Amen!

Most of us are in a position to have to bow to the pressures of people who are responsible for our income, and heaven knows we have others depending on us.  Sometimes, all of a sudden we find ourselves doing things that are, well, less than sincere.  Or maybe more sincere than we'd originally thought.

One meeting with clients, My dear friend, Missy (short for Ms. Youbetcha) was expecting a nice couple, who she knew were particularly religious, and inclined to pray prior to concluding a business transaction.  Not that Missy isn't inclined to pray.  I know her pretty well, and I know she prays a lot.  Some call it pleading. But I digress...

Last minute before her clients arrived, Missy thought twice about the wine and champagne bottles that regularly stood on the credenza, perhaps these folks wouldn't approve.  So she swept them off the credenza and into safekeeping in a nearby cupboard. 

Missy was aware that her move to eliminate the wine bottles from her office was a good idea, according to where the conversation had taken them at one point.  At the conclusion of the meeting, the couple asked her to join them in prayer, silently.  Upon conclusion and the appropriate "amens", the clients asked Missy what she prayed for.

Funny.  I don't remember what she told me she actually told them.  What I remember is what she told me was going through her head, "THANK YOU God for giving me the foresight to get the wine bottles the hell outta here!" 

I hope it wasn't one of those moments, you know the kind, where you find yourself saying under your breath, "did I just say that outloud?"

Exactly the Same, Only Totally Different

Charged with the challenge of devising a way to keep Mr. Blondetwit's cellphone holster attached to his belt, I went to a local fabric/crafts store today for materials, and of course, inspiration.

See here for the backstory, as to why Mr. Blondetwit was needing such a device: A Good Turn

As I was perusing the elastic, velcro and other assorted notions trying to develop an acceptable solution, another lady had arrived in the same aisle, and as I moved to allow her better access, I realized it was someone I knew, but hadn't seen in a long while.  She's a senior member of the local police department.

After saying hello, she asked me what I was working on, so I shared with her Mr. Blondetwit's problem.  She then decided to confide in me that she was there for exactly the same project. 

Only slightly different.

She was trying to figure a fix for a police officer who's gun keeps falling out of the holster.

Seems our local cop shop hasn't changed much.  Sheriff Taylor used to make Barney keep his bullet in his pocket.  If that were still the case, this wouldn't be a problem.

Eleven Years & Counting...

These two ramshackle old men are Dale and Keith. (ah yes. I can say these things. Let them get their own blogs and they can trash me. Don't hold your breath)  Blondetwit has been married to Keith (the tall one) for eleven years today.  And Keith has been married to Dale for fifty-five years.  Since they were five, and Dale threatened to blow up Keith's house because Momma said Dale needed to get his "horse's ass" outta there.  Apparently, Keith is drawn to horse's asses.  Funny, I've never been entirely sure what that says about me... 

When Keith and I got married eleven years ago, in Carson City, Nevada, Dale and his wonderful wife Jean accompanied us as our Best Man and Matron of Honor.  Every anniversary since, we've enjoyed a weekend at the beach with them....who needs a trip to (insert exotic location here)?

Keith and Dale have a unique relationship.  Bromance, I think is the technical term.  Their lives, in interesting ways, have been exactly the same, only really, really different.

The bro's grew up in a little itty bitty burg (by big city standards).  One went left and one went right, so to speak.  Literally, Dale moved west to the beach, Keith went east - thirty or so minutes in either direction. Keith's a democrat; Dale's a Republican.  There are more parallels, you just wouldn't care.

Interestingly, Keith ended up as Mayor of his City.  Then, not to be outdone, Dale decided to be Mayor of his City.  And that's when the fun began.  Both boys have managed to leave really nice legacies in both the cities, and proved to themselves what can be done, regardless of who you think you are.

No matter how nice the weather, there's a dark cloud over all our heads right now.  Jean - Dale's wife - our friend, died last month, suddenly.

Hers is a big loss...so this is a kind of bittersweet anniversary this year. 

We miss you Jean.  Friends like you don't come 'round every day.  If ever.



Jean Jacobson & Reese her Wonderdog

I Just Love the Blogosphere!

 ...Because you find people doing this:

Ranting Liberally: Stepping on my last nerve

Watch out for the last part.  You'll wanna duck as he gets ramped up and starts swingin'.

Not With My Tax Dollars You Don't!

My Dad made a comment about this some twenty-five years ago.  I just blew him off at the time.  Interesting to think about this, especially now.

His comment was regarding tax code reform.  The talk of the day then was a flat tax.  Yep, that was a successful idea.  The interesting part was when Pops said, "The tax forms should list what you're willing to have your tax dollars pay for."

No, it wouldn't actually work, oh, for about 13,283 reasons, but the exercise is worth it, nonetheless.

Here's some ideas:

I want my tax dollars to pay for...

1. The war in (insert location here).                                    _____%

2. Nationalized Health Care                                               _____%

3.  Primary Education                                                        _____%

4. Secondary Education                                                     _____%

5. Post Secondary Education                                             _____%

6. Republican Senator's Mistresses                                    _____%

7. Subsidizing Tobacco                                                      _____%

8. Subsidizing Non-producing farms                                   _____%

9. Building a fence on the south side or Aridzona                _____%

10.  Shoring up Social Security                                          _____%

11.  Stem Cell Research                                                    _____%

12.  Junkets                                                                      _____%

13.  Studies on how much cows fart                                  _____%

14. Infrastructure for green transportation                          _____%

15.  Job development                                                       _____%

16.  Bailing out Wall Street                                               _____%

17.  Rebuild regulatory structure of financial markets         _____%

18.  Buying out mortgages from predatory lenders             _____%

19.  Paying for spay/neuters of domestic pets                    _____%

20.  Paying for RWNJ lobotomies                                    _____%

21.  Subsidize mega churches for political lobbying efforts _____%

Sorry, I should have stopped sooner, but, well, it was just kinda flowing. Stupid and otherwise. 

The point it, consider the way you would fill this out.  Ask others. 

Where do you think the chips would fall?