The Day After Is Always the Hardest

I'm still recovering from last night. Ragged and I painted the town red and then some. And, anybody who knows me will immediately realize that is untrue. Ragged and I ventured to the Big E for some dinner and shopping. I got a free pair of panties and had a good steak. What more could a boy want? :)

Tomorrow is my meeting with my supervisor and the assistant supervisor under whom I toil. We will be discussing my working at home. This could actually happen and soon. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and holding my breath.

Our bathroom renovation got underway today. The cats particularly Izzy were traumatized by the whole experience as they were locked in the bedroom all day. The carpenters got all the sheet rock up in the bathroom. We are sans sink and shower/tub as a result. We will actually be going to the Y to shower tomorrow. I may just take a whore's bath in the sink.

Thanks to everyone for the cards, gifts, and birthday wishes. I felt special.

Cake

Tonight at my 2nd job I was surprised with a cake and ice cream for my birthday. The cake was goo ooo ood. I haven't had cake in a long while. One of my former co-workers bakes cakes on the side and she came back to visit with the cake. I brought home the leftovers for Ragged to enjoy. She loves her some cake or anything with sugar in it.

So, tomorrow is the big day. I'm taking half the day off, or else getting half the day off and giving blood. Ragged and I are going out to dinner tomorrow night which I'm looking forward to. Our bathroom makeover will commence on Wednesday. I was afraid the contractor had punked out as he didn't call us this weekend like he said he was going to. Ragged called him and found out the details and everything appears on track.

Izzy's either wishing me a happy birthday or pledging to claw my eyes out.

How Many Candles?

This has been a cold and wet weekend and as a result we have consumed lots of coffee and watched alot of television. Not a bad way to spend time. Hopefully this week I'll know something more definitive about working at home. My hope is that March 1, I'll be at home. It's a hope with no chance in hell of being a reality I fear.

I've made some chili (my way) to eat this week. You see Ragged and I are caught in that old age battle of with or without noodles. I like noodles in my chili, Ragged doesn't. It's an eternal struggle. My birthday is this week. Where has my life gone?

Ikey and Coop share some snuggle time.

Rainy

Today Ragged and I ventured to my homeland to visit my grandmother whose health is in a freefall. It was a short visit. Now that we're back home, Ragged has gone off to a play and I'm here at home. After a very brief nap, I'm sitting here enjoying the rain. It's cold and rainy and the perfect day to spend inside napping, reading, whatever.

Next week our bathroom makeover will begin. I'm looking forward to having it over with. Hopefully the work won't interfere too much with our daily lives.

In the picture, Cooper is skeptical that his daily naps will go undisturbed with the coming renovations.

I'm Sorry, They're Just Not Big Enough

The Voyager reruns on Spike have gotten to the point in the series when Kes gets the boot and Seven of Nine and her boobs join the cast. I read somewhere that Kes and another unnamed character were considered expendable by producers of the show, revealed by a survey of the fans. Kes was eliminated but the other character was spared. To me this was strange as the stories up to that point always seemed to focus on Kes or require Kes or her abilities to resolve what was happening. They wouldn't say who the other expendable character was, but I suspect it was Neelix. I have never liked that character. I would have rather they kept Kes.

The Great Divide

Since nobody but perhaps Brando appreciates my keen insights into American Idol, I've created a separate blog to pontificate about the show. This blog will return to its regularly scheduled crying and whining. If you're interested in talking Idol, then go to http://airattles.blogspot.com/

Girls, Girls, Girls

The girls were collectively better than the boys.

BAD:
Alaina
Antonella
Haley
Leslie
Nicole

Everbody else did well. Haley wasn't bad, she was just not right for AI. If I had to pick two, I'd eject Nicole and Leslie.

Singing in the Rain

I woke up early this morning, so what else was I going to do but watch the first night of performances from the top 24 American Idol finalists. As usual, there were good and bad.

GOOD:
A.J.
Blake
Chris R.
Phil

OKAY:
Brandon
Jared
Chris S.
Rudy
Sundance

BAD:
Nick
Paul
Sanjaya (bad song)

Nick and Paul stood out as the worst. Sanjaya had a bad song, so hopefully he'll get another chance.

Oh No Not I

Last night I couldn't sleep. I awoke at 2am with horrible heartburn. After taking a pepcid and sitting up for awhile, I went back to bed. A restless 3 hours later I still had the heartburn. I was completely miserible. I had to get up at 6, so about 6:15 I felt the familiar rumble of vomit. After voiding my stomach, I felt better if not quite woosey. Since yesterday, I've felt slightly dizzy and nauseated. This feeling lasted most of the morning and was followed by a lingering headache. I was afraid that I was coming down with something, but as of now I'm feeling pretty good. I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep and I should be as good as new tomorrow. My stomach is still a little tentative, but I think I will survive.

RED ALERT!!!

RED ALERT!!!

There is a Star Trek special on The History Channel tonight from 8-10.

Until Now I Always Got By On My Own

I'm at home alone. Ragged has gone to knit group. I think they're probably some terrorist cell intent on world domination through knitting. Or not. It's hard to say.

I'm feeling a little under the weather. I've been sick to my stomach and I have felt a little dizzy most of the day. I was hoping to come home and get on the treadmill for awhile and get some stuff done, but I've accomplished nothing.

Today was a holiday, so we didn't get any mail. That means our laptop cord will be delayed. It was shipped through DHL and I think couriers like them observe President's Day, but I'm not sure. At any rate, no cord.

We didn't get an estimate from our contractor yet. Ragged is chomping at the bit to find out how much it is going to cost. I'm a little more laid back about it. I don't want to seem desparate. The guy said "the first of the week", so to me that means Monday or Tuesday. Usually I'm not the patient one, but in this case I am.

This is a picture of Neen siting in a sunbeam.

I Want It All and I Want It Now

Buying stuff is fun. I haven't bought much stuff for the past couple of years, at least not anything frivilous as I have been trying to pay off my skool loan. This weekend, I bought some red folders to use at work and a label maker for Ragged and I both. She has wanted one for a long time and I decided to use one to keep myself organized and professional looking in my new job responsibilities. It was exciting and oddly so.

Ragged and I had to order a cord for our laptop as the one we have hasn't been keeping a consistent connection. The fine folks at Dell shipped the cord the same day, so we should be back in business by Tuesday at my guess. The thing shipped from Ohio, so since we're just a hop, skip, and a jump from there... We're also going to have to buy a new vacuum soon, so the purchases just keep on happening.

Ragged stayed in all weekend and I ventured out no less than 3 times to go to Walmart. I went to the library and picked up a couple of books as well. It was fun to drive on the snow and tromp through it. It actually felt like winter for the first time this season. Unfortunately it is going to warm up this week and rain. Our basement will never dry out.

After this week, things are going to get busy at work. There have been alot of guilty pleas taken the last few days, so things are going to start hopping. It's all good, though.



Today, as I was coming in from my last trip to Wally World, I was gathering up some of the crap that had accumulated in my car and Freddy hoped in and went over to the passenger seat. He was so cute. Ragged and I have been contemplating taking him in and it seems like he senses it. He's working it.



Cooper snoozes on his blanket in a risque pose at the end of couch. He spent most of the weekend there.

A Peanut Butter By Any Other Name

After a little research, I realized Ragged and I had a jar or two of the blighted Peter Pan peanut butter that was causing illness and mass hysteria far and wide recently. We had eaten out of both jars, so I doubt it could cause us to get sick, but in the interest of our health, I went ahead and chucked the jars. One thing I did learn was that Peter Pan and the Wally World brand are the same. After a discussion with a co-worker, I realized that there are alot of generic brands that are actually the brand name stuff. They simply package their product for the generic brand or whatever. Reminds me of being a kid and my mom would buy a generic ketchup and pour it into a brand name bottle as my sister and I hated generic ketchup. Of course, I don't think that particular generic brand was our brand name ketchup, but I'm not sure there was enough difference for us to catch on. I think I did realize this, but I was too lazy to do research to find out which brand is the generic brand. I'm a bad, bad consumer.

This is Eli poised to attack a cardinal which has landed on his porch. If only that damned replacement window weren't there.

If I'm Really Really Good Just Maybe...

Finally! We got some. We've got about 1 1/2 inches of snow and its still snowing. Yippee. Have I mentioned how much I like the snow? Anyway, I think I need to retire further north so I can enjoy more frequent snows. I don't want 6 feet of snow, just frequent light to moderate snows would do me.

In less than two weeks I'll be turning the big 34. Who would have ever thought I'd be this age? Inside I feel like I'm still a kid. Externally, well I'm definitely 34 already and then some.

So, with the snow and all, Ragged and I are staying in. Actually, we'd probably be staying in even if it were a bright sunshiney day. Too bad Monday is no longer a state holiday. Hopefully soon I'll be spending most of my work days at home. My plan to become a hermit is well underway.

In the picture Ikey looks at the snow and wonders what could have been.

Come On Now

We're in a deep freeze despite the fact that yesterday was Valentine's day. Freddy's water bowl is frozen and the heater is running non-stop. Ragged went out of bounds and got me a Starbucks thermos for V-day. I'm enjoying some coffee at my second job (no I haven't quit yet) as we speak. It would be much nicer to be at home doing the same, but with the upcoming unknown contractor bill, I'm going to hang in a little longer. At any rate, thanks to Ragged. You shouldn't have and you'll probably be sorry you did. ;)

So, there has been some movement on the prospect of me getting to work at home. I went back to my boss with the pros and cons. After nearly a half hour of discussing my list, he told me to write up a proposal of how it would work. I spent the rest of the afternoon doing just that and interviewing another officer who does the same thing in another district. It's going to be a big pain in the buttocks to begin with, but hopefully it will all be worthwhile. Part of the good news besides the obvious is getting reimbursed for internet expense and cell phone. Perhaps the hardest part of it all will be in convincing Ragged to let me set up a work area somewhere besides the cold den (aka basement room). Please, Ragged, Pleeeeeze.

*Sigh*

Sometimes it gets difficult for me to find topics to blog about. I get sick of griping about work and talking about the cats or complaining about how stupid people are. Take that away and I'm not sure what else is left in my life, but nevertheless I'm at a loss for what to write. That being said, I'll just post a picture of a snow from last year.

Tuesday Quickie

We didn't get a damn flake of snow today. I knew it was going to happen. I just knew it. Somehow the front or whatever blew by us. I'm giving up. In a few weeks I'll be mowing the yard and doctoring poison ivy.

Freddy's nemesis returned today. The poor animal is probably starved. I ran him off, but he was kind of pitiful. He was bob-tailed and dirty white. He skittered as he ran away. Although I felt badly for him, my primary concern is Freddy, so unfortunately bob-tail had to go.

The pic is an Xray of Pilot's sore neck. Get well soon, P Lizzle.

The Weather, A Dog, and Taxes

OK, it seems like the weatherpeople don't have a firm idea about what the next 24 hours hold. In fact, each time I go onto a weather forecase website there's a change. It's usually a slight change, but sometimes it's not. We are presently supposed to get an inch of snow tomorrow. An inch is not much, but I'll take it.

In sad news, our idiot next door neighbor has tied a dog to the tree. The dog has no shelter and as previously stated its down in the single digits at night. I believe he and his wife are going through a divorce or separation or something because her dad was dumping stuff in the back of his truck the other day. Anyway, back to the dog, I believe it is one of the dogs the couple used to have. I couldn't bare to look out back to see if the dog was still there tonight. Some people should never own animals or parent children. This guy is one of them.

In tax news, I got my taxes done today. Hip Hip Hooray! The Revenue Cabinet completed them and e-filed them at no charge. I only had to wait an hour and a half. It would have only been an hour but their software went down right off the bat. I owe a little bit to the state and a little more to the feds which is fine with me. I'm just glad it's done and checked off my growing to-do list.

Snow Days...NOT!

I'm ready. Ragged's ready. Even Ikey's ready. So, why isn't it happening? We are apparently going to be missed by the snow again tomorrow. I probably should prepare myself that we will not get a significant snow this winter. This time north of us will get it. Come on, Mother nature. What's the deal?

This Old House

A good night's sleep can do wonders for a person. I woke up feeling surprisingly well in lots of ways. Yesterday, Ragged and I tore off some paneling that had been hastily put up by the last owners of our old house. We discovered a water leak which has caused some damage which we have to fix before we move on. Hopefully it's not too extensive or costly. Still, I'm optimistic about the changes. Here are some before and after pictures of the tear down.

Ragged never left the house yesterday and I went out and got us some food and supplies to maintain us for the next week. The temperature continues to drop. It was 10 degrees this morning.

I think I've decided to take the new job that I was recently offered. Of course, I've been so wishy washy about this decision, I could change my mind before the end of this post. After considering all factors, I've determined that my best interest will be served by making the change. The concern is that the position was to come open Jan. 22nd and my would be boss said the position should be posted shortly thereafter. As of today, it hasn't and she hasn't called. I'm not going to stress about it. It's not as if I don't already have a job.

We got a little more snow last night. I swear the forecast changes from hour to hour. You never really know what you're gonna get. Now I know how Forrest felt.

Oh, and here's a picture of Eli eyeballing a bluejay that had landed on the porch.

Let's Get It Started In Here

I like winter. I enjoy the cold, but it's going to be too cold the next few days. We are expecting an arctic blast at some point. That being the case, I worry about the outdoor animals. Freddy has an injury to his left front shoulder and he's looking a little raggedy. Seems like he has somewhere to go during the cold because he doesn't come around when it's bitterly cold, but I can't help but worry. Ragged and I are staying in today not only because of the cold, but to regroup mentally after a tough week.

We are having someone come to look at our bathroom this Wednesday to try to get it in shape. I'm excited about moving forward again with home improvement and having a half-decent bathroom. We are going to pull off some hideous paneling and badly crafted crown molding in preparation.

It's about 1:30 right now, so I guess it's time to get a shower.

Shiver Me Timbers

Another work week has come to a close and not a moment too soon. We did get some snow. Not alot but enough to give me that wintery feeling that I like so much. Tonight, Ragged and I went out for dinner and rented some movies. We plan to stay in the entire weekend and hibernate. I think I could sleep the next two days straight. Ain't winter great. I got my D&D DVDs, so I'll be watching them some this weekend too not to mention the multiples hours of DVRd TV. It's like I've died and gone to heaven.

The picture, taken by Ragged, is of a park on the river near the building where I work.