55fan

Several years ago I worked graveyards in a convenience store that was supposedly haunted by a ghost named Bruce, who was the original owner of the building. Things would jump off shelves and into your path when you walked down the aisles. Cooler doors would fly open as you walked by. Things were few and far between, but most people who worked there had some sort of experience with Bruce. If you just said, "Hello Bruce. Knock it off." it would stop. I know that when you walked past one set of shelves, the floorboards were not tight to the floor and if something was setting on the edge of the shelf it would fall. You could make that happen by stepping in a certain place on the floor. There it was- a perfectly reasonable explanation. Other times, things defied physics. There were sounds of doors slamming when you were alone and things like that. Sometimes the things that would fall off of the shelf (not the one where you could make it happen) would roll, wait for you, then roll again when you tried to pick them up. The store has been remodeled. I have been back to fill in there a few times, but didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. The assistant manager says that since the remodel, Bruce has been quiet. They say that ghosts will sometimes become more active during times of renovation, but I think Bruce was happy with the remodel. The store really needed it. With Bruce, I didn't feel too uneasy unless I was in the back room by the sink or if I went downstairs into the store room. Those places seemed unnaturally cold and they were not well-lit. There was one spot on the steps that when you passed it, a chill would go through you. Sometimes there was a mist, but only if the humidity and temps outside were extremely high, so again, I think there is a natural answer to that.

It's been over 30 years, so my memory is sure to be faded and perhaps tainted by time, but I am only recalling 3 instances where I witnessed poltergeist activity. I know there were more- I did go through 3 roommates in a matter of 4 months. They tended to be small. One time there was a pile of books on the bed that just fell off. We didn't think anything of it at the time- figured they just hadn't been stacked straight or something, but they had been sitting there for some time, and weren't close to the edge, yet every one of them fell off, not just the ones on the top of the pile. You'd think at least the bottom ones would have stayed on the bed. Another time my friend Rachel was sitting cross-legged on the bed, playing with one of my stuffed animals. I had just cleaned my room and the rest of the animals were sitting on the bed leaning against the wall. The bed was tight to the wall. I went to answer the door (this was a dorm room, btw) and there was a thump and Rachel screamed. The bed had jumped about a foot from the wall. Rachel said it just leaped up and landed on the floor again. The animals had all fallen behind the bed, and Rachel was still sitting cross-legged, so there was no way she could have done it by moving the bed herself. The other time was the biggest. We had two closets, above each of which were two cabinets. The cabinet doors tended to stick badly on the one side. My roommate at the time was rather short, so I always had to open hers for her if she needed anything out of it. I am tall enough (5'10") that I could open them and grab from the front if I needed something, but as they were quite deep, I had to get on a chair if I wanted something from the back. Amy (my roommate at the time) and I were sitting doing our homework when we heard a scrape like the sound that Amy's door made when opening. We looked up and all 4 doors had opened and most of the stuff that was in the cabinets fell out. It wasn't one object at a time nor did things fly, like in videos you see of this sort of thing; it was one gigantic dump. Amy had never believed until then. She thought I was moving her stuff around to bug her. She moved out rather quickly. I went through 2 more roommates, and they both left almost as soon as they were unpacked. The last one wanted to room with me because she wanted to see "Mike" as we called him. I figured she'd stay, but she was back out the door as soon as something freaky happened. The occurrences happened for only a span of 4-5 months and then stopped. I did my term paper for English that year on poltergeists. I found that there is a theory that they might be the result of over-active brain waves, and they tend to gravitate around females (check), teens (check), and epileptics (which I was at that time due to side effects of a medication I was on). Some researchers feel that running water and certain types of minerals may also contribute. The area where I lived was surrounded by limestone bluffs and was about 3 blocks from the Mississippi River. They also tend to last for less than 6 months in cases like mine. Like I said, it was a very long time ago. Once I found out that I might be the source of it, I thought it was way cool. I never felt threatened by it, just startled because it would happen suddenly. All the same, I'm glad it stopped and hasn't followed me around through life. Those dang things don't pick up after themselves.

Wings win!!!!

I do not live near there so I will not be going. The person below me gets some sort of "special discount" somewhere.

I think I like playing in this new venue. We're not losing like we did at the old one.

Not a fan of the fu manchu. One of my friends (age 18) has been trying to grow one for over a year. I joked about him growing one when he first started because I noticed a hair. He was so proud that I noticed. Now when he posts photos on facebook, it looks like there's a little shadow around his mouth. His dad has had a killer beard ever since I've known him (about 20 years). I can see why he has to try. (JEH- Holding out on a new furbaby since I may have to start traveling for work after the training I'm in is over. We'll see how that goes. I also had mice this summer and since Jordin died, I put in a mouse-deterring ultra-sonic thing that would bother a hamster.) The person below me spends more time than necessary in the shower.

I had a dog named Benji who lived 14 years with us. He was about a year when we got him. Does that count? He "followed me home in my arms" as Dad said. He was a stray and we fed him. The cops said they'd "take care of him" after three days if no one claimed him, but he was obviously a stray. We kept him rather than sending him off to the pound. It was a small town, so there wasn't really even a pound. They would have sent him to a vet or something. He was a good boy. Yes, he was. He was a good boy. Alas, I have no hamsters at this time. The person below me has seen or been a stripper.

Not since junior high. Had to get up in front of the class and was very shy. I got my little sister's animals to practice eye contact. Now I talk in front of people without problem. The person below me has lost an adult tooth.

Only minor things. If my back and wallet were to comply with my wishes, I'd do it. The person below me misplaces objects frequently.

I do not like anchovies. The person below me is good at math.

BoS's question got skipped, so I'll answer it. I need to make more money. When I was part time at my current job and had a full time job that made more, I did ok. Since I had to quit the job I liked for 15 years for health reasons, I am now down to one job and not making it. Now, for kickazz's question: I always think we're going to win it until the moment we are eliminated. That's how I roll. EDIT Oopsies, forgot to do one. The person below me is a fan of an NFL team that is still in the playoffs.

I hope Montreal never wins another Cup again. The whole thing was stupid from start to finish, but trading a guy who was put in a bad situation and made the best of it despite the problems it will cause his family is reprehensible. Shame on Montreal for kissing the league's butt. If the league just had to get Scott out of there, they could have done something to skew the voting. These things aren't like elections. They could have done something to fake a new result and credited the fans with "coming to their senses" or some stupid thing. They'd have saved more face even if they'd been caught than they have with this.

In all honesty, I'm looking forward to it, whenever it may come, be it tomorrow or twenty years from now. The person below me is already getting headaches from people who can't just discuss issues and have to insult, stereotype, and otherwise marginalize those who have different political views. (My facebook "news" is 75% political rants and 20% crockpot recipes. I don't own a crockpot. I live for the 5%.)

I am a Rock - Simon and Garfunkel

Indeed. He and Alan Rickman, both at age 69, both of cancer, in the same week. Sad week indeed. The person below me could use a little patience.

https://twitter.com/VeryLonelyLuke Very amusing. Spoilers, obviously.

I got into Star Trek about a decade after it first aired because my cousin liked the reruns. Then I really got into it years after that. The only 3 series that I watch now I got into late (Finding Bigfoot, Ghost Hunters, Mythbusters). I caught up with them online. Other than that, it was pretty much when they came out.

I read that Calvin kept the ball from his last TD. I may be reading too much into it, but that doesn't sound promising for his return.

Z is having a nice year, although having Larkin at his side is beneficial to both. Fix the old or buy new?

I do a sit-up every morning unless I've slept in my chair because I can't do a lie-down at night. That's my work out. The person below me has never been fishing or hunting.

So You Say- Manhattan Transfer

Since you posted on New Year's Day, I'll assume you meant New Year's Eve. I went to church, went over to some friends' house afterwards, and then went to work the graveyard in a gas station on a heavy bar night. There were funny stories, to say the least. The person below me has mentally reviewed ex-love interests and wondered what on earth the person below me was thinking.

I'm allergic to hops, so... no. I had a drink last night at a friend's house before I went to work, but it wasn't beer. The person below me hates vacuuming.

I'm cool with Caldwell staying. I don't think he was a problem. Everyone needs to be on the same page and we need to quit this merry-go-round of having one part of the team come together and another fall apart.

Finally saw it! Two thumbs up. Three if I borrow one.