A Thread for Random Musings

[DocMan]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

I rode my motorcycle to work yesterday.

 

God, what a difference that made.

 

It's amazing how riding the bike will transform a dull, drudging commute into an immersion in the glories of spring.

 

I work in an office in a building with no windows. Every winter I have to deal with SADS. I know others on the boards have had to deal with their own problems with depression. I've never had it bad enough to qualify in a medial sense, but I can understand in my own way. The bike is definately good therapy.

 

If you have a bike, ride. If you don't, spend some time outside. Breathe in some of the new life.

 

Doc

[DocMan]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

The advertising industry is solely limited by public outrage. They have to cross the line before someone will draw the line.

 

Junk mail is irritating, but the advertisers pay for it, so it's more tolerable.

 

Billboards can be irritating, but the advertisers pay for it, so it's more tolerable.

 

Spam and pop-up ads force me to pay to receive someone else's message that I didn't want in the first place. This is intolerable.

 

It's time for the international community to outlaw advertising. They've gone too far.

 

Doc

[Klytus]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

So I'm on the phone with CCN the other day. Now for the past few years, CCN has been wonderful in helping me manage my debt, but I won't need them anymore if we get the refinancing on the mortgage we have applied for...

 

"Hello. This is (Mr. Klytus)."

 

"Hello. How can we help you?"

 

"Well, we're getting ready to do a re-fi loan, so it looks like I'll, be wanting to discontinue my automatic payments to CCN from my account. How much notice do I need to give you for that?"

 

"Just a moment, sir. Let me pull up your information. What is your account # with us?"

 

I'm puzzled, wondering what the heck this has to do with anything, but I provide my account number.

 

"Thank you sir. [sounds of typing] You are (Mr. Klytus). Correct?"

 

"Yes." He must have missed it earlier when I introduced myself was such.

 

"Now when will this loan of yours be going through?"

 

"I don't know why that matters, but we are hoping to close in early May."

 

"Well sir, you may wnat to consider waiting until June or July before you cancel your service, just to make sure..."

 

This is getting old real quick. "Yes, yes. That's all very well and good, but all I need to know is: how much notice do I need to give you in order to do that? My draw date is the 16th of every month."

 

"That means we actually send your creditors the funds on the 23rd of every month."

 

"Ok. Fine! But how much time do I need to give YOU to stop my automatic payments?"

 

"Well, if your closing takes too long, and you don't get the money in time for this month...."

 

By now, I'm realy ticked. "None of this is answering my question! When my payments are due, and when I get the money, doesn't matter! I will make sure everything works out in the end, but in order to do that, I need to know - how much time do I need to give you to stop my payments?!"

 

He sounded rather crushed. "Five business days. And we need it in writing."

 

"Thank you! That was all I needed. Goodbye!" [click] "Idiot!"

 

Why was this so hard..?

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

Okay.

 

I'm posting this here because I've got to "say" something about this out loud, before I scream, and the rules of this thread prohibit replies. I'm not sure I could handle having to reply about this subject right now.

 

Edit: You might just want to skip this. It wasn't really written with the idea of anyone needing to read it, just with my need to "say" it.

 

A week ago a neighbor of my grandmother found my grandmother laying in the yard, and called an ambulance, and my family was notified shortly thereafter.

 

It seems that my grandmother has had a massive stroke, and there seems to be little hope for recover. She does not recognize anyone, react to anyone, and cannot swallow on her own. They have given her an I.V. to prevent dehydration, but because of documents my grandmother filled out years ago (and that I happen to agree with) there are to be no "artificial feeding" procedures. Since she cannot swallow even water, this means we are waiting for her to die by starving to death.

 

Given her state, it seems very likely that my "grandmother" isn't there anymore, and that the body simply hasn't quit yet. In any case, I also happen to know (because we've discussed it) that my grandmother would rather die than live in a near-vegetable state, even if (and that's a big "if") she's still "in there." So I agree this decision of hers is for the best.

 

Right now, the "family" I mentioned consists of myself, my mother, and my sister. We lost my father 4 years ago, and his father (my grandmother's husband) about six months later - we believe the shock of losing my father is what did him in. As my grandfather said, "These days, a man does not expect to bury his son."

 

So my mother and grandmother are both widows -- one reason I've been very reluctant to seek employment away from this area. Apart from my cousin Carmen in California, I'm the only living male relative of either my father's or my mother's branches of the family, and like it or not, fair or not, there are many matters even in today's "egalitarian" world that get solved faster (or at all) with a man seeing to them rather than a woman. That's why I've been reluctant to consider leaving the area.

 

The medical staff aren't helping. They keep pressuring us -- several times a day -- to let them start a feeding tube..."it's not really 'artificial'!!" They won't stop. It's bad enough knowing we're waiting for her to die by starvation; and they just keep hammering at us. We've taken to splitting round-the-clock shifts so the staff don't try and do the procedure behind our backs if one of us isn't there (despite my grandmother's express written wishes).

 

I've got a lot of other stress in my life right now anyway, and it more or less seems to be falling apart around me. And now this. I love my grandmother very much, and this seems so terribly unfair to all involved (her, the family): not only to have it happen, but have to wait for the "final event" and these so-called medical professionals badgering us every day.

 

I've tried to compensate by being more active and more jovial than usual, and that may have been noticed here by a few who know my posting habits. I've racked up several hundred messages in the last 7 days, which is a lot higher rate than my usual. It's felt almost frantic, in a way...almost a frenzy.

 

Despite this, it's just been eating away at me and I feel like I'm going to explode or break something or ... or I don't know what. Today has been especially bad for some reason...maybe because it's the one-week mark. All day I've been alternately very depressed or so full of anxiety I'm on the verge of a panic attack; I've also been so full of...of...not sure how to describe it...a sort of restless tension that won't let me sit still for 5 minutes (I've walked away from the keyboard a couple of times while typing this) but I can't seem to settle on anything that needs doing, either. It's like waiting for the thunderstorm to start, or the avalanche to begin its collapse...but I have NO idea what the "tension" is waiting for! I did think that maybe my grandmother had finally died, but when I called my sister (she's "on shift" right now), there's been no change of any kind.

 

I'm about to fall to pieces and just needed to "say" something "out loud" before I explode. I can't tell yet if this has helped any or not, because that awful tension is still there.

 

I'm sorry if any of this has brought you down; I think I'm going to go back up to the top of this before I post it and put a warning in to skip it if you don't want a serious downer.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

I suppose I could post absolutely nothing in a random musing, huh?

[Mightybec]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

Not only did I just pour scalding water on my hand, but I also spilled 6M Nitric Acid on myself in lab today.

[Mightybec]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

Should 80+ year old SS officers be put on trial for thier crimes?

[Mightybec]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

Johnny Cash covering Hurt by NIN got me thinking. What if there was an alblum filled with a bunch of groups covering the NIN song Closer.

 

I'd love to hear it done by Wayne Newton, Issac Hayes, or Kathy Lee Gifford.

[Guest Worldmaker]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

My recipe du jour... another one of my favorites. Try it... you'll like it.

 

 

Pork Picadillo

 

 

Ingredients

 

2 cups onions, chopped

2 tbsp. lightly salted butter

2 tbsp. olive oil

3 1/2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder, cubed

2 tsp garlic, minced

2 cups tomato sauce

1/2 cup chili sauce

1-2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried currants (or raisins if you can't get currants)

3 tbsp cider vinegar

1-2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup scallions, chopped

 

 

1. Sauté onions in the butter.

 

2. Remove the onions and then sauté the pork for 10 minutes or until thoroughly browned.

 

3. Return the onions to the pan.

 

4. Add in the garlic, tomato sauce, chili sauce, salt, cinnamon,

cumin, currants, vinegar and sugar.

 

5. Simmer covered for 45 minutes or until tender.

 

6. Skim the fat and sprinkle with the scallions.

[BoneDaddy]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

I'll be back if I can think of anything worth making my 1000th post.

[Kara Zor-El]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

I seem to get most of my good rep awards for makin' people laugh when they're having a bad day.

 

That makes me feel good. Thanks, guys.

[Cybertooth]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

I was having my breakfast of coffee and cigarettes this morning when I heard a small voice. Looking over my patio railing, I see a 3 year old child walking towards me. His name is Cameron and he belongs to a ex-neighbor of mine, who now lives a couple of buildings away from me.

 

I ask him, "What are you doing out here?" All the while straining to see if his mother is close behind him. She's no where in sight.

 

"Coming to see you." He answered.

 

He has a 2 year old brother, so I asked, "Where is Lawrence?"

 

"At home."

 

"And, where is your mother?" I asked.

 

"At home asleep." He replied.

 

I lifted him over my patio railing and called his mother. There was no answer. I waited about 5 more minutes and called again, and again, no answer. I'm getting a little worried now, so I begin to get ready to take him over to where his mother lives. Suddenly, the maintenance guy drives by in his golf cart and stops, after seeing me and Cameron.

 

"Oh! You've found him." He says.

 

I told him that I was about to take him to his mother's apartment. Also, I added that I had been calling, but there was no answer. He then told me that Cameron's little brother had been seen wandering out around the pool area, and had to take him home as well. He added that their mother had been asleep.

 

Suddenly my phone rings, it's his mom. I tell her that he's with me and is fine. She rushes over to pick him up.

 

This little episode really makes me happy that I don't have children. Also, what was the mother doing asleep while her 2 and 3 year old are out roaming around?

 

I think someone has been having a little too much Fiesta lately.

 

She later confirmed this.

[Mightybec]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

Why are they only serving Vegetarian food at the Earth Day festivities this year?

[JMcL63]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

I posted a random musing to the musing about random musings thread, so I'm just posting this here to maintain the cosmic balance of the NGD. I think I just got here in time...

[JMcL63]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

MMM! Toasted bacon sandwiches for breakfast. Coffee and ciggy to follow. Cholesterol, caffiene and nicotine. Something's gotta give.

[Thrakazog]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

Ugh. Double ugh. Gag ack phhft.

 

Thirteen years ago, when I was in college, I could start drinking on Thursday night and not stop or sleep until Sunday and it wouldn't even faze me. Maybe just a little, but it wasn't anything a well-rolled Bob and a few games of backgammon couldn't smooth out. And I could do it almost every week, studying allowing.

 

Today, I sit in my office a broken man. My head feels like someone's laying down a new wood floor on my medulla oblongata. The bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel and large black coffee are having a nausea-stabilizing effect on my stomach.

 

And why, do you ask? Because last night my building had an unannounced tennant's meeting out on the front stoop. The agenda included a discussion of the weather and which low-carb beer was better, Mic Ultra or Aspen (I voted Aspen, eight times).

 

All I can say is...I need to drink more frequently. My tolerance is completely shot to hell and that is simply unnacceptable.

 

EDIT - Ah, nevermind. I just rememebred that I gave blood Wednesday afternoon. Phew. I thought I was slipping there, for a moment.

[death tribble]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

It's St George's Day.

 

So check out my contribution in the Cat Suit thread or the Storn Cook art thread in the Championf forum.

[lemming]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

*tick*tick*tick*

[Guest Skaramine]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

I wish I wasn't so wishy washy on costumes or character sheets for Morningstar. >sigh<

[Guest Worldmaker]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

All right, all right, I admit it. I actually like Barry Manilow's music.

[misterdeath]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

So, I was going to my favorite sandwich place for lunch today, and as I was walking up, this guy comes walking up next to me. We kind of fell into step, and I held the door open for him. He called me sir.

 

Staff Sergeant, US rmy, 101st Airborne. Dress Uniforms are pretty. FWthat

'sW.

 

The line was long, and we talked about the weather. He tried to let me cut in line ahead of him.

 

He's recently returned from the freakin desert, risking his life, and he's trying to let me cut in front of him.

 

I passed on the cuts. "I've got to take an hour for lunch. They get grumpy if we don't. No OT."

 

"That'd be nice. They don't even like for us to not work through lunch. 'That's what the MREs are for'."

 

I almost bought him lunch, but he was just getting some drinks and getting back to work. I didn't want to insult him, either.

 

He mentioned that there's rumors that they might be shipped back soon. It doesn't surprise me, but I was hoping that they'd have some more time back home.

 

I thanked him, and wished him good luck.

 

And I'll do the same here. Good luck Sargeant. And Thanks for everything.

 

D

[Tim]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

If the various OS's ran the airlines:

 

 

 

UNIX Airways

Everyone brings one piece of the plane along when they come to the airport. They all go out on the runway and put the plane together piece by piece, arguing non-stop about what kind of plane they are supposed to be building.

 

Air DOS

Everybody pushes the airplane until it glides, then they jump on and let the plane coast until it hits the ground again. Then they push again, jump on again, and so on ...

 

Mac Airlines

All the stewards, captains, baggage handlers, and ticket agents look and act exactly the same. Every time you ask questions about details, you are gently but firmly told that you don't need to know, don't want to know, and everything will be done for you without your ever having to know, so just shut up.

 

Windows Air

The terminal is pretty and colorful, with friendly stewards, easy baggage check and boarding, and a smooth take-off. After about 10 minutes in the air, the plane explodes with no warning whatsoever.

 

Windows NT Air

Just like Windows Air, but costs more, uses much bigger planes, and takes out all the other aircraft within a 40-mile radius when it explodes.

 

Windows XP Air

Just like Windows and Windows NT Air, but costs even more, and uses even bigger planes, and takes out all the other aircraft within a 40-mile radius when it explodes. Also, you have to give a sample of your DNA and forfeit your right to privacy or credit history before boarding.

 

Linux Air

Disgruntled employees of all the other OS airlines decide to start their own airline. They build the planes, ticket counters, and pave the runways themselves. They charge a small fee to cover the cost of printing the ticket, but you can also download and print the ticket yourself. When you board

the plane, you are given a seat, four bolts, a wrench and a copy of the seat-HOWTO.html. Once settled, the fully adjustable seat is very comfortable, the plane leaves and arrives on time without a single problem, and the in-flight meal is wonderful. You try to tell customers of the other

airlines about the great trip, but all they can say is, "You had to do what with the seat?"

[zornwil]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

Lemming has a real artistic talent with visual stuff. He should cultivate that.

 

(no this is not advice masquerading as a musing, I was really musing that)

[zornwil]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

Well, the upgrade hasn't gone too great. One system is fine. But I think I screwed up the contact between the processor and the heatsink on one of the setups. Blech. I've done this MANY times, first time this has happened. Oh well.

 

Now what that was like at the time (overall, even the "good" parts) was really expressed as:

 

S**T!

 

F**K!

 

OIh NO!

 

MOTHERF*****G F*****G F****R F**K!!!!!

 

AAARRRRRGGGH!

 

Hmmm, okay.

 

Well, that's cool.

 

Yes, okay, come on...

 

yawn...

 

come on...

 

Cool!

 

Okay!

 

PHEW!

[zornwil]

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

 

Big hip daddy galactic BANG!!!!

 

Bango is like nothing.

 

Nothing you got it on your crystal.

 

Noggin. In my head. In my head.

 

I've got -

 

 

YOU

 

 

AND ME

 

 

and every woman

 

helps you to understand

 

But I got nothin'

 

 

I got nothin'

 

 

I got nothin'

 

'cept

 

my old friend

 

big hip daddy galactic BANG!