Thursday, June 26, 2008

In the year 2525....

You wanna know the price of a gallon of gasoline ten years ago? I didn’t think so, but it’s my blog, so you’re stuck. $1.07 a gallon. So, it stands to reason, you’re paycheck has gone up four times what it was in 1998 huh? I didn’t think so, but it’s my blog, so you’re stuck.

Wow things can change in ten years eh? Ten years ago, at forty-five, there was a vote in our household as to whether I should continue to play softball or not. Sonsabitches, I lost, 1-1. (We took a recount this year, and voter turnout was somewhat lower, yes, victory, 1-0.)

1998, smoking was banned in all bars and restaurants in California. So that’s where/when they got that reputation.

Monica Lewinsky happened…. A college dropout becomes the first person to be convicted of a hate crime committed in cyberspace. Dale (Senior) won the Daytona 500.. Osama bin Laden publishes a fatwa, declaring jihad against all Jews and Crusaders…

Some things were looking up however… The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, the first pill approved for this condition.

The Chicago Bulls win their 6th NBA title in 8 years on a fade away jumper by Michael Jordan. Windows releases Window 98, how catchy…

Google, Inc is founded September 7, 1998. Up until this moment, we searched with flashlights and reading glasses…. Pokemon arrives… Back to the Future Part II, Marty McFly is born.

Passings… Jack Lord… Sonny Bono.. Carl Perkins… Lloyd Bridges… Tammy Wynette.. Frank Sinatra.. Roy Rogers.. “Flo-Jo”…

The “Euro” is born…. Postage stamp, 32 cents… Titanic highest grossing film ever… Sirloin tip $2.69 a lb… Milk, $2.52 a gallon.. Apples, 94 cents a lb..

Ten years is “forever.” Think of yourself ten years ago. What I thought. Hella difference eh? You didn’t waste it (the last ten) did you? I, sheepishly, wasted it some. Not the next ten, count on that.

In the ten years since - my eyes have been opened to what’s really important about life. Well, at least my opine. It’s the minutes within the day. Pleasure. Should be a pleasure. When I get stressy now I try to remind myself “you dumb sonofabitch, you JUST talked about how you weren’t gonna get upset, about how $hit happens and there ain’t a thing you can do about it… about how believed REALLY big problems are teenie tiny.”

In the last ten years, I’ve lost two from my nuclear family, 5 pets, two jobs, one wife, and checkenginelight (the reason behind all this darn near daily writing.)… Some hard losses - but, some awakenings as well. I kinda-sorta “get it” now. It ain’t all about “making it thru the day’, it’s about “making the day.” Ya start upon waking “THANK YOU LORD FOR ANOTHER ONE!”…

You shave, cut yourself, and think “that hurt, but it happens.” You go to Pour Boy, fill up, cuss, say “hey” to Annette, and totally immerse in that cuppa java and bag’a salted peanuts en route to “the grind.” You get to the grind, you constantly remind yourself “it’s just STUFF.” Crappy stuff happens, good stuff happens, fun stuff happens. Life happens, enjoy it. Ahm Victor, where you preaching this upcoming Sunday? KMA. For three (of the last ten) years, I’ve TOLD YOU, I write for me, to me… hitchhikers welcome.

One whole decade, whoosh. Gone. They kinda do that. The sand goes thru the hourglass, and afore ya know it, you say “Howdy” to the YOUNG WalMart greeter.

I do hereby promise to share the next ten. I do hereby promise to enjoy the next ten. I do hereby promise to get laid in the next ten. Oops. Sorry. GD fingers.

The very very bottomline here. All that crap.. Sonny Bono, Frank, Monica, $1.07 a gallon gas.. Seems so far, far, away. Please enjoy the daily path the next decade. I planta.

Love, Victurd.

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