Hello dear Readers! I hope this day finds you well. So since last we interacted I have quit my job as a Customer Interfaceing Unit Operator and have a four day weekend before starting back at Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc on the 2nd of November. Last night I bought a mini van – it is a 1998 Windstar and while it has some problems $800 was a good price. It runs strong just need to some minor repiars – there just seems to be a lot of minor stuff. That is not the subject I wanted to write about. I wanted to write about Halloween – one of my most favorite times of year.
Now I should start by saying that demons, ghosts, and the supernatural world in general freak me the fuck out. I refuse to watch movies like Paranormal Activity or The Haunting of Anything – ghosts, spirits, restless souls whatever you wish to call them scare the shyte right out of me. Seriuosly, this big, strong, manly, grown man has to turn on all the lights in the house just to walk down the hall to pee after watching those types of movies. You see I am afraid of the dark. Ok break that down and it is a fear of the unknown actually but usually I can overcome the fear of the unknown in the light – it is just when it is dark that I get really wierded out. Imgine that a guy who prefers to sleep days and is most active at night is scared of the dark. Ok stop the damn laughing.
So you might wonder how this could be my favorite time of the year? The weather is perfect – not hot and not cold – nature is beautiful. I love the oranges, reds, yellows, and browns of fall. Halloween was the center point in school for the first half of the year. I have always loved pretending to be someone other than myself and Halloween allowed me to do just that in front of everyone without worry of being crititized. As a teen we were allowed to just be crazy that night. As my cousin said in her discussion of Halloween we were in more lienit times – TPing a house might earn some clean up time if caught but we would not have been arrested.
Halloween has always been a time of reflection. During this time of year I have always looked back at the previous year and looked at the one to come. I look at my goals. Have I accomplished everything I set out to accomplish by this time? Hardly ever is that answered positively; procrastinators rarely accomplish many goals. I set new goals and renew my commitment to old goals.
The Halloween time frame brings a feeling of power. I feel empowered – strengthened. Historically this a rough time of year for me. My Father died on November 1st 1978 – the day after my Little Sister was born (That’s right Little Sister was born on Halloween). Throughout my school years I would become depressed – most likely self induced by thoughts of what I have missed without having dad around to teach how to be a man – I think I managed to learn just fine (thanks Ron). We (the Ole Lady and myself) seem to always find ourselves in finacial difficulty during this time of year – this year the car crapping out is not helping that tradition end.
We always manage things it just seems to harder. I think this year I figured out why that is. Halloween is derived from the ancient Celtic ritual of Samuin or Samhain (pronouced sow-an). This was the time of the ending of lighter times – both literally and figuratively - and the beginning of the darker times. This was the time to take stock of the stores made for winter, slaughter livestock in preparation for the hard winter months. Now while im no Doodad (if you read R.A. Salvatore you will get that referrence – if not read the Cleric Quintet series of books) I think we have missed some steps – remember “we” means the Ole Lady and I here. October is the time we are forced to realize the stores we have stocked up – or not stocked up. We do this without realizing and celebrating. This time of year has always been like a News Years to me – maybe I am of Celtic desent (I can’t drink like an Irishman though).
This is the time that I realize how great my life is. Ok so that was harder to do in highschool than as a parent but it has been this time of year many great things happen. Halloween is just a day to watch the kids have fun, to freeze my ass off taking them from house to house begging for candy, to realize how great it is to be the daddy, and to be scared by the all the little kiddos dressed up as ghosts and goblins – or are they really kids?
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wedding, Wine, and a new car
My dear Readers,
It has been a long time since last we… we…we… I guess interacted is a good word for what we do here? I mean not much interaction coming from your part (ahem comments tell me you read these postings). Anyway….
So here I sit talking to the monitor again – yes I must speak the words in order for my fingers to hear what I what to type. This is kind of funny actually; me writing this, talking my fingers. When the fingers don’t type what I say we fight. Well my mouth attempts to bite the fingers – but they are quick bastards. Ok that sounds a bit too schizophrenical doesn’t it? Well I guess not any more than asking questions I know will not get answered.
This past weekend we welcomed Mr. T into our family. No not that Mr. T, silly. Baby Sister married Mr. T on Saturday. Mr. T is a great guy and Baby Sister is lucky he is willing to put up with her. Mr. T’s mommy said that she was glad Mr. T had found someone intelligent enough to talk too. This is true. These two are some of the most intelligent I have met in a while. Of course I’m a refrigeration mechanic posing as a Customer Interfacing Unit Operator what do I know about intelligence?
My weekend began on Friday – I guess most usually do right? We packed up the car, locked the kids into place and started down the road towards the wedding festivities. The Ole Lady had worked Thursday night so our plan was to get up to Tiny Town asap so she could sleep. It is supposed to be less than 2 hours drive. Well we I drove us about 100 miles out of the way, the car was overheating and the kids were restless. So we stopped to put more water in the car – I think I will write a whole blog on just the adventure of getting there. Long story short – our car blew the motor about 45 minutes away from our destination. Little Sister (Baby Sister’s elder but still my junior female sibling) drove the Parental Units’ (the Parental Unit is made up of Maternal Unit and Fraternal Unit of course) vehicle (since it was the largest of everyone’s vehicle whom were already at Tiny Town waiting on us.
We missed the rehearsal (Baby Sister not pleased at this). Princess was to be the flower girl and I was to be the Usher – no not just for rehearsal but in the real deal as well. We did make the rehearsal dinner (which was great stuff and food being my main focus in life – after the wife and kids; well usually food is second to them anyway). After the dinner we were invited for drinks at the local bar (only one in town) which is where my downward spiral really began. I had four (4) drinks at the bar – my normal limit is four (4) a month not a night. The Ole Lady had stayed at the hotel to get some much needed and well earned sleep – she had been up for almost 24 hours by this time.
It was a beautiful wedding and great reception. They had a ceremony called a wine box promise ceremony or something along that line. What this is is they both write love letters to each other before the wedding telling why they love the other. They then lock these letters in a strong wooden box with two glasses and a bottle of wine. In the event that Mr. T wizens up – errr I mean they have marital problems – they both promise to get drunk and read the letters before making a rash decision. Neat ceremony. If, after 25 years, they have not opened the bottle they would then be able to choose to open the box (if they can still find the key) and drink the wine and read their letters to each other. I like the sentiment but how does getting drunk really promote intelligent conversation and isn’t getting drunk while fighting kind of like throwing gasoline on fire?
At the reception – more great food stuffs – beer, white and red wine, and these caramel appletinis were offered at no additional charge to us party goes. I don’t drink beer, the appletinis were good but way too sweet. The white wine was ok but the red was simply amazing. I drank about four (4) bottles. Yes I said bottles. The normal sized run of the mill wine bottle sized bottles. I will be finding this wine but I plan on consuming it more moderately when I do. It kind of tasted like strawberry soda – my new love. They – whoever they are – say that a glass of wine a day is good for you so a bottle a night has to be great for you right?
So I’m still recovering from way too much wine on Saturday. I am in last-week-on-the-job mind set. Nov 2 I am back being a refrigeration mechanic. Well I have to go through all the plant orientation and maintenance training – 3 weeks of classroom time paid at the rate earned from 15 years of experience (9 of those in the same plant I will be orientated too – I know funny stuff huh?). The FNG will be one of the most experienced members of the team! Let’s see how long it is that I have to stay on nights this time around. Last go around it took me four years to go from nights to days.
I’m going to bed. Until next time this is how Mike tells it.
It has been a long time since last we… we…we… I guess interacted is a good word for what we do here? I mean not much interaction coming from your part (ahem comments tell me you read these postings). Anyway….
So here I sit talking to the monitor again – yes I must speak the words in order for my fingers to hear what I what to type. This is kind of funny actually; me writing this, talking my fingers. When the fingers don’t type what I say we fight. Well my mouth attempts to bite the fingers – but they are quick bastards. Ok that sounds a bit too schizophrenical doesn’t it? Well I guess not any more than asking questions I know will not get answered.
This past weekend we welcomed Mr. T into our family. No not that Mr. T, silly. Baby Sister married Mr. T on Saturday. Mr. T is a great guy and Baby Sister is lucky he is willing to put up with her. Mr. T’s mommy said that she was glad Mr. T had found someone intelligent enough to talk too. This is true. These two are some of the most intelligent I have met in a while. Of course I’m a refrigeration mechanic posing as a Customer Interfacing Unit Operator what do I know about intelligence?
My weekend began on Friday – I guess most usually do right? We packed up the car, locked the kids into place and started down the road towards the wedding festivities. The Ole Lady had worked Thursday night so our plan was to get up to Tiny Town asap so she could sleep. It is supposed to be less than 2 hours drive. Well we I drove us about 100 miles out of the way, the car was overheating and the kids were restless. So we stopped to put more water in the car – I think I will write a whole blog on just the adventure of getting there. Long story short – our car blew the motor about 45 minutes away from our destination. Little Sister (Baby Sister’s elder but still my junior female sibling) drove the Parental Units’ (the Parental Unit is made up of Maternal Unit and Fraternal Unit of course) vehicle (since it was the largest of everyone’s vehicle whom were already at Tiny Town waiting on us.
We missed the rehearsal (Baby Sister not pleased at this). Princess was to be the flower girl and I was to be the Usher – no not just for rehearsal but in the real deal as well. We did make the rehearsal dinner (which was great stuff and food being my main focus in life – after the wife and kids; well usually food is second to them anyway). After the dinner we were invited for drinks at the local bar (only one in town) which is where my downward spiral really began. I had four (4) drinks at the bar – my normal limit is four (4) a month not a night. The Ole Lady had stayed at the hotel to get some much needed and well earned sleep – she had been up for almost 24 hours by this time.
It was a beautiful wedding and great reception. They had a ceremony called a wine box promise ceremony or something along that line. What this is is they both write love letters to each other before the wedding telling why they love the other. They then lock these letters in a strong wooden box with two glasses and a bottle of wine. In the event that Mr. T wizens up – errr I mean they have marital problems – they both promise to get drunk and read the letters before making a rash decision. Neat ceremony. If, after 25 years, they have not opened the bottle they would then be able to choose to open the box (if they can still find the key) and drink the wine and read their letters to each other. I like the sentiment but how does getting drunk really promote intelligent conversation and isn’t getting drunk while fighting kind of like throwing gasoline on fire?
At the reception – more great food stuffs – beer, white and red wine, and these caramel appletinis were offered at no additional charge to us party goes. I don’t drink beer, the appletinis were good but way too sweet. The white wine was ok but the red was simply amazing. I drank about four (4) bottles. Yes I said bottles. The normal sized run of the mill wine bottle sized bottles. I will be finding this wine but I plan on consuming it more moderately when I do. It kind of tasted like strawberry soda – my new love. They – whoever they are – say that a glass of wine a day is good for you so a bottle a night has to be great for you right?
So I’m still recovering from way too much wine on Saturday. I am in last-week-on-the-job mind set. Nov 2 I am back being a refrigeration mechanic. Well I have to go through all the plant orientation and maintenance training – 3 weeks of classroom time paid at the rate earned from 15 years of experience (9 of those in the same plant I will be orientated too – I know funny stuff huh?). The FNG will be one of the most experienced members of the team! Let’s see how long it is that I have to stay on nights this time around. Last go around it took me four years to go from nights to days.
I’m going to bed. Until next time this is how Mike tells it.
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