I'mmmm Baaaaccckkkkk Beeyaches!!!!
Current mood: listless
Category: Life

I am officially back.  Keep our eyes right here for updates on my recovery from knee surgery, the massive job hunt, stupid everyday things, and whatever else crosses my mind in a day. Thanks for tuning back in ya'll!!!!!!!!!!!

Peace out

12:21 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Solitude....
Current mood: restless
Category: Life

     I haven't been on Myspace for quite some time. There are a lot of reasons for this. One, my new job keeps me pretty busy, and there is no internet access there either(which really sucks, and they also do not allow me to have my cell phone on my person either).  Second, when I do have free time, I really don't want to just sit in front of the computer and get lost in all of the nonsense out here in internet land. 

     So, tonight I realized that I have alot of catching up to do.And dince I am home alone for a the second night in a row, I figured what the hell. And that allows me to bring my beautiful self to all of you in a blog full of jibberish and jabberwocky. So here we go.......

     I Heart being alone. I mean, I like having loved ones around, but I really heart having time to myself. My own schedule, my own time frames, my own decisions. I thought for sure that I really really wanted to be tied up, but time alone makes me think.....maybe I don't.  Maybe I'm a really selfish person, and I am destined to be alone or have meaningless relationships for the rest of my life. It's not that I don't love people, cause I do. I love the people in my life, but I often wonder, what if I were alone. Work opportunities would open up if I could just get up and move if I needed to.  That would mean more money, which would make life much much easier.  I wouldn't feel obligated to get things done around the house if I didn't feel up to it, health wise or mentally. I just wonder sometimes........what is my destiny?????

     So I took a new job, and I think I somewhat lowered my standards, but I did it for more money and prosperity in the future. What this decision brings me, we can all only wait and see.

     Much like my sister, I saw a preview for the new season of Las Vegas, and much like my mother, I friggin love the show. I am watching it as I write this, and I wish I had one of the main characters jobs.......maybe I should just man up and move to Vegas like I've been talking about doing for years now.

     Arthritis sucks, and so does Psoriasis. I often wonder which one I would choose to have if I could get rid of one of them. I think I would get rid of the Psoriasis, but one never knows since they both suck so fucking horribly.

     As I age, my choices in drinks narrows signifigantly. I'm down to Miller Lite, Vodka and Red Bull, and a few choice shots. I miss being twenty five and being able to drink anything that was readily available.

     I do not take enough pictures, and I fear losing a lot of my memories.

     I miss the way things used to be.....There are too many things to talk about here, so just know that I miss the way things used to be.

     Pain killers are fun in a boring kind of way.....so I absolutely never question how easily people can become addicted to them.....it would be very easy to do.

     I love Halloween. It's crazy. People get semi-retarded, and the costumes are amazing. I especially like the sexy female costumes, they never get old.

     My neck hurts right now. I'm also extremely cold, and my feet are half asleep. I have other complaints, but those are the primary ones.

     I love the commercial where the post office package is talking to that china-man lamp, and then at the end he says" peace - out", it is so stupid, it's hilarious.

     I am really restless and think I have the travelling bug. I'm quite certain that I have some of my Uncle Bob in me, and I may need to start working and travelling my way around the country.

     Peace - out.

6:26 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

The state of SPORTS today.......
Current mood: pissed off
Category: Sports

sport

   noun 1 an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others. 2 informal a person who behaves in a good or specified way in response to teasing, defeat, etc. 3 success or pleasure derived from an activity such as hunting. 4 dated entertainment; fun. 5 chiefly Austral./NZ a friendly form of address, especially between unacquainted men. 6 Biology an animal or plant showing abnormal or striking variation from the parent type as a result of spontaneous mutation.

I would consider myself a sports fanatic. I know most people enjoy sports, but I really, really love sports. It's an obsession, but it's healthy. Sports are alot of things to alot of people...everything from a form of excercise and stress relief, to a form of entertainment for the whole family. SPORT as a word is worldwide. Competition is worldwide. SPORTS are the language that everyone in the world understands. They may not enjoy sports, but they know what they are. For people everywhere, it's a way to strike up a conversation, like bringing up the weather. Unlike the weather however, SPORTS can become a heated discussion in a hurry. People have their favorite teams and they support them like they were part of the family. It's insane.I have a cousin that supports his home teams like they are his family, know matter how poorly they are playing day to day, week to week......you just don't talk shit about them unless you're looking for a fight.

So I have strong feelings about sports as a whole, but I have some negative ones as well. The first one I want to address is the very question as to what is considered a sport in the first place.

By definition, as I placed at the beginning of this soon to be tirade, just about ANYTHING could be classified as a sport. I mean, using that definition, I could compete against my neighbor in lawn mowing. The sad thing is, I have seen lawn mower racing on television. And television my friends is SPORTS arch enemy. It's great for the games exposure, but it's also made a mockery of the very definition of sport. I watch alot of ESPN. Up until this years event, they actually showed the National Spelling Bee on national broadcast. You're kidding me right. A spelling bee is a sport? And now POKER. Don't get me wrong, I love poker and play with the buddies or at the casino quite a bit. But, I have to admit, I never feel like I'm competing in a sport when I'm playing poker. So where do we draw the line. Soon enough, we'll be tapping into people's brains and watching their dreams and calling it a sport.

So I've gotten away from watching sports networks exclusively. I have to turn it off when something ridiculous comes on, and I am content at that point just laying back and watching my new favorite show, "Its always sunny in Philadelphia". Loves it.

So what is sport, PURE sport, to me? Well the ovvious answer is the NFL, MLB, and NBA. But not for me. For me, pure sport is amateur sport. Amateur sport is sporting events that people aren't getting paid for. High school sports, and even collegeg sports are amateur sports. But even those are getting hard for me to tolerate. I mean, for all I know, my 12 year old nephews are being scouted by some high school somewhere, to be the next starting defensive end for their all-star squad. It's gotten stupid. No, for me, the purest form of sport is taking place at a lower skill level. I love watching kids play. Playing to win. They play because they want to. They play because they want to brag about winning, and they take losing hard. It's pure, it's raw, and it's real. I fear however, that this too is on it's way out, and this is why.

A few years back, in my high school days, I played volleyball. Yes people, Men's Division I Volleyball. I was good. I was all-conference good. And I loved to play. Hell, I loved to practice. I HEARTED anything to do with volleyball, and if there was even a chance that I could do something to make myself a better player, I would do it. Without question. So a few years ago, I had the opportunity to coach the JV team at the very school that gave me the chance to prove myself in a competitive sport. So i took it without even thinking about it. I went into thinking about all of the things that my coaches did to make me better while still having fun. The problem is, kids these days could care less. I had raw talent all around me, and no matter what method I used to try and motivate and  cultivate these kids, I failed. They just didn't care, They didn't even care if they lost, and looked stupid in the process. They would get back on the bus and just laugh it up. And I fear that this is pretty normal these days. Sure, you have your kids that love to win. Love to work to get to the top. To be the best. But the majority of kids think spelling bees are sport, and they give about that much physical effort. It sucks.

The true athletes, the ones that move on to play in the college ramks, and later in the pros, are the worst yet. And they are the true decline of EVERY game that is plaed around the world. Pro athletes are scum. And I mean ALMOST all pro athletes. They make MIllions of dollars a year, to play a game 3 or 4 months a year. They say that they're making the team owners billions, so why shouldn't they get paid? Here's why jack-ass.....I work every F$%#ing day of my life, and I make my companies owner millions of dollars a year too. I don't get nearly close to what you do for playing a game. And when I sign a contract to work for someone for a period of time for a set amount of time, I have to honor said contract. I can't sit out of work until my agent decides it's ok to go back. Sign your contract, prove ourself worthy of more, and shut the f%$# up until you're due to resign or negotiate a new pay plan. They send the message that, if you're talented, you're the cat's meow, and you can do whatever you want.

Drive drunk, molest and rape women, have ilegitimate children with single women across the country and pay for an expensive lawyer to get you out of the whole mess with a few community service hours. And then, use the community service to go and pollute a bunch of kids brains speaking about your job and the opportunity it provides. To me, NBA players are the worst. Than NFL. Baseball is climbing this ladder quickly, but Thye are by far the most well behaved in the bunch.

So Sports as a whole are great these days. Competitive, easy to watch, and fun to check out in person at a stadium near you. But the players themselves are insane. And getting more and more cuckoo every new season. It sucks, and yet I still love sports as a whole.

just a few things here:

POKER - not a sport

Spelling Bees - not a sport

Soccer - Definitely a sport, but who the hell cares?

Football - Manly sport

Baseball - Thinking man's sport

Basketball - Sport, but come on. Play some f-ing defense. And who the hell cares if you can dunk when you're 7 feet tall. Not entertaining at the pro level anymore.

Hockey - white man's and one black guy somewhere in Canada's sport

Cheerleading - ummmm, not a sport

Chess, or Scrabble, or any board game - NOT NOT a sport

Anything that your dog does - not a sport

All x-treme sports - sport, but too edgy for their own good.

Fantasy football - NOT A SPORT

feel free to add your own classifications below.....I'm interested to hear what you all think as well.

RICKERS, OUT!

6:14 PM - 9 Comments - 11 Kudos - Add Comment

Heatwave....I'm melting!!!!!
Current mood: hot

Jesus......help me. I'm melting. It's hot outside, REAL hot, and I work out in this all day, If you're trying to make a point to me, that I'm overweight and need desperately to get back into shape, I take your hints. I swear if you cool it down for me, I'll make the needed changes. I swear it!!! Please.

My body cannot handle another day of swamp ass, And the chaffing between my thighs is a little much to tolerate after 12 hours on my sweaty, smelly feet. The fact that the A/C wet out on my vehicle is just further proof that you are trying to drive this point into my skull. By the time I drive an hour in this, my entire lower body is wet with sweat, and my shirt back is drenched. I can't do it anymore.

I know I am fat. I will change, just cut me some slack. I'm literally melting, and I need a break.

Thanks for listening.

Rickers, out!

2:46 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

I heart my J-O-B
Current mood: drained
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers

We all have to work, some of us just make it a little more fun.............

I have worked since I was 15 years old. I started the same way most people do, in a restaurant as low on the food chain as anyone can be. I was a busboy in a restaurant at Bayshore mall that specialized in ice cream and sub sandwiches. I can't say I learned alot from that experience, but I did pick up a few things. The first thing I learned is that there are alot of sick, sloppy son of a bitches out there who could care less that someone(me) has to pick up after there nasty asses. I think I take care of my servers and restaurant help a little better because of that. But the main lesson I learned was that women, not all women, but in particular women who work in shitty mall restaurants can be bitches. Especially when they work together in large groups and are constantly around each other.

Why you ask??????

The reason is simple, but needs a little breakdown. I have heard in the past about good female friends becoming so close that their menstrual cycles sync up. This, I found out is true. I worked not only with, but FOR, a bunch of women who were already unhappy with their lives, but then all got their periods at the same time. It sucked. They made my life a living hell, and I worked often enough to absolutely hate this fact of life. Aside from all of the lunatics that ate there, I had to deal with these crazed ice cream eating bitches. Oh well, I learned work ethic and the value of a paycheck there, so I guess I got something out of it.

After that, it was gas stations and car washes.....all very fun. Third shift at a gas station across the street from a bar can be quite enjoyable at times, and the car wash was just ghetto fabulous. It rocked.

Then came the job in my life that changed me more than anything I have ever done in my life........

The US Navy.

I know some of you are saying, "good for him, he served our country!" The thing is, I did. During Desert Storm in 1991. And we were ready for whatever came our way. But I have something to tell you. The military is full of some REALLY screwed up individuals. The Navy is where I learned to drink like a fish. The Navy is where I became the man I am today. We did things I am ALMOST ashamed to talk about. You see, most men in the military are young. Fresh out of high school and very impressionable. These were the days of my youth when my friends were at college experimenting, and so were we. Probably ten times harder. I mean, I did more drugs on the ship then most people do in their lives. It was insane. This is who you had protecting you. GRanted, not everyone was doing it, but alot of us were. I remember having to fight a fire at 3 AM in the middle of the ocean while tripping on acid. Are you kidding me???? It's a miracle we haven't been taken over by the Canadian army yet. It wouldn't be hard, just throw some of that Molson Gold and any drug you can find at us, and we'll cave. Believe me, it happened then, and it is most likely still happening. Good times for me, and if you throw in all of the trips to the Phillipines and Hong Kong into the mix, I would say almost epic.

So with those glorious days behind me, I entered the real world. Jobs came and went......construction, demolition, asbestos removal, etc. And then the car business. Oh yes, the car business. THE CAR BUSINESS.

This is where I currently make my riches. In the service dept. of a busy dealership as a Service Advisor. It wasn't always this good for me. Oh no. I was in sales for awhile. Amazing times. Sleeping in custom vans instead of working the phones. Fighting over good looking women who came in to look at cars. The Saturday morning meetings which got yolu psyched for a day of high volume sales, for about five minutes after the meeting ended. Yes, I was a car salesman. And in no way was I good at it. But it seems I've hit my stride with this job. I'm good at it. The hours are long and hard, and I piss and moan about it.....ALOT. But for some strange reason, I love it. In fact, I HEART it, and for those of you who don't know, HEARTING something is way better than just loving something. But the question is, WHY?

Here's why.....

I work at a Buick, Pontaic AND Subaru dealer. My customers are all over the board. Buick owners are on average about 80 years old (I HEART old people by the way). Pontiac owners are more my age, so I relate to them very well. And Subaru owners are either hippies or total gear heads. I love having that wide variety of people to deal with every day. It keeps things new for the most part. It's still work, and I complain enough that most people would think I hate it here, but I don't. I HEART it.

Now if I could just work on this paycheck thing.....I NEED A RAISE.

By the way.....I'm writing this before we open the doors for another hot, busy day.

4:38 AM - 5 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Roast Mandy??? lol......OK!!!!
Current mood: amused
Category: Blogging

     So, my time has finally come. I get to blog against my dear sister Mandy and the subject is US. Perfect. I tried to contact her to see if we were going to have any ground rules, but she didn't answer. My guess is that she took the day off of work so she could sit outside and cook herself in the sun some more. I can see her already........slathering her skin full of tanning oil, sitting on her lawn chair with the radio blaring in the background, oblivious to the smell of her skin cooking like a fried chicken at KFC. So with that vision of beauty in my head, I assume there are no ground rules.....just let the games begin.

     As I look back on our long relationship as brother and sister, I can think of many things to talk about, and because there are so many, I had a really hard time narrowing it down for a competition like this. After all, I don't want to bore you guys with lame stories of childhood plight and misfortune.....so I'm just gonna give you a taste of the life that is Rick and Mandy.

I feel the need to work backwards here, so let me start with Mandy's current situation. For the moment, I will refer to Mandy as Paris(as in the heiress Paris Hilton). It's a clear role reversal as Paris and I have switched roles almost completely. Because Paris' children have grown to an age where they are a)self sufficient and b)anti-mom, Paris has alot more time to be alone or with friends. While I believe she misses her children, I also believe she loves being the Glendale, WI socialite she has so successfully become.I mean, the girl has closed the bar more times than I did all of last year, and it's only mid July. She's all but become an expert at bar dice, and has tried more variations of the "fill in the blank" bomb than anyone in the history of the world. The best thing about all of it - Paris is as loud as and as funny as anyone I've ever known. So while she raised two great young men to almost teenage years, I think she missed her calling as Wisconsin's #1 party socialite.If she used this ability properly, she could be driving a $500,000 mercedes to the Silver Spring House, and skipping right to the front of the line at Minny's bar and grill. I hope it all works out for Paris, but I swear if I see her in a night-vision HO-made movie, I will seek and destroy the slob who puts it out into circulation. Loves ya' Paris!!!

     I have lived with Mandy before, because I am without question the least responsible member of my family, and she has always been there for me. Thanks Mandy! For this reason, I have had the opportunity to meet ALOT of her boyfriends or potential suitors. As a family, we are amazing at giving everyone nicknames, and boyfriends and girlfriends are by no means off limits. There have been some real doozies in the past, and I thought I might put together a little skit to demonstrate the wide array of peeps that she has had to put up with in the past. so here it comes..........

ELIMANDYATE:

Mandy: I just want to meet a normal guy today that isn't freakin' obsessed with toys or dragons. Wish me luck!

Suitor one: HI! My name is and I'm so glad to meet you. I hope to tell you more about myself as the date goes on.

Mandy(to herself): Not bad looking, seems alright.....

Suitor two: Hi! You'll have to be patient with me, I have Spinabiffida, and I don't move very well with these legs of mine, but don't worry, I'm just like everyone else, and I'm sure you'll barely notice my disability.

Suitor three: Wassssuuupppp......Got any booze? No? Ok, I'm a liquor salesman, so I have a whole trunk full. ANd if there are any arguments or roughplay today, I can break them up, cause I'm also a basketball referee.

Suitor one to suitor three: That's nothing, I love dragon's and I play with little metal toys I paint by hand under a magnifying glass! You got nothing on me, I'm the coolest Romanian gymnast ever!!

Suitor two: Stop it guys, she's not into all of that! She seems very loving and caring!!

Suitor one stabs suitor three in the face with a pen from the chemistry lab he works in and swears it's laced with dragon egg yolk, a deadly poison in his dream game world.

Suitor three falls to the ground blowing his whistle and yelling "technical foul!!!" until he loses so much blood that he can no longer speak.

Suitor two starts crawling away, but can't get out of the way of the poisonous tipped egg yolk pen, and Mandy realizes this is her opportunity to roll on out of here, undetected.

By the time she gets home, she has 44 text messages and three voicemails, all begging for her to come back, please?!?!?

Mandy grabs a glass of wine, hits the bathtub, and realizes it's just another day in the dating world. maybe she'll have better luck next time......

Oh well. You can't win 'em all, and she is way too amazing a woman to just settle for one of these guys, so I hope she does meet Mr. Right soon. For all of our sake.

No matter what, she is my sister. I love her always, and will try to be there for her whenever I can. This is fun, but you should hear us when we get together and have a few drinks in us. We are fun, loud, and always a good time, and if Mandy can get past her mean-spiritedness, we would be appreciated by all. Even with it, we still win most people over. I love ya Mandy! Please don't abuse me too bad......

8:50 AM - 7 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Another Year....
Current mood: thankful
Category: Life

So tomorrow is birthday number 34.....wowsers! It seems like just yesterday I was playing on the see-saw with my sister Mandy and slicing a gash in her face with one of her teeth. But alas, those days of excitement and care free fun are over. OR ARE THEY?

I say that because I truly feel like maybe they never will be over for me. I love acting silly and being the character......and now I have kids in the house that can appreciate it when some of the adults in my life don't really get it. Will I be on any see-saws in the near future? Probably not. While my mentality has stayed young, my body has not. I fight with it every day, and I wonder what they really meant when they said "You're only as old as you feel." Were THEY speaking of the physical or mental sides of youth? or both? I'm not sure, and I don't care. For me it's the youth and exuberance I feel inside, not out. I am "forever young" and most likely will remain that way for a very long time.

So while my weak, old, fat body may look older this year, my mind feels better than ever. It's taken some work, but I'm close to being at peace with myself. Happy Birthday to me.....

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot to mention, the aging thing works for me. My salt and pepper hair make me more distinguished, and I once read a t-shirt that had some infinite wisdom printed across the chest that will always stick with me. it said very plainly........

YOU AIN"T SHIT UNLESS YOU HAVE A LIMP.

That says it all.

5:52 AM - 4 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Goodbye my furry fuzzy friend!!!!!
Current mood: nostalgic
Category: Fashion, Style, Shopping

For 11 long years you have served me well. I tried to keep you up, but at times you became overgrown and unruly. Your ever changing colors kept me fascinated, but I have grown tired of your decision to stick with gray as your main theme. Professionally, you have probably held me back from becoming all I can be, despite my love for you and the comfort you provided me. I will miss you greatly, and with your loss, I have more work to do. I knew this before letting you go, and still decided to see you off. In honor of your dedication to me, I let you grow in any and every direction you chose for the last three weeks.  You were hard to look at, but I appreciated your desire to span the world. Unfortunately, the time had come to part ways..............

To my goatee......I will miss you.

To my chin and upper lip, Hello again old stranger!!!!

12:56 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

fat kids
Current mood: hot
Category: Life

It's official......Summer is here!!!! In celebration of this fact, I came up with a new mathematical equation.............

Fat kids + hot weather = uncomfortably sweaty fat kids

That is all.

12:34 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Doll Arms
Current mood: crazy
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural

It's a little weird, but sometimes I feel like chewing the arms right off of some dolls. Just nibble the fingers first and then all the way up to the shoulders. That is all.

2:19 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment