Weeks are a ride, are they not? It feels like lately, mine have been jam-packed full of extras, both at work and off. For the good or the bad, we have no choice but to just roll with it. Time waits for no one. This week was no exception.
Saturday morning, I got up and made Yvette and me some breakfast. We had a lot of options, but I decided to go with some chorizo. I opted to make it with eggs and take the taco route. One cannot go wrong with that. For good measure, I also made some chorizo beans and roasted potatoes to go with it. This was a full meal for breakfast. How was I going to need lunch?
I decided it was a good enough day to do some lawn work. I mowed the grass in the back. This was my first time mowing the new grass I had planted. I’d been waiting for it to properly mature before I did some chopping. Once it was all cut, I really had a good view of just how well my yard had come together since I started seeding it and helping it spread and fill out. I was damn proud of myself. I will have to continue with what I’ve been doing. Maybe next summer I’ll have half a yard?
My brother Chris came over around 2:30 to meet up with us and go to Ram Jam. The weather was just about perfect for outdoor tailgating. We also lucked out because not many people were in attendance. I’m not really sure why that was. Whatever the case, Chris and I made a point to enjoy a good amount of free beer and food before we departed around 5.
That night, it was dinner at my mom’s. Chris had requested some Chicken Divan. This was my favorite meal growing up, and though I have made it so many times, mine is never as good as my mother’s. I’m not sure what her secret is. I guess both my brothers have had a hankering for this dish because Keith called saying he wanted it, too.
We all had a good time laughing and watching horror movies in the background. It was late before Yvette and I made it home. I wanted to watch one more scary movie before the night was done, so I put one on. I didn’t make it through. All the festivities had taken a toll on me, and I briefly fell asleep in my chair. When I woke up, I was confused. Yikes.
Sunday morning, I got up and repeated the day by once again making breakfast. Nothing as lavish as the day before, just simple ham, rice, and fried eggs. Besides, for lunch, I was meeting my mother and brother for some Mexican food before he hit the road.
I met my mother and brother downtown for some lunch. Armenta’s. Always damn fine food. Yvette stayed behind—she was going to her parents’ for lunch. I got there first. They called to inform me that they had hit the same train twice on the way, so they were running late. Feeling a little weak from the previous day’s activities, I ordered a cold Mexican beer and some verde queso to wash away all that darkness. The cure.
Lunch was damn good. Chris and I both decided to try something different for a change. We both order the same damn thing every time we go. I went with some steak fajita enchiladas, and he went with brisket enchiladas. I doubt I could have been more satisfied with myself walking out the door.
It was a good weekend seeing my brother. Always is. I was glad he was able to hang out with Yvette and me, and it was just us. That’s very rare. There’s something about having your brother around, eating good food, talking shit, and laughing about whatever comes up. You don’t realize how much you miss that until you get to do it again. I wish I were able to see both of my brothers more often, but life makes these things difficult. I guess what that does is make us cherish the moments we share even more.
After lunch, I ran errands. Shopping. I had one trip to a local Mexican meat market I needed to make, preferably with Yvette, because my Spanish isn’t all that great. I called her and asked what I needed to ask for, and I went solo. Fajitas Norteñas, libra y media. They understood me, so yay! At least I tried.
Not to break routine, I sequestered myself at the library for a couple of hours. I was still trying to keep ahead of the game. When I came home, my beautiful Yvette was making chicken parmesan. I jumped in and made some Italian green beans. I also heard we had some guests coming over for an announcement.
So that evening, Lola, Alaya, and Hagan came over. The announcement was that they were engaged. Yvette and I knew this was coming. Last Thursday, Hagan stopped by to ask for our blessing. Let me tell you, that had to have been a fun night for him. Anyways, we didn’t expect him to ask so soon. He had planned on waiting, but the anticipation got the best of him.
I had mixed feelings. I liked the guy, but damn if they aren’t just babies themselves. And do they really know each other? For Christ’s sake, it’s only been six months. I mean, I knew Yvette for five years before we got married, and we dated for two of those years. I still find things out about her to this day. I guess you can’t argue with young love, so it is what it is.
At least he’s good with Alaya, and she seems to genuinely like him. That is the most important thing. I hope they know what they’re getting into, and I hope they make it work. If nothing else, I want them both to be happy, and I want Alaya to have the best life possible
Well, the damn weekend didn’t last long enough. Welcome to Monday. It was a weird one. My anxiety was dialed up to 11. Really a bummer. I could not relax. I will never know what it is that can cause those anxious spikes within me. It’s just part of my chemistry, I suppose.
I had two meetings throughout the day. I don’t think either was the cause of my anxiety. The first meeting was for advising. I met up with my advisor, Liz, to eradicate my registration holds and find out a little more information about my status and the course I wanted to take. Apparently, I’m a post-grad student. The meeting went well. We mostly just bullshitted about fees we must pay. I was going to enroll in Intro to GIS. This was going to be an in-person course. It was also the start of the certification process I’d like to complete. It’s exciting to think about where this might lead. I’m still figuring out exactly what I want to do with it, but at least I’m taking steps in the right direction
The second meeting was Staff Senate. It dragged on far too long, with too many stupid questions asked. It’s like we had nothing to talk about, but that nothing to talk about took almost an hour. I had a lot of other things I could have been doing. Sometimes I wonder why I remain. I guess it’s nice to have a little inside scoop on what’s happening around campus.
Tuesday morning, I had a meeting with the fucking vampires. Giving blood is just part of my life. I go to the same lady every time, so we’re pretty comfortable with each other. During spooky season, she always has decorations up, and she didn’t disappoint this time around. There was a blood trail all the way to the seat from which she drew blood. I laughed. To me, it was hilarious, although it might not have been appropriate. At least they could have some fun.
The day was a busy one, but much better than the previous day. I was anxiety-free. Thank the gods, because it was time for registration! I logged in early and immediately ran into problems. At first, I couldn’t find the class I needed. It wasn’t showing up under the course number. When I finally found it, I wasn’t able to add it. Crap. The anxiety crept back in. It didn’t show any holds. Oh shit, was the class already full? 14 of 14!
I contacted my friend Jody, who oversees the department. She discovered it was a classification issue. I’m post-grad, remember? I needed an override. Thank God, that was all it took. I was in the class. Jody is a lifesaver. My anxiety was abated.
When the workday wrapped up, my boss informed me that his boss would like to talk to me. I think my coworkers believed I was getting a lecture, but it was, in fact, something different altogether. It also wasn’t a complete surprise to me. I had a suspicion. Let’s just say that it was informative and leave it at that for now.
After work, Yvette and I went to get her ring inspected. What we walked into was a damn zoo. The mall was having a trunk-or-treat. At least I had some entertainment. We accidentally ran into Lola, Hagan, and Alaya. I saw this little girl dressed up as a cow come running up to me. She was adorable. It’s a good thing, too, because my patience was gone, and the inspection took almost an hour. I had a complicated and time-consuming dinner to make: Jägerschnitzel with German cabbage and hot German potato salad. It got done, but late—and damn, was it worth the effort.
Wednesday afternoon, I had my biannual doctor’s appointment. There was a lot of change from my last visit in April. First off, he’d moved to a different building. I didn’t like it. Sixteen years of going to the same location just felt wrong. I really didn’t even know where to go, for starters.
Secondly, it wasn’t on a Friday. Every visit I’d had with him had always been scheduled for a late Friday afternoon, so when it was over, I could just take the rest of the day off. Not now.
Third, I didn’t see his sweet nurse, Thelma. I really like her. Who the hell was this other girl? A lot had changed from the routine I was accustomed to. I sure had some questions for my doctor.
He apologized for the wait. This wasn’t a quick Friday visit like I was used to. I said it was okay and asked about the missing nurse. Apparently, she was just home with a sick kid. I missed her by a day. That eased my mind some. When I asked if he liked the new location, he said he wasn’t quite settled in yet. I understood.
The visit itself was a good one. Again, I’m in great shape, and all my vitals are excellent. Better than they’ve ever been. I was surprised I topped the good report from my last visit. What a relief. The only bummer was that he wants to schedule another MRI as a safety measure. I told him he better supply me with the Ativan again. The hell if I’m getting into that machine without some downer in my system. Before I left, I got a COVID shot for good measure.
I regretted that shot because it left my arm hurting, and I was spacey and tired the rest of the day.
After work, I drank a big cup of coffee and headed off to the library, as is my Wednesday night routine. I was trying to keep ahead, and I wanted to come up with some ideas for my project. I really didn’t know where to go with it. I worked as long as I could, but like I mentioned earlier, I was drowsy as fuck. My battery was low, and I was getting nowhere.
At home, Yvette was cooking, and Lola, Hagan, and Alaya were over for dinner. Sadly, I was not in the best headspace. After a session at the library, I’m already coming out of my zone. With the grogginess I had from what I assumed was that COVID shot, I was really out of it. I was not a good host. I felt bad about that, but I was thrilled to see Alaya. She’s a real doll. I miss her everyday presence in my life. Yvette and I basically raised her for five months.
Thursday morning, I woke up feeling much better. I guess all I needed was that sleep. And I sure did get that. I took a shower and made my way to the kitchen to make us some breakfast. I decided on breakfast pigs in a blanket. Breakfast sausage wrapped in a croissant with cheese and pickled jalapeño. It’s become one of my go-to weekday breakfasts. Easy.
As the meal was cooking in the oven, I unloaded the dishwasher. I’ve noticed less and less traffic in the early hours before 7 a.m. The time change is right around the corner.
Work was just more of the same and nothing to write home about. Yvette and I went out for a little lunch at a delicious place called The Pit. It was brisket taco day. We hit that up every so often. It was nice and cloudy, and eventually, it started to rain. It was a good day, with no reason to make it otherwise. Sometimes those are the best days—the uneventful ones.
Waking up on Friday to the sound of steady rain falling. Pure bliss. Of course, my damn water dog took advantage of that. She might have just turned 11 years old, but she is still a young Labrador at heart and will not bat an eye at getting wet. As I was working on some paperwork in my kitchen, I could hear her shaking off the water from her coat. The only downside of a rainy day is the wet dogs. A small price to pay.
It did rain off and on all day long. It was so nice and gloomy. Really the perfect Friday weather. Everyone was in a good mood, and people were dressed up for Halloween all across campus. It was a very festive environment. Student Life hosted their Boo Bash, which is always a lot of fun. Black lights, snacks, costumes, and door decorations. They even had some pumpkin painting going on at the end of the day. Yvette’s student workers got involved in that. It was just a really great day on campus. That’s how you like to wrap up a week—on a high note. Boy, what a ride.
Jalapeño
Chorizo egg tacos w/ roasted potatoes and chorizo beans.
White rice with melted cheese, fried ham, avocado, pico & fried egg w/ verde sauce.
Yvette’s chicken parmesan w/ Italian green beans.
Fajitas nortenas w/ boracha beans.
Jagerschnitzel w/ hot German potato salad and German red cabbage.
Chicken fried steak w/ mashed potatoes & a spinach salad.
Honey mustard pork tenderloin medallions.
Italian pork sausage & mushroom pasta.
