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Don't have a whole lot today ... or for the past several days for that matter but I'm sure you're used to that. So instead of whining about anything or making some stupid shit up to see where it leads me ... wait, that's what I'm doing here. Oh well. C'mon in and lets take a tour through the crevasses, canyons and cobwebs of Tommy's mind and see where we end up. Buckle up, it could be a bumpy ride!
First off, I don't know if you know it or not but a military base is a magnet for, shall we say, dubious businesses. There are the check cashing places that will front you money at a bazillion percent interest compounded hourly, easy financing furniture stores and used car dealerships, dollar stores (not the upscale dollar stores, but the trashy ones. You know the type.), mediocre tattoo parlors with semi sanitary conditions and bars ... biker bars, titty bars, "gentleman's" clubs (and I use the term very loosely here), redneck bars and just plain dives. Well I must be getting old (DUH!) because on the way in to work this morning I passed a dive. About a quarter mile up the road from said dive, there was a youngish dude walking on the side of the road. As I passed, I noticed he carried a couple of longnecks in his hand. The breakfast of champions indeed! And then, at a picnic table OUTSIDE the bar was an old man with a couple of beers in front of him, sitting and watching traffic pass. Did I mention this was 8:30 in the morning? Now I've closed a few bars in my time and never thought twice about it, but the only thing I could think of as I passed them this morning was "Don't you people have JOBS?" Yep, it's official! I have turned into my father. **SHUDDERS**
If you haven't seen the post below, check it out and we'll put this subject to bed. I received a very nice e-mail from this lady today thanking me for the article and the follow up which just reinforces the thought that sometimes our actions affect people we may not know in ways we may never comprehend. Apparently there was a trial after the accident that took her son. The person responsible for his death served seven months in prison. I don't know all the details but she has been fighting with that fact for several years now. Her letter today seemed to bring some sense of closure for her as well as relief that someone else knew the story and looked in on her son. It just felt good and I wanted to tell you about it.
Believe it or not, the federal government is not an endless cash cow! A few months ago we were told there was no more money in the budget for overtime. We were instructed to take an hour of comp time for every hour of overtime worked instead. Here's my question. If your workload is heavy enough to require overtime and doesn't seem to be letting up, when the fuck do they think you'll have time to take comp time? I do take about a day a week off but not enough to burn it all up. Even taking a day a week, I still have eight days built up and more coming every payday! That's on top of the three weeks vacation I have built up so far. I guess it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Pffft. Although I'd rather have the money!
Next week is the last week of work for me this year. I am off from the 22nd through the 2nd (at least) of January. The only bitch is we have to put two papers together this week: the Christmas issue and the New Year's issue. It's gonna be a bitch with much overtime I predict. On the other hand, thanks to the above mentioned comp time, the vacation isn't going to cost me a day of leave. WooHoo! ... What? Hey, I said I was brilliant, not consistent.
Finally, we had our office luncheon today. I am stuffed as a deer tick in the fall and think I need to go lay down and sleep some of this shit off. Good news though, I refined my piña colada cheesecake and it was a smashing success. So off to lala land for me and you? You have a great weekend. See ya on the web huh? Tommy out! Oh ... and apparently I need to get laid. Just sayin.