I didn't win CA Superlotto

Every Saturday morning the first thing I do is check my lotto numbers.  I get real mad when I don't win.  For some reason I feel that I deserve to win, that I should win. How hard is it to match 6 numbers?  It is such an illogical line of thought, one that many people seem to suffer from.  Otherwise, there'd be no such organization as Gambler's Anonymous.  Fortunately, Lotto is the only form of gambling I participate in.  I don't even play the mega-millions because the odds are so much higher.  I like mega-millions commercials though; the father who makes it snow for his children in San Diego, the son who has a family reunion on a major league stadium.  I have an idea for one such commercial: 

A pretty average looking guy in very casual attire is driven around town in a limousine.  He stops at a swanky restaurant to meet with a gorgeous ex girlfriend in a very sexy formal dress.  He gets to the table, grabs a dinner roll before even taking a seat. 

She says in a sultry voice, "Hello- insert fictional name here (I am not good at naming characters, I seem to gravitate towards rennaissance like Italian nomenclature like Benvolio or Mercutio)- glad you could make it." 

With bread still in his mouth he says, "yeah, I can't stay long but it is nice to see you."  He grabs a glass of water, drinks.  He looks at her,smiles cause she is beautiful. "Listen I got another appointment, order whatever you want."  He drops several Franklins on the table.  "Call my assistant and we can schedule a better time."

She looks disappointed and meekly nods,"yes."

He finishes goodbye and finds the limo parked in front of the restaurant.  "Next on the list?" he asks the driver.

"Cindi at Chez Nous (fictional French Bistro)" is the reply.

They drive off into a clear Los Angeles night.  Lotto Announcer's voice over,"For $1 you can make her wish she never left you."

Now, isn't that the kind of thing you would do if you won?

Okay, in, how do you say, conclusion.  I love the high I get before finding out my numbers didn't match.  I think of the things I will do.  Some would be selfish... yes it's true.  Some would be altruistic.  Believe it or not I would love to drive an ice-cream truck for a while and just give away my merchandise.  That would be cool! making kids happy with no motiveof self-interest.  When I got tired of that I would give the truck away and travel.  I would keep a journal and when all the money was gone I would submit a book, What I Did After I Won The Lotto.  The book would hopefully establish me as a writer.  I would secure a modest living that way and live out the rest of my days in a quiet place.

What do you think?

Real quick one.  What do you think of this?  If you click the link it'll take you to a story on the latest female teacher/ under age boy story.  The site also follows the story up with a list (with pictures) of other such women.  I am curious about how other people feel about what the judge said; had this been a 29 year old man with a 17 year old female jail time would have been served.  Why is there a double standard there?  It seems that social consensus is that under age females are damaged by these  inappropriate illicit trysts while under age boys are not.  I have actually heard the opinion that boys actually "win the lottery" in these situations.  Is it the universal belief that girls (women) should be protected while boys should be prompted to engage in actions of conquest and exploration that creates the double standard? 

dialogue from men's locker room

My friend Horatio (John, I changed your name for anonymity sake) and I went to the gym yesterday.  I don't know what it is about men's locker rooms but I always feel a need to broadcast my conversations there.  It is either an act of compensation or me trying to act casual in a place that makes me nervous.  Not to mention the great acoustics in Locker Rooms.  Had you been there this is what you would have heard:

Horatio:  You know in Costa Rica the theme to McGyver is Rush's "Tom Sawyer"

Me:  That song seems 'propriate, but you know the the protagonist in the lyrics of that song is not a virtuous person.

Horatio:  "You know his mind is not for rent, when you got a government..."???

Me:  Yeah, but how about, "today's Tom Sawyer, me, me, mine"

Horatio:  "Me, me, Pride"!!

Me:  Pride is not a good thing!

Horatio:  Sometimes it is.

Me:  Tell that to Oedipus.

Horatio: (Snickers)

Oedipus is the first example of bad pride I could come up with and its pretty lame and obscure.  But, that's the way it was ladies and gentlemen.  My point is that Costa Rica must have a much better developed sense of drama than we do here in the states where the theme to McGyver is... I don't even know what it is!!  If it was Rush's "Tom Sawyer" you can bet I would remember it. 

Have a great last week of summer!!!

 

comments on current events

When did my gut get so big?  You can spend a large part of your life wishing you looked different or had more money, drove a different car, had a better p.c. or whatever.  Problem then is that the self-absorption keeps you from appreciating the peripherals like a beautiful sunset (taken in Maui, as was the picture of me snorkeling).  There is a period of my life where I took very little pictures of myself.  I didn't like seeing them developed and being disappointed with the way I look.  Now when I run into the few pictures I took then, I think, "damn, you were a good looking dude.  Wish I had more pictures to remind myself of that."  I think that we all like the pictures we took 3 years ago but dislike the ones we took yesterday. 

Canada.  Sean Penn caused a hotel to be fined because he smoked a cigarrette in an inside area.  I have always enjoyed his work; from Spicoli to the government agent in "The Interpreter."  As an antagonist he also nails the part.  His portrayals in "Casualties of War" and "Dead Man Walking" brought out my own hate for the characters.  In "I am Sam" he made me cry.  There is no question that he is a deep and talented actor.  It is too bad he can't obey the rules.  The article mentioned his brief marriage to Madonna in the eighties.  That marriage and the marriages of Emilio Esteves with Demi Moore and with Paula Abdul are ones which I can't forget because they just don't seem plausible. 

Rome.  The pope is apologizing (according to the article I read) for Muslim reaction to what he said about them which he was only reading, not his words.  Is that really an apology?  "I am sorry for how you feel about what I said when I was reading out loud."  BTW  If someone was to insult Catholics, I wouldn't take it personally.  Depending on what he or she said I would judge it as an ignorant comment, irrelevant comment or a cutting observation with unwarranted blanket implications.  Respectively:

To say Catholics are responsible for evil on earth is ignorant.  To say that about any one religion, people or creed is ignorant.

The Spanish Inquisition is a cruel example of hate and persecution fueled by Catholic zeal is a true statement but irrelevant.  After a certain amount of time the mistakes of the past cast no guilt on the inhabitants of the present time.  Bigotry is not a genetic trait, it is learned (watch science prove me wrong).

Catholic Priests are child molesters is a generalized statement made upon relatively few examples(percentage of priests guilty of child molestation vs. percentage of priests who are not).  The fact that many such priests have been found out is true but it doesn't mean they all are. 

When I think about it, anytime religion is brought up I tend to become quite the bag of wind.  Religion is something that can either make you a better person or a worse one.  I read (present tense) Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and I think how enlightened His words were.  If I could remind myself of these lessons everyday, my life would be blessed with clarity and satisfaction.  However, if I go around trying to proclaim and defend my religion all I would encounter is enemies and obstacles.  I would become vain and overbearing. 

At this point a giant hook comes on stage and pulls the failing performer offstage.

Getting back to "it"

Maria is very excited about Rachel Ray' new daily show on CBS.  It starts next week Monday the eighteenth at 9 a.m.  I for one will not be watching.  Not because I don't like Rachel Ray but because it is on when I am at work.  Rachel is fun to watch.  She has loads of energy.  I saw her on Oprah once and was amazed at how Rachel's energy overwhelmed Oprah's.  I don't enjoy cooking shows but I have heard that the $40 a day show is very good.

Bittersweet time September is.  Summer is ending but here come the new shows.  I am looking forward to seeing what happens on Lost.  I think less than 5 new episodes of Lost are scheduled to air in the fall.  The bulk of the third season will air after the new year.  I realize that Lost is a cliffhanger and the producers want to keep its viewers hanging on for the next episode; tv's version of return customers.  But, Lost does have some sense of denoument (resolution) in each episode.  By using flashbacks the show allows us insight into its characters.  So even though questions like; why is the hatch on the island? what is up with those numbers? where did that smoke monster get off to? who are the 'others' and why do they take the children? and what happened to the polar bears? are never answered, we do get answers to why Jack needs to take care of everybody or why John Locke needs to believe in the supernatural or why Hugo is afraid of good fortune.  By the way Hugo is my favorite character for many reasons.  If you are not watching the show can I suggest renting season 1 on DVD next time you can't decide on a movie at Blockbuster.  Watching three episodes is far more satisfying than one lackluster film like "The Inside Man". 

I see that my last entry was on August 5.  I took a vacation in mid August.  Maria and I went to Maui after which I spent a week doing nothing.  Maui was great.  Would like to work it into a blog without gloating over it or trying to analyze how a place could it exist with the sole function of maintaining its beauty to keep people visiting it (shouldn't every place be like that?)  The last two weeks I have suffered from post-vacation depression.  I found it hard to get back to work and back to the normal routines. 

Well, I sincerely hope everyone is ready for Autumn which begins at 4 a.m. September 23.  Funny thing, I guess it is that I have gotten older, but I have become sensitive to how daylight is different in September than in August.  It is a slight change but there nonetheless.  Our temperatures may still hit the nineties but the way the day looks we can still assure ourselves the season is almost over. 

Take care.

being grateful

I was interrupted in the midst of the last blog.  Maria needed to go to work.  I was her ride and didn't realize her start time was approaching.  I was starting to talk about how introspection that leads to discontent is a selfish activity.  My segue into gratitude should begin with a brief mention of my girlfriend.  We have been together 3 years and well, sometimes I take her for granted.  I shouldn't.  She is a great person.  I am thankful that she is a big part of my life.  Ever been asked what makes a good relationship?  I'd like to think that a good relationship is one where someone brings out something in yourself that you really like.  It is usually something that is already there but takes someone special to evoke it.  Maria helps me appreciate the real things in life.  The picture I uploaded is one I took at the Los Angeles Zoo a couple of months back.  That smile is so genuinely happy.  We both had a real good time that day.  This world can pose so many things that will challenge your happiness; anxiety about the future or worry about your security are two things that come readily to mind.  Maria can put things away from her mind and enjoy her surroundings.  When we are together she is not checking her watch or cell phone.  This tells me that she is content to be where she is and that is with me.  Isn't that great!

Well I have been derailed from the original purpose of today's blog.  Ever notice how hard it is to pursue a chain of thought once you've set upon another?  I celebrated twenty years with Gelsons this July.  The Company held a breakfast for associates who had served 15, 20, 25, 30 and even 35 years.  I took a picture with the President of Gelsons, Bob Stiles and the head of Arden Group Bernard Briskin.  Both really, really nice guys; not your usual suits.  Gelsons is a company that truly takes care of its employees.  The breakfast is just one way that they let their associates know that they are remembered.  At the breakfast looking around I noticed that the people who were celebrating these milestone anniversaries had one quality in common.  They were all truly conscientious persons, all Good Samaritans who would go out of their way to make someone else happy.  I didn't start this blog to highlight what a great company Gelsons is nor how great its longtime employees are.  I wanted to explore my feelings and thoughts concerning my longevity with this supermarket.  Truth is that a lot of my closest relationships began through the store.  Some of the standards I hold for myself have been developed through my duties with Gelsons.  My time there has impacted me in more ways than just providing a paycheck.  Twenty years is a long time.  And yes maybe there are other things I could have done in that time.  But would I want to throw away the friendships and experiences brought on by my time there?  Probably not.  Would I like to see who I would become if ever the metaphoric umbilical cord is cut?  Probably so.  As Asia eloquently put it in that great progressive rock ballad from the eighties, "only time will tell."  I am sure the phrase was around before but I always think the sentiment as how it was sung in that song.

commemorative moment

I was hired by Mayfair Markets on July 21, 1986.  My friend arranged the interview with the Grocery Store Director.  He had been working there a couple of months and wanted to quit.  I don't remember why he wanted to leave but he did not just want to leave without supplying a body to replace his.  I am sure he thought it was a good opportunity for me seeing as I still hadn't had my first job.  My interview was conducted in the morning.  I remember having love-bites from the night before on a part of my neck which could not be hidden by any collar.  In my defense I was eighteen and eighteen year olds are allowed discrepancies other members of society are forbidden.  The store director was understanding.  He made a comment about telling my girlfriend to lay off the neck area.  I was hired and told to work that night's closing shift.  My friend had quit and I was taking his shift. 

Twenty years and two weeks later I am still employed by the same market.  The store I work at has been converted into a Gelsons Market but the holding company is still Arden group.  So in essence I am still working for the same company.  20 years with the same company.  I don't know how to process that fact.  It says good things about me.  I haven't been fired for one.  I am loyal and consistent.  But it also poses the question, is there something else I could have done?  Is there another vocation that would maybe have brought out something better from me?  Would the world have benefited had I done great things in another field?  Questions, Questions everywhere, not a drop of wisdom to drink. 

Introspection is a selfish activity.  It says about a person, he is not grateful, he is seeking something better.  to be continued...