More Alterations

I remember not long ago reading in Tao's blog about Mondays, and a number of years ago when I worked a mere 6 days a week...I probably could relate much more than now. However, today...Monday, was quite a strain.

Mrs. Beans and I keep running into various aspects of the post 9/11 world and how it impacts "us good guys". There is alot of little things that happen...like if you try to deposit a check for more than $5000 you will wait DAYS and depending on the amount, up to 2 weeks before you can actually have access to the money...and the bankers say its something to do with "the patriot act".

If you are in need of transporting hazardous materials then you've got to deal with the Department of Transportation and get a special license. That existed pre 9/11. But the new changes mean that even if you've had that special license for years...you've got to pay about $100 and be fingerprinted and go thru a "background check" wherein they decide if you are a threat or not.

I asked the sheriff administering the process if he really believed a terrorist would put "EXPLOSIVE" placards on his vehicle and thus be ready to have his license checked for authority to be transporting that...his answer? "Well if they are hauling explosives they would HAVE to put the placards on". Sheesh, oh yes officer, there is nooo way they would disobey that one!, yea though they be on their way to suicide bomb a public facility, its just inconceivable that they wouldn't put on the placards.

Well, occasionally in our business we deal with some of these hazardous materials...so once we had cleared the background check and been officially declared safe, when we went to get the renewal on our permit with the department of public safety...the background certification wasn't enough, nor our previous license, they must have a certified copy of our birth certificate. Imagine that...somehow we went thru the background certification without the birth certificate...and even though you've got a 4 year old permit already thats about to expire, your drivers license and social security isn't enough...but you must prove your birth now. (OR..in lieu of a birth certificate a PASSPORT..would work fine!!!) Sheesh.

Meanwhile back in paradise...where the electric company has now decided they want just over 6 acres of our little 13 acre place. We did tell them no, we weren't interested. But as of today they have raised the offer to a point we're considering it. On one hand, its giving up the 6 acres we had intended to use to produce retirement income. On the other, the offer would pay 64% of our outstanding balance on the place and still leave us with 7 acres and the house. Its a decent deal, not a GREAT deal, but definitely a "decent" deal...so we're thinking it over.

Gotta talk to some tax people and find out what effect that would have on us income tax wise. But its just one more set of DECISIONS to make...there has been a steady stream of DECISIONS to make this summer, and all we want is just a little rest for our heads. Everytime ya turn around and see a path to walk, it seems to be a law of nature that the path will have to be altered..again, and again..and again. Don't get too comfortable with disliking changes...cause you'll find yourself disliking "life".

Football can be exciting at times to watch. I love it when the quarterback runs back with the ball and hands it off to another player, and he scrambles this way and that way...maybe somebody blocks a tackler off him , then he twists and sidesteps out of anothers hold, and jumps and runs and spins and turns dodging tackles, or pushing thru would be tacklers...on his way to the goal line. If you could reset time perception using a technique described by my friend grasshopper or some other way...to see this guys run as descriptive of an entire lifetime...thats kind of how living a life feels sometimes.

On a positive note, I'm told that at some point in August Mars will be bigger in the sky than the moon. Now if it weren't for them dang astrology experts knowing that it may happen again in what? 60,000 years? ...and if they hadn't have predicted it...those dang global warming nutcases could have pointed to that and said we caused it with our freon.
And Gore could see that as another pyramid of support for his hate-mongering...and would make a speech with mars as his backdrop, vehemently calling for the imprisonment and crucifixion of Bush.

Oh yeah..positive note...a man once told me, and I've found it to be true..."it always rains after a drought"...so after this passing of yet another dry week...we're one week closer to that good drought busting rain!! Now T H A T is good news.