Tag: Television

Lunch Break

It’s been a busy day today. Lots going on at work. I’m trying to squeeze in a lunch break, but it started half an hour later and it’s been interrupted once already.

Last night I was dreading coming to work today. I think everything that went on over the weekend, with my aunt’s funeral and my parents health situations, was starting to really weigh on me and I didn’t feel up to anything. Now that I am neck deep in work I am sort of glad I didn’t call out because I would be swamped tomorrow. Still. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. Not completely overwhelmed, but a little overwhelmed. I’ll manage.

I’m having a little trouble with lunch today. My stomach is a little unhappy. I had a little trouble with breakfast too. It’s the first time in three days or so that I haven’t eaten just protein bars for breakfast and lunch, so maybe that’s part of it. I’ll manage.

In good news, I asked the kids when they were starting their Thanksgiving break and it turns out they have all of next week off. I figured they would still have school right up to the day before the holiday, but nope. Harry said he’s coming here on Friday. How awesome is that? We don’t have Bellana’s schedule yet, but they go to the same school so she’s off school next week too. The question is, will she be off work too. However the cookie ends up crumbling, it’s going to be awesome to see the kids. I can’t wait.

Sunday, five days from now, will see the final episode of The Walking Dead on the air. I watched the second to last episode while doing my exercise yesterday. I was hoping my favorite zombie podcast would release it’s recap episode today, because it always releases on Tuesday, but nothing yet. The only Walking Dead podcast I have in my feed is two guys who constantly bitch about how they don’t like the show anymore. Why do I bother following them?

Did I mention that I’ve shot a little film over the last week or two? I took dad’s camera with a roll of cheap black and white film around town last weekend, and then this weekend I figured I was going to get to the church early for the funeral so I brought it with me and took a couple of exterior church shots for happy thoughts. I think I have 9-10 shots left on the roll. Where should I shoot next? When should I shoot next? It was 25 degrees out this morning so methinks the days of going out before work are probably over for a while.

Okay. lunch is wrapping up. Time to get back to work.

Good day.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween, everyone! I can’t believe October is ending. What the hell, time?

I took today off. Partly because of the use-it-or-lose-it time off thing at work, but also because we have a contractor coming today. The window for expected arrival is 8:00am to noon. I got up early and did my exercise and had everything done before 8:00. I am kinda proud of myself. I did another 40ish minutes of running in place and hit a simulated, estimated five miles. Absolutely insane. My calorie goal is at 99% already and it’s only 9:07.

I didn’t catch last night’s episode of The Walking Dead on live TV so I watched it this morning while “running.” It’s always fitting to watch a new episode on Halloween. The show debuted on Halloween after all. 12 years ago. Insane.

No word from the contractor yet. He’s coming to measure our windows. They are going to be replaced eventually and this is just the next step. My father isn’t well right now and I will be going to check in on him this afternoon. I just don’t know when. Jen is working so to kill time while I wait for the window guy I’m picking off some more James Bond. I may be past the brief Timothy Dalton era at some point this morning. I am watching License to Kill right now. I remember this one being a little on the weak side but it seems okay so far. I forgot all about the very, very young Benicio Del Toro. I also forgot that they brought back an old Felix Leiter actor. I used to think it was the original actor but I looked it up and it’s not. It’s the original Roger Moore era actor. Also, I think I forgot about Wayne Newton too. Wayne Newton? Bless your heart. Jen’s working today so I am wearing headphones through the Apple TV. The sync is a little off, but I’ll live.

I am afraid I am not going to be here for trick or treating tonight. I was really looking forward to pretending I was part of society again. Jen and I talked about it. If I’m at my dad’s during trick or treat time I will be one of those wimps who puts a bowl of candy on the steps and lets the kids help themselves. Better than nothing, I guess.

It’s 9:28. Still no word from the contractor. Sigh. I was hoping we’d get through this early today, but what can you do?

Once again, Happy Halloween, everyone. BOO! Scared ya, didn’t I?

Busy Monday

It’s been a busy morning. I’m wrapping up lunch right now and I feel like I haven’t had a minute to get my head straight today. I also had like five typos in the previous two sentences. What’s up, Robert?

I’m tired today. I didn’t fall asleep until almost 1:30am. I was then awake at around 7:00am, which is much later than I had hoped. Oh well. I’ll make it through the day and hopefully get to bed early tonight. Maybe. Who knows.

This weekend was busy as well. I spent most of Friday out of work on sick time so that I could stay in the ER with my father. He had massive back pain come up out of nowhere on Thursday. My brother took him to the ER where they waited for nine hours before seeing a doctor. The hospital was 100% full so they couldn’t admit him for the night. He ended up staying in an ER room. I relieved my brother at around 7:00am after his heroic night without sleep. Dad’s pain seemed to fix itself somehow and he was discharged in the mid-afternoon. I got home around 5:00pm or so. Maybe a smidge earlier than that.

From there the weekend of home improvement kicked off. Jen and I made about 650 trips to various Home Depot and Lowes locations. We installed a new cabinet in the kitchen, thanks to huge help from Jen’s step father, Sherman. I installed a wire pull out shelf system which almost killed me. Sherman helped me fix a small issue I was having, and then he installed a counter top onto the new cabinet. It looked great. Jen and I did the finishing work and then started rearranging things in the kitchen. We got some new cookware and saved off the old stuff for when a certain college student graduates and potentially needs a kitchen of her own at some point over the summer.

We were actually thinking about adding three cabinets and a great big pantry and a set of four shelves, but we scrapped all of that as possible overkill. Outside of home improvement, I was only able to get to my mother once. She had a brief moment of awareness when I got there. She asked me to get her a drink. That doesn’t sound like much, but compared to how she normally acts when I am there, that little interaction was huge. A nurse brought her some ice cream too and she devoured it. Normally getting her to eat is a struggle. Not then. She dug in and went after it. It was literally heart warming.

Other than that, there was just a lot of together time with me and my love, Jen. There was a lot of television watched, too much. The Walking Dead and House of the Dragon and Rings of Power are all up to date. Tonight I will go grocery shopping. Tomorrow I have a doctors appointment in the morning. Wednesday we have tons of television to watch. Good stuff.

For now though, lunch is over. Back to work, Robert.

Two Years and Seven Months

Two years and seven months ago today, at 5:30pm, my personal Covid-19 pandemic lock down began. 3/13/20 was our last day in the office. We are not particularly locked down at this point, but we’re pretty much still isolated. We’re going to stores, I’m visiting Mom regularly (and need to visit Dad more often), we’re just spending as much time as we can afford to away from everyone. We’re wearing masks and being good, virus-conscious humans.

I am so friggin’ sick of it. I miss my friends, I miss playing in the band, I miss my family. Granted, my step kids are both in Vermont so I would be missing them even without our personal lock down, but you get the point. I want to travel, though we can’t afford it, I want to do things.

I want to go to hockey games again. The Bruins won their opening game last night. They beat The Capitals 5-2. I listened to as much as I could on the radio. Probably not as much as I would have liked, but a nice chunk. UMass Lowell is currently 2-1, with all three games being non-conference games. They play in Michigan tonight and tomorrow, two more non-conference games. The first Hockey East games are next week. I have been able to catch at least a little of each game on the radio. I’m not sure if they cover road games on WUML Lowell 91.5 FM, but I think we’ll find out tonight. As for the kids’ school, University of Vermont… 0-4 with all games being in conference. Yeah… pretty grim. I haven’t tried to find them on the radio. It might not be worth it.

In closing, I watched She-Hulk while doing my walkies. Teeny Tiny Spoilers Ahead. It was season one episode nine, the first season finale. I did not realize that I so desperately needed to hear something like five seconds worth of Richard and Linda Thompson music in the MCU. I did need it though. I really, completely needed it. The episode was great, but at the end when they snuck in a few seconds of I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight just made my fucking week. Props to K.E.V.I.N. and the gang.

Happy Monday

Happy Monday, everyone (he said sarcastically).

Last night got strange. There was a small health issue that we all knew was nothing, but on the day after the vaccine it might have been something so we went to the ER and had them tell us it was nothing. The zaniest thing about the ER trip is that we got there at 10:00 and left at 12:00. Two hours? That’s it? Amazing!

So I was late getting to bed last night. I was probably going to be late anyway, thanks to television. I was sitting in bed watching The Walking Dead on my iPad when we decided to go. Live TV, babie! I was planning on watching the episode and then trying to sneak in House of the Dragon before I fell asleep. I am pretty sure it wasn’t going to happen. I was still seriously beat on post-vaccine day. I was going to try it though. Instead, I went to sleep a little before 1:00am and woke up a little before 7:00. My SleepWatch numbers were good. I feel so much better today. The only post-vaccine symptom left is a very sore left arm. That’ll clear soon enough.

So I watched last night’s The Walking Dead while doing my walkies (38 minutes, 3.22 miles [simulated], 609 calories). The episode was pretty good. The stuff with Daryl and Judith was excellent. Look at me getting all emotional about the parenting stuff. Who woulda thunk it? The wrestling stuff though… what the fuck, Angela. It was bad when Fear the Walking Dead had a wrestling episode, but the main show? It was just friggin’ embarrassing. It was probably about one minute long but it felt like two hours. Just stop.

House of the Dragon (aka Hot D) will have to wait until tonight. I thought I had a doctors appointment this week, on October 12, but it’s actually next week on the 18th. October 12th is Bruins opening day. Another thing that will wait until later tonight is the finalization of the Bruins opening day roster. They waived three veterans yesterday. Will they be picked up today? Will they be sent down to Providence? Will they be cut completely? Will they remain with the team? Who the hell knows.

In past years, today would have been a day off work for me. Columbus Day, aka whatever people are calling the day instead of Columbus Day because Columbus was a pretty atrocious person who really shouldn’t be celebrated, especially since his great discovery was the result of him being a bit of an idiot. At the start of 2022 our holiday structure was altered to change non-national holidays, like today, into floating holidays. So I don’t have today off, but I can take a day off later in its place. Jen is off today though. I should have put in for today so that we could spend the day together. Three day weekends kinda rule. I think I need to use two days this month again to stop my personal time off accrual from maxing out, again. We’ll see.

There you go, folks. That’s my Monday morning. Happy Monday.

Covid Booster: The Day After: Still Alive (Mostly)

Just checking in. I’m still sort of alive. Mostly, at least. The foggy head is lessening a little, but the body aches are still holding on. My arm, where I took the shot, is still killing me. There’s a constant dull ache, but any time I forget about it and try to use it it kicks my ass.

Mostly I am just exhausted. I got a lot of sleep last night but my sleep numbers were sucky. My sleeping heart rate dip, which should average between 10-20%, and 20-30% is a kick ass, actually went the wrong way. It went up 7%. Crud, huh?

The only productive thing I’ve done is 30 minutes of exercise. That ring is closed. My move (calorie) app isn’t even close though. It’s only 57% complete. I expect that at some point tonight I am going to have to do another 30 minute walk.

Other than that I’ve just spent the day staring at the television. I watched all five episodes of Star Wars: Andor. This week’s episode is going to be awesome. When I finished that I needed something else to veg out to so I started rewatching Falcon and Winter Soldier. I just started episode four. I think I can get through the whole season today. Once that’s done… Loki? We’ll see. We have The Walking Dead tonight (only seven episodes left!) and House of the Dragon so we’ll see if I can get to either of those tonight.

Wordle Stats

The first time I got the Wordle word in three tries I got all proud and stuff and posted it to Twitter. The first time I got it in two tries I got super proud and stuff and posted it to Twitter and Facebook. A workflow patter was thus created. That was during a brief period where I was feeling okay about going to Facebook again, entirely due to the weight loss surgery support groups. Now I am feeling down on the whole thing again so I need a new Wordle workflow.

Wordle 474 2/6

🟩⬜🟨⬜🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

That’s right, boys and girls. Now when I get it in two tries, like I did today, it’s going to Twitter and The Blog. Enjoy!

In the immortal words of Barnie Stinson, “this is so going in my blog!”

Last night I was put in command of the television remote control and managed to get caught up on every show I’m currently following. There were three shows that I was one episode behind. I watched ’em all. Andor, Rick and Morty, and The Handmaids Tale. Andor has been my main focus, but after the cliff hanger in Handmaid I might be watching the next episode of that show first.

The plan for tonight is to do something with dinner that I haven’t done since the surgery. We’re going to have some spaghetti. I’ve made spaghetti since the surgery, for Jen and Harry, but I haven’t eaten any of it. Pasta, bread, rice, and rice-like things were the last items to come off of my do-not-eat-these list. Well, sugar is eternally on that list but as of now it’s the only thing left.

Pasta has been off of the do-not-eat list for over a month, I just haven’t felt confident enough in the universe and my tiny, rebuilt, mangled stomach to give it a go. I haven’t had bread or rice or quinoa either. I can if I want, I just haven’t. Tonight I am going to have a tiny little serving of spaghetti. Cross your fingers that it doesn’t make me sick. I expect it is going to be friggin’ epically delicious. I hope so, at least.

Week 22

Hello and welcome to week 22! The week where I did not weigh in. I weighed in yesterday. I was thinking of doing it today, but if I don’t then we’ll get an extra day when I weigh in next week and maybe that will give me a more impressive number. Or not. Who knows. As long as I keep moving in the right direction I really don’t care how fast it goes. Though in this case bigger is, if not better, more fun.

I think we may have weathered a storm at work. Fingers crossed, right?

I watched half of last week’s That Pedal Show while doing this morning’s exercise. I should have watched The Handmaid’s Tale. A new episode is out but for some reason I keep thinking new episodes come out on Thursdays, like Andor. Wait… is Andor out on Wednesdays too? Shit, is there an Andor that I haven’t seen? I gotta start writing this shit down. Ugh! Lunch is going to be an hour late today. Maybe I’ll be able to watch something during lunch, but I usually try to avoid TV during work hours.

Crap. I just checked Disney+. There is a new Andor today. Grrrrrr.

Anyway, my walking is done. I still need to do the weights and the elastic. I didn’t do them yesterday because I was too busy, but I’ll do them today.

22 weeks and 140 pounds since surgery. I still can’t believe it. It’s starting to feel like a fairy tale. Some kind of make believe. It’s almost too good to be true. My next check in at the clinic is October 18th. I wonder how much I’ll weigh when that day comes around.

Two Hours?

I got downstairs to do my exercise and watch last night’s Walking Dead by 8:00am. Plenty of time to get through it all before punching into work at 9:00.

I went to the AMC website, brought up the episode, let’s effin’ go!

Wait…

The episode is two hours??

Noooooo!!!!

I did all of my normal daily exercise though. I walked in place for the equivalent of 3.2 miles (5k-ish) in record time. My mile splits were under 12 minutes for the first time ever. Not sure how I did that. I also did my normal dumbbells and elastic band thingie exercises too. I usually wait until later in the day for this, but they are done and done. I still might try to do 15 minutes on the bike at lunch time. We’ll see.

Tomorrow is October 4th, so there will be a monthaversary weigh in day. I might skip the usual Wednesday because of it. Here’s hoping for good numbers.

Okay, bring on the Mondays. Sadface.