Hunting

Welcome in!

Made the call to meet with a Bush Wacker as I like to refer to them or better known to most people as a Landscaper. I called a completely different company, decided to look on BBB for a referral. The meeting is set for Friday morning. I am expecting a huge price for the little work I want done but I suppose time will tell. I hope the guy is reasonable so I can just give him the job, pay the bill and move on. I really don’t like getting estimates I am more about getting the work done but it’s all a question of patience and money. If I had more patience, I’d probably have more money. Then again, I’m no doctor. LOL

Last night I saw the best thing ever, 2 Raccoons so apparently, they can get out and I suppose they are teaching hunting to the children. I still haven’t seen any of the children yet, but two adults had a nice conference on the deck for a bit. I’m glad I held off pulling the cut-out. Sounds like nature is taking its course. I suspect it won’t be terribly long before they will leave but I have seen some stick around, time will tell. I just don’t want any trouble, if they just occupy a space and don’t do any damage, I’m fine with it. If they get destructive then I will have them removed, I hate to do that because I know it’s a death sentence.

I was able to finish The Night Agent last night. The story went on much longer than I anticipated, it was 10p before I was done. Rudy was nagging at me from 8p until 9:30p that it was time for bed and he wanted to play. He just doesn’t take no for an answer.

I had a nice sleep and woke up at 7a. I wasn’t as eager to get going as I thought I would be. I had breakfast and came back to my room. I started watching Home Fries which had Catherine O’Hara in it. It was a dumb movie. I put it on pause when there was less than a ½ hour left and I went back to bed. So much for seeing my friends. I was lazy and I enjoyed it; I got around 1p. Showered, started laundry and then headed off for BBQ.

It was a nice drive, even if I did make a mistake when I was almost there and instead of turning to the road to the place I got back on the freeway. Had to do a circle to get back to where I was and that took me 5 minutes. Finally, I pulled up and this time the place was packed. That’s how I remember it at the one closer to home. The place always had a crowd. I got the Pulled Pork, and they used a little too much garlic salt, but it was good. I asked for a soda to go and instead of giving me diet the guy gave me regular. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have the right thing and only took sips when I had to.

The trip sucked my fuel tank damn near empty, I’ve got less than 100 miles until empty. I’ll fill it up tomorrow. I didn’t think it would go quite that low, but I didn’t start with a full tank. On the way home I got two alerts from my cameras. First someone was at the front door and then a short time later there was motion on the deck. Turns out the front door was a politician asking for a vote and on the deck, there was a loose dog.

I hit up the post office on the way back. Got my car insurance bill and it’s $48 cheaper than it was 6 months ago and that’s despite having my windshield replaced. Which I don’t think is horrible. I expected an increase. I got it paid when I got home, along with renewing my anti-virus subscription. It was an expensive day, but I enjoyed myself and I think that’s all that matters.

Waiting for the dryer to kick off and then I will be headed up. Thinking Mexican food tomorrow, it sounds so good. I just think about all the salt in the meat and how thirsty I will be afterwards for hours. However, I flush it all out with plenty of water. I never used to enjoy water but now I can’t get enough of it.

One more day of rest and then it’s back to working life. At least the boss won’t be on-call and maybe I can get some rest. Probably not the case but I can at least hold out hope.

Take care and be well.

Only Wednesday

Morning – Had an average, typical evening.  YouTube hiccupped and for some reason I had problems getting into my account to watch videos.  About that time I got an email from Netflix letting me know that a comedy special I flagged for a reminder was on.  I watched that, it was Sommore’s latest special Chandelier Fly.  I got a few laughs out of it.  When it was done I was able to get back into my YouTube account.  Strange how that all worked out but I’m glad it did. 

Played with the cats before bed.  Both of them were interested.  Rudy was waiting for me in my bathroom which is a bit odd but hey I went with it.  They both had a good time, maybe for not as long as they wanted to but I think it was enough to put a smile on their face and remind them that I care about them. 

Strange dreams last night.  Woke up at 5a and never really got back to sleep.  Rudy was no where near my bed and I was kind of happy to be able to enjoy it all alone.  That only lasted for about an hour and around 6a he joined me.  He knew I was awake but I got him to settle down and lay flat on me.  It’s one of the best feelings and I’m glad he does it. 

Saw an alert on my phone that I had motion on the deck, I wake up to those alerts every morning.  I figured it was the Raccoon.  Nope this time it was a Skunk and it looked pretty young.  All while with just a small black stripe down it’s back.  Glad it walked away.  I’ve got a feeling I’m going to smell more Skunk spray.  Never seen a Skunk on camera.  It’s eye opening to what goes on all the time once you put up a camera.  You catch people, pets and wild animals all the time.  I was so against it for the longest time but now I’m glad I have them.  Wish I had more and they were wired as opposed to battery operated, charging and changing batteries does get old. 

Work is moving along.  I’m holding strong on not taking work that is typically handled by the person who is on-call, unless it’s something dire.  I want my boss to pull his weight.  The mistake maker is kissing his ass and taking a lot of the things that come up.  He also gets assigned some things and while I am a little disappointed that I’m not leaned on a bit more I am also glad at the same time.  I do plenty.  Last night I saw something that needed urgent attention and I knew by the time my boss got around to looking at his phone it would be hours later, so I jumped in and took care of it.  Hours later I got a thank you email from him.  I still have my moments of wanting to quit – tired of my boss and his BS.  I realize it could be so much worse.  Every job has BS and there is stuff that is just beyond my control.  Kind of like life.  I’ve got 2 meetings today one in a few hours and then another one just after lunch.  Here’s hoping it’s an uneventful day. 

Found out in browsing yesterday that we lost our Wendy’s they abruptly closed, took the sign down and everything.  It sucks but I am not totally shocked, quality there had been going down hill for a while.  I’d order Chili and not get crackers or the hot sauce packet.  There are other Wendy’s around just have to travel a bit further if I get a craving.  Glad I found that chili at the store because that’s something I crave the most.  Don’t get the Wendy’s canned chili in the grocery store, it’s horrible and tastes nothing like Wendy’s chili.  TRUST ME, I learned that one the hard way. 

We have warmer weather today, supposed to be in the 70’s today and the same tomorrow but the rapid warm up will bring storms and the threat of severe weather.  I’m sure it will be the first of some scary weather as we inch closer to Spring.  I know it’s going to be hot in here and I will probably want to turn on the AC but I won’t it’s far too early for that.  At least the cats will be comfy. 

Have a great day!

Friday

Hello,

Hope your happy and doing well on this Fantastic Friday!  If your a football fan it’s Super Bowl weekend so you have the big game to look forward to on Sunday.  As for me, I’m not a football fan but I am recording the Super Bowl for one reason.  Charlie Puth is singing the National Anthem and I want to hear that. 

PRO TIP – If you grocery shop on Sunday and don’t need chips or any type of snack food, you can breeze through the store while the game is on.  The place will be next to empty.  Found this out years ago. 

Yesterday was a relaxing day for me.  I didn’t have much going on at work and just elected to stay up stairs all day long.  Logged in took care of a couple things and then headed back to bed.  Where in typical fashion as soon as I managed to fall asleep the phone kept waking me up.  I was pissed but eventually got up and sat next to the computer, that calmed down the rapid fire emails, all of which were spam to me.  With nothing to do the day lingered and seemed like it would never end but eventually it did. 

The cats enjoyed me sticking with them but I think they were wondering if I would ever disappear.  I did in fact for a brief moment disappear when I took the trash bin out to the curb.  Then right back inside. 

Had a frozen Mexican Dinner last night for supper.  It was on the spicy side for my pallet.  I cooled off with some carrot cake and an anti-acid pill. 

This morning things were a bit busier for me, I had some actual work to knock out and I got started super early.  So early the cats didn’t bother to get up after they had breakfast.  That’s highly unusual but I didn’t poke either one of them, just told them I would be up when I could. 

Got one meeting today in a little bit and then hopefully that should free me up for the rest of the day.  I have a few things on my calendar but it’s all stuff for me to take care of on my own, which is how I like it. 

Tomorrow is expensive rubber day or the day I get new tires.  I will also get my haircut.  I thought about venturing back to the BBQ place I went to 3 weeks ago but I’m on the fence about that.  It is a long way to drive for BBQ.  I’m more thinking about making a trip to the office.  I know that there is another package that should be landing on my desk soon.  Not sure if I want to stop at the Mexican place I usually hit up or visit some place else.  I’m sure I will sort it out though and won’t go hungry. 

I am enjoying the faster speed from my internet connection.  Files download in no time at all.  Funny thing is the cable company is advertising the same plan I have for new customers and it’s $5 cheaper.  They have to get that $5 back from me because for a year or more they gave me a $5 discount because I was enrolled in Auto Pay.  I think it’s nuts.  Just give your loyal customers the best price and they are apt to stay with you.  That’s how I’d run the business.  I think the same is true of the phone companies. 

Speaking of Phone Companies I marked on my calendar on my birthday to change my cell rate plan to the Senior Discount plan that AT&T is offering.  Well it was a good deal at $35.  However, now it’s $60 which is more than I am paying them now.  Looks like I won’t be making any changes that is unless the price happens to decrease closer to my birthday or even after my birthday.  AT&T has remarkable spam filtering that’s the only reason why I keep my account alive.  Otherwise, I’d switch because I hate them too.  I was watching an episode of All In The Family and Archie Bunker referred to AT&T as American Thieves & Thugs, I chuckled at that mostly because it’s true!

Well time to go check on the cats and relax for a little bit before my meeting.  Hope you have a swell day and a fantastic weekend.  Be safe and stay warm!

Middle of the Week

Morning …

Just read some shocking and devastating news that former porn star Scott Finn passed away.  Based on what I read at https://www.menofporn.blog/2025/12/passed-away-last-week-scott-finn.html  looks like he committed suicide.  What his friend or relative said [paraphrasing] is that suicide is not a desire to die but a desire to escape the pain.  That’s what I have long said and kind of how I have felt when I have thought about suicide in the past.  Pain or circumstances can be overwhelming at times and you don’t think that it will end or that you can’t get past the pain.  However, Rome wasn’t built in a day and you need to allow time but your mind either doesn’t or can’t grasp that at the time and you just want it to stop.  I get it only because I’ve been there. 

Scott has provided me hours of entertainment watching him in his films and he was a sexy guy in my opinion.  I am really saddened to hear of his passing and hope that he is resting in peace.  He’s been retired for a while.  I was surprised that he got married and even more surprised that it didn’t work out and he got divorced. 

In other news … I got my new trash can yesterday it sadly was damaged in shipment.  Put a Fragile sticker on a package and tell the carrier to handle with care is a sure fire way for the package to get beat all to hell.  It was plastic and not Rubbermaid plastic.  At first I wanted to keep it but the more I thought about it I am sending it back and asked for a replacement.  As an after thought I wished that I would have asked for a refund because chances are pretty good they will send the replacement shipment the same way and it will arrive in the same condition so I will have to repeat this process again.  If that’s the case I will either order a Rubbermaid or go seek a new one at a local store. 

The good news is that UPS driver made it up the driveway and sidewalk with ease.  Just looking at his foot prints in the fresh snow and I can see there isn’t but a dusting out there.  Glad I didn’t get out and try to shovel. 

I moved the cats new toy to a more comfortable spot and they both walked up to it and walked away.  I really thought this was a sure fire thing that they would love it.  There still is time for them to fall in love with it but the more time passes with it here I don’t think that is going to happen.  Selling cat toys is all about hype and damn I shouldn’t have bought into that but I did.  I like my new rule if it costs more than $20 it’s a no go for a cat toy. 

Had White Cheddar Mac & Cheese with Bacon last night for supper.  It was a frozen dinner from Devour Foods (which I believe is a division of Kraft).  They make some good stuff and it’s a nice change of pace once and a while.  I was thinking Chicken Pot Pie or Pizza and leaning toward the Chicken Pot Pie.  That sounds like a winner for tonight. 

Watched the new Christmas Special on Netflix from Matt Rife.  He’s funny, cute & sexy.  Sadly straight as an arrow.  However, that doesn’t stop me from looking.  I got a couple laughs in.  He always is a delight to watch.  Sadly it’s only an hour and that went by way too fast.  If your looking for something to watch I highly recommend it as well as the new Kathleen Madigan special on Prime. 

Still very cold here and we have a chance at some flurries overnight tonight.  It’s not going to warm up until late next week.  Perhaps all of this mess will be melted and gone by the time I am ready to start my vacation. 

Broke the news yesterday to my mistake making colleague that he’s going to have the helm for a couple weeks.  He was surprised that I am taking so much time off.  I told him it was use or lose and I’m not a fan of lose.  Plus he will get a small taste of what I went through when he was out on Paternity leave although sadly I won’t be gone nearly as long as he was.  This is the most time I have taken in succession.  In retrospect I could have planned it better but I am always a fan of taking time at the holidays. 

All caught up on work tasks at the moment.  Time for another meeting later on this morning and then unless something goes wrong I will be done for the day and watching on standby.  I’m savoring in the down time this week because I will be back on call next week just in time for some people to return form their Thanksgiving Coma and others starting to leave for vacation.  I hope that the good outweighs the bad and that I won’t be horribly busy come next week but time will tell. 

Stay warm, take care and be well!

The last laugh

Friday afternoon was not a whole lot of fun.  Things were calm and boring at work.  I decided that I would have some fun on Only Fans and check out a former porn star.  I subscribed to his OF and then my internet went down.  This was 3p and it didn’t come back up until 7a on Saturday. 

I had to get connected for work never mind porn.  Thankfully I turned on the hotspot on my phone and was able to login with my laptop to work.  I also connected my Roku player and was able to stream content so I wasn’t stuck bored with absolutely nothing to do. 

That pretty much took care of Friday night.  I couldn’t sleep very well because I was concerned about the internet but I had no control over that.  I woke up a couple times during the night and it was still down. 

Woke up at my normal time and decided to just get up and get ready.  I showered and just waited for my haircut time and left.  As I looked out my front yard I saw something sticking out of the snow but couldn’t identify what it was.  When I left for my haircut I got a closer look.  Those kids that cleared my driveway left one of their shovels.  They actually buried it with the snow they were clearing.  Looks like I got the last laugh there because it’s a nice shovel, not that I will ever use it.  I kind of felt like calling the guy up and holding the shovel for ransom but I know that wouldn’t go anywhere so I am just telling you about it and keeping the shovel.  I thought it was quite funny. 

After my haircut I went for Blueberry Pancakes that I had been craving.  It was damn cold outside but wasn’t a whole lot warmer inside of the restaurant I went to.  A hot young blonde stud came in with a small family.  Of course he sat facing me so I never got to look at his rear end but damn I just imagined that he was probably hung because he was super skinny and had the deepest voice.  He probably was somewhere between 18 and 20 if I had to guess.  I enjoyed breakfast and behaved myself. 

Next stop was the post office and wow there was a lot of mail.  Of course I get home and got an email that a package of medicine was just delivered.  I debated if I should go back.  However, I was in my nice warm home and there was no way I was going right back out. 

I loafed with the cats as we waited for the Amazon person to arrive.  I got immersed in a new series on Amazon called Cross.  It’s a mini series based about homicides that play out in the cast of characters.  It does get pretty sick and twisted but I was roped in and just finished it this morning.  Lots of plot twists and turns that kept me wanting more.  I hope they make a second season of this show. 

Went out for BBQ in the afternoon.  The meal it’s self was horrible but I didn’t leave hungry but didn’t exactly enjoy my meal.  An older guy walked in and my little voice spoke to me to buy his meal.  I haven’t done that kind deed in several months.  I got his waitresses attention about the time I was wrapping up with my meal and paid his bill.  She asked me why I was paying and I told her it was a random act of kindness.  I told her my line about the magic trick and about all of the crazy ass responses I’ve gotten.  Nothing could prepare me for the response I was going to get from this guy.  Once I paid my bill I got up and walked over and threw my line on him.  He told me that he doesn’t like magic.  I told him that I made his bill disappear and he just looked at me and said okay.  He acted like he didn’t believe me.  I said I really paid your bill. He just said yeah, okay whatever.  I told his waitress that she would have to explain it to him.  That is the first time I didn’t get a thank you.  That bothered me but I know I did the right thing.  My little voice doesn’t typically lead me in the wrong direction.  His bill was peanuts so it’s not like it’s going to break me. 

After doing that kind deed you’d think the universe would be kind to me.  Nope I went back to grab my medicine from the post office and damn if I didn’t step in chewing gum.  I didn’t figure that out until I got inside of the house and my shoes were sticking to the carpet.  Why do people not use trash cans. 

I worked on laundry and got on Only Fans.  Damn it was late when I was done like 10p and I came down around 5p. I did break to pass out cat treats and throw the laundry into the dryer.  I was just determined to make my way to the end of the page.  There was lots of good content but most of it was solo.  I was all horned up but damn tired.  I gathered the laundry headed up and the cats followed me.  It was time for bed.  I had zero energy left.  Just watched a little TV and I was out. 

Rudy woke me this morning and I hit snooze on him. He gave me 15 additional minutes before he began his biscuit making routine.  I got up and passed out breakfast for them.  I got dressed, took my pills and headed out for breakfast.  The car said the outside temp was 11.  I was damn cold and after I ate and was on my way to the grocery store the outside temp was 10.  It’s supposed to just get colder all day long.  Although right now it’s 13 and windy.  The high for today is 22 but I don’t think we are going to see it and the low is 5. 

Silly me decided that I would go to a favorite chain Mexican place.  The problem is that this place is not terribly far from work so it’s about 40 miles from home.  The food is good but I don’t know that it’s worth the trip but my taste buds are telling me to go, but my body says stay home.  I am going to venture out for a bite to eat just not sure that today is the day I am going to that Mexican place.  Might just go to a place that is closer to home. 

I’ve had my nap after the grocery store and gotten my medicine out as well as cleaned the house.  Came down to do more laundry and play on the computer.  I found a podcast called Out ‘N Proud on YouTube.  The hosts are two hot blond kids and of course they have Only Fans accounts.  One of them said that he was really super hung and well I got curious.  I signed up for his OF and turns out he’s a total tease.  He never shows the goods just photos of him hard in underwear.  I didn’t pay that much for joining but damn I did feel like a sucker.  I was afraid he would have all PPV content but he doesn’t.  Everything he has is just a tease to get you worked up and of course take your money.  That and apparently PPV content is the new thing that younger generation is using to make their wealth.  I felt like a sucker for giving into my hormones and joining but you do get what you pay for. 

Oh yeah, the Amazon person did come yesterday.  I got a new heater for my office in the basement.  It’s Chinese made and while it works it’s nothing like the USA brands that I have seen before nor does it work exactly the same, close but not the same.  It was also a disaster to get the base on the thing but after much trial and error I succeeded.  The one thing that I do like about it is there is what I call a dead man switch.  As long as the switch is in contact with the floor the until will operate but the second it loose contact with the ground the unit grounds to a halt.  This thing seems to think that it’s 68 degrees in the basement and I’ve got a thermometer here that says different.  Not sure if this thing is in Fahrenheit or Celsius and there doesn’t seem to be a way to tell or change that.  Nevertheless it does put out some decent heat.  Once again it goes back to you get what you pay for. 

I want to make it to Sam’s Club tomorrow that’s my only goal for the day.  Thought about trying to grab lunch with a friend but talked myself out of that.  I may dine out tomorrow as well just because I can and it’s more enjoyable than eating at home.  Although it’s not going to be any warmer tomorrow than it is today.  Were not going to break out of the serious cold until Wednesday and even then the high is only 30.  Not sure about you but I am over winter already. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope that you are warm and well.  Take care!

Ye old weekend

SATURDAY

The guy I called about the snow removal never showed up. I was not pleased. However, at 7p on Friday I went out all dressed up and gave it my best shot. I got about half of the driveway cleared in an hour and a half. I took many breaks and was quite winded. Yet another reminder that my body isn’t what it used to be, then again I never did care much for manual labor. Finally, I said screw this and cleared a spot for the trash can and got it put out. I was inside by 8:45p and just wanted to go to bed. I got out of my sweaty clothes, took my medicine and called it a night. The cats wanted to play but I was in no mood for that I just wanted to pass out.

I had my insomnia kick in and I peeked at the driveway in the hopes that the guy had come after I went to bed but nope. I reached out to him this morning once Rudy told me it was time for breakfast. I was pissed because I counted on this guy and figured that he would have the common courtesy to call me if there was an issue. I had to leave a message and he did call back about two hours later. By then I had already started making calls to find someone.

Who knew that finding someone do to snow removal from a driveway was just as difficult as trying to find someone in the dating pool that was mutually interested. I called several places they were either closed until Monday or too damn tired from working the last 3 days and taking today off. Hey I get it after last night I know what hard work is in removing snow with a 3 inch layer of ice underneath it. There was easily a foot of snow out there .

Social media to the rescue I logged on and saw an ad, called and the kid said to text him my address and he would see me in a bit. Now to me that means within an hour, to the younger generation it means something totally different. I sent the text and asked who I should make the check out to. He said to make it out to him and not his company. Me thinks someone is hiding income. It was 9a when I called him and got the text sent off. In the hours that ticked by I began to experience serious doubts that he too was going to ghost me. I gave him space and around 11:30a I sent a text message asking for an ETA. Around 1:30p I got a response that said he was on his way. Turns out it was his brother and about 3 other guys, all easily in their mid twenties and uber hot. Keep in mind that I did half of the work for them last night. Still I was told the price was $65. Funny thing on social media it said residential driveways starting at $20. My choices were either to say no and try to negotiate and if they wouldn’t then tell them to pound sand OR I could just give in. I did the latter because it was the easiest option. It’ not like I didn’t have the money. They came to a zip code known for wealth and they fucked me but not in the way I wanted. On the bright side the driveway is clear, I was highly disappointed they didn’t put down any salt or chemical just did the basic shoveling. They polished things off in about 30 minutes but there were 4 of them and they were all young. The other bright thing is that I got some nice buns to view and they are on tape working so I can roll back in the archives if I want a refresher.

As you might imagine my back is quite sore and I know the work I did was done in the incorrect manner in that I bent over instead of letting my legs do the work. There was just something about bending over that gave me leverage to chip away at the layer of ice. There were plenty of neighbors out that saw me working and taking breaks, no one said a word to me. Back home (in my childhood home) we all knew each other and they neighbors would have asked if I wanted help instead of watching me struggle. Not having neighbors in your business is nice but having neighbors that wont help you because you don’t know them or maybe have talked once or twice, that really sucks.

I am still able to walk it just hurts like hell to get up and down. That’s going to be around for much longer than I want it to be. I’m putting some heat on it. I put on some Ben-gay but it was as if I just put powder on. Other than the smell I couldn’t feel a thing from it.

Back on track with the day. The kids left about 1:30p and that’s when I got naked and hopped into the shower. Holy cow that felt so damn good. It’s been a couple weeks since I shaved and I look hideous. I wanted to scrub my face well and then get some moisturizer on it. Did that and got dressed. 3 stops to make. I decided the most important stop had to come first and it’s was good thinking. The breaks I took last night I sat in the car, it wakes up and turns on lights inside and outside using up battery power. The battery was quite low and it barked at me when I went to start it. Started up fine. I went for my usual Mexican and the trip there is about 30 minutes via freeway. That did the trick to charge up the battery. When I was done and came back to start it up to leave the restaurant it was all happy and acted normal. Next stop was the post office and I had no mail, just as I had thought but stopped to double check. Then on to the pet food store. Damn that place looked like the grocery store last week. They didn’t have many varieties of food to choose from and to make it I had to buy some extra expensive Purina food. I know both cats will enjoy it but it really did a number on my wallet. I asked about salt because I wanted to put some down but the pet store was all sold out. I might have a look at the grocery store tomorrow, I know I will check on cat food to see if I can pick up a couple extra cans to add to the variety. The bigger question is will I remember cough drops?

Outside of the back ache I feel pretty damn good. I was all horned up on Friday but then got the idea to go shovel snow, that killed my mood quickly. Tonight I thought would be perfect I was kind of in the mood when I got home but opted to do some maintenance on my PC that took way longer than I wanted it to. In fact it’s still going and I am typing this post as a draft on my iPad at 10p from the comfort of my bedroom. I am tired but don’t want to give up the ghost just yet.

Watched The Pit on MAX.  Noah Wylie did an amazing job and I look forward to more episodes.  It’s kind of similar to ER but lots of different characters.  Check it out if your into Medical Drama’s or just a Noah Wylie fan like I am. 

SUNDAY

I was concerned that I would have ice on the driveway but concrete is mostly dry, there is a puddle at the end of the driveway on the street.  The more I look at the driveway those kids could have cleared more snow but it’s manageable to get in and out with ease.  I am just miffed that I forked out all that money for the job they did.  Yeah I could always stop payment on the check but I’m not going to do that.  It’s over and I just need to move on and get over it, that will happen with a little time.  At least I will be better prepared next time we get dumped on, probably will be a few more years down the road.  If it’s all snow then I think I can manage but the ice is what made it so difficult. 

Anyway… I went to my usual place for breakfast, got Biscuits & Gravy with 4 scrambled eggs on top.  I added a good dowsing of pepper to improve the taste as their gravy is a little bland for me.  Washed all that down with a diet soda. 

Then on to the grocery store where I got what I needed but damn if I didn’t forget cough drops again.  Not that I really need them now but it would be nice to have them on hand. I did at least remember to look for cat food but the store didn’t have much more variety to offer so I didn’t pick up anything extra for them.  They won’t starve but I like to provide some variety.   

Stopped off at the gas station to top off the tank.  2 gallons is all I needed and I was out of there and on my way home. 

Hooked the car battery up to a charger.  I could tell there was an issue when I closed the tailgate there were no chimes.  If you leave the gate up for a long period of time you will get that or if the battery is low you will also get that.  Battery was at 40%.  After a few hours were back at 100%. 

Groceries were put away and I watched some TV and took a nap.  Woke up early and didn’t want to get going but I talked myself into it.  My back feels slightly better, it’s still very sore. 

Medication is all set out, cats had their lunch, I had some Pina Colada Yoplait Yogurt.  That’s pretty good stuff but it would have been better if it was colder.  House has been cleaned and trash taken out.  Computer maintenance is done.  Working on laundry.  One of my shirts came out with something sticky on it.  Tried washing it again after spot treating it and that didn’t help.  Put some goo gone on it and worked that in, that got rid of the sicky stuff.  I think there might be a stain.  I am rewashing it for the third time.  It’s a fairly new shirt so I am not happy.  I’m sure it was something on my sweats that rubbed off in the wash, looked like a combo of cat hair mixed with a little chewing gum.  I didn’t chew any gum, it’s a mystery to me. 

Talked myself into going back to Olive Garden for supper.  Three Cheese Manicotti is what I am getting although I believe it’s actually Cannelloni, it’s a dish that I love and I’m interested to see how Olive Garden tastes.  Looking forward to some Pasta Faggioli and of course looking at buns of the cute waiters, hopefully there will be some working. 

Back home after that and I’ll be in until my pilgrimage to the office which I am planning for Wednesday but might switch up to Tuesday.  Thinking about that stupid card for my co-worker on the arrival of his kid and if it’s waiting for me I think I am just sending it back as if I had signed it but I am not going to sign it.  I could care less that he made a baby.  He’s back on Monday and will only be prone to making more mistakes because he won’t have a decent nights sleep because he will have to deal with the baby.  Kind of wish he would just take all of his leave now instead of switching it up but whatever. 

HUMOR

Little Johnny went to the dentist to have a tooth extracted. He gets in the chair and the dentist pulls out the needle and Johnny says no doc I can do needles. The dentist said okay we will use the mask and give you some gas. Johnny says I can’t do that either it makes me feel claustrophobic. The dentist says okay how about some Viagra? Johnny says I didn’t think that did anything for pain. The dentist said your right it doesn’t do anything for pain but it will give you something to hold on to while I rip that tooth out of your mouth! Just heard that one today and know for sure I can’t tell that one at work.

Hope you are having a great day and staying warm.  All the best for the week ahead.  May the headaches be few and the time be fast moving so we can get back to another weekend, which will be a 3 day weekend for me because on Monday the 20th it’s Martin Luther King Jr Day.  The last holiday I have until May.  Take care and thanks as always for stopping by!

Victory

Good Morning on this last Friday of 2023.  I hope it’s a great day for everyone!

Good News for me, a couple hours after sending my reply to Amazon I got a response they were working with my bank to resolve the issue.  This morning I woke up to an email from Amazon as well as my bank telling me that Amazon had credited my card.  I figured the evidence I submitted was overwhelming and showed clearly that I did the right thing, followed the rules and deserved the refund.  I’m glad that this little mess is behind me. 

Yesterday I checked the web for trash pick up and the web site indicated they would be here today.  I put the barrel out.  Several neighbors followed my lead.  Hours later I got a phone call after I was done with supper that in fact the route was pushed back by one day and they would be here on Saturday.  Ah, nuts I figured that was the case and that’s why I sought it out on the web.  Should have trusted my gut.  No worries though the barrel sits out for another day.  I will be walking an extra bag out of all of the things I meant to discard but didn’t. 

My day ended quite early yesterday at 3p.  There were some lingering emails that came in that I had to deal with.  An issue cropped up in the evening and a game of ping pong started.  I decided to login and stop it.  I believe I fixed the issue and that ended the emails for the night, which was my goal. 

Watched some YouTube Matt Rife videos which were pretty good.  I tell you that guy is every gay mans walking wet dream.  I wish he was mine but he’s straight and has a girlfriend.  I don’t always laugh at his humor but it’s really starting to grow on me.  I suppose it’s the generational gap.  I think he’s going to be around for a long time and hope that I am correct.  His Netflix special was great as are all of his free specials on YouTube. 

It’s still wet and cold here.  Snow is wrapping up this morning but it’s mixed with rain and you really can’t see any snow.  What little dusting we had has melted off.  I’m still hopeful that eventually we will get blasted with a good storm.  Nothing like sitting in the house, furnace going and looking out the window.  It’s peaceful and very enjoyable.  Want to liven things up, turn on the police scanner and you hear about all of the wrecks and chaos going on.  That can be fun too.  So long as I have plenty of food and am not driving in it I will be happy.  Then I can watch to see if there are any paw prints in the snow.  I just love looking at pure untouched snow.

I’ve wrapped up my morning tasks at work for now.  I’ve got some things to take care of this afternoon and of course have to stay available in case anything rolls in that needs me.  I expect it will be an uber quiet day and I am perfectly okay with that. 

I am not eager to play America’s favorite game, is it gunshots or fireworks.  However, as long as none of it lands in my house or does any harm to the cats and I, I’m fine with it.  I hope it’s not terribly noisy but the crowd here changes all the time.  It’s a medium sized sub-division and houses are bought & sold all the time.  There are some folks like myself who stay put and have been here for a while.  It’s been a little over 20 years for me.  I’ve thought about moving but energy and cost wise it makes more sense to stay put, at least for now. 

The cats permitted me to do some writing yesterday evening.  I was able to grab a shower and go back to it.  Then my eyes started giving out and I knew it was best to quit.  Crawled in bed and watched a little TV.  I was doing pretty good.  Rudy came and sat on top of me and that was it.  TV went off and I was out.  Mora was by my side hugging me.  That napping I did yesterday worked against me.  I was up at 2a but was able to go back to sleep quickly.  Rudy got me up at 6a and I told him he needs to move his clock up one hour, he’s getting me up like we never fell back in time.  I am certain he is hungry but damn I like my sleep. 

We had a nice leisurely start to the morning, I got up and fed them, had my breakfast.  We returned to my room where I threw on some clothes and we sat and watched TV.  Mora came and laid in my lap after we had some play time.  Of course when I got up to come down here they both were wide eyed awake and walked me to the steps.  They will now sit in anticipation of my return, which will occur in a bit.  I will go back up unless something with work comes up.  First, I need to post this and do some surfing. 

Right now the only thing I look forward to in the new year is hanging up the new naked men calendars so that I get a chance of scenery.  I do hope that 2024 is a better year.  2023 wasn’t the worst year ever but it started out rough for me.  Things smoothed out with a little bit of time and there were bumps along the way but it looks like I’ll make it all the way through and be fortunate to see 2024.  I don’t make New Years resolutions because they only get broken.  I just hope that I am thinner, happier and doing better overall in 2024.  Fingers crossed for all the best!  I wish the same to each of you. 

Thanks for your readership and stopping by!  Come back again soon to see how life continues to unfold for me and of course for more Man Candy!

Ah Monday again …

Morning, hope that you had a great weekend.  I woke up early yesterday got breakfast, hit up the grocery store and gas station.  I wanted to go out for supper but opted to stay home as it was cold outside and I didn’t want to get out in that. 

I found some holiday cookies that I had ordered via Amazon at the grocery store.  I cancelled the Amazon order since it hadn’t shipped and saved my self some money.  I have cookies everywhere and won’t be running out for a while.  I keep buying them but am growing tired of them.  I am collecting the Linzer cookies from Pepperidge Farm because they only are available now and after Christmas they will be gone until next year.  The grocery store just put out their Archway display and that’s where I got my extras. 

Picked up a small carton of Egg Nog, no alcohol I like it straight.  It’s good and I can drink it in large quantities despite it’s richness it doesn’t seem to get to me like it does other people.  I had a small glass last night with of course some cookies. 

The fridge is oddly fuller than normal and my grocery store bill was larger than it has been in a while.  Breakfast yesterday was a yummy Sausage, Bacon and Cheese Omelet with a side of toast and gravy.  The chef went a bit overboard on the cheese but it was all really good.  Not a huge Bacon fan but threw it in to change things up.  Don’t know that I will do that again for a while I am more of a sausage guy. 

Mora got sick yesterday multiple times and that made me add a spot carpet cleaner to my Amazon list.  I will be getting one sooner rather than later.  This was my fault because I have been putting off brushing her.  That came to an end last night and I got some serious fur off of her.  Need to get her brother but she is by far much larger and thus furrier than her brother.  Got to love on both of them yesterday.  We all slept together last night.  That is until I got to sleep and then they left me but I didn’t know that until I woke up this morning. 

Spent the day watching Roseanne and I am growing tired of that but it’s really the only thing available that I have any interest in.  I have looked at some YouTube videos but always default back to Roseanne.  It’s interesting seeing the cast age and grow, reliving memories from when I was younger.  There were a couple times I laughed last night that scared both cats because laughter is still a foreign sound to them because it’s not a sound that comes out of me often so they are still getting used to it. 

Warmer weather is here at least for a couple days but then were headed back into the deep freeze.  I am headed into the office tomorrow despite not wanting to work and not wanting to go.  Our receptionist is retiring and this will be the last time I see her.  We have spent 9 almost 10 years together and she has both made me laugh and rubbed me wrong.  I got a card for her that I am dropping off. 

My Sunday started off with finding out that Rudy opted to play in my bathroom sink and managed to get my eye drops down the drain.  That took me a few minutes to fish out and I wasn’t terribly happy.  That boy is curious and playful but it always seems to happen at the wrong time.  I want to get cans of air that have motion detectors on them and set them up so that he would get blasted and scared when he gets to some place where he shouldn’t be.  That would cure him I think. 

Listening to some conference call where everyone is rambling on.  I am supposed to be looking at a screen to see the presentation but I honestly don’t give a damn about what is being discussed.  It’s a review rehashing the last couple months and I’ve lived through it already.  It’s the only meeting/call that I have on the books for today. 

I’ve got plenty to do but I am saving a large part of that for tomorrow. 

Pen update.  The old pen has been returned and received by Amazon as of a few minutes ago.  A label for the new and what I hope is the correct pen was created yesterday.  It’s coming through the USPS and of course to my street address where there is no mailbox which could cause a slight delay before it’s delivered.  I’m just waiting for it to be placed in the mail stream so I know around what day it’s supposed to show up so I can go fetch it.  My hope is that it’s hear by the end of the week, it’s being shipped from within the states so it shouldn’t be too terribly long. 

One horrible task that I hate I need to do today and that’s put air in my tires.  The temperatures change and that causes the air pressure to change.  It’s best to fill your tires in the morning before your vehicle is used.  I could tell the other day that the pressure was getting low by the ride.  My gas mileage decreases a bit as well.  I don’t have real time pressure monitor that shows each individual tires pressure.  It’s something that is available but not toggled on for my model.  I want that in my next vehicle.  I’ve got the standard TPMS and if I get seriously low on air or the tire rapidly goes flat that will trigger a warning.  Tires I hate them but keeping them in tip top shape is in my best interest because so much is riding on them. 

Hope that your Monday is good and that we can move on with this week already.  Stay comfortable and be well.  Talk with you all again soon.  Thanks for stopping by!

Rambles

   Good morning, I hope that your doing well.  Monday seemed to take forever to end from a business perspective.  I gave up sitting in front of the computer around 2:30p and headed backup stairs.  The cats and I watched TV and I had my phone close by.  I got a few what I call “junk” emails that I was able to delete.  Other than that nothing meaningful came across my phone, which I was thankful for.  Finally it was time for food.  I had left over warmed pizza.  I ate two slices which was a bit much.  One would have done well to fill me up.  There is tons and I do mean tons of cheese on this and lots of dough.  I passed out cat food first.  Rudy went to town.  Then he stopped and gave his sister a turn.  Then he went back into vacuum mode.  I was in the middle of my dinner when he puked.  That got me thinking I need a spot carpet cleaner.  I’ve got one sitting in the hallway but the original cat family wore that thing to death.  I replaced the main hose on it a several years ago but it mostly just sat and collected dust because Gator didn’t really get sick all that much.  Today I see they have cordless models but they eliminated the “automatic or robot” function.  What I have had an automatic button, you put it over the spot all loaded with soap and water, then walk away.  3 minutes it scrubbed and sucked, the carpet was slightly wet but it did a mostly decent job on light issues.  For anything heavy you had to run it 2 or 3 times before it got things clean.  It beat lugging out the big model and of course since it made noise all cats hated it but were curious to know what it was up to.  The OG I have cost a small fortune but today they are much more reasonable, so might be adding that to my list of things to buy. 

I’ve been watching The Golden Palace which is a series that kicked off after the Golden Girls wrapped.  It’s on YouTube but I also see it’s on Hulu.  Hulu has 10 times more commercials and no skip button for me.  YouTube didn’t have many commercials.  I think I have watched the bulk of the show that has been uploaded.  I went back to Hulu and picked up some Schitts Creek.  My favorite hunky guy character was Ted the vet.  Damn that kid has a body.  I enjoyed all of the cast performance and they made me laugh over the years while it aired on Netflix.  There were so many outright stupid moments you had no choice but to laugh.  Mora & Rudy don’t know what to do when I let out a laugh primarily because it’s not a sound they hear that often. 

Last night Mora was curled up next to me and I was telling her how much I love her.  I told her I know you probably sense my broken heart and no matter what you do your not going to be able to fix that.  I really think that is why she hangs out with me so much.  I mean she loves me but she senses hurt/pain and wants to try to make it better.  All of the licks and scratches from both her and her brother won’t fix it. 

Speaking of which they both have a new habit.  It’s wait until dad is asleep then let’s start a cat fight.  They have done that a couple times over the last couple nights.  I stay in bed and let them duke it out.  If I hear a lot of noise that will get me out of bed.  But two cats running around like they are in the jungle nah I some how manage to roll over and got back to sleep, praying they don’t hurt each other or break anything.  Thus far I have been lucky. 

I’ve got a prelim. plan for Turkey Day at least the morning.  I plan to wake up early shower and get out to Cracker Barrel for Breakfast.  I hope they will have a Chocolate Pecan Pie that I can take home.  I’m sure I will get to see the cute waiter that I started this obsession with last year.  It’s been a full year and the fucker hasn’t called me and I am trying to get over that.  There is both joy and pain in seeing him.  Anyway, I can get some breakfast.  Then I might go for a short drive around town and back home.  I don’t want to do the whole friends giving thing but right now I’ve talked myself into it.  The thing is that if I go I will be slightly miserable but there will be some levity that will take my mind off that fact, plus it’s a free meal.  If I stay at home I probably won’t see another person for a couple days and then next week I am somehow back on-call again, but it’s a short week for me next week because I only work 3 days thanks to having to go see the doctor.  Isolation isn’t good and I see how it can drive a person insane.  There is a small chance I will stay home and go to a restaurant by myself.  Normally that doesn’t bother me but on a holiday, it would make me feel like there was a spotlight on me.  Shitty family or not I miss being around people.  I go through this I am not going this year phase but usually give in at the end.  Most of it’s me getting into my own head.  There usually is an invite to Christmas Dinner that follows at some point during the meal.  Christmas is when we find out if there will be an open house.  After that all of the gathering is done until Easter, then Independence Day, Labor Day and back to the holidays.  It’s a vicious cycle.  These people are getting seriously old and I know that it won’t last forever so part of me is like enjoy what you have while you have it.  If I manage to find a man before one of them dies it will be a true miracle. 

Today is going to be another long and boring day.  I’ve got 3 meetings today and don’t look forward to any of them.  I’ve completed all of my morning tasks and personal surfing, just listening for the washer to stop so I can transfer some clothes to the dryer.  Then I will be back upstairs in front of a TV trying to find something to watch and eventually passing out from sheer boredom.  Rudy woke me up at 3am wanting food but I managed to stave him off until 6:30am and then I just got up and fed them.  I suppose he was really hungry after his issue last night.  He did eat treats and wouldn’t pass up cat nip for anything.  Got the few holiday letters I am sending ready yesterday and plan to drop them off at the post office on Thanksgiving morning just like I would if I was sending a batch of Christmas Cards.  Yesterday I looked back over holiday letters and Christmas Card lists thinking about what happened to all of the people that I used to know, a good portion of them turned their backs on me and others we just fell out of touch.  Never though that my world would or could change so drastically in the blink of an eye.  Good thing that I managed to survive it all, that’s what I am most thankful for, despite the fact their is still pain. 

Listening to the scanner yesterday and again this morning, plenty of medical calls and what I call normal police traffic.  Yesterday was busy at this time but this morning it’s kind of slow.  Not to worry I am sure it will all pickup as the day rolls on.  I hate being in meetings because I have to turn the sound down to zero so no one knows what I am doing.  It’s nice to know what is going on in the world at large around me and have the inside scoop.  I got into this hobby as a child and it’s just stuck with me.  I wanted to be a police officer and I’ve never lost that despite the fact that I am too old, too fat and seriously out of shape.  However, my allergy to bullets and all of the schooling is what kept me away from following my dream.  I actually had someone tell me that no one is allergic to bullets.  Seriously! 

I think that  is a high note to end on.  Hope that you enjoyed today’s post.  In case your wondering about the hunks at the top of the page It’s Garrett Kinsley and Josh Brady from Helix Studios.  Here’s hoping it’s a great day for all of us!  Thanks for stopping by, hope you will be back again soon.

Matt Rife - Really Funny

  I’ve been following Matt Rife’s standup comedy work for a few years now.  I discovered him I believe during the pandemic.  He’s very nice to look at and in case your not familiar with him just take a look at the photos.  He’s totally straight but is gay friendly.  He got his 1st Netflix special that was released yesterday.  I watched it last night with great anticipation.  I am a tough customer to get to laugh despite loving standup comedy.  Matt made me laugh more than once and I loved it.  He’s funny and only 28 years old.  He’s got a sold out tour and he’s been on tour for what seems like forever.  He has a lot of material on You Tube so if you want more of him you can find it there as well as on social media.  I wish his special was 2 hours long because I had that much of a good time and that 1 hour just flew by like it was 30 minutes.  Best Wednesday night I have had in a very long time!  If you enjoy stand up comedy or just like to laugh, do yourself a favor and check out Matt’s work. 

 

In other news I had my store made Turkey dinner.  I used the re-heat function on my microwave which gets super angry if you open the door before it tells you that it’s done.  Normally that makes every thing super hot but damn there were parts of it that were cold and I even covered it with a container and didn’t vent it much so the hot air would stay inside.  It was an okay meal.  Nothing like what I would normally eat on Turkey Day but I knew that going into it.  The dressing wasn’t as horrible as I remembered from last year.  I was still stuffed the gills when I was done.  I waited a couple hours and then Mora reminded me that it was time for treats so I had a slice of Pumpkin Pie.  It’s not the greatest either but it will do for my Pumpkin fix.  I still want a Chocolate Pecan Pie from Cracker Barrel just not sure if I will get the whole pie or go back for just a slice. 

It’s been a busy morning already.  Started out perfectly calm and then out of no where the onslaught came in.  Things have calmed down and all of my normal work for the day is done.  I just have to keep an eye out for anything that happens to pop up.  One dumb meeting late this afternoon and then hopefully I will be done with meetings for the week.  There isn’t a meeting that I ever look forward to.  Had one yesterday afternoon, there was a slide deck but I just dialed in on the phone and no one knew differently.  I was there and 1/2 way paying attention but I was busy doing other things, which is normally the case.  I picked up that habit from an old colleague who multi-tasked all the damn time, she was good but made the occasional mistake as we all do from being human.  As long as my hands are free and I can work the keyboard and have 2 screens, I am all good.  If it’s something that I need to really know I focus solely on the meeting. 

Another unseasonably warm day here today but were supposed to cool off starting tomorrow.  Every damn night when I go to bed the house is 78 or above.  The humidity isn’t high so it’s not annoyingly bothersome like summertime but it does bother me slightly.  Last night I got all set for bed, turned the TV off and rolled over.  The cats started to fight so I had to get up and go protect Morea.  Rudy I think was wanting to sew some oats, even though he can’t really do that.  They have been fighting off and on for the last couple days for short time frames.  Everything calms down and they go back to being loving and adorable, then Rudy turns into a monster and attacks his sister out of no where.  If she is up for it then she will play along but if not then that is when a fight starts because she won’t take it from him.  She is bigger and could easily squish him.  I am more afraid of injuries, there vaccinations expire on Saturday and I really don’t want to go to the vet for any reason.  I’d like a break from that damn place for many years as I have poured enough money into that place that they should have a wing dedicated to me and my late spouse or at least our names on a plaque but that’s not the case.  I know were not the only people that fork out the money there but our limits are higher than most because our cats are like our kids. 

I am back to being bored again, got some back pain and today is trash day so I need to do some wrangling this afternoon and roll out the barrel.  Not like in the old time song, it’s not that type of barrel.  I heard that song growing up and don’t think I will ever forget it. 

Hoping that it’s a fulfilling and good day for all.  Take care. 

Jibber Jabber on Friday

  Charlie Puth

Morning and happy Friday.  I saw the photo above of Charlie Puth (American Pop Singer) on social media yesterday.  He’s wearing leather shorts, although the version above doesn’t depict that well, the photo on social media shows his legs.  I noticed that in his most recent album cover he was wearing leather pants.  I started off liking his voice but as the years have progressed I have developed quite the sexual attraction to him.  He’s straight but damn I’ll bet if he spent a night with me, I could probably flip him or at least get him to question his sexuality.  He’s so hot!  Yeah, I know your saying, dream on.  That I am dreaming and when he posts photos like this it doesn’t help.  There are a couple of him showing off his bare ass on line as well and those are really nice!  Nothing frontal though, at least that is real.  There are always plenty of fakes.  Charlie just makes my mouth water.  I still can’t tell though if the tattoo he showed off the other day is real or temporary, it didn’t look like wet fresh ink in the photo, so I am hopeful that it’s all part of a PR campaign to release his latest single that is due out later this month called Lipstick. 

Now back to reality.  I tried some new shampoo yesterday called Tingle by Beast.  It didn’t do a lot for me but I didn’t leave it on a super long time.  The tingle feeling is nice and I’ve gotten it from Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree.  The trick is to just lather, lather, lather and then leave it on.  Graham Webb had something similar out called Ice Cap and it felt pretty nice as well, but I don’t think that is available anymore.  Nioxin’s conditioner for normal to thinning hair also produces that icy tingle – that is the most intense tingle I have ever felt.  There is a conditioner by American Crew that does a similar job of tingling.  I’ve been a Paul Mitchell fan for years.  I found that if you skip for a few months and use regular shampoo, when you switch back to Tea Tree the intense tingle happens quicker, at least for me.  There is a Tea Tree Bar Soap from Paul Mitchell that produces quite a tingle when you get into your nether regions, it’s nice and cool water pairs well to rinse it off.  Just saying in case that is of interest.  I’m not being paid here for my opinion, just putting it out there for what it’s worth. 

Had a nice Krispy Kreme Jelly Donut and a glass of milk last night for a snack.  I love a good Jelly Donut, don’t ruin it by putting icing on top like some bakery's do just serve it plain or with a light glaze.  I had this one cold but I like them warm as well.  Amazon has a bakery in NY that will send you 12 authentic NY Jelly Donuts for $32.  I’ve never had true NY bakery or a bagel but I hear the magic is all in the water.  I’ve got the donuts on my shopping list and I am going to buy them one day but probably once the weather turns.  Shipping food or candy in the summer just doesn’t appeal to me.  Years ago a co-worker send me a bunch of candy via FedEx in the middle of July and it all melted.  I had to put it in the fridge and it just wasn’t quite the same when I consumed it but it was good. 

The sunshine came out for a brief peek in the afternoon about an hour before sunset and it was gone before I really had time to appreciate it.  Rudy however took it all in.  Morea just wanted daddy time, she seems to not be able to get enough of that.  The more she craves the more I wonder if she doesn’t feel good.  I learned something yesterday from a YouTube video a cats tail has over 20 muscle that can be independently controlled by the animal.  I never knew that.  I also learned how to do the slow eye blink to communicate to your cat that you love them.  I did it to Morea yesterday and she returned it right back, which the video says means that they understand and they love you as well.  It was fun.  I kept trying to get her to do it again but once was all I got. 

Insomnia kicked in last night.  I turned on the TV and watched a video about the Penis with a urologist and his kids.  One of his kids was named Zach Spits.  That gave me quite the chuckle.  If I had that last name I’d change it to something else.  I’m not sure on the spelling but his dad wrote a book all about the penis.  I just watched it to kill time and learned a few things.  It primarily talked about size, increasing length and how there are so many gimmicks.  I didn’t know but apparently you measure your true size when your flaccid, at least that his how a Urologist measures it.  Kind of interesting, never would have thought that.  There is apparently a whole series from this guy but I just got a bunch of random videos in my feed now about the penis.  Just what I didn’t want.

Not much on tap for today.  1 stupid meeting in a few hours.  Then the rest of my day is wide open.  I did a little bit of work after lunch yesterday it got busy.  Then I got a lull.  Just before quitting time all hell broke loose and I jumped in and took the small nightmare the seemed to rise from no where.  After that I was able to get the trash out and walk away from work. 

I woke up this morning to another gloomy day and rain is in the forecast.  I went out while it was still dry and grabbed the empty trash can and lugged it back in.  I didn’t want to be doing that in the rain.  I am ready to sneak in a nap and just lounge for the rest of the day with the cats.  They were both worked up this morning wanting to play.  I got play bitten by both of them and they always want to gnaw on my fingers like they are teething.  Were still doing the cat nip thing before bed but it’s a smaller amount for each of them.  They still seem to enjoy it and they beg for it every single night. 

I’ve got no real plans for the weekend.  I’d like to get out and destroy this vine that is growing on the side of my house, I kind of hope that it’s dry so that I can tackle that.  Otherwise nothing special in the works.  Hoping to enjoy time away since I will be on-call next week.  I hope you have a great weekend and are able to relax.  Stay cool, hydrated and safe.  Take care!

Monday

Not a horrible Monday considering I had the day off.  Rudy of course woke me up super early.  I got out of bed and fed him & his sister.  Then climbed back in bed, only to realize I left the remote on the other side of the room.  Back out of bed, over to the other side of the room to fetch the remote.  Then finally back in bed.  Turned the TV on and started watching.  My allergies kicked in and I had to wind up getting up and sitting in my chair.  Until things settled down, then I got back into bed.  Both cats with me and we all napped for a bit. 

Finally up, got a shower, dressed and out the door I went.  Grabbed the pipe for the Water Softener.  Off to breakfast.  I got a Cinnamon Pancake.  The lady in the next booth over got into a conversation with another lady who had kids.  Then I learned she was a nurse in the NICU at a local Children’s Hospital.  Why did she have to say that.  My internal voice went off, you have to buy her breakfast.  I resisted but that little voice kept nagging at me.  Damn $57 for their breakfast alone.  I told them that I paid their bill but I was in tears.  I could hardly talk.  I explained to the lady that she was a HERO and I couldn’t do her job.  I told her even though she had 2 great kids that I hated children.  However, she played a very special part in peoples lives and I had to recognize that. 

Stick with me and after tomorrows post you will understand why I took two days off and why I was in tears. 

Okay stopped the water works and off to the plumbing store.  I went to 2 places and was shot down by both.  However, the last place I went catered to plumbers and wouldn’t you know it there was a plumber in front of me.  I got his help and he told me what to buy.  I asked him how much he would charge me to come fix it himself.  That kind of varied on how I would pay but $150 to $200.  Yeah no thanks.  I took his advice and stored it. 

On to the grocery store.  I confirmed with a store employee they would indeed be closed on Easter.  That means I will be back at this God awful store on Saturday morning.  Fuck I hate grocery shopping. 

It was getting super hot outside like in the upper 70’s and I was roasting.  I came home and unloaded.  Sat with the cats in my room under the fan and grabbed a soda to cool off.  Then started looking on Amazon. 

I found an exact replacement hose for the water softener.  It’s a little bit longer but otherwise it’s exact with the fittings I need and washers, so it won’t leak.  I ordered two of them and they were way cheaper than what I sank into this project so far.  My order will be here on Sunday.  I hope that it arrives early but Sunday is good. 

I also found a kit to replace the existing fittings that go into the softener if I need to.  I have that saved on my shopping list. 

Then watched some TV.  Tried to nap but the cats were fussing in my lap and that kind of garnered my attention considering the family jewels were in their vicinity.  They both ran away but came back.  I finished watching TV and then got up. 

Time to get dressed and do more shopping.  Sounds like pure hell and it was.  I went to Sam’s.  It was much less crowded than on a weekend.  For the 1st time in my life I managed to F up on the self check out.  I scanned the soda twice and didn’t get the tissues I bought.  I had to go back through Customer Service to get that figured out.  The extra soda and the cost of the tissues were damn close to each other, so it’s not like I did the store wrong.  However, I wanted it right which is why I had it fixed. 

Then over to the gas pumps where I spent more money.  Finally home.  Unloaded.  I am relying on faith alone and bought 1 bag of Water Softener Salt.  It’s cheap and also still in the garage.  I didn’t want to lug all 45 pounds downstairs.  I’m pretty damn sure I got this and things will work when my Amazon order arrives. 

Time to rest up but I watched TV in the living room which is something I haven’t done since Gator passed.  I stumbled on to this kid (forgot his name) and he was telling the most foul jokes to his mom and his dad was busting a gut.  Well he got me going pretty good and I started coughing .  It took me a couple hours to recover but that kids was so damn funny. 

Final trip for the day off to supper.  I hit up a local steak house that I have heard about but never went to.  The food was pretty good.  It was no Outback but a very close 2nd and considering right now we don’t have an Outback I will for sure be going back there. 

Made it home, started laundry, upstairs is like a furnace but down here in the office it’s nice and cool.  I could stay down here for hours but the cats sure would be mad at me.  Rudy asked me for lunch like 4 times and I finally gave in.  They have yet to have supper but I will get that for them when I put the clothes in the dryer. 

Logged all of my spending and wow each dollar adds up pretty fast.  I’m not hurting and wouldn’t put myself in Jeopardy.  It might be a little tight or close but I assure you I won’t starve and neither will the cats. 

Thinking about tomorrow I am going out for lunch.  I’d like to eat breakfast out but I will probably just stay home.  I need to make a Target run.  The face cleanser that I bought I am allergic to, it makes my entire face itch like crazy.  I’ve tried it 3 times to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.  I’m throwing it in the trash and it wasn’t cheap.  I need to find something else.  I am slowly running out of my all time fav which is Clean by Zirh but they went out of business and that stuff isn’t made anymore.  If someone manages to bring it back I will gladly buy more, it’s worked for me for many years and I really like it. 

Tomorrow is going to be a rainy day and also hot out.  I will probably have left over pizza for supper I need to start getting rid of that.  Looking forward to Easter and seeing my holiday friends.  I don’t plan on sticking around there place very long but time has a way of getting away from me. 

Off to surf the net for a bit and then upstairs to take care of the cats and watch more TV.  I am productive but I am not pushing myself.  I still need to clean the house but it’s not like I am in a hurry.  Of course that will all change come tomorrow night because it’s back to work on Wednesday.  Plus I will be on-call and that will suck.  I plan to stay home all 3 days and go in the office next week.  We do have a holiday in sight, which is Memorial Day on May 29th but that is so far away.  After that we have 1 in June and 1 in July then were done until September.  Feels like the year is flying by and it’s still only April. 

Hope your doing well and that your Monday was good.  Take care and be well. 

LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE

Morning and thanks for stopping by! Not a whole lot knew since my last post. I got the laundry done, brushed the cats. Worked on trimming claws, which they both hated very much. At least I didn’t have to put on the welding gloves.

I was wiped out and had my BBQ Dinner for supper. Not bad. Had a piece of Carrot Cake, one more left and then I will be moving on to a Strawberry Crème Cake. Stocked the fridge with soda, got ready for the morning. Had another shower.

I started browsing Prime for more movies to watch. Found Lyle, Lyle Crocodile with Shawn Mendes singing for the character Lyle. I found it on Netflix so I lucked out and got to watch it for Free. Damn this was an awesome movie. I laughed and cried sometimes at the same time. This was very entertaining. I felt really good after watching this. Shawn Mendes has a great voice and knows how to sing.

Took a double dose of the high strength sleeping pill. I slept great but feel a bit hung over this morning and just want to go back to bed. Lowered the thermostat so it got slightly cold overnight. I woke up and turned on the electric blanket. That caused the cats to leave me. Rudy woke me up by making biscuits on me. He wasn’t that early so I just got up and got moving.

We saw the orange/black tabby this morning. It was hiding under the table on the deck, watching the neighbors leaving. As soon as it figured out that all of us (me and that cats) spotted it, it was gone like Houdini. I looked away for a second and looked back that was all it took. Poor thing unless someone is feeding it or it is good at killing squirrels I don’t know how its is managing to stay alive but like every outdoor cat that I have seen in the neighborhood, none of them seem to be starving, which is a good thing so long as they are eating something of quality.

I’m still hearing that horrible ladies name this morning from the weekend. I’ve already setup a block in my cell phone for her and blocked her personal email address in my work email. I really don’t ever care to hear from her again. If she needs to reach me, she can go through someone else and they can relay it to me but hopefully we are done with her. It’s Monday and she should be starting her new glamourous job so hopefully she will forget all about of us.

I’ve been up to get a snack. Diet Mt. Dew and a few Gummi Worms. Nothing like a little Caffeine & Sugar to get your morning jump started. Yeah it will wear off and I will get tired again but it gave me the boost I needed temporarily to get a few new accounts setup. All is quiet today and I imagine lots of people are still hung over from the super bowl. The morning traffic report only had one minor accident and everything else was clear. Sounds like I should have gone in today but right now my plan is to venture out tomorrow. We have rain in the forecast and I am not super excited about driving in that but as long as traffic isn’t that bad it will be doable.

My plans for today are to coast and do as little as possible since I did so much on Saturday. Things will really ramp up tomorrow based on my calendar.

Since I went to Target I had to get my Chicken, Broccoli, Cheese & Pasta casserole. ½ of that is supper tonight. The other ½ will be supper on Wednesday. The only problem is that it takes a while to cook in the microwave so unless I fancy something else I will need to get started cooking this as soon as I go up. It’s about 25 minutes total. Anything beyond 6 minutes in the microwave is forever to me.

Looking forward to an Egg Salad Sandwich for lunch. It’s all about the little things. Sunshine is really out today and since the tree in the front yard was trimmed up, the sun light really shines in the living room. The cats seem pretty happy about that. Seems all cats love the sunshine.

Hopefully, it’s nice day for all of us. Take care and be well. Talk with you all again soon.

Is all of your party here?

Good Afternoon Everyone!  I hope that your doing well and enjoying the weekend.  Here’s a recap of how mine has been thus far. 

Friday afternoon I mustered up some gumption and went outside and filled in a couple of gaps in the patio with foam.  I also pulled some vines.  It was super hot out and I was out there for all of about 30 minutes.  I was exhausted and the heat really zapped me. 

That gumption gave me the idea to get up early on Saturday and work on my task list.  However, Gator had other plans for me and she woke me up a few times.  Since it wasn’t a work day it’s didn’t bother me horribly but it did ruin my plans.  I wound up sleeping in.  I got moving in the afternoon with a shower then a run to the post office, pet food store and Target.  The pet food had the least amount of food available that I have seen since this whole supply chain nightmare started.  I wound up buying mostly expensive Purina Pro Plan food that Gator seems to really like.  I like them too because they appear to be quite moist and they look like they give her some help in the hydration department.  Target had some additional cans of food but they too were down to bare shelves.  The price of litter that used to be $8 is now up to $12.  Not terribly happy about that but it’s not like I can go without.  I know Gator well enough that it really doesn’t matter what I use for litter so long as the box is kept clean she will use it.  All of Momma’s family was that way. 

I came home after spending a small fortune.  Unloaded everything and then made my venture to the attic.  I forgot the ladder that I had to use was a little wobbly.  I hated the whole thing from start to finish.  I threw 16 packets of Grandpa Gus’s Mouse Repellant in the hopes that does the trick.  From what little I could observe from the opening all appears to be well inside the attic.  I’m sure that if I was to dig around I would probably have a different opinion.  Thinking about this whole process, if I drive them out of the attic where are they most likely to go?  I think further inside my house.  Since one of them figured out how to get into the basement I’ve seen others,which is how I know I still have a problem.  Keeping that in mind I ordered more of this stuff and have plans to distribute packets throughout the house with the hope being that this will be a fool proof plan to evict them once and for all.  The best part is that it smells really good it’s got some Cinnamon and Peppermint among other things.  I also learned they (mice) hate the smell of bleach.  When I get to my house washing project bleach is in the formula that I have so that can only further help this cause. 

I went out to eat at a local Mexican place.  I wasn’t feeling the best from all of the physical activity and the heat.  Primarily the heat and the fact my sugar was starting to fall.  I got a really good meal and was super full when I left, which was the entire goal. 

Back home to spend the evening upstairs away from the computer with Gator.  I watched a series on Hulu called Bear it’s got Jeremy Allen White in it.  He play Lip (Phillip) on Shameless.  This was a really good series, I believe 7 episodes.  Once I started watching I just didn’t want to stop.  It was all about a chef and there was tons of food involved, plus some drama and a little bit of comedy. 

Thunderstorms rolled into my area overnight and Gator woke me up once.  The salsa talking back woke me up the other time.  That was horrific and I had to stay up for a while so I watched YouTube videos, naked in the living room.  I saw a flashing light a couple times.  For all I know one of the neighbors took my picture.  It really didn’t matter to me.  I’m not happy about how I look but I am also not ashamed to run naked in my own house. 

Woke up and got moving a little after 8:30a.  I hit up Cracker Barrel again for breakfast.  I walked in and it took a bit for someone to greet me.  I told them I had a mobile check in and without missing a beat the lady said “ are all the members of your party here?”.  I said I think so, it’s just me.  That gave both of us a good laugh.  I got sat with the same waiter who fucked me over the last time I was there.  He did it again this time, not with shitty service but by adding cheese to my eggs.  It cost me $1.39 extra.  It was good don’t get me wrong but it’s the principal of not having asked for it.  I mentioned it to the cashier but there wasn’t a price adjustment.  Fine so I filled out the survey online and called the waiter out by name.  Next time I go I will ask to be seated in anywhere but his section.  He’s great to look at and talk with but that’s about it.  There is also some new waiters that I noticed and they are all pretty tall drinks of water but they look fine.  So a little eye candy with my meal, I didn’t ask for that but at least I didn’t have to pay for it. 

From there it was to the grocery store and gas station.  Then back home.  I had Blueberry Pancakes and they always come with a nap if I want it or not.  When the sugar wears off I crash hard.  That was so the cast today and I got a very late start.  Gator had to keep hounding me to wake up.  Once again I won’t get everything that I want done but the essentials will be taken care of. 

My internet went up in price by $10.  I called and I was on a 2 year promo where I got the best price for the 1st year and then the 2nd year it’s a ramp up by $10 and after that it’s full price which is like $75 per month.  I’ve got the lowest possible speed and that is just insane pricing.  Internet is all I have and it’s the cable company so they charge me $10 more to start with because I don’t have TV service with them.  The guy I talked with got me a promo for another year and now I pay $10 less than I was paying for the last year.  Not bad but when this ends in another year I get to call back and start the process over again.  Not sure how willing they will be to help me then but I will cross that bridge when I get to it.  For now it’s take the savings and run. 

A gay singer I like came out with a new hit about three weeks ago but I just discovered it.  His name is Adam Joseph.  The song is called Versatile.  Take a listen the video appears below. 

I found this when I went to look at new music on Spotify.  I was after the new Charlie Puth track called Left and Right.  That video appears below, it’s pretty good too.  He worked with Jung Kook from BTS.  I’ve not listened to BTS but this turned out pretty good. 

That’s all I’ve got for now.  Need to pull the laundry out of the dryer, head up and start cleaning upstairs.  My tech podcast will be on and it’s a few hours long and something I look forward to.  I just hope they don’t ramble on about Elon I am so sick of hearing about him.  He’s been the primary focus for the last few weeks and I am over it. 

As for the week ahead, I am on-call this week and not looking forward to it.  I will be staying home this week because of that.  We have a 3 day holiday weekend coming up and I am hoping that I get an invite to my friends house for a bite to eat.  I really hope that happens it will be good to catch up but I am not holding my breath.  The best part about this holiday is that it’s one that my boss always insists on covering so I can enjoy my time even if I am just stuck at home.  I am planning on going for pizza on Saturday at least as of now.  Everything future state is always subject to change. 

Here’s hoping that it’s a great week for all of us and that is sails by fast!  Thanks for stopping by. 

Rest on Saturday

Today was a day of rest as I kind of figured it would be last night.  As the evening wore on I got stiff in all the wrong places and quite sore as well.  Gator was sleeping by herself until I discovered a problem with the DVR and my shows didn’t get recorded.  I had to go to the DVR which is in the living room and fire up the TV to reboot the receiver and that fixed everything but woke up Gator in the process.  She clamored for some attention.  As per usual just as I got comfortable she came in my room and started asking for food, so I had to get up and that was no easy task.  She also complained when I was up past 11pm so I had to go to bed in order to get her to be quiet.  50 years old and I’m being bossed around by a 17 year old little crabby cat woman.  The things I do for her. 

Woke up this morning didn’t feel as bad as I did last night.  Grabbed some breakfast and fed Ms. Gator.  Went to go back to my room but she settled in on the couch so I had to sit with her there.  Went to grab my phone and check on things at the office.  It wasn’t terribly long after that some work came in and I had to login.  Boy she wasn’t happy about that even thought I was in the same room and just had to pick up my laptop.  She’s not a fan of the computer or cell phone, I guess they take away the attention or focus from her.  Kind of surprised she lets me watch TV.  Anyway, took care of the issue at work and waited for a confirmation email to come in, which finally happened so I could log off. 

Much to my surprise I was visited by the UPS man this morning.  It was my prescription from Amazon.  Amazing!  It wasn’t supposed to be here until Tuesday then that got bumped to Monday and last night I had an email that said it would be here today.  I figured it was a mistake and Monday would be the day but nope all here today.  My only two complaints are that they don’t ship a 90 day supply even if prescribed.  They also used a large bottle for 30 pills which made it look like I wasn’t getting anything.  However, it’s the same stuff I would get at Walgreens not only was it brought to my door step but I saved $14 in the process – can’t beat that.  I am so pleased that I am off of the retail pharmacy merry go round.  I only need to go there if I need something in a hurry like an antibiotic.  Everything else is now done by mail order. 

I went to take a nap around Noon and got woke up twice by work.  Two additional requests came in but they were not marked urgent so I did nothing.  They can both wait until Monday and I will deal with them then.  The deal with on-call is urgent or high priority issues/requests only or if it comes from a VIP, otherwise it sits.  Most everyone on my team won’t let anything sit and wait they deal with it right away but as for me I’m tired of working when I don’t really need to so my new policy is unless it meets the criteria for immediate response it waits. 

I took in a movie this morning Hello, My Name is Doris on Netflix.  It’s got Max Greenfield in it.  He’s fucking hot in my book and even though he’s straight I take in as much viewing of him as I can.  Plus he’s funny.  Sally Field and a whole host of other well known actors were in this it was a hoot.  I woke Gator up a couple times because I laughed so loud, boy that felt good and was much needed.  This was something I stumbled on and just had to see it. 

Around 2:45p I hopped into the shower and got clean.  Then got dressed and departed for the cat food store, post office and to get some food for me.  I am so glad I did things in that order.  I was stuffed and miserable when I was done eating.  I went to the BBQ place and a baseball team walked in.  Had to be High School but there was some fine looking boys there.  Nice to get eye candy with my meal.  This is the same place where the College Volleyball Team was eating back in February when I had COVID and I found a hunk of a guy to look at, damn tall as well.  This place has good luck written all over it and the food is wonderful. 

I’ve been thinking about my chair and the gas lift.  I found a couple of replacement gas lifts available on Amazon but it will take a few days if I were to order for them to get here. They are both under $20 but I shouldn’t have to shell out more money and don’t plan to at the moment.  I fiddled with the chair some more to see if I could fix this but there is no fixing something like this, it’s just defective.  I tried to get the lift off of my old chair but that is on tight.  I went to another chair and that was even worse.  I need a pipe wrench and know there is one around here but damn if I can find it.  If I would find it that would aid me in solving the problem.  I hate having to wait for this company to ship me a replacement.  I get to use the chair but I need to be a little bit higher to be comfortable.  It sucks to have paid all that money for an experience like this.  I could take it all apart and take it back to get a replacement chair but that seems a bit drastic and labor intensive so I’m opting to wait it out and bitch about it. 

My lab results came back.  I am astonished and totally amazed.  My A1C is at an all time low of 5.7% and that is the lowest it has ever been since I was diagnosed as a diabetic.  It’s almost like my body is healing it’s self but I know it’s the meds that are keeping it down.  With the amount of sweets I consume there is no way it should be this low.  I feel like having a slice of cake to celebrate, only I don’t have any cake.  I sent a note off this evening to let the doctor know.  Since the hospital I went to is not affiliated with my doctor, they don’t always relay the information to him.  That’s the only downside of having the work done outside of his office.  I am waiting for his reaction.  I didn’t see anything else to be alarmed about but then again I’m not a doctor.  I booked my follow up appointment with him the day before my birthday, which this year is on a Friday.  So it’s my usual Thursday/Friday off.  I’ve got nothing else on the books as of now but I can always put something down.  Chances are good with the stress level being high that I will probably have a need to take a couple days but I want to carry over 2 weeks or as close to that as possible, that’s the max carry over.  After my COVID experience it’s a nice cushion to have, you never know when you might really need to use it.  Think of it as an insurance policy.   

The lawn guy hasn’t cashed his check which is kind of odd.  I was concerned that maybe he didn’t get it so I texted him this morning.  He said they just went to the bank on Friday and if it doesn’t clear by Tuesday to let him know.  He couldn’t say for sure if he got it or not.  Typical lawn company, they don’t keep good accounting records.  I expect that it will clear on Monday now that I said something.  First time this has happened.  I paid him for the month of May, but was invoiced only for 4 weeks and not 5 like I paid, so I anticipate this month they will ask for money that I gave them last month.  Thank God I can easily get a copy of the check and I always put the dates down so it will be easy to reconcile any issues should they arise. 

I’ve got nothing else other than it’s hot out and it’s only getting hotter as the week goes on.  Thankfully I am not in Phoenix where it’s sizzling.  Grocery Store tomorrow and that will be my running for the weekend.  I’ve already used a wee bit of gas and I like to top off to have a full tank to go to work with but not doing that now.  I’ve got plenty of fuel to get from here to there and back.  I plan to be in the office on Tuesday.  We have a big wig coming for 2 days, as we have gone back to having group meetings in person.  I won’t be in the meeting because COVID cases are rising and I think it’s far too risky.  It’s even risky for me to go in at this point considering that I haven’t had the 3rd shot.  I have yet to schedule it but I will get around to it, it’s just something I don’t look forward to because I hate needles. 

Need to get back upstairs to clean out Gator’s fountain and get the dishwasher loaded.  Then before you know it, back to bed.  I will probably be up a little later tonight because of my nap but it’s not like I care all that much, so long as my automatic built in alarm clock gets me up at a decent hour so I can be one of the early birds to the grocery store and avoid the crowds. 

Hope that you had a nice Saturday!  Bye for now.