I hate using public restrooms... (this wasn't me, but Shelly swears I could have written it)
All in all, it hadn't been a good day. Bad traffic, a malfunctioning computer, incompetent coworkers and a sore back all made me a seething cauldron of rage. But more importantly for this story, it had been over forty-eight hours since I'd last taken a dump. I'd tried to jump start the process, beginning my day with a bowl of bowel-cleansing fiber cereal, following it with six cups of coffee at work, and adding a bean-laden lunch at Taco Bell. As I was returning home from work, my insides let me know with subtle rumbles and the emission of the occasional tiny fart that Big Things would be happening soon. Alas, I had to stop at the mall to pick up an order. I completed this task, and as I was walking past the stores on my way back to the car, I noticed a large sale sign proclaiming, "Everything Must Go!" This was prophetic, for my colon informed me with a sudden violent cramp and a wet, squeaky fart that everything was indeed about to go. I hurried to the mall bathroom. I surveyed the five stalls:
1.Occupied
2.Clean, but Bathroom Protocol forbids its use, as it's next to the occupied one.
3.Poo on seat.
4.Poo and toilet paper in bowl, unidentifiable liquid splattered on seat.
5.No toilet paper, no stall door, unidentifiable sticky object near base of toilet.
Clearly, it had to be Stall #2. I trudged back, entered, dropped Trousers and sat down. I'm normally a fairly Shameful Pooper. I wasn't happy about being next to the occupied stall, but Big Things were afoot.
I was just getting ready to bear down when all of a sudden the sweet sounds of Beethoven came from next door, followed by a fumbling, and then the sound of a voice answering the ringing phone. As usual for a cell phone conversation, the voice was exactly 8 dB louder than it needed to be. Out of Shameful habit, my sphincter slammed shut. The inane conversation went on and on. Mr. S was blathering to Mrs. S about the crappy day he had. I sat there, cramping and miserable, waiting for him to finish. As the loud conversation dragged on, I became angrier and angrier, thinking that I, too, had a crappy day, but I was too polite to yak about in public. My bowels let me know in no uncertain terms that if I didn't get crapping soon, my day would be getting even crappier.
Finally my anger reached a point that overcame Shamefulness. I no longer cared. I gripped the toilet paper holder in one hand, braced my other hand against the side of the stall, and pushed with all my might. I was rewarded with a fart of colossal magnitude -- a cross between the sound of someone ripping a very wet bed sheet in half and of plywood being torn off a wall. The sound gradually transitioned into a heavily modulated low-RPM tone, not unlike someone firing up a Harley. I managed to hit resonance frequency of the stall, and it shook gently. -
Once my butt cheeks stopped flapping in the breeze, three things became apparent: (1) The next-door conversation had ceased; (2) my colon's continued seizing indicated that there was more to come; and (3) the bathroom was now beset by a horrible, eldritch stench.
It was as if a gateway to heck had been opened. The foul miasma quickly made its way under the stall and began choking my poop-mate. This initial "herald" fart had ended his conversation in mid-sentence.
"Oh my God," I heard him utter, following it with the suppressed sounds of choking, and then, "No, baby, that wasn't me (cough, gag), you could hear that (gag)??"
Next door I could hear fumbling with the paper dispenser as he desperately tried to finish his task. Little snatches of conversation made themselves heard over my symphony: "Gotta go... horrible... throw up... in my mouth.... not... make it... tell the kids... love them... oh God..." followed by more sounds of suppressed gagging and retching. -
Alas, it is evidently difficulty to hold one's phone and wipe one's bum at the same time. Just as my high-pressure abuse of the toilet was winding down, I heard a plop and splash from next door, followed by a string of swear words and gags. My poop-mate had dropped his phone into the toilet.
After a considerable amount of paperwork, I got up and surveyed the damage. I felt bad for the janitor who'd be forced to deal with this, but I knew that flushing was not an option. No toilet in the world could handle that unholy mess. Flushing would only lead to a floor flooded with filth. (Mark's note - a few well-placed "courtesy flushes" would solve this problem)
As I left, I glanced to the next-door stall. Nothing remained in the bowl. Had he flushed his phone, or had he plucked it out and left the bathroom with nasty unwashed hands? The world will never know.
I exited the bathroom, momentarily proud and Shameless, looking around for a face glaring at me. But I saw no one. I suspect that somehow my supernatural elimination has manged to transfer my Shamefulness to my anonymous poop-mate. I think it'll be a long time before he can bring himself to poop in public -- and I doubt he'll ever again answer his cell phone in the loo. And this, my friends, is why you should never talk on your phone in the bathroom
Friday, August 31, 2007
More fun with telemarketers...
I think the telemarketers are getting the message that I'm not a fun person to call. It's been a while since one of them has called me. Until last night...
We were in the kitchen and I was cooking one of my specialties for dinner. The phone rang and I answered it without checking caller ID (I usually don't bother to check before answering). The young lady on the other end asked to speak with the "female head of household." Can you see where this is headed? Well, everyone knows, that there can only be one head of household, and in the traditional sense, (in the South anyway) that would be the man. That's me.
I answered "We don't have one of those here." She stammered a little, likely because she heard Shelly talking to Matthew in the background. I said "I'm the head of the household, is there something I can help you with?" She said, "There is no female head of household?"
Ok, she's not getting it...
I said "There is a 'Lady of the House', but no female head of household."
The lights are starting to glow for this girl, and she says "well, can I speak to her?".
My reply? "Nope, it wouldn't do any good since I make all of the decisions."
She hung up on me.
Shelly just shook her head at me. She told me that if she thought I actually felt that way, she would smack me.
I think the telemarketers are getting the message that I'm not a fun person to call. It's been a while since one of them has called me. Until last night...
We were in the kitchen and I was cooking one of my specialties for dinner. The phone rang and I answered it without checking caller ID (I usually don't bother to check before answering). The young lady on the other end asked to speak with the "female head of household." Can you see where this is headed? Well, everyone knows, that there can only be one head of household, and in the traditional sense, (in the South anyway) that would be the man. That's me.
I answered "We don't have one of those here." She stammered a little, likely because she heard Shelly talking to Matthew in the background. I said "I'm the head of the household, is there something I can help you with?" She said, "There is no female head of household?"
Ok, she's not getting it...
I said "There is a 'Lady of the House', but no female head of household."
The lights are starting to glow for this girl, and she says "well, can I speak to her?".
My reply? "Nope, it wouldn't do any good since I make all of the decisions."
She hung up on me.
Shelly just shook her head at me. She told me that if she thought I actually felt that way, she would smack me.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Sold the Tahoe...
After dealing with a few "squirrels", I sold the Tahoe - for a few hundred more than I was going to sell it for to the guy that no-showed me last week. The money is now in the bank, awaiting its next assignment.
Busy weekend...
Shelly has earmarked a small portion of the money to upgrade a few items in our house. Our bathroom has the Hollywood type lighting with the big, clear bulbs above the mirrors. They are sort of cheesy, and the bulbs put off a phenomenal amount of heat. This weekend we are going to look at getting new fixtures to put above the mirrors. Perhaps I'll get some before and after shots to share. We're also going to look at some new faucets to replace the "lowest bid" variety that came with the house. This is where that summer job on a plumbing crew pays off.
I'm definitely not going to complain. If I keep myself busy with this job, I'll be much too busy to faux paint...
On with the weekend. Shelly volunteered us to help some friends get their house ready to put on the market. Apparently I'll be helping paint the exterior of the house. Remember what sort of job I like most (sarcasm here...). Oh, well. It's not hard work, and they are good friends of ours. Not to mention, it will probably really help them out to have a few extra hands getting things together. After working for a few hours, we'll drop Matthew off with Shelly's parents, clean ourselves up, put on Maroon, and head for College Station.
It's Aggie football time again!! This weekend is one of the rare evening games, which should be great. For whatever reason, all of the early season home games last year were early kickoffs. They were miserable, especially since we were pretty much in a heatwave / drought. There is an outside chance that we'll get together with some friends for a tailgate, but if we don't do that, we'll do our normal deal of chicken strips from Raisin' Cane's with massive cups of sweet tea. You can't really go wrong with either one of those options.
Sunday morning we will either get up and cut the grass, or sleep in. Since we can technically do the yard Monday morning, perhaps Sunday will be a sleep-in morning (especially since we'll be getting in late from the ballgame). Late morning, we'll head to Mom and Dad's house for a little Holiday weekend shindig, which means Mom will cook, Shelly will take care of Matthew and help with the niece and nephews, and I'll sit on my butt in a chair with an icy, cold beverage. Perhaps even a little Bourbon in my Diet Coke...
Yep, it's shaping up to be a pretty nice weekend.
After dealing with a few "squirrels", I sold the Tahoe - for a few hundred more than I was going to sell it for to the guy that no-showed me last week. The money is now in the bank, awaiting its next assignment.
Busy weekend...
Shelly has earmarked a small portion of the money to upgrade a few items in our house. Our bathroom has the Hollywood type lighting with the big, clear bulbs above the mirrors. They are sort of cheesy, and the bulbs put off a phenomenal amount of heat. This weekend we are going to look at getting new fixtures to put above the mirrors. Perhaps I'll get some before and after shots to share. We're also going to look at some new faucets to replace the "lowest bid" variety that came with the house. This is where that summer job on a plumbing crew pays off.
I'm definitely not going to complain. If I keep myself busy with this job, I'll be much too busy to faux paint...
On with the weekend. Shelly volunteered us to help some friends get their house ready to put on the market. Apparently I'll be helping paint the exterior of the house. Remember what sort of job I like most (sarcasm here...). Oh, well. It's not hard work, and they are good friends of ours. Not to mention, it will probably really help them out to have a few extra hands getting things together. After working for a few hours, we'll drop Matthew off with Shelly's parents, clean ourselves up, put on Maroon, and head for College Station.
It's Aggie football time again!! This weekend is one of the rare evening games, which should be great. For whatever reason, all of the early season home games last year were early kickoffs. They were miserable, especially since we were pretty much in a heatwave / drought. There is an outside chance that we'll get together with some friends for a tailgate, but if we don't do that, we'll do our normal deal of chicken strips from Raisin' Cane's with massive cups of sweet tea. You can't really go wrong with either one of those options.
Sunday morning we will either get up and cut the grass, or sleep in. Since we can technically do the yard Monday morning, perhaps Sunday will be a sleep-in morning (especially since we'll be getting in late from the ballgame). Late morning, we'll head to Mom and Dad's house for a little Holiday weekend shindig, which means Mom will cook, Shelly will take care of Matthew and help with the niece and nephews, and I'll sit on my butt in a chair with an icy, cold beverage. Perhaps even a little Bourbon in my Diet Coke...
Yep, it's shaping up to be a pretty nice weekend.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Split Stream...
The ladies probably don't have this problem, but it happens for guys from time to time (at least it happens to me every now and then.)
You're standing at the john, taking aim to do your business. As soon as the stream starts, it's going off in some wild direction, not into the bowl. You quickly adjust your aim, only to realize it's not one errant stream, but 2 streams. Aiming the one you first noticed into the bowl makes the other one even farther off target. You usually have no other option at this point than to pull off the impossible... Stop mid-whiz, readjust, and fire again. Then, if you are a gentleman, you use a liberal amount of TP to clean up the mess, being thankful one of those streams wasn't pointing back at you.
Urinals really should be required in ALL men's rooms. That would just about keep this from being a problem since no aiming is really necessary.
Ok, I'll admit this topic isn't that great, but it has to be better than this post about where the blood in your face has been
The ladies probably don't have this problem, but it happens for guys from time to time (at least it happens to me every now and then.)
You're standing at the john, taking aim to do your business. As soon as the stream starts, it's going off in some wild direction, not into the bowl. You quickly adjust your aim, only to realize it's not one errant stream, but 2 streams. Aiming the one you first noticed into the bowl makes the other one even farther off target. You usually have no other option at this point than to pull off the impossible... Stop mid-whiz, readjust, and fire again. Then, if you are a gentleman, you use a liberal amount of TP to clean up the mess, being thankful one of those streams wasn't pointing back at you.
Urinals really should be required in ALL men's rooms. That would just about keep this from being a problem since no aiming is really necessary.
Ok, I'll admit this topic isn't that great, but it has to be better than this post about where the blood in your face has been
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Geez, it's hot...
I woke up this morning around 8 AM. I wanted to go back to sleep, but the strong urge to "make water" told me that I better go ahead and get up. With that task taken care of, I got back in bed with the hopes of sleeping a little longer. Of course, my better senses were telling me that I better get up and cut the grass before it got too hot. I got dressed and headed out to take care of the yard. It was already too hot...
Luckily, Shelly was willing to help, so we knocked it out. Generally, I go out and make a lap or so around everything with the mower. By this time, Shelly is out and ready to help. I do the weed-eating, edging, and blowing off while she takes care of the rest of the mowing. I must say it was miserable outside today. My clothes were completely soaked, and I had to stop every couple of minutes to wipe the sweat from my forehead to keep it out of my eyes. I finished mowing the back yard and Shelly moved on to weeding the flower beds. She did a great job, and our place looks well cared for again.
You know it's hot outside when you can't get cold water out of your faucets. After finishing outside, I was wanting a COLD shower to help bring the body temperature down. I LOVE cold showers after working outside in the heat. No luck on this day. I'd swear that the water coming out of the cold water tap had to have been at least 80 degrees, and likely closer to 85. I guess it's technically cold enough to cool your body temperature, but not enough to be refreshing. Next time, I'll fill the bath tub up and add ice cubes to get the desired temperature.
I woke up this morning around 8 AM. I wanted to go back to sleep, but the strong urge to "make water" told me that I better go ahead and get up. With that task taken care of, I got back in bed with the hopes of sleeping a little longer. Of course, my better senses were telling me that I better get up and cut the grass before it got too hot. I got dressed and headed out to take care of the yard. It was already too hot...
Luckily, Shelly was willing to help, so we knocked it out. Generally, I go out and make a lap or so around everything with the mower. By this time, Shelly is out and ready to help. I do the weed-eating, edging, and blowing off while she takes care of the rest of the mowing. I must say it was miserable outside today. My clothes were completely soaked, and I had to stop every couple of minutes to wipe the sweat from my forehead to keep it out of my eyes. I finished mowing the back yard and Shelly moved on to weeding the flower beds. She did a great job, and our place looks well cared for again.
You know it's hot outside when you can't get cold water out of your faucets. After finishing outside, I was wanting a COLD shower to help bring the body temperature down. I LOVE cold showers after working outside in the heat. No luck on this day. I'd swear that the water coming out of the cold water tap had to have been at least 80 degrees, and likely closer to 85. I guess it's technically cold enough to cool your body temperature, but not enough to be refreshing. Next time, I'll fill the bath tub up and add ice cubes to get the desired temperature.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Sold the truck... NOT
Mid morning this morning, the guy from yesterday called me and said he had gone to the bank and had my $8,000 ready for the truck. I told him good, call me when you have the rest and we can get together and finish the deal if I haven't already sold it to someone else. He tried to negotiate me down a little more, but I told him I was busy, either he would pay my price or he wouldn't. He finally agreed and we arranged a time and place to meet.
Ok, where I have the truck parked (father-in-law's office), is about 40 minutes from my office. Shelly also needed to be there to sign the title, so we worked out our afternoon around picking Matthew up and meeting this guy.
When I am almost to the meeting place and time, the jackass called me and told me he wouldn't be buying it because he had bought another Tahoe. Man, this guy is really trying to piss me off. In Texas, that has to be a hanging offense. Why in the hell would he bother to call me and agree on a price (significantly below my original asking price) if he wasn't interested.
Well, I guess I'll post another ad. This time, these jokers will have to come to me instead of me driving all over creation to meet them.
Mid morning this morning, the guy from yesterday called me and said he had gone to the bank and had my $8,000 ready for the truck. I told him good, call me when you have the rest and we can get together and finish the deal if I haven't already sold it to someone else. He tried to negotiate me down a little more, but I told him I was busy, either he would pay my price or he wouldn't. He finally agreed and we arranged a time and place to meet.
Ok, where I have the truck parked (father-in-law's office), is about 40 minutes from my office. Shelly also needed to be there to sign the title, so we worked out our afternoon around picking Matthew up and meeting this guy.
When I am almost to the meeting place and time, the jackass called me and told me he wouldn't be buying it because he had bought another Tahoe. Man, this guy is really trying to piss me off. In Texas, that has to be a hanging offense. Why in the hell would he bother to call me and agree on a price (significantly below my original asking price) if he wasn't interested.
Well, I guess I'll post another ad. This time, these jokers will have to come to me instead of me driving all over creation to meet them.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Selling the truck...
Man, selling a vehicle is an annoying process. I put an add on Craigslist to see how free classified ads work before shelling out the money for an ad on cars.com or the local autotrader magazine. I've had a couple of e-mails and showed the truck to one guy this afternoon.
After a few minutes of answering the usual used car type questions, he said he would like to see it. He didn't want to waste any ones time, so he wanted to know the absolute rock bottom price I would take to sell the truck. I told him, and we agreed to meet.
Well, I drive the 20 miles to town to meet him where I have the truck parked at my father-in-law's office. He drives it and likes it, then proceeds to offer me 30% below asking price. Ok, so you get the idea, it's a 2001 Tahoe with all of the options on it. I'm asking $10k, which is just below what all of the web pricing guides call for on a private party sale. I understand that the market is a little slow for this type of vehicle, so I told him what I would be willing to accept, nothing less.
Why in the hell would he even have me meet him in town and waste my time (which he said he didn't want to do), if he was then going to offer me $7,000? When I held firm and told him I would take nothing less than what I had offered, he poor-mouthed about the bad gas mileage and the price of gas... WHAT? I told him that if he couldn't afford to feed the beast, he needed to look at another type of vehicle. Then he told me all he had was $7,700, so that's the most he could pay. Man, what a jackass. Just because he only has $7,700 doesn't mean that's all my truck is worth.
I think I'll make that point clear before I meet anyone else.
Another interesting one. Someone was looking at it earlier today and asked my father-in law if the price was negotiable. He told them he thought it was to a certain extent, then they asked him if I would finance it. HELLO... How many private party sales actually involve owner financing? The last time we sold a car it was much the same. Asking $8k, people calling with $4,500 and can pay X per week and want me to finance. One person was really pushy, so I made an offer. Pay me the $4,500, and I'll take the signs off the car and keep it in my garage. Pay me the money each week, and when you make the last payment, I'll give you the keys and the title. Funny how they didn't like that idea.
Man, selling a vehicle is an annoying process. I put an add on Craigslist to see how free classified ads work before shelling out the money for an ad on cars.com or the local autotrader magazine. I've had a couple of e-mails and showed the truck to one guy this afternoon.
After a few minutes of answering the usual used car type questions, he said he would like to see it. He didn't want to waste any ones time, so he wanted to know the absolute rock bottom price I would take to sell the truck. I told him, and we agreed to meet.
Well, I drive the 20 miles to town to meet him where I have the truck parked at my father-in-law's office. He drives it and likes it, then proceeds to offer me 30% below asking price. Ok, so you get the idea, it's a 2001 Tahoe with all of the options on it. I'm asking $10k, which is just below what all of the web pricing guides call for on a private party sale. I understand that the market is a little slow for this type of vehicle, so I told him what I would be willing to accept, nothing less.
Why in the hell would he even have me meet him in town and waste my time (which he said he didn't want to do), if he was then going to offer me $7,000? When I held firm and told him I would take nothing less than what I had offered, he poor-mouthed about the bad gas mileage and the price of gas... WHAT? I told him that if he couldn't afford to feed the beast, he needed to look at another type of vehicle. Then he told me all he had was $7,700, so that's the most he could pay. Man, what a jackass. Just because he only has $7,700 doesn't mean that's all my truck is worth.
I think I'll make that point clear before I meet anyone else.
Another interesting one. Someone was looking at it earlier today and asked my father-in law if the price was negotiable. He told them he thought it was to a certain extent, then they asked him if I would finance it. HELLO... How many private party sales actually involve owner financing? The last time we sold a car it was much the same. Asking $8k, people calling with $4,500 and can pay X per week and want me to finance. One person was really pushy, so I made an offer. Pay me the $4,500, and I'll take the signs off the car and keep it in my garage. Pay me the money each week, and when you make the last payment, I'll give you the keys and the title. Funny how they didn't like that idea.
Monday, August 20, 2007
A Man in Uniform...
Our little boy is growing up. He started Pre-K 3 today. Of course, that's just another name for 3 yr old daycare. Matthew attends the daycare at our church. This year, they have decided to get accredited, which basically means they are charging more. Part of the deal was that they are merging the daycare and the private school. Net result, we pay more. And Matthew now has to wear uniforms.
Ok, I'll be the first to say that I support the idea for uniforms for school kids. To me, a 3 yr old is not a school kid. We have hand-me downs out the wazoo from my sisters 2 boys, but instead of getting wear out of perfectly good free clothes, we're buying uniforms.
Eagle eyes looking at the picture will notice he is holding a pop-tart. Matthew is a creature of habit. The first thing he wants when we get downstairs in the morning is a pop-tart. God help us if we don't have any left. He normally eats pancakes, yogurt, or something better once he gets to school, but he loves that pop-tart in the morning. Sounds like me. A pop-tart and a Diet Coke is the breakfast of champions. Oh, and mine are the low-fat brown sugar & cinnamon pop-tarts
Our little boy is growing up. He started Pre-K 3 today. Of course, that's just another name for 3 yr old daycare. Matthew attends the daycare at our church. This year, they have decided to get accredited, which basically means they are charging more. Part of the deal was that they are merging the daycare and the private school. Net result, we pay more. And Matthew now has to wear uniforms.
Ok, I'll be the first to say that I support the idea for uniforms for school kids. To me, a 3 yr old is not a school kid. We have hand-me downs out the wazoo from my sisters 2 boys, but instead of getting wear out of perfectly good free clothes, we're buying uniforms.
Eagle eyes looking at the picture will notice he is holding a pop-tart. Matthew is a creature of habit. The first thing he wants when we get downstairs in the morning is a pop-tart. God help us if we don't have any left. He normally eats pancakes, yogurt, or something better once he gets to school, but he loves that pop-tart in the morning. Sounds like me. A pop-tart and a Diet Coke is the breakfast of champions. Oh, and mine are the low-fat brown sugar & cinnamon pop-tarts
Thursday, August 16, 2007
One of those days...
Ever have one of those days that you think you should have just stayed in bed? Today was one of those days for me... Here are the events:
Car dealership...
One of the negotiated points of the car purchase last week was a 3rd key and key fob. One of the deals with the new Altima is the intelligent key. It's pretty slick, but you need 2 working key fobs to be able to program a new one. I suppose you could get one done, but it is likely more expensive to get it done. They had not programmed the 3rd key when I picked the car up, so the plan was for me to go back and get it done at another time. The salesman said it would take about 30 minutes, and the service dept opened at 7:30 am. The plan was to go in around 7:30 this morning, let them do their thing, and make it to work around 8:30 or so. Easy enough, right?
Well, that's not the way things worked today. I got there around 7:40, and had to wait a few minutes to get someone to help me. At that point, they told me the tech's don't arrive until 8:00, and by the time they got things set up, they wouldn't be through until 9:30. Obviously, that's not going to work, and not what the salesman told me. What a hassle that I will end up needing to drop it off and leave it with them for a day to get it done.
Lazy Cop...
I went to a new BBQ place for lunch today. When the others in the office found out where I was going, they asked me to get take-out for everyone and bring it back to eat. It was raining when I got there, and there were cop cars (Constable) parked in the to go parking right by the building. I had to park around back and get a little wet. I go inside, and it looks like a friggin cop convention in there. Lazy mofo's probably eating free, and taking up the to-go parking.
Dinner...
Matthew is with Mom and Dad tonight, so we decided to have a date night. We planned to eat at On the Border then watch "No Reservations". Well, who would think that they would have a 20 minute wait for dinner at this place on a Thursday night. A rainy Thursday night. Not a problem, we headed to McAlister's Deli for a quick sandwich before the movie. Good plan? Not today. The time on the receipt from when we ordered was 7:07PM. Food arrival? 7:39PM. Ok if they were busy, but there were only 6 or 7 people ahead of us when we arrived. And my Pastrami on toasted sourdough was COLD. I take it up to the counter and the lady said "Is it cold?" Yes, it took 32 minutes to make me a sandwich, and it's cold. Ok, I'm beyond mad. I was EXTREMELY nice to these people. The lady said she would get it heated up for me. 8 minutes later, I went back up to the counter. Another employee asked through the little window where the re-heated sandwich was. The chick in the back looks around and hands it back through. A little warmer, but obviously sitting back on the counter a few minutes since it was finished heating. Still not hot. The girl at the counter offered to have them make me another one. Yeah, right. Almost 40 minutes into a visit, and a movie starting in less than 5 minutes, I don't have time for that.
I did take a comment card.
And a Movie...
We go across the parking lot and get into the theatre for the movie. We get into the theatre, and the A/C is out. Crap. Luckily, it cooled off here today with the Tropical Storm remnants we had. It was a little warm, but not completely unbearable.
OK, I have to admit, there were a few high points....
The BBQ place at lunch took 5-10 minutes to get the order together. The manager deemed that to be unacceptable, so the lunch was free. Not bad. I like that place already. Oh, and the food was good. 3 cheers for Spring Creek BBQ.
And the warm movie theatre? We were met by the manager as we left the theatre. He had free passes we can use the next time out. I like that.
Up for tomorrow? I'm dropping the car off to get the windows tinted. Hopefully nothing goes wrong with that.
Ever have one of those days that you think you should have just stayed in bed? Today was one of those days for me... Here are the events:
Car dealership...
One of the negotiated points of the car purchase last week was a 3rd key and key fob. One of the deals with the new Altima is the intelligent key. It's pretty slick, but you need 2 working key fobs to be able to program a new one. I suppose you could get one done, but it is likely more expensive to get it done. They had not programmed the 3rd key when I picked the car up, so the plan was for me to go back and get it done at another time. The salesman said it would take about 30 minutes, and the service dept opened at 7:30 am. The plan was to go in around 7:30 this morning, let them do their thing, and make it to work around 8:30 or so. Easy enough, right?
Well, that's not the way things worked today. I got there around 7:40, and had to wait a few minutes to get someone to help me. At that point, they told me the tech's don't arrive until 8:00, and by the time they got things set up, they wouldn't be through until 9:30. Obviously, that's not going to work, and not what the salesman told me. What a hassle that I will end up needing to drop it off and leave it with them for a day to get it done.
Lazy Cop...
I went to a new BBQ place for lunch today. When the others in the office found out where I was going, they asked me to get take-out for everyone and bring it back to eat. It was raining when I got there, and there were cop cars (Constable) parked in the to go parking right by the building. I had to park around back and get a little wet. I go inside, and it looks like a friggin cop convention in there. Lazy mofo's probably eating free, and taking up the to-go parking.
Dinner...
Matthew is with Mom and Dad tonight, so we decided to have a date night. We planned to eat at On the Border then watch "No Reservations". Well, who would think that they would have a 20 minute wait for dinner at this place on a Thursday night. A rainy Thursday night. Not a problem, we headed to McAlister's Deli for a quick sandwich before the movie. Good plan? Not today. The time on the receipt from when we ordered was 7:07PM. Food arrival? 7:39PM. Ok if they were busy, but there were only 6 or 7 people ahead of us when we arrived. And my Pastrami on toasted sourdough was COLD. I take it up to the counter and the lady said "Is it cold?" Yes, it took 32 minutes to make me a sandwich, and it's cold. Ok, I'm beyond mad. I was EXTREMELY nice to these people. The lady said she would get it heated up for me. 8 minutes later, I went back up to the counter. Another employee asked through the little window where the re-heated sandwich was. The chick in the back looks around and hands it back through. A little warmer, but obviously sitting back on the counter a few minutes since it was finished heating. Still not hot. The girl at the counter offered to have them make me another one. Yeah, right. Almost 40 minutes into a visit, and a movie starting in less than 5 minutes, I don't have time for that.
I did take a comment card.
And a Movie...
We go across the parking lot and get into the theatre for the movie. We get into the theatre, and the A/C is out. Crap. Luckily, it cooled off here today with the Tropical Storm remnants we had. It was a little warm, but not completely unbearable.
OK, I have to admit, there were a few high points....
The BBQ place at lunch took 5-10 minutes to get the order together. The manager deemed that to be unacceptable, so the lunch was free. Not bad. I like that place already. Oh, and the food was good. 3 cheers for Spring Creek BBQ.
And the warm movie theatre? We were met by the manager as we left the theatre. He had free passes we can use the next time out. I like that.
Up for tomorrow? I'm dropping the car off to get the windows tinted. Hopefully nothing goes wrong with that.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Egged...
We pretty much stayed in the house all day today. It was 100 degrees outside, and we had housework to do anyway, so no real reason to go out until church this afternoon. Ok, Shelly and I are usually running a few minutes late anytime we go somewhere. For church this afternoon, we were actually ready to leave on time.
Matthew and I were going out to get in the car, when I saw it. Something was on my car. My NEW car. My still on the first tank of gas and paper license plates car. Some bastard had EGGED my car. Well, let's just say that my whole mood changed. My mood and thoughts were no longer in the correct frame of mind to go to church. We got in the car, and no amount of arctic air from the A/C could cool my burning anger at the bastards that had egged my car. Thankfully 2 passes through the "good" car wash and a trip to the coin-op power wash place got all of the egg off the car.
My mood was better, and we went to church, late as usual. When we got home this evening, I cleaned the few remaining spots off that had not come off before. I also cleaned up the little bit of egg that had splashed onto the Tahoe.
Man, just thinking about it now still pisses me off. I know it's just a car and stuff happens, but GEEZ, enough happens without some jackass throwing eggs at my car.
We pretty much stayed in the house all day today. It was 100 degrees outside, and we had housework to do anyway, so no real reason to go out until church this afternoon. Ok, Shelly and I are usually running a few minutes late anytime we go somewhere. For church this afternoon, we were actually ready to leave on time.
Matthew and I were going out to get in the car, when I saw it. Something was on my car. My NEW car. My still on the first tank of gas and paper license plates car. Some bastard had EGGED my car. Well, let's just say that my whole mood changed. My mood and thoughts were no longer in the correct frame of mind to go to church. We got in the car, and no amount of arctic air from the A/C could cool my burning anger at the bastards that had egged my car. Thankfully 2 passes through the "good" car wash and a trip to the coin-op power wash place got all of the egg off the car.
My mood was better, and we went to church, late as usual. When we got home this evening, I cleaned the few remaining spots off that had not come off before. I also cleaned up the little bit of egg that had splashed onto the Tahoe.
Man, just thinking about it now still pisses me off. I know it's just a car and stuff happens, but GEEZ, enough happens without some jackass throwing eggs at my car.
Birthday Party...
We had Matthew's 3rd birthday party on Saturday. His birthday was actually 3 weeks ago, but life happens and it was postponed to this weekend. Having a party for 19 kids and about double that number of adults is not an easy accomplishment, but somehow we pulled it off (with the help of a few relatives and some fancy coordination between us.)
We took several pictures, unfortunately, I seemed to have messed up the setting on the digital camera (they were set to "night", and they all came out a little fuzzy. Here are pics of his 2 cakes. You May recognize Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato on the first cake. For those of you not completely immersed with the Veggie Tales, the Pirate Ship represents "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything". They appear from time to time, and have their own full-length movie coming out soon (Google them for more info if you want it). They are some of Matthew's favorite characters, and when he saw the pirate ship in the bakery display case at Kroger a few weeks ago, we knew we had to get one made for his birthday party. He loved it.
Of course, we were all wiped out after that. Thankfully, Matthew slept until 9am this morning.
Perhaps the party next year will be somewhere that does all of the setting up, coordinating, etc for you...
Lawn Service...
Several years ago, Shelly and I had a lawn service. Actually, she had this house before we were married, so SHE had a lawn service. When we got married and I moved in, I kept my mouth shut, and I didn't have to cut the grass for a couple more years. Those were the days...
When Matthew was going to arrive, it was decided that we would cut the lawn service and I would start cutting the grass. Ok, this wasn't a big deal to me. Ever since 7th grade or so, I had always had a few yards to cut. Heck, even after I got my first real job, I still cut the grass for a neighbor across the street. I did that one because it was a 30 minute job and they weren't picky. I cut it when I cut mine and made a quick $25. Not bad if I already had the mower out anyway. The deal I made with Shelly is that if I was going to cut the grass, I wanted to buy good equipment. I bought a Honda mulching mower and a Stihl Edger. I already had an off-brand weed-eater and blower, and they were serviceable. The major requirements were self-propelled mower and ell pieces were to be gas powered. I have extension cords, but I'm sure as hell not going to have to drag them all over the yard. I was in business.
I must say that I am sort of particular about my grass. You have to be careful in a few places to make sure you don't scalp it. Well, with the unexpected trip to a funeral last week, it became obvious that I was not going to be able to get the yard done myself. So, I called the lawn service we used to use. It was a Thursday morning, and the guy told me not a problem, he was have one of his crews do it either Friday or Saturday.
Of course, as my luck would have it, we arrive back home Sunday night, completely worn out, and the grass was taller than ever. Great. I called the guy Monday, and he told me they were a day behind, but it would be done. I called the guy Tuesday, and he was on the other line, he promised he would track down the guy and call me right back. Never heard from him. Wednesday, I didn't think to call until I got home and the yard still had not been done. I called at 5:30 and got the recorder. I left a message that I wanted to hear from him Thursday morning with either a definite answer of when they would cut my grass or to tell me they couldn't get to it. At 3:30, I had not heard from him, so I called him . He said he was on the phone with another customer, but he gave me the number of the guy that was supposed to be coming to cut it. He said he would call the guy to let him know who I was and that I was going to call him. I was to wait 15 minutes and call him...
Enough of that crap. I called one of his competitors and they were cutting it at 7:15 the next morning.
With all of the birthday party stuff we had this last weekend, I sure was glad I didn't have to do it myself. Of course, the guys that cut it were the typical lawn service. Cut it quickly and move onto the next one. The missed a couple of patches, and it is scalped in at least 2 places. I'll be back to doing it myself next weekend.
Several years ago, Shelly and I had a lawn service. Actually, she had this house before we were married, so SHE had a lawn service. When we got married and I moved in, I kept my mouth shut, and I didn't have to cut the grass for a couple more years. Those were the days...
When Matthew was going to arrive, it was decided that we would cut the lawn service and I would start cutting the grass. Ok, this wasn't a big deal to me. Ever since 7th grade or so, I had always had a few yards to cut. Heck, even after I got my first real job, I still cut the grass for a neighbor across the street. I did that one because it was a 30 minute job and they weren't picky. I cut it when I cut mine and made a quick $25. Not bad if I already had the mower out anyway. The deal I made with Shelly is that if I was going to cut the grass, I wanted to buy good equipment. I bought a Honda mulching mower and a Stihl Edger. I already had an off-brand weed-eater and blower, and they were serviceable. The major requirements were self-propelled mower and ell pieces were to be gas powered. I have extension cords, but I'm sure as hell not going to have to drag them all over the yard. I was in business.
I must say that I am sort of particular about my grass. You have to be careful in a few places to make sure you don't scalp it. Well, with the unexpected trip to a funeral last week, it became obvious that I was not going to be able to get the yard done myself. So, I called the lawn service we used to use. It was a Thursday morning, and the guy told me not a problem, he was have one of his crews do it either Friday or Saturday.
Of course, as my luck would have it, we arrive back home Sunday night, completely worn out, and the grass was taller than ever. Great. I called the guy Monday, and he told me they were a day behind, but it would be done. I called the guy Tuesday, and he was on the other line, he promised he would track down the guy and call me right back. Never heard from him. Wednesday, I didn't think to call until I got home and the yard still had not been done. I called at 5:30 and got the recorder. I left a message that I wanted to hear from him Thursday morning with either a definite answer of when they would cut my grass or to tell me they couldn't get to it. At 3:30, I had not heard from him, so I called him . He said he was on the phone with another customer, but he gave me the number of the guy that was supposed to be coming to cut it. He said he would call the guy to let him know who I was and that I was going to call him. I was to wait 15 minutes and call him...
Enough of that crap. I called one of his competitors and they were cutting it at 7:15 the next morning.
With all of the birthday party stuff we had this last weekend, I sure was glad I didn't have to do it myself. Of course, the guys that cut it were the typical lawn service. Cut it quickly and move onto the next one. The missed a couple of patches, and it is scalped in at least 2 places. I'll be back to doing it myself next weekend.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Selling the Tahoe...
I'm sitting here thinking about cleaning the Tahoe a little and listing it for sale. You know, I really like my Tahoe. I'm sort of having some reservations about selling it. Of course, I need to sell it since we are not made of money and it makes no sense to keep a vehicle that is not needed. Shelly actually bought it before we got married, but I negotiated the deal for her and basically ordered it the way I wanted it (bigger V-8, towing package, locking rear diff, etc, etc). She didn't care what else it had as long as it had leather seats and a sunroof.
I don't remember the exact date, but it was in August of 2000 when we picked it up. We ordered it just as they were starting to take orders for 2001 models in either June or July of that year. The day we picked it up was also the day we picked out the diamond and setting for Shelly's engagement ring. Lots of miles and memories in that truck. Sure, we have the Expedition, but it has pretty much always been hers (she took it away from me about a week after I bought it).
Anyone else ever feel a little remorse over selling a vehicle they have had since it was new?
Of course, with the amount of miles we tend to travel and the price of gasoline, I'll get over it pretty quickly.
I'm sitting here thinking about cleaning the Tahoe a little and listing it for sale. You know, I really like my Tahoe. I'm sort of having some reservations about selling it. Of course, I need to sell it since we are not made of money and it makes no sense to keep a vehicle that is not needed. Shelly actually bought it before we got married, but I negotiated the deal for her and basically ordered it the way I wanted it (bigger V-8, towing package, locking rear diff, etc, etc). She didn't care what else it had as long as it had leather seats and a sunroof.
I don't remember the exact date, but it was in August of 2000 when we picked it up. We ordered it just as they were starting to take orders for 2001 models in either June or July of that year. The day we picked it up was also the day we picked out the diamond and setting for Shelly's engagement ring. Lots of miles and memories in that truck. Sure, we have the Expedition, but it has pretty much always been hers (she took it away from me about a week after I bought it).
Anyone else ever feel a little remorse over selling a vehicle they have had since it was new?
Of course, with the amount of miles we tend to travel and the price of gasoline, I'll get over it pretty quickly.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
New Car...
I picked up the newest addition to our family tonight. It's a brand spankin' new Nissan Altima. (only 7 miles on the clock). It's Silver with Charcoal interior. It's just the standard model without the fancy options, but the list of standard equipment is quite lengthy.
I'd say that the coolest feature is the intelligent key. It's basically just a key fob. You leave it in your pocket (or purse). No need to take it out or push the buttons on it. It has a range of about 30 inches, and emits a signal to the car. You walk up to the car and push a little button on the door handle to unlock the doors and hop in. To start the car, just step on the the brake and push the button that is in place of where the key would go. Want the "key" in the "accessory" position to listen to the radio instead of starting the engine, simply push the button without stepping on the brake. Shelly is having a hard time with the no key deal, but I like it.
Getting used to the lower seating position vs the trucks we're used to is going to be the biggest adjustment.
I'll give a more thorough review in a couple of weeks.
Anyone want to buy my Tahoe? It has quite a few miles on it, but it is in excellent shape
I picked up the newest addition to our family tonight. It's a brand spankin' new Nissan Altima. (only 7 miles on the clock). It's Silver with Charcoal interior. It's just the standard model without the fancy options, but the list of standard equipment is quite lengthy.
I'd say that the coolest feature is the intelligent key. It's basically just a key fob. You leave it in your pocket (or purse). No need to take it out or push the buttons on it. It has a range of about 30 inches, and emits a signal to the car. You walk up to the car and push a little button on the door handle to unlock the doors and hop in. To start the car, just step on the the brake and push the button that is in place of where the key would go. Want the "key" in the "accessory" position to listen to the radio instead of starting the engine, simply push the button without stepping on the brake. Shelly is having a hard time with the no key deal, but I like it.
Getting used to the lower seating position vs the trucks we're used to is going to be the biggest adjustment.
I'll give a more thorough review in a couple of weeks.
Anyone want to buy my Tahoe? It has quite a few miles on it, but it is in excellent shape
Apparently Not Impressive...
By now, you all know the story behind the word "Impressive". You also know that my mom doesn't think it's quite as amusing as I do. Add my sister to the list of the unimpressed. Over the weekend, we joked a little about it and Matthew used the word a couple of times. Apparently my 5 yr old David) and 8 yr old (Nicholas) nephews thought it was pretty funny also.
Well, Staci told David that if she heard it again, she would wash his mouth out with soap. Needless to say, within about a minute, that poor kid was blowing bubbles. Apparently once they got home, Nicholas let one go, and gave Staci that "What are you gonna do about it" look, just before saying "Impressive". She didn't agree, and he got a round with the wooden spoon. Looks like Uncle Mark is quite a bad influence on the nephews. Sorry, guys. My bad.
Now for a funny Matthew story...
It was a little before 10PM Sunday night, and we were about 30 minutes from home. We had eaten a late dinner in Livingston (Mexican), and I was starting to feel the effects. Of course, being the gentleman I am, I leaned over and played a tune. Shelly protested (of course). When the bouquet hit, she was protesting even more and told me to roll down my window. That's when we heard the voice from the backseat "Impressive". I started laughing, and Shelly told him it was NOT impressive, it was terrible. Of course, my little man insisted that it was indeed impressive. After a little back and forth with Matthew and I against Shelly, Matthew said a new word from the backseat "Outnumbered, Mommy." Heh, heh, heh, that's my boy.
Shelly is praying that our next child is a little girl.
By now, you all know the story behind the word "Impressive". You also know that my mom doesn't think it's quite as amusing as I do. Add my sister to the list of the unimpressed. Over the weekend, we joked a little about it and Matthew used the word a couple of times. Apparently my 5 yr old David) and 8 yr old (Nicholas) nephews thought it was pretty funny also.
Well, Staci told David that if she heard it again, she would wash his mouth out with soap. Needless to say, within about a minute, that poor kid was blowing bubbles. Apparently once they got home, Nicholas let one go, and gave Staci that "What are you gonna do about it" look, just before saying "Impressive". She didn't agree, and he got a round with the wooden spoon. Looks like Uncle Mark is quite a bad influence on the nephews. Sorry, guys. My bad.
Now for a funny Matthew story...
It was a little before 10PM Sunday night, and we were about 30 minutes from home. We had eaten a late dinner in Livingston (Mexican), and I was starting to feel the effects. Of course, being the gentleman I am, I leaned over and played a tune. Shelly protested (of course). When the bouquet hit, she was protesting even more and told me to roll down my window. That's when we heard the voice from the backseat "Impressive". I started laughing, and Shelly told him it was NOT impressive, it was terrible. Of course, my little man insisted that it was indeed impressive. After a little back and forth with Matthew and I against Shelly, Matthew said a new word from the backseat "Outnumbered, Mommy." Heh, heh, heh, that's my boy.
Shelly is praying that our next child is a little girl.
What a week...
Wow, what a week this has been. Last weekend, we made the trip back to Kirbyville. Man, what a difference a week makes. Saturday, it was a little after 11am, and we were following the hearse down a 2 lane country road. It was about the exact time we were driving down that same road just 7 days earlier on the way to the family reunion to see Mamaw, this time, we were on our way to the cemetery to bury her.
I will say that it was good to see the extended family again. We're all so spread out that we don't visit often. The weekend was surprisingly easy. Yes, there was some sadness, but there was also some celebration for a life well lived. We also started the process of dealing with what was left behind. I'll say that my grandmother was a good cook. Meals were typically large and usually included fresh peas. One thing she left behind was a freezer full of fresh peas. I just happen to have a sizable ice chest in the truck... I loaded it up (as did all of the cousins). There is still quite a bit left there for another trip also. Now to figure out how to properly cook them...
Wow, what a week this has been. Last weekend, we made the trip back to Kirbyville. Man, what a difference a week makes. Saturday, it was a little after 11am, and we were following the hearse down a 2 lane country road. It was about the exact time we were driving down that same road just 7 days earlier on the way to the family reunion to see Mamaw, this time, we were on our way to the cemetery to bury her.
I will say that it was good to see the extended family again. We're all so spread out that we don't visit often. The weekend was surprisingly easy. Yes, there was some sadness, but there was also some celebration for a life well lived. We also started the process of dealing with what was left behind. I'll say that my grandmother was a good cook. Meals were typically large and usually included fresh peas. One thing she left behind was a freezer full of fresh peas. I just happen to have a sizable ice chest in the truck... I loaded it up (as did all of the cousins). There is still quite a bit left there for another trip also. Now to figure out how to properly cook them...
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Speechless...
Last weekend we went to Kirbyville (Deep East Texas) and had a good time visiting with family. It was a decision made sort of on the spur of the moment. We haven't seen my grandmother on my dad's side of the family much lately. My grandfather had Alzheimer's and his physical condition declined for many years, which pretty much kept her close to home. He's been gone for almost 2 years now, but being almost 80, she doesn't travel much these days. With things being busy in our own lives, visits were few and far between.
Well, hindsight says the trip was worth it. She seemed happy to see us and thrilled to see Matthew. I think he was glad to see her too She gave him his birthday card, and he excitedly tore the envelope open and pointed to the characters on the card. That trip turns out to have been our last visit with Mamaw. My Aunt had been trying to call her today and was worried when there was no answer. She asked someone to go check on her and the report was that she was no longer with us. Whatever happened, I hope she went peacefully.
Shelly just keeps saying how surreal it is that we were just with her. In thinking about it, I guess I've been lucky. My Grandmother on my mothers side (Nana) died back in 2000. As luck would have it, I visited her in Kirbyville the week before she died.
ramblings from a wandering mind...
ok, this is just where I'm putting some things down that are floating around in my mind. I'm not sure if they are appropriate thoughts or not, but they are my thoughts regardless... (think of it as my sort of therapy for dealing with this)
It's always sad when someone dies after a very long, lingering illness. My Grandfather (Papaw) dies in December 2005 after a very long fight with Alzheimer's. That disease has to be the most cruel disease around. It's difficult on the person that has it for the first couple of stages, but after a point, they don't know anything anymore. Papaw didn't know any of us for the last couple of years, and seemed annoyed by us whenever we visited. I think he fell into the routine of every day life and was comfortable with it. When all of us visited, it was a disruption to him, and I'm sure very confusing to have a bunch of complete strangers (family members) filling up his house. I almost feel ashamed to admit it, but I didn't like to visit for the last several years because I was uncomfortable with it. It was hard to see him like that.
It's almost like people that linger on like that have outlived themselves, so to speak. Their body is going, but they (the person that they have been) is no longer present in the body. They are just a shell of themselves.
When I go, I hope it is in a similar fashion to how Mamaw went. Sure, she had her physical difficulties. She was almost 80. For the last few months, she had some aches and pains, but she still got around quite well. She had her wits about her. She was able to visit with all of us, and knew who we were. Yes, that's it. I want to leave this world physically before I've left mentally.
So, now the hard part. Grieving is not always an easy emotion for me. Maybe that's a guy thing. In the next day or 2, we'll load up and hit the road again. We'll all sort of go through that awkwardness together, getting together with relatives, not knowing quite what to say. Heck, I don't even know what I'm going to say to my dad when I talk to him tomorrow. Maybe I won't say anything. I just don't know. Even after all of this typing, I'm still sort of speechless...
Last weekend we went to Kirbyville (Deep East Texas) and had a good time visiting with family. It was a decision made sort of on the spur of the moment. We haven't seen my grandmother on my dad's side of the family much lately. My grandfather had Alzheimer's and his physical condition declined for many years, which pretty much kept her close to home. He's been gone for almost 2 years now, but being almost 80, she doesn't travel much these days. With things being busy in our own lives, visits were few and far between.
Well, hindsight says the trip was worth it. She seemed happy to see us and thrilled to see Matthew. I think he was glad to see her too She gave him his birthday card, and he excitedly tore the envelope open and pointed to the characters on the card. That trip turns out to have been our last visit with Mamaw. My Aunt had been trying to call her today and was worried when there was no answer. She asked someone to go check on her and the report was that she was no longer with us. Whatever happened, I hope she went peacefully.
Shelly just keeps saying how surreal it is that we were just with her. In thinking about it, I guess I've been lucky. My Grandmother on my mothers side (Nana) died back in 2000. As luck would have it, I visited her in Kirbyville the week before she died.
ramblings from a wandering mind...
ok, this is just where I'm putting some things down that are floating around in my mind. I'm not sure if they are appropriate thoughts or not, but they are my thoughts regardless... (think of it as my sort of therapy for dealing with this)
It's always sad when someone dies after a very long, lingering illness. My Grandfather (Papaw) dies in December 2005 after a very long fight with Alzheimer's. That disease has to be the most cruel disease around. It's difficult on the person that has it for the first couple of stages, but after a point, they don't know anything anymore. Papaw didn't know any of us for the last couple of years, and seemed annoyed by us whenever we visited. I think he fell into the routine of every day life and was comfortable with it. When all of us visited, it was a disruption to him, and I'm sure very confusing to have a bunch of complete strangers (family members) filling up his house. I almost feel ashamed to admit it, but I didn't like to visit for the last several years because I was uncomfortable with it. It was hard to see him like that.
It's almost like people that linger on like that have outlived themselves, so to speak. Their body is going, but they (the person that they have been) is no longer present in the body. They are just a shell of themselves.
When I go, I hope it is in a similar fashion to how Mamaw went. Sure, she had her physical difficulties. She was almost 80. For the last few months, she had some aches and pains, but she still got around quite well. She had her wits about her. She was able to visit with all of us, and knew who we were. Yes, that's it. I want to leave this world physically before I've left mentally.
So, now the hard part. Grieving is not always an easy emotion for me. Maybe that's a guy thing. In the next day or 2, we'll load up and hit the road again. We'll all sort of go through that awkwardness together, getting together with relatives, not knowing quite what to say. Heck, I don't even know what I'm going to say to my dad when I talk to him tomorrow. Maybe I won't say anything. I just don't know. Even after all of this typing, I'm still sort of speechless...
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