Gaping Hole

Welcome to Monday, I hope your doing well.  It’s been a busy but pretty average day. 

I was kind of surprised when lunch time rolled around, it got here pretty fast.  I did take a break around 10a and the cats of course wanted food.  When I went up for lunch Rudy was asking for food and pretty begging while I fixed my lunch.  Pretty begging is when he stands up, so his front paws are on my leg.  Then he turns on his charming face for this look like you can’t possibly say no to this face.  Which I respond to yup sure can.  He knows the results but he still tries and keeps on trying.  He loves to be in my way when I am in the kitchen for any reason. 

It was around 55 degrees and I opened up the blinds to the deck.  The cats always peer through but they have never been able to walk up and just look out.  At lunch I kicked it up a notch, turned off the alarm and opened the door.  I found this small gaping hole (I’m guessing that when you saw the title of the post, your mind went to another place.  I know my mind would have gone to the same place) in the bottom of the screen door.  Something tore through it.  It wasn’t big enough for the cats to get out but if anything small came up to the door they could have interacted with it, like a mouse, bird, etc.  Therefore, I kept my eye on them but enjoyed a nice Ham & Turkey sandwich on Honey Wheat.  It wasn’t anything special but it was good. 

When I was done I patched up the gaping hole.  I have some screen tape I ordered off of Amazon.  It looks like screen material, you cut what you need from the roll, peel off the plastic to expose adhesive and place it on the screen.  It did a couple runs inside and then for good measure I went outside.  We managed to aggravate the neighbors dog who started barking like crazy.  I happened to notice the neighbor closest to me ran some CAT 5 cable outside his house and it’s on his roof.  Not exactly sure what that is all about but it looks horrible.  I could have thought of several different ways to do it and make it look better.  I would have put it in conduit to keep it out of the elements and from anything chewing on it.  To each his own. 

The cats had fun with the air blowing in and being able to get a wide view of the back yard.  I could tell they were itching to get outside.  The only way that is going to happen is if they are in my arms, one at a time and honestly I don’t feel very comfortable with carrying either of them out of the house unless they are in carriers.  I’d be too afraid they would get loose and then the chase would be on, that would so not be fun because they can both run faster than me and both have way more energy than me.  Not to mention their climbing skills and my lack of climbing.  So, better off for them to stay indoors.  My heart beats just fine on it’s own, no need to give it a workout.  I’d also never forgive myself if I did something stupid like that and one of them got away.  Both are chipped but still not everyone is kind to strays, not everyone ensures found animals are scanned.  We ensured that Momma, Taz and Blu were all scanned but none of them were chipped.  That’s when you get to make a decision to keep them as your own or to turn them into animal control. 

In other fun news, my water softener has taken on water in the tank again.  I fixed it last year and tried the same thing again but thus far no luck.  I wound up taking apart the float mechanism thinking that it was clogged, but it was not.  That was not fun to take apart or put back together.  My next though was that something inside was clogged or gummed up.  I got a steel yard stick and tried to make sure everything was free and then I issued another recharge command.  I’ll know in a couple hours but probably won’t stick around down here that long.  I’ll check on it before I go but the real results won’t be available until either later tonight or tomorrow, depending on when I want to check.  I’d like to get a new shop vac.  Clean out what is in there salt and any water.  I think that getting the tank empty might give me a better clue or at the very least the ability to start at zero.  There are other filters and parts inside that I can take apart and clean.  The easy thing to do is just bypass the softener, turn it off and call it a day.  The water in my opinion isn’t hard here and this is a luxury item that I really don’t need.  Don’t get me wrong it’s nice because you use less soap.  I could also opt to replace it but I would need to engage a plumber and really don’t want to go that route unless I really need to.  I don’t like to give up which is why I am sticking with it.  I don’t however have high hopes.  What I have is made by Sears and they sadly are out of business, who would have ever thought that would happen?  We replaced this unit some years back when the original that came with the house stopped working.  My late spouse was able to take care of the plumbing part.  We wrestled this damn thing down here and I don’t have the luxury of help if I would opt to replace it, which is why I would engage a plumber. 

Last night I noticed that my thumb was sore.  It was from all of the wire work I did on that door at work.  Still I had no idea how much I used my thumb but that became painfully obvious.  Mostly it’s a social media thing and despite the pain I was able to keep on scrolling.  I figured it would be super sore this morning but nah it’s all good now. 

I’ve checked on my replacement UPS battery order.  It’s supposed to be delivered tomorrow if you believe Amazon Tracking.  However, FedEx still says the label was created but they have yet to take possession of the package.  With today being President’s Day FedEx is one of the few in the shipping business that is open.  If the business doesn’t turn the package over to FedEx tomorrow then chances are pretty good that it’s not going to ship and I will have to wait it out but will be able to get a refund.  I’d just as soon get the replacement, I mean that’s why I placed the order.  If I didn’t want it I would have never ordered it.  I’m thinking that if I do have to go the refund route.  It might just be better to get a brand new unit and forget about replacement batteries.  However, there is nothing wrong with the UPS I’m putting the batteries into other than the present batteries are dead and the damn is no good without batteries I mean it circumvents the whole purpose behind it.  Thus far the unit in my bedroom hasn’t made a sound so I am hoping that I still have some time before it gives up the ghost and I am trying to avoid that from happening. 

My allergies are on fire.  I’ve already taken extra medicine and it’s like I did nothing at all.  Next step is some nasal spray and I hate that but it does work.  I hope that it’s a calm night and I can just relax and enjoy a work/call free night.  Despite having a Jelly Donut with my breakfast I’ve had zero interest in taking nap, which is really surprising.  I did have a decent nights sleep it was about an hour shorter than what I actually wanted but apparently it was enough for my body to get by.  Here’s hoping that theme continues because naps are so enjoyable and you can fall into a hell of a habit that is difficult to break.  Sunshine I think also helped. 

That’s all I got at the moment.  Going to microwave dinner tonight, not sure what I am having.  Might finish off the Strawberry Crème Cake from last week, one piece left.  Kind of wish I would have went to Sam’s yesterday because then I’d probably have some bakery to fall back on, not like I really need it. 

Have a good night and I will talk with you all again soon. 

A lot of screwing & money

Hello and welcome!  I hope that your doing well and have had an enjoyable weekend.  It’s been really busy and expensive for me.  I’m very tired and looking forward to a nice dinner, a shave and shower.  Then some evening relaxation and eventually bedtime before I get to start me week of fun on-call. 

You might think I had sex, hired a escort and spent a lot of money, well you will just have to read the entire post to find out.  Ready?  Here we go!

Friday night– I had problems falling asleep, big surprise.  It’s the weekend and that seems to be the big theme.  I thought I was tired but climbed in bed and was wide awake.  I got up, took an extra sleeping pill and within about 30 minutes I was finally ready to go back to bed to sleep.  The cats were taking up their 1/2 of the bed.  I had to move them out of the way before I could get in but it all worked out.

Saturday – I woke up super early but really didn’t want to.  I got up to feed the cats because they wouldn’t leave me alone.  No surprise after they were fed they still wouldn’t leave me alone.  As if to say hey you need to get up, don’t you?  Nope it’s the weekend.  I eventually did and had breakfast at home.  Rudy tried to beg to get me to feed him, he looks so cute but it was a no go.  I got a shower and Rudy had to explore the bathtub when I was done. 

I went out to see my friends.  I got a bad feeling on the way there like I shouldn’t go.  I wish I would have listened to that but I proceeded onward.  I walked in and was greeted with a hello and then a warning one of them had been seriously ill with some stomach bug that was contagious and today was her first day back.  Yuk.  I kept my distance but talked with her.  My guy friend was busy and in an odd mood.  He didn’t really say much to me and he got a call & had to leave.  I was hoping he would return because he’s the whole reason why I went there but that didn’t happen.  I wound up leaving after a couple hours and got the mail.  Grabbed my prescription and then came back home.  I was tired and wanted to sleep. 

Got a little bit of rest, opened the mail to find my large auto insurance bill that’s where the whole lot of money part comes in.  I was expecting it but not until next week, it came early.  Lucky me.  It’s been paid.  One advantage to driving something that isn’t new is that the insurance is much more manageable but still it was not exactly cheap. 

I went back out to grab cat food.  While I did that I opted to pick up some cat nip.  I wanted to see their reaction to it.  They have a dispensary setup and market it as if it was cat marijuana.  They have all of the stupid names like purple haze.  That is such a turn off to me.  Cat nip isn’t marijuana but whatever.  I got them the cheapest and smallest container I could find, which was called really good stuff.  I saw a cashier that I used to see on a weekly basis and he said where is all of the canned food.  I told him that Gator passed and I’ve got different cats now.  He was saddened to hear that.  I didn’t tell him I bought cans last week. 

I went to grab a bite of food at a Mexican place.  It was good but the table wasn’t clean.  The chips were greasy and while fresh not up to my taste buds.  I knew I’d get sick if I ate too many.  The meal was enjoyable and I inhaled it.  I’ve had better but it kind of depends on who’s cooking and what their mood is. 

Back home, watched TV, did the dishes and relaxed with the cats.  They ate their catnip like it was a snack and then they got hyper and wanted to play.  Glad I passed this out in a small portion.  It was fun but short lived. 

I spent the rest of the night on my computer trying to get my desktop to broadcast it’s name so I could see logs in my firewall of the traffic.  It would do it intermittently but not constant like my laptop or my phone will.  The fix was a free program called YogaDNS.  I checked a couple of boxes so it’s persistent and doesn’t fail.  It’s been working great ever since.  I rebooted just to make sure it would stick and yep still going strong.  Even if I turn on my VPN I have the DNS set to my firewall to where I want it to pickup from.  In case your wondering I use something called NextDNS.  While it’s a free service, I pay because I can easily exhaust the free lookup limit with all of the devices I’ve got.  Once you start logging and get this configured you will be surprised at how many sites all of the devices in your home try to reach out to.  It’s alarming.  I’ve got trackers and ads blocked, I still get some ads and have had to make some custom adjustments to get certain channels on my Roku’s to work.  It’s neat and helps with malware, viruses and typo squatting.  It’s not a replacement for an anti-virus but it’s a good supplement.  Works a lot like the commercial firewalls I manage at work but with an easier plain interface that is straightforward. 

After I solved that problem I opted to grab an ice cream bar and get the dishes going.  Rudy tried to climb in the dishwasher.  What a character.  He’s the one who usually causes all of the mischief.  Then we took in some TV, I brushed my teeth and we finally went to bed. 

Sunday – Having to get up early to make it breakfast was not exactly fun because I was up late.  I really didn’t want to go to bed but I knew I would hate myself in the morning and I did.  Plus my allergies were on fire.  That wired fuel like smell is in the air again and it bothers my nose.  Anyway, no hot waiter today.  Had some kicked up French Toast, Eggs and Sausage.  Had to hit up the car wash because while I was getting cat food yesterday a bird sprayed my car.  No good deed goes unpunished. 

I made it through the grocery store, came home put everything away despite Rudy being at my feet.  Grabbed the laundry threw it in and then I did the craziest thing of all I went to the office.  There was another door that was acting up and it’s been on my list for a while.  I should have taken a picture before I started unscrewing wires because it made it next to impossible to get it all back together correctly.  I looked at other doors and damn they didn’t use the same color wires throughout the project when they wired each door.  There should have been a black wire on the door I was working with but instead I had a Yellow wire.  I saw sending and receiving lights when I started but after I unhooked everything and went to put it back together I only had a receive light and no send.  Then it hit me it’s probably the communication board.  Thankfully several years ago we ordered one and didn’t need to use it so I had a spare.  I hooked that up, screwed in the wires and presto.  I got it programmed and tested, worked like a champ.  Then to make sure I wasn’t going insane I took a photo, unhooked everything, put the old board in and hooked it back up.  Turns out it was a bad board and I wasn’t loosing my mind.  Put the new board back in, screwed some more wires. This is the part where the whole lot of screwing came in.  See you thought it was something nasty, didn’t you?  I know I would have.  Anyway, tested everything and confirmed it was working.  Then I sent an update to all of the sites just for good measure that finished.  I cleaned up and put my tools away. 

Before I left I had to take a walk to my colleagues office who passed away last year unexpectedly.  Normally when someone leaves for whatever reason they are quick to vacate their office.  The only thing that was gone is his fish tank.  Everything else is in place.  Photos, wall art and all of his files.  I never knew it until today but he had an obsession with clocks.  I paused for a moment and heard all of this ticking.  I looked around and there were like 5 clocks, no matter where he was in his office he wanted to be able to see the time.  I got emotional it just felt strange not to have him there.  He would have been in even on a Sunday for a brief bit.  I saw him in a recent photo and man it just was sad.  I said a couple of words and then I had to leave.  I’m really shocked that but for the fish tank it looks like he will be back and that is so not the case.  It’s going to be tough whenever they clean the place out and that will happen eventually because the space will be needed but no one is rushing it. 

I needed to hit up Sam’s club that is the one thing that I haven’t checked off of my list and well I was too damn tired.  I’m glad I waited because the water softener has standing water inside and that’s not normal.  I fixed it once so I am trying what I did last time to see if that helps.  I’ve got enough salt to make it through another few weeks but plan to get more salt next weekend.  I said that last weekend too but that’s when I forgot I needed it.  I actually planned on getting it last weekend for real. 

Time to grab the laundry.  Go do house cleaning.  Put out pills and I was going out for pizza at a local place but I think I am going to stay home and eat Spaghetti & Meatballs I picked up from the store.  Saw a really cute bagger boy and we made some general friendly conversation.  Yeah I was tempted to ask him out but I didn’t because of the horrible judge of age I’ve got and I wasn’t 100% that he was legal and didn’t want to go down that road.  I like younger guys but it’s got to be legal, I don’t want no jail bait.  My preference is late 20’s to 30’s.  I did stop and wonder if the waiter from Cracker Barrel is wondering about me, my guess is probably nope.  I mean if your concerned I would call or text and neither of those things has happened.  I am sure I will see him again eventually but it’s still painful knowing that he played a game, I don’t do well with that.

I am thinking of getting back on an app or two but I am taking my time.  I wanted Valentine’s Day to pass.  There is so much fraud and it’s more prevalent around that time, it’s still out there don’t get me wrong but I think or hope that my odds are a bit less.  I know what to watch for been down that road too.  Just want to find Mr. Right have him be real, in the flesh and interested in me.  Date do things together and eventually if there is a spark we can jump in bed.  It’s more about companionship for me than it is sex but I’m eager for both but don’t want to come off desperate or as truly desperate as I am.  That’s like leaking blood in Shark infested water, the results are not good at all but at least it won’t be a fatal outcome.  I think everyone in the dating pool is desperate to some degree. 

It keeps getting later and later so I guess I will wind this up as my hands are cramping and it’s warmer upstairs.  The cats are going to hate me when I break out the vacuum but I’ll try to get that job done.  If I can check off all of the boxes on my list but Sam’s Club and going out for supper, I think I did pretty good and can be happy with it.  Not looking forward to being a slave to a computer & phone all week long but hey it’s part of the gig. 

As always here’s hoping it’s a great week ahead for all of us.  Take care and be well.  Talk with you all again soon!

3 times in 1 day

I am in a little pain now and tomorrow I’ll probably be sore.  I’m sure your mind is racing to all sorts of conclusions based on the title and my opening statement.  However, I am referring to emptying the vacuum cleaner.  I started in my room and after I was done that was the 1st time.  Then moved on to the hallway and rest of the house.  I was about 1/2 way done and had to empty a 2nd time.  Then finished up and emptied the 3rd and final time.  I think each week for a couple weeks it will be interesting to see what I manage to unearth and suck from the floor with my new floor sucker.  I really love my purchase, it’s doing a great job.  I just wish that it was a little easier to get the hose for manual cleaning and that the hose was longer.  Those are 2 areas where Mr. Dyson excelled.  My back is sore from all of the bending I did. 

I must be a glutton for punishment because after I cooled off a bit it was time to play with the automobile.  I cleaned the windshield, nothing like being able to see where your going, what a novel idea.  Then I had to protect & shine up the vinyl and clean & protect the leather.  The inside of my ride looks so nice.  I have had 3 people total in the passenger seat and 2 people in the rear seats.  So those seats are immaculate because they aren’t broken in like the drivers seat.  I’d love to swap the passenger seat so I could break in a new seat.  After the cleaning we had to check the pressure.  Made sure all of the tires were properly set.  Then filled up the washer fluid and it was time to go back in the house because I was dripping with sweat.  Garage temp was at 100 degrees.  Nothing like baking in the sun. 

I worked in a nap with Gator.  She demanded cuddling or she wasn’t gong to let me sleep.  That little ball of fur is so demanding and particular.  I don’t want to listen to her yap it drives me insane.  A meow here and there is fine but one after another after another is way too much. 

I figured today would be an easy shopping day and I didn’t need a whole lot so I should easily get out under $100.  Boy was I wrong.  They were out of prepared sandwiches so I had to buy bread, meat and cheese.  I bought the same flavor cat treats they are currently working on yesterday so I grabbed a new flavor today.  I had to have this cheesecake sampler and opted to keep a pizza on hand.  I didn’t need breakfast sandwiches or soda and that is where I figured the savings would come in but apparently not.  I even had 2 coupons and that didn’t help much.  When you stop and think about it $100 isn’t much considering most of my food comes out of a box.  If I had to prepare my food the cost may be slightly lower but the labor investment would be higher.  I really hope that when I meet my Mr. Right that he knows how to cook, if he doesn’t then were both going to be up a creek. 

Finished up the laundry, listened to some music and am slowly finishing up Orange Is The New Black.  I think I will have the series done tonight and that will be okay by me.  I bravely added my work calendar back to my phone.  Much to my surprise no new meetings scheduled so that is a plus.  I looked at the ticket system over the weekend and know there are at least 2 tickets waiting just for me.  I shudder to think of how much email I have.  2 days probably around 150 to 180 messages, most of which will be crap.  I refuse to look ahead of time, I want it to be a surprise.  I will have an entire day to clean up and catch up before boss man returns on Tuesday and if time allows I should be okay.  I will also be on-call so there will be an uptick in my work this week over all.  Not to mention the BS meetings that I will have to sit through.  Holy fuck makes me wish I had unlimited Pina Colada’s while I worked.  Wouldn’t that be interesting.  I think next weekend I will actually have one unless I manage to talk myself into going to some place other than Red Lobster. 

Got a computer problem where all of a sudden my contacts and calendar which are based on iCloud won’t open in Outlook.  I have rebooted but that didn’t fix it.  I reinstalled iCloud for Windows and need to reboot, hopefully that will do the trick.  If not I could be in front of this machine for longer than I want.  I feel like I am neglecting the children and the guilt is eating me up.  However, I can’t be everywhere at once. 

I saved the best for last.  Dinner – Stouffer’s Chicken Enchiladas, which are swimming in a mixture of cheese along with rice and black beans.  Holy cow they are good.  Got a family serving which is 4.  Ate 2 tonight and will have the other 2 tomorrow night.  Then 2 pieces of cheese cake.  The 1st on was chocolate laced and the 2nd one was strawberry I believe.  My palate was all mucked up from eating the chocolate first.  It’s going to be a fattening week around here but oh my taste buds are going to be in heaven. 

Shaved my whiskers off and back to a nice smooth & clean face.  Ready to take on the week so long as I get enough sleep.  Hopefully, Monday won’t be as bad as I fear.  That is the only problem with taking time off, you have to eventually go back and that sucks.  It’s nice to pause things, step back and refresh.  I need time off for the vehicle service thing in September and then in October it will be back to the doctor.  I have nothing scheduled or planned yet.

Going to reboot ye old machine to see if my problem is fixed.  Then go take in what is left of Orange and get ready for Monday.  I hope you had a really great weekend, stayed cool and got to wipe somethings off your to-do list along with having a little fun and take in some good food and maybe even a nap.  I’ll talk with you again soon.  Be kind to each other.  Bye for now. 

Knotty not naughty

Another week has come to a close.  I have had time to rest for a couple days and it’s been enjoyable.  While I would like a couple more additional days it’s probably better for me to return to work.  Ugh, the dreaded Monday.  I don’t have a lot going on but my boss will be back from vacation.  Things are so much more quieter and were all more productive, guess that goes unnoticed. 

My back has been killing me.  I got a massage on Monday after spending last weekend on a heating pad and muscle relaxers.  It helped but I needed more.  Wednesday I called in and went back to muscle relaxers and the heating pad.  Thursday I got another massage and that finally did the trick and got rid of most of the knots in my back.  I should be going back this Thursday to keep things at bay but money is a little tight right now.  It kind of depends upon how much pain I am in.  I’ve thought about buying a gaming chair for work but not sure if that would do the trick. 

I am still dealing with my screw up co-worker.  I am religious about documenting what takes place and sending emails to the boss.  I also forward all of that stuff home, you know for insurance purposes.  I am way beyond my breaking point but some how manage to calm myself down and press on, repressing my anger and contempt.  At this point I don’t care if we switch titles or if he just gets shown the door.  I am going to plant the seed about switching titles, but not sure if it will mature into anything.  My personal preference is to get him out and bring in someone fresh.  Start over and hope for different and better results.  However, I am not in charge and that is also a bit frustrating to me.  I can admit that I like control, I think it’s a natural human thing.  We all want it but there can only be one person in charge. 

No word from my brother.  I presume him and his girlfriend are still toughing it out and tolerating each other.  I am kind of waiting for the next phone call.  I know he cares for her in some small fashion but she is more toxic than cigarettes.  They really need to part ways.  That’s not just because I think she is an over grown cow, but because she goes off at random about the smallest thing and then it become a major big deal quickly.  She doesn’t let things go.  I hope that eventually he will come to his senses before any real damage is done.  I can appreciate not wanting to be alone but she is clearly mooching off of him and so are her kids.  They all live under his roof and he pays the bills, the contribute nothing.  I wouldn’t allow that to happen but him and I are two totally different people. 

Considering Spring happens on Tuesday I am faced with once again the battle with the ants.  I have pretty well sealed up all of there known entry points.  However, they are still coming in and I can’t figure out from where.  They really love my bathtub for some reason.  I kill a bunch of them and an hour later there are more.  I’ve sprayed until I am blue in the face, until I know the point of entry I am fighting a loosing battle.  I have to be careful about how I deal with them so as to not poison my cats.  Marv was crying tonight because he saw some around the water dish.  There have also been a few of them on the table.  I did some research and there are 2 different kinds of ants one is attracted by food and the other is a carpenter ant, which chews through wood.  I am sure in past times I have had both but right now I am confused as to what I have.  I just want them to go away and eventually they will, it just won’t be soon enough for me. 

I am having a lot of anxiety over my lawn care.  I sent out a contract to the guy I have been using for a couple years.  He’s not that timely to respond.  Normally he reaches out to me but this year I found myself reaching out to him.  I kind of think that were done but he just doesn’t know how to break it to me.  He’s probably hoping I will go away and if that’s the case he’s will get his wish.  I sent an email to him and am giving him a little bit more time, if I don’t get a response then I will engage someone else.  Of course about the time that I do that is when he will be getting back with me.  I think he’s pissed over the fact that he got screwed out of money because he chose to mow my lawn for the longest time last year every week.  I only paid for bi-weekly service because that is what the contract is for.  He read the contract and by George it was news to him.  Never mind that our arrangement has always been bi-weekly.  I cringe at the thought of having to hire someone else.  Lawn Boy was at least dependable for the most part and there was mostly a clear line of communication, that is until he decided to go on vacation and not tell me.  I kind of miss him but at the same time I don’t.  If I have to find someone new I will move forward and not backwards. 

Charlie Puth has a new song out and it’s pretty good.  It’s called Done For Me (featuring Kehlani).  I’ve been listening to it a little bit.  I also did subscribe to Spotify.  I was able to listen to a lot of songs that I haven’t heard in years.  I only got charged the $9.99 for the service, there was no tax.  I have also kept my Pandora membership.  I like the radio on Pandora better than Spotify.  Spotify is more for listening to specific artists.  I don’t mess with the whole play list thing.  That is just messy.  I don’t go looking for them or share anything that I listen to with anyone on the app.  So for driving I like a wide variety that is up beat.  I am not a slow tempo kind of a guy.  For work I like smooth jazz – it’s got to be all instrumental I don’t like singing.  I’ve tried Rock and Pop at work and it makes me nervous.  It’s enjoyable at first but eventually I find myself going back to smooth jazz.  I am just as surprised as you are but it is what it is.  Music is a very big part of my life and has been for years.  Rock, Pop, Classical, New Age, EDM, Trance, House, Electro and even some Country.  Music evokes so much emotion and can change your mood for good or for bad. 

I did sleep most of Saturday away and the kids were on me to get moving but I ignored them as well as my inner emotion for the most part.  It a nice escape to sleep.  Yes, part of this is depression.  The other part of it is feeling exhausted and trying to gain some energy.  I did eventually get moving to get the kids food and to grab some soda for myself.  I get a case of Coke Zero from Sam’s Club and it’s all shrink wrapped.  I like that because I can take a pair of scissors and trace around the outside and the plastic comes off easily.  Well yesterday I wasn’t so careful and punctured one can.  That was a huge mess and I cleaned it up promptly.  No sense in making the ant issue any worse than it already is.  I get a case of food for Ruth and open it the same way.  It’s not exclusive to her but she does consume most of it.  We have always referred to it as “Special Food”.  Everyone likes it and they all know what I am referring to when I saw Special Food. 

Today was my trip to the store.  I stopped for breakfast and saw the cute guy that I asked out who rejected me.  Seeing him is bitter sweet.  I like looking at his body and seeing how he interacts with people.  However, the bad part is that I keep in mind he rejected me.  I want to ask him so bad, so when is school over with.  However, I fear that I may get a worse answer so I have been holding off on asking.  Looks like he got into a fender bender, I parked next to him today on purpose.  His car isn’t the neatest.  So I have my doubts if we would have clicked but that doesn’t mean that I have completely given up.  However, I think for my own psychological well being it’s probably best if I didn’t see him at all.  We caught each others eyes a couple times and he didn’t even acknowledge me.  I would have at least expected a friendly hello but I got nothing.  That hurts as well. 

Since were talking about guys, I keep telling myself that I will never find someone on a dating app but I am still using one.  I enjoy seeing who is out there.  It’s just a complete crap shoot when it comes to dating.  My odds at gambling aren’t great and dating is a lot like that for me.  So I don’t have high hopes.  I’m starting to think that I will die alone.  So long as I have my health I am fine but the second that goes I am t-totally fucked and not in a good way.  I still have aspirations of moving but that is all they are at this point.  It’s impractical to entertain those thoughts given my animal kingdom. 

I finally sold all of my Southwest Airlines Gift Cards.  I did take a hit in that I wasn’t able to move them at face value but it was only $78, which all things considered isn’t terrible.  I will get the last of my money this week.  It goes straight into savings.  I’m getting ready to pay off a credit card before interest starts accruing and my special zero percent rate runs out.  That will be a serious hit to my savings.  If I didn’t have the debt and had the same amount in the bank I would be pretty happy.  I will at least get a couple more $ in interest before I have to dip into it. 

Long story short, everything is pretty much the same.  No major issues at this time be it good or bad.  I would say I am coasting and the longer I can coast the better.  I’m so ready for a bunch of good to happen, then again I have been ready and hoping for that for quite sometime now.  Here’s hoping the rest of the year has a lot of good in store for all of us.  Good times, Good Food and Good friends. 

Best wishes for the week ahead.  Thanks for stopping by! 

Squirt & Suck

Another week has drawn to a close.  This past week was difficult at best.  Mostly because of my back pain.  Today I actually feel pretty good, it’s still sore but most of the discomfort is gone.  I suspect a few more days and all will be back to normal.  Wow this old age stuff really sucks.  Injuries take longer to recover from. 

I did use some muscle relaxers and a narcotic pain reliever, not my favorite thing in the world but damn I needed relief, this was very uncomfortable.   As a result of this a side effect is very colorful and interesting dreams.  The one that stands out the most is I got an idea to write my next book.  It should be all about growing up gay and getting through high school.  I like the idea but I am pondering if I want to actually move forward.  I mean it’s a lot of effort and while I do enjoy helping people, I question if anyone would read what I publish.  It may be different if I knew for a fact that I had an audience. 

Thursday rolled around and a co-worker asked me if I was getting a massage.  I said nay nay, I won’t let her touch me when I am like this.  I am actually debating if I really want to go back to her.  She is aggressive and all about finding the knots and getting them out.  There is little pleasure for me and massages are supposed to be relaxing.  Not the way this lady does it.  Plus think of the money I will save.  I mean I may give in and go back but right now I have hit the pause button. 

My friend buried/planted his wife today.  It was way too far for me to travel and I didn’t go.  I tried to talk myself into it but it was a no go.  He is disappointed but he will get over it.  I mean I went to the most important thing which was the funeral.  I have been there for him and listened to him on the phone.  This was one occasion where I just didn’t want to be around him or her family.  There is way too much drama going on and it’s not healthy for me to hear about it all.  Just because I wasn’t there in person won’t spare me, he will be calling and I will have to listen to him drone on.  But that is what friends do.  He’s listened to me so turn about is fair play.  I just think he is doing everything wrong and moving way too fast.  He is out of control and went off of his meds cold turkey but says he needs something.  For fuck sake call your doctor.  I hope things get better for him and that life slows down a little bit. 

Given my injury this was the perfect time for Netflix to release the next set of episodes of Orange Is The New Black.  Wow I started yesterday and finished up this afternoon.  It’s been non-stop for me.  Very intense.  The funniest thing is when Red says instead of P for Piscatelli I should look under S for Son of a Bitch.  I don’t know why but that line just made me crack up.  There were a couple of other humorous moments but that is the one I liked the best.

The most interesting thing I have done so far this evening is wrestle with the Spot Bot.  I bought a replacement hose because the old one was broken.  Damn I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  I had to rip the whole thing apart.  I believe I had guidance from my late partner, because I can take items apart but they never go back together well, let alone actually function.  I had some serious doubts but I managed to actually remove the old hose and install a new hose.  Problem is that when I put everything back together I got a couple of wires backwards.  Squirt and suck didn’t work like they were suppose to.  With trial and error I finally got it working.  Put it back together and have cleaned the basement carpet where the cats have had a puke fest all week long.  Yuk!

Speaking of cats my poor Ruth is bald on the corner of her back.  Something has gotten to her and I can’t seem to shake it.  I had to give her a reprieve last Sunday because of my back injury.  However, this Sunday I will be trimming her claws.  I plan to brush her and put on some flea medicine, but I will have to see what she will allow.  I am going to try my very best.  I don’t want to hurt her.  If this itchy thing doesn’t clear up, I am guessing it will be back to the vet for a steroid shot.  She hasn’t had one of those in a few years but summer seems to be her itch season.  Maybe it’s not a bug but rather an allergy.  It’s been worse in years past with hives.  Thankfully we aren’t to that stage.

Bears is still working me for all of the food he can get out of me.  I put down multiple cans of food and he just cries for more.  I try to stand firm but he knows my weak spot and that I am a sucker so I give in and bitch about it.  He’s had fluids twice this week.  Since he has gone off of his RX food I am worried that he is going to block again.  So far both ends are flowing.  The fluids was to help him bounce back from a nausea attack and to hopefully keep him from dehydrating.  Plus it helps flush out his bladder. 

Marv on the other hand has diarrhea from his IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).  It has grown more and more difficult for me to get him his medicine.  He loves to fight against it.  I feel bad for him and have given him fluids in the past to help.  It buys him a day or two at best.  Then it back to the Hershey Highway.  Plus it smells extra bad.  Taz had a similar issue and I worry that Marv has turned into a Diabetic.  He loves his water and he has really dropped the weight as has his brother Bear. 

The problem when you have multiple animals is that you have multiple worries.  I was telling Marv last night that I would really like to sell this place and move but I can’t do that right now.  I have way too much stuff and way too many cats.  I want to ensure everyone is comfortable and staying put is what makes the most sense, so that is what I will continue to do.  I think for my mental health moving would do wonders, but it would also be hard to walk away from this place.  So many memories (good and bad) and it’s the place that I have known as home for a very long time.

I didn’t get a nap today, I tried but as I predicted as soon as I laid down and got comfy the phone went off.  I started on-call on Wednesday and won’t be done until next Sunday.  It’s a long time but I just think of the money and that helps to keep me going.  I am really anxious for Wednesday because that is when I will be able to see my paycheck.  I know that Uncle Sam will take a good portion away in taxes as per usual but the left overs shouldn’t be too shabby.  I have some anxiety over my finances at the moment but once payday rolls around everything will fall into place, always does. 

My boss keeps telling me to be confident.  Friday I figured out that I am tired of all of the bullshit meetings, interruptions and in ability to make any progress.  I start a 1/2 hour early each day and still can’t seem to make any progress.  I actually was the most productive on Friday from 5p until 6:30p when I walked out of the office.  I feel confident and good about what I was able to accomplish.  Taking on more work amped up my stress level but add in all of other items I mentioned and that is why I am worn out.  Hiring someone may or may not help all of this, there will be lots of training and honestly I have my doubts about how long I will last before enough is too much and I start looking.  I am fighting against that as hard as possible.  I feel safe and secure where I am and I very much like my job and am grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded.  However, no matter what I am very much an army of 1 and no one but me is in charge of my future and happiness. 

I hope all of this work bullshit doesn’t age me too much and that I can keep it together for my own well being as well as all of the comforts I have grown accustom to.  I very much need a vacation but lack of time and money are the reasons why that won’t happen.  I do have 2 days scheduled for next month and I look forward to them.  I know that I am told there is backup in place and that when I am away I shouldn’t worry about the office, but fact is there really isn’t backup in place and shit can easily fall apart and spin out of control if I don’t deal with it regardless if I am in or out of the office.  I am not gloating in the least but I have a lot of responsibility and take my job seriously plus there is the whole dedication thing, so I do what I have to do.  My issues have nothing to do with confidence, I mean I have survived my greatest fear and have dealt with more than my fair of shit.  So I am confident that I will get through this as well, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  Maybe not right away but over time it does happen. 

Ah so the hour is growing late and my momma is waiting for me to get upstairs.  Plus there is putting out my medicine, another chore I dislike, but I will do it because I have to.  I hope all is well in your world and that life is treating you well.  I know that eventually things will turn around for me it just takes time.  Plus it would be nice if we could speed up the process of me finding a man, this being alone shit is horrible.  I like my freedom and the fact that I don’t have to answer to anyone but it would be nice to have a companion for physical and emotional support, plus I wouldn’t be stuck in the house so much.  I guess maybe I should be careful what I wish for but I am interested in all things good that will bring me happiness be it with money, physically and/or emotionally. 

Have a pleasant evening. 

Heating Up

The weather is getting warmer and I am sweating all the time.  I guess Summer has finally arrived.  I particularly liked the 72 degree mornings that we have had.  Walking 3 blocks to work in that kind of weather isn’t bad at all.

The job is heating up too.  Got a server in a remote facility that has failed two days in a row.  Thankfully they had local IT people that fixed it.  There is talk of an upgrade plus I know they are going to be getting a new time keeping program to make life easier for everyone.  I need to talk with the local IT firm they use to find out some specifics about their environment so I can plan for the upgrade of the software at a minimum.  So far they haven’t returned my call but I am positive that I will talk with someone tomorrow, I will just get demining.  I mean we pay the bills, don’t talk to me then maybe we won’t pay you.  I bet you’ll talk to me then! :)

I got to install Skype for another remote facility and there was a display issue at yet another site.  Then I installed a printer for the HR lady and fixed her ability to get faxes, that was a wiring issue.  They didn’t have a single line phone so I could test.  There was no Cable Tracer/Toner so that made it interesting.  Thankfully everyone that has messed with the Patch Panel did a good job of labeling, that was my saving grace.  Otherwise it would have been total trial and error.

Today I had Christmas in May.  All of the supplies that I ordered came in.  I finally am able to get my desk close to the way I envisioned.  I am at least more comfortable and my neck pain should hopefully disappear soon now that I won’t be looking down all day long. 

Been chatting up the guy that sits close to me, you know the one I have a crush on.  Turns out he is only 27, wow that is a wee bit young but I can’t help myself I have a thing for younger guys.  He’s not gay but my Gaydar has picked up a signal or two, maybe false positives. 

Lunch time is always great too, I go outside and talk with my partner on my phone.  I get to see all of the eye candy walking around.  As well as some familiar faces from my last job and the job before that.  Some people will talk and others well they just pretend like they don’t see me.  Of course it’s been close to two years and I’ve got glasses, lost weight so hey I guess I look like my evil twin or something.

My foot pain has been driving me nuts.  I got my first paycheck on Tuesday and I ran to Walgreens to buy a Foot Massager.  That did wonders for me.  I used it and then followed up with some ice.  Ah, heaven on earth.  The dogs are tired after another long day of work.  Back to the massager and ice. 

I am so looking forward to this long weekend.  Too bad I have to get poked on Saturday.  No not that, where is your mind!  :)  I’m going to the hospital for blood work.  The upside is we will be going out for breakfast, so that will be nice.  We have been eating out a lot more now that I have been working.

I’ve been dying to blog so while I am running out of time, I made an effort to at least get this little bit of blabber posted.  I’ve been praying that things will heat up a bit at work and now I actually have work to do, so that is a good thing.  Hopefully the days fly by.

One last thing, today the company bought lunch.  Turns out they buy once or twice a month for everyone.  Tomorrow we are celebrating a birthday, so it’s bring in a side dish.  I ran to the store and picked up two bags of chips.  I couldn’t believe it when the clerk said that will be $6, come on they are two bags of chips, it’s not like I was buying actual real food!

I hope all is going well for you.  I am very happy right now and hope that I stay that way for a very long time.  I will talk with you peeps later.  On to have a semi-relaxing evening!

Polishing it up

So last night I carefully removed the unit from it’s case.  Wow it looked great and has been a very long time since I had seen it naked in it’s full beauty and was able to touch it.  I got it all wet and then used a microfiber cloth to make it sparkle.  Then I returned to the case and got it wet and then worked it dry with my cloth.

Finally it was time to return my toy to it’s box.  So as I slid it back into it’s case, made sure the back was sparkly clean and then put my thumb print on the back.  Finally it was returned to it’s case and was no longer naked.  I really enjoy playing with it and it was an extra special treat to see it naked.

If you have a dirty mind, your thinking something else.  This was my iPhone I was talking about!  I just took it out of it’s case and polished it up, something I do every once and a while.  I had a protective cover put on the screen a while back but ever since I discovered the Otter Box that cover was useless.  So last night while I had it out I removed the cover.  Now the display really looks awesome.  It’s only a 3GS but I still very much enjoy it. 

Kind of a different post, huh?  Yeah, a little variety is nice once and a while.  Hope your having an ab fab weekend!  Talk with you peeps later!