Back to Winter

Yesterday was opening day for Baseball and today we are back into Winter temperatures.  Crazy this back and forth fluctuation is always what gets to me and eventually I wind up sick, usually with a sinus infection.  Although ever since COVID every sneeze or cough you have to wonder if you have caught it instead. 

It’s a slow day thus far.  I don’t really have anything on the books until this afternoon a meeting at 1 and then my day is done.  Yesterday my day was done at 11a.  I closed up shop and returned to upstairs to be with my furry princess.  I was watching my phone and if something would have come in I could have easily jumped in and no one would have ever been the wiser that I was away.  Instead I spent the day watching my DVR recordings and doing some minor menial tasks around the house. 

My plan for today is pretty well the same I will stay available but after this meeting if there isn’t anything pressing I will get an early start on the weekend.  I had a bad night.  Woke up by the cat and then back to sleep only to have a nightmare.  Then tossing and turning for the last couple hours before it was eventually time to give in and get up but I really wanted to stay in bed. 

I’d like to make a Sam’s run this weekend as well as a trip to grab a pizza as well as adding in the usual tasks.  Kind of depends on how well I sleep and how motivated I am as to what exactly gets accomplished. 

Hope that you have a great relaxing and enjoyable weekend. 

The First Cut

Yesterday was a horribly stressful and frustrating day at the office.  I think some folks think I have a crystal ball and can see into the future so they don’t have to communicate things to me.  The only way I know something is if I am told.  Very frustrating. 

My lawn guy showed up late last evening for the first cut of the season.  The old money treadmill is in motion once again.  I was not happy because it could have easily gone another week.  However, my neighbors lawn that this guy also cuts was fertilized and it was growing super fast so he needed to tend to it.  I don’t do anything to my lawn but have it cut.  Grass is going to grow no matter what, I see no sense in hurrying things up.  If it was up to me and I could get away with it I would put in Astro Turf or Cement Blocks painted bright green.  My lawn would be green all year long and so would my bank account!

In the mouse/rodent world the little thing has not shown its face in two days.  I hope it didn’t die in the wall but I guess I will know the answer to that soon enough.  The traps are still out.  I asked Gator if she ate the mouse and she just looks at me.  I suppose the cat has her tongue so she can’t talk. LOL  Seriously I think if she came in contact with it I would know.  It’s not like she could swallow it in one bite. 

I went to bed really tired and woke up the same way.  Gator did let me sleep all night long, which I appreciated.  My body woke me up at 5 and she asked for food then.  I fed her.  When I got back up at 7 for good I passed out more food for her.  She sat in her bed and demanded me to hand feed her.  I wound up poking her until she got up and ate the food on her own.  I only baby her so much.  If she was ill and/or I really had the time then that would be a different story. 

I’ve knocked out the important early morning stuff at work.  Now I am waiting for a boring BS meeting that was called yesterday because my boss just loves BS meetings.  That will be late this afternoon.  Before that there is a meeting with a vendor in a bit.  Unless something else comes along the rest of the day is wide open.  There really isn’t much else going on the rest of the week.  My colleague is taking a day off on Friday so I will probably be a little busier than normal but then again it’s a Friday and they usually are either really relaxed or wildly crazy, there is usually no in between. 

Going into the office does prove helpful because you can hear the latest in the rumor mill that you otherwise wouldn’t be privy to in working from home.  What I heard yesterday is that it is under consideration to adjust our in office schedule from 3 days back down to 2.  Seems that no one really wants to come back when they can work from the comfort of their home.  I do hope that is true and that it comes to pass.  I am still only going in 1 day per week until someone yells at me.  The work is getting done and I feel like 1 day per week is good.  I just can’t believe that I used to do that 5 days a week without question, all the traffic, gas and miles on my car.  Not to mention all of the extra time 2 hours of which was devoted to commuting.  An average 8 hour work day was 10 hours and that’s not counting the time it took to get ready.  No wonder the WFH revolution has come about since COVID.  I think it’s the one good thing that happened as a result of COVID. 

That’s all I know for know.  Hope all is well in your world. 

Quick update

Went to the Home Improvement store at lunch.  Dropped $45 and have several new traps and bait.  I’ve got them all set, the stuff upstairs in Gator land is cat proof so she won’t get hurt.  The stuff downstairs is not Gator proof.  I used their bait in a bottle which was difficult to squeeze out but I got it done.  Pulled up all of the glue board traps and threw them away. 

Now we wait to see what happens.  I think I will get activity tonight.  Usually I see the thing twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.  I know I’ve said it before but I am eager to put this problem behind me.  Once I do I am going to leave the traps set for a bit longer to see if there is in fact more than one.  Then when I know for sure I will pull them all up and keep them in a safe place but I hope to not ever need them again. 

Wish me luck. 

New Mouse Plan

Last night I took a shower and when I opened the door as I was drying off, the mouse hopped on by.  I tried to follow it but the damn thing disappeared so quickly.  Earlier in the day I got out my BB Gun and loaded it up.  I was walking around with it, hoping that I could just shoot the damn thing and be done. 

It’s clear that glue traps I bought will not work on this particular mouse.  He’s pretty smart.  Time to up the game.  I am headed to my local home improvement store, which is where I should have gone in the first place. 

They have all sorts of mouse traps and a special attractant that works better than peanut butter or cheese.  It’s in a liquid form.  I am buying some traps and this attractant and that should help me solve this problem once and for all.  They even have a battery operated trap that once trapped shocks to kill them.  You just watch for a green light on top of the trap to light up and that means you got one. 

While I am only seeing one I do realize they all look alike and this could be a small family but I honestly think I am only dealing with the one mouse that was left behind.  Once I get him then I will leave the traps in place for a bit longer to see if there are any others that linger. 

This is one problem that I am very eager to resolve as quickly as possible.  If I can get this behind me today that would be awesome and give me greater peace of mind when I left tomorrow for the office. 

Thus far I don’t think the mouse has crossed paths while Gator has been awake.  I do think that it may be stealing some of her food when she is not looking so I have been quick to pick up her food as soon as she is done.  That resulted in a 3a wake up call for me and I was up for an hour.  Made it difficult to get out of bed but here I am. 

Stay tuned to see if I can get the better and smarter mouse trap!

The Trifecta effect of a bad day

Started off my day normally, walked in to Cracker Barrel and the hostess knew my name and that I had a mobile check in, she sat me right away. Everyone around me was getting waited on but me. I wasn’t terribly pleased about it but waited and eventually the manager surfaced. I flagged him down and he took my order and promised to find my server. I figured my troubles were over with, boy was I wrong. It was a while longer and another waiter happened to see that I had yet to get a drink, he asked me what I was drinking and then he got it for me. My food came out and it looked and tasted fine. I had to ask for silverware. Never mind that the gravy for the biscuits was cold. When I was done, I waited for the check but no check came. I flagged down the same manager and told him that no one bothered to follow up with me to see if my meal was okay, if I needed/wanted a refill. I told him that I didn’t want a free ride but he still offered to comp my meal. I told him that I would rather pay the bill. Why you might ask? Simple I consumed the food. I figured that he would discount something or take something off but nope he took me at my word that I wanted to pay and he made sure that I paid full price. When I looked at my receipt, I found out that my server was supposed to be the same handsome Twinkie that served me last week. He was buzzing all around me but never gave me the time of day. This was the first thing to go wrong.

I made it to the grocery store but I was rattled by my breakfast experience. I managed to make it through the store and it wasn’t until hours later after being home that I realized I forgot a couple things. Nothing major and I don’t need to rush back. Unless it’s something critical I never, ever make a second trip. However, I was mad at myself for forgetting. This kind of thing happens so I am not counting it as something that went wrong.

The second thing that went wrong. I had noticed that I wasn’t getting any feed activity from a guy that I follow on Instagram. He happens to be the son of a guy I went to school with. This kid is in his early 20’s and damn cute. I’ve been following him for a couple years and when I checked the list of people that I follow he wasn’t there. I tried to look him up and no luck either. Turns out he blocked me. I understand it. I am a complete stranger and it was obvious by my username and photo that I am gay. I honestly think this kid is as well but he hasn’t come to terms with it, but hey I could be wrong. This was a huge disappointment to me but I am surprised that I was able to follow him as long as I did without this happening sooner. I never reached out or reacted to a photo, just looked. He’s really a good-looking young man.

The third thing is a real problem and one that I honestly didn’t want to mention. Friday morning, I was talking with a co-worker and I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye. There was really something there. It was a mouse. We looked at each other and both of us moved. The mouse ran for shelter and I ran to find it. Needless to say, the damn thing was faster than me. Things settled down and it came by again and rattled me. I bought some glue traps and baited them with peanut butter. I figured that would take care of the problem. The basement has been closed up for a while so the cat doesn’t come down here. Last night the cat is fast asleep in her bed. I am watching TV and the damn mouse ran right by her and then under my cedar chest. I am perplexed as to how it managed to get upstairs. Then to add insult to injury when I checked my traps this morning, it stepped in one of them but managed to break free. It never bothered the peanut butter. I think the mouse is probably smart enough now to know to avoid them so my chances of catching it I think have probably decreased. I don’t want the cat to catch it, not sure if she would even bother to try. I don’t want the mouse eating the cat food or bothering the cat. I just want it gone!

I discovered that I had an issue about a month ago when each time I went to do laundry there was this funny black rock like thing on top of the dryer. It happened a couple times I did some searching on google and figured out what it was. Then I got bold and wound up ripping out the insulation that was protecting the water line because it was just littered with this shit. I found the entrance which was an old dryer vent. When my late spouse went to add the deck that he wanted the city made him move the dryer vent because they said it posed a safety hazard to have it under the deck. It blows out warm air I don’t see what the damn big deal is but he moved it. It’s been years upon years that this old vent has been vacant and neither of us gave it any thought to plug it from the inside. That created quite the entrance and I believe this “unknown odor” that I have experienced for the last couple years is mice using the bathroom but doing it in between walls and what I thought were squirrels walking on the roof were likely mice in the attic. Needless to say, the hole is now plugged with Great Stuff Foam and there is no way any mouse/creature is getting in or exiting from that route. In a way I felt vindicated when I made this discovery because I was honestly thinking I was losing my mind and imaging the odor. I’ve heard something rattling around in the walls in my room over the last couple weeks and suspect that it was this mouse that finally broke through. I don’t believe it has a second entrance/exit and is likely hungry. It is said that if you see one mouse there is usually a family or more of them. I hope that is not the case and that I am right in my thought process that this is the one that was left behind. It is the first one that I have ever seen in the house. I really don’t need to add this to my problem list.

The thought of killing the furry thing does have me upset. I don’t like to harm creatures in general but I need for it to leave and the only way for that to happen short of leaving a door wide open is to kill it. It poses a danger to me and to my cat. They carry all sorts of diseases and one of them is Hantavirus. Go look that up, it mimics the symptoms of COVID or the Flu. I know for sure that I had COVID and not this but I don’t want to catch anything from this mouse. Just leave my home and I will be a happy camper.

I’ve done a fair amount of research and there are all sorts of ways to get rid of them on your own. Most involve baiting & setting traps. The glue trap is the easiest but it’s not exactly humane. The poor thing is stuck and either dies from suffocation or dehydration, not a pleasant way to go. They can also get partially stuck then then they gnaw off the limbs that are stuck to break free or they use the bathroom and that somehow helps them break free. If I could easily catch it, I would be okay with setting it free outdoors but I don’t think that is going to happen. The last thing I want to do is call an exterminator. I know that I will also likely have to rip out walls and more insulation when it comes to fully cleaning up after them. Yet another reason to want to sell this place and move. I do hope that the “unknown odor” doesn’t come back but my best guess tells me when it gets hot outside the urine that has soaked into the insulation overtime will heat up and the odor will come back. If that happens then I am right about ripping stuff out and that will get costly very fast.

I just want to be left alone especially when it comes to house problems. Look on You Tube and you can see plenty of videos where rats and mice have done severe damage to homes. Rats are way worse than mice. However, mice can eat at wiring and cause electrical issues or even fires. They chew and gnaw on all sorts of stuff but really don’t need much food to survive. I’d much rather see it dead and remove it than have it die behind a wall or in an inconspicuous place that I can’t find. My bigger worry is that it will come in contact with the cat, eat the cats food/water or somehow spread a disease or do harm to the cat. Although one of the solutions on the internet for getting rid of mice is to get a cat. Mice are about 70% water and cats are made to consume them. Yeah, that’s when they are in the wild or barn cats. I don’t want my little girl anywhere near this damn thing.

So, there you have it. I hope this isn’t an omen for how the week is going to go. If so, I would just as soon take the week off without pay and sail away to some place tropical. There are a couple of emotional anniversaries that happen this week that I am not looking forward to. Tomorrow marks the anniversary of my late spouses passing and then on Thursday it marks the anniversary of the cat Big Boy (Bear) passing. While it’s been years since they both are gone, I still miss them very much.

I feel like Joe Btfsplk a character from the cartoon Little Abner. He’s got a black cloud following him around and seems to have the worst luck in the world. Black Cloud & Rain go away bring the sun out today I say!

Here’s hoping it’s a great week and that I can get a win in somehow.

April 2nd

I was listening to a tech podcast today and heard something new. Apparently, you aren’t supposed to ask any of your voice assistant for phone numbers. A guy called in and said that his mom asked one of her devices for the phone number of Amazon Customer Service and she called the number that was provided. It turned out to be a direct number to a scammer, who gained access to the woman’s Amazon account and placed a large order. They also went a step further and conned her into giving them access to her computer. The bad actor was on the machine for about an hour before her son found out what was going on and pulled the plug.

What the host of the podcast hypothesized is that the voice assistant went to the internet and spat out a number that it found as a result of the query. Anyone can make a website and claim to be a large company, get it into the Google search results and viola.

The lady had an Apple Computer and they are rather impervious to malware but that is not to say there wasn’t anything on the machine. More than not, there is probably at minimum a RAT (Random Access Trojan) on the machine so the bad actor can remote back in to the machine as needed. Best and safest bet is to blow the machine away and start over with a fresh new copy of the Operating System and then restore your data. This is yet another good case for why you should regularly back up your files, you never know when and/or how a disaster will strike. I feel sorry for the lady apparently this is the second time she got duped. These types of scams seem to always affect older folks who aren’t as hip to the tactics that bad actors use.

I have the number to Amazon Customer Service. I had to dig for the number years ago on their website. I found it, called and found myself having to reach out to them again within the next month. Since it’s not easy to find the number I wrote it down when I found it and added it to my contacts so now, I am always prepared. What I find amazing is that when you call (since it’s a toll-free number) they know who you are, have your account and just ask you to verify a couple small things then the call takes off from there. I some how think they have a voice print recorded and they use it to match against the caller to confirm identity despite the verification questions. I can’t prove that 100% but being a technology company, it wouldn’t surprise me. They already know my voice from all of the stuff I ask Alexa, despite the fact that I have never setup a voice profile so the device can get to “know me better”.

Interesting times we live in and you just can’t be too careful today. Kind of sad in a way that you have to watch out for silly stuff like this but it can easily wind up costing you a small fortune, especially if they get access to your bank account or a credit card.

====SWITCHING TO NORMAL MODE NOW======

In other news keeping with the daily blathering’s. The cat seems to know when the weekend is around because she bothered the hell out of me all night last night asking for food multiple times. I was so glad that I made my haircut appointment late in the afternoon. It gave me a chance to relax a bit and work in a small nap.

Made it out for my haircut. Didn’t exactly feel the greatest, my stomach was doing some strange things. However, after my haircut I went to grab up the mail. Then on to the cat food store. They had less on the shelves this week than last week. Then on to Target to grab some litter and found Trout Cat Food so I grabbed that up. That was Gator’s supper and she was quite thrilled with it.

I am behind on my weekend tasks but thankfully I still have another day and I do believe it will all come together. I am currently working on my bed clothes. They sound like they are about done so I will have to go up to fetch the next load of laundry. Then when ever it is that I do get upstairs for the night I will work on the dishes. That should put me in better shape.

I plan to grab breakfast and groceries tomorrow as per usual. Then I have the rest of the day to do with as I please. I didn’t venture out tonight for supper. I looked at the menu for the new burger place I’ve talked about. Turns out they really don’t have much of a menu. They have a $6 milk shake which I do think is quite expensive. It’s starting to sound a little more like that scene from Pulp Fiction.

Friday was one hell of a day at work. A surprise person who added herself to the mix of people that made Friday their last day. Not that we couldn’t take one more but it is far better to have ample notice to plan and prepare, sometimes you just don’t get that. There are far more people leaving than starting and we are losing some people that I consider to be good talent. That Great Resignation movement is very much still in full force and my employer isn’t hurting at the moment. The more people that leave make much more work for me, so I look at it as job security. I learned this week that we are also planning some major technology changes that will likely cause upheaval with our end users but then again change does that. It also means there will be some work for me since I am involved with onboarding and offboarding.

I put in a time off request for a couple days in May so that I can go see my doctor. It’s a Thursday/Friday combo as I always do. I am working from home normally on those days but a break is always nice. I look forward to being in his office again it will be the first time this year since I had COVID and that prevented me from going over in person. I am interested in lab results to see what is going on inside my body and if my A1C is still in check. I took my sugar this afternoon just before I was leaving for my haircut and got a reading of 82. That is low for me so I ate something and grabbed a piece of hard candy as I walked out the door. That helped perk me up a bit. I tend to slack on regular eating on the weekend in the hopes that I can shed a pound or two, sometimes my body goes with the flow and other times like today I don’t exactly feel the greatest and have to eat.

The weather is warming up a bit and feels much more like Spring than Winter. However, were at the odd point in the year where one day it’s great and the next day you’re in the deep freeze. I just hope that we have much more of a spring before the hot days of summer are thrusted upon us and we are forced to turn on the AC. For the last number of years, we have a very short spring and go straight into summer. I heard one of my neighbors today mow their grass for the first time. It’s getting close for me but I think it is a task that can be put off for another week or two. My lawn guy already reached out to me and I told him to start when it needs it. I am watching closely so that I can track it for payment purposes.

Happy April everyone. I hope that you survived April Fools Day and didn’t get too many pranks played on you. Enjoy the weekend and be well, we will talk again soon.

The Sex Saddle

Around the holiday season I came across a porn scene from Men (title of the scene is New Year’s Sleaze Part 2) with Joey Mills and Pax Perry. The premise is that Joey’s character is a cleaner and shows up to Pax‘s house to clean up after a New Years Eve Party. The place is a minor mess and Joey’s character has another guy with him. They start to clean together and finish because the scene is sped up. When they are done, they split up. The other guy winds up going on break and is done with the scene. Joey’s character continues to clean and gets into the office, he is dusting a bookshelf when he accidentally trips a lever that reveals a secret room. The bookcase opens and Joey walks in. He finds essentially a sex dungeon. There are toys on the wall but it’s what is on the floor that captures his interest. It’s a sex saddle, it vibrates plus has a toy that can be inserted.

Joey wastes no time in stripping down and taking it for a ride. He winds up cranking this thing up to full blast and that causes a painting above Pax’s bed to vibrate and fall off the wall, landing on his head and waking him up. He scrambles out of bed to rush down and finds Joey having a good time. They wind up having a flip scene and also take turns on the saddle. It’s pretty hot.

I’ve been fascinated by the saddle and did some research. There are a couple different manufacturers and of course they each have their own attachments. There are basic and deluxe models which vary in price. They start at $990.00 and vary in price to $1,000 plus. There are varying warranties/guarantees depending on which manufacturer you purchase from.

I’ve watched and heard of fucking machines before, which is nothing more than a machine that thrusts forward and backward mimicking the real thing and you attach a dildo of your choice on the end. These are a few hundred dollars. The sex saddle seems like more of a good time and a bit easier to clean up afterwards.

The thought of the saddle and Joey riding it just makes me horny! I’d like to take one for a ride myself as well as Joey.  I have a long list of Porn Stars that I’d like to make it with but I think any gay guy that watched porn probably has the same desire or at the very least some favorite porn stars.  Paying all of that money for a sex toy seems a bit much to me.

I originally thought that this was probably the worlds most expensive sex toy. Well just give a google to that phrase and you will be astounded with the results. Simple vibrators that are plated in gold and diamonds are among the items that rank as the most expensive sex toys. While I thought it was a bit much to pay $990 + for a sex saddle some people pay a lot more for a whole lot less.

The saying a fool and his money soon part. As well as the saying sex sells are both applicable here. I do suppose you only live once and if you have the money spending it is truly never a problem.

I’ve been wanting to write about this for a while and can at least cross that off the list.  Today, April 1st is an odd day and one filled with plenty of pranks.  The contents of this post is no joke.  The porn scene, the guys and the sex saddle are all real!  A google search will back me up on that.  Hope that you enjoyed this post.

Are we there yet?

Today feels like the day that will never end.  It has been jam packed with panic, chaos and stress.  Lots of last minute surprises the kind that no one enjoys. 

I didn’t sleep well last night, between my bladder, my shoulder and my Gator I was up and down.  I managed to squeeze in a short nap this morning before all hell broke loose. 

Gator yelled out like I never heard her do before, I thought for sure something was wrong.  Yeah she was loosing her voice or so it sounded like.  I gave her some food, she got some water and then did some additional talking.  Finally all settled in and off to dream land.  Nothing like that food coma.  She has since woken up and is asking for me to come up but work was calling. 

I’ve got a person leaving today and they just asked for more time so I have to sit here a bit longer.  It makes no sense to run upstairs and then back down.

Top it all off my tail bone is bruised.  That comes from long periods of sitting.  Looks like its time for a new chair but I really don’t want to spend the money.  If I actually give into this I will go for a Serta.  They make a big and tall line and it’s got cushion for days, the most comfortable office chair I have ever sat in.  Problem is they start at $300 and go up.  I know that if you really get into good seating you can spend in the thousands of dollars.  I’m for sure not interested in spending that amount of money. 

I did get bored last night waiting for bedtime to roll around.  I watched the first episode of Night Court.  That was a show my grandfather loved.  I see the appeal now but back when I was a kid when it was on there was no appeal.  I also watched the first episode of St. Elsewhere which has Howie Mandel back when he had hair.  A young Denzel Washington and Ed Begley, Jr.  Lots of good actors.  What a blast from the past that was. 

It’s down to freezing here and there is drizzle.  I still have to round up the trash and push it out.  That should be a not fun trip.  My hands are so dried out, I guess between the weather and frequent washing it’s bound to happen.  I don’t like hand lotion something about the greasy feeling on my hands just doesn’t appeal to me and never has.  I use it but very sparingly. 

Not sure what I will watch tonight to pass the time but I am eager to get away from this machine.  I know I will be having White Cheddar Mac & Cheese with Bacon for supper and am very much looking forward to that, even if it’s just a TV Dinner it’s really good.  Tomorrow will be Friday and of course April fools day.  I don’t know if anyone will pull anything but I probably will mess with at least 1 person.  The first of the month always is a busy time for me.

I am seeing a lot of people leaving and this Great Resignation Movement I think is still very much in full swing.  There are some really good people leaving and it’s kind of sad but hey everyone has to do what is right for them.  I am still looking here and there but I do think overall that I will likely stay put.  It is risky to make a move but it’s not like I haven’t done it before.  It’s just now there is so much riding on my income it makes me put a bit more thought into it, especially since if I would fail there isn’t a net or anyone that would rescue me.  Sometimes the devil you know if better than the devil you don’t know, as the saying goes. 

Happy Friday Eve and I hope all is well in your world.  Talk again soon. 

Rainy Wednesday

By the title of this post you know what the weather is like here.  Going to be that way today and tomorrow.  When it rains and is overcast those are great days for sleeping in.  Shame that I had to get up for work. 

In checking my schedule for today there isn’t much on the books for today.  However, this morning has already been a busy one.  I figured an hour tops and I would be able to go back upstairs but that didn’t happen.  It’s about snack time but no word from on high (Gator) so I am continuing to keep to myself here in the basement. 

There is a boring meeting that I need to attend in a bit and after that my day is clear/free of tasks.  That doesn’t mean something won’t come up but I don’t have plans to hang out down here to wait.  I plan to spend the rest of the afternoon upstairs away from the computer unless there is a need for me to do work.  I will be watching and I am sure there will be something that will require my attention, that’s just how my luck runs.  However, if I am wrong then I get the benefit of being away without anyone knowing.  Sort of like money for nothing.

Yesterday I was really super bored in the afternoon so I went seeking out work and found a task that would help a colleague.  He was super behind on closing out support tickets.  He wanted to try to close them in bulk because you are supposed to be able to combine them when they are similar and then can batch close them all at once.  Nice concept but I deal with each ticket individually as I don’t know how the batch close thing works.  He had 70 plus items when I started.  When I left he was down to 21.  I managed to get that down this morning and he’s got like 7 now, which is much more manageable.  There were some request that I avoided on purpose as they were sticky wickets and I didn’t want to get tangled up in a mess.  I’m helpful but I don’t want to take on drama.

Now that is done and I am caught up with my morning I am bored again but that will change in a bit when I get into this meeting. 

Gator woke me up a couple times last night but I didn’t bother to get out of bed.  There was plenty of food left out for her before I went to bed and I made her eat it.  She isn’t happy about things like that but when forced she gives in which is far better than starving.  She was pretty eager to see me roll out of bed this morning and grab her a fresh can of food.  She loaded up, drank some water and then made her way to the bedroom for a nice slumber.  I’ll admit I was kind of jealous. 

I’ve got a haircut booked for Saturday but no other real plans for the weekend at the moment.  It will likely be the usual weekend stuff.  Not sure where I will venture for food but I am mulling that over. 

Hope all is well in your world I am back to the work thing.  Tuesday’s are rough going in but I love how I feel when I finally get home.  There is no problem with sleep, I pass out pretty quickly.  I can’t believe I used to keep that schedule 5 days a week for years and still had problems sleeping some nights.  Wow.  I guess my age has finally caught up with me.  Talk with you all again soon. 

Traffic … ugh

My little girl woke me up a couple times last night, once for food and once to announce that she used the litter box.  Nice surprise was waiting for me when I woke up.  Her system is back to normal on its’ own I haven’t given her anything so that’s good news.  Just hope that it lasts. 

Speaking of the little darling, she expected me to sit with her and hand feed her breakfast this morning.  I didn’t have time for that.  I wound up picking her up and placing her on the floor next to the food.  She was like a vacuum cleaner and I put out one spare can since I wouldn’t be there all day long.  She ate part of that and then made her way into the bedroom and climbed into her bed.  I checked on her a couple hours ago and she was still sawing logs.  I guess she got herself into a food coma.  That’s all fine by me. 

Traffic was a little heavy this morning and while voice assistants told me to go a specific way I followed only to find a traffic snarl.  I wound up turning around and taking a different route.  Not exactly the best commute this morning but at least I got here with plenty of time to spare and I am safe. 

Working away my lunch time and getting ready to go into a long meeting.  Plenty of work bouncing my way on what otherwise seemed like a clear and free day.  I thought I would be bored but that is so not the case.  I am sleepy and ready for a nap. 

Looking forward to going home, eating some BBQ and enjoying the evening with my little girl.  Then we will get up and do it all over tomorrow minus the commute.  I picked the best day to come in because it’s going to rain here all day tomorrow and that will suck.

Hope all is well in your world time for me to scoot.  Take care. 

Monday, Monday

I had a strange night.  I got ready for bed, watched TV, got sleepy.  Eventually got in bed and watched TV.  Realized that I was super drowsy and turned the TV off and fell asleep.  That was around 10p.  I was watching 20/20 from a few weeks ago about the Heaven’s Gate Cult.  Gator was comfy in her bed and was counting the minutes for me to fall asleep.  I was slightly worried about her when I finally drifted off. 

The time was 11:30p and I was suddenly wide awake.  The house was silent but I heard some strange voice just before I woke up.  Thinking maybe something was wrong with Gator I checked on her and she was awake but in the living room.  I sat with her for a moment, she didn’t quite understand why I was up anymore than I understood it myself.  My phone also failed to switch over to do not disturb mode so I was getting email alerts while I was awake.  I quickly fixed that. 

I returned to my room and watched more TV thinking that eventually I would fall asleep.  I yawned and felt tired but not tired enough to sleep.  I gave it some time but wound up getting out of bed and taking another sleeping pill.  It was around 12:30a before I turned the lights out.  Gator once again had joined me and was laying in her bed.  I turned the TV off and said good night, she started crying for food I told her there was more out in the hallway and that was it. 

I think but am not 100% sure that I woke up again around 3a but it was brief and I went right back to sleep.  Woke up this morning at 6a and went back to bed until closer to 7a and then as much as I didn’t want to get up my bladder commanded me to do so. 

I started my day and happened to glance at the litter box as I made my way to the kitchen.  There was another surprise waiting for me.  I was pretty happy.  The water fountain needed a slight touch up but it seems that perhaps Gator is over the hump or perhaps she ingested some of the laxative from yesterday.  Either way I was very pleased. 

Logged into work to get the clock started.  The sooner I start the sooner I can call it a day.  As of this moment there isn’t much going on.  I have a couple of meetings and unless something else breaks that will be the day.  I am no longer on call and very happy about that.  It’s like a new found freedom but it will be short lived for 2 whole weeks. 

I had pizza last night but wound up not eating the whole thing.  It wasn’t as good as I was expecting.  I have a couple pieces left to consume whenever.  While I was waiting for the baking process to complete I was pacing around the kitchen.  I happened to pick up the bottle of the laxative that I got for Gator and at the very bottom it says if you have kidney disease do not use unless under the supervision of a physician.  That didn’t give me a comfort feeling.  Since things seem to be going in the right direction at the moment I am holding off before feeding her more of this.  If I do go back to using it the plan is and always has been to use a tiny amount.  Within a couple days it should be very obvious if this product is needed at all or if this was just a slump from some dehydration.  I also didn’t give her fluids as she seemed fairly well hydrated.  Perhaps later in the week. 

Thanks for reading my boring mundane Monday post.  I am not looking for any drama but if something big happens, I hope it’s good/positive.  Otherwise I will be here in my Monday fog cursing the day.  Looking forward to Tuesday even though it means I will need to get to bed earlier and get up earlier I enjoy my trip into the office.  Something about getting out is just good for the soul. 

Here’s hoping that you have a great day and that your Monday is off to a good start.  Talk with you all again soon. 

Sunday

Ah here we are the day just before going back to the grind.  It’s a love/hate thing for me.  I love the fact that I have another day of freedom from work but I hate the thought that tomorrow is Monday and back to the old grindstone.  I like Friday’s when work is done and Saturday’s there are no better days of the week unless it’s a holiday or I am on vacation.  In case you can’t tell I am not all about work.  Shocker, I know!

My little furry friend woke me up once during the night and then she thought I needed to be up to get to work.  I gave her some food both times and went back to bed.  While I was able to go back to sleep the first time, when it was what would have been my normal time to get out of bed and get moving, I just laid in bed and watched TV passing time away. 

The clock turned over to 8:30a eventually and that is when I got moving.  Checked my phone and nothing important was waiting for me, which is good.  I put my name on the wait list at my local Cracker Barrel, got my medicine, got dressed, said my goodbye’s to Gator and headed out the door into the cold cruel world. 

I arrived at Cracker Barrel and waited my turn in line and once I told them I was a mobile check in, they sat me right away.  I got a cute young buck for a waiter.  He was great with service and the food came out semi-fast.  He was also nice to look at.  There are plenty of new faces there and several hot guys to watch, which makes being there even more enjoyable.  When I got towards the end of my meal I asked for another soda and he brought me this giant to go cup filled with ice and soda.  I didn’t really want a to go cup but I wasn’t going to leave it behind either.  It wasn’t easy to lug this thing around and on the walk to my car my hands were freezing from holding it.  I had to switch hands multiple times but eventually I got to the car and could get it into the cup holder. 

The next order of business was working on flossing.  Something about Cracker Barrel Sausage parts of it always manage to get stuck in my teeth and it hurts.  I spend a good portion of my meal trying to resolve this problem on my own but rarely does that work and Floss and some elbow grease always does the trick.  Sort of like pulling out a splinter, once it’s out it feels so much better. 

On to the grocery store and after that bit of fun I came home.  I still have a little more than half of a tank of fuel so I opted to skip the fill up today.  I can easily make it to the office and back on Tuesday based on the amount of fuel I have today.  If I happen to change things up and venture out I can always stop for gas so no worries. 

After putting the groceries away is when I passed out the food I spoke of in my earlier post to Gator.  Then we sat in my chair and she fell asleep while I watched TV and then entered into some coma state where I would wake up and then manage to fall back asleep.  Eventually she woke up and cried out which woke me up for good.  She got up, I got up and fetched her another can of food.  While she was eating and eventually went back to bed is when I started working on cleaning the house and her litter box.  Got all of that done and then headed down here to post. 

I started off the last post with the intention of writing about her and then bringing it current with the happenings of today but the more I wrote about her the more that post became it’s own thing.  Hence why your getting an extra post. 

My grocery store appears to have stopped carrying Tombstone Pizza.  It’s either that or it’s part of the ever growing supply chain problem.  I found a sausage and pepperoni pizza from another brand and plan to have that tonight for supper.  Yes the whole pizza.  Once I get started eating it’s like I must consume the whole thing.  Which is odd because if I go out for pizza I don’t eat nearly as much in one sitting. 

I plan to catch a technology podcast this evening and lounge for the rest of the day.  There are a couple of cleaning tasks that I could do but it’s nothing that can’t wait.  So I will enjoy my Sunday while it lasts. 

Last night I rented Licorice Pizza on Amazon.  The movie was bizarre to me but did have some funny parts.  No real nudity but I did get to see Skyler Gisondo take his shirt off so it was worth the $6 I spent.  He was the reason why I wanted to see the movie and he is in a little bit of the movie but his character fades out.  Now I can check that off of my bucket list. 

That’s all I know at the moment.  Going to do some surfing on the web and then it’s back upstairs to be with my little girl and the TV.  It’s a nice sunny day out but it’s deceptively cold.  Great day for going for a ride in the car but I do think I’ve done all of the running I am going to do at least until Tuesday comes. 

Hope that you enjoy your Sunday and that all is well.  Talk with you again soon, take care. 

Gator’s New Problem

I’ve done a fair amount of research into the constipation issue that Gator is having.  Not all that uncommon with older cats.  I am not a vet and this isn’t medical advice just what I have gleaned from scouring the Internet.  Dehydration and Kidney issues are a couple of underlying causes but there are more.  Fluids, Additional Water Bowls, Canned Pumpkin, Flax Seed and/or Laxatives' are common treatments for this case.  Cats should go at least one time per day but some cats go twice a day.  It’s important to monitor your feline friend because if you approach 3 days with no activity it’s for sure time to see the vet.  The longer the problem exists the bigger the emergency for the cat and your wallet might be really mad at you not to mention your poor cat.  Cats were designed to catch mice and consume them. The thought of that is gross but it’s nature. A mouse is about 70% water. 

Last night as I was lying in bed waiting for my sleeping medicine to kick in, I heard Gator in the litter box.  I got up and she left me the worst but best present.  I was so happy.  Two long days.  She was really packing away the food so my thought was eventually it has to come out.  I was to the point where I thought she may need some help and was about to reach out to the vet if things didn’t change.   

I was surprised to learn today when I went grocery shopping that the store I visit doesn’t carry Canned Pumpkin.  I couldn’t find it in the app or on any shelf where I thought it should be.  I didn’t ask anyone but that was my deduction.  You can however purchase it on Amazon (no surprise to me).  

In the past when this issue has come up with other cats the vet always said to get Mira Lax.  I never was forced to purchase it before but figured that now might be the perfect time.  That stuff is expensive, especially as you go up in quantity.  I was able to get an off brand that was slightly cheaper than the name brand. 

The store had the chicken that Gator likes so I grabbed that up.  Along with some Salmon and Shrimp in gravy that I figured she would enjoy.  When I got home I opened a can of chicken and the intent was to sprinkle a little of the laxative on top of the food and then mix it in.  My shaky hands wound up spilling more than I intended on to the plate.  I mixed it in and needless to say her nose sniffed out that something wasn’t quite right with this dish.  She ate a little bit so maybe she got a tiny dose.  If you can get it past a cats nose then your usually in good shape.

I plan to give her some fluids later in the day and have noticed that she has started to drink a decent amount of water over the past day.  I will continue to keep a watchful eye on her and if need be get her to the vet.  I think were going to wind up there sooner or later and blood work for sure will be one thing that they charge me for.  I am actually interested in knowing how she is doing but I still have a fear that I won’t exactly get good news but that it won’t be overwhelmingly devastating news.  My suspicion is that her Kidney disease has progressed a bit (because of the steroid she is on) or that this IBD/Lymphoma is flaring up, which is causing some dehydration and thus this new problem.   

The articles that I found did say that stress can play into this, so if thing have changed at home try to make as big of a stress free environment as you can.  The only major change that might be considered stressful for her is the fact that I am back to work and leaving the house one day per week.  The rest of the time I am working from home but just not next to her side.  I may switch that up and spend some additional time upstairs when things are in a calm state and I am bored.  For a couple months while I was recovering from COVID she was able to spend the bulk of the day in my lap, sleeping the day away and I get how not being able to do that could be stressful for her.  That said, she knows when I am home and when I am not.  When I am here all she has to do is ask and I will pass out food, when I am gone I leave an ample variety/supply out so she can’t go hungry.  Cats are not all about change, much like people.  However, as humans we know that life doesn’t stay the same and that things change sometimes for better and sometimes for worse – adjusting is just part of life. 

In conclusion, as of this moment I don’t feel that she needs urgent medical care.  I am going to monitor her, step up the fluids and use a small amount of the laxative mixed in her food to try to help combat this.  If that doesn’t work or things get worse then my only other option is to take her to the vet.  Based on her behavior the fact that she is still eating, drinking, bathing and seeking me out for attention tells me that she isn’t shutting down or preparing for death.  She may feel a bit run down from slight dehydration and hopefully the fluids will help perk her up a bit.  I’m not kidding myself into thinking that she is going to live forever but my hope is that we can get at least 1 to 2 more years together, anything beyond that will be a welcomed surprise to me.  In mid June she will be 18.  I know that things can change at any moment, given her age.  My hope is that were together for as long as possible while her life still has quality.  If/when we reach the point where she no longer has quality of life then it’s time to rethink things.  I will always do what is right by her, that’s my job as her owner and part of the responsibility I have, plus it is part of the promise I made to her mother as she was dying. 

I have not all of the money in the world and in younger years taking care of so many of them (cats) as health issues presented proved to be a true financial burden at times.  However, I’ve always done what is right for the animal and not necessarily what was right for my finances or emotions.  Money is one of many factors that go into any decision about the healthcare of my cats.  I love/loved them all and while I have a couple of regrets I know that I have provided an excellent life for all of my cats. 

Gator is extra special because she has the honor of being the last one.  The last link I have to her mother, the life that I used to have and the last one that I have the pleasure of caring for from the moment she was born.  I was in my 30’s when she arrived in the world and now I am 50.  She just like all of the others have been my family or kids as I refer to them.  My point being that time passes by all too quickly.  One minute your young and care free, the next your old and then your not here anymore.  Most certainly the longer you live with someone or a pet the more it hurts when they die.  I’ve chosen to give up or put on hold part of my life because of cats but in return I have been rewarded with their company and companionship.  I think I am richer in many ways (not financially) for making that choice.  I don’t really want to think about life without my little girl.  If I can manage to go on when we reach the day that she leaves me then I will have much more freedom and flexibility.  Perhaps I will travel or go on a cruise like I want to or who knows maybe I will do that as well as move.  I don’t know how I will react and if I will rush out to get another cat but I certainly am not in any hurry to find out.  I want to enjoy, savor and cherish each and every day that I have left with this girl.  The future will be addressed when that time gets here, which will be way too soon even if it’s 10 years from now. 

Perhaps I read a little more into this situation than was there but I know her better than anyone on the earth and I can tell when something is wrong.  I don’t want her to experience any pain or suffering not even for a second.  She is an innocent little girl and more importantly my innocent little girl.  I may not have all of the money in the world but from a cats point of view she and her family hit the motherload of all jackpots when they landed in my life.  Room & Board, Food, Water, Medical Care, Toys and attention all given for FREE as well as unconditional love, no cat could ask for a better life.  That’s something I am extremely proud of. 

The beat goes on and hopefully Gator will go a little more than every other day when it comes to the bathroom and perhaps feel a little bit better.  I will for sure keep you posted.