I'm All Messed Up Today

 It all started the other day. I did not sleep any the other night, though not from lack of trying. Sleeping pills I have don't seem to do anything. The melantonin pills are worthless, too. So I am tired feeling already. I had to run the Youngest to an Italian restaurant, where the jazz bands were doing a concert (proceeds going to the band program). I had gotten back home for a short while, when the Wife calls. One of the tires had blown on her way home from work and couldn't change it herself. So I drove several miles out to help her. I'm glad I remembered to grab my kneepads, the ones with the hard outer shell. While breaking loose the lug nuts, I had a nice 'slip' and planted part of my face into the side of the car. Which of course, bent my glasses. Sigh. Not fixable. When that was finished, counting the drive time, it was going to be time to pick up the Youngest, so off I went again. Got home and was going to head out to meet with buddies (my regular Thursday routine) and my back-up pair of glasses will not work either. They are so blurry, like a dirty kind, and using soap, water, spit, I just could not get rid of the blur. I drove four blocks and the light glare was so bad and blinding, I had to go home and put on the bent pair.

I got home late. I'm feeling exhausted, and am hoping to sleep. I last checked the time near 2am, but finally fell asleep. The Wife woke me (very vague recollection) - must have been her telling bye before heading to work. I had set a few alarms, every two hours, because I knew I needed to get the tire up to repair shop today, plus some other things I wanted to get done. I slept thru at least one of the alarms, turned the other off and back to sleep. Finally waking at noon. Roughly a good ten hours. I know I needed it. And I'm sore ... knew I would be changing the tire, but I got things to do. I hurriedly got dressed to head out to get the tire fixed. UPS had been by (Oldest had texted he was expecting a package today) and had left the memo that it required signature. I evidently did not hear them knocking, and since the dog has passed, nothing was barking. Not that I could have been woken....

So off I go to the Discount Tire. They are closed 12-3 today in observance of Good Friday. Sigh. No way am I coming back at 3, to try to get the tire done before 6, with rush hour traffic. Moving on... I drive a few blocks over to the UPS Store. Before going in, I get on the phone for Google, and set up an appointment for 8:30am to get the tire repair done. I find out that the package won't be dropped off at the store until late today, or tomorrow morning, and I need to return tomorrow. Sigh. I'm still wearing the bent glasses...The eyeglass store is just up the road, but without setting an exam time, I don't know if I will be able to walk-in and get seen. And I'm hungry. I end up at Yogi's Grill and get the lunch beef and chicken bowl, then head home. Read RM's blog, then started today's post... and here I am.

Things I need to get done are still around me: Taxes, Yardwork - notice they are capitalized? Sigh. A friend from the Post had asked me for some help on a file. Seems it is supposed to be an Excel file, but loads wrong. I started to take a look at it yesterday, and it does have some problems. Going to play around and see if I can get it to convert properly for her. Sigh. More things.

I think I am going to ignore the world for awhile....

PeacE

Did the Bottom Just Fall Out?

 I started my new job today.

I quit my new job today.

It wasn't as fast, nor as complete, as that. 

Truth is I did start online training for a project that is estimated to last about a week. I got through the training, the team meeting in regards to the project. Details are basically analyzing data breach information and tagging/flagging items of certain content related to personal to finance, to medical. Pretty cool stuff. Got through all of that, and went to log into the software to start, and there is a glitch. I can't get logged in. there were a few others that could not as well. 

As time ticked and I sat waiting for them to let me know things had been fixed/reset/whatever, I got an email from the HR department requesting a second form of ID, and they had to have it today, or I would be let go. I lost my SS card. I noticed it awhile back, but have not been to the SSA offices here as they are closed for COVID restrictions. I don't have a birth certificate available (RM, not your fault... it's just gone somewhere). Needless to say, after an hour, I still could not log in the system, so informed the team lead that I needed to try to get this issue resolved, otherwise I would have to back out of the project.

I went online. SSA website would not let me create an account with them to request a replacement card. I called the local office, and actually spoke to a person (don't know if they were at the office, or a call center somewhere else in town) who directed me to another office that handles all issues with card replacements. I called that office, recording told me that it could only be requested in person at that location. Drove over there (about 15 miles) and the parking lot is empty. I walk tot he doors to see if there is anything posted about what I should do, and a security guards opens the door and says they are closed until further notice. I explained my issue, and he said I have to mail an application for request for a replacement, to that exact office. But who is checking the mail, or doing the work if the office is closed????

So, a wasted trip. I get back home and I look up about getting a copy sent of my birth certificate. It would be coming from Indiana, and the Vital Statistics there...oh man.... it's only $10 plus postage (which isn't listed in the fees). The main website says it is a 25 day process, but on top of that, they are running an additional 45 days over. Next option is a third-party.... but would that be quicker than the governmental branch? It sure is a hell of a lot more expensive. To have A copy (one copy) mailed to me, the fee is $75. The have a copy that can be emailed and I print it out (all in theory, because I don't see how that can be considered certified without the creased stamp like a notary) is only $55. But both options say nothing about how long the process actually takes... Her eis what each third-party site says:

"Each US state offers varying waiting times between 1 to 8 weeks to receive your Vital Records Certificate"

Up to two months?!? Whooooaaaa.... There is no fast solution to my problem. I do not have a passport. Either way I ended up notifying the Team Lead that due to the situation not being able to be resolved quickly, I had to back out of the project. Another email was sent to the recruiting department, explaining what happened, informed them I needed to remove myself from the project, and be placed on BUSY status with the company until I can resolve it all. Once one of them get here, I can go ACTIVE and hopefully get into the next available project. 

But now we are looking at a minimum of two months for either to get here.... and I need both in theory anyways. Might as well finish out the damn year without a job.

Sigh.

PeacE

Frustration Level: Maximum

 Today started out nice. Slept in for a bit. Wife ran out and got some croissan'wiches from Burger King for breakfast. Drove out to RM's and took her to lunch a t a nice little cafe. Food was tasty (I had a Philly Cheesesteak and fries) in good proportions, for a real good price. We had a nice time catching up somewhat.

Then everything went hell in a hand basket. Driving home, my car starts overheating. I am only a mile from the shop that does our car repairs, so I drop it off, explaining I just had it in within the last two weeks for a coolant leak, that was fixed... what now? Having not made an appointment, I knew I could wait as long as Tuesday before they could find time to look at it. So I will be without a car for a few days I figure.

About an hour later I got a call from the shop. They were able to get it in and do the pressure test on the coolant system. Results are a cracked engine block. No bueno. We are talking engine replacement, and that is not happening. I have had this car barely a year, bought for $2300 and I've spent at least that much in miscellaneous repairs/tires/rims. No way am I spending $5K+ for an engine replacement.

So now I need to find a vehicle. But I need the money to get said vehicle. I could (and probably will try) to sell this one.... for parts or something. Tires and rims at least... I don't know. It wouldn't be enough to get another car. And I don't want to finance a vehicle.

I'm frustrated. It feels like I can't even go a week without something going wrong, or costing a fortune.

PeacE

When It Rains, It Pours

Labor Day weekend has come and gone. With it, my birthday showed up. Saturday night, we did a family dinner out for my bday at one of our favorites, a place called the Black Bear Diner. My birthday, being Sunday, the Wife and boys went to church, and I went up to the pub to hang out for awhile. An hour or so after being there, I found out some movie company was there shooting some scenes for some mafia boss-type movie. No one well-known was going to be there, but supposedly the movie stars Nicholas Cage and Mila Kunis. I guess the scenes they were shooting that day were more about the bad guy and some bar scene. I watched a couple of them. One guy, I'm guessing the one in charge of extras, heard it was my birthday, and if I stayed long enough, he would get me in a scene "close to the action" as an extra, but it didn't work out. I waited for him to get me, but he never did. On their way out he sort of apologized, saying he hadn't realized til some of the regular guys were there, that I was a bit bigger than they, and would appear more intimidating than they were. Great.

Either way I still had a fun time. The Wife and I went to dinner at Black Angus, a little more expensive steak place for those that don't know of them. Good birthday. Monday, Reverend Mother came by with some cookies, leftover home made potato salad and some 'white girl' salsa Sis had made. And some cassette tapes she had at home she thought I could listen to in my truck, since I griped about the radio last time. Then the AC at the house went out.

Tuesday I got AC repair to the house, supposedly fixed it. Some board had some scorch marks on it but covered under warranty (yea!) but when the Wife got home last night, it still isn't working. She and the boys stayed over at the MIL's, I stayed home as I had to rise early and get to work. No idea when we can get the AC repair back here as they want access to the thermostat inside, but with our schedules, we may have to wait until the weekend.

This morning, already frustrated with some work issues from Monday, the AC not working, a night sleeping in warm house (it is 7am, and only 91 now, but was up 98 last night at like 9pm), I got up early and headed to my truck. There is a nice large puddle of coolant underneath. The garage my shop uses is in East Mesa, in other words, across the valley (about 35 miles one way) so no way am I able to drive it there with this issue. The garage doesn't open until 7:30 (it was about 6:20 at this point). I called my boss, gave him the heads up. He has the number for the owner of the garage, and within a few minutes, both of them calling me, we got a tow set up.

Tow company calls. They are based in East Mesa, and with morning rush hour, it will take them 1-2 hours to get here (which is about right - takes me about 50 minutes to go to the garage prior to morning rush when I take it in for maintenance. Then I am to ride with them to the garage to pick up a company loaner van (we keep a couple there for this situation with out tech fleet). That will be at least another hour. Then I can got to work (about 15 mins from the garage). I might make it in by 10:30, when I started the day planning to be there at 7:30. In the meantime, I get to sit here in this warm house, waiting for the tow, prattling on about how frustrated I am with all the problems happening to me right now.

At least I have cookies .... for breakfast.

Lunch on Thursday morning with Preacher Tom ... unless more bad stuff happens.

Thanks for reading my rant.

PeacE