"honey I am about ready"...
Are the kids ready for school? not sure I am to focused on the damn money again. She has been on me about how little money we have, with the needs of the kids and all. I am trying my best but it is not my fault.
I served and now I am trying to serve again to earn a living for my family and me. We are real tight, stuck in this barely livable home, with rent so high we are struggling. Dang we even gave up the TV can't even watch the games I am working. Well I hope to be working for a little longer, this boycott is killing us, the lowly stadium workers. It's not affecting those rich people that the protest is about, it is killing us the lower, much lower middle class. I haven't thrown more than 50 bags of nuts in the last 2 games. My friend Ron at the turnstiles said he is being laid off after this game, no one is coming through the gates. My other friend Katie, she has two kids, father left months ago, she was laid off two weeks ago from parking. Only two of the main lots filled last game, and there are 8 lots.
What are we to do? we all agree about respect, but we have to choose our battles carefully, who is really being hurt? Those rather rich players, owners, and leagues? they will easily weather the storm.
For me it brings back terrible memories when the baseball players went on strike, for what? more money, do you think they thought of us, taking good care of their fans...My father was considered one of the great bag tossers, he could send a bag to a smilin' fan from three rows away, spot on. Then the boycott, then well let's just say he disappeared, couldn't handle the shame of not providin'.
What are we to do, I served, yeah a soldier (Marine) I know I am not the smartest, though I do understand what my parents taught me. Honor & respect especially for your country. Though now I am not sure I will be able to serve anymore, the fans that are not showin up.
All because one man could not show respect.
"Honey, I gotta go, love you, be strong and pray".
I am not happy as I leave my wife and kids, tomorrow was ice cream night. The kids loved it and mom well let's just say she smiled a lot. Now without my usual pay we are cutting back again, extras, needs & wants. I want to be a provider and a good father, but here comes that train wreck again. First one destroyed my parents & family, thank God I joined the Marines, 3 squares and a bed, guaranteed, thank God for my country. I will always show respect, what I was taught on so many levels.
Now what am I to do, I have tried getting a job as a janitor, but the line was so long I had to come back two times just to fill out an application. I don't live as close to the building to clean as to the stadium.
I can walk to my job at the stadium, I would have to take the bus to the cleaning job, which pays less so we would be cutting back, where? We already shop garage sales for clothes, and live on a lot of rice and beans. My wife and I are strong on; "the kids come first", she has given up so much, cause I can not provide...
I don't blame the fans, I know that a "day at the game" can set them back easy $200 or more each, times what? 20-50,000 people. Yeah I ain't so good at math but, well I am pulling in maybe $100 a game now including tips (well let's just say who's team is winning is in the fan's wallet).
Just hope someone will stop the madness so I can provide, maybe win back my self respect for providing for my family.
Guess that lonely (bet he is pretty lonely now) football player never really thought about the consequences of that one fateful day, disrespecting the symbol of the country I served and so many died for.
The only ones he has hurt were us, the ones that took care of "his fans"...
W
In my mind there are always 2 sides.
One started what they thought was a symbolic protest, another started what they thought was a symbolic boycott. Neither thought of the results of their actions, for us the people who serve. It takes one second to make a decision that forever will affect your life, and maybe others.
Think about that.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (Originally Written Sept 2017)
Yeah, I never envisioned this one before.
I have been using spaghetti squash for over 38 years and came up with this one yesterday.
I have been using spaghetti squash for over 38 years and came up with this one yesterday.
Spaghetti squash stuffed with marinated pork tenderloin tips, onions and various spices. Roasted in the oven with deep fried Brussel Sprouts and gravy.
Hungry yet?
Hungry yet?
The fried Brussel sprouts & my gravy are separate recipes. (Generally you have to pay for them...)
Average/large sized squash.
About 3/4 lbs of cubed pork tenderloin tips, dry rubbed with Carolina seasoning mix and a small amount (very small amount of thyme) marinated for 3-4 days.
Open the top of a well balanced (sitting in the pan) squash.
Clean out the seeds, feed them to the squirrels another meal there. Spaghetti squash seed fattened squirrel, yummy!
Sprinkle garlic bread seasoning around the inside of the squash, drizzle white truffle oil, ground pepper, tarragon & Thyme (small amount). Cram (do not break the shell of the squash) the tenderloin into the space mixed with cut onion (white sweet). Add a dollop of butter and drizzle with dry Marsala wine. Cap and cook @ 375 for 60-120 min (size dependent, longer better).
To serve, clean out the pork from the squash, then clean out the strands of your squash into a bowl, add a little more butter...
Place the squash in a bowl, top with the pork and gravy, serve the Brussel sprouts on the side in a separate small bowl.
This is the base recipe, amazing results. Give it a try and play with it, my next stuffed spaghetti squash recipe will be with lobster...
W
Average/large sized squash.
About 3/4 lbs of cubed pork tenderloin tips, dry rubbed with Carolina seasoning mix and a small amount (very small amount of thyme) marinated for 3-4 days.
Open the top of a well balanced (sitting in the pan) squash.
Clean out the seeds, feed them to the squirrels another meal there. Spaghetti squash seed fattened squirrel, yummy!
Sprinkle garlic bread seasoning around the inside of the squash, drizzle white truffle oil, ground pepper, tarragon & Thyme (small amount). Cram (do not break the shell of the squash) the tenderloin into the space mixed with cut onion (white sweet). Add a dollop of butter and drizzle with dry Marsala wine. Cap and cook @ 375 for 60-120 min (size dependent, longer better).
Place the squash in a bowl, top with the pork and gravy, serve the Brussel sprouts on the side in a separate small bowl.
This is the base recipe, amazing results. Give it a try and play with it, my next stuffed spaghetti squash recipe will be with lobster...
W
Friday, September 01, 2017
The blank stare
OK, I now have my new way to amuse myself, NO not like you are thinking...
I walk into my local Verizon store, difficult well really very difficult for me to do. I have prepared myself for this day for over a week, yeah really! I have finally figured out that it is not that people do not like me, they do not like how I try and communicate with them. Reply to a hand written letter, answer their phone or an email no way, if you ain't textin, I ain't listenin...
I have the shakes, nervous as all get out but I have to be strong... I am scared shitless of technology and my lack of understanding, no wait it's my lack of desire to have more of this useless crap in my life.
I have the shakes, nervous as all get out but I have to be strong... I am scared shitless of technology and my lack of understanding, no wait it's my lack of desire to have more of this useless crap in my life.
Thoreau did just fine on Walden.
As I come up to the counter I see a young 20ish woman very ready to try and assist me. Smiling face, "how are you today", a very pleasant professional greeting. I look at her replying "just fine thank you, how are you?" as I set my trusty dilapidated flip phone on the counter, asking if I can look at their "basic phones" or flip phones.
Dang if that smile didn't disappeared in a hurry, though I will give her credit she jumped right in, probably thinking who is this fossil...
Trying to impress her with my technical knowledge I ask if she can demonstrate how to text using the T9 feature on a flip phone.
The blank stare.
She says; "yes you can text from your phone or the two we have in stock".
I then try again with my superior knowledge; "I know I can text from my phone but it does not have the T9 feature, you know where you start pushing the buttons and it recognizes common words and auto fills".
Blank stare, again...
OK I am trying to be patient with someone that does not have the superior knowledge of technology that I have. I then whip out my trusty flip phone and show her, on this phone you have to push the #2 three times to get to the letter C.
The blank stare, and now the dreaded I lost them frown is starting to show.
Again I try and communicate with this alien behind the counter and tell her I would like to try one of the phones that has the T9 technology to see if a feeble minded idiot like me can use it properly...
That silly blank stare.
Got to give her credit, good out, as she said; "I'm sorry the two phones we have in stock, we can not demonstrate on, you would have to buy it to turn it on...
Out of respect I let her win and thanked her and walked away.
Though I am only going to stalk the next 20ish sales person, carefully, maybe a guy this time and see if they can grasp my superior technological knowledge so I can join the 21st century...
As I come up to the counter I see a young 20ish woman very ready to try and assist me. Smiling face, "how are you today", a very pleasant professional greeting. I look at her replying "just fine thank you, how are you?" as I set my trusty dilapidated flip phone on the counter, asking if I can look at their "basic phones" or flip phones.
Dang if that smile didn't disappeared in a hurry, though I will give her credit she jumped right in, probably thinking who is this fossil...
Trying to impress her with my technical knowledge I ask if she can demonstrate how to text using the T9 feature on a flip phone.
The blank stare.
She says; "yes you can text from your phone or the two we have in stock".
I then try again with my superior knowledge; "I know I can text from my phone but it does not have the T9 feature, you know where you start pushing the buttons and it recognizes common words and auto fills".
Blank stare, again...
OK I am trying to be patient with someone that does not have the superior knowledge of technology that I have. I then whip out my trusty flip phone and show her, on this phone you have to push the #2 three times to get to the letter C.
The blank stare, and now the dreaded I lost them frown is starting to show.
Again I try and communicate with this alien behind the counter and tell her I would like to try one of the phones that has the T9 technology to see if a feeble minded idiot like me can use it properly...
That silly blank stare.
Got to give her credit, good out, as she said; "I'm sorry the two phones we have in stock, we can not demonstrate on, you would have to buy it to turn it on...
Out of respect I let her win and thanked her and walked away.
Though I am only going to stalk the next 20ish sales person, carefully, maybe a guy this time and see if they can grasp my superior technological knowledge so I can join the 21st century...
"Ma please tell, yes tell me Ma do you text, say it ain't so, you're my last hope...
W
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