Done with Friday

Good evening,

Wow, Friday is finally done. It’s been a crazy hair on fire busy kind of day! I started off calm, cool and collective. That got interrupted with a bunch of what should have been common sense issues. Stupidity makes my blood boil. Then things just went from 0 to 120 in a matter of seconds.

Good thing I was working early or I wouldn’t have been able to make as much progress with the project I was working on. Yeah, I said was because it’s finally done.

The cluster project just got off to a start and the 2^nd wave hit today with the mistake maker and my boss taking over. It’s going to be a lot of work so hopefully it all comes together, I know I will get an update when I return.

I’ve got a jackass user who is leaving. He demanded some data that folks usually take with them when they leave. I got to be the one who broke the news to HR and his manager that he was leaving. I got his data to him in a speedy fashion which he demanded. Then after I sent it to him, he said he made changes so I had to re-export it all over and send it off again. I wasn’t happy about it but the work got done. I always work with people to find a mutually agreeable time to turn their access off and this guy just to be an ass said let’s make it midnight Sunday. I was fine with that. Not sure that I will be up at that hour but his account is set to expire at the end of the day on Saturday so it really doesn’t matter if I am awake or not. I will process it if I am awake at that time and if not well, I will get to it Sunday morning after I return from breakfast and the grocery store. I don’t know why he couldn’t have given me a normal time frame like other people do.

Speaking of work, we have Microsoft 365 at work and I really love the ability to have emails and other documents read to you by the computer. It lets you know how what you are saying or is being said sounds. It reads it in a much more human and realistic voice than the 2021 version of the Microsoft Suite that I have at home. I know Microsoft wants my money and wants me to subscribe to their software but I am resisting for as long as possible. Sell me the software and don’t make me subscribe to it. However, the subscription model is already set and working for Microsoft and so many other companies that are in the software business.

I had a lousy night’s sleep with some crazy ass dreams. I remember when I woke up one of the times I thought to myself maybe I should go back to therapy. It’s strange what the subconscious causes you to dream about. I wish that I could control my dreams so that they were only enjoyable and pleasant instead of the rollercoaster from hell that I seem to be on.

The cats are doing a great job of keeping me company and Rudy last night demanded that I play with him before I went to retire to my room for the night. He starts off all excited and was really into it but his interest was fleeting and I moved on to playing with his sister. She never wants to stop and always goes at things 90 mph. She loves to chew on anything that she can fit into her mouth. It’s almost as if she is teething. Rudy gets that way sometimes too.

On a different note, I am a little concerned about Rudy that he has something neurological going on. For months now he will stare into space at different periods of time. This morning, he wanted a drink of water and just looked at the fountain. I had to grab his attention and tell him to get a drink. Then he walked over and drank up. He’s full of energy and for the most part acting normal. It’s just this staring into space thing is a bit concerning to me. I know that eventually both of them will be meeting the vet but I am trying like hell to stay away from that place because once you walk in the door it’s as if you’re on a treadmill and they siphon all of your money into their hands. I’m giving some consideration to making an appointment for Rudy this coming week. I want to talk with my friends first to get their take and see if perhaps I am overreacting. Mora might stare into space once and a while but it’s not noticeable to me like it is with her brother.

I worked on my back last night with the massager that I have and really dug in to try to bust up that knot. It really hurt and I went at it full force. That knots still with me and feels like it got bigger today with all of the keyboarding I did. Here’s hoping that I will get some away time from the computer. I know that I will be in front of it next week despite being on vacation but I don’t plan on doing anything work related. It will be all personal and a lot of goofing off.

Well I’m going to get this published. Hope your Friday was a good one and that all is well. Have a great weekend and if your in the US enjoy the extended holiday weekend.

Take care, be kind to each other and I will talk with you again soon.

It’s here

My new phone arrived less than 5 minutes ago.  UPS person just walked up and placed it on my porch like it was just another package.  No signature required, which is exactly how my last phone came back in 2022.  I don’t get it with something so valuable you’d think Apple would require a signature.  At any rate I have it and have unboxed it.  It came with a 76% charge on the battery.  I’ve got it charging now and unlike other iPhone’s I have gotten in the past I am not anxious to make the change. 

My Mophie case arrives today as well and after making sure that fits my phone and sticks to the magnet mount in my car, I will charge it.  Thursday is when the glass protection arrives and provided the accessories are in place is on I will make the change.  It will either be a Thursday night or Friday night thing. 

Thinking about all of the things I do like taking screen shots, using tap to pay I think I will probably require some fumbling around before I get used to the new phone and how it works.  It’s so much bigger.  I got the purple blueish one in case your wondering.  The Mophie case only comes in black so the color of the device will mostly be hidden.  I would have much preferred Red but that wasn’t offered. 

Check back and you will here how things are going.  I’ve already explored my carriers websites and know exactly the steps I need to take to get my new device activated.  I am apprehensive, nervous but also a little bit excited.  Not to mention anxious for way better battery life.  Fingers crossed when I am ready that this all goes way better than I am expecting!

Yesterday was a cold day but we made it with the space heater.  It was nice when we went to bed but the house was cold again this morning.  Today the sun is out and it’s supposed to be warmer and more normal in terms of temperature.  I’ve got the space heater on upstairs for the cats but will probably turn it off at lunch.  I’ve got another one in my office that has been going.  It’s always cold in the basement until we get to summer and then temperatures equalize. 

Enjoyed my take out BBQ Turkey for dinner last night.  It was so good.  Rudy didn’t bug me but his nose was going and he looked in my direction.  It was nice being able to enjoy a meal cat free. 

Watched the last episode of The Righteous Gemstones.  Man that didn’t end like I ever though it would.  Sad that it’s gone I thought I had one more week but nope it’s over.  It was a great show!  The cast was really good.  I really enjoy John Goodman’s work.  Adam Devine is pretty good and not bad on the eyes, never thought I’d see him in a gay role but wow he did a great job.  I have a crush on Skyler Gisondo despite knowing he’s straight and married.  Walton Goggins gets on my last nerve, there is just something about him no matter what he’s in I am not a fan of his.  Seann William Scott is also really hot but he was only on this year, I’ve always had a thing for him ever since American Pie.  I’d love to see his Stiffler!

Got in some play time with the cats.  Had some cookies and milk and got ready for the morning.  Watched a comedy crowd work special on You Tube to pass the rest of the evening.  I was supposed to shave and take a shower but I honestly didn’t feel like it and there isn’t anyone here to complain about it.  I will get it done tonight.  Got some new sweatpants to put on, they look really comfy, hope my eyes are deceiving me. 

I am working on a big project at work, most of my part of the work is done but I am waiting on another team to finish their part so I can complete mine.  I am also waiting on the mistake maker to sign in and complete his part.  We talked last week so any day now.  If his part isn’t done by Thursday I will be calling him again and probably will wind up doing his part I really hope it doesn’t come to that. 

Found out that another clusterfuck is in the works a project is starting to take shape and I really think this is money that they are wasting but it’s not my money.  It’s also going to cause a bunch of work for me in the short and long term, so hence why I am not overly excited about it.  No one asks me for my input – management just does their stupid thing thinking they know best when that is not always the case.  Guess that’s why I am a worker bee. 

Today isn’t so bad.  My wrist is bothering me a little bit.  I didn’t sleep in the brace last night and wow that was refreshing.  I had to put it on this morning for a while while I was doing some keyboard and mouse work.  Right now things are okay.  I hope whatever I tore, sprained or messed up heals up pretty fast and that this won’t be another lingering thing that I have to get used to.  I see the doc in a few weeks and I will be sure to mention it to him.  Damn me and my bad luck. 

Well just about time for a meeting so I guess it’s back to work and then I can go up and enjoy some lunch with the cats.  They have both been greeting me at the top of the stairs when I have went up a couple times.  I know they miss me and are both eager for attention plus some food.  I really lucked out with them.  Rudy tried waking me at 6 but since I wasn’t having it he let the alarm clock do the job at 7a.  I set the alarm just in case but most mornings Rudy or my body do the job on their own, the alarm rarely goes off. 

Hope the sun is shining where you are and that your having an awesome day.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Still Kicking

Hi everyone, hope that your all doing well.  Thursday evening I opted to port my cell service away from AT&T, they made me mad.  It took mere minutes for that to go through.  I ported to one of their MVNO’s so I was still on the AT&T network just had a better deal or so I thought.  I realized after the fact there was no Active Armor spam/junk call protection and no call forwarding.  Things started off bad with the port over in that I had data service but no voice service.  It took hours to get that fixed.  The MVNO tried to pass it off as a problem with my device but in the end it was a problem with the activation and it had to be re-sent three times before it went through.  That mixed with the aforementioned things I discovered after the fact made me regret my decision.  I actually lost sleep over this, which is kind of silly. 

Friday morning I woke up at 4am and just couldn’t go back to sleep I was sick over the whole thing.  I called the MVNO that I just ported to and told them that I wanted to port back to AT&T.  They put up a little bit of a fight but in the end gave me the codes so that I could port away.  I was one of the first calls AT&T got on Friday morning to port back.  I was told that since it had only been a day and not longer than 59 days I could port back and it would be as if I never left.  If only that was true.  There was a technical issue that kept AT&T from completing the port back but the transfer went through so as soon as they fixed this technical issue I would be back with them.  They told me I had to wait 48 to 72 hours for that to get fixed.  It amazing that I could port away quickly but porting back was some how more complex.  I called bullshit and just kept calling until I got someone who was able to complete the port back.  It was a lot of time on the phone.  Once the port back was completed I though I was done for sure but that was only half of the battle. 

I got a bunch of text messages from AT&T telling me that my data was throttled because of excessive use.  Then I got a warning that my bill was over $100 and then another warning that my bill was over $200.  Seriously I knew something went awry.  That’s when I logged into my account and found that I was on a new rate plan and didn’t get my old rate plan back.  That started another round of phone calls and being transferred around like I was on a merry go round.  Never mind that Friday was just another work day for me and things were super busy at work so I had to talk with AT&T and work at the same time.  Not fun at all.  Eventually I was told that the rate plan I had was grandfathered in and quite old they didn’t offer it any longer.  I apparently forfeited it when I ported over but no one told me that.  I was told that things would go back like they were, just another lie.  They wanted to charge me $20 more than I was used to paying them and I wasn’t going to stand for it.  They offer a rate plan that was similar but actually a bit better of an offering on their pre-paid side.  I was a post-paid customer and had been ever since I was a teenager.  This is how they are rewarding me for my loyalty by lying to me and making what should be very simple and straight forward process more complicated than it needed to be.  I asked to convert over and was told I needed to go to a corporate store to make that change. 

I went to the corporate store and they told me that my account was locked and I had to call in to customer service they would be the ones who could remove the lock and make the change.  Turns out that it was a protection feature they offer that I enabled called Wireless Lock that was causing the problem.  I got another person on the phone went I went back home and he walked me through how to remove that so he could make changes.  He knew his stuff and I wished that I had talked to him much earlier in the day.  He got me converted.  Just when you though things couldn’t get worse they did for a bit. 

When we hung up he had transferred me to pre-paid customer service.  Their automated attendant told me that I needed to call from my pre-paid cell phone for security issues.  However, I had no service since I hadn’t paid for it.  I called for help but kept running into the same brick wall and couldn’t get a human on the phone.  Finally logic kicked in and I had an option on screen to make a payment on my account without logging in.  I did that and magically my phone came back to life.  Then I was able to complete the setup process.  It was a little after 5p when that happened. 

I spent all damn day on the phone with AT&T, minus the short trip to their corporate store.  It wasn’t a total waste they had a hottie that I was eyeing.  He was busy with a customer but I wished he was busy with me instead.  Fucking cute and hot!  Anyway, I did some testing and confirmed all was well. 

I was physically drained and mentally wiped out.  I had a bunch of rush work that I completed and hope that I didn’t mess anything up since I wasn’t fully concentrating on work.  I think I am okay but it’s a bit of a blur to me. 

I had some supper and passed time with the cats until it was time to leave for my massage, which I desperately needed.  My back was a landmine full of knots.  Just when she though she got them all another one would pop up.  It hurt like hell but I knew that I would feel better in the end.  As I was turning over I did something to my wrist on my dominant hand and something felt like it snapped and I was in pain.  It wasn’t horrible but it didn’t feel good.  I said nothing and when I got home I wrapped up that wrist.  I had some chocolate cake and milk.  Then watched some TV with the cats and went to bed.  I was exhausted like I haven’t been in years. 

Saturday I woke up with the intention of trying to get ahead at work I’ve got some work looming and based on the fact the boss is on call next week I know that no one will do a damn thing and it will all fall to me.  Well I was still a bit out of it.  I wound up sleeping most of the day away and didn’t really get going until 3p.  It was pouring buckets outside and while I hate going out in the rain I needed to get out and go for a drive.  I had some Mexican food which was enjoyable and then came back home after stopping to grab the mail.  It rained the whole time I was gone and it was colder out too, so much that I had to grab my winter coat.  I got in front of the computer when I got home but I felt much like a zombie and said screw work I am getting away from the computer and watching TV.  I went to bed early.  The cats wanted to play but I wasn’t in the mood for that.  I felt bad about it because this wasn’t their fault but I just had to zone out and get back to sleep. 

This morning I woke up feeling much better.  Had Strawberry French Toast and Eggs for breakfast.  Pretty damn good.  Didn’t fill me up but I had enough that I was satisfied and think that I will be ordering the same thing next weekend.  Hit up Target and found the Greenies treats for the cats, they cost $2 more than what I normally get them and I got the same size container it just wasn’t as full as it could have been.  Picked up a few other items and I just knew I had spent $100 and I was right.  Had a hottie for a cashier which was nice.  Then on to the grocery store where I spent less than I normally do.  Came home and put everything away. 

Then as per usual I got in front of the TV.  I wanted to get in front of the computer and kind of wish that I did because I had much to do.  I wound up watching TV and napping.  I didn’t think that I could possibly nap with all of the sleep that I had from the day prior but I was wrong.  I got up an hour earlier than I normally do.  Passed out lunch for the cats.  Had a donut and a soda.  Then put out my pills for the week and got in front of the computer. 

I decided that AT&T was going to pay for the hell they put me through and I went on quite the letter writing campaign which cost me time, ink, paper and $7 in postage but if I get what I want out of it then it will be time well spent.  I not only wrote AT&T but regulatory agencies as well as legislative bodies.  I think I will get something out of this but time will tell.  I should probably have my head examined for sticking with them after how I have been treated.  However, in the end I did wind up saving myself money and getting a better rate plan.  It also appears to me that I got away from their dumb administrative fees that they tacked on to my bill when I was a post paid customer.  As a pre-paid customer I only pay a 9-1-1 fee as well as taxes, which amounts to like 40 cents.  Everything works just like it did before and I should be getting a refund for the service I had already paid for, just have to wait for that to come rolling in. 

I am still mentally spent but tomorrow is a new day and unless something goes awry I should be able to concentrate on work and be more productive.  Here’s hoping that I don’t feel as mentally spent as I do at the moment. 

I know that was quite a lot of yapping but it feels good to share.  I know that no one else would put up with what I have.  I kind of created my own nightmare but honestly it shouldn’t have been such a nightmare to port back and I shouldn’t have lost my original rate plan.  I never understood why there was such hate in the world for AT&T but after this I totally get it.  They suck and are awful but if it wasn’t for their superior spam protection I would dump them and not look back. 

Well here’s hoping that things get back to normal and I can look at porn, work and just exist in my own world with my two cats.  They both knew that something was wrong and they have both shown me extra affection and I have really enjoyed their support.  Animals are amazing.  Feed them, pet them, take care of them and show them affection and they are your friends for life no matter what, no judgement.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again if it wasn’t for these two cats I don’t know how I would have made it this far totally on my own after Gator passed. 

Bring on the sunshine, good times, and hot guys!  I might not be able to post tomorrow or much this coming week but I will certainly try.  Thanks for stopping by.  Take care!

Mid Week

Is it only Wednesday?  Feels like weeks have gone by in just two days.  Yeah, it’s been that kind of busy.  I almost forgot to scoop out the litter boxes last night.  Things calmed down after business hours but I wound up covering my bosses on-call because he was still sick.  Looks like he’s back today but I’ll bet he won’t want to chat it up in our meeting today.  I am banking on that and hopefully that means it will be short, sweet and to the point. 

Not sure why but my computer is humming right along this morning.  I’ve got several tasks going on in the background along with being connected to work.  I love it when technology actually works like it’s supposed to.  Beats fighting with it and struggling. 

Got in play time last night with the cats.  Rudy acts like he is interested but he’s only putting on a show so that I will play with his sister.  She is the one who really wants play time.  However, they both have their moments where they seem to get in to it heavy.  It’s like the zoomies kick in. 

I had a dream that I was on a massage table and the therapist was using some new tool on me, it hurt like hell.  I woke up sideways and Rudy was making his biscuits and getting comfy next to me.  I managed to fall back asleep since we still had an hour.  It was an interesting hour as the dream continued.  I woke up feeling quite sore.  Don’t imagine Rudy had anything to do with that.  I think this is my body’s way of telling me it’s due for a massage and I knew that already.  It’s on the books but I’ve still got a couple more weeks to wait. 

Had the Pork, Mac & Cheese bowl again from Stouffer’s.  I added a little bit of BBQ Sauce to kick it up a bit and it was pretty good.  Desert was half a slice of chocolate cake and washed that down with a glass of milk.  It’s a wonder the drugs for my blood sugar work so well, otherwise I’d be in serious trouble. 

Not sure if I mentioned it but if it’s duplicate I blame it on my memory which is affected by stress.  That said, I picked up some Nature Valley Muffin Bars.  I got Apple Cinnamon.  They are bars but taste a bit like a muffin, pretty good.  I just fell back into the Granola kick and saw them while I was grabbing the Granola Bars.

Today is supposed to be the last nice weather day for a few days.  We have rain moving in through the weekend.  I am eager for the weekend.  Not exactly looking forward to Saturday because I have to treat it as if it was Sunday and get up early and go grocery shopping.  It’s not then end of the world though.  I can come home and take a nap. 

I’ve managed to make it to one of my lulls in the day.  I know this won’t last but damn it would be nice if it could last say for a few days.  I was lucky enough yesterday to be able to lay down and take a nap, despite a couple interruptions.  That felt so good.  Surprisingly I had no trouble falling asleep because I went right back to work/stress and that wore me out. 

Got some Man Candy scheduled to post this afternoon and I hope that you enjoy it.  Take care and I will talk with you soon.  Hope all is well.  Thank you for stopping by!

Max Pressure

Well Monday is over.  Here we are at Tuesday.  Life is a little better for me but not by much.  The boss called in sick today so no bullshit meeting.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is that I have to run an afternoon meeting that he normally runs and I will very much be in the spotlight.  I hate it but I’ll get through it as I have done it before.  Everyone tells me that I run that meeting way better than my boss does and they would much prefer that I take that job on full-time but I really don’t want it and thankfully those words haven’t made it to my bosses ears, otherwise he’d push this off on me for sure. 

Being the prick that he is (my boss) wrote me last night and told me that he’s got the evening covered and that I should get some rest.  He should have done the majority of the work I did yesterday because he’s covering for the mistake maker while he’s out.  Long before the mistake maker joined us when the boss was on-call we all pulled together and covered him.  Now it’s just me and that is not right or fair.  I am not the smartest person on our team but I am the one who seems to do most of the work.

I made the grave mistake of wanting to make a good impression and over years of doing that work has quietly managed to pile up at my door.  That’s just as my predecessor warned me it would.  Honestly things wouldn’t be horrible if I wasn’t covering this week for my boss.  However, since I am I really feel the pressure it’s like being on-call for two weeks straight with one week off.  He really wanted me to cover him on Sunday but I told him no way in the world that would happen.  It’s Easter and I’ve got plans. 

My stress level is maxed out right now.  I went to place an Amazon order yesterday and I just knew I was forgetting something.  It wasn’t until just a few moments ago that I realized that something was water filters for the cats.  A couple weeks ago I forgot to clean out their litter box for three days.  That’s the max I have made them go, thankfully my memory started functioning again.  I worry that I am going to forget something important or something critical.  Be it personal or work related.  Plus my ability to make mistakes goes up greatly when I am stressed. 

On the bright side I found some new Melatonin at Target.  It was the only way I could find it in pill form but I paid through the nose for it.  It’s a clear capsule with three pills in it.  It’s supposes to be time released to not only help you fall asleep but to stay asleep.  I am having some really nice and enjoyable dreams since I have taken it.  I still do wake up but only for short periods and then I am right back to sleep.  Perhaps it’s all psychological marketing but it’s working at the moment. 

I finished off that awful pizza last night, glad it’s gone.  Had some cookies for desert to help wash the taste out of my mouth.  Then a bit later in the evening some Blueberry Lemon Sorbet.  That was really good but I would enjoy it more without the Lemon. 

The procrastination monster told me to skip unloading the dishwasher and my shave/shower last night.  However, I didn’t listen and got both of those tasks knocked out. 

Fun fact about me you probably didn’t know I don’t like Mint.  I mean it’s great in Thin Mint Cookies or Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.  Otherwise I am not a fan of the flavor Mint.  Well all adult toothpaste is flavored Mint.  I griped about that at the dentist and they told me switch to kids toothpaste.  You get the same benefits and the flavor won’t be mint.  I got some color changing toothpaste from Crest it goes from Blue to Pink and it’s Strawberry Flavored.  If the color doesn’t change you didn’t brush long enough.  This stuff is so good I could eat it but I know better. 

I am ready for a nap, massage and vacation.  I suppose all good things come with time and I just have to be patient.  It’s a little calmer today but didn’t start off that way.  This is probably a temporary lull before I am swamped again but heck I am enjoying it. 

Hope that your having a good day.  Rain is in the forecast for the weekend.  It always rains around Easter and were supposed to get another Monsoon, at least that is what they are saying.  Fingers crossed my repairs hold and have done the trick. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Talk with you all again soon!

Stressful Monday

Happy Monday, if there is such a thing. It's been another whirlwind day. My boss is on-call this week and that means I am the only one on our team that is taking the day to day stuff. I've had my fill of this crap and I let loose in an email to the rest of my team telling them that they need to get off their asses and help me, however it wasn't worded as frank & exact as that. I am still waiting for a reaction from anyone but I think it will probably sail over their heads. Had some of that left over horrible pizza for lunch and eating it cold brought out a little bit of flavor but it's still horrible pizza. I've got half of a slice left and will be happier when it's gone but I am not going to throw it away just because I paid for it. A short post for Monday because I got to get back to work. Talk with you all again soon, hope all is well in your world!

Groundhog Still here

I went out to inspect my work and found that the last hole that I filled with just a little bit of sand was dug out.  That tells me the groundhog is still here.  I’m guessing it’s the original one and not the child that they had last year.  I say that because this was the common hole that groundhog has used for years. 

The other two holes remain closed with the sand.  That’s the hole the new (kid) groundhog dug last year as well as the other hole by the sump pump drain. 

I saw some bricks laying out and used those to prop up the drain pipe so now it’s level and water will fully drain out.  I saw an issue with the dryer vent and went to fix it.  Pro tip never work on your dryer vent when the dryer is running.  My hands got a little burnt and it stung for a while but all is back to normal.  I got the dryer vent fixed.  It’s a plastic screen that covers the bottom so that critters don’t try to enter it. 

Had Mexican food from the usual place.  The waitress knew exactly what I wanted to eat and drink, she confirmed with me and I told her she was right.  Saw a little eye candy but it was a straight Mexican guy, still he was nice looking. 

I’ve cleaned the house, Mora made me do that before I left.  She also demanded to get fed early.  I think she was doing her brothers bidding but hey it’s fine.  I passed out treats an hour early when I got home at 5. 

It’s in the 80’s outside and I had the AC on in the car.  Used the ventilated seat – there is nothing like feeling cold air on your back and butt while you sit on leather.  It’s great.  One of my vehicles better features that I have come to enjoy. 

I am up to no good downloading porn and listening to some Spotify tunes on a curated for me play list.  Kind of a different way to spend the evening, plus it’s cool & comfortable down here.  I know I will have to go up eventually and deal with the humidity and heat as well as lug up the last load of laundry. 

You are probably getting used to multiple posts and hey I like it as well but it’s not going to become a new trend.  Since I have no idea what the work day/week has instore for me I figure I might as well get it all out now while it’s fresh in my mind.  Tomorrow my brain could be scrambled eggs.  Stress affects me in various ways depending how stressed I feel and I have caught myself doing or not doing normal things.  My short term memory is the first thing that goes.  I’m so glad that I scheduled a week of vacation even if it’s a month away it’s still in sight and each passing day brings that time closer and closer. 

Have a good evening and again best wishes for a great week ahead!  Talk with you soon.

The Hole Saga

Happy Sunday!  I went out for pizza last night.  I had the worst pizza of my life.  Tasteless and full of grease.  I ordered two slices which in regular terms is about a half of a pizza.  One of them filled me up.  I took the other one to go.  Perhaps it will be good cold but I am not eager to find out.  I will go back to this place but just won’t ever order their pizza again.  They have plenty of other options, one of which is a baked Cod Dinner and that sounds really yummy.  I got to see a lot of cute guys but the place with dimly lit and the lights flickered like crazy, that was annoying.  Service could have been better but my waiter was juggling multiple tables and I think that in it’s self was quite the act. 

When I came home I checked on my handy work outside.  Everything was just as I left it and nothing appeared to try to claw it’s way out of the ground.  Which is good news.  I need to go check on it again just to see how things have faired overnight, I expect to find it in the same condition.  After this next look I don’t plan to keep checking on it.  I am fairly confident that I didn’t bury anything alive, just want the piece of mind of knowing that I am right about that. 

The Water Softener cycled over night and good news it’s not a broken drain line.  This was all just as I thought rain water.  Now it’s a matter of waiting to see if my repairs fixed the issue and for that I have to wait for the next rain fall.  I think that will occur later this week.  I will keep an eye on the forecast.  We need another monsoon for true test but I will take whatever will fall from the sky. 

I’m working on the last load of laundry.  Still need to clean the house but I am putting that off just because I want to put myself first and let other things come second.  I’m choosing to pamper myself a bit. 

Got started on another fantasy story last night, it felt really good.  Once I got to a stopping point I watched some porn and while I was really tired I put my all into it and got the results I wanted.  Then it was time for bed.  Not right away but shortly there after. 

Slept okay and woke up early just to turn over to wake up again and do the same thing.  Eventually it was the right time and I hauled out of bed.  Fed the cats, threw on clothes, got my meds and headed out for breakfast and then usual morning shopping.  I ordered way too much food at breakfast and won’t ever do that again.  The positive take away is that I am learning from my mistakes.  Made my Target run and I spent about as much as I would spend at Sam’s Club but got far less to take home. 

Tonight I am thinking Mexican for supper, unless I get some other wild idea.  I’ve been thinking about it ever since I sat down at Breakfast.  Back when my late spouse was alive we always had a tough decision to make on where we wanted to go but that was pleasing two pallets so the degree of difficulty was higher because we often each wanted something the other didn’t.  However, we compromised and gave in to each other.  Now I just have myself to please and while it sounds easy that is also not so often the case, primarily because I put others first and don’t prioritize myself. 

Yesterday I got curious and wanted to check the battery on my phone.  I was at like 87% performance the last time I looked which was last month.  Now I am in the 70% range and it’s telling me to arrange for service to get the battery swapped out.  I’ve never had a battery swapped in an iPhone I usually just get a new phone.  However, I really like what I have and while I would like to upgrade by the time you factor in the stress of getting things situated on a new device, accessories to buy and the cost of the phone in the long run it’s far easier to just keep what I have.  The good news is that there is a Best Buy close and they are authorized to do the work.  Apple says that the cost is like $79 which isn’t bad but retailers can mark their cost up.  I’ve read that it takes anywhere from an hour to two hours to complete.  I still have to research what is needed to get this done, in other words if they need my passcode because I really don’t want a stranger looking at my data so I’d have to make some quick changes to lock things down and probably remove my work email for safety.  If next weekend wasn’t Easter I’d schedule it and still might.  If not then for sure the following weekend and I know I will be on-call but I don’t want to let this go a long time because I have a feeling that the battery performance will continue to drop like a stone and before you know it I will be boxed in.  The good news is that the work is done by appointment only and you can schedule everything from your phone, which makes it nice.  Once I do get this scheduled I will let you know how it goes.  My phone is roughly 2 1/2 years old. 

Since I am talking about my phone seems like the perfect time to gripe about AT&T.  They are making changes to their auto pay discount.  They did this a couple years back saying that if you enrolled in Auto Pay and gave them a debit card they would give you $10 off and a credit card would give you $5 off per month.  With their changes that take effect later this month they will give you nothing for a credit card, unless it’s an AT&T Credit Card through Citibank.  The will give you $5 off for a debit card and if you want the $10 discount you have to give them ACH access to debit your checking account.  Their security sucks and they have been hacked more than once.  I had no qualms about giving them a debit card because all of my debit cards are locked.  It looks like they charge my debit card but I always logon and pay by credit card.  So I’ve been getting the $10 discount all along.  There is no way in hell that I am giving them ACH access to a checking account or even a savings account.  If they get hacked again and I did that I would be sunk.  You can easily get replacement credit or debit cards, that’s not so easy when it’s a bank account your talking about. 

This change has me pondering to switch my primary cell service over to Visible which is run by Verizon.  I’ve got a line of service with them and opened it for dating purposes but it’s the line I use for data because it’s truly unlimited and it’s only $25 per month.  They just changed up their line up so there is a $35 option that gives you more of a premium network experience with faster data and better video options, plus it’s all unlimited use.  They don’t tack on fees or taxes it’s all included in the price of the package you choose.  Plus you can pay by the month or the year.  If you pay for a year of service there is a greater discount.  I had a horrible experience years ago when I ported over to Mint Mobile and I swore that I would just stick with AT&T and pay their bullshit fees and prices.  However, I am kind of at my breaking point.  The one thing that AT&T does right is their spam and text protection, provided that you subscribe to the pay option, which I do and it’s around $5 per month.  I’d loose that but Visible has some spam and fraud calling protections in place, they don’t offer a pay option for better granular control.  However, I use YouMail for voice mail and they have pretty good spam call protection in place.  I did the math and it would save me roughly $11 per month.  That the $5 for the call protection I pay for and the $6 for changing my current rate plan to Visible.  I’ve got a low cost option with AT&T since I don’t really use them other than for calling/texting and the cost of my rate plan is $40 per month before discounts and then added taxes and fees.  It works out to $36 per month now and that is for 2GB of data per month.  Go over that and it’s $10 per gig.  Texting & Calling are unlimited.  Since I have essentially test driven Visible I know they have coverage everywhere I am at.  I’d love to break up with AT&T but in the end I wonder if it’s really worth it.  I’ve also thought about asking them to bar or restrict data on my account and just give me a plan with unlimited calling and texting – they can do that but the question is will they?  They did for a large company I worked for in the past who would have some folks not have data or other folks just have data only and no calling.  However that was a commercial account and big business for them.  I am just a small fry and in the grand scheme of things they could careless if I stay or if I go, they are still going to turn a profit.  It’s just that I’ve had AT&T service ever since I was a teenager and cell phones came into being more common place.  That’s a hell of a long time.  I am pleased with service I just hate the bullshit fees and the fact at a whim they can increase those fees (which they do) and you get little if any notice and there isn’t much you can do about it short of switching.  Apparently the other carriers have or will be making similar changes to their auto pay programs but I don’t let anyone debit any bank account ever in today’s world the risk far outweighs any reward that I might be offered.  I’ve got enough to worry about as it is I don’t need to add to my worry list. 

Thanks for reading my rambles.  Now I am off to scour the web for a bit before I give in and go up to clean the house and eventually head out for dinner.  I hope that the week ahead will be less stressful but I don’t expect that will be the case.  Still doesn’t keep me from hoping!  I hope you have a great week ahead and life smiles on you.  Talk with you all again really soon.  Take care!

Update on The Hole

In case you couldn’t tell I was apprehensive and anxious about this home repair issue.  I stopped by to see my friend but just missed him, he left on vacation and won’t be back for a week.  I talked with a couple of the guys and they agreed with my logic, which helped. 

I came home and got a short nap in and was woken up by guess what?  A work email.  It was from a vendor but the timing was poor as I was just drifting off and that sound brings me fully awake and quickly. 

That was my queue to get in gear.  I headed over to the home improvement store and went on the hunt.  Found what I needed which was a PVC elbow 1 1/2 inches and then 5 foot of 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe.  I got pipe glue and for good measure some PVC pipe cutters.  Then headed to the lawn and garden section where I picked up two bags of sand.  With taxes it was really close to $50. 

Back home I tested the pipe and everything worked out.  The pipe is sitting at an angle so some of the water will hang out in the pipe.  I am not pleased about that but this was a quick and dirty repair.  I applied the glue and shoved the pipe together.  Then plugged up all 3 holes with the two bags of sand.  Now it’s waiting to see what happens. 

Hopefully I didn’t just try to bury something alive.  I am sure that if I did it will dig it’s way out.  I am fairly confident that it’s empty but we shall see.  Fingers crossed. 

The other thing I thought of is the area that got wet has a drain line under it.  It drains the AC condensation as well as water from the Water Softener.  While the AC isn’t on just yet the Water Softener recharges and that uses a fair amount of water.  This could be bad timing and it could just be a broken drain line.  I really hope that isn’t the case because if it is it will be super expensive to fix.  I plan on making the water softener recharge tonight and then I can check it tomorrow, if it’s soaked then I will know for sure. 

However, I feel really confident that this was rain water that seeped in given that we had a monsoon.  I am still holding my breath a bit and won’t be able to fully exhale until I know for sure that it’s not the drain line and that the repairs I’ve made have fixed the problem. 

I am working on laundry and will be doing that for the rest of the afternoon / evening.  I am going to be leaving in a bit for supper.  Thought of a pizza place that I haven’t been to in easily 15 years.  They are known for serving large New York Style Slices but you can get a whole pizza if you want.  I ate there last with my late spouse.  They have salads, wings, pasta, pizza, sandwiches and fish.  I hope it’s as good as I remember and perhaps I will get to see a cute guy or two, nothing wrong with a little eye candy with a meal. 

What a rollercoaster of a day.  I am proud that I was able to tackle the job that I set out to do and I didn’t injure myself unless you count getting some pipe glue on my hands and nails.  The neighbors dog went nuts because it sensed my presents and was barking up a storm.  They clearly weren’t home and the dog was inside their house but I call it Sir Barks A lot for a reason. 

That’s the big update for now.  I will continue updates as I have them.  Here’s hoping that I have solved my problem, if so I count myself lucky because $50 is a small price to pay. 

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

Hole results

I played with my endoscope.  I thought the head of the camera was motorized but it’s not.  There also wasn’t an SD card included.  I am still pleased with my purchase but I think I went a bit overboard with the length of the hose.  I don’t know that I will ever have the need to use this again but it is a unique tool that I don’t think many folks have.

It’s a little chilly outside but I am a firm believer in the saying don’t put off what you can do today for tomorrow.  I’ve often procrastinated and it has come back to bite me.  Given that I headed outside and did my exploring. 

It was quite clear to me that the groundhog either has died or moved on.  The newest hole was covered by leaves and it’s obvious nothing has come out of that hole since last year.  I am going to fill it in, most likely with sand but might use rock instead.  I tried to explore the hole but it was muddy and mud on the lens of a camera means I couldn’t see much. 

I moved to where the sump pump was and the hole that has been around for the longest.  Turns out I was right, the sump pump drains and forces water down that hole.  To me that explains the water issue to me.  At least this is where I am starting. 

I’m going to grab breakfast out tomorrow go see my friend at his shop and ask for his advice but I really feel like I am on the right track. 

The first order is to get the sump pump to drain water away from that hole.  The second order is to close off or fill the hole.  Doing this as a one two punch I think should give me the best results or so I hope. 

If after doing this I still have a water issue then I won’t continue to try to fix it myself and will call in a pro.  However, I think based on what I am looking at doing to start to solve this is probably something that I can knock out on my own.  I did some quick research and I might have to travel a bit to get some of the parts but I at least plan to stop in at my local home improvement store. 

What I’d really like to do is just close off the sump pump drain and have it drain into the sewer but in my area that is highly illegal and if your caught there are big fines.  I’m not looking to break the law but damn water intrusion does serious damage not to mention that it’s a breeding ground for mold.

I hate homeownership problems like this.  They just suck both mentally, physically and financially.  I guess I should have said they suck and not in a good way. 

This is going to be an interesting weekend and I don’t think that I will get a whole lot of rest but time will tell.  At least I am sort of away from work.  I’ve got an email connection but if I didn’t have to have that I’d turn it off.  I just need a break but it’s coming I just need to hang in a little longer.  That seems to be the story of my life, hurry up and wait. 

Stay tuned and I will tell you how the little project  turns out and what if any progress I make.  Once again have a great weekend!

 

 

Going hole exploring

Hey and Happy Friday!  It’s been a crazy ass busy kind of day.  Here it is 2:30p and I am just getting around to posting.  My mind is mushy and my body is so tired. I just need to get away from work so bad. 

Yesterday my time off I put in for my doctors appointment was approved.  It’s in late May just prior to the Memorial Day weekend.  I got to thinking I can have a bunch of time off for only the cost of a few days.  I put in for the week of Memorial Day.  I will have something like 10 or 11 days off in a row.  No way I will want to go back but damn it will be a good break.  Especially because things are going to get even busier than they already are.  It was a smart move on my part I am just waiting for the approval to come in, it’s already marked down on the calendar at work as if it is approved. 

I’ve had this nagging desire to get back to writing stories.  I strayed away from it for a while and just after I started a page of a story.  Last night I gave in and went back to it.  Damn it felt so good to write out a fantasy.  I’ve got a couple stories I am super proud of but most of them I feel are way too generic and have the same plot.  When I say write I am putting pen to paper.  I still have to type them up.  Wish there was an easier way to just OCR scan them but that hasn’t worked out for me.  Typing seems to be the best thing, plus I get additional thoughts or ideas and can change the story up.  My biggest problem is that I write about most every crush that I can think of so having a crush or a guy to put into the plot is becoming a challenge.  I do enjoy it but it’s a lot of work.  Heaven forbid if I wind up in the hospital or am killed.  Whom ever pours over my writing will see a side of me that they never knew.  What can I say I am sexually deprived and this is an outlet.  Healthy or not, it works.  I have left a note that the stories are all just that stories and there is no truth to any of them. 

Giving in and listening to that voice and desire, not putting it off or dismissing it caused me to sleep better and in general have a much more enjoyable evening. 

Amazon came through and delivered my endoscope.  This thing is pretty cool.  It came with a hook, magnet and a couple other attachments that you can add to the camera.  I hooked it up to a charger at lunch and checked on it just before I returned from lunch.  It was fully charged so I will have some time to play with it before I go trying to use it for it’s intended purpose tomorrow.  Not sure if it came with an SD card but there is room for one so you can take photos or video while your exploring.  Kind of like they do with colonoscopies.  There are several use cases for this tool, none of which include spying on ground hogs.  Now I just hope I get good results tomorrow and find empty holes so that I can work on getting them filled.  I also hope that I don’t find anything in the holes I explore that decides to attack me.  I am a bit fearful but they don’t call us screaming faggots for nothing.  I know how to make noise and run, which might be humorous.  More I thought about it the new hole the baby ground hog dug last year is when I first had this problem.  That’s the hole I am going after first.  I think that might be the culprit.  The other two holes have existed for years.  One of them date back to the days of Momma being outside before she gave birth.  She would hide under the patio.  Taz’s girlfriend did the same thing but she kept her family (kittens) in the hole with her.  Please lord do not let me encounter any skunks or snakes, or anything that could remotely do any harm to me.  Sometimes it’s not good to be alone.   

Enjoyed time with both cats on my lunch break.  They both took turns sitting in my lap and soaking up attention.  it was a good time for all of us.  That is until I had to come back to work. 

Here’s hoping that we all get to enjoy our weekend.  I know I am looking forward to mine.  I hope that I am productive but also well rested and if I get to have a bit of fun, that would be nice too. 

Take care and thanks for stopping by!

The Q word

Morning … We made it to Thursday, one more day to go.  I don’t want to say the Q word (quiet) but yesterday things did radically go from 100mph to 0mph.  Damn that felt so good and refreshing.  I am hopeful for a low speed if not 0mph day today.  Yes, it will make the day linger but I can bask and enjoy the downtime which I think is much deserved. 

Our meeting yesterday went really quick.  The boss knows how busy it is and just cut straight to getting to business there were no long formalities and no endless diatribes about the weather or anything else for that matter.  That’s just how I like meetings, get to the point so I can get on with my day. 

I’ve taken my WIN11 machine for a couple more spins.  It appeared that my display issue was fixed but then it came back to life.  I think it’s a graphics driver issue and since it’s a virtual machine it’s not something I can update, it’s something the system administrator has to do as it affects all machines in the virtual pool.  Sooner or later they might get to that.  For now I am keeping my head down.  I’ve voiced my complaint so I am just waiting and watching.  Hoping that the issue is resolved so that I don’t have to make a big deal out of it, but I know how to do that but it’s a big move and something that I didn’t want to lead with. 

Since my day slowed down it afforded me some extra time to spend upstairs with the cats.  Spring time means that mowers are going and my grass mowing team showed up yesterday.  The neighborhood in general sees a lot of these folks and everyone uses someone different.  One thing that comes with mowers is guys (typically) and sometimes they are hot.  None of my team is that way.  However, I saw a new guy on the team that was mowing the yard across the street.  He had a bright orange bandanna on, a little short maybe 5’6 to 5’7.  He was slender and had on a nice pair of blue jeans that showed off his pretty rear end.  He turned me on in all the right ways and I wanted him so bad.  Sadly grass mowing is all about time, the faster you move the more money you can make.  Teams are only at a home for around 10 to 15 minutes and then they move to the next job.  I remember back in the day I had a hottie who did all three tasks of mowing, trimming and blowing in 15 minutes by himself.  Now the standard is 3 people one for each task. 

I’ve missed people watching since I have been immersed in work.  It’s nice to see folks out walking and if I get to see a hot/cute guy every now and then it is worth it for me.  Looking is the only action I’ve gotten in a very long time. 

Brushed and trimmed claws on both cats.  Mora put up a little bit of a fight but she didn’t snap or bite me, just cried a little bit.  They both had quite the long sharp nails that could have easily done damage to me or to each other.  Normally I am the victim.  It’s either an accident, were playing or Rudy just makes biscuits and whatever bacteria is on his claws causes my skin to break out with bumps and itch.  Scratching makes it far worse.  I like to stay ahead of this but I do hate holding them down while I hack away at their nails.  The way they both act at times you’d think I was really doing something awful to them. 

While I was eating my snack I caught Rudy he jumped on the counter.  He took his sweet time and hoped that I wouldn’t notice.  I yelled at him right away and he knew to get down.  I think when I am sleeping or away he climbs up there to check out what is going on outside.  It’s the same view just a different vantage point than going to the patio door. 

Man I was so tired last night, just to ensure a sound nights sleep I took an extra sleeping pill.  I was up 3 times to use the bathroom, which is totally not normal.  I didn’t load up on water or anything before bed.  Makes me wonder where did all of that liquid come from?  I didn’t get a great nights sleep but it was average.  What hurt me was that I was a little chilly when sitting in the living room so I had a space heater on.  That got the house up to 77 and it was a little miserable to try to sleep in.  However, once I felt the meds kick in I made my way to bed and it wasn’t long after that I was sawing logs.  I was up at 11p, 12a and 5a.  Kind of felt like a longer night than day.  I could sure use some quality sleep.  Haven’t had a single nap that I can recall all week long.  Last one I took was last week. 

In a perfect world there would be cats, a great man for me (for some hot sex), food, naps and a quality nights sleep.  An ocean front view would be an added plus along with world peace.  What does your perfect world look like? 

Stress is flowing

Last night I got roped into an issue at work.  My bosses boss called me when my boss failed to respond to his email.  I think I am thought of as the #2 go to guy but my title nor my pay reflects that.  Anyway I logged back on and did what I could, my boss wound up taking over and told me to stand down.  This started just after 5p and lasted until 6p.  Not exactly how I wanted to spend my evening. 

Not sure why but I didn’t get the best nights sleep I woke up around 5a and couldn’t go back to sleep.  Had a horrible nightmare about taking a trip and doing yard clean up work.  I know the two are so far apart but it’s amazing how the mind weaves things together.  Rudy came in around 6a to lay on me waiting for me to wake up but I was already awake.  I just enjoyed some biscuits and giving him some attention.  Regardless of how life is going I still say this is the best wake up call and I look forward to it every morning.  I think he knows that. 

The day started off rocky and I’ve been going ever since 7:30a.  I just got a break and it’s 10:50a.  I’ve been all over the place picking up with last nights issue on to other new issues.  Seems like way too many people have my name and know how to reach me.  That’s the lovely prize you get when you are good at your job.  You get your job plus someone else’s but you don’t get their pay.  Hey now if I got double the pay I’d be a bit more tolerant but no way in hell that is ever gonna happen. 

I’m thinking about my water intrusion issue and how I want to fix it.  I’m no pro and this is really not my thing.  I think it’s a simple fix but if it turns out to be more than just routing the sump pump water in a different direction then I will wind up calling someone.  I like not to mess with nature and let the critters be but it could be time to evict the groundhog(s).  It’s going to be a trial and error situation as I implement a fix and then wait for rain to see what happens.  I really worry and stress over this stuff when I am sure others wouldn’t.  I am sure that other people wouldn’t be as tolerant with groundhogs either. 

I have a sore tailbone.  That’s from all of the sitting that I do and the extra time I have spent in front of the computer.  Normally I am able to move around and go upstairs and either sit in my recliner or lay in bed while keeping my phone by my side.  I don’t usually get to stay in either place terribly long before I am back in front of the computer.  I just know from past experience extra time in front of the screens causes my tailbone to hurt.  I’ve got special cushions where the tailbone is cut out to help take pressure off of it.  I am more of a no cushion kind of guy and just want to sit in the chair as it was designed.  I have spent a small fortune on office chairs at home and have way more than I need.  I did try a gaming chair but it was of low quality and my tailbone hurt so I went to a leather executive’s chair made by Serta.  That’s what I am sitting in and it’s comfy and rated for my weight but damn long periods in this thing just don’t work out well for my tailbone.  If I do buy another chair I think I will invest in something mesh – that’s what I have at the office and they spent way more than I would want to for an office chair but I suppose you get what you pay for.  It’s a Steelcase but we also have some Herman Miller chairs as well.  Those are expensive brands, just give it a Google if your unfamiliar and you will quickly see what I am talking about.   

I don’t know about you but I like simple problems that are quickly and easily solved.  Nothing complicated or involved but it’s not like we get to pick what life throws at us.  We just have to react & deal with it.  As the famous saying goes it could always be worse. 

Well now it’s back to work for another meeting.  Then maybe just maybe I will be able to enjoy some lunch.  We have rain today even though it’s supposed to be light I don’t welcome it due to my water issue.  I am hopeful that the basement will stay dry.  Fingers crossed. 

Hope you have a great day! 

Stressful Busy

Wow, it’s been another one of those weeks that I am not enjoying.  On the plus side the week is flying by quickly.  It’s been all work and very little play.  I’d like to change that to all play and very little work.

In a meeting yesterday my boss asked me how I was doing, I told him I felt like a grape in a vice.  It took me saying it a couple times before he actually understood what I was saying.  Then I machine gunned through my list of items and that included voicing my displeasure for my WIN 11 machine.  The issue I am having was news to him. 

We had severe weather in the area yesterday as well.  Now it’s just rain and its suppose to do that for days, as in through the weekend.  It hasn’t started backup that won’t come until later in the day. 

Given the high stress level I have opted to take a break today and am going to the funeral home to see family for a little bit.  I plan on grabbing a bite to eat and then coming back home.  It’s late enough in the day that things should have settled but I made my team aware so they can cover for me while I am away. 

One of my friends who has the shop that I visit frequently, father passed away.  He had stage 4 cancer, it was everywhere and this was expected.  The visitation and funeral is next week.  I sent flowers and don’t plan on going since it would mean more time away from work.  Besides that they are well known and I imagine that the place will be packed wall to wall.  I am not one for crowds or funeral homes.

I might have mentioned it before but my home has well windows around parts of the basement.  One of them is covered by a large shrub.  A baby rabbit fell in this morning and has been making a ruckus for a while.  I went outside to try to help him but I need to get on the ground and dig.  That’s just not happening.  I don’t want it in my home.  I figure he found his way in hopefully he finds his way out.  They carry diseases and last thing I want is to get sick from trying to do a good deed.  Plus if he were in my home, me trying to get him past Rudy and Mora would take some super skills.  I feel really bad but I am stuck.  I don’t suppose the fire department would come to rescue a wild baby rabbit.

Speaking of the cats, they have been pretty good.  We have had some play and cuddle time throughout the course of the week.  I think they get the fact that I am just worn out.  I kind of look forward to Saturday where there isn’t anything planned or pressing and I can just loaf and do what I want to. 

Not to jinx myself but today is oddly calm and I am not upset at all about that.  I hope that theme sticks around for the rest of the week.  I could really use a break and some much lower stress levels. 

Hope all is well with you.  Take care!

Stress

Monday was nothing but a huge stressful day, it was all work minus the time I took for lunch.  I am glad that Monday is behind us and hope that a day like that doesn’t happen again for a long while.  It was one of those days that started with a big bang because something went wrong and I never did quite recover. 

Today started off just as busy as yesterday.  I had some time to play with my WIN 11 machine.  I am trying to fix this dreaded bug.  I work with dual monitors, so I usually have something open on each screen.  Then I need to open something new.  It opens but doesn’t stay in focus, it just teases you like I’m here come find me.  I have to minimize everything to find it and then I can work with it.  That’s how the experience is on WIN 11.  I’ve been told by a colleague that the team that put this together is stumped as to why it’s happening and they don’t know how to fix it.  Yet we keep on cranking out machines knowing that the bug exists.  I think that is stupid.  I know I am not alone and yeah it’s really frustrating when your trying to get stuff done especially in a hurry.  I can’t work like that so I reverted back to my WIN 10 machine while I still have it.  If this bug isn’t fixed when I am told I have to switch I will throw a fit.  Meanwhile I am racking my brain trying to figure it out.  Best guess is that it has to do with displays.  I started with 5, we deleted a driver and now I am left with 3.  I only have 2 screens.  The additional screen indicates that it’s disconnected, I think if I can get rid of it that will fix the issue.  I’m doing all of this work for me, because I know sooner rather than later WIN 11 will be all I have.  I still hate, hate, hate it. 

At least I have the cats, if it wasn’t for them I’d probably be ready for the funny farm or the not so funny farm.  They were both extra snuggly last night and hey I needed that. 

Had some new Pork and Mac & Cheese bowl from Stouffer’s last night.  It sounded disgusting but it tasted pretty good.  They could have put in more Pork.  I will buy it again.  Not sure what I am having tonight.  I had those Late Night Loaded Taco chips for lunch yesterday, the whole time I wished that I was really eating Taco’s. 

My back is nagging at me with knots.  I am really looking forward to Friday and hope that I can break free from the knots if only for a day or two.  I am pretty sure I will be sore but I can take that.  Saw The Neighborhood last night and they had a massage chair on the show.  Man I think I could live in one of those.  It would probably save me money and get used daily.  I’ve never sat in one but am anxious to try one out.  They cost a bit and it’s one of those things that you want to try before you buy. 

I am trying to wrap up so I can go enjoy some sunshine time with the cats before the day eventually comes to a close.  Hope that you didn’t fall for any April fools shenanigan's. 

 

Another 1st

I was so looking forward to my massage last night.  Muscles all tense and just the thought of a hot rock touching my skin as well as a pair of hands sounded so good.  Work bothered me up until I had only a couple minutes to spare.  Thankfully this place is right around the corner and I made it with a minute to spare.  Both of the doors were locked and no way to get a massage if I can get inside.  I called and then the therapist was at the door unlocking it.  She was finishing up with a client and I got to chatting with that person about their vehicle. 

The therapist was coughing a lot but I didn’t think much of it.  It continued into my massage and it got worse to the point where she became nauseated and barfed.  Needless to say this was the first time a massage ended early because the therapist got sick.  She said that she hadn’t eaten and thought that it what was causing it.  I think she was getting sick – at least she had post nasal drip and that is what made her barf.  She said she felt better afterwards but still she wanted to get home. 

She only charged me for an hour which we barely got in.  I get 30 minutes for free next time and we booked another session for next Friday.  It’s only an hour but I think I will probably need it if next week is anything like this week has been. 

I just got comfy on the table and was starting to relax when she got sick.  Since my back didn’t get what I was expecting I am super sore this morning.  She was digging but hadn’t quite worked out the knots just yet. 

At least I ate supper before I went.  Had a Grilled Cheese as I watched the latest episode of The Pitt.  Damn that’s an easy way to burn an hour.  I love that show but some of it is just too damn real. 

This morning when I woke up I was intent on heading out for breakfast but after a shower I felt like my sugar was crashing.  I instead opted to eat a couple pop-tarts and drink a soda.  That was breakfast.  I wasted time watching TV until I had to leave for my haircut appointment.  Got a free neck shave. 

After that I came back home, got out of my clothes and watched TV.  I watched Yanni Live at the Acropolis.  That took me back down memory lane.  My late spouse introduced me to Yanni.  We went to a couple concerts and I’ve got every CD that he put out, plus a couple video tapes.  His music is enjoyable still to this day.  I enjoy the upbeat songs the most.  Loved seeing the drum solo that Charlie Adams put on.  Wow he can play the drums!  He did that same solo at one of the concerts we went to and seeing as well as hearing it live is way more enjoyable.  Gosh, I sure do miss those good times. 

Eventually, I crawled into bed with Rudy and Mora joined us.  She wanted to cuddle and it didn’t matter that her brother was in the way she just plowed through and plopped so she could be next to daddy.  Rudy was all relaxed so it didn’t phase him at all.  I was tired when I got into bed but woke up a bit just laying there listening to the music play.  When the concert was over I tried to go to sleep but only closed my eyes and tossed a bit.  Wound up getting up and passing out lunch for the kids. 

That’s when I too got hungry but nothing here really appealed to me.  I polished off some chips and had another soda.  Then sat in front of my laptop trying to work on my WIN 11 machine at work.  I eventually locked it up and now need someone to reboot it for me, that probably won’t happen until Monday.  I’ve still got a phantom monitor and it’s causing me some issues.  Once I figure that out I am ready to give that machine a spin to see if I can make it working on it for a couple days.  I’d rather test it out than be forced to move to it and find that something I need wasn’t there.  I think I’ve got everything but nothing like a real world test to prove that out. 

Went out for a Large Fish Sandwich to a sports bar.  I had to wait for a table but not long.  I saw a lady leaving saying she was cold.  I felt fine, that is until I got my table.  They had the AC on full blast and it was chilly so I too was cold.  Didn’t have to wait terribly long for the sandwich to arrive.  it was fresh out of the fryer and damn hot but it tasted so good.  Had fries with it and they weren’t bad.  I could have used some celery salt to improve them.  It was an inexpensive supper and I was stuffed. 

I left and getting on to the freeway I saw a truck that had slid off the ramp and into some trees.  The truck was facing me and there was someone inside that didn’t have the best look on their face.  I was in the flow of traffic and couldn’t stop.  I did the next best thing and flew down the freeway, used a U turn that is reserved for the cops and went back to check on the driver.  I normally don’t stop but something called me to this.  I called 9-1-1 just before I pulled up and they told me that the police had already been out.  About that time the driver was at my passenger door and he told me the same thing.  Well, at least everyone was okay.  The guy was waiting on a tow truck to pull him out.  I went on my way and headed home. 

Then I went to process change at work that I had dreaded.  I did all of the work and then realized it was effective on April 1.  I had to undo all of the work I just did and put everything back because Monday is the 31st.  Then come Monday night I have to re-do my changes.  Damn!  While I was in I saw a couple other issues I could lend a hand on and grabbed them up and took care of them.  Logged off and went up to pass out treats for the cats while I took my laundry up. 

I feel like I am loosing my mind from all of the stress this week.  My hope is that tomorrow will be a more normal day.  At least I will start with breakfast out so I have something in my stomach before I go taking on the day.  Gonna do some surfing here and then head up to make the bed and enjoy an evening with the cats trying to take a break from technology.  I feel like my eyes as well as my brain could both use the rest. 

Hope all is well in your world!

What a week

Hi there and welcome in.  It’s been a hell of a crazy week for me.  Things have calmed down a little bit but this is the lull just before the storm for me. 

I say that because I will be on-call next week.  Bossman started telling us today that he’s out next week but we don’t know if it’s a day, a couple days or all week long.  Guess we will find out the hard way.  Unless he decides to be more clear and communicate better.  He’s been in helicopter mode all week long and if he’s going to be like that I just as soon he be on vacation. 

The week after next is when my colleague (the mistake making co-worker) will be out on his leave.  That will mean even more work for me.  It’s kind of questionable if I will be able to go in to the office but I think I might give it a try just to see how things go. 

I think that overall it’s just going to get a lot more hectic for me.  I’m the savior and the one who cleans up the messes so why not pour on the pressure, it’s not like I will go on vacation and cause everything to go to hell.  No, because then I would have a hell of a mess to clean up.

My brain feels much like it’s been put in a blender and I am having a hard time just living trying to remember simple things like why I walked into a room.  It’s simple stress overload.  Hopefully, the weekend will help me decompress and get back to normal or some state close to normal. 

So glad that I have a massage booked tonight.  My back is a total mess and I feel the knots.  Hopefully, she will hit all of the rights spots and release some of this tension. 

Both of the cats have been extra attentive.  They know something is going on because daddy isn’t quite himself.  I do enjoy and appreciate both of them.  I have no idea how I’d make it without them and don’t want to find out. 

Having a Chicken Salad Sandwich for supper and then I get a bit of a break before I have to head out.  I’ll only be gone for an hour and then back home.  I thought I could rest tomorrow but nope I booked an early haircut.  Good news is that it’s by a different pet food store and I am planning on hitting them up to see if their cat food selection is better than where I normally go.  I do hope for better results.  Then I can come back home if I want.  Only two things will be left to do go get something to eat and pick up the mail.  I plan on eating breakfast out as well.  I do hope that I encounter some good food!

Sunday is just the usual but I just found out yesterday that it’s time change weekend.  As if I didn’t have enough stress I get to loose an hour of sleep, oh joy! 

Not sure if I will be able to keep up with regular posting here given the changes at work but I am sure going to try my best.  Hope that all is well in your world.  Take care and thanks again for stopping by!

As per usual

Sunday is an as per usual day.  I woke up at 7a after having gone to sleep much later in the evening.  Kind of slept solid but didn’t feel well rested when I woke up.  I am long overdue for a good nights sleep and waking up feeling well rested.  Maybe Santa will deliver that to me as a Christmas present. 

Fed the cats, got dressed, gulped down my pills and threw on my coat and out the door I went.  Breakfast was the first order of the day.  A Strawberry Waffle with whipped cream and a Sausage & Cheese omelet.  While it sounds good it wasn’t anything spectacular.  Off to the grocery store next.  I spent some money there.  I picked up a holiday bag of Lindor truffles, a huge platter of holiday cookies, some yogurt pretzels and then my usual regular items.  The cookies alone were $26 and while they were well packaged there was no lid, so once you broke into the plastic you either had to eat them all at once (next to impossible) or plan on serving them at a party.  They were sold as a platter so a holiday party makes sense.  I however broke the plastic and then promptly put them in to a gallon size Zip Lock bag. 

I will be eating cookies for days.  Next weekend will come the real treat when I pick up egg nog.  Just the plain stuff not spiked.  I can drink glasses of it.  That is just something that says Christmas to me. 

Last stop before home was the gas station and filled up the vehicle.  A lady pulled up next to me and she got out and left the fob in her SUV.  The horn honked several times to alert her but she told me that she got it new back in the summer and still wasn’t used to it.  Meanwhile there are thefts in the area at gas stations because of people like her.  They enable thieves and make their jobs super easy.  Not me I exit and lock up, then go pump gas.  Always have done it that way and always will do it that way. 

Common sense isn’t so common today that lady is just one example of many.  Crazy ass people here park their vehicles in their driveways and leave the fobs in it and they are inside.  When they come out they wonder why their vehicle is gone.  A better one yet is they park with the fob in the vehicle as well as their garage door opener.  Leave on vacation come back to find their vehicle is gone and their house has been robbed as well.  The police here actually have to take time to warn people several times during the year NOT to do this but yet there are those that don’t heed the warning.  I say they are just asking for it and they get what they deserve for being stupid. 

I digress, took off my clothes and watched YouTube.  Crawled back into bed after an hour and a half.  Had to kick Rudy out of his comfy spot so I could get in bed.  Then we curled up together.  He wasn’t terribly pleased with me.  When we woke up I took my time in getting moving.  Passed out lunch for the cats and that’s when I did the cookie bag up.  I had a few for lunch as well as a couple Lindor Truffles.  Damn that’s good stuff!!  Set out my medicine for the week ahead and plopped on the couch afterwards. 

Watched The Real Full Monty and as expected the TV Network blurred both the front and back of the stars so there really was nothing to see but some shirtless guys.  It wasn’t bad but damn there was a lot to sift through before they got to the action.  Thankfully I had a fast forward button. 

Then I watched SNL Weekend Update for a chuckle.  Went back to live TV and got stuck watching a Christmas episode of The Beverly Hillbillies.  Never saw that episode before but it was kind of interesting. There was a second episode on after that but I turned the TV off and got to cleaning the house.  Scared the cats with the vacuum.  Then we came down stairs and I started laundry. 

Wow time passed by pretty quickly I was down here for about and hour and then it was time to head up, get dressed again and leave for supper.  Had Mexican food and it was good.  I got my usual dish and don’t feel uncomfortable but I know I’m full.  I had to pass out treats early because Mora was all over me when I came back home.  It was only 5p but in her mind it was 6p so I just gave in because otherwise she would just make me uncomfortable until she got her way.  I am waiting for the dryer to kick off so I can go up for the night and put laundry away as well as make the bed. 

Before you know it I will be shaving and showering, climbing into bed and Monday will start.  I sure don’t look forward to Monday but after next week is when the holidays roll in.  It’s almost like 2 weeks of vacation.  The week of Christmas is only 2 work days for me and I expect things to be quite calm.  It’s the week of New Years that I will be working my tail off.  New Years Eve that’s when I start taking care of all of the promotions and people leaving or retiring.  I actually enjoy that but it’s kind of hell preparing for it all.  Then we come back and I get hit with a laundry list of people that got more promotions but HR didn’t bother to tell me and they are all retroactive to the 1st which means I have to jump to get people promoted.  However New Years is also only 2 days of working for me because I took the 2nd and 3rd off.  Nothing special will happen and if it does I know it will all be waiting for me on the following Monday when I come back.  That’s all of my “vacation” until late February.  I do hope that 2025 is a good year despite the change in our governmental leadership. 

Well thanks for stopping by.  The dryer just went off and I am out of here.  I will be trapped down here tomorrow so no sense in spending more time down here than I need to.  Hope all is well and you had a great weekend.  Take care and be well!

Whirlwind

It took me until around lunch time to get caught up.  Of course I managed to miss/overlook a request but that person reached out and I just got them squared away.  There are so many damn emails that fly back and forth that it’s honestly tough to keep up with stuff that requires my attention.  I know the majority of it and that is what keeps me out of trouble. 

I am so glad that we are closed tomorrow for the Election.  Our people in Washington get to work from home on Wednesday as the office is closed as a precaution.  Everyone thinks there will be riots, I hope not as that won’t solve or change the outcome of the election.  Granted that some of us might not like the final result I just hope that I am not one of those people, only time will tell. 

It’s a cold and rainy day here.  Been pouring water all damn day and there is no end in sight at the moment.  I am sick of the rain, make it go away.  I’d rather see snow, honestly!  However, it’s not quite that cold here just yet. 

Got an extra dose of good news that my boss will be out for a few days so that’s kind of like an extra vacation in it’s self.  We will miss a few meetings but I’m okay by that. 

Cats are still adjusting to the time change.  Rudy was in at 6a to try to wake me up thinking that it was 7a.  He was crying when lunch time rolled around as soon as I opened the door he was ready to tell me that he was super hungry.  Got him some lunch and that quieted him and his sister down.  They were resting when I came back down. 

I was so awake this morning, then lunch time hit and I got sleepy.  I came back not wanting to but things got busy quickly and that woke me right up.  Now things are starting to calm down again. Hopefully, it stays that way.

I am eager to eat the left over Spaghetti & Meatballs.  I got a 1/2 of a Chocolate Cake from the Grocery Store.  It’s nothing that compares to what the restaurant serves but at least it’s chocolate so I have something sweet to look forward to if there is room for it. 

Heading up to be with the cats, get logged in and try to find something on TV that is of interest while I watch the rain drops fall.  I won’t really look forward to getting back to work on Wednesday but at least it’s the half way point to the weekend and hopefully what remains of the week will fly by!

I am counting the days until I get to go on vacation for a whole week again, so looking forward to it.  Something about not being tethered to a computer and phone is so appealing!  I should go on vacation more often.  However, nothing would ever get done at work. 

Take care and be well!

Stupid Technology

I try to start each week fresh on my home PC by rebooting on the weekend.  It just helps to flush out the cobwebs.  I checked for any lingering updates to software or Windows and found none.  I rebooted and everything was perfectly normal, so I walked away. 

This morning I went to sign in to work and was greeted with a message that my password was invalid.  I know my password and knew that I didn’t make a mistake so I tried a couple more times and got the same damn message.  That’s when I went keystroke by keystroke and learned that if I typed in a capital A that the keyboard wouldn’t send it.  That’s strange so I typed in notepad and it worked fine.  I thought WTH just reboot.  It takes a few minutes for everything to come back to life so once it was back I figured I would be in business.  Nope same damn thing. 

At this point I elected to uninstall the program I use to connect to work, download it again and reinstall it.  I had to reboot after the uninstall and the reinstall.  Oddly enough I was still faced with the same problem.  There is something called keystroke protection for keyloggers.  This was turned on by default.  I disabled it and presto I can now type a capital A and got logged on.  I was only an hour later than normal but no one will notice. 

It was to say the least frustrating.  I started doubting if I still worked there but know full well that if something happened with my employment I would certain be informed and it wouldn’t be a surprise.  Plus mail was still flowing on my phone and my desk phone was still forwarded to my cell. 

Once I got logged in and started up, that’s when I learned my good for nothing mistake making co-worker had taken the day off.  His out of office notification says that he out unexpectedly and plans to return tomorrow.  He’s never used that verbiage before.  I know that when major life events occur people tend to change jobs.  He’s having a kid towards the end of the year and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he jumps ship, but I probably can’t get that lucky.  He does help some but a lot of what he touches is riddled with mistakes that I am the one who cleans up after.  I would hate to have to train a new person plus if he leaves it would be months before we would get a replacement.  Regardless if he stays or goes it’s a no win situation for me.  If he stays I continue to mop up.  If he goes then I get all of his work on top of my own.  The killer here is that it’s attention to detail, were not sending a rocket to the moon or doing brain surgery.  If I can do it then anyone can.  I think it all comes down to common sense and work ethic.

Wow can’t believe it’s about lunch time.  Time has just passed so quickly and it’s actually kind of enjoyable.  It was super cold in the 40’s this morning when I woke up.  In the lower 70’s in the house.  I’ll bet the cats were glad they had their fur coats this morning.  I normally can get away with wearing a shirt, underwear and socks.  However, this morning I put on sweatpants just because it was that cold.  Thinking of tomorrow morning when I will be up an hour earlier I think I’ll be switching to Oatmeal for breakfast.  Something hot to help get me going rather than cold cereal, just sounds better. 

Time to slow down, take a break and relax.  There is plenty to do but I am not in a rush to get any of it done.  Hope your Monday is going well.  Take care!