Thursday, December 17, 2015

Charles Horse

Bertie, David's shit of an assistant, woke up this fine morning and decided he wanted to be a complete bell-end. David Smith, the latest victor of the British Open, is also a bell-end. The two have handpicked our greens to be the backdrop of the self produced documentary about the life and times of a champion. Which as you will have it, is the title of the bleeding thing; 'The Life and Times of David Smith: A Champion'. And would you believe that his family owns and operates the course? Actually lovely people. Very kind.
Bertie's job is to assist David whenever he graces the club. I am certain he has a picture of his Davie's arse on his nightstand so he can kiss it morning and night. The shit. His job in the pro shop is to amble about. I have never seen him do anything else. He likes to kick pepples around  in the car park in between fags and spitting on ants. The ancient duffers love the knob for a reason beyond me, save for he is the first and last person they see at the links.
Most of the golfers know me from The Club Pub. I am the lowly geezer in the dirty jumper drinking my allocated pint. Part of the furniture.
Aren't too many jobs for antiquated engineers these days. Getting this job came at a critical time for me and the Mrs.. We scrape by thankfully. I tend to the upkeep of the maintenance shed mostly. Lots of sweeping, cleaning dirty rental clubs, quieting vocal hinges, etcetera. A sleepy occupation. I used to build entire factories that collectively employed thousands.
In my first week working, introduced myself to Bertie over a pint in The Club Pub. I got into how lucky I had been with this job. I told him about the stress we had making ends meet. It had gotten so bad that in times of extreme stress I get leg paralyzing charley horses. This was a mistake. The shit, I swear, hand to our lord, has been intentionally trying to get me to seize up. Even though he is well aware of the excruciating pain it causes.
I have been working here for loosely two and a half years; not as long as the tenured three year meander associate, Bertie. For this reason he has chosen me as the berk to torment. This adolescent, all but twenty two years in age, acts as my superior. Telling me to fetch things for him. And reporting to supervisors about my quality of work. "That sweep-y lad has been pretty sluggish with the bits of rubbish in the car park. Poor bloke, must be tired because he is so, so old. Let's send him home to rest."

On a day the knob-twins were documenting his greatness, the grounds manager was told by Bertie that David required someone allowed to operate a cart for a scrolling shot in their masterpiece. (Seeing as how my leg could be a danger to my health, I was given a doctor's referral to drive a cart while on the course.)
From the start, Bertie fancied himself a Spielberg because he had the camera. Barking orders lopsidedly towards me but never addressing me directly. " Driver. You're in my shot", " You. Move", " Driver. You are the only one not taking this seriously", "I don't know what to do with him." , " quiet on set, driver" , "Diver, this isn't the first time I've given you a direction" , "Must be nap time. Poor driver". I have a ruddy name, you twat. All the while he is jokes and giggles with all his production team, if you will: caddies, a sound man, a local sports journalist as well as an attractive woman that Bertie the shit may or may not have purchased from a talent agency (all the aforementioned had names which were freely sung by our resident fil genius).
He got what he wanted. And on film, no less. After years of being pestered, that..shit had launched my stress level to the brink of fucking insanity. "Turn left, Driver".  Everything went red, then tunnel vision. My leg stiffened itself against the accelerator. Then. Nothing.

I was shown an unrecognizable video with the accident in it's entirety. Staff are calling it a senior moment, apparently. All were kind and helpful. None truly knew what had really happened. 

Bertie suggested Captain Nuremberg take a few weeks rest. "The elderly take much longer to heal than normal people. Isn't that right, grandpa? Maybe I will give you a lift home and warm you up some milk."

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2ba_1450311708

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Theatre Wing-Wang


Twas the performance before closing night of a show I rather not have my dear name pinned to.   The final scene was over and the blackout prompted the actors waiting in the wings to emerge and strike themselves into a rehearsed tableau.  The lights came up and warmed their faces; they halved themselves graciously at the pitter patter of the audience.
The last scene of the show had me alone on stage in a pair of striped boxer-short underwear.  So, when all was said and done, I remained on the other side of the fourth wall and waited to be joined by the others for the curtain call.  My wiener popped out whilst bowing.
Backstage in the dressing room I returned to my civilian clothes.  "Did your wiener pop out during the bow?"  "Yes, it did."  "I thought so."



Thursday, October 25, 2012

Freeze, Shit Fingers!



I had been in a jail cell once before.  My pop asked one of his cop buddies to arrest and book me for hucking dog shit at the stop sign across the street from our house.  I was eight.  "Where's the perp?!".  "He's over there drinking out of the hose.".  "Freeze, shit-fingers!  Let me see your shitty little hands!"

I was in the holding cell for about an hour.  I was given my mugshot and fingerprints as a parting gift.  My dad and my cousin Ray Ray were propped against the truck out in the parking like Backstreet Boys; heads slightly cocked, one foot on the ground, the other on the truck, hands in their pockets.  "Nice to have you back, kid.  How does it feel to be out?" "Alright, I guess." "Want to get a burger?" "No, it was someone's birthday, so I ate a bunch of cake in my cell."

~~~~~~~~~~~
I got caught stealing some CDs from a car in a Best Buy parking lot.  I am in jail for 3 days.  I have $2,895 in fines and court fees.  I will have to miss two of my 14 'Intro to Welding' classes at the community college.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Oregon Saga #1: Water Back

On my 21st birthday my friends abandoned me after 6 beers.  They were kind enough to be there at the bar at midnight the night before, but work and weed snuck them back to their beds and Dr. Who DVD's at around 10pm.  I made my rounds from one bar to the next, making new friends and smoking cigarettes with the dregs and self-important near do wells that off season beach towns seem to produce.  My age made me a novelty.
I knew the bartender from my bussing days at a cafe near the turn-around.  She had big boobs and would later have a baby with one of the local knuckleheads; they would get drunk and kiss when her shift was over.  "21, huh? Well, let's start you off with the good stuff." Johnnie Walker Red.  A man sits next to me, "What, no water back?"

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Night Terror


"Are you ok?"

"I...I had a terrible nightmare."

"You're shaking. What made it so terrible??"

"I was...I was in my back yard, only it wasn't my back yard, you know? It was this European square, I guess.  I was starving and didn't have any money so I had to perform, only I had zero talent.  All I had to work with was a ball, a couple fans and a metal stick thing that must have cost me some amount of money at some point...Anyway, it seemed that every time I tried to do a trick it went wrong.  I would throw the ball in the air and it would be just out of reach to catch.  I would try to do a Chinese fan trick, but turns out it wasn't a trick at all.  Ah, fuck, at one point I may have been dancing, but not really dancing, i don't know.  And then there was that metal stick thing that I would just roll on my arms: front, back, front... I don't want to talk about it anymore.  It felt almost too real."

Thursday, June 7, 2012

La'Robot

(to be read in the voice of a lonely African American man; age 35-48)

Dear Moms,  Hello.  How are things there?  I miss home, but I am getting by just fine here in Portland.  You kicking me out was the best thing that has happened to me.  I got a job at Ross.  On my days off I am a performer.  I had a girlfriend, but she left me.  I am really focusing on my performances.  I think I am finding my voice creatively ma.  I created a character that is kind of like me only he is a robot-man made of metal and plastics and not a real man like me.  He is an angry robot-man that walks around and yells at people right in their faces because they are different.  But then my character discovers everyone is different and it would be a waste of batteries to continue to use 'yelling mode'.  The only way for him to recharge his batteries is to juggle.  Well, I am saving money to come home for Dede's birthday.  I miss you all.  Say "hi" to Rodney for me.
Peace,
La'Ronzo

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Camp Bo

Bo smoked a cigarette he had bummed from our campsite neighbors.  He sat on the dirt near me while I flicked and fiddled with an old lighter trying to get our fire going.  A few sparkly embers floated over to Bo's exposed and jean-shorted midget legs, "Yow! Little fuckers."
The two of us roasted the wienies we bought from the one convenience store in a hundred mile radius.  I bought two scratch-its, broke even.  In the parking lot outside of the store Bo tried to offend some high school girls in a Jeep by flipping them off, but his hands are so small and lumpy that, i'm sure, they thought he was just introducing them to a portion of mashed potatoes.  "Ha! Little bitches." he yelled into my ear as we motored away on our leaky little Suzuki.

It was the first time either of us had wanted to sleep outside.  I used my bag as a pillow; Bo used his backpack.  In the morning Bo was covered in bug bites. "Damn little buggies"