Summer Haze

Sunday, Max and I went to New Baltimore for lunch. I watched the young girls eyeing Max. He probably doesn't even notice. The kid would be dangerous if he developed his conversation skills. I get my share of looks from the geriatric crowd, but the young, cute ones get all nervous around Max's blue eyes. 

Max is working as a carpentry apprentice-- yes, another new job. Although the smoke has forced him to stay home for a few days. There will be more of that coming next week as well. It will be another night of keeping the air conditioner on and the windows closed, even though the temperatures we are having (lows in the high 50s) would usually allow me to turn off the air and open the windows for the night.

Just another glorious summer.

Rain

We are getting rain from the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. Unlike the brief violent downpours we received last month, it has been steadily raining today. I wrote back to Ray and asked if she would like to go out. I am not interested in joining her church, but I would like to get to know her better. We will see what happens. (Follow up: Ray is married but doesn't wear a ring).

I am so glad Jon Stewart is back on The Daily Show. He is a voice of comedic reason. I don't understand why Joe Biden does not step aside. It is sad, but there comes a day when you have to take the car keys away from an aging parent, no matter how hard they whine. I am not that political; however, I have not been happy with my choices for president for the last 12 years.

Weather And

 The weather was peculiar this weekend. Saturday morning, it rained, and it has been raining often. As Saturday progressed, it turned hot and muggy. I did my shopping early and stayed inside with the air conditioning. Sunday was the complete opposite. Sunday was overcast and unseasonably cool. I kept the windows shut Sunday because it was in the mid-to-low-sixties.

Sam and I went to an art fair along the river in St. Clair on Sunday despite the weather. Fifty to sixty vendors had tents set up in the park along the boardwalk.  Sam and I like this art show. It is in a nice location, with live music and several outdoor restaurants. 

Neither of us bought anything. I often like looking at the artist's goods and thinking I could do the same thing. It is one of the many alternative career paths I could have if I set my mind to it. 

It took a few art fair photos and sent them to Gia this morning. She would have liked it. Gia and I continue to send texts to each other almost every day. Sometimes, it is just a simple good morning. Other times, we will exchange pictures, articles, or GIFs.  Outside of my twins, Gia is the person I consistently communicate with most. It is nice, and yet I find it odd. I don't know when or if I will ever see her again. 

I like Gia; I just don't know what to do with her. Sometimes, I feel she thinks the same way. I will try again to get her to go to Utah with me. She will probably decline, yet it doesn't hurt to ask. My latest pitch is having her meet me in Salt Lake City. She can fly there, and I will drive the Gladiator. From there, we can spend the week in Utah. She would abhor spending so much time with someone, but I understand her need for space. Personally, I think it would be an amazing time.

Update

 I have been trying to keep up with the blog this year. This weather makes me feel like staying put. When I am at home, I don't feel like leaving. Even at work, I dread getting into the car for the ride home.

I have been dealing with one condo association issue. We are trying to change the bylaws. We sent out a package to all the residents for approval. At this time, we are a few votes shy of the two-thirds majority we need. I will go door-to-door this weekend to explain the changes to six or seven residents to get the quorum. I don't trust the President to go on her own. She tends to rub people the wrong way.

I continue to text with Gia. She thinks April, when the weather breaks, would be a good time to return to Michigan to work. She indicated the NFL draft is in Detroit at the end of April. That girl is always doing her research. Hopefully, it works out. 

I finished my edits on Dave's next book. It was an engaging read. One of his best. I have to start my taxes over the next couple of weeks. Over a week ago, when I started this post, the weather was very cold. It has been mild since then.

I have been slowly working on a new castle. My progress has been impeded by a lack of parts. Most of my tan is tied up in models built for the show coming up.

Steady As She Goes

Today I drove to work only to find that I forgot my computer. I decided it wasn't worth returning to the office once I returned home. I will be working the rest of the day from home. It is a slow week. My colleagues in China are on holiday, and several people in the office are on vacation. It's a good judgment call.

It has been lightly raining all morning, but I like the overcast day. We haven't had many this year, so it is a welcome change. I have been debating whether to go out tonight. I think I will just go to BJs warehouse to pick up a new office chair, get a few food items, and call it a day. Driving an hour across town to go to a strip club doesn't sound appealing.

Sam has been working late, so I don't think she will want to get something to eat. Strike that. Sam just called as I was writing this. She is interested in getting dinner. I guess I will be going to dinner and then getting my new office chair.

Otherwise, nothing new has been going on here. I have had no luck in finding a replacement for Ava. It feels like I need to start searching on other sites. There are not many real women on SA anymore. 

It seems the more I hang out on my own, the more I want to be alone. Sometimes I get envious of those around me who have had better luck on dating apps, but then I realize what they consider luck would not be the same as mine. 

When you have completed what you thought you had to do
And your blood's depleted to the point of stable glue
Then you'll get along
And then you'll get along
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)... Steady As She Goes, The Raconteurs

Snowfall

 We received our first significant accumulation of snow yesterday, about five inches. I worked from home and watched the snow fall. We are getting more over the weekend, but nothing should interfere with a typical day.

This was the view from my balcony.

I received some snaps from Ava yesterday. She wants to get together this weekend. Plans are still formulating. 

Ava: I want to try to pull off an early dinner with you this Saturday or Sunday. I will know by  Friday.

Bathwater: Sounds good. I want to hear about your new job.

Ava: We can just do takeout because I can't stay long.

Bathwater: I would still enjoy seeing you.

Ava: Yeah, it would still be nice to chat, even if we only had time for Starbucks, I agree.

I am looking forward to seeing what will unfold on the weekend.

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. 

NPC

Got time, time, to wait for tomorrow.
To find it.
To find it...Plush, Stone Temple Pilots

Lately, I feel like I have been waiting for tomorrow. The cool temperatures have not helped, but in typical Michigan fashion, it is going from the 60s this week to the 80s next week. Perhaps then I will feel more motivated.

Ava canceled last minute on yoga yesterday. She didn't go into detail except to say we were still getting together Saturday. 

Everything is running on autopilot here. I don't have much going on or much to report. That makes me restless. I almost feel better when there is some drama going on. I feel like an NPC, just moving in the background.

Canned Reply

I've noticed lately that everywhere I communicate, I'm offered canned responses to use--emails, text messages, and even Teams. Pretty soon, there will be no need for me to reply or even be on the other end of the conversation. It will just be bots talking back and forth, and they will keep on talking long after I am gone. It feels like another example of taking the human out of the equation.

My emails have little sub-headers like this:

Start your reply with:  Great, thank you so much! Great, thanks for the update. Perfect, thank you!

I am going to start keeping an eye out for people using them. It's the kind of canned response I would get from Billie if I sent her that letter...I've decided I will not.

*     *     *

Sienna, my cat, has become an ankle biter. Whenever I am pacing around the house, which is usually when I refill my tea, she nips at my heels for attention. She likes me being home, and I haven't been home much lately.

Temperatures are rising slowly here. Ava and I missed a lovely weekend of weather here in Michigan last week, but we had better weather in Kentucky. This weekend we may hit 70 degrees before things start going lower again.

Leave your canned message in the comments, and have a great weekend.

Snow, In April

 It snowed yesterday. Nothing stuck to the roads, but there was an inch on the ground when it was done. I am so sick of this winter weather. Thankfully, we will be in 70-degree temperatures when we are in Kentucky. Despite my preparation, I don't feel like I am ready to leave. Work is piling up, and I cannot seem to get ahead, but I will forget about everything once we are on the road.

Max's car is in the shop again. They cannot seem to solve the problem. It is the third time we have taken it back. Otherwise, nothing to report. Hopefully, I will have several days of posts when I return.

Plans

I was stuck in the office, but today was a beautiful Spring day. This is a shortened week. I have Friday off for Easter. Next week, I am only working two days, and then Ava and I head to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. There were no cute cabins available near the park, so I booked us into a Bed and Breakfast for our stay. I thought about splitting the time between the B&B and a hotel until I saw they offered vegan/gluten-free breakfast options. 

Bathwater: Actually, this place might be good for the whole trip. They say vegan and gluten-free on the website.

Ava: Very funny & yes, super cute!. Yes, go ahead and book it for the whole trip.

Bathwater: I was being serious. They offer gluten-free and vegan breakfast options.

Ava: Oh! Love that! Wow, that's awesome!!

Bathwater: If I was joking, I would have said it is in a dry county, and you will have to bring your own liquor (she doesn't drink).

So far, it doesn't look like the weather will be as warm as I hoped, but I don't think it will matter. We will make the best of whatever comes.

Bathwater: I'm excited. Another road trip is just a week away.

Ava: Yeah, me too. It's gonna be great!

Winter Returns

Winter returned over the weekend, disregarding the date and bringing snow Saturday and Sunday. We received enough snow during the night to cover the ground Saturday morning and Sunday I took Twin A to lunch through snow squalls that limited visibility but didn't add any accumulation.  We will have cooler temperatures on the road trip than I hoped. Still, I am looking at getting away.

This week will be busy leading up to our departure. When I was a boy, my mother would have to clean the entire house before we left on any trip. She would be in a dark mood that would not lift until we were on the road. It dampened the excitement. My two brothers and I would make ourselves scarce while she cleaned to avoid her wrath.

I did not inherit her pretravel moods, but I did clean the condo this weekend. I want to clean the Gladiator inside and out before we leave, but the weather will be cold and rainy the next few days. 

I am working from home the first three days this week, so that will give me a few extra hours to finalize the trip by picking out a few places of interest along the route. I will be going to yoga on Wednesday instead of Tuesday this week, and I have a massage scheduled for Thursday evening. 

I took Ava to the River Crab Friday night. She enjoyed the food and the view. She was particularly interested in the driftwood floating down the river. Thinking of ways to harvest it for free and make some craft projects out of it. 

"So if we go to the sand dunes on Lake Michigan this summer are we going to be filling the back of the truck with driftwood?" I asked her.

Ava plans on spending the night Thursday, so we can get an early start the next morning. So we will be spending four nights and four days together. It is our first trip and I am anxious to see how it will go.

Snow, Again

 

Woke up to see this from my balcony Sunday morning. You can see the wood piled near the new construction I mentioned previously. The snow will be gone by Tuesday, but it puts a damper on the idea of Spring being on the way. Despite the snow, Max and I went to a local Lego resale shop. The roads were slick in spots, but it was a planned adventure so we headed out according to schedule.

The lego resale shop is a family-owned business. It struggled through the pandemic. They make part of their money from kids' parties and those were not happening last year. You never know what you will find in the store. They buy old sets from customers and resale parts and pieces at a significant mark-up. 

With the amount of Lego I have in my condo I could open a similar store. I have 70% of the same inventory they had on hand sitting on shelves now, but it would mean depleting my collection. I am not ready to do that yet. 

People are asking to see what stage my current creation is in, but currently, it is in pieces. The reason we ventured to the resale store was to replenish certain colors. I need more light blue for the water. You can see past images if you select the label Lego on the right.

Otherwise, my weekend was quiet. I spent a lot of time thinking about my next novel while rewatching The Magicians on Netflix. I love that show. It has excellent writing, although I think the first three seasons are the best.

The parts to repair the sun visor on the Gladiator arrived and I installed them Saturday. They seemed to work. I even reinstalled the screen on the door wall in hopes that I will be able to open it and let the air in soon.

I have to admit, I have not been very productive these past few weekends. I will blame it on the weather, but I do need to get motivated. 

Worrisome Stats?

 Bijoux commented:

I don't think I could handle dating in the 21st century.

I don't think dating has ever been easy, but I think it is getting harder based on the numbers I saw recently. 26% of people over eighteen did not have sex last year. 50% had sex once a month or less. These numbers are even higher for my age range. Only 62% of people ages 25 to 54 are either married or living together. This is a new low. These numbers are important to me. I grow up believing in marriage, although I think it is a losing bet these days. 

I am sure my values will change as I age, but so will my need for companionship. As of now, I value sex. It is something I cannot provide myself alone. It is not the only thing I value in life, but I value it in a relationship. I am just adapting to the current sexual marketplace where young girls think having an Onlyfans account and selling graphic images of themselves is a viable career choice. It won't be for long, computer-generated images will make that obsolete.

My blog has always been a place where I can release my thoughts. They are not always correct or socially acceptable. Over time some of my feelings and ideas change, but I like having a record of life as it unfolds.

Today was another snowy drive into work. The roads were covered and slick, but traffic moved along without incident on my drive. Driving to work is seen as a badge of honor by my companies owner. I see it as a meaningless risk that could cost me thousands if I get into an accident. 

Weekend Forecast

We did get some snow. I haven't stepped outside to measure, but I did decide it was enough to work from home. My drive home was forty minutes longer than the usual thirty. I passed Firefly on the road, white-knuckling it in the slow lane of the boulevard. She didn't notice it was me. I was hurt she didn't recognize the Orange Crush decals on the truck's tail, but she was too intent on the road. 

I sent her a text when I got home.

Bathwater: What are you doing driving in this weather, Firefly? Haven't you learned your lesson?

Firefly: Lmaoooo, how do you know I'm driving.

Bathwater: I passed you on 16 Mile road. I even honked.

Firefly: I was working. I thought that was you. I saw your car and was like, hmmm, I know that car.

It reminds me of the days Tinkerbell drove a lime green Ford Focus. I would see her on the road all the time. Even on days, I didn't want to see her.

The roads should be passable by this evening when I pick up Ava. It takes more than 4 to 8 inches to slow this city down. We are expecting gale forces winds tonight. I like listening to the winds blowing outside at night.

This has been a long week and plans on being a busy weekend. Ava is spending the night tonight. I am replacing the coil pack on Max's car with him Sunday, and after, I am meeting a new girl for a drink. Something tells me this girl is more like Firefly than Ava, but we will see.

February

 Usually, I find I weigh less in February. It is a depressing month without enough sunlight. By spring, I am counting calories again. Lately though, I cannot seem to stop losing weight. I've been focused on eating more the past few days, but I am still dropping. If it continues, I might get concerned. I just don't feel like eating.

Ava is spending the night tomorrow. I have decided not to mention her trip or drop snarky comments eluding my thoughts. Either would put her on the defensive. It is harder to deceive me in person actions over words. For now, I have filed the incident away under things to remember.

It has been a long week. It is raining this afternoon, but it will snow this evening. The storm warning says we could get 4 to 8 inches. We never seem to, though. 

End of Week Wrap

 Yesterday, I received my free covid 19 test kits from the government. Four kits that will probably never get used. It is a year too late if you ask me. Thank you, US government. Guess I will save them for the next variant.

I have been trying to write a fictional novel. It hasn't been going too well. I've started several, but I don't see the whole story in my head. I am not sure what I am going to do. Writing a fictional novel is on my bucket list. 

I am anxious for the weekend and anxious for spring. The weekend will have to wait. Some idiot in Mexico scheduled a meeting from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm on a Friday night! Spring, unfortunately, is out of my control too. The temperatures are increasing, but it is too early to get our hopes up here. This is Michigan.

I don't have anything to report. Nothing new is going on. Max is coming over tomorrow. We are working on his car. Ava is spending the night on Sunday. So perhaps I will have fodder as the weekend unfolds.

Quixotic

 In the end, Don Quixote denounced his fantasies, saying, "I was mad, and now I am sane." 

I pulled this quote from a post I wrote on December 12, 2005. I was reminded of it when I read Peppy's post. Back then, I still wanted to believe in metaphoric giants and damsels in distress, but even then, I knew they were illusions. 

My age is showing. The conversations I've had with young people lately show me the generation gap between us. Something I seldom encountered before. I feel like I will be cut off by the phrase, "Okay, boomer," at any moment.

I have been pulling back from engaging in conversations. People do not want to debate. If they agree with your viewpoint, they will talk with you, but they want to shut you down if they disagree. People don't think for themselves. They don't question their beliefs and actions. 

More and more, I just want to be left alone. It is probably not a good thing. I would like to find like-minded people. It seems difficult, not because I am opinionated, but because I am not. I am open to debate. 

In my area, we did not get the snow predicted. Maybe, there are six inches on the ground, but that is not a challenge for the Gladiator. This morning, the roads were 80% cleared. I live in a small pocket in South-Eastern Michigan that just gets passed over.

Waiting For The Snow

 I woke this morning expecting to see snow, but it hasn't started yet. There are no workers outside today building new condos and it is silent here.  It is very peaceful and I am enjoying it. I might go out for a joy ride in the evening to test out the Gladiator in deep snow if we get it.

Last night, I went to Walmart to stock up on snacks. Some of the shelves were bare. I substituted ground turkey for ground beef. I have a hankering to make meat balls. I could not find any distilled water for my humidifier and might have to go to another store. Luckily, I have no shortage of stores in the area.

The groundhog won't be seeing his shadow today. Early spring for us, let's hope. 

January Ends

Because this month is long, I had the time to create plenty of posts. That has been one of my goals for the blog, a post every other day. The other two are keeping it exciting and expanding my readership. Next month will be more challenging.

The boss indicated we should continue our current work-from-home schedule until directed otherwise. Mine is work from home Monday, Tuesday, and every other Wednesday. This is excellent news, and I hope he doesn't change the policy until after February. We will see.

We are getting our first snowstorm of the year-- eight to fourteen inches. It is occurring Wednesday through Thursday. I am looking forward to it. The Gladiator prefers deep snow over a thin sheet of ice.

Otherwise, I do not have much to report. I stayed indoors this weekend and avoided the world. I had lunch planned with Rose for Sunday, but she canceled. When she suggested dinner, I told her she could text me next week for lunch if she became available. I don't think she will. I like Rose and would enjoy seeing her, but she is not dependable. I probably give her more credit than she deserves and should remember she is the closest thing it a psychopath I have ever met.