FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

Riley Strain was a 22-year-old University of Missouri student who died in Nashville, Tennessee, after going missing on March 8, 2024.  Riley’s body was recovered from the Cumberland River on March 22, 2024, ending a two-week search.

The Davidson County Medical Examiner ruled his death an accident, citing drowning and ethanol intoxication (blood alcohol content of .228%) as the cause.  Police determined that Strain, who was intoxicated and unfamiliar with the area, stumbled down a steep embankment onto Gay Street adjacent to the river.

Strain’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Delta Chi fraternity in March 2025, alleging that fraternity members abandoned him when he was "virtually incoherent" and continued partying instead of seeking help.  However, a Missouri judge dismissed the lawsuit in July 2026, ruling that fraternity membership did not establish legal liability for the fraternity or its members regarding Strain's death.

His family has filed an appeal. The wheels of justice don’t move fast enough, but I do hope that they (Riley’s family) get the justice they deserve. I read the appeal last night and it states some good points. Riley was begged by his frat brothers to attend their formal and while he didn’t want to, he eventually gave in. He thought he was traveling with his brothers but in fact none of his frat brothers acted responsibly, if they had it would have prevented Riley’s death. First every frat brother had a girlfriend or date that went with them on this trip. Riley did not. Second, when Riley was kicked out of a bar his so-called brothers chose to keep partying instead of lending a hand and ensuring that he made it back to the hotel safely. Third, when the frat bros arrived back at the hotel and found Riley missing, they went to sleep and didn’t give a second thought. It was not until the next day that they called the police and a city-wide search for Riley began. Then they finally notified his parents. These were just college kids who were more focused on themselves and getting drunk rather than thinking about safety and taking responsibility for the group. They were all adults and of legal age to my knowledge.

But for the fraternity, Riley would never have been in Nashville TN. In my eyes the frat is 100% responsible and should pay. I’m surprised they didn’t make an offer to settle just to stay out of the news. Apparently, frats like Delta Chi are frequently sued and have excellent legal representation and it’s difficult to get a verdict against them. Notice I said difficult not impossible. I think Riley’s parents are doing the right thing to keep their fight alive. I hope they don’t give up until they get the justice they so rightly deserve! Parents aren’t supposed to bury their children. Riley was only 22 years old when he died, that is far too young, and he had an entire lifetime ahead of him with a very bright future from all accounts.

I can’t imagine how his frat brothers must feel and the guilt they carry. If they don’t feel guilty then something is seriously wrong. Most of them were quick to lawyer up once the initial lawsuit was filed. One thing is for sure, that everyone involved is shelling out plenty of money in legal fees. Attorneys good or bad can rack up a quite the bill and get deep in your pockets and drain you of more money than you might have.

Now, the theory of how he wound up in the river is another story. I think there was foul play involved and no one can convince me otherwise. I followed this story in real time as it unfolded, and it broke my heart when they found his body. Yes, his parents have closure and were able to bring their sons body home. That’s not the outcome they were hoping for. However, when someone goes missing the longer, they stay missing the less likely a positive outcome is. I think but could be wrong that there is someone out there that knows more but just didn’t bother to come forward. I would think differently if they found his body on land. My recollection is that he was found with his underwear on and nothing else. His shirt, boots, wallet, apple watch and iPhone are all gone. His debit card was found on land by some volunteer searchers in an area that police had allegedly canvased the day prior. How could the police miss something that minor and two volunteers find the debit card the very next day? How much effort did the police department really put forth? I think they did the bare minimum and created further roadblocks and stress for the family. To me there are a lot of red flags here and something I think is seriously rotten.

I get that you must let some things go just because it’s simply not worth it and you may never get the answers that you are seeking. To keep pressing for answers would do nothing but drive you insane. I think holding the fraternity accountable is the right thing to do as this is all their fault. I will continue to follow this case as I am invested and want to know what the final outcome is. While the police say this was an accident, I say it was a tragedy that never should have happened.

This story echoes that you should be careful of the company you keep and who you trust as well as how much you trust them. I think if just one of the frat bros would have stayed sober and acted as the responsible person (also known as a designated driver) and was watching everyone in the group with both eyes wide open, today much of the world wouldn’t know who Riley Strain was.

Another mistake maker

Good evening,

Wednesday is done.  Not terrible but it had it’s moments.  Like our weekly team meeting that seemed to never end.  The boss really liked how his voice sounded today and thus got quite chatty. 

The morning flew by I had all sorts of puzzles to solve and tasks to work on.  I started at 7:30a and when I looked up it was 10:30a.  I couldn’t believe it, felt like I had just sat down.  I like that kind of busy it makes the day really sail by and I feel productive in the process, so it’s a double win in my book. 

I found several mistakes the new guy is making and called those out to him in the hopes he will do better.  I hate mopping up messes but I’ve mopped up enough of his that I am tired of it.  It’s like you show them, tell them how to do something, the process is documented but they go off and do it their way instead of the right way.  Dummy! I got assigned to show him the firewalls and I really don’t look forward to having that conversation.  I opted to put it off until tomorrow but I might just take my chances and see if he reaches out to me. 

No word on the mistake makers kid but I did find out today that he’s in fact taking the bulk of his paternity leave in November.  I’m not happy about that because again if we were “friends” like he seems to think we are he would have reached out to me ahead of time and told me rather than me finding out it’s a surprise.  Just another example of the fact that people you work with are not your friends.  It’s possible to make a friend that way and I have made a couple but am no longer friends with those people.  One person outright lied to me.  The other one hung up on me and yelled all the damn time, I don’t need that in my life. 

We have a large group of folks joining the organization next month.  I’ve been doing as much prep work as I could.  The mistake maker promised me not once but twice that he would take care of getting their access cards programmed.  Well, another promise broken.  I wound up taking care of the bulk of them today.  In general he’s a fuck up and while I got over my initial long term beef with him, I am mad at him all over again.  I might calm down but I won’t be so chummy with him and allow him to hurt/disappoint me again. 

Funny thing I thought about telling everyone I heard from him and he said to let everyone know that his wife gave birth to a baby girl, Jessabelle, 9 pounds 8 ounces.  Jesus that is hysterical to me but I know better so I won’t but I really want to. 

On a different note, on Monday night I watched the movie Cop Out, it was really enjoyable.  Saw it on Starz.  They have the movie Michael and I want to see that as well.

Last nights supper was Meatloaf but I got hungry and took it out of the microwave a minute early.  The mashed potatoes tasted odd and I got a stomach ache afterwards. 

Tonight I had Spaghetti and a small Jelly Donut.  Not bad. 

Both cats are doing well and napping now that they have had their supper and treats.  They will wake up when I am ready for bed.  Rudy will want to play but if I give in he may or may not engage.  Mora might play.  I tried her last night and she wanted no part of play but Rudy did for a little bit.  Once I settle in for bed, they will both fall asleep in my bed and I have to wake them to make room when I climb in.  Rudy will take off.  Mora will snuggle up with me.  Then I will pass out and that will be the end of the day.  Rudy will start tomorrow off with his famous biscuits wake up call.

Finally I am surprised but I got a call from the Post Office today.  The person told me I need to visit my local post office and complete a form, I can get a refund since they failed to preform the service.  You can apply for a refund for some services on line I tried that but ran into an error, so to the post office for the form.  I will try to make it this weekend but if not then next weekend for sure.

Hoping for a quiet and enjoyable evening.  Friday eve tomorrow, so close but not quite done with the weekend. 

Take care and thanks for stopping by!

More fun, not

Good afternoon,

Today has been a day.  Found out late this morning that the mistake maker’s kid arrived last night.  Now he’s out for 2 weeks.  He gets something like 12 weeks paternity leave so this is just the start of the so called fun.  He claims were friends but I think a friend would have sent a text or called.  I got nothing and the word came down from the boss.  I’m not happy about it but kind of small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.   

The boss has been pelting me all day with work, strange out of the ordinary things that someone else normally takes care of.  I’ve been in meetings off and on all day long the last one was scheduled for a half hour and turned into a 2 hour call.  I mostly listen unless I’m called on and then I can’t seem to unmute fast enough to respond.  I hate that but I like to stay busy if there is something to do. 

Early this afternoon Verizon went hard down in my area.  My alarm and cell phone were both without service.  It only lasted for 15 to 30 minutes before things came back up.  Not sure what it was all about.  However, Verizon and AT&T both have never been hard down for me.  I am starting to wonder about Verizon. 

Did some quick research on my neighbors house and the offer that is pending is for the full asking price, I’m surprised he got it so quickly.  I figured he would have to bargain.  Provided this goes through he is making a hell of a profit.  The dummy just showed up to mow the grass with his fancy new zero turn riding mower.

Cooler weather here today but still hot.  The basement was humid this morning and I couldn’t get upstairs fast enough.  We have rain moving in later tonight and it’s supposed to stick around for a couple days.  I am not looking forward to that. 

Had a double cheese frozen White Castle last night.  I just nuked the hell out of it, it was crunchy but good.  I have been craving the real thing for a while along with some Onion Rings and a Chicken Ring, Cheese Fries.  Ah, it sounds so good.  Ironically I went to bed wanting more to eat but didn’t give in to that.  I hopped on the scale a week ago and was astonished to find that I was down a few pounds. 

Since I broke out a credit card I rarely use to pay a bill, I elected to subscribe to a gay YouTube creators Only Fans.  The fee was $15 which I thought was rather steep but it’s a twink and he did a great job of marketing.  Turns out he is a prick tease.  Not a nude photo on his site, he takes his shirt off but otherwise he’s wearing clothes.  He said to message for a “private menu”.  I did and jeez he wants a small fortune for what I’d call “the good stuff”.  Shame I got curious.  I’ve already cancelled the subscription so I don’t get a rebill.  Other “performers” charge less and you get far more.  I can only suppose he’s trying to keep his stuff private and the more you pay for it the less likely you are to share it.  Eventually someone will probably leak it at least that’s what I hope for because no way am I giving him another penny. 

It’s time to eat again and I’m off to venture to see what I can dig out of the freezer.  Thinking about Stouffers Meat Loaf, that sounds pretty good.  Hoping for a quiet evening.  But I am waiting on a work email so I can complete a task, I hate waiting on people, that is never a fun thing. 

Hope you had a great day.  Take care!

It’s Monday

Welcome in. 

It’s my least favorite day of the week, Monday!  Plus I’m on call.  The day started off with a bang.  I had an issue come up at work that I needed help with and I reached out to the mistake maker.  Only he wasn’t answering his phone.  I called right back and he sent me to voice mail.  That angered me so I just kept calling over and over thinking that eventually he would pick up.  It didn’t work and I gave up.  I took my best shot at the problem, which was a total guess and sounds like I was right on the money.  Of course now that I no longer needed him, the mistake maker called back.  He told me that he was taking the day off due to a few reasons.  He said that the boss was supposed to let everyone know but the boss runs a couple hours behind time zone wise and honestly he’s not the best timely communicator.  He knew yesterday and should have sent the note out then but did he, no.  Turns out I sent the note out once I found out, so were all on the same page. 

I had to go to a stupid meeting that just caused me anxiety.  It’s about a project that we have creeping up on us, that our boss told everyone we would be happy to lead the project.  I want to cut his tongue out for saying that.  Any how turns out I found out that our bosses boss is out today and tomorrow.  So now we have to meet again tomorrow because he literally has nothing to do.  Wonderful not what I wanted the outcome to be. 

The more I thought about things and the pressure I feel I decided to take a spin through remote job listings and honestly prospects are not great.  I just keep telling myself that this to shall pass.  I just hope I don’t wind up losing this job, if in fact my secret is out because the job market trying to get a job making what I make now would be difficult plus my age would work against me.  Yeah, I know employers are not supposed to discriminate but they do. 

A few things have come in this afternoon that I have chosen to put off until tomorrow.  Some tasks are just better handled when I am in front of my desktop with two screens instead of trying to be all over the place with a tiny laptop screen.  So, tomorrow morning is a little booked but not the first time that’s happened and I will get through it.  Just have to hope for calm on the on-call front.  I start early enough that things are usually quiet for at least an hour, sometimes two hours. 

I am hungry for more pasta from the place I ate at last night or some good fried chicken.  However, I will not be having either.  I will be eating from the freezer, most likely something with pasta it’s not the same as when it’s made fresh.  It is late in the afternoon and the business day is almost done. 

Two weeks and then I will be on vacation.  I look forward to it but the mistake maker will be out as well (at least that is the way it’s planned) kind of depends on when his kid decides to pop out of the oven.  When I come back it will be chaos not only from me being off for a week but I will be on-call again and that is about the time that two projects will be kicked off so now is for sure the calm before the storm. 

I don’t know why but my social media is filled with ads for GLP1’s aka weight loss drugs.  I also started seeing a group snail mail pen pals show up. That is tempting there have been a couple good looking guys there that I wouldn’t mind getting to know but none of them are close to me so it would be like building a friendship, not a bad thing.  I need more friends but I’d kind of like a boyfriend first.  Ah algorithms be crazy!

Brought the laundry up, need to put it away.  Deferred my shave and shower for tonight because I was too lazy last night to go down and get the laundry.  Now I really don’t have motivation for anything tonight but I know I will feel better once I accomplish these minor tasks and have them off my plate. 

Hoping for a decent meal despite it being frozen food and a nice evening.  Rudy has already conned an early supper out of me.  That cat is no dummy, he knows how to turn on the charm.  I’ve learned to read his signals and making biscuits is a sure sign he wants food.  Mora has been sacked out next to me and I told her about supper but she decided to sleep.  She just woke up so perhaps she will be venturing to the kitchen.  I’ve got about a half hour or so before I venture there myself. 

Here’s hoping your Monday wasn’t too bad.  4 more damn days and then the weekend will be here again.  Not to mention I will just have to get through one more week and then my vacation will hit.  So looking forward to getting away and while I will want to peek at work it’s better if I just put it in my rearview mirror because it’s all going to be waiting for me when I get back.  Sometimes it’s good not to be missed.  Sadly that is never the case for me when it comes to work, if I am not there I am always missed. 

Take care!

What a week

Did you miss me? Well, I’m still here. It’s just been one of those weeks.

My problems began on Wednesday. There was an important meeting that I should have attended in person, which means going into the office. It was filled with Management. I’m sure someone asked where I was and probably got the response, he’s a remote worker or he mostly works from home. Obviously, I wasn’t there. I had planned on going in but my Insomnia and worry kicked in and kept me awake so by the time morning rolled around I was in no shape to do anything. I took the day off, thinking that perhaps by being “out of the office” that would explain why I wasn’t there. I am expecting the worst and that “my dirty little secret” is out and probably has surfaced up to HR. Then again, I could just be a bit paranoid. No one moves very fast around there so it could be a week or more before I hear anything presuming that my dirty little secret did in fact get leaked. While I anticipate if it’s known that I’d probably be terminated there is the chance that I would just be told to get back to the office. Honestly, no one complains about my work, I’m known for speed & accuracy. So, I don’t follow the go into the office 3 days a week bullshit rule. I still work every day and put in more than my share of overtime. I know that loyalty or your dedication and contributions don’t matter if HR looks to discipline or terminate someone. I also know my boss’ boss is the one who would be the one to likely make the final call because my boss is incapable of wiping his own ass without asking his boss for permission first and then making sure he agrees with how he’s wiping. The man has no spine, it’s like he can’t think for himself, or he’s been brow beaten not to think for himself. That’s part of the reason why I dislike them both. I really feel that the company would chop off its nose despite its face.

I only took Wednesday off and “went back” (I still worked from home) Thursday and worked Friday. It was late on Friday when my boss called, I figured here it came. He just had a simple question for me, and I was able to get him an answer even though I was off the clock. So, I’m not sure if that was to throw me off the scent or if even, he doesn’t know yet, presuming that my secret is in fact out. I could just be worked up about nothing. I just don’t trust managers/management.

Presuming that I’m all worked up over nothing and it comes time for my promotion, I think that I am going to be shoved into the role and not asked if I want it. If turns out to be something that if I don’t want, I expect to have to fight. I hope I’m wrong and they play fair and lay everything out on the table so I can make an informed decision. I also think that if I do take the promotion, it would be smart to go back to the office, because that saying the bigger, they are the harder they fall. I’m sure that if I was promoted and considered management and not following the rules that would certainly be curtains for me if that secret got out. I can only worry so much, so I’m just playing along now like everything is okay until I hear it’s not. I’m probably better off that way so I don’t tip anyone off that I’m worried about something, even though the worry is and has been there for a very long time. I’m on call next week and as usual I dread it. Hopefully it won’t be that bad.

In other news, I checked the mail on Friday and no green postcard, which is exactly what I expected. I’m certain that the carrier didn’t get it signed and tear it from the envelope, so I shelled out a bunch of money for nothing. I’m quite disappointed and mad. I’m sending a letter to complain and see what good that does, I did ask for the information that the services I paid for would yield and said if they couldn’t provide that to refund my money. I honestly think they will fold and give me my money back. I did get a blocked/private call on Friday. It could have been the kid trying to reach out but then again probably not. I don’t take calls without caller id and even with caller id you can’t be 100% certain you are going to be talking with the correct person on the other end since caller id can be spoofed. Technology is great but sometimes there are loopholes that fuck it up for everyone in general and spoofing caller id is one of those loopholes in my opinion.

I watched Season 3 of Tires on Netflix. It was pretty good and much longer than I thought it would be. I got through the bulk of it in one evening but then saved the last 4 episodes and wound up watching them on Friday night. I happened to be in the right place at the right time and looked out my back window to see one of the neighbors’ hot teenagers and he bent over. Simple things like that make my mouth water. As the song goes, I need a man to lay me down and give me something to feel or in simpler terms I need to get laid. I crave sex so bad and the longer I must wait the stronger the crave gets. Watching porn and rubbing one out helps but nothing beats the real thing baby! For clarity I like a younger guy but only would have sex with someone of legal age and I am not into hookups. Although I’ve thought about it, it just seems way too much to risk. 5 minutes of pleasure for what could be a lifetime of pain, no thanks.

Tuesday night I was sitting in my room watching TV with the cats and heard a beeping coming from the alarm panel. I figured that it was warning me that I had lost internet. Only I hadn’t lost internet. The cellular signal died and that’s never happened. I had phone and data cell service from the same carrier that the alarm uses. It puzzled me. I rebooted the system but that didn’t help. I finally got it armed again and turned on quiet mode to shut up the beeping. The remote-control app I have on my phone was down as well. I often leave and turn off the entry delay so if you open a door the alarm will go off with no waiting period. Just think if I was out and came home, that would have been a mess. Anyway, it was a couple days later I got a note that told me it was a nationwide thing and it’s fixed now. I had already figured that out. No one has said exactly what went wrong but I’m sure interested. Just think if you were a criminal and could hack an alarm provider like that you could break into many places, and no one would know until after the fact. It’s like a mobster told me when I was a kid, locks are for honest people. I suppose the same thing is true for alarm systems or security in general.

Speaking of home my neighbor’s house has an offer on it. I’m astonished that it went that quickly. I don’t know if there was compromise or if someone just offered asking price. Presuming the deal goes through I will find out soon enough because it’s all public record. I’ve been thinking about whoever moves in that I should tell them about the badly clogged gutters and the water that will pool in the backyard. Then again, I could just keep my mouth shut and let them figure it out on their own even though that doesn’t feel like the right thing to do. I guess it will depend on who it is and if our paths cross. Funny thing is that house was nothing but an empty lot when I moved in here and I watched it be built from the ground up. I’ve seen people come and go. There were a few renters for a while, but it only had like 3 owners total which is good for something that was built in the late 90’s. The listing makes the place shine but that’s the objective. If you want to sell a home you have to polish it up and make it shine, that’s what our realtor told me years after we bought this place.

I hit up the Mexican place by the office yesterday. There was no a/c in the place and they had fans on. It was just circulating humid air, and I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Chips were horrible but salsa was on point and good. Food was okay but my stomach has been churning ever since I left that place. I stopped by the office as I was expecting a package but there was nothing on my desk other than dust. I was quick to leave and head back home.

Finished up laundry, paying a couple big bills one of which was auto insurance. Jeez I can’t imagine how much I’d pay if I was driving a new vehicle. I may well be able to afford the vehicle but not the insurance. Yet another reason to keep driving what I have since it’s not really giving me any trouble. I really want a new vehicle, but it just doesn’t feel like it is the right time, at least today doesn’t. The last thing I want is to jump into car payments and then lose my job. That’s my biggest fear with a large purchase I’ve had it all my life and it does make me hold out longer before I take the risk.

Speaking of vehicles, I watched a police pursuit where a state trooper saw a vehicle speeding, he followed it and clocked it upwards of 100 mph. He fought like crazy to catch up to the guy, he tried to get away hit a bunch of vehicles and wrecked. Then went to flee, he tried to jump over the overpass, but he was high in the air and there was nothing below but solid ground. The trooper told him you don’t want to jump it won’t end well. The guy surrendered and as they were on the way to the hospital the guy said, “Are you taking me to real jail?” That made me laugh. The trooper didn’t hesitate and said yes. The guy said I don’t understand why. Seriously, you’ve got to be damn dumb. Turns out he was driving his girlfriend’s car, totaled it and was worried about how he, her and her kid were going to get around, like it was the trooper’s fault. If you flee a police officer, when they catch you, you will be headed straight to jail. It’s just a given fact. Then to cause an accident and not have insurance on the vehicle, yeah, it’s like you drew the go to jail card from Monopoly.

Today I woke up super early and had problems going back to sleep. I was a little late to get moving but I made it to breakfast. Had the best breakfast of Strawberry Cinnamon French Toast, Country Fried Steak and eggs. It was rather expensive, but I did enjoy it.

Hit up Target, the grocery store and gas station before coming back home. Wound up being lazy. I’ve laid around pretty much all day. It is super-hot out and there are things I could do outside around the house but it’s far too hot for me. Went out for supper to the bad pizza place that has good pasta. Enjoyed my dinner very much. Had some nice eye candy to look at. Thought about asking a couple guys out but decided against opening my mouth.

I’m back home brushed both cats. I’ve gotten scratched up and now they have both passed out asleep. They are in a food/treat coma. I’m watching a podcast as I type this out. Tomorrow will be here soon enough, and I am trying to enjoy what is left of my evening.

I hope all is well in your world and that life is treating you well. Until next time, take care!

Exhausted

Morning!

Not sure what exactly it was but I was exhausted yesterday.  Got in a short nap before my phone went nuts early in the morning.  Wound up getting up and doing some work.  Then passing out lunch because Rudy was hungry.  I got a bite to eat as well figuring that would help put some pep in my step.  It worked short term but within an hour I was back in bed.  I got another nap that was cut short by my phone. 

I figured that if I slept all day I wouldn’t sleep at night, which is true.  I got up and had some protein powered Greek yogurt.  Watched TV and had to do a little bit of work.  Joined a meeting with a vendor who said they would reschedule because they weren’t prepared. 

That was pretty much the day.  Finally the moment I waited all day for was here.  Supper time.  I had left over spaghetti and a slice of pizza.  It was a great meal and I was full.  Despite that I waited about an hour before I had some desert and passed out treats for the cats. 

I went out to update the firmware in my radar detector.  That took way longer than I though it would.  I was roasting the garage.  Came back inside and just called it.  Despite it being early I just wanted to be done.  I sat in my room watching TV until it was time to brush my teeth and take my sleeping pills.  It wasn’t long after that I was in bed and on my way to dream land. 

Think I woke up during the night to use the bathroom but not completely sure about that.  I woke up around 6:30a from a full bladder and a bad dream.  Rudy thought for sure it was time for breakfast.  I used the bathroom and then headed back to bed but there was no going back to sleep.  Rudy pestered me a bit more and I just got up early and decided to start the day.

Took care of business at work and now I am out of things to do.  AC just turned off a short time ago.  It was nice feeling the cold air on me.  Best place to go on a hot day around here is the grocery store.  It’s always freezing cold when you first walk in the door in the summer time.  I could sit on a lawn chair and be quite comfy there but it sure would look odd. 

Heading back up to be with the cats, get logged in and see what else the day has in store for me.  I know there are 2 meetings today.  It’s also Microsoft Patch Tuesday.  Just in case your operating on Windows.  Unfortunate timing for me because it means I will have to get up early next Sunday when I am on-call to do testing at work.  I’ve only got one other time that happens to me this year and it’s not until October, which as I always say will be here before you know it. 

Here’s hoping it’s a great day!

Wipeout Sunday

Morning!

Yesterday I did all of my normal morning running/chores.  Came home, napped.  Got up and got my medicine prepped, cleaned the house.  Wound up cleaning the inside of the car and checking tire pressure.  Then came in and just called it.  I watched TV and mentally checked out, which was enjoyable. 

Left a bit later than I wanted to for pizza.  Got to see the cute straight guy for a bit.  He greeted me when I walked in the door and brought me my drink but that was it.  It was the end of his shift and he couldn’t get out of there fast enough.  I had an enjoyable pizza.  Some additional eye candy walked in the door which was nice to look at. 

Hit up the car wash before coming home.  Neighbors house had a showing in the afternoon.  I found a post on social media where multiple people say it’s over priced.  Glad I’m in touch with reality because that’s exactly how I feel.  He built a new super expensive house in another subdivision, it’s way larger and now he’s trying to recoup the cost by jacking up the price of his former home.  At least that’s my take on it.  I honestly don’t think it will sell fast given the asking price but hey I’ve been wrong before.  Time will tell. 

When I got home from pizza I just wanted to relax and take it easy, so that’s what I did.  Never ventured downstairs all day long and the closest I got to a computer was playing on my phone.  Mora tried to interfere with that as much as possible but it didn’t work. 

Shaved and got a nice cool shower before bed.  Wound up turning in way early.  Woke up around 1a and managed to get back to sleep.  Wound up having a horrible dream and Rudy woke me from it at 6:30a.  I was so happy it was a dream that I just got up and got going. 

It’s another SUPER HOT day here.  We have some rain that is supposed to move in but no chance for a cool off for a few days.  I’m over the super hot weather.  If I wanted that I would have lived in Arizona or Vegas.  I like warm sunshine but not sweltering heat for days on end.  I know enjoy it while it lasts because eventually it will be bitter cold and I will wish for a warm up.  Right, I’m rarely pleased with the weather. 

Here we got with another week.  I’m not on-call this week but it’s my last weekend free as next week it will be my turn on-call.  It’s just that much closer to my vacation which I am anxious for.  I’d like to freeze time where I am always on vacation so my income stream isn’t interrupted but I don’t have to work, that is my dream and I know I’m not alone. 

Hope it’s a better week this week, than last week and nothing but good vibes all the time.  Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Saturday

Hope you’re having a great day and enjoying the weekend. It’s quite hot & humid here, we’re back to it feeling like we’re living on The Devil’s Front Porch!

My insomnia kicked in like clockwork early this morning. It did have a minor impact on my plans for the day and me getting started. My motivation for getting up and going was to get to the post office. I went last night to clean out my box and as expected no green card receipt. I spoke with a supervisor today when he got a hold of the carrier who delivered the envelope from his old post office, so they knew him and he had an inside track. He found out that the green card receipt was in fact mailed back, it’s just taking a bit longer to get to me. I’m supposed to get it early next week, despite no tracking movement. I also learned that instead of delivering to the address I mailed it to, it was delivered to a neighbor’s address. I am not confident that it reached the intended recipient but hey I tried. If the green card receipt comes back and shows that he in fact signed for it great, if I see any other name there, I’m going back to get my money back. Got to love the government approach, hurry up and wait.

Went to my friend’s shop and chatted with him. I was outdoors a lot as we spoke, and it was horrible. I eventually grew tired of the heat & humidity and wound up leaving and coming back home but I spent a few hours in it. It was an enjoyable visit.

Once I was home, I watched a little bit more of My Life with The Walter Boys, season 3. Wound up taking a nap with both cats passed out in my lap. It was heavenly, we were all comfy and cozy. Woke up finished up the series and then watched a few YouTube shorts.

Got started on laundry and decided that I would go back to the Italian place that I love so much. I tried to order the new dish that I wanted and they said they were sold out. I got Spaghetti & Meatballs, wound up bringing a small portion of it home. I could have finished up in the restaurant, but I would have come home miserable and didn’t want to do that to myself. This is the first time that I left the place with no chocolate cake. That was difficult. I found out that the dish I really wanted should be back in September so I will give it another try then.

My neighbor was supposed to have an open house on his home that is for sale. That didn’t happen. I did see one couple stop by as I was leaving to head out to the Italian place for supper. They parked in front of it, not sure if they met the realtor or not. Didn’t look like anyone had been there all day. I hope that whoever buys it gets a home inspection before they sign on the dotted line (you’d be nuts to buy property and not get an inspection) they should be told about the clogged gutters as that is going to lead to future problems. Water intrusion is no joke and something you don’t want regardless of where you live.

Plans for tomorrow are to have breakfast out and travel for pizza where the straight hot waiter works. If he’s there it will be a bonus for me but if not, I’ll still get to enjoy pizza and a drive. Meanwhile I am staying hydrated and cool, enjoying the companionship of the cats.

Take care!

Day of Rain

Morning

Happy Friday Eve!  We are almost at the finish of the week. 

Last night the neighbor showed up with his fancy mower to cut the grass and it started raining.  I thought that was funny.  He waited it out and mowed very late, past dark with no lights on.  I looked on-line and his house listed yesterday.  There is an open house on Saturday.  He wants $375 thousand dollars.  His basement has a bar and sink as well as a bathroom in the basement.  Now I know what he was doing a couple years ago when all I heard was constant banging.  He made renovations to the house.  The listing makes it sound great but they say nothing about how clogged the gutters are, the puddle of water they get that stands in the back yard for days after it rains (it will be there on open house day).  You can also see different color siding on the back of the house, it was an attempt to blend with the existing siding.  They also don’t talk about the tree on the side of the house that is going to need to be chopped down eventually since it’s slowly dying.  Yeah it’s worth some money I don’t know about $375 but that is what homes around here go for. My next wonder is how long it will be on the market and what I will get for new neighbors.  I hope they are better than what I had and a bit friendlier. 

Finished off the store pasta last night as well as the Talenti Gelato.  It actually tasted pretty good once you got down to where more of the caramel was.  Rudy came over and begged for some, guess his nose smelled it.  He was super clingy to me yesterday.  He let me get some pictures of him while he was sleeping which is normally something he doesn’t like.  I was super careful and quiet.  He has no idea I have them. 

We have a flash flood warning in effect today and nothing but rain in the forecast all damn day long.  Hope I don’t get too wet when I decide to haul out the trash later this afternoon.  Then again that just might be the afternoon pick me up I need.  Not that I want to get rained on.

Life with The Walter Boys season 3 premiers today on Netflix.  I will take a look at it.  I’ve followed the series since it started.  I know for sure that I don’t get my monies worth out of my Netflix subscription. 

Heading upstairs to login and relax.  I’ve completed all of my tasks and until someone needs me I am just on standby.  It would be the same thing if I was in the office I just couldn’t lay down or cuddle with the cats.  Which makes for a super long work day when there is nothing to do.  I’m smart enough I know not to say a word like hey I’m bored because then you get buried in work.  I just enjoy the lulls while they last.  It won’t be calm forever, especially since we have some project work coming up. 

Hope it’s a great day for you!

Rambles

Morning!

Hump Day already.  This week is flying by way faster than last week did.  No complaints here, it will bring me closer to vacation at least that is how I am looking at it. 

This morning I told Mora that I wish that I could switch places with her.  She’s got the perfect life.  No responsibilities, free food, shelter and medical care.  As well as a good brother to keep her company and a great cat daddy.  I’m sure I’d get bored if we did switch places but man I think it would be fun for a while. 

Work is busy and were gearing up for a couple large projects that I am dreading.  However, all I can hope for is technical problems to get in the way and further delay things but I don’t know that is likely to happen.  Eventually this will all come to fruition regardless if I am ready or not. 

I’m upset with the post office over the letter.  I still don’t know who signed for it and it appears that the carrier forgot to rip off the green card on the back that should come back to me to tell me who signed for it.  Saturday I plan to go to the post office to talk about it and see if they will tell me who signed for it as well as what monies I am entitled to as a refund since they clearly failed to render the service I paid for.  No one has reached out to me in response to the letter and I am thinking that is the way it will be, which is okay.  Not what I was hoping for but I knew it could go either way.  I also have no guarantee that the person I intended to get the letter received it, so that might explain things.  For all I know a random stranger could have signed for it.  If I have to take it, I’ve got one more shot to reach the intended recipient once he settles in at college. 

Weather has been okay here.  Sunny and warm.  AC humming along but not running nearly as much as it did during the heat wave.  We have some storms heading in later today and overnight.  It’s still August and that is known to be a hot month.  Things don’t really cool off until late September or early October.  Last year I think it was late October. 

On the food front, I finished up my left overs from Red Lobster they were good.  Not as good as when they were first served but still good.  Had store Mostaccioli last night and saved some of it for another go tonight.  Tried Nutty Buddy Bars by Little Debbie.  They are good especially if you like Peanut Butter but I had to eat two of them in a row to feel like I had a snack because they are small. 

Heard from my Thanksgiving friend yesterday.  We made plans to meet up towards the end of the month at a Mexican place that I have been to one time.  I chipped my tooth there last year.  Not excited about going back but I agreed to it.  Hopefully, it comes together as I enjoy seeing them. 

Checked with the bank on my mortgage and I confused the hell out of them with two payments but they for sure got the money and applied it to my account, so were good at least in my eyes.  Hopefully, the bank feels the same as I do.  I will know soon enough when the next statement cycles. 

Watched The Idaho Murders on Netflix.  That was a good watch but something for when you have time.  I started it just before bed and then re-though it because it’s 3 episodes and I didn’t want to be up all night.  For me it was content that I would want to binge to find out the ending.  Also watched 72 Hours which is a funny movie that has Kevin Hart and Marcello Hernandez.  I’m on the lookout for the next good thing to watch. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Start it up again

Morning!

I did get to break away from the computer as I planned last night.  Accomplished everything I planned for.  Got a quick show from the neighbors son last night.  He was shirtless again doing some quick trimming.  Then I treated myself to something new.  Talenti Gelato.  Never had it before and a Youtuber that I watched said that it was good.  I’ve had Gelato before and never cared for it, much prefer ice cream.  Talenti was okay.  They make it difficult to unscrew the lid.  I had to use a bath towel to accomplish the task.  Google told me to wait 3 to 5 minutes and then I could do the Talenti twist but if I was impatient use the bath towel.  When I want to eat, I want to eat, open says me or is that sesame?

Some how I managed to stay awake until 11:15p not sure how that happened unless it was my nap that helped me.  Anyway, Mora curled up with me and shortly after that I was out.  Strange but interesting dreams. 

Had a pile of morning tasks to get through.  I needed some additional access and another team that grants it wanted to fight with me.  It’s that it’s us against them mentality.  Instead of just forking it over, they made me spell out exactly why I needed it.  Now that I’ve done that they are taking their sweet time to get me what I need.  I had a colleague get me the information, otherwise who knows how long I’d be waiting and I was holding up another team from working.  I like tasks where I can take care of things without having to rely on others, that is what always seems to cause me problems.  I got pretty upset but have managed to calm myself down.  I really wish I could quit and then they could play all the games they wanted to as it would be a problem for someone else.  Ah wish I didn’t need money so badly. 

I am going to stay available as I usually do but there isn’t anything else pending for me so I am going to relax.  My favorite judge is off this week and wasn’t on Friday.  So who knows what I will find to watch but I am sure You Tube will keep me entertained. 

Hope that all is well in your world.  Thank you for stopping by!

Weekend

Greetings!

Saturday – It was an overcast and rainy day.  I did wake up early.  Got a shower and headed out for breakfast.  Got my haircut and then grabbed the mail.  I came back home where I just decided to relax and before I knew it I was back in bed napping.  Not a bad way to spend the day. 

By the afternoon I started laundry and got in front of the computer.  I got this great I idea to remove the HP crapware from my system.  It was not an easy task because the stuff was buried and didn’t show up in Add/Remove Programs.  Suffice to say that I spent hours at this and wound up doing a little bit of damage to my machine. 

Took a break to go grab a bite to eat.  Went to Red Lobster.  Had horrible service.  The food was good and I filled up on biscuits so I had to get a box to carry out a couple pieces of fish and I took the biscuits. 

I was by my Thanksgiving friends house and wanted to call them and see if I could stop in.  I was feeling a little lonely.  However, my stomach felt like it was going to burst and the rain started up again so I just took that as a sign to come home.  I think it was the right move.  My stomach didn’t explode and I felt much better by the time I got home. 

Back at the PC and had to fight off Mora.  She was seriously craving attention, which is nothing new.  She pesters the hell out of me when I am in front of the computer.  It’s like I am giving too much attention to the computer.  I get it but this is my reality escape. 

I rebooted the machine and it took what seemed like forever to get started.  Things that used to auto start no longer do.  It’s a mess.  I used an Uninstaller Program and didn’t go deleting a bunch of files.

Got to bed later than I wanted to but hey it’s the weekend and I don’t really have a schedule.  I took some time after waiting 3 or may be 4 days to watch some porn and experience a sweet release. 

Sunday – Woke up early and decided to move up the alarm and rolled over.  Had all sorts of strange dreams that kept me engaged.  Rudy was by myside the whole time and I told him breakfast would be a little late. 

When I did wake up it was because of my body and not because the alarm went off.  I had a bunch of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and decided that I would save some money and eat breakfast at home.  It was good but not the same as going out for a hot and fresh meal.  I got dressed and headed out to the grocery store and gas station.  I spent a small fortune at the grocery store.  Then dropped another small fortune at the gas pump.  I was running on a 1/2 tank and had to top off.  It could have been worse if I would have had to fill up the entire tank. 

Came home, unloaded the groceries and wound up back in bed after a while.  Once my nap was done it was time to get moving with my regular chores.  Once that was done it’s back to the PC. 

I discovered a serious error on my part and wound up paying too little for my mortgage payment, like I didn’t even meet the minimum payment, which is totally unlike me.  At least I discovered it before it became a problem.  I set up a second payment and have more money sent but it will arrive on Tuesday.  It’s going to confuse the bank but at least they have their money, no need to hassle me.  While it was my mistake, I think that perhaps I was side tracked or just not fully dialed in as I typically don’t make errors like that.  Hey, were all human and we all make mistakes but things like this bother me, makes me wonder if I am truly loosing my mind. 

Went out for Mexican food because it’s been two weeks since I have had my favorite meal.  This time the meal came with entertainment from the local Police & Fire Department.  Shortly before my food arrived, the fire alarm went off in the restaurant.  No one was moving quickly so I gathered it was a false alarm.  However, my hometown does things right and sends the cops first because they arrive much quicker than a fire truck.  They let them know that it was false but the fire department still came out and once they got there the alarm was finally silenced.  By the time the fire department left I was done with my meal.  It was good and enjoyable but I scarfed it down, something about the fire alarm made me hurry.  Got my bill paid and back on the road to home.  The police were still there when I left. 

The repairs to the computer have finally completed.  I need to publish this, reboot again (like the 5th time today) and hope that all is well.  I think it will be.  There are still some programs I have to manually start but it’s a minor inconvenience.  I know that I just need to bite the bullet and upgrade to WIN11, that will likely fix everything but I like my WIN10 so I’ll make it work. 

Then I need to grab the laundry and put it away.  Spend some time with both cats and give them a serious brushing, which I promised.  Then it will be time to shave/shower and get ready for bed.  A little relaxing and then I will be in dream land hopefully.  Not looking forward to another week but the best part about Monday is that I will no longer be on-call and that’s freedom at least to me. 

Hope you had a nice weekend!

 

 

DELIVERED

The letter has been delivered.  I got an email that shows that it was signed for by an individual, which makes me think that I didn’t get the Restricted Delivery feature that I paid so much for.  I won’t know until I get the physical return receipt in the mail, which should arrive tomorrow but probably won’t arrive until next week. 

The fact that the letter was delivered today caught me off guard.  I am just eager to see if I got what I paid for, if not I plan to ask for a refund.  USPS guarantees their service  so if they fall short and you can prove it, then your entitled to a refund, you just have to ask. 

Thus far it’s total radio silence here.  Based on the fact it’s been a few hours, I am not expecting a reply but that’s not to say one isn’t going to come.  I’m sure my letter brought all kinds of emotion with it.  I believe I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.  If there is a next move it’s not on me to make it.

I do have some second thoughts if I did the right thing but my gut told me this is what I needed to do.  I believe my late spouse would be proud of my effort so that he didn’t die in vain and his grandson now knows who his actual grandfather was. 

If there are any further developments I will keep you posted. Time to go relax and unwind.