Happy Hectic Days

I stared to write the blog this morning and got this notice"European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent. 

As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies. 

You are responsible for confirming this notice actually works for your blog, and that it displays. If you employ other cookies, for example by adding third party features, this notice may not work for you. Learn more about this notice and your responsibilities." I am not sure what it means but I know it will be alright if I just ignore it and break international law. 

Yesterday Splenda, Cha Cha and I went to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I have seen all of the Star Wars films in theaters but this was the first one that I saw in 3-D. I have seen many films in 3-D in the theater and I do enjoy that technology. I also liked this film a great deal though, at times, it seemed to drag a bit. After the show I thought about the Star Wars cards that I collected back in 1977. So, since I seem to be at least a bit obsessive-compulsive, I went to the basement and dug them out. I have the blues cards and the yellow cards and the red cards. Those are three different sets I guess.  also have some stickers. I looked at the cards and noticed that I have one complete blue set and plenty more cards. I bet I have another entire set or two of those. I will mess with that later, probably. 

May the advertisements be with you - always!

Why is the movie time set at 15:45 and the previews don't even start until 15:46? Previews intertwined with commercials that is, to be more accurate. Why do we have to watch commercials after we pay for the film? They already got us into the theater. Talk about a captive audience! I feel the same way about cable and satellite television. We already pay monthly to subscribe to these services and now we have to be inundated with commercials too? Anyway, the movie finally began at 16:06. Maybe Star Wars is different because they couldn't really show Han Solo or Luke Skywalker drinking Pepsi of Coke. But merchandising, like trading cards and action figures, is bigger on these kinds of films maybe. That is my theory - that theory is mine. 

Some drunk dude hit a pole just outside of our subdivision last night and our power (the whole front part of the subdivision) was out for a couple of hours. It was kind of nice having candles lit throughout the house and us having to actually talk. It was like a Christmas Eve Eve miracle - especially with all four of us here. Tonight we are going out with my parents for dinner and a show. I remember going to my grandparent's houses on Christmas Eve when I was a young fellow. On the way home we ALWAYS saw Rudolf's nose blinking in the sky and, when we got home, we always rushed to bed so we would be asleep before Santa arrived. Falling asleep was almost impossible after knowing Santa was so close.

I received a Christmas from my good mates Coldplay. We became good friends and mates when I played finger cymbals and tambourine on their song The Scientist. I never toured with them; I just did some studio work with them in 2001. I could be mistaken on some of that. I am not sure if my finger cymbal solo was even left in the final version of the song.  

I need to end this as we have a pretty tight agenda/schedule for today and tonight. I hope you have a wonderful time with family and friends over the next couple of days. I feel for the people who have to work but I, for one, appreciate what you do for the rest of us and for your families. I have worked many a Christmas Eve and Christmas Night and it does stink. 

Thank you for stopping in. I don't know if I will blog tomorrow but I doubt that I will. TTTWhenever I blog ya again...MITM (out) TA!

Foibles Are Fun, Eh!

The entire (immediate) family slept under the same roof of our home last night. I suppose this is what is referred to as home for the holidays. Splenda is done with school for however long she decides she wants to be done. If she is like her mother she will not be happy with a Bachelor's Degree and will go for a Masters or two. I am very proud that she was on the Dean's List as well. It is nice to have everyone here for however long that lasts.

Tomorrow we will be with my parents too. We go weeks and months without seeing them and it is nice that this time of year exists so we make time to slow our lives down (kind of ironic to make time to have time) so we can spend time together. No MATTer what your thought are about the holidays it is nice that our society allows us this time every year to just slow down and enjoy one another. I hope you are able to enjoy your family and friends this season too. If not, we have plenty of room for you to come hang-out with us.

Last night Cha Cha and I went out to dinner with MADYM. I had not seen her for awhile; it was a nice dinner. Our waiter seemed a bit over his head but we were entertained by him. We kind of think that he may have been one of the owners' grandfather or something; he made us look like Spring chickens. He spoke very broken English (perhaps his native language was Italian?). The food was just okay but I went for the company and the company made-up for the foibles. 

I try not to get political for many reason. Mainly, I don't pay too close attention to be up on the candidates until we are down to the actual election. I will vote in the Primary and I am down to two candidates that I will choose from. I am 80% certain of who I will vote for unless something Earth-shaking changes my mind. I will tell you that I would not vote for Donald Trump even if I were threatened to be deported to a third-world country if I did not. As hard as he tries to throw the election he still has plenty of followers. There is someone that I have literally known all my life that plans to vote for him and defends all of his asinine comments and shenanigans. Even after Trump attacks other candidates for going to the bathroom during a break from debates. He is vulgar and ignorant and dishonest and spoiled and I will be in Canada in 2016 if he is elected as our President. Canada welcomes immigrants and refugees like people with consciences do. People take in animals (puppies and kitties) all the time but a stray human seems to be taboo to people. That makes me think that I would leave the city I live in if Trump even became dog-catcher. Please do not let this refugee (me) down America!

I am wondering if the Miss America blunder (host Steve Harvey announcing the runner-up as the winner and then having to retract that) was all planned to get morons with blogs to write about it. Is it also a coincidence that Harvey signed a multi-year deal to host the pageant right before the show was aired? Yes, I try to find conspiracy in everything. It is not because I am paranoid I just like to entertain myself and I think conspiracies are entertaining. Miss Columbia was a good sport about it when she was given the title and, moments later, the title went to Miss Philippines. I think, at that point I would have made co-Miss Universes. There are enough ribbons to be cut for two people to get them done more efficiently. Of course, Donald Trump had to weigh in because I am sure Abraham Lincoln and George Washington would have when they were campaigning. Trump said. "...very sad what happened last night at the Miss Universe Pageant. I sold it six months ago for a record price. This never would have happened!"  I am not sure how the person "owning" the pageant could stop a live error by someone else. So, I suppose he would have lied and edited and covered-up the foible. 

I had better wrap this up as it is thundering like crazy right now and the thunderstorms are on their way. Can you believe thunderstorms in Illinois on December 23rd? Thanks, Obama Global Warming. I hope you have a great rest of you day. I think I will be able to get a Christmas Eve blog in tomorrow. There was lightning and it is pouring now. Do you suppose Mother Nature is a Trump fan? Can she read this before I post it? Am I the last person that believes in Mother Nature? Okay - TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

BFD means "Big Fartin' Douche" to Me Now

He even wears a BFD t-shirt as he is a big "supporter" of the Bikini Fire Department

I saw an older episode of Undercover Boss last night. I was just flipping channels and stopped there because I have seen that show before and I have usually liked it. It is where, as you might imagine, the owner of a business will go undercover as a new employee or something... to see how his/her restaurants truly run on a day-to-day basis. They come up with some reason why there is a film crew there - like the new person is on a reality show or some other reason they are following this person around with cameras and microphones. Last night they followed around the owner of Bikinis restaurant. I had never heard of it and it sounds like their stores are mainly in Texas. I found the owner, Doug Guller, offensive in as many ways as I can imagine. At the end of the show (spoiler alert from 2014) he fired one girl because she knew a "reality show" was filming at the restaurant and she didn't want to wear a bikini on television. He also rewarded one girl, that he liked, by paying for new boobs as a reward for doing a good job. This guy is a sexist, misogynistic, rich, idiot. He reminded me a lot of the five male owners of the construction company that I worked at for 14 years or so. I wish we had a Bikinis near here so I could boycott it properly. I will never eat at Gino's East (a Chicago pizza tradition) since I know the same A-hole owns that restaurant chain too; I guess I can feel like an activist in boycotting him here in the Chicagoland area. Guller also bought a small town in Texas and renamed it Bikini, Texas. I could understand it a bit better if he were 20-years-old but he is, from my best detective work I can say with some certainty, approximately 42 years old and is not married though he calls himself a "big family man." Maybe he misspoke and meant "a big breast man" as most guys I hear say that they are "family men" are married and have children (at least married). He should really get married so he has a wife to keep him in line. He also calls Bikinis a "breastaurant" and even had that word copy-written and trademarked - I hope he doesn't sue me for using it in the blog today though the blog would grow in readership I imagine. So much for the boycott section of today's blog.

Now that I am thinking of men that appear to prey on women I hear that another woman (Kathrine Mae McPhee) came forward and said she was raped by Bill Cosby. She had worked on The Bill Cosby Show in 1971 and saw he him again 1974 when he "physically attacked" her. With dozens of women alleging similar things it would appear that Mr. Cosby has some problems. I am sad because he was a hilarious stand-up comedian and had many very good television shows. He was called "America's dad" at one time. We don't always know what darkness lurks in the hearts of men.  

Adolf is better looking in color and stashless 

As long as I have a theme going today I am fairly certain that Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun (Eva Hitler since they were married before they supposedly "shot themselves") did not really kill themselves as we have always been lead to believe. I believe the bodies that were presented as theirs were not really the Hitlers. I think they escaped to Spain and then to Argentina via U-Boat. I have many reasons for this belief and I am 94% certain that I am correct. They probably died of old age - thanks a lot karma! I am a big fan of conspiracies and conspiracy theories. I imagine that is the deductive mind in me. I have just recently realized that the date that they supposedly died is the same date (different year, of course) that Cha Cha and I were joined in MATTrimony. Coincidence or are we Adolph and Eva incarnate travelling through eternity together finding one another over and over? If so, they were much nicer than they were portrayed as but that may happen in the reincarnation process. But maybe the reincarnation process makes you nicer in every new you. If that is so, Eva must have been pretty nice already because Cha Cha is near saintly.

Believe it or not I have been writing this off-and-on for hours while doing laundry, washing dishes in our new very quiet and efficient dishwasher as well as several other various household tasks. I am excited that Splenda, the new college graduate, will be home tonight. We are going to see A Christmas Story at the Paramount Arts Center in Aurora in a couple of days with my parents. I hope nobody shoots an eye out! I like this time of year for the family get-togethers. I also like the movie It's a Wonderful Life a great deal so I like that it is usually showed non-stop on our local PBS station (WTTW -Window To The World) on Christmas Eve. 

I hope you have a great rest of your Tuesday. I am fairly certain that I will blog again tomorrow and I will try to be a little more joyous given the time of year we are upon. Thank you, as always. for setting aside a bi of time to see what is seeping out of my fingers and head. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

That's a RAP!

We had such a big weekend this past weekend. Cha Cha and I drove down to Carbondale for Splenda's graduation. Jill and I both spent time there as undergrads and now we have another college graduate in the Helser gene-pool. Noah took the train to Carbondale (through a transfer at Chicago's Union Station where part of the film The Untouchables was filmed) down and we picked him up at the train station down there in town, That was quite an adventure (his trip) as it turns-out but I am sure he learned a lot of valuable life lessons. Yesterday he rode home with us to the Aurora Transportation Center to pick up the 4Runner he had parked there to hop the train (Metra) to Chicago before getting on the Amtrack to take the long ride down south. My parents drove down too and we stayed at a rental cabin in dueling banjo country. It was a very nice cabin. We have rented homes and cabins several time when we visited there and this was the best one. It figures we'd find the best one the last time we will go there for, at the very least, a long time. If you're headed down there and are looking for a cabin rather than a hotel send me a message and I will hook you up with the information.

Last night, after getting to the train station and Fabio switching vehicles, we headed through downtown Aurora to get fuel. I had spend a lot of time downtown there as a youngster when I was in the Fox Valley Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps and when I played American Legion baseball and man, of man, has that town changed in the past 40 years. Not that I have changed much in the past 40. Anyway, we stopped and got fuel and while there we did something that would have made Sir Richard Gere very proud. I don't believe he is actually knighted but he did play Lancelot in First Knight. If you have read the blog for awhile you will probably make the basic connection as to what I am referring to. If you wish to know more about that send me a message and I will let you know but, we did not do it for the glory or praise or to get into the clouds in the sky or whatever happens later which is why I will just leave it at that. Just remember that these seasonal feelings should last all year long in actions and thoughts. And, sometimes, opportunists will literally be staring you in the face and maybe that face you are looking back at is karma in disguise.

Jeff really is Matt's best friend (but I have many besties)

I picked-up Jeff at Daisy Hill Puppy Farm where he spent the past few days making new friends. He is a lot like me in that he gets along with most and talks barks to just about anyone. He is almost always happy and smiley but, when he is not, he can be quite a turd. I wish he was more like Cha Cha in that way. Since we got home he has spent most of the time next door at his girlfriend Kona's house. It was so fun to watch them running around our backyard together once they were reunited after those few days. They truly are best friends. I feel sorry for the one that outlives the other because they are like an old married couple even though they are young and not (officially) married. A wedding would be fun bit I don;t think either of them can say, "I do." At least they don't talk when we are around.

I cannot believe that Christmas is only four days away and now at 14:59 it is 51 degrees outside. We have only had one snow this season and that was gone withing a few days. I am not complaining but I do not see how people can still dispute climate change when we are getting rain and California is getting snow.

I received my Union's newsletter and a 2016 calendar in the mail today. I am a member of MAP (Metropolitan Alliance of Police) so, of course, our newsletter contains various police-related stories and news items. I know a lot more about "body cameras" and the "changes in the death penalty" this month. The newsletter is called "The Rap Sheet" which is kind of clever I suppose. One of the headlines of the stories in this Winter 2015 edition read, "The Biggest Douche in the Galaxy*" - I am not sure what the asterisk is about but that was included in the story's title or headline (since it is called a NEWSletter). I found that title in very poor taste. That judgement probably comes from my many years as a news writer and newspaper editor but I thought this really amateurish for a professional organization like this. The story was about the officer that dumped that school girl in the desk over in her classroom from a few months ago. I do not care who it was about and whether the person you are referring to deserves to be demonized or judged or ridiculed that is not an appropriate word to be used in something that many people read. It also demeans and discounts the story itself. I use that word from time-to-time among friends when we are referring to one of many current Presidential candidates but that is not in a public forum nor in print. I find that word humorous in most cases. I can be a word-snob sometimes and perhaps, though I doubt it, I may be off-the-mark (up and to the left) on this one but that is my opinion and it is correct which makes it fact to me. I am tempted to write to them and voice my distaste but I may have just gotten it off of my chest with your help - thank you. I did see that my department has hired a new dispatcher so there are many good things in this blotter too (I would personally call it a blotter rather than a rap sheet).

I should be able to blog again tomorrow. I hope you have a great rest of your day and night and, as always, I thank you for stopping-in. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

What is ISIL Max von Sydow?

How exciting this must have been

Did you know that if the sun blew-up seven minutes and 58 seconds ago we wouldn't even know it for another two seconds? Also, do you know what happened on this day in 1903? I will give you a hint that will, undoubtedly, give you the answer if you paid attention in history class. I wonder if they still teach the same things (plus more) that they did when MIDDLEagers and beyond like me were in school. The clue is "Kitty Hawk." Also,on this day in 1777, the French officially recognized the United States of America as an independent nation after we whipped Great Britain's butt (or bum as they call it) and Benjamin Franklin went over and told them about it. It would have been a lot sooner has Wilbur and Orville gotten their act together a few hundred years before they were born.

I miss Jeff. He is away at puppy camp for a few days. He is a lot like me: he's not very shy, he likes to make new friends, he is easily distracted, he is easily distracted, he is lovable, he forgets things, he has hair, he is easily distracted, he licks windows, he loves going on rides in the car. There are s many more things that we have in common but these are the ones that immediately come to mind.

There is news going around that ISIS (Islamic State of Israel and Levant - which is why President Obama calls it ISIL) is trying to destroy internet's core infrastructure. In a way I believe they would be doing us a favor if they accomplished that. I would have to get mailing addresses and print and mail the blog after that. I suppose I would have to charge a small fee (that would grow as it got more popular) that would cover the printing and postage. Incidentally, Levant is the historical geographical term used to refer to the location in the Mediterranean area (Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. Israel...). Some people who do not like President Obama make a big deal that he calls it ISIL instead of ISIS. Imagine a President that wants us to have accurate information and knowledge despite the catchy phrases the press has decided to use. The press is always so honest and forthright he blogged sarcastically.

That green area is Levant (the L is ISIL)

I just received a phone call so I looked at my watch and the number said 1-815-555-2536. I did not answer it because I remember that television shows would always use the prefix 555 as that was a bogus prefix in every area code. See how powerful Hollywood is? They can even control numbers. So, I typed it on the interwebnet and it says that the number "is not valid" and "the called may have 'spoofed' called ID." I love the word "spoofed." So, I am assuming that it was an attempt at a sales call or somebody trying to get me to work in a porn film or something. I will be right back. I am going to see if this mystery number left me a message. My bet is that there is no message.

There was no telephone message - shocking. I bet caller ID has killed the business of these types of vultures (pun intended) trying to sell us crap that we don't or lie to about us things about how their service or product is so great.

I probably will not blog again until Monday sometime but I may surprise you and I and blog in the meantime anyway just to spite myself. That is not against any of the the top ten life rules is it?

I thought Max von Sydow was still alive anyway

Is Max von Sydow still alive? I think I will check when I am done writing which will be very soon. Okay, I could not wait. He is still alive and, ironically (or coincidentally) again, he is in the new Star Wars film (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) which opens at midnight tonight or tomorrow morning depending on which way you look at it.

Okay, that's it for me today. I will let you know in the usual manners when I blog again. Thank you for checking-in. I wish I had more interesting things to write about today but I feel a bit more boring than usual today. TTT?...MITM (out) TA!

Let's Us Stay in the Black for a Change

This one would be a cool one to have I think

Yesterday I wrote about Pete Rose not being reinstated into Major League Baseball and having a guarantee of getting into the hall-of-fame. He was denied this chance because he did not "reconfigure his life" as was the main criteria for him becoming part of MLB again. I read this morning that he makes over $1,000,000 a year signing autographs at the Field of Dreams store inside Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas a couple of hours a day four days a week. It costs $75 to watch Charlie Hustle sign your 8" X 10" picture, $99 for a signed baseball and $99 for a photo printed and signed on the spot. It is said that he would make more money in five years than he will the entire time he has been there if he could add "HOF" (Hall of Fame) to his signature. The whole idea of autographs seems silly to me these days. When I was young I was always big on getting autographs of famous people and I have many but now I think it is silly, If they put it at the bottom of a check I think I would probably start collecting autographs again. I bet he blows much of the money he gets from the autographs right there at Caesar's Palace. The highest purchased autographs ever (at least on record) were: George Washington's Act of Congress signed by the father of our country himself ($9.8 million) and Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation signed by the great emancipator himself ($3.7 million).

643,000 in Los Angeles don't have to go to school today as all of the schools were shut-down due to an unspecified threat. This included all schools from grade schools though high schools. This is similar to what was happening to universities not long ago (including the one right here in the town where I currently hang my hat. It seems to me like this is some kind of a secret competition between a couple of groups of anti-establishment types. This is just happening too frequently now. Or is it just the same people doing it over and over to see how far they can go without getting caught?| It's like they get off on the rush as if it is a huge game of Dungeons and Dragons for them. Why schools? Because our children are the most precious things and they want to create the most terror? I have about twenty theories as to who they may be and why this keeps happening. My theories are probably all incorrect.

ALL Los Angeles schools closed today because of threat

Sixty years ago today Johnny Cash visited Folsom County Prison and recorded the album (Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison) that would help Joaquin (Leaf) Phoenix's acting career. I like the film Walk the Line I have to admit. I heard a lot of Johnny Cash as a youngster as my parents listened to him a great deal but I didn't really start appreciating him. I am kind of surprised he wasn't a member of the Traveling Wilburys with Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynn, Willie Nelson and George Harrison. I guess the Wilburys started because Harrison needed a B-side for This is Love and his buddies happened to be doing stuff in other studios at Warner Brothers Studios and magic just happened as it many times does, Too bad you weren't there that day Johnny.

I heard on the radio that retail sales are down this holiday season and it is being blamed on the unseasonable nice weather in most of the country. Because of this many retailers made their Cyber Monday sales last an entire week. Some of the biggies that extended their on-line sales were: Macy's, J.C. Penny. Kohl's, Target, Walmart, Amazon... There have been many, many more sales than I have ever seen before this time of the year. I just don't even fall for them any longer. It just goes to show that we can control the market and prices if we stick together and don't buckle to all of the retail hype and peer pressures that many Americans exhibit. I have been guilty of this many times over the years but, with age, comes wisdom. It also shows that they are gouging us with their prices as they can lower the prices when they need to recoup their money. I am sick of capitalism.

Why should we all be the only ones in the red?

I have to get some more things done so I had better wrap-up. Today we finally get the new dishwasher installed that we bought over two or three weeks ago. The Whirlpool one we bought was out of stock and we had to wait for it to come in and then get scheduled with the installer. I don't suppose that got figured into the low retail sales because we bought it before the holiday rush. I have been washing dishes by hand since we bought it because the old one doesn't drain the water properly and didn't clean them well enough anyway. One of the things I need to get done is to wash the dishes by hand one more time. Maybe I should just put them in the oven so we can try out the new dishwasher right away? No, I will wash them and hold the excitement until after we have dinner dishes tonight.

I hope you have a great rest of your Tuesday and thank you, for always for stopping by. Keep the pressure on by not shopping. Retail is like the stock market right now - let's wait until the prices are low before we buy like crazy again. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

For Pete's Sake Pierce Brosnan

Back home again after a weekend in the south. It was very nice weather all weekend; it was in the upper 60's temperature-wise. We helped Splenda get ready for her art show that begins next weekend. She graduates from college next week. The drive home was rainy nearly the entire way. We figured that we would be home at midnight but we got here at about 22:30.

I just got back from a doctor's appointment just a bit ago and my blood pressure seems to be elevated; we all have to die of something and my head will just explode I guess. Maybe it was from driving from Southern Illinois to Northern Illinois in pouring down rain last night. My weight is a bit elevated from my last visit to see him too. Doctors seldom have good things to say unless they are delivering babies. It must be a depressing job giving people bad news all the time. I guess they can get over that easy since they probably get all the good drugs. I have to have some lab work done whenever I feel like it. I could have had them done today but I had put some Dasani flavoring in my water this morning. I had nothing else to eat or drink since about 18:00 last night/

I am so sick of advertisements in every form and fashion; on radio, in magazine and newspapers, on television, before movies in the theater, billboards, on buses... Now that I think about it I don't mind ads that are product placements in shows but not mentioned. If they show someone drinking a certain brand of beverage or eating a snack in a movie or on a television program I think that it is clever and I actually admire that as long as it doesn't take me away from the story.

Typing the word "movies" reminded me that Cha Cha and I saw a movie while I was on my blogging hiatus. We saw the new James Bond film Spectre. I was very curious after Pierce Brosnan bad-mouthed the film though he said Daniel Craig did a great job. I think Brosnan is just angry that he isn't Bond anymore and Daniel Craig is the actor that replaced him. Brosnan played Bond in: Die Another Day, Goldeneye, The World is Not Enough, and Tomorrow Never Dies. I think Craig is the best Bond of all though Connery was pretty damn good. I really liked the film. It did not seem too long to me, as Brosnan said, but I do agree with him the Craig did a great job. I wonder who the next Bond will be? I think Craig will do three more films and then they will switch actors again. That is just based on a hunch that I have.

Is that Pete Rose or Lou Costello?

Today was the day that Pete Rose was to find out whether or not Major League Baseball Commissioner Ron Manfred would lift his ban of Pete Rose from baseball. When the two met in September Rose told the Commissioner that he still bets on baseball today in Las Vegas where he currently lives. The Commissioner said that Rose "does not present credible evidence of a reconfigured life either by an honest acceptance of him of his wrong doing. I was a huge Pete Rose fan as a kid and I still have a folder somewhere with all of the newspaper and magazine clippings of his achievements. My parents even took us to a Reds' game in Cincinnati when the Big Red Machine was at their height of success. I am disappointed but I do agree with the Commissioners' decision. What kind of reformed gambling addict live in Las Vegas? One that doesn't ever intend to stop. I enjoy playing poker and blackjack but I, fortunately, know when to quit. I can see how one can get sucked-in if they are a celebrity that everyone extends credit to. I wonder if all of my Pete Rose cards baseball cards are worthless now?

Okay, I have to get dinner started. Thanks for stopping by; I always appreciate you giving me a reason to write; I suppose this blog is one of my addictions. I hope you have a great night. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

The Old Dear Mr. Helser Letter Huh?

 Maybe I should just listen to the horse's mouth 

I got some mail from Mayo Clinic yesterday afternoon. I knew it was regarding whether I made the cut or not. I think the last time I received a letter that would send my life in one direction or another was college acceptance letters (what are they called if you are not accepted?). I assumed that the Mayo letter came in letter-form rather than a phone call that it was not news that they were excited to deliver. I opened the envelope please and did what people do people do with letters and upon reading it I realized it was going to be a rejections letter when it started, "Dear Mr. Helser Thank you for your request for an appointment at Mayo Clinic. waiting for the other shoe to drop We appreciate the confidence you have expressed in us. waiting for the other shoe to drop Unfortunately, there's the other shoe I was waiting for we are unable..." The letter went on to recommend some other places to try in their network and if I "strongly desire an appointment" that I could "obtain and send us a referral letter from the provider most familiar with your medical situation..." So much for the parts of the Hippocratic Oath that says, "I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of over-treatment and therapeutic nihilism." and the part that says, "I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick." I searched for the punishment for breaking the oath. I suppose they could call the oath "you're on your own and we will pretend like we care oath." 

I thought I heard that the new Point Break movie is rated PG-15. Why would they remake that movie? Is there really a PG-15 or did I hear that wrong? I cannot imagine they can do that script any justice without totally rewriting it. Maybe just changing Keanu Reeves would help? I suppose the 1991 version one was okay for what it was. I think I just like to have new, different, stories. 
I heard line yesterday that I liked a great deal and thought I would just share it for what it is. I had heard it several years ago but, as we do in the Google-Effect age I had forgotten it - "The human spirit is more powerful than any drug and that is what needs to be nourished. Work, play, friendship, family... these are the things that matter. This is what we have forgotten; the simplest things."  I am not sure if British neurologist Oliver Sacks said these words but I like them no MATTer where they come from. 

I think some of the spacing  and maybe some of the background color in today's blog may be messed-up and I don't have the inclination to try to figure it out since I am kind of pressed for time today. Sorry if it caused you discomfort or seizures or fits of rage and exasperation... That was not my intention and I did try to fix it ever so briefly. Diversity is the spice of life.

I am traveling today and tomorrow so I am happy to be able to blog this morning before my next leg of this journey. My travelling companion is ** years old she is the wife of my first marriage (no I am not going to Graceland though that would not be too much of a journey). I am certain I will not be able to blog tomorrow but I am certain of quite a few things that I turn-out to be wrong about like maybe mis-hearing a PG-13 as a PG-15? So, don't be surprised if I do blog.

Thank you, so very much, for stopping by. Also, thank you for continue to encourage me to write as I do love writing and discovering new things to write about. I hope you have a splendid day and I wish you happiness. TTTT?...MITM (out) TA!

Happy Irony Day or is it Just Coincidence Day?

Dr. Stephen Maturin from one of my favorite films of all time

As usual I have very little on my mind but I will blog anyway.

I think my neurologist is just throwing medicines at me to see what will stick. My investigation is that he gives me samples that the pharmaceutical reps give him. Is there money to be made in the medical community? I guess everyone is out for our money aren't they? It is a poor way to treat a problem and I am sick of it (pun intended). I have decided to choose which of the meds I will take and which I will not. I am being careful about it and will ignore no signs either one way or another. I began this procedure yesterday even though I do not know the wisdom of this decision. I am going to begin to think of my doctors as offensive and defensive coordinators and myself as the head coach (pun not intended but recognized and appreciated). He who would make a pun would pick a pocket.

Ha, ironies of ironies - I just got an email on my wristwatch from TruGreen that reads "last chance to save on ice melt." Is there green ice? Maybe a diamond? I suppose TruGreen Ice does have to keep the lights on when nobody is getting their lawns sprayed for bugs and fertilized... Are they called wristwatches anymore? I am talking about the one that counts my steps and takes my pulse... I guess we have wristcomputers now huh?

Dirty Laundry Podcast will be only three degrees from John Fogerty soon

Cha Cha took our new mixing board with her to work today. A lady that she works with is married to a chap that does a lot of professional recording and is going to help us to get the podcast up-and-running again. I do not want to do the show the way we did it before. We just had one studio microphone and the sound suffered from time-to-time I felt. This would allow everyone to have their own microphones. We went to a dinner party one night with the guy who is looking at it and earlier in the day of that party he had been working with one of John Fogerty's drummers, Kenny Aronoff, laying down some tracks. Aronoff is probably most known as John Cougar Mellencamp's drummer for close to 20 years. So, I suppose he guy looking at our set-up knows what he is doing quite a bit better than I do with a mixing board. Hopefully, soon I will know a bit more than I do know now though. Do you suppose the recording guy will want a photo of us to put on his wall with the other big recording artists he works with? We have worked with Emo Philips if that counts.

Another irony of today (or another coincidence) - I had the movie The Natural on in the background and, when it ended, Awakenings came on. Incidentally, also both very good films. It would have been much more ironic/coincidental if I were still writing the paragraph about the neurologist because, in this movie, Robin Williams plays a neurologist that helps people who are catatonic (fortunately I am not even close to that) "awaken." I am not sure if I can continue to find irony in this Freaky Friday but I will make a list and check it twice if I do and report back later (probably tomorrow). As this movie is going on I am finding many more ironies and coincidences - perhaps everything in the universe IS about me after-all. Spoiler alert - I don't think I ever suffered from encephalitis. Not in this life anyway. I have been told many times that I have what could be considered just the opposite of encephalitis. Supposedly, often times, that disease has mild flu-like symptoms and, for the past couple of months or so, I have had a problem with my left ear popping and hurting mainly when I yawn. I should try to yawn during the day or just quite yawning all together (did you just say " yawn?"). I have yawned three times since I first typed "yawn." Proving, once again, that I am weak-minded.

Okay, it's  a bit after noon already and I have some things I need to get done before my day really begins. Thank you for stopping in. I hope you have a great Friday. I think I will be able to blog tomorrow but it may be an abbreviated blog as I have a big weekend ahead of me and I hope you do too (and that it is all on the plus-side). TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Still Alive!

I am SUPER NERD! 

It has been almost a week since I last blogged (will be a week tomorrow) and I thought it was time to blog again. I just had a lot of things that needed to get done so last Friday I wrote that I would not blog for awhile and that allowed me to get many of the things done; most of them actually. It was also fortuitous that you did not expect a blog because Fabio got sick and I took him to the doctor a couple of times in that time and drove him to school (Waubonsee Community College) and hung-out in the library for about five hours reading a couple of days ago. Waubonsee is where Cha Cha and I met when we both worked on the newspaper and the television station and without Waubonsee Fabio (and Splenda) would not exist. Wow, has that place grown and changed. Anyway, Fabio is better (about 85% good). They are still not sure but they think he may have had mononucleosis and he was definitely dehydrated. He also had a temperature of a bit above 103. Yesterday he was back to 98.6 and seems to feel alright. He has another doctor's appointment next week - I know it is really just so they can get another $20 co-pay out of us but that is okay. It was probably worth that so he could get a doctor's note for work since he works in the deli at a grocery store at probably should not be around food if he is sick. This is the first time he has ever been sick and, when I took the note into his boss, she seemed concerned about him because she knew he must have been pretty sick.

Speaking of libraries our new library here in DeKalb is closed. I went to take back one of the books yesterday that I got done reading and I saw that they will now be closed until January 18th. That explains why my books are not due back until January 20th. Usually they are only loaned for 30 days but this was due in 60 days: I thought I was just special (yes, I know). I was able to drop the book in the new slot of the remodeled library. I would say that the new library is about three times the size of the old one. That is all pretty nice for a guy who still uses his library card.

I am just about ready to begin the writing process of my novel. I will begin by planning a tentative map/outline of where I want to go with the story. I know the map will change many, many times as I travel through the writing process before I reach the destination (the words THE END though I may use FINIS) but I need a map to get to where I hope to arrive. Just like any journey we make in our lives, however, there will always be obstacles and washed-out roads or paths and rockfalls and inclement weather but those are what, many times, make the journey more memorable and worth taking.

I got the holiday tree up this morning. We have always called it a Christmas tree but with all of the political rhetoric going on about refugees and Muslims I won't use that term this year. Unless this country shows me that we care about the huddled masses that almost all of our ancestors were I will not be in the true feeling of Christmas.

All of a sudden I have started to sweat and I feel light-headed and my chest aches and my feet and hands and elbows are tingling. I guess I had better finish this novel faster than I thought. The aforementioned phenomena only went on for about three or four minutes and now my arms and feet are still tingling and I am sweating a bit. I just got done exerting myself while carrying several loads of stuff upstairs and maybe that is all it is? I just told Jill that I thought I had turned a corner and was feeling better and JINX! Perhaps I am just fat and old (no maybes on those two) and I pushed myself too hard over the last few weeks. I have also been doing some health experimentation and perhaps I have a speed-bump in my own treatment. It could also be that I have been pushing myself kind of hard today and it just caught up with me. I also have been awake since about 02:00 and it is 13:45 right now. Maybe I should take a nap? If I do and don't awake please have Cha Cha to try the old Sleeping Beauty and Snow White treatment though it would be more like Napping Ugly and Sweaty Beige in my case I guess.

It has been a few minutes since I wrote that last paragraph and, other than still feeling tired I feel better. I think I may take a nap before I get the trash together; tomorrow is garbage day.

Thanks for stopping by today; sorry for the unexpected drama. I am pretty sure that I will blog again tomorrow though I do not promise that at this point. Have a great rest of your day. TTTT?...MITM (out) TA!

I'll Blog You When I blog You

The recent San Bernardino shooting was tragic but all of the news coverage seems to be just as disturbing to me. Many reports I have heard basically tell how to make these bombs and how to carry-out one of these kinds of attacks. I have heard where we should hide if we are in a place that comes under such an attack. So, if I hide where the media tells me to hide the terrorists who listen to the coverage because they love the coverage will know exactly where I am hiding. I do not think I would hide if this happened where I was I would act. I am not suggesting everyone should act as not everyone should act. Maybe it because I trained for such an issue but,even it I weren't, I would not let a group of these kinds of people kill a building full of people. Our media feeds right into what these people what and it sickens me.

I guarantee the same thing is under every shell in this game

I had some big issues with the people at the Merlin 200,000 Mile Shop (formerly Merlin's Mufflers and Brakes). I have been going there for several years and I will not ever go back. I used to always change my own oil in the cars but it got to be more of a hassle than it was worth. I am going to send the Merlin's corporate headquarters an email later today but I did not want it to be filled with the pain, frustration and anger... so I did not write to them yesterday. I am not sure what I hope to accomplish by writing this letter but, if I had a business and did not know, I would want to know so I could maybe fix the issues.This was not one of the issues yesterday but I think I have written about how they ALWAYS find something wrong with my vehicles and they have a price ready for them to fix them. The last time I was there they gave me a long list of things supposedly wrong with the JEEP. We have the extended warranty on the JEEP that is still good so I took it to the dealer where we bought it. They checked and found no problems. Interestingly, nothing was fixed by the dealer but Merlin's did not find these same problems that they supposedly found last time this time. Did these terrible, costly things just miraculously fix themselves? I understand the art of up-selling but I also understand preying on people and the difference between the two. I cannot imagine how many young people or older people fall for this kind of practice. I really do believe these things are scare-tactics.

I think I am going to end now. I have a couple of large projects I need to tackle and there is no time to begin like the present. I hope you have a great day. I am not sure if and when I will blog again. I imagine I will but I do not know when. Behave yourself until I come back. TTT??????...MITM (out) TA!

Welcome to Limboland

Proof that they exist and that CAT is a real word

Cat was not an acceptable word on Words With Friends for me last night. It was the first word so there was no problem with it. Tac, however, was acceptable. How come spellchecker is letting me type it here without incident? I had the same problem again this morning with the word The so I passed. I believe there is something wrong with this particular game because all of the other games I am playing work fine. I think I will win the game with the word Tac. And I wonder why I am crazy. 

Why are 200 boots on the ground considered 200 soldiers? Do we have that many one-footed soldiers? And, if they say we are sending 200 people why do they say they are sending 200 troops? When I was a kid a troop was a bunch of boy scouts or girl scouts. A troop could be ten or twenty kids.

I found some stuff that I wrote for the blog on November 26 that I did not publish. I will add it here in italics without re-reading it.

Last night Jill and I watched a show while we ate dinner. We had recorded Eddie Murphy receiving his Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center. I am not sure why they call it a prize rather than an award. Since it was on PBS I am assuming that it will show again. Eddie Murphy has to be one of the funniest people in the history of comedy (I believe that is since the beginning of time). If you get a chance to see it, and you like comedy, you will enjoy the show. A lot of really funny people honored Eddie and they show a lot of clips of him being hilarious in many different ways. He seems very humble for as much money as he has made for many people.

I have been listening to the news while I get ready for the big cooking and overeating day tomorrow. I am so tired of hearing the term "boots on the ground" when the news agencies and politicians talk about sending ground troops to a conflict or skirmish or a war. These boots that we put on the ground protect the feet of someone's mom or dad or cousin or son or daughter or friend... Do you think, by using the words "boots on the ground," that we will forget that you are sending people to fight and, possibly die for the freedoms and ways of life we have come accustomed to? I also think of the song Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival when I hear this term. The people who coined this phrase probably aren't having their loved-ones with boots on the ground unless they are going by choice - probably against their family's wishes.

Back to today from the past --- I think it is odd that I spoke about boots on the ground and I did that again today. I did not proofread the old stuff so I will not accept responsibility for any mistakes. Okay, I will accept the mistakes. That is one thing I am still good at - making mistakes.

We have snow on the ground again but, fortunately, there is none on the streets or sidewalks/driveways... It looks very nice in the trees and the bushes.

Sorry, I just had to leave for a bit to go get gas for Cha Cha's car while she got dressed for work. That is what gentlemen do for the people that they love.

I don't have to go back and see him until February. So, I am in state of limbo right now. I have volunteered at a couple of local charitable businesses and am waiting for them to call me back. I won't bore you with what he told me but it was not that bad. I still am not cleared to work overnights so I guess a job as the overnight deejay job in Chicago is out for now.

Thank you for coming by. Try to keep your boots off the ground today. Have a great day and be thankful that the snow is not on the roads in the MIDDLEwest. I hope you're as fortunate where you are. TTTT...MITM (oot) TA!

Half-Fast Blog Again

I am in a particular mood today that I do not much care for but there is very little I seem to be able to do about it. Because of that I don;t know how this writing will go today; I suppose it is the same way most days that I write. Many days I make lists of things that have struck my attention and I will write about those thing. More often, however, I just begin writing and things pour out of my fingers. I am not sure of this will go fast or slow but I am assuming it will go half-fast.

I wish the Presidential election procedure could be changed to some kind of a meter that measures when everyone is done hearing the rhetoric and bologna and nonsense the candidates were dishing-out. If that were the case the election would have been held about a year ago. I am so tired of all the wind-bag gas I have been hearing. We cannot escape it. You would think that most people would be on their best behaviors when trying to get a party nomination but that does not seem to be the norm these days. It is more like some of the candidates just act stupid (perhaps they are not acting) and say ridiculous things just to get their name in the news. Are the American people really dumb enough to just vote for somebody simple because they have heard the name? I sure hope that is not the case.

I am working on another big job in the house today. There is always something to do in our homes isn't there? I think I am wasting my time on this one but I hope I am wrong.

Later this afternoon I am going to waste my time seeing my neurologist again. I feel like I am a dartboard and he is just throwing darts at me to see if they will stick. I suppose that makes me a crash test dummy. I sure wish Mayo Clinic would get back to me so I know where I stand with them. I am assuming that I am not enough of a hard-luck case to warrant an audience with them. I don't know much about what they do but it has always been my feeling that they take more hard-luck cases than mine. I have been reading a lot about Alzheimer's Disease and I worry that I am showing early signs of it. I imagine any neurological issue shows the same signs. Not that I am not a lost cause but I am not at the point where I think they help people. Maybe I will get worse and then they will see me? I suppose I would just rather muddle along than get worse.

 It makes be happy so I believe it. Only 39% happier though 

I am going to stop and volunteer for another place in the community on the way to the appointment. I like to help people and causes and, with having extra time on my hands from time-to-time these days, I will help where I can. Isn't that what we are supposed to do as members of a society? Help others?

I have to check and see which tire of the FIAT is low. The light is lit that says the tires are low. It does not say which tire and they all look okay by sight so I am guessing one is a little low. In the winter it makes even more sense to have them all properly inflated. It is probably just a bit low but a bit can make a big difference.

I have to stop now. It just dawned on me that it is December 1 and that may be why I am so moody (I didn't have a problem at the end of the month of November and this is probably just my usual end-of-the-month Mattstruation). I hope you have a great rest of your day and I hope that I can find the low tire and get a good report at the doctor. There are other things I hope and wish but hopes and wishes and prayers are all only a roll of the dice or a turn of the card. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Bog Day for History Today

Today is Cyber Monday and who cares. I am so tired of all these gimmicks to try to get our money. I heard on the radio that this is now Cyber Week as there are internet deals available all this week. I suppose next year we will have Cyber Month and then Cyber Quarter and so on and so on...

More importantly than this capitalistic greed is something much more monumental that happened on December first (tomorrow) in 1955. I mention it now because I will probably forget to mention it by the time the actual anniversary (tomorrow) arrives. Tomorrow is the date in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama when an African American seamstress refused to give-up her seat for a white man even though she was sitting in the, so called, black section of the bus. It seems that Rosa Parks was destined to do this because twelve years prior to this now famous and monumental act she was getting on a bus and the bus driver made her exit and go and enter the bus though the rear door (the black entrance). While she walked back to the rear door the driver closed the doors and drove off without her. I am really glad that I was not a black person back then because I do not have near the patience and discipline to have endured what these people had to demonstrate. I have so much respect for people like Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, Jackie Robinson and many many others that had the will and bravery to stand-up for what was right.

It was so nice having Splenda home for Thanksgiving. We will see her again in a couple of weeks and then again at Christmas time. While she was home we went shopping (all four of us for a change) for the underprivileged children for Christmas. Cha Cha drove four names from the names at her work so we would have one child for the each of us. I believe Santa Claus is going to deliver the toys. The most difficult item to get was the Fartblaster 2. Luckily, while we drove through the St. Charles / Geneva area Cha Cha Googled the Fartblaster and found one left at Target. She bought it on-line and it was waiting for us at Target when we arrived there. Karma paid us back but allowing us to get gas for only $1.72 per gallon when it is $1.99 here in DeKalb.

What more do you need in a haunted town than a tavern?

I am watching what I am eating again; I have decided that I really do not want to weigh 300 pounds as I had aimed to do a couple of weeks ago. I now have a new target of around 175 again. I guess that is a big difference isn't it? That will probably be easier than going up to 300.

I read that there is a town in South Dakota for sale for $250,000. The town is called Swett and it is only six acres of land but how cool would it be to own your own town? Maybe if I could get five partners and we all pitched-in $41,667 each we could buy the town and each have one acre lots for our homes. Maybe a little smaller than an acre so we could have a small downtown. There is already one house there that is supposed to be haunted and a closed bar. We can open the bar and call ourselves a ghost town and maybe get our money back as a tourist trap? I would like to change the name of the town though. Who wants to travel to a town named Swett?

One of my favorite people still on this planet just sent me a message telling me that today, in addition to Rosa Parks' big move, is also Samuel Langhorn Clemens' birthday. She knows that he is another of my favorite people who was ever lived on this planet. November 30th is a monumental day on Earth. Maybe I should buy that town and rename it Twain or Langhorn or something. Ironically, Splenda and I went on a ghost hunting overnight tour with this same favorite person and now she mentions Twain's birthday while I am writing about the ghost town for sale. Is that the cosmos telling me that I need to buy Swett? I think the new town name should be Spooky, South Dakota or Haunted, South Dakota or something along those lines. Creepy? Scary? Ghostly? It seems like it is destined to be. In a sort of related point - though Clemens grew-up in a slave state (Missouri) I believe he was anti-slavery. I base this on my reading many of his works and visiting his home town many times. It is difficult to say whether I am correct or not but I hope that I am. One of his most famous books had a runaway slave as one of the main characters and that character was good friends with the main character - Huckleberry Finn.

Okay, I have been writing this off-and-on for the last couple of hours. I have to get some more laundry started and start thinking about dinner, I am thinking turkey hot dogs. I will do mine with no buns now that I no longer want to weigh 300 pounds; it would be a lot easier if I just kept that as one of my goals. I hope you have a great rest of your day and night and, as always. I thank you for stopping by. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Insert Your Own Clever Title About Ivory Poachers, The YMCA and Alcatraz Here!

This makes me very, very sad. Though these are Rangers trying to stop it.

Again I did not get a chance to blog yesterday. With Splenda being home for Thanksgiving we have been spending a lot of time with her, It is only 07:02 on Sunday morning right now and she is still asleep so I am blogging and will finish before she gets up for the day. She will head back to southern Illinois this afternoon. Cha Cha has been helping her with her final college project/presentation a bit and we went and bought her the materials she needs for that project. We also bought a new dishwasher and we will find out tomorrow when that will arrive. I am assuming it will be installed this week.

I am kind of sad this morning because I turned on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel while I let the sleep drain from my mind and eyes and there was a story about the hunting and slaughter of African elephants for their ivory. I am a sucker for all animals and this saddened me greatly. There are even park rangers that dress like and train like a military group to battle these poachers.They even wear camouflage uniforms and carry assault weapons. The statistics of the loss of the elephants were very alarming - about a generation ago (around 1979) there were about 1,500,000 wild African elephants and today there are only about 400,000 alive. We can manufacture plastic and wood to look and feel just like ivory so why do people think they have to destroy an entire species of animal on our planet for it? I am sad most days anymore and this made it just worse today.

We were going to go over to the YMCA today and join again but we saw their hours and the cost and decided that it is less expensive to just spend the money on food and stay fat. Our YMCA has a pool that members can use in our old high school but the hours to use it are 05:00 - 0700. What the hell good is that? It's a place of intolerance anyway with YMCA being an acronym for Young Men's Christian Association. I am not young, half of my immediate family (and the best parts) are women, I would not call myself Christian for various reasons and I don't like to be associated with things all the time. It sounds more like segregation than anything; I am sure they will take anyone's money though. It's interesting how money seems to squelch segregation many times.

I just saw a report of the laziest cities in the country listed state-by-state. It has a lot to do with median income and activity, of course. I think people all over the country read this blog from time-to-time but three of the states that I know that have regular readers are: Colorado. Illinois and Wisconsin so I will tell you their laziest cities. In Colorado it is Pueblo, in Illinois it is Carbondale/Marion and, in Wisconsin it is Fond du Lac. If you are interested in your state or in giving some of your lazy friends grief here is a link to the article. I found it funny while I sit on my lazy butt blogging.

Sadly, Splenda goes back to the laziest city in our state later today. I wonder if laziest cities have prisons in them. I know Marion, Illinois has a very large federal prison that is where many of the prisoners were moved-to when Alcatraz closed. I drove out to the prison when I was in college down there. One of my friend's roommates was doing a paper on federal prisons and he needed a ride to go on his tour of the prison. I had a car so I drove him out there. It was pretty scary for a 20-year-old to drive into that complex with his orange Ford Pinto with the guards with their sub-machine guns staring down at him. I got yo go to a waiting room while my passenger went inside the big house to interview some prisoners. I would have loved to go further into the jail but it is cool just to say that I was inside Marion. I have also been inside Alcatraz too when I was a kid on vacation in California.

You can see why they called it "The Rock!"

It always surprises me where I go with the blog when I start writing. I guess it is just like a conversation that starts one place and goes in several different directions before winding-up coming back to just about the same place that it began. Even the voices in my head have mixed conversations. I bet you;re thinking about all the voices in your head too, aren't you?

Thank you for stopping by today. It looks like a fairly nice day outside. I am happy for that with Splenda driving six hours later today. I am a worrier and I always worry about everybody I know and love. If I know you but don't love you I will just worry a little. It is safe to say that the people that I know who read this at least semi-regularly I worry about you quite often. I want the best for you as I hope you do for me as well. Have a great weekend and I will try really hard to blog on Monday. I will also work on getting those before and after photos of the kitchen now that the holiday weekend is winding down. TTTMonday...MITM (out) TA!