The Latest and Greatest from Frog Pond Holler

Hey ya'll. There's so much crap going on, I don't know where to start, so let's just jump right in, shall we?

The Cubicle Asylum:
It's official. The Germans are definitely coming. August 3rd is our final inventory. The Big Headed German and his crew over at the other plant will continue to do our bean counting until the end of the year, but reporting to The Germans instead of the craptastic, soul sucking company we currently work for. From what I've been able to gather and piece together from assorted conversations, nothing much should change before the end of the year.

Don't get me wrong, I fully realize that The Germans could well be just as soul sucking, if not more, but at least it's a change.

Twatwaffle has been in a constant state of pre-nervous breakdown for weeks, breaking out in hives and flitting around like a hummingbird with a Starbucks habit. I'm sure she fears losing her job and for good reason, but we'll see.

There is speculation that they may bring back Ol' Gorilla Head, the sales manager that lasted a whole 24 hours, getting fired when it was discovered that he was still employed by the rep firm he came from. If that happens, this old girl will be going to the house. I can't stand his hateful ass while working with him as a sales rep, I damned sure ain't working for him. He's a lying snake, sucking up to your face and talking shit behind your back. Gorilla Head sealed his fate with me when he called the corporate office and complained about me, after his 24 hours were up.

Jerk.

Shady Pines:
Ma left the nervous hospital after a two week stay and went back to the home. I've only gotten to talk to her once since then, every time I call she's making her rounds, playing the social butterfly, and they can't find her to put her on the phone. The one time we did chat, she seemed much happier and content. The nurses say she's a different person. While the staff at the home seems to think she's cured and this is how she'll be, I know from experience that it's only temporary and she'll tire of putting on the happy act. Eventually she'll end up back at the nervous hospital, months or a year from now, but that's the ebb and flow of life with Ma at this point.

All the Kinfolk:
I'm pretty much done with all of them, including Aunt Moses. Their racist mouths and confederate flag waving attitudes make me ill. I tried to overlook things, citing closed minded ignorance and the possibility that they'd all been bounced on the noggin a few times, hoping they'd step up and take some of the responsibility for Ma. Their sister raised and took care of all of them at different stages in their lives. All I asked was that they call her once in a while, maybe stop by when they were out that way, but no. They don't even ask.

To hell with them.

So Done.

Around the Holler:
There's a sign up at the store saying the town garbage truck is in the shop so trash day has been moved from Monday to Thursday. Hopefully I can cajole The Amazon to haul my load to the dump tomorrow.

Since the whole confederate flag brouhaha, there are giant ones flying from the front porches of double wides all over the holler. Aunt Moses is even sporting a shiny new confederate front plate on her little Ranger. These people have never even known a black person and none of them are as lily white as they think they are, which gives me quiet satisfaction.

There was a letter to the editor in the local paper last week, from a Florida tourist who over heard the town cop making anti-gay and racist comments down at the Grab n' Go (and go and go.) He says she's mistaken, but I know him and I'm pretty sure he probably said it.

This from the man who looks so non-white that he was racially profiled while trying to enter the Big City Civic Center right after 9/11.

I don't get people.

Meanwhile, Back at the Trailer:
The grass is butthole high to a Sasquatch. The little old guy that was cutting it for me stopped as suddenly as he began. It's been around 90ish the past few weeks and I'm sorry but, my fat old ass just can't shelp around the half acre pushing the mower through it all after 8-9 hours at The Asylum.

I don't even care.

I've been out of FMF meds for two weeks now. So far I've been pretty lucky with my joints, but I have had periods of horrible muscle pain, so much so that I had to leave work for a couple of hours last week. I ordered a refill from India and it's been sitting in customs for five days now. The DEA will probably be here in a day or two to pick me up.

Whatever.

I won't be making my September doctor's appointment. The Big City practice has "dismissed" me due to an unpaid bill. My last visit came to a whopping $200, after insurance, and I don't have the money, so I guess I'll be going back to the HeeHaw clinic. I'll be cancelling my insurance at the end of the year, one way or another. If the new company doesn't have something better to offer, I'll be going to BCBS of NC. $35 a month vs. $160 and it actually covers stuff. It says something about the company I work for, the insurance industry and the state of our society when I can't afford the employer supplied insurance, but qualify for a low income discount for private coverage.

Chew on that for a second.

I'm all for the $15 minimum wage. I'll get a $3 raise.

Anywho,

Currently there are no less than 5 bags of trash tied up in the kitchen. I've been on a cleaning spree. I spend every Saturday and Sunday morning running the dishwasher and cleaning out cabinets, hurrying to get as much done as I can before it gets too hot. The only cool rooms are the bedrooms, so we spend most of our time holed up in there. I have a big a.c. on the porch to put in the kitchen window, but I can't lift it and it needs to be braced up, so it doesn't like.. yank the window out.

The kitchen is looking less and less condemable, so there's that.

We've lost three chickens this summer, two to the heat and Queen Latifa, who apparently stuck her head under the gate and got hung. All that's left are Shanaynay and Cordelia.

Maybe I'll get more next spring.

So this weekend it's been more of the same. Working on laundry pile number 2, washing lots of dishes, bagging up shit we've not touched in 10 years and trying to figure out how to juggle the light bill, the house payment and the cut off notice for the water bill that came in the mail yesterday.

Such is life.

Currently jamming to this, singing at the top of my lungs to Ayla, who's curled up beside my chair.




She keeps opening her eyes and looking at me like, "Do you mind?"

Everyone's a critic.

Ya'll have an awesome weekend... and week. We'll talk again soon.

Later Taters!