They Are Everywhere! UNIT is everywhere .....Time Lords unite

 Glad to see someone else is a Dr. Who fan . . . 

The things you see when you are out and about in Maine

Life after Cancer and finding modivation . . . or NEW TOYS

 

New Toy Kayak 2022

That’s right gang after a year of fighting cancer and dealing with the after math of cancer treatments, I have decided I am not staying inside this summer. I need to get the weight back on and the muscles I have back in shape.   So, after some input from a friend and a few months of research I ordered myself a Lifetime Tamarack Angler 100 sit on top Kayak. I can go for a paddle, or I can go fishing or both.  While I wait for my new toy to be delivered, I decided to follow some of the great DYI ideas that I have found. This one involved making a fishing crate, here are a few shots of how I am doing, I still have some work to do on it before it is finished but this will give you the general feel for what I have done.  The crate will protect my gear if I flip over or fall out or if I am in rough waters, so I do not lose my gear as well as if I am not fishing, I can remove the gear in one unit. I can’t wait.

I am so excited . . .  It has been a long ass year and a half of being sick, I finally have something to excited to look forward too.

I love the State I live in now

 

Sorry for the mess

 Sorry gang, I am learning to do things on an IPad when I am not near my computer so there is a small learning curve. Sorry the last entry posted a few times. I will do better promise.

Getting ready to say goodbye

 Well after 9 years it's time to say goodbye to a place I love to work, I have spent these last couple weeks alone in the empty and silent halls that were staffed with a 130 employees. I miss them and as of next week I am sure I will miss this place, but I guess you have to start over again to keep things evolving.
 I already know my next gig is a temporary one, and I am having trouble getting my head around this one. I hate being unemployed and I hate being taken advantage of when I give 100% and the company I work for give you 10% and tells you tough shit that all you get. They will get theirs if there is any justice in this world.
 So as September rolls in I roll out to a new place for a month and then who knows.
In other news I miss cake! That's what I got for now, sorry.
See Ya soon

Getting ready to say goodbye

 Well after 9 years it's time to say goodbye to a place I love to work, I have spent these last couple weeks alone in the empty and silent halls that were staffed with a 130 employees. I miss them and as of next week I am sure I will miss this place, but I guess you have to start over again to keep things evolving.
 I already know my next gig is a temporary one, and I am having trouble getting my head around this one. I hate being unemployed and I hate being taken advantage of when I give 100% and the company I work for give you 10% and tells you tough shit that all you get. They will get theirs if there is any justice in this world.
 So as September rolls in I roll out to a new place for a month and then who knows.
In other news I miss cake! That's what I got for now, sorry.
See Ya soon

Getting ready to say goodbye

 Well after 9 years it's time to say goodbye to a place I love to work, I have spent these last couple weeks alone in the empty and silent halls that were staffed with a 130 employees. I miss them and as of next week I am sure I will miss this place, but I guess you have to start over again to keep things evolving.
 I already know my next gig is a temporary one, and I am having trouble getting my head around this one. I hate being unemployed and I hate being taken advantage of when I give 100% and the company I work for give you 10% and tells you tough shit that all you get. They will get theirs if there is any justice in this world.
 So as September rolls in I roll out to a new place for a month and then who knows.
In other news I miss cake! That's what I got for now, sorry.
See Ya soon

Hello my people

Be back soon!

Hello world

Had a minute and wanted to say hellooooo out there

Smile though your world is quaking

Today I tried to hit the ground running and despite my happy mood I think the ground hit me instead. I stepped on a push pin, stubbed my toe, zipped personal parts in my zipper getting dressed and then spilt coffee down myself so I had to dress all over again. While getting in the car I finger got closed in the car door and I ripped my shirt and broke my company security badge. It was not even 8:30 in the morning yet.

I am now at work and as I sit and start me day, smile on my face a song in my head (btw it is “rock the Kasbah”). Two coffees down my gizzard some dry roasted almonds and mandarin orange seltzer water and I’m ready to kick the day in the ass.

Flash forward to afternoon, “Rock the Kasbah” still vibrating in my brain pan, a silly ass grin on my face, some work turfed down to me from my boss, a few reports, a few parking lot tours and a spinach salad that had I wee bit too much grit on the leaves and at least 2 stems that felt like tree trunks as I tried to gnash down on them and a way- way too long conversation with a Russian woman that seemed to talk in circles, but in the spirit of glasnosts I put on my bigger silly ass grin on and nodded a lot till the Minsk menace trekked back upstairs to her version of Siberia.

Jumping on the time warp train and its closing time for work, my smile is still painted on, but had a few dents in it, Rock the Kasbah is still ricocheting off my brain cells, my desk is closed up and it’s time to head home to mow the lawn.

40 minutes later “Rock the Kasbah is on my mp3 player the mower is in my hands and my smile is set stronger on my face there is a bounce in my step, and then a rock in the mower blade, the smile fades to a smear the song changes to Frank Sinatra’s “World on a string” a flick of the rock, a push of the mower and a few songs flow and my work for the day is done, bring on some food and television and maybe a game or 2 of angry birds. Smile on my face a good night kiss and we gear up for another round of life.

Blog by phone

 Ok so I'm new to the whole phone app thing, but in the spirit of progress I will give it a go. 

 This is much like a monkey learning the drums, just keep banging away and you will get it.

 I will have a follow up post to this I am sure, but for now I can say I gave the app a try.

 News at 11.

Under thought construction

I know this blog has been dormant for a year that is due to me working on other poeples blogs and also concentration on my sister blog listed on the right of the page called The Cosmic Mish-Mash, 
http://thecosmicmishmash.blogspot.com/

This page will remain open and I will jump back into this blog to post soon, but in the meantime there are plenty of my original blogs to read here where I started to share the insanity that is me, but as I evolve in the blogging world like in life I meander and interest come and go, eventually every thing will be under 2 blogs one for me and one for cigars blog, but for now there are 3.
one for my Cigar friends, one to be preachy on and one to just poke fun at the world and myself, mostly myself.
 So feel free to click the links on the right side of the blog under my profile photo (ain't I cute by the way).
 Thank you to the followers I have and thanks to the ones on each blog I hope you will continue to check in as I re-boot the brain pan and the blogs.
 For those of you on tumblr there is a Cosmic Mish Mash blog there as well and there is a mirror blog for The Cigar Stop Blog.
 http://thecigarstop.tumblr.com/
 http://cosmicmishmash.tumblr.com/
I hope to hear from you in post or email, Thank you .

Just for you

Patriot Day 2014

I am taking time out from my regular Blogging entries in observance of Patriot Day, Thank you for your indulgence in what I consider very important to honor.

Patriot Day should not be confused with Patriot’s day, also known as Patriots Day, which commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, which were two of the earliest battles in the American Revolutionary War.

 

Patriot Day is an annual observance on September 11 to remember those who were injured or died during the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. Many Americans refer Patriot Day as 9/11 or September 11.

Patriot Day is held in the memory of the almost 3,000 innocent people who died during the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington DC and Shanksville Pennsylvania in the United States of America

What do we do to Observe Patriot Day?

On the direction of the President, the flag of the United States of America should be displayed on the homes of Americans, the White House and all United States government buildings in the whole world. The flag should be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect to those who died on September 11, 2001. Many people observe a moment of silence at 8:46 AM (Eastern Daylight Time). This marks the time that the first plane flew into the World Trade Center. Some communities, particularly in the areas directly affected by the attacks, hold special church services or prayer meetings. People, who personally experienced the events in 2001 or lost loved ones in them, may lay flowers or visit memorials.

 Patriot Day is not a federal or state holiday it is merely a day to remember and reflect on those that lost their lives and to those that gave theirs saving others on that day of the terrorist attacks. Here is some background for those that have forgotten and those of you from other countries.

On September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked. The hijackers then deliberately flew three of the planes into two important buildings, the Pentagon in Washington DC and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. The fourth crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The loss of life and damage that these hijackings caused form the biggest act of terrorism ever on United States soil. Nearly 3000 people died in the attacks and the economic impact was immense.

The attacks have greatly increased attention to national security in the United States. This has had huge implications for United States national and international politics. This is particularly true for the relationships between the United States and Islamic countries in the Middle East.

 I want to thank the men and women that gave their lives to rescue and treat all the victims of September 11^th and honor those that lost their lives in this tragic terrorist attack on innocent civilians not just from the U.S.

 

May we never forget 911

Thank you for reading

See you next time

By All means please be rude I like it.

 Have you ever had to call a company and you get the one person on the phone that either hates her job or just has a bad attitude? For me that has happened 3 times this week and it is only Wednesday.

 Everyone is entitled to a bad day, but stay focused on the task at hand. I deal with the public on 100% of my job and I have not taken a bad day out on anyone, it has been difficult in a couple instances, but it is doable. And for the record I am not saying am perfect.

The worst was a Human Recourses person for the company. I needed to call about insurance; they had taken out of my check 2 weeks before the insurance kicked in. The woman she was rude and said she didn’t have time for this sort of investigation today. I said I was sorry for any inconvenience that it may cause, but that money was needed elsewhere and for a good cause. What did I get for a reply? I got and what would that be? In a very flip attitude, and seeing how she sort of pushed my buttons I replied “ME… I am the cause that requires the money”

 She said I will put you on hold, and after that she would come on and ask a question and put me on hold again. I asked her after the 3^rd time being put on hold if she was new or training she said no she has done this job for several years and that she is very good at it. I was nice and didn’t make a comment, until she stated that if I had a problem with the way she was handling my call that she could put me on hold and transfer me to voice mail of someone who not only was not in, but on vacation for 2 weeks. I said to her that was not necessary that I could stay on the line with her, but also let her know I was still on the job and told her that every time she puts me on hold is more time I am not doing my job.

 The exasperated sound that she made, let me know she was not up to the task and that is when I asked if her manager was available, she replied why you going to complain about me next? That is when I knew that she may not be the one to be on the phone. I said I would not complain about her, That I just need to get this straightened out, that the money was for bills I needed to pay and that my budget goes from check to check, I then hear her say, well than maybe you need another job. That was the last straw for me. I hung up and called back asked for a H.R. Manager, got one then requested to speak to the next higher one.

 I spoke about my payroll and insurance issue and he resolved it on the phone in 7 minutes, he asked why I asked for him, that there were people in place to handle this under him and if I had, had an issue with dealing with them, My reply was I think there was just a miscommunication between myself and the HR rep.

I so could have thrown her to the wolves, but didn’t, and the only reason I didn’t is because I wanted her to sweat it out knowing I went around her and got it done and she will know when he speaks to her, and I bet she throws herself under the bus.

 It takes more energy to be rude than to be nice and things go quicker… But I will say that Thursday the first rude person I get I will ask them if they need a hug or if I can call someone they do like so they can get a hug! See I am a smart ass too!

Peas and Rice!

I was going about my day to day chores and I was thinking about what my next blog entry should be and as per usual I am roaming through the fringe for inspiration and a full belly, I see nothing I want so I decided to order some Chinese food, so a hop skip and a sock slide across the kitchen floor to the take out menu pile and what does my watering taste buds see, a new Chinese food place for me (sorry for the rhyme I thought it was cleaver), a fast tapping of the phone and in 15 minutes I have an order of Pork Fried rice and beef and broccoli perched on my doorstep.

 I gather all the food and my computer zap on to Netflix and get ready to fill my stomach, watch a crappy movie and let the whirling thought land in my brain pan. I open the beef and broccoli, and the smell made me drool, I open the fried rice and my eye bulge I tense up and I stare at the open box of pork fried rice, what do I see in my rice  . . . PEAS!!!!

PEAS AND RICE!!!

 I know it sounds like I am swearing and in a way I am. Someone has put peas in my rice… if I had a vote there would be no Peas in my rice! I know as human and possessing thumbs that I can pick out or go around the peas, but that was not the point, what Chinese food restaurant would put peas in Chinese Pork fried rice? It must be a mistake.

 I was not angry just surprised, in all the years I have eaten Chinese food I have never had peas in my rice, now peas are one of the vegetables I am not in love with, they are ok but if I never ate one that would be good as well. Every time looked at the rice all I saw were the green little globes of blandness staring back at me mocking me, almost like my mom had gone there and made this rice because she knew I have not been eating enough peas.

 

 Long post short . . .  This place puts peas and diced carrots in all their fried rice, I was so blinded by green I didn’t see the red cubes of vitamin E nestled in between that delicious rice and pork.

 I ate it of course and it was not bad just different, what did I get out of this order of Chinese food? I got a full belly, a blog post and I have met my monthly quota of peas out of it, so in retrospect it was a win-win-win. - I also discovered that Chinese do not call it Chinese food, they just call it food.

P.S.  I find myself saying “Peas and Rice” now instead of cursing

See you next time.

 

PEAS AND RICE!

It’s VP not VIP

In my line of work you need to be easy going but stay stern and within your post orders and within reason, not to mention take nothing personal and direct nothing personal at anyone, But there are times you wonder what the hell they are thinking.

 When there is a policy of the clients in place and has been in place for 17 years you would think someone who has been employed there for 15 years would understand what is required and that just because you are VP it does not make you a VIP when it comes to ignoring your own companies policies especially if they pre-date you.

 This action sort of puts me in the cross-hairs, because I am not allowed to explain to them what they should do nor can I give anyone orders, so you (I) must refer them to the Powers that be, who in turn comes back and at us and says good job and then complains about our actions behind our backs, so that we look like dumb-ass smurfs, I would mind being the bad guys so much, but at least wait till you are out of ear shot before you trash me, for doing exactly what you asked us to do.

 I have a thick skin so 99% of the time these things don’t bother me, but every once in a while you wish you had a nice big Fred Flintstone sized cave man club made of foam and just bonk them on the head to see if they snap back into the world of reality.

 

 As I dismount my Soapbox I will add this YABA DABA DO !

 Thanks for stopping by.

Fitzy: Legion of Decency Retired

Hug It Out

 I would like to extend my sincere apologies to all the readers of the Broken Soapbox Blog today, I know part of the reason for this blog was to have a place to be on my soapbox or high horse on certain topics and poke fun of the world in general, but after the previous 2 posted entries I feel the need to say Thank you and I am sorry. . .

 Thanks for letting me vent and for the comments I received and sorry that you had to read it at all. However being able to post today’s debacle of a work day and the foolishness of the higher ranking personnel around me, made it possible to keep my head and my anger in check and push through the day with only minor cerebral injuries. As well as keep my employment.

 I have decided the only way to end this day on a high note is to go home change out of the uniform and head out and see a movie, so in keeping with that thought Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and  large popcorn here I come…

I am not a big Hugger, but If I was I would Give you all a big ole hug and just hug it out, but in this case I will just thank you and give you all the “Virtual Hug”!

Fitzy

WTF PART 2: The Wrath of Stupidity

 Ok so its 11:30 A.M. on the same day I am still heated and angry, but I am still here and employed

 So now “we” (The Boss) has proceeded to complain about rules he put in place 8 years ago and wants to change them without talking to the Powers that be above him, I can only see me getting burnt on this!

 We are now just allowing folk’s access without being documented!!!! BRILIANT

 I am not usually bitchy like this; I am pretty easy going . . .  I guess you could say I am on my monthly cycle with today being the worst of it… (Sorry for the sexist comment no insult implied).

NEXT!

WTF!!!!

WTF  

Ever have one of those days where you get up happy and you get to work and your boss just starts out irritating the hell out of you, and then everything falls apart on you to the point you start to sign out of your computer and just walk out?

 Well that seems to be the day I am having except I am really considering walking out. I am so pissed I actually can’t stop my jaw from clenching and my legs from bouncing under the desk.

 Why do I get stuck with the boss that cannot follow his own orders and then yells and gets pissy at me for following what he said to do in the first place?

 This is not really a blog worthy entry, but if I don’t vent I may explode I am so heated you could fry and egg on me. And its only 10:30!

Sorry readers for the rant