Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Former Friend

Alexandra & Belle


I worked with a woman named Donna at Southwestern Bell/SBC/AT&T for about 20 years. We got set in a support role & worked well together. We became friends.  Actually she got a friend...I can't exactly say the same for me. 

I was there for her pregnancy & then for her bought with breast cancer. I ended up going back to regular desk & she was promoted. 

Looking back, we had very little in common. She is married to Danny & has a son, in his 40s now. I have none of those things.  And Donna's only life was her family. It was all she talked about. 

She is also one of the most selfish people I've ever known. She did nothing she did not want to do. When I went to her house in the metroplex, she'd decided what we were going to do & she was not about to make a change. A couple of times I told her I wanted to do something else & she absolutely refused. We watched the TV shows she wanted to watch (Rachel Maddow for stupid sake) or the movie she wanted to see. Her house was always freezing. Not asking for heat but a throw would have been nice. I took to taking my own. And I'd have to take it to bed with me too. They didn't care one ounce. Plus she kept the nastiest house ever. I swear there was a roach in her dining room that was there the year before when I was there.

I'd be mortified if someone was uncomfortable in my home.

A couple of years ago, Donna had knee surgery & was having issues.  I called every few days to check on her. She finally told me that I didn't need to call so often. If she needed me, she'd call me.  So I never called again & she didn't call me. It's been 2 years since I talked to her. 

I had already blocked her from Facebook but she felt the need to message me questioning my post. She wanted to know why I was following a brewery--my cousin's business. And she tried to take me to task when I posted about Dr Fauci being a fraud. She loved him. I told her we'd have to agree to disagree. I'm sure she was not pleased.

Donna & Danny were obnoxious, dyed in the wool Democrats & we definitely have different political views. But we never really discussed it.  But after the election this year, Danny wrote an asshole post on Facebook about losing the election & how he was cleaning out all his friends who did not agree with him. He burned a whole lot of bridges. 

So last week I got a note from Donna. She told me they were moving to be close to their son. She also said I was her dearest friend for 40 years & it was too bad that politics came between us. I had assumed that was the big issue but we did not discuss politics. And I have always been able to care about people even if they didn't agree with me on every thing. But I'm an adult, so there's that. I have to say the note made me angry. I shredded the note. And the only picture I had of the 2 of us. And I put the family cookbook she'd given me in the donation box. Did I mention I was angry?

The only thing I kept from her were 2 Boyds Bears years ago with 2 women on the phone...Alexandra & Belle. I'm confident I can still love them in spite of where they came from. 


 

 



 

Monday, January 13, 2025

Air Supply



I went to the Buddy Holly Center to watch the band Air Supply.  Lubbock was the 1st stop on their 50th anniversary tour. I've loved their music for all those years.  Basically, they are geezers, like me.

I've seen them 2x before...once at the Orleans in Vegas in 2015 & then at the local fair in maybe 2018. They put on a good show.

Neither of their voices are what they used to be but I'd hate to admit what I've lost as I've gotten older. Falsetto guy Russell still sounds good but partner Graham has lost most of his voice. However, G plays a mean guitar.  

They also had a young band behind them...one particular guitar player played "tortured" like he was in a hard rock band instead of a geezer band. It was humorous.

Russell had overdone the hair dye & the make up & was dressed in plain shirt, leather pants with studs & tassels & black shoes (or boots...couldn't tell) with rhinestones.  Graham looked normal.

My favorite song is 'Two Less Lonely People' ...because I relate to it:


I was down, my dreams were wearin' thin
When you're lost, where do you begin?
My heart always seemed to drift from day to day
Looking for the love that never came my way


Graham Russell
Russell Hitchcock



2025 Books

 

Books 2025

1. Hot Property             Mike Lupica  (Spenser)