Me

I was driving home yesterday and something in the curb gutter in front of my house caught my attention. I had a sinking feeling when I saw it. When I got out and went over for a closer look, my suspicions were confirmed. It was my antenna Ball. I have had that Jack In The Box antenna ball for over 10 years. The mouth, eyes and nose were long gone so the only thing left was the round Styrofoam ball and the yellow hat. It was like an old friend and I could always spot my truck by the antenna ball that no one else would ever have.

I told Sharon about my tragedy. She said "poor little fellow, we should bury him". The ball was on longer round because someone had run over it. I tenderly put it back on my antenna but he was a goner. It no longer looked like a Jack In The Box antenna ball missing a couple of parts. It looked like a piece of Styrofoam just jammed on the antenna.

Sharon loves Jack In The Box antenna balls. I believe she has all the special edition balls in a collection. She looked in her collection and found she had two "Party On Jacks", I believe from 2002 New Years time period. She gave one to me. The new ball is very fancy and I am sure he will lose details much faster that my old tradition Jack In The Box. So Far, my truck has not rejected the transplant ball. The next couple of days are critical as to whether my truck accepts or rejects the transplant. I will just have to get used to the "Party On Jack". I doubt it will last 150,000 miles like my old Jack In The Box ball.

I do not accept change very well.

I am really down on corporations in the electric business. Their money, in my opinion, is chiefly responsible for the deregulation of electricity. I know it was not the consumer who wanted electric rates that were 40% higher than than the neighboring states. I do not understand why Democrats running for state office do not make this an issue. I know that I can no longer votes for a Republican for any state office.

But I regress. Earlier this week, Sharon came home and said there was a group of door to door salesmen in the neighborhood. It was almost time to go to Lubys, which would make it about 4:30. We were almost ready to go when the doorbell rang. I saw this group of four or five people standing on the front porch. I open the door and went outside closing the door behind me. I saw a "Reliant Energy" patch on their shirt. The hair on the back of my neck immediately bristled. The head guy started his rehearsed spill when I stopped him by saying there was no way I was ever going to do business with Reliant Energy if I had a choice. He asked me why and I told him. I thought I was pretty clear but he came back with "we have a 12 cent rate". I could have told him I could get a 10 cent rate by just going on the Internet but I wanted to end the conversation and go to Lubys, so I said "I don't care if you have a 3 cent rate, I will never again do business with Reliant if I have a choice". I walked in the house without giving them a chance to reply and shut the door. Off to Lubys.

I received my gas bill today, Center Point Energy. I knew it was incorrect by 100 cubic feet. Went out to make sure, sure enough, too high by 100 CF. So I called and got customer service. After about 10 minutes of answering questions, you know, phone number, address etc. The person than told me my personal information was incomplete and would I like her to record my social security number and date of birth. In my best imitation of "The Band" in their song "The Weight" all I said was "NO".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmRDM7GyJXE

I was talking to my old friend tonight and we somehow wandered back to our college days at Texas. He was talking about how bad a student he was and how he just barely graduated with a 1.01 on a 3 point system. He was talking about how he had bombed a couple of courses and it made me think about the most extreme insult I have ever heard of from a professor on an exam.

I believe the course was Biology...not a course you would normally take to improve your grade point average. I was going for a beer with this person who was a little upset. I didn't ask her why, but then she showed me her graded exam. The grade was a 7. How do you come up with a 7 out of a possible 100? I do not know how the professor arrived at that grade, but she showed me some of his comments on her answers. Words like "ridiculous" and "is this even relevant to the question". Every answer had some comment like the ones I remember. Needless to say she failed the course. The professor must have been making some kind of statement. I know that I got my share of "F's" in my second semester of my freshman year. That was because I did not go to class after the first week. I also got a "F" which is anything below a 60. I never received a numerical grade in single digits. That fact makes you wonder why.

I think everyone show be aware of this story. No matter how badly you do in any course, just remember the girl that received a 7 on a quiz. I guess it could have been worse, she could have been graded with a 5 or 6. I don't know if this made my friend feel better about his college career, but it could have been worse. I also wonder how he came so close to not even graduating, he was never on ScoPro like I was after my freshman year. If he had not made two "B's" and a "C" in his last semester...he just took 9 hours, he could not have graduated. I guess the early shock of being on ScoPro made an impact on me.

Sharon and I watched "Changling" this weekend. Pretty good movie about a rough subject matter. I thought the performance by the bad guy was outstanding and I hope he got nominated for an award as a supporting actor. I also thought the older kid from Canada also deserved acknowledgement for his performance.

There was a line in the movie by Christine Collins where she told the shrink "F**k you and the horse you rode in on". The movie setting was in the late 20's and early 30's. That was a line that was popular when I was in High school. The expression made it for at least 30 years, I don't know if Petie or Joey were aware of the saying or not. I just shorted it and simply said "And the horse you rode in on". Every one knew the full expression. I am sure I always used in it jokingly, probably just on my friends. I have only been in one fight in my life...I believe I have stated this in an earlier blog.

The only other saying that apparently has survived the test of time is "cool". Or at least I have heard Joey use it. Probably a few of the others have survived, but I would not know it.

I came back from the MACAC today and Joelle was watching TV. I realized that we were out of cashew nuts that I try and keep for Joelle and Lisie. My latest disease has stopped my daily, almost, trips to the grocery store. I started thinking about Lisie's last couple of trips.

The first was a couple of weeks ago when I had plenty of cashews on hand. When I heard her coming to the front door I went to get her some cashews and gave them to her in a small cup. She polished those off and stated she wanted "more". I was happy to give them to her. She noticed that the mother lode was not in her cup, but rather in the can that was on the kitchen counter. When Petie was ready to go, and getting Lisie ready to go, Lisie ran into the kitchen and came back to get her shoes on, clutching the can of cashews tightly to her chest. She was taking them home.

This week, I was out of nuts, again, because I have not been to the store. Sharon put some Teddy Grahams in a small cup for Lisie's snack. This is after I made Lisie mad when I said no when I saw her put something in her mouth. Turned out it was an old cashew that was on the window next to Sharon's Chair. I am not sure she has forgiven me yet. After Sharon put Lisie's shoes on to go home, she again ran into the kitchen and came back with the box of Teddy Grahams. Both times there were still a few in her snack cup, but she knows where the mother lode is and she is claiming it as her prize.

Well, I don't think I can come up with 25 things about myself that would not put everyone to sleep, but here goes.

1. My Favorite book from an entrainment perspective is probably "Catcher in the Rye" from my formative years and Jurassic Park in my "golden years". One of the most informative books I have read is "The Great War for Civilization". I highly recommend it for people who have only seen the middle east from the view point of American journalism.

2. I love trees! I don't see how anyone could doubt that there is a God if they have ever seen a giant redwood or a sequoia. The greatest tragedy in American forestry was the extinction of the American Chestnut. The last one died out in the 30's.

3. I must not be a person that easily makes close associations with people. I have not made any friends since college, I have acquaintances, but not close friends. My two best friends have passed away. Hap died of lung cancer in his early forties and Danny died in 1999. I still miss Danny terribly. I used to call him at least 5 times a w eek and the conversations would go on for hours. We laughed, talked about the 'Horns and discussed what was going on, both the good and the bad. I think AT&T dropped three points the day Danny died. Interestingly, Hap and Danny were my best friends but I was not their best friend.

4. Sharon was my first love at the ripe old age of 25. I was lucky enough to have met and married the only girl who would have put up with my sorry butt for over 40 years.

5. The most relaxing sound to me are cows baying and a train whistle, both at night. Earlier blogs explain why.

6. I have always been a conservationist or environmentalist. Not to the extent of Joey and Petie, but extreme in my age group. I was writing letters, with little or no response, in my early twenties. I guess that some of that rubbed off on Petie and Joey. I am sure that the yearly camping trips during their early years also helped form their views.

7. I loved to play sports when I was younger. I now say, you know, I played a lot of sports when I was younger, but I wasn't very good. I hated organized football. Those two a days before school started were terrible. I am amazed more high school football player do not die in Texas. Back in my day, you were not allowed to drink water, even in the extreme heat. The coaches were making us tough.

8. One of the things I miss most is the wind in your face after you have been running for more than a hour. I wish track had been more of a sport when I was in high school. I believe I could have been a good middle distance runner if I had worked at it and didn't smoke.

9. I never could dance a lick. I didn't understand why. I guess I just did not have any rhythm.

10. I like a wide variety of music. I used to really like county music but I do not like what it has evolved into. Give me Hank Williams, Ray Price and Patsy Cline. You can have these new guys, they suck.

11. My childhood heroes were Ted Williams and Don Drysdale. I could tell you the line up of every major league team and come within 3 or 4 points of their batting average when I was younger. Now, I couldn't even tell you who plays for the Houston Astros. I completely lost interest in major league baseball in the 70's when utility infielders made over $100,000 dollars. The last pro basketball game I watched from tip off to buzzer had Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain as opposing centers. However, I still like pro football, but not as much as college football.

12. I was a computer programmer for 35 years and never learned to type. That is the main reason for so many typos and it is embarrassing.

13. Hate the phrases "How fun is that?" and "How are we doing". "How are we doing" is a phrase used by a lot of nurses. I take it like they are talking down to me as a child. I'll bet my IQ is a least 20 points higher than theirs and they are talking down to me. I usually respond by saying "I cannot speak for you". I also do not like it when a doctor introduces himself as "I am Doctor Smith". I have on several occasions replied " I am computer programmer Stultz".

14. The dumbest thing I have ever done happened while I was in high school. One weekend during the summer, I went with Glenn King to visit his girl friend, Robbin. We drove from Longview to Queen City, or something like that, Arkansas. Glenn, Robbin, another girl and I dove out of town to where a bridge crossed a river. There was a board, like a two by twelve on a very high cliff overlooking the river. The girls dared Glenn and me to dive off. Glenn refused but I had to be "macho". I climbed the cliff and dove off the board into the river. I now shudder to think of what might have happened.

15. The longest, loneliest night I have ever spent was in the CICS unit of the LDS hospital in Salt Lake City. As Homer Simpson said, "The longest, loneliest night, so far".

16. I am not a lucky person. That does not mean I am unlucky. Lucky people win the lottery, win free stuff, get that big break by sheer chance. Unlucky people just get dumped on financially, medically and politically. There is a 1 in 100,00 chance you will die during open heart surgery. That 1 in 100,000 is unlucky. I used to play the weekly football pools. It didn't cost a lot, usually just a buck, After 10 years of never winning a pot, I just quit. When I was in college, I went to a bingo game at the country club with Danny and Emily. Dollar a card. The last game was blackout worth $1,000. With 5 numbers to go, I needed one number to win. It went from 5 numbers to 4 to 3 to 2 to 1. No winners They kept calling 5 more numbers before someone won the vastly reduced pot. I really could have used that grand. I was working three different jobs in Austin trying to hang on.

17. I consider myself a failure in the game of life. In my high school class, there is a CEO of a major corporation, a law graduate who has been featured in Newsweek as the most influential American in Taiwan, many very successful and wealthy lawyers, many PHDs. I was on a peer with the most successful grade wise and better than most of the others that have gather a lot of wealth. I do not feel I am a failure from my standpoint....I have everything I want. I have a beautiful, loving wife, two children with a wonderful value system and are generally good, intelligent honest citizens. I don't even worry anymore about Joey now that he is 40. I quit worrying about Petie after her 16th year was over. I am lucky to have three healthy, beautiful intelligent grandchildren. I have everything I want and would live same if I had 20 times my current net worth. I feel that I have let Sharon, Joey and Petie down though by not being able to guarantee their financial future.

18. I have a trait that I keep trying to change. I expect everyone I have a financial dealings with to treat me the same as I would treat them. Hasn't worked out very well.

19, My Favorite Sitcon is WKRP. It was short lived and I watch any reruns if I find them. I do not re watch movies.

20. I changed political parties after 2003. I had voted Republican all my life but George W. Busk changed all that. I started looking into the issues instead of listening to slogans and platitudes, I studied executive orders and legislation and figured out that the republican base consisted of Corporate executive management, wall street movers and shakers, the wealthy, radical religious right, the ignorant and the uniformed. I hope I was uninformed and not ignorant. I am now yellow dog democrat and consider my self very educated on the real issues.

21. I am a lot more religious that my church attendance and language would indicate.

22. I talk very pessimistically but deep down I am really an optimist.

23. One of my favorite things is to do something with my children and grandchildren. It just doesn't get any better than that.

24. I have said that if a doc ever says, "sorry pete, your terminal", I am going out a buy a pack of Salem Longs and a six pack of Coors light and finish them both in one setting.

25. I love my life.

26. Sharon insisted that I include one more "dumbest things" I bought a motorcycle in my early 30's. It was a Yamaha 350. Not too much on the top end but could get from 0 to 50 in a screaming heartbeat. Sharon and I took a weekend trip one spring....went to Fulshear, on to Orchard and back. Not too much traffic back then so it was pleseant. There was one problem. You don't turn the wheel when you want to turn left or right at speed, you lean in the direction you want to go. Therein was the problem, I would lean right to turn right but sharon leaned left trying to stay straight up. We were all over the road. That was our one and only trip. I dropped the bike in the neighborhood, hit some gravel during a turn, which is biker slang for I had a wreck. The muffler came down across my calf and fried it. I still have a back mark on my left knee where I ground some gravel into my leg on impact. I just prayed that my son or daughter would never get on one of those things...they are very dangerous. I hope Petie and Joey forbid their children to ever get on one of those death traps.

I wanted it here rather than facebook....I have my reasons.

The "experts" say that you need to be careful what you say around children. They are right. When you are talking and they are playing, it appears that children are locked into their world and not really paying attention to the muffled conversations going on in the room. They do hear everything and are paying attention.

As most folks know, Petie and Chris have a remodeling project going on that has tried their patience and sanity. The various people coming in, carpenters, tile setters, plumbers, electricians and painters come and go and have had their house torn up for a couple of months. These "workers" come and go on a daily basis, but not everyday. I have heard Petie talk about which "workers" were there today and which "workers" would be there tomorrow, if they were lucky. I imagine that this has also been a frequent topic of conversation between Petie and Chris every evening during their routine of dinner and bedtime for the girls.

I dropped by yesterday to check on the progress and see my granddaughters. A couple of painters were painting the new shelves located near the doorway separating the den from the hall that leads to the bedrooms and the playroom. Lil’ Lisie was supposed to be taking her afternoon nap but was fretting. Probably because of the noise in the den. Finally Petie said it was OK for Sharon to go in and let her get up. So, Lisie comes into the den and I receive my usual greeting. When she sees me for the first time, she silently looks at me, gives me a big smile and points her finger at me. Kinda like her way of saying, "I see you, glad you’re here". I am not high enough on the pecking order to receive her best greeting. Lisie’s best greeting is loudly saying your name while running full speed toward you to give you a big hug. Truthfully, I have not earned that high degree of respect from her.

She then used her hand trick on Sharon and led he off to the toy room. Lisie’s hand trick is to reach out and get you to hold her little hand. Then she leads you off to do what she wants you to do. Nobody can resist the hand trick. How could you possibly refuse that little hand and that big smile? I believe that Petie has previously bogged about the hand trick. Anyway, as she led Sharon off to the toy room, they had to pass by the two painters working near the hall door. Lisie uttered something as she approached the painters before she and Sharon disappeared into the hall. Lisie has to check the entire house every 10 minutes or so to keep track of everyone. She came back to make sure Petie and I were still at out stations and to bring me a toy to play with, I heard her again utter something as she approach the painters. This time I was sure she said "watch out workies" as she approached the painters. Sure enough, every time she left the room or came back into the room, she said "watch out workies" as she approached the painters.

Children do hear everything you say.