Tag: family

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Bring Your Ex-Employee to Work Day

I went home to clean up, then picked Summer and Autumn up to head to Little Rock for another appointment at Children’s. We were early, so we picked Ben up at his office and ate at Cotham’s again. The three of us couldn’t resist the burger, but Ben had the chicken fried steak this time. I also ordered onion rings for an appetizer. All of the food came out super fast, and though the fries weren’t as good as last time, the burger was again incredible. I’ve made up my mind. I must own a flat-top grill.

We finished up a bit early, but we went ahead and dropped the girls off at the hospital so they could get in for the appointment. Then Ben showed me the way back to his parking garage. We walked up a couple flights of stairs, through a breezeway, and above the news studio, which was really neat. I vaguely remember going there, or somewhere similar on a field trip as a child. When we got back to his office, we sat for a little bit before he had me help fish a cable through some conduit in the wall. It was already run through the ceiling, but had to be dropped and terminated, which is kind of my favorite part anyway.

For the next couple hours, we sat in his office and just worked on our own things. I had my work laptop and picked through some email and a couple work orders. We talked about some of the scripts he had running in the past, and the reasons we had for doing certain things the way we did. His predecessor Kendal came in periodically from across the hall as they worked on something, frequently making comments about some “mothership” that I found amusing.

The girls eventually finished up and I picked them up to head toward home. We didn’t play around any more in Little Rock, opting instead to head through to Conway to shop at Sam’s. We walked nearly the entire store before heading out. There was some kind of wreck that had traffic completely stopped on the interstate going the other direction. That was stuck for hours as we drove across town to get a car wash.

Summer went inside to chat for a few minutes, and then we continued home. We had to pick up Eaddie from her friend’s house, and from then everyone settled in surprisingly slowly. I ate some leftover lasagna while Summer had the last half of her burger from lunch. Time just seemed to move a little differently.

Like an annoying little sibling???

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Hate Heat

I woke up pretty early this morning and waited around until Eaddie was ready to go ride her bike. Then I brought her home with me so she could ride, but she ended up sitting in her room here for a couple hours before she left. I cleaned up and then had to run by SuperFast where Summer and her team were decorating for Paint the Town Green and Gold.

They wanted to paint a mural of a football field on their window, so I set up a projector and some paper towel that was thin enough for them to see the projected image on the other side. Eaddie and her friend Aaron rode their bikes there and helped a little bit before going on their way. I eventually left to try and help Dad with his pool pump issue, but he had given up for the moment.

Even being inside Summer’s shop, the heat sapped me and I felt gross again. I cooled down at home until Eaddie made it back home, and then we went back by the shop to see Summer’s progress. They were almost done, so Eaddie and I went on to my parents’ house for spring rolls. Summer met us there once she was finished, and we had dinner.

I hung around for a little while before coming home to wind down. I played tug-of-war with one of the girls that was trying to play music on her Google Home/Nest speaker at their house. It absolutely infuriates me that the stupid speakers are supposed to be able to identify who is talking to them, but there is no way for me to control who has access to my YouTube Music account. It shouldn’t let any of them play from my account, and it’s ruining my suggestions and causing a headache any time we happen to be listening to music at the same time.

It just makes me incredibly cranky.

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Everything Day

We got up this morning and the purse/wallet collection I bought Summer was delivered, so I surprised her with that. Autumn was up and wanted CJ’s for lunch because evidently none of them had ever had it. Eaddie wasn’t interested, but I met Summer and Autumn there. It was more disappointing than usual, with small patties and soggy fries.

I rode back home feeling super muggy, and eventually got cleaned up enough to go shopping with Summer. I picked her up and we went to Walmart to pick up some things for her Paint the Town Green and Gold for Tech next week. Then we went back to get Eaddie so we could deliver her to the bowling alley for a double date.

Autumn had to work in the evening, so Summer and I just went to my parents’ house for beef spring rolls while we waited for Eaddie to finish up. We took a peak at the pool pump that had seized up, then took a bolt with us to find an extracting socket that would fit. Eaddie finished up and we all went up to their house for the evening.

Summer had some laundry to get going, then went to bed while Eaddie and I watched some House. Being school season, Eaddie gets tired really early, so we only got a couple episodes in before she started dragging. I finished up my routine and tried not to get to sleep too late.

Shoulda gotten the rain suit…

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Chained

Within the first couple hours of falling asleep last night, I pinched a nerve in my back that stuck with me the rest of the night and then all day long. I trundled into work for a bit of a meeting that wasn’t much of a meeting. From then on, I was pretty well stuck in my office all day. Everyone disappeared in the morning while I worked on a little bit of everything.

Gary came back to work a little later in the morning, saying he thought he had COVID, but felt back to normal now. For whatever reason, he never could arrange a test with the school nurses, so he just came back to work and stayed to himself all day. People filtered back in for lunch, and the six of us that weren’t Gary went to La Chiquita for some of the best food and service I’ve ever had there. I tried the omelet, which was more of just an egg scramble, and though it didn’t seem very Mexican aside from the rice and beans, I did enjoy it. It was also cheap and filling.

After lunch, we had a little bit of a meeting to cover the flow of data from the state systems, which is something we have to cover from time to time on account of how we never keep employees for very long. Then a group was sent to the junior high to hang some TVs. I stayed behind and did some stuff remotely until it was quitting time.

I ran home to change, and then met Summer and Eaddie at Old South for Dad’s birthday. He and Mom came along shortly, and then Julie showed up once we were seated. From what I could tell, most of the food seemed overcooked and dry, but I enjoyed the taste of my Louisiana redfish in spite of it. I suppose I was expected to get moisture from the liquified butter they brought me.

On the way home, I stopped by Walmart for a bike chain that Eaddie ultimately didn’t use. She decided to ride in the car with Summer to watch part of Autumn’s football game instead of riding her bike. I stayed home to decompress, and then made some ice cream when they returned with milk and cream. We watched a couple episodes of House until Autumn came home, and then everyone went to sleep.

That’s a paddlin’.

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Track Your Time

I walked in to work this morning and immediately fielded two phone calls, which prompted me to create the Super Brody Tracker. Zach had joked that we should write tally marks every time he calls, so instead I built a spreadsheet for hilarity’s sake.

It was otherwise a pretty scattered morning, but I felt good about it. I closed some things, and helped with plenty of others. Summer wanted to join us for lunch, so five of us met her at Stoby’s. They were surprisingly busy and slow, and my burger was less good than usual, but the fries never disappoint.

After lunch, I got some slightly good news about my employment ordeal, but I’m still waiting for further instruction and to plead my case with anyone of consequence. Without any other drivers in my day, I continued on doing all of the things until quitting time.

I ran home to change, and almost immediately had to leave to get Eaddie’s karate gear out of Autumn’s car at the high school. Eaddie had gone to do homework with Maristella, so I had to then pick her up from their house before dropping her off at karate. From there, I met Summer at my parents’ house for spring rolls.

After we ate, I helped clean up and went outside for a little bit, then went on up to Summer’s for the evening. Eaddie spent the evening doing math homework while Summer went to bed. Autumn got home and pretty well went straight to bed herself. I wasn’t very tired after such long, good sleep last night, but I did my best not to stay up too late.

There’s no payback like no payback.

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Buckets N Boards N Guitars N Ukuleles N Turtles

We lazed around a bit this morning before Summer went to the gym and then home to make mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Eaddie and I watched some House until it was time for her to take off on her bicycle to meet us at my parents’ house. I ran by the shop because I thought Summer was going to be stuck there helping remove a drain plug, but she finished up just as I got there.

We dropped her car off at my house and then continued to my parents’ house for a late lunch. Eaddie showed up a few minutes later with her friend Aaron, but then went back out to ride bikes. Julie came to eat too, but just sat in the living room. It was like a mini Thanksgiving dinner, but with slightly less food and yelling. Eventually the kids showed back up and ate a little too, before taking off again.

Summer and I went for a little swim before we had to leave so she could change before the concert. She bought tickets for us all to see Buckets N Boards at the arts center. Autumn beat us there right after work, and my parents showed up just in time to find seats before the show. At first I was worried it was going to be more Buckets N Bored, but then they started roasting children. It was entertaining but long, with an intermission.

The girls wanted to go home after the show, so Summer let them go while we went back to my house for the night. She played games in bed while I messed around on the computer, and then it was a relatively early night to sleep.

There’s 1,440 hours in my day!

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Own the Rolls

It was a bit rainy today, but that just made things muggy instead of cool. I spent the morning at the shop being a total boss with people reaching out to me for help left and right. It’s been satisfying enough that I don’t even mind the stress, because I get the reward of helping people without being the one on the front line.

Brody convinced Gary to go to CiCi’s for lunch, and even Zach and Thomas joined us. I loaded up after a light morning, and then spent the afternoon running around Oakland so I felt pretty good. I had to make it back to the shop as school ended because Thomas wanted to meet with us about the proposed salary schedule. We’re meeting with Judy tomorrow, so we wanted to make sure everyone was well-informed beforehand.

I worked a bit late, then headed to the shop to see Summer before going home. Mom and Dad came by to drop off some soybean milk after their trip to the Oriental food store. Then they came back a bit later with some bánh bao. In the midst of all that shuffling around, I was trying to calculate how good of a deal I was getting on paper towels and toilet paper on Amazon. I’ve descended into madness with a spreadsheet that calculates the cost per sheet, but at least now I know exactly how much it costs me to poop at home.

Poopaper to your door for less!

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Mind Flay

It was a little bit cooler today, so I took the Shadow to work. I spent the morning in my office bouncing all over the place. I felt like I was on a rack, being stretched in every direction all morning long. I’m juggling so many things right now, and it actually feels pretty good. I struggle focusing on any one big project, but the constantly changing scenery keeps things from getting boring.

I picked up Summer and we went to Morelos for lunch, but she left me early and ran across the street after staring at an angry customer through the window. I managed to get the leftovers home on the bike, then went back to the shop to get some things to take to Oakland.

Michael and I got to talking about crypto for a bit after work. He gave me a frozen turkey that was sitting on his counter, which I had to swing by and get after going home to get my car. Eaddie had walked to the house after school, and Summer picked her up for karate. I went to my parents’ house after picking up the turkey, and Mom made some super dressed-up ramen.

Things were quiet when I made it back home. I got into the mood for some low-hitting bass after reading an incendiary thread on a speaker deal, so I put on some music. I don’t know what it is about speakers that brings out the forum trolls, but it’s so eye-rollingly stupid. I still want some big subs for behind/under my eventual theater seating though.

If they won’t cater to my whimsy, I’ll cater to it myself.

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The Bore Before the Storm

I got up and picked at leftovers for brunch, then mostly sat around all morning and afternoon. Autumn was at work all day while Eaddie stayed in her room with her head cold. Even Summer didn’t get out to do anything until she decided to cook dinner. I eventually went home to clean up a bit, but didn’t get up to much before heading back up for the night.

I got back just as Autumn was home and cleaning out her car. Summer had some ribs and corn on the grill, and was inside making mashed potatoes and some kind of pan-fried vegetable medley. We all ate, then let Eaddie go back to her room while the rest of us played a game of UNO.

The girls went to bed early for the first day back to school. Summer and I watched a couple episodes of Modern Family, and then we were off to the same.

Chickie-chickie, Slim Eggie

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Ain’t No Party Like an Expo Party

I’ve been spending most of my days helping others, which has felt good until I look back at my own work orders that have yet to be completed. Summer tried to hand out coupons at the certified back-to-school event, but they didn’t have a breakfast like we are tomorrow, presumably because there was a concern about them spreading COVID. No such worries about classified, though. She came by to see my new office when she finished, and then we met for lunch at The Gunslingin’ Burger.

After lunch, I spent the afternoon with Brody at the high school, primarily trying to get Jazz’s printer and desktop working. It took a painfully long time to find the network line for the printer because the tone generator was just too sensitive and would start playing music as soon as you’d walk up to the racks. Eventually I prevailed, both with the printer and imaging the desktop.

After work, I went home to change and then met Summer at the Boys & Girls club for the preview party. We thought I would need a ticket to get in, but nobody was checking for them. At one point my parents came in with tickets they were given at the door, so it really was just a sort of soft-open. We wandered around and got a bit of schwag and some food. My old coworker Stacey was there with Legends and gave us both a big gift bag full of junk.

When my parents showed up, I took the opportunity to leave since I wasn’t all that excited to be there anyway. I thought it would be less standing in a booth and more of an actual preview party for those involved. We went to La Huerta for dinner, and then I made it home just after Summer did.

I ran back out to Slim Chickens to get some dinner for the girls, and then we came back for an early night to bed. I’ve got a super-spreader breakfast to attend in the morning before work, so I’ll need my beauty rest.

‘Cause an expo party don’t start!