One Time in Beautician School

I was cutting a lady's hair. She pointed to one particularly handsome student and asked me if he was gay. (he was a modern day Clark Gable lookalike) Since he was very openly and unabashedly gay I told her that he was.

She commented, "just think of all the women he could have made happy."

After she left I told him what she said. He just smiled at me and said, "the next time somebody says that to you, just tell them, "well just think of all the men he has made happy."

Here's What Happened Yesterday

I left the parking building at 2:00 for my 3:30 hearing. I parked in the building right above the courthouse so I wouldn't have to go far. I took my oxygen because I was getting nervous and it was affecting my heart. I hardly ever wear my oxygen in public anymore. If I am feeling so bad that I have to have it I just stay home but I couldn't avoid the hearing.

I took my time walking there and there was a nice long wait for the elevator so that helped. I went into the building and stood to the side because I had a metal oxygen tank and I also took the cans of beer and energy drinks so I could show the magistrate. Getting through the metal detectors was no problem though and they had a bench there so I set down and had a nice little rest before proceeding to the magistrate's office.

When I got the the magistrate that is when they told me I was in the wrong building. I had to go the building across the street. For a normal person this is no problem. For me it is a major ordeal. I had to cross 2 streets to get there and one of them is a busy 4 lane street.

So I left to go to the other building. I had to rest at the street corner through 2 lights before I felt strong enough to cross. Then I had to cross the other street. There was a bench there but it was full of smokers so I couldn't sit down.

Then I get to the front entrance of the courthouse. I look for a handicap entrance because there are about 15 or 20 steps and I see a sign at the top of the stairs. I wondered how in the world a handicap person was supposed to take those stairs but I dragged my oxygen tank up the stairs. Slowly and methodically taking them one step at a time. The oxygen tank is on a little dolly but it is still heavy.

I get to the top of the stairs and the door is locked! I look at the handicap sign again and I see a tiny arrow pointing to the left. There was no way for me to see that arrow from the street. So I had to go back down a couple of steps and go around a little wall and go through a revolving door with my oxygen tank. That wasn't too bad and I was still wondering how someone with a wheelchair could get into the building.

There was a bench in the lobby and I collapsed there. My heart was pounding and I was completely out of breath. Not a soul was anywhere around me. I sat there for at least 20 minutes getting my air. A policeman walked by and I stopped him to ask if there was no elevator to the magistrate office because I was having problems with the stairs and there was still another flight to negotiate. He told me I had to take the stairs down and then another flight back up and then he left. He was busy with a personal phonecall.

So I sat there and rested for awhile longer. I started down the steps and was making my way down them when I heard someone behind me. I hated blocking them but I had no choice. When I got to the foot of the steps I knew I was in serious trouble. The man behind me was a maintenance man and he did his best to help me. He went to 2 different offices and both of them told him I had to go up another flight of steps to get to court. By this time I knew that my heart couldn't take what was going on and he held both doors for me as he showed me the other flight of steps I needed to take.

I thanked him for his help and I rested at the foot of those steps. There were 3 policemen at the top of the steps who completely ignored me even though anyone who looked at me could see I was in distress. Finally I made my way to the top of the steps. I waited for them to do there search and once again I asked if there wasn't a better way for me to get to court. The policeman told me no again.

I went into court and sat down at the first available bench. It was after 3 by this time and the hearing was at 3:30 but I made it. Thankfully there were a bunch of people ahead of me so I got to sit there and rest as I waited my turn. It took about 1/2 an hour before I started to even be aware of my surroundings again.

Finally my turn came for my hearing. I found out I would have to come back again. I asked the judge if there wasn't another way for someone to get to court because it was too much for me. She very nicely told me there was an elevator and I could have used that. I felt completely dejected at this point and I asked her why no one told me this when I was trying to get to court the first time. I told her I even asked a couple of policemen how to get there. She looked like she didn't believe me (which I can't blame her for that). It astounds me that policemen wouldn't help someone who needed to get to a handicap entrance!

She said when they were finished with paperwork to just ask a policeman to take me down in the elevator. A key was required for access. When the policeman and I were leaving I asked how I was supposed to go about using the elevator to come back.

He was none too friendly as he told me I would have to arrive early (which I had done). He said I would have to find a policeman. (which I had done) Then I would have to wait for one of them to be able to leave their post because they couldn't just leave everytime somebody wanted them. (which is understandable) Then he added, "this is the only elevator we have for people in wheelchairs. We can't tie it up."

I pointed out to him that the elevator was for people with disabilities...not just people in wheelchairs. I have run into this problem before because I don't particularly look like someone with a disability but with my heart and lung issues I can't walk far at all on flat land. Taking 3 flights of stairs after walking a block is something my doctors would tell you I should absolutely not be doing unless I was feeling strong enough to do it.

I am supposed to do as much as I can and I do everyday. But I am supposed to stop when I feel there is a problem. I had to go to that hearing. But I did NOT have to go through all those steps to do it. There needs to be some sort of change at the Kanawha County Courthouse. (the one for the city, not the county).

The Drama of my Life Doesn't come from Normal Places.

First of all my heart is trying to mess up right now. I knew it would after what happened yesterday. Well, crap, I was going to blog about yesterday. whew, I dodged a bullet with that one. It only lasted a few minutes. now I feel sick and weak instead of bad so I'll make this short.

the judge wouldn't even let me speak yesterday. She told me I had to either plead guilty or apply for a public defender because of potential jail time. so I applied for apublic defender. I go back on June 13.

The drama comes from all the problems I had getting to court because of lack of handicap access. I will have to blog about that later.

Today's the Day

I will find out how much my fine is for selling beer to a minor. They probably won't even give me a chance to explain. I know if I fight it the fine will be increased. If I just pay it, it will be $152 probably. Fruth had a notice on the board the other day that they are making people pay double the maximum fine which would be $1000. I have to way to pay that. I will tell them to just put me in jail. It's not like I do anything anyway.

For those of you who don't know I got caught in a sting about a month ago. I sold beer to a minor. I did not do it intentionally. I thought he was buying an energy drink. On the left is a picture of the energy drink. On the right is a picture of the beer.

What Color is his Money?

There aren't many black trainers in the dog business, just like there aren't many female ones. Anyway one day Bernard came to the compound to train. He was looking for a helper and I was looking for a job so we got together.

I went to the guard shack and all the guys wanted to know how I could work for a black man.

I asked them, "what color is his money?"

They said, "green."

I said, "that's all I care about."

Bernard and I proceeded to kick all their asses! (at the races - and that is all that matters in the dog business)

Years later Bernard and I ran into each other in Palm Beach. We were talking and his son was coming to meet him. He told me he had just gotten a divorce. When I asked what happened, he said, "when my boy graduated, his mom came to me and told me he wasn't my son. I divorced her and kept him. Afterall I already paid for him." hahahahhahahaha

Mommy's Birthday, June 1986

The cakes says, "Happy Birthday Grandma, Love Rebecca".

Becca is 6 months old.

Mommy's Birthday, June 1986

The cakes says, "Happy Birthday Grandma, Love Rebecca".

Becca is 6 months old.

Random Pictures from Earlier in my life

1. Granny Farley beside her house

2. Daddy and Becca (March 1986)

3. Becca (March 1986)

4. Mommy and Becca (April 1986) with the Chow named Clayton Meade Brennan. This is probably the day that Clayton ran off and mommy and daddy were so busy with Becca that they didn't go get him. They said he would come back on his own. He didn't. After that they said somebody stoled him?????

5. March 1986. My sister, Rhonda, is leaning on the back of my chair. I don't recognize the woman on the far side of the dining room table.

6. May 1983. My mom, Betty Brennan, and her sister, Edna Mitchem, at there Nurses Graduation Ceremony. That is my Aunt Edna with the big smile on her face. My mom is on the other side of her peeping around her.

7. Patty and Gerald Brennan, my Great Aunt and Uncle. That is probably their baby, Sarah

8. Me and Lisa, picture says March 1986, Looks like Lisa is opening a Christmas present to me.

9. Lisa, my brother's wife, and me at Christmas. Looks like Lisa is opening presents for Becca who was born 4 days before Christmas.

10. Daddy in one of his favorite positions with a bottle of pepsi in the foreground. March 1986

11. Granny Brennan, March 1986

12. Becca, March 1986

13. Daddy, probably at Jacksonville, WV

14. Mommy and Daddy, Sept. 1961?, from the background I would say they are on my Mom's parent's farm.

15. My Aunt Wanda with Jennifer and Jimmy, her children. That is my Mom and Rhonda in the background.

16. May 1986, probably a Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn Concert. My mom went to several. She quit going when Loretta was so drunk they had to carry her off stage and Conway had to come in and finish her concert. She also got Conway Twitty to autograph a dollar bill for her. Unfortunately I stoled her coin collection and sold it when I was a teenage screw up.

17. I believe that is Bunky and Toni on the outside of me in the middle.

18. That is probably Rebecca, my niece, but I am not sure.

19. Inside of card I bought my my mom when she graduated from nursing school.

20. Outside of card I bought my mom when she graduated from nursing school. I am glad that I found that. I don't remember acknowledging one of the most important moments of her life but obviously I did.

21. September 1981. Looks like a Farley reunion to me. (my mom's family) pictured form left to right are Aunt Mary Ann, Leslie Goldie (Bunky's husband), Bunky holding her baby (sorry, I don't know which one, Bill Sprouse (Toni's husband), Great Aunt Edna Ramsey, Granny Farley hiding behind Edna, Aunt Edna, Mike (Little Man) Mitchem, Toni Sprouse holding Stacey, Rhonda, Todd (fifi), Cousin Billy, Mom, Billy (my brother).

In the background is the famous little red toyota that I have blogged about in the past.

22. picture taken in Smokey Mountains. Probably outside of Gatlinburg, Tenn.

23. Aunt Edna and Uncle Don Mitchem at Granny Farley's on Christmas Eve. That's Billy on the right.

24. Envelope that my dad sent to my mom on Sept. 3, 1962. From the timing I would say that he sent it to her in honor of their first anniversary. He sent it from: ADJ3 541 63 66

Attack Squadron VA163

USS Oriskany CVA 34

c/o F.P.O. San Francisco, Calif.

He mailed it to my mom in care of her dad at Sarah Ann, WV. She flew back home from California with me so the family could see me for the first time. Daddy was gone to Japan on a ship. She said she flew on a rickety old plane that scared her to death. When she flew into Huntington, WV she had to go to the rest room so she asked a complete stranger (female) to hold me while she went. You could do that back in those days, she said.

Before she got back my Granny walked up and saw me with the woman and knew it was me from the second she saw me. She questioned the woman and she told her she was just holding the baby until the mother got back from the restroom. When mommy got back Granny was already holding me.

GONE TO THE DOGS - Wayne's bitter end

Wayne was partying like a rock star and I was doing all the work. I didn't have the experience to do the work though and the kennel stopped running. The more it didn't run the more depressed he became and the less he would show up. When he did show up he did nothing but complain and we smoked a lot of dope. The work was getting done because I was doing it (kennel maintenance) but I didn't have the skill yet to get any run out of the dogs.

Then Wayne's girlfriend left him and Sal sold the kennel. I still feel to this day that Sal didn't actually sell the kennel, I think he had someone fronting for him because he gambled too much and owed thousands of dollars around the track. The couple who bought the kennel were out of Alabama and I had met them many times because they were Sal's friends. They were good sturdy people but one of the first things they did was to tell me I had to take a pay cut or they would let me go.

There went the good old days of me being the highest paid help in he compound. I was putting in an astronomical amount of hours (70 or 80 weekly) which is why they pay salaries instead of hourly wages in the dog business. I stayed because it was my first kennel and I couldn't bear to leave my babies. I had yet to discover the art of kennel hopping - an art which I perfected later on.

The Alderson's kept Wayne at first. They were more hands on than Sal though and they quickly saw why the dogs weren't running. He wasn't doing the work. So they fired him. The new trainer brought his own help with him and I was promptly fired but I immediately was hired into another kennel.

Wayne got another job in a bottom kennel. "You can't make a pig fly," as they say in the dog business especially when you have the kind of attitude Wayne had. One day I watched him picking up dogs and I thought to myself, "that is the most depressed person I ever saw." He went up to the kennel to do turnout.

ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE! There were police cars and ambulances and nobody was allowed in or out of the compound. Of course word spread fast...Wayne was dead. He hung himself in the kennel. He died with his dogs