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The other day I went down the street a bit to a local Chinese
restaurant slash bar type place called Chan's Dragon Inn. It's not the
same Chinese place I normally go eat at, Ming Wah, which is excellent.
In fact the so-called "San Francisco Style" Chinese food they serve
at Chan's is I think terrible. To be honest, what drew me there the other
day was the bar. I wanted a good Bloody Mary. And the couple places
that were closer to my apartment I knew didn't serve good ones — I
has already tried them on prior occasions.
As it turned out the trip wasn't successful. Chan's turned out to serve
just as poor Bloody Marys as the other places. I hadn't been to the
place in about one year. These days seven blocks from me isn't a short
distance. In any case I sipped on the Bloody Mary, disappointed with
the drink but at least glad to get out somewhere for the first time in
3 weeks.
The placed seemed to creep into my soul, and not in a good way. After
about an hour it occurred to me that the people around me at the bar
that early evening were all scumbags or somehow brain damaged.
I know that sounds like a terrible thing to say. It sounds very
judgemental, elitist perhaps, or just plain egotistical. But that's the
way I felt about it. And in fact it seems that I have been increasingly
surrounded by people like that lately. Not being unfamiliar with
psychology I know that if you look around and everybody seems crazy,
then chances are they are fine and you are the crazy one. Be that as it
may, I will stand by my own personal sanity.
I know that a bar is rarely a positive environment in most cases. But
even though I don't get out very much a bar is not my only environment.
Yet when I do, it still seems the scumbags and the brain damaged abound.
Eventually it occurred to me that the environment that had been best
for me over the past years has been out at school, Eastern Washington
University. Looking back on it the whole educational thing was more
than mere scholarship. It was a very positive general environment —
what you could call good for my soul as well as my mind.
I'm not in school these days. And though I sometimes fantasize about
going back I doubt, realistically, that I will. Everything unto it's own
time. There are a few clubs here in Spokane that I might be interested
in. There's the Spokane Photography Club and also the Spokane Astronomy
Club. But those clubs are geared to more normal people with cars — the
meetings let out late and I couldn't get home on the bus at those hours.
And I'm not a church goer nor do I subscribe to any religion — or at
least no religion known these days.
My few friends, who are a positive influence on me and who are
definitely not scumbags or brain damaged, I don't see them much any
more. I know that it is tough for them watching their friend practically
dissolve before their eyes from heart failure. So it seems that, for
the most part, my friends are a thing of the past also.
But then there's Opera. The other day at Chan's the only relief I got
for those few hours was when I got on the Blackberry and went to my
blog and looked at a few funny Comments that my Opera friends had
made. In fact this place, Opera, seems lately like a breath of sanity
compared to what I experience elsewhere these days.
Just today I read some very uplifting posts here. I read one by
Richard, a biologist, who wrote about his new job and about how it
helps people. I read one by Allan talking about his world of social
education and the learning patterns of a little girl. Star had a good
post on the daily exersize of freedom of speech. And besides these
Darko had a good one on the moon in Belgrade, and there was a sad but
ultimately uplifting post by Angeliki on animals with disabilities. And
this is only a small sampling, of course. My other Opera friends also
have contributed to this great experience on a day-to-day basis, in
many areas — art, mythology, music, poetry. [All of which, for those
who might not be familiar with things here, you can find on the Blog
Roll on my Sidebar.]
Strangely, not a scumbag or a brain damaged individual in the whole
lot, at least as far as I know.
And for that I would like to thank all of you so very much. As I said
to Angeliki lately — "You make my life better."
ricewood said:
You have my sympathy – and you know why.You know, yesterday friends visited us at our house. We had lamb, potatoes and carrots, red wine and brown rhum – and we had fun. Lots of fun. A lot of work was needed to make the food, and to buy everything for it. To clean the house, to rearrange furniture and to stay witty and alert all the time the friends were in the house.Today I am extremely tired. I will probably not be able to get outside at all – but you know – it was worth the while.That's what friends are – worth the while. Always. The ones on Opera and the ones next to us.I am happy not to be considered a scumbag by you 🙂
PainterWoman said:
Ed, I feel the same about everyone here. You all know more about me than anyone else, except for two people, my dearest friend who I've known for 25 yrs. and the man I no longer see. My friend is married and has a lot of negative things going on in her life so she retreats to Munds Park near Flagstaff most of the time while her family stays here. I see her once a year when I drive up there for a couple of days. When she is in Phoenix, her time is spent taking care of family matters. I've another friend but she is married and has two toddlers and is always busy. Had plans to lunch with her last week and we'd talked about two different restaurants. Unfortunately, I went to one and she went to the other. She had exactly an hour and a half between picking up her kids and lunch so her time is limited. We're trying it again this week but will email and call to confirm restaurant. Trust me, I've tried establishing new friends but for some reason it is hard breaking into a new group. Everyone has their own set of friends at our age and if you don't fit in…..well, that's the way it goes.
edwardpiercy said:
No, no scumbag, not even close. More like the Gentle Gardener.I am glad that you had a good time yesterday. Today is Sunday — time to relax and do less anyway, yeah? To rest from one's labors.Thank you.
edwardpiercy said:
Time and Tide I guess. Yes, I know what you mean about the family and friends thing. I've had friends that start seeing a new girlfriend and I then didn't see them for six months. Or a few who have moved in with someone or got married and that was pretty much it. I guess that good friend are not only hard to come by, but are sometimes hard to keep as well. Thank you for sharing your feelings on this, Pam. Perhaps we'll meet new friends, who knows, crazy things happen sometimes. 😆
gdare said:
I am glad my post has uplifting effect on you :happy: Eeven with that sheep-conversation :lol:About brain damaged people. Sometimes I feel the same way. I am suspicious that some people are doing that to me in purpose. Playing dumb :irked:
ellinidata said:
"And for that I would like to thank all of you so very much. As I saidto Angeliki lately — "You make my life better." I will not cry, I will not cry! I am not a cry baby! OK I have tears in my eyes!and I am not depressed or anything! :pI couldn't agree with you more Eddie,we got to form an amazing group of people here on Opera and somehow after the time passed, we got to understand the good days and the bad days and to care for each other!I call it an online miracle,and if I ever had any "blood cousins" in America my wish is for them to be just like you!I love you much for who you are ! :heart::cry: out of friendshipand love ..
Chas4 said:
My family has a favorite Chinese restaurant the Twin Dragon, there is a Panda Express that opened across the street, the Twin Dragon is a family owned businessWhen I get on MyO and read the blogs and the comments I always get a laugh
edwardpiercy said:
@ Darko.RE the sheep entries — sorry about that! :lol:And of course just as frustrating are the people who play smart but have no idea what they are talking about.BTW and off topic, what did you think of the David Carradine incident? Were you a fan?
gdare said:
I was his fan. Ever since I saw "Kung Fu" movie. Even though I didn`t like "Kill Bill" his role was very good in it 😀
edwardpiercy said:
@ Angeliki. :heart:@ You didn't like Kill Bill? Is it because it wasn't realistic enough? @ Chas. Laughter is certainly a part of it. @ Matt.Oh I don't judge people on something superficial like what they are wearing. I judge them on observable behavior that convinces me they are scumbags or brain damaged. 😆
noah counte said:
Any time I catch myself thinking thoughts about people I don't know that are supported only by my first impressions of their appearance, I take a time out and wonder to myself what they might think of me? That always snaps me out of it, because I can come up with much worse for me than I can for them. 😆
noah counte said:
Hahaha. Well, I'm glad to hear you do your research :p
Chas4 said:
was there for dinner
gdare said:
It was boring. When I was in cinema to see first part of the movie, I fell asleep during probably most interesting part, when Uma Thurman fought Luci Liu. It was the same with part 2, I missed most of the David Caradine scenes at the end :irked:
Stardancer said:
You're such a sweetheart.:heart:(I like you, too. :happy:)
dantesoft said:
Speaking of creeps, How to Put Up with some Idiot Telling You a Story He Clearly Just Made Up.
edwardpiercy said:
@ Star:heart:@ DanYeah, that James Joyce guy…definitely a creep. And a scumbag.