Category: fatherman
06/02/09 09:02 - 52ºF - ID#48822
Happy Stuff
Happy Birthday, Siobhan
Permalink: Happy_Stuff.html
Words: 125
Location: Buffalo, NY
06/01/09 03:04 - 64ºF - ID#48815
Drama, Drama, Drama
My older sister subletted her place and came back to Buffalo with our Dad yesterday afternoon. Wow, didn't like being there at all. Everybody knew it was coming and I think ultimately it will be a good thing. She has herself convinced that it is the end of the world. Anybody with a brain knows otherwise, but the economics of the times are her off her game.
It was a tough weekend, but she was dragging it out. By the tiime Sunday morning got here, my dad's patience was gone. He wanted to get her moving out of Chelsea to at least cap one end of the odyssey.
They made it to Buffalo in a decent amount of time, a little more than 7 hours. I made it out to Clarence to help with the minivan unload and get the valuable electronics up and running. As we're unloading, he venting to me about her. She's venting to me about him. Apparently, I'm switzerland (without the secret Nazi financing).
She was upset because they left without a friend coming by to pack her tv. Dad told the friend that they were aiming to be gone by 9AM on Sunday. She wanted the friend to pack her tv (and really to say goodbye for the summer). That didn't happen. My Dad thought standing around in Chelsea would only prolong the agony. I think he was right. My younger sister and I half joked it worh risking the wrath for the greater good.
I offered to go in my Dad's stead. He is off infusion therapy finally, but the last treatment was just a week ago. He declined. I got my brother-in-law to get there to do any heavy lifting. So, it worked. He got her into the car and fortunately had clear sailing all the way back this direction. The finality of the journey was a big monkey off their collective shoulders.
I do what you can: mix highballs, pickup food and hook up all of her valued electronics, which got everybody chilled appropriately. Never wanted to leave my folks place so badly before.
Permalink: Drama_Drama_Drama.html
Words: 352
Location: Buffalo, NY
Category: fatherman
05/28/09 10:32 - 63ºF - ID#48780
Representing...
Permalink: Representing_.html
Words: 46
Location: Buffalo, NY
Category: random
05/26/09 10:32 - 58ºF - ID#48756
Don't Like Jon, Don't Like Kate...
The only TLC show I catch with any regularity is “American Chopper.†It is essentially the same show everytime out, with different bikes, same arguments, people doing well financially but as Louis CK put it: “Everything is amazing, but nobody is happy.†The “Jon & Kate plus 8″ show has been assaulting our collective senses for much the same reason as either “Jon†or “Kate†strayed and now their happy life that is underwritten by TLC is on the rocks. Iâ€m a little alarmed I know that much. The fact that it is so covered in all the tabloids, near tabloids and gossip.dot.coms probably has the marketing department at the former Learning Channel giggling with delight. They have an energy efficient house they didn't have to pay for, neither has to work thanks to funds coming in and they are winning about the attention from photographers. Wow, not sure where I left my tiny violins to better play the sad song for them. We should all have such intrusions. Sap that I am, I turned away briefly from "No Reservations" to see what all the hullaballo was about. Now that I know, I still don't care.
Preferring to learn more about food and exotic alcohol from French Polynesia, I went back to Bourdain. Now, that is education tv.
Permalink: Don_t_Like_Jon_Don_t_Like_Kate_.html
Words: 229
Location: Buffalo, NY
Category: work
05/21/09 01:47 - 76ºF - ID#48713
Doughtnuts and Beer
Knew the day was going to be an odd one. Had to run a meeting of volunteers who are so apathetic, they barely represent at the meeting, hence the donuts of the title.
We’re having an opening tonight, so we get the treat of staying at work another three hours. This is usually a grim prospect, but it was made a little better hearing my boss order extra beer.
I have a good boss.
Permalink: Doughtnuts_and_Beer.html
Words: 233
Location: Buffalo, NY
Category: random
05/20/09 01:27 - ID#48704
"That's a Dealbreaker"
Came up during a sponsorship discussion at work when a potential vendor wanted too much for too little money. Stifling a smirk after realizing what I said and that I watch too much tv, I got our money.
Came up again last night. I'm trying to move a stubborn force (my older sister) into action. She is clinging to the 11th hour for just "the" miracle in terms of subletting her place and catching up on expenses and whatnot in Buffalo for the summer. She has a rent controlled two bed room spot in Chelsea and found great tenants. Her original mover bailed so she's spending way too much kvetching about another, trying out ideas as wacky as U-Haul's and bringing all her worldly goods to Buffalo only to ship them all back again in September. She was curious about this one moving firm in Chinatown, but has a guy who is willing to do the job already. I'm trying to get quit worrying about the Cantonese moving crew and just a committment made. My Dad is going to fly down there at the end of next week to drive a minivan back with actual valuables. My younger sister has people organized there so he is sidewalk supervising and not dragging his recently pronounced healthy (yet 72 year old self) up and down stairs. Not used to being this voice of reason crap. I've grown up accustomed to having to struggle to be heard.
So, trying to keep her off her ass has been a fulltime chore. It's easy to wallow. Anybody can do that, but the folks can't do everything for her. I can only imagine how it is messing with my folks, so my younger sister and I took on the roles of pushing her along as there will be plenty of time to feel sorry later.
Can't let that be a dealbreaker. Stuff is happening.
Permalink: _quot_That_s_a_Dealbreaker_quot_.html
Words: 339
Location: Buffalo, NY
Category: fatherman
05/13/09 11:50 - 66ºF - ID#48664
Breaking, Entering and then what
I'm grateful everybody is safe, that nobody was home that may have had to deal with intruders of whatever variety. For my part, aside from watching my poor son's face melt when we told him about it, I along with an uncle and brother and law worked until about 9:30 tonight replacing the broken window that let them into the basement and battening down the other first floor windows so nobody can enter without a helluva lot of effort.
Building deterrants.
When my former spouse was returning from a pizza run, she saw two chuckleheads sauntering up a neighbors driveway and stopped them. A call to the gendarmes followed. A police detective showed up shortly thereafter. Given that he was followed by a uniformed gentleman in short order makes me think that this stuff is not exactly news in the neighborhood.
But again, I'm glad my merry band is safe and has pretty much everything they started the day with. So, watch out for anybody cruising through the hood folks.
They might be fixing to pull a heist.
Permalink: Breaking_Entering_and_then_what.html
Words: 286
Location: Buffalo, NY
Category: random
05/11/09 10:12 - 52ºF - ID#48651
Got them old put upon customer blues
Because I'm a good sort, I've been springing for the internet and cable at the house formerly known as mine. Makes me feel like I'm doing something for my fellow co-residents, part of the we are one big happy circle thing. Signed up for paperless billing. You'd think a big telecommunications conglomerate would be able to send an email. You'd think that wouldn't be an issue. You'd think that failing that, they could get something in the actual mail in a timely manner, you'd think they would find a way to get in touch with you. If only, there was some kind of telephonic device that I could carry with me, that would permit us to talk...whenever they friggen need to. You'd think being the shameless capitalistic pigs that they are, they would want to talk to make sure the flow of funds kept a rolling.
Oh no, gentle reader, you'd be incorrect. Without word one to anybody, the darling system at the communications giant deprovisioned my former spouse's modem. I arrive at my abode and discover a you will be disconnected on May 10th letter. Its arrival on the 11th makes it art. In their "defense,' they wrote it on the 5th, apparently sitting on it for gestational sake for a few days.
Foolish mortals, with a wave of the credit card, my mighty trio and their lovely mom were able to connect back with the latest "What kind of comic book villiain are you" poll that might have appeared in their 9 hour absence from cyber space.
Which I guess is the latter day equivalent of "making it all better."
It's not often you get a round of cheers from two blocks away.
Permalink: Got_them_old_put_upon_customer_blues.html
Words: 287
Location: Buffalo, NY
05/06/09 11:39 - ID#48602
"You gonna finish the hummus?"
My lovely middle child wants to see Star Trek bad enough, that she is even willing to come to the Imax expedition on Saturday and be seen in-wait for it-in my company. So, I snagged another ticket at Fandango's stupidly marked up prices.
So, I can't be doing all that badly.
Should I be a little concerned that a tv show hostess went through a lot of time and effort to make really sure that I got an autographed picture? Probably reading too much into that. It just seemed like an unusual gesture, but again, I'm thinking too hard.
Hey (e:paul) , if there are 100 estrip bumper stickers left over, I can utilize them for some grassroots promotion if you like. My office is having a small intimate gathering of 2400 people at the Zoo in July. 100 of those will be VIPs who get goodie bags along with their larger admission fee. We can put the stickers in if you are interested in promotion.
Permalink: _quot_You_gonna_finish_the_hummus_quot_.html
Words: 249
Location: Buffalo, NY
Category: city
05/02/09 11:41 - 52ºF - ID#48568
Walls coming down
Not sure why this fascinates me so, but it does
Permalink: Walls_coming_down.html
Words: 12
Location: Buffalo, NY
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You're right about the getting old commentary - it is usually someone under 30. I remember on our 25th birthday my brother and I looked at each other and thought, "shit, we're getting old!" At some point in your 20's it seems that you come to the realization that indeed time keeps on ticking, and it's such an epiphany that you feel compelled to wonder aloud about it.