Friday Follies...

We made it...finally...at last...the weekend.
Cripes, I thought we'd NEVER get here.
I want to talk some trash today, but we've a few other things to get out of the way before that..
Our Hoosierland weather starts off with a rather brisk morning, giving way to partly cloudy skies and a high temp of only about 33 degrees.
Gonna take forever for the Hyacinths to come up, and don't put that heavy jacket away just yet.
Makes me wonder if march will go out like a lamb (not betting on it).
Now, I want you all to take a deep breath, get yourselves comfortable and pour a nice hot cup of your favorite morning beverage, as we get set to see what has been transpiring since yesterday.
*** First out of the laundry chute is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
March 27 - 
---Today is NATIONAL "JOE" DAY.

You tell 'em, Joe...

You can take that several ways, but my first thought is (who else?)
  SGT JOE FRIDAY.

THEN, would come the "Joe" I find in my coffee cup...a very close second...heh.
*** We couldn't forget the weekend, so here 'ya go:
March 28 -
---Saturday is SOMETHING ON A STICK DAY.

ROFLMAO...around THIS part of Fort Wayne, it would HAVE to be some sort of CRAP.
I mean, it IS the end that we always seem to get.
(and I'll get into that soon enough)
March 29 -
---Sunday is NATIONAL MOM AND POP BUSINESS DAY.

A good day to visit a local establishment and thank them with your business to their business.
---And, it's also SMOKE AND MIRRORS DAY.

Why do we seem to have ALL these days that pertain specifically to those in our nation's CAPITAL???
Moving on...
*** The ID's of the latest homicides has been revealed.
And here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/2-separate-killings-declared-homicides-5778077
Homicide Number Six was 21-year old Jaymaris R. Alexander
Homicide Number Seven was 47-year old Mark Kenchanh

Alexander                      Kenchanh

The article gives some back-story to priors for both men.
And, it's nice to see that the coroner issued a "declaration" for these deaths...
Please don't forget to update your "dead-pools" accordingly.
And to think we're not EVEN into the really NICE weather yet...
*** Next up, yepper, another shooting on the city's (...all together, folks...) SOUTHEAST SIDE (my, you're all in good voice today).

And here's the latest from WANE:
http://wane.com/2015/03/27/man-found-shot-in-church-parking-lot/
Now, I wonder WHAT a man was doing this morning in a church parking lot at 0300 hrs...don't you?
The victim was shot in the knee and told police he ran to that parking lot (from where we're not told).

Church parking lot - and no donuts.

Just before this incident, police were called to Stardale Drive for reports of shots fired.
These two locations are about a MILE apart, so it doesn't look like this guy LIMPED that far.
It just means we have more than ONE occurrence of gunshots...and that's typical since the weather broke.
The victim was taken to hospital in serious condition and detectives hope to speak with him.
*** Next up...let's talk TRASH...
To be more precise, let's talk about how OUR trash was NOT picked up yesterday.

Yeah, the trucks should LOOK this nice.

Republic service came by before 0900 hrs (typical), and I noticed that our can still had the lid CLOSED, as did the people across the street.
I checked the alley bins, and THEY were all open (and collected).

So, needless to say, I was having a "WTF?" moment.
But, I gave the trash guys the benefit of the doubt, as they sometimes change routes around.
Well, an hour later, the trash truck came over our side street, and collected the trash from the people across our street...and STILL left ours UNCOLLECTED.
Now, THIS second miss (of ignorance) was NOT going to go unreported.
I called into the city's *311* line, and left a bit of disdain there, then I proceeded to call Republic themselves, and got nowhere - they claim they don't  handle calls regarding Fort Wayne...even though their ADDRESS is in FORT WAYNE...
WTH is up with THAT bit of bullshit?

And there it sat...forgotten...and lonely.

Then, I emailed Solid Waste and told them about it...still waiting for a reply there.
I mean, we are the ONLY house that was missed...after the truck came through TWICE.
And, if you know me, then you know that one of THE fastest ways to piss me off is to IGNORE ME (in a manner such as this).

I have noticed that Republic has not had a "stellar record": for it's customers since it took over from SERV-ALL.
Hell, at least when SERV-ALL missed a pickup...they missed EVERYONE...lol.
(they didn't discriminate)
I am awaiting a pickup TODAY...and if that doiesn't happen, I have entertained the notion of taking the trash DOWNTOWN and dropping it in Mayor Henry's office (or someplace close).
To me, there is no sense to have people on these trucks that pickup trash at the SAME locations week after week, and then all of a sudden "forget" one house...no explanation to such stupidity.
Hell hath no fury as a pissed off "Bob"...remember that.
*** Last back to the woodshed...it never seems to end down here...the number of problems, that is.
And the thing is, there doesn't HAVE to be as many...or as frequently as we happen to enjoy.

I know I'm sure as hell NOT causing ANY of them.
If anything, Lord knows I'm trying to do what is right and keep to myself...as does Wifey.
But, that, apparently is NOT what is "desired" by others.
One example - we can't seem  to get a regular paper carrier, and not one without a "candy-arm", if you get my drift.
Some days you're playing "hunt the wumpus" looking as to where the paper landed
Some days, the paper has come late or not at all, prompting a call to get another delivered.
If it's not the newspaper, it's the damn trash...missed pickup - at least a handful every year, and what seems to be a constantly changing "staff" on the trucks.
The USPS is touch-and-go, too.
Things I KNOW should arrive here don't, or are delayed for some strange reason
Or, it's school buses trying to navigate streets too narrow for TWO-way traffic.

And these are an aside from the crime going on like the curbside drug-deals, or the party houses, or the more than 40% number of vehicles with improper lighting at night.
But, the worst problem HAS to be the crop of people living here for the last 10 or so years.
It's changed the entire face of the area to 50 shades of FUGLY.
And the city's "lack of vision" for such things is costing them lots of missed revenue...daily.
We have speeders galore, wrong-way parking out the ass, double-parking and chatters tying up traffic, kids roaming all over to all hours, playing in the same street those speeders travel. There's more litter ON the street than in the trash bins, and if you didn't take some pride and pick up all the trash from these morons, your property would look as bad as everyone else's.
It's no wonder that new businesses are harder to come by than a police officer for a loud music call.
And what businesses remain do so at their own risk, thanks to the criminal element firmly entrenched here.

It's not that ANY of these problems are unsolvable...they most certainly ARE, so where are the people who can do something about it?
Hey, I'm only ONE person and have NO allies and limited resources, AND operate within the confines of the law (unfortunate on the last one...heh)
But, I'm sure there must be others that feel the same...and want this part of the city BACK the way is once was...and that's a helluva lot better than it has become.
The black community does nothing when it's their OWN people causing most of the mayhem.
They're too busy suing the city over something frivolous to be bothered with making GOOD changes.
Same can be said for the Latino population.
And, make no mistake -  BOTH communities are responsible for the drugs that come into this city.

Like I say...you TRY to do good...and for what?
It's akin to smacking your head against a wall, and when people ask me WHY I bother doing that day after day, year after year, I simply tell that "Because it feels SO damn good when I stop."
I will also proudly tell anyone living around us that"
"I've upped MY standards...now UP YOURS."
DO have yourselves a good weekend, wherever it may find you..

Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.