End of Week Happiness

Fridays are usually just another day to me. As a rule, I don't get excited just because it is the end of the work week. Fridays usually tend to be my busiest days, but still, it is just another day. However, this Friday is different. I am ready for the weekend. Not just because the Super Bowl is Sunday, but I am beat up. The past couple work days have had me doing quite a bit more heavy lifting than normal, and my back is sore. A couple days off where I don't have to do any lifting would be nice to give my back a chance to rest up.

Super Bowl is this weekend, as is the Phoenix Open. I have tickets to neither, and probably won't watch either on television. I am planning n attending a party over at a friend's house for the Bowl game, but with all the friends, etc there, and so much going on, I probably won't watch most of the game. Besides, I am not rooting for either team.

I got a weird personal message through Facebook last night. Seems someone from the past contacted me. I haven't had a chance to call the RM this morning to ask her about it, bit this person relayed a story she remembered about me. the story sounds vaguely familiar, as if it really happened, but I cannot be sure. Just weird someone I don't know commenting and telling a story like that. Freaky. Maybe I will share the story after I talk to RM.

Time to start getting ready for work. I might head in early today, to stay running on time.

PeacE

The Day of Groaning

I groaned upon awakening this morning. Not because I was sore, or achy, or feeling sick. Not because I had slept badly, and was feeling tired. But because it is Tuesday. That means there are still four days of work (counting today, as I have not started yet) and I just don't feel like going. I don't groan on Mondays, as I know I face the whole week of work, and for some reason, that doesn't bother me too much. Well, most days. Tuesdays make me groan, and wonder why it isn't Thursday.

That being said, I am moping around this morning. I should get some breakfast, but I don't want to. I want it to be Thursday. Because then I know it is almost the end of the week. Not that anything exciting is happening this weekend, because there isn't. Super Bowl game? So. My team isn't in it. Some special person's birthday? Nope. Winning the Lottery on Saturday night? Doubt it. Can't win if you don't play, and I don't play. Just want the week to end. Yeah, I am kind of moody this morning.

Maybe tomorrow will have something more interesting to start the day. Today, it just isn't happening.

PeacE

Quiet Before the Storm

The weekend went by pretty quietly. Well, I mean that there were no major things going on that we had to attend. The boys made plenty of noise being brothers, while doing things around the house. Especially the two younger ones. It was enough that I went to bed early each night just to not have to hear it. Not that I left it to the Wife to deal with, with malice in my heart. She just has more patience in dealing with it than I do.

From the information I heard on the radio while taking the oldest son to school, it sounds like another week of 75+ degree weather here. I almost feel bad for those in areas to the east where it is in the negatives. I have heard that natural gas is being used up in tremendous quantities that it is getting hard to meet the demand. I am sure the same is to be said for heating oil. I also heard this morning that towns are starting to run out of salt for the ice on the roads. The example was some weird named town in Wisconsin, but I could see it happening many other places, especially those that may not normally receive the large amount of snow. Of course, I say all this while sitting here in gym shorts with the fan on.

Got nothing else for you today. Think I might watch that movie, LOVE SURVIVOR this morning before work.

PeacE

EDIT: LOVE SURVIVOR? That's a new one... I should read what I type more often ... I meant LONE SURVIVOR.

Family Squabbles

Everyone has family squabbles. I call them squabbles, more than fights, because as the definition states: to engage in a petty quarrel. There is one in my family, and it is starting to turn in to a fight, I think. I won't post particulars here, as I know several parties involved read this blog. I even think some will be reading it soon just to see if I post anything about anything that is going on. I know Reverend Mother will be by at some point as well.

I think it is healthy to have a small squabble at times within the family. Siblings do it often. I love my brother and sister, but that does not mean I am angry at them at different times, and decide to avoid them. Some of my aunts and uncles have similar things going on. It some ways it is healthy, I guess, not in all ways. And we all know sometimes things get out of hand and people get feelings hurt. Pfff. Feelings. (eye roll).

Needless to say, the middle son woke me up this morning inadvertently, with some noise he had made. No worries except it was like 6:15 AM. I couldn't go back to sleep, so here I am. Most Sunday mornings I am at the pub with my buddies, sharing news and info, drinking a few bloody marys, all before going to play softball. Today I am staying home. I want to get some other stuff done that I have been putting off.

But the Battle Royale that is building up in my family, has spread sides and started claiming victims. I say Victims, but I guess they would better be called Combatants, as some of them are adding to the fray. I give it about a week, then it should all come to the climatic finish ... hopefully. Then it will be a matter of how things go forward in everyone's family relationship. Yeah. Normal Life, just a bigger squabble right now.

(shaking me head) I don't get it.

PeacE

Getting Back To Normal

Today brought about the return to the household's regular schedule. The oldest son has been running a temperature and has been out of school the past three days, but that changed this morning, as his temp is finally back to normal and can return to school. Which means the early mornings for me again. I have begun to detest getting up so early, but I guess it helps the Wife so she can go back to bed for a 20 minute nap before having to get ready for work. Of course, I could always go back to bed as well, I just feel it is easier to stay up. Well, on most days.

Feeling pretty sore today. Had quite a few large parts to deliver last night. I have a feeling me and my aspirin are going to be friends today.

Do this fraternity at ASU decided to have this MLK Black Party this past Monday. I have been hearing all the fall-out on the local talk radio show the past few days. Bunch of stupid knuckleheads? I don't know. I think someone knew what they were doing by setting this up, and everyone else just followed along ignorantly, for the excuse of having a party. They had some Reverend guy on radio yesterday that could be an Al Sharpton mini-me. Expel all the students that were at the party? Yeah right. Who wins on that count? Require campus-wide Diversity/Racism classes? I don't think so. The hosts of the show even opened up the phone lines, asking any listener that was black, that had attended/graduated/attending ASU, to call in, which several did. All were asked if they felt that blacks, in general, were treated harshly by campus officials, or even other students. Not one admitted they had felt that at all. Now I know I am a bigot and all, but really? Waste time and money on a bunch of ignorant college kids. (Shaking my head).

It's almost Friday!

PeacE

Weird Dreams

After being up so early yesterday morning, I was pretty beat last night when I got home from work.  I hopped in the shower, then went to see what was for dinner. Turns out it was a "Create Your Own Adventure" night. So I heated up some canned corned beef hash, added some jalapenos, and sat down to eat with what sweet tea I had left over in my 52 ounce Quik Trip Mug I use while driving. Supper was pretty darn good! But I was still beat, so I went to bed pretty much right after eating. Bad for digestion, but I was tired. I don't even remember my head hitting the pillow.

During the night, those jalapenos and the corned beef hash combined to create a very hallucinogenic byproduct that my body had to deal with. I am sure I had some very wild dreams, as the bits I do remember were pretty weird. Not in any order, but there was one where I was riding a motorcycle, in circles, around my bed. Not on the ground, but literally on the edge of the mattress. One of the guys from "Sons of Anarchy" was there, and told me I was doing a good job of learning how to turn. Then that flips to some huge, frat-house sort of party, and I am scanning the crowd looking for vampires, while carrying ( I think) a .357 long-barrel revolver. From there it combined those two story lines, as I was "patched" into a motorcycle club, then hunted down some vampires that killed two of the members. There were some really weird things going on that I can't even begin to try to describe - or would prefer not to do so.

Corned beef hash from the can, and jalapenos, while drinking sweet tea. If it wasn't {just} that, then the being tired must have helped, too.

Oldest boy is running a temperature still as of last night, so he is out of school today. I feel much more rested, but still like I could sleep for a couple more hours. don't know if I should though.

PeacE

Hello Darkness My Old Friend

The body woke me up at about 3 this morning. Seems it wanted me to get up and go relieve my bladder. Then it decided since I was already there, the bowels needed some movement as well. Needless to say, I almost added emptying my stomach, since it felt like doing that, too, once the bowels started emptying. Oh my. It was bad. But I feel so much better now, and I think the HazMat crew is able to finish up and leave now.

Needless to say, I am wide awake at an hour reserved for ... well, not for me. It is almost 4:30 now, and I would like to go nap, but am too awake to think about more than tossing and turning in the bed. I need to be up in a couple hours anyways, to take the son to school. Maybe after that I will be sleepy enough to nap before work. Otherwise, it may turn into a long day.

Saturday was a nice day. The Wife and I went out to do some grocery shopping without the kids in tow. Then that evening met up with my buddy Don, his girlfriend, Truemaine, and the four of us adults had dinner at Black Angus, a steak house for those that haven't heard of it. Dinner might have only been a couple hours, but it was nice to get out for some "adult" time. The Wife said she was happy and that works for me.

Today is MLK day. I have hashed on this before, so am not going to revisit my bigoted opinion about it. I know I am not one of the people that get this day off from work, and get no special extra pay for working a "holiday". Yeah, getting pissy just thinking about this bullshit day.

Got some other things I might as well catch up on while I am awake this morning. 

PeacE

Edit: Duh. Almost 6:30 and I realize, the kids are out of school today, and I don't have to take anyone. Why am I still awake?

Might Have Been My Fault

Last week I was sick. Not debilitating sick, just yucky sick, with a cold. I had the stuffed up sinuses, drainage, coughing, watery eyes cold. It still lingers a tad, meaning I cough a little now and then, which could actually just be a smoker's cough. The Wife sort of came down with it, but her's is most of a chest congestion. So that might not have been me giving it to her ... after all, she works in a care facility and could have gotten from a patient. The youngest son has come down sick now, with what sounds like some pretty bad chest congestion and fever. He has been home from school the past couple of days, and the Wife decided last night to run him to the kid's late night doctor place (I don't know the name - Pediatric Urgent Care?) to have him checked out, to see if some antibiotics would be needed. He is fine. Well, somewhat. They diagnosed it as something viral, so antibiotics won't be any good. They even did a strep throat test, but it was negative. So, basically, ibuprofen and rest for him unless it gets worse, then probably some sort of ER trip to keep it from turning into pneumonia, or if his breathing gets bad.

I don't think I passed it along, as both the Wife and son's illness is much worse than mine was ... but who knows.

Only two days of work left this week, and for some reason I am happy. I usually don't feel giddy about an upcoming day or two off, but this week is different. No idea why. Maybe my body is just feeling tired, and the thought of being able to rest a bit without having to work is some sub-conscious joy. I know there are many things I would like to get done this weekend, but at this time, have no plans made to accomplish any of them. I suppose I will just do them as I feel they need to get done. Kind of nice not having a strict schedule I have to do on a day off.

Guess that is all I have today. I'm getting hungry for breakfast.

PeacE

Scheduling Changes

I started my current job about 4 1/2 months ago. At that time, I agreed to the time shift that the job required (approx. noon to 8pm-9pm) thinking it would not be a burden. The Wife and I had even talked about it. I knew there would be concerts the kids have I would miss. There may be other things that happen during the evening of the week, that would be missed. But I was working, again.

During the handful of years I was unemployed, my time schedule was pretty easy. I usually had to run the son to school early, then there were no major constraints. I could go back to bed if I wanted. Staying up late was not a big deal, as I could sleep-in if I chose to do so. I had plenty of time for reading, watching movies/television, or playing computer games. Even had more time to spend with the family.

Now I find myself getting a bit weary.

I still rise early to take the son to school. I usually do not lay back down, as the morning is the only time I feel I can get anything done now. By the time I leave and return from work, it is late, and I am pretty tired. It might be the age thing, or the not being in 100% physical shape, that make me so tired. Or just being on the road dealing with dumb asses in traffic. Might be all those reasons. I am in bed within an hour of getting home.

I miss my reading time. I miss time with the boys. I miss having a chance to talk with the Wife. Sure, some of that is all done during the weekends, if we aren't running around for this event, or that sale, or whatever has come up that needs to be seen to. Makes me want to quit work, and try to find a regular "9-5" job just so evenings can sort of get back to normal. But that wasn't panning out before (finding that type of job) so I guess I just need to adjust better to this schedule.

That, and maybe a short nap before work this morning, will make me feel better.

PeacE

Finding Motivation

Another Monday morning has found its way here, and the coffee I am having is not doing much to wake me up. Feeling a bit tired still, but I have only been awake maybe 10 minutes, so I am sure it will be just a matter of time.

Nothing exciting I feel like sharing today. The weekend came and went with no major surprises, or events. Nothing is coming up soon. This week should be one of those boring, regular ones. Now that I have said that, I know something is going to happen to change things.

Okay. I finished my coffee. Nothing more has come to mind. Guess I will get some other things done.

PeacE

My Achy, Breaky (fill-in-the-blank)

A groan escaped my lips this morning as I rose from the bed to start the day. Usually, it is more of a growl, as I tend to be sort of like a hibernating bear when I wake. Today it was a groan. The ankles, shortly followed by the hips and lower back, all let me know that they are not happy with recent attentions they have gotten do to work. I see the swallowing of a couple ibuprofens in the very near future. But lucky for you, my fingers aren't feeling arthritic this morning, and I am able to type out a bit of ... something ... for you.

After being with this company now for about 4 1/2 months, I think yesterday was the worst day I have had to date there. Had the boss come down on me about a couple issues that occurred. One issue was an error on another part in our system. One was me getting thrown under the bus. But even with the attempt of getting said vehicle to crush me, I turned it into a just a slight push, as the fault was not mine, but higher up the chain of management. I was still not happy about being singled out by others ... but haters got to be hating! Today is going to be much better, especially if I don't have to do so much lifting of heavy objects, like yesterday.

I seem to be pretty much over the cold I have had. Down to a little bit of chest congestion, and as of right now, just a slight feeling of stuffy-head - though that could just me feeling a bit tired yet.

I'm outta here to get some breakfast. That bowl of Fruit Loops sounds good about now.

PeacE

Being Sick (In The Head)

I am the first in my family to be sick this new year. A head cold has come and made residence (temporary I hope) at my sinus level, and is doing it's best to drive me mad with the constant drip I getting from my nasal passages. The only time it isn't doing that is when I am on my back, and it drains down the throat, causing me that ticklish feeling, that makes me cough. Been swallowing pills since yesterday, but nothing seems to be helping get rid of it, or mask the effects of. Or maybe it is, and I would be feeling worse if it didn't. I don't know, but this is pretty crappy.

And all that after teasing friends/family in the Mid-West about the differences in temperatures where we live. Jinxed myself, me thinks.

All the boys are back in school now. It's nice, but means the early rise in the morning to take the oldest to Zero Hour. I was getting used to the last two weeks of not having to do that.

Yesterday it seemed all the media could talk about (here in AZ anyways) was how Steven Segal has mentioned the possibility of throwing his hat in the ring for the next Governor's race here in AZ. We've had some d00zies out here: Meacham, Mofford, and a few others I won't mention. So now a supposed actor, who plays a lawman, wants to be AZ Gov. Must be friends with Arpaio. Oh wait, they are.

Sigh. Today's post should be things that don't make me feel better, even when I am sick.

PeacE

What Can I Come Up With Today?

I just rolled out of bed maybe 10 minutes ago, so you are going to have to just deal with the sleepy, foggy mind feeling I have. Between that and what appears to be a cold, it's going to be a slow morning. First thing I did, well, after regular morning rituals, was pop a couple DayQuil capsules. I feel a bit better today than yesterday, though I was hoping for more with the extra sleep I got last night.

Haven't yet seen the pics of the MidWest yet. I was seeing several pictures yesterday from family in the Indianapolis area, and other members further north up near Elkhart, of all the snow they were getting. Makes me miss it, somewhat. I miss the fun times being had in it, but not the shoveling. The cold part never really bothered me. If any of them, or others from that area, are reading this, then know that I will be sitting here in sunshine with temps to be around 69 today.

Welp, I guess I should get my butt moving and get me some breakfast.

PeacE

Some Things Shouldn't Be Started

A rare Sunday post today. Might as well since I am the only one awake at this 8am hour. I went to bed early last night, after the family had gone out to dinner. I was beat. It had been a long day for me. I spent a good part of the afternoon at a memorial for a friend of mine that had passed away about three weeks ago. It was good to see many faces I hadn't seen, some in years, but was still sort of draining on me. No I wasn't bawling my eyes out, just emotionally drained.

Waking up this morning, I have come to think I am coming down with a cold. Woke up several times through the night, to blow my nose, or be coughing. This morning it continues, though I tossed back a couple pills to help make it bearable. I am waiting to find out if they work any good. The watery eyes and sneezing I can't tell if they are symptoms of the cold, or just my regular allergies. Shrug. What can I do?

I see a day of rest. Do some internet surfing. Maybe some gaming. Maybe even a nap or two. Hope to be feeling better tomorrow for work.

PeacE

Too Much Rest Is Bad

I would never have thought that too much sleep is a bad thing. I know that for myself, to be feeling good the next morning, I need a good 7-8 hours sleep, otherwise I feel a bit slow, or slower, the less amount of sleep I get. Last night I was feeling tired, so went to bed about 8'ish. I woke a couple times in the night, but slept through to about 6:30 this morning. I am feeling sluggish. I feel like I should lay back down and get an hour or two of napping done. I have the time to do it, but I won't. I have heard, or read it somewhere, that too much sleep can be almost as bad as not enough. I guess this is one of those days. Hopefully, some breakfast and awake time will get it to leave me alone.

Only two days of work this week remain until the weekend. In some ways it is good having a holiday int he middle of the week, except, like the RM was saying yesterday, it creates the feeling of two Mondays in one week. I am actually looking forward to getting back to work, as I tend to like my job. That, and sitting around the house is getting sort of boring.

Hope you started off your New Year in a good way!

PeacE

Starting Another Year

Day One: Spent the day eating. Well, not all day. We met over at Sis' and had ribs, cole slaw, mashed taters, corn on the cob, and the RM's black-eyed peas (part of her traditional NYD meal). We hung out for awhile after the meal, me sitting and talking, and most of the others watching "The Grinch". Why watching it after Christmas I have no clue. Either way, I came home stuffed, eating way too much again. I am sure I will be in the reading room quite a bit over the next day or so.

Blogger is still giving me some problems with writing my posts. Still the 'compose' feature will let me title a post, but not write in the body of it. So again I am writing in the HTML version ... At least I know how to do the line break code so the paragraphs are spaced. It was driving me nuts being just one large block of words. I suppose I will play around a few minutes and check my settings if I somehow changed something by accident, though I don't believe I have done any changes.

So, day one of 2014 hasn't been too bad. Oh, and I made $50 off RM, as I lost 5% of my weight over the last year. I was 6 lbs short of the 10% which had the possibility of doubling that money to $100. I tried to give it back to RM, as a gift, saying to take themselves out, as I don't care about the money really. But she wouldn't let me. I suppose I will just save it for sometime when I can take them out to dinner or something. I know you are reading this RM, but still ...

Okay, I am out of here. Got some book stuff I want to do, maybe a video, maybe some game play time. It's back to the regular work routine tomorrow.

PeacE