Today is my birthday; I just turned 44. For my birthday, I have:

1) Been laid off from my job last Wednesday morning. I was given absolutely no notice that it was coming. And after being there for more than a year, I got quite the princely severance package: They paid me through the end of the pay period. Wow. Four whole days. And only part of the accrued PTO they owed me. And they made sure they dinged me for half a day of sick time for going home early on Monday. The management of that company most certainly are a class act.

2) A new motorcycle I don’t know how I’m going to pay for. I bought my new bike 10 days before I got laid off. The asshats in Item #1 all knew I was planning to buy this new motorcycle even as they knew they were planning to cut me loose. Nobody even hinted that this might not be the right time for me to be making major purchases. Nothin’ but class…

3) Absolutely no prospects for a new job and no idea when or where or how I’ll find a new one. What I do know is that I’m fucking sick to death of having to find a new fucking job every fucking year.

So happy fucking birthday to me. I’m not quite as bitter as I seem here, but I do definitely want The Universe to get the message loud and clear that It can kiss my hairy white ass.

And I’m turning comments off on this entry because I don’t want to hear it from any of you. You don’t have to kiss it, but I’d rather you didn’t send me any inspirational or sympathetic crap that I’ll feel duty-bound to respond to, either. Just hold those warm fuzzies in your heart — and keep them to yourself. Seriously, I mean it.

After years of Harley angst, I finally got one back in June. Unfortunately, that led to even more angst. There was a problem with the transmission, and after several failed attempts at fixing it and me refusing to roll over when Harley said “Just live with it,” they finally agreed to buy it back from me. So that took care of my lemon problem, but also left me back in the I-want-a-Harley state of angst again.

Well, angst no more. Yesterday, I bought this little beauty:

That’s a 2003 Harley-Davidson Anniversary Edition FLTRI Road Glide with a Tour-Pak, 95″ Big Bore engine, 6-speed Jim’s transmission, oil cooler, and assorted chromey sparkly bits, and I got it all for less than the sticker price on the 06 model I bought in the first place.

I’m a happy camper. A happy Harley owning camper.

I’m back from Phoenix, where I actually stayed in Tempe. There’s a lot of that for me in Phoenix, apparently — go there but not go there. Go figure.

Anyway, here’s the ever-popular view of the room:

…and here’s the even more popular view out the window:

I’m pretty proud of how I was able to focus on the window screen in that picture. I certainly didn’t want to be able to see and comment on the porn video shop and lingerie modeling joint that would otherwise have been clearly visible. No, I wouldn’t want that…

I’ve been remiss about posting my View From Here pictures again. Mea culpa and all that Latin crap. Since the last entry showing the fabulousness of Wichita, KS, I’ve also been to Phoenix, Montreal and St. Louis. Truly, I am a world traveler — if by “world traveler” you mean someone who travels only in the upper portion of the North American continent. But no matter, you’re here for the view. So…

First we have Phoenix, AZ — or rather the small suburb of Anthem:

…and that’s where my camera’s batteries died. I had to take the view picture with my camera phone and I can’t get reception to download it right now, so… Imagine a beautiful desert landscape … with a hotel pool in the foreground and a Denny’s in the background. That’s what you have to look forward to here in the next day or so.

…and then I got all francophile with it and went to Montreal, QC, where they all speak French and when the hotel desk clerk asked if I spoke French, I responded “Si!”

Here’s the quaint little room with its quaint little double beds…

…and here’s the view of the Frenchy-speaking outside:

…and finally the wonderfulness that is St. Louis, MO. I have a weird mental block about St. Louis — I always confuse it with New Orleans. I have no idea why — until this trip I’d never been to either, they have nothing in common, they’re not even in the same region. But still, in my head, if you say St. Louis I think new Orleans … and vice versa. So the Cardinals play in the bayou and St. Louis was hit by a hurricane. Go figure. But here’s the photographic evidence that I’ve been to one that wasn’t the other … not that that’s going to help me tell them apart.

Here’s the not-New Orleans room:

…and here’s the still not-New Orleans view:

And I’m in Tempe, AZ as I write this, so look for a fresh new view from here entry tomor– Oh, let’s be honest, it’ll probably be a week or two. So now you have something to look forward to. Or not.