Saturday, August 31, 2013

Lessons learned at 3am

I really need to make sure I have the keys to the house on me AT ALL TIMES when I step outside.

The door to the mobile home won't just 'jiggle' open.

I was very circumspect in keeping all the other access ways locked.

My Jeep is ridiculously easy to break into, it's just a zipper.

I hate the zipper on the back door of the Jeep.

I need to start carrying a screwdriver in my Bug Out Bag in the Jeep.

Keys for a toolbox that is still in Kansas City work as a makeshift screwdriver.

The window on my screened porch is only 1 pane of glass and the blinds. Held down with a screw, which keys will turn.

I have small hands and arms and can reach in by prying the bottom section of glass out enough to reach the crank.

I am small enough to climb into the cranked open window.

New bright white t-shirts get slightly embarrassing black marks on them when I climb into Jeeps via the unzipped back window and enter the house in a similar manner.

I hate the zipper on the back window of my Jeep.

I should probably also put a spare set of keys in the BOB in the Jeep.

I was reminded of the time when I was 19 I showed up at my parent's place sooner than they expected me while they were at work. They had moved since I had been back to see them (I still found them! Ha!) so the neighbor didn't know me. He was working on his car next door. I went around the house, found an unlocked window, and casually went and asked him if I could borrow a screwdriver to get into the house. He gave me one, then followed me to the window and watched as I popped the window out easily, handed him the screwdriver with thanks, and proceeded to climb in. He always looked at me weird after that. Mind you, my Mom worked 3 miles from there and my first and only thought was to break in, not go get her key. When my parents got home they asked how I got in and I said I broke in. They didn't find it too strange. I did mention they might want to reassure the neighbor. Comes from being a latch key kid who didn't always remember my key. Obviously, I've still got it!!

Friday, August 30, 2013

Computer glitches

I guess my computer got tired of me saying that I didn't like using it, cause it went tango uniform (geek speak...) last night. I'm trying to revive it. My next most useful laptop is my D800, which has a 17" screen, but it is the oldest and slowest. Well, maybe not slowest. The netbooks don't seem to have much horsepower for the things I want to do. At any rate, I am counting the days again (still?) until I have my desktop back in operation. Pictures are on hold as my time is now spent working on my ailing laptop and trying to figure if I lost anything. I had the nagging feeling I should pull a backup this week. It kept running slower and slower, and I was cussing my internet connection. Oh, well.

I have my ticket to fly back to Kansas City the last week in September. It will be a busy week and a half of sorting, loading and driving my stuff in a big truck back here. I'm both looking forward to it and not looking forward to it.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Beginning the blog changes

I don't have photo editing software on the laptop. If I did I would have cropped out the date on the header picture. My home isn't in this picture, this is the main cross street looking toward the Superstitions. I'll work on the rest of the pictures, but don't hold your breath.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Guess I should post

Nothing is really wrong. Some things are actually right. I made the mistake the other day of thinking that I finally have life and finances nailed down pretty well and then the past few days have shown me that I have some expenses I forgot about and some that I just hadn't wanted to think about. The job is ok, this shift is doable but not great. However, this shift is what I signed up for so it is what I work. Things have been worse before. As many blogger mention from time to time, mediocre is difficult to write about. Still going through things so the place is still a mess as I don't have furniture to hide the papers and stuff inside of. The office has become my dumping place. That needs to change.

I have started in the kitchen and am cleaning out all the cabinets. I had just put my few things away inside of them, but when I looked several of the cabinets still have sawdust from when they were mounted. As I've said, everything inside of the mobile home is new. So, I'm cleaning and sorting. I have discovered that even standing on my folding chair I can't reach all of the cabinet above the refrigerator, or even all of the top of the fridge. These are minor issues in the grand scheme of things.

I decided that my looking kinda rough had less to do with the hours I'm working than the fact that I could use some newer clothes. My small clothes just don't really fit anymore. I went and got some medium polo shirts. After washing they are tight as well. I think 50 percent is they shrunk, and 50 percent is that I am now a large. Difficult for this recovering anorexic to get my head around. I'm walking every morning around daylight on my days off. If I exercise too much my back hurts. When did all this stuff sneak up on me?

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Good Morning

Up around 7 because I was slept out. Had breakfast while Skyping with Mom. Look out the window to... dark. Because it is 7pm when I get up now and my 'day' is more or less midnight to noon. I will have to intermingle with folks on the backside of my day, not my best time even when I'm on the same schedule as the majority of the populace. However, we didn't win the PowerBall last night. I give the guy at work who buys the group tickets a hard time about not getting us a winner yet. He just looks at me with one of 'those' looks. What does he care, he has retired twice now and just works now to have something to do. He's strange in other ways, too.

My body isn't sure if it wants breakfast or dinner or if I am at the beginning or end of the day, wind up time or wind down time. I'm told I'll get used to it. I have 2 nights off, then I swing into the regular schedule of 3 on, 4 off, 4 on, 3 off, midnight to noon. Even I think I'm looking a bit rough as the regular day folks stumble in around 8 am. I should work on that. Luckily we aren't a spit and polish corporate workplace.

Another cup of coffee and I'll start clearing things around here at home. I pulled everything out a few weeks ago to go through it all and I'm tired of stepping over it. That is one excuse for no pictures, it's kind messy here right now. I should also go buy a vacuum and a mop. Tell me again how the 100 item folks do it. You know, the ones who only own 100 things. I have decided to get rid of one blouse I brought with me. Since I wear each piece of clothing more now I'm either wearing them out or am just now noticing that some pieces don't look all that good. I can get rid of several more pieces before I have to worry about not having clothes, though.

And this is my life right now. Waiting on cooler temperatures to go on adventure, getting used to night shift and cleaning house. I'll try some of the offered solutions to get Linux going on my days off as well. It is just difficult to get fired up with it being dark outside now. Seems like it should be time to go to sleep instead.