Family

Morning that got away

Posted on by backuphill

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Traffic accident on the commute.

Nearly late for usual Friday morning meeting.

Email.

More meetings.

Doing my job.

Yeah, the morning got away from me and there is no getting it back, as it is 12:25pm (my time). As such, the post today is 4.5 hours later than normal. So sorry.

AS you can imagine, that’s really annoying and I need to plan farther ahead. It’s just hard to keep up some days. A plate will fall once in a while.

Or a few plates.

How is your day? Have you had one get away from you lately?

Can’t hear you

Posted on by backuphill

fried meat beside sliced lemon and white mustard

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We are an entertainment society, as in we all want to be entertained all the time. Look at our culture. We carry around computers in our hands that are used for some communication, but mostly for entertainment.

It comes in various forms, but usually there is some kind of entertainment even when you go out to eat. TVs on the wall. Touch pads of some sort on the table. Music playing overhead. A live band. You are likely to find at least one of these forms of entertainment in a dining establishment near you.

The other day I was out to eat at a place and the music was so loud (not a band, just overhead) that I couldn’t talk with the person across the table from me. It felt like we had to shout at each other just to tell the other person we couldn’t hear what they were saying because of the music.

We probably should have left, but instead endured the abuse of our ears while we ate.

Maybe I am just getting old, though I don’t think it is that. I like loud music, but there is a time and place for it. When it comes to being social with others I don’t think music blaring is an appropriate time to give the speakers a workout. Most people like to visit while they eat.

So, is this becoming common practice these days? I noticed a while back while out with my family as well, though it wasn’t as bad as the last place it was still rather annoying.

Friends, what do you know about this? Are you similarly annoyed by the rising volume of music in restaurants?

Where are the laundry elves?

Posted on by backuphill

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I don’t know about your house, but there definitely are no laundry elves where I live.

Why can’t I just leave and come home to washed, folded, and put away laundry? I mean, seriously, does anyone enjoy doing this chore? If you do, how much does it cost to hire you?

There’s got to be an elf, or gnome, or app for that. Right?

There is no magic and it isn’t fun.

Just get done already.

Cuts so deep

Posted on by backuphill

kitchen knife

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Tip of the iceberg. Tip of the finger.

One you can see, the other I am afraid to look at.

Throbbing.

Intense throbbing after a mishap with a knife. Man they’re sharp. Look at your middle finger, imagine a line about mid fingernail, and then think cut across the line…it didn’t go all the way through. Luckily the nail stopped it to some degree. (sorry if it grosses you out)

Stupid carrot sticks. Healthy eating just isn’t worth this kind of pain.

Does it need stitches? Probably. Will I get them? Probably not.

Rub some dirt in it and put on some duct tape, right? Isn’t that the cure for injuries like this?

I’m gonna stop now, It hurts to type. And BandAids don’t make for easy typing either.

Flakey flakeness

Posted on by backuphill

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OK, “flakeness” is apparently a word I made up. No matter. It fits the description just fine.

Ever tried to sell something on Facebook Marketplace? Sometimes success. Sometimes utter failure.

I think I have talked about this in the past, but I don’t remember and can’t find the post if I did. But, really people are just flakes. Flakey Flakeness to the core.

How do you say you want to buy something, agree to a time and place, ask to be given advanced notice when you’re almost there, and THEN not show up? Don’t answer any more messages or texts? Really? Damn, people, get it together.

Follow through.

Say what you’ll do and do what you say.

Courtesy. It’s a cool thing we should still expect.

Stop the flakeness already!

 

Follow the instructions they said

Posted on by backuphill

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Follow the instructions.

Generalizing, this is a tough thing for us males to do. We just want to jump right in and make things happen. We know what to do instinctively. Now, that generalization might be true of many men but it is not true of me. I actually like to read the instructions and user manual so I can get the most out of something I just bought.

So, we have replaced a couple appliances in the kitchen recently and two of them arrived yesterday. I was left to replace the microwave after all was said and done (the store wanted $150 for the install). I looked at the instructions and measurements. I looked at the space and did the measurements. It would fit and it would work nicely in the space the old one filled.

Commence the two hour microwave wrestling session. I drilled new holes (because of course the old ones won’t work). I mounted the new bracket. I measured twice and sometimes even three times to make sure everything was going to line up. With some help, because I am not Superman, the microwave was hefted into position. It attached to the bracket just fine, but otherwise wouldn’t fit.

At this point I was wishing I had four arms and was three people. Off the microwave came. I measured some more. No, it is should fit just like it says. I measured again. Yes, it will fit. The microwave was hefted again and set on the bracket. Still no fit (of course, because I didn’t change anything). While while holding it in place I was formulating a plan – the plan was coming together…SHOVE until it fits. This is gonna work.

So, shove I did. No budge. Shove some more. Still no budge. Rest. Shove again, harder. No budge. Shove some more. Still no budge. Let’s try greasing the edge a little to help it along. (yes, I greased an appliance. You read that correctly.) Grease, in the form of Crisco, applied. Shove again. It moved right into place. Excellent. Now to finish the mount by attaching the screws on the top.

The holes don’t line up.

Damn, Koreans. This thing was probably built by North Korea or something…

Pull it back down. Re-drill the holes. I am just gonna guess this time since the template obviously was NO HELP the first time. Shove the microwave into place. The screws match perfectly. Microwave mounted.

The lesson: skip the instructions and template. Just eyeball it and give it a shot.

I guess I should just go with my maleness.

 

Raining on my parade

Posted on by backuphill

road landscape nature forest

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Not really a parade, per se. Not even a celebration of sorts. But it is raining.

I have been on vacation this week. The kids are on on spring break and since I am no longer a teacher I don’t get a spring break, so I made one and took vacation.

The first several days of my vacation were pretty productive and I have finished a few projects that needed some attention. There are still projects on my list and there are a few things that I am sure will come up as I think of more things to do.

One thing I hadn’t counted on and have never liked – rain on my vacation. Yes, I know it is selfish, but who wants rain on their vacation so their plans get ruined or put on hold? Wouldn’t you rather just have sun and be able to do what you want to do without interference from Mother Nature? No one wants to get rained out.

I guess I’ll have to see what inside projects I can add to the list.

“The sun’ll come out, tomorrow, tomorrow…”

 

Like mowing rocks

Posted on by backuphill

douglas-fir-cones_1024x1024

Up here in the PNW we have trees. Lots of them. They’re everywhere. Well, mostly everywhere. There are places that have a shortage of trees, but don’t feel sorry for them. Feel sorry for me. Please. Like right now. Feel it.

Right now I would like to cut down all my trees. I don’t really need them and I don’t really have a use for them. They’re really more of a pain really.

I think I have talked about one aspect of the pain on the blog already, pine needles. I think I also mentioned in another post about trees and their freaking leaves falling in the yard too. BUT there is another aspect of pain that I haven’t yet mentioned when it comes to my trees.

Pine cones.

No, not the great big ones with pokey things on them that smell like cinnamon that you can buy at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby or JoAnn Fabrics during Christmas time. While I am sure those are an issue for someone somewhere, they aren’t my issue.

My pine cones are from the Douglas Fir trees in the yard. (see the photo at the top) These stupid trees produce (seemingly) millions of pine cones every year and then during the winter months they shed them all over my freaking yard. When spring comes and it is time to mow the yard, these pine cones are in varying degrees of opening (so some are “soft” – meaning opened, and some are hard as rocks because they are wet and closed).

It takes time to pick these things up, bent over for hours scouring the ground to find them all (used to bride the kids to do it for money – one year they picked up 40 gallons [8 5-gallon buckets] of them). The kids are old enough now they aren’t going to fall for Dollar Store trinkets any longer.

So, rather than pick them up this year, I just decided to try and mow over them. Oh man the racket!! It was like mowing rocks.

So, between the pine needles and pine cones and sap from some of the trees, and falling leaves from some of the other trees, and moss all over the yard – yeah, this place is a modern day paradise for landscaping nightmares.

#smh

RSVP means nothing

Posted on by backuphill

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Yep, I said it.

You used to be able to expect some courtesy out of people when planning something like a party or gathering or whatever. Because, after all, you are planning something you want an RSVP for.

Common courtesy has become something of a lost…concept…these days. In a world where “Hey you do you and I’ll do me” seems to fly but no one is really good at doing anything anymore. Everyone is just half-assing their way through life.

OK, to be fair. not everyone. There are still some responsible adults out there. I don’t want to over generalize, but you know what I mean.

Anyway, if you get a request for an RSVP – DO IT! Otherwise it wouldn’t have been asked for.

Just do it. (stupid Nike…)

“Hi, I’d like to RSVP for ______________”

It’s just the right thing to do.

 

Such a sap

Posted on by backuphill

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Cars are parked in the driveway.

Pine cones, pine needles, leaves, bird droppings, dirt, pollen are all landing on the cars.

The most frustrating part is that isn’t all. Those trees near the driveway, not next to it or over it, NEAR it…somehow they manage to also drop sap on the cars.

Sap! That sticky stuff doesn’t just wash off. No, that would make it easy. That stuff requires extra elbow grease and some of that “Goof Off” liquid cleaner. It’s a little easier when it is on the windshield, but not so much when it is on paint (or on the roof, which is hard to reach for a short guy like me).

Oh, and don’t get me started about not seeing the sap before using the windshield wipers. Hey, let’s smear that crappy sap all over the windshield and make sure it sticks to the  wipers too.

It would be nice if the garage could be used as such. Not gonna happen.

#smh