lights - on

Apparently the power came on about an hour or so after it went off. Not sure what the dramatic glow was, but everything seems ok. Well, except the main air conditioner in my apartment. The two bedroom ones were not on, so they are ok. I haven't gone to ask if maybe there is just a breaker tripped somewhere. So, coffee from the coffee-maker tomorrow, not the camp stove.

EDITED TO ADD: Main air conditioner just sprang to life, so guess it was a breaker. So, life is back to normal.

Well, (bad word)

The drama at work has 2 of us covering our dept over a 12 hour shift. Overtime for the person covering the late shift. Thing is, neither of us wants the late shift. So we compromise. One week early, one week late. I start the late shift tomorrow. It will be a long day, overtime on a contract that doesn't allow overtime. Except for now. I'm at the point I want my time more than the money, but that wasn't an option. Guess the credit cards will get paid up a bit sooner than the original plan.

Another step forward, another back

Wow, my spelling/typing/editing skilz are totally non-existant lately. Sorry for that. Just kind of roll with what you think I might be trying to say.

I tweeked and re-worked the hammock yesterday. Last night I made it all night in the hammock, and woke up able to walk, so that is progress. Next weekend is a 3 day weekend, and I have no real desire to head off anywhere, so perhaps I will pull out the rest of the hammocks I have here and experiment.

I got up on time this morning, started coffee brewing and picked out my clothes for work. Took a nice hot shower. As I was getting dressed the electricity started bouncing, much to the displeasure of the air conditioners. It was a major brown out/bounce/brown out. I ran for the remotes for the poor air conditioners and commiserated with the big fans at the restaurant outside my bathroom window as they groaned with the varying power. Then it was all dark. It was 5:45am, and still basically dark. I gave thanks that I was already showered and the coffee was ready. I lit my votive candle for light to brush my teeth and comb my hair, and by then the gray day was beginning to get light.

Word has it that the main power station went down in flames, or at least a flash and huge orange glow. That is what folks saw who looked outside. I was busy trying to turn off the compressors I had control over. So, life may get interesting with no power. I have my backpacking cookstove, so I will have coffee. The rest is just luxury.

One step forward, one back

Yesterday I got a bug in my whatsits and cleaned my bedroom. As in, took everything out, cleaned as I put things back. The first push for this is an intermittent smell. I have geckos here, not pets but ones that run around the ceiling. These leave small deposits around the perimeter of the room. I discovered this awhile ago. I pulled most things a few inches away from the wall. I blamed the deposits for the smell. So, everything out, the floor all swept. Nice. Except that I still smell the smell. I think I have it located to one drawer in my plastic dresser. Further investigation ensures.

The second thing pushing this is that TurtleLady gave me a new hammock for my collection when I was back. It is a bridge hammock, which is a very different style from the asymmetrical gathered end hammocks I currently own. Ok, if that didn't make sense to you, then just go with it for now. So, with most everything out of the room I once again set up my too large metal pipe hammock stand in the bedroom and spent some time hanging the hammock. The reason I'm not sleeping in a hammock every night is that with this stand I can't get comfortable in any of my current hammocks. I am hoping I can make the bridge hammock work. Last night was the first test. I put a pad underneath in the pad pocket to kind of spread it out some. In the end I slept most of the night in my recliner. I have a spot on my right hip that is kind of numb. Apparently I usually sleep on that side, and in the hammock the way I have it hung all my weight is on that hip. Even this morning it is still bothering me. For the record I have never had a bad night in a hammock hung between two trees, just with this stand. I think it is too short or something. I'm going to make some adjustments to it and try again tonight. If it still doesn't work I may try my BlackBird hammock, my main go to hammock when I camp, one more time. If nothing else, I'll put up the air mattress bed again, but at least all the bedding will be clean now.

If you are curious at all about hammocks and using them for camping/backpacking or sleeping in every night, the definitive website for information is:
http://hammockforums.net/

Wii be playin'

Time to move on from the Bad Mood post. I was invited to watch my Mom bowl in the Wii bowling tournament they are having at the retirement complex where she lives. It was a hoot. I'd wanted a Wii a few years ago for the Wii Fit aspect. Since I don't own a TV it was going to cost a lot to by the Wii, the Wii Fit Plus, and a TV, so I put it off. The hotel here put a TV in my room that I never watch. I decided that all things considered I need more entertainment down here, so before I left KC I bout a Wii and secured it in my luggage. It made the trip fine. However, the Best Buy we went to didn't have a Wii Fit Plus, so I was wondering what the best way to get one sent here when my Program Manager mentioned he had one he wasn't using. So, for half price I now own that. I've gotten on it 3 days in a row now. My Wii Fit Age has gone from -1 year from my real age to -13 years, then to +6 years of my real age. I'm not good at the balance stuff, but I'm having fun. My BMI started at 23.6 (22 is 'perfect'), and it is still hounding me to lose that last 8 pounds. sigh. It's one thing when I want to lose it, quite another for a video game to tell me I need to.

Some drama at work yesterday, so things will be unsettled next week as it all shakes out. I'm actually more concerned that I truly do not care. I'm more in the mood to just pop some popcorn and sit back and watch. I'm not to the point that I want to actually push things to crash, but I don't feel much obligation to go out of my way to stop it, either. It is time to move on when I feel this way.

Bad Mood

I've been in a bad mood since I've been back. I think it took all of 33 minutes back at work before a co-worker made me mad about something (basically what I see as stupidity...). When I'm like this it's best to just keep my head down. I'm ok. Just don't want to whine, and I'm not in a mood to do much else.

And I'm back at work...

Co-worker is obviously trying to get a live voice on an automated system. From the other room I hear the usual responses, and a repeated 'representative...'. Then he seems to start over again. The word 'representative...' keeps being repeated, louder and louder. Just as I'm waiting to hear a crash as he punches something, I hear him mutter 'oh, I have the mute button on...'. :)

I needed the good laugh.

Back in Honduras

I made it back to my hotel in fine shape this evening. Only casualty of the trip so far is my left eye that I think has eye strain from the new glasses. It is really sore right under it. The new glasses were not fitted at all to me, just handed to me by the woman at the store in KC. I guess because I didn't order them at that store she didn't feel any responsibility. The astigmatism requires that the lens be situated correctly. I think I have it right now, but need to wear my old glasses for awhile and let my eye heal I guess.

Still pondering the trip. Lots more questions in my life than answers at this point.

Almost Over

This is the last full day in the States. Early (waaaay early) tomorrow morning I board a flight back 'home'. Truth is, the concept of HOME is getting fuzzy for me. I did a post one time I was back about being homeless. It is something that keeps me on edge when I'm back every time. Little things. Trash is a major problem if I'm not tethered to someone else's home. There really are few places to legally put trash if you are just passing through. At least that I've found so far. Also, pressing 'Go Home' on the GPS always by definition now takes me to someone else's home, Mom's at this point. A little thing, but it adds up. Hand laundry and finding wireless internet access are more difficult if I'm not staying in the same place more than one night, as when I was staying at the Casinos. Being able to just sit someplace alone and veg means paying for a hotel room or buying coffee at McDonalds for their 'free' wireless. It is always metered time, based on price.

Another issue I have is that when I'm living in the States, I do my business related stuff and messing with my possessions while at home, then I travel someplace and visit on vacation. Now, I need to do all of the above while I'm on vacation. No time to sleep in, no time to see everyone, no time to really organize my stuff. Ok, less stuff would help that last part.

So, I have mixed feelings about vacations back 'home'. I found myself thinking sometime around Wednesday that I was ready to head back to Honduras. That surprised me, but mostly I'm ready to just be able to sit and relax and not have to socialize. I'm a loner. The pull between taking advantage of precious time to see friends/family and my need to be alone is taking a toll. So, tomorrow I get on a plane and head back to Honduras. Not sure if I'm heading towards home or away from it.

Still in the US

I'm in Kansas City. Today I'm staying at Harrah's in KC. When I got my mail (forwarded to Mom's) I had coupons for 2 free nights here, and 2 free nights at Argosy casino. So, last night and tonight I'm here, and Thursday and Saturday I'll stay at Argosy. Harrah's has been good to me at the machines, I've been playing with their money since I got here. The room is amazing. I really do like Harrahs. Saturday Mom and I will stay at Argosy since it's a lot closer to the airport than where she lives, and I need to be there between 4am and 5am on Sunday. So, that's the plan.

I haven't been to the storage unit since the 2 teenage boys unloaded the truck into it. They did awesome. After I paid them Mom handed them a bunch of donuts, and I think they were more excited about that than the money. Well, maybe close. I'm postponing getting ready to head out by playing on the computer. I don't do well without a lot of time off to myself. The vacation has been good, but time to just veg by myself hasn't been near enough. So, that is why I'm taking advantage of the free rooms even though I could stay with Mom. I have to do some rearranging of the unit though as it seems that a briefcase that I left here with my older laptop is missing. I think it's in the stuff that was stored in the Jeep storage unit. sigh. Too much stuff to keep up with. However, most of it is now at least in the same zip code.