Check it yo...This is my awesome anniversary gift. A 'Nightmare Before Christmas' hoodie! Check out the detail..I really can't wait for the fall now. Thanks Q.T.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Anam Cara
Today is our sixth anniversary. Some time ago, I wandered into an AOL chat room and became a regular. Fellow chatters were also 'regs'. We all got to know each other and we were a little 'cyber-family'. We knew about each others families, friends, trials and tribulations. There was one chatter in particular that caught my attention. She was funny, caring, smart and so very cute. I partook in this chat room for many months and then, took a small break. When I came back to the room, the same folks were there, including the cutie you see in the picture above. That cutie being Maggie, not me. We spoke for hours online and then on the phone. I got by talking to her that she was a fabuloso individual. We talked and talked, exchanged email and snail mails...After 'knowing' me only a couple of months she sent me a great gift. It was a brutally cold December Rhode Island day ( all December days in Rhode Island are brutally cold) when I went to the mail box. I pulled the bills and folded inside the Warwick Beacon was a manilla envelope addressed to me with a New Jersey postmark. I ran back to the house, not wanting to freeze to the ground, tossed the mail on the dining room table and ripped open the envelope. Inside was a wool scarf. Not just any wool scarf, an IRISH wool scarf. Awesome! Perfect! My Dad, who was sick with cancer at the time, smiled and admired it. "That's a sharp lookin' scarf there kiddo," he said. "Mags sent it." "That was nice! She's somethin' eh?" I think he even referred to her as a 'nice girl'.
That was the beginning of the acts of kindness and thoughtfulness that have been bestowed upon me in the past 6 plus years.
Over the years our life together has been anything but boring. The death of my beloved Dad in 2000, open-heart surgery for Mags in 2004, the same exact procedure on her dad J.W. the following year, Maggie literally saving her mothers life by dragging her forcibly to the E.R. to be diagnosed just in time with E. Coli poisoning, the death of my dear friend Marc in 2005, the struggle to work full time and earn her N.J. State Real Estate licence, a bout with breast cancer for Mags in 2006, the death of my sister in 2007. Her Dad suffering from seizures and a near death experience in upstate N.Y.....man....We have been through it. Mags has been a huge support for me through all of my families tragedies and when the shit hits the fan there is one person who I want in my corner. I'm not sure what I would do without her.
Even though we've been living la vida loca there's nobody I'd rather be riding this Crazy-Train of life with.
So tonight, we'll go have a nice dinner somewhere and come home, maybe catch a movie and when I say goodnight, I'll consider Meself a lucky lad.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Toe is Me
Well on Tuesday night I was in the yard with CrazyDog for our nightly game of catch. I was barefooted, enjoying the beautiful cool evening temps, feeling of the cool grass between my toes, enjoying life for a brief moment when suddenly, walking over to pick up the ball, my foot slipped and went into a small hole ( I imagine it was a divot form last years mole problem) and jammed my foot. My toe is broken. It looks horrible. It is a lovely shade of dark purple with a little red mixed in. I would post a pic but it would surely ruin your appetite for the next three days. The following day I noticed that there was bruising across the top of my foot. I taped the broken toe to it's 'buddy' toe and have been hobbling around for almost a week. Going to the doc is pointless because unless the foot is numb and tingling, there is nothing they can do. So I will suffer. To make matters worse, at work on the next day, I fell through a skid, with my bad foot of course. And then I went to step out of harm's way I fell through another skid, with said foot. Funny enough the only thing hurting at that point was my ego because I did it in front of like 5 people. Thankfully only one laughed. Jason you fucker.
I took the car down to the inspection station on rt.130 and was pleased to see I was the only one there waiting. So I wait ten minutes, I'm waived forward and I hand over my papers and I'm asked for my ticket. "Ticket?", I say. (The inspector was Asian) "Yah, you need ticky. No ticky no sticky" , he said pointing to my almost expired inspection sticker. "You go 'round 'gain and go through gate."
So I go around and sure enough there is the gate. I'm not sure, even now, how I missed this gate. So I start to pull up to the gate and a newer car comes flying up and races into the gate ahead of me. I pull in behind this person, tempted to bump his shiny Beamer with my dusty Camry but temptation flies away. I get my ticket, get in line, and send my car through. There is a small booth where you wait & I spoke with the owner of the Beamer, a very nice elderly man for a few minutes and wished him a good day. The last inspection test is for your gas cap, making sure your not emitting too many fumes into the air ( Like I'm gonna be here to see the destruction of the planet anyways). Well the inspector calls her co-worker over and points into my gas tank. "Crap," I think. The woman yells into the empty building "Toyota! Owner of the Toyota?" I look around. I am the only car owner in the empty 5 bay garage and I'm sitting four feet away from her. She points to my gas cap and says something. I step out of the booth and she points to the gas cap area, "You have bee's nest."
She tells her co-worker, a large African fellow to remove it. "P'ah! You ahhr crazzy woman," and walks away. She shrugs and tells me "You should get rid of that."
So other than a small bee's nest. My car is good for two years. Hopefully.
I took the car down to the inspection station on rt.130 and was pleased to see I was the only one there waiting. So I wait ten minutes, I'm waived forward and I hand over my papers and I'm asked for my ticket. "Ticket?", I say. (The inspector was Asian) "Yah, you need ticky. No ticky no sticky" , he said pointing to my almost expired inspection sticker. "You go 'round 'gain and go through gate."
So I go around and sure enough there is the gate. I'm not sure, even now, how I missed this gate. So I start to pull up to the gate and a newer car comes flying up and races into the gate ahead of me. I pull in behind this person, tempted to bump his shiny Beamer with my dusty Camry but temptation flies away. I get my ticket, get in line, and send my car through. There is a small booth where you wait & I spoke with the owner of the Beamer, a very nice elderly man for a few minutes and wished him a good day. The last inspection test is for your gas cap, making sure your not emitting too many fumes into the air ( Like I'm gonna be here to see the destruction of the planet anyways). Well the inspector calls her co-worker over and points into my gas tank. "Crap," I think. The woman yells into the empty building "Toyota! Owner of the Toyota?" I look around. I am the only car owner in the empty 5 bay garage and I'm sitting four feet away from her. She points to my gas cap and says something. I step out of the booth and she points to the gas cap area, "You have bee's nest."
She tells her co-worker, a large African fellow to remove it. "P'ah! You ahhr crazzy woman," and walks away. She shrugs and tells me "You should get rid of that."
So other than a small bee's nest. My car is good for two years. Hopefully.
Monday, August 25, 2008
A Day Off
So here it is, the horrbile day we all call 'Monday'. Well, some of us call it Monday others that I know call it much worse. I have the day off because my car is in the shop. I am in need of major repair and my car must go through inspection this week. Hopefully, it will pass. This repair will be expensive enough. And the Motor Vehicle Inspections are so tough nowadays. I remember back in the late 70's in Rhode Island, anything with brakelights and headlights would pass. An older man I worked with had ripped all the seats out ( he sold the back seat for money for pot, believe it or not.) and had two big holes. one where the passenger seat, ahem, was...and then one behind where the pasenger seat would have been. Talk about getting gassed. No seat belts, no seats, one wiperblade (passenger side)..... Nowadays if your car has fly crap on it, it will fail. My reapir is big and it involves the Catalytic converter. My BIL is repairing it as we speak.
I am home kicking back. I've already folded a load of laundry and vacuumed theliving room. It's a tiny room but we have CrazyDog and the cat sheds like Lindsey Lohan drinks so you can imagine.....
Lately my back has been really killing me. It isn't unusual for it to hurt, it aches all the time, but an asprin or two usually does me good. Lately however, I've been keepign my Vikes in my Pez dispenser and popping almost one a day. Hopefully it's just the barometric pressure or stress and not something major like a tumor the size of a basketball. Well, I guess that's only funny if you know how small of a person I am... well, actuially a tumor of any size isn't funny at all...As a matter o' fact I've just taken one and I'm enjoying a good cup of tea, listening to some good tunes and maybe later I'll see if I can catch some of the highlights from this past weekends action in the EPL.
I am home kicking back. I've already folded a load of laundry and vacuumed theliving room. It's a tiny room but we have CrazyDog and the cat sheds like Lindsey Lohan drinks so you can imagine.....
Lately my back has been really killing me. It isn't unusual for it to hurt, it aches all the time, but an asprin or two usually does me good. Lately however, I've been keepign my Vikes in my Pez dispenser and popping almost one a day. Hopefully it's just the barometric pressure or stress and not something major like a tumor the size of a basketball. Well, I guess that's only funny if you know how small of a person I am... well, actuially a tumor of any size isn't funny at all...As a matter o' fact I've just taken one and I'm enjoying a good cup of tea, listening to some good tunes and maybe later I'll see if I can catch some of the highlights from this past weekends action in the EPL.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
The Update....
Well due to nothing more than laziness, it has been two months since my last post.
So I go to our Boston area facility and set up the printer machine thingy. It is, however, not without a snag. I am shown a room where they want the machine set up. It is packed with skids and skids of copy paper. My contact Fred waves his arms at the skids 'right here is where we want it.' I look at all the skids and he points at a pallet jack ( no motor ) that was manufactured sometime during the Nixon administration and tells me if I need help to grab one of the guys form the print room.
Long story short, in a span of four hours I have moved all the skids and reassembled the machine and connected all the wiring. There is a junction box in the ceiling above me and Im told the electrician will be in first thing in the a.m. Fred tells me to go back to the hotel and kick back. Awesome! So I hop in my Passat and cruise back to the hotel. I crack a cold beer and call Pizza Hut for my dinner. The hotel is really nice and Im enjoying myself. I tune into Maggies addiction, Law and Order and watch until the Celts game comes on. I sprawl myself out across the Queen sized bed and fall asleep after midnight.
I have a hot shower in the am and drive over to the shop. I'm told Fred wont be in til later so I wait. Fred comes in and says there is a problem. The electrical box in the ceiling won't handle to juice needed so I must disassemble the machine and move it across the room. I am not happy and it shows on my face. I hate doing things twice. Fred notices and kindly says "Hey you're gettin' paid right?" It isn't Fred's fault and I shrug and smile, "piece of cake". So I move the monstrous old machine across the floor in four sections, re-reassemble it and rewire it and then smile to myself. The electrician comes in and we chat about last night Celtics game and he says "no problemo man." He then leaves and he doesn't come back. I try and find the MIA Fred and when I do he says '"where is Chico?" I shrug and stare at him for more info. "Lemme call him" Turns out nobody told Chico they wanted it hooked up today.
So I meet Jane and give her a very quick lesson in the operation of the computer program and the machine. She jots notes furiously and at 5 o'clock she tells me have a nice weekend and that she's sure she'll be in touch. Which she has...I don't mind though. They're all really nice up there and I know the machine pretty well.
After that I shoot down 295 to Warwick to have a nice dinner with Mims, Cassie and my brother.
I spend the next 40 or so hours with Mims and tehn head home to Joisey.
So I go to our Boston area facility and set up the printer machine thingy. It is, however, not without a snag. I am shown a room where they want the machine set up. It is packed with skids and skids of copy paper. My contact Fred waves his arms at the skids 'right here is where we want it.' I look at all the skids and he points at a pallet jack ( no motor ) that was manufactured sometime during the Nixon administration and tells me if I need help to grab one of the guys form the print room.
Long story short, in a span of four hours I have moved all the skids and reassembled the machine and connected all the wiring. There is a junction box in the ceiling above me and Im told the electrician will be in first thing in the a.m. Fred tells me to go back to the hotel and kick back. Awesome! So I hop in my Passat and cruise back to the hotel. I crack a cold beer and call Pizza Hut for my dinner. The hotel is really nice and Im enjoying myself. I tune into Maggies addiction, Law and Order and watch until the Celts game comes on. I sprawl myself out across the Queen sized bed and fall asleep after midnight.
I have a hot shower in the am and drive over to the shop. I'm told Fred wont be in til later so I wait. Fred comes in and says there is a problem. The electrical box in the ceiling won't handle to juice needed so I must disassemble the machine and move it across the room. I am not happy and it shows on my face. I hate doing things twice. Fred notices and kindly says "Hey you're gettin' paid right?" It isn't Fred's fault and I shrug and smile, "piece of cake". So I move the monstrous old machine across the floor in four sections, re-reassemble it and rewire it and then smile to myself. The electrician comes in and we chat about last night Celtics game and he says "no problemo man." He then leaves and he doesn't come back. I try and find the MIA Fred and when I do he says '"where is Chico?" I shrug and stare at him for more info. "Lemme call him" Turns out nobody told Chico they wanted it hooked up today.
So I meet Jane and give her a very quick lesson in the operation of the computer program and the machine. She jots notes furiously and at 5 o'clock she tells me have a nice weekend and that she's sure she'll be in touch. Which she has...I don't mind though. They're all really nice up there and I know the machine pretty well.
After that I shoot down 295 to Warwick to have a nice dinner with Mims, Cassie and my brother.
I spend the next 40 or so hours with Mims and tehn head home to Joisey.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Gettin' There is Half the Fun
Okay so I did my trip to Mass. I'm back and here is a brief recap of my jaunt. I mentioned in my last post that I had a really sweet rental. A 2008 Passat. The problem with driving a brand new car, a sports car, no less, when you are used to driving a 1997 Camry, is this. You are not used to how the car rides. It's like anything else. You need a few hours to get the feel for a different car.
My trip took me right up the NJ Turnpike to 95 thru Conn. and RI into Mass, where I go on 495 and so on.
I anticipate traffic in the city, at the GWB. Well, where Rtes. 95 & 80 merge there is a backup. Almost half a mile. I start to groan and curse. I hate traffic. Really. Really hate it. I'd rather be kicked in the face by an Israeli commando than sit in traffic. I crawl to the merge and notice the hold-up. One semi driver rear-ended another and they were in the road trying to seperate their trucks with a crowbar. Once I got past this 25 minute delay I sail through the city. Or maybe I should say I flew.
This car is really fast and you really don't notice how fast you're going either. This explains why, at around exit 23 in Connecticut I noticed the trees around me blurring a bit. I looked at the dash and realised I was doing over 90...closer to 95 actually. I looked up to see a Conn. StateTrooper on the embankment. It was too late to be doing the speed limit so I slowed to 65 and made my way to the right lane, certain I was a goner. Well, either he didn't want to be bothered or he just dind't notice..I was safe either way.
I got off the highway in RI to see Mims at her office. She was shocked to see me so early ( I got there at about 2:30 only about 4 hours after I left NJ.) I chatted with her ( and several of my aunts who also work there) for about half an hour and then headed up to Mass. to the hotel.
It only took me about 45 minutes to get to the hotel and after a quick check-in, headed to my room. I have to say the hotel was sweeet. It was the Residence Inn in Stockton. It was like a tiny apartment. Full kitchen, little sitting area with a recliner, chaise lounge and writing desk. There was also a nice big bed with plenty of pillows. I was impressed.
So I call Mags and leave a message that I arrived safely and then head down to the 'gathering' area off the lobby where they are serving a free barbq dinner.
I grab two dogs and a burger and head up to my room where I enjoy my meal with a couple of cold beers. I decide on only two because in the morning I have to go and reassemble our hi-speed ink-jet printer.
My trip took me right up the NJ Turnpike to 95 thru Conn. and RI into Mass, where I go on 495 and so on.
I anticipate traffic in the city, at the GWB. Well, where Rtes. 95 & 80 merge there is a backup. Almost half a mile. I start to groan and curse. I hate traffic. Really. Really hate it. I'd rather be kicked in the face by an Israeli commando than sit in traffic. I crawl to the merge and notice the hold-up. One semi driver rear-ended another and they were in the road trying to seperate their trucks with a crowbar. Once I got past this 25 minute delay I sail through the city. Or maybe I should say I flew.
This car is really fast and you really don't notice how fast you're going either. This explains why, at around exit 23 in Connecticut I noticed the trees around me blurring a bit. I looked at the dash and realised I was doing over 90...closer to 95 actually. I looked up to see a Conn. StateTrooper on the embankment. It was too late to be doing the speed limit so I slowed to 65 and made my way to the right lane, certain I was a goner. Well, either he didn't want to be bothered or he just dind't notice..I was safe either way.
I got off the highway in RI to see Mims at her office. She was shocked to see me so early ( I got there at about 2:30 only about 4 hours after I left NJ.) I chatted with her ( and several of my aunts who also work there) for about half an hour and then headed up to Mass. to the hotel.
It only took me about 45 minutes to get to the hotel and after a quick check-in, headed to my room. I have to say the hotel was sweeet. It was the Residence Inn in Stockton. It was like a tiny apartment. Full kitchen, little sitting area with a recliner, chaise lounge and writing desk. There was also a nice big bed with plenty of pillows. I was impressed.
So I call Mags and leave a message that I arrived safely and then head down to the 'gathering' area off the lobby where they are serving a free barbq dinner.
I grab two dogs and a burger and head up to my room where I enjoy my meal with a couple of cold beers. I decide on only two because in the morning I have to go and reassemble our hi-speed ink-jet printer.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
It's Been How Long??
Okay Ive got alot to squeeze in here so read fast.
Since I've written last the following has occured.
*My Father in law has had surgery for a nagging intestinal problem. They removed some of his plumbing and sewed him back up. While in there they took a 'nasty' looking growth off his liver. It is, sadly, cancerous. He has had a hell of a time finding a doctor to take care of him. He has Medicade and he has insurance from his days serving in the Navy. Well, they just dont help out like they say they do. One of the greatest problems this country faces. Our elderly getting the medical help they need. Really fucking nice. The man served his country in the armed forces people....
*On a warm spring day, the BigGuy from our Boston site was in town. We knew something was up because my department was completely dead for weeks. The head of our site pulled me and one of my coworkers into the conference room. Once in there, the BigGuy told us they were shutting down our department. Immediately. I was stunned, but not shocked. They told us 'mums the word'. They then took the other 4 employees, and our Super, into the conference room and told them effective immediately, they had no job.
So feeling safe but shaken, I returned to the floor. At 11am, an hour and a half after getting the news about our department, we had a company wide meeting. When a meeting starts with someone saying "there's no easy way to say this.." it will not be a fun affair. We are then told the unit will be closing this year. Alot of people are shocked. We aren't sure when , but by December.
Because I am an awesome employee, the head of our site comes to me one day about a month after the news and says "Hey. what are the chances you can get to Boston for a few days next week?"
"For what?" says Me.
"To set up one of our hi-speed ink-jet printers."
So after conferring with Mags I decide I will indeed go to Mass. They are going to put me on a train but I ask the head of our site, who is a great guy, if the Company would rent me a car instead, so I can stop in RI to see my family. He graciously agrees. So soon I'll get to see the site in Mass.
Since I've written last the following has occured.
*My Father in law has had surgery for a nagging intestinal problem. They removed some of his plumbing and sewed him back up. While in there they took a 'nasty' looking growth off his liver. It is, sadly, cancerous. He has had a hell of a time finding a doctor to take care of him. He has Medicade and he has insurance from his days serving in the Navy. Well, they just dont help out like they say they do. One of the greatest problems this country faces. Our elderly getting the medical help they need. Really fucking nice. The man served his country in the armed forces people....
*On a warm spring day, the BigGuy from our Boston site was in town. We knew something was up because my department was completely dead for weeks. The head of our site pulled me and one of my coworkers into the conference room. Once in there, the BigGuy told us they were shutting down our department. Immediately. I was stunned, but not shocked. They told us 'mums the word'. They then took the other 4 employees, and our Super, into the conference room and told them effective immediately, they had no job.
So feeling safe but shaken, I returned to the floor. At 11am, an hour and a half after getting the news about our department, we had a company wide meeting. When a meeting starts with someone saying "there's no easy way to say this.." it will not be a fun affair. We are then told the unit will be closing this year. Alot of people are shocked. We aren't sure when , but by December.
Because I am an awesome employee, the head of our site comes to me one day about a month after the news and says "Hey. what are the chances you can get to Boston for a few days next week?"
"For what?" says Me.
"To set up one of our hi-speed ink-jet printers."
So after conferring with Mags I decide I will indeed go to Mass. They are going to put me on a train but I ask the head of our site, who is a great guy, if the Company would rent me a car instead, so I can stop in RI to see my family. He graciously agrees. So soon I'll get to see the site in Mass.
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