Taking a break...

I just wanted y'all to know that I'm going to be on hiatus for a little while.

Can't get in the right 'posting' frame of mind so instead of 'half-assin' it (as evidenced by my prior post ;) thought it best to just sit back for a few days.

I wanted you to know so you're not wondering why I'm not commenting on your pages.

I'll still be 'hovering' so if you 'talk shit' about me, I'll know ;)

See y'all...........make sure you play well together....and NO bickering ;)

Why I Love Hockey

Hockey Game Boobs - video powered by Metacafe

In Retrospect....

I 'm sorry for my prior post, which I have since removed. I was feeling a little down and I should know better to post when I'm in 'that mood'.

To those that commented.............I thank you all very much. It does mean alot to me.

I love you guys :)

6 Day Hall Pass

Ok...I'm in Day 3 of my 'hall pass' and not sure I have the stamina to utilize my whole 6 days worth (which I'm sure you can tell by the brevity of this post). Which, bothers me a great deal...as they say...... 'Youth is wasted on the young'.

I thought if I kept my 'routine' as normal as possible, that would alleviate the feeling of not getting shit done because of my 'freedom'. So, I make sure the bed is made as soon as I get up and to clean up after myself as I go along. I even spent Sunday afternoon ironing pants for the week. I don't mind ironing one bit because my Mother taught me how when I was a kid. I also dusted, vacuumed, and did two loads of laundry. None of this is a big deal, just making a point that I wasn't going to turn into a total fucking slacker just because there was no else home. Oh...and my 'routine' of getting up at 5:30 hasn't changed either.....so far ;)

Went out both Saturday and Sunday nights and stayed out..uh....ahem....'pretty late'. Today, I am pretty well dragging. I thought about doing the 'responsible' bit tonight but fuck....I have a dilemma...seems that 'word' has gotten out about my 'hall pass' and I have been fielding calls for the last two days, most of them in the 'Lets do this....' vain. To be honest, if it were just my buddies calling, I'd have no problem turning them down. But....ya see, I've been going to this one bar, known as SV (and very well known to Elle ;) for years. Over that period, I have come to know many of the girls that have/had worked there...and have become very good friends with most of them. Well, when one of them calls (or as luck would have it...one of them with an equally hot twin sister)...WTF am I to say? "Uh...sorry..I'd love to...but I'm tired". Uh....no fuckin way......not ever.

So...I'm planning on going home right after work........ tomorrow.

Random Musings...Part Duh ;)

Not much today......

Thankfully. Really just wanted to move that 'remodel' thing further down the list.

I am soooooooooooooo fuckin tired of the mess, mainly the dust from the drywall and the tile (and the sand and the cement). I know the contractors are doing the best they can but there is only so much they can possibly do to keep the mess to a minimum.

Surprisingly (to me) enough, they have not pissed me off............yet. They not only show up when they're supposed to, they actually show up early. WTF??? I am soooooooo not used to people who actually do what the fuck they either say they're going to or what they're being paid to do.

On top of that...these guys are really fuckin good. Besides their ability, they also have offered some very creative ideas. I'm alittle scared at this point....too fucking good to be true.

Took my Dad to the Ortho Dr. yesterday. In the last 3-4 months he's been having a lot of pain in his shoulders and one of his knees. He has bone spurs in his shoulders and arthritis in his knee. His shoulders had gotten to a point he couldn't raise them high enough to drive without hurting like a bitch. I knew they had to hurt bad because never in my whole life have I've seen him give in to ANY kind of pain. The Dr. had given him some anti-imflammatory meds to try for 2 weeks. Didn't work. So I took him in for a cortisone shot..he got 3. One in each shoulder, one in his knee.

He called me this morning and said his knee felt great and his shoulders were alot better. In fact, he was gonna drive my Mother to her doctors appt. and then they were going to stop somewhere for breakfast. I'm extremely happy for him for he has never had to depend on anyone for anything. Getting his independence back, I am sure, is a huge lift for him. I just hope it lasts for awhile.

I have an apology to make....to Christine (http://realmendontwatchamericanidol.blogspot.com/)

I have no idea why she wasn't listed on my site as a blog I follow. She is absolutely hilarious..kind of reminds me of a female 'efen' ;) So, if y'all haven't been there...go! Its a 'must-read' :)

I have a dilemma........this Saturday, my wife leaves for a 6 day cruise. Thats right.....I have an extended 'hall pass'. Of course I was invited to go along (with her sister and her family) but honestly, I have no desire to 'cruise'. I know, I know...everyone I know who has been tells me what a great time.....yada yada yada....forget it. I don't want any part of it. Anyhow...my 'dilemma' is how to fill my new-found free time.

Hmm.....wish I could come up with sumthin.

Progress.....as promised

Ok...here's a few more.

This is the shower (well...it's gonna be)

Here's the closet....wall has been added and closet is extended.

Another view of the entrance to the shower.

I can't wait for all this shit to be done. There is fucking drywall dust EVERYWHERE! The marble and tile guys come Monday, so more fuckin dust. They are supposed to be here a week. After that, the cabinets are due to be put in....if they ever fucking arrive.

I'll post a couple of more after the tile and marble gets installed. Are y'all on the edge of your seat like I am?

Fuckin People...

In my years running this company, I have seen many, many things. I thought I had witnessed it all and really didn't believe that I could be surprised anymore.

That is until this morning.

My 'old' Parts Dept. guy had quit due to health issues. He gave me two months notice that this was going to occur so I had plenty of time to find someone else to fill the position.

Plus, that would also afford me to have 'the new guy' (No Elle...not that 'new guy' ;) spend time being trained by the 'old guy'.

I held several interviews and finally decided on a guy. This person had experience in our industry was very gung-ho.

He started on February 16th, worked 2 1/2 days when he found out that his Mother had a heart-attack. He was then gone the rest of the week. Sadly, he called me and said his Mother passed away that Sunday night. He was then off Monday and Tuesday of that week. I paid him in full for those two weeks. No big deal, a person should not be penalized when something like this happens.

He repeatedly told me how sorry he was that he missed all that time but that he would make it up '110%'.

I come in today, he isn't here. I asked and was told that he was here around 7:30 but evidently he left and no one knew where he was.

I turn on my computer and there's an e-mail from him...this is what he sent me:

"I have decided to resign my position in parts immediately. It is not the situation I thought it would be, and I am pursueing other options. I am sorry for the notice, but I thought it best. Thanks for the opportunity. I do not wish to be contacted. My decision is final."

WTF? He was here this morning and he couldn't have waited til I got here to tell me in person? Then he says in his e-mail that 'he doesn't wish to be contacted...that his decision is final'.

Of course, since he didn't want to be contacted I called the fuck. I ask him the what fuck was the deal?

He tells me he has 'alot of things going on'....that there are 'health issues' that he won't go into. I asked if he didn't think he at least owed me the courtesy of telling me in person? He said "It probably wasn't the most professional way to handle it"...DUH...ya fuckin think?

I then say 'Whatthefuckever' and hang up. Now...he's got me to thinking. I recall him saying that his father had passed away just a couple of years back and that his Mother lived alone. He told me they had been married for over 50 years.

So, I turn into 'Efen S. Holmes' and start doing a little digging. From what he told me, it seems pretty obvious that his Mother never re-married so both of them should still have the same last name. He told me she had been cremated. 1st, I search the local paper obits....nothing. Since I knew where the crematorium closest to where she lived, I check their notices.....nothing. I then expand it out to some others........again, nothing.

I could be wrong (doubtful) but I think now, after I pieced together some things that at the time seemed odd, that the whole story about his Mother was a lie. Also, when he declined Medical Insurance (we pay 90%), he said that he already had a policy that was paid up through 2009. Now who in the fuck pays their Medical Insurance a year ahead of time? I was puzzled by this but let it go. Red flags and alarms should have been going off in my head.

I really feel like he was just looking to get a job for a few weeks, get some money, then move on.

I hated the thought of running another ad so taking a chance I called a guy whom I had interviewed twice for this job....he was my second choice. I got ahold of him....he took another job...............fuckin yesterday

And so it goes...................

Sheesh, Elle

Alright...here's a few AFTER they demo'd the MB (I know....would been better I had taken some 'before' pics...still looking as I may have some old one's somewhere)

Pic 1: Looking at where the 'Make-up Vanity' is going to be. Wall on right is where the cabinets, counters and sinks are going.

Pic 2: View of closet after wall has been taken down to enlarge. Pipes on left is where shower was.

Pic 3: Tub was where the equipment is. Shower will now be from approx. electrical outlet on left, over to 3 feet out from wall on right, then back to where ladder is. 'New' closet will now extend out to the end of the wall on right.

Pretty fucking interesting...right?

A Long Weekend....

Typically, my weekends are pretty uneventful, but this past weekend was different. It was the 25th Anniversary of some very good friends of ours (I went to High School with the guy) and we were invited to celebrate with them on Saturday night.

We were going to take a limo downtown so 'drinking and driving' would not be an issue. The plans changed to getting a hotel room and then taking taxis to various downtown 'hot spots'.

Normally when we go out for dinner......it's fairly early...like '6-ish'. I hate waiting for anything and getting a table is no exception. But...since this was a special occasion, our dinner reservations were for..................8:00 PM. Of course, this meant taking a nap Saturday afternoon ;) We got to the hotel about 6:30, a few drinks at the hotel bar then off to the restaurant about 7:45.

We had reservations at 'Mike Shannons Seafood and Steaks'. 'Shannons' is the top-rated place for steaks here...and its excellent. Pretty pricey...but the food is great. The dinner bill, with wine and drinks, came in around $400. Now to me, an average of $100 per is alot. But I gotta say, the steak I had, 12 ounce filet, was fucking great. As with most steak places, every fuckin thing is ala carte, which I don't care for, but wtf...this was a special occasion.

Left there about 10:00, grabbed a cab, and headed off to an area that sits right next to the Mississippi River, called 'LaCledes Landing'....right on the St. Louis Riverfront. The 'Landing' has more fuckin bars and nightspots than you can shake the 'proverbial stick' at. Everything is located in buildings that date back over a hundred years.

Stopped in a few places, had a drink or two at each, then made our way to 'The Big Bang'. It's a Dueling Piano Bar and the place was packed...fucking packed to the walls. Of course, the median age was probably 25, but we had a blast. I was amazed how well I could sing ....well, drinking for 5 hours may have had something to do with my perception of that ;) Found a spot for at the bar, luckily, and stayed until 2:00 AM (they are open until 3:00).

Another taxi back to the hotel, tried to get more to drink there but they had closed their bar (WTF??). So, we had to improvise. I had packed some 'refreshment' so we all went back to our room and drank some more. That was certainly smart on my part. Finally got to bed around 4:00....and woke up at 7:00...with my head feeling like there was someone inside, kicking to get out.

A 20 minute shower really didn't help all that much....and the 3 aspirins hadn't kicked in yet. We all met at the restaurant and did the 'Sunday Breakfast Buffet' thing. I was fuckin starvin. It wasn't all that great but I didn't care...coffee and food seemed to help.

Went to 'Valet' to pick up my vehicle and pay the Valet Charge. $23.....all I had was two $20's, which I gave her. Of course she had no fucking change so she had to call some 'manager' guy to get change. 15 fucking minutes I wait until he comes back. He hands her the money, she turns to me and counts out my change....$17....all in fucking ONES! As is typical 'Efen' fashion....a 'bitch session' normally ensues..but I was tired and my head still fucking hurt..so I just let it go...didn't say one damn thing. Now you know, I must have felt like shit if I let that go ;)

We got home around 11:00..............and that was it for me for the day. Went 'to couch' and stayed there. Watched TV and napped....pretty much a useless fucking day.

I did come to one conclusion.......I'm too old for this shit ;)