TM

If he weren't absolutely insane, and dead, I would want to be him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmhP1RgbrrY&feature=related

I got into a bluesy kind of mood the other day. While I have over 20 hours of it on my computer, I wanted to see what some of these legends were actually doing. Granted, some if it lost on me as I don't play the saxophone or the trumpet. But I do play the piano, and I know enough about the rhythm section to understand the level of mastery some of these guys had. When I say understand...what I really mean is that they are freakishly good.

If you know me, you know that while I'm no slouch on the keys, I'm not the best. I don't have the mind for the theory that goes into making some really complicated stuff sound good. I'm more of the "sit down, shut up, practice till you get it right" school of thought. My former instructor, and dare I say mentor, has a mind that wraps around the theory, and he can map out what he'll play so that he doesn't even think while he's at the piano. He can just go. Freakish.

Now that's not to say that these greats didn't get where they are without practice. But practice can only get you so far.

Segue!

We had our first round of tryouts for volleyball last Saturday, these tryouts being for the little kids. The director had me working with the advanced 14 year olds so that he could assess them while I ran the drills. He also took me aside prior to the tryout starting and told me to give them no mercy. I really like Curt. Of course I didn't think he was serious because even at a nationals tournament they're not going to see power like a 22 year old male can provide. But he looked me dead in the eye and told me to crank it to 11. He also justified it saying that if they can handle my 11 they can handle a 14 year old girls 8. Short story long, they couldn't. And two of them really couldn't (they cried, I smiled on the inside).

Another segue!

Pending a drug screening I have a job out at Pioneer. I don't know how this affects Holiday plans as it is temp work, but is well paid temp work. It's also a Monday through Friday gig so that should make things a bit easier on the schedule.

Segue!

Sarah was hoping to come to Thanksgiving with the Hackelberg/Johnson/Guilde clan this year. But don't fret...we would be going to Minnesota the 26 of December. She has to do something at school for Christmas Eve...and apparently her family has never done Christmas on Christmas (her old man being a former Pastor and all). So... If I get time off from Pioneer for Thanksgiving and CBD, there would be another person along for the ride. I'll be able to tell you more after Monday about that. (Monday is my start day out there)

Buck

Bad situation

"Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

"For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that 'Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.'" - Nobel Committee

during the preceding year [...] shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses - Excerpt Alfred Nobel's Will and Testimony

Ok. I've tried my hardest to keep my political views a side issue. Even if they bleed through in my writing. But, I've got to say it. One of these things (above) is not like the other. I have faith in the Presidency, and the President. Even though I did not vote for the man currently with the title. That happens. Part of the democratic process that our country holds as a core belief. I get that. What I don't get, is this: How does the election campaign equal into one of the most prestigious prizes the world has to offer?

Let's take a look at this, Alfred Nobel...the make things go boom! guy, says "in the preceding year (which would be 2008, the election year) shall have done the most or best work for fraternity between nations." Yes, he went on a sumit during his campaign. Ok, with you so far. One thing. Continuing on. "For the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." Our nation is still currently at war. It's not even a "peace keeping mission" like was done in the Middle East under Bush in the 90's. This is still a "congress declared this war, and we haven't called a cease fire" kind of war.

Now, during his campaign he said that he would work with his military leaders to phase out the soldiers currently over seas. How much of that has happened? Especially since one of the regiments of the Iowa National Gaurd was just activated and deployed over seas? How can you tell me that those two equal each other?

How about flooding the big businesses with money so that they stay solvent (oh and restructuring their budgets and finances to the point where the government owns the controling share in one of the three?) to the point where yeah, 800 billion should be enough. Like it's chump change. 800 billion dollars. It sounds like Monopoly money to me. A fake number. A number that I will never even come close to seeing by the time I die. Cause Lord knows if the economy stays tanked, Social Security will be a happy memory to my generation.

Then we see these political commercials about how 1-in-8 children don't have enough food to eat. I'm supposed to take money out of my savings and give it to your child? Where is your savings? Where is your source of income? I realize that that isn't a very Christian attitude, and I was raised better than that. But don't ask me to donate my hard earned 8.50/hour after taxes. I'll donate anything I shoot when we go pheasant hunting. I'll gladly donate it, because I think that's a good way to solve two problems. 1, overpopulation. and 2, hunger. Des Moines has a charity kitchen called HUSH, I don't remember what it stands for, but they take excess meat from hunters who are only after the trophy. All of the deer that gets shot out on the Farms is donated to HUSH. I really like what they do. Plus, it's not taking any of my money. Yay!

Anyway. My big beef with this Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize thing is that it does two things. It doesn't hold true to what Herr Nobel wanted, which discredits the Nobel Committee and the spirit of the prize. Second, if he accepts the prize, it discredits the President, and the Presidency. He hasn't earned it. I think he could. As much as I don't trust the man, I respect the office. The office, and thereby this country (can't get there unless the people vote you there.) could earn this award. Again -Teddy and Wilson.

Call a cease fire. Admit that you can't win a war being waged against an idea. It isn't hard to do. As much as I support our troops, and have the deepest respect for anyone who wears the colors of our armed services, they're not doing any good over there. Sure we might wipe out a cell of idealists. But guess what? Word is going to spread that those guys died defending what the believe, and then others are going to join that cause. You can't beat fanatics. You can only make more of them.

Does it mean that you fail as a leader? Admitting that you can't win something? No. I think some of us righters out here would respect him a bit more for owning up to mistakes made. I know I would respect him more for finally not being evasive. Go on TV. Override every signal being sent to the TVs in homes across America. At the same time hi-jack into the radio waves. Say, "Listen America. We screwed the pooch. I'm not going to point fingers because that doesn't help the situation. But it's a mistake to waste the precious lives of the men and women serving our country overseas. We are fighting a war that cannot be won, therefore, instead of letting these fanatics bleed us dry (because economics can be affected by terrorism too. Look at who sold them all the weapons. Look at who's paying the refund ticket.) we are going to rise of above this. B out." Not the best moniker I could have come up with, but there it is.

What does Mom say when big sister is annoying the crap out of you, or when little brother is annoying the crap out of you. Usually, "Knock it off!" But the only other thing I've ever heard her say is that we should ignore it and move on with our lives. So the big bad Taliban knocked over some towers, killed good men and women and children. Tough. Shit. There ain't nothing we can do to a group that is fanatical in the mindset that the United States is Wrong and must be punished.

Sure, cut off the snake's head and the rest of the body collapses. Won't work in this situation. It's not a snake. There isn't an analogy for fanatics, other than they're humans that can rationalize for themselves but have this big sorter in their brain that defines everything as right or wrong.

It is a bad situation.

Did you hear that the secret service is really worried about this situation? They're worried because it means that the White House can't have a doorbell anymore. All because of the No-bell Peace Prize.

Buck.

Ring, Rap, Run; Run back and kick in the door

So...I have what is both good news, along with some equally not so good news. We will cover them in a point system.

+1 Job interview with Johnston Volleyball Club.
+1 Job interview with Illini Elite.
+1 The Farms is closing down for the season.
-1 The Farms is closing down for the season.
+1 Job interview with Bass Pro.
+1 Job interview with UPS.
+1 Payday on Friday.
-1 Payday on Friday (The candy bar. I need a peanutty-caramely-candy fix. And a I need it bad.)
+1 Sarah's not mad at me anymore.

So, all said an told the score is +4. However there are shades of grey with that score.

The JVBC director seems like a great guy, and I would enjoy coaching with him, but he wants to see me coach. So, I've been asked back for the last day of their Junior's Elite Camp this Sunday. He knows the guys out at Illini Elite which is a point in my favor, but it still makes me nervous. How can he expect me to do well with a group of girls that 1., I've never met. And 2., I have no idea how to coach because I've never met them.? Talk about nerve wracking.

Joe out at Illini Elite asked if I would be willing to come back to Illinois and take over Teal again. As much as I would love that, it means a move. It means finding a place to live. It also means, additional employment that has health benefits. Not that I go to the doctor anyway.

The Farms is shutting down which is great cause we're all getting a bit burned out, but it also means that this whole unemployment thing is staring me in the face in a few short weeks. Hence the plus and minus there.

UPS offered me two positions, one unloading trucks and one being a helper driver. Both would be nice as they are both Union jobs, and with Union comes health insurance. (Also a 22% lower phone bill which I just found out. Awesome!) I don't think that I could hold both of those jobs and coach. It would just burn me out, and not give me much time to sleep. But...If I could do unloading trucks and coaching...that could work out. I'll have to talk to some folks.

Bass Pro interviewed me for a job in their camping section which makes sense this time of year. (No it doesn't. Who goes camping in the winter? Fall I can understand, but winter?) Problem with that is that it is a 30 minute commute one way. Could I do it? Sure. I just don't know how long I would be employed there.

I get paid on Friday. This is nice because phone bill, rent and LP need to get paid.

Oh, that's right, LP is getting filled up because apparently it is supposed to snow this weekend. Well, flurry more likely, and nothing is going to stick anyway. And I live with wimps that need to live in a house that is always hotter than Dante's Inferno. But we've already talked about that.

Not much is going on out at the farm, most everything is done for the season. Corn is all picked (I've got a nasty cut on my hand to prove it too.) vine crops are in. Second planting on peas should be coming up in a couple of days, unless we get a hard frost out here. We're doing a second plowing after spreading more manure.

Fun tid-bit. I'm being trained to cook for Fall Programing out here. What is the training you might ask? You might also ask, why do you need to be trained? Well, I will enlighten, I'm being trained on baking cornbread. And apparently I'm being trained because I'm incompetent. Or something. At least it's an extra 4 hours for the time card.

We've got Hinsdale's APEuro class coming out here in two weeks, where Nasbit -who never taught me, but loves Kate and apparently remembers her kid brother who had better things to do with his time than go crazy in an APEuro class- where I get to drive around the oxen and tell them (the kids) how stupid they are for taking APEuro when they want to be a business exec, and then the coup-de-gras of chicken slaughter and butcher. Yay! Anatomy! I get to use my degree!

Oh, and Sarah isn't mad at me anymore. Must have been my wit and charm that helped me through the ordeal because I don't have a clue as to what I said. Mostly, "Yes dear, looks nice dear, whatever you think dear". Turns out I wasn't listening. Or something like that. In reality, she was ticked off at her Dad for finding a job that made him happy (which apparently he doesn't deserve?). Which correlates into her being mad at me for some God knows why reason.

Anyway, that's all I've got.

Buck

Cursed Caffeine

So. I haven't had a cup of coffee since 4 P.M. yet I'm still as jittery as a June-bug. I've been sitting here in the '28 house for the past three hours trying to think of something important to write. Problem is, I can't think of anything. My trip back to Illinois and back was not very restful, yet at the same time, it was just what I needed. Allow me to sum up.

In the past month I have:

Gained full certification with ox driving.
Picked and cut corn.
Moved and treated sheep for hoof-rot.
Worked multiple 20 hour days in a row.
Grown blisters under calluses.
Chopped down a tree with an axe.
Built a hog lot.
Gone to the parent's house.
Bootlegged for my mother.
Worried about family members.
Frustrated my girlfriend to the point of an argument. Three times.
Not found time to call the people closest to me.
Stacked and re-stacked three cords of firewood.
Given Lord knows how many school tours.
Worn through my boots to the point where I get a new free pair from the company.
Defended my manager.
Defended my direct supervisor to my manager.
Played peace-keeper.
Not gotten any phone calls or e-mails about any of the dozen applications I have put in.
Driven myself close to insanity about making ends meet this winter.
Gone to Pioneer seed company twice.
Smacked a pig on the noggin' with a bucket to keep it from escaping the lot it lives in.
Driven the oxen in front of Kindergartners.
Given a child fleas from the pigs when they wanted to pet them.
Made hard soap.
Cut two cords of firewood.
Soaked myself to the bone.

So, as you might tell. It has been busy.

We have "Harvest Weekend" starting Saturday. Nobody knows what we - the west side (the farm sites) - are supposed to do. 1900 is going to shock and grind corn, and press apples. But we at 1850 have no idea. If it is dry enough I suppose we'll be picking and cutting the last of our corn field.

We were supposed to have a huge Catholic event on Friday, but as it turns out only one (1), group came out to the west side. Out of 30. Talk about a waste of a day. Granted, it rained all day Thursday, and all day Friday. But I can't help but think that if I were back at SJL we would have gone. No matter what the weather conditions. One more reason to be Lutheran I guess. (How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb? ... Change? What does this mean?)

I'm getting a bit frantic about employment this winter. I have garaunteed hours untill the end of November, which pushes my contract a whole month, but who I am to complain? It is income. Yet, December thru April will be very lean which means a lack of funds to pay off old debts. Luckily there hasn't been any interest applied to said debts. Yet. At this point in time I would gladly accept a posting at a gas station, even if it is the dead of night hours. UPS, TSA, Pioneer, WDNR, IADNR, Urbandale Public Works, Manatis, Des Moines Sanitation...None of these companies have called me back as of yet about applications that I put in a month ago. I've got on call status for Maintanance at LHF during the winter months as a "Snow Removal Engineer", but...that is weather dependent. In all honesty, I just need enough to cover bills and rent out here. I'll figure out some way to take care of previous debt.

I will say that one of the nice things about living on 500 acres of secluded area is that the places with internet are heated on the Farms dollar. It has been terribally cold out here. Well, not terribally, but it is noticeable. I wake up and put my glasses on two hours before the sun comes up and the side of my head is freazing from the frames of the glasses.

Oh, one more thing to complain about - since I know you care - the newest addition to the BlauHaus has a fish tank. Since this person's arrival our electric bill has doubled. I can't wait until the LP tank gets filled up. Although, I have said to the land-lady, and the occupants of the BlauHaus that I will only pay to keep the house at 55 degrees. Every therm above that is on their own. I've even done the math on it. It pays to have a fabulously talented mother and grandmother who can make ribbon winning quilts. 'S called layers.

I suppose that this is all I have to say. Oh, I played a joke on the East side today. We were having a commemeration of Pope John Paul II coming out here and holding a mass. I printed out the 95 Thesis and nailed them to the door at the Church of the Land. Five staff members understood what they were, and the symbolism they entailled. So there Catholic schools! I refuse to bow to the teachings of Cathol.

Anyway. I suppose since I have to be at work in...4 hours, I should leave this as is. Enough rambling for a day. I apologize for the delay in postings.

Buck