Summer's here, and the time is right...

OK, so it's another God-awful summer in Arkansas. Yay. I'm so happy I could just shit. Another 4 months of blistering heat, drought conditions and high electric bills. And for those haters amongst you who say "Why don't you move if you don't like it", I have 4 words for you--I'm working on it! My estimated departure is less than 5 years away, when I will move away to a place where winter is WINTER and summer is, well, summer. I want snow. I want autumn leaves. I want mountains. I want lakes. I want a nice summer when it isn't 100º for a month of the summer. Give me a glass of sweet tea and a folding chair in the shade--THAT is summer!

With that said, there has been a lot going on. I'll just hit on the "this and that", rather than bore you with the details. My son has decided against going to school this summer. Not because of lack of funding. Not because of lack of support. Only because he has no license and no hope for employment. He was the brainiac that chose to do 125mph on the interstate and got caught-THEN didn't pay the fine. How bad is it? At 19 years old, he now holds 28 points on his license. If you don't have a point of reference, a speeding ticket is anywhere from 3-8 points, and a DWI is typically around 12-14. Got the picture? He won't be driving for at least 2 more years. So, he's on his own once again, living with the bag of unmotivated protoplasm we'll call his mother. But, I digress...

The kitchen is considered "done" for all intents and purposes. The only thing left to do is install the baseboards (about 4 feet) and the quarter round. Everything else is done. Finally. It took 13 months and 8 days, but it's functional! And in case you were wondering, don't EVER go to Lowe's for anything in your remodeling--cabinets, countertops, appliances--NOTHING. They are the worst of the worst at absolutely everything. Every time we bought from them, they were able to screw it up as much as it could be screwed up. Cabinets--reordered missing pieces 6 separate times. Countertops--recut 3 times, taking 6 months, before finally being totally free quartz solid surface. Appliances--bought and ordered, only to be sold before we could pick them up. Flooring--proprietary flooring 'out of stock' for 7 straight months. Shall I go on?

So, we're moving on to the laundry closet now. It's about 50% complete, and will be getting closer by the day. I projected 2-3 more weeks on that, then we tear my daughter's room down and rebuild it...along with the adjacent dining room. FUN FUN!

We're taking a cruise the first week of August. We're going to the Bahamas for 3 days of fun and sun and no worries. No cell phones. No internet. No worries. Just beaches and bikinis! That's what I'm talking about! So, until next time...

The unforgiven

I'm mad. I mean, I am red-faced, bloodshot-eyed, gritted-teeth, clinched-fist PISSED. Why? Because of the actions of someone who claims to be family, but puts a condition on that family membership. That membership is exclusive of certain other members of another family--who just so happens to be linked to said family. Confused? I planned it that way so I won't be liable for any slanderous remarks. Therefore, I shall remain vague.

A child makes mistakes. Everyone knows this. It's life, and it's necessary. Parents also make mistakes. That's also life, and it's also necessary. Should the children be forced to pay for the mistakes their parents made? Should the children become pawns in a sick, twisted chess game with no winners--only losers? Children are meant to be a prodigy--a way to carry on the family name and the family genes. The love from their family should be unconditional and complete, regardless of the situation. You can hate what they do, what they become, or who they choose to spend their time with, but in the end, you love them...PERIOD.

However, in my 41 years, I have learned that "forgive" is a very strong word. I didn't say "forgive and forget", as you can never forget some things. You can work through them...you can talk about them...you can get past them. But you can likely never forget. I was afforded forgiveness time and time again through a very destructive era in my life, and in the meantime, I have become very tolerant to the screw-ups of others. Putting conditional love upon a child, regardless of the age, is so far from wrong, you can't even see 'wrong'. Yet, some have to live with it and figure out a way to explain it to young minds that don't understand. It is truly a sad, sad day.

If you've read carefully and put two and two together, this will make perfect sense to you. If you just 'read' it, you'll see a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, and that's fine. Just know that anyone that places conditions on the love of an immediate family member deserves nothing but the worst fate can deliver. An out of control bus, a lengthy but painful death, a crazed gunman--these are all fate's promise of justice.

Think about that. Until next time...

Death and taxes

Well, so far, I have to say that 2009 has SUCKED. Let me explain...

I have to begin the year knowing that Osama Obama is going to be living in the Black House. That alone is enough to ruin my year. However, a mere 5 days after the inauguration of Bat Shit Obama, I receive that late night call that nobody ever wants to get. My other dad, John, had passed away unexpectedly on January 25 from an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm at the age of only 66. For those of you who don't know me, I refer to John as my "other" dad, rather than my step-dad, because he was just that--my other dad. He was in my life from the age of nine. That makes him my other dad. His wisdom and no-nonsense approach will live on after his passing through his three daughters (my sisters), my brother, and myself. I was very close to John, and for the first time since I can remember, I cried after hearing of his abrupt departure from this world.

I won't go on and on about John, as I could fill pages with all of the things that this man meant to me and did for me. His work wasn't done here, but I suppose he was taken away because someone had a need for him elsewhere. One of a very select few men that I can truly say I loved, John was a great, great man. He loved all of his kids and treated us all as equals, showing no more or less favoritism to any of us, and giving us the same praise across the board. He was a man of very little anger, and had a huge group of friends and acquaintances. For 32 years, John kept my mother company as her husband and her best friend...and her Jeopardy partner. These two lived for each other. If there were ever 'soul mates', these two would be it. But now my mom will have to pick up and go on without our beloved John. He was, indeed, a great man, and I will take his wisdom, his discipline, and his lessons to the grave with me. I miss him every day...as we all do.

Moving on to the day after we arrive back home from John's funeral, I get a call from my step-mom, Jan. After the huge ice storm that hit during our absence, nearly all of the trees on my dad's 200 acre farm were damaged, some of which fell across the fences. While clearing some of the brush off the fence, there was a combination of poor balance, icy conditions and a springy branch--leading to an accident where he nearly severed his left hand just above the wrist with a chainsaw. He was airlifted to the hospital in Springfield, MO, to have his hand reattached, and as of today, it appears as though he'll get 90% of its use back. He'll have a beauty of a scar and a little odd numbness here and there, but for the most part, a functional hand. I have stated numerous times that perhaps THIS is the 'sign' that he needs to take it easy and enjoy his autumn years. He is rapidly nearing 70 years old, and it's time to reap the benefits of retirement. Whether or not that will happen still remains to be seen...but one can hope!

OK, so now we move on to February. My great aunt 'Tillie', whom my father had moved up to be with them, had grown weaker and weaker. She had good days and bad days, but basically was becoming worse and worse. At 98 years old, she didn't have a long way to go. On February 26 (also my son's birthday), Aunt Tillie finally gave up her battle. She died in her sleep, quietly and painlessly, as it should be. Her graveside service was made more surreal by the weather--rain, strong winds, and 35º temperatures. I sleep better knowing that her pain is gone. She can finally be with Uncle Anton, who died 40 years earlier.

We finally made it to March--taxes have to be filed! Yes, they're done, and with no help whatsoever from bailouts and Obama's great "nobody will ever have to work again" plan, my lovely bride and I received over $5000 from our illustrious government. It was almost like our own little stimulus package. Who needs Obama when you can actually PLAN for financial crises?!

All that, and it's only March 4. I shudder to think what lies ahead for the next nine months. I've been told that bad things happen in threes--I hope I've had my 'three' for a long time. Until next time...good bye, John and Aunt Tillie...you will both be missed.

The anti-Christ inaugurated

So, it has really happened. Barack Hussein Osama Obama has moved into the Black House. I am still in shock. How could this happen? How could a douche bag poser like that actually fool people so well that he got elected as President? The man is a complete idiot, and all he's going to do is make a bad thing worse. Close down Guantanamo Bay? Are you KIDDING me? What do you intend to do with the imprisoned terrorists? Set them free? Give them a job? How about we move them into YOUR neighborhood and let YOU deal with them, you ignorant piece of shit!

Why? Why did it have to happen? Do I think the world will end? No. Do I have the answers? No. Is this slimeball the answer? NO!

Enough of this. I'm just sick. But ponder this last thought. It is now possible to burn every major population center in the entire country with just a single shot. Don't know what I mean? Think Watts. Think Rodney King. Until next time...

A new year begins...

OK, so it's now 2009. We bid a not-too-soon adieu to 2008, and hope that this year will suck very much less. The year hasn't been too bad so far, but then again, we're only 5 days in. We'll see how the next 360 days go.

The Colts are out. Just like that. They're out. No hype, no glory, no games. Just out. I see Dungy leaving this year, and Peyton Manning will be gone soon after. Is it the end of an era? I guess time will tell, but it doesn't look too good! One good thing that happened this season was that I got to see my first Colts game in person--in living color, in the Lucas Oil Stadium ("The Luke"). My lovely bride acquired a pair of tickets from a season ticket holder on Ebay, and the seats were nothing short of great! It was a victorious game over the Titans, so if nothing else, my presence didn't jinx the game!

Another interesting development is taking place as I write this--after waiting FIVE months, our countertops are finally being installed. You read that right--FIVE months. This is the third attempt at installation, and Lowe's is footing the bill for all of it. In what normally takes 4-6 weeks, we've been FIVE MONTHS. So, for future reference, never EVER get your countertops from Lowe's. Go to Home Depot or anywhere else. Anywhere else. Lowe's kitchen service is so fucked up that it's hard to imagine them making money at this. Just go to Sears, buy your tools and appliances, then go to Home Depot and order the cabinets and countertops. Avoid Lowe's at all costs. They suck. Period.

Finally, it wouldn't be me if I didn't make a snide comment about our President-elect, Barack Hussein Osama Obama. What a joke. The military is showing that more than 65% of soldiers don't believe BHO has the experience (read: cajones) to direct the military, especially in war time. For someone who doesn't even have one second of military experience, I believe they are rightfully concerned. This so-called "African-American" who is more Caucasian than anything else is a failure already. His policies are already changing, and his promises are fizzling out like a fart in a whirlwind. He touted CHANGE...what he meant was CHANGE COLORS. That's all he is. I'm sick of him, and wish him the worst.

That's all for now. Until next time...