Tag: friends

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Alaska Dreamin’

An hour drive inside my head every day hasn’t been great. Between that and exhaustion, I don’t even remember most of the drive in to work today. I zoned out hard. Randy was back from his bereavacation and had a comically and expectedly foul reaction to being back at work. He confirmed my suspicions on the couple things I saved for him to look at, and then disappeared with Maggie for some meeting somewhere.

I had some coffee and tinkered for a while, but Jim needed some help with imaging at the high school. It was about lunch time, so Randy and I drove separately across the river to Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken to meet Kyle. The spice in that chicken was exactly what my soul needed to find peace for about twenty minutes. Then we split up and I headed to the high school to find Jim.

He had laptops spread across a table in the library where he was trying to image, and they would join the domain but then immediately lose their trust, so he couldn’t log in without dropping and rejoining the domain. I didn’t have much time to troubleshoot, but I had a couple of ideas before I had to leave to meet Summer.

I got through town as quickly as I could and met Summer at the Conway Regional Imaging Center for her breast MRI. The appointment was actually quite a bit faster than either of us expected, but of course we have to wait a few days for answers. She was super hungry after that due to fasting in the morning, so we went to Los 3 Potrillos for an early dinner. I parked at a hotel charger while we ate and got enough juice to get home. The food was good and reasonably fast, and I got out for less than half of what I normally pay in Little Rock.

After we ate, Summer went to pick up tickets to Eaddie’s graduation. I went straight home and took Muad’Dib to my parents’ house to see Dad, then over to Walgreens to pick up my prescription. On the way back, he got overheated and parked under a closed drive-through awning to catch his breath. I took the opportunity to return a call from Michael, who wanted to borrow some speakers for Oakland’s Dancing Through the Decades party. We chatted briefly, and then Muad’Dib and I made it back to our neighborhood where we stopped to chat with Mason for a minute.

Once we got home, I started hammering out reviews for Vine to get my ratio up. I’m almost at the point where I have to start unboxing things that I had stocked up on, like light bulbs, in order to give a proper review. That should be easy, but time consuming, so I’ve got to lock in. Unfortunately my lock-in juice appears to be causing some swelling, and I have blood tests incoming, so I’d probably do well to sober up.

That guy sailed away, man. He’s gone. Probably crashed into an iceberg.

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I Wanna Go Home, I Wanna Go Home

I woke up early today so I could accompany Summer to her 5k in Dover. The weather was really nice, so it would be a good day to take Muad’Dib and the Onewheel, which would help me pass the time. She met up with Kell, one of her employees from Splash, for his first race. I took Muad’Dib around the building on a leash before testing him without, and I think getting some energy burned off helped because he stuck by my side the rest of the day without any trouble. I ran into Amber while we were there, which was crazy after talking about her just weeks ago. I guess she’s the president of the River Valley Runners group since James has seemingly made it his sole purpose in life to run. We caught up for a little bit, and then Muad’Dib and I started to ride the course to find Summer.

Being able to ride around with Muad’Dib made the experience awesome, but I wasn’t sure how the runners or organizers might have felt about me riding around even if I kept some distance. It seemed like a positive experience for him though, so hopefully we can keep doing that in the future. He got to meet a bunch of people who were really excited to pet him.

Kell finished in first place for his age division and Summer made second in hers, but they only awarded first place. They took some pictures and then Summer and I headed home to drop Muad’Dib off before going to Stoby’s for breakfast. We shared a short stack of pancakes as an appetizer, and then she got her eggs benedict while I forced down a disappointing “Blast” that seemed poorly seasoned and dry.

After breakfast, we made an Amazon return at The UPS Store and then went to wash and vacuum out my car before our trip to Twin Groves for Alarie’s wedding. We still had time to kill, so we headed back home where Summer assembled the guitar stand I got from Vine. I started a load of laundry, but didn’t quite get it out of the dryer before we had to leave.

The wedding was at Hillbrook Farms, which was a simple slab with a big building on top of it, right by a small overlook. It was a fantastic day for an outdoor wedding, which seemed particularly lucky since we got rain later in the evening. Summer was excited to catch up with some old coworkers while I mostly stood by and counted knots in the wooden structure. I was happy to go, and Alarie has always been friendly and greeted me by name whenever we’ve seen each other, but I just didn’t know anyone else there. The ceremony itself was short and sweet, and Moe’s catered the reception, so there was a ton of good food.

On the way home, Summer asked me about my favorite part of the event, and she didn’t like any of my answers. Then she said she didn’t understand how I could be so in-touch with my emotions and respond the way that I did. I didn’t mean anything negative in what I said, but I told her I was just an extra in that scene. I didn’t know anyone. I was there to support her and her friends. That escalated talk took us most of the way home, but triggered my anxiety and was a perfect illustration of why our communication is always so exhausting. I think we at least found ourselves in the same book by the time we got home, but by then I just needed a break with Muad’Dib.

It was starting to get dark, so the air was nice and cool and Muad’Dib wore his little headlamp. It was a good, slightly shortened run so we could visit Dad before dark. Then we made it back home for a much better evening. The good days shouldn’t be so hard, but maybe this time we’ll find someone that can help us translate. If not, at least now she has considered trying to make friends through her races.

Everything. Everywhere. All at once.

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Nine-Tenths

I was severely sleep deprived, but I managed to get going and made it to work almost right at seven this morning. Gary was the only one that beat me there, but he was still smoking in his truck as I walked in. Johnny had called me just as I was taking my exit, so I continued to talk to him for a while after I got to my desk. Randy was out, but there wouldn’t have been much going on even if he was there.

Ben texted about lunch, so I met him at Flyway Brewing near the arena, and we shared some fried deviled eggs, and both got their smoked chicken wrap special. Everything was kind of “elevated” in some way, and tasted super good. We chatted for a while, and then I had to wait in the parking lot while a truck pumped something out of a hole in the ground.

The afternoon was super slow, and everyone snuck out a little early. I stopped in Morrilton for some beer, and then Summer and I spent some time together once I got home, before I took Muad’Dib out for his run. The weather was really nice for our ride, and he did pretty great. Once we got home, I sat on the porch and had some beer with Summer while we chatted. As it got dark, I set up my table tornado fire pit and we chatted until Eaddie got home.

By then it had gotten fairly late, so I put Summer to bed. Just as I sat down to wrap up, Shawna messaged to check on us, so I called and we talked for quite a while until bed.

Crash Time

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Look at the Stars

I thought I’d make it to work a bit early today, but the onramp was closed again, followed by nearly stop-and-go traffic from Conway all the way to Little Rock. I still made it before anyone else of importance, so none of it mattered. I spent the whole day doing Vine reviews again, so once they post, I should be up over 70% from what I can tell.

We had a lunch-and-learn with Howard and a vendor at American Pie Pizza, and I ate way too much. It was a strange mix of chips, cheese dip, salsa, wings, and pizza, but it was pretty good. The pizza was mostly cold by the time we got to it, but it was also free.

The afternoon was more of the same, but went by quickly until quitting time. We were supposed to meet with Diana about the house again, so I tried to stop by Blue Barn Bakery. I assumed the door was only a back door, so I didn’t try turning the handle and left empty handed, but then Summer texted just as I got home to say that she was feeling chest and throat pain. I texted Diana to let her know we probably shouldn’t meet if Summer was sick, and we decided to reschedule for another time.

Power had been out for most of the afternoon, so all I could do was take Muad’Dib out for a run. Summer made it home and rested all evening while we ran. It was super nice out, but the entire neighborhood was lit up with the sound of generators on every block. I brushed Muad’Dib out while we were at the basin trail, and then we visited Dad before making it home. I reviewed my final tax forms and got those paid, and eventually made it to bed pretty late since Eaddie wasn’t home until nearly midnight for state concert assessment.

And all the things that you do

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Tempestas Fugit

I got up this morning and considered taking Muad’Dib out for a bath, but as soon as I started petting him, even more hair came right out of his coat. He’ll need to get further along in his shedding before we bring him in for any length of time. I had plans to be pretty productive for the day, but it just didn’t happen. Summer was up and we were able to have what I thought was a long, meaningful chat. Eaddie had to prepare for prom when she got up, so all I really did after that was eat some tacos and then wait around for her.

Eli’s mom came over in the afternoon to do Eaddie’s hair and makeup. As they finished up, we got some pictures and then went outside to wait for his dad and sister to come and take pictures outside. I took Muad’Dib up the street for a quick jaunt just to burn some energy, and he jumped into Eli’s opened driver-side door when we got back. He knows cars are for adventures now, and he’s not afraid to go for it. The kids did great, and even Muad’Dib sat still long enough for some photos before they left.

Summer and I chatted some more in the evening, and I eventually got outside to grill a couple of burgers for dinner. It was dark by then, so I took Muad’Dib out for a run and tried to catch up with Shawna for a bit. We stopped to see my parents and their new kitchen countertop, and then it was a fairly quick night to bed. The kids came home to change before going to the after-prom party, but neither of us could stay up as late as they would be.

So taxing.

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The Umpire Strikes Back

I had a belly ache for most of the day after eating two buffets yesterday. I got to work and everyone was already burned out for the week. I actually tried being a little productive at first, with a cup of black coffee to get things moving. Just as I finished that, Randy announced that he was going to Burns Park to watch some autistic kids play softball, and invited me along.

I welcomed the change of scenery, and we drove out to the park to check things out. Jim was out there helping. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing, which caused some of the sand to kick up into the air. It was still a beautiful day to be outside, and we watched as they finished up their activity day.

We were a little early to get to lunch, so Randy drove me around the whole park, which was pretty neat. Then we slowly made it across town to Brewski’s where we met Maggie, Kyle, Jay, Corey, and Hunter. I thought I’d get out cheap by splitting some wings with Maggie, but what she ordered ended up being well over $20. I should have just stuck to myself. I was still stuffed, but the wings were pretty good.

The afternoon was pretty dull back at the office. I walked out a few minutes early so I could get home to Muad’Dib. I really wanted to take him to the lake and then get him a bath so he could come inside. Summer was supposed to go, but was an hour late getting home, and said she was tired and in pain. Ben called me while I was outside with Muad’Dib, so we talked for a while. Then I ended up just taking him out for our normal run, and he did much better than yesterday. I think he just needed a day to recover. We stopped at the basin and I raked out a bunch of the hair he was losing.

My parents weren’t home, so we continued on toward home where we crossed paths with Tasha, her husband, and baby who were all out walking their tiny dog. I stopped to chat with her for a little while, then made it home for the night. Summer was laid out on the couch, so I sat down with her and tried to watch the Netflix Kill Tony episode, but it was pretty awful. Then I put on Resident Alien and got a few laughs. She was done after that. Eaddie was out pretty late with Eli, but I caught a glimpse as she made it home just before I went to bed.

So let us stop talkin’ falsely now.

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Husky Nights and Melancholie Days

Summer had to open one of her stores today, so I just met her at Saint Mary’s for her mammogram and ultrasound. I walked in and saw Allen sitting there waiting to go back, so I sat next to him to chat until seats cleared up and we could all sit together. He was there getting X-rayed, and stayed to chat with me while Summer went back. She wasn’t in there long though, and came out looking really upset. I may have misread her based on our conversations the rest of the day, but they referred her to get an MRI in Conway instead of taking a biopsy, so I’m hopeful that it’s just nothing.

She had to go back to work, so I ran to McDonald’s to grab her some breakfast before meeting Allen at Price Break. Wednesday was apparently dollar day, and the place was absolutely packed. He didn’t stay long, but I grabbed a Christmas ornament of Rocket Raccoon and a case of some soda or energy drink stuff to try. He had another doctor appointment after that, so I headed toward home but stopped at Ridgewood Brothers just to say, “hello.” Grant accidentally messed up his macaroni sauce somehow, so I got out of the way and went home just long enough for Allen to text that he was done.

We met at Panda Express for some lunch and chatted for quite a while. I thought he’d come see the new house, but he changed his mind at the last minute and I headed home to run Muad’Dib. We went to the basin and saw that Dad was at the old house, so I thought we’d run across town to see him. He was mowing the lawns, so we rode on down to Allen’s house and got to play with Davis, his new dachshund. Davis ran circles around Muad’Dib in the back yard for a bit, and then we continued on down to the airport to visit Kevin for a little while.

Summer mentioned us coming to see her, so we headed back to the old house for a break before making our way to Superfast. Everyone there loved him, but Muad’Dib was tired. He had some popcorn, and then we continued home, stopping at the little paved pad with bike tools and a picnic table to rest and enjoy the shady breeze for a while. We got through the basin, visited Dad at home, and finally made it home where he laid down on the porch for a snooze.

Shawna called and we caught up for a little bit while I sat out on the porch with Muad’Dib. Eaddie got home from band solo and ensemble, and played with him for a little bit before coming in to eat. I cleaned up some of my own leftovers from work lunch, and then Summer got home and I made her a bowl of meatballs she made last night. We had a nice chat for a while until she went to bed, and then it was a slow wind-down for me.

Perfect.

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Dynamism

Randy had Kyle, Jim, and me meet at the high school core closet today to try and resolve an outage from over the weekend. It was a fair amount of sitting, but I did manage to pull a DHCP configuration off of a bare metal installation, then import it into a spare DHCP virtual machine we already had. Kyle did some magic on his side to fix some other related issues, and I think we eventually got the middle school back online as well, but Randy indicated that was Windstream’s fault.

That got us all the way to lunch, and I met them at David’s Burgers for one of the better burgers I’ve had there. I like their fries when they’re hot and fresh more than the ones I’ve had from CJ’s in town. Then after lunch, I ended up back at the office for the rest of the day.

The afternoon went by pretty quickly, and I washed the car as soon as I got into town. Muad’Dib ended up eating the Google TV remote last night, so we put him outside again. I took him out for a really good run and chatted with Shawna for a little while. We got to meet a little dachshund that got away from her owner, so she got a treat. Then we encountered Dad’s drone on the way back toward the other side of the basin trail, since our usual path was flooded.

We visited briefly, but then headed home to meet Summer. Her mammogram came back cloudy, so they scheduled her again for Wednesday to do an enhanced image and ultrasound. She had a difficult day even before that call, and had to discipline one of her leaders that was showing signs of her own personality traits, and I think that was a turning point for her in a good way. There’s no reason for her or anyone else to break themselves for a job like that. It might be different if they were helping people, but they’re changing oil and washing cars.

Summer went to decompress in a bath, and I ended up calling Shawna again while I drained the sump room. It was absolutely full of water, and Josh peeked over the fence to remind me in the most polite way possible that I was flooding his yard. I’ve got to run a drain line over to the corner of the yard, or at least hook up an automatic sump that drains more frequently to avoid flooding.

When I got back inside, Summer and I talked about her day and ended up calling Shawna together to break through Summer’s resistance to accepting the fact that friends aren’t burdened when they get to listen to your troubles. It’s different if you’re constantly in turmoil that you’ve created yourself by being an idiot. They’re shaping up to be beautiful friends.

I always play Support class.

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Triple Threat

Summer got up and made breakfast for us this morning before taking Eaddie out to shop for prom stuff. I cleaned house until they got back, and then Summer and I took Muad’Dib to the dog wash for a bath so he could stay inside for another rainy day. Shawna was going to head toward town around noon, but had a late start and wouldn’t get to us until later in the evening.

I continued to clean up, Summer went to the gym, and Eaddie eventually went with Eli to watch Minecraft. Summer and I ended up laying on the couch in the early evening watching a documentary about a touristy volcano that erupted. Shawna finally got to town, and to save the awkwardness of leaving any two people in one place, I ordered our Little Caesar’s for delivery by DoorDash.

The three of us sat in the living room in a bit of awkward silence until Shawna started to share some of her recent trauma. That at least got us talking and reacting. Pizza showed up sooner than I expected and we ate, then played a few rounds of Uno Flip. Afterward we kept chatting at the dinner table and I thought it went really well. Even Summer opened up a little bit and shared some history, even if she did so begrudgingly.

I was glad Summer stayed up as long as she did, but evidently she had enough “bashing” me for fun, and went to bed. I think all three of us thought it might ease any awkwardness, but apparently there was a limit. Shawna and I continued talking for quite a while longer before she finally chose to drive home. Eaddie had made it home not long before that, and was in the bedroom talking with Summer until I was ready to wind down.

You’re the Brighter Side of Things

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Two Player Co-Op

Randy wanted me to go to Arch Ford with him today, so I got to sleep in just a little bit and only had to drive to Plumerville. It was raining pretty hard and my car didn’t love it, but we made it on time, and well before things got started. I sat with Randy, and Gary, Greg, and Ryan showed up to sit at the table behind us. It was just a day session on all of the new cybersecurity policies and how to interpret the laws.

The training itself was a lot of read along and discuss, and then White River served pork loin and mashed potatoes with gravy for lunch. It was a pretty good meal, and I appreciated Randy for just getting me a break from the long commute.

Summer and I thought we might meet in Conway for dinner or something afterward, but I finished too early and we ended up crossing paths around Morrilton. She went to work out before going to her team meeting to say goodbye to the stores she was made to give to some other moron, who she’s afraid will destroy the team morale.

I got home and it was too rainy to run Muad’Dib, and Julie was stressing about a logo for Humble Aviation, so I spent the rest of the afternoon working on that. I was fairly happy with the final result, but I still wish I could convert it to a proper vector better. I’ll have to learn my tools better.

Summer came home obviously upset from her difficult team goodbye. We talked for a little while before she went to shower. I cleaned up some leftovers and then we chatted for a while longer before Eaddie got home. It seemed to get really late super fast, but I guess the evenings always fly by.

It just might be crazy enough to work.