Family | Piss and Moan

No complaint here

Posted on November 11, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

Not today.

It’s hard to complain about people who sacrifice their time, energies, family life, and comfort (and sometimes even their lives) to protect me and my family.

Any time, any where, there have been men and women who have joined the military and answered a call to protect freedoms of the US and other countries around the world.

In simple words, “THANK YOU.”

No words can really express that enough.

Thanks to my family members (relatives I have known and not known; those who served in the past and those currently serving now) who have sacrificed a portion of their lives in service of their country. Your efforts have not gone unappreciated.

Thank you.

Tax revolt

Posted on November 8, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Once again, in WA state, there has been a tax revolt.

People are tired of paying unnecessarily high taxes on things like car registration tabs.

We have had two initiatives in this state in the last several decades where the people have clearly said, “ENOUGH!” Twice the citizens of the state (not just one city and county) have said, “$30 – no more, no less.” This is one of the very few times that the rest of the state has told Seattle and King County what it wants versus the other way around, where the population of Seattle and King County out vote the rest of the state to dictate what happens in areas around the state.

So, the latest version passed of the car tabs issue passed on Tuesday, again.

And for what will be the second time, the government is going to sue (yes, you read that right, the government) to get their taxes back. Let that sink in. The government is going to sue to stop the will of the people, who used the democratic process and voted on it, just so they can get their funding back.

If that doesn’t smack of government abuse and overreach, I don’t know what does.

It just goes to show you, once you give the government the ability to oversee your rights, freedom, and money…

…you’ll lose all three.

Back to work

Posted on November 4, 2019 by backuphill

close up photo of man wearing black suit jacket doing thumbs up gesture

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com

It is always strange, weird, awkward (whatever) going back to work after being out for a while. It was just two days, but everyone treats you in one of two ways:

You had the plague and they aren’t sure they want to talk to you.
They are glad you’re back and can’t wait to come visit.

I have 100+ emails to get through.

Don’t talk to me.

Admission

Posted on November 1, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Anthony on Pexels.com

OK, I’ll admit it.

It’s hard for some to admit, because of their age, and likely it has also been hard for me too, but I have come to the realization that I jut have to admit it. I am 47, and coming up on 48 rather quickly and it is time for me to put it out there.

I like to play video games.

Well, let me rephrase that.

I like to play FPS (first person shooter) games.

Specifically, I really like the Call of Duty and Modern Warfare games. I have also played games in the Halo series (these were really what got me hooked), a few of the Ghost Recon series, and some in the Far Cry series. But, I would have to say my favorites out of all the games (at least of late) are Call of Duty:WWII, Call of Duty: Black OPs IIII, and now the new Modern Warfare.

Why? I don’t know really. I like the stories. I like the competition. I like the shooting and the challenges they pose. I like the temporary escape of being able to do something mindless for a while.

Am I a violent person? No. Do I know they aren’t real? Yes. Do they make me want to be violent? No. Do I know the difference between real and fantasy? Yes. Do I believe that it has desensitized me to violence? No.

Do I waste time doing it? Yes. Are there better things I probably could be doing? Yes. Do I care? No. I am able to balance my time and allot free time as necessary while still maintaining my responsibilities.

Am I very good at it? No. Am I competitive? Yes. Do I play competitively? No. I like the feeling of being able to improve and it is really a competition against myself and my own skills rather than other people, though I do play online with other live players.

Am I out of the ordinary? Maybe; but I have a feeling I am not.

What do you think? Am I alone in this enjoyment? Are there others of you out there that are “old” like me but still like to play video games? If so, what do you enjoy playing?

Irresponsible reporting

Posted on October 31, 2019 by backuphill

Fire Halloween

Of all the shots that could have been used in this package that showed up on Good Morning America yesterday, they choose this one? Real nice.

Anyone else notice what is in the picture above?

If you missed it the first time, I highlighted it. This still is from a video that was on the news yesterday morning. I am sure there were thousands of other shots they could have edited into this package, but they chose this one? Why?

Sensationalism. Pure and simple.

I don’t know if the skull is real or not. It probably isn’t. It could be a Halloween decoration. But, what if it isn’t? Maybe more to the point, what if there are actually people killed in these wildfires? How does that make a family who lost a loved one feel if they see something like this?

“Keeping it classy” is something the media has totally lost.

We can hope and wish they would do better, but until people stop watching it won’t change.

You can do better ABC, Good Morning America, and reporters.

Clogged

Posted on October 30, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Stuffed to the max.

It appears today I will be a mouth breather…

Woke up with a stuffed nose and a tight throat. I think we all know where this is going. I am about to enter the land of flu/cold season.

Thankfully I am telecommuting (today and tomorrow) and not going to expose someone at the office. But, if it isn’t gone in a day or so, then I’ll be burning some sick days.

How are you feeling today?

(Un)Invited

Posted on October 29, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Don’t you hate it when people don’t RSVP? What’s the deal?

In today’s day and age, there really isn’t any reason to not RSVP. There are so many different ways that invitations get set up and sent out that it really couldn’t be any more convenient.

I mean really. It seems everything is done through social media any more so when something is planned using one of the many different options available and all one has to do is hit the button to instantly respond, there really is no excuse.

Look at the invite date and time, look at your calendar, look at the invite again, and then press a button – Yes, Maybe, No.

It’s that freaking simple!

So, when you are planning something and you get little to no response it’s rather infuriating. Perhaps I just won’t invite any of them the next time.

Maybe it’s time for new friends and family…

Flew

Posted on October 28, 2019 by backuphill

silhouette photo of man throw paper plane

Photo by Rakicevic Nenad on Pexels.com

Did anyone catch that last weekend? It seemed to have flown by so quickly that I am not sure I even had one!

How is it that our weekends get so busy that we just don’t feel like we had one?

Travel. Activities. Chores. Family. Gatherings. More Travel. Socializing.

I just don’t feel like I had much time for anything, yet I actually did a lot.

But the weekend was gone so fast that I didn’t get much of anything done that I wanted to get done or that I needed to get done.

I think we need more weekends and fewer work days. That should take care of the problem.

Most definitely.

Tuckered

Posted on October 25, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It’s Friday and I need it.

Anyone else feel like this week was extra long and extra trying? Me too.

Estimates are now coming in for the room replacement/repair and, boy, it ain’t pretty. They are about $5-8k more than I expected they would be. Now the challenge is having to find a way to pay for this thing.

Meanwhile, the rainy season continues and the hope that temporary bandaids on the roof are going to work for at least a month (as that is about how long, apparently, it takes to get a HELOC – even when the bank is the one that already owns your mortgage).

So, I will try to survive this day and hope that a couch and a beer will waiting at home will help let the week’s stress go.

How bad do you need this Friday and weekend?

False hope

Posted on October 24, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Myicahel Tamburini on Pexels.com

Hopes up.

Get them up. Higher. Higher!

Hopes crushed.

Don’t you hate it when people tell you they will do something and then they don’t?

Even worse, they tell you they will do it by “X” (a certain time they determined) and then they don’t get it done. They don’t come through. They just plain don’t make it happen.

Then, they don’t even have the courtesy to tell you it won’t happen and ignore you when you ask what happened. Or, worse still, they just blow you off like it didn’t really matter in the first place.

(see how this is progressing? Irritating isn’t it.)

Integrity.

It takes integrity to actually do what you say you will do, when you say you’ll do it.

It takes integrity to admit and communicate that you can’t get it done when you say you will and then make adjustments (maybe even at personal cost) to get it done in a timely manner to deliver as best as possible upon your word.

Integrity is something we don’t see much of these days. What used to be a standard has now become very rare.

It.Sucks.

Ever been promised something and then not have it delivered? My guess is you have and my guess is it frustrated you just as much as it does me. Tell me about your experience in the comments!