Organizing Naked Dudes

My day is going to hell in a handbasket pretty quick.  One person is out on vacation.  Another person just called in sick.  It’s me and the bossman today.  Just had a system go down and need the bossmans help to get that back up because he has physical control of it in his location.  I’m still nestled in the comfort of my home while the temperatures are in the negative numbers outside. 

Yesterday afternoon I accomplished something that I have always wanted to do.  I organized all of my porn photos by studio.  It took me all afternoon and I was in front of my computer a bit longer than I wanted to be but it was nice to get it done.  What do I do with these photos?  I use them as a wallpaper and run them in a slideshow configuration.  I get a different wallpaper (photo) on each of my monitors and have them change every 10 minutes.  I’ve done this for years and at the moment there are 20,307 photos in the folder.  The bad news is that Windows doesn’t recognize the subfolders that I put for studio names.  Meaning all of the photos have to be in a single folder or it won’t display a damn thing.  So now I am maintaining the folder structure and copying new photos to the folder that houses the individual photos.  As you might imagine I got a bit horny looking at all of the photos yesterday, saw some great memories from scenes past and had a fun time.  I had to keep up with some work interruptions but thankfully there wasn’t that many of them. 

I had the pasta & Italian Chicken Parm. for supper.  I cut it in half to make two meals out of it.  I plan to have the rest tonight.  I had a small piece of German Chocolate Cake and then curled up in my room with the kids, watched YouTube videos and surfed social media. 

Got a shower before bed.  Watched more TV and eventually fell asleep.  I woke up at 2a and had a tough time getting back to sleep.  It’s difficult to sleep when both cats want to hold down your feet.  Combine that with insomnia and its a really bad combo.  Hoping that tonight yields better and more productive sleep. 

Both cats were going bonkers playing and jumping around this morning as soon as I got out of bed.  They barley took time to eat the can of Duck I put out for them but they forget about it.  They took turns.  With a bite here and a bite there.  They are most likely both passed out cold and sleeping.  Although if I open the stairwell door one of them will spring to life and either be waiting at the top of the steps or meet me mid-way.  They like to stand on the stairs and not give me room to be able to walk up.  It’s difficult but I manage to get them out of the way without stepping on them and without tripping or falling thus far. 

Last night after supper they wanted to play and well my idea of playing is watching TV and surfing social media.  I don’t really want to do anything physical because I am wiped out and looking to wind down from the day.  You’d think I would have more energy because all I do is sit all day but not so it’s a physically and mentally exhausting job. 

I am not happy being left alone today it means lots more work but I suppose a faster moving day.  I’m on-call which makes it a bit worse but I will get through it. 

Oh the Chicken Salad Sandwich I had for lunch yesterday was on Toast and I sprinkled a little bit of pepper on it.  I figured out it was missing some chopped egg that is the other ingredient I like.  It was pretty good but it did taste basic as I had planned, still good but not the greatest Chicken Salad Sandwich I have ever had. 

Stay warm, be well and I hope you have a great day.  Meanwhile for me it’s back to work.  Take care and we will talk again soon.  Thanks for stopping by!

Howdy

Happy Monday if there is such a thing. I woke up to a surprise dusting of snow with a layer of ice hiding below. Thankfully I didn’t get out in it and learned about the ice from the TV. As you would imagine there are lots of accidents. Once again, the office is wide open. The news said that your top speed is safe at 40 or under regardless of the road you were on. If I was commuting in going at that speed would take over an hour to get there. I heard about one guy who stopped for gas and couldn’t get the fuel door open on his vehicle. That had to suck. It’s all about planning ahead. The forecast said nothing about bad weather but I filled up my tank yesterday. I don’t plan on going anywhere until the weekend but you never know about unplanned emergencies. I always like to keep a full tank regardless of the season it just gives me peace of mind.

Dollar Shave Club has some new blades out. I have been using them for my shaving needs for a long time. I like their Shave Butter. The new blades looked really nice and I opted to change over early. It was that or with time they would force change me. I got my latest shipment and thought I would give it a try. The new handle has some weight behind it and I really like it. As for the new blades on first use I am not a huge fan. They do clean up easier than the old ones. I didn’t feel as clean of a shave and actually had to break out an old blade for some help. Oddly enough I like Harry’s after shave. The new DSC blades remind me a little bit of a Harry’s blade. I think but am not sure that Harry’s is also changing blades but don’t quote me on that. Unless there is some special occasion or my face is itching like crazy, I typically only shave 1 time per week. If I shave more often, I get razor bumps and those are quite uncomfortable. I think I look pretty good after a couple days of face hair growth and even up to 1 week it’s not horrible. That’s usually the point when the itching starts and I have to shave to get relief. I am NOT a fan of facial hair and prefer guys I am interested in to be clean shaven. I’d shave a little more often if a companion required that but I don’t want to get to the point where shave bumps come back.

Despite frequent bought of tiredness, headaches and general unwell feeling I did manage to accomplish everything that was on my mental to do list yesterday. Breakfast out, grocery store, gas station. Washed the bedding, shower curtain and bath mat. Vacuumed the basement, emptied the shredder and lubed it up got a new bag installed. Charged the computer mouse. Got my medication put out for the week, ate all of my left overs. Pulled up the wrong dry food that I think was bothering the cat’s stomach. Spent time with each of the furry creatures. Shaved, made the bed and emptied the vacuum cleaner. I slept pretty well but was up a couple times.

The smell is less in the basement but upstairs is still pretty strong to me. I broke out an air purifier to help with my room, circulating the air does help a little bit. Plus, the furnace doesn’t seem to run as often. I changed out the filter in the furnace, which I am always really good about. I was running an old carbon filter that helps trap odors but I threw it out. I don’t like to use that much because the carbon coating tends to flake off. I really don’t want that floating around in my duct work.

Both cats slept with me as per usual. I think they are both really happy here. I trimmed Morea’s claws last night and she wasn’t happy about it. She fought with me but never once tried to bite me. I used my toe nail trimmers as the claw trimmer and only take off the tip. Oddly enough they don’t seem to be able to get them sharpened up as fast as if I used a cat nail trimmer. I really like that. They both like to make their biscuits (kneed their claws on me) and I think it’s cute and if I could get them to do that without the claws on my back I could easily get a semi decent lite massage. Morea weights more than her brother so she would have the best impact. I really hate sharing my twin bed with them. I start out with one cat and am comfy then once I pass out the other cat comes along and when I wake up, I have less bed to myself and they are all sprawled out and comfy. It’s comforting that they want to sleep with me and that they feel so comfortable in doing so. I liked the early days where they would sleep next to me or on the floor. I got to keep my entire bed for my body. Since I have put on weight I really need more of the bed. Since I like to sit up a twin bed and a recliner in the same room is the right fit. If I change beds to anything larger the recliner will have to go and I don’t like to spend all of my time in bed no matter how comfy it is.

I got some Italian Chicken from the store and I think I picked up another meal but don’t recall it. Anyway looking forward to having that for supper tonight along with either an Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwich or a slice of German Chocolate Cake. Lunch will be Chicken Salad and I am really looking forward to that.

I don’t feel that bad at the moment, I am a little tired but speaking of sinus and illness symptoms I am doing really well. Not sure if that is because what ever is in me is finally breaking up or if it’s because I am in the basement. I do think and know that the odor (whatever it is) is bothering me. Not sure why it’s stronger upstairs than downstairs. However, I just want it to go away and not come back or anything take it’s place unless it happens to be a pleasant smell from a candle, air freshener or cooking/baking. Do I think I will get that lucky? Probably not but never seems to stop me from hoping and wishing.

Wow I just got an alert on my phone the trash hauler is not going to pick up trash today due to the weather. That almost never happens so it must be worse than what the news said it is. I wish that I could have the day off and hang out at my friends business I’d love nothing more than to ride around as a passenger in a tow truck on a day like this. That oddly sounds like a huge amount of fun to me. There is a danger factor but it’s minimal but those trucks slide off the road like everything ice that comes into contact with ice. As long as I wasn’t driving and didn’t actually get out of the truck to walk on ice I would be in a happy place. However, that is a dream for another day.

My work schedule thus far is light for today and that in my opinion is the best and only way to start a Monday. Just found some work that will keep me busy for a bit so I am going to transition over to that. Hope that it’s a great day for everyone! Stay warm and safe. I will talk with you all again soon.

Man Candy Monday

The Weekend

Hello!  I hope that you are enjoying the weekend.  Thanks for your visit. 

Friday night I was really looking forward to watching Chicago PD but there wasn’t a new episode on.  I caught up on some other TV and it was an okay night.  I got the vacuum cleaner out and that freaked out both of the cats.  They hated the loud sound.  I got the shop vac out and cleaned out the air vents.  There was plenty of crap in them.  Plus with the new vents I got it’s super easy for a cat to paw at them and shut them.  A couple were closed off so I fixed that.  I was wiped out.  My back was killing me. 

Saturday I woke up early, got a shower and went to a fast food place for breakfast.  I didn’t realize that you could easily spent $17 at a fast food place on breakfast.  That’s comparable to what I spend in a sit down restaurant where I don’t have to do any work.  Grabbed the mail after breakfast.  Then headed out to see some friends. 

I chatted for a while and watched a car get buffed & polished out.  That was really interesting and the paint was smooth to the touch like a new born baby.  There is a lot that goes into Auto Body repair and it’s all about illusion. 

After that I came home and rested up.  I was on my feet for longer than I had expected and being in some mild cold weather was enough to zap me.  Plus I didn’t have a full nights sleep.  I got up and while I wanted pizza I opted instead for a local place to have some soup, pasta and of course I took home dessert.  Brownie Cheesecake which was something I’ve never had before. 

The smell in the house is following me outside because it’s in my clothes.  I crave fresh air and a breeze so that I can drown the smell even if only temporarily.  I have a Cinnamon Candle going in my office.  I plugged in air fresheners upstairs, it helps some but the residual smell is still there and honestly it does kind of nauseate me.  I’ve got no idea what I am breathing in but I know it can’t be good.  This week were back in the deep freeze and that is usually what breaks the smell is extreme cold so I am hopeful that after a few days it will go away.  It’s in the walls and my best guess is that it’s a combination of mice urine & droppings mixed with some mold.  It did start off pretty weak but it’s ramping up.   I feel as if I am going insane and it doesn’t help that I will be trapped here all week since I will be on-call as of tomorrow.  Each time this happens I hope it’s the last but it seems to be never ending.  This could be what finally drops the final nail in the coffin and causes me to move.  It bothers my sinuses and in the back of my mind I wonder if it’s what caused Gator and other cats problems.  The last thing I want to do is cause harm to a cat. 

Anyway back on point.  I got the car washed on the way home.  Then put away my left overs.  I had to get in front of the computer for expense tracking, working on taxes and porn surfing.  Then I went up and spent the rest of the evening with the kids.  Got the dishes loaded and done. 

Went to bed super early and woke up from another nightmare.  This time a little girl had fallen into a pool and drowned.  I drove in and recovery her and was doing chest compressions.  I wonder if this is my body’s way of telling me I should give in and finally learn CPR again.  I had a course when I was in grade school but so much has changed since then.  I was shocked that it was a little after 7a. 

The cats were happy because it was feeding time again.  However it seems to be I feed them then one of them barfs.  I am working on trying to fix that because I hate cleaning up puke.  It’s worse to step in it in the middle of the night.  I got dressed and went to a new place for breakfast.  Had a nice meal and saw a cute waiter who’s bones I’d like to jump.  He just looks gay from 1000 feet away.  I plan to return to this place again instead of going to Cracker Barrel and seeing the other guy who promised to call me.  I figure a change of pace is nice for me.  It might help to heal the wound/oddity and my taste buds are very happy. 

Hit up the grocery store and gas station.  Then came home because it was time and I didn’t feel the best.  I was running out of steam and felt kind of ill because of the smell.  Got everything put away and then got naked and laid in bed.  It wasn’t long before I was surrounded by claws.  Those damn things hurt and both cats love to make biscuits (kneed their paws).  Slept for a couple hours. 

Got up and started on laundry.  Filed my taxes the earliest in a very long time.  The stupid software I used for the first time didn’t prompt me about my identity pin and I knew my return would be rejected.  It didn’t take very long (30 minutes) and I had the email saying that there was a problem.  All of my returns rejected.  I went back to fix the PIN and thus far it’s silence.  Hopefully all goes well from here and perhaps sometime before next month is over I will get paid.  Refunds are super small this year compared to years past but it’s okay I am happy to just get a refund. 

Working on trying to clean the house need to run the vacuum again and I know the cats will hate it.  The air freshener in the unit helps to temporarily cover up the smell and it’s kind of enjoyable. 

I’ve got left overs from last nights supper to heat and eat plus 1/2 of my dessert so I am looking forward to food time.  I picked up 1/2 of a German Chocolate Cake at the store and I really look forward to diving into that.  Plus I lucked out and found some Chicken Salad.  I know it won’t be the best but it is still something that I will enjoy.  I almost got Tuna instead but perhaps it will still be available next week.  I love good Chicken Salad it’s all about the mayo that is used that makes it.  I don’t like extra add ins like nuts, fruit or anything.  Just mayo, chicken and celery is fine for me.  I’m basic like that. 

Got an email from the post office about my box rent and it didn’t go up horribly which is good.  It’s not due until the end of next month but I will pay it long before we get even close to that.  I might pay for a year kind of depends on how finances look. 

I hope that I don’t get sick again or have any side effects from the smell.  I’d like to actually work this week.  I didn’t put in any of my time that I was off.  Even though I am salaried I am supposed to use my time to cover when I am sick.  It doesn’t change my pay and my boss is scatter brained enough and I am busy enough that I can just call it an honest mistake when I am really hoping no one will notice.  I mean I kind of feel like they owe me for all of the BS I have to put up with and all of the messes I have to clean up.  If someone says something I will gladly enter it but I think it might be forgotten about or so I hope.  Payday is next week so there is something to look forward to, even though the money is pretty well spent it’s nice to see it come in even if it does a disappearing act sooner than I want it to. 

The cats are still living off of my Gator stocked food.  I am going to pull up the dry food that I bought by mistake to see if that helps correct the barfing.  I can only hope.  I am going to brush them again as well.  No one appeared to have brushed them ever but the first time I did it they both loved it.  Wish I could vacuum them I am sure with a little suction power we could get all of the loose fur off and avoid me having an itchy nose. 

Not looking forward to being on-call but hopefully it won’t be that bad.  Here’s hoping that it’s a great week for all of us and that the weekend comes back really fast.  Take care, stay warm and be well.  Hard to believe it but the first month of the year will be over in 2 more days.  Talk with you all again soon. 

 

Happy Friday :)

I am so glad today is finally here. Tomorrow can be a day of rest or whatever it is I want without having to worry about work. It’s been a rough week. I am finally caught up and have a bit of time on my hands. I am not advertising that and just basking in the relaxation of it all. Kind of feels like I earned it. This is a bit more of what I am used to in a normal day and it feels quite refreshing. It does make for a bit of a longer day but that’s okay.

I finally am caught up on personal email and porn surfing. My doctor finally sent in my prescription requests. I’ve had to call the new Pharmacy 3 times. First an order was on hold. They want a physical address for controlled substances so I gave them that. Second, I saw one of the medicines I take had a renewal price of $1,500 for a 90-day supply. That freaked me out and I got confirmation that it was a mistake and my normal pricing applies. Third, this morning again because an order was on hold. It was over the physical address thing. I modified my address yesterday to include my po box but left the physical street address alone. That caused the order to flag as if there wasn’t a physical address on file but everyone apparently understands what I did and they will ship to the po box. I hope that is all of the calls I have to make to them. One thing I don’t like is they reference numbers instead of the medication name in all of the emails they send me. The last pharmacy had an option where you could specify either send #’s or the name. I wish they had this because a # means nothing to me since they are randomly assigned, perhaps that will be a future enhancement.

I get to call Amazon Pharmacy next and so don’t look forward to that. All I want is my medicine and I don’t get why it requires so much effort on my part. However, I will work through it and I am certain everything will show up eventually just as long as it’s before I run out of anything.

Last night I watched some old music videos via YouTube. That was kind of refreshing and a blast from the past. I kind of enjoy music from when I grew up a bit more now than when I was actually growing up and the tunes were coming out.

Morea got into what used to be Gator’s bed in my room for the 2^nd time. Her and her brother had some issues last night where they weren’t getting along for a short period of time. I don’t deal with that really well with that and they know it upsets me. I tried to offer Morea some shelter since he was attacking her but she was confused as to what to do but eventually she got close enough and I was able to scoop her up. They go from sweet to sour in the blink of an eye. They both seem to have a bunch of energy and want to play a lot typically when I first get up and then in the afternoon/evening. They both sleep a lot as well.

I found myself having a bad dream trying to escape from a snake and when I woke up both of them were in bed with me sleeping. I was in the fetal position to accommodate their presence. That was odd. I had to get up for an hour and then went back to bed. The trash trucks came rolling in and that last hour to sleep in went by super-fast. Needless to say, I didn’t want to get up and get moving but I knew it was a requirement so I pushed through it.

The first few hours of the morning were nice and quiet so I was super productive which is what got me all caught up. I am eager to take a break and go back upstairs to the 2 fur balls but I know as soon as I do something like that all hell will break loose and I will need to come right back down.

I feel pretty well back to normal but my sinuses are bothering me a bit. I think its related to this smell in the house. It is supposed to warm up outside today and tomorrow so we get a bit of a break and then come Monday it’s back to the freezer. As long as the furnace isn’t running as much that should permit the smell to calm down and then all should be well. I can’t really express in words how frustrating this is and how tired I am of smells. No doubt most of it from the mouse issue that I had. Getting rid of them is pretty easy when you enlist a pro but no one does clean up after they are gone. I really wish they were never here and then this whole smell issue wouldn’t be a thing or so I think.

Plans for the weekend include sleeping & napping, hopefully some vacuuming, dining out, cat food shopping and getting mail. I’m thinking of hitting up a new place for breakfast tomorrow and then going to visit some friends. Kind of depends on how early I wake up and what I feel like.

Two days will go by so damn fast but for some reason I really and always have cherished a Friday night. It’s a special time that has always been the best part of starting a weekend. Kind of like the middle of a Cinnamon Roll, the very best part.

Tomorrow will be 2 weeks that I have taken in the new cats. It’s been an interesting 2 weeks and like all other points in time it’s gone by very fast. We seemed to have gotten used to each other pretty well or so I think. It kind of struck me last night that this is a new beginning in my life a point in time where I am truly walking on my own and have no support wires. Yeah, I was on my own 10 years ago when I was left with 7 cats but they were mine and I knew them from day 1 so it’s not quite the same thing. These cats are strangers that I have got to know and am still getting to know. It feels odd and while I think I rushed into this and say that I don’t want them, I know that life would be lonelier without them. I don’t like them under my feet or in my way. I’m not used to an in your face type cat and they both can get like that but Rudy seems to be the leader of the pack. He’s almost tripped me 2 times. If I fall down because of that damn cat, I will be super pissed, I just hope if it happens that I don’t hurt him or myself. I’ve always watched my back when moving with food even when I was the only person in the house because it became a habit, I’m glad that I haven’t grown out of that because it’s quite useful now more than ever. I’d say they both have imprinted on me and each one enjoys time alone with me. I’m kind of surprised and proud of myself at the same time. It all still feels like a dream despite it being real life.

My main hope and desire are that things keep going well not just with the cats but with life in general. I am looking for this year to be the year of positive change to make me happy or happier. My theme for this year will be the year of change/moving on. I’d love to find a companion and as always, I am on the prowl looking to find out who I can meet up with.

Love seems to be a game full of more challenges but once you find true love, I think it’s easier to keep it going than it is to start the search over. I know that entering into searching for a companion comes with quite a bunch of obstacles and challenges but I look at all of the things I’ve overcome thus far and this I think is my greatest challenge yet. If I can master this then I think everything else in life will just fall into place. Don’t get me wrong it’s not going to be all roses and rainbows but as long as the good outweighs the bad then it’s totally worth it.

Well I seemed to have cursed myself with this calm talk because all hell has broken loose so back to the fun. Happy Friday I hope that you have a great weekend, relax and pamper yourself life is too short & your worth it!

The Nut Crusher

Hi how’s it going? Hope that you’re doing well. I’m glad you’re here to read another entry.

I know that there are some guys that like to have their nuts crushed for sexual pleasure/gratification but I’m not one of those guys. I don’t know why it seems that female cats love to stomp on my nuts. It’s something Gator did and now it’s something Morea is doing. She’s a big girl probably easily 20 pounds as a guesstimate. Gator was around 15 pounds so a little lighter. Gator for some reason knew not to put all of her weight on her paws she was in my groin area. Morea doesn’t know that and she’s stomped on me a couple times. I know that she doesn’t know better. It’s just a risk that comes when you permit a cat to sit in your lap. They have to get comfy and I’m all for that, I really don’t want to go buy a cup but if this keeps up it’s something I will get just to avoid the pain. I’m not much of a fan of pain of any kind but it depends on the intensity and the last thing I am wanting is to damage the family jewels even though I have no plans to have offspring.  I don’t need a reason to go back to the ER or to my doctors office. 

Speaking of cats, Morea conned her way into the basement this morning. Man, she was quite impressed just like her brother was. They both want to come down here full time and hang with me. I get that but part of the drop ceiling is open I don’t want a cat in an open ceiling. Not to mention I can’t have them jumping on my desk or interrupting me when I try to work. We all need a sanctuary free from distractions and this is mine, at least for the time being. I struggle when I try to use my laptop from my room to get them to let me work or play.

Rudy loves to bother me all the time. He loves to get attention it matters not if you’re trying to eat, use the bathroom or just walking from room to room. He’s cute but he’s quite persistent to the point of irritation. I can see that being a problem for some people.

Last night I got a shower both cats wanted in the bathroom but I didn’t permit that and close the door. They both waited eagerly outside and were so happy to see me when I finally opened the door. It takes me back to the days of Gator & her family doing the same thing. Although in her latter years Gator would sometimes cry when I was in the shower, not sure if she wanted me to hurry up or if she was just lonely. I’d let her come into the bathroom in the summer just so she would know where I was.

I can’t help but think that both Morea and Rudy are wondering when the hammer is going to drop and I am going to give them the boot. I’ve seen them at their best and their worst. I kind of get why the last guy probably just gave up on them and didn’t want to take them with him. They are both kind of a handful but they feed off of each other and I see how they can be a little dependent on each other. They both have much more energy than I do and I am jealous of that. The lady at the shelter finally cashed the check, it cleared late yesterday. I need to follow up about their microchips but otherwise were good. I think this weekend it will be cat food shopping time. They really like the wet food. I have a new water fountain in mind but not sure when I will get that for them. The present one leaks at times. I always though poor Gator was knocking it around, which to be fair she did. I’ve got it on a pee pad and I sadly see water leaking. I don’t want to continue to go through that because it’s just wasting water especially when I pay for bottled water for them.

Were blending pretty well they have managed to get me to laugh and to yell. The other day Rudy decided to jump up on the counter top and that was an instant get down, he knew he messed up and was quick to return to the ground. They both like the oven and dishwasher. I think if I would let them, they would jump in both of those. They have yet to be in the laundry room because there are mouse traps out and it’s really a huge mess that I don’t want to have to try to chase them out of. Sort of like my old partners room and office, they want in both of those rooms really bad.

We have some kind of stupid smell I the air. I noticed that when I warm the house up it comes out but if I let the house cool down a couple degrees the odor fades. It’s not pleasant to smell but it’s not nearly as bad as what I had over the summer. It’s kind of like that odor but without the ammonia. Part of me is wondering if it’s the new cat’s litter. The odor was just noticeable last night. My nose isn’t terribly happy about it and my allergies have kicked in. I am wondering if that’s part of the reason why I got ill out of the blue. Part of me thinks the house is trying to kill me but I could be wrong. I would still like to move just to have a fresh start but honestly getting two new cats really doesn’t move that up on my priority list.

My sugar is dropping for some reason so I am going to grab a bite to eat and then see what still needs attention at work. I’ve had no issues with getting rest, despite the fact that both cats join me in bed. They are gone by morning but I think they are guarding me as if someone is going to harm me during the night. Never hurts to have extra protection.

Work has been pretty busy and I leave quite tired at night. I had some canned chili last night. It was a new brand and didn’t taste nearly as good as the label looked. I love me some Wendy’s chili it’s the best in my book. Shame they don’t put that in a can. The weather has turned extra cold but there isn’t much snow left here. There are other areas that still have plenty. Were in line for more next week but it doesn’t sound right now like it is going to amount to much with either means they are right or we are really going to get dumped on. Not sure which. My goal is to work from home next week because I am on-call. Not exactly looking forward to another week trapped here but it’s honestly better when I am on-call just because the strangest things seem to happen when I am on. It’s like there is a full moon or something. I seem to attract the crazy for some reason.

Need to work on getting the damn trash out today as well. That won’t be fun but first it’s time for some sweets to take care of my sugar dropping. Talk with you all again soon. Stay safe!

Happy Wednesday!

Last night I did something I haven’t done for a while and went out to Taco Bell. I did drive thru because of how crummy I was feeling but I actually had a Taco Tuesday. It was pretty good. I had a letter waiting for me at the post office that raised my blood pressure a little bit and figured I might as well go get it and deal with it. Turns out based on the way my ER visit was coded for when I fell into the jet tub my Health Insurance thinks that someone else might be responsible and was looking to stick anyone else with the bill. I sadly had to tell them it was my fault and nothing more than an accident. Hopefully, that will bring an end to this. The final bill wasn’t cheap but being an insurance company they still got by easier than anyone paying cash would have.

The cats really don’t like me working from home. They get separation anxiety and start crying for me just like Gator used to. It only happened a couple times yesterday. One of which they were wanting food. When I came up for the day, they really didn’t know what to make of it. We all kind of crashed in my room for a bit.

Rudy loves to follow me to each door to see where it is I am going. He looks at me with this expression like, please be sure to come back. As if I am abandoning him forever. I get it since this is their 3^rd home, they probably are wondering when I am going to drop the hammer and leave them. As much as I’d kind of like to I am some what attached to them. I do think I moved into action a bit too soon. I do think that they will be my last cats regardless of how or when we separate.

For the first time last night Mora started licking Gators bed and then she laid down in it. I was really surprised. I had kind of a mixed reaction but it did look cute seeing a cat in the bed. I don’t think she will stick with it just because there is so much more room in my bed and they both love to be next to me. I just wish I had a bigger room and bigger bed.

Snow was in the forecast and snow we got. I figured the office would close but nope. Well apparently, the cats like snow. They were looking out at the deck and then I caught them in the window this morning just staring out looking around at all of the whiteness. It’s a wet snow and as much as I would love to get their reaction to get out in it, my fear is that one or both of them would run away and I’m just not going to take that chance. I remember with the kids when they were still in the kitten stage I took a couple of them outside and they didn’t know what to make of snow, it was kind of a fun day.

It's pretty messy out and this is a wet snow so it’s all going to freeze over and be an ice rink in the morning. I’ve got no plans at all to leave the house until the weekend.

Yesterday kind of wiped me out and I am sad that I had to come back and do it all over again today. I still feel that something is off/wrong with me. It’s in my sinuses at the moment but I am chugging the water so hopefully things are on their way out and I will begin to feel better. It sure would suck if I went to the ER COVID negative and days later turned positive as if I picked it up there. I don’t quite feel that bad but I do not have a lot of gumption to do anything, I just want to be left alone.

I am finally caught up so to speak at work. It’s been a bit of hell and lots of juggling going on. I made the mistake of stopping to chat with someone by phone and then my inbox was clogged up with 30 emails in just a 15 minute period. There are times when there is no email and then there are times when there is heavy email. It depends on what is going on and who the sender is. A good portion of what I get is nothing but junk but what you think might be junk is probably worth saving just because you never know. I’ve got a good grasp on what to hang on to and what to delete.

I’m behind at home on email, porn surfing and cleaning. I did however throw a load of laundry in this morning. I am looking forward to lunch I’ve got a bright idea and hope that it tastes as good as it sounds. Nothing more than a sandwich on toast with cream cheese.

Tonight, will be something from the freezer or a can of soup or possibly chili. I never really look forward to meal time anymore just because it’s not homemade, comes from a box and usually has way too much salt. That’s why I look so forward to eating out, it might be over priced but it usually tastes pretty damn good.

I am going to publish this and then head up to create my lunch and see what is going on in the cat world and what is going on in my neighborhood. The part that sucks is tomorrow at some point I will have to put the trash out because pickup is on Friday. That is never a fun task but when it’s cold, raining or there is snow out it’s really not fun.

I hope that you’re all doing well, staying warm and having a great day. Here’s hoping that quitting time tonight will come sooner rather than later and that I will begin to feel better really soon. I don’t really want to go back to the doctor or even visit an ER but if I still feel lousy reaching out for help seems like a logical and practical thing to do, even if the provider can do nothing for me. That’s the frustrating part. I wish there was a virus scan for the body where you could just press a button like you can for a computer and presto virus gone. Maybe someday that will happen but I don’t think it will be in my lifetime.

Take care!

Back to the fun

I have made it back today to work, even though I am working from home.  So much bullshit and clusterfucks waiting for me.  I really didn’t miss any of this or anyone that I worked with.  I am presently listening to my boss ramble on about this and that, we have a meeting scheduled but he never sticks to the topic of why were meeting and always gets off in the weeds. 

I took a muscle relaxer yesterday and pretty much slept the entire day away.  My neck and shoulders feel a little bit better.  However, staring at these monitors my neck is starting to bother me. 

I’ve been upstairs to use the bathroom, the kids aren’t happy to see me leave them.  They want to join me in the basement and I’ve not told anyone at work that I have them.  I’d like to keep them a secret as long as possible. 

However, speaking of the kids (cats) I am thinking that for some reason they are making me sick.  I don’t know if that is possible because to my knowledge I am not allergic to cats in general.  I think perhaps this could be a psychosomatic event.  Whatever it is I want it to go away and not come back. 

My stamina isn’t quite at 100% and I am sneezing.  However, I sleep really well at night despite the fact that the kids join me and try to hog the bed.  I woke up early this morning and elected to just get things started.  I think that putting one foot in front of the other is about the best I can hope for at this point.  I really don’t want to take more time and/or deal with this I am ready to get on with my life. 

It might also help if Winter would go away and we would move into to Spring but around here we get Winter and then have a couple days of Spring and Summer is typically thrusted upon us super early and lasts quite a while.  I don’t like being hot or cold – rather just at the right temperature.

Time to get back to the fun that is work.  Hope your having a good day, take care and be well. 

Still Above Ground

Hi hope that you’re doing good!

I am unfortunately still feeling the effects of this Viral Syndrome that I was diagnosed with.  Yesterday afternoon my neck and shoulder were killing me.  I laid down and when I got up it’s the best I felt in over a week.  I thought the tide was turning for the better. 

However, I woke up this morning still feeling great.  Went out for breakfast and after breakfast my stomach started bothering me.  I made a super quick run to the grocery store and then bolted for home. 

I figured that things were going to get better after using the bathroom.  I put the groceries away, laid down as per usual for a Sunday and watched TV until I finally nodded off.  I wasn’t feeling the best but it really hit me when I finally made it downstairs for the first time since Tuesday morning. 

The silly warm feeling I have gotten all my life when I am sick is back.  My stomach doesn’t exactly feel the best.  I had the idea of going for pizza but now that I am feeling crummy again, I’m not exactly sure what I am going to do.  I am thinking perhaps soup or eating the Chicken Pot Pie that I have. 

I really want to go back to work tomorrow, working from home of course.  If I can at least do that even if I have to stay here for the week, I know I would be better off.  Because my mind would be busy.  It’s a throw of the dice and will really depend much on how I feel as today progresses and then what I feel like in the morning.  It’s easy to fall into a large rut where I am staying home, doing nothing and getting paid for it.  It sounds nice on one hand but honestly, it’s how last year started for me with COVID and I really want this year to be different. 

I’ve thought perhaps it’s getting the cats; it could be a physical/emotional response that I moved too soon.  I could be allergic (seriously doubt that) or it could just be stress/nerves.  I’ve been through quite a bit and saying that my body & mind need a rest is an understatement.  However, I really want to avoid going on short-term disability.  I know that things are piling up at work which weighs on me, not heavily but it’s there in the back of my mind. 

I felt hopeful that this thing is working its way out of my body.  Now, not so much.  I do hate feeling like this and would love to return to a state of normal where I can resume my normal boring life and routines.  The new cats probably think that they landed in paradise because we really haven’t been apart that much. 

They get along pretty well with each other.  They love to lay on me and in my lap.  They are both bed hogs and love to try to cheat me out of sleeping in my own bed but I fight back.  We don’t exactly have a feeding schedule down.  I give them breakfast and an evening meal.  I am setting out one small can of food that they split between them.  They have a constant supply of dry food, which is all they were eating when they were in the shelter.  They remind me of the herd how they gallop around here like they are crazy chasing after each other and playing.  Jumping on all of the cat furniture.  They are also using the 2 new scratching posts I bought years ago for the family but they were so uninterested.  I let Rudy come down with me to the basement when I threw in a load of laundry.  He’s fascinated.  He’s my shadow and I can’t seem to do much without him following me.  My big fear is that I am going to pee on him.  He loves to follow me into the bathroom.  I’m not terribly keen about that but on the other hand it’s nice to have a shadow. 

I like them and am glad they are here but honestly; I still don’t really want them.  I don’t like litterbox duty and it never really was a problem for me.  I got used to it and then after Gator left I kind of really didn’t miss it.  I still have her bedding out and they won’t touch it.  I probably need to put it away or throw it out but it’s one of those things that is just too soon.  I want to honor her and her memory.  Wow here I go again tearing up.  Just when I think I am over her all of the emotion comes rushing back.  This was a very profound loss and I am starting to wonder if I will ever stop crying or feeling sad. 

The new cats are a nice distraction but part of me still expects Gator to come in and sit in her bed.  I had a dream that she was in bed with us sleeping between my legs.  I woke up and realized that in fact it was a dream.  I can’t stop looking at her photos on my phone and that causes me to be depressed and perhaps conjure up a tear. 

Which makes me wonder if this whole viral thing I am going through is somehow connected to losing her, the stress and emotions that have come along with it.  Getting new cats is what caused it to manifest.  I mean it’s a theory and who knows I might be right. 

I like this brother & sister except for when they fight, I don’t want to return them but I’ve thought about it.  I know that would do damage not only to them but to me as well.  Right now, it’s not an option on the table and I don’t want it to be.  I don’t like to give up it’s just not in my makeup. 

Speaking of which the waiter dude is someone I need to give up on.  Seeing him hurts me knowing that he’s not going to ever reach out but will continue to lead me on.  I think I need to find a new place to dine at for breakfast.  I saw a new waiter today who reminds me of a younger me, he is better looking than me even when I was young but damn, I could ask him out too, but I’m not going down that path.  Waiters can look sexy but it’s just not working out for me.  I’ve asked several of them out and none of those paths have ever blossomed into so much as a date, text or even a phone call.  I do think that I am going to be single for a very long time, perhaps my remaining days.  It’s not what I want but my luck just doesn’t seem to be changing in that area. 

I am behind on everything from personal email to cleaning the house and of course everything at work.  I saw a message from my therapist yesterday who texted me that she was unlocking the door so that I could come in and have a warm place to wait.  Funny thing is that I didn’t have an appointment.  I don’t think she looked at her schedule very well.  I’m a self-scheduler meaning that when I want/need her I reach out otherwise we have no standing appointment.  If I had an appointment I would either be there or would have cancelled based on how I was feeling.  I never am a no call, no show to anything especially if there is a fee for a missed appointment like there is here.  I didn’t bother to text her back; I think she figured it out pretty quickly and felt embarrassed.  I saw no need to compound that.  Right now, I really don’t have plans to go back just because were really not clicking.  She wants to pick at things I say and gets me to go off into the weeds like she is trying to find other areas where I need “improvement” and she “wants to help”.  I think she sees that I am quite the mess which translates into money for her.  Not happening!  It’s nice that she is in my hip pocket if something should break but now that I have the new cats my hope is that there won’t be a need for any therapy.  If so then I think it’s best to start over fresh with a new person who I hopefully can click with and one that doesn’t have so much paranoia locking their doors all the time, requiring texting for entering.  I’m surprised she doesn’t do a pat down to make sure I am not wired.  Everyone I talk to and tell them about her tell me that therapists are strange folks and chances are they need therapy more than I do.  I might be the only sane one in the room. 

One final note is that it was oddly snowing this morning when I left for breakfast.  It was nothing serious just flurries.  I took that as a sign of comfort that things were going to be okay.  Right now, I am not 100% certain of that, but I was a little more convinced and assured of that this morning.  Just based on how I feel now is what is causing me to have doubts. 

Nothing lasts forever I mean if it did then we couldn’t say, this too shall pass.  It just feels like quite a quandary.  I really want to be around people and don’t so much like the whole being alone thing.  At least at present. 

Okay well I’ve spouted off quite a bit here.  I need to get moving around here even if I do only move at a snail’s pace.  I’d like to make some progress.  My stomach feels somewhat better but I am still pondering about what to do for my next meal.  I am sure I won’t go hungry. 

I hope all is well in your world, that your well, warm and doing good.  Hopefully, this week will be a better time for all of us.  Take care. 

Virus Time

Howdy folks.  Just a quick note to let you all know I am still among the living.  Tuesday morning I woke up and didn’t feel well.  I tried to shuffle along working from home but something wasn’t right.  I swiftly took the day off and went back to bed.  I ached all over and felt like I had a fever.  My first thought was oh no, not COVID again. 

I’ve been down for the count all week long.  This morning I mustered up enough strength to finally get a shower.  Then to get dressed and drive to an Emergency Room. 

That place was packed to the hilt and I waited my turn, thankfully they put me in the fast lane and I was only there for 3 hours.  No COVID or any of the other respiratory threats that are present right now.  I’ve likely got a virus that is working it’s way out of my body.  The sooner the better. 

Right now I am off on Friday and the plan is to resume working on Monday.  I am at a critical point with my time off.  You have to use 5 of your days before you quality for short term disability (the only kind of STD that I want, if I have to have one at all).  If I go back then don’t feel well the clock starts all over again.  So if I don’t feel well on Monday I will need to reach out to my doctor for a follow-up visit. 

It’s more painful to stay home and sit around than it is to actually work.  There are cluster fucks brewing and I see that by only skimming my in box on my phone. 

The cats have been comforting but they are all so a huge pain when I am sick.  I still have to feed them, clean up after them and try to provide some form of entertainment.  The boy and I apparently have something in common, we both get horny.  He tries to jump his sister and it’s not pretty.  They are both fixed so I don’t understand why this is happening.  It’s apparently common according to Google.  I really hope this is a problem that will go away but kind of don’t think so. 

They love to groom each other and lay in close proximity to each other.  One or both of them are in bed with me at night.  One is about all my twin bed can handle.  They are both large cats. 

I am tired of being sick and I really could have done with out this.  I think that one of the cat scratches that I got might have be what done me in but it’s healing.  If it wasn’t that then I’ll point to the van ride with my friends from last Saturday. 

Have a good night and I will talk with you again soon.  Just wanted to publish something quick to let you know that I am still here.  Take care, stay warm and be well. 

How it’s going

My apologies to those of you who left comments on my post about Gator’s passing. I didn’t get email notifications and happened to check Blogger today and saw several waiting to be published. They all have been published and thank you for your kind words, they are much appreciated. I still miss her very much.

Saturday morning came around pretty fast. I was able to get the new cats and brought them home. They were a choir the entire way home, crying. I was so over that and no matter if I said something or not, they just kept crying. I took the lady at the shelter a full box of Forta Flora, the IV Catheter, some needles and the brand-new full bag of fluids. I know it will go to good use and animals that need it. By my vets’ prices I gave her about $100 in donations. In reality I gave her about $40 worth of stuff.

We came home and I unleashed the beasts. They were quick to explore the house and seemed to settle in. I really didn’t want to pass out because I had no idea what they would get into but I couldn’t really hold my eyes open much. The female sat on my chair as if she was waiting to attack me as soon as I fell asleep. The male just wondered around.

I got a call about my watches and had to venture out to pick them and the mail up. Then I came back home. They were both huddled in my room and my welcome home was a hiss, how lovely is that?

I sat and watched TV; I got a cat in my lap pretty fast. The male spent time with me first. Then he got down and his sister climbed up. I was wearing a shirt that was brand new and no longer in production, she of course had to ruin it for me with her claws. It was a knit polo and she snagged some of the fibers. It’s not horrible but it’s not perfect like it was. It’s the same shirt I said goodbye to Gator in and I wore it on purpose since I was saying hello to 2 new cats.

The longer I sat the more I kept thinking about Outback and how I was going over. I opted to call my Thanksgiving friends and they said they were interested in going. It was quite a long haul but they asked me to come over and they would drive. Holy shit, their old mini van has an exhaust problem, you can smell it in the inside of the vehicle. They didn’t bother to turn on the heat on the trip over or back. I was allergic to the exhaust fumes and freezing from no heat. Plus they are both older so driving was quite questionable and we almost had more than a few possible accidents. I would have been much more comfortable driving myself not to mention safer. However, they paid the entire bill even though I said I wanted to pay for myself. They had to get 2 appetizers because they love them, I’m not a fan. The salad plus the meal is enough for me. No one left hungry.

I came back home a few hours later and the cats were a bit more hospitable. They were happy to see that I wasn’t a stranger who had abandoned them. I’m sure they have some doubts as to how long they will actually be here since their last owner only kept them for about 9 months. The owner before that I think might have had them for a year. Both were born on the 4^th of July back in 2019, so Independence Day will have a whole new meaning.

I opted to try to trim claws. The female who I call Moore A because she needs More of this and more of that. Doesn’t like to have her nails messed with. I had to find the Leather Welding Gloves I used for Ruth and it took me a ½ hour but I got them trimmed. She put up on hell of a fight and even bit me before I put the gloves on but it was a warning bite and she didn’t break the skin. The male who I call Rudy had his nails trimmed at the last meet and greet. Note that the names I am calling them are how I actually refer to them but it’s not their real given names. I am not happy with those but they are old enough that I am not going to try to change them. I hope they will get used to their new nick names. Which I am sure someone probably called them at some point but who knows.

Sunday, I spent the majority of the day with them. I got a shower and left the house for dinner and some fuel but I wasn’t gone more than 45 minutes tops. I figured we have an extra day in the weekend and I could use that to my advantage. I haven’t had an off day in quite sometime I’ve kept myself going and busy so it felt really nice. I got up and ate breakfast, then my sugar coma kicked in and I got to take a nap. We watched TV in my room all day long.

Neither of them will use Gator’s old beds. I found out when I picked them up, I bought the wrong kind of Science Diet food they were used to so I had to go back today (Monday) and get the right stuff. I’ve got well over $40 sunk into just dry food. Which I am not confident they are eating.

They both are super picky about what wet food they will actually eat. They both act interested in whatever it is I put down but it’s a nibble here or there and then they will walk away from it. Moore A is more like a large loaf of bread and she probably weights close to 20 pounds. Rudy has to be 15 at best. There is no reason to run back to the vet. Their rabies shot expires in November. Unfortunately, they were given a 3-year vaccine, which I was not crazy about. There has been known to be side effects for cats who get the 3-year vaccine so I am told. The shelter was unaware of that but it’s something my vet told me a while back.

We have got to know each other pretty well. They don’t exactly know my daily routine yet but they will learn that this week, fun for both of us. Moore A sleeps in my chair and keeps watch over me. Her brother slept in my bed closer to her. They don’t really get along much but tolerate each other. She is always hissing and growling at him. I’ve yelled at her a few times about that. I don’t know that I will break her of it but I am damn sure going to try. I don’t like to hear a cat growl or hiss. They both have super sharp claws and could do quite a bit of damage to each other if they really got into it. I think she is fussier and puts up a good front, I don’t know that he has figured that out but it usually makes him run the other direction.

Monday ugh how I ate that day of the week. It’s more sensitive to me now since I lost Gator on a Monday. It’s been a full month and I still miss her so much. I can’t believe how fast life has changed for me. She was here, gone and now I’ve got 2 more that I said I would never have.

I can take these guys back at anytime for any reason without any questions. However, that is not in my plans unless something really goes horribly wrong.

I got up at 7a but tried to go back to sleep for an hour. By 7:30a I was back up and getting ready to leave. I went to breakfast as my luck would have it, I got the hunky waiter I have a crush on. He said that I was a breath of fresh air and seeing me felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. That’s sweet but damn boy, you need to call me. I got this crazy ass idea and I asked the manager if there was a policy against the wait staff dating the customers and I was told that it's frowned upon because it makes for an awkward work environment, however the manager said that it’s only a suggestion and she can’t control what they actually do in real life outside of work. So maybe that is the reason but then again why would you give me specific directions to your house, say your interested in getting a bite to eat and even give me your phone number. I think he’s just one of those guys who doesn’t want to hurt my feelings by saying no but in the end by not following through it hurts my feelings. Every time I see him I just want to get to know him. Of course, I’m also thinking about all of the sexual things I want to do with him but it sincerely is starting to hurt really bad. While it wouldn’t make me terribly happy if he would just apologize and say he’s sorry for leading me on that would be better than him not following through. Something even if it’s not what I want is better than the waiting and wondering. I do hope that he doesn’t get into any trouble because of my query to the manager, but then again maybe it might help speed things along. Only time will tell.

Made it to the grocery store, hit the pet food store for that 2^nd bag of food. Then came home. It’s cold, raining and miserable outside or so it was this morning. It’s supposed to warm up a bit and be nice. I’d love to go to dinner with someone, I just long to be around people even though I have 2 animals now. They are a lot of fun and we can easily spend hours in front of the TV loafing. They both squeeze their eyes closed when they sleep so hard it looks like they are smiling. Similar but not exactly the same as Gator.

I’ve had a couple work related things pop up this weekend and have taken care of them. I do NOT look forward to returning to normal operations tomorrow because it’s going to very much be super busy. I was gone for 2 days so there is catch up work, plus making up for the holiday and then regular project work. It’s going to be a zoo. I won’t be on-call, so I’ve got that to look forward to. I will be working from home despite it being Tuesday. My day in the office this week is Wednesday and it’s due to a project that requires me to go in but the day will be pissed away in waiting around one that gets under way. It’s kind of a waste of my time but whatever I go in 1 day and Wednesday isn’t that much different than Tuesday. Plus, I plan to leave early as per usual and I know I will enjoy seeing the cats when I get home. Then Thursday will be here and before you know it Friday will roll on in and were back to the weekend again. Then another damn Monday and no holidays until May which is quite a bit away.

I am catching up on laundry and the cats haven’t bothered me at all. I need to go put a load in the dryer, head up to grab the next load and then come back down. I don’t know how well that will go over but I suppose I am going to find out.

I figure if they can get used to me being in the basement, which I won’t let them in down here because I need to be able to concentrate on work and heck, we all need a sanctuary where we can escape from everyone and everything once and a while. My hope is that they will get used to this so that when I am working from home it won’t be a big deal and I won’t have to give them nearly the attention that I used to give Gator. Although she was a great alarm clock to remind me to break away, take care of her, eat lunch and then eventually go back to work. Heck even sometimes just to take a break with no food involved.

Gator and her entire family really ruled my life for so many years. That’s the tough part and I just still can’t believe that era has come to an end. I’ve lost quite the number of pets but since Gator was the last in her family it stings a bunch more and I am even tearing up still over it. I think I will always miss her I just hope the pain lessens.

Well, here we go laundry time. Thanks for your patience I know it’s been a bit since my last update. That just made for more content to post. I appreciate your readership more than you know. Take care and be well.

Sore

I got my massage today.  Man oh man, the knots that this guy found.  He worked my arms and found them there as well, it hurt.  As the day has gone on I continue to get sore.  I can only imagine that tomorrow is going to be painful but I will survive. 

Today is my last day alone.  I’ve made the most of it.  I vacuumed, changed the litter boxes.  Got the water fountain cleaned and filled with fresh water.  I went pet food shopping, grabbed a bowl, some Hills Food and some treats.  That was about as expensive as what I would spend on Gator for 1 week.  I looked around at carriers but they really wanted an arm and a leg.  I’m taking my large carrier which is big enough for a small dog (It house both Marv & Bear) they were both larger fellas and they gave my back one hell of a workout back in the day.  That should be good enough for the female since she is a bit larger than her brother.  He’s a big guy as well but it’s all good by me.  Any vet would call them overweight but who’s cat is the purrfect weight?  No one I know. 

I went to see a couple friends to tell them the good news.  Got my haircut and dropped off a couple watches to get batteries.  Normally that place changes batteries while you wait but the lady asked me to leave them and said that they would call this afternoon.  They never did call and I’m not terribly happy about it.  They will be open tomorrow so hopefully they call then.  One of those watches is pretty expensive and even though I don’t wear a watch often I feel odd having it in the shop. 

I need to sort some email at work but I have done part of that already.  I am back on-call and thankfully all is well, hopefully it stays that way for the entire 3 day weekend.  I want to go out to eat and keep moving but there comes a time when I need to just stop.  Unwind and relax.  Tomorrow is going to be here before I know it.  I am excited and a little nervous.  I hope they like their new home and we mix well.  I am sure it will be quite interesting in the days to come. 

I am donating the fluids I just bought for Gator, the IV Catheter and needles.  I am also giving them a full box of the probiotic I used to give Gator.  Probiotics are healthy things to give all cats but Gator needed it to help with her gut and to help tame her ravenous appetite.  I hope I never encounter a problem like that again.  I certainly have a lot of experience with cats and it’s all from Momma’s Family.  I paid for my education both in money and emotions but this is a fresh start and I’ve got all of that knowledge to rely on.  Unless there is a problem I don’t plan on seeing the vet until much later in the year, if we even go this year.  The exterminator comes over but he’s really the only person in the house but me.  If I get a boyfriend or for some reason I start to have frequent visitors then I will rethink things.  As of now I don’t plan to keep their vaccine current, none of my other cats were current and since I got to know Ruth’s personality when she was young and vaccinated I wore the welding gloves.  If I have to do that again I can.  Ideally I don’t want to get bit at all by anything or anyone.

There you have it.  I need to get to deal with the work BS and then I am headed up to find something to eat for supper, plan out a breakfast and then I will get on the road to get the new cat kids.  Fingers still crossed it goes well.  I feel a little bit better about it and am looking forward to it.

Hope all is well in your world, that your staying warm and enjoy the weekend.  Take care.   

Cat Dad Again

Hello and welcome back for another ride on my adventure train!

I had some problems sleeping last night, over the prospective cats.  My mattress topper moved and I wound up sleeping in an odd position so my neck hurts.  Terrific just how I wanted to go through the day. 

I made it to the doctor and as my luck would have it, he was running behind.  It’s okay I took the day off work so other than having a full bladder I was okay.  I finally got to see him and as overwhelmed as I was I managed to forget to tell him 2 key items.  At least I remembered the most important thing that was my medicine list and what needs to be refilled since my Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) changed.  They sent me like 5 or 6 emails call your doctors office, your order was cancelled.  I saw that as I was waiting for the nurse to come get me and walk me to the lab.  I thought to myself what timing, at least I have nothing to call about because he is going to submit all new prescriptions. 

I was actually kind of surprised I was allowed to leave based on some of my statements to the doctor about not wanting to go on with life and not really having a reason to get out of bed.  However, the cat adoption thing might be what saved me.  The doctor said that cats seem to be therapeutic for me and that I should consider at some point getting at least one more. 

Later in the afternoon I had the 2nd meet and greet.  The lady said you actually showed up that is a good sign.  I guess some people are no call/show.  I was raised differently.  That is a mortal sin at least by the standards I was raised by.  I was quite transparent with all of my issues and concerns.  I managed to get out of the home visit and can pick them up from the pet store but I need to send the lady a photo of them in my home.  We agreed that 1 to 2 weeks should be enough time to make a final decision.  Both cats were all over me, which is not typical for them.  I got my face and hand washed.  I so miss that.  They each got a 3 year rabies shot and they aren’t due for another one until November.  There is no reason to go to the vet unless I want to or of course if they have a problem.  My name is going to be primary on their microchip and the shelter will be a secondary contact, that covers if I happen to drop dead all of a sudden or get seriously ill.  I can give them back at anytime for any reason.  The lady even said that she would come to my house to feed them if I really wanted to travel.  I’d probably board them or have a friend come over.

The adoption is set for the early morning hours on Saturday.  We were going to schedule it for tomorrow but since it’s Friday the 13th she didn’t think it was such a good idea, but I told her it’s a date.  I forgot about going back on-call but chances are low that anything will come in and if it does whatever it is will have to wait until I get home unless I can punt it to a co-worker.  I have no worries. 

I only plan to tell a select few people the news and want to keep it under wraps as long as I can.  I just feel funny about telling people as if it will jinx me.  I have no plans to give them back but still I am going to fully use the 2 week trial plan just the same..

It wasn’t as difficult as I thought to finally throw out the old litter.  I am sad a little bit about it but I knew it wasn’t going to be something I hung onto forever.  It might sound strange but I took a photo before I touched the box so I could memorialize the way Gator’s paws were in the litter.  I haven’t done that for any other cat. 

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day for me, lots to do to get ready for these beasts to come home.  I need to go buy food, treats and look at bowls.  We used a feeder for dry food here but it did draw in the ants.  Considering I have the exterminator coming I am not terribly worried about it but will ensure that he uses the same care he has with Gator.

I have lots of mixed emotions right now and part of me thinks what the hell did you just do.  The other part of me is like yes were getting 2 cats.  I hope that they adjust and we can all be comfortable here.  We will have a full 3 days before I have to return to active work and then I am working from home for 1 day.  I will worry about them when I go in on Wednesday but I know I will look forward to coming home to them, just like I would when I came home to Gator. 

I like being all alone for the freedom and I will enjoy being all alone while it lasts.  I did almost walk away from them but just couldn’t bring myself to do it.  No one else has inquired about them which was really a shock because everyone sees them, they seem so interested.  I guess this is the universes way of telling me it’s going to work out and things will be okay.  As long as things work out for them, hopefully I can meet a Mr. Right and my life can turn a different direction as my luck changes. 

Looking forward to my massage tomorrow hoping that I can get rid of all of my knots.  Need a bit of time to chill and then I am headed to bed.  Here’s hoping that I can turn my brain off and get some much needed rest.  Regardless of what lies ahead morning seems to always come around fast. 

Hope all is well.  I will keep you posted on how things are going.

Time for some Man Candy–enjoy!

Emotions, Emotions

Last night I got to thinking about work and after having supper and sitting for a bit, I opted to just go in. I was able to work on the door and get it back to a working state. Oddly enough though what I thought would be the fix turned out not to work. I left and things were in working order, I tested and re-tested multiple times. I pray that it stays working. On the way home last night I was hot from all of the running around that I was doing. I drove home with the windows partially open and the cold air felt so good plus I was in my coat and sweating. This morning I have one hell of a headache not sure if it was from last night or if it’s just one of those headaches I get occasionally.

I was surprised when I showed up that there was a box of Chocolate that was sent to me. I first was surprised that it was still on my desk since things have a way of walking out when I am not around. It came by FedEx and was addressed to me so that might have been the saving grace. Despite it being chocolate, I focused on why I was there and took the Chocolate home. When I got home, I opened it and found that it was from a couple of folks in the office sending me their condolences on Gator’s passing. That was very nice and totally unexpected. It’s the same folks that always do something when they hear I lost another one. Normally it’s a tangible gift and not an edible one but I was still caught off guard and quite touched.

Obviously since I went in last night, I am at home today. I really hadn’t planned on going in at all this week. However, since I kind of needed to I am glad that I got to do it on my own terms and I was able to work without an audience. That’s when I do my best work, especially when things don’t go as I had thought they would. I know that technically I should have gone in today but I liked the hour of sleeping in the extra hour. Next Wednesday I have to go in because of a change that is being made with my account. I like to go in on Tuesday’s just to get it out of the way. The odd thing is that the change that is being made will leave me unable to function for up to 2 hours so I will get to play plus if you figure in lunch (that is if I actually take the full hour) that will be 3 hours doing nothing and you know I’m going to leave early so it’s really not to their advantage and not really worth my time but I will comply. I know that things would be okay if I stayed home because it’s my laptop that needs to be in the office and not me. Guess what my laptop is already there.

Thinking about the whole adoption thing. I stared at the new cats faces last night via the photo that is posted of them on-line. I really don’t want them, that is my general feeling. However, I can just see their faces saying please take a chance on us. Everyone else has but it hasn’t worked out, we know that we will be very happy at your house and bring you lots of joy. With that in mind it’s kind of tear jerking but I think I am going to give it a go. I’ve got to whip this place into shape and plan on starting on that tonight and then I can have time to finish up either before or after I see the doctor tomorrow. I still have plenty of time to change my mind and we will see if I still feel the same way after the meet & greet tomorrow afternoon. I feel like I could be their savior. My only fear is that they won’t grow on me and I will want to/need to give them back. I’m not looking to set anyone up for emotional failure or to have any hurt feelings. Mainly myself. I’ve been through quite the traumatic loss and well a cat (animal) is non-judgmental and loves you for who you are. I don’t have to worry if they will like me, because I hold the keys to the food so of course they will love me. I am just asking myself the same question over and over again, which is are you sure your ready for this. It’s a lot to commit to. I honestly don’t quite think I am but at the same time I really don’t want to lose these two. So long as they aren’t putting on a show at the meet and greet, I think we will blend together quite well. This is just the typical pre-commitment jitters kind of like what one experiences when they change jobs or are about to get married. Commitment of any kind that is long term always gives me these types of jitters. I am thankful that I will be able to see my doctor and talk with him before all of this goes down.

The odd thing is that tomorrow will mark the 1 month passing of Gator and I don’t quite know if I will have any feelings. Right now, I can’t believe that it has only been a month. It kind of seems like yesterday on one hand and longer on another. I kept my promises to her and her family and I know I did the best I could given the circumstances I was presented with. It’s not like I could have saved any of them from death forever. I do wish that she was still here with me, I was used to her mannerisms, expressions and attitude. We did really well together and I know that my late spouse would be quite proud of me not only for how I took care of all of the cats but in general how I was able to overcome adversity with all of the obstacles that were thrown in my way as the result of his passing but with life in general and how I am still here, despite not really wanting to be.

The other odd thing here is that I don’t want to be here (as in alive) but there is something inside of me that won’t let me give up, despite the fact the cats are gone. Some would call that God. I honestly don’t know what to call it but I kind of wish that it wasn’t present, it seems so much easier to give up. Yet here I am plugging away. I don’t get it but then again maybe I am not supposed to. I keep thinking that life is going to deal me some happiness and I will get the companion (as in a man) that I long for and the love attention and of course sex that comes with it. I’d like the man to be first and the animals to be second but perhaps that is not the way it’s supposed to go. Still as difficult as it is to comprehend, I think everything happens for a reason but we may or may not ever know or figure out what the reason is. Hell, I’d sure like to know why my spouse had to die so quickly after we were married, why all of the cats couldn’t have lived as long as Gator along with answers to why a lot of tragic events unfolded in the world in general. I can’t look for those answers because I would be busy forever. Instead, I have to just keep going and focus on my lane, it’s difficult sometimes just to stay in your lane.

Here's hoping that things work out like they are supposed to and that I don’t have to shed anymore tears unless they are tears of happiness. I saw a YouTuber make a quick video and say that lets hope that you don’t shed any tears in 2023 unless it’s you gagging on a ding-a-ling. I liked that and really hoped that would be true for me but thus far no joy. I know it’s only mid-January so there is still hope.

Work and the cat thing are all I have to speak of now. I am sure I will be back with an update at some point tomorrow with how things went and what my final decision is. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I hate making decisions. Some though are easier than others. It’s the life altering ones that I really have a super struggle with. Here’s hoping that it all works out like it’s supposed to and for the best for all involved, especially the cats.

Take care!

As per usual–Good Results

I got a good bill of health from my dental checkup.  I got the dentist to run a smoothing stone over my 1 front tooth that had a slight chip left over from last year, it’s been driving me beyond crazy. 

My childhood neighbors funeral was livestreamed and I got to watch that.  Sounds like there was quite a crowd and the service was pretty short.  I figured it would be a funeral mass but it was not.  They apparently made a friend that is a priest and he did the service, which was pretty good.  He talked about some old memories and I learned a thing or two.  I wasn’t the only one who sent a plant, in fact 2 other people had the same idea so I don’t know which one was mine but I know it made it there, which is comforting.  I hope that his wife manages to hang on a while longer, I am not healed enough to handle an in person funeral. 

I got word at work that a former colleague passed away in a ski accident.  It’s like death keeps on happening all around me and well maybe it always did but I am much more hypersensitive to it now.

I stopped by the vets office to ask them a couple questions regarding adoption and to get the initial forms that I would need if I go through with the adoption and elect to bring them there.  I was kind of expecting more information and what I got hardly made it worth my time of stopping, but the lady remembered that I was just there last month with Gator.  I still have the feeling that I am moving too fast but I’ve kind of fallen for these two.  So long as our next meeting goes well and I’ve got no reason to think that it won’t, I think they are done with the shelter.  I am doing some serious thinking about this and when you stop and look at it, it’s kind of overwhelming as to what your actually committing to.  It’s a lot of time, food, money and medical bills.  Not to mention all of the emotions from good to bad and everything in between that come with this.  I read an article that said not to let anyone push you into getting another pet after you lose one, but at this point I kind of am.  I really don’t want to but that’s why I am giving serious thought to this and taking time to reflect and take a step back before I render a final answer.  If I get them everyone will be pleased as punch and if I don’t get them then people won’t be terribly happy with me, but it’s my life and I have to do what I think is best for me.  No one else looks out for me so that’s kind of a full time job. 

I was barley gone a full hour for the dentist and man all sorts of emails and crap happened while I was out.  We have a door that stopped working in my office and I figured a few simple remote commands could bring it back, but nope either the reader has gone out OR it needs a hard reset.  Either way looks like I am going in tomorrow to try to see if I can fix it.  I really don’t want to but it’s better than dropping everything and going over & back today, the day is practically over.  I kind of thought I might have to but thankfully someone found a key.  Tomorrow if I can’t get it working then I will have to place a service call but considering I am out for the rest of the week after tomorrow and won’t be back in the office physically until next Wednesday that’s kind of a long time to wait.  Here’s hoping that I can be a hero. 

I’m caught up and now we have a BS meeting in about an hour that we have to go to.  Not looking forward to that at all.  Who doesn’t get tired of their job?  I am just so frustrated with all of the BS that I’ve accommodated and while I am paid pretty good, there is more to life than money.  I really don’t want to start over but at the same time it’s like either get happy or tolerate what is annoying you OR make the change.  I’ve learned multiple times that life is too short but there also some perks that come with this job that I don’t know I would be able to get elsewhere.  Right now I am just trying to get through this week and the whole possible adoption thing – then once that is settled and I get comfortable I can take a look at my options.  I’m also going to talk with my doctor about stress in general – that combined with losing Gator has really fucked with me and maybe rather than changing jobs more of what I need is a leave of absence, nothing major nothing beyond a month.  However if I get that then I will want another month when that month is done.  Time to process everything I do think would help. 

Ah well that’s all I got for now.  Back to the fun that is waiting for me at work.  Looking forward to supper it’s a BBQ Prepared meal from the grocery store.  Looks quite good.  I had a Biscuit & Gravy for lunch, it was quick and I honestly really didn’t want to eat anything.  Nerves were on fire with the work issue and trying to play catchup. 

Take care and we will talk again soon!

Check on the chompers

Morning everyone … Yesterday was a busy day but thankfully it wasn’t a constant thing.  There was a wave in the morning that was quite brief and then the afternoon hit and it was a bit more like a storm. 

After years of being on LastPass for my own password manager after learning more about the recent hack, data that was supposed to be encrypted but wasn’t and just the general fear.  I switched to a different platform.  I really liked LastPass and it’s a shame that this whole event transpired.  Hopefully, they have learned somethings and will make some changes.  My original opinion was that I was willing to give them one more chance but the more information came out the less comfortable I got.  This little task kept me busy because not only was I migrating password vaults but I also needed to get some important accounts off of LastPass Authenticator since I deleted my vault there is no longer a backup of those accounts. 

I learned yesterday that my late neighbors funeral is going to be live streamed.  I will try to join that most likely.  There is a conference call at work that will conflict but I could easily miss it, but probably shouldn’t.  Today is going to be a super rough day for his family and I feel bad for all of them. 

I will be tapping out from work in a few hours to go get my 6 month check up that is more like a 7 or 8 month checkup.  They were booked last time I went and today was their earliest appointment.  I get x-rays and that will mean that in a few weeks I will have a small bill to pay.  Insurance doesn’t cover the entire bill with x-rays but the cleaning it’s self is covered in full.  I am going to stretch my time away. 

Unless I feel differently I plan to swing by the vets office to talk about the adoption process and see if they have any tips plus to get paperwork that I will need to complete, presuming I still go through with this.  I like to have as much information as I can so I don’t walk into something blind and get surprised.  My main concern here is that the chip will have the shelters name on it and I don’t want to get into a battle over ownership.  I know that you can have the microchips removed but that’s minor surgery and the poor things would have to wear cones, I don’t want to do that to them.  Most shelters will transfer the ownership of the chip to your name, this place is different.  I also get it because I would be there 3rd home. 

Despite having 2 that I am probably going to take I still did some looking and found a few others that were of appeal but I am pretty firm in that if this doesn’t work out I am taking a break.  I am still on the fence but more now leaning towards adopting.  A lot kind of depends on how the second visit goes.  I am both nervous and eager for that to happen. I am sure that more emotions will follow regardless of how this turns out.  

What I am totally excited and really looking forward to is my massage on Friday morning.  I’ve got more knots acting up and I really hope that I can get the bulk of them broken up and moved out.  I will have to chug a bunch of water to avoid from getting sick but that is a great trade off for being out of pain although I am sure I will be sore.

I had breakfast for supper last night.  My friend gave me some of his left over sausage gravy.  I smothered a breakfast sandwich with it and wow it was really great.  I’ve got more gravy left and I don’t plan on letting that go to waste, it’s really super good.  One of the few things he makes that I actually truly enjoy. 

Here’s hoping it’s a great or at the very least an okay day for all of us.  Now it’s time to scramble back to work my email is chirping, sadly.  I hate being on-call and working for a living but it’s beats being without a job.  Take care!