The awful coffee maker died.

The ugliest and hardest to use coffee maker in existence died Saturday. It was so ugly Big Daddy called it the Rube somebody of all coffee makers. It required hours of Windex polishing and it was a nasty ass mess to use. It was a Bunn. It was what, a month old?

Yesterday it decided not to make any more coffee. BD put it into the Trader Joe's shopping bag and took it back to the store. That is about the only receipt I have ever saved and I am so glad I did. We now have a Krups with an insulated pot. It is programmable so BD can have his coffee when he wakes up.

Funny of the day:  I had 2 packages of cone filters that I threw away when I bought the coffee maker from hell. That one took the round filters. New coffee maker takes the cone shaped ones I threw out. I am saving the round ones as I think you can use them to polish glass and mirrors, we will see.

Freedom

We are now Ford people. This is my new ride.

It is almost impossible to drive any non-union car in Detroit. It just makes life difficult. I drove Saabs for years and I did take some guff and damage but it was worth it to drive down Lakeshore with the top down. Now we are Ford people as they did not get caught up in that financial mess, no Government Motors or Tony's Transportation for us. And it has heated seats. I loved my Ford Edge but at 19 MPG and gasoline out of control I can't take that bet again. I would not be surprised if they start rationing gas again.

I went to the hairdresser yesterday and was told I was too blond. I did not think that was possible.

Punkin Head came for dinner, his request was burgers and spinach. I taught Big Daddy how to do a mean sauteed spinach and it cracks me up that Punkin Head loves it. He was the pickiest eater as a child and hated both of those items.

Just a few weeks and Eastern Market has the crazy flower sales, y'all will love pictures of that place, every Saturday it is a madhouse and BD likes to get there a 6 AM to get a parking space. So I better get busy outside. And we have to find the pull cart and radio flyer and clean them up.

Employment package came in the mail

Fed Ex was here at 10 AM on the dot and Big Daddy has his package. He is going to pee at 2 this afternoon. After work he is going to the car dealer to make arrangements for a car.

Punkin Head has snagged a great job interview for a well known college in a few days, he graduates Friday and his cat is recovering from the dental surgery.

After being off reading for a while I am back into devouring entire books at a setting. Just dime store pulp but it is so odd to know that when I get a car I can go buy a book anytime. One the books was a nice read, Patrick Taylor wrote An Irish Country Village. It appears to be the middle of 3 books and I will try to find the others, it is about country doctors back in the day.

I wish it would warm up here, not pleasant to go outside for fun.

I see the dreaded new format is here again

Does anyone know how to find the "Blog of the day" or whatever that thing was called on the new shitty format.

I changed back to the old format once and they gave me the new one anyway, just give it up and learn to use it or change to another company. We will see.

How you know you are okay

I asked Big Daddy yesterday afternoon if he wanted me to go to Target and buy him a new lunch bucket. He ironed his big boy clothes and did his man spa (trimming nose hairs) and we had a lovely dinner. If you can't laugh and joke then you are not okay. I remember when Punkin Head was in Upper School I would leave notes about him having play dates with his friends. Cracked me up.

I received desperate phone calls from some recruiter today which I let go to voice mail, not my job.

Funny of the day: New Company cannot do anything to BD's passport until he is a direct employee. They took him in under a contract company with the promise of direct employment as soon as the CEO signs the req. Bet that gets signed right quick now that he can't travel to the shit holes of the world.

Bring Your Passport with you

Big Daddy starts his new job Monday. He is happy and we are not moving. We need to make some plans for next week though as I will be without a car for the week. And with the stove fixed I can cook dinner or at least help, I have to learn to cook all over again.

I broke it to BD that I am considering retirement, he was surprised but did not have a lot to say.

Now I need to investigate lawnmowers as we do not own one and it seems foolish to pay someone to mow this tiny yard if I am not working.

Oh yea, BD's new company needs to do due diligence on his passport so he can travel to China and India. I just laughed and told him he might need shots for India.

I am done

Until something positive happens I cannot continue. There was a flurry of phone calls today with different directions for perhaps a job on Monday. Maybe. Maybe a new relo package from Podunk.

Big Daddy finally fixed the stove today as I cooked a nice pot of oil soaked shit yesterday afternoon.

This is the biggest nightmare ever, and I think the quitting smoking is just making it a tad worse.

Reworked vacuum is good.

Just an aside, the problem with the resin shortage for the auto industry cracks me up. Everyone has/had tried for years to make sure they had the "corner on the market". And then the auto industry went with the single sourcing to control the pricing. Well, now you are fucked dudes, you put all your eggs in one basket and it is what it is. And really, there is probably another resin that will do the job, but the way you set up the testing and acceptance criteria, well it will take some time, huh? Now you all get to explain why your original thoughts were wrong.

Waiting is the worst

Somehow these grew in my yard.

Big Daddy news:

There is some sort of truce between the recruiter and the hiring company. The hiring company wants a sit down with Big Daddy when this fiasco is over. However, it is not over yet and if the offer does not show up soon BD is on a jet plane to Podunk USA for another interview. Podunk's offer is very good if you do not have to sell a house in Michigan, the land of the no home sales. I can't figure out how my deadbeat brother owns 2 houses, just bought one a few months ago and no one else can get a loan in this area. No loans, no sales of homes.

My vacuum cleaner died. Not really died, just refused to vacuum. This vacuum is quite aged, but it is made by   a famous TV vacuum salesman, maybe inventor. It will take 3 days to fix it. BD however has renewed his love affair with the floor steamer.

Moving Forward

Big Daddy is happy. He has a soft bed, a kitchen, places to buy food that will not kill you, and me.

And I have someone to share the routine with, it is great.

We decided to quit smoking when BD got a new job. Then when everything went crazy he decided to quit smoking when he left China. So last Thursday on the way to bed I soaked the rest of the pack in water and tossed it. Sunday was day 3 and that is the worst day for me; not my first time at the rodeo. Today is much better and with the price of smokes I think there is less incentive to take up the habit again. That and it is just a hot button in so many ways.

Reasons I re-started smoking in the past: got fat-am now on thyroid meds, doctor told me I prolly had uterine cancer, had my back go out so bad I could barely walk when I had the worst IBS attacks of my life. 

So now that I am joining the mainstream I need something to bitch about. All mainstreamers bitch. I already hate many things: other people's children, other people's fragrances, and most other people. I just need to pinpoint something I can carry on about and sniff into a hanky. I need hankies.

Big Daddy is home

His flight was delayed about an hour, sat at the gate in Shanghai waiting  for the North Korean rocket to fizzle out. He had a good flight and took my advice and found a porter in Detroit to help him out with the 8 bags. Porter takes you to the front of the Customs line. I had barely settled down in the cell phone lot with my book when he called. 40 minutes from wheels down to driving home, not bad. I got lost (inside the airport) trying to pick him up and I swear I cannot tell you how it went wrong or how I got back into the airport, it was an entrance I had never seen before.

We went to the market on the way home and got steaks and baking potatoes and asparagus, it was a wonderful dinner. Big Daddy almost fell over when he saw the ugly coffee maker.

Unpacking is in progress.

U Haul

Looks like we have new neighbors in the newlywed vacant house.

Hoping for no children.

Odds and Ends

Some household items have made a miraculous recovery: toilet decided to flush properly, dishwasher is drying better, ice maker settled down and is turning out tons of frozen water that I throw away.

The music system for the house is on the fritz. Moving the Bose radio into the kitchen until someone can fix this.

I think I have shared that my house is haunted, well living here alone I have avoided all books and TV that are scary, until last night. Big Mistake, now I am just waiting for weird shit. Putting off reading the Hunger Games until I have a housemate. And the book was drugstore trash which just makes it worse.

Big Daddy's boss finally told him about the changes to his contract. Boss man is just figuring out his ass is grass too.

BD's lousy recruiter lost the contract for the job BD is supposed to get next week. He is sending BD emails like they are best friends. This is after BD told him he would never work with him again. I can't wait to hear the entire story of this fiasco. Punkin Head called me on this so I should explain, the lousy recruiter did not get him the job the first time. Company contacted him directly on the new offer and all is good. There are some internal problems due to the contract with the idiots, but they still want Big Daddy really bad.

House across the street is for sale again and looks empty, house next door with the vacant newlyweds has quite a bit going on-not sure what kind of activity but lots of people in and out.

Only 3 more days for BD to come home and now everyone is wondering if Korea is going to set off  the "missile" this weekend, at least he is in Business First if there is a ground delay or diversion.

It is in God's hand now.

Amay with her 2 men and a cart. She is hitching a ride.

That saying, God helps those who help themselves, well Big Daddy has a plane ticket for Friday. He confirmed he can cancel the back portion, he is using his FF miles, he confirmed the bag allowance and he went to sleep in the barren apartment. He only kept the Ikea chair and the funky coffeemaker.  Amay says if I ever come to visit Shanghai I can always stay with her.

The first offer is a very good one except for the fact that we can prolly never sell this damn house. First I need to put in a furnace, carpet the family room and paint the bitch. If I could find the asshat that did the last paint job I would tie him behind my car with a log chain and drag his ass down Lakeshore Drive. And if the cops stopped me I would show them the painting fiasco. It did not last, and I am not happy. And I hate to paint. I will have to check and see if I told you the story of the painting of the inside of the house.

Next offer is to arrive around Tuesday. BD still has to figure out how to tell his boss he has an emergency and has to fly home. There is an emergency, I am pulling my hair out and I pay quite a bit of money for this hair.

If he takes the first offer and nothing here changes it will be a short term if we can't sell the house. Hate to do that to people but you gotta be able to live. At least he is not making them pay for the plane ticket from China.   That would be bad karma.

My mother decided to add to the drama this month, she left another message this time telling me she is selling her house and asking if I wanted anything. I already knew about the sale from my niece and what part of crazy ass shit does she not get. If there is anything in that house that my brother has not already absconded with-his wife has given it to her relatives. WTF. SIL is the woman who told me she wanted to be me. Creepy. Well, she got what she wanted, she is the beloved daughter and now she has to take care of everything. Hope my other brother gets what he asked for, tho I doubt it.

Off the finish cleaning.

The person that invented shopping carts for children.....

Who in all that is right in the world thought this was a good idea. Little untamed cretins running around a grocery store banging people's lower extremities for fun. WTF. Grocery shopping is serious business, not an entertainment venue for very short and obnoxious people. If I ever find this person, it will be ugly.

I made the mistake of shopping this afternoon not realizing and that every stupid asshat in Grosse Pointe would be out there with the spawn of the devil they carried in their golden wombs. And what is up with standing in front of the food items and staring at them as if you are from Mars? If you don't recognize the shit as edible, just move it along. Or my other favorite, find a hot spot and park your cart. Then go find all the food and bring it back to your cart. Except you won't be finding it if it is my way.

Punkin Head came home and had dinner with me, excellent for me. And he fixed the Grandfather Clock, did some toting and carrying and checked for buggers and squirrels. All is well here at home sweet home.

And The Lady sent me an Easter Lily, love it. Thank you.

Amay, the bartender is the recipient of our Chinese worldly goods and is supposed to show up with Two Men and a Cart. The Flower Lady was almost in tears when Big Daddy gave her the flower picture. She had to go find some one who speaks English to tell her that I wanted her to have it. She was very happy and I am glad, she works her ass off and deserves something nice.

Fed Ex says package number 1 is in Shanghai, so now has to go through customs.

I Have To Pee

Big Daddy is working to get home. But he has to pee. In a US certified pee container. Nope, nuthuh, nothin, don't even talk to me about Mao pee bottles, it has to be US certified pee.

I asked BD  to seek out the Flower Girl and give her the flower picture. The rest of the stuff, I don't know, maybe the bartender and what else I would think a free for all. BD is taking pictures, and we all know those skills, of the apartment condition when he leaves.

Sky Miles are available next week and I am praying for a good outcome here.

This sucks.

We are getting down to the wire

Big Daddy babbled his information to me this morning on Skype. That is what I call BD talking before I am awake, babble. Sometimes he does it all day long. That is what other people call talking and what I call, too much information. Except when I don't listen well and have to keep saying "what did you just say"?

Well, he said he may be coming home next week. He also told me that he got a very odd call from Human Resources about his end date to his service contract. Someone fucked up. Sounds like they were (they being the Chinese owners)  planning on ending his contract without notice. So either the Chinese are taking over earlier than everyone thought or the US is not protecting their expats. And BD thinks his boss is in the dark and prolly gonna be cut too.

Fed Ex offer just left Memphis this morning so that is not gonna arrive on Friday and the other offer should arrive via email Monday-ish. The other offer is also being sent overnight to me. Big Daddy checked and can use his FF miles to get home next week. It is time to end this nightmare.

Found my gold ball earring. Made cheeseburgers last night, it was a disaster. I have to take out the garbage again.

Those of you who pray, please do so. Those of you who don't, please think good thoughts. Those of you who are ugly asshats, there is a job that now pays shit waiting for you in China. Oh yea, BD's company hired a new person this morning that someone is supposed to train. Hilarious.

Clocking, Cleaning, Clenching

Antique clock from Big Daddy's family

This one is going to a professional, I would never attempt to clean the brass and not muck up the workings. In fact I will not even try to get it running as the Grandfather Clock has quit on me. I have tried and tried and the fucker just will not run and keep time.

I am still missing one earring from the great crash. It was a favorite, a gold ball.

I am finding some odd cleaning products left by the kids and don't know what to make of them. I do not have patience for new-fangled things. Plus I have to learn how to work the steam cleaners. I hope the floors survive.

The weather is getting nice again so I may try the cheap hairspray on the silk flower arrangements. Or I may throw them out. The cheap vodka worked on the tulips, so that is plan B if the cheap hairspray does not work.

I am in serious teeth clenching mode as BD is supposed to get an offer on Friday. The offer is contingent on a face to face interview; the company will fly Bd home and to another state. Another company may come through with an offer around the same time. I really put forth effort to not succumb to superstitions but every time in the past I have thought about or investigated changes, shit happened. So I sit and pretend that everything is great and cleaning is my worth in life. Clenching is horrible as it causes that stupid TMJ pain and that is just another condition I refuse to acknowledge. I do wear my bite plate.

I have to finish this cleaning and get to the yardwork as I need a dog, and it seems they all want to come to my house for tea and inspect me and my abode. I also do not have a teapot.