WHERE IS MY ANGST?

I went to this horrible restaurant last night. They only serve soup and salad. The name of it was “Souper Salad”. My advice is to stay away from places like this. The Tuscan Tomato Basil soup was watery. I don’t know where they got their Tuscan's. In fact, I couldnt tell that they had any Tuscan's at all in there, or real basil for that matter. And like I said it was runny. God, I hate runny soup, especially runny Tomato Basil soup that may have rather dubious Tuscan's in it.
But the worst part was the tea. The tea was weak. Weak tea is worse than runny soup. I tried to put extra sweetener in it, hoping to give it a boost, but no, weak tea really cant be saved, even taking some of the ice out didn’t help that’s how weak it was.
And that really was the most God awful part of the whole day.
How can I work a Tenth Step when that's the worst thing that happens?
There was a place next door that looked interesting.
“Miss Saigon” was the name. I’m thinking I might go tonight. What could possibly go wrong?




I wish I could find something to complain about.
They told us last month here at work that we wouldnt get raises this year. No raises? Actually, they said we would, but they wouldn't take effect until September, haha. Those guys at corporate always coming up with funny shit like that.
I decided not to complain, or in the words of Merle Haggard "if we make it thru December we will be all right".
So then they came to me last week and said "You know how we said you wouldnt get a raise until September?"
And my heart started to sink because, in the words of LC Bill Kilgore "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. Smells like victory" and I figured they were going to tell me instead of a raise starting in 9 months, they were going to be docking me 100 bucks a week, starting right now.
But that's not what happened.
What happened was they gave me a promotion, which is better than a raise because, in the words of my manager it puts me in a new "pay grade", and my increase will start in January, if we make it through, you know, December.

REGARDING CAMERAS

When I got married my brother was my best man. Don graduated from West Point second in his class. He is a real smart guy. 

For the honeymoon Shila and I were going to Puerto Vallarta , and Don was going to let me use his fancy camera. 

So the morning before the wedding Don spends and hour giving me a quick tutorial about F-Stops, ISO and shutter speeds, apertures, film speed, and I’m taking it all in as best as I can. 

As I’m putting the camera back in the bag, I say “I’ll get it figured out as I go along once we get down there". 

Don looks at me and says “Its your Honeymoon. If you're smart, you won't pay any attention to that camera”.

It took a minute for that to sink it. 

Smart guy, my brother.

I BELIEVE IN BUTTERFLIES

It seems to me that if you can believe in a butterfly, its unlikely change from egg to larvae, chrysalis and metamorphosis, that maybe, just maybe, you could find a way to believe in Jesus.
"This is the irrational season
when love blooms bright and wild.
Had Mary been filled with reason
there’d have been no room for the child."
--Madeleine L'Engle


I bought myself a camera for Christmas. I believe in butterflies.
Merry Christmas!

My friend Holli

More Butterflies

I was hoping to get our reflection in the bulb. It didnt quite happen, but check out the triangles of light in the bulb to the left. having fun with my camera.

SNOW

Walking through a field with my little brother Seth

I pointed to a place where kids had made angels in the snow.
For some reason, I told him that a troop of angels
had been shot and dissolved when they hit the ground.
He asked who had shot them and I said a farmer.
Then we were on the roof of the lake.
The ice looked like a photograph of water.
Why he asked. Why did he shoot them.
I didn't know where I was going with this.
They were on his property, I said.
When it's snowing, the outdoors seem like a room.
Today I traded hellos with my neighbor.
Our voices hung close in the new acoustics.
A room with the walls blasted to shreds and falling.
We returned to our shoveling, working side by side in silence.
But why were they on his property, he asked.
- David Berman
Actual Air

TOFU SOUP

A friend called me last night, asked what I was doing.

“I’m about to eat this Tufu Soup I went and got at the Papaya Garden”
“Tofu soup? Man, thats out there” he says.

“I know, I got to do something. I been feeling like crap, my blood sugar is through the roof these days. I’m upping my medicine every day, but cant seem to get caught up.”

My friend offers some advice.

‘You should change your diet. Its one of the hardest things to change. My doctor (blah, blah, blah) and my sister (blah, blah, blah) and so I switched to having just fruit for breakfast and I’m eating a lot of weird salads now”

I let there be a good 6-8 second pause, and let him have it, very softly:

“Well, my friend, what do you think is up with me and the Tofu Soup?”

"If one day you become sick of words, as happens to us all, and you grow tired of hearing them, of saying them; if whichever you choose seems worn out, dull, disabled; if you feel nauseated when you hear 'horrible' or 'divine' for some everyday occurrence - you'll not be cured, obviously, by alphabet soup.

You must do the following: cook a plate of al dente spaghetti dressed with the simplest seasoning - garlic, oil and chili. Over the pasta toss in this mixture, grate a layer of Parmesan cheese. To the right of the deep plate full of the spaghetti thus prepared, place an open book. To the left, place an open book. In front of it a full glass of red wine. Any other company is not recommended. Turn the pages of each book at random, but they must both be poetry. Only good poets cure us of an overindulgence in words. Only simple essential food cures us of gluttony."
 - Héctor Abad Faciolince
Recipes for Sad Women
live & learn

CHILLIN' ON FACEBOOK

""If you can sit quietly after difficult news, if in financial downturns you remain perfectly calm, if you can see your neighbors travel to fantastic places without a twinge of jealousy, if you can happily eat whatever is put on your plate and fall asleep after a day of running around without a drink or a pill, if you can always find contentment just where you are, you are probably a dog."
- Jack Kornfield
Image~ Lenny at the Computer.

MORE THAN HILLARY

In defense of the Electoral College, a popular vote was held to name a Polar Research Vessel in England

Boaty McBoatface was the clear winner over RRS Sir David Attenborough.

How clear?

The vote came in at 124,000 to 11,000, a landslide for Boaty McBoatface.

But more sober heads have prevailed as the British Science Minister announced:

“The public provided some truly inspirational and creative names, and while it was a difficult decision I’m delighted that our state-of-the-art polar research ship will be named after one of the nation’s most cherished broadcasters and natural scientists.”

Interesting that the same thing is happening in Canada over a bird.

National Geographic held a vote and the grey jay came in third behind the common loon and snowy owl.

The folks at National Geo are recommending to the Canadian government that they go with the grey jay for the national bird.

“This shouldn’t be turned into a popularity contest” a spokesman said.

I agree. It’s a handsome little bird.

But not to worry. Boaty McBoatface will live on in the form of the ship’s remotely operated submarine.
That’s more than Hillary gets.

Thanks t David @ Live and Learn

MOVING BACKWARDS AND DOWN?

I see America has having been always on an upward spiral. Sometimes progress slowed, but always always upward. 

Some folks might say “What about 2008 when the economy tanked. Wasn’t that moving backwards?”
But look what we got. We got a president that pushed a HC bill through and provided 20 million folks with insurance that didnt have it before. Some people scream about it, but the fact is no one can repeal ity without coming up with some kind of replacement. That’s progress.
He got us far enough  out of needless wars that I don’t have to sit there on Sunday morning and watch 20 names scroll by of dead soldiers that will be missed forever by grieving families.
People might point to the unrest and rioting in the streets.
This is nothing compared to what the country saw in the 60’s. who knows? It may be we are seeing the last convulsions of racism in America.
But I doubt it.

I see people hollerin' about Trump choice for Education Secretary. Apparently, she has no experience in education. I don't know that it makes any difference.
I survived the Cuisenaire rods they tried to teach me algebra with in the first grade. My parents survived the “New Math” they didn’t know how to help me with in the fourth grade. All that, and I still ended up in remedial math in the 12^th grade. Everyone who has been against Common Core will somehow survive, and teenagers at fast food joints will continue to be unable to count back change no matter what program DeVoss puts in.
Lets try to keep our heads here.

A THOUSAND WAYS TO FEEL ALONE

Sometimes, we forget, 
for every way people can be together, 
for every combination of gender, 
race, friendship, love, 
religion and deviance, 
there are a thousand more ways 
for them to feel alone. 

Thanks always to those I follow, 
to those who follow me, 
for the war you wage with your art 
and with your hearts 
against all the loneliness loose 
in the world 
and in our souls.

peregrine (via youreyesblazeout)

Image~ Andre Kertesz

FACEBOOK FRIENDS

I've hit the magic number on friends. 777. If one comes in that looks good, I find one to give the boot.
If one decides they've had enough of me, I just go get another one.

BAD ASS QUOTE OF THE DAY~ REINCE PRIEBUS, CHIEF OF STAFF DURING NYT INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT ELECT TRUMP:

TRUMP: I think we’re going to see some tremendous talent, tremendous talent coming in. We have many people for every job. I mean no matter what the job is, we have many incredible people. I think, Reince, you can sort of just confirm that. The quality of the people is very good."

REINCE PRIEBUS: [inaudible]

TRUMP: We thought we were going to win North Carolina. We did easily, pretty easily. We thought strongly we were going to win Pennsylvania. The problem is nobody had won it and it was known, as you know, the great state that always got away. Every Republican thought they were going to win Pennsylvania for 38 years and they just couldn’t win it.
And I thought we were going to win it. And we won it, we won it, you know, relatively easily, we won it by a number of points. We won florida by 180.000. What was it Prience? 180?

REINCE PRIEBUS: [inaudible]

A DONALD TRUMP SUIT FOR CHRISTMAS

I am getting ready for Christmas and today we would like to put on our wish list the Donald Trump Navy Blue Two Piece, Two Button, Striped Side Vent jacket and Pant for the low low price of $173.
I’m still wondering how it works when President Elect Trump starts taxing what we are importing from China or Mexico as part of his winning trade deal, without causing the price of his suits, a flat screen TV or Ford Focus to skyrocket.
He says he will put a 35% tax on anything an American company makes out of country.
Will the price of this fine men’s garment, made in China, reflect the tariff and suddenly start costing $233?
Will Walmart still be able to sell me a 50 inch flat screen for 300 bucks?
Will that add 6,000 to the price of a Ford Focus?
Where will those taxes go? Back to the Corporation that paid the tax in the form of a tax break, eventually trickling down to me and my Ford Focus I paid an extra 6000 for? Hopefully, the price of corny dogs, mustard, and ranch beans will have gone down, lowering the numbers on my Misery Index.


Or how if he brings the jobs making the Donald Trump Navy Blue Two Piece, Two Button, Striped Side Vent jacket and Pant suits back to America, where instead of the labor costing 10 cents a day it now costs 10.00 an hour. Will the suit will still be affordable?

I'm sure,being a High-Powered businessman who has steered his ship through half a dozen bankruptcies, he has a simple, no non-sense straightforward answer to these questions.

I went to the Dollar Store and bought an umbrella one time.
Did you know you can buy an umbrella for a dollar?
Man, those Chinese, I don’t know how they do it. There are at least 20 moving parts and there must be almost a buck just in materials for an umbrella, but they make the heck out of them, generating millions of dollars in revenue.
I just cant imagine us being able to do that here. Not for a dollar. Not ever, 35% tariff or not.
Whats going to happen next time I need an umbrella?

ON PARKING

I hate backing up. I suck at it. Its horrible. You can think you are being careful, and then there is the guy going 20 MPH in a parking lot. Or the one creeping along that you think has finally passed you, but what he has done is STOP IN YOUR BLIND SPOT. When I go to park, I look for ways that I won’t have to back up.

I was with the Ex wife one afternoon. She wanted to stop at a convenience store and get a drink.
I pulled in and parked at the pump. Turned the car off .
“Are you getting gas?” she asks.
“No”
“You know I’m going in, right?” she says.
“Yeah” I say, nonchalantly.
“Well why don’t you park in front?”
“Oh no. No way. Much too dangerous”
Her hands went up, like she is bench pressing the air, she has the most exasperated look on her face I ever seen (and I seen it plenty) and all she can say is “UGH”.

So I did the right thing and went in for her.

THE CLOWN AND THE END OF THE WORLD

"A fire broke out backstage in a theatre. The clown came out to warn the public; they thought it was a joke and applauded. He repeated it; the acclaim was even greater. I think that’s just how the world will come to an end: to general applause from wits who believe it’s a joke."
Søren Kierkegaard 

A GREAT KING AND HIS HORSE

Yesterday I mentioned  a story about a great King who had embraced those he had defeated instead of vanquishing them. This is not that story, but it is very nice. A tip of the hat to Sawsan @ "Last Tambourine"

This is the story of a very kind and generous Arab King. The nation did not know hunger during his times.
He would part with anything, but one thing.
One of his horses was very dear to his heart. That was the one thing he wouldn’t let go of. Not for all the money in the world.

A thief decided to scam the king. There was one way to scam a generous soul.

He knew the King took his dear horse out for a ride, same time, same path, everyday. So, he threw himself on the ground, on the kings path, screaming that he’s been hit and robbed by thieves.

The king came down off of his dear horse, and ran to help this man.
He hit the king, and ran to ride the beautiful horse away.

The king asked him for one thing,
“Can you please not tell anyone how you took my horse?”

The thief said, laughing, “Why, are you afraid they’ll call you a fool?”

“No.” The King replied. “I fear people in my kingdom will not be stopping for a man in need anymore.”

LEONARD COHEN ON DYING

“Its very compassionate at this stage, you know, I mean more than any other time in my life. I don’t have that voice that says “Youre fucking up”.

I cried a while to hear the news. I knew I liked him, but I didnt know I liked him that much. But it brought memories of Billie back, and the first time I heard of Mr. Cohen.



 

THE BRIGHT SIDE

This the first time since '92 when we voted for Perot that our choice didn't win. We have a whole new perspective, and its kind of freeing.
 Look at the bright side. We are completely in the clear. We can spend the next four years making pasta, visiting quaint old bed and breakfasts, trying new wines from local vineyards, maybe join a book club, and watch while the new administration tries to round up and deport 11 million illegals, hopes to provide shelter for 40,000 homeless veterans, replaces health care for 20 million Americans with something vaguely described so far only as “beautiful”, cure opioid addiction, start a trade war with China, gnash teeth with Mexico over a wall, restore Law and Order, all the while blaming the previous administration for everything that seems to be going wrong.

But we  see this morning that Trump has come out in support of those who are now in violent protest against his election and admires their passion.  We think that is a good thing and shows incredible consistency, as they are only doing what he and his supporters promised to do had he lost.
We take it as another sign that the President-Elect just might make a kick ass President,

 What are those little Japanese landscapes that fit on an end table that come with a little rake and a Bonsai tree? We are thinking of getting one of those.

Inspired by Garrison Keillor.

THE OLD HISTORICAL MACHINERY

"Now in these dread latter days of the old violent beloved U.S.A. and of the Christ-forgetting Christ-haunted death-dealing Western world I came to find myself in a grove of young pines and the question came to me: has it happened at last?

Two or more hours should tell the story. One way or the other. Either I am right and a catastrophe will occur, or it won't and I'm crazy. In either case the outlook is not so good.

Here I sit, in any case, against a young pine, broken out in hives and waiting for the end of the world. Safe here for the moment though, flanks protected by the rise of ground on the left and an approach ramp on the right. The carbine lies across my lap.

Just below the cloverleaf, in the ruined motel, the three girls are waiting for me. Undoubtedly something is about to happen.

Or is it that something has stopped happening?

Is it that God has at last removed his blessing from the U.S.A. and what we feel now is just the clank of the old historical machinery, the sudden jerking ahead of the roller-coaster cars as the chain catches hold and carries us back into history with its ordinary catastrophes, carries us out and up toward the brink from that felicitous and privileged siding where even unbelievers admitted that if it was not God who blessed the U.S.A., then at least some great good luck had befallen us, and that now the blessing or the luck is over, the machinery clanks, the chain catches hold, and the cars jerk forward?"

-- the opening sentences to Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy.

Gathered at "Alive On All Channels"

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS YEARS ELECTION

My whole life I've seen it go back and forth Red-Blue, Blue-Red, and back again. I been told all this stuff I'm supposed to be afraid of...Commies, Hippies, Christers, Blacks, Rednecks, Athiests; Gun Enthusiasts, Outlaws being the only ones with guns; The KKK, the SLA, iSIS, Ebola and the IRS; Kennedy, LBJ, Nixon Carter, Bush and Obama...Muslims. Mexicans and lately, mosquitoes.
But the fact is Democrat or Republican, my life has changed very little year to year. Very very little. All my problems (pointing to self) are local.

We have a tradition at the NA Group, the 2nd Tradition:"For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority- a loving God as he may express himself in our Group Conscious"

DRIVING IN NEW YORK CITY AT NIGHT

I tried to take a picture of the World Trade Center while I was driving up the 274.

See the little squiggly white line on the right hand side?

I think that’s the Brooklyn bridge.

Driving in New York is a little different from Texas. The streets are quite narrow. The houses are very close together. There are a lot of cars parked on the street. This creates
a situation where you seem to be on a four lane road, then all of a sudden its down to two.
First there are four lanes, then a stretch comes along with people parking on the street and now its not.
First there are four lanes then there are not four lanes, then there are.
First there are four lanes then there are not four lanes, then there are.
Its like a Donovan song.

One morning the car in front of me seemed to be unsure about what they wanted to do and hesitated just a moment. Almost immediately the three cars behind me started honking their horns.
We don't do that in Texas.