Hole results

I played with my endoscope.  I thought the head of the camera was motorized but it’s not.  There also wasn’t an SD card included.  I am still pleased with my purchase but I think I went a bit overboard with the length of the hose.  I don’t know that I will ever have the need to use this again but it is a unique tool that I don’t think many folks have.

It’s a little chilly outside but I am a firm believer in the saying don’t put off what you can do today for tomorrow.  I’ve often procrastinated and it has come back to bite me.  Given that I headed outside and did my exploring. 

It was quite clear to me that the groundhog either has died or moved on.  The newest hole was covered by leaves and it’s obvious nothing has come out of that hole since last year.  I am going to fill it in, most likely with sand but might use rock instead.  I tried to explore the hole but it was muddy and mud on the lens of a camera means I couldn’t see much. 

I moved to where the sump pump was and the hole that has been around for the longest.  Turns out I was right, the sump pump drains and forces water down that hole.  To me that explains the water issue to me.  At least this is where I am starting. 

I’m going to grab breakfast out tomorrow go see my friend at his shop and ask for his advice but I really feel like I am on the right track. 

The first order is to get the sump pump to drain water away from that hole.  The second order is to close off or fill the hole.  Doing this as a one two punch I think should give me the best results or so I hope. 

If after doing this I still have a water issue then I won’t continue to try to fix it myself and will call in a pro.  However, I think based on what I am looking at doing to start to solve this is probably something that I can knock out on my own.  I did some quick research and I might have to travel a bit to get some of the parts but I at least plan to stop in at my local home improvement store. 

What I’d really like to do is just close off the sump pump drain and have it drain into the sewer but in my area that is highly illegal and if your caught there are big fines.  I’m not looking to break the law but damn water intrusion does serious damage not to mention that it’s a breeding ground for mold.

I hate homeownership problems like this.  They just suck both mentally, physically and financially.  I guess I should have said they suck and not in a good way. 

This is going to be an interesting weekend and I don’t think that I will get a whole lot of rest but time will tell.  At least I am sort of away from work.  I’ve got an email connection but if I didn’t have to have that I’d turn it off.  I just need a break but it’s coming I just need to hang in a little longer.  That seems to be the story of my life, hurry up and wait. 

Stay tuned and I will tell you how the little project  turns out and what if any progress I make.  Once again have a great weekend!

 

 

Going hole exploring

Hey and Happy Friday!  It’s been a crazy ass busy kind of day.  Here it is 2:30p and I am just getting around to posting.  My mind is mushy and my body is so tired. I just need to get away from work so bad. 

Yesterday my time off I put in for my doctors appointment was approved.  It’s in late May just prior to the Memorial Day weekend.  I got to thinking I can have a bunch of time off for only the cost of a few days.  I put in for the week of Memorial Day.  I will have something like 10 or 11 days off in a row.  No way I will want to go back but damn it will be a good break.  Especially because things are going to get even busier than they already are.  It was a smart move on my part I am just waiting for the approval to come in, it’s already marked down on the calendar at work as if it is approved. 

I’ve had this nagging desire to get back to writing stories.  I strayed away from it for a while and just after I started a page of a story.  Last night I gave in and went back to it.  Damn it felt so good to write out a fantasy.  I’ve got a couple stories I am super proud of but most of them I feel are way too generic and have the same plot.  When I say write I am putting pen to paper.  I still have to type them up.  Wish there was an easier way to just OCR scan them but that hasn’t worked out for me.  Typing seems to be the best thing, plus I get additional thoughts or ideas and can change the story up.  My biggest problem is that I write about most every crush that I can think of so having a crush or a guy to put into the plot is becoming a challenge.  I do enjoy it but it’s a lot of work.  Heaven forbid if I wind up in the hospital or am killed.  Whom ever pours over my writing will see a side of me that they never knew.  What can I say I am sexually deprived and this is an outlet.  Healthy or not, it works.  I have left a note that the stories are all just that stories and there is no truth to any of them. 

Giving in and listening to that voice and desire, not putting it off or dismissing it caused me to sleep better and in general have a much more enjoyable evening. 

Amazon came through and delivered my endoscope.  This thing is pretty cool.  It came with a hook, magnet and a couple other attachments that you can add to the camera.  I hooked it up to a charger at lunch and checked on it just before I returned from lunch.  It was fully charged so I will have some time to play with it before I go trying to use it for it’s intended purpose tomorrow.  Not sure if it came with an SD card but there is room for one so you can take photos or video while your exploring.  Kind of like they do with colonoscopies.  There are several use cases for this tool, none of which include spying on ground hogs.  Now I just hope I get good results tomorrow and find empty holes so that I can work on getting them filled.  I also hope that I don’t find anything in the holes I explore that decides to attack me.  I am a bit fearful but they don’t call us screaming faggots for nothing.  I know how to make noise and run, which might be humorous.  More I thought about it the new hole the baby ground hog dug last year is when I first had this problem.  That’s the hole I am going after first.  I think that might be the culprit.  The other two holes have existed for years.  One of them date back to the days of Momma being outside before she gave birth.  She would hide under the patio.  Taz’s girlfriend did the same thing but she kept her family (kittens) in the hole with her.  Please lord do not let me encounter any skunks or snakes, or anything that could remotely do any harm to me.  Sometimes it’s not good to be alone.   

Enjoyed time with both cats on my lunch break.  They both took turns sitting in my lap and soaking up attention.  it was a good time for all of us.  That is until I had to come back to work. 

Here’s hoping that we all get to enjoy our weekend.  I know I am looking forward to mine.  I hope that I am productive but also well rested and if I get to have a bit of fun, that would be nice too. 

Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Going deep in the hole

Well we have made it to the afternoon.  Work is still calm and I am so thankful for that.  I got to take a nice lunch break and worked in a nap but my phone woke me up, as per usual. 

We had a nice spring shower of rain.  It was just your average rainfall.  I don’t think the sump pump kicked on but I don’t know that for certain.  All sounds can blend into the background depending on what I am doing and where I am in the house. 

That said I decided to feel around on the carpet and it feels slightly moist to me.  I think that my issue is one or more of the holes that the ground hogs have made or made larger.  I’m really not a fan of trying to kill a groundhog, especially by trying to bury it alive.  Not only is it a horrible death but imagine the panic as well as the possible further destruction they might do in trying to claw their way out.  I need to know for sure if they are occupying the dens before I do anything.  I’ve read that you can turn on a garden hose and try to flood the hole, if it’s occupied the groundhog will leave so it doesn’t drown.  However, if I do that and these holes are the source of the water in the basement that will only cause me more problems. 

I did some shopping on Amazon and found an Endoscope Camera with light and dual lens.  I opted for the 32.8 foot length.  It wasn’t horribly expensive as you might think.  Amazon promised one day delivery.  While I am hoping that it arrives tomorrow it’s anyone’s guess if that will actually happen.  Provided it does that should allow me adequate time to charge the unit so that on Saturday I can go hole exploring.  A sick and funny thought I had was well I could do my own colonoscopy.  I’m not going to but I hope that made you laugh.  This unit is waterproof so short of a groundhog or some other occupant animal biting off the camera I think it should be pretty durable and get me the information I need.  I am interested to see just how deep these holes are.  I asked the internet and here’s the response I got … “The average depth of a groundhog's den can reach up to 6 feet, although the tunnels can vary in length and complexity. Groundhogs typically create extensive burrow systems with multiple chambers and entrances.”  Looks like I bought a long enough cable. 

While I am not a fan of the way the pluming is done on the sump pump the more I think about it, the issue would have probably surfaced a long time ago if it was the culprit.  I could also have a dual problem. 

I hope this is simple enough I can fix it myself.  At least I am going to try but it won’t surprise me in the least if I have to ask for help and pay someone.  I consider this a major problem and like all major problems, I just want to solve it and move on with life.  There surely will be another major problem to take the place of this one. 

Stay tuned as I am sure I will have plenty of updates. 

 

The Q word

Morning … We made it to Thursday, one more day to go.  I don’t want to say the Q word (quiet) but yesterday things did radically go from 100mph to 0mph.  Damn that felt so good and refreshing.  I am hopeful for a low speed if not 0mph day today.  Yes, it will make the day linger but I can bask and enjoy the downtime which I think is much deserved. 

Our meeting yesterday went really quick.  The boss knows how busy it is and just cut straight to getting to business there were no long formalities and no endless diatribes about the weather or anything else for that matter.  That’s just how I like meetings, get to the point so I can get on with my day. 

I’ve taken my WIN11 machine for a couple more spins.  It appeared that my display issue was fixed but then it came back to life.  I think it’s a graphics driver issue and since it’s a virtual machine it’s not something I can update, it’s something the system administrator has to do as it affects all machines in the virtual pool.  Sooner or later they might get to that.  For now I am keeping my head down.  I’ve voiced my complaint so I am just waiting and watching.  Hoping that the issue is resolved so that I don’t have to make a big deal out of it, but I know how to do that but it’s a big move and something that I didn’t want to lead with. 

Since my day slowed down it afforded me some extra time to spend upstairs with the cats.  Spring time means that mowers are going and my grass mowing team showed up yesterday.  The neighborhood in general sees a lot of these folks and everyone uses someone different.  One thing that comes with mowers is guys (typically) and sometimes they are hot.  None of my team is that way.  However, I saw a new guy on the team that was mowing the yard across the street.  He had a bright orange bandanna on, a little short maybe 5’6 to 5’7.  He was slender and had on a nice pair of blue jeans that showed off his pretty rear end.  He turned me on in all the right ways and I wanted him so bad.  Sadly grass mowing is all about time, the faster you move the more money you can make.  Teams are only at a home for around 10 to 15 minutes and then they move to the next job.  I remember back in the day I had a hottie who did all three tasks of mowing, trimming and blowing in 15 minutes by himself.  Now the standard is 3 people one for each task. 

I’ve missed people watching since I have been immersed in work.  It’s nice to see folks out walking and if I get to see a hot/cute guy every now and then it is worth it for me.  Looking is the only action I’ve gotten in a very long time. 

Brushed and trimmed claws on both cats.  Mora put up a little bit of a fight but she didn’t snap or bite me, just cried a little bit.  They both had quite the long sharp nails that could have easily done damage to me or to each other.  Normally I am the victim.  It’s either an accident, were playing or Rudy just makes biscuits and whatever bacteria is on his claws causes my skin to break out with bumps and itch.  Scratching makes it far worse.  I like to stay ahead of this but I do hate holding them down while I hack away at their nails.  The way they both act at times you’d think I was really doing something awful to them. 

While I was eating my snack I caught Rudy he jumped on the counter.  He took his sweet time and hoped that I wouldn’t notice.  I yelled at him right away and he knew to get down.  I think when I am sleeping or away he climbs up there to check out what is going on outside.  It’s the same view just a different vantage point than going to the patio door. 

Man I was so tired last night, just to ensure a sound nights sleep I took an extra sleeping pill.  I was up 3 times to use the bathroom, which is totally not normal.  I didn’t load up on water or anything before bed.  Makes me wonder where did all of that liquid come from?  I didn’t get a great nights sleep but it was average.  What hurt me was that I was a little chilly when sitting in the living room so I had a space heater on.  That got the house up to 77 and it was a little miserable to try to sleep in.  However, once I felt the meds kick in I made my way to bed and it wasn’t long after that I was sawing logs.  I was up at 11p, 12a and 5a.  Kind of felt like a longer night than day.  I could sure use some quality sleep.  Haven’t had a single nap that I can recall all week long.  Last one I took was last week. 

In a perfect world there would be cats, a great man for me (for some hot sex), food, naps and a quality nights sleep.  An ocean front view would be an added plus along with world peace.  What does your perfect world look like? 

Man Candy - Desire

Stress is flowing

Last night I got roped into an issue at work.  My bosses boss called me when my boss failed to respond to his email.  I think I am thought of as the #2 go to guy but my title nor my pay reflects that.  Anyway I logged back on and did what I could, my boss wound up taking over and told me to stand down.  This started just after 5p and lasted until 6p.  Not exactly how I wanted to spend my evening. 

Not sure why but I didn’t get the best nights sleep I woke up around 5a and couldn’t go back to sleep.  Had a horrible nightmare about taking a trip and doing yard clean up work.  I know the two are so far apart but it’s amazing how the mind weaves things together.  Rudy came in around 6a to lay on me waiting for me to wake up but I was already awake.  I just enjoyed some biscuits and giving him some attention.  Regardless of how life is going I still say this is the best wake up call and I look forward to it every morning.  I think he knows that. 

The day started off rocky and I’ve been going ever since 7:30a.  I just got a break and it’s 10:50a.  I’ve been all over the place picking up with last nights issue on to other new issues.  Seems like way too many people have my name and know how to reach me.  That’s the lovely prize you get when you are good at your job.  You get your job plus someone else’s but you don’t get their pay.  Hey now if I got double the pay I’d be a bit more tolerant but no way in hell that is ever gonna happen. 

I’m thinking about my water intrusion issue and how I want to fix it.  I’m no pro and this is really not my thing.  I think it’s a simple fix but if it turns out to be more than just routing the sump pump water in a different direction then I will wind up calling someone.  I like not to mess with nature and let the critters be but it could be time to evict the groundhog(s).  It’s going to be a trial and error situation as I implement a fix and then wait for rain to see what happens.  I really worry and stress over this stuff when I am sure others wouldn’t.  I am sure that other people wouldn’t be as tolerant with groundhogs either. 

I have a sore tailbone.  That’s from all of the sitting that I do and the extra time I have spent in front of the computer.  Normally I am able to move around and go upstairs and either sit in my recliner or lay in bed while keeping my phone by my side.  I don’t usually get to stay in either place terribly long before I am back in front of the computer.  I just know from past experience extra time in front of the screens causes my tailbone to hurt.  I’ve got special cushions where the tailbone is cut out to help take pressure off of it.  I am more of a no cushion kind of guy and just want to sit in the chair as it was designed.  I have spent a small fortune on office chairs at home and have way more than I need.  I did try a gaming chair but it was of low quality and my tailbone hurt so I went to a leather executive’s chair made by Serta.  That’s what I am sitting in and it’s comfy and rated for my weight but damn long periods in this thing just don’t work out well for my tailbone.  If I do buy another chair I think I will invest in something mesh – that’s what I have at the office and they spent way more than I would want to for an office chair but I suppose you get what you pay for.  It’s a Steelcase but we also have some Herman Miller chairs as well.  Those are expensive brands, just give it a Google if your unfamiliar and you will quickly see what I am talking about.   

I don’t know about you but I like simple problems that are quickly and easily solved.  Nothing complicated or involved but it’s not like we get to pick what life throws at us.  We just have to react & deal with it.  As the famous saying goes it could always be worse. 

Well now it’s back to work for another meeting.  Then maybe just maybe I will be able to enjoy some lunch.  We have rain today even though it’s supposed to be light I don’t welcome it due to my water issue.  I am hopeful that the basement will stay dry.  Fingers crossed. 

Hope you have a great day! 

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!