FEATURED Morning Pops!

[Runwildboys]

Maybe it's time to tell y'all about a dream I had two nights ago. I was too mad to tell it yesterday. If you combine Smokey and the Bandit with 007, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, throw in a dash of Police Squad and a little red wagon you have the foundation of my dream. I was mad because a 1970's Rabert Redford or 1990's Brad Pitt were unavailable. Just what was so important that they couldn't star in my dream? Get me their agents on the phone! Instead I was forced to deal with Burt Reynolds.

The dream starts out weird enough with me receiving an assignment to keep Burt alive at all costs. The budget must have been tight for le mode de transportation, a little red wagon. I was costaring in a low budget B dream. Apparently the fate of the future was tied to the doofus. I was told I had a unique skill set required for the job. I didn't know what my skill set was, but it would be revealed.

I have to track Burt down. The usual twisted government program has run amok. He found out something they didn't want getting out and they're determined to kill him. He needs to stay clear of an area that's of profound interest to him. That's where I find him, I introduce myself, explain why this is not a good place to be and that I'm here to get him out. His response was "Ha Ha, hello there. Don't worry about it, everything's under control". The white coats converge and whisk him away to a high security hospital. Off I go.

I talk my way into the hospital and find him walking around in dress shoes and a hospital gown with the back open, greeting everyone. I tell him we've got to get out of here to a shoulder shrug. I look around his room for something to aid our escape and there's the red wagon. Everything is on a slight angle so the wagon works well with enough weight on it. We grab a few other patients, load up and take off down hallways, through double doors, down stairs, more hallways and stairs until we're outside and have acquired enough momentum to jump the security fence. That last jump is a doozy, everyone falls off and goes their separate ways.

Rinse, repeat a few more times as we take more people out on the wagon. We were laying at all angles over each other and it was silly as we turned corners and everyone tucked in an arm, leg or head to avoid collision. The dream was repetitious as I'd talk or sneak my way in, find him, load the wagon down and follow the trail out. Once we had a hospital cart but found the wagon outside of an elevator, hopped on and hightailed it to safety.

On my last trip to save him, I got into the hospital and found him drugged, with three different colored needles sticking in his big toe and the two beside them on each foot. They were going to slowly release enough toxins to kill him. I ran in, pulled the needles out and smacked him around a bit. That wasn't getting the job done, so I grabbed a large pitcher to fill with ice water. When I turned back to him in anticipation of dousing him, he was sitting up and said "that won't be necessary". Disappointment oozed from every pore on my body. A real Oscar moment if you ask me.

We'd run out of people willing to come with us. We had one oxygen tank left, so we scrounged for weight to get out. Burt was in front grabbing things as we sped past. There were food vendors outside, so he grabbed bags of salt, sugar, rice and meat to pack on so we could get our velocity up and over the fence.

I have since retired from acting in low budget dreams. The end.

You've got some "vivid" dreams, doll! Lol

 

[Ranched]

 

[nyc-cowboy]

I love you guys and you are in my heart.

Love ya back Coach...

I don't post much in this thread and never had the pleasure of knowing "Pops" but with respect, whenever I do post in the future, my

greeting will be "Morning CC"...

Godspeed my friend.

 

[Xelda]

XELDA BEATS TECHNOLOGY

I had a little incident this week and can't decide whether to be embarrassed or aggravated. Spoiler alert: I chose aggravated. I'd ordered a few things off of Amazon over the past month and my marble top coffee table came with much broken marble. So I contacted Amazon for a replacement. The second had problems as well but I managed to work it out. Good old Gorilla Glue. I held off on sending the first back thinking there might be two returning. Now I can send the first one back.

Somewhere between contacting Amazon and UPS, I encountered a voice activated program. I prefer punching numbers on my phone, but didn't get that option. My accent is most likely listed as East Texas. It's a good accent and I understand people that speak it. Well, this program was not from East Texas and had a shell of a time understanding me. One could have turned the phrase "I'm sorry, I did not understand that" into a drinking game. Giving my zip code was a real treat. I can almost imagine smoke coming out of their system as she made up a zip code. I'm telling y'all, it was bad. Yes and no came with "I'm sorry, I did not understand that". Are you serious? She got my address correct which was amazing. In the end, she gave up and transferred me to a human. The human was able to translate East Texas and still didn't help me, but I can strut because I still won.

 

[Runwildboys]

XELDA BEATS TECHNOLOGY

I had a little incident this week and can't decide whether to be embarrassed or aggravated. Spoiler alert: I chose aggravated. I'd ordered a few things off of Amazon over the past month and my marble top coffee table came with much broken marble. So I contacted Amazon for a replacement. The second had problems as well but I managed to work it out. Good old Gorilla Glue. I held off on sending the first back thinking there might be two returning. Now I can send the first one back.

Somewhere between contacting Amazon and UPS, I encountered a voice activated program. I prefer punching numbers on my phone, but didn't get that option. My accent is most likely listed as East Texas. It's a good accent and I understand people that speak it. Well, this program was not from East Texas and had a shell of a time understanding me. One could have turned the phrase "I'm sorry, I did not understand that" into a drinking game. Giving my zip code was a real treat. I can almost imagine smoke coming out of their system as she made up a zip code. I'm telling y'all, it was bad. Yes and no came with "I'm sorry, I did not understand that". Are you serious? She got my address correct which was amazing. In the end, she gave up and transferred me to a human. The human was able to translate East Texas and still didn't help me, but I can strut because I still won.

Funny, the way you type doesn't seem East Texas...other than a phrase here or there.

 

[Ranched]

 

[CouchCoach]

Good afternoon Pops and I need to offer an apology because I feel as if I've helped bring your thread to a trickle and it wasn't like that before.

Guys and gals, we greeted each other here almost every day, shared part of what we were up to, certainly not all of it as mystery is sexy, but we don't seem to have the same connection here. I still feel it but I don't read it.

If my sharing with y'all has been part of the reason for that, we must remedy that because I need this thread. I need to know y'all are OK and what you are up to because this thread was set up to honor the human side of the internet and named for a man that did just that.

If there are other factors, then disregard this but if I am in any way responsible for the slowdown of this thread, let's fix that starting today.

So, how in the hell is everybody?

 

[GrammaJan]

Good afternoon Pops and I need to offer an apology because I feel as if I've helped bring your thread to a trickle and it wasn't like that before.

Guys and gals, we greeted each other here almost every day, shared part of what we were up to, certainly not all of it as mystery is sexy, but we don't seem to have the same connection here. I still feel it but I don't read it.

If my sharing with y'all has been part of the reason for that, we must remedy that because I need this thread. I need to know y'all are OK and what you are up to because this thread was set up to honor the human side of the internet and named for a man that did just that.

If there are other factors, then disregard this but if I am in any way responsible for the slowdown of this thread, let's fix that starting today.

So, how in the hell is everybody?

I’m sure it’s not you Coach. It’s that time of the year, and I know in my case life hasn’t been easy, which is why I’m not posting lately. Y’all know I lost Elisha in 2016 and didn’t allow myself to open my heart again until last year. Met Sam and all was good. Fell so hard for this guy and he’s now in the process of retiring from his career and then will be moving back to his home state to take care of his aging parents (dad already in hospice). We’ve had just over a year together. My heart is ripped apart again and I’m just over… EVERYTHING. I hate the feeling of loss and heartbreak. I’m going to have to crawl back in my dark hole and pray I drown from all the tears. Is it so bad to want someone to want be with, and that wants to be with me? I take back every time I ever said to anyone that everything happens for a reason. It’s a downer day, again.

 

[CouchCoach]

I’m sure it’s not you Coach. It’s that time of the year, and I know in my case life hasn’t been easy, which is why I’m not posting lately. Y’all know I lost Elisha in 2016 and didn’t allow myself to open my heart again until last year. Met Sam and all was good. Fell so hard for this guy and he’s now in the process of retiring from his career and then will be moving back to his home state to take care of his aging parents (dad already in hospice). We’ve had just over a year together. My heart is ripped apart again and I’m just over… EVERYTHING. I hate the feeling of loss and heartbreak. I’m going to have to crawl back in my dark hole and pray I drown from all the tears. Is it so bad to want someone to want be with, and that wants to be with me? I take back every time I ever said to anyone that everything happens for a reason. It’s a downer day, again.

So sorry to hear that, Jan.

I will not play the "cheer up card" but I will say this, you lost Elisha but then you met Sam, so don't rule out there being another that wants to be with you because that's two right there and neither left you because they didn't want to be with you.

I agree with the everything happens for a reason because things just happen and they do not necessarily happen to us. Sam's parents needing care isn't happening to you, it is happening to him and you are collateral damage but the pain is still the same.

I do wish there was something I could say to make you feel better but there isn't. I do know the pain of loss and it is not one that dissipates easily and that can cloud everything and seem like that dark hole you are describing. I spent quite a bit of time in that hole and discovered that was not through circumstance but choice that I hung out there. I was punishing myself. I had a lamp and did not even realize it.

You have loved and been loved at least twice since I've known you and as long as you are open to it, that can happen again. As long as you do not punish yourself. And you are loved here.

Jan, I am sorry you are going through this but I am glad you felt like sharing it. You are a strong woman and you will get past this just as you did Elisha. I didn't say over Elisha, I said past. When we can let the past take what it needs, it begins to release us.

 

[GrammaJan]

So sorry to hear that, Jan.

I will not play the "cheer up card" but I will say this, you lost Elisha but then you met Sam, so don't rule out there being another that wants to be with you because that's two right there and neither left you because they didn't want to be with you.

I agree with the everything happens for a reason because things just happen and they do not necessarily happen to us. Sam's parents needing care isn't happening to you, it is happening to him and you are collateral damage but the pain is still the same.

I do wish there was something I could say to make you feel better but there isn't. I do know the pain of loss and it is not one that dissipates easily and that can cloud everything and seem like that dark hole you are describing. I spent quite a bit of time in that hole and discovered that was not through circumstance but choice that I hung out there. I was punishing myself. I had a lamp and did not even realize it.

You have loved and been loved at least twice since I've known you and as long as you are open to it, that can happen again. As long as you do not punish yourself. And you are loved here.

Jan, I am sorry you are going through this but I am glad you felt like sharing it. You are a strong woman and you will get past this just as you did Elisha. I didn't say over Elisha, I said past. When we can let the past take what it needs, it begins to release us.

Thanks Coach. I will read and re-read until your message fully takes hold.

 

[Runwildboys]

Good afternoon Pops and I need to offer an apology because I feel as if I've helped bring your thread to a trickle and it wasn't like that before.

Guys and gals, we greeted each other here almost every day, shared part of what we were up to, certainly not all of it as mystery is sexy, but we don't seem to have the same connection here. I still feel it but I don't read it.

If my sharing with y'all has been part of the reason for that, we must remedy that because I need this thread. I need to know y'all are OK and what you are up to because this thread was set up to honor the human side of the internet and named for a man that did just that.

If there are other factors, then disregard this but if I am in any way responsible for the slowdown of this thread, let's fix that starting today.

So, how in the hell is everybody?

No CC, as for me, I'm just not much of a sharer most of the time. I just don't find many things in my life interesting enough to talk about. My ex wife hated that.

I'd come home from work, knowing I'd have to put aside 45 minutes for her to talk about everything that happened to her and her co-workers, her co-workers' families and friends, her co-workers families' friends and friends' families, etc., etc., etc. Once she was done talking, she'd ask how my day was, and I'd simply say, "I don't wanna talk about it."

That said, this was an interesting week. One of my fellow drivers is someone who has gotten on my nerves since the day I started working there. He's a butt dragging, time clock milking, self centered piece of crap, who seems to think the company is there for him, rather than the other way around. He's almost always the last truck back, no matter where he goes, and I've had customers complain to me that he takes three times as long to offload their lumber, because he won't let go of the board until he's done talking. Even when he's in the yard, setting his truck up to be loaded, or strapping down his load, I get aggravated watching him "work". It's like being stuck behind a little old lady who drives like she has a bowl of hot soup on her lap. I just wanna scream at him, "FRIGGIN' DO IT ALREADY! WHAT ARE WAITING FOR???"

Jerry is 6'9", about 180 pounds, and a social butterfly, who will find anyone who'll listen to him talk (very loudly), and waste literally hours a day, just gabbing on company time... I call him the Tower of Babble.

He follows the forklift operators around like a puppy on a leash, right alongside or behind them, even though they have all repeatedly told him to stay away from them when they're driving. Well, on Monday, he found out why.

He was chasing after Tim, in his usual way, and Tim didn't see him, turned right, and ran over Jerry's foot, breaking his ankle and blowing out the skin under his foot and on his ankle... That's right, he's now the Leaning Tower of Babble.

Jerry was planning to retire around Thanksgiving this year, but I don't think he'll ever get behind the wheel of a truck again... especially since he's showing signs that he's planning to sue the company for his mistake.

 

[Runwildboys]

I’m sure it’s not you Coach. It’s that time of the year, and I know in my case life hasn’t been easy, which is why I’m not posting lately. Y’all know I lost Elisha in 2016 and didn’t allow myself to open my heart again until last year. Met Sam and all was good. Fell so hard for this guy and he’s now in the process of retiring from his career and then will be moving back to his home state to take care of his aging parents (dad already in hospice). We’ve had just over a year together. My heart is ripped apart again and I’m just over… EVERYTHING. I hate the feeling of loss and heartbreak. I’m going to have to crawl back in my dark hole and pray I drown from all the tears. Is it so bad to want someone to want be with, and that wants to be with me? I take back every time I ever said to anyone that everything happens for a reason. It’s a downer day, again.

Ayy, you want I should go take care uh da guy's faddah fuh you?

 

[GrammaJan]

Ayy, you want I should go take care uh da guy's faddah fuh you?

No no nooooo. It’s a sweet character trait that he would step up (amongst his many other siblings (6+)) and do the right thing

 

[Runwildboys]

No no nooooo. It’s a sweet character trait that he would step up (amongst his many other siblings (6+)) and do the right thing

Sure, sure, he's a great guy. But if his faddah's outta da pictcha...

 

[GrammaJan]

Sure, sure, he's a great guy. But if his faddah's outta da pictcha...

His mom has been trying to manage the hospice care with help from nurses and little help from the kids. She needs someone to be there for her. Parents are in their 90’s. He’s a leader in his military career so he’s taking charge while transitioning to civilian life. God bless him, but I’m gonna miss him terribly.

 

[Cowpolk]

XELDA BEATS TECHNOLOGY

I had a little incident this week and can't decide whether to be embarrassed or aggravated. Spoiler alert: I chose aggravated. I'd ordered a few things off of Amazon over the past month and my marble top coffee table came with much broken marble. So I contacted Amazon for a replacement. The second had problems as well but I managed to work it out. Good old Gorilla Glue. I held off on sending the first back thinking there might be two returning. Now I can send the first one back.

Somewhere between contacting Amazon and UPS, I encountered a voice activated program. I prefer punching numbers on my phone, but didn't get that option. My accent is most likely listed as East Texas. It's a good accent and I understand people that speak it. Well, this program was not from East Texas and had a shell of a time understanding me. One could have turned the phrase "I'm sorry, I did not understand that" into a drinking game. Giving my zip code was a real treat. I can almost imagine smoke coming out of their system as she made up a zip code. I'm telling y'all, it was bad. Yes and no came with "I'm sorry, I did not understand that". Are you serious? She got my address correct which was amazing. In the end, she gave up and transferred me to a human. The human was able to translate East Texas and still didn't help me, but I can strut because I still won.

I have the same accent and some south east Oklahomans have trouble understanding me in person

 

[Runwildboys]

His mom has been trying to manage the hospice care with help from nurses and little help from the kids. She needs someone to be there for her. Parents are in their 90’s. He’s a leader in his military career so he’s taking charge while transitioning to civilian life. God bless him, but I’m gonna miss him terribly.

Weren't you at one time considering moving to where he is, or am I thinking of someone else?

 

[GrammaJan]

Weren't you at one time considering moving to where he is, or am I thinking of someone else?

Yes, it’s near where my daughter lives (40 miles or so). Unfortunately I don’t think I’m in a position to make that move immediately. He’s very independent and I don’t know that a permanent relationship is in his immediate plans either… which I’ve had to force myself to face the possibility of as well. He’s newly-ish single and probably has a bit of time he’d like to spend not getting tied down again. I’m sure someday I’ll look back and be able to see why this was supposed to happen this way, but immediately it’s extremely painful.

 

[Runwildboys]

Yes, it’s near where my daughter lives (40 miles or so). Unfortunately I don’t think I’m in a position to make that move immediately. He’s very independent and I don’t know that a permanent relationship is in his immediate plans either… which I’ve had to force myself to face the possibility of as well. He’s newly-ish single and probably has a bit of time he’d like to spend not getting tied down again. I’m sure someday I’ll look back and be able to see why this was supposed to happen this way, but immediately it’s extremely painful.

Have you asked him, or did you just expect the worst?

 

[GrammaJan]

Have you asked him, or did you just expect the worst?

We’ve skirted the topic… close enough recently that I know