It Rears Its Ugly Head .....

 It's almost 2AM and I have not been up this late, or early depending on how you look at it, in quite awhile. Well, at least in the sense that there was no alcohol involved. I had closed my eyes for sleep around 10:45PM last night, and I don't know if it was noise the cats/dog made, but here I am awake, unable to fall back asleep. I sincerely hope it isn't that ugly thing Insomnia coming back.... seeking revenge after I finally shook its hold a few months back.

I didn't work yesterday. But, I did get a few work emails. One of which was for the next project, starting Monday, that I replied I was available to start on. Also, I guess there were some last minute documents come in on the project we just finished, and they requested for anyone to work a few hours (11-4) today, to get them done. I offered up for that as well. A few extra hours isn't bad considering I was not near the 40 hours for the weekly total.

What to do until then? I am not sure if I feel like Netflix/Disney+. Not even sure if I feel like popping in the last disc for season two of "Yellowstone". Maybe I will just play some Warcraft, and hope I get tired enough to get a few more hours of sleep prior to working. Let's see what happens.....

PeacE

Bright-Eyed and Bushy-Tailed

 Not.

I am not a morning person. I think everyone in the world, that has seen me in the mornings, knows this for a true fact. I've been called a 'grouchy, old bear' at times, and the moniker is fairly accurate, as I grumble and shuffle sleepily about the start of my day. There are a few mornings, that I actually wake up (to the alarm or whatever) where I am just.... awake. I cannot think of a morning I was ever happy and joyous to awaken. I am sure as I get older, that may change. Being alive on a daily basis alone may cause that.

So yesterday didn't go the way many of us planned. I am sure there will be many blogs and Facebook posts about how happy/sad people are of the outcome of the final confirmation of the Presidency of the United States. I know over the past few weeks, friends of mine (who just happen to share my opinion) have spoken of social unrest if this were to come to pass (and now it has). I even state the possibility of a social unrest, better called a civil war. Believe it or not, a select few of us have discussed getting our families to safety should the population of our area go into severe unrest. We have talked about what we are willing to do if things get that bad. I don't like to think about it, but better prepared than not.

Started work a bit later than usual yesterday. Also moved onto the next level of the project. Much more detail-oriented, and time consuming, but once I got through the first part, and the Team Lead said I was doing fine, then I got cruising. It feels like it has been a long time since I felt so unsure of my what I was doing. At times yesterday, I felt I was "thrown against the wall" just to see what sticks with me, and what I would do. Evidently, I passed. Though, I am saddened again thinking about the amount of work on the table for this phase, will probably run out today, and then who knows where I will be shuffled off to.

Guess I should get out of here, and see to what other things I need to do prior to starting work.

PeacE

Drinking and Early Don't Mix

 I finished out the workday yesterday around 5pm, on a separate project than I which I started the day. The one we ended up on, was told to be a VERY short one, and in actuality, finished up this morning. More about that in a minute.

So I finished the workday, and decided I would go out and have a few drinks with my buddy. We met up, had a couple, then another couple we know shows up. We have a couple more drinks. Next thing I know it is midnight, and I need to get home. Get home safely (Uber) and getting up this morning was no fun. I did make it up before 8am though, and logged into work.

I see there are a couple pieces of work that need to be finished on yesterday afternoon's project, so I start in. A half hour into it, and I am done. I did receive an email this morning stating we are moving into the next phase of the previous project around 10:30 this morning. I have never been on the "next phase". Talking with my buddy last night, that referred me to this job a year ago, and he thinks that this project group I am in this time (about 10 people) may be being groomed to learn the next phase(s). Sounds good to me! Longer on a project and more work to do!

Other than that, not much else to write about today. Middle Son stopped by yesterday on the way to the 99cent store. He was nice and bought me a couple packages of Little Debbie brownies (which I love) and a 2-liter of Mountain Dew (also love). He visited a bit with the Wife, and headed home for bed (he had worked overnight). Glad he stopped by even if I could only visit for a minute or two. Gifts are always nice.

PeacE

Shall We Try Half-Asleep Writing?

 I just awoke about 15 minutes ago. I've done my morning jaunt to the bathroom, and had the morning cigarette. I've jumped online, as  like to go over and read RM's blog first thing in the mornings. Well, most days when I am up early. She has a better habit than I do, of writing in hers early, that I thought, maybe I should too. I'm just wondering how scattered my thoughts may be, since I am just waking up.

That being said, there isn't much on my mind I want to share today. Enough other people have griped about politics, and it seems many of those I read share many of the same opinions that I have seem to have. Makes me think of a song by Tool called "Aenema" that has the one lyrical line of: "It's a bullshit three-ring circus sideshow of freaks". Yeah, sums it up well.

I just checked my email for any update regarding work. Wow! I had an email in there from this last Project Lead! Basically it says that this last project is not ready to move to the next level, and that they may move us to another smaller (yes it did say smaller) project. Further details would be sent later today. In other words, it looks like I won't be working today.

I remember back nearly a year ago, when I first did a phone interview with this company. She had explained that sometimes there were "a day, sometimes more" between projects, and if I was looking for full-time constantly, that this job would not be the one. I understood that, and still do. I just wish the projects were longer, so the small time between wouldn't be so much "downtime" and be taken as "relax time" between projects. I know, a company can inly do the business that it gets. Still....

So that's about all I have this morning. Guess I will go play some Warcraft since I am not working right away today.

PeacE

Starting to Catch On to the Info

 Today started out as a good one. I awoke refreshed and ready to get in front of the computer, and get to work. That did happen. At the earliest start time available to me on this current project, I logged my start time, opened the needed programs, gave a notification I was online thru Teams, and started working. This project was given a time period of 1-2 weeks for completion.

About 3pm, with still an hour to go for my 8-hour workday, I noticed the 'batched' files of information we go through was starting to dwindle down. If it was just me working, there might have been another couple hours of work, but with about ten others (though, admittedly they are much slower than I) it wasn't going to last an hour. I mentioned in Teams that we were getting low, and were there going to be more added? They sometimes do that. I was told that when we were out, that there would be announcement about our next step.

Within 30 minutes I was done, and the final items were signed out, meaning there was no work for me to do. No announcements were made. I decided to mark my time I finished, and hang out for a bit to see if I could still get in another half hour, if something were to come up. Finally, 20 minutes later someone else mentioned that there was no more work, and were we wrapping up the FLR (my current job). Then there was the announcement, that this was it for FLR, and to watch our personal email accounts for updates if we were continuing to the next phase of this project, or being re-assigned. I have been re-assigned at least 6 times now in the past 3 or so weeks. 

So now I am beginning to realize, the 'Project Duration' is for the ENTIRE project - not just the First Level Review. So a shorter project of 1-2 weeks means maybe 2-3 days of work at my level. Sigh. I need to get into a higher level of review, so I can be used longer on these projects. But with only barely 2 months under my belt, I am sure it will be awhile before they see my stats and are willing to 'bump' me up.

Looks like I will be waiting now. Joy.

PeacE

I'm Still Here....

 I went to church this morning. The lightning bolt didn't appear. I didn't catch on fire, nor melt away, now disappear in a blinding flash of light followed by the musical horns of God's orchestra. Not sure why I went. I think it was because the night before I had gone out and had a few drinks, and for some reason offered to go in the morning with the Wife if she wanted to go. Either way, she woke and we went. Took the youngest Son as well. I had basically quit attending many years ago, due a few different reasons. I'm not going to get into that right now, but one of the main reasons was because I didn't like the pastor. Specifically, the way he shared the message/lesson/passage interpretation. It is the typical 'sometimes you don't can't understand what the teacher is explaining, but another one makes it crystal clear'. I would go once in awhile, usually when they had a new preacher start up. This was no exception. It was one I had not met/heard yet, and thought it couldn't hurt to go. They are starting a small series regarding marriages, and today's sermon was pretty short, but I may have to go a couple more weeks to make a determination if I like this guy or not. Though the church has down-sized quite a bit from my teenage years, this morning there were maybe 20 people there. No one I recognized, though the Wife said there are several that do attend that I would know, just with the holidays and Covid, maybe it wasn't this week. We decided to do brunch afterwards, and went to a place near home called Ronnie's Cafe. Real good food portions for a good price. It's 8pm now, and I am still not hungry from the food I had this morning.

Tomorrow starts the regular work week routine of Monday to Friday. School starts back on Tuesday for the youngest, though they are still doing the 'at-home login from the computer' learning still. No word on when that will change. Basically it based off the "safe/green" levels of "covid infection" and that is always two weeks behind (here at least) and has been in the yellow since November. My guess is that they will finish out the year online schooling...though that is five months long.

I read RM's blog before writing this post, and now she has me craving cookies....

PeacE

Damn Cats!

 We have the extreme (dis)pleasure of owning four cats. In fact, I would almost go to say that the Wife is a Cat Lady, except for the fact that one of the cats is mine. One, mind you. Several years ago, the Wife started her collection with a random stray she found, wandering blindly across the road, its kitten-sized voice meowing its hunger, and its eyes all matted shut with gunk from being sick. It may have been better if she had not seen this kitten and just ran the damn thing over.

That orange furball became Rusty, aka Crack Kitty, Loudmouth, F*cking Cat, and many other monikers I have used for him. This is the one that can laze about in the backyard grass, but will try to bolt "for freedom" every time you open the front door.  I can't count the times he has made the escape, and someone drops whatever they have to chase and grab him before he gets too far. I don't. I say let him run if he wants. Maybe he won't come back. Except that one time... Once he got out, and I don't remember if no one saw, or what, but he was gone. The Wife noticed it that evening, and I made the comment "Good. If he wants to come back, he will". I hated being right. Three days later, I was sitting at my computer in the front room, and hear the front screen door rattling, a little loose when latched. I thought it nothing more than the wind might have picked up. Then noticed there was a regular rhythm to the noise. Three rattles, and a pause. Three rattles and a pause. I went and opened the door to see Rusty there, paw batting against the door to make it rattle. I gave him the stink-eye (though not as good as the Wife is able to do) and said "Well, at least you knocked" and let him in.

Crack Kitty.... man, this cat is nuts at times. When the Wife brought him in, he was sick. some kind of cat-cold. Ended up spending around $400 taking it to the Vet and getting medicines. I think the meds screwed up his head, or the cold was just too much. He will be nice and sitting there being petted, then get up and race through the house, literally up the walls when taking corners. Along with the mood swings, he just will out of the blue to do weird stuff. Plastic shopping bags are nirvana to him. Anyways, following Rusty, the Wife thought he needed company and we got the "runt" dog, Daisy.

I missed somewhere ion the beginning to mention, prior to Rusty, we had had a family pet, a dog named Spunky. After about 17 years, she had decided it was time and passed away. I was somewhat happy, at the chance to say "No More Pets" as the kids were getting older, and if we wanted to travel, we wouldn't have to make arrangements for a pet(s) to be taken care of. That lasted about 6 months, if that.

So now we have a cat and a dog, when I wanted no pets. The Wife never listens to my better judgement. When the MIL passed away, now almost two years ago, not only did we inherit the house, we also got her two cats, Scampers, and Nimbus. Both of them seem to have neurological issues as well. Then about a little over a year ago, I brought home Lucius, an all black stray that would not leave me alone. He's cool though. Lucius stays out of things he shouldn't be in, and enjoys some attention, then saunters off. He guards the house front well, from the guard perch at the front window.

So what brings up the story about the pets? The middle Son came by this morning after work - that means sometime around 5am probably. He had left his set of house keys for the old house on my desk in our study. Somehow, he didn't latch the door to the Study completely. Now, the Study is basically "My Domain". We have the computers set up in there, so I spend quite a bit of time between work and leisure in this room. It is a NO PETS ROOM - even for Lucius. 

I had heard a crashing sound at one point that had woken me. I figured the cats, probably Rusty, had knocked something off of somewhere. The second crashing sound I opened my eyes, and realized I was seeing a light on off the hallway. I got up to investigate and found the Study door wide open. I flipped on the switch and found Rusty, the POS cat, on my desk, knocking random items off the edge. I chased him out and shut the door, and started the clean-up. I looked over at the Wife's desk. Not a thing seems to be out of place. That butthead of a cat was only knocking things off my desk. Nothing was broke, thankfully as some were glass. 

Think the furball knows I don't like him? Damn cat.

PeacE