not a creature is stirring not even a mouse, well the cat is eating i just let her in.Woops, Scotty just came out and he is eating again.Two minutes ago i thought i was all alone,everyone sleeping, just finished watching Pitch Perfect, AWESOME, and figured i would throw up a quick post, while i was all alone, now it seems like all came out to check on me. hehehehehe, life is like that sometimes, moments where it seems i fight the battle all alone and then from no where, a voice,maybe a beautiful smile i have missed for too long, or words of encouragement come along. Life is what it is and i, have temporarily ran out of a thing too say. Ok, i am back,hehehe, what a strange, strange Christmas, disappointing, anger, joy, love, the gauntlet i have experienced, as i have heard others say, it was the worst of times, it was the best of times, it was Christmas time
Gifts, ohhhhh, i know Christmas is not about gifts, well for me it is, I love giving them, receiving is great but giving makes me feel like a real Santa, The wonder, surprise, quirky smiles,how did you know, that look in their eyes when they come aglow, the you shouldnt have, with the underlying, but i am glad you did, that feeling i get when I hit the mark. Not this year, it has been sad, maybe selfish because i wanted to give to get those things i just talked about, but what the hell ,no money,maybe no work and it all worked out.I had nothing to give, but the gift of self, and for some that seemed enough, i had to overcome an inner battle, that some where aware of, and instead of leaving , i stayed, for though i can not say evil thoughts were not in my mind, for everyone else, and for myself , I put those feelings aside, played with the little ones, talked with the grown ups and actually had a good time. I wont lie, when gifts were passed out, i was embarrassed none were from me, anger at my myself, yeah it was there, but what can i honestly say. Do I really believe i will change, stop being who i am, I may, Just may be financially a little smarter, or cautious i guess, but the dreamer in me, well i cant lose who i am. The price to others, may not have seemed great, but inside i know me and it bothered me that no gifts was i able to give. Money management 101, here i come, I sure hope so anyway. I laugh at myself thinking,my silly thoughts, you know till Saturday after all the fed ex deliveries were done, the dreamer in me kept saying that the Lewis family, knowing i had no money for Christmas would reach out and do some thing. I tried like hell to get some kind of work to no avail, and phone calls to Mark in operations never got returned.I have no one to blame but myself, and even if it was only a dream, well just the possibility made the time easier to deal with, so even when reality ended up crashing at my door,the previous hope I had softened the blow. Now I just have to get my breath, blow it out slow, and back into the fight I go, a little bit wiser,more subjective, and loving the thought of a brighter day.
At Christenes we talked a lot about this and different things, apologizing for my inabilty to do anything, Christmases past they said more then made up for today and though that was nice, there is still a hole i have to fill some way.Children playing, feelings of family were there, but inside, through it all, i felt alone, insufficient, like all were judging me. Now i know thats not true, but i hate coming last,empty handed, it scares to think, i could end up in my past. A perplexing study of humanity, i must seem,all saying it is ok, except that voice in me. I guess i am set in my ways ,dreamer, schemer, a throwback to early days where the head of house, hell he dose not make mistakes, in public anyways. I screw things up and ,though i always say , no shame in my game, when i screw up, its out there, for I have no volume control either,hehehe. I have never been shy about what i believe, never been shy about standing up for those beliefs, not that I am always right, i have learned from many,but, I stand tall until i am proven wrong, then humbly accept i dont know all, am thankful to learn, and try to be open minded enough to learn more. So maybe, this Christmas was supposed to be a lesson in humility which I say without any candor or pity, at any rate ,the gifts i received where, those , of acceptance, caring, love a the knowledge ,maybe the reminder, it is not about what,but who in the truest meaning of Christmas. Or at least something like that, i am sure i know what i mean,Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night, love ya, me
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
the week before Christmas
Hello, hello, hello.Just wanted to say hi,and all that, it has been a weird week or rather strange time since my last post.All kinds of different revelations,thoughts bouncing around my mind, arcs of thought unfiltered, zapping me ,bringing awareness of knowledge, new and old, lessons that i should have learned and the optimistic ego of self refusing to get lost in what is a difficult time,not, earthshattering, but feelings of displacement,loss of center and a sense of futility at my own self, who refuses to learn from lessons past,due to his personal beliefs,in a world of reality where self is absorbed by the world of business,facts,figures,and other cold ,ughhhh, factors of the real world.Alas, alas, where is room for the dreamer in us all, i cry with bittersweet laughter,reflecting,mocking accepting, that it is not there is no room for the dreamer, but even a dreams roots must have its base begin in reality. My blame is that i just cant seem to separate the two, their intwining showing my(sadly) refusal to recognize lifes serious side. So, what is going on? Well, no word from Express Lane, the new one, anyway. They had requested the new liability insurance ,yet no response from follow through ,ignoring queries from my insurance agent, and what should i think here, or the fact that Mark Shoeffer has ignored my call or message at the front desk. I, dont know what to think quite honestly, either too much going on or,possibly my dismissal from this new world of Express Lane.As the wife just said , i cant win, unless i am allowed to (hehehehe),but damned if i dont keep trying, (hehehehe).Here i am broke as hell, for real no money, Christmas, shot to hell, no plastic to pretend with,i do have cigs ,maybe about 60 or 80 bucks,gas,quarter of a tank, and i am smiling at it all. Which seems stupid to me, it would be more (I think) realistic to be upset butwhat good is that really gonna do.My bills are paid till next month so thats a plus,with the exception of my storage shed, i do have food, and who knows maybe tomorrow i will hit megamoney,hehehehe. Dream on, ughhhhhh, I am so silly sometimes.Now, where should we go from here,lets back up the week,sounds like a plan to me.
Hmmmmm, where to start, ok, Sunday the wife i had a little tiff over doing the Express Lane stores.I had been told not to do any more floors, and wanted to do all the stores one last time with the propane, like an inspection buff, for no charge which would have cost me around 60 bucks, but felt that it would be a nice going away gift for the Lewis family, Donna ,being more realistic, stated that the stores may have already become the new owners,which could get me in trouble with them,that we really could not afford it and last that my un busineess like manner had already got us in enough hot water. Which i have to admit is true,though not always, and dreamers have rights too,so there, but not when others have to pay the price along with them.She won, and me i felt guilty all week, over not doing it,mainly because it is not all about the money, it was just something to show my appreciation for all they had done for me.Moving on,and on and on, and on,ok, enough,hehehehe, to Monday.
Monday, Monday, what a wonderful day,(just being me again), went to do the two Dodges Chickens, in Pensacola and Ft.Walton, leaving early, so i could come home and post on my blog. I know, no post, well let me explain.Got to Pensacola, did the store being grateful for the work, for real, here. Left,heading out through 98 coastal, enjoying the Christmas decorations ,lights glittering,blinking,reflections bouncing off the side view mirror, colors ranging from bright white,to the merry green,happy red, and rainbow kaleidoscope colors in between. Christmas decorations, Santas, elves,whimsical creatures, entwined with spiritual noels, nativity sets,all set to give joy to my world!!!! BANG, to my ears came an eary, scary soft blast and hiss, with intimidation by sound,i pull off the road and listen to to the sound, opening the door i realize its as i feared ,my tire gasping ,spent has laid itself in rest. Woe is me, I think, then I realize there may be no spare, but 3 cans of fix a flat are on hand. You go boy,feeling so proud, hooked up my first can,perplexed as it empties its canned air within, Lo no results begin. Move the van a hair,second can hooked up and an etheral cloud of mist gently forms on the side of the tire, that was not funny,(hehehe). Ok,but it is now,hehehe. Damn tire blew out the side,drove it till tire was completely gone, pulled into a Tom Thumb, i know hilarious,huh. Life does laugh at us sometimes, all those times i refuse to pull into a Tom Thumb ,now this, i just hope someone got a giggle and a laugh out of it,honestly, i did. Scotty was on his way,as i had called a towing service and they had quoted me 200 bucks which i did not have. The funny thing was i had done the floors here before and the lady remembered me,the quality of our work and asked why i was not doing floors anymore as they pay more and get less quality now. THat made me feel good though. Scotty shows up and yes, i did take the tire off,scared van would come down on me again as it had last time i changed a tire,but no problems this time, with the exception of the miserable,and I do mean miserable cold weather,brrrrrr. Get home about 4 am, oh yeah, cant forget, there was no money at home,here i am broke down in Valparasio, and hardly any gas in truck. Well, i call up a store ask them if they will front me the gas, till i get back in town, you know, they did, i promised to be back before shift change so they would not be short. It is one of those times where i am so grateful that others are good to me. So thank you, thank you,thank you. Tuesday i go to Randys Tires R Us on 15tyh st and ask if he would trust me for a new tire,now he knows i have no work,as far as Express Lane and he was still kind enough to trust me till i get some work. See it does pay to keep your word with people,as he had helped me out about a month ago on some repairs and let me make payments. Sooooo,where we at now, ok ,Tuesday, i go to Ft. Walton Dodges Chicken to do the floor. I had told them it needs a light scrub,well, i ended up spending like 4 or 5 hours there,no extra charge and honestly, it was not just working, but also thinking,realizing how dependent I was on others,and how grateful I am for their belief in me. It could have gone an entirely different way, to me it just went to prove that people, even without knowledge,remind us of the beauty in being alive, interaction with our fellow humans,and that the spirit of Christmas does not occur just on Christmas day. I had made a 100 the night before and that was eaten up by the time i left Ft. Walton Dodges Chicken, what with gas and all, but still, I did make some money, enough to buy some smokes,gas, and spoil the wife with a couple of scratch cards,i know,stupid,wasteful,but what the hell, it was worth it.
Wednesday, have you read enough,heheheeh. Cause there is more,hehehe. I get an e mail from Lehigh , the new owners of Express Lane, requesting liability ins. paperwork, which I forward to Hutt ins.,who gets no response from them on questions she has in relationship to requirements on policy. In addition, i had been told there was to be a meeting with Mark,operations manager, who never calls me.The good news here, my workmans comp exemp has been approved ,which i needed for some possible work in the future. See, trying to show my positive attitude, hehehe. Possibility, probabilities, anything is possible, I cant believe it,sitting here, typing this out and making jokes with Scotty, i do believe my world is collapsing around me and I,in my infinite, wordly wise ,wisdom, surrounded with the bright ghosts of Christmases past,encompassed within the bleak oblivion of bare walls,no tree, and alas, the non appearance of gaily wrapped Christmas boxes, I am still happy with life.Guilty, yes, i had it within my capabilities to have planned for an event like this, realistically, i did not,my bad, twenty years we have been a family and this is a first. The bitter realization of my failure,well, it sucks, but it is not gonna change a damn thing, so maybe,just maybe, i will try harder in the future to ensure it does not occur, but I make no promises. Lordy, Lordy, I noticed I started hitting the keyboard a little bit too fiercely, underlying guilt, who knows,i mean to do better next time, however if wishes were horses, we all would ride, hehehehehe.I do have some possible work pending in January, unfortunately, while it is great and I am grateful, that is all after the holidays. So on to Thursday.
Thursday, not bad, not bad, in hope of work next month, i asked my suppliers if they could extend me some credit. honestly, it being the end of the year,they want to settle any accounts by Jan.2, after explaining my situation and just flat out being honest they both agreed to front me some supplies, the understanding being i was to pay asap. To some who have credit cards,bank accounts,etc,this may seem n.p., but i have none of the above, simply my word and when people show good faith in you,what the hell else can you wish for.All the money in the world will not buy you that and when others believe in you, well to me that means a lot. Friday,Friday,yeah Thursday was a quickie,hehehe, but still quality.
Friday,i went out, picked up supplies, thanked all and went to see if i could start on a job early,so i do not have to wait till late Jan. to get paid. Then ,Donna, Scotty and I went to Christines, for a breakfast dinner,hehehe. Actually it was all right and seeing every one,the way they love their grandma, Donna, made it all worth while. Ohhhhhh, lest i forget,Michele is offically Donnas favorite child,hehehehe. That is another story, of a child who does all to earn her mothers ok,not realizing she had it anyway. Reminds me of my Father and I, a story with a happy ending, through love, and understanding. I also was able to finish paying Christene for money we had borrowed,so you know what? It was not an easy week,and yes there are a lot of things i wish were better but,look at all the beauty, the way others have been good to me and you know what,if my week had not been what it was,those selfless acts of kindness others showed ,well i would not have known, Merry Christmas to all,love ya,me. P.S.- yeah, i am smiling (with you).
Hmmmmm, where to start, ok, Sunday the wife i had a little tiff over doing the Express Lane stores.I had been told not to do any more floors, and wanted to do all the stores one last time with the propane, like an inspection buff, for no charge which would have cost me around 60 bucks, but felt that it would be a nice going away gift for the Lewis family, Donna ,being more realistic, stated that the stores may have already become the new owners,which could get me in trouble with them,that we really could not afford it and last that my un busineess like manner had already got us in enough hot water. Which i have to admit is true,though not always, and dreamers have rights too,so there, but not when others have to pay the price along with them.She won, and me i felt guilty all week, over not doing it,mainly because it is not all about the money, it was just something to show my appreciation for all they had done for me.Moving on,and on and on, and on,ok, enough,hehehehe, to Monday.
Monday, Monday, what a wonderful day,(just being me again), went to do the two Dodges Chickens, in Pensacola and Ft.Walton, leaving early, so i could come home and post on my blog. I know, no post, well let me explain.Got to Pensacola, did the store being grateful for the work, for real, here. Left,heading out through 98 coastal, enjoying the Christmas decorations ,lights glittering,blinking,reflections bouncing off the side view mirror, colors ranging from bright white,to the merry green,happy red, and rainbow kaleidoscope colors in between. Christmas decorations, Santas, elves,whimsical creatures, entwined with spiritual noels, nativity sets,all set to give joy to my world!!!! BANG, to my ears came an eary, scary soft blast and hiss, with intimidation by sound,i pull off the road and listen to to the sound, opening the door i realize its as i feared ,my tire gasping ,spent has laid itself in rest. Woe is me, I think, then I realize there may be no spare, but 3 cans of fix a flat are on hand. You go boy,feeling so proud, hooked up my first can,perplexed as it empties its canned air within, Lo no results begin. Move the van a hair,second can hooked up and an etheral cloud of mist gently forms on the side of the tire, that was not funny,(hehehe). Ok,but it is now,hehehe. Damn tire blew out the side,drove it till tire was completely gone, pulled into a Tom Thumb, i know hilarious,huh. Life does laugh at us sometimes, all those times i refuse to pull into a Tom Thumb ,now this, i just hope someone got a giggle and a laugh out of it,honestly, i did. Scotty was on his way,as i had called a towing service and they had quoted me 200 bucks which i did not have. The funny thing was i had done the floors here before and the lady remembered me,the quality of our work and asked why i was not doing floors anymore as they pay more and get less quality now. THat made me feel good though. Scotty shows up and yes, i did take the tire off,scared van would come down on me again as it had last time i changed a tire,but no problems this time, with the exception of the miserable,and I do mean miserable cold weather,brrrrrr. Get home about 4 am, oh yeah, cant forget, there was no money at home,here i am broke down in Valparasio, and hardly any gas in truck. Well, i call up a store ask them if they will front me the gas, till i get back in town, you know, they did, i promised to be back before shift change so they would not be short. It is one of those times where i am so grateful that others are good to me. So thank you, thank you,thank you. Tuesday i go to Randys Tires R Us on 15tyh st and ask if he would trust me for a new tire,now he knows i have no work,as far as Express Lane and he was still kind enough to trust me till i get some work. See it does pay to keep your word with people,as he had helped me out about a month ago on some repairs and let me make payments. Sooooo,where we at now, ok ,Tuesday, i go to Ft. Walton Dodges Chicken to do the floor. I had told them it needs a light scrub,well, i ended up spending like 4 or 5 hours there,no extra charge and honestly, it was not just working, but also thinking,realizing how dependent I was on others,and how grateful I am for their belief in me. It could have gone an entirely different way, to me it just went to prove that people, even without knowledge,remind us of the beauty in being alive, interaction with our fellow humans,and that the spirit of Christmas does not occur just on Christmas day. I had made a 100 the night before and that was eaten up by the time i left Ft. Walton Dodges Chicken, what with gas and all, but still, I did make some money, enough to buy some smokes,gas, and spoil the wife with a couple of scratch cards,i know,stupid,wasteful,but what the hell, it was worth it.
Wednesday, have you read enough,heheheeh. Cause there is more,hehehe. I get an e mail from Lehigh , the new owners of Express Lane, requesting liability ins. paperwork, which I forward to Hutt ins.,who gets no response from them on questions she has in relationship to requirements on policy. In addition, i had been told there was to be a meeting with Mark,operations manager, who never calls me.The good news here, my workmans comp exemp has been approved ,which i needed for some possible work in the future. See, trying to show my positive attitude, hehehe. Possibility, probabilities, anything is possible, I cant believe it,sitting here, typing this out and making jokes with Scotty, i do believe my world is collapsing around me and I,in my infinite, wordly wise ,wisdom, surrounded with the bright ghosts of Christmases past,encompassed within the bleak oblivion of bare walls,no tree, and alas, the non appearance of gaily wrapped Christmas boxes, I am still happy with life.Guilty, yes, i had it within my capabilities to have planned for an event like this, realistically, i did not,my bad, twenty years we have been a family and this is a first. The bitter realization of my failure,well, it sucks, but it is not gonna change a damn thing, so maybe,just maybe, i will try harder in the future to ensure it does not occur, but I make no promises. Lordy, Lordy, I noticed I started hitting the keyboard a little bit too fiercely, underlying guilt, who knows,i mean to do better next time, however if wishes were horses, we all would ride, hehehehehe.I do have some possible work pending in January, unfortunately, while it is great and I am grateful, that is all after the holidays. So on to Thursday.
Thursday, not bad, not bad, in hope of work next month, i asked my suppliers if they could extend me some credit. honestly, it being the end of the year,they want to settle any accounts by Jan.2, after explaining my situation and just flat out being honest they both agreed to front me some supplies, the understanding being i was to pay asap. To some who have credit cards,bank accounts,etc,this may seem n.p., but i have none of the above, simply my word and when people show good faith in you,what the hell else can you wish for.All the money in the world will not buy you that and when others believe in you, well to me that means a lot. Friday,Friday,yeah Thursday was a quickie,hehehe, but still quality.
Friday,i went out, picked up supplies, thanked all and went to see if i could start on a job early,so i do not have to wait till late Jan. to get paid. Then ,Donna, Scotty and I went to Christines, for a breakfast dinner,hehehe. Actually it was all right and seeing every one,the way they love their grandma, Donna, made it all worth while. Ohhhhhh, lest i forget,Michele is offically Donnas favorite child,hehehehe. That is another story, of a child who does all to earn her mothers ok,not realizing she had it anyway. Reminds me of my Father and I, a story with a happy ending, through love, and understanding. I also was able to finish paying Christene for money we had borrowed,so you know what? It was not an easy week,and yes there are a lot of things i wish were better but,look at all the beauty, the way others have been good to me and you know what,if my week had not been what it was,those selfless acts of kindness others showed ,well i would not have known, Merry Christmas to all,love ya,me. P.S.- yeah, i am smiling (with you).
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Express Lane the final day
How to start,two things,the emptiness ,sadness, i felt when doing the floor at Dodges, over the fact that i will not be doing the floors for Express Lane no more,and Reeds statement he could call me out on a lot of things ,with the exception of my love for the Express Lane family.
ohhhh, i can tell this is gonna be a long one, but i have already started and have been putting it off for awhile so might as well get it done.On Thursday,ihad talked to Holly who informed me Reed was upset about all the strips being done.Me, being me , thought that Reid felt i took advantage of the situation,as Mark told him he only authorized some strips.In order to clear my name i went to the office and waited a couple of hours for Reed to come out so i could explain it to him.He heard me out and then told me there was never any question about me, and that they,Express Lane never had any doubts about me.It made me feel a lot better, we said goodbye and i left to cash my final check.
I have always had a problem with speaking my mind, and at the same time not always being swift enough in thought to actually convey the thought properly.I say something then ten minutes later which i had said it better, or phrased it differently, or not said anything at all,hehehehe. Oh well, from these things life becomes what it is, we live with it, i guess.While Reed and i were our discussion at the end i brought up a subject that maybe i should not have ,it was all good till he made a simple question,"and you"..to which i really had no answer ,except to state that honestly ,even though i dream the dream, thought due to my being a vendor i would not be included.As i told him i am just a vendor and if there is one thing i have learned in the last couple of years that was my lesson.Oh,Oh here i go again, one thought leads to another,and, i want to start off on another tangent, but will wait to go into that, hopefully.New paragraph hehehe.
Myself,my dream was to build a company, similar to my old cleaning company,Suburban Contract Cleaning,here the owner built up a successful business, did well for himself and some of the employees bought it from him, when he was ready to get out.He had taken a small business, hired people,taught them how to become successful, and shared it with them in order for them to create their own legacy.Which has gone very well, i guess i failed in that aspect ,though i still have time to change it,but, i have definitely created opportunities for people others would not take a chance on and thus enrichened their lives, by giving them the chance to run with the ball.Very, very few disappointment's there, for which i thank them.Looking back,i realize that most people, when given encouragement, and shown trust will, do whats right, not all, but most. In the entire time ,i only had to fire 1 person,sometimes they deserved to be fired but if you think about the fact we are all human, make mistakes ourselves,be a little forgiving, most do not make the same mistake twice. Ok,back to the meat and potatoes, I sidetrack so well,hehehe.
In todays world,when a company sells out pr changes hands,there is often a big story if the owners sell back to the employees or reward them with a monetary bonus, usually the higher ups in a company have themselves covered with severance packages or such. However every once in awhile we hear stories of companies that also reward the everyday worker who has been with the company for an extended period of time, or contributed to the general welfare of the company.Here we go now,Express Lane has always been good to its employees,flat out, no b.s.,I remember commenting to Jim Lewis one time that if people did not screw up at work, they would always have a job. I meant this, because the Lewis family actually cares about the people that work for them and they work with the employees not ride over them,if you had a problem someone would listen, if they could help they would.This tradition was started by Mr. Jimmy Lewis and was carried on by his sons, who all had to work their way up, no gimmes here.One of the results of this of this well run operation,is you end up with employees who, quite frankly, dont which to go to work else where, and are content knowing they will finish out their days working for this same company.I know, in todays world it may seem unrealistic,with companies going this way, that way, and no safe havens anywhere,but it does happen, and used to a lot more. It is called COMPANY LOYALTY, the thing companies are always screaming for and forgot that you have to give to get.So on we go, the Lewis family has been in the convience business for awhile, they are all getting older,the economy is down, and then with the new tax rates coming into effect have decided to get out of the market and sell the company. I can not say as i blame them,at first no one could figure out what was going on, just that changes were being implemented that did not seem in character for the Lewis familys mode of operation in their stores. Employees,vendors, including myself, had no idea what was up and fears ran of the company going into bankruptcy to being sold, were running rampant, Some, no if or buts about it jumped ship, the rest stayed. through these turbulent times.I love people, and people in return trust me, some thinking i have a closer tie to the office then i do, confide in me hoping it will get to those above.Others talk to me due to the years we have worked together, at any rate I learn a lot.Employees feelings were varied over a number of things, ranging from concern over the Lewis family,to fear over what would happen to them now.Employees who had not been with the company for long,seemed to think it was just another thing,while the ones who had been with the company for a long period of time, or were older were on the edge or just plain out scared. Talking to an employee who had been with the company for years,who had tried to find employment elsewhere, he described the feeling of inadequacy he felt through all the rejections he had been submitted to.Which quite honestly made me think about my situation a lot, but more on that later.Fear, had infected the lifestream of Express Lane,where optimism used to be prevalent.Employees, who 2 months ago were simply trying to get more hours for Christmas,now worried that they would be out in the cold on Christmas day, jobless or working with less hours, where they were worried over having enough money to buy that extra gift,they were now in fear of being able to pay the electric bill to keep the heat on.One thing the Lewis family did that was thoughtful of them was to keep the paychecks on a weekly basis until after the holidays, another thing i heard employees being grateful for was the early Christmas party so they could get their bonuses. Life, the importance of that 100.00 bonus, the difference it makes in so many lives can scarcely be measured,but it is truly treasured, not only for the recognition it bestows,but in trying to catch up on a bill,helping out a family member, or buying that extra gift for the unexpected child or grandchild this year.When another company buys one out,especially a family run business, it is the ones who cared that worry, What will happen now, willl my loyalty to the previous owners be an asset or liability, who will be willing to hire me ,what ,what what, overcomes their thoughts, people who have performed their jobs for years with no problem, find themselves making errors out of sheer nervousness. transition, for some is an easy thing especially those new to the job,however for those who have been accustomed to doing it the Express Lane way, now fear runs dormant that their ability to adapt will be insufficient.I could go on,but to sum it up briefly, what happens is that the people, whose loyalty and belief in Express Lane, could very well find these things will now cost them their job, with the new company.
ITS JUST BUSINESS, i personally detest that statement,it is such a blanket for some, where it covers the harsh reality of truth. Express Lane, very seldom used that expression,at least with me, and in discussions with them about various things always seemed to found their idealism on a nobler plane, which i would describe as simply, giving a damn..Ok,now that was the potatoes,time for the meat.
Sorry,the wife and were arguing over our lack of Christmas,which is kinda pisssing me off with the grand kids here.I will say this though,i am mad at myself,not Express Lane for i should have done some better planning financially and that quite simply is my bad,besides i do have a little time left,hehe. Positive thinking!!!
Express Lane has always,and i mean always shown they care for those who work for them. Personally, i hope they get filthy rich off this deal, they have worked hard, been good to those that worked with them, and have to my knowledge always acted as regulars, even though well off financially.Now this all is dependent on how good a deal they made for themselves, because things are not always what they seem and they may not be as well off as we would think, however. If Express Lane did well, it would not be amiss for them to share in this with employees who have been with them for a period of time, a minimum of 5 years at any rate.Oh and by the way these are my thoughts alone, simply put. I will be the first to state i have no idea how much,what to be base anything on,etc. I have a few basic reasons for wishing this, one, it does teach others there is a reward for loyalty, two,we are all interdependent on one another, Express Lanes success is partially based its employees, not taking anything away from the owners,and lastly,to help quell the nervousness and fears of its former loyal employees. When i was out stripping the stores, one of the reasons i personally felt bad was seeing, and hearing some of the hopelessness in people, how they would try to be upbeat and then admit their fear of having to depend on a company to whom they were nothing more then a number or position. I can relate because in todays world, it dosent matter with a corporation how good your work is, it is now ,simply,knowledge of someone in corporate,cost,or what can you do for me. it appears as if corporations have becoming mechanical machines interested in only projecting better results for the upcoming quarter.Hell, i have seen shoddy work,which a corporation would rather pay for then to take the time out to find better work at a lesser price because it is just easier to do so.That is sad. So that is the meat to my conversation with Reed,now for the dessert,he does not pull any punches that one,and he had me good,hehehehe.
And you,he asked. Not fair,hehehe. Ok, truth,of course i wish that i would be included,hell I dream, fantasize, have always done my best for Express Lane. Recognition of this sort would rock my world, make it all seem like there are some who believe in rewarding those who have given their best.Honestly,though,oh i so hate having to be honest here,they,Express Lane have already given me a lot. One, i am a vendor,not an employee, however they have always and i mean always treated me as a person. Two, they have always paid me for my services. Three,they took me in and me feel as if my contribution was important. Four, even though not a blood relative they have always been kind enough to listen to my problems,shown a sincere care for me and damn it made me feel good,a member of the Express Lane family.So, yes , it would be nice, but actually i was more concerned about the people who have become dependent on the Express Lane we all know and love. When all this began occurring 3 or 4 months ago,i wont admit i was upset,unkowingly to Express Lane owners,I had been asked to just do the Express Lane stores,i thought about it, was tired of rejection by other companies and proceeded to just do their stores, i do have a couple of stores i do, i also lost a couple when they found out i was doing some Express Lanes at no charge.My big mouth,i will never learn. Oh well, if they had been as good to me as Express Lane maybe i would have done the same for them, at any rate,the reason i stopped doing the stores or additional stores at no cost was quite simply,no gas money. Sorry,had to take a break,me and the two little ones made up some brownies,full of walnuts and andes mints,eat your heart out,but what a mess,hehehe,brownie mix everywhere,hehehe.Ok,where was I,ok,caught my train of thought.My bills come to about 1800 a montyh doing 19 stores plus the Dodges,meant i was going in the hole .Now i have no credit cards,bank accounts,or loans, so i truly live week to week. iI know,it is all my bad ,ok,anyways trying to be quick so i can play with the little ones, I did get a couple of side jobs, borrowed some money and finally confronted Mark about the extra work ,he had promised me previously.He gave me a scrub to do,authorized the strips,and due to that i have almost caught up on all my bills.Some people, including exemployees state i made a mistake in handling the Express Lane account ,treating them as family.They dont know how Reed brought me my check because i could not make it to the office,how Jim Lewis invited me over to shoot pool, or play the guitar,how someone always listened to me, how concerned the office workers were when i came in freezing from no heat in my van after finishing work to drop off my invoices, so the answer to the question is , yes, but irregardless either way, i have already recieved more then most vendors ever will. A home away from home.Thatsssssssssssssss all folks brownies are done,cooling now and grandkids are making me smile,enjoy your day,love,me.
ohhhh, i can tell this is gonna be a long one, but i have already started and have been putting it off for awhile so might as well get it done.On Thursday,ihad talked to Holly who informed me Reed was upset about all the strips being done.Me, being me , thought that Reid felt i took advantage of the situation,as Mark told him he only authorized some strips.In order to clear my name i went to the office and waited a couple of hours for Reed to come out so i could explain it to him.He heard me out and then told me there was never any question about me, and that they,Express Lane never had any doubts about me.It made me feel a lot better, we said goodbye and i left to cash my final check.
I have always had a problem with speaking my mind, and at the same time not always being swift enough in thought to actually convey the thought properly.I say something then ten minutes later which i had said it better, or phrased it differently, or not said anything at all,hehehehe. Oh well, from these things life becomes what it is, we live with it, i guess.While Reed and i were our discussion at the end i brought up a subject that maybe i should not have ,it was all good till he made a simple question,"and you"..to which i really had no answer ,except to state that honestly ,even though i dream the dream, thought due to my being a vendor i would not be included.As i told him i am just a vendor and if there is one thing i have learned in the last couple of years that was my lesson.Oh,Oh here i go again, one thought leads to another,and, i want to start off on another tangent, but will wait to go into that, hopefully.New paragraph hehehe.
Myself,my dream was to build a company, similar to my old cleaning company,Suburban Contract Cleaning,here the owner built up a successful business, did well for himself and some of the employees bought it from him, when he was ready to get out.He had taken a small business, hired people,taught them how to become successful, and shared it with them in order for them to create their own legacy.Which has gone very well, i guess i failed in that aspect ,though i still have time to change it,but, i have definitely created opportunities for people others would not take a chance on and thus enrichened their lives, by giving them the chance to run with the ball.Very, very few disappointment's there, for which i thank them.Looking back,i realize that most people, when given encouragement, and shown trust will, do whats right, not all, but most. In the entire time ,i only had to fire 1 person,sometimes they deserved to be fired but if you think about the fact we are all human, make mistakes ourselves,be a little forgiving, most do not make the same mistake twice. Ok,back to the meat and potatoes, I sidetrack so well,hehehe.
In todays world,when a company sells out pr changes hands,there is often a big story if the owners sell back to the employees or reward them with a monetary bonus, usually the higher ups in a company have themselves covered with severance packages or such. However every once in awhile we hear stories of companies that also reward the everyday worker who has been with the company for an extended period of time, or contributed to the general welfare of the company.Here we go now,Express Lane has always been good to its employees,flat out, no b.s.,I remember commenting to Jim Lewis one time that if people did not screw up at work, they would always have a job. I meant this, because the Lewis family actually cares about the people that work for them and they work with the employees not ride over them,if you had a problem someone would listen, if they could help they would.This tradition was started by Mr. Jimmy Lewis and was carried on by his sons, who all had to work their way up, no gimmes here.One of the results of this of this well run operation,is you end up with employees who, quite frankly, dont which to go to work else where, and are content knowing they will finish out their days working for this same company.I know, in todays world it may seem unrealistic,with companies going this way, that way, and no safe havens anywhere,but it does happen, and used to a lot more. It is called COMPANY LOYALTY, the thing companies are always screaming for and forgot that you have to give to get.So on we go, the Lewis family has been in the convience business for awhile, they are all getting older,the economy is down, and then with the new tax rates coming into effect have decided to get out of the market and sell the company. I can not say as i blame them,at first no one could figure out what was going on, just that changes were being implemented that did not seem in character for the Lewis familys mode of operation in their stores. Employees,vendors, including myself, had no idea what was up and fears ran of the company going into bankruptcy to being sold, were running rampant, Some, no if or buts about it jumped ship, the rest stayed. through these turbulent times.I love people, and people in return trust me, some thinking i have a closer tie to the office then i do, confide in me hoping it will get to those above.Others talk to me due to the years we have worked together, at any rate I learn a lot.Employees feelings were varied over a number of things, ranging from concern over the Lewis family,to fear over what would happen to them now.Employees who had not been with the company for long,seemed to think it was just another thing,while the ones who had been with the company for a long period of time, or were older were on the edge or just plain out scared. Talking to an employee who had been with the company for years,who had tried to find employment elsewhere, he described the feeling of inadequacy he felt through all the rejections he had been submitted to.Which quite honestly made me think about my situation a lot, but more on that later.Fear, had infected the lifestream of Express Lane,where optimism used to be prevalent.Employees, who 2 months ago were simply trying to get more hours for Christmas,now worried that they would be out in the cold on Christmas day, jobless or working with less hours, where they were worried over having enough money to buy that extra gift,they were now in fear of being able to pay the electric bill to keep the heat on.One thing the Lewis family did that was thoughtful of them was to keep the paychecks on a weekly basis until after the holidays, another thing i heard employees being grateful for was the early Christmas party so they could get their bonuses. Life, the importance of that 100.00 bonus, the difference it makes in so many lives can scarcely be measured,but it is truly treasured, not only for the recognition it bestows,but in trying to catch up on a bill,helping out a family member, or buying that extra gift for the unexpected child or grandchild this year.When another company buys one out,especially a family run business, it is the ones who cared that worry, What will happen now, willl my loyalty to the previous owners be an asset or liability, who will be willing to hire me ,what ,what what, overcomes their thoughts, people who have performed their jobs for years with no problem, find themselves making errors out of sheer nervousness. transition, for some is an easy thing especially those new to the job,however for those who have been accustomed to doing it the Express Lane way, now fear runs dormant that their ability to adapt will be insufficient.I could go on,but to sum it up briefly, what happens is that the people, whose loyalty and belief in Express Lane, could very well find these things will now cost them their job, with the new company.
ITS JUST BUSINESS, i personally detest that statement,it is such a blanket for some, where it covers the harsh reality of truth. Express Lane, very seldom used that expression,at least with me, and in discussions with them about various things always seemed to found their idealism on a nobler plane, which i would describe as simply, giving a damn..Ok,now that was the potatoes,time for the meat.
Sorry,the wife and were arguing over our lack of Christmas,which is kinda pisssing me off with the grand kids here.I will say this though,i am mad at myself,not Express Lane for i should have done some better planning financially and that quite simply is my bad,besides i do have a little time left,hehe. Positive thinking!!!
Express Lane has always,and i mean always shown they care for those who work for them. Personally, i hope they get filthy rich off this deal, they have worked hard, been good to those that worked with them, and have to my knowledge always acted as regulars, even though well off financially.Now this all is dependent on how good a deal they made for themselves, because things are not always what they seem and they may not be as well off as we would think, however. If Express Lane did well, it would not be amiss for them to share in this with employees who have been with them for a period of time, a minimum of 5 years at any rate.Oh and by the way these are my thoughts alone, simply put. I will be the first to state i have no idea how much,what to be base anything on,etc. I have a few basic reasons for wishing this, one, it does teach others there is a reward for loyalty, two,we are all interdependent on one another, Express Lanes success is partially based its employees, not taking anything away from the owners,and lastly,to help quell the nervousness and fears of its former loyal employees. When i was out stripping the stores, one of the reasons i personally felt bad was seeing, and hearing some of the hopelessness in people, how they would try to be upbeat and then admit their fear of having to depend on a company to whom they were nothing more then a number or position. I can relate because in todays world, it dosent matter with a corporation how good your work is, it is now ,simply,knowledge of someone in corporate,cost,or what can you do for me. it appears as if corporations have becoming mechanical machines interested in only projecting better results for the upcoming quarter.Hell, i have seen shoddy work,which a corporation would rather pay for then to take the time out to find better work at a lesser price because it is just easier to do so.That is sad. So that is the meat to my conversation with Reed,now for the dessert,he does not pull any punches that one,and he had me good,hehehehe.
And you,he asked. Not fair,hehehe. Ok, truth,of course i wish that i would be included,hell I dream, fantasize, have always done my best for Express Lane. Recognition of this sort would rock my world, make it all seem like there are some who believe in rewarding those who have given their best.Honestly,though,oh i so hate having to be honest here,they,Express Lane have already given me a lot. One, i am a vendor,not an employee, however they have always and i mean always treated me as a person. Two, they have always paid me for my services. Three,they took me in and me feel as if my contribution was important. Four, even though not a blood relative they have always been kind enough to listen to my problems,shown a sincere care for me and damn it made me feel good,a member of the Express Lane family.So, yes , it would be nice, but actually i was more concerned about the people who have become dependent on the Express Lane we all know and love. When all this began occurring 3 or 4 months ago,i wont admit i was upset,unkowingly to Express Lane owners,I had been asked to just do the Express Lane stores,i thought about it, was tired of rejection by other companies and proceeded to just do their stores, i do have a couple of stores i do, i also lost a couple when they found out i was doing some Express Lanes at no charge.My big mouth,i will never learn. Oh well, if they had been as good to me as Express Lane maybe i would have done the same for them, at any rate,the reason i stopped doing the stores or additional stores at no cost was quite simply,no gas money. Sorry,had to take a break,me and the two little ones made up some brownies,full of walnuts and andes mints,eat your heart out,but what a mess,hehehe,brownie mix everywhere,hehehe.Ok,where was I,ok,caught my train of thought.My bills come to about 1800 a montyh doing 19 stores plus the Dodges,meant i was going in the hole .Now i have no credit cards,bank accounts,or loans, so i truly live week to week. iI know,it is all my bad ,ok,anyways trying to be quick so i can play with the little ones, I did get a couple of side jobs, borrowed some money and finally confronted Mark about the extra work ,he had promised me previously.He gave me a scrub to do,authorized the strips,and due to that i have almost caught up on all my bills.Some people, including exemployees state i made a mistake in handling the Express Lane account ,treating them as family.They dont know how Reed brought me my check because i could not make it to the office,how Jim Lewis invited me over to shoot pool, or play the guitar,how someone always listened to me, how concerned the office workers were when i came in freezing from no heat in my van after finishing work to drop off my invoices, so the answer to the question is , yes, but irregardless either way, i have already recieved more then most vendors ever will. A home away from home.Thatsssssssssssssss all folks brownies are done,cooling now and grandkids are making me smile,enjoy your day,love,me.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thanksgiving, nd the end of Express Lane as i know it
Thanksgiving yesterday,watched twilight,breaking dawn part 2 today,was told my main contract Express Lane may be changing hands next month, and wife is coming home on the 8th. Soooooo,a lot has been happening and some things i will have to wait and see on. Life, it goes on and on, throwing us curve balls every time we least expect it, hehehe. Roll with it and come out looking for a better position, oh yeah.Now,where do i start, hmmmm.
Express Lane,that one kicked me in the ass. SHOCKER!!!!!!!. With all the changes going on there lately, i honestly felt as if there was something major coming on but, honestly could not put my finger on exactly what. When floor care went to once a month and i talked to Jim Lewis about it , he stated we were doing too much for the stores,which honestly did not sound right.After i offered to do work for less money and try to help out, with no response, i guess i should have noted a red flag, However, being the person I am,duhh, I never considered the options, and just did the best I could under the circumstances. A couple of weeks ago i did talk to the operations manager,Mark Shoffer, and informed him if things were going to continue in this venue, i would be out of business shortly,not just because of the money reduction but also my liability insurance coming up. I informed him that strips were going to start, and that the norm was to start and try to finish by Christmas. He told me to go ahead and do them, then i think it was the next week we were told about the company changing hands,freaked me out. Now nothing is definite, except for change, i feel bad for myself sure,but man all those employees, are nervous too. Mark says he is worried,but honestly i am sure he knows more then he is saying, politics, naturally. Some how i will make it,it may be the straw that breaks this camels back, but it wont be because i am a quitter. Awhile back, i had sent,given Jim Lewis, a letter informing him of how much i appreciated Express Lane, and their loyalty, the fact that i felt i had been adopted into being part of the Express Lane family. Well, i guess thats why i am an emotional fool, ah but they were good to me ,so what else can you say. I know it may sound unrealistic BUT, i do believe if they made out well on their deal it would not hurt for them to show some appreciation to some of the employees that have been around for 10 years or more. I know it may sound nuts it has been done before by other companies, they got bought out and in appreciation for the employees loyalty and support, they in turn rewarded them financially. Now,i know it seems like a pipe dream , but it has been done. I personally know for a fact that a lot of their employees are glad that they are holding the Christmas party early,they were worried about the bonuses ,which may not be earth shattering but hell it was important for the employee, and the fact the Lewis family is doing that, is very much appreciated by the employees. I dont know what else to say about this scenario, it is not in my hands, except to hope for the best. You know, Jim Lewis, told me if i had any business ideas he might have been willing to listen, and maybe help out, after all this evolved i did try to contact him ,to no avail, but i guess he has had a lot on his plate,maybe someday, hehehe. Oh well, there really is no use crying over spilt milk,and maybe, just maybe, i can turn this around, with the other company. I definitely have learned a lot in these last couple of years though, but life would not be the adventure it is, if, you were not learning new things,hehehehe.
Reed Lewis, my kind of guy, in all my other posts i talk about his brother, Jim Lewis, and the family, but Reed has always been the kind of guy next door, earthy, been there and back,no drama, listen and comment,without judging, kind,and a heart he tries to hide,wisdom that comes from having to deal with suffering and a smile,well he just makes you not want to quit. I want to call him a leader of men, but actually i think he is more an inspiration to people. Where some assume the leadership role through title,etc., etc., he inspires you,by the person he is. This is how true leadership works,by example,through effort, and overcoming lifes hardships, asking for no recognition ,and as due course, receiving an acknowledgement from all that he is a leader,who takes care of his own, and others where possible. He has a heart,he has felt the pain of others and ,in their time of need,makes time for them. Man,i am gonna miss you,our talks,where i ramble on,the way you made me feel as if what i said was worth listening to. Times, when i would say you really dont want to know, your acknowledgement of the situation ,not by telling me to tell you,just an acceptance that it could be,and instead of bull,you would respect that and let it be.here i am getting all emotional, so i will end this, but pray someday you have the opportunity to read it,love you blood.
Thanksgiving, ah, trippy, trippy. One for the books. i hope i either get that Dragon program or learn to type faster soon,this takes forever, hehehe. Messed around the house a little,then Scotty and I, went to Christenes about 3:30. Oh ,forgot the cable got shut off the night before so, as much as i hated asking,I did ask Christene if she would pay the bill till Friday,mainly cause it was driving Scotty nuts,even if he said otherwise and so Donna could get her email. So Christene paid it for me, and we planned to go for turkey there, talk about a wild ride. We pull up, get out, and Scotty is walking up,when lo and behold,i see someone i have an issue with, to put it nicely. Thats for another post on another day. I stand there, so hot i swear, the grass is scorching under my shoes, anger so black, i feared of losing control, my body starts vibrating, and when i sense how bad it is getting, i stop.Dead, in my tracks,tearing my eyes away, watching the children playing catch , in the front yard.Of all things this i least expected, i would have thought that ,out of respect someone would have told me he was going to be there, as they know how i feel. Then i would have simply taken Scotty, picked him up and, and hopefully some leftovers, and left, n.p..Thank god, for the children, for there would have been hell on earth without them. Only 2 people have seen me mad in 20 years,and that instance came to a quick end because I misunderstood something, but just that short burst flipped them out.It is really funny to me, how people can think that because some one keeps control over their anger that it is always possible,or how simply because they have never seen a person get violent, it is not possible.It is kind of like a person who has a license to carry a concealed weapon, he may look mousy, wear glasses and carry himself in a subservient way,but watch what happens when you mess with him. Living such a quiet, peace full life here, i have tried to keep my past away, but everyone has that point, you dont want to go. There will be a day of reckoning, but it will be on my terms, and it will be hell for some one, but not in front of the kids.You know it is kinda funny talking about this, because one day Jim Lewis, unwittingly, almost got me pissed off enough, i had told him about a problem,something about a store,and he came off with the comment,that i think about the little things,while he deals with the things way up here.It was the only time he ever talked down to me,and therefore ,i checked myself,thinking he was having a bad day.I laugh sometimes when people,even people i used to work with, try to full around with me physically, for they have no idea what the hell is possible. I remember one time in Southie, i was ready ,and capable of taking on an entire bar,which scared the hell out of my brother and current girlfriend, who kept trying to get me to leave, which i eventually did, hehehehehe, and at least people knew what would happen if you push me too far, here, they have no idea, which gives me a kinda pride in myself. I was taught a long time ago,kill someone, and their suffering is over, it is far better to keep them suffering, physically or psychologically, if you wish for them to be taught a lesson.OK,thats enough on that, i made it through the dinner, i kept to myself, talked to Will about his mother passing, tried to get Linda to at least say hi, with no luck, guess she really has no use for me which hurts,and Sotty kept an eye watching me to make sure i did not lose it. He did say, when we got home he would have had my back if there had been an incident, which made me feel good. Afterwards, we went to my mothers house,gave myself a pat on the back for that, and actually had a good time.I had worried she would be alone,but oh no,living room full,hehehehe.That made me happy, she loves being the center of attention, and actually since she always was before i am glad to see she still has her admirers today. So irregardless of the little things it was a pretty good day, and i even went to sleep earlier then usual,hehehehe. I really want to keep going but its 12 pm now so will pick up tomorrow,really............until then night all, may the force be with you and love in your life,me.
WOULD YOU BELIEVE PART 2,HEHEHEHEHE. Quite simply i can not fall asleep!!!!! It is 3:30 am and here i am back again,just got done watching The Three Musketeers,eating roast beef,and cant sleep,i wonder why. Ahhhh,life, it is good sometimes!!!!!! Far better to be here then other places i could be,optimist, pessimist, but always hopeful. so lets talk about Twilight ,Breaking Dawn, Part 2. First coffee,be right back...OK,half milk,half coffee,so lets go on a philosophical journey, or a trip through my mind,and its perceptions,SCARY HUH.. Vampires,werewolves,humans,and unsurprisingly a child that encompasses all three worlds.Do we all not do the same thing on a daily basis? Dont we deal with different cultures, races, religions,ways of life on a daily journey through humanity.Adaptation, the chameleon,actors on a stage ,all different, unique,each with a hidden secret from others,all in this bustle of humanity,an individual who must adapt,to am ever changing environment of beliefs and cultures,in a shrinking world,created by mass transit and the lightning quick reflexes of an electronic age. One where secrets are harder to hide, where truth is thrown at us ,sometimes anonymously, but even so stronger with out a signature for approval.Here is the strength of mankind,for while we are each an island,we are also unique in being above all a community of adaptability.We retain our self while becoming even more as we merge with one another. Perfect, no, but out of each process of learning to adapt with others , stronger tbrough the lessons we endure,more humane through the suffering we see exists,and somewhere in there more tolerant,more understanding of how important our own individuality is for us to succeed as we merge.I am unique,ther is none like me,similar,maybe even almost identical,{i feel for you too,he,he,he},but no one else thinks or is constructed of the memories and actions that have created me. I am the vampires child. My children, will be even more, for lines disintegrate,become blurry,more will be known, less hidden,stronger they will be, for with less hidden the core must become stronger, to retain its sense of self,or get swept away.I AM ENJOYING THE HELL OUT OF THIS,i wonder what i will think of it, if and when i read it again. When i was younger, I remember taking so much , pride , trying to put this correctly,at any rate, my ability to be a chameleon ,in any group, the ability to manipulate, and control, seemed like playing.Now, i find that i recieve more pleasure or as much in watching the world, at times trying to analyze various situations, that i really have no real back ground in with the exception of having lived a diversified life. I am right sometimes,and naturally i am wrong also.The truth to me is evident,people are generally wanting to be a better person, if they could afford itthey would rather be of the more positive side.Leaders ,those that set the boundaries,here we must exercise caution.Sci fi,mystical creatures,those who can share with but a thought their truths,maybe on the day humanity can share itself,open its mind,when we have no fear of our own individuality,and an even greater love for all,we will not need leaders,or fear vampires,werewolves or ourselves,and in that unity we will be the best we can be.WOW,SAID EITHER TOO MUCH,OR CONFUSED MYSELF,BUT I THINK I LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!SO WILL READ TOMORROW,gonna try to got to sleep now good night,whoever,whatever you are and welcome into my world,it is full of life,its pain,and especially love ,later,me
Express Lane,that one kicked me in the ass. SHOCKER!!!!!!!. With all the changes going on there lately, i honestly felt as if there was something major coming on but, honestly could not put my finger on exactly what. When floor care went to once a month and i talked to Jim Lewis about it , he stated we were doing too much for the stores,which honestly did not sound right.After i offered to do work for less money and try to help out, with no response, i guess i should have noted a red flag, However, being the person I am,duhh, I never considered the options, and just did the best I could under the circumstances. A couple of weeks ago i did talk to the operations manager,Mark Shoffer, and informed him if things were going to continue in this venue, i would be out of business shortly,not just because of the money reduction but also my liability insurance coming up. I informed him that strips were going to start, and that the norm was to start and try to finish by Christmas. He told me to go ahead and do them, then i think it was the next week we were told about the company changing hands,freaked me out. Now nothing is definite, except for change, i feel bad for myself sure,but man all those employees, are nervous too. Mark says he is worried,but honestly i am sure he knows more then he is saying, politics, naturally. Some how i will make it,it may be the straw that breaks this camels back, but it wont be because i am a quitter. Awhile back, i had sent,given Jim Lewis, a letter informing him of how much i appreciated Express Lane, and their loyalty, the fact that i felt i had been adopted into being part of the Express Lane family. Well, i guess thats why i am an emotional fool, ah but they were good to me ,so what else can you say. I know it may sound unrealistic BUT, i do believe if they made out well on their deal it would not hurt for them to show some appreciation to some of the employees that have been around for 10 years or more. I know it may sound nuts it has been done before by other companies, they got bought out and in appreciation for the employees loyalty and support, they in turn rewarded them financially. Now,i know it seems like a pipe dream , but it has been done. I personally know for a fact that a lot of their employees are glad that they are holding the Christmas party early,they were worried about the bonuses ,which may not be earth shattering but hell it was important for the employee, and the fact the Lewis family is doing that, is very much appreciated by the employees. I dont know what else to say about this scenario, it is not in my hands, except to hope for the best. You know, Jim Lewis, told me if i had any business ideas he might have been willing to listen, and maybe help out, after all this evolved i did try to contact him ,to no avail, but i guess he has had a lot on his plate,maybe someday, hehehe. Oh well, there really is no use crying over spilt milk,and maybe, just maybe, i can turn this around, with the other company. I definitely have learned a lot in these last couple of years though, but life would not be the adventure it is, if, you were not learning new things,hehehehe.
Reed Lewis, my kind of guy, in all my other posts i talk about his brother, Jim Lewis, and the family, but Reed has always been the kind of guy next door, earthy, been there and back,no drama, listen and comment,without judging, kind,and a heart he tries to hide,wisdom that comes from having to deal with suffering and a smile,well he just makes you not want to quit. I want to call him a leader of men, but actually i think he is more an inspiration to people. Where some assume the leadership role through title,etc., etc., he inspires you,by the person he is. This is how true leadership works,by example,through effort, and overcoming lifes hardships, asking for no recognition ,and as due course, receiving an acknowledgement from all that he is a leader,who takes care of his own, and others where possible. He has a heart,he has felt the pain of others and ,in their time of need,makes time for them. Man,i am gonna miss you,our talks,where i ramble on,the way you made me feel as if what i said was worth listening to. Times, when i would say you really dont want to know, your acknowledgement of the situation ,not by telling me to tell you,just an acceptance that it could be,and instead of bull,you would respect that and let it be.here i am getting all emotional, so i will end this, but pray someday you have the opportunity to read it,love you blood.
Thanksgiving, ah, trippy, trippy. One for the books. i hope i either get that Dragon program or learn to type faster soon,this takes forever, hehehe. Messed around the house a little,then Scotty and I, went to Christenes about 3:30. Oh ,forgot the cable got shut off the night before so, as much as i hated asking,I did ask Christene if she would pay the bill till Friday,mainly cause it was driving Scotty nuts,even if he said otherwise and so Donna could get her email. So Christene paid it for me, and we planned to go for turkey there, talk about a wild ride. We pull up, get out, and Scotty is walking up,when lo and behold,i see someone i have an issue with, to put it nicely. Thats for another post on another day. I stand there, so hot i swear, the grass is scorching under my shoes, anger so black, i feared of losing control, my body starts vibrating, and when i sense how bad it is getting, i stop.Dead, in my tracks,tearing my eyes away, watching the children playing catch , in the front yard.Of all things this i least expected, i would have thought that ,out of respect someone would have told me he was going to be there, as they know how i feel. Then i would have simply taken Scotty, picked him up and, and hopefully some leftovers, and left, n.p..Thank god, for the children, for there would have been hell on earth without them. Only 2 people have seen me mad in 20 years,and that instance came to a quick end because I misunderstood something, but just that short burst flipped them out.It is really funny to me, how people can think that because some one keeps control over their anger that it is always possible,or how simply because they have never seen a person get violent, it is not possible.It is kind of like a person who has a license to carry a concealed weapon, he may look mousy, wear glasses and carry himself in a subservient way,but watch what happens when you mess with him. Living such a quiet, peace full life here, i have tried to keep my past away, but everyone has that point, you dont want to go. There will be a day of reckoning, but it will be on my terms, and it will be hell for some one, but not in front of the kids.You know it is kinda funny talking about this, because one day Jim Lewis, unwittingly, almost got me pissed off enough, i had told him about a problem,something about a store,and he came off with the comment,that i think about the little things,while he deals with the things way up here.It was the only time he ever talked down to me,and therefore ,i checked myself,thinking he was having a bad day.I laugh sometimes when people,even people i used to work with, try to full around with me physically, for they have no idea what the hell is possible. I remember one time in Southie, i was ready ,and capable of taking on an entire bar,which scared the hell out of my brother and current girlfriend, who kept trying to get me to leave, which i eventually did, hehehehehe, and at least people knew what would happen if you push me too far, here, they have no idea, which gives me a kinda pride in myself. I was taught a long time ago,kill someone, and their suffering is over, it is far better to keep them suffering, physically or psychologically, if you wish for them to be taught a lesson.OK,thats enough on that, i made it through the dinner, i kept to myself, talked to Will about his mother passing, tried to get Linda to at least say hi, with no luck, guess she really has no use for me which hurts,and Sotty kept an eye watching me to make sure i did not lose it. He did say, when we got home he would have had my back if there had been an incident, which made me feel good. Afterwards, we went to my mothers house,gave myself a pat on the back for that, and actually had a good time.I had worried she would be alone,but oh no,living room full,hehehehe.That made me happy, she loves being the center of attention, and actually since she always was before i am glad to see she still has her admirers today. So irregardless of the little things it was a pretty good day, and i even went to sleep earlier then usual,hehehehe. I really want to keep going but its 12 pm now so will pick up tomorrow,really............until then night all, may the force be with you and love in your life,me.
WOULD YOU BELIEVE PART 2,HEHEHEHEHE. Quite simply i can not fall asleep!!!!! It is 3:30 am and here i am back again,just got done watching The Three Musketeers,eating roast beef,and cant sleep,i wonder why. Ahhhh,life, it is good sometimes!!!!!! Far better to be here then other places i could be,optimist, pessimist, but always hopeful. so lets talk about Twilight ,Breaking Dawn, Part 2. First coffee,be right back...OK,half milk,half coffee,so lets go on a philosophical journey, or a trip through my mind,and its perceptions,SCARY HUH.. Vampires,werewolves,humans,and unsurprisingly a child that encompasses all three worlds.Do we all not do the same thing on a daily basis? Dont we deal with different cultures, races, religions,ways of life on a daily journey through humanity.Adaptation, the chameleon,actors on a stage ,all different, unique,each with a hidden secret from others,all in this bustle of humanity,an individual who must adapt,to am ever changing environment of beliefs and cultures,in a shrinking world,created by mass transit and the lightning quick reflexes of an electronic age. One where secrets are harder to hide, where truth is thrown at us ,sometimes anonymously, but even so stronger with out a signature for approval.Here is the strength of mankind,for while we are each an island,we are also unique in being above all a community of adaptability.We retain our self while becoming even more as we merge with one another. Perfect, no, but out of each process of learning to adapt with others , stronger tbrough the lessons we endure,more humane through the suffering we see exists,and somewhere in there more tolerant,more understanding of how important our own individuality is for us to succeed as we merge.I am unique,ther is none like me,similar,maybe even almost identical,{i feel for you too,he,he,he},but no one else thinks or is constructed of the memories and actions that have created me. I am the vampires child. My children, will be even more, for lines disintegrate,become blurry,more will be known, less hidden,stronger they will be, for with less hidden the core must become stronger, to retain its sense of self,or get swept away.I AM ENJOYING THE HELL OUT OF THIS,i wonder what i will think of it, if and when i read it again. When i was younger, I remember taking so much , pride , trying to put this correctly,at any rate, my ability to be a chameleon ,in any group, the ability to manipulate, and control, seemed like playing.Now, i find that i recieve more pleasure or as much in watching the world, at times trying to analyze various situations, that i really have no real back ground in with the exception of having lived a diversified life. I am right sometimes,and naturally i am wrong also.The truth to me is evident,people are generally wanting to be a better person, if they could afford itthey would rather be of the more positive side.Leaders ,those that set the boundaries,here we must exercise caution.Sci fi,mystical creatures,those who can share with but a thought their truths,maybe on the day humanity can share itself,open its mind,when we have no fear of our own individuality,and an even greater love for all,we will not need leaders,or fear vampires,werewolves or ourselves,and in that unity we will be the best we can be.WOW,SAID EITHER TOO MUCH,OR CONFUSED MYSELF,BUT I THINK I LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!SO WILL READ TOMORROW,gonna try to got to sleep now good night,whoever,whatever you are and welcome into my world,it is full of life,its pain,and especially love ,later,me
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
no coffee,cigs till tomorrow and get paid on friday
Hehehehehe, life is fun, seriously.All day has been kinda strange,mainly because it was one of those days where you think it is Thursday,get paid tomorrow,and then you realize its Wednesday. I really did run out of coffe and cigs will be out tomorrow,but, it is ok,no shame in my game, will borrow a few bucks or ask my mom for some coffee. Hehehehe, she loves when i need her or need some help,and i get a kick out of her, and her actions.I have been trying harder to develop a better relationship, besides now ,i am beginning to understand life a little more,and perhaps,maybe realizing, life is not always the way we would like it to be.Now, that does not mean we can not find some humor or enjoyment,even when things are not so good.i am enjoying myself writing this post,though, i had thought about going out to shoot some pool tonight.Of course that was when i thought today was Thursday this is kinda fun,no direction,just me ,my thoughts, and some awesome music. Soooooooooo,oh yeah the vacuum cleaner works!!!!! It stopped working about a month ago, tried different outlets, no luck,pet hair driving me nuts, and it was depressing too.made me feel as if the house was nasty,even when i cleaned. I was looking around my office,room whatever you call it and on a whim plugged in the vac, sucker came on, in a loud way,spooked me while installing a moment of amazement,coupled with unbelief. Hell, yeah,i plugged that red beast in and rodeoed all over the carpet. Poor pets, it had been so long since they heard that noise, they scattered in different directions,while the vac and i carved a swath of clean through the jungle of pet fur,on the carpet.The wonder of watching the carpet beginning to unveil itself in colors of royal burgundy,dark blue,curves of white,and the grey blue of a choppy sea. Sweet!!!!!!!!, and i know i am not supposed to admit it,but, watching the cat and dog tumbling over one another in an effort to avoid me in this wondrous event,made me laugh.Fun for all.
Last night,finally started strips for Express Lane, did the store in Bristol, 92, now that was an event. Started at 7 got done about 4, so many displays to move and that tar stuff they had used to redo the parking lot,what a joyous mess.No lie, intimated at first because i wanted it to look good and not cut any edges but, honestly that floor was rough.Getting started was not too bad except for the displays, i had to keep shifting from one spot to another a couple of times, . If i had another person could have moved everything to the main aisles, and it would have gone much quicker, but thats ok,time is something i do have.Finished all of the center, leaving me just the main entrance aisle and cooler aisle.Then things got nuts,naturally, first the deli lady, tells me she has to do inventory,and she is going to wait till i am done.i told her she had complete access to the store and that i would start on front,she kept insisting she would just wait, hell, part of the job is to make sure customers have access, and here she is trying to use me as an excuse not o do her job.Then when i start on the front the clerk and deli lady are telling me to put a sign on the door to keep out the customers.I try to tell them the customers can come in the one door and we can still ring up merchandise.Oh, no, they will track up the floor and the D.M. will be upset.Now i know better, Express Lane takes care of the customer first, we work around the customer. Hell, no customers, no Express Lane, no job,sometimes i really wonder about people,bitch about pay,not enough hours,and then do something stupid like that. I get it all done,had to rip their little sign off the door,after we lost a customer who wanted some coffee,that shit pisses me off. I tried to let him in and those women were no, no, noing, me to death. Eventually i did get it done,and loaded up the front and cooler aisles with sealer and wax.The only thing i was upset about was my electric burnisher has been down for while, and the propane i am not allowed to use, so could not burnish it out.With as much wax as I put on there, we would have been looking at a sheet of glass, No dresses allowed, hehehehe. I even thought of going back tonight, do behind the counter,another 50 bucks and then buff the floor out, unfortunately no money for gas, maybe this weekend,we shall see.
Wal-Mart, I actually dropped off one of my company envelopes, now to try and talk to the manager.Slowly, but surely, I am becoming more confident, in selling myself. Being shy,thinking too much,and over thinking myself before I get in the door kills me, I am truly mine own worst enemy.For years people have been trying to get me to talk with them, to no avail. Now, it may be too late ,but i am gonna try.
What else is on my mind? Well there are somethings I try to deal with, the other day i was watching a movie dont remember which one,and someone made the statement (Being any kind of happy,is better then being miserable, about someone you cant have.) . that threw all kinds of thoughts in my head, of course it did not change anything, just gave me something to contemplate.
To end on a more positive outlook,on my way to Express Lane store 20 in Tallahassee, I stopped at one of the former Express Lane stores and I may get the contract, I also contacted the company in charge of doing the Dollar Stores,now we will just have to wait and see. At any rate ,with more effort ,comes the possibilty of greater rewards, so endeavor i shall. Thats a wrap and lots of love to all,ttyl,me.
Last night,finally started strips for Express Lane, did the store in Bristol, 92, now that was an event. Started at 7 got done about 4, so many displays to move and that tar stuff they had used to redo the parking lot,what a joyous mess.No lie, intimated at first because i wanted it to look good and not cut any edges but, honestly that floor was rough.Getting started was not too bad except for the displays, i had to keep shifting from one spot to another a couple of times, . If i had another person could have moved everything to the main aisles, and it would have gone much quicker, but thats ok,time is something i do have.Finished all of the center, leaving me just the main entrance aisle and cooler aisle.Then things got nuts,naturally, first the deli lady, tells me she has to do inventory,and she is going to wait till i am done.i told her she had complete access to the store and that i would start on front,she kept insisting she would just wait, hell, part of the job is to make sure customers have access, and here she is trying to use me as an excuse not o do her job.Then when i start on the front the clerk and deli lady are telling me to put a sign on the door to keep out the customers.I try to tell them the customers can come in the one door and we can still ring up merchandise.Oh, no, they will track up the floor and the D.M. will be upset.Now i know better, Express Lane takes care of the customer first, we work around the customer. Hell, no customers, no Express Lane, no job,sometimes i really wonder about people,bitch about pay,not enough hours,and then do something stupid like that. I get it all done,had to rip their little sign off the door,after we lost a customer who wanted some coffee,that shit pisses me off. I tried to let him in and those women were no, no, noing, me to death. Eventually i did get it done,and loaded up the front and cooler aisles with sealer and wax.The only thing i was upset about was my electric burnisher has been down for while, and the propane i am not allowed to use, so could not burnish it out.With as much wax as I put on there, we would have been looking at a sheet of glass, No dresses allowed, hehehehe. I even thought of going back tonight, do behind the counter,another 50 bucks and then buff the floor out, unfortunately no money for gas, maybe this weekend,we shall see.
Wal-Mart, I actually dropped off one of my company envelopes, now to try and talk to the manager.Slowly, but surely, I am becoming more confident, in selling myself. Being shy,thinking too much,and over thinking myself before I get in the door kills me, I am truly mine own worst enemy.For years people have been trying to get me to talk with them, to no avail. Now, it may be too late ,but i am gonna try.
What else is on my mind? Well there are somethings I try to deal with, the other day i was watching a movie dont remember which one,and someone made the statement (Being any kind of happy,is better then being miserable, about someone you cant have.) . that threw all kinds of thoughts in my head, of course it did not change anything, just gave me something to contemplate.
To end on a more positive outlook,on my way to Express Lane store 20 in Tallahassee, I stopped at one of the former Express Lane stores and I may get the contract, I also contacted the company in charge of doing the Dollar Stores,now we will just have to wait and see. At any rate ,with more effort ,comes the possibilty of greater rewards, so endeavor i shall. Thats a wrap and lots of love to all,ttyl,me.
Friday, November 9, 2012
life,my thoughts on life and living -meeting natalie stovall: Natalie Stovall-The Dance
life,my thoughts on life and living -meeting natalie stovall: Natalie Stovall-The Dance: Where do you begin when there are not enough words,the inabilty to transcribe in the same,black and white symbols,an event that colors yo...
Natalie Stovall-The Dance
Where do you begin when there are not enough words,the inabilty to transcribe in the same,black and white symbols,an event that colors your emotions,sends sparks flying along the tendrils of your thoughts, erupting your body with desire, white,soft pink and yellow, the romance, passion colored in red,and black the despondency of the knowledge, you dream the dream to be unfilled, hunger created by a vision ,only seen in the dreams of a romantic.The humor life shows,its laughter loud,with me,at me, the joyous mirth, the double edge sword cutting through me ,oh so ,loud and emphatic,wall of defense. Country music, i can not stand, dont turn it on in my car, will endure if neccessary,wishing i had cotton in my ears, hehehe. The Jester called life is standing there,smiling at me, and for the life of me,even with the knowledge of the pain ,heart break, lifes lessons from living life, i can not help but smile back,with a twinkle in my eyes,and bow in admittance that i it has taught me another lesson,and not just one but another in that somethings happen, when ,where and irregardless, of the defenses i surrounded myself with.Country music,well,have i changed myopinion,i dont really believe so,maybe a little,just a little more likely, to listen with out showing so much rejection simply because of the genre.I am dragging this out,so much to say,so me thing i cant ,a quandary, no knowledge of how to say it all,laughing at the irony of my life,the fact that i ,who would say,no shame in my game,and walk that talk,is dancing all over this page, not out of fear,or fear of redicule, its the sadness of it.Joy,bursting within,dreamer,that i am , magic my life has been ,affecting some,lives ,theirs and mine,enrichened , for i refused to believe in the improbibilty, believing that there is that one thing that can make anything possible.Ahhhhhhhhh,,,enough,can we talk?
Natalie Stovall,my first intro to her,was about a month or so ago,at her previous set at Spinakers,actually i had only come in to see some of the staff,i had checked out the website and the moment i saw country,i shook my head and decided i was spending the w/e at La vela.At any rate i am talking to the staff and the band comes on stage,with her following.Damn,here, i go at a complete loss.Music,to me, can be more intimate then sex, as personal as making love and infuse itself into your essence closer than a humans touch.The sound of a violin,fiddle,trumpet,piano,bongos,or organ,to me touch the places in me ,like an electrical circuit. This is not to belittle any other instruments,i play the guitar myself,these are the instruments that my soul responds to,there is this thing, i call it the fifth beat or rather note,i know crazy,but where most people hear ,respond ,dance to the obvious beat in a song ,when i begin to feel the raptor,the communication between my body and the music,emotional stimuli, ignighting,and my soul,starts to overflow with all the musical essence,it moves me,i am lost in the celebration,for this i have been created,to dance ,to that fifth beat,a celebration of life, an acknowledgment of my appreciation of having tasted life.Making love to life, music, our shared intimacy, Natalie played, i listened and got lost .Accolades to her fellow musicians they are all good, and i have known a few so speak with some authority,i only wish i could describe my feelings, the emotional rainbow, or the thoughts that caressed my mind .I never made it to La Velas, i did not even go to work that Sunday so i could listen to her.Life , occasionally will, in the worst of times,grant us an insight that makes our troubles become less significant,promises that life is worth living, dreams to make the day bearable.Bonding, even if unknown by another,plants us more sturdily,gives strength,desire to feel it again, i can make it for there will be another time.A testament to her,simple, after that w/e i went out once more,knowing she would be returning soon,i did not go dancing or out until she returned this w/e.This from a man who goes out every weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday occasionally also.It just seemed like anyone elses music would feel insignificant, at least to my soul.i will be the first to tell you that i sound crazy,i mean i love hip hop,blues,some classical ,rock,i love music.Now i have been smitten by some country/western singer,lordy,lordy.
O.k,,god for a man who cant type that well this is taking forever,to me its worth it,for, some day i will smile with the memories it brings fresh again.The next show,last w/e,demonstrated the humor,joy and promise life offers,It will not tell of the anguish, fear, or reality of being the romantic fool i am.So remember that lifes beauty did overcome pain, in the midst of torture there is a quiet place,and that the dance celebrates all aspects of life, the spin and that joyous leap encompassing all, in its celebration. Checking the web,i found that Natalie was only playing Sat.and Sun. night, in addition Spinnaker was closing for the rest of the year till New Years.I am such a man,did not go to the club and yell at them, or demand that they cant do this to me, hehehehe. You know sometimes life just sucks!!!!! I dont think they would have listened to me anyway,i am laughing to myself as i write this,wonder if it is to help cover the pain of being me.Oh, well, on we go,i had been so impressed with Natalie,i had told Scottman, i was going to ask her if she would come meet Stormy and possibly play for her,thinking how much Stormy loves country,plus it would make a lasting impression on her,and maybe make up for me not spending time with her.How do you explain you dont even have the money for the gas,when they live 10 miles away.Life,you gotta love it.Anywayyyy,back to basics,Saturday night i go to the club, everyone said they missed me which made me feel good, actually real good,so there,hehehe. Surprise,surprise,main stage is shut down,now whats up,turns out they are using the smaller stage in the back.Now i feel a little anxious,see there is a seating area around the main stage overlooking the dance floor,with a shelf for your drinks,and thats where i dance at,never get on the floor. i am always a little nervous when i feel the music starting to seep inside ,making me want to dance, and in addition it is like my safety ,for women cant dance with me, or at least most of the time, though there have been a couple who just jump in. In the back, with the exception of the stage ,its all one level including the dance floor,ughh,what do i do now.Natalie,starts her first set,and me i am not going to risk anything so i sit in a chair, figuring i will just listen.She plays,i listen, eventually i cant stop myself,i stand feeling the combination of her,the music,my thoughts,and my body responds, almost as if there is no resistance left. Captured like a deer in the lights,i stand in the corner ,my body screaming for freedom as i attempt to appease it by simply letting my feet move,holding myself in check. after the first set i escape into the dance room inside,trying to feed my bodys dancing hunger by dancing a little inside. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh the night, i stayed until the last set, torn in two, at one point Natalie, came up to me ,saying hi,telling me she appreciated the fact i came to hear her.Talk about feeling like a kid again, my mind racing with things i wanted to say,thought of saying to her,duhhhhhhhhh, i have seldom felt so tongue tied. Mind overload, where would i start,she would think i was a wacko,hell i am writing this, trying not to say too much and i wonder,hehehehe,overwhelmed.
Sunday night,last night of the year for Spinnakers and i have decided i am going to go, i tell myself its the last night, some of the people asked if i was coming,what the hell,i know i am going ,i know why,i just cant be honest with myself,Buty then while we can lie to others we cant lie to ourselves. At least i cant. Anyway, this is where i hope that i never forget the night,one of the most wonderful times,one of the most difficult nights i have experienced.I got there after the first set,i know,i swear it was a night that only the fates could have set up. First, one of the waitresses,i owe a debt of gratitude to , for unknowingly she made the night possible, by being a little wise ass,which i say with a smile.Natalie came up to me after the first set,being nice ,she said hello, and being scared to the point i could not let the fear win,i talked back, i know, no big deal for someone else but i was an emotional wreck.I even worked up the courage, to talk to her about Stormy and she said that i could bring her down for the sound check,next year.Which was sweet ,even though its a long time from now,damn that sucks. Well next thing you know i had asked the waitress how old Natalie was,wise ass,hehehe,says she dont know walks over too Natalie,over my screaming at her to stop,next thing you know,Natalie,turns around,blond hair swinging,eyes full of a sassy fire and ,strutting like a ,how can i describe, simply beautiful.Demanding me to tell her old i thought she was,,for some reason that instant she became real,which is hard to describe but i know what i mean,and life was good .It was standing room only and this meant i could hide in the crowd and dance, like no one was watching , and i did. i even felt restricted , feeling as if i wanted to explode with the magic of her,reveal my celebration of her music with my dance,share the intimacy i felt. Her,the music, me, the dance,there are very few women that i personally feel an affinity to,enough to share the dance,but here the man that told women no all the time,wanted to dance with someone.For me to admit this to myself was a surprise in itself, the desire ahhhhhhhh,what can i say,except read this again if cant remember,hehehe.Not likely,we are getting close,this has taken hours,but thats o.k..
THE DANCE, is more intimate then making love,for here you dont worry about good enough, do this ,do that, it is two people free of constraint, celebrating passion , the melding of two people joyously sharing themselves with another, their eyes revealing to one another thoughts,and emotions ,reflections that words can only begin to try to describe. before man could speak he revealed himself through dance, its power,and interpretation speaking volumes to another. Ok,ok,just about there,Natalie is playing,sparkling,,filling me,I am dancing over to the side so i can watch her play,mesmorized by the magic she weaves, she looks at me and there is a second, recognition, and she plays,hot,fast,furious,eyes beaming with intensity,while she challenges me on the floor,shacles broken,crowd opening i dance in response,here i am ,free of thought, bubbling in a passion uncorked,celebrating the moment, I dance in for,because of this woman, who stands before me playing like a musical muse from an enchanted forest.This moment , wondrous, magical, and then i looking into her eyes, they are closed, as she plays, saddened here, i am lost, here i wanted you to see,to share ,i spin torn,thinking by the time i come back she will open her eyes, she is gone, walking away, playing as if to make the gods hear. Happy, confused, sad, it was all,and even with its sadness the ignition of that first passion will always be there. I am proud of the fact that i am who i am,i feel no shame in being sensitive ,romantic,or a dreamer.Chances, i have taken risks, reaped the benefits of following my heart,not my head, and one of lifes ironies is this.To truly appreciate,something, you must first lose it, and what good would being happy be without some knowledge of sadness.So,do you, do you, do you want a dance baby?!!!!!!!!
Natalie Stovall,my first intro to her,was about a month or so ago,at her previous set at Spinakers,actually i had only come in to see some of the staff,i had checked out the website and the moment i saw country,i shook my head and decided i was spending the w/e at La vela.At any rate i am talking to the staff and the band comes on stage,with her following.Damn,here, i go at a complete loss.Music,to me, can be more intimate then sex, as personal as making love and infuse itself into your essence closer than a humans touch.The sound of a violin,fiddle,trumpet,piano,bongos,or organ,to me touch the places in me ,like an electrical circuit. This is not to belittle any other instruments,i play the guitar myself,these are the instruments that my soul responds to,there is this thing, i call it the fifth beat or rather note,i know crazy,but where most people hear ,respond ,dance to the obvious beat in a song ,when i begin to feel the raptor,the communication between my body and the music,emotional stimuli, ignighting,and my soul,starts to overflow with all the musical essence,it moves me,i am lost in the celebration,for this i have been created,to dance ,to that fifth beat,a celebration of life, an acknowledgment of my appreciation of having tasted life.Making love to life, music, our shared intimacy, Natalie played, i listened and got lost .Accolades to her fellow musicians they are all good, and i have known a few so speak with some authority,i only wish i could describe my feelings, the emotional rainbow, or the thoughts that caressed my mind .I never made it to La Velas, i did not even go to work that Sunday so i could listen to her.Life , occasionally will, in the worst of times,grant us an insight that makes our troubles become less significant,promises that life is worth living, dreams to make the day bearable.Bonding, even if unknown by another,plants us more sturdily,gives strength,desire to feel it again, i can make it for there will be another time.A testament to her,simple, after that w/e i went out once more,knowing she would be returning soon,i did not go dancing or out until she returned this w/e.This from a man who goes out every weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday occasionally also.It just seemed like anyone elses music would feel insignificant, at least to my soul.i will be the first to tell you that i sound crazy,i mean i love hip hop,blues,some classical ,rock,i love music.Now i have been smitten by some country/western singer,lordy,lordy.
O.k,,god for a man who cant type that well this is taking forever,to me its worth it,for, some day i will smile with the memories it brings fresh again.The next show,last w/e,demonstrated the humor,joy and promise life offers,It will not tell of the anguish, fear, or reality of being the romantic fool i am.So remember that lifes beauty did overcome pain, in the midst of torture there is a quiet place,and that the dance celebrates all aspects of life, the spin and that joyous leap encompassing all, in its celebration. Checking the web,i found that Natalie was only playing Sat.and Sun. night, in addition Spinnaker was closing for the rest of the year till New Years.I am such a man,did not go to the club and yell at them, or demand that they cant do this to me, hehehehe. You know sometimes life just sucks!!!!! I dont think they would have listened to me anyway,i am laughing to myself as i write this,wonder if it is to help cover the pain of being me.Oh, well, on we go,i had been so impressed with Natalie,i had told Scottman, i was going to ask her if she would come meet Stormy and possibly play for her,thinking how much Stormy loves country,plus it would make a lasting impression on her,and maybe make up for me not spending time with her.How do you explain you dont even have the money for the gas,when they live 10 miles away.Life,you gotta love it.Anywayyyy,back to basics,Saturday night i go to the club, everyone said they missed me which made me feel good, actually real good,so there,hehehe. Surprise,surprise,main stage is shut down,now whats up,turns out they are using the smaller stage in the back.Now i feel a little anxious,see there is a seating area around the main stage overlooking the dance floor,with a shelf for your drinks,and thats where i dance at,never get on the floor. i am always a little nervous when i feel the music starting to seep inside ,making me want to dance, and in addition it is like my safety ,for women cant dance with me, or at least most of the time, though there have been a couple who just jump in. In the back, with the exception of the stage ,its all one level including the dance floor,ughh,what do i do now.Natalie,starts her first set,and me i am not going to risk anything so i sit in a chair, figuring i will just listen.She plays,i listen, eventually i cant stop myself,i stand feeling the combination of her,the music,my thoughts,and my body responds, almost as if there is no resistance left. Captured like a deer in the lights,i stand in the corner ,my body screaming for freedom as i attempt to appease it by simply letting my feet move,holding myself in check. after the first set i escape into the dance room inside,trying to feed my bodys dancing hunger by dancing a little inside. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh the night, i stayed until the last set, torn in two, at one point Natalie, came up to me ,saying hi,telling me she appreciated the fact i came to hear her.Talk about feeling like a kid again, my mind racing with things i wanted to say,thought of saying to her,duhhhhhhhhh, i have seldom felt so tongue tied. Mind overload, where would i start,she would think i was a wacko,hell i am writing this, trying not to say too much and i wonder,hehehehe,overwhelmed.
Sunday night,last night of the year for Spinnakers and i have decided i am going to go, i tell myself its the last night, some of the people asked if i was coming,what the hell,i know i am going ,i know why,i just cant be honest with myself,Buty then while we can lie to others we cant lie to ourselves. At least i cant. Anyway, this is where i hope that i never forget the night,one of the most wonderful times,one of the most difficult nights i have experienced.I got there after the first set,i know,i swear it was a night that only the fates could have set up. First, one of the waitresses,i owe a debt of gratitude to , for unknowingly she made the night possible, by being a little wise ass,which i say with a smile.Natalie came up to me after the first set,being nice ,she said hello, and being scared to the point i could not let the fear win,i talked back, i know, no big deal for someone else but i was an emotional wreck.I even worked up the courage, to talk to her about Stormy and she said that i could bring her down for the sound check,next year.Which was sweet ,even though its a long time from now,damn that sucks. Well next thing you know i had asked the waitress how old Natalie was,wise ass,hehehe,says she dont know walks over too Natalie,over my screaming at her to stop,next thing you know,Natalie,turns around,blond hair swinging,eyes full of a sassy fire and ,strutting like a ,how can i describe, simply beautiful.Demanding me to tell her old i thought she was,,for some reason that instant she became real,which is hard to describe but i know what i mean,and life was good .It was standing room only and this meant i could hide in the crowd and dance, like no one was watching , and i did. i even felt restricted , feeling as if i wanted to explode with the magic of her,reveal my celebration of her music with my dance,share the intimacy i felt. Her,the music, me, the dance,there are very few women that i personally feel an affinity to,enough to share the dance,but here the man that told women no all the time,wanted to dance with someone.For me to admit this to myself was a surprise in itself, the desire ahhhhhhhh,what can i say,except read this again if cant remember,hehehe.Not likely,we are getting close,this has taken hours,but thats o.k..
THE DANCE, is more intimate then making love,for here you dont worry about good enough, do this ,do that, it is two people free of constraint, celebrating passion , the melding of two people joyously sharing themselves with another, their eyes revealing to one another thoughts,and emotions ,reflections that words can only begin to try to describe. before man could speak he revealed himself through dance, its power,and interpretation speaking volumes to another. Ok,ok,just about there,Natalie is playing,sparkling,,filling me,I am dancing over to the side so i can watch her play,mesmorized by the magic she weaves, she looks at me and there is a second, recognition, and she plays,hot,fast,furious,eyes beaming with intensity,while she challenges me on the floor,shacles broken,crowd opening i dance in response,here i am ,free of thought, bubbling in a passion uncorked,celebrating the moment, I dance in for,because of this woman, who stands before me playing like a musical muse from an enchanted forest.This moment , wondrous, magical, and then i looking into her eyes, they are closed, as she plays, saddened here, i am lost, here i wanted you to see,to share ,i spin torn,thinking by the time i come back she will open her eyes, she is gone, walking away, playing as if to make the gods hear. Happy, confused, sad, it was all,and even with its sadness the ignition of that first passion will always be there. I am proud of the fact that i am who i am,i feel no shame in being sensitive ,romantic,or a dreamer.Chances, i have taken risks, reaped the benefits of following my heart,not my head, and one of lifes ironies is this.To truly appreciate,something, you must first lose it, and what good would being happy be without some knowledge of sadness.So,do you, do you, do you want a dance baby?!!!!!!!!
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