Thursday & Friday–Update

Greetings and welcome back! 

Somehow on Thursday I managed to let time get away from me and I wound up scrambling to get out the door.  To make matters worse it was raining and normally on Thanksgiving there is no traffic but this Thanksgiving there was traffic.  I was only 5 minutes late but made it without any issue and even got a decent parking spot. 

The meal was enjoyable and I got the extra stuffing that I wanted.  I wanted Tiramisu for desert to change things up but didn’t bother to speak up so that didn’t happen.  It was nice to catch up on how things have been for the past year.  I tried to make them feel guilty for not reaching out more often but that didn’t work.  I was told you know you can call anytime.  Yeah but that’s not the point the point is the phone works two ways and you can also call me. 

I got a decent amount of left overs.  Today for lunch I finished off the Cesar Salad.  For supper I finished off the Ziti.  Tomorrow I will work in the Turkey, Stuffing and Mashed Potatoes and then Thanksgiving will be just a memory. 

When I got home I decided I wasn’t going to be in front of the computer I was going to spend time with the cats (aka family) because that is what the holiday was about being with those you love.  So I had to fight but I got my Thanksgiving post up from my iPad. 

My face was itching and driving me nuts.  I tried to shampoo my beard and that gave me some temporary relief but within a couple hours I was scratching.  So I shaved it off and wouldn’t you know it I cut my upper lip.  The razor slipped in two spots and I was bleeding for a while.  I looked for a septic pencil and know I have one but for the life of me I couldn’t find it.  You know I am going to come across it when I don’t need it.  Anyway the bleeding eventually subsided and I put on some antibiotic ointment.  It looks really good this morning.  I figure a couple days and it will be okay.  I will want to shave on Sunday night but that will depend upon how much stubble I have and how my cut is healing.  I don’t want to make things worse. 

I saw an Amazon Original Movie called The Report.  It was very good.  The caption I just grabbed from Google reads … FBI agent Daniel Jones performs an exhaustive investigation into the CIA's use of torture on suspected terrorists. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the CIA adopted new interrogation techniques.  I never fully understood what water boarding was but this movie gave me some additional insight. 

Black Friday … well the deals are abound but I only left the house to wheel out the trash can tonight to the curb.  Otherwise, I have been at home all day long.  I got my second coat of paint in this morning.  Then worked on cleaning the shower and finally collapsed and wound up taking a nap.  This afternoon sprayed some addition Concrobium Mold Killer for good measure.  Then followed up with a 1 1/2 hour Ozone treatment.  I came down a little after 5p and started vacuuming.  Of course as luck would have it I found more mold.  This time though it was sitting on the floor.  My late spouse had a wood pressed desk (Sauder) and the middle drawer was filled with junk and buried in a pile I put down here some years ago.  Well I opted to move that and that’s when I discovered the wood was rotting and mold was present.  That damn thing was in the trash can fast.  I cleaned up the mess but I think we might need another Ozone treatment.  The windows were open when I was doing this and my sinus are bothering me just sitting here typing.  When I was upstairs I was perfectly fine.  I will be quite surprised if the mold smell comes back now.  It’s all been remediated maybe not 100% professionally but I did what I feel is a pretty good job.

Amazon delivered my Cinnabon Cream of Wheat … 3 boxes and I will enjoy every packet.  That stuff is like gold to me.  I just wish I could get it sourced locally because it would be cheaper.  I’ve got another item that should be delivered tomorrow and then more next week.  By the end of next week I should have everything.  For the first time I bought off brand ink for my printer.  It’s cheaper like by $50 but I sure hope that it serves me well and doesn’t damage the printer.  I am nervous.  I typically buy brand name when it comes to printer ink/toner.  However, I feel charging over $100 for 4 cartridges is robbery.   

Listening to the police scanner.  Man they have been out all week and they are passing out tickets like they are candy.  It’s interesting to listen to but I wouldn’t want to be on the other end. 

I still have plenty of cleaning projects that I would like to get done but that requires action and I am lazy by nature so we shall see.  I also need to catch up on some work.  I’ve got 1 person leaving tomorrow and another person changing offices.  Plus all of the departures from the week past.  Part of me is looking forward to going back to work and the other part of me wants vacation to continue, despite the fact that I have spent the bulk of my time in bed.  It’s been really great.  The only two things that could have made it better are a little bit more energy or desire to accomplish tasks and if I could have blocked work out for a solid week. 

My usual tasks for tomorrow will be to get the mail and cat food.  I think I am going out to breakfast, at least I want to.  That will start things off on the right foot with good intentions but that will be dependent upon what time I pass out tonight.  Staying up late is very enjoyable.  The cats are all passed out and I am going strong watching TV like a champ. 

I hope that all is well in your world.  I need to go mop the bathroom floor which is a task I have been putting off.  Plus I’m sure that the cats will want treats.  They like their scheduled routine regardless if I am awake or in the mood.  Getting back to normal will be good for all of us. 

Take care and we will talk again soon.   

I am Thankful

Today we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the United States. This is a day to pause, be with family/friends and reflect on all there is to be thankful for. At least that is my take on what today is all about.

I know that I have done more than my fair share of complaining and that’s primarily because I am depressed. However, I’ve been thinking about today and while it’s terribly easy to reflect on the negative and get depressed I want to be positive. We have all been through some storms in our lives. Some storms are stronger than others. Everyone is/has or will go through a storm.

Thinking about all of the things I have to give thanks for outside of my worldly possessions, I have 3 great cats and was blessed in knowing so many more in years past. Even though my cat family isn’t all alive they each have touched me in a special way and even taught me a thing or two. I do miss my spouse but I had so many great years of knowing him and wow he really taught me a lot. How to drive for starters along with many other life lessons. Such as you don’t need to respond to everything, sometimes it’s better to just take it all in.

Then there is my job, something I found and got all on my own. No help from anyone. I started in an entry level position and have worked my way up to be on the team I wanted and doing many tasks that are vital but also enjoyable. I love the knowledge that I have gained and the exposure I have had to various situations. I don’t claim to know it all and I am sure there is plenty more that I will be exposed to and learn from.

I am proud of my accomplishments and how I managed to pull myself back up when all of the chips were down. I am proud that I’ve been able to keep the last promise I made to my spouse, each and every day. I know that he would be quite proud of me as well. I may not have done the very best but I did pour my heart and soul into staying afloat. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t have options and your back is against the wall.

It’s been a long road but I am still here putting my left foot out and then my right and then my left. Life is about moving forward. It may not be fun, easy or what you want but it’s the right thing to do regardless of the situation. Life is also about learning. Each and every day there is something to be learned. The biggest thing is how to treat people and you can learn that by how they treat you.

So today I will remember those that have gone before me … my spouse, my mom, my grandparents, and pets. I will enjoy some good food hopefully have a laugh or two. I will think about those that are less fortunate than me. Those that may not have a roof over their head, a hot meal or health care. There are so many basic things that I have that I take for granted, I think we all loose sight of the simple basics in life and get caught up in our own lives.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday

Here we are Thanksgiving Eve.  Is that really a thing?  I saw it in a commercial last night.  It won’t be too long we will be saying Christmas Eve. 

Today I got more sleep.  Got Marv’s medicine filled and picked it up from the vet.  Then hit up Sam’s Club.  Geez I just paid my way out of credit card debt and I’m back to wracking up charges.  Got some cat treats & food, both were at a really good price.  Picked up some sweets.  Soda & Water along with a case of paper and AA Batteries.  $130.  Then hit up the gas pump and dropped $19 and went home.  It was extra windy and cold out today so not a day to be outside, at least not for me. 

I was looking at upgrading my phone last night.  iPhone 11 looks pretty good, comes in the color red which is cool.  It’s an easy $25 extra a month on my phone bill which isn’t terrible it’s what I paid per month for my iPhone 7 (which is next to worthless now).  My hesitation comes because I run with a Mophie battery case also in red and then I need a leather holster that I can clip to my belt.  Something that is sturdy and won’t fall off or apart.  Mophie got out of the holster business which is kind of sad but I get that probably not a lot of people get them.  It’s just what I have been used to.  The iPhone 11 has a much better battery life but when your down on juice it’s nice to know you don’t have to find a charger just press a button and your battery recharges.  The battery packs are around $100 and a holster is probably between $20 and $50.  I just bought additional chargers for home, work and the car.  Thankfully they are all compatible with the Qi Charging system.  I didn’t go through with it, the timing doesn’t feel right and the fact I would need to hit up a couple stores just wasn’t appealing.  This is on my to do list and if I don’t give in December chances are really good it will happen in the early part of next year.  I am just not eager to sign up for another payment and knowing that another bill will be going up. 

I called a former co-worker who retired due to health reasons.  He’s got cancer and it’s progressing.  He probably has around 6 months or less left.  He’s on pain killers and the dose is being adjusted constantly.  Hospice is around the corner.  He’s in his late 60’s.  Smoked most every day of his life so it’s not a surprise he has cancer.  It’s one of the risks.  It had him really bad to where you can say he is an addict.  He was smoking while we were on the phone.  I mean there is no reason to quit now might as well enjoy what little time you have left.  I was saddened to hear that this has progressed so rapidly.  It’s in his bones, bone marrow and started in his lung.  He’s also had several bouts with bladder cancer.  He says he wants to come back to the office to see everyone again but I don’t honestly think that will come to pass.  I get that the connection with people is important.  He worked there for almost 20 years which is a long time, especially in this day and age.  I miss him but he’s been gone since mid January of this year.  A lot has happened since then. 

I checked my work email and sure enough those other 2 people are starting on Monday so I had to scramble to get them setup.  It wasn’t fun or how I wanted to spend my time away.  I did deduct time from my PTO so that I am compensated for my good deed.  I will have more work to do over the weekend and then on Monday it will be back to the grind.  It will be nice to get the new guy trained up enough so that he can cover for me when I am gone and I don’t have to worry about coming back to a hornet’s nest.  That is what vacation is supposed to be all about.  Being a one man band has it’s advantages but the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. 

So the big day is tomorrow.  I am sort of looking forward to it and also dreading it at the same time.  I like being able to sleep in and do what I want but hey it’s 1 day and chances are I will only be tied up for a couple hours.  Unless we really get to gabbing and I get invited back to their place.  I figure we will spend all of our time in the restaurant and then part ways.  That is kind of depressing knowing that I am coming home to the cat house but there won’t be a person waiting for me. 

I did hear back from a guy I matched with.  It’s awkward we exchanged our hellos.  Now I asked a simple question about music.  The difficult part is getting a conversation going and keeping it alive.  If we can manage that then perhaps we will meet up. 

I hope that you have a great Thanksgiving, don’t eat too much.  Stay safe and be well.  Talk with you all again soon. 

Taking care of me

I had a great day!  I had to get up to feed the cats and pass out medicine at 6a.  That was horrible.  I watched a little TV and then returned to bed.  My sleeping pals were quick to join me.  When I woke up I found that someone (most likely momma) decided that my sweatpants were a good place to go to the bathroom.  Not exactly sure why but I will say they sure are soft. 

I had some sugar cereal or more specifically Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  1/2 of the box is now gone.  Man it sure was good!  Knowing that I would be getting tired once the sugar wore off I opted to just be lazy and take my time.  I wound up going back to bed and finally got up and got moving around 2p. 

I had a dream that me and my late spouse were at Steak N Shake trying to pay our bill.  It was a little bit of a fiasco.  We were on great terms talking.  I didn’t fully appreciate that it was a dream until I woke up.  He’s always on my mind but the dreams of him and with him don’t happen that often. 

Anyway I got a shower and put on some of my $26 beard oil.  That stuff doesn’t stop the itching but the 520 5% lidocaine cream mixed with it sure does help.  I still kind of want this fur off of my face.  It’s rough and just doesn’t look like me.  However, I am purposely keeping it going at least until after Thanksgiving.  Why?  Because it will make me look different and that’s what I am going for. 

Today was a me focused day.  I did the shopping I needed to.  Very surprised that I got myself some new shoes for work.  They are Sketchers with Memory Foam and damn they look dressy but feel more like a sneaker.  Love that.  I got some new socks to go with them.  While I was at it I threw in a pair of pants.  I just picked out my size and didn’t bother to try them on until I got home.  My hands were full and if push came to shove I knew I could return them.  Thankfully they fit just fine.  They have this semi sticky lining in the waist band to help keep your shirt tucked in.  Kind of a novel idea.  Everything I wear on Thanksgiving Day with the exception of my underwear, watch and any jewelry will be totally new.  I’m a little excited.  I also found the pants I got on Amazon for less so when I want a new pair that’s where I will go instead of a big box store. 

When I was finally done I took myself to the pizza place and ordered a salad, garlic cheese bread and lasagna along with a soda.  Damn it was all very good and I left very full.  That feeling lasted for a couple hours.  It’s 9p and that meal was around 3:30p.  I am perfectly fine.  I have an urge for ice cream or something sweet but I am keeping that in the back of my mind. 

Came home and curled up in the chair.  Watched the local news.  We have tons of rain moving into the area.  It’s a storm that has Winter on one side and Spring on the other.  Thankfully were on the Spring side.  If we were on the Winter side we would be like Denver where they got 32 inches of snow and there is more on the way.  I’d like a little snow but not 32 inches.  I just imagine having that on Black Friday I’ll bet you people would still come out in droves for the “bargains”. 

Eventually I made my way downstairs and recorded my spending, logged my paycheck I’m getting tomorrow and paid bills.  Then placed another Amazon order.  I did put the pen I have my eye on in my cart but since it couldn’t be delivered tomorrow I removed it.  It’s back on my Shopping List and at some point I will probably buy it.  As it is I have a couple new toys coming.  A battery tester and a laser non contact thermometer.  Some other consumables like ink for the printer and Cinnabon Cream of Wheat.  I just love that stuff.  I took it easy on my spending because my extra cash is almost done for.

My adventure for tomorrow will be Sam’s Club for drinks and gas for the car.  If I feel like it I may drive for pie but since there is rain on the way 2 hours on the road for pie, not sure that I can justify that.  There are some cleaning tasks I would love to get done. 

I did check in with work and got the missing piece I needed to complete the one new hire.  No word on the other two but if they are coming tomorrow would be the day that happens, otherwise they won’t be starting on Monday. 

That’s all I got for now.  Looking forward to relaxing a bit before bed with the cats, taking in some TV and then calling it a night.  I will likely be up late since I got such a late start.  The cats won’t mind. 

Take care and be well. 

Balls

I thought I would check up on my work email to see what I managed to miss on a Monday.  In one way I am glad that I did and in another way I wish I wouldn’t have.  They are sneaking in 3 more people that all start on Monday.  That means extra work for me because right now I am the only person that can set up a new hire. 

I got the details on the first person and have most of his account setup.  I need some additional information before I can complete the process.  We have 2 days left in the week so I will need to check my email again tomorrow to see what is waiting for me.  I can almost promise you this will all be a last minute affair.  The stuff you want & need to move fast doesn’t.  The stuff you don’t need to move fast does.  That’s just the way it seems to work for me. 

I made sure my boss knew I was on-line and working, even though it was less than an hour.  It shows dedication and/or stupidity – probably both.  There could be a reward in it for me but probably not.  If anything it will just help to build my character.  This is the kind of things I am known for and I guess it’s just expected. 

Now I could have let all of this sit and then on Monday it would be a complete shit show because I would have to scramble and it would make my life more difficult.  I am all about simple so that’s mostly why I jumped into action.  I did turn email notifications off on my phone and I don’t plan on turning them back on until at least the weekend. 

So glad that we are closed on Thursday & Friday those should be email free days where only automated emails are generated and I should get nothing from anyone else.  That’s the good part about taking off during a holiday week. 

On a different note, I did run the Ozone generator again just to error on the side of caution.  Man that thing smells.  The basement is once again airing out.  I figured might as well do it when it’s 50 degrees outside instead of when the temperature drops to 30. 

I had a Stouffer’s Fried Chicken Bowl for dinner.  It was Fried Chicken Strips, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy along with Corn all in one bowl.  7 minutes later I called it dinner.  Not bad but certainly pales in comparison to a home cooked meal.  I did my research for the pizza place I want to hit up and unless something changes it’s a go for tomorrow.  I am already excited. 

Made my to-do list for tomorrow.  Thought about treating myself to breakfast out but then I remembered I bought 2 boxes of sugar cereal so that will be breakfast for me.  Got to eat that while I am off.  I can’t work and function.  Must have hot cereal and breakfast sandwich as my normal work breakfast.  I can add a little bit on top of that if I want but usually I just stick to that.  It’s boring but it gives my body enough fuel to power through until lunch.  Two stores to hit up tomorrow along with the post office.  Then I’m done until Saturday when it’s time to go back out for cat food.  I hate shopping as it is, but throw in the holidays and it makes it that much worse.  Wal-Mart was packed to the brim when I left for breakfast this morning and it’s been that way for about a week.  The store by me is open 24/7 and it’s got a grocery store in addition to the traditional Wal-Mart store.  I can tell you for  fact that very few people are there for groceries.  Most people are there to buy stuff for their kids, families, etc.  Part of me wishes that I had presents to buy but the other part of me is thankful that I don’t. 

I think about this time last year when the shit hit the fan with my brothers relationship and to think that less than a year later he married the crazy bitch.  Looks like he’s got some holiday shopping to do.  Sadly we haven’t been in touch with each other since his “mental breakdown” when he told me that she was with him.  I would rather be alone for the rest of my life than be tied to a controlling and manipulating person like her.  The single life does have it’s advantages in that you don’t have to answer to anyone and can do what you want, when you want.  Except in my case I answer to my cats, but outside of that I am free to do what I want.  So long as they get attention, food, water and their litter boxes emptied. 

Well off to continue to play on the computer.  I’m trying to get rid of an annoying notification.  Always fun to solve a problem.  Stay warm and we will talk again. 

Shopping–Day 1

I was up at 6a to feed the cats and pass out medicine.  Watched a little TV and eventually went back to bed.  Got up at 8a and out the door to Cracker Barrel.  I had a whole day planned in my mind and then it hit me.  I didn’t factor in the Grocery Store.  Well a boy’s got to eat.  So there went the plan. 

I hit Cracker Barrel got my Blueberry Pancakes and then headed off to see the dealer.  They of course had no idea what in the world went wrong with my car.  They said maybe the key didn’t register right.  We wouldn’t know unless we examined your vehicle.  I see no reason to waste my time because they won’t come up with anything wrong since it hasn’t happened again.  I am going to report the issue to the FBI and write headquarters of the manufacturer.  I don’t expect anything will come of it.  I thought about just dropping it but I don’t think it’s insignificant and want to make sure that it’s documented.  I’m not demanding nor asking for anything other than an audit of their system because if it happened to me it can easily happen to another person.  Technology is great but you have to have safeguards in place. 

Then off to the dreaded grocery store.  I didn’t get much since I’m not working this week and just need to sustain myself mildly.  I have accommodations for breakfast and supper.  Then to the place I have put off for a long time, the haircare store.  I walked in and of course they rearranged the store again.  I had planned a grab and go but had to take my time and make my way through the store.  I always spend at least $50 but was a little surprised when I got to the counter I dropped $78 and that’s with 10% off.  For the first time in my life I purchased beard oil.  I’m growing out my facial hair at least for this week and wanted to combat the itching.  I dropped $26 for this tiny jar of liquid and my face is already starting to itch.  I am wondering if I will be able to make it through the entire week.  If I can survive this then I may go another week.  Right now I think I look really good. 

Speaking of looking good I dropped 5 pounds since last week, so that’s something.  I have about 5 more to go before I am back to what I was before this work from home adventure started.  I don’t know that will come easy.  I have starved myself a little bit.  When I get bored I’m either eating or watching porn, sometimes one then the other.  So the key is keeping busy but taking time to relax.

Back on point.  I came home after that little bit of retail therapy.  Put away the groceries and began cleaning the house.  This place smells better.  Then I was worn out and breakfast was starting to cause a little bit of tiredness.  So I relaxed with a Diet Coke and my phone.  Then started watching TV and eventually fell asleep.  Woke up and passed out lunch for the kids and I ate a couple cookies and consumed a fresh soda. 

Now I am in the basement pouring out my soul and the laundry is churning.  The basement smells okay.  I think I will be going for another treatment tonight to error on the side of caution. 

I need to go back out to hit up Target for cat liter and a couple other items.  Sam’s sounds nice to stock up on Soda & Water but if they are packed then count me out.  I wanted to hit up a local pizza place for dinner to try their lasagna but they are closed on Monday’s.  Glad I looked on line before I went.  Not 100% positive on what I am doing for supper. 

I’ve got a guy that likes me on Tindr and he looks okay, think he might be a doctor or a med student.  I am on the fence on if I want to match with him.  I just had a 27 year old average looking guy like me but he is 472 miles away and his profile said he likes to talk to older men.  Yeah fuck that it’s a recipe for disaster. 

Well going to get cracking on my car complaint and then I’ll probably get back to the program.  I’d like to deep clean this place while I am off and have the time but something tells me I won’t make much progress there. 

Happy Monday!  It’s a balmy 60 degrees here unseasonably warm but it’s only for today.  Then Winter returns tomorrow and for the rest of the week.  Snow is in the weekend forecast right now but that is a ways off so things could change.  Cheers!

Smells like bleach

It only took most of the day to wait for the Amazon delivery driver but they showed up a little after 5p.  I was anxious to try this Ozone generator to see if it would solve my problem.  I had to attach the handle, take time to read the instructions and then I was ready to start. 

Since I read that there may be fog/smog associated with the use of one of these devices, I opted to bring my cat camera to the basement so I could keep an eye on things.  From the moment I turned the unit on I smelled Ozone.  It’s like a bleach type smell and kind of irritating, so you don’t want to stick around.  Since I have been battling this chronic issue I opted to go for 1 full hour of treatment.  Then I came down and opened a window and left for an hour.  I didn’t cross ventilate so it helped but most of the bleach type smell is still present.  It’s not as bad as breathing the mold smell but it’s annoying.  I’ve got two windows open and 2 air purifiers running full blast.  This may take a couple days to get rid of but it’s still way better than the mold smell. 

Once the Ozone smell is gone I am interested to see if this will have solved the problem or if the odor will reoccur.  I would think if I have done the proper remediation that all I should be left with is a neutral smelling space.  That’s what I read online and hopefully that is the case.  Stay tuned and I will be sure to let you know. 

Today wasn’t a total waste.  I got up early got a shower, had breakfast, grabbed a haircut, got the mail and got cat food.  I’ve taken a nap and just waited around for the Amazon delivery.  There you have my day. 

Tomorrow my goals will be grocery shopping, getting hair care products and taking a run through a local department store.  Looking at shirts, pants and shoes. 

I know I am supposed to be making a pie run but I keep thinking about how far away that place is and do I really want to drive that far for pie?  Not really.  Not sure if I will give in or not.  It would be much more fun to go with someone rather than going alone. 

Found out that the college is out for Thanksgiving and the High School & Elementary Schools will be out on Tuesday for their holiday breaks.  Kind of really makes me want to get all of my shopping done tomorrow. 

Traffic is heavier and stores are packed a lot more so I kind of think that the holiday shopping season has already begun.  Thursday daytime will be reserved for the holiday and then the night time will be the official start to the holiday shopping season, when people will turn into complete assholes and go kicking and screaming to the stores.  Watch there will be someone seriously injured or killed shortly after a store opens it’s doors because everyone has to have that bargain.  Yeah there are truly some great deals but they aren’t worth your life or even getting injured, at least from where I sit.  I say that having had to buy for people before.

I’m currently starting to re-watch the Queer As Folk show via Showtime Anytime on my Roku’s.  There was some talk of rebooting the show but I think maybe only 1 or 2 (if that) of the original cast would be back.  I am waiting with baited breath.  That show was so hot.  Even though the sex scenes between the guys were all simulated it was very much soft core porn. 

Well on to see what I can scour up on the internet.  Then back up to be with the kids for the night.  They are in 7th heaven spending all of this time with daddy.  Were sleeping and relaxing together.  Marv is at his best when he’s next to me on the couch sleeping.  It’s like he totally unwinds and since he too is getting older once he is out the deeper he sleeps.  Gator & her mom stick together.  I think momma is tired of her but she knows she isn’t going anywhere.  Ah kids. 

At least I don’t have to get up early and go to work.  I will probably be up way too early and I will go out for breakfast.  Then hit up the grocery store, etc.  I’ve got a package coming in the mail tomorrow but I think it’s just medicine so nothing to get excited about.  Everything I have ordered from Amazon has arrived!  They make it so easy to spend your money and it’s so convenient.  It feels like an addiction at times.  Well that is until the bill for Prime comes. 

Stay warm and take care.  Talk again soon!

Lazy Saturday

I woke up in the middle of the night and got a snack.  Watched a little TV and went back to bed.  Up a couple hours later, fed the cats and had another snack, which I guess you could call breakfast.  Watched more TV and played on my phone. 

I got a special introductory offer to Tindr a dating app that I have been on for a while.  They were offering 6 months of service valued at $115 for a mere $59.  I have known deep down that I wanted to subscribe and was going to eventually even if for a short period of time.  I wasted no time in signing up for this.  I saw all of the 8 people that liked me.  Woof they were all dogs.  I have the service until May.  I’ve already turned off the auto renewal.

After spending the bulk of the day upstairs with the kids I came down to the basement for what was supposed to be a few minutes.  It’s been more like 45 minutes.  The moldy smell is back.  I had turned off all of the machines just to see what would happen.  The place smelled pretty good for a short time.  I am running out of rope and options here.  So I just ordered an Ozone generator.  It generates Ozone which will break down mold spores and kill any thing that might still be alive.  It’s flammable, can create a fog/smog and shouldn’t be used around anything alive that you care about.  From what I have read on-line it can irritate the lining of the lungs and just a mild exposure can keep you symptomatic for 8 months. 

Today my eyes water, I cough and my sinus’ bother me.  How much worse can this be?  Well I don’t plan on breathing it in.  I will head the advice and warnings that I have read.  The basement has been closed off for most of the week.  Ruth was the only one who came down here and her sister comes down when I turn on the vacuum.  So this magical device will be delivered tomorrow.  I plan to run it for 15 to 30 minutes and then allow about an hour before I come down to check and see what kind of job it did.  Ozone has a bleach like smell to it.  We shall see if this works at all.  I have read a lot of positive review and a couple of negative reviews.  It’s $73, tack that on to all of the other stuff I have bought to try to combat this and I am still no where near what the original estimate I was given and that was for a much smaller area.  I just hope this damn thing solves my problem.  I have held off from buying it for a while but considering that I am starting to run out of options I figure why not.  The next and last thing is a mold bomb.  It’s a fogger that costs around $50.  I can pretty much guarantee that if I have to use that me and the cats will be leaving the property for a while.  Mold exposure can cause confusion amongst other things.  I have been making all kind of mistakes (little ones) at work and I attribute that to mold as well as the stress that comes from trying to get rid of it.  The water issue is solved.  I believe the damage it’s done has been killed off and that chances are if I was a patient person this odor would go away but I’m not a patient person.  I just hope I won’t cause anymore damage than what has already been done. 

I heard from my turkey friend.  He wanted to know what time we were eating.  I sent the time and got the usual so looking forward to seeing you.  Yeah I think that was all bullshit.  I kind of feel like I am being patronized and that the words are hollow and not sincere.  Hey I could be wrong.  It doesn’t help that I am already pissed from him/them not reaching out more often.  I have a slight feeling this might be the last Thanksgiving we spend together as I am close to my breaking point where I just want to cut my losses and be done.  So I’d be alone.  In reality I’ve been alone for many years.  If there were a true emergency I think he would help me out but it would be in a limited fashion, doing as little as possible. 

Golly gee I wish I could win the friendship lottery … getting more new friends then even in shitty times (like with the mold) I would be happier and hell I may even be able to get some help.  I told him about the mold months ago and his advice was break out the bleach and call someone to get rid of the mold, it’s go to go.  I’d offer to come by but I’m busy.  Yeah well fuck you too.  I’m kind of thinking the mold topic will come up at the table and when it does I will be more than happy to tell him he was wrong you don’t use bleach on mold because that feeds it.  I could tell him I took your advice and it spread look at what you did.  However, this isn’t his fault.  I’d love to blame someone other than myself but I can’t and blaming doesn’t fix the problem. 

So that’s day 1 of my 9 days of vacation.  I have no idea how I am going to sleep tonight or more to the point of when.  I do plan to get out tomorrow.  Breakfast, Cat Food, Hair Cut, Pharmacy and Grocery Store.  Breakfast will be top on my list right after a shower.  I am also debating if I should shave or let my beard grow out.  I suffer from paralysis by choice and hate making decisions.  However, in due time I will. 

Hope you had a great Saturday!

Longing for vacation

One more day and then I will be on vacation, sort of.  I say that because I know of a couple tasks that I need to do while I am out.  I also figure that I will be bothered at least one time while I am out. 

This week much like last week is very stressful and the day takes off, all hell breaks loose and then I start feeling like a 1 man band.  I really like my job but this pace is killer and I am quickly loosing my patience, my fuse if you will and ready to just go all Gordon Ramsey on someone. 

My older co-worker is on call this week and I know he’s busy, hell we all are.  However, there have been some trouble tickets that bubbled up.  He’s picky about someone touching “his tickets” when he is on-call.  However, I did jump in and help him out.  I got a thank you which was kind of nice.  Just because I did a good deed more than once doesn’t mean that I am going to keep doing it day after day.  Something came up while he was away at lunch, I was training the new guy and the boss chirped out who can take care of this.  Fuck.  I guess that would be me.  There was a ticket from last night that came up it had virus written all over it.  The on-call person should have gotten it, as in jumped on it right away even though it said it could wait until morning.  Boss man assigned it to me this morning and then called me.  I was less than pleased and very short with him.  Not sure if he could tell that I was pissed but I was.  It’s like Motherfucker there is more than me on the team.  I enjoy being the hero and saving the day but even hero’s need rest. 

I have found myself driving home and starting to fall asleep behind the wheel.  Something that I have vowed would never ever happen to me again.  I had a couple of moments where I was out but thankfully they were brief and nothing happened.  I was wearing a warmer coat and switched back to leather today.  I had no problems driving home tonight.  When colder weather hits I may be in trouble or have to freeze a little bit. 

I thought for sure I was getting ill earlier in the week from dealing with the mold but I either staved it off or my judgement was wrong.  Either way I don’t care.  I don’t want to be sick especially when my favorite holiday rolls around next week.  I just confirmed my reservation a few moments ago.  So looking forward to Sausage Stuffing! 

Anyway back on track here.  The mold smell was pretty bad in the basement despite the fact I painted and had my new air purifier running full blast with the UVC germ killing power on.  I sprayed some Mold Control which is an encapsulant and that has helped.  Out of desperation I bought 2 jars of Safe T Air.  It’s Tea Tree Oil and some other junk designed to cleans the air and kill mold and other things.  2 jars $50.  I opened one last night when it arrived and a lot of it has evaporated, which was to be expected.  The smell of it is pretty good.  I still plan on painting and maybe even a second coat of Mold Control.  The smell is dissipating but not fully gone.  I want it gone and never to return again.  Mold has been the death of what little joy I had left in life and caused quite the depression for me.  If I can get rid of it I know I can mentally recover with time. 

There has been no talk of moving out of our temporary quarters at work, which I am thankful for.  The construction is wrapping up.  However, the new and old offices all need new furniture and that is on back order.  The guy who does the installing is running behind as well so it looks more like Christmas before things will be back to total normal.  That doesn’t mean I get to stay where I am until then.  I am just enjoying it while it lasts.  I really hope I get to move straight back to an office because I have become quite fond of it.  Playing music, burping and cussing like a sailor out loud without any fear.  Kind of nice!

Time to publish this and get upstairs.  My evenings are short, bed time rolls around quickly and then it’s back to work before you know it.  Hope all is well in your world.  Talk with you again soon.  I’m thinking of just doing nothing on Saturday.  It sounds so nice being lazy and just napping and laying around.  Time will tell I suppose.  Cheers!

Germ Guardian

Unfortunately, there is still a mold smell in the house.  I did foam seal this morning.  The paint looks good but I’m thinking maybe I need to apply a second coat.

I have found myself coughing and sneezing the smell of mold just wreaks havoc on me.  I had enough so I went out and purchased 2 Germ Guardian air filtration units.  They each have a UV Light that kills germs plus a true HEPA filter.  Not cheap at $89.99 each but I think (and hope) this will solve the problem.  1 unit for the basement and 1 unit for upstairs.  They will both run 24/7.  Upstairs at a lower speed because of the cats and downstairs on high.  I also upgraded to the highest grade of filter for the other 2 air purifiers I have.  1 is in my bedroom and the other in my office.  I wish they had UV light technology but they don’t and that’s why they were cheap.  There are only 3 additional panels and I have checked them they are all clean and undamaged as of yesterday. I’ve also changed the air filter in the furnace and sprayed in some Lysol.  I’m serious about wanting this mold issue gone and solved, it’s robbed me of time, money and caused a great deal of worry & depression.  I fucking hate it.  I feel really bad for the cats this is the last thing I want to expose them to.  I’ve chatted with the vet and they have allergic symptoms like humans but that’s about the extent of it.  I know in humans it can also damage sinus tissue and you can get an infection in your brain not to mention it causes memory loss.  I’m finding myself super forgetful lately and I am blaming the mold. 

Today didn’t start off well I woke up at 6:30a and thought it was Monday and that I forgot to set the alarm.  I sat in bed for a minute and then it kicked in today is Sunday.  See what I mean about being forgetful. 

I also chomped on my tongue tonight while eating some left over pizza.  It was like I forgot it was there and it just got in the way.  Fuck that hurt but now it’s numb.  As long as I don’t bite it again I should be fine.

I am running behind schedule but all of the cleaning is done.  Just have to take up some laundry and put it away.  Then get ready for Monday and then ready for bed.  Medicate myself & the 2 cats.  Then we should be all set.  This is the last week before vacation.  I sure do hope that my vacation is enjoyable and that I can relax and get the things I want to do accomplished. 

Despite all of the things that have gone wrong I am in a very decent mood.  I think mostly because I know I get to return to the office tomorrow and work with the cute new guy. 

Speaking of cute guys.  I got my Germ Guardian at Target and had to ask for help.  I picked one of the cutest guys in the store.  He helped me and I got to look him up and down.  I wanted to ask him now that you helped me find the items I wanted to buy.  Can you tell me do they make you in a gay single version because I’d love to take you home.  But I resisted. 

Well I guess I should get to it.  Hope your Sunday was great!  Stay warm, be well and I will talk with you again soon.  Not sure when but soon!

Fried to a crisp

This week has been very challenging to train a new person and keep up with my regular work load.  I was out on Monday but worked the remainder of the week. 

The new guy is fucking cute as a button, straight and married.  He’s also more than 4 hours away from me.  We get along really well thus far.  He’s super smart and has a sense of humor.  I was concerned about the sense of humor part since he came from the government but they didn’t damage him or if they did it doesn’t show.  I want to come out to him and open up a bit more about my personal life but I don’t know what affect that will have on our working relationship.  I will probably at some point open up to him but I don’t know that doing it early on is the right thing to do.  We talk for hours on end it starts off business and then I crack a joke and that derails our training.  He’s got another week of training and I think he will slowly be added to the mix. 

My boss asked me what I thought.  I told him you did a great job this time around.  He said I know and to think we wasted 2 years.  Fucking right you prick.  I wasn’t complaining to hear myself talk there was merit to my complaints but I guess he just now figured that out.  Jesus Christ.  I told him I also thought the new guy was super cute and he just glossed over that.  I thanked him so much for hiring this guy.  He knows for a fact the guy is smarter than any of us and that he is going to be a sponge.  Meaning he will soak up all of the knowledge, retain it and be able to perform w/o any issues.  I sure fucking hope so because we wasted 2 years!!!

I have had wicked dreams all week long.  They were just odd.  Thursday night I was beat and I took my sleeping medicine 10 minutes early.  That fucked everything up and I was wide awake after 2 hours of sleep.  So Friday I worked from home, not a bad way to end the week.  It wasn’t what I wanted but I tried to get in as much sleep as possible.  I even took a nap at lunch time.  Momma let me sleep for a whopping 15 minutes and then she was standing on my chest with her Tuna breath.  Yep that will wake me up!  I was in her spot and she wanted it back. 

The basement still has the mold smell to it.  I also have found 2 crickets in the house.  That is rather odd, never had that happen.  I decided to do some investigating and the mold spread like wildfire.  It ate through a small corner of the wood in one bay and my guess is that is where the crickets were.  I also found an ants nest if there is such a thing.  I threw away the insulation because it’s all infected with mold and some of it ants.  I thought about cleaning all of the mold I saw but then I just threw caution to the wind and hit it all with the mold killing paint I bought.  That will seal it … killing the mold and also the smell that goes with it.  I really thought I had my problem well under control.  I did investigate when I found the initial problem back in late August.  All of what I saw tonight checked out fine then.  I’m pretty certain that this problem is way worse than what I have found.  As it stands now a large portion of subfloor will need to be replaced.  It’s a good idea to replace all of the ban board as well which is the barrier that protects the inside from the outside world.  There is probably more damage to the outside wall.  All of this means ripping up the deck and calling in a contractor.  None of this will be covered by insurance hence why I painted.  I want to limp along as long as I can before I am forced to take out a loan to do the needed repairs.  I’m hopeful that I have killed off the mold for good.  The only really good news from this is that the floor joists are solid and mostly unaffected.  MOLD the 4 letter word that has truly been a nightmare for me.  I really wish I would have fixed the downspout sooner rather than later as this could have all been avoided.  I wanted to ignore the smell but it’s not just the smell I have allergic symptoms so I know I did the right thing and am thankful that I was able to find it before it got any worse.  Let’s cross our fingers that this is mitigated and the band-aid I’m putting in place holds for quite sometime.   

Okay so the mold is an issue but I have another problem believe it or not.  I used my new personal trimmer that is supposed to be skin safe.  Yeah that is bullshit I cut my ball sack and that fucking burns and itches.  I ordered some 5% lidocaine cream from Amazon that will be here tomorrow, which can’t come fast enough for me.  I contacted the manufacturer of the trimmer and they said of course it’s all my fault but to error on the side of caution they want to send me a new blade.  FUCK.  I want to return the damn thing but honestly it is a darn good trimmer.  I will think twice before I trim my neither regions again.  However, this trimmer will do great with side burns and I could see using it on my face and my upper back. 

For the first time ever I put up plastic to cover the windows in the living room and the patio door.  This was no easy job.  For the patio door I ordered a special 3M kit and that film is pretty well crystal clear.  For the living room windows I used a product from Duck.  It was supposed to cover 5 windows but they didn’t have 5 individual sheets of plastic it was all one continuous run.  Putting that in place started off great but quickly went south.  It’s jury rigged together and looks like shit but it should get the job done.  I already felt less of a draft and it was warmer today.  The only bad part about this is when the light bulb on the patio burns out I will have to walk all the way around the house instead of just going out the back door. 

I went out for pizza tonight, even though I’m on-call I stuck close to home all day and decided to throw caution to the wind tonight.  Turns out it’s still quiet and I hope it stays that way because I am burnt to a crisp when it comes to work.  I am really earning my vacation and I can already tell that I may have to do a little work while I am out. 

Phew I think were caught for now.  I’ll probably be back tomorrow if I can manage to get out of bed with another update.  Hope you had a good and productive week. 

Before I go I got a new Roku box.  It’s super tiny cost $24 on Amazon.  My old large purple LT box that I got a couple years ago has been phased out and won’t get anymore updates and some channels will eventually stop working with it.  I hooked up this new box in a snap and all of my channel line up stayed in place, there was a little work required on-screen and then on a computer/mobile device within 30 minutes I had everything I needed and was ready to Rock.  I’m very pleased.  Roku has been great for me since I was an early adopter and it’s been the best product I’ve owned.  They aren’t paying me to say this, it’s my true & honest opinion based on my experience. 

Cheers for now. 

Found Money

Parodically I look at our state’s website to see if there is any unclaimed property (i.e. money) for myself and my late spouse.  In 2017 I found $9.99 that was due to him.  I have never found anything for myself.  Last night I did a search just out of the blue.  I found more money for him.  This time from a computer peripherals company.  It’s only $40 but hey why not claim it.  Since he passed away you can only imagine the hoops I have to jump through.  First you have to prove that he’s dead and where he lived prior to his death.  Then you have to prove that your legally entitled to the money.  I started the process and it will be months before I hear anything and/or receive the check.  The only thing it costs me is time, ink and postage so why not go after it.  Beats letting it sit. 

The thing that I don’t understand is both of these companies had his address, it says so right on the states page.  Why not just mail the man a check?  I can tell you for certain neither one of them reached out by mail.  They may have tried to call him at his last known phone number, which has since been disconnected.  They could have emailed him but his email account has been shutdown as well.  If they would have just sent the check it would make my life so much easier and not to mention I’d have the money quicker. 

You can upload supporting documentation for your claim electronically but the original claim form has to have a “wet” signature meaning they want the original document.  I figure why not just keep it all organized and together, just sent it all in one neat package so that is what I am doing. 

Between the found money, my vehicle and the fact I got a late start I ended up running very late but I got all of the critical stuff taken care of. 

The paint turned out okay, it probably could have benefited from a 2nd coat but I am over it.  I pulled some insulation from the laundry room baffles and moved it to where I had pained.  The ceiling tiles are back in place.  I truly hope I am done for good with mold and that I never have to deal with it again.  I’ve got a gallon of mold & odor killing paint standing by.  Really wish they would have sold this in a smaller quantity. 

I reported what I believe to be a cyber incident when I was prevented from starting my vehicle last week to the manufacturer.  I got a response back today that completely side stepped the issue.  They told me to make sure the software in the vehicle was up to date and that the app on my phone was up to date, they didn’t address my concern.  After reporting it yesterday I opted to change my login information both my email address and password.  That caused me to loose remote control of my vehicle via the app on my phone.  Trying to get that access back proved more than difficult.  It took me a couple hours.  I had to do a factory reset on the software in the car as well as uninstall and reinstall the app on my phone.  Finally everything fell into place.  Jesus I think I must have used every swear word known to man kind.  I was seething. 

Finally as the evening started to come to a close I got to watch the season premier of Shameless and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.  I stayed up way too late and knew that I would be cranky when it came time to get up.  I caught the weather just before turning the lights out and we were under a Winter Weather Advisory.  Sure enough when I woke up this morning they were telling people to work from home or stay home it was going to get bad.  I called in not feeling well.  My feet were killing me and I was a bit hung over from the sleeping medicine.  Today was the only day this week I could do that.  We have a new guy that started today and I am the first person he gets to work with on our team.  We officially meet tomorrow morning via a video phone call.  Well I’m very glad I stayed home.  We got dumped on with freezing rain and then about 2-3 inches of snow.  Everyone forgets how to drive and accidents are stacked up all over the place.  The temperatures have plummeted to Winter even though were still in Fall.  It was 60 degrees here yesterday and very nice.  Today it’s 22 and were falling to 15 over night.  Hearing that I put away my leather coat and got out my down fill puffy coat, which actually does a much better job of keeping me warm.  It even has a hood in case it’s snowing or raining.  There will be plenty of time over night for the street crews to plow and treat the streets so things shouldn’t be horrible tomorrow or so I hope. 

I caught up on work email and got a photo of our new guy.  Wow he’s nothing like I imagined.  He’s very young and kind of cute.  I just hope we can work well together and that he has some smarts. 

I did get in some extra sleep.  Watched some Holiday Movies on Netflix.  Placed another Amazon order.  That was on my list for yesterday but I never got to it.  For the first time ever I ordered window kits so that I can put plastic over the patio door and the windows in the living room.  There has always been a draft when it’s cold and it’s coming in through the windows.  I figure if I can work with mold and paint, I can certainly put plastic up over a window.  I had to order a new Roku because one of my devices is no longer supported.  I wanted to wear something fancy for Thanksgiving so I got a new shirt.  No writing instruments but I did get some ink refills for 1 of my pens.  What I am most excited about is I ordered a Lawnmower personal trimmer from Manscaped.  It’s got skin safe technology so you can shave anywhere and everywhere and never worry about cutting your skin.  They have a saying nick you sack, send it back.  Yeah I’ve nicked my sack before and that is one place you don’t want to cut.  I used my gift certificate from work, my Amazon points and still spent way too much. 

Spent lots of time with my furry family today.  They are all starting to wear on my nerves so going back to work tomorrow for sure is the right thing to do.  I am eager to get to it because there is plenty waiting for me to do.  The day should pass rather quickly or so I hope.  After this week, I have next week and then I will be off for a week.  Really looking forward to that. 

What I am not looking forward to is the cold ass weather and my cold office.  I sure hope that when we move back to our regular building (which should be weeks away) that I do wind up with an office.  I’ve been looking at office accessories on Amazon and there is plenty of stuff I’d love to get but I don’t want to count my chickens before the eggs hatch.  Found out today that were having a pizza party in the office on New Year’s Eve.  Big deal that’s one day that I hope to be able to work from home.  There will be plenty of people leaving at the end of the year as well as people that are getting promoted on the 1st.  So it’s always a little bit hellish for me.  In fact the departures seem to be picking up a little bit. 

I’m looking forward to spending the evening with the cats and hopefully a nice relaxing evening of sleep.  Then full speed ahead in the morning.  I’m also on-call.  Since I called in I technically didn’t have to start tonight but I figure why not.  It’s usually (hopefully this isn’t going to ruin anything) quiet so why not. 

Stay warm, safe and be well.  I will talk with you all again soon. 

Even Balance | relaxing & working

Last night I had Marie Callendar’s Beef Sheppard Pie. It was really good just as per usual for a frozen dinner not a big enough portion size for my fat ass. There was real ground beef and it tasted delicious. It was between that and a frozen Tombstone and I think I made the right call.

I woke up this morning to the sound of a meowing Gator (that sound so wrong but if you know I’m talking about it cat then it makes perfect sense) wanting food at 6a. I gave in willingly to her desire. I powered up my phone and caught up on email, social media and porn. Then decided to watch recorded TV. Eventually I got up checked my blood sugar, all good at 101. Then grabbed a diet soda, had a small brownie and some scones then returned to the TV and eventually back to bed. The kids and I were all in the same room, perfect silence and blissfully we all fell asleep.

I got woke up at 11a to the sound of a lawn mower. The lawn man showed up on Saturday. Not a crime but we have had our first freeze and the grass is dead. My yard was riddled with leaves but he took care of that. It looks nice but today was his last day mowing this year. I sent him a letter and his last check, told him to check back with me in the spring. I’m sure he wants to mow 1 more time in 2 weeks but I see no need. Mother Nature has wind and that will clear the leaves just as well. Besides that, Monday there is snow in the forecast.

I grabbed a shower and got dressed. Grabbed a sandwich and a soda. I wanted to leave but opted to play on my phone and sit with Marvin on the couch. He loves that, just being next to me relaxes him and he falls into the deepest sleep. I love watching him, knowing that my presence brings him such joy. Eventually I had to get up and get moving or nothing would get done.

Grabbed the mail, cat food, made a Target run, hit up Sam’s club and then came home to unload. Now It’s not even Thanksgiving yet and people are out in droves, right in my way and acting ignorant. You’d think there is some super sale going on but nope it’s just a Saturday in November. I had a couple close calls with traffic accidents but thankfully nothing happened thanks to my cat like reflexes!

After unloading the goods, I opted to go grab some supper. Hit up Cracker Barrel and had Meatloaf. It was okay, I should have stuck with Fish or Chicken & Dumplings. I did grab a whole Chocolate Pecan Pie on the way out the door so I have pie! Returned to home.

Decided it was time to paint. Got that wonderful task done. There is a slight paint odor but it’s actually not bad at all. I am waiting for it to dry overnight and will take a peek tomorrow to see if it needs a second coat. If so then I will knock that out, if not then I am going to put the ceiling tiles back in place and call it a day. I have worried so much about this, it will feel good to put this to bed once and for all. I know the hole in the floor won’t go away but as far as I am concerned were done, until it comes time to sell this place or replace the carpet - - that will be a long way off.

Working on the laundry. Balanced my checkbook and saw that I spent way too much money today. I had this nice surplus but my needs wiped most of that away. I’ll be shopping on credit at the grocery store tomorrow, but payday will be Friday so I shouldn’t be in too bad of shape. I pay my cards off each month and NEVER carry a balance. My interest rates are way too high for that.

I did finally remember the master password I wrote about yesterday that I couldn’t remember. When I got it right, I was really surprised but relived. The password I needed was in there but the account got deleted by the service provider so signing up for a new account was my only option. Not a big deal. I will be transferring information so that I only have to rely on 1 password manager.

Looking forward to having a slice of pie before bed, doing the dishes and calling it a day. Tomorrow will be the usual breakfast out, grocery shopping and gasoline.

I have really been on guard the past few days with the car but no more issues with starting. It’s behaving normally, still in the back of my mind it’s lingering. Based on the behavior I saw to me as a lay person it looks like it was security related. I just hope it doesn’t happen again. Kind of wonder if there was some sort of cyber-attack. Kind of scary when you think about it. There is a modem that communicates with the big computer in the sky to track location. It also automatically updates the infotainment system as needed. Hell, who knows. I’ve been through enough and don’t need or want to add any more problems to my life.

Stay warm, be well and I will talk with you again soon. Hope that all is well in your world and I do appreciate you stopping by to check on me.

Passwords aren’t they great

Back when I first got started with computers, I would use a hand full of simple passwords.  Today I am trying to get into the first password manager I ever used.  It like every other password manager is secured by a master password.  I’ve tried all of the passwords I can remember and not one of them seems to work to let me in.  I had an app on my phone time out and I needed to log back in, well the login credentials are stored in this password manager.  If I can’t get to it then I am just out of luck.  I hate when I run into problems like this.  I am my own worst enemy or rather time is.  It’s been years since I logged into this thing and right now it’s doubtful that I will get back in.  I’ve walked away and maybe just maybe my memory will be jogged and I will finally be able to get in.  I thought I wrote the password down but hell if I know where I put it.  Kind of feels like I am stuck in a time warp but that old saying if you don’t use it you loose it does apply. 

It’s very bone chilling cold and when I woke up this morning I said today is one of those days where it’s just too cold to get out.  So I made the executive decision I was working from home.  Told my boss and he’s fine with it.  Now come Monday I will be back in the office and next week is supposed to be colder.  While this is a nice change of pace it’s a temporary thing.  I even got a call from the big boss, one of those out of the blue things.  He said nothing about working from home, he was in need of a document.  Scary. 

Last night I pulled out the toe nail clippers and a flashlight, picked up momma and put her on the counter.  Presto stich removed.  I made the cut and then pulled but it didn’t just pop out, I had to use a little bit of force but no more thread in my girl.  She has healed up very well and I am super proud of her and glad that this mole thing is behind us or so I hope. 

I am looking forward to the weekend.  The weather is supposed to warm up but regardless it will be nice to be away from work.  I will be on-call next week and who knows what kind of fresh hell that will bring.  Plus training a new guy.  Just giving him the 30 thousand foot view, he has no access to do much of anything other than login to his computer and get his mail.  I hate this approach to training him but perhaps it will be for the best.  My boss is big on not handing over the keys to the kingdom he likes for you to prove yourself and that takes time & trust.

I am working on laundry and watching the clock.  I have 2 departures one will be coming up soon and the other will be done after hours.  After that I am home free for two whole days.  Nothing like a little freedom, even if I do chose to spend most of my time in bed or asleep it’s nice to know that I don’t have to wake up early. 

Have a great weekend, stay warm.  Talk again soon.

Bad Surprise

I started this morning like any other typical work day.  I carried out my lunch to the car and then headed back in to say my goodbyes to the kids.  I thought it was odd there was no logo on the lcd screen like there normally is when I open the door, but I just dismissed it. 

Out to the garage and in the vehicle then I made sure I had my foot on the break and pressed the start button and nothing happened.  I saw a green LED illuminate on the button but that was it.  I was pretty miffed and also a bit confused as to why this was happening.  The lights worked, the locks didn’t, my remote didn’t and the app on the phone didn’t.  However the app was updated with new data within 2 minutes.  So it’s talking to big brother via the modem. 

I saw no other option than to call for a tow truck.  I did that and sent a message that I would be out for the day.  While I was sitting on the couch I opted to try the remote control to lock the doors and presto it worked.  I jumped up and ran outside to the garage.  I was able to get it started.  I cracked the door to the garage, then went back in.  Grabbed my lunch, sent a message that I was on the way.  AAA called as I was in the car and I was able to cancel the tow.  I sure hope this was a fluke and there isn’t something going wrong.  I pay a hell of a lot of money for this automobile and thankfully it’s still covered by factory warranty.  I don’t want to be stranded anywhere but if it has to happen I prefer to be stranded at home. 

After I had been in the office for a bit I sent a lock command via the app on my phone and I got a response back that the vehicle was locked.  I think I will be using remote start tonight just so that I know up front that it starts. 

Outside of my accident last year that was totally my fault, this vehicle has been problem free.  I was just thinking that I am at the average where most mileage warranties run out but I have an extra 10,000 miles. 

From the way it acted it was almost like a security lockdown, not a bad starter and the battery seemed to be fine since the headlights went on.  I couldn’t find anything about the behavior on line so I just have to cross my fingers and hope for the best. 

I figured that it would be a wasted day by the time I got towed, got a rental and made it back home.  Then who knows how long I’d have to wait for parts & repairs.  I’m glad this turned around because there was a big project I needed to work on this morning and I got here at my start time and was able to whip through the project. 

It’s a crappy day outside, overcast and rain is on the way.  It’s cold and generally has a dark winter type feeling.  This whole driving in the dark since the time change makes it feel like I am on what is an endless journey.  Getting home takes forever.  By the time I eat and do my evening tasks it seems there is little time to relax before bed time rolls around.  I’m getting home a little bit later but it’s not drastically different.  I think it’s all a mental thing.

My boss is up in the air flying home.  I want to leave early tonight but I won’t just because I don’t want to temp fate considering how the day started.  I’ve got about 45 minutes left and then I will be on my journey home. 

There you have it my Wednesday.  Hope your doing well. 

Accidental Overdose

I have no idea where my brain was when I was putting my medication out over the weekend.  However, I thought there were a couple extra pills I was taking tonight.  Turns out I was overdosing on blood pressure medicine.  That explains why I have been dizzy and also having some sexual issues (not that I am fortunate enough to have actual sex).  Who knows how long this has been going on but I will pay much closer attention next time, which will be in 2 weeks.  I’ve got everything sorted out and I am skipping my morning dose since I have already taken an evening dose. 

Today was another exhausting day.  I feel like I ran a mental marathon today and had to change gears more than once.  I didn’t get to fully finish my lunch because I foolishly answered the phone when my boss called.  I forced myself to take a few minutes to scroll through some social media but even that was short lived.  Things will get increasingly worse since next week I will be helping to train our new guy.  See what I mean about lulls.  Enjoy them while they last because they don’t go on forever. 

I was wrong about my vacation timing.  I have to finish this week.  Then the following 2 weeks and the last week of the month I will be on vacation.  Kind of makes me wonder what will blow up while I am gone.  I’m glad it’s over a holiday because things should be slower and there will be a greater number of people out of the office. 

As I walked to my car this evening and creeped through the inch worm of traffic, I couldn’t help but think I sure do miss working from home.  The commute and convenience far out weigh any other obstacles, plus I don’t have to get dressed if I don’t want to.  Yeah I can work naked and no one will ever know the difference. 

Here’s hoping you had a great day.  I am headed up to try to decompress and spend time with the cats.  Take care and we will talk again soon. 

Busy & getting busier

The cats have yet to adjust to the time change.  Gator woke me up at 5:30a wanting breakfast.  I told her you will need to wait a bit and I will be up, it’s still early.  I did have a great nights sleep though.  Some crazy dream which I don’t remember but I suppose that is for the best. 

The office was freezing cold when I got in.  I walked around and turned up the thermostats.  I broke out my space heater and turned it on along with the built in heater in my office.  Closed my office door and it took about an hour to warm up to be comfortable.  This afternoon I had to turn everything off because it’s all on hyper where it thinks my office needs to be 79 degrees and that is way too hot.  Perhaps tomorrow the office will be warmer when I arrive, time will tell.

Today has mostly centered around our new person and getting ready for his arrival next Monday.  The official paperwork isn’t out yet so I haven’t been able to setup his account.  My boss hopes that will happen by Wednesday.  I kind of hope it happens sooner than that. 

Were doing something new in regards to training.  Were talking and training first and then we will get him the access he needs.  My boss rolls like that usually out of caution.  If you have all the rights up front and don’t know what your doing you can mess things up badly. 

I am looking forward to my drive home to see my furry family.  I miss them.  Yesterday I went out to put air in my tires and Marvin was howling from me walking out the door.  I opened the door and told him I would be back in a bit.  That made him stop.  I do wonder if he howls while I am gone.  I hope not, that is heart breaking.  However, not much I can do to stop it.  I can’t always be at home. 

Everyone got their due attention and treats last night.  Marv even had a couple of good naps on the couch.  I’ve got a little less than an hour to go and then I will be leaving.  Next week when this new guy starts will be busy.  On top of training him I will have my regular work to do and that should make the days fly by.  I hope that he picks things up quickly. 

Hope you had a great day.  I need to get back to the fun.  Talk with you again soon. 

Oddly Calm

Well I made it through another time change weekend.  My muscle relaxer didn’t kick in as quickly as I wanted it to.  I went to bed at 11p after watching hours of TV.  I didn’t feel tired but had no problem falling asleep, once we all got settled in my tiny bed.  Having the extra hour of sleep helped out a lot.  Today seems like it’s never going to end but I realize that at only 6:20p in the evening it’s a bit early to be saying that. 

All of the clocks are adjusted, including my watches.  I do in fact need a battery in my original dress watch and will take care of that next weekend. 

I spent way too much at the grocery store but hey I have food to eat now, it might not be healthy but I am not going to starve.  I picked up a new Stouffer’s casserole dish.  It’s a Sausage Pasta Bake.  It’s got a tomato sauce with spinach, some curly pasta and Italian sausage mixed in.  The whole thing cooks in the microwave in 11 minutes.  It’s a meal for 2 but for me it’s a 2 night meal.  It was only $7 and so worth it. 

I wanted a car wash but the forecast has snow for later in the week and I figured why waste my money when the car will just get dirty again.  I also found that my tires were 5 pounds low, so I gave them some air.  That should help improve gas mileage, which has sucked lately. 

The foam sealer has dried and it looks like it snowed in my basement or there is a lot of dried marshmallow fluff.  There is a lingering smell but my hope is that within a couple days that will pass.  If not then next weekend I shall paint.  I figured I needed to take time away from this hellish project that has driven me nuts for months.  I need to be ready for work tomorrow and involving myself in this could put that at risk.  Besides that it’s the weekend and I shouldn’t have to work. 

I did have to remote in and change the time in a card access system to ensure that it stays on schedule.  I tried to automate this but that messed things up so I went back to the manual method.  Having to update the time 2 times per year on 1 system isn’t a bad thing but remembering to do it is the harder part. 

The house has been cleaned and the children have had their dry food replenished.  I do have to set out fresh plates of treats which I will do when I go up.  I also have to get a couple things out for me to be ready for the morning.  I’ve caught up with a lot of the TV that I chose to let stack up.  Now were on to a fresh week and The Circus is on Tonight, so looking forward to that.  Shameless returns next weekend and I really can’t wait for that.  I do believe this is the final season for that show, kind of a shame but nothing goes on forever, not even me. 

I jumped on the scale this afternoon and I am not happy with myself.  I suppose working from home and being extra sedentary for a couple weeks has worked against me.  I am at my heaviest weight and looking forward to changing that.  Diet will also play into that but I will still get my sweet sugar. 

I put the gay up in my office.  That is porn photos and some nice stills of naked men.  I had taken all of this down when the mold issue started and honestly it feels really good to have it back up.  It’s my norm and what I am comfortable with.  I feel oddly calm and have been wanting to put this back up for weeks but tonight I decided it’s all about me. 

While I didn’t visit every place I wanted to this weekend there will be time to do it all.  I work this week and next week and after that I will be off for an entire week.  I have never ever in my 5 years of working at this place taken a solid week for myself, unless of course I was sick.  I got me a bargain in that I only have to use 3 of my days but get a total of 5 because were closed for Thanksgiving and the day after which here in the US is Black Friday.  That is a great Friday to stay home because it’s when the holiday shopping season kicks off and traffic turns into a nightmare.  I am looking forward to the time off as well as seeing my friends who I haven’t seen since last year.  There will be plenty to talk about and I am sure we will all learn a thing or two. 

So there you have it my Sunday post to close out this weekend.  Here’s to a great week ahead.  I will have plenty of mindless meetings and conference calls to attend plus working on a dreaded monthly report that I despise.  Here’s to staying warm, well and having a good time despite being at work.  Take care and I will talk with you all again soon. 

Sore

Happy Saturday! Thanks for coming back to check up on me. My neck started bothering me yesterday in the afternoon. By the time I got home the pain was elevated. I took a stronger muscle relaxer with reluctance. I knew full well that this would mess up my Saturday but at the same time I didn’t want to be in pain.

Here we are Saturday morning, I woke up and momma was staring at me, as cats do like you just asked them for a ride to the airport. Only she wanted to know if I was ready to get out of bed because her and the kids were hungry. Okay so I got up and got them fed. Then I got myself fed and browsed on my phone. The haircut store opened in an hour. So we had some time to kill. We watched a couple more episodes of Malcom in The Middle. Then it was time to get dressed and get on out of here.

After my haircut, I grabbed the mail. Then over to the home improvement store. I bought the paint, drop cloth and a paint brush. Dropped $48 and it would have been more expensive to buy this paint on line. Then I came home and rested, I was still tired and feeling the after affects of the muscle relaxer. I got up at 1p and nibbled on a sandwich plus I had to feed the children lunch.

Time for demolition. I came downstairs with a pee pad and placed it below the rotted part in the upper floor, I figured this would help make cleanup easier. I was right and wrong. Then I attacked the rot with a screw driver and my hands. This was not fun at all and my upper back is killing me. It aggravated my tremors because the muscles are stressed, so I look like an old man with the shakes. I took a couple of breaks but when I was done I had a hole from above the back door and I felt a cold draft. That’s not good and I can’t leave this open. Funny thing when I was buying the paint, I saw some different foam sealer and I thought about getting a couple cans but opted not to. Foolish me. I debated after I cleaned up the debris on what to do. There is really only one way to fix the hole in the floor and that is to pull up the carpet and lay down some new ply wood but the hole in the floor is by a register and no one will be walking there so it’s no big deal to me. I am more interested in cutting off the draft and preventing bugs from entering. So, I went back and grabbed two cans of foam sealer.

No matter what foam product you work with, they are all super messy and super sticky. Rubber gloves are a must. I didn’t even use 1 can just a tiny bit and this stuff expands like marshmallow fluff. I’m letting it cure and want to see if this solves my problem and what kind of odor if any returns. There is still some area to cover with paint but if there is no odor then I may just take the paint back. At any point I am at a wait and see status. My upper back has returned to bothering me so I took another muscle relaxer and should be nice and sleepy in a matter of hours. I’m trying to get everything I need done so that I can pick up and get back on track with a normal Sunday.

Hindsight being 20/20 with this mold issue – I think I would have signed with the demo guy to have him partially destroy my house, but I at least would have known for sure the mold was gone and the odor probably wouldn’t have lingered. It would cost me more to fix the damage he did but at least the job would have been done right. This DIY method is great for saving money but it’s physically demanding and I am just not a manual labor kind of guy. My brother probably could have helped me out but no sense in asking for help, that would just poke at a sleeping angry, rabid dog and I don’t want to wake that up. What’s done is done and I am working towards full closure, it’s a rough and lonely road but I’ll get through this just like I have gotten through every other seemingly unsurmountable problem.

I had supper at Cracker Barrel and finally got some pie. November is pie season at Cracker Barrel. I had a piece of Chocolate Pecan, well that’s what I ordered. What I got was Pecan and it was just as good. They tried to upsell me ice cream but I declined. The waitress was actually surprised I was ordering desert.

My plans of seeing a movie and grabbing a pizza are on hold. The movie may be something for next weekend. The pizza well I honestly don’t really need it but pizza places are a dime a dozen so I am not worried about it. Funny how I plan and then reality sets in and messes things up for me. I suppose that’s just a part of life.

Ms. Momma is doing really well. She hasn’t pulled out her stich yet and I have left it exposed which seems to help keep her calm. She is pretty well back to normal. I get to remove the pink thread holding her skin together in a few days and I am so eager to get to that point. That’s when the pressure will be off of me hopefully so I don’t have to watch her so much. Marv and Gator are both doing well and manage to aggravate me to cater to their every need.

I heard back from my doctor and he is really pleased with my lab results. He told me not to change a thing and that my A1C being at 7.1% is very well. So now I have to try to make it through the upcoming holidays without being too bad with my diet but that will be a difficult thing to do. So many sweet things from pie, cookies, candy. It’s hibernation season and that’s when I pack on the pounds. My idea to combat that is once this mold thing is finally behind me I can get the treadmill setup and start walking. Not sure if I will stick with it but I would like to give it a try. It’s the most basic thing I can do and maybe eventually I will get to running but I don’t want to push myself, just want to keep the blood flowing and maybe a little exercise will help me not gain so much weight.

I can honestly say I am whipped – to tired to care about much of anything. I am slowly working on getting the clocks set back and hour. I hate to think about adjusting my three wrist watches, one of which I am sure will need a new battery. I just want to go relax and fall asleep in front of the TV.

Stay warm, be well and we will talk again. I think I am going to relax. Have a good evening!

Happy Friday

Welcome to another Friday and time change weekend!  Don’t forget to fall back on Sunday and change your batteries in your smoke detectors, Co2 Detectors and backup batteries in your alarm clocks.  Not to mention having to adjust all of the clocks in your home and your car.  I think the car is the worst, you get in and look at the clock and think either your really going to be early or your super late. 

I made it back to the office yesterday.  I had a mountain of shit to dig out from.  I unknowingly made a slight mistake that caused a shit storm to unfold.  Bottom line is that I wasn’t properly informed of a critical change and as a result of that said mistake was made.

In the middle of playing catchup my counterpart decided to pick a fight with the boss while we were all on a conference call.  That wasn’t pretty and caused some work for me.  You have to know to pick your battles and which hills to die on and apparently my counterpart while older isn’t wiser.  The last person in the world I want to fight with is my boss.  I may not be happy with some decisions but at the end of the day the way I was brought up is that you take orders from your boss and you don’t argue with them, as it will only make your life miserable and could ultimately be detrimental to your career.

When I was at lunch I got a phone call and picked up the phone knowing it was a co-worker from another office.  As soon as I answered the phone my monitors went dead and my desk light went out.  My space heater also lost power, but were not supposed to have those.  Turns out we overloaded a circuit.  There was me with my space heater, a manager in the office next to me with a space heater and someone turned on the electric tea kettle at the same time.  So now were coordinating who gets to use what and when so that doesn’t happen again.  If this little project is on track we have the rest of November here and then in December we should be back in our old space.  Everyone here pretty much has the same opinion as me, we would love to stay where we are but hate crossing the street.  Here is hoping that I get to move back to an office right away, instead of going back to my old desk and then to an office.  I mean so long as I get an office that will make me happy but I won’t believe it until I see it, just because it’s too good to be true. 

At the end of the day I just couldn’t wait to go home and see my cats.  I think they missed me just as much as I missed them.  It didn’t help that I was late and had to take out the trash.  However, they did get food & attention.  I got my 2nd wind at 10pm and didn’t want to go to bed.  I stayed up an hour later and this morning I really paid the price for it.  I so didn’t want to be up. 

I finished up Adam Rippon’s book.  I am listening to Confessions of a Trauma Junkie.  It’s about stories from a nurse/paramedic.  It started off boring on the way home but just as I parked the car it got interesting.  So I will probably finish it but who knows how long that will take me. 

The movie that I wanted to see last weekend has moved much closer to me so I may indulge myself with that over the weekend.  I am in fact going to paint come hell or high water.  Since the furnace has been running that has aggravated the smell and I know I am suffering from it.  I think that Momma and possibly Marv might be suffering as well.  Gator doesn’t seem to be bothered.

My Thanksgiving friend checked in with me last night.  It’s kind of ironic that out of all of the months of the year he only really reaches out to check on me shortly before the big feast.  Actions sure do speak louder than words.  I’m not pleased with him in the least but I’m not going to cancel. 

I guess the biggest news of the day I got yesterday was that we hired someone to take the guy that left our team or as I refer to him stupid.  The replacement came straight from the military.  He’s got lots of certifications and more education than me.  He lacks experience with the real world but from what I have heard, he is super smart so he should pick up in no time at all.  Lord I hope so.  I don’t want another stupid, I can’t deal with that.  He doesn’t start for a bit but I am already exhausted from thinking of training him.  We had to put together a list of areas to educate him on.  It will all come together but I hope that this is the last time for a long time that we have to do this.  If he is as good as he sounds then he should climb into a senior level role pretty quick. 

Well I’ve got more crap to take care of.  Just wanted to let everyone know that I am still alive.  Talk with you again soon.  Take care and stay warm.  Thanks for dropping by.