Year: 2018

So I guess Vodka, oils, and tea are not the only things that get infused.  We are at the infusion center to get a dose of Ocrevus.  Hopefully, this will go well today and then we won’t have to come back for 6 months. Ratpuke7

Well, I’m glad that this year is coming to a close.  Hopefully next year is a better year.  Not that this year was a bad year as far as things go, it was just a long ass year as far as work is concerned.  I worked a lot of hours which diluted my take home pay, left me with no time to do other important things like clean and straighten the house, go to the bank, spend quality time with my spouse, and all the things that a normal person would do in their normal life.  No normal life for me.

This new “block” format is not really that new.  Well, maybe for WordPress but this is what Quattro Pro developed back in the 90’s. Everything old is new again… hahahaha.  Remember the “Object Inspector”?  Similar, just redesigned for WordPress. 

Things I never really got to do this year… clean my basement, paint the paneling, set up my art stuff, straighten up my tools, collimate my 5″ reflector telescope, bring home and set up my amps with speakers, reconfigure my basement network. 

Things I never really got to work on this year… study my tai-chi and chi-gong, work on my life drawing chops, work on my guitar, speak with Dan concerning getting back into functional martial arts

— Rat

So no Ocrevus from Northbrook – CVS didn’t deliver the goods – thanks for nothing CVS.  Had to reschedule.  Vikash came home yesterday to total IT chaos – an iSCSI controller was having network connection issues to the servers, which caused all the VMs to have issues as well as the VPN and the DCs.  My car would not start yesterday afternoon – battery problems.  I had to go to NTB to get a new battery (bummer).  The battery was only 2 years old.  However, I did some research – batteries can be up to 5 years old when you purchase your new car.  I didn’t know that.  Got to watch Mars tonight (l love that series) on Nat Geo. 

Rat

OMG, I cant believe its been almost 2 months since I last posted.   My bud is coming home from abroad.  Actually, he is coming back to the states after being at his Indian home for a month 🙂  Thanksgiving is past, which was kinda nice to see all the family – well, except for my one sister.  Who I would just like to re-connect with, but don’t really know how.  I don’t want to walk on egg shells.  On the home front, all I’ve been doing is working.  Our bathroom is being redone (a roll-in shower), new tile, new fixtures, bathtub removed, new toilet, new vanity, sink.  Pretty much a “gut” job.  My wife is going for an infusion of Ocrevus on Monday.  I will be working remote, so I can be with her.  I have to go to the airport on Monday so I can pick up Vikash.  He doesn’t know it yet, but I’m bring him back to Northbrook with me.  The house is a dust palace – I took some time off around the holiday’s so I can clean the place and have some time to cook. 

Rat

I feel like writing but nothing seems to be coming to mind.  My buds stopped by yesterday and helped me put my bike/rack carrier together while I was getting a quote for the bathroom redo.  I had about 50% of it done, but was elated to see it done when I came back outside.  I have my art class this evening.  I worked late last night which is probably why I’m feeling kind of “blah’.  On a positive note, I side stepped Dunkin Donuts this morning and avoided the sugar vortex of death and fatness.  Tomorrow I am back to the health club at 5am – as long as I remember to stay away from caffeine tonight.  I need to take Friday off to go to Northbrook to see my wife’s neurologist but also need to do some exterior painting of windows.  Goals are due this week at work.  This is the time of year I hate being a manager.  Speaking of work, it was good to see my old friend Friday night.  He hasn’t changed a lick.  That is good.  I just hope I can make it so it’s not a 10 year gap between our meetings.  Well, I did promise him we’d try and go take some photographs at Matthiessen State Park when the leaves turn, which should be in about 2 weeks.  Should be beautiful.

-Rat

So I’m in a meeting today and I see this beautiful guitar come up for bid on Ebay.  There is 18 hours left on it and I bid.  Why?  I need another guitar like a hole in the head.  It’s really pretty though.  It’s an ES-335 Limited Edition, semi-hollow body, with coil tapping on the pots, and a hard case in “Ice Tea” color.  WTF, now I will get out-bid at the last second by someone using a bot.  

We went shopping for floor tile for the bathroom the other day and lo’ and behold, we agreed on a floor tile.  It’s very pretty.  Now we need to pick out a wall tile for the shower, a vanity, and a top.  I cannot wait to have this done.  

Love me some figure drawing and guitar playing.

-Rat

I ordered my new “Hollywood SportRider Tray Hitch Rack” via Amazon.  I wanted something that was a solid performer bike rack and also expandable.  So, the bike rack is solely for a 2″ hitch and is expandable to add a second rack or a rack platform.  You certainly pay a premium for those expandable attributes.  The rack is about 30-50% more than a standard bike rack.  I wanted to go riding last weekend and forgot that I sold my old bike rack. 

Tonight is art class at Elmhurst.  Looking forward to it….

-Rat

Ah, I had my semi annual vacation trip to Saugatuck Michigan.  We go to a “Resort” there – a quaint little place overlooking the lake.  Very peaceful, with next to no cell coverage.  The kind of place you can somewhat hide in.  It’s nice now that we are 1 hour closer.  It’s now only a 2 hour drive there.  It beats driving 5 hours (now 6) to Door County.  Similar vibe, less travel.  Although, its starting to get crowded – it’s been in enough “Chic Midwest Travel” magazines now that its loosing it’s small town, out of the way, special feel.  It’s now on the “Naperville” map.  Everyone now gets that “special” contrived vibe.  The vibe that’s phony enough for the me, me, me, crowd and their enabled kids.  Wow, I sound like a cynic.  I guess I am. 

Cynic:  a person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons.

I was born into that crowd and moved away after years of therapy, self examination and became somewhat enlightened.  I think its time to find that next Saugatuck.  Tonight is my last guitar lesson I think – at least that’s how I am approaching it, for a while – to the start of November.  I am taking a drawing class at Elmhurst Art Museum, and only really have time for 1 class per week.  I can’t wait…

-Rat

I had to laugh, it was the hottest place on Earth last month – says the Internet – “Death Valley”.  It was an experience that if I ever have the chance again – ill pass, thanks.  First of all, the road to there is desolate and dangerous – devoid of water.  Lots of switchbacks, no gas stations except the one in Stovepipe Wells, also no water – except at the gas station there.  There is/was a gas station, a post office, a crappy restaurant, that’s about it.  Minimal cell coverage.  At least the last time I went (1999), there was no cell coverage.  I’m sure times have changed.  I drove 6 hours from L.A., 6 hours back.  What a waste of time. I don’t know what I was expecting.  It was hot as hell. 

– Rat

Well, we went live this last Monday in spite of ourselves.  Like I always say about this company:  “We never let a bad decision keep us from moving forward”.  Gee, testing?  What?  Documentation, what?  A plan we stick to, what?  Communication, what?  We’ve done 50 programming fixes already since the start of go-live.  Program stability, what?  Code freeze, what?  I’m sure these doofus’ will get a bonus for this.  It will be a wonder if we are still in business in 5 years.  If we are, it will be because of the loyalty of  our customers, god bless them.  Or, someone else bought us in spite of our deficiencies.  One other thingy I want to mention.  A shout out to my brother from another mother.  We have been biking madmen.  My wife got me a Trek DS3 for my birthday (thanks Hon!) and have been riding it weather permitting before sunrise every chance I get.   Sunrise tomorrow – 5:46am

– Rat