comfort | Piss and Moan

Two times

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What do you look forward to during the day? For me, there are two times during the day that I look forward to the most. Obviously, there are other times I look forward to – the end of the work day, meals, sitting on the couch to watch a show or play a video game…but there are TWO that stand out the most for me. Those two times are climbing into bed, pulling the covers over me, and when I first climb into a hot shower.

I suppose looking forward to climbing into a hot shower can be any time of the day, but for me it is usually in the morning. I start (for the most part) the day with a shower. Most days its early. That part is the downside of getting into the shower, but the feeling of the hot water running over my body and the tingle/sting on my skin is the best. It really makes me want to stay in the shower all day! Alas, I can’t. So, I savor the moment for a little while and then move along.

The second time of day to look forward is climbing back into bed. The feeling of the mattress against my back and then using the arm to sweep the covers back over my body to envelope me in warmth (once the coolness dissapates). Snuggling down into the bed and “burrito-ing” is the best! You can just feel the day just go away at that point. All is calm, all is forgotten.

What are your two times? What parts of your day do you look forward to?

As I expected

Posted on August 5, 2021 by backuphill

I am back home in my garage office and I have to say it feels so much better. As you know from a previous post, Unhappy returns, I have to start going into the office at least two days a week. Totally and wholly unwelcome development in the work from home saga.

Anyway, I have just spent the last two days doing the whole commute in the morning and afternoon, office interactions, meetings, and getting reacquainted with a cubicle work, and cubicle moving/reorganization.

The office was noisy. There were people always coming over to say “Hi” and to catch up. I had to set up my computer in a totally different arrangement since my home office uses three monitor and the office only has two. My headset had to be reconfigured to actually be able to talk to people via Zoom and Teams (of course, you don’t realize this until you are in a call). Everyone is bathing in sanitizer and wearing masks… Can’t use the lunchroom. Sheesh.

Honestly, I didn’t want to leave my cube and I didn’t really wanna be there in the first place. So, I did my time and got outta there! I hate that I am going to have repeat this whole disruption to my best work environment on a weekly basis.

Ugh.

So, I am back in the friendly confines of the familiar and I like it. This is where I should work from all the time.

Travel day

Posted on March 2, 2021 by backuphill

The trip home will begin shortly and I don’t like using the app the write. So, I’ll update you on how the return home goes tomorrow.

I already know there will be a less comfortable trip based on an email I got a couple days ago…so there’s that to look forward to.

Catch ya tomorrow!

Project overload

Posted on June 22, 2020 by backuphill

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Spring and summer…

…mean projects.

Somehow, I keep adding projects to my list instead of actually finishing the ones I have already going. I am getting to project overload. Or is it projects overlord? Either way, I have enough to do for the rest of the summer.

I gotta stop this.

I can only track so many things at once. Men have “boxes” and too many “boxes” means that we can’t get anything done because we are trying to arrange and balance those “boxes.”

As such, focus is lost because now I am worrying about how to make those boxes work.

Time to dump boxes and focus on one.

Which is most important? One thing at a time. Please.

In the dark

Posted on November 25, 2019 by backuphill

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There is something disconcerting about entering a dark room. It is one thing when it’s your room and you are familiar with it, it is a totally different thing when the room is completely unfamiliar to you.

Over the weekend I was on an overnight adventure that required a hotel stay. I got to the hotel after dark and checked in. After receiving directions to get to the room, I learned there was an “outer” door that would lead to and entry way where I would find two doors, one for my room and one for another (an A and B room).

When I got to the room, the outer door was locked (as I expected it to be). I unlocked it and started to step in to the entry room and there was no light. None. I expected it would be motion activated, but no such luck. So, the fumbling with full hands and a phone flashlight ensued and I managed to unlock my room door. (As it turns out, someone had switched off the motion activated light.)

Once I got the room door open, the light switches by the door in the room didn’t work. So, now the fumbling Olympics of feeling your way through an unfamiliar, dark room began. I finally located a lamp on the nightstand and turned on a light. As it turns out, someone (probably the last guest) had turned off the lamp that was plugged into a switched outlet, thus making the switch useless to the next guest.

I have to say it is more than a little irritating to check into a hotel and find two lights, either near or in, your room not working. If you know your guests will be checking in after dark (we are in the winter months here, so it gets dark early), why not make sure the lights will work as expected. OR, better yet, why not make sure there is a light on IN THE ROOM when the guest gets there? It’s the little things folks. The little things that impress and make you want to stay there again. Sure, maybe most people wouldn’t notice, but I guarantee there are many who would.

Yeah, but what about the wasted power…blah blah blah…I don’t care. With LED bulbs the power usage would be minute compared to the repeat business it would generate because people notice the little things. Everyone likes to come home to a lit house on a dark night or evening. It’s these types of things that I mention when I leave a rating online.

A hotel should treat it’s guests like they are arriving home.

It’s the little things. Details matter.

I am not sure I can sleep on it

Posted on January 9, 2019 by backuphill

selective focus photography of long coated white and black dog lying on white cushion

Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

How is it that we fall into a pattern that is both comforting and annoying at the same time? Yes, I know, we all have habits that are both good for us and bad for us. The battle against the bad for us is often overwhelmed by the battle of what’s bad for us. Why do we like thing that are bad for us? Wait, that is a topic for another day…

Anyway, I have been sleeping with this one thing that is bad for me. Rather, I may not be sleeping enough because it is sleeping with me. The bad habit to which I refer is sleeping with the dog on the bed. It is both comforting and annoying at the same time!

I once had cats that slept on the bed. It was nice and all, but I found I had adjusted the way I sleep for them in fear that I would wake or disturb them. As it turned out, after I kicked them off the bed, I slept better when the weren’t on the bed. So, I kicked them off permanently and they no longer even think about sleeping there.

But now there is little dog that has wormed it’s way into my heart and it now sleeps on the bed. I say little because it isn’t big. It’s a Shih Tzu, so it needs help to get onto the bed and back off the bed. But, for a little dog it sure takes up space! It likes to sleep right up against you and it kicks and squirms and wiggles and licks and scratches and snuggles…there is a little comfort in knowing it is there. One, for a small dog it produces a huge amount of heat! So it can keep me warm at times. I have also discovered that it doesn’t ever go to the bathroom on the bed. When it stays in the living room and sleeps on the couch at night, there have been times where it will go to the bathroom in the house. If it is on the bed, there are no accidents and in most cases do I rarely have to get up to let it out at night. It’s weird that way.

Anyway, it is getting to the point where I don’t really want it on the bed any longer because I have noticed the old habits with the cats have come back. I am more worried about disturbing it than how it has affected my sleep habits and pattern. So, can I sleep with it any longer or do I need to continue to sleep on it and not rock the boat?

What do you think? Do you have similar issues at your house? Do you sleep with pets and how does your slumber suffer because of it?

I’m too old for this

Posted on September 10, 2018 by backuphill

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I recently attended a mini family reunion on the other side of the state. It was a quick one, just over a weekend so two nights was all I was staying. I was also going alone, kids were busy and wife had to work, so I didn’t need to take the usual stuff. I wanted to travel light and quickly.

So, I threw a few camping type supplies into the car and some clothes, and off I went. Tent, sleeping bag, clothes, food.

Well, I regretted “go light” as soon as I climbed into the tent to sleep. I didn’t include the usual stuff like a sleeping pad or an air mattress, like I would have if someone else was along with me. What was I thinking?

My body doesn’t handle the same things it could when I was younger. Apparently my brain thinks I am still young enough to do this crap, my body obviously let me know that wasn’t the case. Comfort? Yeah, not so much. Sleeping on the ground and having an old body (or at least feeling old) just doesn’t add up to much sleep.

Lesson learned? Take the comfortable stuff. It isn’t over-rated.

The only safe place on Earth

Posted on August 20, 2018 by backuphill

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Monday morning and there seems to be only one safe place left on Earth. Ok, to be fair, each of us only has one safe place left…

BED.

I don’t want to get up. I don’t want to go to work. I don’t want to do anything today. I don’t want to see people. I don’t want to talk to people. I don’t want to sit in traffic. I don’t want to…I just don’t want to…

WAIT. Maybe bed isn’t the safest place any more. I think I have just been assaulted by my alarm clock. Damn. So much for this safe space.