Holidays | Piss and Moan

Season’s greetings

Season’s greetings to all you out there who are vaccinated. The White House would like you to know that you are safe and can go about your business as usual, regardless of breakthrough infections everywhere.

If you’re unvaccinated, no season’s greetings to you. We wish death and destruction, to you, your families, and the hospital system you are surely going to overwhelm for the umpteenth time.

The White House and the President need to work on their messaging.

Might have as well said, “Happy Apocalypse!” or “Merry Death and Destruction!”

That sure makes up for all the missing “mean tweets” we haven’t had in a while. Let’s just make it an official statement direct from the big house.

Seriously.

“We’re the party of inclusion – except for you, you, and your family too.”

Mixed up your messaging much?

Oh, wait, there never was an ACTUAL belief in inclusion unless you follow along, tow the line and not resist. There is room for you in this party…do as we say and you won’t get hurt. Don’t do as we say and we’ll cancel the hell outta ya (even if you’re one of us).

*eye roll*

Happy holidays…and keep your head down.

Must endure

Posted on December 20 by backuphill

The next three days will be a slog…gotta admit. Why? Well, there is a vacation on the horizon and not checking into work for the better part of nearly two weeks has got me excited.

Thus, I must endure the next several days.

This will be the first real vacation for me in quite some time. The last week of February this year, in fact. There have been days off here and there in between, but this will be the first extended time since then.

Anyway, just thought I would put out there that I am feeling a little “short-timer’s disease” and looking forward to some time off.

Anyone else taking time off during the holidays?

**Interesting note: when you type in “vacation” for the free pictures in Pexel, nearly all the pictures come up as tropical, sunny, and sandy…I must be doing my vacations wrong…**

Unpleasant chores

Posted on December 6 by backuphill

Call me Scrooge, I don’t care. “Bah-humbug,” I say.

Yesterday was the first dry day in a week. The temp also topped out at about 42 degrees. So, of course, the dreaded and despised task of putting up Christmas lights on the house and yard was required.

Ladders. Dead light strings. Hanger things (don’t know what else to call them). Cords everywhere.

Ugh.

It’s done, but I hate the fact that in about a month (probably when it is even colder) I’ll have to take down all that crap and put it away.

There is something about all seasonal décor that just irks me.

It’s fine for other people. I just could care less about it.

How do you feel about it? Which camp do you fall in – decorate till the cows come home OR Scrooge?

Shopping sales

Posted on November 29 by backuphill

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

It seems Black Friday started at the beginning of October this year. I guess we are living, supposedly, in perpetual “Black Friday prices” land for the foreseeable future. Today is Cyber Monday and best I can tell they are just the Black Friday prices recycled. Anyone else feel that’s the way it’s been for the last several years?

Yes, I am paying attention to the sales, though I haven’t yet left the house to go to any…because, why? Why leave home for a sale when you can get the same thing online? “It’s for the experience.” LOL Been there and done that in my younger years. Wasn’t worth it. No one needs that experience. Besides, there isn’t anything that I want that bad.

Oops, did you catch that in the last sentence?

“…anything that I WANT that bad.”

Hence, the problem with shopping the sales this time of year. Anyone else have a hard time not shopping for themselves?

As I look through the various sales, I inevitably find things that I want – either have been looking at in the past and was waiting for a sale or it’s something completely random and I just WANT it.

I typically resist this urge, but at times it is difficult. This time of year sucks because the budget can only handle so much (even with planning) and then all of the sudden I find myself thinking, “It’s on sale? Sweet, just what I have been waiting for!” Half of my browsing is seeing things I want to buy or would buy if I was Christmas shopping.

Anyone else’s shopping dominated by thoughts about just buying stuff for yourself?

It’s a problem and I don’t like it. Not because I don’t have the money, but because my discipline is seriously eroding with each passing moment.

Health frustration

Posted on November 24 by backuphill

The body is a mystery. When it comes right down to it, the medical professionals still don’t know as much as they would like you to think they do. Because of this, when there really is a mystery they are pretty much spending your money and playing a guessing game when they have no idea what is really going on.

Many many blood tests. Many doctor’s visits. Multiple meds tried. Multiple xrays done. Specialists seen. MRIs being done. Still, no answers.

No one wants bad news when it comes to their health.

Headaches, extremities tingling, touch sensitivity, a never ending and persistent cough for seemingly no reason, extreme fatigue…the hope was that the MRI on the head would reveal something that would give the docs a clue as to what is going on. Results? Everything looks normal.

In one sense, that’s great news! But in another sense, that really sucks. Again, no one wants bad news but at least bad news would be something. Now what?

Going into Thanksgiving, we can’t help but be thankful for what and who we have in our lives. We really are blessed. Can’t deny that.

BUT, this has been going on for 2+ months now and there is no answer in sight. Frustrating to say the least. Maybe the MRI of the spine will show something, but likely not. There was really the thought that the head MRI would be the picture that was needed to discover a (some) cause. Not so much.

The frustration continues.

Thanksgiving plans

Posted on November 9 by backuphill

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Why are holidays so freaking hard to make plans for?

Multiple families, adult children, preferences, and schedules are so damn hard to make any definitive plans for. It is an irritating task every year, punctuated with the fact that trying to accommodate everyone is a real pain.

Why can’t it be more simple?

My parents & sibs, her parents and sibs, our children, their children…its chaos on the day but chaos and headaches leading up to it as well.

I think we’ve hear just about every excuse why something won’t work for somebody. Never can everyone ever cooperate with trying to make the plans or participate.

“I don’t like big groups.”

“We don’t know them that well and would be uncomfortable.”

“There is too much planning involved.”

“That isn’t our tradition.”

“We have to try to make it work for everyone so no one is left out.”

“I don’t want to do it that early.”

“There won’t be anything I can eat because of my diet.”

UGH!

It can’t just be, “We are doing lunch/dinner at XX:XX and if you would like to participate let us know. Here is what we are providing and here is what we still need: _________.”

No, that would be too easy.

It isn’t just this holiday either…Christmas, Easter, 4th of July…ugh.

Tiring. Irritating.

There is something to be said for being alone…just saying…

Start early

Posted on October 29 by backuphill

Here comes the flood…

The flood of corporate emails from CEOs and marketing departments and advertising agencies, etc., that are pleading, begging, everyone to “shop early” and “shop often” because of the supply chain issues and the possibility of products not being in stores in time for Christmas.

The basic message, “Buy now. Spend money now. Give us your money now.”

Anyone else baffled by this? I have seen tv commercials pleading the same thing. I see internet ads extolling the “virtue” of shopping now so you don’t lose out on gifts for the holiday.

Not sure if you have noticed (you probably have, you’re not blind), but Christmas started two weeks ago. I am not talking about the “early in, early out” stores like Costco and others that bring in decor early. I am talking about the fact that stores are already promoting “Black Friday” sales.

It makes me curious, though. If I shoot my shot now, what happens when I see something in a month, or two, that I want to get at that time but I already blew my budget because I panicked and bought early, like they would like me to? Oh, wait! That’s what they want to happen. They want us to spend out money now and then forget that we already spent our budget and then overspend as the season continues. They want us to spend the money we don’t have because they enticed us early and often, created a panic buy situation earlier than ever, and then when it comes time to get what we really wanted instead of settling for something we bought early we get ourselves into buying that we can’t afford.

I see what you’re doing here. Unfortunately, so many people don’t have any idea what is going on.

Guess what will happen when we get closer to Christmas? All that product sitting out there on those boats will magically show on shelves everywhere. Just like it would have in every previous year.

Manufactured crisis? (LOL pun intended) It might very well be.

So, are you going to spend your money early or are you going to hold on to it in hopes of actual products you may want (and probably even better sales to get rid of all that stuff that came in “late”?

Hey there

Posted on July 2 by backuphill

Hey there! How’s about you have a great weekend…and for those of you in the US, have a great 4th of July!

I have posted far less than normal last month, but things have slowed down now and it looks like there will some time over the summer to work on projects and get caught up on stuff.

With a long weekend coming up, I wanted to wish you all a happy and safe one.

I don’t really care. It just sounds nice. Let’s go with that.

See ya next week!

Don’t be

Posted on May 28 by backuphill

There’s a holiday on Monday, in the US at least. It’s Memorial Day, for those who have somehow lost track of time or are just that uninformed.

So, don’t be…don’t be that jackwagon that has a hard time remembering what the day is for.

Don’t be that person who mistakes Memorial Day for Veteran’s Day. Memorial Day is set aside to honor the people who have DIED in the service of our country – specifically the military. It isn’t a day to honor people who have served in the military – that’s Veteran’s Day.

Oh, and while you consume beer, bbq, lounge at the beach or lake, or just generally do whatever the heck you want…how about you take a second and remember that the freedoms you are enjoying is because someone sacrificed their life for you (either recently or all the way back to the founding of our country).

I know it is hard to fathom that someone gave their all, everything they had, for you but it’s the truth.

I know it is hard to fathom considering the government and people who have no business telling you what you can and can’t do in your life right now because of some pandemic, but it’s the truth.

Don’t be a the person who forgets what was given and what is going to be given up if you don’t push back against changes being forced upon us today.

Don’t be the person who lets the sacrifices of those who have gone before us be for nothing because we let the fear of a virus consume us.

Just don’t be.

End of

Posted on December 31, 2020 by backuphill

End of the year brings lots of thoughts, usually. I am not going to waste your time on mine and I likely won’t read any of yours. Truth be told, there are better things to be doing today than sitting in front of a computer.

Tomorrow starts a new day. A new month. A new year. There will be new challenges, but there will be a lot of the same old ones too.

Looking back over this last year of challenges only brings frustration. But, looking ahead brings stress because there isn’t a way to know what is ahead.

So, take it day by day and keep your head down.

Cheers.