Housekeeping

Been finally getting some housekeeping done on my blog.  When I moved it from www.hartshorn.org to here many of the links got broken and almost all of the photos got lost.  I have all the photos (I think), it is just a matter of locating, then uploading them into the correct place.  This takes time.   Finally got most of the pages updated, except for the slide pages.  That will be a bit more work, but one I want to get done.

Sunshine

Although the forecast says "Rain" the sun is trying to peak thru the clouds this morning and I'm trying to feel upbeat even though I'm 90% certain I feel a cold coming on.  Even though I have applied for 24 jobs in the last two weeks, I have only received eight "we wish you the best of luck pursuing other options" letters.  Looking on the positive side I take that to mean that I'm still being considered for sixteen other positions right now, just like I'm enjoying the brief peaks at the sunshine.

Right?

Avatar

Wow, is Avatar a great movie.

I had absolutely NO intention of going to see it, but I was forcibly hauled into the 3D version and I have to say I am glad I was.  A good story line and INCREDIBLE graphics made it easily the best movie I have ever seen.  And I mean EVER SEEN.

Wow.

edit 1/15  I have been seeing some comments other places about how the story line is lifted from real life.  Yes, it certainly could be.  One of the things that makes this such a good story is that much of this story has occurred in real life and most of us wish the ending would work in real life also.  Unfortunately for most of us, the ending is the fairy tale that will never happen.  It is the parallel to life that makes this story so good.   Having the story line parallel to real life in no way detracts from this movie, it is, in fact, what allows so many of us to identify with it and enjoy the story.

New Year

Yah, I'm still alive, just nothing to say.  Spending most of my time looking for work and keeping out of trouble.  I'm not quite ready to say "Happy New Year" yet; had a rough weekend that evoked a lot of memories.  They say it takes a year or so before things start to level out, I've just begun so I have a long ways to go.  And job hunting can be a tad depressing, I'm not really much of a salesman and I find it hard to toot my own horn.

Sometime again

I don't really quite want to say "goodbye", because that implies finality.

I've decided I need some space to heal and get back on my feet.  Over the last few months I've noticed that when I'm around family and friends and familiar locations I tend to get and stay rather depressed because of all the memories.  The only times I've been able to make any progress are those few weeks when I've been able to get out of the area and be forced to focus on doing new and different things.  And then as soon as I return it doesn't take much to rip the scabs off and start things bleeding again.

So, I'm leaving Minnesota.  Sure, someday, Lord willing, I will get back for short visits, but that probably won't be for quite a while.  I'm going to start over, make some new friends, learn some new habits, see some new places, make some new memories to lay over the old ones, let the wounds heal.

I think it was Alfred Bester that said something like "The mind goes back, but time goes on, and farewells should be forever".  For some friends, this farewell may be forever, because it is probably the only way that my wounds might heal.   I hate to say it, but the wounds aren't healing.  I think they are and then a memory gets stirred and they break out anew.  But I am really hoping that those "forever farewells" will be in the minority (maybe none???), and maybe in a few years we will will be able to renew our friendship.  I really do hope so, but I can't see that far in the future.  Right now, I can only see that today I am starting a new day, and I have my entire life ahead of me, and I need to get busy living it.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
The rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

And may we meet sometime again in friendship and trust.

Earle

Out

Well, after 20 days as a guest of Itasca County I'm now back on the outside.  This morning when the sheriff woke me at 6 AM he asked why I wasn't ready.  I told him there were several reasons: my calendar (in my head) was off a day; and besides, why would I want to leave?  3 hots and a cot; it could be a lot worse.  On the outside I have to decide what to eat, what to wear, and where to sleep.  On the inside I eat when and where I'm told, sleep when and where I'm told, wear what I'm told (hot pink underclothes and fluorescent orange shirt and pants and sandals).  On the plus side, there's a bit more privacy on the outside (zero privacy on the inside).

So now, I have 3 major problems: Address, Job, Transportation (in alphabetical order).  I need a place to live to get a job; I need a job to get a place to live, and I need reliable and economical transportation to and from work and home.  And this has become imperative.  I'm down to my last few pennies and night time temps are dropping below 0 degrees Fahrenheit; it is quite probable that if I go to sleep at these temps that I won't awaken.

Please, say a few prayers for me and if you hear of something please, drop me a note.

Joke

What's the difference between bird flu and swine flu?  You get tweetment for bird flu and oinkment for swine flu.