Bad Blow Job

Morning!

Yesterday was a pretty good day.  I got a call from bossman a little after lunch to tell me that he was boarding a plane and that he would be in the air until late in the evening.  He just wanted to check and see how things were going and if I would cover his on-call for him since he would be unavailable.  Yeah of course I will cover it, not like I had much of a choice.  The day was calm and quiet up to that point, but that’s kind of where things changed and I got a little busy. 

Amazon dropped off my subscribe & save order.  I noticed that my porch was a mess with all sorts of debris on it.  I grabbed the blower and started blowing for a second, then the blower just quit.  I couldn’t get it going no matter what I did.  The battery was charged but still for good measure I topped it off and let the blower rest.  After hours of trying and a fully charged battery the damn thing just clicks like the fan starts to move and then nothing.  Guess this is one of those bad blow jobs.  I got the blower back in September and it’s got a 5 year warranty.  However, I don’t want to mess with that so I am ordering another one off of Amazon and then sending the defective one back. 

Each time I messed with the blower or even touched it the cats scattered.  As if I was going to attack them with it.  I’m just mad and frustrated.  The damn thing has sat in the house which is climate controlled and it hasn’t done a whole lot of work in the months it’s been here but I have used it a little bit before.  It’s just way too early for it to crap out on me.  I did put the battery in a different device and it works so I know it’s not the battery and for sure the blower has an issue.  I did research on-line but there is no easy quick fix.  You can go through customer service or you can take it apart and take your chances.  I like my idea better.  New unit will be here on Friday. 

We had some rain in the area a few times yesterday.  At one point the sun was out and rain was falling.  I told the cats there is a rainbow out there somewhere. 

Came across some interesting You Tube videos where a professional driver poses as an uber driver and picks people up and then scares the hell out of them by going fast and doing burnouts and drifting.  Another pro driver posed as a first time driver and got behind the wheel with several driving instructors he played dumb but then he started to scare the hell out of them.  It was funny to see peoples reactions and how their hearts almost jumped out of their chest.  Another one pro driver took a car salesman for a test drive and it was not a normal test drive, that poor guy thought he was going to lose his job.  He was calling the police when they stopped the car but they quickly let him in on the prank. 

Munched on Pizza for lunch and supper.  Had some yogurt for a mid-day snack and cake for desert in the evening.  That’s about it, not a super great day but not a horrible bad day either.  If only all Monday’s were like yesterday.  I even got in a short nap!

Hoping that today is a good day as well.  Two meetings on the agenda and that’s it outside of time for lunch.  Already surfed the web a little bit and combed through my email.  Won’t be long and I will be headed back upstairs to hang out with the cats.  It’s supposed to be a bright sunny summer like day. 

Here’s hoping it’s a great day ahead for all of us.  Take care!

Technology Sucks Friday

    Good Morning and Happy Friday!

I hope that today is off to a better start for you than it has been for me.  Technology and me are butting heads this morning. 

It started off when I went to log in for work, patches were applied last night so I knew that my machine would have rebooted and would take a little longer to go through the normal startup process.  However, fifteen minutes later and I was still looking at the machine starting up.  I logged in to a generic computer and that loaded right away.  I thought I would navigate through the network to my laptop that should be sitting in my office powered on.  However, it appears that it’s powered off.  I’ve asked a colleague to go power it on.  I did a force reboot on my machine at work that I login to daily (its a virtual machine, in case you were wondering) and it eventually came back to life.  It was super slow in starting things but I am at least able to work. 

There are a couple of additional battles I am fighting but really can’t go into detail.  Hopefully, this is the end of it and things will get sorted out quickly. 

In weather we are back in the deep freeze.  There was about an inch to two of snow and it’s blowing all over the place.  I never heard the trash trucks and just hoped that they picked up.  I threw on my coat, hat and gloves and went out.  The garage door opened with no problem at all.  That was a pleasant surprise considering that my day started with problems.  I made it out to fetch the empty barrel and made my way back to the garage and closed the door. 

Knowing that the cold weather zaps batteries I left my hood ajar and hooked up the battery charger.  My battery was a bit low so I am topping it off with a charge.  I don’t need to get out today but tomorrow I will.  The cats need food again and I should get the mail.  I’m not going to fight getting up super early, I plan to let it warm up and get out in the late morning or early afternoon.  That might even lead to a trip to a restaurant.  Sunday we are supposed to warm a little bit and by Monday the temperature should be more normal. 

Moving on to food.  I had a stuffed pepper last night and decided to save the Lasagna for tonight.  Had a small piece of cheesecake and some peaches.  It wasn’t a bad meal. 

For entertainment I watched some more of The Queen of Kings and also the latest episode of Chicago PD.  I liked watching on Peacock because there were no commercials it was just press play and sit back and relax.  Even though the contract dispute has resolved and I can now view my local NBC station I am thinking of keeping Peacock just for the ease of viewing not only that show but also SNL. 

Of course no evening could pass by without me having to give lots of attention to Mora and Rudy chimed in as well.  He waited until I broke out my pens and pad and was trying to finish a story.  Then he wanted to be in my lap and around the pens.  I let him nibble on one of the cheap plastic ones and that seemed to appease him.  My goal was to empty out the pen I was writing with, it was a disposable gel and I did just that.  Ending the story just at the right time. 

Then it was time for bed and some adult entertainment.  I watched the latest CockyBoys scene called Go with the flow – Johnny Ford & Nick Floyd.  Nick was my reason for watching he has a fine booty and gave a great show!  After that was done it was back to regular TV and then soon after lights out for the night. 

My insomnia kicked in around 2:30am and I stayed up for a bit to watch TV and while I felt a strong desire to grab food I just waited it out and managed to return to bed and fall asleep without giving into that.  Rudy and Mora were snuggled up in bed and weren’t leaving.  It’s much warmer in bed not to mention more comfy with memory foam, they are no dummies and it’s all about comfort for a cat.  Unfortunately being a twin bed that doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for me but we make it work.  Come warmer weather they will eventually permit me to sleep alone.  Which is more comfy.  However, I like it when Rudy climbs on top of me and goes to sleep.  That means I only have to fight with his sister for space and she stretches all out as if it’s her bed and not mine. 

Things are quiet at work at the moment.  I had lots of quiet moments yesterday but all hell broke loose more than once.  I suspect that could be the case today but I am more hopeful that it will be quiet.  Other than my previously mentioned shopping on Saturday, I have my normal breakfast out and grocery store run to make on Sunday.  Hopefully I can have a relaxing weekend despite being on-call.  I do have to get up early on Sunday morning for some testing at work, which is no big deal.  I will fight it and hate it but as long as I can get logged in it’s usually over with in 30 minutes. 

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope that your warm and have a nice weekend.  We will talk again soon, until then be well. 

Weekend Wrap Up

  Morning, hope that you are happy to be here as the wrestler is pictured above.  He’s clearly excited about something!  This is my only attraction to wrestling, seeing what is underneath the singlets.  Views from the back are more my thing. 

I didn’t bother with getting back out in the cold and slop on Saturday.  I don’t remember what I had for supper, which is a shame it was just a couple days ago.

Sunday morning I made it out for breakfast had a large Pineapple pancake with some too runny to finish eggs and some slightly burnt sausage patties.  It was good but could have been better.  I forewarned my waitress that I would be a heavy drinker and she did a good job at keeping me stocked with soda.  I didn’t use any syrup on the pancake because all they had was maple and I’m allergic.  Blueberry Syrup on a Pineapple Pancake just doesn’t mix well, I’ve done that before. 

It was even colder out in the morning but the slop was all dried up.  Moved on to the grocery store and gas station after that stop.  Didn’t buy much at the sore it was pretty much a blur.  I hardly ever make a list and just grab and go.  If I miss something I’ll be back the following week.  Turns out they had some house made holiday cookies so I grabbed them.  I am a sucker for some good holiday cookies.  I also looked at the frozen pizza section just to see what my choices would be.  There is still only one grocery store in town that carries Tombstone and that is by far my favorite for frozen pizza.  Something about staying in, firing up the oven and making one of those just sounds good.  Granted I have had my fill of pizza but I realized yesterday that I hadn’t done that in well over a year.  It’s on my mental list of things to do. 

After the running I did I came home and got everything put away.  Watched some TV and eventually wound up back in bed for a bit.  I was sleepy and my bed looked so inviting.  The new sheets are great and the comforter is a little bit too much with the heat.  I have woken up hot a couple times.  Turning down the thermostat tonight.  The cats like it because it’s even softer and there is more padding.  It’s truly a fight to get in my own bed and get comfortable. 

Once I got up again and got moving it was tough to stop a body in motion.  I worked through chores and computer work quickly.  Then rested for a bit and spent time with the cats and my phone.  Saw an alert that someone in my neighborhood lost their tabby cat.  I noticed that my cats had been really interested in the outside more so than normal.  I peeked out but didn’t see anything. 

I changed clothes and went back out for some fish.  I thought about Mexican but knew the place I went I would get crappy service since it was Sunday and that’s been my experience in the recent past.  Red Lobster sounded really good to me as I was leaving the grocery store so I hit them up.  My timing was perfect no wait and got seated right away.  I didn’t care much for my waitress she was a bit of a ditz.  However, service was good.  The food was even better and I filled up on biscuits, mashed potatoes, a little broccoli and one piece of fish.  I kind of planned it that way and took the remainder of my meal to go.  I will have a nice dinner tonight with it.  I even got extra tarter sauce.  It’s the best.  Came home and saw bunches of deer out.  They looked cute but I get nervous around them since they love to collide with cars.  Thankfully they all stayed off in the fields and side of the road as I slowly drove by. 

Came home, changed clothes.  My refills came in that time and I never heard my phone go off that someone was at the front door.  I got a bargain on the price but was really concerned that I may have gotten the wrong thing.  Turns out it was right after all, so I was more than pleased about that.  Then I sat down and tried to finish a story but the cats didn’t permit that for long.  They are oddly attracted to what ever pen is in my hand.  They both seem to think it’s a play toy.  I think they don’t like that I am focused on writing and not them.  Rudy is by far the worst and he can get the closest to me because he’s smaller.  He loves to grab with his paws as he is on his back and try to bite the pen.  If I am writing with something disposable I will let him lightly chew for a second.  However, I had one of my Mont Blanc’s out yesterday and there was no way he was putting that in his mouth.  He brushed up against it and wanted to bite it but that didn’t happen. 

I wound up having to set things aside and pay attention to them.  Mora wound up in my lap and I was rubbing her belly.  We watched a small amount of TV and then I scrolled through my phone to catch up on social media.  It was national dating day or something like that yesterday.  I downloaded Bumble and wow they have quite the variety of guys.  I got a like while I was scrolling and that’s when I got the reminder you have to pay up if you want to see who liked you.  That caused me to delete my account.  I am over paying.  It weighed on me what if you just passed up a chance and what if you hurt someone’s feelings.  However, I let that wash right off of me.  If there was a guarantee that I could even so much as get a viable date I’d pay them but since it usually is awkward game playing and there isn’t a guarantee I would rather hang on to my money. 

Listened to the police scanner while I got ready for today and shaved and got a shower.  I use Dollar Club’s Shave Butter it’s pretty good and the closest thing I can find that I like that works similar to Zirh’s Shave Gel.  I’ve tried other Shave Gel’s but Zirh’s was my favorite, it’s not made any longer that I can see.  They have shave cream it’s good but clogs up the razor.  Shave butter is white and when I was done I looked like I had been in an orgy my stomach and chest was covered with shave butter.  Nothing a shower can’t fix.  My face was on fire which isn’t normal. 

Brushed my teeth and took my shutdown medicine.  Then I was able to get in some writing before changing over to the TV.  My eyes were starting to give out on me.  It wasn’t long before I put everything away and fought to get in bed.  Feeling warm and comfy it took a bit longer than I expected but I did pass out and turned the TV off.  I couldn’t remember the phrase White Noise but my Echo knew what I wanted I don’t know what I said but it fired up and that was all that mattered to me.  Off to dream land I went. 

Here we are staring Monday morning in the face.  The weather is going to be crap here today and tomorrow.  It’s starting as rain and changing to snow.  More snow on Tuesday.  Wednesday looks to be a dry day and I thought about going in then but I have a lot going and I couldn’t see my way clear to being able to leave when I normally do so I think I am stuck at home this week.  If that changes I might be slightly happy.  I will be stuck here all next week because I am on-call.  Two weeks is kind of my breaking point of being alone before I start to go stir crazy.  This weekend will be a 3 day one because next Monday is MLK JR’s birthday and we are closed.  I booked a haircut for Saturday to have something to look forward to. 

There isn’t anything going on and my morning work is done.  Boss man is going to the doctor so were kind of the mice left alone while the cats away.  I am getting ready to go back upstairs and watch TV.  I’ve got my phone in case anything breaks and somehow that always seems to happen about the time I get comfy. 

Thanks for dropping by, I appreciate your visit.  Hope that your warm and had a wonderful first weekend of the year.  I am looking forward to the second weekend, especially since I have the extra day.  Take care and be well.

Snow is here

It was a nice surprise last night to see that it was snowing.  We got just enough to make it sloppy and the roads slick.  It was really nice to be inside and watch it come down.  This peacefulness comes over me when I see it.  There were some paw prints in the driveway and on the deck.  Nothing set off the cameras.  I really need to fork over some money and get a camera mounted on the deck.  I’m fairly certain a lot of activity takes place at night that I am not aware of. 

The cats looked at the window and just stared out last night not sure of what it was.  This morning they saw it and wanted to play.  I didn’t bring any in but that is on my list of things to do. 

I woke up early got breakfast for myself and the cats.  Sat around for a bit to make sure that every place I needed to go was open.  Then jumped in the shower and scrubbed away.  Got dressed and headed out into the mess. 

I was smart to get going early because lots of people stayed home but there was light traffic.  First stop was the post office, got my letter mailed to the exterminator.  They should have it on Monday.  Second stop was the office supply store.  The refills I got on Amazon were knockoffs and write like crap.  They start out heavy and then get light and even skip.  I should have stuck with name brand so I went searching in the store only to find that they are phasing out pen refills.  If you need refills you have to go to Amazon or the internet.  That sucks but seems to be the case with a lot of things.  Third and final stop was the pet food store.  That’s where I spent the money.  It’s enough wet food to last for two weeks and I got a bag of dry that will last for a few months.  They are working on polishing off the existing bag and I didn’t want to run out.  I could have put it off but I am one of those people who likes to be prepared.  I do that with several things. 

Once I was home I was so very happy.  I hated walking in the slop and wondering if I was going to slip and fall.  I was all bundled up and looked like the Michelin man.  I hate all of the extra layers but appreciate them when the temperature drops.  I got the cat food put away and then got out of my clothes and sat in my chair.  It wasn’t terribly long before the cats joined me.  We all took a nice nap. 

Now were in the basement and I am working on laundry.  Trying to get the new bed stuff washed and put on.  I am anxious and the cats have been playing with the bag that everything is wrapped in.  I’ve got my mattress pad in the washer now, it’s a beast of a thing and I hate to wash it.  Just a slip on fluffy cover that holds the actual mattress pad in place.  Then we will move on to the contents of the bag they have been playing with.  I’ve got clothes to wash as well but that’s what tomorrow is for.  Dishes will be up after the bed stuff is done. 

I am debating if I want to get back out for Mexican food or stay home and just have a casserole.  The pizza is gone and I don’t miss it at all.  I may be brave or might just remain a chicken.  I know for sure I will get out for breakfast tomorrow and the grocery store. 

I got an alert on my phone that said there was more snow coming but it didn’t say when.  It was a teaser to try to get me to watch the news but that didn’t work out so well.  I am sure I will get the information eventually.  From what I see right now Tuesday is filled with lots of rain.  Anything other than sunshine is a pain to drive in because people just don’t know how to react and drive properly.  The majority of us do but there is always that one person that hits the brakes at the wrong time and bam you have a pile up of cars.  Or there are those people who think their vehicle is impervious to the weather and they will be fine so they drive like it’s a sunny day and normal weather and they are the ones who cause accidents finding out the hard way the weather applies to all of us.

That’s my two cents for today.  Thanks for dropping by.  Hope your safe and warm.  Be well. 

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!

Let’s get ready to RUMBLE

Morning … hope your enjoying these final days of 2023.  We got snow finally!  It’s just a dusting and more is coming but little to no accumulation.  It’s kind of a sloppy mess to drive in because as the storm started it’s mixed with rain.  It changed over to snow.  Late yesterday afternoon when I went up, you could see a dusting on grassy areas.  The cats were looking up at the sky like what in the world is this stuff falling?  It would be great to get a bunch of snow and take them each outside to see their reactions.  I did that with the kittens way back when and it was a fun experience.  I won’t be doing that with adult cats because of their desire to run.  I’d be the next person posting about a lost cat or two, not to mention the emotional and psychological damage it would do.  I might gather some snow if we ever get a decent amount and bring it in for them to look at and sniff.  I think I did that last year but honestly don’t remember. 

Yesterday was a nice relaxing day with not much going on.  I had a couple things to deal with but overall I worked in a cat nap, got lunch and spent time with the cats, either being present in the same room, cuddling with them or feeding them.  Watched some TV.  I was looking for a movie and found Madea goes to jail on Starz, so we saw that in the early afternoon.  I’ve seen it several times but it’s always a good time.  Madea is a great character who not only is funny but educational.  I loved how she moved that lady’s red sports car with a JLG (forklift).  The letters JLG are painted on the side and in the auto industry that is how they refer to them.  Traditional forklifts are referred to as HILO’s because it go HI and it go LOW. 

This morning brought me a warning message from Amazon about the dispute I filed.  They are eager to get their money back and scolded me for filing a dispute and said I should have contacted customer service.  I fired back one hell of a retort that leaves no room for argument.  The tracking number, photos of the shipping label and screen shot of the confirmed delivery as well as a written email where Customer Service acknowledged receipt of the return and told me that a credit would be issued but not until mid month in January.  That should do the trick.  However, it’s Amazon so I am sure that it will linger for a bit and possibly even get more fucked up than it already is.  The bank has yet to ask for any documentation, but I’m ready to fork it over.  I want my money back.  I’ve got a temporary credit as is.  If Amazon agrees then that temporary credit will be permeant and we will be done, which is how I hope this turns out.  If they would have just shipped me what I actually ordered that could have avoided the whole mess. 

The evening was nice, I had the Ham Meal from the grocery store and it was really good.  They make a pineapple/brown sugar glaze that is included on the side.  I heated that up and poured it over the slices of ham, very good.  The cats smelled the goodness in the air and both were begging me for some.  I of course did not give in.  For some reason I have seen an uptick in begging now that the weather is colder.  I know without a doubt someone at some point fed them table scraps.  They got a taste of human food and they want more.  Sadly that won’t happen here unless it’s an accident.  Both scour underneath my chair when I am done as if I would drop something.  They will both lick the carpet as if there is something there but I know nothing is there.  I had a close call on Sunday when I dropped a pill and Mora was about to scarf it up, I yelled and stopped her.  It was only a B vitamin but it would have meant a trip to the vet and ain’t nobody got time for that. 

I’ve not done any of my usual morning surfing, just checked a social media feed.  Rudy seems to think that 6a is 7a and he keeps waking me up an hour early.  I had lots of time on my hands and it wasn’t moving so I opted to come down and get an early start.  That’s is what enabled me to fire back at Amazon so quickly.  They said they would respond within 24 hours of my response, we will see if that actually happens. 

Speaking of Amazon I got the bad news yesterday that late in January they are going to start with commercials as a way to make even more money.  I pay for the benefit of watching Prime TV and Movies, I don’t think it’s right and I imagine there will be quite the uprising.  They have an ad free option for $2.99 per month, I signed up for that.  I hated to do so but damn when I watch something I am paying for the last thing I want is a commercial or ad popping up.  I get it on YouTube but that’s a free service.  Amazon is trying to be like Netflix but they are going about modifying their service in a very poor way, just my opinion.  As if Amazon doesn’t already make enough money from Prime Memberships.  They touted all of the benefits I am getting of which more than half aren’t something I don’t need and use.  Nice marketing spin but I see the greed in the email, it’s all about money not service or caring about customers. 

On the TV front I am in the 10th and final season of Roseanne.  This is the last year when it was back on the air and Roseanne fucked up and cost the cast their jobs.  They rebranded the show afterwards as The Connors but that isn’t streaming as far as I know.  It’s interesting because in the 9th season the kids had grown up but in the 10th season they are all full adults, with kids of their own.  You can really see the age progression.  Just one of many shows I grew up with and re-watching it has been quite fun. 

I am trying to get into the King of Queens and started that last night just before I passed out.  I’ve been staying up a little later, doing a little writing before bed, then watching a short amount of TV from bed at which point I am sleepy and just ready to go.  Seems to be working out well.  Despite the early morning wake up call, I fight it at first but once I give in I am okay from an energy and motivation standpoint.  However, if I am idle for a long period of time my brain much like a computer goes into sleep mode and that will cause me trouble in the end if I get too much sleep during the day. 

Here’s hoping for an even quieter and calmer day that will afford me the luxury of being upstairs more than I am downstairs working.  I know I am getting paid so I stay available but honestly there isn’t much of anything going on the last week of the year.  The last day of the year for me is my busy time, lots of moving parts then.  Right now it’s like the calm before the storm.  Then I get New Year’s Day as a day of rest and it’s back to a slow start of the new year on the 2nd.  No one wants to get back to it but the more you keep your feet moving the easier it becomes. 

Stay warm, have a great day and be well. 

Merry Christmas

Good Evening … I hope that you are having a very Merry Christmas and that Santa brought you everything you wanted. 

I had a fun day yesterday and was filled with lots of energy.  That made me quite productive.  I had such high hopes for today. 

Rudy started the day off with his normal wake up call at 7a.  I was eager to see him and wished both cats Merry Christmas.  I think they could care less, they wanted food.  We made our way to the kitchen and he got some food. 

I had some pancakes and sausage with blueberry syrup and a tall glass of chocolate milk.  After we were done with food I lit up the Christmas Tree.  It’s a ceramic tree that I keep up all year long, I bought it years ago for my spouse after I accidentally broke one he had.  This thing cost me a pretty penny and we have had it for years.  Gator tried to take it out a couple years ago but thankfully I was faster than she was.  I always think of my late spouse as well as the original cat family when I flip the switch to power it on.  It made me feel warm inside. 

Then I got my morning meds and we sat in front of the TV.  I had started watching Home Alone last night and paused it to sleep.  I resumed that and was listening to the police scanner. 

The scanner was quiet and then I heard a call that was rather somber.  A 17 year old was found dead by his parents.  A call for the coroner was made.  My heart ached for those parents.  I wondered what happened to cause the death and of all mornings why Christmas morning.  At 17 you should be very much alive!  I kept listening and eventually opted to pay more attention to the TV. 

Home Alone was done and we started on Home Alone 2.  It was a crummy day outside, no sunshine and it was raining.  Yuk!  Glad I got my KFC yesterday.  Both cats were passed out in my room and we made it through the second movie.  By now that sugar high I had was wearing off and I was sleepy.  I had a crummy wish that I wanted something to pop at work.  Then I climbed back into bed and fell back asleep. 

I was resting rather well but started to have a bad dream, the phone rang.  I figured it was a friend calling but nope it was work.  Me and my silly wish.  I wanted something simple and wound up with a complex issue that would linger for hours.  It was still on going at the first and second showings of Iron Claw.  I couldn’t believe someone had the balls to ruin Christmas.  This little event wrecked my day.  By the time it was done I lost my will to venture out. 

I started thinking about making a surprise appearance at my friends house even though I knew I would get there around the time they would be wrapping with the food.  I talked myself out of that and instead got some KFC from the fridge.  It was just as good as I remember and I have been eating coleslaw and really enjoying it.  So much so that I wish I had an extra side of it. 

I went back to watching TV, saw Home Alone 3.  Then moved to You Tube Videos.  That was fun but I was eventually out of options and went back to Roseanne.  If it was up to me I would have spent the entire day in my room but the cats love the living room and sitting in here with me.  They will follow me anywhere in the house and are most happy when they are with me, if not by my side at least in the same room.  I love them so much and they are so cute.  I’m glad that I made the call to get them. 

I called a friend to to chat but got voice mail.  I left a message and figured that I would get a call back but that hasn’t happened and I don’t have any hope that it will occur. 

I’ve managed to get more than a few of my written stories typed out.  I really want to write more but at the moment I’ve run out of guys to write about.  I don’t like this at all. 

I am really glad that I took tomorrow off.  Need to get to the bank to have a chat.  I’d like to make it to Target or Sam’s Club.  Both would be nice but I think of how many people will be in lines to return crap and that kind of makes me want to shy away.  I’d like to travel to that new restaurant.  There hours kind of make that a little difficult since I like to travel towards the afternoon and they are closed by 1p.  I don’t know that our paths will cross.  I could and might hit up the buffet.  I know I want to go some place just to get out of here.  I am kind of sorry that I cancelled my holiday plans with my friends.  Today is really not the best day for me to be all alone. 

I do like the sound of silence though.  Especially when I am typing out a story.  Lots of people ask, so what did you get for Christmas.  Honestly, the only gift I got was a candy bar from a co-worker.  Other than that no one gave me a gift.  It’s been like that for years and I’ve come to be okay with it.  This year for some reason I am not as okay with it as I have been in the past.  I think about the pen I bought for myself and the cats I got at the start of the year.  Those are gifts I got myself, that’s kind of the only way I will get a gift.  The cats are my best friends now.  I hope they stay happy and healthy for a very long time as I am not ever going to be ready to go down the medical road to treat old age.  I tell them all the time how lucky they are to have me for their human, despite the problems I have no one will take better care of them than me. 

Right now I am just lonely and wish that I had some place to go, someone to talk to or just be around.  I could easily make a call and put a plan into motion but will I?  Nope I don’t want to impose, today of all days.  I am not depressed just lonely, even though the cats are here not quite the same as a human. 

After tomorrow the rest of the week I will be working but still here at home alone.  Things will be a little different as work serves a decent purpose to occupy me and it might be slow but I know there are things to do.  I will be working the most on Sunday as the year winds down, it’s the same thing every year and I look forward to it but also dread it at the same time. 

Time for cat nip and then bed.  Here’s hoping tomorrow is a better day for me. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

4 Days before Christmas

     Morning, hope that your doing well on this 4th day before the Christmas Holiday and also Friday Eve.  I saw this Elf Hunk yesterday while I was browsing and wanted to share him with you.  It would be nice if he was here IRL but I can dream and there’s no charge for that! 

I got some bad news yesterday.  Some kids I grew up with lost their mom.  She was actually expected to pass back when we were in elementary school because she was diagnosed with cancer.  She managed to beat cancer and here we are years later and she just passed.  Not exactly sure if it was natural causes or if something happened.  It was shocking and sad to see.  I typed a comment in a social media post and then went back and read what others were saying.  Damn if we didn’t all say the same thing, she was an amazing woman.  She had two boys that me and my brother were friends with.  They were both hot and different.  They didn’t go along with the majority, they thought for themselves and made up their own mind.  That’s how they were raised and I remember my brother mentioning that to me.  It’s a good quality to have and quite uncommon back then and even today.  Most people are lemmings and just jump off the cliff because everyone else is doing it, they can’t think for themselves.  I’m watching for the obituary to be published and depending on timing I may try to attend.  I am positive the place will be packed to the rafters, she was widely popular and between her and her family they all know a ton of people.

Work was mildly busy, it really picked up in the afternoon and that made quitting time come that much faster.  In fact I was getting ready to walk away from my desk and the phone went off with an email, I had to log back in to fix something my dummy co-worked effed up.  I am giving him less and less to do just because he seems to mess up everything he touches.  I know it’s not possible but as the saying goes, he could fuck up a one car funeral.  Seriously, no joke!

I watched a couple of You Tube videos yesterday but most of my TV time was spent watching more of Roseanne.  Spent time with the cats.  Mora got in her cuddling and belly rubs.  I am starting to wonder if no one paid that much attention to her at her previous homes because she just craves attention and soaks it up like a never ending sponge.  No matter how much she gets, she always wants more.  Hence her name Mora, more of this and more of that.  No matter what you give it’s just never enough.  I like it but it’s also frustrating at times.  I often wonder if she is doing it to taunt her brother, as if to say see daddy loves me more.  I try to be as equal as I can with everything but that is damn difficult.  Now I see how hard my grandparents had it with two grandkids.  They are both spoiled and loved.  They have managed to weave there claws tightly around my heart and neither of them are letting go anytime soon. 

The exterminator is due out today and once he’s gone I will be able to get the trash set out.  Despite the fact I am home I am not answering the door because I don’t want him inside.  All of my naked men calendars are out and the place just isn’t what I deem presentable.  I will be much happier once we reach the end and I am totally done with this company.  It’s nuts to think that they couldn’t skip a service, it’s a simple request and was made in advance.  Glad that I’m getting something out of them with all of the money I’ve spent, it’s the least they could do.  I saw the credit on my account yesterday so for sure there will be no charge for this service. 

I am slightly concerned with Amazon.  I have been tracking my return and yesterday when I logged into my account it showed the pen I returned as delivered as if I never started the return process.  I called and was told they have the pen and are working on processing the return.  Again, I’ve never had this type of experience with Amazon.  Normally within an hour or two of UPS scanning the barcode of the return item, I get credit back and were done.  This time it’s playing out way different and it’s not exactly a small purchase were talking about.  I don’t want to have to eat the cost of this and am glad that I have filed a dispute with my credit card company.  Just wish they would get the credit posted and start the process but it’s all a timing thing and well I am not a patient person, when it comes to my money. 

Speaking of money, that one debit card that I have had replaced three times has once again been compromised.  Someone tried to use it for some professional services, it was $10 but it was declined.  It’s ironic how I get a replacement card and within months someone is trying to use it.  I think the bank in this case has a larger fraud issue on their hands.  Like someone on the inside is passing out card information or their systems are compromised and a hacker is just watching and then making the move months later.  The card is locked and stays that way unless I need cash, it would be a very rare case to need to use it as a debit card.  I plan to go over in person and have a chat with them on the weekend.  Perhaps they have an old fashioned ATM only card that I can switch to, that would suit me better.  I can see me trying to convince this big bank they have a problem but it’s part of what I do for a living and based on my random experience it’s rather odd that each time I have a card replaced someone other than me is trying to use it fraudulently.  None of my other debit or credit cards have this problems, of course none of them are with this same institution.  If push comes to shove I can always close the account and go find a new local bank but that’ something that I really want to avoid.  I’ve got the convenience I want just need the card issue resolved permanently.  I know their answer will be to cancel the card and issue a new one, but as evidence of the prior incidents won’t stop this.  It might slow it down but it’s going to continue and I can’t believe that I am their only customer that is experiencing this.  That’s why rather than trying to explain this to a voice on the phone I am going over in person, I think it will have greater impact or so I hope. 

I think I might be spending my Christmas with Zac Efron at the movies.  He’s got a new movie out called Iron Claw that I want to see.  I just like looking at his body that’s the attraction.  I know I’m on call for the holiday but then again it’s a holiday and I think my chances of being interrupted will be significantly less.  That’s the problem when I start trying to occupy my free time, I over plan and then something winds up getting missed.  I really hope that I get to see this movie though.  I’m convinced I’m addicted to men & sex, food and oxygen!  Just can’t get enough and always wanting more.   Kind of like Mora with the attention. 

Here’s hoping it’s a great day for you.  Take care and thanks for stopping by. 

Weekend Update

Howdy, hope that your weekend is going well.  Friday night I elected to skip supper.  Nothing I had really appealed to me and I wasn’t hungry.  Knowing that the meds I am taking for my diabetes wouldn’t cause my sugar to bottom out the days of feeling compelled to eat are pretty much behind me.  If I would have tried this say six months ago I would have woken up in the middle of the night, my sugar would be low and I would be inhaling Oreos and Milk like no tomorrow.  I’d feel bad for two reasons.  First would be because my sugar dropped and Second because I ate so much. 

I watched Fast X which was pretty good.  Paul Walker was in it because they started out with an ending from a prior movie.  There were also photos of Paul later in the movie.  The piano music from Charlie Puth’s song See You Again played during the film.  The movie went on honestly a big long and some of the stunts while spectacular were truly things that could only happen in a movie.  After an hour and a half I got bored but watched until the end.  Honestly, don’t remember what I watched after that but I know that I still had time to kill before bed.  That was pretty much the evening, took great pride in shutting my phone off.  That felt really good knowing no one could bother me, not that there is anyone to bother me other than work and that’s largely who I try to escape from. 

I’ve got a problem I haven’t had before in that I discovered my time off balance is going to be over what were permitted to carry over.  I need to take a day off between now and the end of the year.  I’ve actually got 9.5 hours to burn but I’m comfortable using 8 and letting the rest go.  I could schedule time this week but since I am on-call out of respect I don’t want to do that.  My plan is to take the 26th and just make Christmas a bit longer.  This way if I would wind up going to my friends place I wouldn’t have to hurry home to get ready for back to work the next day. 

I discovered a new restaurant thanks to social media.  It’s about an hours drive away in a town I’ve never heard of before.  I might have been there but I know I never ate that this place.  It’s on my things to do list, possibly on the 26th if not sooner.  Apparently people come far and wide for their food so the advertisement said.  Before I make the trip I need to call to make sure they take credit cards.  It would suck to drive all the way there to find out they were cash only and not have an ATM card with me.  That’s something I just don’t carry along with much cash.  The circles I typically am in I can use credit for anything and be fine. 

Saturday was a fun day.  Despite my insomnia kicking in Friday night I got up early.  Fed the cats and got a shower.  Threw on some clothes and headed out for breakfast at Bob Evans.  They use a bit too much salt for me.  I tasted it in my meal and also in the biscuits.  After that I went to get the mail and then out to visit with my friends.  By the afternoon I was back home, feeding the cats again (primarily Rudy) and going through the mail.  I had two pieces of mail that caught my eye and I was interested to see what was inside.  The first was a rebate check from one of my diabetes drugs.  The second announced a new health benefit that’s free of charge.  Not too shabby.  A few pieces of junk mail and some more medicine.  That’s it. 

I was ready for a nap so I rested and watched TV.  I dosed off but woke back up quickly a couple times.  So much for a formal nap.  I wanted to go back out for supper but that just wasn’t going to happen.  I really wasn’t hungry.  It was cold and raining and just getting back out in that again wasn’t appealing to me. 

You might recall over the summer I mentioned about writing some erotic stories.  Eventually I gave that up, I wrote most of what I wanted to and just took a pause.  Having a new pen I really wanted to take it for a spin.  I have been fighting with getting back to writing and this was the perfect excuse.  I had nothing going so randomly a one of the many guys I had a crush on in High School popped in my head and I began writing the fantasy down.  The new pen is really nice.  Very bright blue ink but it has a slight bit of bleed.  I wrote with it for a while and then changed back to regular gel pens.  I’ve got so many pens to choose from that I change frequently.  I wound up cranking about two complete stories.  I started on a third and plan to go back to either add or finish it tonight.  Just thinking about the fantasy and putting it on paper has a huge turn on to me. 

I know back in the summer I said that I had a plan for the stories to share them.  I’ve not followed through with that.  I’m kind of hesitant because there are only a couple of stories that I am really proud of.  The rest are mediocre.  I still may share them.  I think the stories I am proudest of would cause some guys to get hard and maybe get off to them.  However, what I think and what reality is could very well be two different things. 

Knowing that I wanted to get up early on Sunday I opted to eat a couple frozen waffles and use some of the new syrup I got with sugar alcohol.  That has a kick to it but when it wears off I get super sleepy.  I was writing away in my third story and couldn’t keep my eyes open but didn’t understand why and then it hit me, it was the sugar wearing off.  That’s when I put everything up and got ready for bed. 

Damn insomnia kicked in again last night along with a leg cramp.  Still I powered through getting up early this morning.  Opted to shave and shower to start the day rather than to end it.  Kind of knocks the shaving task out of the way and I hate it.  Fed the cats before I got started.  Rudy was waiting for me outside the bathroom door when I was done.  He was sleepy but eventually he went in for his drink of shower water. 

I made it to breakfast, had another breakfast burrito.  I skipped the side that it came with and just had the burrito and a soda.  I was listening to three guys yap on about all sorts of things, one of which was killing a dog.  That turned my stomach and honestly I could have done without hearing that story.  After that made it to the grocery store and then to the gas station and finally home.  The cookies I really wanted were all sold out, as per usual.  Wedding Cake Cookies sell out quickly around here.  I still have plenty of holiday cookies here and it’s probably for the best that I didn’t add to the collection.  Picked up a jar of refrigerated cling peaches and I am just dying to dive into them.  Never knew they existed until today.  I was really looking and struggling with what to buy.  The total this week was about half of what it was last week and I had a whole lot less.  Still I won’t starve.  This new drug is kind of killing my appetite add in a little depression and it’s the perfect combo for weight loss. 

Got all of the groceries put away.  The cats and I sat in my chair and they got their sleep.  I got a little bit but really tried to stay awake.  Finally when I wanted to sleep Rudy was bugging me for an early lunch.  That was my clue to get started. 

I fed them.  Put out my medicine and then broke out the dreaded vacuum cleaner.  Had to clean the air purifier, oddly only one of it’s many filters were fully of dust, everything else was clean.  Still I ran the vacuum over every filter before putting it back together and resetting the indicator.  It’s made things better here but it’s not a miracle cure. 

Then I sucked up the dust from the carpet and someone went a little crazy in the litter box making a huge mess by scattering litter way outside the box, so got that cleaned up.  Trash taken out.  Then I promised them a trip to the basement.  They followed me down here and Rudy has been finding toys and bringing them in.  He has been bugging me for attention and even started to fall asleep on my chest when I’d take a brake from typing. 

My new leather chair already has been victimized by their claws and I am trying to keep that to a minimum but they use them to get my attention.  That’s it.  Need to change out the laundry and head back up.  Might work on that third story I just need to pass a little bit more time and then I will be headed out for supper. 

My hormones tell me to go back to the pizza place where the cute boys are.  At least I’d get a nice show and have something left over to take home and eat for part of the week.  However, I think I am going to Red Lobster that sounds really good.  Hopefully, this will be a better experience than the last time I was there.  Might even order something different like Fish instead of crab pasta but probably not. 

Plan to enjoy what’s left of the day before I return to the pit of hell that is work tomorrow and being on-call.  I do hope that a lot of people are out of the office and that this week will be incredibly light and maybe we can even get away from a couple of our BS meetings.  That would be a Christmas miracle to me. 

Talk with you all again soon.  Be well, stay warm and dry.  Take care!

Lighting Strikes Twice

Morning … Hope that your enjoying your Friday Eve!  I heard yesterday as did everyone else that was in the meeting that were getting a second holiday bonus due to profits being so great.  Even better they are giving it to us on our next check.  It will probably be comparable to our traditional holiday gift so a few hundred dollars and then taxes come out.  Don’t get me wrong I’m not ungrateful but by the time taxes come out there isn’t a whole lot left.  If it turns out to be more great but my hopes aren’t set on high for a large dollar amount.  Every penny helps and if I get enough money that I don’t have to tap savings to pay for my pen that would be awesome!  They did this last year for us but I never expected it to happen again.  Folks might start getting used to this. 

Speaking of pens, I filed a dispute yesterday with my bank over the credit that Amazon owes me for the return.  I was told they have 15 days to issue the credit from the date they received the return, if they don’t then the bank will issue me credit and start the dispute process.  Right now it’s just sit back and wait.  Meanwhile the nag alerts still are coming in that my balance is higher than normal.  I control those alerts but it’s set for a reason as a cautionary thing.

Got my nap yesterday with the cats and took in some TV.  There wasn’t a whole lot going.  I was sitting in the sun by lunchtime with Mora in the living room.  She had me all pinned down and I got hot enough that I just came back downstairs.  Managed to get a little bit more work done that rolled in but for the most part sat around and surfed the web.

The Lasagna was delicious and I ate it all, had that awful full feeling because it was so rich.  I didn’t eat anything else for the rest of the night.  The cats were content in their cat beds I passed out some cat nip and went through my normal shutdown routine.  They never came in my room and I was able to watch TV and fall asleep alone.  Sadly I didn’t stay asleep for long.  I was up by midnight and watched a little TV.  Rudy tried to get some food out of me but that didn’t happen.  I went back to bed for a couple hours and was up again at 5 thanks to Rudy who though it was time to get up.  There was no going back to sleep but I made him wait until normal time before I passed out breakfast.  He wasn’t happy about that. 

I wanted to call in today and go back to bed due to the lack of sleep but I pushed and I am doing okay at the moment.  I know the bottom is going to fall out soon enough and I will be tired.  Good thing I have all my work done at the moment.  The only thing on my schedule is lunch.  I will be headed up to relax with the cats and probably take a nap.  Keeping an eye on my phone and if work rolls in I can easily come back down or grab my laptop if I feel that lazy.  No sense in wasting a perfectly good vacation day when I can be off unless someone bothers me. 

One more day and I am plotting my Saturday with breakfast a trip to see my friends and to get the mail.  Then debating about what to do for my main evening meal.  Thinking of traveling to the buffet but Red Lobster also sounds good.  Kind of depends on how I feel and what I crave a bit more a long drive or a short drive that will dictate where I go. 

Sadly today is death day for the Showtime standalone app.  I found out that Paramount is bundling their app with Showtime but just because you subscribe to Showtime via cable doesn’t mean you get a Paramount subscription automatically.  There are all sorts of Terms and Conditions.  That’s a convenient way to say I’m going to get the short end of the stick.  I like the standalone apps so you can watch what you want whenever you want.  This is all a part of a movement to rebundle things and for those people who thought they were saving money by getting rid of cable and subscribing to standalone services, all it all up and you’ll likely find that you are paying more so a story said from CNBC.  It’s just another way to make money and that’s what big business is all about turning a profit.  There are people who subscribe long enough to watch what they want and cancel.  They call that CHURN and it’s very popular.  I on the other hand subscribe and keep the service despite the fact that I might not watch anything for months.  Me thinks I am going to re-evaluate that and might wind up getting rid of some services. 

Here’s hoping it’s a great day for all.  Stay warm and be well. 

Feeling Lazy

Morning … I made it home at an early hour like I wanted and promised the cats.  They were starving so I gave them food and then got comfy and put away my leftovers from lunch.  I hardly ever eat everything that I take in.  The package I got was indeed the fire truck calendar and it looks pretty good.  Got to see the people that I wanted to and had a decent day.  However, once it was time to eat supper I was dead.  The day had taken its tole on me.  I ate and that gave me some minor energy that didn’t last terribly long.  I made it to my normal time and then got ready for bed.  I got in bed way early and was out early.  I was tired because of waking up early and going through the motions and I didn’t have a nap all day long.  

The cats wouldn’t let me sleep they had to fight during the night and my body naturally woke me up a couple times in addition to the fight.  I managed to get back to sleep.  About the time I got comfy I felt Rudy climbing upon top of me.  He knew I was awake but he patiently waited for me to give him attention and acknowledge that he was there.  I wound up getting up about a 1/2 hour early and while the cats were thrilled about it, I was not. 

I had breakfast, got dressed and medicated.  Then spent some time with them and looked over my phone to see what I was walking into.  It’s a quiet and calm day thus far.  It’s also super boring.  I was bothered twice last night by two different people and had to make a call to my boss to fill him in.  I took care of the situation but wanted to educate him because it had the potential to blow up.  As per usual I was told thank you, that I did everything correctly.  Now I kind of wish I would have asked for today off. 

We have a couple meetings today.  One is with the boss and it’s going to be our usual mid-week of listening to him flap his yap.  The other is with the entire company to get a progress update.  Were all hoping that we will hear that were at another year of record profit and they are going to give us a second holiday bonus like they did last year.  I think we will hear the profit part but as for the second holiday bonus I am not holding my breath.  That I think was a one time thing last year and it was the first time it’s ever happened.  While I hope history repeats it’s self in this case I don’t have high hopes for it.  I don’t expect any bad news though and I think everyone is thinking the same.  Hopefully, at least that part is true. 

I’ve got my dumb report to prepare and get out but part of me says do it now to occupy myself and the other part of me says it can wait until tomorrow.  That’s when I have it scheduled.  I like having free time but being bored just makes the day drag on that much longer and it seems like quitting time will never get here.  I just did a quick check of my schedule for the rest of the week and based on my calendar it’s going to be calm and boring for the rest of the week.  Of course, I can’t go just by my calendar alone because you never know what is going to crop up and creep in. 

If all goes well I plan to indulge in store bought Lasagna for supper tonight.  It’s really rich and quite filling.  It’s not my favorite Lasagna but it’s not bad and sure beats frozen. 

Still waiting on Amazon to issue my refund, it’s odd that it’s taking a long time.  They for sure have the package and I’ve got proof of that.  I am trying to be patient but the card I used is over it’s normal balance limit and I’ve got nag alerts set so they come rolling in at the start of each day and I get two of them. 

Just got an alert that someone was at the front door, looked and it was the mailman dropping off a box.  Turns out it’s my new pen and thankfully it’s exactly what I wanted in the first place.  I am beyond pleased.  Glad I didn’t return the refills to Amazon because they fit the new pen like they are supposed to.  Can’t believe this all worked out but I am glad that it did. 

Here’s hoping it will be a great day for all.  Take care, stay warm and be well.  Talk with you all again soon.

 

Difficult Day

Today is a difficult day for me, it marks the one year passing of Gator.  I made it to the office but I went kicking and screaming.  I wanted to just hole up and shut the world out today.  Just sit and watch TV or sleep and be with Rudy & Mora.  However, I know that wouldn’t have been much of a productive day. 

I remember this day like it was yesterday, it’s cold like it was last year but this afternoon it’s supposed to warm up a little bit.  I know there is no more suffering and no more waiting or wondering and no worrying.  Still I miss that 18 year old girl who would be 19 now.  It’s a long time and that’s why it hurts so much.  I went through her photo album earlier in the week and Mora came over and hugged me.  I didn’t’ make a sound or say a word but she just knew.  I just hope that my little girl is with her family and the lights didn’t just get shutoff as I suspect that’s what happens regardless if your an animal or a human.  One day your here and then suddenly your not.  Death and the afterlife aren’t exactly great subjects for me.  I have always had a hard time with death since I was a kid and it has only grown worse as an adult. 

I know that I am paving a new road now but honestly I don’t want to.  However, life is all about moving forward and not about looking back.  I’m human and tend to think about the past a lot, primarily because it was happier times but I didn’t know it then like I know it now. 

I’m thankful for everything except the pain.  It won’t be too many more weeks and we will mark Mora & Rudy’s 1 year anniversary of us being together.  That’s next month though. 

On my way to work I got a notification there was someone at my front door.  It was the mailman dropping off a flat that looks much like the firetruck calendar that I ordered.  I won’t be able to confirm that for sure until I get home, provided it’s still there.  Tis the season for package thefts.  I don’t think anyone would want it but then again you just never know. 

I tracked my pen and it’s already made it’s way to the local distribution center so it should be delivered with in a day or two at most.  It would be nice if the mailman brought that to my front door but I don’t expect it.  All of the shipping carriers are running extra routes through my neighborhood and FedEx and the post office are the two most popular as I see their trucks the most, even on Sundays. 

Wolfed down part of my lunch and then started surfing and blogging.  The morning was a little busy here but I was also productive as well.  Had a morning meeting and have an afternoon one to go to here in a while.  Then the day is pretty well done.  I stick around just in case something shakes loose but I hope to be gone by 3 and home by 4.  It’s the last day of this year that I plan to come to the office unless there is some reason for me to come back.  I am on-call next week and after Christmas the last week of the year is short by 1 day because of the holiday.  For the most part no one will be here and not much happens then so I see no point in coming back not even for 1 day.  I wish we were like Cisco and hot a holiday shutdown break and didn’t have to come back until next year but that’s not how things work here. 

I’ve got plenty of time in the bank so I can take off when I want but I would rather have it planned than unplanned.  If I went any place right now it would be some place warm on the West Coast.  However, no vacation or travel plans at the moment.  Just kind of waiting for the year to fizzle out and the new year to start and we do the same thing over again.  Not all of the faces will be the same but the work for me will be.  Thankful for my job but wish it came with less BS and politics. 

Happy Tuesday.  Back to the salt mines for now, trying to keep my mind occupied so I don’t dwell about Gator but my mind seems to go back there regardless.  Rudy & Mora will be getting some hugs tonight for sure!

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

 

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!

Feelin Okay

Howdy, hope that your Saturday is going well.  I had one hell of a nightmare that woke me up around 3a.  Glad it was Saturday because if this would have happened any day of the work week I would be out the next day for sure.  Glad that is behind me.  I watched a little TV and drank a Sprite.  Even fed Rudy a mid-morning snack and he got breakfast when I woke up.  Now every time I go to the kitchen he follows me thinking he’s getting food.  What have I done? 

I got up early, took a shower and got dressed.  Went to Bob Evans for breakfast.  Got to watch the police deal with a car accident and saw a tow truck load and haul away a car.  I put my order in and they didn’t have the accident cleared until I was nearly done.  I had some double Blueberry Pancakes, which were good but nothing like Cracker Barrel.  Bob Evans gives you much more to eat than CB though.  I didn’t have any eye candy to look at but such is life. 

Got the mail and then came back home when I was done and waited out the hour.  My vehicle title finally arrived, thank goodness!Apparently me and 65 other people had the same bright idea to be the first in line at the UPS store.  I was tired and really didn’t want to be screwed with but the nice guy in me came out and I held the door and allowed everyone to go ahead of me.  Dumb idea since I was tired the Blueberry Coma was setting in.  However, I got more thanks from people it was just utter shock that someone would do such a good deed.  Some people didn’t say anything and that’s okay too.  I felt good and that’s all that matters.  The wrong pen is on it’s way back so I should be getting my refund in a couple days, the package arrives back at Amazon on Monday.  Normally as soon as UPS scans the label they issue the refund but that hasn’t happened so far.  The right pen has yet to ship and I figured out that I spent $29 more if it’s truly what I want and I think it will be then it’s worth it.  I just want a tracking number so I know when it’s coming and via what carrier.  My best guess says it won’t ship until Monday.  Waiting it’s what I think we spend half of our lives doing waiting be it for a package, letter, to talk to a person, doctor, waiting for news good or bad, just waiting.  I’m not a fan but realize that it’s just part of life, like it or not. 

Made my way back home in a flash and was undressed and in bed with the cats next to me watching TV.  We watched a few episodes of Roseanne and then I finally fell asleep.  Woke up around 11a I think.  Passed out lunch for Rudy and grabbed a soda and some chocolate orange slices for me.  Back to Roseanne. 

Amazon delivered my final package today which was cologne.  They put it way on the other side of my porch but that didn’t stop me I went out in a shirt and a pair of boxers to fetch it.  It was slightly nippy but I didn’t care.  I wasn’t nude and no one was given a reason to complain. 

Then back to the TV and watching Roseanne.  Finally enough time lapsed it was time to go fetch some supper.  I didn’t make the trip to Outback that was just way too far for me to drive and kind of silly.  I wanted Reb Lobster but talked myself out of that and into pizza.  Yeah I went to the place where all of the cute waiters are and they were all working.  I got my fill of eye candy.  Nice legs and asses to gaze at and dream about but that’s just it all a dream.  I saw a guy eating by himself and got his servers attention and paid his bill after paying my own.  I pulled my magic trick speech on him and he’s the second person to tell me that he doesn’t like magic.  I told him that he should have said yes because I made his bill disappear.  He was in utter shock.  He shook my hand, asked me if I was from around town and I told him where I lived.  Turns out he’s a neighbor just down the road from me.  We had a few minutes of small talk and then I got going.  He wasn’t anyone I wanted to date but if I ever see a guy that I like that is eating by himself I will for sure use that trick to try to get a date.  This was me doing my random good deed.  I haven’t bought anyone’s meal in a while.  Made me feel good. 

My reward was on the way home some jack ass almost side swiped me.  I followed them for a while and made them nervous that their driving just got more erratic that I just backed off.  I wanted to call them in as possibly drunk based on the way they were driving but opted to just back off and let them go. 

Since I went a different way home from following the jack ass I opted to stop and get pet food.  I also went to look at cats up for adoption.  Found one Tuxedo cat that looked cute.  Saw another one that looked like Rudy but had a much lighter coat.  I am not looking to add but thinking about Gator and just had to look.  Surprise adoption fees are only $25 for the holidays to help move the animals out of the shelter.  They did the same thing last year.  Walking into the store I saw the pet bed that I bought her they had tons of them for sale.  That is what started me thinking about her.  I bought way too much food for Rudy & Mora and then came home. 

Decided to come downstairs to take care of some business.  The cats are always nagging me to come down here with me.  Now that were down here they want to go back upstairs like they are over this basement thing.  Were going up as soon as I press post and I’ll bet you anything I have to fight them to get them back upstairs. 

Doing the dishes, having another soda and watching more TV.  Until it’s time for bed.  Plan to get up early and have breakfast out.  Mail some letters and hit up the grocery store and gas station.  How exciting.  I might go out for supper again depending on how my mood is. 

Just wishing I had a friend or a boyfriend, something more to come home to than two cats that love me and suck up all of my attention.  Here’s hoping that tomorrow is a great day because it’s my last day off until next weekend. 

Stay warm & be well.  Talk with you all again soon.  Thanks for stopping by!

One more time

Feeling bummed out about this pen situation, I went looking on my phone.  Found a place called Jomashop and they have the pen I want.  By pictures they show that it takes the LeGrand Refill and they use Amazon pay so they made it super easy.  I placed an order now I just have to sit back and wait for it to arrive.  I took the free shipping but I could have upgraded but I really don’t like paying for shipping. 

I hope this turns out to be a success and not another flop.  I see that I can return it if I am not happy so that helps but honestly I really don’t like returning things either. 

As for Amazon I’m returning the pen that they sent and keeping the refills as they should fit the new pen I ordered.  If not it’s easy enough to still return them, I’ve got plenty of time. 

I am paying a little more money but if it gets me what I want and I’m happy then that is all that matters.  Thankfully money isn’t a concern, if it was I wouldn’t be buying a fancy pen. 

I worked in a little bit of a nap and just had a quick snack for lunch.  Still not hungry but I am thinking about supper.  Might wind up eating junk if not then it will be something frozen more than likely. 

Both cats are passed out, one in each pet bed.  That won’t last but another hour and then it will be time to feed them.  Rudy has his stomach on a timer, he is always the one who gets excited over food.  Mora gets her excitement from treat time and catnip time, those are events she has on her timer.  She eats but just isn’t excited about it as her brother. 

We are quite the interesting bunch.  I’m looking forward to eating breakfast out tomorrow and being one of the first people in line at the UPS store when the doors open.  That place gets nuts quickly and that’s on a normal Saturday, were in holiday mode now so I expect it will be extra crazy. 

I reached a stopping point about an hour ago at work and just walked away.  What I accomplished today is good but there will be more waiting for me come Monday, as they say the beat goes on.  I worked a little harder today than I would on any given Friday but it’s all water under the bridge. 

Here’s to the weekend!

Peacock

Good Morning!  I hope all is well. 

I got the pen and refills all boxed up, shame that Amazon is making me return them each in their own box as they could have both fit easily in one box.  I’ve had some second thoughts about returning the pen but it’s honestly not what I was wanting.  I’ve done more browsing on Amazon and think that I see what I want and I could buy it but I am a little shy about it as I really don’t want to get my hopes up only to have them dashed.  Mont Blanc does have boutiques or stores but none in my area and I would need to travel to find one.  Unless you are absolute buying a pen sight unseen and only relying on pictures is kind of like buying shoes the same way.  You pay your money and take your chances.  If I didn’t have a recourse of a refund I would be pissed. 

All hell broke loose last night as I was trying to wind down from the day and I kept getting pulled back to have to login again and again.  Finally I got to a stopping point and just said time to do me. 

I had a hot dog for supper but wasn’t really hungry.  That’s kind of odd but I normally don’t get hungry I just eat out of habit.  There are times I crave food and seldom do I feel hunger but when I do I need to fix that asap.  I think if I waited for my body to tell me it was hungry before I ate it might be a few days.  My blood sugar would fall as well. 

Back to the fun for the final day.  I’ve got a crap task of deleting peoples old files.  It’s part of my normal job and I do it once a month but there are people that have been gone for years and years that fell through the cracks so now is time to play catch up.  Everyone seems to have a large amount of data that take around 20 minutes to delete so the process goes pretty slow but everyone once and a while I luck out and get someone who’s data deletes quickly.  Kind of like playing the lottery, you just never know. 

Last night I signed up for a subscription to Peacock TV.  They have a few things I want to watch.  My main reason for joining was to watch the old Roseanne series from start to end.  I opted for the more expensive tier to cut out the commercials.  It’s very nice.  They have what seem like endless choices in content variety.  Plus my local NBC station can be viewed through the app.  It’s presently blocked as my tv provider is in a contract dispute.  I enjoy Chicago PD and SNL (weekend update) and really don’t want to miss them.  Not exactly sure how long I will stay subscribed but I did it month to month instead of paying for a year in advance as I know at some point I will loose interest.  I’m paying so much for TV you’d think that I would be able to always find something to watch but seems like the more content choices I get the more difficult it is to find something good to watch. 

The toilet cleaner I bought has to sit overnight for 6 hours.  My stomach was kind of suspect last night so I didn’t put it in.  I am thinking of trying it tonight.  The thought of not flushing for 6 hours is kind of like when you go for an x-ray and they stay don’t move.  The first thing you want to do is move.  I’m sure my toilet has gone more than 6 hours without being flushed from just normal overnight non use but thinking about it makes me want to flush it.  Strange how that works. 

Both cats are now sleeping on their backs.  Mora started this and Rudy has picked up on it.  They both got into their new sleeping position for the first time together while I was getting dressed this morning.  It was so cute.  Took me back to the days of Momma’s family when the entire family used to do that.  They seem to enjoy it when they are younger but as they age they do it less and less.  Mora likes to get on her back when she is snuggled up against me on the couch and her legs dangle and I struggle to support her.  They can be so damn cute at times.  Makes you forget about all of the hell they cause.  I need to do a brushing and have been putting that off for a while.  I’ve had a couple messes to cleanup and each time I say I’ll brush them tonight then I forget or just am too tired. 

I’ve got one hell of a knot in my shoulder that has been driving me crazy.  I’d like to take a muscle relaxer and call it a day, I know that would knock me out but the question is what would I be like tomorrow?  I need to get to the UPS store.  That and the cat food store and post office are the 3 trips I have to make.  Otherwise I can linger at home.  I guess it depends on how bad it gets before I give up if in fact I do give up.  I think I will power through the day even if I have a largely boring task ahead.  I’m listening to some music which always helps to make the day a little more enjoyable and of course the police scanner is going.  Between the two they keep me company, but I usually only have the scanner going.

Who knows where my weekend will take me and what eating adventures I will go on but I look forward to getting some good food somewhere.  I’ve got a craving for Outback Steakhouse and want to go on a long drive but the more I think about it, probably not worth it in the long run.  I can get something pretty comparable at a place much closer to home.  We are getting a new Outback and it should open any day now but waiting for that to happen is like watching paint dry. 

I’ve got patience but it depends on what I am waiting for and why.  Certain things drive me crazy and want to speed it up already and other things I can just wait until it’s my turn.  It’s just odd how that works. 

Stay warm, be well and get your holiday shopping done if you have any.  I’m lucky I just have to pacify myself and two cats.  No one else to shop for but that also means no gifts to receive either.  What I’d really like is some hug therapy.  Just someone to give me a hug once and a while that would feel so good.  As an added plus a nice deep tissue massage for my upper back would be lovely.  I’d settle for the hug though.  This is the time of year when depression starts to flare and I really miss my family more than other times of the year and it’s a sobering reminder that I am all alone.  There is good and bad with everything I just try to make the best of it.  It would be awesome if somehow I would meet my dream guy but I’m not holding my breath, otherwise I would turn as blue as a smurf and who’d want to date me then? 

Take care! 

 

Disappointment

Greetings once again, welcome back!

I hope your having a great day and life is going well for you.  As for me I got a surprise in that my pen was delivered today.  I was super excited but when I opened the box what I was expecting and what I got were two different things.  I got a genuine Mont Blanc product but it took regular refills and not the special LeGrand refills that it should have taken.  I’m not sure if this was a breakdown in my understanding or if I truly got the wrong thing.  In any case it’s a lot of money at play here and while I could easily keep the Le Grand refills and the Pen I honestly see no reason to.  I’ve got to take care of boxing them back up later this evening and then on Saturday I will take them back to the UPS store and my money should be cheerfully refunded, that is unless I have a change of heart and opt to keep them but I don’t expect that to happen. 

The LeGrand Rollerball as my understanding goes should be much larger than the regular Rollerball.  In other words I was looking for a huge fat pen and what I got wasn’t all that much bigger than the Rollerball that I already own in that line. 

This morning I was run down from sleep issues last night.  Lucky for me I had some candy delivered and pigged out a little too much on Chocolate Orange slices.  They were good but it wasn’t long after I started to feel nauseas.  I just drank water and waited for the feeling to pass, which it did.  I’ve got 4 large Chocolate Oranges to consume and believe you me, I learned my less I will take my time and consume sparingly.  I worked on the classic.  I’ve got white chocolate, dark chocolate, toffee and then the classic.  I think it will be a very long time before they are all gone.  Just need to keep them away from the cats. 

I got some miracle toilet cleaning product that I am going to try out tonight as well that is supposed to take the work out of the job but I don’t have high hopes but time will tell. 

Almost forgot that it’s trash day.  Need to get everything thrown in the barrel and push it out to the curb before the sunsets and the temperatures really drop. 

There always seems like there is something to do, regardless if I want to do it or not.  I wanted to post this morning but my heart wasn’t in it and I opted to save it until this afternoon.  Everything went crazy at work for a while and now I feel like I am playing catchup. 

Here’s hoping for a much calmer evening and hoping that the cats don’t drive me nuts.  Looks like Christmas went bust for me this year.  Speaking of the cats, I found a video of Gator and me singing her song to her and her echoing in a meow where she always did.  I played that and Mora came running to me.  She had to cuddle.  I guess she knew that struck a bit of a chord with me.  I’m thankful that I have videos and photos to look back on but damn there’s nothing like the real thing! 

I don’t mean to end on a down note but I really need to get moving.  Have a great evening and I will talk with you all again soon.  Be well and stay warm!