Wow, yesterday I read that Lemmy passed away and today I read that Brad (John Bradbury) from The Specials has passed away as well.

I'm sad.

I know it's been a while since I posted anything, but I thought you guys deserved a break.

Thanksgiving was nice, I spent it at my friends' house in Pasadena.  Since my parents moved away, I don't usually do anything.  This year I decided to make the most of it and spend time with friends.  I had a good time.

I went to a 9am showing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Saturday the 19th.  I can't wait to see it again.  I got the same feeling seeing it that I did when I saw the first one when I was a kid, way back in 1977.  I thought it was a little too short, with certain things needing some explaining, but it was excellent nonetheless.  Perhaps the questions I have are going to be answered in the next installment?

Christmas was fun as well.  As usual, I went to visit my parents.  For the first time in a few years we had snow, which was neat (and super-cold).  It was nice spending time with the folks.  Thank goodness we dodged going to dinner at one of their friends houses.  My mom thinks they may have been trying to set me up with their broker.  That's not going to happen.  1) I'm not interested in living up there. 2) I've been in the business for too long and brokers are bad news. 3) Never date the friend of someone, if it doesn't work out (and let's face it, my relationships never do), I'm the one that's going to look like the asshole (rightly so) and it will ruin my mom's friendship with the matchmaker.  and 4) I think I'm destined for a single and solitary life with my cat (how pathetic!).

My parents' two kittens are insane, cute and, in the case of Walter, a little on the stupid side.  But they are both adorable.  Since they are still "kind of" kittens (small and play all the time, but growing bigger), it was weird coming home to my handsome cat.  He seemed like a gigantic fat-ass (like me!).  It looks like he ate all the extra food I left out for him.  I thought cats only ate when they were hungry?  I guess he comfort ate!  He's been yelling at me since I got home Saturday night, the jerk.

I'm glad the holidays are nearly over, I'm exhausted, but also excited for the new year to start.  I'm ready for (hopefully) some changes.  I've been doing a lot of thinking the last few months, especially while I was visiting my parents and I really need to make a change.  I'm keeping my fingers-crossed that something will happen in the new year.  So, if you have any good thoughts you want to send my way, I'd be grateful!

I'm not sure I'll have time to post anything between now and the new year, so if I don't, I hope everyone has a peaceful, prosperous, loving and wonderful 2016.

The holiday season is about to start and I have no idea where the year has gone.

I have this week off, so I was planning on making the drive on Tuesday to go visit my parents for Thanksgiving. Turns out they're expecting snow Tuesday and Saturday, so it looks like I'll be staying home. I was looking forward to it since I haven't spent Thanksgiving with them for years, but, as silly as it sounds, I don't drive in snow or ice.  My car is too old and I don't have chains.

Maybe I'll finally get around to REALLY cleaning my apartment since I've got all this time on my hands now.....nah, probably not. Realistically, I will probably just watch Hulu or Netflix or something.

I went to see Squeeze last night at the Ebell Theater and, as always, they put on an amazing show. It actually wasn't the entire band, but a "Difford and Tilbrook" show, but it was still awesome. I've never been to that venue before and it's really cool.

I was fortunate enough to be able to buy a ticket from a friend of mine that turned out to be front row center, which I normally don't like, but worked out very well for this gig. There was actually an empty seat next to me for a while, so I was going to get my friend to come-up and sit there after the intermission, but some dude beat me to it. He was okay to sit next to, I guess, but he got kinda sloppy once he started drinking straight from the plastic bottle he had of either vodka or white rum (I couldn't tell which it was).  It was a booze-free show, so I'm surprised he was able to sneak it in. He also got kinda distracting when he would take pictures (he flailed his arms a bit). I know it's nice to have photos, but jeez, enjoy the show! Neil Finn once made a speech about that. People are so busy taking pictures to remember a show by that they miss the show and the only memories they have are of taking pictures. I agree wholeheartedly!!!

It was nice to see some of my old "concert" friends. I hardly ever go to shows anymore, so when I do, it's good to catch-up. It seems so long ago that I used to go see bands at least once a week.... It was a lot of fun.

My last thought before I went to sleep was the same thought I always have after Squeeze shows: "Seeing Squeeze play makes me happy".

Wow, I had a pretty scary morning.

How was it scary?  Welllll, a dude in a large black/gray truck started following me because he got angry that I didn't jump a traffic light as soon as it turned green.  Before I could even move my foot from the brake to the gas, the guy laid on his horn. He was really angry!!!

Him following me all over Pasadena went on for more than 25 minutes. The longest 25 minutes I've experienced in a while. On streets and on the freeway.  I was trying to remember where the police station was, but I was so freaked, it wouldn't come to me.  Right before I remembered and then got near the police station, I came across a huge fire truck at a traffic signal and was going to ask them for help. The scary guy in the truck bolted the other way.

It was really frightening.  I had written a lot of the details, but deleted them because I don't want to worry my friends that read this.  But I was really shaken-up.

When I got home, I looked-up what you are supposed to do if you are being followed and it turns out that you are supposed to call 911 (which I was about to do when I saw the fire truck). So remember that you guys!!!

Evading a crazy dude in a huge truck with anger issues is not the way I planned on spending my Sunday morning! I didn't even get all of my errands taken care of.

Today is shaping-up to be one of those days.

I had to get-up early (again) to go check my bosses house before work (so I'm tired), it turns out I'm wearing one black sock and one blue sock for the second day in row (I guess the pair I pulled out this morning exactly matches the pair I wore yesterday), I hurt my back sleeping (getting old sucks) and I had a bloody nose when I got to the office.


A couple of observations.....

1.) I remember being on a date once and the guy I was with mentioned in passing how awful he thought runners were.  At the time, I thought it a rash comment, but now I'm kind of in agreement.  The only change I would make to his comment would be to add cyclists to the group.  The guy I was on the date with lives in the area I have to drive through to get to my bosses house and I don't think I fully comprehended what he went through with runners until I had to go through it myself.  Let me tell you, the runners and cyclists are always out in DROVES in that area.  CROWDS of them.  They don't care that cars have to share the road, they do what they want.  Forget it if you need to turn right and a bunch of them swarm around your car, traffic will just have to back-up behind you until they decide to go on their merry way.  They even do it in the dark early morning!  Do they know that it's hard to see them in the dark?  Some have dim flashing lights, but they are still difficult to see and because they have those lights on, it seems that they feel it gives them a free pass to be pretty careless when it comes to what they are doing.  As the driver of a car, it's my responsibility to read their minds and anticipate what they are going to do next.  On Saturday I had to inch by two older guys running on a particularly curvy part of Sunset where there was no sidewalk or protected lane for them to be in.  It was scary.  I'm super-cautious when it comes to runners and cyclists, so I end-up running behind schedule.  I'm all for fitness, but there has to be a better, safer way.

2.) Do the families that have those car decals showing stick figures of each member of their family (and, in some cases, pets) and their names know how stupid that is? Think about it, by having that information on the outside of your car, you just gave any twisted insane criminal all the information they need to know to really do your family harm.  I see a lot of those decals when I'm stuck in traffic on the way home and I always wonder if the parents thought anything beyond "How cute this is, it's just like our family!".  They even come in zombie stick figures for the hipster families out there..........

End of observation section. :-)  I'm sure I'll have more later.

Update from my last few posts - As you can probably tell, I'm still being a doormat (I know, you're not at all surprised). I'm definitely unhappy about certain things right now.  I need to make some difficult changes, but I'm not sure how to go about it. It's scary and I feel kind of isolated.  I've asked some friends of mine for help with those certain things, but that hasn't panned out yet.  I feel like I'm on a fast-approaching deadline and I'm getting kind of stressed-out.  I need advice, but I'm not sure who else to ask.  It is NOT life-or-death stuff, so don't get all freaked-out for me.

I wish someone would just swoop in, give me some sound advice and help me make some decisions.  Does that happen outside of the movies?

Being an adult sucks.

It's been a hectic few weeks and I've been in a bad mood for most of it.

I'm exhausted by the fact that it is such a rare thing for me to see people being kind (or simply nice) and not self-centered. "It's all about me-me-me and I don't give a shit about anyone who is not me or how my actions will affect (effect?) anyone else". It's all such bullshit.

I'm also exhausted from being taken advantage of.  I'm not always successful, but I try really hard to be nice, patient, flexible and kind. Before I react to things I try to stop and imagine myself in the other person's position and then take a deep breath and respond/act. I try not to say the first thing that springs to mind and really attempt to help the person and do what needs to be done.

I'll be the first to admit that this isn't my natural go-to behavior and I don't always succeed, but I try really hard to cut other people some slack before I get short with them (and let one of my famous "fine" or "whatever" out). I try to remember that me being nice to them could possibly do some good and maybe, just maybe change that persons attitude and they might be nice to the next person they deal with. I'll take the hit if it helps the next person.....

I think I need to stop that shit and start acting like everyone else.

But I probably won't. That's "Ms. Doormat" to you, thankyouverymuch.