A Moment of Pride, Looking Back

For the last 2 days I’ve done something I haven’t done in several years. I got up at 7am (which I also haven’t done in years) and went to work. I’m telling you, it’s a feeling that I long for and need. I hadn’t had any real sleep since Sunday morning for the last 2 morning I dragged myself off the sofa, threw the kitten off me, chased the dog from under my feet, jumped in the shower and left to do an odd job with my neighbor UK. The job is to clean out the home of a well to do man. He has sooooo much stuff in there worth a good piece of money. He just wants it gone. We go back tomorrow to finish it up.I’m a workaholic. I always have been. When I put in the kind of hours I use to put in I did it because I loved the job. I wouldn’t say I was avoiding or running from myself, I just come from a very strong work ethic. I know I’ve started to feel worthless here lately but the last 2 days have been very nice. There is no cash involved with this little temp odd job. It’s kind of a barter thing. UK and I get to take the stuff he doesn’t want which includes nice clothing, furniture, rugs, blankest and sheets, towels, new and unopened toiletries AND food. She can have the liquor because I don’t drink but there is a host of that too and it’s not the cheap stuff either. When we went today to clear out a bed and a dresser and some other stuff he stopped us and took us to a rental property of his. He was showing the house to some potential renters. When he spoke with the lady he introduced me and UK as employees. I smiled inside cause I haven’t heard that word associated with my name in way toooooo long. He wants me to do some work online for him. He wants me to do a criminal background check on his potential renters. I’m not sure how he runs a successful business with NO computer but he does. Well maybe it’s not as successful as it could be because the last few renters have trashed a very nice house. It maybe could have been prevented had he had access to a pc where he could simply do a criminal background check for 10 bucks. Anyway, so she and I went over there yesterday and today. We go tomorrow again but I think tomorrow is the last day.

I may have offended the gentleman unintentionally but I’m okay with that. He wanted to take UK and myself to lunch at a pizza pub here in the city. I’ve been to the place before but he wanted to get a drink with his pizza. I told him that if he and UK wanted to grab a glass of wine with lunch that it was fine but I would like for him to hand me to the keys so I knew we would get home. Now, this is the first time I’ve ever met this man but you know what? I didn’t want it to be the last meeting or the last day of my life. I don’t get in the car with anyone that has even one beer or one glass of wine. He mentioned getting a glass of wine again and I spoke up and told them both that if they decided to do so to please make sure I had enough bus money to get home. I know he wasn’t happy that I said that but the truth is, it is dangerous to drive that way and dangerous to get in the car with someone that drives after drinking. I know that it’s a rather controversial thing and widely accepted that if you have a drink or two with dinner that you’re okay to drive home. How easy it is for me compared to others because I don’t have to decide if the driver is sober enough to get behind the wheel. If he or she has had one drink the decision is made for me. I don’t have to give a breathalyzer test or ask them how much they’ve had or if they feel safe “enough” to drive. There is no pressure, no fear of offense, it’s simple. I don’t get in the car and I’m not afraid to say that even when I don’t know the person. I like the fact that I can walk and that I’m alive. There is no moment where I’m going to trade social politeness for my life or my ability to walk. The answer was no and I think that shocked the heck out of him because he turned from the pub to McDonald’s. I had a McChicken and a medium French fry. I was happy with that.

It appears that this gentleman came from a rather abusive and violent past. It appears that his family was by no means poor but like me he was unsure of where his next meal was going to come from. The fact that things were so unstable has compelled him to stock up on stuff he doesn’t even need under the premise that he might need it later. That’s how his house ended up filled with so much “stuff.” It’s not junk though, not at all. There are $4000 Thomas Kinkaid pieces, huge angel statues, crystal knickknacks, nice cookware, fine wood structures and all kinds of stuff. I’ve never seen a hoarder with such good taste. He has, from what I saw, 10 bottles of 200 oz Tide and other liquid laundry detergent. I’ve never seen anything like it in someone’s home. I’ve seen it at Wal-Mart but not in someone’s home. UK and I intend to have a garage sale real soon with a lot of the stuff that he is letting us have in exchange for clearing out his house. Anyway though she and I have been doing that for the last 2 days. We’ll finish up tomorrow morning. Now that I think about it, we might end up working right into Friday afternoon because we haven’t even touched the mini barn or the garage and they are filled with high quality stuff too. I hear most of what is in the mini barn is aged liquor that he wants gone. Maybe he should have had some of that for lunch and stayed at his house while we cleared things out for him. While I do not drink, I will not walk away from aged scotch and good aged wine. I know very well what that stuff is worth so I won’t put it in a trash bag and help him haul it away. I will find an appreciative home for that stuff. I know a few people that have small social after hours business gatherings that would love a good bottle of scotch.

Well, I should maybe get myself settled back down for the evening so that I can get up and GO TO WORK. I love the feeling I get when I walk out of the house on my way to be put to some use. I need to feel useful and a lot of times I don’t.

My sleep is still a mess but I managed to get in more pc art today. It’s always relaxing exept when I feel pressured to use colour. i might have to slap UK and tell her to leave me alone about the colour situation. anyway though..this is UK at the gardens the other day. the image in red looks nothing like her. the red pic above looks like a person but it looks nothing at all like UK. I needed a model for the shots because I cant really use my hands to draw the way i use to. Anyway though, she hasnt seen them yet. she’s not even wearing the same colours in these here as the day we went. her hair colour is different here too.

Austin’s August

A Moment of Pride, Looking Back
Thursday, March 30, 2006
12:10 AM