GL - Archived Blog Posts

[GL]

Is it Friday yet? I ask because this whole week has been absolutely nuts and has left me tired, frustrated and just plain exhausted.

When my co-worker left on sick leave mid December I anticipated that I would be rather busy with her caseload and my own, but my God! Her facilities are a whole bunch of pains in the asses! They bitch, they scream… I want to take a golf club and beat some of these people into dead heaps. I’ve been running around trying my damnedest to put out all these little fires that frankly are not that big a deal but since they know how to bark up the tree I’ve had to drop everything I’m working on to fix their shit. I’ve had to make four trips to my co-worker’s office to retrieve case files and applications and then e-mail everyone and their mother with all manner of status reports. And all the while my own caseload is beginning to suffer from neglect.

Then to make matters worse I’ve been driving my brother all this week to and from work as his car has been in the shop. I work about ten minutes from our apartment. He on the other hand works a good twenty to twenty five minutes away. I’ve had to drive him all the way over there and then literally drive back home to get to the office and then out there again to pick him up after work. I’ve had to gas up twice this week! Fuck!

I hadn’t planned on taking the MLK holiday off as its optional, but after this week? Screw it. I don’t give a rat’s ass; I’m taking the day off!

 

[GL]

Well this is just neat.




It’s the commemorative stamp for Charles and Ray Eames that will be released this year by the U.S. Postal Service. They were a husband and wife team whose designs are an integral part of the whole “Mid Century Modern” period of architecture and furniture design. I’m not a stamp collector by any stretch of the imagination but I must admit I would like to get a hold of these and maybe frame it for my office.

I’ve always been a fan of the Eames and their work. For me it all began with my fascination with this one piece:

[FONT=&quot]One of these days I would love to own one just so that I can admire it. I might even sit in it on occasion. [/FONT]

 

[GL]

I got an e-mail from Apple the other day. “Surprise your valentine with a pink iPod Nano.”

“Love at first sight” it says.

I hate this holiday. I hate it with every fiber of my being. It is crass, it is commercial and it just sticks it to anyone who is unattached and alone.

I know I’m being bitter and I know I’m going to get remarks for it but what the hell do I care? None of that will change my distaste for this insipid ‘holiday.’

Feh.

 

[GL]

Angels and demons were circling above me
Breaking the hardships and milky ways
The only one who doesn't know happiness
Is the one who couldn't understand its call

I am Calling Calling now, Spirits rise and falling
To stay myself longer...
Calling Calling, in the depth of longing
To stay myself longer...

Stand alone... Where was life when it had a meaning...
Stand alone... Nothing is real anymore and...

...Endless run...
While I'm alive, I can try not to fall while flying,
Not to forget how to dream... how to love
...Endless run...

Calling Calling, For the place of knowing
There's more that what can be linked
Calling Calling, Never will I look away
For what life has left for me
Yearning Yearning, for what's left of loving

To stay myself longer...
Calling Calling now, Spirits rise and falling
To stay myself longer...
Calling Calling, in the depth of longing
To stay myself longer...

Nalyubuites', nalyubuites'
Aeria Gloris, Aeria Gloris
Nalyubuites', nalyubuites'
Aeria Gloris, Aeria Gloris

Inner Universe / Origa

 

[GL]

Don’t you hate it when you wake up in the morning thinking the day is going to be all right and it just turns out to be ‘bleah?’

I made it to the office but just as I was turning into the parking lot my ‘check engine’ light popped on. Again. Lord knows what the hell is wrong this time.

As I walked into my office there was a client’s daughter waiting to speak to me which in of itself wasn’t a bad thing. It was the other daughter of another client who just barged into my office without so much as an ‘excuse me’ that really just chapped my hide. I really had to bite my tongue, I know she was worried over her mother’s case but it doesn’t excuse barging in on another visitor’s time. There was very little I could do about it without berating the woman in front of the other. Somehow that just seemed rude by my estimation and I wasn’t going to counter rudeness with rudeness.

After all that was settled I walked over to my office manager’s office to get some supplies where she informed me that she had just tendered her resignation. I have to tell you, I was stunned.

When I accepted my current assignment I was warned that my office manager was a difficult woman to work with and that I should ‘watch my back.’ I made it a point to be very polite with her but I also decided that I would be firm in my position as needed. Somehow we managed to work pretty well together and I came to doubt all the warnings I had received from my colleagues. In fact I would later come to hear from her staff that she lauded my work and willingness to help to the corporate folks, which I think, has allowed me to work with very little intervention or oversight.

Oh well, all good things I guess…

 

[GL]

I am not sick.

In fact, I’m sure it’s all in my head.

Okay, so yes when I coughed this morning it made my chest hurt. As well as making my ears feel like someone put balloons in them and inflated them. And I’m sure its all a coincidence that I’m starting to feel achy all over and that now my throat feels all itchy.

It’s all in my head.

That’s all there is to it.





Update 02/06/08: I feel like crap. I've decided to call in sick and get some sleep. Feh.

 

[GL]

My youngest brother called last night. He wanted to tell me that he and my sister-in-law had suffered a miscarriage. I was so sad and sorry for this news. In fact, it broke my heart.

We had only found out that they were pregnant the day after Christmas. I know already that they, my brother and sister-in-law are wonderful and exceptional parents and I know that this baby would have been welcomed into a very loving family and home. I know this because of the wonderful little girl my niece has already become.

But at the same time I believe that these things happen for a reason. My sister-in-law had to put her doctoral studies on hold when she became pregnant with my niece and is only now getting back to them. My brother himself is very busy with his own work. I honestly believe that in the coming future they will be blessed again.

Side bar: I can remember when my brother called me and told me that they were pregnant with my niece. As soon as he said it I ‘sensed’ that they were going to have a girl. I don’t know where it came from but I just knew. When they told me they were pregnant a second time, I didn’t sense anything.

 

[GL]

This song has been camped out in my fevered brain for the last couple of days...



Home / Great Northern

 

[GL]

OK, this is a direct blogged response to RestlessOne's last blog entry.

Each one here is sort of a 'tit for tat' so if you'll pardon the outright theft of his line:

It just is.

And if you're not going to dance with me, at least bop your head from side to side and mouth the words.









RO? You and I need to go dancing. And I don't mean where we stand by the bar and watch everyone else dance. We'll get out there and get our goof groove going and let everyone else deal with it.

 

[GL]

As I was “YouTube-ing” this evening I dug up an old favorite, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemian’s “What I Am.” I was taken back to junior college and my English/Classic Literature class and Professor Rutledge. Man, that lady was a trip. But most definitely in a good way…

You have to know that she was this silver haired lady who must have been in her mid 60s and stood about 5’ 6” with this delightfully impish smile. On more than one occasion she was likened to Governor Ann Richards! She had the same sort of laid-back charm and the charisma to match it. This literature class was actually the third and final one I took with her.

Her class was the first one on Tuesday/Thursday at 0800 and sometimes the class was just, well… sleepy. I recall one morning where she was trying to get a discussion going on “Oedipus Rex” but no one was biting. “So can anyone tell me who ‘Oedipus Rex’ was? Anybody? Well I’ll tell you who ‘Oedipus Rex’ was. He was a mother fucker!” That got everybody’s attention! She had a good laugh watching us all agape at this silver haired, 60-something lady throwing out the F word.

Back to Edie Brickell, I happened to have her cassette in my Walkman while I was waiting for class to begin. My professor kind of sashays on over and asks me what I’m listening to. I offer up my headphones so that she can listen in and I watch her face just light up. “Can I borrow this sometime?” “Sure,” I tell her and gave her the cassette. I ended up not getting it back for close to two weeks she was so enamored over them.

 

[GL]

What the hell is wrong with me? What is so fundamentally deficient in my character and makeup that I cannot find someone who wants to spend any time with me? Why is it that the only ones remotely interested in me are women and creepy old men?

I honestly don’t get it. I’m a nice guy, I’m respectful towards others and pretty much act like a gentleman. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a complete geek and yeah, I could stand to loose more weight. I may not be all that handsome but I know I’m not ugly. What the fuck am I doing wrong? If somebody could point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.

Oh to hell with it. Who gives a shit anymore? I guess my path is going to be a solitary one after all.

Fuck.

 

[GL]

songs for a wistful mood...

 

[GL]

The last couple of weeks at work have been something of a bother. I’ve been working pretty hard and I thought that I was doing pretty well. My boss has had nothing but good things to say and I just had my annual evaluation presented to me and I had pretty high marks across the boards but the other day…

As yesterday was my first full day back at work after a weekend of suffering through Montezuma’s Revenge (with a viral component) my boss called and we were going over some action items we wanted to clear. She tells me that the business manager who oversees the group of facilities I handle had asked her facility managers how they were getting along with me. Evidently ‘someone’ told her that I wasn’t always attentive or friendly to his or her ‘needs.’

I know that in the grand scheme of things I know I can’t be “all things” to these people but I have to admit I was really perturbed to hear this coming from ‘someone.’ I say ‘someone’ because who ever this ‘someone’ is the business manager wouldn’t disclose his or her identity to my boss. She asked, as she wanted to make sure that we addressed whatever misgivings this ‘someone’ was experiencing.

As the day wore on I found myself falling into this air of frustration. I felt frustrated that I had been busting my hump to clear out their entire backlog, which was not mine to do but I cleaned it up for them. I was frustrated that whenever they called or e-mailed I got back to them by the close of business that day. I was frustrated that despite my best efforts there was ‘someone’ out there with an axe to grind and decided to take it out on me.

Basically my frustration was coming from this sense of being unappreciated for all the work that I had done so far. In fact, I was so frustrated that I told my boss that I was beginning to regret having come over here in the first place. That set off a worried discussion where she kept warning me that I didn’t want to go back to my old program because everyone there was miserable with the new changes and the increase in case work as a result.

At the end of the day I went over to the main office to pick up my mail from the last couple of days that I was out sick. Once there I got the full court press from my boss and a fellow co-worker. I think the boss called her over, as she is my best friend at work and had suffered through the same sort of crap from her group when she took over. I listened to them and I can see where they’re coming from but right now I’m still not sure.

I know that I am more than capable of doing the job and I do like where I’m working but I guess I’ll have to figure out if I can put up with some of the axe grinding that apparently goes on behind my back. My boss flatly told me that if there were anything wrong with my work she would be the first to let me know. That being said I guess I’ll just let my work speak for itself.

Oh yeah, I also found out that my Montezuma’s Revenge with viral component has been going around the facility. I guess I picked it up somewhere along the way.

 

[GL]

The 6 Truths Of Life


1. You cannot touch all your teeth with your tongue.



2. All idiots after reading the first "truth" will try it.



3. The first "truth" is a lie.



4. You are smiling now because you're an idiot.



5. You will soon forward this to another idiot.



6. There is still a stupid smile on your face.



I don't care if you lick windows, take the "special" bus or occasionally wet yourself...

You hang in there sunshine! You're frigging special!

Have a good one!

 

[GL]

I had already posted this on another thread but this morning I thought I should have blogged it!

*****

so this morning i was walking back to my office after getting coffee. as i was walking up to my door i come up on the receptionist who is walking back to her station and i tell her good morning. she replies, "nice..."

i stop and look at her funny and she looks at me with this 'deer in the headlights' look on her face. "uhm... i meant to say 'good morning' but i was looking at your hair cut and i guess i was thinking to myself 'nice hair cute.' i mean... 'cut.'"

then she just turned around and walked off really fast.

yep. i still got it. chicks dig me.


-link-

 

[GL]

The car I want doesn’t appear to be coming to the states. What a pity. The automotive object of my affections is the new Volkswagen Scirocco. Here are a couple of shots:

I have to tell you I really, really love that interior. The two-tone look with the leather is gorgeous. Anyhow the final design comes off the successful VW scIROCco concept car, which can be viewed here by way of this delicious video from VW’s press junket:



Rumor has it VW America doesn’t want this car here for fear that it will cannibalize sales away from the GTI. Who knows? I guess its possible but the thing is some in the automotive press have speculated that the Scirocco would only come to the states in small numbers and with a $30K price tag. That’s a big step up from the GTI’s. I can honestly tell you I don’t think I could afford one myself but I would really love to see this car here in the states.

/crosses fingers

 

[GL]

This is from the burned and it is my parting shot:



Generally speaking when it comes to matters of the heart I’m duller than a bag full of hammers but in this case, this instance I know it wasn’t me. This was all on you and I suspect that it will all come back and bite you in the ass at some point.

This usually happens when you think with your dick only and not pay attention to what your heart and mind are telling you.

Regardless I’m done with you. I'm done dealing with your shit from this past weekend. You were the only low point of the whole St. Louis visit. I trust you won’t be bothering me again.

 

[GL]

Think about it, there must be higher love
Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above
Without it, life is wasted time
Look inside your heart, I'll look inside mine
Things look so bad everywhere
In this whole world, what is fair?
We walk blind, we try to see
Falling behind in what could be

Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Where's that higher love I keep thinking of?

Worlds are turning and we're just hanging on
Facing our fear and standing out there alone
A yearning, and it's real to me
There must be someone who's feeling for me

Things look so bad everywhere
In this whole world, what is fair?
We walk blind, we try to see
Falling behind in what could be

Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Where's that higher love I keep thinking of?

Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Bring be a higher love
I could rise above on a higher love

I will wait for it
I'm not too late for it
Until then, I'll sing my song
To cheer the night along
Bring it...

I could light the night up with my soul on fire
I could make the sun shine from pure desire
Let me feel that love come over me
Let me feel how strong it could be

Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Where's that higher love I keep thinking of?

 

[GL]

I had a couple of phone calls from two of my good friends over the last couple of days and at the end of it I found myself back on track. Thanks guys. I have to tell you, I love music. Whenever I am happy, sad, up or down I manage to find something in my music collection to bring me solace and this one seemed appropriate.



Nothings impossible I have found
For when my chin is on the ground
I pick myself up, dust myself off, start all over again

Don't lose your confidence if you slip
Be grateful for a pleasant trip
And pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again

Work like a soul inspired till the battle of the day is won
You may be sick and tired but you'll be a man my son
Don't you remember the famous man who had to fall to rise again?
They picked themselves up, dust themselves off and started all over again

 

[GL]

Well I just got off the phone with my mother, she and father will be in town for a doctors’ appointment tomorrow. The thing is they’re thinking of staying here with me until next weekend. I love my parents but I don’t know if I can handle having that full a house for all that time.

My brother is going to New York next Thursday and won’t be back until the following Sunday. I’m thinking, ‘Yay! I’m alone!” Now I didn’t have anything planned exactly but I was just looking forward to having the place to myself. As it is my folks were planning to be here that Wednesday to see my brother off for his trip and then go home. Now I understand my youngest brother and his family have made plans to be in town for the Memorial Day weekend and want for everyone to get together.

Now, my mom is worried about the high price of gas and has been talking with my dad, they have planned to drive up tomorrow for dad’s doctors appointment and they will be packed to stay for a week or so. When my mom said that I could feel my eye begin to twitch.

Don’t’ get me wrong, I love my parents its just that I live in a smallish two bedroom apartment with my brother who has pretty much the same schedule as myself and just when I thought I would be able to sit back and relax I now find out I’m going to be hosting family throughout the Memorial Day holiday. Worse yet I took next Friday off to have a four-day weekend! Is it wrong of me to hope they decide that they don’t want to leave the house alone for a whole week?

Shit.