Staying Away from Anger - Almost

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Public Enemies Photo blog - has been updated

I've been trying to get some hint of what is happening in the Public Enemies world so last night I contacted my best friend (an acquaintance) Bob Wagner, the 1st Assistant Director. We talked for a while, well, actually emailed each other 5 or 6 times (have you ever seen the movie The Lake House? it was nothing like that) and I got nothing for you.

He did say he "actually missed Columbus" and he did say our town was a beautiful little place. But even with threats to post goofy photos of him he would not give a clue what was happening. Perhaps he is out of the loop being a few thousand miles away from California. Or perhaps his lips are sealed.

He did insult me once by calling me "a good man" which sounds to me like an epitaph waiting to happen. So no news is no news. As for the Imdb trailer rumor, I'm calling it dead.

So I'm driving to work this morning alone (DJ is sick because someone brought in a sick baby that was coughing all over) and minding my own buisness trying to figure out how to write the bottom part of this blog and if I take out all the bad words there will be massive blank spaces when this big ass pickup truck honks at me for no reason.

I'm stunned. There are only four reason's a pick up would honk at me. Either his brakes are failing and he is out of control or he has spotted a terrorist in my back seat that is about to attack me or his girl friends head hit the horn by accident or he is just being an asshole.

I think we all know which one it was.

Of course this is not a good day to play with my emotions. I'm a pretty calm guy for the most part and I stay away from anger, which is a wasted emotion. The only times a person really needs to get angry is if he is being attacked by a wild beast, being bothered by mosquitoes or is annoyed at his therapist who is all like you must deal with your emotions and I'm all like I'm dealing with my emotions and the music and voices are really only when I'm in the car now and she is all do you want to talk about it and I'm all like NO!

So when I do get angry it's a pretty rare event. In fact in the 880+ blogs since 2005 I can count on one hand how many times I have felt the need to vent.

So for any new readers to this blog you will be better off just clicking on the pretty flower photo from my back yard and going to my Lasagna Garden blog where things are cheery and green and happy. I'll wait.


OK - For any of you still around I'm actually a really a nice guy that feels there are two ways to deal with anger. One way is to just live with whatever has made you angry. Life is too short and fragile to waste that much energy. The other way is to figure out what needs to changed so you will not be angry.

Like when Roundy's took Bagels Forever Onion Bagels out of all their stores. I made it my life goal to get them back and I did what I had to do to convince corporate they were making a huge mistake (notice you can now buy them again - you're welcome). But there are times when a person gets backed into a corner and #1 and #2 have been a waste of time and like a pimple popping against the mirror- SPLAT! you have to get something off your chest or you will EXPLODE.

So I will now have a Keith Olbermann moment. SIR!
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When we moved to Columbus we knew we were moving into a neighborhood association so I asked all sorts of questions about rules and many people including my agent and the lawyers at Lueders Law who closed on our house and I was told to not worry about the rules as they were only there to make sure nothing hideous was going to take place like outhouses and cement yards.

Little did I know that the people in the McMansion next to us would be so totally anal and rat on all of their neighbors if their new house's did not meet the McMansion standards. They even went so far as to take photos of other peoples new house's and then TOLD them to their face that their new house that they were so proud of was in reality, sub-standard. Is a way to make friends? Is that a way an adult acts?

They are the same neighbor that complained about my weather pole in the back yard. They are the ones threatening us that they will live trap our cat because they can not control their dog and it might chase the cat if it is outside. They are the ones that ratted on us like little 3rd graders and made us pay a fine because we have TWO cats (OH MY GOD!). They yelled at us because our new tree's were planted in the wrong spot and we did not ask them for their opinion and they are the ones that let their dog poop in our yard and then let their dog run around on the golf course.

So what has me all worked up, this time? It seems our house does not have trim on the back windows and is NON-COMPLIANT with the "Protective Covenant". Is MLG, who runs the ASSociation trying to make enemies in a neighborhood that is normally very very friendly? Does our neighbor who's house is WAY to big for their yard (like a kid with a huge head) really want to play this game?

On the good side she has said she wish's she would have built in Hawks Landing - well most of the neighborhood wish's that also.

good grief.

On a funny side note we were going put trim on the back windows anyway, it's on our "to do" list along with planting 32 more shrubs (all OK'd by the ASSociation) but now we can't plant because we are unworthy and need to do the trim. We're not rich people, one thing at a time. I guess new trim is more important then a beautiful yard. At least we are working on landscaping.

Anybody that knows DJ and I know that we will bend over backwards to help anybody. We are very proud of our house, it's certainly not the biggest house but we are striving to make it one of the better looking lots in the area.

If you read my article in the Columbus Pioneer a few weeks ago titled "You're Not Who You Think You Are" you will understand that the one thing my dad instilled in me by his actions is the Pay It Forward attitude. DJ and I will bend over backwards to help people and this town. We love it here. But I guarantee if we would have known that we would have so many problems in this neighborhood we would have never moved to the Kestrel Ridge Area. There are so many good people in Kestrel Ridge and one not so great one.

I'm am so very very sorry for this rant but this really got me pissed off. This is such a wonderful city why does one woman have to ruin it. Perhaps it's time I start to complain to the ASSociation about them. Lord knows there is a list.

Perhaps I'm above that and do not feel like acting like a child and stooping to their level.

AAARG!!

I'll be back to happy happy tomorrow.

sigh

Rod