Way Out

This post has been deleted. I was blowing off steam and nothing more. I feel much better now and do not want to risk anyone seeing the rantings that shouldn't see it :)

Old Age

Watching some of the people on Facebook vent their politics can be humorous. They all are young and idealistic and they make me laugh. Most of them will stick with their ideals for a few years then drop them like a bad habit once they hit the real world of family raising and work and good things like that.
I am old, some days I am very, very old. I still follow the same convictions i did in my youth. I was a hippie then and I am a hippie today. I watched the hippies shun money and power in the sixties then watched in horror as most of them went from hippies to Yuppies, chasing the Almighty Dollar they swore they hated and driving themselves around in BMWs. What happened to these people?
I grew up poor and now that I am old I am still poor. In the years in between I managed to spend forty years working, never getting rich nor ever caring if I did. Sure, I'd daydream about winning the lottery like everyone else. But, I never won and it didn't concern me.
I raised five stepchildren along with two wives and we always managed to survive on my salary and my wife's salary. We didn't live high on the hog but we did okay. The kids had food and clothing and shelter and schooling so all went well there.
I am sixty one years old and poor as can be. I do not chase after the Almighty Dollar but I don't pass one up if I see it either, like when I write blog posts for others on here. It isn't a lot of money but any extra money is always a good thing, even for an old hippie like me.
The older and sicker I get it seems like the more I think about being mortal. If there is one thing I can take to the grave with me it is the satisfaction that I lived my life on my terms as much as possible and no one else could force me to change. Sure, I paid attention to whatever my bosses told me to do, I wasn't stupid lol But, all things considered I am the same person at sixty one that I was at eighteen.
Set your priorities in order, follow them with all your heart and gusto and the end result will be that you get old and find that you are happy.

Incontinence Products

We've pretty much all seen commercials on television for adult diapers and drugs that are supposed to help with that constant running to the bathroom and most have chuckled at them but, rest assured, these incontinence products are no laughing matter.
There is nothing more horrendous from a personal standpoint than being out and about running here and there shopping and suddenly finding yourself losing control of your bodily functions and soiling yourself. Ugh! I know this is true because it has happened to me a couple of times. No bathrooms available and no bushes and privacy? Yikes!
With a diaper one is still bound to be embarrassed but not as embarrassed as you would be without something other than your underwear trying to hold that mess in. And, if you are an older person such as myself you may not be embarrassed because it is something that happens more to us than any other ages.
If you suffer from incontinence problems than please check out the products on the website and save yourself any embarrassment at all. While you are there check out the other goods too, like disposable gloves and items that can help seniors like walkers and seat lifts. Getting older does not have to be all that bad.

Too cute

These two things are not connected in any way but they are too cute not to post:

To all the girls who are in a hurry to have a boyfriend or get married, a piece of Biblical advice: " Ruth patiently waited for her mate Boaz." While you are waiting on YOUR Boaz, don't settle for any of his relatives; Broke-az, Po-az, Lyin-az, Cheating-az, Dumb-az, Drunk-az, Cheap-az, Lockedup-az, , Goodfornothing-az, Lazy-az, and especially his third cousin Beatinyo-az. Wait on your Boaz and make sure he respects Yoaz.... Repost if it made you Smile:)

This one you have to click to watch it is amazing :)

Management Jobs

So, you are one of the lucky ones, you have a job to go to every day and get that paycheck to bring home where you sit and try to find a way to pay all your bills and still have some money left over. You wish you had more money left over so that you could actually have some sort of life, but you don't see that happening.
You do your job every day and perhaps take a moment or two to fantasize about how much better Life could be if you just could move up into management but you know your boss doesn't seem to be leaving any time soon. For you, the glass is half empty.
Well, lose that pessimistic attitude and realize that the glass is actually half full. There are management jobs out there, you just have to look for them! Many companies these days prefer to hire managers from outside their comapny rather than promote from within. You may not move up to management in your company but what about another company instead? Take a chance at a better life, you owe it to yourself.
Job.com is the place to start. You can sign up for free, post your resume, search the jobs list, even get some tips on improving your chances. And you can do it all from the comfort and convenience of home so your boss doesn't even know you are looking for a better job.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So, why just daydream? Go to job.com and take that first step. Remember, the first step of any journey is the hardest, but job.com makes that first step easy.
Good luck with your journey to a new and better Life.

Things To Ponder

I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with 'Guess' on it.
So I said 'Implants?'
She hit me.

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and over fifty for Miss America?

I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!

Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.

Stress Is What You Make Of It

Okay, so we are all busy little beavers in a very hectic world. No matter what you do for a living there is stress. Some jobs more stress than others. When you are not stressing about your job, or your family or the world or whatever else causes you grief you stress out trying to find ways to relieve that stress. Vicious circle.
I like to kick back and watch poker on television. Not only because I wish to improve my own poker abilities but because I like the thought that these folks are winning so much money. It's like imagining that you've just won the lottery. Imagine being at the final table and winning, solely by ability, a million dollars or more. Now, imagine the stress the losing hand holder must feel. And, you think you have stress!
Someone Tweeted this link yesterday so I took a gander at it. I am amazed at the end result of the video. Not only is one player holding a poker hand to die for the other player is handling his loss with extreme calmness. He has lost over $300,000 in cold, hard cash and yet he is not screaming and yelling or throwing any sort of a temper tantrum. He is very calmly analyzing what has just happened, how it happened and, hopefully, how not to make the same mistake in the future.
Give this video a look. See if you can learn from these two players how better to handle an enormous amount of stress. Here is the link:
http://poker.iblog24.com/high-stakes-poker/gus-hansen-vs-daniel-negreanu-best-hand-from-high-stakes-poker/

Easy Come, Easy Go

I wonder how many of you figured out the message of the two songs that I posted. The messages aren't really hidden, especially in the second song.
The first song is a beautiful love song, and hippies are all about love and peace for sure, but the message that hit me the hardest in the song was:
If they gave me a fortune, my pleasure would be small, I could lose it all tomorrow and never mind at all. It's only money people. Easy come, easy go! Yes, it does seem like most people work their tails off at their jobs for what they often see as a small reward on payday. By the time you've paid all your bills there's not much left over to waste. But, your thinking is erroneous.
You have a roof over your head. You have utilities that help you to be able to cook your food and heat or cool your home. You have a telephone service so that you can keep in contact with other people or surf the web through a DSL connection. You more than likely have cable so that you can enjoy whatever television programs you like to watch. Basically, you have all the things that you need and some that you do not need but you want. Grumbling about not having enough will not get you anywhere, enjoy what you DO have!
The second song is much easier to decipher. I don't give a damn about a greenback dollar. Again, it is only money! The character of this song is happy with just a whaling song and a good guitar. He travels but you don't hear any mention of a fast car or even a fast horse. He simply enjoys the simple things in life and he is happy. We all could take lessons from that!
So, remember, it is only money and it does go easily. Enjoy whatever simple pleasures you have in life and be happy. No sense going through life being miserable because you don't have this or that fancy thing. All that worry and stress gets you is bad health. And, with bad health you won't enjoy much of anything!

Things You Learn

On a social networking site I ran across an item yesterday where people were complaining about the site using material that users had put on the site that somehow showed up on another site without the users permission. Come to find out that the second site is owned by the first. Still, it rankled a lot of people and they are not happy yet.
So, following the lemmings, I went to google and searched my username on that site. Sure enough, there I was with all my discussions. The listings were not for the site I belong to but some other site. I guess I get around the web lol
Have you ever Googled your name or username? You'd be surprised at how the searcg engine robots find out all the details of your online life, both the good and the bad. Some things you might even be embarrassed by!
When I was a kid we were always told that we shouldn't be caught doing anything that would embarrass our mothers. Time and technology has changed a lot since then but perhaps that adage should be adhered to today.
What if your mother Googled your name? Would she be shocked at who you truly are and what sites you use? Think about that!

No Gambling!

While it may seem like I am advocating gambling in this blog, I really am not. I do play poker online, but it is more for fun than anything else. Yes, I have suggested a time or two that you all should come and join me at a site that plays poker, but it isn't really for gambling as much as it is for fun with friends.
Seems like we all do gamble though, whether it is playing the lottery or buying a raffle ticket at church. Heck, Life itself is a gamble. You never know what today will bring, sickness or accidents. If you make it through the day then you should be thankful that tomorrow gives you another opportunity :)
I am grateful every day that I wake up. I'm getting old and my body is more than happy to remind me that it is not in the best of shape. Some days it seems like all I can do to get out of bed and try to work the kinks out. My first cup of coffee is almost always spent in front of the heater trying to warm up stiff joints.
I spend my days on this computer, working here and there, trying to make a few extra dollars, be it from pay you to click type sites or writing assignments. Retirement pay is not what I had hoped it would be and every dollar earned online is a true Godsend. Why would I risk any of that money with gambling?
I do enjoy sitting at a poker table and playing cards. I've made a lot of online friends on that poker site and most of them are like me, old retired folks just looking to have some fun in the course of a day.
Unless you are one of the extremely lucky people that win the lottery gambling is not going to make you wealthy. If you play for fun and you have fun, that's the important part.
As for me I shall leave the gambling and the poker playing for lots of money to the pros. They spend a lot of time working on their game and it is their job to play cards. For me it is simply a way to pass the time.

Why I Play Online

I play online because it is an enjoyable way to pass the day away. I'm not making any money at it but I am making friends and that is better than money, any day.
I had hoped that retirement would be more fun, more active any way. But, sadly, my body is not in agreement with that philosophy and seems quite content to just sit at this computer in my comfortable chair.
Since I'm here looking for ways to make an honest dollar or two to help my poor income playing cards is a great pastime.
If you are able, I encourage you to get outside and find some fun activities to do. If you are not, then playing games online can be just what you need. If nothing else playing games can help to keep the mind sharp.

Not For Me

It's a lovely day outside, the sun is shining and there is hardly any wind. A perfect day to go outside, but here I sit at my computer instead.
It's one of those days when I wish I was younger again instead of this old guy with a bad back. I miss running around town on days like this.

Good And Not So Good

I am discovering more and more as I play what the pros talk about. The cards can, indeed, be running hot for a player and then suddenly freeze you out. And it can all happen in the same tournament.
I'm playing and my pockets are all great cards, Aces and Kings or pocket Jacks. I'm winning great pots and looking good to make the final table and grab some cash. Then, as the blinds increase higher and higher, the pockets get smaller and smaller, twos and sixes and they are unconnected and unsuited and all I am doing is bleeding away my chips wondering if I will even make it to the cash out level and earn a dollar. It's very frustrating.
But, I try to play each hand as best I can no matter what the cards. Sometimes you can get lucky and those low cards show up on the flop, sometimes all you can do is check and if someone bets fold and hope for better cards in the next hand.
Sometimes even good cards can do you in. I have a low stack and get pocket jacks. I go all in hoping that the hand will hold. I'm called by pocket queens and know I am doomed. The flop is all low cards and I am out. In the next tourney I get pocket queens and the flop is all low. I push and get called and re-raised. I go all in feeling confident. The cards are shown and my opponent has pocket jacks. I'm grinning. The turn card is a seven. I'm feeling great. The river card is a jack and I am out! I stare at the screen in disbelief!
I had to laugh after the initial shock wore off. Poker is a strange game and, in spite of what all the pros will tell you, is still a game of luck. There's no way to tell what the next card is going to be, period. Yes, you will see many of the same pros at many final tables and they will say it has nothing to do with luck, but I think they are full of baloney. They are very, very lucky players.
Patience is still the major key to success in poker and the pros generally have lots of that. They need it as their tournaments last for days not hours. In an online tourney you do need to be patient but sometimes you just have to shove and hope.

I am having fun and have met some really nice people from around the globe. And, more importantly, I am learning to have more patience. Now that I am older I find that I am much more impatient with everything than I used to be. Sad to say but I have become my mother in that regard. the world moves to slowly, the computer isn't fast enough to suit me, things like that. I need to learn to be a patient person again.

Eighteen Years

It's a funny thing having children. There are times when you swear to God they will never grow up. And then they do and you wonder where the time went. Today is one of those that is the latter.
My daughter turned eighteen today. Just like when all of my sons did it, I sit and wonder how Time flew by so quickly. Of course, it is easy to do since they all act like kids. Funny age, teenage years. A cross between treat me like an adult and acting like they are six. I don't remember being that silly, but I'm sure my mother might disagree.
Now, I suppose, for my daughter, the real challenges begin. She will have to face real life head on. Only Time will tell if Life is good to her. I wish her the very best on her tedious journey :)

I Am Shocked And Saddened

Wife of D-backs' Schoeneweis found dead

by Steve Gilbert and Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

05/20/09 6:29 PM ET

The wife of Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Scott Schoeneweis was found dead Wednesday in their Fountain Hills, Ariz., home, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's office.

Gabrielle Dawn Schoeneweis, 39, was unresponsive when sheriff's deputies came to their home at 12:11 p.m. MST on Wednesday after responding to a call made by the couple's 14-year-old daughter.

According to the release, Gabrielle Dawn Schoeneweis was found on the floor of the master bedroom. Lindsey Smith, spokesperson for the Sheriff's office, said that there were no signs of foul play and while they are not ruling anything out, they are not treating it as a homicide at this point. More will be known once the medical examiner determines the cause of death, she said.

"Words cannot describe how shocked and saddened we are this evening," D-backs team president and CEO Derrick Hall said in a statement issued Wednesday evening. "This is a tragedy for the Schoeneweis family, who we naturally consider members of our family. We are here to support Scott in any way during this traumatic period in his life."

The news reached Scott Schoeneweis about an hour before the D-backs were scheduled to begin a doubleheader against the Florida Marlins in Miami. Schoeneweis immediately left the team to head back to Arizona and be with his children.

Scott and Gabrielle Dawn Schoeneweis celebrated their 10th anniversary in January. They had three children together, and she already had a daughter when they were married.

"I'm at a loss for words," D-backs manager A.J. Hinch said after Game 1 of the doubleheader. "In the baseball side of things, our families are our rocks. And as much travel as we do, as much strain as it puts on them to take care of our kids, take care of our houses, take care of our lives back home, I can't imagine what that feels like to go through for him. So, as I told the team, it's time to just give him as much support as you can and really, really tell people you love them that you do, because you never can expect something like this to happen."

Game 1 starter Doug Davis had never met Gabrielle Dawn, but his mind still couldn't help but be somewhere else as he got ready to take the mound against the Marlins.

"We're all shaken, including myself -- warm-ups and everything like that," Davis said. "Just thinking about it. You have to think about your loved ones at the same time. The first thing you want to do is call your spouse and, in my case, fiancée, and make sure everything is OK. It's tough. Like I said, I feel for him, and I definitely will pray for him."

Executive vice president and general manager Josh Byrnes said Schoeneweis will be placed on the bereavement list, and the club will eventually have to make a roster move.

Byrnes offered to have Jon Garland -- a former teammate with the White Sox -- fly back with him, but Schoeneweis preferred to be alone.

"Primarily, right now, we're just trying to support Scott any way we can," Byrnes said. "It's devastating news, and I know everyone in [the clubhouse] is taking it very hard.

"He had four kids. These guys, at their age, a lot of them have young families and they're very close with the teammates, so it's very devastating."

Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez found out about the tragedy moments before the game.

"It's very, very sad, and my prayers go out to his family and the kids who found her," he said. "It's a sad day, it really is."

Added right-hander Chris Volstad, who became aware right after he came out of the game after six innings: "It's devastating. I couldn't imagine anything like that. It's a horrible situation. I'll be praying for the Schoeneweis family, for sure."

Schoeneweis was acquired by the D-backs from the Mets during the past offseason. In 19 games, he has compiled a 2.53 ERA.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel said he still considers Schoeneweis part of his family. "I mentioned that to our people, that we've got to reach out and do all we can to help support him at this time," Manuel said. "And whatever he needs from us, we'll be here for him."

Francisco Rodriguez, who was a teammate of Schoeneweis with the Angels in 2002 and 2003, said he was "speechless" when he heard the news.

"I'm sad for him," Rodriguez said. "I can't imagine what he's going through right now, all the pain he's going through."

Steve Gilbert and Alden Gonzalez are reporters for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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"reality" and Reality

While television has recently brought into the world such ghastly things as "reality" t.v. no matter what they produce it still doesn't quite meet up with Life's version of reality.

I got the call yesterday that no sibling ever wishes to receive. My neice called to tell me that my sister Virginia had passed away yesterday morning around 5 a.m. She had had some complications from surgery a couple of weeks ago and had managed to catch pneumonia. This, coupled with emphysema, was more than her poor old lungs could handle. She was on a breathing appuratus of some sort and it was keeping her alive, if you wish to call that living. As it was getting more and more the machine breathing and Ginny just there, the kids finally had to make the decision to pull the plug on the machine. Having been in that position myself in dealing with my mother, I can feel for them. It is not a decision that one takes lightly, I assure you of that!

All three of her kids were present, one reluctantly. He did not want to be there for that, and in some sense I do not blame him. But, all three were there and given the opportunity to say good-bye to their mother in their own way. Thankfully, all the family squabbles had been relieved in the time she was hospitalized and I have no doubt that the good-byes were pleasant and loving. And, tearful.

I am the sixth child of my mother. I am the only one of the six that was born sickly, having been born with bronchitus, a disease that is no big deal these days, but was a very big deal in 1950 when I arrived. How ironic it seems now that I am the only surviving child. I suppose, being the youngest, I should have expected to be the last, but I have to be honest and say the thought never crossed my mind. If Life were perfect, the youngest would always be the last to go. But, Life is not perfect. At least my life has not been perfect, and neither were the lives of my sisters and brothers.

I know that my siblings are all in a much better place, a place free from pain and suffering, which brings me comfort.May they all always rest in peace.

In thinking of my opening thought, I pray "reality" t.v. never tries to actually duplicate reality.

I shall cross-post this to my other blogs and journals. If you are a reader of more than one of my blogs/journals I apologize for the cross-posting. I do hope that you can understand my lack of desire to update these things with anything new and exciting today.