Concrete Bunny

2000-12-06T05:07:00.000-08:00

Well. it's one of those "you're not going to sleep". ,so why not get up and do something! I previously had written what a bad year this has been for me, nothing too bad happened, but so many things. I started a list for the first three months and after 20 decided to quit as it was too depressing. The latest--someone (I think most likely a pickup driven by a young male redneck) hit my car and did not leave a message. I didn't even notice it I'm guessing for at least a week. "He" must have backed into the right front-end and completely knocked off what I'll call the wing which is the exention of the front fender where the turn signal is. It's on the drivers side and when I get out of the car I walk around the back and when I return I again load the trunk and am not in view of the front. I take pretty good care of my car, as it will be my last. New tires, new paint job, no dings. It's an 81 Linc Mark VI, the last boxy car they made. Now they're all rounded and all look alike. I've had many people ask me about it, so you can see I was very upset when I saw it. Luckily my Ex works for an auto dealership in the parts dept. so he has secured a new one or maybe used I don't know as it will have to be painted, which will cost more than the part. There is no insurance coverage in the State of good old California for hit and run.

Now that was two weeks ago, now this Sunday my next door neighbor, who rents, I thought had dumped the old old padding from a rug next to my fence. I say my fence cause I paid and had it built on my property. I thought perhaps it had fallen off of the environmental bin we now have ( which would hold a good size man) onto my lawn. I dragged it back in front of her bin thinking she or her big black pickup boyfriend would put it in the bin. When I took my bin out that night for pickup it was again on my lawn, so I dragged it over and put it in my bin. I then scotch tapped a note to her side of the fence telling her I was sorry she had broken both arms and therefore I at 72 dragged it to my bin.

Then the neighbor on the other side came over when my ex was rebuilding the fence that blew down and told him she would pay for half. I waited 2 weeks after it was finished and nothing, so I informed her it cost less $65.00 and have never received a dime. Another neighbor in back was watering their back yard and mine to the point of saturation. I went around the block to ask if they would turn it down and they weren't even home. I again wrote a note and taped it to their door and asked them to please turn it down as the fence is 40 years old and I have it braced up and over watering would not help to keep it up. THEN the neighbor, who rents from his Mother was banging on the fence and when I asked him what he was doing, he said the fence had bulged out on the bottom. I had to tell him the same thing. Also informed him his brother that lived there before, who had a son that no doubt will be a deliquent had thrown rocks and dirt clods and toys into my pool. I know I sound like a shrew, but I keep my home and yard up all by myself and bother no one.

I do hope that next year the little black cloud will move on, I've been tested enough for awhile. arthur@bak.rr.com

2000-11-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

It absolutely amazes me how the real EMTs' and the "cops" continue to try to help all the idiots running around loose. They go out of their way to help the biligerent drug addicts, drunks and domestic disputes. There seems to be no solution as this has been going on forever. This costs millions of dollars and all we do is build more jails. I think we are all aware that most of the problems happens in the home invironment. Poor neighborhoods, where the schooling is also poor and most feel what good is an education if no one will hire them. The gangs are their family and there is no fear of dying. To die so young and yet is there any future for them?

They do get their education, in jail. Some of their rap sheets are 50 pages long. Money is their object, so why not take someelses car or rob someone of the possessions that we have worked for. I worked most of my life, and as a female my take home pay was small while raising 3 children. And yet, it would never enter my mind to take from someone else. Is it a something lacking in their brain? It just continuously blows my mind. I watch these programs (don't ask me why) cause I usually sit around shaking my head.

Now, we have a couple of 2 year olds playing in the sandbox fighting over the red pail for the presidency. There is so much out there in the now small world where help is needed. Countries fighting over land or religion or just because. My son, Lance, just told me that the ozone layer in one of the countries (Brazil.I think) that is so big, no one is allowed out during certain hours unless completely covered. We were warned of this, as well as, the distruction of the rain forest and many other things being destroyed that would eventually make a lot of negative reaction to OUR earth, but it all was ignored. I wish I had the power to correct everthing. It makes me very sad. At least I won't be around to see how it will end, but my children, grandchildren and great-grandchild will be (we hope).

What brought this on, although I think about it every day, someone backed into my car when I was not there and damaged my car, which is not covered by insurance. No note, just took off. I keep asking why, but I never hear a solution!! rarthur@bak.rr.com

2000-11-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

Where have you been? Could make this an exotic vacation, but no... What with winter approaching fast, many things needed to be done outside. Cutting tree branches and bushes. Keeping the pool clean of many leaves, most of which where not mine. I do have a gardener, but that means the grass (which is small) is mowed and trimmed. and then the damn blower! I guess they're necessary, but after they leave I usually wash everything off as the dust just resettles elsewhere. Work work work. But, once again I must reiterate I am lucky as I do not live in an apartment. That would drive me nuts. I have really become a loner and would not wish to tolerate NOISE.

One day this week I thought what is all this noise. Usually it's very nice and quiet; even though I live very near a very busy fast food street and a main highway thru town. There were blowers, mowers, dogs barking, loud car stereos and the people who live in back of me seems to have a man that loves noise. He is usually power sawing, pounding loud enough to wake the dead and yelling at someone. Then in back of him are children screaming or they're playing horseshoes after midnight. Good thing I don't get to bed til 3 or 4am. I think I notice it more because most of the time it is very quiet and peaceful.

Another thing I'm not fond of is the wind. It never rains here until we have a real blow. Usually it's right after I've cleaned up the backyard and cleaned out the pool. At least it gives me something to do rather than sitting in front of the TV or PC all the time. The gardener does not do any of my backyard as there is no grass, just decking and potted plants. That's another job I've been doing. I thought it was going to be a simple job. The decking around the pool is concrete and all around the sides and back is a wooden decking that has been down long enough for the termites to eat away. Luckly it is only about a foot off the ground as I have put my foot thru several times. Some of them were easy to replace, but one area was eaten away where the boards were nailed to them. So, I had to pull up one whole section and have yet to redo it. I did use my spiral saw to cut up a LOT of wood to burn that could not be used again.

I have also been busy playing some of the free games on the NET trying to win a Tivo. As they don't give you many points, I've been playing everyday. Doesn't necessarily mean I'll win as, of course, there are many people in the run. But, it's kind of fun. There are also lots of games giving away money, not to me, of course. Oh, I forgot I did reveive a dollar and a very bright plastic watch. I'm not sure from where! Have you ever seen a year zoom by so fast? I sometimes wonder how on earth I got everything done when I was working and had 3 children...rarthur@bak.rr.com

2000-10-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

Do you hear it calling? "Play Me" "Play Me". It took me about 12 to 15 years to find anything that would really keep me returning to the computer. Yes, I went to Museums, Arty Places, read up on a lot of things and was referred to another and another and another site until I finally began to find it boring. The chat rooms were full of tennagers trying to sound sexy by suggestion or using what they felt were the grown-up words. Now here this. Somebody got the bright idea to play games night after night to build up points and bid on some very good prizes, Now there are so many thet're falling all over themselves. And then, for the first time in my life I won an Intel Digital PC Camera. Which, I'm not certain how to use yet. The draw back is that I must send a record to someone in order for us to see and talk to each other!!

Now, I have 3 children. And, not because I'm their Mom, but they are all intellegence, smart, have common sense and are downright nice. I like them. I really can't take to much credit for much of this as I was forced to go to work when they were really to young to leave. I'm also not a PTA type. I did teach them to be independent. To say the least, I'm very proud and lucky that they all turned out so well.

My Daughter, Lynne lives in Salem, Ore. She was a mechanic for the bus line there, but as she was getting older, knew she would need to change as the work was getting more difficult. So in her late 40s, she went back to college and managed to step up to a better job with a furnished company car (I believe as a supervisor-don't quote me). Now she tells me she has returned to college to try stepping up further. She and her partner Judy own a 3 bedroom 2 bath home there. It's an older home, but was kept up pretty well. Also has 1/4 acre that they grow everything and I mean everything.

Now my eldest son, Scott, lives and works in San Jose. Has a very good deal sharing a two story house with several other people that is owned by the daughter's parents. For reduced rent and I mean reduced rent he takes care of the yard and the pool. But, that was his job when he lived with me, cause he liked the outdoors. I still have a partial platform in one of the 5 story trees by his then bedroom, that had wires running into his closet for the weather. He started here in Bakersfield on camera giving the weather report (and cracking up). He now works for the Disney Channel (which I think is CBS, but I can never remember for sure). Anyway, he goes to murders, conventions, hangs out of copters and most any big news story, He is sent to many sites some to name a few were Vietman, Mexico, etc. and was in London for the Beattles (never did know why), but, he won an OSCAR.

Some of you, if this is being read, know more about my youngest son or think you do, Lance AKA Glass Dog. He has moved back to San Francisco almost a year ago to start his own business. Which would still be thriving today, as he ended up with too much work and had to farm some of it out. And here is the But, no one realizs until they try to inocently want to no longer have a boss that the government jumps on your back. You must now prepay your taxes, file PAPERS and PAPERS. You no longer have health insurance and can't afford the lone coverage. You have to figure out how to get the slow paying customers to pay. Suddenly need an attorney and possibly advisers. Otherwise, it's peachy keen. So, you guessed it he took a job, a pretty damn good job, with benefits. The only draw back now is trying to hire more people so he doesn't need to work 12 hours.

As you can see, they are talented. I did that right. Love Mom rarthur@bak.rr.com

2000-10-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

I wonder if it was something I said? I just read my son's Life Serial and made me wonder whether the following statement opened the flood gates. When I started with my website, I thought it rather dull in comparison to so many other sites I've seen. So, as I'm not that educated in creating a "pretty" site, I asked my son to perhaps create something. Who better? Then I made the remark "never mind no one will be reading it anyway. Actually that's OK with me, as I just enjoy writing my litle piece as much as I enjoy my living alone.

To me, it is so great to do everything for myself. Women would understand this more. I love being retired and "old" cause I can say things, that I did before, and now it's contributed to my age! I can stay up as late as I want, sleep in to whenever. Eat what I want and whenever I want. Don't answer the door or the phone. Wander around my home with or without clothes and no make-up except when in public. Don't want to scare everybody. Stop looking at your waistline knowing you'll never be skinny.

And speaking of skinny, it ain't pretty folks. You may be able to wear gowns worth thousands of dollars without any bra or hose, but it's ugly. Very few woman can pull it off. I really dislike this latest trend of not wearing hose and seeing bony white legs and ugly feet naked.
It's scary to see some of the big "stars" out in public looking like shit. Grundgy!! Ok, you don't need to look like a star on your days off, but Pleeeeze. I'm really getting in a rut. Need to get my thinking away from TV and Movie people. Maybe food, love that stuff. Well, I jumped right back to why do Chefs create dishes that we, the little people, are unable to get the necessary supplies or even want to make that. AND, they have others to cut and dice and cook and clean-up.

Time to get back to my computer games. Won a Digital PC Camera. First thing I've ever won. Fun Fun Fun arthur@bak.rr.com

2000-09-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

You may wonder why so many of us are turning to the WEB. Try finding something to watch on TV. Every night I run up and down the channels to find something, maybe, funny or entertaining or with some substance. (The only problem with writting a blog is the need for a dictionary as someone may read it). I enjoy a good comedy and find that I am watching the same movies over and over cause there are no programs worth watching. I guess "they" feel there biggest audience is the under 21, and yet, there is a constant reminder that "baby boomers" will make up the most of the population and use up the SSI. I also noticed that if I like a program it will disappear. Guess I'm the only one with good taste-- they never asked.

I guess I'm sort-of like the looky-loos and like to watch the real live dramas. No, I never watched Survivor, Big Brother or Marry a Millionaire. Actually, the programs they (don't you love they) are telling us that are soooo great, I probably have watched once. Do you care, well neither do "they". I watch Animal Planet crying all the way thru whether the vets save the animal or not. How much care is given at the zoos and how there are wonderful people out there trying to save the animals going extinct. I like to watch the Cops catching the bad guys for real. I enjoy TLC and the cooking channels. I have only 2 movie channels, I tried them all, but noticed I was paying for channels I seldom watched as a lot of the movies were old and I'd seen many many times. I even tried the new digital TV, which supposedly gave you everything? Was worst, many channels and again old movies AND was set up for east coast listings. and you paid more.

The one good thing the web users of Bakersfield, Ca got was Broad Band thru our cable company. Yes, it's Time Warner, but, we usually get goodys last. I have one son living in San Jose that has yet to get DSL. Now, my other son who many of you know, (I'll go into that some other time) was here recently and thinks we have not moved ahead at all. Well, maybe not like the "big" cities, but it's great for retirees, which I am. Very easy to get around, although the traffic has picked up. And, where I live it's peaceful and quiet even though there are some busy streets near as well as the freeway. Guess I'm the little old gray haired lady with her cats and I LOVE IT. rarthur@bak.rr.com

2000-09-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

This is an article that I have kept for many years because I thought it would work anytime.
HARDIER BREED OF RATS

What this country needs isn't a good five-cent cigar, a chicken in every pot, or even a late night talk show with an opening monologue as funny as Johnny Carson. What it needs is a hardier breed of rats!

The present breed of rats are the puniest, sickliest, the all-around crummiesr rats in the entire world. Stuff a rat with the equivalent of 400 tins of diet pop a day and what does he do...keel over and develop bladder trouble. It's the same story if you ask a rat to puff three packs of non-filter tips a day, heap cyclamates on its' din-din, take it out on the town for 10 or 12 martinis before beddy-bye for 500 to 600 nights running.

In fact, you can't seem to do anything with a rat without it going belly-up, coughing its' lungs out, or wandering around with a liver that's in tatters. As a result, we all suffer. Everytime a rat comes down with the miseries or has its' nose fall off, some scientists come along, attribute the trouble to something the rat has done, and want to take away from us another of life's pleasures.

As far as we know the rat cannot handle saccharin, butter, bloody Marys, excessive TV watching, homemade blueberry pie with ice cream for dessert, fried eggs for breakfast, bacon and heaven knows what else. Why is the rat such a limp-wristed, party-pooping drag? Why can't he enjoy a double order of lasagna, some artificial sweetner, a good smoke, or anything else without whinning about a sore stomach or dropping?

Is the rat really that frail, or is he a hypochondriac? Is he in such a sickly health because of a misspent youth in the garbage dump, or is he faking to make life miserable for human beings? No one can say, but obviously scientists must develop a sturdier breed of rats before there is nothing left in life for us but nuts, berries and mush made from the bark of trees. We need a rat with a stomach like cast iron, one that can toss back junk food and wash it down with a big beer without so much as a burp...a rat with clear eyes, teeth that are impervious to decay, a system that can handle The Pill with no side effects. Is that too much to ask of science?

Instead of feeding banana cream pie to a rat that looks as if it would fall over if you blew on it. Let them come up with a lab animal that can stand up to the stress and strain of modern life. If the rat can't handle the whipped cream, get rid of the rat, not the whipped cream.

If my future is in the paws of rats, I don't want it to be swaybacked, knockkneeded, and narrow chested, especially if something as a T-Bone steak or sex is involved. As far as I am concerned the present breed of rat hasn't shown enough stamina in the nation's laboratories and should be fired from its present position as watchdog of the country's health! rarthur@bak.rr.com

2000-09-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

Don't you get rather tired of the scare tactics that are constantly being thrown at you from everywhere. What you're suppose to eat one day and then the next day it's OK to eat that. We're all too fat, so exercise. I hate to exercise. Always have and always will. I do enough manual labor around my home to qualify. My really favorite are the ads on TV for the wonderful drugs that can help you, but only if you're healthy. Now "they" have a special wash for your vegetables. A special soap for your hands. Over the many years that I and many of us have eaten in restaurants, I think you would be surprised at some of the things you've ingested and lived! It's a wonder we're not all paranoid.

I just finished reading Sylvia Brownes' book Life on the Other Side. Makes one wonder why on earth one would want to opt to come back to earth. The only thought I have is someone seeing it so wonderous going "Home", would want to leave here and go "Home". The only thing that would possibly stop you from that is anyone taking their own life does not go "Home", but is sent right back. If we chart our complete lives here, before we get here, it seems to me that it would be better to just sit back and accept the good with the bad and know that when we return "Home", we have learned the lessons we set up for ourselves and will not have to come back. Anyone who has a fear of dying should read this book. I've been probably driving my "kids" nuts with looking for signs from my husband that died at 41 years of age from cancer or even my Mother or Father or my very favorite Aunt. Many things were going on here at the house and I mean many, but everyone turned out to be just things that were worn out and had to be repaired or replaced.

This is the year of the Dragon and my Chinese astrology sign is the Dragon. I believe it starts around February 1st. Well, I thought this is my year. Ha. As I said before many negative things kept happening. Some small and some big. Microwave and lights blinking off and on. The cable box kept shutting itself off. Had to replace plumbing from street to house and in the bathroom. And on and on, but except for the money (which my sons helped me with) it all could be taken care of. It finally dawned om me that I'm very lucky cause eventually everything was not that big a deal, it can turn out OK. Just need to hang in there.

2000-09-17T00:38:00.000-07:00

How many houses, cars, clothes, jewelry and /or planes can on need to prove they're a VIP? Actually I'm talking more about our big "stars". They demand such high salaries that the cost of making a movie or TV series is out of sight. Have you noticed that the ads are getting not only longer and the shows shorter on TV. As far as the movies are concerned there aren't that many good ones out there. And personally, I find very little to watch on TV. I think I've watched some of the older movies over and over because of the junk out there. I do not like violence, there's enough of that in the real world. But apparenly many of you out there do, cause they keep making more and more of them. I want something funny to laugh at, please.

And while I'm on the subject of money, the campaign. Millions and millions of dollars as well as the money spent on government so-called necessities. And yet, no one seems to be able to solve the children dying from starvation around the world. No, I don't have the solution either, but it never seems to end. I like to watch the real ER, EMC and police shows and most of the cases handled are caused from drugs, alcohol, shootings and stabbings. Guess who pays for the treatments? But the politicans go after smokers. Yes, I still smoke and will continue. It's my choice and I'm glad I don't have to work anymore and made to feel like a leper to stand outside or in back of the workplace. Everyone that smokes made that choice. The money that the tobacco companies are being made to spend supposidly on the people who run up hospital bills due to smoking; find out what it's really being used for. Being kept pretty quiet. The Californis lottery was to help the schools? etc. etc. I doubt I'll see much change in my lifetime. rarthur@bak.rr.com

2000-09-14T00:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, you wanted your own web site and then your brain decides to go on vacation. We'll start out with the basics. I'm 72 years old, but only when I look in the mirror, which is as little as possible. I live in Bakersfield. Ca. Where is that? In the desert, about 2 hours from LA and 4 to 5 hours from San Francisco or Las Vegas. Yes, I like it here. The only thing I miss is the ocean. So move you say. Well, I have a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, living room, family room. You get the idea. I've lived in this house 40 years, obviously a stable person. I would love to live on the coast, but could never afford the high cost of living there. I have 3 children, who left this rather rural town for bigger and better things. This is a great place to retire as it is easy to get around and as I said it's not as costly here.

I do just about everything around here. Brag brag!! This includes keeping the swimming pool clean, replacing the decking, which is all around the back yard. I have many many plants and trees. I have painted the inside and outside of this house. Well, you get the idea. Even though I have been retired for 14 years, I keep pretty busy. There are, of course, one or two little things that really to put it mildly, upsets me. Next chapter.