Friday, March 28, 2008

Paddy's All About Jobs MI-5

1) Think back now. What was your first REAL job ... you know, one that you had a W-2 from at the end of the year. Tell us about it:

My first real job was pumping gas at South End Exxon. I started in January, and got done in May or so. They called me up on my day off, and asked why I wasn't in. I explained I wasn't in the habit of stopping by my workplace on my day off. The manager explained he thought I should come in and see what was going on, regardless of whether or not I was actually working. I explained I wouldn't be in; I was in Spruce Head, and I didn't drive. He said "You either come in, or drop off your key." I dropped off the key.

2) Everybody has had a favorite job, perhaps one that they are still in. What was yours?

I haven't really had that many jobs. I count three "major" jobs in my life. It's hard to pick a favorite. I like the position I'm in now, but I miss (a little) working in the Wal-Mart pharmacy. It was fast paced, challenging, and I got to work with nice people--both staff and customers.

3) Remember that job that you thought would be great ... that wasn't? Tell us about your biggest career-related error in judgment:

I can't recall any major missteps.

4) What is more important to you in your career choice: Money or Satisfaction? Or both ... or something else? Explain:

Satisfaction means more to me than money. I would rather make less money, but really enjoy the work. Making good money at a job I hate? That doesn't really sound like me.

5) OK, it's dream job time. For the sake of this exercise, we'll assume that you can at least make a comfortable living wage from the work ... regardless of its nature. So, what is it that you would choose to do, day in, day out, to earn your daily bread?

I could see myself as a drum company sales rep. Or, maybe running my own drum shop or drum building business. I also think I'd be a good seminary professor. Wow, that's a big leap!


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday Fill-In

My answers are in bold.

1. Some relationships are meant to burn with white-hot smoldering passion.
2. Some Christian band is the last concert I saw; it was good, but I can't remember their name.
3. Spring should be getting here faster!
4. Oh no! I forgot to get better!
5. I've recently started blowing tons of stuff out of my nose.
6. My kids never fail to make me smile.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to playing the funk, tomorrow my plans include getting lots of rest and Sunday, I want to feel like myself again!



According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Misheard Lyrics

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not the greatest when it comes to deciphering lyrics. But rather than try and figure out what the correct lyrics are, I'll just make up my own. After all, I did invent "cinnamon-y couple of fun" and "smoke through stained glass curtains."

Recently, the boys have really gotten into School House Rock. My thought is, if they're going to watch TV, why not watch something a) educational, and b) something I can deal with. I can only watch about two seconds of Dora, so if I can get them to watch Schoolhouse Rock or Electric Company, then cool! Well, my eldest son is following in his old man's footsteps. Nat doesn't realize the actual words to "Conjunction Junction" are "Hooking up words, and phrases and clauses." Instead, he says "Hooking up all the places and closets." Actually, Matt's favorite is Conjunction Junction, because it's got a train. Nat's favorite is Verb, because, well, it's got a superhero in it. It's also quite funny to hear him sing "I get my thing in action!"


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Still Sick

Yup. I'm very ready to be un-sick, though. So it my family. Susan and Matt are in particularly bad shape. All three of them had fevers over 100 today. Mine was 99 something last night. When I was a kid, my mom beat this rule into me: "You are not better until you have been fever free for 24 hours." I want very much to go back to work! But I want to make sure I don't spread this to the staff. I wouldn't want to wish this on anyone. And to burn through almost all my sick time in one shot! Bah! I keep telling myself, though, "It's why you have sick time--use it!" And last year, I didn't use all my sick time. I'm able to work from home, and Gina's keeping track of my voicemail for me, and there are no big projects going on for me this week, so I don't know why I'm so drove up about not being there. I felt quite good yesterday morning. Then, about 5pm yesterday, I started feeling bad again. The thermometer said I was "normal," but I couldn't get warm. I went to bed and laid down, leaving Susan alone to fend with two sick boys to get ready for bed. I felt awful about it, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. I hope I don't have another relapse today.


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Holy Week MI-5

This week is the week many Christians refer to as "Holy Week." Here are five questions inspired by the week. Well, inspired in a low-brow way!

1) Palm Sunday. On this day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt--one that had never been ridden before. What's the most unusual form of transport you've ever been on? Fighter jet? Submarine? Dog sled?

I guess that would have to be a Singer dual propulsion trike. You swing your arms back and forth, and push with your feet. You steer by twisting one of the handles to the left or right.

2) Maundy Thursday. On Thursday of Holy Week, Christ and His disciples ate the Last Supper. What would you want to eat for your final meal?

Colonel Sanders original recipe, mashed potatoes and gravy. Chocolate mousse for dessert. Cold milk and black coffee. Yeast rolls.

3) Good Friday. Christ is crucified. What's the most excruciating physical pain you've endured? (And just so we can get some cool/interesting answers, ladies please eliminate child birth. We know that hurts wicked!)

When I was younger I was prone to dislocating my kneecaps. Usually, they would pop back in on there own, and it would be no big whoop. One time, though, my knee got really swollen. We went to the ER, and the ER doc thought perhaps there was blood behind my kneecap. So he took an empty syringe, jabbed the needle behind my knee cap, and pulled back on the plunger. He hoped that would draw fluid into the syringe. It didn't. Instead, it created a vacuum. He let go of the plunger, it slammed forward, and jammed the needle even farther under my kneecap. I was holding onto my Dad's hand, squeezing for all I was worth! The doctor said something to the effect of "Huh, I've never seen that before," and then he did it again! After the second time, he said "Well, I guess it all must be clotted behind there." I guess so!

4) Holy Saturday. It's sometimes observed with silence. Can you think of something significant to share dealing with silence?

Richard Walton was my high school chorus/music theory teacher. He had a poster on his office wall, filled with quotes about music. I remember two of them. One was "Hug a musician, they never get to dance." The other was "Next to silence, the thing that comes closest to expressing the inexpressible is music."

5) Easter Sunday. The Lord is raised from the dead. Even many non-religious people celebrate Easter in some fashion. Do you have a family tradition on Easter? A dinner? An egg roll (the rolling of eggs on a lawn, not a noodle rolled around napa and bok choy!)? If you're Jewish and playing along, how about a Passover family tradition?

In my family, we always meet at Ma's for a ham dinner. Ma always gets some presents for everyone. The kids get little baskets, and the ladies get a little gift/trinket/knick-knack. The men get bolos. We then stand around the kitchen, and try to out bolo each other. Of course this year, we Rockland Battys are all sick, so none of us will be at Ma's.


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday, March 21, 2008

Home Sick

Yup. I'm home sick. I haven't been sick since October. I'm actually quite surprised it was not that long ago. I'm usually pretty healthy. Well, I don't normally get sick. On Wednesday night, Susan called me on my cell phone while I was at band practice. I didn't hear the phone ring. When I got home, she was really sick. She could barely move! On Thursday, she made a doctors appointment. I came home to watch the boys. Turns out she has bronchitis. I stayed home for the rest of the day yesterday. About bed time, I started to get a little tickle in my throat. At 4am, I woke up achy and freezing. I knew I was in for it. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I went downstairs and watched TV. I called the office, and let them know I wouldn't be in. Around 7:30, I took Julia to school. I was feeing a little better. By 10:30, I was hurting again. I even called Blind Al and canceled on my gig tonight. I think this is the first time I ever canceled on him for illness. I had a fill in lined up when my children were born, and when Dad died, so when I had to cancel those gigs, it was no big whoop. Blind Al took the news well, and even offered to find a replacement for me. He did too. I'm thankful; when I got up from my nap, I was sore and nauseous. Certainly not in any condition to drive to Bar Harbor. I'm supposed to have two shows tomorrow. We'll see how that ends up.

Craving: Dropped eggs on toast
Watching: Everyday Italian

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Amy, to Lisa, to Me: The Movie Meme

Behold, the rules:

* Pick fifteen of your favorite movies.
* Go to IMDB and find a quote from each movie.
* Post them on your blog for everyone to guess.
* Fill in the film title once it's guessed.

This part is for the reader:

* No Googling or using IMDB search functions.
* Leave your answer(s) in the comments.

Here are my 15. One note: Two of these was not from IMDB, but I just had to use them.

1) "Really wonderful idea. What an incredible smell you've discovered! Let's get out of here! Get away from there..." Star Wars, correctly guessed by Jimmy T.

2) "The only thing that worried me was the actual killing. How does one do that? Hmmm? How does one kill a man? It's one thing to dream about it; very different when, when you, when you have to do it with your own hands."

3) "Six hours of sleep is enough for a man, seven for a woman, and eight for a fool."

4) "The blues ain't nothin' but a good man feelin' bad, thinkin' 'bout the woman he once was with."

5) "Short of the outbreak of World War Three, the ship sinking... being attacked by a giant octopus, I'd like to be undisturbed for the next thirty minutes." "Crimson Tide", correctly guessed by Amy.

6) " 'S'mofo butter layin' me to da' BONE! Jackin' me up... tight me!" "Airplane", correctly guessed by my beloved.

7) "And may I say that Miss Lucy is hotter than a June bride riding bareback buck naked in the middle of the Sahara!"

8) "You're right, I did lose a million dollars last year. I expect to lose a million dollars this year. I expect to lose a million dollars *next* year. You know, Mr. Thatcher, at the rate of a million dollars a year, I'll have to close this place in... 60 years." "Citizen Kane", mostly correctly guessed by my beloved.

9) "Sucking all the marrow out of life doesn't mean choking on the bone." "Dead Poets Society", correctly guessed by Amy.

10) "What are those things crawling about on your eyebrows?"

11) "You Americans, you're all the same. Always overdressing for the wrong occasions." Raiders of the Lost Ark, correctly guessed by Jimmy T.

12) "We got two honkies out there, dressed like Hasidic diamond merchants." "The Blues Brothers", correctly guessed by my beloved.

13) "We are the music makers... and we are the dreamers of dreams." "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", correctly guessed by Amy.

14) "Who played coronet for Jacques St. Claire on 'Vital Stats?'" "That Thing You Do", correctly guessed by my beloved.

15) Love Interest: I was lying naked on a beach in the South Seas. The tide was coming up to my toes. The sun was beating down. My skin hot and cool at the same time. It was wonderful. What was yours?
Hero: I dreamed I tore all the skin off my face and was somebody else underneath.



Listening to: Denver and the Mile High Orchestra

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday, March 14, 2008

Friday Fill-In

The Friday Fill-In. My answers are in bold

1. Contact may cause itchiness and swelling.
2. The parties hereto do mutually agree, to party all night (or at least 'til three!).
3. Disney parks are a great place to spend a family vacation. And they're so clean! And where do you get those turkey legs everyone's eating?
4. A bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit sounds really good right about now!
5. I positively, absotively, without out a doubt, love my wife.
6. Louis Armstrong's voice always makes me smile :-)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting ready for the family fun fest, tomorrow my plans include working at the family fun fest and Sunday, I want to recover from the family fun fest!



According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

My Sister's Comforts of Home MI-5

My sister Lisa says: "A benefactor wishes to set up a “get away” apartment for you. This is just a small place for you to escape to when the “going gets rough” and you just need some time away for yourself. He wants to know what things he can put in it that would really make it feel like “home” for you. He obviously cannot just go out and buy “people” or “sentimental” things (so don’t pick those kind of items, no matter how much you might want them), but he really wants to make the place special for you. What can he buy for you with relative ease?"

1. Name one big ticket item;
A drum set, complete with nice cymbals. This Tama Omni-Tune bubinga would do nicely.

2. Name two authors whose complete works you would like to see in the library;
I see my Aunt answered "God" for one of her two. Smart move! I had already thought about the question, and I was sort of on the same wave length, but not quite so ethereal. I thought of Paul and Luke. That would give me Luke, Acts, and all of Paul's letters.

3. Name three musical artists whose complete works you would like to see loaded into the mp3 player;
The Beatles, Miles Davis, and Mozart. I figured I'd go with people who have large catalogues, and that would give me the most music.

4. Name four things you would like to see in the food pantry and/or refrigerator;
Chocolate, pasta, sausage, and cheese.

5. Name five other things.
A computer with Internet access; a bed just like the one I have at home; a wing back recliner; heavy duty cookware; a nice Monet or Van Gogh.



According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The Church Website

Some days, I think I should get out of the business! Here's a website I designed for Littlefield Baptist Church in Rockland. Now, here's a site my coworker Barry did for First Baptist in Rockland. Yowza! My own church is without a website. I think maybe we should hire Barry!


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Monday, March 10, 2008

Seven Deadly Sins

Did you hear about the new "updated" seven deadly sins? No? Ok, let's review.The Catholic church used to consider seven certain sins especially heinous. They were lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. They've been given a 21st century makeover. The new seven deadly sins are, and I'm not making this up:

1. Genetic Modification
2. Experimenting on Humans
3. Polluting the Environment
4. Causing Social Injustice
5. Causing Poverty
6. Becoming Obscenely Wealthy
7. Taking Drugs

One astute commentor on a blog wondered what the Catholic church herself was going to do about #6? Anyway, I thought I'd throw this out to you, which should (although sadly, it doesn't), put an end to the matter.

Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things which the LORD hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.

I'm not trying to turn this into an anti-Catholic thing. I'm not, at least in this post, going to get into deep theology. Yes, I know, if you break one part God's law, you've broken it all. And of course, when you're under the grace of Christ, you're not under the law anyway. My only point is, why do the seven deadly sins need to be updated at all? They were printed right there in Proverbs, many centuries before the Catholic church decided to use them for Catechism. Why not use the ones God used the first time? I'll just use the original set. They won't get outdated.


According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday, March 7, 2008

Aunt Ginny's Retirement MI-5

Aunt Ginny says: In 25 days I will be retiring from the best job I ever had. Naturally, it is on my mind quite a bit! Even if you don't work for pay full time right now, What do you think it will be like?

1. At what age do you see yourself retiring?
I don't think I'll ever retire. I can't see that I'll ever have enough money to stop working. I guess I'll probably plow along until I hit 70 or so.

2. Are you actively planning for that now? How?
I do have some investments, but it's nothing I contribute to regularly. I wish I had the discipline to sock a little away each week, but "life" always seems to come up.

3. Do you think that you will "come out of retirement" at least once? To do what?
I'm trying not to be morbid here, but I'm really not thinking I'm going to make retirement age. I used to think "Man, Grammy was 96 when she died. We've got some good genes!" But my maternal grandmother died young. My paternal grandmother's side had some people die young. I don't know, maybe I'm moping. Seems like for every one I think of who died young, I think of another who lived to be over 80. The Bible says 75 years are given to a person, maybe 80 if your strong. My Dad was 58. I'm a lot like him. I really hope to see 65. I'm not thinking about retirement too much.

4. Will you have a career after retirement? Paid? volunteer?
See above.

5. Will you just take one last look around, close the door behind you, and keep walking? Or, will it be a slower, more gradual, more thoughtful process?
It would depend on the job I'm doing. In my current position, my #1 priority is sending out 4000 invoices every month. And the software used to send those invoices is specialized. I would want to make sure that my replacement would know that software as well as I could teach it, so the company would be sure the lifeline of receivables would still be there.



According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Friday Fill-In

My answers are in bold.

1. Ahhhh, it's so nice to snuggle with Susan.
2. One of my favorite things on my desk or bureau is my digital picture frame.
3. Japanese Cherry Blossom is closely related to "Plum Blossom," a character in the musical "Anything Goes." I played that musical last fall.
4. The sofa is my favorite place to sit and read.
5. Bangers and Mash is delicious!
6. I love to watch how foley artists work their magic in movies.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to driving home from a gig in a snowstorm, tomorrow my plans include watching the kids while Susan's at a conference and Sunday, I want to have church services that run smoothly!



According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

A Late MI-5

1. How many times have you moved in your life?
Twice. On June 1st 2004 I moved out of my parents house, and into a trailer. On the 11th, I was married. Susan and I lived in the trailer for two years. It was then that I moved the second time, into my current house. (BTW, the writer of these MI-5 questions helped me move.)

2. What is the worst part of moving for you?
Packing all the stuff up, and moving it in a pick-up. When I move again, I'm springing for a moving van.

3. What are your thoughts on long car trips?
They're fine.

4. Tell us your preferred method of travel.
I've not used the train for any real travel, so I can't comment on that. I'm not afraid of flying, but I hate flying. It messes with my ears, and generally wears me out. I guess I prefer car.

5. Has a friend ever come through for you in a way that surprised you?
I'm sure I have, but nothing comes up right now. Usually, my friends come through for me, but it's not really surprising. I mean, it's what friends do for each other.


Watching: Mysteries of the Lost Ark (The covenant--not Noah's!)
Listening to: Counting Crows

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

It was 19 years ago today that I asked Susan to go steady. Happy Anniversary, S.

B.


Listening to: A John Mayer concert

According to the prophecy of: Billy Rhythm [Link]

 
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