home | Piss and Moan

Down to the last

Posted on July 22, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Foodie Factor on Pexels.com

I had an important errand to run over the weekend and forgot all about it. It crossed my mind at least once…there is something I need to do but what is it?

Now, as I sit in my cube this morning getting ready for the day I remembered what I needed to do. It is glaringly obvious at the moment.

I have no coffee creamer and I am down to my last coffee pod.

This is a problem. One that can’t be remedied today.

I can drink coffee black, but I don’t prefer it that way. I know there are lots of people out there who do like it that way, but I look at drinking coffee like a black and white TV – sure, I can watch TV on it but I prefer my picture in color. It’s just better that way. The same goes for coffee.

The real question is, how am I going to make sure there is no coffee crisis in the morning when I return to work. I don’t have time today, or this evening to get coffee pods. This is the real crisis.

I just might die shortly after the start of work tomorrow.

**Old TV announcer style voice: Tune in tomorrow for the next episode to see if our hero survives. Will he make it? Will the forces of evil prevail? Don’t miss tomorrow’s program to find out more.**

Check is in the mail

Posted on July 17, 2019 by backuphill

selective focus photography of a mailbox

Photo by Abstrakt Xxcellence Studios on Pexels.com

No, this isn’t what you think. It has nothing to do with someone supposedly sending a payment and telling you the cliche “Check is in the mail.”

No, this has to do with those unwanted, unnecessary, and unsolicited credit card offers that come in the mail with checks “for convenience.”

The long and short of it, quite frankly, is that this practice should be illegal.

Why, you ask? Well, let me break it down for you…

Identity theft. Could this make it any easier for someone to steal, or at least impersonate you to get money or open an account in your name? I don’t know if anyone has noticed but mail theft is still a thing these days.
Increasing debt. Americans have a saving problem and instead have exactly the opposite – a debt problem, of epic proportions. Sending people “free money” in the mail isn’t a practice that should continue because it encourages the behavior that gets many people in trouble financially, and likely legally too.
Junk mail increase. We don’t need more crap in our mailboxes! Not to mention the incredible amount of waste it generates. Companies want to be “green”, right? Perhaps they should think about the waste they generate and environmental impact they have because of their unsolicited mailings.
Because I want it that way. Call me grumpy. Call me a curmudgeon. Call me whatever you want, but I want it my way. Besides, I am pretty sure I speak for nearly anyone with a mailbox. We’ve had it up to our earlobes with your junk mail, credit card offers, catalogs, and other crap.

Anyway, I don’t know if they can make it illegal but I am sure it would get a lot of votes it it were put to the people. It’s irritating on many levels, so it isn’t “for my convenience.” It just creates other problems the consumer has to deal with.

Who’s with me here?

What do you receive in the mail that irritates you to no end? Drop a comment below with your mailbox frustration.

Why, oh why?

Posted on July 12, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by tyler hendy on Pexels.com

Half day at the office today.

No, it’s an official work day. I am just taking a half day to go play golf (well, my version of playing it…course destruction, tree hitting, let’s go swimming after the ball golf) with a buddy.

And what do we here at work? There is some sort of “emergency” that requires immediate attention…

Think that is gonna keep me at the office?

Hell no.

Someone else can deal with this crap. Besides, the district doesn’t need to access their data anyway. It’s summer. LOL

Catch you on Monday! FOUR!!

Every experienced an “emergency” on a day where you were looking forward to something else? One of those things that will suck your attention until dealt with?

Something you ate?

Posted on July 10, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by hermaion on Pexels.com

Ever have that queasy feeling that you just can’t shake?

Like, it just hangs on but doesn’t really have an effect until later? Yeah, that is me today.

I started feeling it last night before bed. I was hoping maybe sleep would help so I just skipped most of the evening and headed for the pillow. Unfortunately, that just turned into a night of tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable. There is something going on in there and it doesn’t feel right. But, I wasn’t so uncomfortable that it caused me to get out of bed.

Well, this morning it came. Maybe it was something I ate yesterday or last night. I normally have a pretty iron clad stomach, but his morning…well, let’s just say everyone wanted out of the pool.

Multiple visits to the throne room already. It’s gonna be a long day at work. Luckily (if, in this situation, that’s possible), it happens to be just one end – the bottom end – and not both.

There. I said it without saying it. Enough to get the picture but not too much.

Have an uncomfortable Wednesday, people.

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

Photo by Christian Domingues on Pexels.com

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?

Receipt check

Posted on July 1, 2019 by backuphill

empty gray metal shopping card near assorted plastic bottles

Photo by Fancycrave.com on Pexels.com

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?

Don’t be that guy

Posted on June 26, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

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

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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?

Half truth

Posted on June 19, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Suena Bennett on Pexels.com

I think I have talked about this before, but I can’t find the past post. I think it had something to do with “omission,” when someone intentionally leaves out part of the truth. I guess that means it is possibly “half the truth.”

But really, do you just get the feeling like you’re being lied to? Like something just isn’t quite right?

I can’t put my finger on it, but I know when I am being lied to. Or, as some would say, just not getting all the truth. Let’s just say too past experiences have developed this sense.

I don’t get this feeling at or from work.

Relationships are hard. Sometimes I just wanna be alone and not deal with it all. If I try to ignore it, will it just go away?

Perhaps I just don’t like people. No, not perhaps. I mostly don’t. like. people.

OK, to be fair, most people. I don’t like most people. There, I said it.

Maybe I am just tired of distrusting people. I would like to trust them, but I am finding the trust is misplaced. So, trust is hard to come by.

The fog of life has got me thinking…

Anyone else have trust issues? Do you find you keep putting in the wrong places or people? What do you do to build it, keep it, etc.?

On the horizon

Posted on June 17, 2019 by backuphill

macro photography of black sunglasses on sand

Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com

The longest week known to man is the week before a vacation.

The days drag.

The nights are filled with planning and preparation.

Vacation is on the horizon but there is so much to do beforehand.

While at work the only thing you can think of is what you would rather be doing during the vacation week to follow.

It’s as if vacation is but a mirage in the desert right now. Is it real? Will it provide relief and rest? Is refreshment ahead?

I can see it. I can almost touch it…and yet the horizon feels so far off.

How do you make it through the week before a vacation? Do you have a strategy to deal with the anticipation and distraction?