I wasn't going to post today.

     But I've just re-read the Chef Boyardee entry.  By the way, the generous portion I had packed was a bit much.  Was much easier the next day.

     Friday I left work.  Wished the manager a good trip.  He'll be working down in the state where we sent our job.  But I've actually enough to do here this week.  It will be very hectic.  So I'm not sure about posting much more than this today.

     We began to hear about the upcoming blizzard.  Maybe on Thursday.  By Friday night it was an inevitable thing.  It was coming.  Be prepared.  Do not leave homes.  All that rot.  It would begin about 1 P.M. Saturday.  Be warned.

     So after a confab at the house, we decided to do food shopping about 12.  Just get 2 days errands done in 1.  What the Hell.

     Well, everyone and their 4th cousin thrice removed was at the grocery store.  The parking was horrific.  What with the mountains of snow around from the last snow, make that plural.

     Actually didn't spend a terrible amount.  And tried to make it an easy week for him.  Said I wasn't working late and wouldn't be cooking.  Menu runs something along these lines.

     Sunday baked chicken.  Monday chicken parm, I totally cheat and grab 2 cooked breaded slices from the butcher.  Tuesday burgers, also from aforementioned butcher.  Wednesday grilled cheese, because it's meatless this week.  If you know then you know if not it's not important.  Thursday should be tuna.  Finish off Friday with some pizzas with pre made crusts.

     Well first off there was a run on tuna already so didn't get that.  The shelves were emptying because of upcoming blizzardzilla.  Grabbed a box of coco cheerios and an package of vienna fingers for $1.99.  Hell even got a thing of gelato.  Oh yeah I was going to really enjoy blizzardzilla.

     Next store got the chicken, few veggies, milk.  I go to the butcher alone.  Well they only had the burgers.  Disappointing I figured maybe I'd stop in on Monday.

     Got home, consumed yet another portion of spag and meat.  What?  It's there isn't it?  It certainly didn't go bad.  Remind me not to tell you that I finished it up on Sunday.  Oh nevermind.

     I decided to do the bakery run.  I just wanted a day where there was not need for me to feel responsible.  I got changed, more than a few vienna fingers.  And got into bed to wait for the snow.  I must've napped a bit.  By 4 it was snowing.  Like a child I was full of glee.

     I've no memory of Saturday nights dinner.  I had more fingers, some gelato, and at some point some cheerios.  Was I prepared or what.

     It really was just nice to have a quiet Saturday night.  No guilt about not going out.  No urging.  No reason to look at the clock and go okay bakery at 7.

     Sunday morning.  Bizzardzilla was a complete and utter bust.  We'd gotten maybe an inch.  But I happily had my cronut in bed watching the cooking channels.

     Sunday passed well enough.  Went out and got some stuff done.  Not to much traffic.  Stopped by the butcher and got my chicken.  Also could not resist these cooked brussell sprouts with pancheta.  Had some with the chicken last night.  Good stuff.  Finishing it with the meatloaf for lunch.

-later

     

General stuff.

     Morning.  Waiting for coffee to join us.  Thought I'd start anyway.  Ahh the siren calls.  I'll be back.

     Okay we're all together now.  Let's continue with this mish mosh.  Okay let's get the lord of the rings label out of the way.  It's just funny when you log in you see, "One password.  All of Google"  Reminds me in an off handed way of the one ring of Sauron.

     Nothing terribly extraordinary about this week.  Hopefully the next IPhone installment will be started and finished.  Not sure it is as well written as I'd intended.  The next bit should be about 'applications' after that touch on downloads and such.  In  I shall further remove any doubt of my ineptness when it comes to these devices.

     Couple more people left my job, things are going to get interesting.  That is an actual quote from my manager.  So we'll see what happens.  Haven't been able to save a damned cent.  Was late on bills and missed 3.  Not a good thing.

     Had another night of being called in the middle of the night.  I was tired last night.  Even had to bail on some people.  So I came home, I'd stopped off to buy some pizza crusts I've been enjoying.  Really, really enjoying.  For $5 or $6 I buy about 3 meals worth.

     When I got home, found instead of the original dinner plans for them, it changed.  Now it's their money and such.  But dammit stop complaining that you don't have any.  Their lifestyles haven't changed.  They asked me to pick up their stuff from the Kosher deli.  $25 for 1 meal.  Don't tell me how broke you are.

     They will get breakfast from the deli tonight.  Lunch from someplace.  Dinner.  I mean really?  Okay sorry to much time on them.  I should redeem and say the brother in law made and usually makes the morning coffee.

     Not a lot of plans for the weekend.  None actually.  So we'll see what it brings.  Maybe find a way just to relax.  We'll see.  Okay must be off.  

-later

     

Neighbors cont'd

     Well I've already started back loading a few entries.  Have 2 in the wings about the IPhone.  Thought I'd mention the weekend and touch a little more on my old neighbors.

     Saturday passed well enough.  Didn't actually accomplish anything at all.  Well unless you count relaxing.  Even hit the lounge in the early afternoon.  Scrubbed down my bathroom real nice.  Visited with my sister.  Who it turns out has a touch of pneumonia.  We expect her home today, Monday, of course snow is threatening.  Okay enough about that stuff.

     Lets go way back to my youth.  When this neighborhood was full of my youth.  The road was not blacktopped yet.  It was a simpler times in the 70's.  Now I've mentioned the neighbors that just moved.  They were spotted today briefly, unsure if they were showing the house or not.  We'll leave that house for the one next door.

    The old man that lived there.  For some reason I don't want to include names.  I think more so I can keep them, I don't really know.  It is getting on 4 in the morning and I've been up since 1.

     He was a widower, a jovial nice man.  He had a cocker spaniel.   A great family friend.  He was fun for young kids too.  His front stoop was the best on the block.  Just perfect for sitting.  It was all brick.  He was a good cook, a German by birth.  Used to make the greatest Sauerbraten with dumplings.  Damned spell check wanted me to say sauerkraut, apparently not a food aficionado.  

     He'd watch me from time to time, a whole lot of fun.  His house was neat and orderly.  Now he had to be in his 60's in the 70's, he's long passed.  Had a friend, think it was Ollie.  I know nothing of him other than.

     He drove a large blue  Chevy or Buick, I've no idea actually.  But he was the worst driver.  You'd hear the shout Ollie and clear off onto the lawns.  He'd hit garbage cans, they were metal in those days, curbs.  Really a bad driver.

     We'd have our neighbor over for holidays and such.  He didn't seem to have much family.  That is until it was time for them to descend and take all they thought was theirs when he died.  Anyway.  He even made a great Santa Claus.  And did enjoy drinking.  Good times.

     When ever we had a party he was invited.  There are lots of photos.  Just fun.  Oh we had a place back then.  All the neighbors would come over.  Not quite like today.  Sorry guess I'm slipping a bit.  The next few entries I expect to be rather flowing.  Ah, time to put the coffee on.

-later

The weekend is upon us!

     It's Friday.  Well the beginning of Friday.  Thought I'd see if I could put together a post of coherence.  Last night did help.  Managed to get some sleep between 3-4:30.  Long kind of complicated story, don't wish to discuss.  Have things I desperately wish to do this weekend.

     Of course part of the problem is finding the money.  Saturday plan on going out East for some pies.  If I can remember.  This will be the fascinating stuff I tried to record in my car the other day.  Now I need to hit the laundromat.  Shopping, I know I need some gloves.  Sneakers and boots would be good too.

     Think I"m looking forward to the pies.  Leave here early in the morning, round 7.  Take the back roads, so it will be just me and the left over drunks, trucks, and cops.  Should be fun.  Also for the Hell of it, I'm going to see what kind of lunatics have garage sales in November.  Not that brave though, should be high 50's low 60's.  Even still it's November.

     Need a haircut, hair dryer and such.  Oh and I think I've decided on the Xbox.  We'll see what this weekend holds though.  Need to get a second job.  Okay where were we going with this?

     Off next Thursday and Friday.  Dr. appointments.  Plus sisters chemo appointment and the appointment to get a port put in. Problem is brother in law expects me to take her.  That will effectively kill the last 2 days off I have this year.  Especially thanks to my past hospitalization in September.  

     Who said the first 100 years are the hardest.  They were right.

-later.

The weekend was.....

     I actually made a note to come in and write a blog tonight.  Figured what the Hell.  Do a run down of the weekend and such.  A question first.  Does  anyone subscribe here or is it all just foot traffic.  Either way pull up a chair and enjoy the ride.

     Saturday.  Usual.  Eventually woke up, when I say eventually, I mean I slept.  Think I got up at 5 and thought what the Hell and went back to bed.  Got up about 7ish.  Today we were going to see my Grandfather.  He doesn't live to far, about 40 miles west as the inebriated bird flies.  Last I saw him was at his wife's funeral 2 years ago.  He was 90 then.  From time to time I speak to his son, my Uncle, mothers brother.

     Let's just say relations between him and us are strained.  I could write a whole blog on him alone.  Let's not and say we didn't want to.  In fact he just moved from round the corner and hasn't let us know.  Anyway.  I've mentioned from time to time about going to see my Grandfather.  He, my uncle, always says the house is in shambles, the bathroom doesn't work so well.  Really discourages the idea.

     My sister has been wanting to see him.  The last time she saw him was nigh on 8 years ago, at my mom's funeral.  Mom, I pause here.  I still miss her.  This isn't a blog about that either.

     The last time I got ahold of my Grandfather, at my sisters insistence was....interesting?  I made the call, got him on the phone he said hello and asked for her.  Now I was standing next to her and she waved that she wasn't there, why I don't know.  My Grandfather promptly said okay and hung up on me.  Yup.

     Don't think I mentioned in the heart blog this tidbit.  We only learned that his wife had been in hospice, for months, after she passed.  The summer I was recuperating from open heart surgery, and my sister was in rehab from her ovarian surgery.  Yeah, my Uncle lived around the corner.  Getting the warm and snugglies yet?  Me neither.

     My Grandfather was a rapscallion of sorts in his younger days.  A fun guy.  He's now in his early 90's.  I say 92 sister says 94, she exaggerates a tad.  Anyway.  She wanted to go and see him, I told her to call.  She called while I was out Saturday morning, she got him.  His first words were when are you going to come and see me.  She replied today.  She was elated.  I was apprehensive as to what we would find.

     We both told my brother in law he didn't have to come.  He was not in a good mood.  He came.  Whined and bitched a bit.  Was annoyed about getting lunch in the deli, I got nothing cause I wasn't hungry.  And we were off.  Made it out just before our town had it's St. Patricks day parade.

     The ride was nothing special, just irritating to be in close proximity to them.  Always feeling held hostage.  Anyway we arrived and he was waiting for us.  He's lost a lot of weight and walks with a cane now.  Looked and sounded very well.  We all should be so well at his age.

     The house?  It was immaculate, I mean gorgeous, not like the squalor we live in.  But don't get me started on their lack of cleanliness please.  Anyway.  (anyway appears to be the word of this blog huh?) 

     It was a nice short visit.  Little tour of stuff.  His television and the box on top of it that at he paid $45 for and got Lot's of channels.  Saw a few rooms.  He doesn't go upstairs anymore.  And it was a lot about his son.  I could see my sister was getting annoyed by that.  As for me?  Not sure.  The conversation was mostly directed towards her.  And her social skills were failing quickly, I'm usually relied on to keep the conversation.  He didn't really seem that keen on making conversation with me.  Anyway.

     It was a nice visit.  We were in the middle room, seeing old stuff he had.  The inmates saw it was snowing and got worried.  That helped end the visit.  Grandfather said not to be strangers.  My sister felt great about the visit and wants to do it every couple of months.  Of course I will have to be dragged.
 
     It is difficult to talk about certain family members and such.  You, in this case I, want to say so much.  And it would all seem silly and petty to those on the outside.  I know, and maybe some of you know.  It was a nice visit.

     And he's slowed down a bit.  He no longer has 4 or 5 of everything.  2 now.  Know many 90+ year olds with 2 cars?  Yeah didn't think so.  Heard a lot about my Uncle.  He's going to inherit everything, and he should.  He is his natural son.  I don't begrudge that.  It's the little silly things I mentioned in the paragraph before.

     The only example I offer.  Walking in through the kitchen I saw the table.  A table you say, no I say.  The Table.  See it was my mothers Grandmothers.  My mother did her homework at that table.  When Grandma died, his first wife, she asked him for it.  It was promised to her.  He said yes.  Almost a year after he died he remarried.  They used that table as a dinner table.  It always hurt my moms' feelings.  Stuff like that.

     Anyway.  Took a break to let the dog out.  She balked, no not barked, balked at the snow.  Refused to leave the stoop, so I'm guessing I'll be on clean up during the night.  Lucky man.

     Hopefully I didn't come off to petty on the above.  I'll let it stand anyway.  (the last 2 were intentional.) 

     I was asked to grab cheesecake after we got home and I did.  Sister ate it right away, real smart.  I had time to make mass and we ordered dinner from one of our usual joints.
  
     Apparently hers was hideous.  She had me call to let them know.  Brother in law was in fits.  Don't know why, he just doesn't like to make waves.  I view it like this.  We are regulars, we know the managers.  I expressed that I knew it was a busy night and probably someone new on the grill.  They're giving me a credit for her dinner.  Not mine or my brother in law's, ours were fine. 

     Sunday.  Really not to much and I'm typed out.  Some online gaming in my game and bed for me.  Later.