Drivel

If I am not mistaken this is Rocky Mountain Columbine from about 10 years ago. I love this.

The other evening when I went to the bedroom to retire for the night I noticed my bed was soaked. Really, really wet. So once again we have a roofer and an estimate and I am so glad we did not take a vacation as this is going to cost a good bit. The roof is only 15 years old and a first layer. And we have not finished the kitchen yet. I am starting to feel like I live in the money pit.

I had another excitement at work this week. The company sent me to another plant as that guy was out of town and I knew the plant and had a badge. Well, I worked all morning and actually into the afternoon on this problem and my reward was a "yelling at". That is when "they" start talking and then the body language of turning and centering happens---and then "they" start coming in for the kill and start yelling at you when "they" are about 3 inches from your face. And you just pray they did not eat onions or garlic for lunch. The trick here is to not acknowledge the action. No facial or body expression. And when they are done just go talking in a normal manner as if nothing happened. When this was all over I was offered a ride to the front of the plant so I was forgiven and no grudges were held. Yes, this is how people are treated in the US automotive market. And I am paid to stand there and take it. Very well paid by the way, don't feel sorry for me. Just gets old. A lot of people dream of winning the lottery so they can come in and quit. I dream of winning the lottery and the next time some asshat goes off on me telling them to F off, and just watch their tiny little face scrunch up.

Big Daddy is off to buy dirt and then tomorrow maybe we can buy some plants and get started here.

The rare something new in Automotive repping

The Help weeded and weeded and this is the curb on garbage day. There is Sammy's little pee spot on the left that we need to repair.

Repping, that is what I do. I am a Rep for a company, supplier, that goes into assembly plants and fixes shit. There are many titles for what I do and Rep is not in my title, but it is what I do and what many others do. It is also called taking a bullet for the company. Because when shit goes south I am the one standing there taking the blast.

Well, Friday I got to do something new, it is not often in this biz that anything is new. Picture yourself driving to your favorite medium sized parking lot. Maybe 200 cars. Then wandering around for awhile trying to find where the hell you are supposed to go. Going into a place and asking if anyone knows so and so and then getting an escort. I was finally directed to this obscure office in the back where many people were milling about. All sort of people from those looking homeless to suits and ties. I pushed through this mob and got in line. With a phone call and my ID I had secured a vehicle to look at from 3PM to 3:30 PM. Never before has this happened in my life. When it was my turn they handed me the keys to a launch or pre-production vehicle and gave me directions to the lot. I was told if I drove the vehicle to report the mileage when I returned. WTF. I could drive this bitch, and where was I allowed to go. Can you imagine calling and telling your boss you just wrecked this bitch, oh yea that would be great.

So I am wandering about this huge lot looking for the small numbering to indicate I found the right vehicle. There were many other people doing the same thing. Finally I had to resort to the panic button on the fob. Did my job and locked her up and returned my keys with a vehicle not driven report. But I would have loved to do that.

Speaking of vehicles, I don't know what the Slavs are doing over there but one of the cars in mix is a brand new Mercedes C Series. Can't be from the winery yet.

Memorial Day

This day is to give thanks and appreciate our armed forces. Especially the one that did not come home.

There is no Happy Memorial Day. WTF.

It may not matter if you can afford the Affordable Care Act

Alert, female issues discussed below.

I have been having some odd symptoms of what I thought was my IBS. You know the odd pains and cramps and bloating and discomfort. But this went above and beyond past experiences. Then Thursday when I got home I arrived at the conclusion that none of this was IBS, I was experiencing abnormal and painful--- probably vaginal bleeding. And the color was not red. And I had not had a period for about 8 years.

I called my OB-GYN and was startled to learn that I could not get an appointment until September. I told the receptionist I could be dead by September. She told me of all the changes in the system due to the new ACA aka Obamacare. After much searching the earliest she can get me in is June 26.

I broke my rule and looked this up on the Internet and everything says not to panic, you probably do not have cancer, just other anomaly that are much better than cervical or uterine cancer. That makes me so happy. The information also suggested I will need the test where they put the catheter into the uterus to get cells for testing and yepper, I had that test in the past and it hurts like the dickens. I remember trying not to scream. But I don't have to worry about that until after the June appointment, and then only if I live beyond the next appointment for the test.

We do have insurance from Big Daddy's employer, very good insurance, and we pay around $7,500 a year in premiums alone. That does not include co-pays. And yes I am grateful we can afford the insurance.  And I still cannot get an appointment. What rot. They are trying to help me as a long term patient and June 26 is the best they can do. If the pain does not get too bad I should be okay as I once worked during a launch for one solid year having a period. That was not pleasant. If the pain gets too bad I may need to find one of those people that take Vicodin for a hangnail and borrow one.

So I called in sick for Friday as after all this came to light I could not stop crying. I am a cryer, when I am angry or hurt I cry. And there is a bitch at work trying to save her ass by throwing mine under the bus that was starting to rub me raw. You know the type, lie to your face and make you out to be the devil himself behind your back. She somehow convinced the manager of my department that a conference was needed to "bring me into line". My supervisor and I proved her to be less than forthcoming in her responses (the bitch never sent out the rework instruction to the rework company) and I told my supervisor another conference call with her was not value added and I did not feel I could listen to another negative bullshit call without getting in my car and driving far far away and then beating the tar out of that bitch.

Big Daddy is coming home today and I am trying to get around and deal with this.

I will be fine, it is just gonna take a day or two.

This could get ugly

We apparently have bad parts. Bad as in they don't fit and work. They suck.

The engineers left it to me to fix this. They did not tell me what to fix, just how to fix it.

Yep they are asshats. And the fix does not work.

They just do not want to get me the information in a timely fashion; engineers work late into the evening because they can't get up in the morning. And then they all must have a hearty lunch. And obviously they have no home life or hate their home life-because they sit around all evening complaining about their jobs and other shit.

Pretty much engineers are total asshats.

So I fixed it and made arrangements for everything to be fine.

And now the engineers are screaming that they don't like the way I did it. Because I did it my way.

I can't remember anything

New Porch Pot. They will probably die, as soon as I bought them the night time temps dropped back down in the 40's. Hurray.

I had my teeth cleaned this morning and I told Chrissie I was pretty sure I had some horrible thing going on that I was sure was a fatal disease she needed to check for, but I could not remember what it was. She did not see anything suspicious.

I had something hilarious I saw recently that I knew I should blog about, can't remember what it was.

Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind, not.

Work is starting to just a tiny bit better. They sent a guy to shadow me and he has confirmed that management has lost their minds and keeps trying to tell me I am doing a great job. We will see. For some reason my laptop and tablet will not "talk" to the company system and I am waiting to see if they fix it or yell at me for not putting the shit in the system. Then I will remind them, again their system does not work.

Funny of the day:

And it is a work story. I try really hard to protect the identity of all involved in work life, but I think I can do this one okay. One of my parts sticks on the vehicle. The operator is supposed to prep the vehicle with an alcohol wipe and then remove the film on the tape. The operator then puts the part in an applicator and presses the part in place on the vehicle. I got a call that the part would not stick and is falling off the vehicle in station, which means when the operator puts it on.

Not only is the operator not using the alcohol wipe, he is also pulling the tape off 20 or 30 parts in advance and laying them sticky side down on his container. But his other operation on the job description is to spray lubricant on another part of mine so he can attach that part "home".

Why would you ask someone to put a part on in a clean environment after you lubed the fuck out of your gloves to get another part on. Gotta give kudos to the plant person who actually shook his head when he walked away from me.

Do you remember Mr. French?

I can't remember the name of the show, but 3 orphans went to live with Uncle Bill and Mr. French. Buffy and Jody and Sissy were their names.

Well, I have Ms. French and she pulled weeds today and is going to make my life heavenly. And she left me cake.

Howdy folks

Big Daddy got this orchid at Trader Joe's for 15 bucks in a real clay pot. I am thinking it is a mis-marked delight for us.

I hate to say this but I think I may only be able to blog once a week for a while. I am so damn busy and tired that I can't even put the toothpaste away everyday. The upside is they pay me O/T over 40 hours and that is some sweet money.

I am in the process of hiring someone today to clean and do the gardening, we have no time for this work. I have convinced Big Daddy we need help, and while I have to work to keep my sanity . . that means there is extra money to pay for help.

Work is hilarious right now, busy as hell but stupid as always. I have a sort company that thinks I am supposed to bend to their will and they are also so stupid they can't find the address and phone numbers they need to start the sorts. I almost want to ask them if they realize they are the stupidest fucks in the plant.

I had a conference call Friday late afternoon to discuss why this one plant is so fucked up they can't ship a good part. The customer tells me this has gone on for 9 years and the Responsible Person For Our Company on the call said this is all my fault. I was officially in charge the past Monday. Do you see why I pee my pants laughing? This bitch wants better communication from me and actually "made fun" of something I said on the call. Game on. Like I told my boss, who was also on the call, I can help you or I can watch you fall on your ass. I can also send you shit every day with special made overnight containers for 8AM delivery. Can't wait till your controller gets the bills.

I have this new hair stuff that you brush on your roots in-between touch-ups to hide the gray. It is great, it is like eye shadow for the hair. I almost made myself cry laughing at one review that stated the product did not last after shampoo, how stupid is that woman.

Dinner today is BBQ shrimp, cole slaw, baked beans and a fabulous veggie.

I got a mani-pedi and need to relax and get some shit together for Monday.

And the Wicked Witch is coming to visit on Tuesday, that gives me all day Monday to make her life hell.

Way too busy or just plain in a daze

I can't believe I have not written in so long, the days just seemed not so much to fly by -more like they just kept showing up early. Day after day. It has been difficult going back to 8 hours and this plant requires much more in email and reporting. And it is such a crazy time I just need time to decompress and not think when I get home.

Big Daddy took some time off and intended to finish the wall papering project. You remember the one I started last year, about a year ago. Well, I stamped my foosies and demanded this commence and finish in record time. There was a worthless breakfast nook, a counter attached to the wall and it was time to let it go. When BD finally got it off the wall he told me Don had built it for an elephant to sit on it. And there was a board still nailed to the wall. The board had to come down and that took almost another day of work. And typical Don, he signed the wall where he built this. Everything in this house is signed, or has a plaque or is commemorated in the "book" he left.

The Slavs are on an outdoor mission and I am in awe. First they put enough statues and flower pots on the front porch (4 X 4) to rival the garden club. Then they placed cheap, tawdry and crooked solar lights in the front and back landscaping. Finally they took out the dead tree (this is the one they cut the limbs off last spring) with a hand saw and I think a serving spoon. The Big Kahuna told BD they are going to have a vineyard in the back 40. That would be the back 40 feet, not acres. Can't wait to drink that wine.

My latest physical ailment is my right foot. I thought there was something wrong a month or so ago, prolly six weeks. Last week I got a tinge when I was leaving the plant and the next morning when I was walking there was a crunching sound. It is the top of my foot just before the toes that causes the pain. There is no swelling or bruising, just a soreness at times and pain when there is certain weight put on it while walking. It is getting better, but twice in a few months I think I need to see a doctor. And there is no time right now. Bummer.

I am really unhappy with this latest job and I must keep a good thought or at least keep in mind that I can say fuck off when I feel it is time. Time could be Monday morning. More on that later.