"The Dance"

The few remnants of Fall are desperately trying to survive as the leaves hang on for one last gasp while Canadian Winds howl through Dallas at 50 mph this morning. Mixed with a smattering of rain it is one of the few days of the year that I find I can't venture out, or at least choose not to, in order to conduct business.
That being said, I've decided to open the Devil's Workshop with my idle hands and muse about things on my cluttered mind.
As Dancing With the Stars comes to its conclusion tonight after a way too long season I have to make a confession.
Although the demographics indicate that the dancing reality show is most watched by women, I will admit I am a fan. Not so much for the "B" list of celebrities that strut across the floor but because I like dancing.
The person who promised to love, honor and twinkle my toes and I spent the first couple of years of our marriage spending at least one night a week cruising the dance scene and showing off our stuff. As a matter of fact, our first encounter almost 21 years ago happened when I asked her to dance.
But like everything that once glittered it eventually fades, we now only have a chance to twirl and dip at an occasional wedding.
I guess it's partly lack of time, partly too tired and partly we find ourselves in a little funk at the end of the day and settle in to either watch a movie or get caught up in a stupid sitcom.
But boy, I miss dancing.
Recently, I have called or stopped by one of the many dance studios that suddenly are appearing all over town to inquire about lessons.
Even though Pattye and I make great partners and have some good moves, both of us would like to learn new dances such as the Salsa and the Swing and a perfect Waltz.
And what better time to start dancing again now with its great resurgence.
As I gaze out the window and watch the leaves dance their final dance as they twirl round and round in the wind trying to break free from their branches, I feel young again and am eager to spin my mate across the floor.
I think I might pass on the green shoes that Emmitt wore last night but a tux with tails might not be out of the picture.
Shall we dance?

"The Winds of Change.....or is it just Wind""

The votes have been cast...the results are in. The Democrats have taken over the Senate and the House and a new Secretary of Defense has been put in place. All in one day.
Incumbents are licking their wounds, the newly elected are frothing at the bit to get a piece of the action.
Winds of change??
I doubt it.
I not cynical because my candidates lost. In fact, I really didn't have any candidates.
I simply voted for the least offensive.
And, for the first time in my voting life, I strayed from voting a straight ticket. Part in protest, but probably because I am beginning to see the light.
I'm not embarrassed to tell you that I even voted for a candidate here in Texas, who in fact received the least amount of votes in a 4 candidate race for Governor.
Why?.....Well, actually he made a lot of sense. He pretty much told it like it is. It was almost like a continuation of his long running standup comedy routine.
I grew up in conservative atmosphere, a home where working hard and doing the "right" thing meant good things would eventually come to you. My mother volunteered for years for the Republican Party. The party for those, at least I thought at the time, was for the business people, the doers.
I can remember as a student at a Catholic elementary school as being one of only a handful who didn't support JFK in a straw vote held in class. My God, the nuns stared at me as if I would go to hell for not supporting a catholic president.
But, that's how I was raised.
My daddy drove a Ford. His daddy drove a Ford and his daddy's daddy drove a Ford. It was just a tradition.
But does it really matter what Party these people represent?
I don't think so any more.
This government will continue to stay gridlocked for the next two years, and then the next two years and then the next two years and so on.
Oh, we'll eventually get out of Iraq. We'll do it the same way we did in Vietnam by simply declaring victory one day and bringing our troops home. Long after many have died or left maimed.
The economy will go up and down, each political side claiming victory when things are good, and each side blaming the other when things are bad.
So will things change? I doubt it.
"The Wind of Change is simply Wind.....or better yet, simply Gas!

Time-Warner Cable.....Good People, Tough Circumstances

Cable customers around Texas or maybe even around the country I guess, are having to endure a transition of power (no pun intended) from the previous owner, Comcast, to the new owner Time-Warner.
I've been through this once before when ATT Broadband sold to Comcast and for the most part there were few snags except for eventually having to change my e-mail address. But since we live in a mobile society changing addresses has now become part of the American way and in reality it kind of gives you a fresh start.
But not this time.
Due to what is now a catch-all for things that can go wrong, a glitch occurred, or rather several glitches.
On Wednesday, people in North Texas were sent e-mails fromTime-Warner explaining the process of changing over to the new system and how to set their PC's accordingly. But unfortunately, you couldn't receive your e-mail to read your e-mail, nor could you send any. Hmmmmm.
However, if you were smart like me, you knew you could log onto your server and retrieve your e-mail without going through your e-mail program.
Confused?
Well, so were most of the people around here as well.
Being the good blogger that I am, I e-mailed D Magazine's Front Burner blog, and they were kind enough to post my searing comments, only to find there were other people going through the same frustrating scenario.
Front Burner is well known for getting the attention of practically anyone in authority, from congressmen, senators, mayors, you name it.
Gary Underwood, Director of Communications for the North Texas area, responded to the blog and explained what had happened and thanked Front Burner, which meant me, for bringing their attention to the problem.
Problem solved. Er'... not just yet.
So Thursday morning I log on and now we have no internet access at all. I went through all of the steps, re-booting, turning off the modem, cussing, ....you know the procedure....and I was able to determine there was no signal coming from Time-Warner.
I stayed on hold for about an hour, (I am one determined SOB) and reported the problem and was told, as I expected, "there were service problems in the area".
As I was leaving for work, I saw no less than 8 Time Warner trucks in a two block area and I knew we were in for a long day without the Internet.
Stopping one of the drivers, he told me they were upgrading the service in the area, and it would be restored around 2 or 3 PM.
I could live with that but I was a little peeved that no one had taken the time to send me any kind of an e-mail stating such.
At 4:00, we still had no access.
I called Adam McGill at D magazine, he was the person who had posted my comments, and asked him if by any chance he had a phone number for Gary Underwood. Adam passed it on to me, and after calming a little bit, but not much, I called Mr. Underwood and told him of my problem including the fact that I had thousands (a slight embellishment) of people who read my blog and they would hear about this.
It wasn't too much longer that I had Jeff Ferrell, a very experienced technician, show up who began trouble shooting my problem. Later, Ty Gibson, another technician pulled up in his truck and along with Abe Robinson, their supervisor who remained in constant contact on the phone, they finally solved the "glitch" at 7:00 in the evening.
Also, Gary Underwood made several calls during that time to check on the progress.
We discussed the whole event and did find out that residents were supposed to have been notified by mail and even a door tag that this upgrade work would be taking place.
Perhaps I missed the mailings, but I definitely didn't receive the door tag and there is some suspicion that neither did many of our neighbors.
So, by the mere fact that you can read my blog today, I am back on line. Back in the groove.
And once again, I've learned it's not what you know but who you know.
I wish all of the good people at Time-Warner success in the coming challenges and I hope they don't encounter anyone else like me......or maybe I do......it does build character.

"Just when you think you have seen it all"

After raising 5 kids, and now have 3 grandkids, I felt like I had just about seen it all......Nope.
What Pattye and I saw at the grocery store Sunday morning tops it all. Here was this lady, young mother actually, who had two kids, probably ages 2 and 3 with about a half basket of groceries, some fresh fruit and vegetables and the rest canned goods and paper items.
She had made a direct line over to the service desk and was having a somewhat animated conversation with the Service Manager. She had one child, a boy, in one arm and a little girl standing next to her with her shoes off and holding them in her hand. It was a little chilly that morning and I was a little surprised to see the little girl holding her shoes.
I heard the Service Manager make a comment "that's OK, things happen. Don't worry about it."
I figured one of the kids must have broken something and it had gotten all over the food and probably on the little girl's footwear.
We continued to checkout when out of the corner of my eye, I saw the woman head for the parking lot in a pretty hurried fashion.
And then, I noticed the cause of all of the commotion.
Apparently the little girl was riding in the seat in the basket and she decided to relieve herself all over her pants and all over the fruit, vegetables, and other items.
It was too late to offer any assistance, thank God, as she made her way out of the store.
Pattye and I realized what had happened just about the same time and we both agreed that was one that had never happened to either of us.
Yep, just about when you think you have seen it all, something new pops up.

"I'm a laugher ????"

I don't know what that really means though. But that's what I am. And, it seems like it keeps getting worse...or better.
It's not that there is a whole lot to laugh about these days, but when I see or hear something funny, I really laugh...a lot.
I used to think that when I heard sound tracks on TV or heard a particular voice in a live audience, that it was a "plant", someone who had been placed there to help inspire an audience.
But now I have become that guy. The laugher.
I guess it's OK though, except when I sense something really funny and then look around and no one else is guffawing like me. Either they didn't get the joke or maybe I read more into it than they did.
The worst occurrence is when I am driving by myself and happen to hear something funny on the radio and begin banging on my steering wheel in an uncontrollable fit, only to look outside the window at the car next to me and get some kind of weird stare.
Are things that funny?
Probably not, but I like to laugh.
I think some of the wittiest "stuff" still can be found in newspaper comics.
Each morning, my day is starts by running through the 5 pages of the Dallas Morning News comics section.
Get Fuzzy ranks at the top of the list, even though I sometimes don't even understand it. And of course there is Pearls before Swine, again, one that makes me laugh, but also occasionally confused.
I grew up listening to comedy albums. Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, Cheech and Chong and Redd Foxx were all on my list.
Just thinking of the exchange in the Cheech album about the "Dave, Dave's not here, man" brings a smile to my face. (You'll have to do a little research to learn more about this routine).
And as a kid growing up in the 50's. What excitement when a Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movie came out. I couldn't wait to get to the Saturday morning showing.
Abbott and Costello's great routine of "Who's on first" can still make me laugh today.
And what about Groucho and his crazy brothers. And the Three Stooges.
Sometimes late at night, or rather early morning, I'll scan through the cable network hoping to find old clips of "The Little Rascals".
I guess I could probably do a little self diagnosis and find out why I seem to be laughing louder and longer these days. I'm sure some expert will say I am seeking attention to myself and am really sad on the inside and am crying out for help. Who cares.... not me.
Actually, some experts say that laughter prevents heart disease .
If that's the case, then good. I'll live to a ripe old age.