Sunday Morning Ramblings

It's been a rainy, overcast weekend, for the most part. I suppose we need it but I am really about tired of the rain. Seems it has rained more this summer than in all of the last couple of years. One of my fears didn't happen. The step son is not coming to live with us. He has some friends he is going to move in with. I hate to be so uptight about him but I really feel if he had come to live with us again it would create more problems that we could handle. He really is in need of some counseling of some sort. Anyway, that's a relief to me. Life will continue to be it's normal self for a while longer.

Upcoming Weekend

Looking at a pretty noneventful weekend. Tonight it's a birthday party for the sister-in-law. This is not a normal fun type party but a very reserved dinner where everyone sits around and has controlled conversation about nothing anyone really wants to talk about. It just politely passes the time. The remainder of the weekend is just doing chores around the house. The wife will devote the majority of the day Sunday to the church, which has lately become her mode of Sunday operation. So, all in all nothing of any consequence to look forward to.

Step Son Blues

So now the wife is contemplating moving her soon to be 20 year old son back in our home. This is the same son who turned his back on her, moved out to live with his Dad, and up until he lost his driver's license to a DUI, had almost nothing to do with her. This is also the same son who caused our family all kinds of problems and in fact played a major part in my own kids moving out to live with their mother. He is currently living with his grandfather and his grandfather has had enough and has told him he has to go. He had to move out of his dad's house as he couldn't get along with his step-mother, even though she busted her butt doing things for him including getting him enrolled in a special school as he was about to flunk out of normal high school. In other words, he is trouble from the word go. So anyway, she wants to move him back in with us so there can be even more problems. Even now, because I am resisting it and am trying to tell her it's a disaster waiting to happen, we are arguing and he hasn't even set foot in the house. Of course, there's always the possibility he won't want to move back in. But if I could get free rent and board, my meals cooked for me, my clothes washed and hung up, and never have to do anything to help out and could come and go as I pleased, no strings attached, would I turn it down? I don't think so.

Religion

I read an interesting article last night about christianity. It was the author's opinion that we, as Americans, have subverted religion and being a christian into what we want it to be rather than what it should be. We are so self centered and selfish that we really don't live by what the Bible says or Jesus says, but what we interpret it to be as it suits our purposes. In my way of thinking he is absolutely right. Churches are filled with hypocrites who are there only for their own self serving reasons, whatever they may be. We don't turn the other cheek, we don't help our fellow man, we don't show compassion, we turn and walk away from anything we don't want to see or deal with and then call ourselves christians. This is the main reason I have lost any sort of faith I may have had at one time. You only have to look as far as our President and Congress and to the "right" to see what the article is about. These people are phonies, liars, and some of the biggest hypocrites on earth and yet will tell anyone listening in a heartbeat they are christians. I can only hope that one day they will pay.

Deadlines

Another day with unrealistic deadlines set by someone who doesn't have a clue as to what it takes or what is involved in order the complete the job. In my line of work they won't give me any more personnel but it's almost a daily occurrence that not only do the priorities change but the job itself changes. This means totally reversing course and at times, this is a very time consuming thing to do. I have always maintained that it is very east to sit in an office somewhere and come up with these priorities and deadlines without having the pressure of having to actually trying to meet these deadlines. Shows a certain amount of arrogance and disregard of what is real and what is fantasy. It's good to be king.

Do It Again

After a not so great week and a very short weekend it's Monday. Time to do it again. Another week of getting up early (before sunrise), long days, short nights, and even shorter weekends. I suppose this is the same situation for most people. I have to say I am envious of those amont us who are able to sleep late and have all the time they need to do what they need or want to do. Meanwhile, once again here I am as if I'd never left.

Another Sunday

To read the news is surely just asking to be depressed. First off, there seems to be no news but bad news. Secondly, the media spends to much time with their tails tucked between their legs that they can't seem to get the big picture. They seem to be much more involved with printing all these polls (which really mean nothing as they can be skewed in any direction necessary at the time to make their point) and cowering to the politicians, especially the Republicans, that they wouldn't know real news if it walked up and bit them. It is nothing less than sickening.

Ponderings

I sometimes questions whether anyone but me actually sees this blog. Not that I think it's fantastically interesting or exciting but I am curious seeing that I don't receive any input or comments. I did receive an email from someone once in which they stated how disappointed they were that they found my blog interesting and had sent me two previous emails which I had not answered or responded to. Truthfully, I never got the two earlier emails. Makes me wonder why I got the third. I finally decided that either this person mistakenly sent the first two emails to someone else, this person was just messing with me, or that it was just some kind of scam. At any rate, I doubt I'll ever know. By the way, this is a photo I took and edited a bit at a local park. I was actually taking the photo of the bridge and as luck would have it, the car just cam driving out.

Another Day Gone

The workday is fast approaching an end. It's been a hot one. Temperatures in the low to mid 90's with the heat index at 105 degrees. Makes you work up a sweat just walking to the dumpster. At least except for a slight shower in the afternoon the rain has abated. Too bad it wasn't this way when I went to the beach. If this holds, though, we'll all be wanting rain by the middle of August. Seems we're never satisfied.

Sunday Morning

The wife is at church and I am sitting here killing time on the computer as I am not religious nor do I want to be. I find so many contradictions in religion and so much narrow minded, at times pure hatred, that I find I cannot deal with it. We have had many discussions on the subject, none of which have I come away with a feeling that my questions have been answered. Even when I have discussed it with supposed people in the know, such as preachers, there reaches a point when they get frustrated as they cannot answer my questions any better than my wife. Maybe there will come a day when I will either understand or at least accept it, but for the time being I am happy being a heathen.

Friday Again

Missed the day at work yesterday due to a stomach virus. Would rather have been at work. Slept a lot, watched TV some, and finally about mid-afternoon felt better so I decided I felt well enough to cut my grass. This was not a good thing to do. It was very hot and humid outside and as long as I was on the riding mower I felt OK. When I had to break out the push mower I honestly didn't think I was going to survive. I did manage to complete the job but felt horrible afterwards and even up into late last night did not feel too good at all. Should be old enough to know better, right?

Wednesday

Wednesday morning. I had someone call me at work bright and early this morning who was all chipper and happy sounding. This is while I am sitting here wondering why I am and where I am. I often chose the mornings to ponder the real meaning of life. I think it's because I am asking myself this as I am laying in my bed sleeping soundly and hear this obnoxious sounding alarm clock a few feet away. Somehow, at this point, the real meaning of life escapes me. I am not seeing all the wonder and beauty. Next thing I know the dreaded clock is screeching again and another eight minutes of my life has passed by. So, what is the meaning of life?

Home Town

I had the opportunity, by way of the memorial service, to return to my home town over the weekend. There were a lot of things I recognized but as a whole the town has changed quite a bit. Stores and restaurants that were small and friendly have given way to the commercial giants such as Wal Mart, McDonalds, Burger King, etc. I had a lot of good times in these little restaurants and hate it that they are no longer there. Even though I was in town for most of the day I did not see anyone that I either knew or went to school with. Probably just as well as it only makes me realize my age when I do meet someone I know but haven't seen in years. I try to tell myself that they have gotten older, I'm still the same.

Mondays

I was born on Monday so it would only be natural to assume that I like Mondays. Nothing could be further from the truth. To me, Mondays are, without a doubt, the most depressing days in the week. Sunday nights are not high on my list either but only because I know Monday is very soon to follow. It's sad to have a job that once you walk out of the building rather than being able to enjoy the freedom, I end up counting the days, hours, and/or minutes until it's time to return. Too negative? Yes, but reality just the same.

Memorial Service

I attended a memorial service for my nephew yesterday and it was emotionally draining. Considering the fact that he was relatively young (53), the truth is that he was born into a situation in which he was at a disadvantage from the beginning. He, as his Dad, became an alcoholic, smoked, and died a horrible death from throat cancer (he choked to death on his own blood). Why people continue to smoke, even though they know the dangers, is a mystery to me. Maybe if they could see the photos taken of him after the cancer had really taken hold, it would make them think.

Sun Is Shining

Finally the sun is out and brightly shining. After 22 days of daily rain (so I'm told) it's a welcome site. But if the Weather Channel can be believed it's a short lived event. The next three days are supposedly going to be rainy and may even be affected by Hurricane Dennis. I am hoping this is not going to be the case as we received the effects of a couple of hurricanes last year and even though it was not nearly to the extent of the damage in Florida, still we received some damage. It all remains to be seen. Tune in at six.

Where's Friday?

Will Friday ever get here? I find myself under just as much stress and just as uptight as before going on my vacation. This is due moreso to the people I work with than the job itself. I am not a people person and these people do nothing to cause me to change my mind. I'd leave in a heartbeat if only I could, but with my committments being what they are, this isn't a likely scenario. Unfortunately for me, I'm afraid I'll be stressed out and uptight until I am able to retire or until something dramatic happens with the job. I think the retiring is more of a reality.

Again With The Rain

Again today it is overcast with the prediction of rain. It's strange that for several years we couldn't hope for rain and were in the midst of a water conserving drought, now it's as if it won't stop raining. There is a tropical storm winding it's way up throught Mississippi and Alabama and usually we do get the residuals from hurricanes and storms, but this isn't the case now. It's been cloudy and raining almost daily for the last couple of weeks. I'm ready for a bit of that dry weather myself.

Back

Back at work. All that looking forward to the vacation and it goes by like I was never off. I am very envious of those who can go where they want, when they want, and don't have to worry about going back to a job they don't like. It would be nice to be able to be able to enjoy life rather than having to cram a year's worth of fun and relaxation into one little week.

The Beach

Had a good time at the beach in spite of the daily rain, at times drenching. It made for a challenge in getting on the beach when the sun was shining. At times, we even sat in the rain. Went down to St. Augustine one day and visited the Lightner Museum, an old Spanish fort, the historic district, and the Fountain of Youth. Drank the water but so far it hasn't helped.