I’m getting sick of making decisions, frankly. All day, every day…”What should we do about this?”, “what do you want to do about that”, “how do we fix this?”, “what’s the long-term plan?”…
I work in a large organization – roughly 300 employees at my location – in a 24/7-365 environment and things go sideways constantly. So a lot of decisions need to be made on a daily basis. But it seems to me, that out of the 300 employees, there are maybe 5 or 6 of us that can actually make a decision about ANYTHING.
It’s exhausting.
I recognize that this is what I “signed up for” taking this job, but good grief! Is it too much to ask for people to use a little common sense every now and again? Maybe only come to me with the big stuff and take care of the mundane stuff on your own without needing every last thing spelled out for you?
Keep in mind, these are ADULTS I’m talking about here. Some of which have been on the job over 10 years! I’m not talking about high school kids working at a burger joint, these are “professionals”. It makes the mind reel.
Ok, that is enough of that. Rant off. It’s just been one of those weeks. The fact that it’s been this ridiculous and it is only Tuesday does not fill me with hope…
I need the gym, some time at the drum kit and if I make it to the weekend without felony charges, maybe some waves to surf. I’m hanging on by a thread here…
Take care of yourselves, and thanks for stopping by!
Just got back from a whirlwind trip up to Oregon for some much needed battery recharging. What a delightful trip! I only wish we were able to stay longer, like say 20 years or so…
Getting out of town (SF Bay Area) was a disaster. Traffic was so bad it was unbelievable. And that was BEFORE we hit the hour delay at the Richmond Bridge, where some super-genius motorist tried playing tag with a motorcycle. Yeah, not a great plan. Mechanical carnage but no meat-wagon, so I can only assume the rider was OK, but geez… How you can cause an accident that bad while slowing down to go through the toll booth is beyond me. Some people’s stupidity knows no bounds, I suppose.
The drive up took us a tad over 11 hours (with a couple pit stops) which is way too much driving for a weekend trip, but once we arrived, it somehow all seemed worth it.
Our home-base for the weekend was in Gold Beach – the TuTu’Tun Lodge – which is simply phenomenal. This was our 3rd stay with them, and it most certainly won’t be our last.
A room with a view!
We spent a lot of time cruising around, exploring the general area between Brookings and Bandon, and had a really nice relaxing time.
Bandon was a place I’ve wanted to visit for years, but this was the first time we made it that far north. And we LOVED it. Seriously, I’d move there tomorrow if given the chance. Beautiful place, friendly people, just a great, laid back atmosphere.
Lighthouse in Bandon, OR
Another exceptional find was the “Semi-Aquatic Gallery” in Brookings. We found about 30 pieces of art we would have been thrilled to leave with, but whittled it down to two prints – one for home and one for the Mrs.’ Classroom. And a couple postcards and a very cool t-shirt to boot. Gotta support the Arts, people!!
The trip came to an end much too soon, and we were back on the road about 10:45am Sunday. The ride was mellow and easy going for the first 7 hours, but once we hit Santa Rosa there was no question we were back in the muck of the Bay Area. By the time we hit the Richmond Bridge, it was a traffic nightmare once again and I found myself asking the Mrs. “what on earth are we doing coming back here?” It seemed like a horrible mistake. We finally rolled into home about 9:30pm., unpacked and hit the sheets due to an early wake-up for work today.
All in all, it was a great weekend, traffic aside. Very relaxing and somewhat “intoxicating” – I am completely, unabashedly in love with the Oregon Coast. It has literally everything I love – ocean beaches, rivers, dense forests and farmlands. I cannot imagine a better combination!
The trick now is figuring out how to make the place “home” rather than a getaway!
Thank you Oregon and all you fantastic Oregonians we met along the way! We had a blast and can’t wait to get back!
DISCLAIMER: In no uncertain terms do I want this blog to be associated with “politics”, and it is a subject that I try really hard to avoid writing about, but I saw a story earlier that at first, made me laugh. Then I realized it WASN’T a story from the Babylon Bee, these people were serious. So then I laughed again, but decided it needed further examination.
From the article in question: “NBC News presidential historian and author Michael Beschloss on Sunday warned a second Donald Trump administration would be a “presidential dictatorship.”
Now, before I go any further let me state for the record that I am NOT a Trump supporter. I did not vote for him either time he was on the ballot. I find him crass and boorish and ill-mannered and probably a great many more negative adjectives could be added if I were too spend the time thinking them up. The only thing I truly appreciated about his first run, was that he represented a poke in the eye to “the establishment”, which was sorely needed and long overdue. I was disappointed in my fellow American citizens when they elected him, thinking it was all a joke to them as “nobody that is serious would ever vote for this charlatan”! Nevertheless, I chose to give him the benefit of the doubt and see what he did once he was in the Big Chair.
That was the eye opening era for me. Not because of what HE did, but because of what every other politician, pundit, and media outlet did. The relentless coverage of every word that came out of his mouth or out of his Twitter feed. The incessant bashing of him at every turn before he’d had a chance to do ANYTHING, meaningful or otherwise. I developed not “trump derangement syndrome” but Trump fatigue because of the non-stop reporting (and twisting and spinning) of every. single. thing. It was exhausting. And most of it, as we now know was utter nonsense. And outright lies.
I looked at Trump as though he were in a “Lame Duck Session” from day one. I never expected much from him, as he was stymied from every which way, he surrounded himself with some unscrupulous people, he relied too heavily on his inexperienced family for advice and he pissed off a lot of people already in “The Club”. What he said he wanted to do was pretty bland for the most part – strengthen the middle class, blah, blah, blah – but I had grown accustomed to politicians telling us what we wanted to hear and then actually delivering none of it once the votes were cast. But frankly I couldn’t understand why on Earth he was SOOO hated and reviled. I was shocked when he decided to run again. Why would anyone bring that level of hatred and bile upon themselves? Then when Biden was selected as the nominee? I figured Trump was a shoe-in, which frankly I didn’t see how he could be any worse than Biden. I’m STILL stunned that he got the Dem nomination.
Anyhow. As a person with eyes and more than two brain cells to rub together, I have seen the “Biden pResidency” run (away) from one disaster to another at a breakneck pace and have seen the unelected beauracracy turn into something straight outta Orwell. What I haven’t seen, and believe me I’ve been looking, is anything, and I do mean ANYTHING that has improved since Trump left office. From where I’m sitting – and I say this as a registered independent and non-fan of DJT – EVERYTHING HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE since January ’21. Out of the frying pan and into the…septic tank?!?
We’ve got political prisoners sitting in jail for over 2 years without proper charges being filed. We’ve got an historic border problem that is a disaster on so many levels its maddening, we’ve got distrust for our highest levels of law enforcement (and for good reason!!), and untold corruption from the holder of the highest office in the land, if not the world. And I’m just talking about the “cash and prizes” part of the corruption. Then there is the use of the Dept. of “Justice” to go after his leading political rival.
And this folks, is just the tip of the iceberg! If we all know this stuff already – and we do – imagine how much other shady stuff has been, or still is, going on that we DON’T know about?
I guess what I’m saying is, and I hate to be the one to break it to you, Mr. Beschloss, noted presidential historian, WE ALREADY HAVE A PRESIDENTIAL DICTATORSHIP. Two and a half years, and running. And it’s getting worse. I don’t know who’s pulling Joe’s strings, but clearly they don’t have America’s best interests in mind. Poor ol’ Joe just hasn’t got any mind left, he’s just become the face of American Communism, a role he will continue to perform – and make no mistake, it IS a performance – until the egregious crimes are too many to sweep under the rug and he’s replaced by another useful idiot.
No, Trump won’t be ushering in a presidential dictatorship, if anything he’d be continuing one. Not that “they” will ever let that happen!
God help us all… Who’d have ever thought Trump’s time in office would be looked at as ” the good old days”?!?!
Summer came late to the Bay Area this year, but it is making up for lost time these last couple weeks!
So hot, my phone mount melted!
So the heat is what has been on my mind, since there is no escape. Here are some tunes that popped up in the ol’ brain pan cuz it’s Too Dang Hot!
Ok, so it’s not about the actual temperature, but the maniacal pace sums up the feeling of the inescapable heat!
“Gettin’ hot in here” has been on everyone’s lips for the last two weeks!
Putting a positive spin on the sunshine for a change of pace!
I think of this every time I step out of my (marginally cooled) office into the real world!
Go ahead, steal it! Or throw some clouds over it or something! A cool fog, perhaps?
Not entirely sure this counts as a true flashback, as it’s only 5 years old, but it’s a great song and reminds me of seeing them live, outdoors at a blazing Summer show a few years ago…
Thinking of this one as we’re slated for a trip to Oregon next week, where there is indeed Fire on the Mountain!
Stay cool and hydrated out there folks, and enjoy your weekend.
I’m not gonna lie, this was a busy weekend and I’m more exhausted today than I was on Friday. No rest for the wicked, or something. Nonetheless I felt I should post something up to help shake off the Blahs, and put me in a better frame of mind. What’s better for that than a bunch of goofy pups? Enjoy!
Yesterday the Mrs. and I attended a “Celebration of Life” gathering in memory if my dearly departed Uncle Jack.
My Uncle Jack was a really special guy, the life of the party and a friend to everyone he met. He married my father’s sister when I was but a small kid and I’d say of all the extended family I’ve got, we spent the more time with them than with any other relations, on both sides of the family. I always, ALWAYS looked forward to a visit with Uncle Jack and Aunt Mary.
Yesterday my Aunt asked folks to share stories and such of Jack, but I found myself a little too emotional to speak. Although he passed some time ago, I suppose yesterday was the first time it felt real and I really started to process his loss. Anyhow, I thought I’d share one particular memory of him here, for posterity. And maybe eventually, I’ll let people in my family know about this blog and share it with them.
This is a story- one of many I’m sure- that captures just what a special guy Uncle Jack was…
So, many decades ago, I must’ve been maybe 10 or 11 at the most, Aunt Mary and Uncle Jack invited me to go on a camping trip with them and some other family friends. I was so young, I don’t remember any of the details insofar as what lake we were at and exactly how long we were there, but what I can remember – clear as day, as though it happened last week and not 45ish years ago – was Uncle Jack taking me out to learn how to water-ski. Now, I was NOT an athletic kid by any stretch of the imagination, I was NOT a good swimmer and I’d never been on a boat, much less been dragged behind one attempting to stand up on a pair of skis. As you might imagine, things did not go well for me. But Uncle Jack was beyond patient, and kept encouraging me to keep trying. Well, I did. For a while. But I simply couldn’t get the hang of it and the excersize ended in frustration and embarrassment for me. I felt humiliation, though I didn’t even know that word back then. They hauled me back into the boat after I gave up, exhausted, bruised and beaten. All I wanted to do at that point was go home.
Now, this being the 1970’s, the usual adult response to this would have been to mock the kid for being a “pussy” or make fun of their failure to “toughen the kid up”. Not Jack.
Instead of making fun and letting me wallow in misery, he threw me in the driver’s seat and taught me how to drive the freakin’ boat! The next thing you know, I’d forgotten all about my humiliation and I’m having the time of my life pulling other folks around on skis, feeling like king of the world driving around this hot-rodded, kick ass ski boat.
The rest of the trip went without another skiing attempt for me, but I drove that boat every day and had the time of my life on that trip.
That’s how it was with Uncle Jack. He loved life and wanted everyone around to love it too. He was a very special man and I’ll never forget him.
Godspeed Uncle Jack. I’ll see you on the other side, and we’ll take another long overdue boat ride!
Today I started a 10-day “cleanse” as recommended by my Accupuncturist/Nutritionist. Probably long overdue.
Some time ago (sometime between 1-2 years), the Mrs. and I did a 21-day cleanse and it turned out to be one if the most miserable experiences of my life. BUT! Despite the misery, it did help me kick some bad habits (like too much coffee, carbs and sugars), I shed maybe 9-10 pounds, and when all was said and done I DID actually feel better.
But old habits die hard, as they say… The coffee intake kept creeping up, pizzas and pastas and potatoes and breads and all the foods that make life worth living became more of the norm instead of a treat. Sodas started showing their ugly heads again. And don’t get me started on the Holiday Season – basically all self-control went out the window from about a week before Halloween until a week after New Year ’23.
But it’s catching up with me, and then some. My gym routine is non-existent at the moment and my “diet” has been whatever sounds good at the time. Not a big deal when you’re 17 and on the swim team, in the marching band and riding a skateboard a few miles per day. Now? At 55? Spending most of my day at a desk and commuting 2hrs. per day in a car? Not so much. Turns out, too much of a “good” thing is NOT so great for us geezers-in-training.
Not feeling like I’ve hit “rock bottom” or anything, but haven’t been feeling, or doing great this year. And the mediocre health is bleeding over into everything else in my life, which is a big red flag signaling that a change in in order.
No time like the present I suppose. Things are in a bit of a lull. No upcoming shows this month, no auditions, no extraordinary projects and no road trips until the end of July. So now is as good a time as any to lean into the misery.
So wish me luck. I’m kinda dreading the next 10 days, but also hoping this is just the kick in the pants I need to get me back on the right track. There are still waves that need to be surfed, trails to be hiked and drums to be played… I need to get back in “fighting” shape if I’m to enjoy any of that!
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post is being published about a week late… I guess in the thrill of it all, I forgot to hit the Publish button… I’m going to go ahead and post, as this blog has become my “backup hard drive”, and helps me remember what I did last week. Without further delay:
Loaded up the wagon with the board, wetsuits, assorted delicious things for eating and drinking and the Mrs. and headed 3.25 hours south for a few days in Pismo Beach!
Easy drive, perfect weather, not terribly crowded…so far so good! Pray for good surf!
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post is being published about a week late… I guess in the thrill of it all, I forgot to hit the Publish button… I’m going to go ahead and post, as this blog has become my “backup hard drive”, and helps me remember what I did last week. Without further delay:
Here it is, the LAST day of June ’23 and I FINALLY got back in the water and took the surfboard for a spin!
The conditions are not great, and truthfully they usually aren’t at this time of year in this locale, but it felt GREAT to just get out there and be IN the ocean after such a long pause.
I love the beach, always have, and can hang out on the beach all day, but it pales in comparison to being in the water. There is just something magical about it.
Feeling very fortunate at the moment, and grateful for the pause in “real life”.
Might do another session tonight, and have one planned for tomorrow morning with one of my oldest and dearest friends, so more to come.
The Boring Old Man 