Reasons to Not Stop By Our House!

Just to be clear - our garbage-picker is a honky

I went out and picked-up dinner last night and when I got home there was a dude in a broken-down pickup truck out front picking through our garbage. I have seen this guy out in our cul-de-sac before going through our friend/neighbor Lisa's garbage (maybe that is the real reason she moved). I hope that does not come across sounding like Lisa is garbage but, just in case, I want to say that Lisa is great and she is NOT in any way garbage (better to clarify now than confuse and start some kind of international incident). Anyway, when I came home from work that day and saw him I went over and made sure that was what he was doing and that he wasn't trying to break into her house. I was still in my uniform from work so I was even more intimidating than if I only went there with my crabby demeanor. Whether good or bad dumpster-diving is not illegal here. So, when I drove up last night and pulled into the driveway he left and drove over and started going through Kevin and Kathy's garbage across the street (just to be clear - they are not garbage either). It looked like he took a bicycle from there. I went back to the window a few minutes later and saw he was back at our trash. Remember, I cleaned the out garage yesterday so I am sure he made out pretty well. I just took another bag out (our carry-out trash) and see that he made away with a lot of steel. I am fairly sure that he takes what he gets and heads over and recycles any steel/aluminum... Maybe I should screw with this guy and start throwing away some weird stuff. I have to work on that but I am open to suggestions. Maybe I can record him every week and start a new weekly YouTube series. I should be more vigilant of shredding the dozens of pre-approved credit card letters we get in the mail every day.

When I took that bag to the trash I felt that it got really cold last night. It is also very windy. It is like 30 degrees right now. My phone says it is going to get down to 25 degrees for the trick-or-treaters. I think it is funny that phones have almost made The Weather Channel obsolete. I used to turn The Weather Channel on all the time for my old job because I had to make decisions on weather whether or not my guys were going to work. It would have been so much easier to just look at my phone; I could have even made the call on the the move rather than being camped in front of the television while getting dressed. Is The Weather Channel even still on?  Incidentally, it is always windy on garbage pick-up day here.

Weather is about advertising via hot babes

As long as I am blogging about trash and garbage so much - Tuesday is election day. I am going to vote. On last week's Dirty Laundry Podcast I talked about an election day experiment I am going to try. I am not going to tell you what it is - it is an old trick that we in the biz do to try to trick you into checking-out our stuff. I love when people check-out my stuff. I am pretty sure the election experiment talk is on the most recent show and not the one before that. The new show should be up sometime this YOUR weekend. I just looked at the show stats and we have gone-up in overall rank and rank in the "comedy" category every day for the past nine days. It usually goes up for about five days after a new show has been posted and then levels off. Whatever we did this past week I hope we can repeat it this week.

I just watched Jeff puke and then eat it. Other than being totally grossed-out I am happy that now I don't have to feed him this morning. This, and the fact that they lick their own butts and genitalia, is why I don't like dogs licking my face. Shocking - now he is puking more. And now he is licking it up again. I had better stop watching or I am going to be running to the bathroom to do the same (not the licking it up part though). I should probably stop him but, if I don't, I won't have to clean it up. Laziness is the mother of ignoring. He really should chew his food more. That reminds me that we need paper towels. Everything is done for a reason - thanks Jeff.

Speaking of puking (sort of) I have to have Ebola training at work now. That will look impressive on a resume in the training section. If I get Ebola at work do you suppose I would get paid to stay home for awhile? I am not trying to make light of Ebola because it sounds terrible but I try to find the good in everything.

I am tired ALL the time. I know it is my working nights and having to switch to day hours on my weekends and then switching back two days later.

We have not bought any Halloween candy yet and the trick-or-treaters will be here in about seven hours. Remember when we were kids and sometimes we'd go to a house for candy and some old fart would give us pennies? I believe I understand that now though we'd have to give out dimes due to inflation. If we buy the candy too soon it will be gone before the trick-or-treating begins because we will eat it. So now we are thinking about candies we do not like so we will not eat it. It comes to: Milk Duds, Tootsie Pops (or other suckers), Skittles, any hard candy, Tootsie Rolls (though those are even more lame than pennies), black licorice, Bit O' Honey, raisins, Smarties, Jolly Ranchers, Hershey's Dark Chocolate minis, Starburst, Dum Dums... We may put out Hershey Kisses and put a toothpick in each one like they are hors d'oeurves.We could be those people who give out apples or dental floss? I have used up all of the laundry detergent so I need to head over soon and get the candy and the detergent because this is laundry day in more ways than one (Dirty Laundry Podcast). I am pretty sure I will get one of those candies listed above and we will be those old people, instead of giving pennies, leaving a bowl full of candy on the porch. The word will get out that that we are giving bad candy and the bowl will still be full at the end and we can return the candy to the store. Jeff would go bananas with the doorbell ringing every five seconds. Maybe we will just fill the bowl with raw eggs so, if they want to egg the house, we can at least get a free-range egging.

Wow, this got long very quickly (TWSS). I had better get the detergent and get a'washing. Have a nice Halloween and be sure to stop by our porch tonight if you enjoy bad, unpopular candy or need some pennies. If the bowl is empty it is because kids either like bad candy and took handsfull or it blew away. Don't bother knockin' cause the house is arockin' (it is soooo windy) or ringing the bell because, as you will notice by our lights all off, we will not be home. Maybe at the movies? We want to see Birdman even though it is not near here. The nearest seems to be Yorktown Mall. Thanks for stopping by. TTT (probably Monday).  Boo!

I am Dr. Mattenstein!

River and the artist formerly known as Leaf (Joaquin)

Before I start (though by me typing this I guess I have started) my hetero life-mate Greg pointed out to me that in yesterday's blog I wrote I was going to make a film starring River Phoenix. Well, I guess I let the Matt out of the bag and yes, I can do the Dr. Frankenstein and bring him back for the film. Or, maybe he lives with Elvis, Michael Jackson, Jim Morrison and the other stars who have faked their deaths to get out of the public limelight. Actually, I meant Joaquin Phoenix - I wrote that note in a dark theater in Champaign, Illinois while watching the movie Her with Cha Cha and Splenda. That is to say I was at the theater with them not that they were in the film. Greg also pointed out that River Phoenix died 21 years ago tomorrow - he died on Halloween. That makes my slip-up even more creepy (again, only coincidence - or is it?). If my math is correct, and it usually is not, he would have been 47 years old tomorrow. That actually makes me feel young.

My weekend has commenced. Today has been very exciting so far. I worked six hours (0000 - 0600), I came home and cleaned the kitchen and made Fabio's lunch, slept for five hours, made the garage winter-ready, went to Goodwill and donated some items (cleaning the garage does that sometimes), fixed the garage door opener (never knock one of those electric eye things off the rails - they are a pain to get back lined-up), I played with Jeff... Tomorrow will be one of those mornings where I am thinking, "I hope the garbage man takes all of our garbage." Now I have to remember what else I need to do.

Oh yeah, I also watched the film Rush. It recorded in the MIDDLE of the night while I was working. I remember when it came out and the advertisements all said that it was Ron Howard's best film. I knew that was bologna given some of this great films (The Da Vinci Code, Cinderella Man, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Parenthood, Night Shift, Far and Away, Splash...) so I was kind of against seeing it. But, it was on HBO so I thought I would give it a shot since we have HBO and all. I was happily surprised that I liked it a great deal. I would still say that it is not Opie's best film, probably not even be in the top seven) but it was worth watching. Unless he was hiding somewhere I did not see Clint Howard anywhere. That was a surprise - he was even in Cinderella Man as a boxing referee. Ron couldn't have had him working on a pit crew or something in the background in the film?

I think I may have mentioned it but, I get to work an hour of overtime Saturday night/Sunday morning. One thing about working overnights is that, when Daylight Savings Time comes and goes, you get to work an hour more or less depending on which one it is. I still thing, and I know I blog about it twice a year, that we should do-away with that out-dated ritual. Technology makes it that we no longer need to honor Benjamin Franklin on this one; he did plenty of other things that we remember him for - this is a bad one.

I don't think I have eaten today and it's 1733. Cha Cha should be on her way home and maybe we will go get something to eat. I wish we had a Sweet Tomatoes out here. I don't like driving very far for a salad; I am in the mood for a salad though. I should probably get dressed in non-garage cleaning clothes if we are going somewhere. Thanks a lot for stopping in. I will blog again tomorrow (the anniversary of River Phoenix's death) between my other todos. Have a great night. TTTT...MITM (out)

I Guarantee I Will See Jesus This Weekend (and Waldo, of course)

They couldn't find one more friend to be Phil?

Hey, I get another hour of Comp Time on Saturday night/Sunday morning - Daylight Savings Time ends. It would have to fall on what has been, historically, one of our busiest nights of the year at work. Halloween weekend is crazy at work. I am thankful that Halloween itself falls on a Friday this year. In past years, when it fell in the MIDDLE of the week, we were busy both the weekend before and the weekend after Halloween. Since the weekend before Halloween this year was last week and we were not that crazy that one is out of the way. Maybe it will thunderstorm or something this Saturday and the streets won't be filled with Waldos and Jesuses and women dressed in various degrees of undress. I must admit that I do like many of the characters (costumes) that wonder the streets throughout the night - for an extra hour this year.

I think I am going to run to the supermarket right now. I need to do something for dinner tonight and I am low on stuff for Fabio's school lunches. I still cannot believe he doesn't want to eat the school lunches; maybe he is smarter than most. I am not sure if he has ever eaten school lunch his entire three and whatever percentage of this year is done in high school. I make his lunch every day. Last night I made it at night for a change and threw it in the refrigerator and then, when I got home from work this morning, I just pulled it out of the fridge. I cannot believe it took me that long to decide to do that. I will be back in what will seem like nanoseconds.

Okay, I am back and we are having salmon and corn on the cob for dinner. I am not sure if I am going to fire-up the grill or just cook inside. I am leaning toward the grill.

The little mini note books that I have in my work clothes (pants, coat and shirts) and lying around are getting kind of full of the ideas that pour into my melon day and night.My memory is not near what it once was so I write stuff down. I am going to empty a few of those notes beginning right here right now. Be prepared - the things may mean nothing or cure supposedly incurable maladies:

1. Are an underwriters and a subscribers the same things? 
2. I don't like when somebody is looking for something and they say, "I have looked everywhere." I   guarantee that there is at least one place you haven't looked - the place where your thing is.
3. "I mean" is the new "ya know." I mean the only difference is that "I mean" generally goes at the     beginning of a sentence and "ya know" usually goes at the end of a sentence, ya know?
4. A runny nose, dry skin and chapped lips must all have purposes, right? Besides driving us nuts.
5. Write a film about Mark Twain starring River Phoenix.
6. Doing things exclusively by seniority is a stupid concept. It promotes laziness.
7. Heard someone call goosebumps "alligator skin." I had never heard that before.
8. Funny how setting the thermostat in the car at 72 degrees can be heat one day and AC the next.
9. WGN used to be comfort like: meatloaf, mac & cheese, apple pie... Now Cubs are gone?
10. Why do I have to pay for television and there are still commercials? Yet, I keep paying.

Wow, I just ripped out ten pages of notes that either mean nothing or mean everything. I may even have written about some of those things before and just not crossed-off the notes or ripped out the pages. Now, if I need to recall them I can just have to come to October 29th, 2014. I will be right back - I have to write that date down in one of my notebooks.

I am so happy that tonight is my Friday. I feel like I write that every single week. Over the next few days I have to: organize the basement to get a few things from the garage down there, fix the electric eye thingies so the garage door functions properly before winter (Fabio is a bull in a china shop), get the Fiat and the 4Runner serviced, ignore the door bell all night Friday night (may go to a movie because we earned a free ticket with our rewards points. It expires this weekend)...

Speaking of movies, Cha Cha and I went and saw St. Vincent last week. We will talk about it when we record the new Load of Dirty Laundry Podcast tomorrow between my other chores. Spoiler alert, in case you are looking to see a film before the next show is up - I recommend it! Oddly, Groundhog Day is on in the background. I would have said "ironically" but it is only coincidence, not irony.

Thanks a lot for stopping by. I will probably blog tomorrow betwixt my chores while I eat lunch or something. Have a great whatever is left of your day/night. TTTT...MITM (out)

Get Busy Livin' or Get Busy Bloggin'

I am in one of those "why are we here? what is our purpose?" moods. I often think about non-human animals and feel it is weird that they are here just to run around and eat and poop all day. That is why we were put here too I suppose but some Neanderthal or cave-dwelling creature decided that it would be fun to start fire and collect stuff so he/she had more and better stuff than that other poor dunderhead in the cave next door. Now, because of this one knucklehead (yes, his head probably looked like a knuckle) we work all day (or night) so we can fill somebody else's pockets buying things we could either live without or have made ourselves if we weren't slaves to the lives that something resembling a human millions of years ago lit a fuse to make us think we have to have. That was a really long sentence but, just because somebody decided that it shouldn't be, I am leaving it long. I am even tempted to go back and make it longer but I won't. Would I rather just sit around and do nothing? No. I may just be in a George Bailey moods that will pass. Somebody must have put that "I want to make a difference" thought in my head too. I tell myself that this blog and Dirty Laundry Podcast might make a difference by showing people that they are not the only ones who feel the way they do and helping them to forget their troubles/problems for a few minutes but maybe that is just me being that knucklehead now. Our world has just become a series of distractions to help us get to the end of our days. Time to get busy livin' or get busy dyin'. That was not intended to sound maudlin though it probably does sound that way. Halloween is Friday though isn't it?

Glad I don't have that part of it

Halloween being Friday (three days from now) makes me realize why I am in the mood I am in. Halloween is on October 31st. October 31st is the last day of the month (meaning the end of the month) and I usually MATTstruate at the end of the month so, I am just moody maybe. If you are new to the blog you may not know that I think males have their "time of the month" too. I know that I do. You know, where we get moody and sensitive and the like. I bet if someone did a study of some infamous male psychos in our history they would discover the 28-30 day Psycho Cycle (I capitalized and italicized that because I think it should be an actual thing - now it is copy-written here too and I own it).

I just checked my emails and I see that Discover has just raised my credit card limit by another $2500. I did not ask for that and I really do not want it. Pretty soon I will be able to pay the house off on my Discover Card. The lenders just like to keep dangling the dough out there so that they can get us in trouble. I know it is their job to make money but it seems predatory to me. It's like saying, " hey, you have been able to keep your bill paid and we need to try to see how far we can extend you until you get in financial trouble." I suppose most people would consider this a good thing but it is the end of the month - my time of the month. Maybe if my MIDDLElife crisis kicks into full gear I will take the card and buy some car and drive to the Bahamas. Yes, I will figure out how to drive to the Bahamas. We are actually planning a winter trip to the Bahamas and I think maybe Discover caught wind of that. Sneaky bastards - just in time for my "change."

I have blogged myself out. Thank you for stopping-by to share my Matt-life crisis. I really appreciate you stopping by. We will record the new show tomorrow or Thursday and it should be up no later that Saturday. Have a great rest of your day and night (my ThursDAY). I know I will blog tonight because I always have a lot to bitch blog about at the end of the month. TTTT...MITM (out to see what I can spend $2500 on) TA!

Blogging in Relative Comfort

Best to know me personally it seems

I am sitting in one of my favorite places to blog. It is multi-tasking at it's best. Some people would find this place distasteful to write; not a distasteful place to be just not a place to do anything other than what this particular place is normally and primarily used for. I am fairly certain that you have a place very similar to this place near you no MATTer where you are. We need to record the new Load of Dirty Laundry Podcast within the next day or two; I wonder if Cha Cha would consider recording in this fabulous place. I am afraid, however, that the acoustics would be wrong - a bit echoey I am afraid.

Tonight is my Wednesday. Nothing MATTers but the weekend from a Wednesday point of view (I may have changed the lyrics a bit there). I always liked that song as long as "always" only goes back to the early 1980's. I hope mentioning their song doesn't cause them any problems. It happens often that when I mention someone or I use a clip on the podcast, soon after, someone from the: music group, television show, movie... that was associated with that project dies. Yes, I may have to bring back The Outer Limits or yet another incarnation of The Twilight Zone just so I can write a script for that show. Maybe it is just that I talk and write too much and the odds are in my favor. Do not worry if I mention you in the blog or we talk about you or have you on the show because it does not appear to be connected to people I know personally. Maybe everybody just needs to get to know me personally before I learn how to harness this evil. I will work on harnessing this curse/talent.

I have not heard anything about the different position I applied for at work. I am not concerned because, the way that my work works, I think they have to let everybody who is a current employee, who meets the requirements (which I do) and fills out a "request to test" form (which I did) test for the position. I am not 100% what the job entails but, based on the posting, it seems that I am at least 82% qualified. I may get a call and go in, test, and get an interview and find out that the job doesn't interest me. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

I have to run over to the supermarket. I have just decided to bring the word "supermarket" back. I am a bit concerned that many will think I am referring to places like Super Walmart and Super Target... rather than the way it was originally intended. I will be referencing an establishment that sells mainly food/edible groceries. I need two small things and should be able to just do the old in-out-in-out and spend only about $5. One thing for Fabio's school lunches and the squirt stuff for my water. 88% of what I drink is tap water with Dasani pineapple/coconut stuff squirted into it. I know I have mentioned it before but I do love it. I didn't even know they were called Dasani Drops until I added that photo. I will still just call it "that Dasani water squirty-stuff." Dasani Drops sounds kind of like something you get after eating too much spicy food or a long night of drinking too much.

I need to kind out how to get paid from people like Dasani and Sharpie. It is nice to write about whatever I want without worrying about paid sponsorships and such so maybe I will just continue to write for the love of writing and to have a reference point next week when my memory has failed me even more.

Okay I am going to head to the story to get (hold on, let me scroll up to see what I am getting at the store) Dasani Drops and the fruit for Fabio's lunch. Good thing I can access this blog on my phone. People think I am texting a lot but I am really just accessing my "memory" most of the time. I am not being rude by ignoring you I am just trying not to sound like a total boob. Thank you for stopping-in. If you haven't listen to the show yet please do. Have a great "your Tuesday night." TTTT (94%)...MITM (out)

Fat Around the Middle

Wow, I knew it had been awhile since I have blogged last but did not realize it has been a week until I logged-on right now. Sometimes life gets in the way of our hobbies. We recorded Dirty Laundry Podcast which has been up for a couple of days now. Editing always takes about five hours usually split into two days. I took Cha Cha to the airport so she could fly to California and stay for four days. Then, yesterday, I went back and picked her up at the airport. Her trip and my airport fiasco yesterday will make for more podcasting fodder. I am not sure if that is a proper use of the word "fodder" but I like it regardless. I stopped at an outlet mall on the way to the airport yesterday and found the work boots I was looking for (the same ones that I have currently) at the Nike outlet store. Today I waterproofed the boots, went grocery shopping, mowed the lawn, changed the sheets on the bed, I am on my fourth load of laundry. There's plenty more but you get my excuses the idea.

I have to figure out dinner for tonight. So far (it is 12:24 now) I have only had a pear to eat today. I really need to lose weight again. The 84 pounds that I lost is creeping back on. More like stampeding than creeping to be more precise. I know how to lose the weight, as I have done it before, but, for some reason, I am not as focused in this area yet as I was back then. Every day I tell myself, "self, this is the day that I take this seriously." And, then, I tell myself the same thing again in a couple of days. I am a weak, pitiful soul. It is odd how we can commit to some things like: not killing people, staying faithful to our spouses, going to jobs that we cannot stand every single day... that list could go on and on but, we cannot convince ourselves sometimes f the things that are good for us. Humans are very complex animals.

All of that blogging about food has made me hungry so I am steaming some broccoli. It's okay to eat as long as I am eating the correct things. Maybe if I bore you with my food escapades every time I blog it will make me accountable - kind of like my own Weight Watchers. I have to think of a better name than that since that one is already taken. Blubber Bloggers? Belly Blog? Matt Fat Around the Middle?  I will work on that. Maybe if I actually started a weight-loss blog I could get sponsors and advertisers and quite that job I just blogged about hating. To be fair, the job I like; there are some aspects of the job that I do not like. Isn't that true about just about everything in our lives though? Maybe I should focus on the aspects that I like and block-out the ones I do not like. That is probably good advise for lots of things.

upside down mortgages are pretty common I think

Now it is 13:27. I ate my broccoli and had an apple. So far today everything that I have eaten has come off a tree or out of the ground - that's a good start. I have to figure out how to grow chocolate chip cookies in the garden. 90% of the time I drink water so that isn't an issue. I will cut out the occasional drinking too I think.

I think I am going to go clean the garage. Winter is coming and I want Fabio to be able to get the Explorer in there. My 4Runner will have to sit outside in the cold. I wonder if I could rent the garage in the vacant house next door for the winter. The house has been vacant for over a year. Speaking of houses, we got a letter in the mail that says our property value has dropped. Some may think that is a bad thing but, since we don't plan on moving anytime soon, I think this is a great thing. This means my property taxes will be lower next year. Even with the property value lowering we still owe less than the house and property are worth. I know a lot of people are not in as fortunate a position. Many people are upside-down with their mortgages (meaning they owe more than the house is worth). It would suck to have to sell your home and still owe on the house - I think that, along with divorce, is what happened to the one next door. Why don't you buy that one and let me rent the third garage stall?

Okay, I have to get busy in the garage. Have a great Friday night. Thanks a lot for stopping-by and for listening to the podcast. I may blog tomorrow but, with my weekend ending tonight, I may not. For some reason, in my head, I figure people read this more during their week (usually Monday - Friday) than they do on weekends because, while people at work, they seem to have more time to kill than they do when they are home; I base this theory on nothing. Thanks again. TTT?...MITM (out)! Right-side up!

When It's Time To Change You've Got to Blog

It is 20:13 and I am just now blogging. I should have waited one more minute so it would be 20:14 2014; now it is 20:14 in 2014! 2014 is NOT going to be the year of the St. Louis Cardinals it seems. I am happy in a weird way. I think I mentioned it here that if the Cards went to the World Series I was going to take Fabio to the World Series again. I was concerned about the tension in the St. Louis area so, though I am disappointed,I am not disappointed.

Cha Cha leaves for California in three days. I suppose I could have just said that she goes to California in three days rather than "leaves for" California because, unlike the Donner Party, we leave and arrive the same day these days. Some of them never even arrived at all; at least not in their original form. She is going to be in Los Angeles, not San Francisco, so she will not be going to the World Series either. Actually, even if it were next door she would not go.

I sent my college transcripts today for that other job I was blogging about. I am not 100% sure that I am completely qualified for this job but I know I could do it. From the way it sounds it would actually use a lot of the skills I have acquired at many of my previous jobs. I have supervised people most of my working life, I have done customer service in one form or another at every job I have ever had, I have worked security, including crowd control, at quite a few of my jobs including my current one, I have worked in the entertainment field in management... I have a feeling, based on the job posting that they already have a particular candidate in mind. It is also my hunch that the person that they hire for this job will leave a position that I may also be right for. I am basing a lot of this on hunches and feelings but I generally have a pretty good sense of what is going on; I would say I have an 83% hunch to fact ratio. No MATTer what happens I am generating forward momentum and energy now and I will be moving-on soon. Positivism begats positive results.

That's my goal again

How did it get to be 21:20 already? In 24 hours I will just about be leaving for work.

I am so tired. I think I am going to go to bed soon so I can enjoy one more day before my days turn into nights again. I am still fighting this pseudo-cold. I will start editing Dirty Laundry Podcast tomorrow and probably have it up some time Sunday. Good night. TTTT? ...MITM (dog tired and out). Ghost out of the machine!

Just Let Me Be Huckleberry Finn

"Where are my shoes and car keys?"

Don't take what I am about to blog as maudlin or suicidal or anything dark but - I think my work here is done. Maybe I am just super tired. It is my weekend right now so maybe the couple of nights of recharging my batteries will help. I think I just need a change or maybe I am going through a change of arriving on the other side of MIDDLE? I just wish I could be post-incarnated as a Native American or a rabbit or something. Every night I see deer and skunks and wolves and coyotes and foxes and rabbits and raccoons and geese and beavers and  cats and dogs and I wonder why we decided to become slaves to our "things." I just want to be Huckleberry Finn and live off the Matt of the land like we were meant to do. When did we decide that we needed so much stuff. With stuff comes aggravation; things break or need new batteries or need clipping or mending or altering or updating or whatever. Why does the word "raccoons" have the little red squiggle underneath it? Raccoons is a word Spell-check! I love when I am smarter than Spell-check. See, even Spell-check causes us undo aggravation sometimes. I almost spelled aggravation wrong there on purpose just to piss Spell-check off.

I have found a job that I am going apply for. Ironically, it will probably cause me more stress than I have at my current job but the pay is better. The hours will probably be just as bad but I am not sure about that yet. It is in the entertainment industry and it is close very to home. It is frightening to make changes like this but what have I got to lose? If I make the move and it doesn't work out I probably would not be able to come back to my current job because we have a hiring-freeze on and, if they filled my position there would not be a position for me no MATTer how awesome I am at my job and, I am awesome at my job. There have been carrots dangled at my current job of day-time hours but I think those carrots are, like carrots dangled for horses, are just there to make morons like me run a little faster trying to capture something that is unattainable. It may even be one of those jobs that they already have somebody in mind for but they have to post it for legal reasons but I will try to take a chomp out of that carrot.

Just a side note - I really like the music of Buddy Holly. I like lots and lots of music but I just heard Rave On. Yes, I know that clip is Gary Busey but, though he is a total loon, he was great in the film and he did great singing the songs. He was nominated for Best Actor. He lost to John Voight in Coming Home. I love that movie too. I am going to see if it is on HBOGo or Netflix right after I am done here.I could not wait - it is on Netflix and I am going to watch it when I am done here. Actually, it is playing right now and the audio continues while I type this. Our "first dance" at our weeding was True Love Ways by Buddy. Did you know that The Beatles were named The Beatles because of Buddy Holly? Paul McCartney loved his music (Buddy Holly and the Crickets). I always get chocked-up at the scene when they play The Apollo.

I just caught Fabio tying Jeff's front legs together. Jeff was fussing a bit but not much. Though it was probably a bit cruel Fabio was doing it to try to teach Jeff to walk like you. Next will be teaching him to talk like you toooo. Ironic since I was writing about wanting to be about a wild animal with less pressures. I bet all of our pressures began to expand the day we began walking upright.

Now we're talkin' (and walkin')

Pretty sure we are going to record the new Load of Dirty laundry Podcast is a few hours and, when I get home from seeing my parents in the morning, I will edit and get the show up for your aural enjoyment. First, I have to get dressed - it's the crack of 16:31 and I am still in my jammies; I tell Cha Cha that I feel like Hugh Hefner most of the time. I think we are going to go out to the orchard and get some apples (and probably some apple donuts). I will certainly blog tomorrow after I get back from visiting the P's. I may be editing at the same time. Have a great night; thanks for stopping by. TTTT...MITM (out - of my jammies) TA! I forgot how much I like this film. Maybe I need to check on La Bamba next? Double TA!

Guaranteed World Series Winner!

It's a lock - all Missouri World Series again

I imagine you're getting tired of me blogging about baseball but this is more of a sure-fire gambling tip if you are so inclined. I am going to tell you, what two teams will be in the World Series and which team will win it. When you win money remember where you heard / read it and make sure to tip your tipster. Based on my findings you are going to assume that mu results are biased but I assure you that they are not. Here are some of my predictions factual findings: the Orioles will get swept by the Royals - that series will end today (I am writing this at 14:48 - about twenty minutes before the first pitch will be thrown). So, there is team number one in the Series (the Royals). Over in the National League the Giants are leading the series two games to one. The Cardinals, however are going to win this series and meet the Royals in the World Series. The World Series will go seven games and the Cardinals will win. Though I am a Cards fan I would actually like to see the Royals win the Series but it is not in the "cards." That is funny, not because of the Cards/Cardinals but is directly related to my "system."

Would have preferred the Obama card

Okay, here is the story behind my system (it only works for me so telling the world about it won't allow anybody else to steal it). I was at the store and they has lots of old unopened packs of baseball cards for sale. They have probably sat in the backroom or in the toy section for quite awhile so they reduced the price significantly and brought them to the front of the store. The last three or four times I have been to this store I have bought two or three packs. My system is based solely on the three packs I bought today (probably about 60 baseball cards in all). Anyway, while driving I opened the packs (it isn't texting so it's okay). Anyway, I started to think to myself,"self, I wonder how many cards I have from each of the four remaining teams in baseball. So, as I shuffled through the cards I set aside the cards from each of these four teams. Base on that I KNOW how the remainder of the post-season will go. I had zero Orioles cards so, they are done today. I had one Giants card so they will be eliminated before the Series. And I had four Royals cards and four Cardinals cards which is where I arrive at in going all seven games. The reason that I know the Cardinals will win the Series is that I also have a nice A.J. Pierzynski card from when he was on the White Sox. I assume, since he is on the Cardinals they will win but, the card was from when he was in the American League as the Royals are now. For some reason I also got a Mitt Romney card. I have no idea why it was in one of these packs. George W. Bush would have made sense since he partially owned and was Managing General Manager of the Rangers but Mitt? Maybe it is a baseball glove reference - I am not kidding I really got a Mitt Romney card. I wonder if it's his rookie card? He is from Connecticut so maybe that qualifies as an Orioles' card (east coast).

While I was out I went to buy some new work boots. I have a pair of black Nike work boots that I have loved for the past couple of years. They take a lot of wear because I walk a lot at work and I also drive a lot; both of these are tough on boots. I went to the same place that I bought the ones I am trying to replace. They don't carry the Nike ones anymore so I am going to check on-line. Anywho, I was wearing my bright red Cardinals' jacket with the birds on the bat. The guy worked there asked if I was a Cardinals' fan. I always like when people ask that extremely obvious answered question. When I said "yes" he boo'd me and then said he was "sorry." We both laughed and I asked if he was a Cubs' fan and he asked, "how did you know?" I said, "because you are sorry."

I have to get dinner started so I am gonna cut this short. Have a great Wednesday night (I call it FriDAY). Pretty soon all of my baseball talk will be over here for several months. Thanks for stopping in - I really do love you coming by when you can. TTTT...MITM (out to make and eat dinner) TA!

I Believe the Children Are Our Future

I believe the children are our future

I cannot believe that the Cardinals are actually going to play at 15:07. I may get to watch this game and still get some sleep before work tonight. I am saddened that Yadier Molina is out and is listed as "day-to-day." They have not removed him from the roster because, if they do, he would not be eligible to play in the World Series WHEN they make it. He is playing the role as an assistant coach right now but is still on the roster. His game presence will be missed; he is the field leader without a doubt. The last game, after he was out, got a bit shaky behind the plate but it worked itself out. It's now 16:48 and it is the fifth inning. Time sure flies when you are doing stuff. Cards were down 4-0 and now they are only one run behind.

If you listen to Dirty Laundry Podcast you are most likely familiar with the group Playing For Change. They build music schools for children throughout the world; mainly in underdeveloped countries. Another person that we have met because of the show (we play his music from time-to-time) is Mathew Tembo. Like PFC does, Mathew is going to start a music school in his home country of Zambia. He is looking for donations of old (or new) music instruments to help in this endeavor. I have a drum set in my basement that has just sat there for the ten+ years we have been in this house and I have agreed to donate my drums along with about 100 used drumsticks, I bet I have a couple of tambourines down there too as well as other various percussion items I can add. Mathew will be back in Illinois in April and will stop here to pick up the drums and if you have anything to add to help I will be happy to give them to him or, if you wish, I can let you know when he will be here and you can meet him and give it/them to him yourself. I am sure we will talk a lot about it on the show. Mathew is going to put together a message so we can play that on the show too.

A home run ties it up. See, who says karma doesn't work? I think I need to find something else to donate - I may win World Series MVP.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter still saving the world

I just got a message from The Found Sock (of Dirty Laundry Podcast fame) that the Sock family has a clarinet that they will donate. That Facebook thing does serve a good purpose other than connecting with friends.
Tonight is my Thursday. It has been a long week at work. Maybe I will just go to Zambia and help with that music school. If Jimmy Carter ban still help build houses for Habitat For Humanity at 90-years-old I think maybe I could just quit a job that I am tired of and go sweat my ass off helping to save the world.

Speaking of music they just showed Steve Perry of Journey lip syncing to their song Don't Stop Believing from the audience. Journey is from San Francisco as you might imagine. The fans were going crazy. Yet another reason the Giants should not go to the World Series. I saw Journey in concert when I was in high school - one of the great big embarrassments of my life.

I am going to end here and watch the end of this game and get some sleep. It will probably go extra innings so I will be very sleepy at work again tonight. From 0300-0530 tomorrow morning I will be sitting at a desk  matting a post. Some people man or woman a post - I matt the post. Thanks a lot for stopping by. I am so looking forward to my weekend (pretty much like 100% of the rest of the world). I am really happy Cha Cha is back from down south - I really missed her. TTTT...MITM (out)!

Getting Blogged in the Rain

I imagine Colin Powell said "From" failure though

We work hard at our jobs for many reasons. We may work hard because we are paid to do a job and we were brought-up to know that if someone pays for our effort we give them that effort. We work hard because that is what our parents taught us to do; we honor them by working the way they taught us to work. We work hard because we have a conscience. We work hard because people depend on our hard work so they can feel safe or nourished or educated or fulfilled or trained or whatever our job provides the people who utilize our services or products or ideas or whatever it is that we do. We work for pride. Yes, the compensation is nice and we do need that to live our lives but we could all be doing something else. I live my off-work time with a clear conscience that I have worked hard for the money, so hard for it honey (sorry, could not help myself). There are many times that I do not care for my job or the hours that I work but I do enjoy what that allows me to do for myself with my family and friends. I am sure, at your work, there are people that don't do their shares of the work and they are compensated the same as you are or, many times, even more. Do they think they are doing their share? Are you just better at your job than they are at theirs? Do they just not care? I have fallen into focusing on these people rather than myself from time-to-time in my life and it is not healthy. I am going to be who I am and let them not be me. I know it may not make any difference in my compensation or my work load. In fact, it has often made it so I have had to do more work because I can be trusted and will get the job done. Yes, that adds further frustration sometimes. I thought philosophizing about that would make me feel better but I philosophized incorrectly. Okay, time to move-on.

I got to listen to the end of the NLCS (National League Championship Series) last night on KMOX, "the voice of St. Louis," while working hard at my work. As you may be aware, because I don't hide it, I am a huge St. Louis Cardinals' fan so, I was very happy at the outcome. I still plan to go to one of the World Series' games when they make it but all of the protesting/demonstrating in town over the Ferguson, Missouri shooting. I am sure there is LOTS of security around Busch Stadium but big disasters happen at huge events sometimes. I would not be nervous if it were just me but taking my son is that part that makes me nervous. At least with a situation like this one knows what they are going into. It is the ones that are total surprises, that nobody has prepared for, that are usually the worst. I am happy the Cards have an off-night because I need to sleep before work tonight for a change.
I just had to bring the moron dog (Jeff) in out of the rain. He's not really a moron - he's actually very, very smart. He's a lot like me I guess (other than he is smart); I love being out in the rain too. I have some great memories of being caught in the rain, though, I do not believe I have been caught in the rain while I was drinking a pina colada (sorry, I don't know how to type a little squiggle over the "n" in pina). I was caught in the rain drinking a margarita in Key West once so, that is close.

That reminds me, we are looking at going to the Bahamas in January. I am pretty sure I will drink lots of drinks that look like that photo there that week. Don't tell Jeff but, he won't be included in that "we." It's the human "we."

Cha Cha is coming home from southern Illinois right now. I talked her into riding the train down for many reasons but it seems that it was a nightmare for her; we will talk LOTS about that on Dirty Laundry Podcast when she gets back. She rented a car to drive home so she could get home in about half the time and not get murdered by the scary people she saw on the train. But, of course, it is raining pretty hard now and she is driving. We didn't do a show last week because it isn't really a show without Cha Cha. Just now, as I write this paragraph, the rain picked-up even more. She is still pretty far down-state so I hope it is not raining this hard down there and it slows down before she gets up here. I am a terrible worrier so, I am worried concerned. The water pouring out of the down-spout outside of the window here sounds like Niagara Falls (slowly I turned...). Now there is a new reason I won't be able to sleep before work tonight. Normally I like the rain to sleep-by.

Jeff, being the smart one, is down in the basement during this storm chewing on a bone.

I recorded The Waking Dead season premiere last night so I am going to make lunch and watch that. One of the great thing about the DVR recordings is that the storm does not bother the reception on those because they are recordings. Unless, of course, the power goes out . Have a great rest of your day. Thanks a lot for stopping in. I think I will be blogging again tomorrow unless working in the rain tonight kills me (a boy can dream). TTTT (unless I drowned in pina coladaville)/ TA!

Who Profits By Us Being Sick?

Greg and I out on the town!

I am not sure if this is good news or bad news or no news at all but, there will not be a new Load of Dirty Laundry Podcast this week. Time got away and now Cha Cha is out of town. Her real job gets in the way of fun-time a lot. We will be back next week, supposedly. This is a great time to click that link and create your own Encore Presentation! There are quite a few great shows with great guests still on the site.

I am really tired. I have been fighting a cold for the last three or four days; one of the hazards of dealing with the public on a regular basis. I wish it would either get me full-blown sick or just go away. In hopes to force it to make up it's mind I am going out tonight with my hetero life-mate Greg. We will be in the Aurora area so please, if you see us, feel free to say "hi" but we are not out for photo-ops and autographs so please respect that. Let me know if you would like an autograph and I will be happy to send you a personalized autograph. We may hang with Wayne and Garth a bit too. And now my foot is asleep.

I never get a flu shot. Scratch that - I got a flu shot one time and that was one of the sickest winters I have ever experienced. It may have been a coincidence but was enough for me. My theory is that the whole flu shot deal pressure we receive is perpetrated by the medical industry and pharmaceutical companies. Some employers offer free flu shots; I think my work does. Why would someone do that? Nothing is free. Who is actually paying for that stuff if it is free to you and me? Who has something to gain by us getting sick? hmmmmmmm

I was going to take a nap before going out because I am old and the verging on being ill deal. I use the word "was" because I don't have time to take a nap now. Maybe if I get a bunch of alcohol in me that will fight this bug off. Bugs hate alcohol (Raid and Off smell alcoholish to me). Now to decide which alcohols bugs hate the most. Tequila maybe? Whiskey? I think they like rum and beer. I will conduct my own study and report back to you.

I am gonna stop now to get ready. If you're in the Aurora area tonight knock me up if you wanna hookup. Are those hipster terms used properly there?  Have a great night (I love having my weekends back). TTTT?...MITM (out)

Planes, Trains and Blogomobiles

"I wanna fly jets!"

It's time for me to make a change; I cannot keep working nights. It's killing me. I know I have to die of something but when people ask my family"how did he die?" I want them to have something more exciting to say than "he worked nights." Carrots keep getting dangled and I keep falling for it; maybe if they tried dangling sugar cubes instead of carrots I would consider staying. While I was searching at a job site I saw a job listing for "fighter pilot." Now there is a job that sounds good when somebody asks, "how did he die?" Seriously, there is a job listed as Fighter Pilot. I am half-tempted to apply just to see their faces when a fat MIDDLE-aged man missing a big toe and wearing reading glasses shows up for the interview. I like my work uniform okay but their uniforms are wayyyy cooler.  There's one listed for a Seed Technician but I think I would have a problem working for Monsanto. Plus, to be a Seed technician do you think it is okay that I have had a vasectomy? Assistant Women's Soccer Coach - now there's one I have had experience doing. I was a Head Girl's Soccer Coach about 15 years ago or so. And, since then I have been an Assistant Softball Coach, a Head Baseball Coach, Assistant Basketball Coach... There are few sports that I was not a coach for now that I think of it. The college education did me quite a bit of good getting a job after school but, now everybody has a college education and most of them are younger and less crabby. Maybe I will just get lucky and get hit by a potato truck. If I do it is my hope that it a Frito-Lay truck so my family will make bank!

That just seems dangerous - I don't see Cha Cha doing this

Tomorrow Cha Cha leaves for the south to see Splenda. My Baby Takes the Afternoon Train... I cannot go with her because I have to work and cannot get off this weekend because it is one of our busiest weekends of the year. I am happy that she is taking the train rather than driving - I am a huge worrier and I will worry less this way. I am just happy that I get to keep my Thursday and Friday off at this point. Many of my co-workers would just call-off sick but I am just a loyal dog who is too stupid to do that sort of thing. At least I have off to be able to take her to the train. Then, in about a month, I get to take her to the airport so she can go to California. Planes, Trains and Automobiles. We are looking at taking a Bahamian cruise in early January; I should not have a problem taking time off then because most of January is a very slow time for us. Maybe I should wait to get a new job until I get back from that trip. When starting a new job they don't usually like giving you time off right away.

I am writing this on the patio - what a great autumn day. I need to go in the house and get my charger because my battery is getting low. BRB. You can never have enough extension cords, you know?

We are going to record the new Load of Dirty Laundry Podcast later today when she gets home from work. Then I will spend most of Friday (my Sunday) editing the show and taking my co-host to the train. Livin' the dream! It's been six days since the new show has been uploaded and our numbers are still climbing for the week. Usually, by about four days we still get downloads and embeds and visits and plays and mobile plays... but lately we are getting lots and lots more every week. Every week now I get talented musicians following me on Twitter and I have to believe that is because of the show. I think I will listen to some of their stuff after I get done here and see about making one of these lucky artists' dreams come true. The dream of being played on Dirty Laundry Podcast. Dream big my friends, dream big.

I am actually pretty bummed that Cha Cha is leaving - for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the plants are all gonna die, secondly, I don't get to go with her and see Splenda but mostly, I am gonna miss the heck out of her. We have been best friends (besties) for 30+ years. I am starting to be one of those old farts that has been with his mate that becomes lost without him/her. You always hear about those couples that, when one dies, the other dies shortly after? I think I will probably be one of those old dead farts.

Okay, have to get some more stuff done like Cha Cha's laundry. Thank you for slowing down to read this - I hope you are not reading this while driving. Have a great whatever night this is. I just looked and it's Thursday. Have a great Thursday night. I will probably blog tomorrow between editing and being limo driver. I sure wish the Cardinals were on tomorrow night. Of course, they play Saturday and Sunday. I may be sleep deprived those nights; it would be so much easier being a Cubs' fan this time of year. TTTT...MITM (out)

For the Love of the Blog!

I am pretty tired. I got my regular sleep today but, yesterday I fell a bit behind. The Cardinals played at 1600 yesterday so I watched that game when I normally would have been sleeping; it was worth it - what a great came if you are a Cards' fan. I was actually one of those guys who jumps up in his living room and starts screaming. I thought that stuff just happened to idiots in the movies and on television but, the last time I checked, there is no production crew in my house except when we are recording and I am editing Dirty Laundry Podcast. I guess it happens to idiots in real life too. Now the National League Championship Series (NLCS) comes down to the Giants and the Cardinals starting Saturday at 1900. It's funny how all of the "best teams in baseball" don't appear to be the best teams in baseball after all. Professional sports' seasons don't always turnout the way the media and "experts" like to hype them do they? I listened to sports radio pretty much all night long so I know everything about this upcoming series. Tonight is my Friday so that makes it easier to tough-through less sleep. If the Redbirds make it to the World Series again I am going to one of the games again.

We are going to record the new show tomorrow and I should have it up Friday. Cha Cha leaves on a train Friday (I am taking her to the station). I cannot go because I am too essential to work and those will be one of our two busiest weekends of the year. I would stay away from our town this weekend at most costs.

It never looked like that here unless it was after 06:00

Last night / very early this morning the moon was behaving very oddly (a red moon means this is the Cardinals' year right?). I guess this lunar eclipse was actually called a Blood Moon. As I drove around town I saw all of these people staring up into the sky. I saw the moon in every phase of it and I did not see the big deal. It was a clear night / morning so it was probably as good as it gets. I love, love, love the moon and the stars but I was not impressed. I have always been fascinated with celestial things. That probably comes from watching all of those first launches into space as a very young boy. When I was in third grade in the 1960's I had a jacket with all of the space mission patches on it; I really wish I had those patches now. Yes, I realize the jacket would probably definitely not fit but I could take the patches off. I always think, when things like this happen in the sky, how people hundreds or thousands of years ago must have felt.

It is such a beautiful day today (in my opinion). I love autumn and I love the word "autumn" too. "Fall" is not as classy or sexy as "autumn." I just now realized that I like most words that end in "MN:" solemn, hymn, condemn, column, goddamn... Hey, that's the abbreviation for Minnesota. Thank you for that Blood Moon! I hope the weather is like this when I am sitting in Busch Stadium in a couple of weeks (the Series begins October 21st). They should change "Fall Classic" to "Autumn Classic." If there is a World Series game on a Friday (or maybe even a Thursday) in St. Louis I may even go down there if I don't have a ticket. I will just try to find one of those "who needs two" guys or just go to the new Ballpark Village at Busch Stadium if I cannot get tickets. Man. I love this game!

Praying or crying that he left the Cardinals?

I heard a statistic on sports-radio in the MIDDLE of the night. Since Albert Pujols left the Cardinals to go to the Angels (already eliminated from the play-offs) the Cardinals have won 19 post-season games and the Angels have won zero. They were in the play-offs this year and got swept. I love Pujols but I love his old team A LOT more!

I guess we are going to go to dinner before I come back here and sleep before work. Thanks a lot for stopping-in. If you're not a baseball fan I apologize if I bored you today. Maybe you'll get lucky and the Cardinals will get eliminated by the Giants and I won't have that to blog about. Actually I will probably still blog about it but it will take a sadden tone. I will let you know when the new show is ready. Have a great AUTUMN night. TTTT (94%)...MITM (out on his Friday - woohoo) TA!

100% Correct 50% of the Time

I was pretty busy last night day so I didn't get a chance to blog. It is 13:37 now and I had hoped to sleep until about 15:45 just before the first pitch of the Cardinals - Dodgers game at 16:00. The series has been great but I hope it ends today. The Cards lead 2 - 1 and, if they win today, they move on to their last series before the World one. If they lose they have to head back to Los Angeles for one more. The Angels (the best team in baseball for most of the season) are gone and now California only has two teams left in the play-offs; the Dodgers and the Giants. The Padres must feel like a bunch of losers being the only Cali team out of five not to make the play-offs. Hey, Missouri has all of their teams left in the play-offs (two) - that seems weird. So does Maryland, sort of (Orioles and Nationals). That means that all six teams left are from three states. Word has it that the Dodgers are making some big moves for today's game replacing one of their big stars and starting their ace pitcher on just a few days' rest. When it's "win or go home" I guess you need to make big moves. I did get to listen to the end of the game last night on the radio. Baseball is the only sport that sounds great on radio. I am not sure why that is but, it is a fact! I took a whole class on that in school (not really) - I have one degree in broadcasting and one in journalism and I am a professional (who doesn't get paid) podcaster so, I am pretty much an expert broadcaster which makes me 100% correct 50% of the time.

In two nights I get another two day weekend (the second one in a row); I could get used to this. Right now, for the next four or five weeks, the three people with the most seniority are the ones forced to work because they are the ones that have Saturdays off. I feel for them but, I did my time and now it's better them than me. However, Cha Cha is going down to see Splenda this coming weekend and I cannot go because I could not get off work; one of our really busy weekends. If someone calls sick over this coming weekend I am going to go atomic or nuclear (are those worse that ballistic?).

Tonight is Cha's Cha's weekly class at Depaul University. That usually means Buffalo Wild Wings for Fabio and I if he is off work. Maybe we could watch the Cardinals game there for awhile while eating. Yes, I have a total obsessive personalty - I know it and obsess over it.

Have you listened to the new Dirty Laundry Podcast yet? I made the like Cardinal red for luck. There sure are a lot of stupid superstitions in baseball and podcasting aren't there? Tomorrow or Thursday we will be recording the new show. Cha Cha is going to California soon and I may be looking for a Cha Cha For a Day again (Brian Didier is the only person to hold this honor so far). Let me know of you're interested. I am not sure when she is going but I think it is soon. She'll probably watch the Cardinals in the World Series out there- she hates sports so that would not be her idea of fun though.

I just looked up and there were three wasps on the window... inside the house. We keep the patio door cracked a lot of the time so Jeff can come in and out and, as I have written here before, we have been getting a lot of bees/wasps in the house because of that. I always catch the bees/wasps in a paper towel and "catch-and-release" them. Sometimes I just catch them in my hand and let them go. I have only been stung once. I am not a religious guy but I do like some of their ideas. "Thou shalt not kill" seems like a pretty good one 97% of the time. I would have limitations on that but, when I can, I practice this on woman and beast alike.

I am going to wrap this sucker up and get some things done before work and baseball. Thanks a lot for listening to the show and for stopping by here. I hope you have a great rest of your day/night. TTTT (probably)...MITM (out). Go Cardinals! Come-on Cubs fans the Blackhawks season doesn't start for a couple of days still. TA!

Holocaust and a Dying Planet

Wow, a two-day weekend is amazing; one of the many things I take for granted. I got a lot of things done: some painting, recording and posting Dirty Laundry Podcast, some car things done, getting the snow blower ready for battle (just in time it appears), grocery shopping, watching the Cardinals beat the Dodgers last night (man,what a game)... Two days off a week were a great "invention." It appears that I may get to enjoy this idea for a little while but, I am never 100% confident of that. It's the nature of the job. I did not, however, find time to blog until now (Saturday morning). I wish I had a three-day weekend this week though because St. Louis plays again tonight at 20:30; I leave the house at 21:30 and am usually still asleep at 20:30. Perhaps I will go down a little earlier than usual and get up to watch an hour or so of the game and listen to the rest on the radio or on my favorite app (At Bat).

If you listen to the show you may remember our show with holocaust survivor Madga Brown who we interviewed at the Illinois Holocaust Museum. She now has a website (magdabrown.com) and they included a link to our show (specifically that particular Load). I am happy that I did not delete that show. Our show was just upgraded to "Pro" status this week. That means we have lots more space for shows - we went from 5Mb to 20Mb or whatever. It is a significant jump whatever it is.

I just heard a report that Earth's wildlife's population has decreased by 52% since 1970. Of that, 78% is from fresh water sources. World Wildlife Federation International (the good WWF) says it is largely due to: climate change/global warming, hunting and fishing, pollution, disease, loss and deterioration of natural habitats. This makes me sad. If this continues it makes sense that that it would spread to other areas. The circle of life is real and so is the circle of death when life begins to end. What can I do? I must admit that I litter occasionally. I rationalize that what I litter is biodegradable and it is but, before it biodegrades, it could clog things up... I am going start by doing my part and hope that it isn't too late. If everybody just polices themselves maybe we can turn this thing around. I could stand to eat a few more fruits and vegetables anyway.

I started watching Hawaii Five-O again. I am actually DVR'ing it and watching it later. The acting on the show is fairly pretty terrible but I love to see the clips of the island. I am sure that one day I will see my brother walking in the background - he lives in Hawaii and is a lot like Forest Gump in that he seems to meet notable people on a regular basis and turns-up in places most people don't seem to be able to get to. Even worse in this episode is that Dane Cook plays Scott Caan's brother (both terrible actors). I really cannot stand Dane Cook. I did like in Mr. Brooks when he got killed (oops was that a spoiler alert from a 2007 film). I kinda liked that film actually; I like Kevin Costner. It was supposed to be a trilogy but I bet Cook ruined that. The next one would be better because his character is already dead. I think I may move to Hawaii - they seem to like fat dudes better down there. According to this show there is a lot there's a lot of kidnapping and shootings there.

Holocaust and a dying planet - what an uplifting blog. At least the podcast is happy. Have a great rest of you weekend as mine draws to a close. Let's hope the accumulation of snow holds off from the MIDDLEwest for awhile. Thank you for stopping-in and listening to the podcast. TTTMonday...MITM (Go Cardinals) TA!

Quick & Easy (that's me in a nutshell)

Of course he was American League Ump

Woman, I love baseball (I have never really known why people have always said "Man, I really like" something). Last night while I was at work I was in a vehicle most of the night so I was able to listen to the Athletics - Royals wildcard game. What a great game! The Royals fought back and fought back and eventually won the game in twelve innings. Tonight is the Pirates and Giants playing the National League wildcard game. Even when the Brewers were leading the National League Central through most of this season I had said that I was more worried about the Pirates than the Brewers so, with that fear still being there, I hope the Giants win that series. I guess, as long as the Cardinals don't lose any games starting with the Dodgers Friday night, they will be World Series champs (again). It's as simple as that - if you lose zero games you will be the champs. My first Friday off since mid-August could not have come at a better time. I am hoping for a Cards-Angels series because I am going to St. Louis for the Series. It would be nice to get some revenge for the 1985 World Series against the Royals though. Don Denkinger has retired hasn't he? Yeah, he's 78 years old now. Plus, there is the challenge rule in baseball now so the Series could not be stolen that way again. If you love baseball and you get a chance to go to a World Series - go! That game in 2006 that Fabio and I went to will always be a great memory for me. If you ever want to hear the story just ask me about it - it is a great story (not just the game but the trip there too).

I am having a Subway turkey sandwich while I write this so forgive the Gardeniera oil on the laptop keys. If you live in some part of the world that doesn't Gardeniera let me know and I will send you some (some restrictions apply). I am watching what I am eating again. I have not done that for awhile and all of the hard work I did to lose the weight has almost reversed itself. Not completely yet but it is getting out of hand. Fabio made chocolate chip cookies - the cookies are not going to be smarter than me.

The new podcast will, most likely, be up tomorrow.

Holy moley, I have to get some sleep. It is 17:17 already. It would suck to die at work on my Friday night; I plan on saving something like that for one of my Mondays. Have a great night and thank you for stopping by. Sorry it was kind of short and boring (the blog not me). I will blog tomorrow and, hopefully, will be able to tell you that the new show is ready. TTTT...MITM (out).