Mad Macedonian

A Moment in the Life of a Walmart Cashier

 

 

Working in retail most of my working life, since 1984, I have a ton of stories I've shared of experiences, good and bad, funny and sad...even life-threatening.

 

Reading Mr. Sam's wonderful, enlightening, book, MADE IN AMERICA: My Story, as well as THE WALMART WAY: The Inside Story of the Success of the World's Largest Company by Don Soderquist one reads many similar stories going back to the 50's and you realize how being friendly, outgoing and humorous was a part of the make-up of Sam Walton, as well as many of those who worked for him, from ordinary associates to corporate.

 

In my 5 years at Walmart, just recently celebrated last month, I have made it a point to continue doing what I have always done, from my days as a cashier and store manager at Newsboy, in the Inland Empire of SoCal, to my days as a cashier at Targets in Eagle Rock, Chino, and Costa Mesa...be fast, and helpful and interact with the customers in friendly, often humorous, ways...

6 YRS. IN HOUSTON: Exploring The World Around You Not Just Something You Need a Car or Plane to Do

 

 

 

Since I was a 12 yr old, in the 70's, I used the bus to take me places, mostly bookstores, then, Lakers and Kings games, the movies and more in the 70's and 80's.

 

When I got my first serious point and shoot camera and 1st mountain bike, in the early 90's, my exploring went beyond just shopping and sports trips, but venues of all types and long bike rides. An ever-growing bus and commuter rail system connecting 5 counties, helped.

 

In 1998 I got a road bike and my 1st computer and my life changed in huge new ways...

 

By the end of 2001, I had taken my first plane trips and spent 4 days each in Phoenix and Chicago.

 

In 2002 I became a blogger and discovered talents as a creative writer, poet, essayist, and journalist, to go with my interest in photography and love of cats and bicycling.

 

Before I left SoCal in 2012 I had taken many long bike rides (20 to 66 miles), though no centuries, and nice walks, visited an Uncle and cousins in Va., spent some time in DC, after an Amtrak train ride to get there, returned to Va. for a pet convention in Roanoke, and more.

 

I wish I had been able to do so much more.

 

A Mad Houstonian Adds to His Stetson

 

I have been wearing a hat for a decade, now, and as I return to more blogging and get out and about more, on foot and bike, my shirts are not the only items of clothing I use to identify me.

When I began adding lapel pins to the hat I wanted some way to share different sides of who I am.

I have now put together a collection that does that very well, I think.

 

 

I am a writer. A Mad Macedonian, and Cycling Dude, who left SoCal to take up residence in Texas, becoming a Mad Houstonian.

I am a poet, storyteller, humorist, journalist, and pundit who...

 

At Last....A New Computer and Printer

 

 

 

A month ago I celebrated the past and reminded myself of some of my triumphs and celebrated my milestones by inviting anyone who comes across that entry to read, comment on, even share some of my proudest creative moments from 10+ years on this blog (Take your time, this stuff will be here waiting for ya! Maybe you will find inspiration for your own creative pursuits along the way.)

 

In the weeks since I went hunting for a new computer and printer (and Logitech Speakers) and ended up making  the purchases to a Best Buy close to where I live.

 

My decisions were based on  trips down memory lane an positive experiences with previously own products by the same manufacturers.

 

 

Good Things Jar Shows 2017 Not Total Loss

 

In December 2016 a friend on Facebook suggested something for the year ahead and I figured what did I have to lose?

Variations of the "Good Things Jar" can be found all over the internet....the idea being that you keep a pen and index cards close by to write down positive events that happen to you through out the year, toss them in the jar and forget about them until New Year's Eve when you empty the jar and read about all the great things that happened to you, especially after what you may feel was a less than stellar year.

In case you were not aware, for me, 2017 stunk in so many ways, especially after my laptop died in June.

I did not even get around to reading my cards until mid-January and, while people who have done this sort of thing for years may be disappointed in my count, I was kind of surprised by having 97 cards to read.

I chose 50 particularly descriptive and GOOD cards to share....with a surprise at the end, for those who stick around

1. 1. 1/1/17 - Inspiration for my writing comes in many ways. Facebook comments by my sister Violeta, and a friend from Austin, about a funny New Year's selfie, taken on 12/30, inspired me to write alter  the picture and write a 200 word story on New Year's Day....My first such piece in months and first on Mad Macedonian in a couple of years.

New Year's: 200 Word Musings 3

2. 1/10/17 - "Hi Kiril....I'm Phillip Reese, a reporter for the Sac Bee, a 250,000 circulation daily newspaper...I'm writing a story about how, for the 15th year in a row, Ca. lost more residents to other states than it got from them.

In researching my story I came across your blog post from 9/20/15. Would you be willing to speak with me sometime this week for my story?"

I accepted on Friday the 13th... and sent him links to 2 related posts from 2016 as well.

3. Friday the 13th - I was interviewed by the Sac Bee reporter. We talked about why I came to TX and the good, bad and ugly of my 4 yrs here, as well as why I thought people were leaving Ca.

4. 2/6/17 - I received an e-mail from the Morris Animal Foundation, with a Press Release about a new diagnostic test for cats. I did a blog post on Opinionated Pussycat. In a follow-up e-mail I learned they reached out to me because I was a member of the Cat Writers' Association.

5. 2/16/17 - I wrote 2 long poems, one each, for both blogs...promoting Dr. Seuss Day on 3/2/17.

I Am a Writer, a Writer I Am!

I Am a Writer Cat, a Writer Cat I Am!

6. 3/14-3/18/17 - I discovered a U.S.-made Bamboo Camera Monopod Walking Stick maker called Serenity Bamboo. 3 days e-mail correspondence and exploring their website led me to order a stick specially unique to me after I get my tax return on the 15th....Placed an order for personalized stick, 57 in. in length, with image of Nikita, my name and a 10 line inscription unique to me and my creativity

7. 3/19/17 - While out an about, clothes shopping at local Goodwill's and getting nowhere...I didn't come home empty-handed...I found an inspirational plaque:

"I know I'm gonna make it. 'cause God don't sponsor no flops!"

8. 3/22/17 - Linda, of Serenity Bamboo, finished making my stick and mailed it today:

She added the following to her e-mail:

"You are an incredibly interesting man and you deserve an incredibly interesting walking stick! May your miles be many and your smiles be your guide."

9. 4/3/17 - When I arrived at work I was told they needed to take my photo. When I was told why I was floored!

One of the night Managers, who was responsible for the unwarranted negative annual review I got last year, was suddenly praising my work ethic around closing time each night. I was one of the luck few, at my store, to be awarded an April "Happy To Help" Pin!

I am honored because I am proud of the job I've done the past 3 1/2 years and it is vindication to have HER award it.

10. 4/17/17 - I took my new stick for a spin along Terry Hershey Trail, next to Buffalo Bayou and took a photo and got soaked by a sudden rain storm.

11. I went on a 4 mile, 4 hr., walk along Buffalo Bayou, from Shepherd and Memorial to Allen's Landing, in Buffalo Bayou Park and took my camera stick along for 10 photos.

12. 4/25/17 - I spent 2 hours being interviewed, photographed and filmed, at West Loop Transit Center, on the 4, 49, and 63 buses, at bus stops and along Brays Bayou, by a Houston Metro Press Staffer, for what will be a 1 minute "Rep My Route" video to promote using Metro Transit...Very cool and fun!

I Am a Writer, a Writer I Am!

I Am a Writer Cat, a Writer Cat I Am!

6. 3/14-3/18/17 - I discovered a U.S.-made Bamboo Camera Monopod Walking Stick maker called Serenity Bamboo. 3 days e-mail correspondence and exploring their website led me to order a stick specially unique to me after I get my tax return on the 15th....Placed an order for personalized stick, 57 in. in length, with image of Nikita, my name and a 10 line inscription unique to me and my creativity

7. 3/19/17 - While out an about, clothes shopping at local Goodwill's and getting nowhere...I didn't come home empty-handed...I found an inspirational plaque:

"I know I'm gonna make it. 'cause God don't sponsor no flops!"

8. 3/22/17 - Linda, of Serenity Bamboo, finished making my stick and mailed it today:

She added the following to her e-mail:

"You are an incredibly interesting man and you deserve an incredibly interesting walking stick! May your miles be many and your smiles be your guide."

9. 4/3/17 - When I arrived at work I was told they needed to take my photo. When I was told why I was floored!

One of the night Managers, who was responsible for the unwarranted negative annual review I got last year, was suddenly praising my work ethic around closing time each night. I was one of the luck few, at my store, to be awarded an April "Happy To Help" Pin!

I am honored because I am proud of the job I've done the past 3 1/2 years and it is vindication to have HER award it.

10. 4/17/17 - I took my new stick for a spin along Terry Hershey Trail, next to Buffalo Bayou and took a photo and got soaked by a sudden rain storm.

11. I went on a 4 mile, 4 hr., walk along Buffalo Bayou, from Shepherd and Memorial to Allen's Landing, in Buffalo Bayou Park and took my camera stick along for 10 photos.

12. 4/25/17 - I spent 2 hours being interviewed, photographed and filmed, at West Loop Transit Center, on the 4, 49, and 63 buses, at bus stops and along Brays Bayou, by a Houston Metro Press Staffer, for what will be a 1 minute "Rep My Route" video to promote using Metro Transit...Very cool and fun!

Merry Christmas From the Mad Houstonian

Good morning everyone, hope y'all have not given up on me!

This has not been an easy past 6 months, but I have not given up and have hopes for a far better 2018.

Yes, I still have not been able to get the laptop fixed and using typepad on the cell phone is far from ideal.

I hope to go to the library, later in the week, to make adjustments to this post and, if that works out I plan to try to blog more.

I have been out and about taking walks around Downtown and Midtown Houston, cell phone camera in tow.

I also bought some shirts related to my walking and had 2 shirts specially made...one promoting my cat blog and another promoting my creativity and both my blogs.

The one promoting the cat blog was a big hit around downtown during the World Series...and one of the walking shirts regularly annoys motorists when I use crosswalks at busy intersections...hee, hee!

The big news, though, is how I chose to use the huge 3rd quarter bonus I got and a 25% holiday discount...

It is no secret that I hate having to use my cell phone camera the past couple of years and longed for a new camera.

Well, as I head into 2018, a year I have hopes of being better creatively and personally...I held off on fixing the laptop and bought a new camera as my Christmas gift to myself and my feline muses.

The Nikon Coolpix B500 is a major step up for me, tech-wise, in megapixels, zoom, and how one shares and transfers pics.

This upgrade means I will need to get a new model cell phone and fix the laptop before I can use the camera, but I felt it important I take this step.

That's all for now.

Spread the word...the Mad Houstonian  is still in the blogging game!

 

 

Technical Difficulties Arise as Vacation Approaches

Well, it was a great start to Summer, the past few weeks.

Anybody miss me? 

I am posting this from my cell phone.

My, soon to be 5 year old, Toshiba laptop has issues...

The short version is that I lost connection to my network and the Xfinity guy claimed I needed their latest modem as the one I had from them was supposedly obsolete.

I still can not get on my new network.

AVG Internet Security claims it is not their fault, Xfinity says it ain't theirs either and since I have not been under warranty for years it will cost me to see if it is a Toshiba issue....which I still am not sure that is it either.

With 2 weeks vacation in mid July I had hopes and plans for sharing my adventures here, but now I do not know.

I recently took my first walk as a member of the American Volkssport Association and the Houston Happy Hikers and have photos to share, but that might have to wait as well.

Anyway, this is just to let friends and fans of my writing know I shall return, even if, in the short term, it is via my cell phone or a computer at the public library.

 

 

 

 

Celebrating 15 Years in the Blogosphere

 

Well, well, well, what have we here?

Well, me, for one thing.

Who am I you may ask? Let me try to answer.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and anyone else in the audience (oh, I know there isn’t much of an audience, just humor me ok?)…

My name is Kiril Kundurazieff and, despite appearances, the name isn’t that hard to pronounce. Honest...

My friends call me The Mad Macedonian (or Houstonian), a cycling dude and three lady cats by the name of Elvira, Sneakers, Friday.

I'm a single white male (but hope springs eternal!), age 57, who's a 1st generation Maceyugoserbulgarigreekadonian-American, and proud of it! I'm a former southern Californian (It's on the Left-Coast for all y'all Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Mark Levin fans out there), born and bred, who fled that sorry excuse for a state, for the great state of Texas, in September 2012.

I've been an avid reader all of my life, & began my love affair with the Cinema at age 13, though I've not been to many movies the last 13 years and no longer have a TV.

 

I've been an avid walker all my life and a bicyclist since high school & have enjoyed frequent 20-60 mile jaunts on my bike, including braving the fusterclucks that are the streets of Houston and the re-imagined (FINALLY! and long overdue) Metro Transit System.  An always interesting pair of fusterclucks, I am finding, but still fusterclucks.

(Let me welcome any and all visitors who may stop by after learning about me from a video I appear in, released Monday and Tuesday, by Houston Metro as part of their Rep My Route Series of 1 min. promotional clips where they film and interview representative examples of their daily ridership...on their Facebook Page and on YouTube.)

I am owned by 3 lady cats; the 7 yr. old Elvira Mistress of Felinity, and her 3 yr. old protégé, Sneakers the Texian Tuxedo, and the yr. old Friday the Bearded Lady. They are, like Nikita before them, my creative muses in my cat writing.

My career was in the field of Reading Material Facilitator for 17 yrs. and Directory Assistance Operator for 6, with a 2 yr. stint at Target as a cashier in-between.

After 3 years of unemployment, Wal-Mart took me on as a cashier, in Sept. 2013, where I can now be found.

While late 2012 and early 2013 saw me deal with eye surgeries and eye cancer (in remission since!), the years since I got a job have not been easy, especially financially, as I have shared on this blog;

But enough with the worry for one day; Today is for celebrating the gifts for writing and speaking that God saw fit to give me and guide me toward discovering and learning to put to use.

Well, well, well, what have we here?

Well, me, for one thing.

Who am I you may ask? Let me try to answer.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and anyone else in the audience (oh, I know there isn’t much of an audience, just humor me ok?)…

My name is Kiril Kundurazieff and, despite appearances, the name isn’t that hard to pronounce. Honest...

My friends call me The Mad Macedonian (or Houstonian), a cycling dude and three lady cats by the name of Elvira, Sneakers, Friday.

I'm a single white male (but hope springs eternal!), age 57, who's a 1st generation Maceyugoserbulgarigreekadonian-American, and proud of it! I'm a former southern Californian (It's on the Left-Coast for all y'all Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Mark Levin fans out there), born and bred, who fled that sorry excuse for a state, for the great state of Texas, in September 2012.

I've been an avid reader all of my life, & began my love affair with the Cinema at age 13, though I've not been to many movies the last 13 years and no longer have a TV.

 

I've been an avid walker all my life and a bicyclist since high school & have enjoyed frequent 20-60 mile jaunts on my bike, including braving the fusterclucks that are the streets of Houston and the re-imagined (FINALLY! and long overdue) Metro Transit System.  An always interesting pair of fusterclucks, I am finding, but still fusterclucks.

(Let me welcome any and all visitors who may stop by after learning about me from a video I appear in, released Monday and Tuesday, by Houston Metro as part of their Rep My Route Series of 1 min. promotional clips where they film and interview representative examples of their daily ridership...on their Facebook Page and on YouTube.)

I am owned by 3 lady cats; the 7 yr. old Elvira Mistress of Felinity, and her 3 yr. old protégé, Sneakers the Texian Tuxedo, and the yr. old Friday the Bearded Lady. They are, like Nikita before them, my creative muses in my cat writing.

My career was in the field of Reading Material Facilitator for 17 yrs. and Directory Assistance Operator for 6, with a 2 yr. stint at Target as a cashier in-between.

After 3 years of unemployment, Wal-Mart took me on as a cashier, in Sept. 2013, where I can now be found.

While late 2012 and early 2013 saw me deal with eye surgeries and eye cancer (in remission since!), the years since I got a job have not been easy, especially financially, as I have shared on this blog;

But enough with the worry for one day; Today is for celebrating the gifts for writing and speaking that God saw fit to give me and guide me toward discovering and learning to put to use.

Can Good Things Come in Jars?

Can Good things come in jars?

The answer to that is yes, some people think so.

One such person is a friend of mine, named Tina, who lives in my old hometown of Pomona, Ca.

At the end of last year, she promoted an idea she found out about to her friends on Facebook; the idea was something called a "Good Things Jar".

A Google search led to the discovery that some people call it a "Gratitude Jar", or "Happiness Jar", as well.

Kris Carafelli even has a Pinterest Board dedicated to the subject: Gratitude and Love in a Jar

The idea has been around, online, since at least 2010, it seems, and this is what it is:

Find yourself a nice, large, jar, glass or plastic doesn't matter.

Label and decorate it to suit your fancy....or not, it doesn't matter.

Keep it in a handy spot in your home; A shelf where it can be seen and not forgotten, easily accessible as needed.

An Interview and 2017 Decisions: Signs of Failure and Giving Up?

Happy Friday the 13th from deep within the bowels of The Mad Macedonian Broadcasting Network Compound and Think Tank, in Houston, TX.

This is a serious post (long, too!), but one brought about by an email I recently received and the resulting phone interview I had this afternoon.

I had not planned to discuss something here, or on Facebook, until things were more concrete and I had more information to share, planning-wise, but God works in mysterious ways, I believe, and so here I am.

In an update to my Christmas Day post about why I don't think 2016 was a complete and utter failure... thanks to donations and extra money from a Christmas Day Bonus in my paycheck, this week, I was able to pay bills and just added $100 to my Bus card.

The bad news is that Aetna finally processed 3 claims on appointments going back to Sept. and Harris County Health just sent me the bill for $205.40....due Jan. 27.

Most of my next paycheck (1/26) will go to rent and rent insurance, so I may not have enough for even one of the 3 amounts that are part of this bill.

I plan to go to my local food pantry and the Food Bank, next week, to supplement the small bit of shopping I did yesterday which included some food (Boxed Mac & Cheese rules!), household needs and cat food and litter.

Now on to the big news....

I receive emails...but not one similar to this one since 2005 when I had only been blogging 3 years and a local weekly newspaper in the OC got curious enough to do a story on local bloggers...

1/10/17

Hi Kiril ... I'm Phillip Reese, a reporter for the Sacramento Bee, a 250,000-circulation daily newspaper ...

I'm writing a story about how, for the 15th year in a row, California lost more residents to other states than it got from them.

In researching, my story, I came across your blog post from a couple of years back.

Would you be willing to speak with me sometime this week for my story?

Best,

Phillip Reese

Sacramento Bee

------------------

As I replied to him....

Dear Mr. Reese....

Um, wow...glad I'm not sitting and holding a cup of hot chocolate near my lap...your email caught be by surprise to say the least.

That my old piece held your attention enough that you thought it worth reaching out to me is something I am honored by.

--------------------

An award-winning, Pulitzer nominated, journalist doing a simple Google search for "Left California For" had come across my essay (#2 out of 27,300 results!), found it representative of a type of people leaving the state and the type of work they found elsewhere, not to mention my being in the most popular state for relocating, and was impressed by it enough to want to talk with me for his story...again...WOW...

In accepting his request I invited him to read 3 more recent updates on my life...

September...a Time to Celebrate and Plan Amidst Difficulty - On 4 years in Houston 

Thoughts Heading into the Holiday Season and 2017

Was 2016 an Utter Failure?

As I write this post the, hour long, interview is over...and Mr. Reese has gone on to other interviews for his story. The piece he will write will appear in both the print and online editions of the paper and I look forward to reading it and sharing it here and on Facebook.

It appears it is going to be a more in-depth piece than a brief one he did in 2015.

We chatted about the good, bad and ugly of my personal and creative life since I came to Texas, why I left my life in SoCal and why I thought others were doing the same.

We also talked about something else, something very important...

This interview forced my hand about publicly revealing something under discussion with my sisters, in SoCal, since the end of Sept, almost a month AFTER I wrote my 4th anniversary post linked above...