The Gladiator is Back on the Road

Saturday, I decided to start the Jeep and get it ready to take to work for a few days. It had been sitting for months. The battery was dead and wouldn't take a charge. I took it to Murray's Auto Parts to see if the battery or the truck was the problem. It was the battery.

The young sales clerk was ready to sell me a new $259 battery when he mentioned a four-year warranty.

"Wait a minute, that battery is only three years old." I'd gotten it from Auto Zone.

I decided to reclaim my battery and drive the extra mile to Auto Zone. They exchanged it for free. 

Today, Max and I got gas in the truck and went to Walmart to find replacement batteries for my key fobs. Those were not free, but cheap enough.

I tired convincing Max that strapping himself with a $5600 ring payment was not a good idea.

"That's about what mom's ring cost," he said.

I refrained from making a comment on that except to say, "Not the first one. Her first one was less than a thousand."

He clearly hadn't considered wedding plans or other costs coming up in the next year. "Your going to have a lot going on in the next year. Moving out of that condo, a wedding. Don't start off in debt.

I'd rather give you $10,000 for a down payment on a house than to help you finance that ring."

After he left, I decided to switch the hinges on my new dryer so it opened to the left. The door is bigger than the old one, and it was getting in the way when I loaded clothes from the washer.

I also submitted a couple more novel queries this weekend and a few essay submissions.

Overall I'd say it has been productive.

Brit, Mulch, and Covid

 Gia flew back to Rhode Island Friday morning. She enjoyed her time here. It is as close to a vacation as she will allow herself. I don't think I have seen the last of her. Although it is expensive for her to make the trip. Gia knows a dancer in Texas who is considering joining her next time. It would make the journey more inviting if she split the cost with someone. I'd be curious to meet this friend of hers. Gia only gets close to a few people. 

Remember Brit from this post? Brit came over to the condo Friday night. This girl is really hot. Brit wore light jeans, a top that showed off her stomach, and a white sweater. I showed Brit around the place and then went to New Baltimore to eat. Brit is not a picky eater, which is nice. She's quiet, but I pulled some new information from her.

 Brit has a day job, but her psychology degree is not paying off. She really needs a Master's or better. Brit is thirty. Her parents divorced when she was twenty. Her dad remarried and is not in the picture, but she is close to her mom. Brit has a kitten. Brit says she has had mutually beneficial arrangements in the past, but judging from how she comes across, I suspect it was more like an older guy who cared for her. 

Brit is quiet and seems naive for her age. I have decided to be open-minded about Brit. She is interested in continuing our arrangement and wants to get together again this week. We only did some heavy petting at the end of the night, but she has clarified that she is ready for more. 

I tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. Over the weekend, I hauled 115 bags of mulch for the Condo association. We offer 5 bags to any resident who wants to spread it themselves. We are having 200 more bags delivered, but Home Depot has delayed our order. The Association decided to get ahead because the mulch was on sale.

I spread at least 40 bags over the weekend while sick. I hit areas where people had already weeded, or the weeds were easy enough to pull before laying the mulch. It will only partially solve our mulch problem but will make a significant dent cost-efficiently. If the mulch goes on sale again, I am going to push us to do a second round this year.

Association

 The condo association is a headache. The president of the association board is the neighborhood busybody. She takes on too much and then complains when everyone doesn't see things the same as her.

Yesterday, the five board members walked the property to review the building. It was a cold drizzly night. The president pointed out that someone painted their door blue. It has been bothering her for a few years, apparently. She was upset that the rest of us didn't want to do anything about it. During the walk, I noticed several doors were of different colors or that needed painting. They are all supposed to be green, but even the builder used different shades.

I finally told her when people walk through this neighborhood, they see the bad roofs, the bad roads, the bad parking lots, the overgrown landscaping, they don't see that door.

She likes to send me long text messages that read like a story. I ignore half of them. I don't think I am being illogical in skipping over this door at this time. If the association had been doing its job all along, I could see her paint. But the association has let everyone do what they want with their landscaping, and the whole place is a hodge-podge. 

I am going to propose creating a five-year plan to get the roofs, roads, parking lots, landscaping, and building maintenance in order and on schedule. Once these things get in place, the board can be more diligent about the little things. As of now, the board is not doing its job, and it is going to require more money. I'd rather not piss people off about the little things and concentrate on correcting the things that most affect the property values.

It seems like a logical approach. I don't want this volunteer job to consume me. I think the president is second guessing getting me involved. I can see her going off and complaining. She loves to do that :)

Two Dates

We had our first condo association meeting since I joined the board. I am still taking it all in. We need more future planning. We are currently waiting on a lawsuit with our insurance provider over the damage to our roofs due to the weather. This could take up to nine months to resolve.

That night I had some weird dreams. They included me moving into a different home, dealing with neighbors, and a group of drug dealers selling drugs from a space under the house. The dream ended just as I ushered a young woman in a black string bikini away from the dealers. Just when it was getting good.

I am sure there are layers and layers of issues to unwrap there, but I could not remember much when I woke.

Max had his date on Sunday, and because she was going out of town to visit family in Tennessee, they went out again on Monday. They seem to like each other. She is showing a strong interest in Max, which is good. I still don't think he realizes he is a good-looking guy.

Walking Tall

I ended up walking close to twelve miles Sunday. It wasn't planned. I started the day doing four miles on the treadmill. Later in the day, Sam asked me if I would like to go for a walk in the park. I didn't think Sam and I would be walking for long. She doesn't usually. We ended up parking outside the park and walked in. It was a long walk. I didn't mind it, although I would have worn better shoes if I know we were going to walk that far.

Today (Tuesday), I woke to find I was without water pressure. At first, I was worried there was something wrong with the new hot water tank. There wasn't. Apparently, there are two water main breaks in the area that are screwing things up.

Max went on his date Sunday. I haven't got the full details yet, but he sent me this response when I asked.

Bathwater: How did your date go?

Max: I still got it (meaning his charm). She asked me for a second date before I could ask.

Up-Date

Sunday, I made plans with TopGun for a dinner date this Friday. She seemed to be looking forward to it. I suggested a place in nearby New Baltimore, and we agreed to meet there. I dropped her a quick text today just to show I was still interested, and she replied back. However, later in the day, she sent me another text saying, "It was nice meeting me, but she has been talking to a few people and has decided to move forward with someone else."

I told her I understood and if she changed her mind to shoot me a message. So no second date. I am not broken up about it. I was lukewarm about the whole thing from the beginning, and perhaps she could sense that. I think if I was more interested, I would have pursued her more strongly.

In the meantime, several issues have already been brought up to the condo association. We have a unit whose dogs attacked another dog and its owner. The roofs still need to be scheduled. Road repairs needed to be approved, and I unit had their hot water heater burst, causing damage to the unit and the one below.

All this in my first week on the board. This is going to be more work than I desired. Hopefully, it settles down in the winter.

Election

Thursday evening, I dug a folding chair out of my basement and walked over to a grassy area at the front of our condo complex. Twenty other chairs were already arranged in a crude circle when I arrived. I set up my chair in the circle and surveyed the group. It was not a large showing. The annual condo association meeting never garnishes a large group, but with the proxies collected, we would have a quorum.

There was a grill set up outside the circle, and the property management company had a folding table with cookies, potato and macaroni salad for the homeowners.I grabbed water and waited for the meeting to begin.

I have been having a lot of conversations with Lily, who is a very active member of the board. Earlier in the summer, I suggested she be proactive and solicit proxies. so that she would be able to sway the vote. We discussed the various issues first. The roofs need replacing. The roads need fixing, and the landscaping is getting out of control. 

When it came time to vote for board members, there were three existing board members on the ballot, Lilly and two other women. Two other board members were not up for reelection, although one has been on the board for years and doesn't even live in the complex. He rents his unit.

 Another homeowner (I am going to call him Hollywood) and I raised our hands to be considered for the board as write-in candidates. Lilly had enough proxies to sway so that both Hollywood and I were elected. The two women who lost did not seem very happy. I find it funny, considering they were not very active in the first place.

I am not considering this a win. Just another job that needs to get done. So now the headaches begin. I have a feeling there will be more posts to come concerning the activities within the community. 

 

Vacation

 I took some vacation days and had off the first week of July, nine days in total, and though I did not do much that was productive, I enjoyed the time away from work. My biggest accomplishment thus far this summer has been getting this plant to bloom. I think it is a Star Gazier Lilly. Last year it was blooming when I bought the plant, but could not get it to bloom again. Removing it from the pot and planting it in the ground seems to have helped.

Tonight is our annual condo homeowners association meeting. The board has been mismanaging our association for years. Because of this two builds are in desperate need of roofs and we do not have the funds. I think I will need to nominate myself for the board to help get things in line.

Constant

The only difference
That I see
Is you are exactly the same 
as you used to be...The Difference, The Wallflowers

I had a coworker stop by the condo the other day. I gave him a tour of the place. He indicated so much space would make him feel lonely. While it may be more than I need, I've never felt lonely in it. My condo has been the one unchanging constant since my divorce. People have come and gone, but the condo and I remain. 

Another Weekend

 We have several guys in the office named Bathwater (insert real name here). When discussing his day with his girlfriend, one of my coworkers said they refer to me as Jaded Bathwater to differentiate me from the others. When I told Sam this over the weekend, she said, "Did you tell them we call you Smart Bathwater." It is important to remember who you are, is not how others perceive you.

This weekend I did more work on the front of the condo. I added flowers to the porch and mulch to the three areas I cleaned up the prior week. I still need to trim the bushes in front of my windows. I will do that this weekend. 

I added a layer of spackling to the ceiling in the laundry room. I need to do some sanding and add a second coat this weekend. 

Sam and I went for a walk around my neighborhood on Sunday, and I helped a neighbor pull three bushes. I even made time to work on my Lego project while I finished the last season of Arrow. 

The Weekend

I am wrapping my weekend events up in a single post lately. This will be no different. 

When I got home Friday night, the crew was still staining my deck. I paid someone to do it. Although I had the time, I wanted to do something other than the project. I did ask them to leave me some stain for a wooden table I had on the deck.

Years ago, Billie brought home a semi-circle wooden table that ended up on the deck. Over the years, it had faded, but the wood was still in good shape. I woke up early on Saturday, took the table to the garage, sanded it down, and stained it to match. My deck looks very fresh now with my new chairs and matching stained table. 

Skipping back to Friday night, Alexis and Sam invited me over. They had two other female friends over for drinks. I declined. The thought of drinking with a group of women did not appeal to me. None of them are cute and available. 

Sunday, I decided to clean up the landscaping in front of the condo. The association should do more of this, but we are underfunded; therefore, it is primarily up to the homeowners. I added a few edging strips around my porch area and removed the weeds. Then I weeded a six-foot circle around the tree in the median right in front of my unit. 

I also prepped the ceiling in the laundry room for repair but did not get to spackling. Max came over, and we waxed his car instead. After, he showed me a few of his videos on Youtube. Max has a small number of followers on Youtube. He could be bigger if he put any effort into it. He doesn't seem to want that. His are all gaming videos. He is the worst type of player. He likes to go in and create chaos. 

Mystery Solved

 Package update. I checked the barcodes on the package, but they did not give me any information. The package doesn't come from Amazon. Instead, it has come directly from a business. I posted a note on Nextdoor indicating the situation, which may generate a reply. Otherwise, I am not going to continue pursuing this. At some point, Hannah will realize her mistake and come looking for it.

It is one of the eleven neighbors on my court. I know half of these by either name or by sight. I have a sneaky suspicion it is the new renter two doors down. The one whose washing machine flooded my laundry room back in December when I was recovering from surgery. I am not a fan of hers.

Because it snowed today and I decided to work from home. I have been very productive and feel in a good mood. I might stroll over to her door later today to ask her. I'd be less inclined if it was worth keeping, but it is clothing. Or perhaps it is drugs inside clothing, and she doesn't want it to be delivered to her home. That would make a better story.

Update: Sunday afternoon, I asked the neighbor if it was her package. I caught up with a woman just leaving the condo. She was pulling away in her car. She indicated her mother lived in the condo and that Hannah was her sister. I handed over the package indicating she had been using the wrong address.

Addressing

 Over the weekend, I was working upstairs when my doorbell rang. I seldom get unexpected visitors. It is usually solicitors, but it was late in the evening. I answered the door to a pizza delivery person. I told her she had the wrong address. This often happens with Door Dash deliveries. The odd thing about this order was she had the correct address. I told her I didn't order the pizzas, and she went on her way.

Yesterday there was a package on my porch. It had the correct address but the wrong name. It was for a Hannah Ramirez. I don't know anyone with that name. I think it is the same person who ordered the pizza. This leaves me wondering who doesn't know their own address?

I left the package on the porch overnight but removed it today. I don't want to invite porch pirates. I will not traipse through the complex, searching for this person. She can seek out my condo. It is still cold out.

I would seek out the owner if it had a different address, but it was delivered to the correct address.

Day Two

 Day two seems like it will be the worst. I may have overdone it. I woke up early. I cannot sleep on my back, yet that is my only option. Feeling and movement came back to my arm and hand. Along with that came the pain. I started taking the hydrocodone along with the pain pump feeding directly into the area. First, one pill, then two.

I built a store-bought Lego to keep myself occupied, and I paced the first floor to get my steps in for the day. I saw the mouse at the trap. He sat there eating away while Max and I watched.

The pain continued to get worse throughout the day. I was napping upstairs when Sienna started meowing at me. I got up and checked the trap. It was still empty, but something else was going on. Does anyone remember when the carriage unit attached to mine had a leaky hot water tank? Water leaked down from their utility room into my laundry room. Well, it happened again.

This time it was water from their washing machine. I was so pissed. I threw a coat over my shoulder and knocked on their door. I looked like a deranged homeless man. This was a new renter. She was reluctant to open the door.

"Your hot water tank is leaking again," I started bluntly.

"I just moved here," she replied.

Honestly, all these overweight middle-aged women look the same to me. I apologized and explained the situation. I asked her if she knew how to shut the water off. She assured me she did. I left unsure and promptly returned. I didn't want forty gallons of water pouring down the ceiling. That is when she informed me she thought it was from the washing machine. The drain pipe was not appropriately secured.

Angry and in pain, I called Max to come help with the ceiling. I was lying in bed at the end of the day. My shoulder was throbbing, and I was feeling helpless. I was on the phone complaining to Sam about my situation when I heard the snap of the mousetrap. Things are starting to look up.

Random Info

I am certain household-accident will be my cause of death. Yesterday I fell down the stairs. I wasn't in a hurry. My socks slipped on the carpet. No injuries were sustained. This morning I was moving slowly and groggy. As I turned on the shower, I coughed and slammed my head into the corner of the wall. One of these things, or the fact I don't realize I am almost 60, not 30, will be the death of me.

Sienna has been spending an excessive amount of time in the kitchen. She hears noises. I haven't seen any signs of a mouse. It has been years since I have had mice in the condo. Not since the great recession when several adjacent units sat vacant. At least the cat is doing her job.

This morning I am not feeling good. Probably from bumping my head. :). I am working from home and feel like crawling back into bad. I keep telling myself, one more day, and you will be in bed more than you want.

Kat was supposed to come over last night, but she canceled. It is a case of two people needing to be more interested in being with each other. I don't mind that Kat canceled., which enforces my point. We are using each other as backups.

As I have been saying for years, the first artificial womb facility will open next year. We will no longer need women to carry a baby to term. This will reduce marriage rates, create custom babies, and ultimately in some parts of the world, babies designed with specific tasks in mind, like a soldier, construction worker, or scientist. Is this the beginning of the Matrix? If you watch the video, it looks like the beginning of Gattaca 

7 or 8

 Thursday, we saw our first snowflakes of the season. They quickly turn to rain. It will be in the 60s and 70s over the next few days, but it is a harboring of things to come. Last night both my stomach and my back were bothering me.

Ava came over, but I was not feeling myself, and she didn't stay long. I should have gone with my instincts and canceled. I enjoyed seeing her, but it was not fun for either of us. We planned her coming back next Tuesday for an overnight.

I threw up twice after she left and spent the early morning hours on the toilet. I suspect food poisoning again. Probably the spinach I added to my soup. By morning I was so dehydrated I felt dizzy in the shower and passed out. I woke up lying on the floor half out of the shower, confused and thinking how comfy the shower mat was. The shower curtain buffered my fall, and I didn't sustain any bruises.

This afternoon my stomach and my back are feeling better. I just need to stay away from the ab press in our gym at work and be careful what I eat for a few days. Today worked from home, which helped eliminate a bit of that stress.

I received an email from Billie yesterday. She passed her electrical journeymen's test on a Monday and gave birth the following Friday. She says the baby is doing well. Billie says she enjoys staying home but plans to return to work in December.

Billie has made a whole new life for herself. The one she probably should have had from the start. I feel like I wouldn't recognize her anymore. She thinks I deserve better than to be just passing the time with Ava. I replied that it is nice that she still feels that way, but what we get and deserve isn't always the same. In fact, I believe our choices bring us where we are, and I am okay with that.

I said, I wish I had more news, but things don't move fast around here. If you stopped by, you'd probably think they haven't moved at all.

It's true. My condo is like I remember my grandparent's houses. Always the same. Never really changing. A sure sign that I am getting old. 

I noticed I got another negative review on my book. Both are from women. 

 "Ewww. What a sad life. Typical middle-aged guy thinking (that) with he's a 10 when he's clearly a 4 and overcompensates by paying for women. Trash."

It is disappointing, but it doesn't bother me much. I wrote the book for myself. Not to paint some false truth but to chronicle the past. They can read into what they want, and actually, I consider myself about a 7 or 8 :). I am of average height, in shape, good in bed, and make twice the national average income. 

Frogs

 They are digging holes in the lawn in several areas around the complex. On the way home from the dentists, I asked one of the workers what the project was for. He indicated they were running gas lines to the new construction going on across from my building. 

I am disappointed by this new series of condos being built. The original plans called for a small park across from me. Those plans were scrapped when the builder redivided the land. soon I will be looking at other condo units when I step onto my balcony. I might have to start getting dressed before walking in front of the window. 

I used to know it was spring when I could open the door-wall and hear the frogs chirping at night. I doubt they will be as loud this year. It reminded me of this post. I couldn't find the original date, but Max will be twenty-three this year. 

Frogger
Originally Posted (Unkown)

"Let's pretend we are biologists searching for a frog that can cure cancer."

"What's that?"

"It's an illness you don't have to worry about Max."

Max called me this afternoon wanting to come over for his extra day as he calls them now. I picked him up and we went frog hunting at the retention pond in the subdivision near my condo complex. It was a beautiful day. The rich smell of hot tar came drifting down from the wooden bridge over the drain. We made our way down the banks slowly. Max is a good frog catcher. At his home, he always has two or three in his aquarium. Today we had no luck catching frogs, though we saw a few. Max did find a dragonfly that didn't seem to mind being caught.

We came back to the condo without a frog so we decided to color some frog pictures instead. One thing lead to another and we ended up making our own origami frogs.

At the end is our first video. Our origami frog in action. That is Max's silly voice you hear in the background.

The Dragonfly

A near catch

Max and I

Deer In The Headlights

 The weekend was quiet. Max came over Saturday, and we ordered lunch from The Detroit Wing Company. Max has lost some weight and is dressing better. He has been going to his college classes in person.

I worked on the Lego model for a few hours. I finished what I wanted to achieve behind the wall and will be working on a mountain beyond the cottage next.

I picked up Ava Sunday night, and we made pizzas back at the condo. We are still discussing the deals of a road trip in March. She has some quirks I am still trying to plan around. It was close to midnight when I drove her back to her house. The drive their was uneventful, and we discussed vacations and the possible road trip. On my return trip, about a mile from the condo, two deer jumped across the road in front of me. There are woods in the area, but it isn't devoid of houses.

When  I turned into my condo complex entrance, two more deer crossed in front of me. These were closer. My dashcam caught both pairs, but it was easier to see the second pair. I am going to start driving with more caution at night. Here is a screen capture. There are no woods for them to hide in near me. I have never seen deer so close to the house.

Pesto Pizza

Thursday, Ava came to the condo. She was running an hour late. That seems to be part of her persona, always running somewhere, always behind, but she devotes her attention to who she is with when she gets here. We went to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients to make individual pesto pizzas. Her's was vegan; mine was not so much. We also made spiced pumpkin balls for dessert.

It was fun cooking with her. She is slowly becoming comfortable here. Although Sienna (my cat) has not warmed up to her yet, she comes out while Ava is around, which is a step in the right direction.

We sat on the couch and watched videos while we ate. After, we stretched out together and got comfortable. I was lying behind Ava, gently running my fingers along the soft skin of her stomach. When my hand roamed upward, I discovered she was not wearing a bra beneath her heavy turquoise top. This is not something I would expect of her.

"You're not wearing a bra," I noted, pleased by the fact.

"I thought you might appreciate that."

"Oh, I do," I said while cupping her right breast in my hand and rolling the nipple between my fingers.

"I would never go out in public without a bra," she states.

Apparently, the grocery store doesn't count, but I didn't mention it. "You should. You have perfect breasts."

Ava does. They are a nice handful but firm. They do not need a bra.

"Thank you."

Ava turns toward me, so I have more access, and we kiss. It doesn't take long for her to get excited from my caresses. Ava starts rubbing her body against mine as my hand drifts into her pants. Before we get carried away, we move to the bedroom.

Once again, the sex is excellent. We continue to learn each other's likes and are comfortable just being present with each other. Ava's favorite position is face down with her ass propped up. She uses the wand vibrator on her clitoris while I enter her from behind. It is a beautiful sight and hard to resist. I am getting aroused just thinking about it as I write this.

As things wind down, we talk. Ava describes me as a ninja. You can tell I am in shape in clothes, but I am in stealth mode. Apparently, my attributes come out in the bedroom. Hey, a trophy is a trophy.

I really like this girl. She is not just all take. I am not used to this; she is not full of herself. If anything, she doesn't give herself enough credit. But, there is always a catch. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement; even though she does not stress the fact, I haven't forgotten that. Still, each encounter seems to top the last, and I look forward to each new date while wondering where this will go, if anywhere.

Results

 The ceiling is fixed.  After a marathon session of cleaning yesterday, the room is back together.  The patched area looks good.  The paint matching-- did not go as smooth.

Sunday Afternoon

Saturday, I brought up two different cans of paint from the basement. I was sure one of these two was the same color as the walls in the living room. Neither was. So I went to Home Depot and brought back a bunch of paint swatches.  None of the names rang a bell.  I picked what I thought looked the closest and went back for a can.  I painted the two walls with the new paint.  They are slightly lighter than the other walls, but the room has several cuts and does not get much light, so I don't think anyone but me will notice.

I figured the walls I painted were covered by furniture, pictures, or the window. No one would notice. I did not want to paint the rest of the room at this time.  The rest of the room would mean doing a lot of trimming around doors, the fireplace and removing the TV from above the mantel. It is not a one-man over-the-weekend job.

I should paint the entire ceiling too. Right now, I just painted the corner.  It doesn't stick out, but you can tell.  

The good thing is that my mudding skills were up to the task.  You cannot see my seams on the ceiling.