The weekend is coming, and it’s going to be the rare long one. I’m seriously considering getting the family up on Saturday and taking a day trip up to the BRP.
I guess this is an extension to what I write every day. It’s personal without being personal. I don’t know if that makes sense. This is my outlet. Just trying to catch any new followers up with what this is about.
Knowing I had to go pick up those packages yesterday, I did some prior proper planning and asked my don, Sam, if he wanted to ride with me several days before. Rock Hill means one thing to him, Joeβs Classic Video Games.
No guy’s day out is perfect without fire and smoke.
My son is an avid collector of video games. It’s his passion if a twelve-year-old can have a passion. He collects older consoles as well. His oldest one being a Nintendo Game Cube (that will probably make a few who read this feel old.) The Game Cube is ancient tech to him.
So we rode together yesterday and were gone half the day. It was great!
Wearing an Arbyβs shirt, eating at Hardeeβs, wishing he was at Chick-Fil-A.
When it’s just me and him we can just be guys. I’ve missed a lot of his school stuff this year. Awards, performances, Beta Club induction to name a few and this saddens me.
We talked about it a couple of nights ago, and he understands. But he shouldn’t have to. I should be there. Always.
One day heβll be too big for my towel but not yet. Cold in the truck and it’s what I had. Always carry a towel. π
Today is Sunday. We’ve rested and are preparing for another week.
Knives sharpened, nails trimmed (I consider them tools and weapons), and neat. Packed out the EDC bag. I probably carry too much but…
We’re watching Morbius tonight. I’m enjoying it. I love the second string (?) characters getting their screen time. There are so many stories to tell in the Marvel and DC universes.
Company
I’m out with Sam in the morning. I have to pick up some packages for work, but I’m making it a day out for him and me. It’s been a while. Looks like we’re headed to Joeβs.
Mags took her booster shot today for the Covid vaccine. A requirement to keep her job.
This troubles me, of course.
B, although he had significant health problems, took the jab, and it was a heart attack that took him. D, another person close to me, also took the jab. He had a heart attack about two weeks ago.
YOU CAN SEE WHY IβM CONCERNED!
It reached 97Β°-99Β° here today. I watched a lot of people walking around in masks in the heat. I can’t help but think what fools these people are. This push for fear seems to be contributing to mental illness or, at the very least, preys upon the minds of the weak.
I started early this week working on Sunday. Today the scheduler piled more activities on my already packed schedule, and I know this can’t continue. I can’t continue doing it. Something has to give.
And it looks like something is trying to. I have more small problems with this truck, and it’s only love that’s keeping us together. I think there’s a song about that.
Crap.
I think it’s a short or possibly a bad fuse. Hopefully, nothing more difficult. But the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) method is best. Start at the easy end and work your way to more complex.
It seems to have corrected itself for now, and nothing else seems wrong. No leaks. The oil level is good. The temp is good.
Probably nothing. Maybe something.
Bruce is old and temperamental. Hence the name.
It’s just one more thing in an already hectic week.
Which means I have a lot to do on my own as I have no help.
Iβm not going to complain or mention it to the boss. He had a significant health problem pop up last week. Some might say it could be heart-stopping.
He always has my back, so I always have his.
I slept in till 7 AM this morning. Sleeping in isn’t unusual on a Sunday for me. I know some of you are probably thinking, sleeping in!? 7 AM?! On a Sunday?!
Well, sometimes I allow myself to be lazy.
I rolled out of bed and synced the work phone, and found out my hours are way up from the last couple of weeksβtime to get back to the heavy lifting and take care of business. Most of my days this week are scheduled for 10+ hours. Some being 13-hour days. That I cannot do.
So I went in for a half-day today to work a store to around 80% completion. No huge activities, just the usual business. This way, Iβll be able to come back around to resets later in the week. There was no one there to print mods and labels anyway. They should have been printed last week but someone doesn’t want to listen. You can’t help some folk.
Windshield time.
I’m going to be seeing that view a lot this week. But it will be okay. I can get mad or I can get done.
There’s no support group for this. No band dads anonymous. No. My wife was a band geek, and now both my kids are band geeks, and I get pulled along kicking and screaming and being my general gruff, mean-looking self. But to tell you the truth, I love watching what these kids produce.
If you tell anyone what I just said I will hunt you down and do unspeakable things to you.
The nice (?) part of this is that I have time to myself the next couple of days during band tryouts. The kids have to audition, and the band director decides who he cuts. Some will be overjoyed, and some will be crushed, but kids need these kinds of hard lessons. I am confident both of mine will be in the marching band again this year.
With my brief freedom, I get a lot of things done.
Today I installed some more lights in the garage. A couple of motion-sensitive LEDs over the parking spots for the cars. I like that I don’t have to worry about switching them off and the added bonus of pulling into the garage with light for security.
Also, I’m not blind, but my eyes aren’t what they used to be.
Added to my chores in the evenings is cooking super. Lasagna tonight Tacos tomorrow night.
And I take over the dishwashing because the kids don’t get home till seven.
Wait a damned minute! This doesn’t seem like freedom at all!
Up at 2:30 and out the door by 4:00 to hit a bun reset with Bimbo Bakeries (which always makes me laugh.) I met Dave with Flowers Bakeries and we did the reset together. It’s not usual for me to actually have one of the company reps show up for these. I like to get it done before the bread vendors show up so they can get about their day. I’m nice like that.
Dave is retired military from Air Force and I’m ex-Army. He blew stuff up, and I didn’t realize the Air Force did that. I blew stuff up. So there’s a new found respect for the Air Force from me.
If I go lay down now, I will not be able to sleep tonight. So Iβm not wasting my time and I’m installing light fixtures in the garage. I am loving the quiet of the LED lights. Big change from the old 8β fluorescent tubes buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
And while Iβm out here, I needed to strap up the expansion tank for the water heater. We forgot to grab the strap for it when we picked up the water heater last week. So, time to be handy.
Weβve had a lot of expenses hit the past couple of years but all of them have been good investments. A new roof, stove, refrigerator, heat pump, water heater, etc.
But theyβve already started showing savings on our electric bill. Just the changes in our light fixture in the kitchen and bathroom did that.
Found a treasure.
It may not look like much to you but this is the key to the Dodge Omni my wife drove when we first started dating. We went all over in that little car.
She was tickled. Itβs a memory. A good one. So I put that key on her keychain.
Now comes supper and relaxation.
Some kid probably hates me.
I donβt even know why I started this but hereβs the end.
Solving the problem on my truck and getting it back on the road changed my outlook. The possibility of having to buy another vehicle is still out there, but now it’s out there. I do not want another car payment.
My schedule is lighter this weekβjust the three stores in S.C.
Not having to go to my store in N.C. is a relief, and I’m grateful the boss is having a part-timer work it this week. It will cost me some hours, but I’m taking Thursday off anyway. I have some things to deal with.
I don’t know if it makes sense but chin up and head down. Bull through.
There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s probably a train. But trains are neat.