Rant #3,631: Life In a Northern Town

I have an extremely busy day today.

Not only do I have to take my son back and forth to work--remember, he is still "somewhat" employed, for a big four hours a week--but I have an afternoon conference to cover for my own work.

This type of conference kills my day, and kills a good chunk of the next day too.

And we are supposedly going to get some snow/sleet/rain today, so the whole day is a bit of a mess for me--

And the mess might stretch into Friday.

That being said, unless I can get this thing done today, I will have to skip my Friday Rant; I simply won't have the time to do one.

So to round out today's brief Rant, I figured I would post another chapter of my novel.

I hope you are enjoying these posts--it is a slow drip, but please, just go with it as it is.

So unless there is a miracle, this will be my final post of the week.

And as I always say--

"Have a great weekend, and I will speak to you again on Monday."

18

Abraham Lincoln Panim thought about his future quite a bit during the next several weeks. He also went for walks at night, every night, in hopes of meeting up with the girl he had met running during the evening.

He went on these walks many times without his mother, who was busy with school affairs for a few weeks and came home late and exhausted.

And since he was hoping to meet the girl who was running each night, he was kind of happy that his mother was too busy with schoolwork to accompany him. He was a little embarrassed, and he didn’t want his mother to know.

Abraham Lincoln Panim met with the girl just about every night for the next few weeks or so, as she ran every night, and he could pretty much figure out when she would stop for a rest, at the same place and time each and every night.

“How are you doing tonight?” he asked her as she took her regular break during one of those nights.

“I am doing fine,” she replied. “How are you doing?”

“I am OK,” he replied. “It seems to be a little cool outside tonight, and it looks like we are getting a lot of clouds up in the sky. Maybe we are going to get rain.”

“I think we are going to get rain too. I can’t see them, but my bones ache a little bit more when I am running when the weather is like it is, and my pal here”—pointing to her dog—“he kind of gets a little more steady when he is running with me. He doesn’t want me to stumble and fall.”

Abraham Lincoln Panim nodded approval, even though he realized that the girl could not see him.

“Well, look, since I think it is going to rain, I better get moving,” the girl said to Abraham Lincoln Panim. “I guess I will see you around.”

As she got up and started to run, Abraham Lincoln Panim remembered that he had wanted to ask her name, but as she ran away, he decided to put off the formal introduction for another night, something he had done since he met her. He had never had the nerve to ask her name, and she never asked him for his name.

As he got up from the bench, he once again saw what he thought was an older woman sitting a few benches down from him. When he started to walk home, he turned to see the woman again, but once again, she was not there. He didn’t think much of it, and went home.

As for the girl, he thought, “Another night won’t matter much,” he thought, and he headed home in the darkness as raindrops began to fall from the moonlit sky.

Rant #3,630: The Hardest Part

Nothing much to report about my son's job status.

I contacted Access VR, one of the organizations which supposedly helps people like my son, as I was told to call them yesterday to find out if his paperwork was processed.

He had been with them when we lived in Nassau County, but now, it's like we never were with them, as we have to re-up with them.

I called the number I was given, and it is a fax number.

I did get another number later and called them again, but all I could do was leave a message.

Par for the course.

Me, I went out to the supermarket, just to keep busy.

I try not to sit in front of the TV, and there isn't much on, anyway.

This Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday, and sorry, I won't be watching.

I have absolutely no interest, and really, the only thing that the game means to me is that we are one day closer to baseball season.

So don't ask me about who I want to win, because I really don't care--and I believe that the reason most people care is due to betting on the game--does anyone even really care who wins, from a sports standpoint only?

Probably some, but let's be honest about it, most people are more worried about their boxes than anything else.

Now, what I am going to while away the time is another matter.

I will probably cast a movie to the TV, or at least watch something--anything--other than the game.

I love TV, but after being chained to the bed for six months, I got my fill of TV, and I swore that once I got better, I wouldn't plant myself in front of the TV, a promise to myself that I have pretty much kept since I have been up and about.

Keeping my son active through his job malaise is another challenge.

Him sitting on front of the TV a good part of the day is heartbreaking, but I have to look at it as every day, we are one day closer to him getting a job.

I have to think that ... and I have to have him thinking that, too.

And that is, truly, the hardest part.

Rant #3,629: Getting Closer

I was on and off the phone all day yesterday related to my son's work situation.

He has an interview next week at one of the town's job help offices. 

Again, we live in Suffolk County, not Nassau, but this office covers our zip code--which is mainly a Nassau code--so they said they might be able to help him.

We finally received all of our tax material--in spite of 1) My son's work sending it to our old address, but somehow, the postal service sent it to our current address; 2) I had to ask my work to send it to me, they said it was coming in the mail, and then, miraculously, it was sent via email to me.

I made an appointment with the tax preparer, so in two weeks, we will do our taxes, and while I know we are going to get destroyed, at least I know when the destruction will take place.

And talking about destruction, next Monday I have to bring my car in for an oil change, and as I was told the last time I had this work done, I need brakes, so thus service will cost me a pretty penny.

And my daughter texted me, and we are supposed to speak today, so who knows what wonders that will yield?

Yes, February can't end soon enough, so I am happy that it is the shortest month, a day shorter than last year's leap year.

I need a laugh right now ...

And I got one in yesterday's mail.

For Hanukkah, my wife and son bought me eBay gift cards, with which I purchased several 45s, stuff thst I wouldn't purchase with my own money.

So yesterday, I received my next-to-last delivery, and it was actually among the first I used the gift cards on.

I don't know why it took do long to get here, but it is finally here!

"Because of Black Tooth"/"Soupy's Theme" is by Soupy Sales, of course, and I had actually ordered this many months ago, but the seller discovered that the record was cracked, so he refunded my money.

Now, with a new seller, I ordered this again, and it is just so much fun to listen to this single, 63 years after the fact.

What a fun record, and listening to it was a nice way to finish out what was a very busy day.

Listen to it below. If this record doesn't bearing back memories to those of a certain age, I don't know what will.

Heck, I will do "The Mouse" or even "The Soupy Shuffle" if my son can just find another job!

https://youtu.be/P3Cgo2inh_I?si=5T5EyIdFh2aI1nsS

Rant #3,628: Mirage

I really needed a weekend like I had this past Saturday and Sunday.

After an extremely busy week--what with conferences and taking my son around to get a new job--I was pooped by Friday.

Other than taking my son to basketball and bowling, and on Sunday to a friend, I could just relax on the weekend--

To a point.

My son continues to look for a job, and we did something a little out of the box this weekend, and we took a chance by posting a "Situation Wanted" ad in Newsday.

It is in the classified section of the Sunday newspaper.

We got NO calls from this ad. Nothing.

Please, if anyone can help him, let me know.

Quite honestly, I am rapidly running out of ideas and places to apply.

It is very disheartening. 

We have been told by several people that he has a great resume, but no one will hire him.

The organizations set up to help people like him find jobs are virtually useless, as they always have been with him.

And we have been on a couple of wild goose chases. All these do is waste time, and really, my son's time is too valuable to waste going about town for nothing.

He really needs someone to help him get his foot in the door, and since we don't know of anyone who can do this for him, it leads us to a "Situation Wanted" ad, which costs money and as of yet, didn't lead anywhere.

And then we have my daughter, who has seemingly abandoned myself, her brother, and this side of the family.

I cannot contact her via text or phone call, as she seemingly has shut her phone off, purposely because she simply wants nothing to do with me, and with us.

Heaven knows why, because I certainly don't.

She will get hers one way or the other, but to treat myself and this side of the family like she does--by making believe we don't exist--is like a kick in the pants to me, but like I said, she will get hers, somewhere down the line.

So yes, I had a nothing weekend this past Saturday and Sunday, but it really wasn't ... there is just so much to do, and so little time to do it in.

And it all picks up again today.