A simple place for which I fill the space with my rants and raves about whatever I want. You don't like it, don't let the knob hit ya in the ass on the way out the door.
As I mentioned previously, this past weekend was the gift to each other for our 30 years together. Many of those years ago, we decided that doing gifts was just not practical, or within our budget at the time(s). Other holidays got included into this special category as well. The last few years, things have gone better for us, and we have tried to do something 'special' for our anniversary, even if it is only like going out of town for an overnight (or two). I remember our 25th, as we had gone out and bought silver rings. They weren't matching, but were of a style we each preferred. Both have broken now (pay for what ya get) but we keep them, as our "silver anniversary" tokens.
Tonight we were going to go out for dinner once I finished up work for the day. About 6'ish we hopped into my Rav and motored down the road to Don Rubens. As we pulled up to the place though, there had to been at least 15 people outside waiting, and there was no way I was going to wait an hour plus to get in. WTH? On a Tuesday night? So, we shifted plans and ended up at Olive Garden (no wait). Normally we save places like this for special occasions (bdays, etc) but this counted. I do love their salad dressing! I was a bit non-plussed about my meal though. I did the Trio of Italy (Alfredo Fett.,Lasagna, and Chicken Parmesana) and it just tasted off. Like the whole plate had been sitting ready under a heat lamp for an hour or more. Pasta was a bit tough on the outer edges of the portions, and just wasn't what I usually get for this place. Either way, it was still a good meal and the Wife enjoyed it.
Back home, once my bathroom requirements we completed, the Wife brought out a shipping box, and holds it out to me. I look at her, and raise the eyebrows. "It's something I bought for us." So I tell her to open it (even though she already knows what it is) and this is what was revealed:
The words in grey behind out names, are the words to our wedding song. The music notes themselves are just decoration, and I sort of wish it did something like actually play the first line of music from the song, but oh well. Once the plastic comes off, we will find a place to hang it in our bedroom. Out in the front room we have another order she had done recently, of our names and wedding date in one of them infinity symbols.
All in all, a fine day was had. Now to the years ahead!
Do you know the three rings of a life together? The Engagement Ring, the Wedding Ring, and the Suffering.
Not much of that going on around here. Today marks 30 years the Wife and I have been married. Tonight we are going out to dinner just up the road. I had been to this place many years ago, but the Wife has never been there... so almost like going for the first time. Of course, this past weekend we spent in Tucson, as a celebration for our anniversary. I'm still a bit sore in the legs from all the walking at the zoo, but it was worth the time we spent with Doodad.
Work is getting interesting. Friday, the Project Lead asked me if I was an attorney, due to the amount of documents I was reviewing, and information I was providing in our team meeting. I was like - Ummmm, no. Then today, when I first logged into the system, she singled me out and asked me to move to Quality Control. So someone is realizing my potential and abilities. I'm supposed to attend a training for QC work this afternoon. Hey, more money... only a buck or two, but it's money.
Loving my new Rav4. We took the Wife's Highlander down to Tucson. She drove there, and I drove around town, and the trip back. It's nice, but has some bells and whistles I want to figure out how to turn off when I am driving. Like with cruise control on, it has automated lane adjustment on and just distracts me from driving. I haven't actually gotten my Rav onto the freeway for a distance to turn on the cruise, but wonder if it does the same. I'll have to check it out soon. But I enjoy the way it handles, and the seating comfort. Really like that I have a "mine" vehicle again.
I have been able to work an additional hour each day this week, to help shorten Friday's work time. With an additional hour today, I'll be able to leave at noon on Friday for Tucson, our Weekend Getaway for our anniversary. I still have some qualms about going, or more precisely, about leaving the 15-year old at home, alone.
Needless to say, nothing exciting has happened this week, with me adjusted hours.
I don't have much time for chit-chat today. The plan is for me to work extra hours this week so that the Wife and I can leave early on Friday, as we head to Tucson for the weekend. It will be nice to leave earlier, as we hope to beat the local rush hour traffic. We have the Middle Son doing check-ins on the Youngest, who is staying home alone. I'm still wary of that whole thing, but he is 15 and should be able to be trusted to be alone.
We will be taking the Wife's new Highlander. The decision was made we would use hers for family and trips, leaving mine as the secondary utility vehicle. Fine with me. Now we just need to clear out the minivan so my brother can come get it. And clean out my old car (the one not running) and push it onto the street so it can be picked up.
I spent about three hours yesterday making what I hope to be, the last, most-expensive item purchase: a new vehicle. We had gone out last weekend, and purchased the Wife's new vehicle. This weekend was "may turn", though it was not set in stone. I have been looking at websites of vehicles, pricing vehicles, reading reports on vehicles, and even asking people about their own vehicles - things they liked/disliked about whatever they drove. I had thought I was narrowed down to a Honda Accord... but then settled into the idea of the Accord, or a Toyota Rav4.
Last weekend I had requested some info on the Rav4 from a dealership near our home, and they had called whilst we were across town, purchasing the Wife's vehicle (at another Toyota Dealership) and I tentatively had set up an appointment for yesterday. Mainly, I believed, to answer any outstanding questions about the vehicle. However, it turned out to be a 'What color do you have' as I by week's end I had pretty much made up my mind for the Rav. We walked in, asked for the salesman I was to meet (who couldn't be found/reached by phone) and after a few minutes, was assigned to someone else. I made his day SO EASY!!! This is what I want, the color, no financing. Within 10 minutes I was in a nice, dark grey Rav4, driving up the road, and liked it. I got suckered right there. I knew there was a good chance that I would get suckered at some point of the deal, and they got me there. I was looking for a basic Rav4 LE (non-hybrid) FWD... and ended up test driving an AWD (with multi-road type driving selections) which basically raised my price up a bit more. When would I use that? Wait - this is Arizona.... desert. Rainy season. Mud. Snow up North in the winter. Eco and Sport drive modes as well. All the other goodies I really wanted as well (bluetooth for phone/music... the rest of the stuff is meh).
Within a couple minutes of talking once the price was revealed, we signaled our salesman over, and said "Let's do it." The remaining hour plus of our visit was waiting and completing the final 'financing/signing of docs' - or better called, waiting to do that. A short 5-minute basic tutorial on how to set up my phone via bluetooth (which didn't work out so hot, as it didn't want to cooperate) The Wife and I went to a late lunch at Fast Eddie's. I wanted to go "show off" the new vehicle, but realized I didn't have anyone I really wanted to do that with. My close friends knew there was a good chance I was going to get a car this weekend. The family that needed to know, already knew the same. Anyone else didn't matter. I sat in the parking lot after lunch, trying to figure out the phone issue and looking through the manual. No luck. Drove home, sat outside the house and tried a couple other ideas. No luck. Had to run an errand (yup, truly it was not an excuse just to drive it again) and finally figured out the phone issue, and got it fixed. It hit at least 91 degrees yesterday, and I learned, that even in Park, the car gets very chilled with the A/C - and it wasn't even on max!
So we both have new vehicles (both are 2021s), and the idea is to hopefully not buy another vehicle (in regards to ourselves) for 10-15 years. Which means, it could be my last big purchase. Fifteen years will put me in my mid-60s, and if I am still alive, and driving, I think the decision would be made towards a used vehicle. Why buy another new one at that Point? The "Never had a new car until now" phase of our lives is now over.... in a few days when the newness wears off.
It is Sunday, and early. Woke just before 4am, and not able to sleep. Not sure what is on the agenda today. I think I may go up to the pub for a short bit this afternoon, and maybe show a couple acquaintances the new ride. Or maybe just drive around a bit. Monday I will get the insurance set up, and then it's just waiting on the new plates.
Thursday I found out that we were a bit behind schedule on our work project. They had expected the first phase to be completed that day, but by my estimation, the first phase won't complete actually until Monday. So about 2-1/2 days behind. My guess is that this means this project will last up to 4 weeks, versus the 3 they stated, and through in the late start .... At least it is work. I need to brag a bit. The Project Lead had mentioned how each of us needed to be reviewing XX amount of documentation per hour, and that anyone who was below that, she had spoken with privately to let them know they needed to step-up. I was like, huh? I mean, I am reviewing 4 times the regular amount per hour - how could anyone else be that low/slow? Only able to read pictures? I admit, I am a speed reader... and this particular project, the information we are reviewing is "short" documentation - documents with only 1 page, and little to review, versus 150 page documents, spreadsheets, etc. So yeah ... I'm doing at least 4 times (at my 'just doing the job' pace - I could easily move it up) of the documents than most of my co-workers. AND Quality Control has not said anything to me of "missed" information or any other mistakes. Damn, I'm good.
And that, is how we come to today's music video. When one is pretty full of themself, like I feel with the above, this one nails it on the head, right RM? Remember this one?
Geez... just spent an hour and half floating through YouTube while getting this one...
I have no idea what happened Tuesday night. Or rather, I do know, but not how I managed to "tweak" my back, but it happened. Wednesday was a fun day trying to sit in the office chair and work for eight hors when my back is hurting. I was going to try the TENS unit we had gotten for Christmas, but having not used it at all yet, it needed to charge for 10 hours first. Go figure. So it was acetaminophen all day. I never did hook up the TENS unit. This morning, it feels better, but not 100% - I think doing some of the PT exercises I had to do when I injured the back originally, helped last night. Stretching and alignment.
Thursday is upon us and I have no major plans. Work, of course. Maybe some WoW later on afterwards.
I'm twiddlin' me thumbs this morning. I woke about an hour before the alarm was to go off - no reason as to why. But realized laying there, that sleep was not coming back for any length of time. So I got up. I got at least 6- 7 hours of sleep. Though, at midnight we were awakened by a knocking noise coming from the front door. However, once there, no one appeared, and we couldn't figure out more than the one short set of knocks we heard. I might have decided it was the cats possibly knocking something over... except for the 4-5 raps we heard. Youngest said he heard something, though he thought it was a motorcycle going by. I dunno.
I jumped on to Warcraft this morning, thinking I would kill a little time getting some "daily" quest things done. Forgot Tuesday is reset day, so the system goes down at a certain time (7am PDT) and is planning on being down for a few hours today. Most resets are about 5 minutes long, but I guess there are software updates/fixes they are putting into place probably, and explains the longer downtime. Wither way, it was only wasted about an hour this morning. With AZ not changing times, I don't get to adjust my start time for work... and still have about an hour and half before I can start. I wonder if I ask our Team Lead if I can change just ne hour earlier, since everyone else can....
Tomorrow is March 17th, a day traditionally called St Patrick's Day, where many in America wear green, and claim they are of Irish descent. Then go out and be assholes by drinking (and lots of times driving). I am not wearing green. Most years I don't. But I am of Irish descent. And I do like to go out drinking, and usually do, but leave early to stay away from the amateurs. I plan on going out for a little bit tomorrow, though will have the Wife drop me off, and take a Lyft home, to avoid any possible driving mishaps.
