Dangerous

I just found a danger to working from home.  You have free time, an Amazon account and a credit card.  Yikes!  I did it again!!

This time I got my 3 2020 Calendars.  Two of them are porn calendars – showing hot naked men and the other one shows only hot shirtless naked men.  I hang the naked ones in my office and bedroom.  The shirtless one is for the living room.  I mean you can’t just shock people when they walk in the front door, but then again I don’t give a damn because no one comes over.  Yet I opt to be respectable, just in case.  Besides that nothing wrong with leaving something to the imagination.  I got my Mucinex and some Dude Wipes.  I also much to your surprise ordered yet another pen.  This time it’s a Cross Nitro Rollerball in what color other than bright blue.  This is neat because you pull to open the pen and push to close it.  When I saw it yesterday I knew I would wind up ordering it.  I really wanted it in Purple but they want $99 for it and I don’t want to spend that kind of money on a Cross.  I dropped $24 which is the lowest price around compared to my local Office Max.  Hopefully, no other writing instruments will capture my eye for a very long time.  I have enough pens and ink in my house to cover a small city and keep them writing for at least 1 if not 2 years. 

For some reason it’s like a sickness I see it and if I like it I have to have it.  There are a couple of Mont Blanc’s that I would like to add to my collection but I have managed to keep those at bay, merely because of the cost.  Some people love watches, others like cars but me it’s pens, sweets, men and cats. 

Naturally because I place my Amazon most of my order will be delivered tomorrow but there will be one delivery on Thursday.  I think part of the addiction is the next day or two day that I just can’t seem to say no to not only pens but a lot of other things.  I had a thought yesterday what if Amazon went out of business.  I mean seriously they just shut their doors.  It would crush a lot of people.  Were in an instant society where things are way too convenient and it’s easier now than ever to spend money.  Hell most of the time you don’t even have the cash in your hand, it’s all digital bits.  The bank says you have money, you spend it and pay the bill electronically from the bank. 

I still need to get a calendar for work and I usually buy a train calendar because it’s a common interest that I shared with my late partners.  I would order 1 for each of us.  After he passed ordered one for the living room but changed to shirtless men because I like them way more.

Ah it’s 2 in the afternoon.  I’ve been on a couple of conference calls.  Boss man is feeling some pressure from a big project that he has and that has sucked up all of his time.  He has no time to police and were self sufficient so that’s a good thing for him.  I’ve got 2 departures this afternoon, which will be the highlight of the day.  I got to spend a little time with Marv and Momma when I went up for lunch/break.  I’ve been in front of this machine for most of the day.  I’ve been thinking about when I have to go back into the office, talk about a culture shock.  It will hit all of us (me and the cats) pretty hard.  I was thinking about next week but I may put it off.  I do like getting out but when I think about it all I do is travel to a building sit in front of a computer and then travel home.  Why spend the extra money and waste my time when I can sit in front of my own computer and never leave home.  There is good and bad to this, just like anything else in this world. 

Last night the phone rang at 10p someone lost their mobile device.  Wow on a normal week night I would have been in bed asleep but I was up watching TV taking my time falling asleep.  Thinking it would be more restful.  Nope, I had a nightmare at 4a and it took me about an hour to fall back asleep.  I just had to find Marv before I went back to bed and there he was all sound asleep until he caught the flashlight in the eyes and that woke him up.  I felt bad but needed to know he was okay.  He wasn’t feeling well last night and scurried away from the bedroom early. 

Well there you have it my daily blathering.  One more day of work.  I’m hopeful that someone will want to cover my two days of on-call but I am prepared to work the evening part as long as they take care of any urgent stuff that comes up during the day.  That will give me time to see the doctor, have my blood drawn, eat breakfast out and of course travel for pie (presuming I go through with it.).  Saturday a little painting and some cat food shopping.  Sunday off to a new grocery store and breakfast.  Then it’s back to a full 5 day work week until I either get sick or Thanksgiving comes.  Turkey Day is 4 weeks away and I will have an entire week to myself.  No work at all and I so look forward to it.

Hope your having a great Tuesday.  Be well and stay warm.  Talk with you again soon.   

One bad decision away

In browsing social media yesterday, I saw this cryptic message from a classmate that said words to the effect of I can’t talk about what happened over the weekend, please send prayers.  We aren’t close, we know each other from going to school together.  However, I am nosy by nature and wanted to know what the world happened.  So a little googling and I got my answer. 

My classmates son was driving himself and a friend home on Saturday night.  These are kids in there early 20’s with their entire lives ahead of them.  It was raining and the driver (my classmates son) took a corner too fast for conditions and totaled his truck.  His passenger wasn’t wearing his seat belt and from the photos I was able to track down this kid was very large.  Anyway he (the passenger) was ejected from the vehicle and killed instantly.  This is all very tragic but then the police found a bunch of empty beer cans in the truck.  They smelled a faint smell of alcohol on the driver.  He was injured and treated at a local hospital and was arrested for DWI.  He bonded out of jail, can’t have alcohol while on release and has to have an alcohol monitoring device.  If he is convicted he faces 10 years in jail. 

Here’s the worst part my classmate is a police officer.  It wasn’t handled by his department because it occurred in a different venue and the State is involved.  His son knew enough not to talk to the police he asked for an attorney, refused breath and blood tests.  They had to get a warrant to draw his blood.  The results of the blood test were not made public. By refusing the blood test he automatically loses his license for 1 year.   

Holy shit I was taken back.  This isn’t the type of thing you think a police officers son would get involved with. DWI is bad enough but killing a friend that is a double whammy that will play over and over again in that kids mind.  A bunch of lives were changed forever in an instant.  We lose sight of how fragile life is until you hear of an event like this. 

There will also be a mountain of expenses incurred as a result of this.  There will be a criminal trial as well a most probably a civil lawsuit for wrongful death.  This will not be a cheap mistake or one that is easily erased.  I am sure there is more to the story than I will ever know and that’s okay.  The kid will eventually be able to put this behind him but that will take years.  It’s a felony since there was death or serious injury, so that will prohibit the kid from landing a decent job for quite sometime.  There’s more than the actual money paid at trial or in lawsuits, the repercussions run wide and deep.  

I wanted to say something to my classmate because I feel bad for him.  Last year he was injured in a wreck in the line of duty when someone not paying attention hit his patrol car while he was in a pursuit.  It’s like bad luck just keeps on following him.  I started to type a comment and then stopped.  I composed a message to send but erased it.  I am just at a complete and utter loss for what to say.  The perfunctory Thoughts & Prayers comment is what was mostly left on the post.  I don’t think that does it justice, I want to say so much more but somethings are better left unsaid.  

Look were all young and dumb, most of us did things that we were simply lucky with getting away with.  Drinking and Driving is something that was really preached about when I was in school along with drugs.  Being a cop I am sure my classmate has seen his fair share of death and accidents.  I am sure he imparted that knowledge and wisdom into his kids. 

This is just a tragedy all the way around.  I have problems of my own but right now they are so minor compared to this that I feel silly in even complaining.  Nothing like hearing of something like this to make you count your blessings.  I hope that something positive can come out of this. 

Mundane Monday

I think Monday’s are the worst day of the week.  Everyone is trying to get their groove back after being able to take a slumber for 2 days and it’s tough. 

We had an okay Sunday night, watching TV, relaxing together and I had the frozen pizza for supper.  I also shaved which wasn’t a fun task because I rushed it a little bit.  Everyone was chirping at me for food.

It was a little tough to get going this morning but we all made it.  The cats were so confused because it was overcast out and there were no lights on so the house was dimly lit.  I got them their food and prepared mine.  Turned the TV on and we were on our way. 

Forced myself to take a shower, usually if I had one the day before I skip 1 day but just opted to keep up a normal routine.  As the time evaporated before our eyes I was in front of my computer way quicker than I wanted to be.  I saw one of those blue screens with the sideways sad face.  That was on 1 monitor and the other monitor had regular wallpaper on it.  I shut the machine down as I was thinking today is the one day I need this damn thing to work.  Come on computer. 

It came back to life and I was off and running.  Not sure what went awry but hopefully the bug has been flushed.  Logged in and started my day.  I got occupied with a couple things and the morning flew by.  We were about at lunch and I had to check on my Amazon order.  It was just delivered.  I raced upstairs to find all of the cats looking at the front door like someone was going to come through it.  Nope I opened the door and Marv ran for cover.  I grabbed the box from the porch with anticipation. 

I opened it and there was my pen, a refill and my cream of wheat.  I did the unboxing of the pen first.  Parker really got me going.  I normally open the pen and start to write with it but this time for some strange reason I decided to open the pen.  When I did I pulled out a plastic insert that resembled a refill and I thought are you shitting me?  You couldn’t even include a refill with the pen.  Well dig a little deeper in the box and at the very bottom is the cartridge.  They of course sent the standard black ink which I despise, thankfully I had 1 of the refills.  I installed it and then put it to the test.  Holy shit it’s amazing.  You can change up your writing, pressure and angle of the pen and it keeps up.  It feels like a combination of a felt tip and a rollerball.  It’s suppose to be as if they fused a rollerball and fountain pen together.  The fountain pen part is all in the styling so from a quick first look you think it’s a fountain pen but it’s not. 

Last night I found a couple reviews online and watched them.  Both of them gave it horrible reviews said that it wasn’t worth the money.  The only thing I agree on is the refills are priced high and the availability is limited. 

I’ve got Cinabon Cream of Wheat to last me for a while.  3 boxes of 10 pouches each.  Guess what’s for breakfast tomorrow morning?  I’m so looking forward to it.  I really don’t understand why I have to buy it on Amazon vs getting it at the grocery store but for some reason that is the way it is. 

I made and gulped down a sandwich and then got in some sitting time with Marv and Momma.  Watched a game show that I recorded by accident last night called Idiot Test.  It was on the Game Show Network, kind of interesting but not something I really want to watch again.  I have a marathon of Family Feud’s to go through.  Steve Harvey is always entertainment. 

Marv got a little sick over lunch and Momma had been chewing again.  I am looking forward to this evening when we can hopefully relax and unwind.  I will be a slave to my phone but only because I am on-call.  Hopefully, it will be silent.

Not much going on this afternoon but that can change in the blink of an eye.  So I have to be prepared.  Informed the kids at lunch that I will be making a pie run on Friday.  Unless my mood or circumstances change that is the plan.  There is a Cinnamon Pecan Roll and a Pie calling me.  It’s been a long while and the trip doesn’t hold as much joy for me now as it did when we originally made our pilgrimages but that’s because my spouse won’t be with me.  It does suck to drive it alone but it’s not like this will be my first time doing that. 

About 3 more hours and then it will be time for supper.  Oh I’ve still got 1 more Amazon delivery today to look forward to.  That’s got my candle in it.  Tomorrow will be shaving gel and the other refill for the pen.  How exciting the zip will be gone pretty fast.  I still need to order my male calendars so at least I have that to look forward to.  Cheers for now.   

Break Day

Saturday was a break day for me.  I didn’t do much of anything other than sleep and watch TV.  I plowed through Goliath Season 3 on Amazon and also saw Prescience which had Mike C. Manning in it.  Nice chest and butt shots, it was a great movie. 

I woke up with a blood sugar level of 104, which is really good.  I had a couple of donuts for breakfast and a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup – wash that down with a Diet Coke.  I know not the most healthy of meals but when the sugar wore off I was sleepy and that permitted me to go back to bed. 

I didn’t get in front of the computer once, I never even came downstairs.  I would periodically check my phone but it spent the bulk of the day in Airplane Mode.  I truly wanted to disconnect from everything outside of my house. 

Despite all of the sleeping I did I set up for bed at my usual time and eventually fell asleep around 11p.  I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep so I had to take in some TV for a bit.  Then crawled back into bed after about an hour.  I told the cats that I needed to sleep in but I also needed to be up by 7:30.  They accommodated me and my internal clock helped me to be awake. 

Sunday started much differently.  I fed the cats, jumped into the shower and then got dressed.  I pulled together the laundry and got it in.  I left the house and grabbed the mail.  Then took in breakfast.  Went to the grocery store, which is probably the last time I will be in that store.  Kind of sad.  Since they are closing nothing is being re-stocked and they are running out of everything.  I was barley able to get what I needed.  I had planned on getting a platter of brownies or grabbing some fresh cookies.  They didn’t have brownies and I saw the cookies but I didn’t want to part with my cash.  Came home and unloaded and put everything away. 

Sat quietly on the couch, Marv joined me.  Then Momma and Insty poked her head up from her bed and squeezed at me.  I enjoyed quiet time and watching them sleep.  It is like a sleeping pill for me.  Marv woke up and wanted down so I put him on the floor and then I went to my bed.  I picked Marv up and put him in bed with me.  Gator was quick to follow us.  We took a nap, I got maybe 15 to 30 minutes of sleep.  I needed to pass time before the pet food store opened. 

Woke up and grabbed their cat food.  Came home and cycled the laundry.  I went a little nuts yesterday on Amazon.  I bought the pen I have always wanted a Parker 5th Generation Technology.  It’s suppose to fuze the writing experience of a rollerball with a fountain pen.  Sounds interesting and something that I have wanted for a very long time.  I got a few other things that I have been holding off but when I was done I had spent $270.  Everything is 100% returnable so there is no risk.  However, unless the pen writes horribly I’ll keep it.  I sent money this morning to the credit card I put it on so everything is already paid for before the bill even arrives.  That felt so good. 

I’ve still got money left over, a decent amount but I also have to have money to live for the rest of the month.  There is plenty left for a pie trip which I will most likely take on Friday.  I smell the odor creeping back into the basement so looks like I will be painting as well.  That should take care of this for good minus the floor. 

Amazon will be here tomorrow and as you probably guessed I will be working from home.  How convenient.  I had planned on going back but honestly there isn’t a lot going on this week.  It’s only a 3 day week for me so I have that to look forward to.  I will also be on-call for the week which won’t be fun but only 3 more turns at that and the year will be over with.  Then we start fresh.  What fun.  I’ll be on-call for the week of Christmas which honestly noting really happens.  It’s just a messed up week because we work on Monday, off Tuesday & Wednesday and then back to work on Thursday.  There is another week that I may look at working from home. 

I still have to vacuum and take out the trash and clean the bathtub.  The cats are really used to me being here.  I kind of feel like I am slowly going insane but another part of me likes the isolation.  I just know that this isn’t a long term solution because if it were long term that would be a problem.  One needs social interaction.  While it saves on gas, convenient because you can have lunch at home and be with the cats it takes away from the routine that I looked forward to.  Next week I will try to make it all 5 days in the office.  That will be a shock to me, to the cats and probably to my co-workers. 

I am giving some thought to leaving for supper but I also know there is a Tombstone Pizza that is calling my name and I so look forward to eating it.  Still working on Adam Rippon’s book, down to about an hour left.  Ms. Momma has gone back to chewing and undone all of the progress we made.  My comforter has little blood spots all over it.  I am not sure how we are going to move past this but I am thinking that it will involve the vet.  I just don’t need any bad news.  If there is something horrible going on, let it go on without my knowledge the less I know the happier I am, at least if she is going to drop dead I mean.  If it’s anything else then inform and educate.  I know she is a very old lady but that doesn’t mean she is ready to give up.  I know I am not. 

So my weekend didn’t turn out as I had hoped but it could have been worse.  Happy to have an income, roof over my head and money to be able to provide for myself and the furry family. 

I hope your weekend was everything you needed & wanted it to be.  Enjoy the hours we have left.  Monday will be knocking before any of us want it to.  Stay warm and be well. 

Goodbye Band-Aid

Last night just before I passed out supper, I noticed that Momma had ripped off the Band-Aid.  The wound was healing so nice.  Just before I climbed into bed I saw something on the comforter and picked it up, it was in fact the scab that had formed.  Silly woman, I’m not happy about it but haven’t looked to see how things look now.  I will venture down that road today. 

I managed to keep myself occupied pretty well up until 8p when I was exhausted and bored.  Not a good combination.  So I opted to get ready for bed.  I took my sleeping pill early and of course that meant that I was wide awake at 3a.  Thankfully I had recorded a few episodes of Family Feud so I had some entertainment.  I turned up the furnace and turned on the electric blanket.  That made Gator & Momma not want to leave my side.  They actually spend most of the night with me until around 4 or 5 in the morning when they leave.  When the light kicks on in the living room at 6a they start chirping that it’s time to wakeup.  This was one of those mornings where I could have easily done without that but told them to give me another hour and I would be up.  I didn’t like it but I was up.

So here I am once again working from home.  I planned for a shower this morning but since I slept in that didn’t quite work out well for me.  I was thinking of visiting a local pizza place and ordering some Lasagna a way to venture out for supper.  Not sure that I really want to do that now.  I will venture out to the end of the driveway to grab the trash can and I think that will be my extent of getting out. 

I am noticing a change in my body from all of this sitting and I can see why they call being sedentary the new cancer.  My mind is sharp but I feel like my body is falling apart.  My one leg falls asleep more than once a day.  It actually hurts me to open Marv medicine bottle, it’s got one of those god awful child proof caps on it.  It’s a simple press and turn but I feel a pain in my arm.  The good news is that when I randomly check my blood sugar it’s in control even though my appetite is out of control when it comes to sugar.  So I think the doc will be pleased with the results from the blood work next week. 

Right now all I really want to do is sleep, I am so tired.  I know what will happen if I do nap or sleep – things will suddenly become very busy and I will not be a happy camper.  So here I sit waiting for something to go wrong.  Friday’s are typically but not always quiet days. 

My back is bothering me so I am thinking of taking a heavy duty muscle relaxer which will induce sleep once it kicks in.  That has the risk of wiping away a good portion of tomorrow but I kind of feel like I need the sleep.  Plus being able to turn off the phone and knowing that I don’t have to jump for anyone is an awesome feeling for me.  All hunkered down and knocked out.  Then back to normal on Sunday.  Monday I am on the fence right now if I want to go in or work from home.  It’s only a 3 day week next week for me.  Thursday will be tied up with the doctor but Friday is free.  I could take a drive and grab some pie and I would still have the weekend to fall back on. 

Who knows what will happen, just stay tuned to find out.  Right now the only thing I can say for certain is I am tired and a bit on the bored side.  If I went into the office today things would be the same, except that I would be surrounded by a bunch of loud people.  At least I have some quiet at home and that is refreshing in it’s self.  Not to mention the gas and laundry I am saving.  The water expense will go up but that will be very minor in the grand scheme of things.  I should really reach out to my insurance agent and let him know that I am working from home to further reduce my car insurance but I don’t want to screw with things.  This is only a temporary thing that I could easily get used to.  The only part I don’t like about it is when I have to pick up the phone to reach someone, people screen their calls and when they see an external number appear they tend to shy away from answering.  At least if I was in the office they would see my name appear on the display.  I could opt to get a phone for home but I really want to avoid that if I can, it would be a blessing and a curse. 

I hope that your enjoying your Friday and that you have a great weekend.  Thanks for your virtual visit.  Talk with you again soon. 

Tired Thursday

Were making progress towards yet another Friday.  Hi and welcome back!

If you guessed that I am working from home today, you are correct.  There are only 2 days left in the week and I see no reason to hall my fat ass into the office when I can work from the comfort of my home and avoid the cold and the commute.  The commute has been looking pretty brutal on the morning news and I keep telling myself I made the right call by staying home. 

Staying at home has it’s benefits but it also has it’s curses as well.  Like last night I couldn’t remember what day of the week it was.  I kept telling myself it was Wednesday but I couldn’t believe it until I thought about it for a couple minutes.  The days blend together here and one day is the exact same as the next at least as for the routine.  Work still offers it’s occasional curve ball with cluster fucks here and there. 

My boss is super swamped so that helps to avoid the daily chit chat bs calls that we usually have and I’m so thankful for that  We do have a bs conference call later this afternoon, but it should be short unless someone gets him started on a tangent.  I don’t plan to poke the bear, I want off the call as soon as possible. 

Ms. Momma managed to chew off her band-aid and was in the basement this morning.  She’s been going there more often.  She is by my side right now and has been pacing ever since we came down here.  She does take naps but they are short lived.  She also won’t let me eat in peace, if I am at the table I might get a bite or two in and then she wants to jump up in my lap.  Not exactly sure what this is all about but I am not a huge fan. 

I replaced her band-aid with another one and even made her wear the collar for a while because she kept starting to chew at the new one and then she would get these burst of energy where she had to run through the house.  She spit out her thyroid medicine yesterday morning, at least I think it was her.  So that explains why she is running around here like she is on fire.  The thyroid when it’s out of whack causes cats to go bat shit crazy.  At least that is true for Momma and it was also true for #1 son.  It’s not a fun time for the owner but you just have to deal with it and let it run the course.  I’m wondering if she doesn’t have a fever because she was really warm this morning.  However, she is eating and acting fairly normal so unless she is trying to fool me I’d say things are pretty normal.  I know she isn’t a fan of the band-aid but the wound looks so good I’d like for it to heal and then for her to forget about it but I don’t know that I will be that fortunate. 

Right now my work is done and I am stone cold bored again.  I had a busy moment this morning but then things quieted down.  I like when that happens but not to the point of boredom.  It does allow for project work and other tasks that I have to get accomplished.

On to money.  I paid my bills like I always do and the money was taken out yesterday.  It usually takes a day for it to post to my accounts.  I woke up this morning and everyone got their money but 1 credit card.  They are still showing an amount due and it’s getting close to the deadline.  I looked at the last payment I made and it posted on the 17th which is also today so it’s odd that my money isn’t there.  I double checked to make sure I paid the right credit card and yeah I did.  I’m a little concerned but that will turn to a greater concern if they payment doesn’t post tomorrow  I like the speed and ease of electronic payments but I hate when they leave you hanging wondering if your money made it or not. 

I’m very close to being done with Adam Rippon’s book.  It’s interesting but not quite as interesting as I thought it would be.  I am interested to hear how it turns out.  I’m still on the fence about keeping Audible.  I am not a fan of reading and listening to a book is a unique experience that I enjoy but I don’t know that there is enough interest there to keep this going.  I will continue to ponder the idea as I have time but right now it’s not looking so good. 

The day is almost 1/2 over with.  Were an hour away from high noon here.  I will need to push the trash can out to the curb.  We have big item pick up this trash day but I’ve opted not to put any big items outside.  There is that curio cabinet I got from my mom’s place that has been sitting in my garage because the top came apart.  I’d love to fix it and get it in the house but I lack the follow through.  Maybe I’ll surprise myself and fix it or at least make it presentable.  It would be nice to see it in the living room instead of in the garage.  It’s a cheap press wood thing but it still looks nice, at least to me.

Well on to see what else the day has in store for us.  A nap sounds really good.  I’ve been great about avoiding them.  Last night at 4 though I was wiped out.  I had to get away from the computer and I went upstairs for a 1/2 hour.  My eyes didn’t want to focus, I kept yawning and I felt bad.  Finally after 30 minutes I started to feel a bit more relaxed and like my normal self so I came back down and true to form I said I would only be a couple minutes, but I couldn’t manage to pry myself away. 

Next week will be my on-call week.  I am out on Thursday for a doctors appointment and I took Friday just because I can.  I still need to schedule at least 1 more day off or I will lose 8 hours of vacation and that is on top of taking 3 days the week of Thanksgiving.  I’ve never ever lost time and don’t plan to start now.  A 3 day week sounds perfect to work from home but we shall see how I feel next week.  I might go in at least 1 day.  It’s nice to let people know I am still alive and to enjoy the fancy office I have even though it’s only temporary. 

Happy Thursday!  Talk with you all again soon. 

Another day done

I was asked last night to come in early and deal with a stressful situation.  I figured it would be just the motivation I needed to make it into the office.  Well that is until the alarm clock went off this morning and I said fuck this and went back to sleep.  I did virtually go in early and handled everything right here from my basement office.  When I was done I needed a drink and some valium.  The person I was working with was severely high strung but at least they were nice.  Holy shit it took me a while to calm down and recover from that call.  I put on some instrumental music which helped. 

I’ve got nothing but thank you’s all day long because I saved the day and stepped up to the plate.  That’s all well and good but I’m just doing my job.  I’m happy that I am able to help. 

Tomorrow one of my colleagues is OOO so it will be just me and the boss.  Were still working on replacing the dummy who finally left, interviews are being held next week.  They have 1 internal candidate who I don’t think is qualified but has managed to buddy up to our boss.  There are 2 external candidates, one male and one female.  Here’s hoping that who ever they pick isn’t as useless as the last guy and will be great to work with.  Fuck I will be exhausted when I go through training someone again, that is such a time and energy suck. 

Ms. Momma is here by my side.  She came in a few moments ago screaming at me that it’s time for dinner.  They get supper an hour earlier when I am home and why shouldn’t they reap some benefit from this as well.  I’ve taken off her collar and replaced it with a band-aid.  Yes, seriously a band-aid.  She still tries to chew but the band-aid prevents that from occurring.  Things appear to be healing nicely so only time will tell.  I hope that she is finally on the road to healing and recovery.  She started hanging out in my bathroom with the collar on and that’s not a good sign at all.  Ruth, Taz and Blu all did that when they got sick and it wasn’t terribly long before they passed.  So I took it as an omen and ripped that silly collar off of her.  I need my momma. 

Another bit of what appears to be good news.  The odor that I have been smelling in the basement associated with the mold appears to have gone away.  I’m not sure if it’s a temporary or permeant thing but if this keeps up I won’t be painting over the weekend and that makes me really happy.  I am not excited about the whole mess. 

I kind of want to get dressed into some presentable clothes and go grab a bite to eat.  However, I am too tired so I’ll just stay home and pop something in the microwave as per usual.  That is all of the excitement for the day.  Momma is still chirping and I am going to wind this up and go grab some food for them and me.  Hope you had a great day.  Talk with you again soon.  Thanks for stopping by!

The 15th

In looking at my schedule for today, I determined yesterday that it would be the perfect day to work from home.  Wow did I luck out.  I turned on the TV this morning and my usual route had a major accident and my backup route had lane restrictions due to construction.  Traffic was abysmal and thanks to my good thinking I got to skip the mess and sleep in. 

My office temperatures yesterday went from low to high and in the afternoon I was baking.  I turned on my fan and turned off the heater.  I still kept the door closed to keep out all of the chatter.  I was never so happy to leave.  It was really nice outside but rather than carry my leather jacket I opted to wear it to the car.  Then I was finally able to get comfy. 

Today is the day and Adam Rippon’s book is out.  I’ve already started listening and it’s mildly interesting thus far, hopefully that changes.  He’s a pretty good author or he had some great help. 

Last night I went to pass out medications and earlier in the evening Momma wanted up on the couch but couldn’t get there because of the cone on her neck.  I picked her up and placed her on the couch.  The little lady fell asleep in her lampshade.  She was super difficult to wake up and then she didn’t want to cooperate so I had to get a bit nasty but I got the job done and she wasn’t hurt.  She asked to be put on the floor and then followed me to my room, where she wanted to be on my bed.  Typical nighttime routine only she needed some help. 

Much to my horror this morning I discovered because the cone was inside instead of outside she could still get to and chew on her wound.  She took another bite at it and was bleeding this morning.  Now that the secret is out she is wearing the cone properly and hates it.  We have to get this damn wound to heal and if things aren’t better soon were going to the vet for help.  I’m trying to avoid that because it’s an added expense that I want to avoid.  Plus I hate that place more than any of the cats do.

Unless something comes up I’m done until after lunch.  I’m watching and have managed to field a couple of things before they had a chance to filter up.  Regardless if the problem is coming my way or going to another team I step in and help if I can.  I’m sure there are some people that don’t like that but when I am bored rather than twiddle my thumbs I like to help.  Most people actually appreciate it.  I will never, ever tell anyone in management that I am bored.  Only two things can come from that and neither are good.  The first is that your fired.  The second is your buried in so much work that you wish you would have never said anything.  I’ve been around the block once or twice and seen a thing or two.  I know that in this case it’s best to keep quiet at all cost and not tell anyone.  The lull will soon pass and you just have to enjoy it while it lasts even though it is time consuming. 

Another great thing I am missing out on is that we have thunderstorms in the area.  I need to get out to grab the mail.  I’ve got a package that arrived and I’ve been waiting on this for a while.  Nothing special just a couple t-shirts.  I’m thinking of going at lunch it’s a quick trip there and back.  Takes about 15 minutes round trip.

Well more work just filtered in so time to get cracking.  Happy Tuesday!

Lacking Motivation

I’m here sitting in my chilly office at a balmy 70 degrees.  It was in the 40’s when I came in.  Glad I got out the winter coat.  I woke up one minute before the alarm was set to sound.  My fresh bed felt great.  Pillows got their fluff back and I only needed 1 of them instead of 2.  Closed my door to keep the heat in and the cats out.  It worked great. 

I had no problems getting moving, despite not wanting to.  I made it here usual time and no issues.  It was 68 degrees in my office when I arrived.  Other parts of the office were at 77.  Not sure how I wound up on the short stick but I’m working to fix that.  Thankfully I have my heater in my office.  I closed the door and turned it up.  Opened the window blinds to let in a little light.  It was tolerable but now it’s super bright and I am going to turn out the lights next.  I like sitting in a dimly lit area it’s appealing for some strange reason.  I am lacking motivation to get going.  I went through all of my regular motions and even took care of an out of the blue request but otherwise I am delaying tasks because it’s going to be a long day.  Not much going on, in fact the week as a whole I can say the same thing.  I’m already picking out days to be at home.  Friday will be one of them for sure.

Momma chewed on her sore last night after the lights went out but the TV was still on.  I got her to the kitchen and cleaned her up.  She was bleeding pretty good.  I got it to stop, she wasn’t happy about it but other than a couple of verbal outburst she didn’t do anything about it.  I put the collar back on and more medicine of course.  It’s folded inward so she doesn’t shake her head and try to back up.  It looks more like a dress and she seems to tolerate it better.  She chowed down this morning so that’s a good thing.  I know she wants out of it but we will be back to square one if I give in.  So I am trying to be strong and not give in. 

I haven’t had a Monday feel more like a Monday than today.  Hopefully things will turn around.  That will probably happen about the time to go home.  Paying bills tonight and then spending time with the kids watching TV as I prepare for Tuesday. 

Happy Monday everyone.  If your in Canada Happy Thanksgiving!

Painting

Happy Sunday.  I hope that your day is going well.  I had a large breakfast.  This time I ordered normal breakfast food instead of lunch.  They made part of my meal with a hamburger by mistake instead of a sausage patty, so I got a hamburger for free.  Then my hash brown patty fell apart so they made me a new one.  I was really full when I left and as for most breakfast meals it didn’t cost that much.  The only place where you really feel it in your wallet for breakfast is at IHOP.  They make some great food and have a ton of options that are more than paralyzing for me.  However, their prices are sky high it’s like your paying for the name.  The other places that fix breakfast don’t charge that much not sure why IHOP has been able to get away with it but that place is packed on the weekends unless you go super early. 

On we forge to the grocery store.  The store I visit will be closing for good next month because there is another one less than 1/2 a mile away.  I knew this was coming but I am not happy about it.  At least I have a couple more weeks to get used to the idea.  The best part if there is such a thing is that no one is losing their job.  They all have been assigned to other stores.  At least there won’t be unemployed people because of this.  I will lose my favorite checker but it’s okay I’ll get used to it and maybe make another favorite. 

Then on to the gas station, considering all of my driving that was done yesterday I only had to spend $8 to top off the tank.  Not too shabby.  Baby needs to be taken out for a spin.  Like a pie spin but I just can’t seem to muster up the gumption to get going.  It’s an hour and a half to two hour drive, depending on how fast I am able to go.  It does flush things out and suck up the gas but the rewards are reaped when you fill up the tank and see that you can now travel 450 miles before you need to fill up again.  That lasts for a couple weeks then things go back to a state of normal.  I’m sure I will be making a pie run if not next weekend then for sure in November.  I mean I’ll have the entire week of Thanksgiving off and I have no idea what I will do to pass the time.  Driving sounds nice. 

Finally we arrive at the car wash, where I had an accident.  I had problems getting the stupid machine to take my credit card.  The way they posted the picture is not the way your supposed to insert the card and it always trips me up.  Anyway this handsome young man came out to see if he could be of help and of course that’s when it decided to work.  I got my receipt and went to pull into the wash.  I was too busy staring at his ripe ass instead of watching where I was going.  My car wasn’t lined up right with the track and I hit part of it but it jarred me into compliance.  I didn’t do any damage and no one was hurt but my pride.  It was very apparent my focus wasn’t where it needed to be.  Funny how your hormones rule your life, even when you don’t want them to. 

Last stop, home.  Backed in and unloaded the cargo.  My furry family came out of the wood work, slowly but surely.  Gator was right on top of things and the first one to greet me.  Then Ms. Momma came over and I picked her up.  It was a little cool outside and I opted to take her out just to get her some fresh air.  She was scared to death like I was going to let her go.  I guess that might have been how her last owner parted ways with her.  I however won’t ever let her go and I have told her that many times.  She did start chewing again last night and I had to put the collar on overnight.  I think she understands now.  I took the collar off so she could eat and be comfortable over the afternoon.  She sleeps a lot and I keep a close eye on her.  Back on point, I put the groceries away and decided that I was tired.  So I was going to lounge in the living room but everyone else wanted to hit up my bedroom.  So that’s where we went.  About the time I got sleepy Momma knew it and she left the room.  I wasn’t going to disturb her to get to my bed.  It was nice of her, I laid down with Gator.  It was one thing after another.  I think I got about 15 minutes maybe, which is really all I needed. 

Woke up and decided to see what all of the buzzing was about on the phone.  Saw a request from work and opted to act on it now rather than putting it off until tomorrow.  It was a simple thing, at least on the surface.  Once I got going I ran into a bit of a roadblock and had to get some information confirmed, once that happened it was smooth sailing.  Took about 10 minutes total and I made someone’s day.  What’s not to love about that?  I really do enjoy helping people. 

So now to the least favorite subject.  Mold.  The product I purchased did a good job of crushing the mold and things have been dry.  However, the lingering odor that mold causes has returned.  Not sure if it’s from the rot in the floor or if it’s the actual mold.  The last thing I can do is cover it all up in paint.  I almost acted too fast and bought the wrong thing.  I took my time last night and did my research.  There is only 1 paint on the market that will kill and prevent mold growth.  It’s made by Zinzer and it’s not cheap.  Amazon wants $49 for a gallon and my local home store wants $35 for a gallon.  Guess who’s getting my business?  Kind of a no brainer there.  I haven’t made the purchase yet but will do so either in the coming week or for sure on the weekend.  Then I’ll have another little home project to deal with.  Which I hate.  To eliminate speculation I will try to chip away all of the rotted floor.  That won’t be fun but neither will painting.  Once that is done, I will lay down the paint.  It’s low odor and should put an end to the mold problem for good.  I really didn’t want to paint so that I could watch things but this is what the pros would have done so why wait any longer?  I’m seeing allergic signs pop up for me and I have to fix this if I want to continue to stay here.  I just hope that when I pain I don’t make a huge mess.  I’m sure they will have all of the needed supplies in the same isle as the paint to make it easy to siphon more money out of my wallet. 

There you have it my Sunday.  I’m finishing up washing my bedding, including the pillows.  When the pillows are done drying, I will be headed up stairs to strip the bed and make it.  Then strip myself and shave, shower and put on some sweat pants and call it a day.  I’ll probably spend a little bit more time on the computer.  Then it will be time to start TV and prepare for Monday.  I looked at my schedule and it will be a boring kind of a cake walk day.  A perfect day for working from home but unless something goes horribly wrong, I plan to return to the office.  I need the people interaction but will miss the ability to nap and run to the fridge. 

Payday is Tuesday so tomorrow night I will be paying bills.  Based on my forecast I will have plenty of left over cash.  It’s tough for me to just leave it in the bank and walk away but it’s the best thing I can do.  Expenses and bills can come out of no where and it’s nice to have money as opposed to wonder where you will find your next dime. 

It will be a chilly week ahead but that is on par for this time of year here.  Our Indian summer might come back a day here or there but for the most part I think were done.  Time to break out the long sleeves, coats, hat and prepare for cold, snow and ice.  Those are the mornings where I will really appreciate being able to stay in my comfy home and work.  At least grass cutting season will be coming to an end so there will be 1 less expense for me. 

Wishing you the very best for the week ahead.  Hoping that Friday is around the corner once again where we will have yet another weekend.  A couple days more and we will be 1/2 way through October. 

Today is a little bit of a sad day for me because 5 years ago today I lost Blu.  I only mention it because there is a patch of carpet in the basement where no matter how much I scrub, steam clean and apply chemicals I can’t get the odor to go away.  It always acts up in October but then will simmer down as we get deeper into the cold.  Unless the house gets unreasonably warm during the summer you never smell it.  I don’t enjoy the odor but I do still miss my Blu.  He was so young and gone way too soon.  At least he was able to find happiness with Taz and he led him here to home.  What a pistol he was.  And there’s your daily dose of depression. 

Now on to a shower, shave and supper.  Just what the doctor ordered.  Take care everyone and we will talk again soon.

Did you want any toys?

Hello & Welcome! I was able to start my Friday a little early and was eager to get upstairs. Much to my surprise the basement was warmer than it was upstairs. The cats were uncomfortable by the cooler weather but it was only down to 72 degrees. I remember coming home in the middle of winter last year when it was down to 52 degrees and they were visibly upset and for good reason. So, if they can survive that 72 is nothing.

Momma’s collar and spray arrived at lunch time and I put the collar on her. She was not happy at all. She kept trying to backup to get out of it but that didn’t work. Gator was at her side asking what she could do to help but there wasn’t anything that either of them could do. When I came up she was miserable and begged me to take it off. I gave into her wish. I told her if she started chewing again that the collar was going back on and there wouldn’t be any mercy shown. I think she got the message.

I made everyone wait until closer to 6p before I gave in and fed them. Then I opted to make a frozen pizza. It was really good, nothing like a Tombstone! They never disappoint. I also turned on the furnace because we were down to 71. I held it at 72. Between the furnace and the oven, the house was comfy pretty quick. Watched Chicago PD which is a Friday night thing for me. I know the show is on earlier in the week but I like to save it until Friday it’s more enjoyable for me. Nothing like watching Jesse Lee Soffer strut his stuff. I just can’t get enough of him, he’s so cute & sexy.

I found myself taking a trial offer for Audible. I want to hear Adam Rippon’s book, which will be released on Tuesday. I used a credit for that. I have another credit to spend and not sure what to listen to. I have a list started of interesting items. That will certainly sway me when it comes time to keep or cancel. They have a wide variety of books. Adam’s book is supposed to take 8 hours to listen to. Lord have mercy that is an entire work day. I certainly won’t be able to spend 8 full hours but I will work what I can in to chip away at it. Hearing a book is much better for me than reading it.

The kids left me alone and I was able to go to bed and spend time by myself which I thought was considerate of them. They came to join me after I was already in bed. Gator let me hold her paw as I drifted off into slumber land.

Saturday … I woke up at 6a and managed to go back to sleep for an hour. 7a I got up and got the children fed. I felt how cold the house was and I kicked up the furnace to 74. It was 31 degrees outside, so close to winter temps here. Then I curled up in bed and watched reruns of Roseanne. Gator & Momma joined me. Eventually I went back to bed. I woke up and got moving around 10a. A little late for breakfast but I opted to head out anyway. I did the mobile check for Cracker Barrel. I had a 5 to 10-minute wait. When I got there, they were full up. I checked in and went to the top of the list. I waited maybe 2 minutes and then had a table. That was so nice. I saw other people bitching but hey I found a loop hole, don’t be mad at me. While I was eating, I saw a very cute busser. Blond Hair, Blue Eyes and very skinny. Yes, he was young but that didn’t’ stop me from thinking impure thoughts. I didn’t however say a word to him. When I was paying my bill, the cashier tried the usual upsell with candy/gum. I didn’t bite for that. Then she said we have toys on sale. I didn’t say anything and she had a dumb look on her face and she paused. Then she asked so no toys for you? Christmas is coming you could use them to play with. I looked at her and said no thanks. I’m 48 years old and I gave up playing with the toys you sell years ago. She was stunned! I was more stunned that she thought I plaid with toys. I mean I hear I look young but I didn’t think I looked that young. Grabbed the mail and then came home.

Did my usual surfing looking for a date, catching up on social media and snagging photos here and there. I found a great looking guy who is a million miles from me. I took a screen shot of his profile and I’m changing mine to be similar. It caught my eye and he was very clear what he was looking for. He was also really good looking and had he been closer I would have swiped right. I spent a couple hours on that. Then setup an appointment at the haircut store. I started watching 20/20 and it’s just about to the good part of the story where they make the connection and I had to run. Ah crap.

I walked into the haircut store. There was this fine-looking young man who just got his haircut. He left going to homecoming. I told them if you can make me look like him that would be great. I’m not just talking about the haircut. Well that didn’t work out well for me but hey I tried. After ye old hairs cut I headed for Mexican food. Then came back to the area. Stopped off at Target and then hit up the cat food store. Finally, home. Working on finances, reviewing the mail and doing laundry. Now blogging.

I honestly didn’t want to get in front of the computer after being stuck here all week long I welcomed my time away.

It felt really good to get out of here today and to interact with others. There is just something special about that. It like we all need it. I am looking forward to going back to my office on Monday. Something about the routine. Don’t get me wrong working from home is great. I don’t think long term I could do it day after day, even though I fanaticize about it.

Well finishing up laundry and doing a little bit of surfing on the web. Then back upstairs to watch TV and pass out medicine. Hope you had a great Saturday!

Email

I woke up this morning to find that the mail server at work is down.  A bunch of alarms fired overnight but I can’t open the messages because they need to download from the email server.  Email is a big way a lot of people work and without it were at a dead stop.  There are plenty of tickets asking for help and the standard response is what is given … our engineers are working on it.  Okay but since I am on the inside, I’d like more of an explanation but since I am not in the office it’s difficult to get that.  I mean I can’t send an email and ask what’s up.  I can’t call in through voicemail because that is attached to email.  I can call from my cell but no one will pickup based on the caller id because they won’t know it’s me.  So here I am on an island of my own, with little to do. 

In fact based on my view of my calendar today should be quiet as Friday’s typically are.  Another reason why I stayed home. 

I got 2 showers this morning.  1 when I jumped in the shower and the other when I went out to retrieve the garbage bin.  It was pouring to beat the band and it’s very cool outside.  Being in short sleeves it was rather enjoyable.  The sump pump has been running off an on all night long.  This is the type of rain I need to check to see if my problem is solved.  Based on what I see I’d say yes but I have to physically put my hands on the wood to get that comfort feel.  I am highly considering painting with the mold proof paint that the pros would have used.  That kills odors as well as covers up the stain.  You don’t want me coming at you with a paint brush that’s not my Forte.  Since this is a cramped confined area I’m thinking a can of spray paint would be best.  $7 and I’m done.  I am pondering my options.  Of course that won’t fix the floor. 

Momma came running to me last night and I noticed she was slightly wet.  She picked at her sore again and she was bleeding pretty good this time.  I got her to the kitchen and cleaned it up.  I put some skin calming spray on it.  So glad I gave in and ordered her collar which will be here today.  That is the only way I am going to stop her from getting at this and allowing it to heal.  Crazy woman.  At least she wasn’t afraid to reach out for help.  I’m her savior/hero and she has never forgotten that.  I think our bond is stronger than gorilla glue.  She is my girl. 

I saw appetites increase a little bit yesterday for everyone and that was heart warming.  I think the change this week with having me at home has caused them some concern.  Never fear because next week will be here and I will be going back.  Maybe not all 5 days but for sure on Monday.  I didn’t actually think I could stay here an entire week without going insane but I have managed pretty well.  I am more than eager to get out tomorrow.  I am also eager to sleep in with no interruptions and being able to turn the phone off. 

My newest crush is Adam Rippon.  Jesus he is cute and he can do something I can’t.  Skate.  I was obsessing over his IG photos last night.  He did a naked photo shoot skating for ESPN and he was in fact totally naked.  There aren’t photos of the front there are plenty of photos of the rear and what a nice rear it is.  What can I say I’m boy crazy. 

Speaking of which I am looking forward to Sunday night.  Tindr has a game going, it’s the end of the world.  You get asked to make decisions and based on your answers you are then shown people who answered the same.  It’s 100% free.  A little time consuming but interesting.  Crossing my fingers that I get a good match.  It’s tough to judge a person based off looks and their profile.  I’m a pretty good judge of people but most of that is from seeing them in person and how they react.  Being single isn’t the end of the world but it’s lonely and I’d like some companionship besides the 3 cats. 

Well back to staring at the screen to see if the mail server is fixed.  I think it’s going to be a very long day!  Hope that it’s a great Friday for you.  Take care and thanks again for stopping by. 

Chewing

It seems no matter how much I ask Ms. Momma still keeps on chewing on her leg.  She forms a scab and then manages to rip it off.  I’ve got her blood on my bed and in my chair.  Last night she ripped it off and then came over to me to cuddle.  I took her to the bathroom because she was bleeding.  She wasn’t terribly happy with me but I can say that I wasn’t happy with her either. 

I had enough so I ordered an Elizabethan collar and some spray to help wound heading from Amazon.  It will be here on Friday.  At least I ordered her collar in pink but she is still going to hate it.  I need to allow whatever this is on her leg time to heal.  If it doesn’t heal or something else goes sideways I’m not playing anymore and we will seek medical care.

Outside of that it was a pretty uneventful and peaceful evening.  I knew I was working from home today so I took my sweet time in going to bed and it was close to 11p when I turned the TV off.  Felt nice seeing the alarm set for 7:30a and knowing I’d be up before it ever went off. 

Sure enough I was up at 6 and managed to fall back asleep for about an hour.  I tossed a little bit and decided to get up at 7:15a.  The kids were hungry and gobbled down some food.  I finished off all of the cold cereal.  Tomorrow it’s back to Oatmeal and a breakfast sandwich.  Nice while it lasted but I know it wasn’t good for my body overall.  I just had to have the change up. 

I guess the same can be said for working from home.  I haven’t left this place since I got home from the grocery store/gas station on Sunday.  I haven’t had a full tank of gas last week since my unemployment days and that was a long time ago.  I am slightly eager to take a trip not sure if that will come to pass kind of depends upon how I feel.  I will finish out the week here at home and then plan to return to the office on Monday unless something goes wrong. 

Speaking of work the guy that left yesterday told me he would email me before he left and I knew he wouldn’t.  He doesn’t like goodbyes anymore than me.  I found out by making a phone call later in the day that he had left.  I got him all shut down.  Feels kind of strange but people come and go, that’s just part of life.  For me it’s more difficult when I know the person, regardless of the circumstances of them leaving.  It’s worse when the choice isn’t their own.

Ah well another day here at the Cat House.  It’s an overcast day with rain in the forecast and much colder temperatures over night down in the 30’s. Hello that’s Winter Weather.  I do not look forward to changing over to long sleeves but it sounds like that may be a thing for next week.  I hope not. 

I need a my head shaved this weekend or a haircut however you’d like to look at it.  Then a quick Target run and the usual cat food stop.  Those are my Saturday obligations.  If the weather is cold it might hit me where sleeping in is just right and feels extra good.  I’m tired now so napping sounds wonderful.  Not much going on at work today.  I’ve got a conference call to run this afternoon but it should be short unless someone has questions. 

That’s all I have for now.  Back with another update again soon.  Take care and I hope that your well.  I appreciate you stopping by.