(Another) Limerick Off

The challenge is to write a limerick from the provided first line. I received 3 first lines this time and wrote 3 limericks - here they are:

A fellow who frequently paced
Stared in wonder at the patch of carpet he'd erased
What once was a shag
Now barely a dish rag
Guess it's time that his carpet be replaced

A man was asleep at the wheel
Riding shotgun was a seal
In the back seat
Was a rhino in heat
Thank god this isn't for real!

A woman worked hard to design
While working, she drank her red wine
She'd never have thunk
She'd get so darn drunk
Despite failure, she's still feelin' fine

Forced State of Lethargy

You know that feeling when you take cold medicine where you try to function at some level but there is this state of lethargy that your body is forced into as a result of the medicine? It's always a bit funky because at times, it seems to yourself that you are moving in slow motion but it's really the only way to be somewhat productive and keep the cold symptoms at bay.

I hope whatever it is specifically that is making me feel the way I do goes away fast, I have a reunion dinner Wednesday evening with a bunch of people I miss!

Nine Thousand Cents

I'm sitting at a bar stool sipping on a beer and watching my friend perform and happen to look down and see on the floor, between my stool and the one next to me, a cloth napkin and a small wad of cash. I looked around immediately too see if the guy that was sitting there was in view, though he got up about five minutes before.

Without any sight of him, I reached down a grabbed both the napkin and the cash. I placed the napkin on the bar and the cash in my breast pocket and then walked around the bar and to the men's room to see if the dude that was sitting next to me was around; not to be found anywhere (and I have no idea if the cash was even his or someone before him).

This was around 9 pm and I knew I was going to be around until they closed, and that if whomever lost it was coming back for it, they would start in that location and ask the bartender - that never happened.

I left a phone number for the bartender and told him that if someone came in saying they lost something to give them my number. If someone claims it within 24 hours, I will see to it they get it back. If not, I am nine thousand cents richer.

Mad Men Season 7 On the Way

I've been a Mad Men fan for a long time. I jumped in somewhere in season 2 by binge watching to catch up then faithfully waiting for each Sunday and then each season the following year.

The first 3 seasons were amazing. Season 4 was very, very good but season 5 showed some signs of weakness and season 6 was almost bad. Thankfully, the producers see that the end must come and announced season 7 would be the last. I think this is good because I feel there would be focus to tie things up and put some focus back into the writing that sort of went off course. Everyone wants to go out on a high note, so I have been hopeful.

Then, at some point, they made he decision to split the last season up showing half the episodes this year over a 7 week period and then, we would have to wait an entire year before the final 7 episodes are released.

I  H A T E  T H I S !

Unless the work is spectacular, any momentum they might be able to build in the short 7 weeks will be completely lost over the year we must wait for the last 7 episodes. Just let us have them this year, go out on a high note, then move on.

Yes, I know that Breaking Bad was successful with this strategy but it's a different show all together; plus, they never faltered, every minute of every episode was amazing.

Frigid Week Comes to an End

The good thing about this past week is that it went pretty quickly for me. That statement goes against the grain of my way of thinking for the past couple of years but for at least this one day, I'm just this once looking at the small picture.

This week was cold and I felt it. My hands are all chapped and dry to the point where they look and feel bad. I know I could have avoided most of the ailing by moisturizing regularly. It's not like I don't have an assortment of hand cream tubes strategically located about my life but I just lazied out (an am now paying the price for that laziness).

I came home from work today with one major goal, to get a nap in. I succeeded in dozing off for a bit, on my bed and under the covers and it was wonderful and necessary.

I hope you all had a great week!

Book Review: The Good Guy

It's been a few years since I read a Koontz book. While at the library on Sunday, I came across the Koontz selections and decided it was time, I looked for one that was not part of any "series" and something struck me about this cover - so I grabbed it.

For those of you who may hold Koontz in a "horror/fiction" box, this book (many others as well) does not fit in that category or box. This is a thriller and thrill it did.

Tim Carrier, a seemingly simple mason stops by his favorite watering hole for a beer after a long day's work and in no time, his life become a circumstance of being in that place he was so many times before but at that particular moment in time.

What happens next takes you through 95% of the story and it's a wild combination of running for your life as Carrier attempts to preserve the life of a stranger and when the story ends, we learn more about Tim and the unusual circumstances that triggered the whole thing.

Earlier this morning, I was at the point where I had 30 pages left and was literally on the edge of my seat. I had to pause because I wanted to preserve the feeling I had. You know, the feeling when you are reading a great book that you just want to last. But of course, I also wanted to finish it, to see how it all comes to an end and feel what I am left with. I decided to pack it up, head off to work early and finish it at the office, This way, I was able to savor the anticipation. In the end, it did not disappoint!

I really loved this book, there was something about the characters that I was able to relate it was just written so well. I highly recommend this.

Quote

"Sorrow is not a raven perched persistently above a chamber door. Sorrow is a thing with teeth, and while in time it retreats, it comes back at the whisper of its name."

When I read that, I stopped reading and re-read the quote a few times and just let it sit there and marinade my brain cells. After that, I had the chance to be kind of blown away thinking about where it came from. Then, I Googled the quote and learned, to no surprise, I am not alone.

Pretty cool!

**********************************************

For Ash Wednesday, a few local priests (including the one from the church where I go), decided to offer "Ashes on the Go". Instead of having an very early morning service in church at 6:30 am, they set up shop at the commuter rail station and gave ashes right there; what a great idea!

**********************************************

Verizon are a bunch of assholes!!! I hate them more than ever thought possible to hate them. Worst customer service of any company ever.

Happy Birthday Bro

Funny thing is, my brother may never see this, he's not much of a blog lurker. I guess it's possible that Shannon Ford, his wife, may see it and show it to him. Regardless, I'll speak to him later about it...

My brother John turns the double-nickel today, 55 years old. When we were kids, we shared a bedroom (I think I may have told some of these stories on this blog before but heck, you don't remember them :) and for most of the time, he set out to torture me. Not in a malicious evil way, but in a brotherly, rite of passage older brother way.

He would come home at ridiculous hours of the night, long after I was asleep, and play very loud music. He would have to get up for work in the morning, so my poor mom had the daunting task of waking him up. Not sure how he is now but in those days, I am certain it would have been far easier to wake the dead. However, mom was persistent, and loud, despite my brothers incoherent ramblings from sleep about how he was busy underneath some truck or some car. The nut even dreamed about working on cars and things!

It was exhausting to have been a part of some of those times but it was all I knew and despite some of the real nasty brother fights we had, we also had some fun times when we were in sync. He was older by five and a half years, he was into his own group of friends and while we crossed paths on occasion, by the time he was 16-17 or so, we didn't hang out a whole lot.

we did start spending more time hanging out a little ways down the road when Johnny moved out, eventually, I too moved out of my parent's house and we sort of grew up. It's funny thinking back though to some of the old times back at home, the way we would all fight over the TV, be ridiculous at the dinner table, fear my dad getting home from work if we did something bad.

It's crazy sometimes to think of how long ago that all was.

The Kindness of...

As you regular readers know, I am currently on a makeshift kitchen while waiting for the correct cabinets to arrive so the remodel can proceed. As such, my daughter and I are eating prepared foods or take out. A friend invited us over for dinner Sunday night, so it was nice to get a home cooked meal into our bellies.

Linda's family feels like family to me too. Her kids are grown and I've been friends with all of them and I was the officiant for her and her husband when they married. Linda is working through a kitchen remodel as well, earlier stages, so she still has a functioning kitchen. If the time comes where I am up and running and she is down, I'll have her and Bill over for dinner as well.

In addition to me being there, her son Joe (along with his wife and dog) were over. Joe is heading to Dubai on Friday to take a class for his Master's program.

It was an interesting and fun night with friends, food and a bit of vino.

Book Review: Double Cross

As I read my way through this year and play catch up, I am also working my way through the James Patterson books, a difficult thing to keep up with considering how many he releases each year.

Double Cross is part of the "Alex Cross" series, Cross is a detective who has been in and out of the game on local and federal levels. Previously retired and in a private practice as a psychologist. Of course, Cross can't leave well enough alone and seems to have no regard for the impact his career has had on his family. Sucked back in, Cross encounters a familiar killer and another nut (actually band of nuts).

The book got off to a slow start but did begin to pick up around half way through but aside from not ending so great (in my opinion), I felt there were so many loose ends here that I can only attribute to what seems to be lazy writing and lack of attention to basic detail.

I've read a few of the books that came after this, and there are many - around 60 or so, which keeps me hopeful that Patterson has not run out of steam. However, this was the 10th and final release from 2007 and I question if perhaps he was less focused on quality control then quantity of output during this period.

I think there are too many other good books out there, including many by Patterson himself, for me to tell you this is worth the short investment in time it takes to read but whatever time it takes is time that could be spent in something really worth reading.

RIP "Big" Al

Funny the things you can recall that seem to have no meaning in the moment they were thrown at you. Fast forward 25 years or so and bam! Some time ago, my friend Joe owned a sneaker store in the old neighborhood. I worked for him on weekends not so much for the cash, though it was nice to have, but because him, me and a few others that either worked their or lingered had a blast.

Of all the bizarre memories, there was one time where Joe was mimicking his dad, "Big" Al, shaving; the way he would make funny faces trying to stretch the skin to get the closest shave. If you had any idea of some of the stuff we did as a group of friends in and out of that store, that memory would seem so random, trust me. For some reason, every single time I pick up that damn electric razor I chuckle a bit recalling that moment.

Pretty recently, Joe's sisters posted some pics of Al on FB as they all celebrated his 80th birthday (Joe is not on FB). It was great to see him there with his kids and grand kids. Sadly, even more recently, I learned of "Big" Al's passing.

The day after I learned of his passing, I thought about not shaving. But then, I did, and again, as soon as that razor touched my face, I chuckled...then, a tear, and I held up that razor to Al, a good man. Rest in Peace.

Viral Sensation!

There's been a growing trend in social media, particularly on Facebook, where you will see a picture of someone holding up a sign with some sob story about how they are looking for a long lost family member, or trying to get a bunch of likes for some goal, or just trying to tug at heart strings. I have no idea if any of them have ever been real but know for fact that many are phony, and some, even scams; they do all seem to go viral though, which puzzles me.

I thought I would parody these viral events by creating one of my own. The thing is, everything on my sign is true. When asked on FB by a friend why I told the truth I thought that the best way to parody something that is false by nature.

Go ahead, make it viral!!!

Sadness Overwhelming

The name of this picture is "Sadness Overwhelming" by Suzanne M. Hesse and it describes exactly how I felt this morning. After I had gotten ready for work I was just kind of chilling out on my couch and got extremely emotional and felt an overwhelming sadness.

While this is my space on the Internet and I can say what I want, I really don't want to go into exceptional detail, I ask that you respect that. I do feel that maybe just mentioning it out loud might help though, so that is what I am doing.

And yes, in case you were wondering, I was tempted to draw glasses on this dude in the picture.

Book Review: Ace Frehley - No Regrets

Subtitled, "A Rock 'n' Roll Memoir"; and that it is. Look,. if you are looking for some kind of brilliance or magic or historical relevance, let me recommend the Benjamin Franklin bio by Walter Isaacson. If you are a fan of Kiss, this book is for you. If you are a fan of Ace Frehley, this book is for you.

Unlike say, the Warren Zevon book I read (and reviewed) recently, I think the reach for this book is far more selective. Any stories related in any way to the band Kiss are a little suspect. Here, you have a founding member who over the years and through two terms of service with the band has had much public controversy on the words of others. In No Regrets, at least there is the opportunity to hear Ace speak his peace, provide his take, tell his story.

Of course, we also get the whole story, from birth to current, it's an autobiography, and that's the point and thankfully, we get some pictures! I hate when there are no pictures!

The quality of writing is not brilliant here folks. This is not a masterpiece, it simply is what it is. A simple telling of the story of a man who just happened to find his way into one of the biggest rock and roll bands of all time and still had to live a life and find his way through battling his own demons. It's a quick read and worth the time if you like this sort of thing and/or you are a fan.

The Fever is Gone

As you regular readers know, I was inflicted with Olympic Fever. I probably watched more Olympics coverage for these games than any other in the past. I suspect if I had to watch live, I would have watched much less, DVR-ing everything and picking and choosing the when and what really made it much better.

I got to thinking, it seems the best way to deliver coverage of the Olympic games is not the conventional network route any longer. I think it would be way better to make all of the coverage available "On Demand" so viewers can very easily go to what they want when they want it. It would seem to be way more efficient.

As much as I enjoyed the games, I am glad they are over and done. Time to move on.

If you had the change to participate or try any one Winter Olympic sport, what would it be? Forget about risk or any of that, assume all of that is non-existent and you can try anything without risk of injury or worse. For me, hands down it would be ski jumping. I love the idea of being in-flight like that. In fact, I thought about this so much this time around that I even looked into how one learns to ski jump. Sadly, the first requirement is knowing how to ski. But after that, the way it works is they start you out on a very small hill and as you learn and build the skill, the hill gets incrementally higher. Pretty cool!!!

So tell me, what would be your sport to try?

Kitchen Remodel: Where it Stands Right Now

After I spoke with the all of the relevant people at the contracting company, I was basically left with one of two choices: I could keep the incorrectly ordered cherry wood cabinetry and proceed with the job. In return, I would be offered a "discount" on the cabinets and the job would proceed on schedule. Alternately, if I wanted the Maple, as originally intended, they would place the order for cabinets, which will take 4-6 weeks at a minimum, and up to 8 weeks to receive then pick up from there. Since the demo has already been done, they will put in a "makeshift" kitchen to get me through the wait.

In talking to some about this, some right away say that I should just go for the cherry and get it over with. "Cherry is nice, I have cherry in my kitchen" said my friend Sherry. then several others said that if the discount they offered were good, you should take it. I had thought about it and what would be the right number for me to make that choice. I racked my brains for most of the morning and then I left work for lunch.

On the drive away from the office, I had a moment of clarity. This isn't about a matter of convenience or inconvenience, this isn't a matter of whether or not I like the cherry wood well enough, this is a matter of what for me is a major kitchen remodel, certainly financially.  I worked hard for more than four years to save enough money to pay for this job and it will take every penny of that savings to pay for it. There is no do-over if I wake up a day, a week, a month or a year after it's done and decide I don't really like the cherry or I wish I had gone with the maple - I will have to live with it. When I placed the order for maple, it wasn't because I saw a small sample and said sure, that looks good. As I always do, I obsessively researched all of the wood species and took several samples of many sizes into my house to look at them at different times of the day. When I chose maple it is because I was certain that is what I wanted and there is no reason to settle for something different, despite the inconvenience and stress of another waiting 4-8 weeks and dealing with the "makeshift" kitchen. Once the job is done, and done with what I chose, that inconvenience will be in the past, the regret of settling for what I didn't choose would remain for as long as I own the house.

And so, there it is. I suspect early in the next week they will do the makeshift thing and this story will be on hold until the next thing happens. Either way, life goes on.