Putin's favorite president has been at it a whopping 100 days and he has officially declared that the job of president is indeed harder than his job as being Trump in the private sector. I would have to say "no shit, Sherlock!" In the private sector you can surround yourself with yes men and no one will argue with you. Every goal in the private sector is aimed at making the most money the fastest which I love those ideals too, but they can be blinding.
Some of his accomplishments are in the executive orders and how anyone can cheer at him pulling back on laws allowing dumping of any kind from big corporations like coal companies into our rivers is beyond stupid. Another big one that will bite us in the ass is the removal of carbon emission controls. In his need to see a little growth in the coal power sector, he will undo all that has been done over the last twenty years as far as trying to get our air cleaned up. I remember even ten years ago or so we were having smog days here in Austin with 18 bad days in 2006 and 11 days in 2011. I believe that the arrival of the electric car helped reduce this some, and anything that helps is good, but with Trump's new changes, I don't see why we can't all take the catalytic converters off our cars if we can get 2-3 more miles per gallon. Fuck it with the sulfites and other pollutants, I like a slightly grey sky, blue is too chipper for me.
I can't complain about his choice for supreme court, the idiot democrats should have let it slide too. He was replacing a super conservative in Scalia, which isn't going to sway things too much. I didn't buy Gorsuch's "well gosh" and "by golly" coming out of his mouth like we pulled him out of the 1950's. People that act this naïve end up having the biggest skeletons in their closets, but whatever.
Now what else do we talk about? He was not able to add funding for his magical wall to the budget this go round or risk shutting down the whole government. That project has not been started other than as a talking point. I still say, Mexicans are just going to dig underneath that mighty wall or get a ladder tall enough to get over it. He tried twice to ban muslims from a few countries and that didn't work either. This man really thought he was getting appointed dictator instead of president. He forgot there are three branches of government which work as a perfect system of checks and balances to prevent one party or person from taking too much control. Finally, we have the healthcare reform which the bunch of incompetents could not slam dunk. It's like the republicans fielded both teams in a basketball game against each other and somehow managed to still let the democrats take the win. It was genius to come out with a health plan that had as a first bullet point "will give tax breaks to the richest people", followed by it will cost everyone more, and finally the elderly who have the most time to go and vote will be paying up to five times more for premiums.
It was hilarious and yet scary that they can insult with a straight face the plan already in place and attempt to stare at the common man and tell them "yeah, you'll pay more and get less." I guess they were hoping the American audience still cared about name brands and that America would want a health plan with an "R" sewn into it. I say these jackals should not have their own special health plans and we should vote for their coverage.
At least Trump still has the support of about 38 percent of the voters. 100 days seemed long, try another 1360 days to get through one term. He will either have to learn to play well with others or it is going to be a long stretch. Eventually, reality will break this man, he can't keep declaring every thing he does is the best if after four years and with the support of a republican congress, he gets nothing accomplished but air and water the color of his skin.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
4/29/17 Entertaining Myself While I Am Grounded?
It turns out I not only like to eat, I am starting to appreciate clanging the pots and pans in the kitchen, just like a lady (I kid, I kid). As I had said, I had never had a reason to cook, there was always a better cook than me around. I have now been home over two weeks and I am getting the hang of doing more and more. Monday night, I made penne pasta with chicken and sausage in an Alfredo sauce. I am pretty proud to say it was delicious, even the leftovers went fast the next day. In the past, I mistimed the bread, but I think I got the hang of it now, as it all came together and by about 7:30pm.
Tuesday I bought a pork butt for the slow cooker and it turned out ok, my big problem with it is the meat is too wet as it comes out of the slow cooker and the tortillas get all wet and ugly. Wednesday night, I thought about it and took some of the meat and instead of just microwaving it, I thought I would heat it up in a skillet to remove the moisture, but at first it was all hard and in blocks. I did see all the fat on top of the liquid and I skimmed most of that off into the trash, so that has to be good. I noticed two little containers of habanero sauce that somebody got with their tacos and I got the idea to put it in there. Between the meat not being wet and the hot sauce, it was like totally a new meat. Chubs was sitting being tough that it wasn't spicy, all the while sweating from his forehead, his giveaway when he eats hot stuff. There is still plenty of the slow cooker meat and I am thinking of heating more of it but maybe using BBQ sauce to give it another flavor. You can't beat this meat at $1.00 a pound. The smallest pack I could find was 8 pounds, and still was only $8. We have now eaten two meals and I will probably get a third out of it.
I always hint at Wife to make cinnamon rolls or cakes or stuff like that, you know, cause you love me. This is her one weakness, yes we are both big people, but she doesn't like or care for sweets, so she doesn't really dig making stuff like that. I found two tubes of rolls last night and I thought I would give it a try. This morning I got up at 6:15am (my sleeping is all over the place) and I decided to make the cinnamon rolls and I had bought a melon on Monday, so I cut that up while my rolls baked. I kind of wish the boys would appreciate my efforts, Chubs is sticking with his hot pockets and Boy isn't much of a breakfast eater.
Oh well, I have the fruit cut up to eat during the day, and I already ate about half the cinnamon rolls, so at least nothing is going to waste. I do have a box of lemon cake in the pantry but I should probably save that for tomorrow, at least. I am doing the best with what I got. I am so tired of being home, I was looking forward to going back to work, but if the only way to salvage the skin graft is to play prison boy at home, I have to think big picture and assure myself this will all be worth it and the skin graft will all become a forgotten memory.
Tuesday I bought a pork butt for the slow cooker and it turned out ok, my big problem with it is the meat is too wet as it comes out of the slow cooker and the tortillas get all wet and ugly. Wednesday night, I thought about it and took some of the meat and instead of just microwaving it, I thought I would heat it up in a skillet to remove the moisture, but at first it was all hard and in blocks. I did see all the fat on top of the liquid and I skimmed most of that off into the trash, so that has to be good. I noticed two little containers of habanero sauce that somebody got with their tacos and I got the idea to put it in there. Between the meat not being wet and the hot sauce, it was like totally a new meat. Chubs was sitting being tough that it wasn't spicy, all the while sweating from his forehead, his giveaway when he eats hot stuff. There is still plenty of the slow cooker meat and I am thinking of heating more of it but maybe using BBQ sauce to give it another flavor. You can't beat this meat at $1.00 a pound. The smallest pack I could find was 8 pounds, and still was only $8. We have now eaten two meals and I will probably get a third out of it.
I always hint at Wife to make cinnamon rolls or cakes or stuff like that, you know, cause you love me. This is her one weakness, yes we are both big people, but she doesn't like or care for sweets, so she doesn't really dig making stuff like that. I found two tubes of rolls last night and I thought I would give it a try. This morning I got up at 6:15am (my sleeping is all over the place) and I decided to make the cinnamon rolls and I had bought a melon on Monday, so I cut that up while my rolls baked. I kind of wish the boys would appreciate my efforts, Chubs is sticking with his hot pockets and Boy isn't much of a breakfast eater.
Oh well, I have the fruit cut up to eat during the day, and I already ate about half the cinnamon rolls, so at least nothing is going to waste. I do have a box of lemon cake in the pantry but I should probably save that for tomorrow, at least. I am doing the best with what I got. I am so tired of being home, I was looking forward to going back to work, but if the only way to salvage the skin graft is to play prison boy at home, I have to think big picture and assure myself this will all be worth it and the skin graft will all become a forgotten memory.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
4/28/17 Who Do You Love? (poem)
Who Do You Love?
Such a simple statement could you answer out loud
and those same people would they stick out in a crowd?
Since we were little, we are brainwashed to love one and all
but most people suck, instead mostly choosing to brawl
I heard something beautiful by the man who fathered Mrs. Kutcher
when you hate something you complain and you cut like a butcher
but when you love something, now there's no words for describing.
So the list starts, first place goes to Wife
if she weren't with me I wouldn't be on this path which has given me my life.
Then of course my boys follow next
springing from my loins they are basically my walking DNA projects.
I would not exist without the love mom and dad had for me,
on a list of my love's they should be in the top five, don't you agree?
my sister, I love her naivete, telling us "we don't know true love",
that's funny lil Sis, but for almost 30 years Wife and I fit have like a glove.
My attorney brother, swears we're all 1 step away from needing his knowledge of the law,
you were my first best friend, but sometimes the yapping makes us wanna sock you in the jaw.
my younger brother you are a challenge keeping us out like you're wearing a thick jacket
but I love you and accept you even when you're calling me a liberal faggot.
Do we treat love like a piece of pie and each of us has so much to give?
Or is love like a water faucet, never ending, only guarded by a thin sieve?
I have tons of other people that I love, from my in-laws who have always made me feel like a son,
to my coworkers who I've worked side by side for 20 plus years and made that place more fun.
My current tenants of course I love, I've known Girlie twenty years,
she looks to us for inspiration and I'm hoping we help over come her fears.
Boy's friend is a good kid, always hugs us when he's coming or going
recently bought laundry detergent and got me oatmeal cookies, yes, my love for him is growing.
My attorney brother loves to sarcastically say that I am muy Bueno, cause I let anyone in
I believe I am big enough to love anyone that needs it, not just my kin.
4/27/17 Setbacks and Scoldings?
As my mother likes to say, I was always the good one. I rarely get told I am wrong, or I did something improperly, so when it happens, I don't really know how to react. In my youth, it was pretty common that getting after me in school meant I was going to cry. I hated it, but in my pursuit to always be good and right, occasionally when I was wrong, I would end up in a heap of tears. I grew out of this in junior high, and although I still hate to be in the wrong, at least I can keep my composure.
It happened today in the doctor's office. He looked at the skin graft and finally sat down and gave me the hardest scolding anyone has (other than Wife and my Mom who do it daily, so that doesn't count) in a long, long time. He explained how I was not listening to his instruction, that I was not doing my part to help the graft to heal, I need to stay immobile and with my leg up. He explained the graft as coming from my skin where the skin is maybe a 120 page book and he took 60 pages and moved them to the graft site. With all of my moving around, I have broken up the upper 20 to 30 pages of the work he did. There is still new skin there and it will probably be ok, but I need to seriously stop with all the extra curricular activities. He said, without allowing me to defend myself, "I know, you thought it would be good to go running to the mall, and go watch movies at the theater, and taking trips out of town..." At the same time, another nurse was removing the staples and that did pinch a bit, so it was hard to formulate a response, not that he was letting me talk, while holding in the "ugh" every time she pulled the 20-30 staples.
If that wasn't bad enough, he sat down to "clean-up" the site. All the skin that was loose and dark, he cut off. He just used tweezers, lifted the skin a bit and cut to the surface. This of course, made a lot of blood come to the surface, which is weird, because until now, I haven't hardly seen blood coming from the site, even when it was a big hole.
I think he wore himself out getting after me, he eased his position towards the end saying we all do what we have to do, and then we just have to live with the consequences. He gave me a jab on the shoulder and said it looked ok, once he cleaned it up, and that it would probably be ok.
Not making excuses, but last week they told me that the graft had taken and that it wouldn't fall off by me moving naturally, just to not overdo it. They also said that the only way it would fail is if it took a direct hit or I sheared that skin by rubbing aggressively against something. Given those instructions, I gradually was doing more and more this week, thinking it was ok. I have not been to the mall, or taken trips out of town, but I did go to the movies, I guess even that is too much, so I shall nest on my bed for a week, which will be hard as heck to do.
At least the dressing has gotten smaller and smaller, now I only have to cover the wound and a couple inches above and below it. I hated having to do from my toes to my kneecap every day.
It happened today in the doctor's office. He looked at the skin graft and finally sat down and gave me the hardest scolding anyone has (other than Wife and my Mom who do it daily, so that doesn't count) in a long, long time. He explained how I was not listening to his instruction, that I was not doing my part to help the graft to heal, I need to stay immobile and with my leg up. He explained the graft as coming from my skin where the skin is maybe a 120 page book and he took 60 pages and moved them to the graft site. With all of my moving around, I have broken up the upper 20 to 30 pages of the work he did. There is still new skin there and it will probably be ok, but I need to seriously stop with all the extra curricular activities. He said, without allowing me to defend myself, "I know, you thought it would be good to go running to the mall, and go watch movies at the theater, and taking trips out of town..." At the same time, another nurse was removing the staples and that did pinch a bit, so it was hard to formulate a response, not that he was letting me talk, while holding in the "ugh" every time she pulled the 20-30 staples.
If that wasn't bad enough, he sat down to "clean-up" the site. All the skin that was loose and dark, he cut off. He just used tweezers, lifted the skin a bit and cut to the surface. This of course, made a lot of blood come to the surface, which is weird, because until now, I haven't hardly seen blood coming from the site, even when it was a big hole.
I think he wore himself out getting after me, he eased his position towards the end saying we all do what we have to do, and then we just have to live with the consequences. He gave me a jab on the shoulder and said it looked ok, once he cleaned it up, and that it would probably be ok.
Not making excuses, but last week they told me that the graft had taken and that it wouldn't fall off by me moving naturally, just to not overdo it. They also said that the only way it would fail is if it took a direct hit or I sheared that skin by rubbing aggressively against something. Given those instructions, I gradually was doing more and more this week, thinking it was ok. I have not been to the mall, or taken trips out of town, but I did go to the movies, I guess even that is too much, so I shall nest on my bed for a week, which will be hard as heck to do.
At least the dressing has gotten smaller and smaller, now I only have to cover the wound and a couple inches above and below it. I hated having to do from my toes to my kneecap every day.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
4/26/17 Going Back To Work?
If my doctor says it's ok, I plan to go back to work tonight. I have been out since the previous week He recommended two weeks off and today is one day short of that, but if I go in tonight, I will at least make a short week of it by working Friday night.
I wish I could say it has been a productive two weeks and that I also alphabetized my book collection or polished my silver spoons or something else, but best I managed was sweeping and cleaning the garage a little on Sunday while Wife washed her car, and running the pool pump a couple days to try and clean up the pool, again. Every time I look away that fucking albatross turns green on me, I swear I am ripping it out of the ground as soon as I can afford for it to be done.
I have been healing, I guess. I noticed one small corner where the new skin graft is attached where the skin kind of ripped from the staple. There are probably twenty staples, so one of twenty ain't bad, I think, but then again, what do I know. It hasn't hurt, other than itch a couple times, where I feel like I want to scratch it, but I am pretty scared to do that. The whole thought that it could just fall off, like a cheap Band-Aid, has had me pretty uncomfortable.
I spent Monday on my feet, most of the day, to test what leg would look like, and it seemed fine. I guess the more time passes, the better and better it will be. If I do go to work tonight, it means being on my feet or sitting for a twelve hour shift, so I won't get much of a break. It is actually more annoying now that the doctor wants me opening up the cut every night to change the dressings and showering while everything is removed. I so preferred when they wrapped me in the "una-boot" and then I didn't have to worry about it. Now, I am sitting here on the edge of the bed every night looking at the staples, wondering if it's all good and wrapping my leg like a bad Christmas present.
I can't say all I've done is sleep, although it does feel that way. I thought I might catch up on the few Netflix shows I've been watching, like Better Call Saul, which follows the life of the lawyer from Breaking Bad before Walt showed up and ruined everything. I am also more than halfway through Workaholics which follows three best friends through their shitty lives of partying and working minimum wage right after graduating college. I feel like it would be better to save them for my long nights at work.
I didn't even get through a book yet, or anything else. Anytime Wife would sit so we could catch up on our recorded DVR shows, I would fall asleep within minutes. I would then wake up by myself and be up from maybe 2:00am until 5:00-6:00am watching YouTube videos, mostly vines about people doing stupid things or if I want to feel productive watching the big atheists discussing with various people.
I don't know that much will change from being at work or being home, other than I can't nap in bed, but I feel like it's time. I want to put all this crap in my rearview mirror and move forward post haste.
I wish I could say it has been a productive two weeks and that I also alphabetized my book collection or polished my silver spoons or something else, but best I managed was sweeping and cleaning the garage a little on Sunday while Wife washed her car, and running the pool pump a couple days to try and clean up the pool, again. Every time I look away that fucking albatross turns green on me, I swear I am ripping it out of the ground as soon as I can afford for it to be done.
I have been healing, I guess. I noticed one small corner where the new skin graft is attached where the skin kind of ripped from the staple. There are probably twenty staples, so one of twenty ain't bad, I think, but then again, what do I know. It hasn't hurt, other than itch a couple times, where I feel like I want to scratch it, but I am pretty scared to do that. The whole thought that it could just fall off, like a cheap Band-Aid, has had me pretty uncomfortable.
I spent Monday on my feet, most of the day, to test what leg would look like, and it seemed fine. I guess the more time passes, the better and better it will be. If I do go to work tonight, it means being on my feet or sitting for a twelve hour shift, so I won't get much of a break. It is actually more annoying now that the doctor wants me opening up the cut every night to change the dressings and showering while everything is removed. I so preferred when they wrapped me in the "una-boot" and then I didn't have to worry about it. Now, I am sitting here on the edge of the bed every night looking at the staples, wondering if it's all good and wrapping my leg like a bad Christmas present.
I can't say all I've done is sleep, although it does feel that way. I thought I might catch up on the few Netflix shows I've been watching, like Better Call Saul, which follows the life of the lawyer from Breaking Bad before Walt showed up and ruined everything. I am also more than halfway through Workaholics which follows three best friends through their shitty lives of partying and working minimum wage right after graduating college. I feel like it would be better to save them for my long nights at work.
I didn't even get through a book yet, or anything else. Anytime Wife would sit so we could catch up on our recorded DVR shows, I would fall asleep within minutes. I would then wake up by myself and be up from maybe 2:00am until 5:00-6:00am watching YouTube videos, mostly vines about people doing stupid things or if I want to feel productive watching the big atheists discussing with various people.
I don't know that much will change from being at work or being home, other than I can't nap in bed, but I feel like it's time. I want to put all this crap in my rearview mirror and move forward post haste.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
4/25/17 Better Late Than Never?
I've mentioned that we have extra kids living with us. Boy's friend I've known since they were in 7th grade when her mom befriended us and we hung out for a couple years here at the house and especially in the pool and hot tub. The parents were going through a divorce and it made things hard on them. There was a lot of hate and for years Boy's friend wanted nothing to do with the dad. I don't know what his problem was, other than having a family with four kids has to be a burden.
Fast forward to today, there seems to be a new found camaraderie between father and son. The father has been building a barn and Boy's friend was doing an apprenticeship as an electrician, so his skills have come in handy helping dad to wire the barn for electrical. There's also the hunting thing which both of them enjoy, as he was showing me photos with both of them holding their compound bows and arrows, like champions. He even got Boy to get a hold of a bow and arrow, not that they've gone out shooting at anything, but the thought is there.
A couple weeks ago Boy's friend started a form of karate. I didn't think much about it then, but tonight he was telling me how when his father first got married, he was in some form of Karate and ranked in the top ten in Texas.
If all this isn't enough to bond them, dad was going to join son on a night out to one of the country clubs. I thought that was a bit creepy to go chasing skirts on college night with dad, but hey, different strokes for different folks.
I have always wished him the best of luck as far as his relationships with his dad. It is important for people, if they have family around, to foster those relationships and make them the best they can be. Mama getting with a new dude and getting remarried also put a strain on that relationship. There's a reason that boy ended up living with us, after his messy break-up with his girlfriend. I've told him to just chill for awhile, he doesn't need another random girl in his business every minute of the day. My best advice is to just take some time for yourself, discover who you are and then go looking for someone who can make you a better version of yourself
Maybe the dad was shitty when they were young but now that he is older, he is willing to be a better man and be there for his kids. This is not the optimal set-up but as the title says Better Late Than Never. I will keep my doors open for these young lost souls, try to help and guide them towards a better future.
Just today, I got Girlie to go remove her holds at ACC so she can go back to school. Her status of residency was in limbo. We went and got a notary letter to show the school she was living with us. We also had to update her driver's license with the new address, which was easy, if not just a little annoying. She doesn't have an excuse anymore keeping her out of school, so hopefully, she can focus on a degree.
Fast forward to today, there seems to be a new found camaraderie between father and son. The father has been building a barn and Boy's friend was doing an apprenticeship as an electrician, so his skills have come in handy helping dad to wire the barn for electrical. There's also the hunting thing which both of them enjoy, as he was showing me photos with both of them holding their compound bows and arrows, like champions. He even got Boy to get a hold of a bow and arrow, not that they've gone out shooting at anything, but the thought is there.
A couple weeks ago Boy's friend started a form of karate. I didn't think much about it then, but tonight he was telling me how when his father first got married, he was in some form of Karate and ranked in the top ten in Texas.
If all this isn't enough to bond them, dad was going to join son on a night out to one of the country clubs. I thought that was a bit creepy to go chasing skirts on college night with dad, but hey, different strokes for different folks.
I have always wished him the best of luck as far as his relationships with his dad. It is important for people, if they have family around, to foster those relationships and make them the best they can be. Mama getting with a new dude and getting remarried also put a strain on that relationship. There's a reason that boy ended up living with us, after his messy break-up with his girlfriend. I've told him to just chill for awhile, he doesn't need another random girl in his business every minute of the day. My best advice is to just take some time for yourself, discover who you are and then go looking for someone who can make you a better version of yourself
Maybe the dad was shitty when they were young but now that he is older, he is willing to be a better man and be there for his kids. This is not the optimal set-up but as the title says Better Late Than Never. I will keep my doors open for these young lost souls, try to help and guide them towards a better future.
Just today, I got Girlie to go remove her holds at ACC so she can go back to school. Her status of residency was in limbo. We went and got a notary letter to show the school she was living with us. We also had to update her driver's license with the new address, which was easy, if not just a little annoying. She doesn't have an excuse anymore keeping her out of school, so hopefully, she can focus on a degree.
Monday, April 24, 2017
4/24/17 Try Not. Do, Or Do Not. There Is No Try?
Today was a rather casual lazy Sunday. We didn't even leave the house, except for an ice cream in the late afternoon. It was Wife's last day in Austin before she heads to San Antonio tomorrow for a meeting, then back to normal life. She did a wonderful job of taking care of me through the delicate parts after my surgery. The skin graft looks horrible, honestly, but the doctor said it's doing what it needs to do, growing new skin and becoming one with me. Because it was such a nice day, she decided to wash her car, which gave me an excuse to go and work on cleaning the garage a bit. Boy and his friend staying with us cut the grass, and took some metal studs out of the yard that used to support a tree. I am loving this new kid and his strong back, then I as Boy what's up and he just mutters "He's making me sweat out there, goddammit!!" Chubs helped a little here and a little there. Once I swept the floors in the garage, he picked everything up and put it in the trash can.
The only ones that didn't get their hands dirty were Girlie and her friend. They came out because it was a sunny , beautiful day, jumped on the trampoline for 10 minutes and then watched movies in the living room the rest of the afternoon. As I passed back and forth from the garage to the kitchen the National Lampoon's Vacation Music caught my ear, I asked if it was a Vacation movie they said yes, then I said I am a Chevy Chase fan, they both asked "who is that?" I said "come on!!" They were not aware of the four other Vacation movies, and Chase does come out as he is the father of Rusty who leads this movie, played by Ed Helms.
We were buying movies when the idea of DVDs was bigger all the time, maybe we have 300-400 hundred movies. I'm not going to say it is the best collection, but there are a lot of movies one should be familiar and these gals constantly tell me they have no idea. One of them hasn't seen the Princess Bride, and that is kind of a girlie movie. Neither has seen any of the Star Wars movies which pisses me off a little bit as Star Wars defined a generation. I remember telling Boy it was important to know pop culture and be aware of the John Hughes canon which Boy went and got familiar with and appreciates how Hughes explained teenage life.
I have decided I need to educate at least Girlie, while she lives with us by putting different DVDs in her hands, if to just understand social commentary sometimes, you have to know the language of certain movies. We are doing the same with Chubs, and since he is starting to become a mouthier little teenager, I told him to start listening to Metallica, which is must listen to music for all male teens. Just this week, Boy came home all proud of himself that they had made an amplifier and then he pulled out his music and plugged in For Whom The Bell Tolls, which is perfect dude music. He was all proud of the signal track it left on the paper.
The only ones that didn't get their hands dirty were Girlie and her friend. They came out because it was a sunny , beautiful day, jumped on the trampoline for 10 minutes and then watched movies in the living room the rest of the afternoon. As I passed back and forth from the garage to the kitchen the National Lampoon's Vacation Music caught my ear, I asked if it was a Vacation movie they said yes, then I said I am a Chevy Chase fan, they both asked "who is that?" I said "come on!!" They were not aware of the four other Vacation movies, and Chase does come out as he is the father of Rusty who leads this movie, played by Ed Helms.
We were buying movies when the idea of DVDs was bigger all the time, maybe we have 300-400 hundred movies. I'm not going to say it is the best collection, but there are a lot of movies one should be familiar and these gals constantly tell me they have no idea. One of them hasn't seen the Princess Bride, and that is kind of a girlie movie. Neither has seen any of the Star Wars movies which pisses me off a little bit as Star Wars defined a generation. I remember telling Boy it was important to know pop culture and be aware of the John Hughes canon which Boy went and got familiar with and appreciates how Hughes explained teenage life.
I have decided I need to educate at least Girlie, while she lives with us by putting different DVDs in her hands, if to just understand social commentary sometimes, you have to know the language of certain movies. We are doing the same with Chubs, and since he is starting to become a mouthier little teenager, I told him to start listening to Metallica, which is must listen to music for all male teens. Just this week, Boy came home all proud of himself that they had made an amplifier and then he pulled out his music and plugged in For Whom The Bell Tolls, which is perfect dude music. He was all proud of the signal track it left on the paper.
Sunday, April 23, 2017
4/23/17 Beauty And The Beast? (Movie)
I will admit that I was dragged to this movie, I was almost even going to say to Wife I am just going to sleep through this one as I have done when I find myself in a boring movie. This was not a boring movie though. Emma Watson (better known as Hermione) plays Belle and although it bothered me in the beginning because she physically isn't a "Belle", she did do a good job with the role and she gave her strength and the right attitude.
The Disney female heroines have been slowly improving through the ages, but in the beginning they were some weak ass damsels in distress. Snow White is asleep through most of her movie then wakes up and voluntarily starts cleaning house for seven men or vice versa, it's been awhile. Cinderella can't or won't step up to her stepmother who treats her like a servant until she starts getting high and talking to the critters around her. A man, of course, comes to her rescue. Belle, at least, starts showing us a female can sacrifice for a loved one when she switches places with her father and then we see her fall in love with the man under the fur. She is smart, literate even, and is unwilling to settle for the barbaric hero, Gaston.
Gaston is played up perfectly by Luke Evans who might not be as muscular as the cartoon character, but he certainly had the devil may care attitude of being an elitist. I do believe he was outperformed by his underling, LeFou, played by Josh Gad. I have always found him to be a bit too bull in a china shop for me, he is a husky guy and he overacts a bit, but man, this role fit him perfectly, as Gaston's personal cheerleader and his noticeable man crush. It is the first time I enjoyed his performance on screen.
I read other reviews and people are not being kind to this movie, but maybe it has to do with I haven't seen a movie in a while, or I love a musical, or there was a touch of nostalgia apparently having watched this as a cartoon, but regardless, I was in the scenes, never mind that Beast looked a little fake, come on people, that is some petty shit. I got caught in and by the time Lumiere is singing "Be Our Guest" I was teary-eyed and into it, I wasn't judging the special effects.
I liked the stark contrast of the library in her province which had maybe 10-15 books as compared to the Beast's personal library which filled at least two great rooms. Gaston was not impressing her when he mentioned a book in her hand but he of course had not read it. Meanwhile, Beast saying he had read everything in his library just made her pantaloons soak (I don't think panties were invented yet).
Of course, the story ends in happily ever after. Beast found true love and a real reason to live, not just partying every night. Belle found a man of substance who could and would challenge her, mentally, plus it's a Disney movie, of course he would also be rich beyond her wildest dreams.
The Disney female heroines have been slowly improving through the ages, but in the beginning they were some weak ass damsels in distress. Snow White is asleep through most of her movie then wakes up and voluntarily starts cleaning house for seven men or vice versa, it's been awhile. Cinderella can't or won't step up to her stepmother who treats her like a servant until she starts getting high and talking to the critters around her. A man, of course, comes to her rescue. Belle, at least, starts showing us a female can sacrifice for a loved one when she switches places with her father and then we see her fall in love with the man under the fur. She is smart, literate even, and is unwilling to settle for the barbaric hero, Gaston.
Gaston is played up perfectly by Luke Evans who might not be as muscular as the cartoon character, but he certainly had the devil may care attitude of being an elitist. I do believe he was outperformed by his underling, LeFou, played by Josh Gad. I have always found him to be a bit too bull in a china shop for me, he is a husky guy and he overacts a bit, but man, this role fit him perfectly, as Gaston's personal cheerleader and his noticeable man crush. It is the first time I enjoyed his performance on screen.
I read other reviews and people are not being kind to this movie, but maybe it has to do with I haven't seen a movie in a while, or I love a musical, or there was a touch of nostalgia apparently having watched this as a cartoon, but regardless, I was in the scenes, never mind that Beast looked a little fake, come on people, that is some petty shit. I got caught in and by the time Lumiere is singing "Be Our Guest" I was teary-eyed and into it, I wasn't judging the special effects.
I liked the stark contrast of the library in her province which had maybe 10-15 books as compared to the Beast's personal library which filled at least two great rooms. Gaston was not impressing her when he mentioned a book in her hand but he of course had not read it. Meanwhile, Beast saying he had read everything in his library just made her pantaloons soak (I don't think panties were invented yet).
Of course, the story ends in happily ever after. Beast found true love and a real reason to live, not just partying every night. Belle found a man of substance who could and would challenge her, mentally, plus it's a Disney movie, of course he would also be rich beyond her wildest dreams.
Saturday, April 22, 2017
4/22/17 Racists or Totally Incompetent At ZPizza?
This is after all a new world, and I can feel the roll of the eyes from you two at work, but it certainly felt like some shenanigans were afoot. We stopped to eat at ZPizza this afternoon after trying Jersey Mike's which had an overflowing parking lot, Which Wich, which apparently shut down, shitty location to get to, at Slaughter Lane and MoPac. Boy wanted to go stop by the Alamo Drafthouse to pick up tickets for us, we hadn't been in a while and Wife wants to see Beauty and the Beast. Since we were all the way over there, and we had talked about it a week or two ago, ZPizza seemed like the destination, last time I had half a sub and some pizza and the pizza was pretty good.
All seemed normal when we got there, I was distracted by the bicycle shop two doors down and wanted to look but everyone was super hungry, so I was out of luck. At the restaurant, I could not find on the menu where the half and half deals were at. I remember getting half a sub and half a pizza or something like that. I saw a small pepperoni pizza for $5.98 and thought that would be good enough for me. Chubs seems to order wings wherever he goes, and Wife and Boy each had a sub of one kind or another. We sat and I managed to finish my first soda and we still hadn't got any food. Two girls came in after us, ordered, each got a Dos Equis beer and some food. Their food came out, they ate, and at some point on my second soda Boy and Wife got their subs. The dude muttered something like we lost your ticket, we'll get the rest of your meal together. "Uhh, OK." Is about the only thing you can say before getting ugly. Many other customers came in ordered and left with their pizzas and there we still were.
About the time Boy finished eating his sub, I got my pizza in a to go box, and yet still nothimng for my son. Wife finished eating, the two ladies next to us finished eating and drinking their beers, and I begrudgingly ate my pizza as Chubs fought to get more than the 1 slice I gave him. I finally finished my pizza and then started looking at Wife like go up and ask them "what is going on?" There was a steady stream of people coming in ordering so it made it hard to cause a commotion.
Probably 45 minutes after we got there, Chubs finally got his wings. There was a half-ass not sorry but explanation... "wings take a while." There were at least six perfect white boys in their 20's working behind the counter. How do you lose a ticket if you order next to the oven and prep station. I almost felt a racist vibe, it is about as west as one can go in South Austin, and we know it gets whiter the farther west you travel. If it wasn't racism, then we are left with six idiots who couldn't get their shit together, so pick one. Those freaking wings come in a bag, they get thrown in a microwave or convection oven for a couple minutes. It is a pizza parlor, don't say pizzas are hard to make, Cody. Don't tell me Subs are your specialty, Bryce.
All seemed normal when we got there, I was distracted by the bicycle shop two doors down and wanted to look but everyone was super hungry, so I was out of luck. At the restaurant, I could not find on the menu where the half and half deals were at. I remember getting half a sub and half a pizza or something like that. I saw a small pepperoni pizza for $5.98 and thought that would be good enough for me. Chubs seems to order wings wherever he goes, and Wife and Boy each had a sub of one kind or another. We sat and I managed to finish my first soda and we still hadn't got any food. Two girls came in after us, ordered, each got a Dos Equis beer and some food. Their food came out, they ate, and at some point on my second soda Boy and Wife got their subs. The dude muttered something like we lost your ticket, we'll get the rest of your meal together. "Uhh, OK." Is about the only thing you can say before getting ugly. Many other customers came in ordered and left with their pizzas and there we still were.
About the time Boy finished eating his sub, I got my pizza in a to go box, and yet still nothimng for my son. Wife finished eating, the two ladies next to us finished eating and drinking their beers, and I begrudgingly ate my pizza as Chubs fought to get more than the 1 slice I gave him. I finally finished my pizza and then started looking at Wife like go up and ask them "what is going on?" There was a steady stream of people coming in ordering so it made it hard to cause a commotion.
Probably 45 minutes after we got there, Chubs finally got his wings. There was a half-ass not sorry but explanation... "wings take a while." There were at least six perfect white boys in their 20's working behind the counter. How do you lose a ticket if you order next to the oven and prep station. I almost felt a racist vibe, it is about as west as one can go in South Austin, and we know it gets whiter the farther west you travel. If it wasn't racism, then we are left with six idiots who couldn't get their shit together, so pick one. Those freaking wings come in a bag, they get thrown in a microwave or convection oven for a couple minutes. It is a pizza parlor, don't say pizzas are hard to make, Cody. Don't tell me Subs are your specialty, Bryce.
Friday, April 21, 2017
4/21/17 Freedom, At Last?
I did not drive for a whole week, I was not supposed to put stress on my right leg while it healed. The doctor gave me permission to resume activities but to take it easy, so I did not want to, but there was nobody around and Chubs needed to be picked up from school. I thought I was ready and was waiting on the clock when I remembered I still had the boot on my foot. I was supposed to wear it when walking, but I was so scared of hurting the wound that I kept it on all week, figuring it added a few layers of protection, with all the foam and hard plastic casing.
The nurses and doctors said I didn't need it anymore but it does add some protection and as I see it, less movement for the ankle. All this is good, and I so fear having the new skin fall off and fail that I am willing to keep the boot on another week. But driving with the boot would be tricky, the ankle doesn't roll and I would hate to get in a car accident, specially around a school zone with all them kids walking around. So I didn't want to but I took the boot off and found my right footed Croc and I was out the door.
My truck sputtered and pissed after not being used for a week, it is a high step to get in when you are trying not to stress the ankles too much. Driving was fine, but then when I picked up Chubs, he complained about his backpack tearing on him. I had already noticed the ends fraying, so it did not surprise me when he said the shoulder straps snapped while he was running to class. He did giggle and the more we talked about it, the more convinced I get that someone either hung from the strap, or someone pulled it violently. He would not admit either one, but he was laughing a little guilty, to me.
Who knew backpacks were so expensive. We went to Academy and I was thinking Mijo deserves a nice backpack, maybe one of the upper end ones in the $50-60 range. Shit, the first one he grabbed was $89.99. I was taken aback, but looking through all the Under Armour branded ones, the cheapest was $80. The Nike backpacks were very similar in price and then the other no name brands looked like they would maybe last a week. I don't want a shell of a backpack with straps, I want something that looks and feels like quality so I swallowed hard and hoped for the best with our credit card. I've also been promising him some new tennis shoes and although he has been wanting some, today he was more interested in going home. I forced him to try on about four pairs before he chose one. Since they were relatively cheap at $40, I thought it was a good combo.
It was so nice to drive and go to the store like an adult. Being locked up at home can be a little depressing. For a whole week, I was at the mercy of Wife or Boy, I am glad they were here for me, but I am not used to being a secondary character in my own story. It is roughly 10:30pm and I am still unsure about being without the boot. I haven't put it back on. It seems to help keep the wrappings around my leg in place, but now that I don't have it on, it is very restricting. I will wear it in bed, since I move and kick so much while I am asleep.
The nurses and doctors said I didn't need it anymore but it does add some protection and as I see it, less movement for the ankle. All this is good, and I so fear having the new skin fall off and fail that I am willing to keep the boot on another week. But driving with the boot would be tricky, the ankle doesn't roll and I would hate to get in a car accident, specially around a school zone with all them kids walking around. So I didn't want to but I took the boot off and found my right footed Croc and I was out the door.
My truck sputtered and pissed after not being used for a week, it is a high step to get in when you are trying not to stress the ankles too much. Driving was fine, but then when I picked up Chubs, he complained about his backpack tearing on him. I had already noticed the ends fraying, so it did not surprise me when he said the shoulder straps snapped while he was running to class. He did giggle and the more we talked about it, the more convinced I get that someone either hung from the strap, or someone pulled it violently. He would not admit either one, but he was laughing a little guilty, to me.
Who knew backpacks were so expensive. We went to Academy and I was thinking Mijo deserves a nice backpack, maybe one of the upper end ones in the $50-60 range. Shit, the first one he grabbed was $89.99. I was taken aback, but looking through all the Under Armour branded ones, the cheapest was $80. The Nike backpacks were very similar in price and then the other no name brands looked like they would maybe last a week. I don't want a shell of a backpack with straps, I want something that looks and feels like quality so I swallowed hard and hoped for the best with our credit card. I've also been promising him some new tennis shoes and although he has been wanting some, today he was more interested in going home. I forced him to try on about four pairs before he chose one. Since they were relatively cheap at $40, I thought it was a good combo.
It was so nice to drive and go to the store like an adult. Being locked up at home can be a little depressing. For a whole week, I was at the mercy of Wife or Boy, I am glad they were here for me, but I am not used to being a secondary character in my own story. It is roughly 10:30pm and I am still unsure about being without the boot. I haven't put it back on. It seems to help keep the wrappings around my leg in place, but now that I don't have it on, it is very restricting. I will wear it in bed, since I move and kick so much while I am asleep.
Thursday, April 20, 2017
4/20/17 One Week Later?
It has been about a week since my skin graft. I went and saw the doctor, well the doctor's staff today to have a pump removed. When he did the surgery, he recommended a pump that sucks on the wound continuously to remove blood and other bodily fluids, I was calling it Mando Sauce, cause it came from within me. The machine was starting to annoy me, making me almost trip every time I started walking and making it harder to put on or take off shorts and I had to make sure it stayed charged so I was constantly either plugging the laptop by the bed or plugging the machine to keep it charged, such first world problems, waah.
Anyways, the appointment was at 1:30pm back at his office and man, plastic surgeons do seem to surround themselves with beautiful people, he had two gals working the desk and wow, they have to be clients, I felt like I was back in elementary trying to ask the pretty girl a question when I checked in. There was some paperwork to cover my history, which seems to be after the fact, he already did the bulk of the work, but I guess the history is always taken. The same technician/nurse who took off the wrap last time was there again. She was surprised that I already had the surgery, so I guess she was not there last Thursday.
I had been scared since last week to see if it had worked, specially with all the henpecking from everyone to make sure and not overdo it while I am healing. It was slow going and eventually a second nurse grabbed some scissors to get at the cut faster. The pump was attached to the cut with a plastic material that was stuck all the way around the wound to make a vacuum seal. The nurse then had to slowly go all the way around and remove the sticky material off. Finally, we got to the cut and although at first glance the leg around the cut was blacker and more beat up and the new skin looked greenish and a little bloody, but they declared it a success. The doctor, true to his personality, peeked in the door, gave me about 25-30 seconds, said it looked good and went back to playing Solitaire at his office.
I was told to start showering once a day, mostly to change the dressings, but it will be the first time since around September that I can start washing my right leg below the knee. Looking at it without all the wrappings and stuff, it sure looks like it needs to be scrubbed. Provided I don't screw up and bash my leg against something, causing the new skin to shear off, I should continue to heal in a month or so. The staples come off next week, and then from there, I will continue to grow new skin into the graft.
I hope to put this long, dreary chapter behind me soon. It has taken most of this school year, since Wife left to work out of town. Man, I am never cutting the grass again.
Anyways, the appointment was at 1:30pm back at his office and man, plastic surgeons do seem to surround themselves with beautiful people, he had two gals working the desk and wow, they have to be clients, I felt like I was back in elementary trying to ask the pretty girl a question when I checked in. There was some paperwork to cover my history, which seems to be after the fact, he already did the bulk of the work, but I guess the history is always taken. The same technician/nurse who took off the wrap last time was there again. She was surprised that I already had the surgery, so I guess she was not there last Thursday.
I had been scared since last week to see if it had worked, specially with all the henpecking from everyone to make sure and not overdo it while I am healing. It was slow going and eventually a second nurse grabbed some scissors to get at the cut faster. The pump was attached to the cut with a plastic material that was stuck all the way around the wound to make a vacuum seal. The nurse then had to slowly go all the way around and remove the sticky material off. Finally, we got to the cut and although at first glance the leg around the cut was blacker and more beat up and the new skin looked greenish and a little bloody, but they declared it a success. The doctor, true to his personality, peeked in the door, gave me about 25-30 seconds, said it looked good and went back to playing Solitaire at his office.
I was told to start showering once a day, mostly to change the dressings, but it will be the first time since around September that I can start washing my right leg below the knee. Looking at it without all the wrappings and stuff, it sure looks like it needs to be scrubbed. Provided I don't screw up and bash my leg against something, causing the new skin to shear off, I should continue to heal in a month or so. The staples come off next week, and then from there, I will continue to grow new skin into the graft.
I hope to put this long, dreary chapter behind me soon. It has taken most of this school year, since Wife left to work out of town. Man, I am never cutting the grass again.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
4/19/17 Keep Me On My Boy's Schedule?
I am off this week and part of next week due to my leg. I was bored enough today that I told Wife we should go eat brunch somewhere, just to get out of the house. It seemed like a good idea, but then we both kind of fell asleep in the morning after Wife dropped off Chubs, and we were both in and out of sleep until around 11:00am. I haven't been able to shower or bath, so I got ready pretty quickly, but then had to sit and wait on Wife to get ready. She was ready pretty quick, so we hit the road around noon.
She had mentioned Culver's during the weekend, and it resonated in my head, so we headed there. I love their cheddar melts with the toasted bread and the small hamburger patties and onions. I have to complain they did something to their fries about a year ago. They had perfect and awesome fries but now they just get kind of hard and dead when they cool off. They used to be good to the last drop. Anyways, while we sat there, I noticed the only other people available to be customers are the old and the unemployables. I don't believe unemployables are filling up restaurants, primarily because they don't have money, so our table companions are mostly older folks, and I can sense the Republican oozing from their loins.
They have a TV there in the restaurant and because of my leg, we sat on the half bench/ half chair tables which are in the line of sight of the TV. Normally, this doesn't bother me, but looking at the TV and seeing all the Trump coverage, I am not sure old people have as big a problem with our leader. I want to roll my eyes at the TV as the reporters are insisting we are moving closer to war, and the old people are eating that shit up with a spoon. Maybe it is just in my head, and maybe this fool will accomplish getting us into a war we don't need to be involved in, but in the mean time, there we sit, like dummies, not being able to do much about nothing.
I'm sorry, but give me lunch with my Chubs any day. I love to hear his little school drama problems with this girl or this friend. That is much more palatable than anything coming out of Washington right now. How much more poor taste than our great leader describing the greatest piece of chocolate cake while dropping bombs over Iraq, oops, I meant Syria, after being corrected by the reporter. Fucking demented old Fuck, at least know what group of brown people you are targeting while you enjoy your much deserved cake, Asshole.
I rarely get out during the day, with work and my busy schedule, so I will leave today as a weird one of a kind thing, but I am not sure I enjoyed it that much. Maybe the old people were keeping to themselves and not staring our way, maybe it's just my own inner turmoil which makes me hate crowds which keeps me on night shift, but I have to say, I will stick to a Mexican restaurant next time I am out when I am not supposed to be.
She had mentioned Culver's during the weekend, and it resonated in my head, so we headed there. I love their cheddar melts with the toasted bread and the small hamburger patties and onions. I have to complain they did something to their fries about a year ago. They had perfect and awesome fries but now they just get kind of hard and dead when they cool off. They used to be good to the last drop. Anyways, while we sat there, I noticed the only other people available to be customers are the old and the unemployables. I don't believe unemployables are filling up restaurants, primarily because they don't have money, so our table companions are mostly older folks, and I can sense the Republican oozing from their loins.
They have a TV there in the restaurant and because of my leg, we sat on the half bench/ half chair tables which are in the line of sight of the TV. Normally, this doesn't bother me, but looking at the TV and seeing all the Trump coverage, I am not sure old people have as big a problem with our leader. I want to roll my eyes at the TV as the reporters are insisting we are moving closer to war, and the old people are eating that shit up with a spoon. Maybe it is just in my head, and maybe this fool will accomplish getting us into a war we don't need to be involved in, but in the mean time, there we sit, like dummies, not being able to do much about nothing.
I'm sorry, but give me lunch with my Chubs any day. I love to hear his little school drama problems with this girl or this friend. That is much more palatable than anything coming out of Washington right now. How much more poor taste than our great leader describing the greatest piece of chocolate cake while dropping bombs over Iraq, oops, I meant Syria, after being corrected by the reporter. Fucking demented old Fuck, at least know what group of brown people you are targeting while you enjoy your much deserved cake, Asshole.
I rarely get out during the day, with work and my busy schedule, so I will leave today as a weird one of a kind thing, but I am not sure I enjoyed it that much. Maybe the old people were keeping to themselves and not staring our way, maybe it's just my own inner turmoil which makes me hate crowds which keeps me on night shift, but I have to say, I will stick to a Mexican restaurant next time I am out when I am not supposed to be.
Monday, April 17, 2017
4/18/17 Can I Have A Dream?
At this point in life, I have one big-ish dream. I really want to own a piece of waterfront property. I am not sure whether I would prefer this plot of land on a lake, river, or down on the coast. Wife is not the fantasizing kind and in her mind, we will always be struggling just to get by. I don't feel this way, first off, we won't be supporting Boy all his life, we could even be done with him in a year or so. We also won't be paying for credit cards all our life, this is something we are working on, but it is also the hardest thing since I am a "want it now" type of person for most everything.
So, which is better? When I do get Wife to talk about it, she says she would like to retire to the coast. I was born in Corpus Christi, so I see something poetic about going back to where I came from. The biggest problem is living in a salty environment which will attack both our house and our vehicles. I'm not excited about owning a bunch of rusty cars, but then I feel like maybe that is home. We have spent most of our summers going down there.
Because we live in Austin, I think it would fit our lifestyle to own a piece of waterfront on one of the central Texas lakes. Some are quite big, but as nice as these lakes are, the price tags of even just the land can easily surpass the $150-200,000 range. If it was up to me, I would choose this route, but this is certainly the priciest, and to do this one might require us to even sell our main home some day. Some of the problems though are questionable. Lakes like Canyon Lake in New Braunfels do not even allow boat docks, and that is a big part to me to owning a piece of waterfront.
A third newer idea comes at me more recently. There are cities like Seguin that have multiple rivers and then there are waterfront on skinny rivers which might not be exactly what I want, but if we can swim and maybe use some kayaks or canoes, these could also work. This is probably the cheapest route but would also mean we would be living in some city I had not considered, like Seguin or somewhere between Austin and the coast, along the Colorado. Wife does have a cousin who has managed to get situated on the river that feeds Garner State Park, towards that region. I am not sure I would want to own land that way, but if it means my own slice of heaven, I might be interested.
But I guess a dream is supposed to be that, otherwise we aren't dreaming big enough. If we could have afforded it by now, would we even appreciate it, like so many other things we just take for granted? I am hoping to be looking into this in the next five years, probably after Wife gets another promotion that sends her back towards us, and Boy gets ready to graduate.
So, which is better? When I do get Wife to talk about it, she says she would like to retire to the coast. I was born in Corpus Christi, so I see something poetic about going back to where I came from. The biggest problem is living in a salty environment which will attack both our house and our vehicles. I'm not excited about owning a bunch of rusty cars, but then I feel like maybe that is home. We have spent most of our summers going down there.
Because we live in Austin, I think it would fit our lifestyle to own a piece of waterfront on one of the central Texas lakes. Some are quite big, but as nice as these lakes are, the price tags of even just the land can easily surpass the $150-200,000 range. If it was up to me, I would choose this route, but this is certainly the priciest, and to do this one might require us to even sell our main home some day. Some of the problems though are questionable. Lakes like Canyon Lake in New Braunfels do not even allow boat docks, and that is a big part to me to owning a piece of waterfront.
A third newer idea comes at me more recently. There are cities like Seguin that have multiple rivers and then there are waterfront on skinny rivers which might not be exactly what I want, but if we can swim and maybe use some kayaks or canoes, these could also work. This is probably the cheapest route but would also mean we would be living in some city I had not considered, like Seguin or somewhere between Austin and the coast, along the Colorado. Wife does have a cousin who has managed to get situated on the river that feeds Garner State Park, towards that region. I am not sure I would want to own land that way, but if it means my own slice of heaven, I might be interested.
But I guess a dream is supposed to be that, otherwise we aren't dreaming big enough. If we could have afforded it by now, would we even appreciate it, like so many other things we just take for granted? I am hoping to be looking into this in the next five years, probably after Wife gets another promotion that sends her back towards us, and Boy gets ready to graduate.
4/17/17 Central Intelligence? (Movie)
Being forced to stay in the house, we watched a movie off the HBO On Demand function on our cable box, It is surprising to see so many movies available actually, but the first one to jump at me was Central Intelligence, a movie that came out late last year with Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. The premise was kind of silly, Dwayne was a fat kid in high school and Hart was the stud athlete. Twenty years later, Dwayne is sporting all sorts of muscles and a chiseled body, and Hart's character has sort of plateaued and kind of given up as a mid-level accountant.
Dwayne reintroduces himself to Kevin just as Kevin is deciding whether to attend their twenty year reunion. Dwayne plays it up like he is still kind of a dork, but in reality he has joined the CIA and is a James Bond type of person capable of evading capture. They meet up at a bar, mostly so Kevin's character can avoid going to a relationship counselor which his wife is pushing for. At the bar, Kevin starts noticing how bad-ass Dwayne's character has become as he beats up a group of surly troublemakers.
In the next scene they are at Kevin's house and Dwayne gives him codes to some secret accounts which activates the CIA and they show up the following morning on the hunt for Dwayne who they claim has gone rogue and killed his partner. At this point the movie starts going fast and either Kevin believes his high school classmate is a good guy who needs to clear his name or the CIA is right and Dwayne is a cold hearted killer.
They keep getting into funny situations, such as when Dwayne acts like the therapist between his wife and Kevin. He comes up with exercises which of course the wife is eating up but are just silly, from our perspective.
His partner who had been presumed dead early in the movie, and probably killed by Dwayne is actually the bad guy. He faked his own death in the elevator, and the blame fell on Dwayne. Dwayne still has a personal foible where he freezes whenever he is pushed too far, stemming from when he was in high school and was embarrassed by an unlikely bully, a young Jason Bateman. They go and meet up with him to use his services as a higher level accountant. He seems to be helping them, and even starts apologizing like he has found god, only to turn and make fun of Dwayne one more time, as we watch him freeze once again.
It has been fun watching the Rock/Dwayne Johnson become our big muscle bound hero. He is this generation's Arnold Schwarzennegger, and that is good because us Americans love our super sized heroes. There was a time at the end of the 80s and 90s when it was worrisome as we could see the few hero types getting older, like Arnold, Rambo, Lou Ferrigno. They are still around and have even made movies making fun of themselves, like The Expendables.
In the end of the movie, Dwayne's message was simply, be yourself. They end up at their reunion and instead of fearing the gym where he was embarrassed twenty years ago, he owned the situation and stripped down to his birthday suit and danced the night away.
Dwayne reintroduces himself to Kevin just as Kevin is deciding whether to attend their twenty year reunion. Dwayne plays it up like he is still kind of a dork, but in reality he has joined the CIA and is a James Bond type of person capable of evading capture. They meet up at a bar, mostly so Kevin's character can avoid going to a relationship counselor which his wife is pushing for. At the bar, Kevin starts noticing how bad-ass Dwayne's character has become as he beats up a group of surly troublemakers.
In the next scene they are at Kevin's house and Dwayne gives him codes to some secret accounts which activates the CIA and they show up the following morning on the hunt for Dwayne who they claim has gone rogue and killed his partner. At this point the movie starts going fast and either Kevin believes his high school classmate is a good guy who needs to clear his name or the CIA is right and Dwayne is a cold hearted killer.
They keep getting into funny situations, such as when Dwayne acts like the therapist between his wife and Kevin. He comes up with exercises which of course the wife is eating up but are just silly, from our perspective.
His partner who had been presumed dead early in the movie, and probably killed by Dwayne is actually the bad guy. He faked his own death in the elevator, and the blame fell on Dwayne. Dwayne still has a personal foible where he freezes whenever he is pushed too far, stemming from when he was in high school and was embarrassed by an unlikely bully, a young Jason Bateman. They go and meet up with him to use his services as a higher level accountant. He seems to be helping them, and even starts apologizing like he has found god, only to turn and make fun of Dwayne one more time, as we watch him freeze once again.
It has been fun watching the Rock/Dwayne Johnson become our big muscle bound hero. He is this generation's Arnold Schwarzennegger, and that is good because us Americans love our super sized heroes. There was a time at the end of the 80s and 90s when it was worrisome as we could see the few hero types getting older, like Arnold, Rambo, Lou Ferrigno. They are still around and have even made movies making fun of themselves, like The Expendables.
In the end of the movie, Dwayne's message was simply, be yourself. They end up at their reunion and instead of fearing the gym where he was embarrassed twenty years ago, he owned the situation and stripped down to his birthday suit and danced the night away.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
4/16/17 Happy Easter?
Easter is a weird holiday to celebrate. First of all, the real celebration is supposed to be the resurrection of Christ, but come on, we are really just celebrating chocolate and brightly colored eggs. The funniest line so far has been Chubs wanting to get on the phone to talk to the Easter Bunny. He wanted to see if his basket could be packed with a Nintendo Switch, which is the newest gaming system out. I wouldn't bother entertaining the idea but it does piss me off when Boy buys something like that but won't let little brother play with it.
This is mainly why both have their own TVs, X-Boxes and assorted other games, because Boy sucks at sharing. I also realize that Chubs thinking he can argue with the Bunny means we need to have that talk. It doesn't help that various in-laws have made it possible for Santa and assorted elves to call him during the Christmas season to check on whether he has been bad or good, for goodness sake.
Usually, we plan on being with my folks in Crystal City and we would have found a way, but being I just had my little surgery, my doctor told me to stay home and take it easy. The more I force the walking around, the greater the likelihood of having my skin graft come off and fail. That would suck because I would have to start over and would mean more days home burning up my vacation days.
I do love having my woman here at home for more than a weekend, she is busily making some cakes for tomorrow which is just perfect. Along with that, she is making some stir fry for Saturday night dinner. I am a little tired of all the take out, so this seems like a good idea. Just for a little while, this feels normal. Wife was applying for multiple jobs here in town recommended by somebody in power to hire her, so I hope it is a good sign and that she might come back, especially because they want to play around over there that they don't have money in the budget to give her a raise, yet the Superintendent just got a three year extension and they hired a new Athletic Director, which there was somehow money for that.
In years past, the Easter Bunny has competed with Santa, the boys get a basket, and there have been Nintendo DSs and Lego boxes, when those were cooler. Then there was a gift for Wife in that same value territory of $200-$300. This year, things just didn't line up and I can't go walking so Wife will be short a purse, or something of that nature. I'll just blame it on the leg.
I am writing this at 7:45pm and the house is especially quiet. Girlie is out with her friends, probably for the night, Boy's friend just came through and told us he was headed out for the evening, probably more dancing later tonight. It is just us four, but Boy hardly comes out of his room, and Chubs floats around but barely makes any noise. All I can hear is the sizzling of the chicken for the stir fry and just now Wife turned on the dryer.
As y'all know, I am not a religious person, but I do hope everyone gets to spend some time with our loved ones. To me, that is the most important thing. We are on this little blue ball for a few decades and we should make the most of it We were already talking about summer plans on the coast. My folks are taking their RV down and were wondering what we were going to do, adding we could just stay with them. I most certainly enjoy visiting with my folks and being with them, but I really need a place of my own at night to unwind, so I think if we can't take our RV down, we'll stay in a hotel nearby. At least the conversation is veering towards getting back to the water, and that is where I love to be.
This is mainly why both have their own TVs, X-Boxes and assorted other games, because Boy sucks at sharing. I also realize that Chubs thinking he can argue with the Bunny means we need to have that talk. It doesn't help that various in-laws have made it possible for Santa and assorted elves to call him during the Christmas season to check on whether he has been bad or good, for goodness sake.
Usually, we plan on being with my folks in Crystal City and we would have found a way, but being I just had my little surgery, my doctor told me to stay home and take it easy. The more I force the walking around, the greater the likelihood of having my skin graft come off and fail. That would suck because I would have to start over and would mean more days home burning up my vacation days.
I do love having my woman here at home for more than a weekend, she is busily making some cakes for tomorrow which is just perfect. Along with that, she is making some stir fry for Saturday night dinner. I am a little tired of all the take out, so this seems like a good idea. Just for a little while, this feels normal. Wife was applying for multiple jobs here in town recommended by somebody in power to hire her, so I hope it is a good sign and that she might come back, especially because they want to play around over there that they don't have money in the budget to give her a raise, yet the Superintendent just got a three year extension and they hired a new Athletic Director, which there was somehow money for that.
In years past, the Easter Bunny has competed with Santa, the boys get a basket, and there have been Nintendo DSs and Lego boxes, when those were cooler. Then there was a gift for Wife in that same value territory of $200-$300. This year, things just didn't line up and I can't go walking so Wife will be short a purse, or something of that nature. I'll just blame it on the leg.
I am writing this at 7:45pm and the house is especially quiet. Girlie is out with her friends, probably for the night, Boy's friend just came through and told us he was headed out for the evening, probably more dancing later tonight. It is just us four, but Boy hardly comes out of his room, and Chubs floats around but barely makes any noise. All I can hear is the sizzling of the chicken for the stir fry and just now Wife turned on the dryer.
As y'all know, I am not a religious person, but I do hope everyone gets to spend some time with our loved ones. To me, that is the most important thing. We are on this little blue ball for a few decades and we should make the most of it We were already talking about summer plans on the coast. My folks are taking their RV down and were wondering what we were going to do, adding we could just stay with them. I most certainly enjoy visiting with my folks and being with them, but I really need a place of my own at night to unwind, so I think if we can't take our RV down, we'll stay in a hotel nearby. At least the conversation is veering towards getting back to the water, and that is where I love to be.
4/15/17 The Day After?
I am only mildly complaining because I have nothing better to do. I should be happy I have gone all day without so much as needing a pain pill or I should be happy Wife is here and she brings me foods of my choice.
The biggest complaint for today was being a tad worried about not pooping in over a day and a half. Yesterday was pretty much spent sleeping, I worked partly on purpose so I would be extra tired and not spending all night thinking of going under the knife. Because I needed the sleep and I was full of anesthesia, yesterday just happened. My folks drove up after my mom worked all day, and then got up and showered at 4:00am to go to the hospital with me so they too were out of it and slept on the sofas and chairs in the living rooms. The only one who always seems full of energy was Wife who stayed up all day, as usual, applying for jobs here in the area, and then staying up trying to catch up on her shows.
At a certain point I wanted tacos and Wife went and got some from Taco Cabana. I ate two which happened to be bean and cheese and fell asleep before I could eat the other two. Apparently, I missed the fajita tacos and by the time I re-awoke my tacos had been consumed by someone else. I was hungry but alas, no tacos, I kind of settled for some of the pan dulce bought earlier.
I went to sleep for the night by 10:30pm or so but woke up at 2:30am and stayed awake until 7:30am. I managed to nap a bit until 10:00am when Wife got up. I quickly said "I'm hungry" and she said she would go get breakfast tacos I added some biscuits, eggs, and sausages from Whataburger and she said she would get both. I enjoyed this with a cup of coffee thinking this would make me poop, but still nothing. I laid around watching some dudes building tree houses on TV, then I felt real gassy as I had followed the coffee with a Dr. Pepper, and two Cokes. All that I produced was some fantastic gas, but still nothing. I stayed upstairs, watched some shows with Wife and fell asleep. I woke and this time I was sure the poop would happen, so I went in the bathroom with a vengeance and some reading material.
I just waited it out and eventually, the dam broke and it might have been a little firm and dry in the beginning, but it was all nice and moist by the end of it. I now feel I can start healing properly, my poop is moving, but I am still sore from my chest and stomach area. I feel like I got punched in the gut every time I convulse and start coughing it hurts so much, but I am moving a lot of phlegm out.
My brother in law who works in a wound clinic said the anesthesia stays in the body for 2-4 days and that is what is making me feel sore. I am not sure if my throat will clear in a couple days but I guess I had a tube going into my lungs, so that can explain some of that pain. Right now, it is 2:13am and all I can think is "I'm hungry."
The biggest complaint for today was being a tad worried about not pooping in over a day and a half. Yesterday was pretty much spent sleeping, I worked partly on purpose so I would be extra tired and not spending all night thinking of going under the knife. Because I needed the sleep and I was full of anesthesia, yesterday just happened. My folks drove up after my mom worked all day, and then got up and showered at 4:00am to go to the hospital with me so they too were out of it and slept on the sofas and chairs in the living rooms. The only one who always seems full of energy was Wife who stayed up all day, as usual, applying for jobs here in the area, and then staying up trying to catch up on her shows.
At a certain point I wanted tacos and Wife went and got some from Taco Cabana. I ate two which happened to be bean and cheese and fell asleep before I could eat the other two. Apparently, I missed the fajita tacos and by the time I re-awoke my tacos had been consumed by someone else. I was hungry but alas, no tacos, I kind of settled for some of the pan dulce bought earlier.
I went to sleep for the night by 10:30pm or so but woke up at 2:30am and stayed awake until 7:30am. I managed to nap a bit until 10:00am when Wife got up. I quickly said "I'm hungry" and she said she would go get breakfast tacos I added some biscuits, eggs, and sausages from Whataburger and she said she would get both. I enjoyed this with a cup of coffee thinking this would make me poop, but still nothing. I laid around watching some dudes building tree houses on TV, then I felt real gassy as I had followed the coffee with a Dr. Pepper, and two Cokes. All that I produced was some fantastic gas, but still nothing. I stayed upstairs, watched some shows with Wife and fell asleep. I woke and this time I was sure the poop would happen, so I went in the bathroom with a vengeance and some reading material.
I just waited it out and eventually, the dam broke and it might have been a little firm and dry in the beginning, but it was all nice and moist by the end of it. I now feel I can start healing properly, my poop is moving, but I am still sore from my chest and stomach area. I feel like I got punched in the gut every time I convulse and start coughing it hurts so much, but I am moving a lot of phlegm out.
My brother in law who works in a wound clinic said the anesthesia stays in the body for 2-4 days and that is what is making me feel sore. I am not sure if my throat will clear in a couple days but I guess I had a tube going into my lungs, so that can explain some of that pain. Right now, it is 2:13am and all I can think is "I'm hungry."
Friday, April 14, 2017
4/14/17 The Game Of Operation?
First off, my operation went great. The worst part is getting that needle in the arm for the IV and the anesthesia. I wasn't that excited about the hospital telling me I was the first patient and to be in by 5:30am. I told the lady on the phone that the lady on the phone the day before had said 6:00am. All of a sudden she was fluid and said umm, ok, just be here between 5:30am and 6:00am.
We managed to get there by 5:40am and seemed to be the first group of people in the waiting room. I didn't even get a full minute to pee in the bathroom before they were moving us into the pre-op room. I thought "awesome" as my dad is slamming on the door to move it, cutting my pee stream like I am going to miss a rocket to the moon. This was about the only time there was a sense of rush.
A nurse came in and gave me three packages with a total of six wipes. She said to take the wipes and wipe my body down. The six wipes all had a purpose, one wipe for left arm, 2nd wipe for right arm, another wipe for left leg, and fourth for right leg. fifth wipe for front of torso, and sixth wipe for back of body torso. Wife complained that I actually benefited from being scrubbed specially in the back with wipes and "ewww".
We were done with this part by 5:50am and I called my folks back. The nurses came back now and again. They got me excited that this might happen earlier than normal, once The Doctor showed up. The administrators came and took their hospital cut before I got any scalpels near me, what other business gets to say "well, pay something today, if insurance doesn't come through, then we'll figure it out (all she forgot was "those kneecaps look mighty nice, hate for something bad to happen to them"). Finally, my big bad surgeon paraded in. It must be nice to be a surgeon/doctor and be surrounded by all the young pretty nurses. I kept seeing in the hallways different older men in scrubs, I assume, the different doctors hugging on all the nurses/techs as they waited outside my door for my surgeon. Feeling a little jelly, as the kids are saying.
He finally showed up at 8:15am, talked to us for 2-3 minutes, explaining to Wife that is was no big deal and if we have any questions. Wife asked about me showering, he just said "get like a big trash bag, keep it dry, he can figure it out. Scrubs was right, Surgeons don't have the nicest of bedside manner, but I love a confidant cocky man doing his job right. Finally, I was rolled to the OR and man, it always seems the same, big empty room, a lot of lights on a post, cold as can be, and a skinny table in the middle of the room. I scooted over settled in, and all I remember was feeling like my left arm got strapped down, my right arm kind of floating and then telling me "breath deeper", tone got more serious "Breath Deeper", "Breath Deeper!", after the fourth one I wanted to yell back "I am, fucker!", but the anesthesiologist had the tubes in her hand right by my head and I was out by fourth or fifth deep breath.
I woke up in a different room, throat dry as hell, but I couldn't even cough. My eyes were open and I could see my fingers so I started wiggling them, see that they worked. At a certain point I saw a glass of water and pointed at it, to get my throat wet. The nurse was older, not one of the many young hotties in the OR, but probably more competent. She gradually was taking stuff off of me, and then I noticed a guy also had come out of surgery, but he had 2-3 cops with him. I thought "goddammit", but what are you gonna do? I was moved to the next room, but 5 minutes later he was in there too, now right next to me, only a curtain and 4-5 cops separating us. It pissed me off a tiny bit that my nurse said I could get 1-2 persons back here in recovery to sit with me, meanwhile Joe Criminal had the 4-5 cops at his full attention, but I understand.
My Wife came back, the nurse loved her for some reason, they instantly bonded, the nurse said she had been working there at Brackenridge Hospital since 1972, I didn't do the math just then, but that lady did not look older, Brackenridge must have a policy of hiring the good looking, or maybe the drugs were still in effect. Hmm, even the orderly with the neck tattoo that wheeled me out was good looking, like he was on TV pretending to be tough, so maybe it was the meds... anyways.
I spent the rest of the day in and out of sleep. I started writing this at 9:30pm, fell asleep, it is now 3:30am and everyone is out, I bet Chubs is still awake, that Boy loves the night life, he loves to boogie. He wanted to "converse" with the Easter Bunny about him getting him a Nintendo Switch. I guess when you want to talk on the phone with those guys, it's time to come clean. I blame Boy, he got one, and even if it is just sitting there, he won't let Chubs borrow it, even though that is the best feature is that it has it's own screen and it is portable. I love that it is a long weekend and I have my peeps here with me. Even my folks are here, although they aren't planning on staying through Easter Sunday, I still have them for a couple days. Wife is here through two weekends, I love that.
We managed to get there by 5:40am and seemed to be the first group of people in the waiting room. I didn't even get a full minute to pee in the bathroom before they were moving us into the pre-op room. I thought "awesome" as my dad is slamming on the door to move it, cutting my pee stream like I am going to miss a rocket to the moon. This was about the only time there was a sense of rush.
A nurse came in and gave me three packages with a total of six wipes. She said to take the wipes and wipe my body down. The six wipes all had a purpose, one wipe for left arm, 2nd wipe for right arm, another wipe for left leg, and fourth for right leg. fifth wipe for front of torso, and sixth wipe for back of body torso. Wife complained that I actually benefited from being scrubbed specially in the back with wipes and "ewww".
We were done with this part by 5:50am and I called my folks back. The nurses came back now and again. They got me excited that this might happen earlier than normal, once The Doctor showed up. The administrators came and took their hospital cut before I got any scalpels near me, what other business gets to say "well, pay something today, if insurance doesn't come through, then we'll figure it out (all she forgot was "those kneecaps look mighty nice, hate for something bad to happen to them"). Finally, my big bad surgeon paraded in. It must be nice to be a surgeon/doctor and be surrounded by all the young pretty nurses. I kept seeing in the hallways different older men in scrubs, I assume, the different doctors hugging on all the nurses/techs as they waited outside my door for my surgeon. Feeling a little jelly, as the kids are saying.
He finally showed up at 8:15am, talked to us for 2-3 minutes, explaining to Wife that is was no big deal and if we have any questions. Wife asked about me showering, he just said "get like a big trash bag, keep it dry, he can figure it out. Scrubs was right, Surgeons don't have the nicest of bedside manner, but I love a confidant cocky man doing his job right. Finally, I was rolled to the OR and man, it always seems the same, big empty room, a lot of lights on a post, cold as can be, and a skinny table in the middle of the room. I scooted over settled in, and all I remember was feeling like my left arm got strapped down, my right arm kind of floating and then telling me "breath deeper", tone got more serious "Breath Deeper", "Breath Deeper!", after the fourth one I wanted to yell back "I am, fucker!", but the anesthesiologist had the tubes in her hand right by my head and I was out by fourth or fifth deep breath.
I woke up in a different room, throat dry as hell, but I couldn't even cough. My eyes were open and I could see my fingers so I started wiggling them, see that they worked. At a certain point I saw a glass of water and pointed at it, to get my throat wet. The nurse was older, not one of the many young hotties in the OR, but probably more competent. She gradually was taking stuff off of me, and then I noticed a guy also had come out of surgery, but he had 2-3 cops with him. I thought "goddammit", but what are you gonna do? I was moved to the next room, but 5 minutes later he was in there too, now right next to me, only a curtain and 4-5 cops separating us. It pissed me off a tiny bit that my nurse said I could get 1-2 persons back here in recovery to sit with me, meanwhile Joe Criminal had the 4-5 cops at his full attention, but I understand.
My Wife came back, the nurse loved her for some reason, they instantly bonded, the nurse said she had been working there at Brackenridge Hospital since 1972, I didn't do the math just then, but that lady did not look older, Brackenridge must have a policy of hiring the good looking, or maybe the drugs were still in effect. Hmm, even the orderly with the neck tattoo that wheeled me out was good looking, like he was on TV pretending to be tough, so maybe it was the meds... anyways.
I spent the rest of the day in and out of sleep. I started writing this at 9:30pm, fell asleep, it is now 3:30am and everyone is out, I bet Chubs is still awake, that Boy loves the night life, he loves to boogie. He wanted to "converse" with the Easter Bunny about him getting him a Nintendo Switch. I guess when you want to talk on the phone with those guys, it's time to come clean. I blame Boy, he got one, and even if it is just sitting there, he won't let Chubs borrow it, even though that is the best feature is that it has it's own screen and it is portable. I love that it is a long weekend and I have my peeps here with me. Even my folks are here, although they aren't planning on staying through Easter Sunday, I still have them for a couple days. Wife is here through two weekends, I love that.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
4/13/17 Anesthesia?
I was under the thought that I would just get a couple shots and my skin would be grafted, no big deal. It turns out, the doctor prefers to put me under as he said it, it would take too many local injections to keep me numb where he is going to be working. If he puts me under, he says it is much more efficient and easy on both the doctor and patient.
I have to admit, I find the idea of getting put under "anesthesia" something I kind of find fascinating. I have been put under for two procedures. The first one was for removal of my gallbladder and the second one I had a problem in my butt. It is quite amazing when they tell you to countdown and then all of a sudden you're trying to get your bearings and figure out where you are. I was discussing it with a couple of coworkers and both had positive things to say about being put under anesthesia. I remember feeling like I was a little drunk when I woke up, trying to swing my hand to grab whatever nurse passed by to grope her. I vaguely remember Wife talking to me trying to get me to come back to normal and I am cracking jokes or probably think I'm being funny. As I coughed now, I just remembered they do put that giant tube down your throat, that isn't fun, it leaves the whole throat area feeling raw for a couple days.
I can understand why Michael Jackson died the way he did. Sometimes I don't feel I am getting enough sleep, these medicines they use for anesthesia just take the worry away and put your brain in a comatose state. There is no thinking or dreaming while you are under. I am not sure I would want to fight the medicine either. We've all seen those nightmare scenarios where you kind of wake up mid-operation and see and feel what is happening but are incapacitated to move or tell somebody something. This is part of the reason I chose to work the night before. I am going to the hospital tired, when they put me out, I will be tired, sleepy and drugged. They can wake me up later, but hopefully, all the bad stuff will be done and over.
This one shouldn't even be that bad, they are scraping off about two inches of skin and relocating it down lower to my lower leg from my thigh. I am still nervous, but I need this leg gash injury to end. I have had to go see a doctor every week since Wife started her job down three hours away. The school year is almost over and I am still doing this ridiculous dance. Hopefully, I heal and can call it done in another 2-3 weeks. We shall see.
I have to admit, I find the idea of getting put under "anesthesia" something I kind of find fascinating. I have been put under for two procedures. The first one was for removal of my gallbladder and the second one I had a problem in my butt. It is quite amazing when they tell you to countdown and then all of a sudden you're trying to get your bearings and figure out where you are. I was discussing it with a couple of coworkers and both had positive things to say about being put under anesthesia. I remember feeling like I was a little drunk when I woke up, trying to swing my hand to grab whatever nurse passed by to grope her. I vaguely remember Wife talking to me trying to get me to come back to normal and I am cracking jokes or probably think I'm being funny. As I coughed now, I just remembered they do put that giant tube down your throat, that isn't fun, it leaves the whole throat area feeling raw for a couple days.
I can understand why Michael Jackson died the way he did. Sometimes I don't feel I am getting enough sleep, these medicines they use for anesthesia just take the worry away and put your brain in a comatose state. There is no thinking or dreaming while you are under. I am not sure I would want to fight the medicine either. We've all seen those nightmare scenarios where you kind of wake up mid-operation and see and feel what is happening but are incapacitated to move or tell somebody something. This is part of the reason I chose to work the night before. I am going to the hospital tired, when they put me out, I will be tired, sleepy and drugged. They can wake me up later, but hopefully, all the bad stuff will be done and over.
This one shouldn't even be that bad, they are scraping off about two inches of skin and relocating it down lower to my lower leg from my thigh. I am still nervous, but I need this leg gash injury to end. I have had to go see a doctor every week since Wife started her job down three hours away. The school year is almost over and I am still doing this ridiculous dance. Hopefully, I heal and can call it done in another 2-3 weeks. We shall see.
4/12/17 Keep Throwing Bills At Me?
We are trying to become fiscally responsible and not use our credit cards anymore. We have decided to keep one for emergency purposes, but even that one is not doing great right this second. Why does everything pile on at the same time? I freaking hate that.
I was sure that we had our bills under control, and maybe we do, but something new always pops in and screws up our greatest laid plans. Just from the start of this year, every time I think the hemorrhaging has just about stopped, Wife reminds me we still have to pay for this or that. We refinanced the house finally last year and I want to make sure our payment doesn't creep up like it does annually. Come January, we get a notice that either we pay this $815 overage for our escrow or our monthly payment is going up like $65 a month. Fine. Then we have to pay our annual HOA fee of $530.
I've been seeing a doctor at the Wound Clinic and I thought I had paid my part, I sent him a check for over $600, but that just covered from September to December. I've been ignoring the newer bill and it continues to grow. I also have to pay my copayment which is $50 a week, every month has been $200 more. So the doc tells me I need a plastic surgeon which scares the crap out of me because it sounds expensive. The good thing is I have a cap of $4000 and because I have been seeing the Wound clinic so much, I only have $1300 more that they can charge me for the surgery before I am in the 100% covered. Everybody is taking their cut, the surgeon wants to be paid before the surgery, the anesthesiologist also called wanting their 20% copay.
This wouldn't even be that big of a deal if we didn't also have to pay the IRS $3200 by April 18, which is about a week away. The only thing helping us is our renters which are allowing me to keep sending our one credit card $1300 a month plus we decided to keep Boy's IRS return to help offset ours. I figure we pay for his SUV, we pay for his gas, his insurance, that Boy owes us.
We had plans to go to Disney, but there just hasn't been any extra money to save up and do it right. I am hoping that after the surgery, if all goes well, we will start having some extra money. But then again, I am sure we are going to be paying for Boy's tuition classes like we always do.
I was sure that we had our bills under control, and maybe we do, but something new always pops in and screws up our greatest laid plans. Just from the start of this year, every time I think the hemorrhaging has just about stopped, Wife reminds me we still have to pay for this or that. We refinanced the house finally last year and I want to make sure our payment doesn't creep up like it does annually. Come January, we get a notice that either we pay this $815 overage for our escrow or our monthly payment is going up like $65 a month. Fine. Then we have to pay our annual HOA fee of $530.
I've been seeing a doctor at the Wound Clinic and I thought I had paid my part, I sent him a check for over $600, but that just covered from September to December. I've been ignoring the newer bill and it continues to grow. I also have to pay my copayment which is $50 a week, every month has been $200 more. So the doc tells me I need a plastic surgeon which scares the crap out of me because it sounds expensive. The good thing is I have a cap of $4000 and because I have been seeing the Wound clinic so much, I only have $1300 more that they can charge me for the surgery before I am in the 100% covered. Everybody is taking their cut, the surgeon wants to be paid before the surgery, the anesthesiologist also called wanting their 20% copay.
This wouldn't even be that big of a deal if we didn't also have to pay the IRS $3200 by April 18, which is about a week away. The only thing helping us is our renters which are allowing me to keep sending our one credit card $1300 a month plus we decided to keep Boy's IRS return to help offset ours. I figure we pay for his SUV, we pay for his gas, his insurance, that Boy owes us.
We had plans to go to Disney, but there just hasn't been any extra money to save up and do it right. I am hoping that after the surgery, if all goes well, we will start having some extra money. But then again, I am sure we are going to be paying for Boy's tuition classes like we always do.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
4/11/17 United Airlines, Throwing People Off Planes?
Why are airlines allowed to oversell their seats in the first place? I believe once you are confirmed a buyer, that seat should be yours, unless you change your mind. If the airline is going to make you get off the plane, there better be some damn good compensation. A story came out this evening of a man on a United Airline flight and because the plane was oversold, meaning there were more passengers than seats, somebody had to get off.
There is a game played by some people who will get off when the airline starts offering money for the seats. According to the story, up to $1350 per seat can be offered if the flight is an international one and the person being "bumped" is going to be 1-4 hours late.
As I understand it, most of the time, the seat "bumping" happens before people even get on their plane. I believe once you get on a plane and put your bags away and sit down and accept you're on that flight, personnel should not then be allowed to take you off. The worst part of this whole story was that the extra seats were for United personnel to fly free. How do you take your product which you survive by selling, take it away from a paying customer and give it for free to internal employees and look yourself in the mirror and say that is the right thing to do?
This man might have had a bit of a language barrier, but again, he did nothing wrong, he just wanted to get home. How do we know he hadn't been working all weekend, maybe even volunteering his free time for some cause, and he saw that plane ride as some much needed rest, only to be gang tackled by police officers, while doing nothing wrong.
I am already scared to fly, ever since Kevin Smith was labeled too fat to fly. I would hate to be told to buy two seats.
I don't know what exactly happened on that flight, maybe they did the offer and nobody wanted to get off, the next step is to go electronically, and I do like his claim, was he being targeted because of his skin color? We didn't get to see the other passengers that got off without complaining, maybe they were Asian, Hispanic, black....maybe they were random and they were just white.
United needs to get its shit together. A couple of weeks ago it was a couple teenage girls were not allowed because they were dressed in leggings, this fight is lost, society accepts them as pants, let it go. There was a pilot, leaving Austin to San Francisco, who got on the PA and started ranting about Trump and Hillary, her divorce, and other uncomfortable topics.
There are plenty of shenanigans going on all the time, we don't need our quiet and respectable companies to get up and raise hell. You're supposed to be the rock and foundation of what makes this country great.
There is a game played by some people who will get off when the airline starts offering money for the seats. According to the story, up to $1350 per seat can be offered if the flight is an international one and the person being "bumped" is going to be 1-4 hours late.
As I understand it, most of the time, the seat "bumping" happens before people even get on their plane. I believe once you get on a plane and put your bags away and sit down and accept you're on that flight, personnel should not then be allowed to take you off. The worst part of this whole story was that the extra seats were for United personnel to fly free. How do you take your product which you survive by selling, take it away from a paying customer and give it for free to internal employees and look yourself in the mirror and say that is the right thing to do?
This man might have had a bit of a language barrier, but again, he did nothing wrong, he just wanted to get home. How do we know he hadn't been working all weekend, maybe even volunteering his free time for some cause, and he saw that plane ride as some much needed rest, only to be gang tackled by police officers, while doing nothing wrong.
I am already scared to fly, ever since Kevin Smith was labeled too fat to fly. I would hate to be told to buy two seats.
I don't know what exactly happened on that flight, maybe they did the offer and nobody wanted to get off, the next step is to go electronically, and I do like his claim, was he being targeted because of his skin color? We didn't get to see the other passengers that got off without complaining, maybe they were Asian, Hispanic, black....maybe they were random and they were just white.
United needs to get its shit together. A couple of weeks ago it was a couple teenage girls were not allowed because they were dressed in leggings, this fight is lost, society accepts them as pants, let it go. There was a pilot, leaving Austin to San Francisco, who got on the PA and started ranting about Trump and Hillary, her divorce, and other uncomfortable topics.
There are plenty of shenanigans going on all the time, we don't need our quiet and respectable companies to get up and raise hell. You're supposed to be the rock and foundation of what makes this country great.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
4/10/17 This Is A Man's World?
Plenty of people are going to get their panties in a bind about the Bill O'Reilly sex scandal, but y'all know he will walk out of it with hardly a bruise on him. Blaming strong alpha males of sexual harassment is a non-starter, they usually bounce right out of the confrontation and continue succeeding. We need to stop wasting time and energy when we find out that men have been trying to play hide the salami with other women. It is part of life, men are constantly looking and women are constantly saying no.
The first time I heard of this type of male celebrity shaming was Marv Albert, a sports announcer, back in 1997. He was actually accused of sodomy and was accused and I guess there was even evidence of him biting women. I thought wow, back in the day, but this guy is still working on TV, calling basketball games for the NBA and NCAA on TNT.
There was my favorite "I did not have sexual relations with that woman". I loved Bill Clinton, he had a thing for slutty real women, and the thing with the cigars just makes him a legend, as far as I am concerned. He might have been impeached by congress, but he is still President Clinton, to me. Ken Starr, who was instrumental in getting Clinton impeached had his own scandals serving as President and Chancellor over Baylor University and later being accused of hiding sexual assault by the football team.
The list goes on and on. If it's an older white man you can guess not much will happen. Oh, they'll talk shit on the cable news networks, if it's a conservative, Fox will downplay it, if it's a Democrat, CNN will do the same. In the end, we should just look away and accept that men like a little something-something on the side. If their women stay by their side, their supporters should as well. As far as I am concerned, powerful men in other countries have always had their "other" women and nobody says anything about it, it is a quiet "secret".
Today we have our awesome new President who knows how to grab women by the P**sy to make them his willing slave. I was sure this was going to piss off the conservative right, but nah. They stood up to protect him with stupid shit like "that's how men talk" or "that's men's bathroom talk." Well, it is, but let's also accept that what we are talking about is real women, so if the bathroom talk is acceptable, the fact that it is about real women is also part of that equation.
When it comes out that Fox's biggest loudmouth, Bill, is secretly paying $13 million dollars to five women, he didn't buy their secret cookie dough mix, he did something offensive. Why would we be surprised? Of course this guy is an alpha male, he has always been obnoxious and a know-it-all. I don't think he needs Fox as much as Fox needs him. His kind of commentary could work on any channel, Fox just requires a couple more "thank you Jesus" comments for the followers.
I want to see the next evolution of the caught male, twenty years ago, he was removed from his job only to quietly go back and continue it. Nowadays, he gets promoted to President by talking about how much of a conquistador he is. I think in another twenty years, he might even have to make the rounds with his side piece to see if the people approve of the SPOTPOTUS, Side Piece Of The President Of The United States.
The first time I heard of this type of male celebrity shaming was Marv Albert, a sports announcer, back in 1997. He was actually accused of sodomy and was accused and I guess there was even evidence of him biting women. I thought wow, back in the day, but this guy is still working on TV, calling basketball games for the NBA and NCAA on TNT.
There was my favorite "I did not have sexual relations with that woman". I loved Bill Clinton, he had a thing for slutty real women, and the thing with the cigars just makes him a legend, as far as I am concerned. He might have been impeached by congress, but he is still President Clinton, to me. Ken Starr, who was instrumental in getting Clinton impeached had his own scandals serving as President and Chancellor over Baylor University and later being accused of hiding sexual assault by the football team.
The list goes on and on. If it's an older white man you can guess not much will happen. Oh, they'll talk shit on the cable news networks, if it's a conservative, Fox will downplay it, if it's a Democrat, CNN will do the same. In the end, we should just look away and accept that men like a little something-something on the side. If their women stay by their side, their supporters should as well. As far as I am concerned, powerful men in other countries have always had their "other" women and nobody says anything about it, it is a quiet "secret".
Today we have our awesome new President who knows how to grab women by the P**sy to make them his willing slave. I was sure this was going to piss off the conservative right, but nah. They stood up to protect him with stupid shit like "that's how men talk" or "that's men's bathroom talk." Well, it is, but let's also accept that what we are talking about is real women, so if the bathroom talk is acceptable, the fact that it is about real women is also part of that equation.
When it comes out that Fox's biggest loudmouth, Bill, is secretly paying $13 million dollars to five women, he didn't buy their secret cookie dough mix, he did something offensive. Why would we be surprised? Of course this guy is an alpha male, he has always been obnoxious and a know-it-all. I don't think he needs Fox as much as Fox needs him. His kind of commentary could work on any channel, Fox just requires a couple more "thank you Jesus" comments for the followers.
I want to see the next evolution of the caught male, twenty years ago, he was removed from his job only to quietly go back and continue it. Nowadays, he gets promoted to President by talking about how much of a conquistador he is. I think in another twenty years, he might even have to make the rounds with his side piece to see if the people approve of the SPOTPOTUS, Side Piece Of The President Of The United States.
4/9/17 Party Styles?
Right now, we have two extra "kids" living with us and it has been interesting to see the dynamic in the three kids. the two are roughly Boy's age, and one of them is a girl. I can't say either is doing their life better or worse, but at the moment neither is attached to a significant other. That being said, they all stay busy in their own ways.
Boy rarely leaves the house, almost like his room gives him his powers. He has his computers there, along with all his gaming consoles, now that he has a table, he has gone back to playing his board games up there. He only tends to go out on Thursdays and he goes to Mage's to play some card games like dungeons and dragons, I am never sure, other than it is super nerdy and I don't understand any of it. I do demand he be home by 10:00pm, it is a school night. He goes to school during the week and works whatever hours they tell him on the weekends at Alamo Drafthouse, sometimes three hours, sometimes fifteen hours, depends on how good the movies are. Of course, Boy is supported by us and that makes his life an easy and casual one. But I have always told him, I want him to enjoy this time of his life, once you get a family and job, life is much different.
On the new peeps living with us, we are not their parents, but it does not stop me from getting after them, and giving advice like I would if they were mine. When they moved in, I told them one of the few rules is that I am not a fan of them running around every night. I understand people go out on Friday and Saturday nights, but the rest of the week, I expect a quiet house, we do have a younger boy who needs to get his rest.
For the most part Girlie is like a kid, she sets her sleep time to 10:00pm and most of the time, she is in bed and asleep before I come home for lunch. She then gets up sometime around 8:00am, so she needs about ten hours sleep to function normally. She still goes downtown and I can tell when she has headed that way on a Friday or Saturday because the bars close at 2:00am, and she is usually home by 3:00am or so. She had a guy she was seeing who worked until 10:00pm and then she was running around seeing him after work on weeknights, and she looked haggard and exhausted. She walked around with constant circles around her eyes. Once they broke up, she went back to sleeping her normal schedule, and her pretty face came back. It is Saturday afternoon and she just ran down as we were all sitting in the kitchen while Wife makes brunch. She is headed to pick up her sister and running to the mall to walk around. Last week she joined us for dinner on Saturday night, not having any better plans.
The new guy staying with us has always seemed older than Boy, even though, they are the same age and graduated at the same time. He went straight to work, and did not entertain the thought of going to school. He pays rent without excuses, and he carries himself pretty well, compared to Girlie who always needs to pay half the rent and she'll get me the other half next week type of stuff. Although he is doing hard and heavy work, installing custom windows and doors with a crew, he has recently started doing some sort of karate classes. Chubs eats it up and is only too eager to get thrown around as the attacker as he shows us what he is learning. Last week he took off for Houston where another old friend of theirs goes to school. He always manages to get himself into funny situations as he explains them, I can only hope he doesn't get shot at by some crazy boyfriend, as his stories are usually based on them dancing with drunk girls who come onto them, whoever he happens to be with.
I have enjoyed having the two of them around, they are different and they have their issues, but they know our house is a safe place.
Boy rarely leaves the house, almost like his room gives him his powers. He has his computers there, along with all his gaming consoles, now that he has a table, he has gone back to playing his board games up there. He only tends to go out on Thursdays and he goes to Mage's to play some card games like dungeons and dragons, I am never sure, other than it is super nerdy and I don't understand any of it. I do demand he be home by 10:00pm, it is a school night. He goes to school during the week and works whatever hours they tell him on the weekends at Alamo Drafthouse, sometimes three hours, sometimes fifteen hours, depends on how good the movies are. Of course, Boy is supported by us and that makes his life an easy and casual one. But I have always told him, I want him to enjoy this time of his life, once you get a family and job, life is much different.
On the new peeps living with us, we are not their parents, but it does not stop me from getting after them, and giving advice like I would if they were mine. When they moved in, I told them one of the few rules is that I am not a fan of them running around every night. I understand people go out on Friday and Saturday nights, but the rest of the week, I expect a quiet house, we do have a younger boy who needs to get his rest.
For the most part Girlie is like a kid, she sets her sleep time to 10:00pm and most of the time, she is in bed and asleep before I come home for lunch. She then gets up sometime around 8:00am, so she needs about ten hours sleep to function normally. She still goes downtown and I can tell when she has headed that way on a Friday or Saturday because the bars close at 2:00am, and she is usually home by 3:00am or so. She had a guy she was seeing who worked until 10:00pm and then she was running around seeing him after work on weeknights, and she looked haggard and exhausted. She walked around with constant circles around her eyes. Once they broke up, she went back to sleeping her normal schedule, and her pretty face came back. It is Saturday afternoon and she just ran down as we were all sitting in the kitchen while Wife makes brunch. She is headed to pick up her sister and running to the mall to walk around. Last week she joined us for dinner on Saturday night, not having any better plans.
The new guy staying with us has always seemed older than Boy, even though, they are the same age and graduated at the same time. He went straight to work, and did not entertain the thought of going to school. He pays rent without excuses, and he carries himself pretty well, compared to Girlie who always needs to pay half the rent and she'll get me the other half next week type of stuff. Although he is doing hard and heavy work, installing custom windows and doors with a crew, he has recently started doing some sort of karate classes. Chubs eats it up and is only too eager to get thrown around as the attacker as he shows us what he is learning. Last week he took off for Houston where another old friend of theirs goes to school. He always manages to get himself into funny situations as he explains them, I can only hope he doesn't get shot at by some crazy boyfriend, as his stories are usually based on them dancing with drunk girls who come onto them, whoever he happens to be with.
I have enjoyed having the two of them around, they are different and they have their issues, but they know our house is a safe place.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
4/8/17 Wal-Mart To Wal-Mart Saves The World?
Wal-Mart rules the world for a reason. Apparently, it has more uses than I was even aware of. This week, Wife lost the use of her credit card as she handled some magnets in her purse and they must have affected her cards. Anyways, she heard of this Wal-Mart to Wal-Mart feature where you can send some money from one store to another, for a minimum charge. I took $100 and went and got in line. There in comes one of the reasons I hate going to Wal-Mart, the other customers. There were four people in line, and I was probably there about half an hour. The process is very easy, I gave them my name and address, then they wanted the info of who the money was going to and what Wal-Mart store to send it to.
Once Wife had her money all I had to do was enjoy the scenery there in the Wal-Mart. Like I said, I hate the customers there. Southpark Meadows just has a problem with the homeless and hobos. Their close counterparts, the enablers are also always around. Why do people give these turds money, it is a waste, unless you like spending your nickels and dimes on cheap ass liquor. I saw a bum with his paw extended out to a mother with three little kids. I could tell the mother wasn't doing that great and the kids looked poor and dirty, but there she was, looking for her spare change to give to this roach. I came out the other door after I bought a couple things and the roach was there with another bum friend. He might have hit me up, but I walk with purpose so he wasn't going to catch up to me. Not to worry, another bum with another problem was waiting in the car lot. People always seem to need gas to continue on their journey when they park in this parking lot. I got the usual "hey Buddy, do you think you can help my Wife and I with a little gas money? We've run out and we're on our way to Louisiana." I say sorry and I just carry my credit card, no cash and keep on moving.
At least the sodas were on sale, I got a case of Pepsi cola for $5.88 and a case of Coca-Cola for $6.88. Because it was not a good time to be shopping, I bought a bunch of junk food. Along with the sodas, I bought two bags of chips, some Easter candy, a cake mix and a couple different cookies since we all like different things.
I don't blame Wal-Mart entirely for this population of miscreants. Maybe they were there before, maybe Southpark Meadows was always home to a population of humans who don't work a job full time, they just do enough to get by. You can see their milk gallons where they carry their water, they try to blend into the bushes anywhere that greenery is planted.
Anyways, this idea of Wal-Mart seems old fashioned like a Western Union where people telephoned each other money, back in the day. But it was good that today at least, Wal-Mart still found a way to help me out and make a minimal surcharge for their efforts. I know we have an app that we could activate on our phones for this, but I am not sure how it works. This should prompt me to at least look into our banks app.
Once Wife had her money all I had to do was enjoy the scenery there in the Wal-Mart. Like I said, I hate the customers there. Southpark Meadows just has a problem with the homeless and hobos. Their close counterparts, the enablers are also always around. Why do people give these turds money, it is a waste, unless you like spending your nickels and dimes on cheap ass liquor. I saw a bum with his paw extended out to a mother with three little kids. I could tell the mother wasn't doing that great and the kids looked poor and dirty, but there she was, looking for her spare change to give to this roach. I came out the other door after I bought a couple things and the roach was there with another bum friend. He might have hit me up, but I walk with purpose so he wasn't going to catch up to me. Not to worry, another bum with another problem was waiting in the car lot. People always seem to need gas to continue on their journey when they park in this parking lot. I got the usual "hey Buddy, do you think you can help my Wife and I with a little gas money? We've run out and we're on our way to Louisiana." I say sorry and I just carry my credit card, no cash and keep on moving.
At least the sodas were on sale, I got a case of Pepsi cola for $5.88 and a case of Coca-Cola for $6.88. Because it was not a good time to be shopping, I bought a bunch of junk food. Along with the sodas, I bought two bags of chips, some Easter candy, a cake mix and a couple different cookies since we all like different things.
I don't blame Wal-Mart entirely for this population of miscreants. Maybe they were there before, maybe Southpark Meadows was always home to a population of humans who don't work a job full time, they just do enough to get by. You can see their milk gallons where they carry their water, they try to blend into the bushes anywhere that greenery is planted.
Anyways, this idea of Wal-Mart seems old fashioned like a Western Union where people telephoned each other money, back in the day. But it was good that today at least, Wal-Mart still found a way to help me out and make a minimal surcharge for their efforts. I know we have an app that we could activate on our phones for this, but I am not sure how it works. This should prompt me to at least look into our banks app.
Friday, April 7, 2017
4/7/17 Chubs Was Told To Go Back To Mexico?
I tell you we are surrounded by a population that is just as proud as can be of getting stupider and stupider. Chubs said he was waiting around before class, in the morning I guess because they were then marked absent, but a kid came around and started telling both Chubs and a friend of his that they needed to go back to Mexico. Chubs doesn't even know how to process this, we've discussed this with my mom and she says we go back at least five generations that we have been born here, in Texas. Where exactly does young Adolf want my son to go, we have always been here. I would even say the kid might be unto something if my boy was playing soccer, or talking in Spanish about the tacos his mama made while she was delivering baby number 10 at the quinceanera the weekend before. Chubs is as American as Americans get. All he knows is video games, cell phones, microwave food, and the mall. I have to say even in stature, Mexicans are kind of smaller and there is a timid or shy vibe to them. Chubs is already built like a nose guard breaking 220 pounds at age 12, and there isn't a shy bone in his body.
Chubs did what he had to do. He went to the office to talk to the principal, but the principal was not there, and consequently we got a notice that he had been counted absent in his follow-up class. We talked about that, and he said he went back to the office and took care of it. If I have to go in there and correct this, I will probably be loud and a tad rude, so I hope it is handled correctly the first time.
Today (Thursday), was the day after the incident and maybe the kid was having a bad day, and maybe Chubs is a bully in the making, although he still seems like our sweet little marshmallow. Anyway, the kid ran into Chubs and started real quickly that he is already not having a good day if he could just please leave him alone today. Chubs told him fine, but that better be the last time you come talking stupid shit to me about Mexicans and whatever.
That particular junior high is 85% Hispanic, so the white kid talking shit is in the wrong element. Like I told Wife, Trump gave all these roaches and their white power BS a feeling like they could come out into the light. But when you are teaching little Johnny Blue Eyes to hate, pick the right brown kid to hate on. If my kid is bigger, stronger, smarter, healthier, quicker to respond, better dressed, cleaner, friendlier, then what exactly are you doing? First, make your kid better, you're embarrassing yourself.
Chubs did what he had to do. He went to the office to talk to the principal, but the principal was not there, and consequently we got a notice that he had been counted absent in his follow-up class. We talked about that, and he said he went back to the office and took care of it. If I have to go in there and correct this, I will probably be loud and a tad rude, so I hope it is handled correctly the first time.
Today (Thursday), was the day after the incident and maybe the kid was having a bad day, and maybe Chubs is a bully in the making, although he still seems like our sweet little marshmallow. Anyway, the kid ran into Chubs and started real quickly that he is already not having a good day if he could just please leave him alone today. Chubs told him fine, but that better be the last time you come talking stupid shit to me about Mexicans and whatever.
That particular junior high is 85% Hispanic, so the white kid talking shit is in the wrong element. Like I told Wife, Trump gave all these roaches and their white power BS a feeling like they could come out into the light. But when you are teaching little Johnny Blue Eyes to hate, pick the right brown kid to hate on. If my kid is bigger, stronger, smarter, healthier, quicker to respond, better dressed, cleaner, friendlier, then what exactly are you doing? First, make your kid better, you're embarrassing yourself.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
4/6/17 Saga Of My Leg Gash Continues?
I have not mentioned it in a couple weeks, but my leg still has the gash I described back in September of last year. I have been going to the Wound Care Clinic religiously every week, but at a certain point even I could tell something wasn't happening anymore. The wound went from being deep and scary looking to just looking like a scrape where the top skin comes off. There is no depth anymore, if the edges would just come in, but they don't seem to want to.
The doctor treating me, Dr. Mailman, suggested I see a plastic surgeon so I could get a skin graft and be done with it. He compliments me every week on how clean and healthy the gash looks, but then he says because I am so heavy, I carry a lot of water which makes the leg closing by itself a tough order. He has tried all sorts of different collagens, but every week, we take a look at the cut, and there it is, looking the same as the week before.
So I call the clinic that sent me to the wound care clinic, as that is what the doctor told me to do. Nothing happened the first week, they apologized the second week, and gave me a doctor, but it was a vascular doctor, not a plastic surgeon. I then wasted another week trying to explain to them what I needed. They got back to me with a number for a plastic surgeon, or rather, his fax machine's number. I called again and finally got it right. It took another two weeks for the secretary at the plastic surgeons to contact me, but this week, they finally put all their ducks in a row. Of course, the worst day for me to plan anything is on Wednesday, but that is the day they see new patients.
I went out there today and I took Boy as a back-up, in case I got extremely sleepy, but I managed to stay okay. It took almost an hour to find the right place to be. We got there in about 45 minutes, quickly asked for the Drs. office. A volunteer walked us all the way over to the office, only to be told we were supposed to be in the wound care facility on the first floor. Of course, there were plenty of patients waiting, but nobody manning the desk. Eventually they called me in, it might have helped that I called back to the office and told them they had sent me down here but nobody seems to be in charge. It was weird meeting the doctor, he was a bit standoffish, but had a whole crew with him. I felt like a race car in Nascar. One of the technicians stripped my leg while he asked questions on how it happened, another physician assistant was taking my history, whether I smoked, and another lady, maybe his wife, was checking that I had insurance and she seemed to be the lead in charge, saying she would call me tomorrow. My leg was wrapped as quickly as it was unwrapped, but nowhere near the quality or effort they do at the Wound Care Clinic.
As it stands, I have my surgical appointment next week on Thursday. The crazy part is I am not supposed to work for two weeks which seems so out of sorts. He said I risk the skin graft falling off if I try too hard too fast, then I am back to square one.
The doctor treating me, Dr. Mailman, suggested I see a plastic surgeon so I could get a skin graft and be done with it. He compliments me every week on how clean and healthy the gash looks, but then he says because I am so heavy, I carry a lot of water which makes the leg closing by itself a tough order. He has tried all sorts of different collagens, but every week, we take a look at the cut, and there it is, looking the same as the week before.
So I call the clinic that sent me to the wound care clinic, as that is what the doctor told me to do. Nothing happened the first week, they apologized the second week, and gave me a doctor, but it was a vascular doctor, not a plastic surgeon. I then wasted another week trying to explain to them what I needed. They got back to me with a number for a plastic surgeon, or rather, his fax machine's number. I called again and finally got it right. It took another two weeks for the secretary at the plastic surgeons to contact me, but this week, they finally put all their ducks in a row. Of course, the worst day for me to plan anything is on Wednesday, but that is the day they see new patients.
I went out there today and I took Boy as a back-up, in case I got extremely sleepy, but I managed to stay okay. It took almost an hour to find the right place to be. We got there in about 45 minutes, quickly asked for the Drs. office. A volunteer walked us all the way over to the office, only to be told we were supposed to be in the wound care facility on the first floor. Of course, there were plenty of patients waiting, but nobody manning the desk. Eventually they called me in, it might have helped that I called back to the office and told them they had sent me down here but nobody seems to be in charge. It was weird meeting the doctor, he was a bit standoffish, but had a whole crew with him. I felt like a race car in Nascar. One of the technicians stripped my leg while he asked questions on how it happened, another physician assistant was taking my history, whether I smoked, and another lady, maybe his wife, was checking that I had insurance and she seemed to be the lead in charge, saying she would call me tomorrow. My leg was wrapped as quickly as it was unwrapped, but nowhere near the quality or effort they do at the Wound Care Clinic.
As it stands, I have my surgical appointment next week on Thursday. The crazy part is I am not supposed to work for two weeks which seems so out of sorts. He said I risk the skin graft falling off if I try too hard too fast, then I am back to square one.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
4/5/17 Learning How To Cook?
Most people learn to cook early, either because they love it, or because their family calls on them to do it. I had been lucky most of my life, as growing up my mom did all the cooking, whether it meant we ate Pizza Hut or Golden Chick once or twice a week, that was fine, as long as I didn't have to do it. College was more of the same. I was fine getting by on cans of tuna or cereal or peanut butter/jelly sandwiches, but my roommate liked to cook, and in return I washed the dishes and kept the kitchen more or less clean. The third chapter of my life has had Wife doing a beautiful job with the cooking. She can and will cook anything and seems to even enjoy the challenge. I will admit, I have been spoiled up until Wife's new job.
When she started, she took Chubs down there for the first three weeks, so it was just Boy and myself. I certainly wasn't going to worry about Boy on a nightly basis, being that the young man is 22, now 23, he should be able to go buy a burger or tacos at night. Then Chubs came back, that was really a fly in the ointment, as they say. I tried to say we'll eat after school at say Bill Miller, then you can eat whatever later at night, like a sandwich, or a microwave item. That was working for awhile, but I think they just started getting tired of Paninis.
I do like to grill, so usually on Sunday nights, we grill after Wife leaves. That takes care of Sunday evening and maybe even the afternoon the next day. Another trick Wife has been teaching me is to use the slow cooker. I have now done a pork butt roast last week and a brisket hunk tonight. The brisket was not a full sized one, but it was still about six pounds, so plenty of meat for everybody. I am impressed with the slow cooker, it makes me look like I know what I am doing. Since I am spending all this time in the kitchen, I have also made a couple of cakes, including a german chocolate cake this Monday night.
I thought making a good grilled cheese or some scrambled eggs was going to be the extent of my cooking, but the boys are back to eating as good as they always did. Just to go above and beyond, I even cut a watermelon into pieces to make it easier to eat and surprisingly, it was sweet and went rather fast. I cut it Monday, since we had cake Sunday night, and both the cake and the watermelon are gone already. For tonight, the boys can make fettucine alfredo with chicken breasts, or eat some leftover brisket.
When she started, she took Chubs down there for the first three weeks, so it was just Boy and myself. I certainly wasn't going to worry about Boy on a nightly basis, being that the young man is 22, now 23, he should be able to go buy a burger or tacos at night. Then Chubs came back, that was really a fly in the ointment, as they say. I tried to say we'll eat after school at say Bill Miller, then you can eat whatever later at night, like a sandwich, or a microwave item. That was working for awhile, but I think they just started getting tired of Paninis.
I do like to grill, so usually on Sunday nights, we grill after Wife leaves. That takes care of Sunday evening and maybe even the afternoon the next day. Another trick Wife has been teaching me is to use the slow cooker. I have now done a pork butt roast last week and a brisket hunk tonight. The brisket was not a full sized one, but it was still about six pounds, so plenty of meat for everybody. I am impressed with the slow cooker, it makes me look like I know what I am doing. Since I am spending all this time in the kitchen, I have also made a couple of cakes, including a german chocolate cake this Monday night.
I thought making a good grilled cheese or some scrambled eggs was going to be the extent of my cooking, but the boys are back to eating as good as they always did. Just to go above and beyond, I even cut a watermelon into pieces to make it easier to eat and surprisingly, it was sweet and went rather fast. I cut it Monday, since we had cake Sunday night, and both the cake and the watermelon are gone already. For tonight, the boys can make fettucine alfredo with chicken breasts, or eat some leftover brisket.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
4/4/17 Which Is Better, Trying New Things Or Being Classic?
We met up with my family two weekends ago and if there is something I enjoy is poking at my brother, the attorney. He has some wits about him and can be funny when you get him going. One of the things we always get into is that I won't drink alcohol normally with my meals. We can sit at any fancy restaurant and if he is in the mood, he will walk out drinking five or six beers in the time it takes to eat one meal. He'll push me to relax and try something, so in the name of not being a party pooper I'll order something, but I always want to taste or drink something exotic that a man might drink.
He always goes for whatever high end beer and sticks to it. When we have gone to the Brazilian Steakhouse I will try a Caipirinha, which is the Brazilian national drink made with too many limes and cachaça liquor. I have also been known to try their after dinner coffees with alcohol, which are yummy with their desserts.
So this last time we were at Maggiano's, a nice Italian eatery with a full menu of drinks and food. I wanted to try something new so I thought what's manlier than a drink in a copper cup, the Moscow mule? My brother was double fisting his beers as he tells me the usual that he hasn't drank beer in a long time, while his wife is trying to clarify that just last week.... not that he hears anything when he is on a roll. He looks at my copper mug and he goes into his gay Austin man routine. Since he was being loud and we were getting served, I asked the waitress about the drink, she said it wasn't gay, that it comes in the copper mug as that affects the taste of the alcohol, and it would fall into the manlier drinks on any list.
What can I say to that? I just let him go on and on knowing I am enjoying tasting the drink. I really don't want to feel drunk, I am not home and have to drive back home to Austin. Although, to be fair, Wife has been doing a lot more of the driving lately. I am glad I don't have that need in my system, to be drunk that way. I can have a drink or two and be fine.
I still remember the last time I was back home in Crystal City on a warm enough night to get in my mom's kiddie pools, those inflatable ones people have, all the way up to about 3-4 feet in depth. My brother was going on and on about me needing to drink Miller Lite because it was "the champagne of beers". You might laugh at the expression, but it is actually on the bottle. My brother says he started with the high end beers but slowly discovered there was no point to that. He used to chuckle at my dad who drinks Miller Lite, when he drinks anymore. Poor little diabetic, a couple of beers mess up his insulin readings, so he says he hardly drinks too. My brother now proclaims my dad a genius when it comes to beer drinking. He discovered that the cheap beers do the same job as the fancy beers, for half the price.
So which is better? I guess that we do what we do to avoid persecution and ugly stares. I drink if I
am curious. I don't think I need to prove I am a bad ass so you won't catch me out of character too often. Meanwhile my bro does have a run in with the law, a minor DWI as he was getting his law degree in San Antonio but over time that doesn't seem to even faze him.
He always goes for whatever high end beer and sticks to it. When we have gone to the Brazilian Steakhouse I will try a Caipirinha, which is the Brazilian national drink made with too many limes and cachaça liquor. I have also been known to try their after dinner coffees with alcohol, which are yummy with their desserts.
So this last time we were at Maggiano's, a nice Italian eatery with a full menu of drinks and food. I wanted to try something new so I thought what's manlier than a drink in a copper cup, the Moscow mule? My brother was double fisting his beers as he tells me the usual that he hasn't drank beer in a long time, while his wife is trying to clarify that just last week.... not that he hears anything when he is on a roll. He looks at my copper mug and he goes into his gay Austin man routine. Since he was being loud and we were getting served, I asked the waitress about the drink, she said it wasn't gay, that it comes in the copper mug as that affects the taste of the alcohol, and it would fall into the manlier drinks on any list.
What can I say to that? I just let him go on and on knowing I am enjoying tasting the drink. I really don't want to feel drunk, I am not home and have to drive back home to Austin. Although, to be fair, Wife has been doing a lot more of the driving lately. I am glad I don't have that need in my system, to be drunk that way. I can have a drink or two and be fine.
I still remember the last time I was back home in Crystal City on a warm enough night to get in my mom's kiddie pools, those inflatable ones people have, all the way up to about 3-4 feet in depth. My brother was going on and on about me needing to drink Miller Lite because it was "the champagne of beers". You might laugh at the expression, but it is actually on the bottle. My brother says he started with the high end beers but slowly discovered there was no point to that. He used to chuckle at my dad who drinks Miller Lite, when he drinks anymore. Poor little diabetic, a couple of beers mess up his insulin readings, so he says he hardly drinks too. My brother now proclaims my dad a genius when it comes to beer drinking. He discovered that the cheap beers do the same job as the fancy beers, for half the price.
So which is better? I guess that we do what we do to avoid persecution and ugly stares. I drink if I
am curious. I don't think I need to prove I am a bad ass so you won't catch me out of character too often. Meanwhile my bro does have a run in with the law, a minor DWI as he was getting his law degree in San Antonio but over time that doesn't seem to even faze him.
Monday, April 3, 2017
4/3/17 Who Can Eject Quicker, Poor and Young, or Settled And Older?
Recently, I have been thinking of the idea of selling our house and meeting Wife down on the coast. The plan would be fairly easy. Have to send Wife ahead, in a year or so. Once she has enough years experience, she can apply in Corpus Christi or around there and then we can buy a moderate house. Real estate is nowhere as crazy as what it is like in Austin. I think we could even consider a house on a canal so we could have a boat in the water in our backyard. This might work as long as we are ready to sell our house in Austin and we can walk away with a healthy profit, mostly dependent on the market. I don't know that I would dare buy another house as big as the one we have. I am sure our next house will have the master bedroom downstairs, I hate running up and down to get stuff from my room. The reality of this is that Boy has another year or so before graduating, while Chubs starts high school in two more years. He is solid with his friends and I am sure would rebel if we were to threaten him with leaving the city.
The main reason I am even thinking of moving is that Girlie has put the thought in my head as she is talking about moving constantly. Her mother moved their family out of state for a couple years while she was going to Texas State. She chose to stay while trying to stay in school, but her mom's actions probably didn't help her. She is not even sure where she would head to, which makes the discussion even more "scratch my head" worthy.
So, which is easier? We could do it, but I would only head to the coast, as that is where I always think I will end up, specially since I was born in Corpus Christi. Wife and I are already kind of used to living apart, so she could get established while I look for a job, probably with all the oil refineries we see along the coast line. We would have a chunk of money upon selling our house to use as a fat down payment on something more comfortable and moderate. Girlie, on the other hand, does not have much, other than a bedroom set and clothes. She could take everything she owns in a small U-Haul trailer and start over anywhere. Getting a small apartment is just a matter of having first and last month's rent in many places, so it sounds easy, if you have nothing tying you down.
I was telling my idea to Wife and she liked the idea. The boys are the ones that are going to push back. I am sure Boy does not want to think about having to move out and get himself an apartment permanently while Chubs does not want to fathom the idea of making new friends all over again like he did at the start of the school year when we started him in Crystal City since he had gone with Wife. He has been so relaxed since he came back, and rarely complained about anything to do with school as he loves where he is at. On the other hand, Girlie says if she goes somewhere it will be after the summer, so she can save some money. I don't believe her, I don't think she realizes how easy we have made life. Not every apartment she will be able to afford will offer free internet, free washer/dryer, a fridge that always has something to eat, but we'll see.
My perfect scenario is staying where I am at but buying a small house on stilts along the coast, maybe even a two bedroom, two bath would work for me. I like the way those houses can give you that shady area underneath for grilling, maybe having a hot tub under there and then a house higher up to avoid pesky hurricanes and other bad weather scenarios. And I knw we signed up for it, but it would be nice if Wife made her way back, even San Antonio would be better, to have her home through Sunday night, the weekends don't last long enough.
The main reason I am even thinking of moving is that Girlie has put the thought in my head as she is talking about moving constantly. Her mother moved their family out of state for a couple years while she was going to Texas State. She chose to stay while trying to stay in school, but her mom's actions probably didn't help her. She is not even sure where she would head to, which makes the discussion even more "scratch my head" worthy.
So, which is easier? We could do it, but I would only head to the coast, as that is where I always think I will end up, specially since I was born in Corpus Christi. Wife and I are already kind of used to living apart, so she could get established while I look for a job, probably with all the oil refineries we see along the coast line. We would have a chunk of money upon selling our house to use as a fat down payment on something more comfortable and moderate. Girlie, on the other hand, does not have much, other than a bedroom set and clothes. She could take everything she owns in a small U-Haul trailer and start over anywhere. Getting a small apartment is just a matter of having first and last month's rent in many places, so it sounds easy, if you have nothing tying you down.
I was telling my idea to Wife and she liked the idea. The boys are the ones that are going to push back. I am sure Boy does not want to think about having to move out and get himself an apartment permanently while Chubs does not want to fathom the idea of making new friends all over again like he did at the start of the school year when we started him in Crystal City since he had gone with Wife. He has been so relaxed since he came back, and rarely complained about anything to do with school as he loves where he is at. On the other hand, Girlie says if she goes somewhere it will be after the summer, so she can save some money. I don't believe her, I don't think she realizes how easy we have made life. Not every apartment she will be able to afford will offer free internet, free washer/dryer, a fridge that always has something to eat, but we'll see.
My perfect scenario is staying where I am at but buying a small house on stilts along the coast, maybe even a two bedroom, two bath would work for me. I like the way those houses can give you that shady area underneath for grilling, maybe having a hot tub under there and then a house higher up to avoid pesky hurricanes and other bad weather scenarios. And I knw we signed up for it, but it would be nice if Wife made her way back, even San Antonio would be better, to have her home through Sunday night, the weekends don't last long enough.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
4/2/17 It Always Sucked?
I have been training in a new department at work, and as part of that, I have had to modulate my shift over and work Friday nights on my long week. Because I am a lucky fool, it has only been a couple times when I have actually worked a full Friday night. Last night I worked a twelve hour shift, and I am still feeling it today, Saturday afternoon. Normally, during the week, I sleep until 3:30pm, then wake up to pick up Chubs, then shower and repeat. On the weekend, with Wife here, I tend to stay up in the morning, do the husband thing, after those two-three blissful minutes, we talk and plan what we'll do during the day. I may sleep until two or three, but it never feels the same
Wife woke me today at 1:30pm with tacos smelling up the house. There was breakfast sausage, potatoes, and eggs, all mixed together with salsa and cheese. All that was missing was a cup of coffee which I took care of easy enough with my Kierig.
I probably worked the weekend shift which was every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and every other Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for twelve to fourteen years before finally ending up with my current schedule of Mon, Tues, Wed and Mon, Tues, Wed, and Thursday, which is about perfect for me. I am still on nights, and I prefer it that way, there just seem to be too many bodies around during the day.
Thinking about working the weekends reminded me of the good old days when I had a real "old school" boss like you see in the movies. This guy would rally the technicians and myself about once a month and we would go have a steak dinner and if it was really slow at work, we would head to an occasional strip club. Damn, those were good times. I felt like one of the guys, once I was accepted by them. The shenanigans made the job better, coming home on a Sunday morning always sucked because Wife was off during the weekend, and my main days off were Monday, and Tuesday.
This week, my trainer said I could get back to working Monday nights, I have picked up enough good habits and techniques that I can get by on Monday nights by myself. She feels bad for me, because on Fridays, she is trying to get done with everything and leave early, and I come in at 6:00pm and am committed to staying until 6:30am.
Wife may have gotten me up at 1:30pm, and I ate good, but then I went to shower, came out, and laid down while she brushed her teeth. Next thing I know, it is 4:30pm and Wife has been slaving away the day on the laptop, doing Boy's tax return, and then continuing on his financial aid for the coming year. I finally got her to stop working by suggesting a Sonic Drive-in drink followed by a stop at Bath and Bodyworks. We finished the night by eating at Luby's. Girlie suggested it, saying she loves the fish there. Dinner was very good, and since she had her little brother, she paid for them, and Chubs ate the kids plate which is free, so dinner was cheaper than it normally is, for us. As soon as I got home, I laid down, thinking Wife was following me upstairs and I fell asleep again. It is now 11:30pm, and I feel a little better now.
Wife woke me today at 1:30pm with tacos smelling up the house. There was breakfast sausage, potatoes, and eggs, all mixed together with salsa and cheese. All that was missing was a cup of coffee which I took care of easy enough with my Kierig.
I probably worked the weekend shift which was every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and every other Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for twelve to fourteen years before finally ending up with my current schedule of Mon, Tues, Wed and Mon, Tues, Wed, and Thursday, which is about perfect for me. I am still on nights, and I prefer it that way, there just seem to be too many bodies around during the day.
Thinking about working the weekends reminded me of the good old days when I had a real "old school" boss like you see in the movies. This guy would rally the technicians and myself about once a month and we would go have a steak dinner and if it was really slow at work, we would head to an occasional strip club. Damn, those were good times. I felt like one of the guys, once I was accepted by them. The shenanigans made the job better, coming home on a Sunday morning always sucked because Wife was off during the weekend, and my main days off were Monday, and Tuesday.
This week, my trainer said I could get back to working Monday nights, I have picked up enough good habits and techniques that I can get by on Monday nights by myself. She feels bad for me, because on Fridays, she is trying to get done with everything and leave early, and I come in at 6:00pm and am committed to staying until 6:30am.
Wife may have gotten me up at 1:30pm, and I ate good, but then I went to shower, came out, and laid down while she brushed her teeth. Next thing I know, it is 4:30pm and Wife has been slaving away the day on the laptop, doing Boy's tax return, and then continuing on his financial aid for the coming year. I finally got her to stop working by suggesting a Sonic Drive-in drink followed by a stop at Bath and Bodyworks. We finished the night by eating at Luby's. Girlie suggested it, saying she loves the fish there. Dinner was very good, and since she had her little brother, she paid for them, and Chubs ate the kids plate which is free, so dinner was cheaper than it normally is, for us. As soon as I got home, I laid down, thinking Wife was following me upstairs and I fell asleep again. It is now 11:30pm, and I feel a little better now.
4/1/17 Worry About The Unknown?
I found it ironic kind of that earlier in the week, Chubs was telling me how worried he was about his test. Wife and I both told him as long as you do your best, nobody is going to think bad about your efforts. I told him once the test is over, there is nothing you can do, might as well relax and get back to normal, go play on your Xbox or whatever you do for fun.
He was still whining about it a little bit on Friday, but no big deal. Now it was my turn to worry. Bad enough I woke up late to pick up Chubs from school. He normally lets out at 3:40pm, and I aim to pick him up by 3:55, so the traffic has calmed down, but I slept hard. I took Nyquil this morning, because I have been having trouble with a cough that doesn't want to go away. I don't think I am coughing from sickness, but more because it is so dry and scratchy in my throat. Anyways, because I was late, Chubs said I owed him lunch at one of our nice places. We agreed on Fuddrucker's, which I like, but it is a tad expensive, for burgers.
While sitting there, I texted Wife that we were eating, but it was 4:20pm, normally she gets out at 4:30pm, but she likes to help turn down the lights, set any bug traps, maybe help wash a bus or two, and make sure everything in the cafeteria is washed and put away. I don't think much of when she doesn't call back right away. After we ate, we headed home, texted her joking about putting the mop down and lock up, it's after hours, and still nothing. I was showering and starting to wonder if maybe her phone was drained and she didn't realize. Chubs was more panicky, he called my mom, see if she knew anything. My mom got worried, called the school, and she called back saying nobody answered. I thought maybe she is in that dead zone where her phone doesn't work, and she is already closer than we think. I came into work, but at 6:30pm we still hadn't heard.
Finally, when I was making coffee, she calls all I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Come on, we know you have an important job, but it shouldn't leak all over your weekend, specially when the superintendent isn't there anymore. She was in a meeting with TEA over some kindergarten grant, which I say great, but if none of that money comes this way, let that shit wait until Monday through Friday between school hours.
I do worry every week that she leaves. I don't worry so much about the traffic up here, which is more aggressive. I worry about over there. It can be isolated and those big trucks seem to run red lights and stop signs and cause so many accidents, all the time. She made it home by 9:30pm or so, which is fine, specially since I am working anyway, but I don't like that the school is using her for pretty much everything, but the minute she thinks about a raise, ummm, no, the numbers are not where they need to be. Is Wife supposed to go pick up the little shits from their houses too? She does have a CDL to drive a school bus.
He was still whining about it a little bit on Friday, but no big deal. Now it was my turn to worry. Bad enough I woke up late to pick up Chubs from school. He normally lets out at 3:40pm, and I aim to pick him up by 3:55, so the traffic has calmed down, but I slept hard. I took Nyquil this morning, because I have been having trouble with a cough that doesn't want to go away. I don't think I am coughing from sickness, but more because it is so dry and scratchy in my throat. Anyways, because I was late, Chubs said I owed him lunch at one of our nice places. We agreed on Fuddrucker's, which I like, but it is a tad expensive, for burgers.
While sitting there, I texted Wife that we were eating, but it was 4:20pm, normally she gets out at 4:30pm, but she likes to help turn down the lights, set any bug traps, maybe help wash a bus or two, and make sure everything in the cafeteria is washed and put away. I don't think much of when she doesn't call back right away. After we ate, we headed home, texted her joking about putting the mop down and lock up, it's after hours, and still nothing. I was showering and starting to wonder if maybe her phone was drained and she didn't realize. Chubs was more panicky, he called my mom, see if she knew anything. My mom got worried, called the school, and she called back saying nobody answered. I thought maybe she is in that dead zone where her phone doesn't work, and she is already closer than we think. I came into work, but at 6:30pm we still hadn't heard.
Finally, when I was making coffee, she calls all I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Come on, we know you have an important job, but it shouldn't leak all over your weekend, specially when the superintendent isn't there anymore. She was in a meeting with TEA over some kindergarten grant, which I say great, but if none of that money comes this way, let that shit wait until Monday through Friday between school hours.
I do worry every week that she leaves. I don't worry so much about the traffic up here, which is more aggressive. I worry about over there. It can be isolated and those big trucks seem to run red lights and stop signs and cause so many accidents, all the time. She made it home by 9:30pm or so, which is fine, specially since I am working anyway, but I don't like that the school is using her for pretty much everything, but the minute she thinks about a raise, ummm, no, the numbers are not where they need to be. Is Wife supposed to go pick up the little shits from their houses too? She does have a CDL to drive a school bus.
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