Review

Morning … Hope all is well.  Another reason why I am not fond of April is that at work we go through something called a self-review.  You basically have to tout yourself and justify why you should be given a pay raise.  Plus set a goal for yourself.  I am done with mine but were given a couple weeks to complete it.  I just cut and paste pretty much from year to year.  There is a section for what can be done to make you more productive.  I’ve complained about too many damn meetings and the fact that I have a fuck up for a co-worker that I have to mop up after for a couple years.  No matter what I type there nothing is ever done about it.  This year I just put the word null.  I figure that will either get someone to ask questions or it will prove to me that no one is reading this shit.  My boss will get a copy of what I wrote and then build my final review from there.  This is basically a helper to your boss so they know what to type in the final review, which is all that really counts.  It’s what your pay raise is based on. 

I think that the whole self review thing is a bunch of shit and bosses should be capable of writing independent reviews without any help.  If they can’t do that then they shouldn’t be a boss, just my opinion. 

The one thing that they want us to do is call out 3 specific accomplishments or achievements that we are most proud of.  I stopped doing that and instead list every damn thing I accomplished in the past year.  I started this last year and it really made a difference.  I am hoping for the same this year, the list is longer than last years.  Reviews won’t take place until late May and then pay raise information will be communicated sometime in June.  Wash, rinse, repeat next year.  Back when I started I had a different boss, who has since passed away but she really knew how to prepare a review making you feel good but yet being subtle about calling out things you could improve on.  I was also in a different role and making far less money.  Still I miss her to this day, she was the best and didn’t do a lot of yacking like my current boss. 

I had a stressful day at work but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it’s been in the past two weeks.  The guy who is on-call had a doctor’s appointment and left mid afternoon, just when the heat started.  He always manages to have at least one if not multiple things that pull him away when he’s on-call and we all have to pick up the pieces.  He’s older and his health isn’t the best but damn I think he could do a better job of scheduling.  I hate to have something conflict when I am on-call but there are times when it’s unavoidable.  I had a mess to clean up but I did a good job, as usual.  I’ve been so hands on for so long it’s tough to sit back and try to relax.  However, I am hoping that today will be more relaxing. 

In other news, I managed to get caught up on Sunday TV.  Was surprised at the ending of The White Lotus.  Just when I thought we were going to zig we zagged.  Very interesting.  Sad that it is over but now I can put all of the pieces together and it makes sense.  If you just started watching I’d highly recommend going back and looking at the past seasons the show has been great from the start in my opinion. 

Were back in the freezer here but it’s slowly warming up.  We will be back in the 50’s today.  The carpet in the basement is still a little damp so I have the fan blowing on it.  Smells like a skunk sprayed the place over night.  There are skunks around and they do spray and I smell it in my house for a bit.  Strange thing is that I don’t smell it upstairs just downstairs.  I’ve been down here long enough that I have gone nose blind to it as it’s not super strong as it usually is, which I am thankful for otherwise I’d be working upstairs today. 

Got in some good cuddle time with the cats last night.  It’s claw trimming time.  Mora’s claws are dangerously long and she is going to pitch a fit but I have to trim them before she hurts me.  Rudy has a couple sharp ones as well and what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.  I always do them in pairs.  Starting with a brushing and finishing with the nail trim.  They both usually run away from me and act mad for a while but quickly get over it and come back to me.  Just don’t nip or bite me, let me trim them and we can be done.  All of the fighting and protesting they do just makes the process linger longer than it needs to.  I like to be done before they know I’ve started but that’s never happened yet and probably won’t. 

I hope it’s a great day for all of us.  Take care!

Knots Out

Morning … Friday night I got the best massage I have had thus far.  She found the two knot spots and really worked them.  Just when she knew she had me relaxed and was doing some good she dropped a bomb that she was raising her prices.  This is the second time in less than 6 months that has happened.  I was not happy to hear that.  I was talking about a massage chair and turns out they had a couple.  I got to try one out and sat in Zero Gravity which was nothing terribly special.  The chair did some nice work and while it could help as a tune up I don’t think it would replace the human touch, but it did feel good.  It worked my entire back and even my butt.  I felt pretty much like melted butter when I walked out of this place and headed home.  There was plenty of water everywhere but not so bad that I couldn’t drive in it.  Just lots of puddles that sprayed when you drove over them. 

Once I made it home I didn’t feel like doing a damn thing.  Just sat on the couch and watched a little TV.  Had a can of Chicken Noodle Soup and got into a fight with Rudy because he insisted that can of soup was for him.  I let him smell the empty can and I think I convinced him.  Still next time I open a can of soup I will have the same issue.  Never had that with any other cat.  Rudy is just a bit too smart and his ears work really good when it’s convenient for him.  Wound up calling a friend to talk about my non feelings of the day.  Once that hour long conversation wound down I stocked the fridge with water and soda.  Then went to bed.  The cats wanted to play but I was in no mood I just wanted to crawl into bed and drift off to sleep. 

Saturday morning I figured I would be super sore but no I still felt really good.  I just took the day in as a loaf day in general.  It wasn’t until closer to 4p when I finally talked myself into going back to the sports bar that I was at last week to get a Fish Sandwich.  They were more crowded than they were the prior week and it took much longer to get a table.  However, there was a lot of nice eye candy to look at.  The sandwich was good but not as good as the week prior but at least this time I didn’t burn my mouth when I took the first bite.  Headed to grab the mail.  I should have gone to the pet food store but instead I just came home and went back to loaf mode.  The cats still had food. 

Sunday morning I woke up at my normal time and headed out for breakfast.  Did something different crepes with blueberry on the inside and strawberry on the outside, plus 4 scrambled eggs.  The rain had stopped and I was thankful.  It felt very much like a winter day outside though.  I had 10 minutes to kill before Target opened and instead of watching them pass I just skipped it and went on to the grocery store.  My favorite cashier was working and we chatted a bit.  I stopped off at the gas station and this weeks fill up cost a bit more but I also did a bit more traveling.  I was at the 1/2 way mark so I could have kept driving but I’m pretty anal when it comes to fuel levels. 

Once I got home and put the groceries away I just wanted to relax.  I just fell asleep and damn if something from work didn’t come in.  It was confusing but I made the best of it and did what I thought the right thing was.  Tried to raise my boss but he was unavailable, which is unusual.  Anyway after a few minutes with that I was able to return to my lull and wound up taking a nap.  Woke up in time for lunch for both me and the cats.  Then got my meds put out.  Cleaned the house and finally came downstairs to get in front of the computer.  When I opened the door to the basement I just knew I was going to find something wet.  Sure enough that mystery patch of carpet was lightly soaked.  Everything else around it was dry. 

As I sucked the water up with a carpet cleaner I was thinking about it.  I believe the water from the sump pump comes out and is washing down a hole the ground hog dug.  Actually the hole has always been there but the ground hog made it much larger.  I think I have two problems to fix.  The first is re-pointing the output from the sump pump so it goes away from the house and not down that hole.  The second being closing off that hole.  I want to start light and just work on the sump pump part to see if that fixes things as I suspect it will.  A few pieces of pipe and some pipe dope (aka glue) should get the job done  I’m not a home improvement store kind of guy but I think I am going to give this a stab.  I’ve never liked the way the sump pump terminated outside.  Mine comes out and goes to a L piece.  My neighbors just comes straight out and shoots in to their yard.  Their construction is newer. 

It dawned on me late in the afternoon as I was passing time before I went out to eat that I needed to hit up the cat food store.  Wow that was almost a disaster.  I am glad I remembered.  I did that and then hit up a local Mexican place just wanted to stay close to home.  Between those two stops I dropped $100 and the bulk of it was on cat food.  Doesn’t take long to spend it as it does to earn it. 

I’m no construction expert but I don’t think there has been a whole lot of damage done at this point but if this keeps up the problem is going to get much worse.  If it wasn’t for the heavy rain my basement would still be dry.  It’s due to the monsoon we got.  I had a fan running most of the day yesterday on it and that helped.  Today I brought down a space heater to help finish the job.  My hope is that by the time the day is done the carpet will be back to being dry again. 

I am no longer on-call but I still need to keep an eye on things and have my regular job to do.  Next week the boss will be on-call so essentially I will be back on-call.  I’m really going to try to enjoy this week of what I hope is much more relaxed than the last two weeks have been.  Friday I voiced a complaint about my WIN 11 machine to the team that takes care of that.  Thus far no response I am being ignored.  I’m fine with that just as long as I still have my WIN 10 machine to continue to use, I like it way better. 

Woke up this morning feeling a little like I was getting sick again.  I hope that is not the case, while I could use a couple days to loaf around and be away from work – in the long run it would do more harm than good.  I just as soon stay well and keep powering through it.  It could be allergies as well.  It feels very much like Winter outside and there is a freeze warning out for tonight so it’s going to be cold for a couple days.  Then more rain for a couple days and then it’s back to normal clear days and Spring like temps. 

Looking forward to catching up with TV haven’t watched any of my normal Sunday shows yet but that is the plan for today.  I’m highly considering a morning nap though things are so quiet I hope that doesn’t ruin anything. 

I’ve got 3 long weeks to wait before I go back for another massage and it will be longer, cost more but if she hits these two spots the same it will be so worth it.  I don’t mind melting like butter but really hate to loaf the day afterward, while it feels good at the moment when reality sets in it feels like I wasted an entire day.  However, I do love being lazy it’s one of a few things I am really good at.  I also think that it’s just what I needed since I have been revving at some high stress levels for a couple weeks.  Only thing that could have made it way better is a Pina Colada or two. 

Hope you had a great weekend.  Here’s to getting back to a more normal week.  I hope it’s a great one for all of us.  Cheers!

Seeing old family

I made it to the funeral home yesterday.  Never in my life did I ever have to fight for a parking spot so hard.  They were full to the brim and people just like me were circling looking for parking spots.  My great aunt wasn’t the only service and clearly someone way more popular passed.  I wound up parking in an area meant for delivery drivers, it was the only option.  I had a long walk in but hell I could use the exercise. 

There were way more people at the service than I expected and I didn’t know hardly anyone.  The family that I did interact with all asked about my brother and I told them that as far as I knew he was doing okay but that we really didn’t talk.  It felt good to see old familiar faces.  The last time I saw them was at my mom’s funeral which was around 7 years ago. 

I made my appearance and was glad that I went through with showing up.  It was the right thing to do.  I was offered some food but I really just wanted to get back on the road, hit up a restaurant by myself and then head home.  Which is exactly what I did.  I stopped at the usual Mexican place.  Service sucked but the food was good.  Of course just my luck that as I was eating the rain moved in and I got soaked getting back to my vehicle and drove in the rain all the way home. 

I got treats put out for the cats and then worked on getting the trash out.  Finally that was over and I could change clothes and relax.  That is after I looked over my phone and saw all of the excitement that I missed out on while I was away.  I picked a good time to be away, there was a little bit that I missed but nothing to lose any sleep over. 

Enjoyed the evening mostly with Mora in my lap soaking up attention like a sponge.  Eventually she got tired and retreated to a cat bed.  I watched TV and browsed social media.  It was a short lived evening capped off with some play time that Mora took full advantage of.  Once play time was over I retired to my room and Rudy came in and I played with him using the cover on the bed.  Of course I managed to get nipped he was really wound up. 

I’ve found a comic Nate Jackson on YouTube.  It’s crowd work specials and he really makes me laugh.  I’ve not seen his actual show but am hoping that happens, not sure if he’s on any of the streaming platforms but I haven’t searched just yet.  Feels so good to laugh.  The cats look at me funny because it’s not something they have heard me do in the short few years they have been with me.  I’ve woken both of them up laughing, I feel bad but if you say something funny and it strikes me just right there is no holding back.  While I enjoy standup comedy not many comedians make me laugh.  I am a tough customer but once you get me going look out.  I can actually laugh so hard and so long that I make myself sick.  That’s only happened a couple times in my life. 

Had a decent nights sleep.  Looking forward to a much better massage tonight.  The knots are flaring and primed to be worked out.  I know it’s gonna hurt.  I think if I was worked on hard and deep for a couple days that I would be super sore but then some touch up work done in a couple days after that and then every day, I’d be knot free and loving life a lot more but have way less money.  That’s why a massage chair would probably be a good investment for me.  Thus far nothing but the real touch from a human has been effective and feels nearly as good.  Maybe I should look for a man who is a massage therapist.  That would be a nice benefit!

It’s a calmer work day thus far, which Friday’s usually are.  I am hoping to be able to get in some relaxing time away from the computer.  Hope that it’s a relaxing and peaceful weekend, despite the fact that it’s going to rain all damn weekend.  I hate getting out in it but I have things that need to get done. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Life Changing Day–12 Years Ago Today

Twelve years ago today my life changed forever when I lost the love of my life.  I remember it like it was yesterday and it was truly a nightmare that came to life.  A day that I knew always would happen someday but one that I wasn’t ready for when it did happen.  You prepare mentally for it but when it happens regardless of how much you prepare your just not ready, at least that was my experience. 

My spouse had suffered from a massive stroke and I had to remove life support as meaningful recovery wasn’t possible and it was his worst nightmare to be trapped in a working body.  Oddly enough all of his nightmares and fears were like predictions because sadly they all came true. 

Today it feels like just another day but in years past it has been quite the sensitive day for me.  I still miss him and that I am told will be a life long feeling that just never goes away.  It is true with time memories fade and you don’t recall things as crystal clear as you once did.  I’m glad that I wrote a book about our life, despite the original print being riddled with grammatical errors it still memorializes things and I look back at it from time to time.  I’ve fixed the grammatical errors and thoughts about a second publishing but never quite got around to it.  The book was available for purchase for a very short time but it never sold and honestly I didn’t think it would. 

A lot has changed since that day and I am still confident to say that he would be proud of me for making it.  I never thought I would survive and things would turn out nearly as well as they have.  It was a rough battle and a costly one both emotionally and financially.  Yet, here I am.  A lesson that I learned is that you never know what you will do until your back is pinned against the wall and you have no way out.  Your capable of doing more than you think!  I also learned that there is nothing like a crisis to show you who your true friends really are.  Most of the people that we thought of as friends have faded away, they all offered to call on them for help but when called upon they failed me.  The only true person you can count on in this world is yourself, but it sure does help to have some true friends. 

I am not a fan of the month of April ever since this day unfolded twelve years ago, it’s the one month that I wish I could skip.  However, no such luck.  I also know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my late spouse would want me to move on and to find someone to spend the rest of my life with.  It’s not that I haven’t tried but just haven’t found that person yet.  I am still looking not as much as I could but my eyes are open.  While I don’t think I will be successful with this quest I haven’t given up hope.  Time is my enemy here because you never know when it’s your expiration date.  In some respects it would be handy to know but in other respects it’s better that it remains a mystery. 

Looking at my family history my grandfather lived into his 70’s and my grandmother and mom lived into their early 60’s.  Others from both my grandfathers and grandmothers side of the family have lived longer.  This is my mom’s parents.  I’ve got no idea about my dad’s side of the family since he disowned us.  To my knowledge he’s still alive.  My best guess and that’s truly what it is, is that I will probably be around into my 60’s or 70’s.  Hell I might live to be 90.  I just hope that I am in a position to either take care of myself or be surrounded by people who will take care of me and not to be stuck in a nursing home – those places suck and are hell on earth.  That’s just my opinion. 

I say it often and I mean it more than anyone knows.  I really do miss my family.  That’s my late spouse and all of our cats.  I miss the life I had which at the time in looking back was happiness.  We did some traveling, ate really good, enjoyed each others company, went to concerts, sporting events and some dinner parties.  Had some great sex and got each other through some difficult & trying times. 

We met when I was still very much a kid, despite being 18.  We were together for about 25 years and while it seems like a lifetime it’s only been half of my life.  He finished raising me and teaching me what I call street smarts.  Hell I didn’t even have a drivers license when we met and he taught me to drive, something I was deathly afraid of.  I think of that often when I am behind the wheel, that if it wasn’t for him I’d probably be depending on public transportation or taking some ride share.  It’s great to be able to get in a vehicle and just drive to where ever, when ever you want. 

I’m not quite sure how to wrap up this post as I could go on and on.  I am so thankful that we met and for all of the experiences (both good & bad).  I hope that I can find someone who loves me half as much as I loved this man.  I hope that he is resting in peace.  He’s always on my mind and the memories live on within me.  It’s a difficult day but I’ll make it through just as I have for the past twelve years.  One day at a time!

Stressful Busy

Wow, it’s been another one of those weeks that I am not enjoying.  On the plus side the week is flying by quickly.  It’s been all work and very little play.  I’d like to change that to all play and very little work.

In a meeting yesterday my boss asked me how I was doing, I told him I felt like a grape in a vice.  It took me saying it a couple times before he actually understood what I was saying.  Then I machine gunned through my list of items and that included voicing my displeasure for my WIN 11 machine.  The issue I am having was news to him. 

We had severe weather in the area yesterday as well.  Now it’s just rain and its suppose to do that for days, as in through the weekend.  It hasn’t started backup that won’t come until later in the day. 

Given the high stress level I have opted to take a break today and am going to the funeral home to see family for a little bit.  I plan on grabbing a bite to eat and then coming back home.  It’s late enough in the day that things should have settled but I made my team aware so they can cover for me while I am away. 

One of my friends who has the shop that I visit frequently, father passed away.  He had stage 4 cancer, it was everywhere and this was expected.  The visitation and funeral is next week.  I sent flowers and don’t plan on going since it would mean more time away from work.  Besides that they are well known and I imagine that the place will be packed wall to wall.  I am not one for crowds or funeral homes.

I might have mentioned it before but my home has well windows around parts of the basement.  One of them is covered by a large shrub.  A baby rabbit fell in this morning and has been making a ruckus for a while.  I went outside to try to help him but I need to get on the ground and dig.  That’s just not happening.  I don’t want it in my home.  I figure he found his way in hopefully he finds his way out.  They carry diseases and last thing I want is to get sick from trying to do a good deed.  Plus if he were in my home, me trying to get him past Rudy and Mora would take some super skills.  I feel really bad but I am stuck.  I don’t suppose the fire department would come to rescue a wild baby rabbit.

Speaking of the cats, they have been pretty good.  We have had some play and cuddle time throughout the course of the week.  I think they get the fact that I am just worn out.  I kind of look forward to Saturday where there isn’t anything planned or pressing and I can just loaf and do what I want to. 

Not to jinx myself but today is oddly calm and I am not upset at all about that.  I hope that theme sticks around for the rest of the week.  I could really use a break and some much lower stress levels. 

Hope all is well with you.  Take care!

Stress

Monday was nothing but a huge stressful day, it was all work minus the time I took for lunch.  I am glad that Monday is behind us and hope that a day like that doesn’t happen again for a long while.  It was one of those days that started with a big bang because something went wrong and I never did quite recover. 

Today started off just as busy as yesterday.  I had some time to play with my WIN 11 machine.  I am trying to fix this dreaded bug.  I work with dual monitors, so I usually have something open on each screen.  Then I need to open something new.  It opens but doesn’t stay in focus, it just teases you like I’m here come find me.  I have to minimize everything to find it and then I can work with it.  That’s how the experience is on WIN 11.  I’ve been told by a colleague that the team that put this together is stumped as to why it’s happening and they don’t know how to fix it.  Yet we keep on cranking out machines knowing that the bug exists.  I think that is stupid.  I know I am not alone and yeah it’s really frustrating when your trying to get stuff done especially in a hurry.  I can’t work like that so I reverted back to my WIN 10 machine while I still have it.  If this bug isn’t fixed when I am told I have to switch I will throw a fit.  Meanwhile I am racking my brain trying to figure it out.  Best guess is that it has to do with displays.  I started with 5, we deleted a driver and now I am left with 3.  I only have 2 screens.  The additional screen indicates that it’s disconnected, I think if I can get rid of it that will fix the issue.  I’m doing all of this work for me, because I know sooner rather than later WIN 11 will be all I have.  I still hate, hate, hate it. 

At least I have the cats, if it wasn’t for them I’d probably be ready for the funny farm or the not so funny farm.  They were both extra snuggly last night and hey I needed that. 

Had some new Pork and Mac & Cheese bowl from Stouffer’s last night.  It sounded disgusting but it tasted pretty good.  They could have put in more Pork.  I will buy it again.  Not sure what I am having tonight.  I had those Late Night Loaded Taco chips for lunch yesterday, the whole time I wished that I was really eating Taco’s. 

My back is nagging at me with knots.  I am really looking forward to Friday and hope that I can break free from the knots if only for a day or two.  I am pretty sure I will be sore but I can take that.  Saw The Neighborhood last night and they had a massage chair on the show.  Man I think I could live in one of those.  It would probably save me money and get used daily.  I’ve never sat in one but am anxious to try one out.  They cost a bit and it’s one of those things that you want to try before you buy. 

I am trying to wrap up so I can go enjoy some sunshine time with the cats before the day eventually comes to a close.  Hope that you didn’t fall for any April fools shenanigan's. 

 

Loaded Taco

Hungry?  You might be after you start reading this.  Made it to the grocery store and found Doritos Late Night Flavor Loaded Taco.  I looked for the Cheeseburger chips but they didn’t have those.  I tried them for lunch and wow I actually taste lettuce and beef with a little taco spice.  They are so good!  I don’t think this bag will make it the whole week but I could be wrong.  I am not a chips guy but every now and then I can eat them.  I am starting to like these new unique flavors and will likely keep an eye out for them.  I am interested to try the next new flavor. 

Speaking of Tacos I am going out for Mexican food in a few hours for my lupper.  Some where between 3 and 4.  I will probably go to the usual place and get my old standby because it’s good.  However, I’ve thought of going to another place that I haven’t been in a while. 

Breakfast was good as usual and I enjoyed it.  I also got in my relaxing time and a nap.  Both cats snuggled up and made a sandwich out of me.  It only lasted for a few minutes and then Mora had to get to some place more comfy but I sure enjoyed it.  Closest thing to a human hug that I can get. 

It’s been an overcast rainy kind of day here.  When I woke up from my nap the rain was coming down in sheets.  I saw my neighbor across the street open his garage planning to cut grass.  Well, he didn’t get to do that today.  He’s got an electric mower and it’s super quiet.  It does a really good job. 

I started cleaning the house and the sun came out and the rain left us.  The cats can sun bathe but instead they are down here with me in the cool basement.  It’s still a bit humid upstairs.  The house is around 77 but the temperature outside is in the 60’s.  This place holds heat pretty well.  I turned on the dehumidifier in my room.  It’s just a small thing but it helps out.  I know the days are getting closer to turning on the AC for the house but I am holding off as long as possible.  We’ve got normal spring temps predicted for the week.  Our last summer like day was Friday. 

Not looking forward to getting back into the grind, especially considering that Tuesday will mark the first of the month and that means more reports to prepare.  Plus being on-call and just being immersed in work.  I’m half way planning on going to my great aunt’s memorial service, which means I will be asking others to cover for me for a few hours.  I figure that I can hit up the funeral home then grab a bite for dinner before I head back home.  It’s on Thursday and you know that break will probably do me good even if only a couple hours.  We shall see how things go but I hope that I am able to get away.  Friday is my massage and I hope that is a more normal experience.  At least I have a couple things to look forward to.  Plus my “new computer” experience with Windows 11.  I still hate WIN 11 but it’s not like I can stay away from it forever it’s going to be the standard at work and they are moving hot and heavy to get it in place for everyone before the end of the year.  Plus I’ll be getting a new laptop at work as well but thus far no one has reached out about that, I’m not making any waves, just keeping my head down that’s the best way to operate. 

There will be some good TV tonight.  The White Lotus, The Righteous Gemstones and Last Week Tonight.  I love Sunday TV but I know that The White Lotus is about done.  I’ve got a few other shows on the DVR that I need to catch up on as well.  However, I tend to stick with my Roku box and stream most things that I watch. 

Fingers crossed for all of us to have a great week ahead.  Take care!

Another 1st

I was so looking forward to my massage last night.  Muscles all tense and just the thought of a hot rock touching my skin as well as a pair of hands sounded so good.  Work bothered me up until I had only a couple minutes to spare.  Thankfully this place is right around the corner and I made it with a minute to spare.  Both of the doors were locked and no way to get a massage if I can get inside.  I called and then the therapist was at the door unlocking it.  She was finishing up with a client and I got to chatting with that person about their vehicle. 

The therapist was coughing a lot but I didn’t think much of it.  It continued into my massage and it got worse to the point where she became nauseated and barfed.  Needless to say this was the first time a massage ended early because the therapist got sick.  She said that she hadn’t eaten and thought that it what was causing it.  I think she was getting sick – at least she had post nasal drip and that is what made her barf.  She said she felt better afterwards but still she wanted to get home. 

She only charged me for an hour which we barely got in.  I get 30 minutes for free next time and we booked another session for next Friday.  It’s only an hour but I think I will probably need it if next week is anything like this week has been. 

I just got comfy on the table and was starting to relax when she got sick.  Since my back didn’t get what I was expecting I am super sore this morning.  She was digging but hadn’t quite worked out the knots just yet. 

At least I ate supper before I went.  Had a Grilled Cheese as I watched the latest episode of The Pitt.  Damn that’s an easy way to burn an hour.  I love that show but some of it is just too damn real. 

This morning when I woke up I was intent on heading out for breakfast but after a shower I felt like my sugar was crashing.  I instead opted to eat a couple pop-tarts and drink a soda.  That was breakfast.  I wasted time watching TV until I had to leave for my haircut appointment.  Got a free neck shave. 

After that I came back home, got out of my clothes and watched TV.  I watched Yanni Live at the Acropolis.  That took me back down memory lane.  My late spouse introduced me to Yanni.  We went to a couple concerts and I’ve got every CD that he put out, plus a couple video tapes.  His music is enjoyable still to this day.  I enjoy the upbeat songs the most.  Loved seeing the drum solo that Charlie Adams put on.  Wow he can play the drums!  He did that same solo at one of the concerts we went to and seeing as well as hearing it live is way more enjoyable.  Gosh, I sure do miss those good times. 

Eventually, I crawled into bed with Rudy and Mora joined us.  She wanted to cuddle and it didn’t matter that her brother was in the way she just plowed through and plopped so she could be next to daddy.  Rudy was all relaxed so it didn’t phase him at all.  I was tired when I got into bed but woke up a bit just laying there listening to the music play.  When the concert was over I tried to go to sleep but only closed my eyes and tossed a bit.  Wound up getting up and passing out lunch for the kids. 

That’s when I too got hungry but nothing here really appealed to me.  I polished off some chips and had another soda.  Then sat in front of my laptop trying to work on my WIN 11 machine at work.  I eventually locked it up and now need someone to reboot it for me, that probably won’t happen until Monday.  I’ve still got a phantom monitor and it’s causing me some issues.  Once I figure that out I am ready to give that machine a spin to see if I can make it working on it for a couple days.  I’d rather test it out than be forced to move to it and find that something I need wasn’t there.  I think I’ve got everything but nothing like a real world test to prove that out. 

Went out for a Large Fish Sandwich to a sports bar.  I had to wait for a table but not long.  I saw a lady leaving saying she was cold.  I felt fine, that is until I got my table.  They had the AC on full blast and it was chilly so I too was cold.  Didn’t have to wait terribly long for the sandwich to arrive.  it was fresh out of the fryer and damn hot but it tasted so good.  Had fries with it and they weren’t bad.  I could have used some celery salt to improve them.  It was an inexpensive supper and I was stuffed. 

I left and getting on to the freeway I saw a truck that had slid off the ramp and into some trees.  The truck was facing me and there was someone inside that didn’t have the best look on their face.  I was in the flow of traffic and couldn’t stop.  I did the next best thing and flew down the freeway, used a U turn that is reserved for the cops and went back to check on the driver.  I normally don’t stop but something called me to this.  I called 9-1-1 just before I pulled up and they told me that the police had already been out.  About that time the driver was at my passenger door and he told me the same thing.  Well, at least everyone was okay.  The guy was waiting on a tow truck to pull him out.  I went on my way and headed home. 

Then I went to process change at work that I had dreaded.  I did all of the work and then realized it was effective on April 1.  I had to undo all of the work I just did and put everything back because Monday is the 31st.  Then come Monday night I have to re-do my changes.  Damn!  While I was in I saw a couple other issues I could lend a hand on and grabbed them up and took care of them.  Logged off and went up to pass out treats for the cats while I took my laundry up. 

I feel like I am loosing my mind from all of the stress this week.  My hope is that tomorrow will be a more normal day.  At least I will start with breakfast out so I have something in my stomach before I go taking on the day.  Gonna do some surfing here and then head up to make the bed and enjoy an evening with the cats trying to take a break from technology.  I feel like my eyes as well as my brain could both use the rest. 

Hope all is well in your world!

Ah Friday again

I am so glad that it’s finally Friday.  I will get a couple days of rest and relaxation away from work and am very much looking forward to it.  Had a meeting with the boss yesterday and he thanked me for being such a workhorse this week.  At least he acknowledged that he sees what I am doing and at least told me that he appreciates it.  Even if it was just empty words, it was good to hear.  I always go above and beyond, it’s something I am known for.  It’s always noticed regardless of where I have worked.  I feel like it’s helped me a lot in my present position.  Sometimes it’s just the little things that turn out to make a huge difference.  Shame I don’t see huge payment reward for that but I look at it as just doing my job.  It also makes me feel good at times. 

This week has been such a whirlwind that I was shocked when I went to the fridge last night and discovered there was no Spaghetti to heat up.  That’s when it hit me that it was just so good I couldn’t stop eating it.  The freezer isn’t nearly as well stocked as I thought it was but I did find a Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo dinner that I had.  It started out good but I soon grew tired of it and wound up throwing the last few bites out.  I had a piece of double layer yellow cake iced with chocolate frosting for desert.  As I was eating it I kept thinking about packing weight on from WFH and being so sedentary.  I don’t want to blow back up like a blimp.  Not that I am exactly thin but I am lighter than I was during the pandemic. 

It probably doesn’t help the fact that tonight’s dinner will likely be a piece of German Chocolate Cake.  I will most likely wait to eat it until after my massage.  If I don’t have that then it will be a Grilled Cheese.  I know I don’t eat healthy but it’s like I told the doctor a long time ago.  There are two things in this world that I absolutely love.  The first is men and the second is food.  If I can’t have one then I am damn hell sure having the other.  Regardless of what I do I am still dying and damn I’d like to go out on a full stomach.  Sure would be nice to get some dick too but at least food is readily within my reach.  He smiled when I told him that.  My doc is a chubby short guy so it’s not like he can complain too much at me for my weight. 

Last night was over with way too quickly.  I took one extra sleeping pill and damn I was out.  Didn’t hear any banging of the cans this morning when the trash people came.  I woke up on my own but Rudy was right there and sensed that I was about to fall back asleep.  He stuck his cold wet nose against mine and damn that woke me up in a hurry.  I sure do love my Rudy wake up calls, they are the best and I hope they never ever end. 

It’s been a busy morning.  There is no time for lunch and I have 3 meetings today which is highly abnormal for a Friday.  There is a slight lull now and I think I am taking advantage of it and will run up to take a bathroom break and perhaps have a little relaxing time with the cats, that is if my phone doesn’t start blowing up. 

I do hate this extra on-call duty and will be glad when the mistake maker gets back.  Until then I suppose I will survive or die trying. Here’s hoping that today speeds by so that I can get on that massage table sooner rather than later!

Have an awesome weekend and take care!

Can’t make this up

Yesterday afternoon someone at work reported they were having problems on a shopping site; it just wasn’t working. I couldn’t believe that someone would have the gall to report they were shopping on company time, using company resources and complaining because it wasn’t working. That’s something I just couldn’t make up if I tried to. I investigated it and sure enough they were right the site didn’t work. I told them to use a personal device to reach the site to remedy the issue. I had thoughts of making a big deal out of it and shining a spotlight on this person but opted not to. If management finds out about it great but I’m not running to tell them. I see all kinds of stuff but that one really takes the cake.

I placed an order yesterday for a plant to be delivered to my great aunt’s memorial service, regardless weather I go or not I felt it was the right thing to do. I did it from my home computer not my work computer. I was astonished by how quickly the bill added up. The delivery charges particularly are highly inflated and I am clearly in the wrong business. I get a high delivery charge if I am asking you to rush something last minute or even a day prior to the service. However, the service isn’t until next week. I don’t order flowers or plants often but damn every time I do, I am just flabbergasted with the price. They show the price of what you’re ordering but when you go to checkout there is sales tax and then they tack on the delivery fee if you’re not picking it up. Honestly, it would cost me less to pick it up and deliver it to the funeral home on my own but I’ve already paid for the convenience factor and I don’t think many people deliver their own flowers/plants to funeral homes but I could be wrong. I see they delivered my order this morning despite me telling them it didn’t need to be there until mid-next week. Guess that’s why the delivery charge was so high – I mean at least they were prompt.

Also yesterday, I had a Buffalo Chicken wrap for lunch, all of the hot sauce sunk to the bottom and the last bite was quite good but hot. I only ate half which means that I still have one left. Not sure that I will buy this wrap again but it was nice to break up the everyday boring what’s for lunch.

The cameras were going crazy during my meeting yesterday. I had a cat outside running around. It looks just like Rudy but its paw tips were only white in back. It was enough to make me do a double take but I knew there was no way either of my two could possibly get out, short of me hearing a lot of noise before it happened considering I am home. I thought I saw someone post a photo of a cat that looked just like what was roaming around but I went to the app and can’t find it for anything. I think it will be setting off my cameras for a while unless something happens to it or someone manages to catch it. I only saw it on camera and not up close. I have looked and looked but no sign of it. I don’t dare bring a strange cat inside that would upset both cats, not to mention the exposure risk to disease as well as damage/destruction and cat fights. I do not need that at all. However, if there was a way for me to get it trapped and checked to see if it’s chipped, I would at least like to do that. If not to get it back to its owner to get it off of the street. I’m guessing someone somewhere is missing the poor thing but then again people do tend to dump animals in my neighborhood. That’s how we got Momma and shortly thereafter her kids, then years later Taz and Blu. Right now, for me 2 is enough and sometimes more than I can handle. Yes, I would like more but I have the common sense to know that isn’t a prudent thing to do and I don’t want to upset what is now a happy family. The balance is perfect.

I had one meeting I was really dreading but the person canceled on me and we moved it to next week. At least the pressure is off for now. If they would just read the invite, they would see there is really no reason to meet but I will be too happy to point that out. My boss thinks everything needs a meeting, drama and discussion. Nope some decisions are made quickly and on the fly. Not everything requires that much effort and energy.

Spaghetti and meat sauce was for supper, I had some of it and saved the rest for tonight. A dish that I picked up from the store so it was just heat & eat, which is what I like. Not much a fan of frozen food but I still eat it. Had a Raspberry Danish for desert and washed it down with a glass of milk.

Worked needed me to work late last night so I did that as well, not fun but I got the job done and then moved on with the evening. I hate last minute surprises like that. They knew all damn day long but waited until I was eating my supper to bother to tell me.

This week feels like I was on-call as I have pulled all of the weight which is what the on-call person does. Next week I am really on-call and after that I can relax for a week before it all comes back full cycle again. Normally I would get a 2-week break but since the mistake maker is out and the boss is on-call that’s why it’s only 1 week. This will go on for a couple months and I can feel the burn out coming, despite trying to fight it off it will still happen. I haven’t put in for any time but am thinking about just taking a full week once the mistake maker is back so that I can be free from work and relax for a bit. Mulling that one over but it’s probably going to happen.

At the moment my schedule is wide open and there isn’t much going on. I am savoring this as I know it’s a short-lived reprieve. We have rain & storms rolling in today and for the weekend. Glad I haven’t washed my vehicle yet. Looking forward to my massage tomorrow night.

Hope all is well your neck of the woods.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Man Candy - Thirsty?

Pizza is gone

Morning … that’s a different title for a post.  I had to think of something to put there and that’s the first thing that came to mind.  It’s true too, I ate the last of the pizza last night it was okay not as good as when it was originally served.  Now that’s out of the fridge it’s on to something else to eat for dinner tonight. 

I’ve got this habit that I picked up from my grandfather.  Each morning I look at the local obituaries to see who has passed away.  That’s the only way I will ever know.  I was shocked to learn this morning that a great aunt passed away.  I find it odd that there is only a visitation and no funeral per say.  It’s next week when I am on-call.  I could go but will more likely just send flowers.  It’s not cheaper but sure is easier.  I am not fond of the habit as I think it ages me but I’ve done it for years and started when I was much younger. 

Yesterday I got drowsy sitting in front of these two monitors and opted to head upstairs and lay down.  I watched a little TV but closed my eyes and then my phone went off.  I just knew that was going to happen, so much so that I predicted it to the cats.  Yeah it was something I needed to deal with but I was just too lazy and said it will be there waiting for me when I get up.  Then more stuff came rolling in.  I let the phone chirp for a few minutes before it calmed down.  Then I started to drift off and the lawn guy showed up.  My lawn got it’s first cut of the season.  I went back to work for a bit to take care of the few emails that had accumulated. 

My boss is on-call this week but I’ve found that I am the one doing all of the heavy lifting.  Even stuff that comes in after-hours he doesn’t jump on like the rest of us would, he just leaves it and I clean it up come morning.  He did take one easy assignment that came in yesterday while I was at lunch, just because it was easy.  The only way I know to rebel against this is to let shit back up and I did at one point yesterday.  It just means that I will have a large pile to clean up in the end.  It’s not fair that the rest of us pull our weight but the boss hides behind the excuse “ I have meetings and other assignments “  yeah well too bad your the on-call person.  Funny thing is that on-call means something different to him than the rest of us and outside of him we all operate the same.  He’s noticed that I am doing the heavy lifting and thanked me in one of our dumb meetings yesterday, whoopie.  Like that does anything for me. 

What made my day is that a supervisor from another team that I help out frequently so they are able to do their jobs reached out to me directly and sent me what I call a feel good email.  It said how appreciative they were for all that I do and how quick I am to help them and that I never, ever complain regardless of what they throw at me they know the job is going to get done and quickly.  People have been talking about the superior service that I give for 10 years and I don’t plan on giving them a reason to stop.  Compliments like that trickle to the top of the management chain, perhaps not as fast as bad news but it gets there.  That’s the kind of reputation that you want to build.  Problem is that it becomes tougher and tougher to out do yourself.  My boss wasn’t copied it was a note meant just for me.  I usually forward those on but opted not to this time.  I just hang on to them, they come in handy when your having a bad day you can look back on them and it helps to cheer you up.  That’s a tip from a colleague that I used to work with. 

On the cat front.  I went to throw away the pizza box and Mora thought she could just go out in the garage.  She tried but I stopped her.  I had to make a couple more trips to the garage to toss some bulky stuff out and she went back to keeping her distance.  Last thing I need is a cat the turns into a door dasher.  I am so out of shape there is no way I could catch either of them if they bolted.  Here is hoping that never ever happens. 

Had a bladder wake up call last night and made the mistake of rubbing my eye because it itched.  That only made things worse but some how I managed to fall back to sleep once I returned to bed.  Rudy kept me company and snuggled up against my back.  I would move and he would readjust himself just to let me know he was still there.  These cats sure are something.  I wasn’t in the best head space as the evening wore on and I think they probably picked up on that. 

On the agenda for today is one dumb weekly meeting with the boss.  Then whatever happens to bubble up my way during the day.  Thus far it’s chill but that can change at any time with little to no warning so I have to stay ready.  Speaking of ready I am ready for a nap already, not a good sign since it’s only 9a here.  It’s probably the sugar wearing off from the one pop-tart that I had with breakfast. 

It’s a nice Spring day here with pollen in the air, allergies acting up and the temperatures being cool.  The house has a slight chill in it but it’s enjoyable to me.  The cats will sun bathe to soak up the heat and the house will warm up as time moves on.  High today I think is 65 which isn’t bad.  Bring on the hot guys, shirtless guys so that my mouth will water as much as my nose and eyes are from the allergies. 

Hope it’s a great day in your neck of the woods. 

Yapping & Windows 11

Hi and welcome in.  Things were fairly calm at work yesterday which is not uncommon for a Monday.  People are still hung over from the weekend and trying to get moving.  Most Monday’s are washes with some occasional busy times.  Bossman was tied up for a good portion of the day but he still managed to find time to call and pester me for a bit.  I moved upstairs close to 3p to escape the basement and be with the cats. 

Mora has become more attention seeking.  Now it doesn’t matter if I have my laptop out and am working she will come over and curl up with me hugging my chest on the left side.  It’s not exactly easy to work with a giant cat demanding your attention but I can say I have done it a few times.  No matter how much I give Mora always wants more, hence her name mora.  She needs more of this and more of that.  I love her and never had a cat quite like her. 

Since I was upstairs and on my laptop I saw fit to continue to try to tweak Windows 11.  I got it looking pretty nice with the help of a program called Windhawk.  It’s a mod that you install and then install modules for tweaks.  You have to be extra careful because some tweaks could have malicious code in them.  My big hang up with Win 11 is the taskbar.  You can get the clock to spread over three lines where it shows time – day of the week and the date.  Although it’s possible to get all three to display.  As I mentioned in a previous post there is no Quick Launch Bar and the taskbar icons don’t stack like they do in Win 10.  I like to see every little thing running so there are plenty of icons in my taskbar.  I don’t like pinning icons to the taskbar that is not a substitute for the Quick Launch Bar it just clutters things up in my opinion.  Funny thing is that my laptop came with Win 11 on it and I downgraded to Win 10.  I remember playing with my laptop in a hotel room (got it when I went on a trip after Gator passed) and figuring out all of the things that Win 11 couldn’t do and eventually made the conclusion that it sucked and I wanted Win 10. 

I am going to keep 11 on my laptop at least that is what I am telling myself.  I don’t use it a whole lot other than for work or to remote into my desktop, so it’s not like a daily machine.  My desktop is my daily machine and I am going to keep Win 10 around on that.  Probably will wind up paying MS so that I keep getting security updates but I am not rushing to do that just in case I change my mind.  I imagine 11 would look awesome on this and probably make things run a little smoother. 

I am still waiting for my work machine to get fixed.  I am in no hurry to move into 11 for work but the push is coming.  The movement is that we want everyone on 11 before the end of the year.  Never mind that we have an Enterprise license and can keep getting security updates for some time it’s just easier (so they say) to upgrade everyone.  I am always resistant to upgrades but hey I fell in love with 10 so I imagine I eventually will fall in love or at least tolerate 11. 

On a different note took in a lot of TV yesterday.  The White Lotus,    9-1-1, Innocent or Guilty on A&E, The First 48, DOC and The Neighborhood.  Yeah I was a little busy and it was enjoyable.  Shame more nights can’t be filled with good tv that I am interested in. 

Had a couple hot dogs with ketchup for lunch, Rudy really wanted me to give him some.  Left over pizza was for supper.  Boston Cream Pie for desert.  Wasn’t the best eating but it wasn’t bad either. 

Got a three meetings on tap for today, I don’t look forward to any of them but each one will bring me closer to lunch and then eventually closer to the end of the day.  Here’s hoping for a good day for all. 

Take care!