Gonna Be A Long One

I have been employed at the Company now for just a bit over two years. I enjoy working in the parts department. Like any company, especially those dealing with parts, etc, you need to do an inventory, probably once a year, for financial reasons. At least, I would think a company should.

In the past year and a half, we have done about five inventories. This includes each tech's truck (for their truck inventory) and the parts warehouse (where I work out of). At a year and a half ago, when they performed their first one (since I had started), I found out it was also the first one that the company had ever done ... at least in the last 12 years (about when our branch opened up). Yeah ...

Needless to say, there was a large discrepancy in what parts/value should be there, versus what was actually there. So a couple months later, they did it again, after spending time adjusting numbers, tracking missing parts, etc. Again a month later.

Eventually, it came down to we had to implement a new software system as part of the tracking problem was in the older program/software they were using (suppposedly), so February of last year, that was installed. The inventories faded off. I heard our numbers were closer to be actuals, instead of 'what-should-be'. 

About a month ago, they did another one. Once again the numbers were with less errors. This weekend, they are doing it again. Needless to say, my boss is doing the truck inventories for the Westside techs (the ones I deliver to) this morning. He scheduled them to meet at one centralized location (for them) and have them come every half hour. Each inventory should take about 20 minutes. He asked me to come help him. How? I don't know. Most of these techs do not carry truck stock, so there is going to next to nothing, or nothing to count. Either way, he said to be there by 6am. Which means getting up at 5:30, for me. Whiuch also means, I awoke at 4:30 and could not go back to sleep. Let's add in that Fridays are my "longer" days, as I am pulling parts for two days (Sat & Mon) versus just the usual next day. I'll be lucky to be home by 9pm.

It's also my lil' brother's birthday today. Stuman turns 41 this year, and has already asked what time I would finish up work tonight. I had told him around 9pm. He is to text me where he may be at around that time, so I can go help celebrate out with him. I'm going to be TIRED.

Think I will need a Monster energy drink today, on my way into the shop.

PeacE

Let's Look At College

As parents, I am sure most look at sending your kids to college like a second mortgage. For many, I understand. I'm thinking about my second. Let me re-align you with our history....

The Daughter. Paid for a year of major university, with dorm, etc, She basically "fails out" they don't ask her back. Enroll her in a secondary, pay all fees, etc, plus her living costs (an apartment, etc. in another city while she attends). After graduating, with what she went to school for, she has to take three (3) state tests to be licensed to work.

She got married. She moved twice (based on the boyfriend, now husband) but still living in the state. And STILL has not taken the tests, to be able to work. I'm not happy.

So my next child, is a Senior this year. Yes, he is male. Yes, we don't have the money available like we did with his sister. Also, he has not applied to any university (that I know of, as of tonight). That could be a good thing. I know he is super smart. I'm pushing for him to join the US Air Force. Can't be a pilot, but Intelligence, Police, or something better. He's smart, shouldn't be on dipshit patrol.

Or I said Navy. He likes to eat. Maybe a cook, or something. I don't know.

I just want him to have a goal. Because he seems to have none as of now.

I'm pushing for Air Force. I got my brother in Army Reserve. Dad served (drafted) Army. PT served AF back in the day. Grandpa was Army in WWII. Got Uncles that did NAVY, and ARMY. Lot of family that served, whether in time of need or not.

Not happy about our country in the political situation we are in, and signing up one more, ain't fixing nothing ..... and it makes me harder to believe in what is right, if we don't have a strong leader, which we don't have now, and the prospects for the future, are not looking good.

All my opinion. Maybe you rest easy....

PeacE

I'm A Bit Pissed Tonight

Weekends for my family, come and go like ... hotcakes in front of a hungry teenager. Unless they are my teens, who aren't crazy about hotcakes, but I can't complain, neither am I. Anyways, I guess what I was trying to say is, weekends around here, pretty much aren't weekends. It is just two more days that those of us that are parents, have to squeeze in everything that we weren't able to get done during the week, plus attend 4+ hours of marching competition, help another finish his essay paper, and make sure all of them practice their instruments. Let's add-in the time we need to run to friends' weddings/funerals/extended family visits, etc, etc.

Yeah. We live in real life. Not all that shit gets done.

On "regular" weekends, I make sure of one thing ... either Saturday or Sunday, we go out to eat as a family. Now if the Daughter is up (with or without the SIL) she's invited. And sometimes we invite the MIL (as we did Saturday night). So we had dinner last night, today my Redskins were playing at 10am (my time, even if they did lose ... again). So I was at the pub, had some beers.

Oh hell. I ain't pissed now at nobody but the Wife. She had an MRI today, to help figure out some neuropathy issues she has going on .... but failed to remind me today she was going for an MRI. Yes, she gave me a date, many days ago, but my memory is terrible. It wasn't written on a calendar, or anywhere else. I even spoke with her for 15-20 minutes this morning, but did she remind me? No. So ... when I heard she was getting it done, I was a bit freaked that she had not reminded me.

It ruined the evening.

I am upset my Wife doesn't want to keep me informed (even as bad as my memory is, and she knows this) nor cares if I am there.

I'm a little pissed off. Maybe I should book a flight for our 25th next year, and go without her - say I forgot to remind her that morning our flight leaves ....

Yeah. That would be a cause to waste 25 years ....

So not happy tonight.

Hope you get some ....

PeacE

Isn't Winter Supposed to Be Coming?

It's October 1st, and here in Phoenix we are expecting around 103 for a temperature. If I remember correctly, weather forecast on the radio said we are about 10 degrees higher than average. Plus, it is to finally cool down into the 90's by Monday, with even a slight chance of rain. That sounds more like  the  Octobers of the past I remember.

Work was crazy this last week. One of the guys in my department took 4 days off, and of course that meant I was working 12-13 hour days for those four days. At least the weekend fell in the middle of that time, and I had a couple days to somewhat rest. Though, I still feel pretty worn out. Probably be next week before I start feeling back to normal (no aches/pains, not so tired, etc).

Not much else is going on. Any free time I have anymore seems I have my nose stuck in a book. I've been getting a bit behind in my reading ... or just adding to it faster.

PeacE

Catching Up

The last week or so has been crazy. This next week isn't looking much better. Been having to help cover for people going on vacations, then you throw into the works we had inventory last week. This next week, I have to pull extra hours for four days, and if like yesterday, which I fear they will be, it means 12 hour plus work days. Yesterday about dropped me. By the time I made it home, I used the restroom, then went to bed. No supper. No chit chat. Straight to bed, and passed out. I got a good nine hours of sleep or more, and today I feel rested, but muscle-achey.

Nothing exciting in the Life around here. The Daughter is coming up this weekend for her birthday, though it isn't until next Monday.

Geez, my life is sounding pretty boring right now if all I do is work.

PeacE

Back To Normal, For Around Here

Finally got the AC fixed Saturday. Sunday was Football day, so I went to the pub with some buddies, and watched our team lose. Monday it was back to work.

Huge exciting post, right? Truly, not much more happened this past weekend. I like weekends like that, because I know here soon, with school activities, our weekends (and seemingly many weeknights) are filled up.

Well staring at the screen isn't helping either of us ....

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