Secondhand Caffeine

Fall of the Empire?

2007-05-11T09:09:00.000-06:00

Recently, I went to my first SciFi Convention. "StarFest" The geek in me has wanted to go to a "Con" for some time. I was lucky enough to have a client who wanted to go, so like the celebrities, I was paid to attend. Not nearly as much though, I'm sure. And no one was waiting in line to meet me, maybe next time.

My client and I didn't stand in line to meet any of the stars, that cost extra. Though, we did ride the elevator with Kate Vernon of Battlestar fame. She was nice to hold the door for us. We missed seeing Leonard Nimoy the day before; he's one of the heavies so I'm sure his schedule was quite full.

Most everyone there was as I anticipated, costumed characters roaming around with purpose. Star Fleet officers (seems cadets and enlisted men weren't allowed), Psi Corp agents, Hogwarts students (only Griffindor house), Jedi, Storm Troopers and one Clone Warrior (perhaps Darth Vader was at another "Con"), S.G. Team members, Colonial Warriors, Pirates (There was this one piratess, wow... I'd have let her pillage me!), There were Zombies, and what I thought was "Josie & the Pussycats" turned out to be "Cat Girls" from the Anime room (I hope they were house trained), We saw Roman Soldiers and numerous people dressed like that comic book shop guy from The Simpsons (but those guys looked at me funny when I commented on their "costumes" hmmm...).

The one thing that I found odd, and somewhat disturbing was the complete absence of Klingons! In the five hours we were there, we didn't see one. Surely they were invited, as I recall they're now allies with the Federation. Even if they weren't invited, I'd imagine they'd show up just for spite. Perhaps they consider themselves to be one of the heavys like Lenord, and only had time to attend Saturday. Maybe they were suffering the bloodwine hangover from partying the night before; after all, Saturday was the high point of the convention. Well, where ever they were, I was dissapointed not to see them. A SciFi Con without Klingons is like a circus without acrobats. Big... mean... scary... heavily armed acrobats.

Letter of request...

2007-04-15T14:21:00.000-06:00

To the United States Federal Office of Karma Distribution,

Dear sirs,

I have no wish to contest the decisions made at your office, concerning any one's Karma. Though I would like to request confirmation of the Karma I have been receiving as of late. I believe that I may be getting someone else's Karma by mistake. Since last October, I have had a long string of bad luck beginning with the concussion I received while visiting the clinic for a stomach cramp. I still have no memory of receiving an MRI scan, only the large bill that came in the mail a few weeks later. Perhaps there is a flaw in the Karma delivery system, I have moved several times in the past 6 months. Perhaps another Daryl Goebel's Karma has been cross delivered to me my mistake. My middle name is "Wayne" I am aware of another Daryl Goebel living in Kansas who's middle name is "William", I nearly lost approval for a loan several years ago due to his credit record. Maybe his Karma has found it's way to Colorado. Its a stretch, but maybe Karma from a past life has finally caught up with me. Is that in the rules??

Thank you for you time.

Daryl "Wayne" Goebel
(Formerly of Kansas, now in COLRADO)

Runing Man

2006-11-26T22:51:00.000-07:00

I was recounting this story to a friend the other day and I thought it might make entertaining reading.

Way back when, somewhere in the mid-eighties, I believe it was my senior year of high school, it was late, and my friend David and I were walking home from the Kwik Shop, where we had spent our last quarters saving the universe from alien invaders and the like, just as we did most nights. Only a block into our journey home (David and I lived right across the street from each other) we passed in front of the local grocery store, Mike's IGA. I honestly do not remember much of our conversation that night as we walked, only that as we came to the corner of the street David turned to me, grinned, and asked if I had seen the police car. My first reaction, of course, was to turn and look behind me. Sure enough, there was a patrol car driving past.

"So what," I thought. So what, until it suddenly turned its flashing lights on and sped up, in our direction, no less. I turned back to David, to say something, but he wasn't there. He had taken off in a sprint around the corner, and judging by the distance he had already covered, I knew that his flight is what had set the patrol car into chase.

"Asshole!" I said, knowing that David had just invented a new, two-part game. The first part was "Lets see if the cop will chase me if I run for no reason," and the second part was, "Lets see how long Daryl stands there like an idiot." Well, I ended the second part quickly and dashed after David, who by now had a good lead on me. I was lucky to see him turn again around the end of the building instead of continuing down the sidewalk. It was a narrow path behind the store that ended at a wooden privacy fence separating the parking lot from the yard. With his ample lead, David was already disappearing over the other side of the fence by the time I reached the end of the track. The patrol car was not far behind but had not cleared the side of the building to see either of us, I decided that I didn't have time to get over the fence, so I dropped to the ground, hoping that the grass and weeds would be tall enough to hide me from view. No sooner had I hit the deck when the spotlight shone up the alley, searching for us. David must have peeked back over the fence to see what was keeping me, because the patrol car went into reverse back around toward the store parking lot where he was now.

I waited there for maybe ten seconds before deciding to go back the way I'd come. Going over the fence now was out of the question. That's where the cop car was going. Logic told me to go the other way. Creeping back to the sidewalk, I checked up and down the street to make sure the coast was clear. Seeing no sign of police, I started down the sidewalk toward home at a brisk walk. Looking back over my shoulder, I could see pulsing red and blue light reflecting off houses and parked cars, but the patrol car was thankfully out of view. I kept moving.

I was nearly halfway down the block when another police car passed through the intersection in front of me, in a hurry. My mind raced. "What do they do on TV when the cops are chasing them? They change their appearance. Two guys in black t-shirts and jeans, that's who they’re looking for.” Off came my t-shirt. (Thank god it was spring.)

Another patrol car raced through the intersection in the same direction. Three now, three police cars looking for us just because we ran in the presence of the first one. You could say I was a bit nervous by this time. I didn't like this new game. I heard the fourth police vehicle coming before I could see it, and it was coming fast. One of the city's small, two-seat helicopters was now overhead, search light shining.

"Don't panic" I told myself. "Don't run." That's what they were looking for, someone who wanted to run. I kept walking. The searchlight eventually found me on the sidewalk, and resisting the urge to flee, I just stopped and stared up as if I had no idea what was going on or why. It worked. The searchlight paused on me for only a moment before resuming its hunt for someone guilty of something. I walked on down the street, wondering how well David was playing the game he had started.

I found out a few blocks later, as David came around the corner, his black t-shirt hanging out of his back pocket just as mine was from my back pocket. Police cars roamed up and down the streets, passing by us many times on the remainder of out walk home, the chopper circling the neighborhood. Despite the fact that we won, I am thankful that I never played that game again.

Slacking off

2006-11-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm back. Its been some time since I've posted anything. So here is something. I have noticed also that the majority of my friends who blog have not posted anything new in a while either. So I'll make this post a call out to them. Lets get off our asses and write something! Now to wait and see if they are reading and how long it takes them to respond. hehe I do have some more interesting posts in my head and will put them up soon.

And a boot to the head...

2006-10-07T19:32:00.000-06:00

I knew I was in a hospital room, by the furnishings and the gown I was wearing. But I was not sure just how or why I was there, perhaps the nasty headache had something to do with it. Turns out it had everything to do with it. It's been nearly a week now and my headache is finally gone. I know where I started that afternoon. I was at the walk-in clinic to see about a persistent cramp. I got there about noon but didn't see a nurse until about 2pm. I hadn't eaten yet that day, at the suggestion of the Ask-A-Nurse hotline. Seemed logical since they were going to examine my abdomen. I remember the nurse taking a blood sample but that's about all I remember. That is until I came too in the ER an hour or so later. The world was a bit fuzzy for the next day or so, but I know they told me I passed out, fell and sustained a concussion. I called my close friend Anita several times that evening because I wasn't sure if I had already called her. She made sure I was safely home and looked up info to make sure I was Ok through the night, asking me simple questions to check my memory. I feel like I've had a hangover for the past six days. Lesson learned, don't have blood drawn on an empty stomach.

Shark Bite

2006-09-29T16:59:00.000-06:00

I am a gracious loser most of the time, that is I know when I've been beaten fair and square. However, being tricked or misled, especialy regarding so serious an issue, pisses me off no messure.

The court date I mentioned in my previous post came and went last Tuesday. I arived early and checked in with the clerk. Having never been to court before, I told the clerk that I needed to ask for an extension. That is what I was advised to do by a finacial advisor whom I am none too happy with either at the moment. Well, the clerk told me that I needed to see the lawyer from the collection agency who filed this case in the first place, so I sat and waited. A few minutes later, a young and attractive woman came in and called my name. She introduced herself as a lawyer for the plantiff and led me to a room off the court, where we could talk. I told her that I needed an extension. Durring our conversation, she told me that she couldn't give me an extension but that she was glad that I came and was willing to seek an agreement. She asked about my situation and my employment. She also asked about the financial advisor who gave me advice; looking down at her papers she asked, "Is he a lawyer?" Now the line of work I am in has sharpend my skills at reading body language considerably, and I thought that the way she asked me that question was very odd, as if she had something to hide from me. After that, she told me that she was going to call for a judgment and that I needed to contact her for a post judgement. After she had me sign some paper work, she told me that I was "free to go.".My lack of legal experience and my level of stress had me in a vulnerable state. I took her at her word, and left.

Okay, now I am sure that some of you out there reading this are just itching to tell me all the mistakes I made there that day... "I know" and I don't wish to have them repeted to me again.

You see, today I met with another lawyer to determine if and how I qualified for one of the bankrupcy plans. He told me that I should have simply waited to see the judge and asked him for the continuence. Technicaly, she didn't lie to me, she just let me believe what worked best for her and her case. Such a pretty face for such an ugly person...

Now I did qualify and they are going to help me. Of cource its going to cost me a pretty penny and they can't file anything until it's paid in full. Such irony--you need to have money to get a good loan, and you need money to file bankrupcy. A great system, for a great country.

Waving the white flag

2006-09-24T08:49:00.000-06:00

The past few years I had made progress. My credit debt was shrinking, slowly, but shrinking. This past year however my income began shrinking as well. With changing government funding rules and career mistakes, I have slowly lost clients. Slowly but surely the patience of the credit companies has also shrunk. (All this shrinking and I've gained weight.....Go figure) What hasn't shrunk are my expenses. Now its come to a head, they want to take me to court. I am not very business minded so this has caught me unprepared. I have negotiated other debts away, I know how it works. This time I have nothing to negotiate with, my purse is empty. I am down to the last resort.... The "B" word. I don't like the idea, but I have no options left. I've recognized my career mistakes and taken steps to correct them, but its too late. I will be consulting with professionals this week to determine the best course of action.

So those of you out there in blog-land who are curious about the whole bankruptcy process, stay tuned. As my new adventure begins I will post more to keep you informed and educated.

A bit of history

2006-08-22T19:52:00.000-06:00

Earlier this month I drove back to visit my folks. Simple enough trip, eight hours in a strait line... Thank the gods for caffeine, and audio books. While I was there Dad gave me a birthday gift.

During the 1951 Kansas flood, my grandfather worked in the unclaimed freight department of the Santa Fe railroad in Topeka. With all the cleanup efforts, my grandfather was responsible for selling off all the damaged goods from rail cars that sat underwater for several days. One car inparticular contained textiles, dishes and one gun. I'm not sure why or where one gun was going on a car full of cloth and china. Well as my grandfather told me, the man buying the goods from this car asked about the gun. Grandad truthfully told him that the entire car was under water for days. Apparently he was only interested in salvageable goods (I'm assuming he only wanted the china) and told my grandad the he could keep the gun. Well turns out the rifle was well stored, the barrel packed with grease. All grandad had to do was clean the gun and oil the stock. Good as new. The top photo shows part of the rail yard where grandad worked, while it was under water.

When grandad died, dad kept it safe and rarely shot it. Now its mine, a .22 cal. Remington 550. Just a bit of history and one of the few items I own, worth calling "Treasure".

On a white horse...

2006-07-12T23:23:00.000-06:00

Here she is, all clean, shiny and white. I know I talked about painting it yellow, but I changed my mind. Of course I have to repaint it one more time. You see, I discovered that the enamel paint I used is not ideal for use on a vehicle. Even one drip of gasoline will do in a nice enamel paint job, trust me. After some research I found that lacquer is the proper paint for a motorcycle. It dries fast and is far more durable. The draw back is lacquer is hard to find in a spray can. So far I have only found two color in a can, black and white. Makes the decision easy huh. Flip of a coin maybe? I like it white but I would like to see how it looks in black too. I will get to repainting it soon, but for now I just want to enjoy some riding time.

two wheels good, four wheels bad
two wheels good, four wheels bad
two wheels good, four wheels bad

The Wave

2006-06-13T15:57:00.000-06:00

I had always found baseball to be rather dull as a spectator sport. Saturday I attended a Rockies game, only my second since coming to Denver in 1999, my third this lifetime. I have to admit that I actually enjoyed myself. There is something to be said for a day at the field. There is so much more going on than just the game, which in its self is still kind of dull. I felt like I was at a self-contained festival, complete with food, beer and lots of people to watch. People buying bats made on a lathe right before their eyes, watching the big screen between innings when they zoom in on the crowd. I made a game of guessing just how long it would take for someone to realize they were on the screen, then how they might react. Most had the same reaction, falling all over themselves to wave at, well themselves. Seeing it on TV doesn't do justice to the "Wave" and the effort it takes to get it started. I watched one guy shouting at the top of his lungs, calling out two joining sections. "Section 117, are you there?" "Section 118, are you there?" Over and over he called until he was satisfied with the responses, then he called out "Lets GO!" and raised his arms high. Like starting an old car, it took several more times repeating the process all over before the wave got past our section (118). Once it did though, it traveled the stadium round and round, upper sections and lower for about thirty minutes. It was fascinating and fun.

I would still rather watch Football on television over baseball, but I've discovered America's past-time. Even though I am still not sure just who won the game.

The House Rules

2006-06-01T20:34:00.000-06:00

I'm nearly 38 years old, next month in fact. To date my longest relationship has lasted only six months. I've always felt that to become good at dating is counter productive to finding a relationship. I mean what do you do with the dating skills that you spent so much time developing to find a relationship, once you have that relationship? I think my parents were good at dating, they divorced, angrily divorced, not long before my brother died. They are now each on their third marriage, thankful they each finally got it right. Both of their second attempts were also spectacular failures. I took their life lessons for myself, deciding long ago that I would not re-live a divorce of my own. I never tried to become good at dating.

Lately though I feel that maybe I've had the wrong approach all this time. Maybe I should dam the search for a relationship and just date for the sake of dating. What do I need with a life long companion, someone who is always there for me? What do I need with a commitment?

Do I sound like I'm fed up with the dating game? I am. Just like Vegas, the odds seem against me, "The House Rules".

Its... Alive...!!!

2006-05-26T14:32:00.001-06:00

I think I know now just how Dr. Frankenstien felt when his creature came to life. My creature has stirred to life, well it started anyway. It runs and I have ridden it a mile or so already. It still needs much more work but all the main mechanical parts are functioning. My biggest challenge now is to make her pretty again. The former owner spray painted everything black, even the chrome fenders. I know the fuel tank was originally a maroon color, but I think I may go for something yellow, somewhere between school bus and taxi. What do you think?

Progress?

2006-05-21T15:23:00.000-06:00

Well here it is, day two and stripped naked. Looks can be deceiving, I am moving along much quicker than I first anticipated. Though I have found more damage to be repaired now that I have it all apart. Both mufflers look fine from the top but are rusted out underneath and will have to be replaced. I am gambling that I can find suitable replacements at the salvage yard.

Out with the old, in with the older

2006-05-18T16:31:00.000-06:00

I've really gone and done it now! I just sold my motorcycle and bought an older but bigger one. One that needs a bit of work before its street worthy. So far the little gear-head part of me is confident that I can get it rideable in a few weeks, and looking pretty in a month. Here is the before picture. I'll post an after shot as soon as she is ready.

Which OS are you?

2006-05-15T18:13:00.001-06:00

Which OS are You?

I don't know much about programing but I liked the personality description I got. Check it out for yourself, let me know what you tested out to be.

A good read...?

2006-04-30T09:05:00.000-06:00

I was just noticing my book shelf and how my collection of books may or maynot define me. Its not a large collection mind you, but it is growing. From paper backs to college text books there seems to be a bit of everything here. "Life's Little Instruction book" volumes I, II and III. All four of Tolkien's ring series, a new set I got for Christmas a few years ago, never been read. I see authors like Terry Brooks, Penn and Teller, Alan Dean Foster, Dr. Laura, Pauline Reage. Next to my "Boy Scout Handbook" is "The Fine Art of Flirting". I have several "For Dummies" and "Idiot's Guide" books; Photography, Bartending, Dating to name a few. My "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" graphic novel is still in tact. I should pull out some of the many cook books I have and put them to some use. The Chilton manual for my Toyota to prove I'm a closet gear-head. Leftover role play game books from my original Geek days. A sign language dictionary that I should brush up on... I think I'll browse through my "Little Zen Companion" today.

Just a few of what's on my book shelf, what does that say about me?

What's on your book shelf?

Social Ninjitsu

2006-04-07T07:31:00.000-06:00

I have always wanted to write this down, I think my blog is a good place for it. I hope those of you reading this understand me just a little bit more.

It was so many years ago, more than twenty, I was twelve years old. I remember sitting at a window looking out into the rain, trying to keep my mind blank. Trying not to think about where I was or why. My step father came into the room to tell me that it was over. I wanted as little interaction with him as possible so I just nodded and said "Ok" and turned back to the rain. I hated speaking to him, why couldn't my mother have come out to tell me? Not that I needed to be told, I already knew. I knew because I was just there, in the room. The only reason I came back out to the waiting room was to maintain my illusion of ignorance. No one took notice of me, I was the invisible child. This began years before, and I hadn't resisted. Some kids would have rebelled and sought negative attention. I studied this years later, psychology was my best subject in school. Some kids find that negative attention is better than none at all. Not me, I knew what was going on, I understood more than anyone thought. I was capable of taking care of myself, and I was shy to begin with so I found safety and comfort within my new found stealth. This allowed my parents to give my little brother the time and care that he needed more than I did. I didn't just let people not notice me, it was a skill I practiced, and I was good.

Most of my immediate family were there that day. The nurses gave us an empty room for some privacy. No one spoke to me as usual, I stayed in the comfort of the silence. My sadness was there, as strong as anyone else's there, but I held it at bay. Any display of emotion would draw attention to myself, and I wouldn't have been able to deal with it. I had grown far to used to being un-noticed, sharing my feelings with anyone now, was a terrifying prospect. Three days later at the funeral, my emotions finally over powered me. I broke down and cried in front of more than a hundred people. Dear god, my cover was blown, they could all see me! There was no where to go, no where to hide. I panicked, what the fuck was I going to do? Suddenly everyone knew I was there, everyone was paying attention to me. My comfortable silence was gone.

After my brother died everyone I knew seemed to try to make up for lost time with me, and I withdrew further. I was unprepared, my social skills were strictly covert. I didn't know how to be the center of attention. I avoided anything that involved a lot social interaction. That made life difficult, most people had no idea what I was about. I think lots of people interpreted my lack of social skills, as a "better that you" attitude. I couldn't stay hidden anymore, but I was still mostly silent. Social anxiety, that's what its called these days. You could have pointed a gun at my face and it wouldn't have frighten me as much as the thought of public speaking.

Over the years I have overcome some of my extreme shyness. Though I sill catch myself falling into old habits. Sometimes people still don't notice me entering a room until I speak, I still get a lot of "I wish you wouldn't sneak up on me like that!" In high school, I had a teacher who didn't know I was a senior until I asked him to let me go to the graduation rehearsal. Once, in my mid twenties, I was seeing an older woman. She had been the one to initiate our relationship, by the way. One night as I was leaving her house, I didn't want to wake her son, so when I was getting my shoes on at the front door, I took out my pen light to see by. She said to me "You take care of yourself." I replied "I will". Then she said "No, I mean, you do." She was telling me that she could see how little I relied on anyone else. That night is when I realized that I was missing out on something. That there was more to life, and I was hiding from it. That night I decided to get over my fears and improve my social skills.

I'm still more afraid of an audience than a handgun, but I'm more socially interactive these days. I think I'll be ok...

An old relationship...

2006-03-29T10:19:00.001-07:00

We hadn't spoken for months. Today, though, I went out of my way to see her. I found her sitting there, looking a bit out of sorts. I could only hope that she would speak to me after so long. I walked her out to a nice sunny spot where we could work things out. It took some coaxing, but after a bit, she finally spoke. She sounded like she was choked up, but I expected as much. I promised her a nice hot bath and to take her shopping for something pretty to wear. After that, her voice cleared and she sang a beautiful song for me. I touched her in that familiar way, and she felt good in my grip. I held her tighter and her voice rose, letting me know was ready for more. We came together, me over her, she between my legs. I held her even tighter with both hands, twisting her in my grip. We began to move. To move like we had when we were last together. The more I twisted her the faster we went--her voice ringing out sweet and steady, oblivious to anyone who might hear. As I ride her once again, I rediscover the joy and peace that comes with a motorcycle.

Inevitable

2006-03-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

The day approaches. Resistance is futile. My twenty year High School reunion will be this summer. I still have not decided if I want to attend. Most of my friends from that time in my life were in the class after mine. So far the best reasons I have to attend would be that I still have all my hair, I'm not fat, and I have no ex-wives. Now I'm not insinuating that all my classmates are now bald, overweight and paying alimony. But I'd wager that few have managed to avoid all three pitfalls. My mother works for the sheriff's department back home and has on occasion let me in on some interesting info regarding some of my old classmates. So if I do decide to attend I'll surely have something to write about for you here.

So it begins

2006-03-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

My first blog post. I will apologize in advance for my lack of writing skill. I have many friends who write their own blogs, all of whom are well studied in the art of the written word. I however am a complete novice. With their support, advice and criticism I hope to muddle through and make this blog worth reading.

And now for something completely different...

2006-03-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

That is how my world seems to work, every few moments something new and interesting can yank my attention off of what ever I'm doing. Its quite a chore sometimes to simply stay on task. I once worked in an office. Have you ever seen the episode of "I Love Lucy" where she takes a job at the candy factory, at the conveyor belt... My office experience was similar. I now work with the developmentally disabled, providing supported living services, where the demands of the job can change as quickly as my attention. I seem well suited for the work.