Not angry, just lost

When I buy Irish Whiskey, and it’s rare that I do, it’s Bushmill’s. This gets people up in arms about Protestant Whiskey and a beverage being problematic. And I hear this from people who are not Irish.

Oh the dissonance.

I do not like the taste of Jameson’s, is that a crime? And I’m not going to buy a Whiskey called Michael Collins. Might as well have one of those Irish Car Bomb shooters to go along with it.

My Mother’s maternal Grandmother and Grandfather were both Polish immigrants who came over in the early 20th century.

My Mother’s paternal Great-Great Grandparents both came over from Ireland in the late 19th century.

My paternal Grandfather’s Mother emigrated from England in the late 19th century.

My paternal Grandfather’s Great Grandfather emigrated to the United States from Ireland in the mid 19th century.

My paternal Grandmother’s family history is filled with mysteries but with some certainty I can say her Grandparents were from Ireland and emigrated here in the late 19th century.

How much Irish Soda Bread should be in my house today?

I can take or leave Guinness Stout and have one or two a year, but not today.

How much Americanized distance is there between me and my ancestors from 1850-2017?

Here I am now, closer to my so called roots to Suffolk County, New York, Western New York State and Columbus, Ohio than to any of the olde countries any members of my family lived. I am closer to Fall River, Massachusetts, Brooklyn, Astoria, Greenpoint than Derry, Dublin, Libniki, Baba or Clitheroe. Maybe it’s one large disconnect between my brain and the world?

If others want to hoist one for St. Patrick, wear Kelly Green and shamrocks, fill their bellies with corned beef and cabbage (which I loathe) so be it. I might just break out some Van Morrison and drink a Four String Big Star instead.

Prepping for the Hayride

The sun is rising today, as it did yesterday, as it will tomorrow. The election cycle is over, for a couple of days, until the shouting beings again. So here I am with a bank lobbyist as my congressional representative and a former fox news talk show host and lehman brothers manager as my governor. This state is facing an eight billion dollar budget shortfall.

Do I want fire protection, or paved roads?

Things I Have Meant To Say

The progress bar is still as the Disk Warrior does its thing. It has not moved for about thirty six hours now. The number of broken files increases while the likelihood of replacing the hard drive by this weekend goes up. Accepting losing three plus years of work is not easy.

Off to a culture shaping retreat for work today and tomorrow. It's not something I'm being cynical about attending. I'm just anxious as being around a group of strangers and discussing anything with them face to face scares the crap out of me. I do not think we'll end up holding hands and singing Kumbaya or getting Block O tattoos on our biceps, but I'm optimistic for positive results.

As a bitter and disgruntled ex-employee, I grumble when I see a lawn sign, billboard or see other propaganda regarding Issue 4. Let me state here that I am not against it in the least. In fact I will be voting for it, and if you live in Columbus, you should too. If you want reasons, ask me and I'll go off as to why. If you want me to put a sign on my lawn or change my Facebook profile picture go elsewhere. I'm putting as much effort into their campaign as their efforts into my career advancement when I worked there. Yes, there are issues.

My son's IEP meeting is next week. Having a special needs kid is hard when it comes to educational expectations. At this point, limited conversation is seen as a big step. Pooping in the toilet would be nice. Slowly, he's beginning to sleep thought the night regularly - that is massive progress.

Got to love the Wexner Center. Last night they brought in Joe Dante to introduce Matinee. It's a fun movie that was very overlooked about Sci-Fi movies of the fifties and the Cuban Missile Crisis. And Mant, the film within the film about a half man - half ant, was much funnier than I remember. Dante was very gracious and had some important things to say about the state of horror films and today's film in general. He spoke like Scorcese's calmer cousin. Very entertaining.

I'm really not feeling this cyincal

The house passed a health care bill. I really do not know what's in it because all I can see is a bunch of keyboard warriors still screaming socialism. When I ask a question, I get rebuked in Latin. Wait, that was about global warming.

I'd like to think we're all still going to be here tomorrow, Ok, most of us will be, and that we're in this together. There's still this us vs. them divide in this country we never got to properly thank Lee Atwater for starting. He's dead now. Thanks Lee, maybe you and the soon to be dead Bernie Madoff can raise a glass of hot lava together.

But it's Christmas Eve, peace on earth good will toward men and keep paying women less for the same pay.

Is that how it goes?

It's been a couple of years since I went out to eat and did not leave a tip. Last night was one of those rare occasions. Not going to name the place because it was not the fault of the entire establishment, and I'm sure we'll be back there at some point.

Where we went was busy, and we knew that, we could see it. We waited at least half an hour for our food, which would have been fine if the server had acknowledged this. Instead he brushed off my wife's asking where the food was, simply saying it was busy, no apologies. Nothing else. The food was fine. When it came to getting the check. He gave us someone else's, which was less. He did not thank us for being honest, but instead decided to blame the mistake on someone else when we pointed it out to him. Then he walked off. Rather than wait for him to take our payment, which may have taken even more time, I went to the bar and watched him stand there and chat with one of the other servers while the bartender took our payment. I know the place was busy and he was probably in the weeds, but this guy was rather inattentive and quick in blaming others rather than offer any sympathy. So that's why he got stiffed. Again, just the second time in recent memory.

I was listening to Jethro Tull's Christmas album while running the final errands this morning. It's a lovely record, honestly. I'm in for the rest of the day, until after dinner when I'll pack the three of us in the car and force feed Christmas lights and Phil Spector's music on to them. I still have a few places to check out. Still, the people behind us rule Columbus' Christmas lights scene.

Have to clean up my son's room and set up his present later. Got him a little tent with a six foot tunnel. Hope he likes it. So very hard to shop for a kid with autism. You have no idea what he will like. He's finally toying around with the ukulele I got him two years ago.

Wow, two years ago I was meeting my wife's family in Glasgow. Time flies, and I want to go back there so badly.

Christmas and holiday wishes on all of you. Still noticing a lot of page hits and views. Drop a comment and say hi why don't you?