SOME KIND OF LUCK

I wound up going back to work on Thursday. I was up at 4am and couldn’t go back to sleep despite trying. By 6am I gave up and said I’m feeding the cats and going back to bed. I got connected to work and saw my inbox continuing to overflow it was close to 800 emails just in my inbox alone, that’s not counting what was filtered to folders. Then my gut kicked in and said you need to go back today; something is going to happen. It was one of those eerie kinds of feelings. I knew that if I went against it I’d probably be sorry. So, I wolfed down breakfast, threw on some clothes, grabbed my water bottle and headed downstairs.

The cats missed me and made some noise; I came up for bathroom breaks and to pass out lunch. I took an abbreviated lunch and returned to the basement in the afternoon. I was down there all day long. I don’t exactly know where or how I was able to motivate myself because I was exhausted from not sleeping much. I got caught up and managed to accomplish way more than I thought I would. It felt good to have an empty inbox. Talked with the mistake maker and we caught up a little bit.

I thought exhaustion would help fuel a great night’s sleep but sadly I was wrong. I woke up at 2a this morning and managed to get back to sleep by 4a. I woke up again exhausted and really wanted to take the day off but pressed on.

While the day is almost done, I am not quite off the hook just yet. My boss dogged me a little bit yesterday because I chimed in to help on something and that just resulted in him dumping more work on me. I should just keep quiet instead of being helpful. He’s been after me to train the new guy on our Firewalls and I have just put it off. Today I got a written request, and he asked me to invite him to the meeting. He wanted it to be set early next week, so I purposely made it towards the end of the week. I really don’t want to do it but suppose that I can’t put it off forever. It’s pointless to teach him because he won’t even have an account to login to them and my boss takes his sweet time before he gives access to the Firewalls you can wait as long as 2 years. I got my access after 6 months, but I had to go through a formal training course. He wanted to send the mistake maker to the same training but never did and finally after 2 years he just gave him access.

In other news last night, I saw that there was a firmware update for my home router, so I applied it. I had no idea that it would take away remote access to the router. That’s better from a security standpoint because you must physically be here and/or connected to one of the machines in the house and have the credentials to log in. It’s kind of a pain because I had an app on my phone that ceased to function after the update. I could monitor signal strength of WIFI devices, see what/who was connected and reboot the router without being logged on to a computer. Plus, the app would send me alerts if there was a problem or loss of connectivity and it didn’t matter if I was home or not. I did some research and found that my model of router wasn’t on the list to have this service deprecated but again from a security perspective it is much more secure and better.

Today was the day to set the trash out. With the Labor Day holiday trash pickup is pushed back one day. At least it was supposed to be. I waited until the afternoon and got it ready and got it set out. It wasn’t but 15 minutes later and a trash truck showed up, emptied the container and kept on moving. I’ve never had that kind of luck. Perhaps it was just good timing on my part or perhaps it is a sign that something good is going to happen. Hey I can hold out hope, there is no charge for that.

Still watching Roseanne on Peacock and peppering in some YouTube Videos to spice things up a little bit. Food wise I finished the pizza last night and am glad that it’s gone. I’ve got Spaghetti to heat up for supper and kind of looking forward to it. Then there is the left-over Chocolate Cake. Part of me wants it tonight for desert and the other part of me wants to have it for breakfast.

My calendar is clear and outside of feeding the cats I can sleep in and be lazy tomorrow if I want. I like having flexibility and not having looming tasks or deadlines. I’ve got laundry to do, some porn surfing to catch up on, need to grab the mail and get a bite to eat in the afternoon. Not sure where I am going to go. I had it all worked out on Monday, but I’ve slept since then and my taste changes. Thinking of Mexican food but not exactly sure where I am going to go for it. That pretty much takes care of Saturday. Sunday is the usual breakfast out, grocery shopping, cleaning the house and grabbing a bite to eat in the afternoon. Cracker Barrel sounds pretty good but I will have to travel a little bit since I won’t visit the one that is closest to me. That’s due to the gay waiter there that was interested in me. He led me on for the longest time. Seeing him would just bring back memories and stir up hope again. I know he’s a lost cause and for that reason I avoid seeing him at all costs. However, I am always on the look out for a hot guy to hit on, my only problem is they all seem to be straight just like Spaghetti before it gets all hot and wet.

Hope that all is well in your world. Thanks for stopping by!

One More Day

Welcome

I opted to take one additional day off as sick just because I could.  I didn’t feel like going back and I know I won’t feel like it tomorrow either.  The only thing that is motivating me to go back is that if I took another sick day I would need a doctor’s note to return.  I could play that card and wind up taking the rest of the week off but I have to go back eventually.  I saw my inbox this morning and there is way more stuff to sift through.  The longer I am out the longer it will take me to catchup and might as well get it over.  I am sure I will probably feel a bit better going back because my mind will be focused on work rather than how much I dislike my job and how in general unhappy I am. 

On the bright side I got an update from the contractor I hired for the column on my porch and they expect that they will be here next week to take care of it.  Kind of wish I would have found them sooner.  I found them on social media and it was a blind call that I made.  I made a lot of those before I found these folks and I will be happy to put this behind me.  I think the present column could make it through this winter but I’d rather not take the chance. 

The cats have really enjoyed the extra couple days with me.  Rudy has tried to work me for food but when I don’t give in he goes and eats what was set out for him.  He catches me looking at him and he stops eating and covers it up like he doesn’t like it.  They are both a hand full at times but I love them so much and they do provide entertainment.  I am glad they are here. 

Just got caught up on finances and paid a couple of bills.  Been watching Roseanne all day long and I’ve been awake for the bulk of the day.  If all goes well I will finish the series before my subscription renews.  I’d feel pretty good about that. 

Here’s hoping that I get a good nights sleep and actually take the plunge into going back tomorrow.  Hope all is well in your world. 

424 Emails

Hello,

I made it for pizza yesterday.  Got to see the straight hunk.  He was supposed to be my waiter but I think he asked someone else to cover for him, which is fine.  I still got to look over his body several times.  He’s wearing his hair with the wet look and it makes him look horrible in my opinion.  I still am in love with the rest of his body, especially his nice ass. Pizza was really good had Spinach & Sausage and brought left overs home.  I didn’t go with a large because it’s way too much pizza for just me and I’d grow sick of it quickly. 

Logged in this morning to find 424 emails waiting for me that’s what made it to my inbox and past my filters.  I got way more email than that.  Quickly skimmed things and doesn’t look like I missed much.  I wasn’t feeling the best this morning so I took today off.  So long as I get a decent nights sleep I plan to get back to normal tomorrow.  All though I would rather just quit and walk away from this place.  I really savor and enjoy time away.  I knew going into vacation that I wouldn’t want to come back but I’m addicted to the money so I will go back. 

Spent the day laying around watching Roseanne and a couple YouTube videos.  I managed to nod off several times despite not wanting to.  Had pizza for supper.  Working on getting Windows Updates installed on both of my machines.  They patched a record braking amount of things and better to stay patched than take any chances. 

Hope you had a great day.  Here’s hoping that I make it back to work tomorrow because the emails are only going to keep adding up and waiting for me.  Take care!

Today’s Waxing Adventure

Hi

Today I thought I would see how waxing my nose went.  I bought a kit from Amazon.  It looks simple until you have to heat up the wax.  I got it a little too hot.  It burnt my nose and I didn’t get the job done.  I had to manually peel off what little wax stuck and that just caused me to sneeze uncontrollably for five minutes.  I don’t think I will be waxing my nose anytime soon.  I’ll stick with a trimmer.  I hate nose hair and it only seems to grow faster with age.  Kind of the same thing for ear hair. 

As for down below, that cream I put on my nuts made them feel really smooth and they are more fun to play with and feel.  However, I don’t know that I will do that cream again.  I will stick with a trimmer for that area as well.  I’ve never been able to trim my ass just wanted to see how it felt. 

I suppose there are somethings you shouldn’t explore and waxing appears to be that something for me.  I’m totally fine with that. 

I feel overcome by the heat and was super lazy this morning.  Finished up streaming Night Court for the second time.  Really love that show.  I wound up staying home for breakfast.  Rudy got me all clawed up and he got his breakfast.  My arm and chest both itch like crazy but I am smart enough to know NOT to scratch. 

It was the afternoon before I got up and really got moving.  Put out my medicine.  Made it to Lowes but I only got a couple things and abbreviated my list because it’s simply too hot to work outside.  Hit up the cat food store and there selection wasn’t the best but I found enough food for my little furry monsters to eat for the next 2 weeks. Filled up the tank and yeah $44 later it’s full.  I knew it would hurt but it also feels good to see the needle back on full.   

Came home and much later in the afternoon I had Lasagna soup (I got this at Sam’s) for supper and nibble on some of that chocolate cake I got yesterday.  It was pretty good. 

Did some house cleaning.  Brushed the cats and trimmed their murder mittens.  They both were not happy about the claw trim but loved the brushing.  They have been puking and I felt bad about that because I knew they were overdue for a brushing. 

Subscribed to Peacock so I can stream Roseanne, it’s the only place where the series is available.  I’ve seen it all once before but suddenly I’m craving it again so there went $19.99 and I will likely stay subscribed until I finish the series or until I get tired of paying, whichever comes first.  Who knows though I might find something else of interest and start watching that.  Seriously considering cancelling my Netflix.  I pay a small fortune for entertainment in the way of television and I know I am just throwing money away because you can’t watch everything at once.  It’s impossible. 

Tomorrow for sure is grocery store day and I will hit up the post office.  I haven’t been in a couple days but I don’t expect there will be anything there.  I plan to go for pizza tomorrow.  I don’t expect I will see the straight hunky waiter but want some pizza to eat and to take home to nibble on during the week. 

A little bored and lonely at the moment.  I was hoping that I would have met someone while I was off but it didn’t happen.  I have a strange feeling that soon someone will come along but then again I could be wrong.  I’ve though about hitting up an app.  Having a companion to share life with would put some fun in it and getting laid would be nice as well.  For me though it’s more about companionship than it is sex. 

Still not looking forward to going back to work but I’ve got one extra day thanks to it being Labor Day.  Then the next holiday will be Election Day and that’s not until November which will be here soon.  I see leaves falling already and the grass is dying because of the heat.  The weather was supposed to cool off this coming week but there is no sign of that nor any rain.  The heat and I don’t get along and I can get sick if I am exposed to it for too long.  My stomach hasn’t been the best over the past week but I am hoping that eventually things will settle down and the weather will cool off a bit.  I’m not looking to jump into snow or freezing temperatures. 

Funny thing I think my neighbors house got inspected yesterday.  They left the lights on inside and out.  It is quite bright at night.  He’s due to come cut the grass but who knows if that will happen anytime soon, only time will tell. 

I plan on trying to make the most of this evening and tomorrow because going back to the normal WES (Work Eat Sleep) will suck and not in a good way.  Still looking a little bit for a different job I just really don’t want to take a cut in pay to get away from the nonsense.  I ask myself if that will make me happy and while I think it will short term I don’t know about the long term. 

Stay cool and be well.  Talk with you all again soon!

HOT & WORN OUT

I know it’s been a bit since my last post. I surprised my Thanksgiving Friends on my birthday. I took over fresh bakery from a local place they like. I only planned on staying for a couple hours but wound up spending all day with them. They have a guest staying with them, it’s there would be future daughter-in-law. She was going with one of their sons who died during the Iraq war. Their late son and this gal had plans to marry but obviously that never happened. I met her years ago at Christmas time, it was shortly after I lost my spouse, so around 11 or 12 years ago. Her and I started chatting and it turned into a therapy session for both of us. She has tried to commit suicide twice. She can’t move on since she lost the love of her life. She has had a few boyfriends, but they were all the wrong types of men. She has no money and no job. She doesn’t like computers or technology and will be looking for a job after the Labor Day holiday. I wound up taking her shopping for a few things she needed and filled up her gas tank. This was quite the expensive favor I did but honestly spending the money didn’t phase me one bit. I offered to get her oil changed but she didn’t want to. Turns out her vehicle is overdue. My friends took me out for dinner. We went to a new place for fish, it sucked. I was sick the next day from what I ate, and I won’t be going back to that place.

Wednesday, I had my facial and got free shampoo, which felt awesome. Not spectacular but the gal knew what she was doing. I re-watched Boots on Netflix. Saw 9 to 5 again for the millionth time. I love that movie and have ever since it came out. Shame there wasn’t a sequel.

Had an incident with a pedestrian. I went out for breakfast on Friday and when I was leaving the restaurant this cunt was walking along the sidewalk. She saw my vehicle pulling out and came out of nowhere and called me out for not yielding to her. She saw me and common sense would have told me if I was her to either wait or walk behind the vehicle, but the cunt made an issue out of it. I should have run over her foot. That shook me up and I came back home for a while.

I got out later in the day hit up Sam’s Club. I got everything on my list. It was so difficult to get there this time because of the heat and me just saying I’ll do it tomorrow. Eventually, you run out of tomorrows. I wanted to hit up Lowe’s but never made it. It’s still on my to-do list.

Went out to a new Mexican place in the afternoon. They have this slightly spicy and tangy cheese dip they bring with salsa and chips. It’s awesome stuff and I will for sure go back. It’s in a former chain Mexican place that closed. They dressed the place up and it looks super good inside. The food is average.

After that I hit up the movies and saw Coyte vs Acme. Everyone tells me I don’t look my age. The lady that sold me my ticket gave me the senior discount. It felt good but also, I was appalled at the same time. Movie was awesome and I recommend seeing it, especially if you like cartoons or grew up watching them, you will enjoy it. Lots of surprise characters and a very well-made movie in my opinion.

Today (Saturday) I laid around and napped a bit. Rudy finally had enough of it and told me I needed to get moving. So, I did. I bought some wax strips thinking that I could wax my hole. That was a huge disaster. I had bought some cream made for men wanting to remove hair from their genitals and anal area. I decided to use that. It felt like I put Ben-Gay on my nuts, not pleasant at all. I spent a long time in the shower. There was glue from the wax strip, and I had to use a wipe that was included in the kit to get the glue removed. I returned to the shower and washed again. I’ll never ever repeat this little experiment. Andrew Goes Places says that he uses Nair on his genitals and anal area, it works for him. He looks so smooth. I think all I did was inflict unnecessary pain on myself, not sure that much if any hair came off and I for sure used a hell of a lot of water.

Once I recovered from that, I got dressed and headed to the office. Checked my desk and had no mail, which is a good thing. Walked around making sure there were no obvious problems that would require a return trip next week. Things like misbehaving or break while I am on vacation. I had to check on things for my own peace of mind. Found a couple of large conference rooms where the lights were on, but no one was around. I shut them off. I heard a voice, so I knew I wasn’t alone but never saw anyone.

After that I headed a couple streets over to my favorite Italian place and got to order the dish that I had been wanting to try for a very long time. They told me last time it would be back in September and that was correct. I left with a free piece of chocolate cake for my birthday. Saw a couple of hot guys, so nice eye candy to go with my meal. I was stuffed when I left, the cake was to go no way I could have eaten another bite. Parking was a mess, so I had a little bit of a walk. Full stomach, super-hot outside. I was breathing a little heavy by the time I returned to my vehicle, shame it wasn’t because I had sex.

I opted to return home. I said I would rest up and then head back out hit up the cat food store and Lowe’s but damn I am exhausted. It’s supposed to be cooler tomorrow, so I plan to knock out both of those tasks then. If for some reason I, don’t I still have Monday. After that I will be all out of tomorrows. Because on Tuesday it is back to work and I will be on call. I’ve still not looked at work email and have no plans to do so until Tuesday morning. Whatever is there will be waiting for me, it’s not like it’s going to get up and leave. Fuck I so don’t look forward to going back but glad that I discovered that I will still have 2 weeks accruing to use before the end of the year. I’m thinking perhaps a little bit of cooler weather next month, take another week and get that dumpster and clean this place up like I’ve been wanting to for a while.

In addition to my errands tomorrow I want to travel to the pizza place where the straight guy works that I have a wicked crush on to torture myself and just drool over him while I eat pizza.

Right now, Monday I think will be a stay home day but hey something could change my mind on that and I might get out. Right now, my gas tank is closer to empty than it’s been in a very long time and filling it up tomorrow is going to seriously hurt but I had fun getting it to this point. Vacation is nice but it always involves spending more money than one really wants to, at least in my experience. I didn’t go hog wild and can pay cash for every penny I spent, which makes me feel good.

I almost forgot I hired a contractor finally to replace the column on my front porch. He’s expensive but I have confidence in him. I wanted him to clean my gutters as well but he seems way high on that, despite the detail he quoted me on making sure the downspouts were clean (they are all clean I have strainers in) and he said he would also blow off my roof from any debris, there are a couple sticks up there but a little wind and they will be on the ground in no time.

Time to catch up on porn surfing. I’m working on laundry and will be headed to bed in a while. Need to go to a new place for breakfast because the place I normally go to is closed this month because the owner went on vacation. Wish I could take a month off, gee wonder how long it would take me to catch up on email from that? Things will go back to normal in October so there is something for me to look forward to.

I hope you’re doing well and staying cool. Thanks for stopping by!

ON VACATION

Hi there!

As you can tell by the title, I am on vacation. Only on my second workday off and I am bored. This past Sunday I got together with my Thanksgiving friends we went to a Mexican place I had been to before but didn’t care much for. I had to fight a little bit, but I picked up the bill. I know they can’t afford stuff like that, and it would just go on a credit card that would get minimum monthly payments. No sense in financing a meal.

I skipped the grocery store on Sunday, and it’s been interesting getting by on what is here, but I am making it. Thus far I have just had breakfast at home and went out for my late afternoon meal.

Monday it was White Castle. I have been having a serious craving for the place and while it was enjoyable the original taste I remember just didn’t seem to quite be there. I sat eating my meal looking around the restaurant and remembering the many times me and my late spouse went there. It just made me miss him that much more. It didn’t help that I burped onion ring batter for the rest of the evening, they sure were good though.

Remember that lower paying job I mentioned a short time ago. Well, I applied for it on Monday night. I don’t know if I could make it on the salary they are paying. I’d like to know more about the job and to see if I even get selected for an interview. I think I’d like it a lot and a change of pace I think would be nice. I’ve looked to see what other jobs are out there but nothing else tickled my fancy thus far. I’ll probably wind up staying where I am because I like the money. I just figured out that I’ve still got 2 weeks of vacation to take before the end of the year. It hasn’t accrued yet but once it has, I plan on taking more time off which is something to look forward to. If I want to burn through my reserve carry over, then I would have a total of 4 weeks to take. Just thinking of taking an entire month off from work sounds wonderful, but I think of the mess after a week. I can only imagine what kind of cluster fuck I would come back to. I’ve not checked email and am letting it pile up.

I had a profitable day Monday. I got my money back from the post office for the letter I sent that cost me $20 to send, that was nice. Then I called my Auto Insurance company, and they applied some discounts that I saw were missing and I got an extra discount because I paid in full. That money will come back to me in a few days via a check. I’m looking forward to getting it.

Tonight I went to a pizza place in town. Nothing special and service was just okay. When my bill came back with my card, there was no pen to sign the receipt with. I had to stop someone and ask for a pen. I also didn’t get a pizza box to carry out my left-over pizza in; it was just a Styrofoam container. I was not happy about that.

Went to the dentist today for my 6-month checkup, got good news as usual and was pleased. I don’t go back until April 1^st and that’s no joke.

Rewatched the entire Boots series on Netflix. Shame there won’t be a 2^nd season of that show, at least not on Netflix. I know that I’m not the only person who wants the story line to continue and to see how things play out for the cast. Fingers crossed that they make a 2^nd season.

Trying to have lunch with my other friend but he said he would text me back yesterday and I haven’t heard from him. I think he forgot all about me and really seemed like he wasn’t interested in getting together.

I have made some progress on getting the stupid post on my front porch replaced. The guy I told was hired hasn’t told me the total yet, I’ve only got a ballpark estimate. I’ve got another guy that is cheaper, but he seems like he doesn’t know what he is doing so while he costs less, I think you get what you pay for. I’d just like to get this job done so I can move on.

It doesn’t help that there is construction on the main street in and out of the subdivision. Things are quite a mess and not coming home my usual way takes some adjusting to but I’m making it thus far.

It’s super-hot out and kind of miserable to be out doing anything. I really want to drive but even with AC it’s kind of a bit much. I will have to bite the bullet though if I want to go for a drive.

I put off going to Sam’s club which is just around the corner because I didn’t want to deal with the construction. I had planned to do it when I came home from the dentist, but they ran behind and I sat for far too long. I was only interested in coming home and relaxing. Yeah, I’m kind of lazy but it’s my time to do with as I please. I’d rather be out of the area and on a true vacation, that’s on my someday list. I need a traveling companion to make it fun and worthwhile.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I’ve got nothing going on. I’m telling myself that I need to make it to Sam’s and try to fit in Lowes just to get them out of the way. Then take a 2-hour drive to go eat some fish and see some different surroundings. Time will tell how that plays out.

Right now, my plan is to get to bed so that I am prepared for my early Rudy morning wake up call. Get a shower and head out for breakfast. Then hit up a bakery and surprise my thanksgiving friends with some fresh pastry. That’s been on my list of things to do for a while. I know I won’t want to wake up early and I might wind up eating breakfast at home but I for sure want to hit up that bakery. Doing it early in the morning has two benefits. #1 it’s cooler out early in the morning. #2 better selection the quicker you get there.

Thursday morning, I have my facial booked and that’s pretty much it. I’ve got nothing planned Friday through Monday. I’d like to clean up my deck; it would be nice to admire but doing the actual work yeah not looking forward to that.

In case it doesn’t come glaring through, I’ve got some depression going on and I want to check out of the world but that would leave the cats devastated and I won’t do that to them, were good for each other. Getting older is only part of the depression piece. Missing my late spouse as well as being alone for so long, not having success in the dating world and my boring life – it just feels like I am wasting away. Doesn’t seem like I matter to anyone but my job. Kind of wish I would have gotten the dumpster and cleaned this place up, at least I’d be busy and not have time to dwell on poor old me.

Well, off to climb the steps and settle in for the evening. Hopefully I can get a great night’s sleep and be raring to go with the same energy that Rudy has every morning when he wakes me up. Thanks for stopping by. I do hope all is well with you!

Better, I think

Good afternoon,

I’m feeling pretty good today.  Stomach appears to have settled down and I hope that it stays that way. 

Apparently there is going to be a huge power surge this afternoon, I got an alert on my phone asking me to conserve my energy consumption between 3p and 7p.  Not sure why today of all days we got this.  I’m not doing anything out of the ordinary to use energy today.  Just hope that the power doesn’t go out because it’s quite toasty outside. 

Weatherman said that the AC’s are going to get quite a workout next week.  I think the dumpster task is still stuck on my I’ll get to it someday list. 

Tomorrow morning I will be busy setting up new people at work.  I expect that will occupy a good portion of my morning and I kind of look forward to it.  I could get started today but I am putting it off until tomorrow just because I can. 

Just an average Wednesday here, nothing special going on.  I am just trying to make it through the day.  We are inching closer to the end of the week and that’s good news for me.  I am anxious to get out of the house and roam, even if it’s just local.  As long as my stomach holds up and I feel okay, I am thinking about making a buffet run on Saturday.  Of course if I go it will depend how good the buffet looks if I dive into it or order off of a menu.  I’d rather go for the buffet but it’s got to have some good food there and I hate driving so far to order off a menu.  I can do that around here. 

Rudy seems pretty normal thus far today.  He ate a little breakfast and then walked away.  Mora moved in and had her share.  Then Rudy came back and dug in.  Normally he loads up first and then she moves in and were done.  As long as they are both eating and healthy (happy too) that is all that I am concerned with. 

Hope it’s a good day for you.  Thanks for stopping by!

My poor stomach

Good evening,

I heard the weather forecast this morning for next week it’s going to super hot again.  Not exactly good news but nothing much I can do about it either. 

I woke up around 1a used the bathroom and of course couldn’t get back to sleep so I sat up and watched TV.  No cats were in my room and neither of them came in, which was fine.  My stomach hurt and I was tired. 

I was up again around 5a but was able to roll over and go back to sleep.  Rudy had joined me and was laying up against me radiating heat.  That’s nice in the Winter but not the summer.

The little devil woke me up at 6a and I got out of bed around 6:30a.  I was exhausted despite having just woken up.  Today would have been a good day to call in sick, because I was.  My stomach started bothering me.  I fed the cats and ate breakfast. 

I got dressed and then started feeling some body aches but figured that once I got busy with work that would subside.  I was right.  However, my stomach has bothered me all day long.  Plenty of grumbling and gas.  I had a couple of what I’d call close calls that turned out to be nothing. 

I opted to let my boss know that I was limping along but that I was working.  Now I am starting to think this isn’t from a Jelly Donut.  I probably caught something and it’s going to stick with me.

This is a minor inconvenience thus far.  I had supper and had to force myself to keep eating, finally I just gave up.  Food didn’t taste good and stopping seemed like a smart option.  I feel okay but don’t know if there will be more pain and grumbling or if it’s all over. 

I am not a fan of this and hope that it goes away quickly.  I don’t want it to mess up my weekend or my week of vacation. 

I was able to sneak in a light nap this morning but it only lasted 30 minutes.  My phone started lighting up like a Christmas tree which is normal when I am away from my computer.  Sit in front of the computer and nothing happens.  I think there must be a proximity sensor on it.  I got all of the email that was dumped in my inbox taken care of.  No sooner than that happened the boss called about a case that I took.  I found someone trying to install software from a threat actor and it was caught and stopped by our internal defenses.  For some reason attacks and threats are way up this month, like I’ve not seen before.  I think that it’s only going to get worse. 

Just a few minutes ago there was a loud thump on the roof.  I went outside to investigate and didn’t see anything.  I figured a tree branch fell but nothing.  This place makes noises all the time and you think it’s something major but there is nothing to worry about.  One day something is going to happen, I am going to dismiss it and that will be the one noise I should have paid attention to.  That’s the kind of luck I have. 

I didn’t shave or shower last night and I look like a hobo.  Kind of matches how I feel.  I plan on cleaning up tonight provided that my stomach behaves it’s self. 

Not a whole lot on streaming that I am interested in, I do a lot of searching and scrolling but eventually land on something, even if it’s an hour of cartoons.  Sometimes I just want the background noise. 

Rudy has been more like his normal self today but he did ask for food around 3p and I made him wait until 4p.  He is quite persistent and turns on the charm with his biscuits, licking my forehead thinking that he’s making progress and that I will give in.  That doesn’t always work but I do always enjoy it.  Right now he’s curled up on my arm sleeping.  He’s knows that I’m not happy about that but he likes being close to me.  Kind of nice to be wanted even if it’s only by a little kitty cat. 

Just have to make it 3 more days and right now the week is moving pretty slow.  Hopefully, we will gain some traction because I am ready to be done with work.  I need to get away and just not think about the place.  That’s easier said than done but if I have something I am doing I can easily get lost and will forget about work.  I know that I will wonder the whole time I am out what fresh hell is waiting for me when I return but I will find that out when I return.  It’s the fear of the unknown mixed in with a little guilt since I have a secret that I’d like to stay hidden. 

Well on with the evening and back to looking for something to watch.  Hope you had a great day!

Last week before vacation time

Good evening,

I hope that you had an enjoyable and relaxing weekend.  Mine was okay but like all weekends it went by too quickly. 

Sunday I had to wake up early to get some testing done at work.  I found that my company laptop which is sitting in my office wasn’t responding.  It was working on Friday because I used it.  I dismissed it and said well I will go reboot it when I’m back from vacation.  That kept eating at me all day, so my plans for Sunday changed up a bit. 

I decided to head out to the office to take care of rebooting the computer.  On the way there I saw the largest police presence I had ever seen on the opposite side of the freeway.  A semi was blocking all lanes and on it’s side.  That side of the freeway was closed.  I found out later the driver died.  No one else was involved.  From the looks of things, he had to have had a medical emergency or something like that.  I’m interested but not sure if that will be made public. 

I arrived at the office to find a package on my desk.  It was spare parts to keep on hand for our doors.  Not an inexpensive box.  I got that stuff put away and rebooted my computer. 

Then headed to grab a bite to eat and stop for cat food.  I normally stop on Saturdays but my stomach was doing summer saults so I didn’t leave anything to chance and came home.  Things sorted themselves out by Sunday. 

This morning I woke up and felt sick.  It got super cool here over night and I left my fan on.  That is a sure fire way to get me sick.  I didn’t think I would make it but I pressed on and as I did I felt better.  That is until lunch time.  I decided that I would have a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup.  Well if it comes out of a can here Rudy thinks it’s for him.  I put food out for him but he still begged me for soup. 

In fact Rudy has been bothering me all day long asking for food.  I gave in and gave him an extra can 2 hours after he had lunch.  I passed out supper and by the time I went to eat he was asking me for more food.  I passed out treats early.  I strongly think he is a Thyroid cat.  Gator used to bother me for extra food.  If it’s not that then he has just discovered how much of a push over I can be and he’s milking it.  This just started in the last couple days so I am waiting to see what happens. 

He got his flea medicine on Saturday.  His scratching has decreased a little bit but ever since then that is when his hunger started. 

My stomach is back to doing summer saults and I think it’s the result of mini Jelly Donuts that I got last weekend.  Normally they are all gone in a matter of days but I made them stick around.  They are in the fridge.  I had one last night as a test to see if it’s what caused my stomach issues and well I think I’ve got my answer.  I’m not eating any more of them.  They will go out with the trash come Thursday. 

Work, today has been a busy day.  We were invited to a meeting that is lasting all week long and has nothing to do with our team.  It was nice to be included but I stuck around for as long as I could stomach it and then finally dropped off because regular work was picking up.  Busy time with a bunch of new people starting in a few weeks and there is mounting pressure that comes with that as well.  Not a fun time but being busy makes the time pass faster! 

Found out that the new guy asked if he could take next Wednesday, Thursday & Friday off.  I’m out, the mistake maker is out so that would leave the boss by himself.  Not sure if this guys time off will get approved but it’s also not my worry. 

Speaking of time off I was thinking about what exactly I had planned for next week.  Nothing more than a dental appointment and a facial.  I am kicking around the idea of getting a roll away dumpster delivered for a couple days and doing some serious house cleaning.  It’s something that I’ve said I would do for years but it always gets put off.  Not exactly something exciting to do.  Dumpster rental isn’t cheap but I could at least make a dent in things.  I’ve not committed to the idea yet.  I’m sure if I do the neighbors will think that I am the next one that will be moving out and nothing could be further from the truth. 

I saw a job that sounded interesting but it pays 1/2 of what I am making now and from that 1/2 there would be union dues to pay.  It’s kind of a dream job for me and I would be out of the house 5 days a week.  The thought of starting over and the pay cut are what kept me from jumping at applying.  I want out of my present job so bad though and yeah I am willing to take a pay cut to make it happen but 1/2 pay is a little too steep, dream job or average job. 

Well nightfall is here.  Time to prep for tomorrow.  Shave and shower.  Then off to bed and up to do it all over again tomorrow.  I just tell myself this time next week who knows what I will be doing.  Work won’t be one of those things. 

Take care! 

FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

Riley Strain was a 22-year-old University of Missouri student who died in Nashville, Tennessee, after going missing on March 8, 2024.  Riley’s body was recovered from the Cumberland River on March 22, 2024, ending a two-week search.

The Davidson County Medical Examiner ruled his death an accident, citing drowning and ethanol intoxication (blood alcohol content of .228%) as the cause.  Police determined that Strain, who was intoxicated and unfamiliar with the area, stumbled down a steep embankment onto Gay Street adjacent to the river.

Strain’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Delta Chi fraternity in March 2025, alleging that fraternity members abandoned him when he was "virtually incoherent" and continued partying instead of seeking help.  However, a Missouri judge dismissed the lawsuit in July 2026, ruling that fraternity membership did not establish legal liability for the fraternity or its members regarding Strain's death.

His family has filed an appeal. The wheels of justice don’t move fast enough, but I do hope that they (Riley’s family) get the justice they deserve. I read the appeal last night and it states some good points. Riley was begged by his frat brothers to attend their formal and while he didn’t want to, he eventually gave in. He thought he was traveling with his brothers but in fact none of his frat brothers acted responsibly, if they had it would have prevented Riley’s death. First every frat brother had a girlfriend or date that went with them on this trip. Riley did not. Second, when Riley was kicked out of a bar his so-called brothers chose to keep partying instead of lending a hand and ensuring that he made it back to the hotel safely. Third, when the frat bros arrived back at the hotel and found Riley missing, they went to sleep and didn’t give a second thought. It was not until the next day that they called the police and a city-wide search for Riley began. Then they finally notified his parents. These were just college kids who were more focused on themselves and getting drunk rather than thinking about safety and taking responsibility for the group. They were all adults and of legal age to my knowledge.

But for the fraternity, Riley would never have been in Nashville TN. In my eyes the frat is 100% responsible and should pay. I’m surprised they didn’t make an offer to settle just to stay out of the news. Apparently, frats like Delta Chi are frequently sued and have excellent legal representation and it’s difficult to get a verdict against them. Notice I said difficult not impossible. I think Riley’s parents are doing the right thing to keep their fight alive. I hope they don’t give up until they get the justice they so rightly deserve! Parents aren’t supposed to bury their children. Riley was only 22 years old when he died, that is far too young, and he had an entire lifetime ahead of him with a very bright future from all accounts.

I can’t imagine how his frat brothers must feel and the guilt they carry. If they don’t feel guilty then something is seriously wrong. Most of them were quick to lawyer up once the initial lawsuit was filed. One thing is for sure, that everyone involved is shelling out plenty of money in legal fees. Attorneys good or bad can rack up a quite the bill and get deep in your pockets and drain you of more money than you might have.

Now, the theory of how he wound up in the river is another story. I think there was foul play involved and no one can convince me otherwise. I followed this story in real time as it unfolded, and it broke my heart when they found his body. Yes, his parents have closure and were able to bring their sons body home. That’s not the outcome they were hoping for. However, when someone goes missing the longer, they stay missing the less likely a positive outcome is. I think but could be wrong that there is someone out there that knows more but just didn’t bother to come forward. I would think differently if they found his body on land. My recollection is that he was found with his underwear on and nothing else. His shirt, boots, wallet, apple watch and iPhone are all gone. His debit card was found on land by some volunteer searchers in an area that police had allegedly canvased the day prior. How could the police miss something that minor and two volunteers find the debit card the very next day? How much effort did the police department really put forth? I think they did the bare minimum and created further roadblocks and stress for the family. To me there are a lot of red flags here and something I think is seriously rotten.

I get that you must let some things go just because it’s simply not worth it and you may never get the answers that you are seeking. To keep pressing for answers would do nothing but drive you insane. I think holding the fraternity accountable is the right thing to do as this is all their fault. I will continue to follow this case as I am invested and want to know what the final outcome is. While the police say this was an accident, I say it was a tragedy that never should have happened.

This story echoes that you should be careful of the company you keep and who you trust as well as how much you trust them. I think if just one of the frat bros would have stayed sober and acted as the responsible person (also known as a designated driver) and was watching everyone in the group with both eyes wide open, today much of the world wouldn’t know who Riley Strain was.

Another mistake maker

Good evening,

Wednesday is done.  Not terrible but it had it’s moments.  Like our weekly team meeting that seemed to never end.  The boss really liked how his voice sounded today and thus got quite chatty. 

The morning flew by I had all sorts of puzzles to solve and tasks to work on.  I started at 7:30a and when I looked up it was 10:30a.  I couldn’t believe it, felt like I had just sat down.  I like that kind of busy it makes the day really sail by and I feel productive in the process, so it’s a double win in my book. 

I found several mistakes the new guy is making and called those out to him in the hopes he will do better.  I hate mopping up messes but I’ve mopped up enough of his that I am tired of it.  It’s like you show them, tell them how to do something, the process is documented but they go off and do it their way instead of the right way.  Dummy! I got assigned to show him the firewalls and I really don’t look forward to having that conversation.  I opted to put it off until tomorrow but I might just take my chances and see if he reaches out to me. 

No word on the mistake makers kid but I did find out today that he’s in fact taking the bulk of his paternity leave in November.  I’m not happy about that because again if we were “friends” like he seems to think we are he would have reached out to me ahead of time and told me rather than me finding out it’s a surprise.  Just another example of the fact that people you work with are not your friends.  It’s possible to make a friend that way and I have made a couple but am no longer friends with those people.  One person outright lied to me.  The other one hung up on me and yelled all the damn time, I don’t need that in my life. 

We have a large group of folks joining the organization next month.  I’ve been doing as much prep work as I could.  The mistake maker promised me not once but twice that he would take care of getting their access cards programmed.  Well, another promise broken.  I wound up taking care of the bulk of them today.  In general he’s a fuck up and while I got over my initial long term beef with him, I am mad at him all over again.  I might calm down but I won’t be so chummy with him and allow him to hurt/disappoint me again. 

Funny thing I thought about telling everyone I heard from him and he said to let everyone know that his wife gave birth to a baby girl, Jessabelle, 9 pounds 8 ounces.  Jesus that is hysterical to me but I know better so I won’t but I really want to. 

On a different note, on Monday night I watched the movie Cop Out, it was really enjoyable.  Saw it on Starz.  They have the movie Michael and I want to see that as well.

Last nights supper was Meatloaf but I got hungry and took it out of the microwave a minute early.  The mashed potatoes tasted odd and I got a stomach ache afterwards. 

Tonight I had Spaghetti and a small Jelly Donut.  Not bad. 

Both cats are doing well and napping now that they have had their supper and treats.  They will wake up when I am ready for bed.  Rudy will want to play but if I give in he may or may not engage.  Mora might play.  I tried her last night and she wanted no part of play but Rudy did for a little bit.  Once I settle in for bed, they will both fall asleep in my bed and I have to wake them to make room when I climb in.  Rudy will take off.  Mora will snuggle up with me.  Then I will pass out and that will be the end of the day.  Rudy will start tomorrow off with his famous biscuits wake up call.

Finally I am surprised but I got a call from the Post Office today.  The person told me I need to visit my local post office and complete a form, I can get a refund since they failed to preform the service.  You can apply for a refund for some services on line I tried that but ran into an error, so to the post office for the form.  I will try to make it this weekend but if not then next weekend for sure.

Hoping for a quiet and enjoyable evening.  Friday eve tomorrow, so close but not quite done with the weekend. 

Take care and thanks for stopping by!

More fun, not

Good afternoon,

Today has been a day.  Found out late this morning that the mistake maker’s kid arrived last night.  Now he’s out for 2 weeks.  He gets something like 12 weeks paternity leave so this is just the start of the so called fun.  He claims were friends but I think a friend would have sent a text or called.  I got nothing and the word came down from the boss.  I’m not happy about it but kind of small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.   

The boss has been pelting me all day with work, strange out of the ordinary things that someone else normally takes care of.  I’ve been in meetings off and on all day long the last one was scheduled for a half hour and turned into a 2 hour call.  I mostly listen unless I’m called on and then I can’t seem to unmute fast enough to respond.  I hate that but I like to stay busy if there is something to do. 

Early this afternoon Verizon went hard down in my area.  My alarm and cell phone were both without service.  It only lasted for 15 to 30 minutes before things came back up.  Not sure what it was all about.  However, Verizon and AT&T both have never been hard down for me.  I am starting to wonder about Verizon. 

Did some quick research on my neighbors house and the offer that is pending is for the full asking price, I’m surprised he got it so quickly.  I figured he would have to bargain.  Provided this goes through he is making a hell of a profit.  The dummy just showed up to mow the grass with his fancy new zero turn riding mower.

Cooler weather here today but still hot.  The basement was humid this morning and I couldn’t get upstairs fast enough.  We have rain moving in later tonight and it’s supposed to stick around for a couple days.  I am not looking forward to that. 

Had a double cheese frozen White Castle last night.  I just nuked the hell out of it, it was crunchy but good.  I have been craving the real thing for a while along with some Onion Rings and a Chicken Ring, Cheese Fries.  Ah, it sounds so good.  Ironically I went to bed wanting more to eat but didn’t give in to that.  I hopped on the scale a week ago and was astonished to find that I was down a few pounds. 

Since I broke out a credit card I rarely use to pay a bill, I elected to subscribe to a gay YouTube creators Only Fans.  The fee was $15 which I thought was rather steep but it’s a twink and he did a great job of marketing.  Turns out he is a prick tease.  Not a nude photo on his site, he takes his shirt off but otherwise he’s wearing clothes.  He said to message for a “private menu”.  I did and jeez he wants a small fortune for what I’d call “the good stuff”.  Shame I got curious.  I’ve already cancelled the subscription so I don’t get a rebill.  Other “performers” charge less and you get far more.  I can only suppose he’s trying to keep his stuff private and the more you pay for it the less likely you are to share it.  Eventually someone will probably leak it at least that’s what I hope for because no way am I giving him another penny. 

It’s time to eat again and I’m off to venture to see what I can dig out of the freezer.  Thinking about Stouffers Meat Loaf, that sounds pretty good.  Hoping for a quiet evening.  But I am waiting on a work email so I can complete a task, I hate waiting on people, that is never a fun thing. 

Hope you had a great day.  Take care!

It’s Monday

Welcome in. 

It’s my least favorite day of the week, Monday!  Plus I’m on call.  The day started off with a bang.  I had an issue come up at work that I needed help with and I reached out to the mistake maker.  Only he wasn’t answering his phone.  I called right back and he sent me to voice mail.  That angered me so I just kept calling over and over thinking that eventually he would pick up.  It didn’t work and I gave up.  I took my best shot at the problem, which was a total guess and sounds like I was right on the money.  Of course now that I no longer needed him, the mistake maker called back.  He told me that he was taking the day off due to a few reasons.  He said that the boss was supposed to let everyone know but the boss runs a couple hours behind time zone wise and honestly he’s not the best timely communicator.  He knew yesterday and should have sent the note out then but did he, no.  Turns out I sent the note out once I found out, so were all on the same page. 

I had to go to a stupid meeting that just caused me anxiety.  It’s about a project that we have creeping up on us, that our boss told everyone we would be happy to lead the project.  I want to cut his tongue out for saying that.  Any how turns out I found out that our bosses boss is out today and tomorrow.  So now we have to meet again tomorrow because he literally has nothing to do.  Wonderful not what I wanted the outcome to be. 

The more I thought about things and the pressure I feel I decided to take a spin through remote job listings and honestly prospects are not great.  I just keep telling myself that this to shall pass.  I just hope I don’t wind up losing this job, if in fact my secret is out because the job market trying to get a job making what I make now would be difficult plus my age would work against me.  Yeah, I know employers are not supposed to discriminate but they do. 

A few things have come in this afternoon that I have chosen to put off until tomorrow.  Some tasks are just better handled when I am in front of my desktop with two screens instead of trying to be all over the place with a tiny laptop screen.  So, tomorrow morning is a little booked but not the first time that’s happened and I will get through it.  Just have to hope for calm on the on-call front.  I start early enough that things are usually quiet for at least an hour, sometimes two hours. 

I am hungry for more pasta from the place I ate at last night or some good fried chicken.  However, I will not be having either.  I will be eating from the freezer, most likely something with pasta it’s not the same as when it’s made fresh.  It is late in the afternoon and the business day is almost done. 

Two weeks and then I will be on vacation.  I look forward to it but the mistake maker will be out as well (at least that is the way it’s planned) kind of depends on when his kid decides to pop out of the oven.  When I come back it will be chaos not only from me being off for a week but I will be on-call again and that is about the time that two projects will be kicked off so now is for sure the calm before the storm. 

I don’t know why but my social media is filled with ads for GLP1’s aka weight loss drugs.  I also started seeing a group snail mail pen pals show up. That is tempting there have been a couple good looking guys there that I wouldn’t mind getting to know but none of them are close to me so it would be like building a friendship, not a bad thing.  I need more friends but I’d kind of like a boyfriend first.  Ah algorithms be crazy!

Brought the laundry up, need to put it away.  Deferred my shave and shower for tonight because I was too lazy last night to go down and get the laundry.  Now I really don’t have motivation for anything tonight but I know I will feel better once I accomplish these minor tasks and have them off my plate. 

Hoping for a decent meal despite it being frozen food and a nice evening.  Rudy has already conned an early supper out of me.  That cat is no dummy, he knows how to turn on the charm.  I’ve learned to read his signals and making biscuits is a sure sign he wants food.  Mora has been sacked out next to me and I told her about supper but she decided to sleep.  She just woke up so perhaps she will be venturing to the kitchen.  I’ve got about a half hour or so before I venture there myself. 

Here’s hoping your Monday wasn’t too bad.  4 more damn days and then the weekend will be here again.  Not to mention I will just have to get through one more week and then my vacation will hit.  So looking forward to getting away and while I will want to peek at work it’s better if I just put it in my rearview mirror because it’s all going to be waiting for me when I get back.  Sometimes it’s good not to be missed.  Sadly that is never the case for me when it comes to work, if I am not there I am always missed. 

Take care!