Sunday October 30 2011

Hiyah on Sunday, just hanging out

There's Hiyah, in the khaki pants. He's been hiding out a bit from me. I've seen him on Montgomery over by 34th Street. Today it's sad because the liquor stores are closed. Just a few friends hanging out with Hiyah. Oh well, don't fret. Montgomery Liquors will be open on Monday around 6 AM. Hopefully the DT's won't hit...

Saturday October 29 2011

the crowd celebrates

Today was Savannah State University homecoming parade. It was over a block away and started at 9 AM, but here they are at noon time, celebrating. Getting drunker and louder. The token white guy is over there, too. He shows up whenever there's a big party going on over there. There must be some kind of grapevine that these guys hear about these things. I didn't even know about the parade until yesterday when a girl up at Starbucks told me about it. Nothing in the Savannah Morning News about it...

I went to the neighborhood watch meeting for my 'hood. We were told a few stats- like 33,000+ people live in the 7.62 square miles that encompasses the area the Bull Street Precinct covers. But that doesn't include the transients, homeless and students. There has to be 20+ homeless hanging out at the Thomas Square next to the Bull Street Library in the mornings. And that is just one square.  One thing that was said, that a lot of the crimes around here occur during the day. Who woulda thunk?  And that a just this morning, at 7 AM, there was a robbery on E. 38th Street. Gotta get a gun...

Thursday October 27 2011

It has been a rough couple of days. Rachel's car was diagnosed with needing a starter. It wasn't in stock but Dave got it in yesterday AM. After installing the starter, Scott did some welding on the truck hinge and got the thing to close. So, she got her car back late yesterday. Did she ask how much? Did she say thank you? HELL NO. Bitch just took off and left me there to deal with the bill. It was $300. Damn. Between her insurance of $80 a  month and now $300 for these repairs, there goes 2 full weeks of my unemployment. And then, she had the balls to say she wasn't paying the $27.95 for the tire to be mounted/balanced last week because if I had brought the wheel to the junkyard, he would have mounted it for free. What the hell? She hit a curb and bent the frigging wheel. It would not have held the tire if Scott hadn't hit it with a rubber mallet. The balancing was needed as it was hit. What an ass.

I guess the people up at the building department don't want to do their job. I called on Friday to say that Dirty South had built an addition to the store and did not have permits. This is Thursday and nothing has been done.  This town really sucks. I called again and they said it was on the list of things to check out..Yeah.

I also dropped off ANOTHER application to the county for another frigging job. It is so lame. The first page of the application has your date of birth and year graduated from high school. Since I'm over 50, that is a huge red flag. Plus, they have you fill out a form stating race and sex. I'm never going to be hired as long as I have to fill these forms out. It is so prejudicial.

Monday October 25 2011

Rachel's broken hair

Red makeup in the sink

Ah, the adventures of Rachel's first car continue.... On Sunday around 7 PM, she was at Parker's Gas station on Victory and ... the beast would not start. She called me, but I don't have any jumper cables. She called a friend, he tried to jump it, it wouldn't start. Damn. I called the Auto Club and got it towed to Dave's shop- Two Nuts and a Bolt. Yesterday, went by and Dave said, Yup, the starter is gone. Then we looked at the trunk. Why won't it close? Well, Dave noticed that the hinge on the left side was pushed in. The metal had actually broken. Nice. This afternoon, at 1, the part was still not in. Rachel will be pissed.

Yesterday after I picked up Rachel from school, Bill called her on the phone, angry. Seems she had made a mess of the bathroom. What do you think? Rachel said she didn't see anything. I know kids have selective hearing, but I guess Rachel has selective vision as well?

Saturday October 22 2011

So, how much did the curbing of the tire cost? I got a deal from a used tire place- he wanted $40 for a nice used tire, but I talked him down to $30. Then it was $27.95 to have it mounted and balanced at Savannah Tire. Then, Rachel did manage to drive the car on the donut to Savannah Tire and have them put the tire on. I know I didn't feel like putting it on the car and I just don't think it is safe for her to be driving the car with a donut spare on the front.
As of last week, Rachel owed me $195 for car repairs and a cell phone. She paid me $40 this week, but now she is $58 more in the hole. This car is truly a money pit!

On a fun note, went to Golden Corral for dinner last night. They have a truly awesome chocolate fountain. Damn, it was good! They had strawberries, pineapple, marshmallows, and my fav, coconut macaroons. OMG! It was the best.

This morning, I was taking Chip for a walk and saw the neighbor had this elaborate set up for his ladder to work on his house. I don't know, but I'd have to say it isn't OSHA approved.

Golden Corral, Awesome!

What the hell?

October 21 2011

Tire from Rachel's car

Look again. Yes, that is a tire from Rachel's car. It is beat to hell. On the way to school- about 500 feet from the house- she calls and says the tire is flat. I walk over to where she is at and oh, yeah, it was flat. The tire was actually pulled away from the wheel. I told Rachel to go back to the house and get Bill to help her change the tire. There is grease all over the inside of the wheel, too. Likely, she also broke the axle on the front. This wheel is bent all to hell. Don't know if the tire shop can fix it. Waiting to hear now.
Oh, and let's not forget yesterday. At 5:45 I called her to find out where she was. She had to be at work at 6:15 and still needed to eat. She finally answered after I called about 6 times. She was on Victory Drive, " you know how the light that says Check Engine is always on, well, now the oil light is flashing on". OMG, that kid is going to drive me insane. I told her to get home now. When she got home, I checked the dipstick (the oil, not Rachel). There was 1, I repeat, ONE DROP of oil on the stick! Bill had a 1/2 quart in the shed so I put that in. I ran out to the store and picked up another quart and that made it full. It is saying something that this car is holding up under the child's abuse. I mean, it is still running!

Thursday October 20 2011

Hiyah sweeping in front of Dirty South

Enclosing the cage

First thing this morning, Hiyah was out there sweeping the sidewalk in front of Dirty South Records. Work, Hiyah, Work!
Later in the day, Hiyah is sitting on the porch with his Old Milwaukee watching the men that are enclosing the cage at Dirty South Records. Now is Hiyah's time to watch other men at work.

Wednesday October 19 2011

Rachel asked me take her to work this afternoon. She walked across the street to her car to get her work shoes. Then I drove her to work in my car. When we were almost at Outback, she started to frantically look for her phone. Couldn't find it. She asked me to look for it when I got home. So, I did. I looked upstairs and down. Just then, she called and I told her I couldn't find it in the house and maybe she left it in her car when she got her work shoes.  I looked outside and saw Hiyah walking by Rachel's car. He looked at the car and then looked across the street at my house. I swear he had this look, like "this must be a trick, I must be on camera." When I went outside and looked at Rachel's car, there was her phone, laying on the roof of her car! Been there for at least 20 minutes. Amazing.

Tuesday October 18 2011

Trash left in the alley

Someone was doing some work on a house and stuffed some insulation and junk into plastic bags then tossed them in our alley. Nice. Instead of paying to properly dispose of their stuff, these people just toss it wherever.

This morning, Hiyah was picking up trash in front of his own place!!! WOW. He was putting the trash inside a large Old Milwaukee box......

What is new with Rachel? Well, this morning it only took 3 times for me to wake her up to go to school. She left at 7:19, school starts at 7:30 and we live 1.5 miles away... And she called me at 7:35, she had left her lunch in her car and was late. So, she decided to come home and do homework. Now she is sleeping. I guess she is studying for her blood tests at the doctor's office this afternoon!

Monday October 17 2011

Do you see what I see? Hiyah working!

OMG! it is Hiyah and he is working again! He is raking in front of the  Hair Acc. Store and of course, his fav, Montgomery Liquors. Keep up appearances, Hiyah.

Last night as 11 PM, some ho' was standing in the middle of Jefferson and 35th Streets. The black skin tight leggings and midriff shirt with sequins were kind of a dead give-away as well as the walking IN the street back and forth. 

Over the weekend, Rachel told me her car's radio and the accessory outlet aren't working any more. The money pit is going to drive that girl into the poor house. When she has her tonsils out in 3 weeks, we'll have to put the car in the shop and see what the mechanic can do. It needs an oil change and probably a transmission filter/fluid change at the very least. Then, see if he can make the "check engine light" go out. She is thinking of moving to Mass. with her mom at Thanksgiving. In that case, she will need to make the car so it will pass inspection. Right now, it won't.
Oh, and on Saturday, as soon as I got into class, the Rachel called to tell me she had locked her keys in the car. Nice. She was on Whitemarsh Island. Too bad, I said. Class starts at 1 and gets over at 4:30. She called back later and had a friend drive her to my school to pick up the spare key which was in my wallet. Now she has the spare key, too. She will likely lose the spare key and then she will be in trouble!

Friday October 14 2011

Bras on Broughton

Bras on Broughton

Hiyah on right, watching men at work

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. To show support, the vendors up town are displaying "Bras on Broughton Street". Quite a display of bras! Originally, the idea was to string them across the street. With the wind and rain we have had this week, that would not have been a good idea. And some people complained. So these displays were a compromise. I think they came out well.
Good Old Hiyah, helps out his fellow man. He went to the liquor store and picked up a couple of Old Milwaukee cans and gave one to the painter (whose nickname is Shorty).
Hiyah is on the far right, watching men at work. There is another man in the alley next to them, taking a nature call.....

Hiyah helping- gives beer to painter

Thursday October 13 2011

2 women walking in the street

I know it is a little difficult to see, but there are 2 women walking in the street. Why? The city just spent like a million dollars re-designing all these sidewalks on MLK and they STILL walk in the street. When I drove down the street, they didn't want to get out of the way. Acted like I was in the wrong for DRIVING in the street. Also, not very visible in the pic on the right side near the parked truck, is Hiyah, picking up cans. My, how far he has fallen...Reduced to picking up cans to pay for his Old Milwaukee...

Wednesday October 12 2011

Trash

Can you believe this crap? Some A-hole tossed their leftover trash into my cemetery display. I cannot for the life of me understand this. Just eat and toss  wherever wherever you are. There is a trash can in front of the store where this probably came from. There is a dumpster right behind the store. But, Noooooo. Just toss it, I mean the fork, the container and the lid.

Yesterday there was a moron on the news in Savannah. Some guy, dropped his "weed" on the way inside a convenience store. A policeman picked it up. The guy comes out of the store and asked the officer if he can have his stuff back. He could not understand why the officer wouldn't give it to him. The guy said it was only $15 worth and did not understand it was a criminal offense.He is lucky he wasn't arrested but the officer said he did not see the kid drop it so it wouldn't stick.

I spoke with the neighbors this AM about the 4 murders in 2 weeks all less than a half mile from the house. The first was a drug deal gone bad and while that was being investigated the body of a transvestite hooker was found in the alley. Then, a guy that owned a bar on Montgomery Street was shot almost next door to those murders. He was reportedly a snitch and that is why he was killed. Then, almost a week later, a woman was shot and killed one street from those murders. Word is, she was going to tell the police who killed the transvestite. Well, she must have told somebody, but not the police. Never say you are going to do something like that. Just do it and don't let on that you did....

Tuesday October 11 2011

Glass bottle in driveway of Beauty salon

Grey bird

 Sunday was kind of quiet. With no alcohol sales, not much reason to hang across the street. Also is was drizzly in the morning  making it not a pleasant day anyways. Monday, when the liquor store opened, a few brave souls went out in the downpours and got the morning libations. It was funny to watch them huddled against the doors trying not to get rain in their beer. Later, the rain was just too heavy and they left. Yay! 

Good size branch on 36th

The trash being tossed around here is sickening. Someone threw a large glass liquor bottle into the driveway of the hair salon on 36th/Barnard. Why?  Some jerks also tossed a Styrofoam box and some plastic bottles on 36th. This could be such a pretty street if someone (maybe the city, maybe a resident of the street) picked up the trash and debris. 
With all the heavy rain yesterday and last night, some good size branches have been dropping. Who knows when someone will pick up this debris? The city seems to have stopped cleaning up.

Finally, I think some birds are migrating. I saw this grey bird in my backyard yesterday. I did a little research. It appears to be a grey catbird. He/she must have heard there was good eats in my yard! I try to keep the bird bath full and lots of birdseed and bread in the yard. Plus, I've been throwing some peanut shells out there. I don't know why but the sparrows seem to enjoy the peanut shells.

Saturday October 7 2011

Broken driver's door handle

DUDE!

OK, another day, another problem with the Money Pit (Rachel's car). This is the driver's door handle. It has snapped off. What a piece of ....!


While driving Rachel to work uptown last night, some psycho broad about 50 years old, was driving up Drayton Street which is 2 lanes and one way. She was honking her horn and laughing. We were stuck at a red light and then we couldn't move through the green light because a damn tourist bus had blocked the road. She kept honking the horn. The guy in front of her got out and asked her what was her problem. She laughed and continued to honk the horn. I believe this is the same a-hole that did the same thing to me in the spring when I went to pick up Rachel from school. Let's hope someone puts a hurt on these people. She is driving a Big white SUV with a vanity plate from a college that starts with AQ..... Some college "kids" don't grow up.

This morning while I was at my favorite Starbucks at Bull and Broughton, I saw this... My oh My. I must say, I stared for a bit. Yes, it is a DUDE wearing a fur coat (it is only about 70 degrees outside), black jeggings, a black feather earring in his right ear and black 3 inch heels. On the plus side, dude could walk in those heels!

Friday October 7 2011

Ah, Friday. You know what that means. Crack And Crabs night in the hood. This morning, all I could smell outside was the cooking of crabs. Yuck. I mean, I like crabs, but dang, I can't enjoy sitting outside with my dogs while smelling the ocean...
It is official. I spoke with Malcolm, the owner of David's Crabs. Hiyah has been officially FIRED. We knew he couldn't last working. Ha Ha!
It is supposed to rain for the the next 4 days- although not all the time. Rachel still can't close her trunk and the duct tape isn't holding for more than a couple of hours. Now this morning she tells me, she lost the plastic shielding that goes under the front of the car. Nice. This car wasn't that bad looking when she got it, but it is taking a beating at this girl's hands.
Today, I finished decorating the outside for Halloween. The inside still needs some cobwebs put up, but for the most part it is done,too.
Since most young kids don't know the Wizard of Oz, I only made one section the Wiz. Then, there is the graveyard and the pirates. Came out pretty good, I think!

The witch, the scarecrow, the tornado the tin man and the movie poster!

The graveyard

Fresh GRAVE!

WELCOME!

Thursday October 6 2011

Well, another day with Rachel and the car. Yesterday, she had to be at work up town at 4. She called me at 3:15. She was near the mall (the other direction from where she needed to be). The car had a low tire and neither Rachel nor Steven could take the cap off the tire to put the air in. Poor baby. She drove closer to home and I used my fingers and took the cap off the tire. It cost $1.00 for the frigging air! What a rip off. By then it was too late for the child to drive to work AND find a parking space AND get in there by 4 PM. So, I ended up driving her uptown.

Bill decided today was the day to buy a pistol. He went to a gun store and bought a S & W
 9 mm pistol. The guy that sold it to Bill is a Sav cop. He says it is the gun he uses and is better made than the Glock. He gave Bill a couple of free passes to go to the shooting range there to practice with it. PLUS, Thursdays are Ladies Night. I can go shoot for free as long as I bring my own gun (or Bill's) and Ammo! How FUN! You sure won't find that in California or Massachusetts!!

Wednesday October 5 2011

Why walk in the street?

Here we go again. Walking in the street instead of the perfectly good sidewalk. What is wrong with these people? I get so tired of this crap. This morning, there was 6 people walking here in the street and they gave me a dirty look because I was DRIVING in the street. I ask again, what is wrong with the f'n sidewalks?
Bill got home yesterday afternoon. As if in celebration, at 9:30 PM, I heard 3 gun shots, followed by a few minutes of quiet, then another shot. Ah, home sweet home!
Then, this afternoon, at 3:30PM Rachel calls. She has a low tire on her car and she and Steven can't take the cap off the tire to put air in it. What the hell? I had to meet her at another gas station and take the cap off for her. Girl (and Steven) needs a little work out.

Tuesday October 4 2011

Hiyah, passed out Monday around 5 PM

What the hell?

Poor Hiyah, no job, no money. Here he is all passed out at 5 PM on Monday. Life is tough.

Why do people have to throw their crap in the alley behind my house? Here are several old used tires.
Also, the tenants at 310 West 35th are missing their trash can AGAIN. I need to catch these SOB's. I don't see it in the yard of the house on 34th Street, but that doesn't mean they didn't take it.

Monday October 3 2011

Saturday night about 11:30 PM, I saw Hiyah making a mad dash for the liquor store. Someone must have reminded him that on Sunday Montgomery Liquors is closed.

On Sunday morning just about the time I was walking the dogs (7 AM) in the 300 block of West 42nd Street, a woman was shot dead. This makes 4 murders within 7 blocks of my house in about 15 days! Man, this is getting out of hand.
I spoke with a police officer about these murders this morning and he believes a big part of this problem is these damn rooming houses. You know,  like the one across the street from me. The people get arrested and when they get out of jail, they go right back to the same lifestyle in the same neighborhood and the same scumbag friends. It is a vicious cycle, made all the worse by drugs and alcohol. There isn't much hope because these people don't have any incentive or desire to do any better. Very sad.