crazietalk.net

wilson wrote:No complaints here, either. Lord knows I've bitched and moaned and groused to y'all before (I seem to recall about an 8-week period in late summer/early fall '08 when I had lots to whine about, and I didn't hesitate to do so over on the DBArr! , with no backlash from any of this great bunch.
But on balance, my read on things still is and always will be that life is good, dammit .

That's where I'm torn. I'm living in a hotel, insurance is a nightmare, there's no end in sight... but I have a roof over my head and food in my mouth. I hate my job and it causes me stress to the point of getting sick... but I am employed and receive a paycheck. How do I find balance among all that? Anyone? Seriously.

Sue71 wrote:

wilson wrote:No complaints here, either. Lord knows I've bitched and moaned and groused to y'all before (I seem to recall about an 8-week period in late summer/early fall '08 when I had lots to whine about, and I didn't hesitate to do so over on the DBArr! , with no backlash from any of this great bunch.
But on balance, my read on things still is and always will be that life is good, dammit .

That's where I'm torn. I'm living in a hotel, insurance is a nightmare, there's no end in sight... but I have a roof over my head and food in my mouth. I hate my job and it causes me stress to the point of getting sick... but I am employed and receive a paycheck. How do I find balance among all that? Anyone? Seriously.

The hard part is finding the good in any situation, no matter how bad it is. The good news is that you have started: you have a place to stay, food to eat, money coming in. If you can find a few things to laugh about - even if it is Chloe leaving a present for the housekeeping staff at the hotel - it will help. During various family illnesses/stresses, I would laugh at certain situations because the only other option was to cry. (I was afraid if I gave into the crying, I wouldn't stop.) That said, venting always helps.

Hang in there, Sue. You will get the insurance straightened out and get back to a home instead of the hotel. In the meantime, I'm sending shinkicks to insurance employees and whichever folks at your work that are causing the most stress.

DukieInKansas wrote:
The hard part is finding the good in any situation, no matter how bad it is. The good news is that you have started: you have a place to stay, food to eat, money coming in. If you can find a few things to laugh about - even if it is Chloe leaving a present for the housekeeping staff at the hotel - it will help. During various family illnesses/stresses, I would laugh at certain situations because the only other option was to cry. (I was afraid if I gave into the crying, I wouldn't stop.) That said, venting always helps.

Hang in there, Sue. You will get the insurance straightened out and get back to a home instead of the hotel. In the meantime, I'm sending shinkicks to insurance employees and whichever folks at your work that are causing the most stress.

Agreed with all of this. And remember, crying is totally cool, too. I wish I did it more.

wilson wrote:

DukieInKansas wrote:
The hard part is finding the good in any situation, no matter how bad it is. The good news is that you have started: you have a place to stay, food to eat, money coming in. If you can find a few things to laugh about - even if it is Chloe leaving a present for the housekeeping staff at the hotel - it will help. During various family illnesses/stresses, I would laugh at certain situations because the only other option was to cry. (I was afraid if I gave into the crying, I wouldn't stop.) That said, venting always helps.

Hang in there, Sue. You will get the insurance straightened out and get back to a home instead of the hotel. In the meantime, I'm sending shinkicks to insurance employees and whichever folks at your work that are causing the most stress.

Agreed with all of this. And remember, crying is totally cool, too. I wish I did it more.

Thanks, all. I do more than enough crying... I could probably cover everyone here w/ the amount of tears I've had going over the last month.

wilson wrote:Never got an answer to this question, so reiterating...

wilson wrote: So, catpmojo, from reading/inferring, am I correct in thinking you're a truck/some other kind of commercial driver? Because I think that's kind of awesome. I'd love to come along on a ride sometime (apologies if I'm totally wrong, or if this is somehow insulting/presumptuous/whatever). Of course, I might rather just run defense for you for a while in a '76 Trans Am with Sally Field riding shotgun...

I am sorry for passing over your question. It slipped my mind. A lot of things have done that lately.

I am a car hauler. An automotive relocation engineer, if you will. The highways of NC, VA, SC, TN, GA, FL, WVa are my office.

As for coming along on a ride...it's really not very exciting. Well, except for the Sally Field type thing.

The real work isn't in the driving department, it's in the loading and unloading one. As for calling driving "light work", everyone drives, though few drivers are operating one weighing 40 tons and 80 feet long.

Much like the ending of the movie Office Space, I work outdoors with sunshine, rain, snow and fresh air. "Fuckin' A".

I am well compensated...well, comfortably compensated. It is skilled work. Our guys are currently working for the 3rd year of a 3 year agreement, at a 15% pay cut in order to save the company from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy situation. We came out of it but due to the aforesaid contract, we've still one year to go. We are Teamsters and damn proud of it. Our union reps know their business.

I look at my job and think, you know...I make people happy. Nearly every load I carry has at least one new vehicle that is already spoken for. When people get that new car or truck, they tend to be very, very happy...at least until buyers remorse sets in, a few weeks or days later.
(DinK and Tilly come to mind right away what with their recent buys. Has any remorse set in yet , ladies? It won't last.) So, I tend to think I spread happiness.

I love my job, but I hate to work. (sometimes) I'm gettin' old.

Sue71 wrote:

wilson wrote:No complaints here, either. Lord knows I've bitched and moaned and groused to y'all before (I seem to recall about an 8-week period in late summer/early fall '08 when I had lots to whine about, and I didn't hesitate to do so over on the DBArr! , with no backlash from any of this great bunch.
But on balance, my read on things still is and always will be that life is good, dammit .

That's where I'm torn. I'm living in a hotel, insurance is a nightmare, there's no end in sight... but I have a roof over my head and food in my mouth. I hate my job and it causes me stress to the point of getting sick... but I am employed and receive a paycheck. How do I find balance among all that? Anyone? Seriously.

We are all on your side. Think of this while waiting...paid housekeepers are cleaning your home right now.
This arrangement will change for you. We all hope for the better.

devildeac wrote:

Sue71 wrote:DD- I think Captmojo would agree with me on this- This thread is cathartic for those of us having a bad time more than anything. As I mentioned somewhere on here (another thread maybe?), y'all have been checking up on me more than my non-imaginary friends (and family, now that I think about it). Sometimes I just need to vent, and if no one here wants to read about it, please just say the word and I'll stop. But otherwise, I find it something of a release when I post about the bullshit of my life, especially when I feel very, very alone. It's me & Chloe against the world. Or in our cave. Or something like that.

Agreed. Whether folks wish to use this to vent, discuss their lousy experiences/situation, ask for advice, solicit prayers/vibes or all of the above is fine with me and it appears to be fine with "administration," too. (unlike on "another" board :roll: ) Once again, I am relieved and happy I opened this particular thread.

Me too. May God bless you for it.

Sue71 wrote:

wilson wrote:

DukieInKansas wrote:
The hard part is finding the good in any situation, no matter how bad it is. The good news is that you have started: you have a place to stay, food to eat, money coming in. If you can find a few things to laugh about - even if it is Chloe leaving a present for the housekeeping staff at the hotel - it will help. During various family illnesses/stresses, I would laugh at certain situations because the only other option was to cry. (I was afraid if I gave into the crying, I wouldn't stop.) That said, venting always helps.

Hang in there, Sue. You will get the insurance straightened out and get back to a home instead of the hotel. In the meantime, I'm sending shinkicks to insurance employees and whichever folks at your work that are causing the most stress.

Agreed with all of this. And remember, crying is totally cool, too. I wish I did it more.

Thanks, all. I do more than enough crying... I could probably cover everyone here w/ the amount of tears I've had going over the last month.

Accidents happen. There is a reason why they are accidents. You never had any wrong intent. You were new there. You live and you learn. Please accept this. The sooner the better.

Don't you feel somewhat better already for posting it here?

captmojo wrote:I am sorry for passing over your question. It slipped my mind. A lot of things have done that lately.

I am a car hauler. An automotive relocation engineer, if you will. The highways of NC, VA, SC, TN, GA, FL, WVa are my office.

As for coming along on a ride...it's really not very exciting. Well, except for the Sally Field type thing.

The real work isn't in the driving department, it's in the loading and unloading one. As for calling driving "light work", everyone drives, though few drivers are operating one weighing 40 tons and 80 feet long.

Much like the ending of the movie Office Space, I work outdoors with sunshine, rain, snow and fresh air. "Fuckin' A".

I am well compensated...well, comfortably compensated. It is skilled work. Our guys are currently working for the 3rd year of a 3 year agreement, at a 15% pay cut in order to save the company from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy situation. We came out of it but due to the aforesaid contract, we've still one year to go. We are Teamsters and damn proud of it. Our union reps know their business.

I look at my job and think, you know...I make people happy. Nearly every load I carry has at least one new vehicle that is already spoken for. When people get that new car or truck, they tend to be very, very happy...at least until buyers remorse sets in, a few weeks or days later.
(DinK and Tilly come to mind right away what with their recent buys. Has any remorse set in yet , ladies? It won't last.) So, I tend to think I spread happiness.

I love my job, but I hate to work. (sometimes) I'm gettin' old.

captmojo, thank you for delivering my car.

TillyGalore wrote:
captmojo, thank you for delivering my car.

Shhhhhhhh! I don't do Kia's. I'll not tell if you won't.
But, I am really, really glad you're still happy with it.

I understand that you might not think it exciting, captmojo, but I still have a certain big rig fantasy. I would seriously enjoy a ride, if only to play with your CB all day (though you'd probably wanna kill me after an hour or so).
And the '76 Trans Am thing still totally stands.

wilson wrote:

YmoBeThere wrote:My cats were unhappy, then I opened a window. They are happier now.

Jeez...in this thread, I thought the opening of the window would be followed by the cats jumping out or something... :roll:

My life has been fairly mellow lately, though I am adding my own complications to it.

DukieInKansas wrote:

Sue71 wrote:

wilson wrote:No complaints here, either. Lord knows I've bitched and moaned and groused to y'all before (I seem to recall about an 8-week period in late summer/early fall '08 when I had lots to whine about, and I didn't hesitate to do so over on the DBArr! , with no backlash from any of this great bunch.
But on balance, my read on things still is and always will be that life is good, dammit .

That's where I'm torn. I'm living in a hotel, insurance is a nightmare, there's no end in sight... but I have a roof over my head and food in my mouth. I hate my job and it causes me stress to the point of getting sick... but I am employed and receive a paycheck. How do I find balance among all that? Anyone? Seriously.

The hard part is finding the good in any situation, no matter how bad it is. The good news is that you have started: you have a place to stay, food to eat, money coming in. If you can find a few things to laugh about - even if it is Chloe leaving a present for the housekeeping staff at the hotel - it will help. During various family illnesses/stresses, I would laugh at certain situations because the only other option was to cry. (I was afraid if I gave into the crying, I wouldn't stop.) That said, venting always helps.

Hang in there, Sue. You will get the insurance straightened out and get back to a home instead of the hotel. In the meantime, I'm sending shinkicks to insurance employees and whichever folks at your work that are causing the most stress.

ITA with everything DinK said. Think of me as a survivor who's on the other side; DinK's strategy is what got me through. The evil time was almost 10 years ago now. Won't go into all the details, but it was a very ugly tenure situation that drug out for several months and did not end the way I wanted. As an added bonus, I was basically dumped because I was denied tenure. On a good day I could make jokes about my life becoming a bad country song. On a bad day I could probably rival you on the tear front. Just keep looking for good things - try for at least one a day. You'll be surprised at how many good things you can find. Focus on those. And know that we're all here in the background sending you vibes and kicking whatever shins need to be kicked.

wilson wrote:I understand that you might not think it exciting, captmojo, but I still have a certain big rig fantasy. I would seriously enjoy a ride, if only to play with your CB all day (though you'd probably wanna kill me after an hour or so).
And the '76 Trans Am thing still totally stands.

"Big Ugly" has no passenger seat. Secondly, we aren't insured for passengers. As for my own feelings about it, I wouldn't mind, the company would though.
I haven't used, or owned, a CB radio since ...well, it's been over 16 years. I heard nothing on CB that ever sounded as good as the Beatles, so I kept it shut off unless I was traveling with another. When it broke down the last time, it was the last time. It has never been replaced. I honestly don't have a need to replace it.
I also have never possessed a GPS. I have full knowledge of how to decipher a road map.
I am, however, totally dependent on satellite radio.
As for providing a block runner Trans Am, my stupid fuel pump is governed to limit my top end speed at 62 blazin' mph. I couldn't get in speed trouble if I wanted to. At least, not as far as interstate highway travel is concerned. I always was on the receiving end of at least one middle finger daily. I still blow kisses at 'em.

captmojo wrote:

TillyGalore wrote:
captmojo, thank you for delivering my car.

Shhhhhhhh! I don't do Kia's. I'll not tell if you won't.
But, I am really, really glad you're still happy with it.

I'd thank you for my car - but you don't get to MO. It fascinates me that they can get all those cars/trucks/vans on one of those things and off again without damage. Do you help with the unloading? I wouldn't want to do that - worse than a roller coaster in my book.

The only remorse I have on the car front is that I couldn't get the features I wanted in a manual transmission. I'm ok with the hybrid though - unless you count the time i tried to scratch my left foot on the non-existent clutch as I drove down the street.

Sue71 wrote:

wilson wrote:No complaints here, either. Lord knows I've bitched and moaned and groused to y'all before (I seem to recall about an 8-week period in late summer/early fall '08 when I had lots to whine about, and I didn't hesitate to do so over on the DBArr! , with no backlash from any of this great bunch.
But on balance, my read on things still is and always will be that life is good, dammit .

That's where I'm torn. I'm living in a hotel, insurance is a nightmare, there's no end in sight... but I have a roof over my head and food in my mouth. I hate my job and it causes me stress to the point of getting sick... but I am employed and receive a paycheck. How do I find balance among all that? Anyone? Seriously.

There's always going to be someone who's got it better than you, and someone who's got it worse. It's okay to feel like your life isn't going the way you want it to, no matter how it compares to those around you.

Like ArkieDukie, I also hit a rough patch in the not-too-distant past. It sucked. Life sucked. I left my job - just did not come back to work one day. I literally did not do anything beyond sit on a couch and watch ER and Law & Order reruns for a couple of months, I was just shelled emotionally.

But things move on. I just kept reminding myself, in three/five/ten years from now, am I going to be stuck in this same place? No. Will things be better then than where I am now? Yes. Can I live through the crap just for today? Yes. And slowly, sometimes very slowly, you get back to someplace like Wilson's "Life is Good" thread. I know that time of my life made me REALLY appreciative of what blessings I have in my life today (such as my "imaginary" Crazietalk friends!)

captmojo wrote: "Big Ugly" has no passenger seat. Secondly, we aren't insured for passengers. As for my own feelings about it, I wouldn't mind, the company would though.
I haven't used, or owned, a CB radio since ...well, it's been over 16 years. I heard nothing on CB that ever sounded as good as the Beatles, so I kept it shut off unless I was traveling with another. When it broke down the last time, it was the last time. It has never been replaced. I honestly don't have a need to replace it.
I am, however, totally dependent on satellite radio.
As for providing a block runner Trans Am, my stupid fuel pump is governed to limit my top end speed at 62 blazin' mph. I couldn't get in speed trouble if I wanted to. At least, not as far as interstate highway travel is concerned. I always was on the receiving end of at least one middle finger daily. I still blow kisses at 'em.

Well, thanks for the cold shower. ;)

captmojo wrote:I also have never possessed a GPS. I have full knowledge of how to decipher a road map.

And a big, fat AMEN to this!!!

DukieInKansas wrote:
I'd thank you for my car - but you don't get to MO. It fascinates me that they can get all those cars/trucks/vans on one of those things and off again without damage. Do you help with the unloading? I wouldn't want to do that - worse than a roller coaster in my book.

The only remorse I have on the car front is that I couldn't get the features I wanted in a manual transmission. I'm ok with the hybrid though - unless you count the time i tried to scratch my left foot on the non-existent clutch as I drove down the street.

I do the loading and unloading. Damages do happen (I'll toot my own horn) my deliveries are 99.96% damage free. Some damage comes as no result of driver error. Road debris, weather, there are many other factors.
I'm glad you are also still satisfied with your recent purchase.

wilson wrote: Well, thanks for the cold shower. ;)

captmojo wrote:I also have never possessed a GPS. I have full knowledge of how to decipher a road map.

And a big, fat AMEN to this!!!

The built in GPS on the new Lincolns...I'd never see the damn road because I'd always be watching that map screen display.
These things, cell phones and texting, are the biggest distractions on our highways today.

I wouldn't mind a passenger. I'm certain there are times it would keep me most on my toes.

captmojo wrote:
I wouldn't mind a passenger. I'm certain there are times it would keep me most on my toes.

I have frequently threatened to go out on the road in a big rig during a sabbatical year someday and then write a cultural anthropology/travel lit book of sorts about the experience.

March:

3/28-Dad dies-at least it was peacefully.

3/30-DD daughter's broken foot bone and ligament have a successful surgical repair with a LOONNG recovery forecast.

Hey, Cap'n, if you're ever in the NoVA area, let me know. I'll buy you lunch or something.

Sorry about all the crap that's happened. My prayers and vibes to everyone that's posted here with troubles... Cap'n, the woman with the hurt foot, Sue, Colchar, DD, and anyone else I've forgotten.

Now I'm going back to the Life is Good thread before I need a Prozac.