A message to the building crew sublime!

Dear you:


Since last November, you have been working so hard.  One more "cottage" (actually a 4 story code-breaking behemoth) is coming together here in Inlet Beach.  This one is right on top of me . . . directly across the street.   Yes, it has been noisy.  Yes, it has freaked out the oldies and the felines.  But no, I am not angry.

Because . . .
1. The crew is Mexican.  Perhaps new citizens, perhaps not.  Their presence is a concrete argument against some policies being debated now.


2. The workers are consistent and thoughtful.  They arrive early at expected hours and wrap it up at dusk.  During work, as vehicles and delivery trucks come and go, they protect my yard and utility nodes/whatever watchfully.

3. The human soundtrack (the lilt of Spanish conversations, the laughter) wraps around the slams and bangs of construction, making the noise . . . interesting . . . and bearable.

And this is all terrific until . . . they start BLASTING music while I am home trying to work online or just think/"be" without feeling like I have PTSD.  When I asked a worker or two to tune it down - a lot - I got no response.  And this made me furious.  So, I had to appeal to the local neighborhood association folks to reach the builder and shut that noise down.

So.  I'm a rat.  Yeesh.  There are limits, my building friends. Music bass beats can rev us up and I don't need that.  Which leads me to my thought for the day:

How can we live with each other freely, happily, and not step on each other?

The Golden Rule.  I need to consider that myself too.  As Trump would say, "Big League".


XO
Joyce

Consider the tiger . . .

Dear you:

It is Dr. Martin Luther King holiday weekend.  Consider his legacy; consider the tiger.

Are both facing extinction?

That will not happen if I (we) use our teeth.  Bad metaphor, but see photo.  Pretty formidable.

Sharpen your wits, darling; this week will require more than formidable fangs:
1.  Get ready for reactionary tweets on Martin Luther King Day.  Use those college-composition skills to respond with verve.
2.  Support Congressman John Lewis.  Enough said.
3.  Observe the inauguration and don't blink.
4.  Be vigilant about your local environment; disrupt destruction.
5.  Save the tiger, literally.  (See World Wildlife Federation.)

And don't forget to floss!
XO

Laughing in the new year . . . 2017!

Dear You . . .


God love Ms. Berry! Laughing off stress in those bell-bottom workout pants.

About stress . . .

2017 came in easy and rather dull.  The cool and foggy weather on 1/31  here in Inlet Beach held back reveling noises, but other noises have surfaced.  Development.  Construction.  Right across the street.  And down the street.  And around the corner.  And on and on and on . . .

This slamming, hammering, machine screaming soundtrack is high decibel.  Since my online tutoring work is slow now and the retail-hell job is down to minimal hours, I am here in the beach house and trying to turn lemons into lemonade (sorry about the cliche).  Like Ms. Berry, I am tragically seeking laugh medicine and a sensible perspective.

Lemons:
1.  The aforementioned noise.
2.  My outdoor-pet-cats are disturbed by aforementioned noise and my favorite (Senor Gato) did not show up this morning.
3.  My cable and wifi were out this morning and required a lengthy phone call.
4.  These outages happen at least once a month and make me edgy since televised politics-sports-etc. and beloved internet actions make me "happy" (or comfortably numb . . . thank you Pink Floyd).
5.  My ancient septic tank is damaged and seeping water (delightful).
6.  The aforementioned underemployment.
7.  Haunted by exile-feeling, so removed from urban life and contact.
8.  I need to find a new dentist.
9.  The weather will be COLD this weekend, as in really cold for Florida.
10. I am all over the place in terms of pursuing that next "fun gig".

Lemonade(thank you Beyonce):
1.   The old house walls are block-thick and when inside, screen out the construction noise a bit. Plus, I CAN WORKOUT ON THE BEACH.
2.   Feline friends Puff Daddy and Dinky did show up this morning and I have confidence in Gato's survival skills.
3.   I reached a human being on the phone this morning who talked me through the outage-thing.
4.   The library has internet!  And books.  And I am currently deep into several of those texts.
5.   My ancient septic tank is working, when babied, and not backing up.
6.   Tutoring income will improve next week when college/university classes resume full force.  And, I can look forward to a "Trump-load" of post-election essays :)
7.    Exile-feeling is sometimes lessened by the fact that I CAN WORKOUT ON THE BEACH.  And those excursions plus zillions of squats have resulted in the return of my BUTT!  I have reversed age-related butt loss!
8.    Whenever I stop procrastinating about dentist-commitment, my cheapo JCPenney dental insurance should cover the cleaning cost.
9.    The cold weather this weekend will be followed by a warming trend early next week.  This does not happen in Chicago in January.
10.   I am thinking about renewing my fitness training certifications . . . hmmmm ..... like Ms. Berry,   it would be fun to get people moving to a joyful zone, literally.

There's my ten for ten!  Functional "ades" for all bitter fruit.

Wishing you laughter/lemonade.

XO

Joyce

LOVELY shopper at JCPenney - "happy" holidays . . .

Dear You:

The story has gone viral.  Racist woman (pictured above) goes nuts and unloads insults on the customer ahead of her.  Racist woman's claim is that customer had broken in line or something silly like that.  Her reaction . . . LOVELY! Among my favorite quotes from racist woman is "go back to where you came from".  Really?

But I digress.  This story connects to my adventures in retail!  Yes!  I am outing myself now as a JCPenney sales associate, the store-site of this hideous event!  And I am assigned to the Shoe Department, the department that sells the things inside that green box racist woman is holding.  I happen to know that is a boot box.  Imagine those legs in boots and leggings.  Imagine those legs (or similar owners of similar legs) walking around your department on the daily.  Imagine the questions the mouths belonging to those legs ask.

Apparently, racist woman has been "banned" from the mall housing this JCP location.  But what else will be done?  Should she be "punished" further?  Not really.  It's just speech, stupid speech, but still just speech.  Besides, Karma is already on the job.   If you can see the photo, you can see HER.  There it is . . . justice.  Poor old thing has to live inside that . . . body.  Outside reflecting inside.

I wonder what JCPenney will do about this?  I'm sure they'll create pointless workshops about protecting customers from racist rants, etc. The problem, however, is that many of these sales associates are reprimanded if they stand up for themselves, colleagues, or the sweet customers.   I don't care.  My record shows a consistently fearless "talk back" history :)  But others are afraid.  They are told that the customer is always right and they must make ALL customers happy . . . even the stupid, business-killing ones.  Something in the working "climate" there held that sales associate back.  But I cannot say exactly what held the other customers back.  That is a puzzle . . .

Please, everybody.  Speak.  "We" > "fat woman holding boot box".

Happy Christmas Eve Eve . . .

XO

Joyce

Oh HELL no!

Dear you . . .

Sweet Madea, my muse and comedic savior.  Tyler Perry blessed us with this gal and only she can speak for me now:

"What the hell is wrong with you?  LISTEN TO ME, little hands Donald.  Why you appointing some trashy wrestling  woman, Uncle Ben, and some big ass oil executive to your cabinet?  You actin like this is a kitchen cabinet, filling it up with cracked junk.  Hell to the DAMN no."

Hell 2 the no.

Pruitt appointed to take over the Environmental Protection Agency.  Pruitt - the oil dude.  Pruitt - currently suing the EPA itself.  Pruitt - from OKLAHOMA.

Jesus Lord.

Might as well go ahead and rename the agency:  Environmental Destruction Agency.

This kills me.  The majority of American people have got it together and will survive the Donald's rule.  Legally, socially, technically, we will regress under this administration, but we'll come back.  We can. I can.  I can even survive the neighbor sending a redneck sheriff to pound on my door, giving me the third degree about a broken light pole at a Trump-neighbor's house.  (Like really, this wasn't just a cop looking for testimony; he was SENT to shake me down.  This dumb ass neighbor actually thought I, the one democrat in zip code 32461, or at least the only visible one, destroyed the pole-light because it illuminated a TRUMP-PENCE sign.  Hell 2 the No again.) But yes, I will survive the world according to Trump.

But the planet?  Mother Earth on-the-edge and so close to going over . . .

I may have Tweeted hopeful "I will work with you" statements, but those days are DONE.

Fuck these deplorables :)

Love and kisses to you adorables :)

Joyce, trying to channel her inner Madea

Tea time, ladies! Happy Thanksgiving?

Dear you . . .




So, we have all been busy in terms of information absorption.  Yes, an election over . . . with an unusual outcome.  Understatement.  History "unmade" because I will not see Sister Clinton as POTUS.  However, that Tuesday night, after I lifted my paralyzed self from the couch, I got busy.  Tasks:

1.  Research which sector (environment, education, etc.) I need to devote time to/defend.

     Information absorption time spent on this task:  100 hours to date

2.  Figure out why I feel like the outcome was driven by some anti-femme reaction.

     Information absorption time spent on  clarifying this "feeling":  10 minutes

Only ten minutes because I really don't want to know if this is true.  Perhaps the assigned roles are not really changing after all.  Consider the White House meeting of POTUS Obama and POTUS elect Trump. Then consider a parallel meeting in another room, a lesser space. (See photo.)  The women met for tea.  Seated properly in dainty chairs.  Contrast that to the power postures of their mates (note Donald's red power tie dangling over his power zone).



Why didn't the femme-meeting look like this?



Women running together in an urban, free space.  Women moving.

Depressing.  Same shit different day.  And yet, there is reason for euphoria!  As Donald would say (and said), what have I/we got to lose?  Go big or go home.  Make noise and refuse to cooperate.  But on the other hand, why not be reasonable?  Good change might occur.  But then again, here comes Bannon, Flynn, and possibly Rudy G. as Secretary of State (Oh Hell No).  But wait! Donald has totally backed away from his scariest campaign horrors (Muslim ban, torture doctrine, or "lock her up"), hurrah!

It feels like this:



I guess I should be thankful I can feel at all. The struggle can continue, whatever that means.

So today, Thanksgiving 2016, I choose to appreciate the ride.
And I am definitely OFF THE COUCH!

XO

Joyce

Sanity, baby!

 
Dear you:

Swamped by normalcy (working my hilarious retail gig, online essay tutoring, maintaining beach-house-beach-yard-beach-life), I emerge daily to hear the news.  Yes, that would be election drama.  We are so close to November 8.  This will be a Hillary Clinton win.  And here we go again . . . another happy, historical day (a female as POTUS) will be fucked up by those guys (and gals).  Please "enjoy" this excerpt from a Boston Globe article:  

"If she’s in office, I hope we can start a coup. She should be in prison or shot. That’s how I feel about it,” Dan Bowman, a 50-year-old contractor, said of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. “We’re going to have a revolution and take them out of office if that’s what it takes. There’s going to be a lot of bloodshed. But that’s what it’s going to take. . . . I would do whatever I can for my country.”
He then placed a Trump mask on his face and posed for pictures."

I was frozen with horror and rage until I got to the mask moment. 

Does this dude imagine he is part of a V for Vendetta movement?  "V" is opposed to everything Trump.
Yet these dudes and dudettes see themselves as rebels, freedom fighters, ready to lock up the MAJORITY of American citizens who will elect Clinton.

During the Reagan years, I remember being baffled by many things.  One was the fact that he was not (to me) a great communicator.  Vague phrasing and big smiles.  However, not being INSANE, I realized the MAJORITY of my brothers and sisters had voted him into office.  And I had to think about that.  And respect that.  And move the hell on.  That is what liberals do.  (See the Gore v. Bush situation too.)

The contractor featured in the Globe piece is INSANE.  And not in the good way, the cool and swervy Seal's song "Crazy" way.

Who would blatantly try to incite DE-VOLUTION?  Donald.  I wonder what Trump really thinks about the man in the mask?  He thinks he's a tool, a fan, a customer for his future Trump Network (his real motivation for running for POTUS).   But after November 8, neither Donald nor Hillary actually have to deal with the masked contractor.  I do.  You do.  And it won't be pretty.   "They" (yes, I used the awful, vague pronoun) aren't pretty and since it is now very correct to be so fallacious, I'll say it again.  "They" aren't pretty.  And they all should be required to:
1.  Sleep in beautifying mud masks.
2.  Memorize the amazing poem "We Wear the Mask".
3.  Research the author and context of the above poem.
4.  Spend one hour a day reading (can they?) substantive "media" journalism.
5.  Participate in fitness boot camps.  Exercise = Endorphins.  Endophins = Sanity (See the great El Woods in Legally Blonde.)

So, enjoy history being made on 11/08/2016.  And remember, "we" outnumber "them".

XO
Your Joyce