Wednesday, November 19, 2008



Okay, the natives are not just restless, they are on the rampage. My sis AND her husband just lost their jobs today when the company they work for went out of business- closed its doors - after years... they have worked there 22 years. For that established company to just fold up and close their doors in the tiny community of McMinnville, Ore is just beyond comprehension. So two of my 4 living siblings (not including me) are currently among the unemployed in this great nation.

The world has gone mad. That dream (nightmare) about being a bag lady who lives under a bridge (which I've nursed for years), seems to be howling at all of our doors for real.

When I was a young girl, my cousin played with Barbies. She brought the dolls, the paraphernalia (clothes, tiny high heeled shoes, brushes and purses, the car and even Ken & Skipper...) I didn't get into it.

I was into trolls. Yes, trolls. I had an entire family - nearly naked Mom & Dad with salt & pepper long hair, (no cheap ones... those cheap soft imitation ones with "lucky" horse shoes on their feet didn't count: they had to be originals, made out of that HARD plastic with tan skin and little toes), a few kids with neon pink and cool blue hair... no accessories to speak of because all they had were the clothes they were wearing when you bought them and no shoes. I did find a "troll house" while dumpster diving after the neighbor moved away... it was cool and shaped like a little tree house; not the uptown condo-living Barbie would have required. The white collar, rich suburbia life never ever appealed to me even at a young age. Give me the country, the little people, the trees, the streams and the fields and I'm a happy camper.

I realize, after looking over this post, that indeed it is the trolls themselves who have become the savages. Sorry. Sometimes it happens.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

i still like the trolls XOXO

DJ Kirkby said...

Sorry to read about your family losing their jobs like that, will they struggle financially or do you have unemployment sinsurance? I know Canada does. No such thing in England though. Lot sof people losing thier jobs over here too, it is a scary time.

yellowdoggranny said...

Holy shit!....that's terrible...I am so sorry..I know they'll be able to draw employment insurance for a while..hope they both find new jobs really fast...js

Vikingisson said...

That is very bad news, sorry to hear. Sometimes it is difficult to see much of the bad news that is in all the propaganda. But when it hits home it is often worse than the media news.

I too have lost my job since indirectly my clients are the failed banks. My line of work is the first to be cut. So I decided that instead of trying to save my last penny I would spend it in Iceland. One last dream to live before the gloom of reality. It seems they are doing the same here.

The new world order indeed. Condo Barbie's mortgage is being foreclosed.

Ariel the Thief said...

Geez Terry, I am sorry to hear!

Barbies were not much fun to me, either, I played with everything I could get in my hands instead, I had woods made of building blocks, and big population of porcelain figurines, dolls, plastic toys, stuffed animals lived in them, let me tell you, they had an eventful life. Being poor is not that frightening when you are a child.

Tom & Icy said...

This is terrible. They say it could be almost two years before things turn around. I wish you luck.
I used to use pop bottle caps as toy soldiers and made tanks out of mud and let it dry. My wife collected trolls. She even got the troll cartoons. Now, I have been playing with virtual dolls, like Lammy. But darn, the clothes and wigs are so expensive. We can barely afford to buy food anymore. That was a funny metaphor about the trolls and Barbies. I love the picture!

lime said...

that is a hilarious picture.

not at all hilarious news. my brother just lost his job this week too. these are very disturbing times.

Jonah K. Haslap said...

If you think the trolls have become savages, you should see the Garbage Pail Kids. They've reverted to cannibalism!

won tong said...

Keep up the spirit of fabulous writing.. you know it's during times like this that our minds that are so gifted kick in and inspire and encourage others with humor and truth.. I love McMinnville I bought the most gorgeous dress at the Chevron Gas Station for $20.00 well around there I too am sorry about the loss of the job and guess what Geo. is out of work as well any day now...Something will give and your pic of the barbie and trolls is priceless where did you get it can I snitch it??????? I want to print it and frame it? Can I can I?????I was the same troll collector that you were... No Barbies and crapola for me.. I even have the Barbie TROLL DOLL... I may send it to you.. I loved the smell of those hard plastic troll peeps they were my family...Keep me posted and I'll pray let me know about the photo can I have it...????????????????? Oh and you can always live with us.. I'll get a T-Pee and we can play with our trolls.

won tong said...

Hey we have plenty of wild turkeys running aroun I am not sure though I want to shoot one and then clean and pluck it I hear it's alot of work maybe I'll collect Oysters for Thanksgiving.. Just don't freak God knows and help is on the way.. I'm not scared I have a peace about being His Kid... It's the same peace when George and I were dying Heart attack and Cancer...

photowannabe said...

Bad newsthere Terry. I'm so sorry to hear it.
Love the outdoor life too, much better than being stuck in a cubicle.

Jeanne said...

I'm sorry for your siblings and everyone else who's having a hard time economically. It's bad luck. The awful thing is that is has to happen. It's easy to forget, in the midst of individual hardship, that in actual fact we produce and consume too much, and that the only way to reduce that is by cutting back on jobs. Of course it should be a shared reduction, and of course it should not destroy the livlihoods of individuals, but without this kind of disaster to shake things up it seems unlikely that any change of attitude will occur. Even the great Obama is in favor of creating jobs.

BTW,
I was a troll person too. Of course. They lived in my bookcase, a sort of "Borrowers" life, with toothpaste lids as mugs and an eye bath as a punch bowl. They survived on grain and such from their storage bowls, as did the mice that ran across the shelves in the dead of night, a connection I only made recently, about forty years later.

SOe said...

Sorry to hear that about your family members. Our boss still says that our jobs will be save but who knows. Building industry gets normally down first than something is wrong with the financial situation - we had that already in Germany.
Trolls - why am I not surprised? :-) No wonder that you like Iceland. You should go to Norway, they have a troll road "Trollstigen" and the emergency construction teams in the mountains are called "Trollteam". I was more into stuffed animals like my whole family.

won tong said...

I was thinking today if you do come and live up here in a tee-pee what are we going to play Hippies and Trolls....Like I said above I have a trans-troll-bie sexical Troll Barbie....... Maybe I'm scared to look under it's clothes...

Doug The Una said...

Sorry to hear. These are times that make us better but, damn.

Jamie Dawn said...

I'm cracking up over this post and the photo.
Funny and fun!!
I had Barbies AND trolls.
I wonder if that is why I am so full of mindless blather??
So sorry about your siblings job losses.
My dad has been a sprinkler fitter (fire sprinklers) since before I was born... over 45 years now.
He said he has never seen a slow down as bad as this one. I know people are hurting in many industries all over our nation.
I know it takes time for slow downs to happen and time for them to recover. I sure hope our economy can bounce back soon, but I fear it will not for quite some time.
We, as bloggers, will need our spirits lifted by reading the humor of fellow bloggers.
Roasting Barbie brought me a lift!!
:-)

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Sorry about your sis and her husband. I fear many around the world wiil face a rough rime this next year. Roasting Barbie is a crowd pleaser though.

Logophile said...

Mr. Logo is currently out of work as well, tough times. Hope they find something good, before long.

Love the photo, I thought for a moment I had misclicked and gone to see my friend Weirsdo, heh

Dr.John said...

The sad thing is that this is just the beginning. At least Barbie is warm.

DJ Kirkby said...

I've tagged you over on my Chez Aspie blog. xo

tsduff said...

Anonymous: So do I xxx

DJ Kirkby: We do have unemployment insurance or unemployment benefits. It doesn't last forever though, and the benefit it pays is a small fraction of what your take home pay was during your employment. So if your were struggling to make ends meet before you became unemployed, trying to eek out a living while drawing unemployment insurance will be even worse.

Yellowdog Granny - I hope we ALL find jobs really soon. I lost my own job on Sept. 11. There are slim pickens out there.

Vikingisson - I believe everyone will feel this pinch of economy, whether they lose their job or not. And I highly approve of how you decided to drown your sorry... you are back now after your big dream trip. I know the let-down of the end of the adventure... did you manage to get a Ponnekukar pan?

Ariel the Thief: Children make do with the most interesting toys. Between the trolls, plastic horses, and the creek, I was a happy kid.

Tom & Icy - I thought of you when I posted that picture, as well as Pansi, Weirsdo, Lammy and even the Death Cheese. I think everyone plays with some kind of doll...

Lime - Sorry to hear about your brother. My cousin just joined the ranks of the unemployed as well. It just keeps getting worse. It is making me remember how I used to have to live years ago when I was a young mother with a tiny budget. I need to learn how to do "simple" again. I've almost forgotten how.

Jonah, Long time no see. Welcome back. Those Garbage Pail Kids were gross... I ony remember seeing a few of those collector cards - yuck. If I remember right they were banned from the schools.

Anne - It is your humor that keeps me laughing all the time! I'm sorry to hear about tight times for your George - I know things are tough all over. But you and G are miracle people who managed to live through some terrifying health circumstances. I've never heard of a Barbie Troll doll. Hmmm. Oh, and shooting & plucking a turkey? ew. I love oysters.

Photowannabe - I do love your flower avatar. It reminds me of outdoors.

Actonbell - Thanks. The picture brought out some of the secret rage I was feeling :)

Jeanne - Ah, again the refreshing glimmer of a fun tale told... I've missed your stories. I loved the Borrowers, but didn't have the resident mice on our shelves. We did get an occasional taranchula or two though.

Being one of the millions of people out of a job doesn't feel too swell - I just have to find a job soon. Nobody is hiring.

SOe - I want to go on the "Troll Road" :D I sincerely hope your job is not in jepardy in the days to come. I've been reading about the civil unrest in Reykjavik this past week - sounds like fun except for the tear gas!

Sister Celtic - Where did you get that doll? I think Ebay is calling your name. G & I think living in a yurt would be fun. What do you think? PS: We are shooting to be at Lopez I think around 1:05 on Monday, Dec 1... trying to leave on the last ferry out at 8:40pm or something like that. Will that work for you?

Doug - True - I'm much better (at laying around typing on the computer all day, being a hermit, avoiding the phone and all of our friends... if you can call that better ha ha). Not so much better at job hunting I'm afraid, since really my phone just isn't ringing.

Jamie Dawn - I agree with you - there is something primatively satisfying about seeing Barbie roasting at the mercy of the trolls. At least for me.

Lone Grey Squirrel - Yes, I understand that this is not a problem soley for the people living in the US, in Iceland, England, or any other one country. It is a global angst which is making its pinch felt all around the world. I'm hoping to tighten my belt... but so far I'm just as chubby as ever LOL.

Logo - I'm sorry to hear about Mr. Logo... man alive it is just rough all over. Fingers crossed that he rolls the right dice in the crap shoot of jobs soon! I thought of Weirsdo too when I posted that picture :D

Dr. John - For Barbie it is not the warmth she seeks but the adoration from the crowds... without clothes her fashion suffers. Sorry, I'm feeling a bit barb-ish.... ha ha.

DJ Kirkby - Thanks - that was fun. Got me out of the rut which I'm becoming quite comfortable in.

won tong said...

Oh my gosh thats squeeking in before we are not around sooooo awesome....We will see you then let me check with Geo. We have to keep it at an early evening though cuz I need to pace my energy for Tues and Weds. Will get back to ya...sounds good.. Is Scott coming?

won tong said...

Yes we shall talk Yurts they have their pro's and cons as we have had to look into them for clients.

tsduff said...

Cool - we will see you Monday. Are you headed out of town Tues & Wed? Scotty was sad to have to back out - we are sad too.

Colette McCormick said...

Hi, I came across your blog via one of those black box things which I'm fiddling with rather than do the dishes. Really like the blog and I'll come back, I particularly liked your 7's. Sorry to hear about your families troubles though. It sucks but at least it's not just you - it's pretty much sucking for everyone right now on one level or another.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about your relatives. By coincidence we have unemployed friends in McMinnville. And that happened when the economy was "good." Actually, I think they've moved to Portland now. It has been hard for them.
Pansi is traumatized by your picture. She has quite a history with trolls. I will come back with a link.

Anonymous said...

Here is the link.

♥ Braja said...

Hmmm...a Barbie post :) We have something in common:

http://lostandfoundinindia.blogspot.com/2008/10/bharati-kiran-you-know-them-trust-me.html

Love your blog, reading over your old posts now...

sorry to hear about your sister & brother in law...that's tough...

G said...

Oh my G-d, is that Pansi?!

Sorry about the in-laws, that is tough news. My family has so much bad luck running around it, I tend to gloss over it in the hopes, that it all turns around. Here's to better days ahead, for all.

xox

Oh and on the meme above, if you ever make it all the way cross country, you best come visit your ECS.

Indeterminacy said...

That's a lovely image. Could you post the recipe sometime? What spices do you use?

Anonymous said...

fantastic

Ariel the Thief said...

Happy Birthday, Crow! Hope, you ate too much. :)

Anonymous said...

AAAAAAAAEEEEEE!!!!!!
I NEW you were behined this out raje, Mr. Indecency!!!!!!

studio lolo said...

Okay, I followed you back after you followed Catnapping to my place :)

First of all, this photo is one of the funniest things I've seen! I played with trolls too. They were the best! I remember their clothese were just felt vests or something like that.
We were really, really poor so no Barbie for me. Funny, I didn't want one either. When I was a bit older I got Midge and Allen and the Skipper, but never Barbie. I even got Tammy, remember her? The poor girl's Barbie. ha! I was more into farm animal figures and fixing up the corrals.
Anyway, birds of a feather in many ways after reading your 7's. I'm with you all the way with the Corvid craze. A lot of my art revolves around them. If you have time, check out my white raven for "similar."

As far as your sister and her husband, that's so hard to wrap your head around. It just shouldn't happen. I hope for the best outcome. Job woes are about to hit this house too.

Thanks for the visit! I always alert Cat when I've posted a raven.
happy New Year!