Another week ticks away

28 December 2008

 

Fred Flintstone was a bastard

I put the Flintstones on my Netflix queue a few months ago, and finally made it to the front of the list.  I was going to hide it in back again but figured The Flintstones; I spent half my years watching the show.  I was still watching it in high school, so figured it would be interesting revisiting it 12 years latter.

I learned that it is the worst cartoon ever; it’s about an overweight bastard who shits on everyone.  Every once in awhile he learns his lesson, and quickly forgets the moral.  Ok, so the argument could be made that family guy is the same basic premise, which is true but Fred is not nearly as funny as Peter.

I watched the disc and started contemplating how we view things differently as we get older, as well as how gender roles have change.  I remember my junior year of high school someone at lunch had found a book from the 50’s.  It was designed to teach women to be the perfect wife, have dinner on the table, and basic baby your husband type stuff.  It was interesting to see how society has changed, to an era of baby sitters, day care, stay at home fathers, from one which preaches 1 income homes where the woman was subservient.

I actually had an old boss who did not want to send his daughter to college because he thought she would be getting married, and having kids out of high school, and thus the education would be wasted on her.  That one has always blown my mind…

 

Tommy Mac

I received the new Fine Woodworking magazine last night, and thumbing through it I saw n old friend of mine.  I went to school with him, and during that time we were pretty close. This was during my DUI time, and we were talking one day, and turned out that he had been sober for 15 years at the time.  He helped me with my sobriety back at that time, and at some point he and I lost contact. Just before moving to Colorado I was in Canton, MA going to a yoga class, and who has a shop next door?

A few days later I swung by on a bike ride, and ended up talking to him a bit, catching up since we hadn't talked in a few years.  He is a cool guy, too arrogant for me, but eh he has a successful business going, so clearly one of us is doing something right.  It was just funny looking through, and being like I know him!  It has happened with instructors but never someone who was there as a student with me. 

I remember fixing his backyard for him, spent 20+ hours digging up stumps, regarding, raking, and prepping the lawn for hydro seed one weekend.  If memory serves it came out looking really nice.  I remember dropping an 80’ Oak tree hanging over his garage, and then digging out the stump which was an ordeal. The backhoe was clearly underpowered but it was free. 

I also remember receiving a phone cal while working in his backyard, which was the job offer in D.C.; he invited me down to work in his shop for my spring break.  I ended up going down, ad working all day everyday I was down there since I had no way of getting around, figured might as well work. I remember sitting in the shop that Friday night working on a chest and a drunken bum sits up against the metal grate security door and chatted with me for 45 minutes… memories.

 

 All I need is the roids

Today I got a gym membership, Tuesday Phoenix and I talked, and I am actually going to quit drinking instead of just saying I am.  Over the last few days I took an inventory of what worked for me previously, and going to the gym was one such thing. The gym being located a few floors above the offices where I blow was a big selling point as well.  I figure I have to go into that building everyday for the next 9 months regardless I might as well have the guilt over my head if I do not work out right?  Literally over my head. 

I remember a few days after the talk Phoenix and I were texting, and she said unless I get over the drinking the relationship is never going to happen.  This actually just hit me for the first time. I figured if I blew hot etc what’s the mater, but now there is something on the line, something that matters, it’s nice to have a little support.

 

Exploration

Today I walked around my hood a bit more, and the more I explore the more I love it. Tattoo parlors, Chipotle, good book and record stores within 5 blocks??  This is awesome.  If only a bike shop was so close, but then that just might be dangerous.  Plus while walking to said stores I got called a “piece of sh*t” for not having any spare change.  I figured going into a discussion about how cash is a dated form of payment, and that really there is no need to carry cash anymore.  If he was smart he would have a business card with a PayPal account you could make donations too, that would be AWESOME!!  I think I am going to start panhandling in such a manner, never know maybe people would be more generous?  Just a thought.

I also found out the deal with my laundry room today, ok so it took me a month to figure out where the laundry room is… today I found out it was the room I suspected it to be, but you need a key, a key which I do not have.  Tomorrow I need to call for the key, but for the tie being I am able to do laundry, provided nothing gets stolen, I should be alright, and at least have clean clothes for New Years eve, even if they are not to snazzy.