One more day

Just one more day and then we will have a weekend again.  Gator got her fluids last night.  I think she knew they were coming because she laid on the floor in the living room for the longest time.  I wound up just moving along with my regular routine and got a shower.  Then afterwards is when I pounced.  She wasn’t happy about it and I didn’t like doing it either.  However, if this is what it takes to keep her going then I will do it.  She got some food and spent time in my lap sleeping. 

I figured that I would see a marked improvement in her this morning but she seems about the same to me.  She woke me up once during the night for food.  I found her by the fountain this morning.  She had some breakfast and hung out a bit under my chair (which is not normal but she used to do it when she was younger) as I ate breakfast.  I met with her on the couch and let her eat what she wanted from bed.  She was all poised to doze off and then suddenly she looked at me like she wanted food.  I offered but she declined.  I put her food on the floor and told her I was going to start my day.  By the time I got downstairs, settled and looked on the camera she was out of bed.  I presume she went for water. 

A short time later I found her in my room.  She napped and now she is wanting some food. I just went up and gave her some of her favorite Tuna & Oat Meal.  Sounds horrible to me but she really laps it up.  She is all settled on the couch and should be in sleepy land before too long as the food coma sets in. 

The lawn guys showed up yesterday shortly after I published my post.  My neighbors deck is pretty well done.  He has put a little effort into cleaning up the backyard and trying to mow the grass.  I always think that when people make changes to their home that it won’t be terribly long before it is up on the market.  Homes in my neighborhood do go up for sale.  Since the pandemic that has slowed down though.

Work is starting to heat up a little bit.  I’ve got some free time this morning but then the meetings start.  Need to remember to get the trash out.  Nothing much interesting on TV.  Last night was an episode or two of The Real World New Orleans and then I switched over to You Tube for a couple of random videos.  It will probably be more of the same tonight.  Fall is around the corner and that should bring back some of the regular shows that I like. 

Had a Chicken Bell Pepper Burrito Bowl last night, it was mild on the spices, which is fine.  Pretty tasty for something that went from freezer to microwave.  I had a Magnum Raspberry Chocolate Bar for desert.  I wanted more for desert but resisted some how.  That is never fun but while I want to get in shape or at least loose some if not all of the pandemic weight I gained it is proving to be quite difficult since I don’t really have an active lifestyle.  If I could lose weight from sleep or being lazy then I would be in really good shape!

Have a great day and be well. 

National Lazy Day

Happy Hump Day!  We made it to the middle of the week again.  My early rising yesterday at 6a really took a tole on me once I got home and became sedentary.  I got Gator taken care of, undressed and made my dinner in the microwave.  Then I started watching TV and within a half hour I was really sleepy.  The longer I went on the worse it got.  By 6:30p I was ready to go to bed.  I didn’t but it sure was tempting.  I got some ice cream and the sugar helped to wake me up for a short while.  Got caught up in watching episodes from Real World New Orleans.  Then switched over to YouTube Videos.  Before terribly long it was time to get ready for bed and I was really happy about that. 

I got to see all 3 Raccoons last night, that made my day.  I like knowing they are all still together.  One is bashful and the other one who is smaller is always all over Momma.  I watched them off and on and eventually I saw them leave for hunting.  I kept telling Gator her friends were at the window but she was comfy in her bed on the couch. 

I went to brush my teeth and I walked out and found Gator in the litter box just sitting there like it was her new bed.  That’s kind of odd behavior for her.  Eventually she used the litter box and walked out like nothing was wrong.  We didn’t get any cuddle time in my room last night because she was late to the party and I was exhausted.  9:30p and I just gave up and went to bed.  I got her to curl up in her bed.  I finished watching the YouTube video I was on and then it was lights out.  I haven’t been that exhausted in a very long time.

I got my package from the vendor yesterday.  A pen, notebook and a water bottle.  Nothing worth writing home about.  The water bottle is good for hot or cold drinks but it is structured more like a liquid storage bottle and not something to drink from.  I really wanted a polo or a t-shirt.  The water bottle was the most expensive thing in the entire box.  Mystery over with. 

I got a new project thrown in my lap yesterday, nothing that is terribly difficult but it will for sure occupy some of my time.  September is going to be a mighty busy month.  We have this project I just spoke of, were moving our anti-virus to a cloud based solution and we have a bunch of new people starting.  Kind of really makes me want to take a week of vacation just to run away.  I’ve got a couple days at the start of the month off and it will give me a nice long Labor Day weekend, after that it’s back to work.  I will still have plenty of time left and will need to schedule more time off so that I am in line to have 80 hours or less by the end of the year because we can only carry 80 hours. 

Gator had me up once during the night and she is back to being super picky with her food.  I am throwing away more food than she is actually eating and I don’t like these spells.  That costs money and I don’t like to just chuck it in the trash.  Yeah I could leave it out for the Racoons but I am not feeding them, I don’t want them dependent upon me.  I have plans right now to give her fluids tonight to keep things up, for sure she needs them by tomorrow night because that will be the 1 week mark.   

I am really thinking hard about a new vehicle and looking at both sides of the coin.  I need to take a look at the dealers lot and then research the worth of my trade which will help make the final determination.  If my trade wipes out a good portion of the new purchase then it’s kind of a no brainer to move forward.  However, I am thinking if I could pay off my existing loan and then start saving those payments how quickly that would add up.  I’d be in great shape to pay for any repairs (should they arise) and have a nice savings account.  I could even potentially attack some of the principal of my home loan.  Some decisions are difficult to make primarily because you can’t see into the future and sometimes taking a chance at being happy today requires you to gamble as to what will happen in the future. 

I was surprised when I came home yesterday that my lawn was not mowed.  It was overcast yesterday morning when I left and their was rain in the forecast, not sure if any actually fell.  Right now I am staying silent and seeing what happens.  They may show up later in the week, if not I will for sure inquire.  I don’t need any problems from the city and the shape my neighbors lawn is in is enough to attract that unwanted attention.  Here’s hoping the mower guys show up and I don’t have to do anything.  Kind of unusual for them to skip me but I get that stuff happens and sometimes you have to shuffle things around. 

On the work front at the moment I only have 1 meeting late this afternoon.  Unless something pops I can go nap or goof off until then.  I do plan on taking a break and being with Gator for a bit.  Less time in front of this computer is better for me. 

I also really need to find a new eye doctor and get an exam scheduled.  Probably would be a good idea for me to start wearing my regular glasses daily but since the pandemic started I stopped and only use my computer glasses.  I can drive and see fine as long as there is plenty of light.  Some receipts in restaurants give me a little trouble but otherwise I am fine. 

That’s about all I got for the moment.  Just hoping to chill for a good portion of the day and not do much work unless it’s required.  Today is national lazy day, seriously go give it a Google.  That is one day I can celebrate forever!  Hope your well and staying cool.  Take care!

Back in the office

I woke up at the horrible hour of 6a and managed to get moving to make it into the office.  Traffic was breezy, I didn’t exactly fly here but there were no major slow downs.  I hope the same is true when it’s time to leave and go home.  It’s still kind of unfathomable to me that I actually did this same routine for 5 days straight week after week, month after month for years on end.  Now it’s just one day a week. As long as I have an internet connection and cell phone signal I can work from anywhere, totally crazy.   

Gator as you can well imagine was not pleased that I was leaving.  I put out a big can of food for her and even fed some of it to her from the couch.  She got her nails trimmed last night.  She is limping a little bit since her fall last week but she doesn’t seem to be in any pain.  Just like her mother, when she sets out to make to a destination she gets there.  It might not be in record setting speed but she will get there. 

Things with her appear to be pretty well normal, although I have mentioned before that cats are the masters of disguise.  However, I’d like to think that she can’t pull the wool over my eyes since I’ve been around her for 18 years but you just never know. 

Speaking of the Gator.  A guy that I like and follow on social media has a cat now that looks exactly like Gator just when she was younger.  I thought it was interesting.  This guy is married and very straight but it doesn’t stop me from looking.  I wish that we could be friends but I don’t see that in the cards. 

Not a whole lot going on here this morning.  Meeting Tuesday kicks off in a couple hours and then it’s going to be busy for a few hours.  Then the bottom falls out and it’s back to a lull according to my schedule.  You never can tell when a problem will crop up so it’s not a guarantee that it will be totally boring.  I’d like a fast moving day so that I can get back home. 

Watched more old Real World episodes last night.  Had some Cheese Enchiladas and rice for supper.  Desert was a piece of Carrot Cake.  I did pepper in a few You Tube videos.  One of which a cop pulled over a kid for riding a motorized bike on the street with no license plate.  He was just going to get a ticket but when he told the cop to go suck a dick he wasn’t signing the ticket he wound up under arrest.  While you may want to cuss and tell a cop off, it never pays off.  Your better to think those thoughts and keep the actual words to yourself. 

Kind of a boring evening.  Not sure what I will find to occupy my few short hours of time before bed but I am confident that something will strike my fancy.  Just being with the furry girl and tending to her needs is kind of comforting in it’s self.  She is quite the handful, especially when she gets into her picky pallet moments where something tastes good for a couple bites and then she wants nothing to do with it.  She tells you she is hungry and wants food but if you offer her what was formerly appealing to her she will head butt it and that’s your sign to move on to get her something else.  I really miss the cat food store because with a variety of flavors (when in stock) it was pretty easy to be able to rotate what she got to eat so there was no getting used to one thing.  I am probably going to take a stroll through there over the weekend just to see what I can manage to pickup. 

Hope your doing well and staying cool.  Talk with you all again soon.  

Time for lunch :-)

 

The rest of Sunday

I did go out for supper, a quick run thru Wendy’s.  I got a Dave’s Double (no onion, no mayo) and a large Chili.  I had a mini Magnum Double Chocolate Bar for desert.  Outside of breakfast that was the best tasting meal I had all day long.  Something about a burger and some chili that just goes so well together.  Ice cream after chili is like a must for me.  In the days of Steak N Shake I’d always get a shake (mini or large) but had to cool things off, even if it’s in the middle of winter. 

Gator has pretty well returned to normal as of this morning.  I was a little concerned yesterday.  I am always watching out for her and I know that this little battle is far from over.  As long as I can manage to keep her hydrated I think were going to be okay for a while (or so I hope).  She let me sleep overnight but I did wake up to use the bathroom and she was waiting for me.  I made sure she was taken care of.  As per usual just as I was about to dose off she had to tell me how good her meal was rather loudly.  Her litter box was empty this morning and I wasn’t happy about that but there is a chemical for that.  I am watching and will probably give her another dose of fluids within the next few days just to stay on top of the hydration. 

As I waited for my sleeping medicine to kick in we sat and watched old episodes of The Real World.  I’m toggling between the London and the New Orleans cast.  Most all of the seasons (with a few exceptions) are on Paramount Plus.  I don’t understand why some of them are missing.  My hope is that they start to air the next cast reunion before my subscription ends.

With the purchase of my new iPhone I get 3 months free of Apple + TV.  Friday night I watched Palmer with Justin Timberlake.  It was pretty good, got to see Justin’s buns, even he was humping a woman.  Once the sex part was over with is when I really got into the story.  It was rather heart warming.  Just an affirmation that if you mess up in life and are convicted of a crime, do your time and get out that you can put your life back together.  It won’t be easy or fun but it can be done.  There is also a lot of scrimping and taking low paying jobs. 

Sadly, there isn’t much on Apple + that I like and a good portion of the stuff I am interested in costs extra money, which I am not willing to pay.  I really wish there was just 1 streaming platform and you could watch whatever you wanted there by paying one low price.  Of course that low price would probably be along the lines of a basic cable bill but hey it would be better than switching between platforms trying to figure out what is on which platform and keeping up with all of it.  It gets confusing after a while and I think that is part of the game.  Can’t believe that NBC is moving Days of Our Lives to Peacock, I don’t know that people will subscribe.  I’ve watched it now and then over the years when I was younger.  My grandfather got hooked on it as well.  If he were alive today I can almost guarantee that he wouldn’t subscribe to Peacock. 

On the mouse front I got this ultrasonic sound box that is designed to keep mice away from your automobile.  It’s like a small subwoofer and if you are brave enough to press the test button you will hear some loud and awful noises.  It’s got speakers in the front, sides, rear and bottom.  It does heat up a bit.  My original plan was to put it in the attic because unobstructed it protects 1,000 square feet.  It should cover the places where they are hiding out at and make them leave.  I’ve used it in my office for a week and it was starting to smell and then within a day or two no more odor.  I was in the living room on Friday and noticed a faint odor and moved the box to the living room.  Within a day and a half the mild odor was gone.  I started to smell a faint odor in my office this morning.  I’ve moved it to a utility room where the AC and Water Softener are.  It’s sitting on top of the air duct.  My thought process is that should cause the sound to radiate through the duct work and that does cover all of the house.  Perhaps it will be just enough aggravation to drive them all out.  If not then I am probably going to invest in a second unit.  I was skeptical that it would work.  I’ve had those small plug in devices that promise to work but do nothing.  Turns out this thing does work and there are lots of satisfied customers on Amazon.  While it’s not designed to keep mice out of a house if it’s strong enough for an RV or Car then I figured it should work in the house.  I’ve not seen any new mice, the traps are empty and as long as they are gone I am happy.  It doesn’t bother the Raccoons or Gator so that is another plus.  I was concerned more about Gator.  Amazon did show me a new trap by Victor that will hold 10 mice, it runs on batteries and delivers a shock to kill the mice.  There are dual entrances and it looks like one or two of these could easily wipe out a small infestation, considering there can be 5 to 12 mice per litter, according to my Amazon Echo.  That thing is just as pricy as the sound box I bought.  However, I am pretty committed to getting rid of the mice without the use of an exterminator or poison. 

So long as Gator doesn’t give off any bad vibes I fully plan on returning to the office tomorrow.  It won’t be terribly fun but it will be nice to get out.  Next week I am on call so I will be at home. 

The next big decision to make about an automobile is very close.  I am really on the fence.  I can keep what I have and pay it off (be it over time or now with a lump sum) OR buy new and start over with payments.  I just think of how much money I could save by eliminating car payments and banking the money.  That would add up pretty quick.  I’ve only got 52 thousand miles and it’s a 2017.  The pandemic did me a huge favor with mileage.  I think (have to double check) but I could get a decent trade amount for it and that would chop a huge sum off of a new vehicle so chances are good that I would have lower payments and still be able to save some money.  However, the model I want is scheduled for a complete redesign in 2024 so perhaps waiting might be better.  I am planning a trip to take a look at what is on the dealers lot on a Sunday, since they are closed and no one will be there to bother me.  I see a couple models on their website that I like, they have the features I want, one of which is a heated steering wheel, that is the best thing in the middle of winter. 

While I don’t have a huge fear of job loss, it is always in the back of my mind.  My employer could sell to a larger organization OR there could be such a recession and downturn in business that they would have to lay people off.  It helps that I am really good at my job and highly thought of but at the end of the day that isn’t a guarantee of employment.  I don’t think my job is headed anywhere anytime soon.  I was thinking about finances last night and my two largest expenses are the house and the car.  I’ve got savings but hey that doesn’t last forever.  I am always peeking at the job market just to see what is out there.  I always tend to freak a bit if I make a large purchase.  I went head over heels into debt with my vehicle back when I bought it and wasn’t fully confident that I was going to be able to afford it but thankfully it has all come together.  I’ve never had such a large payment for a vehicle.  It’s served me well thus far outside of the few accidents I’ve been in that have all been in the worst things I have had to buy were a few sets of tires.  I got the battery replaced under warranty and it’s been really good to me.  That’s why I kind of hesitate to get rid of it.  I know there is still a lot of life left in it.  I just won’t have any extended warranty coverage as of next month and figure that it’s been 5 years which is about trade time.  If you have any thoughts, I’d be interested in hearing them.  I know the final decision is mine to make.  However, getting feedback can be helpful. 

I do hope that all will be well for a while, I could use a year or seven off from negativity but I don’t know that one can get a break for that long.  It always seems to find me no matter how fast I run or where I hide. 

Here’s hoping it’s a great day and a great week for all of us!

Weekend recap, thus far.

Friday night … I did manage to stay up late to complete my late person leaving.  I shut him down 2 minutes before it was time because I was tired of waiting.  Normally people who ask to leave late also have the habit of asking for multiple time extensions.  Before he had a change to send an email asking for more time I wanted to nip it and be done.  I was tired as it was already and hadn’t taken any medication.  Gator sat with me on the couch as we waited.  She got a couple cans of food and I nibbled here and there.  I saw her friends the Racoons again. 

Saturday … I woke up early to get some breakfast, take a shower and make it to my haircut appointment.  I dropped off my old iPhone at the post office.  I found a place that would give me $150 for it.  They were the top payer which is why I chose them.  It’s a place I never heard of before.  I’ve got photos and proof that I owned the phone as well as a tracking number for the shipment.  They should have it on Wednesday.  Payout usually takes 3 weeks so as long as they send me my money were good.  They had high ratings and a positive review with BBB so fingers crossed that this doesn’t turn into a nightmare. 

After my haircut I came back home.  Watched some TV with Gator.  She had made another large deposit in the litter box and seemed to be a lot more perky.  I know she had to be feeling much better.  Her appetite was still up, which is always a good thing. 

In the afternoon I made a quick dash over to Sam’s Club.  I told Gator I was only going to buy soda.  I stopped by the bakery and wow they had some delicious sugar treats.  Muffins, Brownies, Cake.  It all looked so good.  I stuck to my guns and dashed over the soda area.  Grabbed a case of Diet Coke and a cube of Dr. Pepper zero sugar.  $26 later I was loading it in to the vehicle and dashing back home. 

I let some time pass made sure Gator was still doing okay.  Then went off to an Italian Place.  Manicotti was on my mind.  I walked in and noticed some notes on the door about the recent storms.  Yeah turns out they were open but had no AC.  It was hotter inside that place than it was outside.  I got used to the heat but it took a bit.  My food came and it tasted nothing like I was expecting.  I could have gone to a place closer to home, they would have not only had AC but the food would have tasted better but it would have cost a little more.  It’s the sauce that makes the difference.  Where I went had a sweet red sauce and there was no cream sauce.  The place closer to home has a more normal red sauce and they put a dash of cream sauce in.  It’s way better.  Anyway that was my fun. 

Back home and back to watching TV.  We went to bed at normal time.  I got to see Gator’s friends again.  They waited until it was all the way dark and much later, like 10p before they immerged.  They were scampering about on the deck.  Then Momma heard something or saw something and they all retreated to home base.  They walk past a rocker on the deck and that thing was rocking.  Looked like there was a ghost sitting in it.  Then a short time later they all came back out and went out hunting as a family.  One of the kids looks to be really small and not growing much.  The other one is more normal sized.  I do wonder what they eat and how they manage to stay out of trouble/harm’s way.  Raccoons don’t have a long life here but somehow I manage to get a family each year.  They mate in the Winter, the kids are born in the Winter and I see them for a short time and they vanish into thin air.  I have some summer time activity on occasion, but that’s it. 

Sunday … I woke up and the litter box is really full.  I figure Gator has to feel way better since things appear to be normalizing.  She had some breakfast.  Camped out by the water fountain as I left to go get my breakfast.  I returned home she was still by the fountain.  She didn’t wake up at the sound of my voice but once I made some noise that jarred her awake.  She looked unhappy.  I got her some food, she drank a little.  I went to my room to watch TV and wait for the sugar coma from breakfast to kick in.  She started meowing and I went to check on her.  She doesn’t appear to be that thrilled with today.  I carried her to my room and we napped together.  Eventually she wanted up and then she got some lunch and is back by the fountain.  I am mildly concerned.  My hope is that she starts to be more of her normal self as the day goes on.  She is still eating, which is always a good thing.  This could just be an off day for her. 

I’ve paid bills, going to do some surfing and read my email.  Then it will be back upstairs to put out my pills, clean the house and watch TV.  I’ve got a sinking feeling in my gut about Gator and I hope I’m wrong.  I am trying to write it off but she keeps giving me signs that are concerning.  I don’t want her to be in any discomfort, pain or suffer but at the same time I don’t want to part ways with her.  One minute I think everything is fine and the next it’s like were back to square one.  How she acts plays a large part in my decision making process.  I don’t just run to the vet because she lost a whisker.  It’s a traumatic experience for her and not to mention for my wallet.  I try to keep the stress for her to a minimum.  It’s doesn’t necessarily work that way for me. 

Fingers crossed that things turn around and were back on a clear path for a while longer.  Normally I have some food upstairs that I am looking forward to digging into for supper.  Not today.  I am thinking of going out for supper that kind of depends on how Gator is doing as well as how I feel. 

Hope your enjoying the weekend and staying cool. 

Evening–Update

Gator has eaten a few cans of food and taken a couple naps.  She is a little clingy which is concerning but overall at the moment she appears normal.  I do think that she is scared from how she felt.  It’s either that or she still feels bad but isn’t showing any outward signs.

I am more together now than I was earlier in the day.  I feel better like she is going to be okay.  Of course that is now at this moment.  I could see something that changes my opinion and gives me anxiety. 

It’s a great thing that I don’t like alcohol or I’d probably be drunk now.  I am honestly sure how I make it through these types of situations without doing damage to myself.  Since I don’t drink, I also don’t smoke and the only real vices I have are food and porn.  When I am depressed or sad I don’t always want to eat and I sure don’t want to watch porn. 

Just wanted to update you on how things were at the moment.  I need to go up and find something to eat.  It’s going to be a long night.  I’ve got someone leaving that wants to burn the midnight oil for some damn reason.  It is honestly going to be a struggle to stay awake but I’ll make it. 

Again, I hope that you have a great weekend!

That little voice

Last night as I was going through my routine for bed, I saw Gator trying to get off the couch.  She was on her steps and managed to fall off.  It’s a short distance and she landed on a carpeted floor.  It didn’t seem to phase her.  It bothered me.  It looked like her back legs were what failed her.  Poor gait is a sign of dehydration.  You know that little voice that lives in side of you?  Well mine said you better give her fluids or you might not have her tomorrow. 

I gave her a full dose of fluids much to her dismay.  She was not pleased.  At least I did it right this time so they all stayed in and nothing leaked back out.  We spent some time together and she of course got more food.  I was up overnight, I think it was my bladder that woke me but she took advantage of it and I got her some food.  We also spent a little more time together in my chair, she got to sleep a little bit with me.  I had problems falling back to sleep but once I got tired I got her back to the floor and I climbed back in bed. 

This morning I woke up and there was quite a large deposit in the litter box.  She has to feel much better.  She was camped out by the water fountain and I managed to wake her up just by walking into the kitchen.  She was pleased to see me and looking forward to food.  I got her some breakfast and then I had mine.  She gobbled down 1/2 of the can pretty quickly and then made her way to the couch to climb in her bed and wait for me.  I finished my breakfast and then permitted her to eat the remainder of the food from the comfort of her bed. 

I came down to work and after a couple hours she started hollering for food.  I dropped what I was doing and got her taken care of.  She gobbled down a little bit of food and then made her way to her bed in my room.  I followed her in and put the plate of food close to the bed so if she woke up hungry, she wouldn’t have to go very far for the food. 

To me it seems like she is dehydrating much faster, unless it was just that the fluid I gave her on Sunday managed to all leak out and she was just struggling.  I will be paying close attention to her over the next few days.  The pessimist in me is fearful that we have taken a step in the wrong direction and she is closer to the end.  I am worried and scared, it a place I have been before.  Being alone actually makes it worse.  Idle time permits my mind to wonder off and worry.  I am glad that I found the articles earlier in the week that said to treat the cat and not the numbers that is very helpful advice.  I am NEVER going to be ready to part ways with her but I do know that it in my future but I hope it is a ways out.  I don’t want it to happen close to a holiday or my birthday but then again I’m not really in full control which is part of what bothers me. 

All I can do right now is hope for the best, wait and see what happens.  I do think that she is feeling better today than she was last night.  Camping out at the fountain is never something I have been a fan of as I’ve mentioned in past posts.  I only want the absolute best for her.  Unless there is some miracle change in her condition I will probably stick close to home this weekend.  I’d really like to make it in to the office next week but if she isn’t doing well, family comes first.  I know that she is comforted by my presence and the fact that she can just bellow out and I come running is something she has gotten quite used to.  If COVID would have never happened I don’t know that she would have that luxury or that I would have the luxury of being able to work from home for long periods of time. 

Fingers crossed that this is just a minor bump in the road and we can overcome it.  Not much else to talk about at the moment.  Hope that you have a nice weekend!

The afternoon update

Well of course as soon as I went upstairs the litter box has deposits.  I do wonder if Gator tries to play me to see just how upset I will get sometimes.  Needless to say I am glad that things have worked out (pun intended). 

I forgot to mention last night that as I was preparing for shutdown and to take a shower, I saw my young hot neighbor pull his truck up to my driveway.  He got out and walked up to my door.  Turns out he had a package of mine since Sunday from Amazon and he was delivering it.  Meanwhile I had called Amazon got a refund, placed a new order and got a second shipment.  It’s only labels but now I have twice as many and only had to pay for one roll.  The problem was who ever printed out the label – it was crooked and there was no house number to display.  My name was on the package but my neighbor up to this point didn’t know my last name, guess he does now.  Kind of glad we met earlier in the year, otherwise who knows what would have happened to the package.  I am a bit disappointed that it took him several days to get it to me, I mean we live next to each other – he could have walked across the front lawn. 

If I get a misdelivered package I am quick to take it to the right persons house.  Especially today with the advent of real time tracking.  This was one of those deliveries that if I had a photo of where it was delivered I would have easily known where to go. 

Work is getting busy again.  I have to dash off to another dreaded meeting but at least in this one all I have to do is listen to people go back and forth, at the moment I have no stake in the meeting and was invited as a courtesy.  If I have to be in a meeting those are the best circumstances, but that doesn’t happen terribly often.  Normally there is something for me to do or report on. 

Here’s some hunks to stare at.  I will chat with you all again soon.  Be well!

 

Still Alive

We had another monsoon yesterday.  Much to my surprise the raccoons immerged and seemed to be dry.  I also saw all 3 of them, momma and the 2 kids.  That was nice.  Gator was watching them as well.  I have thought all along that some of her camping out by the fountain in the evening was to watch for them.  One of the kids walked right up to the backdoor.  They had no idea I was there.  It was nice to see that they are all still alive.  Not exactly sure what they are hunting and eating but they don’t appear to be starving, which I suppose is a good thing. 

I did some internet scouring on Feline Kidney Disease, much more intense than what I had done previously.  I am concerned/worried about Gator.  Were back to where we started with BM’s and it really bothers me.  48 hours is the minimum limit to a max of 72 hours in which if there is no movement you need to get to the vet.  She is eating like normal, in some cases she has wiped out one can and asked for another.  The last movement was on Tuesday evening.  I’ve given her some minor doses of MiraLax in the hopes that I can move things along but thus far nothing.  She isn’t due for fluids but I am tempted to give her some.  Usually this occurs because of dehydration and there isn’t enough water in her system to keep things moving in the right direction, thus it builds up and then will eventually work it self out but it takes longer than normal.  I am probably overly concerned but that’s part of my role as her cat daddy. If there is a whisker out of place and I notice it I will worry more so now because she is the last one of the family.     

The one thing that I saw in multiple places was to treat the cat and not the lab numbers.  Meaning that even if the lab numbers are horrible and the cat is doing fine then you really don’t need to take any action, just keep doing what your doing.  I got signs & symptoms to watch for.  Some cats will pass on their own but the majority with kidney issues require their owners to put them down.  She is still on her probiotic and her prednisone.  Still drinking and for the most part acting normal.  I just need her to use the litter box.  I don’t want all of the toxins & junk to build up in her system and wind up poisoning her.  There are enemas that you can give as well but I really don’t want to go down that road unless it’s necessary.  I did that with her older brother and didn’t give him much, he was going for hours and I was following him around the house with a roll of paper towels.  He was exhausted and I really thought I broke him.  It was not a fun experience for him or for me.  It worked but it worked a little to well.  I thought I was going to die from heart failure because it felt like the entire time my heart was in my throat.

I was on the Chewy site yesterday and found out they sell fluids, it takes a prescription from your vet  but they are $9 compared to the $70 the vet gets that is one hell of a markup.  I am talking just the bag of fluids, no catheter or needles.  I get that vets have to make a profit but damn I think that is just gouging your customers a bit much.  My vet won’t call anything like that in to a mail order pharmacy, they issue a written prescription and while you could upload it or fax it the pharmacies want you to mail in the original which delays the process even longer.  We are 1/2 way through the bag I just picked up in June and it won’t be but a few more weeks where I will be needing more. 

I am trying to keep myself together but I just can’t help but think she is going to die sooner than I want.  I mean no time will be a good time even if it’s 5 years from now.  I want to keep her forever but that is not a realistic expectation as every living thing eventually dies and she is really elderly for a cat.  I learned yesterday that at age 11 cats are considered elderly.  Man she had so much energy back then I would have never guessed she was old at 11.  She didn’t really slow way down until about age 16 and now she is slower but she still manages to get around, do some grooming and of course her lungs are working quite well with her boisterous meows.  

For now I am watching and if we get into the danger zone with time I will for sure call the vet.  I am hopeful (pun intended) that things will work themselves out if I am just patient.  I lack in the patients department so I guess it’s a good thing I am not a doctor. 

Need to round up the trash and get it out then push out the barrel to the curb.  It’s not something I look forward to.  Much like grocery shopping.  However, this world is filled with tons of things that I don’t look forward to.  Sort of like another few meetings that I have today.  The meeting I had yesterday with my boss he was sharing his screen and the way he kept mousing around he looked like a teenager on Adderall.  It drove me bonkers.  He would click something then decided he didn’t mean to click it and wind up clicking it again as if he expected different results.  I’ve got a colleague that is younger and he mouses like that as well.  It gives me anxiety and I just can’t stand it.  I honestly don’t know how people like that manage to accomplish anything.  The boss man is micro-managing a bit more these days and that too drives me nuts.  No matter how much I am paid I don’t need to be micro-managed.  I am an adult and if I don’t know how to do something I will ask for help.  If I make a mistake I will own it, try my best to learn from it so that I don’t repeat it.  I mean in short I am not a dummy and don’t like being treated like I am one.  If you don’t trust me then don’t give me the task, we will both be happier in the end.  If you do trust me then let me do my damn job and leave me alone. 

Not much else brewing here.  Just getting ready to slide into the weekend and hope that I can both relax and be productive instead of my normal lazy self.  I just want to do the bare minimum when I have time off and that is so unlike me but it’s a slump I have allowed myself to fall into.  It got really comfortable when I had COVID earlier in the year but the difference between then and now is then I had no desire to do a damn thing and now I do, I just lack motivation.  I really wish the whole disease spreading thing would get under control, speaking of COVID and Monkey Pox.  I saw an article the other day that said Polio was detected in NYC, that is kind of scary.  It’s like all of the diseases from the past are starting to come back since COVID and before you know it everyone will have something they don’t want.  I just want to be able to date, find a man, fall in love again and move on with my life.  It’s not an impossible ask but it sure is difficult and gets more difficult with age, especially in the Gay community where age seems to be more than a number.  Kind of makes me wonder if I would be age 69 if that would turn someone on or off.  Yeah I’m joking and I am no where close to that number.  If I was and still single I’d probably just give up.  Right now I still feel a sense of hope.  It may mean I need to move to a different part of the US but I am content with starting where I am and seeing how things shake out but only once it’s safe.  I don’t want or need any diseases.  The last time I had sex the iPhone had a headphone jack – think about that it was a while back.  Clearly I need sex but it’s companionship that I crave the most after that sex is mixed in there somewhere.  I am not looking to jump in bed right away, I mean if it happens so be it. 

Well I guess I should move about the cabin some.  Check on the furry one and psych myself up for the day ahead meetings and all.  Hope that your well and life is being kind to you. 

5G

I am talking about 5G cell phone service and not 5 Gators.  Could you imagine if I had 5 of her running around here, wow I wouldn’t have anytime to myself because I would be pampering and tending to all of their needs, if they were anything like she is.  I got to wondering about what all of the hype was about 5G.  Since I got a new device that actually supports 5G I signed up for a 15 day trial with Visible (powered by Verizon).  No credit card was needed and I’ve got unlimited data, calling and texting for free for the next fifteen days. 

I switched my data to use my Visible line and 5G turned on.  It is blazing fast and my does it drain your battery.  My battery was doing just fine at around 80% and I dropped to the 60% range after streaming just part of a Amazon Prime show. 

My rate plan with AT&T doesn’t allow for 5G but I am able to see signal strength for both lines and Verizon comes in one bar higher when I am upstairs.  Downstairs both carriers are at 2 bars.  My suspicion is that AT&T 5G preforms just as good as Verizon. 

I am going to take full advantage of the 15 day trial so I have a good idea if coverage is the same everywhere I go or if one carrier happens to be superior.  Visible is $40 flat for unlimited everything that includes a hotspot.  Matters not if you setup auto pay, there is no discount.  If you bring some friends you can get the price down to $25 if you all are in a group.  If you don’t bring any friends, your first full month is $25, at least that is the offer they made me.  They have none of my personal information and no credit card on file.  Still $40 is the lowest price I have seen for unlimited and is close to what I used to pay back in the day before I gave up my unlimited rate plan.  For $10 more I can go unlimited on AT&T, I’d get 5G but there is no hotspot and I wouldn’t have any corporate discount. 

With my recent adventure in carrier swapping, I learned my lesson and it is kind of tempting to switch but I am staying put for now.  All of the carriers try to adjust their prices to stay competitive and if your a new customer that is when you usually get the sweet deal.  I have often thought and said that you should reward loyalty especially someone like myself that has been a customer since the early 90’s when cell phones were first starting to go mainstream.  I had a bag phone by Novatel.  That thing was huge and you needed an external antenna but it worked.  That was also back in the days of Analog service.  I remember when handsets shrunk and Digital was just coming mainstream.  The sound quality then was way better (at least to my ears) you could be traveling in a car and it sounded like you were sitting still in your home, no one had any idea that you were on the road.  Rate plans on Digital were more expensive but also more feature rich. 

I’ve always been fascinated with the telephone be it landline or cell.  It’s all interesting to me but then again I am a geek.  We can file this under useless information but I wanted to share my findings just in case it appeals to anyone else. 

The Twink

Just as I said in my last post, The Twink did exactly what I expected.  I got an approval and then when I went to his page he had removed the approval.  I was sad about it but I guess it’s time to move on.  I thought about sending a message to him but opted not to.  Best not to grovel/beg.  It would probably lead to 1,000 questions and I really don’t want to get into that.  There are plenty of pretty boys out there on IG for me to look at, it was just nice because I knew of him. 

Gator wanted some food just as I got into bed.  She woke me around 2a.  She ate a little bit of food but the house was freezing cold so I fixed that.  I had to stay up for an hour because she wanted to cuddle in my lap.  I wasn’t really up for it but I picked her up and much like butter melts in a hot frying pan she did too as soon as she got comfy in the chair.  I watched a YouTube video on Family Matters cast reunion.  It was pretty interesting and went for an hour, which was longer that I was expecting.  When that was done I was able to get Gator back to the floor, she ate a little bit more food and then curled up in her own bed.  That allowed me to return to my bed and go back to sleep. 

I had a nightmare that my partner was alive and he had cheated on me with one of my mom’s boyfriends.  I was trying to escape both of them, they wanted to talk some sense into me.  I have no idea where this came from but it was quite disturbing to say the least. 

Considering the night I had I opted to stay home today.  The depression from being hold up in the house is starting to creep up on me.  I am anxious to get out of here but not anxious (or crazy enough) to want to physically go to the office.  Although, I am dying to see what kind of swag I got or whatever is in the package I received.  However, I had a package sit on my desk for 2 years during the pandemic with swag in it and it was a nice surprise to come back to because with time I had forgotten all about it.  Hopefully, I will make it in next week.

As for being hold up, I plan to step out this weekend for a haircut.  I am considering travel to the buffet I haven’t been to in a very long time.  It’s about an hour and half travel each way.  Nice scenery.  The cost is cheap and gas prices here have fallen a lot.  Kind of depends on my mood as well as how Gator is doing.  If I don’t make it then I will at least dine out somewhere in the area.  I still have a need to get to Sam’s Club. 

My schedule only has one meeting on it and I hope that it is a quiet day.  That factored in to my decision to stay home.  It’s super hot out today so a good day to stay inside. 

I’ve been meaning to mention this.  So, watching porn I’ve noticed guys tend to use some cuss words, which is normal.  What really throws me is when they say something like Oh Gosh that feels really good.  Who really has that reaction?  Not me.  It’s kind of funny, I mean it’s porn your naked on camera having sex.  If you can’t say a cuss word then, I don’t know there ever is a more appropriate time.  Just sayin. 

Need to check on Gator and grab her a mid-morning snack.  I heard her crowing a bit ago.  Not sure if she wants food or if that was her Water Cry.  Oh, I saw Momma Raccoon last night and one baby.  I think the other one got ran over last weekend, I saw a bunch of gray fur on the street by a stop sign not far from my property.  I hope that isn’t the case but I needed to tend to Gator so I couldn’t stay and watch to see how many were left when they went off for hunting.  They sure are fun to watch.  What’s even funnier is if you give a Raccoon a sugar cube.  They wash all of their food before they eat it.  The cube dissolves and the Raccoon has the oddest look on their face, like where in the world did that thing I was just licking go to. 

Have a great day!

Stressful but done

It took me most of the afternoon but I finally got moved into my new iPhone.  Thus far I hardly notice much of a difference.  Based on some videos I saw last night I kind of figured that would be the case.  I like the form factor and the fact that I didn’t have to scramble to buy a new Mophie or something similar.  So I got some newer technology.  I can sell my old phone for $100 add that to the refund I am getting from Mint Mobile and this only winds up costing me $100 in the end.  Worth it?  For all of the stress nope but all things considered in hindsight, yes.  What I thought I would really struggle with is the activation of a new device but it was actually simple.  I converted to an eSIM and I was asked if I wanted to make this my new phone, I said yes and presto I got a signal.  I will have to watch my bill to see if I get charged an activation fee.  Funny how the things you think will be difficult turn out to be simple and the simple things are really difficult. 

This morning I got a follow request from a guy that I used to work with.  We had been following each other on Instagram so I kind of didn’t think much of it, but now I see he unfollowed me and his account is private.  I requested to follow his page but I don’t think he will let me back in.  I know who he is but he has no idea who I am.  He’s a millennial who has been through some difficult situation and has started tightening up his security on social media.  I get it.  I won’t be happy if he doesn’t let me back in but not much I can do about it.  He’s a blond twink and that is one of my favorites!

The lawn people showed up today.  I do believe both the father (runs the trimmer) and the son (runs the mower) both need prescription eye glasses.   There is a patch in my front yard that I can see from my window where the mower never went.  It looks very odd.  I don’t know the status of the trim job that was done because I haven’t been out to look.  I am losing my patience and about ready to say something like pay closer attention when your mowing & trimming or maybe I should say both you and your father need to get your eyes examined. 

I am exhausted from technology and ready to step away.  It’s a little early but I honestly don’t think anyone will miss me, but I still have my phone to keep me tethered.  I am looking forward to setting it down and walking away from it once it gets a little later in the afternoon. 

Gator is crying for food or attention – probably both.  I am anxious to go see her and listen to the sound of her motor.  That is so soothing, I could listen to it for days and she purrs loud.  I mean if I am on the phone and near her, the person on the other end usually makes a comment, it’s that loud.  She’s always been like that and it’s just who she is, it’s fine by me. 

Hope you all have a wonderful evening. I’m ready for some sweets and to tune & zone out.