The Brain was out of luck this week.  I'm referring to a cartoon called Pinky and the Brain.  It was a cartoon based on two mice, Pinky, and the Brain.  Pinky was the idiot, while Brain was the one with the grand plan to take over the world.

 

Think of Ned Beatty's Otis and Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor from Superman: The Movie.

 

Unlike the super evil geniuses of Lex Luthor and Brain, my minion Pinky hindered personal plans.

 

I refer to pinkeye.  I was supposed to go home to visit my morhter this weekend, but mid-week, I couldn't open my eyes, or at least my right one.  It happens to be my good eye.

 

I went into work, knowing that I needed help.  I told my boss the situation, and he told me to talk to his boss (a man I respect a lot), and so I went to him.

 

I will put it this way: I have bosses that we all wish we all could have.  This man took me to the hospital, helped me with my paperwork, took me to Wal-Mart to pick up the prescription for the medication for curing my pinkeye, and helped me find an eye doctor that would get me glasses in a hurry, allow payments, be in our insurance network (Wal-Mart isn't), and do payment plans.  Surprisingly, the first place I checked out after leaving Wal-Mart offered all of these services.

 

I am still waiting on getting my glasses, but considering how wierd my prescription is, I wasn't surprised that I would have to wait.  I called my dad, and explained the situation.  I so badly wanted to go home.  Family was there (a surprise birthday party for a siter-in-law is for this weekend,)

 

As much as I wanted to go home, I chose to stay home.  My concern is, I doubt I could be allowed near my mother.  Also, I did not want to be around family, for fear of infecting them,

 

Not to mention, I've missed several days of work without pay.  Once I get my glasses, I pretty much will be working major overtime next week to make up hours for this past one, and possibly part of Monday.

 

The good news is I am getting new glasses out of this experience (my only pair I owned most recently were irrepairibly broken over a year ago.  The legacy of having zero insurance).  Appearntly, with me using contacts (in general), I was a prime target for getting infected.

Thank you, Pinky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am going to admit that I grew up as a Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins fan as a child.  I never lost faith with Miami, but I did with the Vikings, when back in 1989, they made the stupidest trade ever.  They traded for Hershal Walker to the Dallas Cowboys for five draft picks that eventually helped that team win Super Bowls in the early-to-mid 1990s.

 

You might ask, "Why is Scott bringing up that point?"  I bring it up, because, I was not even ALIVE when the Super Bowl was first invented and played.

 

Mr. McGee truly made history.  He was the first man to catch a touchdown pass in Super Bowl history.  He, sadly, was the first subject of contraversial storyline for the spectacle that we watch each January.  Mind you, when Mr. McGee played, the halftime was a marching band.  I do not know about advertising back in that day, but I assume it wasn't great compared to what it is now.

 

Max McGee was the best at the game, and openly admitted that he was hung over before the biggest game of his life.  Yet, he played, did his job, and became a champion.

 

The reason why Mr. McGee is a hero to me is the fact that he was honest.  And strikingly, he died doing any chore a real man would do.  I personally hate hieghts.  He was doing a job that a man should do to keep his home.  Sadly, he simply...

 

Fell.

 

May you rest in Peace, sir.  May you rest.

 

May you catch many touchdowns in Heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, you don't?

 

May you understand my views

It's so hard

I love all my music

 

 

Filter it all to what you want

it to be

all you hear and see

and the words you hear and speak

 

Be free in your life

That's my life

 

 

Truth is what you make

Faith is what you believe

It's just my point of view

But I believe in

You

 

 

This is a response to Obi-Wan's post about this subject.

 

I watched the piece on CBS yesterday, and I'm finding myself in this situation.  Some of my advice below could be listed as NB, but still...

 

1).  Know the other person's boundaries, even in public jest.  Especially in front of co-workers.  Don't cross them.  Unless the other person allows you to.

 

2).  As this is my profession (IT), use IM or email in any affair at your own risk.  Kiddies, this stuff is monitored.  If you cross the line via this route while at work, well, guess what?  It's evidence against you if things go bad.

 

3).  If you don't know how to read or use body language, learn the art.  It's a good skill to know in general.

 

4).  Ask co-workers about the person.  If you are comfortable with someone, express yourself alittle bit.  I've started this process, recently.  It's a confidence booster, but it also helps you guage what the other person is feeling.  Having different points of view is a good thing.

 

Just my own tips.

 

Monologue:

 

 

 

 

This is a very interesting album.

 

The mix reminds me of The Rising, The River, and Born to Run.  The songs are honest, raw, and very controversial.

 

It's like Bruce basically went right back to his early days, because the songs sound like they were written back at the end of the Vietnam War, when he first broke out.  However, instead of writing about motorcycles, cars, women, and people who wish they could get out of the troubles they're in, the songs are much more broad on that theme.  As in, he's talking about how we, as people, need to make our voices heard.

 

Probably the most poigniant song I've heard so far (I'm listening to the album as I write this) is Living in the Future.  Another one I like (because it reminds me of some of his serenade type songs; you know the types you would hear in a movie somewhere) called Girls in Their Summer Clothes.

 

Working For Your Love sounds like something that should have been on Born to Run.  The title track Magic sounds like something that should have been on his mid-90's album The Ghost of Tom Joad.

 

Last to Die is definately a song to the Bush administration:

 

"Who will be the last to die for a mistake,

Who will be the last to die for a mistake."

 

 

That's the final chorus.  He does have a verse earlier in the song that returns to 9-11, and The Rising. 

 

It's rather interesting that the his last album with the E-Street Band (The Rising) was about his thoughts of what happened on 9-11.  The pain and suffering the country felt after the tragedy.

 

Like the closing track of that album, City of Ruins, the closing track on this album Devil's Arcade is very appropos.  Don't let the title fool you.  The lyrics are profound.

 

Wow...HIDDEN TRACK!  Goddamn, Bruce, you ROCK!  I wanna say this one is called They Broke the Mold, because it's untitled, according to media player.

 

That one is awesome, because it's just him, an accoustic guitar, and harmonica.  Definately a song he wrote about the World Trade Center, and other achievements (Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, among others).

 

If you like Springsteen, I think you'll like this album.

 

Up next:

 

My review of Bob Ritchie's new one...:)

 

 

I don't officially own Kid Rock's new album, Rock 'N Roll Jesus, but if you go to his website, www.kidrock.com, the entire album can be hear there.

 

All I have to say is....

 

Between this album and Bruce Springsteen's Magic, I am a happy camper music wise.

 

On Kid's website, you can listen to everything in his catalogue, by album.  And from what I have heard on his new one...

 

Thank you, Bob.

 

Boss, on the other hand, just teases.  And from what I hear of that, it's damned good.

 

Thank you, Bruce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've had one hell of a week.

 

Work has been excessively busy this week for me...well, the last two have been actually.  Today, work actually went rather well.

 

But due to me not having my phone not up (again, due to a miscommunication with my provider), due to some emails between my dad and sister about a family thing (including what I will talk about in this post), and me simply getting busy enough to not have the time to make a phone call this morning, or not checking my email like I normally do in the morning before work...

 

Well, after putting in some more OT for some projects today than expected (I didn't want my partner to do all the work, so I decided to stay and help), I get home, and I check my email.

 

Appearantly, both my father and brother were trying to call me, and just minutes after I logged off, I had received an email from my father to tell me to get a hold of my brother ASAP, because he was going to swing up here to get me to take me home, so I could hear how the events unfolded in person.  Today.

 

I get home from work, and check my email.  I was expecting some more information from my sister concerning the surprise birthday party, and to discuss options for getting me home.  I had a feeling with the way the words were in her emails (and one from dad), we were going to discuss this topic during some time on that weekend.

 

Today, my brother was going to come get me to take me home, because our mother is going to be permanently placed in a nursing home.  There's more to it, but I will not discuss it.  That's only for my family.

 

After I read what I read,  I was rattled.  I didn't have a way to call anyone.  I thought of asking a neighbor to borrow their phone to call, but considering on how rattled I was, I decided to walk to a gas station, and use their phone to call the bus that I use to go to work.  The lady dialed the number, and considering unscheduled pickups with the bus company is frowned upon.  You get charged extra for those.

 

I went outside, and I was pacing like crazy.  I must have spent ten minutes doing that.  First off, I didn't bring my wallet with me.  I did have a couple of tokens, and I also had it figured that if I had to, I would find a way home.  I ended up going inside, and talked to the girl at the counter.  After telling my story, she bought me a pop.  The bus came, and I jumped on.  I explained to the guy that I would pay for the two rides on Friday, if I had to.  Basically, he took me to work.

 

I told him that I would call him when I was ready to come home.  First thing I did was, I called dad.  I knew I would get the answering machine, so I rattled off the number for him to call me back.  Then I called my boss's cell to let him know the situation.  Ironically, I had discussed this topic with him this morning about how I planned to do it in a couple of weeks.  I told him that while I waited for dad to call, I would try to work on some projects to help pass the time.  He said he would just put the extra time to the projects I was working on this week.

 

Hell, honestly, it helped alot.  Plus, it helped me get a few inches ahead in my work.  I was still pacing like a scared animal, but at least I was productive.  I didn't just sit and dwell.  I worked and dwelled.

 

Dad finally called me, and he asked me if I had time to talk about it.  I told him I could talk all I wanted, and we talked about the situation.  After the call, I called the bus guy up to take me home.  I explained further about why I needed the ride.  He told me that I didn't have to pay a thing.

 

Right now, had things been perfect, I would be at home with my family.

 

But I have to wait a few weeks to hug my mother, and tell her I love her, and to tell her how strong she is.  Fuck, I really don't know what we'll say, except I know it will be in tears....on both our parts.

 

Dearest Mother,

 

I love you so VERY VERY much.

 

Your Youngest Son,

 

Scott