Misery Loves Company Installment #7

Chapter 5

CRASH AND BURN
or
Chance Meeting
or
A Big Surprise!

That afternoon after I had opened the rest of my presents, I put on my Mickey Mouse ears, gathered my drum and horn and got on my tractor and headed to the hill. I would toot holding the horn to my mouth with one hand and bang on the drum with the other. In between toots and bangs when the tractor started veering off course, I would grab the steering wheel and steer it back on course. I tooted and I banged, and along with the clanking of the chain on the tractor as I pedaled, I sounded like an army going up that hill. Neighbors would pop their heads out of their doors to see what the racket was all about as I passed by. I was so excited, decked out with all my Mickey Mouse gear, that I was determined to make this the fastest ride down the hill ever!

I slowly made my way up the hill conserving strength so I could pedal even faster as I came down the hill. My toots and bangs came slower and slower as I crept up the hill, synchronized with my pedaling. When I got to the top of the hill I turned the tractor around and sat there a moment or two pondering the sidewalk and street down below. Since I was determined to make this the fastest ride ever, I wanted to make sure nothing was in the way.

It was a quiet, sleepy, Christmas afternoon. There was no-one on the sidewalk. There were no cars on the street. I scooted back in the seat of the tractor and made myself comfortable. I stretched a bit and then placed both feet, one at a time very purposefully on each of the pedals. I put the bugle in my mouth and held it there with my teeth. I held the drum in one hand and the mallet in the other hand. I was ready.

I took a long deep breath and held it for a second. And then I sounded the loudest, longest, most chilling note I could, breaking the sleepy silence of the afternoon. Birds flew from the bushes. Cats screatched from nowhere. And dogs barked and howled from their yards. My feet pushed at the pedals, slowly at first, but gradually moving back and forth faster and faster like the pistons on a powerful steam locomotive. I was on my way!

I started to band my drum and blew my bugle and pedaled with all my might. HONK, BANG, pedal, pedal; HONK, BANG, pedal, pedal. I put all my strength my legs had to offer into the pedals. HONK, BANG, pedal, pedal; HONK, BANG, pedal, pedal. Nothing was going to stop me now. By the time I was at the bottom of the hill I was sure I was going faster than I ever went before. I could hear the wind howl as it rushed past me in a whirlwind frenzy. I honked and I banged with a passionate fervor, pausing only momentarily throughout the ride to correct the steering to keep the tractor on the sidewalk. I remembered thinking: If only Annette could see me now.

I was still picking up speed as I approached a house with bug bushy bushes that surrounded it's yard. The bushes were so high and thick that you could never see inside to the yard. I had often wondered what was behind those bushes, but was always too afraid to poke my head inside to find out. And then, I as I approached the house, with no warning at all, a dark figure stepped out from behind the bushes, and out onto the sidewalk. It occurred so fast. And I was going so fast. In a sudden panic I blew one long and loud blast as hard as I could on my horn as I threw my drum and mallet into the air so I could grab at the steering wheel. Then my bugle went flying as I spit it out so I could scream as loud as I could. The dark figure turned and stared right into my eyes in horror just like a deer in headlights. The figure was too frightened to move as I quickly came upon it. The tractor veered out of control as I covered my head with my hands and hid my eyes from the coming tragedy. The tractor weaved out into the street, flying off the rounded curb of the sidewalk, becoming airborne for a moment before landing in a haze of sparks and a loud clunk. The tractor was still moving at breakneck speeds, and fearing for my life because I knew I was never suppose to be out in the middle of the street, I panicked even more and over corrected the steering of the tractor so now I was headed straight for the curb of the sidewalk. As I hit the rounded curb it acted like a ramp and sent me and the tractor up into the air, flying over the head of the figure that I was trying to avoid hitting, just standing there and watching me fly past overhead in total shock and amazement. As the tractor began it's downward arc I became seperated from it and headed down towards the bushes. The bushes got bigger as I fell closer and closer to the ground. Then everything went black and all I could hear was loud snapping and crunching, twigs being snapped and brittle autumn leaves being crushed. Then just as fast as it all happened, it stopped. There was total silence. The stillness had returned to the crisp afternoon air. I couldn't move. I thought I was dead.

Editor's Note

I apologize for being so late with the updates.  Between work, traveling and getting sick, the last thing I wanted to do was work on my blog.  Anyway, here is the exciting conclusion to Chapter 4 of Misery Loves Company.  I hope to be back on schedule and offering more excitin posts to My World.

Bob

Installment 6

Conclusion of Chapter 4

Christmas was coming and so were the Christmas catalogs. I went wild looking through the catalogs as they came one by one in the mail. The Sears' catalog came first and then the Penny's catalog and then Montgomery Ward’s. I would snatch them up and spend hours sitting on the couch flipping through the pages and pages of toys. The Christmas catalogs were truly a child's delight of fantasies and dreams. I wanted everything but knew I would be lucky to get even a fraction of what was in those catalogs. But what I really wanted for Christmas was in the section of toys that had the Mickey Mouse Club supplies. What I really wanted was a pair of Mickey Mouse ears, a Mickey Mouse drum, and a Mickey Mouse bugle. When I met Annette, I wanted to be prepared. I wanted to be everything she was. When I met Annette, I was going to make sure she liked me best.

I spent the whole Christmas season telling everyone what I wanted. I even stood in numerous lines to tell Santa Claus what I wanted. But every time I saw him and sat in his lap he would ask what my name was and what I wanted for Christmas. I began to think my case was hopeless because every time I saw the man he would have forgotten my name and what I wanted. I must have talked to him a hundred times that Christmas and not once could he remember who I was let alone what I wanted. Even when I tried to give him hints, he didn't have the faintest idea. But I couldn't give up. I even tried writing painstaking letters and included a string to tie around his finger so he wouldn't forget. Santa was my only hope of getting what I really wanted. He just had to remember.

My mother kept telling me not to be disappointed if I didn't get the bugle and drum. She would tell me that I really didn't want them, anyway, because they would keep my baby sister awake. I was starting to get real tired of my baby sister. I wasn't about to let her stand in my way from being appropriately attired when I met Annette. I kept begging my mother for the bugle and drums, and even promised never to play them in the house. I even went back and told the hundreds of Santas that I talked to before that I would never play them in the house, but just to give me the ears, the bugle and the drums. But as Christmas approached my hopes were getting dimmer and dimmer for the Mickey Mouse ears, bugle and drum. Santa couldn't remember who I was or what I wanted, and all my mother would say was "NO!"

On Christmas Morning I came running out to the blinding glare of home movie lights. My dad always got up early on Christmas Morning to set up the 8mm movie camera that had more lights than blinding sun at noon day in the middle of July. When I ran out to see what Santa had brought me, I had to stop and shade my sleepy eyes until they had time to adjust so I wouldn't run full blast into the Christmas Tree. But slowly my eyes began to adjust and I could see faint images. As the objects began to take shape and the colors began to glow, I froze with delight. I took a deep breath and yelled a victory whoop as I ran over to the tree! Mickey Mouse Ears! And they were sitting on a small rocking chair under the tree. And on one side of the chair was a Mickey Mouse bugle, and on the other side was a Mickey Mouse Drum! Santa, by some miracle, and much to my pleasant surprise, remembered me.

I grabbed up the drum and the mallet, and then shoved the horn in my mouth and took a deep breath and was ready to blow when... "Misery!" It was my mother. "You promised." She was reminding me of my promise I made that I would never play the drum or horn in the house.

"Aw, mom." I begged. I really wanted to get a toot on that horn and a bang on that drum. "Just once, Please?" I begged.

"You promised, Misery." Was all my mother would say. Then my dad came to my rescue.

It was a warm California Christmas and my dad told me that after I opened all my presents I could go outside and beat my drum and play my horn. My mother looked over to my dad and smiled and told me that would be alright. But I didn't want to wait. I got what I wanted and I really didn't care what else I got, at least for the moment. Any other present could wait. I ran out of the house and as soon as I was through the door I started banging my drum and tooting my horn. It was great! I was ready for Annette and as I ran around the yard banging my drum and tooting my horn I shouted, Annette, Annette, wherever you are, here I am, come see me, I'm ready for you!" And was I ever ready.  I was ready for my wildest dreams to come true that very afternoon!

Misery Loves Company Installment #5

Installment #5

Chapter 4 (Continued)

"Misery," my mom yelled at me breaking my concentration on the facts of life. "It's four o'clock. It's time for the Mickey Mouse Club!"

It was my favorite TV show. It was 1961 and my favorite TV show was reruns of the Mickey Mouse Club. I had no idea they were reruns, though, and I didn't even know what a rerun was. All I knew at the time was that these kids on the Mickey Mouse Club must be the luckiest kids in the world. They were the idols of kids like me around the world and they lived at Disneyland. And their best friend was my hero, Mickey Mouse.

I could hear the thumping of the drums and the fanfare of the trumpets blare out from the other room. I hurried to pull up my pants and buckle them as I tried to run into the family room where the television was. I was screaming as loud as I could, half running down the hall, "Mickey Mouse Club! Mickey Mouse Club!" I ran into the room and slid to a semi-reclining position in front of the TV, not wanting to miss another second of the show.

I sang but more shouted with the opening as all the cartoon characters sang M-I-C-K-E-Y, M-O-U-S-E." I really got into it. I loved it. But then Donald Duck would come on and try to take over the club, yelling and squawking. He would shout "Donald Duck!" and I would yell back even louder, "Mickey Mouse." I hated Donald Duck.

My mother would yell at me from the kitchen, "Misery, keep it down in there, Your sister is trying to sleep."

 So far that was the only problem I had found with having a baby sister: You always had to keep it down and be quiet. It seemed like she was always taking a nap when I was making noise. It never failed.

I glued my eyes to the TV, my favorite part was coming up next and I especially didn't want to miss that. Jimmy called out in time with the music, "Roll call everybody, sound off now!" The mouseketeers began to callout their names one by one as a chime sounded off with them and the spotlight lit them up so you could see their faces. There was Tommy, and the chimes would chime and the spotlight would light him up and he would turn and smile. And there was Darlene, ding, ding; Chubby, ding, ding; Bobby, ding, ding; Annette, ding, ding.

There she was. A whole second and my heart was racing. Annette made me forget all about auburn hair blowing in my face. Now I wanted her hair! All I seemed to think about, anymore, was getting to see Annette on the TV and hopefully one day getting to see her in person at Disneyland. And then once I met her, who knows what would happen then. Maybe I would have her hair blowing in my face, sitting in my wagon together with me holding tight to her waist. I dreamed on, caught up in my fantasy. But I would have to get someone to peddle the tractor. Maybe Bobby or one of the other Mousketeers would do it. It would be good fun for them. They would like peddling my little red tractor around. I went on in my dreams. Even though my mind wandered, my eyes stayed glued to the TV for Annette's next appearance. I didn't want to miss any of her. The Mickey Mouse Club was my favorite show, but my favorite Mickey Mouse Club shows were the ones where Annette had her own serial on the show; the one where they would sing a song and finished by singing, Annette, Annette, Annette.

I talked about Annette everyday and to everyone. I would talk to my mother about Annette in the kitchen when she was fixing dinner. I would talk to my dad about Annette when he was trying to watch the football games. He liked his football games almost as much as I liked the Mickey Mouse Club, but he would listen to me and say "uh-uh, uh-uh." at least until the cheerleaders, came on. When the cheerleaders came on he would sit up and move closer to the TV and move me out of the way with his hands and tell me to be quiet and to go sit down in the other room. I even talked about Annette to all of my friends that raced me down the hill.

Everyone liked Annette. But I was the only one that really lover her. I was sure of that. We would sit outside or in someone's family room arguing about who liked Annette most and which one of us she would like if we to ever met her. I always won the argument. At least I always figured I won the argument because I just knew she would like me best. I knew that one day I was going to meet her, and she was going to like me. I told everyone that, and I just knew it was going to happen. And I knew it was going to be the greatest thing of my life. 

The Seventeenth Post

De Ja Vu?

So, just by accident, I stumbled across another blogsite.  Take a look at it if you would like.  It's at boboston2000.blogspot.com.  It was a blog I started exactly three years ago in August.  In fact, I started this one on August 3, this other one was started August 16.  Almost three years apart exactly.  Apparently I had great plans for it but promptly forgot what I was doing.  Notice the name?  It is almost exactly what I named this one.  Wierd?  I don't even remember it.  When I first logged onto it I couldn't figure out what was going on.  I had typed in the wrong address by accident.  Then I was looking at it thinking, "This isn't mine, but it is mine."  Anyway it was interesting to see that I was on the same track three years to the month. 

A lot has happened in those three years.  In August 2005, I was still working.  I was starting to see through my employer and deciding I needed to get out.  I think it was about that time that I sent out my initial resumes in order to get out of that place.  Things weren't going all that well.  I was looking for answers.  Now, three years later, I am very busy at being unemployed.  I am subbing, working as an independent contractor doing training for teachers, and working at Disneyland.  I have discovered that the answers are all within me.  It sounds like a really simple solution to everything, but sometimes is so difficult it is daunting.  At least this time I made it further than the first post!

Enjoy the trip through nostalgia!  Until next time...

The Sixteenth Post

Officially Indiana

I have now officially completed my training at Disneyland. On Saturday I completed my performance assessment and passed with flying colors at the Indiana Jones Attraction. In fact, the ride even broke down while I was working Tower (the heart of the attraction where you have total control of what goes on) and required me to shut everything down, which I did without any problem. The trainers and supervisors were all very well impressed with my abilities. So, when you go to Disneyland you can officially see me at one of two places: one at the Indiana Jones Temple of the Forbidden Eye, or two: on the parade route on Main Street around either the Plaza or Hub. That is providing I am working. Getting hours has been the next problem. After having many, many hours for the first two weeks, I am now down to a sporadic few. I am lobbying for more, and we will see what I get.

Odds and Ends

There hasn't been too much more happening. I continue to work on the bathroom a little at a time. I continue to work around the house trying to keep caught up on everything else, and, oh yeah, I am trying to get back into the routine at the gym again. I have not been doing very well lately at going so all my flab has come back. I don't quite understand it. It takes me months of really hard work to start seeing the results of my labors with rippling muscles and a tight abdomen, only to see it all turn into flabby muscles and jiggling jello in a matter of days. But who said life is fair?

It's hard to believe it is October already. In the last month I have seen a lot of changes. It will be interesting to see what October brings!

Until next time...