Welcome Home 1345th!!!

Greeting the troops as they ride by.

This is the National Guard Unit from Oklahoma. They're all kids, like Daniel and Jeff's age. And quite a few females were part of the group. After the parade, the families of the soldiers were meeting at Del City High School.

There are several other pictures that I took with the trusty camera phone, but Blogger photos isn't cooperating, so I'll find some other way to post them.

But I had to post those two above. I got all choked up as I saw people go up to the three buses and shake the hands of the soldiers on board. Hopefully, they won't have to go back for a while.

Welcome home one and all!


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

My two year quest is almost over! YAY!!!

What quest is that, you ask... Why it's the quest to get my name changed on my damn Social Security Card, of course.


(The OKC Social Security Office at Sheppard Mall. I hate this place!)

This was the fourth time I've tried to do this. The first time, I didn't have my name change papers with me.

The second time, I had the name change papers, but they weren't certified copies.

The third time was last summer when I was still in Wyoming, and despite the fact that there was a Social Security office in the town where I lived, I was told that I had to go to Cheyenne to do that! With no car, I couldn't do that.

Today, I was told that I needed to produce a picture ID with my former married name on it. Of course, I don't carry it with me, so I didn't have it. Why didn't anyone tell me this the previous three times I tried to do this?

So, to preclude a fifth trip there, I am being allowed to mail in my old Oklahoma Driver's License, where they will copy it, and send it back to me with a receipt.

Barring any last minute crap (like if they want to see my marriage license, which Jon still has), I should have my new card about 7 days after they receive my ID in the mail.

I got there at about 3:15pm. The office closes at 4pm. The guard locks the door and puts up a sign that says "CLOSED"... this guy didn't seem to grasp the concept of "we're closed"...



(It was about 4:05pm at the time this guy showed up. After I took this picture, he actually knocked on the door! )

And he wasn't the only one. About 10 people showed up in the time since I left and sat on a nearby bench waiting for Daniel to come back from wherever he went because he didn't want to wait with me (and I don't blame him. Sheppard Mall is a rather depressing place).

Then it was back home to do homework. Oh. Joy.



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Daniel will L-O-V-E these!

I saw this car in the parking lot of my local neighborhood WalMart:

This is a 1968 Ford Mustang California Special. Only a limited number of these cars were made and were only sold in California (hence the name). Daniel tells me that Ford is bringing out a 40th anniversary edition next year that will be available everywhere. I've only seen two or three prior to this, but that was a long time ago in a land far, far away (um, California...LOL).

I had to take these quickly, because some people are real weird about others taking pictures of their cars. I didn't want to have to explain that my son is a car nut.

I better send these pix to Daniel. Then call him to remind him to look in his email.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Hold on, I'm coming...

I'm a little annoyed today. About everything. So if this post doesn't make a lick o' sense, that's your explanation.

I wish I hadn't gone to school today. It was cold, I was tired, and I just didn't want to deal with any BS today.

On the way home, I saw this sad sight:





(taken from my car at the corner of Sooner Rd. and SE 15th, for those locals who read my blog-- all two of you LOL)



A shell of its former self. I personally like those little Beetles, and I wish I could find one of the old ones to own that isn't way out of my price range. There used to be thousands of them on the road when I was a kid.

Makes Larry's Subaru look like a Rolls Royce (I guess you'd have to see Larry's Subaru to get the comparison). At least it doesn't look like it's headed for the scrap heap, which is where I fear the Vdub was going.

Then, when I got home, I went to check out my MySpace page and saw this:










I realize that MySpace is not really geared towards people my age, but c'mon, this kid's young enough to be my son (he looks like he's 16!). And online dating? Are you nuts? The site's called "e-spin the bottle".

Um, no thanks.




That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Best thing I've seen all day

When I was at WalMart (yes, I practically live there, just like the one in Edmond near Mom's house), I saw a man with this on the back of his shirt:

I WAS THERE
THE BIG SWING
DEC. 30, 2006 6AM
SADDAM HUSSEIN
1937-2006

I should have taken a picture of it, but I left my phone at home (of all the times to do that!).
===

Better get busy and finish my essay. It ain't gonna write itself.

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

I was going to get my hair cut

...but I didn't want to wait an hour to have it done. So maybe I'll try again another time.

I think I'm ready for that US History test on Monday. Still working on the rough draft for my essay (on blogging, no less! LOL) that's due Monday as well.

I am so tired... I can't even spell today. At this point, I'll be sleeping during Spring break (starts on the next "B" week Friday, March 16th).

I'd love to know who "Unavailable" is... the mysterious entity that keeps calling me, lets the phone ring once, then hangs up before I have a chance to answer.

And today, I get this call from someone who is doing a survey about internet services. At first I had a hard time hearing the gal on the other end of the phone, but when she finally gets to her questions, the first one she asks is, "are you of Latina or Hispanic origin?" When I say no (because I'm Italian-American, thank you), she says that that are all the questions she has for me.

I thought so. My last name could be Hispanic, but in my case, it isn't. Sorry :P

It's always been this way. When I was growing up, we'd get telemarketing calls in Spanish, sample ballots for an upcoming election in Spanish... stuff like that.

When I lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts, which is probably 85-90% Hispanic, I'd get all kinds of stuff in my mailbox (not delivered by USPS) in Spanish. Ads, campaign stuff, missing pet posters, etc.

I speak very little Spanish, but I can usually figure out the written stuff. I remarked to someone at the time that if I had known I was going to live in Lawrence, maybe I would have paid more attention in my high school Spanish class.

Okay, okay... I'm babbling. Better wrap this up.



you never answered my question about the enchiladas



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Dude, are you going to ride that thing, or just push it all the way to Downtown OKC?

I've met some interesting characters in the month I've been in my new apartment, and have seen some interesting things... such as:

A woman in the back of a police car who appeared to be handcuffed. A wrecker had just arrived to tow her car and an attached trailer to wherever they tow those things to here.

A mentally challenged man who was pushing a three wheeled bike down SE 15th Street behind me. He told me that he was going to Downtown Oklahoma City. I said that's a long way to ride a bike.

And a number of people who have honked at me and waved from their cars as I walked to places like Wal Mart and the library. I don't recognise any of them in the quick glance I get as they motor on by.

Maybe they realize that I'm new in the neighborhood, I don't know.
===

When I came home from Mom's house the other night, Daniel (who thinks this part of the OKC Metro is akin to "da hood") barely gave me time to get out of his car and get into my apartment before he went roaring off into the night, radio on full blast, bass thumping away.

That boy's gonna be deaf before he's 35 if he keeps that up!


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--