A peek at the REAL Thumbster

4 Simple Rules

Cricket's asleep on my lap as I write this.





I've had a few comments about this journal lately...thank you.

Stuff like I'm being more personal and insightful.

My initial reaction when I heard that was to pull back and clam up...but on second thought...I'll continue to write what I'm comfortable in saying. Letting down my guard hasn't been easy.

I just popped back over to the site where I used to spend so much of my time. It's still home to many of my poems. They seemed happy enough...maybe a bit neglected though. I've also posted at a couple other sites but I haven't been back to them in months and months. It's funny how a site can mean so much...and then later...mean so little.

One thing that I did bring back with me from my favorite poetry site was my "motto"...for lack of a better term.

I wrote something back then...(while struggling between art vs writing)...that still applies today. I wrote it just for me...Gary...so it would remind me what I wanted out of writing...4 basic rules that I should follow...whether I'm writing poems or silly stories or journal entries or whatever.














Keep it varied
Keep it interesting
Keep it fun
Be happy with what you do and what you've done










That could also apply to my art as well...or my life now that I think about it.




I'm coming down with Mitchell's cold...yeah

I plan on getting him back though...he he he.

He's got himself a new cell phone. People can now get through when one of us is on line. I know that everyone here has found that VERY aggravating. I long ago switched off my answering machine and turned off my call display. I hate technology that I become addicted to. Always checking to see who did...or didn't call. At least with being on line...I haven't given the phone a thought. I know a lot of telemarketers out there have been going through some serious withdraw symptoms.

Now with Mitchell's new cell phone I hope that wont change. The phone's in his name...with his own telephone number.

I expect to have some fun with it...HE HE HE. I can hardly control my evil laughter. . He's got voice messages...HE HE HE. He has to listen to those messages at least once before he can delete them. The ENTIRE message.

HE HE HE

...And there doesn't seem to be a time limit on how long the messages can be...


HAW HAW HAW

I've already rambled on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...(you get the picture)...to him about how messy his room is...about how cute I think Cricket is when he forgets and leaves his tongue sticking out...about his big floppy fish slippers...about the fact that I didn't really have anything important to say so maybe he'd just like to hear me count...(like Count Chockula used to from Seseame Street)...and he can count along with me if he wanted to...and that I loved him.

Mitchell used to have a cell phone...that he shared with Derek...when they tried their hands at the exciting and fast paced world of bicycle-icecream-marketing for a summer. You know...those guys who peddle massive three wheeled bicycles with a big "icebox" on the front to all the places where sun seekers are likely to go.

I wanted the boys to be able to call for help if they needed to while they were out and about selling.

Other than picking juice apples...(the apples that have fallen on the ground and get dumped into a big crate...to be later squished to make apple juice)...this was their first real jobs...with hours...and schedules...and even a uniform...a T shirt (that they had to pay for themselves).

I was very proud of both of them. I stressed how important it was to be punctual and courteous. I even bought more than my fair share of the grossly over priced and under sized icecream bars.

When Derek started to complain about some of the working conditions I told him that EVERY job has it's bad points...to think of all the money he'd have by the end of the summer...and all the happy sticky faces he'd be helping put ice creams into.

The bike weighed many more times than what they did. It took lots of forethought before they could even turn them. Going up hills...even little upgrades meant getting off and pushing them...while going down hills was always exciting.


I wasn't too impressed when I found out Derek owed the owner money his first week. It turned out that the boys bought the icecreams from the owner each day before leaving...and they had to sell a certain amount before they could break even.

I told Derek that all the other ice cream kids must be making some money...to just do his best...and that I was sure he'd do better once he got the hang of things.

Mitchell was doing better...but only slightly better. Peddling all day in the hot sun...and then only making $6 or so...which worked out to next to nothing per hour. It was a far cry from what they were led to believe they could make.

Derek ended up quitting...as did all the other kids too. I talked Mitchell into giving it one last try...I still couldn't believe the stories they were telling me about them being ripped off.

It turned out that the all the kids did quit because the owner really WAS ripping them off. I was angry that an adult would short change and outright steal from kids just to make a few lousy dollars a day.

In the end he had to sell his ice cream vending buisness because he couldn't get anyone to work for him. I got a real kick out of seeing him peddling around in the hot sun before he did.

I better go...


I have this urge to leave a message about bananas...of yodelling...or maybe "Can you guess what this tune is that I'm humming?"



Oh yes...I plan on being a very, very, very annoying Dad.



Maybe...Is he wearing clean underwear?...and what a big decision it is...choosing between boxers or briefs. Yeah...what kid wants to get a message like that from his Dad?



I'm evil...I know.





One last thought...and then I'll never mention this again.

For what it's worth...

I never saw myself as a rescuer...but as a companion. Walking life's trails together...(in cyber space only...for the forseeable future). Not just my trails or only your trails but making all trails...ours...as we came to them. No scarifice was expected.

I only wanted 2 things...

1/...To feel special..(which my friends are very good at making me feel)

2/...To feel a connection...something beyond friendship. Someone to send long sexy silly emails to...and when...or if...the time was right for both of us...to hold in my arms while in front of a blazing fire...together as one.

There...no more cryptic messages. Sorry folks.


Happy Trails