Comical almost. Reviewing my credit card statements. Seven fraud charges on two different cards. Losers. Honestly: Having my credit card just charged without my authorization, I would like to ruin these people. I did my part. These credit card companies don’t fool around. I told them the story. They removed the charges and ordered new cards for me but they put a big ding in these companies. Hopefully an end to it I think I might sign up for some of the protection options that are out there. Extra protection.
Skool was a great success in its first month of 2019. I had a great group of guys come over. Not a huge group. I lost out when I cut ties with the kayak club and other things. But I don’t care. The people I want to have here are showing up. It can be five guys for all I care. Those five guys will get something out of it every time. The grill going. The firepit going. It was something these guys enjoyed. Good book sales. Good teaser sales. It was a good night.
The weather: High wind for nine days. One day with no wind? Worst tide of the month. The phone is ringing. The busy spring season is evident. I booked seven trips in two days for late February and March. Down time before then is fine: I can keep doing other things I want to get done.
For Skool I brought in eight new chairs. Set up on the front porch: I put up eight prints, fishing photos made into canvas. The site of Skool and The Academy, it is another improvement. Skool will likely be a “deck” situation a lot of the time. Ten new chairs for the deck are arriving. I set up for the porch but with the fire and the grill out there: No one wanted to go into the porch. Which is fine.
My father being gone, a part of my daily life. Toward the end: How long he hung on, impressive. He was tough. Going to Arizona and seeing it, one of those life things that brings it all together. Giving him a beer and him knowing he was getting to drink a beer (even though he was asleep 22 hours of the day) was kind of fun to do. It was. His eyes didn’t open but he opened his lips and took sips of the beer and he knew what it was. That was good. The realization of the years I had with him before this happened is where it’s really at. No one will even know about most of it. My Dad and I in a private conversation: We got to the point. We argued. He usually won but when I made a better argument it was among the best I ever felt in life for my father to actually relent. It probably only happened twice. He was always right. I mean just wild stuff here: He knew things the average guy is never going to know. If he was in charge the whole world would be working a lot better. No question.
The deficiencies in life: I turned my back on them. The mental illness. The lies. Whatever. I took my lumps I didn’t deserve. The way I look at it, it’s not my problem, those people have to absorb it. I can tell you very plainly: I haven’t done anything wrong. The things I didn’t like about my past, I made atonements. The nonsense that exists against me? Are you kidding? Whatever. Good luck to you. You made some serious judgment errors. Good luck to you because I never want to talk to you again. Ever. Read it again. “Ever” means don’t call me. Ever. Things I thought I would never see in life. A blessing my father isn’t still around to see it. It is a shame. The mental condition of people can be suspect. I am clean. In the clear, I haven’t done anything to anyone I regret. Nothing.
People die. It is a reality everyone I know knows. Everyone I know has experienced it. My friend Ted died two and a half weeks ago. Five days before his 99th birthday, Ted had been telling me for a year he wanted to die. So how can I feel bad about that. His great grandson came by my house today. Having a harder time with it than I am I thought about what my father would do. My father was good at successfully being realistic. I tried to do it the best I could to meet that criteria. I did OK. The kid had trouble accepting it ultimately. So I said, “He was 99 years old. What do you want?” That sealed the deal. It did. Maybe I should have said it at the beginning? Anyway, this kid probably talked to Ted 1/100th of the time I did. But he was family. Anyway, I feel that I helped the kid get some respect for the fact that Ted didn’t want to be alive anymore. I wanted him alive. Probably everyone who knew him wanted him alive: But he lived nearly 99 years and he wanted it to be over. How can you feel bad for the guy now that it is what he wanted. It. Is. Over.
Anyway, Ted gifted all this booze to me in his will. His grand daughter contacted me. Anyway, my mother wasn’t pleased when I told her but I kept the best two bottles and I contacted Ted’s great grandnephew (in college) and gave the kid the rest. The stipulation was he wasn’t allowed to get in a jam because I gave him $3000 worth of hard liquor. He was amenable. Anyway, one bottle Ted bought. One bottle I bought but they are in my archived. $200 bottles of liquor that he and I sipped on: Whenver I feel the need, I’ll pour a shot and I’ll remember my pal. A guy I only knew because when I was driving by he couldn’t roll his garbage can by himself. Sad I didn’t meet him earlier. But we had our time together. Pleased he liked having me around, it was funny, Ted took the death of my father harder than anyone I know. He hated it for me that I lost this guy to talk to. I told Ted “I’ve still got you.” That wasn’t good enough. Ted hated it. But he also knew: My father lived a long time. He didn’t dwell on it. But he wasn’t happy about it either. Now: They’re both gone.
“By the way.” Ever think about that one. By the way, a term you hear regularly. The weather lady used it five times today, twice in the wrong context if you ask me. So I did some research. To me it means, related to in some way. Dictionary.com: in the course of one’s remarks; incidentally. Aside. Idioms.thefreedictionary.com: Incidentally; on a side note. An interjection meant to casually introduce or emphasize additional
information in theconversation. I was just bringing it up, by the way.
Fraudulent charges to credit cards: Six on my two cards this month. That’s never happened before. All charges reversed and new cards issued, that should end problems like this for a while. Both credit card companies said the same thing: “you are smart to review your statements every month.” Annoyed that anyone would take my credit card number and use it without my authorization.
Heavy rains. Cold air. It is January. But January only has hours left. The days are getting longer. And the schedule is getting better.
By Neil Taylor www.capmel.com
Guide and owner at Strike Three Kayak Fishing
- The Neil Blog… - July 26, 2023
- The Catfish - July 26, 2023
- update - July 22, 2023
