The taking

Just before our afternoon briefing, I and some coworkers were idly sitting around talking about nothing in general, when on of the guys mentioned that he got over on some random person in the streets. I don't remember the specifies of my coworkers encounter, but he ended up saying that if you see a fool, then you should take advantage of a fool, if you can.
A couple of the group relied back in the affirmative.
At that moment, their answers were unsettling, and I had to step back, and go within to understand my own reaction.
I feel as though it is a miracle for me to go forth on this planet. I shouldn't even be here, yet I am! I try not to take this for granted. I believe some higher force has my best interests in hand, and for me to willfully take advantage of someone else would be like spitting in the face of that force, that is forever in my corner!
To willfully take advantage of another, is not believing in the miracle that you are!

Cardinal

America, where the handicap parking is required at every liquor store!

On Saturdays, I sit across from Cardinal Liquors on Roosevelt, and observe the activity.
The store has a steady stream of visitors who enter empty handed and exit with at least one small black plastic bag.
There are whole families that come (I wonder what the kids do inside!?). The blind, cripple, crazy, old folks, young folks, on bikes, in cars, and on foot arrive and leave happy (smiles on their faces)! Perhaps, because it's Saturday!
Liquor stores, service to the community!

Ten akwarnesses

1. Returning home from work one night, I took a route that would take me through the main lobby, to my surprise, there standing on one of the chairs was a young woman, her skirt hiked up, vigorously lathering her legs with lotion. It should have felt sexy, but it made me feel akward!

2.  A woman stopped to ask for directions. I noticed she had a large zip lock sandwich bag she was using as a purse. Clearly you could see several tampons.
That made me feel akward!

3.  Me and my crew are in a meeting, discussing changes to our operating system, when a co worker's cell phone rings and rings and rings and rings. He fumbles with it, I figure to turn the ringer off, but to my surprise, he answers, and then has a conversation with the person on the other end.
That made me feel akward!

4.  I attended a friend of mine grandmother's funeral. There was a quiet moment where we were all reflecting on on her life, when a cell phone goes off. No one would take care of it, it seems for minutes. The interesting thing about it, was the ringtone was the theme of the looney tunes cartoon.
That made me feel akward!

5.  The last time I was at the movies, some guy was on his cell phone talking through the main feature and he didn't mind how we all could hear how boo boo was still in jail. That made me feel akward!

6.  I was alone in an elevator and needed to pass gas, so I did. Someone gets on. I feel akward!

7.  Sometimes you hold your urine for too long ;you must go somewhere now!  I did, in an unsecure place, constantly watching around me, I payed no attention to where the yellow stream was flowing,and it ended up on my pants, like I had did it on myself.
Try walking around with a giant pee stain, akward!

8.  I get a phone call at work. A co worker from a previous shift had to leave early, she wanted to know if I would take care of her lunch left behind in the refrigerator?
I sure will!
In the end, it turns out, I ate someone else's lunch.
I feel akward!

9.  Back when I was working midnights, a co worker offered me tons of peanut brittle which I ate. That morning, I decided to take a jog. During the jog, I had what I thought was the urge to pass gas. I let loose!
I shat myself! How akward it was walking home.

10.  A friend's car was being worked on, so I offered to drive him to another friends house.
While in the house, I noticed a flurry of activities around the bathroom, not wanting to be left out of anything, I stormed the bathroom ;to my surprise, they were shooting heroin!
AKWARD!!

More then

I was surfing the channels and stumbled unpon an old Road Runner cartoon. I loved this cartoon as a kid. I watched for a while, laughing as hard as I ever could remember. It seemed funnier now.
Suddenly, a strange sensation engulfed me, and I knew that this was not just a cartoon, it was someone's creation. This was someone's labor of love. I found that love and was over whelmed. Somehow, I knew I got it, without grasping what it was i got!

I find it interesting when someone cooks for me, or leaves me some food, just like the cartoon, I can feel the love in it.
It's not exactly a love for me, but the love of creating, and maybe sharing that creation!
I could never replicate That love in my own meals, probably because I'm not much of a cook. I don't take the time and speacialness you need when creating.

Service lost

When I need an oil change, I take my vehicle to a particular Jiffy Lube in Forrest Park. They not only change your oil, but do other small services like, check your bulbs, vacuum, rotate your tires, ect. They are very courteous and professional;they give the impression that they know what they're doing. The manager is friendly and knowledgeable and informs you about your vehicle needs, and it doesn't feel like he's trying to sell you more stuff.

I broke the clasp that holds the wiper blade assembly to the stem. I ended up at my favorite Jiffy Lube hoping they could fix it, and to have my tires rotated.
The waiting room is about the size of a small closet, and it was packed! Some young woman had her tribe of kids with her. She's firting with some young guy, another couple is in a death embrace, like they came through the birth canel that way, and another guy waiting for his car, then the police showed up!
Apparently, there's a dispute with a customer. I try and eavesdrop, but the tribe is in full ceremonial mode;I can't hear a thing.
The manager pushes through the door, then I notice, this isn't the crew I'm used to, not even the same manager (managers wear red shirts)!
He begins explaining how my SUV won't fit on the lift.
I tell him how many times my vehicle has been on that lift, and I've never been told it wouldn't fit.
Now his story changes, he was just letting me know there could be problems with lifting my vehicle.
After the tires are rotated, the manager claims he can't find a clasp for the wipers.
I'm on the road again trying to think were I could get a clasp, when I spot another Jiffy Lube. I pull in hoping they would have a clasp.
One of the service people meet me in the lot.
You usually can't just buy a clasp, he says. You'll have to buy the whole blade.
I never minded buying the whole blade in the first place, I would have done it at my first stop if it had been brought to my attention.
I should have better communicated, I took for granted he would know what I wanted.

Broken

I approached my vehicle seeing it had different snow on it and that I am parked in the middle of a snow mound, a small one.
I ignite the engine and let it run while I brush the snow from the truck. Remembering the frozen wiper blades from last night, I move to the front of the truck and fall on my ass.
Sensations and memories flooded me, it's been ages since I've been in the snow like this! It was fun, and I felt carefree. I thought about making snow angels, but I didn't. I would have laid there longer but I knew I was being watched from highrise windows all around me, and someone would summon help, so I struggle back to my feet, and back to clearing snow.

The frozen mile

Is there such a thing as heated windshield wipers!?
While on the expressway last night, I activated my windshield wipers, instead of my windshield being wiped clean, it was wiped messy. There was ice on the blades giving them no contact with the windshield, smearing the glass with debris. Accept for a small opening near the dashboard, I couldn't see. "Pull over and clean the blades, " the imaginary women in the passenger's seat squawked. I wouldn't do that; not enough of an emergency for me. I'm doing alright, seems like someone else has the wheel (what's that country song where God takes the wheel?). A stop seems wasteful at this point. I'll take care of it when I get home besides, God has the wheel!

Patience

It's snowing!  The weather report says an inch a hour.
Traffic is crawling. My patience has improved ; not gone. Why do I feel the need to pass slower traffic and go faster? I know everyone is being cautious, not trying to be in an accident or cause harm, but I feel I have a better equipped vehicle that can handle the snow better, thus I should be allowed to move along faster. (special permitt!?)

Would you believe, one of my coworkers, who arrived three hours late because of the snow storm, wants to go back out to buy a lottery ticket!  Precious!!!

Back!

How quickly the years have passed!
It's nice being back in the spot through!
Let me blow off some of the dust, and see if this thing a start back up!

Good evening!
It's cold outside now. Sometimes I like to take advantage of this type weather by stopping off at the store before I go to the job, leaving my groceries in the car, keeping them nice and chilled.
In a weird way, I think I'm getting back at the cold for making me feel so uncomfortable.
Hey! I just had a thought. What if the weather was a kind of life form like ghosts and ferry tales and we didn't know it because we were told our whole life, it's just science.
What have we missed!?
Maybe, the weather acts the way it does because it's trying to tell us something.