Cleaning the attic of the mind

Amazingly two weeks have passed since Lufthansa cut me loose and they still owe me expenses and a severance check. This is cruel irony; had I failed to immediately respond to obligations posed by bosses in Frankfurt, Dallas or Minneapolis, I would have had much phone time explaining, and pledging repentance. When the shop closed, everyone was paid off that day: unused vacation, bonus, final weeks' pay, severance-all of it. But with me they seem to feel no urgency. Unless I get an attorney involved, I don't think anyone at the company is overly concerned about making explanations or repentance. Their shoe seems to fit both feet.



Unemployment is attractive only to those still working. It is pleasant to have no hard schedule to keep but also a little like a Christian Scientist with appendicitis-just wondering how bad it is going to be. At least the weather has been agreeable, sterling days in early fall. Gorgeous blue skies, trees still wearing full summer green with only the earliest hint of color here and there so far. Every day has been swept clean with gentle warm breezes, occasionally punctuated by a cool nip suggesting sharper days yet to come.



The birthday has come and gone, over a week ago now. Adorable Wife hustled up some pity greetings from a few of her friends, but I didn't hear a word from any of mine. I guess I have never made much of it over the years but it was disappointing just the same. Old Norton came through three days later on Friday with tickets to the KU-New Mexico State football game. Characteristically we endured rain in the first quarter so that we'd be comfortably wet the rest of the game. And - horrors - umbrellas are no longer permitted in the stadium. I was forced to leave it outside under a bush with some others. Just to round out the evening, when we went to retrieve it we found it had been stolen. Adorable Wife had been quite clear instructing me to guard it with diligence but displayed remarkable restraint when informed the next day. At least the Hawks won, but it is witten that NM State is weak this year making the victory slightly hollow. Only time will tell if KU was good or just scheduled well.



Then there are the resurging Kansas City Chiefs, 3-0 at the bye week but having played three of the weaker teams in the league, with only the Chargers having any claim to competence. But alas even the Chargers are struggling so we can't really assume confidence from defeating them. The Chiefs really have shown some improvement though and maybe this is "for real" as Jack Harry might like to say.



Rob and Steve play on a YMCA flag football team on Saturdays, and a perk that comes with the lack of work is that I get to go watch. No need to go in and prep a NFL charter any more; idleness has a benefit. The games are fun; some of the boys are really into football. Some are there for the glory. Others are there only that their fathers might channel themselves back through their sons.
"Mean Green" in the huddle
Robbie has a true understanding of the game, good focus and the physical ability to perform. He can pass, catch passes and sniff out the ball like a bloodhound. Steve usually gets in a couple of good plays but is easily distracted by things in the grass or sideline noises. Steve is not quite as long-legged as his brother and thus not as fast but when he gets the ball he gives it everything he has. If the boys get a Players' Association together, I have no doubt Steve will probably wind up as the players' rep.

Steve also likes to give the crowd a victory dance when he makes a good "tackle." The dads who coach are men of infinite patience but I think their time will pay dividends in years to come.

Anniversary number 34 is closing in quickly and Adorable Wife wants desperately to celebrate with a road trip. She does not know to where, but wants to go just the same. We had discussed a short trip to California to visit her brother but with finances fading quickly away that seemed inadvisable. It will have to be postponed several weeks anyway what with our powerful social schedule already in flaps-up. Maybe we can go out to Blue Springs and watch the Ford dealer paint falling leaves on the showroom windows. Nothing's to good.

That's the bad part of not working--no money coming in. A few days in Torrance might have been a nice diversion, but not once you go to suck at the public trough. I would have eaten too much anyway, and now that I have lost 15 pounds and kept it off I am trying to be careful.

The mid-term elections are only weeks away now. It will seem longer with the barrage of political ads, mostly negative ones, squeezed into commercial time. Finally the country seems awakened to half- and non-truths told by the Left in the last election, and apparently realizes they made a huge mistake. I can only hope we elect enough clear-thinkers to repeal Obama-care and Cap-and-Trade, and cut off so-called stimulus spending. By most accounts, notably the Congressional Budget Office, the stimulus spending has been a miserable failure. If they extend the '01 and '03 tax reductions, we can put some cash in the hands of small business and get the economy rolling again. Then and only then can additional taxation be considered. But before any of this can happen voters will have to clean house in Congress and I guess in the meantime we will have to endure the self-righteous claims of politicos in the negative ads.

Tomorrow is Thursday with work two weeks gone. I'd sure like to see those checks show up, pay off my credit card and get on with life. Which in my case is filing for unemployment compensation. Only one ghost of a job opening has floated past so far and with each day passing gets less tangible. Day trading may be the thing to do? Buy lottery tickets? We shall see.