Alas, the party's over
I've been on VACATION (finally, after being postponed twice) and I'm really sad to see it end. The rub is that people who work a "normal" M-F scheduled would see a total of nine days off for a week of vacation time - that's the weekend before, then the M-F of vacation time and the weekend after. For me, I worked at the office on Sunday, then worked from home on Monday, then went back to the office on Tuesday and finally started the vacation on Wednesday. And ignored work for four days until tonight when I had to check my email. So it was actually just a bit shy of five days off, but still better than nothing. Now I didn't do anything exciting or go anywhere - just did a bit of housework and some computer gaming, but I got to see a lot more of Rob than I usually do which was the best part. I've learned from past experience that week of vacation is never enough and a real vacation is at least two weeks or more since it takes one week alone to purge the work crap out of your system before you can start to enjoy yourself. Unfortunately the job I have only allows one week at a time and now we have new restrictions on when we can take it - from now on, no vacation time at all is allowed during November through February. The reasons this job sucks continue to pile up and my new schedule which starts in July doesn't improve things much. Although I will no longer be working nights, I'll be working every weekend - yes, both Saturday and Sunday. Which is preferable to working nights, but it still sucks. Now I'm a firm believer, based on past experience, in "I'm where I'm at for a reason" and "One thing leads to another", but that doesn't negate the fact that sometimes where you are at is nothing more than a real pain in the ass. There are financial circumstances at the moment that prevent me from quiting voluntarily at the moment - ah, if I'd only jumped on it back in April when I submitted my resignation... then again, I suppose we'd be really fucked now if I had done that. Maybe that just means it's all working out like things normally do. And so I will return to work tomorrow and attempt to achieve the apparently impossible goals set forth in last Tuesday's meeting and hopefully surprise myself and others by actually attaining them. It's happened before, but not because I'm some sort of super-manager. Twas nothing more than blind luck. And that could happen again. One never knows and I have traditionally been a very lucky gal...

SOMETIMES THEY JUST WRITE THEMSELVES

Paris instructed her lawyers to drop the appeal...she hasn't eaten since her return to jail...psychotropic medication...
She has learned an important,bitter lesson.
So whats up with this "medical condition"?I'm not buying into that...with the possible exception that she is allergic to personal accountability.And regarding her dropping the appeal...from celebrity to martyr I say...some kind of Jesus with tits(sort of).
She wants the media to focus on the more important issues,like Iraq and Afghanistan.
Please...and more importantly-fuck you and the bughatti you rode in on Paris.
On the spin side of things,these developments are brilliant,but anyone with half a brain can see it is just so much artificial contrition designed to win empathy.
And what about this important,yet,bitter lesson?Could it be that this experience has made you realize that maybe you're not so fucking special and above it all?Has it brought you down a peg or 50?
Will you emerge from this and go directly to Darfur and sink your time and more importantly your endless wealth into helping those less fortunate?
Nah...never happen.
Psychotropic meds?HA-HA...now that's fucking funny.She's most likely been self medicated all along.
As always...good luck you little skankanator...mean it!

OH MY GOD...

Enjoy...

ON A BRIGHTER NOTE

Tonight we are going to see my high school buddies band,The Dukes of Simpleton,a 9 piece XTC cover band.Our drummer billy will be there with his wife(!)Mick,who rarely leaves the house.Our guitarist extraordinaire,LT might be able to make it,but softball is dominating his Saturday.There will be other people from my high school past there that I look forward to seeing.
XTC has always been a pop secret enjoyment of mine since way back in the day,and since they don't tour it'll be cool to see a band that can do them right(I've heard tapes)I'm looking forward to it.
Additionally,my daughter in law is fixin' to pop...I'll be a grandpa for the second time.While I was mortified initially at the arrival of the first one(Sean)I've come to embrace this grandpa thing...I like that my family will carry on into the future.
So there you have it,tragedy and triumph all rolled into one big ball of confusion.
And life barrels ahead,whether you want it to or not,you just got to hang on and find your joy when and where you can.

THE CIRCLE GAME

I talked to my sister this morning.Most of you probably didn't even know I had a sister.But I do,she is a few years older than me,and while we have not always been close,when our mom died and our dad was dying we rekindled our bond as family.But for reasons I believe are rooted in the past,haven't stayed in regular contact even though we live in the same area.
She contacted me a few months back via email and when I called her house she wasn't home from work yet,I gave her husband an update and my number,but I never heard back.
And as we are what we are,I never found the time to call back.At that time her son was recovering from a serious car accident,I knew this but nothing else.A tremendous burden on it's own,but there were other things afoot.
Her husband was having serious health problems at the same time,and finally succumbed to them in April.They had been married for 25 years.He was significantly older,but still...25 years is a long time.
My sister is overwhelmed by this loss and all the other stressors that come along with it,plus the ongoing recovery of her son.I get the impression that he is permanently less capable as a result of his accident.Time will tell.
We're getting together for lunch one day next week.
I'm not sure why,but this song popped into my head...it somehow seemed appropriate.



Forgive the fairies...it was the only one I could find that fit.
Sending good thoughts your way Celia...

THE SAGA CONTINUES! A CELEBRITY BUZZ UPDATE

Paris was ordered back to jail today by the judge who originally sentenced her.Apparently,he's not pleased with the decision the sheriffs made to send the spoiled cunt home.She was dragged screaming and kicking from the courthouse saying"It's not right"!
What's not right you silly little skank?You violated your probation,more than once...you brought this upon yourself,and mouthing "I love you" to and crying out to your Mom just makes you look like the idiot you are.You're not on trial for murder,you violated the conditions of your probation,and as such,suck it up you spoiled little bitch.
Now,because of your attempt to usurp the system with your wealth and celebrity,you get the serve the whole 45 days.OOOOOOOO...45 whole days.
You fucking crybaby.
You're up to 25 smacks with the sock full of wood screws.
Enjoy.
In reality,she'll probably weasel out of it in the long run,but I like this kind of humiliation...she deserves it,in spades.

CELEBRITY BUZZ SPECIAL EDITION!

...Th'Rev has learned that Paris has been released from jail after serving just 5 days of her 23 day sentence.For "medical reasons",TMZ reports the "medical reason" was that she was refusing to eat the jail food.WTF???In the free world her anorexia is a "lifestyle choice",but in jail it magically becomes a "medical issue",so she gets house arrest and has to wear an ankle bracelet that will record her movements from the kitchen to the bathroom,if you catch my drift.
What?Is she so under nourished that she could starve to death in 23 days?Please.
They didn't let Bobby Sands out of Long Kesh when he quit eating...he died as a result.
This is a clear miscarriage of justice and further proof that station,privilege and money is what really makes the wheels of justice turn in America.
10 strikes with a sock full of wood screws!

THE ONE REDEEMING FACTOR ABOUT BUGS

It's hoppy toad season!And they are everywhere in the yard this year,there must be a colony living under the deck.Tonight I was out on the front porch working on my set for the open mic and I bet I saw 5 or 6 individuals hop by,out on the hunt.Next to turtles,these toads are my favorite creatures,I'm glad they like our yard and are eating at least some of the hell spawn insects that invade every spring.



And yes,he pissed on my hand...and no,it won't give you warts,That piss is just a hoppy toads way of saying "don't fuck with me,or I'll piss on your hand".It's not like aliens acid for blood thing.It won't hurt you.
Isn't he cute?When I put him down he paused for a moment and looked at me before hopping off to the bugfest...it was like he was going"see...I told you I would piss on you...take that...BAM!Toad piss".
"Now go wash your hands bitch,before you get warts.Don't mess with the hoppy toads"...:).

CELEBRITY BUZZ WITH TH' REV...
(WARNING!Photo of Paris Hilton's munkel region,in happier times,displayed below)

But this isn't it...this is Phil Spector and his enormous afro.Early on in his trial for "alledgedly" shooting struggling actress Lana Clarkson in the mouth...in the MOUTH people!Talk about blowin' yer load,man!I guess his lawyers convinced him that looking like the cover of Funkadelic's "Maggot Brain" wasn't a good idea.



Spector:"I'll rock you like a hurricane...and if you won't let me,I'll kill you...with my gigantic afro,or one of my many guns I like to wave in womens faces that are repulsed by my shriveled junk...boyaa"!

So,in a startling makeover,he showed up looking like a blonde Liza Minelli...Check him out...


Spector:"She shot herself...in my CASTLE!The bitch"...

Sure she did,you pathetic little weasel.
Moving on...
Tom Sizemore got busted again for meth,and even though they found the shit and paraphernalia in his car with him in it,he's pleading not guilty...so far.
Here's Tom in better days...


Sizemore:"I love how speed accentuates my skills as an actor"!

But lately...


Sizemore:"Whaa-whaa-whaa...Please don't put me in jail,speed has ruined my life...Whaaa"!

Poor Tom...no wait,fuck that guy.He did it to himself.If you get a pass,not once but twice,you should have enough snap to not get caught tweaking in your car holding

And finally:
Paris goes to jail...poor lil' Paris.Here she is in better times.


Paris:"Everybody's got something to hide,'cept for me and my monkey,C'mon Brit!Lindsay!Let's cruise around in my limo and flash the 'lower caste',it'll be fun and besides,nothing says class like letting your junk hang out"!

Not so fast bitch!Pushed it just a bit too far,eh?


Paris:"God...I better get that new 'monk-gard 2000' before I report to serve my 23 days in administrative segregation"!

Good luck,skanky pants!Mean it!

MY FLIER...

Pretty cool,huh?
HAHA!

DINNER AND AN OPEN MIC

Ann and I went to dinner at Hill's Cafe and they have a stage on the patio where they provide live music.As it turns out,Tuesday night is an open mic for singer/songwriters.
It's based on that simple premise...You show up and sign up and play three songs.Covers or originals,doesn't matter.
The artists we saw tonight were true amateurs,diamonds in the rough as it were.My kind of open mic.The last one I/we were involved in was at a long gone place called Shaggy's.It was cool for awhile but quickly turned into a venue for more established players to dominate the venue,driving off the newbies and afford themselves a place to work on the sets they played at paying gigs.It turned into a suck fest,in other words.
Whether they knew it or not (and I suspect they did),management was complicit in this,Shaggy's was located in what has become a nauseatingly trendy stretch of congress avenue they call SoCo,filled with pretentious shops,clubs and eateries that cater to,oh,I don't know...what would you call them?Oh yeah,pretentious assholes.
Shaggy's is long gone,the space occupied by some cafe more stuck up than the last and will probably be history in a year or two.God willing.I am horrified to witness the destruction of old south austin by a bunch of people who have no fucking clue.
But I digress...Back to Hill's.
A bit farther south on congress,Hill's has been around forever and remains steeped in the old south austin cred.And they have a tuesday open mic,sans "celebrity"(so far...fingers are crossed).
I have three songs,easy.And after what I saw tonight,I would be a good fit.I could hold my own and have a good time doing it.
So I'm gonna work on that 3 song set between now and next tuesday and maybe step up to that open mic,while it's still open.

ORIGINS...



They emanate from the glow of a crown...

AND COFFEE ALMOST SHOT OUT OF MY NOSE

While the electrician trade generally attracts decent hard working folks,it also attracts well meaning misfits...(like myself) looking to learn a trade and make a living,it also attracts some seriously fucked up human beings who spin out and find themselves unemployable in short order,avoided and shunned by all contractors.
Enter William Del Tubbs, pill head extraordinaire , currently being sought in connection with the burglary of several pharmacies...he's got a 120,000 dollar jail felony bond when they catch him,and when I saw his picture at a local news website this weekend I was shocked.But not surprised.
I was around this guy peripherally for months and worked with him directly for a short period of time,he was a reasonably bright guy that let his formidible knowledge of pharmacopoeia get WAY ahead of him.He was an unrepentant pillhead,and it cost him his job.As it should have.This job is dangerous enough without throwing drugs into the mix.
I don't know where he is,and I'm glad,cause I won't be the one to rat him out.
What was he thinking???
Dumbass.
I wonder if he still has the nut drivers I gave him...