Screwed again

You know how life goes along and everything is a mess, then it comes together and then it falls apart again.  Well last night I was in a blissful state until I decided to check up on my brothers bride.  I saw that she is selling my mom’s Beanie Baby Collection.  The dummy has then clumped together listing in several different groups of 4 5 and 6 all of which she wants $1,200 for each group.  I spoke with a couple ladies here at work and learned that is an unreasonable asking price.  The market is flooded with them and there is no way she gets that.  She is however willing for someone to make her an offer I want to give her $5 to be an ass about it but I am steering clear.  I saw that she is also selling a couple pieces of furniture that I know belong to my brother.  Heck for all I know they hit splits Ville and she is being a witch and selling all of his stuff. 

Oddly enough back when me and my brother were on speaking terms I asked him about the Beanie Baby’s and he said they were “gone”.  I didn’t give it any more thought until last night when I saw them.  I’m entitled to 1/2 of whatever profit they make from these.  I would have one hell of a time proving that they were my mom’s, so this is one of those times where I just have to walk away.  Besides that every time I get involved with him I wind up with a knife in my back.  Sure I could sue him and the bimbo he married but proving my case would be next to impossible.  I would need help from a 3rd party and at the end of the day it’s just not worth it.  I suspect she is selling anything she can to help bail her ass out of debt and why not let my brother help her with that because he did it once before so he will keep on doing it.  I’m pissed but I have to let this go. 

I got a text this morning from the gutter guy he wants his money but was too busy to come by last week.  I told him I would mail it tomorrow and I will.  However, he wants to come by on Wednesday to take a look at the basement.  If your coming by then why should I mail your money to you, can’t you pick it up when you stop by?  He is probably going to be a no show.  If that is the case then I will just sign with the demo guy and let them leave a gaping hole in the floor.  The mold has to go and this can’t linger any longer than absolutely necessary it’s a health hazard.  I guess time will tell.

Tomorrow is moving day and the 1st of the month so work will be busy.  I will get a short day out of it because I have to be done packing by 5p and I plan to leave around 4p.  It will take time to pack things away and I just can’t sit here twiddling my thumbs until the last possible second.  This should be interesting.  I will be glad when it’s done. 

Okay so there you have it.  I’ve got a little bit of time to kill and then I will be headed home to see Momma and her children.  Looking forward to that!  Cheers for now. 

Seal it

I was thinking last night, what if you spray foam sealer on mold/wood.  That would fix the crack and also seal the mold in so it couldn’t grow.  I mean there would be no water source and no oxygen so in theory it sounded great.  I took to Google and found a product that claimed to put down an antimicrobial barrier.  It’s not foam sealer but rather a spray on liquid.  I found it at Lowe’s and jotted over and picked up a bottle, dropped $11.  Came home sprayed down the wood and got it wet.  It’s dry now, the second step is to go in with a brush and loosen up all of the mold and then put down another coating to further protect the wood.  Step 2 will take a while before I get to it.  That doesn’t sound like something I personally want to it.  I mean if I am forced to then I will. 

I still have yet to hear from the gutter repair guy, so I will have to give him a ring.  I’d like to give him his money but also get his pricing for what he thinks the job will cost to fix it his way.  I am inclined to lean towards him.  I had a chat with the boss about the demo guy and he said they drink your money and destroy your home.  It’s a lot of hooey.  That maybe and it sounds like truth.  I just hope I don’t make a mistake here. 

The house is clean, I chased Marv out of my room with the vacuum.  Not something I want to do but I told him I had to get my room done this weekend.  I skipped it last weekend and since all of the cats hang out in there I need to sweep. 

Lit some candles.  The basement has Yankee #5, Bedroom has Yankee Stress Relief and the Living Room has Yankee Strawberry Ice.  It’s just something to liven things up.  I stopped at the wall of scent in the grocery store this morning and considered buy Febreze plugs but I talked myself out of it.  I have a small fortune invested in candles and I love them.  Problem is I don’t want to part with them, I just want to acquire more.  That’s how you wind up with a bunch of candles and no place to put them. 

I stopped off for breakfast and was talking with one of the regulars.  He was concerned because I was a little late.  I was up early enough to be on time but I opted for a morning orgasm and that put me behind.  He said something like I thought you ran off with a wild woman.  I told him that will never happen.  He said why, I said I don’t like women.  He didn’t get the fact that I am gay but I just rolled with it.  He is an older guy and friendly but I don’t know if he has an open mind and I really don’t want to find out.  I was telling the waitress about it and I guess she didn’t realize I was gay either but I wound up getting a free milkshake for coming out.  Hell if I knew that I would have made it a large instead of a small shake.  It was damn good too, it was the Oreo Double Stuff.  Momma the best shake I have had in a long time. 

Since I felt pretty good about my milkshake I have been holding something in for the grocery store.  Today I let it out.  The checker I usually go to was on and she had someone who just laid out a flurry of items.  I mean the belt was full.  She was concentrating and I just walked up and said can we speed it up here in a loud voice and I said it like I was angry.  I got her attention and she said hi.  The lady who’s order she was working on didn’t know what to make of it.  Hell what’s life if you can’t have some fun once and a while. 

The best part was my fasting blood sugar was at 95 this morning.  That’s damn low for me.  I was surprised I was still able to walk.  I felt really good so I rewarded myself with a milk shake.  I know not the smartest thing to do. 

I got the leaf guards in the gutters in the back.  Need one more pack of 4 that will give me one for each gutter.  Need that leaf blower attachment and then I can go to town.  Another job I really don’t want to do but need to.  I haven’t ordered either item but will be doing so soon.  I was surprised at the amount of leaves that had fallen already.  It’s only going to get worse with time. 

I got a car wash and opted for the deluxe version.  My car once again smells like someone crapped in it.  It’s the bug remover.  It does a great job but it smells to high heaven.  I should be burning a Yankee Candle in the garage and then another once inside of my car but that just doesn’t sound safe and things would probably go sideways.  I don’t need that.  I still have some packing to do at the office. 

I started watching this movie on Cyber Security last night on Amazon.  I am really interested in it but it lulled me to sleep.  I figured oh I was just wore out.  Nope I tried to finish it and the same results.  Holy crap I’ll have to keep this handy for those nights when I just can’t sleep.  Actually it’s kind of funny because there is a show I watch on occasion when I want to fall asleep and it’s all about Cyber Security.  The guy who does it just gets on a tangent like one of my co-workers and it puts me to sleep because I get bored. 

Need to shave, fix some dinner, prep for Monday and relax and take in more TV.  It’s only 4:30 and I have lots of time on my hands.  I’ve been piddling around with ye old computer and have managed to pass away a couple hours.  I am going to pry myself away before I loose track of time and wind up spending my evening here. 

Here’s to a great week ahead, I hope that everything goes well for everyone.  Low stress, quick moving days and plenty of good food and time to relax.  Talk with you folks again soon. 

Remembering Ruth

Today marks the 1 year anniversary when I had to say goodbye to Ruth.  I remember the day like it was yesterday and I can’t believe it’s only been a year.  It feels like it was a lifetime ago. 

Things that I miss about her are her meow and the little dance she used to do when I said special food.  I miss seeing her face in the morning and evening looking forward to meal time.  Her playful meow and cry when she was playing.  Seeing her in the basement when I come to my office.  I have mixed feelings about the nail trims part of me misses it and the other part of me doesn’t. 

She was only 14 years old and she lived every day of her life here in my home until she passed.  Her personality was truly unique.  She wanted attention but on her terms.  I miss petting her and scratching her, she really loved that.  Her mom and her older sister the 3 females were extra close and now that it’s down to just 2 females things aren’t quite the same. 

We have all managed to move on but she is missed.  I pray she is at peace and I know the cancer she had can’t harm her anymore and she isn’t suffering.  Reflecting back it was about 2 weeks from diagnosis to death.  That’s pretty quick.  I do remember the day after the diagnosis they had given her a long acting antibiotic and a steroid to reduce the inflammation.  The day after she was so thankful and appreciative.  It was like she bounced back to her old self even if only temporarily.  She was eating again and started to play.  I know that there was no doubt in her mind that daddy did all he could and he loved her very much.  Even though she wasn’t the happiest cat in the world when I needed to trim her nails she knew that it was done out of love. 

Six months prior to this day is about when I lost Big Boy and it feels like he’s been gone for a couple years now.  So not true.  I miss him equally as much.  The strange thing is I was much closer with Big Boy and it doesn’t hurt nearly as much as losing Ruth did.  Both were tough losses and to have to go through them both in the same year my God that was heart wrenching. 

Looking back each day on Amazon Photos pictures of both Ruth and Big Boy come up and I wish that I had more time with each of them.  I long to kiss them, pet them and feel their presence.  It hurts but with time it seems to get easier.  For some strange reason the loss of Ruth still hurts.  This something that I haven’t experienced with losing any other pet.  I suppose it’s the circumstances and the fact that she went quickly. 

I appreciate each and every day I have with the 3 that are left behind.  I tell them every chance I get that I love them and yes I cater to them a little more than normal, because I know that the end could be around the corner.  They are all older cats and their age is against them but they all know that they have a daddy that loves them very much and they all love me and show it in their own way. 

Ruth I’m so sorry for the raw deal you got, life isn’t fair.  You were much braver than I could ever be and I miss you so very much.  Rest easy sweetheart. 

Sleepy Saturday

Good Day and welcome to Saturday!  I got through Friday, wound up having to come home and process one departure.  I also interjected myself into another issue and when it was all said and done I worked an hour of overtime, at least I was at home.  I elected to have pizza for dinner, it was 8p before I ate.  Caught up on TV there are some good new shows.  I caught Bob hearts Abishola and Carol’s Second Chance.  As well as my old favorites Modern Family and Chicago PD.  It was a nice Friday evening.

I spent Saturday in bed.  I was just exhausted from the week and didn’t feel like doing a damn thing.  I saw the day passing me by.  I got up at 3p and grabbed a shower because I looked horrible.  That helped wake me up and make me more presentable.  I got some BBQ for supper, grabbed the mail and picked up food for the cats.  What an exciting day I know.  I started laundry and my web surfing. 

I joined Meet Up a social club that is designed to pair people together with like minded interests.  There are tons of groups to join and many interests.  You have to complete a profile and there is an option for a photo.  I opted only to list my first name and not my full name.  You just never know who is looking at your profile and it’s there for the public to view so why not be cautious.  I found a gay guy who runs a skinny dipping club for gay guys out of his home.  He’s got a hot tub.  Funny thing is the cute guy at work that is leaving, he’s a friend of his.  We were almost setup.  I’m glad I dodged that bullet.  This guy sounds super sexual and he’s running a fucking club under the guise of it being a Skinny Dipping Club for guys.  I mean just reading the description told me all I needed to know. 

I did join a gay dudes only dining club.  They have an event tomorrow and then next weekend, both are at places I am not interested in.  I’ve been there and the food is horrible.  Your expected to order something and I don’t want to be rude so I will just stay tuned for future events.  There are also some professional groups that seem interesting.  I’m taking it slow.  Perhaps this is my ticket out of the loneliness and depression, I sure hope so. 

Not much else going on  I will get back to my normal routine tomorrow or so I think.  I’m on-call next week and I also move next week.  To add to that it’s also the start of a new month so it should be crazy.  I’m interested to see my new office.  We will be on the 13th floor so there should at least be a nice view.  Here’s hoping it will be a great week and there won’t be any disasters. 

Long night ahead and I’m bored.  That’s not good but I’ll survive.  Talk with you peeps again soon.     

Friday Eve

Good Evening and thanks for stopping by.  Another week almost done!  I haven’t heard from the gutter guy.  From what I can tell the basement is dry and we have had a couple storms.  I think the source of my problem has been remediated.  Now to get rid of the problem.  I am starting to sneeze and the basement and part of the kitchen are starting to smell odd.  I’m sure it’s the mold and we need to get it out.  If the gutter guy doesn’t show up tomorrow I will be calling him, maybe we can get together over the weekend or hopefully soon.

The guy who recommended the gutter guy and who I have a crush on has turned in his notice.  I knew this was coming for a long time but never thought I would actually see it.  I’m glad that this is by his choice and not him being forced out.  I can’t express enough how much I’d love to have a guy like him.  He’s straight, married and has kids.  He’s also younger than me and that along with his figure are what attract me to him.  However, I got close to him and I got hurt from it.  So while I love to admire him it’s best that I keep my distance.  He got me to open up and come out, plus he knows my suicidal thoughts.  That scares him because someone close to him committed the act after talking with him and he whishes he could have done something different.  Not his fault but I can see where that kind of thing would haunt a person. Kind of sad loosing a piece of eye candy. 

A female that I thought I was pretty tight with turned in her notice and she leaves tomorrow.  I have seen another side of her and how fake she is.  I got plaid and I am not happy about it.  She has promised for 2 weeks to go to lunch with me and that never materialized.  She reached out to me over the weekend by email and I answered her back.  I shut her up when I started pushing about a lunch day and time, that’s when I knew the true situation.  Yesterday on the way home I got 2 texts from her the first was asking about how the house is and the second was a work related question.  I just answered the work question and that was it.  She is now avoiding me.  I fucking hate it when I realize people are 2 faced.  Don’t be fake, plastic on me, be yourself.  I really trusted her and opened up a little bit to her.  I guess better to find out now than never at all.  I’ll be sure to block her after she leaves.  I don’t want to “keep in touch” with someone like that. 

Well since I am talking about work, I opted to start packing my desk up today.  I’m moving next Tuesday evening.  Shit is in boxes and it’s not organized I just wanted to get through it.  I am not done but the bulk of my stuff is packed up.  I have 5 small boxes and there will probably be at least 2 or three more.  I’m excited to get to have my own office but I wish it was permanent and not temporary.  I will be back in my old space in a couple months, that will be strange.  I heard another perk today, I will miss all of the kids for Halloween.  That just made my day.  Last year I hugged someone’s kid by accident thinking it was a co-worker.  Very awkward.  Like the packing I am looking forward to just getting on with this so we can put it in the rear view.  I will continue my quest for an office on a permanent basis but I know the odds are not in my favor. 

Going up to catch up on TV with the kids and enjoy some ice cream.  They are looking forward to their treat time.  We watched the finale of Suits last night.  It was emotional but very well done and I think it ended on a positive note.  No one died and that was something I thought might happen.  Glad I was wrong.  I sure will miss that show it was something to look forward to, but it’s not the only thing on TV. 

Oh before I go.  The eye candy guy at work that is leaving told me about this site called Meet Up.  Not sure that it’s worldwide but just give it a google.  You sign up for free, join groups that interest you and they meet in real life.  There is a group for gay dudes who enjoy dining out.  I am considering joining and going to at least 1 event.  It will be a way to socialize and meet other gay guys and maybe I will be able to make a friend, find a date or both.  It’s something new and I am glad I heard about it.  There are plenty of categories … yoga, cars, cooking, etc.  it’s open to everyone it’s not a gay or straight thing, it’s more about meeting people who have similar interests as you.  I am going to dive in a bit more over the weekend and sign up.  Stay tuned to find out what happens. 

Hope you have a fantastic Friday and a great weekend.  Tomorrow will be a busy day 4 departures.  It will all come together organized chaos.  Cheers for now. 

Ickus Yuckus

I bravely grabbed a ladder, a pair of latex gloves, a disposable respirator  and touched the mold last night.  There is a small crack in one of boards that is referred to as BAN BOARD.  There are two schools of thought on fixing it.  You can inject chemicals to make the wood stronger and repair the crack OR you can just rip it out and replace it.  I’m just joe average here but from what I saw the mold it self looks to be dead or close to dying.  It’s not white but it doesn’t look as bad as the day I found it.  Everything I touched was dry.  I compared present day to the photos on my phone.  I am eager to get rid of this.  It might all be in my head but my nose started bothering me last night after I was by this.  I know I am allergic and that mold in general is bad for your health.  There is more rain in the forecast so it will be yet another test to ensure the water issue is fixed.  Then I need to focus on what I am going to do with the mold it’s self. 

The closer I got last night to home the more I felt myself slipping slowly back in to depression.  This morning it’s full bore on me.  I don’t want to do anything or go anywhere.  It didn’t help that I kept hitting traffic on the way in.  A couple of major jams that made me 20 minutes later than normal.  That didn’t make me happy but the bright side I got a decent parking spot, in fact the same spot as yesterday. 

What I think is going on is the combination of spending my birthday alone, finding the mold, and having lost a friend.  It’s sort of like I am mourning a loss and it is a loss but it’s not death.  I had a lot going on in a short amount of time and I think I am just overwhelmed.  I dabbled in thinking about cancelling my Thanksgiving plans but right now I am opting to keep them in place in the hopes that I snap out of this.  I need more friends, not exactly sure how to make them but hopefully that happens.  I seem to latch on to “fake” people and they emotionally rob me.  They profess to care about me but I am always the one seeking them out.  I need someone who reaches out and someone that I can reach out to.  Going out or getting together helps and also gives me something to look forward to. 

The other thing that is weighing on me is this big move here at work.  They want me to help and give up an evening next week to help move a large group of people between two offices.  That is not in my job description.  I’m always happy to help except for now.  I mean we have people for this.  No one has even approached my boss for approval, they just asked me.  I said I’m not crazy about it but I would help if I had to.  I guess if I wasn’t one of the people moving I might be a little more outgoing about this.  I call this whole thing bad timing. 

Well 30 minutes more and I can eat lunch and watch NetFlix.  New Jeff Dunham special was just released and hopefully that will bring a smile to my face and cause me to feel better.  I hope your having a great day!  Talk with you again soon. 

Finally … Rain

We finally got some rain.  It was light to heavy and everything seems to be draining beautifully.  I don’t see obvious signs of water in the basement on the affected areas.  I need to put my hand on them and get a good feel but I just haven’t gotten the courage yet.  From all outward appearances I’d say my water issue is fixed, it was the the gutter as I call it but the proper name is downspout. 

I got leaf guards to insert in the gutters, they came in a pack of 4.  I’ve got more than 4 gutters.  So looks like I will need to order more.  I was mainly interested in protecting the two back gutters.  I have also looked and found a leaf blower attachment for gutter cleaning.  My way was a fine quick and dirty but long term the leaf blower sounds like an easier and better solution.  Just takes a little cash to get the item and some manual labor which I am so allergic to. 

My idea of living isn’t doing maintenance work, life is busy enough and that is just another aggravation to add to the list.  However, I learned my lesson from this that it’s necessary when you own a home.  You can bet I will make sure the gutters are clean. 

It’s been a little bit of a busy morning here.  I got caught up about an hour ago and I am just killing a few minutes before it’s time for lunch.  I’ve got active shooter training this afternoon.  Kind of sad that this exists.  However, this training can save lives. 

Last night sucked.  I got in bed and couldn’t sleep.  Then Gator was sick and threw up on the clean bedding.  She felt better but I sure didn’t.  I had to get up and turn the TV back on after cleaning up the mess.  Took a little bit but I was out by midnight and I sure didn’t want to get up this morning.  However, I pushed and things feel fine right now.  I’ll bet you I won’t have the same problem tonight, with sleep or a sick Gator. 

Well time to scram for lunch.  Talk with you peeps later. 

Chill Sunday

Good Day!  I hope that your well and life is treating you fairly.  Ah Sunday, the love hate day.  I love it because it’s another day off but I hate it because it’s just before I have to go back. 

Had my breakfast, hit up the grocery store and gas station.  Back home to put the groceries away and then time to update the finances.  Then up to relax a bit with the kids.  Everyone was sleepy but me.  Marv had a rough morning, hopefully this evening will be better for him.  He got some much needed attention from daddy and he gave back as well.  Momma’s mole is healing and she appears to be leaving it alone now.  She was chewing and grooming last night but I had my eye on her and she knew it.  I got her today and purposely felt around her legs for any other lumps or bumps and found none, thank God. 

The weather is playing games with me.  We were supposed to have rain at 4p but now it’s moved to 5p.  I am really starting to wonder if it’s ever going to come.  I mean I know it will rain eventually and it’s normally not something I am so hyper focused on but I’d really like to know if I still have a problem or not.  The anticipation factor is killing me.  I am not a patient person for most things in life.  There are a few exceptions and they flabbergast me.  Like an example being stuck in traffic.  I can be all calm and chill as long as were not talking over an hour, I have my boiling point.  So I am eagerly waiting and watching to see how this goes and will keep you posted.

My Amazon order showed up yesterday.  I got some new vitamins because they were focused on eye health and appeared to be cheaper than what I was taking.  Well that is until the bottle arrives and I learned I had to take 4 pills a day and they were an eye supplement so not a multi-vitamin.  I’m returning them and getting my money back.  Amazon will be delivering the good vitamin tomorrow.  It’s got lots of things in it to help with eye health and I thought it was all hogwash but honestly after being on this for three weeks I see a positive change in my vision, particularly at work when I am stuck all day in front of two monitors.  My computer glasses stopped working for a while but now that things have evened out I can use them and it makes seeing much better.  Maybe this is psychosomatic but all I can say is it appears to be working for me. 

I got my chores done early and of course was tired afterwards.  Sat down in my chair and leaned back.  Gator joined me and we watched Steve Harvey on You Tube.  I just had to hear about ‘the wedding’ in one of his comedy routines.  That kept me going for  a bit and then eventually he put me to sleep.  I woke up shut off the TV and back to napping.  It was really nice.  I enjoy a peaceful sleep where when I wake up I feel refreshed and relaxed.  That doesn’t happen often but when it does, it’s very special to me.  Momma had the bed to herself.  Marv was passed out on the floor.  AC was running, ceiling fan was on and ah relaxation. 

I’m still waiting on Amazon for my bracelet delivery that is supposed to occur today.  Hopefully they deliver before the rain arrives.  That and some TV is really all I have to look forward to.  I’m making the Stouffers Casserole that I enjoy for dinner.  Got some ice cream bars for desert.  Whoopie I just feeling Monday calling my name. 

I’ve noticed myself sneezing around here.  Makes me think the mold is getting to me.  I took an extra allergy pill and that seems to have settled things down.  This has been going on for a few days now.  I just want the mold gone so that I can breathe better quality air and know that my home is safe. 

I suppose it’s time to get on with it.  So best wishes for the week ahead.  I hope it’s drama and stress free as possible.  May the sun shine at your back and only good things happen.  Talk with you all again soon. 

Hello

So I made it to work on Friday.  I was a little busy in the morning for a couple hours and then I got caught up and there wasn’t a damn thing to do.  I have a love/hate relationship with boredom.  I opted to start packing my desk up in prep for the move.  I got my laptop, fine writing instruments and back pack all loaded up.  So the truly valuable items are gone.  I left behind 1 average writing instrument.  There is still one item to bring home.  The rest of it will go in boxes and come with me on the move.  Not sure when I will bring my laptop back, that kind of depends on what kind of security/storage is in place in the temporary office. 

Once I made it home and ate I opted to just take in TV for the rest of the night.  I rented MA.  I thought I would be screaming like a little girl but nah, not that scary.  There are a couple of cute guys in the movie and one of them is forced to get naked.  You only see his chest and ass but wow it’s nice.  That alone was worth the cost of the rental.  If your thinking about watching this I say do it. 

Got up earlier than I wanted to this morning.  If you guess it was because of Gator then you were right.  She was serenading me a little and I just opted to give in.  It was easier than listening to her sing and eventually making herself sick.  They got a nice breakfast.  I got great fasting blood sugar results.  I rewarded myself with Blueberry Pancakes.  I know that seems counter productive and your right but hey it’s what I wanted.  The cashier at Cracker Barrel said wow I got to see you twice in one week.  She was either hitting the sauce or I am making trips to Cracker Barrel in my sleep.  I only have the 1 charge and I was only there this morning.  Guess I have a doppelganger. 

Grabbed the mail and drove to the haircut store.  Sat on the parking lot waiting for them to open.  When I cracked open a piece of mail about my health insurance benefits for 2020.  Holy shit this was the best news I have gotten in a long time.  The copay for tier 1 and 2 drugs changed to $5 and for all tier 1 drugs pay $20 for the year for the drug.  This will save me some cash.  I was really thankful to get that news.  The other bit of good news I got was the lawn bill was the usual $70. 

We had rain in the forecast and it did sprinkle a bit but no real rain to speak of today.  The deck got a little wet but the basement is dry as best as I can tell.  Tomorrow is when the rain should move in and if that is truly the case that will be my best gauge to determine if my water issue is fixed.  Still crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. 

Last night I noticed that Momma had chewed some more on the wart on her bag leg.  I got to cleaning it up and she has a small hole in her leg.  Damn woman I told her to leave it alone but does she listen to me, nope.  I got her cleaned up and am keeping an eye on things.  I think were probably headed to the vet but I am still taking a wait and see approach.  I don’t want to under react but I also don’t want to over react.  What I read on line thus far says use peroxide.  I’m watching for signs of infection and or if she starts limping.  Right now she is happy as a lark and running around here like crazy.  She is clingy which is normal.  They all have taken to fighting for my attention.  1 gets it and then another 1 or 2 starts complaining. 

I decided that I would go out for pizza, got to the pizza place and there was a festival that took over the parking lot.  I was really all set for this specific pizza but with no parking I opted to seek out another place.  Wound up at an Italian Restaurant.  My waiter was handsome and hunky.  Great build and nice looks.  I got my order in and just kept an eye on him.  I really liked what I saw.  I didn’t make a move just plaid it cool.  Came home and I managed to find him with some quick detective work.  He’s of course single and straight.  FML  Also a little young for me but hey age isn’t a huge barrier for me if were compatible.  Glad I didn’t make a fool of myself. 

I am waiting on the Amazon driver to drop of my order.  Got some gutter guards, food for the kids and medicine.  Nothing terribly exciting.  Tomorrow the rest of my order arrives and that will be a new bracelet I opted to splurge on. I hope I like it when I see it in person.  For having to go an entire week before I see another paycheck I have done really well in limiting what I spend my money on.  Nothing like a home repair project to put a little fear into you. 

Working on laundry and putzing around with the PC.  While I am not eager for Monday I am eager to get back to a routine.  On a different note I am really surprised all of the years that I have been blogging.  I’m glad that this platform/outlet is available and it doesn’t cost.  Looking forward to watching The Circus on Showtime tomorrow night.  The only problem with watching that show is they show such good food they make me so hungry.  I mean I found myself last year craving steak and I don’t even like steak well except for tube steak (if you don’t get that tube steak is a euphemism for dick).  Humor aside I really do enjoy the show and hearing them talk about politics.  It’s very entertaining to me for some odd reason.

Well the Amazon person just dropped off my package.  I am going to get it and say hello to the kids for a minute.  Talk with you again soon.  Come on rain, I am eagerly waiting for what I hope to be positive results. 

Upgrade

Today was the day for IOS 13’s release.  I upgraded my iPhone and everything looked pretty good.  That is until I went to try to get email and it was frozen.  I rebooted that didn’t help.  I looked on-line and they said remove your email accounts, reboot and then add the accounts back.  I started to try that when things just started locking up.  I opted to wipe the phone and restore from a backup.  It was a bold move but one I figured would yield the best results.  Sure enough that did the trick.  Hopefully not everyone will have this same experience but if you hear of someone in need, feel free to share what worked for me.  I had to re-login to all of my apps and setup finger print security, I didn’t save my Snap Chat login information so that account is gone because I have no idea what email account it was linked to.  Besides that I didn’t really SC with anyone and I don’t think I’ll miss it. 

I have an iPhone 7 and still really want an upgrade but I am thankful that I didn’t give in to my impulses given the moldy expense that is around the corner.  An upgrade isn’t that expensive but right now I think it’s smart to hang on to as much money as I can since the future looks a little rocky. 

I’m a little disappointed in myself in that when I woke up this morning I opted to stay home another day.  Going back to bed was great but the rest of the day sucked.  I had myself convinced to go out but I figured probably just as well stay home.  I have to go back or at the minimum work from home tomorrow because if your out for 3 days you have to have a doctors note to return.  I just don’t care about work at least not now.  I’ve peeked at my email and there are somethings waiting for me but nothing horrible thus far.  I expect Friday will breeze on by and I’ll be home before I know it.  I was really looking forward at getting back today not sure where things went wrong.  I did wake up early and toss for a little bit but it was an hour before I was supposed to get up. 

Right now I look forward to getting on with tomorrow once I have that under my belt I’ll feel better and so there is a 2 days pause for the weekend I’ll be back on Monday. 

Nothing on TV tonight that interests me so finding something will be quite the challenge but I am sure I will stumble on something.  I will be goofing off on the computer for a bit before I make the trek back upstairs.  I did manage to get the trash set out so that will be hauled away in the morning.  Damn insomnia I wish I never had another sleepless night ever but that’s like asking to win the lottery. 

Hope you had a great day.  It was warm here and gave the wood in the basement more drying time.  I can’t wait until the day I don’t have to watch it any longer.  Still got my fingers crossed that there isn’t a major issue lying in wait.  Well off to cyber land.  Talk with you all again soon. 

Fixed

Not exactly sure why but last night I didn’t sleep well.  I woke up to go to the bathroom, Gator grabbed my attention on the way back to bed and I had to comfort her.  Not really sure what the issue is/was.  She won’t jump up on the couch in the living room any more, I have to pick her up.  I did it once and that was one too many times.  She still jumps up in my chair and will get into bed with me.  So I don’t think it’s her legs that are bothering her.  Anyway back on point when I woke up I felt like I hadn’t slept at all so I opted to stay home.  I should have pushed myself but I am kind of tired of doing that.  Especially when there was nothing on the books for today and it would have likely been a boring day with me looking for things to do. 

Much to my surprise the guy I spoke with last night came by around 11:30 and fixed the downspout.  It was 15 minutes worth of work and he was here and gone.  I checked out his work after the fact and it’s solid.  He used sheet metal screws so the shit won’t blow down or blow away.  I am confident in his work and rain is in the forecast for a few days, so it will be a good test to see if my issue is fixed or if there is a larger problem laying in wait.  I got a text when he was done and I phoned him.  He was thinking about what I was told by the demo guy and he thinks I have rot and not mold.  He wants to take a second look and cut out the piece that needs to be removed, get a replacement in and then he thinks my troubles will be over.  I disagree with him, I had mushrooms growing and that is a clear sign mold is present.  I have read and was warned about letting someone else do the work, you need a specific professional.  If this isn’t properly cleaned up there are health consequences not to mention the fact that this shit can spread.  It may not grow because it has no water source but if one day the conditions are just right and there is a water source, bam you have a major issue on your hands.  I’m all too happy to let him look but actually do any work well that is another story.  I may call him back after the demo guy is done but most likely I think and hope that were done. 

This little moldy project evoked so many emotions from sadness, frustration, loneliness to anger.  It really seems like the mold was growing inside of me as if it were cancer and eating me alive.  I thought this would be the end of me and while the fight isn’t over yet, I feel much better with the progress that has been made today.  I feel like I am well on my way to putting this in the past.  It’s not something I am proud of but I am not the only person in the world that this has happened to.  A problem minor or major can be made worse if your all alone that is the tough part.  Honestly I am all alone, I know I don’t need anyone in this world to make it.  I have proven that to myself but it doesn’t mean I want to spend the rest of my life alone.  I need a rock or at best a cork board (it’s humor because it’s less solid than a rock) to help me through the rough times.  I can’t say I am looking for marriage but I am looking for another long term relationship.  I miss having someone compliment and complete me as I equally compliment and complete them.  I took a lot for granted and life has taught me a lot over the past 6 years.  I am sure there is plenty more to learn but hopefully no more hard lessons.  I still feel oddly giddy about 2020 like something big is going to happen and I am so anxious.  I am ready for happiness, enjoyment and to feel like I am on cloud 9 and I’m not talking about a tv show.  

I did eventually get in a couple naps.  I had way too much sugar, the only actual semi decent meal I had was supper and that came out of a cardboard box.  I watched a bunch of YouTube videos a couple coming out stories that were interesting to hear.  I find it strange that a kid is willing to pick up a video camera tell the world his full name as well as his location, where he went to high school and where he is going for college and then says he’s gay.  That would have never flown when I was in high school but the times they have changed, I mean that was 30 years ago.  If you came out or even suspected of being gay you were ridiculed, ostracized and your life was hell on earth.  People tell you that it gets better and it truly does.  Taking the first step to tell those around you much less the world that your gay and show that you have confidence and backbone things do get better.  It’s not a choice, you can’t pray it away, no one can be converted and your parents did nothing wrong.  It’s just who you are as a person.  It can suck being different but it’s also a beautiful thing. 

I am not happy that I am spending the rest of the evening at home, I can’t wait to get out of here but really don’t want to go back to work.  However, I know that being out for a day will cause a slight increase in work, being out for two days can cause madness.  I haven’t even peeked at my email and I don’t have plans to but my curiosity might get the best of me.  Sometimes it’s good to know what your walking back into and other times it’s better off if it’s a surprise.  I will probably be foaming at the mouth with cuss words a plenty but at least I won’t be bored.  See there is a bright side even if that is a whacky thought!

The month is hardly over with yet and the grass guy has already sent me a bill.  I’ve only been in the hole to him for $70 at a time and there is an extra week in the month.  I had plans to schedule an early payment to him but now I am going to wait until I get his bill and see what he is charging me before I go doing a good deed.  He is paranoid that I am going to stiff him and that hasn’t happened yet and it won’t.  I mean I need someone to cut my grass.  We have a very good thing going and I am impressed with how stringent he adheres to the every two week schedule.  I just wish he wouldn’t show up at 7am.  I hate the smell of freshly gut grass mostly because I am allergic. 

The main event for tonight is the 2nd to the last episode of Suits.  The final episode will air next Wednesday and then Harvey, Donna, Louis and company will all be gone.  That is sad but it’s been a good run and I have really enjoyed watching the show unfold.  Eventually you run out of things to write about and/or life happens and it’s time to bring things to a natural close.  With the loss of Megan Markle and Patrick J. Adams the dynamic of the show changed.  Even bringing Patrick J. Adams back for a couple guest appearances is great the dynamic of the show has changed and it caused a lot of people to be upset, withdraw or generally loose interest.  However, there are some die hard fans that won’t let go and I am proud to say I am one of them.  I fully admit I only watched the show because of Patrick J. Adams but I’m hooked and I have to see how this all ends.

So outside of Gator crying here and there.  Momma has a mole on her back leg that she has picked at by chewing on it.  If you touch it she comes unglued.  I was looking at it last night and the slightest little touch and the damn thing started bleeding.  This is one of those things that I want to go away.  It’s been there for a while and she has always picked at it but not to this point.  I think if I head to the vet with her I will get bad news and I just can’t handle that right now.  She is normal and can walk fine.  She is always in my face and has been pestering me all day long.  I love her so much and she loves me.  We were meant to be together and we both have done a great job taking care of the other as well as her family.  I’ve got a watchful eye on all of them and if they need to get to the vet it happens but right now I am in a watch and wait state.  If this doesn’t clear up or gets worse she is going bad news or not.  I’d love to break out a razor and just slice the damn thing off but I know that would hurt and I would probably be doing more damage than good.  She has a mole on her face as well in her whiskers that has been there for years.  It shrinks slightly and other times it looks like she has a large tick on her face.  That is what I was checking on her leg, it kind of looks like a tick but it’s not. 

I’m honestly looking to coast the rest of the year with no bad news or major negative changes like death or sickness.  I don’t expect joy or good things but if that happens I am certainly not opposed to it.  Going on a date or meeting someone would be good and I am working on making that happen. 

I guess I have babbled on enough.  Time to go surfing on the net.  Reboot my machine and eventually hike backup stairs to deal with the trash and be with the furry family.  Here’s hoping the rest of the week will be a breeze for all of us.  Cheers!

Potential Good News

The repair guy for the downspout (which I keep calling a gutter) came out tonight.  $100 and he will take care of it.  He’s hired and the job will be done by Saturday.  We have rain in the forecast on Saturday so I really hope he can make it before then.  Parts are really cheap probably less than $50 but it’s all in labor. 

He knows the full problem and right now he agrees with me that it’s the gutter that has caused the problem.  He also agrees on how I have decided to solve the problem.  If the repair work he does doesn’t fix the problem he can help me the rest of the way but it doesn’t sound like it will be cheap. 

So fingers crossed the repair work he does will fix the problem, if that is truly the case then I can get the demo guy out and we can be done with all of this.  Less than $1,000 would make me very happy considering this is all coming out of my pocket. 

On a different note there is something called FaceBook dating.  I got a prompt a couple weeks back and opted in and filled out a profile.  This morning I got a match which was a surprise.  It’s not perfect because it kept showing me women when I clearly said I was a guy and interested in dating a guy.  The match I got didn’t do anything for me.  I passed on a lot of people but it’s one more tool I have at my disposal to work on curing this being single problem. 

There are 9 people on Tindr that like me.  That number has been as high as 17 but in the past week alone it’s dropped.  I can’t see who likes me unless I subscribe and I am contemplating coughing up $30 for 1 month to see if maybe there is a potential suitor waiting for me.  Last night Tindr randomly showed me a waiter that I like.  I had seen him before and liked him but wanted to make sure I did a double and triple take.  I super liked him and then tried to friend him on a different platform that he mentioned in his profile.  He rejected my friend request.  That didn’t make me feel good but nothing ventured nothing gained. 

I am just so happy about the house issue that I could dance.  The guy at work that referred me I have a huge crush on and he knows it.  He’s married but damn I could just kiss him.  Glad I listened to my inner voice and asked him for a recommendation, otherwise I would be back to square one. 

Okay off to gather porn and then spend time with the kids until bed time.  Last night I sat down in my chair and remember finding something to watch.  It started playing and then I woke up a 1/2 hour later and called it a night.  I didn’t sleep real well but hey I made it to work today and that’s what matters.  Hopefully I am not quite as exhausted as I was last night.  I like a laugh or two before bed and to know that I can at least make it to 10p.  Geez I am getting old!

Hope you got good news and/or had a great day!  Talk with you again soon. 

Help on the way

I think help is finally on the way.  I got a call from the guy I talked to last week that promised to call me back in the afternoon.  He apologized and said he just got busy.  So were meeting tomorrow night and he will let me know if he can help me.  I’m sure he can but the bigger question is can I afford him. 

The roofing company called me back and to get a gutter guy out here they need a minimum of $350.  I didn’t bother to tell them they still owe me $200 for referring someone I just said there is no way in the world I can pay that kind of money for such a simple repair.  So they are off the list. 

As of tonight the mold appears that it’s drying out, which is a very good thing.  I’d like for it to disappear but I know that is asking way too much.  In the end it will disappear along with some of my money.  I’d just like to be able to keep the money and make the mold go away. 

I’m anxious for tomorrow night and I have already made arrangements to leave early just in case there is a traffic jam.  Hopefully I will have good news.

The grass guy showed up this morning at 7a again.  I think that is entirely too early to mow but no one complained so I guess it’s okay.  I get it from his point of view it’s cooler earlier and better to get it done before waiting for the afternoon and sweating to death.  

Glad I am not on-call any longer.  Looking forward to a relaxing evening with the furry family.  They just finished supper and are looking forward to treats.  I’m killing a little bit of time before I make the climb back upstairs.  Hope you had a good day!

Sunday

Treated myself to Taco Bell today for lunch.  I am so stuffed that I really don’t want supper.  I ate lunch at 1p.  2 Burrito Supremes and 2 regular beef tacos.  I had to fight pretty hard to give into this but in the end I am glad that I did.  Kind of makes up for not getting out yesterday. 

All of my Sunday chores are done.  I even moved the couches and cleaned up the last of the Ruth & Bear fur.  I had to empty the vacuum 3 times.  I can tell when it’s going to pick up a bunch of fur, it is hard to push but then once it gathers the fur and it’s gone the vacuum is smooth as silk.  The cats weren’t terribly happy with me running the noise maker but it’s part of the weekly tasks.  I can get away with skipping a week but why, I just like the way things look all nice and neat.  Then slowly but surely there is cat food on the floor and its time to do it all over again. 

Finished up The Ranch tv series.  Wow as usual they let it end on a cliff hanger.  I get the impression that Netflix is writing this show to an end.  Only time will tell. 

The mold smells horrible here in the basement.  So I broke out my fresh roses candle and wow it smells like a funeral home now.  That will pass and the moldy smell will come back.  I also grabbed the start of a new mushroom.  So we know it’s still alive.  I looked at the outside of the house and the door.  So I figure by cleaning and fixing the gutter I eliminated the excess water that was pouring in the area where the mold was growing.  I think the excess water put a test to either the seal on the back door or a piece of siding.  That is going to require pulling up the deck to find out.  I thought about doing that while I was outside but it’s a lot of work just to remove a couple of boards.  On the other hand I’m thinking that since the excess water is gone perhaps things will go back to normal now and there won’t be continued water flow.  It’s going to take either rain or labor to find out, maybe a bit of both.  This is a horrible situation and if I could some how catch a break I can’t tell you how thankful I would be.  My fear is that the remediation and/or the repair will uncover additional damage and that this is going to cost me a couple thousand dollars.  If I can get away with a $900 bill that would be fine by me.  Costly but a lot better than 2 grand.  I know I am obsessing and worrying over this but it’s my home and I see this as a major issue because there is a huge threat present to my home, my health and my cats.  I think we will all be happier when like my wisdom teeth they just came out and it’s done.  Get the mold gone and I’ll be happier and I know you will too because you won’t be reading about me obsessing over it. 

Got another call today for work, it was simple but something that needed to be taken care of before things got worse.  I love the team work when it works.  Makes me feel good that I contributed to a solution. 

We all got in our mid day nap.  Momma slept with me for a little bit then Gator pushed her out of the way and she went to the chair.  Gator cuddled up next to me and took me to dream land.  Marv was out cold on the floor as usual.  Gator was screaming at me when I woke up because she was so ready for lunch.  I offered it to the others but they didn’t seem interested.  A crack of the can changed their minds.  Slowly everyone made it to the kitchen and I had to open another can. 

Peeked at my calendar for tomorrow, there is a little bit going on but it will mostly be a long boring day unless something comes out of the wood work.  All I can do is stay tuned.  I have stuff to bring home.  I think I mentioned there is remodeling work being done to the office so at the end of the month I am moving to an office across the street from where I work now.  I’ll have a view (hopefully it will be nice) and a door the I can close it sounds great.  However in 3 months or less I will be back in the same cube I have occupied for 5 years.  Moving I think is a waste of time and resources.  Considering the fact that I fought it and I won’t win, I am forced to go with the flow.  I will be bringing a lot of things home like my personal laptop, the extra keyboard I have and a telephone stand.  I have a lot of stuff in a small space and moving just isn’t something I like to do.  Be it for work or be it personal.  The even sadder part is nothing in my present space is changing it’s just to give someone else an opportunity to stay in the building.  I can work from home as often as I’d like, I can wear jeans to work every day and they are going to have lunches catered in on occasion.  Were supposed to have parties but hell I think we will be doing good if we get lunch. 

Going to surf the internet, then grab my whites, put a lid on the candle and climb upstairs to be with the furry family and try to find something of interest to watch.  Speaking of watching, Friday morning while I was getting ready for work I had the TV on and when I got out of the shower I heard this awful noise it was a loud beep.  Turned out that the UPS thought it was overloaded.  I was forced to shut it down and that killed my phone and tv connection.  The UPS and services came back up but I am wondering if the UPS is getting ready to fail.  They almost never get used but there are little outages or a power surge that causes them to kick in.  I am glad that I have them but they are costly little things to replace.  Mostly because of the batteries, which are heavy in price and weight. 

It was another hot summer day here.  Were going into our last week of summer officially and I’m not terribly happy about that.  Doesn’t mean the weather will change quickly around here but before you know it all of the hot guys will be wearing shirts and coats, bye bye eye candy.

Hope you had a great day, got to accomplish everything on your to do list and maybe even had time to indulge yourself in a trip, some food or just a simple nap.  Here’s to a better week ahead for all of us!  Cheers until we talk again.  

Wasted Day

The contractor that was supposed to show up today, did not.  I can’t say I am surprised because all I got was an automated confirmation email after I booked the appointment.  For all I know the guy has a website but is no longer in business.  I didn’t bother to call or email him, I figure if you want my business bad enough you will reach out to me or hell you would have shown up. 

Right now I’m looking at seeing someone on Monday evening but that isn’t a for sure thing yet.  I’m working with at least 1 other vendor trying to arrange a time to meet up.  Another vendor told me a week to a week and a half I sent them packing. 

I made it out of the house today to grab the mail and came back home.  I had plans to leave to eat but that never materialized.  I stayed home and napped the day away.  I got a call for work that I dealt with, it was very easy.  However if the person would have applied common sense they wouldn’t have bothered me in the first place. 

I’m kind of worried about me … I’ve been to some dark places in my mind.  They say idle hands are the devils workshop and that is so true with my mind given the problem I am facing and the frustration.  I’ve seen an up tick in acne and that is a sure sign I am suffering from stress.  I am also forgetful and find myself doing dumb things as it pertains to work, plus I am making a lot of mistakes – small but never the less all of this is abnormal for me.  I am wondering if I am on my way to mentally breaking down. 

I did clean up my spouses office space and found a box of drill bits that are designed to add/remove the boards from the deck.  I’m taking that as a positive sign.  If I need to go that route this will be handy but it’s going to be labor intensive.  Like I have said before I just want this done so I can move on with my life. 

Browsing social media and checking up on my brother he appears to be very happy, like the happiest I have ever seen him.  I’m taking that from how he looks in photos.  It’s nice to know that he is happy.  He could help me but the question would be will he help me?  I’m not calling to find out.  I think that will just open a can of worms and probably cause me more hurt and anger which I really don’t need.  I am debating if I should send him a birthday card, I have a couple months to make that decision.  Nothing I have to do today. 

Tomorrow I will be hitting up the grocery store, cat food store and gas station.  It will all start with breakfast and I am sure I will run into the guy I got a referral from last week.  I can’t wait to tell him how his referral flaked on me.  I don’t know that I will volunteer but I am sure he will probably ask and if so I will all to happy to tell him about it. 

Cats had a great time napping and spending time with me.  Of course as soon as I decided to take nap #1 I got to sleep for a little bit and then the damn phone rang.  I wasn’t the happiest person in the world but when I answered I don’t think I sounded like I just woke up.

I do hope that tomorrow is a more productive day.  It didn’t rain on Friday like it was supposed to and there isn’t any rain in the forecast until Friday at the moment.  I’ve been watching my mold area and it does look wet to me.  Only way to find out for sure is to touch it and that of course would disturb it and could cause it to grow even more, not to mention making me sick.  I am keeping my distance but watching.  I wish the wood would dry out and the mold would die.  Wishing is great but that doesn’t turn it into reality.  Just saying. 

Hope you had a better day than me.  The best news of the day is I found new episodes of The Ranch on Netflix so at least I have something to watch to help pass the time.  Sorry I am in such a depressing mood.  I’ll talk with you again soon. 

Friday the 13th

The worst thing to happen all day was the fact that this morning I sent out a warning message to 400 + people that a legit email was nefarious.  Jesus I got pelted with people squawking but it was over with in 10 minutes and then the day just went on. 

Over all this week we have seen an up tick in phishing, spam and malicious emails.  Not sure if it’s related to the full moon or just a coincidence.  Last weekend it was a popular thing in my category of business to send a sextortion email.  I actually got one a while back.  Someone claims to have seen you on your net cam looking at porn, they planted a virus but you can’t detect it.  If you don’t pay x ransom via bit coin within x hours, days they will send a video or photos of you pleasuring yourself while viewing porn.  They also show you a recent password or part of the password.  That really gets peoples attention.  Hence why you should have a different password for each site you visit.  Yes it’s a PITA but it’s your best protection against these types of attacks.  So if you credentials are compromised on say Twitter someone can’t use the same credentials on your bank website or another account. 

Best thing that happened I stumbled across a general contractors website thanks to Yelp.  I was able to book an appointment for an estimate tomorrow so looks like I will be seeing someone in person.  Hooray perhaps we can get the show on the road instead of wasting my time. 

I think the first step is to fix the damn gutter.  Then either wait for rain or start looking to see what’s behind the siding and if that is at play.  If we wait then time will tell.  If we go investigating things have to get torn up, which makes a mess and costs me money.  However, I’d like to nip this while it’s “small” as I am told it is.  I can’t afford not to, I mean I need to keep my cost to a minimum.  I long for the day this whole mess is behind me and I can say remember when…  I have learned a lot from this experience that I can put to good use and also spread the word to others.  I like to see people benefit from my mistakes, meaning if my advice can save them from agony then that makes me feel good.  I don’t want someone to make a profit off of my mistakes and I am not looking to be taken advantage of, well at least not financially.  Yes that was a subtle attempt at humor. 

Geez I am really wore out.  Going to climb them steps to see the furry family, empty the sandbox and find something to watch on TV until I pass out which by the way I feel won’t be long.  Please let it be a quiet, calm and peaceful weekend.  I’ve still got 2 days of being on-call to get through.  Holy cow. 

Frustration

This morning I received an email letting me know that the Saturday spot that I was told about being available for a quote has been taken.  They can’t come out now until Monday evening between 6:30p and 8p.  Uh I have a life, you can’t expect me not to eat dinner and put my life on hold for a couple hours while I wait on you to arrive.  I haven’t responded yet but my guess is when I do that spot will be taken as well. 

I went through the BBB this morning and reached out to a couple more companies.  I got a call back from 1 of them saying they are a week and a half behind but would love to quote me.  Really ?  I want this done like yesterday. 

Thinking I found my solution I reached out to a nationally known provider that is known for making things appear like they never happened.  Those fuckers want me to pay someone to test the mold before they will come out.  Are you fucking kidding me?  I know it’s mold if you don’t know how to handle mold removal then you shouldn’t be in the business of mold removal.  Fuck. 

Needless to say the guy from yesterday that promised to call me back in the afternoon has yet to call. I’m not going to beg someone to take my money. 

I don’t know if it’s the scope of the job or if they are just plain afraid but no one seems to really want to help me with the gutter and possible siding issue.  I can easily get the mold remediated but if the water issue isn’t fixed then I am not solving a problem but rather creating an on going issue. 

Every site I have been on regarding mold says you don’t want to let it linger because it will continue to do damage.  Well if I can’t find a fucker to help me fix the source what the fuck am I supposed to do?  I am so frustrated. 

I am trying my best to be patient here but that is wearing thin.  I am giving serious consideration to file an insurance claim because I know they have people who will fix things, even if I don’t have coverage for it maybe just maybe I will be able to buy like an insurance company.  However, that could prove to be a waste of time as well and ruin my home from being claim free. 

I am merely looking to solve a problem as quickly and as cost effectively as possible.  I just can’t seem to find anyone that wants to help me on my schedule.  I plan to take time off for the repair work to be done.  If it’s just a gutter issue hell that can be fixed in an hour or two.  If it’s a siding issue the deck will need to be dismantled and that will be expensive not to mention the cost of the siding.  I could be looking at anything from a small job to replacing an entire wall or possibly two.  While I want this fixed if the job proves too costly it may just be better to cut my losses and run. 

The agony of worry and the frustration of this lingering have me a wreck.  I want this nightmare to end as quickly and to minimize the pain, loss and money.  Lord I need a big time break!

Ye old status

Stress is sure here – I could use a Pina Colada, A muscle relaxer and a vacation – hell why not go all out and get me a man and get laid.  Yeah that would sure help me feel better if only temporarily. 

So I reached out to the people that did my roof.  They are coming out on Saturday.  I have this time window.  They think it’s only for a gutter but wait until that guy gets here, that should be fun. 

I talked with a guy at work that I have a crush on and got a referral from him.  I called his guy who talked to me and said he would call me back.  I’m still waiting.  I told him that I need help with a gutter and that there could be some siding work as I have a water intrusion problem.  I think that could have scared him away.  Maybe he just got busy but I’ll give him a day and if I don’t hear from him then I’ll write him off like I have so many others. 

Of course I keep thinking about this and the more I go over it in my mind the more I think that maybe the demo guy is right and there is water coming in through the siding.  If that is the case then I can ease up on the blame game but at the end of the day I still have the same problem.  I just need this fixed quickly and then it’s time to move on.  The longer this lingers the worse I am going to feel.

When I got out of the shower this morning I said okay who’s ever in charge God or who ever … if you hear this I’d like for you to make my life better or end it.  I honestly don’t care which way it goes but let’s speed it up because the agony I am in is horrible. 

One of the guys at work told me I should fix my house up and sell it.  Then move to rental property.  Or rent out my house and move to rental property.  The grand plan was always for me to sell this place and take the cash then ease on down the road.  However, I chose to keep it because of sentimental value and the fact that I had so many animals on my hands.  I feel I made an informed decision that was best for me given the circumstances.  I think staying here makes complete sense right now but once the cats are gone then it will be time to reconsider.  I don’t expect them to go anywhere at least for the next 2 to 4 years.  Now they could all drop dead tomorrow but I think I have a better chance of winning the lottery (I don’t have a ticket). 

This is just a super stressful time right now.  Between work and home I am exhausted.  The smallest thing sends me off the rails and I just want to scream.  I’m doing a good job of keeping myself in check but internally I am truly falling apart. 

Tomorrow’s the BIG day.  Friday the 13th.  Full Moon and yep I’m still on-call.  What a lovely day it should be.  Here’s hoping something good happens really soon.  Now it’s upstairs to empty the sandbox, pass out treats and figure out what to watch as I pass away the time until it’s time to call it a night.  Talk with you again soon. 

Problem update

The handy man service I called phoned back and left a message referring me to a gutter company.  I called the gutter company and they wanted to know if I wanted to be present when the estimator showed up.  I said ideally yes but he/she can come out and the issue will be very transparent and obvious.  I’m waiting for a call back to see if our schedules can align. 

I’d like to be here simply because I can explain that I may need more than just a gutter.  There could be an issue with the siding.  Being a gutter company they do siding as well so it’s like I could potentially avoid having to engage another vendor. 

I was thinking about this tonight and it’s really got power over me, only because I’m giving it power.  It’s all consuming and all I do is worry.  Hell it’s my home where I have lived for a decent period of time and I’m paying the bills so I think it’s normal to worry. 

What I don’t understand is why it’s so difficult to get someone to come out or call me back to get this show on the road.  While I was told I had a couple months, I don’t want to play with this for a couple months.  I want the water problem solved for certain.  Then I can move to fixing the problem and life can get back to some form of normal.  I just want it to end.

Now I’m going to try to relax with the needy attention seeking, treat wanting cats.  Tuning in to the latest episode of American Greed and enjoying an ice cream bar.  Oh what a luxurious life I lead!  

My mind is on the gutter

I got a call back from the “handyman” which is actually a plumber that I was referred to.  He said he could take care of it.  I was surprised.  He said when, I said evenings or a Saturday.  He said that’s when my men are resting.  We were talking by cell, he said hello I said I am here and then presto the phone went dead.  I called him back but the phone rang until voice mail took over.  I guess he’s not that interested after all.  This left me wondering how does he make money if he can’t accommodate his customers availability?  SMH  I have given up on him.

I found a local commercialized handy man service.  I filled out an 0n-line form and they will be calling tomorrow.  I’ll be sure to not answer the call since I work in a building that is a metal box and cell phone reception is horrible. 

There is more than 1 handy man in the area it’s just a matter of finding one that won’t rape me and can work around my schedule.  The sooner the gutter is in place the happier I *think* I will be. 

I’ve done some research on water and siding and typically it doesn’t leak from what I have read, unless you install it wrong.  This project is probably going to tap dance on my nerves and my wallet for a while but I keep reminding myself this is going to pass.  Please dear Lord let the water intrusion stop as soon as the gutter is in place.  That would make me feel better. 

I have the desire to stick my head in the sand and hope this goes away but I know that time isn’t on my side and the longer I wait the worse this is going to get.  So act now and it will be cheap or act later and you will wish you would have done it sooner.  I just want it to be over with. 

The A/C has been running since I walked in the door and it feels like a meat locker in here.  I kind of like it but Gator isn’t happy.  So when I head up in a bit I will have to fix it. 

Cooler nights make for great sleeping weather.  I don’t look forward to the morning I wake up and have to flip on the furnace.  That will suck but I know that day is coming.

We remodeling at work and I’m going to have to move, not happy about that.  Sounds like this might be my last week in my present space, I am going to try to find out for certain tomorrow.  If so there are things I need to take home, other items that will need to be boxed and transferred to my new space.  I get an office out of the deal but it’s only temporary.  This combined with my home issue is stress over load for me and I just want to scream but hey it is what it is.  I am not in charge and I can’t change it. 

Up to see what is on TV tonight.  Hope you had a great day. 

S O A K E D

Well the rain cometh. It made for great sleeping weather but considering that I was late in getting to bed I didn’t really want to get out of bed. However, Gator and crew had other plans for me. They harped on me until I had to acquiesce and accommodate their morning hunger. To my horror I found my temporary gutter solution had blown off and was laying on the patio as if it was laughing at me saying try again fat boy. That just made me mad.

I fed the kids and then got dressed, had my medicine and grabbed breakfast. I talked with one of the regulars and got a referral to a local handy man. He can probably get me a final solution that will be permeant. As I ate my breakfast, I kept thinking about the damage being done at home and when I was done, I opted to go home instead of going to the grocery store.

I arrived home and opted to try to find a solution because the rain was falling and like grandpa always used to say, the water has to go somewhere. I was hoping that I would be able to resolve this myself with the parts I had and there wouldn’t be a need to call someone. However, sad to say but home repairs unless they are truly simple are beyond me. I know my limitations but that won’t stop me from trying and that usually makes things worse.

I’ve got a couple of those flexible downspouts but the problem is if they are curved the water sits and won’t drain. That acts like a weight and eventually they collapse. So, they have to be straight or they just won’t work. Well I rigged up a system and have something in place that works for the moment. There are some leaks but the bulk of the water is now going where it’s supposed to into a black drainage hose. I did all of this in the pouring rain having to run from the back to the side of the house and I got soaked pretty quickly. Thankfully once I was a little wet, I had the foresight to remove my phone and wallet, otherwise this could have created a bigger problem. I’m sure if they neighbors were watching me; they got a hell of a laugh but it matters not to me. I managed to do damage to my back and I kept brushing against this bush with my face. I know for a fact there is poison ivy there, I just kept cussing up a storm and using what little strength I had. Eventually I had something in place but it wasn’t perfect so I tampered with it a little to try to make it better, that caused everything to fall apart and I had to start over. I did that 2 times and eventually said fuck this, get it to work to take the bulk of the water and call it a day. No sense in trying to make this perfect because that won’t happen until it’s truly fixed. I was moving and almost fell in the mud, that’s where I think I messed up my back. I also had a muscle spasm in my upper legs which wasn’t fun. Tomorrow is going to suck extra because of the aches and pains I am sure this old body will have.

Finally, I was done tinkering with this and came inside. I got undressed in the kitchen and then walked to the bathroom and jumped in the shower. I was mostly wet but I had all sorts of dirt on me and just felt the need to be clean. I put soap on my face and made sure to rub it around my eyes so that if there was any poison ivy oil it would wash it away. I got myself clean, toweled off and saw Gator waiting for me. She was looking at me like why are you showering now, you usually do that later in the day. Once I got some underwear on, I just had to sit down. I rested up with Gator in my lap I began browsing on my phone. I needed to get to the grocery store but wanted to catch my breath first. I gave it a ½ hour, then put one foot in front of the other as I went to the grocery store mad.

Turns out two times when I shouldn’t go to the grocery store. First when I’m hungry. Second when I am mad. Why? The results in either situation is the same. I bought a bunch of unhealthy food that I really don’t need. Like this huge platter of cookies, they were only $10 but it’s a fuck ton of cookies. I thought maybe they would have prepared sandwiches this week so I could skip making my lunch. Nope the fuckers didn’t have one. That made me angrier. Then I got to the check out and the total price made it worse. However, I was talking with the cashier and she told me that she went on a cruise came back and heard this hissing sound. Turns out she had 6 pipes in her crawl space that burst. They had to shut off the water, she called a plumber and then had to take out a loan. It was 6 thousand dollars. In some ways I would trade my problem for hers but the total no way. I hope to make it out of this mess for 2 thousand or less and I am leaning heavily on the less side.

If there is a different problem and it’s not the gutter and its siding or foundation related insurance may help with the cost but my deducible is a thousand. They won’t cover the mold at all so that would be my responsibility but you have to learn to walk before you run and right now it’s just a matter of taking this in steps. I fucking hate waiting I want to fast forward to the end so I can put this behind me but that isn’t the way life works. The problem here is the longer this lingers the greater the possibility that the problem will get worse and that means more money out of my pocket.

Needless to say, since the original temporary solution failed me more water got in and I have no idea if my problem is fixed with a gutter or if there is a larger issue. Next step is to call the handy man and see how much this is going to cost and get the gutter fixed. Then let the wood dry out again and wait for the next rain. If water is visible then I’ve got a bigger issue that needs to be fixed. If not then I’m good and can call the demo guy to come back and remediate.

I just called the “handy man” turns out he’s a plumber. Not sure if I got a good referral but I know I can always find someone on my own. I left a message and we shall see what happens.

I am trying to breath and remain calm but it’s not easy. It’s also difficult not to be depressed by the situation. However, in the end I am the master and fixing this is my responsibility. This is one of those times when I wish I could just call 1 person and then the problem would be fixed. I know I am repeating myself but I’m ready to move on. Please Lord Jesus make this go away and cheaply at that.  I can say for certain that this makes me appreciate what I have even more. 

Now you know how things went for me. Come back and I will be sure to keep you posted. Rain is done for now. Next chance in the forecast according to my phone says Friday. Perfect Friday the 13^th and the day of the full moon. I wonder if I should worry more now? Thanks for stopping by!

Productive Saturday

I went to bed a ½ hour early and that resulted in me sleeping until a little after mid-night. It was closer to 1a when I finally gave up on trying to sleep. I made good use of the time by watching the remainder of ER. I finally finished the series; I don’t recall that I ever saw the ending when the show was on the air. It was very good but I am sad now because it’s like what in the world do, I watch. I’ve got to find a new go-to series, I’ll be browsing around and I am sure I will land on something.

It was close to 4a when I finally had the desire to fall back to sleep. I had to share my bed with Gator who is quite the bed hog. It’s a twin bed and she left me the edge, how thoughtful. I pushed her fat ass out of the way and climbed in bed. I had to listen to her complain but eventually we cuddled up and she escorted me off to dream land. She has some magic spell she casts on me.

My body’s natural alarm clock woke me up at 7a the trash truck coming at 6a didn’t help things but at least I got an extra hour of sleep in. I got out of bed greeted the children who were all pleased that I was out of bed. Passed out their breakfast and then sat in my chair and browsed through social media. Until Momma came to tell me I needed to get moving. Actually, she wanted attention, I just took it as an opportunity to get in gear.

I headed out to Cracker Barrel where I had a horrible breakfast. The waitress talked me into changing my order to get an extra piece of sausage and extra hash brown casserole. She negated to bring me my extra grits and the item she talked me into didn’t include gravy for the biscuits, so I was ticked. Then I had to wait a hella long time before the food arrived. I thought about asking for a lunch menu the wait was so long. I got to see a semi good looking man. His child made him keep getting up and I said what a good baby, daddy was putting on a show for me and he never even knew it. It was entertainment to pass the time. The guy was married and the cutest thing within my line of sight. He would do in a pinch but really wasn’t my type.

On the way to breakfast I watched cars decide to go speeding past a marked police car in traffic. One of them got his attention and they pulled over but blocked an entire lane of traffic in doing so. I’m sure that is not how they planned to start their day but unless you pose a huge problem my local police typically issue warnings instead of tickets. That is not always the case but more often than not when I hear the radio traffic, they talk about warnings instead of citations.

Back on point. I checked the mail and ran an errand then back home. I cleaned out the gutters. Holy shit I didn’t know gutters could hold that much debris. When I was done, I was covered in dirt and ants. I did a quick test of my jury rig method for a gutter and it works but it has a slight leak. I found another piece of guttering and tried to work out a permanent solution but these pieces do not fit together logically. I went looking at the hardware store to see more about a perm solution. I need an oddly shaped S piece. I actually just need a handy man to fix it for me.

I got myself into the garage and undressed, then went inside for a decontamination shower. Which should have been the Silkwood scrub down but was a regular shower. Felt nice. Afterwards, I sat around in my underwear and looked at my phone while Gator sat comfortably in my lap. Eventually I flipped on the TV and we watch a Ron White stand up show until I felt the urge to nap. Gator helped me get back to sleep. Then when it was time to get up grouch playful Momma came in crowing at the top of her lungs. I ignored her and by the time I was out of bed she was ready to start napping in my chair. Funny thing about Momma if she is in front of me, she will quietly meow but if she wants to get my attention, she uses them lungs. This is all new since she has aged a few years. Normally she was loud all the time.

I passed out lunch. Earlier in the day my remote for my car wasn’t seen a couple times. I came out to open it and nothing happened when I pressed the button. Thankfully I used the keyless entry code and then got in and it started. The car is supposed to tell me when the battery is low. However, I just figured that it needed to be replaced. The replacement that goes into it is a honker of a coin battery. I ran around trying to find a replacement but no such luck. Hardware store didn’t have it and drug store didn’t have it. Things seem to be working now so I am just keeping an eye on it. I have a 2^nd remote if things go south and Amazon carries the battery. I could go to Batteries Plus and they would have it but they fuck people over w/o lube or a reach around so I am not their biggest fan. They have a great stock if you’re in a pinch but otherwise I avoid them at all costs. I grabbed some cat food and then headed for Mexican food.

Came home and went in search of Marv who had been in hiding all day long. He never showed up for lunch which is odd. Sure, enough he was hiding under the couch that his late sister used to frequent. As soon as he saw me, he started crying. I got him out and we sat on the couch and watched several episodes of Momma’s Family. How appropriate.

It was a very nice sunny mild day here. We did get in to the 80’s but it was in the low 70’s when I was outside doing work and I was in the shade. Today would have been a pick day to go on a road trip but I just wasn’t feeling it. I had my sites set on Salty Mexican and that is what I got. The part of the freeway I take was being worked on so I had to go the scenic route through the city, which wasn’t horrible I just don’t like stop and go traffic. I’m in it all week and it’s no fun. I just want to get on the road and go, let me get to where I am going and then you can have your wrecks or rubbernecking, I just want to get to my destination as quickly as possible.

Not sure if you saw the previews for a movie that was out earlier this year called Ma it’s got Octavia Spencer in it. It’s a horror film and I hate them. Oddly enough I have an attraction to this movie not exactly sure why. It’s available on Amazon and I am thinking of renting it even though watching it I will probably scream like a school girl. I’ve been putting it off for a while but eventually I know I will be watching it. Better if I can see it on HBO or Showtime for free meaning that it’s part of my subscription it’s won’t actually be free.

As I sit in my basement typing this out, I feel hot and I itch. I’ve convinced myself I have some type of cooties and it will shake it’s self out eventually. It does look like I got bit on the hand again by something, as long as it wasn’t the black spider (black widows are in my part of the country) I saw I’m fine and I will live. I don’t think it was the spider because this would be way worse.

I am anxiously awaiting tomorrow; I don’t like Sundays but the rain is supposed to start around 4a and that will bring some answers. I really think I was my own worst enemy here but if that proves not to be the case then this will cost more money than I want to part with. I really hope I am lucky here and the basement stays dry.

Thinking about Monday, man it’s going to be a hell of a day. I have two departures from Friday to finish up. They ram rodded a new hire in that starts on Monday but his account isn’t setup. I thought about doing that today but I opted not to because if I keep on accommodating, they will keep on ram rodding and I like notice and that is what I have been pushing for. Somehow, I don’t think I will get my way but it never hurts to ask. I will also be on call. Friday will be the 13^th and there will be a full moon. Can you just pray for me because I envision that next week will be bat shit crazy for me? I just hope I can maintain my sanity and survive.

I’ve taken full advantage of my time in doing chores early. The dishes are done and so is the laundry. I just have to work on vacuuming and trash. Passing the time away has been fairly easy up until now. I seem to have run out things I want to do. So, I will do some surfing and playing on the computer. Then it will be climbing the stairs to go see the children and prepare for bed. Hoping for a great Sunday, even if I will be trapped in doors and have to go grocery shopping in the rain (which I hate). Not to mention the rain will ruin the sparkle on my car but hey I can get it washed again.

I hope that you had a great Saturday. Talk with you again soon.

Moldy update

The vehicle has been taken care of and is shining like a diamond.  I forgot that when the fabric protection is applied it will be a couple months but I will be sliding around in my seat.  I hate that just as your trying to get out your rear end slides around and if your not careful you can wind up falling. 

The loaner I got was a V6 but had no turbo and we didn’t get along terribly well.  However, it got me to where I needed to be.  It seemed to be a little gas hungry compared to my 4 cylinder with twin turbos.  I noticed that when I got my vehicle back that I was way heavy on the gas pedal than I needed to be.  Hopefully all will go back to normal tomorrow.  They had my car at 8a and didn’t call me until 2:30p.  Jesus I know it had to be done before that.  When I got in I saw a couple small boxes in the center console kind of looked like air freshener.  I picked them up and found they were luggage tags.  Nice but I really don’t need them.  I also didn’t need the price jump but hey everyone does the green back boogie.  That’s a nice way of saying everyone needs to earn money.

The mold man came but he was late.  To the point where I was very close to giving up on him.  It was about a 1/2 hour conversation.  In that time span I got him from $900 to $750.  However, he’s a demolition and treatment guy.  He won’t help me finding the source of the water leak.  However, he told me that it could be in the base of the door or it could be a foundation issue or a siding issue.  I could potentially need to have part of a wall torn out in addition to a small hole in the floor and carpet.  So I need a construction/handy man to help.  However, they can only touch the outside.  Construction/fix it people don’t really care about your health so they will rip things out without having proper containment and equipment set up.  They can actually make things way worse.  The demo part of the job will take a 1/2 day.  We (me and the cats) can remain here while repairs are being done.  The cats will be scared to death and I think when it’s all done you will need to peel all of us off the ceiling.  There will be 1 guy running around in a bio-hazard suit and they will setup containment centers and run equipment that will sterilize the area.  They will cut what they can out and the rest will be painted with mold proof paint.  They will put a small sheet of plywood in place as a temporary solution so that no one falls through the floor.  It won’t look pretty and I will need to consider how best to move forward with a permanent fix. 

Some additional insight I learned is that bleach doesn’t kill mold it actually feeds it and makes the problem worse.  Also never, ever spray mold with anything.  You need to wipe it clean, otherwise it spreads.  So this has been educational but I could have easily survived my entire life without knowing this information.  I’m passing it on for your benefit.  Why not share the knowledge? 

I was told that I can easily wait a couple months before doing any repair work.  The most important thing is stopping the water intrusion.  So Sunday will tell if my jury rigged gutter solves my problem, if so then I need a handy man to put in a perm gutter and I can call the guy that was out today to fix it.  This won’t cost that much.  However, if my gutter solution doesn’t work then this just got more expensive because I’ll need to figure out where the water is coming in from, fix that. 

I know for a fact that my gutters still have debris in them.  Tomorrow morning I will get up and go out to breakfast, run an errand or two and then I am coming home and cleaning out the gutter in the back where this problem occurred.  That will put me in better shape for Sunday to knowing if this truly is a fix or if there is a bigger problem. 

I sincerely hope that I can get out of this mess as cheaply as possible.  Ideally that would be that I’m right about the water source.  Then getting a gutter guy and the demo guy out here shouldn’t be terribly expensive.  I mean I will be in debt no matter what but the question is how deep.  Best guess is that this damage has occurred over the past few months.  We have also had a very wet summer, which didn’t help things.  I was told that I was lucky that I caught it when it was this small.  Funny I don’t feel lucky at all. 

Here’s hoping that my next problem won’t be as depressing or overwhelming.  I don’t need any doozies, I think I’m good for a while.  Crossing my fingers, toes, eyes and arms.