February 27th

On Feb. 27th, my dear friend (and he was to so many of us), will be dead 20 years. That loss was so raw when it happened.

He was a good man. We had the greatest late night conversations.


Mum and Mel felt the loss as rough as I did.

But time heals. I only remember moments of joy and hilarity. He was a brother. I miss him. We all lived together in a townhouse at FU in '88 - '89. But I've made peace with it.

So now, it's just Smith, Kevin and I. 

We grew closer after his death. And that's just fine by me. Just another gift that Pat O'Neill gave us. 

So, I toast ye, my dear friend. I still miss ye. But while you were here, you were something extraordinary, and that's all that ever fucking matters.

first day of school

Today was a lot of fun. I am excited to work with these guys. Whenever there is a lull in the conversation, Mum screams "You got a job!" and fist bumps me. 

Love you, Mum.

A new job is like a new door. You never know what it'll be like on the other side until you walk through the fucking thing.

A New Day

Start my new job mañana! Woo hop!

Karma

It's been a hell of week. My dear sister, Mel, turned 44! How did she get so.... experienced? Plus, it makes me even older! Also, I quit my job at Hubba Hubba Hot Tubs, because I got a new job with a start up. It's inside IT sales and I am psyched about it! 

The company's name? Osprey.

An osprey is also known as a sea hawk!

I hope it's karma.

Bug

A persistent stomach bug this is. I have been on a diet of chicken soup and plain pasta for the last 32 hours. I had to call in sick today, again, and the driving snow (all the schools were closed) only aided in my decision. I've been drinking enough gatorade and water to drown a rat, so hopefully that will work. I post-poned my interview til mañana, after work. 

I am watching the Czechs take it to Slovakia, 3 - 0, in the first period of the knock out round. The winner takes on the USA mañana.

Looks like I'll have 4 - 6 inches of snow to shovel. I'll borrow Bob's snow blower, me thinks.

The shape of things

I just finished Anthony David Durham's 2,100 page Acacia Trilogy. It's fantasy, very much in the vein of Tolkein or George R. R. Martin, and it was truly awesome. It was original and gripping, which is hard to do in fantasy, where so many things have been tried, done and regurgitated again and again. 

I just started The Liars Gospel, by Naomi Alderman. It's great so far. It's the story of Yehoshua (Jesus) through Miryam (Mary, his mother,) Judas, Caiaphas, and Barabbas. 

I recently saw The Last Temptation of Christ and thought it was the best movie about Jesus I had ever seen. It was brilliant and daring. I find alternative views of Jesus' life very interesting. I only hunt and pecked through Aslan's Zealot, a book about Jesus from a biblical scholar who was born Islamic, but it is great.

- - - 

I am so sick of snow, but who isn't. Had to call in sick to work with a bad stomach thing, I am getting better (maybe 60%.)

And then I have a second interview tomorrow for a new job to try and get me out of this hot tub messs I find myself in. I even had to work yesterday, on Sunday. 

I watched Byzantium tonight, a Neil Jordan vampire movie that was offbeat and absolutely amazing. Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan were amazing. It had a great historical back plot. I highly recommend it.

Snowy White

Like everyone else in New England, and probably the Southeast and the Midwest, I am sick of snow. There is about 2 feet of accumulated snow on Mom's law. The two bushes are buried. There are actually snow dunes out there from the snow blower.

Good News? The progressive rock band, Djam Karet, released a new album today; Regenerator 3017. It's all instrumentals, as always, and I would classify their sound as the deep end of the prog rock pool. Like, you can't hold your breathe and touch the bottom, deep. 

Bad news? I have to work tomorrow, Sat. and now Sun. At least I get to sit next to Judah Ben Hur. He's a good galley slave to be chained to. Plus, he's a Jew, so I work Hanukkah and he works Xmas. Convenient. He's a very nice guy, but he needs to wash his loin cloth  because it stinks.

The Ice People

It never ends.

Work 20 years and they'll take care of you
They'll buy you a diamond, they'll send you on a cruise
Give it all your money, give it all your time
Then wake up one morning and wonder why

Let me up - I've had enough

-Tom Petty

I am so sick of all this snow. Today, in the hopes that I can use Bob's snow blower mañana, I was actual breaking ice in the driveway with a hammer and a chisel. This is the coldest winter I've ever lived through. And there is more snow on the way - the 13th storm of the season. 

Time Goes By

A very special shout out to my Aunt Vivian for all of her help into recent illumination about my dear friend's death. They live in the same town. You are awesome,  Aunt Viv.

And so, I turn the page. Or at least one. I have a feeling I may have a couple of chapters to go. 

20 years ago, my dear friend, Pat O'Neill, died. When it happens, you doubt you'll recover from a loss that profound. 

But I did. We all did.

So life goes on. Are you in?

The D'ohLympics

With the exception of hockey, i could care less about the Olympics. And since Sochi is 9 hours ahead of us and NBC shows everything on tape delay, I don't even care about that.

Plus, I have a feeling that there are going to be a few bad incidents in Sochi. Who but rabid capitalists would give the Olympics to a nation run by gangsters? Let's give the next summer games to The (not so) Demoratic Republic of the Congo. They go through leaders like they were clay pigeons. 

I am too old for this nonsense. 

A Hot (Tub) Mess

Winter storm Derby blew in again. We got about 8 inches of wet icy snow. Even using my neighbor's snow blower, it was a real workout.

It's called Derby here in CT. Nationally, it's winter storm Nika, but since CT is such an important state, we name them ourselves. WTF?

We are do for more precipitation tonight; ice pellets, CT CBS called them. Is that something new the NRA cooked up for winter? Again, WTF?

So I called in to work, and my boss said, "We are open." 
"Are we open til Midnight?"
"We are open."
"The Governor said to stay off the roads."
"That was just a suggestion. If the roads and the city of Wallington are open, we are open." WTF?

NOTE- We can only dial the Pacific time zone after 10pm and we have no sales reps in the whole of CA nor Washington state. We have one in Oregon, but only in the Portland area. One more time - WTF?

"It's supposed to be freezing rain starting at 6. I am not coming in."

Then I crossed my fingers. Please fire me!

No such luck.  

Antartica Called...

Dear Mother Nature,

Antartica called. They really want their snow and -9F temperatures back. Henceforth, you shall be deported immediately.

Sincerely,

The NSA

Couldn't go to work, again, yesterday. What is the point of winter once the NFL is over? There is no point for it. And that ground hog bastard says 6 more weeks of Winter.

New Mexico sounds like a nice place to relocate.

Por Fin!

Finally. After 38 years, the Seahawks resoundingly win a title!