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My thoughts released; a mind set free |
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These pages contain my thoughts, from meandering ideas and persuasions to deep cerebrations and serious mentations. Why, for what purpose? To release my mind and set creativity free. Somewhere inside the constraints of my mind dwells a writer, a poet, an artist who paints with words. In here I release those constraints and set the artist free. Perhaps, lost somewhere in the depths of thought, is a story or a poem, waiting to be written. 
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| Look at me, in here in the middle of the afternoon. What's up with that? I'll tell you what's up, it's my day off; the first of two for the week, if the weather isn't too bad and I don't get called in. I'm enjoying the day off, but trying to be productive at the same time. I should be working on some work items, but I did get most of the stuff done earlier. Besides, I usually do my work on my laptop, not on here. Not that I couldn't, but I prefer not to do much with this notebook other enjoyable tasks and writing. I don't know, maybe it's silly, but I reason it like this. If I use this for enjoyable tasks and writing, I will be more likely to be more creative on here. If, on the other hand, I use it for work as well, then I will associate this computer with work, and possibly lose some creativity. And, it's not that I won't use this notebook for work, I just won't use it unless it's a necessity. If I'm n town or away from my laptop and need to do something for work, I do have the items on here that I need. It's just that I will try and have things done or arranged to get done on my laptop. On the same idea, I use my laptop for writing and fun tasks as well. Just because it is my primary work computer doesn't mean I cannot use it for other things, too. In fact I used it for NaNoWriMo this year, because I did not have this notebook yet. For that matter, I do a lot of writing on it; I do the majority of my writing on it. It has a bigger screen, so it is much easier on my eyes, I am very comfortable with the keyboard ad can type much faster on it, with less mistakes and typos, and it is set up with all my favorites that I use when writing. My notebook, on the other hand is still very new to me. It has a much smaller screen and is more difficult for me to see, because everything is smaller. The keypad is smaller as well, with the keys grouped much closer together. I'm also still putting the items on here that I use all the time, and getting things set up for more writing. It's not a matter of preference at all, since I like both equally, I'm just more accustom to the laptop. I have had it for a few years now and know my way around it, am used to the setup, and do very well with it. My notebook is still brand new, and I am still learning how to get around in here, since it has Windows 8.1 instead of 7. It also has a touch screen, and is very new to me. The keys on the keyboard are big enough and spaced about right for my fingers, I just need to get accustomed to them. That's the thing, I have not had this long enough to learn my way around, set everything up, and get a feel for it. I would have done more, given more time, but when time is so limited, it just makes sense to use the fastest set up, and that has been my laptop. But, I am getting better at typing and finding my way around in here and soon enough, this may very well become my computer of choice. I am off to other tasks but plan on returning to WDC in a little while. I may nit come back in here, to my journal, but I would like to do a review or two, and upload some items. First, though, I need to move them from my laptop to the clouds so I can access them from either computer. Then, I will have them available no matter what computer I use. It will also make a great back-up for them. I am a very firm believer in having back-up copies, not just one back-up. I have, unfortunately, been the victim of too few back-ups and have lost information, images, music, and even some writing as a result of not being able to get the back-up to work after crashing a computer. |
| I have about ten minutes to get something written for today. Of course that's WDC time, I have an hour and ten minutes here. Even so, I'm just going to get an entry in and then go to bed, I'm beat. It's been a hell of a week and it's really got me run down. I should have more time tomorrow and Tuesday, but things did not work out with the new hire, so it's still going to be a messed up schedule for time off. Hopefully we get someone who wants the position and wants to work. We have snow predicted for tomorrow, so I don't know for sure if I will have the day off or if I will have to go in because others can't make it. That's getting to be kind of a pain, too. I don't mind when the weather is actually real bad, but so far, it's been pretty mild. It makes me wonder how bad it will get when we actually get some sever storms. Well, I should write more, but I'm just too beat to even think straight. |
| I made it in earlier today. Surprising isn't it? Well, not really if you know the whole story, or as Paul Harvey used to say, "The rest of the story." I worked this morning and got up at three, just like any other day. Only this morning, we were experiencing a blizzard. Winds blowing thirty to forty mile per hour, gusting to fifty, and light snow falling. Not a lot when I left home but enough to create some slick roads and reduce visibility. Rhonda works the shift after me, and since we have only one vehicle right now, rides in to work with me, the returns home until it's time for her shift. She then drives back in and I drive home. When it's time for her to get done, I drive back in and pick her up. This morning, we decided to prepare for the worst, so she dressed for work and brought her pack along in, just in case she was stuck in town. We live twenty five miles away from where we work and shop, so bad roads can be a problem. But, as I drove in, we discovered that the roads and the visibility were not real bad. Yes, the roads were snow covered, but they did not have big drifts on them. The blowing snow did reduce visibility at times, but not so bad that it impaired driving at reduced speeds, which I did. As a result, Rhonda decided to return home, just like any other day we both work. She left about fifteen minutes after five. By five thirty, the wind had increased and it was snowing harder. She was just a little ways out of town at this time, with about twenty miles left to go. The visibility had dropped to near zero, and she experienced full white-out conditions a couple times. She was thinking about turning around and returning, but by this time, she was at our turn off, and that road had been better going in. She turned, off the main highway and started driving west. This is about the time the wind shifted more to the north and increased to forty mile per hour, with gusts in excess of sixty five miles per hour. At work, I found it difficult to stand outside when the gusts hit, and inside the guardhouse, it sounded like the little shack was getting ripped apart. Rhonda was still driving in this, near constant white out conditions. It took her over an hour to creep along. A couple years past, the state cut rumble strips along the white line, these helped her stay upon the road a couple times. She drove back in and relieved me on time, but by then the wind had lessened some, and it had stopped snowing. It was still blowing snow and slippery for her return drive, but it was better than when she drove home. By the time she got to work, the sun was shining, the wind had dropped even more, and I could have easily made the trip home. But, I had to send a fax, make some copies, and then talk to Rhonda for a little bit, I decided to stay in town and save a few gallons of fuel. Rhonda had brought my notebook in with her, so I'm sitting at the grocerry store enjoying a cup of coffee ad the free WiFi. It seemed like a good idea, saving some fuel and having the time to get this written early for a change. If I was at home I would be catching up on work, shoveling snow, and doing all the stuff one does at home when they have been too busy and are way behind on everything. But, I'm not home, so I can't do any of them things. I already made copies, faxed paperwork, and now I can spend some much deserved time enjoying myself in WDC. |
| Another long day! Of course, that means I'm late getting in here, too. Not too late, however, it's not quite bedtime for me yet, but it's getting close. Today was a busy day, again; up at three for work. I worked from five this morning to ten-thirty, getting done a little earlier than I was scheduled. Of course, this would have been great had I the opportunity to enjoy getting off work early and spending that time doing something I enjoy. This was not the case, however. I was done early so I could get to an interview on time. I wasn't being interviewed, I was giving an interview, and like so much of my job, it is done on my time. After the interview, with such positive results, I decided to hire and more time was used to fill out new hire paperwork, orient the person to the position a little, and then part ways until Monday, when he will begin training. I however, was not done yet. I had to go over to the store we provide service for, and coordinate training with the Front Office, then go back to the guardhouse and discuss scheduling and training with Rhonda, who does most of the scheduling now, and also most of the training; as much as is possible, anyway. Today was a bit difficult, since the Front Office is shorthanded, and the management will be gone for three days for conferences. We do a great deal of the training, but it has to be set with the store, and they have to do four hours of the training and give the final test. But, we worked it out, so I returned home, getting here at three this afternoon. This gave me just enough time to fill out and send my e-report for the week before having to run back into town to pick Rhonda up from work. After we arrived back home, we discussed a few things, relaxed for a bit, and now it's time to go to bed, since we have to be back up at three. Also, it could get to be another long day tomorrow, since we are now in a blizzard warning until three tomorrow. Since Rhonda and I both work tomorrow, I open, she works second shift, we will go in together and just stay in town until both shifts are done. I will bring my notepad with, and hopefully I get some time to spend in here after I finish the paperwork on the new hire. For now, it's just another short entry, but soon I am going to get enough time to start putting more items in my portfolio, plenty of older items, and a few new ones. I also have a couple of stories I want to work on. Lots for me to do, just need to find the time. "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." |
| It went and got late on me again tonight, but this time it's not all my fault -- honest! Seriously, I was doing good and getting things ready for a productive afternoon. I worked this morning, and had to leave early to get to work on time, because of blizzard conditions, and except for the visibility being bad, almost full white out at times, the drive wasn't bad. Sure, it was slow going, especially when visibility dropped to almost zero, but I had left early and had time plenty of time. I arrived at work in ample time, had a decent day at work, and then stopped and picked up a few items on my way home. That's when things started going wrong. I bumped my four-wheel low button and it triggered a switch into four low. No problem, I'll just push it again and go back to two wheel drive; nothing happened. I tried it a few times, but could not get it to switch out. I finally stopped, put it in park and called Rhonda at home, explained the situation, and that I was going over to my brothers to see if we could figure out how to get it to switch. I pushed the button while in park, not expecting anything, and it shifted right out. I had pulled into a side drive at this time and in driving back out, I found myself now hung up. I pushed for four-wheel high, and it shifted no problem. I drove out to the road and began my trek home. Only now it would not shift out of four high. I wasn't about to stop again, for fear something else would happen and I would be stuck in town, in a blizzard. So I drove home in four-wheel drive. When I got home, I put it in park and tried the same trick as before -- nothing. I shifted into neutral and tried it. No problem, it shifted back into two-wheel drive just like a champ. Once in the house, I got out of my work cloths and tackled Rhonda, playfully of course. One thing lead to another and soon we were engaged in some afternoon delights. After, we talked a little, then I did some stuff on the computer, she started to get dinner going and the phone rang. Yep, I had to get dressed and go back into work. So much for a productive afternoon. No time to do much of anything after getting back home. Even so, I have been letting our Bible study slip again, so we got things set up and did our Bible study. We also enjoyed a nice dinner, and then I got into here to check my social sites and then over to WdC to get this done. I didn't have time for much else, but I did see some good news. Well I didn't, I couldn't get Facebook to load right, but Rhonda seen the post, we are grandparents again, a little girl joined the ranks of grand children. It's always nice to get good news when things are going in a difficult direction. Tomorrow is another day, and hopefully I can get to some of the things I want to do in here. However, I have to do an interview, work on a schedule for training, depending on when he can get the time to come in, he's currently employed and will have to work around his job for the next two weeks. On top of that, I have to coordinate it with the Front office, and they are very limited when they can work with training for the next six weeks. Hopefully, it will all work out fine, and there won't be any problems; onward with the positive waves. Think positive and it will be a mother beautiful day tomorrow and I will get the interview done, hire another guard, and still be home in time to get a lot done. That's the thoughts I'm holding to~ |
| I have a little more time tonight, but just a little. That's still an improvement from running behind, and it also means I'm actually semi-awake tonight when I write. All in all, I'm doing pretty good at getting my sleep, but some nights, like last night, I come up short. Even so, I took a nice nap this afternoon and made up for the few hours I was short last night. I do want to get my sleep tonight, it's going to be a tough day for me tomorrow, and possibly a long one. We are in a blizzard warning for the night and all day tomorrow, ending around midnight tomorrow night. Not a lot of snow predicted, but the weather is right for a lot more than they are saying. Right now, they say an inch is all, but with winds at 35 to 45 mph with gusts as high as 65 mph, it won't take much snow to turn everything into a big white mess. I have to work in the morning, so will be up around three, and hopefully on the road by four. It normally takes a half hour or so to get there, but I'm giving myself an hour, and may still be late if it's as bad is it sounds. Once I'm there, I doubt I'll be very busy, but I will have to venture out to shovel and do my checks. Of course, there will be a few people coming through the yard to pick up items, but more likely later in the morning or afternoon. I should be home by noon, if things work right, but with the blizzard, I may end up working until five tomorrow night; twelve hours of work, if my relief can't make it in. The evening guard lives right in town, and should be able to get to work, so I won't have to work till closing. Now, I need to bundle up against the wind, I can hear it howling outside my window, and take the dogs out one last time. At least it's not cold yet, so it won't be too bad. On the flip side, however, if the precipitation comes before the temperature drops, we will get rain since it's still thirty-six degrees out. Then, as the temperature does drop, it's going to turn everything to ice, and then snow and blow on top of it. We already have a nice coating of ice from yesterday that isn't melted off completely, making things kind of difficult. If we get a fresh coat of the slickery stuff, with winds gusting to 65, it may be very difficult to drive anyplace without getting blown off the road. We will hope for the best of this situation, and the moisture will hold off until after the temperature has dropped some. Positive thoughts, Baby -- positive thoughts. |
| It got real late tonight before I could log in and write in my journal. Just kind of a busy day but didn't get much done. I transferred files to my Sky Drive and of course things never work as smooth as planned. Especially with out slow "high speed" internet. I also had to do some updates on operating systems and upgraded my notebook to Windows 8.1. I'm still learning how to maneuver around in this new Windows, and now it's changed a bit again. Because my laptop is still syncing with Sky Drive, it's bogging down the internet speeds some, so I am writing this on my little notebook. It works fine, and I enjoy it but I have a tough time typing because the keys are so close together. It's not too bad, just need to get used to it. Of course, I can type so much faster on my laptop, therefore, I seldom do anything requiring typing much on here. I will have to change that and get faster on here. But not tonight, it's already after ten and I have to be up in about five hours. |
| Getting late again tonight, but hopefully I don't have to be up very early tomorrow. Of course, the weather is suppose to be kind of bad, so I may just get a call around four tomorrow morning, but we will hope not. It's my first of two days off this week, and I didn't get much of anything done. I just wasn't feeling up to much. I did make a nice dinner for Rhonda, when she got home, and we enjoyed a good movie. Other than that, I did some work on the computer to try and speed things up, I did a full back up on Rhonda's computer, and I transferred all the music on her computer into Sky Drive. I still can't find some of the Mp-3's I should have, and want to try and upload some of them from CD's tomorrow. I also want to get some stuff uploaded into my portfolio, and edit a couple of poems I wrote a few days back. For now, it's time to take the dogs out one last time, then head off to bed. I'm going to take something so I can sleep better tonight, and hope to hell the phone isn't waking me up at three or four in the morning. |
| Sunday is about done, but I wanted to get in here and make a short journal entry before I retire for the evening. It's been a long day, but only because it was a long night. I got to bed late for one thing, then shortly after I went to sleep, I woke up to a throbbing pain in my jaw. I took some over the counter pain medication and was able to get back to sleep, but it wasn't sound sleep. This morning when I got up for work, I still had the throbbing pain, and I can't tell if it's the last tooth or the last two teeth on that side that is seems to radiate from. I'll call the dentist tomorrow and see when I can get in, but for tonight, it's going to be another though night. I did make it through work, and had a fair day, then came home, rounded up my stuff, and met my brother out on the lake for some ice fishing. I didn't catch anything, again, but at least I had a couple of bites this time. Not that it matters, I enjoy myself even if I don't catch anything. There's even a bright side, I don't have to stay up to clean fish tonight. It just made for a long day, but it would have been no matter what. Rhonda worked until eight thirty, so I would have been up just as late since I have to drive in to pick her up. Now, it's time for bed, and hopefully tomorrow I will have time to get some of my writing done, or at least post a few more items in here. |
| It's Saturday, January 11, honest. I know, the entry is on Sunday, but it's still Saturday here in South Dakota, I just didn't get in here soon enough for it to log right by WdC time. It's been tough lately getting in here to make an entry before bedtime, since i try and get to bed earlier now. But tonight I said to hell with it. No, not the entry, the getting to bed on time. It's been one of those kind of days for me. I was up at three for work, again. That's the normal time for me except Sundays. After work, I came home and seen more work waiting for me, and being so tired from not getting to bed early enough yesterday, I decided to just take a nap. It zapped my motivation and my energy, so a nap it was. After a good nap, I did the work and got it done, then it was time to get Rhonda, and the plan was to get right home and do some writing in here. Only when I picked her up she told me that the other guard was having some car problems and I needed to talk to him. I did, even though I was trying to get done with work and spend some of my time doing my things. He has a vehicle to use, but if his dad needs it on a day he's scheduled to work, well it could be a problem. Yeah it could. How come people don't can't be accountable? Sure it's tough, but bottom line is, if someone can't work, someone else has to fill in. They just don't seem to care, it's too much trouble to be responsible, or something. I don't understand, I don't see it as an option, it's a requirement. It's times like this that I would really just like to send in my resignation. The way my job is set up, I have no choice but to bring it home with me. In fact, sometimes it seems like I never really get a break from work at all. There is always something needing done, and it's my job to make sure it gets done. I would love to be able to just clock out and be done with it all for the night, the rest of the day is mine. Or, at the least, if I have to put in my own time, and be responsible twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, then at least pay me a salary that reflects the requirements. Oh well, guess I just needed to vent a bit, it's been one of those days, and just a lot of stress from work again. Maybe one day I'll have a decent crew I can count on, but for now, it's just push on and endevor to persavere. |
| Funny how things work out sometimes. Last night I was in here with a little time, but not much, prior to last night I was in late, and tonight I'm in even later. Oh well, that's the way it goes sometimes. I worked, then headed over to my brother's where we worked on some stuff for his fish house, then we headed out to the lake and fished the afternoon. I had to go get Rhonda from work, so didn't stay out as late as he did, but had a good time. After picking Rhonda up, we stopped, got a few groceries, then left the madhouse in town and came home. We let the dogs out, spent a few minutes with them, then put stuff away and made supper. We put a movie on while we ate, and after we finished eating, fed the dogs, then finished our movie, after one interruption, a phone call. Not a bad call, and not too long, then back to the movie, and now in here. Only now is almost two hours past bedtime, so I know I'm going to be a very tired feller tomorrow. |
| Once again I'm getting in here later than I wanted. Just so busy again that I have no time for the things I want to do. Oh well, it get's like that from time to time. This time it's contacting people who have applied for a position at work. If we get someone hired, it will make a little more time, and that will be nice. Tomorrow is going to be another full day, and possibly Saturday, too. Tomorrow, Friday, I'm set to go ice fishing with my brother, weather permitting. I also have to check replies from some job applicants, then either set up some interviews for them, or set up a time to meet with the person I interviewed today. More than likely, I'll be setting up a time to meet with the one I interviewed today. That means it will likely be Saturday, since I want to get things moving. We can train Monday and Tuesday next week, but if we don't get things going by then, it could be another week or two before we can train. That's going to finish up this week for me, but hopefully by next week, we can start getting things situated for the next schedule that comes out. By then he should be trained on picking up some hours so I have a little more time to get to the things I want as well as the things I need to do around here. For now, it's just kind of hectic. I worked this morning; up at three and off to work for the morning. It's warmer, but so windy it doesn't feel like it's warmer at all. That, for some reason, takes a lot out of a person. After work I had to give an interview. Then, it was home to discuss things with Rhonda, look over some schedules and training options, and then contact two people who are interested in the position. By this time, supper is ready. We eat and then start a movie, stopping part way through to feed the dogs and let them out. I seized this opportunity to get online and check FB, then come in here and add a journal entry. Now, Rhonda is setting up my stuff for tomorrow, since I have to work. Then, it's finish the movie and head off to bed. Hopefully, within a week or two, things will be settled down again and I will have time to do more than just pop in for a few minutes. |
| I made it in here a little earlier tonight, and have a little more time to write my entry. It's been kind of insane again, but it's getting better again. For one, I'm getting to bed earlier, which means more sleep, resulting in feeling much better. Also, it means I'm up on time and that means a little more time in the mornings. Add to that, if you will, the fact that just feeling better and being more alert means being more proficient and better utilizing my time. Finally, I'm not so tired after work, so I'm not taking a nap, therefore, I'm not burning up an hour or two sleeping and another half hour trying to get woke back up again. The final results are better use of time, more time, and less wasted time. I used some of that time today to get some work done. I had some new year paperwork to update, some forms and documents to update, and plenty of printing and filing to finish it up. I still have to make some copies, but will do that at work tomorrow and save on my paper and ink supplies. I also have to do an interview and had hopes we would be hiring, but it's not sounding good. I need someone who can work weekends and this person can't. I don't know much else, since I haven't met him yet, but he also wanted more hours, which isn't the best, either. Wanting more is alright, but once your prospective new boss says that's all there is available at this time, you shouldn't request more hours again. Also, this person will need some time off for Guards and that could put us in a mess if it's during double coverage, which is very likely. No, I don't know much about the person but what I do know indicates that he will not fill the position we have open. I support the Guard, but I have no room for someone who needs time off and can't work the needed hours. I just don't have anyone to fill in the position, that's why I want to hire someone. Also, if he's not satisfied with the hours now, how long will it take for him to find something with more hours? I already know he wants more, so it's likely he will be looking for them and when he finds them -- gone! Again, if it's during the busy time, we're in hurting shape. We spent the entire summer hurting and not having the help we needed, I don't want a repeat this summer, so I need to find someone who is content with the hours available now, willing to pick up more as needed, and who can work and fill in as needed. I do try and work with everyone as much as I can, and I do grant time off as well as letting them switch shifts, but I have to be able to depend on them being able to work if the need comes up. Right now, I have two more people to interview, and we are not in a bad situation right now, so I can take the time I need to find someone. It wasn't like that in the past, and we got some real headaches as a result. Now, it's smelling like it's time to eat supper, watch a little netflix, and then turn in. I'm hoping to get a little attention tonight, you know. No, not that kind of attention, although I wouldn't mind at all. No, I'm talking a nice back massage; I have this huge not on my spine right between my shoulders and it's quite painful. |
| Getting late again, and I'm just getting around to adding my journal entry. Not that it's real late, it's just that it's time for me to head off to bed. I get up early again tomorrow, ending my two days off for the week. Since I have to be up by three, I want to be in bed by eight-thirty. That's my time, of course; if you look at the time of my entry, it's going to be around nine-thirty, since it's an hour later there. I had a good day, I got a lot done, and enjoyed myself. I got up with Rhonda and spent a little time talking and enjoying some coffee, then we did our Bible Study together before she had to get ready for work. I made her pancakes for breakfast, then saw her off before getting started on my stuff. I had some stuff to do for work, even though it was my day off. I got that all taken care of, set up an interview with a potential new hire for Thursday, and then worked on some dishes and making dinner. I had dinner in the oven by the time Rhonda got home from work, so we sat and talked a bit, then I showed her some of the stuff I did around the house. After, we ate a nice dinner, watched some Netflix, and now we are finishing up our logging and getting ready for bed. Tomorrow I work, but she is off for two days. I'll be home early enough to enjoy most of the day together with her, so I don't want to be so tired I can't function. Friday, plans are to go do some fishing since the weather will be nicer, and maybe again on Saturday. Sunday is kind of a long day, then next Monday and Tuesday I get off again. Someplace in all of this, I want to get some writing in, and trasfer some items from my computer to my portfolio. Busy, but that's all right. I just hope things work out so I have the time I need for being this busy. |
| I almost didn't make it in time to log this on today's date. Of course, it's only ten minutes to eleven here in South Dakota, but it's ten minutes to twelve in WdC land. I had the day off, and had a pretty good day. I was up pretty early, had a nice morning with my wife, then gave her a ride to work so I could bring the vehicle back home and plug it in. It's equipped with an engine block heater, and with the temperature not climbing higher then fifteen below zero, it was a good day to keep it plugged in. It's actually warming now, than the high this afternoon, and by six tomorrow morning we will be out of the windchill advisory. It's only going to get a few degrees above zero, but the wind will diminish. As the week progresses, it should get warmer and warmer, with it being pretty nice by the end of the week. I have tomorrow off, and hope to get a few things done for work, and then just relax and enjoy a restful afternoon. I'm not sure at this point how much I want to do, and how much I want to put off till Wednesday. I will ponder is some and decide in the morning. For now, it's time to finish watching our program and turn in. |
| Very cold today, and windy on top of it. The thermometer is reading negative twenty degrees and the wind is blowing out of the north west at twenty to thirty miles per hour, with gusts close to forty at times. The wind chill is about negative sixty, or so they said on the radio. It's going to stay like this until Tuesday, and then it's still not getting warm, just less cold. It's been like this most of the winter, with a nice day here and there, but otherwise cold, windy, and miserable. I don't mind the cold so much, but with the wind behind it, frostbite comes fast. So does hyperthermia as well. Cold is fine, snow is fun, but when it's like this, it's just dangerous to go out for anything. And, working as yard security, we have to go out in it. I just don't understand why so many people pick days like this to get stuff they really don't need right away. I suppose they just have to get out and do something. Sure, there are some cases where they really do need to get something, but for many of them, I think it's just a matter of boredom. I can't image what it must be like to have so much emptiness in ones life that you have to constantly have some kind of external stimulation going. Me, I love the quiet time alone. My imagination alone can keep me entertained for hours. I can read almost anything and enjoy it, and of course, I can write something. And, that's just me alone -- if I'm at home with Rhonda, there are games we can play, or just talk and enjoy each other's company. We also have two dogs, who are always willing to get some attention. Besides this, there is the computer, the T.V., and music. Nope, I can't see how anyone can get so bored they have to venture out on a day like this, except for those people who just don't have anyone or anything. And to be honest, I never see any of them out on days like this. Most of the people I see out and about are just normal people who can't go a half hour without something to stimulate them. It's like someone once told me, if you don't use your brain, you will lose the ability to use it; like any other muscle, it needs to be worked. Well, enough of this for the night, I'm heading off to bed to snuggle up to a lovely brunette and enjoy listening to the wind howl outside my window as I bask in the warmth and comfort of our bed. |
| It's time to write this entry and then go to bed. I'm still trying to recover from yesterday, working opening shift, then having to go back in and close -- come home and sleep for almost three hours and then go back in and open again. I did come home and take an hour and a half nap, but I'm still beat. Tomorrow, I don't have to be there until eight, so I'm doing fine for time yet. It should be a little better with a full night sleep, too. But, it's going to be forty below zero wind chill factor tomorrow morning, and that really seems to zap the energy out of a person. Hopefully it's a very slow day and I can spend most of my time inside. We will be in the danger level until Tuesday, then move up to just cold again. Wind chill advisories straight through tomorrow, Monday, and most of Tuesday before our thermometer's will rise above the zero mark. I see other's are also caught in this deep freeze, too. It's hard to believe this is South Dakota. As a child we would come visiting relatives here, in this very area, and I always felt a little envious of the warmer winters. Living in northern Minnesota I was accustom to cold winters, with weeks at a time staying below zero. It was nothing to see temperatures drop below a negative twenty at night, and sometimes not rise above them during the day. But here, in this part of South Dakota, it was always warmer. about twenty degrees or more, warmer. When we first moved, the winters were very mild, but over the last few years, they have been cold and lots of snow. Well except a few years back now, we had one very temperate winter, with temperatures seldom dropping below freezing. We did get a little snow, but that was late fall, and was gone by December. I did not mind going outside in January, in a light jacket, and enjoying a sunny day in the fifties. Of course, we can also get a lot of snow, and have seen a year like that, too. In fact, last year we got a lot of snow. It would have really been deep, if the temperatures had stayed below freezing, but it seemed like we would get about a foot of snow, have a day or two of drifting, then it would warm up enough for it to melt most of it, only to snow again. This repeated, over and over. Well, enough looking back, I need to look forward, and that means getting to bed so I can get caught up on my sleep. Then getting up a little earlier than I usually do so I can prepare to go to work in the frigid weather. |
| I better get this done now or I may not get it written in time. I should have all night to write it, well, except for when i drive in to pick up my wife from work. But, shortly after I got home, I got a call, someone can't make it to work tonight. That means I will have to go back in for the closing shift and won't get home until after ten my time. That's eleven in WdC land, and if the weather is bad, it could be closer to eleven here, and midnight there. I was up at three this morning for work, and it was cold and nasty out. It warmed up a lot, but the wind has been blowing all day. The snow was drifting and making visibility poor early this morning, but by the time I was done work, it had turned out to be pretty nice. The wind, as I said, was still blowing, but the snow was too sticky to blow much. I did a little shopping, visited my brother and drove home, the roads were fine. We had planned on going ice fishing, but the wind makes it difficult in his portable shelter, and it's suppose to get nasty out again later. So, I came home and settled in to enjoy the evening. That's when I got the test that said, I can't make it to work tonight, roads are too bad. What? I just drove home on them, they were fine. In fact, they were better today than they have been for a while. I checked the computer, looking at local road conditions -- wet and slippery in spots, but overall they listed all the local roads as good to fair winter driving conditions. I called the person and asked if they were sure they could not make it in to work. Nope, there were vehicles rolled over east of town and the roads were terrible. I told him I had just driven home and they were fine. His mom had seen all this on the computer. "What's the link, I'd like to look and see." "I don't know, my mom seen it, and she's sleeping now." I told him I would fill in for him, but maybe he could work tomorrow for me or for Rhonda. He said that should be alright. That was the catch, because later tonight, around midnight, we go into a winter weather advisory. The winds will pick up even more, gusting to forty miles per hour, it's suppose to stat with rain and turn to snow, and last into Saturday afternoon. Now, how is it he can't make it in when the roads are good, but tomorrow when they will be bad -- icy, drifting over, and low visibility, with sub zero temperatures and a dangerous wind chill factor he can work? I know he has driven in to work in worse weather than we had this morning, and like I said, it was pretty nice out today. Also, the worse part of the storm won't hit till after he is off work, or so they predict. I just don't think he really couldn't drive in to work. I don't know what's up, but it's too early in the winter storm season to have this coming up. What's going to happen when we actually get severe weather? Well, I better get ready to go back in to work. Hopefully I will be home by ten or shortly after, so I can relax a little, grab a couple of hours of sleep, then go back in right away in the morning. |
| Another day running out. It's Thursday already, the week is flying by too fast. I wanted to work on a schedule change for hiring someone, and was hoping to get that done today. But, after work I took Rhonda to the clinic, then we returned home and started dinner. After we listened to some information on diet and health, now I'm in here and she's working on some dishes. It's going on six o'clock here, and in two more hours I need to be in bed. I'm tired enough to go to bed now, but I know I wouldn't sleep very long and be up half the night. Since I have to work tomorrow, that would not be good. I also have plans for ice fishing after work, and will enjoy it more if I'm not so tired I can't see straight. I may just have to wait until next week to do the interview and if he gets the position, the hire paperwork. I need to know what hours he needs to work before I can talk to him, after all. That's the way it tends to go for me, I set aside time for something like fishing, then find I have other things I should be doing with the time instead. Of course, if things had worked out right, I could have done most of this today, but by the time we got home, I was so tired I couldn't see straight. Not a good time to work on schedule changes. Of course, if I didn't need to make changes, it would have been easier, but it only seemed fair to give the option to the person who has been with us for the hours he wants, instead of just giving them to the new person. So, I will work on the schedule with Rhonda and then I will do my interview and if he gets the position, I'll be able to tell him what days and hours are open for him. I will also take some time to do some fishing, since it's important to get a break from things. I would also like to get some of my writing copied over to my portfolio from my computer, but that can wait a while longer. I don't want to do any of that when I'm half a sleep, either. I also have another story I can work on, but I need to be awake to write it. So, it's important to keep working on my goal of getting to bed and getting enough sleep to function properly. I won't be doing very well for this week, but I plan on working on it again next week as well. In fact, I need to keep working at it until I get it down. Of course, that's the only way to do it. I had set it for a weekly goal in here, though and that is why I said I would keep working on it. See, I set the goal Monday, but instead of specifying a set number of hours of sleep, I set a time. That won't work, since I don't get up at three in the morning every morning. No, I should have specified a set number of hours of sleep time. But this week wouldn't have been the best week to start that anyway. Not with New Year's to celebrate. I can't take in the new year if I'm zonked in my bed now can I? Nope. Of course, that's just one night, but then last night it ran past time, again. Not bad, but I still got to bed later than I should have. Especially after the night before. I was beat, but by the time we had the dogs out and back in, I was wide awake from the cold. Of course, if we had just taken the dogs out for a few minutes, I would have been fine to retire shortly after coming in. Instead we seen the interior lights glowing in the Jimmy. So, being sub-zero temperatures out, I thought it wise to start the Jimmy up and let the battery charge good. Only the battery was too low, and the Jimmy had not been plugged in all afternoon. So, I had to find the trouble light and battery charger, hook them up and get the battery charged up. I left it charge all night, and it did start fine this morning. But, by the time I had all that taken care of, the cold had me wide awake, and running behind schedule. Tonight I will check it again before bedtime, and I will take the dogs out a little earlier, so the cold won't keep me up past bedtime. I'm learning as I go, being a night person in transition to an early morning person. I will get it eventually, and like I stated, I will continue with the goal until it is achieved. So, for now, it's time for me to slip into my arctic wear and brave the polar night. Perhaps not in location, but as far as the temperature is concerned, it could just as well be the arctic; - 20 this morning, warming only to -5 for a high. It is already -11 and the wind will pick up by morning. Tomorrow, however, will be near thawing, but windy. A regular tropical heat wave! |
| It's later than I intended, so no time to write. Even so, I'm going to get a short entry in for today, so I can start the month and year off right. I set a goal for the week to be in bed by eight-thirty, but then after I thought about it, I realized that was on nights I have to be up by three the next morning. I should have set it for a set number of hours of sleep, say seven, a night. Oh well, it's not working very good anyway. I was doing good up to last night, then it was a bit late as a result of New Year's Eve. I wanted to bring in the new year with toast and a kiss from my lady. Of course, then it's later tonight, only because it got late before I got everything done. I just don't do this going to bed early thing very well. But, I'm going to keep on working at it until I get it down. I'm tired of being -- well, tired all the time. That, and I don't function the best on four to five hours of sleep a night. So, it's mandatory that I get this worked out and make it a habit. I can get by with as little as six hours for a big part of the week, then make up for the lack of sleep on the days I don't have to get up so early. But, seven hours would be ideal, and that is what I want to start working towards. So, forty-five minutes behind as I type this, I better get it posted and get my self into bed. |
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