Wow my computer is acting a bit odd.  It's probably confused.  See normally we should be playing some U.O. in the early morning.  I know....what about the other stuff.  Well we're not getting to it right now.

     Today is supposed to be a very nice day, sun is just pouring into my home.  Want to get some yard work in.  Getting taxes done today, food shopping, going to be busy.  So I'll be left with free time and no game.  It's Easter weekend, so no one is truly around just now. 

     Must get some breakfast in me as well.  Tis a puzzlement devoutly to be wish'd.  Anyway.  Still losing the threads as you can see.  Guess this was about the video game.

     One of the reasons I'm not as annoyed as most people should be.  It's Spring.  Spring and Summer I really don't play much.  In the wee hours before work, weekend mornings, and the odd moments here and there.  So we'll see.  Maybe I'll just start a fund to buy a PS3 or new computer. 

     But right now spring is coming.  I've got a yard screaming for attention and it shall receive it.  I'm definitely planting this year.  Also as soon as I'm done with this, I'm going to look for charity walks and see more of this place than I have.  It's time.  And I'm willing, ready? Probably.

Later.
    

thread bare

     Been a week.  Have the post that should of been next in the draft thing.  I think Spring is coming.  There is stuff to cover but just wanted to say hello and I haven't forgotten this place.

     I've forgotten the fight, will have to re-read that post.  So much crap.  Even religion got into the mix for me last week, but I may pass on that telling.  Crazy co-worker story, sister's car accident, there is stuff to write about.  Yet I just can't get into cohesive mode.  Little things stirring.  Paycheck feels awful short too. 

     Felt good today, was almost Spring like.  Oh and I'm still shopping for a car.  Just don't know where to begin or end.  Tired I think.  It's quarter of 10, house is chilled and bed is beckoning.  Oh and my video game I adore doesn't want to recognize my credit card.  Like I said there is stuff.

    Here I sit just sort of rambling.  Feeling like I'd love to be in an old bar with a few glasses of beer in me watching a game.  Those thoughts are still precious to me.  Where do I pick this up?

     Sister is okay, just in pain, soft tissue damage stuff.  The weight will make it worse.  And of course there's pain pills involved.  I'm tired.  In good spirits deep down inside I do admit.  Just tired.  I want Spring badly.

     Must remember tomorrow is meatless.  At least I still have a job.  Just truly rambling a bit now.  Putting out fragments of thoughts that float through the ether of my mind.  Kind of freeing and annoying.  Didn't think I'd last this long at the blog tonight.

     One grand solace to me has been YouTube.  Maybe I should just put in a movie.  Finally got the DVD thing back to working.  Just don't have the television remote.  And I've lost my nail clippers.  That is really annoying because I need to cut my nails.

     Well if you've followed this entry this long.  You know pretty much my state.  Let me know what it is please.  Maybe I'll just don the bathrobe and watch an episode of Judge Judy, 10 minutes to go for that.  Click clack goes the keyboard.  Yet I persist in just typing the nonsense.  Is it Spring yet?
   

Hmmm.....cont'd

     Was a good day at work, like the uneven transisition? Even got an uncalled for hour of overtime too.  There was no reason for it, but overtime is overtime. 

     Friday night, got home about 6:15, tired.  Mood was not good in the house.  Sister wanted another restaurant take out.  Brother in law went for pizza, I waited about 45 minutes for her freaking dinner.  I tell you I was bone tired.  The cold weather does that to me.  So I chose to lay down after dinner.

     I've mentioned I live in a very small house.  I could here the trouble in the next room.  Sister was on a tear.  It was the usual bullshit.  Both sides were right, but never do anything about it.  Cannot really relate it all because of the huge mess of it.  You get it in compartmentalized form, and think it would be easily solved.  Ahh well, sorry.

     It got to the point where she would now punish him by not asking him for anything.  I heard my name called from thier room.  "my name," I know this game, it wasn't half as effective on my mom as it is with him.  It's an old game and an old tactic.  The less seasoned me gets up and goes and sees what is up.  Then fetch's.

     I just lay in my cozy darkness ignoring and listenting.
"My name"
To my brother in law, unheard in background, "No I don't need anything from you thank you."  "my name"
     Rinse repeat a bunch of times.  Eventually this round lost she lets him get her a slice of cake.  Oh darn I missed out big time huh?

     Saturday morning not much better.  She didn't want anything from the deli.  "Well you're getting something and that's that.  You have to eat." he retorts yelling back.  I'm at my computer having a bowl of oatmeal.  I can tell it will be a rough day.  I make up my mind early that I'd be out the door and try to plan something for the evening.

     After breakfast.  Well they're supposed to go get their taxes done.  Oh, what, really?  He was surprised she did that.  He's very upset about something.  She's yelling from other room, he's in his strained emotional voice saying it's not fair.  No not to me.  Just saying it out loud.  Been here before.  Never does want to talk about it.  In the last 8 years he's taken no advice.  I don my bomber jacket, grab a handfull of cigars and hit the door.

  

Hmmm.......

     I'm writing this on a Saturday night.  It's been a weekend and I'm wishing for Monday.  Let's start with Friday okay. 

     Broke open like most days, wasn't making the gym so I wasn't rushing.  Also food was taken care of.  I'd dropped off some menu's for a deli.  They used to do the cafeteria where I worked.  Nice people and am always willing to print for them.  Even when they were in house they never were in a rush and fairly generous to us.  When I drop stuff off I'm usually treated to free food.  I paid for breakfast.  Got a nice shrimp salad sand which for lunch with a Ghiradelli brownie.  Also snagged a min apple turnover for my manager, he likes them.

     My 70+ co-worker was out so I knew I'd be busy.  He hadn't been sounding good on Wednesday, and his wife called and had made him a doctor appointment.  Out Thursday and Friday.  My other co-worker, the lunatic.  Well she called and said she'd be half an hour late, she had some stuff to clear up.

     Left the turnover on my managers desk and got to work.  About 8:30 she came in with her tale.  The following may not make coherent sense, but this is what I deal with on a daily basis.

     Enter stage left my co-worker.  "I have to go to the bank today so I'm going to leave as soon as my mail run is done this afternoon.  Someone hacked into my bank account."  This before she took walked to her desk to put her jacket down, she continued, "I ordered something on Amazon a week back and it hasn't arrived yet.  A book by someone you don't know, Maureen McCormick, she was an actress."  "Yes I know her" I replied, "she played Marcia Brady." I should have shut up but gave a little dig, "I thought you said books were going away." She's been like that since she got a Kindle and declared books obsolete.

     Undeterred she continued, "No I still have my Kindle but sometimes I like to have a book.  I got it for a good deal, $14.99 plus shipping.  That's not the point it shouldn't take like 8 days for it to arrive.  I found out it's coming from Madrid."  "Anyway when I went to use my debit card it was declined, I shouldn't have used my debit card on Amazon.  I was like what the Hell. I used it for clothes shopping.  My credit card is good they call me to make sure every purchase I make is mine."  Yes these are the facts and just the facts as I retell.  "So I need to call Amazon and find out what's going on."

     With that she was out of the room and I relaxed.  A little later she returned and sat at her computer looking for the number.  I recommended she call on her break.  Being a solid worker and coming in late, she certainly wasn't going to miss her break.

     My manager came in.  Was going to be a nice slow day.  One of my other co-workers wasn't going to be in.  The tale was related to him.  Later in the day she reported that Amazon was going to give her a refund.  Furthermore that if she still gets the book she wasn't going to return it.  With a pretentious look she said "it got lost in the mail"  I chided slightly something about stealing. 

     Well it wasn't her fault, the people in Madrid hacked her account, she thinks.  No.  Now she's sure of it.  She's ordered before from Amazon a few times, maybe 1 time and no problems.  This time a problem and it's because of Madrid.  You simply can't make this logic up folks.

     Also she decided to email the crooks that she reported them to Amazon and say they stole her identity.  I'm unsure what the message they sent her back was.  I tried to tell her to let Amazon handle it and not contact the people directly.  Much less put in an email baseless accusations.

     By the end of the day she's decided that when it's all straightened out she's going to sue them.  My manager told her that she would need to contact Interpol.  No she said, that's the FBI's job.

     Oh and I left this out.  She banks at one of these 7 day a week banks.  Well she claims that when she was there making a fuss.  Someone else came said they hacked you too?  So now she thinks the whole bank may have been hacked so she's going to change banks too.

     Other than that bit of entertainment it was a nice day.  The night not so much.  Brother in law and sister are fighting.  But it's getting on and I've a piece of apple pie that wants attention.  Tomorrow.

Limited time

     Awoke on Sunday, determined not to have stomach issues like last week.  Made a rather nice omelet after the bakery run.  Brother in law was out of sorts but came food shopping anyway.  Bought the requisite stuff, it was St. Patrick's Day after all.  Personally I wanted to do corned beef and fixings from a deli a town away. 

     We did it last year and it was a success.  But no sister wanted to slow cook it in crock pot.  So I washed the infernal thing, Helped her with stuff to get it in and set up.  Brother in law was laying down, every one has an off day you know.  Then to the lounge.

     Totally unrelated paragraph.  Just put the heat up in the house.  Taking my shower 15 min later seems to be working rather well.  Was a good strategy.  Am happier and I get a hot shower.

     Nothing really to relate after that.  Nope no car shopping or anything.  The corned beef was very salty for me.  No we didn't do a pre-soak or rinse.  I could tell my system was functioning badly and will not have another piece of the beef.  Such a freaking shame.

     If you've read long enough, I think, you'll know I generally eat the left overs.  It is a rarity that they do.  So I'm looking at waste, and I despise wasting food.  They are supposed to eat some of it tomorrow night, I really hope they do. 

     Tomorrow night, Thursday, I'm hoping to hit a car dealer.  That may help them along.  How?

     Monday night, was supposed to be hamburgers.  Long story shortened sister wasn't hungry, brother in law in mood, of course not cooking.  She finished mashed potatoes from corned beef, he had a grilled cheese.  I did the wise thing and had a salad. I'd been drinking lots of water and just figured the salad would help the sodium leave my body.  Felt great yesterday.
 
     Tuesday.  Supposed to be burgers.  Got home after 6.  Was told everyone, they included me, was exhausted.  I of course said I wasn't.  We did hero's.  Sister wanted Chinese.  That leaves 2 nights to go, counting tonight.  There's burgers and chicken, and pasta on the menu.  So...sadly....I know the corned beef will be wasted on Sunday. 
 
    Shoot have to go.  But just had a thought.  I've never frozen it before.  What if I did that and served it with eggs every so often.  Yes that is what I'm going to do.  Glad I came in this morning now.  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.

     It's 8:30 and I should be doing stuff.  That utterance drove me here for a ramble.  Maybe some cohesion.  Saturday morning, looks okay.  2nd or 3rd cup of coffee, does it really matter:

     Made an awesome breakfast.  Had a bell pepper going wrinkly in the bin, some left over slices of a cut of meat, and there was cheddar cheese.  Tried to get fancy.  Cut up the pepper then the steak, cracked 2 eggs.  Was going for an omelet.  Heated the pepper and steak in the stainless pan nicely, resprayed.  Beat the eggs.  Can you see it coming.  Poured the eggs in and realized I never lowered the gas and really should have washed the pan.  So no omelet. 

     I was not raised to waste food.  Made one of those skillet looking things you see advertised on television.  Once the egg was cooked, flipped, tossed on toppings and tossed it all together.  Even put it on a a new plate I bought.  And know what.  Damned tasty too.  Beat their deli breakfasts.  Only thing that could have been better.  If I'd remembered last night I was out of half and half.  But coffee with milk is still better than no coffee.

     I really ought to see what is on the agenda for today.  Is my sister still determined to go and see my Grandfather?  Of course some household banking, some of my own bills to organize and pay.  And since we're rambling, wondering if they'll give me the last installment of money they owe me?

     Oh and I did watch one of the movies, just don't feel like breaking it down.  Maybe next time.  Should be a nice weekend.  Maybe a little car hunting.  Oh I cannot wait for better weather and a day off.  So needing it.  Even my manager is needing it for himself.

     Okay that's all.  Have a day.