“We are sorry to see you go.” The message with every unsubscribe I do. I would like another reply option where I can say “I never gave you my email address.” The biggest culprit: Facebook. How I know? I made phone calls. What a mistake to use my real email address when signing up for Facebook. They abused me. Bad. I use my email for business. All this clutter is very disturbing. Not shutting down that email. I’ll just keep unsubscribing.
Greater yet: My phone ringing over and over. People I don’t know. Spam calls. Why? How did they get my number? Again: Facebook, the most likely problem again.
“Neil. I read your Blog religiously. I read your fishing reports regularly. Your last one, you mentioned impeaching someone who is no longer in office. You know I work up here and deal with politics. You hit it on the head. They want to keep a problem when the issue is over. It is a real stretch that he created the riots to begin with. With what’s going on in America, what exactly is wrong with a riot, done right? What happened to protesting being part of America? You are correct: It is all evidence of just how much that one guy got under their skin. They want to continue to fight him when he’s not even in office anymore. That’s insane. Looking forward to what you publish next.”
The February reports are written. Publish on the 31st, like every month. The Blog published a few days back. Not much else on the agenda for writing for a while. I’ll get my Times article done early and have that out of the way. Staying ahead of things. Where are the people to go fishing? In this great pattern of not spending money. After a pattern of spending too much money. Life is good. Life will be better when I’ve got clients again.
Hikers rescued. A regular story. All my years in Arizona. All my hiking. I never got into a situation like this. Honestly, I have been a Darwinism supporter since I first learned about it in school. In the words of a friend of mine “we are promoting genetically stupid people.”
Chomping at the bit. Where are the people to go fishing? What makes it easier, sitting at home not spending a dime. I can survive for a long time with nothing going on. Another stimulus? I could coast the whole year, not spending a dime. Spent the money on groceries for the house. Huge purchase. Can’t believe it all fit in the cabinets. Mostly for me, some of it gets used for “fisherman’s night.”
The shuttle exploded. I remember being in class and Scott Ross came in and announced that it happened. Got out of school. Went home and watched the replay of it 500 times. I think that was 5th grade.
Lots of things, I have nothing to say about. Might make the Blog slightly shorter this time. I have been so positive, there are things I just won’t touch right now. I don’t want to.
I wish I was good looking instead of being so incredibly cool.
Another suicide. Didn’t see it coming. Never contemplated it myself. This one successful, it just made me think about it. Dad taught me: Some people, it just gets to that point. They don’t want to live anymore. There’s nothing you can do about it. It was that way for Robin Williams. It was that way for Uncle Jim. It was that way for my friend who did it yesterday. Getting a note from him was one for the books. He didn’t talk about his action he was taking but it was a goodbye. I hope the afterlife is there for you. Does suicide take you out of that? What happens when you die?
With lots of people, they lost a grandmother recently. My mother on the verge of turning 87. One month away. It took time but she has adjusted.
The battle against leaves continues. I mentioned it before. The funny thing: They aren’t from any trees that are mine. The fire pit has been good for disintegration. The blower has been key to gathering them up. In the future, additions to the fence that will keep leaves in Eleanor’s yard. That’s better: The yard crew rakes them up and removes them. I hope to minimize leaves in the future. I hope to move Ryan and Stacy into that house one day. A client, a tree business down south: I’ll trade him fishing trips to work on those trees. In time.
People and their phones. What are they looking at? My phone is a phone. I can delete emails. I can check the tides and wind. So, most of the time, my phone is in my pocket. People glued to their phones makes no sense to me. I don’t get it. I use the phone to purchase some stuff. Occasionally. I usually use the computer for that. I play Solitaire. I’m good at it. But I burn out on that too. I don’t play games. I don’t watch shows. I own a TV. I don’t need to use the phone for things I can do on the computer or turn on the TV.
Three minutes on the computer and usually everything is done and it is turned off again for the day. Ten links I click on, look. Act? Sometimes but often just close the browser and click “Shut Down.”
Small craft advisories. Not good days for fishing. You go out and get in trouble: You belong with the hikers.
Wearing a jacket: More in 2020 and 2021 than a usual winter. One thing is sure: I’m wimpier. I wear the jacket when in years past I did not.
The Neil Blog, for content, all I need to do is leave the TV on and listen. The things reported are sometimes comical. Or stupid. The virus dominates the news station content. The governor is talking about it. This scientist or doctor is talking about it. I’m changing the channel. Sitting by myself at home, the virus stuff doesn’t intrique me. I’m asking “Have you investigated getting the vaccine.” No. One day after they have serviced the bulk of the community maybe one of my doctors will offer it to me. As I’ve said before, I’m in no hurry because I want to watch and see if the vaccine kills people first. Hand sanitizer. Toilet paper. Paper towels? They are on the news. Useless stories usually. No one has been able to explain to me why toilet paper was at a premium.
TV? Still just disgusted with the programming. There are so many good movies and shows that could be put on instead of the junk that they do put on. It’s pathetic. And, I pay for it? Why can’t someone like me be in charge of programming? Bottom line, it could be WAY better.
The virus did not kill Larry King. He had the virus, survived it and then his body just gave out fighting another infection. A manager from the minor leagues, the virus did get him. Not that old, it’s a shame. He was well liked.
The death rate. Most interesting to me. My contacts. Went from ten people who had it. Nine, young enough no problem. Now, up to 50 people and about ten of them died from it. In like a month’s time.
I wish everyone the best. Like the hikers and the boaters who get themselves in peril, so many people bring the virus problem on themselves. They can’t stay away from people. That, I don’t understand. A couple of times I have gone more than a month not really encountering anyone from closer than 30 feet. I don’t want to catch it. The people I talked to who did get it: Admittedly, they made bad decisions. Most of them: They should have stayed away from their kids. They got it from their kids.
*Women are much more complicated than men*. True or false.
My bees: 7 Up overdosing. Feeding it to them all day long. The bee population has exploded. A regular showing used to be about 25 to 30 bees. Now it is up to about 80 at any one time. The 7 Up was on sale. I got enough to feed bees the rest of winter. To me, they’re fun to watch. They love the flowers on the climbing vines and they just dig that 7 Up. They drink and drink and drink.
In one day, the bee population tripled. From 30 bees to easily 100. Put out more and more 7 Up and they just drink it up!
March, usually peak time for fishing charters. It is on the horizon. The virus cut into it big time last year. Will things be any better this year? My charters are down right now, evidence that some of the northerners and not escaping the cold to come down here. Whatever it is, it is. I just deal with it. If people aren’t in the mix to go fishing, I can occupy the time.
The next on the agenda. The dollar store. A lot of stuff still on the list, I’ll get for cheaper at the dollar store. The list is getting short. It was a great restock at the grocery store. Aggressive: It is food for six months, minimum. There will be touch-up trips here and there. To get the more expirable items. But the canned stuff I got, it is a lot of stuff. Already stocked up on charcoal, I can survive a lengthy power loss. A meeting with a solar company. If I get their system I will have partial power in the power loss of a hurricane. Not to run the air conditioner but it will run a lot of other stuff. I told them to wait a while to contact me again. I’m in zero spending mode and intent to stay there for a while. Things paid off. Killed garbage pickup and the security system (I just wasn’t using it). I have $400 more a month because of it. In my words: In the bank. This is the best I’ve been since I bought the house. But imagine how it would be if I had the charter money coming in too. It’s been dead.
You ride a bicycle in these streets: you are bolder than I. You, the hikers, boaters and virus people: Darwin is watching.
I wish: I had learned sign language. If I could go back, I would have made the effort. Not extremely useful because I don’t know any deaf people, I’d have liked to learn that communication.
If I could go back. I’m in Arizona. I’d have gone caving. I’d have done the hiking. I’d have become rich from things I would have found.
Changes coming, not far away from being announced. But, they are coming.
I haven’t been to the gym in 15 years. My arms look like I still go. I do wish I could be back in shape again like in my soccer days. My training back then: I ran the mountains. Miles. I guess that part of my life is just over. And that’s fine.
My visitors: Tequila. They drank two bottles of tequila. I don’t care, I just replaced those two bottles and we are good to go. To my knowledge, never took a drink out of either of those bottles. Tequila, has not been my choice, close to 30 years now. My tequila year, I was 18 years old and a freshman in college. One trip to Mexico cured me of tequila. Interesting story. I fell off a cliff. I was missing the following morning. I was found asleep on the roof.
Tying flies. I haven’t tied a teaser in a month. I’ve tied the flies regularly. Need to get some pink and I can finish up teasers with the hooks I have. When I go through the hooks I have I’m in retirement. For a long time. I could have heavy sales of teasers for a year and I’d still have 10,000 of them left. Still amazed more people don’t buy them. Whatever. I do not have other stuff to get rid of at this time. In fact, looking to buy myself. Rods, reels. Boats. The rods and reel deal is in place. Boats have been a mystery. In the future, I’m probably going to be making my own boat. A bestseller, it could be my money maker in my lifetime. Who knows plastic boats better than I do?
What the future holds. It all depends what happens. Lots of variables. Currently, just laying low. Things need to improve. People are back to not traveling. Made things quiet in the charter fishing business. It will come back around. It always does. Until then: Not doing much. Sadly, I’ve run out of other things to do. But I’ve gotten to that point in life, I like having nothing to do. My boredom years are behind me.
The anger in people. Covered in the last blog. One guy, he is just upset by the smallest things. He has cut off contact and if you ask me: That’s a good thing. For a couple of years I watched this guy argue with people over absolutely nothing. When he finally directed it at me, I fought back. My way of fighting back distances people. He hasn’t been seen in a month. And life is better for it. I’m glad it happened the way it did.
I haven’t hit my fingers with a hammer in a long time.
Killing time. What to do? There are minor projects for around here. My handyman, missing in action: He needs to put the roof up over the deck and give me a hose turn-on for the front yard. I’m sure he will reappear soon. Just not a lot to do which is fine. The busy season is coming up. Vaccines should help traffic. Maybe this world goes back to normal. I still have to set up the umpire party and the University of Arizona get together both at my house. I have the charcoal for cooking. The bar is stocked. An influx of money and the bar will increase by 20 bottles. I have a list.
Drinking coffee, part of the routine. I drink coffee while I watch the bees. Really exciting… Hey, with nothing else to do, the bees are it. They drink 7 Up, I have Dunkin Donuts coffee. Everyone wins.
As usual, the bills are paid. All that day-to-day stuff is “up to date.” I handle it as it comes in. I am better than ever at keeping up with things.
Little bugs. I have them wiped out. The ants around the yard, I have been hard on them too. Boric acid inside the house. Some regular bug stuff in spray bottles takes care of the ants. One day I might just tent and fumigate the place to wipe everything out. I’m careful with food and spills. I hate bugs so the bug thing is a victory.
Book 5 still in the works, it does not publish anytime soon. When it does, it changes the world. It is twice as long as any of the first four. Most of the additions have been regarding my father. Things continue to pop up in my mind and they go into the file.
There is a file for a book 6. A file that may never come to fruition. Maybe 20 years from now I finish that one but it just may never happen. It may all come to a conclusion with book 5.
The Super Bowl. Poems? Since when are poems part of the Super Bowl? Just wondering. What’s next?
The Lightning, doing well. They’ll be behind, but they’ll come back. They lost one 1 to 0. This schedule is strange. Playing teams three games in a row?? Whatever. They have started out good.
So much of the cool months left. The summers are so long and hot. In my future, trips to the mountains when it’s hot here. Things I haven’t done in 30 years, providing an escape from the heat. It’s in the works. Back to the Arizona mountains? Get back to where it all started. To where Dad took me on weekends. To where I went myself during my college years. Not even interested in catching their fish. Just interested in being there.
Big fish. They are easy if the tide’s right and the wind is down. Where are all the people to go catch them?? I’m amazed the schedule isn’t full. Of course, the schedule full would mean a lot of postponements. The wind is BAD. Very few days to get out. It’s pretty lousy right now.
What calamity still lingers? The virus thing is a year old. My father predicted it. His version it was worse so maybe this is just the first one? Time will tell. Anytime an asteroid could hit Earth changing things. Just what does the future hold? To skip ahead 30 years and see would be interesting.
- The Neil Blog… - July 26, 2023
- The Catfish - July 26, 2023
- update - July 22, 2023
