Brian, wanting to hit the driving range around noon, makes me hang out around the house and clean the windows in my car (along with the normal pooperdog walk,etc).  noon rolls around and he changes it all up by wanting to cut the grass (here, at his mom's, and his mom's neighbor) and hit Verizon to see why his phone is all tweaked (battery runs out in a couple hours on his new phone).  alright, well, I got all day, so I decide to head over to Best Buy, in the meantime, to check out new clothes washers.  turns out they had a dent and scratch model right at the entrance to the store, and being they're having their memorial day sale, I can get an extra 10% off.  sweet!  I grabbed it up.  it's an LG high capacity/ high efficiency washer  (I would have bought the dryer as well but it was electric and I don't need a new dryer at this point...) long story longer; they'll deliver it for free (this coming Friday), take away my old one for free, and hook up the new for free, so after all is said and done I'm paying just over $600 for an $850 washer (I know, they mark 'em high to begin with, but I couldn't resist a good deal). I look the model up on Consumer Report (their price range was $708 to $799).  it's in their "recommended" category (!).  it'll be good to get rid of that old clunky machine to be replaced by an HE model.

brats, pork loin, corn on the cob grilled to perfection along with some baked beans and red skin 'tator salad for sides, finished off with some strawberry shortcake (made by Brian's mom)...MMMMMMMMMMMMS!!  delicious!  I ended up crashing early when the first few beers plus a full belly made me super tired. before that, Brian and I hit the driving range.  we each hit a big bucket of balls.  he was beyond encouraging and most helpful in teaching me the basics.  it was fun!

just afterwards, Mark (work bud) calls and asks if I wanna hit the driving range.  I declined knowing the grill feast was about to begin, plus I was a little sore from using muscles I never use.  golfing takes a lot out of ya...

anyway.  back to the stalag tonight, so I best take a nap.  it was a most relaxing weekend!

re-reading the last couple of entries, reminds me just how much stress and pent up garbage I carry about work.  it's good to have a friend in Hooey to make me stop and think about the fact that even a crappy job is a good thing to hang on to during this half assed economy [read comment left by him on last entry].  thanks for pulling me out of that rattle snake pit of searing stress.  speaking of stress, there's little of it to be had this weekend. I'm able to catch up on badly needed sleep, take the pooperdog out for extended barefoot walks, etc.  a sixer of my favorite craft beer and some netflix top off each night nicely.  I was invited to a smallish bonfire at across the way Jay's last night, but looking out the kitchen window every now and then, showed me they never did it...maybe he meant tonight?  I'll keep an eyeball out.

went to the store yesterday and bought a gob of food to grill for tonight.  it was a good $60 worth .  we wanted to make sure there was enough for us as well as Brian's peroxide blondie and his mom (the cool hippy lady who lives down the street).  it ought to be a good grub-out

Brian asks if I wanna hit the driving range today...sure!

Jesus and Mary frickin' chain!  I survived another brutal long ass week at the stalag.  tonight lasted forever, waiting for the end of the shift for the news if we had to work this weekend or not?  being no one was willing to offer said info (as usual), I ask line support; "6 pm tonight?" (implying yet another 12'er). she replies "no pm".  I didn't hear the official word from da boss (as usual), so 'no PM' it is then.  a three day week will feel excellent, after so many long days with only one or no day weekends...still no news as to if we're going to 8 hour days, or not (?).  why do they gotta drag their damn feet for so long?!  can't they see their burning us all out?! peeps be gettin' hurt more, temps quittin' before they've actually started, etc.  it's a damn nightmare wrapped in a thick nappy blanket of bullshit.   anyway. just a quick entry, because I just hit a couple of ZZzquil, and I'm ready to saw some logs...g'night.

the stalag continues to do things in a poorly managed fashion.  things break down, maintenance half ass fixes it, now leaving the operator to have to deal with an extra step in the process to keep things going (lather, rinse, repeat).  tonight we had a couple bad pallets, but instead of taking them off the line, they left them at the end clogging the reject area...once again, making the person unloading the chairs have to work 4 times harder to get 1/4 of the parts needed per the hour.  on top of that, we have non-conforming packaging, a crappy printer that takes its damn time printing master labels, a scanner who's rechargeable battery is a piece of shit, garbage over flowing every waste basket (apparently the trash compactor was full for a week), etc., and so on, until you wanna scream!!  and that's just one station.  I'd go on about all the other stations, but you get the idea.  we're pullin' 12'ers again until this upcoming holiday weekend with the dry erase "threat" that states "3 day holiday is up to how you do"...another words, the boss wants to blame our bad numbers on the operators, when in fact the process and machinery are trash.  we're hiring new temps, but one has already left (the smart one, obviously) due to seeing what's goin' on and the ridiculous hours.

this morning I came home to a peed on kitchen (what's Rosie to do when I'm always at work?).  I'm sure Brian will have his say.  fuck that guy!  it's not his house.  it's Rosie's.  anyway. I busted out the mop and the linoleum cleaner and did a quick moppage of the perimeter.  the wood-panel submarine will get a good clean-over if I get that 3 day weekend *crosses fingers, but doesn't hold breath*

sleep.  gotta crash in order to get at least 8 hours in before another 12'er.  good gawd.  the torture never stops!

being a 3nd shifter, I pull one of those deals where I wake up this morning thinking it's 6:30 pm (DOH!).  I've done it many o' time before (usually after one of my  weekend benders), only realizing the sun's in the wrong spot when we're on our pooperdog walk....  speakin' of one day weekends, I have plans to head over to my local hardware store last night (to pick up a spigot, etc), and maybe do some Boston Market, when Brian (almost neighbor/room mate) asks if I can doggy sit his peroxide blondie's dog, followed by Mark (work friend) texting me about coming over.  suddenly, I find myself scrapping said plans and rushing to get something to eat to accommodate,  only to come to the realization that I only have a one day weekend, I'm gonna do what I planned.  I text Mark and Brian back letting them know I won't be available and continue on with my mission, picking up a couple of sixers of craft beer on the way home, to dig on whilst catching up on Netflix (Archer, Judge Dredd, etc). it was a good night to relax.

a solid week of 12 hour days ending with an 8 on Friday night will bring a huge paycheck next week.  I'm completely burned out!  good news is that the stalag is finally hiring temps in on a second shift schedule.  they haven't scrapped the idea of 3-8's like I thought they had [awesome!].  I can't wait to do my 2pm to 10pm thang once it starts...then I can only cross my fingers that it will remain in place for more than 3 weeks (like the last time they attempted this).  I'm thinkin' if it turns out to be a failed experiment, I'll have to put in my 2 weeks notice (I know; I've said that many times before, and, like a dumb-ass, I keep going back).

*itching while typing* man, those 'squiters  are vicious this time of year!  I do love spring time, but does there have to be blood sucking critters flying about so heavily?!  nein!

so, as I'm typing this, Brian pokes his head in and mentions he fed Rosie some expensive moist food (he likes to take over at times, mentioning that his moist food costs $3 a can).  I just fed her a half a can of moist food with a handful of dry.  then he starts throwing snacks all over the floor.  dude!  she's gonna bust at the seams if we BOTH feed her.  he doesn't seem to care.  oh well. it's not like she's a show dog or an athlete.  if anything, she'll die of old age with a full belly *fart*

Brian's had many o' run-in with our trailer trash neighbors, with their music being too loud too many times.  their lawn getting ignored, so he mows half of it, their trash not getting picked up week after week with the can over flowing, etc.  but this time they pulled a good one. Brian parks his car across the road from their driveway (wait! did I already write about this??  oh well, I'll keep going anyway), just to have said neighbor pull out and clown his passenger door.  he was ready to drive off as if nothing happened, had Brian not hollered at him.  the guy gives Brian all his insurance information, just to find out it's all bogus.  Brian, being the quick to kick everyone's ass type (but in this case, why not?),  calls the cops on him.  they couldn't arrest him on private property (for some reason), but were going to set up a car outside the trailer park to nab him.  I haven't heard nor seen from him since.  they must've got him.  anyway. just a quicky entry before getting ready for another 12'er at the stalag (yay prison!!).

well, the board was wrong (stalag's dry erase board), we didn't have to do 12's for the rest of the week after all. instead, we did 12 one day and 2-10's, leaving us with a one day weekend (yay!).  the longer days are greening the area up fast. seems the trees were pretty bare, just last week.   today seems more like an autumn day...mostly cloudy and down right cold.  freeze warnings are out for tonight (I guess so peeps can cover there outdoor plants?  otherwise, it sounds a bit silly to have such "warnings" after 5 good months of blustery winter).

speakin' of work, we had a new employee on the line next to us.  a young little cutey, that one day I was wondering how much cuter she could be had she not had those squared off bangs (ala that chick from 'Pulp Fiction), only to find out the next day she had been killed in a car wreck.  Mark says if only she had shown up for work that day, instead of taking the day off (she and a friend were on their way to Chicago veering across the median to avoid a road gator only to smack into an oncoming semi.  neither one survived).  my response to Mark was "or, she could have remained here at work only to have the roof cave in...who knows when and where it'll happen? "  here today, gone tomorrow.    I had a single mom friend (where I used to work) who always needed reassuring that things will be alright (being that she was a bit agoraphobic most times).  I'd give her hugs and let her hear what she wanted to hear.  it was a very huggy, yet platonic relationship.  next thing ya know.  same damn thing.  she's involved in a wreck.  died, leaving 3 young children behind.  I felt like I let her down.  fate is a fickle bitch and destiny is a whore [don't know where this quote came from, but it's fitting].

anyway, on a lighter note. tonight's brewage is a sixer of Bell's PORTER (Bell's brewing company. Comstock, MI) unt (if I don't pass out after that), a sixer of 1554 (New Belgium Brewin co) to relax away my one day weekend...

Mark (work bud) and I hit IHOP this morning after work, then head to his place to hang Fatheads (those vinyl posters of sport figures...you've seen the ad), then a good pooperdag walk, shower, nap to start my one day weekend.  BEER ME!

my 'to-do list' includes getting a new spigot to attach the garden hose to.  seems this one may have bitten the dust this winter.  how can I warsh me dune buggy with a bad spigot?

good gawd!  it's Thursday, and we got 36 hours to go to complete this week

...did I mention I don't want to die in this place?  whatever. gotta get ready for the stalag.

alright, I talked to my boss yesterday, and he says the day shift supervisor wants us to begin 3-8 hour shifts maybe starting next week (shweet!).  meanwhile, we get word, at literally the last minute before punching out this morning, that we're working 12's for the rest of the week (including Friday and Saturday).  good gawd!  just the prospect alone gets me all edgy...are these 12'ers going to carry over into next week too, or are they really going to make that 8 hour shift change *this is me, once again, not holding my breath*

just got done with a quick pooperdog walk, fed the critters, now I best hit the hay being I gotta be back to work in about 10 hours...

last week ended in 10's with an 8 hour Friday, and a day off on Saturday (...awesome!). 

[...]

rarely does Rosie bark, but every now and then she'll give me a whine, prompting me to pat her belly so she can burp.  she inhales that moist food, so I gotta burp the baby.   a good *BELCH!* ensues...

yesterday, the Kid gives me a call.  I haven't talked to him in ages, although, I have been snooping about on his facebook page, to make sure he's still alive (as he prob'ly does here, for the same reason...Hi Kid!).  seems he's got a job as a Ford wheeler dealer (ummm...car salesman.  awesome!), and as I'm chattin' widdum, I walk around the wood-panel submarine to see where the dog might be hiding (me, just coming back from getting my hair-cut, and grabbin' some lunch at Steak 'n' shake).  she was nowhere to be seen.   as the Kid and I are almost finished with our conversation, the silly dog wanders from behind a trailer (about 3 east of mine) covered in algae, mud and soaking wet.  she obviously went for a swim in the pond on the corner lot.  I throw swamp dog in the tub and shampoo the muck away).  I also have that day off, so a good couple of sixers of craft brew and a movie or two on Netflix gets me through the night.  it was a good one day week-end.

Brian, meanwhile, grills a couple packages of brats (mit some mixed veggies and corn), while I slept on Sunday, for me to snarf for breakfast before work as well as take some for lunch.  he also cuts the lawn for the first time this year, and fertilizes it with some weed and feed I bought a week or two back.  he digs doin' yard work, so why not?

I do me some online banking, where, once again, I feel like I've accomplished throwing a good chunk of money toward debt (some $274 toward the Kid loan), but after doing so, I realize that I hadn't paid the rent (DOH!).  creative financing finds extra money to cover most of my mistake.  the rest will have to be taken from my overdraft protection (unless the park doesn't cash my check for another week plus...sometimes she waits 3 weeks into the month before cashing 'em).  either way, I'm covered.  I haven't had to rely on my overdraft protection for eons.  I'm sure the OD fees are through the roof by now?  we'll see...

my Index finger still bothers me from time to time.  I get a letter from the underwriters insurance claiming it won't be covered due to it didn't happen at work (??).  I explained to 3 different peeps at work about how I injured it at work, just to have this letter claim that I didn't injure it at work?  who let 'em know otherwise?  the med center?  our HR?  anyway, I'll bring the letter to HR and get it taken care of.  I'm not paying for x-rays for a finger I clearly hurt at work...[news at 11]

ok, 8 hours work on Monday, the rest (so far); 10's,  with the rumor that we may actually get a 1 day weekend (this is me, not holding my breath).  surprisingly, the difference between 12 hour days and 10's is gigantic! those extra 2 hours of zombification are wicked bad! I get asked, once again, if I'm interested in working 2th shift?  yep! (I'll do any shift, as long as it's 8's).  I thought the project was scrapped, being they (1) didn't get that last volunteer for line support, and they (2) just walked one of the volunteers out for sexually harassing one of the girls on our line.  we did get a replacement temp, so I guess they're still looking at 2rd shift as a go [news at 11]

the weather is PERFECT!  sunny and warm (...finally!). I catch a half an hour here and there, mit beer in hand, on the lawn chair, trying desperately to lose this ghostly 3nd shift winter paleness.  with the long hours, I find a single beer after work, and one mid-day satisfies my crispy liver (while zero beers are the norm for 12 hour days).

Rosie's still kickin'.  we just shared a turkey bacon ranch wrap left over from yesterdays lunch (not eaten, due to Mark bringing in some tacos for me. mmmms!) and a 'milk stout Nitro' (left hand brewing co.) whilst on der porch.  I got another minute, maybe some more sun will do...