I would just like to say...

dick

blick

dot com

I just like saying dick blick.

But seriously Dick Blick.


They shipped my stuff the very same day. Its on the way. That ain't hay.

Was there rain today? I dunno...

Before I headed out to work at such a time that would undoubtedly make me late I took time to find the cap I wanted to wear, rain was the expectation for today. I was late, I might as well get the hat I wanted.

The regular trainmates were on the trains ahead of me so today there were these new train users.

The pair that caught my attention consisted of a very attractive lady and a less attractive guy both were African Americans. The two where separated by a seat occupied by someone neither of them knew. He was doing most of the talking. She couldn't have looked more disinterested in the exchanged but every once in awhile she would offer a reply. The conversation - mostly politics. He had opinions on a lot of things, but mainly on why minorities aren't in office. She asked him if he votes. His reply - never in my life.

My city is a majority minority. A very good voter turnout is something like 22 percent. I think the last go round 12 percent of those eligible to vote showed up.

I was going to pipe up but he was all over the board. I don't think he was in the frame of mind to listen. He ended up saying that the star shaped badges that are worn by the sheriffs are a sign of the devil.

But dude, you gotta vote.

...

I have this hook on my pencil cup for holding rubber bands. By hook I mean a bent and twisted paper clip, jumbo size. Today the hook was empty so I go to the drawer with my rubber bands and lift the resealable bag from it resting place. I lift the bag but to my dismay the rubber bands pretty much keep the same elevation as before. The bag is opened and the rubber bands have distributed themselves over the contents of the drawer.

I look at the bag to figure out what went wrong. I usually grab the bag at the top just in case it isn't sealed properly. The bag is sealed properly at the top anyway. Someone has opened the bottom. Someone other than me. These are my rubber bands bought and paid for, requesting rubber bands from the supply clerk is too much of a hassle for me to deal with so I buy my own, and get what I want.

Why do you need rubber bands? We don't ever order that size. Why do you need them again? Get that form and fill it out and have your supervisor sign it and bring it back.

Normally some snide remarks would be offered to this situation of mine but today I just smiled and taped the bag's bottom and rebagged the rubberbands. I'll wait for the bigger fish to fry.

...

The printer I usually use is busted. The replacement printer I'm using is by the office of the big boss. So, to get my print jobs I have to pass by the secretary's desk, today the ladies are talking about babies and vasectomies. They see me and say "Tim, come here miss Y needs another baby" so I roll my eyes and say "Alright, come on into the big boss's office".

I was only half joking.

it's a mute point...

I’m having trouble commenting but…

I guess dignity has nothing to do with it.

Some of what was written reminded of something in my past, something with my father.

Situations where I didn’t fuck dignity and in hindsight I think I may have missed something.

There are many reasons for making decisions but I think maintaining a sense of dignity, particularly if I costs me something of value, is not the best reason.

But if there is nothing of value to gain, or if something of value might be lost this is all a mute point.

I thought for a moment, there was a hint, that something was desired. It turns out it was my desire for a do-over in for something in my past.

I don't mind being told what to do just don't tell me how to do it. Remix

So I wrote a post under this title one post ago. As soon as I posted it I realized that one of my more persistant problems is that in life I have been given a blank canvas and I don't know what to do with it.

I never really have.

a title? how about some substance?...

The latest request was for invites to an eightieth birthday party but I wouldn't have the info until Monday night. Monday night I have no info so I attempt to get the info. No info to be had but while I'm there I get another request.

The new request is for labels for those fundraising cans. The fundraising cause - Save Our School.

I've done labels for the cans in the past but I need one of the cans on hand to get the measurements correct. I can get a can two city blocks away. I walk the two blocks.

"Hi, I'm Tim. I'm here for a can"
"Hi, Tim. I'll get you a can"
She gets the can and asks "Can you have them in two minutes? ...I'm just joking. Can I have them sometime tomorrow?"
"I can have them in about 30 minute" I wasn't joking. I ask "You have about one hundred can?"
"Exactly one hundred cans" she replied.
I tell her where I'll leave the labels which will need to be cut. She asks if I can leave them in her mailbox. I can. I tell her I'll try to get two labels to a sheet of paper but I think the can is an odd size and ask if the label can be short. She says "Sure". She mentions that cutting them may be difficult. The students will be applying the labels, kinda a craft project. I commit to cutting them.

Only one label fits on a letter size piece of paper. I think they came out nice. I didn't have my camera or else there would be a photo. I could jpg the label but it looks stupid if it's not on a can. Maybe I'll do it later.

I have the invites to do tonight. Hopefully, I'll have all the info.

...

Often when I send an email I worry that it might be taken the wrong way.

I send them anyway.

I don't mind being told what to do just don't tell me how to do it.

If you give me a blank canvas I will give it a blank stare.

But if you give me two different color paints, limit the work space to the lower left corner, tell me it should make people think of key lime pie then I can do wonders.

I do better with limits. When the sky’s the limit all I give is dead air.

"Oh, my God!"

Another thing I'll say with conviction is that if you see a toddler falling from a chair, it is never best to scream "Oh, my God!".

This just frightens the child and maybe convinces him/her into thinking the situation is worse than they think and causes them to cry louder/longer.

You might think that screaming such a thing could alert others to the danger and possibly danger could be averted but I say something else should be shouted. Something like "catch the baby" same amount of syllables and folks know what's going on.

But maybe that's just me.

Why the macaroon?

“Hi Tim, I’m so and so, thanks for all your help in the past”
“Hi” I responded with a slightly puzzled look.
“Your help with the fundraising” she explained
me – still sporting the puzzled look.
“The invites and stuff”
me – now I get it. I remembered the invites but I hadn’t known she knew it was me. I try to keep on the down low.
“Yeah, and remember that poster you did? It really helped in the court case” a friend of mine said.
me-thinking what poster.
“The poster with all the kids in front of the school saying “Thank you” to all the people who helped”
In my mind that’s an ad. It was in the local paper and we printed a large color version of it for some of the big donors.

All that stuff is still saved on my computer somewhere but I forget most of it.


That exchange happened on a corner of my old neighborhood. I agreed to help the friend with something but I couldn’t reach her but then I saw her on the corner. She was there with her daughter and a friend with her daughter. The daughters were selling baked good to raise money to help keep their school opened.

I got the sales pitch from my friend’s daughter. I was told if I were to make a donation I would get the goods but if I want a napkin that would cost extra. I asked if I could just buy the napkin. I was told I could but it would cost thirty dollars. I peeled off two bucks and picked up a macaroon. I passed on the napkin. As my transaction was taking place I believe my friend was letting her friend know who I was because once I had the macaroon in hand, that’s when I got the “Hi, Tim”.

I’m not a big macaroon fan. I should have went for a brownie.

I did this t-shirt for shits and giggles. It glows in the dark.

A first...

Translation:

I attempt to get home but I'm afraid I'm going to hurl on the train, so I get off the train and sit in the Common writing this note on the back of an ATM receipt.

I stifle a hurl and wait for folks to walk by before I make a deposit into a trash can. Some guy walking by mentions that its nice to have a day that isn't pissing rain. I say "Wait until tomorrow" as I wait for my next barf fest.

End Translation

This note was written after five more pints (total pints = most likely nine)using the back of a bench as a desk. More beer than usual for me but folks kept buying me pints.

I think the guy mentioning the weather thought I was enjoying the scenery but I was just waiting to puke in semi-private.

I find it interesting that I originally spelled 'fest' correctly but convinced myself it was incorrect and spelled it 'feast' instead.

Unedited...

thedetox.com mentions

operation: you. were. here

I used to work with a construction crew. I used to build stuff to let folks know I was here.

I do

operation: you. were. here

Is that a subsidiary of

operation: you. made. a. difference ?

...even if it's one pillbug at a time?


Pill bug story Is the little guy actually safer


The effort is more important than the success

I've had a few.

I actually don't remember the exact amount but I think it was more than four over an hour and a half.

We return from where we were and there is this uproar.

I got a call from Lady G after number three. She mentions something about a problem. I say I don't see it as a problem. "I bet you don't" was her reply.

I've been trying to avoid upsetting Lady G regarding my drinking habits but sometimes you need to bond with the guys. I consider it a social investment. She sees it as a drunken stupor.

I'm impressed that I spelled 'stupor' correctly although it did take me four tries on the 'correctly'.

Okay it was five tries but whose counting.

I've really nothing important to say but how is that different than another day?

Lauren was the barkeeper. Her 'boyfriend" is flying in from Cali next week. He told her that he loves her. She said "I love you" but then retracted it. She's worried that he has stronger feelings for her than she has for him. We were giving her all sorts of advise that is sure to screw up the relationship.

As I'm writing this I get another call from Lady G. She was trying to call someone else and go me and she let me know that I'm slurring my words.

you have one new voice message

"Hi, it's me. Thanks for going to that thing today. You came through again. I didn't know she was going to win all those awards. I guess that's why they wanted a parent or somebody there."

"They should have been your kids. I don't know what happened but they should have been yours."

"I'll talk to you later, ...I guess. Thanks again"



I know what happened.

Something I don't understand.

I was at a funeral today.

I was at a memorial service not too long ago.

Both were held in Catholic churches.

Both times I felt like I wanted to stick around.

My beliefs differ from the Catholic church.

Yeah, freaking adorable

“Can you change the picture?”
“Yeah, but change it to what?” I asked looking out the window to see it there is still enough daylight to take a decent photo.
“I dunno, a view shot? Don’t you have a photo database?”
“I’ve saved all the photos but to get a view shot I have to look through all the photos”
“…We can change it next week then”

…

“Are you going anywhere?”
“I’m walking to so-and-so’s house”
“Can we take a new picture?”

I took a new picture in failing sunlight.

On the way to take a new picture I’m asked what I did over the weekend.
“Nothing much. I silk screened some T-shirts”
“Oh, how adorable”

Yeah, freaking adorable.

No small effort...

I read in the online version of the paper that a friend of mine is suing the Arch diocese over the closing of a school.

The story says that through fund raising efforts the school has been self sufficient and if it closes then the money raised for the school should be returned.

I agree.

I did the invites for some of the fundraising efforts. I was asked to create 250 custom invites, then the total was raised to 500, then 1250. They needed to be inexpensive the last invites had a price tag of $1.25 a piece and they weren’t much to look at. The invites I did fit into a business sized envelope which was crimped for style and matched the invites with cost four cents a piece in materials to make. They were labor intensive but I work for cheap, if the cause is just.

Over two years almost a quarter million was raised. The powers that be want to close the school. I smell a fight... And probably more invites.

"It hurts but I'm walking"

"Can I ask you a favor? Can you pour a little of that in here to make it look right? If you know what I mean."
I smiled.
I knew what he meant.
He was pointing at my diet coke which was by my side, sitting on the same granite stairs as I.
His container's label indicated that it was a 12 oz. Pepsi but the clear liquid inside indicated something else.
He was about five foot seven, light brown hair, 150 pounds, steel blue eyes and a lived in look.
I started pouring and said "Say when"
I poured some more and he said "That should do it"
The finished product looked more like ice tea than cola.
He told me he did two tours in Vietnam.
He told me he has been shot all over his body.
He told me the doctors said he would never walk again.
He said "It hurts but I'm walking"
He told me last night he punched a cop.
He told me it was either be punched or do the punching so he punched.
He told me vodka sometimes gives you the hiccups.
He was hiccupping.
He told me he committed 157 armed robberies, the first time the law caught up with him was seven years ago.
I wasn't certain if he was telling me I was going to be the 158th.
It’s the guys that aren't that big that give you the most trouble.
They seem to have a need to prove something.
I wasn’t worried but I took a quick inventory of my carried possessions:
digital camera
about $48
cell phone
credit cards
keys
pocket knife
pen
I would give him the money if he asked nicely or if we were to come to blows.
Forty eight bucks is not worth an ass kicking to me, either his ass or mine.
The other items, save the pen and the knife, weren’t leaving their assigned pockets while I was conscience.
I was calculating damage to him and to me if I had to defend myself when he continued with the informational session.
He told me he could cure his hiccups.
He pardoned himself as he tried the cure.
He was quiet for a while as he held his breath.
I could see him still hiccupping.
Five times he hiccupped while holding his breath.
He told me sometimes that they don't go away.
He pardoned himself as he went to try a different remedy.

Good luck.