Chicken with a BUS!

These god damn city buses think they have free reign here in Hartford and I’m sick of it.  I’ve been cut off so many times by the city buses that I’ve lost count.  Well today, I got a little revenge and almost a major accident.  I was third in row at a major light in Downtown Hartford.  There is a bus drop off on the right hand side and a bus driver had just let off a bus load of people.  It looked like he wanted to cut in front of me as he angled his bus appropriately.  The problem is he had no blinker and truthfully there was really no room for him to “cut” in.  The line behind me stretched four to five cars and I figured he’d let us pass then swoop in behind us.  NOPE!  The light turned green and he started to inch his way forward thinking I would let him in.  Well guess what, I didn’t!  It was on; he was inching I was moving and old fashioned game of chicken WITH A BUS!  Bring it on.

He kept coming and I kept going and soon we were inches away.  No backing away this time I thought as I pressed down a little harder on the gas.  He finally slammed on his brakes and my left front mirror was centimeters away from the corner of the bus.  He also let on his horn as I smiled and wailed on my horn back.  I start my right turn on the light and this asshole still has his horn down, I almost come to a stop, turn back and flip this nice bus driver a “you’re number one” sign with the center most finger on my hand.  He lets off the horn and then gives me another long beep as I drive off with a smile on my face triumphantly.  I hear the horn almost the entire way down to the next light and in my rear view mirror see him go through the intersection.  I flip him off again, he probably doesn’t see it but I do it anyway.

I finally won.  I know it doesn’t mean anything in the big scheme of things but now I know they’ll stop if you just keep going and you know what this lets me know to challenge these asshole bus drivers because they don’t own the roads.  They should abide by the same rules us “small” folks do.  I don’t give a shit if you’re 100 times bigger than me or if you’re a state vehicle.  You don’t own the roads and I’ll play chicken with any of you dicks!  Maybe it’s me but these buses need to stop thinking they own the streets!!!

Surprise Party

If you’ve been following, last week I celebrated my 30^th birthday.  My wife is throwing me a “surprise” birthday party this weekend for it.  I quoted surprise because I pretty much know everything about the party.  Originally all I knew was that she was throwing me one, didn’t know date, location, time, activities, decorations, etc., etc.  I tried not to snoop or even think about it but it came to me so easy.  I figured out the date first, then a lot of the decorations and where it was because we share a bank account and I’m in charge of finances in the house.  Therefore when she needed a check she had to get it through me and so on.  She’s not very slick either, plus my six year old son is like a walking tape recorder.  He can’t keep secrets and she takes him with her most of the time.  My wife keeps calling me an asshole because nothings a secret but my biggest complaint is why does it even have to be a secret?  I’m thirty fucking years old, secrets may give me a heart attack.  I’m not a teenager or pre-teen who loves a surprise.  Just throw me the damn party and let me have some input so it’s not a drag.  Maybe it’s me but surprise parties are OVER-RATED!

It’s a party for the guest, why can’t they have some input.  After all, the person knows what he or she likes.  I’m not throwing a surprise party for my wife.  In fact, I’m not throwing her a party period.  I’m going to take her away somewhere fun.  She doesn’t like parties, me I love parties.  Well, I should rephrase that, I like parties I’m a part of.  I get the draw to surprise parties.  Surprising people get a fun response but I think a certain point comes where surprises aren’t the way to go.  I’m sure the party will be fun, I’ve dropped hints for the last year on what I want to happen and my wife knows me pretty well but wouldn’t it be easier to let me help plan it?  I’m 30 not 13!!!  Maybe it’s me but leave the surprises for the teenagers and pre-teens, I’m getting too old for that shit.

Birthdays and Getting Older...

I celebrated my 30^th Birthday yesterday and as much as I wanted to post about turning the big 3-0 I was just swamped.  Birthdays just aren’t what they used to be when you were young.  When you’re young, the world seems to stop on your birthday.  If you’re in school, the whole day is about you, if you’re not in school, you usually are doing something crazy and fun with your friends and family.  Nowadays, you still have to go to work and it’s almost like business as usual.  My co-workers at my company did decorate the shit out of my little cubicle and made the day as special as you can but I still was swamped with work and the day kind of went as it usually does.  After work, I had dinner with my parents, which doesn’t happen all that much anymore but still nothing spectacular and then home to play some video games then hang out with the wife.  Nothing crazy but my wife is planning a big 30^th birthday party in a week or so which will be crazy and fun.  I guess it’s not really fair to compare the milestone birthdays to regular birthdays because on regular birthdays, it’s just a regular old day once you get past 21.  Maybe it’s me but all the fun and special feeling of a birthday kind of die when you get past 13 years old (unless it’s a milestone age).

There is one more thing about turning old that I’d like to talk about.  It’s all this talk about being old and how all the aches and pains are going to start coming.  Well, guess what, I already have tons of aches and pains.  You’re talking to a guy who’s had about 20 surgeries in his lifetime.  I’ve torn both of my Achilles tendons, had two reconstructive shoulder surgeries, a back surgery and about 15 surgeries on my left eye.  I’m already feeling achy and creaky; it’s as if I was a 50 year old living in a 30 year old body.  It’s the worst at night and in the morning.  After waking up in the morning, I seriously feel like I’m not going to make it.  After a couple of Advil’s and a hot shower, I’m good to go.  I’m usually fine most of the day, then I hit up the gym after work and as soon as I get home and sit down for longer than 30 minutes, BOOM, it hits me.  The aches and pains are back.  Maybe it’s me but if MORE aches and pains are in my future I’m in big trouble because I already have enough of that shit!!!

The Love "Holiday"

Happy Valentine’s Day, or should I say, Happy Most Commercially Driven Holiday Ever Day!  There is no doubt that Valentine’s Day is a fake commercial Holiday but is that necessarily a bad thing?  I’m torn on the issue because I like that it gets people out there spending money helping stimulate the economy but also hates how it creates an atmosphere where you’re supposed to love someone extra special because it’s the 14^th of February.  I guess I lean more on the side of who gives a shit about Valentine’s Day because personally I don’t celebrate it.  Luckily for me I have a wonderful wife who feels the same way.  We don’t need one day and corporate America to tell us to love each other.  We hardly ever go out and instead enjoy a quite evening at home with a nice dinner.  It’s basically what we do on any night of the week so it’s business as usual on my home front.  Maybe it’s me but you should love the person you’re with extra special EVERY day, not just on the 14^th of February.

Don’t let me hold you back on buying the special lady in your life some chocolate, jewelry or flowers.  Many of those type of businesses rely heavily on Valentine’s Day and I know for a fact that the jewelry business has one of it’s busiest days leading up to the Holiday.  My mother-in-law works for a jewelry business and her salary is almost all commission.  She counts on the week before Valentine’s Day as about 25-35% of her salary for the entire year.  The other big events are usually Christmas and the month of July.  I guess July is big for wedding and engagement rings.  Either way, she relies on Valentine’s Day, so get out there big spender and buy that piece of jewelry.

My biggest complaint about the holiday is that it makes those that don’t have someone special in their life feel like a big piece of shit.  I don’t have any statistics on the subject but I’d be willing to bet that Valentine’s Day has an unusual amount of suicides compared to just a regular day of the year.  All the commercials, movies, television programs, basically any media or entertainment outlet makes being alone on Valentine’s Day a crime.  They basically say if you don’t have someone on Valentine’s Day, you’re a loser and here’s a gun, go blow your brains out.  I’m here to tell you people, if you don’t have someone on the 14^th of February, don’t worry, put down that gun, you’ll be fine.  There’s always the 15^th, 16^th, etc., etc.  It’s okay to not have someone on a made-up Holiday, it’s a gimmick, don’t fall for it!!

In the end, it’s good for the economy but bad for the psyche of single people.  Those with someone, just try to do what you do on TODAY, EVERYDAY with the one you love.  Maybe it’s me but Valentine’s Day should just be a reminder to love the one you’re with ALL THE TIME!

Dating in the Social Networking Age

I have a few single friends that are currently in the dating game and it got me thinking about how easy single people have it nowadays.  Social networking has made dating and asking people out way easier than it used to be.  I remember when you like someone you had three options, either go up to them face to face and start a conversation, write them a note or get a friend to let them know you were interested.  The face to face interactions were always the hardest as rejection is very hard to deal with face to face.  Nowadays with Facebook, text messaging and other social medial (Twitter) you basically can “talk” with someone for days before even meeting them face to face.  If you don’t like each other, you simply stop texting or sending messages via Facebook and its over.  No face to face rejection, no embarrassment and most importantly no headaches.

I’m a married man now so I don’t have to worry about this type of thing but man would it be easy now to meet and talk to women.  Maybe it’s me but social networking has made dating so much easier.

Connecticut Sunday Liquor Sales & Tolls...

Connecticut is considering passing a bill to lift the ban on liquor stores and grocery markets selling alcohol on Sundays.  All I can say to that is, “It’s about time!”  Not only because I will get to purchase alcohol on Sundays, but also it’s needed revenue for the state of Connecticut.  I keep hearing how the state is facing a deficit and is blowing through budgets like they’re birthday cake at a workplace.  Why not open liquor stores on Sundays?  Seems like a logical idea to me.  There are tax dollars to be made and the state could badly use that money.  The news stated that we are only one of only fourteen states left that has this Prohibition Era Blue Law that prohibits sales of alcohol on Sundays.    We are one of only 3 states that ban beer and wine as well as alcohol on Sundays.  My question is why are we living in the old days?  Maybe it’s me, but I think it’s time to lift the ban to better the state of Connecticut.

It’s just seems so logical, open the stores, increase revenue to the state by getting an extra day of taxes.  It’s an extra 3 to 4 days a month which works out to 36 to 48 days a year, so about a month of extra money coming into the state.  Every little bit will help with the deficit.

While we’re at it, I’ve seen people trying to put back in tolls on major highways.  At first I was against this but I think I’ve come around.  I think we should put the tolls on Interstate 95 down by New York and by Rhode Island.  This is a major interstate that many travelers frequently use that are from out of state.  Why not put up a toll or two on I-95 and collect some more revenue for the state?  I guess the major obstacle in this is the traffic that will occur.  I-95 is already a nightmare with traffic and slowing it down more could be bothersome but if the state really wants to get itself out of a hole, I say we have to be ready to deal with a little traffic and put the tolls up.

These two simple measures could give the state extra money and I can’t believe haven’t been done yet.  Maybe it’s me, but there seems to be some very easy ways the state can help dig themselves out of the deficit hole they’ve created.

Time To Start Running Idiots Over!

There is a problem here in Hartford, CT and I’m here to address it.  Every morning I almost kill two to three pedestrians because of their lack of common sense and stupidity.  I drive through the streets of Hartford and can not tell you how many morons just step into the street with complete disregard for their safety.  There is a safe way to cross a street that most of us were taught back in grade school, so how come everybody seems to have completely forgotten how to do it?   Everyday I see a moron cross the street not in a cross walk, dart out from behind the front of the bus or if they do decide to use a cross walk, they just walk across the street when they feel.  No need to wait for the electronic devices that are put there to indicate when it is safe to cross, nope, just walk when you feel because you either are an asshole or are in a rush.

I guess the one that bothers me the most are the dumbasses that dart out from the front of the bus.  I was taught a very long time ago to always go to the back of a vehicle then cross a street.  This is because, first you have a better view of traffic and most importantly, traffic can see you.  Guess what, if you dart out from the front of the bus and try to cross the street, I can’t see you and you have the potential to be run over like Grandma on Christmas.  I almost get one EVERYDAY!!!  It’s getting to be ridiculous.  What I also love is the looks I get from these retards like it’s my fault that I almost hit them because they can’t use common sense to cross a street.  F-U asshole!!

I’ve actually started honking a flipping off people a lot more.  Maybe this is the first step?  Maybe in time, I will just start plowing these people over.  I’m going to be honest with you perhaps that’s not such a bad idea.  Do we really want these idiots running around the city anyway?  These people are either really stupid or are complete assholes, and do we really need more stupid assholes in the world?  Maybe it’s me but if you can’t comprehend how to cross a street in a busy city, you should be run over.  A couple more weeks of this, I’m going to be playing grand theft auto here on the streets of Hartford!