HI ALL!!        "    So let's go home and draw the curtains, music on the radio, come on baby make sweet love to me    "       Well got to go out and clean up some of the garage today. I had a lot of old packing boxes, stuff I had gotten in and I was keeping so if I needed to mail out something I would have a box to fit. Mainly for the Muscle Machine cars, the bigger ones. Well I am down to one big one left, the others I have found boxes for. SO I broke them all down and put them in recycling today. ALso cleaned up some other stuff. But some where along the line I pulled something in my lower right back/side. I am in A LOT of pain tonight, a couple of glasses of Honey Bourbon doesn't even stop the pain. WOW!!  Had my eBay items for May end today, I must say a GREAT selling month. Had several sets go today, along with some insert sets I was not sure when I would sell. SO YES, very GOOD!! So now I will see if there is any thing to this ' every other month ' thing. Still waiting to hear form my old mortgage company, and have sent the dispute form in on the appraisal from the new mortgage company. AND, still waiting for things to resolve on the COBRA front. So just trying to be patient, and see. Hope to get out and mow the yard and other things outside this weekend. CHOW MOI

HEY ALL!!      "    Pleased to met you, hope you guess my name, but what's puzzling you, is the nature of my game    "        No truer words could be spoken for today. I am on the trail of trying to get my $1000.00 plus refund for my COBRA Insurance. The ex-employer is saying I said bad things about them to the company who collects the premiums and they are not going to respond to my request any more. Oh the poor frickin' babies. Can you be any more of a brat? REALLY, I said bad things and now your taking my refund and going home!! WOW!! Nice attitude!! The funny thing is that the collector of the money has told me EIGHT times, they are waiting to hear back from my ex-employer. WOW EIGHT times!!!! Someone is not being truthful to protect their JOB! Wrong thing to do with me. I have my ways, and am about ready to really BLOW their minds. One is saying they can't get a hold of the other and the latter is saying that I told the former to not repay them for my refund. I am being VERY vague for a reason. Exact names and problems will come up, but not now. Right now I got things to do!! OH MY OH MY!! Please BigDave, Don't hurt 'em!!!! Spent some time out on the porch again today, very nice and relaxing. I am still waiting for my real estate agent to get back with me and waiting on the Mortgage companies, both old and new. The whole time still laughing my ASS OFF about offending my ex-employer by saying "bad things". He couldn't EVEN tell me what I said!?!? COME ON!! I can hardly wait till I cash the check, then they will  REALLY hear some BAD THINGS!! I am getting ga real grip on 'three-day-weekend' thing. Now that I am not working I see it in a different light. Especially now while I got about 6 different 'pokers in the fire' waiting on people to get back to me and get some of this stuff done and OVER with. I know now why I always hated to go back to work on Tuesday after a three day'er. WOW what a pain on my side now. NOONE wants to work they just check in and wait for Wednesday. CHOW MOI

HI ALL!!   "    Tell me honey, what will I do, when I'm hungry and thirsty too, feeling foolish and that's for sure, just waiting here at your kitchen door    "      Sorry about missing yesterday, just got out side on the porch and watched the birds and time go by. Dinner and then a couple of movies and it was bed time. Out and about today, went to the National Cemetery in Kent today. Saw Daddy's spot and LOTS OF PEOPLE!! WOW I thought there would be some people around, but the place was PACKED. We got there just before they started a Memorial Program. But it was good to visit, Not only for Memorial day, but his birthday and fathers day are not too far off. Then a nice easy drive back. I know Mom really appreciated it. AND me too. Mom refilled the bird feeders and there have been lots of pigeons around, so have been trying to keep them out of the other birds feeders. It has been nice sitting out on the front covered porch. Had a good week so far with eBay, this weekend has been quiet, but I expected that. My fantasy golf teams did terrible, only ONE player made the cut and got me any points. AND, my Fantasy Baseball teams are struggling!! Really trying to stay mellow this weekend, I will have a BIG week coming up. I will have to deal with the OLD Mortgage company, the shitty appraisal, the ex-employer and my COBRA refund, and who knows, some other poor sap that wanders to far off base. You know lots of thought about my dad. I certainly learned a lot from him both good and bad. And. I seem to apply something almost every day in my life that he had an effect on. I wonder at times how my kids feel about the influence that I had on their lives? I will always remember one thing that a very close friend of my dad's told me long. long ago. This guy had been in and out of personal problems and my dad had even let him stay in our house for awhile. And one day this guy told me, " You know David, you have a very special father. He is a gentleman, AND a gentle - man!" CHOW MOI

HEY ALL!!       "    Now the only thing a gambler needs, is a suitcase and a trunk, and the only time that he's satisfied, is when he's on a drunk, oh mother tell your children, not to do what I have done, spend your lives in sin and misery .. ..  "     Well this song is NOT a Stones song. It's OK,  it's OK,  RELAX put done the guitar, RELAX your grip on the microphone, there is a reason to my lyrics. This song has been played by several FAMOUS groups/singers, like Marianne Faithful [ there's your Rolling Stone connection!! Do you know how? ] AND Frijid Pink!!!  Think about it. Yesterday was carburation day, SOMEWHERE. Well that somewhere was Indianapolis! For the Indy 500, back in the day, they used the Thursday before the race to fine tune their cars. Which consisted of getting out on the track and racing and tuning the carburetor. Now-a-days fuel is controlled by computers and is fuel injected. Just so you know.  Well another couple of days of trying to straighten out the Mortgage World. Got my appraisal back, home valued at $195,000. That's $90,000 short of what we thought, and $70,000 short of what I bought it for!! So I reviewed the appraisal and it is totally wrong. The appraiser used a comp sale that was over a year old, and one that was a SHOT sale. Can't use sales that are more than 6 to 7 months old, UNLESS the market dictates. Well it doesn't, I went and checked recent sales and found 12 from this year alone!! AND, a SHORT sale is a sale that is ARRANGED between a buyer, the seller AND THE MORTGAGE COMPANY, BEFORE THEY FORECLOUSE ON YOUR HOUSE!!! The sales comps have to be ARMS LENGTH!! So my new loan officer is LOST, so I am going through the task of gathering info to prove the appraiser wrong. WOW, Something I feel should be done by my Loan Officer, but he is NOT capable of doing it. I think ALL loan officers should take an appraisal class at their local college. I did and it has been invaluable info. I also contacted my local favorite Real Estate Agent and he is putting together a Competitive Market Analysis. SO we shall see. Other than that, selling like a  "  MAD BULL, HAS LOST HIS WAY  " { sorry I couldn't resist it, i.e. MORE STONES REFERENCE } on eBay. Sold 4 items alone yesterday, COOL, VERY COOL.  CHOW MOI

HI ALL!!      "    Did you ever wake up to find, a day that broke up your mind, destroyed your notion of circular time, it's just that demon life has got you .....    "   Well how goes it today? I have been busy today, took mom to her eye appointment and then to the store. I think we will start going to the store every two weeks instead of monthly. It makes for a shorter trip and quicker to put away when I get home. Well Thursday is Carburetion Day. Do you know where? Also it is really not needed these days, like it was 20 or 30 years ago. Well I am still trying to get my COBRA refund from FFC, still no luck. Now the Human Resources Manager is NOT responding to my e-mails. He is just a real nice guy!?!? AND IS NOT ON MY CHRISTMAS CARD  LIST!! His loss!! Still dealing with Chase Mortgage and trying to get them straightened out. THAT MAY NEVER HAPPEN. And now I find out that the appraisal we had done for the new loan came in about $85,000 less than we need??? I did a quick review of the appraisal and it is REALLY BAD!! I took a couple of classes for appraisals in college. I can tell you if I had turned in that appraisal, the professor would have told me just to go home!! So I will spend tomorrow { nothing to do with carburetion day } trying to resolve that problem. I have been feeling better lately, been just chilling at home. Have been selling stuff on eBay also!! So watch out for anything that is not fastened down, 'cas I am leveling both barrels, and getting these items RESOLVED and move on. CHOW MOI

HEY ALL!!     "    I went down to the Chelsea drugstore, to get your prescription filled, I was standin' in line with Mr. Jimmy,  A-man did he look pretty ill, we decided that we would have a soda, my favorite flavor,  ....         "     Well first off, a BIG THANK YOU to my daughters and son-in-law. I had a WONDERFULL time in Bellingham this weekend. You all took good care of your daddy. And I found out how much Honey Bourbon my son-in-law can drink before he gets, shall we say 'loose'. Lots of good food, and tremendous conversation. Don't let the one subject we talked about over breakfast on Sunday worry you. I look forward to my next B'ham visit. And even more to them visiting me!! Well it's a good thing I put on the battle armor today. I checked my on-line bank account and see that my mortgage company has sent back my May payment!?!?!? WOW So on the phone and trying to find out why. In the meantime I am back on the phone trying to resolve the missing refund for my COBRA insurance refund. I am at the point where I am just going to level both barrels and start firing. Enough of this polite stuff!! One company won't SEND me my money and the other won't TAKE my money?? CHOW MOI

HI ALL!!      "    I live in an apartment on the ninety-ninth floor of my block, and I sit at home looking out the window imagining the world has stopped, then in flies a guy who's all dressed up like a Union Jack, and says I've won 5 pounds if I have his kind of detergent pack    "      Another quiet day. Did re-list 330 plus items on eBay. My fantasy baseball team is getting their clocked cleaned. OH WELL!!  Did get to attend a Cub Scout to Boy Scout 'cross  over' ceremony. Interesting, my nephew did well and is now a boy scout. CONGRATS!!  Trying to take the week off and kind of recover from last weeks painting. I am starting to feel better. Really not doing much this week, I am kind of in a quiet mood, not a lot of energy and not a lot of drive to do much. Again some of it is planned and that is fine. Still trying to deal with Chase Mtg. and that situation. AND I am still fighting with FFC [ my ex-employer ] and CONEXIS, the company collecting my COBRA premiums. I am just trying to show some patience as I wait for them to get their heads out of their asses. CHOW MOI

HEY ALL!!    "    I look inside myself and see my heart is black, I see my red door and it has been painted black, maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts, it's not easy facin' up when your whole world is black    "       Well what a very hard and trying day. First off I had to deal with my ex-employer and trying to get my COBRA premium refund that I over paid. I would rather have a colonoscopy, than deal with this. And it is only because I am dealing with someone, who is head of Human Resources, but has NO IDEA about COBRA!! How can that be?? He really is dumb that way. So I am educating him and trying to get my money back all at the same time. WOW. I think however, I got through to him today. Or I pissed him off sooo bad he is not returning my e-mails. He had better hope it's the former and NOT the latter. Because if he is just dodging my e-mails, he is in for a MUCH worse time. I know, I can deliver it when it's needed!! Then off to my liver doctor for a follow up, AND BAD news! My liver counts have started to go BACK UP again!  Doctor says not as much as before, BUT they are up from January. AND, I have gained 12 pounds since January! What the FUCK?? I have been outside doing something almost every day for the last 30 to 45 days. Yard work, painting the shed and fence, moving stuff in the garage, sorting and stacking etc. AND I GAIN WEIGHT?!?!?! I can sit in a chair 24/7 and lose weight. But, I get active and start doing physical stuff and I GAIN weight. WOW!! I just don't get it. Doctor wants me to lose weight and get another blood work in 5 weeks. I gotta do something. this liver thing REALLY bugs me. I guess I will research tomorrow about weight plans and exercise I can do with my Lumbar Spinal Stenosis tomorrow and see what might be out there. The good news, I will be SITTING  IN A CHAIR ALL DAY TOMORROW!!  COW MOI

HI ALL!!      "    On the way down to Mexico, as I danced in your rodeo, you say poverty is picturesque, as you dragged your nails across my chest    "       Happy Momma's day! Just laid low close to my dish today. Spent a lot of time out side yesterday helping finish off the painting on the shed. ALL DONE!! Have some touch up to do, then need to finish the fence and painting will be done!! But, I am not going to paint this week. I need a break. It was very warm out yesterday and I feel it today. Have a Doctor's appointment for follow up on my liver this week and then fun time this weekend. Got a few things selling on eBay and at least one of my fantasy baseball teams is doing very well this weekend. I am always on the alert for changes in "stuff" with people I have close to my inner circle. And I have noticed a few 'different' things about one of them. I am staying cool and will watch from a distance until I can make an exact decision. But I see a couple of changes that is sending out some signals, or are just changes and mean nothing at all. Anyway, I am watching and we shall see. I have always been on the alert about the people around me, I think it comes from my collection history.  Had a chance to listen to one of my albums this week, ' Goat's Head Soup '! OH VERY NICE!! I think the Garrard sounds better now than it did 40 years ago. Anyway I am having fun with it, and am enjoying it again!! CHOW MOI

HEY ALL!!    "    Hannah honey was a peachy kind of girl, her eyes were hazel, and her nose was slightly curved, we spent a lonely night at the memory motel, it's on the ocean, I guess you know it well, it took a starry night to steal my breath away, down on the water front, her hair all drenched in spray ..   "    Cash, Grass, or Ass, NO ONE rides for free!!  Oh My, the 70's?? WOW. Went out today to get blood drawn for my liver doc. Slipped in my USB with a LARGE selection from  " The Collection " on it!! And my, oh my, I felt like I was back in the 70's again. Out cruisin' around trying to stay OUT of trouble. Then a trip for lunch and a mommy's day gift. Then back home. What a nice day to be out and about. The A/C is working great so I was very comfortable. Had great tunes blaring away. And just no 'time frame' to be any where or get any one. One thing I will say about being retired, there is NO ONE I need to get approval from before I go and do. And, NO ONE to tell me if I did it right or wrong. They always say it is great to be your own boss, well retirement is even better! I really do not miss the B.S. that I had from the last 6 years of work. I think now, They can solve the problem themselves, chances are they caused the problem to begin with. I still think one of the smartest things I ever learned was how to survive in  a corporation. It help me SOOOO much for SOOO many years. And I am not sure it is one of those things you can teach. I think you just have to learn it on your own, and QUICKLY!!  Well, STILL fighting my ex-employer and their COBRA thing. I have started to get some paper work in that just may help me. It will be SOO much fun to tell them what I really feel like when it's all done!!  CHOW MOI

HI ALL!!      "    Slipped my tongue in someone else's pie, tasting better ev'ry time  "
                     "     I can feel your tongue on mine, silky smooth like wine  " 
                     "     She blew my nose, and then she blew my mind    " 
                     "     She was hot, on a cold and rainy night      " 
                     "     Well I love your screams of passion, in the long hot summer night  " 

WELL, WELL what is all this about. It is the theme of the day. Today is May 8th. IT's a holiday!! OH YEA, you know the one. "  Hooray, Hooray, for the 8th of May, that is outdoor intercourse day  "!!!! OH YEA, make sure you put on some sun screen!! Anyway, an early post today, so y'all have time to celebrate later. Got the yard mowed yesterday, and got some weed killer down. Hope to paint some on the fence today. Starting to get things done outside and getting more room in the garage for the cars. Still fighting my ex-employer for my COBRA refund. WOW, I sent an e-mail the other day and told him he needed to 'grow a pair, and get this refund done'. He took offense to the comment and told me if I didn't change my attitude he would stop working with me. WRONG thing to say buddy. I can change my 'attitude', I will just turn it into a fact based corporate speak. So I did, sent him an e-mail and OVER explained ALL the facts. He wants me to send him proof of the payment. I told him to contact the people they have collecting the money and get his own proof. You want change in attitude, you got it. I will overwhelm you with just facts, repeated over and over and over and over. That's the corporate way. The tone of the e-mails will be very business. Wrong guy to 'fuck with'  Mr. Ex-employer!!  CHOWMOI

HEY ALL!!     "    When I'm drivin' in my car and a man comes on the radio, he's telling me more and more, about some useless information, suppose to fire my imagination     "             On this day in 1965, Keith Richards wakes up in the middle of the night from a drunken stupper and records 30 seconds of a guitar riff on the recorder next to his bed. He forgets to turn the recorder off, so the next 5 hours 59 minutes and 30 seconds are sounds of Keith snoring. Do you know what the song turns out to be? I have been told that this song alone has made the Stones over $93 million since it's release. WOW!! Well another HOT day, you know I like low 60's and a slight breeze and I am VERY HAPPY!! This upper 70's, low 80's stuff is just not for me. Really never has been. When I lived in Texas I was just fried by the heat when I went out to golf, or do some kind of physical activity in the middle of the day. Was able to get the she painted in the primary color yesterday. Had LOTS of help from family and friends, THNK YOU SOOO MUCH!!! Now just got the fence to paint with main color and then trim color on both. The shed REALLY looks good, I am impressed how it just pops out after being painted, and looks like it belongs there. Well spent this morning dealing with my missing refund from my old COBRA Insurance. The ex-employer says they are waiting to hear from the guys who collected the money, AND the guys who collected the money are waiting to hear from my ex-employer!?!?!?!?!?!? WHAT NO WAY you say, OH YEA I say!! REALLY, Welcome to Corporate America, I am now waiting 6 weeks for my refund. Do you think they would have waited 6 weeks for me to pay them???  Yea ME TOO!! Another HOT day out and I spent It inside!! That's why I have a heat pump!! Did get a chance to finish putting my Garrard Aero 100 C turntable together, HOW VERY COOL!! And hooked up a Marantz dual Cassette player while I was in back of the Onkyo receiver. They both sound SOOO good. I just cranked up the volume when I put on the album. Which album you ask? Goats Head Soup, 1973 by The Rolling Stones, with song 5 on side One, ANGIE!! Played it several times with the volume on 84!! OH MY how great it sounded!! By the way, that is NOT the answer to the opening question. CHOW MOI

HI ALL!!      "    Don't hang me up, and don't let me down, don't let me down' we could have fun just groovin' around, around, around oh my, my    "     Well what a great sunny day. Sure was nice in my 71 degree house too!!! Got to LOVE a Heat Pump!! Well hope to slap some paint on the shed tomorrow, and it is suppose to be warmer. WOW we'll see how far we get. Well I can sure tell the month of May has arrived, I sold one item EVERY day of the month so far on eBay, How funny, last month sold 8 items I think, and got a chance to sell that many by the HOLIDAY this month. WHAT HOLIDAY is that Big Dave?? Well you will have to wait, BUT I am sure most of you already know the day. NO, NO Carlos, it is NOT Cinco de Mayo! Anyway, quiet day today, just chilled inside and tool care of some miscellaneous items and what not. Very nice and easy. Good chance to rest up for the paint day tomorrow. Should be fun!?!? I would be remiss if I did not mention the boys! They kicked off the other part of their 50 and counting tour last night in LA at the Staples Center. From all accounts it was a major blast!! The Rolling Stones, keep rollin'!! CHOW MOI

HEY ALL!!     "    Baby back, dressed in black, silver buttons all down her back, high hose tippy toes, she broke the needle and she can sew    "      Well how goes it? I am tardy in getting this post out. Spent the last several days entertaining offers for my mortgage refinance. Way TOO many phone calls and e-mails. But, I have made a choice of the company I want to use, and have started digging out all the paperwork they want. Also, had to go through a bunch of paperwork they sent me, signed some stuff "electronically" and other doc's need a "wet" signature, then e-mail back to them. Have also been spending time finishing the primer on the shed. Done about 99.9% of it. So will be able to start putting on paint this weekend. ANYBODY WANT TO PAINT?? Then I will tackle two other painting projects after that. So I have been busy handling all that and late to post. Also started another round of eBay, and FUNNY thing, May 1st, sold 2 items right away. How odd. Very, very little in April, and BOOM May shows up and already selling stuff!! COOL, VERY COOL. I have been VERY sore at night after my painting days, understandable however. I am just SO ready to get the shed done! Not much left to sort through in the garage, so maybe, just maybe I will be able to park my car back in the garage within the week. CHOW MOI