Super Bowl Recovery Act

I love watching the superbowl...

I love making a party of it...

As do most Americans, right?

I always schedule a vacation day Super Bowl Monday just in case I party a little too much during the game, which I have been known to do ...

But I cannot take Super Bowl Monday off this year.  The company I work for is not approving any non-emergency PTO at this time.  I am expected to be in the office, ready to work by 8:00 AM.  

Yeah....

We'll see how that goes...

I am not as young as I used to be.  

Hangovers tend to hang on a little longer these days...

Of course, if there are no touchdowns or first downs or field goals, I may not be in such bad shape Monday...


If Superbowl Monday suddenly gained National Holiday status, as I think it should, my problem would be solved.

I would even be willing to give up one of the other National Holidays.

Personally, I would give up President's Day. I have no need for recovery  that day.

In case you are wondering which team I want to see win this game of games...

Since neither Shittsburgh or Baltimore made it to the game, I cannot cheer against them...  

Since Cleveland is not in it, I cannot cheer for them...

I was turned off by Richard Sherman's post game interview a couple of weeks ago...

I do like Peyton Manning...

So....

But more importantly, I want the last digit of each team's score at the quarter/final to match one of my squares:

Seattle 1, Denver 5 wins me $100/$200
Seattle 7, Denver 4 wins me $100/$200
Seattle 3, Denver 0 wins me $200/$240.
Seattle 3, Denver 7 wins me $10.
Seattle 3, Denver 6 wins me $10.
Seattle 0, Denver 0 wins me $10.
Seattle 9, Denver 0 wins me $10.

Party On!

I had a dream...

I woke this morning feeling pretty happy...

...happy that the dream I woke from was just that.

Because it was more like a nightmare.


My day job has been very stressful lately.

I worked through most of my holiday/PTO to help get a project out the door by the end of the year.

It did not make it...

I was not surprised, but that is a different story...

The first Friday after my holiday, there was a work-force reduction.

And the rest of us lucky-to-still-have-a-job employees were put on high alert that we would be working in new roles for a few months to get some things fixed.

My new role requires me to participate  in a workstream every day from 8AM to 6PM.

We get a short break for lunch and one or two 10 minute breaks during the day.

So what happens to my regular work? A lot of it is on hold, but some stuff just cannot wait. So my actual day starts about 7 and ends around 6:30 and continues through part of the weekend.

Ok, at least I still have a job.

But in my dream/nightmare...

I missed a meeting at work (because I was in workstream meeting) in which our fearless leader announced that we were all no longer employed....

No more medical insurance coverage effective immediately...

No  2013 bonus that we all worked our asses off for... 

No more work cell phone (which doubles as my personal cell phone)....

No pension/401K payout...

I was panicking to say the least...I have been there too many times before, it is not fun...

And, because I missed the meeting, I was invisible to everyone else in the office....

I could hear everyone talking about all the shit that came down, but I could not get anyone to talk to me about it or answer any questions...

I was happy to wake up from that dream. And I hope Monday finds me just as happy...

Does anybody really care?

I hung out by my lonesome this weekend and took care of some stuff around the apartment.

I have been wanting to put a clock up somewhere in my apartment - mostly to appease guests.  I am ok with looking at my phone or computer to check the time.  

In my search for a clock, I was having a hard time  finding one I  like that is also appropriate for my living room/dining room/kitchen. The key word being one.  I found several that I liked. Here a a few I considered...

OK, so maybe they are not all appropriate, but I like them.  

In the end, I decided to be boringly appropriate.  

My clock is a combination of two DIY clock purchases.  The first included bold, black numbers #s in a font I liked.  But that package had a small, broken before I got the battery installed, hands/movement combination

The second purchase included a good sized hands/movement combination and a dozen pattern choices for the numbers.  I liked the choices, but again, I could not decide on one.   So I combined the bold, black numbers from the first purchase ($5) with the movement and hands from the second purchase ($12.99).  

And voila, my DIY wall clock for under $20.

And I realized that I do like having a clock on the wall to look at once in a while.

If it is not quite level or circular, I am ok with that.

After all, does anybody really care what time it is?

I admit it....

Hi....

My name is.....

And I am angry...

Really angry...

Buy who says anger is unhealthy????

I just walked 5k...

For the first time in a couple of weeks....

With a decent time (for me)...

In the rain...

Without getting wet....

Really....without getting wet.

My Under Armour Storm Hoodie repels water as advertised...

I am impressed...

And less angry than I was....

Have a heart....

It is bitter cold in Northeast, Ohio....

I am working from home because I can....

But I am very disappointed that I did not get a text/email from my employer's alert system mandating a non-critical no show or at least encouraging it...

And I am disappointed in the small amount of other businesses that are listed as closed.

No one should be out in this weather in Cleveland unless they really have to be.

I know other parts of the country are used to this, but in Cleveland it is not the norm, and most are not prepared....

Just had to say my piece or peace - however you want to think of it....

For the record...

I have received a couple of strange comments from unknown persons lately....that I deleted.

One of the commenters commented again, asking why the previous comment was not approved...

So, for the record....

Here are my self-imposed rules of comment moderation, subject to change anytime I feel the need to do so...

IF...

I do not recognize you, either as a FB friend or fellow blogger...

AND ...

You do not give me some clue as to how you know me or found me...

AND...

I go to your web site and it has either soft porn or radically political posts that I do not want plastered on my page....

...your comment may be deleted.

Just saying....

Out with the old....

It's finally here - the last day of 2013.

Yay!

I am not too sad to see it go.

It has been a crazy kind of year.

Some good, some not so good.

Too many things to write about here and why dwell on the past....blah blah....

Now is the time for some new starts.

So I have been thinking about what I should resolve to do or not do in this coming year.

I know I should lose weight, get in shape, and eat healthier, but what fun is that????

I know I need to get my life in order and straighten out my finances, but again, what fun is that???

If you have not guessed, I have decided to resolve to have some fun in 2014.

And how am  I going to do that???

• Let go of faltering friendships. 

It seems that I have been pretty good at screwing up friendships lately.

I moved about a half hour south of my previous residence  - my bad. Apparently that is a little too far for some to travel.  The friendship is there if I visit while I am in that part of town, but I do not seem worth the effort for them to make the trip south.  Of course when I moved up north a few years ago, my southern friends played the same game. And then there are the friends who I hear from when they need something, but other times not so much.  If I do not contact them, we tend to stray far apart.  To my so-called friends who are sometime, someplace friends, I say this:  you know where I am and how to get in touch - your move.

And me being me, I tend to say my peace or piece, however you want to think of it, when one of my friends says something so totally off the wall or hurtful that my logical mind just cannot keep my mouth in line.  To my so-called friends who tend to say/do things that screw with my mind or try make me feel bad about something in my life and then do not understand when I get defensive, I say this: I am who I am  - take me as I am or not....your move. But tread lightly - I am a bitch - as you know.

And how is that having fun you ask?  I tend to fret over these friendships and continually try to mend them which takes away from the fun times I should be/could be having with other friends.The fretting stops here.   

Which brings me to my second resolution.

• Cherish my good friends.
  I do have a couple of really good friends who I would do anything for and who are and have been there for me through good and bad. To keep this resolution, I plan to spend time with my good friends at least once a month  - having fun, doing something we enjoy, and continuing to share our  life's ups and downs....
  
• Attempt to stay socially active...
  I really miss the internet cafes that have been closed down over the past year.  One of the big reasons I miss them is because I do not get to see all of the people I met while cafeing.  I miss my cafe buddies.  Cafeing was my way of getting out of the house and meeting new and interesting people.  I have had a lot of advice from people I know about what I could be doing in place of cafeing - the two most popular being to join a church group or a gym/fitness program.  Well I am not into religion so that would not work for me; I would be kicked out  for speaking my piece.  As far as a gym - I do not want to pay money to sweat - nor do I want to talk to people while I am sweating.  I can walk outside for free; and I tend to  by walk by myself - my thinking time...
  So...after running it past my daughter yesterday (she helps keep my thinking in line) I have decided that I may try to go to the newly opened Hard Rocksino once a week or so.  I enjoy gaming and talking with the random people who are also there gaming.    As long as I can control my spending and at least break even, it may provide the social outlet  I need.  I did really well cafeing  - as far as breaking even; in fact I was enough ahead before they closed to pay off some of my smaller bills. I do not usually have the same kind of luck at casino type venues, but it is certainly worth a shot.  I know that if I do not at least break even, I cannot continue to play - so that is motivation to quit while I am ahead. I will keep you posted.

• Continue to make my apartment more homey....more me.
  I do not spend a lot of time/money on decorating.  I am not into worrying about matching the right colors/window coverings, etc.  I do like that lived in look - because it is so easy to maintain:)
  I have done a few crafty things over the last few months to make my place  a little more more me....

To keep this resolution, I plan to do or purchase at least one thing each month whose sole purpose it to make my place scream my name....

• Walk in at least two organized 5K events this year.
  I really enjoy walking and I enjoyed walking in A Christmas Story 5K Run.  To keep this resolution, I intend to walk 5K two  to three times a week (weather permitting).  I find it is really hard to walk on unshoveled walkaways...
  
• Take a vacation to somewhere warm.
  My son and his girlfriend are seriously considering a move to Belize this year.  If they make that happen, I intend to visit.  If they do not make that happen, I intend to go away for at least a few days to one of those all-inclusive, preferably tropical, resorts.  I deserve it - or so I keep telling myself:)

So there are my resolutions - written down and posted...

Hopefully for keeping:)

May your 2014 bring you and your family health and happiness and a lot of fun:)