Well, this day has started off sucky and I've been up 10 minutes. Already arguing. My step brother want's me to buy some hedge trimmers so he can trim my trees some more. I own a chain saw, my neighbors have hedge trimmers...so why the hell would I buy something like that when I'm unemployed. He implied I'm cheap. My home is a strange place to live right now. He also told me I told him not to dig up these palm trees growing everywhere in my back yard. I'm thinking WHAT! You think I said what! So, now, I'm recording conversations. I love my step-brother, but I hate arguing.

Todays Highlights - Thunderstorms with Pouring Rains, Flooded streets followed by a Wide Rainbow
It rained outside for about 40 minutes. During that time it poured.
Dusting, Jennifer, Becky and I went for a ride in it.
Desert storms are so confined. We were on our way to Vo Tech Hill  to watch the lightning show and drove out of the storm on the way. Then I made a u-turn, and drove back INTO the storm. The truck glided through the flood waters like a boat. People were playing in the instant rivers. The lightning put on quite a show too. In a short period of time, we had floods, pouring rain, lightning, thunder and in an instant, it was all gone. The only reminders we had that it ever happened were a rainbow, and sand trails left on the streets. Pretty cool. 
Dustin was a pain today. I laid into him
Everytime I noticed him, he's doing something disgusting.
He was bored, and was laying belly down on the floor, kicking his feet, with his hands between his legs. I told him how it looked, but he kept doing it. (He did it in front of the school on the sidewalk, Monday). I raised my voice and he kept doing it. 
Skip and I were talking about 99c shrimp cocktails.
If you've ever been to Vegas, you'd know that they are a specialty here. Dustin walks into me from behind. Then I apologized for hitting him with my butt when he walked into me. Skip and I resumed talking, and Dustin steps between us and says Jim, they say, um, gas is cheaper now than ever. I reprimanded him.
I asked Becky to help me with Dustin. 
She should use her laptop's power to research ways to help him. She finds a quiz on manners. Dustin wanted to play, and he sat table with us, put his feet up on the seat and started picking his nose. I blew up! He picks his nose in my truck, at the dinner table, in the stores. This kid is just nasty. 
He's eleven years old and still holds his silverware like an ape.
I showed him again, for the Nth time He just doesn't learn.
I told Dustin, either he listens, uses good manners, and tells the truth
or when we visit his grandmother tommorrow, we're leaving him with her.
I meant it too. I don't know about Dustin.
Either he's just stupid, in which case, he belongs in a cage, or he's rebellious in which case, he needs a good spanking.
This being nice crap...trying to talk to him doesn't sink in. He doesn't listen.

Another frustrating day. Washed clothes...was making lunch when Becky got called in an hour early...lunch was scrapped. Came home with 3 goals for today...finish the breakfast nook, put my laptop back together and research some jobs. NONE GOT DONE! Arguments and interuptions went on all day long. I did talk to Ida for about 1 hour today and that made my day. I think I'm totally losing focus...

It's Daylight Saving Time, not Daylight Savings Time...which sounds like a sale that ends when the sun comes up. Ahhhhh, Benjamin Franklins legacy to the world has kicked in. Arizona, Hawaii, and Indiana are the only states to don't honor DST.
In fact, Indiana honors three time zones. So, whatever you think about DST, be glad your not a Hoosier!

Becky's second day at Blue Ox was a success! She made good tips but she busted ass for them. After her 9 hour day, we went to Joe's Crab Shack and promptly spent her tips. She served 20 meals and we ate just one.  was a success! She made good tips but she busted ass for them. After her 9 hour day, we went to Joe's Crab Shack and promptly spent her tips. She served 20 meals and we ate just one.

Becky worked today from 8am to 2pm, then 5pm to 8pm. I got up this morning at 7am. Made coffee, took Becky to work, bought groceries, this that and the other happened and another day has shot to hell! Such is the life...I love it!

Becky starts at the Blue Ox tommorrow! Yea! However, we had to get Health and Tam cards today. The Health District clerk said Becky needed an unlaminated Social Security card, so we went (at 80mph) to the SS Dept which took an hour. Then we came back (at 80mph). While we were there, I talked to a guy who got his Health card that very same day. He showed me his LAMINATED SS card. He saw a different clerk.Go Figure. We ended up going (at 80mph) to the Tam card place. When we got home at 8pm, Robert, Joy and one of their friends greeted us with a busted PC, so I fixed it. At 10pm, Becky and I went to Walmart to get work clothes. We just got done....Pheweeee!!! I need a race car!!!  Yea! However, we had to get Health and Tam cards today. The Health District clerk said Becky needed an unlaminated Social Security card, so we went (at 80mph) to the SS Dept which took an hour. Then we came back (at 80mph). While we were there, I talked to a guy who got his Health card that very same day. He showed me his LAMINATED SS card. He saw a different clerk.Go Figure. We ended up going (at 80mph) to the Tam card place. When we got home at 8pm, Robert, Joy and one of their friends greeted us with a busted PC, so I fixed it. At 10pm, Becky and I went to Walmart to get work clothes. We just got done....Pheweeee!!! I need a race car!!!

Well, as it turns out, Becky looks good for a waitress job at Blue Ox. It really pays to drink at Vegas bars. Yesterday, I introduced Becky and my brother to Steve. He's the Blue Ox owner's right hand man. I'd have to bet that Becky, Skip and I will be running all over today and tommorrow getting Health Cards, TAMs Cards(Techniques of Alcohol Management) and possibly Sheriffs Cards. To work at a Vegas bar, you need at a minimum, these cards. But as everyone here knows, it's all about the FEES you pay. It has very little to do with making Vegas a better place.

I dreamt Sonny was in a fire at the Frontier...turns out he was!!! I must have heard about the fire on the news last night while someone was talking to me. Sometimes I think the subconscious absorbs everything around us, just to play it back in REM sleep.

Lets go out and Celebrate!!! Today was a very good day for this old-timer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIM 48TH.....AND YOUR LOOKING GREAT!!!!!!!!!! Have fun!!!!!!!!!!

I just had my Happy Birthday Dinner at Outback!!! Shrimp and Steak has been added to my waistline! Becky had Parmesan Shrimp Pasta, but neither of us could come close to finishing our meals. I'll be a 48 years old tommorrow. Dirty Old Men ROCK! Three snaps and a clap for testosterone!!!

Ahhh...a newspaper article that applies to me: 
It's a paper crime so nobody even goes to jail.
Last year, my Identity was used twice for purchases.
And what was so funny: people with their mailbox located on the sidewalk assumed my ID was stolen from the internet. I figured it was stolen from my mailbox, and explained, you walk up, raid a mailbox, record the numbers at home, then put the mail BACK into the mailbox, and perhaps wait 2 weeks for the owner to activate their cards.
Both my checking account and credit card were used in purchases, so my mailbox had to be raided.
Easy, stupid, and so simple it's actually genius!

Even though I am probably over qualified for working at Visa, they may toss my resume out because I honestly don't remember if I've dealt with a certain protocol or device. It's so strange, when I hear employers ask questions like, have you ever worked with an Okidata printer. I want to say, um, I've worked with 100s of printers, does this printer write on air, chisel stone or do something different?

Well, here we go again. I got a hit on my resume from Visa. If I get it, I'll be a Coloradan next week! YIPEE!!!
Honestly, it never works like that though. They want you tommorrow, and you get there in 2 weeks. What amazes me is how fast things work off of the net. I've spent maybe 8 hours futzing with my Resume for this type of position or that, and spent maybe 2 hours submitting it to different places. Next thing I know, my phone number is the most popular number in the world! Then, nothing, at least so far. But all I need, is just one good hit to be in business again. :)

isn't it kind of funny that the country is run by a Bush!!!
We have the most powerful Bush in the world right now...bwaaa-hahaha!
Hmmm, men in black at the door, honey, could you get that~~!

 The government has what they call a neutron bomb...
which when it blows up, it kills everything, but leaves buildings standing.
That is SO inhumane.
I would like to submit this to them...the POLLEN bomb.
They can get everything they need from my backyard. If they were to drop this bomb over, say, like, Iraq...see, all of the people there would simple leave (hacking, gagging, sniffling and sneezing), and all of the buildings would remain intact for the BUSH regeme to take over.

 We filled up the dumpster Thursday with these amazon-like tree limbs with polleny leaves from my backyard. It took most of the day Friday: coughing, hacking, sneezing and wheezing to recover from that! I Started to fill up the dumpster again with the remainder of leaves, BUT...I'm in no hurry to go stomping around in that dumpster: getting more cut-up,red-eyed,itchy,sneezy,wheezy. Now, for anyone that's never seen my backyard, it has 3 tree's and 1 oleander, that in the summer time, form a tent like cover over the whole damn yard. No sun gets through it at all. MILLIONS OF LEAVES!!! Probably billions...it's a hell of a thing. I just want to BBQ back there, but I can't risk it all catching fire and sending up a smoke cloud like Mt St Helen's volcano did, that would circle the earth's atmosphere 25 times. That would be bad. :)

It's about time I made a new entry :) It looks like Skip is squared away and things are settling down. I still need to get Becky squared up. Two weeks ago, I was looking for a job and interviewing. Nothing much has come up since then (jobwise). Trying to get back into the swing can be a tough task.

I just found out in an email that Rod Fredrichs hadn't heard about Rob's passing away.
Rob, Rod, Chris and I used to hang out. Chris is gone, Rob is gone.
Rod and I are doing fine.
It would be nice if we wall could just live forever, wouldn't it.
I Just wanted to say...Rodney Friedrichs is, and always will be a friend of mine.
Oh..and it's my BLOG..so there... :)

What reminded you Sonny?

Thanks brother (Sonny). I love ya man! I'm going to call the Teamsters tommorrow. Maybe you can mentor me! That would be so GREAT!!! You're the greatest brother a man could ever have.

It's that time of decade I guess to go out looking for work.
There's just one problem though, I've forgotten how.
Since 1978, the jobs have just come to me.
What do you do when the phone rings and it's not a job offer. Hmmmm.

It's the first day of spring and the backyard has a layer of pollen bearing pods on it. You'd think it snowed green last night!

Today turned out so much better than could be expected. IN SHORT, we had a BLAST! And that can't be bad.
Ate like pigs, danced like fools, laughed like jokers, it was all in the name of having fun.
If only every day could be this beautiful.

Well, it's turned from a Corned Beef and Cabbage day to a BBQ'd skewer day. Yum yum!
Becky, Dustin and Jennifer are here.
Hopefully when Robert and Joy come back over to pick them up, they'll have a healthy appetite, cause this stuff smells like heaven.

Oh, didn't I mention that Robert bought a 2001 Ford Ranger!!! $16,000, no down, just a trade in, $150 a month for 6 months then he's got to refinance. High blue book was $7,800 and hopefully he got a square deal. I think he did well. It's his first loan, and the truck looks very impressive. 3 snaps and a clap for Robert!

Cool Warren. Thanks. It's nice to know you read this BLOG :^)
The St Patricks Day Parade is tommorrow and I'm heading up a crowd of 6 to go there!
I sure hope they have cheerleaders!
It starts at 4th and Ogden at 11am and there should be a party crowd of 30,000+ people all with green tongues yelling their whoo-has.

Now, the concept is "The most amount of money for the least amount of time". If this is the rule...it doesn't matter what anybody thinks about you along the way. The goal is to get the most out of our time. EG: If I can pick up old beer cans and make $85 an hour, who cares if thats sounds like lowlife work...I'll be singing from my balcony at the top of the mountain at all the people working there way up to shift supervisor at 7-11.

Testing...I got Skip up, now my Notes look strange...hmmm?
I'm glad I'm about the only person that reads this hooey! :)

Thanks for adding me to your website buddy.

Robert and I went to Thrifty Auto for a crash course in Salesman chicanery and subterfuge. We got one half-truth from the guy...and that was how they decode the 4 digit number on all their vehicles into it's offer price, EG: 5011...transposed=1150. 1150*100 + 1,000=Top sale of $12,500.
Armed with that knowledge and a Kelley Blue Book, one can find the best deal on the lot!

Crawled out of bed this morning at the ringing of the phone. Robert came over and helped move me my step-brother in. We unloaded the truck, and he helped move furniture around so that the room could be properly populated with decades of Skip's belongings.

Got Back from San Fransisco last night at 10pm. 25 hours of nonstop driving. This has been a killer of a week, and I love it. What's bizarre is I just watched a movie called Insomnia with Al Pacino and Robin Williams. Pacino's in Alaska during it's 6 month day cycle. He's getting delusional after days of sleep deprivision. That would be me right now. Phone just rang. Gonna exchange favors with someone. I've had 16 hours of sleep Since Sunday.

Picked Skip up in San Fransisco. Lots of driving. Watch DVD movies on my laptop on the way (man, did that make the 12 hour trip FLY). The trip was beautiful! Seeing Skip after 30 years was quite a shock too. We loaded up the truck with all of his stuff and it reminded me of the Beverly Hillbillies somehow. I know it may be illegal, but having that laptop, with it's map software, and it's DVD player is the only way I'm going to travel from now on. Movies keep you alert.

I was thinking about my resume.
 I did everything I said I did on it.
When I was 12, I fixed a broken clock and put it back together again.
If I had to do it again, it would take time to figure it out.
If that was all I did for a living, I could do it quickly.
I've done 1,000's of things since then, much more diverse, much more complicated.
WHAT DO EMPLOYERS WANT?
Someone who can do anything, or someone who does 1 thing only.

Up at 5am. Pulled up SQL 2000. My goal is to import a database from Access. Create a veiw, a stored procedure and a Data Transformation Script.

Well now...it's been a very interesting day at the Cutlar abode. The world is turning! I've got some books for brushing up: "SQL 2000 for Dummies", "C++ for Dummies" and "Acting Intelligent for Dummies". That should be all I need to read to succeed. Memory jogging can fun!

Took Becky to the Culinary Union this morning to sign up. In the meantime, submitted a resume to Mariposa, and to a company in Denver. Tommorrow morning, it's interview time...yahoooo!!!

Expected to have company today, but got nothing but virtual guests. BBQ'd up some of the finest beef ribs, and the most scrumptious marinated steak I've ever eaten. Watched Spy Kids 3D(**), Insomnia(***) and Stargate(*****) just to blow off some time. Another week has ended with the resounding thud of unemployed butts hitting the couch. This next week will be about producing income.

  Ya know, these people from South Dakota just want to go to Wallmart and we went to Walmart. But we also went to a Chinese Buffet in front of it. They had whole shrimp! I've never seen that before. Great food, good prices, great company...my kind of night.