Category: Orphans

How exactly does burning a candle at both ends work? I’ve never really tried because lighting one end always was a great enough expense of energy for me. And I like candles so what does that tell you?

The old saying “burning the candle at both ends” implies a sort of double-edged energy that flames out way past the normal bounds of exertion. What does that mean? I wish the hell I knew. Still, I can’t help but think that how I am feeling at this moment could be a classic, textbook example of someone who has burned his/her candle at both ends. No, that doesn’t mean I’ve set anything on fire. Not yet at least. It just means I’m tired. I’m spent. I want to sit and do nothing. But I have work I sorely need to dig into a little more this evening. What shall I do? What SHALL I do? I shall opt for nothing. Nothing is good. Nothing is the cat’s lingerie. I will sell no nothing before its time. Oh just shut the hell up will ya? Okay.

That’s a good question. I don’t know. Honestly. I felt like I needed a photo on this post, but I could be wrong. It is a rather hungry-looking stapler. Don’t you think?

This is just a break in my busy schedule. I don’t think I have ever been so busy and yet so poor. I have been tech writing away or, should I say, I have been tech researching away today. I am ready to cease and desist. But alas I cannot because the wolf has slipped in past my door and now is eating the raw spaghetti in my cupboard and drinking the last of my cabernet. Damn wolves. You can’t live with ’em … Tomorrow I have a freelance assignment near my old hometown. It will be nice to get out for a little while. Just as it is nice to stop and take a break to blog and kind of bang the cobwebs loose from my brain. Trouble is, I now have to vacuum them off the floor. The cobwebs, not my brain (hopefully).

I might post more later today. I might not. I’m just kind of that way. I never said I was perfect.

I have spent my afternoon trying to do my income taxes. I say trying. The program I was using didn’t want me to edit, so with scant information the government was owing me almost $1,000. Except that isn’t right. At least, I doubt it’s right. I guess that’s what you get for using free tax software. But in an attempt to never let the bastards get me (too far) down, I downloaded about three other free income tax programs. I guess I’ll just have to see what happens.

What’s that? You say I could take my taxes to a professional? Do tell. No, not if I want to eat for the rest of the month. It wouldn’t be so bad but some of the words in filing the return are scary such as, “amortization,” and “under penalties of perjury.”

Oh well, I still have time to do my taxes. Never do today what you can put off until April 15.

The Super Bowl commercials were a big disappointment. It’s usually the only reason I watch the damn thing. There were a couple of good ones though. I thought the best was the Career Builder ad. Click here to see it. It is the far right one under “2006 Commercials.”

I’m looking for part-time work today. The demon tech writing job and what little stringing I’m doing isn’t getting fresh fruit in the basket (I can only afford to buy the old fruit. Ever eaten a really old plum? Don’t.)

Just now I did some quick math. I stopped getting haircuts almost eight years ago, going instead for the cue-ball head look (Obviously, the guy in the picture is not me.) I also stopped smoking five years ago. I figure I have saved $1,920 on haircuts and likewise save $7,400 on smoking (Yes, I’m sad to say I smoked two packs a day. Yes, I’m sad to say I have this parentheses affliction this morning.)

Actually, saving is not what I did at all. For if I had actually saved the money that had been spent on haircuts and smoking, I would have more than $9,300-plus interest. Instead, well … Saving. Right!

It’s on with the search. I applied for a part-time data entry job with the U.S. Postal Service. It sounds positively dreadful. But the money sounds nice. I’m still looking though. I guess I should say in being true to the song by Rush: “They call me the look for working man.” I guess that’s what I am.