carpenters -We've Only Just Begun

Attention fellow insomniacs/carpenter fans.....if you can't sleep, the next best thing is to relax via watching and listening to the late karen! I wonder if she had a boyfriend?

And the d.j. said:

So, I live near Baltimore, and the radio d.j. said: "Happy Halloween Booooooooo-timore" (which I thought was pretty cute) but then I thought about an addendum to the greeting that I'd like her to add.

"We're scary 365 days a year!"

Do YOU have junk in your trunk?!

Today after many months of attempting to donate/get rid of some items, I called a phone # that I thought I had committed to memory. I called 1-888-got-junk! I was greeted with an automated female voice that said something to the effect of:

"Hot wicked ladies are you ready to shake your boo-ty for a hot local guy tonight?" OH my god I thought, I guess I was supposed to have called 1800 got junk as opposed to 1888 got junk!

I also thought, I'm sure the local guys would come to a definite consensus that I've got plenty of excess junk in my trunk! On that note, better watch what # you dial readers as you never know you might meet, on second thought, maybe that's a good thing?

"You'd think I were the heavy smoker"

My apt. reaks before you even walk in the door. And that's even when I've left the windows open on a cold day. I awoke coughing and with a bad headache this morning. I hear audible wheezing and it's hard to breathe. I take a whiff of my inhaler and pop some migraine meds. All of these are environmental issues that could be resolved if I could afford to move.

I open the windows, I get cold, I close the windows, apt reaks, I open windows, burn incense and the cycle continues. It's ridiculous. The management say they sealed against the smoke but perhaps because they are smokers themselves! it didn't work!

"At least attempt to learn English"

So, I'm in Dunkin Donuts and I've ordered an egg croissant at one of the d.d.'s that I don't normally go to. There is no loud music playing so there is no excuse for the clerk to make me repeat myself 3 times!

me-I'd like an egg croissant please and some mayonnaise packets"

clerk-WHAT?

ME-I'D LIKE AN EGG CROISSANT PLEASE AND SOME MAYONNAISE PACKETS

clerk WHAT , YOU WANT SOME BUTTER?

ME-(i am very angry at this point) I want some mayonnaise. He turns to his co worker with pleading eyes. The co worker looks at me and says WHAT

mE-I need some mayonnaise please

HIM-We don't have mayonnaise

Me-" mAY i HAVE A chocolate donut in a seperate bag and a pumpkin coffee? ( I see no place to pick up the order as the counter is high and there are plants that you'd have to reach thru to get your order!), so i ask, "where should i pick up my orde?r"

clerk "what?"

me"where do i get my food"

clerk-"here"

"have a good day" he says

(YOU ARE KIDDING ME AREN'T YOU?)

I find these transactions absolutely exhausting. They are the norm, not the exception.  :(

Returning to some older blog themes

Customer Dis-service and Rude Ass Society

It's no different. Most transactions make me wonder if it would be better if I had just stayed at home. I visited a library that is not my usual one. I discovered right around 95/96 that I strongly prefer to stay out of stores and libraries that have security guards. They give me the feeling that the environment I'm in is a. not safe and b. that I am being watched. Well, I guess there's a c. as well. Security guards frequently give off a vibe that is just yukky and leaves me feeling unsettled.

Today I'm in a library with a very cozy reading area. It's surprisingly quiet and I think perhaps I'll come to this one more often. I carefully consider that it is o.k. for me to leave my very heavy backpack in the seat for 10 minutes while I get up and ask the librarian a question. While I'm doing that, the guard who knows perfectly well where my seat is, and whose backpack it is, watches me and listens to every word that I'm saying to the clerk.

As he walks me over to the stacks obviously she does not follow.

I'm gone from my seat for about 10 minutes. I return and my bag is GONE! Can you believe that?! I said oh my god my bag is gone. A patron said "Someone came and took it away and probably put it in lost and found" So, I walked into the main part of the library and the guard heard me to go information and say "My bag is gone, where is lost and found"

The guard said nothing, but probably enjoyed every minute of it. I said to the clerk I left the bag there because it's so heavy. So I shlepped to lost and found and got my bag back.

I consider complaining about the guard because I am sure she does this for kicks! She KNOWS this is my bag, and she knows I've gotten up to ask a question. peaceful library experience ruined........................

KFC-"Mmmm-Yuk!"

In the last 18 months I've been to KFC about 4x. I have never had a good experience. This last one, well, I will not go back. I order a side of mashed potatoes to go because the store is always ice cold and they are always cleaning when you are trying to eat which I find miserable. So, one of the employees who appears to be about 12 is on break and sitting with what appears to be his mother and perhaps an aunt or mother's friend. It appears his 15 year old sister works there too, she is the one who took my order. The boy got up from break and threw, literally threw his dirty tray, back to the serving counter where they normally place orders that have come up. This startles me, and hurts my ears. I think geez, now how old do you need to be to work here?

I look up and see the rest rooms. Honest to god, it says "boys room, girls room" as if on cue to my mental theme. Also on cue to my mental theme, the girl who took my order who is the big sister of the "little boy" is behind the counter and having a conversation with mom and the friend as they are leaving. You will NEVER believe what happens next.

MMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAA BUT you have to buy me crayons my homework assignment is due tomorrow!

Mother-"I am not making a special trip to wal mart for you, you'll have to make do"

My order comes up. I always take it out of bag to inspect. The first thing I see is odd enough. There are easily 20 packages of hot sauce which I did NOT ask for. I dump them on the counter. Then I take the m.potatoes out of the bag. I feel the bottom of the container , well, I feel the potatoes, I feel WETENESS! i look and apparently it's as if there was an explosion and the styrofoam packaging and the potatoes all became one and the food was oozing out the bottom!

I showed the manager, and she replaced it. How can employees package this and not notice the error unless they are frickin' stoned out of their frickin' minds?!

I take the receipt and I do the survey whic automatically enrolls you for 1k. After I complete the survey on my visit and click enter, I get this automated message that says YOU WILL NOT BE ENTERED TO WIN!

Now, what should I make of this? They only enter you to win if you say something nice? Oh Dear Lord. Everything, everything is broken.

Bread - Guitar Man (1972)

"don't you know"

"Don't you know that you are a shooting star, and all the world will love you just as long, as long as you are, a shooting star" (they love you when you are a success, they kick you when you're down)

This is the lyric from the 70's rock song that crossed my mind as I read Susan Boyle's life story "The Woman I was Meant to be"

I thought about how she was taunted and abused her whole life by society until last year when she became an "overnight sensation"

Now she gets hundreds of cards, letters and gifts per day!

She is also an AMAZING AMAZING writer. I connected with her story on many many levels as she considered careers in all the same things as I; teaching, music, and social work............

But I largely get that most people are cruel, and her only refuge for most of her life was her big loving family.

I strongly encourage you to read this book. It's in the library, the wal mart, and all the big and little book stores.

James Brown "Funky Good Time"

I simply can't post electronically about my real life. Instead, I share with you this amazing amazing video. enjoy!

What is the phenomena called?

It doesn't happen once in a while it happens all the time. For example, today as I was running around with errands and appts. whatever is happening or whatever I'm thinking about, the d.j. will suddenly respond, or the lyric of the song will link up with what I'm thinking.

i.e.  I thought, "My appointment is at 3"

  Then I hear a lyric on the radio: " last call is at 3"

I was lost and driving up and down Reisterstown road and I heard the lyric:

 "you're driving up and down the highway!"

You get my drift, the radio is talking to me I"m hearing voices! ;) ;) But is there a name for this phenomena where everything around you  seems to "line up?!"

"Twisted minds at Twisted Pines"

You may recall that "Twisted Pines" is the name I've given my apt. community. Tonight, as I got out of my car and went into the trunk, I heard a gunshot. This is approximately the 3rd time this has happened to me.

I called non emergency police and made an anonymous report. I explained that it is an intimidation tactic. The officer asked me why? Why, why? I wonder. Why do i have to participate in a psychoanalysis session. He did not say that he would send someone out so I don't know if he will or he won't.

Today is Lennon's birthday!


Earlier today on the Dan Rodrick's show on NPR a man called in and said that when he makes calls to the Baltimore City police, they only show up to the crime scene if he is willing to give his name and address. He fears retaliation from his neighbors when he gives his name and address, but sees that he is in a no win situation. Rodricks was deeply disturbed to hear that police don't always show.

It IS deeply disturbing to realize that in many cases citizens do not feel that the police are their allies or there to protect and serve.

At the Carroll county dollar store, the 18 yo clerk told me that her and her boyfriend went to downtown Baltimore to see a concert the other night. When her b/f saw a cop car he went out of his way to avoid them even though he has nothing to hide.

An officer followed them and pulled them over.

 He said: "Why do you have so many things hanging from your rear view mirror? Get out of the car"

The officer proceeded to search the entire vehicle! The clerk relayed to me that she was stunned.

 I said," I'll bet you won't go back to the city will ya?

"No" she replied.

After searching the car and finding nothing, the officer said "It's just that, I knew you were trying to avoid me!"

Need I say more?!

" arts scene in Baltimore?"

It's a common misnomer that there is no arts scene in Baltimore. It couldn't be further from the truth.

Want something free to do everyday in October?

Go to www.freefallbaltimore.org

If you don't find something that interests you, email me, and I'll refund your money!