Much better night at work last night. The loonies weren't thinking the shadows were going to get them, attention seekers weren't threatening suicide and silly boys weren't trying to castrate themselves. Always a bonus.
Work was... ok. I did my paperwork, checks and watched the history of rock 'n roll on dvd. Cuz... it was something to do. I watched Letterman & Ferguson first. Denzel Washington was on Letterman, so that made that worth the effort. Ferguson amuses the shit outta me most days... so watched him. Not sure if I'll watch either tonight... I just might go right for the dvds.
In shift briefing, I let more of the real myself come out. You know... these people I work with... they just don't realize how much I self sensor and hold back while I'm in that building. I possess a caustic wit and a very sharp tongue which, in real life, I use quite frequently... but on the job? Yeah... I either keep it tucked away (as much as I can) or tone it down. (Unless I'm pissed... I lost the ability to self sensor when I'm really angry!)
And no... I didn't say anything bad to anyone last night.
I did, however, make Sam snort. You know... one of those laughter snorts? When someone hears something that just makes them bust out in laughter and a snort comes out right along with it? Yup. One of those snorts.
See... they've been striping the parking lot. And they've been taking a long ass time. It's not hot right now, not humid (well... today was a bit) and it's not rained in a week... and it's not like we have a huge parking lot. But... it's taken them all fucking week to do this, ok? And Sam was complaining about it... wondering if they were out there on their hands and knees with stencils and paint rollers or something.
My reply was that, while I was glad they were restriping the parking lot so that the parking spaces were clearly defined, I was annoyed by the fact that having brand spanking new lines didn't change people's parking habits a damned bit... the person parked next to me was parked ON the line, instead of in between them.
Then I told him I felt like printing out a bunch of business type cards to leave on the windshield of these knuckleheads who couldn't get their vehicles between the lines... and told him the card would say "If you fuck like you park, you'll never get it in."
Apparently, this hit Sam square in the funny bone.
Cuz, that's when he did the laugh-snort thing. Then had to cop to having just snorted. Ahhh... kids.
Not Much
Going on otherwise. Still have cable. Have no idea what was up with that stuff the other day. I'm amused by it, though, especially if they came out here and actually checked my line and I'm still getting it for free? Seriously. What the fuck? But... amusing, just the same.
Shouldn't be much at work tonight. Intend to watch more of the history of rock 'n roll on dvd. Made it up to the late 60s/early 70s soul music era... Barry Gordy & Motown records and the Motown sound. All that stuff. This is after having gotten through the beginnings of rock 'n roll... through the R&B guys who really gave rock 'n roll it's start (No... white America... Elvis is not where rock 'n roll started, but thanks for playing.), through the Elvis days, Buddy Holly, etc and so forth... on through the British Invasion with the Beatles... and everyone who followed hot on their footsteps... and the Beach Boys, etc.
I pretty much already know how the whole thing came about... so the history isn't really why I'm watching these things... it is the music. Man, starting from the blues guys and other "race" music folks... up to Chuck Berry, Little Richard and them... Elvis, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison... the "teen idols" that honky-fied race music into bubble gum pop style (Yes, Pat Boone... I'm talking about you.) Chubby Checker, Jerry Lee Lewis... then the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who... The Animals, Herman's Hermits, Beach Boys... then rolling through to folks like The Byrds, The Mamas & Papas... then off into soul music... Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson and all the Motown & other soul groups... Man... I rocked out all night long last night.
You get to hear all this fantastic music on this dvd set. I'll hear more tonight. Moving through the 70s... lots of good stuff there... then onwards & upwards.
Talked
To my nephew while I was out grilling burgers this evening. He had just come back from the pool. He said my dad and him had driven up to my aunt & uncle's to bring them back stuff from the condo. Zach was annoyed. It's probably because these are annoying people to deal with... he should know this.
They were supposed to be up there at 11a. Ok? So my dad starts calling around 0900 or so to confirm they're going to be there. Nobody home. Calls several more times. Nobody home. Now... this is AFTER they've already set the time and date... ok? Not like my dad was springing this on them or anything.
Zach said it was 230p before they finally got up there (which means nobody was home until around 130p... even though my dad was supposed to be there at 11. At least he was smart enough to call ahead...) and then when they got there and are unloading all this junk (furniture type stuff... dresser, microwave, etc) my aunt didn't know where she wanted it, didn't have any room made for putting it anywhere... causing Zach to have to stand around, holding heavy shit while she figured out what the fuck she wanted to do with it. This also involved Zach carrying something upstairs, then having to carry it back down again when she changed her mind.
Zach was not a happy camper.
Of course... this is how these people are. First lesson to all of the rest of us? The world revolves around THEM. Your schedule is unimportant, your life is unimportant... etc and so forth. They can't be bothered by little details like... being on time, having shit set up before you get there... they are IMPORTANT PEOPLE. (The world revolves around them, remember.) They have IMPORTANT things to do... like play golf and play the organ for church. They do not have time for such trivial things as finding a place to put their junk when you do them the favor of bringing it home for them. (My thinking is that they have so much of the grandmonster's shit in their house that they don't have room for their own shit anymore...)
Then Zach was saying how my dad was telling him that he wasn't going to say anything, he was just going to smile the whole time he was there and then curse them the whole way home.
Yeah.
That's what the fuck he always does because he doesn't have the balls to say anything to them. My dad... he talks big... he's going to do this, that or the other thing... but, in reality he is a big pussy. He is waaaaaay too fucking nice to people... and those people (especially the ones related to him like his brother & mother) take advantage and then fuck him over. And... he just keeps going back for more.
I do not have that particular problem. As I've written here before... if I never see those two (my aunt & uncle) and their kid ever again... I won't be sad about it. I won't miss them. I won't care. I mean... I don't want them to die or anything like that... I just don't feel the need or any desire to share oxygen with them. Ever.
Today's Video
As Tears Go By... written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards. Originally recorded, I believe, by Marianne Faithfull. I would've posted that version... but I don't like it. (Not a huge fan of female vocalists, generally speaking... unless they have a blusey or deeper voice. Women tend to sing in tones that hurt my ears!) This song, this version, was also used during the last... 4 or 5 minutes of the season finale of House. (You really didn't think I was going to go an entire post without mentioning House... did you??? )
The Rolling Stones ~ As Tears Go By
Lyrics for my hearing impaired readers...
It is the evening of the day I sit and watch the children play Smiling faces I can see But not for me I sit and watch As tears go by
My riches can't buy everything I want to hear the children sing All I hear is the sound Of rain falling on the ground I sit and watch As tears go by
It is the evening of the day I sit and watch the children play Doin' things I used to do They think are new I sit and watch As tears go by
