Who would you choose?

Happy Sunday friends and neighbors!  The sun is shining through the window and there is no snow on the ground...the thermometer says it's a balmy 43F outside...but I haven't been out yet.  It seems like forever since we've had a day of sun...c'mon Spring, kick Winter's ass and put him to bed!

Are you ready for some thinking?  I have a question for you today. 

I would like to know, if you were given the opportunity to sit down and chat for a couple hours with any two people that are no longer living...who would they be....and why?

As usual, my choices will probably seem a little weird to most people.  My father's line originated in Scotland.  They immigrated to America between 1736 and 1750 and settled in southern Pennsylvania.  I would like to talk with my grandfather (8 generations) Robert about his life and what it was like for them.  He wasn't famous or rich and didn't do anything noteworthy but he was in on the ground floor of the formation of this country.

He served as a private in the Revolutionary War and fought under George Washington at the Battle of Brandywine.  After the war, he received a land grant in what was then northern Virginia but which is now West Virginia.  The area he settled in is still one of the least populated areas of the state and was a true wilderness when he first moved there.  I'd just love to hear about what life was really like for them during that time.

My second choice would be Edgar Cayce.  If you've never heard of him, he is described as a "Twentieth Century Psychic and Medical Clairvoyant".  He had the ability to put himself into a trance and provide medical diagnosis and treatment.  He also did readings on a wide variety of topics from future predictions to Atlantis.  I've read several of his books and books about him over the years and find his life fascinating.  I wouldn't want a reading from him, I'd just like to chat with him about his life and how he viewed the world.  If you're interested, you can find out more about him at http://www.edgarcayce.org/are/edgarcayce.aspx .

I hope everyone has a great day and now I'm off to do some laundry...living the dream :-)

Good news, bad news, hermits and riding the professional roller coaster!

I hope this post finds everyone in good health and spirits....sometimes I get so wrapped up in the stupid crap happening in my life that lose sight of what's important.  You guys...and girls...(more so girls, cause I really like girls...boobies and butts, boobies and butts...oops, I digress) are important to me.  I find that my interest and concern for the well being of you, my "virtual" friends is more substantial than for most of the people I interact with in "reality" every day.  So, I am sincere in hoping that you all are in good health and spirits.

Somehow over the last several years I've become a hermit and I'm not real sure how it happened.  This isn't a "woe is me" or a fishing for sympathy post, it's just an observation of how my life has evolved.  I think I've always been a bit of a loner by nature but I have reasonable social skills and generally like people.  I have "work friends" that I chit chat and bullshit with during the normal course of the week but I find that once the work day is over...so is the friendship.

I think part of it is that I'm in that strange...but growing...population of older, single males.  I'm way beyond the point of running the bars and wanting to party.  And I'm an awkward third wheel to my married friends because I don't have a "significant other" to drag along to social events...and some guys seem to think that there's nothing a single guy would rather do than bone their the wives.  I also don't think single men in my age group just "hang out" together...they must have all turned into hermits too :-)

Wow, I really went off track...this post was supposed to be about my crappy week at work.  Late last week, I got a call from a senior manager from a different division and he asked if I could stop by and chat.  Of course being the nosy little bugger that I am, I was intrigued and said of course.

When we met, he explained that a new "high profile" unit was being established and he thought that with my background and leadership experience, that I would be an ideal supervisor (1 of 5) for this new endeavor.  Of course, with this stroke to my ego...and the fact that it entails a promotion...when he asked if I would be interested I said...yep.

But very quickly, reality came crashing down and I remembered that we are in the midst of a hiring freeze...external and internal.  When I mentioned this little tidbit, he alluded to the possibility that a wink, wink, nod, nod  deal could be worked out with my current management.  As I am certainly old enough and experienced enough to realize that things seldom work as planned, I should have known better...I must admit that I allowed myself to get a bit excited about the whole thing.

I had a meeting scheduled yesterday to unofficially "interview" with the potential new boss.  Being the straight-forward person that I am, even though I am not required to inform my current management of any of this...I felt it was the right thing to do since they have generally treated me pretty good. 

How did that work out, you might ask....not so good!!!  I popped in and told my supervisor and informed him that I was going to let his supervisor know also.  My supervisor, who is a decent guy with severely limited people skills thanked me for letting him know and didn't have anything to say about it.

However, before I had a chance to get with his boss...he got with his boss and gave him a "heads up".  I was then "called in" by his boss who was pretty irate and ranted about how everyone else was trying to steal his good people and that he wasn't going to stand for it and implying that I was somehow disloyal for wanting to take advantage of an opportunity.

I reminded his boss that I did indeed appreciate the way I have be treated...which was why I was providing the professional courtesy of letting him know instead of letting him be blind-sided.  I also reminded him that I have made it clear all along of my career goals and that if not this opportunity, at some point an opportunity would arise and that I would move on.

I understand his position and if I were sitting in his chair, I too would be unwilling to lose an asset.  And since I knew from the beginning that the hiring freeze was a serious obstacle, I was not in the least surprised by his unwillingness to release me.  I was however, surprised and to be honest disappointed how it seemed to be viewed that my desire to advance was somehow disloyal.  Needless to say, when I informed the potential "new" boss that current boss was not happy...new boss' interest in me immediately waned...oh well, shit happens!

I was discussing the situation with a friend that has been with the organization a lot longer than I have.  His advice was that I needed to learn to be sneakier and that I should not have let them know what was being discussed.  While his advice is probably sound, I refuse to become that person.

Needless to say...I feel that I have now fallen from grace in my current work situation and will just have to suck it up until the hiring freeze is lifted and an opportunity to move presents itself.

So  that was my week...how was yours?

Pretty scary in here...

Shouldn't the Department of Corrections actually be called the Department of Mistakes?  And if I was tired yesterday, and I'm tired again today....shouldn't that make me retired?  Is the nurse with the dirty knees the head nurse?  Do green M&Ms really make you horny?  If it's my kidney, why can't I sell it on ebay?  Am I the only one that noticed that Bugs Bunny was an unusually large rabbit...and could talk?  How did the guy (or girl) get away with naming a planet uranus?   ....just a few questions that ran through my mind today!

And they wonder why I can't get anything done!!!  With important questions like those running through my head all the time, how can I possibly concentrate on something as trivial as work?

Rainy Monday

I woke up with a headache, so it was Excedrine Migraine for breakfast...low calorie but not much in the taste department.  It's raining and gloomy outside and I just heard on the radio that we're supposed to get hit with a snow storm tonight!!!  But....on the bright side...today is President's Day, which is a federal holiday so I get the day off and can just lay around and be lazy...or I could go take Jumble Mash to lunch....hmmm, decisions, decisions.

In honor of President's Day...here is an offering of Presidential Trivia

1.  Who was the first President to live in the White House?

2.  Who was the shortest President, at 5 feet, 4 inches?

3.  Which President had 15 children?

4.  Which President was the first to have a Christmas tree in the White House?

5.  Which President dedicated the Statue of Liberty?

6.  Which President had the largest feet...size 14!!!

7.  Which President was the first to name an African American to his cabinet?

8.  Who became vice president and president without being elected to either office?

9.  Who was the only President to serve in both World War I and World War II?

10.  Who was the first President to give a speech on television?

And because I don't want my International friends to feel left out...

1.  Which Australian Prime Minister was noted in Parliment for using terms such as "You Scumbag" and "You Slime"?

2.  Which Australian Prime Minister went missing at Portsea, Victoria in 1967?

3.  Which Australian Prime Minister cried on television after being voted out of office?

4.  Which UK Prime Minister had a blend of tea named for him?

5.  Which UK Prime Minister won the Nobel Prize in literature?

6.  Who was the only Jewish UK Prime Minister?

My civic duty to stimulate the minds of the masses has been met for today :-) 

Symbols

Isn't it amazing how much meaning we can attach to a symbol...and how different the meaning can be for each of us?  Here are some of the symbols that are important to me.

What symbols are important to you?

A mind is a terrible thing to waste

Most things are easier said than done...except Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis...a lung disease caused by silica dust and the longest word in official English language dictionaries with 45 letters!

If worms carried guns, birds wouldn't screw with them!

If you want to throw the baby out with the bath water, you better be pretty strong!  The average bath tub holds 42 gallons (159 liters) of water.  A gallon of water wieghs 8.35 pounds (3.78 kg)...so, to throw the baby out you would have to lift 350.7 pounds (159 kg)....(don't get wrapped up in all the "what ifs"...like the tub wouldn't be full....just go with it)

Why in the world would a woodchuck chuck wood?

If you tried to count your chickens before they were hatched....wouldn't you be counting eggs not chickens?  Is there a rule for that?

Why do many hands make light work?  It only takes one to flip the light switch!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...so I'm gonna leave so you can love me :-)

Being a Parent Sucks

I feel like whining....so if you're looking for anything else, you might wanna pass by tonight...I understand and no hard feelings :-)  As most of you know by now, my three daughters are pretty much my reason for living.  As with most parents...I'm over-the-top proud of them and would gladly skin and microwave anyone that ever hurt them.  But I have recently determined that I am absolutely NOT ready for them to be all grown up!

It looks like BigSis is going to be moving in June.  Yes, I know it's only four hours away....yes, I know it's a good opportunity for her...yes, I remember that I left home at 17 and have lived all over the world...and yes, I'll do what's right and be supportive....but I'll be damned if I have to like it!!!

And then there's Jumble Mash...her and bf now live almost an hour away!  Yes, I know it was a compromise that cut both of their commutes...yes, they've made themselves a nice home....yes, they seem happy together....and yes, I'll do what's right and be supportive....but I'll be damned if I have to like it!!!

And last, but certainly not least...LilSis now has a significant other (I haven't met him so he doesn't rate a nickname)...yes, I know she's an adult...yes, I know her self-esteem has improved dramatically with her weight loss...yes, I know she has a good head on her shoulders...and yes,  I'll do what's right and be supportive...but I'll be damned if I have to like it!!!

I want my little girls back...I want to be the most important person in their lives...I want to be the one they turn to when they are hurting...I want to be the one that they know they can count on...I want to be the first one they tell their exciting news...I want to be the one that comes to their rescue....I want to be the one that solves their problems...yes, I'll do the right thing and step aside so they can live their lives...but I'll be DAMNED if I'll like it! 

Woe is me

Had a pretty good day today working in California....worked with nice people, it's sunny and warm, I didnt get lost, and despite the 45 mph winds...none of my paperwork blew off into the sunset.

Got back to the hotel...time to chillax...my blackberry rings...it's my boss' boss who is also in California "asking" if he can tag along with me tomorrow!!! Even as dense as I am, I'm pretty sure there's only one correct answer to that question...why of course sir, may I have another :-)

Actually, he's a decent guy so i don't anticapate it being a bad day...unless of course he. has a pink slip in his pocket for me....in which case I become a Caliornia homeless person until all the snow melts in West Virginia :-)

Y'all have a good night....there's an IHOP (International House of Pancakes...for my friends across the water) next to the hotel calling my name.

Super Bowl Sunday....hmmm

At the risk of bringing my manhood into question...I publicly admit that I really don't give a crap about the Super Bowl...there, I've said it!!! 

Fan...short for fanatic...is defined as "a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics."

I've never really understood the fan mentality...don't get your panties in a wad, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with it...I just don't understand it.  I like to watch a football or basketball game (sorry baseball or cricket is as about as exciting as watching grass grow) but I wouldn't plan my daily schedule around game time.  I don't think that my wearing their jersey or buying furniture in their team colors will have any impact on the outcome of the game!  I have a nephew that had the Steelers logo tattooed on his arm...I'm sure that's why the team had a good season :-)  And I don't think I've ever heard or read about a team winning the Super Bowl and then sharing the profits with their fans!!!

Who was the marketing genius that convinced us that sports is on the same level (per the definition) as religion and politics?

OK...so maybe the difference isn't as big as I thought!  These all seem to meet the requirement of extreme and uncritical :-)

Time to get my domestic chores done...I need to hire a maid...get packed for California...and check the TV listing to see what's on opposite the Super Bowl :-)  Go Raiders !!!

And the truth is...

1.  Nope, I've never met a President but I have seen pictures of Carter and Clinton :-)

3.  This one is close, my mother's step brother was actually President Kennedy's driver for a time...but not in Dallas!

4.  Well, I have been stung by bees a few times but never wanted to keep them :-)

5.  I did actually have the bike wreck but nothing broken but my pride !!

2.  ib, Soapbox, Twilight, KT and Krissy saw through my wicked  lies and guessed # 2!!!  In the early 80's I travelled extensively throughout the Pacific...and when you're young, drinking lots of beer....well, nature takes it's course :-)

Happy Friday !!!

What a Wednesday!!!

Could someone please turn off the friggin' snow already???  I am so sick of this crap.  OK, now that's out of my system...how's everyone doing tonight?  A sincere hello and welcome to those brilliant folks that have decided to become followers!  I have a great give-a-way in mind.  When I hit a bazillion followers, I'm going to give away one of my kidneys!!!  I do have two don't I?  Wait...maybe my appendix...I still have that but who would want an appendix?  Actually, now that I think of it...I have all of my original parts...tonsils, wisdom teeth, and my brain is worth a million dollars...cause it's never been used!!!

The teddy bear has absolutely nothing to do with this post but when I looked at pictures of kindeys and appendix...s (what's the plural of appendix?)  they kinda grossed me out...and I thought some of you might have just eaten so I opted for the cute teddy bear.  Very thoughtful aren't I :-)

Facing 50 With Humor has honored me with the unique Memetastic Award...thank you Facing 50 :-)  What makes this award unique is that I have to tell y'all four lies and one truth and see if you can pick out the truth!  As fun as this sounds, like most men (back me up Bruce, Odie, ib, Jimmy and all other males in the house) I find it extremely difficult to be anything other than painfully honest...a lie is sooo alien to the male gender but in the sense of fun and fair play, I'll give it a try :-)

1.  I have had the good fortune to personally meet two sitting U.S. Presidents....Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

2.  I have urinated on every active U.S. military flight line in the Pacific theater

3.  My mother's step brother was President Johnson's driver

4.  I used to keep bees as a hobby.

5.  When I was 12, I broke both legs at the same time when I wrecked my bicycle...I ran into a mailbox and over a hill!

Wow...that was exhausting....but somehow liberating at the same time :-)  Now I get to share the fun with a few folks, I hereby bestow the Memetastic Award to

  Mrs. Hyde @ A Bitch Called Mom

                             Starlight @ Crazy Thoughts

Becca @ My Life



Jax @ You are Loved

Just Sayin' @ Dumb Homosapiens

Enjoy!!!