Adam Thomas, RPH

the rant

I am so glad this summer is over.  It truly was awful and fucking and fucking awful.  It was so bad, my monthly horrorscope warned – “Brace yourself.  It’s going to be rough.” Hell, one site even used the word – ugly when referencing MY summer. Yeah, … . And, please don’t roll your eyes when I mention the whole astrological forecast thing. I refer to them as horroscopes for a reason. More often than not, they are just fun to read; especially when I’m fully aware what Nonsense will be included. As far as that whole ‘power of suggestion’ issue… . Who would ever want a bad summer? On purpose? Horrorscopes are harmless. What’s written is usually positive; ludicrous, but still relatively positive. As strange as it may seem, the ‘false hope’ that Tarot Tina teases readers with gets you through those rough times.

the concept

A few months back, I was in conversation with a friend and the subject of perspective was discussed.  Luckily, we were at the gym and both of us had agendas dictated by time.  And, we were still trying to workout.  Fortunately, the constraints of the situation warranted amazing insight into the complex concept that is perspective

 I am a writer.  Therefore, I analyzed what was said and came to the conclusion that perspective is kinda similar to Point of View.  Since POV is a fundamental tool in writing, every story has one. I had great fun occupying my time pondering this newfound theory. I realized, though, that a primary difference existed. In the fictitious world, Point of View is easily controlled or manipulated.  A non-fictional perspective is not. Instead, that has cluster fuck written all over it – one that can neither be controlled nor manipulated.

I drafted those words immediately following my conversation, waiting for additional inspiration to complete my thought process.  Well, so much for inspiration. That was over six months ago. To this day, I still have no further revelations about anything remotely related to the topic other than the fact that perspective is dictated by three provisions –

• hardest thing to gain
• easiest thing to lose
• changes frequently

the event

I thought I had actually gained something a few days ago.  And, yes, it was extremely difficult getting to that point. Still, it was an amazing moment. The details, quite frankly, are unimportant. Trust me.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be just that – a moment. The next day, the  Caveat emptor that IS Life reared its weary head, of course  The three governing bodies duked it out overnight, things changed quickly and I … lost the slim glimmer of perspective I had fought so hard to obtain.

Fortunately, for whatever perspective that was gained, then lost in that particular situation, the validation I experienced from how I handled said situation remained.  #fuckingawesome!

After this summer, I am still going to read my horrorscope.  (insert:  well deserved eye roll). But, I also decided that  perspective is highly over-rated. Validation is where it’s at, baby.

Point … taken?

So, remember Robert C. Bradshaw?  He wrote In Your Eyes AND asked that I include the icon over there for his book.  Yeah, well, he wants to ride on my blog strings once again.  Slacker.  Get your own website, dude.  But then we are practically the same person.  Hmm… . That would be kind of redundant. Regardless, I will always be better looking.  And, funnier.  Besides, I’d probs have more followers.

Okay, okay, enough about … me.

Mr. Bradshaw uploaded another title onto Kindle  –  A Promise to Love.

Yes, it’s another love story.  This one is a bit different, though.  It’s targeted for lovelorn folks of ALL ages – even Young Adult readers.  It is clean, man.  I think he felt a bit guilty when he wrote it.  He is Catholic.  That self-inflicted guilt thing gets us all the time. The story is loosely based his wife’s grandmother. I’m thinkin’ he would’ve caught some serious shade if the heroine – Eve Antinozzi – turned out to be some morally shallow harlot.  The main dude, Rennie Chambers, is actually a pharmacist.  Can you believe there is a well written story about a pharmacist? Other than mine, of course.  Imagine that.  Also, It’s historical – 1949 in Beantown (that’s Boston, by the way).

Shit, man.  Robert C. is sure a blog hog. First the book plug; now the musical number.  He insisted it be included.  Apparently, this song ‘inspired’ the pivotal scene in the story. What an egomaniac, eh? I never take up so much … space in one post.  Soon, the icon for that book will be added to MY home page as well.  At least I’ve done my part.   Now do yours – Buy the book. Please? While your at it, tell someone to buy My … Fictionalized Memoir.

 That’s enough Nonsense about sharing blog space and Random ‘identity’ issues. That’s …  A Promise.

I haven’t had a vocabulary lesson in a long time. So, I was way overdue.  Besides, this one is totally fun.  And, school is starting.  What better way to usher in the occasion than with an appropriately timed post?

actually – (adverb)

Last Christmas, my youngest daughter received a phonograph.  Since then, she has accumulated a few, but not too many albums.  She’s a teenager – there are numerous other distractions to occupy her attention. She is a huge Lana Del Rey fan. Other than that, her musical interest is quite diverse. Recently, she went shopping to add to her collection.  Being fifteen, she has limited funds.  Being fifty-three, I have limited funds, as well.  Imagine that.

Billboard Chart 

She had three albums to choose from and only enough money for one.

• The Beatles   The Magical Mystery Tour     
• Jimi Hendrix   Electric Ladyland
• Harry Styles Harry Styles 

time capacity – the vinyl beginnings

A phonograph record is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near the periphery and ends near the center of the disc. At first, the discs were commonly made from shellac.  In the 1950s polyvinyl chloride became common. Recently, records have been called vinyl records, or simply vinyl.

The phonograph disc record was the primary medium used for music reproduction throughout the 20th century. Records retained the largest market share even when new formats such as the compact cassette were mass-marketed. By the 1980s, digital media, in the form of the compact disc, had gained a larger market share, and the vinyl record left the mainstream in 1991. From the 1990s to the 2010s, records continued to be manufactured. Vinyl records have made a notable niche resurgence in the early 21st century. As of 2017, 48 record pressing facilities remain worldwide.

Fun fact / side note – Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877 .

R.P.M.

Phonograph records are generally described by their diameter in inches, the rotational speed in revolutions per minute (rpm) at which they are played (​8 ¹⁄₃, ​16 ²⁄₃, ​33 ¹⁄₃, 45, 78), and their time capacity, determined by their diameter and speed – LP , EP, and last but not least, the level of fidelity. Yeah, baby!

LP stands for Long Playing, and is another word for ‘album’.  The term is now also often used for CDs and digital downloads.

Jacket Required

Regardless of what Phil Collins says, you just can’t have ‘vinyl’ without a killer sleeve. Great care and attention to detail go into jacket designs.  My daughter’s selections alone are indicative of that fact. Between the three selections, the Harry Styles debut album pales in comparison to its competition. Kids nowadays.

Speaking of that, she chose the Beatles album.  Harry had only 10 songs.  But the Mystery Tour was truly Magical  – it contained a 24 page collector’s photo booklet. Sweet! She’s a good kid, though. The next day I went out and purchased Electric Ladyland.  It’s Hendrix! What was I supposed to do? Besides, I can be quite the pushover. Sometimes.

Bonus track

Like my daughter, I too had a decision.  How should I close a postal tribute to the vinyl record?

With a totally random, yet appropriately themed selection, of course.

Spin it!

I’m a bit early this year with my annual postal review.  My actual anniversary is mid-July. So, if you want to get technical – I’m late. When a blog topic presents itself, I need to follow through; especially if it’s current. Thus, the inconsistency in timing issue.  After over 300 posts, you would think there would be some improvement. Sadly, no.

In 2018, I was more Random than ever. According to ICD-10 standards, my condition probably isn’t even categorized. Randomness in blogging isn’t that horrible of a malady – N53.9 is way worse. Trust me.

I drank a lot this past year.  Let me rephrase that. I posted information about various beverages – hard apple cider, champagne, carbonated specialty sodas.  People continue to tell me I need to practice what I … write?!

Good news – sign lady is back. I think she’s rusty, though.  Her signs have been pretty bad lately.  So, I’m still considering switching to other forms of ‘wisdom’.  My son is getting into bumper stickers. (Pause)  Please don’t judge.

Enough recap rambling.  On with the postal presentation.

Aug 29, 2017   Adam Thomas picked … (some fucking peppers)    Sorry about the ‘abbreviated’ title but I was lazy.  Long ‘twister’.  As far as the peppers are concerned, they were definitely purple.  And, fucking awesome.

Oct 18, 2017   CSI – Traverse City   Summer is here again and I’m running the bleachers.  Again. This year there are no concerns whatsoever. A new ticket booth is being constructed. Hence, the fence is torn down. No ‘alternative’ entrance required.

Oct 25, 2017   Schoolhouse Rock   Three really is a magic number.

Dec 01, 2017   the Christmas ‘pickle’   I don’t care about an extra present.  I want that lucky year.  Hell, at this stage in my life, I would be happy with, like, a day.

Dec 15, 2017   the unintentional post  was about a fellow employee who lost his daughter.  On Aug 02, 2018 I posted HawkScripts about two classmates that passed away.  Some things in Life really aren’t intended to happen. And, reality really does suck.

March 08, 2018   MasterCard Moment – In Pizza We Crust                                                                                      March 15, 2018   Ode to the Airliner   Considering HawkScripts was also Iowa based, I’m thinking I’m really missing my Iowa roots. Hmm.. .

March 29, 2018   Hair I go again   Damn! March was a solid month, eh? I ended up getting a haircut shortly after the post.  Barber Jeff is the ultimate barber dude.

May 24, 2018   Fatherly Advice?   Yes, that is a question mark.  Yes, my advice is still questionable. Yes, I am done.  Any questions?

June 21, 2018   Hopes and dreams of chickens everywhere  This was just fun.  Besides, it made my mother laugh.

July 26, 2018   In the shower   Well, the ‘shower idea’ that inspired this entry was finally acted upon.  It wasn’t foolproof. Remember, it’s me. But, I haven’t been made a fool of. Yet! Definitely a work in progress. More to come on that very soon.

Honorable mention –

Nov 15, 2017   Vidalia Onion Pie and Feb 09, 2018   soups on   Food was a recurring theme in 2017. Since, I’m still hungry in 2018, these needed to be … mentioned. Honorably. Anyway, these recipes really are fucking awesome even if there are no purple pepper pieces.

Thanks for another great ‘year’.

Keep calm and blog on!

Well, I’m going back to my Iowa roots.  I know, I know.  I’m NOT a true Iowan.  I only went to college there. So, I will fondly refer to these roots as temporarily transplanted ones.  At the risk of being modest, I sowed my share of roots, baby. They be planted. The state/College of Pharmacy may refute this fact. Still, I sowed. I’ve even referenced these amazing years both in my Fictional Memoir and this blog – Ode to the Airliner.

HawkScripts is a bi-annual publication from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy.   I like receiving every issue.  I feel connected.  A few years back, I lobbied for an article to be written about My Life … hoping to generate sales.  Well, that never happened. Hell, I never even got a response.  Come to think about – why would anyone respond to such an inquiry?

Fortunately, I don’t hold a grudge.  How could I? I loved everything that was Iowa – especially the friendships I forged during my college years.  Better yet, HawkScripts keeps me up on the College and, more importantly, the students and alumni.

The format is relatively simple and completely reader friendly.  Remember, these are pharmacists. Journalistic finesse was never the goal.  Regardless, it serves its intended purpose adequately.

Letter from the Dean

Feature articles –

• research/new innovations / pipeline medications, etc – I rarely read these articles however appropriate they may be. I should.  I’s just don’t.  But, I should.   
• the new facilities AND annual financial updates – the new digs are sweet – the usual plug for alumni to donate
• Profiles – Educator accomplishments and staff accolades –  Much of the faculty from my day are retired. Now, some of my classmates ARE the faculty.  Crazy, eh!?

Class Notes / Student News

• what current students are doing – because they are all that. Be them as they may, the Class of 1989 was way cooler.

Alumni information

• Homecoming is huge. In every issue. The Winter edition recaps the previous Homecoming.  The Summer pages detail events for the upcoming festivities.
• what wonderful things everyone but myself has accomplished. Always fun to read. (sarcasm intended). I did write a book, though. Yeah, … .

Future Hawkeyes –

• hopefully none of my classmates are included in this section. Why would you want to be unless it’s a grandparent announcement.

There is one last section I should mention. Considering it’s the reason for this post, I’m thinking that would be a good idea.

In Memoriam 

Two of my classmates passed away recently.  I was sad when I read the entries. After graduation, I had little, if any, contact with either person. Still, it’s surreal.  Sometimes, hearing something such as this about an acquaintance is quite unsettling because you hadn’t had contact with them.  There wasn’t a process to go along with the news.  It’s a reality.  And, reality really does suck.

Enough of this serious shit. That’s why I shower and keep my blog Random, baby. Besides, ‘N’ really is for Nonsense.

Enjoy summer! It’s going fast.

Well, I guess I’m going to share some unsolicited information about myself.  Considering I do this on a regular basis and have been doing so for the last, what, 5 years, I’m probs good, eh?  Trust me,it’s nothing spicy. Never is.  And, anyone who reads this probably does the same thing.

When I am in the shower,  I think a lot.  For those that know me, just the idea of me thinking is quite frightening.  It IS better than the alternative. Right? Anyway. Shower thinking is really productive, though.  It’s the only time of day when you are truly alone.  Usually.  Hell, the fucking house could be falling apart, kids yelling, wife …  being a wife.  And, all you have to say are those simple words – “I’m in the shower.” Granted, it’s often proceeded or followed with a few ‘adjectives’.  The fact remains –  you are momentarily absolved of all responsibility.

Fortunately, it takes me a very short time to decompress.  A locked door is a wonderful thing.

That’s when the thinking starts.  It used to be I would mentally process either what happened or what needed to happen in the coming days – to do list, meal planning, crises that needed to be addressed. The normal stuff.  Then I realized I did that when the door was open. Hell, I can meal plan while the house is falling apart.  Multi-tasking at its finest, baby.  More often than not, the fallout from familial crises can often positively influence meal planning.

Yeah, … .

Still, I transitioned effortlessly.  After marriage, three kids, and rare amounts of ‘office time’, I am now quite selective with what I choose to think about in the shower.  My brain is programmed accordingly.

Recently though, every idea I’ve had in the shower hasn’t been the best. (insert: heavy sigh) Yeah, kinda’ sucks. The anticipated results that I am certain to be foolproof often end up making a fool out of me.

Theoretically, the process of thinking in the shower is fundamental – you are in the shower. A thought comes to mind. And, it’s not just a thought.  It’s one of those ‘why the hell didn’t I think of that sooner‘ thoughts.  You on fire with only positive results. NOTHING can go wrong.

Then, you unlock the damn door.

Fuuuck!

On the positive side, I only shower once a day.  Thankfully. Consequently, I think my brain is transitioning once again. It’s all good, though. Instead of thinking, I’ll probably just wash my hair more often. Remember, ‘the rules of hair care are simple and finite.’

I’ve never had a ‘perm’, but my ‘curls’ are still in tact.  Unfortunately, it’s everything else that’s not!

Truthfully, this has little to do with the Berenstains’ ‘A’ Book. Though ants pretty much marched through that entire story.  What this has to do with is the ants that were marching in MY house. Yeah, the weather has been very dry and very hot.  I guess the neighborhood ants needed a drink.  So do I, baby.

Thankfully, the issue  was contained in, like, a day.  We get sprayed every Spring for wasps and spiders AND ants.  When I called to inquire about this latest infestation, the representative stated what I already knew – it’s a known problem. In this case, the only available resource is Terra traps. Works for me!

the a(n)ttraction

1. Water

The kitchen sink may also provide ants with needed water. Try to keep the area around the kitchen sink free of standing water.

2. Food

• Ants are particularly attracted to the scent of sugar and grease.
• Use soap or vinegar with water to clean away food. If you only clean with water, you may not entirely eliminate the food scents that attract ants.
• You may also want to keep ants out of dry-good containers, like flour, by putting a bay leaf in the containers.
• Never leave food in the garbage can for longer than a day. When food sits out for days, it will often emit a strong odor. Also, keep your outside trash cans away from the entrances of your home.

3. Shelter

One of the best ways to prevent an ant infestation is to stop ants from initially entering your home through small cracks or holes in the walls. After you have eliminated food and water sources for ants, make sure the ants can’t easily enter your home.

an ant trail

• The scent that the ants leave behind is called pheromone. The ants walk in a line because they follow the scent left behind by the leader.  Fun deodorant commercial idea, eh? That would turn into a real … cluster.
• Ants walk into each other rather frequently, communicating by touch and by smell  – best done by putting their antennae together. So physical contact is a natural part of their daily life. The introverted ant starves quickly.  Stomping on random ants IS a good thing. They suffer less.
• The experience of death is not a sense of loss – it is simply oleic acid. As soon as the living ants smell the oleic acid smell, they spring into action, carrying the tiny decaying intruder out of their midst and dumping it into the pile. Of other dead ants.  Gross! Hopefully that ‘pile’ isn’t on my counter top.
• Lastly, without the queen to lay eggs, no other new member are added to the colony. Since all the workers are sterile, the ants do not survive for long without the queen.  Bitch!

That’s why angry ants advanced across an apple, an acorn, an apricot, an ax, an angleworm, an alligator, Aunt Alice’s airplane, Avenue A, apes’ apartments, and all Arizona. 

Though I must disagree with ole  Jan and Stan Berenstains’ closing sentence –

Ants are amazing.

Annoying would be way more suitable.

Traverse City is considered a ‘foodie’ destination. Well, on a smaller, yet comparable scale to larger metropolises.  So, it only makes sense that keeping up with the Big City Jones is constantly on task. Especially, when the newest food trends are involved.  In this postal case, it’s not necessarily a trend, but a  truck.  A Food Truck.

The concept of the food truck is kinda cool. This is summer in Traverse City. Countless festivals and events scheduled throughout the season and well into Fall draw both locals and tourists. Correction: tourists.  Locals hate those damn festivals.  And, don’t even get me started on the fucking tourists.  Regardless of my hate, the ability to stroll around the town and sit outside eating from this newest trend would be rather fun.

From push cart to food truck

1691 – New Amsterdam (now known as New York City) begins regulating street vendors selling food from push carts.

1866 – The Chuck wagon is invented by Charles Goodnight to feed cattlemen and wagon trains traversing the old West.

1894 – Sausage vendors sell their wares outside the student dorms at major eastern universities (Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Cornell), and their carts became known as “dog wagons”.

1936 – Oscar Mayer rolls out the first portable hot dog cart The Weiner Mobile.

1974 – Raul Martinez converted an old ice cream truck into the nation’s first taco truck and parked it outside of an East Los Angeles bar

1980’s – Grease trucks begin parking on Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ selling “Fat Sandwiches” to college students.

July 2006 – Wikipedia adds “food truck” to their list of entries

January 2010 – Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association (SoCalMFVA) is created, becoming the first organization created to protect the rights of gourmet food truck owners.

August 2010 – The Great Food Truck Race marks the first television program centered on the mobile food industry.

February 2012 – Food Trucks serves NFL Superbowl Fans in Indianapolis.

June 2014 – The National Food Truck Association is formed creating the first national association of food truck associations.

The truck stops here

Here in Traverse there is one main designated area where the trucks can actually stop. Permanently.  I reviewed some of the ordinances and by-laws restricting food truck operations.  The pdf was long – too long for my attention span.  Besides, it was written in that lawyer talk. I can’t understand that shit. I managed to pull off a pretty realistic courtroom ‘drama’ in My …  Fictionalized Memoir, but that proverbial ‘truck’ ran out of gas.

Little Fleet

http://www.thelittlefleet.com/food-trucks/

Honestly, I don’t get out much.  Some weeks I work three closing shifts and the weekend.  Going anywhere is an effort – especially when there are people involved.  So,  It’s best for everyone if I stay home.  But I must say, if I had one of those cushy office jobs downtown AND I didn’t work retail, I would probably be a lunchtime Food Truck regular. Maybe.

What the Truck?

It’s a good thing these twins aren’t vegan, eh?

My store has had a few staffing changes – the pharmacy manager quit.  Retail sucks.  As does the people that made her life miserable.  She found a better opportunity elsewhere.  Good for her.  As the new staff is settling in, introductions are made and  … personal information is shared.  Unfortunately, some of this  ‘personal information’ shared is too personal and should NOT be shared. With anyone.  Even the words, “tell me about yourself” don’t warrant certain Intel.

Unlike most work environments, the pharmacy is confined in not only square footage but personal boundaries. As a result, I am constantly aware and quite protective of my ‘space’.  In other words, “take a step back. Bitch.”  Considering the nature of this post, “shut the fuck up” shortly follows.

how to share my postal point

I wasn’t quite sure how to present what I wanted to convey.  Too many random opportunities to ramble incessantly existed.  To streamline, I decided a question/thought – answer format would be appropriate. So, here goes – hope it works.

definition –

to share –

1. to talk about one’s thoughts, feelings, or experiences with others
2.  to grant or give a share in 
3.  to tell (thoughts, feelings, experiences, etc.) to others —both often used with with

usually sharing is consensual

1. not asked for or requested

evolution of the unsolicited share

Close proximity with co-workers allows barriers to be broken faster. In the pharmacy, I think it happens even faster than most settings.  Then casual, yet caustic zingers about customers are often mistaken as permission to continue conversing, opening the unsolicited information flood gates.

the hypocrisy of My Life

At work, I AM a closed book.  I talk very little about my personal life.  I save that for my fictional alter ego. Besides, it’s none of anyone’s damn business.

idle conversation or awkward silence?

offenders and their recipients in MY interpreted order, of course –

worse thing ever shared with me

I was once asked my thoughts on women taking Viagra.  Oh, this is the same female technician that asked if I shaved. Regularly.

worse thing I’ve ever shared

worse thing I’ve heard a co-worker share with another co-worker

three frightening words: Prince Albert piercing

Best way to end a conversation (and this post)

Disclosing something like that would definitely be sufficient.  As far as this post is concerned, I’ll take my own advice and shut the fuck up!