A couple of things. First, people have been asking what I have been doing while I have been absent from the blog. Well, one night I stopped at the Doll Hut where the young lady pictured on the left was successful in her effort to pick me up. I resisted, of course, but when she said I could drive her car, I had to go for it. You might recall me mentioning that Fram the First and I were the opening band at a casino last weekend. As it turns out, a young lady in the audience took a few candid photographs of us during our act. Yes, that's us, live and on stage, watching a redhead on the dance floor. Fram the First is the shorter guy in the ratty outfit. I'm the taller guy wearing my new boots. If you missed us, we've been signed for a return engagement this evening. You'll never see another performance like the one we put on.One engagement shortened, another continued ….
My last post was on March 31. What has happened since?
One of our most important national holidays, April Fool's Day, has come and gone again. More Americans probably identify with this holiday than any other except for Halloween and St. Patrick's Day. Pity.
I did not work Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. I did, however, drive in to work on Tuesday and gave notice effective May 31. It is a Sunday. It seemed appropriate since I do not work on Sundays.
On Thursday, I did work. I changed my date of notice to April 30. It is on a Thursday, too. (You think this is mere coincidence? It was fated.) Thursday is Thor's Day. That would seem even more meaningful if I happened to be Norwegian. However, since I am of Algerian origins, it really does not matter.
I usually give a month's notice when I leave a job. It seems I also usually end up staying an extra week, or two, or three, or even a couple of months, to accommodate the bad habits of other people in their hiring procedures or their procrastination in deciding exactly what to do about my departure. Maybe an extra week or two this time, but absolutely no couple of months.
I did miss posting here the first night I was gone, although I am not certain why. At the other end of the spectrum, I almost dipped my pen in water, Katy, and did it all in. I also almost got radical and changed everything from the top down. Nothing overly artistic or melodramatic. If I wanted a pretty page, I am the type who would hire someone to make it. Just like I hire someone to make my yard pretty. If a person does not like doing something, hire someone who does like doing it or, at least, someone who needs the money and is reasonably competent at the job.
I thought about changing my persona, but decided, no, I pretty much like myself, and there would be the chance I would not like whatever (or whoever) new I might create. So, why risk turning myself -- a loveable, brilliant, handsome, masculine, genius, poet, warrior, outdoorsman -- into someone other than my actual being?
My "stories in column form" probably have been concluded, unless I actually do go nuts, which seems to be a popular standard of activity these days.
I thought about tossing away magic girls and Helens and young ladies and, instead, advertising for an executive assistant of the female persuasion. But, again, no. That would take the mystery out of the equation and probably, in three or four years, the IRS would be looking for me for failing to pay Social Security taxes for the pleasure of her company. Since I am not politically connected to Barack Obama, that could mean real trouble for me. No, best to continue the search and even to widen it. Speaking of which, if anyone reading this is a young lady, please leave your name and ....
On the other side of the coin, I have come to the conclusion that far too many people know far too much personal information about me. Therefore, from this day forward, I never went to college, I never worked for a newspaper, I never was in the Marine Corps, I am frightened of firearms and hate canoes, I love winter, especially when freezing rain falls, and I want to be a math teacher when I grow up. Some might accuse me of attempting to change my persona here, however, do not be confused. I simply am trying to create the proper balance between my actual self and a mystery man.
One last bit of friendly advice, particularly for anyone who might have stumbled in here for the first time. That face glaring at you over my shoulder is not Fram the First, the man who discovered North Dakota. Never heard of him. Never-the-less, if I were you, I would treat Fram the Actual (me) with great consideration and very polite language. This character (the one I do not know who you see over my shoulder) seems to have a fixation on me. Something about a fortune in gold buried at latitude 38 02, longitude .... never mind.
See you at the garage sales this weekend, and the Poco Loco Saloon (probably the Doll Hut for last call) on Saturday night. Remember, fit in where you fit.
To conclude, you probably will have me around at least to the end of April.
Whan that aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
(so priketh hem nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of engelond to caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.
Some lines from the "Prologue to The Canterbury Tales"
by Geoffrey Chaucer
as originally written, in Middle English
10 comments:
That was a fine mighty gal you got yourself there, me ol' mucker (that's Cockney for 'my friend'). And you got to drive her car too! Congrats!
Greetings from London.
Good morning, wanderer.
Your presence is a unique experience for me, CiL. I have known a couple of Brits, military types, and a young wife brought here by an American airman, and a few Cubans, those who fled or who are descended from those who fled, the Castro regime and, to be honest, a couple of Cuba libre men, tough old bastards. The tip of the iceberg, as they say.
But the experience of reading your page is providing a blend of the world no less interesting to me than it would be to walk the surface of the moon. If I could only find someone in France and in Germany to provide similar insight into their worlds.
But, the girl with the car. Unfortunately, she did not love me. Take care.
You don't have to change your past to be mysterious, just your present.
I sometimes think it is a little strange and overly revealing to put my innermost thoughts on the internet, but then I realize that I could write all day long and still be a mystery, that my family knows me only pretty well and they've only known me for 28 years, and that my roommate that I've lived with for 7 years knows me best in the world but I still baffle him on a nearly daily basis.
Awwww, Fram, I like you just the way you are :)
I'm sure there's a center, it just takes time to get there.
You're absolutely right, Chocobo.
I think what I'm looking for is more in the line of understanding myself, and I'm looking for outside perceptions of me to assist in forming my own definition.
I can go from being a Marine to being a student to being a reporter, for example, three very different things which may or may not change me, but certainly do disguise me and might affect the texture of the shell I wear.
It's fun to peel the layers away and to learn what really is beneath, anyway.
I like me, too, Kelly. I like you, too, Kelly.
Actually, I'm not certain I want to find an equilibrium or center point. Too undecided yet.
I am thinking about writing something about "Scaramouche" for my next post. He's another chameleon.
Gosh Fram, I see why you needed to take a few days away, for you have been moving mountains.
Congratulations on your liberation too. That's a very definite step and I imagine you're also stepping up your planning now perhaps. But no need to change yourself consciously I think - you are clearly one with enough courage to grasp both the reins and make it so. Time and experience change us in any case as surely as they reduce the rocks to the sand. Leave the water out of your pen until you're good and ready perhaps? :-)
Love the Canterbury Tales. The real Canterbury is about an hour's drive from here too, a wonderful place for summer afternoon mooching and people watching.
Fabulous to have you back again, even if that is now the sound of the clock ticking in the background...
Well, maybe not moving mountains, just regrouping to make another charge into the valley. Sooner or later, contrary to the typical rate of success, I might actually make it to the other side.
Hi there, Katy. I had the benefit of two great women as English teachers five of my last six years in school. One taught us how to understand and to pronounce Middle English, and we memorized the first several lines of the prologue. I still can recite them using the "old tongue."
I'm behind schedule tonight. I'm heading over to read you now.
I really like the boots, are they---as in the song "made for walkin'"?
And how did you meet my baby sis??
Sorry, just teasing. Couldn't help it.
I can understand about moving, re-inventing and everything, there are times when I discover that I am changing, without realizing it at first, but if one didn't take the time to re-discover themselves, to maybe re-invent themselves, or to even find out where they are, they one would stagnate, and to me Dear Sweet Fram, stagnation is a form of dying.
So one must make changes, it's healthy. Where is my comment going? What I'm trying to say is that it is a good thing for you to make the move, the change, it's healthy.
I find that because of things, I too feel a change coming in my life. Where it will take me I don't know. But that's half of the adventure.
Right now I'm in Sonora, California at a very nice little bed and breakfast and have been checking out places this weekend, I'm already pre-approved and there's two places I really like, I'm going to go back to them tomorrow and make my decision.
You were right, this is a good time to buy. And this is a good time for change.
I found something the other day at an estate sale at one place near a spot that I was looking at.
It was a tiny gold pin, about a 1/2 inch square, there was the image of a man, sitting at a large machine like an old linotype machine, but behind the machine was a window, with the image of the sun shinning it.
At the bottom of the pin in enamel was the word "reporter". I bought the pin, is this some artifact from "Fram the First" did he somehow manage to travel to the wilds of California with Bret Hart and Samuel Clemens??
I'll never know, but I can speculate.
That was baby sis? I wish I would have known. I would have asked her to drop me off at your house, Diva.
It makes me happy beyond words to see you sort of out and about again. I have a big smile on my face. I would not even have this blog had I not run across you. Mickey and Ava.
Sometimes I force myself to change whether I really want to or not. (But, I'd really rather not admit that.) I am curious about your move, why? Why now? If you feel the need for conversation, you know how to find me.
It sounds like a very cool pin. Fram the First is wherever you wish him to be, and as close as a dream away, and both he and I are enthusiastic about your new writing style.
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