Troll’s Hole

The “Weekend With the Dogs” has been going pretty well. We took them all along for a long drive to visit friends and they behaved pretty well except for the small one that really wanted to help the Mrs. drive. The Mrs. does not need help driving. She gets enough help from me in the back seat.

They are predicting snow for LA LA Land. Just what I need, get shut down because New Mexico has never realized that it does snow here and that it can be removed from the roads in less than days. LA LA Land will probably shut down just because they can use a snow event as a good excuse. They are so afraid that someone is going to get hurt up there that I am surprised they do not make everyone wear airbag suits all day.

In LA LA Land, if you trip on a crack in the sidewalk they want you to fill out a thirty page form about the event and then have meetings about how the accident could have been prevented. No one will ever say something simple like, “He should have stepped over the crack.” Or “He was not watching where he was walking.” It is all about the system and what changes should be made to prevent stupid.

And that leads me to my quote for today. This little gem comes from Mr. Frank Zappa, composer and curmudgeon.

“It is not getting any smarter out there. You have to come to terms with stupidity and make it work for you.” – Frank Zappa

And an added bonus, another quote further explaining my feelings about people in general;

“Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe.” – Frank Zappa

I wonder if that is where the word “Quark” came from.

I have to admit that I have never understood the mentality that lets certain people feed without mercy at the government teat.

Don’t get me wrong; I am not referring to those who actually do things and happen to work for the government, I am referring to those who choose to take advantage of the system and rape us all by sucking every penny they can for doing as little as possible.

In a brief discussion this week I heard a person refer to the project that I am on as ‘welfare state’; I almost swooned. It was nice to learn that I am not the only one that thinks there is something wrong.

I had to attend a meeting to address issues that have been going on for months. I left feeling frustrated because everyone had well practiced excuses as to why things are not happening as they should, but no one actually proposed any solutions!

I am working at what is reputed to be the hub of creative thought in the free world and no one here is willing to try to even consider solving what is obviously a costly problem.

There are obviously trades/individuals that don’t want this project to move forward. They take advantage of chinks in the system and stall everything they can whenever they can.

I just don’t get it.

Here is an example of the mentality of the people working there:

In the basement there is an elevator pit. It is a large pit that is meant to hold equipment that makes the freight elevator work. The freight elevator is necessary to move things into the basement.

The company that installs the elevators went away because the elevator pit was full of urine. It seems that the worker people were too lazy to actually walk to the toilets and porta potties and would just let fly in the pit. This went on for quite some time until the pit was quite deep in piss.

I actually thought that only small children and wild animals urinated where they felt the urge. Now I have learned that certain construction workers have less control than infants and forest creatures. My house pets have more control and are forced to stay inside for longer than these people.

The fact that they got away with this behavior tells me a lot about things happening on this project. The fact that it went on for so long tells me far more.

The people that manage this project are not solving these problems and it has gotten to the point that there are too many problems for a handful of people to solve. The whole situation is out of control.

I told one of the managers that I have had so much smoke blown up my ass that when I fart I blow baby powder.

It’s foggy out, and my favorite event to avoid is looking like it will be cancelled for today.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is on hold while I sit warm in sanctuary enjoying a fresh pot of coffee and enjoying the fact that I am not out in the cold freezing my ass off.

I used to really like going to the fiesta, but after years of seeing organized chaos and colorful gasbags floating in the sky the interest waned.

Downsizing continues and we are almost ready for the massive moving sale. I will be glad to see most of this stuff gone. It is amazing how much stuff a family can collect and store but never actually use. I am so determined to downsize that I am even going to sell tools. For me, this is a serious commitment to a new lifestyle.

We are also remodeling to a degree and the chaos in the house far exceeds my comfort levels. With all the stuff for sale and all the moving to paint and tile and clean, being in Sanctuary is like being in a warehouse.

Can I interest you in a stereo or some furniture?

We got back to Sanctuary a week ago Thursday after a rather good vacation. That night the house sitter bailed her boyfriend out of jail and brought him to the house. We knew this was going to happen and were told he was just going to be here for a short period of time and that he was trying to reform and would not do anything to jeopardize his release. (Bla bla bla)

Friday we went to town, leaving the house sitter and her BF at the house. After about an hour, Mrs. Troll’s cell phone rang. She gave me a strange look before answering. It was my cell phone that I had left back at the house. There was no response and no answer when she called it back.

When we returned home I looked for the phone. It was gone, along with my work computer and other things. After a while and being told that he would never do anything like that, the house sitter and her boyfriend left to run ‘errands’.

We called the police and gave them the story and all the information. They called back later to inform us that the boyfriend had 50 prior arrests and many of them were for aggravated assault and that we should call immediately if the couple returned.

I have heard it said, “No good deed goes unpunished.” That is how I feel. The Mrs. was trying to help out a worker friend in providing a place to stay that was comfortable for awhile and a place for her boyfriend to hang. It was less than 24 hours before the boyfriend had to shit where he was being fed.

“But he is innocent until proven guilty” you may be thinking. He and the house sitter were in the house when these things came up missing. I know this because the cell phone was being charged when I left it. There were three calls made on that phone after I left. When I returned home the phone was gone. We have two dogs that would raise holy hell if there were a stranger in the house.

If it quacks like a duck and waddles when it walks, it is probably a duck. I have never had problems like this in this house before. The police tell me that burglary is very rare in this area. Quack.

I packed up all their stuff and put it outside, telling the Mrs. that she should text her friend and tell her that she could pick it up from the door. The friend still denies that her BF would do anything like that, even though records say something different.

I hope this bastard gets exactly what he deserves.

Lost somewhere in Oklahoma in a town I can barely pronounce. (Tahlequah)

Well, not really lost. We (The lovely, talented, and sexy Mrs. Troll and I*) came here to visit with my soul sister for a few days. I was not really aware of just where the bitch moved and how far it is from Sanctuary.

I feel like we drove halfway across the country in just one day. Over 700 miles and I was getting a froggy by the time we arrived. I was at the point where my ass hurt from sitting too long and things were getting monotonous and I really wanted to stop the motion and get to where we were going and we had to keep rambling on just like this sentence and it seemed to never end.

Then we drove past the carnival with this inflatable kid’s bouncing thing with the guy on top and the giant cannon/phallic symbol. In my state of fog and the lighting it looked to me like a giant nun with a huge penis. I may never be the same after seeing that. I have tried to remove that location of my brain, but it seems to be sharing resources with something else and refuses to be erased.

The Mrs. has been having a marathon shopping spree, buying things that we get to take back to NM and repack for the downsizing. I do not question the logic of this. Women and weather do as they will.

Caught between having time, the desire to stay and visit and the need to go back and do downsizing things our immediate future is undecided. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I think the rest of this month will be difficult for me and I can use a recharge.

I am hoping for major dental work this month. I have been putting this off for years and it is time to get things fixed. I HATE dental work with the fire of a thousand suns, but I have put things off for to long and am going to get this done.

My project is going weird in Los Alamos and I am struggling to keep anyone happy. Plans change from day to day and I have been given notice that we will be removing installed product to accommodate other trades. This project is just not moving forward.

My patience shall be tested in the near future. I am ready. If I am not, I shall self medicate and put on a happy face before drawing my weapon and taking aim.

In the meantime; it is beautiful here with these giant green things that grow EVERYWHERE and make shade under them. I think they call them ‘trees’ or something like that. They also have this green stuff that grows on the ground that covers the dirt that they call ‘grasses’. It is amazing. Wherever you look it is green instead of brown, red, and other colors of dirt.

It actually rains here. Not the “Get the hell outta the way here comes a storm” kinda rain I am used to, but a nice gentle rain that goes on for hours that you can actually walk in and not get blown away to visit relatives in Kansas.

On that note; it is time to go out in the rain and do something that involves moving something heavy or perhaps buying something that needs repacking, I can’t remember which.

*She really is looking hot. She bought a dress for eight dollars and when she tried it on I wanted to drop one wing and dance around while trying to sniff her. I guess she can bring out the perverted old man in me.

The lovely and talented Mrs. Troll came up with this one, but it fits so well that I am stealing it and not even bothering to file off the serial numbers.

We are downsizing.

With both of us losing so much weight and getting rid of the house I think that the concept of downsizing is appropriate on many levels.

We are getting the house ready to put on the market. We don’t need this big ol’ place anymore and are moving toward something smaller. We don’t know what we are going to do yet, but are willing to let circumstances help us decide.

It is amazing how much a family can accumulate in less than a decade in one place. It is also amazing how much you want to keep when you are determined to get rid of things.
Can you tell me why any house needs more than one desk per person? With just the two of us, we are the proud owners of 6 desks. Yes, it is definitely time to downsize.

We both have cloths that fit us like burlap bags on a frog. We have WAY too much furniture and shoes uncounted. Luggage hides in closets and in the garage, knick knacks and pictures on the walls all need to be sorted and stored or sold.

BOOKS! We have a tremendous amount of books that need to be sorted, stored, sold, given away, or trashed. Sigh. Parting with books is like your child leaving for kindergarten for the first time.

There is a lot of work in my future. Mt day job is not going away and now my evenings and weekends are filled with things to do and furniture to move. The whole place needs to be painted and the tile project begins today.

Wish me luck and forgive the lack of attention to this site, but I seem to have something in the oven. Updates will be forthcoming.

T

Greeting from somewhere near Denver Colorado;

I am here on a mixed trip for work and pleasure. I had to attend a meeting at the corporate office to learn about changes in company policy, then met up with the lovely Mrs. Troll who drove up for a family get together.

Last night I went to the get together where I consumed quantities of ethanol and managed to offend very few, if any. What am I coming to? Could I be mellowing in my old age? Am I losing my touch? Why am I asking myself questions on this blog?

All in all I am having a good time, but anxious to go back home and have more fun on the trip and after I get home.

Busy, busy, busy!

When you turn off the lights, it becomes dark.

Someone that I am very close to said this to me the other day and it really stuck.

She was referring to a simple light switch, but I took the broader view and realized that this simple statement could be about life as well.

For a while, I turned off my lights, and it was indeed dark. I narrowed my world to seeking security and forgot about all the things that make life precious and interesting.

It’s easy to turn off the light; it is far harder to turn it back on. Once that switch goes ‘off’ it becomes hard to find it in the dark. We run our hand up and down the wall in the place where we think the switch should be, but can’t seem to find it. Life is like that.

I had some help in finding that switch.

I have been getting in touch with friends from my past and socializing again. I have been riding my bicycle and going to the gym. I have been trying to get out more and do things that I have not done in a long while.

I feel the light coming back on.

Again I come to that time of the week where I feel the need to write something pithy, meaningful, or insightful.

I usually end up with drivel, but I plug away. I don’t really to this for others, I do it for me. That way I only have to satisfy my harshest critic: Myself. I feel that there is a place in this world for more drivel.

And in the NEWS….

I am not happy with the media’s fascination with ‘The Gloved One’ taking the final moon walk. They are following his every move after he is dead. How challenging. I was never a great fan, but I think that now that he is passed we might just try to show more respect than postmortem idol worship and morbid obsession.

Any way you look at him, he was damaged. Whether by fame, gender dysfunction, abusive parents, an imagined excess of melanin in his skin, or being just fucked up, he was obviously not normal. Now he is not alive and he will remain that way.

“Birth is the original terminal disease.” – Me

I say let’s let the poor damaged bastard rest in peace and move on with OUR lives instead of reliving the highs and lows of his life.

We also seem obsessed with Iran and the election and following protests. I think we all know what is going to happen. Why are we so fascinated in seeing the obvious come about? Let’s have a daily news story about the sun coming up or going down to make us feel informed.

On that note; go to this site. It is very informative and presses the point to places even I never went.
http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

So says the Troll.