I got up this morning in a bit of a funk. I don’t want to go into a lot of boring details, but my job is grinding me down, and money is an issue for the first time in ten years. Oh, it’s nothing earth-shattering, just a mild, nagging concern.
And I hate worrying about money. Toney and I went through a bad period during California, that scarred me for life. We lived under a constant financial dark cloud out there, and were miserable night and day. I swore it would never happen again, and it hasn’t. But we’re edging ever so slightly in that direction, and it causes me to panic a bit.
I make a lot less now, than I did during my high-flying record weasel days. And three years after the fact… we’re finally starting to feel it. I don’t know why it took so long, but there you go.
However, I’m not the type to just sit back, light a generic cig, and bitch about everything. I’ll fix it. We did it before, from a much worse situation, and it’ll happen again. And that’s a forkin’ fact.
For an inspiration boost, I came down here to the bunker and blasted one of my favorite overcoming-the-odds screw-the-doubters-I’ll-prove-them-wrong albums: Nobody’s Heroes by Stiff Little Fingers.
That album always gets me pumped, and ready to take on the world. I have an important meeting coming up soon, and will listen to Nobody’s Heroes immediately prior. It’s a shot of adrenaline, musically speaking, and the lyrics are defiant and positive.
So, anyway… I feel a lot better now. Too much information? Sorry ’bout that.
I was on Facebook a few nights ago, and started looking up random people from the distant past.
I was friends with a guy in high school, and he’s completely disappeared. Nobody really knows what happened to him, and I occasionally try to find him on the internet (with no luck). And that’s how it started…
I looked for him at Facebook again, and also his wife. Nope, they’re still not there. Then I checked for my ex-girlfriends. You know, the standard stuff. I found one ex, and she looked very similar to what I remember, but couldn’t track down the others.
Then I looked up a girl I was in “love” with during a previous lifetime, and almost dropped a rectal plate. She looks like an old woman! I’m not kidding, she looks 65. Nothing wrong with being 65, of course, but she’s really 45 (or so). What the hell happened??
I’m roughly 100 lbs fatter (a sixth grader, give or take) than I was at 21, or whatever. But I don’t think I look like an old man. I might be fooling myself, but I don’t believe I’ve edged into the “holy shit!” category yet. Unless huskiness qualifies.
Have you ever been shocked (shocked!) by someone at Facebook? If so, tell us about it. No need to list the person’s name, just describe what threw you for a loop. Use the comments link below.
Also, do you have anything you use for an inspiration boost, like the album I mentioned? Is there something you turn to, when you’re feeling down, that gets you all pumped-up and inspired? We’d like to know about it.
And I’m going to go enjoy my Saturday now, if you don’t mind.
Have a great day, my friends!
uno
Just about every male from my graduating class (20th reunion, looming darkly on the horizon) has gotten fat, bald, or both. Most were unrecognizable and if it weren’t for their names and pictures of them from high school to prove to me who they were, I wouldn’t have believed it. Most of the women, however, held up well.
Grrr…money problems are the worst.
Thanks for the Nobody’s Heroes heads-up. Another gem I’d completely forgotten about.
Sometimes I just come here for the music. Not really but it sounded somewhat clever at first…
No worries about money; the government owes $12 Trillion+ and they sleep well during the night… and the day as well.
quick observation on the supermarket photo:
There is a kid in a yellow shirt standing in ailse 8 scratching his chin. Appears someone has a hand on his back but no person standing behind him with an extra hand??
also it appears that generally people were more healthy a few decades ago.
I once went from almost 6 figures to zero but survived between jobs for a few months. Then I went from over 6 figures to zero for 6 months. It takes quite a while to recover (still paying off some lines of credit years later) but you do start to feel battle hardened after a while. The shock isn’t as great after a few times. I learned how to cope; how to control the money rather than visa-versa.
Money can be a very demanding mistress and a real drain whether you have the “$ to zero” or some degree less dramatic (but no less impacting – i.e. I’m not minimizing anyone’s situation). Sorry to hear it’s chewing on you. I’m still not buying a t-shirt though.
If I want to clear my head to focus – headphones and some full wide-ass open big full sound music (Da Vinci Code; Pachebelle; LOTR; Gladiator) then switch to some Maynard Ferguson or Buddy Rich to get the blood flowing.
Thanks for ‘working” Saturday Jeff. Have a good one brother.
zabasearch dot com is a great people locator, and it’s free. Give it a try, but don’t fall for any of that Intellius crap. They want money. There’s lots of music which gets me up and running, but it’s mostly classical. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor is a nice little 15 minute emotional workout and definite a pump. Yea, you’ve heard it before. It’s that organ piece that’s always associated with horror movies. Never figured that one out.
Please everyone ignore my first paragraph – it sounds pretty shallow and insensitive to what others may have gone through. I meant it to show the shock value of being terminated. I’m such a turd.
Good Afternoon Surf Reporters….
Being in the car business, which is a “feast or famine” occupation, I’ve been penny wrapping poor more times than I can count.
Hard to save for a rainy day on a paycheck to paycheck existence. But my mantra is “it all works out in the end”.
Don’t really have a go to source for inspiration, but just spoke with one of my true friends the other night. He’s a little older than me, I kind of view him as the big brother I never had. He’s an attorney by trade and his advice is always sound. Almost like my own personal consigliere.
After lamenting about this and that to him, he gave me a little heads up, pep talk, and that seemed to bring me right round.
When I get stressed it’s a quick trip to the range and bingo… About 200 rounds of .22 and I’m cured of what ails me. Music wise, a little Brad paisley or Eric church will get me back to square with regards to emotion or mood.
I think Gretchen said it best, the men usually go fat and/or bald but the women held up well! My 30th class reunion was certainly interesting…with a few shocks of how certain folks have changed over the years. I think extra weight really does make a person almost unrecognizable. Once, I was sitting and talking with an ex-girlfriend who I hadn’t seen in a few years. She had become heavy and as we talked I knew she seemed familiar, but I had no idea it was her until I asked her name. I’ve gotten a bald patch up on top, but people tell me I still look the same otherwise.
I didn’t realize people Don’t have money problems…hmm. We also live week to almost week(sometimes we dont’ make it) but other people don’t?? How strange. 🙂 I don’t get as upset…I guess I always think..this doesn’t really matter, the world will keep spinning. I hope. We don’t have credit cards(at all) and I think this helps. If we can’t buy it with cash, we don’t need it yet.
I know someone in a divorce that has more on his credit cards than we own on our house. And we still owe ALOT.
🙂 Good luck winning the lotto!!
As for money woes, I am there!! I am at 0, with only $1.75 to my name. I’ve been unable to find a job for a couple of months, although I’ve been applying for work like crazy! Nobody seems to want to hire me, let alone even respond to my resumes. I’m more than 2 months behind on rent and bracing myself for eviction soon, which would put me in the homeless group (no exaggerating)! I’ve been flat broke and on the edge many times before, but this time is different. Not sure if it’s the economy or the potential employers are finding something unfavorable in my resume or background check or what the problem is! I’ve gone from being worried, scared, angry to where I’m now at the “I don’t care anymore” phase. Things suck these days!!
If you have a job, or a car…be grateful! and hang on to it, cause people like me, who once had those and now don’t, are really in a bad situation with no end in sight!
It wasn’t friend on FB that shocked me, but a client at the tax place I work at. She sat down and I started my little speech and began getting her info. She looked to be my mother’s age (70’s) so I was using my “elders” vocab, mannerisms, etc. My jaw bounced off my desk several times when I noticed she was born the same year I was: 1964. I felt like I was in one of the creepy sci-fi horror movies that used to play on Saturdays when I was growing up. Serious “Holy Crap!” moment.
Yeah, money probs are no fun for anyone, my friend. It’s especially hard when you’ve gone from a “have” to a “have-not-so-much”. I used to to be married to a doctor (who I faithfully supported whilst he finished his education). When we split up, he thought enough the children and I to clear out the bank accounts on his way out. Of course, he got his in the end (and then some), but there were several months there that, if it hadn’t been for my amazing family, I’d have been out on the street. You just have to keep your chin up and know that you’ll make it through.
As for people that don’t age well…. In my opinion, those SUPER skinny cheerleader types in high school, all aged much quicker than those of us with a little meat on their bones. It’s like God’s way of evening things out.
I listen to Bill Evans or Miles. Keeps me centered. Musicial magic. I no longer feel the need to charge up San Juan Hill but I will certainly walk it and meet anyone at the top who dares the travel.
Money-wise…I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth. I broke a few along the way but all in all…I’m just fine.
New WVSR post on the weekend? Fuck yeah! This really makes my day.
Financially, I haven’t yet been in deep shit. At the worst times, I was maybe in shallow shit… like financially stepping in a cow pie.
That was always from “spending beyond my means”… too much money spent on eating out and drinking at bars. I knew I wouldn’t go bankrupt or anything, but looking at my credit card statement and my bank statement would make me a little uneasy. I have things under control now… I’m still only 29 though, so there’s plenty of time to fuck things up.
Yeah, I’ve Facebook’d a lot of people from my past… people from high school, people from college, ex-girlfriends. Very few of my high school classmates have aged well. Fatter, balder, more wrinkles… I’m sure they’d say the same about me too.
I was friended by an ex on FB a while back. I was stunned to see that he’s at least 150# heavier than he was about 20 years ago. That caught me more than the fact that he’s a (very white) preacher in an Afrikaans-influenced church.
Money woes suck. We have struggled for years, but seem to be fairing steady these days. No promises, though. I work for a construction company, and the parent companies filed for bankruptcy.
I fully expect a layoff by summer.
30 Miles: Have you checked with your town/city for grants, etc? Many places (even MY town, which has less than 2K people and 45K animals) offer hardship stipends to residents to cover rent, electricity, etc. Some churches even offer help. Please check around. It’s worth a try.
When my back is against the wall I always look to two people for inspiration. Henry Miller and Tupac Shakur.
The Air-conditioned Nightmare and Me Against the World.
I feel for you Jeff. Money problems are the most stressful problems a person can have. I also panic when things get down to the nitty-gritty. I grew up always having plenty to eat but wearing hand me downs and riding a bike we picked up at a yard sale that was made for someone the size of Godzilla. I’m proud to say I only skinned all the hide off my body two or three times on account of it. So it goes without saying that I try to hoard money so my kids don’t have to go without. If the hoardy-hole is getting low, I get stressed.
Then I relieve stress by molesting my husband. Of course he’s not always agreeable to this so I have to trick him or manipulate him with “shut-up sex” tactics. This afternoon I tried that method with a loud and obnoxious rendition of “Fly Like an Eagle” but he didn’t give in. We were outside next to the grill. The neighbors tried to shut me up by throwing a couple of nice tomatoes at me though, so we’re having a salad with dinner.
hot fuzz, I don’t think you’re a turd.
30 miles south, hang in there. maybe try Renn’s advice?
Jeff Kay, I’m picturing Dwight Schrute in his car getting pumped up for a sales meeting. Thanks for the Sat update.
Good idea, Tammie, about getting tomatoes thrown at you! I just came from the grocery store where a small container of grape tomatoes go for $3.99! gonna grow my own this year.
Jeff – sounds so trite to say “Hang in there” and “things will get better,” but if you do, things almost always will. You and Toney keep your heads up.
My favorite music for getting pumped up and/or getting shit done would be pretty much any album by Against Me! Good stuff.
As for FB – no real shockers, but I’ve been unable to find some of my least favorite people from high school on there… which kinda has me hoping they’ll slither into our 10-year reunion this year looking Jabba the Hut-like.
Money problems? Yeah, tell me about it. Laid off in Dec. of ’08, never have found work, just sold our house and we’re moving out of the country. If I’m gonna be poor, I’m gonna be poor and happy, dammit. Well, we’ll see. We may be coming back with our tails between our legs sometime in our early 50s. wish us luck.
If I need a lift, late 70’s Michael Schenker laden UFO cranked up to 11 is what works for me. Obsession, Lights Out or the live Strangers in the Night has been known to wake the neighbors up at odd hours.
My 30 year reunion is this year (and I’m gonna miss it) but, from the people I’ve seen, it does seem as though the women and gay men held up the best.
Happy Saturday, Surfers! Loves me a weekend update – thanks, Jeff!
Though I’m sure you weren’t looking for pity beers with this post…They still taste damn good.
Cheers Jeff! Thanks for the laughs.
http://thewvsr.com/jeffabeer.htm
No worries on the money woes brother. Just remember that you only really owe others what they can account for in respect to the amount of resources they have spent in supporting you. And, if you have spent more true resources at an accurate and agreed upon value of what those resources are worth, then they may very well owe you something.
http://trueliberty.us/Money.html
Check it out now funk soul brother.
I like to drown my sorrows in Pabst Blue ribbon (you can’t appreciate the great without knowing the standard rate). Then I hyp up with Metallica instumentals, Orion and Call of Ktulu then lift off with some up your ass recent year Joe Satriani.
Man, I was going to come in here and crack wise in my usual fashion, but these comments are really sobering. I need a drink.
song that makes me ready to kick ass: Bus stop boxer – Eels
@airandee – your right about that kid; something ain’t right there. It also looks like the women right in from of him is photoshopped in – she’s way paler than anyone else, and it seems like she would be standing in the middle of a cart.
hey Jeff,
I’m awake and half pished!
we went to a wedding reception tonight and I got drunk and danced with my sober wife ( the designated driver!). I threw a few new dance moves that I’ve been working on of late (The Pensive Meerkat, etc), but she didn’t seem to approve!
So now I’m up late, since I’ve taken a shift of my four nighshifts off, and I honestly don’t know now if its sleeping time or working time. I’ve just puored myslf a large whisky and water so who cares!
Money worries suck. I can empathize with that. My job also sucks. Hey Ho!
We are lucky that we have families that we can love and who love us back.
I’m well into Them Crooked Vultures just now. You sound like a bit of a rocker so check out ‘Bandoliers’ – Dave Grohl’s drumming is very good indeed!
I just got pointed in the way of ‘TV on the Radio’ and can highly recommend ‘Dear Science’ as a great cd.
Chin up mate.
DLTBWYD!
should have been ,
DLTBGYD
!
One Facebook friend request in particular threw me for a loop. I thought, “I don’t know that old woman” and it turned out to be a former elementary school friend. Heh. Makes me wonder if I look a lot older than I think I do.
Jeff, Amigos,
I have had previous high-flying days as well, and now I haven’t worked for nearly four years because of the reconstruction of my lower back and subsequent fractures. Being broke sucks, but I can’t honestly say I was happier when I had a bunch of money in the bank. I appreciate your letting us Reporters know when something like this is chewing on your ass. Sometimes it helps just talking about it.
I have a bunch of “lighten up” tunes that I keep on hand for the really crappy times. I have “lighten up” albums as well, but, in the age of $.99 songs, why not mix and match? The younger Reporters can provide recommendations for newer music. I’ll do the “old fart” stuff…
Dear Lady Twist ……………………. Gary “U.S.” Bonds
The Witch ……………………………… The Sonics (1)
Twist & Shout ……………………….. The Isley Brothers
Manic Depression ………………… Jimi Hendrix
Hound Dog …………………………… Big Mama Thornton
Psychobilly Freakout …………….. Reverend Horton Heat
Fan It …………………………………….. Lightnin’ Hopkins
Orange Blossom Special …….. Hot Club of Cowtown
Psycho ………………………………….. The Sonics (1)
Hanging on the Telephone …… Blondie
Crystal Liaison ……………………… The Fugs
Democracy ……………………………. Leonard Cohen
Your Molecular Structure ………. Mose Allison
Some Jingle Jangle Morning .. Mary Lou Lord
Johnny B. Goode ………………….. Chuck Berry
Birdhouse in Your Soul ………… They Might Be Giants
Pasties & A G-String …………….. Tom Waits
Never Say Never …………………… Romeo Void
Mystery Dance ………………………. Elvis Costello
Tutti Frutti ……………………………… Little Richard
Great Balls of Fire ………………… Jerry Lee Lewis
Boss Hoss …………………………… The Sonics (1)
Highway 61 ………………………….. Bob Dylan
Birdhouse in Your Soul ……….. They Might Be Giants
Indigo Friends ……………………… Reverend Horton Heat
We Got the Beat ……………………. The Go Gos
My Wife Thinks You’re Dead… Junior Brown
You’re Not the Boss of Me …… They Might Be Giants
(1) Don’t get your MP3 from “Psycho-Sonic”. The album was remixed by some crazy person and is all fucked up. “Here Are the Sonics” would be a better album choice.
.
Hope these help a little. Best of luck.
jtb
Knucklehead…
Where are you going, and will you have Web access there? I wish you the best, and would really miss your comments if you’re gonna be long gone.
jtb
“Born To Run” by Bruce always does it for me when I have my arse in my hands.
Some bloody good posts here, that’s why I like this site, the same openness, optimism and integrity irrespective of the subject. Thanks all.
The song that gets my adrenaline going is “Playground in my Mind”.
My Never Fail Pick Me up songs:
Purple Toupee – They Might Be Giants
Happy Little Boozer: Korpiklaani
I Want To Be a Clone – Steve Taylor
I Wish You Were a Beer: Cycle Sluts from Hell
…and many more.
Hey, I never claimed to be normal.
I start every morning the same. After I take my shower I crank up “Eye of the Tiger” and dance around naked. I like to swing my hips back and forth (like doing the twist) and make my dong slap my thighs. I sing into my hair brush, and once that song is over I feel like I have the world by the butt cheeks.
I’ve had some FB shockers. Mostly due to weight issues. I saw a babe from high school the other day. She looked like she’s one chicken wing away from having Richard Simmons cry over her bed. Jesus Christ. And there was this one dude who was always crazy obese. He must have had the stomach bypass thing, or whatever, because now he’s about 85 pounds.
I’m sorry about the money problems. That can be super stressful.
Last time I was broke I decided to live below my means and save up about 6 months of cash. It also helps to be willing to do immoral things when you’re strapped (prostitution, drug dealing, gun dealing, theft, kidnapping for ransom, etc). I’ve always been able to pull myself out of a bind by making copies of dollars and putting them in change machines, things like that.
I’ve noticed that just about everyone seems to use flattering pictures of themselves (either taken years earlier, or some soft-focus head-shot) on their FB pages. Kinda difficult to tell what anyone I knew back in the halcyon days of my youth actually looks like today.
As for money problems; remember these wise words from Mr Kristofferson:
Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.
Jason! You crack me up! “She looked like she’s one chicken wing away from having Richard Simmons cry over her bed.” gonna use that one on myself!
I’m currently debating on going to my 30th reunion this Sept. I think I’d regret not going. I’m going to really have to focus on being open-minded and not take myself (or anyone else) so serious. Yep, we’ve all changed – it would be weird if we stayed the same, right?
2 shockers at FB for me. One woman who was like “bitch on wheels” during HS is now sweet as honey 2)another woman who was a cheerleader who likely wouldn’t have given me the time of day if I’d approached her (not that I could have, I used to be shy, now not so much) has been very chatty with me over the last two weeks since we “became friends” She even asked me to upload some pics of myself. Funny how people change in 23 years
Is today’s Bunker Cam shot a picture of Jason doing his naked “Eye of the Tiger” thigh-slapping dance?
Alice, thanks for the kind words earlier.
30 Miles S – I wish I knew what to suggest but you’ve probably tried all the easy ones. What area of the country and what field are you in? You never know who might be reading or who has the one idea that will change things.
Dogberryjr- come back, we need some smart ass comments to offset my dumbass comments.
DTO – time for a dick joke! or Midgets! or jokes about midget’s dicks? (would that be a little person’s little person?)
I had a beautiful lady reach out to me on Face Book this past weekend. I graduated from High School in 1981 and haven’t seen her since but she looks exactly the same with one major difference – she’s now interested in both men AND WOMEN…. her hotness level just went up big time!!!! I however have expanded by 28%. So, since I don’t think she’d be interested in a guy that looks like Drew Carey without the money I won’t be going to our high school reunion this fall (their 50th anniversary). Well there’s the issue of being married with kids too.
JohnTB, Ed, Renn, Mark – thx for the tune leads.
Ian: as a survivor of an RCC education I still remember a little Latin, so…
DLTBGYD == Ilegitimati non carborundum.
Just rambling here; don’t worry I’ll be leaving soon.
Today’s quote, er, joke: Two cannibals abduct a clown. As they’re each munching on an arm, one says to the other: “I dunno, does this taste funny to you?”
(I don’t make ’em up folks, I just repeat ’em.)