Tag: cleanup on aisle 5

Uncategorised

Elec Man

I took Eaddie to school this morning and made it home to have a bowl of cereal before the electrician showed up. John and two of his henchmen showed up and got right to work, running some conduit up the side of the house and into the attic. I was a little worried about how it might all turn out, but overall I was quite pleased. I did have to climb into the attic once to pass along some tape, but outside of that, we didn’t spot any termite damage, and the Wall Connector powered right up. Dad showed up near the end to check things out, and once the guys were done, he wanted to take me to the airport to see the plane that he and Julie just bought.

I let him drive the Model 3, and we made it about halfway there before he realized he had forgotten the trash bag he needed to clean out the plane. We finally made it to the airport though, and drove past a really fancy jet to get to the hanger.

We stopped in to talk to the guy in the hanger next door, and he came around to chat with us some more while we cleaned just a little bit of trash out of the plane. I got Julie to come out, but she wasn’t in any condition to socialize. As she ran us off, she introduced us to her new boyfriend, Kevin, who would be joining us for Mom’s birthday dinner.

I got back home and put the garage back together, possibly better than it was before. By then I was pretty hungry, so I ran to Taco John’s for a snack and went by Superfast to visit with Summer. She was busy though, and put me to work filling her washer fluid drums. After that I went home and showered so we could go to Pasta Grill for dinner.

Summer had to work right up to dinner time, so I met her at Superfast and she drove us to the restaurant. Julie and Kevin were already there, and of course Mom and Dad were several minutes late. It was a fair time visiting, and most of the food was okay. I ordered the Grill Pasta, which was incredibly heavy. I was disappointed in the portion size, and then it was so saucy that it felt like eating forks of butter. I ended up taking well over half of it home.

When the girls got home from hanging out with their friends, Autumn came into the bedroom to tell us all of Eaddie’s drama, which had me rolling my eyes. Summer called Eaddie into the room so she could tell us herself, and we talked for a little bit. Then after Eaddie cooled off in her room for a while and I watched some TV with Summer, Eaddie came out to the kitchen table and chatted with me for quite a while longer. She felt good about how she responded to her classmates, and laughed at how accurately I described her friendships.

Now if only I could be as successful.

Uncategorised

Yard Work Makes Me Thorny

Eaddie surprised me this morning by needing a ride to school. Unsurprisingly, Autumn didn’t communicate that change with me before bed last night. I dropped her off and then went home to immediately start on some yard work. I figured with all the job hunting and other research I’ve been doing, I needed a little sunshine break.

I started a small fire without too much trouble, but it just never got roaring unless I had the leaf blower on it. It burned well enough to clean up a bunch of old, decomposing branches and sticks though. I put my heavy-duty rake to work and combed a bunch of branches out of the mowable area, so hopefully this can be the last year of cleaning up the wilderness. I was just outside by myself the entire day, and it felt good.

When I finally came inside to shower, the electrician called and wanted to start my project tomorrow morning. I took a break, showered, stayed on break, and finally went out to shuffle things around in the garage. One night of parking outside without charging won’t hurt, and if all goes according to plan, it won’t take more than a few hours to charge all the way up from now on.

Summer got Eaddie after robotics, and picked up some chicken for dinner. I headed up to their place as soon as I finished, and we quickly ate before I had to take Eaddie to another Tech band concert. Apparently she is meeting friends there, but I never see any of them around. I went home for the hour or so, and then picked her up afterward.

Everyone was more or less down for the count when we got back home. I shuffled the cars around so Summer could charge, and then hurried to bed after a long day of mild labor.

Seriously, I’m burning absolutely anything that hurts when you touch it.

Uncategorised

Work Searching Saturday

We got out of bed this morning, but it took a little bit to get started. I started playing some music videos on the TV and we all just sat around for most of the morning. Summer eventually went to the gym and I started job hunting again. We got Autumn outside to mow, but of course she tried bargaining her way out of it first. Eaddie was inside doing homework the whole time.

Summer came home feeling frustrated, but I showed her my own willingness to help out around the house by cleaning out her little vacuum cleaner. She had to call her maintenance guy because the sink had started leaking after the last time he came over to clean out the garbage disposal.

She let Autumn go out to the movies and hang out with her boyfriend, so the rest of us enjoyed a quiet evening at home. I picked up a couple pizzas from Little Caesar’s for dinner, but otherwise it was a super dull night with lots of reality TV.

Master Chef, but it’s only the dramatic pauses.

Uncategorised

Leaky Rail

I slept like a rock last night, and woke up a little bit late. When I finally got up, I noticed Eaddie’s phone reporting its location south of town, out in the woods. I tried to ask Autumn and Summer if she was leaving on a trip or something, but the longer she was out in the middle of nowhere, the more I suspected her phone was stolen. Summer ended up calling the school to learn that she was, in fact, on a field trip for her outdoors education class, but not before I texted Kevin to see if he thought the cops might help me recover a stolen phone.

After that, I headed home and wanted to try and track down a water leak in the roof of the Murano somewhere. Dad ended up coming by to help, but we couldn’t find anything around the sunroof as was suggested to me. It didn’t look like there were drain holes anywhere near that. After slowly pouring a couple gallons of water on the car, we did finally find where the roof rack was leaking in the back. We couldn’t get the front to leak, but I guess it’s likely to be the same problem. We couldn’t snap the cover off to try and remove the rack though, so I’ll have to get some softer pry tools or end up taking the thing to the dealership.

When we finished messing with that, Dad was hungry for a burger, so he took us to Hardee’s where we chatted for a bit. Then he dropped me back off at the house. I poked around a bit more and was about to take a shower when Eaddie called and wanted to know if she could come over for some help with homework.

Autumn dropped her off, but before we could get into anything, Brody called to hear the story of how they fired me. We chatted for quite a while, and then I found Eaddie to help with her science work. She started getting hungry, and Summer came by to trade vehicles since her battery was low, so Eaddie and I took a break to pick up some Popeye’s.

After we ate, she looked at her homework for a little bit more, and then had me take her home for a little bit before dropping her off at Tech for a trombone concert. She was only there for about an hour and then I picked her up. She finished her homework while everyone else was asleep. I was pretty tired myself, so I didn’t wait around too long to go to bed.

Increase productivity.

Uncategorised

The Old Man and the Pleas

I got up this morning and forced myself into the day. With my school board hearing approaching at a dreadnought’s pace, I had to formalize my thoughts into something I could actually present. I had some coffee and finalized some plans for our weekend trip first, since that happens first. Just as I was nearing time to head home, Allen texted and invited me out to lunch.

I met him at New China, and we spent the hour catching up. He said he lost his aunt that raised him, but he was more interested in what I’d been up to lately. I filled him in on the craziness, and he wished me well. I somehow managed to make it out of there without a bellyache, and he insisted on paying for my meal. I gave him a quick ride around town in the Model 3, and then I headed toward home.

John, the electrician, hit me up for some money again. I tried to withdraw it from an ATM, but I guess the amount was too high. It didn’t tell me why, but it declined the transaction and spat out my card. I headed home instead, to clean up for the day. Then I went to a location with humans to get his cash. He eventually showed up to my house, and I clarified what I wanted done. He seemed insistent on doing something completely different, but hopefully I got my message across about what I’d really like done. I’ll probably have to clean out the corner and precut some holes to make absolutely certain, but I gave him a little over half the cost of the job, and he was on his way.

I spent the rest of the afternoon recompiling what I wanted to present to the school board. It didn’t look as pretty as I had hoped, but maybe most of the text should be saved for myself anyway. I can always have a couple copies of that on hand, while giving out mass copies of my supporting documents for closer inspection. I’ll have several hours of uninterrupted time with Summer in the car tomorrow, so that will be my chance to really fine-tune everything.

It started to storm after nightfall, so I rushed to pack and then visited Dad before heading up to Summer’s for the evening. It got late fast, and I tried to pack too much into my evening. In the end, I made it to bed by midnight after a nightcap to calm the nerves. I’ll set an alarm for the first time in a month, and it’ll be one foot in front of the other for the foreseeable future.

Boldly going forward ’cause we can’t find reverse.

Uncategorised

6º

I got up when everyone left this morning, and made myself some fried rice out of some leftover egg yolks from a cake that Summer baked. Then I went home and got showered before my Tesla service appointment. Jacob came over a little before 11, and we kind of laughed at the fact that they sent him out for basically nothing since they denied any fault in my autopilot complaints. After that, we stood around talking about motorcycles for a while. He made a comment about the Grom, and it turned out he knew Chase from the group of guys that gets together to stunt ride.

Dad came over just as we were finishing up, and we went next door to work on Bác Vân’s patio door. We kept fighting getting it out from the inside when we should have just started from the outside. The fixed glass door was actually way easier to remove, so even though we had to lift more things, it was way less trouble than going out the wrong direction. The rollers didn’t seem to be in awful shape, but they were a part of a bracket that ran the width of the door.

We went to Lowe’s first to try and find some replacement rollers, but they didn’t have any. We saw Manuel on the way out, and he tried to help even in plain clothes, but he didn’t think they had the whole bracket, so we headed to Leonard’s. They had just the wheels, but they bolted on and we weren’t sure that would work with the bracket we had. In the end, we knew we were missing a screw to lower the rollers on one side, so Dad picked up a replacement and we headed back. I spotted Allen on his old Kawasaki on the way back, and it looked like he was enjoying the ride.

The replacement screw ended up not fitting, but after going through a couple drawers and several cookie tins of random screws, we actually found the original! I just had a feeling about it, and luck was on our side. We got the door back together and it was marginally better, but then the locking mechanism kept falling down. We went back to Leonard’s and picked up a new one, but then we had to Dremel the opening a bit in order for the latch to fit.

The project snowballed on us quite a bit, and we could still fix it better, but that was enough for one day. We put everything back together, Bác Vân forced some money on me, and some shrimp and rice on Dad. Then he went home and I waited for Summer to come get the paperwork to request a new title for the Pathfinder.

Autumn dropped Eaddie off to go ride her bike, and then Summer got her paperwork for the DMV. I waited around, exhausted, for Eaddie to finish, and then I took her home. It wasn’t long after that she wanted to go to the mall to do homework with some friends. I dropped her off, and then remembered I left my valve stem caps off for my appointment. I ran home to get them, and then headed back up to Summer’s.

Julie called me about another Entergy job I asked her about, and we ended up talking for quite a while, even as I had to pick Eaddie back up. It seems that no matter what happens next, it won’t happen fast. I’m fortunate to have savings, but we had plans for all that money I was making. Hopefully my hearing next week will keep that flowing at least for a little longer.

There’s gotta be a better way. I just haven’t started looking for it yet.

Uncategorised

We Have a Date

Eaddie woke me up from a pretty deep slumber this morning, and I hopped right up to get her to school just in time. Summer was at work, and Autumn left super early because of an Ed Rising competition out of town. I made it home after dropping Eaddie off, and it was a cold, slow start to the morning for me until I got an email from Judy with only a single date and time for my hearing.

After that, I went outside to try and reset the Pathfinder’s anti-theft system, but after pulling the battery and jumping through hoops with the ignition, I finally called a locksmith that told me it was most likely a bad computer that would just have to be replaced. That, of course, means either finding another old one to swap myself, or taking it to the dealership since it would involve reprogramming the keys anyway. That whole car just hardly seems worth the trouble, but hopefully airing it out today will at least help with the smell.

Later in the afternoon, Bác Vân called and asked me to come oil her back door because she was having trouble opening it. I felt bad for Doug, because she kept griping about him not fixing it, but apart from replacing the rollers, there wasn’t much else we could do. I guess that can be a project for tomorrow.

I thought I might accomplish a bit more than that today, but my mind just kept spinning in circles. I need a way to reboot myself, but I just don’t know what I need and at this point it feels impossible. At least I have a date for my board hearing, so that should help destress me. Maybe.

Eaddie got a ride home from a friend after her band buddies program. Once Summer got home, I headed up and grabbed some tacos along the way. Then I spent all evening trying to plan a couple days in Kansas City again. This is all just so much happening at once, and I’m done having it all on the back of my mind.

At least I’ve got rewards.

Uncategorised

It’s Electric

I still couldn’t sleep in much today, but I felt more rested than I had after the past week’s worth of nights. Judy responded to my email, but only to say that they would reach out as soon as they had some dates to choose from for my board hearing. I didn’t wait long to head home after that, and got started cleaning up a bit around the house. After a shower, I called a couple electricians to try and find one to install my Wall Connector. Doug’s Electrical had a girl answer the phone that didn’t seem to know what an electric vehicle charger was. I feel pretty confident they could have done the work, but she said they couldn’t. I ended up getting a hold of John from Arkansas River Valley Electrical, and he ballparked the job at $750, but said he could make it out later in the afternoon to check it out.

I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up in the garage, possibly unnecessarily. Summer came by after work and we tried to diagnose the Pathfinder, but then Eaddie needed a ride home from school because Autumn left sick at lunch time. I picked up a bucket of chicken on the way up to their house, but then John texted that he finally finished with his last job of the day and wanted to come by.

We had just enough time to eat, and then I left to meet him. He seemed super nice as he poked around a bit, though he didn’t actually touch much of anything, and mostly looked at the run from a distance. He said the internal panel wouldn’t support what I needed, but he said he could run it from the outside panel into the attic, and down the wall to where I wanted it.

With that short visit out of the way, I headed back up to Summer’s for the evening. There, I encountered frustration after frustration. The personalized license plate process has changed, and I couldn’t figure out how to pay for Summer’s online, so I’ll have to call tomorrow. Then I tried making the down payment, but Summer’s bank isn’t supported by Plaid, and her name isn’t on any of my accounts, nor do I have the total amount in any single account. To wrap up the night, my phone died and I struggled to get it charged enough to power back on. I’ve been super disappointed in the battery life, and I’m pretty sure it’s because of Life360. I can’t really quit using that while Autumn’s around though, because you can’t trust her any more than you’d trust a fart.

Too much at once.

Uncategorised

Can I Speak to Your Manager?

I got up this morning and made breakfast burritos. Autumn didn’t want one, so I had two. They were pretty great. Summer had to work, and the girls wanted to go out shopping. I went home for a bit, and then had the girls take me to Superfast so I could get the Pathfinder. I took it to Splash to vacuum out the inside, and then ran it through the car wash. It took hours to get the thing clean, and it still smelled awful. I thought it smelled like cats, but Summer said it was just mold or mildew from holding so much water for so many years.

Eventually I made it home, but was caught in limbo waiting to hear something back from Mark. I really wanted to send my request for a hearing yesterday, but that turned into this morning, which turned into “before 4:30,” which turned into “freakin whenever.” I eventually got it sent, and this was the easy part.

I headed back to Splash to catch Summer on her way out. She had to close shop late, and then we headed up to her house. The girls came out for a little bit while Summer ate some leftovers and I picked at some summer sausage. Summer got ready for bed, and then I got a message from Ernie, who wanted to chat on the phone. I called and talked to him for a little while, and he kept wanting to get together sometime. While I’d enjoy hanging out for a bit, the kilt club drama sounded a whole lot like the furry club drama I had just read about. I guess that’ll teach me to hang around Facebook.

I’m shipping up to Boston, whoa!

Uncategorised

MonteGo

I took Eaddie to school this morning and then went home rather aimlessly. It’s been three weeks, and I’ve been feeling the stress of not knowing what will happen. Eventually I got showered, and Summer asked for lunch since they were busy at Superfast. I picked up some corndogs from Sonic and brought them up to her office. Of course she was busy when I got there, so I had to wait around for her to be ready to eat.

When I left there, I went to the revenue office to see what I would need to register the Pathfinder without a title. Their parking lot was absolutely packed, so I went home for a break before trying again. By then, they were completely dead and I was the only one waiting with a number. Apparently the form I found online was wrong, so I got a different form from the girl there, and went back to Superfast to talk to Summer.

Cousin Nick was ready to move on buying the Montego, so I went home to trade vehicles, and then made it up to Summer’s to clean all of her stuff out of the car. I grabbed some Freddy’s on the way, and paid for it again by the end of the evening. We got everything out of the car and found the title, but couldn’t find the other key fob. Hopefully it turns up tomorrow.

Eaddie was in bed super early, so I never really saw her. Autumn passed through a couple times when she wanted something. Summer was exhausted from work, so of course she went to bed as quickly as she could.

I think I’d just rather be on a boat.