so, there's been a couple times (did i mention this already?) where the pooperdog has a small whine of complaint.  I'll cradle her head in my arms and gently pat her tummy thinking "this is it!  her last breath is near...", just to have her let out a good belch, then get up and act herself again.  I didn't know dogs could burp?!  it's funny how, like a light switch, she goes from tired, old and wobbly to spring chicken "wanna go for a walk" mode, and back.  she's a survivor!  hang in there ol' girl...

the Kid texts me saying he safely made it to the apartment in SC (huge relief!  here he's driving a new used car in which he wasn't sure would even handle a long trek).  take your time Kid. settle in.  get acquainted with the town. enjoy the weather. you're a free man...rock on!!

my quick online banking, the other day, has me overlook an $81 consumers power bill that was due the next day, so instead of $150 for gas, food and beer, for the week; now I'm down to $69 (00ps! I gots to be more careful about not overlooking such things...oh well.  that's still enough...).  rent will be pulled from this coming Friday's check, then the following week will be for bills, freeing up the weeks after, for piling more toward paying down the Kid account, and my MC (short and sweet).

damn,  new rule at the stalag.  starting today we had to rotate work stations at every break, instead of every hour.  meaning you had to stay in one spot for 3 hour blocks.  this is a lot more taxing! I'm sure I'll feel new muscle pains tomorrow.  in spite of much protest from all of us, I tend to look at it like we only have about a month of it before everyone get's a new shift, a new supervisor, a new everything (January 2th, being when we change over to 8 hour days).  break room talk generally aims toward the whole concept of 5-8's and weekends off as a pipe dream. "just you wait, we'll prob'ly work for a good 3-6 months, everyday for 8 hours until they figure out a 5 day schedule" (or variations of said sentence).  I hope not.  dammit!  we'll see in a month.   good god, going from a 4 day/48 hour week to a 7 day 56 hour work week would not be good!  oh well.  the plant manager reassured us plenty of times that we'd have weekends off...let's see what happens.  I'll be shocked [in a good way] if they actually pull it off...[news at 11].   actually, I'm writing all this down, as if it matters.  the looming second great depression will bring the wheels of industry to a screeching halt anyway, right? 

the mid-week weekend is here!  the good news is I get paid an extra 10 hours for both Thursday (Thanksgiving), and Friday.  plus, since we have to work Friday (which is a scheduled paid day off), we get time and a half, so next weeks check will be ginormous! 

anyway.  I'm gonna continue power-nappin'.  I just got up to let the dog outside, and thought I'd write down some shite...

later: I hit the store and buy some grubbage, then hit Taco Bell for an XXL grilled burrito combo (mmmmmmmms!).  while at the store, I buy me a turkey baster.  why not, right?  it's almost Thanksgiving, yet it's not to be used (in this case) to make a turkey.  I used it to drain out that molasses thick power steering stop leak from the power steering pump, and pour in the normal stuff (much thinner in viscosity), so as the engine doesn't have to crank that much harder when the thermometer drops below zero...anyway, I buy me a 12'er of Miller High Life, and am about to find me another Kung-fu movie (via Netflix).  ready, GO!

did I mention, it's good to have my shrimpy truck back?!  I've had a love/hate thing with it over the past few years.  as soon as it had shown signs of being an old wreck (not to mention throwing it into the ditch), I'd wanna unload it.  when the power steering leaked and the rain would sop the carpet, I wanted to give the damn thing away.  as soon as these things were fixed, I'd be In "love" with it once again.  this latest hiccup (cooked battery), was something minor, and driving the neighbors junker, in the meantime, was making me want it back even more.  the old bomb needs an oil change soon.  maybe I'll do that on Tuesday (before the mercury drops too low to wanna crawl underneath).  it's a good ol' Ranger.  here's hopin' it can get me thru this winter...then I can find something to replace it that's made within the 21st century (I like tellin' peeps, when they ask what year it is, that it was made in the last millennium.  they can guess from there).

I do some quick online banking, dumping $230 into my MC (to cover this battery replacement incident), and another $80 (from checking to savings), leaving me with $150 (within checking) for food, beer, and gas for the week. ROCKET!!

the dog is practically on my lap pleading me to go for a walk....ok, ok...here we go, silly poodle head

3 work days out of the 4 done and gone.  Saturday night, I had me some brew and watched a couple kung-fu movies...that didn't have kung-fu in them at all (what?!).  a Jackie Chan movie called "the Shinjuku incident" was about illegal Chinese immigrants who formed a gang against the Yakuza, and won!  it was a good movie!!  then I watch a Donnie Yen movie where he plays kind of a dickweed.  normally, he's that level headed, moral, and upstanding guy that kicks every bad guys ass.  this is the first time I seen him play a role as somewhat of a low class bum chain smoker going thru a divorce (the title eludes me).  neither featured any martial arts, but both were rather good flicks...

the Kid calls me as I'm on the way home, from the stalag, Friday night. I fumble around in my lunchbox, in the dark,  as I'm driving, pull the phone out, I can't see who it is (not wearing my glasses at the time), but answer it anyway.  I get dead air.  once home, I get a call from Brian (neighbor/almost room mate), so I assumed it was him making the first call.  the next day, I look at my "missed calls" and notice it wasn't Brian at all, it was the Kid.  he's on his way to South Carolina that day, and I started to worry that he may have had car troubles (or some such problems) when he called.   it was way too early in the morning to call him back, so I texted him.  with no response to that, I called him at lunch time.  he says he must have "pocket dialed" me, and that everything was ok.  he was in Chicago for some sort of convention (cool!).  then Saturday, I get a text saying that he's lodging in Lexington KY (about half the way to his destination...cool part 2!).  these little updates are a good reassurance that things are going well.  I'll relax a bit more when he makes it all the way down...

I best get some sleep...4:30 pm rolls around far too quickly!

'DURALAST', MY ASS!!  here I thought I had a fried alternator, or a bad solenoid.  it was the battery itself that took a dump!  it's brand new...well, I bought it this summer, but I was kind of expecting it to last more than 4 months.  duraLAST in performance and endurance...gold top series garbage.  and here, I thought I did my research online?  I've had batteries last forever.  what a crappy deal!  the mechanic says "these Duralasts have been having a lot of problems...".  great, I picked a real winner.  oh well.  he threw in an AC delco, and said diagnostics showed everything else was tip top.  the tab came to $200 (including towing, which my insurance will reimburse).  all and all, I should just be glad it's nothing major afterall, find the receipt for the "old" new battery and bring it back to Autozone for a refund.  I give the mechanic my MC numbers over the phone (while on break at the stalag).  he rings it up, locks the keys inside the truck (I'll bring my spare key), leaves a copy of the bill on the seat, and calls it a day.  I can grab the neighbor maybe Sunday, and pick it up.  it'll be good to have my shrimpy truck back.

k,  sleeeep.  4:30am rolls around far too quickly...

so, as I'm eyeballin' my wood-panel submarine's eaves trough,  I forget that my glasses are perched atop my head, so naturally when I looked up, the glasses fell off behind me, landing on the cement driveway, creating a large chip in the reading glasses part of the bifocal (nice!).   sat on more than once, smashed under the hood of my truck,  now chipped.  it's a good thing I know how to take care of my specs

wow!  up real late, last night, watching yet another subtitled Japanese mystery/thriller movie, then slept in late today (got up around noon).  I had another icky claustrophobic type dream, of walking thru confusing school halls, carrying a bunch of books and papers, getting exhausted trying to find the exit.  dammit! I don't dig those dreams at all!  oh well, it's been awhile since I've had one, I guess I was due...

anyway, up at noon, burn some leftover coffee, pooperdog walk (currently 33F and lightly snowing).  not a lot on the agenda today, other than make some hambooger helper (to be divided into 4 lunches for the stalag).  I should also go to the store and pick up a couple items (milk, bread, etc.).  I've gone just about a solid week without milk. every time I'd stop for beer (or other items), I'd have a brain fart and forget to grab milk.  how am I supposed to snarf my honey bunches o' sand burrs without milk?!

last night's supper consisted of hot Italian brats,  steamed cauliflower (ok, boiled...I should pick me up a steamer for veggie sake), and a couple beers.  I guess I'm writing about food, 'cause I'm hungry now....I think I got some hotdogs left, maybe I'll do me some mac and cheese mit hotdogs *plan*

*stomach growls as I hit "save entry"*

later: oh, this ain't good!  I jump in my shrimpy hoopty, to make a run to the store, and get clicking sounds.  It's got a brand new battery, and starter in it!!  I hook up the trickle charger just in case it's the battery.  what I think it may be, is that stop leak power steering fluid turns molasses thick when it gets cold outside.  I remember a few below zero days last year when the thing turned over real slow, but, like I mentioned, brand new battery/starter, and it's only 32 degrees out (WTF?!).  I quickly call my mechanic, but just get an answer machine, then I'm thinkin' how do I get to work this weekend?! hey!  Brian's (neighbor/almost room mate) borrowed my truck many times in the past, maybe I'll give him a call and borrow his mom's car since she's in California for a couple weeks (yep, she's the one I drove to the airport yesterday. destination California).  after calling, he's cool with it!  excellent! that'll save me a thousand dollars in taxi fees.  I'll make sure and fill the tank for her troubles...meanwhile, I got a dead truck to deal with (shite!@...I love wintertime)

even later:  more good news (about the bad news about the truck).  I was able to get a hold of my mechanic, he does indeed have a tow truck, and is on his way here now.  then he said he's not very busy, so he'll prob'ly be able to work on it tomorrow (shweet!!). I can relax a bit now.  here's hopin' it's nothin' too major [news at 11]...

even the mild hangover has a refreshing feel...what? do they put opium in these micro-brews? here's what else I had to drink (while catching up on a weeks worth of "the daily show with Jon Stewart via hulu.com): Stranger American pale ale (Left Hand brewing Co.), Hop Rod Rye specialty ale (Bear Republic, Headsburg Coverdale, Ca), Darkangel Cherry Porter (North Peak Brewing Co., Traverse City MI), Hofbrau original (Staataliches Hofbrauhaus, Germany), Erdinger Hefe Weizen (Erdinger Weisbrau, Germany), Milk Stout (Left Hand brewing co. Longmont, Colorodo. favorite, so far, out of these listed!), Moose drool Brown Ale (Big Sky brewing Co.), Big Sky IPA (Big Sky brewing Co. Missoula, Montana), Raging Bitch Belgian style IPA (Flying Dog brewing co., Frederick, MD).  there's two left in the fridge: Trout Slayer wheat ale, and Goose Island honkers ale.  those will be taste tested later today...I got a bit tanked.  it's a bunch better buzz than that box o' Schlitz provides (with about double the price tag), and, like I mentioned before, even the hangover feels pleasant.  weird, right? I'll be exploring some more fun imports/micro beers within the winter months ahead.

set my alarm clock for 9:11 this morning (set it while heavily microbrew sedated...no idea why I picked 911? 'cause I'm retarded, I guess.  I didn't have to be up 'til 10).  burn some coffee, do the pooperdog walk, drink said burnt coffee, take a shower, and type more nothings into my wood-panel submariner journal *belch!*

note: scroll to the bottom of this webpage, and click on "importsixer" under the 'top tags' category, for more (not so exciting) entries on Import/microbrews that I had past taste tested...

later:  I drop the cool hippy neighbor lady off at the airport, then swing over to Standale to meet the Kid at Applebee's (yummy food!!).  we yack for a spell.  seems he got a bigger check from the insurance company than what he actually paid for the car (his old car got whapped at a red light).  he, then, finds another car (via Craig's list) for about the same price that he paid for his other car, leaving him extra cash (good thinkin'!).  it's a nice car!  a Chrysler Sebring. anyway, he plans on saying his goodbye's to friends before splitting southward (Souf Carl'ina) to meet up with friends down there, and share an apartment, find a job, "reboot", is the word, I think he used?  it'll be a good experience for him, I'm sure.  it's always a good thing gettin' out on your own...good luck, Kid!.  here's hopin' you don't miss the snow too much

a couple beers, a subtitled Japanese movie, and a couple pooperdog walks shore up the rest of the night. 

rumors at the stalag say we may have a week (err...weekend) off for Thanksgiving!! that'd make for a long 10 days off (counting the 1 workless work weekend, and the 2 "mid-week weekends"...confusing, right?) !  I could dig that!  I'm not sure how it's possible, since we've been bustin' 12's, and expediting parts left and right, but, for now, I'll cross my fingers. 

I'm supposed to bring the cool hippy neighbor lady to Grand Rabbits airport tomorrow.  whilst there, I'll see about calling the Kid.  maybe he'll wanna do lunch *plan*

after last night's stalag stint, the pooperdog and I go for a walk in the fog, then I take a nap for a good 5 hours, followed by laundry, cleaning the kitchen, doing some dishes, (and other catch-up type things).  it's nice outside.  zero wind, 57F.  maybe I'll bust out the rake for that last time.  I need to pick me up a sixer of Centennial IPA first to get motivated.  *ready, GO!*

later:  as I'm ready to bust out the rake, the wind picks up, so I grab the claw rake instead and fill the holes in the yard that the silly dusty poodle headed pooperdog had dug.  I'd hate to twist an ankle in one while walking thru the snow, so I filled 'em up and leveled the ground (she'll prob'ly dig 'em back up again before the ground freezes, but that's ok.  it's our little game.  I let her win...she's gettin' old)

I quick stop off to my favorite beer store.  they have a wall of import/microbrews that one can pick and choose, filling an empty six pack carrier (provided).  I fill two sixers with many different style and brand beers.  I used to do this a lot.  it's a bit more expensive, but it gives me the chance to try beerses that you usually don't see at the store.  the first beer I randomly grab from the fridge is called: 'red seal ale'. brewed in Fort Bragg, CA. the little side note says "water, malted barley, hops, yeast, and that's all".  it's delicious!  anyway, Pandora radio on 'Laika and the Cosmonauts' , taste testing beers on the porch with an old dog....and life is good!

the big soap opera of the week, at the stalag, is Ross and Jess (two co-workers on our line) break up just after she announces she's pregnant (oh crap! no wonder Ross has been walking around in a fog lately). she airs the whole dirty laundry thing to anyone who wants to listen (I was an involuntary listener, since she decided to yack with the guy across the assembly line, while sitting next to me).  I don't wanna get my nose into it, but I sure feel bad for Ross. she's kinda controlling, uppity, a pushy to him (always), he's the most down to Earth (yet young and naive) guy around. it's sad.  

a couple days ago, while online banking, I wanted to make sure "the Kid account" payment went thru...it showed up as if it went out of my primary bank, but hasn't shown up (4 days later) in the secondary bank (where I got the loan).  I call that bank (the loan payment now being 1 day late) and explain the troubles I've been having with my primary bank's bill pay page.  the lady gave me some comfort by saying they have a 10 day grace period (phew!), so if the payment doesn't show up by tomorrow, I'm gonna send them a check via snail mail and make it right, then call my primary bank and figure out what happened?  damn their new online billpay!!!

I yack with the 'Squatch via facebook,  seems he's come down with type 2 diabetes (damn!).  he says he (and his wife) are working on losing a good amount of weight to try and get healthy again.

anyway...gotta shower, then head to the stalag

[minutes later] I check my secondary banks account (again) for a quick second before hitting the shower and finally see the payment has cleared (phew!).  I hate having open ended problems like this, but this one is now resolved. I can relax a bit now.  I guess if it takes 4 days to process these transactions, I'll have to send them a week in advance *plan*

now, off to that shower...

whilst doing some online banking, I'm surprised that this weeks paycheck is already deposited(!!). what, we got some kinda holiday goin' on tomorrow?  oh yeah, it's my sister's birthday! happy 24th sis! .  anyway, I wanted to check and make sure my "Kid account" payment (of $135) went thru. it did.  good!

[...]

dude,  SLEET!  shweet! it's comin' down pretty hard!  we got our pooperdog walk out of the way, just in time.  I don't mind being caught in the rain, or snow, but this looks like it would have hurt to walk in.

anyway, back to online banking (yawn).  I plow $185 from my paycheck into savings and make an extra payment toward my MC (also of $185), making sure there's enough money for the week for gas unt food (which I'm doin' good, so far, being I went shopping and filled the tank yesterday).

DUDE (part two)...MONSTER SLEET!

so, whilst perusing facebook, I visit the Kid's page.  seems he got hisself into a car wreck!  someone clowned him like Krusty thru a red light.  now, he's fine, but his wheels got tweaked enough where they rendered it "totaled" (damn the luck!).  here he just got the thing paid for!  he has full coverage, so the state farmers should cut him a check for a new used jalopy...

MORE COFFEE!  ...oh damn, that's what I forgot to throw onto my grocery list.  I best pick me up a bucket o' beans today (if the roads aren't too sleety)

**haha.  "sleety" shows up as a real word.  I thought sure it'd underline it, with that red squiggly line, showing me otherwise...nope

first off, I'd like to apologize (once again) to the Kid.  while he's out acting a role in a play (Paragon Springs), I'm stuck in my role as a self-made prisoner in a wood-panel submarine (at least the dog and cat made it to MY play).  I had the chance to wing out on Wednesday, but when the time came, I changed plans to Saturday, thinking, like the past two Saturday's, it would be a short work day...WRONG!  we pulled a twelver for all four days. getting out at 7pm, showering and heading for Grand Rabbits after a 12 hour shift, and making it out there on time (...you get the idea). I can make up all kinds of excuses (like the lame one I just wrote), but instead, I'll say sorry (x 100).  I'm a bad dad. here's hopin' someone filmed it and will stick it on youtube.  the Kid will be on his way to South Carolina soon (if plans are still the same as when I talked with him 3 weeks ago?). Bon Voyage, dude! I'll try and facebook ya every now and then to see how yer doin'

secondly, Holy shite!  it's been about a week since I wrote any nothings in my xanga thinger! not a lot has happened (as per normal).  Squabber is currently enjoying this windy day, watching the leaves fly off the trees at an angle in front of the bay window.  it's like he's on some strong coffee jerking his head in the direction of each leaf that shoots past.  he must think they're birds.  I just got back from the hardware store (by way of my favorite beer store) to pick up some silicone spray (to be used on the chute of the snow blower, so snow doesn't clog it), some nums (treats) for pooperdog, and a sixer of 'Centennial IPA' (Founder's brew).  items that I forgot to buy yesterday when I was grocery shopping...and while trying to start my shrimpy truck for the drive home, the damn thing wouldn't start!  it'd turn over, being it has a new battery and a new starter, but the engine didn't seem to wanna catch (for lack of a better word).  I sat for a while, listening to NPR news, wondering what I'd do if I couldn't get it to go, being I left my phone (which is prob'ly dead somewhere under the couch) at home.  then I try the old fashion, pump the gas while turning the key (which used to be routine 30 years ago).  by the time I'm thinking that I'm adding to the problem, she fires up!  shweet!  it's been a pretty reliable old bomb.  here's hopin' it won't pull that garbage on a regular basis...maybe it just needs a new fuel filter?  if it happens again, I'll give my mechanic a call.  it's overdue for a tune-up anyway.

man, I can't wait for that 8 hour shift!!  we got about 24 working 12 hour days left, then solid 8's with no weekends beginning the first of the year.  currently, the work days drag on seemingly forever. Chad (a coworker) makes a comment, as we're talking about our grueling schedule, that he had once worked at a place that had an 8 hour shift, and volunteered to do a shift and a half (12 hours).  he remembers that he'll never do that again, due to it being beyond exhausting, then follows that with "...and here we are stuck on 12's" [laughter].  not for long.  I'm ready for it!  sure we work an extra day, but have weekends off, more time to rest between work days, and no more day shift/night shift flip-flop crap. it'll be excellent! I'll be losing 8 hours of overtime each week, but already figured out my new budget based on that, and will still make more than enough.  there are a lot of scared peeps, wondering what they'll do without that overtime, which prompted me to write that whole novelette about finances (which I've since placed in "private" because it sounded a bit pretentious). anyway...

wow!  that wind is whoopin'! it rattles the metal roof of the wood-panel submarine (which used to rattle a bunch more before I roof coated it).

in general (trying to update what I've done this past week), besides workin' like a fool, I've basically cleaned the shack, watched some more episodes of 'Nikita', and drank some coldeys (not so much out on the porch anymore, due to it being colder and windier out.  you know, that whole autumn thing).  alright, I'm thinkin' (after boring myself to tears, writing) that a good powernap is in order *plan*

while grocery shopping the other day, I see chicken kiev is on sale ($5 for a bag of 5). I've had chicken cordon bleu, but never kiev, so I thought I'd give it a try.  it's beyond delicious!! it's sort of breaded chicken with a garlic butter filling (Mmmmmmmms!).  I cooked all five, thinking I could just nuke the leftovers whenever I needed...it was so delicious (with a side of cottage cheese), that I ate another, then another one.  I pigged out on 3 chicken kiev servings.  alright, well, Pooperdog helped me eat the last one.  she likes it too.  I buy a sixer of 'Centennial ale' (Founders brew), and after about 3, I'm already gettin' drunk.  I search the label for the alcohol content, and find out it's like 6 point something percent. good eats, good brew, and life is good!

anyway, I mowed the lawn.  I don't have a leaf bagger attachment, it was just kind of fun mulching it all up and throwing it into the wind (being too windy to rake).  I bought me a lock and hasp for the shed, but it turns out that I don't need either one.  Brian (neighbor/almost room mate) throws me one of his locks and the door catch already on the shed has a locking provision on it.  oh well. I'll hang onto the new lock and hasp for future purpose (I throw it in a "junk" drawer in the kitchen).

front porch sittin' watching even more 'Nikita' episodes.  remember how I said the plot was rife with holes?  as you get further into the series, things get explained rather well.  it's a well thought out show.  it still is a little 'over the top' at times, but it's a good action hot chick spy soap opera (if ya will).  I'm at the end of season 1 (it looks like it only goes for 2 seasons).  it's a pretty good show!

why am I awake so early on my day off (you might ask)?  I was lying awake anyway, when I heard the cat's familiar hair ball erpping sound.  I jump out of bed, grab the cat (now doing another round of erpping over the carpet) and toss him onto the linoleum (about a foot away from where he was).  why do little mammals like to lose there lunch everywhere but where it's easy to clean.  anyway, I get the cleaner and toweling and clean the couch first, then the linoleum...silly mammals. 

coffee...I NEED COFFEE!!

i let pooperdog out to do her thang, while sitting on the van chair (2 dodge caravan back seats, given to me by the 'Squatch, are used as trailer trash wood-panel submariner patio furniture), I'm listening to someone using the rifle range next door.  it reminds me of a story Jay had told me earlier.  he said he was at a friends house (a trailer a couple streets south, by the pond) when one of them says; "that shooting sounds a lot closer than the rifle range!"...upon closer inspection, they see an old man shooting a shotgun into the air by the ponds edge.  they call 911.  the  man is hand cuffed and arrested.  turns out, it's the owner of the park.  he was trying to scare off the geese that occupy the pond and the land surrounding it. it's a great story!  whether it's true or not...who knows?

and just as I expected, it was indeed 'across the way Jay' who threw the beer cans in my yard.  he was laughing, saying he and his girlfriend were gonna string 'em together and hang 'em like porch lights, but couldn't find any twine.  the yard flotsam was fun enough.  I slept like a rock 'til about 3pm, then got me a box of Schlitz, so that the ol' dog could do some front porch sittin', watch some episodes of 'Nikita' (which, btw, is getting better, as the series goes on), then fall asleep to a movie about North Korea (it was a good movie, but them beerses was makin' me sleepy like...it happens). 

I gotta do a bit of grocery shopping. the last time I just wanted to pick up a few items, I spent about $70...let's not go crazy this time (self talk).

later:  $47 in groceries (that's better!).  being that I'm 2 days away from payday, with enough groceries and gas, and still have $135 left in checking, I throw $100 of that toward my MC (getting ever so close to zeroing it out! once this is gone, attack the "Kid loan". 'nuff sed).  once home from shopping, I do the dishes, do a load of laundry, clean the kitchen floor, vacuum, sweep the porch of leaves, etc..  I may bust out the lawn mower for the last time. it's a nice day out!  I should prob'ly put a lock latch on my shed door too.  I haven't had anyone steal anything from it over the 5 (+/-) years that i've lived here, but it does have Brian's (neighbor/almost room mate) stuff in it....maybe I'll make a quick run to my favorite hardware store and pick one up, along with a good lock *plan*

the Kid has his dress rehearsal tonight for a play called 'Paragon Springs'.  it'll be playing for the next 4 days.  I gotta pick one, and go.

[...]

whoa! Jay scares the shite out of me by knockin' on the door....

"come on in, dude!"

hurray! the mid-week "weekend" is here! ...and, I found my bifocals (they were under the arm rest in my truck).  so, this morning, as I pull into my driveway, I notice about 30 Busch Beer cans in my yard.  who's been partying without me dammit! .  I then check one of the cans.  maybe there full?  nope. I don't see any other damage.  this is the type of beer 'across the way, Jay' drinks, but as I'm letting the dog out to do her thing, I see Jay pull out of his driveway. I throw a can in his direction, but he didn't stop, smile, wave...nothin'.  k, maybe they're not Jay's empties.  then who?  did someone use my porch?  each can looks about throwing distance from the bench seats.  oh well. I'm sure the guilty party will show their faces soon enough.  if not, that's fine too.  thanks for the $3 in deposits, whoever you are.

a smallish pooperdog walk ensues, i burn some coffee, then clean a pee spot off from the linoleum in front of the fridge (where the dog piddled...I don't expect her to be pee free for 13 hours straight.  she's a good dog!).  I'm contemplating bacon unt eggs mit...oh dammit! I just realized that I used the last of the eggs during that last batch of franch toost.  oh well.  I gots me some honey bunches of pine cones

p.s.  after my long winded rant about attacking debt like a great white, I read my sis's email about my dad blathering on about debt.  was I channeling the dude, or what?  after rereading mine, I thought it sounded rather pompous, so I just stuck it in a private folder, to eventually turn to rust...

alright, it's been about a good week since I lost my glasses (where the hell are they?! maybe behind the couch...I'm sure I'll find them when I'm looking for some other random lost item).  not a biggey (yet) because I have dollar store readers lying around the house.  my eyes are gettin' worse (as far as reading goes, everything else seems fine.  what do they call that? farsighted? yep).

while wondering what to watch last night [at 3:30am], I run across a Michael Moore film that I've never seen called 'the BIG one', about the downsizing of corporate America in the midst of these company's making record profits, to either go to Mexico or simply shut down leaving hundreds unemployed (yah know, typical Mike Moore shtick). it's a good movie!  one of the companies he happens to lambaste is the one I currently work for.  yep, the stalag (well, Milwaukee's plant) gets a 'downsizer of the year' certificate and a large cardboard check for $.60 (toward the first hour's payment of one of the Mexican workers that will now be working for them, after it all relocates to Mexico).  he lists off a good amount pretty big name companies too, that use prison labor instead of real hourly employees (amazing!).  the movie was created in '98, but is still relevant (if not more) today.  anyway, I watch a couple more 'Nikita' episodes, then crash back out 'round 8am, so I'll be rested up for tonight's stint.  pooperdog wakes me up 'round 3 this afternoon, for a walk (that's enough sleep...maybe I'll do the dishes and find something to eat before I split).

coldish (50 degrees), gray, windy. yer typical autumn day.

some quick online banking (before work) shows that I have a good $70 extra in checking (after making sure my work check was deposited and deducting this months bills), so I throw it toward my MC, bringing it ever closer to that zero point

no. 6 with a black coffee (McDonald's) for breakfast, leftover lasagna, some raw broccoli, and the last piece of pecan pie for lunch, followed by some free leftover pepperoni pizza that a work friend was gonna throw out (more than 1/2 of a 12 inch pizza was bound for the trash...I told him that I'd kick his ass if he threw it out, so he gave it to me.  it helps to be that threatening dutch guy now and again).

let's see...beer drinkin'/porch sittin', laundry and dishes get done with still tons of daylight left (I'm not used to this 1/2 day off thang). it's a bit too windy to do any raking, so  I watch me a couple of episodes of 'Nikita' (via netflix), being that cool spy/counter spy type action show with a hot chick (ok, it's got it's plot holes bigger than Oceanus Procellarum, but who cares? did I mention hot spy chick?), then completely crash out by 7:30pm.  I awaken 'round 2:30am (Sunday morning) feeling like I skipped an entire day of work.   weird.  I guess now, I'll stay awake 'til 'round 8am, then crash for another good 8 hours before tomorrow night's stint.  we work Halloween night, and I'm a bit concerned that the pooperdog will be freaked out by peeps bangin' on the door, and screamin' for candy while I'm gone.  maybe I'll put my bedroom fan in the kitchen with her.  maybe that'll help overshadow some of the racket with white noise.  she likes to crash next to that most nights anyway...

ok, now, what to do 'til 8am?  maybe something to eat. I kinda got the munchies, after all.  then, maybe another episode (or 2) of 'Breaking Bad' (via netflix) *plan*

it's bust-ass all day yesterday, putting in a solid 12, just to have today seem a bunch milder.  after lunch we run completely out of rails, so he started asking for volunteers to go home...I was the first out of the door (I figure yesterday's 12 plus today's 6 evens out to two 9 hour days, so I grabbed it before they changed their mind).  last night, our boss announced that this will be his last week (on our line) before working his old Honda weld line (yep, he was my boss there too).  here's hopin' his replacement isn't a complete squid (did I mention I've been thru a good 6-8 -maybe more- bosses within the year I've worked there? prob'ly).

otherwise, nothing new under the sun...oh, I did catch a couple good movies via netflix.  a UK documentary style mock nuclear war movie from the 50's (the title escapes me), and a movie called "Bryzinski" (sp?) about a doctor Stanislow Bryzinski who developed an effective alternative cure for cancer, and how the FDA and big money Pharmaceuticals harassed him to no end with lawsuit after lawsuit.  he never caved.  it's  a must see (if you're into absurd government antics).

rake some leaves, laundry, dishes, drink some beerses on the porch (today's to-do list).  let's see...let's start with the last one first

taco bell and a haircut starts off my Wednesday, then I walk to wally-mart (yeah, I don't care to shop there normally, but it's right next door to the hair chopper) and buy me a couple pairs of shoes.  it's been a couple 3 years since I've bought any shoes.  I expected to pay a good sixty dollars, but was hugely surprised at how amazingly low prices for shoes actually have become.  I could have walked out of there with 2 pair for a total of $24, but I spent $38 instead (still just over half of what I expected to pay!).  good gawd, has this recession got these Honduran sweat shops working overtime?  how can you even make a pair of shoes for under $20? a good pair of Starter tennis shoes for work, and a pair of brown swede 'Faded Glory' Hush puppy wannabe slip-ons will do the trick.  so, to break the tennis shoes in, I wear them on one our pooperdog walks, and I'll be damned if within the first 50 yards of our walk, I step in some dog poop (not even Rosie's, we always bag hers).  dammit@! oh well.  once home, I take them off and use some bleach cleaner on the bottoms, then slam 'em against the driveway.  good to go!

after a good power-nap, I drink the rest of my chocolate cake beer (java vanilla porter), and eat some leftover flaming pizza, all the while, riveted to the laptop, watching episode after episode of AMC's 'the Walking Dead' (via netflix...awesome!).  the Kid said it was a cool show, so I watched all six episodes.  I didn't get to sleep 'til around 2:30am.  I haven't staid glued to the "TV" for that long, ever since I cut the cable a year or two ago.

anyway. pooperdog walk, a good shower, unt maybe some franch toost mit bacon sounds like a good start to my "Sunday" 

grocery shopping adds up to about $65 (D'oh!).  I should have had two potpies before I shopped. no worries. it'll all get used.  once home, I skin and wash a bunch of carrots,  break up and wash a head of cauliflower (for work food), then drink a beer, that I buy a sixer of, called 'Atwater Block Breweries Vanilla Java Porter'...good gawd, it's quite sweet!  I like it, but can't have more than one without feeling as though I'm eating a whole chocolate cake. I bought another sixer of 'Cabin Fever' by New Holland Brewery.  I bust into that directly after the first vanilla java porter to bring me back to what real beer tastes like.  Rosie and I watch another couple episodes of 'Breaking Bad' out on the porch.   damn...that Tuco is a bad mofo! (episode 1, season 2).  before ya know it, I'm all crashed out on the couch, in a sitting position...waking up this morning 'round 4am to let the dog out.

so, I haven't written about my crazy neighbor Ron (aka Chas Manson) in awhile, because he's rarely outside grinding triangles in his car anymore (being he no longer has a car to grind triangles in...).  I bring him up now, because I see him  (every now and again) driving that blue caddy  (the same Cadillac that stops by every now and then, usually driven by an old woman).  it's like box car willy driving in a classy ride.  and now, I see an old Chevy truck parked in his driveway.  is this his next vehicle that he'll grind triangles in?  maybe...and speaking of crazy neighbors; I see Brian's (neighbor/almost room mate) Ford Exploder (explorer with a 'd') home a lot.  is he out of work again?  he changes jobs like he changes cars.  nothing seems to be constant in this mans life, other than his gym membership.   he's a spastic muscle head.  also, I see a vehicle in 'across the way Jay's' drive all too often.  don't he and his girlfriend both work 3rd shift?  did one of them lose their job?  maybe Jay went off the deep end again (he's had a rough year with that whole depression thang). anyway, enough with the neighbor watch.....

I make myself one of those 3/$8 store brand pizzas, to soak up that sixer of brewage. it's hugely bland, remembering back to the last one I made, so this time I add Alpino brand spicy pizza topping (supper hot!!) and some Sriracha hot chili sauce to spice things up.  dude!  I about cried while eating it.  it's the spiciest hot pizza I done ever had.

of course, the last work day has us working the full 12 hours (which always feels like 29). I got about 36 hours in this past week.  that check will prob'ly reflect what a real 40 hour week check looks like (minus the shift premium, assuming I get on first shift). big bowl of honey bunches of sand burrs, smallish pooperdog walk, do the dishes and a load of laundry, then sleep for a good 6 1/2 hours.  wake up to a gray and rainy day.  I gotta bust out the vacuum and do some cat hair removal from the furniture, after I heat me up a couple potpies.

online banking includes throwing another $225 (from savings) toward my MC account. as I mentioned before, I gotta zero this suckah out before the beginning of next year (before the 9.9% kicks in).  realizing this at the beginning of this month, I've only used it one time for groceries (-$64), and pitchforked about $511 towards it, making the 'zero by 2012' easily doable...and once this "loan" is gone, that pitchfork will work overtime cleanin' out the next poopy horse stall of a loan.  k, let's keep that boring financial rant to a minimum (...once again, I'm just trying to stay financially vigilant).

gotta do a bit of shopping today (I ran out of milk, vegetable oil, and a couple other small items).  I'd like to get my hair cut as well, other than that, I have no other "missions" for the mid-week "weekend", other than to maybe slack hard, drink a beer (or 6).  first, those potpies are sounding delicious, and a good shower is needed *ready, GO!*

the pooperdog wakes me up (again) an hour before the alarm is supposed to go off.  we get up and take our full mile walk (it's been awhile).  it's a beautiful day.  sunny, 60's.   once back home, I grill up some ground beef, and make me some tuna helper (with ground beef 'stead o' tuna) broccoli noodly stuff, so I can snarf some before work, and bring some to work for lunch (once again, saving the $5 I would have spent at McDonald's for being lazy).  we, again, get out early last night (5pm instead of 6:30).  here's hopin' tonight will be a shorty as well...

I gotta stir my noodly stuff, eat, then get ready for another exciting stint at the stalag (the mid-week "weekend" is almost here!)

wow!! nice day!  I wake up 'round 3:30 with pooperdog sneezing in my face (as she often does when she needs to go outside).  we take our smallish pooperdog walk, then I open the mail that I left on the counter from this mornings stop at the mail box.  seems it's "open enrollment" month once again. I'm told if I do nothing, I'll simply continue to get what I signed up for last year.  being that I got the best of everything (dental, vision, health, etc., costing me about $24/month), I'll continue with that.  I used to get the bare bones minimum when it came to insurance, but now (after 35 years of scraping by), I can afford the best-est.

I bust open a can of bean and ham soup, then empty the leftovers of chicken fried rice (using cut up polski Kielbasa instead) in with it, and throw a flame under it for "breakfast".  I gotta do more of this (instead of being lazy and getting McDonald's before work), so I, once again, can hammer that loan debt gone.  (yet another reminder to myself to stay vigilant about finances...if I relax about it, then it'll turn around and bite me in the ass).

gotta hit the shower, and get ready for the stalag (maybe we'll do another 8 hour day *crosses fingers*).   oh, and speakin' of the stalag, they handed out "preference sheets" yesterday (did I mention this? prob'ly). I fill mine out so my first choice is first shift, second choice; third shift, and third choice; second shift.  I don't have a lot of seniority, so I'll prob'ly get my second (or third) choice.  it doesn't matter which one honestly.  just having a steady 8 hour work schedule will be cool, with weekends off, and no day/night swing thing.  it'll be like a real job! I can't wait!  it sounds like we start in January...

I realize that my shrimpy truck's already gassed up, and I have food in the fridge (for the week), so I throw another $70 (online banking) toward paying down my MC (it's simply got to be paid down by the end of this year, so I can focus on hammering out monster payments toward the Kid's loan).  I'm hoping to cut the 3 year loan in about half (like I've done with past loans).  afterward, I can make a better decision on whether or not I should replace my old truck with an upgrade from maybe the 21'st century.

day 2 of our goofy swing shift, get's us out the door by 3pm (instead of 6:30), giving us a taste of that sweet 8 hour day we'll be moving to soon (we simply ran out of supplies today).  there's enough day left to rake the yard, then chill on the front porch with a sixer of Sundogs, a laptop playing 'ABC world news' (and the like) and a dusty old beagle on her doggy spring (which also works good in the fall) lead line.  as long as the sun was up, the day felt warm and relaxed, but come evening, I had to find me some sox and a sweatshirt.  I just crack open a fresh episode  of 'Breaking Bad' (via netflix), when the cool hippy lady neighbor (stumbling from 'across the way, Jay's' house) comes to visit.  she's pretty high!  I got some cool hippy stoner neighbors (don't tell the cops).  she tells me of her new job (awesome!) as a food caterer (of some sort).  after she splits, I bring my 'puter back in the house, and crash out 'round 1am.

we take our pooperdog walk about 6:30am today.  the stars are, once again, particularly brilliant (as you walk away from the phosphorus orange street lights).  I gotta learn some more constellations.  I mean Orion, and the big dipper are easy.  I'd like to know more. one day I'll take the time and google a web-page that'll help me learn...

I gotta work tonight at 6:30pm, so I really ought to find something to eat (honey bunches of picnic tables), then take me another nap, so as I'm not all tired during said shift *ready, GO!*

let see, where'd I leave off?  prob'ly Tuesday?  why don't I start with what's up right now, and work backwards.  I just cracked me a beer, and sat down with the laptop.  I click "new entry" on my xanga journal thingey, and try and remember past events...the pooperdog and I just get back from a pooperdog walk, after getting out of work a couple hours early.  I had the chance to leave 5 hours early but they only needed 4 to leave, and I was lowest in seniority out of the 5 that raised their hand when asked (damn the luck!).  oh well.   a couple 3 more hours of pay won't hurt.  it felt good enough getting out at 4:50pm (instead of 6:35).   work is supposed to cut our hours down to 10 hour days here soonly, we just got lucky, today, having a substitute boss, and all.  before all that, it was just another day at the stalag.  before leaving this morning for the stalag, I do some online banking and throw $90 toward my MC, and take next months rent out a week early (all my bills seem to happen within the first 18 days of every month, so to spread things out a bit, I'll do rent one week before it's due, leaving more money for those first 3 weeks (it's hard to explain, but looks good on paper, so I'll give it a shot). I also set up billpay to include $135/month going toward the money I threw the Kid's way (still well within my budget), that's due on the 13th (another reason to move rent back a week). 

[....] *sneeze-a-thon*

I was boring you to death, as I often do, with finances anyway.  it was a good time to break it up with sneezes (as a certain pooperdog growls at me). 

[....]

good gawd!  red watery eyes, snuffle-upagus head, unt about a good 20 sneezes.  what am I allergic too?!  (don't say beer or I'll cry).  anyway...continuing on, while skipping any more financial boredom, which I guess brings me to Thursday; it was rainy all weekend (midweek "weekend"), so I didn't do much of anything on this day.  a good power-nap, and maybe a couple episodes of star trek Voyager.  oh yeah, I broke out my bass and played along with Pandora playing 'Man, or Astroman?' radio. I finally get some grocery shopping done, and fill the shrimpy truck's gas tank ($3.35/gallon). Wednesday;  I was awoken by some knocks on my door (this must have been 'round 10:30am, after a good night of drinking beers Tuesday night, but now I'm skipping backwards).  it was the Kid!  I haven't seen him in a long spell.  we do lunch at my favorite Chinese buffet,  and catch up on what's happenin'. I write him a check for a cool half million (poor man's half million, that is) so he can start his life (sans his mom's iron grip) down souf (yep, South Carolina is his destination).  this ought to be enough to get him rollin' 'til he finds a job etc.  we then quick stop off at best buy (for no particular reason, it's just fun to see what's new in electronics) as well as an estate sale warehouse (again, just for fun).  let's see, we then watched an episode of 'weeds', an episode of 'star trek voyager', and the movie called "I love you Phillip Morris" (Excellent movie!). later on that day, we hit Dairy queen for some chicken strip meals and mini Blizzards (I didn't have a thing, as far as food goes, at the shack...). Tuesday night; I drunk me some beers (as I already mentioned), played a bit of my guitar, and watched a couple more episodes of  'Breaking Bad' via netflix. I don't even know what I wrote in my last entry, but this is prob'ly where I left off...we'll call it good, and sign off, so I can get cleaned up and hit the rack.  4:30am comes around far too quickly...

as I've mentioned before, that last 12 hour shift of the week seemingly stretches on for months.  I guess it's easier to watch the clock go backwards in anticipation of getting the hell out, and starting my mid-week "weekend".  on the way home, I slow down for a car with it's blinkers on heading the other way, then about 70 yards after, I see what looks like a good sized pile of guts, and a long trail of blood.  I was able to make out what looked like deer legs.   gross!  these country roads (south and east of town) are loaded with wildlife crossings. I've never hit a deer (knock wood), but I see 'em bounding thru the fields and across roads all the damn time.  especially this time of year, when they're in heat, and the hunters got 'em on the run.

back to the subject of work; we had our plant update that confirmed that an 8 hour day/5 days a week schedule will indeed be taking place in about a month (shiggity shweet!!).  they also informed us that our line won't be heading to Mexico in the near future, but instead they've invested millions to build another line to accommodate the over-burdened workload.  it sounds a bunch more promising than the tired rumors that have floated around.  more details to come, and a survey on the way to be handed to each employee as to their preference (1st and 2nd choice as to what shift they'd like), then seniority will dictate who goes where.  it'll prob'ly be a madhouse scenario transformation at first, but when it settles down, I'm thinkin' things are gonna start looking less like a stalag, and more like a caring company (we'll see).

now, onto another midweek "weekend".  I'll begin mine with a pooperdog walk (which we just got back from), a bowl of honey bunches of sand burrs, a shower, and a huge power-nap...ready, GO!!

alright, I can't repeat last years dumb-ass maneuver,  by forgetting to throw my 2-70 lb bags of sand in the back of the truck before the snow flies.  it may have been the one thing that saved me from throwin' the damn thing in the ditch...oh well. I'll grab 'em out of the shed and throw 'em in before hittin' the stalag tonight.  it prob'ly won't snow for a couple 3 more weeks (or more?), but best get'r done while I'm thinkin' about it.

tonight's meeting will let us know what our new work schedule looks like.  I hope it's good news.  8 hour days with weekends off would be ideal, but I better not hold my breath...I could have hung around after last nights shift (for A crews update), but was already burnt out from the 12'er we just worked.  wow, and again, I start an entry, while I should be getting ready for work...I guess I better jump in the shower, burn some coffee, and be on my way.

Saturday was just another day at the stalag.  I guess I heard wrong about the info as to when and if we're going to 8 hour days.  we'll know (rumor has it) at a plant meeting on this coming Monday night.  I'm dyin' to find out.  I don't even care what shift I'm on...to have something steady (unlike this day and night bullshit) would be the cheese!  anyway.  half of this work week is over.  just a couple of swingin' night shifts, and the mid-week "week end" begins.  I'm a tiny hungover (smallish foggy headache) at the moment.  that box of Schlitz was tastin' too good last night.  we was front porch sittin' (pooperdog and I), watching the "Breaking Bad" series on the laptop (via Netflix), and drinkin' beerses. the series, btw, that is as good as the Kid says it is.  we watched the first 4 episodes of season 1.  good stuff!  it looks like there's 3 season's of shows to watch...that's a good thing!  and speaking of season's, I gotta find who else may carry season 4 and up of 'Dexter'.  I stopped after the 3rd season awhile back (prob'ly because wherever I was watching it from, only carried those 3).  that's an awesome show as well!  also, while we're on the subject of 'seasons', it seemed as if every leaf on all these fruit loop trees decided to hit the ground at once within the past couple days.  there's like four feet of leaves on my lawn.  I'll have to do some rakin' this weekend....

I gotta quick make me a lunch and get ready for the stalag

this morning, I reach way over to slap the snooze, just to have the alarm clock fall off from the arm of my computer chair, and fall squarely on the pooperdog's head (who happened to be sleeping underneath).  now, it's not a heavy alarm clock, but she got herself a rude awakening.  I had to struggle around in the dark, maneuvering around a shell shocked pooch to turn the alarm off.  I spend a good 5 minutes just calming her down by giving her pettings. sorry Rosie.  now, on to getting ready for the stalag...

last night's netflix include a movie called "troll hunter".  it's a mockumentary (ala 'Blair witch project' with shaky cam, and all).  I liked it! of course, it's a chore reading subtitles (it being a movie in the native Norwegian language).  the special effects were pretty good!  then I watch a real documentary about the absurdities of how all we have to do to support our troops in Iraq is buy a ribbon shaped bumper sticker saying "we support our troops", then apply that on the bumper of a gas guzzling SUV (an older movie, but with many fine points about how we used to sacrifice for the war effort, and now, nothing...).  I do like me a good documentary showing how lazy, wasteful,  and fat we Amerikans have become.

up this morning at 6, burnt some coffee, take us a cool, early morning foggy walk (this time with sandals on).  today is my Sunday. I'll wind my weekend down and get ready for another exciting stint (at you know where) starting tomorrow...and speaking of the stalag, we were supposed to find out, during a plant update last Monday,  when (and if) we start 8 hour days.  I took that day off so I have no idea what's up.  Mark (co-worker) told me he'd facebook me with info if/when he finds out.  he hasn't yet.  I'm dying to know!  I'll find tomorrow (if he doesn't facebook me today).  anyway, gotta hit the shower, and start my today.

later: I make a quick email to my bank, the loan officer wrote me back real fast with details of a loan in the amount I want with a couple options.  I call her up, we talk bidness, and she sets up a 3 o'clock appointment for me today, to sign the dotted line, and walk out of there with a gob o' Amerikano pesos to help the Kid to get out of his mom's iron grasp

[...]

just now, a sneeze attack provokes the dog to growl at me.  it's silly!  I don't know if she takes my sneezes as a threat? or she growls because she doesn't understand?  I asked the previous owner (way back when) if she did that with her, she said she didn't know, not having been prone to sneeze attacks, so I assume it's just the little dogs way of saying "i don't understand that human command...it sounds like you're yelling at me".  of course, I'm only speculating. I can't reach thru those cataract fogged eyes and read that dusty poodle brain of hers.  she sure is a good dog though! I simply reassure her that it's maybe sand fleas in my sinus cabbages, and give her a good neck rub.  soon my sneezing subsides, and she turns the growl machine off. it's cute!

k, I'm not imagining things, having the DT's, or whatever...them damn bugs are out there, and they're eatin' me alive.  I tried, once again, to do a little painting outside today, and got eaten alive by the tiniest little flies (fleas?).  they leave some pretty itchy welts! I don't beg for winter to hurry along (by any means), but where's that good hard frost at when ya need one?  Jesus!  ouch!  damn bugs!!

I take the time to vacuum out my truck.  leaves that collect in the bed want to fly in thru the back window when I'm driving.  next thing ya know, I'm eating oak leaves.  they don't taste any better when they've turned those pretty autumn colors (I like to call 'em 'fruit loop trees', yet they taste nothing like fruit...or loops, for that matter). I got more leaves in my truck then I do in my yard...I clean the windows while I'm at it.  seems the bugs don't bite me as bad over the driveway as they do over grass (weird, right?).

I do me sixer of oatmeal stout and watch Comedy Central's William Shatner Roast (via netflix).  pretty damn funny!!  then, as I'm perusing Face book, I get a letter from the Kid.  I haven't talked to him since his friend came up from da south.  I plug in my dead phone, and notice that he's been trying to get a hold of me for awhile (oops!  sorry Kid!).  seems he lost his job, and the mom wants to evict him for not makin' his rent (or some such quandary, I don't know all the details).  I let him know, earlier on, that I'd help him get a loan (that I'd pay off) if he ever wanted to leave the nest (paying forward the kindness of my parents in buying this place for me). he was calling me on it.  I was trying to encourage him, back when, to get his own wood-panel submarine, but it doesn't have to be for that.  he can put it towards rent or whatever. no worries (sounds like he might wanna head south again...cool!).  I'll talk to my banks tomorrow and see if I can get another unsecured loan.  I can't see why not, being I paid the last two off way early (one for my old truck and one for building the porch).  but then again, it sounds like it's tough for anyone (even those with great credit, such as myself) to get a loan in these shitty times.  I'll try my damnedest.  we'll get him rollin' with something....

I eat the remainder of the leftover meatloaf, along with some boiled cauliflower for supper (mmmmmmms!).  some boxed cheesy barbq chicken thinger for brunch.  aside from what I wrote above, we found time for a couple pooperdog walks, I went to the store to return a bunch of empties (the cat likes to drink a lot), and bought us one of those retractable 16 foot dog leashes.  it took half a good pooperdog walk for her to realize that she can walk half way into peeps yards (instead of staying arms length from me using the old 5 ft leash). the new leash works great!  I don't lose an arm anymore when Rosie suddenly stops and turns the other way, plus it gives her more room to wander.  she's outside right now (on the doggy spring wire) prob'ly gettin' eaten alive by sand fleas.  I best let her inside

generally slacked most of yesterday away.  I think I slept 'til almost noon.   last night, I stop off at Boston Market for their $7.99 1/2 chicken with two sides (cream spinach and sweet taters) deal.  yep, it's not a 1/4 chicken (usually for the same price). it's a whole 1/2, then stop off at my favorite beer store for a sixer of oatmeal stout, and some milk.  come home and share some chicken with my favorite pooperdog (Squabber don't want none).  afterward, we sit and watch a couple moobies via Netflix (1/2 watch one called "house of the devil"...it moved along way too slow. and one called "death watch".  a supernatural WWI premise.). 

up this mornin' by 8:30, we do us a barefoot pooperdog walk (52 degrees is the coolest my feet can take before I put on some shoes...brrrr!). we haven't had rain in a good long time.  I wanna see how my porch roof caulk job holds up.  looks like I'll get the chance tomorrow.  it's supposed to rain Thursday and Friday.  today, I got my $43 trumpet by the door. I wanna find a place that'll fix the valve (the valve itself is fine, but it misses that small notch that holds the valve in place.  without it, the valve naturally wants to slightly turn as I push the key down, changing it from a nice tone, to a strangled one, in a hurry. I'm thinkin' it'll cost more to fix than what I actually paid for the trumpet itself, but then I'll have a "new" trumpet...I'm gonna call around and see who does this kind of work. if there's no one in Holland, I know of a store in Grand Rabbits that does...

anyway.  more coffee first.

netflix movies last night included a weird one called 'the perfect host'.  it was pretty twisted...I liked it! then, another Donnie Yen movie.

jeez!  I go outside for a good half an hour, and get bitten a billion times by what looks like a tiny fly.  sand fleas maybe?  good gawd, they bite hard!! i was doing touch up painting on the outside of the wood-panel submarine (the small bolts that frame the windows look mighty rusty, and I thought if I simply painted over 'em that'd look better...and it does), but couldn't stand gettin' so bit up.  I had to quit early. I like being outside, but the bugs are horrendous today.  that may be what attacked me the other week (see earlier post) when I fell asleep out on the porch  it doesn't feel like bedbugs, so I think I'm good in that sense...here's hopin' I'm not bringin' 'em into the shack.  oh well.  the critters are flea dipped, so no worries...

cleaned the bathroom, kitchen, did the dishes, swept the floor, changed the kitty litter, vacuumed, used the cat hair brush on the sofa (pledge's cat hair picker upper).  the sink, once again, got clogged. I didn't have any drain cleaner (which always seemed to be a waste of money, anyway), so i used a half bottle of dish soap and some leftover 'Krud Kleaner'.  surprisingly, these two products worked fast!! (the krud kleaner is for pre-washing whatever surface you're going to repaint. in my case, it was to pre-treat the outside walls of the wood-panel submarine...it says "biodegradable", so why not?

I'm thinkin' it's a good time for a power-nap.  ready, go!!

no such luck on going home "early" (from der stalag) again last night.  oh well.  we did stop production and spent the last 45 minutes cleaning.  I guess they're taking pictures of the line come the day shift (for who knows what purpose?  maybe for disassemble/reassembly reasons...the line  is scheduled to move to Mexico soon). once home, I burn some coffee, do a pooperdog walk, and sleep for a good 6 hours.  then, while cleaning the kitchen, I notice someone (SQUABBER?!) chewed a big whole in the bread bag on top of the fridge.  It must happened days ago, because the bread was somewhat stale (under said chew hole).  I put what feels fresh in a tupperware, and cut up the stale for the birds, but just as I'm down chopping it into bird sized bits, it dawns on me that I have a pound and a half of hamburger that needs to get used soon.  maybe I'll make me a meatloaf (sorry birds).  I don't mind, so much, if there's cat drool on the meatloaf filler. I bust out the glass baking dish, knead the bread, a couple eggs, a splash of olive oil, some roasted garlic and herb seasoning into the burger, flatten it out to meet the edges of the dish, then throw it in the oven (375 degrees-25 minutes).  drain the grease, let it cool off a bit...mmmmmmmmmms!!  the leftovers will make a lovely sammich later tonight.

I guess 6 hours wasn't enough sleep, I take another power-nap 'round 4 for an hour or so, on the couch, then another pooperdog walk (the last of the barefoot variety, me thinks), drive to my favorite beer store for a box of miller high life, then peruse the interwebs for that fleeting chance that I may watch the Lions V Bears game tonight.  I may have to hit the local pub.  I know.  bad idea. but I would like to see one game this year....maybe across the way Jay will be watching on his geosynchronous satellite driven cathode ray tube?  if there's a will there's a Lions game.

it was almost like a dream, I asked if we're running thru break time (taking breaks in shifts, so the line doesn't shut down) or is everyone breaking all at once? the response by more than one person was "I'm going home"...shweet! what? turns out we ran out of rails and would sit and wait the last half an hour anyway, so they let us go home early (well..."early" in this case means going home at the time we're supposed to go home.  it's actually a 10 hour shift, we're just forced to work that extra two almost every day).  I thought it was cool though, this is the first time in a long time that we're able to split at 5, and it's a beautiful summer like day outside, so I stop and get some beerses on the way home.  a pooperdog walk ensues, then some leftover pizza, and some front porch sittin', catching up on ABC world news, Jon Stewart, and the Colbert Report...and because I have 2 more hours of beer drinkin', I end up bringin' a couple 3 over to across the way, Jay's.  I see he's got small fire goin' and he's listening to the Tiger's game on his truck radio.  it was most relaxing.

anyway. I slept this summer like day away, so I can be ready for work tonight.  and, once again, I have a hard time deciding how to leave my critters for the night (heat/air wise). it's 80 now, should I leave the air on, and hope the temp doesn't plunge into the 40's. or turn the heater on and hope the sun doesn't bake the trailer into an oven during these next 3 hours. I can't turn the air and the heater on.  oh well. they got fur coats, right?  I'll leave the air on. they'll be ok...I gotta take me a shower and get ready for another exciting stint at the stalag.

the Detroit Lions are having a fantastic year (finally!) and guess who hasn't watched a single game yet?  yep, me! it's nearly impossible with my weekend stalag schedule, and the fact that I have no cable TV....maybe they're finally doing well because I haven't been watching?  I'll continue to not watch and hope that this silly superstitious notion brings them all the way to the superbowl

insomnia keeps me awake for a bit.  the silly dog woke me up to pee, then I just lay there thinking about nothing, so I get up and start plinkin' the keyboard, hoping my own rant (about nothingness) lulls me back into sleepiness.

it's that time of year, once again, to where I'm not sure if I should leave the heater on, and some windows open, or turn the air on? it's been nice lately (sunny and 80's), so it's a no brainer to shut the place up and crank the air (so the critters don't dry roast), but when it gets into the 40's by night and 5o's range by day, the mammals need some fresh air, but I don't want them to become half frozen.  it's a tough call sometimes.  I leave my critters for a good 13 hours...the weather can change within that time span on these quirky autumn days.  it won't be long and that heater will prob'ly be runnin' 24/7 to try and keep up with the frigid winter weather (yay!  winter!)

did some online banking this morning before going into the stalag. I place $150 into savings, and $150 toward my Master Card leaving about $130 for the weeks beer, gas, food, etc...

[...yawn]  ok, I think I've bored myself enough to go back to sleep.  let see what happens...

I remember last year 'round this time, that a seasoned stalag veteran (of whom I was yackin' with in the break room) says "look at all the new faces!!"...I didn't know, being new myself, but today, like a tidal wave of newbies, it's that time of year, I guess, when they're hiring up a storm.  the only difference now is they are hiring in directly.  These newbies don't have to spend months, and months as temps first (which half way pisses me off, but what'cha gonna do, right?).  the place is awash with fresh faces.  amazing!!

right after work, we take us a quick pooperdog walk (2 bagger), then I make some spaghetti using penne regate noodles (zetti?). it's delish! I, once again, separate the left-overs into 3 tupperware for stalag lunches.  Thursday night, I did some food shopping.  the store carries it's 10 items for $10 (with the 11th free) sale.  I buy a good number of items, taking advantage where I can.  spaghetti sauce just happens to be on the list. the money I save on these items quickly gets squashed by items such as peanut butter, which for reasons unknown, is thru the damn roof (along with bacon, and a select few other things). I don't know as I've ever paid over $5 for peanut butter!!  is there a peanut shortage of some sort?  anyway.  I left the store with a goodly amount of grubbage for about $60 (that ought to hold me for a spell).  tonight, while making spaghetti, I drank the remaining 2 Schlitz.  now it's time to sleep, 'cause 4:30am comes around way toooo fast.

WOWSER! i drunk me a good many o' beerses yesterday *bel7ch!*. then I paid the hippy neighbor lady $15 to taxi me to my favorite beer store for more (that was one expensive box of Schlitz). I bet I put away a good 15 beers total (within about a 14 hour period).  I'll cool it today, being that it's my Sunday (and the neighbor needs me to follow him to drop off his car at the shop...once again, Brian puts me to work on my day off).  but before getting too wobbly, I got myself up on that porch roof and caulked all the seams real good.  I used 3 tubes of roof caulk.  I should have bought 4, but what little was left after 3, I did with some other caulky stuff I found in the shed.

good gawd!  something bit me up good last night (either out on the porch or in my bed). I no longer have bedbugs, what are all these bites from?! spider? I don't know, but they sure are itchy! I'll wash the bedding and spray my bedbug chemicals 'round the bed just to make sure. it's prob'ly something that lives under this van seat that I'm currently typing from atop of (on der porch), and I was just too hammered to feel [whatever it was] biting me.  I'll know whether it was radioactive or not when I start climbing walls and shooting webs.  the cool hippy lady (who taxi'd me earlier) stops by for an expensive Schlitz as we peruse Youtube for her favorite Blues artists (Joss Stone, and others) under the glow of the 11 watt porch light...

you know...on second thought, could I have released some dormant bed bugs that survived betwixt the carpet and box spring when I inserted those rolls of duct tape underneath?  it's possible. these are bigger bites, and tons ouchier though, but who knows. good gawd! I hope not.  it took forever to get rid of the initial batch. I best act as if this is the case, wash bedding in hot water, and follow the step by step routine that I went thru before.  maybe I'll spray that chem under this van seat too, just because.

first, I must make me some bacon unt franch toost

sign of the times...I'm loungin' on my lawn chair, soakin' up the sun, drinkin' me a couple of Schlitz (just after mowing the lawn), when a huge flat bed truck rumbles by.  I hear it stop close by, and hear the back up beeper going off. I'm thinkin' 'time to be that nosey trailer trash neighbor', so I wander over to the road and see what's up.  seems the neighbor three doors west is gettin' her SUV repo'd. she was over to my place just yesterday desperately begging for a ride to the bank, but I was on my way to gettin' ready for the stalag...one more reason not to get in over my head, with a huge loan, for a newer car replacing my 15 year old shrimpy truck.  coincidentally, I hear a story on the radio (on the way to the stalag) telling about the average age of the automobile on the road today being about 11 years old.  peeps are being forced to buying newer cars (even during a shitty economy) because their old bombers are breakin' down.  mine still has some life.  let's see just how long the wheels will keep turning...

man, what a nice day!!  70's, sunny and mild! I slept half of it away, due to working a 12'er last night, but the second half is good enough. it's supposed to be this nice all weekend (erm...mid week "weekend").  maybe I'll find the time to patch this porch roof (tomorrow).  meanwhile, currently I got me a Schlitz glow on, so I'll prob'ly find me a new kung fu movie to watch (via netflix) out here on the porch*plan*

so, for $30 some bucks I can haz me a personal battery powered amp for my guitar (it works good on my fabulous Thunderbird bass as well).  seems I can patch this into my sound card as well (as a pre-amp), but I haven't tried that yet.  there's also an input where I guess one can jack an MP3 player into it, and you can play along with your favorite songs via that.  how cool is that?!  it's pretty sweet!  it has settings so you can be as clean or as grungy as you want. me likey!!

alright!  so as I'm typing that last sentence, a cat wanders across the lawn.  just on cue, Rosie bolts full blast toward it, with her bad dog growl....boing! the doggy spring (which also works during the fall) works well!  good!  one less broken neck to worry about.  good dog Rosie!!

the quality control must be asleep lately...the other day, I had me a bowl of honey bunches of sand burrs, and I find a burn clump in the shape of a june bug.  I didn't examine it too close, and convinced myself that it was simply an overcooked cluster of oats so I could finish what I poured without wanting to hurl.  couple days before that I run into a good sized ball of what looked like unprocessed oats.  it wasn't burnt, but it didn't look cooked either.  today, while finishing off a box of Raison Bran Crunch, there seemed to be about 17 scoops of raisins in the bottom.  what's up?!  did they fire the whole quality dept to save money?  anywayz...

come home from the stalag, quick pooperdog walk, bowl of cereal, feed/water the dog and cat, dry a load of laundry that I had washed just before my shift, take a couple sleeping pills, then type some nonsense in my xanga entry.  the sleeping pills (I take 'em on occasion) are starting to take effect, so I best hit the rack...4:30 pm comes by too quickly and I need a good 8 hours of sleep...

pick up a sixer of Poet (New Holland brew), a foot long seafood sub, and fill the shrimpy truck's gas tank on the way home from the stalag yesterday. Brian (neighbor/almost room mate) lets Rosie outside 'round 4:30 in the afternoon while I'm working.  by the time I get home ('round 7-7:15), she's all dancing around waggin' her tail (and this time she barks 3 times!  she hardly ever barks.  it's surprising to get 1 bark from her a month).  we go for a pooperdog walk (after I put the beer and sub in the coolerator), then come home and share some seafood (Rosie is a gigantic seafood lover!), snarf me some beerses, turn Hulu.com on and commence to catchin' up on the latest ABC world news, Jon Stewart and Colbert Report shows.  followed by a couple half ok movies on Netflix (one called "the cleaner", the other a Dennis Leary stand-up thinger...his earlier stand-up; 'no cure for cancer' is still no.1 by a mile.  this one was mildly ok). I crash 'round 2am waking 'round 4:30 to let the pooch outside. the stars are particularly brilliant at this point.  I quickly crash back out and sleep 'til about 1:30 this afternoon.  another pooperdog walk ensues...I may just power-nap until 4:30, so as I'm not zombie walking thru my next 12 hour stint at the stalag (tonight at 6:30pm) *plan*

rainin', once again, like a big dog!  I really ought to do something about these porch roof leaks...maybe if we get a good couple warmer days, I can get up there with a roller and some roof paint.  I'm not sure why I didn't address the issue way back when I re-did my wood-panel submarine's roof?  not a biggy, I guess. there's only a couple of spots that leak, but one happens to be right over the top of the steps. that's right where the pooperdog likes to lay down too.  there's one that hits the back of my van chair (where I'm currently getting a mild splash from).  once again, it's a porch.  I shouldn't be so fussy.  it keeps most of the rain off, so all is good, right?  riiight!

stop off to the store (my regular store...not wally mart) to pick up the remainder of what's on my shopping list ($30 worth of small items).  one of the items is a good sized eye bolt for the dog spring.  I'll mount it to the porch when the rain subsides. other items include a soy candle ("woodland walk" is still my favorite), and ice cream cake (what? I was cravin' it bad), a sixer of punkin' beers, another veggie tray (for this weekend's lunches), and some other insignificant items.  once home I bust into a slab of ice cream cake, then follow that with some punkin' beers.  surprisingly one compliments the other.  before the shopping, I make some hamburger helper, then divide the portions, for stalag lunches, into small Tupperware.  ready instantly to throw into my man purse as I'm headin' out the door.

I play a round of one ball (Tiger Woods golf on the PS2).  it's a damn riot when played with 3 people (me and two computer run players).  of course, it's even more fun when everything's turned on 'expert' mode.  it's a good rainy day game.  one day, I'd like to get me a PS3 (after I win the lotto), so I can play the latest Tiger woods game. I was highly disappointing when they didn't make TW '11 for the PS2.  oh well, how are they supposed to sell the next gen gaming system if they keep providing games for the old one?   I stop off at Best Buy the other day.  they have 50 inch flat screen TV's for just over $500.  if I were just a touch less dutch and more impulsive, I'd a grabbed me one up...but I didn't. I best pay down my MC card (as mentioned in an earlier post) before buying another big ticket item...maybe by then, I'll be able to get one for even cheaper? 

low battery notice says I best hurry up.  I got power out here on the porch, but pretty much said what I want anyway, so I'll bring the laptop inside and plug it in there (being the cord is already indoors, and all)

went to wally mart to have my glasses repaired, while they did that, I did a bit of shopping (5 quick items). they were able to affix my lenses back on (see earlier entry on how I smashed 'em under the hood of my truck).  they worked miracles in straightening them back out and securing the lenses (it's a free service they do there, but I'm truly surprised that they didn't laugh at me when I showed them the mangled apparatus).  afterward, I hit my favorite Chinese buffet.  I hadn't eaten all day, due to a stomach ache (mit a bout of diarrhea...I really gotta stop drinking cheap ass beer), but once 2pm rolled around, I was feeling tons better.  after that, I head next door to an estate sale consignment store (cool place!). I've been there a couple times before, and noticed a cool picture of some firemen (circa early 1900's) and wanted to purchase it only to notice how hard it was raining (both visits).  this time, I grabbed it up.  I also find a Howard Miller wall clock for $8.  I don't have a single clock in the house, other than the desktops of both my 'puters.  I really should get one for the bathroom as well.  maybe next visit...

it's not a very good picture of the picture being you can see the glare from the kitchen window over the horse, but you get the idea

being there's no time stamp on this jpeg, I don't exactly know what time the picture was taken *squank!*

so, I had no idea that Google and duct tape would help me sleep better. lemme 'splain. I own what I call a "ghetto bed". it's simply a twin sized box spring and a mattress that sits flat on the floor (I don't need no stinkin' frame). anyway, I mentioned in an earlier entry how falling asleep in a more sitting position on the couch helped my coughing fits and drowning feeling...why not place a roll of duct tape (being that I couldn't find a good 2x4) under each corner of the box spring where my head rests.  it gives the bed the perfect slant!  why I hadn't thought of this years ago, I'll never know.  actually, I can't take the credit for thinking of it, I read it in a forum about sleep, after typing into Google "why do I wake up with that drowning feeling?"  cool! thanks Google and duct tape!

rain, rain, rain. a couple 3-4 more weeks I'll be typing 'rain, sleet, slush'.  it's usually around Halloween when the half crappy winter weather begins. although looking at the local forecast for the week, it still looks summer like (upper 70's and sunny) later in the week.  unfortunately it looks like rain all weekend (ummm...my mid-week weekend, that is).  oh well. it's just a primer for the icky [winter] weather to come.  get used to it

while perusing the Tractor Supply Co. website, I see, within the pet supply area, a dog spring. yep, it's a hook latch with a good spring on it so pooperdog won't break her neck.  I mention (in an earlier entry) that I need to get a trampoline spring to put on her lead line.  this dog spring will do.  as I'm  buying it, I throw it on the counter and mention that I'd like to buy a doggy spring.  the guy asks "do doggy springs work in the fall?", and I reply all year 'round, then explain the broken neck that it'll prob'ly save, but after I get to my truck it dawns on me how clever his question was.  he's asking a seasonal 'spring/fall' question.  I didn't catch it quick enough.  I need to work on my quick draw clever replies. upon closer thought, maybe I should have twisted his question into; "she won't be falling, per-say, but if she was, it'd act like a bunji..." (yeah, never mind....it's too early to try and be clever)

anyway. the coffee's burnt. I need to set this laptop down and snarf me some, to start the day...

did I mention that I absolutely despise my bank's new online bill-pay website format? I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to set up recurring payments.  I liked that feature in the old format...maybe I'll give 'em a call on one of my days off and ask.  they're pretty good at walking me thru past frustrations.  anyway. I do some online banking, transferring a good $300 from checking into my gem encrusted solid gold brake job MC account.  I see they've raised my limit by $500 without askin'. I don't rightly need it, but thanks, just the same.  I don't remember exactly when I got this card, but my year of free interest is gotta be up soon, so my goal is to pay this sucka off before then.  it's an attainable goal, since 3 weeks out of every month, I'm able to throw extry cabbage toward it, I simply gotta be careful about using it for everything under the sun (gas, groceries, etc.).  I do like the flexibility of owning a credit card, I just have to remember lessons learned from past irresponsible use.  my set limit is $2500, my actual is $1100 (and dropping), so I'm doing good (self regulation, by being overtly OCD tweaked about my finances, keeps me on my toes).  next week; lot rent and my gas bill are due...what ever is left (sans the weeks living expenses) will also be thrown toward the MC card..

it's time to take an old dog on a good pooperdog walk, then hit the stalag for my "Friday".  12 more working hours (and counting) 'til the mid-week weekend begins. I'm thinkin' one of this weekends projects will include installing the motion sensor light that I bought (some months back), to be aimed from the porch to the shed *plan*.  I've gotten a bit more confident in electrical wiring since my successful porch outlet project

speaking of the stalag, we're constantly being reminded that we're holding up an airplane at the airport for our next shipment, or there's another helicopter (costing the company $10,000/minute) landing in the parking lot so as our parts can be expedited to whatever automotive line we're about to shut down, etc. how in the world is the stalag even still in business. if these stories are true, we've gotta be going deeper into the red. I'm amazed, at every day that goes by, that I go to work and don't see the doors locked with the building being completely dark. I'll let you know when it happens. meanwhile, while looking at my check stub, I see I got my 3 month $.40/hour raise (shweet!). seems It was just last year at this time that I was making $8.50/hour, now I'm pulling in $11.35/hour.  huge difference!!

anyway...oh yeah.  pooperdog walk [ready,GO!]

after watching a good couple 3 food documentaries these past weeks (I especially like the one called "food matters" via Netflix)...talking about the "Gerson therapy" which contends that a fresh vegetable and fruit diet can actually reverse heart disease, and cure cancer (and the like).  I don't have any life threatening ailment (that I'm aware of), but could use a good dose of real food, more to try and stay awake during those long stints at the stalag.  last week, I buy me  a mixed veggie tray and some granny Smith apples, so during breaks I can snack on raw broccoli, carrots, squash, cauliflower, green beans, etc.  followed by whatever kind of hamburger helper and a couple of apples for lunch.   it's only been 4 days, but what a difference already!  I cut back on coffee, and limit my trips to McDonald's...I'm not curing any diseases that I'm aware of, but it sure does shake the zombie-fied feeling that normally hits after about 6-8 hours into the shift.  there's no way that I could become a full fledged vegetarian.  I would die without some kind of angus in my diet.  the movie explains the importance of vitamins as well.  I have a multivitamin and a couple B complex as a supplement.  it also mentions drinking a lot of water.  it's a good movie.  check it out!  the one thing it mentions that I don't even want to pretend to try is an organic coffee enema...no thanks.  the only coffee going in me is thru the hole in my head.

after work, the pooperdog and I take us a small walk.  we get back just in time before it starts pouring rain.  it feels like a warm ill wind from the south east, and the clouds look a lot like snow clouds.  anyway.  I best get some sleep. I need me a good 8 hours of shut-eye before hitting tonight's stint at the stalag

'Iron Monkey 2' pretty much bombed. I mean, it was still entertaining as a martial arts film, but not near as rock solid as the first, and the film was blatantly sped up during the fight scenes adding to the cheese factor.  oh well. I watch another movie with some big name actors (who mostly acted poorly) called 'the killing jar'. good movie none-the-less (considering I can only get B-movies from Netflix' online streaming).  after running out of beer, I decide to hit the rack and watch a documentary from my desktops homepage. there's a lot good PBS style shows offered. it's an excellent website (I'm sure I may have promoted it before...or not?). 

I wake up this morning 'round 6, burn some coffee, take us a smallish pooperdog walk, and run into a neighbor who's on his way to the stalag.  yep, I recognize that bright yellow shirt that our out-sourced quality control workers wear.  I holler "have fun at work!", he replies "yup" as he jumps into his car and speeds off. he best hurry, it's already about 6:10 and he's got a good 20 minute drive...come to think of it, there are a lot of peeps that wait 'til the last minute to punch in.  seems there's even more peeps that make a long line at the gloves and sleeves vending machine after you're supposed to be out on the work floor stretching.  we get a couple guys routinely late for this, who take forever and hold up the line just to put on said gloves and sleeves.  I like to do the opposite.  I bring sleeves and gloves home with me, re-wash 'em, bring 'em back to work and get there a good 1/2 hour (or more) early, so I can punch in, drink their free coffee, have my sleeves, gloves and safety glasses on and out on the floor 5 minutes early.  it just looks better. I'm thinking if this was a boot camp scenario, these peeps that slag behind would be doin' 20 push-ups daily for not being prepared, then they'd still not have a clue, but being that our boss is pretty much a softy, people get away with murder...

wait, it's my day off, and I'm talking about the stalag again...I must really miss the place. 

did I mention that the 'Squatch and his girly visited yesterday? I think so.  the 'Squatch has been unemployed forever, now it turns out she lost her job as well.  I don't know exactly what her prescription drug bill looks like a month, but I'm sure it ain't cheap.  without health insurance, I'm sure it's gonna be a train wreck, plus they go on to say that they just signed up for a bigger cable TV package that'll run them about $190/month.  now I'm no mathematician, but shouldn't one trim the financial fat during lean times. I know TV was one of the last things I cut due to budget constraints, but neither of them need beer money either, so I guess, 'to each, their own'. I'd rather be 1/2 crocked watching a B-movie out on the porch (via the internet), and maybe they need their 'desperate housewives', military channel, HBO and sobriety. priorities, right?  come to think of it,  I don't dare figure out my beer budget for a month, It'd prob'ly beat their huge TV bill.   again, 'to each, their own'.  everyone needs some form of entertainment.

I'm thinkin' of heading into wally mart (wear my glasses prescription resides) and gettin' me a new pair of eyes, but then, on second thought, I pay for 'vision' at work. I wonder how that works.  maybe I'll give my HR a call first, and see what needs to be done (I'm completely ignorant when it comes to reaping my benefits, because I haven't utilized any for years.  now that I got 'em, I haven't a clue where to start.  other than bother HR). I really ought to find a good dentist too (being that I've got a good dental plan as well...).  ooof!  planning to see the dentist is like pulling teeth (pun!).  if I gotta be half dead before seeing a doctor, do I gotta lose half my teef before seeing a dentist?  luckily, I got a good set of chompers and would like to keep it that way, thank you.

anyway, I gotta burn some more coffee, and clean this wood-panel submarine up a bit [ready...GO!]

dammittt!!! I just smarshed me glasses (again)!! I was checking the power steering fluid level, and after noticing that it's still full (which is awesome!), I slam the hood, just to hear the clinking of plastic underneath.  just then, I realize I took my glasses off (for some reason) and left them on that support beam in front of the radiator.  son of a bitch!  those weren't cheap glasses...it's a bit ironic; check to see if one things fixed, just to go and break another thing.  oh well.  they make more (my normal mantra after anything that I break).  and if that's the worst of my day, then I'm still doin' good...

I stop off at my favorite hardware store for more screws (for the hinges on my shed), and some more dog treats.  Rosie likes those cheesy nums that I buy from there.  then it's off to the grocery store for some foodage.  while there I look up yet another floor jack for my truck.  seems they don't carry a 2 ton jack (like the last one that I bought there), but the next size up (2 1/4 ton) is on sale for $49, and there's one left (shweet!).  once home, I put the groceries away,  screw in the remaining hinge holes in the shed, and bust out my new jack to see how it works.  seems it's only partially assembled, and it's got a big dent in the carrying case.  I assemble what needs assembling, then throw it back in the back of my truck.  it looks (upon first use) like I can jack up my truck pretty high without the use of small 2x4's (like I needed with the smaller jack).  cool!!  now, if no one goes and steals it out of the back, I'll be good to go!  my old jack survived many o' year (and one ditching) in the back where anyone could simply walk by and grab it...but no one did, so I'll push my luck with this one.  I haven't seen Ron (aka Chas Manson) in a couple weeks, but I'll throw him the old one for scrap metal (being the big scrap guy that he is). 

looks like a nice day!  me and the pup lounge out on the porch, punkin' beer in hand, laptop (ummm...on lap), jotting down nothings.  I see Brian (almost room mate/neighbor) is home, maybe I'll go grab my tools from him and wrench about on this snow blower (read yesterdays entry about this) *plan*

later:  i finish this entry, do some dishes, and was about to bust out the white paint to re-paint the trim on my shed (it's gettin' a bit weathered),  when the 'Squatch and his girlie show up (unannounced, of course, because they know better than to call me...I still got minutes on my trac-phone from a 1/2 year ago).  we sat about and shot the shit.  I offer beers, but one has to drive and the other is on prescription meds.  I just get done making some chicken helper stuff and snarfing a plate full when they pulled in, so I offer them some of that.  nope.  seems they just ate.  we chat for a spell, then I take on the 'Squatch in an 18 hole round of Tiger Woods golf, and hand him his ass by some 4 strokes.  afterward, I bust out the white paint (as originally planned) and commence to paintin'.  I quit around 4:30, throw the laptop outside and write down some more trash in me blahgage.  I'm thinkin' it's about time to resume watching Iron Monkey 2 from where I fell asleep last night *plan*

while perusing Netflix, I'm happy to come across another Iron Monkey movie "Iron Monkey 2", starring my favorite fu 'Donnie Yen'.  I guess the 3 Guiness' and lack of sleep kind of caught up to me, because I fall asleep somewhere in the middle of it.  it was prob'ly the most restful sleep I've had in forever, being propped up on pillows in more of a sitting position, I wasn't awaken by coughing fits, and that normal drowning feeling that comes (I suspect) from a cracked throated person who's prone to chronic bronchitis (self diagnosis). after such a restful sleep, I think to myself about maybe looking into one of those beds that bend like a hospital bed...I'm sure they're not cheap. I'll check Amazon.com when I get a minute. but first, I need to burn me some coffee

got home from the stalag, took us a good pooperdog walk in the fog, then commenced to makin' some bacon egg and cheese mcmuffins (mmmmmms!).  afterward, I take a good 4 1/2 hour nap, shower, get my hair cut, stop off at my mechanic and ask about the cost of a new power steering pump (if it's, in fact, bad).  he asks me to pull the truck in, he busts out some brake cleaner fluid, and an air nozzle and has me run the car steering wheel back and forth.  he says I should be good now.  he was able to turn the nut tighter on one of the hoses (that he had replaced) by a good quarter turn.  he says "all set", I thank him, then drive off.  good news! it looks as if I may not need a new pump...but then as I'm driving away it dawns on me that he could have saved me a $100 on stop leak had he tightened that nut better when he first worked on it (of course, blaming him, when in fact, I could have brought it in a lot sooner, saving myself that $100...it's more fun to blame him).  oh well. I'll be happy if this solves the problem.  we'll see.  anyway, with that fixed, the top 2 on shrimpy truck's fix-it list (the leaky passenger door, and the power steering pump) are complete!  I stop off at Burger King for a chicken sammitch, then next door to my favorite beer store for a sixer of Guinness and another of punkin' ale.  once home, while grabbing the beers from the back, it dawns on me that I haven't replaced that broken hydraulic jack.  I've been driving around for a week with a busted jack [not good!],  good thing I haven't gotten a flat since.  I'll make a run tomorrow, when I'm out doing some grocery shopping, and grab up a new one.

I think about maybe tightening bolts, etc., myself, on that snow blower, being the skid plates and shoot were put on wrong, what else needs attention before I use it? (it's a rugged enough looking machine, but I'm thinking it's assembled half-assed at the Tractor shop), but then when I go to get my wrenches, I realize Brian (almost room mate/neighbor) still has them from that shock job he borrowed 'em for.  he's not home at the moment, but I'll run down when I see his truck in the drive...

damn, the bees 'round here are going ballistic (as I'm sittin' on the porch, typing this).  must be they know their time is almost up, with that solid freeze on it's way, so why not be as annoying as possible.  anyway. I'm thinkin' the second half of my nap is about due...