Sunday

Momma is eating and responsive to come out at meal times.  She is spending most of her time curled up in her nook.  I know that cats sleep a lot but I can tell that she doesn’t feel good.  She puts on a good show.  Last night she climbed up on my recliner and let me support her with my arm as she stretched out on the arm of the chair.  She actually fell asleep for a while.  It was magical and adorable.  I love her so much and wish that I could rescue her from this and make it go away instantly but I have no magic trick to preform.  Not to be a pessimist but I see that our time together is limited unless something changes.  I don’t want to keep her around just for my enjoyment when she feels like crap but at the same time I don’t want to jump and make a decision that isn’t reversible. 

I picked up some different flavors of food for her, thus far the kids seem to enjoy it more than she does.  She is still letting them eat first and then she will take left overs, even when I make a plate just for her she is still being a good mother.  It’s not a surprise to me and while I think it’s admirable, I tell her to push her way in there and get something to eat.  Those kids will gobble it all up and come back for more. 

This week will be interesting to see how she does.  We haven’t missed a dose of medicine yet.  I cleaned the patio up a bit so that she can look out and see the back yard, she spends a lot of time at the back window and wants to know what is going on in her yard.  Most of the time there is nothing out there but she has to patrol to make sure. 

The others are doing well and just as needy as ever.  It’s physically and emotionally exhausting when there is a sick cat because everything seems to revolve around that one cat.  I’d just as soon as go back to “normal”. 

In other news, I had a decent morning.  Ate the new Mushroom & Swiss burger at Steak N Shake and had a Recess Outrageous mini shake.  That was breakfast mixed in with fries and a bowl of chili.  Don’t forget the diet coke.  Made it through the grocery store.  I was being good and still wound up spending $75 which surprised me.  Got the car washed, they used to have an early bird special but that didn’t pop up this morning.  Then got my haircut really short and filled up the gas tank.  Home for the day!

Watched more ER and had a nap as Gator kept waking me up by stomping on my nuts.  That will get my attention every time and she knows it.  I want to say she is 15 to 20 pounds and that’s a fair amount of weight to come slamming down on one or both of the boys.  I passed out lunch which pleased everyone.  Got my old iPad charged up and now I am working on charging up my laptop.  The house has been cleaned up.  It’s a decent temperature in here and comfortable.  Laundry is just about done.  Then it will be time to shave and get a shower, then dinner and relaxation until it’s time for bed. 

Got my property tax bill yesterday and it went up $65 and my homeowners went up so that means that towards the end of the year when my escrow account adjusts my house payment will go up.  I wish that my payment could stay the same or decrease for just once but unless I refinance that probably isn’t going to happen.  Another gotcha expense came in and that’s license plate renewal.  It’s a little over a hundred dollars for a sticker which is good for 1 year.  I am not a fan of the gotcha expense but from what I see in the budget it shouldn’t be a problem. 

I should go upstairs and check in to see how things are going.  The old lady is probably passed out cold.  At least she let me clean up her nook so she can be more comfortable. 

Here’s hoping that this week will be a much better week than last week for all of us!  Take care and thanks for stopping by. 

Momma Update

I went back to the vet to get the potassium added to momma’s fluids on Thursday night.  While I waited this very handsome gentlemen walked in with a large dog wearing a flower collar.  He was wearing shorts and of course I looked, he has the most perfect ass and he even had to bend over.  I thought I was going to lose my mind.  I wanted to grab and touch it so bad.  As I continued to observe him I noticed a ring on his finger and that was all she wrote for me.  Oddly enough he had a beard and I don’t usually find that attractive but everything about this guy just worked for me.  Ah summer and the guys!

Anyway back on topic the fluids were added I was told I couldn’t give these fluids to any of my other cats.  Then they charged me $28 for adding the chemical.  Wow would have been cheaper to buy bananas and puree them.  Ah well spare no expense for my girl. 

Thursday was a good day for her and so was Friday and again today.  I gave her fluids tonight and like a dumb ass I tried to do it in a dimly light room which didn’t work well.  I went to flip on the lights and she lunged off the counter with the needle flying out of her.  I grabbed her and we started over again.  I used the minimum amount and her body has gobbled that up rather quickly.  I should hook her back up and give a bit more but she is not a fan of getting a needle stick and I am not a fan of needles in the first place.  So were making due.  If things start to go south I will certainly give her more. 

She is mostly back to normal.  The wobbly leg thing has gone away and she walks normal.  She is jumping and talking which is good.  As I write this she is by my side here in the basement. 

Taking a step back I really feel that her body is trying to die on me.  Her personality is alive and well.  She is a fighter but I know that this is a fight that she won’t win at least as I see it now.  That is really sad to me but I am making the most of the time we have together.  I am doing my part in trying to keep her going and comfortable but I know in the end as much as I don’t want to I will need to let go.  Were not quite to that point yet but I’ll know and she will know when were there.  A big factor in all of this will be how she does and what her blood work looks like in a few weeks. 

For now were stable and holding our own.  Back to eating and picky as ever.  Drinking she just can’t get enough water.  Funny thing is neither can I.  What ever this crud is in my body it’s hanging on.  I don’t think I have in infection but they are cold/allergy like symptoms.  Night time is the worst.  I am starting to think it’s a side effect from the new diabetes medicine.  I am continuing to monitor and plan to mention this when I meet with the doc next month. 

Thanks for taking time to read this and for your thoughts & prayers.  Momma and I really appreciate it.  Her birthday will be next week and then she will officially be a teenager at 16 but in cat years she is far older.  She is still bossing me around and that is a very good sign.  Plus I kind of like it.  I mean someone has to be in charge of me. 

Quick update

The vet just called and said that her thyroid is seriously high.  She had been well controlled so it could be that her body isn’t tolerating the medicine any longer.  I have to be diligent in medicating her, we can’t skip the weekends anymore.  Her potassium is low and that will make her feel bad.  I have to go back and het potassium added to her bag of fluids.  She will get another dose of fluids over the weekend and then on a weekly basis.  In about 3 weeks we will need to have her blood work checked to see how her thyroid is responding.  Hopefully things will fall into place.  Her kidney values don’t look too shabby at this point.

Hopefully she stops being so picky and will eat for me, that along with the fluids and medicine will help get her back to normal or so I hope.  Thyroid disease is serious and if it’s giving out on her and not well controlled she is predisposed to stroke amongst other things.  Right now it’s just a wait and see game, which I am not fond of.  I am cautiously optimistic but still very much guarded and waiting to exhale if that makes sense. 

Please keep us in your thoughts. 

Momma

I got a curve ball yesterday.  Momma didn’t want to eat anything in the morning and kept looking at me as I opened can after can for her to try.  Not to worry her children were there to eat up what would have been wasted food.  I got an idea an opened a jar of baby food.  Long story short she ate the whole jar.  She asked for more and I refused.  I gave her regular food at 10:30a because she was still hungry.  By noon she was throwing up and it was violent, it knocked her off her feet.  She wasn’t walking right.  I suspected a stroke. 

She was dehydrated and I called the vet, at this point I knew that she needed medical care.  Turns out they were all booked up and it would have been an emergency if we went over, that costs extra because your upsetting the apple cart.  I hung up in disgust and got a call back in about 15 minutes offering me a 6p appointment, which I took. 

For the rest of the day Momma was out of sorts, she would just stare into space and if I made a sudden move she felt the need to be by myside.  I felt so bad for her.  I did try to hydrate her but wound up making a mess. 

We got to the vet and the long and short of it was suspected high blood pressure, kidney issues and/or she had a stroke or a TIA.  She was dehydrated.  They drew blood, filled her up and took her blood pressure.  Blood pressure was elevated but not high.  So now we wait for the blood work to come back to find out about her kidneys.  The only way to tell for sure that she has had a stroke/TIA is to do an MRI and that is not an option.  So they will go off of behavior as to how she is doing. 

True to form she put on her disguise when the vet let her walk around the room and she walked perfectly.  The second we got home she was back to not tracking properly.  In case your wondering I worked from home yesterday not only because of momma but because I too was exhausted.  Funny how my exhaustion went out the window when I saw she was in distress. 

I can’t express in words how scared I was that yesterday was going to be her last day.  I just had a bad feeling about it.  But she is a tough old woman and thus far she is pulling it together.  This morning she is still picky about eating but did eat a little bit.  She is drinking water.  A couple of times I have spied on her and I see that she is sleeping in her nook. 

Remember a couple weeks ago when I thought I found her expired?  Well the vet seems to think that is when she had a stroke.  I don’t believe that because she was normal, I think she was just really sound asleep. 

She is down to 3 pounds from weighing in at 5 pounds a little over a year ago.  Part of that is water weight but still it’s a considerable amount of weight for her to lose.  Changes are pretty good that she won’t bulk up considering her age. The vet told me that she feels pretty strongly that Momma is trying to die on me.  I kind of had that vibe going already. 

I got fluids to take home because they feel pretty strongly that I am going to need to keep her hydrated.  I’m fine with that just as long as were not doing this every day.  While I am trying to come to grips with the fact she is on her way out, it’s tough to prepare for that.  I sure hope that she continues to improve and we can have more time together.  Ideally the rest of this year would be okay but that will fly by and regardless of when the time is I won’t be ready to let her go.  I don’t want her to expire but at the same time I don’t want to have to make the decision to end her life.  Death is something that I struggle with – I always have and I always will. 

I was telling Momma yesterday that we sure did have a good life and then one day slowly everyone in the house started dying.  I am down 1 person and 4 cats in a 5 year period.  That is a lot of loss to deal with in a short amount of time.  2 of those were just last year.  Life has gotten back to a sense of normal but I just can’t imagine a day without my Momma.  She is the center of the universe for me and she knows it.  I think that she is trying to prepare me or at least was yesterday.  I am cautiously optimistic about her complete recovery. 

The others know something is up and they have known long before I did.  That is the unfortunate part is no one can truly talk to me to let me know.  I have to judge based on behavior and common sense.  If they could talk in the same language as me, wow it would make a world of difference. 

Keep us in your thoughts.  I’ll keep you posted.  Now more than ever I am really exhausted and stress well that is at an all time high.  Hopefully tonight will bring some comfort and relaxation.  I also hope that she goes back to eating and isn’t so picky.   

PIE

Good Day!

It appears another weekend is upon us.  I feel 10 x better than I felt last week at this time.  I finished my antibiotics as of today.  I hope that all of the infection is gone.  I still have plenty of phlegm and hope that goes away soon.  I don’t need a relapse or for that matter to get sick again until much later in the year.  Thankfully I still have plenty of PTO. 

I figured that some of you would enjoy the Pie commercial above.  I went out for dinner tonight and had some Spicy breaded Cod Fish and some Mac & Cheese.  I finished up with a mini Bourbon Pecan Pie.  It was oh so good!  I got this at a local place.  I wanted to hit up the buffet but my fear of being on call and getting called upon while away prevented me from acting upon my desire. 

I went on an Amazon bender and will have a new Cross Rollerball Pen tomorrow along with some soap, a spray that my eye doctor recommended and other nifty things that I could otherwise probably do without.  It was one of those moments where I said fuck it.  I don’t need another writing instrument but I collect them along with law enforcement challenge coins. My absolute favorite writing instruments are made by Mont Blanc.  Problem is they have so much that I want but simply can’t afford. 

According to Facebook my brother in fact did get married yesterday.  The bitch he married of course took his (our) last name.  Makes me want to go change my last name.  I’m serious but it’s only a desire, I won’t be acting upon it.  In other photos he looks really happy that he is with her but in his wedding photo looks more like he is saying HELP ME.  We haven’t spoken and I didn’t get an invite.  I don’t plan on contacting him and I am sure he has no plans to contact me.  I can’t believe he actually went through with this and yes I am angry and highly disappointed in him.  With all of the grief he has caused me I’ve come to the conclusion it’s best to cut ties.  I don’t plan on changing my mind, I made this same decision before and after our mom died I gave him a 2nd chance and look at what that got me. 

In other news you know how your going through your life and out of the blue one of those recurring got you expenses come up for renewal that you forgot about?  Yeah well that happened to me this week.  I got an email from a vendor I use for remote access to my desktop.  I know I am smart and could setup a VPN and spare the expense but I find this subscription solution more secure, easier and I don’t have to guess what my IP Address is going to be when my ISP decides to change it.  Well the cost of their subscription renewal went up to $420 from a simple $100.  There is no way I am paying that so I called and they cut me a break on the price but this will be yet another annual negotiation that I will need to do.  I despise negotiations with vendors be it my ISP, TV or anything else.  However, more often than not it works in my favor and I’m rather good at it, but it’s a skill that I would much rather not have to use. 

The most interesting thing I did this week was attend a webinar and heard from a survivor of the Virginia Tech shooting.  It was to educate for awareness on active shooters.  I have no ties to VT but hearing this story unfold I couldn’t help but be saddened as I heard the events recapped.  I get that people snap and it seems to be happening more and more in today’s society.  I understand suicide but I don’t understand killing innocent people who pose no imminent threat to you.  I got some great insight out of this event, even if I did have to give up my lunch hour it was so worth it. 

No post here is truly complete without an update on the cats.  Ms. Momma has been clingy ever since Tuesday when I found her and got my scare.  Her kids are vocal and require just as much attention as she does if not more.  Gator is the biggest attention seeker by far and it’s a competition to her.  It always has been, it’s just her make up.  Interesting to get to know their individual personalities and quirks and it’s been quite fun seeing them grow up and grow old. 

Ah tomorrow I will be cleaning house after skipping it last week, this place is a wreck and I look forward to getting it back into shape, even if it’s all going to fall apart in a weeks time.  Nothing like a clean floor and an empty sink with no dishes. 

Finally we are officially in LGBT Pride Month, Happy Pride everyone! Now back to giving attention to the cats and relaxing.  Hope your weekend is going well. 

Not feeling it today

While I got a decent nights sleep and felt pretty good about work my morning had a frightening scare.  I found momma she was all curled up and not responding to sound.  By all outward appearances she was gone.  I touched her and much to my surprise she sprang to life.  I was so very happy but also startled at the same time.  I was able to compose myself and got to eat breakfast.  I wasn’t feeling up to going in and contemplated working from home but opted to just call it a day.  I asked my team for help during the day to cover my on-call shift and I have since taken over since it’s after normal working hours. 

My face and head began to hurt again.  My forehead was the primary source for pain.  I managed to get myself back to sleep and sleep I did.  I am concerned that I won’t be able to sleep tonight but have been up all afternoon. 

I enjoyed the afternoon with the kids.  Momma and Marvin by myside and we continued our ER marathon.  I got a couple good photo ops of Marv sleeping and added them to my cat album.  It was over all a peaceful and relaxing afternoon, despite a couple coughing fits. 

Chicken Salad on White for lunch and Split Pea Soup with Ham & Bacon for supper.  I’ve also had a fair number of Mini Peanut Butter cups, which I am sure isn’t fairing well for my blood sugar.  I have been pounding sugar free sports drink, a couple sodas and been in the bathroom.  I am confident that I am well hydrated and if I can manage to motivate myself I will leave the house tomorrow, otherwise it will be a work from home day.  Either way I am going back tomorrow and unless things go south I think whatever got a hold of me will be gone in a few days thanks to the Antibiotics I am on, or so I hope.  Being sick is no fun and being alone with your sick with no one to help you well that just adds to the mix. 

I have found that with age it takes much longer to recover from most everything from a simple paper cut to getting sick.  Having Diabetes doesn’t help matters and keeping my sugar in control will ultimately work to my benefit.  While I am trying it’s difficult.  I hope the new medicine will give me the assistance I so desperately need, that along with not giving in to my sweet tooth. 

My little scare with Momma has caused me to keep a closer eye on her today.  Fragile little thing but she still has spunk.  I think she may be getting hard of hearing.  Losing the cats I have was hard and each one is different.  I don’t know how I will manage to move on with out my momma when we get to that juncture in the road.  Were all pretty close here and the bond is stronger than super glue.  I’m glad I still have her and she still has me.  I’m her savior the one who rescued her from the outdoors and she has never forgotten that for a second.  She thanks me most every chance she gets.  This morning was just a bit much for me. 

Here’s hoping that today was the worst it gets all week and that the rest of the week is smooth sailing and life returns to some state of normal.  I really desperately need a man and a vacation perhaps even a do over with life in general.  Move and start over, it would be scary but also exciting.  I can dream but I have serious doubts that it will come to pass.  Ah well on to hump day.  I am hoping that all is well in your world.  Look forward to talking with you again soon. 

Oh what a day

It’s a Monday but the best part about today is that it’s a holiday, which is something I need!  I felt decent when I woke up, still didn’t want to get out of bed but that is an everyday thing.  Got the cats fed, then took my meds and out to Cracker Barrel for breakfast.  Service was not so good but the food made up for that.  I had a Country Fried Steak something I haven’t had in a long time and yes this was for breakfast.  Once I made it to the car I felt like life was draining from me.  So I talked my self out of my Target run and just went on to the grocery store. 

My prime reason for Target was to get cat litter.  I lucked out and they had it on sale at the grocery store.  This was a better price than Target typically has so I couldn’t pass it up.  By the time I got done unloading the car and putting things away I was done for. 

This was a simple task that normally doesn’t exhaust me but being sick wow it just was exhausting.  You would have thought I ran a marathon.  I camped out in front of the TV and began catching up on stuff I had on the DVR since it’s so easy for me to get lost in ER streaming.  The longer I sat the more down hill I went, eventually my face was killing me primarily in my forehead.  I went to bed and Gator and I curled up and watched TV from there.  Eventually I fell asleep and then shortly after 1 I got up and passed out lunch. 

I took time to have some lunch myself.  I also indulged in some mini Recess Peanut Butter Cups.  I figure if their good enough for NPH then there good enough for me.  I know it’s not what my sugar needed but the little kid trapped in me with a serious sweet tooth devoured them. 

Then it was off to the couch to watch more TV and finally Marvin came out of hiding.  I had to feed him and then he wanted cuddle time with me, which I gave him. These 3 cats love and depend upon me so much, my love for them is equally as strong.  They are my last tie to the life that has passed me by with my late partner.  They are my reason for living but watching them age and grow older knowing that soon our time will run out is disheartening.  So I spend as much time as I can with them, cater to them and love them like I know how.  I don’t always get to do what I want but I tell myself that looking back after they are gone I will appreciate the sacrifice I made. 

I feel much better now and hope that this feeling sticks so that I have some motivation to actually go into work tomorrow.  I know I have the option to work at home but with all of the time I have spent here a chance of scenery is needed.  Plus being around other people.  I got invited to my friends house for BBQ but I turned him down because I’m sick.  I would really love to go and catch up but I asked for a raincheck and we can get together in a couple weeks, when hopefully all of this crud has made it’s way out of my body. 

My lawn guy came by and cut today.  He was here last week bush trimming, he actually took out a whole bush and I am not happy about it.  I like to walk around free in my home and by that I mean clothing optional depending on my mood.  If it’s late at night or first thing in the morning I am as naked as the day I was born.  Well now that he did his handy work my neighbors can see me in my kitchen.  I hope they like what they see because there is no changing me.  I’m still waiting for his bill, it’s going to be hefty because I have yet to pay for grass cutting.  He says he will bill me and I hope he does soon so that I can exhale and get him paid.

The laundry is done, I just need to carry it upstairs and put it away.  I got this new lemony shave gel and am looking forward to trying it out in a bit.  Putting a new razor blade on and going to town.  I’d love to keep a beard but can’t get past the itchy stage and since part of my face hair has turned white there is yet another reason to shave it off. 

Well that’s about it for today’s post.  I hope that this week is better than last week and things will be extra quiet at work since my boss is gone on vacation.  I don’t have to worry about useless meetings and bullshit, but like a bad penny he will be back in 2 weeks and that’s when we will go back to the norm.  Until then it’s like a vacation for me, rest and relax enjoy the quiet because it won’t last for long. 

I hope your enjoying the warmer weather, that there is fun & peace in your world.  There is peace in mine but it’s just not fun right now, never is when your sick.  However, I know that this is only temporary and it too shall pass, then the fun will come back.  That will be nice!  Take care and we will talk again soon. 

Maxillary Sinus Infection

By far one of the worst sinus infections is a Maxillary one.  Your face hurts and you feel like you want to rip all of your teeth out with a pair of pliers or so that’s how I have felt.  I had this a couple other times in my life so I am no stranger to it but I would just as well skip it if given an option. 

Not sure what went wrong but on Tuesday I got sick and powered through the work day.  Tuesday night I came home and wanted to crawl in a hole and die.  I felt horrible.  We had tornado watches out and serious storms in the area.  Not exactly prime conditions for trying to sleep.  The weather radio was going off several times and eventually the storm passed.  No damage here, thankfully. 

Wednesday morning I just knew there was no way I was going to work.  I felt bad but it why I have time off.  I also called in on Thursday.  Since things were getting worse instead of better I called my doc and they were all booked up and told me to hit up an urgent care clinic.  I didn’t need to go except for the fact that if you miss 3 days of work you need a doctors note to return.  So I got around that by working from home on Friday.  I treated it as a normal work day, got up super early, head breakfast, got a shower (that felt so good) and dressed in my sweats.  Then hit the basement and logged in.  I started an hour early because I knew I had crap waiting for me to deal with.  Not to mention 2 new hires that start on Tuesday.  Unless I call it out that work waits for me and no one will even make an attempt at it.  That’s good and bad but I just plowed through it like the master I am. 

Friday night I relaxed in front of the TV like I spent all day Wednesday & Thursday doing.  I woke up on Saturday and that’s when it felt like it was time to break out the pliers.  As I sat up and stayed up everything drained from my head and the pressure went away.  Plus I took my meds.  I got a call from a friend to go out to dinner.  I wanted to go to the buffet but I opted instead to spend time with my pal.  He was seriously concerned about me.  If it wasn’t so late when we parted ways I was going to run by the hospital ER to get checked out.  Instead I was tired and just opted to go home. 

Woke up this morning and grabbed breakfast out.  Then hit up the ER where they wasted my time.  I went to the dog & cat hospital for what will be the last time ever for a sinus related issue.  Blood work or short of an ambulance ride as God is my witness I will never fucking go back there.  I got the same play doctor that I got when I had Bronchitis last.  He did the same fucking thing he did last time, called in medicine that I am already taking and sent me on my way.  Only this time I was hip to it and called him out on it.  I asked for an antibiotic and he refused, saying I didn’t need it.  Uh, I’ve been trapped in this body since birth and I know what I need.  So I went home and fired up my iPhone and saw a doctor via video chat.  Cost me $75 but worth it because I got what I needed.  Just took my first dose a couple hours ago.  I am hoping by Tuesday when it’s time to go back to work that I am much better.  I probably over did things yesterday.  I had such plans for today but ah well. 

Grocery shopping on Monday and cleaning the house then.  It will feel more like a Sunday.  I have leftovers from last night plus whatever else is in my freezer.  Running out of soda.  Really wish I had some ice cream.  If you can get the roof of your mouth cold and keep it that way it will help decongest you.  I learned that from a doc in the box visit a couple years back. 

Cats are doing okay, they know I don’t feel well but they are playing me like a fiddle for food.  I got their food shopping done yesterday on schedule.  I need to get Marv & Mom back on their meds.  I got a cute snapshot of Marv asleep at the water fountain.  He’s such a lazy oof but I love him so much and he is way cuter than I will ever be. 

Oh I almost forgot.  I saw my new eye doctor yesterday.  Fantastic operation.  He runs an all Apple Shop which was kind of different. Has all state of the art equipment.  We did the #1 and #2 thing with the lens’ but instead he color coded them so you would say red or green instead of 1 or 2, kind of different.  My vision has changed and actually improved.  He proved that I could benefit from computer glasses but I don’t have coverage for them this year, so I didn’t buy anything.  Plus my present glasses aren’t a year old just yet but were a couple months away from that.  I do like what I have but next year I will switch insurance to get materials coverage and get new everyday glasses plus I will try a pair of computer glasses.  It will be a small investment but sounds like something that will pay off with less neck and shoulder pain from what I am told.  Regardless if you realize it or not your body is constantly adjusting to stay in focus with the monitor and that can cause should and neck pain so I am told.  I liked this guy so much that I already booked my appointment for next year.  So glad I switched, best thing ever!  It’s a little bit of a drive but worth it.  They did a photo fundis of my eye but with a computer and then he took time to go over it in great detail with me.  He made quite the impression and I learned that my eyes are in great shape, despite my higher than normal sugars. 

Well time to get more laundry going and watch some TV.  Relaxing is exhausting because I really want to be doing other things.  I guess it’s more frustration than anything.  Here’s hoping that next week is much better, despite the fact that I am on-call as of Tuesday. 

Hope all is well in your world.  Good old summer is around the corner.  We have already had temperatures in the 80’s and 90s’  A/C has been officially powered on here. 

Better

Yet another week is done, it’s been a rocky one but things are starting to get better. For starters I made it to work all 5 days, despite not wanting to. I actually had a valid reason to work from home for a couple days. That reason was traffic. We had several bridge issues this week, one of which was closed and it created a nightmare commute both to and from work. I mottled through it and made it to work each day on time but not as early as I typically am. One day I skipped giving the kids their medicine I just jetted out the door and drove like a bat out of hell to get into the thick of things.

As you know I have been concerned about my blood sugar. Well I got some good news yesterday when I did one of my many finger sticks (yes, they hurt) I saw positive progress. That trend continued into this morning so I think that the new medicine is finally starting to work. The concern I have with it is that after 1-year people taking it are at a greater risk to contract bladder cancer. So, I have to talk with the doc about that. Seems every medicine has risk factors or side effects and you can’t combat them all. I also know that one day my heart will stop as will yours, it’s just part of life.

No news from my brother as we get dangerously close to his impending supposed wedding. I think about it from time to time but I have let the anger go. It’s more like disappointment. It’s no surprise that he isn’t reaching out to me anymore. She is in control and dictates who he communicates with, plus he knows how I feel about her and I am sure she now knows how I feel about her and her family. I do hope they are happy and that this works for them.

I had plans to drive to the buffet today and was so looking forward to it all week long. The weather was nice and perfect day to take a drive. I woke up and my neck/shoulder was killing me. I made it to breakfast and the post office, after that I had to call it quits. Motivation be damned I spent another Saturday holed up at home. I watched a lot of TV and took a short nap. I made it out for supper and cat food. Now I am taking care of my usual Saturday business.

The best thing in the mail today was my refund check for my tires. I paid them off when the bill came and having the extra money now sure does look good. I am going to go on an Amazon shopping spree and now they offer 1-day delivery to prime members, which is a really good deal.

The temperatures are getting more summer like and I had to kick on the AC to get comfy. Glad I have that luxury item or living here in the summer would be miserable.

I have had a couple times this week where I have taken a step back and realized how good life is, counting my blessings if you will. I am not wealthy or living the luxurious life but I am doing pretty good for a single window gay guy. Need to step up my game on getting a man. Looked at a few more dating apps this afternoon but none of them looked to be appealing and they all want money before you can get any real benefit out of them. I am not interested in giving my money away like that.

In other news I have an app on my phone to combat fraud/spam and other unwanted calls. I can even manually block numbers and I pay a small price for this each month. The annoying thing is that occasionally somehow a call slips through and comes up as unknown. Well I did some serious research this week and I believe I have a solution. I’ve got an iPhone 7. The fix was to create 2 new contacts. 1 called Unknown and the other called Unknown Caller. Both have the same phone number as 000 000 0000. Then I went into settings – phone – call blocking & identification and then to the bottom of the list and chose block contact. I had to do this 1 time for each contact and presto Unknown and Unknown Callers are now blocked. If a call slips through they get shunted to voice mail. With my app that I pay for callers that are blocked get a fast-busy signal. The call gets logged in the app and that’s all there is to it. Funny thing is the unknown callers don’t ever show up in the app. I’ve got a home phone and for maximum bang for my buck I forward my home phone to my cell phone. It really helps a lot. Sadly, most calls I get are spam/fraud related. I really only hear from either someone at work because they need/want something or a specific friend.

Given today’s modern communication choices of text, video, email or phone call, my preference is a phone call. You can accomplish so much more and cut to the chase eliminating the back and forth. It’s straight forward and you get a real time response.

Next weekend will be an eye exam from a new eye doctor. I am interested in getting a different opinion on my eyes. I don’t plan on buying glasses or changing lens, all of that is working fine and I am more than happy with what I have. Hopefully I don’t get any unpleasant news, which isn’t expected. We also have a 3 days weekend as Monday the 27^th will be Memorial Day. 4-day work week and I will be on-call. I won’t be complaining that I get a shorter on-call shift. Things have been super quiet lately and hopefully that pattern continues for a while.

Best thing outside of the blood sugar is I heard a podcast with Neil Patrick Harris. He was on Life is Short with Justin Long. Wow, he’s really a sexual guy. He looks good and the way he talks is exciting. I’m hot for him even if he is a married man. It’s an interesting interview and I learned that NPH apparently is a fan of rim jobs. Who knew outside of his husband. Yeah it was a really good interview!

Hope you had a great week and are relaxing this weekend. Monday will beckon soon enough. Might as well have some fun and get in a nap or two! Cheers for now as I go back to laundry.

Surprise

This morning I was passing out food and everyone was chattering, which is normal as I get the food plated and then serve it.  Once the serve happens everyone is quiet for the most part.  This morning I got a surprise when there was a 4th meow.  It was loud and sounded exactly like Ruth.  It came from outside.  I was surprised but didn’t think much of it.  Then as I ate my breakfast (left over mexican pizza followed by 2 cinnamon rolls) I heard more noise from outside and this time it sounded like a cat in pain or giving birth.  It was pouring rain but I threw caution to the wind, got dressed and turned off the alarm, swung open the back door and flew out in search of this mystery cat.  I looked like a crazy person because I was in short sleeves and getting soaked by the cold rain.  It’s Spring here but felt more like winter.  Back on point, I looked and looked.  Found nothing.  Came back in. 

I sat down to watch more ER and intermittently throughout the show I would hear a cry here and there.  I thought I was going insane and having some type of a mental breakdown.  Eventually I took a nap and when I woke up heard nothing but silence.  Started the TV back up and the noise came back.  What in the world is going on here?  This continued on and off all afternoon.

Finally it was 4p and I decided to go see what I was missing in the world.  However, I wanted to check my sugar and while I was in the process of doing that in the kitchen, I heard the cat crying again.  Threw on my clothes and like a crazy person back out in the rain.  This time I found it.  We looked at each other in the eye.  The cat looked like it was about to ask me for a ride to the airport as I talked with it.  Trying to figure out if it was in labor or injured.  Then it took off to the neighbors house.  It was fast moving and thin so I don’t think it’s pregnant.  I think it’s hungry and didn’t like the rain.  I feel sorry for it but I wasn’t about to chase it through the neighborhood. 

Came back in, with the realization that I may be going crazy but I am in fact not hearing things.  Got my sugar results which were sky high and headed out the door.  Grabbed the mail, a bite to eat and then cat food.  Finally back home on to laundry and finances. 

What an interesting day.  I picked a great day to stay home and sleep.  I’m also glad I turned the furnace back on last night before I nodded off.  Me and the furry family have had a great day together.  I figured for sure when I laid down for my nap that the phone would interrupt but this time I was wrong and quite thankful. 

Now if I could only afford to take a vacation and actually get away.  Ah well back to the daily grind on Monday.  Hope you had a great day as well.  Cheers for now. 

Busy

What a week!  Hope your doing well and that the sun is shining bright in your neck of the woods.  That is unless it’s midnight. 

I have been setting up new people all day, I got most of them done yesterday and made a decent dent today.  There are still 3 more left.  If I get lucky and have no interruptions, the stars & the moon alight I can knock the remainder out in about an hour.  I move at a pace where I keep hearing a little voice saying your missing something or your fucking this up.  I know that I’m not and have to ignore those thoughts.  I’m not saying I am perfect but if there are problems I will deal with them.  I am doing a superb job!  My trainer would be proud of me.

I did manage to take a break here and there.  Extended my lunch hour by an hour which wasn’t bad at all.  I was walking around and talking to folks.  Someone asked me what I was doing for mothers day and what I got my mom.  I said oh don’t you remember she dropped dead last year.  Yeah that made them feel really good.  It was awkward but there wasn’t any emotion connected to it.  I mean it’s a fact that I am not happy about but I can’t change it. 

Worked from home on Wednesday, I woke up to what looked like a soft serve ice cream machine went berserk – only it wasn’t ice cream.  Worse yet I came damn close to stepping in it.  I was rushing around so much trying to get ready for work that when I was in the shower it hit me.  Work from home.  A t-shirt and some boxers, not a bad thing to work in.  Started laundry and resumed cleanup.  All worked out well.

I got a new medicine for my diabetes and was waiting for clarification from the doctor on if this drug was replacing something or just to be added to what I was taking.  I got tired of waiting so I made an educated guess.  Still waiting on the proper instructions but hey hopefully I didn’t make a huge mistake.  It’s only been 2 days but I feel a little better.  True test will be tomorrow morning when I check my sugar. 

Weekend chores – I’d like to get a new watch battery.  That’s only been on my list for 2 weeks now.  I hardly ever wear it but I like to keep it in good working order and clean.  It’s a dress watch and it’s made to impress.  I need to pickup my Sudafed refill from the pharmacy but I suspect I will run into problems.  Hopefully, I am wrong and can get it without a problem.  I am a week and a few days early but it’s close enough that it shouldn’t be a problem.  It’s not covered by insurance and so I have to pay full cash price which is $100 but when you need it and don’t have a choice, you pay.  That’s it along with the usual chores of mail, shopping for me and the kids, grabbing a bite or two out and then filling up the gas tank. 

My house looks more like a forest.  Bushes have yet to be trimmed and the grass is super tall.  I sent the guy a note just recapping our conversation but the address I found on-line was wrong and so the letter came back.  Now I am sure he will be sending me a bill so I’ll get his address eventually.  Grass is due to be cut again next week. 

Well up to the furry family.  Were still in our ER marathon.  Carter has gotten lucky a couple times but sadly there hasn’t been much to see.  ER was a really good show for it’s time.  There are lots of lessons buried in the show and plenty of take away. 

Have a nice weekend and if your a mom, Happy Mother’s Day!  Talk again soon. 

Monday–done

Monday is done!  My vehicle repairs that were supposed to take all day, only took 4 hours.  That was a nice surprise.  No cost to me for the work which is also nice.  Got some work done around here.  Changed the wardrobe from long sleeves to short sleeves.  I still have my lightweight jacket handy for any infrequent cool mornings we should have.  It’s a hot box in here right now around 77 and I will have to run the AC a little bit to cool things down. 

Marv is eating but not bunches.  Momma is eating but she has frequent diarrhea.  She still looks dehydrated to me so I am going to fill her up with some fluid and give her a slight touch of something for the diarrhea.  I’ve got a mini-pet pharmacy going here with left over medicine.  I worry about all of them and they know it.  They work me until I am ready to come unglued.  Like tonight Marv was eating outside of my bathroom.  He decided that he wanted to go in my room.  He thought his food should follow him but we all know that is not how it works.  Well for Marv it does, but I have to be home.  He sat behind my recliner and started meowing.  I asked him if he wanted more and I got a meow.  I brought him the plate and he was lapping it up.  He hasn’t really had anything crunchy that I have seen so I am wondering if he might have a tooth issue.  I’ve got my watchful eye on all of them.  If need be we will go to the vet but I like to avoid that place as much as possible. 

Got a scam text from 410 200 500, I had an account alert from a bank I have never heard of.  Gave it a google and it’s fraud.  Quite well known I might add as well.  I reported the text to my carrier and added the number they listed to my block list.  Now all of a sudden my phone is blowing up with calls from random numbers.  I block each one as the calls come in and then in frustration they try to call back but are blocked.  I don’t play with that.  It’s very easy to be had these days and schemes and scams advance by the day.  I see it every day at work and that is what makes me so hypersensitive to it.  If I don’t know the number, I don’t answer the phone.  That’s a best practice in my book.  The caller is given an opportunity to leave a voice mail but if they elect not to, then I guess it wasn’t that important after all. 

I have had plenty of time to reflect on the whole brother marriage situation and I think I am just going to leave it alone.  He doesn’t want me to know he is getting married for a reason and I’m not invited for a reason.  No sense in wasting more time on it.  I think I have an ulcer over it, seriously.  I am just going to let it be, it’s probably what is best for me.  This will either blow up in a disaster OR it could be the best thing that ever happened to both of them.  Only time will tell and now that I am viewed as the bad guy I suppose my brother won’t reach out to me until he wants or needs something.  Funny how he was quick to call me when there were problems. 

I did have time to catch up on my regular TV today, even went so far as to take a nap for a short while.  The damn phone kept me from dosing off too long but all I really wanted to do was sleep.  That won’t be an option come tomorrow and if I am busy the thought doesn’t cross my mind.  Things were calm today and I am glad.  However, there are a few things that need my attention tomorrow. 

I hope your Monday was enjoyable and that the rest of the week will be equally as enjoyable.  I am looking forward to a night home with the cats and putting the finishing touches on a couple things, one of which is getting my lunch ready for tomorrow.  Chicken Salad on Wheat, had one today and I have one more left for tomorrow. Very much looking forward to it.  I could go for some egg salad as well but no one seems to make that these days or if they do it’s hard to find. 

Talk with you all again soon!

Exhausted & Recovering

I am thankful for a 3 day weekend!  This past week overall was okay.  I had a nice time with my boss and ate a lot of food.  We talked a lot and I didn’t ask all of the questions I wanted to.  There was a big shake up this week as our CEO was told to leave, I had expected this for a while but figured this late in the game nothing was going to change.  Talk about a surprise, wow.  I talked with my co-worker who has cancer and things are a bit grimmer for him, he is allergic to the chemo and they have to stop.  There are no other options for him. Personally I figure 3 months to a year, he’s been told 6 months to a year.  It sucks to hear this but at least he has time to spend with his family and can prepare for the inevitable.  He is going to retire so that will be forthcoming.

To say that things are picking up for me is an understatement.  While it was good see my boss in person, he wanted to touch base every 15 minutes to an hour and I got very little accomplished until he left for the airport.  We had no interaction on Friday.  I was able to get caught up, minus one task that I opted to put off. 

I was close to losing Momma & Marvin this week.  Both had stopped eating.  I think Momma had/has a Upper Respiratory Issue and she has given part of that to Marvin.  In addition it didn’t help that I skipped their medicine while I was off.  I had to give them both an appetite stimulant and then follow up with fluids to get them back to “normal”.  They are super picky now about what I put in front of them.  So I went for more gravy based food since they both seem to like that.  Insty will eat damn near anything but even she is picky at times.  I thought Marvin for sure was done but thankfully I just used up another one of his lives.  I am so glad I still have them and was able to fix their issue on my own and never even had to involve a vet.  I think I am a mini vet on my own with everything I have been through.  People are amazed when I say I gave them fluids.  They don’t understand and once I explain they are like your vet lets you do that.  I said sure I did it with Big Boy, the rest of them are no different.  You just have to use reserved judgement and not flood them with fluid.  I get a very small Jell-O like mass under their skin and within 24 hours it’s gone.

I hired a new grass guy and we negotiated the same price that I was used to paying.  He is also by far the cheapest when it comes to bush trimming so I am letting him do that as well.  He’s an older guy and we seem to have clicked.  I think he’s a keeper.  I know I don’t want to have to search again for a new provider anytime soon.  It’s a miserable process. 

I haven’t been this drained in quite sometime.  I was falling asleep at my desk on Friday afternoon and felt tired no matter what I did.  I went for a walk but it didn’t work.  Until I got outside and was headed home is when I got a small second wind.  That lasted until I crossed into the house and then I was zapped. 

I spent Saturday watching ER, eating junk food and napping.  I didn’t even have to get dressed and it was really nice and refreshing.  My voice mail light came on in the afternoon and as much as I didn’t want to I checked and it was a friend checking on me.  I called back around 6p and we talked until almost 11p.  I was never so happy to hang up the phone. 

I am not real sure why but my obsession is with re-watching the old ER series.  Right now I am telling myself once the character Carter (played by Noah Wylie) gets lucky I will pause but I don’t know if that will hold true.  He’s the whole reason why I became infatuated with the series.  He’s super cute and young.  Today were about the same age and my obsession really isn’t there any longer.  Yes I know he’s straight.  Anyway, I am sure getting the most out of my free Hulu Subscription.  I hate the damn commercials and if I want to skip them I have to start a new account and pay full price $11.95 per month, so I just put up with it.  I am so behind on my current regular shows that I hope my DVR doesn’t over flow.  I plan to peek at it tomorrow if not sooner.  

The big news is I found out my brothers wedding is at the end of the month.  I saw it on FB.  It’s not like I got an invite or have heard from him.  I am surprised on one hand and not on another.  She broke him pretty quick and went in for the kill.  So first is marriage and then will come her name on the house.  That will seal his fate and to unseal it will take a lot of  money and a miracle.  I can’t believe how stupid he is.  She was a monster to him and put him through needless hell for months on end, they broke up and now he realizes he can’t live without her.  Fuck what a mess.  He deserves everything that he gets.  If it works great I’m happy.  I suspect things will be well for a while and then it will be right back in the crapper.  Only I am not wasting my time listening to him whine anymore I have divorced myself from the situation.  I am only interested in his well being.  I do think it will be quite sometime before we talk again, if ever.  It’s all really kind of sad when you stop to think about it. 

Sunday is catchup day.  I was up early and got moving.  I still have to clean the house but I went out for lunch/supper to a Mexican place.  It was nice to get away for a bit.  I am also happy to be back home.  Finishing up my laundry and then I will head up and get the cleaning done. 

Monday is car repair day.  The parts came in middle of the week and we agreed on Monday.  While I am taking the day off I am also on-call so I’m basically working from home.  I will keep an eye on email and jump in if needed.  Might grab a bite for dinner out but outside of that no other real plans for the day. 

So the beat goes on and on.  Hope all is well in your world.  Talk with you all again soon.