The First Time in a Long Damn Time

I have not been like this in a long damn time. I guess many of us are here.

For the first time in well, forever, I did not early vote. Even when I lived in Jefferson County, I would loop by the early voting place and vote. And generally it is on the the last Friday to do so.

I think part of it is Orange County has moved our ( Mauriceville's) early voting site way the hell down FM 1442 to the the county " Convention Center". Literally 13 miles from here.

Another part is I can't decide who to vote for in about 4 races including the one for sheriff.

I've considered taking a Sacajawea Dollar coin into the voting both and flipping the coin to see who to cast my ballot for.

And on others, I have thought about just putting an 'X' through both names. I know in the past my late father has place an 'X' across the entire ballot he was so disgusted with the choice of candidates. 

I know Tuesday's vote for my precinct is at the Assembly of God Church in Mauriceville.

I know I won't but I've seriously thought about doing to time honored tradition of 50% of Americans and not vote.

I'm sure I will actually vote, but I am certainly not enthused.

I may take my ballot, void of any actually votes and place it in the box.

Happy to Do It

I'm generally happy to help you in anyway I can. Be a reference on an application. Give you some sort of advice, and well, sometimes it might be good...or not so good. But I will try to tell you the truth about stuff.

And of course I am more than glad to marry you.

It is strange, I am booked for October, and not a wedding in June. You never know. ( I have one in October I am thrilled to be performing)

So, I have a wedding a couple of weeks from now in March, or at least, I thought that I did.

The groom had asked me months ago to do the wedding, and because it was someone I know, it was a freebie. I as many of you know, don't understand the concept of a paid ministry, and I was one one time and felt " dirty" every paycheck. So, I got out. ( Remember how did St. Paul earn a living? Passing the plate? No, he made tents...)

Well, it seems the bride, whom I do not know, did not know, and well she has an uncle that is some sort of minister.

And that's fine.

I just wish they'd let me know a month ago, I tuned down a soiree that I can't get back.

I know this sounds ugly, but please check with your " to be" spouse who you ask to be you officiate is okay. ( Most of the time it is okay because, well, it just is.) ( And this goes for anyone you ask to officiate, not just me.)

God Bless Those of You Who Have to Do This.....

I do not know how you do it, I really do not know.  I know I have done so in the past, but I guess I could do and may have to do so at some point.

As many of you know, we went to Houston yesterday so " The Boss" could get a medical procedure performed.

And on the way home from H-Town I got to thinking, I could not drive here like some folks every damn day. I have a nephew by marriage who drives fro the Woodlands to Sugar Land every day.

No, we made that mistake of getting behind a "car fire " on Hwy 288 and let the circus begin.

I came away from the entire experience with the following thoughts....

- People got too much money. I saw 4 Jags, a Bentley, 2 Teslas, and about ten vanity plates.

- People can't drive. Just can't drive. I am of the mind we need to bring back a DPS Trooper giving people driving tests again.

- Deb took me to a "pretend" Mexican place called " Gringos" in the Deer Park / LaPorte area. Full of " Gringos" thinking this was actual Mexican food, and I'll admit I too like a good Tex-Mex, well, this is like the food you get in a Chinese Buffet, it ain't well, real Chinese.( That's okay, I've eaten at a fancy hotel in china with them trying to fix " Western/American" food. Fried fish ain't little goldfish sized fish with the head) Not to take away, I enjoyed the heck outta my " Presidente " Plate.

- If I lived in H-Town I'd have to at some point learn enough of an oral second language to get around. Spanish? If I was an area near the kids, like Sugar Land, it'd probably be Mandarin. Just enough to "fake" it, and a 62, might be hard.

- Don't know, as Deb said, if she's gotten a job in the Medical Center, we'd bought a Townhouse, Condo, something in that area. I guess I would have adjusted.  But when we lived in Fort Worth we had a house in a working class neighborhood with a huge backyard with 8 pecan trees. I loved that backyard.

- BTW- I did the Ash Wednesday fast yesterday. Sun up- Sun down before I had my "fake" Mexican. Perhaps at this time in my life, my last.

-And giving up the worst thing I can. I've given up " Cokes" for Lent. I'm going to frinkin' die....

Just want to thank everyone for the prayers.

Mardi Gras

Don't know why, but I have a difficult enough time spelling Mardi Gras and my spell check wants to change it every time I write it......

But, I digress.

Today is " Fat Tuesday" the last day before you are go into the 40 days before Lent in which you are " supposed" to fast and give up something important to you for the Lenten period. The fasting to including giving up the consumption of meat on Friday's.

Mardi Gras was a big " party" before Lent that in recent memory has especially in New Orleans at time of debauchery.

To much  my surprise, I see two area Baptist Churches were Mardi Gras " gatherings."

Southern Baptists? Mardi Gras? Do they not know how this started historically?

Do the Baptist plan to give up something for Lent?

Or is this just another excuse for a "covered dish" gathering?

I don't know, I sorta do Lent now. But I'll still eat a steak on Friday, and due to my health, won't really fast. I do give up something I like, but as of yet, not sure what yet, it was cussin' last year and it hard.....This year just not sure.....

Ain't Your Friend

This pops up from time to time on the Facebook. And it's the damn truth.

Not everyone is your workplace is your friend. 
Do your work
Go Home
Get Paid

That is so damn true. I think I was friend was well, so few people in every place I ever worked in the school business.

Hell, I think I friends with maybe 5-6-7 people I worked with at Buna on Facebook. And these folks, well, I really liked.

Most of the people I tolerated at best.

Some, well, I hated. Literally hated, but I couldn't tell them I hated them or kill them for fear of being either fired or going to death row- So I tolerated them.

I looked at it this way, a bunch were the cheerleader/football types....still in school and well, they didn't know shit in school and in spite them having a degree in their subject or at least, a teacher's certificate, just barely knew their subject. ( That said, there are exceptions, as always)

Look, sadly, it is sometimes like high school. The band nerds, the academic nerds, well, they were their own clique. 

I hate to be mercenary, but it's all about the paycheck. 

Let's face it folks, many people you have to be nice to people at work. Or tolerate them.

But once you leave, hey, screw 'em.....And the further you get away, you wonder how you could stand to even be in the same building with them...

Do your job, get your pay, get the hell outta there...

Prepare, but Don't Panic

Get ready. The Markets are down -865 as I write this.

The Coronavirus is in Italy. Northern Italy, and everything in places like the city of Milan are shut. there is no food on the market shelves. Just like a hurricane scenario in SE Texas.

Say what you want, Italy ain't a 3rd world nation. 

Trouble is, they are not sure how long everything will be shut down.

It has spread to South Korea.

Investors are concerned about a worldwide economic slowdown. 

And China's facilities and plants are at a standstill. How stuff do we get from China to make stuff here? Just to make stuff.

And don't say, well, it needs to be made here, simply enough, we don't have enough people to make it either fast enough or quick enough to be needed here. And even so, make it here, it might make every day items increase 2000% percentage points.

You don't understand how much everyday stuff is made there, such as ingredients for prescription medications.  And then shipped here to be made.

And this is from a source, who knows, the virus is not always showing up in the tests when first run, never mind they show the symptoms.

It might not be widespread here, but you might need to get a few extra items next time you're at the store, just in case we're all quarantined.. . 

Good Grief Buna People

I had planned to write a second blog today ( after the first one got deleted )  about a totally different subject, but good grief.

I've either been on the phone in messages, emails with folks since I post the blog this morning.

I just counted. 23 people.

It's been busy. I am just now getting around to my normal daily chores. 

Many just livid with the Buna ISD.

Many, if not most upset with the education their kids are receiving, and these are not folks to get all upset about stuff.

And normally you hear people unhappy with whatever school, but not this many with Buna ISD. It seriously wonder what the world is going on?

Had 3 people ask about Homeschooling their child(ren). 

How much of this is in some classes, the only concern is " Passing the Test?"

How much of this is because they just can't get people to teach any more.

I know there are still some people who are pretty good teachers, but I wonder if they " It's just a job" are outweighing the good ones? ( It was starting to get that way as I retired. Being a teacher should be something different, sorry, but it should be.)

I don't know, I should be taking the attitude, " Not my circus, not my monkeys" but I want BISD to be a good school. And sadly, I no longer recommend it to people when they ask " Should I move my kids there?"