Albert, my sometimes roommate who pays no rent, is out roaming the countryside. It's that time of year. After all, he is a bear. I haven't seen him in a couple of weeks now. I imagine he'll put in an appearance soon. Soon being anywhere in the next few weeks, and probably before the Fall. Eddie, my other roommate, who happens to be a 16 1/2 year old cockatiel with a feather challenged head (yup, male pattern baldness on a small parrot; it's a genetic thing with many piebald cockatiels), has adjusted well to having Albert around. But he's still not quite perfectly comfortable with a large furry being who communicates mostly by sounds that are almost indistinguishable from growls. But upon occasion, Eddie has directed some of his various bird calls at Albert. Best as I can figure, Eddie's original caregiver (he's only been with me for about 4 years) kept him in a cage by a frequently opened window. Having no real contact with other cockatiels, he learned the calls and songs of a wide range of wild birds. He loves sharing these at various times of day, especially with anyone who happens to call on the telephone. My typing does bore him, however. So, right now he's tucked behind my head, at the junction of my right shoulder and neck, napping.
Thinking about the possibility of the circumstances of life changing can be a bit of a discombobulating experience. Of course, change is usually never a simple, or easy for that matter, thing to have to face up to. But it is the one thing in life that is constant. Or so they say. But as a somewhat ordinary guy, and I use the term in a rather loose manner, I am very settled into my life, such as it is. The mere idea of adding change into my fairly set-in-my-ways day to day existence, well, it's enough to shake me up a bit. A little, anyway.
But, Life, no matter how you look at it, simply is. And we go on. Whatever comes along, we either have to welcome into our own little lives, or we have to run away. The choice is ours. I see my choices as: a) be more like Eddie, and be afraid of anything new that comes along; b) take a lesson from Albert, and growl a lot; or c) enjoy the new as much as I can, and what I can't enjoy, either fly away from, or growl at.
And that's all I have to say about that (Forrest Gump).
To all you Fathers out there, including my brother, who has raised 3 wonderful children, enjoy a day of tribute. You deserve it. It can't be an easy job. And that's coming from someone who truly has not the slightest concept of what being a father is about. Well, except for taking care of Eddie. But somehow, I just don't think that's the same thing.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Saturday, June 16, 2012
The World May End Soon, but I Still Don't See Any Zombies
So first, let me say, beguiled and naive civilians who call themselves Republicans aren't necessarily horrible people. They may just be a bit dim, and a lot ignorant, or something similar. It is the Republican politicians that are evil, and yes, they should be destroyed. And no, I don't think anyone should go out and shoot a Republican. Although Albert, a bear I know, would definitely prefer you to shoot a Republican, than to shoot any friends or relatives of his. I hope that clears that up.
Moving along. The government has decisively announced that the dead are not coming back to life, contrary to public opinion, it would seem. There have been some flesh eating attacks recently, but these were carried out by actually living people. Yuck. Another interesting fact I read recently, is that a lot of Americans believe the world will end in their lifetime. Wow. There's a cheerful outlook for you. I wonder if this means more people will stop caring about the state of the world, and the environment, because after all, it's probably going to end any day now, anyway. This does not bode well for the future of human behavior.
In other news, my life, which I can't really say is ever extremely boring, is a bit more interesting lately. There are always a few colorful characters that seem to lay in wait for me. Such as a neighbor of mine, who loves to tell me how he hates the Chinese, and he can't wait until Foxwoods (the casino) has a financial meltdown and goes out of business. Now, in truth, he seems like a nice guy in general, but me thinks he had some bad experiences with Chinese people while he worked at Foxwoods, which in itself does not seem to have a been a pleasant work experience for him. Hmm, maybe he had a bad relationship with an Asian woman. But whatever it was, he told me that now, he won't even eat Chinese food. People can be quite unfathomable to me sometimes.
Anyroad, I now have a few fairly new English learners in my conversation groups (I lead 3 a week) at the Library, which in and of itself is not unusual. I have one or two new learners joining one or more of the groups I lead fairly regularly. Now, I've been very fortunate in that I can't remember the last time I had someone join who was a real pain, or I really didn't care for. My only problem seems to be that I get to converse with a fair number of very attractive women (men, too, but they don't present the same problem), and not simply attractive in a physical sense, but they are wonderful human beings. Most of them are married, and many of you will not only not see this as a problem, but you possibly might be jealous. The downside of this for me is, it does make me feel like I am truly missing out on a more fulfilling life by being on my own.
Not that a meaningful relationship is an easy thing to have, or maintain. Anyone who has been involved in any type of relationship, including casual friendship, close friendship, or even an intimate relationship, well...you know that really getting to know someone and understanding them can be a very difficult task. But, as with all things, there are plus's & minus's. And as every poker player knows, you play the hand you have.
So, there you have it. Will I find my "soulmate" in the course of time? After all, I don't expect to live forever...Or will I continue to live out my days in my comfortable, and sometimes boring, bachelor type existence? I have no clue. I'll have to get back to you on that. Have a nice day.
Moving along. The government has decisively announced that the dead are not coming back to life, contrary to public opinion, it would seem. There have been some flesh eating attacks recently, but these were carried out by actually living people. Yuck. Another interesting fact I read recently, is that a lot of Americans believe the world will end in their lifetime. Wow. There's a cheerful outlook for you. I wonder if this means more people will stop caring about the state of the world, and the environment, because after all, it's probably going to end any day now, anyway. This does not bode well for the future of human behavior.
In other news, my life, which I can't really say is ever extremely boring, is a bit more interesting lately. There are always a few colorful characters that seem to lay in wait for me. Such as a neighbor of mine, who loves to tell me how he hates the Chinese, and he can't wait until Foxwoods (the casino) has a financial meltdown and goes out of business. Now, in truth, he seems like a nice guy in general, but me thinks he had some bad experiences with Chinese people while he worked at Foxwoods, which in itself does not seem to have a been a pleasant work experience for him. Hmm, maybe he had a bad relationship with an Asian woman. But whatever it was, he told me that now, he won't even eat Chinese food. People can be quite unfathomable to me sometimes.
Anyroad, I now have a few fairly new English learners in my conversation groups (I lead 3 a week) at the Library, which in and of itself is not unusual. I have one or two new learners joining one or more of the groups I lead fairly regularly. Now, I've been very fortunate in that I can't remember the last time I had someone join who was a real pain, or I really didn't care for. My only problem seems to be that I get to converse with a fair number of very attractive women (men, too, but they don't present the same problem), and not simply attractive in a physical sense, but they are wonderful human beings. Most of them are married, and many of you will not only not see this as a problem, but you possibly might be jealous. The downside of this for me is, it does make me feel like I am truly missing out on a more fulfilling life by being on my own.
Not that a meaningful relationship is an easy thing to have, or maintain. Anyone who has been involved in any type of relationship, including casual friendship, close friendship, or even an intimate relationship, well...you know that really getting to know someone and understanding them can be a very difficult task. But, as with all things, there are plus's & minus's. And as every poker player knows, you play the hand you have.
So, there you have it. Will I find my "soulmate" in the course of time? After all, I don't expect to live forever...Or will I continue to live out my days in my comfortable, and sometimes boring, bachelor type existence? I have no clue. I'll have to get back to you on that. Have a nice day.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The Republicans are Killing My Mother
Now, I have to admit that for a very long time I have been saying the only good Republican is a dead one. I'm not advocating killing them, you understand, I'm just saying that the title Republican and the word good do not go together, unless it happens to be a dead Republican. In my opinion the live ones all stand for the opposite of truth, lies if you will, cheating, greed, and the inhumane treatment of the disadvantaged, minorities, animals, and the environment. So, that takes care of my two cents.
I do not watch anything having to do with politics on television if I can help it. Mainly because it has the potential to make me angry enough to make me commit acts violence, and I really don't want to have to replace my television. My Mother, on the other hand, has always loved to watch the news and political shows on tv. But recently the stupidity of the hate-filled lies and acts of the Republican politicians has made her angry enough to threaten her continued healthy existence. I went walking with her today, and when we began our mile long trek, she was quite angry with the two-faced scheming Republican bast#@%s that were attacking the Attorney General in the House of Representatives.
Luckily, she soon put it from her mind. Unforunately she replaced it with competitive walking. She saw someone she knew, and decided she was walking too slow. We then proceeded to walk a mile in less than a half-hour, when we usually take a good 3/4 of an hour. But, there was no need to call 9-1-1, thank God. Although, there was a point I thought she was going to fall down when she was trying to maintain her pace while laughing at the same time. Personally, I didn't really think she could walk that fast.
Ah, walking with my Mother. It truly is an adventure.
I do not watch anything having to do with politics on television if I can help it. Mainly because it has the potential to make me angry enough to make me commit acts violence, and I really don't want to have to replace my television. My Mother, on the other hand, has always loved to watch the news and political shows on tv. But recently the stupidity of the hate-filled lies and acts of the Republican politicians has made her angry enough to threaten her continued healthy existence. I went walking with her today, and when we began our mile long trek, she was quite angry with the two-faced scheming Republican bast#@%s that were attacking the Attorney General in the House of Representatives.
Luckily, she soon put it from her mind. Unforunately she replaced it with competitive walking. She saw someone she knew, and decided she was walking too slow. We then proceeded to walk a mile in less than a half-hour, when we usually take a good 3/4 of an hour. But, there was no need to call 9-1-1, thank God. Although, there was a point I thought she was going to fall down when she was trying to maintain her pace while laughing at the same time. Personally, I didn't really think she could walk that fast.
Ah, walking with my Mother. It truly is an adventure.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Strange Dreams
You might think I died. Well, not yet. I will one day, but I don't believe today is that day.
I sometimes wonder what kind of dreams Eddie has. Every so often during the course of a night, I hear him do anything from whimper to chirp, or even give a little squawk. I hope they're mostly good dreams.
Life moves along. It always seems I am in the process of catching-up on all those mundain tasks that one simply has to do, but I am continually in the process of not getting done. Yep, that's me alright.
These days I have the honor of walking with my Mother several times a week, which I have been recruited to do by my sister, who lives too far away to do it herself. She's concerned about Mom getting her exercise, and not falling while she does it. She's not exactly a spring chicken anymore, and has fallen upon occasion. I quite enjoy it, actually. It gives me a chance to get a little extra exercise late in the afternoon, and have an enjoyable conversation.
My Mother and I see the world in quite different ways, but we do share some views. We both strongly dislike the NY Yankees, for instance. And of course, we both loath and despise Republicans on general principle. And although we don't practice religion in the same way, basically our religious beliefs in how one should live are the same. At least, I think so. Not that I am anywhere near perfect, being a mere human. But I try my best.
And speaking of weird dreams. I have trouble remembering mine in any coherent manner, but I do recall bits and pieces. And man oh man, some of those bits and pieces are completely wacko. In my dreams I find myself working some jobs that I don't think even exist in this particular world. Maybe in a parallel world. And I always seem to be misplacing a girlfriend that I don't have in the waking world. Or I'm trying to get back to her after having to go perform some errand or task. But I can't seem to get back to her. Kinda' like those dreams when you're trying to run away from something, but you can't seem to get anywhere. I can't even remember what this girlfriend even looks like, but she is in my dreams a lot.
Every once in awhile, Albert bats me with one of his paws and wakes me out of a dead sleep. When he does, he tells me I'm talking too loudly. I have no choice but to take his word for it. Ever try to argue with a black bear? Do you still have all your limbs? If you do, then you haven't argued with one.
Anyhow, back on the ranch, the cows have come home. So I have to put some dinner together, and hangout with Eddie. Until next time, may your dreams all be good ones.
I sometimes wonder what kind of dreams Eddie has. Every so often during the course of a night, I hear him do anything from whimper to chirp, or even give a little squawk. I hope they're mostly good dreams.
Life moves along. It always seems I am in the process of catching-up on all those mundain tasks that one simply has to do, but I am continually in the process of not getting done. Yep, that's me alright.
These days I have the honor of walking with my Mother several times a week, which I have been recruited to do by my sister, who lives too far away to do it herself. She's concerned about Mom getting her exercise, and not falling while she does it. She's not exactly a spring chicken anymore, and has fallen upon occasion. I quite enjoy it, actually. It gives me a chance to get a little extra exercise late in the afternoon, and have an enjoyable conversation.
My Mother and I see the world in quite different ways, but we do share some views. We both strongly dislike the NY Yankees, for instance. And of course, we both loath and despise Republicans on general principle. And although we don't practice religion in the same way, basically our religious beliefs in how one should live are the same. At least, I think so. Not that I am anywhere near perfect, being a mere human. But I try my best.
And speaking of weird dreams. I have trouble remembering mine in any coherent manner, but I do recall bits and pieces. And man oh man, some of those bits and pieces are completely wacko. In my dreams I find myself working some jobs that I don't think even exist in this particular world. Maybe in a parallel world. And I always seem to be misplacing a girlfriend that I don't have in the waking world. Or I'm trying to get back to her after having to go perform some errand or task. But I can't seem to get back to her. Kinda' like those dreams when you're trying to run away from something, but you can't seem to get anywhere. I can't even remember what this girlfriend even looks like, but she is in my dreams a lot.
Every once in awhile, Albert bats me with one of his paws and wakes me out of a dead sleep. When he does, he tells me I'm talking too loudly. I have no choice but to take his word for it. Ever try to argue with a black bear? Do you still have all your limbs? If you do, then you haven't argued with one.
Anyhow, back on the ranch, the cows have come home. So I have to put some dinner together, and hangout with Eddie. Until next time, may your dreams all be good ones.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Hunger is a Bear (Albert by Name)
I discovered this morning that Albert was back. It wasn't a difficult reach (referring to a mental exercise). When I went into the refridgerator to organize breakfast for myself, I found naught (nothing) but the heels (end pieces) from a loaf of bread, a little butter, and half an apple. I didn't get a chance to talk to him about it, because, as usual, he did his magic trick, and disappeared under my bed to sleep away the day. Well, so far anyway. It's only late afternoon.
How does a bear, and he is not a small bear, get under my bed? I can't get under my bed. Not with any kind of comfort and/or ease. And speaking of magic tricks, I didn't hear him come in, and don't even know how he did. In fact, I heard not one sound, and did not wake up at all. There wasn't even a peep out of Eddie, who raises a ruckus whenever anybody drops by. Go figure. I sure can't.
Anyhow, I don't have to wonder where he is or what he's doing for the moment. But, damn! Pardon my french (meaning excuse my cursing). I now have to go food shopping. That's no small appetite he has.
Anyroad, I will have a conversation with him about it, but you know the old joke about the 800 pound gorilla: you let him do whatever he wants to do. Albert may not be a gorilla, but I believe the same rule applies to a full grown black bear. At least he's not a grizzly. One small comfort.
So, I'll try to update you on Albert's travel tales (assuming he fills me in), and his continuing war on the Republicans. Hopefully he hasn't eaten too many of them recently. At least there's been nothing in the news about it. Thank God. Not that I would care about him having a couple of Republican "Big Macs", but I sure don't want any law enforcement personnel tracing him back to me. Jeez. That's all I'd need.
How does a bear, and he is not a small bear, get under my bed? I can't get under my bed. Not with any kind of comfort and/or ease. And speaking of magic tricks, I didn't hear him come in, and don't even know how he did. In fact, I heard not one sound, and did not wake up at all. There wasn't even a peep out of Eddie, who raises a ruckus whenever anybody drops by. Go figure. I sure can't.
Anyhow, I don't have to wonder where he is or what he's doing for the moment. But, damn! Pardon my french (meaning excuse my cursing). I now have to go food shopping. That's no small appetite he has.
Anyroad, I will have a conversation with him about it, but you know the old joke about the 800 pound gorilla: you let him do whatever he wants to do. Albert may not be a gorilla, but I believe the same rule applies to a full grown black bear. At least he's not a grizzly. One small comfort.
So, I'll try to update you on Albert's travel tales (assuming he fills me in), and his continuing war on the Republicans. Hopefully he hasn't eaten too many of them recently. At least there's been nothing in the news about it. Thank God. Not that I would care about him having a couple of Republican "Big Macs", but I sure don't want any law enforcement personnel tracing him back to me. Jeez. That's all I'd need.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Spring Fever is Running High
Anyway (anyhow, anyroad; choose one for yourself), when I found Eddie missing, I panicked. I walked around the neighborhood while whistling his favorite tune, If I Only Had A Brain (I'm not sure that's the actual name of the song) from The Wizard of OZ. I asked a few of my neighbor's if they had seen the wandering bird, but had no luck. After that I drove around the surrounding area in ever widening circles. Nothing. I didn't stop looking until the sun was down, and twilight was setting in. At that point, I would have to say, my heart was breaking, and I was starting to mourn his loss. So I made a strong cup of green tea with lots of honey and lemon, and stepped into a blisteringly hot shower. And when I came back out, there was the little %@#! sneaking back into his cage. Best I can figure, Albert must have let him back in.
I can't ask Albert, however. He's gone. Spring wanderlust finally overcame him. Nope, he didn't leave a note. No goodbye. No see you later. Nothing. These damn animals are going to be the death of me. At the least, they are aging me way before my time...maybe I need a vacation, myself. Bora Bora's sounding pretty good right about now...
Sunday, March 18, 2012
WoW! I do love the Walking Dead...
I thank any and all Higher Powers, God included, for entertainment. Today that would be parts of several movies I watched, the Sunday Newspaper (even if it is only the Norwich Bulletin), some wonderful ghostly stories written by Chet Williamson (included in his award winning collection Figures In Rain), and the magnificent television production of the Walking Dead.
On a day like today, when I had trouble sleeping the night before, and symptoms of my auto-immune system disorder are giving me trouble, it's hard to enjoy being alive. But thanks to the wonderful world of entertainment, I can actually and truly appreciate the fact that I am conscious, and breathing. Even if I am having trouble finding any physical comfort.
So, the phenomenon of the Walking Dead...If you don't care for zombies, as in Night of the Living Dead, then this show is not for you. I find it to be one of the best, if not the best, show on tv. As any aficionado of the dead coming back to life knows, there is nothing that lays bare human dynamics (the interactions between people) more than letting loose an army of zombies. You end up sympathizing, even with those people you don't like, because their motivation is showing, so to speak. In other words, even if you despise their actions, you can still see why they act the way they do. But at the least, watching the show makes you appreciate living in a zombie free world...as far as you know...
Another high point of my day was catching some Harry Potter on tv, as well. The story of Harry Potter has a special place in my heart. The bleakness of our scientific, economic and technological way of life has bled a lot of the magic out of the world around us. And anything that reminds me that there is magic in every breath of air we breathe, even if we don't see it, well, to quote a character in Night At The Museum/The Smithsonian, that's just aces with me.
Anyroad (I do love that word), it's past my bedtime, and although Eddie is being quiet behind the sheet screening his cage for the night, I'm sure he prefers I stop typing. So, whatever you do, I hope you enjoy doing it. And, as my late Uncle Louie might have said, for crying out loud, have some fun...
On a day like today, when I had trouble sleeping the night before, and symptoms of my auto-immune system disorder are giving me trouble, it's hard to enjoy being alive. But thanks to the wonderful world of entertainment, I can actually and truly appreciate the fact that I am conscious, and breathing. Even if I am having trouble finding any physical comfort.
So, the phenomenon of the Walking Dead...If you don't care for zombies, as in Night of the Living Dead, then this show is not for you. I find it to be one of the best, if not the best, show on tv. As any aficionado of the dead coming back to life knows, there is nothing that lays bare human dynamics (the interactions between people) more than letting loose an army of zombies. You end up sympathizing, even with those people you don't like, because their motivation is showing, so to speak. In other words, even if you despise their actions, you can still see why they act the way they do. But at the least, watching the show makes you appreciate living in a zombie free world...as far as you know...
Another high point of my day was catching some Harry Potter on tv, as well. The story of Harry Potter has a special place in my heart. The bleakness of our scientific, economic and technological way of life has bled a lot of the magic out of the world around us. And anything that reminds me that there is magic in every breath of air we breathe, even if we don't see it, well, to quote a character in Night At The Museum/The Smithsonian, that's just aces with me.
Anyroad (I do love that word), it's past my bedtime, and although Eddie is being quiet behind the sheet screening his cage for the night, I'm sure he prefers I stop typing. So, whatever you do, I hope you enjoy doing it. And, as my late Uncle Louie might have said, for crying out loud, have some fun...
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