Hello Everyone,

August 2019

It's been over 3 years since I have posted any material.

Today I begin with a trilogy based off a challenge someone gave me.

Enjoy the read

~g

December 25, 2011

Inspiration me...the bright side

It usually shocks those that think they know me, but...I give inspirational classes. Teaching people that through the worst of times, keeping oneself positive will help to overcome the obstacles. The teacher is also the perpectual student. My nephew Stewie (his real name is Daniel, I dubbed him Stewie cause he reminds me of the baby in Family Guy)is 6 years old and walks on his tippy toes. After misdiagnosis this Wednesday it was finally stated that he has mild cerebral palsy, he is also Dyslexic. To realize what is in store for him was/is heart breaking. The inspiration that kept me from weeping is his constant smile. The innocence he still carries and the love in his voice whe he says 'I love you Titi' I went to work Thursday after a grueling commute, holiday shoppers and tourists the ruthless day walkers as I call them, blocking every step of the way. People usually follow the 11th hour rule to ask for things. In the middle of it all I get a text from my sister, she is at work in pain and with upset stomach. The pain part got me, this is the sister that follows life like Zena the warrior princess. If she is 'saying' that she is in pain then she must be on the brink of passing out. I convince her to go to the ER instead of waiting for the Dr. Appt that was hours away. 12 hours later during which time it took me over 3 to get to Jersey, go home and get the car then go to her house and walk Whiskey (her dog), then get to the hospital where sis was still in ER. That was only the beginning. Long story short, days later sis is finally doing better, they may let her out soon. The dog is finally sleeping although still sad, I finally got some sleep...Christmas eve passed in a blur. The inspiration that got me through..... Upstate. The thought that soon...don't known when but soon I will be at the mountains, resting, Serenity and Tranquility (Tia and Tio), quiet and hopefully a warm fire place...those thoughts kept me sane. I really had no plans for Christmas, since Dad's death this family died with him. My biggest plan was to just rest and head to upstate Christmas day. Inspiration may be delayed but it will arrive. I learned a few things If you expect nothing you really don't get disappointed I'm not the only one that is left at a hospital even with a large family A pet knows when you're in trouble All dogs should be trained to get along with people and other dogs You don't really miss Christmas dinner, KFC will do just fine People will think of themselves even during a holiday that teaches the opposite It is a miracle more people don't die waiting in the ER It is possible to spill an entire cup of hot coffee on yourself when standing still Xanax won't work whe you are really overly stressed People you trust will betray you and so will their offsprings You can reach the point of no return with others and not lose your compassion in humanity, just your faith in them is lost When all else fails, my mantra gets me through.... Life is not hard...people make it so. Happy Birthday Jesus, at least through it all, I remember what today is about. The birth of hope, faith and forgiveness, from one who taught it by practicing it.

December 19, 2011

AndMore....Recipe for a Perfect Christmas

I have several Christmas movies I love, one in particular is Recipe for a Perfect Christmas*.  An admin assist for a magazine is given a trial run as a Food Critic, JJ has her hands full.

Her mother Leigh arrives un-expectantly into town.  A mother that previously preferred traveling about to sticking around, but is now in need of family.  You can't run from loneliness.

Alex, the restaurant owner that can't seem to cut a break.  The building owner is evicting him without giving him the chance to let the business grow.

He needs a Food Critic to advertise his restaurant, JJ needs to come up with THE food article to keep her promotion and her mother needs JJ.

Extraordinary story but similar emotions, I definitely can relate to this story on some level.

Trying to keep family together is at most exhausting and futile.  Trying to keep a positive attitude when the chips are down is....depressing.  Trying to put it all together is just a hope and a prayer.

JJ in the end, uses all her connections to get Food critics, magazine editors and customers to Alex's restaurant, on the eve of both Christmas and his eviction notice.  Her mother finally grows up and acts her age; she also helps out in saving the restaurant and her daughters love life.

Wouldn't it be great to make a few calls, friends and co-workers drop everything to save a business, a heart and a family?  Can it really only happen on the LMN channel?  I don't think so.  I have the most fantastical mind and it tells me anything is possible.

I believe that the right compassionate people in ones life can make any miracle a reality.  Her Recipe for a Perfect Christmas was to believe in others and not just herself.  My recipe?  It's to believe that there are people out there that can think about others.  That can say...to hell with my plans, someone needs me.  That can participate in helping another even if it meant nothing at all in return, but that glimmer of hope.

If my circle of friends were to be tested...I would say 3 out of many would be that Perfect Recipe.  That's not a lot of people, but imagine...if each knew 3 that knew 3 that knew 3 and so on; imagine the miracle that could be created.

A family - unknown could have Christmas, a failing restaurant would be full, a home would have a buffet of food, a can could be filled with singles and coins and in turn give someone a coat on a cold night.  Perhaps this fantastical mind can even picture that all would come true with that same band of 3 friends times 3 times and so on.

Now wouldn't that be the LMN movie of the year let alone of Christmas????

If you got that call...from a friend that needed help, would you think of 3 to call and make it happen?  Or is it the norm to just say...I can't, I'm busy, I'm broke, I have my own problems???  I hope not.  I hope you are the friend that starts the miracle wheel.

May my recipe for a Perfect Christmas be your reality of a Christmas should you find yourself in need of it.

*A Recipe for a Perfect Christmas - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480844/

December 08, 2011

AndMore...PATH to nowhere

It's a bitter cold morning.  I struggled to get up having been awakened at 4am by noise.  By the time I fell back to sleep that damn alarm clock was going off.  The radiators are supposedly broken so it was a freezing morning in the bathroom.  I bought a power strip to plug a small heater and the power strip doesn't work.

I suck it in and brace myself.  I leave and remember that the car is parked on a street that is cleaned this morning.  I find parking and start my 10 block walk to the PATH.  I get there and can't even get to where you enter the station and go up the stairs.  People everywhere. PATH is suspended, no power.

A slew of cops arrive to announce that the PATH may be closed for hours, to take a bus to Journal Square if you need to get to NY.  People ask where the bus is.  There is only one and it is delayed due to over capacity.  UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!!!!  I wait for an hour or so then go home.  Might as well work from home and try again later.

As I begin the 10 block walk back home I am alerting those I see that the PATH is closed.  After a few got verbally hostile I decided FUCK IT, let them find out the way I did.

I get home and only think of one thing - BATHROOM.  But the roommate is in there and normally takes about 2 hours.  I go back outside a few houses to a neighbor and use theirs.  I seriously miss having my own place.  I go back home and make myself a cup of coffee.  After a few work emails I decide to trek back to the PATH.

It's even colder out.  I am tired and on my 10 block walk back thinking 'WHY THE FUCK AM I NOT A SIZE ZERO WITH ALL THIS WALKING????'

I get to the PATH and it's packed, the trains are running but still catching up to loading all the people.  I finally board a train and am lucky to find a seat.  The man next to me decides to chat or actually BITCH. 'I had to walk 6 blocks to the train, stand for 2 hours and I'm late.'  He continued with the damages of MTA and PATH decisions.  After a while he noticed I only looked at him and said nothing he said 'I must be boring you'.  I said 'Not at all, I am just wondering why you would think complaining to any other commuter would be helpful.  I walked 30 blocks, stood for over an hour, when I get to NY I have another 10 blocks to walk and arrive to work HOURS late.  I seriously couldn't care less what other people feel about the hell of commuting'.  He got up and stood by the door.  It's getting harder to make friends.

I get to NY and board the NY train, a homeless person is begging for money because he is hungry.  He is slurring his way through the prepared speech.  I think to myself....I should have started my day with a drink or two.

I get to my stop and bundle up for the 10 block walk to work, feeling  more tired with each step. 'What is it all for'?  I kept asking myself all the way.  I sit and write this the whole time thinking...I could swim across the fucking river faster.

I have the rest of the day ahead of me and about 10% energy, this should prove interesting.

December 01, 2011

AndMore...some more friggin holiday cheer

You better watch out...
It doesn't matter if NJT or MTA have alerts, tweets or email.  You will find out there is a delay when you stand on a platform where no train arrives or find yourself in a tunnel on a stopped train for a long time.  Such was the case on the 30th.  The morning began with taking the PATH for one stop...then nothing.  PAUSE

PAUSE REASON - My trip for those that do not know.... 10 block walk to PATH train, one train to one stop and board another, several stops later get off walk 2 blocks to MTA, take train several stops later get off and walk another 10 blocks

END OF PAUSE, there it ended for a while.

The platform is quite narrow and once filled you are left with either staying on the escalator, if you are coming from the outside or diving off the platform.  People are more aggressive and there is no train in sight.  The costly monitors lie and say next scheduled train will arrive at xyz time (which passed) at track #xyz which is usually wrong.  When that happens those that think they are first in the train because they are at the edge of the platform, are now at the end of the crowd when the train actually arrives on the opposite track.

You better not cry...
It's just hell when finally a train arrives and you are at the end, nooooo where near to boarding and watch that train and the following get packed without you in it.  You finally get to the platform and are pushed, shoved and stampeded so that the ignorant, no class, uneducated bastards and bitches in the back get a seat.

Better not pout...
Ahhhhh.....finally the train is moving....3 minutes in and the dispatcher starts an announcement. 'This train will be making one and final stop..' (WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE!  ONE??? It goes to NY and makes several stops. WTF???)  I start pouting and realize as I look around I am not the only one.
'Due to a medical emergency we will stop at Hoboken and all must get off the train. You can get another train at the Hoboken station....'  (NO YOU FUCKING CAN'T, THIS TRAIN DOESN'T EVEN NORMALLY STOP AT HOBOKEN) 'and catch another PATH to 33rd, WTC or Journal Square (back to the beginning)'.

I'm telling you why...
You get to the Hoboken station and that platform is full, so when they open the train doors only half the passengers can get off.  The conductor is rushing out others (WHAT? WE SHOULD CLIMB ON TOP OF OTHERS AND DRY HUMP THEM WHILE WE WAIT????) without a care that there is no room.  Another 3 full trains later, I get to NY.  MTA is backed up. Of course it is.  It is tree lighting day - WTF do they do this on a weekday???? And the President is coming to town.  Why do we pay for that White House???  I wait for like EVER and take the R train, get off at my stop and walk the 10 blocks to work.  LATE!!!

Santa Claus is coming to town.
If only!!! Then I would kick his fat ass off the sleigh and make those reindeer's get me to work on time!