James Hauenstein's Blog, page 114

Trying To Keep That California Dreaming All To Myself

Just got back from another hike in theWildernessofCalifornia.We are in the middle of a drought,so everything looks a sandy brown,with a few patches of green.I went on a hike at theSan Onofre State Beach.Ah,don't think it is allFun,Sand,andSurfjust because it isCalifornia.Like I said,it's a barren wasteland here,because we don't have any water.So all of youWannabees Tourists,I would definitely plan my vacation to another location.Here,I have a couple of pictures that might help you to decide to stay away from ourCalifornia Beaches.   See,it isHellliving her inCaliforniathese days.Save yourselves the grief.Find a new place to go onVacation!
This is,Trying To Keep That California Dreaming All To Myself,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“Life is a summer, full of fun, at the beach, under the sun.”
- Debasish Mridha -
That is my story and I am sticking to it!
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Trying To Kick Your Weekend Off

Do you remember theAnnual Catholic Charity DinnerinNew York Citythis year?WhereHillary ClintonandDonald Trumpwere both present?It is aCharitywhere bothPresidential Candidates,during election years,have attended for years.It goes as far back,to my knowledge,whenJohn F. Kennedywas running forPresident.I could be wrong.It wouldn't be the first time.The funny thing about this past dinner,was during the speeches that both candidates gave.Donaldsaid,"Michelle Obama gives a speech four years ago and people love her. My wife gives the same speech, and she gets booed!"
He also said,"On the way in here tonight I bumped into Hillary and she told me, 'Pardon me."Funny guy,huh?Well,of courseHillarycouldn't just let it go,so she said,"Donald looks at the Statue of Liberty and says she is a four. Five or six if she moves the torch and tablet out of the way."Isn't it wonderful that they,and we should take an example from them,just get along so well?
I was talking toLarry the other dayand he told me about his conversation with the new waitress atDQ. "Ah. Boy, Connie, you know what your malts do to me?" Asked Larry
Connie answered. "Countin' on it, darlin'. I get off in an hour."
So Larry told her, "Ain't gonna take that long. I got Crisco at my house."
I had a buddy of mine call me up the other day,all upset 'cause he slept with his third cousin.And I'm like,"Man, if it upsets you so much, quit countin' them!"
Did you know that when a baby poops in its diaper,you're not supposed to hit him with a rolled up newspaper?
I was living with a girl for eight months,until she found out I was living with her!
One year I bought my wife a mood ring.Them things work pretty good too!When she was in a good mood it was blueand when she was in a bad mood,it made a red mark upside my head.
This is,Trying To Kick Your Weekend Off With A Good Laugh,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“The gods too are fond of a joke.” - Aristotle - 
That is my story and I am sticking to it!
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This Curse

We are in the midst of theSpookiest,Spine-Chilliest,Eeriest,Ghostliest,Halloween Seasonthat I can remember.So,it is time to reprise anotherScary Poemfor your reading pleasure.It is calledThis Cursewhich I turned into a song back in my heyday as aMusician.Me,as aMusician.Not alone should scare you to death. This Curse
I run to the closet,hoping to find security.I push thru the crowd,not wanting to stand in line.Looking into the mirror,I see what is standing there.Cold icicles for a frosty spine.
A blanketed expression,covered with just a stare.Cheerless eyes,look back into mine.They say something,But I cannot perceive the line.Why why,
why?
Random impressions,run thru my mind.An impression,forms on your mind.Transfusion to confusion.My mind,is in a cloud.
When the smoke does clear,will I understand this life?For what is,this life?If not to try to clear the smoke,depression from your mind.The poem's a joke,it does have few rhythms!

This is,
Written By My Brother,
Alan Hauenstein,

And,

“Music sounds different to the one who plays it. It is the musician's curse.”
- Patrick Rothfuss -
That is his poem and I am sticking to it!
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What a busy day I've had.

What a busy day I've had.Drove myWifeto work. Tried to fix mySwamp Cooler. Made a bed sheetGhostto hang on the tree in the front yard. And now I have to leave to see my youngestSonsing inChoir. So please forgive me.I somehow let day getaway before I could write something interesting.
This is,I Am Actually Feeling Bad That I Didn't Have A Story Ready To Write Today,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching, they are your family. ”
- Jim Butcher -
That is my story and I am sticking to it!
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Questions You Didn't Know You Needed To Ask!

Still slightly under the weather.So maybe I should just answer a couple ofQuestions You Didn't Know You Needed To Ask!
Why am I afraid of the number 13 Jim?
"The belief that the number 13 is unlucky is so widespread that its origins are unclear — different theories link it to Christian tradition (once again related to the Last Supper, where Judas is said to have sat at the thirteenth place at the table); Viking lore (the trickster god Loki being the thirteenth god); and the Persian zodiac (in which there are twelve signs, leaving the number thirteen to represent chaos.) The specific fear of Friday the 13th dates back to the 19th century, combining two old superstitions: the fear of the number 13 with the belief that Fridays are unlucky days.The morbid fear of the number 13 is technically known as "triskaidekaphobia", and is so common that many buildings have no floor 13 — going straight from 12 to 14."

Thirteen wasn't so bad for theOriginal 13 Coloniesof theUnited Statesand ourFlag!(Thirteen Stripes)
Who is Atë, Até and Aite?"Actually, all three names refer to the Greek goddess of mischief, delusion, ruin, and folly. Até also refers to the action performed by a hero, usually because of hubris, that often leads to his or her death or downfall. Mythology personifies Atë as the daughter either of Zeus or of Eris. Homer's Iliad (Book 19) depicts Atë as the eldest daughter of Zeus (with no mother mentioned). On Hera's instigation, Atë used her influence over Zeus so that he swore an oath that on that day a mortal descended from him would be born who would become a great ruler. Hera immediately arranged to delay the birth of Heracles and to bring forth Eurystheus prematurely. In anger Zeus threw Atë down to earth forever, forbidding her return to heaven or to Mt. Olympus. Atë then wandered about, treading on the heads of men rather than on the earth, wreaking havoc on mortals."
There you have it.More trivia you might need to know someday when you finally end up on thatTV Game Showyou have been dying to get on.
This is,I Do Like Trivia,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“There is no trivia in a strategic mind.”
- Toba Beta, -
That is my story and I am sticking to it!
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Help Me Write - "THE EXPERIMENT!"

Yesterday,Sunday,I went out for a walk with my second oldest daughterand my grandson at theSanta Rosa Plateau. During our walk,it started to rain.And,what do you think the odds are,of me getting a cold todayand feeling sick?Pretty good I guess.So,since I am too ill to properly write a good story today,I would like to try,once again to ask you to;
Help Me Write - "THE EXPERIMENT!"
My idea for a story is;
I write the opening sentence or two,
(In Red)then someone should write the next sentence or two to the story in the comments below.
(In Green)I'll update the story with what you wrote,
then I'll write the next part.If you can't get the feel of the story by writing just one or two sentences,
write a paragraph.Nothing longer please. Hopefully,
other people will contribute
and so on.I would love to get as many
Readers-Writers
contributing to the story as possible.Please,
no extreme vulgarity
and no blatant sexual content.I reserve the right to do all the rewrites.Open to suggestions,
of course.If it turns out to be a good read,
I'll publish a
Free eBook
with everyone's name listed as contributing
Authors!OK,
here it goes.
I hope it's not too confusing
and I hope to see plenty of contributors.
Have fun.


The Experiment.

   "It makes perfect sense to spend every last cent you have to get the scent you need." Says Michelle Beaussart. CEO and Founder of the prestigious fragrance company, Paris Amour Parfum.
   Michelle is talking to a group of possible investors, during a luncheon, at the Le Jules Verne Restaurant, on top of the Eiffel Tower. 
   "May I request a volunteer for a brief demonstration?" Michelle asks as she picks up the jet black bottle of perfume and smiles inwardly.
   She can sense the skepticism in the air from these doubters, but, because of her past experience and success, she is sure that all the top leaders in the industry will succumb to her new, revolutionary perfume and healthcare product, all packaged in one tiny black bottle.
  "I'll try," says a young petite woman with an American accent.
  Michelle looks strangely at the girl and asks, "Who are you and how did you get an invitation?"
  "I believe you know exactly who I am and have been anticipating this day for a quite a while." Says the young girl.  Michelle is stunned, taken off guard. Can it be the daughter she gave up for adoption before her freshman year of college?
  The room grew eerily silent. With all eyes on her, Michelle just stood at the head of the table, with a dazed look to her face, not knowing what to say.
  "Come on Mom. I want to be your first test subject."


This is,
Getting My Flu Shot Tomorrow,
Jim Hauenstein,

And,

"We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect."- Anaïs Nin - 

The Curse Of Being A Vampire.

In honor of theHalloween Season,I would like to reprise a little poem I wrote.It is called,
"The Curse Of Being A Vampire."
I can come out,Only in the darkened night.I am treated frighteningly,In someone's surprised sight.
My anguish inside,Torments me to the bone.Did I ask for this?No, but I bare it alone.
I was bitten from the bite,as cold as Winter's frost.The life I had before me,Gone now, all lost.
Why, with no heartbeat,Do my eyes still see?Why, with my mind still thinking,I know it is not me.
Now run away from me,Do not play the hero fool.The smell of life within you,sets my fangs to drool.
To survive in this plight,I am forced to drink your blood.Afterwards, the guilt of murder,Hits me like a flood.
Once, I was a good man,never committing a mortal sin.Then why was I burdened,With all of Hell within?
I did not ask,To roam the night undead.Given eternal damnation,For my soul can never mend.
I thought of ending my life,Going over to the Church.Not until I have my revenge,Upon the Beast that I still search.
He is a Beast whose victims,Never fail to die.There life cut, so very short,But their souls are free to fly.
Then why did he decide,That I should be the one?To decay in darkness,Never seeing the light of the Sun.
So I will follow the path of death,I must eat along the way.Until I meet up with that Beast,Some future fateful day.
Then I will destroy him,There will be no more of my kind.Because the thought of your blood inside me,Creeps through both of our cursed minds! 
This is,Having Nightmares For Your Reading Pleasure,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“The farther we've gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we've come to need Halloween."- Paula Curan -
That is my story and I am sticking to it!
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Counting Pennies

It isSaturday.The day I like to talk aboutSciency Stuff.I was going to do a series of articles on theESA's (European Space Agency)Schiaparelli Mars Probe,but unfortunately,the lander probably
"Crashed Landed"and exploded on impact.Photo Images,byNASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,shows an impact siteand the possible the parachute from the probe. Sorry,to the billions ofEurosspent on this failed mission.
We have a newHydrogen Milky Way Mapthough.
Astronomers unveil incredibly detailed new Milky Way mapBy James Griffiths for CNN "Astronomers in Germany and Australia charted hydrogen -- the most abundant element in space and the main component of stars and galaxies -- to give an unprecedented view of the Milky Way. The map shows the concentration of stars and dwarf galaxies across the skies. The Magellanic Clouds can be seen at the lower right."

This next story is not aboutScience,but I thought everyone could use a"Lucky Penney!"
A 'lucky penny' worth $1,000 could be hidden in your cityBy Mary Bowerman , for USA TODAY Network"If you think pennies are useless, you’re not alone. But, you might want to change that tune and start picking up pennies you see on the ground because one could be worth $1000. Financial company Ally recently hid 100 ‘lucky pennies’ in 10 cities across the country. Those who find the pennies will get $1000."
 This is,Counting My Pennies,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“The symbolism seemed so apt. The same technology that can propel apocalyptic weapons from continent to continent would enable the first human voyage to another planet. It was a choice of fitting mythic power: to embrace the planet named after, rather than the madness ascribed to, the god of war.”
- Carl Sagan, -
That is my story and I am sticking to it!
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A Believer In Infinity

Normally,I like to end the work-week with a little bit of humor before your weekend starts.But,I would love to tell you about aCompany,who I believe isReputably,Honest,andQuality Organization.I should actually do this more often because how I love to point out the greed in mostCompaniesand how they will lieand cheat theAmerican Publicfor aProfit.TheCompanyI am talking about is,Infinity Property & Casualty Corporation. Back in the early 1990s, to my understanding, the California Department of Insurance decided, for the benefit of all California Residents, that Auto Insurance Companies should no longer be able to raise your rates or cancel your policy because of your first accident or even your first moving violation. So they passed a law. After this law was passed, many Auto Insurance Companies started pulling out of California, denying anyone from this State of signing with them and cancelling current customers when their Auto Insurance Renewals came up. Infinity Insurance was one of the few who didn't pull out when the law was passed.Liberty Mutual likes to make you think"Accident Forgiveness"is something they came up with.They will sell you a Policy with something that is already the law in most of the 50 States across America!Long story short, I have been with them for 20 Years. Around 2004, I rear-ended a pickup truck on one of the few rainy mornings we have had here in Southern California. In 2007, again I rear-ended a pickup truck, pushing the truck into another vehicle. In both cases, Infinity took care of all claims, did not cancel me as a Customer, and best of all, never raised my rates. Now comes 2016. During a Vacation Road-Trip to Wisconsin to visit my relatives, I was driving my daughter's vehicle, and hit a deer which jumped in front of us, totaling her car. I have always heard that you would have to fight tooth and nail to get what your vehicle is worth from Insurance Companies because they will low ball you, unwilling to pay out on your claim. Infinity quickly came back with a fair market offer which was actually two thousand dollars higher than what we thought the car was worth. Two months ago, my daughter had a brand new car, was rear-ended by someone not paying attention, and my Insurance Company not only paid out immediately to us so we could move forward with our lives, but promised to go after the Driver's Insurance Company who hit us, so we wouldn't have to. That way we could get a new vehicle and not wait for months for their Insurance to pay us, even though they admitted they were at fault. Now today, the father of the girl who was driving another vehicle involved in the accident, calls to claim he is suing us and everyone involved! I called my Insurance Company, telling them of the call, and they tell me to "Never-Mind" the guy, he is a blow-hard (my words), and if he does try to sue me, they will go down to Court with me, to help with my case. They also said, if by some slim chance we would lose, they would pay all fees! Now that my friends, is a Great Company!
This is,A Believer In Infinity,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.”
- Henry Ford -
That is my story and I am sticking to ti!
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Going Home - A Flash Fiction Story

As my kids grew older, I would often tell them about the great family life I had growing up and how beautiful the scenic area was where we lived. Proclaiming, back in my day, it was a time when neighbors would actually come out of their homes to say hello to one another. There were no fences between yards for barriers, no one had cell phones, no computers, no emailing and no texting. Nothing so impersonal like the technology they use today to make themselves think they are being more sociable.I remember going on vacation for two weeks, my Parents forgetting to lock the doors on our house, but we didn’t worry. You always knew that the neighbors nearby had your back. Everyone knew who was away on vacation and made sure no one broke into their home.Not like today, where it is a struggle for the neighbors to say hi to one-another when you see them outdoors.It probably has something to do with our neighborhood having to endure this middle class poverty life, while in the “The Great State of Nickle & Dime You to Death California,” so you can’t afford to do any activities outside your own home.Where I grew up, the grass was green and trees were the scent of pine. The nearby cornfields were full of Pheasants, Mallard Ducks swam in the ponds, and the Ruffed Grouse ruffled in the grassland. We had deer hunting, ice fishing, camping, and boating. It was clean air, friendly faces, and open spaces.The local park where played every day spanned thirty miles along the shores of Lake Michigan.So when I finally had the chance to take the kids to see my home town and the house I grew up in, I jumped at it. My brother said he would put us up at his house so we could be there for the first family reunion in twenty years.I told my children that the family no longer owned the structure on the corner of Elm Street and Juniper Circle, but I would drive them out there before the reunion, just so they could see the old place.And an old place it was. Gone was the only elm tree on Elm Street which had shaded us in the front yard. The once green grass I rolled around on, was now infested with weeds. The metal shed I erected as a youth, rusted through and had fallen in on itself. The garden of tomatoes, carrots, and radishes my Mother grew was now a junk yard of old tires, car parts, refrigerators, washers and dryers.A Fire Marshal's notice condemned the place while Police tape was supposed to keep out any looters. You could see that the living room was half gone from a fire which had also taken most of the roof.I saw a young man a couple of houses down, in his front yard, watering his roses. Walking towards him to ask what had happened, he pointed the hose our way even though the water couldn't reach us.“Stop right there, Mister.” He said while giving me an angry scowl. “If you are in anyway associated with those Bittleman brothers, you can just turn around right now!”I introduced myself and told him why we were there. He then opened up enough to tell me the brothers inherited the house after their Mother had died shortly after purchasing the place. How ten days ago the two of them got drunk and with their pistols in hand started shooting beer cans off the refrigerator in the middle of all that debris. When the Police were called in, the two brothers barricaded themselves inside the house and wouldn’t come out. After a twelve-hour standoff with the Cops, the Chief of Police decided to use tear gas to get them out, which must have triggered the fire.I thanked the gentleman for his time and we left.  There was nothing left to see.On the way back to my brother’s place, my oldest daughter tried to cheer me up by saying, “Dad, we didn't think we were going to see anything special anyways. The neighborhood was bound to be different. You know how you are always telling us that in life change is inevitable, so don't be surprised by it, embrace it. Well, what did you expect?”Of course the middle child had to have her turn at me. “Don't you remember Dad? You've taken us camping and fishing. We've sang songs together around a campfire and hiked in the mountains! We have done some of the same things you say are so great here.”My youngest son surprised me next with his wisdom by consoling me with, “Dad, we like where we are growing up. All of our friends are there. We know nothing about living anywhere else.”After being consoled by my children, I thought about a quote I once heard.“Home is where the heart is.”

This is,Most Of That Story Is True,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
 “My home will never be a place, but a state of mind, which I find through my music.”
    - Charlotte Eriksson -
That is my story and I am sticking to it!
Like what you are reading,or do not like what you see.Set up my Blog as your Homepage,or sign up as a Follower,or leave a Comment,and I will answer you in a Post.
Thanks for reading.


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