Funny how things get busy after you come back from a vacation or a long weekend out of town. For those who read this blog, or for those who came in late, I am currently at work taking a break while the summer campers watch "Alvin and the Chipmunks".

"Alvin?"

I returned from Atlanta well over a week ago. I had a really nice time at my brother's place, and it was really nice to see my sister and the rest of the family. After I flew in to Atlanta, my brother arrived at the pick up area of the airport where I waited. Shortly after, my sister's flight landed, and we went to pick her up. We then made our way back to my brother's house and visited with friends. I then made my way down to the pool to join my nephew, Tyler, and his friend, Patrick.

By 4:00 o'clock that afternoon, we went to my nieces for dinner. Their mother and stepfather had a buffet style set up of make your own tacos. Some of the guest talked as they lounged by the bar in the downstairs rec room, some shot pool, and some ventured outside to play bocci ball. The girls then opened any presents while we ate homemade ice cream. In case you did come late, one niece, Jill, graduated college, while my other niece, Lana, graduated from high school. So we had a celebration the first weekend of June.

The following Saturday, we had barbecue chicken and ribs at my brother's place after a day poolside. With the weather being hot, many made their way to the pool. After being poolside, everyone went inside to watch Big Brown blow his chance at making history, then we had dinner. A good time was had by all.

Sunday was quiet as we cleaned up after the party. I came back from Atlanta on Sunday night, only to get up and start the first day of summer camp that Monday.

What a way to start a Monday than to face one hundred children running around.

"Alvin?"

A week has since passed, and life is slowly getting back to normal. I did have a dentist appointment last week, and I need to get some crown work done. Oh, and I got a summons for jury duty in July. And Citi-Card keeps calling. And it's not because they want to say they love me.

"ALVIN!"

At least the neighbors from hell moved. Amazing what can happen when someone makes a phone call to code enforcement. Being a government employee, it is nice to know what departments can do for you. And I did not sign a new lease, so I will be looking into getting a new apartment after I get my dental work done. I have had it with where I currently live. Time to find some new digs.

"OKAY, DAVE!"

Well, I have to get going. Lunch time is over with, and that's about it for now. Take it easy, and I'll holler at you later.

Georgia...Sweet Georgia....

It has been a busy week, and I am currently working the neighborhood center by myself as the summer camp staff attends training today.

I will be off tomorrow and out of town until Sunday night. I am catching a flight up to Atlanta tomorrow morning to visit my brother and his family. My brother has two daughters from his previous marriage, and his oldest is graduating college. She plans on continuing post graduate studies this fall. His other daughter has just recently graduated from high school and will be attending college in the fall. So instead of trying to attend both graduation ceremonies, my brother and his ex-wife plan on having an open house weekend.

My brother's ex-wife and her husband will be hosting a dinner party at their home on Friday. On Saturday, my brother will be hosting a pool party. And on Sunday, we will be recovering.

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing my nieces, as well as my nephew and niece. They are the children of my brother's third wife. I got a feeling that with everything going on, my nephew may want to go see "Kung-Fu Panda". That will be up to his father and mother.

My sister will be coming in on a flight from Columbus, Ohio. She is looking into possibly moving to Atlanta. A few months ago, I spoke to her on the phone, and she told me that she was tired of the winter weather in Ohio. I know my brother would love to have her there, as well as my brother's ex-wife. Although divorced, we have been able to be friends through the years. And my ex-sister-in-law married a wonderful man who did a great job as a step-father to the girls.

Now that they are both grown up, I wonder what in the world those two will do?

Anyway, I am going to be busy packing and getting any business taken care off before I go. So I will not be posting anything until next week. And as Ray Charles plays in my head, I am counting down the time until I get to put my arms around all of those family members that I love and miss so much.

Have a great weekend everyone, and I will holler at you soon.

The neighborhood center that I work at just received a free pool table.

I put the emoticon for rolling on the floor laughing after that sentence because the story I am about to tell you will have you doing the same. Unless you are an angry taxpayer.

Anyway, I received word on Wednesday afternoon that mobile maintenance would be bringing a pool table over to put in the game room at our neighborhood center. The pool table was used at a smaller facility, and that recreation center was getting a new pool table.

So whenever a recreational facility receives new equipment, calls are made to the other neighborhood centers inquiring as to whether they are interested in getting the equipment. Kind of like getting handmedowns from your older brother or sister. This however, is more like unloading one's junk onto somebody else. Then that recreation center is stuck with equipment that is in dire need of repair.

So mobile maintenance finally delivers this pool table to our center, and there are seven employees that have made the trip over to our facility. One employee, a recreational specialist, is running her mouth giving orders. So you know that she is not going to do a damn thing but get in the way and be a pest. Another guy who was there to help had muscle, but just stood around looking like he was supervising. He didn't say anything. He just stood there looking stupid. Another employee helped move the pool table off of the trailer, then disappeared until it was time to go. A fourth employee acted like he made an effort to help, but he more or less was in a hurry to get the job done so he could go back to sitting around all day. Which left me, a fellow employee named James, and an employee I did not know by name trying to move a pool table with a slate top of one inch thick.

So, needless to say, the pool table was heavy and difficult to move. As a result, two legs on the pool table were broken because the table was not disassembled before moving. As we are looking at our "free" pool table, we notice that the felt to the table needs to be replaced. I also notice that a cushion on the side of the table needs to be replaced. Oh, yeah. And the two legs that now needed to be repaired.

This morning, two representatives from a billiard table company come in to look at the table. You know it is going to be bad when the center manager for the neighborhood center asks the reps how much the repairs will cost, they both break into laughter.

"Actually, this pool table will run you about $1,500.00 brand new.", says one of the reps.

He then proceeds to tell us that since the pool table is made of one inch slate, it would be worth restoring. Now, I know a little bit about pool tables. And if the pool table is made of slate,it is going to last you a long time. And even though the table cover will need to be replaced because of the use the pool table gets at the recreation center, that cover will last a long time.

Here is where my blood starts to boil. The rep from the billiard company informs us that it would have cost only $150.00 to have the table disassembled and moved. But since the recreation department decided to move it and save money, the table was damaged in the process.

So now, we have to pay near $300.00 for having the table disassembled and the legs repaired. And that is not including the $300.00 for the material and recovering. Plus another $90.00 for new pockets.

So much for the "free" pool table. If there is a silver lining along the black cloud in this story, I know that the children will love the idea of having two pool tables to play on. Especially when summer camp will be starting soon.

Now if only we could get a new net for the ping pong table.

Hey Folks!

It is the Memorial Day weekend!

I took today off from work, so I am at home this evening taking it easy. Since I did not go to work today, I took the time to get around to doing a few things that I needed to do. Right now I am at home watching the Tampa Bay Rays-Baltimore Orioles game. Any baseball fans besides me and Heather out there?

Anyway, I wanted to thank everyone who responded to my last post. I will start looking for apartments soon, depending on whether I will be able to rent month-to-month or sign a year lease. I just decided that even though I am close to work, shopping, and entertainment, I am tired of dealing with the management. And though I have a few neighbors that I like, I am really tired of some of the residents that have moved in. And I am tired of things breaking down all the time. Especially the air conditioning.

Aside from the situation with the apartment, everything else is fine. Work has been busy, but things seem to be going by well. My truck is running fine, and my health is fine. And I can still get a hard on, so no need for Viagra.

At least I know that still is in working order. I have to work Saturday and Sunday at the theme park, but I am off Monday. It finally rained today in Orlando. Goodness knows we need it. It has been really dry here. Rain is predicted for tomorrow as well, and sunny conditions are called for Sunday and Monday. If the weather is great on Monday, I will most likely wash and wax the truck. What do you plan on doing for Memorial Day? Are you going to a parade to honor the war veterans? Are you planning on having a cookout?

If you get a chance to go to the cinema multiplex this weekend, check out "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". I went to see it this afternoon, and I enjoyed it.



While I was at the theatre, there was a preview for a movie called "Australia" with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, which is set during World War Two. It is scheduled to come out Christmas, 2008. I think it may be worth checking out. There was also a preview for "The Dark Knight". I'm going!

Well, I am going to get back to the ball game. It is the bottom of the fifth inning, and still no score. Again, thanks for the responses to my last post. Although I did not get to thank everyone individually, your comments were appreciated.

Take it easy, have a great Memorial Day weekend, and careful with those buns and weenies!

I have a studio apartment. I call it "living in a box". That was a name of an 80s' band that had a song with the same title. Anyway, I would like to get a one bedroom apartment. If I do, it would be at another apartment complex. The apartment I currently live in is older, but it is convenient to work, shopping, and entertainment.

Work is a fifteen minute drive for me, so I do not have to deal with the interstate. Except on the weekend, when I am going to my part-time job at the theme park. And on the weekend, traffic is heavy. But it is moving. No bumper to bumper. No stop and go.

With the apartments being older, things have a tendency to break down. The maintenance staff does a good job with the repairs. The only thing I do not liike about my apartment is the apartment manager. I am not going into details, but she is one of the most mean spirited persons I have ever met. And she happens to be a friends' mother-in-law. Make that ex-friend.

As I mentioned earlier, I live in a studio apartment. It is actually enough room for me since I live there by myself. Over the years that I have been there, I see people come and go. Such as the young couples that are starting out,only to move on to a bigger home so they can start a family. Or the young man who moved out so he could take care of his parents.

Over the past year, however, I am seeing apartments rented out that are smaller than required. There is a mother of two living in a studio apartment. For all I know, she could have just recently got out of a abusive relationship and is starting out on her own. There is a family of four living in a one bedroom apartment across from me, but this is temporary. They plan on moving into a larger place.

Last month, the straw that broke the camel's back happened. A one bedroom apartment downstairs was rented out. There are seven people or more living in this apartment. Five are children. And they make noise. Morning, noon, and night. It is 10:00 p.m. on a weeknight, and the children are running around outside. It is midnight, and one of the adults is hanging out in the hallway with a few of her "homies" smoking pot. And as they hang out, the cellphone rings. And I can hear this from upstairs.

If I can hear it, how do you think the woman who lives in the studio apartment below me is handling this? Or the couple in the one bedroom next to them? Or even the single mother with the two children who are quiet and keep to themselves.

And if you go to complain to the manager, she give you a ration of shit, trying to make you out like you are the asshole for saying something.

So you tell me. What would you do? Besides move out. I have made up my mind that I will be moving out. But I cannot do it immediately. For it will be a few months. My lease is up this month, and I have not had time to look around for a new apartment. So if I have to sign a new one-year lease, then it will be a year. If I can get by on month-to-month, and I will start looking around.

Any suggestions?