Long Hot Day

Howdy!

Things were moving along and I managed to some how wake up.  I had some lulls in work but kept busy.  The meeting this morning was super short which is quite uncommon but I was thankful for that. 

This afternoon around 1p I lost power.  It came back quickly but then was out again and stayed out until 4p.  It got quite hot in here.  The cats were enjoying it but not me.  Every UPS in the house was drained of it’s battery.  The backup battery in the alarm system died as well.  I heard that the cause was a tree fell.  It took out quite a large area from what I heard on the scanner, glad I wasn’t the only one without power.  We don’t have power issues much but when we do they tend to be lengthy.  Back when we moved in the power would go out all the time, so glad that is not the case today.  It’s not fun running around setting clocks. 

Electronics don’t like power outages and usually when we have one it costs me some money.  This time it looks like it’s the alarm system.  When power came back on the system got power but no display or light on the keypad.  I think that perhaps the system board or the keypad got fried.  I did some research on line and tried a couple things but no luck.  Reluctantly I called for service, first time in years that I have had a problem.  This system has been with us since we moved in.  Tonight will be the first night that I will fall asleep without setting the alarm.  Service won’t happen until Saturday afternoon and I have a large window to wait.  Hopefully the tech shows up early and this doesn’t get too costly but I have a feeling that I am going to be sinking some money into repairs.  I’m not wild about the idea of a stranger in my house but I really need this problem fixed.  I’m sure they will try to get me to upgrade but I’m quite happy with what I have and want it back in working order.  I ordered a replacement backup battery that will be here tomorrow.  It would be awesome if I installed that and then things came back to life but I don’t think I will get that lucky.  I’ve got the whole thing disconnected now so it has plenty of down time to discharge and perhaps reset. 

I’ve made multiple trips up and down stairs.  Had to get on my hands and knees to get to the plug for the alarm system.  I’m sure I will be sore tomorrow, hopefully I will get lucky there and things won’t be that bad but I know I’m quite out of shape. 

Had another contractor stop by, he looked like a hillbilly missing teeth and kept calling me by a wrong name.  He took some measurements, told me that he couldn’t replace it with wood but that he could find a replacement in aluminum so I’d never have to worry about the column again.  I am fine with that, I know it’s going to cost more.  He takes all forms of payment.  I’m looking forward to getting his quote hopefully it’s not too much more than the last guy and despite his looks I will hire this guy just to get this behind me.  The sooner the better.  However, I know when you solve one problem it’s not long before another one comes along to take it’s place. 

My neighbor that moved out is back and doing some churching up on his stairs to his enclosed deck.  I think he is either going to rent the property out or eventually it will be sold.  Right now it’s just a matter of waiting and seeing.  He’s been working all day long and made quite the progress, it looks nice. I’d just like to see him disappear, get a new neighbor and perhaps make a friend. 

It’s 5p and my boss calls to tell me that someone is getting fired tomorrow and he had a technical question about removing access.  I answered that and told him that I would be on standby tomorrow.  I’m pretty sure we know who it is but I don’t have anything from HR asking about it so I don’t for sure know a name.  I just hope that the mistake maker comes back tomorrow because there are 2 other people leaving and I could use the help.  If not I can handle 3 people leaving, it is a bit much but I’ve done it before.  I have a very strong feeling that tomorrow is going to suck and not in the good pleasurable way. 

To add to the fire, we have a high wind advisory and are under a Tornado watch.  I hope that doesn’t create any additional problems for me. 

My neck and shoulder are aching just from the little work that I did.  Looking forward to getting a shower, watching some porn and maybe just maybe a good nights rest.  Rest would sure help me a lot.

Here’s hoping that tomorrow and the days ahead aren’t nearly as bad as I think they will be.  Time to get away from computers for the day and watch some TV.  I hope your day was better than mine!

Yawning

Morning … I’m yawning but got a slightly better nights sleep.  I still feel tired this morning and really want a nap.  Yesterday I was able to hold out until 2:30p before I had to lay down.  Just as I was about to close my eyes my phone went off and I had to get up.  So with no real nap to speak of I thought for sure I’d not have any problems.  I woke up at 5a to use the bathroom and headed back to bed.  I was able to get back to sleep and woke up an hour later but rolled over and went back to sleep until just before 7a when I woke up and Rudy started doing his dance. 

Time to start the day.  Nothing remarkable has occurred yet thus far.  However, the day is still very young so there is plenty of time for that to change. 

Last night was just an average evening.  My neighbor that moved out came over to cut his tall grass as I was jumping into the shower. 

I have someone scheduled to come out tomorrow to give me a price on the column on my porch.  Another guy I am working with by text is trying to provide a quote by having me take photos and not doing any measuring.  I really don’t want him doing the job since he seems too lazy to come out and meet and grab his own photos and measurements, it sounds like a recipe for disaster.  Plus I’m sure the price he quoted me would change once he found out that column was taller than the one he wants to replace it with.  I have 2 additional people to call but am holding them in reserve.  If I can get this little hassle out of the way while I am on vacation that would be nice but I am not holding my breath.  It does seem like a pretty simple job that shouldn’t take more than a few hours but that’s just how it appears to me. 

Got all sorts of home improvement ads popping up on social media.  From pop on roofing and siding to metal roofs as well as roof trade in programs.  The pop on concept is appealing but does it hold up and/or cause any damage.  I have no plans for a roof or siding right now but a new roof is in my future.  Home Improvement marketing makes the jobs seem simple like they can be in and out in just a matter of hours and the cost well that’s no problem they have low cost financing.  Yeah your jumping into debt but the improvements are cheaper than starting over on a mortgage.  Kind of like buying a used car is cheaper than a new one. 

3 meetings on tap today, one of which is with the new guy.  I’m the teacher.  Even though we only have 2 days left in this week, I’m mentally checked out and as we approach Wednesday and Thursday I will be even more mentally checked out.  I’m over working and honestly want to quit but I’m addicted to the money if I didn’t need that for my survival I’d love to just walk away.  It’s the meetings and politics that are killers for me.  It’s true the older you get the less you are able to tolerate bullshit.  I am sure that I am well on my way to being a cranky old man assuming that I am fortunate enough to live that long. 

Well off to head up and go on standby until I am needed.  Of course you and I both know that will be the very moment I am comfortable and away from the computer.  Hope it’s a great day for all of us and a fast moving one at that. 

NOT THE DAY I PLANNED

Woke up with plenty of time to spare, thanks as always to Rudy. I passed out breakfast for the cats. I got dressed and headed out to get my breakfast. Then I started my errand running. Hit up Target because it was time to change cat litter. I got some soda, a card for a co-worker that is out on medical leave that I have been thinking about, one tub of cat treats along with the litter and next thing I know I had a $95 bill. That wasn’t what I had planned on spending but now they are just numbers to me, and I don’t worry about it like I used to have to. Next up grocery store and then topped off my tank which also cost me more money. Came home and got everything put away.

Then it was time for my usual TV watching and nap. Got my medicine put out for the week ahead, passed out lunch for the cats and I had a junk food snack and soda. I wound up watching TV for a bit longer before I got to cleaning the house. Litter boxes changed out. I’m sure that will please the cats. Then started vacuuming. I was in horror when I got to my back door, I saw a stem sticking up from the carpet. As in moldy mushroom stem. The back gutter has been overflowing, and we have had a ton of rain. Still, I was taken back and disappointed. I snapped it off and threw it away.

Headed downstairs to look and see if I could see a source for the mushroom stem but I couldn’t. Also didn’t see any mold. This is in an area that previously had mold and I remediated by treating with a mold treatment and then mold prevention paint. The boards were slightly damp but there was no clear source of growth. I sprayed them down with a mold treatment for good measure. That led me to my next adventure, which was gutter cleaning, which was not on the agenda.

It’s a nice summer-like day with the temperatures in the 80’s, not the kind of day I want to be in but nevertheless I had to address this. I found standing water in the gutter and plenty of debris that the strainer was keeping at bay. Hence why when it rains the gutter overflows and drips onto the deck. Of course, while I was out all the hot guys, I have crushes on were out playing or working. I got in a quick view here and there, but my mind was in the gutter. It smelled horrible and I got the debris cleaned out and flushed the gutter with plenty of fresh water. I could hear it all going down the drain which is a refreshing sound. I flushed the drain (aka downspout) as well for good measure. I had the most difficult time getting the hose connected. I’ve got a hose reel, and it connects with a plastic fitting which wouldn’t thread onto the hose bib for anything. I tried everything I knew and even changed hose bibs but still no luck. Had to pull the hose fully off the reel and then use the metal fitting on the end to connect it to the bib and I was in business.

Cottonwood is really flying around here. Bugs were out and I was sweating. My pants kept falling and I tightened my belt as tight as I could, yet they kept slipping. I hate having to constantly pull my pants up but ever since I lost my initial weight it’s been a problem. I suppose there are worse things to deal with.

I only cleaned out the section of gutter that was dripping onto the deck but now I understand a bit more about what is in the other gutters and will need to call someone to come clean them as that is a task that is much too large for me. I did pretty good on and off the ladder, but it got to me. Plus, I left my phone inside, so I was out on a limb. If I would have fallen, I would have been fucked and not in the good enjoyable way. No one would help me. Rudy came to watch me out the window as if to say, if you fall daddy, I will call 9-1-1. If only he would be able to call. Anyway, it worked out and I finished.

Came inside, took off most of my clothes in the garage. I was huffing and puffing. Just wanted some water. Then I remembered F1 Grand Prix was live on Netflix, so I watched a little bit of that as I cooled down.

Then got a shower and dressed. Had to climb the ladder again because I forgot to put the strainer back in the gutter. Those things are life savers and keep your gutter open, so water keeps flowing, although in my case it was very little water getting through since the strainer was clogged. I put the so-called gutter guards or netting back in place, it doesn’t really stop a whole bunch and kind of is a waste of money.

Headed to the Italian place where the pizza is horrible, but the pasta is delicious. Had a nice salad and pasta. Got some dessert to go and came home.

I had planned to go into the office today but that didn’t materialize. I am worn out. My back is sore and my muscles have been stressed. I was surprised I was able to eat without shaking and looking like I had Parkinson's. I really enjoyed the meal.

Now that I am back home had to catch up on finances. Working on laundry. Got the card for my co-worker ready to go. Planning on heading to the office tomorrow. I must ship the card to HR, and they will address it and put it in the mail. I put a stamp on it and sealed it up. I know that it will catch my colleague off guard, but she has been on my mind, and no one has any idea why she is on medical leave. She is supposed to be back in early July. Just wanted her to know I was thinking of her and missing her.

Got an invite to my friend’s house for Memorial Day. Were supposed to have burgers. I’m sure it will be a typical lack luster meal that I won’t enjoy. The company is way more enjoyable than the food, which is why I go. Who knows, I might be surprised and get a good meal, but I won’t be holding my breath.

I’d like to do some work ahead of Monday because I know there is plenty waiting and again, I will be all alone. I feel the itch starting I’m sure the mosquitos’ bit me up good, at least that is what I expect. I can’t feel them biting me, which is why they get away with it and I must suffer. Who knows, one of them might have followed me in the house but I hope not. I just hope that don’t feel too sore or bad in the morning so that I can keep to what I have planned for Monday.

Right now, I plan to enjoy my time. Mora is nagging me like crazy; I’ve missed treat time and she is upset. I need to trim claws as well and that isn’t something I look forward to.  Oh and I need to buy cat food tomorrow.  Here’s hoping I don’t forget that!

Hope you had a great Sunday!

Lazy but productive

Happy Saturday! I hope that your weekend is going well. Mine is thus far. Rudy woke me up at 6am. I told him last night I didn’t need an early morning wake up call, but I guess his stomach didn’t understand that. I got up and fed him & his sister. Then I climbed back into bed. Watched a little TV and eventually went back to sleep. Woke up around 9a which was kind of a surprise.

I had breakfast at home. I wanted to go see my friend at his shop, but I’ve continued to procrastinate and put that off. I could have got a shower and made it out there with plenty of time to spare. It’s just that once we get to talking, I tend to stay until they close at noon and really wasn’t in the mood to be there quite that long. Instead, I came back to my room and watched TV, eventually returning to bed for a quick nap and cuddle session with the cats.

Once I got up, I passed out lunch for the cats. I had a Coke Zero finished off some Chocolates I had and called it lunch. Back to watching TV and peeking at my phone, nothing was going on, which is good news.

I set a goal to finish the episode of The Neighborhood I was watching and watch one more, then I would get moving. I stuck to the plan. Got my shower and dressed up. Made my plan to grab the mail first, gas up (which was seriously pricy $5 per gallon) and then hit up Lowe’s. Purchased 2 bags of sand and 3 bags of drainage rock. Came home, opened the drainage rock and filled the big hole with that. It’s nice. Hopefully, the critters let it be and don’t dig it out! I saw a smaller hole and filled that with a bag of sand. Dumped the last bag of rock out front in a landscaping bed, where my problem gutter always seems to clog and overflow, despite having a gutter guard in place. Put one bag of sand I had in the garage because I know the critters will dig right through that.

Peeking at my neighbor’s place, he came back to mow the grass the day after the U-Haul’s left. No one came to set the trash out which is overflowing and it’s only a matter of time before the Raccoons discover it and start making a mess. There has been no activity, and all the kids’ toys are still sitting outside. I see a TV on their enclosed deck is still on the wall, so I wonder if they are coming back to grab leftovers or if they are just going to leave it is for now. I suppose as time moves on the picture will paint it’s self and they will either come back pick up the leftovers and do some outside work before they put the place on the market or they will come back and continue to occupy the place. Selling points are new windows, new roof and new ac/furnace. I’m sure they made some improvements inside. The enclosed deck is a nice touch. I just hope if they sell that I get along with whomever moves in next and they kick in some money when it comes time to maintain or chop down the shared tree we have.

I took a minute to catch my breath and then I left and headed for the buffet that I was seriously craving. An hour and 15 minutes later I arrived, despite one wrong turn. This time before I blindly ordered the buffet, I walked through the buffet, and it didn’t look that good. I ordered off the menu for the first time. I got a Horseshoe which is 3 burgers on Texas Toast served open face, then topped with two kinds of cheese (queso (white) and yellow (cheddar)), then French fries and finally topped with chili. It was so good and I was so full when I left. It was a little on the salty side but wow, so good. Had one piece of guy candy that I was eyeing; he was straight looked like he was waiting for his girl to show up and having dinner with his parents. Jeez, I wished I was that girl, he was so hot!

Made the drive back home. My new car fever has flared up again and now I am even considering buying something that is used, which would save me some money. However, my preference is brand new. Looks like whatever I get will need to be a 2026 because come 2027 there are mandatory government monitoring features that will be on all new vehicles. The car will watch you with AI and if it decides you are drunk, drowsy or otherwise impaired it will shut down and you won’t be able to start it. No idea on how long it will stay disabled as those details have yet to leak. The way it’s sounding is that the vehicle will be disabled for a while. There is no override. If you’re traveling the vehicle will pull over and then shut off. There are other government features coming as well but that monitoring one is the most concerning. Hopefully, more information comes out later this year otherwise what I get will be 2026 or earlier.

Thinking about work, Friday was a hellish day. There will be plenty for me to do next week and I will be the only guy working since the other two will be out. Not sure why my boss let the mistake maker go when he knew that the new guy was out. In any case, I will survive it’s what I do. I won’t enjoy it one bit but fear not I have plenty of time off and plan to schedule some next month. I’m supposed to hear more about the promotion I am being considered for, nothing is in the books, but I listened to my review, and my boss clearly says that he will schedule something for us so I can get more info. I want a clear understanding and documentation in writing about what I’d be stepping into before I step into it, and they make things up and change them leaving me stuck. I don’t plan to fall into that type of trap. Boss man is out next Thursday & Friday so at least I will have 2 days of peace and quiet or so I hope. I will also be on call all next week, oh joy!

I’m working on laundry, paying my bills and updating finances. Surfed the web to catchup on porn and waded through my inbox and did some serious cleanup. Waiting for the dryer to tell me my laundry is done then it will be upstairs and time to get ready for tomorrow. I will be up early, heading to breakfast and the grocery store.

Thinking about driving to the office tomorrow to check on something, not sure if that will happen or if I will just let things be. I’ve got nowhere to go other than figuring out what I want to eat. There is a new place by the office, I looked at their menu online and its mostly finger foods and tons of alcohol, none of which I am into so I’m passing on that place. There are other places nearby that are within walking distance. Ah, there is the buzzer time to get moving.

There you have it another DITLO (Day In The Life Of) me. Thanks for stopping by!

Temperature Drop

Howdy!

The temperature has dropped here and were in the 50’s.  Plenty of Watches & Warnings yesterday afternoon into the night but we just got some rain out of it.  I tried to stay awake until 11p which is when all of the Watches & Warnings expired but I didn’t make it.  My weekend insomnia kicked in at 2a and I knew that today wasn’t going to be as great of a day as I wanted it to be. 

Woke up with plenty of time to spare, had breakfast at home but of course the cats got fed first.  Showered and dressed, then waited a few minutes before I had to leave.  It was just enough time to get Mora in my lap and enjoy her company for a short bit. 

I came back home after my haircut I wanted to go back to bed and that’s exactly what I did.  Got back to sleep for a bit.  Rudy woke me for lunch and I really didn’t want to get up so I fed him and then went back to bed.  I watched TV and continued to dose off. 

I got up and then Rudy had his second lunch after I ate.  I just had a Diet Coke and Cheetos.  He loves cheese anything.  I let him lick my fingers and he tries gnawing on them like they are Cheetos but they don’t crunch like one.  I think I could feed him a Cheeto and he would eat it.  I was able to enjoy a Granola Bar after washing my hands from Rudy’s slobber.  Then lunch was done. 

Grabbed up my 2 weeks worth of laundry and here I am in the basement.  Space heater on, Mora passed out in one of the chairs behind me guarding me from whatever.  Rudy is upstairs snoozing and waiting for us.  The two of them had some play time for a bit before she came down to be with me. 

Planning on heading out to Red Lobster for supper.  I did find a new place to go to it’s a Mom & Pop kind of place but it’s 53 miles away (that’s one way) and it’s on my list of places to visit.  Found it from a group I am in on social media about restaurants in the area.  Like how I found out about the buffet place.  I meant to hit up the ATM to get some cash but that didn’t happen.  It’s been on my to do list for a couple weeks.  If I am going to a Mom & Pop place I make sure to have cash because some of them don’t take credit cards and it would really suck to travel all that way to find out I can’t eat there because I don’t have cash. 

Tomorrow’s I am planning on going back to my favorite Mexican place.  So a normal weekend for me. 

Really surprised that out of the 3 folks that came to my house none of them have called back with a price on this column or roof brace.  I called one guy and left a message on Thursday.  He’s the one I want to do the work out of all of them but I need a price.  I will probably call him back on Monday.  I had to call him twice just to get the quote.  I am not one to chase after people or beg someone to take my money.  I get that this will be a pain to change out but the work needs to be done, the sooner the better.  However, it’s not like this column is going to disintegrate overnight.  I’m just looking to avoid disaster before it gives way and becomes an emergency.  Damn near every house in the neighborhood has one of these things, one of my neighbors actually has two of them but they are smaller.  One neighbor had his made out of all brick, that’s smart no maintenance or replacement work to do there.  

Looking forward to a nice trip in a few hours and some fish.  Then finding something good to watch on TV as I pass the night away.  Hope your having a great Saturday.  Take care.

Pleasure & Pain

Morning … Be careful it’s April Fool’s Day. 

It’s been years since I sunburnt my scalp.  It itches like crazy then when I go to scratch it’s pleasurable but hurts at the same time.  I’ve put some leave in conditioner on and that helps but only for so long, then the itching starts up.  I broke out some medicated dandruff shampoo I had on hand.  It’s from a professional brand but OTC.  It too works but only for so long.  I use a conditioner with Menthol in it and I love the cool feeling I get from letting that sit and do it’s thing while I work on showering.  I can’t wait until I get to the peeling stage, that will be fun (not) but maybe the itch will be gone by then.  I see the redness fading a little bit each day.  It would be nice if it’s gone by Sunday but I don’t think I will be that lucky. 

Met with the final contractor yesterday about the column or roof brace.  Now I am just waiting for the quotes to pour in.  I don’t think the roofing company will get back to me and I’m not chasing them.  Glad I had the boot fixed on the roof over the weekend so it’s out of the way.  Honestly I only expect to hear back from the guy who did the roof stuff and the guy that was out yesterday.  I expect the guy who was out yesterday to be the cheapest but we shall see. 

Our hot weather is gone and we have cooled off.  Now it’s all rain.  The AC is still on here and it’s surprisingly warmer than I expected upstairs.  The AC is not running and I don’t anticipate it kicking on.  I am certain that within a day or two I will be flipping the furnace back on but time will tell.

Were at the half way point in the week and this week is moving pretty fast, at least for me.  There are moments when there are lags or lulls but they are short lived.  I managed to squeeze in a quick nap yesterday before a meeting, which was nice.  Both cats joined me, which is kind of expected.  They pretty much follow me all over and need to be around me as much as possible.  My only break from them is leaving the house, showering or coming to the basement during the work week.  Both of them are so happy here, but we have our moments. 

I’ve got 2 meetings today which I don’t look forward to but one of them is with a vendor so it’s more of a listen to folks ramble on and sit back & relax. 

The boss has told us he has candidates to interview for our open position and it sounds like there is more than 1 internal candidate.  We never hear names of people.  We only know who was chosen in the end and who knows how long that will take.  Not much moves fast at this place, especially when it comes to hiring, it seems to linger on forever. 

Supper last night was Stouffer’s Spaghetti & Meat Sauce.  I wanted to dive in to a slice of Chocolate Cake that I got from the store but it got late and then I started watching TV and just decided to skip it.  Rest assured it won’t go bad.  Frozen food might go bad here but not cake.  I’ve got soup & chili to eat for lunch and possibly for supper.  It makes for a quick but enjoyable meal and I like it a little bit better than a frozen dinner.  The risk factor goes up for burns, remember my chili incident?  Ever since then I am extra careful.  Hot chili or soup belongs in your mouth and not on your skin.  I keep meaning to buy hot dogs but somehow forget.  A chili dog would be nice!

Hope it’s a great day for all of us.  Thanks for stopping by! 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.

What’s the safe word?

Morning & Happy Friday!

Life is continuing to dish out punishment to me like I am trapped in BDSM and don’t know the safe word.  Yeah it’s a little humor but there is some truth in there as well. 

The roofing guy came out yesterday and he talked me into a free roof inspection.  I’m kind of glad he did it but also wishing that I held firm to my original no.  Anyway, he found 3 shingles that are abnormally wearing, he called it a manufacturer defect.  I saw a photo and they look odd and likely will need to be replaced in the future.  My roof is in good shape and is at it’s half life, that is barring any storms that come rolling in.  He found damage done by a rodent to some shielding that is around an exhaust fan.  That needs to be fixed soon or water could start leaking into one of the bathrooms.  Who knows how long it’s been like that.  I might be okay with letting it go but now that I know about it I plan on addressing it.  Then he found siding damage done from a hail storm.  I can fix with a patch the damage he found but I need to do a much closer inspection on the entire house.  Here I thought I only had 1 problem and now I have multiples.  Can I get that safe word? 

I’ve got a meeting tomorrow afternoon with a General Contractor about the post to get an estimate from him.  Then a meeting on Tuesday with the guy my friend referred me to.  I should have 3 bids in the end and be able to make a smart choice.  The Roofing Company talked about a discount if they get the post and pipe job saying they could make it more economical.  It will be a few days before I have everything but I’d like to get this scheduled.  Right now I am leaning towards hiring the Roofing Company but still want to meet with the other two folks to see what they have to say.  Like I told my boss yesterday there is an endless supply of people coming for your money, it never ends.  Even after you die people still want their pound of flesh.  If I am going to get fucked, I’d like to at least enjoy it and be able to get off too but life isn’t always that kind.

Work was rapid fire yesterday afternoon, one urgent issue after another.  I was working something then had to shift gears.  Another issue came in the middle of me working the first urgent issue.  I had to pee so damn bad but stayed put on the couch for over an hour as I worked through these things.  Had to make a couple calls and then had a meeting with the boss.  He said that it shows I am working hard and he is so appreciative of that.  Bet you he’d sing a different tune if he knew my secret. 

We did reach 90 yesterday and I was so glad that the AC was on.  Things cooled off after the sun set.  Mora did her vent sniffing and Rudy followed suit.  They just seem so fascinated by cold blowing air.  I woke up to temperatures in the 40’s with light rain.  It’s supposed to clear up and make it to the 50’s.  A mild weekend and then come Monday were back starting another warming trend.  As you might guess my house got cold over night and the heat is back on.  Hopefully the next time I touch the thermostat it will be the last time but I’m not holding my breath on that. 

Had Broccoli Cheese Soup for supper, it was good but didn’t exactly agree with me.  I felt this odd taste in my mouth.  I ate some ice cream thinking that would clear things up but it didn’t.  I took an anti-acid pill before bed for good measure.  Last thing I wanted was to wake up in the middle of the night feeling the burn of acid.  Even after brushing my teeth and using mouthwash the taste came back before I finally passed out for the night. 

Still watching Young Sheldon.  When I saw it for the first time as it aired on TV I would always end the show by saying that kid cracks me up.  He’s so funny!  The story is still continuing to play out and I suspect I have weeks more of entertainment when I can’t seem to find anything else to watch. 

Been watching Court proceedings most of the week during the day out of Michigan with Judge Simpson.  Today is my favorite day – Landlord/Tennant day or housing court.  You hear some interesting stories.  Judge Simpson is one of my all time favorite judges he is so fair and compassionate.  However, if you lie to him or act up he will be your worst enemy and things won’t end well for you.  You can’t fight with a Judge at least not that Judge.  He’s on YouTube if your interested in viewing.  He’s gone viral a couple times so he might be familiar if you look him up.  

Right now all is calm and q…. but I won’t say that word.  I know that things can change so I am just basking in the calm for the moment.  Friday’s are usually easy and I hope this one for sure is.  I had my workout this week and could use some rest. 

Have a pleasant day and weekend! Thank you for stopping by. 

Some progress

Woke up this morning and quickly remembered that mornings are the worst.  My head, neck and back were all killing me.  Plus all of the sinus soup in my head draining out, not pleasant at all. 

Fed Rudy and Mora was after me, she wanted me to eat.  Normally I am the one after her asking her to eat.  Well, I gave in and had some oatmeal, a banana and some milk.  Then took my morning pills and returned to my room to watch TV for a bit.  Eventually I wound up back in bed.  Rudy and Mora both guarding me as I slept, so did they. 

No movies today, it’s been a day of YouTube videos and Home Improvement. 

Skipped lunch just had a soda and some black olives.  Rudy begged me for more food despite the fact I just put his lunch down.  He’s figured out that he can be picky and I will give in.  I hate that because it’s a bad habit and it causes me to cycle through their food quicker. 

Remembered that it was Thursday so I had to take the trash out.  Rudy was after me to get a shower.  He climbed up on top of my chair and started to wash my scalp.  Just like Momma used to do.  I stopped him long before he got started.  I knew that I smelled but oddly it was a low key turn on and now I get why some guys like to sniff arm pits.  I’m not into that but I don’t have a problem watching it. 

I got that shower and man it felt good.  I started to itch in places that I didn’t know I had.  I couldn’t scrub hard enough or long enough.  It had only been 5 days and if Rudy hadn’t come along I would have easily fallen into a trap to go another day. 

After the shower I got dressed and man that was a task.  I was a bit winded afterwards.  I had a dizzy spell for a moment in the shower but I didn’t fall.  I rested and watched more TV.  After a half hour I got going. 

Got the trash ready to go out and then I left to head to the Olive Garden.  I wasn’t about messing with food at home.  Was greeted by a hot guy when I entered and man he had a nice butt, his face was cute too.  I didn’t make any moves, just ate my meal and went back home. 

Working on Laundry.  The room felt oddly colder.  That’s when I looked up and saw that something chewed through that dryer vent that I had foam sealed shut.  It was a door for rodents to enter, which is how I got my mouse problem in the first place.  Glad that I caught it, hopefully early.  I cleared out the old foam and then used a hammer to close up the vent.  Stuffed it with some paper and a plastic bag.  Then went over it with foam sealer again.  For good measure I put down a glue board trap so if anything is inside and tries to escape its feet will get stuck and it will die.  I’ve checked and don’t see any of the mouse traps tripped so hopefully I dodged a bullet.  I did what I thought was best.  I realize that whatever it is will probably chew through the foam sealer again so I did my google research.  I need to get some chicken wire or other mesh metal to stuff the hole with.  I’d crush the vent from the outside but it’s buried beneath my deck.  If the damn city inspector would have let us keep the dryer vent where it was none of this would be an issue today.  It’s not an insurmountable problem but it sure has caused me quite the aggravation and money. 

I’m watching mail at work on my phone and man they are really racking up.  I so do not look forward to Tuesday.  I’m thinking about taking some time to try to get ahead because provided I do return on Tuesday as I expect to, I will be on-call and it will be hellish trying to manage that plus playing catchup.  I’ve done it before and said never again but here I am. 

Headed upstairs to bed, I’m sure I won’t sleep for a bit but I like to keep my regular routine up so it won’t be so difficult when things do get back to normal. 

I feel some progress but I still have the bouts where I don’t care about anything and can sit and watch TV for hours.  My phone powered off and me disconnected from the world.  I’m starting to wonder if I didn’t pick up a case of COVID.  Part of me wants to know and part of me doesn’t want to know. 

Who knows what tomorrow holds but I do hope that I make more progress and feel much more like my normal self from the moment I wake up. 

Stay warm and be well.  Hope all is going good in your neck of the woods!

Do it by hand

I had a nice relaxing day.  Enjoyed my Thick & Fluffy Blueberry Eggo Waffles this morning.  Had Blueberry Syrup to put on top.  Ate them like they were tacos.  Enjoyed a tall glass of chocolate milk and it took me back to my childhood.  After that enjoyed more of the Big Bang Theory and relaxing in my room.  Eventually I went back to sleep.  Rudy started morning at 6a, his clock still hasn’t caught up to the new time schedule yet.  Shame I can’t manually adjust that.

Got a shower and used some new facial wash.  It was a sample I got back from when I had my facial.  Smelled like spearmint and tingled.  I could use that more often but I’m sure it’s not cheap since it’s from a professional line, something made by a dermatologist. 

Off to grab cat food, the mail and then I was supposed to go for pizza but opted for BBQ instead.  It was cheaper and kept me closer to home. 

I got my new timer.  Hooked it up and damn if it wouldn’t power on.  The box it came out of looked used and the bag with the wire nuts was opened already.  I thought about swapping out the backdoor timer with the front door but that’s just getting into a new nest of worms and I am really not up for breaking my back like that.  I’m sending the timer back to Amazon and getting my money back.  I put the switch back in and will be turning the lights on my hand.  It sucks and I’m not happy about it but it’s the best I can do.  Short of calling for an electrician.  I worked on this like I knew fully what I was doing, live power and never turned a breaker off.  That’s how my late spouse would have done it, but he knew exactly what he was doing.  I had higher hopes for a better outcome but somethings just don’t work out like you want them to.  That’s a difficult lesson to learn in life but it’s true. 

Working on washing and I will be headed back up to make my bed.  The dryer is about to kick off.  I will be turning up the thermostat tonight because were getting a hard freeze.  As if that’s not bad enough it’s raining outside so it might be slick in the morning. 

At least I got the car washed before I came home.  Now my next big decision is what to have for breakfast tomorrow morning.  It’s gonna suck getting out tomorrow but life doesn’t stop just because the weather is bad.  At least there is a warm up on the way for later in the week.  Wouldn’t surprise me if it started snowing – in fact I’d actually welcome it. 

My work email has been chirping earlier this afternoon.  I peeked at it but nothing serious, at least for me.  I know it’s weeks away but I am looking forward to Thanksgiving and hopefully a couple quiet days.

Hope you had a great day.  Talk with you all again soon!

Timer Time

Morning everyone!

I got confirmation last night that my timer is waiting for me at the post office.  I will get it on Saturday when I grab the mail and hope that when I go to hook it up that it doesn’t turn into a cluster or failed attempt.  I’d really like to go back to a timer controlling my exterior lights.  Thus far I haven’t forgotten to manually turn them on or off but it’s kind of a hassle and one extra thing to do. 

I’ve been up since 5a and honestly don’t feel bad.  I’m sure the drowsiness effect will hit me soon enough but if it bypasses me I will be thankful.  Got to spend some extra time in bed this morning with Rudy and he bit me on the chin after he washed my face for me in a couple spots.  He’s so cute and I knew he was hungry just by the way he was acting.  He tried to play off that he didn’t like my choice for breakfast and that I had to give him a different can of food but I just ignored him and magically between him and his sister they finished breakfast with a little bit left over. 

The house had a little chill in the air.  Mora didn’t like it too much but it’s like I told her, you’ve got a built in heater, kick that sucker on.  Since we had extra time I turned on the space heater in the living room and she got in front of that and soaked it up for all it was worth. 

As expected I have heard nothing from my brother, at least he didn’t disappoint me.  I just know how he’s wired and behaves.  He’s not much into saying thank you.  At least I know I made the effort and I feel good about it. 

On the work front, yesterday was pretty quiet.  Got that meeting today that was rescheduled from yesterday.  All of my work is done at the moment but something new could roll in at any minute so I’m on standby which is kind of where I spend most of my day. 

Today plus one more day and then it’s the weekend again.  I want to get out and move about the world this weekend but my brain will probably tell me to go back to bed and hibernate.  I’ve got my usual tasks to tend to but no real plans made.  Something about having freedom to sleep in or relax and do nothing has great appeal to me for some strange reason. 

Hope it’s a good day for all of us!

 

Sick Day

I woke up really feeling the after affects of my refrigerator workout.  My left hip hurt like crazy, this started last night and I figured a good nights sleep would cure that.  However, I was wrong.  I ate breakfast and fed the cats so for all intense and purposes the day started normal but I knew when I woke up that today I was not going to work. 

I took a muscle relaxer and it’s amazing that one little pill can knock you out of commission for the entire day.  I was hallucinating as I tried to stay awake this afternoon after having slept most of the morning.  Eventually I just gave up and went back to sleep.  I slept pretty much all day long. 

I turned my phone on close to 5p and found that my other co-worker that had been out for 2 days took today as well.  That has only happened a couple times that both of us were out or off.  Usually one of us is there.  I only have 50ish emails to comb through and I seriously plan to return tomorrow. 

I do feel better not 100% but I am hopeful that tomorrow is a better day than today was. 

Good news is that last night I got up the courage to pull the fridge/freezer out to check and there wasn’t a drop of moisture to be found so I fixed the issue.  That made me feel good but I had a strong feeling that when the filter broke in the afternoon that was the source of the problem.  I hope the appliance keeps on humming along for many years ahead. 

Also got my paycheck that reflects my pay raise and I am getting $83 more per pay period, I think I will just up my savings and take the money rather than stuff part of it in a 401K.  I can always change my mind. 

My apologies for no Man Candy today but you know me I will make it up to you once I get caught up.  Right now my worry is sleeping tonight so long as I can accomplish that I will be able to meet my goal of going back tomorrow. 

Take care and hang in there were closer now than we were on Monday to the weekend. 

Sore as expected

Morning – Well I’m not stiff in the wrong places just sore.  Not sure if I mentioned it but there was a water filter in place for taste it came from Sears so that should give you an idea of how long ago it was replaced.  Anyway part of that broke last night when I was mopping the floor.  I believe that part of it was allowing a slow leak, thus the water.  Now that the water is shutoff and that filter has been removed if there is any water pooling or leaking it has to be coming from the fridge/freezer and it would most likely be from a clogged drain line.  While I haven’t pulled it back out yet I really feel like I found and fixed the problem. 

The floor underneath the fridge is just as clean as the day we moved in now that I mopped.  I did take one last peek before I put everything back in place and I didn’t see or feel any leaks which also leads me to my conclusion that this problem is solved.  I will find out soon enough. 

I did check the carpet this morning and it’s dry so at least things are off to a good start, despite the fact I am sore and moving like I am 90 years old. 

I took my sweet time eating breakfast and I was a little late to start my day but hey I made it.  I could easily take the day and lay around however the co-worker I complain about is out today sick and he was out yesterday because his kid was sick.  That’s the great thing about having kids you can use them as an excuse in so many ways.  I think his backup plan for child care failed and he just said he’s sick so that he can buy himself an extra day.  I also think it’s highly convenient now that we just went through a bunch of work.  It’s like he needs time to rest.  Hey maybe I am wrong and he’s legit sick but I honestly don’t buy it.  But it matters not because I’m not the boss. 

Last nights supper was pretty good.  Store made Stromboli.  They said cut it into 4 pieces I chopped it in half and only had 2 pieces.  Man I was so full and am glad that I have the other two for another meal.  I didn’t bother with desert after I let that meal settle a bit I went to finishing up my work on the fridge and mopping.  I was exhausted and just wanted to cool down and drink cold water, couldn’t get enough of it. 

Tonight will be garlic bread from my Sunday meal out and some store pasta.  I only wish I had some Spumoni to go with it for desert.

Here’s hoping that today will be less eventful than yesterday was and perhaps I can relax a bit before my afternoon series of meeting after meeting.  I really wish I was laying in bed and relaxing.  I know I can always make that happen but honestly don’t want to because of having to play catch up when I come back. 

The mowers showed up while I was eating breakfast and drove the cats a little crazy.  They bounced from window to window to peek out and see what was up.  It was kind of cute. 

I was left to sleep alone last night until I got up to go to the bathroom at 5am, it was all that water I drank before bed.  Anyway when I came back both cats were in my bed and acted like they had been there for hours when I know that wasn’t the case.  I made it work but it was not comfortable for me.  I am sure they were just fine.  Mora wanted to hug and cuddle about an hour later but I was in no mood for that I just wanted to go back to sleep.  She woke me up by standing on top of me.  All of that weight and stepping on a spot that was sore yeah it did the trick.  I thought she was her brother but soon realized by the feeling it wasn’t him it was her.  

Well work is starting to build so hi ho it’s off to work I go because I owe, I owe, I owe.  Have a great day!

Quick update

No surprise my back is killing me.  I was really exhausted and out of it after this morning.  I was able to take a short break to help recover.  Then work just came flooding in and I had no choice I had to stick with it.  I powered through and made it to lunch. 

The carpet is dry thanks to the help of a fan.  It is stained but I am sure if I use the carpet cleaner on it I will probably be able to clear that up.  I am in no hurry.  The cats weren’t too happy about it but it got the job done.  I pushed the fridge back in place and confirmed the floor was dry prior to doing so.  I found one spot after I pushed it back that had some moisture, which I cleaned up.  Right now it’s a wait and see situation.  I do think and hope the problem is solved.  However, I want to confirm that for sure before I walk away from this. 

I plan to pull the fridge back out tonight after supper and check the floor.  If there is any moisture then I will be calling for a repair person.  I’ve double checked both the fridge and freezer sides with a thermometer and they are both working.  If there is still water/moisture then it has to be a drain line like the YT video said.  I really hope that I solved this on my own, it would make me feel pretty good. 

Even if things are all dry tonight I will still check it again in the morning for the extra piece of mind. 

I dislike household issues but especially when they involve water. 

Since I already feel some of the affects of my so called morning workout I am sure that I will probably be stiff in the all the wrong places come morning or at least I expect that to be the case and to hurt a little bit more.  Having a massage booked on Friday is a good thing!

Right now I just want to coast through the afternoon and am eager to make it to bed time.  Not exactly the Monday I wanted but I know it can always be worse. 

Talk with you all again soon!

Where the water came from

Morning … I am tired and out of breath.  Kind of feel like I need a nap but I am just so hot.

I broke out the carpet cleaner last night to suck up whatever it was that was wet on the carpet.  Turns out it was water.  Such an odd spot and no plumbing near by.  I checked downstairs and all of the ceiling tiles are dry, plus there is no real plumbing in this area so that further added to the mystery. 

This morning I noticed that the area had grown in size and it was very strange to me.  Only thing in the area is the fridge.  I soon found the problem was the fridge/freezer.  It’s got a built in door ice and water.  The ice maker broke years ago and has been turned off.  I don’t use the water in the door.  First thing I did was turn the valve off that supplies water to the unit since it’s not needed.  The floor below where the unit sits was quite wet but unless you pulled it out you would have never known. 

I dried up the water on the floor, broke out the carpet cleaner to suck up more of the water in the carpet.  Then got out the vacuum cleaner to clean away some dust and cat fur that I saw.  It’s not immaculate by any means but I cleared away what I could.  A few years back I remember cleaning it out and it was plugged with fur from every cat that had ever been here.  Rudy and Mora were either not here yet or hadn’t been here for very long. 

My first instinct was that I would probably have to call someone.  I never did find anything that was leaking.  I watched a YouTube video that talked about a plugged drain line but don’t see anything like that.  I don’t know that I am fully out of the woods just yet and still may wind up calling a repair person. 

Right now the unit is pulled out and I am giving the area a chance to dry.  I’ve pushed it back in place and wiped up a little bit of water.  Pulled it back out and let it sit then after a bit pushed it back in and the floor is dry.  I think or hope by moving it I may have fixed the issue by happy accident, at least this my hope. 

The cats are so confused and I’ve never worked faster or harder just before starting a work day.  I need to head up and check on things. 

Both sides (freezer and fridge) are as cold as they normally are so I know that it’s got to be a drain or drain line.  I can tell you that I will be sore from this because it involves a lot of crawling around on the floor and being on my back.  Manual Labor which my body doesn’t like. 

My hope is that I can fix this on my own but if not at low cost by calling someone.  Right now it’s just wait and see.  Not the way I wanted to start the week out with a home problem, much less a problem that involves water.  Yuk!

Wish me luck I am sure I will have much more to post about this as time moves forward.  Hope that your day is off to a better start than mine.  Take care.

 

Lazy Does It

Welcome in … I had a productive evening.  Washed the cats fountain in the dishwasher.  Used air dry and just a normal wash cycle.  Anything more and the plastic it’s made from would melt.  At least that was my experience with a prior fountain years and years ago.  Talk about learning from your mistakes. 

Got the cat’s fountain put back together and filled.  Then loaded up the dishwasher with my dishes and knocked them out.  Speaking of knocking, my water heater makes all kinds of noise now that I flushed it.  I wished I would have listened to the plumber who told me when it was put in don’t touch it.  I know that your supposed to flush them as regular maintenance once per year.  It gets pretty noisy and I can’t help but think I’ve set myself up for failure.  The unit has been in service for 4 years, was installed at the start of the pandemic and still working fine.  It’s gas and on the lowest possible setting for hot water.  I know it is mineral deposits that cause the knocking.  Yet another joy of homeownership.  Here’s hoping that it lasts for many more years to come. 

Went to bed late and had several play sessions with the cats throughout the day.  Rudy was the one who drove that and I just hope he doesn’t think that is going to be an every day thing.  He really whined and carried on at bed time because I was all played out and he was denied his normal before bed play.  I watched some TV and eventually my medicine kicked in, I thought it wasn’t going to work at all. 

Rudy let me sleep in for 45 minutes and then at 7:45a he was making biscuits and waking me up.  I got up and fed them.  I came back to bed for a bit but eventually opted to get up and eat, take my meds and just relax.  That meant going back to bed and watching TV.  Of course I fell back asleep.  There’s nothing really going today and relaxing is what I enjoy most of all, even if it’s dull & boring wasting my life away. 

Got up around noonish and had some cookies & a soda for lunch.  After the cats were done with lunch they joined me as we returned to my room to watch more TV.  I got going around 2:30p with a shower.  By now it’s close to 100 degrees outside and there are air quality & heat advisory warnings out. 

Stopped for cat food first.  Then went to the office supply store and the kids working there looked at me like I had a 3rd eye.  I asked if they had a document holder.  The first person said that she was too young to understand what I was asking for and pointed me to some guys who thought I was looking for a typewriter.  It’s a simple device it holds a document in an upright position and you can more easily type as your looking to it and then your monitor instead of having to look down if the document was laying on a desk.  I was calling it a copy holder but explained what it did.  Well turns out it’s actually called a document holder and I can get one from Amazon for $12 and it will be here next day.  I knew I wasn’t crazy but those kids said they didn’t have it.  I looked prior to asking and yeah I didn’t find it either.  I looked over the pen isle while I was there.  Lots of choices but I didn’t buy anything. 

Off to grab the mail from there and then to a Mexican place that my friends were talking about.  I had been there when they opened and it was good but that was like 5 years ago.  The place fills up in a hurry.  Service absolutely sucked but the food was awesome.  Full of flavor and apparently full of salt.  I didn’t taste it but ever since I have been home I have been so damn thirsty.  I keep drinking water like I am a fish, I’ll be glad when my thirst is quenched I hate feeling thirsty and not being able to drink enough to get satisfied.

Cat food got put away and here I am in the basement.  Mora has been nagging at me.  I forgot about the time and realized she wanted treats.  I gave her those.  That only bought me 10 minutes of peace.  She wants to cuddle and that’s not in the cards when I am in front of the computer.  Kind of like why I hate letting either of them down here because all they do is nag me.  I know they enjoy being next to me and around me but damn it gets to be a bit much.  Didn’t help things that when I did let her in my lap she wiped her rear end on my arm.  She loves to do that but normally there isn’t any evidence left behind and this time there was. 

I’ve moved some money into savings, schedule a bill payment and updated my finances since we got paid a couple days early.  My pay raise amounted to an extra $80 after taxes.  Whoopy.  It looks like the extra money is a lot on paper but when you boil it down after taxes it’s not much.  Which reminds me I need to update my retirement account so that next check that $80 goes to it instead of me.  I’m doing fine on what I was making prior to getting a raise. 

That’s pretty much it for Saturday.  Tomorrow I’ll do the usual breakfast, target, grocery store and gas up.  Got some laundry to knock out and the house to clean which didn’t get done last weekend due to my poor back.  It’s feeling better now but I’m not pushing my luck.  Still very pleased when I look outside and see a semi-clean deck and sidewalk, looking at that won’t ever get old. 

Once I get away from the computer it’s back to the TV for the night.  Next week looks like it’s going to suck.  However, I’ll just take it one day at a time and try not to freak out.  The mistake maker had an early day yesterday and left me to cover things with just an hours notice and by email nevertheless.  No picking up the phone.  Common Courtesy as well as Common Sense just isn’t common anymore.  Damn Millennials!

Take care and keep cool & hydrated!

Tired & Sore

My outside tasks are done!  I woke up at 7a when it was cool outside.  Had some pastry, Banana and a Diet Coke for breakfast.  Fed the cats.  Loaded up with sunscreen and mosquito spray, threw on some clothes and my work shoes.  Grabbed the Armor Away or whatever it’s called.  House wash in a bottle.  I got it just before the pandemic hit it was a 2 for 1 special on Amazon. 

Hooked up the hose and started spraying away.  I think that it must have gone bad just from sitting, either that or the gable vent I was trying to clean is just that dirty.  I had one a couple years ago it looked horrible and this stuff made it bright white in 10 minutes.  Not so this time, I got off some of the dirt. 

I grew unhappy with the way it was rinsing and just decided to call it a day and put that junk away.  Grabbed the power washer and I rinsed it all off.  Wound up doing the side walk, a bunch of landscaping bricks that had green mold growing on them and then made my way to the deck.  Got the green mold off of it and washed the back of the house, the deck part and then what is the master bedroom, which also had green mold growing on it, light but nevertheless it was there.  I have no idea how much water I used but I started probably at 7:45a and I didn’t come back inside until 11:30a.  It was kind of fun but it was also back breaking. 

I was in limp mode by the time I got everything cleaned up and put away.  I am quite proud of my accomplishment.  If I had the gas left in me I would have done the other side of the house, it faces the street.  The siding looks clean but the gutters have dirt and some green mold growing on them.  I suppose that is a job for another day. 

I got undressed in the garage, came inside and grabbed a Gatorade.  Sat on the couch and watched some fireworks on YouTube.  I was sweating to beat the band.  I had caught my breath and was somewhat rested but still felt the ache in my back.  I made my way to the shower and that felt good.  Then I dried off and climbed in bed. 

Rudy was by myside and wouldn’t leave me.  He knew I was hurting and could use the company.  I rolled over and he snuggled up next to my back.  Eventually after about an hour I woke up and he was right there to greet me and make biscuits just as if it was morning all over again.

Passed out lunch for the cats, I ate more pastry and some left over cake.  Washed it all down with a Diet Coke and then got on my laptop.  I scoured menu after menu trying to find a decent place to eat at.  Wound up at a local pizza place.  Had some spaghetti & meatballs with garlic bread and a salad – washed that all down with a Diet Dr. Pepper and it was $22.  I left full. 

Then went for a ride to check on the neighbors new house.  There is a for sale sign in the yard so maybe they aren’t going to move in after all and they are going to sell it.  It’s coming along pretty nice.  I think by this time next month it should be fully done presuming that it’s being worked on every day.  I’ll probably make another trip out because I am just that damn nosy. 

Stopped in for a car wash and got to look at a good looking 20ish year old guy who had a fine looking ass.  I’m telling you that I am officially at the desperate point.  I want a companion but want him to be good looking kind of beauty and brains.  Hopefully my search will end this year because this is old and well so am I.  My age is against me for sure, especially if I want a younger guy say in his 30’s, I’d go 20’s but fear that I wouldn’t be able to hold a conversation that long and we wouldn’t have a whole lot in common.  Outside of the companion part I need to have some damn good sex, kind of tired of watching porn and seeing other guys have a good time.  Yeah things can always be worse but this is one hell of a problem that seems insurmountable.  I’ve done a damn good job solving all of my other problems but this one well not so much. 

On a different note, I went to the BBQ place and ordered the catfish last night.  It was not that good.  However, a woman walked in and from a distance she looked like my mom.  As you got closer I could tell that it wasn’t her but damn if I didn’t know that she was dead I would have sworn that it was my mom.  That was kind of odd to me.  I almost bought her meal and struck up a conversation but wouldn’t you know it I got a work call that I had to head home and deal with.  I thought about taking her picture and sending it to my brother but figured that wouldn’t fair well so I just left it alone. 

I’m sure I will continue to be sore for a few days but it still feels damn good to have made progress.  I could have easily wasted the day by rotting in bed. 

Tomorrow is the usual breakfast and grocery stores.  If I feel up to it I’ll be stopping at two grocery stores, kind of hope that I do because that will mean more food for me. 

Hope you have a fantastic Saturday.  Take care!

Fast Moving Tuesday

Morning … My plan worked great and I had a fast moving Tuesday.  I plowed through a lot of work and even had a few distractions.  All of my work for the interns is done, while my counterpart is just getting started.  I leave him in the dust every year because he moves at a snails pace.  There are people already asking when his part is going to be done. 

I got to park in a new area of the garage at work and it’s heaven.  Not a lot of people up there and it’s extra secure, I’ll be parking there from now on.  I had my semi-spicy Buffalo Chicken Wrap for lunch, it was good but it was no Chicken Cesar Wrap.  I left around 3p and almost got side swiped twice by an overly aggressive Dodge Charger.  He never saw me just changed lanes and I had to react to avoid getting hit.  Hey I was in a hurry to get home as well but I wanted to arrive alive and with my vehicle still intact.  An accident would have been the ultimate punishment for leaving early.

The emails poured in as I drove home and when I arrived home I only had a couple things to deal with.  I elected to put them off until this morning as I didn’t deem them important enough to deal with.  That permitted me to pay attention to the cats and they were both attention deprived and very happy to see me. 

We snuggled up on the couch after they had some food and did a little bit of playing.  I found a couple things to watch that kept me occupied for about an hour and a half.  After that it was a constant search for something new.  I wound up watching Reba which just was placed on Netflix.  I’ve seen it all before but looks like I am going to make my way through the series again. 

Today we have severe weather on tap once again.  Tornadoes possible along with Baseball to Golf ball sized hail, strong winds and of course lots of rain and thunder.  It’s all supposed to start just before lunch and who knows how long it will take to move through the area but I hope it’s not nearly as bad as the predictions and that this is the last severe weather we have for a very long time.  Thankful that I have a garage and my vehicle fits inside of it.    

Got one meeting on tap oddly around the time the weather is supposed to start getting bad.  Otherwise, unless something comes rolling in I have a nice goof off day to get caught up with web surfing and I can resume relaxing.  Rudy really wanted me up this morning.  He started at 6:30a and it took forever to shew him away.  Both cats were playful when I finally got up and we got moving. 

Checked on the water area of carpet and it’s dry at the moment.  We shall see if that changes once the bad weather gets here.  I talked it over with a colleague and it’s rather odd.  If it was a foundation problem there would be water in more than just one spot.  He told me to chalk it up to an animal accident.  It’s not an animal because cat pee has a very distinct odor and they are the only animals I have.  It’s quite the mystery that I don’t know if I will ever have an answer to.  I’m fine with that just as long as the problem doesn’t come back.

Here’s hoping it’s a good day for all of us!  Take care and thanks for stopping by. 

All in a days work

Hope you are having a good day thus far.  I’ve opted to stop working for the day.  I could have easily finished all of my work today but wanted to save something to occupy and help pass time tomorrow, because I will be in the office.  Normally I just sit and stare at my screen once my morning work tasks are done and scramble to try to find something to occupy my mind.  Now I know for sure I will have work to do and plenty of it. 

Picked up some Pineapple and Strawberry’s that were sliced fresh by the store.  I had some of each last night and it was a great snack/desert.  Passed out treats for the cats and watched TV until it was time to wrap things up for bed. 

Shaved, showered and then off to my room to watch TV and wait until my medicine kicked in and I went to sleep.  It seemed to take forever last night but I think it was close to 11:30p when I finally turned the TV off and passed out.  Both cats in bed with me and they didn’t want to move but it happened. 

Had a strange dream that involved surgery I think, don’t really remember much.  I know that I woke up a couple times and trying to roll over I managed to hit my head, I was really wedged in bed with the cats.  Rudy came along with his morning wake up call and we began a new day. 

Breakfast over, got dressed and headed down for work.  It was a semi-sunny morning.  Dreary looking by mid-morning and then the sun was back out for lunch.  More rain is on the way and it rained over night.  There talking about more severe weather this week but until it arrives it’s just talk to me.  Kind of like when they forecast snow, I used to get so excited as a child and quickly learned that you shouldn’t count on what they say because it’s all guess work and things change. 

Working away and was left alone for the biggest part of the morning.  Just before lunch I got three calls, one of which was a wrong number.  I was hungry for lunch.  I had looked up a place that I had been hearing about and saw the menu, my mouth was watering.  I forgot that I don’t have a whole lot to eat here for lunch.  That of course will change tomorrow because I planned for Tuesday.  I’m having a Buffalo Chicken Wrap because they didn’t have the Chicken Cesar Wrap.  I asked about that at the store and they said they are still making them but they are only out occasionally.  I was kind of hoping they would make me one on the spot but that didn’t happen.  I’m more excited for supper tonight.  I found a new frozen dinner called a Pizza Bowl.  The picture looks good, let’s hope that it tastes close to as good as it looks. 

I wound up having a Breakfast Burrito with some hot sauce and a tiny snack Hostess apple pie.  I didn’t read the fine print that said they were snack size.  When I saw the size I wished that I would have bought something else.  Watched Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and a couple other things on YouTube then it was time to come back to work. 

I started back up and got a few more things done and I enjoy the rhythm especially once I get up to speed.  However, the systems aren’t all firing at rapid pace and I have to wait for them to catch up.  We did some “maintenance” last week and that kind of has everything a little screwy.  After a couple interruptions I just opted to call it a day.  I’m coasting as I watch to see if anything will crop up, if not then I will be headed up to be with the cats. 

In other news, yesterday after the cats went upstairs for the day I brought down some Febreze and sprayed the area that had the water on it.  Damn if it wasn’t slightly moist feeling this morning.  Not sure what that was all about.  I’ve searched the basement and there are no other areas that are wet and I see no standing water.  I’ve got it all dried out and plan to turn the fan off when I go up for the day.  Then I will watch the area to see what happens.  In addition to the rain that is on the way for today, it’s supposed to rain more through Wednesday.  My hope is that the area stays dry.  It’s carpet on top of a concrete basement foundation.  Basements are known to be damp and musty but yet mine is finished and until I had the mold problem the only moisture issue we had was when the water heater exploded several years back.  Fingers crossed that this little hiccup stays gone and things remain dry.  Not sure that I will get my way but I can hope, right? 

Thanks for dropping by, talk with you all again soon.

Let’s Get Physical

Happy Saturday, hope all is well.  Buckle up as we take another ride in the adventure of my life.

Yesterday  I had this feeling of doom come over me as it relates to my home.  Not exactly sure why.  It started when I thought I heard the sump pump cycling.  It was not but I had to test it to make sure that it worked.  Yep still working.  In the afternoon I was headed upstairs.  I noticed that something didn’t feel right on the carpet.  I took off my shoe and went over the area again.  Yeah something is not right because my foot is wet.  In the middle of the floor there was a small puddle of water that had dampened one area.  I looked up and the ceiling tiles were fine.  I checked in the utility closet and didn’t see any water there.  Last time this happened the water heater burst but it was much wetter and covered a wider area.  Next up I checked the wall and the baseboard that are exterior facing.  They felt dry.  I am puzzled as to what in the world this is.

I broke out the big steam cleaner that I haven’t used in easily I’d say 4 to 5 years.  It didn’t suck up anything.  I got a couple pee pads out and inverted them so that the pad part faced the carpet and walked over them.  That wicked up some water.  I repeated it another time.  Finally I got the little carpet cleaner that I just bought for cat mini messes and damn it sucked up a small amount of some foul dirty water.  I worked and worked to make sure that there wasn’t anything left to suck up.  Then I broke out my big fan that moves air like no tomorrow and faced it on the spot and turned it on.  I let it run overnight.  I came down to check on it before I headed to bed and there was progress being made. 

I was so busy between this and a couple things from work that came in that I never ate supper.  The cats got fed and got their treats but I just kept putting off taking care of me, which is typical for me.  I wound up eating some Greek Yogurt and washing it down with some tap water.  I really wasn’t hungry, more sick and stumped over what in the world this could be. 

We have had a lot of rain and this area faces the back of my home, which is where I had the mold problem a few years back when I had a broken downspout.  Those gutters are clogged.  I figured that while it’s possible that this could be water from the foundation coming in, that’s not something I have had to deal with ever.  Neighbors around me have.  However, I wouldn’t think that it would be a small area and that it would cover more ground.  This is kind of an odd spot in that it’s in the middle of the house. 

That was enough to convince me I just have to clean the gutters in the back of the house.  It’s been 2 years and nothing has been done.  I prepped myself for that as my to do item for Saturday. 

Watched some TV, brushed my teeth and off to bed I went.  I slept for a couple hours.  I went to bed around normal time and was up by 1a.  I just couldn’t stop my mind from racing and thinking about the house.  I watched TV and around 4a I got up and fixed myself some oatmeal.  It was tasty and helped.  I managed to force myself back to sleep and Mora helped out with one of her magic hugs. 

Here comes Rudy at normal time waking me up.  I didn’t really want to be up.  I fed him and came back to bed but there was no going back to sleep.  I lounged for a bit as it was a bit nippy out at 52 degrees.  I eventually heated up the last Apple Fritter and had a Diet Coke to wash that down.  Then my medicine.  Sprayed myself down with sun screen (tip don’t get that shit near your eyes, especially if it’s water proof) and then some Deep Woods Off so I didn’t get bothered by bugs.  Threw on a t-shirt, some sweats and dug out my work shoes, which used to feel like crap but actually felt quite good.  Down to check on the carpet and to grab a ladder.  Upstairs and out to the garage to get a bucket and my dishwashing gutter cleaning gloves.  Then outside to get started. 

Damn they were packed to the gills with all sorts of icky crap most of which was wet leaves.  I filled two kitchen size trash bags way full and had to start a third bag.  The third bag had just a bit in it and I hated to waste the bag but out it goes.  I’m sure I’m not supposed to throw that stuff in the regular garbage but that’s exactly where it went. 

Next grabbed the hose and hooked it up, pulled it to the back of the house and began to flush the gutters out.  That could have easily parlayed into me breaking out the power washer and cleaning the deck but given the water issue I didn’t want to push things.  We had storms forecast for today anyway so if there is a foundation water issue I am sure the problem will come back. 

I got undressed in the garage, came in and grabbed a small bottle of Gatorade and relaxed in my chair as I tried to cool down.  It was only 9:30 am and I was done.  I went out close to 8a.  It was still nice and cool out, the sun was shining bright and it was a peaceful day.  I heard the roofers working, people talking, dogs barking and I let the cats watch me as I left the patio door open but the screen was in place to keep the cats inside.  They were quite interested in my every move.  I had a couple close calls but never fell.  I get nervous when I am on a ladder and home with no one around.  If I would have fell I would have been seriously screwed. 

I am still on-call but I left my phone in my bedroom on purpose.  I just looked at it and said screw you, stay on the charger no one is going to bother me.  I was right. 

I figured after all of that activity I would want to take a nap.  I did want to take a nap but I was wired and my body wouldn’t permit me to go back to sleep despite me trying and Mora’s help.  Besides that my eyes were burning from the sun screen and I had to try to flush that out.  It was a futile attempt, nothing worked until I was in the shower and force held my eyes open so the water could really flush inside my eye balls and that did the trick, it stung a little bit but issue resolved. 

Got dressed again and went out to grab the mail.  I saw a commercial for Chili’s last night and that sounded oddly good.  I’ve been wanting to eat there for the longest time.  I gave in and damn I should not have.  The menu was nothing like I was used to, a lot of the choices I was expecting to see were gone but it’s been years since I have been there.  Service sucked, my waitress had an emergency and had to leave.  The kitchen was slammed and it took forever to get my food, which was a burger and fries.  The fries were pipping hot and well seasoned, I just had to finish them off and that is something I almost never do.  The burger was just okay, nothing special to rave about.  When it came time to pay the bill the kiosk on the table was dead.  I had to wait for my server to come back around which took forever and he got me taken care of.  Storms were pushing into the area and I drove home in the rain. 

It was nice not to see the freshly cleaned gutters in the back over flowing or dripping.  My next step is to cover them in the mesh I purchased 2 years ago.  I would have done it today but just ran out of steam.  Once things dry out I plan to go back in the next couple weeks to get that done.  Need to work on the gutter in the front and that is an easy job the hard part is getting the big ladder off the wall and carrying it out.  There is a screen there but apparently it didn’t do much good.  When I say screen I’m talking chicken wire type screen not a metal covering.

I was quite proud of my accomplishment today despite the fact it wore me out.  I am sure that I will have some leg cramps or at least I am expecting them.  I am also expecting that my back muscles will act up.  There was quite a lot of physical activity for me and the most that I have done in a very long while.  Me and manual labor just don’t get along. 

The storms are wrapping up or so my phone says.  I still hear rain drops falling.  I’ve checked the floor and it appears to be dry thus far.  Time will tell if it is going to stay that way, fingers crossed. 

Now it’s upstairs to eat some German Chocolate Cake, pass out treats for the cats and try to relax as I wind down for bed.  Hopefully, I sleep well tonight.  I should since I am tired. 

Take care!