Friday, Thankfully!

Today brings on the last day of the work week for me. It sure has not felt like a 4-day work week, but somehow I managed to get through it all again, without too much hurting. I have 20 million idea going through my head of things that need to get done this weekend, but I know most of them will get pushed to the wayside. I am notorious for doing that. One thing I am looking forward to, is Saturday night's date night with the Wife. I picked a place for dinner that I have never been to, so it shall be interesting. Other than dinner out, (minus the kids) I have no idea what we will do. I figure just play it by ear.

Thew boys are out of school officially now, and already it has begun. With the newer computer we bought, I was able to load a couple more games onto it, that the previous computer processor could not play. The two older boys (16 & 11) have been on almost every night playing one of the new games until I get home from work at least. Last night, the middle son asks about the Wife and I leaving the three of them at home, under the supervision of the oldest, instead of taking them to grandma's house. I took the safe answer, and said Mom & I will discuss it when you guys aren't around, but for Friday, you are going to grandma's for sure.

I know the boys want to stay home, so they can play on the computer (all day) and with the three of them aged 16, 11, 8, it wouldn't be hard for the 16 year old to watch the others. They all know how to "create you own adventure" (usually Ramen Noodles). Is it time to finally let go, and let them stay home alone? How bad will the fighting be to be the one to play on Dad's new computer? Will they pass my levels on the new games, and leave me in the dust? Yeah, that though crossed through my mind. Petty, but true.

I figure this will be one conversation the Wife and I will be having out on Saturday night.

PeacE

Everything is Running

Not having to get up as early to run the oldest son to school was a small blessing this morning. The boys have just today and a half day tomorrow then they are done with school for this school year. So no more Zero Hour until this fall. That half hour of extra sleep will be nice.

That being said, I awoke about 40 minutes later than usual, and after the quick bathroom trip, started in with the runny nose and watering eyes. Thank goodness The Wife had picked up some more allergy pills for me, though, almost and hour later I am still waiting for it to kick in. I can feel it starting, but hasn't built up to maximum effectiveness yet.

It is a return to work today, and even with an extra day off for the holiday, it should be a normal return. Most of my work centers around a day to day load, so most of the work I do today, is for tomorrow, and most of that has been readied. There might be a few extras added on, but that is fairly normal each day. For the most part I feel well rested, and any muscle soreness I still feel, is minor. Bring on the big parts today, as I know by Friday I will be dreading them.

I gotta run before I write stuff I shouldn't.

PeacE

Let's Play Catch-Up

It has been a tiring week. I haven't taken the time to post much of anything, mainly due to being pretty worn out. Though this is the company's slow period for repairs, meaning fewer parts to be pulled/delivered, I still end my day feeling worn out. I believe it may be partly due to the fact we are hitting the hotter portion of summer now. Many 100+ degree temperature days are on the calendar for the next 3+months, I am sure. Also we get to throw in some outrageous humidity, with high temps, flash floods, and assholes that don't know how to drive in rain in our upcoming monsoon season. Oh, the joys of things to look forward to coming.

It is the end of Memorial Day weekend. I guess my side of the family all got together at Sis', though, originally I was told there were other plans going on, and it would not be like the past family get-togethers. Due to that, the Wife and I made other plans for things we knew that we wanted to do/get done. The Daughter was up from Tucson over most of the weekend, and we did a family dinner last night. Today things were accomplished around the house that we had sort of blown off the past few weeks. It was a productive time, and we were all together. Pizza and a movie ended the evening, though I think the boys didn't really care for "OCCULUS". Wasn't really scary, for me.

Tomorrow it is back to work, and I am ready for it. At least it is only four days until next weekend. Then the week after I am off on Friday, so another four days work week. Then July 4th is only a month away.

Catch ya later on.

PeacE

Blowing It

I am kind of blank today. Since I woke up, I have blown my nose many times, and just feel like blech. I know, it's the damn allergies that I deal with all the time, but it doesn't mean I have to enjoy them. The Wife bought one of them air purifier fan thingy's from Lowe's over the weekend. I can tell a small difference, in the same room, when it has been running for hours. Otherwise, it doesn't seem to help much. Maybe if we used it at night in the bedroom, rather than only using it in the front room, it would work better. Shrug. I don't know.

Memorial Day weekend is coming up. I have no plans, except to buy a floor stand lamp to put next to the new desk. That corner of the room is pretty dark, even during the day, and it makes it hard to see to type. I am not a type by touch person. Not sure if the Daughter is coming up or if they will wait until the next weekend for Comicon.

Okay, off to shower.

PeacE

Learning New Things

The weekend has been a bit of a learning thing for me. Saturday morning it only took about an hour and a half to fix the Wife's window in her van. The Youtube video on how to do it helped immensely! About midday, the oldest boy ans I took my truck over to RM's and picked up a desk they have had there for the past year and a half. It was one that PT's dad had used, that RM & PT kept after the passing. I said I wanted it but just have not had the available space for it, until now. I told the Wife that the desk was coming home today, even if I had to throw out everything that was int he space where I wanted to put it. The reason why? We had received our tax refund, and one of the things we wanted to get was a new computer, and it is going to be mine. So of course the desk came home this weekend! The only thing is, the desk is smaller than I was thinking it was. My fat legs don't fit completely comfortably under the desk, but I love the drawer space, so am making it work.

Obviously, this post is coming via the new computer as well. I feel I got a really good deal on the computer and monitor, and have spent most of the weekend trying to get it set up as I like. It has Windows 8, which I already am not a big fan of. Seems to take me forever to find certain features. I also have been trying to copy over (via an external hard drive) things from the other computer: e-books, music, pictures, some games. I went to set up a router, too, so we could share the one printer, but I was having some issues with other things when the router is being in use. I will have to read up some more about how to resolve those issues.

I'm still happy. It's nice to upgrade/add things to our home, and with the three boys here, adding a third computer helps.With these few good things that happened over the past two days, I am waiting for the shoe to drop, and some bad stuff happen. My van wouldn't start yesterday morning. Battery was low. It has been 2-3 years since the last battery replacement, so I am not surprised. They only last about that long out here. But I wasn't going to mess with it at that point, and used a jump starter pack kit to start it up. I suppose that it sits in the drive more than days than I drive it, doesn't help. I will have to get it taken care of sometime soon.

I got my day off from work approved. In a couple weeks I get a Friday off. Plans were to attend Comicon, but we decided we are going Saturday instead. Now plans are to take the now 16 year old son (his birthday was yesterday) to get his driving permit.

I need to get moving and get somethings done.

PeacE

Learning New Things

I was about halfway through my route last night, when the phones rings. It's the Wife calling. That's never good news. She only calls me while I am working if there is something dire happening/happened, like, "the water line to the swamp cooler evidently has a leak and the hallway ceiling collapsed after being saturated with water" kind of bad (true story, though I wasn't at work that time, I was out with my buddies).

Needless to say, the gut started clenching with nervousness, or maybe that was fear, of what was going to be the meaning of this call. Turns out it was about her van. As her story goes, as she was leaving work, and got to her van, she noticed the driver side window down. No broken glass laying around the ground, or in the van, so , remembering she had driven to work with down, she assumed she had just forgotten to put it up once she got to work. No big deal. She tried to put up the window (power windows) but nothing. The motor "whirs" she tells me, for a few seconds and then stops, but the window doesn't go up. The window is, of course, all the way down.

Basically I tell her that there is nothing I can do until I get home. In the meantime, I had to finish my drive (about two hours) fretting about how much this could cost taking it the shop, when would they be available to look at it, price of part and labor, how is she going to get to work if the van is in the shop, etc, etc. I am working myself to an ulcer over it. By the time I was headed home, I had just said "Screw it." I was going to pop the door panel off and push the window up, and hopefully would be able to figure out how to replace the motor, or whatever was wrong, on my own, and hope that the parts weren't terribly expensive.

I got home, found a couple articles about how to remove the door panel for that make/model of vehicle, and even a Youtube video for how to replace the window motor and regulators. In said video, it gave the description of the difference between what was wrong, the regulators or the motor, and it matched what was happening to our vehicle, for it to be the regulators. Of course, this means additional work at the removal/installation.

Either way, I was able to pop the door panel, push the window up, and tape it in place. I jumped on the computer and checked the local auto parts place for pricing/availability. Pricing wasn't bad, only about $90 for what I needed, which in the article I read, had said could go for $300+ if done at a garage due to labor/parts mark up. As far as availability, I will have to call today. With this company nation-wide, for some reason I couldn't find if the closest store had the part n hand or not. I hope they do.

So, that's what is going on tomorrow morning if I can get the part, or have it sent to that store by morning.
Joy.

Edit: Nice! Just called the parts store, they do not have it in stock, but can have it there in 30 minutes. I have one being sent over, and on hold for tomorrow morning. Now, I just need to get the torx wrench with it, and then waste hours doing the job. More Joy.

PeacE

The Great Thumb Rebellion

I am beginning to think Ripley needs to come around and take a look at my hands, in particular, my thumbs. Back at the beginning of the year, I did something to the thumb on my right hand. I am guessing that I had grabbed a box at work one-handed, and it was heavier than expected, and my grip wasn't great, and that
I inadvertently put strain on the thumb joint at the base of the thumb. At least, that is where it hurt from the most. Over the next few months (yes, months) I had limited range of motion, little strength, and giving motion to bend it at the knuckle would make it sort of "pop" like slipping the joint. Did I mention it hurt, too. After a few short weeks, my elbow began to ache a bit, probably from compensation of avoiding certain motions with the thumb/hand. About 3-4 weeks ago, the Wife found a thumb immobilizer brace, and I started wearing it at night/weekends to see if it would get better in a quicker time period. It did. As of this morning, it is nearly back to normal, I think. Most of the range of motion I had is back, little pain, no "popping". If I put a bit of pressure near the inside of the base of the thumb, I feel like it is bruised, but otherwise fine.

On Sunday morning, I had put new mud flaps on my work truck. No big deal, four bolts/nuts for each side. It is a box truck, so sitting on the ground, the flaps were easily accessible without having to crawl way under the truck or anything. A couple of the bolts were a bit tight, and I was using just two wrenches. Yesterday, I noticed the thumb on my left hand ached a bit, at the base of the thumb. I thought, how? Did I maybe bruise it with that small wrench when loosening a couple of those tighter bolts? That was what I had assumed. I had not offhand been grabbing boxes like I think I injured the other hand. But this morning, as I sat up in bed, stretching, etc, that thumb popped, and it hurt a little. Instantly I was like, no way. But yes. Moving it around this morning it is similar to what happened to the other thumb. That bruising feel, when pressure is applied, is at the base of the thumb. So my guess is I bruised the tendons/ligaments at the base of the thumb. On both hands, at different times. At least I have the thumb immobilizer already. It has been put on this morning until I leave for work.

What are the odds... just as one heals the other gets it? Sigh.

PeacE

Allergies Ahead By Two

I hate feeling like I am behind in the game. Yesterday was Mother's Day, and I spent most of it with watering eyes, and a runny nose. So bad, the nose is tender, and I have a feeling will be peeling skin in a few days. Yeah, I have been blowing/wiping it that much. Of course, I also had ran out of allergy pills, and once I had noticed that, there were enough things going on, or that needed to get done, we didn't have the time to run to the store to get more. Guess what my first stop this morning on the way to work will be?

Busy weekend. Saturday the Wife and I tried out a new place for lunch. I say new, because it was for me. She had been there a couple times with the Daughter. It's called Chino Bandido, and has been in the same place near our home for years, though we never got around to trying it. It's like a Mexican-Chinese food joint. I tried some Diablo Chicken dish that the Daughter thought I would enjoy as it is spicy, but in comparison, the Wife said they did not put even close to the amount of stuff that they usually do for my dish. Yeah, that makes me want to go back. Plus, my chicken tasted like it had been deep fried with seafood, so had a strong fish taste. On the plus side, the carnitas burrito I had wasn't bad, but lacked any trimmings one usually finds in a burrito (beans or rice, etc). The Tropicana Lemonade from the fountain machine was half sugar, so I was on a pretty good high for a couple hours that afternoon. We followed up lunch with a wedding we had to attend, then to Walmart to pick up some trellises the Wife wanted for some ivy plants she bought. Sunday was Mother's Day. Enough said there.

Aside from the allergy by-products this morning, I don't feel as rested as I usually do on a Monday. Might be from all the stuff we had going on this weekend. Might be because I didn't sleep well last night. I had some pretty weird dreams again. One being where I woke up and had that rare condition where you have hair grown all over the face, called Hypertrichosis, or werewolf syndrome. What brought that on? I have no clue. But it was a pretty weird dream.

Must be time to closet his out today. I am spending more time fixing spelling errors than anything else. For some reason, my keyboard isn't inputting the letters properly. Must be time for a new one.

PeacE

Breakfast Places

Preacher Tom and I have been meeting up for breakfast for a few years now. Not every day, or even every week, but at least I'd say about once a month. Today is one of those days. He had texted me yesterday about it, and I had to verify if I needed to attend a tech meeting this morning at work (I don't). I responded later int he afternoon that I was free, and to let me know where we were eating. I hate having to choose the place sometimes. We have a handful of places we have eaten at, none really better than the other, in food or prices.Each seems to have some sort of dish one of us likes, that the other places don't. Or we might have a coupon for one sometimes.

So I was sitting here this morning, trying to think of someplace we have not tried yet, that isn't too far out of our way, that we would both be interested in. I haven't come up with anything in particular I can think of. I suppose I would have to invest some time wither talking to friends for suggestions, or looking up online places that do breakfast.

This place picked for this morning is Denny's. Nothing fancy. Though, the one we are going to is not the closest to our homes. For some reason, PT and RM like one that is just a few blocks further away. We seem to have several in a 5-mile radius of my house to choose from. Denny's isn't bad, I think we just sort of get bored with it all the time. Maybe not bored. Maybe more like just feeling like it is the same, as being a chain restaurant, it doesn't change much. I don't know. For breakfast, it is as good as any other place.

Of course, the best breakfasts are the ones that moms make ... maybe RM should take a day off and cook us all breakfast! (Just kidding RM!!)

PeacE

Wearing Down

This morning finds me a bit sore. Mostly in the muscle areas of my shoulders, a nice ache in my right elbow, and my right-hand thumb. All of it from the other night? No, just the thumb. The rest is just regular weekly work-related soreness. By Friday, I will be quite sore, and after resting up over the weekend, I will return to work on Monday feeling refreshed, and more than likely, not sore. In the meantime, the next three days will have me popping ibuprofen, and lifting as little as possible.

I had started to put on a few pounds again. Over the previous couple of months, I had gone a bit crazy on my drinks. Months ago I purchased a 52-ounce refill cup from Quik Trip for use as I drove the truck on my route. At first it was water, or Gatorade, then moved onto soda refills. I found out first-hand the reason doctors tell you in losing weight to take soda out of your diet. Within a couple months, my pants were almost too tight (around the waist) to wear. After a few quick moments I realized it was the soda. I had moved up to drinking 2-3 of the 52-oz sized sodas every work day. That's way too much. I took soda out of my diet basically for the last couple weeks, and my waist is starting to return to normal. I still allow my self soda, but smaller size serving, and usually only once on a weekend (like if we eat out). Sweet tea probably isn't as bad as soda, but I still drink more of that than I should. May be why the weight isn't dropping as quick as it should.

Now I have run out of fuel for my fingers here.

PeacE

Jinxed! (Again)

This morning's post comes to you slowly. Not because you have "slow" internet,but because it is taking me longer to type it. In many ways, I was yesterday to mention that Life was pretty much uneventful, and that there was nothing excitable in my near future... Man, Mr. Peabody,can we set the way-back machine? Yesterday, and most of the evening were what I expected. It was late when things went wrong.

I decided to go out for a couple beers last night.I had my phone (Kindle app on it) so it wasn't like I had nothing to do.everything was fine until just after midnight, about the time I was heading out the door. Enroute to going out the door, the bar owner's son, who works there, but not last night, was drunk and giving the head security guy problems. Another guy stepped up, and the two of them started scuffling. I helped break that up,then the son wanted back in (we had told him no, to just go home) and .... well ... long story short, my thumb is a bit more fucked up now. Somewhere, somehow, in the midst of keeping him out of the bar, my thumb got tweaked. And now it hurts just barely even moving it.

Work today is going to suck. Probably for the next few days.

It is so easy to just fucking hate my life at times.

PeacE

The Uneventful

The weekend has ended, and this morning brings about the Monday that we all dread. Though, that feeling of dread is somewhat missing from my morning so far. Not that I awoke all bright eyed and bushy-tailed, but that heavy feeling knowing that the return to work is today, is not as daunting as it usually is.

This weekend wasn't too bad of a weekend. I spent most of it doing nothing. Well, almost literally nothing. More like nothing of importance. Played a bit of Warcraft on the computer. Spent part of Saturday with friends, and got some shopping done. Well, my shopping. I needed to get some gum for when I am driving. Plus a few other snacks. I did forget a couple things, but I didn't realize it until this morning, and now it will have to wait until next Saturday, as I doubt I will get it picked up during the week. Sunday I spent the day at home. Watched a couple movies. Played a bit on the computer. Read a book. Just was mellow.

I put in my request for a day off at work on Friday. Talking about June 6th, when Comicon is here in town. I think I must have mentioned in a previous post about taking the oldest son for his driving permit test, then spend the day at Comicon. I found out that he also has Vacation Bible school that evening, which works out well, as I know I won't want to spend ALL day at Comicon. It is a day without pay, as I don't get vacation days until late August.

I got an updated text last night from a certain person. It has to do with an event I am not supposed to share with anyone. It has now changed the time and location of the event (again) back to what I think was the original time/place. I read the text, then just shook my head. The Wife says I should attend, but I am of mixed thoughts about it. I think mostly because I totally do not understand the reasoning behind things. Then again, it only affects me in small ways, so why should that matter? Maybe I am just too set in how I think things should be ... either way, I haven't made a final decision, and probably won't until near the last minute. I think I am going to follow my gut instinct, whatever it may be when the date gets closer.

Wow. All this and a whole week to go yet. The excitement around here never fades ...

PeacE

Just One of Those Days

It's Friday, but so far not a good Friday. I was woken up this morning by the Wife, to run the oldest son to school. Nothing out of the normal, right? Oh, throw into the mix that the Wife had turned off the alarm, thus waking up late, thus everyone was freaking out trying to run around like chickens with their heads cut off. I got him to school - in time - as overall, the morning only started 10 minutes late. Yeah. That much drama for 10 minutes.

I understand how important 10 minutes can be. I know in the afternoons, when I leave the shop to start my route, that 10 minutes can mean the difference of 30-45 minutes extra in my route. The traffic. There is that "window" where if I make it, I miss much of the rush hour type problems.

Ten minutes is sometimes the difference of me being grouchy for day, or waking up feeling good.

Ten minutes is all I devoted to this post today. I'm going back to bed for an hour.

PeacE

Dust In The Wind

Another day I will be blowing my nose and wiping my eyes. The weather forecasters cannot seem to get it right (again) and every day this week so far has been windy. I think the only times my eyes stop watering is when I have them closed as I sleep. Though, with the windy conditions, and allergies, I think I would still prefer that versus the amount of rain, and tornadoes, much of the east coast has been having. Though they are having issues with the amount of rain in a short amount of time, the flash flooding would even be worse here in the desert, with ground baked so hard that the rain would just run off it. We could use quite a bit more rain. The authorities are already saying it is high fire danger season.

That all being complained about this morning, I have nothing much of importance to say.

PeacE