I found one of my favorite scenes from the “I Dream of Jeannie” series. Enjoy Jeannie’s sister singing “Electric Nights”.
Larry Hagman’s comedic timing in this clip is fabulous.
Quirky.
My Own Little World.
Here it is Wednesday and I’ve barely even thought about my blog. Usually I’m stumbling through life and running across scenarios that just sing “Why, this is blog worthy!” but apparently I’ve been stumbling in the wrong direction because there hasn’t been much that has tickled my fancy this week.
I think it’s because I’ve sort of just been living in my own little world. Life has settled down to a routine for the past couple of weeks and I’ve found the experience somewhat enjoyable. I’m a loner at heart and quite frankly I am quite content to amuse myself (please note that I avoided saying ‘playing with myself’, though that is enjoyable as well if I must be blunt) and if I see something occur in any given situation, I may have my own little chuckle at the absurdity of it but then decide that my point of view would be too whacky for public consumption. There are few that can keep up with the way that my mind works, with my hyperspeed jumps from topic to topic and a point of view from a different seating area. Thank goodness Earl can keep up with it all.
All in all, all is well in the life of J.P. and Earl. In fact, it’s downright glorious. It just glorious in a mundane sort of way.
And that’s not a bad thing.
Responsibility.
It was over three years ago when I started my job at the local telephone company. Having never worked at a telephone company before, despite a strong interest in the field and a near obsession with “all things connected”, I was rather nervous about the new adventure I was about to embark on. I can still remember my first day with crystal clear accuracy. I had arrived early and subsequently couldn’t get into the guts of the building as I wasn’t really sure where I was suppose to go, plus the front desk attendant had not arrived yet. So I was standing out in the front lobby when someone came off the elevator and asked, “Can I help you?” I announced that my name was J.P. and that I was the new guy. The person helping me out asked me to wait where I was and went into the network operations center, where my arrival was announced with a hearty “New guy alert! The new guy is here!” Everyone greeted me warmly and welcomed me to the group. Though I left the position at the end of last year and have just recently returned on a part-time basis while I continue my education, I still really enjoy the people in that group and consider them my friends. We’re a team that works well together.
When I arrived at my desk that first day, aside from the unpopped bags of microwave popcorn at my station (as a gift from my co-workers that had obviously googled me a little bit), I noticed there was a large goose statue on top of the one of the filing cabinets. She was decked out in a two piece bikini because as I later learned, it was August and in August we swim. For the next couple of years, I learned that Goose had a full wardrobe to choose from and would be dressed appropriately for any occasion. She had a Santa outfit for the holidays, rabbit ears for Easter and a cap and gown for graduation time. Heck, she attended the wedding and reception of the team leader, complete with wedding gown and even had a black shawl that she draped over her face when folks were laid off (much to the chagrin of management). Goose was accompanied by several friends, including Duck, Egg, Chick and Cow. When I gave out cubicle name plates for Christmas one year, Goose received her own, denoting “Goose and Family”. I thought she deserved that special touch.
This week the company is moving it’s headquarters to a new building, so we have been packing up the Network Operations Center, throwing out tons of paperwork from back when Verizon was kind and called “New York Telephone” or “NYNEX”. I think I even threw out a manual on how to dial your own call without operator assistance (these people keep EVERYTHING). While Goose and Egg are moving with us, it was decided that the little ones, Duck, Chick and Cow (who also have a selection of cotture) should leave the nest and strike out on their own.
Earl and I are now the proud parents of Chick and Cow. While Earl finds the whole thing to be nuts, I look forward to carrying on the tradition of making sure they’re decked out properly for the season. Chick is in her gardening hat, Cow is doing her thing. I may buy her a mini-pasture with some grass to make her more comfortable.
Bird Call.
How incredibly odd is it that I just hung my head out the back door and screamed “Shut Up!” at the loud crows in the backyard?
They did quiet down though.
Odd Time.
Being somewhat obsessive-compulsive about most everything in the world, I am having a bit of a dilemna at lunch today. It’s no big thing really, but it has me completely thrown off my game.
I started my lunch hour at 1:53 p.m.
This means I have to be back at my desk by 2:53 p.m.
This has me utterly befuddled. I must leave our home precisely 15 minutes before the end of my lunch hour so that I can be at my desk at the proper time utilizing a comfortable pace to get there. I can’t leave 16 minutes before because then I get there a minute too early, I can’t leave 14 minutes before because then I have to rush due to the fact that I absolutely hate being late.
“So? Leave at 1:38 p.m.”, you say to yourself.
You see, that doesn’t fit right with me because I like to do things on an “even” time. If it’s not divisible by five, it’s not happening. I don’t know why I’m like this when it comes to time, but I am.
I set my alarm for x:30. I lie in bed until x:35. (The ‘x’ is variable due to my rotating shift at work). I take a shower at x:00. I leave for work at the following x:40. It’s all on the mark when looking at a clock. I once dated a guy that told me he sets his alarm for 6:33. I didn’t see him again after I found that out.
I used to shriek at my sister when we were kids that she had “five minutes” to get out to my car if she didn’t want to ride the bus to school. I declared this threat at precisely 7:30 a.m. every school morning and I had all the clocks in the house synchronized. (By the way, this threat was worth something as she apparently felt much ‘cooler’ in a ’74 Vega.) Thinking back, it’s a wonder I made it through school following a bell schedule constructed so that 5th period went from 11:37 to 12:18. In fact, all eight periods were off-time like that and I won’t bore you with the entire schedule though I could recite it from memory if prompted to.
I’d like to say that all this is probably due to the fact that I have a very organized, regimented mind and that I need structure.
Nah, I’m just odd. (And proud of it!)
Bring. It. On.
With the weekend in full swing, I’m feeling absolutely wonderful. Sometimes you just feel like a superhero.
To complete this entry, be sure to add audio accompaniment.
Video coming soon! 🙂
Please! No Pictures!
I came home for lunch and caught up on my e-mail and regular blog reading, like I usually do. Once in a while Tom will jump up on my lap and eye the PowerBook as a “nudge spot” but then think better of it. So I give him a few reassuring pets and then he jumps down and sits at my feet.
Today he was absolutely insistent that he park himself on my lap. So I tried to take a picture with the webcam before he got all settled, but he wasn’t having any of it. I snapped my fingers behind the cam to get his attention but no dice. This was the best that I could do.
He’ll do a lap dance, but “don’t take any pictures of the performers please!”
# # #
Earl is out of town until late tonight, so I’m going to wrap up Christmas shopping. We’re suppose to get a “wintry mix” tonight, it should keep the driving interesting. I’m going to bring along the camera and take somem pictures if I see anything interesting.
Full Moon.
Here’s an odd little photo I put together. There are times when you feel like you can just take on the world, with the right tools of course.
Sometimes the full moon can inspire me to do the oddest things.
