2017 isn't off to a hot start either

So right at the end of 2016, the owner of the business I work at and I sat down and agreed that I would move on at the end of January. I realize that technically this is probably the last remnant of 2016 fucking me on the way out, but so far, the jobs have been few and far between in 2017....especially for my chosen profession and double especially for that profession in S. Louisiana.


Ok, other than that, 2017 has been okay. The 8th grade girls are winning more than losing in soccer although the basketball team has been BAD. I blame that on the coach though, since the girls don't seem to be getting any better even with twice weekly practices. Anyway, it's almost over and hopefully #1 daughters career in basketball will be over.


A couple of thoughts on the job search.

• This sucks.
• No seriously, this sucks. I'm too old for this crap and I'm not 50.
• it feels awful. Nobody ever gets back to you on your timetable. Probably between 50 and 75% of the job applications you send out will disappear into a black hole of despair.
• Your friends will help you if you let them....let them!
• Other people will disappear. They probably aren't your friends.
• Keep your wife updated. I can't update the kids because they both tend to worry about stuff. I don't need them worrying about my employment situation because I've got enough of that for all of us, and my wife has even more.

Later

2016 still sucks

wife still grieving for her mom....a friend of my father died this week. I'm friends with his son, so tough week, especially since it was both somewhat of a surprise and the week before Christmas....my wife's uncle (in law?) may have cancer too, or possibly just an infection around his heart. Hard to say that's much of an improvement.


So here's to hoping that 2017 cooperates a little more than 2016 which has been kind of a bitch so far.


Later

Bah Humbug

Usually, I'm pretty happy to be around the holidays, but for some reason this year, I'm not super excited. Not sure exactly why, but like most men, I'm going to blame everything else especially my wife.  I think the truth is that it's a lot of different things, and my wife is simply one (albeit large) component of things.


My Christmas shopping is actually done, but it seems like it was more difficult this year. A lot of the stuff I went to go order was out of stock so adjustments had to be made. I don't know if the inventories are really thin this year or if I just had the misfortune to be ordering stuff that was really popular. My poor wife nearly didn't get anything on her list...


The kids, at least for me, have been pretty easy. Pick up a PS4 and a copy of a New Hope and Boom! Dad is done. Mom just finished the detail shopping today. Her ass is pretty grinchy right now too so you know.


We also just purchased our Christmas tree Monday, so we're about 2 weeks behind on that as well. I admit, I'm a sucker for a live Christmas tree, so I try to do that every year if I can.


I'm pretty damn unhappy with my work as well, and I think it's starting to bleed into other things somewhat. I try not to let it, but I think it may be anyway.  Not to blow my own horn or anything, but I'm better than just being basically a glorified (although well paid) bookkeeper and that's not exactly what I signed up for or what I've studied and worked for over the last 20+ years. I mean it pays the bills but I don't care for it. Would like to move on to bigger and better things but not many opportunities out there these days. But economy better and all that... and it may be so, but not in this neck of the woods. Believe it or not, I don't want to move to the Northeast or West Coast. I mean at all. Like Cali could literally exit tomorrow and I think the only thing I'd miss is the avocadoes and almonds.


Anyway, I felt like some ranting needed to be done and that's what this blog is for so here it is.


Later

Therapeutic

It's interesting what different people find therapeutic. My wife is struggling with the death of someone close to her right now and even if I say something, she just listens and responds better if her counselor (therapist?) says it. I'm fine with that, at this point she needs help more than I need credit, but it's sort of funny. In fact, it may the only funny thing in this whole episode.


This thought led me last night to compare her therapy/counseling to the current outrage being shown by the democrats/Hillary supporters, etc. I'm not sure how many of the demonstrators are professionals, or at least are getting paid for their time and effort, but (at least in my Facebook feed) there are a number of genuinely concerned people. I appreciate their concern, but I'd like to say a couple of things that I would like everyone (and I mean everyone!, looking at you alt-right) to think about before posting or demonstrating or whatever dumb shit you are thinking about doing.

1. Fascist has an actual meaning.  That means when you call someone a fascist, I expect you to understand what it means.  I find it interesting that the people who are calling Trump fascist are then demonstrating and disrupting society in general, thus leading to actions that tend to increase the opportunity for someone to be fascist.
2. Immigration reform does not mean blocking all immigration, just the illegal ones. I don't see any reason we can't have legal immigration just like we have for the last several hundred years. Also as a nation, we reserve the right to
3. Stop changing the meaning of words. Misogyny means someone hates women. Homophobic means (by definition) that we are afraid of homosexuals. I reserve the right to be uncomfortable or anything else I want to feel without necessarily being "homophobic", that is unless I'm afraid of a gay person.
4. Unless something has changed since I was in school, there are only 2 human sexes....Period.  I don't care how you feel, and by the way, feelings are a pretty porous foundation for laws.  If you want to "feel" like a woman or man or for all I care an octopus, I'm ok with that. Just don't expect me to pass laws that enforce some imaginary right for you to feel that way. If you choose to feel that way, you will just have to live with the consequences.
5. You are not entitled to full on 100% "safety". Nobody owes you that. Toughen the fuck up a little my delicate snowflake. You are entitled to a reasonable amount of security, ie you shouldn't be afraid of being assaulted walking down the street, but safety for the most part is an illusion. Bad stuff happens...process it and let's move on.
6. Finally, learn some fucking history and civics. If you don't like the results of the election or the electoral college, fine. But quit arguing stupid shit without understanding the basis of how we got there. I personally am glad that New York and California are not running things for the rest of the United States. I'd also like to point out that unless you want a second Civil war, you should think carefully about how people imposing disliked rules, regulations and taking away civil liberties generally works out. History suggests that it's not usually a good result.

Later

I hate 2016

So now my eldest child may have ADHD??? Fuck this, I'm ready for the year to be over. 2017's gotta be better, right?


I guess this is my comeuppance. For years, I've kinda thought that ADHD was for the most part a scam or sorts. Not that kids don't have attention problems, but my experience has been you can fight through that shit if you wish to. After reading the indicators earlier today, I probably have it to some extent, which explains where my eldest got it (maybe).


Anyway, just had to vent and/or complain.


Later

Son.Of.A.Bitch

Welp, didn't see that coming.


I didn't stay up to watch the breathtaking excitement of the returns coming in last night, instead opting to get a good nights sleep so I can continue on my exercise program that I'm trying to be serious about.  I almost wish I'd stayed up just to watch the faces of the political types on CNN or CBS or whatever as the news sunk in that fucking Trump had won.


 While I'm not a fan of our former first lady, I thought for sure the remainder of the idiots that make up our great country would cancel out my vote and elect Hillary.


Now, I'm just  (sort of) a good ole boy from Louisiana, but even I could tell there was a "hidden" vote for Trump. La is a pretty country/redneck kind of state, but I think a lot of people even here said what they thought friends and family wanted to hear...until the voting booth closed behind them.


I also think that the Democratic party in particular and the Republican party to a slightly lesser extent has completely lost touch with most of America, AKA the flyover states. They think that the stock market is good, and the Internet companies out in Cali are minting cash, so everything must be good. To paraphrase College Gameday, "not so fast my friend". I know me and a bunch of my friends are tired of paying for everything with our taxes, seeing little benefit (personally) from it, and also being blamed for the majority of the ills that afflict America (real or imagined).


More to come when I have time...


Later

Happy Election Day Y'all

This shitshow just cannot get over fast enough for me. I'm tired of Trump, tired of Hillary, tired of the morons on the TV and tired of the majority of the American public who doesn't seem to much give a shit that Hillary sure seems to be a lying criminal.


I'll probably hold my nose and vote for Trump since Louisiana still won't let me write in my dog for some reason....


Let's hope everyone gets to vote and express their good citizenship. Let's hope that it's a (reasonably) honest election. Let's hope that there's no violence and a minimal amount of stupidity.


Later.