Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

If you’re gonna whine, it’s time to resign!

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

When we show up, we win.

Roe is not about choice. It is about freedom.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

Republicans do not trust women.

With all due respect and assumptions of good faith, please fuck off into the sun.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

“woke” is the new caravan.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Let me file that under fuck it.

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

Republicans cannot even be trusted with their own money.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

No one could have predicted…

The willow is too close to the house.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

You are here: Home / John Cole Presents "Stories from the Road" / I Am So Damned Tired

I Am So Damned Tired

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I think I am at the age that after a big event that requires a lot of exertion and change (like driving cross country) that yes, when I get there, I am exhausted, but the real tired comes a few days later. You run on adrenaline the first 24 hours or so, but then comes the crash.

Got Joelle hooked on Breaking Bad.

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92Comments

  2. 2.

    cmorenc

    Understood.  My just-completed epic isn’t up with yours, but still no trivial thing.  We attended my niece’s New Years eve wedding in Asheville,  followed by a rocking reception with sumptuous food, music and dancing – last night I was a dancing fool, with lots of women fool enough to dance with me.   Asheville is a 4 hr 240 mile drive each way from Raleigh through crazy traffic, but we stayed overnight, taking a bit of the edge off the insanity.  But back now in Raleigh – and drained and whipped.  Feeling the fatigue in the old dancing legs tonight.

  3. 3.

    Suzanne

    At least you’re there while the weather is nice and the students aren’t back yet! Should be restful.

  9. 9.

    Steve in the ATL

    @eclare: like you, I’m an SEC supporter, but I am SO tired of the Crimson Tide football team (which will probably claim another national title for this year despite losing) and the state of Alabama in general.  Ironically, I have spent and will spend large chunks of 4Q2023 and 1@2024 in Michigan and Alabama.

    So I am not happy that a Big whatever team one, but happy that Alabama lost.  Complicated emotions.

  18. 18.

    S Cerevisiae

    @raven: oh damn, now I get it! In the other thread you thought I was talking about college football and Michigan. No, the team blue I mean is more team red, white, and blue.

  20. 20.

    Nukular Biskits

    Definitely empathize with John.

    I’m beat.

    We were invited over to the neighbors for NY Day feast (complete with blackeyed peas, cabbage, grits, eggs, ham, cornbread, biscuits, etc).

    After that, I tried to stay awake through the BJ Zoom.

    Finished putting all the Christmas decorations in the attic and cleaning out the garage.

    And now my tired old ass is about to go to bed.

  21. 21.

    Wombat Probability Cloud

    @raven: Raven, just out of curiosity, where do you go to fish in CR? I spent about a year there in the mid-1980s, mostly in wet forests on the Caribbean side, but also was able to travel most of the country.

  26. 26.

    dnfree

    @eclare: ​
      More that he’s happy Alabama lost.

    My husband worked at a place where the HR manager was a huge Alabama fan, and also a nemesis to my husband and others. So my husband cheers against Alabama for that reason.

  28. 28.

    Wombat Probability Cloud

    @raven: You probably know about this already, but check out P.N. Manuel Antonio and the coastline east of that, which gets you away from some of the tourism: Curious capuchin monkeys, accustomed to humans, and some intact vegetation. For breakfast, I recommend “gallo pinto con natilla” if you can. Good fishing and hope you have a fabulous trip.

  31. 31.

    frosty

    If you’re both hooked on Breaking Bad you need to take a weekend (?) trip to Albuquerque and do the guided tour of all the sites in the show. My ABQ friends say this is a big deal in the town. Maybe not as big as the hot air balloons, but at least as big as Bugs Bunny’s “left toin”.

  32. 32.

    satby

    @Juju: Evidently a lot of people do. Usually the ones, like my friend, who put their tree and lights up before Thanksgiving. Which is also weird to me. I like my holidays one at a time to fully enjoy each without bleed-over. But by 2030, I bet it’ll just be one long holiday: HalloThanksMas.

  34. 34.

    Jackie

    Looks like the Sugar Bowl is off to a possible high scoring event. GOOOO WA DAWGS!!! (😉to Raven)

  37. 37.

    Dan B

    @raven: We’ve been to Quepos several times.  It’s a bit touristy especially Manuel Antonio but nothing like Hawaii.  The drive from San Jose has a long stretch of narrow cliff hanging road followed by the bridge over the Tarcoles River, many monster crocodiles.  Flying from the airport at San Jose goes over knife edged ridges.  It’s “exciting”.

    Manuel Antonio has many small hotels, and resorts, and a few large one.  They’re all set back from the beach due to strict laws.  In the dry season ut can be very hot 95° and up.  There are (were?) a couple restaurants on the beach.  One serves a delicious chicken soup with chicken that looks more like Iguana.  Their fish soup is equally wonderful with lobster and other goodies.  And huge Pina Coladas with fresh coconut creme are an experience but may induce coma.

  38. 38.

    Splitting Image

    I think I am at the age that after a big event that requires a lot of exertion and change (like driving cross country) that yes, when I get there, I am exhausted, but the real tired comes a few days later. You run on adrenaline the first 24 hours or so, but then comes the crash.

    Wait’ll you get to the age when the crash comes early enough that you begin evaluating whether the rest of the job really needs to be done.

  39. 39.

    S Cerevisiae

    @raven: I’ve been to Quepos but it was last in 2008 but definitely go to Manuel Antonio National Park, it’s beautiful but be aware of capuchin monkeys who know how to get into your daypack if you set it down. I didn’t personally fish but some great people from Boston brought their catch to the hotel and had them cook it, the best Mahi I’ve ever had. Hotel Costa Verde, I highly recommend it.

  42. 42.

    Juju

    @satby: I didn’t finish my decorating until December 21. I was aiming for the 20th, but I missed it.  My heart just wasn’t in it this year, but I finally got it done. I’m in no hurry to take my decorations down. I’ll probably do it around the 5th or 6th.

    I do all the decorating by myself. I’m taking care of my 90 year old mother who has dementia, but loves her tree and remembers her ornaments. I would hate for her not to see her ornaments.

    I hate going from Halloween directly to Christmas. I’m with you on that one.

  43. 43.

    Dan B

    @Wombat Probability Cloud: Hopefully the coast road east of Manuel Antonio is no longer a brain rattling washboard.  There’s a tiny sleepy surf town and some beaches backed by huge jungle covered mountains that look like Tahiti.  And some French Canadiens run secret restaurants upstream from tiny fishing villages.

    If a rental car is in the mix be wary of thieves in Manuel Antonio.  And for a car adventure the Pan American highway climbs to 9,000 feet on what’s called the Cerro de la Muerte – fog can suddenly blow in.  There are Quetzals and the most northern extension of high altitude vegetation from South America – the Altiplano.

  45. 45.

    Kelly

    One of the great things about retirement is adding rest days and having shorter travel days on trips.

  46. 46.

    Jackie

    @SuzieC: 🤞🏻🤞🏻 I’m REALLY rooting for my home state Huskies!!! 💜💛💜💛💜

    Second half new game. 21-21. Gooo DAWGS!!!

  47. 47.

    JoyceH

    I didn’t do Christmas decorations at all this year, because – puppy. But I turned on Crackling Yule Log on Netflix, which is basically an hour of a fireplace burning with Christmas music, and hey, it was enough.

  48. 48.

    wjca

    @Juju: I hate going from Halloween directly to Christmas. I’m with you on that one. 

    Especially when Halloween seems to start at Labor Day (and looking to move towards 4th of July).

    But here’s hoping this year we will all have reason to be enormously thankful come Thanksgiving.

  49. 49.

    satby

    @Juju: My family usually did most of it about a week before, and everything stayed up until the Epiphany.

    I don’t decorate at all now, I’m not home for Christmas anyway, my adult kids have that job now.

  51. 51.

    Suzanne

    @JoyceH: I hear you on the puppy front! My husband and kids pushed to get a real tree (and thankfully it was fine and Coco didn’t mess with it), but we didn’t put ornaments on the bottom.

    I have a little tinsel tree that fits in the windowsill and I would have been happy with just that.

  52. 52.

    Wombat Probability Cloud

    @Dan B: Estoy de acuerdo. When I was doing fieldwork on tropical trees (1982-1985), I walked from Quepos to Savegre, checking some of the more-or-less intact forest patches. The road wasn’t great, but on foot it didn’t matter; also recall oil palm starting to take hold at that point. As to the Cerro, I’ve spent a lot of time there for courses (Organization for Tropical Studies) that I took and later taught, as well as paramos in northern Colombia and Ecuador. I’m retired now, and miss those places, but will get back to a few of them before I croak, si dios quiere.

  54. 54.

    Mike in NC

    The stupidest thing I ever did in my life that didn’t involve a woman: in 1981 the Navy transferred me from San Francisco to San Diego. I decided foolishly to do it in one shot, instead of leisurely enjoying coastal California from Big Sur to Coronado. I was wasted by the time I reached the outskirts of Los Angeles and had to crash for a few hours. Oh, to be young and dumb.

  62. 62.

    🐾BillinGlendaleCA

    I’m still recovering from the weekend…

    Worked 3pm-12am on Saturday, 10am-7pm on Sunday(we got out by 6:15pm, but 45 minutes unpaid), then woke up at 730 today to shoot the B-2 from The Depot parking lot as it made its turn for the Rose Parade flyover.  Now, I’ve got the camera and new mount out in the yard shooting the Crab Nebula(I hope, can’t see it).

  64. 64.

    TooManyJens

    I leave the Christmas lights up at least until it stops being dark at 5pm. And I didn’t have much else in the way of decorations this year, for reasons. Oh, and the ceramic light-up tree on my desk. That also stays until the sun is noticeably coming back. Made a lemon pig for New Year’s. That was the extent of the holiday cheer this year but honestly, it felt OK.

  66. 66.

    Jay

    @🐾BillinGlendaleCA:

    (we got out by 6:15pm, but 45 minutes unpaid),

    WTF?

    One of the reasons The Orange kicked my ass to the curb, was they didn’t staff to cover my breaks or lunches, so had to pay OT almost every day.

  70. 70.

    Jackie

    Geez Louise!!! Huskies WIN!!! My heart is bursting from my chest.

    Huskies vs Wolverines in the NCAA Championship Game! WHOOOHOOO

  72. 72.

    Jay

    @🐾BillinGlendaleCA:

    My 2nd store manager couldn’t find his ass with both his hands, He was a Depot NEPO baby.

    My first Ass Man, Shawn, was great, but transferred to a better store.

    My second Ass Man, Linda, couldn’t even write a rental contract.

    I got used to peeing in the hood and rinsing it out because I couldn’t even get coverage for bathroom breaks.

    As for “occurances”, they were supposed to write you up, have a talk and present you with a copy. I never got “written up”, but when they kicked me to the curb, they faked up 28 “occurances”.

    2 were supposedly written by Shawn, a year after he had left the store.

    One of the reason’s I’m not looking hard for work right now, is because after hiring an Employment Lawyer, I won my case.

    They wanted to settle, but we went to Court.

    It was a big enough payout, ( because they also screwed me out of Employment Insurance) that I can take a year off.

  73. 73.

    ronno2018

    I am jealous of your remote work permission!  I would head to Palermo if my company would let me!!  (well they did during the pandemic!).   ENJOY YOUR LIFE JOHN!

  78. 78.

    Kelly

    @Jackie: Next year Washington and Michigan will be in the same conference the B1G. How does one pronounce the B1G?

    I’m an Oregon Duck alumnus and a bit miffed at the demise of the PAC12. At least the Ducks thump the Falwell Flames.

  79. 79.

    wjca

    @Kelly: a bit miffed at the demise of the PAC12

    The mess started when pursuit of TV contract money led the Pac-8 to start expanding.  Not that this folly was unique to our conference.

    One can only hope that someday our universities will figure out that they are not, in fact, supposed to be sports organizations with a minor sideline in education (mostly for tax purposes, I suppose).

  80. 80.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Jackie:

    For us Washingtonians, the Huskies almost “Couged it!” Whew! 

    What Washington State incident does that reference? Hehe

  81. 81.

    🐾BillinGlendaleCA

    @Jay: Yeah, it is supposed to be coaching after 3, counseling after another 3, then final and then termination and those steps fall off after 6 months.  My co-worker was put on a final after just coaching from an ASM who had left the store a year earlier.  He should have sued, but then again he got shot by LAPD and was already a millionaire.

  82. 82.

    Jay

    @🐾BillinGlendaleCA:

    The stupidist part for me was that the “occurances” need to be acknowledged with a signature of the affected associate.

    So, to make their case that my firing was lawful, and I wasn’t eligible for EI, they sent copies of all 28 to my EI Case Officer.

    Who then had to provide me with copies, when I pushed.

    One had my signature. 12 were from before I worked there. Sloppy.

    27 were bogus. 1 was the only one.

    I was offered a settlement, but I would have had to sign an NDA.

    So, I went to court.

    So I wound up with the last offer Settlement Money plus a year worth of EI compensation that they had denied, and they had to pay for my lawyer.

    Now Home Depot is “flagged” in the EI System.

  83. 83.

    Greg Ferguson

    A tired genius. It is wonderful to have you here in AZ. Rest up, and you and Joelle go out for Taco Tuesday in Tempe. Chill…. ❤❤❤🤠

  84. 84.

    trnc

    @cmorenc: ​
     

    Yeah, that’s a lot. On the flip side, at least beach trips are easier for you. We have to get on the beltline to go to Wilmington, and it seems more and more like there’s only about 10 minutes a day that’s not LA level traffic.

    Happy New Year! Sounds like you did it up.

  91. 91.

    Mike in Pasadena

    After finishing all of the episodes of Breaking Bad, I felt watching the series was a waste of time and bad for my mental health. Disgusting people doing truly awful things, but like the ten o’clock news, if it bleeds, it leads.

  92. 92.

    lurker

    so there is an old phrase stating that a change is as good as a rest … as I get older, I realize more and more that is based on some combination of adrenaline and other euphoric aspects of a change, and that it wears off and wears one out  more quickly later in life.  still, hope you enjoy the change and the desert and (likely most importantly) the company.

     

    for myself, the idea of some sort of HallThanksMas has me thinking about putting up xmas decorations in late October next year (this year [WTF!!!]) as a twist on a haunted house…

     

    also, the days into weeks into years pass too quickly these days, cannot believe this is already 2024…

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