For sale.

anti social

The company Miriam worked for was quite small.

When she began work the whole company was a couple dozen. Each christmas there was a big company party.

Bonus's were handed out, often equal to months pay.

The owner of the company was an old friend from my photography days, when he was the editor of a regional magazine.

But the old friend died, his family kept running the company, and it grew. The parties were not that personal almost family get together, at least not to me, an outsider.

One year there was a summer party. All employees and their families were invited to this old mansion. I went with Miriam.

As I sat watching all of these people have a great time, I got to thinking.

I was as educated as almost any of them. I was as bright as some of them, but I was the guy they called when something was broken and they could buy my services very cheaply.

There was no question. I was a step child again.

So I made arrangements for someone to bring Miriam home and I went back to my shop to work.

A friend, a Doctor whose wife worked for the company, missed me, asked Miriam and then called me at my shop.

Yes I should go back, but no I would not.

He suggested I need to get some counseling for my anti-social behavior, and I thought he had no idea.

young -- where?

We have a young pastor.

I thought it was a good idea when I voted for him, and I am sure it still is.

He organized a bunch of groups, one he called the “Young at heart.” I found the name a bit patronizing, coming from a young guy. The meetings were at noon, which is not a good time for me and I am scared silly about going to a big potluck.

Part of the last is that I am not that much of a group person and part of it is that I am really not a good cook. I get by with Miriam and I, but she is so uncritical. There are people, mostly women, who were cooking before I was born and they kick out wonderful dishes all the time.

That is a scary group to hang with.

But Peggy called me today and did a special invitation, along with a little push, and I gave in.

Tomorrow morning is baking morning I guess (I ground flour tonight), so I will make a batch of whole wheat bread and maybe a loaf of olive bread or a pan of dinner rolls. I can bake, it is the cooking part that troubles me.

So wish me luck, wish that the yeast will rise and the salt will be right and that my trusty Kitchen Aid will keep going (it will last longer than I will, I am sure).

The leader this month is an old friend, Peggy tells me. He is a good guy, but I am not sure that Peggy and the good guy can convince me to go too often!

nigeria

Did you notice the name of the acting president of Nigeria?

Goodluck Jonathan!

I read that he is a somewhat boring academic (aren't all academics a bit boring?).

By the sound of it, he will need all he can find.

Along with the photographers shadow.

progress

February 23, 10

I was given a subscription to the Wall Street Journal, a few years ago.

Now as I start the morning fire I am using those old copies as fire starter.

Some of the headlines are interesting, to say the least.

This morning I learned that the ratings firm Standards and Poors has downgraded three grocery chains to junk bond status. They were Kroger, Safeway and Albertsons.

Albertsons was once was a local company. It was started down the street by a guy named Joe. Now it is a division of some other company based in Minnesota or Milwaukee or someplace. When it was a local company it did pretty well, but the biggies decided the company should be a really biggie and they spent too much of other people's money.

The final irony was that a guy came in as president, made 25 million by selling the company.

Of course with the sale went a few thousand good jobs.

My loyalty went away a long time ago.

Leo; Tear trailer

Leo is doing better.

We left him with Lia in Portland. Leo is her dog, we have had him on loan!

But, now, Lia tells me that he is eating and keeping it down. That is the beginning, but an important beginning. He went from 17 pounds to about 9 in two weeks. Bleeding Ulcer the doc said.

It will be a long recovery I fear, but Lia will take wonderful care of him.


There is an old line: Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

But there is a distinction between well and well well enough for now.

I built the teardrop trailer 4 seasons ago. It has a lot of good miles on it, and we have had good times.

But I did not solve all problems and now I am working on them. This involves a fairly big hunk of rebuilding and redesigning. But it is a fun and it is not spendy (two factors I like).

I might have done this when I built it. Rebuilt some things that did not work out quite right, but I was anxious to get camping. And, truthfully, I do not regret it. I have learned a lot and spent a lot of time and paper redesigning some features.

Takes time, but it will be good.

Might even be more legal!

And camping season is not too far away!