Category: Rants

Posted on

Right! That’s IT!

NewImage

I’ve long posed the question; 

“Where do my rights end, and yours begin?”

That question has been a guiding principal in my life. If I thought what I wanted to do was going to infringe on someone else’s rights then I typically wouldn’t do it.

I’d restrain myself, not because I was afraid of the person, or the law. I’d restrain myself because in a polite society it’s easier and more profitable to respect each other. And were I to put myself in the other guys place, I’d appreciate being treated with respect.

NewImage

You’d be AMAZED how that simple philosophy is received when you’re traveling outside the United States! I take a great deal of pride in not being the asshole American who expects everyone to kowtow to my requests. Great food and awesome local drinks being the least of the rewards I’ve received for being a decent human being.

I’m over certain segments of our population demanding more than their fair share. I’m even more over the arbiters political correctness giving in, again and again.

Let me explain what led to this particular rant.

I was watching a YouTube video of the Airforce Orchestra performing in the Air & Space Museum over the holidays.

In the past, all the craziness in my mind would have silenced and my mind would have been focused on the absolute beauty of the music and the cool way that the orchestra made its entrance.

Picture a “Flash Mob” but with musical instruments.

NewImage

It starts out with a guy playing single cello in a large open museum space, then the orchestra forms around that. 

It’s damn cool!

You can see more and more people who were touring the museum simply stopping and enjoying the music. The piece was Bach, jesu “Joy of mans desiring”.

Pretty soon it was standing room only and it is obvious people were enjoying the performance. I was too, the piece is beautifully done.

Anyway, where normally I’d have had absolute focus on the music and not been thinking of anything else, all sudden a thought goes through my head

NewImage

“I’m sure some atheist or muslim or satanist, is running for the phone to contact an ALCU attorney to file a complaint about having to endure hearing a piece of music at a nationally funded museum, which has become associated with the evil pagan holiday known to Christendom as Christmas.”

My brain rebooted!

I couldn’t “unthink” that thought. I wondered if I was seeing the last public exhibition of this kind.

It dawned on me; the Atheists, Muslims, or Satanists have TAKEN something from me!

I’m completely content to live and let live. I’m not going to shove my beliefs down an atheists throat. I’m not going to try to save their soul. Why? Because I don’t give a damn. Their soul or beliefs are absolutely none of my concern.

I hope their dirt nap is long and pleasant. As long as I don’t have to hear them whining about the inequity of death for all of eternity, I’m going to be just pleased as punch.

BUT, I enjoy the holiday season, I enjoy the music, and I enjoy the nativity scenes. I like the decorations and the wonder of the little children as the they anticipate Santa’s yearly delivery.

That I can no longer enjoy these things, without thinking about stupid assed lawsuits has taken something from me. 

INewImaget’s taken my peace of mind.

Really, Mr. Atheist, Muslim, or Satanist? It hurts your eyes to see a cross in a park? It offends you to see a nativity scene on public property? Your world view is challenged by a decorated pine tree? Brightly colored packages with pretty bows and shining faces of children offends you? Really?

What about the fact that I personally respect and enjoy these traditions? Why are you taking my right to enjoy these things away?

My beliefs are not mainstream Christian. I wouldn’t, however demand that these things be stricken from my sight. I don’t participate in Kwanza, nor do I participate in Ramadan but I’m not going to demand the Kwanza parade to be disbanded. I’m not going to force feed muslims during Ramadan for their own good either. 

This is the same revisionist PC crap as forbidding confederate flags to decorate confederate graves, once a fucking year, because of the “racist” overtones.

NewImage

Those men weren’t thinking about racism when they died, they were thinking about protecting their homes, families, fortunes, and livelihoods. Those men deserve to have their graves decorated with their flag, just as much as the union soldiers deserve to have their graves decorated with the union flag. 

Context is everything. Racism exists; however seeing racism everywhere or being offended about a cross, nativity, tree, or holiday is a matter of choice.

There’s a critical point here that many of the PC apologists have forgotten.

The concept of public spaces. 

That means everyone is free to use those spaces and that I OWN a fractional part of that space through my tax dollars.

If I, and 10,000 other people combine our fractional parts of the public space and decide to set up a nativity scene or hold a musical performance of Christmas carols it’s my, and 10,000 other folks right to do so.

If that offends one Atheist, TOUGH SHIT!

NewImage

Welcome to the real world. (It’s not about you 24/7 you selfish prick.)

I’m personally offended when someone decides the ten commandments shouldn’t be on a court house wall. I’m more offended that the removal of the ten commandments forces un-necessary expenditure of taxpayer dollars to remove and retrofit the building. 

It’s fairly safe to say, the ten commandments form some part of the foundation of our society. Why anyone would have a problem acknowledging that is beyond me. 

Yes we’re supposed to have separation of church and state. I agree with that; however,  I don’t see that a depiction of the ten commandments violates that separation any more than having the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, of Magna Carta.

I personally think “THOU SHALT NOT LIE” is a great way for everyone in a court house to start their day.

Politicians, Judges, Lawyers, and citizens can all benefit from a reminder to be truthful. That’s probably why the architects of many of these building thought it appropriate to include the Ten Commandments in the buildings design, in the first place.

For years I’ve more or less been able to ignore this bullshit.

I’ve gone on with my life and simply filtered my intake. 

NewImage

No, that’s not quite right. I’ve seen a Star of David, or Buddha, Cross, or Star & Crescent, or one of the countless other symbols of faith or political affiliations and I’ve respected their meaning.

I may not have any depth of knowledge about these symbols other than they are important to the group of people that erected them.

That is all I have to know. 

They’re important to the people who follow those beliefs and are therefore deserving of my respect.

I find myself now asking;

“Am I the only dumbass on the planet that still thinks that way?”

I’ve not preached coexistence, I’ve been living it. 

Now I’m demanding it!

Coexist! 

Leave me, my traditions, and beliefs the hell alone.

It’s high time we all remembered to engage in a little mutual respect!

BTW, Next time I fly into Minneapolis, I’m going to be carrying a bottle of whiskey!

Taxi drivers beware!

Posted on

I’m over being in the middle of a construction zone

DSC 0563

I’m tired of being trapped in the house.

I’m tired of the house shaking and the dust.

I’m over the constant growling and “Beep”,  “Beep”,  “Beep”,  “Beep”, “Beep”, “Beep”,  “Beep” of the trucks, steam shovels, and bulldozers.

I’m sick of all of this and I swear to you I think this is all because some people in the town council were inconvenienced one summer by the road washing out. So they whined at the county and sentenced ALL of us on the “low rent side of town” to having our summer, our fall, and now the holidays disrupted.

After all why should they care? This construction isn’t in their back yards. Well you bastards… it IS in my back yard, literally!

I’ve given up straightening the pictures on the walls. I’m spending a large portion of my day comforting the dogs who freak out when the house shakes like we’re having a 2.0 or better earthquakes.

DSC 0572

And then there’s the pure annoyance factor!

I didn’t move 80 miles OUT of the big cities of LA and Orange counties so that my house could be smack in the center of a construction zone.

They said they’d be done by Thanksgiving…

It’s damn near Christmas and they’re showing no signs of being near done.

6 days a week, 10 hours a day. Dawn to dark, they’re not even leaving enough time to walk the dogs (or myself).

This is really starting to get to me! I keep thinking it might be more quiet in a one hour hotel room with a crack den next door in the middle of Hollywood.

Plus the fact that these guys have no clue about how to deal with snow or ice. Hint: Clear the snow off the road before you drive 20 ton trucks on it. Then you won’t need the thing that looks like a blowtorch to melt the compressed ice so that your trucks can keep going without slipping.

We won’t even talk about the damage done to the road.

You know, the road that residents ponied up the cash to install, the one the county demands use of, but will not maintain, repair, or send a snow plow up?

Yeah, that road!

All the damage is new and caused by these folks driving vehicles they know are too heavy up and down in front of my house.

Yeah, I’m sick of all this crap!

I wake up every single day and wonder if this is that day I list this house for sale and leave!

This shit has completely destroyed the quality of life up here.

Saturday and today are the worst in a long time.

It’s hard to concentrate. You can’t watch TV or a movie because the noise is so loud you have to have the sound so high it’s uncomfortable just to hear a show over the noise outside.

Try doing a telephone job interview!

It sounds like you’re homeless, living on the streets because you can’t find a quiet place ANYWHERE in your own home to have a conversation.

I understand now why people snap!

Posted on

OK I’m a little pissed off.

NewImage

Been sitting on this one for a while may as well let ‘er rip!

I don’t get out much. I have few friends, & I generally am exactly where I’m supposed to be when I’m supposed to be there.

Recently, a couple of incidents have occurred where I wasn’t at the beck & call of my other half, and all hell broke loose!

The first was when I was helping out with stocking and organizing at a retail establishment owned by a friend. The second was a week or two ago.

The first incident, I was in a seriously crappy cell service area. You’d have thought I was an Alzheimer’s patient or a Megan alert had been issued.

I’m still hearing about it from acquaintances that got called REPEATEDLY because OOOHHHHHHH I was gone for 4 hours. 

The second incident…

I’m at the freakin neighbors! All my vehicles are at home. Obviously I’m on foot and probably hadn’t gone far. In the end the other half found me with ease!

NewImage

I had dinner & drinks and adult conversation with the neighbors.  

We were chatting, laughing, and having one of those rambling discussions that is a whole lot of fun. YES! We talked about sex… and POLITICS!

My other half called at freaking midnight. I didn’t hear the phone.

The Neighbors & I were listening to music and having an impassioned political discussion. There’s a knock at the door, My other half has stomped over to give me the stink eye and basically harsh EVERYONES buzz. 

I honestly don’t know what the fuck I did wrong. 

OOoOOppps I didn’t hear the phone ring OMG! It’s a crime!

NewImage

Unlike the other half, and many other rude people I know, I don’t typically answer the phone to talk to a person on the phone, when I’m having a conversation with another person in real life.

I’d decided that I was going to be calm and just have a conversation about what was driving this; to y mind insane behavior.

When we had that conversation the other half fell on their own sword. It wasn’t like I could beat the subject any further but I do wonder whats driving this bit of crazy.

As I said, i don’t go anywhere, I have few friends. The friends I do have are busy with their own lives and social events so it’s not like I’m cheating or anything.

NewImage

And even if I was, who cares? For the 25 years we’ve been together, there has never been any prohibition against having a little fun outside the relationship as long as the rules were obeyed.

From day one I’ve been very honest about the fact that I absolutely refuse to be contained, chained, or controlled.

The bullshit line “I was worried” ain’t holding water. 

I’m a fucking adult male.

I’m an apex predator, and you know what? When I was driving 92 fucking miles one way to work I never got this “I was worried bullshit”. Nope never!

NewImage

Apparently, sitting in traffic 6 hours a day is ok. You know where I could have been in an accident, or shot, after all I was driving through Compton, none of that raised a fucking eyebrow.

But now if I’m not sitting in this fucking house 24/7 it’s cause for panic and honestly what I think of as the height of rude behavior.

This shit has got to stop.

I can’t even imagine what things are going to be like if I’m traveling for work or a book signing or whatever.

I have no doubt it will be interesting. 

The question is, will it be so interesting that I decide I’ve had quite enough?

Time will tell.

Posted on

Oh for Pete’s sake! I’m so over these Silly Assed Boycotts!

NewImage

I was scanning twitter this morning and ran across this;

@jeromeehudson So, you’re at Chick-fil-a (AGAIN), eh @BruceCarrollSC?? You’re a self-loathing piece of work

I thought “Oh God!” aren’t we past these things yet?

NewImage

Mr. Hudson is going on about the Chic-fil-a ruckus, that started when some executive from Chic-Fil-A said he didn’t agree with gay marriage or didn’t like gay people or some such.

As you can tell I was offended so much by the comments of the Chic-fil-a person I totally remember exactly what it was all about. Yeah right! I so didn’t give a shit

Mainly because I don’t care what one person says or that (he or she) is an executive of a company or that they’re making 1000 times more money than me.

This is one of the things that I find so damn offensive about the mainstream GLBT community. My sexuality has never defined my politics, why does the GLBT community allow it to define theirs?

NewImage

The GLBT community and others, tend to boycott at the drop of a hat over no damn good reason. In some boycotts the GLBT folks will even devour their own. Such as the gay bar owner who was… Horror of horrors Republican!.

Now we’ve got the Barilla boycott. Really? Lets see a name like Guido Barilla, anybody care to guess what his religion probably is? Can you say most likely traditionally Catholic? Are you really surprised that he’d be opposed to showing gay families? More-over, why isn’t he allowed to speak his mind without haveing to live in fear that some half baked group will get their panties in a twist.

Aren’t there far more important things to worry about?

NewImage

Anybody remember the Coors boycott of the ’80s? It was in all the papers, well at least the gay papers. Coors was being mean and oppressive I vaguely recall it was something to do with firing gay workers or some such. So the gay community made the grandiose gesture of not buying Coors beer or serving it in gay bars.

This went on for years… As did Coors Brewing. I doubt seriously that Coors noticed much of a dip in their bottom line.

I honestly don’t know if you can get a Coors beer in a gay bar now. I’m afraid to ask for fear that the patrons of the bar would go feral, turn on me and rip my carcass to bloody shreds.

Just for asking the question…

NewImage

Oh hey, look at that. Coors is marketing specifically to gay people. Well it only took 25 years for the gay community to forget about the boycott.

How about the Great Hotel boycott of the early 2000s in San Diego? OMG someone at the hotel said some bad things about the GLBT community. They must be boycotted forever to make them understand that we are important and powerful and …

OUR OPINION MATTERS MORE THAN THEIRS DOES!

In short, Convert or die!

NewImage

Not a particularly healthy attitude and I’m apparently not alone in beginning to feel that the GLBT community is being perceived as Nazi-esq.

I stumbled across this little jewel of a graphic to the right, on the internet. It came up within the first page of images. 

All I can say is DAMN! I’ll bet the Stonewall democrats and Log Cabin Republicans never saw this coming.

Then the executive at Chic-Fil-A said he didn’t agree with gay marriage AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHGGGGGGHHHHH! The GLBT community whips itself into a froth AGAIN. With boycotts and protests and all manner of idiocy.

The Chic-Fil-A executive expressed HIS opinion! He’s entitled to speak his mind.

That folks is a right protected by the first amendment of the constitution.

You know the same right that allows the GLBT community to express their opinion with protests, signs, and boycotts?

Why the hell is it wrong for a single person to say what he thinks, and yet OK for the GLBT community to disrupt (or attempt to disrupt) his business?

NewImage

More recently there was the great Vodka pouring in LA and New York because of the Russian governments oppression of gay people.

As the Russians were probably saying “Big Deal, So What?”

Much of the Vodka you morons were pouring out isn’t even made in Russia. So if you really want to make an impact don’t go to the Olympics in Russia. Don’t watch it on television but that’s about all you can do. The GLBT community is largely impotent in the affairs of the Russian government.

NewImage

Why isn’t the GLBT community boycotting OIL, after all Iran and Iraq have some of the most hideous laws against GLBT people. Oh right, our cars… well we need them don’t we?

The single most offensive hypocrisy I have every heard of is this;

Apparently a Gay bar in San Diego was the object of an intended Boycott by GAY people because the Owner of the bar happened to be Republican and expressed his dismay at President Obama’s re-election. I’m putting this perhaps more delicately than reality. The Bar Owner was flat out pissed off about it, and said so in public in the bar.

That probably wasn’t the wisest move but HE OWNS the place and therefore should be able to express himself even in a fit of anger.

What followed was insanity.

This bar owner is known for his generosity and contributions to the community. But because he’s a Republican, and not in lockstep with the predominately Democratic members of the GLBT community he was suddenly targeted for destruction.

After all if you don’t believe every word that falls from the lips of the approved GLBT roster of celebrities and politicians is pure gold you must be defective. Even if you’re asking legitimate questions for legitimate reasons.

I’ve always pictured the end of “Invasion of the body snatchers” when I think about this subject.

NewImage

It’s time for the GLBT community to grow the hell up, & start acting their age.

We’re not going to be liked by everyone, any more than black or hispanic people are. Get over it!

We can’t force people to like us with litigation (See Affirmative Action) or protests (See A Day without Mexicans) or sweet words (See President Obama).

There will always be a percentage of the population that doesn’t like either a particular minority group or several. SO WHAT? SHIT HAPPENS!

Move on with your life like an adult.

I’m an American. I’ll eat what I damn well please, drink what I damn well please, and no-one is going to stop me. I’ll smoke if I want to, I’ll fuck who I want, when I want to, and whatever gender I choose.

No, I don’t suffer from self loathing. I suffer from pride in myself and my ability to make up my OWN mind. I reject group think. I participate in those things that I’ve decided are worth my time. Silly assed boycotts simply don’t make the cut. Hearing about silly assed boycotts just pisses me off.

NewImage

If you don’t like it… shut the hell up.

Go engage in that ancient & time honored tradition the world over…

Gossip about it behind my back!

But don’t you DARE tell me to boycott someone or infringe on THEIR right to have their beliefs, opinions, or freedom of speech. 

I realize I’m asking for a lot. After all you’d have to actually read several news papers then compare and contrast the various arguments pro and con about a particular subject.

Who has time? After all you’ve got to get your hair cut, text all your friends, and be at the next party, with a whole new wardrobe.

It’s easier to be told what to think by a 30 second news report that will define how you vote, which maybe you’ll do… If there’s time on the way to the party.

Equality doesn’t mean domination. It means we live peacefully, as neighbors and don’t bother each other with our stereos.

Posted on

OK I’m a Bastard!

NewImage

I hate being a bastard.

I really do, and yet I’m all too often exactly that. I seem to be really good at it.

I try not to be.

The latest incident was when I was no longer able to ignore that the other person in this household is a freakin packrat.

I found myself in the garage wondering why I couldn’t get to my workout bench anymore. Then I was wondering why I couldn’t get to my Bike anymore.

NewImage

Then I was wondeing why the garage floor was so filthy only to realize the the overriding answer to all these questions was that there were piles of useless crap all over the garage.

Then I started investigating the Piles O’ Shit.

I know better than this. I know that if I poke through my happy gossamer illusion that I’ll come face to face with the truth…

Which in this case is that the other half is and has been stacking shit up in the garage, the basement, the guestroom closet and in, of course my workout area.

I go off.

I mean I really shouldn’t have to move shit to get to or use other shit. I feel if I’m having to move shit to get to other shit, we have too much shit!

That’s when I notice that e-waste that should have been tossed 4.5 years ago is actually stuffed in a box on the far side of the garage where I really hadn’t noticed it.

My failure to notice it is in part due to my happy gossamer illusion and in part because of the other car that’s usually parked blocking the view of the stack of boxes.

OH HELL!!!! WTF???

NewImage

“Why is this stuff still sitting here after 5 years?” I demand to know.

“Uhh I was going to take it to the rummage sale“

“There have been 5 rummage sales since we… You & I… decided that this stuff needed to go.“

“Uhhh“

“What’s in that box over there?“, I walk to another box and flip it open.

“OHHHH Look, it’s cassette tapes that got all wet when the house burned, and OH by the way, YOU DO Realize that we don’t have a cassette player… AT ALL.”

I walk over to flip open another box, at this point I think my German, Viking genes kicked in. I don’t know if I was more Viking or just Nazi in my interrogation.

“How nice… Video Tapes! Which we also no longer have the capacity to play. Were you planning on buying a VCR? I doubt that Walmart would agree to transfer this porn collection to DVD for you. And they don’t have to! We’ve replaced the best of this collection WITH BLU-RAY.“

The other half is now speechless, making unintelligible gurgling sounds.

I don’t stop… I can’t.

“Why is there a parallel printer sitting over there? You realize that we don’t own a single computer that could even drive that machine don’t you?“

The Other half responds, “Well… well, it’s our printer it was at the religious place I work, when we moved offices I brought it home.”

NewImage

I accept this explanation.

“What computer was it connected to where you work?“

I know the answer to this question now I’m just being a bastard… With a capital “B”

“Uh, well, uh it was connected to my my old 286 when I was using that at the religious edifice.“

“I see, so this printer has been sitting disused with it’s ink cartridges dried in place for 10 years? And NOW you decide we need to have it sitting in our garage?“

Yes, I’m a real evil bastard when I have my illusion shattered.

“Well I thought you’d want it back.“

“Why? The only computer equipment that I owned which could have driven this machine was destroyed in the fire.

When was the last time you saw anything like that connector? A Better question is where is the cable? An even better question is where is that 286 computer?

Why on earth would you bring this home, it’s unusable because the ink has obviously leaked all over the inside of the device and without a cable to connect it or a computer to drive it you’ve essentially brought home a filthy, sticky, paperweight!“

NewImage

You see I’m a Bastard but I tend to get really nasty when someone throws common sense out the window.

I notice glass bottles destined for the California redemption facility. These bottles have been sitting there covered with a moving pad for over a year.

[When I was a kid it was simple, you took the empty bottle to the 7-11 and they gave you 5 cents. Done deal! I don’t know why it’s so complex now days.]

“Why are these still here? Should I grind them into sand and recast them into windows or perhaps learn glass blowing? How about we simply wait for them to decay to sand in situ.“

It was unkind, I admit that.

In my defense,  the most annoying part of all this is that I’d happily take this stuff to the redemption place or the disposal place.

But if it’s hidden from me I don’t even know that I should. I thought the moving pad was covering a cart used to move instruments and never thought to look under it.

Instead the other half would prefer to be a martyr, a victim, a slave, eternally put upon and sad because I’m being mean.

Oh but we’re not done yet…

You see the primary reason we’re down here is because the other half disconnected without telling me, my Bike from the battery tender. The other half instead connected their Bike rather than buying another battery tender (AS I had directed).

This in and of itself isn’t a big deal except that in the process they made 2 additional and critical mistakes.

1) They shorted the connection on my Bike in all likely-hood dropping my Bikes battery to 1/2 charge or less, and shortening my battery’s lifespan.

2) They didn’t switch the connection back to my Bike when the other Bike had reached full charge.

This resulted in my battery being dead… I mean replacement time dead. So now that it’s a nice time of year to ride in the mountains, after I’ve moved the Pile O’ Shit to get to my Bike I can’t start it.

The upshot is that NOW I have to have a trailer come to get my Bike and take it somewhere to get a new battery, replace the charred connector, and OH what the hell might as well have an oil change while It’s there anyway.

BUT We’re not done… Oh Noooooo!

NebariControlCollarButtons115a

Since I’ve now uncovered the source of the garage problems…. I feel the need to fix them.

I’m mostly German what do you expect?

First, I once again say, “I’ll happily take the e-waste and recyclables to the appropriate disposal site. All you have to do is make sure that your e-waste is in a designated spot… HERE!”

I designate the spot. I reinforce the designation by moving the obvious e-waste to the spot.

“No, I’ll take it. I drive right by there all the time.“

Clearly the other half isn’t anticipating how that statement is going to go over with me. 

“If you drive by there all the time… Why is this stuff still sitting in the garage?“

The other half stomps off.

What did I say?

In the pleasant silence, punctuated by slamming doors and stomping up stairs. I begin contemplating phase two of the garage beautification plan.

Shelves!

Temporarily around here is approximately a five year time interval. The progression is however non-linear. Two “Temporarily” units do not equal 10 years.

It’s more like 15 years. Adding a third “temporarily” is something on the order of a glacial epoch. 

Originally, I had planned to put shelves up in the basement and also in the garage. My cleverly laid and throughly explained, plan was thwarted by the other half filling those spaces… “Temporarily” with crap, the large majority of which I think should have been heaved unceremoniously in the closest dumpster.

NewImage

However, I have an opportunity right now, in that I can get to the walls of the garage.

A slamming door followed by tromping footsteps herald the arrival of the other half for “Round Two”. Ding Ding!

“I want to put up shelves to help clean the clutter up in the garage. I was thinking of perhaps 7 foot lengths and two or three shelves along this wall.“, I indicate the wall. 

“Grunt“, is the response.

“I was thinking that we could hang the bicycles from the ceiling, here. This would allow the motorcycles to be parked there, and my workout bench to be relocated over here. This arrangement would make the area under the stairs available for infrequently used items such as the mailbu light supplies.”

“Grunt“, is the response.

“I take it that you are not opposed to this?”

“Well, do you really want to put 7 foot long shelves up there, why not the full length of the wall? How wide would these shelves be? How many shelves?”

Ahhh, the wonder of engagement!

“Well I was thinking about breaking the shelves so that the bicycles could fit nicely in the middle with their tires against the wall. Then the snowblower could be parked neatly under them.”

“But where would you get the shelves, and do you know that they’re available in that length? are you going to the local hardware store or to the one in Phelan? Or will you be going to the Lowes or Home Depot? Do they cut shelving material? Are you planning to use plywood or maybe some nicer hardwood? Will they be painted?“

(This is how the game is always played. “Where do you want to go to dinner?” Invariably results in a discussion that is longer than the damn dinner itself. The same is true of any issue that comes up where there might be a difference of opinion.

The statement “I’d like to move out of California….” Results in comments like “What would we do with the house? Where? I have a job here! What would you hope to accomplish in another state? Why do you want to leave so bad? State X is not a state I’m politically comfortable in.” [in other words a predominantly pro business Republican state. But it’s perfectly OK that I have to suffer an essentially anti business predominantly Democratic state. Hell I’d be really happy in a state that was about 1/2 & 1/2]

I’ve come to understand this is a tactic that is really about shutting down the conversation, without saying something as direct and honest as “NO… I don’t want to go out to dinner.” Or “NO… I don’t want to move out of California and here’s why.“

And the beat goes on…)

Now is when I become an absolute double, dirty dog BASTARD!

“They can be any way you like them. I’m not married to the style, only that we have the shelves.“

At which point more grumbling and the need to make phone calls and search the internet arises, but I don’t have to do it. I can settle back and relax while the other half contributes the comparison shopping and even the pick-up.

In the end, this little project is going to cost about $250 The brackets cost more than the shelving material.

The shelving will be precut 6 foot lengths about 12 inches wide. The material will be a nice white plastic finish over 5/8″ plywood. 

The items that need to be up off the floor, will be off the floor, providing us with more room to actually move around the cars while they’re in the garage.

More importantly, the crap that’s been sitting in the garage waiting to be tossed out, will be.

A load was put in the other halfs car tonight.

I’ll get my shelves. The order should be ready for pickup tomorrow.

But the absolute best part of all of this is

I WIN!

 

I hope that your day is as rewarding.