Surprise Pie

Today was massage Thursday at the office.  I haven’t had a massage in a couple months.  There are knots abound in my back and yes it hurts but somehow I still keep putting the left foot in front of the right foot.  Speaking of feet they are killing me as well but I guess this is the joy of aging. 

So I got a knock on my cube door this morning and it was the massage therapist.  She got me a large slice of my favorite pie that they stopped making last month.  Remember I wanted to go but didn’t.  She did it because she heard about Big Boy’s passing and wanted to extend her sympathy.  That was a very nice gesture.  However, as I was eating it I had some doubts the container was a little dirty and my stomach began to ache.  By lunch time all I wanted was my sandwich and a soda.  Stomach is back to normal now but it was touch n go there for a bit.

The hottie that worked for the building management company is no more.  Not sure what happened to him.  I talked with him on Tuesday by email and had another request on Wednesday and when I sent it, I got a bounce back.  That was quite the surprise.  I never got around to meeting him in person, another reason why you shouldn’t put off what you can do today. 

I had my review this week and it was damn good as I had expected.  I was told that I am the hardest working employee my boss has.  Damn straight!  He didn’t put that in my review but if you read between the lines it’s there.  So the pay raise part is a whole mystery.  We won’t know anything until July.  I can tell you that I was submitted for a large (not sure how much) bonus.  It’s still in the approval stage or so I am told.  I think the news is available but they just can’t share it yet.  Best part is they tell us in July but it’s retroactive to June 1.  Good thing I put in that OT last Friday.  I had to stay last night as well.  So far for this pay period I have 8 hours of overtime and I am not even on-call.  Not bad. 

I’m counting on a large pay out and mentally I have it spent already.  Thankfully it’s only mentally spent and not physically spent.  I can tell you I plan to reward myself with a writing instrument, as if I need another but since you only go around 1 time it’s my plan.  Now we just have to wait and see what comes to fruition. 

My more senior level co-worker who has been there forever, decided to bite my head off when I made a friendly call to inquire about an urgent issue.  He was such a smart ass.  I bite my tongue.  I am always helpful but since he is on-call this week he decided that he should take all of the trouble tickets that come in.  That’s fine by me, I told the boss about it and told him unless I received a directive I planned on sitting back and watching the tickets pile up.  Pile up they have, he’s been like an octopus all week long.  I did take one but I knew it would come to me eventually, no sense in delaying the inevitable.  The on-call person is supposed to act like a traffic cop and dispatch or assign tickets but very rarely does that happen.  I would be asking for help this week if I was on-call there is no way one person can keep up with the volume we have had.  Phishing and viruses are on the rise.  So is stupidity because otherwise intelligent and educated people click a link or enter credentials when they shouldn’t.  They know better but they still do moronic things.  Good thing for that or else I might not have a job. 

Well I promised Momma we would go up at 7:30p to watch TV and I have 1 minutes so I’ll chat with you all again soon.  Happy Friday eve. 

Exhaustion & Burn Out

Hey everyone!  I hope all is going well for you.  Seems like we didn’t have any spring and summer is here.  The day starts off mild but quickly goes to wild hot crazy.  My AC has been on for about a month now.  I turn it up when I am away because it bothers the cats and when I get home this place turns into a refrigerator.  My ride is pretty much the same way and even the seat is air conditioned but oddly enough I don’t feel it.  I still leave it on max just because.  As the temperatures continue to rise I’ll eventually be starting my ride up before I enter to cool it down and then I will notice the seat AC.  My seats are leather and that is nice but not in the summer. 

So work this week has burnt me out and I fried my brain.  I took a break for dinner on Friday and then came back to the office.  I worked until 9p.  We just opened up a couple offices and it’s just nuts right now.  I hope that this week things get more back to normal.  First of the month has me scrambling to compose several reports. 

Saturday I did nothing.  I was naked all day long, stayed in doors (of course) and watched TV and took several naps.  It was refreshing.  The closest I came to a computer was my phone.  I never left the main level of the house.  Cats seemed to enjoy it. 

This week I took a pretty big step and came out to a co-worker.  I’ve been wanting to do this for quite sometime and finally I just ripped the band-aid off.  He didn’t think I was gay but he was curious.  He’s younger, straight and engaged to get married.  I had concerns about coming out but he told me that he had gay friends and it was no big deal to him.  I told him about my late spouse and that caused me to relive some of those events.  It was slightly emotional.  He was the 2nd person to say that someone admitted they were gay.  You admit you committed a crime, ate a cookie, cheated, lied but you don’t ever admit your gay.  You come out.  Being gay isn’t a crime.  Something about the phrase admitting your gay just doesn’t set right with me.  Oddly enough my move brought our friendship closer.  He realized that he was given an honor of trust by me, because I don’t just tell anyone, I tell those that I trust and that spoke volumes!  Exactly what I wanted it to do.  Glad it was well received. 

So here we are again at a Sunday.  I woke up at 6a and took care of breakfast for the kids.  Then sat and watched porn, then a few TV shows and finally I got my lazy fat ass up and shaved and showered.  Then it was time for pills and getting dressed.  Out the door I went to IHOP.  Chicken Fajita Omelet with Double Blueberry Pancakes and a Diet Pepsi (yuk) to wash it all down.  Got up to the counter and I was boy crazy and the waitress asked me how my food was and I said fine, how was yours.  She capitalized on my error and gave me a smart ass response back.  Yeah whatever.  I was more interested in the guy behind her than her. 

Then it was on to grab the mail, groceries and pick up some cat food.  Dropped $95 at the store.  Then to the car wash and gas station and finally home.  When it was all said and done I actually dropped $165 but that’s for everything.  This was one of those paychecks where I oddly enough had 5 hours of overtime so I have plenty of money left over.  I want to save it but then I go and spend it.  My next check will look nice and so will the one after that. 

Turns out that we should have our reviews this week and that will give me the information I really care about and that is how much more money will I be making.  That will be a turning point for me.  I just hope they really make it worth my wild. 

Well upstairs I guess and time to wind down a little bit, prepare for Monday and enjoy what little time the evening has left for me.  No doubt that will mean Marv will be by my side soaking up as much attention as I will dish out.  I love that cat and feel so sorry for him.  He is really lost without his brother but he didn’t shutdown as I feared he might.  The cashier at the grocery store offered me a black kitten, she has 4 of them.  I said nope the inn is full.  I’d love another cat but truth is I would be looking for a replacement for Big Boy and he can never ever be replaced.  Try as I might I’ll never find another cat like him.  So better off to keep the peace and let the family enjoy themselves.  At least I know what to expect with them but every now and then they throw me a curve ball. 

Here’s hoping this week is less stressful, there is more down time, more chit-cat and that Friday comes around again soon.  Best thing about Monday is that I won’t be on-call.  Got 2 weeks of freedom, then here we go again. 

I wish you all the best for the week ahead.  Thanks for stopping by and checking on me.  I’ll talk with you again soon.

No Phone

Last night I was watching a 20/20 special about Digital Addiction.  It centered around too much screen time, be it for kids or adults.  One guy worked in IT all day long and then would come home and spend his evening in the basement playing video games.  While his wife was upstairs with their kids tending to them.  Another teenage kid would come home and play video games into the wee hours of the night.  A teenage girl was obsessed with her phone.  They all under went therapy for their “addiction”.  It was interesting to see.  I could relate a little bit to the story. 

This afternoon I went out to grab a pizza and some cat food.  I was out of my driveway and well down the street and there was no music playing.  Then it hit me, I had no phone.  I could have easily gone back for it but I opted to press on.  I felt a little vulnerable in that if something would have happened I had no way to call for help.  I sat in the pizza place just staring into the air.  It was then that it really hit me.  I was lost without my phone.  No surfing, scrolling or checking up on anyone.  Then I thought about the story from last night and it hit me.  One author wrote a book and referred to screen time as Digital Heroin.  That was a shock term used to wake people up and get their attention.  Yeah it can be addictive and it can destroy your life just like any addiction can. 

I think that if you lose sight of reality that this can easily be an obsession and then turn into an addiction where it doesn’t matter how much you get, you always want more  Sort of how I feel with money. 

I love social media, it can be used to call out companies and get better customer service.  You can do lots of other things with it, both good & bad.  However, you have to realize anything you post is going to live forever.  Because of this, you have to be careful what you post, as well as who you interact with.  When I have free time I love to pass it with my phone, checking out social media. 

I also can’t do my job without my phone because of 2 factor authentication.  It’s required for multiple systems I get into.  I have it enabled in my personal life as well. It is great protection, even if someone has come up with a way to defeat it.  You had to see that coming.  No matter what security or safeguard is implemented, there is someone working to break it, and there can be big money in that or you can just take the credit for the thrill of it. 

I’m back home and looking at my phone as I type this.  Nothing happened and I didn’t need my phone but rather wanted it.  I’m glad to be safe.  Earlier this week I called in a chain reaction auto accident involving 3 cars that had happened within minutes of my getting through traffic.  I blocked a lane of traffic and provided vehicle descriptions, license plates.  I was talking a little fast and was asked to slow down.  I realized I was talking to a person and not a super human, they can only type so fast.  They asked me if I wanted the officer to contact me, I said no but I’ll give you my name if you want it.  That wasn’t necessary.  Even though no one realized it and no one knows who I am, I am glad that I was able to help those people in such a small way.  They were all checking on each other and I had help on the way by the time they were done talking.  Then they realized it was time to call for help.  I didn’t stick around because I didn’t see anything and I needed to get to work.  If it wasn’t for my cell phone I would have never been able to do that.   While I would rather share my idle time with a person than a phone right now it’s one of many options I have.  Just wanted to throw this out there.  Think about how much time you spend with your digital companion (aka phone, tablet, computer).  Kind of interesting when you stop and think about it. 

I like helping people.  I like technology for many reasons.  Shame it hasn’t helped me find a man but I’m still holding out some hope.  Happy Sunday.  1 more day to go. 

Holiday Weekend

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  Things started out right because they closed our parking garage, which caused everyone to leave early on Friday.  It’s been a hell of a week and it was nice to get a jump start. 

It was announced today that we have two additional offices opening.  One is nothing but office space and didn’t come with any people.  The other comes with around 24 people.  I had to set all of them up.  The notice came on Wednesday and by Thursday morning I heard all of the complaints because they weren’t setup.  This is a manual process and requires me to jump through many different systems.  I can setup 1 person if I have all of the information in about 45 minutes.  Now factor in interruptions from my primary job as well as trying to track down information on these people and there you have the reason why this wasn’t magically done!  It is done now but it took me really 2 days and the bulk of the work was done on Friday.  I had black from my keyboard on my palm, I guess my fingers and hands were on fire.  Today there is a lump and it’s quite sore.  Never had anything like that before.  Obviously, I can still type so all is good. 

Friday night I came home and knew I had to log back in to setup our card access system for the holiday.  Otherwise doors would unlock and that could be bad for business, especially when there isn’t anyone in the office.  Then I got roped into dealing with a Phishing email, even though I wasn’t the on-call person it didn’t matter to the big boss.  He’s stopped including the dummy and only writes to me and my other counterpart.  That is the first sign that the dummy is likely on his way out.  I say that because when his predecessor left, as soon as she turned in her notice we started getting email from the big boss and she wasn’t included.  I really don’t want to see anyone lose their job but if it was ever deserved I’d say he would be the perfect reason why.  It is more than apparent now to multiple people that he is in way over his head.  The alligators are nipping at his ankles and it’s only a matter of time. 

I also got word this week that one of the hot guys I work with and have a major crush on is leaving.  I was devastated.  He is so cute and we have a decent working relationship that I will miss.  There never ever was a chance of the two of us being a couple because he’s straight and has a girlfriend.  Plus he’s a co-worker.  Another guy in the office that I have a good working relationship with is also leaving.  I knew that was coming and it sucks a little bit but hey everyone has a family to support and they have to do what is right for them.  Sometimes that means a new job.  Both of these people had offers fall into their laps and they simply couldn’t refuse them.  Neither of them were looking for a job.  Kind of interesting how it all came together.  I’m happy for them. 

As you can well imagine I was exhausted when I got home on Friday night.  I had 0 time to look at social media.  I did that while I was watching TV.  Then I found out there was going to be a great orgy scene released by one of the porn studios that I subscribe to.  I managed to stay awake until 11p and the scene was out.  Watching that was fun and probably the most enjoyable thing I did all day long.  I need to do that more often!

Enter Saturday… I finally scumbled to the call of the Gator and rolled out of bed.  I fed them and got dressed.  I wore one of my gay t-shirts with pride colors on it.  It felt good!  I went back to Steak N Shake and saw my favorite waitress.  She has been wondering about me.  I told her I thought I could handle the rejection from her co-worker but it got to be too much for me.  She said well I have good news for you, he quit.  Yeah because he graduated.  I never did ask him a second time knowing full well that he would graduate.  I honestly think I dodged a bullet but he was so cute that it caused my heart to ache.  So I guess it’s back to Chili & Burgers now.  There is a small chance he will be there tomorrow but his name was crossed off the schedule.  Not sure if I am a gambler and will stop by or if I will avoid the place. 

Then it was on to the Hallmark store for cards.  Then over to Target for cat litter.  Then on to grab my weeks worth of mail.  Finally to the cable store to exchange my modem for a new one.  Then back home to children. 

Modem is replaced but still have the same slow speed issue.  I’ve got two lines of service to my house and both show slow.  I’m supposed to get 200mpbs and I’m getting between 70 and 90 mpbs.  The 200mpbs is the slowest speed the cable company offers and I am paying a pretty price for it.  I’d like to get what I am paying for.  They of course made their typical ploy to upsell me and try to get me to sign up for TV and Phone service.  I said no thank you.  Turns out it would cost me more per month to switch, I just wouldn’t have a contract and would actually have more equipment – loosing my whole home DVR.  Again no thanks.  Love that whole home DVR. 

Took the freezer apart to oil a fan that was making a lot of racket.  Now you can’t tell when the fridge runs it’s so quiet.  Nice!  Nothing like 3 in 1 oil garage spray for squeaks.  I’ll be good for about another 6 months and then it will start up again. 

Moving on to the mail, I opened a package that had my diabetic test strips in it.  Turns out I was sent strips that were made for Medicare / Medicaid Recipients.  I wasn’t terribly happy about that.  Those strips are sold at a discount and this provider was upselling them.  I reported it to Amazon and they are going to get my money back.  That wasn’t the purpose of reaching out.  So now I have a product that I was told NOT to use and I have 1 strip left.  It’s not like I test that often anyway but I want to be able to test if I want to.  I was told to place a new order and not use the same provider.  Select the fastest shipping method possible and Amazon would pick up the cost.  Yeah so I found one and shipping for Tuesday was like $68.  Rather than chance it, I opted for standard delivery so I should have them late next week.  I hope I don’t have the same problem with the new order.  Turns out after doing some googling this is a HUGE problem on Amazon and other websites.  I don’t know that anyone is doing anything about it.  I’m also sure that the provider will say oops, sorry we pulled those from the wrong bin.  Yeah I don’t think that was the case.  If they want them back I’m happy to mail them back but they have to pay for the shipping. 

I watched some Live PD and 20/20.  Moved on to For the People.  Really like that show. 

Marv is driving me nuts.  He wants so much attention that I can barley breath.  I love him so much and I know that it’s a tough adjustment for him to be the only feline male on the house.  However, I keep reassuring him it’s okay and he’s going to make it.  He just wants me around and needs me to hold his paw or pet him and then he unwinds like an ice cube melting.  I’m his world.  However, I need time for myself and the other cats.  There is a lot of jealousy and competition for my attention.  It’s like they see who can pester me the most.  They also do silly thins that they know will make me laugh.  I am putty in their hands and they know it.  I still miss my Big Boy.  No one hugs me like he did.  The pain that I had when that loss started has subsided but there is still a hole in my heart for him. 

So I am working on Laundry and Momma wants to go to bed.  Difficult to do when your sheets are in the laundry.  She is used to my normal schedule and now that I have an extra day I want to stay up and play at least for a little bit. 

Tomorrow’s agenda is grocery & pet food stores.  Not sure if I want to top off my tank tomorrow or wait until Monday.  Gas is now over $3 a gallon.  That just happened yesterday.  It sucks because even though my mileage is slightly better the cost makes up for any savings that I would have.  What goes up must come down so I hope prices fall but analyst say that is not likely.  So for that reason and the fact that money is really tight right now I won’t be making a trip for pie that I so desperately wanted, at least not this weekend.  I could pull money from savings but it seems silly to do that all for pie.  I have no idea what I am eating tomorrow or Monday but I can assure you that I won’t starve. 

Best news of the week is that my neighbors moved out.  I hope they sold their house to a nice single gay young man but that is probably a dream on my part.  At least it’s free to dream.  I just hope that whom ever moves in isn’t a jerk or a douche.  I don’t need or want any trouble.  I don’t need to be friends, in fact I don’t really know any of my neighbors.  I like it that way.  I am not close minded so if my new neighbors want to be friends I am fine with that. 

One of the guys I work with hooked me with the series Evil Genius on Netflix.  It’s about the pizza bomber, it’s real life.  It will boggle your mind and carve a hole in your soul.  It’s pure evil and greed.  Interesting but sickening at the same time.  I recommend it but also forewarn. 

Momma is chirping so I am gonna scoot.  Hope that you have a great weekend and that the sun is shining bright.  Seems like we only had a day or two at most of Spring and now were into the dead of Summer.  The only benefit for me is the guys will run and take off their shirts.  So I get to look but not touch.  I also have to try not to wreck my automobile.  It does make the drive more interesting though!

Fun

This weekend was fun.  I hit up the dentist and got my 6 month check up, all good news.  Bad news is they are booked for the rest of the year on Saturday appointments so I won’t be going back until January 2019.  I think I will be able to manage that.

I visited the buffet, it was good to get away but good gravy the gas it took was the most expensive part.  I paced myself and didn’t leave miserable but I was full.  Food was great as always. 

Came back home and got in a little bit of a nap.  Then grabbed cat food and went to the Hallmark store.  It was tough to find just the right card but I think I got it.  I sat down and wrote a letter to accompany the card.  This of course is all going to my former boss.  It was difficult but I got through it. 

Jumped into the 2nd season of 13 Reason Why.  It’s so compelling, it just sucks you right in.  I still have around 5 episodes left, so 5 hours of viewing pleasure.  I’m going to watch more tonight before bed. 

Hit up the grocery store this morning and once again I was a good boy and only got ice cream for sweets.  My sugar is in check and that should make the doctor happy so long as I keep up the pace.  It’s tough. 

Trimmed Ruth’s claws, she protested a little bit but there wasn’t much of a fight.  This time was pretty close to perfect.  I think were still friends if not we will be when the food comes out.  I love her but those claws wow they were something.  7 weeks and we do it again. 

Had a strange dream that we had kittens, momma was trying to nurse them and Taz was the father.  It was very strange and thankfully only a dream.  I don’t need kittens on my hands right now.  Everyone and their mother is trying to get me to take in another cat and I keep refusing.  I had a lady offer me a dog as well.  No thanks Noah’s Animal Kingdom has no vacancy right now. 

I processed the bulk of the new people that start on Monday.  The dummy I work with did 2 of them and it took me longer to double check his work than it did to setup the actual accounts.  My boss finally saw the light and asked me if I wanted to finish them up on my own and I said yes, please.  It was a huge ball of stress but it was better that way.  Sounds like dummy is closer to being on his way out.  I actually found out what his problem is.  There is a female that is within 6 cubes of his and they just flirt all day long.  If I had a guy to flirt with all day long I could see where that would have a negative impact on my job as well. 

Speaking of negative impact, I am behind schedule and the warden is crowing at me.  I guess I should go because Monday will be here sooner than I want it to.  I got a summer haircut and got rid of my side burns.  It looks a little strange but hey it’s only hair it will grow back. 

Here’s to a great week ahead for all of us.  Take care. 

3 months to live

Think about it, if you were told you have 3 months at best to live, after the shock wore off, what would you do?  Thankfully I am not in this position.

I got a phone call on Monday at work from my old boss who is out on medical leave.  Turns out she has 3 months to live and she is not coming back to work.  Hey I don’t blame her on not coming back to work.  The whole 3 months thing sucks.  She has Liver Cancer.  I can navigate my way through difficult conversations and that I did but unfortunately after we hung up and I did some research I said all of the wrong things to her.  She will leave behind a huge void at work, she was the glue that held everything together.  You had a problem, you went to her to fix it.  You need a favor, you went to her and she would help if she could. 

This news has t-totally ruined my week.  She said her goodbyes to me and it was nice to hear most of what she said, even though I really didn’t like the circumstances it was under. 

I sat down and wrote her a letter, edited the hell out of it and then scrapped the whole idea.  What exactly do you say to someone that may only have 3 months to live?  It’s a difficult subject to talk around.  It’s as if there is a huge spotlight on every word you utter.  I am going to look to Hallmark to help me and I will be sending a card to her. 

She has a family with a few kids, one of which is gay.  I’ve chatted with him before and thinking of giving him a call but again I don’t exactly know what to say.  I’ve been down the road before of having a terminally ill family member, it’s no fun. 

Outside of getting back my guy and Big Boy, if I had the power to solve only one problem right now I’d use it to heal her.  Think about that I could make myself a millionaire, bring back those that I care about from the dead, I mean it’s infinite power I am speaking of and to think that I would use that power on her, that should say a lot and I think it does.  She doesn’t deserve this, but I know we all check out of here sooner or later. 

What I don’t understand is why those that I care about are all suddenly dying.  Kind of makes me want to stop liking people but I know that is impractical.

Okay that’s out of my system now.  I’m headed up to wrangle the litter boxes and trash.  Then to sit down and watch TV.  I’m really hoping the lawn guy shows up tomorrow because it looks like my grass hasn’t been cut in a month and it’s only been 3 weeks.  We have had a lot of rain.  I want to avoid any complaints and/or fines, plus it just looks really bad.  Thankfully we have a contract that is enforceable but I honestly think this was a simple mistake, but I am giving him the benefit of the doubt. 

I hope all is well in your world.  2 more days until the weekend and then I get to see the Dentist and maybe trim Ruth’s claws.  Cheers!

2 Movies

Last night I saw Denzel Washington in Roman J. Israel, Esq.  it was very interesting and didn’t quite turn out like I expected.  Long story short it’s worth your time if you like Denzel, Drama and Legal type movies. 

This afternoon I saw the much anticipated Call Me By Your Name.  It was interesting and I could see where there are a few tears shed but I didn’t shed anything.  I enjoyed it and see a little bit of what all the hype was about.  It would have been better with more gay sex and full frontal nude scenes as it was originally shot. 

I watched both of these via Amazon for $5.99 and they are both 48 hour rentals so you can take 2 whole days to watch them if you want.  They were available on U-Verse but I didn’t feel like paying taxes and other fees so I kept it simple with Amazon. 

Got everything done I wanted to today.  Took in a short nap until Marv decided it was lunch time.  I was a good boy at the grocery store and skipped some of the usual sweets that I purchase.  It’s going to be a long week, that’s not to say I don’t have ice cream.  My neck pain has moved to my shoulder which is bad but it’s also a good sign that it’s working it’s way out. 

The Circus on Showtime is what I will be watching shortly.  Then later tonight John Oliver on Last Week Tonight, if I last that long.  I’m tired. 

Dinner was a Digorno Meatball and Marinara Pizza.  It was really good and different than my usual Sausage & Pepperoni.  So I am pretty well ready to roll into next week kicking and screaming but at least I won’t be on-call. 

I get to see the Dentist on Saturday and Ruth’s claws are due for trimming.  Oh boy how much fun can you pack into 1 day?  At least I will be closer to the buffet and will probably visit depending upon how finances are and what kind of mood I am in. 

I think that is a wrap on Sunday.  The kids have been extra clingy today and it’s been kind of nice.  Got some time with everyone but Ruth, which is typical.  She wants her attention on her terms not mine.  She is softening up a little bit in her old age.  I hope that she continues to mellow and who knows maybe 1 day she will be a lap cat.  Yeah I can dream, wish, hope but I think it’s unlikely.  She still knows I love her and that’s all that really matters to me. 

Best wishes for the week ahead!

Up all night

In an effort to curb the neck pain I am having, I took a sleepy muscle relaxer yesterday evening when I got home.  Once it kicked in which was hours later I was out light a light.  Problem is that I came home and had to work, then got a shower and I can’t tell you what happened after that.  As a result of taking the aforementioned pill I slept away the biggest part of the day.  The children ensured that I was awake to feed them Breakfast and Lunch.  We wouldn’t want them to miss a meal, now would we?  Poor little dears they have it so bad. 

Once I decided to get up for the day I settled on supper at Red Robin.  It’s a gourmet burger place where you can easily drop a weeks pay to feed your family.  Thankfully I only have to buy for 1 at the moment.  In any event I got a bowl of chili (way too spicy), a Whiskey River BBQ Burger which came with fries.  Diet soda to wash it all down.  This was by far the crappiest tasting meal I have had out in a long time.  I gave feedback on their website and provided them with my contact information which oddly enough is a requirement.  I’m not looking for a handout, a coupon or anything else.  Just get your shit together that was awful food.  They used to be good years back but I guess everything changes with time and not necessarily for the better.

Stopped to pick up more food for the little dears and then grabbed the mail.  Yeah it was a super exciting day.  Plus I am also on-call.  I had one issue to deal with, which I could have easily ignored.

Last night I worked for 2 hours double checking my co-workers work.  There were several issues that caused interruptions the biggest one was a virus that I had to get rid of.  Our AV software caught it but it puts a lock on the file and you have to know what your doing in order to be able to delete the file.  The overtime will look nice on my paycheck at the end of the month but honestly I would have rather had my sanity last night, my eyes were starting to go south on me from staring at the monitors all day and then into the evening.

The biggest highlight of the week is that someone fell for a Phishing campaign and got their LinkedIn account held hostage.  Actually they some how managed to erase all traces of the guys email address so when he tried to recover his account the site said, sorry pal I don’t know that email address.  Same thing when he tried his cell phone number.  I of course was his hero and got him his account back.  It took a little bit of searching but there is a contact form you fill out.  LinkedIn Customer Service reaches back out and you have to supply them with documentation that you are who you say you are, then and only then will they release your account.  As soon as you report fraud they suspend your account.  My bosses boss asked me to take care of it and I came through shining like a diamond.  I was pretty proud of myself and my accomplishment.  Especially since now management is tasked with crafting staff reviews and this may in fact make my review.  The odd thing was my dummy co-worker had been notified of this and he was just sitting on his hands, so it’s a good thing I got involved. 

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day.  It will be an extra sad day for my brother.  He was closest to Mom.  I still can’t believe she is actually gone.  So you know restaurants will be crowded but the grocery store shouldn’t be because everyone is busy treating mom and grandma to a meal.  I plan on waking up early (that depends upon what time I go to bed) and then heading out to breakfast before the rush.  Then on to the grocery store and finally gas up my automobile and I will be done with running for the day.  Life is but a routine. 

Charlie Puth’s new album Voicenotes came out on Friday.  It’s great work and I enjoy most of the songs.  There are a couple that don’t thrill me.  I listened to it on the way in Friday via Spotify.  That kid has great looks and great pipes.  He’s also rolling in the dough if you know what I mean.  So lucky to have ‘made it’ at such a young age.  I gave some rethought to going to his concern when he is in my neck of the woods this summer but then shot it down quickly.  I could do it but there would be aggravation of crowds and traffic which doesn’t thrill me.  If he was at a different venue in my area it would be a different story. 

Caught up on my TV viewing.  I see NetFlix is going to release a teen gay comedy series, which I am looking forward to.  Plus the next episodes of 13 Reasons Why will be out next week.  Love, love new content and can’t get enough of it.  I need stuff to watch while I enjoy my lunch as well as occupy my evening when there is nothing on the TV. 

Grass man somehow forgot how to read a calendar.  My yard should have been cut this week but hasn’t been.  If he’s not out here by next week there will be trouble.  I sure hope this isn’t going to be an on-going theme.  If I have to have a problem I would it rather be that he cuts too often instead of not often enough.  If he would just follow what we agreed to my yard would be fine. 

The Pierre de resistance for last.  I saw an SUV of my dreams last night.  It was the right color of Blue and it shined like a diamond.  4 exhausts and with the brand name of Maserati you know that it’s got some get up and go.  The price tag would bankrupt the average person.  You can lease it for a mere $749 per month.  I thought I had a high car payment, at lease my payments are going to own and not to lease.  I looked it up online today and it’s just as beautiful online as it was in person.  Not sure why but suddenly I have developed into an auto lover.  Let’s hope this obsession doesn’t get out of hand. 

Here’s hoping your week was enjoyable and that the sun was shining in your neck of the woods.  Looks like we have once again skipped Spring here and gone right into Summer.  It was in the 90’s today and next week were looking at 80’s and 90’s.  Air Conditioner running and the power company is holding out it’s hand with a smile on it’s face.  BOHICA that’s a military acronym which stands for Bend Over Here It Comes Again.  See you might have learned something.  :)

Thanks as always for stopping by.  Now I am going to watch TV and hope that I am not up all night.  Need to be able to be ahead of the crowd tomorrow.  Be well, talk soon. 

Ugh … bad news day

First everyone here is fine, including me.  Believe it or not. 

During the course of my day I get afforded a break now and then.  I used one of those said breaks today to see what was new on Twitter.  I found the most disturbing tweet.  Apparently Will & RJ split.  I watched these kids grow up together and get married.  I am dumb founded and numb that they are no longer a couple.  I have no idea what caused this to happen, just that apparently ‘people change’.  I tweeted at both of them but just said something short to express my sadness.  I really want to write them a letter. 

Marriage is all about compromise and sure your going to have disagreements, arguments and fights but at the end of the day you made a commitment to each other.  That means something and it shouldn’t be so easily disposed of.  The tweet I read said they were no longer a couple.  There was no official mention of divorce.  I really hope they can patch things up but I realize it’s their lives and not mine.  I’ve been around the block more than once and divorce is heart breaking for everyone.  They worked so hard to plan their wedding and to help fight for marriage equality, it’s just a damn shame it’s all going down the toilet. 

As if that is not bad enough.  One of my friends at work told me that he is leaving.  It’s very quiet but he gave me the heads up.  When I asked him where he was going I was shocked at his response.  It’s a place that I worked at before and thought it would be a dream job but it was more like a nightmare.  I told him my experience but hey we each have to fend for ourselves and do what is best for us and our families.  He’s got a great opportunity and he’s getting a $20,000.00 per year raise so that in and of it’s self is motivation to make the move.  It will be tough to see him go but I will wish him nothing but the best. 

Okay so all that is off my chest.  Now I guess I will try to relax and enjoy my evening.  Hope your day was filled with better news than mine was.  4 more days to go. 

Real quick.  What do you call a person that is happy on a Monday?  Retired!  There is a lot of truth in that joke. 

Another Saturday spent not the way I planned

I rolled out of bed this morning, had breakfast at home and it was great.  I stopped in at the post office and then came home.  I was spending time with the cats and the phone rings.  It’s a friend of mine that I have been thinking about.  He wanted to get together for dinner.  I on the other hand wanted to go to the buffet but I opted to cancel my plans to meet up with him. 

So that meant I had hours on my hands and I did what I like to do most, return to bed.  Took in the movie I mentioned in my previous post and spent a little time on the computer.  Then I was scrambling to get out of here on time.  I made it with a couple minutes to spare.  I got an awesome parking spot.  We got seated in a section of a waiter that I have a mad crush on.  That was enjoyable.  He had the table behind us and I got to see a lot of booty which was awesome.  There were other good looking guys there.  However, I have scoped out this particular waiter months back.  Now we all know my history, I ask and they say no.  So I didn’t bother.  However, when the desert menu came I wanted to say what I really want isn’t on the menu.  Then he would say something like what is that, maybe we can accommodate.  That’s when I say your phone number.  I thought it was cute but I opted not to use it.  I did leave him a very nice tip and no it wasn’t my phone number.  The food was good. 

Turns out everything is going up.  I got a notice in the mail today that my safe deposit box rent/lease is going up $30 per year.  That is a serious increase.  I really don’t store much there.  I may inquire with some of the other banks I do business with but unless I find a “deal” I will probably just close it out and save myself the money. 

Marv is still a very chatty cat.  I think he is yelling at me about his brother.  I know he misses him and I try to comfort him as much as I can.  He doesn’t want to crawl up in bed with me.  His brother was the only one I could hug and hold that didn’t object.  All of momma’s other kids it’s a deal breaker and Momma herself tolerates it a little bit but still fusses at me.  I miss my bear hugs.  Got a letter in the mail from the vet this week, they elected to make a donation in Bears name to their charity foundation which is a not for profit organization.  They help police K-9’s and other wildlife.  I would have rather they lower the price of the bill than give away my money to the charity of their choosing.  Some people say it’s their money they are donating which is true but guess what it originally came from me in some form or fashion.  For all of the money we poured into that place over this cat, there should be a room dedicated to us and him.  I still miss him but the hurt isn’t nearly as bad as it was. 

Work this week has been nothing but a time warp.  Everyday but Friday flew by.  I was that busy.  Lunch came quick and then next thing you know it was time to go.  Then I was home and it was time to go back and start a new day.  Wow!  Were in busy season.  There were a couple last minute new hires and one last minute departure.  Next week notices about the summer employees we typically hire will be coming out and there are 24 of them.  That’s a lot of people but if you know me, you know I have plotted and planned out most of this so it should be smooth.  Not stress free and not easy but smooth.  It doesn’t help that I have to share the load with the dummy and double check his work but I guess some help is better than no help at all.  Plus my boss and other counterpart want to watch the process.  So it’s like I have to show everyone.  My boss has never watched before, but I think that there is something up with that.  It’s peculiar that he wants to be in the know.  That either means they are going to farm out more functions, there will be some type of change to the process or something worse.  I guess I will have to stay tuned to find out. 

Tomorrow is grocery store day, I didn’t buy cat food today so there is another task for tomorrow.  I am switching my wardrobe from winter to summer and there is the house to clean.  Rest I will not.  Productive I will try to be.  That is about as Star Wars as I get.  Oh and I’m on-call next week.  When we get to the 28th we will have our first spring holiday of Memorial Day.  That will be a nice long weekend and hopefully an enjoyable one. 

Time to wrap things up for Saturday, relax a bit more and get to bed so that I can take care of the tasks of tomorrow.  Tomorrow will be here before you know it.  I hope all is well in your world and that the sun is shining.  Thanks for stopping by, talk with you peeps again soon. 

Movie Review–50/50

To occupy some time I took in the movie 50/50, which is playing on Showtime.  It was shot back in 2011 and stars Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogan.  I candidly admit Joseph Gordon Levitt was the entire reason why I watched this movie.  He has an appealing figure and is my type, if only he were gay, plus he is a good actor. 

Joseph’s character Adam was a 23 year old guy who suddenly developed cancer in his lower back.  He goes through Chemotherapy but his cancer doesn’t respond and so he has to have surgery.  For a moment in time I was so engrossed in this I actually thought I had cancer.  I see how frightening it is to hear the word and especially when he is so young and essentially alone.  His mom and friend try to help as best as they can, but it causes some obvious tensions and it doesn’t help that his dad has Alzheimer's. 

Overall this is a great movie and it’s one of those movies that will help put life into perspective for you.  You can’t help but feel sympathy and empathy for Joseph’s character. 

For anyone besides myself that finds Joseph attractive, there is a shower scene where you get to see him shirtless.  That is about as hot as it gets.

So if your looking to occupy some time, check this movie out, it’s worth your time.  You may cry but you’ll be glad you watched the movie.

Where has my mind gone?

I started my morning off at Steak N Shake.  This is the 2nd time I have brought in the coupon for a Frisco or Patty Melt and wanted the Frisco but managed to fuck up and order the Patty Melt, not realizing what I have done until the food arrives.  I was a bit frazzled this morning because the guy I asked out was working but based on what I saw on the parking lot his car wasn’t there.  He’s nice to look at and all but I honestly would rather not see him now.  I think I heard him say something about a guy he was seeing, which was upsetting. 

Breakfast in general was a huge time suck.  I spent an hour and a half in there, most of the time waiting on my food.  Everything stayed down from the burger, fries to the chili mac and orange freeze.  My stomach is a little rocky at times but I feel pretty good.  That is except for this pain in my neck.  I was hoping not to start the week with it present but looks like I don’t have much say in the matter.  Hopefully it will be gone before the end of the week gets here. 

After breakfast it’s time for grocery shopping.  I managed to buy regular frozen White Castles and not the ones with Cheese.  I didn’t realize what I had done until I got home and was putting them away.  I should have went to the store yesterday to take advantage of the coupon for $20 off, but I’ve got my routine.  This week I have 2 boxes of sugar cereal to churn through instead of Oatmeal.  I’m kind of sick of Oatmeal, it does the trick and is better for me than the sugar cereal but the taste buds are calling for a change. 

Churned through my emails as best as I could.  Tomorrow will be a busy day but the advantage there is I will be busy and the time to come home will hit rapidly and that’s okay by me. 

So forward I march into the week ahead.  Hopefully, it will be a good one.  I am glad that we will be going into a new month.  April has been a fucking mess for me, I hope that the month of May will be more positive. 

I got my lab results and the Dr. won’t be happy.  My A1C has gone up instead of down, in fact I think I set a new all time high record.  Not exactly what I wanted to do but I am not surprised based on my eating habits.  Looks like I will have to start getting away from sugar and sweets a little bit more than I want to.  Sugar is to me what Alcohol is to an alcoholic.  Sad but true.  Well speaking of sugar I bought a fresh half gallon of vanilla ice cream, I hear it calling for me.  Looking forward to diving in. 

Hope that the world is treating you well.  Best wishes for the week ahead.  Thank you as always for stopping by.   

Back 2 Normal

I have had a little stomach pain off and on but over all I feel great and am back to normal.  Now since I spent so much time in bed my neck and shoulder are killing me.  Hopefully, that will resolve soon and then I will truly be back to normal. 

I had my left over Cracker Barrel for breakfast this morning.  Covered it with my plastic microwave cover to reheat it and somehow I got hot water all over my stomach when I removed the cover.  At least there was no doubt that the food was hot.  I wish that I had an extra biscuit.  Tasted just as good as it did yesterday. 

Lunch time I had the left over Olive Garden.  Then I placed a call to the haircut store and got an appointment for later in the afternoon.  Sat and watched TV while the dishwasher churned the dishes clean. 

Got my haircut and that always helps me feel a little bit better.  Stopped off at Target and they rearranged and remolded the entire store.  It will take time but eventually it will click where everything is.  Then I grabbed the mail, nothing terribly special in there just bills and an Out Magazine.  Then I picked up a few cans of cat food. 

I couldn’t believe the lady in front of me at the checkout she left home w/o her ID and/or a physical credit card.  She asked if the store took Apple Pay.  The cashier said if you can get it to work with the terminal then yes we take Apple Pay.  Turns out she needed a security code to access it so that didn’t work.  She asked if they would take a credit card over the phone.  The cashier said if you can get that to work with the terminal then yes we will take a credit card over the phone.  Eventually they voided the sale as the lady called someone to try to help her.  The lady was oriental and the cashier was not hip and not paying attention.  If it was just food or something small I would have picked up the tab to get her out of my way but she had a large crate and a bunch of toys her total was much higher than mine. 

Then off to get gas, I was running on a tank with 10 miles left.  Turns out when you get to 30 miles of fuel a chime goes off and the light comes on the dash.  Then as you continue to drive and disregard the light it comes back as the miles decrease.  Then every time you start up the light comes back on.  The color of the gauge also changes from white to yellow/orange.  Kind of neat and I don’t plan on seeing that again for a while.  I have noticed that my monthly spending on gas has gone down.  Even though a tank doesn’t last long it appears the mileage is improving and it’s not drinking so heavily, which is a good thing. 

Finally I was able to come home, even though I wanted to grab something to eat, I passed and had an ice cream cone at home with some soda and then a bottle of water. 

I moved my Echo Dot to my room and have been having fun with it.  I am keeping it on full time and I am eventually getting a 2nd one for my office, if it’s not essential I like refurbished.  It will be around $34 so not terrible.  It’s on my shopping list but I take my sweet time to make those purchased.  My need to place an order has gone down.  I hear the price of Prime is going up and you can’t renew for the lower price by buying in advance.  So if your thinking about a Prime membership buy now before the new price goes into effect within the next couple months. 

Had fun changing passwords on my various accounts.  Got a bunch of emails and text alerts because of that but this was a long over due task.  Found out that Walgreens now has 2 Factor Authentication.  It’s outdated as they use text messaging which isn’t secure but it’s better than nothing. 

I really enjoy the commercial for the new all Red iPhone 8.  I’d love one but not going down that road.  I still am paying off my present phone and there are far too many other things that I can spend my money on.  Perhaps eventually I’ll get one but for now I’ll keep my 7 with a Red Mophie Case.  Mophie donates to AIDS research like Apple is going to with the Red iPhone. 

Tomorrow will start with breakfast and I will be having a burger and chili, so hopefully nothing goes wrong.  Perhaps a milk shake as well.  Then off to the grocery store and then I will be home for the day.  Plenty of laundry and cleaning to do here.  Things that I would have otherwise done on Friday but considering how I felt Sunday will be a catchup day. 

Funny how all of this came together.  I don’t ever want any type of food poisoning again.  We don’t always get what we want.  I’m glad the bounce back was quick and that I had the time scheduled off, even though it wasn’t how I wanted to spend it.  At least I will be able to say I am well rested and relaxed.  Not sure how long that feeling will last, probably all of 5 minutes.   

Oh, best part is I paid bills today.  Payday is Monday but the deposit is pending so I knew how much I was getting.  Still have money left over and if I continue to be careful I should be okay.  I’m very interested in how much of a raise I will be getting this year, hopefully it will make me even more comfortable. 

There has been a lot of cruel and painful things happen to me in my lifetime but I also have my fair share of good things.  I like what I drive now and am feeling quite comfy.  Just wish I had more money and less expenses, then again I think that is the desire of everyone. 

Not looking forward to going back on Monday.  I have to tame my work email tomorrow and that won’t be a fun task but I am sure there will be a fair amount of bullshit that I won’t need to read and can hit delete on.  I love doing that.  Not on-call so that is good.  Here’s hoping that it will be a great week ahead.  Cats are all doing well.  Marv is still crying and chatty, but he is eating & drinking so I suppose he just misses his brother and wants me to know it.  I miss the big guy as well.  I just wish I could explain things with the certainty that Marv would understand.  Unlike his brother, he doesn’t think he is human.  Cheers!