanity at large and...and...breathe in, breathe out, wax on, wax off...
OK, maybe more on that later...
I awaken daily around 5 - 6 AM to the emptiness of the camping spot, darkened by the lot lights being turned off before dawn. Like a good little trooper, I floss, brush the tuskies, stretch out a bit and think about what I want to accomplish that day. Of course, the days alive counter increments by one and I thank the universe for surviving another 24 hours. Then I enjoy a morning smoke as I pause and watch this section of the planet come alive. Traffic, people filling up with fuel, getting coffee, doughnuts and such, saying morning things to each other, good things I hope - the sounds of civilization that are the mainstay of urban living. I have yet to hear weapons fire in the area of someone securing the day's food supply, though - hey, there's plenty of squirrels around. Next on the morning's agenda is choosing among four locations where I'm going to execute the ritual of body evacuations, face washing and securing that elixir of the gods, Dr. Pepper. I never visit the same place twice in a row in as many days. Ahh yes, when you have the bounty of the Earth at your disposal, a morning cigarette and DP are a gift from the gods, the fickle bitches that they are. As the sun begins to rise in the east, I initiate ignition procedures of Black Thunder and move to one of three other locations that are less traveled to pause for 2 - 3 hours.
I work 3 - 8 PM Mondays and Tuesdays.. Weather permitting, I go to the quiet pool around 10:30 AM and read and write, eat, nap and swim a few laps to get the juices circulating. The solitude of the pool area is refreshing with the sound of the pool fountain splashing in the background. I may get 15 - 30 minutes of direct sunlight but the majority of the time is spent in the shade of the friendly trees, reading, writing, etc. Around 2 PM I make my way to the shower facilities before going to work.
On Wednesdays, I work 1 - 6 PM. From one of the places I pause at mid-morning, I depart around 10:30 AM to the shower facilities and then report to work. After work, I usually get a couple of beers and ice them down. Let me digress at this point. In May, I bought a small collapsible cooler that advertised the capacity of six 12 oz. cans. What wasn't advertised was that the remaining room left in the cooler is just enough for a little ice; say, a couple of hand fulls of ice cubes which doesn't keep the product cool all the live long day so you may have to drink a bit quicker than you are accustomed if you want cold beer. At any rate, the place I go to in these particular instances is crewed by Hispanic women, nice looking Hispanic women, OK, hot looking Hispanic women that let me get some ice, free, from the fountain drink console that is enough for my small cooler. The times that I went by their drive by window, I was always asked if I needed ice to which I replied no because I raided the fridge at work for a few cubes, There is another place I go to that sometimes have 12 packs on sale. I have another cooler, if it can be called that, I bought earlier in the summer for $1.50 that is kind of like a thin bag, all silvery on the outside and can hold a 12 pack with a bit more ice. Anyway, there are a couple of young Indian guys that work there and they let me get the ice I need for free. Yes, people are nice to me and I'm clueless as to why. Anyway, I then proceed in good order to the workout place and...workout for around 90 minutes after which I change into the long suffering swimsuit and hang out by the pool and enjoy the cold beers and read or do a crossword. If I'm lucky, the pool is devoid of human presence and I can have the time to myself.
Thursday is the day that I always have off. After the early morning has passed, I go to the library to max out my computer time working on projects or researching stuff for my other endeavors. Around 2 PM, I get a few beers and grab something to eat and head to the the quiet pool to eat, read, write, and/or nap . Around 5 PM, I crack open a beer and indulge. I usually stay at that location until dark before retiring to the camping spot around 9 PM after the their day of business is done and the lot is about empty. Doubtless, the situation and timing will change during the cooler weather.
Friday is much the same as Wednesday except that the hours are 12 - 5 PM and yes, I work out at the same place and usually have a couple of beers afterward at the pool. This day usually includes the Friday night crowd grilling out and socializing. I may stay later but usually end up at the camping spot before midnight.
I work the same hours on Saturday but contending with the 5 PM traffic negates my desire to execute my most endearing military policy regarding 'scorched earth' doctrines to significantly reduce the vehicle throughput thus expediting the arrival at my destination. Sometimes it is at the quiet pool, other times at the workout pool to socialize with other humans, and their pets, until they get too slobbering drunk to be coherent. More than once I thought where are the people who can hold their liquor and still be coherent, intelligent and maintain a measure of social grace? Well, apparently not in my current world.
Every other Sunday I work from 1 - 5 PM. This is where a fine degree of coordination is required on my part, if it can be called that. Every Sunday, before the sun is an hour above the horizon, I take BT on a 12 - 15 mile jaunt doing around 60 MPH. During the week, her transport duties are confined to 3 - 4 mile hops doing 40 MPH which ain't the best for a well-bred machine that likes the fur parting speed of warp 90. With hardly any traffic and the windows down, I deviate from my standard practice and some one while listening to a CD during the early morning drive. Usually the music is of some Jewish rap group saying something about bustin' bitches and banging kneecaps...or maybe it's the other way around. It's difficult to tell. Maybe if I heard the music in a tabernacle...never mind. Anyway, I stop by a branch of my bank, hoping that it had not went out of business yet, and check my balance of the fortune that I am amassing to finance my future planetary empire. After that, I stop by a gas station, the clean one, and do the morning thing. I load up on the weekly fuel allotment, touch up the windows, check the tire pressure sometimes and touch up the rims. Please note that I did not say I filled up BT - don't make that much yet. Sometimes I spend an hour cleaning up BT for around $5 at a self-service car wash, that constantly beeps at you to put more money in or else. I then proceed to a fast food place where for the princely sum of $1.63, I savor the ingestion of a generous helping of biscuits and gravy with a DP thrown in. I think they like me. If I'm fortunate, someone has left a Sunday paper that I scour for news, sales, coupons, crossword, etc. After that I go to the laundromat and wash and dry my entire designer wardrobe for $5 - all two loads, light and dark. When dried, I fold and stow the items in BT. Now if I have Sunday off, I ice down some beer and go work out for a couple of hours and then head to a pool for the duration of the day.
If I'm working a Sunday, I go to the quiet pool around 10:30 AM and stay until noon, giving me an opportunity to rinse off and swim a few laps to get the juices going. Before reporting to work, I stop by the store and procure some food molecules for the remainder of the week - sliced chicken breast or peppered turkey breast (poor breasts but they sure taste good), a head of Romaine lettuce and several Roma tomatoes that are hopefully salamander free, and get some DP if they have it on sale. I keep this stuff in the lower vegetable tray in the fridge at work. I also have microwave popcorn, cans of soup and a can or two of white albacore in a top compartment on the pantry where I figure it's safe because the rest of the personnel can't reach that high. I don't eat the albacore at work because some people don't like the sweet aroma of seafood. I sometimes take a can to eat on Thursdays by the pool where I become the best friend to a couple of cats for a while. After work, yes, I go work out and enjoy a couple of beers when the pool is empty because everyone has already retired to their apartment to pass out from the day's exertions.
At the darkness, I return to nearly empty camping spot and park in a far corner where I can read or write by the lot lighting. I review the day and thank the spirit for all the experiences that has happened during the course of the day, whether pleasant or not; for allowing me to exist one more day. I think of how my workout went, what I'm going to write or read. I think of the laughter and those moments of connectivity with other people. I envision what my life will be like in a couple of years. I think of people enjoying the fruits of my projects. Sometimes I wonder where I will end up next...
I usually fall asleep around midnight after turning the bed down in the Black Thunder Hilton and notifying the nightstaff that I'm not to be disturbed.
More on the catching up stuff in the next entry.
Be well,
David
P.S.
The music I usually listen to these days is either old school stuff or soft techno. Didn't want you to think I went of the deep end...well, the deeper end, anyway.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Homeless - 58
Greetings, Earthlings,
A year...
Our planet orbits a star that is approximately 9 light minutes distant and all life is fortunate that we inhabit a region of space and time where water can exist in more that in one form especially if you are a scotch and water fan...or if your pastime involves any time of waterpipe. Our star is approximately 25,000 light years from the galactic core within the Orion spiral arm. The last time our planet was in this position in relation to the galactic core, the dinosaurs were making significant contributions to their own greenhouse problem until a big ol' mean asteroid took care of that small issue for them. Again, we are fortunate, as a species, that Sol is a long duration G-class star still enjoying its' main sequence with occasional hiccups that disrupt communication arrays and power dispersal systems as well as the more advanced cappuccino machines. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is part of a group of galaxies that are heading toward a region of empty space that is designated the Great Attractor and will arrive there in a gazillion years. Since our planet is constantly in motion, we are never in the same place moment from moment though we adhere to the illusion of continuity via the constructs of architectural design, civilization infrastructure, societal rules, life routines and sleeping in the same truck night after night.
It's been over a year since the extravagant disco lifestyle that I currently enjoy adopted me and, as with any continued effort, it is time to pause and consider, measure and evaluate, and scratch a favorite body part or something, and devote some thought to current situation and goals, things lost or gained, future aspirations, and determine any worthwhile value for continuation, alteration or termination.
I have to say that my situation has improved in several aspects since our planet occupied this same relational position around the sun, at least at a subsistence level. I perform a function, albeit a part-time one, at a information dispersal facility where, I think, based on feedback from the environment, I perform above average...which ain't that hard, trust you me. In the past, I had to make a decision on more that one occasion to buy toothpaste, cigs or a meal - with the toothpaste winning out every time. These days I can purchase all three provided that I catch a special deal on the meal. There is adequate fuel for BT and she is cleaned on a regular basis though she could use some mechanical attention but I think that can slide for a while. I was able to replace some clothes and care for them in a socially sanctioned manner. I have access to shower facilities, hot tubs, steam rooms, workout areas, pools and a few somewhat decent people. As it turns out, all these attributes exist within a 7 kilometer radius instead of a few footsteps away. I have goals that I'm working toward, I haven't had to sell myself to medical experiments or gay biker snuff films and I've been fortunate to have a couple of benefactors who, somehow and someway, came through in the nick of time. At this point I can say...let's see...how shall I put this...oh yeah...I have been fookin' lucky!
Tobacco and alcohol usage has been drastically reduced, say around 70%, which may be a significant component to my continued existence and coupled with my workout regimen, I think I'm stronger physically than I have ever been. I haven't succumbed to hopelessness, despair, self-pity, bitterness, envy or anger and I still possess the indispensable tools for fighting the deepest, darkest evil in this section of the galaxy...namely, humor and laughter. Granted, my sense of humor may be viewed as a bit warped at times but it makes me laugh and maybe there are times it makes you laugh, too.
Another asset is that the human attributes of gratitude and patience have been become more predominant during this journey. I used to be a 'checkllist' type of human - not so much these days. In the past life, there were things to do, people to see and I torched my way through to completion. Currently, I measure every step, every action in an attempt to achieve a maximum yield with minimal resources. I lack the acumen of language to accurately convey this but there are times when you are patient and wait until you get a feeling to proceed, it seems things 'go better' or maybe 'not so bad'. As far as the extent of gratitude, I thank the spirit of the universe for giving me the day with all its' components and challenges whether things went by the numbers or there missteps at every turn.
An example of being appreciative of the small things, taking a shower in the past in preparation for the work day was an activity of rote with my mind processing the tasks and goals of the upcoming hours - meetings and preparations thereof, design requirements that needed to be translated to software, design requirements that needed further analysis, managerial drive-bys, testing and documentation considerations, does my business causal attire make me look fat or does it present me as suave and debonair and how in the hell do I exercise enough self-control to resist the urge to rip the spleen outa some idiot who knows nothing about what is going on but fouls the atmosphere when their mouth opens and has a major lip lock on the boss's ass who likes having said lips and many others on said ass. These days, I'm focused just on the shower and cleaning of the living machine I inhabit and how good it feels after a weekend of being immersed in pool water and its' contaminants. There is something to be said about the simplicity and reduction of thoughts; there may be more to be reap from the day if the eyes are not confused by thoughts. One more example is a breeze. In these parts, the high of the day is around 100 F with the low at 80 F but that low is not reached until 3 or 4 AM.The Black Thunder Hilton lacks environmental control so I'm much appreciative of a breeze that the spirit sends my way until I can go to sleep around 1 AM or later.
Maybe all the little things that a person takes for granted can lead to an element of certainty which could lead to boredom or arrogance or being a butthead. These days, I wake up in the morning and the 'days alive' counter increments by one. I make plans for the day with a heavy presence of the element of uncertainty which permeates the time with a mood of 'maybe'. From what I've read, the lack of certainty in one's life can lead to a imbalance but I know I'm as sane as I ever was thanks to the comments of my ever present friend who is a six foot tall invisible rabbit only I can see and talk with. Because of the element of uncertainty, I find myself constantly on guard with a line of bullshit ready or just being more alert than I have been in the past. I guess in the past life I was a happy-go-lucky dumbass, oblivious to the harshness of humanity or not caring. My orientation is somewhat different these days. Maybe certainty makes an individual complacent and opens the avenue to boredom, closing the mind and heart to the important things and experiencing the balm of gratitude. Maybe uncertainty reverses that learned orientation. It may be gratitude for the smallest things that greatly assists that reversal - an appreciation and recognition of the temporary things.
Aloneness - I think it would literally kill some people, those that have to have a continual connection to people via cellphone, email, daily interactions, etc. I've known some people that were on the verge of going nuts because they didn't have their cellphone or couldn't connect to their email. Being alone never did bother me - I found those times peaceful. That's not say that I don't enjoy the company of humans...or our domesticated jungle friends. My current lifestyle consists of an aloneness that is antithetical to how we are socialized and educated. I've read where solitary confinement is the worst punishment to inflict on another human but if you have a toilet, meals delivered and a place to sleep, what's the big deal? Though I would miss the pool, library, the outdoors and other things. Maybe this project and the other one keeps me with purpose, something to shoot for.
The other writing project is not proceeding as quickly as I originally envisioned due to environmental constraints but that may be a good thing. The extended time gave me an opportunity to refine and enhance existing elements as well as evaluate others that I may include. I've completed the first chapter and have several other chapters under construction of the first book. I'm writing like I designed software - if some idea doesn't come in the module I'm working on, work on another part of the program and somehow the universe will grab you and slam your head into a section of the software and say 'write this, you eeediot'. It seems that there is so far to go but a feeling keeps telling me 'get a finished product and everything else will be taken care of'. Of course, that feeling doesn't share with me how I'm going to get the resources or the people or the infrastructure to present the product to the public. There are times, I guess, you just have to believe and keep at it.
Another arena in which I've been fortunate is my physicality. I work out for the sole reason of maximum utilization of today, not tomorrow or longevity or an ego based desire. Today is the main focus...well, that and a extremely satisfying morning dump. I hope that that continues and I can endure an occasional illness that may or may not lead to another ghastly 'incident' - yes, there has been another one of those and will share more on that later. Things just seem to go better when I work out regularly. And besides, it is one of the better options that I can choose.
Transport is another item that I've been lucky with at this point. BT still looks good and is performing like a champ but she needs a bit of attention or at least I think she does. I always maintained her beyond the maintenance schedule and doted on her but I haven't been able to do that lately. Maybe it's a mental thingy on my part.
And now, having glossed over several things and omitting others, it's time to look at the scorecard at this point.
1) Slightly marginal improvements to date, at least on the linear scale. Diet alternatives are available at desired times...which means I can eat when I want just not at the 5 star locations. And there is fuel for BT despite the reaming I'm getting from Big Oil. The clothes issue seems adequate at this point
2) Health and physicality , as with all things, have a limited duration despite the denial of impending biological systems failure. Hey, exercise, diet, liposuction and pedicures can only go so far to prolong the ol' life force. Though I ingest a higher quality of food molecules on a regular basis that I have in the past year and I'm stronger than I ever was(?), I'm not exactly in the prime of life and I lack sufficient resources to address something serious. It would only take a small injury to negate the current situation and I would be joining the homeless in the downtown area, sleeping under a bridge instead of within BT.
3) Transport also has limited duration due to lack of maintenance. I've been lucky in this respect in more ways than one. Maybe I'm being anal about BT but her warp engines have been cared for more in the past than I'm able at this time. If she can just last a bit longer...
4) I have goals, visions of my future self and contributions that I think about often, mainly at the close of the day when I sitting there in the empty lot, reviewing the day and making plans for the morrow.
Conclusions:
- do not enable suicide vectors at this time which should give some solace to small nocturnal animals everywhere
- keep the sense of humor if for no other reason to make myself laugh, have gratitude and patience in all things
- progression of writing projects will...progress, if for no other reason, to give me something to aim for
- unable to recognize any other options...beyond selling myself to medical experiments
If current conditions remain constant, I can still continue the struggle until 'contract termination'
Next time,
David
A year...
Our planet orbits a star that is approximately 9 light minutes distant and all life is fortunate that we inhabit a region of space and time where water can exist in more that in one form especially if you are a scotch and water fan...or if your pastime involves any time of waterpipe. Our star is approximately 25,000 light years from the galactic core within the Orion spiral arm. The last time our planet was in this position in relation to the galactic core, the dinosaurs were making significant contributions to their own greenhouse problem until a big ol' mean asteroid took care of that small issue for them. Again, we are fortunate, as a species, that Sol is a long duration G-class star still enjoying its' main sequence with occasional hiccups that disrupt communication arrays and power dispersal systems as well as the more advanced cappuccino machines. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is part of a group of galaxies that are heading toward a region of empty space that is designated the Great Attractor and will arrive there in a gazillion years. Since our planet is constantly in motion, we are never in the same place moment from moment though we adhere to the illusion of continuity via the constructs of architectural design, civilization infrastructure, societal rules, life routines and sleeping in the same truck night after night.
It's been over a year since the extravagant disco lifestyle that I currently enjoy adopted me and, as with any continued effort, it is time to pause and consider, measure and evaluate, and scratch a favorite body part or something, and devote some thought to current situation and goals, things lost or gained, future aspirations, and determine any worthwhile value for continuation, alteration or termination.
I have to say that my situation has improved in several aspects since our planet occupied this same relational position around the sun, at least at a subsistence level. I perform a function, albeit a part-time one, at a information dispersal facility where, I think, based on feedback from the environment, I perform above average...which ain't that hard, trust you me. In the past, I had to make a decision on more that one occasion to buy toothpaste, cigs or a meal - with the toothpaste winning out every time. These days I can purchase all three provided that I catch a special deal on the meal. There is adequate fuel for BT and she is cleaned on a regular basis though she could use some mechanical attention but I think that can slide for a while. I was able to replace some clothes and care for them in a socially sanctioned manner. I have access to shower facilities, hot tubs, steam rooms, workout areas, pools and a few somewhat decent people. As it turns out, all these attributes exist within a 7 kilometer radius instead of a few footsteps away. I have goals that I'm working toward, I haven't had to sell myself to medical experiments or gay biker snuff films and I've been fortunate to have a couple of benefactors who, somehow and someway, came through in the nick of time. At this point I can say...let's see...how shall I put this...oh yeah...I have been fookin' lucky!
Tobacco and alcohol usage has been drastically reduced, say around 70%, which may be a significant component to my continued existence and coupled with my workout regimen, I think I'm stronger physically than I have ever been. I haven't succumbed to hopelessness, despair, self-pity, bitterness, envy or anger and I still possess the indispensable tools for fighting the deepest, darkest evil in this section of the galaxy...namely, humor and laughter. Granted, my sense of humor may be viewed as a bit warped at times but it makes me laugh and maybe there are times it makes you laugh, too.
Another asset is that the human attributes of gratitude and patience have been become more predominant during this journey. I used to be a 'checkllist' type of human - not so much these days. In the past life, there were things to do, people to see and I torched my way through to completion. Currently, I measure every step, every action in an attempt to achieve a maximum yield with minimal resources. I lack the acumen of language to accurately convey this but there are times when you are patient and wait until you get a feeling to proceed, it seems things 'go better' or maybe 'not so bad'. As far as the extent of gratitude, I thank the spirit of the universe for giving me the day with all its' components and challenges whether things went by the numbers or there missteps at every turn.
An example of being appreciative of the small things, taking a shower in the past in preparation for the work day was an activity of rote with my mind processing the tasks and goals of the upcoming hours - meetings and preparations thereof, design requirements that needed to be translated to software, design requirements that needed further analysis, managerial drive-bys, testing and documentation considerations, does my business causal attire make me look fat or does it present me as suave and debonair and how in the hell do I exercise enough self-control to resist the urge to rip the spleen outa some idiot who knows nothing about what is going on but fouls the atmosphere when their mouth opens and has a major lip lock on the boss's ass who likes having said lips and many others on said ass. These days, I'm focused just on the shower and cleaning of the living machine I inhabit and how good it feels after a weekend of being immersed in pool water and its' contaminants. There is something to be said about the simplicity and reduction of thoughts; there may be more to be reap from the day if the eyes are not confused by thoughts. One more example is a breeze. In these parts, the high of the day is around 100 F with the low at 80 F but that low is not reached until 3 or 4 AM.The Black Thunder Hilton lacks environmental control so I'm much appreciative of a breeze that the spirit sends my way until I can go to sleep around 1 AM or later.
Maybe all the little things that a person takes for granted can lead to an element of certainty which could lead to boredom or arrogance or being a butthead. These days, I wake up in the morning and the 'days alive' counter increments by one. I make plans for the day with a heavy presence of the element of uncertainty which permeates the time with a mood of 'maybe'. From what I've read, the lack of certainty in one's life can lead to a imbalance but I know I'm as sane as I ever was thanks to the comments of my ever present friend who is a six foot tall invisible rabbit only I can see and talk with. Because of the element of uncertainty, I find myself constantly on guard with a line of bullshit ready or just being more alert than I have been in the past. I guess in the past life I was a happy-go-lucky dumbass, oblivious to the harshness of humanity or not caring. My orientation is somewhat different these days. Maybe certainty makes an individual complacent and opens the avenue to boredom, closing the mind and heart to the important things and experiencing the balm of gratitude. Maybe uncertainty reverses that learned orientation. It may be gratitude for the smallest things that greatly assists that reversal - an appreciation and recognition of the temporary things.
Aloneness - I think it would literally kill some people, those that have to have a continual connection to people via cellphone, email, daily interactions, etc. I've known some people that were on the verge of going nuts because they didn't have their cellphone or couldn't connect to their email. Being alone never did bother me - I found those times peaceful. That's not say that I don't enjoy the company of humans...or our domesticated jungle friends. My current lifestyle consists of an aloneness that is antithetical to how we are socialized and educated. I've read where solitary confinement is the worst punishment to inflict on another human but if you have a toilet, meals delivered and a place to sleep, what's the big deal? Though I would miss the pool, library, the outdoors and other things. Maybe this project and the other one keeps me with purpose, something to shoot for.
The other writing project is not proceeding as quickly as I originally envisioned due to environmental constraints but that may be a good thing. The extended time gave me an opportunity to refine and enhance existing elements as well as evaluate others that I may include. I've completed the first chapter and have several other chapters under construction of the first book. I'm writing like I designed software - if some idea doesn't come in the module I'm working on, work on another part of the program and somehow the universe will grab you and slam your head into a section of the software and say 'write this, you eeediot'. It seems that there is so far to go but a feeling keeps telling me 'get a finished product and everything else will be taken care of'. Of course, that feeling doesn't share with me how I'm going to get the resources or the people or the infrastructure to present the product to the public. There are times, I guess, you just have to believe and keep at it.
Another arena in which I've been fortunate is my physicality. I work out for the sole reason of maximum utilization of today, not tomorrow or longevity or an ego based desire. Today is the main focus...well, that and a extremely satisfying morning dump. I hope that that continues and I can endure an occasional illness that may or may not lead to another ghastly 'incident' - yes, there has been another one of those and will share more on that later. Things just seem to go better when I work out regularly. And besides, it is one of the better options that I can choose.
Transport is another item that I've been lucky with at this point. BT still looks good and is performing like a champ but she needs a bit of attention or at least I think she does. I always maintained her beyond the maintenance schedule and doted on her but I haven't been able to do that lately. Maybe it's a mental thingy on my part.
And now, having glossed over several things and omitting others, it's time to look at the scorecard at this point.
1) Slightly marginal improvements to date, at least on the linear scale. Diet alternatives are available at desired times...which means I can eat when I want just not at the 5 star locations. And there is fuel for BT despite the reaming I'm getting from Big Oil. The clothes issue seems adequate at this point
2) Health and physicality , as with all things, have a limited duration despite the denial of impending biological systems failure. Hey, exercise, diet, liposuction and pedicures can only go so far to prolong the ol' life force. Though I ingest a higher quality of food molecules on a regular basis that I have in the past year and I'm stronger than I ever was(?), I'm not exactly in the prime of life and I lack sufficient resources to address something serious. It would only take a small injury to negate the current situation and I would be joining the homeless in the downtown area, sleeping under a bridge instead of within BT.
3) Transport also has limited duration due to lack of maintenance. I've been lucky in this respect in more ways than one. Maybe I'm being anal about BT but her warp engines have been cared for more in the past than I'm able at this time. If she can just last a bit longer...
4) I have goals, visions of my future self and contributions that I think about often, mainly at the close of the day when I sitting there in the empty lot, reviewing the day and making plans for the morrow.
Conclusions:
- do not enable suicide vectors at this time which should give some solace to small nocturnal animals everywhere
- keep the sense of humor if for no other reason to make myself laugh, have gratitude and patience in all things
- progression of writing projects will...progress, if for no other reason, to give me something to aim for
- unable to recognize any other options...beyond selling myself to medical experiments
If current conditions remain constant, I can still continue the struggle until 'contract termination'
Next time,
David
Monday, June 30, 2008
Homeless - 57
Hi ya'll,
Yessiree, I sleep as lightly as a hungry panther, senses alert for prey, danger or opportunity; ever poised on the hair trigger on the howitzer of survival on the streets; every sinew and muscle quivering in the struggle for life or death. One of my camping sites is on a small strip mall that I've written of before, the one with the 24 hour store. I don't go into the store after 12 AM these days because of the all night human working that time frame - foreign descent, accent difficult to understand and an interpersonal style that doesn't cater easily to small talk or pronounced client relations. Oh, I didn't mention his eyes that look in different directions when he is looking in your direction or his verbal terseness - definitely not an icon for customer service. He is probably in his late 50's, thinning hair, pudgy and wears glasses. Anyway, I was awakened around 4 AM by flashing lights, as in the cop kind of lights when they are pulling you over when you just flicked a half-joint of fine Colombian out of the driver's side window while doing warp 100. And I ask why? I erected myself (?) from the sleeping position in the master sleeping chamber of BT thinking ok, guys, you have my plate in your database as harmless - SUP? As it turned out, the store had its' ATM ripped off, as in throw a chain around that puppy and hook tha other end to tha truck and drag it, Billy Bob! From talking with the cops (there were many but none whose butts I wanted to check out), the perps came in the store with assault weapons, put the clerk on the floor and made off with the ATM machine and trashed a large section of the front window during the extraction process. On further conversation with the PD , the store was robbed of the contents of the cash registers in the same time frame three weeks earlier with the same clerk on duty. Obviously somebody has a problem of sleeping that early in the morning and gets a really wild hair. The night clerks at those stores deserve more than what they are paid. I went in a couple of nights later when he was on duty to get a DP around 1 AM. While he was making change, I told him I heard of what happened and was glad he was OK. As he was handing the change over, he replied what can I do - quit? in a softer than usual voice. My impression at the moment of his reply was that this is a human being that is trapped in a lifestyle that has the major attributes of hopelessness, despair and impotence - no other place to go, no one to see, no goals on the horizon, and with the next major life event being that of death. Let's face it, he ain't CEO material and this position may be the best he will ever rise to but it seems he, as well as others, deserve a better life while in service to corporations. The only time I felt those attributes, to the best of my memory, was when I was living with my mother and half-brother years ago and I haven't felt them since. That is a hell unto itself and any system of life that has a participant feeling in that manner is grossly deficit. I don't feel sorry for him but I can empathize with his position. I don't feel sorry for people because, in some way, for me to do that would imply that I would have a higher station in life; none of us do when you look at the most basic fact - maybe there are only different sets of challenges.
I've read where the Dallas Police Department has initiated a random drug testing of the officers' for steroid use. HELLO! Don't we want our cops on steroids considering what they have to deal with on a daily basis? Of course, pounding a motorist's head into the pavement for going 7 mph over the speed limit is carrying things a bit too far, at least in some circles. For me, 'enhancements' are a sign of low self-esteem unless you are in an arena where physicality equals large sums of money. If you are doing roids and the most physical thing you do is play water volleyball on the weekends, yeah, I would have to say low self-esteem is a significant factor. If you have breast augmentations, and god knows what else, and lay by the pool watching specimens of steriodous lowus esteemus play volleyball, yeah, the self-image factor looms darkly on the horizon. It'd be different if those women were in the adult entertainment industry but that would bring up other issues.
The environment at the camping spot has been altered due to a bar that has opened up for business and the demographic that it caters to is not quite the crowd that any proud parent would want their precious offspring to frequent. It's not that busy even on the weekends and my parking spot is not being compromised. I doubt that the business will survive for very long - give it until September and the buzzards will be circling over its' steaming carcass. Taking into account human curiosity, drunken or otherwise, there is a high probability that some of the patrons have questioned my presence in the lot. There is also a high probability, I feel, that at least two of the owners of other adjoining businesses have shared details of my 'good deeds'. Hopefully the status quo will continue for awhile...
The new place that I've written about, the one that is off the well-beaten path and with plenty of shade, had its trees trimmed. Let me rephrase that - the trees were fucking butchered, mauled, maimed. I've seen the result of tree trimming but this...this...this is like 'going Britney', kinda reminiscent of the ugliest dog contests that I've read about. The trees across the street are probably pointing at them and laughing. And they cut down three perfectly healthy trees. There's still enough shade and living things tend to continue growing, if they are not psychologically marred, but by Saint Teresa's holy buttocks, we don't have enough trees in these parts to begin with. They provide shade and look nice in the municipal environment and ...what is that other thing they do? Oh yeah, take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen! And plus they are living things. I have to admit that upon seeing the result of 'lawn care', I did have a few thoughts of aggressiveness.
A couple of days before that horrid mutilation, I was sitting there working on the other project around 8 AM on a weekday enjoying a quiet cool morning with a breeze smelling of grass. I heard a couple of vehicles sneak up behind me and looked in my rear view mirrors and noted, with significant orifice tightening, that it was a couple of cop cars. I did what anyone should do in that situation, following the advice of a couple of cops that I knew over the years, put my left hand out the drivers' side window and my right hand, still holding pen and paper, up in the air where they could see that I wasn't holding anything dangerous. They were investigating some property damage that happened at the front of the mall that morning and asked if I heard anything and I replied no, saying that I had been at that location for around 30 minutes. He looked at the inside of BT via the passenger side window and asked about my current situation. I told him and he mentioned that a couple of businesses noticed me and viewed me as suspicious. Anyway, after checking my ID and further conversation, I was deemed harmless and they went their way. Both guys were in their late 30's or so and were friendly and yes, their biceps could order off a menu of their own accord. And no, I had no inclination to check out their butts.
In closing, let's take a moment of remember George Carlin. That man provided me with may hours of laughter with his unique style of humor whether there was a bong involved or not. His particular viewpoint brought to light some of the absurd social conventions that we adhere to without realizing it. The world of people need more like him and I hope the force of life has another one like him waiting in the wings to pick up the baton.
"Tonight's forecast: dark - with continuing darkness until morning."
Next time,
David
Yessiree, I sleep as lightly as a hungry panther, senses alert for prey, danger or opportunity; ever poised on the hair trigger on the howitzer of survival on the streets; every sinew and muscle quivering in the struggle for life or death. One of my camping sites is on a small strip mall that I've written of before, the one with the 24 hour store. I don't go into the store after 12 AM these days because of the all night human working that time frame - foreign descent, accent difficult to understand and an interpersonal style that doesn't cater easily to small talk or pronounced client relations. Oh, I didn't mention his eyes that look in different directions when he is looking in your direction or his verbal terseness - definitely not an icon for customer service. He is probably in his late 50's, thinning hair, pudgy and wears glasses. Anyway, I was awakened around 4 AM by flashing lights, as in the cop kind of lights when they are pulling you over when you just flicked a half-joint of fine Colombian out of the driver's side window while doing warp 100. And I ask why? I erected myself (?) from the sleeping position in the master sleeping chamber of BT thinking ok, guys, you have my plate in your database as harmless - SUP? As it turned out, the store had its' ATM ripped off, as in throw a chain around that puppy and hook tha other end to tha truck and drag it, Billy Bob! From talking with the cops (there were many but none whose butts I wanted to check out), the perps came in the store with assault weapons, put the clerk on the floor and made off with the ATM machine and trashed a large section of the front window during the extraction process. On further conversation with the PD , the store was robbed of the contents of the cash registers in the same time frame three weeks earlier with the same clerk on duty. Obviously somebody has a problem of sleeping that early in the morning and gets a really wild hair. The night clerks at those stores deserve more than what they are paid. I went in a couple of nights later when he was on duty to get a DP around 1 AM. While he was making change, I told him I heard of what happened and was glad he was OK. As he was handing the change over, he replied what can I do - quit? in a softer than usual voice. My impression at the moment of his reply was that this is a human being that is trapped in a lifestyle that has the major attributes of hopelessness, despair and impotence - no other place to go, no one to see, no goals on the horizon, and with the next major life event being that of death. Let's face it, he ain't CEO material and this position may be the best he will ever rise to but it seems he, as well as others, deserve a better life while in service to corporations. The only time I felt those attributes, to the best of my memory, was when I was living with my mother and half-brother years ago and I haven't felt them since. That is a hell unto itself and any system of life that has a participant feeling in that manner is grossly deficit. I don't feel sorry for him but I can empathize with his position. I don't feel sorry for people because, in some way, for me to do that would imply that I would have a higher station in life; none of us do when you look at the most basic fact - maybe there are only different sets of challenges.
I've read where the Dallas Police Department has initiated a random drug testing of the officers' for steroid use. HELLO! Don't we want our cops on steroids considering what they have to deal with on a daily basis? Of course, pounding a motorist's head into the pavement for going 7 mph over the speed limit is carrying things a bit too far, at least in some circles. For me, 'enhancements' are a sign of low self-esteem unless you are in an arena where physicality equals large sums of money. If you are doing roids and the most physical thing you do is play water volleyball on the weekends, yeah, I would have to say low self-esteem is a significant factor. If you have breast augmentations, and god knows what else, and lay by the pool watching specimens of steriodous lowus esteemus play volleyball, yeah, the self-image factor looms darkly on the horizon. It'd be different if those women were in the adult entertainment industry but that would bring up other issues.
The environment at the camping spot has been altered due to a bar that has opened up for business and the demographic that it caters to is not quite the crowd that any proud parent would want their precious offspring to frequent. It's not that busy even on the weekends and my parking spot is not being compromised. I doubt that the business will survive for very long - give it until September and the buzzards will be circling over its' steaming carcass. Taking into account human curiosity, drunken or otherwise, there is a high probability that some of the patrons have questioned my presence in the lot. There is also a high probability, I feel, that at least two of the owners of other adjoining businesses have shared details of my 'good deeds'. Hopefully the status quo will continue for awhile...
The new place that I've written about, the one that is off the well-beaten path and with plenty of shade, had its trees trimmed. Let me rephrase that - the trees were fucking butchered, mauled, maimed. I've seen the result of tree trimming but this...this...this is like 'going Britney', kinda reminiscent of the ugliest dog contests that I've read about. The trees across the street are probably pointing at them and laughing. And they cut down three perfectly healthy trees. There's still enough shade and living things tend to continue growing, if they are not psychologically marred, but by Saint Teresa's holy buttocks, we don't have enough trees in these parts to begin with. They provide shade and look nice in the municipal environment and ...what is that other thing they do? Oh yeah, take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen! And plus they are living things. I have to admit that upon seeing the result of 'lawn care', I did have a few thoughts of aggressiveness.
A couple of days before that horrid mutilation, I was sitting there working on the other project around 8 AM on a weekday enjoying a quiet cool morning with a breeze smelling of grass. I heard a couple of vehicles sneak up behind me and looked in my rear view mirrors and noted, with significant orifice tightening, that it was a couple of cop cars. I did what anyone should do in that situation, following the advice of a couple of cops that I knew over the years, put my left hand out the drivers' side window and my right hand, still holding pen and paper, up in the air where they could see that I wasn't holding anything dangerous. They were investigating some property damage that happened at the front of the mall that morning and asked if I heard anything and I replied no, saying that I had been at that location for around 30 minutes. He looked at the inside of BT via the passenger side window and asked about my current situation. I told him and he mentioned that a couple of businesses noticed me and viewed me as suspicious. Anyway, after checking my ID and further conversation, I was deemed harmless and they went their way. Both guys were in their late 30's or so and were friendly and yes, their biceps could order off a menu of their own accord. And no, I had no inclination to check out their butts.
In closing, let's take a moment of remember George Carlin. That man provided me with may hours of laughter with his unique style of humor whether there was a bong involved or not. His particular viewpoint brought to light some of the absurd social conventions that we adhere to without realizing it. The world of people need more like him and I hope the force of life has another one like him waiting in the wings to pick up the baton.
"Tonight's forecast: dark - with continuing darkness until morning."
Next time,
David
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Homeless - 56
Greetings, Fellow Humans,
Hope everything is going well with you, that something new and exciting has arisen in your existence upon this planet - like a love found that fills your heart and thoughts, maybe a newly found appreciation of one of the gifts of life, or maybe just the winning lotto numbers.
Hope everything is going well with you, that something new and exciting has arisen in your existence upon this planet - like a love found that fills your heart and thoughts, maybe a newly found appreciation of one of the gifts of life, or maybe just the winning lotto numbers.
I found another place to park during the day that is within my 10K range and is more out of the way with less traffic than previous spots that I have used to pause for a time during the... day. It is behind a mall, shaded with plenty of tall trees that were lucky enough to escape that evil tornado some time ago. During lunchtime, several vehicles park and eat lunch, read the paper, take a nap, hit the pipe or, quite possibly, enjoy a tryst with whoever or whatever - regardless of the weather. The lot is not readily visible from the street and is a quiet environment with the wind blowing through the trees. The only major sound is a animal boarding facility about 200 meters away, across the street. After the lunch crowd leave it is quite comfortable to take a nap in the current weather conditions; early Saturday and Sunday mornings are even more so. A couple of times during the week when I get off work, I buy a oil can of Foster's and enjoy the quietude until the darkness comes and then move to the other site. Hope this situation lasts awhile...
Swimming season is upon us once again. During the week, I frequent the quiet pool, the one with plenty of trees that provide abundant shade. The water of the pool is in direct sunlight maybe 3 - 4 hours during the day which allows it to be refreshing for the duration of the summer and it is well maintained with the chlorine content just right. You can open your eyes in the water and not have them turn red as if you were hung over from a night of debauchery. Nearly 3 meters in depth, it is good for swimming a few laps. That area of the apartment complex was spared of that rampaging tornado that came through in April. I tried the water out in mid-May and probably set a world record for swimming 30 meters - kinda chilly with skin turning blue, can't breath, shrinkage factor and all that. Now, it is quite pleasant to visit around lunch, eat and hang out until dusk. Hopefully, I will be able to enjoy that environment this summer again.
The place where I work has a well-equipped kitchen area - stainless steel fridge, stove, microwave, dishwasher and the area is quite large. It would be the envy of some upper tier apartments, condos...hell, even some houses. None of the apartments that I've rented in the past had this much area. Three or four weeks ago, I got into the routine of visiting a store on Sunday or Monday to pick up a head of Romaine lettuce, 3/4 pound of sliced chicken or turkey breast sandwich meat from the deli and five tomatoes that hopefully are not infected with some flesh eating bacteria that causes a slow and painful death. At work, I reduce the lettuce to single leaves and put them in a large Ziploc bag and store all the items in a veggie drawer at the bottom of the fridge. During a shift, I put a few slices of the meat in between 4 leaves of lettuce, throw on some mayo or mustard, sprinkle on some pepper and presto, sandwich minus the bread. A tomato fulfills its' destiny by being skinned and wedged and consumed with the lettuce sandwich. This comprises the main meal for that day, several times during the course of a week. The meal is supplemented by a Dr. Pepper that I can usually get on sale by the six or twelve pack. Three or four times a week, I get a fast food meal for under $5 - sometimes $4 depending on the week day. You may think it that this menu would get old but my options are limited and it could be worse. Hell, it has been worse.
I finally scored some additional footwear after looking for a couple of weeks. My requirements were simple or so I thought - durable, stylish, size 15 and $20 or less. You can shake a tree and a bucket load of size 12's fall out. After checking out a mall that advertised that they had them, and didn't (bastards!), I began the drive back with the bitter, lingering acrid taste of defeat permeating my young supple body, dejected by the whim of fate being the cold, uncaring bitch she is. I drove by a place and on a lark, circled back around for a visit. Lo and behold, they had three styles to choose from that fit my requirements. I KNOW! I almost gave them the opportunity to field test their on site defib device. Having foot flops will extend the life of my only pair of sneakers and are easier to put on and take off. For some reason, people are nervous when you are barefoot, 6'4", tanned, clad in tank top and shorts, muscles rippling as I navigate in our planetary gravity well and...never mind... and they do come in handy on Dallas pavement during the summer; never have gotten used to the smell of my own flesh being seared off. But my difficulty got me wondering - can you imagine the tribulations of a woman trying to allocate a pair of size 15 high heels?
My current wardrobe is not as robust as it once was. I had been checking on a regular basis for cheap tank tops and T-shirts. Oh sure, there were plenty of ads for the brand I used to buy. These days, I'm looking for a better deal since food and fuel have a higher priority. I found a sale that offered my sizes for $4 an item and picked up a few - no white garments, thank you. Those should last longer due to my current adherence to socially sanctioned clothes washing methodology.
While I was at the large, upper scale mall that had advertised the foot flops of my size and didn't (bitches!) and sensing the dismal outcome of my quest in the other shoe stores, it came upon me to attempt to achieve a yield of another sort to make the trip productive and obtain from the other stores a resource that I could utilize in my current circumstances that could possibly enhance my effectiveness in my work environment where I interact with homo sapiens and my co-workers. These days, I shower before reporting to work and have scented shampoo, some girly soap, moisturizer and the long suffering deodorant rock so I smell decent, at least I think I do. Well, they haven't sent me home yet when I reported in. As I was visiting the footwear stores, I also visited stores that sell men's cologne and picked up samples, a lot of them. The line that I used was that I was looking for a cologne called Lilic or Lilac or something like that. I had it years ago and always received compliments about it. The cologne was named after a type of crystal and had a lion's head carved into the bottle and was not cheap. Anyway, I knew that they had discontinued the product but that was my bs line and they would tell me what I already knew but would I be interested in some other fragrances. I'd sniff a couple of samples and say that it smells nice but could I get a couple of samples to try to see if I liked how it interacted with my body chemistry. They would comply, attach their business card and invite me back when I made a purchase decision. Hell, there was one upper tier store I went into that really knows customer service. There I was in a faded tank top and shorts, wearing sneakers with my bitch purse slung over my back, talking with two women working that station And why is it that women working those stations have perfect skin, perfect hair and impeccable dress? The last time I had perfect skin was when I was shot out of a vagina 19817 days ago, twisted around in mid-air with the sinewy grace of a combat saber tooth, landed on my feet in a Matrix stance, looked around and exclaimed What a dump! I wanna go back inside! So there I was, clothed in ...clothing that seen better days, hair clasped in a pony tail (yes, I have one these days), clean shaven (yes, shaved off the mustache/goatee combo), talking with them about manufacturing techniques of fragrances. Yes, I know that it sounds a little girly but I came across some documentation in the past and found it interesting - told you I was a nerd. Anyway, they loaded up several vials and labeled them, and gave me a handful of prepackaged samples with business cards attached. One of the cards had a cellphone number written on the back but I would never trouble her on her private line about retail endeavors. The bottom line is that I now have ample...samples for use in my working world and a proven strategy for re-supply...at a different mall, of course.
On a different note, I read that scientists can successfully assemble portions of DNA in varying configurations but the code doesn't activate until they empty the contents out of a living cell and inject the tailored DNA into it so that the living cell can provide the spark of life. Holy shit shades of Frankenstein, Batman! The possibilities are staggering when considering the weaponry potential and the fact that we now have, thanks to our male dominated scientific agenda, biological weapons, nuclear weapons, orbital weapons, weed weapons, beer bong weapons - we'll now have DNA weapons...or other products. You can bet your young sweet ass, one of those nerdy scientists is tired of spending nights alone polishing his stinger and will come up with the idea of a human/plant hybrid that is prolific, can survive in any environment, is low maintenance, resistant to any disease and endure years of abuse - yep, you guessed it, a vagina plant or by its' Latin scientific name, amokus rampagus vaganis. They will be everywhere - creeping into yards, infesting indoor plants which will upset the precarious familial balance of urban America, propagating through the wild displacing other plant and mutate to infest and prosper in the waterways of this planet while the little fishes are clueless about the new life form except that it provides a safe haven. There'll probably be garden clubs whose charter is the care and feeding of such a life form. The monthly newsletter will detail how it could be used as a spice in cooking, the sharing of proper pruning techniques and how to discover the music that is liked best.
I tell ya, the Y chromosome is a terrible thing...
Have a nice day,
David
.
,
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Homeless - 55
Hello,
Yes, I can pitch a bitch sometimes and there are other times that I can rant. The last couple of entries did visit some issues that touch us all in varying degrees of pain and discomfort.You should hear the arguments and rabid discussions that I have with myself at the odd moments, especially when there is no one in the vicinity. I hope that you have intelligent, unbiased and articulate humans around that you can talk with about these issues; to marvel and wonder at the intelligence, moral structure and thought processes of our political and corporate leaders as they unerringly and without fail, select the best option for the people of this great land that they serve. It does help to express such views among ourselves, to relieve the pressure of impotence and frustration that we experience in our attempt to exist peacefully within such boundaries and mainly, to keep our young hides from climbing to a high vantage point with weapon. Myself, I don't have that luxury beyond the act of writing about it. The people in my current world - well, I don't have the depth of relationship to talk of such things with them or I'm unwilling to attempt to assay the depth of their social awareness and conscience or I keep interactions with the dumb asses superficial or our lives are such that we don't have the time or energy to devote to those topics or... other reasons. Anyway, let's return the focus to me and my immediate world because, after all, it is all about me.
There have been several homeless people that I've encountered in my range and interacted with in varying degrees. The media does portray homeless people in a somewhat unfavorable light, labeling them as uncontrollable drug addicts, gypsies, tramps and thieves. Other descriptions include individuals with psychological/emotional issues, people who lack marketable skills, initiative, education or goals. I don't see myself in any of those categories - could be wrong and if I am, please come shoot me now. I can see why the average person is somewhat apprehensive of interactions with such people and upon an encounter, immediately reach for and activate their 12 mm armor piercing Gatling gun that they have on their key chain that has an attached 2000 round ammo tub. The following is a sample of my interactions with other homeless people in my general area. Names are not included, their ethnic heritage and general appearance are and my proposed resolutions regarding their existence is presented for your perusal. All the information included is from them and I have no way of verifying their life conditions.
The first one is a transplant from Michigan who came to the Dallas area via a job transfer in the chemical industry and subsequently experienced a company force reduction. He's African-American, 5'10", medium build, mid-40's, has a cellphone, appearance OK, short hair and sometimes shaved. He sleeps in his Jeep Cherokee in the area on a side street. Talking with him has yielded that he came up with similar alternatives of getting by, though it does seem that I was more fortunate or analytical or better in achieving the maximum yield of the current situation. I advised him of a couple of places to get quality 'samples' and a place to work out. Some time ago, he got a job as a hotel desk clerk working nights, a place where he could sleep and attend to hygiene and stuff. His goal was to accumulate enough cash to get a job in a nearby Texas suburb at a company that was in his area of expertise. I didn't see him for several weeks and thought that he had accomplished his goals toward a better life - ehh, not so. I saw him recently and he gave me this bullshit story of how the hotel environment was dangerous and he quit for personal safety concerns. According to him, there was a working meth lab onsite and hookers constantly present as well as other unfavorable types. HELLO, CALL THE COPS!!! As it ended up, he worked there for almost two months and thought he qualified for unemployment benefits of which I had to break the news to him. He also asked about the 'stimulus check' package and I told him that he didn't qualify due to minimum income constraints. He then said he needed an address and asked if he could use mine (earlier in the relationship, I had mentioned that a friend of mine offered the use of his address and I accepted). I said I wouldn't feel comfortable with that and he asked why. I replied that the friend offered that option to me, not to the world at large and I would feel like I breached a trust if I requested an additional responsibility. The guy pressed further, trying out a guilt trip on me, and I said no and that my mind could not be altered on this issue, end of discussion. I haven't seen him for awhile.
The second homeless human is of European descent, late 20's maybe early 30's, medium build, around 6'0" tall, short light brown hair, scruffy looking in appearance and clothes and just fucking goofy. There is a stretch of woods nearby that I think he sleeps in and hangs out. Every time I see him, he is wearing a brightly colored back pack which has seen better days and he could use a cleansing procedure. Apparently, he hasn't considered a chlorine-based solution at this time. He is soft spoken when he does speak and has the behavioral characteristics of a religious monk. I have given him a cigarette on occasion and he quietly thanked me with some sort of hand gestures over his mid-section and a slight bow. One time he remained within a few meters of BT and started quoting some religious stuff, something about the 'immaculate conception' and I decided it was time for BT and me to relocate. I need to check those woods for shrooms. At another time, I saw him at a distance in a parking lot, vigorously waving his arms about and saying something at cars that passed by him, in broad daylight. If you take his appearance and mode of behaviour into account, it would be a safe assumption that this guy does not blend harmoniously into the municipal infrastructure. My interactions with him have been severely limited due to diligence on my part and the kindness of destiny.
The last individual is an African-American, a slender 6'1" or 2" that heralds from the LA area, late 20's, sporting a mustache/goatee combo, braided hair and has an acceptable appearance consisting of contemporary gym attire. I met him last summer a the free workout facility and for 3 - 4 weeks, our interactions were genial, never going beyond 'how is it going?' stage. Well, I caught him a couple of times sleeping in the facility around 4 AM (had to use the bathroom in a very bad way!) and I mentioned to him not to 'fuck this up', meaning access to the facility which has a security camera. He didn't reply and started ignoring me from that time, as he does when he concludes that he can't get anything from you, as I found out later from a couple of people. Somewhere along the way, he picked up a laptop and would use it in the workout facility constructing music... all hours, all the time. I think he was 'riding' on someone's wireless signal. He would sit by one of the doors of the facility that he propped open because it was cold if you weren't working out like the rest of us, and sweating even more due to the coolness escaping. One of the residents went to close the door to conserve the AC and he freaked out saying he needed the door open. People became even more nervous of him. I think that he lost the laptop due to the owner of the broadband signal that he was pirating complaining to the relevant authorities. One of the property pools is next to the facility and during the course of last summer, the residents put together what they all knew of him. He came to Dallas from LA following a woman who had a son by him. Apparently, she realized her mistake and moved to Dallas but he found out and followed with the idea of obtaining custody of the son. He had no job, no transport and carried his belongings in a yellow duffel bag and lived in the workout facility - with full knowledge of the apartment management and he was trashing the place. It seemed he hung out there, watching TV and sleeping. Residents started complaining due to his 'creep factor' and the response of the management was to advise the residents to call the cops. He started to get dangerously weird around this time but I thought it was just me thinking that. The red flag had already gone up in my mind when he wanted to know where I parked my truck when I walked there and I thought 'umm'. On more than one occasion, women working out when he showed up asked me to hang out until they were finished. It seems that he would hit on them and his technique creeped them out. I think that they had come to trust me since I did spend time at that pool and I showed some of the residents how to utilize a tube-floaty-thingy with a hole down the middle as a makeshift beer-bong and mentioned that it was an old Jedi trick. I think he picked up the vibe that I didn't care for him and he kept to himself, watching TV while I was around. It seemed he should have picked up the vibe that the people didn't want him hanging around. There were a couple of times I saw him crossing a parking lot, alone at night, talking loudly about something. As things turn out, he's not there anymore due to the fact he started dealing drugs at the facility and the cops finally had leverage to remove him from the property. I still don't understand why the resident complaints, his life situation and how he treated the property wasn't enough for management to eject him from the premises.
So, in summation, people like the three mentioned above probably exist in your world also and I wish to god that our country had some type of duelling code that could be employed to address similar situations, especially like the last one. They could be your neighbors, someone at your workplace or, more likely, your boss. Gee, a duelling code would come in handy at the old performance review, eh? As it is, preemptive strikes at a personal level are prohibited by law...dammit. And maybe the media is more correct than it knows when it portrays the homeless based on the sampling presented here.
As for my proposed solutions regarding the three homeless people described - well, let's borrow again the situation of those three and myself trapped on a desert island. The first one is too whiny, manipulative, pouty, unwilling to adapt, lies and I lack confidence in his ability and willingness to contribute. Yep, dead before sundown. The second one has an element of instability that I'm uncomfortable with plus he lacks a confident, assertive demeanor. It seems that he also has a fatalistic characteristic that is antithetical to the endeavors of survival.. Ditto, dead before sundown. The third one - let's see...lemme think...psychological/emotional instability, completely oblivious to environmental cues, selfish, uncaring of fellow humans...oh yeah, I'd snap his fucking neck before we abandoned ship to begin the long swim to the island or maybe I'd just break his leg and throw him overboard, hoping the sharks would be diverted to him for awhile. As it is, I already have a couple of issues to conclude before sundown so that I can sleep in the coming night with the stars twinkling above and a soft ocean breeze cooling me as I slumber peacefully on the beach, dozing to the rhythm of the gently rolling waves and the soothing sounds of the wind caressing the leaves of the swaying palm trees.
Ahhh, sweet untroubled dreams,
David
P.S.
It's a shame that Danica Patrick wasn't able to complete the race due to the dumbness of a fellow driver. From what I've read, he was in the wrong. The picture that I saw of her as she strode over to his pit area looked like she was going to relieve him of a major body organ but security diverted her. Well, maybe there will be another time for a vodka and pineapple drink....
Yes, I can pitch a bitch sometimes and there are other times that I can rant. The last couple of entries did visit some issues that touch us all in varying degrees of pain and discomfort.You should hear the arguments and rabid discussions that I have with myself at the odd moments, especially when there is no one in the vicinity. I hope that you have intelligent, unbiased and articulate humans around that you can talk with about these issues; to marvel and wonder at the intelligence, moral structure and thought processes of our political and corporate leaders as they unerringly and without fail, select the best option for the people of this great land that they serve. It does help to express such views among ourselves, to relieve the pressure of impotence and frustration that we experience in our attempt to exist peacefully within such boundaries and mainly, to keep our young hides from climbing to a high vantage point with weapon. Myself, I don't have that luxury beyond the act of writing about it. The people in my current world - well, I don't have the depth of relationship to talk of such things with them or I'm unwilling to attempt to assay the depth of their social awareness and conscience or I keep interactions with the dumb asses superficial or our lives are such that we don't have the time or energy to devote to those topics or... other reasons. Anyway, let's return the focus to me and my immediate world because, after all, it is all about me.
There have been several homeless people that I've encountered in my range and interacted with in varying degrees. The media does portray homeless people in a somewhat unfavorable light, labeling them as uncontrollable drug addicts, gypsies, tramps and thieves. Other descriptions include individuals with psychological/emotional issues, people who lack marketable skills, initiative, education or goals. I don't see myself in any of those categories - could be wrong and if I am, please come shoot me now. I can see why the average person is somewhat apprehensive of interactions with such people and upon an encounter, immediately reach for and activate their 12 mm armor piercing Gatling gun that they have on their key chain that has an attached 2000 round ammo tub. The following is a sample of my interactions with other homeless people in my general area. Names are not included, their ethnic heritage and general appearance are and my proposed resolutions regarding their existence is presented for your perusal. All the information included is from them and I have no way of verifying their life conditions.
The first one is a transplant from Michigan who came to the Dallas area via a job transfer in the chemical industry and subsequently experienced a company force reduction. He's African-American, 5'10", medium build, mid-40's, has a cellphone, appearance OK, short hair and sometimes shaved. He sleeps in his Jeep Cherokee in the area on a side street. Talking with him has yielded that he came up with similar alternatives of getting by, though it does seem that I was more fortunate or analytical or better in achieving the maximum yield of the current situation. I advised him of a couple of places to get quality 'samples' and a place to work out. Some time ago, he got a job as a hotel desk clerk working nights, a place where he could sleep and attend to hygiene and stuff. His goal was to accumulate enough cash to get a job in a nearby Texas suburb at a company that was in his area of expertise. I didn't see him for several weeks and thought that he had accomplished his goals toward a better life - ehh, not so. I saw him recently and he gave me this bullshit story of how the hotel environment was dangerous and he quit for personal safety concerns. According to him, there was a working meth lab onsite and hookers constantly present as well as other unfavorable types. HELLO, CALL THE COPS!!! As it ended up, he worked there for almost two months and thought he qualified for unemployment benefits of which I had to break the news to him. He also asked about the 'stimulus check' package and I told him that he didn't qualify due to minimum income constraints. He then said he needed an address and asked if he could use mine (earlier in the relationship, I had mentioned that a friend of mine offered the use of his address and I accepted). I said I wouldn't feel comfortable with that and he asked why. I replied that the friend offered that option to me, not to the world at large and I would feel like I breached a trust if I requested an additional responsibility. The guy pressed further, trying out a guilt trip on me, and I said no and that my mind could not be altered on this issue, end of discussion. I haven't seen him for awhile.
The second homeless human is of European descent, late 20's maybe early 30's, medium build, around 6'0" tall, short light brown hair, scruffy looking in appearance and clothes and just fucking goofy. There is a stretch of woods nearby that I think he sleeps in and hangs out. Every time I see him, he is wearing a brightly colored back pack which has seen better days and he could use a cleansing procedure. Apparently, he hasn't considered a chlorine-based solution at this time. He is soft spoken when he does speak and has the behavioral characteristics of a religious monk. I have given him a cigarette on occasion and he quietly thanked me with some sort of hand gestures over his mid-section and a slight bow. One time he remained within a few meters of BT and started quoting some religious stuff, something about the 'immaculate conception' and I decided it was time for BT and me to relocate. I need to check those woods for shrooms. At another time, I saw him at a distance in a parking lot, vigorously waving his arms about and saying something at cars that passed by him, in broad daylight. If you take his appearance and mode of behaviour into account, it would be a safe assumption that this guy does not blend harmoniously into the municipal infrastructure. My interactions with him have been severely limited due to diligence on my part and the kindness of destiny.
The last individual is an African-American, a slender 6'1" or 2" that heralds from the LA area, late 20's, sporting a mustache/goatee combo, braided hair and has an acceptable appearance consisting of contemporary gym attire. I met him last summer a the free workout facility and for 3 - 4 weeks, our interactions were genial, never going beyond 'how is it going?' stage. Well, I caught him a couple of times sleeping in the facility around 4 AM (had to use the bathroom in a very bad way!) and I mentioned to him not to 'fuck this up', meaning access to the facility which has a security camera. He didn't reply and started ignoring me from that time, as he does when he concludes that he can't get anything from you, as I found out later from a couple of people. Somewhere along the way, he picked up a laptop and would use it in the workout facility constructing music... all hours, all the time. I think he was 'riding' on someone's wireless signal. He would sit by one of the doors of the facility that he propped open because it was cold if you weren't working out like the rest of us, and sweating even more due to the coolness escaping. One of the residents went to close the door to conserve the AC and he freaked out saying he needed the door open. People became even more nervous of him. I think that he lost the laptop due to the owner of the broadband signal that he was pirating complaining to the relevant authorities. One of the property pools is next to the facility and during the course of last summer, the residents put together what they all knew of him. He came to Dallas from LA following a woman who had a son by him. Apparently, she realized her mistake and moved to Dallas but he found out and followed with the idea of obtaining custody of the son. He had no job, no transport and carried his belongings in a yellow duffel bag and lived in the workout facility - with full knowledge of the apartment management and he was trashing the place. It seemed he hung out there, watching TV and sleeping. Residents started complaining due to his 'creep factor' and the response of the management was to advise the residents to call the cops. He started to get dangerously weird around this time but I thought it was just me thinking that. The red flag had already gone up in my mind when he wanted to know where I parked my truck when I walked there and I thought 'umm'. On more than one occasion, women working out when he showed up asked me to hang out until they were finished. It seems that he would hit on them and his technique creeped them out. I think that they had come to trust me since I did spend time at that pool and I showed some of the residents how to utilize a tube-floaty-thingy with a hole down the middle as a makeshift beer-bong and mentioned that it was an old Jedi trick. I think he picked up the vibe that I didn't care for him and he kept to himself, watching TV while I was around. It seemed he should have picked up the vibe that the people didn't want him hanging around. There were a couple of times I saw him crossing a parking lot, alone at night, talking loudly about something. As things turn out, he's not there anymore due to the fact he started dealing drugs at the facility and the cops finally had leverage to remove him from the property. I still don't understand why the resident complaints, his life situation and how he treated the property wasn't enough for management to eject him from the premises.
So, in summation, people like the three mentioned above probably exist in your world also and I wish to god that our country had some type of duelling code that could be employed to address similar situations, especially like the last one. They could be your neighbors, someone at your workplace or, more likely, your boss. Gee, a duelling code would come in handy at the old performance review, eh? As it is, preemptive strikes at a personal level are prohibited by law...dammit. And maybe the media is more correct than it knows when it portrays the homeless based on the sampling presented here.
As for my proposed solutions regarding the three homeless people described - well, let's borrow again the situation of those three and myself trapped on a desert island. The first one is too whiny, manipulative, pouty, unwilling to adapt, lies and I lack confidence in his ability and willingness to contribute. Yep, dead before sundown. The second one has an element of instability that I'm uncomfortable with plus he lacks a confident, assertive demeanor. It seems that he also has a fatalistic characteristic that is antithetical to the endeavors of survival.. Ditto, dead before sundown. The third one - let's see...lemme think...psychological/emotional instability, completely oblivious to environmental cues, selfish, uncaring of fellow humans...oh yeah, I'd snap his fucking neck before we abandoned ship to begin the long swim to the island or maybe I'd just break his leg and throw him overboard, hoping the sharks would be diverted to him for awhile. As it is, I already have a couple of issues to conclude before sundown so that I can sleep in the coming night with the stars twinkling above and a soft ocean breeze cooling me as I slumber peacefully on the beach, dozing to the rhythm of the gently rolling waves and the soothing sounds of the wind caressing the leaves of the swaying palm trees.
Ahhh, sweet untroubled dreams,
David
P.S.
It's a shame that Danica Patrick wasn't able to complete the race due to the dumbness of a fellow driver. From what I've read, he was in the wrong. The picture that I saw of her as she strode over to his pit area looked like she was going to relieve him of a major body organ but security diverted her. Well, maybe there will be another time for a vodka and pineapple drink....
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