Sigh .... My Mother ....

 My Mother (commonly refered to here as Reverend Mother, or RM) writes a blog. I think it is listed in the sidelist on the right under 'Reverend Mother's Musings'. She has been going awhile now, and is able to daily (for the most part) share not only a bit of the bible, but stories that relate to the lesson. Sometimes those stories include not only her personal issues/tales, but sometimes some of mine and my siblings. Sometimes she just shares things going on with her....anyways, you should give it a look-see sometime.

Today she shares about 'hiding things' not necesarily from God, but sometimes from people as well. RM references about wanting a cookie, and feeling the urge to hide it from PT (Preacher Tom) because she didn't want him to know about her having a cookie. She made me think of a snack I recently picked up. So the Youngst and I mad made it out to this Discount Grocery we like. The items there are constantly changing, and one never knows what one may find. I had gotten snack stuff for me (granola bars, etc) when we had been out last time, so wasn't really looking for snacks, but came across these bags of Chex mix.

I'm sure everyone knows what Chex mix is: that cereal where they add in pretzels and some other crunchy things and it is a hit at parties, or even by oneself at home. Well, this one is cookies and creme flavored. The description on the package reads "Crispy corn chex pieces in a cookies and cream coating with a delightful powdery smooth finish", and of course has pictures on the front looking like Chex pieces coated in sugar, sitting infront of a broken in half Oreo-type cookie. For $0.75, I thought, eh, I'll try it. Worse case is I don't like it, and maybe the Wife or Kid will. I opened the package yesterday. It. Is. So. Good. I ate about a handful, maybe a bit more, yesterday, then hid it in my desk drawer so the Wife wouldn't see it. Why? Because I don't want to share. It may not be exactly what lesson RM was trying to impart today, but it caught my attention.

So, as I snack on a little bit more of this Chex mix already this morning, I need to find out where to get more. As it has been nearly a week since our last jaunt to the Discount Grocery, I am sure they are gone from there now. I might have to order from Amazon, or direct from the manufacturer. Wait! What if these were a limited time thing? Oh geeze....

That's the worse of my problems this morning. Figure at some point today I am clipping down the hair on top again, and touching up the beard. Starting to look a little shaggy.

PeacE

Nothing to See Here....

 Pretty boring week so far. Still waiting to hear from the Company, if there is a project I can be assigned to. Otherwise, I feeli like I am doing nothing but twiddling the thumbs at home.

A buddy ofmine that owns one of the pubs I make appearances at, called me yesterday. Seems he had a couple workers call out, and needed some help. So I went up last night, and collected the cover charge for the band that was playing.After a couple hours of doing that, we snuck off and went to another close by place and he bought me a couple beers for helping him out. Was actually nice to get away and have some sit down time with this friend - he is usually just so busy!

The Middle Son came by this morning. OF course, he needed something (to do his laundry). We've always told the boys to come by for that when needed rather than spend the extra quarters on the apartment's machines. I am sure a load runs nearly $2.00 or more now... Either way, he started a load, then says he wanted to take the Youngest out o breakfast and talk. I was like, I'm right here and able to go to.... but I wasn't invited. Sigh. Oh well.

I guess today I will be going through some newer content in my World of Warcraft game. They spent most of yesterday doing a new patch/upgrade, and I didn't get a chance to check it out last night. Some new features, and a few small tweaks with new storyline content. I know, nothing of interest for you, unless you play.

In the meantime, I'm still alive.

PeacE

Something to Do ....

 I was in that nice, comfortable, fuzzy zone under the sheet this morning. My arm around the Wife, and just drifting from sleep to wake and back, when I was startled awake. The Wife was asking if we had any specific plans today. My sleep-addled mind struggled for a couple moments befoire I replied that no, I don't think there were any specific plans at all this weekend. I followed that up with 'What time is it?'. Not quite 9am.... Ugh. I guess that means it is time to get out of bed. The Wife needed to go to the bank, and then into work for a couple hours. It is near the EOM and she wants to make sure her paperwork , etc are in compliance. Of course, she also has to work Monday. So I got up and did the morning routine: bathroom, sugar count, BP reading, intake of twenty-million horse-sized pills (well, it feels like it sometimes).

Well, I been star5ing at thsi screen for nigh on ten minutes now, and nothing coming to mind to write about. I must be sleep-addled still.

PeacE

How to Look at It ....

 This last week has been ... something. I am not sure how I would describe it, as I look back and try to figure out what was good, bad, or whatever. In someways it had a some learning experiences, and others it was just boring.

I spent most of Monday morning trying to get my new video game to work. There was one error right at start-up, that was frustrating me. I spent time reading about this particular error through Google searches, on numerous websites. Some sites had the same info to do, some didn't. I tried all the easy stuff first (run program as administrator, re-verify the files are not corrupted, etc). then not knowing any better, started in on particular updates for other files. Then I gave up for the day.

Tuesday morning found me back at. Only into it for about an hour, and I came across yet another website that really explained what was wrong.I had not come across this website at all in my previous searches, and thankfully it should up when it did. Seems when I loaded the game up, off of the actual CDs, it needed to download teh more current updates. The sad part, is the datat fromt he discs was about 55Gb, and teh actual download it needs to do is around 108Gb. At my speed of internet, that's about 20 hours. Maybe two evenings of downloading all night (after we retire to bed). Ok, so I see the problem, and now have the CORRECT info to fix it. Moving on.

I go to start my Warcraft game. It won't load. Uh oh. Then my graphics driver won't load. Reboot. Check BIOS. Reboot. Nada. Downloaded a program that puts in the most current drivers on your system completely. That took two hours, and still did not work. I'm frustrated and angry now. I ended up doing a system recovery, but my most recent was about 5 days before. Another hour for that to finish. Then everything booted up properly - except the new video game, as I had not installed it previous to the recovery data date. So at some point, when I have two hours, I will reload it, and then do the two nights of download. I just have not been as anxious to play it now, due to the issues I have dealt with, without the proper info. If that info could have been found easier, would have saved time and effort....

By Wednesday, I am frustrated that the Company has not replied to the email I sent a week prior, about being available for a project as of the past Monday. I do not know if it is vacation time for the recruiting department, or the upcoming holiday weekend, but I doubt I will hear anything today either. Monday will find me sending another email, even though I am sure the offices are closed.

I did get my prescription taken care of. After spending over half an hour waiting on hold to speak to someone at the Dr office, I logged into the 'MyChart' site they use to share info with me about meds/treatments/appts, etc. I was able to send a note to my care team, where I described what the pharmacy told me Saturday morning. By that afternoon I had a reply from the actual doctor, that he was adjusting the dosage, and that should clear up the issue. So, it is still Metformin, but at a higher dosage, and it is now the extended release version. I picked it up Tuesday, started Wednesday, and have been feeling weird the past two days. It's like a low-grade nausea that is just "there" all day" long. It's early yet, so not sure if it is side effect, or just the change in dosage that may be affecting me. But I can see the changes in my glucose count. So overall, my numbers are getting to where my doc saidf he wanted to get them. Let's give it a few weeks and make sure they stay in that range.

The Youngest finished up the school year on Wednesday. He is officially a Junior now, as long as his final grades are passing ones. At last notice, they were. I had asked him that day, what time did he want me to wake him each day, as there is no way I was letting him sleep all day all summer. We decided on 10am for now, which is okay with me. Yesterday, I actually let him sleep (and he did) unitl about 3pm, when he woke up on his own. Mainly becuase it was his first day off school, and I honestly laid in bed a bit that morning as I was feeling all weird from the meds. This mornig I woke him early (he was already up?) and we got the trash out to the street for pick-up. Plans this morning include a trip out to the discount grocery we like, to see if they have anymore energy drinks, etc that we like. Maybe a side trip to the 99cent store for some sodas low-priced as well. Though, I have been being good about watching the amount of sugar I intake now, since this whole sugar count thing started.

Holiday weekend. No plans.I may be down at the VFW tomorrow for a bit in the afternoon. Probably won't stay for the evening. I did last week, won a $.25 drink, and $25.00 for the Queen of Hearts draw. I had the winning ticket, but only picked a 7 of diamonds. but $25 is $25 bucks. Overall I only spent $10 on tickets.

Welp, since I ain't doin' nottin' else, I guess'em I should close this off.

PeacE

Welp, I tried ...

 Friday late in the afternoon was my doctor appointment. As usual, I show up fifteen minutes early (habit) and sath the expected five minutes vefore begin called back. Weighed in (heavier than last month - wonder why) then sat in the room for an unexpected 20 minutes before the doc came in. Things were short and to the point. Decided to add another pill for the HBP. It shold help get it lowered to where we (meaning the doc) feels it is at a more comfortable level. We talked about the metformin - and as expected due to my glucose readings, the doc wants to double it up. That's when I asked about the extended release version. He took a couple minutes and looked it up right there in the room, and said that it was available for that level of prescription, and that he would do that when the order was placed. Then I sat there for another 25 minutes (very much unexpected) while they called in my new 'scripts, and gave me my appoiontment results. Overall I was in there over an hour - where usually I am in and out in like 25 minutes. Weird.

Saturday I went to the Walgreens near our house. I needed to drop off the bottles for new prescription refills for a couple of the pills I take, and sai dI would be back to pick them and the new ones up. Took the Wife out to breakfast at Ronnies (one of our faves) and did the bank run for the Wife. Went back to Walgreens to find out that one of the new scripts was not approved by the insurance. Of course - it is the extended release metformin-type (I forget the actual name off the top of my head). When asked the cost outside insurance....over $2000 for the 3-month suppply that was scripted. Yeah, not paying out of pocket for that. The pharmacy had tried to contact the office, but it was late day Friday (I left the doctor's around 4:05pm) so they had not gotten a response at the time. I guess I will be calling this morning to explain and see if the doc can change it back to the non-extended release, or if there is a generic or something. Other than that, I got the three other pills.

Last week I ordered a new video game. I know, I don't play them often, but this was one that I had offhand been wanting to try for years - Grand Theft Auto V. I had amassed a whopping $30 gift code for Amazon by doing online surveys this past month, and the game was $29 and change, so bought it for the PC. My PC is a few years old. Still works great for everything I need, even if I have been ddebating getting a newer one. But my DVD/CD-Writer drive is compromised somehow. When playing a DVD it will occasionally just stop, but will resume once prompted. I found out, GTZ V is a 7-disc install, and it won't get past disc one, due to reading disc failure. I figured the drive had finally seen its end. I ordered a new one this weekend, and it showed up late yesterday. Today I will be dismantling the PC, and putting int he new one, then hopefully loading up the new game.

It is a Monday, and things will somewhat return to normal. Except that the Youngest is out of school this week. I think Wednesday is his last day. I will have to have him help plan out our little family vacation this year. Maybe put him in charge of the hotel search near the amusement park - finding one fairly inexpensive, but nice, etc. That will give him something to do than sleep all day. Though I know it will probably only take him less than a day to find someplace. Sigh.

Guess I am starting to ramble, which we sure don't want to happen too much.

PeacE

... and the Party is Over ....

I wonder how today is going to go. I say that with the sound of trepidation making resounding echoes. I got up this morning the same time as the Wife, and I went into the office to start my day. As the norm, I did my glucose count, then my blood pressure. Wait. That isn't right. My BP reading is usually higher. Did it again. Something still not right. I changed out the batteries. Third time is the charm right? Nope. By now the Wife is wondering what I am doing, and I explained that my BP reading was way lower than normal, and the cuff didn't seem to be inflating as much as it usually does.... something is not right. We did the wrist cuff monitor, and again, on the arm one. Twice more it was lower than normal. Wife said maybe it is accurate, and I just slept better and was better rested. I don't know, but I logged the last reading for the Doc, whom I will be seeing this afternoon.

The Youngest left for school. The Wife left for work. I splurged. I ran up the road to Wendy's and got a baconator breakfast meal. Usually I just have a granola bar for breakfast, but this morning, something more called out to me. So as I finish up my seasoned potatoes, and lick my fingers, I share this with you.

Weekend plans? I don't have any. Probably wait and see how I feel. After the Doc visit later today, I am sure he will up the dosage of my metformin (and I will be asking for an extended release type) so I am sure I will have the shits all weekend. This last week plus have not been terrible, dealing only a few days of this, instead of constant. Enough talking shit already.....

PeacE

Another Late Night to Start the Week

 I just gave up laying in bed for the last hour plus. When I went to bed, I felt tired, physically and mentally, but once in there, the mind just won't shut down. Not stress or worries, just things I know I need to get done this week like appointments, etc. My usual methods of trying to empty my head and relax the body just weren't working well tonight, so finally just decided to get up for a bit. Figured I could throw some words here, maybe watch an episode or two, and take another try at sleeping.

Just got news this morning that the Oldest Son will not be available Wednesday to celebrate his birthday. Seems he had just found out that night, by phone, from the store manager, that they are sendinghim up to the Payson store. Evidently, something about their inventory crew supposedly 'walked out' with only a week until their inventory. I hope they are compensating him well for the traveling, with the comps for food and hotel. He said he wouldn't make it back until Friday, shortly before he has to return to his store for his regular shift that night. I guess we will try for another time the following week. We do have a couple presents for him.

Nothing exciting happened this weekend. I went out Saturday and hung out at teh VFW for a few. Sunday I stayed home and pretty much played on the computer. Watched a few episodes, played some video games. Have my diabetic eye screening tomorrow, with the  regular eye exam as well. SO I should have a prescription for new glasses I will go shopping for new frames and all after getting our vision insurance info from the Wife in the next day or so. I might splurge this time and get those tints that darken in light, and lighten in dark - forget what it is called. Usually I just do the anti-scratch and glare. Think I just might splurge....

Welp, not much else I can think to write about. I see that Phoenix Suns (NBA) lost  Game 7 to the Dallas Mavericks tonight. Guess they are now done for the year.

PeacE