The Burlap Soulmate

So I guess I'm fitting in to my new workplace. I'm already looking through product catalogs at stuff I can buy at a discount. I've also played powerball twice with 40 of my coworkers. I do it not so much because I think we'll win, but I don't want to be the one guy there who DIDN'T take part when they did win. It's been a while since I worked for a really big public company like this. There are some definite advantages. The money they have to throw around, both on equipment and salaries, is considerable. I haven't had vision AND dental in ages. DENTAL people! Tuition reimbursement? I thought that went the way of betamax and cassettes. The restricted internet sucks, but I'm dealing. Case in point, blogging is way down. But I think it's worth the tradeoff. Being in a small satellite office in Podunk, KY, most of our conversations with the upper mucky mucks are through conference calls or emails. I have yet to even see the face(s) of the people who decided to hire me. It's not as social as I would like, but I think people are just shy. It doesn't help that my office, Yes, MY office, is WAY out on the outskirts of the building, right next to my boss, who is a bit of a hermit himself. Living in my little theoretical computer design world, I sometimes feel very disconnected to what is actually happening in the plant. It's hard to even socialize with any of the front office staff, who rarely leave their offices. I never thought I would be the one complaining that people didn't talk enough. But all is well, better than I have a right to expect I suppose. Now I can move on to other topics, like...
..ummm...
...hold on give me a minute...

I had a really good Easter. Not just the holiday but the whole weekend. For the first time...I think, ever, I work for a company that takes Good Friday off. Very cool. But I couldn't just use it as an excuse to sleep in and watch Price is Right. No, I figured I should at least say thanks for the above mentioned job and the many other blessings around me. I never made it to mass. Friday, Saturday or Sunday. So I suppose I'm doomed in that respect. But we participated in a very unique local Good Friday ritual, which I never would have expected. At a local church atop a large hill overlooking the city, are no less than 85 steps leading to it's front door. As you mount each step with a few hundred others, you say a prayer, or ponder, reflect, or just stay quiet and listen to everything around you. I found myself relying on the ole' standby's initially. A few Hail Marys, a few Our Fathers. Then as time went on, I found myself just talking: asking for things we truly want or need, saying thanks for the things we have. Then I tried to conjur up the scene 2006 years ago as He gave Himself up and carried his cross to his final destruction. Thoughts turned to those who have passed, Grandparents, my own father, Staz's family, like her uncle and Grandfather as well. Even her old biker friend gone but not forgotten. Lastly, I prayed for Staz standing next to me, for relief from her pain so we could finish this trek. For her complete healing and recovery so she could ride a bike, dance, and laugh again. The culmination was to end up exactly where we started, 6 years ago. It was just a neat experience, much more so than I expected. And one we may even repeat next year. Not to pound on the religion theme too much, but hey, deal with it. I was reading some stuff about the new gnostic gospels and how Judas was more of a facillitator than a traitor. Interestingly enough, I don't have a problem with this. In fact, it clears up a lot. I've always felt that everything that happened on that fateful day HAD to happen. Jesus knew he HAD to die, and therefore HAD to be betrayed by someone. The Romans HAD to let it happen too. Which means that everyone involved, from Judas, to Pilate, played a role and can therefore take some credit for it. A vast Holy conspiracy or just luck? Maybe a little bit of both. It was a good Easter, but not a great one. C'mon, not ONE chocolate bunny? No bags of jelly beans? I must have cruised three stores the morning after looking for clearance stuff. No luck. Not even a Cadbury egg.

Had a pretty good weekend, especially considering the near disaster that was averted. I was told on Friday that this payday would NOT be a direct deposit, despite the fact that I've been there 5 weeks now. No problem I figured. Friday is a short day anyway. But guess what? I get home and no check there either. I called my HR rep who called corporate who basically said to wait until Saturday. It should be in by then. Great, our bank closes at 1pm on Saturday, and our mail doesn't come until about 4pm. Except, by some miracle. I can only assume it was a miracle since I DID pray for it, the postman shows up at 10am with check in hand. One catastrophe averted. Of course, a check deposited on Saturday doesn't clear until TUESDAY. So I figured I should take out enough cash to a) live on and b) get clothes for Staz's new job. $100.00 outta do it. WRONG. So yet another pending disaster, averted through an 11th hour use of a personal check to buy some slacks. Ugh, I should have worked in finance, where nothing you do has to take any priority. Today was much less stressful. Some minor home improvement, followed by backyard steaks at Staz's mom's house. Very cool. In other news, I had been doing some side work for a former employer of mine, some robot programming at a pretty good rate if I do say so myself. I've put in a few hours on the promise of getting paid later. That was a month ago. I'm still waiting. They haven't called me back to do any more work. I don't know if it's because they don't need me or don't want to pay me. It's very frustrating. I had put a lot of faith into these people, and if they decide to stiff me theres nothing I can do about it. It's not like I can sue when I'm getting paid under the table. And besides, the sum owed wouldn't be worth the court costs. My brother is graduating in about 3 weeks. I haven't gotten my invitation though everyone else has. The reasons are as numerous as they are absurd. I won't go into the breadth of his psychological issues, but at the core is the announcement of my engagement. He is both jealous and angry with me as a result. I'm hoping to talk to him before the event and ask to participate. I have not been able to reach him as of yet. I've been very distant in my relationships lately, Staz none the least of which. I seem to be coming out of it. No idea what brought it on or whats causing it to stop, but I'm glad that is the case. Getting ready to rip out and replace the rear axle of my truck sometime this week. Promises to be a hefty operation. Wish me luck, as it is my only mode of transportation. Wish Staz luck as she starts her new job on Tuesday. Promises to be interesting and fun, at least I think so. I just hope the weekend sacrifice ian't too taxing on her or us. I'm having trouble with sleep lately. Not in getting to sleep but in waking up. It's very weird. Staz can try for hours to wake me up with no success. I don't mean just shaking, but SHAKING, yelling, throwing around, hitting, etc. Nothin. Or when I do wake up, I behave totally out of character and have no recollection of the event the following morning. Kinda scary. Almost borderline sleepwalker. I don't know if it's just my body craving sleep after a week of 6 hours a night, or if theres a deeper problem. I've certainly never heard of anything like it. Theres more but my fingers are tired...Stay tuned.

I could have told you this a long time ago. One need only look at my bank statement to verify these findings.

This isn't a political blog, but it is a me blog, and sometimes me thinks about politics, so here you go. There isn't a single part of me that doesn't shudder at the prospect of the government trying to 'help' in the matter of gas prices. First of all, the government's help is almost never that much of a help, and most often simply compounds an existing problem. I just can't get over the hypocrisy of the politicians, on both sides. As an example, consider, many experts have known that the housing market is over-inflated right? that houses are selling for more than they're worth, blah blah blah. This has ben the case for years. Why did the government see no need to investigate 'gouging' whatever the hell that is? Why did they not demand that we are 'addicted' to McMansions and put a stop to it. This situation is no different. Even after all this time, the government still can't seem to understand basic supply and demand. Demand is up, and supply is down. Therefore prices go up. Are oil execs a bunch of slimy corporate fat cats? Probably. But thats true of all corporate execs. Why single them out? There was a time when the environmental movement was screaming to raise taxes, and therefore prices, of gas at the pump. This would spur a demand for more fuel efficient vehicles and encourage conservation. I was against this concept for creating false market forces. By the same token, I am against any effort by the government to keep gas prices low when the market is dictating otherwise. People never do anything unless they have to. If prices are high, and remain high, then conservation and lower consumption will be encouraged. People will modify their driving habits, their cars, newer technologies will be developed as corporations realize theres actually money to be made in alternative fuels. Markets work. They're not pretty. Are they painful? You bet. Having a $10.00 a day commute sucks, and wil probably get suckier over time. But I'll take that over some government program designed to mess everything up even more.

Interesting. I knew he was a candidate. He's a very good choice by the president. I'm just surprised he took it. I like Tony Snow. I read him as often as I can in the local Cincinnati paper (he's from here) as well as the Detroit News when I lived there. He's one of the few Fox reporters I've found to actually be 'fair and balanced' taking aim at both sides and lending a modicum of credibility to the journalistic world. I didn't really care for his radio talk show, a little too limbaughesque for my taste. But I still like and respect him. I'm not sure I would have taken the job. I feel the Bush administration is a sinking ship and unlikely to rebound from it's current woes barring a personality or intelligence epiphany by the president. This is coming from a guy who voted for him twice, and would probably do it again, if only because his opposition was even stupider than he. But alas, I wish Tony well. (we're tight like that. first name basis) He's always been a straight talker, with no tolerance for bullsh&%. I hope those qualities continue.

Staz is bearing up well considering the circumstances. It does seem a little like the universe it out to get her lately. She had just gotten a really good job offer, good pay, benefits, the whole package, when she was blindsided by this accident and now may be laid for who knows how long. She hasn't left the apartment in a week and I know thats gotta be aggravating and more than a little depressing. She'll see the surgeon on Monday and we're crossing our fingers for some good news. I'm hoping you'll take a moment and do the same for her.