The Hippie Chick - R I P

I woke up to some very sad news this morning. My Canadian friend passed away. She had cancer and hadn’t begun treatment yet. The diagnosis was just a couple weeks old. She had a fluid build up issue in her lungs. They tapped her once to remove fluid and when her doctors discovered they needed to do it again, they elected to put in a drain to keep the fluid off her lungs. They were able to insert the catheter and then transported her to what I believe was a hospital for observation. They were unable to wake her and her blood pressure was weakening. Her family made the decision to change her over to comfort care and eventually nature took its course and she passed. The hospital staff and doctors made special accommodations to her family allowing them to spend time with her so that they were able to say their goodbyes and so that she didn’t die alone. Dying alone was one of her fears.

We never met in person but if we did, we always said that we would go for pie. We both loved it. The thing that kept us from meeting is distance and expense. I’ve always (and still want to) travel to Canada. I don’t yet have a passport but hopefully I will get around to getting one some day soon.

Oddly enough we made each other’s acquaintance through Blogging. Back in the day she had a blog going and so did I. There was a mutual third parties’ site that we both visited and left comments on. Only to find out that we were both catfished by the person, he wasn’t who he said he was. It was devastating to both of us. She wasn’t nearly as invested as I was. Still that event is what brought us together.

She was there for me when my spouse passed away and for each loss of a cat or friend ever since. She was a great photographer and loved the outdoors, in addition to her husband and her sisters. Family was everything to her and having lost mine I understand. She had lost her first husband but was fortunate enough to find a new man and move on with her life. It wasn’t easy but she did it.

When I heard the cancer diagnosis, I knew that things were not good and that she was probably going to lose her life over it. However, I didn’t think that it would all happen so quickly. She was fortunate enough to be at home to celebrate her wedding anniversary with her husband, even if she did lose her sense of taste.

She was known as The Hippie Chick. She was mellow and didn’t care if you were black, white, gay or straight. If you made a connection with her and were friends, she was there for you no matter what. I know that many people like myself are beside themselves and saddened to learn of her passing. All I want to do is cry.

Have you ever tried to send flowers from the US to Canada? I found it not to be an easy task. I also didn’t want to send flowers but would rather send a gift basket. I finally found a company that was based in Canada and I picked out something I thought was appropriate and that didn’t break the bank. It’s trackable and I had to put an app on my phone to know when it’s delivered. I will make a phone call to her family when I know that it’s been delivered. I am not sure how much if anything we talked about, she shared with her family. I can remember telling my late spouse all about her.

I know that she was suffering and the Cancer zapped her energy. I am glad to know that she is at peace and suffering no more. For it’s us that are left behind that are grieving and missing her. I feel the loss just as if we had met. We talked on the phone on a couple of occasions, sent email and of course did the Facebook thing. I had tried to stop blogging a couple times but she was the reason I kept going. She said that she enjoyed hearing about my day and what I was up to. For that reason, I continued. It’s a great outlet and I find that I can express myself. It would just be nice to know if there was someone out there that truly cared, other than her. Perhaps that is something I will learn or perhaps it’s something I will never know.

I could go on and on here but I honestly don’t know if I have any true regular readers and if I do, I know that no one really likes to read or hear bad news. With that I will say here’s to you Hippie Chick it was a great ride. You will forever be missed by all who knew and loved you. May you rest in peace.

Eye see you

I made it for my annual eye exam today. It was difficult to wear a mask & glasses. My glasses kept fogging up. My prescription changed in that my astigmatism has gotten better. The issues with my eyes are attributed to age. Nothing serious on going, which is a very good thing. I opted for new glasses. I was sad to learn my current doc doesn’t carry Nike. They showed me a few options but I am hell bent on sticking with Nike, they have been good to me and I have no reason to abandon them. We came to a compromise in that I would get new lens in my existing frames. That with the exam still set me back $300.

Once I got home, I did some looking and found other providers that carry Nike and they will take my insurance. I may change to a different eye doc next year. I’ve already made an appointment though with my current provider. The one thing that I like about my existing doc is that I can come home, login to his portal and print out scripts for glasses. I could technically do that and just visit a different provider to get my glasses. I am presently wearing my computer pair from Warby Parker that I got last year. They serve me well but the frames are a bit small and slip. I haven’t had the best luck in mail ordering glasses and much prefer the in-person touch. What kind of ticked me off is that there was a frame I was looking at and they were going to order it in but if I didn’t like it then I owed them $10 for shipping, that’s BS. It’s the cost of doing business. The one thing that has me potentially hanging on is they are going to open another location close to me. For now, I am playing it by ear. I will get my new lens back in 1 to 2 weeks. I had to sign a liability wavier that if the lab cracks the frame when they go to put in the new lens that they aren’t responsible. That is standard practice. If that happens then I will just take the written prescription and visit another provider since I would need to get a new frame.

I didn’t get any of the work on the deck outside done today. I just wasn’t motivated. However, I did manage to take the freezer apart and oil the noisy motor that started to make noise again. It’s a six month to annual thing. I’ve got it down to a science. A few squirts of 3 in 1 oil and all is quiet. Then time to put it all back together. It’s not much fun but it does make me feel good knowing that I was able to fix something (mechanical nevertheless). Last night I put on Flex Tape on the leaking duct work and it was super sticky. It’s one product that does what it says it will do. I don’t see any leaks. It’s a rubberized type of tape that is designed to ad hear well. It warns you on the package that it’s not intended to be easily removed and damage may occur. I had a tough time cutting it and I was using sharp lineman scissors.

I did manage to get out and get cat food. I also took in a nap. I was watching all of the unrest in various cities across America. I was in front of the computer and got an alert about a protest that started near the office. I watched and thought to myself I am sure glad I am at home. There were tons of people, it was peaceful and orderly but cars were trapped in the middle of the highway and they shut the highway down just with the mass of people. The police were out but didn’t do anything to try to stop it. I understand the people at large are upset. It was an upsetting thing to see. I am not quite sure how the authorities will be able to contain this and restore order but I do hope that it happens soon. I mean Monday is around the corner and some people actually have to go to work. Between this and the COVID outbreak I am so glad that I am secure in the comfort of my own home away from all of the chaos and germs.

My fancy keyboard will no longer be eligible for return as of tomorrow. I am kind of surprised at myself but I am keeping it. I decided that since that is the case it was time to customize the layout. It’s a gaming keyboard so it lights up. I’ve got a nice rainbow scheme applied. I tried to program it myself but I easily was overwhelmed. I found a profile on line that I was able to import and tweak. You can make the colors change actively or you can apply a static pattern. I like the flashing but when I am trying to work it is a hell of a distraction, so I opt for a static pattern. It’s pretty cool.

Registered my warranty for my gaming chair. I still kind of wish that I would have been able to get the name brand I wanted. It had a bit more features and didn’t cost much more. However, this is still comfy and seems to do the trick.

I spent some serious money to renew my license plates. The DMV opens up on Monday. My plates don’t expire until July but considering that we could easily have a 2^nd wave and there is going to be a rush, I opted to renew on-line. I am paying more for that privilege, but it’s a case of better off safe than sorry.

The mail brought me a refund check for my auto insurance. I got $54 back and since my usage changed from commute to pleasure that got me a reduction in premium by $40 so not terribly shabby. I also got my homeowners renewal today, that went down by $84. My face wash finally arrived and so did several other bills, which I have already paid. I don’t like seeing bills in the mailbox but when I know that I have already paid them so there isn’t a surprise waiting for me, that is refreshing.

It’s been a chill day with the cats. We got in noodle time. Which makes for a very happy Marvin. I’d rather have a happy cat than an unhappy cat. These two really have it made here. It’s like cat heaven on earth. Free room and board, free food and the best medical care. If reincarnation is a thing and I come back as a cat I hope that my owner is as good of a human to me as I am to them, if that makes sense. Ideally if I come back, I would like to be a ripped muscle hunk.

My time off is quickly coming to an end, which is always the case. I will need to take time to visit the dentist whenever that appointment is made. An unless something else crops up, I shouldn’t need time off until September when it’s time to go back to see the doctor.

Tomorrow will be my day of house cleaning, grocery store shopping and trying to relax before Monday rolls around and I am on-call again. I peeked at my work e-mail today and it’s not pretty but it could be worse.

I hope that your doing well and enjoying the weekend. Take good care of yourselves and treat your self to something special. I will talk with you again soon!

Minneapolis

Before I get into the thick of it, I heard that my Canadian friend is back in the hospital. I hope that if your reading this, that you are doing better than when you went in. <HUGS>!

Okay now we can talk about the elephant in the room. I got into it with one of my favorite gay porn stars on social media because he said (paraphrasing) cops suck. If I was given a better body and a little less fear, I’d be a cop today. It’s what I have wanted to do all of my life. It’s fair to say that I think fondly of law enforcement. That said, there are bad apples in every bunch and because of a few of them it does spoil the bunch. We all found that out in school at a young age.

I think what happened in Minneapolis was wrong. There was no reason to keep kneeling on that man’s throat since he was in custody (meaning he had handcuffs on). There should have been a senior officer on scene or at the very least they should have listened when the man said he couldn’t breathe. I mean what was causing his difficulty breathing? The knee of the cop on this throat. If this guy was resisting, I get that tactic could have been used to help detain and capture him, but once he is in custody then place him in a patrol car and call it a day. This was a tragedy that could have easily been avoided. 4 officers would still have their jobs, the dead guy would be alive and there would be a lot less unrest in the world.

I get that the world thinks cops have gone too far and that they are evil. Not all people are evil and since cops are people, that applies to them. While I don’t support what took place in Minneapolis, not all cops are evil or bad.

Stop for a second and think about what burden they face each and every day. They go to work not knowing if they will be going home at the end of their shift. They deal with the worst of the worse. Yeah, it’s what they signed up for. Keeping this in mind, do you understand why they respond or act the way they do? I get it and it’s obvious. However, some of them do overstep their bounds and flaunt their authority. Additionally, when you’re in trouble who do you call? That’s right the police because you need help.

I am upset and disturbed by the reaction of the people. I get civilized and peaceful protest. However, hurting other people, looting, lighting fires, damaging property and trying to attack the police – that is all wrong. Those are bad people in the bunch of society. Never mind the fact that we are in the middle of a pandemic, people are losing their minds. I do think some of it can be attributed to society shutting down but then you have our leader who is encouraging this.

My opinion is that the world has gone to hell in a hand basket. We are our own worst enemy and we are killing others for no reason at all.

I do think that the justice system will address each of the 4 officers involved. In fact, the guy who had his knee on the man’s throat has already been arrested for murder. That is something that would have never happened back in the day but because of the advent of technology and cameras – it shined the light on this and showed clearly what took place. Furthermore, just like the pandemic has changed life as we know it, I think that this event will change the future of law enforcement.

People all across the world make poor decisions each day, some are arrested because of it, some die as a result of their actions and others are injured. Those 4 cops all made bad decisions in the heat of the moment when you get tunnel vision and can’t see clearly, the adrenalin is pumping and you react versus think.

At the end of the day, the only good that can come from this is change and reform for law enforcement, as well as those 4 former officers being charged for their poor decision making and reaction. What is going on currently with rioting and protesting is frightening and no good will come from those actions. Outside of causing harm/damage a good portion of the people involved in the protesting and rioting are spreading the virus because they aren’t social distancing, wearing face masks, etc.

There is no sense in debating the issue. Wrong is wrong and Right is right. I don’t want to fight. I just want to be able to live my life free and I’d like for normal to go back to being normal. I’d like for an adult to be in charge of running the free world instead of the buffoon we have now. Stay safe and be well everyone! I’ll talk with you again soon.

Rambling Man

Good Evening!

I hope that your doing okay and life is treating you well. My week has been okay, except for the fact since there was a holiday, I constantly forget what day of the week it is. Not to worry that will be solved when next week kicks off. If that is the worst thing that happens to me this week then I’d say I am doing pretty good.

Today I got dressed as if I was going into the office, first time in 3 months. My pants were a little tight and difficult to keep up (even with a belt on). However, I still looked pretty good (except for my gut).

Made it to see the doctor and we talked about COVID as it relates to me. He told me the best medicine is to stay the hell away from people, work from home and plan to keep up that routine for the foreseeable future. Most probably for the rest of the year. Regardless of how “safe” an office space is, there is still a risk of getting it even thought I know my employer is doing everything that the CDC says to do. I also learned that I am in 3 risk groups. 1 – being male, 1 – being over weight and 1 being a diabetic. I told him that I felt pretty strongly that if I got COVID it would probably kill me and that would be okay, except for the fact that I have 2 cats left. They matter to me so I want to stick around to know that they get the best possible care and unless I meet someone before or shortly after they leave this world, then I am ready to leave as well. I know it’s depressing but it’s how I feel. We both agreed that given the COVID outbreak this is not the time to date. If push comes to shove the doctor will happily write a letter to my employer stressing that I should remain away from contact with people due to being in several at risk groups. He’s had to write some of those letters already. I do realize that it’s a privilege to be able to work from home. My employer doesn’t have to extend that to me but right now I have every reason to believe they would accommodate the need, since I am an asset and not a liability.

I got the doc to agree to let me have my blood drawn up in his office so that I wouldn’t have to make the trip to the hospital in the morning and I could tend to my work task. We skipped cholesterol monitoring this time so I will have to have it next time. The part that sucks is that I am a difficult stick and this time I got stabbed 3 times. My arms will not feel the best in the morning and will probably not look pretty. I just hope the results are good. I have of course been bad in eating sugar of all kinds. I packed on 8 pounds but it feels more like 10.

Driving was kind of fun but people are really crazy. The police were out in force and I saw several people stopped. There is also going to be construction starting in a couple weeks so I am glad that I am not driving in that every day. My hope is that they get all of the bumps out of the road while I am locked up so that when I am able to get out its smooth sailing.

The haircut store opens back up tomorrow. They posted a detailed plan of what they are going to be doing in order to keep everyone safe. Yeah, I am sure that tons of people scrambling to get their haircut. I actually thought about it but I am good for now taking care of my hair on my own. I mean if I screw it up, I just chop it all off and it will grow back in a month. From the way it sounds I won’t be going anywhere for a while.

I came home and watched TV, played on my phone a little bit and passed out some attention to the kids. We got in some noodle time on the couch and all have had supper. I am just bored. I kind of hate to spend time in front of the computer, considering that is what I do most of the time and it’s all work related. I enjoy time away and really wish I could go on a vacation.

The weather is supposed to get warm and dry us out starting tomorrow and for the next 7 days or so the forecast models look that way. In thinking about it I’d like to get my deck project out of the way so if I feel the motivation tomorrow morning that is what I will be doing. Plus, the gutter in the back needs to be looked at and probably needs to be cleaned out again. I will be installing the chicken wire to help keep the debris out. Of course, all of this is contingent on having the energy and motivation. I am pretty sure I will just want to go back to bed and hey that’s okay as well. It is after all my day off. It’s also payday but I paid bills today and there isn’t much left this time around. That should be different next time. End of the month is always tight. I saw that I made myself a note next month to start putting extra money towards Escrow in my house payment. Funny thing is that my home insurance went down by $84 and Property Tax Bills have yet to be issued. Until the tax bill comes out, I have no real way to plan on how much I need to save. I’m sure the tax man will be coming eventually COVID or not.

I will be seeing the eye doctor on Saturday morning, that won’t be terribly fun but it’s necessary. Outside of that I have no real plans per se.

Take care and we shall talk again soon!

Memorial Day 2020

Today is anything but a normal day with the quarantine. Most people would be BBQing and swimming in the pool. Granted there are some folks who are doing their normal thing despite the restrictions in place.

I took a muscle relaxer last night and it took forever to kick in, I didn’t dare double it with sleeping medicine for fear that I would be out of it today. Considering I am on-call I figured it would be wise to be alert and oriented. I did grab a couple bowls of sugar cereal and a banana. I fed my fuzzy buddies and then went to check on my phone. Watched the Flintstones until the sugar wore off and then went back to bed for a while. Rain was in the forecast but has yet to show up.

I rolled out of bed a little after noon. It was pretty humid in here, welcome summer. Goodbye money since the AC will be running. It does get quite cozy in here but everything has to cost money. I got dressed and headed to the office supply store.

They had 1 blue gaming chair left. I sat in a Serta chair, man it was like sitting on a cloud (as if that is a thing). I am telling you though it was like nothing I have sat on before and I honestly didn’t want to get up. The arms were in the way or I would have purchased that chair, despite the$400 price tag. It was built for a large person. Instead I opted for the blue gaming chair. It’s faux leather and has some rigid back support (hopefully that doesn’t wear out with time). I brought it home and put it together. I thought I was doing really well that is until I had problems getting the back on, I really had to fight with it and once I got it on, that’s when it hit me. I put it together backwards. No wonder there was problems. I am not a mechanical person and that proves it. However, I managed to disassemble the chair and then get it put together correctly. It went together in a snap once I had everything right. There went 2 hours of my day and my fingers hurt but I am sitting in the chair typing this out. It’s comfy.

When I went to enter the expense in, I noticed that I was over charged. Turns out that the website and the store are 2 different entity’s, so if you want a web price you have to tell them to price match it. How bizarre is that? No other store does that but I guess times are a changing. Anyway, I got $40 back and that made me happy. I wanted to drive down and see about getting a Chicken Sandwich but opted instead to head to Wendy’s since it was closer. Nothing like a double cheese burger & a large chili. That will keep me full for a while. Might not even need supper considering I ate it late in the afternoon.

Once I ate, I gave up my plans to run the vacuum, but I did get the litter boxes emptied and the trash is out. Were doing good. Laundry is drying and it’s now 4p. I am stuffed and the kids got lunch so I think were all pretty happy right about now. The grass man came and I got an awful whiff of fresh cut grass. My nose has been reactive ever since.

No particular plans for the rest of the day. I would like to get out in the garage and get that wood broken up and bagged. Outside of that maybe a shave & shower. Nothing on television since today is a holiday but life returns to “normal” tomorrow. It’s been quiet thus far for on-call and that is totally what I expected, hopefully there isn’t an 11^th hour surprise.

I had to revert my sound card back to the USB dongle, the popping started again. I also have had my printers disappear twice now. I hope that is not a new reoccurring problem. Rebooting does fix the issue but that is something that I never had an issue with before.

I do wish that I was at a BBQ today with my sweetie and that life was all roses & cherries but instead I am stuck here in reality. Alone and slightly miserable. I miss my family (my late spouse, Momma, Big Boy, Ruth, Taz and Blu) unfortunately there isn’t much that can be done about that. Just have to suck it up (so to speak) and carry on. I’m looking for happiness but that seems to be nonexistent.

I did pull my profile from on-line dating since my subscription expired on Saturday. While I did have a couple of matches, the guys were not appealing to me. Right now, is not the time for dating considering all of the restrictions in place. I have often though maybe I think I am ready to date but maybe that is a fantasy. While I am not happy, I am doing well for being on my own, all things considered. Who knows what the future has in store? Just as long as it’s not more bad news or negativity I think I will be okay. Sure, there are going to be some speed bumps (like when I lose Marv & Gator) but outside of that I hope to remain on coast if things aren’t going to get any better.

Time to pry myself away from this machine. I’ll be stuck here tomorrow for hours on end doing work and that won’t be fun at all. However, glad to be able to say that I have a job and that I can work from home. I hope that your doing okay and managed to have some fun today.

Hang in there and we will talk again soon. Be well.

Hello again everyone!

I hope that you are enjoying the weekend and that life is going well for you. It will probably come as no surprise to you that I wasted Saturday. That’s due in part to my insomnia. I woke up in the middle of the night and as per usual it took an hour before I was able to return to sleep. I had the furry family up with me as well, they weren’t happy but when I put out some food for them, that seemed to quell their protest. I watched TV and slept. Then I got wrapped up in the computer and saw time flying by. I finally walked away.

I took myself to the cat food store before they closed and picked up food & litter. Then decided to attempt to try a Chicken Sandwich from Popeyes. I drove there and saw from the street there was a line and then before my very eyes the line got longer as 3 more cars pulled in. They were almost to the entrance of the restaurant and I just kept on driving. It was time well spent for the vehicle to help get it some road time. However, I wasn’t terribly happy. I returned home. I had a frozen dinner and then down to the basement to finish up my computer project.

The AC has been freezing us out, like it’s in “psyco” mode. That happens once and a while. It’s good to know that the unit is working and doing its job. However, I know if I am freezing then Gator is truly miserable. She hates the cold with a passion and will do anything to stay warm. I got some flack from both of the furry family but let them know that the problem was fixed. It didn’t take long before the heat was back in the air. I noticed that the dehumidifier in my room is doing a really good job.

Today I was early to rise, got a normal breakfast and shower. Then off to the grocery store. The place was bustling and there was plenty of items to buy. I indulged myself and got 2 boxes of sugar cereal. I like the stuff but it’s just not good for me. I also got a cheesecake sampler; it too isn’t good for me but damn I love it.

My latest dilemma is trying to find a decent chair for my desk. The chair I have been using is easily 15 years old. It’s a great chair but my tailbone is suffering, even with the memory foam cushion I still have issues. My thought process tells me that gamers sit for long periods of time with no physical activity, so getting a gaming chair would probably be best. I figure it’s probably got some extra padding. The designs are all bright and sharp. You pick the color and they make it, just that you can often wind up paying extra. There are only a few manufacturers of chairs but you wouldn’t know that when you go looking. The designs are by in large the same, just different brand names for the manufacturer. One of the leading manufacturers is Omega, from what I read they have the gold standard of chairs. However, they come with the gold standard price tag. Were talking $300 and up for a chair. Granted it’s going to last for a long time but damn that is mighty pricey. The other problem is that nothing is in stock, everything has a lead time of June or July. I want/need it now and my tailbone can’t wait.

Back in March when the pandemic started and stay-at-home orders were issued everyone that sold chairs, computers, etc. were all sold out. People were working from home and needed the stuff. Now that were a few months into this, things are starting to go back to normal but it’s a slow process. The local office supply store has a chair that is of interest. I debated all day long and should have gotten off my ass and went over their but instead I surfed the net looking at options. The more choices you give me the harder it makes for me to come to a decision. Ideally, I would like a chair made by Respawn in Blue leather with a foot rest. I’ve got one on my shopping list on Amazon but it won’t be back in stock for a while. I’d like to spend between $100-$200 at most.

I can easily afford that but still my inner voice is saying wait because you might have to take a pay cut and making a purchase probably isn’t a smart thing to do right now. However, my tailbone is crying for relief. Chances are pretty good that I will be working from home for a while and I’d like to be comfortable if I can. Tomorrow I will be going over to check out what they have and if I think it will work, I will snag it. If not then I will keep on looking. Might even go back to Popeye’s to see about a Chicken Sandwich. That too was on the agenda for today but it just didn’t happen.

I will be on-call for the Memorial Day holiday tomorrow. It’s just 1 day and then life goes back to normal. I work 2 days this week and I’m done. We (me and the new guy) have an access report to get out each morning. It is a job built for 2 people and I will be getting up and helping him out on Thursday & Friday but that is all of the work I plan to do, plus I will subtract the time I spend from the PTO that I have to put in the system. Fair is fair, I mean I will be working. It usually takes us on average about an hour each day.

I just received some Windows Updates and my system needs a reboot, so I will be doing that in a few minutes. Since I have gone 2 weeks on the USB sound dongle and there have been no more sound problems. I opted to switch back to the built-in sound card to see how things go now. I think I am out of the woods but if things go south, I can always go back to what I had.

The weather here shows nothing but rain for the bulk of the week and I am not terribly excited to see that. The grass man should be by tomorrow to cut but that will depend largely upon the weather. I can’t believe that I have been home for two whole months. Restaurants, Bar’s, and Hair Salons will all be allowed to reopen later this week. I don’t know how much business they will have and what that will do to the infection numbers but only time will tell. I’m fine with cutting my own hair but I do miss my chili & steak burger. I have seen already this weekend people are gathering in large crowds not respecting social distancing and I think that will cause a huge problem, but again only time will tell.

I am a little bored but I will be in front of the TV soon enough. Laundry is running now. I will finish up that task tomorrow. I have already put off house cleaning and will need to tackle that. Plus, I took some rotting wood that has been laying on the deck for a while into the garage. I plan to break it up and throw it in the trash. I am sure the trash man won’t be terribly happy but it will be bagged up so it shouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb. That’s another project that I put off for a long time. Who knows maybe if we have a dry spell and I have some energy I will get my deck finally cleaned up? I know I will be happy and proud when that is behind me.

Stay safe, be well and we shall talk again soon.

Better

Hi Everyone!

Marv is doing better. Eating, drinking and still hobbling around. The Cosequin and heating pad combo appear to give him relief. He hasn’t woken me up in the middle of the night or just started howling/yowling for any reason. He manages to get around even if his one back leg doesn’t want to always do what he wants it to. Sadly, he is old so there is no magic fixit for this. If there was and it was reasonable, I would certainly pursue it.

Gator is her normal irritating and infectious self. She knows how to push my buttons and how to warm up to me. Just like a woman (sorry ladies) that knows how to get what she wants. She permits me to hug her but only for short periods of time. It’s the only hug I get to give on a regular basis and let me tell you it feels damn good! I think she enjoys it as well.

As for me well I am holding my own. Sleeping has been a bit rocky. I have problems falling asleep and then staying asleep. I’ve had a few nightmares. Some of which is the result of long harbored anger and unhappiness from my childhood as well as a situation that took place a few years ago, lump that all in with not being able to say goodbye to my mom and you have one cluster. I also think this quarantine, stay at home is starting to get to me. Plus, I am really into The Rachel Maddow show and watch her before I go to bed. She doesn’t deliver happy news but I enjoy listening to her. I have a huge problem with stupidity and the more I hear about our government it’s infuriating as well as an embarrassment. I also have a fear that I will be rushed in going back to work and that is not something that I want. While it might not be ideal from a mental health standpoint to isolate, I have gotten used to it and I can talk to myself as well as the kids, so I am okay and actually prefer to stay the course for a while longer. I’ll get more details on what my employer plans next week and then I will be discussing it with my doc the following day. I’m sure it will all work out fine.

Last night I wanted to change things up, plus I knew that my P.O. BOX was getting full, so I opted to head out to get the mail. My vehicles battery is low and it let me know about it. That was a bit concerning. However, I charged it back up today and think I will be okay. I am sure it’s from the lack of driving on a daily basis and then just doing short trips on the weekend. I know I could have charged it by driving but honestly, I wasn’t in the mood.

My soap arrived and wow each bar (got 4 different scents) smells great. I think I found another expensive indulgent. It was $50 for the box but I got free shipping. Each bar is very large and based on use every other day it lasts for around 2 months. I suppose that it will go quicker once I get back to a daily washing routine when life finally gets back to normal.

I got a surprise I was expecting my face wash to show up but sadly it’s not here. I think they must have sent it by Pony Express. The soap people used priority 2 day and that order was placed after the face wash. Anyway, back on point. I got a new thermostat. My local electric company had an insert in the bill that if you gave them your email address, they would send you a free thermostat. Kind of neat, it’s a next gen thing that works with WIFI – Alexa and of course an app on your phone. I am placing it right next to my still new in box Google Home. I guess I am collecting these things. Hey you can’t beat totally free. I can always give them away if I need to give a gift.

The world in my area and probably in yours is starting slowly to go back to a state of normal. Next weekend restaurants can re-open but you have to wear a mask and maintain a 6-foot distance. How exactly does one eat if your wearing a mask? In the state I work in they are opening back up at a much more rapid pace. I worry that we will have a bad picture in another month with a surge in new cases. I talked with a co-worker today from my office that tested positive for the antibodies. He had the virus and didn’t bother to get tested, that was 2 days after we started working from home. I was around him so he could have easily infected me. He is actually excited to know that he has the antibodies. As if that means you can’t get it again. Uh nothing is 100% until they come up with a vaccine (in my opinion). If I feel ill or show symptoms, then I will get tested, otherwise probably not.

Another surprise came in the form of a bill from AT&T for my TV & Home Phone. Last month was manageable but it was pro-rated. This month I got the full bill for service and when you look at taxes & fees that is where a good portion of the money is going. I just changed my service up. I dropped Showtime (I will add it back when the final season of Shameless is out) for now and also dropped packages back to a notch below where I was. My next bill should be insanely cheap and that is what I am aiming for. I also have a hunch that were going to be hit with a pay cut, if not now then eventually.

Well time to call it a day, climb up the stairs and say hello to humidity and the cats. It’s a warmer day today and I most likely will need to turn on the AC. It’s comfy here in the basement. I am sure the cats are happy to have the heat, but I am not a fan. The more difficult task will be trying to find something that the cats will actually eat. Picky little things. As for me it will be another meal out of a cardboard box. It’s not the best but it works. I am mostly eating pasta and then sitting in front of a computer, I guess it’s no wonder why I am puffing up with weight.

Enjoy your weekend and we shall talk again soon. Be well and stay safe!

Tuesday

Today was kind of a pain in the ass, but the good news is that were on the downhill slide and in about 30 minutes the day will be done.  UPS brought my Amazon shipment that included Marv’s supplement.  I opened the bottle and was all set to give him a capsule but he was busy eating.  I am glad that I didn’t follow through because shortly after eating he got sick. 

Remember how I was telling you that I didn’t think that Marv was affected by the pain med from a sleeping standpoint?  Well that all changed last night.  He fell asleep bending in the opposite direction by the water bowl.  It was not fun to observe.  I very much dislike a drugged up cat.  Last night was his last dose.  He was busy overnight going to the bathroom.  He also demanded food after I got in bed.  I gave him a can and he wolfed it down. 

This morning Marv’s eating habits are not great.  He has barley touched anything.  My hope is that supper will be his big meal for the day.  We have been off our regular schedule for this Thyroid med.  That was due in part to the pain med being added.  I know his stomach gets shredded easily and wanted to minimize the discomfort.  From what I saw this morning I would be really surprised if there was anything left in him. 

He is drinking and acting fairly normal.  I am still worried about him.  You can tell that his leg isn’t bothering him quite as much as it was.  However, I can’t shake the feeling that I am going to lose him from this.  I plan to start him on the supplement tonight so he will get a pill in the morning and the evening, as long as his tummy can tolerate it.  Otherwise we will move to one time per day. 

Weather is gloomy and cold here.  I probably could have turned on the heater this morning but didn’t because I knew it would be warming up a tad.  The house was 73 and at lunch time the temp in my room was up to 75.  We are self regulating for now, meaning no AC and no heat.  Unless of course it becomes necessary.  I kind of like that it’s like I am saving a little it of money.  It will unfortunately be short lived. 

I did some quick research on COVID and how the states are reacting.  From what I see on a map it looks like most every state has re-opened.  There are still a few hold outs.  I hope that people in charge know what they are doing.  My feelings are that this will be short lived and we will go through a second phase.  However, I’d love to be wrong. 

For whatever reason today I have been a bit nauseated and feeling like I just want to go back to bed.  Funny thing is last night when it was time for bed, I had problems falling asleep.  I guess there is just way too much on my mind.  Between work and home. 

Hope your doing well and that you had a better day than I did.  I’ll talk with you all again soon.  Be well and stay strong!

Early Monday

Gator started off my day at 5a.  I was in a nice dream that involved a well endowed man and presto time to wake up.  I was less than pleased but the room was freezing cold.  She likes it warm, so I turned off the AC.  Then looked around to see how everyone was.  Hungry was the word.  Passed out breakfast for the cats and I knew there was no going back to bed.  About the time that I would fall asleep it would be time to get up.  So I just toughed it out and skipped my shower, which I will get tonight. 

I introduced Marvin to the heating pad.  He wasn’t wild about it but tolerated it for a little bit.  I had it on high so I guess he thought I was trying to roast him.  I have had him on it this afternoon and turned it down a bit.  He got another pain pill and is doing reasonably well. You’d think that would knock him out cold but it doesn’t appear to have that effect. 

I am anxious for Tuesday when the Cosequin arrives.  I will keep him on pain medicine through Tuesday and then we will see how things go.  He will start on the Cosequin as soon as I get it in my hands.  It will take time to build up in his system, so if he looks like he’s in pain I still have some pills left for him. 

His appetite isn’t slowing down any.  They both begged me for food last night before I went to bed and I obliged them.  They got their breakfast and lunch today.  It’s a challenge to keep something in front of them that they like.  Just when you think you have it figured out, they change their mind and shy away from the food. 

I remain concerned and will continue to watch him.  Gator has had some yowling episodes this morning and I really don’t know what that is all about.  If she is trying to get attention for her brother or if she too is in pain.  If only they could communicate in words, that would clear things right up.  Of course with my luck they would speak some other language than English and that would leave me just as confused as I am now. 

I got in a short nap at lunch time and that helped things out.  I am looking forward to tonight and being able to relax, since I am no longer on call, until Monday rolls around next week. I also hope that Gator lets me sleep until it’s actually time for me to wake up.  Fingers crossed!

I do hope things are going well for you, drop a comment and let me know.  I will talk with you all again soon. 

Marvin

Today I believe I uncovered what all of the howling with Marvin has been about.  His back leg where the knee joint didn’t form, well he is limping now.  I suspect it’s arthritis but he could have injured it.  I don’t know why but I paid very close attention to his gate and caught it.  I saw him repeat it time and time again.  He asked to come up on the couch next to me for some noodle time and I got to palpate it.  He wasn’t terribly happy with me about that but he didn’t whimper.  In general he doesn’t like it when you mess with the paws – front or rear. 

I feel so bad for not catching this sooner.  I am going to give him a pain pill tonight to hopefully help him out.  I have ordered a joint supplement called Cosequin that he was on when he was younger.  I am going to start him on that and see if we can’t get some improvement.  It will be here on Tuesday.  There is a newer version of this supplement called Dasequin it’s made by the same folks who make the other stuff, just contains more things and is supposed to run circles around the other stuff.  However, I saw some folks say it didn’t do much and one person said their cat got a Urinary Tract Infection from taking it.  Marvin has never had any urinary issues and I don’t want to even venture into that area if possible.  Therefore, I am sticking to what he had years back.  I think we stopped because he didn’t seem to be in any pain and felt that it was pissing our money away for nothing.  I oddly found a box that is still full of pills and expired by 10 years.  I thought for a second and almost gave it to him but considering how far out of date it is I figured while it may help the risk is far too great.  Better safe than sorry, pay for fresh and go with it.  Considering we are in the midst of a pandemic that is my only reason for not taking him to the vet straight away.  If things don’t improve then we will certainly be paying them a visit. 

I have had this overwhelming fear ever since Momma passed that Marvin would be next and not terribly far behind her.  Other than limping, he seems normal.  Eating, drinking and wanting affection/attention.  I hope my fear is unfounded and that he not only improves but lasts for a couple more years. 

We were given an option when he was just a kitten for surgery and elected not to do it because it was thousands of dollars.  The pain and recovery also factored into it.  It would have taken some serious rehabilitation to get him back to a state of normal.  He has always walked funny but it’s gotten much worse in his old age. 

I am certainly glad that I am prohibiting him from jumping because that would not only do further damage, he may very well break something.  I hope I can nurse my furry friend back to a comfortable state.  No doubt hat he won’t feel any pain tonight.  He is in for some serious sleep.  I don’t like to use pain pills because I don’t want a drugged up animal all the time but conversely I don’t want him in any pain, ever. 

Today I spent the bulk of the day relaxing and with the cats.  They got some extra food, we had a quick nap, they have slept a lot more than me.  I look forward to a nice evening continuing the relaxing theme before I have to go back to the hum drum of work.  I am glad that I will be here with him for comfort and peace of mind.  

I will certainly keep you posted.  Hope your Sunday is going well. 

Rambling Man

Hey what’s going on everyone? I hope that your doing well and that life is being kind to you. Sorry for the delay in posting, I have been dealing with some odd feelings lately. Mostly apprehension when it came to posting. I wasn’t in the mood for a couple days and then when I thought about it, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not sure what it’s all about but here I am again!

I know that one of my readers in Canada is under the weather. Sending hugs your way my friend!

Let’s get caught up on my life, shall we? On the work front, we had an all staff meeting on Monday. The plan is to return to work slowly. Were going to send in a small crew to prep offices on June 1. They will be doing things like putting up Plexiglas in the open work areas, getting out cleaning wipes, hand sanitizer, etc. That will take a few days to possibly a week. Then phase two starts. That is bringing in a small group of people to “test” the waters. When we get to phase three that will involve bringing in more staff and having an alternate work schedule. So, you could work in the office on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, you would work from home. Some joker actually got up the nerve to ask so if I work in the office on M, W, F does that mean I am off on the other two days? Management had to spell it out that you would be working from home. Lord, why do we have such stupid people? I mean it’s great to set the record straight but I never thought for a second, they would be handing out time off and they aren’t. We would monitor how things are going for us and the world at large and then eventually move to “back to normal operations” in phase four. It’s estimated that most people would be back in late June or early July. As for “normal operations” that could be a long way off and no one is in a rush. The best news thus far is that were in decent financial shape at the moment and there is no pay cut at the moment for staff. That is continuing to be evaluated as we progress through this difficult time and it’s something that I think will eventually hit. Which is why I am trying to stock pile money like people are hoarding toilet paper. Nothing wrong with being prepared, even if the need never comes. Better safe than sorry.

Now for my viewpoint. Since I fall into 2 risk groups … BMI (Body Mass Index) in other words I am a fat ass and have Diabetes, I am in no hurry to go back into the office. I honestly don’t see a reason why I need to go back to a physical building when I have been working at home (as has everyone else) for months. I could be down for going into the office 1 day per month. In any event I realize I have to go with the flow and that I can put up a fight for a short time. I can also get my doctor involved and have a note to work from home due to being in high risk groups. Management was kind enough to do a survey to ask everyone their thoughts on what limitations should be imposed and if you would have any issues in going back. There was a box for I don’t feel comfortable in returning to work. I thought long and hard. I wanted so badly to check that box but my little voice told me that if you check that box you could easily be flushing your job down the toilet. Call me paranoid but I don’t want to seem inflexible. I know that at some point I will have to go back but I do plan on doing everything in my power not to return to the office until I feel it’s safe. I encouraged Management to continue to pay attention to the science aka Numbers and not to look at this from a political aspect.

I see there are lots of re-openings occurring locally – some counties are in defiance against state stay at home orders because they think it’s safe. I’m here to tell you that if you don’t listen to the science and if you re-open because your bored, think your business can’t survive or whatever reason you have, then you are contributing directly to the spread of this virus and that will likely not only cost someone their life but could easily cause a second wave and another closure. The forecast for the fall/winter and the estimates are in the thousands for people to contract this as well as die from this and that is just in the fall/winter. It doesn’t take into account of the present numbers, which are far too high. This is a pandemic. This is not a conspiracy. The sun won’t make it go away, Clorox won’t make it go away and doing nothing won’t make it go away. Pay close attention to the health officials and let them be your guide. Looking to anyone else is pointless and could well get you infected or killed. This is no fucking joke!

Okay now that I am down from the soap box. Back to work. I have to run reports each and every day to tell management who is going into the offices. That is a benefit of having a card access system. Big Brother is alive and well, always watching. I am surprised by what I see in that our larger offices, where infection rates are soaring are the offices where certain people are going in. Lord help them that they don’t bring this virus into our offices. We have had a couple people get it and one person almost died, but turned the corner and has made a recovery.

I was talking with our new guy and he dropped his phone and in the course of trying to pick it back up, he sends a request to turn our phone call into a video call. He said it was an accident, but I wonder and think maybe he did it on purpose. I accepted and he was just as surprised to see me as I was to see him. He was even more sexually appealing to me being all scruffy and casually dressed. He kind of reminded me of the guy that I lost my virginity to when I we were both teenagers. It made me so damn horny but I had to focus on work, which was difficult at best. I met his wife for a brief moment and saw his dog. Plus, I got to see a bit of his newly acquired home. It’s not fancy but he has a great setup to start a family. I am glad that we get along so well and that I can be myself around him. I of course haven’t told him that I wanted to jump his bones, I think that would make things weird. I know I have no chance in hell with him and even if I did, we have a huge distance problem in that were each in different states. However, dreams/desires are free and as long as you can control your imagination anything is possible.

I got into a bit of a tiff with my older co-worker. He became upset and confrontational when he discovered that he was set to be on-call for Memorial Day. He did tell me up front when I was working on the schedule that he didn’t want that holiday. I had everything set and the boss man made me make changes. I didn’t catch it and this was my mistake. I explained and apologized to no end. I offered to work the holiday for him. He began to talk in circles and then tried to get out of being on call for the week of Thanksgiving. Yeah, I shut that down really quick. He didn’t want to make a decision so I made it for him and that went over like a lead balloon but the boss man knows. Were each supposed to work 2 holidays on call and now he only has to work 1 holiday and I am working 3. Boss man isn’t happy about that. Mr. Crabby (my older co-worker) tried to go for my jugular and called me out on a different issue that presented later. Boss man had a conversation with him and politely told him to shut the fuck up and go away. I on the other hand didn’t even realize it until I got a call from the boss man and he brought it to my attention. I could care less. Say what you will about me but I own my mistakes.

I am on call this week and it’s been nothing but one phishing/scam email after another. They are so popular. However, we are implementing new protection and tools to help and its honestly stuff that should have been in place from day one. I am glad this is happening; it will eventually get to the point where phishing/spam will be rarer for our organization and not the daily norm. We have a great approach but it can always be better. Kind of like when they tell us were doing a great job but that we can always do better.

So that’s work, which has pretty much been my life. Gator and Marv are doing their best to make me feel guilty for not only working but they try to get as much food and attention out of me as possible. Marv has had some accidents in my room which is upsetting but I never yell at him. I give him trouble for it, but I just clean it up and move on. I got to the point where I put down a pee pad where he was going in the hopes that he would hit the pad instead of the carpet. That didn’t work he went in a new area.

I have had one hell of a battle with the ants. I found them on the ceiling of all places. I got rid of them and then they came right back. Killed those off and the ceiling is all clear. However, it’s pouring buckets here and it’s been cold so they want to come inside. I have seen them reemerge in the kitchen and bathroom, as well as some in my bedroom. I wonder if I will ever be ant free? Those fuckers just enrage me so much. Nothing is worse than watching TV or just sitting around and you look down and there is an ant on your arm or leg. Then I can’t get the idea out of my head that they are on me and it feels like it. Then I start thinking I see them in places which they aren’t. It’s just a huge mess. I could easily live the rest of my life in pure happiness if I never ever saw another ant or insect in my life. I have had them in my nose and my ear – neither of which is fun.

I went on a bit of a shopping spree. I stocked up on face wash. Remember that great smelling soap I raved about a month ago. Well that bar is done for and I am on to something else, it’s supposed to be scented with Bay Rum but it smells nothing like it. There are other scents (all of which are based on alcohol) that the original maker offers, and I got 4 bars coming to me and that set me back $58. I also joined a couple of my favorite porn performers Just For Fans platforms, I only signed up for one month subscriptions and then canceled the rebilling right away. Were only talking $17 but I don’t like reoccurring charges sneaking up on me unless I consent to it. It is meant as a treat and believe it or not, I do have limits. I’m waiting for all of the charges to hit my card and then I will send money to pay it all off at once. I just found myself with an abundance of money this pay day and that’s because I am not driving, going out to eat and Amazoning (is that even a word?) like I normally would be.

Last night I cut my hair. I’ve always wanted it super short on the sides and back and then leave some length on top. I did that. The back doesn’t look the best. I got the idea that if I used some tape, I could just shave off everything below that. I went a little higher than my hairline naturally is. I also went to clean up some hair on the side of my face and wound up chopping off a bit too much. I cleaned that up – I look a little funny but over all I am very pleased. Us Gays can take care of our hair or at least this Gay can. It helps that I just get a buzz cut normally otherwise I would probably be in a bit of a pickle. I am sure that many people are expecting me to emerge from this pandemic with hippie or biker hair but sorry that isn’t happening at this time. There is nothing wrong with long hair it’s just not what I like.

I got caught up in my look and wound up forgetting to take my sleeping pills. I was up until 2a. I watched so many movies. Stuber and The Flintstones to be exact. I am re-watching The Good Boys and about ½ way done with that. I told the kids that I wouldn’t want to get out of bed in the morning and they of course didn’t get that. They wanted their breakfast. So 6a they had me up and feeding them. I figured I couldn’t go back to bed, but nope I did. Then woke up around 8a. Had a quick breakfast and looked at the phone to see what was brewing at work. The coast was clear, so I began watching TV. Then got tired and went back to bed. My phone woke me up shortly after 1p. That’s when I had to jump out of bed and come down here to tend to work items. Nothing that took terribly long. Then back upstairs. Watched more TV.

Just when I was about to start watching some porn and then get my day started, the damn phone had more work for me. I took care of that, never did get to the porn and then went out and started my day. Got the mail which had money for me and medicine for Marv along with plenty of bills. Then off to the pharmacy and finally cat food. Back home – oh joy it was fun while it lasted.

Tomorrow will be laundry, house cleaning and the grocery store. I wonder how much money I will be spending and what tasty things I will come home with? Speaking of tasty things, I am kind of interested in grabbing a piece of cake and seeing what kind of trouble I can get into upstairs with the kids. I also need to load the dishwasher. Fun just never ends here. Before I go the $8 sound card that I got off of Amazon appears to have done a great job in resolving my problem. I also think that some software I installed played a part in causing my issue – it’s since been uninstalled. I am working from the $8 USB sound card and all is well. I will eventually get around to enabling my built-in sound card and removing the USB sound device just to see if it was the software. It’s just nice to be able to work and listen to music without popping or stuttering.

I hope that it’s a great week ahead and that we all get some really good news, no matter how small – good news is good news! Take care my friends and I will talk with you all again soon.

Laziness

Welcome to another lazy Saturday, where I spent the majority of time in front of the TV or in bed.  The cats actually begged me to get up this afternoon, only because they wanted lunch.  I took the hint and got them lunch and also got myself in gear.  Before I get into my boring detail a quick word about a new series I found.

Friday I was browsing Amazon Prime Video and was going to pay for a movie that I wanted to watch but instead came across this new series called Upload.  I am not a sci-fi person but damn this was entertainment!  It’s got a hunk for one of the leading characters and it’s very much worth your time (in my opinion).  I binge watched the majority of it last night but finished up the series this morning.  Good news, there will be a series 2 but of course we have to wait for the COVID crisis to settle.  I am already ready for it.  I kind of wish I had the option to upload myself but only if my spouse was there and we each had unlimited funds – that would be awesome.  I dreamt about it for a while, very comforting thought. 

Okay so the usual blather.  Cat Food Store, Mail, Cracker Barrel and Walgreens.  I got take out for my meal tonight and then blueberry pancakes for breakfast tomorrow.  They only gave me 1 syrup and I am kind of sad about that but it’s really all I need since it’s pure sugar!

I think I have most of the bugs out of the computer.  I needed to make a larger page file (virtual memory) and that seems to have quelled the clipping audio.  Although the performance program I am using for analysis says my system is having problems with audio and buffering, I don’t experience it.  I really want to reinstall my fancy keyboard now but opted instead to wait until tomorrow.  I also need to get my password changed and thought I could knock out both jobs tonight but alas time has slipped away from me. 

I ordered more medicine for Marv’s thyroid and the on line pharmacy says they need a script.  I am going to go check the last bottle as he had refills left.  If the script expired then I will have to pick up a new one as the vet won’t deal with the mail order pharmacy by phone anymore.  I think that is a huge inconvenience but then again they want you to buy the medicine from them, even though they don’t carry it.  I don’t get why they make it difficult for the client.  They told me they were flooded with phone calls all the time and it interrupts their day.  Yeah well have a person dedicated to filling mail order scripts, it’s not that difficult and they certainly have the money for it.  Yeah I am just a bit frustrated at the situation.  I also hate calling asking for a script but if I need one, then the sooner I get it the better off I will be.  Were not to the point of running out but that little voice in my head told me to order some so I listened. 

Marv got his 2nd shot of B12 today.  He is hopping like he is a kangaroo or something.  I worry about his mobility.  He doesn’t lay still for a long period of time he has to move around, then when he finally passes out it’s for a short time and then he is up again.  He seems like his normal self and has let me pet him more today than he normally does.  We also got our noddle time in yesterday and he lives for that.  He loves the fact that I will let him sleep, he tells me when he wants down and down he goes.  Then he eats, goes to the bathroom or just walks around on patrol and comes back.  Then up he goes again and he passes back out.  I love watching him and his sister sleeping – they look so innocent and cute.  I guess I must look much the same but only I snore.  Gator snores sometimes but not Marv. 

Well I am going to get up to them and check on that medicine.  Then time to load the dishwasher.  The best part of all of this is that I was able to shut my phone off and was dead to the world for a very long time today.  It feels oddly refreshing and comforting.  However, my brain does get a little paranoid and thinks what if something bad happens and someone needs you.  Yeah that’s why they invented voice mail.  I’ll see the flashing light (my home phone and cell phone voice mail are tied together) and then I can call in and get the message and react accordingly.  Funny thing is no one ever calls – unless it’s during the work week. 

Hope that your having a great weekend so far and that all is going well.  I will talk with you all again soon.  Take care.  

Fabulous Friday–hooray!

Another week is history. I see that restrictions in the bordering state where I work are easing. They are opening restaurants back up but everyone has to wear a mask and maintain social distancing. It’s a phased and slow process. As for my home state there is no change, the word is stay home unless you have to be out. I know that other areas of the country are opening back up as part of the president’s efforts to re-open America. My opinion is that he is approaching this as if to bury his head in the sand and hope the problem goes away. Meanwhile one of the staff members that interacts with him tested positive and when he was informed, he was not happy. I think he’s playing fast n loose and this is all going to cost many people their lives. I get that businesses can’t thrive if the economy is closed but at least the people who run the business still have their lives and have a chance at earning a living once things are under control. It beats the alternative of opening up, having the people get sick and die – then every possible chance they had is gone because they are dead. Just look at the numbers, just because the president or whomever wants this to be over with it is not. The virus is very much in charge here and until there is a vaccine or a cure were all going to be held hostage in some form. No one to my knowledge really enjoys this but better safe at home. They don’t call this a pandemic for no reason at all.

I am not a political person but hearing some of the obvious stupidity from the government is something I can’t tolerate, especially when it is going to affect people like you and me, the common folk. I do realize we can’t all stayed hunkered down forever but a little bit longer seems like a safer bet to me. When fall gets here they expect a rise in cases again. I can only hope, pray, watch and wait that there is some good news with regards to better treatment and/or a vaccine. I’m not big on needles but I will gladly get the vaccine for this as I think a lot of people will.

In other news, I was talking with my co-worker today and we got on the subject of Nutella. He told me that he has to hide the jar when he buys it because his wife will devour it. I told him that Steak N Shake has a Nutella milk shake. They are going there for lunch tomorrow. I know they will enjoy themselves and after the week they both had, they kind of deserve it.

I’ve been thinking for a while wouldn’t it be interesting if my late spouse had access to this site and was reading it and keeping tabs on me. Funny what you can think about when you have nothing but time on your hands. My imagination is a bit overactive these days. I was sitting with Gator at lunch time and reminiscing about when she was born and how life as we know it has unfolded. All of the ups and downs we have been through. The fact that if I had been paying the mortgage on this place when we moved in, I would be close to paying it off in about 10 more years. However, instead I am paying off my late spouse’s credit card debt that he rolled into the mortgage. It’s not bad enough that I had to pay his Bankruptcy as well. The upside is that I didn’t lose the house but there have been times (when things go wrong) that I kind of wish I had lost it. When things go wrong, I just want to call someone and tell them to deal with it, instead of having to deal with it on my own. The joy of home ownership!

I have been fiddling more with the PC and made some setting adjustment changes to the Page File and to adjust performance in the hopes that I can get the audio issue to settle down. I got confirmation today from Amazon that the new soundcard is on the way and will be here on Monday. If I bought it and don’t need it – better to have it on hand. However, my attempts are futile and the card is in fact going bad then it will be a good thing. All I know is one way or another I am going to solve this problem. That could potentially mean changing PC’s and I am prepared for that but want that to be the last possible option I explore, since the world as I know it is very much up in the air. While today I have no major concern that I will lose my job I do have concerns that I will have to take a pay cut. Therefore, it’s smart to defer big purchases for as long as possible.

Right now, I am passing time until 5p when I have some work to do and then can throw in the towel for the week. My password also needs to be changed and I thought for sure that I would get to it today but that never happened. It’s been really quiet compared to the last couple weeks and I am very thankful for that. I may take care of it over the weekend but if not, I have until next Saturday. There are vendor sites that I use that will expire my password sooner so that’s why I usually like to get the jump on things. It’s always a challenge to think up a new password but I manage somehow.

Looking forward to dinner tonight, some chicken alfredo dish I picked up. I forgot I had it and stumbled across it at lunch time. I also have a piece of Strawberry Forest Cake – it’s like Black Forest Cake but with Strawberry’s instead of cherries. Of course, it will be short lived and, in my belly, pretty quick once I get to it. I don’t tend to mess around when it comes to food.

I’ve got no real solid plans as for the weekend, just going to play it by ear. Spontaneous will be the theme. I don’t expect to do anything wild and crazy, but then again you never know. Kind of sucks that this is Mother’s Day weekend. I miss my Momma so much, yes, I’m talking about the cat. I miss my mom as well just not as much because that loss is older and Momma’s lost is only a few months old. If you’re a Mother I hope you have a great Mother’s Day. Have a great and wonderful weekend, we will talk again soon. Take care and be well.

Lost a day

Tuesday night I had problems sleeping, worrying over my automobile. Things got so bad that I had to take Wednesday off. Then come to find out it was all a big mistake. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my vehicle. The service advisor and the mechanic had a difference of opinion and that caused the issue. Glad that worry is off the list but I wished that I could have wiped it off sooner. I thought it was odd to get the news via a paper report, normally they are up front and tell you over the phone or in person when something is awry or will need future attention.

I did sleep most of Wednesday away, I was up in the afternoon but eventually I fell back asleep for a short period. I had to take some Benadryl last night to ensure that I would be tip top for today.

I am still having sound issues despite removing the fancy keyboard and it’s added software. Looks like that might have been the straw that caused this to come to light. I can’t help but think that it might be related to using my desktop to connect to work but it shouldn’t. This morning I placed an order for a new soundcard. I went the Amazon route and it’s like $8 for a USB plug in dongle. I figure if it doesn’t work, I can always buy a new card but I have high hopes. The fancy keyboard is paid for. I am still on the fence a little bit about potentially sending it back. Then I go the other extreme, telling myself you wanted it and you have paid for it so you might as well keep it. I mean it does work and feels good to type on. Ah, computers they are fine but only when they work.

Nothing good on TV tonight or tomorrow. I will have to rely on my Roku to help find some content to pass the time.

I talked with the new guy at work, he’s doing okay. He hinted that we will probably get news on Monday that they are going to slowly open back up and probably not have everyone go back to the office at once. There will be some what of a remote presence. We could have a rotation where someone from the team goes in and the rest of us work remote. Our boss knows what is going to happen but he isn’t leaking that information, but he’s the one that asked everyone to be thinking about that and to be flexible. I missed that since I was out yesterday. Since everyone is doing such a bang-up job working from home, I don’t see any reason to change things but that is just my opinion. Which won’t go over terribly well once we need to make an appearance. Boss man is all about politics. As long as we have an internet connection, we can all work from home and there is no reason whatsoever to go into a physical building.

My dentist cancelled my appointment again. We can get together once the stay at home order is lifted. They asked me to call back and if I fail, they will have me on a call list. Makes sense to me. I kind of want to skip my doctor’s appointment but am still up in the air about what I want to do there.

Marv & Gator are both playing the crying game more often than not. They are trying to make me feel guilty for working, even though I am sure they think I am on some game playing adventure here in the basement. I wish that was the case but unfortunately, it’s not. Were all keeping each other company. The other day I came upstairs and was headed for the kitchen when Marv came charging out from underneath the couch. He gave me quite the surprise that I wasn’t expecting. Then he yammered on as if he was apologizing.

The pizza is gone and I have no desire for pizza for a while. That was a monster but it was very good. Not my favorite place to get pizza from but it does well in a pinch. I just never knew the extra toppings were at no charge or I would have layered them on thick like I did a long time ago. Speaking of which I am not sure what is for dinner. With spending yesterday in bed it’s hard to fathom today is Thursday already.

I hope you are well and doing good. Take care and we will talk again soon.

Monday & Tuesday

-MONDAY

I have this wooden chair mat at my desk It’s great but it slides sometimes and requires me to pull it back into place. Yesterday evening I came down to get my post out and I was barefoot, which doesn’t happen often. In any event I wound up getting a splinter in my heel from the damn thing. I had to dig it out using a mirror and it wasn’t pleasant. Today my heel is sore and the opposite leg the muscles are still stressed from the fall. Apparently, my legs are stronger than I thought they were. I am giving some consideration to going back to a regular chair mat. This was a gift from my late spouse. He had it but didn’t’ like it and I have used it for years. It’s kind of neat but the splinters are a problem.

I finished up my evening last night by watching the rest of the Kenny Rogers documentary on A&E. That made me kind of depressed because I kept thinking of my late spouse and departed cats. I so miss my family. Losing all of them is something that I knew would happen but it’s something you think will happen someday, but that day grows closer and it’s not something you can put off like a task. I am stronger because of what I have been through but at the same time I am not pain free.

Today started off a bit rocky from the computer. My sound was all distorted and crackly, which makes me think that my sound card is getting ready to bite the dust. Perhaps the new keyboard was just a coincidence or what push things a little further. I did have to reboot to fix it. I also opted to roll the drivers back and change from the sound output on the back of the computer to the headphone jack. I want to see if this will make any difference. Thus far things sound normal. Time is what will be my guide. I can get a new sound card from Amazon either a PCI card which is standard or they make a USB adapter so you don’t even have to crack open your case. If I have to order I am tempted to go the USB route but it would depend on availability as to how I make my decision. I know for a fact that one of the many boxes that are in the house have a Creative Labs sound card in them, I think it’s actually one of them that I am using as a leg to support my desk. I have searched every available box and no luck thus far. I am not pulling out the two that I am using for legs on my desk because that would be a nightmare and I would probably wind up doing much more harm than good. If I need one, better to get something new.

My co-worker lost his dog today. I got word over the weekend that she fainted because she had been out in the heat. They got her back and she started drinking water. However, I think this might have proved to be the straw that just broke everything. I don’t have any details but I do know that they got 5 to 6 months longer with her because of drugs and an early diagnosis. That is a long road to haul. I only got around a month with momma and it flew by. I feel bad for him and his wife. He told me that he would still do work tasks if I texted him and I told him to take the day – he needs it more than he thinks and his wife needs him as well. They still have 1 dog left.

It didn’t help that my co-worker was next up in the on-call rotation. That means essentially that I am covering things for the day time until he gets back tomorrow. It actually falls to my boss but yeah, he’s not going to do the day to day stuff, he’s got his boss duties. It all rolls down hill and here I am at the bottom. The bright or upside to this is that it will make for a fast-moving day. Hell, it’s almost lunch time and the cats are sobbing for me to come upstairs. I am tired and still very much sore, so looking forward to grabbing lunch and hopefully a nap or at least some quiet time.

-TUESDAY

I managed to have a late night, most of it spent in front of this blasted machine. I kept trying to make improvements and changes with the sound until I really got things messed up, to the point that the software/drivers for sound were no longer on my machine. I didn’t think much of it because I backup. Well my backup program doesn’t backup data in the program files, I wish I would have known that up front. In any event I have an image backup of the machine when it was in a “perfect” state and booted to it I didn’t know about the program files issue then. I could have easily copied the data to an external drive and then copied it back but that didn’t’ happen. I had to scramble and find drivers online and hope & pray they worked. Needless to say, I have things back to a functional state. I am missing Beats Audio not that I used it but it came with my machine and I would like it back – doesn’t look like that is going to happen. When I bought this machine, it shipped with Windows 8 and the manufacturer doesn’t have Beats Audio listed on the download page.

I can’t believe the lengths I am going to for a stupid keyboard, but it’s more about the challenge and trying to make everything work. Thus far the audio is fine. I am waiting to see if it depredates or if I have stumbled on a more stable version of the driver. If all goes well, I will install the keyboard back, funny it feels odd typing on my old keyboard.

I had a difficult time rolling out of bed this morning. My shoulder blades were sore from being hunched over the screen. My leg is better, not 100% yet but were getting close. Today is the big day for car service. They finally called, came and got the beast. Left me with a pickup truck to use and said that if I use it to put $10 worth of gas in it. I won’t be going any place but it’s nice to know that I have transportation if I need it. Now I wait for the call on how much its going to be and when to get it back. That will probably be later this afternoon, which is fine. I just hope it doesn’t break the bank and they find nothing else wrong, unless of course it’s covered by warranty.

Yesterday I got a request to summarize all of the work from home warning emails that were sent out because one of the big wigs is evaluating things and the path forward. I’m like the dumb son of a bitch can’t go to his sent items and look at what he sent some 3 to 4 weeks ago, how pathetic is that? In any case I have made an assumption on the request and that is that we will be working from home longer, no one has officially said that but it kind of makes me think they are leaning in that direction. I know there are lots of places opening up but people are hesitant to just jump back into life and rightfully so. The only thing I really want to do is go out to eat and I’ve made it this long so a little longer won’t kill me. I would personally feel more comfortable if we delay getting back to normal until June or July based on what I am seeing now. Of course, that is subject to change.

My co-worker that lost his dog is out again today. He said they had a rough night and couldn’t sleep plus they have to finish up arrangements today. This sort of sounds more like a person than a dog. This is his and his wife’s first brush with death of any kind. I feel so sorry for both of them and wish there was more I could do for them. He said he would be back tomorrow and he hardly ever takes any PTO just because he is new so it’s no big deal to me. I totally understand and hope that time will make things better for them. Saying goodbye is never enjoyable or easy when it’s a member of the family.

It’s a cold rainy day here and great sleeping weather. Gator and Marvin are doing that upstairs. I on the other hand am counting the moments until we get closer to lunch where I can eat and take a nap. Thank goodness for Belvita biscuits they are the only thing that is powering me this morning. I do plan to finish up the pizza for dinner tonight. Last night I had a burrito and a piece of cake it was a nice change of pace.

Well back to the old bump and grind of work. Hope your staying safe and doing well. Talk with you all again soon.

& So on & So Forth

I hope that you have had a great weekend. It’s been productive and eventful for me, but alas it will all come to an end tomorrow morning, then we go back to the old ball and chain otherwise known as work.

Friday night I stayed up pretty late and watched tv, one of the things I enjoyed was the Jonas Brothers Movie, Happiness Continues on Amazon. It was very entertaining and it’s a concert movie so you get to hear songs. Most of which I knew but some were knew to me. I think all of the Jonas’ are all very handsome but my favorite is Nick. Sadly, they are all straight and married.

Saturday, I woke up around 8a which is pretty well normal for a weekend. I got breakfast and fed the cats. I got dressed and headed out for the big job. I had been thinking about it to the point of obsession. I opted to use a leaf blower. I started out strong but that quickly fizzled out. Next was the by hand method which proved every bit as messy as I remember it but this time there were no ants. Once I got as much out by hand as I could I broke out the power washer. That helped me finish the job and I ran it until the water was clear. I got over confident and fell off the ladder not once but two times. I skinned my left leg on the first fall. The second fall screwed up my hamstring and while that was obvious hours afterwards at the time, I felt no pain. I managed to power wash the front of the house – porch and sidewalk. Man, alive there was some serious grime there that I never realized. Everything looks shiny and close to new. I did take out some paint and while I am not happy about it, it’s not like I didn’t expect it. When I was done with the front yard, I went on to the back and that was simple. I used the by hand method and when I was done got out the leaf blower and cleaned up. Then cleaned up my mess in the front yard. I was thinking about it and opted to install a leaf stopper. I paid for a set of 4 and installed 2 in the back yard last year. I figured while the ladder was still out and I was still semi flexible might as well go for it. It put up a little bit of a fight but I got it in. That will help keep things nice and open for drainage. When I was done, I stripped naked in the garage (yes, the door was down) and jumped into the shower. I had all sorts of crud on me and wanted to get clean asap. When I was done, I grabbed a cold soda and camped out in my chair. Then opted to lay down and take a nap.

Home improvement, next steps. I need to get a better solution to make sure the water from the gutter in the front of the house goes into the drainage pipe. It’s okay for now. I also need to get a PVC elbow and some additional pipe to route the sump pump water away from the foundation of the house. Things were all rosy when we moved in here but a lot has happened both in life and with the age of the house.

Back on track here. I woke up after about an hour. On to food a favorite subject. I ordered out and got a pizza to pick up. I went all out and got a Chicago Deep Dish, extra-large. I eat 2 pieces of it and I am full. This baby has Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Mushroom, Hamburger, Black Olives and extra cheese. Cost me close to $30 but considering that it’s not just 1 meal I am okay with it. It serves 5 to 6 people, so it’s a lot of food for 1 person. I am going to be so sick of pizza for a while.

I made it out to get Marv’s medicine and cat food. Then I was done for the day on Saturday. The more as I sat the stiffer, I got (in all the wrong places of course). It also became more obvious that something was messed up with my hamstring. I put ice on it but never mind that I pulled muscles in my leg so it’s really tough to get up and get moving but once I get started all is okay. It still hurts like hell and it will for a few days but then all of this will be over. Probably by Wednesday or Thursday for sure next Saturday.

I took in some PBS news programming and then went to watching YouTube videos, eventually called it a night around 11p.

Woke up this morning to Gators meow and she wouldn’t stop. I even changed beds and nope she was still going strong. After about an hour of tossing around I got up about 8a. She started at 6a when the light in the living room went on. You’d think by now she would know what a weekend is but even if she did, her mouth didn’t. You would have thought someone was doing horrible things to her or something was dreadfully wrong but nope she just wanted food for her pie hole.

I slowly ate 2 pieces of cold pizza for breakfast but first had to take my sugar. I got a good reading. Then had my pills and sat for a bit. Then thought about skipping the grocery store because of my leg and the way I felt but opted to forge forward. I made it through and didn’t do too much damage. Once again, I forgot to get popcorn. I’m telling you next week will be my week. Popcorn it shall be. I did get 3 more slices of cake, another box of Chocolate Éclair Ice Cream Bars, another box of Chocolate Chip cookies with White Fudge chunks. I also managed to pick up a bag of bite size Snickers. As I list all of this delicious goodness it’s apparent to me as to why I am gaining so much weight. I treat myself with too much of the wrong types of food.

Once I came home from the grocery store and unpacked. I sat in my chair and began to relax. Eventually I got up and laid down with Gator in bed. Everything was fine until she remembered that she was missing lunch, then suddenly she wanted me to leap up and fetch her another can of food. I on the other hand opted to lay in bed and told her be quiet. Eventually within 30 minutes I got up. I didn’t want to sleep too long. Then I came to sit on the couch with Marv. Gator joined us and after about an hour I opted to start cleaning. Then came downstairs to get on the computer.

Sad to say but my sound went belly up again. I am trying my last experiment to rule out the keyboard and it’s added software. I unplugged the keyboard and removed the software from my machine. Rebooted twice and here I am. You know everything was fine a couple days ago when I eliminated the sleep function. Then one of my programs installed an update and ever since then it’s just been topsy turvy because it forced a reboot. I had a sweet spot and apparently it was a temporary thing. I am back on my old keyboard and am going to try this for a couple days, if there are no sound glitches that will prove my theory. At that point I will need to make a decision if I want to send it back or keep it and know that I have to reboot every day or two. I think I will be sending it back but don’t want to act in haste. If the sound still acts up then it will be time to purchase a new soundcard – first I have to check to see if I have an open slot for that. I think so but I am not rushing to look right now. My personal opinion is that I don’t think it’s the sound card but hey I have been proven wrong before.

I am finishing up laundry and will be headed up for the day soon. Just waiting on the dryer to finish up with Marv’s cover. It’s kind of hot upstairs so might turn on the AC. I had to have it on yesterday because it was 90 here. We were supposed to have storm today but that didn’t happen, instead it’s sunny and in the 70’s. Speaking of AC, I think I will be getting a dehumidifier for my room since it tends to hold so much heat. Although yesterday when it was hot as blazes you could easily tell that AC was doing its job. Come on AC keep on humming along.

So that’s my wild weekend. If it wasn’t for my ladder falls, I would have finished up power washing the deck but I can do that on another day, it’s not like the dirt is going to magically disappear. I will probably tackle the plumbing/sump pump thing next weekend, at least that is the plan for now. Kind of depends on the weather and how I feel. I must say that I am quite proud of the front part of the house that I cleaned off and it feels good to have set a goal and accomplished it.

Back on April 1st I shaved my head and today a little over a month later I am ready for a haircut.  That is just plain crazy!

I hope that your well, talk with you all again soon. Cheers for now.

TGIF

Happy Friday Everyone! I hope that it’s a great day for you. It’s been a little busy but productive for me.

I got dressed in jeans for the first time in a while on a Friday. Normally I am in sweats during the week and don’t put jeans on until the weekend. However, odds looked pretty good last night that my pen would be delivered today and I wanted to make sure that I was prepared.

I was right, my pen did get delivered today and I went to pick it up and the rest of the mail that was waiting for me. Got back home and I had an email to answer from work, did that and then the unboxing. I was a little gun shy since my last experience. However, this time the new vendor got it right. I am pleased. I put in a blue refill (which I had purchased separately) and started writing. The refill was dead. I tried as I might but nope, stone cold dead. So, I picked up another refill and tried it, placed it in the pen and then I was able to begin writing. It started off a little rocky but once the ink got flowing it is so nice. I’ll be the first one to admit it’s not worth what I paid for it but it is a nice pen. Now I have nothing to look forward to. I need to go online shopping again. It is a nice day and was so good to open the sunroof and feel the heat on my head as I was driving. I kind of wished that I didn’t have to go right back home, it’s a great day to just drive. However, I never told anyone that I was leaving and if all hell broke loose, I wouldn’t have been in a position to support it. It was a risk vs. reward situation and the reward was far greater than the risk I took, because nothing happened.

Grabbed the trash barrel and scouted out the front gutter and how best to clean it. I was thinking pressure washer but I don’t know that it will be as effective as getting out the blower. Both methods will require me to get on a ladder which I am not thrilled about. I just want the one that gets the job done. There are plenty of videos to look at on line and no I don’t have any of the proper accessories, as in attachments for the blower or the power washer. I will need to get up above the gutter so that I can put air or water on the material. My thinking is that the washer would just get everything wet and might get out minimal debris. Whereas the blower is strong enough to force more junk out of the gutter. If I am wrong, I can always switch to the washer. Either way beats getting my hands in there to clean things out. ICK I remember the last time I did that it was horrible. The back gutters are no problem at all to reach, I will be on a ladder but not in as awkward position as the front of the house.

Depending on how I am feeling and what it does to my energy level I may or may not engage in the power washing project. The gutters have to be cleaned as there is a storm coming on Sunday. I also don’t want anymore mold issues or damage. Being lazy sure does come with a price, I wish I wouldn’t have learned that issue the hard way.

I got laundry going and switched out from my fall/winter wardrobe to my spring/summer wardrobe. Normally I wash everything before I put it away and again when I get it out. However, it’s just hanging in a closet and I think it’s a huge waste of water so I am foregoing that.

The vet called and we chatted about Marv. As I anticipated there is no harm in putting him back on B12 shots. Were going to have to ramp up again though so it will be 1 a week for 4 weeks and then taper back. If things go well, I can call and get more. It’s no big deal for him he doesn’t react at all. If it helps him eat a bit more and walk a little better then why not do it?

Work has been a little busy this morning. I had some monthly tasks to work on. Some other issues cropped up and I worked those. I have a departure this afternoon and that’s all. My schedule otherwise is wide open. There is a report I should work on but have opted to put it off until another day. That is probably foolish on my part but I never like working on the damn thing and if I am not in the mood it just doesn’t happen. There is no date set in stone as to when the report is due just as long as it’s out before this month is over all will be good.

Had a nightmare last night, those things usually don’t happen to me. A bad dream yes but a true nightmare nah. I think it’s because of the lockdown thing and giving my mind time to think. It’s amazing the places your mind takes you if you let it. Anyway, I was happy to wake up at 5a to realize that it was all just a dream. However, going back to sleep was impossible. I was able to return to bed and close my eyes but I never really fell asleep. Finally, as we got closer to 7a I got out of bed. The cats are still used to my 6a wake up time. I think they go by when the light kicks on in the living room. So, when things do go back to normal it won’t be hard for them to adjust to an early wake up. However, I worry about them being alone during the day. I am sure they will be fine but I don’t want them to think I abandoned them or that I am not coming back. I suppose I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

That’s all that is churning in my world at the moment. I hope that everyone has a nice weekend and if your fortunate enough to have nice weather, by all means do get out. Even if you just walk outside there is something refreshing about being outdoors after being cooped up for the week. Take care and we will talk again soon.