I Finally Have Flowers.........I Hope I'm Not Turning Gay

Last year when I moved into my apartment (well about 16 months ago), I made a lot of purchases from estate sales and garage sales, to furnish my new place.

I wanted unique items, and at the time I was rolling in the "on hand" cash, so I spent it.  One such item that I spent some money on was a PLUMERIA TREE . You can use the link I provide, but basically the Plumeria Tree is the Hawaiian Lei Plant.  You know....that nice necklace of flowers that the Hawaiian Dancers place around your neck, as you enter the Island.

Well , last year, 2009, in April, I placed my newly acquired Plumeria Tree outside, and it was my turn to care for it.  By the way, it was at least 5 years old already, and I bought it for $50.  At that time, it looked almost dead, with no leaves, and no flowers.

But a couple of gay guys advised me that it was really a beautiful plant that sprang to life in the summer months, with flowers and leaves.

Anyhow, last summer it did come alive with huge , bright, expansive leaves, yet it never yielded any flowers.

Now I say...."Yippie, yee ha, hallelujah ....I have my first bloom in the summer of 2010.  I can only conclude that this 5 day , over 90 degree heat wave that the East Coast is experiencing, is directly responsible for the welcome addition to the leaves of my Plumeria Tree.  

Do I sound gay?  Well, I am extremely happy about it, that's for sure.

The photos are my own personal snapshots, and not some computer rip off's, like the ones I use in many of my posts.  So enjoy, and share in my delight, on the bloom of my first flower.

Oh, and I met a rare flower yesterday, and had a great time, on what normally would have been a boring day for me.

Two flowers in 2 days....I'm on a roll.

I Absolutely Love Hot Weather.....as long as there is air conditioning

I see that I have not posted a fresh story in a week.  Let's get back to business.

Areas of NJ hit 100 degrees today.  That is just way too cool.  I love the heat.  I am almost at a point in my religious beliefs, where I need something to believe in.  So why not that big orange/yellow ball of fire in the sky.  Seriously people.....it never lets you down, it shows up every day, and the warmth it provides on your body is almost spiritual.

So....my God is the Sun.  There were, (and maybe are) some cultures that worshipped the Sun God.  I believe that God's name was Ra.  All I know is that when I am feeling down, a bright , warm, sunny day always inspires me to forge ahead.  I don't waste my time praying to someone who has never shown his (or her) face in a few thousand years.  And whose biography begins in a part of the world where hate and killing and murder is a way of life.  And I am to believe that my savior was born in that region, where young children are groomed from the time they can talk and reason, to hate and kill.  Give me a break.

Well, my ongoing battle with the IRS is taking a new route this week.  I paid a tax lawyer a $1950 retainer fee to begin the process of lowering my wage levies, and possibly lowering the overall amount that I owe.  I have been unsuccessful for 6 months now in my communications with a Tax Advocate.  Those people are worthless.  If my lawyer says that he can get the IRS to lower my garnishments, (at a final cost of $7,000), then why is it that my Tax Advocate can't use the same tactics and get it done for me for free?

So, a lot of my posts in the next couple of months will be the progress of my battle to put more money in my pocket each month.  I love America, but I can't stand, and don't trust our government.  They are right up there with cops.....ego maniacs with a badge and guns.

Be back in a couple of days.................

I Didn't Know It Till Now.....But I'm Totally a Buddhist!!!!

Religion has always been a real sore point with me.

Sure, I was raised as a Catholic (Italian Dad, Irish Mom), but to me it was just like going to shcool......I couldn't wait till I didn't have to go church any longer after my confirmation.

So lately, with the way my life has been going, I thought that maybe I should consider getting back to some religion and faith, and I started to read the bible.

Now, since I don't want to get into some long dissertation tonight, I am going to sum up my feelings in the next paragraph regarding religion and the bible.

First , it always bugged me that wars and killing , quite often, are started because of religion , and in the name of God.  Then, after reading a few passages from the bible, I come to learn that Noah, and Moses, and Kane and Able, were all over a couple of hundred years old.  Well, that sealed it for me and God and religion.  If I was not a believer before I read the bible, just the first couple of pages nailed my coffin shut on that belief....and I don't think I am coming back to life......like some people.

I just happened across the beliefs and laws of Buddhism......and sure as shit, I am a Buddhist.

So all you saviors out there, I welcome all of your criticisms and your comments.  Don't be shy.  As a Buddhist, you will not offend me.

Maybe I Should Tell You About SUBOXONE

Yesterday, my first paragraph would have led you to assume that I am some kind of addict.

And in a way, you would be correct.

Yet, my addiction arose from my legitamate use of pain killers.  I had a spinal disease that for some strange reason, caused my ankles to sear with pain when I walked. So , since I was in construction, and responsible for the competion of million dollar jobs, my doctor prescribed Percocet so that I could get through my 7 hour day.

After about 1 year, the pain in my ankles disappeared.  Financially it made sense to me to cease my use of Percocet.  Yet, two days away from that pill (of which I was taking 8 per day), caused such severe withdrawals, that I began taking the pill just to get relief from the cramping and sweating and chills and blurred vision, and a multidude of horrible biological symptoms which no human should endure.

I know what Michael Jackson, (and a host of other Stars) were going through. But they could afford their addictions, even though in the end it killed them.  I , on the other hand, was going through $1800 per month, buying Perc's off the street, to stave off my withdrawals.

There was no HIGH.  There was just "not feeling like shit".  And only Perc could save my day.

When I finally could no longer afford to buy Percocet, I checked myself into a ReHab Center.  That alone was $750 per day, and I did not have insurance at the time.

It was while I was in ReHab, that I discovered SUBOXONE.  This little 2 milligram orange pill, administered to me every 6 hours, alleviated all of my withdrawal symptoms.

I stayed in ReHab for 3 days, and checked myself out (to save some money), and headed directly to a doctor who was licensed to prescribe SUBOXONE.

Little did I know, how addictive SUBOXONE is.  Even though it only costs me about $300 per month now, I am struggling to wean myself off of SUBOXONE, two years after checking myself out of ReHab.

Just something else to add to the "crap" pile, that has become my life.

Try Being Poor Sometime

Hi everyone,

I have been away for awhile, doing illegal stuff, and dealing with my percocet addiction (which is actually a suboxone addition now), and feeling sorry for myself.  I almost have the "monkey on my back" licked, but I have to really tough it out.

Sometimes, I forget,  that writing about how one's life is going, and how one's life has gone, can be therapeutical.

My topic today, is a topic that I would never have thought to include myself in, because I always figured I would never be poor.

Even though I am not poor in the sense of not having a car, or not wearing clean clothes, or not feeding myself and others........I really do feel poor.

It could be that since my mother and father were living as middle class, I could never feel like I was missing anything.  I believe, that as long as you are clean, and don't have any illness (that money can't cure), and that you can always eat when you are hungry, then, you should never think you are poor.  Am I basically correct with that?

Please answer that with a comment, regarding how you feel about that last statement, even if it is controversial.

Yet, as you live in your designated monetary society, and conduct your daily activities based on what your  "on hand" income will allow you to do, in that particular class....it is usually that class of people, with whom you will associate. Yet, I can say that I am intelligent enough, and clean enough, and know how to dress for the occasion enough, that I can fool most people with whom I come in contact with, of my "actual" financial status.  But , in the long run, it is the poor people of this world with whom I associate.

Would you agree with me that being poor can be, in the majority, linked to the reason of why theft occurs?  That is probably a very easy statistic to verify (given today's poll community).  But, in a non argumentative way, and without bringing in "greed ", would that be a fair assumption?

Before I continue, let me know what your opinion is?

Thanks

Why the F**K Did I Lose $50,000 -Fifty Thousand Dollars ---F**K

I thought that the guy upstairs would have given up by now. But he is still cranking his fucking music. That means that I have to keep up with him, and keep mine cranked up.

I generally like low volume all the time. I'm 55 now, and I guess my rockin' days are over.

But Frank (guy upstairs) must be guzzling a lot of booze since it is the holiday weekend. And now, I have to be the prick, and if he finally shuts his fucking Michael Jackson music off, I have to keep mine cranked, just to show him how it feels when you want to go to sleep,and the fucking music is still playing.

So, self inflicted torture to prove a point, that this drunk upstairs won't get anyway. Damn

My own fault for having to live like a poor man, surrounded by assholes. I deserve this for gambling all my money away.

Did I tell you that I lost $50,000 in 2 months. Who does that if they only make $15,000 per year?  I don't want to talk about it.
Makes me sick. See you tomorrow. Maybe I'll tell you the story tomorrow, of how I got the 50 grand, and then how I gambled all it away in 8 weeks. Fuck

Surround Sound Wars

My neighbor in the upstairs apartment invited me up for a shot of Hennessy White. It burned all the way down.

Its amazing that we are still cordial and friendly with each other. He is always cranking his surround sound system up until it shakes the glasses in my little downstairs apartment.

Now , I couldn't , and shouldn't complain. We must both be in the same financial shape, or we wouldn't be living there.

So , I went on Ebay, and bought myself a surrond sound system. Now when he blasts his, I blast mine. I'm fine with that.

He even asked me once if he was playing his stuff too loud. I told him that the only time he will hear mine, is when I can't hear my own, because of his.  He was fine with that.

That's it for today....Just gonna chill for the rest of the evening.