Stink eye

Olive was over work yesterday

Not sure how, but I finally got pictures to load from my cell phone.  Weird.  I WFH yesterday and Olive was not wanting me to,  She was all about the cuddles 💕.

There isn't much going on.  It's my busy time for work with our annual update and year end close out stuff so I haven't a lot of time to do much of anything.  It also looks like I'm not going to get to deploy for the latest hurricane either because one of my very self centered co-workers extended a temp duty so we will be down a planner.  That sucks because I could really use the money.  Speaking of, I have been trying to cut back on spending a little but why is it so hard around Halloween?  I want all the spooky stuff.  I bought a water bottle a few years ago that I really liked.  For some reason I never really used it besides for dance and used the cheaper ones for everything.  When I went to NYC I picked it up to take with me and that thing never leaked and held up better than any other bottle,  So I bought another one.  They had a banner on the website for the bellow bottle and I HAD to have it.  As luck would have it Owala is the next "it" water bottle (I guess that is a thing now?) and you have to que up online to get the special 'color-drop'. I just happened to be on my phone at that particular time and was able to buy one but it apparently sold out in 10 minutes.  So, I used all my luck for the year on a stupid overpriced water bottle that I don't really need.  I saw that people were already listing them for sale online for $100 so I guess I can call it an investment, lol.  I also got a StitchFix box and loved everything in the box and Dennis took me for $200 at Costco (yeah right lets go get cat food he said).  So much for cutting back.  At least we don't really do Christmas anymore. I will get stuff for my mom, sister, a few cousins and Dennis but that's it.  Nothing for his family at all.  

Spooky bottle

 

Speaking of the in-laws, I don't think he has heard from them in a few months.  I think I talking about his mom selling FIL's car with Dennis's help. It was a '17 Charger, I think, with maybe 10K miles on it and always kept in the garage.  She ended up getting $18K for it, kind of shocked me but good for her!  As far as I know, the siblings don't know about it.  Dennis is very much not taking money from her for that kind of stuff, even though he was the one that did most of the work to get it gone.  He doesn't want wild accusations from the rest of the family.  They have access to the bank statement so if they look they will see the money that was deposited and know it had to come from somewhere.  I really hope this shit doesn't happen when something happens to my mom.  Things went really smooth when my dad died but they don't have the kind of money and assets the in-laws have.  Plus, my mom was the one that took care of the finances where as the FIL not only took care of the finances, but was a little controlling over them (which is how they had the kind of assets they do) and MIL is going apeshit with  her new found financial freedom.  From what I have heard she has already dipped into the principle, which is exactly what FIL didn't want and makes Dennis feel extremely guilty.    

My family drama is pretty calm for now in comparison.  My cousin from San Diego is planning on moving back next month.  We will see if that actually  happens.  If she does she will live with my mom and it will take some of the burden off of me!  The issue is she has very little money and lives with her mother (my first cousin).  Her mom is and always has been abusive and just down right crazy. There is a long list of unhinged crap she has pulled.  The one that always comes to mind was when she was still in high school she lived with us, she came down with mono and was really sick.  I remember she was out of school for what in hindsight seemed like a month but you know how that is.  It was around Christmas and I saw her take a piece of candy, lick it and wrap it back up and put it in a dish.  She is that kind of psycho.  Not to mention she dropped her 6 week old daughter off at my mom's and just disappeared for weeks at a time.  When Heather was 13 she moved her to CA and decided to torture her there where we couldn't interfere I guess?  Anyway, Heather moved to OK and lived after she graduated high school and lived here for a long time but decided to move back to SD about 10 years ago.  It seems she has finally had as much as she can take but I will only believe she if leaving when it actually happens.  I told her I would help her, as moving will cost roughly $3K if she rents a truck but I can rent a van here and drive there and back for half that.  Another cousin, crazy cousin's sister, has a large SUV and she is supposed to help as well.  BFF said she would go with and we can make a girl trip out of it, which sounds like it could be hella fun.  But, it's anyone's guess if the move actually happens.  You know how those kinds of relationships go.  My dad's mom was a lot like crazy cousin and my dad never stopped trying with her.   I remember when she died my mom called and said that if I wanted to see her I needed to do it.  I was like nah, I'm good.  And when my dad got sick he told my mom that when he died her mom would be there for him because his mom for sure wouldn't be....and now I'm crying.  DAMN IT.  

I didn't mean for this to get so deep, lol.  I really had nothing to share.  My therapist was out of town so I guess this was my session for the week.  

My rheumatology appointment went well last week.  He wants me to make sure and get my steroid filled and handy because I have had some knee and hand issues.  My knee started when I had covid and it felt like it was giving out, kind of like I was kicked in the outside of the knee.  Not sure how much of that was from being sick and walking 2,149 miles in NYC and how much was the RA.  It has come and gone a little but not enough to take the demon pills.  My hand on the other, well, hand, is starting to lock up and pop.  He said he didn't feel comfortable doing injections in the hand as there are too many tendons and stuff involved.  I told him that it is still tolerable.  If it gets worse he will send me to a hand specialist for injections.  I hope it doesn't come to that.  My weight was just a tad over 101.   

Well, I have to go into the office.  I have a meeting and we are having an end of year pizza party.  With any luck I can escape the mandated fun.  

I'm back

The trip was largely uneventful, which I consider a win. My flight left at noonish with a layover in Austin. I ran in to visit the facilities and by the time I got to my gate they had just called my boarding group. Couldn't have timed it better. On the way home I had a little more time but ended up on the same plane so I didn't even have to get off if I didn't want to. The meeting was actually rally productive, we split into three different subgroups to trouble shoot and redesign the program and came away with some really good stuff.  

I thought I was staying at the same hotel as my friend Kat, but it turns out she was at a different Hilton.  NBD.  The hotel I stayed at was right outside the UNC campus and had a lot of restaurants and bars so she ended up coming over to that area and hanging out.  As far as food and drink goes, it was one of the best places I have been.  The first night I didn't get in until 7 or so and just wanted a shower and sleep so I didn't go out.  The second night Kat met me at a place called 401 Main.  It was the night of the debate and neither of us were really into watching it but they had a DNC watch party with a dj and drink specials so we gave it a go.  The food was pretty good and the blackberry mule was amazing.  We both got caprese sandwiches that were really good.  I had been looking at things to do in the area and found a place called Dingo Dog brewery.  The founder got involved with rescue after Katrina he teamed up with a friend and started brewing beer and cider and combined both of those.  It is a non-profit brewery with all the proceeds going to rescue.  With a deal like that you can't not drink!  I ended up there at one point every night I was there.  I told Dennis I might have to learn to brew beer and start one up here.  Of course I don't like beer so that might be an issue.  What an amazing place it was though.  I tired the blackberry, peach, honeysuckle, and guava ciders, all were really good.  

The next day I went with my friend Doug to another brewery for lunch and had cheeseburger egg rolls.  Again, they were amazing.  No drinks since we had to go back and sit through mind numbing stuff.  That night I wasn't in the mood to hang with anyone.  Both Kat and Doug had friends that live close and both invited me to hang out with them but I didn't want to feel like a third wheel so I went to my brewery for a drink and then to a little tap room and had a kids meal and a cider.  They were playing trivia and a table of college age kids were next to me and the question was what sport did Jason Lee from My Name is Earl participate in.  They were about to put down hockey and I told them they needed a Gen X phone a friend because he was 100% a skateboarder.  I felt like I did my good deed for the day.  I made it back to my room and watched Master Pancake Theater (kind of like Mystery Science Theater 3000) riff Beetlejuice.  

The last day we got out around 1,  Kat lives in Georgia so she drove and was going to head back but went and got lunch first.  I got probably one of the best burgers I have ever eaten.  It had Worcestershire cheese sauce, blue cheese, and mushrooms.  It was so good!  After lunch I went back to the hotel and walked around the area for awhile.  It was a neat town.  I didn't have a bad meal the entire time I was there.  I haven't weighed in several months and I am kind of scared to.  I have an appointment with the rheumatologist Thursday so I will find out then what the damage is.  I have to try not to fall into the trap if I am over XXX, not even sure what that is.  Maybe I should have them weight me with my back to the scale.  

Work is super busy.  We started our annual field update stuff yesterday and it is in a new system, I won't bore you with the details,  but I have to make sure everyone is put in correctly and obviously no on checks the status until they have to so I have had a bunch of SOS emails and calls.  I will be putting out fires well into October.  I like being busy though so it's kind of nice.  The days fly by.  

Saturday morning I got a message that A was in the hospital.  After all the years of playing hockey they decided to let him try football instead.  This is his first year on the team and he told me when I saw him last week that he really liked it and that he was a starter.  Apparently he had a pretty tough hit on Monday during his game.  By Friday he was throwing up and wasn't acting right.  His dad took him to the hospital and they found a brain bleed.  They kept him overnight and well into the evening on Saturday trying to control his nausea.  The bleed was small enough that he didn't require surgery, thank goodness for that.  Once he was finally able to keep food down they went ahead and sent him home.  The doctor said no more football.  Not sure what they will do.  Hockey isn't great in this part of the country.  They had to travel to Dallas or KC almost every weekend for games because we are just too small of a market to have that many teams.  It is also very expensive in comparison to other sports.  I am not a football fan at all so I wasn't particularly thrilled with him playing, but, ya know, not my kid.  He will need to find some kid of activity as he wouldn't do well with free time.  Maybe soccer?  I know less about that then I do football.  

Alright, lunch if over.  I gotta get bak to the grind.

Procrastination

Well the last update I put in was all jacked up so I just deleted it. It wasn't anything groundbraking so not much to save. We will see if it does that again and it's from using my iPad but I can't see how that would make a differance. Then again, I know fuck all about computers stuffs. I should be packing right now for a work trip to NC. My flight doesn't leave until 12:20 so I will probably just throw stuff in tomorrow morning. I am not looking forward to the trip. Brooke was supposed to go but she got a temp promotion and they won't let her go. There are a couple of more distant coworkers going to it should be tolerable. The girl I hung out with in Sonoma is going to be there and we had a lot of fun so it will be fine. I see myself back in my room fairly early but we are staying in Chapel Hill so I am sure there is plenty to do. The weekend has been fairly busy. Friday night I went to see the new Beetlejuice movie. It was pretty great. I read a review that said it was just a bunch of scenes trying to be funny without trying to add to the actual story. I mean, dude, it's Beetlejuice (last time I will say that, lol) it's not that serious. I snort laughed a couple of times so that is a win in my book. Dennis didn't want to go so I went with HMF's husband and A. I refuse to acknowledge that A is a teenager. There was a comming attraction for the new Moana movie and I remembered I took him to see that when he was young. It made me kinda sad that he is too cool for Aunt Terrie. Saturday morning I had to work a water safetly event. I worked with a ranger I hadn't really talked to before and we turned out to really get along. His daughter was with him and we kind of had a good time. The festival was in a really small town and it was the Trump rally demographic so the people watching was steller. I saw at least 2 women with his shirt on (I don't want to say his name either) on it, which always astounds me. How the hell you going to support that mysoginistic want to be dictator? I don't get it and I don't think anyone could ever explain it to me. However, the entire festival was a little inappropriate if you ask me and ranger Josh and his offspring. They started out with a turtle race, which is problematic in itself. Taking a turtle out of their area is pretty much a death sentance for them. They had a 'cutest kid' competition, yikes. They also had a skillet throwing contest 'for the ladies' um, just no. Those were just a few of the standouts. It made great material for our snide and sacrastic commentary. Small town OK is not a place I care to visit on the regular. I can't imagine I would be very popular, or I would be but not in a good way. I left hell fest about 4 and ran home to change clothes and get my mom for the Wynonna Judd concert. I am all about some 90's country. My playlist is all kinds of schizophrantic, it will go from Wait for it from Hamilton to Vicarious from Tool, to Chapter 319 from Clippings, to Should've Been a Cowboy from Toby Keith. Anyway, the concert was at the casino my cousin works security for so she arranged for me to drop my mom off at an exit door right by the seats. When I dropped her off I found a parking spot right outside the door, which is unheard of. It worked out really good and we actually had a good time. And I just figured out why the last post got so messed up. It appears I am not longer able to insert photos for some odd reason. I will have to look into that I guess, you guys missed out on a picture of my adorable boots I wore last night and an Amish guy driving his tractor through the bank. I guess they gotta have a place to keep all the money they save on the electric bill somewhere. Alright, I guess I will go dig out my suitcase.