The Man

I find myself thinking about who The Man is this morning. Could it be DWG or Bill G or maybe even Craig Broback, they all think so, but as Pete says " here comes the new boss, same as the old boss" as you know that if you work at Graebel, there is nothing new about any of them.

Most of you know by now I have taken up the ugly habit of smoking, cigarettes. One of the best benefits of this is going to the smoke hole several times a day and getting to know people from Candy Kinas to this temp named Daniel who has been in more "wars" than most of us can imagine. These are the people that are the real Man is our day to day lives, not people with titles that are empty suits void of any soul at all. I know because I used to be one of Them and you cannot realize how empty you were until you look in the rearview mirror and realize what a worthless human being you were.

So take time to get to know The Man in your lives. The grocery cashier, your neighbor, the driver and the people in our lives that really count. Most of us in this family have lived a fairly sheltered life, distanced from the vagabonds, hurting people that will admit it, the drunks and people that have lived a lot of life. I enjoyed being with Sandy Martin and listening to some of the tragic things that have happened in her life, including when Junior came home one day and had lost his job, so she and Junior cut firewood and sold it on the streets and door to door to make a living, that is real now. Most of our biggest struggles come when we have to decide which show to watch on TV or which song to download off Itunes, pathetic.

Oh, and wherever you are with your God, he is The Man and don't forget to listen to him too.

Don Van Vliet

Lucid tenacles test 'n sleeved 'n joined 'n jointed jade pointed Diamond back patterns Neon meate dream of a octafish Artifact on rose petals 'n flesh petals 'n pots Fack 'n feast 'n tubes tubs bulbs In jest incest injest injust in feast incest 'n specks 'n spreckled spreckled Speckled speculation Fedlocks waddlin' feast Archaic faces frenzy Ceramic fists artificial deceased 'n cists rancid buds burst Dank drum 'n dung dust Meate rose 'n hairs meaty dream wet meate Limp damp rows Peeled 'n felt fields 'n belts Impaled on 'n daeman Mucus mules Twat trot tra la tra la Tra la tra la tra la Whale bone fields 'n belts Whale bone farmhouse Cavorts girdled 'n latters uh lite Cavorts girdled 'n latters uh lite Uh dipped amidst Squirmin' serum 'n semen 'n syrup 'n semen 'n serum Stirrupped in syrup Neon meate dream of a octafishLucid tenacles test 'n sleeved 'n joined 'n jointed jade pointed Diamond back patterns Neon meate dream of a octafish Artifact on rose petals 'n flesh petals 'n pots Fack 'n feast 'n tubes tubs bulbs In jest incest injest injust in feast incest 'n specks 'n spreckled spreckled Speckled speculation Fedlocks waddlin' feast Archaic faces frenzy Ceramic fists artificial deceased 'n cists rancid buds burst Dank drum 'n dung dust Meate rose 'n hairs meaty dream wet meate Limp damp rows Peeled 'n felt fields 'n belts Impaled on 'n daeman Mucus mules Twat trot tra la tra la Tra la tra la tra la Whale bone fields 'n belts Whale bone farmhouse Cavorts girdled 'n latters uh lite Cavorts girdled 'n latters uh lite Uh dipped amidst Squirmin' serum 'n semen 'n syrup 'n semen 'n serum Stirrupped in syrup Neon meate dream of a octafish

Summer in the movin' business

Sunday morning

I am sitting looking out my study window at 8:26 am at the pretty fountains on our pond here in rural Catoosa, our home for now. Yes, we have decided to stay here for now instead of moving to Stillwater. The whole real estate market and where we live makes it hard to do a move right now, so we stay and now have to pay attention to who to vote for in the mayoral election Tuesday. They had a lineup of the prospects in the Catoosa Times and they were all overweight, red neck looking men and women, all of who I am sure smoke, everybody smokes in Catoosa. Everyone you see driving down the roads of our little berg smokes and somehow they all can afford a cell phone, it's the Catoosan look.

Back to the title. What are you doing this Sunday morning? Are you in church? Probably not, just like me, enjoying my fist cup of coffee, the peace and quiet, don't have to be anywhere, don't have to dress up and put on the show at church, no matter how I really may feel inside. Contrary to popular belief though, I do have some very good memories of church starting back at when I went to a retreat as a teenager with Will Rogers Methodist youth group and I put an ice pick in the bus tires so we would not have to leave we were having so much fun. Weird. They never did figure out that I was the one.

Seriously, our formative years were in the church, mostly Eastwood Baptist, weren't they? I was saved at least twice there and I think the last and final one stuck. It took me three times to get it right. so what did I get right? I got right that it has nothing to do with a church, it is your relationship with God. I have a better relationship with God today than I ever have, maybe because there is NO interference between me and Him like what the church or anyone in the church says. Yes, I still sit alone most every morning and read and pray for many of you that read this blog. That "time alone" as I call it now starts my day off right and helps me to quietly spend time with our Maker. Sorry for those of you that hope I will go back to church soon, I have church every morning in my pajamas. Will I ever go to church again other than we visit you, maybe, I am certainly not closed to that. Right now I am enjoying my Sunday mornings being quiet and not rushed and every morning alone.

Dad

Did he lose his mind again?

Ok, ok, I know most of you that didn't think I had lost my mind before are sure now with the move to Stillwater and the "new do". Yes, I am progressing well through mid-life change/crisis, what an interesting adventure. This had been kinda fun though, I like my haircut, am really excited about the move (sign in the yard this week) yes!.

What else, been crying a lot lately, not sure about what this is other than the "portal" to my past has opened up by the writing of my book, places I forgot, did not want to remember or that are very painful. Most of the tears have been related to what I have been (or not) for Delinda/Mom. Very hard you know. I know many of you are aware this really wasn't the "perfect marriage" you saw on the outside, we were pretty good actors though. I missed so much, did so little ( hint, hint Matt Simpson if you are reading this) with Delinda. But I do have today and beyond, yes "to infinity and beyond" to make amends through my actions. Is this getting a little too real or personal for you? "Running With Scissors" I recommend. Life and marriage are damn hard, but trust me from a lot of mistakes and pain (mostly that I caused) it really is worth it to stay true to the one you really love, in my case Delinda/Mom, I love her more each day now. Lots of work left to do in life though.

What else?
I have listened to no new music since my addiction to MMJ has taken over. Actually I am listening to a great album from the psychedelic 60's by QuickSilver Messenger Service called "Happy Trails" right now on the hphones.

Movies. Now my review form for all media will be our grading A-F that we will know so well.

"Running with Scissors"- B
"Stranger that Fiction" B
"Babel"- A
"The Departed"-A-


Sooner than you know it you will never have to come to Tulsa to visit us again or Catoosa. I am also writing this on MY "new" laptop which is really Mom's old one with a major tune up. We both still freeze up when trying to do things on these machines that we do not understand. Like I am scared to death to now use Sharepod that I have downloaded to hopefully take my 5000 songs from my Ipod back to this computer, have to call one of the kids to walk me though this.

So Emily, Heidi and Teresa, I cannot hold my breath much longer to get your top five CD's on a desert island. When I said all of you I meant all of you, even got Melissa's so get with it today! And Simpson, I can't wait to see yours.

Out,
Dad/Rick

Our only hope..........................

I am sitting here on a cold Saturday morning listening to MMJ on the headphones. I am telling all you children, they are your only hope for new music right now. Not Radiohead, not Coldplay, not U2, not PJ, not SOTD, not that those bands aren't good now. I have the same hair standing on the back of my neck as the first time I heard the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, The Band, PJ or a good Dead song (there are some really bad ones I will admit). I can't stop listening to MMJ because I hear all the good bands I have heard over the last 40 years in them( I will be 54 soon and really started seriously listening to music when I was about 14). I will admit that seeing them live helped my addiction as they are one of the best live bands I have ever heard too and I have seen a lots of bands live. "We are the innovators, they are......the imitators".

But hey, this is Super bowl weekend for those who care. I wasn't going to make it my "game of the week", but Josh told me Apple might announce that their Beatles Ipod release may be one of the commercials, so I will tune in I guess.

What else, Mom and I had a lengthy serious conversation this morning about me becoming a consultant now, and not waiting, like moving to Stillwater now, and not waiting. I really want to think serious about that. Had lunch yesterday with the "President" of the local Armstrong office in Tulsa. Great guy, 37, making a ton of money. Luke and Josh, you should think about Armstrong if you decide to stay in this business, I like them.

So what for the girls they ask? I get the biggest kick of being with my daughters if you don't mind me calling you that. I love to give them a hard time, laugh with them and talk about books, movies, politics and life, they are so cool. I love each of you Heidi, Teresa and Emily. I hope I don't drive you crazy or annoy you. Hey Heidi "the Devil Wears Prada" did rock. You all should check out "The Guardian" too, Ashton is in it you now.

That's it from T-town for now.

"Mageetah"

P.S. From all of you, each and every one I need to know the 5 records/cd's you would take to a deserted island.

Mine are:

Live Dead- The Grateful Dead
Axis Bold as Love- Jimi Hendrix
Okonokos-MMJ
The Last Waltz-The Band
Greendale- Neil Young

Today.

Yes it is.

I meant to end, "Yes it is."

Yes it is.