The Lunatic Loser

Basking in the company of family, friends and laughing with my peers at work are some of the great things in life that ignite my dreams to transport desires and drive me when I'm down.   

Lunatic loser is a fitting phrase for me, as a past middle aged entry whose done nothing with his life other then help too few cancer patients and yell at the TV sometimes when the Oakland Raiders or the Oakland Athletics are losing again. 

Thanks to my brother Eddie and his wife Diane, I was not homeless when I was out of work just a few short years ago and the two of them allowed me to clean their house and do landscaping to earn my keep for food and shelter. 

My inability for meaningful communication hindered me severely from 2009-2014. In 2009 I was a dish washer (sanitation technician) making decent money for the Olema Inn in the town of Olema. Washing dishes when I was 45-years-old sent me off to a state of suicidal thoughts, and severe depression, but my acting skills kept this from surfacing to all my family and friends that actually enjoy my presence. 

I peeked much too early in life. I was at my prime in 9th grade. The following are actual words from my 9th grade year book written by my awesome drama teacher, Ave Bartell. Bartell's cursive writings to me when I was leaving her drama class and junior high school in 1979;

'How will I ever replace you Mark? It will never happen-I'll always remember you in "Taming of The Shrew." Sorry to have you leave for Piner. (Piner High School.)-but in three years you certainly helped our shows and the Drama Dept. and I hope you stay with the theater and keep in touch-I won't be surprised to see you on a 'real stage' some day-your surprising humor is terrific. Hope you remember all the good times...I'll miss you an awful lot.' Love Miss Bartell 

Ave Bartell

While I'm on the subject of sort of praising myself, a way cool drama and class mate of mine, Tom Boriolo wrote the the following about me in the same year book. 

 'Mark, I've  never called a lot of people unique before, but you've got to be the true definition of the word! I might not be taking drama anymore, but you'd better keep it up because your good at it. Tom Boriolo. 

Fast forward to present day, I'm just a lunatic and laughing loser with a remarkable candor for embracing the positives in life; despite perpetually doing jobs any 12-year-old can do, and forever having little income, I've found a way to embrace happiness. 

Phil & Gina Garcia, and loco me

Once upon a time, I thought I'd never have the money to travel, because of my current job and vacation hours, I've gone to Hawaii twice now, this October and October of last year. Both times I've gone with my friends of more than 25 years, the Garcia's. I'm already looking forward to October, 2016, so I can go back to Hawaii, for my annual relaxation time, or to use the parliamentary language of our times, 'my yearly chill fest.'

The plane ride to Hawaii with Ruby and Gina