Ghosts of Christmas Presents Past

    As expected, I didn't get any Christmas presents this year, and I am okay with that.  Last week, I mentioned how there's only my mother in my life right now.  I have no close friends, either emotionally or distance, so no one else to get gifts from.  It is just that my mother does not have a great track record in getting me stuff.  Two examples.  I remember helping her wrap up a gift of pajamas for an older male relative, a great-uncle or cousin or whatever, who died just before Christmas.  I swear to you, I think she regifted it to me.  Now, maybe it was just a similar pair.  She said it wasn't that original pair, but I can be quite gullible at times, and the pajamas were a little big for me.  Later, in high school, I remember shopping for clothes that fall.  I really wanted a blue sweater, but it was just too big me.  I wound up buying a red one in a wild print typical of the late 80s.  Wouldn't you know it, but my mom bought me the blue one for Christmas, thinking that I had grown into it.  I hadn't.  Even though I did grow a bit more and filled out, it wouldn't be until after college and I had started weightlifting that the sweater really started to look like it fit me.  By that time, I was turned off of sweaters, mostly because of what my mom did.  So, I mostly stopped wearing any.  Haven't worn one in years, and I only have bought one new one in the past two decades.  I mostly try to get my own things now, especially since many of my niche hobbies aren't really that appropriate for Christmas.  For instance, in the late 90s when I was unemployed and only went out of the house for long periods once a week or so, I made a quick shopping trip before Christmas.  I bought the fourth core book for a shared RPG universe that day.  Enamored, as always by that line.  I would buy two supplements for it with my Christmas money.  That latest edition of that game came out this year.  I've been reviewing it on an online forum the past few weeks.  Nowhere near as good as the previous editions, and many older fans agree with me.  The current holder of the IP just isn't doing what it could to keep the game going in a good direction.  In 2015, I would up giving myself the best Christmas present ever, and it wasn't even supposed to be for Christmas.  I had ordered a limited-edition art tarot deck from DC Comics.  I was first introduced to tarot in an issue of Justice League of America, soon after I graduated from funny-animal comics to super-heroes. I believe the art was by the late George Perez.  Anyway, I was lucky enough to get one, as supplies were probably allocated.  The deck got delayed until Christmas week, and I picked it up with my weekly comic order on the morning of Christmas Eve.  I spent much of the day with it, as last minute stragglers came by the store.  I mention the deck a little bit more in an early blogcast post here.  Earlier this year, on some of my shopping trips, I noticed that DC had licensed out their character for a mass-produced tarot.  I wound up buying one through my store in early December as an early Christmas gift to myself.  It was nowhere near as good.  Sure, it had an instruction manual, but it didn't have the usual meanings many associate with the cards.  Also, the minor arcana didn't have characters on them, just pip designs.  That meant forty fewer characters to portray.  I didn't like all of the choices for suits.  I mean, power rings for pentacles?  The suit just isn't typically that green, especially with all of those hands to portray.  Most of the pictures lacked the fine details and extra elements one would have expected for a deck to have.  Maybe I'm just showing favoritism to my older deck, but maybe not.  Still, it was a Christmas gift.  Merry Christmas to me.

I'm Getting Nuttin for Christmas, and I'm Fine with That

    Well, my mom gave me a cold this past weekend, but that doesn't count.  Anyway, since there is only my mother in my life right now, I don't really have anyone to buy presents for.  My mother always says she's not expecting anything, and I really don't need anything.  No matter how much she protests.  Sure, getting stuff is always fun, but I preferred things a lot more when I was a kid.  It was my job to try and figure out what all of my gifts were, without leaving any signs that I did so.  Even better was when I would search for my gifts before they were wrapped.  I would even play with them a little beforehand, if I could make sure I would leave no traces of tampering.  That's how a got to play the first few levels of Super Mario World when I got my SNES. (For those who aren't familiar with the timeline, yes, I was in college at the time.  Some habits run deep.) As I got older, I was getting fewer presents, and I was getting harder to shop for. Even when I told my mom exactly what I wanted for Christmas, or even my birthday a month later, she would sometimes mess things up and get me the wrong thing.  She would think of something totally out-of-place for me and believe it was exactly what I needed.  Yes, I would get a little mean and tell her off, a really bad habit of mine when I don't get what I expected/wanted.  But seriously.  When you mark a catalog multiple ways and someone still manages to order the wrong thing, it gets tiring. What might be worse though is when I give a perfect gift and it isn't appreciated. I have developed the weird talent of extrapolating someone's personality from the smallest of details.  It is not infallible, but it can lead to some keen insights.  I don't like doing to much, as it is a skill that can be used for evil.  I can come up with the most thorough comeback that could ruin a person, and be perfectly distanced from any repercussions without any emotion at all.  It can be devastating, so I try not to so.  However, this skill can also be used to come up with the perfect gift for any occasion.  Back in the 90s, during a regular monthly outing from my self-imposed sulking, I drove well out of the way and found a great gift for my mom, a bonnet-style hair dryer.  She had wanted one for years, after her old one broke down.  She hated handheld dryers, but that was all she could find.  Well, I managed to find one, and bought it for her, along with a CD that had a song she really liked by a singer she didn't always care for.  I managed to hide it in my car trunk until I could bring it inside and wrap it.  She didn't even immediately realize there was an extra box under the tree.  She was amazed when she got to open it up, but that was it.  She said she liked it, but she would barely use it.  I'm guessing she thought it took too much time to waste it by just sitting there while it was running. [I rarely use hair dryers.  I have very sensitive hair as well as skin, and so much heat could cause problems.  As I usually keep my hair fairly short, it doesn't take that much time to air-dry anyway.  I haven't had to use a dryer in years.] I don't remember her using it for months before it was lost in the 2003 flood.  It hurt that I picked out a gift that was almost never used, even if was enjoyed.  So, no Christmas gifts again this year.  Although, I did get myself something.  I would mention it now, but I don't want to my surprise to myself.  Next week, then, and Merry Christmas.

No Christmas Tree, No Christmas Tree

    I haven't been seeing much in new Christmas decorations this year, at least any that really stand out.  Mostly, it is just the same old things.  Sure, there is the giant Nutcracker head inflatable, and I've seen one or two Blueys, but no Bingos. As for me, I am so seldom at my place, which is very near the street without a fence, that it isn't too practical to leave any decorations in the very little yard space I have.  I don't have anything indoors either.  Again, lack of space.  I've just have too much other stuff to move out of the way to decorate.  Also, I rent, so I don't want a ton of needles left on the floor.  I don't like the look of artificial trees.  So, I don't have any.  I do decorate my store.  I have a very small artificial tree there, as a real one could be a fire hazard.  I use the same decorations every year, but I usually place some of the things differently.  Sometimes, we get something new to add.  This year, we have dozens of boxes of chocolate-covered cherries, in three varieties:  regular, Crown Royal, and Bourbon. There is another, unusual reason why I don't have a real Christmas tree, though, and it is quite a convoluted story.  Back in 1990, it was my first year at community college.  I didn't have a car, yet, so I was forced to ride with my mother to work, meaning I had to leave when she did, even though my first class wouldn't start for over an hour.  At least I was able to schedule it so that I only had to go two days per week, and alternate Fridays.  This meant I had at least two days at home to unwind.  During that time, I was really into trying new food products and recipes. One Tuesday, near the end of the semester, I was trying a guava and/or papaya flavored beverage.  It used real fruit juice.  I didn't really like it, but I thought "no harm, no foul."  The following morning, I was kind of itchy, over much of my body.  That actually isn't too strange for me, as I have sensitive skin and a history of rashes.  However, this one felt a little different.  During the break between two of my classes, I went to one of the men's restrooms, the one with a large, full-size mirror, and looked myself over while there was no one there.  I had a rash, in discrete patches all over the parts of my body that I could see without totally stripping down.  This was scary.  Fortunately, I was wearing long sleeves so that no one could see the rashes, but I was very concerned.  I had a break during the middle of the day, so I went straight to the library, as I typically did, and looked up skin conditions.  Big mistake.  There were so many pictures of downright gross conditions that I almost got sick.  My latent hypochondria was increasing.  Even though I decided that it was most likely hives from an allergic reaction, I still wasn't satisfied.  I went to my last two classes, still itchy and still going to the restroom to see how bad the hives were spreading.  I had to wait about one-and-a-half hours after my last class before I was picked up to go home by my mother.  However, we had shopping to do that night, including looking for a Christmas tree, at Winn-Dixie.  Yes, it was still around then.   In fact, I may have gotten my juice beverage from there the previous week. Anyway, I couldn't, and didn't, tell my mom about my rash until we got home.  My mother immediately called my dermatologist for assistance, and then some relatives to see if they had the Benadryl I needed to tame my condition.  I was fine, sleepy but fine, after that.  However, after that day, my mother was different.  I only found out a year or so ago that she thought that the Christmas trees triggered the hives, even though I told her many times that they started way before that night.  Admittedly, I had had itchy eyes and some redness from looking for trees in the past, but that was either just one type or it was due to mold or being outside, probably.  Anyway, from that point on, she never allowed me to help her look for trees.  She wouldn't even let me help her drag the tree out of the house after Christmas, even though I was finally old enough, and big enough, do help out.  (I wouldn't start weight-lifting for a few more years, so I might not have been 'strong' enough to help out much, but who can say.). She thought the reaction was from the trees, yet it wasn't, at least not that time.  How else to explain being in a room with a Christmas tree for two to three weeks almost all day and me not having another reaction?  It's weird.  I've not had hives since, or anything with guava or papaya.  I've had a few reactions around my mouth from eating new things, like bok choy or water chestnuts, not sure which, but nothing as bad as that original reaction.  Still try new things, just more cautious.

Christmas Things, Things for You But Maybe Not for Me

    I usually go on a shopping trip this time of year.  Normally, I prefer to go before Thanksgiving, but this year, I went after so to avoid some wet weather.  So, instead of rain and temps in the low 50s, I had intermittent snow flurries in the morning when I woke up and temps near freezing.  Yea.  Because this would be an all day affair, I had to wake up over an hour earlier than usual to make sure I could leave by 6:30.  I was ready by 6:10, a little later than I was planning for, but still good.  Unfortunately, the person who would be going with me was nowhere near ready by then.  We wound up leaving at almost 7:00.  While this meant that the flurries were over and the sun would be mostly risen, it also meant that I would have to cut out some destinations. Still, I made good time even with stretches of road work where I had to slow way down, even after stopping for a few minutes for my passenger.  At least everything was open by the time we got to the first place, a book store.  Yes, I own one, but I'm always looking out for titles I may have missed.  Also, I don't carry magazines, and there was one I was looking for that hadn't been available locally for over six months.  The store had plenty, but done of them had the subscription cards I was looking for.  The one time I actually wanted them.  Still, I was planning on buying a copy, until I was made to notice that it was an expired issue. The current one wasn't there yet, even though it was supposed to have already been out.  I put the mag back and searched for anything else.  Unfortunately, almost every magazine I liked has either been cancelled or not carried by that store.  I then looked for  authors and subjects I like, but to no avail.  There weren't even any books on discount that caught my eye.  Then, for the first time ever at that store, I had to wait on my shopping companion as they had lost a glove somewhere and they had to backtrack to find it.  Usually, they are the one who is waiting on me.  I had never been on shopping trip where I never got any reading material, so this did not bode well for the rest of the day.  The next stop was a big box department store.  I went in alone, as my companion felt like freezing in the car and resting.  I rushed through that place as fast as I could, looking for a number of products I had been having trouble with finding locally.  Except for some office supplies, which were in a configuration I couldn't find elsewhere, as well as being cheaper, I didn't get anything.  I mean, I needed it, but I didn't think that I wouldn't be buying anything else that day.  Anyway, it was onto the real shopping.  The first place had been open for an hour, but we still had to speed through it.  See, the food court here can get really busy if yo wait to long, so lunch had to be as early as possible, but still late enough to fit into my regular schedule. After a quick run through of the first floor, with little result, it was time for the second floor for me.  But first, I had to wait in the toy section while someone was in the restroom.  The "Bluey" section was almost completely sold out.  I took a quick search in the mens' department.  I've been told that I need more vibrant colors in my outfits.  While I don't go all goth or emo dark, I do veer fairly close.  I couldn't find anything in a color and style I really liked.  There was this white/silvery shirt similar to some I got last year, but I didn't really want any more in that style.  Also, I prefer to wait until I see what all is out there before trying anything on.  Next, the bargain room.  Nothing, unless you wanted a dinosaur, ugly Christmas sweater.  After that, lunch.  A whole bevy of kids were brought in while we were eating, so maybe going early was the right idea, although the mall wasn't too crowded that day.  I managed to eat without problems swallowing for once, even though I finished way faster than my companion.  Fast enough to check out a nearby store before they finished.  Nothing.  A brief look down one wing without seeing anything before the next store, and their next restroom break.  This time, I was stuck between mens' accessories and big-and-tall.  Obviously, nothing to see there for me.  Also, nothing in the store for either of us.  One half of the mall to go.  Most of the stores were skipped to save time, although my companion decided to check out one place at the last second (found nothing to even try on), which delayed my time to check out some stores down the other wing.  How they decide how I can go on my own some times and some times not is confusing. I didn't find anything in those stores either.  Finally, the last store.  I had to wait again for them to get some free skin care stuff, about fifteen minutes.  I was stuck looking at mens' gift ideas.  I was starting to attract sales associates.  By that time, I was rushing through the mens' department looking for the things on my list.  Unfortunately, I made the huge mistake of asking for some advice.  Now, I was never going to buy a pair of pink Levi's or a seventy dollar shirt, but I was still rebuffed on some of my choices.  No, I don't have chinos that shade of blue-gray, and I actually have plenty of things to go with that orange/brown pair.  More than a light-olive green.  But I didn't try anything on, I was too dejected.  This would mark the only time I took a major shopping trip to there and didn't get anything.  After one last restroom break with me just standing in the rest area since I didn't want to sit near anyone, it was back up the mall, checking out one last store, before leaving.  We were forced to leave early as to avoid the schools letting out.  We easily made it, even after forgoing a few last stops.  The drive back was dull.  I had to stop for a snack and for a fill-up.  This time, I did have some trouble swallowing, mainly because someone begged me for some of my drink, I had to sip more than I wanted to at once.  The fuel pumps were slow, possibly due to the cold.  It took ten minutes just to get the first gallon.  They tried to reconfigure the pump, but it would take longer than we had, so it meant stopping closer to home and a detour to finish up.  (I only use a certain make for my car, so I have to look around sometimes for the right one.  At least it was noticeably cheaper closer to home.) There was a stop at the library to print off some things and to call in a takeout order.  I was able to pick up some free books they were giving away, including one I read from there a few years ago that I actually wanted for my own at one time.  I actually had to wait in the car while my companion tried to look for books to check out.  While there, I noticed a bunch of rescue vehicles going in the opposite direction where we were going.  The drive to the restaurant got dark kind of fast.  Even with the long delay getting there, the order wasn't finished yet.  I had to wait and keep moving the car around until the order was ready.  On the way out, I looked at the highway we would've gone through and noticed a traffic hold up.  At least we missed out on that.  We had to get home early because of my unusual night-driving problem.  I have great night-vision, but I acclimate so well that bright headlights and streetlights can cause me problems.  The waning full moon though kept things bright enough that I didn't have problems.  We got home around six thirty, after almost twelve hours gone.  To top off a miserable trip, there was something not as great about dinner.  While it is not my favorite, it was usually better than this.  I'm not sure if they were using a new supplier or a different amount of toppings, but it wasn't the best it could have been.  Ten dollars of office supplies, three old library books, and some condiment packets.  Worse shopping trip ever.

I Ain't There Yet at Country, But Everyone Else Is

    This is the time of year I would normally be making my predictions for the number one song of the year. However, not this year.  For one, Billboard already announced all their awards last week, almost immediately after the eligibility year ended. For another, it was pretty much a forgone conclusion that the number song would be "Last Night" by Morgan Wallen. He had such a commanding apparent lead over the nearest competitors such as "Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift, "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus, and "Kill Bill" by SZA. Wallen spent sixteen non-consecutive weeks at number one which is the record for a solo act.  Other songs have spent longer at number one, but all were collaborations.  The main reason why "Last Night" became such a hit is that country music fans finally started to embrace streaming in greater numbers.  Rap/hip-hop fans have been using streaming for years, leading such artists to have huge first weeks whenever a new album drops.  However, they usually didn't lead to songs with great staying power, as the songs would drop after that first week.  Country fans were different, with newcomers coming in after that launch week, leading to songs with a greater staying power. That why so many country songs have had such good debuts, and even staying power this year.  Three other country songs debuted at number one this year, with one of them even staying near the top for more than a few weeks.  In fact, "Fast Car" by Luke Combs has spent months in the top ten, even without hitting the number one spot.  The Combs version of the song has even out-performed the Tracy Chapman original.  For the last few decades, country songs have had a hard time reaching the full crossover potential they had throughout the 60s and 70s, and through the early 80s.  When rap and hip-hop started to get popular, many larger radio stations started to cut back on country as a way to play the new genres.  As such, fewer country acts reached the top of the Hot 100 chart.  Garth Brooks, one of the biggest country acts of the 90s, only has had one top ten hit, and that was under his alter ego of 'Chris Baines.'  Shania Twain had many hits in the 90s, but most of those songs had pop overtones.  Even Taylor Swift didn't start reaching her great heights until she started to turn more towards pop.  "Meant to Be" by Bebe Rexha and Florida-Georgia Line spent almost an entire year at number one on the country chart, but peaked at number two on the Hot 100. Now that streaming is becoming more important to a song's popularity, country acts are starting to catch up and are finally appearing on a more regular basis.  What's even more compelling is that I am starting to like them.  Sure, I would never listen to a country station as my first, or even fifth, choice, but many songs that are already crossing over are appealing to me.  I loved Wallen's "Wasted on You" last year, mostly after everyone else already started to move on.  I liked "Last Night" as well, but I would buy an entire triple album of country music.  One song that really took a hold on me this year, one who I borrowed a lyric from last week as the basis of my post title, has been "Dial Drunk" by Noah Kahan, especially the remix version with Post Malone.  I know, the original is sort of folk-rock, but I still consider it county since it is about a guy trying to call his ex after getting arrested for public intoxications and causing a disturbance. I finally got to hear the follow-up "Stick Season" this morning.  I weird take on a potential Christmas song, as well as drinking again.  I even kind of like "White Horse" by Chris Stapleton, which almost skyrocketed into the top ten this past week based on his performance on the CMA Awards. (Also, I lyric-checked the song for today's title.)  Before this, the only song I liked of his was "Blow," which was a collaboration with Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars. I seriously doubt I'l ever be a huge country fan, but I might be liking more later on.

Son, Why Do You Do This to Yourself?

    I almost forgot that today was my regular posting day.  I got so involved watching Good Mythical Morning and Good Mythical More that I just plum forgot that I write my post immediately afterwards.  That's the kind of week I've been having.  I just haven't been myself lately.  I am not sure what started it or when it started.  I remember just not feeling it when I worked out this weekend.  Usually, exercise can lift my spirits, but it didn't really work too well this time.  I've been trying to decorate my store before Thanksgiving, but it just has been a struggle this year.  If I was doing it all on my own, I could have probably done it all in a day or so.  However, the person who is 'helping' me is doing her 'best' to make it take as long as possible.  For instance, she cleaned the windows on Saturday when the window-cleaner never showed up on Friday.  Then, she cleaned them on Monday when she felt the first time wasn't good enough, meaning that that portion of the decorating was delayed another day. While I did my portion of the store in the usual amount of time, I had to wait until she finished other things so I could deal with my next step.  I also had to change my Thanksgiving menu to something I didn't really want to at the last minute, technically the last day I was planning to shop.  I had to reschedule a shopping trip out-of-town by a week because of weather.  I been swamped by chocolate-covered cherries.  At least they are selling at a reasonable pace.  I trying to figure out the best time to place the next book order, while also planning the December Upcoming Releases board.  A free trial just started this morning, and so many of the channels have been re-arranged since the last time I checked on them. I finally remembered to go back to cataloging my old weightlifting magazines so that I can finish up that project that started over a year ago. I have been doing a review of an RPG on a forum I'm on.  I'm about through with the second of four phases.  I go into a really deep detailed analysis.  Probably too deep, considering it is taking me about thirty minutes to post each segment with multiple segments per phase.  I trying to find the time each night to play Golf Clash so that I don't fall too far behind the rest of the people in my Clan.  At least I already qualified for this week's tournament for both of my accounts on the first night.  I'm just at wit's end.  I can't remember to look at my online dating profile.  I still haven't responded to my big push from two months ago.  I guess I'm just too afraid and too embarrassed.  I also don't know what to say, since I feel that I have said everything I needed to.  I've caught up on the new Bluey episodes that just came out to regular cable.  I swear, I am regressing here just to feel content.  Maybe even happy.  Still, I do like most of what I do, even if it is taking me much longer than I wanted to do.  Now, someone wants to clean and vacuum the store's carpeting at the most inopportune time for me, so I best finish before things get even crazier. Ugh.

You Got the Fast Food, and You Can Take It to Eat Anywhere

    I don't eat out that much, maybe two or three days per month. I have many reasons for this.  First, I am kind of a picky eater. When I was a kid, there were only so many things that I would eat.  That's still mostly the case, although my tastes have expanded considerably.  I must admit that I have cut quite a few things back in the last few years, which I am hoping to change. Next, I do try to eat healthy whenever I can. I don't eat totally 'clean,' but it is usually a bit more on the healthy side.  It is one of the reasons why I learned how to cook.  (Another is that my mother is not that good at it.)  While I'm not the best, I am really quite competent in my wheelhouse.  Another reason is that I tend to try and schedule my meals in advance.  Back when I was starting college, there were nights when I didn't know what I was eating for dinner as much as an hour beforehand. I actually hate having to do so much scheduling, and I have put off final details a lot in the past few weeks, but I would rather make a list early than not having any idea until the last second.  That just happened to me this weekend, but it was more of what can I find while shopping that I need rather than not having any ideas at all.  It also helps me figure out how to alternate dishes so I don't eat things too similar too close together or repeat meals too frequently. It doesn't help that I can't eat leftovers. (I'm sort of a 'super-taster.' I can't tolerate the taste of most reheated foods.)  Finally, there's cost.  I just can't afford it all the time.  Just within the last year, I spent over twenty dollars just for two signature burgers, two sides, and a fountain drink. I won't mention where, but it is a local place and not one where I would even think of normally going.  Anyway, I had to eat out yesterday.  I was taking my mother to the doctor, so I had to leave early before I could eat a real breakfast. I have a hard time eating a full meal that early in the morning, so I had just a protein shake, with a small snack mid-morning.  She wanted to get some takeout.  I didn't want to eat at the place I had burgers at the last time, and my mother had some qualms about their rewards program lately. I was thinking about the new promotion at another place, since I really wanted to try it now that it was brought back, but I couldn't be sure if the local location was running it yet.  I was thinking about a few other place, but I really wasn't feeling it for any of their signature burgers that day.  My mother ultimately 'convinced' me to go to the place she had some coupons for, including one for something she absolutely craves and I couldn't care less for. Well, we were the only people inside at the time we went in. Someone had just left.  There was one person at the counter and the drive-through, and she was being easily distracted, especially when some workers from the back came out to check something out in the restrooms, maybe. The attendant had to process another order before she came back to take ours, after it took a minute or two for my mother to decide if she really wanted to use her coupons after all.  The attendant almost got us too many cups.  Then, she almost forgot whose order it was.  Things almost got worse when another attendant came up front to try and help out, and she almost got the orders mixed up as well.  By that time, someone else had come in and was waiting in 'line.'  Finally, we were ready to leave, although my mother almost got mad when the place was out of napkins.  She is obsessed with getting free napkins whenever she goes out. She also waited until getting to the car to double-check to see if the order was placed correctly.  That almost got food over my car.  At least we got to the store without any problems. Well, my burger barely had anything that qualified as lettuce, and I don't think there were any onions on it either.  I don't remember them.  At least I had double the tomatoes after I stole them from mom's burger.  (She doesn't really like them in the raw state.). While she complained that the meal was a little too expensive even after she used her coupons, she couldn't stop raving about the food after she ate it.  I barely could stand it.  It just didn't like the flavor.  I still can't believe she went from almost saying she would never eat there again to saying it was very good.  She is prone to doing such things.  She didn't even eat all of hers.  She is saving the rest of her burger to eat today.  Yuck.  As for me, I was fairly hungry for the rest of the afternoon.  Admittedly, I weigh over sixty pounds more than she, or even seventy, and with a faster metabolism, so that same amount of food just wasn't enough for me.  Even after a small bite in the afternoon.  How I wish I stood up and suggested any other place that day.  We would've spend about as much, but for something I might have actually liked.

Who Can It Be Calling on My Work Phone?

    My work phone has been very busy these past few weeks.  Over a dozen calls a day sometimes.  Unfortunately, the majority of these calls are not work-related, but telemarketers.  Predominately about Medicaid, or Medicare.  I get the two confused.  Sometimes, the telemarketers mention both.  There's also life expenses, funeral costs and such.  The problem actually started this past spring.  The store started to get phone calls for a 'Rhonda,' or possibly 'Wanda.' It can be hard to tell through some of the thick accents of the live callers.  From at least one call, this woman is from New Jersey. I always found it strange that the area code would be messed up that badly.  Anyway, those phone call started to drop off, only to be replaced these last few weeks by an onslaught of of Medicare callers.  Many of them automatic calls that pretend to be live.  Whenever the store gets one of these calls, I have fun with it.  I answer "Hello" with the same unusual tone the caller has.  When they ask how I feel, I try to respond in an unusual way.  Frequently, I just go "Meh."  A few times I go with "Horrible." How else would I feel when being bombarded with these annoying calls.  These fake callers sometimes respond with an appropriate answer, such as "So bad." Sometimes with the wrong response, such as "That's great!"  Even when I respond with a negative, they ignore the answer and continue on with the call, sending me over to a 'live' person.  I usually hang up by then, before I find out. [I just had one such call right now.  It was a real person.  When I said I felt "horrible," they asked why.  I said it was due to being called so many times and asked not to be called again.  They hung up before I finished my sentence.] I can't figure out why my store is getting so many of these types of calls.  It doesn't make sense for this to happen to a business. The store is getting calls about accident claims, Social Security benefits, life insurance. It just doesn't make sense.  It doesn't help that someone else at the store liked to wait until the second or third ring to pick up the receiver, just so the Caller ID feature would catch the number.  They would especially like to see who called overnight or the weekends.  Many times, the number was a spoof.  Obviously a hospital wouldn't be calling a business legitimately during off-hours. It happened so much that the back-up batteries in the landline have been acting up.  I'm not sure if they are dead or the connection has failed again.  Once, I left dead batteries in there a little too long, and one of the connectors corroded when a battery started to leak.  Currently, most of the phone's features only work during an active call, which is not long enough to do anything worthwhile beyond actual calling.  I got so bad, that the other person in the store decided to put the store's number on the national do-not-call registry, against my better wishes.  I'm afraid that could limit the number and times of legitimate callers.  Sure, we could do without so many third-party dealers wanting to help verify the store's Google listing, but I'm not sure we could do without so many other 'real' callers, besides potential customers. So far, the telemarketers still are calling.

Your Dreams Made as Real as Anything

    The last few weeks of this blogcast have been a little hectic.  At least one has been a little late on being posted.  Also, coming up with titles based on Dave Matthews Band lyrics hasn't been easy.  Especially since I wanted to go in the chronological order of their album release.  In case you didn't recognize the songs, in order, they were "Ants Marching," "Crash into Me," "Halloween," "I Did It," and toady's song is "Grey Street."  I did a similar thing a few Octobers ago, and I just thought I should repeat myself this year.  I've mentioned a lot of things in the past few weeks, but I haven't gone through with everything as well as I should have.  It is a bad habit of mine to put some things off until I feel it is the right time, but sometimes I just wind up not doing those things.  For instance, this morning, I was supposed to check out the registration process for the Spring semester at grad school, but I had to forego that for a little bit.  Late last night, I got confirmation that a book order for my store would be arriving sometime today, at least a day earlier than normal or expected.  I had to rush through my normal morning schedule to make sure I left early enough to get to the store on time, in case road work would cause a delay.  I also had to charge up the phone I use for contact with the school. It would have had enough power, but I always try to make sure it has more than a little before I go out. Regardless, I will be waiting a longer to check it out.  This is happening to me a lot lately.  Just last week, I made such a big deal about posting my views on a new game on a forum.  By the time I could get to the site, my allotted time for doing it was almost gone.  So, I had to wait until this Sunday to post the first part.  I'm hoping to post the second part this afternoon, but I just have so much other things I do online now.  Dating has yet to be one of them.  I started on one online dating service, but I must be doing something wrong somewhere.  So far, the majority of hits have been from out-of-state. On the one hand, I would prefer finding someone far away from where I am currently living.  On the other hand, I'm not driving over a hundred miles to meet someone.  Those few hits from closer nearby haven't seemed interesting to me.  My parameters must not be correlated correctly. Maybe I should use another service instead.  I just don't know what to do with such things.  I'm not tech oriented.  This past September, I mentioned a project I finally got around to finishing. I still haven't responded to the outcomes yet.  I just don't like messaging.  I also feel somewhat embarrassed to read other's thoughts and respond.  Someone actually had messaged me about my online dating dilemma.  That conversation ended over the weekend, and I haven't had the nerve to go back. I just don't write the same way I talk.  What sounds right in my head doesn't always work when I try to speak it, which is just the worst way to try and message, I guess.  I wind up writing too much, and I don't think I've written what I meant to say.  At least I have one good thing to update everyone on.  Disney will be airing the latest block of Bluey on cable starting next week.  I had already checked the synopsis of some of those episodes online before this was announced, and some very emotional ones are coming up. Maybe they will give me the emotional punch to actually go through with some of these things. The book order still isn't in as of 11:13 am.  Two and a half hours left in the delivery window.

To Change the Ugly Ways of a Fictitious Game World

    Last month, I picked the latest edition of an RPG I liked at the local game store. I would have ordered it through my own store, but my distributor doesn't carry the publisher.  With my pre-order discount and store credit, I got the book for twenty-five dollars off, otherwise I might not have purchased it.  Or I could have waited until this past weekend and purchased it at 40% as part of a pre-Halloween sale at the store. Whatever.  I wanted to see for myself if it was a bad, or good depending upon the social media feed, as I had been hearing.  Personally, I found the game lacking.  Not completely horrible, but not really memorable either.  Basically, mediocre.  I will be writing a review on the gaming forum I'm on later today.  Actually, I will be writing the first part of the first phase of my review process today.  See, I am thinking about writing multiple reviews based on different criteria to better relate the true impression of the game. Currently, I'm planning four reviews.  One, based entirely on the game itself divorced from any other outside influences.  Phase two will be comparing it to the other new games in this line.  The new games introduced some features that appeared to be highlights, and I wanted to see how well this game carried through.  Phase three will be a comparison to the previous editions, seeing how much was changed and how much was maintained.  This is where I'm expecting the rating to start going down.  Finally, phase four will be about how well the game stacks up with all of the 'issues' that have come out about its development since it was announced a year ago.  I didn't want to use 'controversies' so as not to show any unfair favoritism.  However, it is not looking too good.  These reviews would just be a prelude into my real goal--expressing my ideas about how to reconcile the current edition of the game with the older ones.  It could get pretty complicated, but by starting with this review process, I might be able to accomplish something I've been putting on the back-burner for quite some time. When I first discovered these games way back in the 90s during my 'bleak' years, it changed me.  I was able to re-invent myself.  Sure, I was still not able to actually play with others, but I found something that opened a new avenue for me.  At one point, I was seriously thinking about trying my hand in game design. Table top RPGs as opposed to computer games.  I do not have the programming knowledge to go that far.  I am a geek not a nerd, regardless of what others think of me.  In fact, as was very close into looking into how to work for the original company, when most of my game collection got destroyed in the 2003 flood, and the game company switched to a new business model soon after. I seriously thought about asking again once I felt comfortable with the new model. I even had an okay rough draft for a new game that I have mentioned a few times in earlier posts on this blogcast. Then the original company folded before I could accomplish anything more. I won't go into the messy details, but things eventually turned around with a new company founded by some of the people from the old place.  Unfortunately, the IP ended up with a video game company from Sweden who doesn't always have the same ideas on what to do with it as the older fans or the original creators.  Still, it might have been a great fit for me if I could have gotten into the business.  I almost certainly would not have become rich, but I might have been content.  I'm probably too old to think about that now.  Technically, I could still create a side project and make a few dollars under licensing agreements, but I just don't really have the self-publishing skills.  It just seems so daunting to me to try and come up with this all on my own.  At least I can share my ideas.  That's better than nothing.

Shadows Outside Your Window, Sort of Halloween

    It is a little under two weeks until Halloween, and I just don't feel or see it. Oh, sure, I see the decorations and candy everywhere, but there is not that much out there that is making me feel special about it.  So many homes and public displays are just using almost the exact same thing as they have done. I mean, when you see one house with a miniature inflatable Chucky, you see two more houses next door with the exact same thing.  I drive by the three neighbors every day.  It gets so predictable that it is no longer enjoyable.  There are a few other Chucky inflatables out there, but these three just irk me the most.  Other homes are going a little understated than their past attempts.  A house that had a full-sized skeleton climbing a pole, chasing a smaller skeleton and a dog skeleton on the top, now just has the bones sitting on the fence, with the largest one holding a black flower in its teeth.  Their crazed clowns are sitting along the fence as well, instead of randomly popping up around the yard.  The look is capped off with a pair of inflatable candy corns. Some homes still haven't decorated, after years of having great displays.  However, there are still a few new pieces that are grabbing my attention.  One home has a giant, inflatable killer clown, waving a giant hammer.  Another has a happy witch riding a crescent moon.  That one is rarely inflated.  The biggest display is still the same one as last year.  The place has a bunch of mannequins in costumes all over the yard, in multiple tableaux.  There are more crazy clowns, a trio of witches, a few blood-drenched nuns, a masked killer, and even a Harley Quinn, although that one seems to be currently missing.  There is still time for the stragglers to decorate, but I don't expect anything to elaborate from them in so little time.  My own decorating seems lackluster as well.  I don't feel comfortable leaving any decorations out at my place, so I decorate my store instead.  It is pretty much the same as last year's design.  Maybe a few things are in different places.  The main new item are two more small plastic 'stress-ball' brains that were in goodie bags in the past year, for a nice creepy three-part display.  I almost forgot to put out a small black cat head, but I remembered it from a dream. That actually happens to me quite a bit.  Another disappointment for this Halloween are the new treats.  That aren't that many.  Sure, there are a few new 'mystery' flavors of sodas, but I don't drink those brands, so that is a no-go for me.  Not really any new candies that I can find.  They might be out there, but they are either in brands/flavors I would never try or just not really out around here.  There is one new thing that came out recently that I would love to try, but they aren't Halloween-related.  It's Hostess's new 'Chocolate-Lover's Twinkies.'  They are chocolate Twinkies, but with a chocolate-creme filling instead of the regular one.  Now, there have been chocolate cake versions with the normal filling around for a few years now.  They used to come in two-packs, but you really only see them in boxes now, and not on a regular basis.  I did see them in a Halloween-theme box lately, though. I saw the new ones a few weeks ago, but I didn't buy them when I had the chance  They have been sold-out ever since.  I will get a box of them the next time I see them.  I don't know if I will like them, but they look very interesting.

Show Your World to Me, Yeah, in a Boy's Dream

     So, I finally decided to dip my toes into online dating.  I thought, "I've had my phone for over a year now, so I might as well use it for something more than Golf Clash and secondary authorizations." I won't mention where, so don't try to find me.  Besides, I am not sure if I set it up correctly anyway.  I would have asked for help, but I don't really know any people who would be using a dating app.  Most of them have been married for ten, fifteen, twenty, or more years.  Some are even grandparents, so even their children wouldn't be of help to me. This will come as a surprise, as I have never dated before.  Shocker, but I do believe I have mentioned it a few times here before.  Yeah, I've had crushes, but I never followed through on them.  In high school, I could never tell who was available or when, so I never seemed to have a chance.  The fact that they were dating guys I would consider friends made it even more difficult.  I didn't know about the 'bro code' back then, but it just didn't seem right to play my hand.  It was my senior year before anyone tried to help me out, but it was too late by then.  I was almost eighteen, so lower grades were entirely out of the equation.  There was also no one in my senior class I was truly interested in, who wasn't already in a fairly stable relationship. I bided my time until college, but nothing would come of it.  As I frequently mention, I hated the school I went to, so I tried not to make any sort of connection to anyone.  I probably wouldn't have been able to go out anyway.  I was staying at home and commuting, and my mother kept my on a very tight leash.  I wasn't even able to go back to school one night to participate in a mandatory assignment.  I had to do a make-up to compensate.  Once, I was about fifteen to twenty minutes late getting home.  I saw my mother pass me in my car as she had decided to go out to look for me.  Did I mention it was only 6 pm? In August? On a clear day? When I was thirty?!? There are parents of teenagers who wouldn't go out looking for their kids in such a situation.  Okay, they would probably have phones on them, but you get the idea.  Basically speaking, the only social situations that I am completely comfortable in would be academics and shopping.  I just haven't had the opportunity to go anywhere else.  I just wish I had someone to help me out.  I once had a copy of Dating for Dummies at my store, but it was sold before I had a chance to really read it.  [There are actually weirder 'Dummies' books than this.  You might want to see what's available.] My real problem is that I think I probably have waited way too long to start looking.  You see, I've always wanted children, as in more than one.  I was always so lonely as a child, so I would like at least two so that my kids wouldn't suffer the way I did.  As most women in my age group either don't or can't have children, this means I'll be looking for women younger than me, by at least fifteen years.  Not really best scenario, as such an age difference isn't really looked well upon.  Also, I have become pretty set in my ways.  If I had found someone in my twenties, like most people, there would have been some room to change and adapt.  I'm practically a curmudgeon in my ways, albeit somewhat immature, but I still won't change much. Everything just keeps coming back to the fact that I am so old, I feel that I missed my chance. I was just waiting until it felt like the right time, when I had a good start at a career, you know.  Now, that time may have slipped away, never to come back. I hope that I am wrong.  So many doubts.  I may be way over my head this time.  We shall see.

Take These Chances and Place Them outside the Box

    I've done something recently that I almost, kind of regret.  See, earlier this year, I decided to write a letter to someone to show my appreciation of them, after they had a bit of bad news.  I started it, but the letter began to evolve into something else.  I kept adding things, and people, to the letter.  I managed to keep it short enough, but it was still a little unwieldy.  I had to start and stop on it a number of times, as my ideas kept changing and growing.  I had to add a little extra information, as two of the people involved had never met before.  I kept putting off actually sending it, as it never seemed to be the correct time.  I took a month off, rewrote a few things, and put it off again.  Last month, things finally changed.  I was getting frustrated from losing so much in one of my games.  I got so mad, I finally sent off the messages to everyone to be included in my burgeoning network.  I had to revise a few final points first, as some things had since changed since I started this project.  I have yet to write a response to my messages.  I'm just too nervous and embarrassed about what I did. I don't even know if one person even received theirs, as I had to go through an intermediary.  I think I may have over-shared a few things, but I had to do it.  Admittedly, I may have gone on a tangent, so my intent got lost.  It is a bad habit of mine.  I can define a goal, actually see how to get there, but others only see an unnumbered connect-the-dots where I see a straight line.  I frequently have to go back in some games and puzzles just to make sure I didn't make a mistake and got to a point without finishing any of the points in between.  I sometimes just know the answer, without knowing how I got there.  My problem is that I am a creative, unconventional person, but others try to make me into something else.  For much of my school years, I felt that I had the label of a logical, analytical thinker.  That's technically not me.  Sure, I can work that way, but it is not always natural.  It is more like a round peg in a square hole situation.  It works, but it is not a tight fit. I was in college for I finally realized this fact.  I mean, I always felt I was a creative type, but few others would agree with me.  Even after I realized this, I kept falling into the trap of thinking I was more analytical.  That's one of the reasons why I've had a hard time trying to find a career.  I want to express myself, perform for an audience.  Instead, I get pegged for a desk jockey.  Who wants to file papers and work on files so much?  I'm not just an "outside-the-box" thinker; I ignore the box entirely.   At least, I try to when I get the chance.  While I'm not impulsive, exactly, some of the best decisions I ever made came when I trusted my gut or heart over my head.  My problem is that I don't know how to find something I want.  There's not that much of a market for someone who can craft a pretty good first draft of a sonnet in under a half-a-hour. My plan in college was to explore all of the different aspects of my creativity to find the one I liked the best, but I wound up in the wrong place without those opportunities.  That's one of the reasons for my recent missive.  Once I get the right people around me, maybe I can finally get my life back on track before it is too late, if I haven't already missed out on too much.  I really need to do my follow up.  I just feel like I messed up, and I want to take a long as possible before I see just how much I may have fouled up.

Fluffy

    Recently, a minor scandal erupted when Disney was thinking about censoring one of the cartoons they broadcast but not produce themselves, Bluey.  Yes, I know I'm nowhere near the target demographic, but I'm immature for my age. For those who don't know, Bluey is about a six/seven-year-old dog in Australia, her five-year-old sister Bingo, her Mum Chilli, and her Dad Bandit. She has very imaginative adventures involving her family and friends.  They can get somewhat surreal, very deeply emotional, or downright silly.  This 'controversy' erupted due to the nature of the episode's plot, which is fairly silly.  'Family Meeting' opens up with Bluey, Bingo, and Dad having a discussion in the kitchen about what Dad did earlier when Bluey was in her parents' bedroom.  Dad apparently had a 'fluffy' directly in Bluey's face.  He denies it. Mum comes in a declares a family meeting to find out the truth.  She returns with rollers in her 'hair,' reminiscent of judges' wigs.  Before the trial, she declares that the bodily function only be called a 'fluffy,' with 'fluffied' and 'fluffed' as acceptable past tenses.  Bluey goes first and recreates the scene with her toys, with a skunk representing her smelly Dad. Dad immediately says that he would never do such a thing, yet a flashback when Bingo pulled his finger proves him wrong.  Next, Bluey goes over the food he ate the previous day, raising a hand-made "Fluffy-meter" to its highest level.  Bingo is the next witness, and she claims she was there and saw it all happen.  Dad declares she wasn't there.  Bluey had bribed her with a lollipop, and Mum advises Bluey about how the truth will set her free.  Bingo's evidence is discarded.  Then, Dad announces a surprise witness, Mum!  She admits she was dozing, but the only thing she heard was Dad moving the bedside table like he frequently does when his tablet falls off from charging overnight.  She imitates the sound she heard.  It was the 'fluffy!'  Dad calls another surprise witness, a non-existent man, as a distraction, and he then flees.  Bluey and Bingo ran after their Dad and caught him in the front yard.  They tie him up in a jumprope and return him to the trial.  Before Mum passes her sentence, she asks Dad if there was anything he'd like to say.  His response, "He who smelt it, dealt it." He then explains away the accident 'fluffy' in his daughter's face as being due to the fact that her face is at the same height as his bum.  Bingo starkly declares that it could have been her, as she is slightly shorter and would have been worse off.  Mum sentences Dad to an hour of horsey rides for both Bluey and Bingo.  The younger sister runs off to prepare, while Mum tells Bluey about how the truth prevailed.  Dad then tells Bluey that the truth will come out.  Bluey then admits that she was only in her parents' bedroom to play on her Dad's tablet, something she wasn't supposed to due until the weekend.  Mum then sentences Bluey to play horsey for Bingo for an hour as well.  Mum noisily backs her chair out from the table and tries to shoo Bluey and Dad out of the room.  The two start to smell something, and they realize that Mum had made a 'fluffy' too!  The episode ends on that note.  From what I could tell, nothing was really altered about this episode's US broadcast.  However, my Bluey viewing habits have greatly multiplied since I first noted the episode, especially since I have no young children in my life. I watch way too many cartoons, both those intended for children and this for an older audience.  Oh well.

The Memory Remains, Except for Sometimes on Facebook

    I have written over 370 posts for this blog, plus hundreds more on two other blogs. One of those is pretty much defunct while the other is currently on a months long hiatus.  I also have dozens of videos on my YouTube channel.  Whenever I post something on here or YouTube, I link it to my Facebook account so that my friends can see them without having to leave one social media platform for another.  However, all of these hundreds of links don't show up on my Facebook memories.  Now, with so many posts, I should have a memory most of them for many days. Yet I don't.  The videos I cross-post on my store's Facebook page usually come up in my memories, yet not those on my personal page.  What's worse is that I frequently can't share those videos to my main page for some reason.  So many things that I would like to re-post and remember, but I can't.  I remember that some of the posts I see from others mention this same problem.  Things posted directly to Facebook or shared from another Facebook location don't have this problem.  Neither do those posted from some third-party sites.  Other posts that have links usually have problems, especially those to Google sites.  Well, this week marks a change in trying to outwit the Facebook algorithms.  Today's blogcast post will be double linked onto my page.  Not only will I be using my usual post with a link, but I will also be doing a second post.  This second post will have the link to my blog in the comments and not in the main body of the post.  Sure, it will take a year to see if this trick will work, but it should be worth it.  I just hope to remember to do all of this additional posting every week.  It will take awhile before I get the hang of it.  Why, I almost forgot to write a post this week at all!  Yeah, that is why this post is so short as well as over an hour late.  My bad. See you next week.

Just Because You're Paranoid, It Doesn't Mean You're Wrong

    I've been waiting on the latest edition of a game I really like for a few weeks now.  I ordered it months ago, but it officially came out on August 30.  The store where I ordered it from hasn't gotten it yet, and it might not ever.  It has had problems getting some of the niche products that I like.  I would ordered it directly through my store, but the publisher doesn't use my distributor any more.  I could order directly from the publisher instead, but I would prefer not to, as that would be way more expensive.  Also, if I don't like it, I got possibly return it if I go through other channels.  And as of right now, based on everything I've read, I probably won't like it.  When the new edition was formally announced last fall, controversy has surrounded it.  Soon after the first statement was made, one of the designers mentioned in an interview that the new edition would not be a direct continuation of the game.  This fact, along with some of the other changes first announced, brought the fan community into a frenzy.  Many long-time fans hated these decisions, especially when compared to other games that this company had updated.  While calls for open-mindedness prevailed, many people on some of the social media platforms I visit were having major doubts.  These doubts began to increase with the first previews earlier this year.  The artist had traced the image of a well-known activist who does not like his image and tattoos reproduced.  The art was reportedly changed, but further previews had more traced art of people in the public eye.  While this is an accepted technique, to some degree, the art director should have been alerted about possible problems.  Maybe the previews came out before final authorization was finished.  Maybe it was a lax editing process.  Maybe it was all a publicity stunt to grab attention. I believe any of this is possible.  The art previews did stop, though.  Rules previews were next.  One of the designers for an earlier stage of development noted that the rules preview seemed to be lifted directly from their design. (The final version of the game was the third development pass-through.  The first two ended in bad faith.) Fans were wondered if the writer would be credited.  Again, there were possible explanations. Maybe there was no other simpler way to present the information. Maybe the final version would have a different version written up.  Maybe management just didn't care who they were angering.  Then, with just a few weeks left before the debut, one of the designers for an early iteration for the new edition posted an interview about the horrible working conditions he was put through, specifically by one manager whose heavy-handed interpretation of how the game would be like may have been the cause for the first two iterations of the new edition to be scraped.  Well, many older fans were immediately thrown off for the new edition, at least on the sites that I frequent.  When the game finally came out, they dissected the changes very critically.  The overall opinion was that the new changes weakened the game and made it less appealing for most players.  The game basically forced the player into a certain game style that was never a predominant position in previous editions.  Most of the vitriol was directed at management, whose ideas for favoring this style of gameplay through each of the lines of games in the new editions of this world were turning away many of the game's older fans.  While many of the positive changes were praised, frankly because certain parts of the game hadn't aged well and needed updating, many of these fans were considering either skipping the new edition or using a lot of adaptations to get it to work.  A few were trying to work with the new edition and were not hated for it.  Attacks on the designers were mostly discouraged, as many felt that they were only doing what they were asked to do to get the game to work.  Other platforms weren't so encouraging.  Older fans were noticing how their views were being shut out on other sites, claiming that they were showing extremist views, even when they were just dissecting changes. I even looked into one such group of new edition fans myself.  They were showing such hatred against older fans, claiming they were fascist for hating the changes, particularly one change.  And this was just as the early PDFs of the new edition was coming out.  Even after more people got the new book and a more nuanced and balanced opinion came out, the hatred aimed at older fans was still vicious.  I noted that some of the posters in this group seemed connected to the gaming industry.  I don't know if they were connected to the game's publisher or not, but it was a red flag.  A few of the most vehement fans of the new edition appeared to have joined the platform just so they could support the game.  Either that or they managed to keep almost everything else about themselves private, including information that is usually kept public.  Maybe they just skipped some parts of their profiles. Or they might not be entirely 'real.'  I don't know, but their profile gave off the same vibe as the friend requests I used to get from women from foreign countries whose posts were mostly photos of them barely dressed. Or less, as one was a full frontal shot that probably was against policy standards.  Anyway, I am not sure what is going on.  Maybe I'm just spotting a conspiracy where there is none.  Or, maybe the game publisher is running a long-range publicity campaign to boost the appearance of their new product, when they know it might not be a good as they think it is.  I can almost believe anything after all of the mixed messages I've seen over the past few months.

All I Hear Is Hear Is Radio Ca-Ca

    Well, I'm having more problems with the radio in my store again.  The latest instance started last Friday.  While I was listening to my favorite radio station on the way to work, I noticed that there was quite a bit of static.  Now, while other stations had been known for getting interference, this station usually was pretty clear for this stretch of road.  I made a note to make sure I knew what song was playing when I got in to check that the radio was playing the same one.  The store radio was not playing the same song.  In fact, it wasn't playing any song at all.  There was just static.  I fiddled with the dial some, but it was to no good.  I was getting the public radio station two clicks down, or some Christian station two clicks up or so.  I didn't know of any Christian stations anywhere near mine Top 40 station on the dial.  I tried every trick I had developed over the years in trying to get a clearer signal.  None of them worked either.  For almost all of the day, all I had on the radio was a dull static in the background.  I needed some sort of background noise to help me concentrate.  Fortunately, I kept the volume down so as not to interfere with any customers, although I don't think we had anyone actually come in that day.  From what I could gather, the Christian station may have just started up that day, the first of the month, because I couldn't figure anything else out.  I waited until the following day, Saturday, to try a few more radical ideas in case the radio was still acting up.  I moved the radio around a bit without unplugging it.  Didn't clear up the static.  I moved the radio to the only easily reached outlet that wouldn't block anyone coming into the store.  After some fiddling with the dial, I thought I was getting the UK pre-game show, but only after turning off some off some of the lights.  The lights create a tiny bit of interference, so turning them off clears the signal ever so slightly.  Well, I don't like to listen to sports on the radio, so I just turned the radio off for the rest of the day.  I brought a CD to listen to that afternoon, but the rest of the day was silent.  When I left for the day, I checked the car radio to find out the results of the game.  My favorite station wasn't playing the post-game show, which I found to be odd. I checked a different station, and that one was playing the post-game show. Oh-oh.  I tuned the radio to the country station that plays UK games that sometimes interferes with my radio station, even though it is over ten clicks away from it.  Yep, they were playing the post-game show too.  So, either my radio station no longer carries anything but the actual game, or they are no longer part of the network at all and the store radio accidentally picked up the country station again.  The store was closed for the rest of the weekend, so I couldn't do any more until yesterday, Tuesday.  I got in late because I was expecting a delivery at home.  It got delayed due to some engine trouble, so I went on in to work and left someone there to take care of the delivery.  I fixed the dial some more, and I turned off a different section of lights, and I got my station back.  The signal is back to almost the same as it was before this latest problem.  After a moved light post, a boosted country station, new lights, a bunch of high-profile vehicles parked outside, and a new Christian station, I am almost ready to buy a new radio with a digital tuner so that I can dial in the exact station instead of estimating with my current analog tuner.  Maybe that will help, or maybe it won't, as all of the other sources of interference are too much to overcome.  My favorite station might not be the best, but it is the one with the most variety of songs that I sort of like, even when they play a song twenty-to-thirty years old instead of the current Top 40, minus much of the rap and hip-hop of course.   Why they won't play it, I don't know, but it is still my favorite.

Giving Debit Where Debit Is Due

     This week marks an important milestone for me as my rechargeable debit card expires.  It was my first one ever.  I know that it will sound strange that I got my first ever edit or credit card so late in life, but I do have a good explanation for it.  My mother is sort of obsessed with money.  For some reason, she has never thought I was good with it.  While I admit I sometimes go overboard, it was never that often and never intentional.  Nevertheless, she pretty much refused for me to ever get.  I preferred cash anyways, and I rarely had to buy anything too expensive.  The main downside was that I could never purchase things online.  This al changed when I got into graduate school.  To save money, my mother wanted to make sure I could get my books through alternate sources.  This meant getting most of the books through the library, with a few more through my bookstore.  I only had to get a small amount through the college, and for that I needed some sort of card.  After some hassle, I finally got my first card, a rechargeable debit card.  I only used it for a few books, one a used book for a class I ultimately dropped and couldn't return because it was no longer going to be used.  For my second semester, both of my books were available through my own bookstore, so I didn't need the card for awhile.  That's when I started using it for other things.  The first purchases were for digital PDF versions of books that I had been wanting for years.  There was a sale going on, and I bought all six.  I could have ordered print-on-demand physical copies, but that would have cost too much.  I would end up buying multiple other PDFs from the series, including newer ones as they were brought out.  I would sponsor crowdsourcing for other new products, getting some older PDFs of products as well.  Sure, there were other benefits that I would end up either mostly ignoring or opting out on, but I was just so overjoyed to finally be able to get into one of my favorite things after having to sit out on it due to not being able to order online.  I also bought a few other things, actual physical objects and not digital releases, with my card.  I also used it to sign up for my loan streaming service.  I tried to renew early, before my card expired, but I wasn't given the chance.  My mother even co-opted it to order something for herself, although she may have returned it.  She frequently does that.  At the end of the week, my card will finally expire. I'm planning on making one last online purchase in the remaining hours.  Then, I'm not sure what I'll do.  I'll need a new card so that I can renew my streaming plan.  I'll need a new card to make sure my PayPal service remains steady, even if I so rarely use it. I'll need a new card the next time there's a sale of my digital books or crowdsourcing for a new one I'd like to be a part of.  (I'm only now starting to buyback older books that I lost twenty years ago in the flood.  That would be dozens of downloads.) Hopefully, I can start a new account soon, although I'm sure my mother would prefer that I didn't have one.

Maybe You Can't Drive My Car

    I sometimes let someone else drive my car.  Not that often, but it does cause the occasional problem.  For instance, I'm a good six to eight inches taller than this other person.  They have to adjust the seat closer to the steering wheel to drive, and they sometimes forget to return the seat to its original position.  Just yesterday, I had to wrench my hips around just so I wouldn't bump into the steering column.  My knees hit it anyway.  It wouldn't be that much of a problem, but I don't really like to adjust my seat until I'm actually sitting down, as it is easier to reach the controls that way.  Almost as bad, they sometimes adjust the seat way too far back, as if I was well over six feet tall.  While I don't hurt myself, I do wind up messing up anything in the floor behind me.  Next, there is the sun shade.  It's summer, and I like having some sort of visor up by the windshield to keep the car a little cooler.  However, this person frequently messes up the passenger side of the screen, causing it to slip a little.  While that doesn't affect the temperatures on my side, it does make it harder to put the screen away easily so I can drive.  If the screen is set up properly, it can be taken down without any fuss, but there always seems to be a problem whenever it isn't set up right. After this, I can now start the car, only to find more problems.  Whenever one of the car's features sends out a notification, the feature turns on the radio console to use its speakers.  Well, this person doesn't know how to turn the radio off properly, even after numerous attempts at showing them how.  They just leave the radio on, and asking me to go back out to shut it off.  What's worse, they accidentally mute the radio instead of turning it off. This risks draining the battery, especially when I turn the motor on.  Another problem is the digital information display.  This person has an irrational fear of tires going flat at the worst possible moment.  They check the tire inflation every chance they get into the car, even if when they don't really feel anything is wrong.  They've also have starting worrying about the electrical system and the battery life as well.  Half the time I start the car, the information is still there, instead of something more immediately useful, such as the speedometer.  It's not like I'm going to note what the tire inflation, battery charge, or even oil life when I don't need to.  Finally, I can drive.  Or not.  This person has one last bad driving habit.  They don't 'zero out' the steering wheel to straighten the tires.  Frequently, there is a slight turn to the wheel that could cause the car to turn in that direction even after I straighten the tires out.  Worse, this person has even had the steering wheel upside-down, and I don't notice it until it is too late.  I've pressed the wrong buttons on the wheel, and it has led me to think something bad is happening.  I've even almost gone into traffic in front of another vehicle because the wheels were turned in the wrong direction.  As the primary driver, my needs take precedence.  They keep saying that they are going to change and remember to set the car back to my standards, but they keep doing it.  I'm just fortunate that they don't read this blogcast, or I would be in trouble for mentioning them, even though I never mention them by name. If they need, then I could be in even worse shape the next time after they take my car.

If It Is Broke, Then Replace It

    I have had a lot of things breaking down on me lately, with the capper being my computer last week.  That is the reason why there wasn't a post last Wednesday.  Let me update some of the problems I have been having.  First, my watch band snapped a few weeks ago.  I was finally able to get it to a jewelry repair store, but they said they weren't able to fix the damage.  The watch still works, as long as I remember to shake now and again to self-wind it.  I might be able to get a new band though, but it might be difficult to replace it.  Next, my electric shaver stopped working two weeks ago.  As I mentioned in my last regular post, I was trying to find a way to fix it or get a new one.  I checked an online troubleshooting site, but nothing seemed to match my problem.  I went to a local big box store to see if they had anything I could buy as a replacement.  Well, I knew they were kept locked up, even though the trimmers weren't and some of them cost just about as much. However, the shavers were stored with the bottoms of the packages face out. I couldn't tell what brand and model was which.  Let's not even mention about how hard it would be to find a sales clerk to open the cabinet for me.  Well, while I was shopping around, I had someone else call the toll-free number about how to dispose of my old shaver.  Out of nowhere, the company sent me a new, replacement model for free.  I'm not sure why, but I'm thinking that there was a recall of the old model and I missed the notification. I did register my shaver when I first bought it, but I think I remember not using the right zip code for the mailing address and I may have unsubscribed to the notifications after a while.  Still, the new one charges much faster and lasts for about the same amount of time as my old one.  Now, for my old computer.  Last Wednesday, I was doing my regular routine. I checked my email, and then I started watching my YouTube shows before going on to my blog.  I was just starting my video when the screen froze, the audio began to repeat, and the cursor vanished.  The screen then went dark.  I tired turning the computer off and on.  It tried to come back on, but quickly turned off again.  I checked some of my guides for help.  Again, it only partially worked before failing.  I got on my phone and checked Apple's support site for help.  Again, nothing seemed to fully work.  When my mother cam back it, she suggested a friend of hers who is an avid Apple user to see if he knew anyone who could look at it.  He suggested someone, but they didn't work on Apples, but hey knew someone who did.  We called him and described the problem over the phone.  He didn't seem to be that enthusiastic about the chances he could fix it and save my data.  Finally, my mother suggested the technician who works for the town we live in. She called him, and he managed to get to the store a few hours laters.  He looked at my computer and diagnosed the possible problems.  It didn't look good.  He helped me order a new computer, but was somewhat confident that he might be able to save my data.  Well, even though we ordered it overnight, it took almost two days to arrive because it was ordered so late in the day.  The good news was that he figured out why my old computer died.  I can't really explain it all, but there had been numerous warning signs that I had missed for weeks if not longer.  The bad news was that he didn't have the equipment needed to ship the data over to my new computer, although if I had gone through Apple directly like I wanted, it could have.  He was able to salvage the hard drive, so if I ever can find someone who has the equipment, I can restore the data.  Most of the things I lost are also stored on the cloud, so I can retrieve them whenever I want.  Many of my downloads are also stored on other servers, so I can get them back without any problems.  My videos are also stored on YouTube and/or Facebook, so I can retrieve those as well.  A few things are now unavailable, as they aren't easy to get back, but most of them would ultimately be trashed at one point anyway.  The biggest hassle was the passwords.  While I had copies of most of them off my computer, some rarely used ones weren't, especially the very long ones suggested by the computer itself.  I'm now going to have to redo each one and that is the worst.   I can't even remember everything that had a password.  I'm finding new ones every day.  I'm now so scared of what can happen to my new computer, that I'm not using it as much as I used to.  Should I run it off the battery or the cord?  How long should I go before recharging?  I have seen multiple ideas, not all of them agreeing. I know I shouldn't fully recharge it that ofter.  That accident led to the death of my old one.  However, I am still afraid of another disaster.  The final straw is that my old mouse won't work with my new computer.  I have to use the trackpad only until I can find a cheap, newer one.

Not by the Hair on My Chiny Chin Chin

    My electric shaver died on me recently.  It started its decline last week when the battery charge faded just as I was ready to shave.  I had to wash the pre-shave treatment off my face and switch to my cartridge razor.  I used that razor the next few times, as I didn't like to charge my shaver unless I was there to watch over it for the over seven hours it takes to fully charge it.  The weekend came, and I plugged in the shaver to recharge it.  I noticed that it seemed to reach maximum charge a little sooner than normal, but I didn't think much of it at the time, as the shaver had always taken less time than recommended to recharge.  I went to use it for my next scheduled shave. (I almost never shave two days in a row, as I am prone to getting ingrown hairs.  It could be because of my sensitive skin, or the fact that no one ever taught me how to shave properly.  Yes, even after over thirty-five years, I still am not sure how to shave.  This shows the importance of learning how to shave from someone who knows and not just trying to find out on your own.) I put on the pre-shave treatment, again, only to see the 'low battery' light come on my shaver again.  I switched out to my cartridge razor, again.  I didn't have time to look over my razor until that night.  I tried 'topping off' the electric charge.  After about thirty minutes, the 'full charge' light stayed on, but the razor immediately switched back to the no-charge light when I went to turn it on.  I searched for the instruction manual to see if there were any trouble-shooting hints, but there weren't any.  I am going to look on the company's website for additional information, but it looks like I will have to get a new one.  I got my first electric shaver as a gift on my sixteenth birthday.  I would barely use it once a week for those first few months.  It was rechargeable, but I could use it plugged in as well.  I hated it, as it was hard to find the replacement parts for it. Still, it allowed me to shape my mustache that I grew as soon as I could. I got a new one in college.  Unfortunately, it was plug-in only, so that made it harder to use.  Especially since I starting growing a goatee, like most men my age back then. I kept that one for years, even after I started trying out cartridge razors in the late 90s.  I used to alternate between the two, before I went to using the cartridge exclusively in the 00s.  I switched over to my 'current' shaver after the only store that used to carry the replacement parts went out of business.  (Not to mention that I hadn't used the electric shaver in so long that, well, it was in no shape to use on skin any more.) When I got this one, I failed to notice that while it was rechargeable, one couldn't use it while plugged in.  So, I will have to buy a new shaver soon.  Immediately.  See, while I could use my cartridge razor in the meantime, my mother doesn't know I use one.  Yeah, I've kept that a secret from her for over twenty-five years.  It's been tricky having to find ways to buy supplies without her knowing.  It has gotten trickier since I had to upgrade from two-blades to triple-blade models.  (The same store that sold the parts for my electric shaver was also the only one to regularly stock my replacement cartridges.  At least cheaply, and without having to ask for help in getting them.) I have about two days research to find one I like and buy it before my beard grows out too much and starts looking wonky.  Admittedly, I regularly takes breaks like this so a can shave everything off, even my 'stache, so I can get everything clean and even again.  At least I didn't waste any money by ordering replacement blades online for my old shaver.  Yeah, local stores stopped stocking those parts last year.  I guess that it was just another sign that it was getting time to get a new one.

Random Musings for a Wednesday Afternoon in Late July

    Okay, technically it is still morning when I write this, but the title sounds better when I use 'afternoon.' Anyway, I don't really know what time it is because my watch is broken.  Okay, I know what time it is, but this reads better the way I wrote it.  And, my watch isn't 'broken,' just the watch band.  I was carrying a few heavy bags back from the grocery store last week, and the handles pushed down on my watch.  The watch started to come off my writs.  When I looked at the watch soon after, I noticed that on of the major joints was breaking apart.  I was trying to bend it back into shape, when I had to put the watch down to answer the phone, landline.  I must have thrown the watch down to hard, because the other side of the weak joint broke, with the original weak side following soon after when I examined it.  I've had this watch since Christmas of 1992, although I started wearing one back in high school.  I had three different digital watches though high school, with only one lasting well beyond a year, although I had torn the plastic wristband off after my freshman year as it was getting too tight to wear comfortably.  The other two tore up whenever I tried to change the batteries, so I ultimately just left them alone, carrying the first watch with me whenever I really needed to see the time.  I guess my current watch corroded because I never cleaned it enough.  I planned on getting it professionally cleaned every year, but that never happened.  The store where I got my watch went out of business before the watch needed a good cleaning.  The store where I went to next either couldn't or wouldn't clean it carefully, possibly because it is a self-winding watch.  They said they would have to send to a special place to get it looked at, as they didn't really had the right materials for the work.  Or, it was due to the fact that I didn't get the watch there.  Anyway, it has never been professionally cleaned, although I have tried to keep it okay.  I accidentally opened it up one day trying to clean it, and it has had problems ever since.  For some reason, it tends to run fast.  Also, the timer function doesn't really work any more either.   The reset button just won't work properly most of the time. I'm looking into other watch bands, but I haven't set my mind up for a final decision yet.  Soon after my watch broke, I found out that the store where I was shopping is getting an exclusive new product from Hostess cakes, the first in their new fusion pastries.  This first experiment combines a Ding Dong with a Twinkie.  Basically, it is a round Twinkie covered in the same chocolate as a Ding Dong.  Technically a round Choco-dile, the chocolate-covered Twinkies from before the Hostess bankruptcy from a few years ago.  While I don't really like regular Twinkies, I loved the chocolate coated ones.  In particular, I loved the limited-edition banana split flavored ones with a banana-flavored cake, vanilla filling, a layer of strawberry spread on top, and all covered in chocolate.  Whenever someone combine banana, strawberry, and chocolate, I am there.  I don't know what other fusion possibilities exist, as most of them are already out there--chocolate Twinkies (albeit very hard-to-find now), chocolate honey buns, golden cup cakes, and a few others.  I'm thinking a fondant coating on a Twinkie, kind of like a Zinger in this regard, might be next, but that is just guesswork.  Finally, I had an unusual occurrence this weekend.  I almost ran over a young heron in my car.  It was just standing on the side of the road, trying to walk around, when I was driving towards it.  Of course, it flew off before I could hit it.  Strangely enough, this isn't the first time this has happened.  At least one other time, if not two.  Usually, herons just fly alongside or over my car. Yes, this has happened quite frequently to me.  At least once, it happened on the highway. However, almost running over a heron has been much rarer, but I get to see the bird close up just as it takes flight.  Sort of like a pterodactyl or some other ancient beast.  Magnificent really.

Back to My Old Ways, Like 2022

    I'm old enough to have experienced many flooding events.  Fortunately, most of them have just been close calls or minor inconveniences.  However, there have been three pretty much disastrous floods that I have lived through.  The first one, that I can remember anyway, was in the spring of 1984, probably late April or early May based on what I can remember about it.  It was a Monday, and I was charged with bringing in a bunch of cupcakes for a class sale.  The house flooded.  I was out of school for a week and a day.  The sale was on the first day back, which I missed.  I honestly thought they would have delayed it.  It took weeks for the house to be cleaned up before I could move back in.  I personally didn't lose too much, but it was still hurtful.  The second flood was in June of 2003, a Tuesday.  This time, a lost so much more.  Pretty much every memory and keepsake from my childhood.  It ultimately cost the house as well.  While the house was cleaned up, we decided not to move back in.  We were keeping some things that did survive there while waiting to buy a new place to put them in.  Unfortunately, someone, probably a disgruntled neighbor, had the house condemned and it had to be torn down.  Most of the things being kept there had to be thrown out, even when they should have been saved, but there was nowhere to store them.  The most recent flood was just last year, July 2022.  Fortunately, the rental place where I currently stay is safe from flooding in all but the most extreme cases, but that doesn't mean there weren't' any consequences. It started on Wednesday night, eleven.  A line of storms were racing down Floyd county.  They had already triggered some flood notifications to the north.  However, they looked like they were moving so fast in my direction that I didn't think twice about going to bed.  I went to sleep to the sound of thunder and moderate rain.  I woke up about one that morning, and I wasn't sure why.  I would later learn that there had been a blip in the electricity and a beep had gone off on something when it came back on a second later. I went back to sleep. No thunder and just light rain, if any.  I woke up again at 3:30 or so.  The power had gone out, although it wasn't really raining at the time.  Phone calls to the power company went without much of an answer.  I looked outside as best I could.  Water was rushing down the street, which isn't that unusual as this happens even during fairly light rain.  I couldn't see much else or how bad it was.  I tried to go back to bed to sleep, but it was no use.  Not only did a neighbor have a generator going to provide power, but the last line of storms came rushing through.  There was moderate to heavy rain and near constant thunder and lightning for over an hour.  I ultimately got up around six when there was finally enough light to see.  The street and parking lot were covered in mud, although there wasn't any real rush of water any more.  The creek, little more than a big drainage ditch across from my place at this part of its course, may have gone over its bank.  There was no way to know exactly.  My car was safe, though.  Just some mud partway up the tires, barely an inch or so.  I tried my mother's cell to see if I could get any information, but there wasn't enough bars in the area to get anything.  About an hour or so later, we got out to start cleaning up the sidewalk, when we met up with others who did have information.  Many places had gotten hit hard by flooding.  A tree had fallen on some power lines, that is what caused the initial power outage.  The electricity was cut off an hour or so later to prevent more problems.  Multiple mudslides and near bridge collapses were also reported.  At this point, I knew I had to get to Pikeville to check up on my store.  We waited until ten to set out, to make sure any major road problems were cleared.  I saw much of the damages as I drove out.  I even saw how the spot where my house had been devastated.  More slides and downed branches as I drove up to Abner mountain.  Suddenly, I saw something in the road.  It was an old barbecue grill and a toy baby carriage on either side of a break in the road that went about halfway.  I drove further to the top of the hill, avoiding the worst of the debris, when I saw someone parked at the top.  I stopped and found out from the driver that a delivery truck for a 'certain' discount chain had gotten stuck again, about an hour previously.  I decided to park at the top, staying about an hour with nothing happening.  The other driver left after about ten minutes.  I decided to take the long way around, as I didn't want to wait on the top of Abner any more, again without enough cell service to go online.  I starting driving north, surveying the same washouts and debris, until I hit Price.  There were major mudslides, still moving, washing across the road.  Just before I hit McDowell, the road was flooded and impassible.  I had to turn the car around and head back home.  I almost went via Big Mud, but I was afraid that it would be just as bad. (I may have been wrong.  I had to go that way barely a week later due to another wreck, and it looked like it had barely been effected.  Definitely not as bad as other places.). It was about noon by the time I got home.  My mother started calling people she knew in the road department to find anything out.  Nothing about the wreck, but plenty about how hard Whitesburg and Letcher county were hit.  By that time, the water tanks had run dry, even though they lasted over twenty-four hours during the Easter outage of 2020. (No power to the pumps and no back up generators, yet.) We decided to try again at one.  We passed the power crew on the way out of town.  When we got to Melvin, we noticed a road enforcement vehicle leading the truck and the wrecker off the mountain, meaning the road was finally clear after four hours.  The Pike side of Abner was a little clearer than the Floyd side, until the bottom.  A tree had come down, blocking the road and a crew had just finished taking down the 'road closed' signs.  At least that explained the long wait.  About halfway down Indian Creek, there was another break in the road, almost the entire lane this time.  The crew was getting ready to put up more signs just as we drove past.  The rest of the way better.  All through to Robinson Creek, there was hardly any debris and none of the slides I had seen elsewhere.  Even the creeks didn't seem to have gotten up that high.  By the time I hit Pikeville, you couldn't even tell there had been any rain.  The store was safe, at least after this storm.  I was finally able to eat something warm and go online to tell people I was safe.  I also got to see posts of all of the flooding.  It was even worse than I had imagined.  We stayed at the store for a few hours before heading back home.  We passed the power company leaving as we drove in.  They did the least amount of work they could do involving the tree as they could considering it was on private property, abandoned but private.  When I finally got to see the news, I found out what happened.  The storms that had been going south when I went to bed had started to train west to east approximately after they passed Price, explaining why Mud Creek and Pikeville had been spared.  The south tip of Floyd county had been hit hard, as well as points south.  I lucked out this time, just a very muddy car that was pretty much cleaned up after a huge downpour a week or so later and a few spots on my clothes.  If this cycle repeats itself, then the next bad flood for that area would be around August of 2041, a weekend.  Maybe early September.  All I can say for certain is that I will not be there for it.  I will have definitely moved to somewhere safer by then.