The weekend is almost here and although I won't be working there's nothing much going on. Hopefully, it'll be a nice quiet weekend. It's terribly dry here as we haven't had any rain in quite some time. The grass and plants in everyone's yard are just dieing out. We also have been getting some smoke from the fire in south Georgia and northern Florida. We're not close and it's truly amazing that the smoke could travel so far. I am in northeastern Georgia.

A couple of weeks and it's off to Palm Coast, FL for a little vacation. We'll be staying in a condo with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. That part I have reservations about as the sister-in-law has this way of making plans for everyone, then getting irritated when any of us don't want to follow the plan. Otherwise, it will be nice as I haven't had a vacation in a couple of years.

Just Another Day In Paradise

I saw this on a sign outside a plumbing business on my way home yesterday. I wondered if the person who did it was sincere or if they were being sarcastic. I suppose in the plumbing business it could go either way. I can see it being paradise when you look at the money you make but making the money would be anything but paradise.

I once had a pipe under my house to bust. Of course it was the dead of winter and I had to repair it myself as at the time I didn't have the money to hire someone to fix it. It was cold and I had to lay int he mud and water under the house to complete the job. It was at this time in my life I definitely learned a new respect for plumbers.

News In The Meantime

It's been a while since I last posted. It's a combination of depression and just being lazy. Feeling I have nothing worthwhile to say doesn't do anything to promote posting either.

Since my last post, I have been to Florida and found out that I have high cholesterol and am taking medication for it. Two different pills together. They want me to drastically change my diet but I have a very difficult time in dealing with that. A couple of the main things is to stay from fried foods and back off red meat. I can back off the dreaded red meat OK but a lot of what I like to eat is fried. Fish, chicken, pork chops. I can handle them baked but not as in that's the only way I'll ever be able to eat them again. I don't know.

The situation at work is no better that it ever has been. Same old, same old. The one bright spot here is that I have less than five years until I can retire. At least it's something to hold on to.

Working With Immaturity

So help me, I for the life of cannot understand the "boys" I work with. I use the term "boys" because these are grown, adult men who act like boys. They maturity level leaves a lot to be desired. It's as if they never grew up. They play games, act as if nothing really matters, will try their best to just be aggravating all the while aggravating everyone in their general vicinity, and then they think it's so funny. One instance is just dropping something in the floor to make noise. They do this and actually think it's funny. Huh? I don't get it. What's even sadder is that all these guys are married with kids of their own. Rather than trying to set some kind of good example for their kids, they let the kids set the example for them. The kids actually show more maturity and responsibility. This is one reason I look forward each and every day until the time I can retire. It's absurd to the inth degree.

Back to the Daily Grind

I went back to work Monday after over two weeks off. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I had expected, at least from a work standpoint. From a mental standpoint it was as devastating as I had thought it would be. Retirement looks more appealing all the while. Get me outta here!

Dazed and Confused

I finally have gotten over the pneumonia although it did take longer than I would have expected. I return to work tomorrow and I can't say I'm looking forward to it in any shape, form, or fashion. Not only will I be two weeks behind in my work, but having to go back and deal with the stress and pressure is a killer. The bad part about it is that it's all so unnessary. It's the people that make it stressful, not the job itself. Of course, I have this to be true in any number of situations. This is the number reason I don't like dealing with people at all

Not A Good Week

Spent four days in the hospital last week with pneumonia. I think it was as much of a surprise to my doctor as to me. When she came into the room she had this look of shock on her face. This was the first time I have ever been in the hospital for anything and I must say I didn't like it even a little bit. There were breathing treatments, blood takings, vital signs taking, and it was at all hours of the day and night. They were not shy coming in at 3:00 AM to get a blood sample.
At any rate, I'm at home now, feeling better but still not 100%. I have to go back to the doctor on Tuesday to have yet another X-ray and see how things are going. The doctors at the hospital advised me that next year I should not only get a flu shot, but a pneumonia shot as well. After this experience, I have no doubts that I will heed their advice.

Summer's Gone

I once had a Kink's album which had a song called "Summer's Gone". I loved the song but for the life of me can't remember what the title of the album was. They have always been my favorite group anyway. I once even stood outside the Fox Theatre in Atlanta until 4:00 AM waiting on Ray Davies to come out so I could shake his hand. All the rest of the group came out earlier and their drummer had a beer which he dropped and the bottle broke. I scarfed up the top of the bottle and kept it for years as reminder. By the way, Ray Davies did eventually come out and I did get to talk with him and shake his hand which at the time was the highlight of my life. Looking back on it, I am amazed at how silly we were when that age.

My Life, One More Chapter

Life is getting more and more difficult to handle each and every day. I have to work very hard to keep any kind of positive attitude as I am surrounded by negativity, especially at work. There are those in my work place that never can say a word about anything in a positive way. It's gotten to the point I don't want to talk to them even though I have no choice. I could go to them and say "you've just been awarded the highest salary in the company" and they would complain that it just meant they would have to pay more taxes. Unfortunately, their negativity has a tendency to rub off on others around them so that the entire group tends to have a negative attitude and outlook. It must be be a sad person with a sad life to not only be miserable yourself, but to want to make everyone you come in contact as miserable as you are.

What The Hell?

It seems that daily my life soars out of control both at work and at home. I wonder why I can't seem to get any control over even the most mundane things. Could it be that I am truly insane? At times I think so. Things that seem to come so easy to everyone else seem to become a test for me. I try to make some sense of things but the logic escapes me. God help me! I am lost!

Crikey!

Hey, it's been a lousy week, a lousy month, and for all purposes, a lousy year. This has been the year of the buzzard as far as I'm concerned. I can barely wait until it's over. I can only hope that next year is better. Right now, my mood is just shoot me!

Progress

After the surgery the ear is healing up nicely. I hope I never have to go through that again although there is that possibility. Funny though, even though I've been through all this I still have a problem with hats and sunscreen. I don't understand why they want to make most products like this with a scent that smells like you're at the beach. The ones that claim to have no scent really do, it's just not the "at the beach" scent. Another problem I have with them is that they have the tendency to burn the crap out of your eyes if you sweat. This is doubly irritating for me as I wear contacts. The only product that I have found that doesn't burn my eyes is one made by Coppertone called Sport. It doesn't smell like a coconut and doesn't seem to burn my eyes. Still, it has a kinda greasy feeling which I am not fond of either, but I have to deal with it. Life goes on.

Nail In Tire Trick

Went to Target yesterday only to come out and find my left front tire flat. Of course it was pouring rain. Par for the course. To make matters worse, I have only changed a tire on my car one time previously, so it was get out the little owner's manual. By the time I got the tire changed and was ready to hit the road I was soaking wet and in less than a happy mood. This is the second time in about a month that I have had a nail in a tire on my car. The other time it was a bolt. I'm beginning to have some serious thoughts that this crap may be coming from work. The morons I work with don't give a thought about picking up anything they may drop in the parking lot. I can only hope, if this is the case, that one of them gets a bolt in their tire. Of course, this ain't gonna happen. I just don't have that kind of luck.

Another Week

Again nothing unusual going on. Get up, go to work, come home, watch TV or read, go to bed, and back to work. I heard a song once and the lyric was "all life we work and work is a bore. If life's for living what's living for?". Somehow I understand and relate to this on a large scale. At times I feel my life is passing me by and I'm standing still. Maybe it's one of those things that's all in my mind, but at times it seems real. Why am I here and what the hell am I doing? I really don't know. Age old question I know but in my mind a valid one.

Another Lost Wednesday

And so here I sit on another Wednesday night. Normally my wife has her little church thing and choir practice tonight. During the summer they don't have dinner at church so she comes home to eat and just sit around until choir practice. Oh joy! What this means is that I have to sit here and wait until she goes before I can really do anything I'd like to do. I know it sounds selfish, but I feel that I give her all the time she needs to do what she wants or likes to do. Why should I have to give up what I like to do for three months out of the year just because she doesn't have to eat at the church? She could visit her Mother or Dad. She could visit friends, but no. She has to come home to make sure I'm not doing something I shouldn't be doing whatever that may be. I've even tried to talk to her about it but she acts so hurt and defensive. All an act, me thinks. So, until I can come up with something different, my Wednesday nights are only mine nine out of 12 months.

Sunscreen, Anyone?

Had an appointment with my dermotologist on Friday afternoon. Not as pleasant as I had hoped. I had a place behind my ear (which is why I went to begin with) which he said was basic cell carcinoma, which is actually a type of skin cancer. It's the least serious of any type of skin cancer you can get but there's just something about the word "cancer" that is very sobering. He cut the place off but wants me to see another specialist who does some kind of special treatment just to make sure the thing is completely gone and won't return. It's not the type of cancer that will get in your bloodstream, but it's still not to be taken lightly. At he very least, it's made me rethink the sunbathing and sunscreen. I have not been one to really slop on the sunscreen nor have I been one to wear a hat. I think that's all about to change.

This Week

This week hasn't been, typically, any different than any other. It's been dull and boring and much too much routine. You know, get up, go to work, return home, eat, sleep, and back to work. The life of most of the mundane little people of the world. This is all the while the well to doer's enjoy their life. I'd like to enjoy mine but without cash, it's not all that easy to do. Anyone got any suggestions? Just let me know.

Upcoming Week

Well, the sister-in-law lands Monday and already everyone is drooling to be at her feet. After the way she has treated everyone I don't know why. I told my wife if they don't want her acting like a queen, stop treating her like one. She, nor does anyone else, have to jump everytime this chick says frog. They all complain about how shitty she treats everyone and looks down her nose at everyone, but you can bet the farm that they'll all be there everytime she shows her snooty nose. I, myself, don't give a rat's ass if I see her or not. She's so selfish with the "the world revolves around me" attitude I can't handle it. If we ever get around her, she's the number one topic of conversation and she makes sure of it. Sound bitter? I suppose, but I just have a lot of problems handling the "I am better than thou" attitude.

The Rant

There is a web site that I, at one time, really liked to read. It's called "Capitol Hill Blue". It's a political web site and at the time they didn't take sides. They were pretty independent. Lately, and this isn't a problem for me, they have leaned more left than right. What my problem is is that the guy who operates the site, Doug Thompson, seems to have fallen into some kind of funk where all he does is criticize about other bloggers and rants as to how they don't have the intelligence or right to even be on the internet. In other words he has a very self righteous attitude as if he's the only site who should comment on anything related to news and politics. Every day there is some "rant" about how much better he and his site are than any others including "Daily Kos" and "The Raw Story". I don't read the "Daily Kos" much, but I do read "Raw Story" and in my own opinion, it has become a much better site than "Capitol Hill Blue". It's too bad that he's taken what was once one of my favorite sites and turned it into his own pulpit for promoting himself.

Wednesday, Oh Wednesday!

At least I have my internet connection back. It went out Sunday and I went into a panic. Funny how at one time there was no such thing as internet and now I go into cold turkey if mine goes out. Anyway, they came out this morning and determined it was a faulty modem. At least it was that simple. I always fear it's going to be some unsolvable things that means I am without my computer for days or even weeks. I know it sounds like some kind of social disease, but I can't help it. I am a computer addict and I love being so. Sometimes, it can be detrimental to my mental health especially when I do something stupid to screw my computer up. Then I curse myself and wonder why I messed with it at all. But, then I go back and will do the same thing over and over. What can I say, I am a tinkerer.