Saturday, November 7, 2015

What to do with this blog and how I do miss Beth.

Most of the people who came over with me from the late lamented Spaces to Blogger have slowly disappeared since 2010. Not that I ever got a lot of comments but the list of people who come here have gone elsewhere or just stopped completely. From 10 or 12 comments I am down to one or two and I do thank those folks for coming here. Putting a blog together is a bit of a task for me. It can take me a while, and to be honest it is disappointing when you only get one or two comments, at least after all these years that's on me for not making my blog interesting enough for others to read. Still I admit that I do like blogging and I probably won't shut down, at least until something I have written gets no comments at all. All my Spaces friends have disappeared save for Toodie, and my dear friend Beth is no longer with us. I do miss her greatly. She was  always very kind to me and we did have an off the blog friendship via phone calls and regular mail. Still  with all that said here I am again. It would be very hard for me to shut this down after seven or so years.

I recently opened a Facebook account and I have been overwhelmed with all the invites and old friends. Actual people from my past. Truthfully I'm not sure what to make of Facebook. On the one hand it's a great way to reconnect with these people, on the other it does seem more superficial than a blog. I just can't seem to get myself excited because somebody posted a humorous picture (and those are always subjective) and I am supposed to like it. Even if I do, plowing through all those postings for very little if any substance seems boring to me. I do like the fact that I am put in contact with some people I haven't seen in 30 or 40 years. Maybe I'm just on the cusp of becoming a cranky old man. Though I am semi retired and look forward to full retirement in about a year, I still haven't settled into a routine yet. I work three full days and have four off. For those three days (to maintain my benefits) it seems that nothing has changed except I make a lot less money per hour. Still there are people with much greater problems than I have. In fact I have to say that I am pretty lucky. I am in good health, have a wonderful relationship and some money saved. For the most part I should not be whining at all, but this last year and a half has been a radical change for me after working this particular job since, of all days, April 1, 1971. I was featured on the cover of my store flyer this passed week. It was just a small picture, with a brief line or two about my career. From 1971 until 1999 it was a wonderful place to work. We were all well paid, the best in the area. There was a family feel to the company. They took good care of us and we had lots of pride in this historic supermarket company. This very year they are celebrating their 100th birthday. Since 1999 we were bought and sold several times. Things got worse and worse to the point where we were glommed on to the side of another New England chain and the stores were slowly having the name of the stores changed to a name not familiar in the Boston area. Business was dying. Now this latest owner wants to change the names of all those stores back because of the historical nature of our company in the area. It was the first market in the country to wrap fresh meats in cellophane so the customer didn't have to wait for a butcher to wrap it up in paper. The same with our bundle pick-up service. You paid for your groceries, they were put in a numbered tub and it disappeared into the bowels of the store. You drove around the building, handed in your numbered tiles and your groceries were loaded in your car. I hope all this rebadging of the stores works because besides working for them for all these years, my parents shopped there and the bundle pickup was like magic to me when I was 5. By next year they hope to have the chain back up to 30 stores.

So what else is new? I spent a good portion of Saturday cleaning out my computer again. So many pictures and videos. I made a slideshow of some of the pictures. I think there's one from the Vineyard, a few from western Massachusetts, maybe a couple from New Hampshire, Maine, Cape Cod, Gloucester, (Home of the Gloucester fisherman!), Salem and several local shots from the Mystic Lakes. There's nothing mystical about the lakes. It's a name derived from and Indian name that I can't recall at the moment. Then there's the neighbors cat who took a shine to me she would greet me when I  came home from work. She was very sweet. She was 20 years old when she disappeared last winter. The music is me. I used to have a little home recording studio. It's a tune I never finished. It's the beginning and the end spliced together. I never finished it because I kept making a mistake on the bass line of the electric part and I went to stop the recording and in frustration I hit the record and stop button at the same time and broke the recorder. What you hear is just the beginning and the end spliced together played on a nylon string guitar. There's a bit in the middle that has two guitars but it was never going to be the finished product. It was just a fill in until I could come up with something better. Maybe someday I'll finish it.
 


Well thanks for reading my whiny post.
I'm outta here.

8 comments:

  1. Perhaps you should know that I only write my blogs for myself and don't give a hoot if I get comments or not, but when one comes, I do like it. A sense of humor is always nice when you write something. I ACTUALLY do write for myself. It helps me bring forth old memories and they are the best for me. I helps me to feel good about myself that I can still bake and take pictures and do things. It encourages me to do some research at
    times and to think about pasts and futures. It is a way to vent and a way to contemplate without judgement. I've often thought about stopping but then how will I be able to look back and see my life? How or when I did something? I have been on Facebook since 2007 but don't encourage "friends." Mine number 11 and they were hand-picked. Four are blood relatives and the rest are dear close REAL friends. I don't ever feel pushed to 'like' 'comment' 'post' with my friends and we can post privately too. Enough said. Everyone is different.

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  2. P.S. On Facebook I hate it when so much "CANNED" stuff is "shared." It seems to me that it is better to r=write something than re-post what others have written. Also there is a lot of political and religious canned posts "out there" and they annoy me to no end.

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  3. I love your music and hope to hear more. I miss Beth too. Her ever presence was comforting.
    Please don't become a cranky old man. You are so blessed choose happy for your next chapter and many laughs.
    I was so happy to see you on FB. I do hope you chat with me there. Hey. have ah great Sunday! Congrats on your picture in the paper. You have been a loyal employee, and friend too. Hugs.

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  4. Oh my dear...NOW you KNOW where all the people went.. Facebook.. I too am lucky if I get any comments on my many blogs but as Nookworm said .. I write it for me and to keep track of things. It should not be a CHORE to do it all the time.. Just WHEN you want to. I enjoy your photos and your part of the world. So different from mine in Michigan. One thing Beth did was keep friends together. We do have a place on Facebook that is PRIVATE that you can get with all of us who blogged on Spaces.. YES we do have it and it is sooo nice to go there. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Spacegroup/ is where it is located.. I dont post there all the time on FB but if you want you can add me... https://www.facebook.com/CAROLDEE77 I won't send you a lot of junk. Well keep writing my friend.. only what you want to.

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  5. Boston Boy, I for one would be sad for you to stop blogging. I some times do not get to comment at the every day you post...but is do try to read each comment thru. I do not face book yet...I have heard of too many mean comments. But hey who knows one day I may just get on there. I was thinking of Beth just this morning. Blessings to you , xoxo,Susie

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  6. What am I, chopped liver? I am from SPACES too (Rapping On a Melody - ROAM), that's how we met and I am here on the regular.

    Comments, yeah i know what you mean about ppl not commenting, it is disheartening for sure but what can you do? It is discouraging, such is life i guess.

    I know of a few SPACES ppl, though I have stopped in and reintroduced myself they do not comment or visit, again such is life.

    You keep doing you and some of us, though forgotten will come back and comment.
    p.s.
    I wasn't close to Beth as you however she is missed. I went by her blog to see if family have updated, acknowledged condolences and such but nothing.

    Have a blessed day.

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  7. Good evening Paul I just love your music in the Video. Soft and soothing, My new little speaker picked it up beautifully, yes I liked that very much. Can't remember the last time I posted must check I may get a shock. Keep them coming.

    Best wishes and happy semi retirement to you and Arlene
    Carry on with the music it's lovely.
    Sheila

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  8. Ps meant to say I do think of dear Beth quite often, she certainly left her mark. Lovely lady .

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