Sunday, June 22

Keep It Simple Stupid!

Seems to be a common mantra to many people, many jobs, and can be applied to almost if not all, everyday life things. I am slowly learning that.

Softball - had 2 scrimmage games this morning, and not one word about all the BS going around. I also learned, that being a Coach, obviously details more than I imagined in the beginning. Big difference being a score-keeper, and then having to place the positions, plus the batting order... (sigh). I did the best I could, and I am always welcome to constructive criticism - though, luckily, today I received none. No more scrimmage games, actually, probably no more games until the season starts after Labor Day weekend. Bonus.

My driver for he Nascar pool didn't come in. Again. (shrug) stuff happens.

I get a bit of refund from the son's sign-up into football. My bro-in-law (an asst coach) said the sponsors are buying all brand new gear so I shouldn't have to pay the rental fee, but I am waiting to find out. Be nice to get some $$ back, ya know!

Okay, it's Sunday. The Wife has dinner ready and I am outta here!

PeacE

Good to the Palate!

There is nothing better than a tuna salad sandwich when I get home from the bar. Don't get me wrong - tuna salad sandwiches are good any time during the day, but they are so much better when I get home from the bar, and make my own. Miracle Whip is my fave, not real mayonnaise. Sorry, but it is true.

So, let's screw this BS I have been writing about. Nobody cares about a coach that doesn't inform previous players that they ain't playing, and no one calls and bitches. Friends that are over 17 years above my age, well, they haven't said much since either. And tomorrow is a 'scrimmage game'. I even went and bought a score book today.

So I am leaving the softball issues behind. I gave up on them. It is my way or the highway. And if those friends want it that way, well I guess they were not friends. Life goes on. Trust me, I am realizing that.

So I signed my son up for tackle football with one of the Youth leagues in the Valley. He's excited! He weighed in at 104lbs. and just turned 10 on May 18th. He's got shoulders like mine! He will turn into a good lineman, or maybe second as a good linebacker. He can't run fast, but he can hit hard! I can't wait!

The rest of life is on a standstill. I am possibly looking to expand my bro-in law's business into the Valley (he is currently not in the Phx area). Some classes could do me some good....

I miss reading all of ya as daily as I should. Glad some of you still stop by and notice I am alive. I'll try to do better. If I can get my daughter off Myspace enough.

PeacE

Friday, June 20

I have been challenged

One person has commented about my last post ( I won't mention names) but he has pointed out some 'protocols' that he feels should be followed. Isn't that nice? Oh, but let's leave out details, wait, I should not bring his identity to bear, unless he wants, so that is out.

Here is what I have decided. I am still coaching the team as of this moment.

Anyone, that includes all you players that read here and do not comment, and I know there are a few of you, that has a problem with me being coach - tell me. Don't want me - fine. Get a majority vote, talk to the bar owner, discuss amongst yourselves, quit for all I care. Fuck calling people to tell them they are off the team. Fuck calling people to call and ask them to cheer us on. I am not here to please parents. I am not here to run a team that is going on to have a championship in the Olympics. IT'S A BAR LEAGUE. You want to play so badly, and I cut you out. CALL ME. How simple is that?

And if you can't call, but just have everyone vote me out as coach, hell - no problem there. Just tell me you don't want me doing it, and you get off your ass and do it.

Enough said.

I guess this weekend I will have to address everyone that shows up on Sunday of this issue going on, and ask what "they want to do". I am sad to say, that when you have friends that have these sort of issues, even when they know the right out come, .... hell I am done. Got more to say call me 602-695-5549.

PeacE

In the meantime, I am moving on with my life and registering my 10 year old son for football tomorrow. He is excited! Full gear and tackle! Watch for him in 10 years to be one of those best linemen!!!

Wednesday, June 18

A Piss-Off post and whatever you think

It is just short of 9:30 tonight, and here I am posting. Let's be fair. I AM PISSED OFF. Maybe I do not have the right to be as PO'ed as I am, but maybe I do - let's let the comments, and the additional comments by phone/person sway the difference.

For the past almost 10 years, I have been involved with what I tell the Reverend Mother, is the Church of Holy Beer & Softball. Meaning in short, that on Sundays mornings, between 8 & 12 I am at the park playing slow pitch softball. This also includes drinking large amounts of alcohol. How is that? Oh. It is a leagues sponsored by bars. Yes, has to be bar sponsored - and yes, you can drink as much as you want at the game - just no beer on the field of play. Now, there are several teams that don't drink (they want to win, rather than just have fun) but who cares. The particular team I have been cheering and supporting is the Bullock's team. Not only is this the bar I go to all the time, but when I am awake enough, I go to their games. Here's the kicker tonight.

I decided to be the Coach this fall. Our typical season runs from just after Labor Day thru about February... maybe into March - depending on rain-out dates (in AZ). So I am in charge of setting a roster of 15 people (16 if you have 2 females). From the previous season, I decided to not include certain people. It was based on dependability mostly. Now I would be the first to say that I was not the roster for several seasons, but I assisted by helping keep score, so I had a decent idea who would show up and who would not - even if I missed a week here and there because I chose to sleep in, or had other obligations.

Bottom line - I offered to be the Coach this next season, starting after Labor Day, thru about Feb, maybe March. There have been a couple scrimmage games, some games outside out bracket, that I was not at, but I am only the coach after Labor Day. So, as I try to get an idea of the team I have available to me, based off the old roster, I realize that some players have decided to stop playing, others I cancelled due to lack of showing up on a regular basis. There a re maybe about three players wanting to get in on the action, and they get the first shot.

Sounds great until tonight.One of the regular players (my main pitcher) says he is not happy about the fact I cancelled one of the girls from our team, and didn't call her. She is the daughter of one of his good friends, and declared I was going to call her and tell her why she was not needed anymore. I said I had no recollection of that, but if she wanted to call me, her step dad, her mother, and all their friends had my # to call, and I would be glad to tell her she as not playing. Now he swears that it is up to me to tell her she ain't playing.

I told him screw it! If he wanted to coach the team, he can take over, he says no, but I should call her - why? When she already knows she has been cut from the team due to lack of dependability? Sorry Reverend Mother - FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!

I need this shit like I need a job. I cannot win anything without a damn fight over stupid bullshit. I am going back to my favorite bar, resigning as coach, and trying to find another bar to go in town due to this bullshit. I am sooo tired of :

STUPID DUMBSHITS

PeacE

Tuesday, June 17

Back to School Blues & other things

Welcome back to what is more often than not becoming the weekly post here at B&B. I really should do better, I know, but the content you readers require is sooo much more important, and when I do nothing, there is nothing to write about.

The Wife and I discussed the whole unemployment thing this past weekend. Rather she discussed and asked questions - I mumbled answers and said no one wants to hire me. No, it really is true that no one really wants to employ me. I either have too much experience, not enough, or they require I have a business degree (I got that one twice). Yeah, a business degree - meaning I got the experience, but they would rather I had a degree to go with it. What's wrong with my diploma from HS?

To bring the story to a shorter conclusion, it looks like I am going to be going back to school. I will be going over to the Community College and getting the fall schedule (if out)) and planning what classes to take. We figured this way I can get a degree, and that will assist in a job, or even learn a new trade. In the meantime, I can sort of play Mr Mom and help get the kids around for school and etc. So that still leaves plenty of time to keep posting here, and might even help add more content since I will be out around different people than the bar regulars.

Happy Late Father's Days to those that deserve them - thanks Freddie for yours!! My day was wonderful! Watched the race, had dinner at Olive Garden, and got what I wanted for the day. Saturday we had been at Lowe's to price some wooden fencing (ours is starting to fall) and the Wife looks at me slyly and says, "Do you see anything you like?"

I said," You got to be kidding. Of course I do."

"Anything you would want for Father's Day?" She asked, digging for an idea of something.

"Nope. Nothing I want at all. I know this trick."

"What trick?", she asks, all innocent-like.

"Duh! The one where you buy me some power tool because I want one, and then all of a sudden - BAM! - 100 honey do's pop up that require just that tool. I don't want any tool for Father's Day." There - I said it out loud and she knows. "What I really want is $35.00 so I can pay off the library fines on the card so I can borrow books from there again. I am spending too much buying the books - even if from the used store."

I got the $35.00 - and picked up 6 books last night.

Okay, I am out of fresh exciting stuff. And Kees, again you were right!! Boobs and beer stuff coming up - and I feel better!!!






PeacE

Friday, June 6

Catchy, Interesting Title Here

Salutations! (Catchy Greeting, ay?)

This is where I am supposed to be inputting something interesting for y'all to marvel at - be it an event that happened to me, or some strange fact I pulled out of the air. Lucky for you, this step can be bypassed this week.

So what have I done all week? I feel like nothing has been accomplished, but I know I got many little things done. Still waiting to hear back on a few jobs. I am beginning to think maybe even a part-time job for now to get some cash flow coming in. I don't know just yet though.

We are down to a month and a week for the OTL trip to San Diego. I have been stoked to going since February. I have everything ready except the packed bag. Tickets are ready, hotel reserved, free food/drink ticket, money for spending. Yeah - 4 days of debauchery... who wouldn't be excited? Anyone going to be near there that weekend? I am staying down at Old Mission Bay, if you are not too far away. Let me know: ralphd00d@aol.com

Okay. Other than that I am still around. Would be nice if I had a lot more interesting things happening, but it just isn't. I'll be around to see your sites again today!

PeacE

EDIT: I was reading over at HB's and realized what today is. Imagaine that. I watched 2 hours of morning TV here in the Valley, and not once was this mentioned.

Anniversary of the Longest Day - D-Day invasion.

Tuesday, June 3

Poker is starting to piss me off

Welcome to a fabulous Tuesday - if you are employed that is. I am not. So it is another day that I spend searching want ads, and Internet sites looking for a job that I am 1) not over-qualified for, 2)does not require a degree from college, and 3) that will actually be interested int he experience I can bring and have the opportunity for advancement over time into a position I am more deserving of. Yeah, life sucks.

In the meantime, at the bequest of HB, her is a post to show I am still alive. I was hoping the the hits from here to your sites would be enough, knowing I am trying to keep up to date with y'all would be enough, but I guess, just because it comes from here, it may not necessarily be me. Like you get millions of hits from B&B...lol!!

Yes, I am still looking for work. Phoenix is not the best area for employment right now considering 3 large firms laid off over 700+ people in the last past 3 months. And getting out of the shrinking mortgage business is even making things harder. How have I been handling this? With liver shrinkage. Yes, I have been drinking more than I should. I need to stop. I need to get back to going to the gym. I need to do more Mr Mom stuff. I know what I need to do, just a matter of doing it.

Kids are out of school. Need to go to the book store tomorrow to get "Catcher in the Rye" for the daughter as she needs to study it and read/review/essay it over the summer. Good thing - I need to get more books too. I have been averaging about 7 a week now, with all this free time.

Thank y'all for still stopping by. I will try to get some more posts up, just hard to find something to write about when nothing is happening. signing off at 104 degrees, and thank the higher powers for AC!!

PeacE