Morning After

Went with the wife to her sister's last night. Ended up drinking way too much booze. Today I feel like hell. Every time I do this I tell myself if I ever get through this I will never do it again. Sure. If I had a dollar for every time I've said that I'd be able to take early retirement. So, I don't think I'll be retiring any time soon. Right now I'd be happy just to feel somewhat human again. Maybe later on in the day.

Long Weekend

This will be a four day weekend for me but not the type I'd like. Monday and Tuesday I have to sit at home and babysit the plumbers replacing the copper water pipes in my house. Not only will it be boring but plenty costly. I'm trying to look at it on the up side in that at least I'll have all new water pipes with a guarantee, but it doesn't come at a good time. There are a lot of other places I'd like to put the money I'm spending on these pipes. Seems like the old cliche about there always being something to go wrong is really more true than not. Another good thing is that at least I am not at work. What a break!

Today

In a nutshell, the day has been mostly a waste. We have a position open which has been open since July 1. We have taken applications for the position since then. We have done interviews and finally decide on someone. We hold off until mid October just to make sure we don't get any more applicants. None. Then as soon as I start checking this guy's references they call me from our personnel department and say they have three more applications and a couple of them look real good. So now it's back to square one. I want to get the right person but I'd also like to get the position filled. Now, this will cause another week or two delay. This is par for the course. This is a local government office and dragging their feet is standard operating procedure. Nothing gets done quickly which I find extremely frustrating at times. Other than this, I have not been able to much of anything accomplished. I suppose there's always tomorrow.

Back At Work, Day 2

This is shaping up to be just another boring, uneventful day at the daily grind. I've really gotten burned out on this job, to be truthful. I have been here much too long and it gets increasingly difficult to find anything new. In the earlier days, it was as if there was always something new and everything was exciting, but as the years have passed it has become more routine. I would love to get out of here and would do so in a heartbeat, but practically I can't. Too many obligations and in this town, there isn't much choice of places to work. So, for now, all I can do is hang on, show up, and do what I'm asked to do with as much enthusiam as I can muster, which isn't very much, and keep telling myself that retirement will come one day, eventually.

Back At Work

The day I've looked forward to for a week. The dreaded back at work day. I know I had a week off but it sure doesn't seem like it. It always seems to me that time passes by so quickly when you're off work and doing something you like as opposed to being at work.

Nothing at all has changed during my absence. I come back to the same people with the same lousy attitudes. I keep hoping that something will happen to open some eyes and make all the hard to deal with people realize their attitudes and childishness isn't doing a thing to either change the things they don't like about working here or get them support from anyone else. But, with people like these it's a waste to even believe that some day they will see the light. They are totally lost.

Return From The Mountains

Made it back from the Smokies fine. Had a good time with the exception of my disappointment that the leaves were not changing as I thought they would be. I think we were about a week early. Came back on Thursday and on Friday had the plumber come over to give an estimate on the cost of replacing all the copper water lines in my house. They keep leaking and it costs me bucks every time I have to have them repaired. His estimate was over $3.000.00. It's something that even though I don't want to spend the money, has to be done. It's not just the money. The inconvienence is going to be great as he estimates it will take three days and part of that time the water will have to be off. Lovely.

Boss Musings

Today is the last day I will be working for or with my present boss. I wish I could say I've enjoyed it but that would not be a true statement. He came here from Detroit and rather than coming in with an open mind he came in wanting to do everything his way. One problem was that he was too inexperienced in this field to know how things are done or what is needed to accomplish some aspect of the job. He would get frustrated and irritated if I did not agree with his assessment and suggestions and it created ill will between him and myself. He also did not like being a manager of people and often shirked this part of his job by either ignoring what was going on or giving in to the other employees thereby undermining my authority with them. I mentioned this to him several times but in the end it didn't matter. He would still buckle to their pressure rather than putting his foot down which left me in a sensitive position. Actually, his last day is October 21 but I am off next week. I don't think I'll be making a trip up to say goodbye. My biggest hope is that the next person they get in here is more down to earth and knowledgable about this job. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening as the pay is too low to attract really qualified people. The tendency is to hire someone with general knowledge of the field and hope they will pick it up. This hasn't worked. His position ends up being open on average of every two years. So, if this continues, at least I'll only have to deal with the next person for about two years. This one hasn't made it the full two years. It's actually only been a little over a year. Plenty long enough for me.

Autumn

It is definitely feeling more like Autumn. It's overcast and actually cool, temperature wise. This, as I have said before, is my favorite time of year. There's just something about the cool, crisp air that feels clean. It also means I won't be mowing the lawn for five or six months and that makes me very happy. Saturday I'll be heading into the Smoky Mountains for a week in Gatlinburg, TN to hopefully see all the color with the leaves changing. I love it up there even if the leaves weren't changing but Autumn is especially nice. Normally, it's a yearly adventure to go to Gatlinburg for a week although last year I didn't make it for Autumn. I did make it to their Christmas light display and parade. It was a good parade. Probably the longest parade I have ever seen. It was made even longer because it was so cold but it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Owning A House

We found out last night that we need to have some old copper water pipe in our replaced as it has begun leaking and according to the plumber, once it starts leaking it will continue. I can't help but believe him as we originally had a small leak in one area which is why we call the plumber to be gin with. Last night upon arriving home it had sprung another leak filling my floor with water. We again called the plumber and he again advised getting rid of the suspect copper pipe. Of course the cost is unreal. An estimate of between $2,000 and $3,000 just to replace the pipe. This does not cover the cost of replacing the ceiling or walls that have to be torn into or out in order to replace the pipe. I know this is something that it will be beneficial in the long run to do but right now I am suffering sticker shock. I have questioned in the past whether there is all that much benefit to owning a house as opposed to say, a condo, and now I question it even more. At least with a condo I wouldn't have to worry about replacing water pipes and walls at an astronomical price. But, for now, I have to bite the bullet and deal with it.

Children

That's what I work with. Children. Not the not yet grown type but the grown type who physically are in an adult body but mentally haven't fully developed. The "if I don't get my way I'll pout" adults. The you made me mad so I'm giving you the cold shoulder type. The type of person you absolutely love to be around because they are so good at making life pleasant (yeah, right!!!). I don't understand why they never developed mentally. Why are they still stuck in infancy? Did they have such a spoiled childhood that they simply think they should be able to do, say, and have any and everything they want or else? It really, in the end, doesn't matter. With all my faults and problems I am just soooo happy that I am not one of them. It must be miserable to be that miserable.

Monday Again

I do so love Mondays. Not only do I have to hear that obnoxious alarm clock bright and early but after the rude awakening I have to get out of the bed, get dressed, and go to work, but I get to endure all the jerks on the road on the way. There's the jerk that won't drive over 45 and as it's a two lane road most of the way and almost impossible to pass I'm (along with a solid line of cars behind me) stuck. Then there's the other jerk that tries his best to see if he can get as close to my bumper as humanly possible without actually touching it. How he accomplishes this I don't know. What I do know is that either way my nerves are shot before I ever get to work. When I was being taught to drive the word courtesy came into play. As in being courteous to the other people on the road. Apparently, that is a word most of the drivers today never, ever heard. At one time I thought road rage wasn't really a real thing. Now I know it is.

Long Week

All told, this has been a long frustrating week. I wish sometimes that I could turn off my brain with a switch so I could be like so many of the people I have to deal with every day. Work is a prime example. My problem is that I have pride and having pride I care about the job and want to do it the way it should be done. I seem to be the only one. Everyone else just kinda shows up, some of them late with a very feeble excuse, and do what they have to do just to make it through the day. They could care less whether they do something the right way or not just so they act as if they are doing something. I don't know if there is an answer or solution to a problem like this, but I do know for me personally it is a very frustrating situation.

This Is Friday?

Normally, Friday is my favorite day of the week but so far this one doesn't qualify. It has been nothing short of a pain since it began. My coworkers acting like children trying to get around rules they know have been in place since they began here and to add insult to injury, a disagreement with the wife. I am sitting here now wondering why is it that it seems that no matter what I do or say, people simply want to be disagreeable and give me a hard time. In the case of the employees it is just them wanting to circumvent a rule that they have know since the beginning was in place and getting pissed when I tell them no. Just like kids. Asking for something they know they can't have but ask for it anyway. With the wife I think she is under too much pressure and tends to snap when I say something to either disagree with her or something she doesn't want to hear. At any rate, I certainly hope it gets better as the day goes on. This is no way to start the weekend.

Rain and More Rain

Tropical storm Tammy has arrived. It's dark, windy, and pouring rain. They may not get to play the second game of the series with Houston in Atlanta today and frankly, that could be good for the Braves. I watched the game yesterday and it's like always. They do great during the regular season then choke during the playoffs and world series, if they happen to make it. Funny thing is that this is the first game I have watched all year and they get blown out. Back in the early 90's I was an avid fan. Watched every game I could. But, after a few years of them trading away players and players leaving to the point of me not even knowing who was on the team, I lost interest. I know very few of the players on this team. Who knows? Maybe they'll pull themselves together and make it all the way. I do have my doubts, though.

Another Day

Another day, another dollar, as the saying goes. That's become the rule of life as far as my job is concerned. I have been here much too long and have gotten burned out on it. For many reasons, I cannot leave it. I come in every day and do exactly what I have to do just to make it through the day. I no longer really have the interest in it I once did. I just want to make it until 4:00 PM then I can go home. I try to distance myself from my coworkers as I frankly don't trust them. I don't feel at ease discussing anything with them at all. There is too much back stabbing that goes on here. Anyway, it is just another day. Nothing special. The one thing I have to look forward to is 4:00 PM.

Hate Mongers

I really about tired of picking up the paper or watching the news on TV and seeing someone on the "right" spouting forth all this hatred. It, to me, doesn't seem there is any interest on their part to live and work together, they just want everything their way. They don't want democracy, they want a one party rule dictatorship. Watching them I see some of the most evil people I have ever seen. It's as if you are looking at the devil himself. It's scary. These are the people who claim they have moral and family value superiority over all of the planet. All I see is a lot of bigoted, hate filled, hate spewing, self centered, creatures. I don't think you could really consider them people. It's good too that we have elected a president who is a uniter. I'd hate to think of what it would be like if he wasn't a uniter.

Day After Day

It's difficult to come up with something original to write each day. It try to do that as I read somewhere once that it is healthy for your mind to write something every day if for no other reason to let other people get to know you. I can only think that it's the beginning of another long week. I keep telling myself it will get better but it never happens. I try to find little things to be all happy and excited about but in the end the big things overshadow all my little things until I can no longer find any little things, just the one or two big things that are like a dark cloud. In a couple of weeks I take a trip into the Smokey Mountains for a few days. It will be so great to just be out of this city and away from my job for a while. But, the reality is that I know that in the end I have to come back and therein lies the rub.

Day After

Attended a wedding and reception yesterday afternoon and last night. My downfall was that they had an open bar. I took full advantage of it and now am dealing with the aftermath. I have to say that the food wasn't all that great but overall it was an excellent party. Today I have to attend a birthday lunch for my brother-in-law and stepson. I really am not into it but I don't have any choice but to go. At the very least it'll get me out of the house for a while.