It's all down hill from here!

May holds the promise of being a nightmare, you see the AMC schedule changes to middle of the night and later flights. Can you say five in the morning? Will I get help? (Is the pope a jew?) If I do get help, it is the person the customer hates. Days off? LOL: no way Jose! I can't see a day off until MAYBE the 19th!

Now that the company has been sold, it will be interesting to see how things change. I hear stories of certain people leaving, others to retire. All if it will be interesting to see how things play out. The crews are miserable, the mechanics all are disgusted, and my department is no different. It's odd the things people call and tell me. What is true I don't know. Most of it is interesting I do have to admit!

Okay kids, be good!

Definition: Friend

An online Dictionary gives this definition:

1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.

2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.

3. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.

4. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement.

Sadly, number 2 is what most "friends" are. I'm so disappointed that number 1 cannot
apply more often. As I get older it becomes more clear that most folks only are out to
get what they can out of you. It's part of our society, use it, then throw it away, after all
it's not something that can be recycled.

Each of us make our own decisions. Everyone must make their own way. Our actions
(or lack there of) effect those around us, often in an unexpected way. I'm tired of trying.
I don't want to do it anymore. It's not worth the struggle. It's not worth the pain.
Perhaps I'm just jaded, but if you want to be my friend, PROVE it.

It's 75 degrees. This must be January!

FINALLY some warm weather. Saturday and Sunday were wonderful. Warm, breeze, blue skies, and not humid. The trees will be full of leaves soon! Warm weather means better moods, better gas mileage, better food, and a better quality of life. No scraping ice off of the windshield!

The last few days I have been looking at cottage house plans. Oddly the American definition of a cottage is 2500 PLUS square feet. That ain't no cottage. What ever happened to the thought of a small house? The American dream is to have a big house. I must not be American. That was/is one of the draws to Baltimore City. Where else can I get a small house? We wonder and complain about global warming, yet refuse to change how we live. Gotta have an SUV. Gotta have a big house. When is the last time you checked your tire pressure?

Let me tell you about my new wireless router. I L-O-V-E it! So fast, no stalled downloads, video streams the way it should. The baby is small and flat. It blends right in. Netgear makes a nice product!

The tomatoes I've planted are getting really big, as are the kohlrabi and thyme. This week the flower seeds go in, and in about 2 weeks I'll be planting in the yard. Yup, it's garden time!

Okay- be good!

What's sleep got to do with it?

Tonight (or rather tomorrow) there is ferry out at 0135. That is 2.5 hours from now. I'm the only one here. No mechanics have shown. Nice, eh? Whatever. They all irritate me. My eyes hurt, my teeth hurt- sinus problems again. After this pig leaves then an arrival at 1155 tomorrow.

To say "I'm in a bad mood" is like saying "it's cold in winter." It's been this way for about six hours. Everyone and everything is getting under my skin today. There was more to be posted,
but I need to close before I say something you regret reading...............

Thirty Five Cents

That's right. Thirty five more cents in my vacation fund! Lis and I got pig banks at Ikea. Hers is orange, mine is green (what did you expect?). My bank is collecting money for vacation. Each penny is another penny I have toward my vacation in August. I CANNOT wait.

Another expect group has given the Chesapeake Bay a D+ for health. I'm anxious to see what they have to say about the Magothy River. For the past few years the water quality has really improved. Until the oysters are restored, and we stop dumping human waste into the water it's simply not going to improve. Sadly, one of the bays biggest offenders are the States of Pennsylvania and New York. When I hear stories of the bounty that existed in the bay it is almost hard to believe given her current state.

On and ending note, I'm glad I don't have children. This world is so messed up, I would be terrified every single second of the day for them.

Four for four

Part of my daily ritual is walking. Normally it's Downs Park on the Bay. Today being Tuesday the only park open [in Anne Arundel County] is Ft. Smallwood. On the way there a bird flew in front of my car. The second I saw it: " that thing is gonna fly right into my car." It did. Feathers a flying! Each month this year I've managed to have something decide to kill its self with my car. Last month, a rabbit decided to run under the wheels. The phrase "the fur will fly" is very true.

Yesterday the mechanics asked me to see what the winds here at the airport were. I went to Airnav.com and noticed two local places I didn't know; KDMH and KNAK. The first is the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore (oddly the downtown temperature was "officially" at the Customs House), and the second the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. The reason for looking is that Customs will clear you at 4 places in B-more: BWI, MTN, SLP, and DMT. The last two are oddly enough traditional "landing" spots in Baltimore, and I thought they may be weather reporters also.

One last thing. There has been a marked rise in folks trying to get authorization for my ICQ users list. Uh, no.

God Bless Virginia Tech.

Help Wanted, Please!

I hate my job. No, I didn't say I hate what I do for a living, I LOVE what I do for a living. I hate my job. No support, no thanks, no communication, nothing but negative. It's hard to make nice when all you do is have demands placed upon you, are second guessed, and are constantly told how
you don't do a good job. Funny, my co-workers, customers, and other associates don't seem to think so.

Allow to also say, that if I had my way, I'd disappear. To say I'm tired of being used by "friends" is the understatement of a lifetime. Disgusted. Today I had someone I've tried extremely hard to be their friend "when you find someone who is my friend, write it down for me." Enough said.

Good night.

Click and Moan

"Employee Self Evaluation"- We have just all completed them. Sadly everyone I have talked to about it agrees it is a waste of time. Our handlers at HDQ have their own opinions as to our collective 'worth.' They are simply an exercise we must do.

Recently I've been wanting a new digital camera. Something simple. One that takes normal regular easy-to-get-and-use batteries. Last night on Overstock.com they had one I really liked.
Being a cheapo, I googled the camera. It was $20.00 less at Sears. Now all I need is a memory card, and I'm cookin'!

It is a 5 mega pixel camera, with a nice big screen on the back. Once I figure it out, I can probably take some decent pictures! It has built in special effects, colors, and other things that will take time for my aged brain to get hold of.

For those I haven't spoken with: Count any prescription you get when you get home. My brother (who has really hurt his back again) was given a prescription for some very powerful
pain killers. When he got home, his bottle had 10 less in it than it should have. Fortunately
he discovered the problem in time to get the pharmacy to replace them. My question is this;
what would have happened to the extra 10 tablets?

The oil got changed in the rice rocket today. It seemed to purr on the way back. Good thing they didn't have me complete a customer service survey, someone would have gotten a very
low grade from me. Arschloch!

Finis

Thankfully Easter is drawing to a close. One of the best part of Holidays is when they are over.
You eat too much, make a big mess, and then later in the day, want more.

Yesterday when I got up, it was snowing. Yesterday when I went to run errands, it was snowing. Yesterday when I went to the cemetery it was snowing. Today when I went to Church, it was snowing. Today on the way home from Church it was snowing. It's Gods way of telling my parents to go back to South Carolina!

This week we should receive more information regarding the companies take-over. Certainly the rumor mill will be running at warp speed, and will produce some sensational stories, theories, and panic events. It will be MONTHS before we know what's going to happen. Stock holders still need to approve the whole thing.

Be good and stay warm!

Going once, Going Twice, SOLD!

Rumor, Rumor, who has the right rumor?

The company has been sold. Is there any surprise in this? No. We have been poorly managed for what seems like forever. Late for the last 8 quarters reporting. The good news is they will honor and buy our stock options! Y-E-A-H! Yes, I am still debating buying a fixer-upper in Baltimore. I'd have a handsome down payment too. However, I'd like a rag-top also. I'll probably put in the bank and sit on it in reality.

For those of you who are unaware, we are now in the Holiest weekend of the year. Passover and Easter. Funny, the traditional Easter dinner is ham. I wonder how many folks see the odd humor in that. One group won't touch it, the other gnaws on the bone! The best ham is one that has been boiled in coca cola. Sounds disgusting, but boy is it good! The older I get the less these holidays mean to me. Just another day to be with a family who doesn't get it.

We have an exterminator coming out to check on rodent and bugs. They set traps, both mechanical and glue ones. If you saw the roach in one of the glue traps! We debated using super glue and attaching a towbar to it, and having it drag the DC-10 around!

Time to get back to the grind........................

Mary Sue

For those who didn't grow up in the Baltimore area, you have probably never had a Mary Sue Pecan Egg. Soft, sweet, and sticky nougat covered with caramel and rolled in pecans. It's funny that the large eggs are sold out early, while the smaller versions are still available. There used to be three sizes, although I have only seen two this year. They can rip the filling out of the best of teeth!

"Saved" is on TV tonight. It's so funny seeing 'friends' from school portrayed on the big screen. Although it is very loosely based on school, some of the characters are easily recognized. It's kind of funny quoting stuff from the movie. So many things there that are glaring truths, yet these 'good folks' simply ignore them.

The rumors and stories of the company being sold are beginning to come to a head. With luck we'll know something before the week is out. Lordy do I hope there are some changes, and SOON! I've been doing this a long time- and it's horrid. "It's Tuesday, what will we get yelled at about today."

Remember it's passover, keep kosher. No pork, crabs, lobster, or leavened bread. Just shoot me!

Be good!!!

What time is it?

It's 11:30pm.

The mechanics are tying to figure out the wiring on a broken cannon plug. This is not the time of day to have to be concerned about wiring. That is a day-time-day-light job. It's getting cold (again) and sort of misty. This is NOT the time of day to do this kind of work.

We've just looked at the May schedule. We have four departures AFTER midnight. One as late at 0530. Just imagine how happy that makes me. It's going to make for an interesting month, eh?
Let's just hope all of this operates on time.

The National Weather Service is calling for snow on Saturday. Hot one day, freezing two days later. It will get warm, but when, no one really knows. Tonight I've worn a light jacket. Thank God I've got a coat in the office.

Have you seen Maryland is getting two more area codes? 227 and 667 are the new entrants into the expanding phone number bonanza. Do you remember the good old days when everything in the state was 301? In those days you simply dialed seven numbers and were connected. Now it's 10, and soon this small state will have half-a-dozen area codes. Something seems wrong about that.

Okay- gotta go find that coat. Good night. I think.