Category: Trials and Tribulations

Whatcha think, Joe was perfect?

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My Mossy Address Book

“A rolling stone gathers no moss”

If you were to sum up my life in one phrase the above aphorism might just be it.  I spent the first 18 years of my life more or less as a military brat.  I literally had 13 changes of schools before I graduated high school.  This includes one school that I was in for a single day.  I have described the last 30 years of my working life as that of a computer gypsy, moving around to take different jobs in Information Technology.  I did have a stable period in between (at least as far as physical location) when I lived in Arkansas and we were getting kids through school.

In such a life people come and go.  It is just a fact of life that you get used to.  I do not know how many times I have said to someone, “have a good life”, knowing I would never be seeing them again. I have on occasions tried to maintain relationships over time and distance, but this must be two sided and has very seldom worked out.

I have now reached the age where many of my relatives, friends and acquaintances are passing away.  This is sincerely a sadness just in itself. If a person truly touches you, they take up residence in some part of your psyche.  I have sometimes described this as feeling like I have ghosts running around my soul.    At times it has felt a little crowded in there.

And now add an additional sadness  due  to this technical  age.  After the fact of someone’s death, sometimes much later, I will come across their information in one of my address books or contact lists.  I have such a hard time deleting the information, it feels like deleting the memory of that person.  Sometimes the address\contact card will remain in there for years.  I just cannot delete it.

On the positive side, it does make you stop for a minute and remember the person when you stumble across it.

Sigh.  We march on.

Keep well.

 

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Me gustó mucho esta cita

As someone who has been studying Spanish for a while, I occasionally get frustrated with my language learning journey.  As one of my instructors said to me, “you will always speak Spanish with a Gringo accent, but if your pronunciation and grammar are correct, don’t worry about it.  The idea is to communicate.”  That I can do as long as we are not chatting about the theory of relativity, the philosophy of Descartes or other such esoteric subjects.

In my case that Gringo accent has a strong southern component to it…picture Gomer Pyle speaking Spanish, instead of “Golly, Sargent”, it is, “¡Caramba! Sargento.”  I came across this quote that I can really relate to.

“Do you know what a foreign accent is? It’s a sign of bravery.” — Amy Chua

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #6,094

yeah I know you did not ask!

People have been telling me for years that I look like Sam Elliot.  I even had a complete stranger at a Quick Trip in Tulsa, OK walk up to me to tell me I looked like him.  I absolutely do not get it, but I take it as a compliment as I know he is considered ruggedly handsome.

Another trait that Sam and I share in common is a low, deep voice.  However, his is a million dollar fine instrument, mine is more in line with a cheap kazoo from an arcade claw machine game.   Thinking of the voice similarity, the low, deep part, I begin to wonder about something.  The enchanting Señora Weinhaus frequently  “tells” me to speak up as she cannot hear my low, deep kazoo of a voice.  I wonder if Sam Elliot’s wife tells him same thing???

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Need some golf balls?

These are mostly brands that  I do not play… lots of Top Flite, Pinnacle, Maxfli,  etc.  I’m trying to get rid of them for 4 for a $1 on Next Door.  I might try Craigslist next, but a listing there always seems to bring out the crazies. Between my golf balls and the ceramic flowers that Robin continually makes, the basement is getting, shall we say, crowded.  We are selling flowers, too!

I have literally not bought golf balls this century. I have about as many of the premium brands I like to play, Titleist, Callaway, Nike, the better Bridgestones, etc. The premium brands go for $48 a dozen new.  Even cheap Top Flites are around $1 a piece brand new.

The forbearing Señora Weinhaus thinks Continue reading “Need some golf balls?”

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Maid of the Mist

Three summers ago the traveling Señora Weinhaus and I took a 16 day road trip through Ohio and New York into the New England states coming back through West Virginia.  We had several reasons for taking such a trip.  Señora had never been to New England.  I have a dream to visit every one of state capitol buildings before I make my journey to Vahalla.  On this trip we managed to hit 9 capitols. We were also going to visit Robin’s niece who had married a Mainer.

I also wanted to see Niagara Falls. For reasons unclear I have always wanted to do this.  The outside of the state park area is touristy Continue reading “Maid of the Mist”

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #6,864

yeah I know you did not ask!

I scared the bejeebers out of myself this morning.

We were at some folk’s house and I was nonchalantly flipping though a magazine.  As I was about to flip the page I noticed an ad.  It had a picture of a middle-aged women with a mature but very nice figure.  She was in nothing but a bra and panties.   I idly thought, “That is a nice looking woman.”

Suddenly I realized it was an advertisement for Depends!!!

Ouch!

 

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Pseudo-psychological Ramblings or Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child

A little while ago I came across a local story in my news feed about a St. Louis area police officer.  He had been arrested for excessive use of a belt with his children.  This brought back a host of childhood memories.  I shared the article and my memories with my four brothers.  Like me, they had many war stories about growing up with our parents. Both our parents, but especially our mother, were strong believers in and practitioners of the old axiom “spare the rod, spoil the child.”  Today they would most likely be visited by various governmental services.  However, their attitude and behavior Continue reading “Pseudo-psychological Ramblings or Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child”

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3 Viagra Stories

My mother going for a ride in LI BLU

First…

I bought my 2006 top-of-the-line Mazda MX-5 (a rose is a rose by any name…so Miata works) almost new in May of 2007. The 50ish gentleman I bought it from had fallen in love with a younger women with two small children.  He needed a family car to accommodate his new family,  and so he was desperate to sell.  I worked the deal and paid a very reasonable price for the car.  I almost felt sorry for him, but a deal is a deal.

If you are not familiar with a Miata it is a little two seat convertible.  Mine is a bright blue that has become reasonably popular the last few years.  Back then it was unique.  At the time I was dating Continue reading “3 Viagra Stories”

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The Pandemic Blues – Take II

I had a disturbing round of golf Friday.  Oh not about my golf game, I describe myself as a Dr. Hyde / Mr. Jekyll golfer.  I never know who is coming out, and sometimes I see both these sides in a single round of golf.  I figured out last millennium that I was never going to play golf professionally, or even at a stellar amateur level.  I am good with that.  I still enjoy the game.  My discomfort on this round of golf centered around attitudes about corona virus.

Let me describe where I golf most frequently.  It is across the Rio Mississippi in the small town of Columbia, IL. This is southern Illinois and it is hoosier land.  If your breed is more southern, substitute redneck for hoosier.  It is the same concept, different words. I go to this particular golf course as the rates are more reasonable than in Missouri, it is usually easy to get a tee time and the course is generally in good shape.  The greens always are.  While not the cow pasture golf Continue reading “The Pandemic Blues – Take II”

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USA is pitied

Note:  For the most part, even though I am the home of “The Little Known Blogger” with a minimal readership,  I try to honor intellectual property rights. A friend sent me this opinion piece from the Irish Times.  I could not find a link to it that was not behind a pay wall.  Because I found this oped so spot on until such time…

Irish Times
April 25, 2020
By Fintan O’Toole
Editorial

THE WORLD HAS LOVED, HATED AND ENVIED THE U.S. NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE PITY IT

Over more than two centuries, the United States has stirred a very wide range of feelings in the rest of the world: love and hatred, fear and hope, envy and contempt, awe and anger. But there is one emotion that has never been directed towards the US until now: pity. Continue reading “USA is pitied”