April 11d 16

Has it REALLY been a week? Seven (7) whole days? Where has the time gone & what have I been up to ? I can hear the herd clambering to know. The news is next …

While I cannot get into the minutia, I certainly can hit the highest highlights.

I have a job. That sounds so, so odd & crude. Well, I guess it is. Starting in a couple of weeks after I get all the shots, some training and probably a transfusion or five, I will be answering the phone ‘Home Depot, Electrical & Lighting, how can I assist you today ?’

That’s right. Yours truly will be bleeding orange as WE say. But only part time and for the smallest of salaries, (OK, HOURLY wage), one can imagine.

SO WHY DID YOU SELL OUT ?

Well, Virginia, the B & B was not generating sufficient revenue, the benefits were shall we say lagging and 'the cost of living' was escalating. Some times it was OK but at other times the ‘structure’ itself was the missing link. Getting up, getting ready & being SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE on time.

NOW THAT'S WEIRD ...

Besides, at 20-27 hours per week, an initial goal MIGHT be to reach full time status. Lord knows if this will work out short term, long term or IF at all. No backing out now that's for sure.

WHAT ELSE ?

Isn’t that enough ? In theory, this report could end right now with the sheer size of this announcement & all of the ramifications but no. I press forth.

OK. The art projects continue. High gear today on painting tropical fish.

Overcast at the moment & rain is forecast so no bike ride is likely. Kind of on the cool side but it should be warming later.

Yesterday I helped Patty at the Oak Cliff Earth Day event peopling the booth for the Sierra Club.

One cannot say ‘manning the booth’ anymore. Another sad testament of where our society is, how far it has slipped and NO telling how much further the free-fall will continue.

It was very windy all day Sunday & it was a good thing for the club I WAS there. With very limited resources & being slightly under-prepared, I cobbed up things and the SC had way fewer issues with the high wind gusts when one kicked up & sent others paperwork flying.

No more details on that and to close I will say that the people watching at the event was in a word this time frightening. I am thinking these people really do not have anything better to do. Speaking strictly for myself, I could have easily spent ALL DAY painting, carving, reading or watching the Masters but I had made this commitment to Patty some time ago so it was kind of imperative that I follow up, follow thru and/or make good on my word.

So I set the cable box to record the Masters & watched it when I got home. My favorite and probably the favorite of many, one J Spieth, collapsed & tanked finishing in second place to Dan Willet from UK. Willit or won’t it ?

One (myself) feels a twinge of sympathy or empathy for the Spieth lad but he should have stayed in school. I mean he was starting to get & BE EVERYWHERE. And having ATT for a sponsor and in all the obnoxious COMMERCIALS on telly. Crickey !!

Especially the one with T the homo Romo, QB for the local town football team. Yuck-oh. Makes me want to CANCEL my service(s).

Moving along, later this morning a telecon with author Dale Arden. Taking about the latest book project, woodworking & networking.

I started the next, ‘new’ colossal read. OMG. One THOUSAND (1000) pages EXACTLY. The Birth of the Modern World Society 1815 – 1830 by Paul Johnson.

This is one of the many books from the estate sale at Martha’s last fall. Just starting and looks like it will be a while getting thru THIS one.

I played hockey with a Paul Johnson. The NICEST guy on the planet until he jumped over the boards & got on the ice. At that moment in time he became a BEAST. A cussing, swearing little hot-head that could and would skate like the wind. One game he was my center & told me to set up near the net & angle the blade of my stick towards the goal.

Abbreviating the long story, I did as he instructed, he skated around like a gnat with the puck, eventually shot the puck, off my blade ricocheting it off & into the next. I called it extreme talent on his part as he got credit for only an assist & I got credit for a goal. I mean it was over before I realized what happened & I scored. Guys were coming over. Even Paul himself to bump gloves & helmets. What had I done other than follow directions & get into position ?

It was a great moment that will always be a very fond memory. There is a lesson there I am sure but other activities are now calling and a formal Lesson Learned is defying documentation at teh moment.

OK. No more rambling this day.

I have letters & correspondences to write, calls to make and plans to address as well. Projects galore and get ready for the Wood Extravaganza 7 May.

Mucho trabajo por hacer, hasta la proxima vez.