Made it here, everything is looking great

I am staying at the Westin Diplomat, it's pretty fancy smancy... here is a link if you want to see where I'm at, some goofball forgot to bring his digital camera...::sigh::

Westin Diplomat

 

yak at cha later gator...(get it? Gator, I'm in Florida....)

 

 

Tomorrow morning I load up and fly to Ft. Lauderdale

I load up tomorrow morning and fly to Ft. Lauderdale for our National Sales Meeting.  I'm going a day early because I'm a new Store Manager that hasn't been thru a Christmas yet with the company.  I will be bringing home LOTS of books to give away to my friends and give out as prizes during the training of the store's booksellers...

 

:)

 

We had our first Management Meeting in our new store...

On Monday there are 11 18-Wheelers arriving to unload the fixtures for the store!

My store has it's sign up!

Yay...

 

Lightning is striking all over town

 

And I Drive...

 

It's late at night and I'm in my car

the sky is uniform and dark

with the moon peering out between the clouds 

the storm is far away and doesn't concern me

something that happens to other people

and I drive...

 

My car smells new and clean

rolling whisper quiet along the highway

the world only exists inside my headlights

an explorer in the interstate darkness

traveling the space between lamp posts

and I drive...

 

In the distance an angry jagged line

touches down and jumps in place

burning an after image in my eye

pale white ghost of a lightning strike

so far away there is no sound

and I drive...

 

Catalina jazz is playing on my radio

I stop at a light, the only one here

watch the light change from red to green

then yellow and red again,  and I look around

I am all alone, no one to keep waiting

and I drive...

 

I pass other cars, other people

shining their lights past me

looking for their way to go

red eyes that retreat into the night

leaving me alone again

and I drive...

 

Far away lightning backlights the sky

showing me the outline of the storm

I check for my friend the moon

and he is there, smiling down on me

I turn my car towards home

and I drive...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been 40 for 12 hrs now ::shrugs:: it's no big deal...

I have been 40 for a little over 12 hrs now.  LOL...  My ex-fiance Mary called me last night to wish me a Happy Birthday, Jen a co-worker just called and my folks called too.  For a second I started getting down on myself over failed relationships, but then I remembered my greatest failure was also my greatest success...so it all evens out...  I cleaned the bathroom, and I am going to clean out my car today and finally buy a hubcap for my ugly nekkid wheel.  I am SO not a car guy.  I may go out to eat this evening and see a movie.  I have to pick up Ray at the airport at midnight tonight, and I have an early Manager's meeting in the morning (HELLO 7am!).  All in all, I have a good life and I am happy to be in the game...

 

::throws the dice::

 

 

 

[David<~~lucky guy]

 

 

The Dragonfly With The Shining Eyes

 

The Dragonfly With The Shining Eyes

 

The sights of summer call out to me

I hear the chorus of cicadas, the trill of the frogs

as I walk through the lush green of late summer

and then...

She flies into view

A beautiful Dragonfly, silver and black

sleek and fast as she bursts from the gloom

she flies to just within reach

and she stops

humming there in front of my face

watching me with her laughing eyes 

full of mischief and light

I want to reach out my hand

but I hesitate...

what if I frighten her?

what if she flies away?

I would never see her again

and that is something I cannot risk

so I sit

still

and I wait

watching

content to be near

and waiting for the chance

to offer my hand

to the Dragonfly with the shining eyes

 

 

 

My Aunt Betty took me out to lunch today for my birthday

 

My Aunt Betty called and invited me to lunch to celebrate my 40th Birthday.  We chose the buffet at a truck stop in Gray's Summit.  Then we meandered through Shaw Nature Preserve, it was really pretty there.  I saw a Black Snake, but I wasn't quick enough with my camera to catch it on film.  Earlier this week I was feeling a little down about being by myself on my birthday, but I have preservered and I feel better now.  I will let you know if I feel different tomorrow at 12:01 am when I turn the big four ohhhh.  It could be worse...I could be unemployed, I could be in an abusive relationship, I could have cancer.  Lots of things to be happy about!  I have a poem rattling around in my head I may try to scribble down...

 

 

The Job Fair went very well!

I'm still a bit tired (9 to 9 was a bit long).  We found 93 people that we are interested in.  We have 12 or so applicants that we are interested in that had to leave and couldn't wait to be interviewed.  We are setting up interviews with those folks today.  I am very happy with how the Job Fair turned out...

 

I have my Job Fair today!

Today my management staff and I (and a few volunteers from other stores) will put on 100 associates for my new store in Fenton.  Wish me luck!

 

David

I went to the Clayton Art Fair tonite...

I drove to Clayton to see their Art Fair.  I love art, and I have been meaning to see this fair.  I don't like to do stuff like this alone, so I haven't been before.  I forced myself to go.  I was hoping to see a friend that was supposed to go, but no such luck.  ::shrugs::  There were LOTS of great artists, bands and I saw a dance troupe called MadCo that were excellent.  Angels with dirty feet.  Clayton is pretty upscale and I felt a bit out of place.  A lot of silicone on display, enough to keep Mattel supplied in raw materials for a year.  A lot of older couples standing around reliving their Fraternity and Sorority days.  Not my crowd.  If you ever see me standing in a small group of people with a wine glass in my hand trying to keep myself from falling by grasping a linen covered cocktail table...shoot me.  I did see lots of paintings and photographs that I wanted, but I have no room to put them up.  I still have a ton of art I have already purchased that I need to frame...

 

I am wore the heck out!

I took my management staff over to Lynn's store (her's opens up a month before mine), to help unload the supply truck that arrived today.  It went pretty well, I am very proud of my folks...

 

When I was a kid in Ft. Leavenworth, KS. I entered the Ronald McDonald Happy Meal Joke Contest.  I sent in my joke, they liked it, put it in the jokebook that came free with a Happy Meal, and sent me some Ronald McDonald gift certificates totaling $5.00!  Hey big spenda...

 

"Did you hear about the Farmer that was outstanding in his field?"

 

 

 

::shrugs::  It still counts as a published joke! Hehehehe...

I just found out that I have a jazz vocalist for the party!

http://www.erinbode.com/

 

A work in Progress...

Labor Day Weekend Movie Marathon

This weekend I saw four, yes I said FOUR, movies.  In no particular order:

The Cave...started off in a nice manner but the suspension of disbelief after a while could have spanned the Atlantic Ocean (the Suspension of Disbelief Bridge!).  Basically an Alien rip-off with shades of Species, been there seen the monsters already...

Undiscovered...A nice little romantic romp.  Boy Meets Girl, Girl Falls for Boy, Boy Falls for Girl, Intervening Cirmustances Prevent Love Affair, Love Conquors All...::bats eyes::...

Broken Flowers...A wonderfully dry ::spits dust:: comedy about past lovers staring Bill Murry ::standing ovation::...

The Constant Gardener...The best of the lot, Finnes' best work since the English Patient.  Excellent love story, with intrigue, murder, spies, and Corporate Greed thrown in for good measure.  EVERYONE should go see this movie...

My See-Thru Heart of Clay

My See-Thru Heart of Clay

 

A man of grey

lives in the world today

and he holds a secret

 

He keeps it close

safe near it's host

his see-thru heart of clay

 

Fired in the furnace

polished and burnished

with it's bright red coat of glaze

 

If you hold it up right

and peer thru the light

the world seems almost ok

 

Happy and carefree

or so it seems to me

till you notice the fray

 

The bits and pieces

the fracture increases

it gives the repairs away

 

He didn't hold on tight

and it wasn't always right

and sometimes it had it's way

 

Leaping too soon

his heart carried the tune

and jumped to unhearing women

 

Saw his love discarded

unheard and disregarded

much to his heart's dismay

 

He drops to the ground

frantically groping around

trying to save the day

 

He winces at the sound

of it breaking on the ground

his see-thru heart of clay

 

He knows what to do

reaches for the jar of glue

to mend it once again

 

He grips it tight

it sets thru the night

and it almost seems ok

 

He tries to use more care

a perfect heart it seems is rare

and his has seen some changes

 

He's kept it on his sleeve

not as safe as you'd believe

and sometimes it got broken

 

He's kept it locked away

his see-thru heart of clay

and it strained at the treatment

 

Wishing to be free

wanting the world to see

the colors that it reflected

 

He holds it up high

so the light catches the eye

revealing all his inner feelings

 

All the fears and the worries

all the love and the stories

everything that he has to give

 

You see I am the man of grey

that lives in the world today

and I hold a secret

 

I have something here

a treasure that I hold dear

wouldn't you like to see it

 

I'll reveal it to you this one time

so you can hear it's shining rhyme

this is what I have to show you

 

my secret heart

my imperfect heart

My see-thru heart of clay

 

Lost In A Circle

Lost In A Circle

 

i was lost in a circle

couldn't see my way out

i ran to get to out of there

ended up just turning about

i was lost in a circle

could hear her angry shouts

worthless stupid and unloveable

always ready for another bout

i was lost in a circle

trying to talk my way free

explaining loving and comforting

wasn't something she liked to see

i was lost in a circle

wearing a rut into the floor

round and round the same issues

i just couldn't take it any more

i was lost in a circle

the only one trying to hold on

thinking she'd change her assaults

when she realized the need was gone

i was lost in a circle

wearily i trudged along

i'm not the divorcing kind

but the abuse was just plain wrong

i was lost in a circle

till i realized this one thing

I am worth loving

I am worth more than this ring

now I'm not lost in a circle

all I had to do was stop

stop taking all the insults

stop taking all the chops

the chops to my ego

the chops to my pride

the chops to my self

the chops out of my hide

I'm not lost in a circle

I still hold the institution dear

I just need to find a better woman

one to love and hold me near

I'm not lost in a circle

I'm just looking for the one

the one to hold my hand

the one to bear me a girl and a son

I'm not lost in a circle

I think marriage is just fine

I'm not lost in a circle

and I will have a family that is all mine...

 

 

 

The Evansville Training trip turned out ok...

The first day I was standing outside my Hotel waiting for my ride.  There was a large colorful butterfly circling the flowers next to the sidewalk.  I watched him for 10 minutes.  That evened up the score from the rest of the issues of the Evansville trip...

 

        :)       

                                    

 

Someone figured out how to use the "Macro" feature on his digital camera...

The Evansville Training Trip is cursed, CURSED I SAY!

Well I made it to Evansville finally, it's starting to look like a Hee Haw episode..."If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all".  Here is a running total of the issues I have run into trying to go to this training...

 

1)     The Regional Asst. forgot to book my travel arrangements two weeks ago

2)     Due to interviewing management candidates my training was delayed by 1 week, so I was not prepared to go to Evansville and get my MOD training

3)     My Mod training is delayed one week

4)     My expense check from my first training trip had not arrived, I have to pay for meals and other expenses out of pocket so I was not prepared to go to Evansville and get my MOD training

5)     My paycheck did not arrive last Friday so I was not prepared to go to Evansville and get my MOD training

6)     My paycheck did not arrive last Saturday so I was not prepared to go to Evansville and get my MOD training

7)     My paycheck finally arrives yesterday, delaying my departure for Evansville by one day

8)     The airlines loses my luggage, they promise to deliver it to my room at my hotel

9)     The room was not direct billed correctly so I had to wait 45 minutes till I could check in

10)    ???

 

[tune in faithfull readers for next's week's episode "David gets food poisoning in Indiana"]

 

::sigh::

 

I found this picture on the internet

So You know...

 

Walking along a hedgerow

passing by the gate you know

Spying a little man just so

working on a shoe you know

Know of him by his clothes

get my share of loot you know

Catching him before he blows

gonna get some gold you know

The lies he tells sure do grow

never set him down you know

Clutch him close till he throws

down his beloved pot you know

Snatching pearls up in a row

Grabbing lots of gold you know

Set him down, now he blows

Yes I'm rich so you know

As he leaves a curse he throws

bad deal I made so you know

Now all my life is full of woe

tricky he is so you know

Now my beard it does grow

nothing left to have you know

Curse the day I met this Trow

ruined my life so you know...

 

 

New pictures of my store in Fenton

The Union is picketing the Old Navy, they are using non-Union workers...

Last night, Ameren UE came and fixed the downed powerlines in my backyard!

Fey Little PowerMen

 

In the middle of the night

hiding and just out of sight

The fey little PowerMen did appear

With a twinkle in their eye

and without as much as a sigh

My problem they did make disappear

Bounding from my sleep I awoke

and my 'tricity was no longer broke

The little PowerMen must have drawn near

the tree had been whacked

and the wood had been stacked

I have nothing else left to fear

So thank you to Ameren-U-E

for fixing my toppled tree

In my heart I will hold you dear...

 

 

Isn't LIFE interesting?

 

I received an email from a guy interested in using one of my photos...

(he writes)

David,

I am designing a new brochure for the non-profit Edison-Ford Winter
Estates Foundation, the brochure is for fundraising purposes.  I am
having trouble finding a good picture of the banyan tree that we can
get to quickly and I saw your great photo online.  I would like your
permission to use your photo in the brochure.  As the designer, I
cannot offer you anything in return other than a few copies of the
brochure and bragging rights.  Interested in telling everyone that you
are a professional photographer now?

 

::laughing as I spin round and round and round...::