Hobo Jungle

[P&R Pete]

Got myself hired by a redhead today, wanted me to mow her pasture with her little red ‘49 Farmall.
First pasture that I ever lit into, and it was a mighty hot, sun-clorox-ed day, and it was going to cut into my drinking time, but what the hey, hard to drink when the Gold(tm)’s gone and ya ain’t got no scratch. I took the job.
Turned out to be a good gig. You get to rolling along, with the sun shining and the tractor chugging and the mower thrumming and swishing, yer body swaying with the pitch and roll imparted by the vagaries of that there topography, it helps clear your brain of all the unnecessary crap and worries and obsessions that can clog one up, and that’s a natural fact. Great cloud shadows drifted over the land from north to south while I made my passes east, then west, then east again, turning the grass and trees from peridot-green to a deep emerald, and back again. The old tractor has a governor, so it keeps a steady speed, uphill or down, the engine responding to the change in load irrespective of any input by me, so once you got yer throttle set, all you gotta do is steer, so it’s one more easement allows one to drift off in one’s musings of choice. The gusty breeze swayed the trees at field’s edge, and bent and curled the uncut grass, clover, flowers and weeds, swirled the seeds and chaff all about me, and tried to lift the wide brim of my hat, my sole and only respite from the glaring sun. Here’s where you suddenly and completely understand what a good, ventilated, summer cowboy hat can do. In that scorching radiation, my head and neck was not only shaded, they was cool. With jeans, boots, and a T-shirt, and suntanned arms, I thought I was good for the go, but my arms took a beating regardless, over those couple of hours. They ain’t exactly hurtin’, but brother, tonight I know they’re there. I know my right knee is there too, ‘cause what I wasn’t thinking about was the frayed silver dollar-sized hole on the right knee of the denim. But it didn’t matter, in rhythm with the world as I crawled back and forth over the land, rising ever higher up the side of the hill, gradually rising above the treeline, a quiet thrill and a touch of vertigo as the expanse of field and valley grew beneath me, until at the top, I could see for twenty miles, and the horses that share the pasture, meandering at the bottom, were seemingly the size of this print before me. And there I spent the afternoon, alone in my thoughts shared only by an occasional pass of a red-tailed hawk, and the squadron of barn swallows that swooped and wheeled around me, following the tractor’s path, for the insects that were stirred up as the uncut forage bent before the front axle, and passed beneath the blade. One touch of guilt, for the displaced meadowlarks surveying, from the fence-wire, their former seclusions now swept barren, (though their young have long been fledged). And I came to understand why farmers shoot groundhogs. Their burrows, long ventilated chambered tunnels, come at the expense of mounds of excavated dirt, and subsidences. Hidden in the tall grass and weeds, a ride over one of their homes can give the tractor and driver a good approximation of a saturday-night dirt bike going over a whoop-de-doo at the local track.
I think to myself, this job is a hobo’s delight. I get this job again, all I gotta think on, ahead a-time, is some place, on this old iron, to bungee myself a six-pack-sized cooler.

So what’s the point of this whole story?
The redhead paid in cash.
A knapsack full of steaks, and a case of beer!
Somebody fire up that pile of wood.

And oh, yeah, before I left, the redhead asked me if I could help her figger-out what was ailing her TV, which was dead as Marley’s doornail. Seemed one of her kids had kicked a plug loose. Well, I got to tracing wires, between the TV, a VCR, a video game, and an extension cord. She had sure got the loose plug stuck back in a socket all right, no problem.

Only thing was, she had plugged the extension cord..... into itself.
No word of that a lie.

Gotta love the redhead.

[Tramp]

Pete, you gotta watch where things get plugged.



Anyone drinking tonight?


Running trains?


Listening to that far-off whistle that drives into the human heart like all F. Scott's best sentences at once?



[I know I'm not supposed to post. Couldn't help it.]

[P&R Pete]

Jeez, Framp.
Onry one Batts leftover. Were ya bin?
But HELL yain, I'm binking if yer drying.
Helrp me sit up.
Doin' anry pluggin yerself?

[jperrine6]

Tramp:

What coast are you on anyway...Its not too bad here in the Philly area today but its still about 85 or so..The cool air in the evening is trying to come in. We got windows open and fans on and its trying to cool down. At least I hope we won't need the air on tonight. I will have my cool ONE before I go to bed. Couldn't have it last night. Had to go get my blood work done this am for the good doctor to tell me my blood pressure and sugar are up a bit..MAYBE if I could find a job my pressure would go down and stabelize. The wife says maybe if you get back to work you wont be able to pic and you can get back on schedule. Its hard to maintane when you are worryed about money comeing in...I don't mean to be poor mouthing or to be sinacale(SP) but I am used to going places in the summer time and we haven't been going anyware with me looking for a job and not really hearing much. I feel like I am being punished for loseing my job when it wasn't my fault. After working 20 years for a company and they outsource my damn job to temps that can't be as loyal as we were.. I just hope it bits em in the a$$. I guess you can't expect much from a BRIT company. SORE LOSERS...

Tramp: Did ya check out my proto pics that are on my new Yahoo.com site? Check them out and let me know what ya think.

http://photos.yahoo.com/jperrine6

Jim

[Tramp]

Jim, I'm on the Maine coast, and it's been rather cool. It's about 62 here tonight. Rained very hard last night. Huge squalls roaring in bringing your head right up off the pillow. I hope you find work soon. Can't you collect unemployment, etc.?

Pete. Could you tranzlate that please?

[San Diegan]

P&R Pete,

The redhead should trade the Farmall in on a Fordson if she wants to get serious.

San

PS: It's the 70's here, but with June Gloom extending from May into July. Water temperature is good enough for a spring suit. I am having a Red Dog to take the edge off the events of the day.

PPS: Jim, sorry to hear about the situation. The outsourcing will come around to bite them in the butt, but you are living in the here and now, and I know that's tough. I am lucky to be living at the top of the heap in the wireless world, but one never knows when a good thing will go bust. So I salt away some train money on real estate and some other things figuring that I am going to end up being the provider of my retirement. I hope that works.

Have you considered a switch from computer operations to network administration or an engineering support position? Companies are becoming more cash rich, so things like ESD training, quality programs, and motivational training are coming back. People with technical skills are often the demonstrators and instructors in these programs. I am not certain, but your state may even subsidize training and certification at one of the technical schools if you are certifiably unemployed. If possible, consider a temporaty agency that places folks with technical skills. Often, those same folks get offered direct positions after proving themselves over a period of time.

This may all be quite obvious and frustrating to you, so please don't be insulted. I am merely interested in seeing a model train buddy get back on track.

[jperrine6]

San:

No offence taken. I have thought about those avenues but I am 58 years old and I don't know if I could learn anything about networking? I do have PC skills and as for training others, They told me that a lot of company's are hireing "OLDER" workers because of the skills they have but it doesn't look like it here. As far as a temp company, I tryed that route also but they want someone who can just jump at a moments notice to fix somethig that is broke at a spot that you probably wouldn't want to drive to. Also one temp place asked if I knew MS Word and I said yes and data entry so they gave me a test and although I was ackurate(SP) I was slow, they said I was too slow as you have to be really fast. She suggested " a clerical job, one that doesn't require too much THINKING" I almost walked out. Been working in this field for 30 + years and she says get a job that doesn't require "THINKING". Does she think I am dumb? I never called them back...

Tramp:

I got a good one for unemployment too. I applyed for it and they asked if I was getting a pension check. I said yes. They asked if I contributed to the pension fund. Well I hadn't so they took that much away from my unemployment and that left me a check for $28.00 for the month. I got Pi$$ed and sent them the check back and said I thought the State of Pennsylvania needed it more than I did. Then I contacted both my State Rep and Arlin Spector the senitor from Pa. I heard from the state Rep but not from Spector. Guess he is too busy with his re-election. Guess who I am voteing against? The state rep contacted the director of unemployment to please let me know why this was possible. Well he sent me all the information of when the law was changed to do this so I got no where. Paid into the fund for 40 years and when I could use it, its not available...Do I sound bitter...sorry but your damn right I am. Also about a month later my pension got raised about another 300.00, so I told my wife at this rate I would probably owe the State every month for my raise.

I didn't mean to get on my soap box...I had two interviews this week so maybe something will come out of one of them...lets hope so.

Jim

[jperrine6]

Tramp:

Closeing in on ya...only 6 behind.

Jim

[Odd-d]

Oh hi guys, just passin' through. You haven't seen a couple of Mexicans around here, have you? Gotta keep movin'. See you later. Odd-d

[2railjon]

Does this dress make me look fat?

[jperrine6]

Tramp:

This one ties us...

Jim

[jperrine6]

Tramp:

I am doing another so you can answer me and we will still be tied.

Jim

[Tramp]

Jim, thanks, buddy! I knew I could count on you. Now we got to find you a job.

Jon, if you're asking for an honest opinion, frankly, you don't quite fill it out as you should. So drink more beer!

[2railjon]

I'll drink to that!!!!!!!!!!

[jperrine6]

Tramp:

Yes we have to find me a job. I think the last 6 months are starting to get to the wife and me. She said I take things to seriously any more. I guess I do but when you worry about a job things tend to not be as funny anymore. I know I can't let it get me down and I know it wasn't my fault but the funds in the ole bank account are getting low. Even with the pension. there is more going out than coming in. Its going to get depleated if I don't find something soon. Hopefully one of the two interviews I had this week will pan out. If not I guess its time to go see Uncle Sam...Wally-world so I can said "the bulbs are in aile five mam".

Jim