Green’s Taxi Service

Well, I think mom and dad’s car finally died. And guess who has the only working car? That’s right-me. I’m not sure what’s going to happen now-I guess we’ll work it out somehow. What they really need is either a cheap good car or a blessing from God. Prayers, please, for all of us because this does indeed effect us all. I go to work overnights, dad goes to work somewhere around 5 am, Manda goes at 900 am (leaves my house at 815 am), and mom goes at 530 pm. Then there’s Sarah being dropped off at school at 730 am, and Faith’s ballgames and practices. One car wasn’t enough even when their car was working. We really need two cars- one for mom and dad and one for Manda.

In baseball news, the 2005 schedule has been released. We open in Houston and then opening day in St Louis. I am really hoping to be able to make at least one game this year. In other baseball news, Sammy Sosa is making a lot of Cub fans happy by being traded to the Orioles. Hopefully a new start in a new place with a new coach will be all the Sammy needs to have a successful and productive year.

Today is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. So if you have any of that highly addictive wrap around go ahead and pop it. Tell your boss your celebrating a holiday. See if he believes you.

Well, my brains going thirty to nothing, but I can’t think of anything else to say. I’ll be back on Wednesday, hopefully. Y’all have a great day.

It’s Friday!!

But it’s Day 6 of 7. Then one day off and then five more at the new hotel. After today the blogging may get a little sporadic till I get a new schedule nailed down and working. This involves coordinating my sisters schedule, mom’s schedule, the library being open, and when I can sleep and when I can be up. Hang in there with me and I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.

Well, it looks like my sister Sarah and I are going to have a Super Bowl party at mom’s February 6th. Sarah’s friend is coming over and she has never been to a Super Bowl party. We don’t do anything elaborate-taco meat in the crockpot. Goodies to go on the tacos laid out buffet-style. Some cookies and chocolate and soda is about as wild as we’ll get. I don’t like to drink or be around those who are drinking so this is just dandy with me. Now, I just have to “rent” mom’s house (ha-ha).

Well, as I mentioned today is my last day at Hampton Inn. I started Saturday at the new hotel. I also work tomorrow night. So the schedule looks like this: work five, one off, work seven, one off, work five, and then two off. Stress, anxiety, frustration, depression, and of course cabin fever has got me into one huge jumble. Don’t know which end is up or down or sideways. I just know that typing and eating popcorn ain’t that smart.

Not much going on in sports. NHL is still locked out, NFL is starting the Jacksonville invasion, and Sammy Sosa wants out of Chicago. Sammy, most Chicagoans want you out of Chicago. Oh, and Victor Conte’s house was raided by the FBI. Conte is the guy involved in the steroids scandal out of San Francisco. This raid was about the Grand Jury leaks.

Not much in history, either. Seems yesterday was a week worth of news rolled into one. In 1986, though, the space shuttle Challenger exploded after being launched. I was just seven at the time, but those who remember can tell you where they were when they heard the news. Rates right up there in our collective conscience with John Kennedy’s assassination.

Well, I’ll talk to you later. Have a great weekend.

Blood, Tears, and a little Sex

News days like this one makes me so depressed. My Yahoo homepage top stories listed three stories with a grand total of 51 deaths. Some in Iraq, some here in the States, and all of them just piling up like another news day.

To start the news list was the US Chopper going down in Iraq: 30 Marines, 1 Sailor, and 6 other Service members in insurgent attacks. It has bean the deadliest day in Iraq since the war began. The Iraqi elections are Sunday, I believe, and we’re to expect that things are going to get worse. Dear Lord, please protect our servicemen and their families.

In Glendale, California 11 dead after an idiot decided to commit suicide by commuter train. Two trains collided, he jumped out and lived, and 180 were injured. The Sheriff’s office has said that he will be charged with at least 10 counts of murder. That way it’s suicide by lethal injection and he can’t wimp out.

In Toledo, Ohio an irate employee entered the Jeep plant and shot three co-workers. On of the co-workers died and he, of course, shot himself. This idiot had recently been reprimanded by his supervisors. What a statement to make, bubba.

In the Denver suburb of Arvada, a mom wanted to be “cool” so she hosted parties. At these parties, hosted in 2003 and 2004, she handed out marijuana, meth, and alcohol. At least eight teenage boys have been identified in participating and five of them had sex with the “cool” mom. Bet she’ll be real popular in the pen, too.

Education Secretary has condemned PBS for creating an episode of “Postcards from Buster” that included a lesbian couple. “Postcards” by the way is animated and the episode has been pulled. Now how about Teletubbies?

In the “This is the end of the world” file, Debbie Gibson will show all in Playboy come February. Gibson was a big teen hit in the 80’s (remember mall tours, anyone?) and did a redo of I Think We’re Alone Now. Yeah, that Debbie. Naked. In Playboy. Everybody now, It’s the end of the world as we know it…

Sports Illustrated is reporting in this weeks issue that Tom Brady (QB for the Patriots) was really suffering Saturday before the big game. He reportedly had a 103 degree fever, an I.V. line in his non-throwing arm, and the chills. Then the guy goes out Sunday and in 11 degree weather throws 2 touchdowns with no interceptions. That gets Brady moved up to my “These Guys play through everything” file.

A lot of history today, although I’m going to boil this down for you guys. Remember Apollo 13 where Tom Hanks is talking to his son about the shuttle fire? That was the Apollo 1 fire on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Today Virgil Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee died in 1967. I believe that it was the only death associated with the Apollo program, although Apollo 13 almost became a fatality.

In Germany today it is Day of Remembrance for Victims of the Holocaust and in the UK it’s Holocaust Memorial Day. In 1945 Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland were liberated by the Soviets on this date. Soviet soldiers liberated 6,000 prisoners. Approximately 1.5 million people were killed at Auschwitz, 95% of those deaths were Jews.

Leningrad (which is in Russia/Soviet/USSR) was liberated on this day in 1944. An estimated 650,000 died in the town which was half of its population. The siege started on September 8, 1941 and is commonly called the 900 Day siege.

Lord, I hope tomorrow is more cheerful. Death, blood, sieges, underage sex…Anybody know what it takes to become Canadian?

See y’all tomorrow.

Maybe I’ll Survive This Week

At least we got the fridge at work fixed-now I have to fill it back up. At least breakfast is going to go a little easier. That is, if we can unfreeze the milk. And the butter and margarine.

Check out the picture below-pretty sweet. Today in 1979 the Dukes of Hazzard debut. The show ran for seven seasons. If I ever manage to sit on a pot of money, I’m going to buy me a orange ‘69 Dodge Charger. Paint it orange, with a little Confederate flag on the top. Yep, nothing more than a redneck.

Nothing going on in baseball-till Spring training starts in 23 days and more than likely all will be quiet. In football, nobody knows if the Phillies Terrell Owens will play in the Super Bowl. It’s a good thing the big game isn’t being played in Massachusetts this weekend. They would probably just have to mark off the snow and call it good. Since the Super Bowl is in Jacksonville, Florida on February 6th, they should be able to dig out the Patriots and fly them down.

Well, the “People I Never Did Like Anyways” list just got a little longer today. The new name is George F Green of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Mr. Green patented the dental drill today in 1875. This nice little instrument is nothing more than a torture instrument, in my opinion. Michigan was also admitted on this day in 1837. What else is Michigan known for besides football team? Anybody?

Well, Oscar was announced today and for a change I actually want to see all but one of the Best Picture Nominee. The nominees for that category is Aviator (the Howard Hughes biopic), Million Dollar Baby (Clint Eastwood and boxing), Finding Neverland (no, not the M. Jackson case, but the Peter Pan author), Ray (the Ray Charles biopic), and Sideways (don’t know and don’t want to see). In the Animated Feature Film category it’s either Shrek 2, The Incredibles, or Shark Tale. Not interested in any of those.

Just an interesting fact, the top ten types of debris littering the oceans is topped by cigarettes and cig filters, then foodwrappers and containers, and then caps/lids. Check out the list at Infoplease

Well, I’ve got a fridge to refill. Wish me luck that I don’t just bash my head in and be done with this week. Talk to you tomorrow.

Just a good ole boy…Never meanin’ no harm.

Just a good ole boy…Never meanin’ no harm.

Is it Friday yet?

Well, I didn’t mention that Thursday evening our fridge in the pantry went bad. They have to order a part for it-we still don’t have it fixed. We’ve got stuff in the back office, the phone room, and the housekeeping breakroom. It’s a pain in the butt to set out breakfast now. To add insult to injury, the two big IIC (that’s Idiots In Charge) decided to rearrange breakfast (again) and then leave me a note to clean out the fridge. Oh, and the pantry was a total mess this morning. Just shoot me. Please. This type of crap is part of the reason why I’m glad I’m leaving. I work my butt off to sit here and blog, eat lunch, and enjoy a cup a coffee. Then they throw in things housekeeping should be doing, in my opinion.

Today, MacIntosh (Apple Computers) went on sale in 1984 and cost 2495.00. Today expect to pay at least 8000.00 for a new apple. I first used an Apple Computer in typing class in school and remember all those floppy disks that were really floppies. Ah, the good days.

In 1924 at Chamonix, France the First Winter Olympics were held. The games ran from 25 January to 5 February. 16 Nations participated in 16 events with 258 athletes involved. The first gold medal went to Charles Jewtraw, American, in the 500 meter speedskating event. Norway ended up with the most medals (18) and the US had 4 (with only one gold).

To all those in the Northwest, may I recommended a few new winter games sports? How about “Digging your car out of a snowbank.” Or “How many times can you slip without falling?” How about “Ice Hockey in the Street without getting run over.” Course my favorite winter sport features Chevy Chase on a UFO going down the hill in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

Well, y’all have a great day and see you tomorrow.

Well, another week

Another week has begun and also my last week here. I start Friday night at the other hotel. A seven day week, and I don’t even know the rest of my schedule over there yet. For me it was a wacky weekend of sleep and work. Today I attempted to get some sleep-took me 12 hours to get about 6 hours of rest. At this point, I could kick my sister and her kids out of my house. When I volunteered for this I knew her kids would make sleeping during the day interesting. I wasn’t counting on my sister and her refusal at times to grow up and take responsibilities for her babies. The kids (ages 5, 3, and 2) came in two or three times to wake me up to deal with something because Manda wouldn’t wake up. She said she had a migraine. Excuse me, but I don’t believe her. She had company after the kids went to bed Saturday night. They started a three hour plus movie at 1030 pm (when I left for work) and then someone came over and they talked till ?? Okay, you’re kids are up at sevenish every single morning. You complaining of not getting enough sleep during the week. Smart move to stay up till God knows when with boys and then try to take care of your kids. Also, I’m going to have to find a new apartment once she gets off her butt and gets out of mine. She may not have a problem having guys she doesn’t know over, but I have a huge problem with people I don’t know knowing where I live. Maybe I’ve read to many true-crime books, but I am not comfortable with any of this. It doesn’t seem to matter any to my sister though. Like always, she will do what she wants and to hell with the rest of us. As you can probably tell, I’m very frustrated with her right now. To me, my home is a place to vegetate; a place to lock out all of the world. I need that downtime more than I need interaction with the world. Manda is the exact opposite. I just pay the rent. What I feel has become irrelevant.

Anyway, next weekend are you ready for some football? The New England Patriots take on the Philly Eagles in Jacksonville, Florida. Go Pats!!! Also in sports news, Roger “Rocket” Clemens will make $18 million this year in MLB as a pitcher for the Houston Astros. This is a MLB record for the most money a pitcher makes in a year. Uh-huh and he was talking retirement at the end of the season. Until they have a World Series Championship in Houston, Rocket will never retire.

This weekend a true entertainment icon passed away. Johnny Carson, 79, was the Tonight Show host. Johnny served in WWII in the Navy and after the war got into TV. He started subbing for Jack Paar and when Paar retired Johnny got the nod. Carson was the host for the next thirty years. With a multi-colored curtain and Ed McMahon’s, “Heeeeeeere’s Johnny!” the Tonight Show became an institution. I remember the thrill of watching Johnny from around doorways when mom and dad thought I was asleep. What a show, what a man, what memories. Vaya con Dios, Johnny.

Y’all have a great day and talk to you tomorrow.

A short post before the weekend

Not a whole lot going on-besides the Inauguration. It’s warm here and my sinuses are trying to riot. I’m sleepy and high on Coca-Cola and dark chocolate. Whine, whine. I work Saturday night with Jeff at the other hotel so I have just 1 day off. I’m thinking of the pay. It seems really odd that I’m leaving this job. Just hasn’t sunk in yet, I suppose. Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day and while it applies to the cute guys in the trees eating acorns, I do appreciate the squirrels in my life that make life so interesting. Jeez, thanks, you guys. Life is so interesting with y’all around.

Well, have a great weekend and see ya Monday.

We’re almost to Friday!

We’re almost to Friday, where has the week gone? Besides gone, that is? Perhaps it’s Dino that has made this week fly. Everyone now: When the moon hits your eye like a pizza pie. I can hear mom singing now.

Anyway, I think the fine folks at Sonic spiked my lemon-berry slush. Again, not much going on. It seems that history and news aren’t made in the middle of winter. The only thing to mention is that in 1981 the 52 Americans being held were released in Tehran, Iran after 444 days of captivity. Today is also Inauguration Day.

So with nothing to really report I’m going to give y’all some ways to cope with stress: Jam miniature marshmallows up your nose and sneeze them out. See how many you can do at once. Pop some popcorn without putting the lid on. When someone says, “Have a nice day,” tell them you have other plans. Fill out tax forms using Roman Numerals. Tape pictures of your boss on watermelon and launch them from high places. Pay your electric bill in pennies. Stare at people through the tines of a fork and pretend they’re in jail.

Have a great day, y’all. Talk to you tomorrow.

Another Day

But the dollars just don’t add up anymore. Got my check today and the taxes taken out was almost a hundred dollars. Yeesh.

Did anyone else know that Dean Martin did a version of Gentle on my Mind? I didn’t-although I’m enjoying it today. The version I’ve always known was by Glenn Campbell. I think I am going to wear out this Dean Martin CD-great stuff. Even if Dean was probably my parent’s parents generation.

Not much going on today on any front. The weather is cold for Boston (3 above) at this hour. However we’re 38, Minneapolis is 22, and Pensacola is 35. Miami, though, is 54. Which may be the high here in Oklahoma today. All things considered, though, I like it cold for a couple of months. With snow and snowmen and heavy coats. I’m just weird.

Today is Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday. Poe is the great short story writer and considered to be the first writer in the suspense/horror genre. Poe wrote The Raven which most of us read in high school. That’s the one with the repeated line throughout that goes: Quoth the raven, nevermore.

Tomorrow is the inauguration in DC and everyone in DC is gearing up for a great big shindig. I wonder if the hotel industry offers combat pay for this? I’d think with this many politicians in one area the hotel staff is preparing for combat. Lucky them, I’d rather deal with drunk idiots. Ones that don’t influence politics, that is.

Anyway, Dean Martin is singing When the moon hits your eye and I’ve got to get going this morning. Have a great day, y’all.