Unexpected Day Off

I have a routine nowadays, which includes waking up at 6AM (it should be earlier), get meals/beverages ready, head to work by 7:25AM, work until 5:30-6:00PM, and return home by 7PM.  A huge perk is if I head to Philly or have Annie over and we effectively simmer down.

I did the do early this morning, and headed in to work asking the supervisor for a band-aid, which he couldn't find.  Then, he hits me with a shocker...I wasn't scheduled today, or in other words, I was off.  At first, I was mildly annoyed, but that was instantly replaced with the thought "GREAT!!" and I scooted on home.

After leaving the post office, I proceeded to have the most PRODUCTIVE day in a while.  Here's a breakdown of what I accomplished today before 12PM:

-Went to the doctor, found out I was in contact with poison ivy, not ailing from an eczema flare-up,

-Purchased and installed new wiper blades,

-Received an estimate for an item I'm selling,

-Dropped off my prescription for stronger meds and an anti-histamine,

-Rode my bike  and tested the MapMyRun app under the cycling feature...9 miles, (not bad!),

-Rectified an obstacle with TD Bank, the greatest bank in America, probably because it's Canadian...and was issued a new ATM card,

-Took a 3-hour nap, (bliss!),

-Posted two ads on Craigslist Philly and south Jersey; let's see what happens,

-Folded my clothes, (the struggle is real), 

-Cooked via slow cooker, ANNNNND

-Wrote another letter!

It's been a wonderful day!

A Raindrop and The Mailman

A lone raindrop,
with nowhere to go,
managed to find
a place to call home.

It took a brave leap
through the gray skies
to be with its brothers,
yet we met with surprise...

A landing so soft,
one surely can't deny,
how strange this home felt,
plenty wet and awry.

It fell in my eye!  
Oh geez, oh my!
How in the world
did it fall in my eye!

Of all the great luck
mixed with patterns of time,
the rhythms of life
and space had aligned

To bring this raindrop,
so close to my soul,
into the window
perched above my wet nose.

I stopped and I wondered,
'Is this friend or foe?
Of all the chances,
how did it know?

To miss leaves and branches,
and flee from birds' wings,
to swoop under my hoodie
and dodge wayward winds.'

It fell in my eye!  

I'm blind!  I'm blind!!

How in the world

did it fall in my eye!

Maybe it knew,
how to capture my light,
it steered its clear body
and blurred my poor sight.

I blinked and I shuddered,
laughing at the queer scene,
with heaven's streams aflutter
-- what could all this mean?

There I stayed standing,
orange postman below,
with no time to waste,
always on the go.

Blinking and tripping,
over rocks, twigs and parcels,
a little off-balanced
because of the satchel.

It fell in my eye!  

I'm OK now, I'm fine, 
but how in the world

did it fall in my eye?

With mail to deliver,
body as wet as can be,
I had to keep moving
in soggy harmony.

I took the soaked bundles
of bills and magazines
and shook my head free
of its glistening sheen.

I cradled the drenched baby
in the crook of my arm,
picked up the packages
and I found no harm.

The raindrop and I,
a funny pair we could be,
shared a laugh as we skipped,
back to life blissfully!

Wedding #2 - St. Clements Church in Portland, Connecticut

This weekend, Annie and I took a nice road trip up to Portland, Connecticut to attend a wedding of one of her college friends.  Before I continue, by 10PM tonight, I need to find out what CT is known for, besides rich people, of course.  Moving on, we left Maple Shade, NJ at around 12PM on Saturday, and contrary to this author's popular belief, mainly due to the multitude of emergency vehicles, accidents, and high volume of traffic, that zombies were finally taking over, we made it to our Quality Inn hotel at 4:30PM, cleaned up and headed out at 5:30PM, and arrived at St. Clements Church for the wedding.  Holy run-on sentence...let's clarify a bit...Skip the following paragraph to continue with the flow of the story.

We left Maple Shade, NJ at around 12PM on Saturday.  I was thoroughly convinced that zombies were finally attacking.  This is because we saw plenty of flashing lights, emergency vehicles, and knuckleheads trying to head down the shore...via the Garden State Parkway...on Saturday...in August...on a gorgeous, balmy 85 degree day...and unsurprisingly,  they get caught in traffic.  We got to our hotel, showered up, left the hotel, and arrived at the church in about an hour.

Annie and her core group of choir and singing group friends are sensational women.  They're all driven and passionate in their goals, and I'm lucky to get to know a different side of Annie via her college friends!  I tried my best to not schmuck it up, but maaaan when that music came on, I gave up and had a blast!  I feel like I made a decent impression on them, not that I was nervous about screwing up, but I'm glad the gathering went well for all involved!  

Congratulations to Rachel and Ryan, the bride and groom!! 

Here are some pictures:

Budgeting

One of the best aspects of being in a new financial position is the fact that I'm re-learning how to live within my means.  I feel somewhat proud of myself for biking to the supermarket, filling up two baskets worth of food, realizing I was on a budget and but one basket back, and preparing to cook for the week instead of the night!

I'm taking my financial situation more seriously, and now that I have a financial goal in mind ($10,000 by June 2015), I'm keeping myself a little more grounded in terms of expenditures. Anybody can save money as long as they're willing to live with a little sacrifice.  I'm putting X, Y, and Z away into different accounts, and I'm confident I'll reach my objectives.

A partial aside is that I'm digging the postal service now more than ever.  Today, I finished my route plus a two hour piece.  I know I can pick up the pace a little bit more, but I know that would only have management give me a 2.5, 3, and maybe even 4 hour piece!  I'm certainly more mindful of how every turn and step affect my overall productivity, which leads me to believe this is a metaphor for life.  One can't waste ANY time in order to reach their goal.

A part of me is looking for ways to keep myself productive for when I return home.  Now, it seems like I have ample time to accomplish more.  I do want my Master's in English Literature, and this is the most opportune moment for me to acquire it.  I miss reading and analyzing components of literature, and I just need to buckle down and find an online university that provides me the luxury of becoming a student again...wow, never thought I'd say that!

Breaking Bad Pilot Episode

It seems like the attraction to Breaking Bad is witnessing a broken-down man regain his masculine virility.

We are introduced to the character of Mr. White, a high school chemistry teacher who is somewhat submissive.  His wife tells him what card to use while shopping, his part-time job as a car wash attendant often involves him obeying what his boss commands, usually involving washing cars when another worker calls out (he even washed the tires of a sports car that belongs to his student), and his brother-in-law who works for the DEA belittles the profession of teaching as not having enough excitement.

Throughout the episode, we see Mr. White evolve into a more confident risk-taker.  When diagnosed with cancer, he sees the lucrative art of cooking meth and selling it as a means to afford medical treatment and/or provide for his pregnant wife and son who has a physical ailment.

While Mr. White's son was shopping for a pair of jeans, some boys teased him effectively calling him a "Mama's Boy" for having his mother offer advice.  When Mr. White heard the insults, he seemingly avoided the situation and left.  This action incited his wife to begin walking over to the bullies to address them.  From the opposite angle, the protagonist burst through the front door and attacked the bullies.

One possible reason for this action could be Mr. White was fed up with being a victim and chose to confront injustice for the first time in what may have been a long time.  It's also possible that Mr. White doesn't want his son to turn out like his submissive father.

Motif: Fire

On three separate occasions, Mr. White is fascinated by fire.  The first moment occurred while Mr. White was teaching his first chemistry class of the year.  During the lesson, White ignited a bunsen burner and caused the flame to change colors by spraying it with different chemicals.  The second occasion materialized after White discovered he was living with inoperable, terminal lung cancer.  He sat by his pool, which was covered with scum and debris, and he lit several matches and through them into the murky water.  The third scenario presented itself when cooking meth with two assailants who had beaten up his partner, Jesse, and probably would have killed the chemistry teacher.  After lighting the bunsen burner, Mr. White conjured the brilliant idea to combine chemicals that would detonate a phosphorous bomb, unknowingly to the two antagonists.

Fire is a symbol that can be both destructive and cleansing.  It's possible that Mr. White sought to destroy his submissive self and cleanse any impotent wounds he had suffered prior to the new development in his life.  It's important to note that earlier in the episode, Mr. White's wife tried somewhat unsuccessfully to manually arouse the main character's sex organ as a 50th birthday present.  However, later in the episode, after successfully thwarting the two aggressors and acquiring his first payment as a drug dealer, he passionately makes love to his wife who is nothing but surprised by her lover's strange, yet delightful newfound lust.

I'm curious to see if fire will continue to be a prominent symbol in this series!

Anticipation

I'm pretty excited with how life is at the moment.

I'm getting more used to delivering the mail, and I'm finishing routes in different cities a lot faster than before.

I'm going camping with Hiro and Jonny in two weeks!!  We're heading up to Lake George for a weekend, and it'll be great to disconnect from digital screens for a few days.

Most importantly, I feel like I'm getting closer to Annie.  We're communicating more, and our emotional walls are slowly crumbling.  I suspect she's somewhat as guarded as I am, but after meeting her parents and hometown circles, I'm beginning to gain a better picture for her essence.  I'll return the sensation...sounds weird...I'll reciprocate by having her meet my family on Father's Day.

It ought to be outstanding!

Mike's Birthday in Atlantic City

This is Mike.

Mike and his friends celebrated Mike's birthday.

"Wow! That Mike sure is a swell guy!" said Mikey P.

Because Mike is so sweet, he often gets licked by his friends and cute puppies.

"Oh no!  Where's Mike?" thought Annie and Laura.

"Don't worry guys!  He'll be alright!" said Jeff.
Mike and Jeff's friends came from all over the country to see Mike for his birthday!

"Hey there he is!  Happy birthday Mike!" cheered Jeff, Mikey P, and Annie.

After Mike came back with his friends, they sure were hungry!

CHOMP CHOMP NOM NOM!
"Boy, oh boy!  These nachos are yummy!" said Mike's friends as they lovingly devoured nachos.

"Happy birthday Mike! You're the best!!"

"That's right Mike!  You deserve all the love in the world!"

"Drink me!  I'm mighty tasty," said honey whiskey, "and don't forget about my friends, beer and beer!"  The first night ended joyfully; everybody danced in celebration of Mike's special day.

The next day, Mike and his friends decided to hit the casino.

But something was wrong with Mikey P!  Oh no!

"Mikey P!  What's wrong buddy?" asked Mike.

"I'm really thirsty, but I think I lost my magic potion," Mikey P responded, his eyes barely open.  "Can you help me find it, Mike?"

"Sure thing big guy!  Here it is!" exclaimed Mike.  Mike slowly poured the magic potion into Mikey P's mouth.

"It tastes sooooooooo good!  Thanks Mike!" exclaimed Mikey P.

"That was really great!  You're an awesome friend!!  What happens when Mikey P drinks his magic potion?" pondered Laura.

"You'll see!  It's a surprise!" answered Mike.

Oh my...it gave Mikey P superpowers!!  He's faster than light!!  Maybe he was too fast...

"Hey Mike!  Help!!  I can't stop!  I need some more to settle down!" shouted Mikey P.

"Sure buddy!  Here comes the goose!  I gotta take a picture of this." commented Mike.

"Boy, that was a close one!" said Annie, Jeff, and Laura.  

Mike's generosity also makes him delightfully delicious.  The boys started nibbling on Mike.

"Hey guys wait!  I know a place that has amazing pizza," said Mike, "Let me use my teleportation device and I'll beam us there!"

"Oh golly!  That was some teleportation device!  Thanks Mike!" Annie happily told Mike.  Wherever Mike goes, he leaves smiles on everyone's face.

Wow!

Look at that amazing food!  Not only did Mike find his friends and Mikey P's magic potion, but he also ensured that everyone's bellies were full!  You're incredible, and you saved the day Mike!