It's A Waffle House Christmas

I went to Waffle House on Christmas Eve morning. I was hungry and ready to strap the feed bag on. A few employees holler'd 'GaMornin'—that is a one-word Southern contraction of 'Good Morning' as I made my way to a booth listening to "Christmas in Dixie" by the boys from Ft. Payne. The windows were fogged and had condensation running in rivulets because of the temperature differential. It was unseasonably warm with the temperature over 65 degrees F at 0600, with a slight drizzle. Inside, well, it was hog-killing time. Perhaps, they wanted to make it feel "a lot like Christmas". You could hang meat in there, and not worry about spoilage. To be blunt, it was a bit nippy. I suddenly became self-conscious and felt like a girl wearing a white bathing suit stepping out of cold water, only it was a rain-dampened white Guy Harvey t-shirt in a meat locker.

In addition to the temperature, I noticed I was customer number three. Not too many people hankering for the "Steak-n-Eggs, $7.99 special". The girl waiting on me was in her mid-30s and for clarity purposes, henceforth referred to as 'Smitten 1'. After exchanging a few pleasantries she asked, "Are you on the radio?" I inferred she was asking if I was a radio personality and secretly hoped she did not ask because she thought I had the perfect face (and body) for radio. I clarified by asking, "As in a DJ?". She shook her head in affirmation. I told her no. She then said, "You have the BEST voice. It's nice and deep, and whew!" She was now fanning her face. Red streaks and blotches were appearing on her neck. Perhaps she was standing too close to the grill. No. That doesn't make sense; the grill was empty. She looked too young for hot flashes. Having eliminated ambient temperature, I concluded she enjoyed the quality of my voice. Or, needed extra tip money to buy Christmas gifts.

To prevent any sort of embarrassment, I gave her a smile and a wink along with my order. For some reason, my voice is now an octave deeper than Barry White’s and a bit more velvety than an Elvis Presley painting. She moved to the 'mark' just right of the grill—called out my order then brought my black coffee and water. After thanking her she rejoins her female coworkers. I notice them looking towards me and I cross my arms over my chest. Why did I wear white?

Soon my order is up and she places it in front of me. A coworker, let's call her 'Smitten 2', refills my coffee and asks if she could get me anything else. "No, thank you." Smitten 2 asks how my holiday is going and what I had planned. After a few more questions she exclaims, "You DO have a sexy voice."

Me: "Oh, you are too kind. It is just my voice."

Smitten 2: "No. I am serious. When Smitten 1 told us, I had to come over and see for myself". I am sure she meant "hear" instead of "see". Anyway, I exhaled a sigh of relief realizing they weren't talking about my chestal region.

Me: "What makes a voice sexy?"

Smitten 1: "The way it sounds."—[My bad. I should not have asked such a difficult question.]—"I could listen to you talk all day."

Smitten 2: "Please say my name-just once." As she said this, she thrust her chestal region towards me, presumably to allow me to read her name tag. For fear I might see signs of her being cold, I chose to look her in the eye. I felt it only polite to do what she asked so I said, "My name-just once." With this, both Smittens 1 and 2 started laughing and walked away.

While finishing my breakfast, I smiled thinking something about my old, broken body--albeit, nothing external--was attractive to a couple of girls. I was not interested in reciprocating their flirtations. I was tired, and the neuro pain down my legs was demanding my attention. Regardless, it was flattering and made me think of the number of times women had the reverse experience. Guys flirting with them. Complimenting them. Perhaps even ogling. This exchange was nowhere near any of those. Just two girls complimenting my voice.

Album Cover "It's A Waffle House Christmas", 2001.

Their compliments, while concealed in flirtatious banter, lifted my spirits. For a moment I did not feel pain in my back and down my legs. I stood without my usual deep breath then made my way to the cash register where I paid my bill leaving a 35% tip. For the Christmas gifts of course. I picked up my cell phone, and wished all a Merry Christmas as another song was playing, "It's A Waffle House Christmas". With a chuckle in my throat and a smile on my face, I walked to the door with a bit more pride in my stride; a new found pep in my step, my head held high, and my chest puffed out. I opened the door to allow a couple to enter. She looked at me, then cast a sidelong glance at her husband remarking, "It must be cold in here".

Why did I wear white?

Big BANG!

Well, this week went out with a "Big Bang". We all witnessed and engaged in coitus.

"The Big Bang Theory"? Oh, no. Well, yes. Amy has longed for the moment when Sheldon's "force awakens". Shamy finally decided to go "where no man has gone before". They forego Star Wars worldwide release for foreplay and a release of their own.

While the world was distracted by the new Star Trek movie--Star Wars, what's the difference? New Speaker Paul Ryan led a Republican-controlled House and Senate to pass the $1.1 TRILLION Omnibus Spending Bill.

Amy thoroughly enjoyed Sheldon's birthday genitals. For the most part, "experiencing coitus" is pleasurable. Except when it is forced upon you by a trusted friend. Yeah, we were screwed. I believe reciprocity is in order. Ryan and the other 315 House members plus the 65 Senators that voted for this Bill should have a lightsaber inserted deep into their black holes.

That is a "Big BANG!" I could get behind

A Rose By Any Other Name

"It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Barack H. Obama (11 APR 08)

Obama, San Francisco, APR 2008

Most of us remember this quote by then Senator Obama to a group of Democratic supporters at a fundraiser in San Francisco, referring to the hardworking, middle-class workers of the mid-West. It angered honest, hardworking, gun owners, and people of faith. The words he chose were specific. This man does not throw words around haphazardly. He is a skilled orator, that understands the impact of words. He chooses them like a builder who chooses material for a home. He then assembles them to construct an image he wishes to portray. In this one statement, he outlined, in my opinion, his agenda for his presidential term. Guns. Religion. Anti-immigrant. Anti-trade. It illustrates a spiritual, philosophical, ideological, and anthropological change to this great Country. Let's examine it a bit closer by looking at the words he chose.

Guns. Do we really need to expand on his anti-gun stance? He is on record numerous times voicing his desire for new "common sense" gun laws, i.e. restriction, registration, and recovery (seizure and confiscation). His remarks yesterday, while the scene was still hot, called for gun control measures. "There are some steps we could take--not to eliminate every one of these mass shootings--but to improve the odds that they don't happen as frequently. Common sense gun safety laws, stronger background checks….What we do know is that there are steps we can take to make Americans safer and that we should come together in a bi-partisan basis on every level of government." He essentially wants to rewrite the Constitution. Just a thought, but should we not be more interested in the motive of these killers and not dwell on the means they used to accomplish their mission?

Religion. The USA was founded upon Judeo-Christian beliefs. We are known around the globe as a Christian nation. Obama sought to change this. In a CBS interview in 2007, he said, "Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation." In 2009, while holding a press conference in Turkey he said, "(we Americans) no longer consider ourselves a Christian nation." While speaking at the Summit to Counter Violent Extremism--Obama-speak for Islamic Terrorists--earlier this year, he "fabricated" this statement: "Islam has been woven into the fabric of our country since its founding." I guess his history books were no better than his geography books; remember his answer about hoping to visit all 57 states?  In the same speech, be "spun thus yarn". "As I've noted before. Thomas Jefferson once held a sunset dinner here with an envoy from Tunisia--perhaps the first Iftar at the White House, more than 200 years ago. And some of you, as you arrived tonight, may have seen our special display, courtesy of our friends at the Library of Congress---the Holy Quran that belonged to Thomas Jefferson. And that's a reminder, along with the generation of patriotic Muslims in America, that Islam---like so many faiths---is part of our national story," It is almost like the feel-good movie of the Summer, but it is not true. None of it is. The first mosque was not erected until 1913. There was a meeting between Sidi Solima Mellimelli regarding the pirates of the Barbary Coast. I am sure you recognize the lyric "...to the shores of Tripoli". Yep, the Barbary Coast. We were fighting "violent extremism" even then.

Let's not forget the attacks on Christianity. Forced contraception in healthcare. Religious beliefs trumped by same-sex marriage. Preventing military chaplains from praying in "Jesus" name or reading from the Bible. Misinterpreting the Crusades by equating them to acts of "violent extremism". To this Redneck, it is clear to see the "writing on the wall" (read Daniel Chapter 5), this President and by extension, progressive liberals, want to limit your right to worship as you want.

After the Umpqua College shooting, President Obama said, "Our thoughts and prayers are not enough." The cover of New York Daily Post says, "God Isn't Fixing This" mocking the Christians that offered prayer. It is funny, I believe a hashtag making the rounds on social media just a few weeks ago read #PrayForParis. I guess prayer is acceptable for others but not here in the US.

Anti-Immigrant. For the longest, if an individual was not in the US legally, they were called "illegal aliens". This administration forced a narrative of referring to them as "undocumented immigrants". In the last few weeks, they have evolved into referring all immigrants, legal and illegal, as "pilgrims". Words are important. This administration has not done any measurable amount of work to seal our borders. Instead, they give illegal aliens a free pass. Sanctuary cities. Kate Steinle was shot and killed by an illegal alien in San Francisco, a sanctuary city.

Anti-trade. Here we see his administration opening up relations with Iran and Cuba. Then we have the TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership. This, like the Iran deal, was done in secret. Both sides of the aisle had supporters and detractors, but no one knew what was in it. Yet, Obama wants this deal before he leaves office. We have to "pass it to see what's in it". The political equivalent of Schrodinger's Cat. It is both Good and Bad until you open it up. Most free trade agreements are political kryptonite. Good ones make US companies more profitable. Bad ones put many blue-collar workers out of jobs. Those that lose their jobs would then need some sort of government assistance to help make ends meet. More government dependence. The trade agreement would allow for more H-1B Visas, essentially allowing companies to hire foreign workers on a temporary basis, 3 to 5 years. Disney was doing this for some of their tech workers, but public outcry forced their change of mind.

 

Of course, no trade agreement discussion would be complete without mentioning the Keystone Pipeline and Climate Change. This president was against the Pipeline simply to satisfy his Far-Left environmentalists and friends that own railroads. Read up on that.  Climate change, specifically the man-made variety is a farce. Regardless, this president believes it is the single largest threat to our national security. Mr. President, Climate Change did not kill people in San Bernardino, CA. It did not kill people in Paris. It did not kill people in Chattanooga. It is not the reason Christians, Jews, homosexuals, and anyone that is not the right type of Muslim to be killed by horrific manners in the mid-East.

Mr. President, I am a God-fearing, Bible-believing, Gun-Loving, Redneck Marine, that believes in American exceptionalism, but sadly, it has lost its way. Too many people want something given to them--that they are entitled to it--and do not want to work for what they have. We have turned our backs on our Creator and allowed immoral behavior to direct our path. This great country was founded on the beliefs of common to Judaism and Christianity. The Bill of Rights, rights conveyed to us by our Creator, is not a list of privileges granted to us or earned from by a central government. You appear to have taken on the role of a Muslim apologist. What are your motives? Another of o

ur presidents had a different take on Islam. John Quincy Adams: "The precept of the Koran is perpetual war against all who deny that Mahomet (Muhammad) is the prophet of God. The vanquished may purchase their lives, by the payment of tribute; the victorious may be appeased by a false and delusive promise of peace; and the faithful follower of the prophet may submit to the imperious necessities of defeat: but the command to propagate the Moslem creed by the sword is always obligatory when it can be made effective. The commands of the prophet may be performed alike, by fraud, or by force."

Mr. President, you chose your words carefully. You are a crafty wordsmith. Choosing to call Islamic Terrorists anything other than what it is, is merely an attempt to minimize the impact. You are trying to transform this great country into a weaker, government-dependent, nation. It is like you want to knock us down a bit. Your words have foreshadowed this. I remind you of another crafty wordsmith, the Bard of Avon, and his words, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." I will use my words and deeds to stop you.

"Such is the spirit, which governs the hearts of men, to whom treachery and violence are taught as principles of religion."

John Quincy Adams