Made it through refresher training with no surprises. Had a pleasant lunch w friends/ coworkers I dont’ see very often, then jumped a jet home to FL. Celebratory prime rib at a local sports pub’s Thursday night cheapo special then a hike on the beach w the woman-unit. Being gone a couple-a-few days at a crack has been our joint life for many years. Doesn’t mean it’s not still *real *nice to reunite.
The Moon was lovely this evening. Ought to still be up for folks in the western margin of the central timezone & points further west.
With luck I’ll skate tomorrow and snag some overtime on the holiday weekend. We shall see. If not we’ll be feasting for 6 on Christmas.
Obligatory Drukne Psot - the numbers:
[ul]
[li]# of Carolers - 68[/li][li]# of toys collected - an overflowing boxful[/li][li]# of bars - 5 (okay, technically 4 bars & one brewpub)[/li][li]# of songs on key - 0 [/li][li]# of songs I sang - 0 (I’m the video guy, which gets me out of singing, for which everyone is grateful!)[/li][li]# of miles (for me) - 5±[/li][li]# of hours - 4+ [/li][li]# of taps kicked at the corner pub - 2[/li][li]# of beers I consumed - ::mumblety mumble::[/li][li]% chance of a DUI - 0% (my car, intentionally, never left the garage)[/li][li]# of comments from Doggio - 1 - (P.S. Doggio, you still haven’t grown up! :o)[/li][li]# of Class 3 vests I wore to/from - 1[/li][li]# of lights I wore - 5[/li][li]# of individual LED lighting elements - 36 (Yes, I was lit up brighter than a Christmas Tree, but then the road isn’t that safe)[/li]
[/ul]
Last night I went to visit a friend to drop off birthday and hexmas pressies, came home and found 'im indoors making curry for dinner. Result!
Today is my last day in irk before the hexmas break, we don’t come back until 4th January so I will not miss the daily commute out here to Chimp Central. I am hoping to close up early, since I am the senior manager in the office today (not all that senior, everyone else higher up the food chain is off, and the other assistant manager has only been in the job for a week).
Tonight we have to brave the supermarket for groceries, my doting parent has sent me a very short list of her requirements so that we don’t have to hit the megasuperhumoungous store when we’re over at hers on Hexmas Eve. My gym class for tonight has been cancelled so I have options now…could go to the gym and do stuff to amuse myself, or have a shorter workout at home, or not at all. I am thinking the middle option would be the best one.
Tomorrow I have to go into town to do a few errands first thing, put some dye on my hair so I look vaguely respectable, then we are off to the doting parent’s place for a brief visit. Sattidy night, we are out on the town…well, going to see a band (New Model Army) over there, staying in a local hotel for the night, back to mum’s on Sunday to take her for lunch in the pub she likes, then eventually we will wend our weary way home up the undoubtedly clogged with idiots who can’t drive properly motoroways.
By evening, I will have finished all my chores (might make some chilli for dinner if we are not too stuffded from lunch) so it will be time to put my feet up, have a cocktail or three, and watch The Nightmare Before Christmas, 'cos that is a very sensible thing to do.
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’ YAWN 'Tis 58 Amurrkin out and cloudy (OK, dark but TWPTB say it’s cloudy) with a predicted high of 71 and mostly cloudy for the day. Not much at all on the agenda for today. I know for sure I will not venture out to any stores as that would be an awful thing to do. So I’ll read, mess on the 'puter, and possibly go ahead and make the cheese ring as it is better if it sets up in the fridge a couple of days.
{{{Sari}}}!!! So glad to hear from you and that overall things seem to be goin’ pretty good. A B is not the worst thing in the world though Sah-son may think so right now. How’s the pup?
doggio I’ve been to a couple of local Beer and Hymns. They are a hoot so I highly recommend you go. Seriously fun!
I need more caffeine and rumbly tummy wants to be fed. Then, well, we shall see. It’s a willy-nilly day!
Back from irk early, wasn’t much to do. Now I just need to get the house ready to be left, the car all ready for the drive, and a few last minute bits and bobs for the trip.
So; pop down to the allotment to empty the compost, do the laundry, chop up and freeze some veg that won’t last 'til I’m back, top up the tyres, fill up the car, feed the axolotls, pack clothes and presents, and I think I’m ready for an early start in the morning.
Happy Firday!! Up, caffeinated, and thinkin’ 'bout chow. Partly cloudy, 68F on the way to 78ish.
The worst part about an intense episodic job like mine is the first day back you have a massive desire to just zen & let your head idle for awhile. More so if you’ve worked weird hours and are sleep-deprived. But you also come back to a full in-box of mail, paperwork, honeydews, etc. Since you’re leaving again in a couple-few days it’s best to kill that crap on day 1. Decisions decisions …
Well, hello Sari… Hope things are going well, and don’t despair of humanity quite yet; I was a history major in college and believe me, things have been a lot worse that now.
Red, for some reason, I’ve never had a major problem with navigating Nashville’s expressways. Probably because I avoid rush hour if at all possible. But I do agree with you on the I70 trip to Denver–especially from Abilene to about 70 miles east of Denver where the Rockies start appearing–completely flat and unchanging (although I80 from Omaha across Nebraska gives it a run for it’s money).
Trying to empty my refrigerator before a Sunday departure to Texas, so had BL’s for the morning meal (out of T). Got to wrap my Christmas gifts (being gift cards, it’s not a major job) and my neighbor gave me some Moose Munch (yes, it is a thing) which I will snack upon.
It’s good to be back, I missed all y’all. I just needed a bit of a break.
Puppy is good, or rather he is doing well. I don’t know that we can say he is ‘good’.
He’s all puppy. He finally stopped using me as a chew toy, now we are working on ‘NO!, the trash can is NOT a treasure chest!’.
He eats anything and everything, including pickles. He loves hot, spicy food. Years ago I had a dog who would not stop pestering me when I was eating so I gave her a bite of eggroll with hot Chinese mustard. The look on her face was pricless, she never pestered me again. Not Ripple, he begs for more.
He’s not allowed to have onions, grapes, guacamole, or chocolate. Also, no more potatoes because they upset his tummy, and no more sour dough pretzels because he sucks the salt off and leaves soggy bits of pretzel on the rug.
He is very spoiled and I have nobody to blame but myself.
He and the cat have a love/hate relationship.
We used to yell at Ripple for holding the cat down and chewing on his head. The cat would YOWL, loudly, getting both of us running to rescue him. Then we caught the cat teasing him. I told the cat if he was going to instigate he was on his own. He still starts it. Ripple will be sleeping and Adam will walk over and BAP BAP BAP! Smack Ripple right in the face, but now he runs faster and jumps higher. The exercise is good for him, his ass is noticebly smaller.
He tried to teach Ripple how to catch mice, the lesson didn’t go so well. The mouse escaped. The cat was pissed over losing dinner, my son was pissed because there was a loose mouse in the house, I was pissed because it was the middle of the night and I was trying to sleep. Ripple was clueless.
On another note, I received some junk snail mail today.
“If you play the TV too loudly or if listening in some situations has become difficult…”
" To take part in this special even, **you must call (888) 755-4378"
**
We must all call, and respond to everything they say with, “What?”
I know Dogbutt, Spiderboy and Swampy are on board.
metal mouse, during morning rush hour, ETA from my home, 18 miles from downtown Nashville, via I24/I40 is usually around an hour. It’s uglier during the evening commute times.
flytrap, that’s the kind of snail mail you get once you join AARP.
I got outta irk ~1:00. Groceries are bought and put away and some chocolates and cards taken to the apartment office. My new water heater was installed today. Tomorrow, I will put the puppy crate and dog food back, turn the storage totes back around and take the stuff that usually lives on top of the crate back in place. I’m planning to fix a small ham, sweet N.O.T.s, srircha orange green beans and cabbage either Saturday or Sunday. It’s up in the air whether I’ll make biscuits, cornbread or go to the bakery for bread. In a bit, I’m fixing to wake the snoring pup from my lap and go for some ribs. I have a freebie coming from the place that gave me pulled pork last week.
Are you familiar with Memphis?
I remember from my early youth some cannons on display overlooking the Mississippi river. I’ve not been able to find them since.
My hubs is a veteran of the Vietnam era and even though he was not in Vietnam he was in Thailand and suffered hearing loss like most veterans. Well after all these years he has decided to go to my ENT for an exam and probably hearing aids. I will be most grateful for this cause I am tired of repeating myself. He has been to the VA and given hearing aids in the past but they never worked for him so if he must pay out of pocket he will most likely make sure they work. This is a good thing.
Home for my three day weekend and am too exhausted to do anything. I have gifts to wrap and a house to clean but it will just have to wait until tomorrow. This was the longest week ever.
