Too smart of a cat

Morning

Insomnia hit me again as I woke up from an early morning dream.  It was only 4a.  I went to sit in my chair and felt the cushion to feel that Mora was sitting in it.  I’d rather know before I sit down, wouldn’t want to squash her or risk injury to me.  I went back to bed and watched TV from there.  She got up and hopped over to join me.  Then Rudy came in and she left, he took her place.  I got back to sleep and felt like I was out for 5 minutes when I looked at the clock again it said 6a.  Rudy was on top of me, tickling me with his tail as it brushed across my face.  You can’t tell me he didn’t know what he was doing. 

I got up to feed them and enjoy breakfast as well.  That’s when I discovered Rudy’s newest mess.  I spoke a few days ago of getting cat food delivered.  I put the bag on top of a box and thought nothing of it.  Well Rudy has been eyeing it and I saw him climb up and smell the bag yesterday.  This morning the bag was on it’s side and had claw marks in it.  No matter what type of dry food I get he knows what it is and has to be nosy.  I cleaned up his mess and transferred the food to the old bag that was just about empty.  This has happened to me 3 times, it won’t ever happen again.  I will put all spare dry food in a different room where he has no access.  He knew I wasn’t happy with him but I got over it pretty quickly.  Damn cat he’s just too smart for his own good!

Ah, Thursday a day hopefully for me to coast.  Nothing on my agenda but the mistake maker decided he needed a couple days off.  His wife is about to blow with another kid and he is taking time to get the nursery in order.  The due date is 30th of August but doesn’t sound like she is going to make it because the baby is getting quite large.  Both of his previous kids came early so it wouldn’t be out of character for her to have this one early as well.  Fingers crossed she doesn’t blow until next month.  I say that because he’s for sure taking 2 weeks when the kid arrives, not that I can’t live without him for 2 weeks but timing is everything.  If it happens this month that will cause a lot more work for me, which I’d like to avoid. 

The new guy is just taking work like he is a sponge and can’t get enough of it.  He doesn’t say no to anything or at least hasn’t yet.  He is still in the honeymoon phase and wow I remember those days.  That has long worn off.  It sure what nice while it lasted.  I suspect that he will grow out of this phase as everyone eventually does.  However, right now he can ride the wave and gobble up work it helps me out. 

If the weather cooperates and I feel like it, I’d like to go out tonight for BBQ.  It would change things up for me.  If not it’s not like I will go hungry, I will just have something less enjoyable.

Here’s hoping it’s a good day and rest of the week.  I am looking forward to breaking free from work and enjoying the weekend.  Strawberry Cinnamon French Toast sounds so good!  I can practically taste it. 

Take care!

ROTTING SATURDAY

Happy Saturday! I hope that your weekend is going well.

I woke up early to feed the cats and after about an hour of watching TV, I went back to bed. Got up around 10a and had a poor choice for breakfast, which was a half slice of Chocolate Cake and a tall glass of milk. When I was done, I wanted more. However, I got my morning meds and retired in front of the TV.

Had a short search for a good movie. Landed on How to Make a Killing on HBO. About 30 minutes into that I paused, went to the kitchen to grab a Diet Coke and a Brownie. Then came back and finished the movie. I set my brownie on the bed; Mora was there and no sooner than I sat down than she had her nose over it and was ready to pounce. I caught her in the nick of time! The snack which I called lunch was good, but the movie was way better. I do recommend watching it.

Watched a couple of random YouTube videos and then went back to Hot in Cleveland. Eventually I wound up back in bed and fell asleep. It was so enjoyable, but I was letting the day pass by. I decided time to get moving. Fed the cats lunch, it was 1:30pm. Then I shaved and showered. Threw on some clothes and decided on what to do while I was out.

First order of business was lupper. Went back to an Italian Place that me and my late spouse as well as friends have been to. It’s been at least a year since I was there. I knew with my timing it would be walk right in and sit right down, which is what I like. Had a Cesar Salad, some phenomenal bread, a few Diet Soda and Lasagna. Desert was Chocolate Cake, but I got it to go. With a tip I dropped $55. I don’t usually spend that kind of money on myself when I eat out but damn this was long overdue and so damn good. This visit reminded me of what I’ve been missing. It’s also right by the office, how convenient!

I left feeling damn stuffed and telling myself that I needed to get back there more often. Sure, it’s expensive but it’s also very much worth it. It’s always a great experience, much better if you’re with at least one other person.

Next up on the list was stopping to grab the mail. Having completed that, next stop was to pick up Cat Food. There is a hot manager at the pet food store. I’ve had my eye on him for years. Got to see him. I’ve never made a move, but we have interacted a few times. My little voice told me as I was walking out the door to make a move, but I didn’t listen to it. I figured it’s better to admire and get excited from a far than to get rejected, at least that is what I expected. I have no idea if he likes guys but eventually, I may inquire. The worst he can say is no, which I am so used to hearing.

Finally, back here at ELHOMO, greeted by the ELGATO’S who were quite hungry. They got something special for supper. Chicken & Spinach. It was a true hit and for the $2.00 I paid for the small can of it, I am glad they ate practically every morsel of it.

My jackass neighbor I saw returned. He is whipping his property into shape. Put some more work into his deck steps and trimmed the bushes. There is brush everywhere so I wonder how long it will take him to clean that mess up? He is great at making messes, not so great at cleaning them up. However, I think that his wife is nagging him to do something with the place. It can’t be cheap to make two house payments. I think they will either rent or sell the place and someone new will be occupying it sooner rather than later. I am waiting with anticipation, hoping that it’s a hot single gay guy but kind of unlikely since it’s a single-family home with 3 bedrooms but hey never say never!

Started working on laundry and resigned myself to playing on the computer for a bit. Eventually I will head up. I wanted to change my deck camera batteries, but I can easily do that tomorrow. I’d like to do it when no one is around. Not in a huge major hurry either but want it off my to do list.

Another movie that I watched while I was off in the last couple weeks is Voicemails for Isabelle. It’s got Nick Robinson in it and he’s cute and there are a couple of nude scenes which were nice. However, while I was interested in those and him, I was more interested in the plot of the movie, and it turned out to be very good. I recommend watching it.

That’s pretty much it for today. Tomorrow will be the usual of eating breakfast out, hitting up the grocery store, filling the gas tank again, cleaning the house and having an evening meal out. Then preparing for Monday, ugh I don’t want to go back. However, unless I meet an independently wealthy man who falls madly in love with me before Monday, I think I’m going to have to return to working despite not wanting to.

Thanks for stopping by!

DAY 2 – Friday Off

Hey, hope it was a great day for you!

I started my day at 2a with insomnia. Stayed up until 4am and then was able to go back to sleep. My last words before falling asleep were “Rudy, please don’t wake me at 6a”. Rudy woke me at 6:45a instead. I knew he wouldn’t let me sleep. That’s okay, I got up and fed him. Then threw on some clothes and headed out for breakfast.

Had Cinnamon French Toast with Strawberry’s, very good. Two ladies were in front of me when it was time to pay and I picked up their breakfast. What a dumb move on my part, because they apparently packed it away. I dropped $50 with a tip, that included my breakfast.

Headed to a bakery shop thinking that I would surprise my Thanksgiving friends with some baked goods. However, the shop was closed. I really wanted this to work out but perhaps another time.

Stopped for gas before going home. Grabbed the trash bin and wheeled it inside the garage. Went inside to greet the cats. Headed out to the front porch to change the batteries in that camera. Blew off the porch and sidewalk. That scared the cats and they went to hide in my room. They both hate the blower. It’s just air, nothing that will harm them. I think it’s more the noise the thing makes.

Sat around watching my favorite judge on You Tube until it was time to leave for my haircut. Got my head shaved seriously short, it’s not down to skin but that would be the next step. I knew I’d be sorry because the itching had already started. I am taking a shower tonight and scrubbing my head good!

Hit up Sam’s Club after my haircut. Got those brownies that I wanted, some soda and a bag of chocolates. There went another $42. It’s way too easy to spend money, no wonder I work for a living!

Came back home, waited until it was time to leave for my big adventure, which was traveling back to the seafood restaurant I went to a few weeks back. Wow, this time I had to go to the bathroom on the way there. I should have listened to the GPS and re-routed to avoid a backup of traffic but, no I was stubborn and thought it wouldn’t be that bad. Spent 18 minutes in bumper-to-bumper traffic with a full bladder. Stupid me, I always pay some price when I don’t listen to the GPS. This isn’t the first time I’ve ignored it. The traffic set me back and it was closer to 5p when I got there. Took me a few minutes to find a place to park. Then walking in there was a line to stand in for tables. Not exactly what I wanted to do with a full bladder but some how I made it. Got seated at the same table I had last time. Different person took care of me. Had the Strawberry Pina Colada it was basically rum (heavy on the rum), pineapple and coconut in a glass. Not worth the $8 I paid for it and I didn’t even finish it. Had stuffed Orange Roughy which was good but the Broiled Orange Roughy I had last time was much better. Got my Au gratin Potatoes but they were tasteless. I had them as a kid growing up and thought they would take me back, I’ve been craving them for a long time, but this was a disappointment. I only spent $4 more than last time and I didn’t have any alcohol last time.

The drive home was much more enjoyable than the drive up because we moved all the way home. I even got to speed – went 100 mph for a short while. My car still has performance and twin turbos help. Don’t worry, I drove the speed limit for most of the way home because I can’t afford to waste gas by driving like I am in the Indy 500 but for the short time I did, it sure was fun. It was a long patch of freeway, and I was breaking away from a pack of traffic. It was fun to watch them disappear in my rear-view mirror. Gas mileage should have been 28mpg, but I got 26mpg from sitting in traffic and then my speed racer impression. All things considered not horrible, but it could have been better.

Stopped for a car wash before I headed home. Perfect timing for that. I just missed a thunderstorm by an hour. Were supposed to have rain all weekend and most of next week. It’s been in the forecast for the past couple days, but it just sprinkles and then the sun comes back out.

Got the dishes washing while I came down to play on the computer, pay a bill, see my personal email and of course surf for porn. Glad that I still have 2 more days before I must go back. Not looking forward to that at all but then again, I never do look forward to going back.

Ah I got one test result back but the rest of them are taking their sweet time. The lab they used this time takes their sweet time so likely tomorrow the results should be available. Not that it’s going to change anything, but I’d like to see how my body is performing.

Not a bad day but I kind of hoped for more fun than I had. I’ve got to get cat food tomorrow and pick up the mail again. Nothing per se planned, other than trying to stay cool and hydrated. No idea of where I want to eat tomorrow but I know I won’t go hungry, which is a good thing!

Talk with you all again soon.

Alarm Results

Greetings,

Hope that you’re doing well and enjoying the weekend!

The tech came for the alarm system, I had to pay a trip charge, but his labor was waived. It was a 15-minute visit. He confirmed what I pretty much knew already. The keypad is fried and I need a new system. It’s an upgrade, most of the hardware can be re-used but a couple pieces must be replaced. I will get a touch screen keypad and can control the system from my phone. The cost with a discount on my account brings it to close to $1 thousand dollars. It will take 2 hours to install, and the work is scheduled for Tuesday. I will have to pay the full cost when the job is done but my low-price monitoring rate of $6 will remain in place since I’m not signing a new contract. The system uses cellular and WIFI to communicate, as I suspected. Therefore, there is no need for a home phone. My home phone is under contract since it’s bundled with my TV.

I like the old-fashioned home phone even though it’s not a copper line anymore and it’s VOIP. There is just something about it that I honestly don’t want to part ways with, but I will have the option when the contract is up next year.

While I really didn’t want the alarm system to fry, I am hopeful that it’s my largest expense on this “vacation” that I am on. I am hoping for a clean bill of health for the vehicle. I will find out the results of that on Monday when I take it in. I like it and keeping it, a bit longer will permit me to continue to save money so that I can be in even better shape when it’s time to buy. The plan was to trade in September no matter what, but I am really addicted to saving money. I like seeing my bank balance rise which beats seeing a credit card balance rise.

I took time off from work because I needed a break. I didn’t need extra problems; life has given me plenty thus far.

Wanted some human companionship so I talked to my Thanksgiving friends, and he joined me for supper, she wasn’t feeling up to it. That’s when I found out that they aren’t going to be doing anything for the 4^th of July. He’s got prostate cancer and the treatment is wiping him out. He looks like life is draining out of him, kind of like my late spouse looked when he went through chemo & radiation. My friend only must go through radiation, and it starts on Monday. They started him on two pills, one of which is a testosterone blocker and the other is Estrogen. I made the offer that we could go out on the 4^th if they wanted, I’m waiting for an answer on that. Not sure that they will take me up on it but time will tell. Sounds like our gatherings outside of Thanksgiving might be stopping for a while. The folks are old he’s in his 70’s and she is in her 80’s. I know they aren’t going to last forever but I am kind of hoping for a couple more good years. When one dies, I think the other will follow in short order. I don’t relish losing them even though they haven’t exactly been the best of friends.

Got the mail, hit up the bank and got a 2^nd breakfast this morning. It felt good to get out and check some things off my list. It also feels good not to have to rush to conform to my usual weekend routine. I am not doing laundry now as I normally would be. I plan to work on that tomorrow. Cats need food but I might get that tomorrow if not then for sure on Monday. They have a few cans left so I’m good for a short time. However, I don’t like pushing things to the absolute limit.

Hopefully, I will feel better as the week progresses. One I know about the car and the alarm install is behind me then I will exhale and I think that’s when things will get better.

Well off to surf for porn, cuddle with the cats and eventually prepare for tomorrow. Plan to get up early, have breakfast and hit up the grocery store and Target. BBQ for supper tomorrow night, wanted that tonight but I had Olive Garden instead.

Stay tuned and we can both see how things turn out with the car, the alarm and the rest of my time off. I know that time off always flies by quickly. Shame that’s not true for the work week.

Take care!

Productive Saturday

Happy Saturday!

Unfortunately, I had another insomnia attack after I got to sleep.  Was up for a couple hours watching TV before I was able to go back to bed and sleep.  Mora being the cuddle bug she is snuggled up to me and helped lull me back to sleep.  Just as I was about to drift off she decided to leave and that woke me up but after that I was back sleeping. 

Woke up early because that’s how my body is wired and also I’ve got Rudy who wants his breakfast.  Everyone got something to eat.  I showered the night before so I just threw on some clothes and headed out. 

Got my haircut.  Went to my friends shop.  The main guy I have a stronger friendship with is on vacation.  I chatted it up in the office for a bit and then headed out.  No sense in wasting a perfectly good day. 

Came home, had to use the bathroom.  Typed up what I wanted done to my vehicle for service which I took directly from the Manufacturers Maintenance schedule.  I left off changing the cabin air filter because that was just done a while back.  Oddly enough that is super labor intensive.  You put in a $6 filter but spend $100 on labor.  Then it was time to head out again. 

Hit up the UPS store, dropped off my defective blower.  The replacement arrived yesterday.  Next up Post Office then on to the shop where I got my tires at.  They do auto repair work and I trust them a bit more than my friends mechanic who missed the fact that I had a broken tie rod last time.  Anyway, I turned in the laundry list picked the Monday of my vacation and I’m on the list for first thing.  I plan to live there that day.  It’s going to be hours and it’s going to suck, not in the good pleasurable way either.  I told them I have new car fever and as long as they can tell me my vehicle is sound and doesn’t need any major repairs I will likely keep it to stay away from car payments.  At least that is the plan as of now.  Who knows if that will change down the road.  Part of me just wants to go hit up a car dealer and just buy a new one to be done with it.  I’ve also scheduled a Facial for the end of the week.  It’s at a new place.  I’m excited and figured saving it for the end of the week would be smart in case there were any complications with the car or I wanted to get a new one.  Leaving the rest of that week open for now.

Anyway, back on the road and stopped at Sam’s Club.  Got me a new membership card.  That should solve my problem at the pump as well as when I go to the store.  Kind of happy to get this done. 

Back home to cool off, relax and nap.  Then several hours later, I headed out for a bite to eat.  Decided I’d go back to the place where I had my birthday dinner last year.  It’s been a while since I have been there.  Normally I order from the specials but this time I decided to try the BBQ Peppered Pork Tenderloin.  It was good but way on the salty side.  I got a decent amount of it down for the money I spent.  Kind of sad that I didn’t fully enjoy the meal.  Had a dinner companion.  I sat with a stuffed bear.  Needless to say he didn’t say a word.  It would be funny if there was a hidden camera in that, they would get some great footage. 

On the way back home I talked myself into hitting up the Frozen Custard shop.  Me and my late spouse used to go there all the time but, it lost it’s appeal with me.  It’s still delicious as ever and people flock to that place.  They added a drive thru and people line up and sit and wait in their hot cars.  Not me, I parked and walked up to the window.  Got some Peaches and Custard in a small dish.  It took me back years and was fun.  I ate it outdoors as it was melting as soon as they handed it to me.  It’s quite humid out here. 

Then came home.  I still need to get cat food but figured I would put it off until tomorrow.  My bladder was about to explode from all of the soda and water I drank. 

Passed out supper for the cats and I’m doing laundry.  Playing on the computer.  I’m quite pleased with my progress today. 

Last night I saw the movie Wasteman with Tom Blythe.  Several good chest shots of him as well as ass shots.  There is full frontal nudity but it’s brief.  He’s all tatted up in this movie but not in real life.  The movie held my interest and I was quite surprised by the ending.  I’ve got a mad crush on him. The movie was on Prime, it’s $5 to watch.  I got to see it for free by using Amazon points. 

Well off to scour the web.  Hope you had a great Saturday as well!

Fatigued

Hey!

Memorial Day was a nice day to have off.  I was worn out and wound up sleeping through the morning.  I eventually got up, threw on some clothes and ventured over to the office.  I got the card for my co-worker on it’s way to HR.  I walked around for a couple minutes and then left.

Hit up the cat food store on the way back home.  Selection of food was down a little bit but I still managed to drop $50 and that will last roughly 2 weeks. 

Got home and relaxed with the few hours that I had left.  Watching TV, drinking a soda and enjoying the company of the cats.  Time to leave snuck up on me and I got moving.  I made it right on time to my friends place. 

It was a good time and I wanted to keep it shorter than it went but I left after a few hours.  It was still daylight and I had an hour of free time before it was time to get ready for bed. 

We had Hamburgers, Dill Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Potato Chips and Corn on the cob.  Cherry pie for desert to cap it off.  They didn’t have any soda this time so I had to drink water but it was fine. 

This morning I woke up and felt quite fatigued.  I think it was a combination of the heat as well as the gutter work I did that finally caught up to me.  The more I sat and thought about it the more I talked myself into taking today off.  The poor boss was all by himself.  I turned my phone off after I sent an email to tell him I wouldn’t be in today.  I don’t plan on powering it back up until tomorrow morning when it will be time to go back.  I looked at my schedule before I made my final decision and I really didn’t have a whole lot going since I did some work over the weekend. 

I do plan on returning tomorrow because I know I’m the only one, there is plenty to do on the schedule and I am sure that I will have carry over work that piled up from today.  So when Rudy comes calling me at 6 something am tomorrow morning, I will give in so I can get an early start and hopefully a jump on the day. 

Today I slept and it felt good.  Got up for lunch, had a small lunch and some Gator Aid.  Wound up heading back to bed and sleeping some more despite telling myself I need to stay awake.  I’m sure tonight won’t be much fun trying to sleep but perhaps I will luck out and will get a good nights rest.  Not doing so is the leading cause of why I would take another day but knowing the circumstances like I do, unless I am feeling super bad, I will force myself to go back. 

My stomach has been doing summersaults all day long and that didn’t help things.  Had a light supper.  I surfed for porn and got myself all turned on this afternoon.  I am only in front of the computer now because I found content that I wanted to download.  I realize I need to pay a couple of bills as well. 

I will be headed back up to shave, shower and enjoy the rest of the evening until I hopefully eventually fall asleep.  If all goes according to plan I will have a 3 day work week which isn’t bad, even if I am on-call. 

Really wish I would have felt better this morning but I have oodles of time so it’s not a huge big deal to me.  Hopefully, your day today was way better than mine.  Not sure if I will be able to post tomorrow or not depending upon my workload.  Take care!

Day to Rot

Howdy!

I woke up with the best intentions this morning.  Really thought I would get my fast food breakfast but I wound up finishing off what was left of a box of Cinnamon Chex.  Had my shower and got dressed.  Made it out to get my haircut.  Had to stop by the post office because Amazon shipped one of the bags of cat food to my street address and it was being held at the post office.  After that I came home.  Back to TV and eventually back to bed. 

It was cool out this morning in the 50’s.  I think we hit 80 based on how things feel this afternoon.  I did some looking at my holes in the backyard.  The yard is still pretty muddy and honestly I really didn’t feel like messing with it today.  I have tried to talk myself into it a couple times but nope I’m not budging.  I know there is rain in the forecast for the upcoming week.  I’ve checked the carpet in the basement and it’s slightly damp.  I’ve got a fan running to dry it out. 

Part of my aggravation of fixing the holes is that I know it’s only a temporary fix because the groundhog or raccoons will open the hole back up and I will have this recurring battle.  I’m not getting rid of the critters just yet. 

I’m kind of surprised at my could careless attitude but I’m kind of over home ownership and trying to keep everything in tip top shape. 

Made it over to the office, found a card on my desk from a manager that I work with at another office.  Just saying thank you for all I do and how lucky the company is to have me.  It was a nice pick me up.  I had something to try to work on and put a temporary fix in place.  No one followed up with me so I didn’t bother telling anyone that I was there or what I did.  Let them figure it out for themselves. 

Working on laundry, catching up on porn surfing, mail and paying bills.  I’m surprised that I have quite the surplus of left over money this month.  I already put the bulk of it away in savings.  I love watching my bank account grow, it makes me feel good.  I remember back in the days where it was the bill balance that kept growing and I couldn’t save a penny.  Glad that the tables have turned. 

Worked with the new guy more on Friday, training him up for stuff I do.  I was a bit nervous and wound up making a huge mistake but I caught it before it was too late.  If I wasn’t talking while I was working I think that things would have gone smoother.  I like to get in the zone, put on some instrumental jazz and listen to the police scanner while I am laser focused on my work.  Not sure how but I just come to life and feel really good.  Then usually someone interrupts me and everything goes to hell, until I get my peace and quiet back.   

Not terribly excited that tomorrow is mothers day.  It normally doesn’t bother me but this year it is a bit.  I decided that everything around here is probably going to be crowded.  I’m taking a little field trip up to try to see the straight waiter and get some pizza.  I’d rather get some dick and pizza but I’m realistic.

Got a tooth bothering me.  A few weeks ago something I was eating stabbed this tooth that has a filling in it.  Ever since then it’s been bothering me.  I have tried my trick of Sensadyne tooth paste because there are times when all of my teeth turn sensitive for no reason at all.  That helps but it’s temporary.  Last night this tooth was bothering me so much I was ready to just rip it out on my own.  Today it isn’t bothering me as much.  I’m hopeful that it will settle down I try to avoid chewing on that side of my mouth.  I’m certain if I wind up going to the dentist over this that I will be up for something major – cap, crown or root canal.  None of which I want so I am holding out hope that things will get better.  If not I know the number to dial. 

Hope your weekend is going well and your doing good.  Take care!

Thursday

Morning, one more day to go.  Hope we all make it!

There isn’t a whole lot going on and I’d like to keep it that way if I can.  Today is the first day all week that has been wide open for me.  I know the new guy needs training but I’m kind of over training. 

We had an issue yesterday that he helped me with.  It was a chaotic situation and once we were caught up.  The new guy helped me with that a little bit, I did the bulk of the work.  However, it was good exposure for him.  He’s got a grunt work task now that he’s doing to help out.  That helps take some of the load off of us. 

I am having thoughts that some how I am training my replacement.  I’m sure it’s probably not the case but still I’m not happy about giving the new guy insight to most of the things that I do.  There are specific systems that I would rather keep him out of but none of that is up to me.  I’m doing what I have been told but I’m not moving nearly as fast as I should.  This would be far better if we had a clear schedule of who is training on what.  That’s how it’s been done before.  I’m just not overjoyed about training a new person. 

On the home front, I have started ordering dry cat food from Amazon.  it’s cheaper than the pet food store and I can get it in a day or two at most.  That means I can run even lower on it before I need to reorder.  They eat 2 different brands of dry food but both are hairball formula.  One of the brands is Hills and that’s what they primarily go for.  I’m refilling that dish once a day.  If I could only get their wet cat food from Amazon in the quantity I wanted I would never have to walk into the pet food store again.  That would be nice.  However, 4 cans of this and 4 cans of that isn’t how they sell it.  It’s a whole case or nothing.  So I will still hit up the pet food store for the wet food.  Chewy is decent on prices and delivery but I’ve not looked at them since Gator passed.  Once you start up they bombard you with marketing emails and mail in general – just don’t really want that. 

I had Tuna Noodle Casserole last night.  Warm/hot Tuna smells horrible but the cats like the odor.  I liked the dish, it was tasty.  Milk and Cookies was my snack a bit later.  Rudy woke up and asked for treats and I gave him what was left in the container.  He was a good boy and made sure to only consume a few of them leaving a good amount for his sister to come munch on.  Like magic all of the treats are gone come morning. 

Last night was a mostly You Tube TV night.  Watched a podcast, then random videos.  Eventually moved back to Prime and continued All In The Family.  Who knows what I will watch when I am done with that show but I have plenty to choose from, just need to find something that is of interest to me.

It’s winter like cold here this morning but were supposed to warm up to Spring by lunch time.  Saturday is supposed to be in the 80’s.  It’s like the weather is on shuffle.  I will be glad once this works out and temperatures even out.  The furnace got some late season work, normally by now the AC is on not necessarily running but powered on. 

Hope all is well in your world.  Back to the fun at work for me.  Thanks for stopping by.

Sunday

Happy Sunday!

Hope that your having fun and enjoying the day.  I got started early with breakfast out.  Then my usual trip to the grocery store and gas station.  Then home to unload and relax.  Got in a nice but short nap.  Then got up and started cleaning the house.  Watched a little TV with the cats for a bit. 

The idea sparked that I should make my trip to the office early just to get it out of the way.  I did that and was disappointed.  There wasn’t anything on my desk.  Normally for Admin. Professionals week the company passes out something.  Last year I got a pack of gum and an energy bar.  Ah well.  Everything pretty much looks the same I ventured off into areas I haven’t visited in a year at least.  That was fun.  Unless something changes I’m done until next month. 

Each time I visit I think about how I used to make that trip each day without question for 5 days a week.  The crazy ass drivers who think it’s the Indy 500 passing me up and weaving in and out of traffic.  You really have to be on your toes, even on the weekend.  I don’t miss the travel or the office.  Happy to work from home with the cats.  I do get cabin fever but getting out on the weekends is usually enough to cure or calm that. 

Hit up the cat food store on the way back home.  The cashier asked me if my kids asked for anything crazy for Christmas.  Just because I commented about how long the receipt was.  I said no kids, just cats.  Nice to be mistaken for a straight person who had kids.  It was flattering to me. 

Finances are all updated, cat food put away.  I’ve cuddled with each of the cats.  Need to grab the laundry and head up to put it away.  Making one more trip out to a local Mexican place that I have a craving for.  It’s much closer to home than the usual place I visit.  Then I am done with running/travel.  That is until next weekend or so I hope. 

It’s going to be an interesting week ahead.  Monday thru Thursday is the last time it will just be me and the mistake maker.  Friday the new guy joins and that will cause me to work late on Thursday to make sure he gets account rights so he can preform.  No word on training schedules yet but I’m sure the boss will come up with something.  Not looking forward to that but I’ve done it twice before, what’s one more time.  Hopefully, this guy pays attention and doesn’t cause me hours of work like the mistake maker has.

Talk with you all again soon.  Stay safe. 

Simple Saturday

 Howdy!

I had my usual insomnia that seems to occur every Friday night.  Which always seems to wreck my plans for Saturday.  I was up for about an hour.  Mora came and cuddled with me, that did the trick to get me back to sleep.  What a smart girl she is!

Woke up at 7:17a with Rudy making his biscuits, at least he let me sleep in a little bit.  I got up and fed him, then came back to bed.  Watched TV and knew that I would fall asleep again, which happened. 

I got up around 10a and had breakfast at home.  Then went back to my room to watch TV and when the sugar coma kicked in I was back asleep.  I didn’t get up and moving until 1:30p.  It was quite nice being lazy.  I turned my phone off and that gave me comfort that no one could reach me or bother me.  Just Rudy & Mora.

When I turned the phone on I had some email both personal and work.  Filed the work stuff to deal with on Monday.  Read the personal email and then got a shower.  Passed out lunch for the cats. 

Then I got on the road.  Opted to visit the original buffet that I now rarely visit because quality has gone down and prices have gone up.  I figured it’s been a while and knew that it would be a nice drive plus the vehicle needed some exercise.  It’s an hour and a half each way.  I got 30.2 miles per gallon, which is incredibly good for an SUV.  I used cruise control a lot, which always helps to get me better gas mileage. 

This visit the fountain soda tasted odd, some foods were hot and others were cold.  This place always used to be spot on making sure that everything was just the right temperature.  I only got 1 piece of fried chicken because it was the only leg they had and that’s my favorite piece to eat.  The rest were breasts.  Kind of glad because the chicken was cold.  I didn’t eat a whole lot but stocked up on desert which was bread pudding. 

When it came time to pay the bill my stomach told me that I needed to use the restroom.  It was filthy in all the wrong ways.  Feces smeared all over the inside of the stall.  I didn’t dare sit down, took care of things and washed my hands.  Got the bill paid and got back on the road home. 

Stopped to grab mail and the length of the drive was catching up to me.  I was tired so instead of going to the cat food store I opted to come home.  I’ve got tomorrow to grab cat food and visit the office to check on what’s on my desk.  I kind of wanted to knock all of the running out today but I think it’s much better to split it up and be safe.  No sense in taking a chance in falling asleep behind the wheel. 

I’ve put off doing the dishes so I need to head up and load the dishwasher, plus the cats need to be brushed and it’s claw trimming time.  Rudy tore up my arm and part of my chest so that’s how I know it’s time.  Neither of them will be a fan of the claw trimming and I don’t like doing it either but it’s necessary so I don’t look like I have chicken pox and I can preserve my skin.  I’m clearly allergic to whatever it is they have on their claws and it’s no fun trying to ignore scratching something that itches like crazy. 

Hope you had a great day!  Looking forward to Breakfast and scratching more things off of my to do list.  Take care.

Home Repair

Friday didn’t turn out to be a horrible day but things really picked up in the afternoon.  I talked with a colleague that I have a crush on who I fully expect to get the open slot we have on our team.  Then he had to call me later in the evening since I am on call for our team.  It was a simple thing that we were able to sort out.  We talked more yesterday than we ever have.  It was highly enjoyable. On call kept me a little busy as there was a couple other things that came up earlier in the evening. 

Some how I did it again and fell asleep while watching The Pitt.  That made me mad but it was easy enough to queue up and start from the half way point where I left off at.  Did that earlier this afternoon. 

This morning I was able to check all the boxes on what I wanted to do.  I got breakfast at IHOP, it was okay but service still sucks.  Saw a couple hot guys there.  I almost pulled my little ‘magic trick’ and paid one guys bill and then planned to ask him on a date but he got the waitresses attention before I could so I let it go.  I had no idea if he was gay.  We exchanged a couple glances but they were innocent enough.  He was all alone as was I and I kind of read into the situation.  I got out of breakfast and was late to my haircut. 

I phoned the barbershop and it all worked out.  I was able to take my time and get there without having to break any traffic laws.  My haircut went by super fast, I had just sat down and bam I was climbing out of the chair and done.  Normally it feels like it takes a little longer. 

Went out to my friends shop.  Chatted them up and learned a few things about tires and automobiles.  Every trip there I always manage to learn something.  It’s like a trip to the library.  Not everything I learn there is useful but still I walk away with more knowledge than when I walked in the door. 

Came home and I was tired.  I wanted a nap but knew that if I fell asleep I’d sleep right through the appointment with the contractor that was coming out.  So I fought through it and stayed awake. 

This guy was super nice and quite easy to chat with.  Apparently a lady close by had him out bidding on the same post or roof brace.  He told me that if the post was to go that the roof wouldn’t fall in right away, it would eventually wind up sagging.  He’s going to get me a quote in a couple days.  He said that it’s an hour to an hour and a half worth of work. 

We chatted about the driveway next just to get an opinion.  Repair work he guessed by another company that does that sort of thing would cost me $3,500.  He told me that ballpark a new drive way would cost between $12 and $15 thousand dollars.  He told me that based on the evidence that the break was recent.  Did you have a large truck in your driveway?  Yeah, the yard work guy last week.  That’s probably what did it.  I have other cracks in the driveway and it’s sunk up by the garage a little bit.  Driveways are poured poorly and new home builders are in a hurry so they do the best they can but they rush the process.  Thus cracking.  It’s not something that needs attention right way but eventually yeah it’s going to need to either be fixed and then long term probably replaced, not exactly what I wanted to hear. 

Moving on to the roof.  He saw the 3 shingles with abnormal wear and said that was the fiberglass in the shingle showing.  The roof is more than at it’s half life and I will need a new roof in the next few years.  The best thing for me is to pray for a hail storm to beat the shit out of it and then insurance will cover it.  Otherwise, it will all be out of my pocket and roof prices as well as the shingles have changed since I had my last roof put on.  There are 3 nails that are wearing through some shingles and that needs immediate attention, there is some goop they put on that essentially when it dries is like putting a shingle on top.  The lead boot on the vent pipe is half gone and it’s a squirrel that has been eating at it.  He’s seen it many times before.  Best solution is to put a rubber boot on that which is anchored down by an aluminum plate.  He said that the minor repair work on the roof would hold me for now, we have tons of rain coming next week.  He gave a price which is a little more than I spent last Sunday on yard work.  He’s coming back tomorrow to knock the roof repairs.  Hopefully it’s not a recurring theme where every Sunday I spent a few hundred dollars. 

I’m glad that I came across this guy, he seems honest and I know that my late spouse talked about his father when he ran the company.  I just told him I found him through the BBB, which is true.  I didn’t get into the backstory about my spouse. 

At least I will have another worry checked off the list and the only thing I will have to be concerned with in the immediate future is the column aka Roof Brace.  I’m sure that will be a few hundred dollars and then hopefully I am done bleeding money for a bit.  Fingers crossed. 

Went out for Mexican food, hit up the post office and the cat food store.  Decided not to do laundry today, I’m being lazy.  Honestly looking forward to going to bed.  I am feeling tired again and the evening is still young. 

Got to get in some cat time before bed.  Then tomorrow it’s usual morning running but I will need fuel for the automobile.  Not looking forward to that.  Also got to decide what I want to eat tomorrow evening and where to fetch it from.  Staying home sounds nice but I like getting out.  Feels like I am getting sick I’ve got this cough that has started and my throat is bothering me.  I really don’t want to be sick so I am hopeful that it’s just allergies from being outside with the contractor, we chatted for about an hour.  He felt like an old friend. 

Off to surf a bit and then probably up to watch TV and fall asleep again.  I hope it was a great day for you!  Take care.

Okay day

Hey, hope your Saturday is going well!

I had a lousy nights sleep.  I nodded off before the ending of the latest episode of The Pitt.  I remember waking up in a panic thinking the TV was still on but I managed to turn it off or it powered off.  Made it back to sleep.  Then woke up again several hours later at 3a.  I wound up watching TV for an hour and then I was able to go back to sleep.  I knew that had put a damper on what I really wanted to do in the morning. 

Rudy had me up at 7:01a.  I got to sleep in a bit, normally I get a 6a wake up call.  I followed him to the kitchen and passed out breakfast.  Then used the restroom and watched TV.  Mora looked at me funny like she had no idea what I was doing.  She followed me to my room but I told her to go eat breakfast.  Eventually she made her way out to to the kitchen and ate.  Then she joined her brother and I in my room.  Both cats passed out on my bed and they were all stretched out, they looked so cute.  An hour later I got up and had my breakfast. 

I was hoping that the guy would call about my landscaping stuff, he hinted at this weekend when we talked earlier in the week.  However, I heard nothing from him.  Perhaps next weekend.  I’m not going to wait forever on him, I know it means I will have to pay more but I want the job done. 

Work emails kept pouring in but they were junk alerts and some reports.  I was able to pass out again and woke up a couple hours later.  Not sure how I slept through 2 emails coming in from work but they were junk.  Hey I’m not on-call this weekend so it’s no big deal. 

I was sitting watching TV and kind of bored.  That’s when something broke loose at work and a member of upper management reached out to me.  This is where exceling at your job sucks because it gets you more work.  I could have pushed this off to the on-call guy but he was already working an issue.  I opted to loop him in and we talked about it.  There really wasn’t an issue for us, just someone who panicked because they dealt with an unscrupulous company. 

Back to TV watching for a bit and then I got a shower and put on some clothes to head out.  Made it to the Mexican place by the office, then hit up the office.  Grabbed my mug and brought it home, time to wash it.  We got new carpet in the office, looks nice.  They were supposed to re-carpet all of the offices but mine got skipped.  Not that I care.  I mean my office is a former closet and it’s not like I am there.  I looked for any mail and had none, which is a good thing.  Then headed to get the mail and cat food.  Finally made it back home.  It took around 2 hours, which is what I had estimated. 

Cat food is put away, cats have been fed food & treats.  Given attention and I am working on finishing up laundry.  I’ve done my internet surfing and bill paying.  Everything is status quo here. 

It’s very much like Spring today in the 60’s, sun is out and it was a nice day.  I could have used a light jacket but didn’t take anything.  Something about no coat or jacket feels really good.  I did stick with long sleeves though.  We have a hind wind advisory that is going to kick in through tomorrow, winds up to 60 mph and rain/storms moving in.  I will for sure need a coat tomorrow morning when I venture out for breakfast, target and grocery shopping.  I’m thinking I might grab a frozen pizza and just stay home.  I kind of don’t want to, I mean I’m here all week long and the weekend is my escape and chance to get out.  I may throw caution to the wind and venture out for an evening meal as well.  Kind of depends on how I feel and how bad the weather actually is. 

Here’s hoping the rest of the weekend continues to be peaceful because Monday is around the corner.  Then we get to do the whole work thing all over again and my boss will be back so that means so will the BS and meetings, ugh! 

Thanks for stopping by.  Take care.

Last Day of working vacation

Morning and Happy Friday!

Today is the last day of my working vacation (meaning that the boss is away).  Yesterday was pretty chill and I got a nap in without missing a beat.  There was lots of down time and I’m perfectly okay with that.  It does make for a long day but it’s not like it was my first long day ever. 

I’ve knocked out my morning tasks and even got some extra work done but the day is largely over with for me and it’s just about 9a here.  Yeah, it’s going to likely be another long day.  That’s kind of why I keep an eye on things and poach some trouble tickets to help keep me engaged.  It also endears me to others and lightens their work load, so it’s a win – win.  I often work much later than I should and people seem to think that I am always on and never power down but that is simply not true.  Perception isn’t always reality but I’d rather be known for something good than something bad. 

On the home front seems as if the cats have sharpened their claws again.  I just trimmed the longer ones earlier in the week.  Just a few days and they have new knives.  Were back in the freezer here and it’s kind of windy.  At least the rain has moved out for a couple days.  I heard talk of snow on Sunday late into Monday.  March is always so up in the air but once were into April snow is pretty much a thing of the past and you shouldn’t see it again here until Fall or when Winter starts up again.  March is typically a windy month here and it’s always been that way. 

Last night I had the best dream, I test drove a BMW SUV, I was able to bring it home and really have a nice time with it.  I drove it back to the dealership late in the day and asked what it went for.  They told me and I said I’ll pay cash, wrap it up.  I was so happy and it drove like a dream.  Sucked to wake up and find out that it was truly only a dream. 

Finished off the other 1/2 of the Burrito from the store and it was pretty good, just like when I ate the other 1/2 I thought wow there isn’t much here, wish I had more.  If I ate the whole thing in one sitting I’d be miserable but full.  Rudy managed to work a 2nd supper out of me last night.  He asked for food around 3p and I got a snack for myself.  Then when 5p rolled around he begged for food again, following me to the bathroom and he started to get quite chatty, which is cute.  I gave in just because I’ve got ample supply and I will be getting more this weekend.

Wrapped things up early last night and got a shower, then it was time for bed.  Both cats were passed out when I got out of the shower but once I got settled in my room, Mora joined me and Rudy followed a short time later when he finally woke up.  Both of them sleep way more than I ever could.  No wonder they are so happy.

I am crossing my fingers that later tonight or perhaps early tomorrow morning I will hear from the bushwhacker I called so we can get my yard work done.  I looked at my calendar from last year and the lawn guy will be starting up soon, the lawn already looks like it could benefit from a cut. 

I’ve got plans to visit the office and the Mexican place that is near by.  Grabbing the mail and getting some cat food.  How exciting.  That’s Saturday.  Sunday it will be time for a Target run in addition to the grocery store.  One thing is for sure I am saving some money by staying home all week, especially since we can get that $1.79 gas around here.  It’s closer to $4 per gallon. 

Well off to see what kind of trouble I can get into or something like that.  I try to stay downstairs until 11a and then head up, it makes for a better balanced day.  However, if I get drowsy I don’t hesitate and head up early.  The cats are always happy to see me and they never mind taking a nap with me. 

Hoping it’s a good luck day for everyone.  Next Friday Spring will officially begin.  Take care and stay safe!

Working

Hi Friends :)

Hope you are all doing well.  I’m still recovering from what ever virus entered my body.  Felt decent yesterday and took full advantage of that.  I caught up on porn surfing, got the bedding laundry done, went out for Mexican food that I was craving, hit up the post office and cat food store.  Then finally returned home and dove into my inbox at work.  286 messages.  Where to begin?  I sort by sender and then widdle it down from there.  I had the cats with me and Mora wanted her attention more than once.  I had to turn her away once I got fully engrossed.  She was persistent but so was I and eventually she curled up in a chair and sulked, falling asleep and snoring. 

I found some work that hadn’t been done and had a deadline of Monday.  I took care of that and was kind of surprised that the mistake maker didn’t catch it.  Perhaps it was his way of getting back at me.  I know for sure he was a one man band last week juggling the work of 3 people (the guy who retired, his own job and part of my job).  Plus he was on-call. 

I worked for a couple hours sifting and processing different things, updating spreadsheets and didn’t really have any fun but it felt good to make progress and to start to file things away.  Once all of the laundry was done which was around 8:30p I logged off and headed up. 

Had to shut the door on my bedroom in order to get the bed made.  The cats love to try to help me but it’s only a hinderance.  That’s when I saw something shocking, the tag on my mattress had the date when it was built (it’s a custom built mattress by a local shop, my late spouse got it for me as a Christmas present back in 2006), I’ve been sleeping on a 20 year old mattress.  I’ve got a Temper-Pedic mattress topper which helps but still I am long overdue for a replacement.  It’s still serves it’s purpose and I’m happy with it but just am astounded that it’s 20 years old.  I’ve never kept a mattress that long. 

Once the bed was made, I got my teeth brushed and headed off to watch TV until my sleeping meds kicked in.  I was horny but I lost interest, I was too exhausted.  Good thing because I stumbled across a YouTube Live stream of Andrew Goes Places, first time he has streamed in a while.  Just looking at him and his friend, Tyler Dantuma.  They both took their shirts off so regardless of the babbling they did it was nice to have some eye candy to look at.  Andrew is supposed to stream again tonight (maybe) but I’m not holding my breath.  I miss the days of COVID and streamers on Twitch & YouTube, that was fun and it made it seem like I had some friends, despite the fact I just watched and never chatted or played along with any games. 

Morning came around again way too soon.  It’s cold here again.  We have a Winter Storm Watch out and it’s supposed to be bad overnight with snow and ice.  It will make for a sloppy commute for those that have to get out but by afternoon I think it will be all gone.  Temperatures here are all over the place.  My iPhone says that one day later this week we will hit 80, if that’s true it’s gonna be super hot in my house.  Rain is forecast everyday of the week.  I might be getting wet come Friday when I have to meet with the landscaper. 

Funny thing I call a landscaper a Bushwhacker.  I asked my Echo what a Bushwhacker was and it told me it was like a Chocolate Pina Colada.  I searched on Google and sure enough it looks delicious.  Never seen that on a drink menu before but then again I really don’t drink.  I’m anxious to try one of these though. 

Anyway, back on point.  Made it to breakfast and then on to the grocery store.  My plan was to go out later and drive to the place where the cute guy works at the pizza place.  I haven’t seen him there in a while and think he might have moved on.  As cold as it is out, I have scrapped that plan.  I’m going to a local pizza place that opens in about an hour.  There is a better chance of seeing eye candy there.  It’s an awkward kind of stuck up vibe I get but the pizza is pretty good.  Looking forward to that. 

I have had my nap, cleaned the house and back to laundry and also back to work.  I worked for about 2 hours and now everything is under control.  My inbox at work is empty and I should be able to hit the ground running tomorrow, I left a couple things on my plate to take care of so I am not totally bored.  It feels good to know that I’m in good shape and that I don’t have to spend hours sifting through email after email.  I set off some alarms (on purpose) to let others know that I was working today, despite the fact I’m not cleared to return to work until tomorrow.  I shouldn’t have but hey I’m the only one who’s looking out for me, no one is coming to save me, so I might as well be my own hero. 

With that in mind I am waiting for the dryer to kick off and then head up, change clothes and head out for pizza.  I don’t feel well but I feel okay.  I felt much worse when I woke up this morning.  Mornings seem to be the worst.  Hopefully, I can flush this virus thing out this week because the sooner it’s gone the better off I will feel. 

Hope you had a great weekend!  Take care. 

It was BBQ

Morning – Well I made it to the local BBQ place.  It was good and as usual in and out quickly.  It felt more like a late Spring day out and I didn’t need a jacket we were at 65 degrees.  Felt nice but a bit foreign to go outside without a coat. 

I made my first stop the cat food store and now I have food for two weeks or perhaps a little longer, kind of depends if I give into begging. 

Spent the evening in my bedroom watching a couple YouTube videos and mostly 48 hours episodes.  I switched over to Crime In Progress and watched last weeks episode where a mailman was gunned down.  That was interesting, I kept saying who in their right mind would shoot, much less kill a mailman.  It’s a Federal Crime.  Well it was his ex.  What solved the case?  Technology – camera footage, along with cell phone ping records.  You literally can’t make a move today without being tracked, even if you leave your cell phone at home.  There are ALPR (Automated License Plate Readers) and cameras everywhere.  Part of me hates it but part of me also loves it because if you’ve done nothing wrong it will work in your favor or at least lets say it’s supposed to. 

Went out to the garage later in the evening only to discover that something to into it with a skunk and I could smell that very distinct odor.  I smelled something in my room but wasn’t quite clear on what it was.  Thankfully it appears to be gone now that it’s morning.  This happens once or twice a year.  I’m kind of over it but as long as it’s not me or the cats that are sprayed I suppose that is the important thing. 

Got a message from the boss, I thought he was out for the morning but turns out he has taken the entire damn day off.  He is supposed to take over on-call at 5p but we shall see.  Thus far it’s quiet but then again it’s still very early.  I’ve managed to churn out the work that I needed to and now unless something comes crashing in, I am pretty well done for the day.  It’s a watch & see kind of thing.  Just me and the mistake maker that are watching.  I know he won’t make any leaps but I will be extra slow in taking things just to give him an opportunity. 

Slept okay, woke up once at 5a.  My bladder was full and I was shivering.  I had kicked off the covers and Rudy was hogging them.  I had to wrestle them back from him but I got warm and went back to sleep, despite the full bladder. 

Got my invoice for the snow removal that was done last month.  Damn this guy wasn’t much cheaper than the kids I hired last year but he did a far better job.  I gladly paid him to get it out of the way.  I’ve been waiting to put that behind me. 

Now my next task is calling someone to trim some bushes and clean up the yard a bit.  I dread this kind of thing but like everything else I breathe easier when it’s behind me.  Then before too long it will be grass cutting season again.  Ah the circle of life!

Here’s hoping it’s a great week for all of us.  Take care & be well.

Happy Sunday

I woke up this morning, and it took me a few minutes to realize what day it was. I slept pretty good last night. Rudy still tried to get me up at 6a, but I didn’t budge until 6:30a when I realized it was impossible to get back to sleep. Then I just gave him attention and watched him make biscuits and take in the love I was giving him. He’s one lucky cat and I wish I was him, at least I’d have someone to love me.

I made it out to breakfast and got the same thing I had last weekend which was pretty good. Hit up the post office next. Next stop Target, I forgot until late last night that I needed to go there. I had to use self-checkout, which I despise but it was the only way out without abandoning my items. Next stop was the grocery store, where I remembered to get Sour Cream and picked up more of that delicious chili. Then home to unload, open mail, undress and relax. Eventually returning to bed for a nap.

Got up and set out my medicine for the week. I had a brownie from December that I froze, still fresh as the day I bought them. I heard a noise sounding like a lawnmower starting. It’s February there for sure is no grass to cut here. My neighbors kid started up their riding mower and was cruising around their yard, not exactly sure what he was doing, I did think it was rather odd. Moved on to house cleaning and when that was done, I rested on the couch. Rudy curled up next to me and got his belly rubbed. He gave me a love bite and then passed out like he had been working all day long.

I watched a little TV and kept going back and forth in my mind about where supper is coming from. I wanted Pizza, thought about Cracker Barrel, Mexican sounds good but so does BBQ. I’d love to drive back to that same place again I went to weeks ago it gives the vehicle a good work out but I’m not in the mood. I think I’ve settled on a local BBQ place for supper but nothing certain until I get behind the wheel and start driving. Variety is the spice of life but I’m one of those people who gets paralyzed by too many choices.

Got my ballot in the mail and I plan to mail it back when I go out for supper. I am not looking forward to starting another work week but it’s a necessary evil I suppose. Looking forward to continuing to relax and enjoy my leisure time this evening. Oh, I’ve got to hit up the cat food store, almost forgot about that. They have enough food, they would be okay, but it would be bare bones by the end of the week.

Hope you’re having a good day. Take care and be well.

Friday the 13th

My day started off a bit rocky. Apparently, I missed an on-call phone call that was alerting me to a problem. I had to jump on that issue first thing. The issue came up earlier in the evening and thankfully I did the right thing so the further concern that was echoed, causing the alert later in the evening that I missed, turned out to work in my favor. Still, I made the mistake of missing the phone call and somehow, I got praise and looked like a shining star evening though that wasn’t my aim. I mostly wanted to take any heat off the Help Desk Tech that sent the call up; he did his job. He just didn’t continue to follow through with multiple calls, which is what we did back in the day when I was in his job. This whole debacle took an hour and a half out of my day, which is not how I like to start the day.

I got caught up and was able to work on stuff that I had scheduled for Friday that needed to be done. I got some curve balls thrown my way with last minute work that came in just before Rudy’s lunch time. I had to stay downstairs, and I heard his sister jump down, I knew that when I eventually went upstairs, he would be all pissed off at me, and I wasn’t wrong. However, it’s amazing how easily we can make up as soon as his food is in front of him.

I went up closer to noon and worked the rest of the day from upstairs. I had a video call to say goodbye to my colleague that was early in the afternoon. It was a nice little chat, I didn’t say a whole lot. The closer it got to saying goodbye the tears started to fall from my eyes. I had to turn my video off multiple times but by the end I was ugly crying and my boss ended the meeting quickly. I just hate goodbyes. However, I am happy that he can retire. It was also nice to see everyone even if it was virtually. Were all spread across the US and video isn’t mandated for our meetings. I’ve met my boss in person but never met any of the rest of my team in person.

It was a quiet but busy afternoon that dragged on. I had some changes that I needed to make after hours and waiting for CA to hit 5p seems to take forever but eventually the time rolled around and I got to get my work done and log off for the day, which I was happy to do.

I got the dishes going at 8p and headed to my bedroom where I watched the latest episode of The Pitt. Got up an hour later to get ready for bed and Rudy was chomping at the bit to play like he normally does. This time he really meant it and boy he got himself a nice workout before bed. That made me happy, I worry about him when he doesn’t engage in playtime. Mora is always up to swat and bite at something.

My plans for Saturday (today) were all set, I was going to get up early, have breakfast at home, grab a shower and then head out to my friends shop to catch up with them hopefully before the rain moved in. However, I woke up multiple times during the night and couldn’t’ get back to sleep. I knew that I would likely scrap my plans for the day and I was right. I wound up getting up to feed the cats at 7a, Rudy let me sleep in a bit. Then I came back to bed and tried to sleep but it was futile. I needed to be up for a bit before I could go back to sleep. I watched some 48 hours and that was engaging content. I got up and had breakfast after that. Then I came back to bed to watch more and tried to nap a bit. It took a while, but it all worked out.

Thinking that today was Valentine’s Day and knowing that restaurants would likely be crowded, even though it’s raining along with the fact that I don’t like to get out in the rain, I have opted to stay in for the day. I am climbing the walls here, but I think I made the right call.

Focusing on laundry, having a Chicken Pot Pie for supper and just relaxing with the cats. Kind of having a day of leisure which I do enjoy a bit too much. Being lazy is one of my favorite things to do, despite the fact nothing gets done but it sure does feel good to me.

Tomorrow, I will get breakfast out and hit up the grocery store. Wait for the cat food store to open and go there to get more food for the furry beasts, grab the mail and then figure out where I want to go for supper. Monday will be knocking way too soon, and I wish that I was the one who retired. Bonus though the boss is supposed to be out for the morning, however he’s on call so that will just make more work for me.

Hope you’re having a great day, and life is going well for you.

Winter Weekend

Hi and welcome in!

Hope that you’re warm and doing well.

Saturday, I slept in and was lazy for the morning. I watched a movie “I’m Chevy Chase and you’re not”. It was a documentary about Chevy Chase. I enjoyed it. I thought about how good it felt to lie in bed with the cats, not having to be concerned about anything or anyone. It was just us in the moment and it felt so nice.

I got my new modem activated. I thought it was going to be a huge ordeal, but it went simply like it always should have. I disconnected the old one and connected the new one then opened an app on my phone and pressed a button that said activate new equipment and within 10 minutes it was done. I honestly was in shock that it went so well. I did a bit of surfing and testing to see how my speed was. It’s faster but I don’t quite see the 1 gig on my tests, it comes close though. If I run a test on my router or from the cable company those all check out and say I’m getting what I am paying for. I tweaked my network card on my desktop, it supports a gigabit connection but still even after a reboot, I’m close to 1 gig but not quite there. I’m at speeds high enough that I am satisfied.

I have a feeling this 1 gig service is the lowest new speed that they will offer. I accomplished what I wanted in that I got my bill lower but that’s only for 12 months then I must call back and beg again. I am sure that if I ask to go back to 400mpbs they will tell me that it’s no longer offered. What I have now is $105 per month – no way I am ever paying full price that is way too expensive. There are other options but all of those are cellular home internet. There is a new fiber company that is supposed to be coming to town, I hope they arrive within the next 12 months because I’d switch in a heartbeat. I hate cable company.

Anyway, I got a shower and headed out to run errands. First stop was to return the old modem. I walked into the cable company’s store, and you can’t just walk up to the counter anymore, you must sign in on a tablet. Like you’re visiting an AT&T store. Anyway, I did that and waited for a couple minutes. I was able to return the old modem, but the guy tried to pitch me cellular service, and he said that I could get a year free. Tempting as that is, bundling is what they want, because it’s more secure for them and you’re less likely to leave. I want to get away from the cable company in the worst way possible.

Next stop was to get lupper (lunch and supper) it was only 2p and quite early for me to eat but I drove to the Mexican place that I like. It was easy to get in, and I saw some nice eye candy. I had a decent meal, but service was horrible. I waited 15 minutes to get the check so I could pay and leave. My food came out wicked fast as always. I was stunned at the number of people I saw with no coats on. One kid in shorts (that’s the new in thing – shorts year-round).

Next stop was the tire store. Got my quote, $1,300 for 4 tires and 4-wheel alignment. Only $100 more than I expected. I still think it’s highway robbery, but I set it up for next Saturday. After I get my haircut, I will get to sit in the tire store while they do their thing. I expect that I will probably be there for a couple hours because they don’t move that fast.

Next stop was the cat food store. They finally had Duck in stock. I was tempted to buy more than I would normally get but I didn’t. I’m sure that it will backfire on me. I grabbed a larger bag of dry food because both cats really enjoy it. I’m always filling the bowl. It was a happy accident, but it worked out well. I had to park next to a guy with a monster truck who tried to double park. I really had to be careful getting out but my fat ass made it. Thankfully he was gone when I was ready to leave.

Next stop was the Post Office. Then my favorite stop of all, came back home finally. It was nice to be home and so early too. Unloaded everything and took care of feeding the cats. Changed clothes and got comfy.

I worked on laundry and taxes. I was pissed that Turbo Tax wouldn’t let me electronically file one of my state returns. They said I had an unusual tax situation and had to mail it. This year was no different than any other year, just that I made a little bit more money and got a decent amount of interest. I was also upset by the fact that the state that I had to pay was filed electronically but I couldn’t pay them until my return had been electronically accepted, which happened this morning.

It was late when I called it a night, 9:30p and I was honestly tired. Not to mention the cats were getting on my nerves. I was never so glad to get to bed but had to put away the laundry and make the bed first.

Sunday (this morning), I ventured out to breakfast and the grocery store. Mailed my taxes. came home and thought about going out later for something to eat. It sounds very good but honestly, I didn’t want to bother changing clothes and getting back out in it. Temperatures are still bitterly cold here. I got in my morning nap after the groceries were put away. That was nice and both cats were next to me. I got the house cleaned, medicine prepared for next week and watched the last of Home Improvement. That show ended rather well. It got me thinking about the past, when my spouse was alive, when we got married. It was nice but also painful because it’s another reminder that I’m alone, at least for now.

Came downstairs and wrote a check to the state that I owe taxes to. I thought about it and decided to just throw my coat on and go mail the letter. It was just a quick trip down the street and back home. I didn’t change clothes, went out in sweats and a T-shirt. The car had just warmed up when I turned the engine off. I thought about making a Wendy’s run, but frozen pizza sounds better. Plus, I can play on the computer for a bit. No schedule or agenda to follow, just chilling for the rest of the day. It’s about pizza time so I will be headed up to get ready. At least I am done with taxes – now it’s just waiting for my refunds to roll in and hope that it’s smooth sailing as it normally is. Fingers crossed.

Things are supposed to warm up here by next weekend, but it will still be cold just not sub-zero cold. Hope you had a nice weekend. Back to the fun tomorrow. This is the 2^nd to last week that we will be fully staffed. The old guy retires on Friday the 13^th. I told my boss that I hope it’s not an omen for us. I know it’s going to be hellish and stressful. I am not looking forward to it at all. Kind of wish it was me that was retiring.

Take care, stay warm, be safe. Thanks for stopping by!

Frustration

Morning … Yesterday wasn’t the best day but it also wasn’t the worst.  My aggravation started off with my boss asking me to do something that is all of our responsibilities.  He wasn’t clear on his directive and I balked back at him.  I didn’t hesitate I just mouthed off via email.  Once I got some clarity on what he wanted I begrudgingly took care of it.  Then we had our regular weekly meeting.  That spilled over to a special meeting and while that was going on we had an urgent request come in.  Like a dummy I jumped on it, despite it being the on-call persons responsibility.  It was a landmine – meaning that it required a lot of extensive work.  That took me right up to my normal lunchtime. My boss also managed to make sure that we have a meeting today and then again on Friday.  I have to talk to him every damn day this week, I hate that.  I’m ready for a break!  Hope he goes back to his normal self and gets out of this micromanage phase he seems to be in.  I’m sure it’s because of my older colleague retiring.   

While at lunch I decided to check email and saw that I had a bill from the cable company come in.  I normally just file those in the trash because I am on autopay and I don’t wait for that I pay early.  Well I happened to look at this bill and there was a balance of $5 which was a complete surprise to me.  Turns out they took away the $5 discount for autopay so my bill went up.  That sent me over the edge.  I paid the $5.  However, I called and demanded a better price they get what I consider to be an extravagant amount of money out of me.  I got a guy who’s goal was to try to upsell me and to “bundle” I had to tell him multiple times I’m not interested in a “bundle” just give me the best price for internet.  He came back with $55 and I took it.  That’s good for 12 months and my speed went from 400mpbs to 1gig.  That’s a symmetrical connection so 1gig up and down.  They are sending me a new modem which will be here in a couple days.  We hung up the phone and suddenly I had no internet.  I looked in the app and it said that my internet was “disconnected”.  Well I was working from home and actually just started a Zoom meeting.  I had to pivot over to my cell phone hot spot for service.  Then made a couple trips downstairs to reboot the modem two different times.  After 15 minutes everything came back up.  I was worried for a few minutes.  Once the new modem arrives I know that there will be another round of not fun in getting it setup.  They make it sound simple but it never quite goes that way for me, here’s hoping that this time will be different. 

As if that wasn’t enough Rudy decided to bug me multiple times for food when I had just fed him.  That was aggravating but I already know that I have to go buy cat food this weekend.  When I bought their dry food I thought I was getting the same thing but it was slightly different.  They like the new stuff so much so that I need to get another bag.  I just opened it on the 21st and they are gobbling it like it’s candy.  This morning it was Mora’s turn to complain about breakfast and I had to break open a second can to feed her.  I split it so her brother hog jaws would eat and leave her alone.  Then I put her portion down.  She looked around expecting him to come invade but he didn’t because he was busy eating his half of the new can.  She ate well and was quite happy about it.  These two are something else but they are my reason for living and they are what keeps me going.  I wish at times they weren’t around.  However, perhaps things will get better for me this year, I just have to make it through Winter. 

The guy who cleaned my driveway texted me back yesterday asking for my email address.  I gave it to him and he said he would send me a bill.  It’s not like he is in any hurry.  I really wish that he would have knocked on the door so we could have settled up.  I hate to have things linger.  I just like to breathe easy knowing what expenses are around the corner.  His bill shouldn’t break the bank.  I really am wondering what he is going to charge me.  He did such a better job than the kids I hired last year.  They had like 5 or 6 kids shoveling by hand.  This guy had himself and one other person.  One worked the snow blower and the other worked the shovel.  Then they followed up with salt.  I am way more impressed and satisfied with the job this guy did even if it took a bit longer to get him here it was worth it, at least to me. 

Thinking about the weekend.  I kind of dread having to get out because it’s back to bitter cold here starting tonight.  Need to hit up the post office and pet food store.  I’d like to get a quote for new tires but it’s not essential that I have it this weekend, I could push it to next weekend. I also have to make my usual Sunday grocery trip.  Those are the only required stops.  However, I have cabin fever and really want to get out of here.  I know I will go some place locally for a bite to eat.  I’m sure I will be cussing the whole way that is until I get warm.  The goal is to be productive, have a little fun but overall stay as warm as possible. 

The burns on my back are still healing.  Kind of drying out a bit.  I think the one where I popped the blisters might leave some scarring but that honestly doesn’t matter to me so long as it heals and I can be done with this.  I hate having to remember to put on antibiotic ointment, however if I forget my body does remind me. 

Here’s hoping today is better than yesterday was.  Maybe I will sleep through the night soon!  Stay warm and well.  Thanks for stopping by!

Accomplishments for today

Well I did all of my usual morning errands.  Hit up the cat food store in the afternoon and then left town for that BBQ place that is an hour and a half away.  I enjoyed the drive but it would have been better on a warmer day.  The food was good but the restaurant didn’t have the best atmosphere.  It’s a sports bar type place but the location that closed years ago that was more local to me was more refined and upscale looking.  What I went to today was like a hole in the wall.  I had the Brisket with some mashed potatoes and broccoli.  It came with a slice of Garlic Bread.  Washed it all down with a couple diet sodas.  Saw a twink and he was playing with his girlfriend but unbeknownst to him he put on quite the show for me.  He had a sweet ass. 

Once I got home it was a little after 5p and the sun had just set.  The gas tank is almost empty so I will need to fill it up tomorrow. Probably going out for Mexican food if I feel like it, if not then at least to the gas station.  It’s supposed to be even colder here tomorrow with a cold front moving in tonight.  The furnace is running a lot more, I turned it up one degree before I left this afternoon to keep it comfy for the cats. 

I logged on to work and trimmed my inbox from 364 emails to 64.  Nothing like time away to point out the amount of useless emails that you accumulate each week.  There are tons of things I am copied on that don’t matter to me, that I could care less about and just delete or file away.  Man shit really went sideways while I was out this past week.  My co-worker picked and chose what he would do and what he wouldn’t touch.  That makes it difficult for me because I have to check every little thing and it’s time consuming.  There is plenty more to do tomorrow and I do plan to get more into the thick of things then.  Hopefully, that will make Tuesday a bit easier on me. 

Monday is a holiday in the US – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  Thankfully we are closed, so it works to my advantage in playing catchup.  Lots of people though will know that I was working tonight because the emails are flying. 

My calendar for Tuesday is a complete wreck and quite full.  Our boring meetings we have are back on the calendar for the year.  I hate that.  However, I guess it’s all part of getting back to normal.  Despite the fact that myself and a colleague really hate them, they could be emails instead of meetings. 

I’m headed up after I wrangle the cats and grab another load of laundry.  I had my release last night and it felt so good that I want another one tonight. 

As for how I am doing.  Well for some reason both of my sides hurt and I am now starting to cough more.  I haven’t had any serious coughing fits to the point where I would expect my sides to hurt.  As long as I am not getting worse.  I honestly don’t want to take any more time from work for this.  However, if I am to the point where I am fatigued I certainly won’t hesitate. 

A point of clarification when I talked about Steroids.  I was prescribed a short term dose of corticosteroids (a description of what they are used for appears below).  More specifically Prednisone.  I didn’t want anyone to think I on Anabolic Steroids.  I’m not looking to get ripped, I’m looking to feel better.  Typically they increase appetite for me and give me hot flashes.  Thus far since I was only on a 3 days course I have felt none of the usual side effects.  They do make you urinate more and if you don’t keep up your fluid intake you can dehydrate. 

Corticosteroids are a class of medications that reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system. They are synthetic drugs similar to cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Commonly used corticosteroids include prednisone, cortisone, hydrocortisone, and dexamethasone.

I am quite proud of my accomplishments today.  Still need to run the vacuum and take the trash out.  However, the cats water fountain is cleaned, I put that off from last week.  Their litter boxes have been serviced as well. 

Here’s hoping for a good nights rest and that I feel even better tomorrow.  My antibiotics will take me thru Friday.  It will take a couple days for my system to flush the effects of the steroid out so I am truly back to normal.  I did get a headache tonight on the way home but I knew I needed my evening meds and that fixed it.  Hate headaches, don’t know how anyone puts up with them especially migraines.  I don’t get them usually unless I am sick.  I want to stay away from where all of the sick people are, places like doctors offices, hospitals and urgent care.  It’s just an opportunity to pick up something I don’t have.  I know that you can get germs anywhere I just think I am more apt to get them in the places sick people congregate at. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope your doing well!