When is Cold, Too Cold???

I find it most interesting, that I move to the desert, and I forgot how cold it could get at night...

Last night, it got down to 31 degrees....Now I know, to some of you that might not seem cold, but to this ex-Californian, IT'S FREAKING FREEZING! I woke in the morning, checked on ol' Bruno and he's nestled in this tent (yes, tent. I'll get to that later...), in all the blankets, and his doggie bed, just about buried in them...His water troth looked a bit odd. I touched it, it was frozen over! A quarter inch of ice completely covered the entire surface of the troth.

So much for the warmth of the desert.

So is it Global Warming? Are we moving further from the sun? Is it El Nino?

No....It's freaking winter. And it's here. It's here early, This is a show of force. The shape of things to come. So bundle up friends, get the long johns, the wood for the fire, stoke up the furnace and get ready to make snow angels. If last night was an example, it looks like we're in for some cold nights.

Hopefully you have a snuggle partner. And warm blankets.

If you don't....Find one. At least get the blankets. And some hot chocolate. That's always good.

Oh, and Bruno's tent...Well, it's like this. Bruno has this thing about being locked up, basically he doesn't like it. See, when we first moved here, I thought he would like the garage.

Nope.

He would have nothing to do with it...Thank god for steel core doors.

See, we bought him a dog house once. He walked in, stood up and the roof came up.

The dog is all legs....

So, we bought him a tent..It's similar to the one he has..actually he had one just like this, but he put it through the ringer.

I'll put pics his new one up soon.

but see, he likes it, it gives him the room he needs to move. He likes to be outside. But I'm sorry, it was just too damn cold, so tonight, its me, Bear(who by the way is the inside spoiled brat of the bunch) and Bruno....tonight at least...tomorrow its supposed to warm up...to 50*...He likes the outside...I have to keep the door open just a bit...I'm such a sucker for these mutts.

What can I say, their my boys....

Pssst.....Midnight...we're breaking out...pass it on...

We have a friend in need

a friend indeed

she's stuck you see

this friend in need

She's stuck in the well

The well of all wells

The well of conundrums.

See she's a creative soul

this friend indeed

is one who can write from the heart

and fill our souls with joy

and mirth

of daily exploits

from her life, her work

but see now she's down

she's plopped in a rut

because her spirit is stunting

oh my, she's taken to grunting

and hiding in bathrooms, with green towels for backdrops

and sock monkeys for companions

whatever shall we do

whatever shall we do....

Psst, pass it on, we'll go over the wall at midnight!

We'll break her out, we will

by hook or by crook....We'll bring back that spirit

or die trying...

We'll, maybe we can offer up Pooh as a sacrifice....

While the rest of us run...

But Annie will be free, oh yes, she'll be free

To write once again...

And I won't have to do this anymore...

Won't you all be happy....

I know I will...

The End....

For Annie... my friend.

TWO LOUSY QUESTIONS!

Yeah, that was all...Two lousy freaking questions. I went for a job interview, which was not necessarily an interview, but in fact a test. A test that I had to pass with a 75 or better...Now mind you, I studied for this...I studied all damn weekend. Did I pass? NO! I missed it by two lousy questions...TWO FUCKING QUESTIONS! ARGH!

Last week, I had an interview with a corporation that called me...They called ME! I go in...take their TEST, and what happens...I miss it..BY TWO FUCKING POINTS!

Ya know, I'm really beginning to hate that damn number. Two lousy points. I was qualified, I was well qualified, but if you don't pass the exam...well sorry bud, that's just the way the fucking ball bounces..And ya know what they told me? oh, this is the kicker...they said, "I hate to see qualified people walk out the door..." BECAUSE OF TWO FREAKIN' POINTS! Do YOU SEE THE PROBLEM?! There's no middle ground! Come on...you have someone that's qualified, but he's fucked because he's two points off...BE REAL!

Man I was pissed that day....

There is a bright spot...The people at the place I went to today must have noticed something, they offered me the opportunity to come back on Saturday, and re-test. I pass, I get the job....simple as that .

Yeah...simple.

Two fucking points....two.

sheesh!

A Brief Word About This......

A friend of mine that happens to live in a community that was voted as one of the "Safest neighborhoods to raise a family" just had his car "Tagged" last night. Now, why, would someone want to do this to someones car, is beyond me....It infuriates me, it is beyond all reason...and it just plain pisses me off! If you have a beef with someone, DON'T TAKE IT OUT ON THEIR GODDAMN CAR! BE A FUCKING MAN AND COME UP TO THEIR FACE!

Most recently, my friend has told me of the rash of car break ins in his neighborhood...and just lately, he said he had found an XM Satellite radio, dumped in his bushes. He turned it in to the Police, and I can't help but wonder if this may be the reason behind the recent tagging incident.

But still, this is a most cowardly thing to do...my buddy is over six feet tall, and not accustomed to being violent, but was very angry at this incident, because there was nothing to provoke it, and he thought he left this kind of stupidity in California....As I told him, assholes are everywhere....

Compared to my old neighborhood, my new neighborhood is as quiet as a cemetery, no cars racing by in the middle of the night...no wacky neighbor fighting with her boyfriend at 2a.m.,

No Crazy Cat lady (THANK YOU GREAT SPIRIT!)....But this is not going to stop me from being cautious. No way. As a weapons collector, a student of history, ancient warfare, and an owner of two big dogs...I am in no way letting my guard down. This is my house, and protection is always job one.

Like an L.A.P.D. Officer told my mother once, after someone tried to break in to our home, when I was a kid...."Anything on that side of the door(indicating the outside of the house) is theirs..Once they cross the threshold, Their ass is yours"

I take that to heart...

__________________

What does a 130+lb dog do to cool off????

why, he goes swimming, of course.

Yes, that's Bruno's pool. He now feels at home...if I'd brought the pool man, the damn dog would have been ecstatic. He listened to the damn pool man more than he would me. But he's happy, and no longer moping...so I'm cool with it. And what about Bear????

That's as close as Bear will get to the pool....so he usually gets splashed...lol!

And just today......

Driving to the bank, a woman cuts an illegal U-turn in front of me. Then, from the right hand lane, decides to change lanes...INTO MY PASSENGER SIDE!

I hit the horn, she looks at me like I'm annoying her. HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE A BIG WHITE CAR!

So, me being the conscientious driver that I am, gave her the Universal symbol showing her that she was Number 1 in my book.....

I reiterate: THESE PEOPLE CANNOT DRIVE!

Caution! This Vehicle Stops Frequently!

I do believe, after having my introduction to Arizona's infamous traffic, that this should be the states new motto.

Don't get me wrong, I love my adopted home state...I even got my new Arizona drivers license, which by the way is good till the year 2026...but THESE PEOPLE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE IN TRAFFIC!

I know, they aren't used to the sudden influx of all the newbies coming to town...But get with it! Things change, ya either go with the flow, or you fall behind and get trampled by the crowd.

I mean, people will literally STOP! Right in the middle of the freeway to watch some poor shlub who happened to get a flat. Come on, is it really that freaking interesting that you have to risk getting a Honda shoved up your ass that you just had to come to a halt and watch?

As a vet of the L.A. Traffic scene, I can tell you, do that on the 10, the 118, the 405, the 605, the 5 freeways...and you my friend are history. Here, that concept has yet to sink in.

And it's not just on the Freeways, it's on the streets, the parking lots....I mean damn! I was driving in the parking lot of Wal-mart, going in the right driveway, mind you...this woman decides she wanted to come out the wrong way...and then proceed to look at me like I lost my mind! Then, this guy in a truck is driving up a the wrong isle in the parking lot...looking for that perfect spot, I guess, and the backs in to a spot...all the while nearly hitting me. I just don't get it...But here's the kicker, Their cars. Their freaking cars are spotless! Not one goddamn dent!

With the exception of the clowns that wreck on the freeways, that is...

I'm almost terrified to start driving regular on the freeways, these guys are nuts.

But I drove the freeways in L.A. I can drive anywhere. Well, with the except with my sister in law....She's freaking insane.

Greetings From Goodyear....Arizona that is...

Hello folks! How's it going...well it's me...Same ol' Wolf, different den. and this is a pic of my town...not sure exactly where it is, but I'm going to find it...I've found a few places, so far...like Wal-mart Super centers! DAMN! They're all over the place...but I'll get back to that.

Well, we finally moved in...and now the unpacking begins, ugh..It's quite a task, really, boxes here...I have to make room for the fridge to be delivered in the morning. The POD people (yeah yeah I know...pun intended) are picking up the pod in the morning. Funny, they dropped the damn thing off at 6:30 in the morning on Saturday the 11Th, but they can't pick it up till 10am?

I hope the fridge and dryer don't get here before them...Oy!

But I'm happy...its really nice, the weather has been totally mild. mid-70's to mid 80's, the dogs are still adjusting, but doing fine.

Now get this...No sooner do I get here, but I get not one...not two...but three job offers! One guy called me Friday while we were unpacking some items...I was a bit wary at first, because we were getting phone calls all day long from solicitors, and wrong numbers, apparently the guy that had the number before us forgot to tell his friends and family....

Well, the guy gives me the info to apply for the job, and I did so, except the job id number he gave me was incorrect...it was in San Antonio, Texas! Another Oy!

So the pod comes on Saturday.....I start to unload at 7 am...have to get the TV out, the Direct TV guy is going to be here by noon....then a phone call, its the Direct TV guy, "Hey, we're ahead of schedule, mind if we show up early? we can be there in a half hour" its 8:30 am.

Sure...come on down...my buddy hasn't shown to help me yet...the TV weighs a ton...its just me and the wife...not a problem...OY!

So the with the help of my wife, I unload the TV...my back still hurts....and we get it set up with ten minutes to spare...the Direct TV guy comes and goes....I HAVE TV! YEA!....only to find out..Ed Bradley died...Who's Ed Bradley? Only, in my humble opinion, the most respected and influential news reporter in the media . The only reporter of color to ever have his own major news show, Twice! At a time when that was unheard of...WHY? Because he was that good...Because he was that cool...When you saw Ed Bradley report the news, you didn't see a Black Man report the news...You saw a MAN report the news...a perspective that was unbiased and unyielding...Goodbye Ed.

Yeah...so my buddy shows up about 12 noon...we unload the rest of the Pod...and then its Pizza time. We chill, watch some TV, laugh, and settle in....

Today, the wife and I had coffee and a light breakfast, then she headed back to Cali...remember, she still has to work out there for a month and a half..she got there about 5:30 pm...so this week its me and the boys....and the unpacking...but its me and the boys unpacking in our house...

That has a nice sound...

Our house...and actually at the end of our street...

A Cluttered Living Room.....

A Fridge-less Kitchen...For now

Goodbye California....

I've been a resident of California for 45 years....I was born in Los Angeles, raised in Boyle Heights, in the projects....we lived there for 15 years, my parents raised seven kids in gang infested neighborhoods, on one salary....I attended the Utah Street Elementary School, where I was kicked out of preschool...for kicking the teacher...she tried to get me to eat some nasty cheese (long story..). I went to Hollenbeck Jr high...I had a crush on Diana Montenegro..she was the cutest thing..didn't know I existed..but I didn't care..., spent half a semester at Roosevelt High School, where I experienced my first seance... now that was a trip.

My folks bought a house, and finally moved us out of the city, to the

THE SUBURBS!

In 1976, we moved to La Puente, California...A nice little burg in the San Gabriel Valley...It gets cold in the winter, hot in the summer, but it was a house. With a yard...I spent the rest of my High school years at Basset High School ...Rah Rah...I don't think they've won a football game since their inception...upon graduation I attended and spent two years at Mt.San Antonio College...Damn that was a fun time. I dated, fell in love..fell out of love...fell in love...got drunk...found a job...quit a job...fell in love again...got dumped...moved out of my folks house...shared a house with a friend from high school, who was going through a divorce....got a new job...fell in love again...moved into my own place....lost a job...flipped a car...lost a job...got a new job....got dumped, again....moved back home...got drunk some more....thought about moving to Alaska...got a new job, IN L.A.! Went to a club...Saw these Green Eyes....GOT MARRIED....had a seizure...lost a job...lost a drivers license....lost a car......spent 11 years trying to fix THAT problem....fixed it...got dogs.....Got my license back....got a new car.....got a new job....lost my mom...:( .....lost a job....Got a new Job....left a job.....got a new house.....leaving CALIFORNIA...going to ARIZONA...

DAMN, Ain't that a kick in the head.

I think of all the people I've met, known, liked, loved, hated, fought with, and lost....and I think to myself..."I haven't even scratched the surface of life..." I'm only 45. In the grand scheme of things, that's not very old. My mom and dad were my age when they bought their first home...I think a bit older..but not much. As I sit here on the eve of my last night on the net in California, I'm taken aback at all the shit that I've been through in my life so far...and I wonder..Damn, There is still a lot more to come. But good, bad or indifferent, I'm meeting that head on, with the woman I married, and those two hairy children of mine by our sides....Because this is our life. This is what we chose, our path....Whatever comes, we'll meet like we've met everything else that's been thrown at us so far...

Together.

This will be my last journal entry from California....

Goodbye California...It's been real....It's been fun...and yeah,

it's been real fun.

A Question answered......

Ya know..I know a guy...never mind..
Betrayal is a bitch. Show me someone who's never been or suffered through it, and I'll show you the one person on the planet with no friends.
I've been betrayed by friends and family alike, and the one thing that I've found, is that its going to happen again, and again...no matter what you do, nor how many safe guards you place around you. It's human nature. We can't help being jerks. Its who we are. We try to be cool,and for the most part it works, and life is good. But, there are the times, and they will come, that even if they don't want to, or know that they are doing it, or even know that they are and just don't give a rat's ass, they will betray us...Be they friend, or the closest of loved one...They will cause us pain. Forgive, that's up to you, and the amount of pain that was caused...But forget, never. I have never forgotten a betrayal. How do you forget a trust that was tossed aside?
How?

You don't..you can't..
Sucks to be human sometimes..doesn't it...

You have to be reasonable, sensible. See things from the other persons point of view....BULLSHIT! They fucking hurt me, Damn it! I want revenge...I want heads on a platter! I want a pound of frigging flesh...I want my justice. Frontier justice!

They say, "Vengeance is mine, sayeth the lord"....Well, I'm just gonna help him out a bit..eh.

All well and good...but we are civilized beings. We can't extract that pound of flesh now can we?

No, we can't. We must deal with each one on a civil basis. Someone betrays your trust, do you beat the snot out of them? No...you let them know they've hurt you. They've taken that which you've entrusted to them, a very sacred thing....YOUR FEELINGS...And they stomped on it. They kicked it to the curb like so much trash and you're not going to forget that.

You may forgive it, but you will not...forget it...ever.

How do you?

you can place it behind you, and move on, but it will always be there. I don't care how much you claim that you have forgotten it...It will always be there. Every time you see that person, it will be there.

How do you forgive?

Confront them, let them know, and move on...

Sucks to be human sometimes...doesn't it.

Things that go BUMP! in the night....Part II

Well, it proved to be a most interesting night...for me at least.

I did see something. For the most part, there were plenty of floating particles which could be explained away as dust...or flashlight beams from the night's hosts. But, in one room, Room 401, there was no one there and as I watched..at about 10:28 pm, I saw a floating orb of pale white go across the room...it was so strange...it wasn't light, because it did not bend the way light bends on an object. This just went across....Then, something kept playing with the camera. At 11:18 pm, the angles changed, ever so slightly....but they kept moving at a more of a slant. I reported this ..they had a way of doing so...if they did anything about it, I don't know.

I was talking to a friend online, and she was watching the same thing, she noticed the orb and the change in angle, as well...so I have a witness! HAH!...Though she'll probably never fess up..that's OK..I know what I saw.

Reminds me of a something that happened here...shortly after the passing of my mother in law...one night my sister in law noticed something strange that in the room her mother slept in.

by the bed, there in the carpet, were the imprint of two feet. Like shoe imprints. They were too small to be mine, or hers and slightly larger than my wife's. I got a pair of my mother in laws bedroom slippers..and placed one beside the imprints...perfect match. These slippers had been boxed since my mother in laws passing.....

weird, huh?

Laters.....