Ramblings, rants and idle thoughts

If you want to send me mail directly, use this address:
Don Miller
c/o David Hill
C-11 Country Club Estates
248 Harding Highway
Newfield, NJ 08344-9753
This will ensure your letter/package/etc. will be sent directly to me.

I'm still looking for a more permanent place to stay, as I know I will eventually wear out my welcome here.
In that vein, I have found a used mobile home for sale, relatively cheap compared to a new one. It will cost $7,500 and the lot rent will be $600. I will be able to afford the lot rent, but the home is beyond my means at this point. Rental properties (houses/apartments) are in the $1200 and up range/month, and my credit rating and eviction will be going against me landing a rental.
So, with no small amount of trepidation and reluctance, I am asking for donations so I can buy the mobile home and get myself settled in less than a month or so.
If you are willing and find me worthy you can send your contribution to lionking (a) snip dot net via PayPal.
I know there are those out there that I owe a substantial amount of money to, because of my actions of four years ago, and I understand if you are unwilling to help at the present time.

Other than that I'm in a holding pattern.

Maggie, my 21 year old pussy cat, passed away at ~5:10p on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. A day which, coincidentally, is my brother Bob's 56th birthday.

I fed her one last time, with baby food at 4:15p, but there was no muscle resistance or reflex movement, even when brushing her ears.

She died laying in front of a heater with a towel on her for warmth. She died at home with the sounds, sights, and scents that she knew so well.

I will have her cremated, so she will be with me always, as Katrina is.

My house is now just a house and no longer a home, as the warmth and love that Maggie brought is no longer here. She was a saint in the form of a cat.

A big thanks to everyone that donated, especially a certain wolf (he knows who he is). I was able to pay my bill and have some left over to cover other expenses. You are all too kind.

Thanks again.

LionkingCMSL on DeviantArt

Jessie, from Nine to Nine ( www.tigerknight.com/99/ ), from the creative pen of tigerknightcomics.deviantart.com , on her motorcycle riding through the woods.

As always, my 3D CGI versions of characters will not be exact duplicates of their creator's versions due to limitations of the models, model availability and my lack of skill. That being said I hope I came close to Jan's vision of Jessie.

Jessie Copyright Jan (Tigerknight Comics)

I thought I would do a year in review post.
All in all I am not sorry to see 2016 end. It had more downs and ups.
The downs:
Losing too many friends and family to death this year.
Losing my power on April 11th due to lack of payment. This was due to confusion on who was paying the bill.
Losing my truck on May 11th, because I couldn't make the payments. note that I am not angry at the finance company. They did what they were obligated to do, and they went far above the call of duty to try to keep the truck with me.
No employment prospects for most of the year. Any job interviews I went on got no further than that.
My ex-boss getting shot at his own house, by state police, in a mistaken identity incident.
Colucci Lumber burning to the ground.

The ups:
Some very nice people not only supplied me with solar panels, they bought me a 4.2Kw generator. These same people have given me money for gas and have taken me to the supermarket.
My ex-boss recovering fully from his wounds.
There was no loss of life or serious injury during the Colucci fire, and no homes were touched by the fire.
My ex-boss buying me a 10K BTU kero heater and supplying me with kero so far this winter.
UPS hiring me for the lead up to Christmas as a "Driver's Helper". This ended on 12/23/16. There is a possibility that they may hire me full time.
The same ex-boss selling me is car for $5.00, as previously noted, so I have a set of wheels so I can apply for jobs.
Last, but by no means least, the many friends that have supported me, in different ways, in the past 2 and a half years.

Here is hoping that 2017 is a much better year, not only for me, but for every one.

Thanksgiving dinner for one by LionkingCMSL on DeviantArt

My Thanksgiving dinner which consisted of a .75lb turkey breast, whole kernel corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, a mug of Pepsi and some champagne.

I do not have fancy candlesticks so a beer bottle fills in.

And here is Maggie today:

Maggie by LionkingCMSL on DeviantArt

Maggie will be 21 in February.

Not bad look for a cat her age. She still has all her teeth, good eyesight, great hearing, and her fur is still soft. She does suffer from a bit arthritis though.

CyntianadEstelleincooridor by LionkingCMSL on DeviantArt

Here we have Dr. Cyntia Forbes, M.D. (cheetah) and Estelle Manor, R.N., BSN (white-tailed deer) walking through a space station corridor.

Both characters are mine from a series of stories I have written.
An interesting factoid is that Estelle is named for a town near me, Estelle Manor, NJ, which is located in what we locals call "the deer woods", because of the large population of white-tailed deer. :=3

The Mekron set is from "Scoopey", over at Renderosity, which I have recolored. The figures are Melody from LittleFox and Capsces. Clothing from different sources.

Posed and rendered in Poser Pro 2014.

As anyone who has been to my den may remember Colucci Lumber at the end of my road. It was the landmark I gave to let you know where to turn onto my street.

Well, I can't use it any more as it burnt to the ground yesterday afternoon. :={

Here is a news broadcast and I'm the first one interviewed in the video:
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Colucci-Lumber-Fire-Malagna-New-Jersey_Philadelphia-388799581.html

Well, that was interesting.

As I had posted earlier yesterday I had to go to Philadelphia to a NS hiring session, to which I was invited.

I was dressed in a suit, arrived in plenty of time and had everything ready.

We, 22 of us, sat through a presentation about NS and what we could expect being a conductor.

After a short break we took a 88 question test that was timed. I finished in plenty of time, and then waited for a list of people that they wanted to interview to be posted. While there I met a gentleman who used to work for Amtrak at Sunnyside Yard and he remembered me. I also met a couple other railroaders, so it was interesting to trade stories.

Well the list was posted and can you guess who was *not* on the list of ten people they wanted to interview. If you guessed me, you are correct; so it is back to square one as of right now.

Before you ask, they do not tell you why you were not selected. :=/

in an e-mail subject line does not inspire confidence and smells like a scam.

However, when the first paragraph of said e-mail reads:
" We appreciate your interest in Norfolk Southern and the Conductor position in Philadelphia, PA. After reviewing your
application, we would like to invite you to participate in the next step of our recruiting process. For further
consideration, please arrive promptly at the following time and location:
[redacted]"
your attitude changes rather quickly. :=3

So, on the 20th of this month at 8am in Philadelphia I will be meeting face to face with a Norfolk Southern rep and possibly even get an interview.

The only concern I have is that I may have to spend up to 6 months(!) in Roanoke, VA. That is a long time to be away from my house.