Cell phone plans suck! Not just some of them, but all of them. I am all for free enterprise, but can someone give me a plan for my family that won’t require me to sell my organs to pay for. If I don’t want data, the phones look like they are made for Toys R us! If I want a tough phone that won’t easily break I have to buy a $100 case to go over the phone. Data plans range from, you can look at one email to Paris Hilton can’t afford. Of course the sales man says “I would not recommend the small data plan. Why not? Because you don’t get as big a commission? I could get HBO and all the other paid channels on my Direct TV for what they want. So I go over to Walmart to look at the cheap plan they have. The display says all the phones in that plan are recalled so I can’t even sign up!  Oh by the way if I do I have to pay $300 for the phone. The other issue is I am one year into my contract so if I did leave I would still pay the big bucks to they for the privilege of going to another crappy plan. This doesn’t even take into account that most of the carriers don’t even work at my house. I know this is a first world problem! People are starving all over the world and that is more important. I just wish I could simply make a call have it connect and not require the sale of a goat to afford!

One of the most awkward times in the work place is when someone is leaving. This is where a person finds out what their co-workers really thought. Some get a huge party, heads of the company show up and words are said about the person or even gifts are given. These types of parties are mandatory for the VP or higher, even if the person was a jerk. You have to show up just to be seen at the event. The best is when you can shake a few hands, have a piece of cake and leave out the back. Some are for people who have been a great co-worker they will really be missed and you hope the replacement is half as good. These guys get multiple because smaller groups will take them out to lunch just to get to say the things they couldn’t say at work. If they are someone who you couldn’t wait for the announcement it might be reduced to cupcakes at their desk. A pat on the back and the question of where you going are asked so as to know where not to apply next. If you don’t know the person very well it can be awkward to stand around looking for anyone to talk to. The worst is when they ask for volunteers to say something about the person. The story is usually inappropriate for the work place and reveals way more than you wanted to know about your co-worker. All around these events should be avoided when you leave, for everyone’s sake.

I have had just about as much as I can stand of or current politically correct culture. I’m not saying there are things that are just wrong to say, but I can’t figure out what is or isn’t going to offend someone. Am I supposed to say someone is Black, or African-American? How about Indian or Native American? All I can figure out is, no matter what I say someone will be offended. Every day I see that someone is complaining that they are offended by what someone said, I say get over it! We have real problems, our country is falling apart and instead of talking about our problems we are worried about everyone’s feelings. I am not saying there is a place for our emotions, but they now out way logic or the truth. We have to get back to speaking the truth and not worrying about how someone is going to take it. I am going to take the lead here and tell you it is OK to tell me the truth. I am not asking for you to be unkind, I know my hair is a mess, it has been for 48 years now, and I’m aware of some of my annoying habits. What I am talking about are we as people need to stop just telling everyone what they want to hear. It’s time to step up to being adults who act upon our problems without malice or emotion!

I am sure most of you have heard of a bucket list. That is a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket. I got more of a napkin with scribbles on it instead of a list but I rattle around in my brain the idea of things I would really like to do before I die. While some of them are grand I would also say I have another list. This list is the things I am sure I never want to do. You know things like Climbing Mount Everest. That just sounds stupid, having to carry oxygen up a frozen mountain side for days only to get hit by a giant snow storm which causes you to run out of oxygen, which then causes delusions, which leads to you taking all your close off and walking off the edge of a cliff whistling the theme from Charlie Brown. I have no desire to do that so I have never put it on my list. How about swimming with sharks or sailing around the world? None of these hold any appeal. Airplanes where invented so we didn’t have to sail anymore and fearing my death one bite at a time makes me nervous about hot tubs, let alone the ocean. Things like jumping off perfectly fine bridges or flying without an engine are just going to have to fine some other guys list. Some guy with “Living a long time” not on his napkin!

I can not afford a new car. I have kids in college, a mortgage, and other things I have to pay for. After the fire I found out my homeowners insurance coverage was not enough on my barn to have it completely rebuilt by someone else so I am finishing it. I am working as a contractor now so, if I take a vacation for a few days I will not get paid for them by my employer. Because I am a contractor I do not have health insurance through the company, I had to get it somewhere else or risk not having any at all. These are my realities, not really hard to understand, you probably have some of the same realities. So why is this so hard for the American people to understand? Maybe it isn’t the people but those we have elected to represent the people. We are broke! We can’t have the shiny new stuff until we pay for the stuff we already have. We can not go out and run up our credit cards without figuring out how to pay them back. There are times of crisis which require us to take on a little more than we can afford, but then we hunker down and figure out how to fix our budget to get back on track. Is this really that hard to understand? And if it is how my budget works, I think everyone else’s is just about the same, including our nation’s!

What motivates you? What helps you get the most out of each day? There are blogs by some great motivators which I read regularly which talk about get the most out of the day. I also occasionally make a list of the things I need to get done. All of these things help me keep focused on what I think is important. I am pretty scattered so I regularly struggle with being focused on one thing or another.  I have never thought of using my death as a motivator to get more out of the days I have been given. A new group is creating a watch which takes your answers to questions to determine your life expectancy and putting that info on a watch which counts down the days you have left.  The project is listed here: http://shar.es/EHTug

This is not very motivating to me. Watching my life count down is as big a downer for me as I can think of. Yes, I want to do a good job and get more out of my days, but looking at my arm and seeing my life count down is just depressing. It makes me think of all the things I have not done, it makes me want to sit in my big comfy chair and eat ice cream. I am taking better care of myself lately so I would hope that the watch would say I have a significant number of days left, but that would just depress me that I have to keep living for a long time. If you really wanted to motivate me maybe they could create a watch which counts down my days till retirement. At least that would help me get through Monday mornings. Seeing where social security is going maybe that is depressing as well.

Someone famous once said “if you do what you love you will never work a day in your life”. This has never been my problem; my problem is getting what I love to pay for raising a family! It isn’t that I hate work, it sure beats not having a job, and I am grateful for the blessing of a steady income and most of what I do is at least interesting. Technology is not the front lines of helping humanity. It is the janitorial service. Fixing computers is never going to be the focus of a “feed the world” kind of mission. Computers help get the right things into the right hands in a timely manner, they do not feed the starving. Information is important but if you try to go out and fund raise to buy computers to save the world, you are going to have a hard time.  So providing my service for a non-profit is more of a logistical function. It will always be seen as too expensive and a necessary evil. You are kind of like an offensive linemen in football, the only time they call your name is on a foul. So, I am ok doing what I do till I get to do what I want to do!

According to one report, Florida boat captains are being told they can’t take people out to the ocean because of the government shutdown. I also saw a story about park rangers closing lookouts on the sides of the road leading up to Mount Rushmore. In these two stories is the problem I have with our government. If I remember my schooling it is supposed to be a government by the people for the people, instead what the they now think is that we are sheep who are to be herded into corrals to be processed. Who’s stupid idea is it to tell us we can’t go into the ocean or look out at a monument from the side of the road? What park rangers need to understand is that they work for me, not the other way around. I don’t want to hear about the federal government shutting down when over 83% is still operating, and spending more money to remind me of this little game they are playing. It is sad to say that what started off as a good idea has now come close to anarchy. The idea of this government was to be a representative one, instead we have come to the point where they are telling us what we need. The need I have is for them to go home and let someone else fix what they have done.

Woke up today to the first snow of the season. Many a poet and philosopher have waxed eloquently on the changing of the seasons. What it means to the passing of time or to the phases of life. It is somewhat significant to life this change that comes around every year at this time.  It was funny to read all the comments about it on Facebook. Some requesting the snow retreat, others embracing it looking forward to the opening of the ski season. Snow for me reminds me of all the things I have to get done, and soon! Last two doors on the barn, winterizing of the trailer, draining of the sprinklers and more. Living in a place with seasons requires I work to prepare for those seasons. Once spring comes it all happens in reverse. Breaking out the mower and recharging the sprinklers hoping I did a good job of winterizing so I don’t have to repair the pipes! Each of these seasons has its moments. Sitting on the deck in shorts with a glass of ice tea enjoying a warm breeze, staring out the window at a snow filled yard sipping on a cup of hot chocolate, each bringing a feeling of joy in their own way. So as I broke out the sweater for work this morning I got a smile and embraced the change in the air and made a list of what to do after work!

Technology has certainly given us many things that are great. Anybody remember pay phones? What about a printed organizer or calendar? I see some of these making a comeback but it is more of a nostalgic twist. I made an appointment on my calendar to take out the trash each week and I haven’t missed a day since. While these are great technology has also given us weird new ways to prove normal is just a word.  Here is a list of the ones I just don’t get.

1. Electronic pets. Having to feed and play with a little electronic filled ball or it would shut down doesn’t make sense. How many times did I tell my children that the animals need to get fed or they will die. This doesn’t really work for the electronic pet because I could care less. No life lesson learned if the thing no longer works. I have drawers full of electronics that don’t work anymore.
2. Texting, more specific, teen texting. This is basically reducing the English language to binary code. A series of letters needing deciphering by both parties. In world war two they used American Indians to send messages back and forth so the enemy couldn’t break the code. The next time it will be teenagers sending text. No one will understand or break the code.
3. Electronics in clothes. I don’t need socks or underwear that send me a text when they need changing. The strangest has to be the bra with Bluetooth. I have no idea why that would be helpful unless you lose one. Then you could use your phone to track it down.