Bad luck sand

"You better not take that" my mom said, "Its bad luck."
"Yeah, whatever Mom you are so superstitious! I said as I filled a huge Ziploc bag with black sand from Hawaii.
I was 22 or 23. Thought I knew it all.
The legend is that if you take Black Sand from the beach in Hawaii the Gods of the Hawaiian people will bestow bad luck on you until you return it. Whatever..

Now trust me when I tell you this. She was right! No, she was fucking RIGHT!
I have had bad luck for the last 21 years. Sure I can blame everything that happens to me on the damn black sand. Let me tell you, my parents remind me all the time that everything that is bad or unlucky is because of the sand.

Just in the last few days, the basement began to flood when it rains. I climbed on the extension ladder to clean the gutters and god only knows what the hell happened but it decided to not be extended and came sliding down and ripped my thumb practically off. I had to go to the E.R and get stitches. The dog got sick, my son got strep throat and missed his 1st day of school. Last night it stormed again and the tree in my yard split down the middle and half of it landed in the neighbors yard ripping out their electrical service.

Ha, you laugh and think that's not so bad.

Let me go back a few years.
When we were leaving Hawaii with my precious sand in my suitcase something happened to the plane and just when we were about to lift off, we didn't and almost ran out of runway. I remember my mom looking over at me across the isle in the plane. She had that I told you so look.

My brother was stabbed 3 times in his home in Phoenix. They were trying to rob him. He almost didn't survive. After a long recovery, he was on his bike and a car hit him and left him for dead in a ditch. He now has a brain injury will never be the brother we all knew.

My dad sold the family business that I worked at for 22 years, leaving me jobless and pissed off.
I did not go to college of course because "Someday this business will all be yours" Well he changed his plans.

Okay, so maybe to you its not so bad. Could be lots worse. That's what your thinking. Isn't it?
Trust me if you ever go to Hawaii, DO NOT bring home the black sand.

Sure I could take it back, but security at the airport could take it, or the plane might crash if they let me on with it.
I could send it back through the mail, but would you really depend on the Postal Service? What if they lost it. Bad luck forever!
If I put my trust in them and it arrives in Hawaii, how do I really know that the person who opens the box actually will take it to the beach and pour it out.

A little advice okay?
Listen to your mother, because you know in the end she will be right....

Winners and Losers

My great friend posted this song on his blog.
Having a tough time in my life choices now and the words are exactally what I am feeling.

P.S. Hes' a great writer and I believe in him.
Go for it!

Occasional Affirmation

Painting the pump on the outside

doesn't change

the polluted water

inside the well.

What is down in the well

will come up in the bucket.

A little help here??

Do me a favor would you? Go outside and see if there is a bush in front of either your electric, gas, or water meter..I'll wait, go ahead.
Your back..you couldn't find your meters?
Well, that's because you probably have a god damn rose bush or evergreen in front of it.

Have you ever heard someone say "Well, someone has to be a garbage man?" When people who have not attended college are in mixed company with "The college graduate."

Well, someone has to be a meter reader! So if you don't mind, pull the vine off the meter, trim the bush back and for gods sake get rid of the rose bushes. It would make my hot miserable day much better.
Nobody plants a rosebush in front of a mailbox so you can't open it, do they??

Department of Utilities Meter Readers all over the world thank you!
Have a happy humid day!