Mid Week Warm Up

For the first time in days we are going to warm up above freezing but it’s short lived.  Once the sun sets it will be a done deal and we will be back into the freezer but it should also be another slightly warmer day on Thursday.  Friday is back into the deep freeze.  That’s not good for a lot of things that are outdoors like water mains and pipes in homes and buildings. 

It was a mostly calm and quiet day yesterday except for the meetings, one of which got moved.  Today is another day that has meetings in it.  They are for the most part a huge waste of time and rarely anything productive ever comes from them but yet they persist.  I liked the days when I was lower on the totem pole that a meeting was a rare thing but when it did happen something productive came from it.  I like where I am on the totem pole but just wish I had less meetings. 

The cats are doing okay.  Poor Rudy got sick a couple of times.  Every time I clean up one of there messes brings me closer to buying a portable carpet cleaner.  I’ve got my eye on a couple of them just a matter of making a decision and placing an order.  For some reason both cats were extra drowsy last night.  They had their treats and them both curled up in their beds and slowly faded off to dream land. 

That gave me time to do some writing and I almost escaped into the shower without them raising their heads.  They are quite keen listeners and when the slightest thing makes a noise they are up.  That includes me when I am getting up off the couch.  I suppose they thought I was trying to cheat them out of their evening cat nip which wasn’t the case. 

I had my shower and then passed out their cat nip.  Finished with brushing my teeth and my normal wind down routine.  We all piled into my room.  Mora had the bed as per usual.  Rudy curled up with me in the chair.  It wasn’t terribly long before my sleeping med kicked in and I was laying in bed with Mora watching TV.  Once I got drowsier the TV went off and that was all she wrote for Tuesday. 

Rudy woke me up a little early and I passed out the food.  Had breakfast and magically the little bit of lead time I had wasted away and I had to get dressed and back to work it is.  Things are silent at the moment and with any luck that is the way they will stay until the stilly meetings start up.  I am all about a quiet day, even if it makes for a longer day. 

Just like yesterday as soon as I decide to head up and nestle in my room with the cats my phone will start up.  Yesterday to stave things off I brought the laptop with me.  That only made it a little more convenient for me.  The requests didn’t pile in as they usually do but it wasn’t long before there was something to tend to.  I plan to bring the laptop along again today.  Sometimes it works in my favor and no one bothers me but those times are rare. 

Glad it’s the middle of the week, two more days to go until the weekend.  Next company holiday for us will be in May which is a long time away from now, but don’t you know it will sneak up on us.  I’ve got time off scheduled for next month to see the doctor.  I got a referral from a friend of a good massage therapist so I plan on making an appointment and seeing how good it actually is.  I expect to be beat up and sore, as long as the knots are gone that is the main thing.  I’ll be making that call soon as I know massage appointments fill up pretty fast. 

I hope that your staying warm and doing well.  Going to work on an eye candy post and then see what else the day has in store for me.  I hope it’s a great day ahead for all of us.  Take care.

Dangerously Cold

  Morning, hope that your warm and well.  It’s been dangerously cold here with wind chills in the double negative numbers.  We got some snow last night about an inch.  Looks pretty out but glad I am not out traveling.  The morning news showed that it was truly a rough commute day.  Lots of accidents and traffic snarls.  They encouraged people to work from home if that was an option.  Most of the schools in the area are having remote learning.  That’s the one downside to the pandemic kids won’t have snow days.  That’s not me in the photo, I wouldn’t be crazy enough to take a photo like that, unless I wanted to get seriously sick. 

I opened the door to the garage last night to pitch out some used cat liter and damn even with an insulated garage and a temperature in the garage of 36, it felt much colder.  The door got closed pretty quickly. 

I had half of some store made Spaghetti for supper.  I plan to eat the other half tonight.  I did an impulse buy and got some Mint Chip Klondike bars yesterday.  Had one of those last night.  It was okay but I am typically always disappointed with Klondike I think it is going to taste way better than it actually does.  I’m just not a huge fan.  Others in my family as a kid enjoyed them but not me. 

Watched some YouTube videos and then switched over to The King of Queens.  I am on Season 5 I think and it’s been pretty funny.  Glad that I picked it to watch.  Not sure what I will binge on when it’s done but I still have a ways to go. 

The cats were kind of sleepy last night and not bothering me so much.  Rudy did try to beg for some food while I was eating.  Not once but twice.  I don’t know who fed them from the table but I’d like to give them a kick.  Both of them look so cute when they beg that you almost can’t say no to the pretty face but if it’s table scraps it’s an easy no for me. 

Got my work done and was eager to close up the laptop.  I hate having to work on a holiday or a day off.  I know it’s part of the job but since I am salaried it feels like a huge rip off to me as if I am giving my time and service away.  Here’s hoping for a quiet week in return for my kindness.  I know it won’t work out that way but I can still hope. 

We have a bit of a warm up coming tomorrow but then Thursday it’s back into the freezer and more snow is on the way.  Where was all of this at Christmas time when I really wanted it?  Funny thing the store is still making Christmas Cookies in their bakery but they are branded as assorted cookies.  They are damn good and I will continue to buy them until they stop selling them.  Cookies, Muffins and some of their cakes are about the only things they seem to do to my liking. 

I’ve got 3 meetings today and not looking forward to any of them.  Glad to be home with the furnace running, in my sweats and comfy cozy.  Plus I get to go up and see the cats.  Looking forward to lunch time just to get away from the computer.  Hope that your warm and doing well.  Take care!

Still Bitter Cold

Good Afternoon and thanks for stopping by.  As you can guess by the title it’s still very cold here.  I got a decent nights sleep and got up early this morning.  Shaved, showered and dressed.  Of course you know before I woke up I had to feed the cats or there would be no peace here. 

I debated wearing a ski face mask where only your mouth and eyes are visible.  It’s just that cold out.  I realize it could freak people out and they might think I stopped in to rob a place in stead of to grab a bite to eat or shop.  I opted to not wear it and kind of wish I would have. 

Got breakfast a burger with an egg and fries.  Not bad and I was full.  The place I went to is a regular place that I go.  They are still charging $4 for a soda with refills.  Unless you bring a two liter bottle and ask them to fill it up there is no way you will drink $4 worth of soda.  It’s either that or you just hang out there for hours and drink.  However, I had things to do. 

Made a Target run.  Wouldn’t you know it the one thing I wanted to check out was space heaters and I forgot.  I did find some bakery in the store and grabbed a large Danish that looks more like a Stolen.  I’ve already had a piece and it’s pretty good. 

From Target to the grocery store and then on to fill up the tank.  When I started my journey I pressed the remote in my vehicle to open the garage and I heard the door move but glad I looked before I backed up the door wasn’t open, it only went up a couple inches.  I pressed the remote two more times and the door opened. 

When I came home and pressed the button on the remote don’t you know the damn door wouldn’t open for anything.  If it wasn’t for a lockbox I have I would have been locked out.  I don’t normally travel with keys and have an alarm which is always on, especially when I am out of the house.  I got in through the front door and then used the manual release for the garage and the door lifted right up.  I think it was just too cold for the motor.  Of course after I got my vehicle inside and closed the door I had to press the door button to re-engage the automatic opener and don’t you know the door went up and down with no problem. 

I’ve gotten some battery alerts from my front door camera, the super cold weather is hard on everything.  It looks like it needs a charge up.  Once it warms up that alert goes away and the battery levels are fine. 

I was interested in how much the car battery had in it, even though it started I know the cold just isn’t good for anything.  I hooked up my charger and learned that I had 42%.  I’ve got a charged back up but since it’s going to be super bitter cold for a few more days I plan to go back and do a double check. 

It took forever for me to warm up once I was done with my running but the cats were happy to see me.  I got more litter and treats for them so of course they were happy.  Also, having today off meant that we got to spend time together. 

I watched Good Greif the new Dan Levy movie.  I didn’t shed a tear at all and thought the movie was boring, I dozed off for a brief moment.  I did watch it to the end and my opinion didn’t change.  Interesting plot having a spouse who dies only to learn that he was having an affair while you were married.

After that was done I watched an A I special called George Carlin I am Glad I am Dead.  It was an A I engine that produced the material and it sounded a little like George and the topics and language used kind of matched.  It didn’t make me laugh but did cause me to stop and think which would be my typical reaction to George Carlin.  I get that people are frustrated and upset by not only the title but the fact that a computer was trying to impersonate him.  My mouth flew open with horror when I heard the title but I had to check it out. 

My back is bothering me a little bit from the work I did around here yesterday.  I also have some work to do but that got pushed to later in the evening, which I am not happy about but figured would happen based on a telephone conversation I had on Friday. 

I’ve tweaked my blog a bit and noticed that my Best Male Blogs badge wasn’t rendering and I wasn’t listed on that site any longer.  I submitted a request to get re-added and the kind gentlemen that runs the site has graciously relisted me.  I’ve added a link to the site Gay Demon it’s a list of all kinds of blogs as well as adult sites.  Just wanted to call this out as well as thank the site for listing me again. 

I am off to have some Italian cuisine, feed the cats and watch some TV to continue to pass the evening until I have to do some work.  I had planned on making an event of it by inviting the cats downstairs but now I am just doing it from upstairs to get it out of the way. 

I will be on-call tomorrow and back to the normal bump and grind.  I will hate it but at least I will be working from home.  I do hope that I will be able to get out a bit more next weekend.  I am proud of my accomplishments this weekend, just wish that the weather was a bit warmer and I would have been able to get out a bit more. 

Hope that your warm and well.  Talk with you all again soon.  Be well!

Vveerryy Coold

It’s dangerously cold out right now.  Were in the negative numbers and my furnace is working overtime keeping us toasty warm.  Since Monday is a holiday and its highly recommended that everyone stays in doors unless you absolutely have to travel today, I am heeding that advice.  I’m not happy about it but I know I am warmer than I would be if I was riding around going from place to place. 

Yesterday I got my haircut, hung out with some friends and came home.  I had plans of going back out but they never materialized and the cold set in.  Then we got some snow showers.  It was great to watch it snow.  Didn’t amount to much of anything. 

My insomnia kicked in and I got up and got some junk food.  Rudy followed me to the kitchen and begged but I didn’t give in.  The last thing I want is him waking me up in the middle of the night for food like Gator used to when she started to have her issues.  Feeding him once in the middle of the night is just encouragement.  Besides that he had plenty of dry food but like any cat that knows good from bad, he much prefers the wet food.  It’s a luxury that I don’t believe they were ever afforded before. 

Rudy was quick to wake me at 7am so I got up and fed him because normally I would be up.  I came back to bed but eventually wound up getting up and getting something to eat, so that the sugar high would wear off and I would get sleepy and be able to come back to bed.  Today was the perfect day for just sleeping in.  Both cats snuggled up with me in bed. 

I woke up around 10am and felt hot so I got up and watched TV.  Neither cat moved out of bed.  They looked so comfy and cozy.  Eventually Mora came over and sat in my lap as I watched TV.  I kept thinking about chores and wanting to get them done so I got up and we had some lunch and I got busy. 

Right now were in the basement and I am working on laundry.  It’s great to let them in down here then I go back up and run the vacuum.  They know what’s coming so they stay put and I don’t have to deal with them being freaked out from the big noisy machine. 

I’ve got high hopes for laundry plan on doing multiple loads and even working in some mopping of floors.  Tomorrow it will be still dangerously cold but we won’t have negative numbers just single digits.  I need grocery's at the very least so I do plan on trying to get an early start and do my normal Sunday routine but on Monday.  That is highly dependent upon a good nights sleep. 

Listening to the police scanner it sounds like people are out and about, despite the weather.  All I can say is good for them, hope they stay warm. 

Today is Rudy & Mora’s 1 year anniversary of being with me.  It was damn cold when I brought them home one year ago but it wasn’t negative numbers or even single digits, just normal winter cold like 25 to 30 degrees.  They are quite a bit happier than they were one year ago today and they have a good home.  Might not be the best in terms of class but they have way more room than they ever did stuck at a shelter in a kitty condo, not to mention the good food.  We did brushing and claw trims last night.  Both of them tried to bite me with the claw trim.  They were quite unhappy about it.  I don’t want to get all marked up and Rudy had already poked me a couple times in my chest and it itches.  I’m glad I have them and that we all get along reasonably well.  They have got me through some dark days and provided quite the entertainment and memories. 

With that Mora is begging me to head up so stay warm and I will talk with you all again soon. 

All done

I made it to the visitation.  It was a surprise but I was remembered.  We hugged and I expressed my sympathies.  Talked with the kids who also remembered me.  Were talking back when I was in my 20’s.  Needless to say with time we all looked way different. 

I made my appearance and left.  I am glad that I went and now it’s all done.  It sucks for her it’s a long road but time will help to heal it.  They had 42 years of marriage which is quite a long time and I know how much she hurts.  The pain will come in waves.  You’ll cry and laugh.  Lots of memories over those many years.  The church was full of photo boards which showed off the memories.  I presume he was cremated because there was no casket and that kind of made it a little easier but I still got that lump in my throat.  I was on the verge of tears but kept reminding myself to breathe and managed to keep the tears at bay. 

I came back home and heated up left overs.  Fed the cats and of course changed clothes.  I picked out a sweater and it was tight around the neck so I was happy to get it off. 

On a different note I poked around the web and found the issue with photos not showing.  Blogger/Google published them as https so if I go through and change the link to http that fixes the issue.  I use Open Live Writer for my posts and that software is no longer updated.  I used Live Writer from Microsoft for years I like both equal but wish that my photos would post without the extra effort on my part.  Something obviously changed on Blogger/Google’s end that broke the functionality.  Once again the internet to the rescue to solve a problem. 

The winter weather is miserable right now.  Low temperatures and heavy winds with snow falling make it desirable to stay indoors.  I hope that things are better come tomorrow morning or that haircut appointment I have might be moved. 

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by. 

Man Candy - Friday quick hit

Resolved

Morning & Happy Friday! 

I hope things are going well for you today and that you are warm & well. 

I had some time to think and also talked out with a friend about what to do regarding my late friend that recently passed.  Going to the visitation and either getting in the line to see the family is the first thing that came to mind.  The second was going, sitting in the back and if there is a book to sign for visitors do that.  The overall thing was not to linger for a long period of time.  Make an appearance and get out.  If the vibe is warm knowing me I will probably stay but it’s one of those play it by ear things.  Talking this out helped me bunches.

The day was normal and very calm.  I had a lot of time on my hands.  Took a nap, had a quick lunch and then came back down.  Got the trash out and sat with the cats to watch TV for the rest of the afternoon.  Before I knew it the couple hours in the business day that were left ticked right on by. 

Got my first paycheck and I guess tax rates are different because I wound up taking home slightly more money than I did last year.  I am salaried so my pay never changes until pay raise time which takes place around July/August.  Not having a car payment leaves me with more money and it looks nice to see the larger balance.  I’ve not lost track of my goal and that’s to save that money for a rainy day. 

I’ve already retrieved the trash barrel because it’s going to get much colder as the day goes on and the winds are going to pick up dramatically.  Were talking 50mph gusts at minimum.  It’s going to get noisy and the cats will surely be looking around like something is wrong.  I am hopeful for no damage and that it will just be noisy. 

My plan for the day is over lunch time to get a shower and change clothes.  The visitation starts at 5p and I want to be one of the first people in so that I can be one of the first people out.  I am nervous about going.  What my friend told me was that I am going to show respect, the man was important to me and I liked him, despite what happened to our friendship.  I am hopeful for a peaceful outcome and since much time has passed it’s highly doubtful that his wife will get angry.  I know that I will feel better when it’s all said and done.

I had my favorite Stouffer’s casserole for supper last night.  The taste was off, it looked the same but something wasn’t quite right.  Hopefully when I reheat it to eat more it tastes better.  I didn’t eat 1/2 like I usually do so there is lots left.  I thought about treating myself tonight and eating supper out but since it’s cold, unless I am really comfy I will probably just head back home and reheat this and eat. 

Got my haircut tomorrow morning.  Might go see some friends.  I will want to eat out but the weather will be even colder.  I got my eye on a local place back in the town where I grew up.  They make decent Mexican food and are known for there tacos.  Found out they are open on Saturday so that was on the list.  Not sure if I will make it there but that’s my hope.  It’s a place where I hung out some as a kid.  You could get a taco and some ice cream for cheap.  They also made the best cherry and vanilla cokes.  Ah memories.

My plan is to operate as normal for the weekend.  I know Monday is a holiday but I still have a couple things to take care of at work so I will be doing some minor work.  Otherwise I will be lounging around here and trying to enjoy myself, staying warm with the cats.  The basement is really cold now since temps are dropping outside.  I will be headed back up sooner rather than later since hot air rises I know it’s much warmer upstairs.  The cats were on my bed when I came down and I am sure that is where they will be when I get back up.  Rudy woke me early and he thought I was going to climb back in bed and got quite upset but I had to follow my routine and I was sleepy when he woke me so I wasn’t firing on all cylinders. 

Funny thing I watched a YouTube video last night of cats talking in English.  Mostly saying Hello.  It caught the attention of both cats and the three of us watched with great interest.  It reminded me of Momma’s ‘right now’ meow.  When she wanted something and it was urgent she used that.  It wasn’t often but it sure was cute.  Wish that Rudy & Mora could talk a little English but I’ve come to understand what they want or so I think.  They do know some English words like treats, belly rub, lunch and cat nip.  Nothing good like stop, go to sleep or come here.  Sunday is there one year anniversary of being here.  I remember how nervous I was and how early I had to wake up.  It was also cold as balls this time last year.  They both cried the entire way home but once they got here and were let out of their cages it became an adventure to explore.  Rudy was happier than Mora and more affectionate.  Mora was standoffish, hissed at her brother and just wanted to be left alone.  Glad that she warmed up to me.  So we have something to celebrate come Sunday.  Back then I wasn’t quite sure I was keeping them but it was a trial.  Looks like that worked out rather well for both them and I.  Not so much for my wallet. 

Have a nice weekend and I will talk with you again soon!

Seek & Ye Shall Find

Good Morning!  Thanks for your visit.  It’s another cold day out here and temps are only set to go lower as we get into the weekend.  Lots of wind to follow along with another burst of snow.  Not exactly short sleeve weather. 

Yesterday after my post I got curious and went on a quest for information about the guy that I know that passed away.  Turns out he had Breast Cancer.  Men can get it, just that it’s not highly talked about.  He had a mastectomy and under went radiation and I think some chemo at first.  Everything came back clean after his course of treatment and his doctors told him it was gone and he would be fine.  This started back in 2017.  He retired from work.  Roughly about 11 months later he had a pain in his neck and that’s when it was discovered that his cancer had metastasized and was in his bones.  He was a stage 4 patient at this point.  Which means it’s terminal.  However, he would go on to take lots of drugs to try to slow things down.  He had a brain tumor that affected his vision, which they were able to blast away without surgery to restore his vision.  The drugs slowed him down and caused all sorts of side effects.  He was deep rooted in his faith and just kept his focus on God or so what I found appears to be the case.

He did lots of travel both for vacation and to volunteer as a missionary to help people who were impacted by natural disasters.  He mentored at a youth camp and loved to talk about God to others.  By all accounts I know he had times of difficulty but he pressed on through it all. 

Learning this and following the journey he chronicled made it come alive to me and the more I read the more my heart broke.  It felt like we were having a normal conversation as we did in times past many years ago.  He was still very much the same person.  Just that we never talked about God or religion.  He went through quite a lot in terms of treating the cancer.  It was an all out war on his body.  Drugs would start to work and then stop.  He tried experimental stuff as well as some of the latest drugs that were on the market.  He worked with one of the larger #1 hospitals in our area. From what I read it sounds to me like he went through what started out as a slow death that ramped up as time progressed, it sounded to be an agonizing death.  He had much to live for with his wife, kids and grandkids as well as the church.  I supposed it’s good that he had some quality of life and was able to travel and do other things he enjoyed before things turned uglier.  He had several good but painful years.

What hurt me was that he had the opportunity to reconnect with me when I called to tell him about my spouses passing and he chose not to.  He could have shared his struggle with me but didn’t.  I think largely because of his wife and the fact that the friendship had been over for years.  Still I thought enough of him to call him to tell him, despite no outreach from him.  He knew about it already because he saw the obit in the paper. They did nothing for me in my time of need and there was no visitation or funeral for my spouse, which at the time was due to cost.  I was barely able to rub two pennies together back then, my finances were drastically different from what they are today. 

Knowing what I do now further ways on me and I am so confused as to what my next move should be.  I know I said I’m doing nothing.  However, I have started to reconsider.  I could easily make the visitation and funeral both.  The bigger question is would I really be welcome and what reaction I would get.  Grief is something that everyone processes differently and factoring that in I could be fine or this could turn slightly ugly and I could be asked to leave.  While I have every reason to think it would be a non event and that I would be welcome if I showed up, it would be foolish of me to not factor in the possibility of what could occur.  My end goal is to avoid at all costs is being hurt more than I already have been.

While I think staying away is my best option to avoid that, the Catholic guilt has set in and I feel an obligation to do something.  I keep waking up in the middle of the night thinking about him and times past when things were much better.  I feel that my late spouse would want me to do something and not just sit by.  I have no ulterior motives other than to express my sympathies and pay my respects.  Time is ticking away in that the visitation is on Friday evening and the funeral is Saturday.  Sitting by doing nothing just doesn’t feel right but still might be my best option.  I can say with much certainty that if I did show up I am the last person that she would expect or anticipate to see. 

I want the guilt to go away and I want to stop waking up in the middle of the night.  I want the feeling like something is wrong to go away.  Just because people end a friendship with me doesn’t mean mentally I am able to cut those strings but yet physically I can stop seeing someone and eventually they fade away until something like this happens and that’s when they resurface in my mind. 

In one way I am glad that I know he passed but in many other ways I wish I hadn’t found out at all.  One thing is for sure if there is a heaven he and my spouse are chatting it up and having a good time, something that no one can stop now.  Realizing that puts a smile on my face. 

Guilt is a horrible thing along with death and putting them both together causes quite the struggle for me.  I know this too shall pass but the question is at what cost to me or impact will it have overall on me.  I hope he is resting in peace and I wish no ill towards his wife.  I know full well the journey she is on and how painful it is to go on after the love of your life dies.  It’s a journey that I wish on no one. 

I know this isn’t the most lively of posts and for that I apologize but I had to get this out of my system.  I feel slightly better posting it but it’s still weighing on me.  Having someone to talk this out with would probably also help and I don’t want to thrust this on the few people I know I am considering calling at least one of them. 

Stay warm and best wishes for a great day ahead.  Talk with you all again soon!

Heads up - Windows Update Error

I’ve got two machines running Windows 10 and both are having problems with the 2024-01 Security Update for Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5034441) it errors out with code 0x80070643. 

I did some google searching and turns out lots of people are having problems with this update installing.  I’m sure Microsoft is getting complaints and they will either pull the update or issue a fix so that it will install.  I guess we will just have to standby. 

Thought I’d share this in case your beating your head against the wall trying to get this to install.  I like everything just so when it comes to updates and I hate error messages but considering I am not sitting in a boat all by myself I am going to wait this one out to see what happens.

Technology is a great thing but only when it works like it’s suppose to. 

Also for what it’s worth when I checked on the images on my blog for the Man Candy post I saw they weren’t rendering.  I could click on each image and they would show individually but that’s not how it’s suppose to work.  I applied a Chrome Update this morning and then the Windows Updates this afternoon.  Not sure if one of them broke something on my system or if Blogger is having issues.  I removed the original post and tried a second time but that didn’t seem to make a difference.  I finally used Blogger’s web post function and got them posted so it all looks okay now.  Hopefully, no one encountered any issues.

I am one of those trust but verify people when it comes to technology and normally everything just works, every once and a while there is a glitch to keep things interesting.  Here’s hoping technology will work better for me tomorrow.

Cheers for now!

Man Candy