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Monday, February 27, 2012

Monday Musings.

So many times, I start out with a small, innocuous thought and, before I know it, it's got my brain in a full Nelson.  It's sort of like the Onion Conundrum - all those layers.  But an onion has nice, simple layers.  These small, gnarly thought beginnings remind me of a big wad of poultry netting - that plastic kind.  I say, if you want some villain to confess his sins, wrap him tightly in hundreds of layers of poultry netting and leave him to his own devices.  He'll be singing like a lark in no time.

The latest rendition started thusly - I was dropping off paperwork for the formation of a LLC at the Secretary of State's office.  I was the only person at the desk and there were - within eye-shot - easily 15 people shlubbing around, dressed in jeans and t-shirts.  After about 5 minutes, the woman closest to me must have felt the laser beams of my eyes and finally, sighing heavily, came to help me.  They take the forms, hand them off to someone else, who then comes back and either passes or fails your paperwork.  If you pass, they take your money and off you go.  I passed.  Riding down in the elevator, I wondered why it is that there are SO many employees in this one department when there is so little for them to do.  What if they condensed the workforce to half?  But, then, that would be another half on unemployment.  How did the department get so over-peopled in the first place?  And would it ever stop?  But it won't stop if there continue to be millions of new people in the world every year, people who will need jobs.  Is there a finite amount of money in the world?  I know there is a finite and shrinking amount of water in the world.  And so it goes.  It's like trying to envision the Universe.  It makes my head hurt and there are no perfect answers.

This past Monday evening, I had the opportunity to have dinner with a Swedish atheist and a well-read Methodist.  It was a very rousing dinner - what with the three tiny meatballs and a small salad, washed down with almost three bottles of a very nice white wine.  The topic was religion.  Now this is a subject that I avoid discussing at all costs because I have no intention of offending anyone.  But this was one of those rare occasions where the participants were more interested in the reasoning behind the emotions.  They were not offended.  They were interested.  It was fun!  It was also a little fuzzy in the morning.

14 comments:

Mama Pea said...

Aha! Three bottles of a very nice white wine! So that is why we haven't heard from you all week! ;o}

Unknown said...

That's what congress needs...WINE!
My mind went full nelson too this morning. Must be something about Mondays. At least we aren't schluping around LOL!

Susan said...

Mama Pea - I hate to say it, but blogging is usually far from my mind on weekends. I'm trying to cram every second checking of to-dos!

Nancy - I think that's a great idea, although wine doesn't always bring out the best in people. This time it just enhanced some lively minds!

Carolyn said...

"I had the opportunity to have dinner with a Swedish atheist and a well-read Methodist."

I swear, I though you were going to finish up with a punch line!

Susan said...

CR - You mean the one about the pipe-smoking dog?

dr momi said...

3 bottles of wine must have made for some interesting conversation :-)

Ngo Family Farm said...

Heehee - I thought there was a punch line coming, too ;)
-Jaime

Unknown said...

Secretary of State's office employees in jeans? Wow that's casual...

Sue said...

I don't handle some of these office situations very well. I particularly despise when they all IGNORE YOU---as if they don't see you....and then you get the SIGH when one finally realizes you're not going away. That's why they need so many employees---if they didn't, you might NEVER get waited on.

Erin said...

I can even start on this one... I'll just say that after witnessing thousands of military just discharged (before their contract was up) to "save money" has got me highly upset. I know of some here that were injured in war or who have been in combat several times and the government just said "sorry but we are letting you go early", with no pay and no notice for their families... ugh! Same goes for our nation's schools...Yet other government office have this surplus... see, now there i go again! :)

Candy C. said...

The overstaffing of government agencies is one of the reasons that the states AND the federal government are in such financial trouble. I would have loved to have been at the dinner party, sounds like fun! :)

Susan said...

Erin - I think they should shovel out the deadwood and hire veterans. There is no reason on God's Green Earth that people who put their lives on the line for us should not have good jobs. I mean it.

Candy - You know, I think that, even without the wine, it would have been a lively, fun evening.

Michelle said...

Oh Susan, my mind runs down complicated rabbit trails just like that! It does get so tiring; sometimes I wish for a simple, uncomplicated brain. Then I might be boring, but if I WAS boring, I wouldn't know or care, right?

Susan said...

Michelle - Let's face it. We just can't help it. If I was a dog, I'd be a rat terrier. That's exactly how my mind works.