Family | Piss and Moan

Not sleeping well

Posted on July 8, 2019 by backuphill

closeup photography of adult short coated tan and white dog sleeping on gray textile at daytime

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Anyone else tired after the “extended” July 4th weekend?

I am keenly aware, now, that the quality of my sleep is determined by how well the dog sleeps. Since it sleeps on the bed, it has a lot of influence.

July 3: Fireworks. Lots of them. Dog cowers all night in shock, the fan is on high, and the music is blaring. Thus, sleep quality is low.

July 4: MORE fireworks, for longer. They’re now closer, as in the neighborhood. Dog cowers all night in shock, the fan is on high, and the music is blaring. Thus, sleep quality is, again, low.

July 5: Up early for work. Dead tired all day. Pot of coffee consumed.

July 6: Quality of sleep is better BUT body clock won’t let me sleep in. 4:45 am on a Saturday morning just isn’t right. Dog sleeps better as well since the stress level has gone back down.

July 7: Dog went to bed early. I went to bed late after watching a movie. Sleep is good, but body clock still says 5:15 am is a good time to get up. Seriously? Doesn’t my body know I am not going to work?

July 8: Today…3:30 am…dog is itchy, licky, whiny, and not sleeping well. Thus, I am in and out of sleep and the body clock says 5:22 is a good time to be awake.

At least I am not late for work…ever. Do I really need an alarm clock?

Anyone else have a hard time sleeping over the long weekend? Anyone else have a hard time sleeping with a pet(s) on the bed?

About last night

Posted on July 5, 2019 by backuphill

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It’s a full pot of coffee kinda drinking day.

I am going to venture a guess that not all who needed yesterday’s PSA, actually read it. I say as much since it was well after midnight when the explosions stopped and the dog stopped cowering.

Sleep. It was hard to come by and this poor guy had to get up early, like usual, for work. I am now sitting at my desk and wishing I could just have an IV of coffee. Last night is going to make for a long day at work…

Have a coffee. Have another. And another. Oh, the next one’s on me (if you find me and use the code, “I’ll have a 4th”). I am fixing to have another…and another…and another…

Perk up! It’s another day.

Holiday PSA

Posted on July 4, 2019 by backuphill

Happy July 4th everyone! Or, Happy Independence Day! Or, Happy Birthday, America!

Or whatever.

I doubt many of you will read this today since you’ll all likely be partying hard and enjoying bbq’d food, liquid hops, and exploding stuff. But just in case you happen to stop by and take a look today, I have one request.

Can you turn off your fireworks promptly at midnight?

Fireworks and Independence Day are technically reserved for July 4 and at midnight (12am) it is no longer the 4th, so you need to stop celebrating then. OK?

Thanks,

This Old Guy

Assigned seats

Posted on July 3, 2019 by backuphill

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Went to the movies last night and encountered something while buying tickets earlier in the day that was new – and didn’t like after I got to the theater.

The local AMC theater has always been first come, first served as far seating goes. Get there early and choose good seats. Come to think of it, I don’t think I have ever been to a theater that has done it any other way. So, when I went to buy tickets online yesterday afternoon (for a 7:15 showing) I just expected to buy tickets.

Instead I was greeted with a seating chart after I selected the movie (Spiderman: Far from Home) and I was supposed to select where I wanted to sit and how many seats I wanted. The chart showed available seats and which ones were not. I selected seats but was left wondering if this was going to be common practice or just because this was the opening night of a big movie.

After getting to the theater and asking a couple questions, turns out this has been going on for a couple months and will now be regular practice for all movies. OK, interesting.

Once in the theater, there were lots of people and single seats left all over the auditorium. Meaning, if you bought tickets late and went as a group, you would be split up for your group (as such, I have a 10 year old sitting next to me as the rest of his group was farther down the row). After thinking about this, I can’t imagine that this would encourage people to buy tickets for movies, but it might very well discourage most people.

I can tell you I don’t really like the practice. If I had logged in later in the day to buy tickets and all I saw were singletons or I was crammed into a row with people on boths sides, I wouldn’t buy a ticket.

I am still developing an opinion here, but I can’t see how this benefits ticket buyers.

What do you think? What is your experience? Do you like assigned seating at the movies?

Receipt check

Posted on July 1, 2019 by backuphill

empty gray metal shopping card near assorted plastic bottles

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Shoppers beware!

I was shopping at Safeway yesterday and upon checkout, the receipt didn’t appear to be right. Upon closer inspection, it was totally wrong!!

Safeway has a three tiered price structure – regular, Member, and Just for U. They send out weekly paper fliers and they have an app that supposedly can help you keep track of all the things you need, as well as the special offers for members and Just for U that may apply to the things you need.

Well that app, specifically the Just for U pricing, doesn’t appear to be working or maybe is just a scam. Check your receipt! After I left the store something didn’t feel right, so I compared the app prices to the receipt prices and there was something definitely wrong.

9 items were purchased and 7 of them we rung up with the incorrect price – totaling almost a $10 difference in being overcharged!! That’s kind of a big deal and not something you can just let slide. Not that $10 is that big a deal in the financial department to me, but it is for lots of people.

The question is, does this happen on a regular basis? Do you check your receipts? How many times does Safeway, et al, (FYI – Albertsons, Safeway, and Haggens are all the same company) let this happen? My guess is more than it should!

Bad computer programming? Easy mistake? On purpose fraud? Hard to say, but someone knows. The store had no explanation for it.

They refunded the appropriate amount, but I am not sure I am satisfied with that.

Do you regularly check your receipts? Have you ever notices a recurring problem at any stores?

Off the grid

Posted on June 28, 2019 by backuphill

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So I have been camping this week. I am sure it has been relaxing, but I can’t say for sure because I am writing this post ahead of time…like I did for all these posts this week.

When you are “off the grid” there is a certain kind of freedom because you aren’t faced with the rush of trying to keep up on everything that goes on around you. The outside world doesn’t interfere with the “here and now.”

But, there is also a downside to that. Once you have been off the grid for a few days, you start to feel the addiction of the grid. What’s going on? What are others doing? Is the world falling apart without me? It is really tough to unplug and “just be” because the internet and electronics are so imbedded in our lives.

Off the grid vacations are great, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t dread them a little too.

black and white blank challenge connect

Bent but not broken

Posted on June 27, 2019 by backuphill

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Can you believe some people use this as justification for breaking the rules?

Recently someone said, “Well, you never said I couldn’t…” – fill in the blank. They had bent the agreed upon limitation (rule, if you will) so that it could accommodate their desired outcome.

So, if that is the case, unless we explicitly define every possible circumstance then bending the rules is fine. Never mind the intent of the rule, or even the law.

That’s the problem today with society. We will do whatever we can to make things as easy and accommodating to get what we want. We find every way possible to bend the rules, which we know is wrong to do, just so we can get what we want.

Speeding? Oh, well, I was going downhill.

Cheating on a test? Well, is it really cheating if they didn’t say I couldn’t use the book?

Affair? It’s not an affair because we didn’t have sex.

Murder? Oh, well, I didn’t want the as yet to be born baby.

Sick day from work? No, I wasn’t sick but everyone does it. It was for my “mental health,” and go to the beach.

Which, or what, bent rule irritates you the most?

Don’t be that guy

Posted on June 26, 2019 by backuphill

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Don’t be that guy.

Or that one.

Or even that one.

What is with people and leaving their trash cans or recycle cans (or all their cans) out on the road after pickup? I mean seriously. Is it that much work to put your cans away?

I drive through the neighborhood and there are four or five people in about 4 blocks that have had their cans out since the last pickup day…5 days ago…

Don’t be that guy.

Take in your can(s).

If you’re out of town, arrange for someone to do it for you. Otherwise, you really have no excuse. You have to drive or walk by it when you return home so take care of it!

Oh, and while you’re at it, don’t be that guy that lets the animals or birds spread your garbage all over the place either. That’s just irresponsible and lazy.

Do you have any neighbors that do anything that drive you nuts? What do they do to send you over the edge?

Nuisance neighbor

Posted on June 25, 2019 by backuphill

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Well, the nuisance neighbor is at it again. No, I don’t mean the guy that lives next door. He actually is a pretty good guy. I mean the neighbor that moved into the yard. No, I don’t mean the family of trailer dwellers in the yard.

I mean the neighbor who digs holes throughout the yard and leaves mounds of fresh dirt behind as evidence that my efforts to exterminate him (or her; or them) are failing.

Yes, there is at least one but probably more like a family of moles living in the yard and they are popping up all over the place despite my best efforts to trap and kill them INHUMANELY.

I may have to resort to nuking the yard.

Perhaps the US Government would be interested in testing the next big nuke in my yard? I know that sounds drastic, but I am not even sure if that would take care of the little diggers. Pests.

These things are making me a grumpy(er) old man…

Got any yard problems or pests you’d like to go nuclear on?

Omission

Posted on June 24, 2019 by backuphill

black and white black and white depressed depression

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What do you consider a lie?

Is consciously leaving out information or details lying? If you only get part of the info, is it really the truth?

If someone repeatedly, or maybe habitually, omits info can you trust them? When do you draw the line?

This is a tricky topic because we all do it to some degree. Sometimes it is not on purpose, but other times it is an outright choice.

I guess the question really comes down to: Are you prepared to stand your ground when you know you are being deceived on purpose or do you just let it slide?