Thursday, June 02, 2011

Burchem Metal Baloney

I took the metal from the couch I dismantled plus a lamp that didn't work, which was metal and a frig tray to Burchems. When I got there the guy comes up, just says something, not much. I said, I'd wait to see if it was worth anything, depending on weight and price of metal, to see if I'd donate it or get cash. The last time I took something there I got just over a dollar was all, is the reason, and I was in a hurry.

So he's says he'll get a tray that's it, and since he didn't answer me on the price of metal, I figured he would weigh it, tell me what they'd pay then I'd decide.

Then while I have to struggle to get the shit out, he goes and helps some guy pull his stuff out of a trailer. I thought that was weird, that he'd help that guy unload, but let me struggle with the unwieldy items I had.

Then he comes back and just takes my stuff off and dumps it in the big bin, without weighing it or anything and I ask when he comes back what is up with that. He says he thought I was donating it, meaning giving it to their private business. I said again, that was going to be dependent on the price of metal and its weight.

He said I'd have to wait then, meaning I guess because that is all he said, I'd have to wait until he finished with the other guy and fished mine out of the big bin. For all I know that could have been an hour. I don't know.

I left, then left them a message saying that was a bunch of baloney what happened. Was baloney. They were not busy, so that could not be the excuse. He did finally tell me they were giving 8 cents a pound, which is high. If I had 30 pounds, I'd have pocketed $2.40, which would have been good, paid for over a half gallon of gas.

Last time I go there.

It's not a huge deal, really. I might have lost total $2.50. It's a deal in that I didn't get to make the choice on whether to hand them the money or not, by donating the metal, not bothering with getting the cash. They just took it. Anything over a buck and I would have taken the money, however.

Guess I'm in a mood, getting to feel like nobody is honest. I know that isn't true, but I've got that kind of a feeling today.

So, after seeing a paper article about Community Services budget cuts and the lay off of 40 employees, I texted one of the Mormon sisters and asked if her sister was one who lost her job. She said her sister had indeed lost her job. I asked if they'd be able to keep the house now, with one income and she said it's all now dependent on her and her job, to pay the bills and mortgage and that her sister is slightly freaked out over it, but hopefully once their mother moves in with them, who will help some, it will work out.

Their elderly mom has been living with another sister and her husband. That sister has early onset Alzheimer's which is terribly sad. She and her husband, who is retired, are moving way back east somewhere very soon now. So the mother moving in with the sisters has been long planned.

There's another sister over in Lebanon or Sweet Home. They have two very troubled early adult sons. The sisters would call them lazy out right. They've been in jail, I was told last time I ran into the sisters, one for attacking the other and other for stabbing his brother back. Once out, the one nephew "not as bad as the other" according to the sisters, has been living with the sister who is leaving the area and is supposed to go into Job Corp but they don't think he will, due to his lack of work ethic, but where will he go, once his aunt and uncle leave the area?

The sisters will not take him in, due to his attitude. He won't change they think unless he realizes nobody is going to house and feed him if he doesn't do shit.

Ah, family issues. I don't see the Mormon sisters very often, but their family stories are great and the interactions and all, of just plain old life, which is always kind of a struggle, no matter how you paint it.

In other news, my niece got the army scholarship to medical school. She is relieved. She starts first of August, down in California. The next 8 years of her life will be very busy, in med school and as an intern. Then she'll owe the army four years.

But 12 years down the road, she will be a doctor and a debt free doctor. My brother says he will not be surprised if she decides to become career army.

I think about my brother and worry sometimes. I don't think he's found much work. I wonder if he'll close his company. I wonder what he'd do then. The economy is so bad for most ordinary people.

His daughter finding a way to pay for med school is terrific. His son is still off working for his church for a very small salary ($500) per month plus one meal a day and a cot. Funny, that's about what I get to live on, too, right here in America.

He's done there in three months I think. He had hoped to make contacts that might land him a job. He graduated a year ago, but could not find a job. I heard maybe he might have something coming up, if a government grant comes through for an American company building temporary housing in Haiti. I think "Why temporary housing this long after the earthquake?" But then I have no idea what is going on down there.

It's tough for even college graduates to find work these days. Doctors are needed, so my niece should not have that problem when she gets out, but that's going to be 12 years down the road. 12 years!!! Med school. Internship. Four years in the army. Then she will seek an md job. She will be almost 40 by then. Unless she decides go go career army.

I don't know my three nieces or nephew very well. I have not been around any of them very often. I have three nieces and one nephew. We're not close, our family. I try to keep track though, at least of where everyone is.

My brother is funny. When he was talking about his daughter going into the army, he started talking about some friend whose daughter went into the army. She was in great shape and got into even better shape before boot camp, so she would do well. However, they only rode her harder.

He said his friend said the thing about boot camp is it is not to get recruits in shape, it's to break them down. So the best strategy is just to be in shape, then to slack off some, before going, so you don't stand out. You have to be broken down or you won't be a follower and you have to be a follower to be a soldier.

My brother says that only would work with young kids as recruits. He was joking about if he were in boot camp and some sargent didn't like his attitude and told him to give him 50 pushups in the mud. My brother said he'd probably foolishly respond, "Nope, not doing it. I don't like your attitude either!" He doesn't think they'd shoot an old fart in front of young recruits for mouthing at the drill sargent, just throw him in the brig and out.

I said I would not be a good soldier either. I'd be questioning also, like if in battle and the leaders had a really lousy plan that would cost lives I'd be saying, "Do it this way, or we will."

In the services, everybody has to follow orders without question or everything would break apart into chaos. Some people thrive on doing what they're told. A lot of young lives are lost however when leaders are lousy.

My brother could never do what he was told or be ordered around. Especially if he questioned the sanity of the order.

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