4 AM Ride & I Been Thinkin Once Again!

Sunday morning 4 am on 4/15/2012, I can't rest, aches and pains are gnawig at every joint in my body. I say to myself  "the hell with this shit!" I'll take a late night ride. Actually, not too long ago, Punkster ( my dog ) and I would ride around every Sunday morning, at this hour, looking for critters of the night. I laughingly referred to this ride as "searching for big foot," before cancer took her away. I haven't rode around in the wee hours, since her passing. I'll go through town this morning. This time of the week, absolutely no one is out and about. They be, all snuggled in their beds, sleeping. That's why, I like it soo! I could use some can dog food for Pedro, my other old dog who is 14. He won't be around much longer, age is slowly, but surely, robbing him also! Pedro showed up one spring morning, in April 12 years ago, becoming Punksters best friend.

I thought, "if I'm going to hurt" I may as well, do something useful. I purchase a diet fountain drink, called big red, since I'm on The South Beach Plan, as in d-d-d-di-et, at my fav "un-convenient store" where I had to wait in line, as 10 people were ahead of me. Usually, its zip in, and zip out, at this hour. Something's gonna to be strange,  this Sunday Morn, I feel it in my aching bones! (Oh, I almost forgot!) I got a bag o nuts. (cashews) I'm already nutty, so adding a  few more nuts, ainna, gonna hurt me one iota! This convenient store is conveniently located close to Wally's World, you know, one of them all night big box stores.

The trip inside the all night amusement park, was amusing as always! I run the usual obstacle course of pallets and  boxes, everywhere! The people working here are ALIEN-ated to customers hindering them. I take it all in stride, having mucho problems of my own, as in a gigantic headache and inflamed joints, like when you have the flu. I meander about the amusement park, much to my amusement, (ha, ha, sometimes I crack myself up!!!) picking up a few things, I seem to always forget, that I needed, until I get home. Why are they always moving stock around here? Just when I think I know where to look in the supermarket part, of the park. I say, "piss on this!" Aliens appear from behind swinging doors in the rear of Wally's World! I shutter to think what lies back there!!! One comes out the size of a hores pulling a large pallet of produce. You know how these young Aliens/young ones like showing their underwear! His was riding much lower than the accepable norm! His buttocks are rather large and them pants didn't go down, as in down, you know what I mean! Thank the almighty for that!!! I don't think my heart could of withstood it!

Onto the main course, of my rambling. I drive through the heart of my community, as in MAIN STREET. Actually it be Washington Street. We've been on a building frenzy in the downtown area. Three parking garages, oh yeah! My community's been building them things, from zero, zip, nada, to three of them lickety split! Damn, the economy as in building construction, sure as hell ain't stagnant in my hometown! Hotels, apartments, office buildings. Damn, I ain't seen nothing like this since the interstate system came through in the early 60's. Until that time, Washington Street was the main steet in town! I hope you got that, silly but true! If you wanted anything you must go downtown as Petula Clark once sang! Drugs, yep! Downtown, oopsey, legal as in Walgreens! Banks, we had all of three banks and one Credit Union for the big factory in town, that makes, whoops, if I tell you that, you'll know my hometown! Fortune 200 or possibly higher. They have been making record profits in the last ten years or so. While others struggle, this world wide company makes much $$$$$. Any way downtown was where it was at! Then the builders of houses went suburb mania, and downtown was dying, like a rope tied wrong, causing the hanging to take FOREVER! Why? All them businesses gone, the suburban sprawl, became the suburban drawl! You build a hundred houses and them chain stores relocate. We thought we had hit the big time in 1965 with one Mcdonalds and a K. F. C. That was it baby! We had wonderful family owned restaurants, where you bring the family and enjoy dinner, like grandma was cooking it! Damn, them fast food joints, !@#$ed up everything! How so! Damn, look at the obesity problem in our children! They be giving gastric bypass surgery to teenagers today! Never heard about such surgery back then! Most likely didn't exist.

Hardware stores, downtown, clothing stores, downtown, you get the picture, "downtown." Now there were other establishments on main street, that opened up after the 9 to 5 stores closed. Oh yeah! Them be the bars, lodges and such! These alcohol establishments cater to the drinkers and private clubs, so on and so forth, was allowed. Standing all symbolic, rising many stories was the typical courthouse with the large clock pointing all four directions.There was a most convenient jail, beside the courthouse. How convenient! Damn you reckon that's where these modern convenience stores of today got the name! Just a thought! How convenient was that! Also, there was police officers working as teams actually walking the beat. They patroled on foot mind ya! Carrying them big night sticks nudging them drunks and other problem that always seem to be where alcohol is, over to the jail! See how much more convenient it was on main street back then. I remember bars called, Hollywood, Wagon Wheel and of course all them Secret Societies doing all there secret work! Now, what would be going on in them clubs anyway? My oh my! Any way??? Well I was too young to know back then. BUTT, I heard stories, all I will say is, boys will be boys! So to put this in mens unscientific fomula, you got secret societies, lodges, bars for the simpletons of the county. Men drinking--- away from their wives--- secrets---- bars--- simpletons = = =. okay I won't say it! Just use your !@#$ing imagination! Damn! Why did I get off on that? Sad but true! You had the family, shopping, going to the movies and on the other hand, you had the dark side, a bunch of drinkers acting like 18 year olds! On Sundays you had the biggest, fanciest, churhes with the largest congregation, where? Downtown!

I know yer a thinkin what in tarnation is this old boy a talking about! Well these thoughts and how much main street has changed, good or bad! The controlling of downtown was a good thing back then. Both the regular God/Apple Pie people, shared main street, somehow with the dark ones of the night! I'm really not poking fun of either here, I'm simply stating facts as I know them to be! My Daddy liked his drinking. Many a times, as in more than once and less than a hundred, my Daddy would park his pickup out side the Wagon Wheel or another classy joint, Lou La Bells. Yep, I can't make this good a shit up! Well's, anyhow, me and my bro, as in my brother, waited outside the bar for our Dad to come out. Many times we saw fights, drunks staggering out and other craziness! Seems so stupid! Both then and now! Never understood such behavior, never will! It goes on in my community today, only stretched all over the community out into the new suburbia, with liquor available at every convenient store, Drug Store, Super Store and  Super markets! Damn what a shame! You got sodie pop on one aisle and liquor on the other. Whilst I be on a rampage against mass stupidity! I remember the time before... I hate these words as much as I do alcohol... Lottery tickets... Police would raid bingo games sponsored by a church when I was young, yep! I can't make such good shit up! My state once balenced the budget, before gambling mania took hold! These lottery tickets! The odds are so damn high, you may as well take out your life's savings, sell the house and go to Vegas! Oh shit! You don't have to do that now! Just visit the boats along the Oho River where gambling is allowed!

I originally had a point, till I began typing, then all hell broke loose inside! The point is, Main Street in the Heartland is an all American portrait of once upon a time! All of the eggs are being put in one basket! Not twenty years ago this company was going the way of the big three automakers. A miracle ressurection from the original family members, put money back into the failing company and a big turn around took place. I'm glad, but we, as in the regular Joe's, are financing all this downtown renovating. Businesses as in retaurants, bars, hotel's etc. 800 new jobs are "supposedly" being created in Engineering. Good paying jobs, mind ya!

The thing that sticks in this old man's crawl is! WE, as in the taxpayers, are underwriting all these projects for one company! This is what frost my balls. The highly skilled jobs will not be filled with ones in our community! They will hire from everywhere for these positions. If, and God forbid, the company falters like it did, 20 years ago, who will be left holding the bag for all these goodies for the privileged company and new workers??? Yep, old average Joes, making far less than the wonder boys of the Engineering sector. So the brains of the community, I, I, I, stutter saying these words, Politicians, even at the local level do what they wish, OR what money buy's! This is a double edge sword for me! This company, visionaries that created this are long gone! I applaud these ones! The last few years has brought torturing results for us the average Joe's! We pay and pay and pay, as will our future generations for the bailing out of corporations too big to fail! DAMN!!! I'm tired of my paycheck being decided by Politicians, that IS NOT meant to help "WE THE PEOPLE!" WE BE NOTHING MORE THAN PACK MULES BEING TAXED TO DEATH! I'M GLAD I'M GETTING OLD, I CANNOT IMAGINE MY HOMETOWN IN TWENTY YEARS! In my hopes, dreams and prayers, I wish for better. I don't see it that way! The two classes of people get narrowed down. What's so !@#$ing bad about this, is the mindless mindset, of people are letting it happen! Perfect example in my opinion! If you actually believe the answer in OUR problems lie in voting for the other party not in office. There is no hope! Both parties ae bankrolled with the Mega Super Rich Corporations and the self-proclaimed Elite as in --- follow the money, GREED!

I HAVE GONE ON A BIT OF A TIRADE! ALONG WITH THESE NEW ADDITIONS IN MY HOMETOWN IS BANKS, SPROUTING UP LIKE SPRINGTIME FLOWERS. AHH! THEY BE GETTING THE JUMP ON ALL THIS MONEY THAT'S GONNA BE FLOWING IN! DAMN THEM BANKERS BE SMART ONES! YEP! THEY FLEECE US HARD WORKING MULES OF THE WORLD, WE WORK, AND PAY, AND PAY! DON'T Y'ALL OUT THERE GET TIRED OF GETTING !@#$ED, AND NEVER GETTING A KISS, FOREPLAY, NOT EVEN A TAD OF K Y JELLY FOR LUBRICATION! YIKES!!! ANYHOW THIS PRETTY MUCH SUMS UP WHAT I WAS THINKING ON, AS I RODE DOWN MAIN STREET OF MY HOMETOWN. HOPE I DIDN'T BORE YOU, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN!   Glen