More Proof I'm Getting Old

If you were a kid in the 70s, you remember seeing, mostly on late light or on the independent channels on UHF - yeah, if you remember UHF, you must be old -commercials for "The Time-Life Collection." Now when I was kid, between re-runs of The Munsters and Leave It to Beaver, they were pushing The Big Band Era, something your grandmother would buy with Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman - basically old fossil music.

Now back then, these were two minute commercials, not like today with the half hour "Infomercial" with old Peter Fonda pushing The Flower Power Love Generation 14 CD collection or the dudes from Air Supply pushing Soft Rock [and I giggle when I fly by it thinking about the Yacht Rock thing on You Tube - "Gotta keep the smooth in, Templeman!"] or poor Tony Orlando slushing Greatest Love Hits of the 70's... oh, that just breaks my heart. Anyway, from the Big Bands, Time-Life Graduated to the Sock Hop Soda Shop Hits from the 50's to The Beat Goes On Moldie Oldies of the 60's and then moved to infomercials and began pushing The Brady Bunch Have A Nice Day Hits of the 70s...

But dammit, I was watching one of the many cable channels I do scroll through in search of meaningful late night entertainment [and there isn't much] and I see this 2 CD [well, 3 because they throw in a "bonus disc" if you pay by credit card now...]: Hard 'N' Heavy: Up All Night & Talk Dirty to Me and IT'S MY F'ING GENERATION!!!! Poison, Kiss, Judas Priest, Cinderella, David Lee Roth, Quiet Riot... tsk tsk tsk.

Now look, I am not going to buy this because, well frankly, I am trying to forget the hair metal. It's what we had and we didn't know much better. But I mean, damn! Now my nieces and baby sister will look at that and go - your music is old and it sucks! Like we did to grandma when she ordered The Big Band Era or Hillbilly Fever Great Country and Western Songs of the 50s. Not that they don't do that all ready. But I mean damn.

The Patriarch

The heaviest thing I ever had to lift
That summer afternoon
Rolling Sylvanian Hills

The longest walk I ever took
Maybe two hundred yards
No Man's Land, consecrated ground

The sharpest sound I ever heard
Four rifles fired three times
In salute, in farewell

And it's taken me a while
And it's slowly sinking in
What losing you really means

I make myself remember
Your laugh, your voice, your smile
The lessons and the the love

My saddest day
Family holding each other up
Together in love, respect and reverence


-Darrell J. Sheets 11/24/1919 - 8/22/2008

Penance

He sits in the middle cubicle of a line of three, facing east on a rectangle of six cubicles. He doesn’t have a regular station like a lot of people do; rather he jumps from cubicle to cubicle amongst his little work group. Therefore he doesn’t get to add any photos or plaques of achievement or calendar or any of the allowable that are tolerated at work desks to make them a little more personal and comfortable. He does not have a lockable drawer to place his work materials [headset, pens, notepads, manuals] or personal items [book, snack, 2^nd set of glasses] so he caries then in daily in a small briefcase. All of which sometimes makes him feel like a temp among his peers, still an outcast or interloper after nearly two years.

The oddness continues as a second shift person, his day starts immediately on arrival. There is no build up to it, waiting for decent hours to return calls, have a cup of coffee and build into the day. For him, it’s log in, plug in, jump into the fire both feet burning. Granted the day tapers off usually halfway through the shift and the build up day shift has becomes a slow winding down until quitting time. He knows this very well having been on second turn for eight of the last ten years. Still he thinks second shift is underappreciated for always hitting the ground running and coming in during the middle of whatever else has been going on in the office all day. And when the day shift leaves and most of the supervisors go home, it’s the end of the day – for THEM. Does the second shift or the graveyard gang ever get consideration, other then shift differential? Not really.

It’s the days when second shift arrives and things are caught up that are maddening. He arrives pumped up, ready to whiz and bang and take care of business only to discover the boredom of being ‘caught up.’ Yes, the immediate need stuff comes in, but that’s second nature, in and out, whiz bang! Two hours of catching up, six hours wearing the hair shirt. And sometimes, no amount of crosswords, MP3s or books will keep one from being bored out of your skull. And it’s the boredom that kills. Long winter nights under fluorescent lighting staring at monitors waiting for something to do. Waiting for the phone to ring and the sad sigh of the bored whose boredom is interrupted by the job we’re paid to do. These are the days he thinks of leaving early just to be somewhere else. He thinks perhaps a movie or a drink but knows he will end up home in front of the tube. So he sits reading novels and magazines, ignoring the conversations of the others he feels no connection to with the ear buds playing softly. He calls this his penance time – punishment for the future sins he hopes to commit.

Thirteen

I was listening to the new Paul Weller [22 Dreams] Christmas Eve before going to Mom's. As I'm sitting there grooving and thinking how much Cold Moments sounds like something from the Shaft soundtrack ["Shut your mouth..."], it strikes me how my niece would never appreciate this. Shelby is 13 and I'm sure one day will begin that "music is so cool" thing. But would she appreciate something sophisticated like the Weller album or something more mature like the Hold Steady or the Black Crowes? Probably not - not in the next few years anyway. Weezer - maybe. The Killers? Jimmy Eat World? Fountains of Wayne? Get Up Kids? The Gits? The Ramones? The Faces? Black Sabbath? Please, not rap! Not this current trend of high note holding chicks and not this false boom boom that's not really an instrument and every syllable punched in garbage! PLEASE get over the Britney! [Of course, last year I think she wanted Santana, so there IS hope!]

And I had one of Jim's mix tapes tapes [93] going in my Walkman Tuesday night [yes, I got a new an MP3 player for Christmas]. Just the cool things Jim would put on like Eleventh Day Dream, My Sister's Machine, Bonnie Hayes, Pere Ubu and Junk Monkey - things I've never heard or seen before or since. Will Shelby ever come in and look at my stuff and just go "make me something interesting."

Maybe - someday. And she'll get things like Paul Weller, Paul Westerberg, the Hold Steady, Wilco, X, XTC, Superchunk, the Blasters, Glossary, Bowie and Johnny Cash and throw on something like Sam Cooke or the Impressions or Jr. Walker & the All Stars for a little even more off the wall. And she'll decide never to do that again. Or maybe she'll find something there she likes - like I did when Uncle Mike suggested Frank Zappa, Johnny Winter or Rory Gallagher and I can make suggestions... That would be totally cool! I don't know, though. Who listens to the old crap that their uncle listens to? Oh, me. But who else?

Someday she and Erin may realize I am a soft touch for trips to Borders and Half Price for CDs and books. Or just looking at things, finding new sources.

But she's a teenager now, and I got a full dose last night. 13 with attitude. Beginning down the road to adulthood, but still horseplaying with her sister and aunt [Yes, my half sister who is 3 is her aunt. That's so funny.] and grandfather. But was totally excited about receiving tons of hair care and Bath and Bodyworks things.

13 makes me think Big Star's song Thirteen. Junior high.Feeling freakishly awkward, unsure of one's self and not coping well with changes. Of course some of us never grow out of that. Nerdy at 13 = nerdy for life? Maybe so.

At least Shelby is not nerdy. Well, not too much. Glasses and braces, but she has confidence in herself. I will give her that.

Scattershooting and Wondering Whatever Happened to the Christmases of Yore...

I just haven't felt the holidays this year. There's too much blah this year. 2008 sucked on a lot of levels. I didn't even hang out the Christmas lights, which is a ten minute job. The weather was too warm and then when the north wind did blow, it was too cold. Maybe next year.

I was never too wrapped up in the whole "white Christmas" deal, though I am sure we had them. The wonder of coming out and finding what Santa left is long gone. I guess when one stops getting toys, the wonder goes. CDs and leather jackets and stuff are cool, but it's not Tonka trucks and super hero dolls... er, action figures.

Some NHL Thoughts

Since the season is closed for Christmas [2 days], I'll put a couple quick hits down. The Dallas Stars have been upgraded from "Total Suckage" to just "Suckage." They've put some goals in recently, but still can't stop the puck when they need to. Watched Pens - Sabres Monday - this kid on defense, Alex Gologoski, has potential. But Crosby needs to take shots more often. You can't score if you're not shooting.If Philadelphia can get consistent goaltending, they could be trouble again this year. I love that I got Jeff Carter in one of my leagues and he's lighting it up - 26 goals in 32 games? Mats Sundin signed. Who cares? Well, if you're a Canucks fan, you care. Still San Jose and Detroit are the teams to beat and I don't see Sundin changing that. Peter Forsberg wants to try the NHL again? After another surgery on his wonky foot? When will the NHL GMs get it through their heads that he is done like dinner!?! But he'll probably get an offer and play half his team's remaining games in March and April and go on the shelf as soon as the playoffs start - just like last year. SAY NO NASHVILLE! Speaking of the Preds, could blueliner Shea Webber lead the team in scoring this year? I know Zubov did it in NY the year the Rangers won the Cup...

And I'll Say It One More Time:

Who is running the offense in Pittsburgh? I just don't see Rothlisberger as a Steve Young / West Coast offense type of quarterback. For years the calling card of this team has been running the football at you until you just give up. I know, there's no Jerome Bettis there - big bulky back. But you have Parker and Moore and they seem to be okay. Stop emptying the backfield, run the ball and control the line of scrimmage before Ben gets really scrambled on one of those sacks! Ask Troy Aikman how those concussions affect you!

Update: Leisa's condition is actually Sigmoid Colon cancer, spread to one ovary and her appendix. I went to the hospital, really scared, but Leisa was absolutely herself and we spent over two hours gossiping and going over the old days. I also go to meet her priest and sit in on a bedside blessing / service, which was kind of neat. I had brought her my "Buddy Christ" [from Kevin Smith's Dogma] when the father, whom I had ridden up in the elevator with walked into the room. And I met her mohter in law.

Anyway, she's emotional, but still has her humor - when the surgeon held up his hands indicating about a foot of bowel was taken, she popped out with "$ 5 foot long." He didn't get it but I did when she told me. Surgeons don't have any sense of humor. Or don't watch enough TV. Her attitude is right and I expect her to do well.

GO STEELERS!

After an ugly 50 minutes of [allegedly] football, the Steelers defense came through, bookending the game with interceptions. I still say the offensive co-ordinator needs to be shot. Stop trying to pass, pass, pass all the time. I realize neither Willie Parker or Mewelde Moore is Jerome Bettis as far as size goes, but Steeler football is smash mouth, run it up the gut until the defense breaks football. Rothlesberger is a target because they will not run the damn ball. I understand you want to get Hines Ward and Nate Washington and Santonio Holmes into the game - but you do that by making teams respect your running game.

Mixed Emotions for a Friend

I got home Friday evening to some really bad news - my friend Leisa, whom I have known since high school, who was in for surgery found that the news was a lot worse than expected. What had been hopeful from the pre-op screenings was found to be stage 4 colon cancer. And I've been numb about the whole thing ever since.

You want to stay positive and you want to be positive for your friend, but I just find myself really shocked. Someone MY AGE, someone I used to ride the bus with in high school and hang out with. She and I are not that close now, but we have been keeping in touch with this internet thingy...

I say again, my family is really lucky to be long lived and relatively healthy - I don't have the experience of dealing with things like this. It makes me wonder: "Do I want to see it coming or do I just want to get hit by a bus or just not wake up?"

2008 has been a suck year on so many levels... let's get on to 2009 all ready.