Some Excitement!!

... is exactly what I don't need in my life. I don't mind a little change-up here and there, but some excitement? I think not.

Another Friday morning has arrived, and though it is the last day of work for me this week, I already have decided it is going to be a long day. Yeah, I decided. Not that it is happened, but I pre-determined how it is going to be. It started raining last night. Though not a deluge of water, but steady light showers. This is to continue through the entire day. In Arizona. Where people don't know how to drive in rain conditions. At least we are not to expect flooding, so won't have the stupid people trying to cross washes that are flowing heavy water (there are always several when it floods here).

I love the rain, even in AZ. It filters much of the dust and particulates that get in the air and bring on my allergies. The water is always needed in a desert, too. I love the sound of a good rainfall. I don't even mind the gray skies, though some say it depresses them. At 6:30 this morning, hearing the traffic report on the radio as I took the oldest Son to school, I have made plans to leave a little earlier for work. Traffic is backed up due to accidents caused by people not knowing how to drive in wet conditions.

Nothing major planned for this weekend. Thinking of going to see the last Hobbit movie with the family. Super Bowl is Sunday I just remembered, and I am planning on going to the usual party a friend has at his house.

Guess that's all I got today.

PeacE

Wednesday Blues

I am having a mid-week crisis! I have nothing I feel like saying today. How it is different than most other days, since I don't post much anymore, is beyond my comprehension .... but still, there it is.

I'm not much for political ranting.

Sports - I guess you could say I am just deflated a bit about them right now.

Current Events? Meh.

Do I spend too much time on social media? No. In fact, I don't even know the last day I was on .... think it was the 21st (Sis' bday).

Man, what do I do in my free time? Oh yeah. Play video games and drink beer.

PeacE

The Big Week

For you football fans out there, you know the Big Game is this coming Sunday. Knowing that, there is a good chance that you had been informed at some point it was going to be in the Phoenix/Valley area. To be exact, Glendale, AZ, which is home to the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals football team. Personally I don't care. I'm a Redskins fan, and we only get out here to play about every 4-6 years.

Either way, this is the week that leads up to the Super Bowl, and there are so many events going on around the various cities that make up the Valley. Plus - the TPC is hosting the Waste Management golf thingy (I forget the actual name) starting Thursday. I hear it is a pretty bog event every year as well. All in all, more people in town for the game, golf, snowbirds, etc .... also means more people on the road.

My route prior to last week would have been no problem for all the events going on this week. But, because Murphy's Law, and my own Luck, we hired on a new tech last week, to help replenish the 2-3 three we are short. He happens to be one they added to my route. No big deal. Only he lives just a couple miles (or so) near the Stadium. With all the events going on there this week, I am sure if you add in the normal rush hour traffic, the freeway/streets out there are going to be terrible. I am so not looking forward to this week. At least after Sunday, things will return to the norm.

This week also wraps up the end of January. Thinking back how other January's went, this one seemed pretty mellow. I am anxious for February though, as my work review is due, and hopefully a raise. Well, I am sure I will get a raise, but hoping it is a good amount. I submitted my time off request for May, for the Daughter's wedding. Took three days prior to the event. Hopefully I won't be required to do much running around for last minute stuff.

PeacE

All Those Days

Well, it has been several days since I last had (took) the time to post anything. Yes my life is truly that boring. Weekdays it is nothing but work, eat, sleep. Weekends are run here, run there.

The Daughter was up for her engagement photos this past weekend. Here is one preview:

There was this one and another the photographer posted as a preview, but we have not seen all of them as of yet. The wedding is getting closer....

Think I am going to lay back down for awhile. I have a bit of a hangover this morning.

PeacE

Is Winter Already Over?

The reason I ask is because the temperatures here in AZ are just feeling too good to be true. Today's expected high is 69 degrees. I should look to see if that is the normal for this time of year. Fro some reason, I am thinking it is supposed to be a bit lower. Heck, we hit 81 last week, making a new high temp for that day. Something weird for sure. Well, the quickest sources of info I found say that the average winter temp for AZ is 67 ... I have been here for almost 30 years, and I seem to recall most of those winters being cooler than the current one. Maybe it is just me and a jaded memory.

I am up early this morning to be sure I make it to the bank when they open, before heading into work.

I ain't got nothing else to really write about today. The Boys are doing alright. The Daughter will be up in town this weekend for their engagement photos. Work is work. Guess that that kind of news is pretty darn good for my life.

PeacE

Killing a Few Minutes

I've got a few minutes before I head into work this morning, so I should probably admit I already screwed up this morning. I was supposed to run the mortgage payment to the bank, but I forgot all about it, and slept in. But it isn't late until after the 15th, so should be okay to do it tomorrow morning, if I remember. But the sleeping in part was somewhat necessary I felt on my part. I wen tto bed fairly early last night, as I was just tired. I was awake at 3. Then again about 20 minutes later. And again, and again, and again. My back was sore. My hips hurt. Upper back ached. It felt like I had done quite a bit of heavy lifting that day, but I hadn't. Maybe it was "sleeping wrong" positioning> I don't know, but it kept up waking up seemingly every 20 minutes minutes. By 8:30 I realized nothing good was happening, so go up to get the day started.

Rain came last night Had been expecting some all weekend, but only seen light drizzle a short , couple times. Not sure what our forecast is for, but will find out as I head into work I am sure. Only a couple traffic updates on the phone, so doesn't sound like a bad drive in.

Already wishing this day was over, and I was crawling into bed. Not a good way to start it.

PeacE

Weather, Dates, Scruffiness

As I stood washing my hands after using the restroom at work yesterday, I happened to take a look at my appearance in the mirror. I am not a vain person so usually don't do much more than make sure I don't have some dirt on the face, and make sure my cowlick isn't sticking up. But I paused while looking. I think the grey in beard caught my attention. Or maybe it was how long the beard is getting. I have been growing it out (again) for around 3 months now, and in my opinion it is starting to take on some character now. I have had a few compliments about it this past week. Maybe that's what made me stop and look. But while gazing on my amazing chin-hair, I noticed the 'wings' I had by my ears, being pushed out from the sides of my hat. I need a haircut.

With the Daughter's wedding coming up in May, I had thought I would just let my hair grow until about April, then go get it cut, giving it a good couple weeks or so to "grow in" so it doesn't look fresh-cut for pictures. But I don't think I can wait that long. It is getting long enough now that even with gel, I can't get it to stay in the style I keep it. Just too thick and heavy. The barber I go to, John, always botches about cutting my hair because it is so thick, it takes him twice as long to cut it. I tell him it helps him earn the tip I give him.

Desert temps are extreme. Over the weekend, we were having freezing/near-freezing temperatures for the outlying parts of the Valley, with daytime highs in the low 50's. I know, for you in the colder climes, you mock my bitching about the "cold". Monday was mid-60's. Tuesday high was 71, and today, last I heard, the expected high was 73. RM posted on her blog that PT said it was to be 80 today, but I don't see it, and surely do not know where he heard that weather report. I would stop listening to that one for sure. It's been nice with the warmer than usual temps for AZ, considering we still have snow in the high country just 2-3 hours from the Valley. No, I have no plans of going to "see the snow" though we have been invited on any given weekend to visit a BIL's family that lives up north. I do enjoy wearing shorts more than long pants, and have not yet had to wear jeans to work.

A couple weeks or so back, the Wife was looking at calendars on one of our short trips to the store. She was trying to think ahead and get a couple for 2015, and since we were at the 99 Cent Store, it was worth the price. Of course, being the woman, she had to go through EVERY SINGLE ONE to make sure she like the picture theme. OF course, there is at least one (of the 3-4 she bought) that has cats on it. Could be used for target practice later, I guess. But while she was flipping calendars, I came across a skinny, book-sized monthly planner that I decided was going to be for me. Simple. Efficient, Portable. No damn pictures of cats.

Anyway, I was just sort of flipping through the months last night, putting in the kids' birthdays, marking the Daughter's wedding date, days off from school for the boys, etc. Then I sat for a minute, and realized how empty the year looked. There were no days marked for a family trip. Nothing for just me, like a vacation day. Nothing specific for the Wife planned out. No schedule of meetings/events/classes for anything. I have seen the wipe-board calendar that RM keeps on their fridge, and it seems they have something put down for damn near every day, between church stuff, grandkids stuff, birthdays/anniversaries .... they seem busy. Too busy if you ask me.

So maybe not having so much filled in for the year is good ... or, I can just take it as it comes. Surprise trips are kind of nice. A random day off for no reason could be enjoyable, though I would probably spend part of it thinking about work. Maybe I will talk to the Wife about doing a 3-day weekend to Cali for a family trip ... and do something there less expensive than the trip to Disneyland was when we went last.

Eh. Who knows?

PeacE

How to Console Those That Just Don't Care

I was at the pub tonight. Mainly because I knew there wasn't a bad ... Monday Night Football was over, and it would hopefully be a quiet night to have a few beers and read my current book.

There was a full moon out.

Well, if by calendar it wasn't, it sure looked like one, and the crazies came in. I was not working as bouncer tonight, and the bartenders handled most of them well. But near midnight, one that I knew showed up, more than 'in his cups' .... and he focused enough to see me. I spent the next hour getting him out of the bar (because he was drunk already) but had to spend the time re-hashing many times of my buddy Don's passing. Just when I thought I had a good "cap" on those emotions, some came back up. I can't say it was pleasant, but I can say he made it home fine. I did, too, after a couple more shots.

Full moon. Thought it would be a simple night, but I got that. I missed out on at least two hours of reading time on my Kindle. Selfish? Yeah. I got no problem with that. Kept his drunk, ready-to-fight mood from actually doing one. Pros and cons I guess.

Empathy. I don't think I have much. I just don't care. Then sometimes, a rare thing, and I do. I like Apathy more. I don't have to deal with ... other shit.

Full Moon, or new year? Hell, fuck if I know. maybe both can end at the same time.

PeacE

The Long Stretch

With the end/start of the year's holidays over with, it's time to think about taking some time off. What? didn't you just have like three holidays with paid time off within the last two months? Yes, but now is the long stretch with no holidays off until the end of May (for me). After that, there is a holiday that we get off about every 2-3 months. I have to decide when to use up my vacation days. I know I am taking 2-3 days before the Daughter's wedding (early May) but don't know if about the rest of them. I am thinking I may need a couple days off in March, just to make it through that long spell.

It is Monday, I suppose that is why I am thinking about days off from work. I like my job, but just not feeling like going in today. Might be because I just woke up a few minutes ago ... or it might be just because I am feeling tired still, not having woke up completely yet. In fact, I am debating setting the alarm and going back to sleep for a couple hours. Some advantages to not having to be at work early in the morning.

The last few days it has been colder in AZ for winter than we have seen in years, I think. Though yesterday it seemed to have warmed back to regular winter temps. I actually brought out long pants on Saturday, it was so chilly. I haven't worn them in a long time. I need to check how it is this morning to determine if I am wearing my regular shorts to work or not.

Then I think I might go back to bed for a bit.

PeacE