We slept in and I made some coffee and breakfast. Saturday I had some things to do but nothing pressing like the last few weekend when I was trying to work around the heat outside. I didn’t have many outside project I planned on tackling this weekend. I deserve a break from cutting, hauling and dumping. What I was going to do is drop on an eBay sale and get my oil changed. That is, after a little run at some Zelda. Haha

Post Office was dead so that sale was a quick and easy drop off. I brought Zelda with me for the oil change wait. It helped this “can’t sit still” boy. Good lord an oil change isn’t cheap anymore. After that I was on a mission to find frosted outdoor string lights. Usually they go on clearance once the school supplies hit the store. Of the 4 places I checked I was shot down. I waited too long. Oh well, Amazon is my friend.

Made it home and it was still early and I needed more to do. I fixed my busted sprinkler and decided it was too nice a day to not take a dog for a walk. The lucky winner on Saturday was Hazel. She enjoyed the walk. We strolled through the campus and enjoyed the weather. When the weather is as nice as it was I really have no excuse to not take a dog for a walk. I just can’t walked them both so Saturday I’ll start walking one and the other I’ll walk on Sundays.

On the way back to my house from the walk I realized just how badly my address looked on my curb. I developed a wild hair and decided it was time to paint my curb. While I’m at it, maybe paint Yvette’s as well.

Well that thought was quickly squished. An inch of rain decided to come pouring down. Well darn. I picked up a big pork shoulder for tomorrow so I went ahead and seasoned it. It would chill overnight and be all the more better. When the rain let up I went to Yvette to hang out and help with the little lady. I fed her and burped her and changed a diaper. All the fun stuff. We loaded her up and took off to HEB for some shopping. I pushed the stroller. She only had a little fit because she was fighting sleep but she eventually knocked out. Yvette cooked for her and her boy and I fed the girl again. After that I went home and fed my dogs. They were pissed. It was many hours past dinner time. They ate, I cooked and ate. I made a chicken green bean casserole basically. In a skillet.

After I ate I watched “The Hunt”. The film that Trump made such a big deal about and the release date was postponed. It’s about liberals hunting down conservatives. Well, that’s the narrative the big orange fucker wanted to portray. Not wanting people to make up a mind for themselves what it might actually be about. That orange fucker.

The movie was great. Awesome kills. Great humor. Smart. Yes, it begins that way, but come on, only a fool would get upset about that because that is t the point. It points out later how full of shit and hypocritical the left is. Its real point is how fucking stupid both sides are. We are ridicules.

Sunday!! I woke up around 8:30. That’s sleeping in these days. Yay!! I went to the store to get some baby formula and some other BS for the week. Came home and made a killer omelette. Ham, chipotle and cheese. Hash browns of course.

After the meal and coffee I decided it should put up all my fall decorations. All my pumpkins. I am obsessed with pumpkins as you all know. I couldn’t help myself. I’ve been waiting and it actually felt like fall again. It took me much longer than anticipated. Everything always falls into place but it always takes some time when you have to find a place for 100 pumpkins.

I got so carried away doing chores and things around the house I also t forgot to put the pork should in the slow cooker before Yvette and I had our movie date. Good for that would have been bad. Imagine having dinner guest over and the pork wasn’t ready because it needed to cook for 8 hours and had only been on for 4. Well, I remembered.

We were a little late to the movie. The theater we went to didn’t have previews which I was counting on. Who knew! I’ve been watching 20 min of previews. I figure that was the norm. “This Ends with Us”. We had wanted to see this movie but never could fit it in. Mainly, she couldn’t. Clearly I could have. I was seeing a movie every weekend.

I suppose this was a chick flick? I mean, it dealt with love and romance? It really wasn’t though. Yeah, it was cute but it also dealt with some darker subjects such as abuse and denial. Choosing to ignore those signs because a person can change and you still love them. Lucky for all involved, this was a MOVIE and everything ended well for all. It was good. Some really heartfelt moments. I’m happy we saw it.

That night was the feast. It wasn’t as many people as expected. One got sick and the other never made it back in town, but the ones that came all had fun. The pulled pork turned out amazing. The sausage, goddamn. Everything was good. Great conversations and I’m happy we had a good time. It rained so we enjoyed that to boot. Just a nice Sunday and I was so happy I didn’t have to work on Monday. I also had the baby sleeping over another night so what the hell could I not be happy about. Ah, life. 🙂

Monday was the cloudy gray that I love. Cloudy and wet. A slow drizzle. I guess throughout the morning we received almost an inch of rain, so says my weather station. I’m loving this wet weekend and I’ll enjoy it as long as it last.

The little baby slept well through the night only waking a few times to be changed and have a meal. She is a good girl. I finally got up to make breakfast for us around 9:30 after laying around in the dark. Perfect weather to be lazy. Lucky for me a had little left on my to-do list. I couldn’t really decide what to make so I did pulled pork tostadas topped with chorizo eggs and cheese. We both thought they turned out really well for a meal from scratch and never made before.

After eating we settled down and watched Maxxxine. Sort of a wraps on a horror trilogy that’s started with “X” & “Pearl”. I liked those movies. This one was set in the early 80’s. Basically this adult film star with a checkered past is looking to become a big Hollywood star. She is cast in an upcoming controversial horror film and sees it as her big break. Meanwhile people around her keep Turing up dead. Possible victims of the so called Night Stalker, a serial killer on the loose in Hollywood. She also has a PI investigating her and digging up her past. A PI who works for some shady individual who seems to know what happened 10 years prior. To continue would be a spoiler. Let’s say that the film sure captures the early 80’s vibe. Music and nostalgia. I like a good 80’s horror film and this did a good job capturing it. A good film on a rainy day. A nice relaxing thing to do on a day off from work. Not sure what Yvette’s verdict was but I now want to watch the other two movies.

We had a little lunch while we waited for the babies mommy to get home. She had been fighting sleep and when mom got home she drifted right off to dream land.

Once everyone had left I decided to pickle some red onions, make a really hot green sauce and grill some chicken for lunch for the week. the picked onions came about simple enough. The hot sauce just about killed me. It was as if pepper spray had been deployed. My lord and coughed and coughed and sneezed and sneezed. I’m glad I saved the grilled chicken for last. I needed the fresh air. Good lord. Hot hot will the sauce actually be! Yikes…

Afterwards I drove in the rain for a bit. My final destination was my mother’s to help get some fall decor from the attic. I like driving in the rain. Aside from the bad driving assholes you need to avoid, it’s relaxing to me. I find peace in the rain. I don’t get to do it enough. I just… drove. I eventually made it to my mom’s and I went up to an attic for tubs of fall and I didn’t fall getting fall down. We visited for a bit and I left and drove some more and I made it home to my dogs and I made my dinner. Pulled pork rice bowl.

I was tired but I sure was going to watch a movie. This weekend has been all movies. “Abigail”. My mom said it was good. I’d heard good things but really didn’t know much about it going I. I like that. Starts off as a good kidnapping movie. Dan Steven’s was in it and I like his work. Eclectic. I liked the humor. The movie was fun and just the kind of horror I needed to finish the weekend. I was surprised how much I liked it. I can’t say anything without spoilers.

It was a great weekend. Really, one of the best I’ve had in a long time. I love Yvette. We have fun together. I hope everyone had a good long holiday weekend. Cheers!!!!

Saturday I woke up and made us some breakfast, chorizo egg tot tacos with a little fruit salad. While she was resting I took off to the post office to mail my 26 year old shit I bought at a concert and can no longer wear due to size. It’s in good shape. I guess vintage sells. Someone gave me $150 for it on eBay. What a deal for something forgotten hanging in my closet for 26 years. Happy that someone wants it. I honestly am a little sad to depart with it. That was a great show. The first concert I attended. No reason to just hold on to a shirt. The one thing I horde is shirts and I need to let go.

After breakfast I decided to get the pole saw out again and trim some low hanging branches over my drive. I was afraid that I’d need to pay someone to do this but damn if that saw blade wasn’t sharp as a knife. My dad must have kept good care of it. I cut some damn big branches like butter. I created a bloody mess for myself that I’ll have to tackle Sunday morning but good lord my drive looked better.

Alien: Romulus. I was planning on seeing this last weekend but was too busy. Better off, it was opening weekend. I’ve always liked the Alien franchise. Always. One of my brothers had good things to say about the film so that made me even more excited.

The theater wasn’t as packed as the last two films I’ve seen but it was still fairly busy. The movie was great. It had all sorts of call back and even included some references that surprised me in a good way. It also had some amazing death scenes. What more would I expect from the man that directed Evil Dead. I felt the characters were pretty strong and the creatures ace.it was a genius idea to cast actors that were unknowns and use practical effects. I felt it was a refreshing addition to the franchise.

Saturday night we got the baby. She was a sweetie. I set up her crib by the bed and we all hung out. She is a hungry little thing. It’s amazing how much they eat and how quick they start just guzzling it down. Again, babies are a new experience for me. I’m learning. I’m way behind in learning. I do like to learn new things. I love this little girl. 🤗. She did so good all night.

Sunday morning Yvette and the baby went home and I went to town cutting up all the tree limbs I cut down on Saturday. Oh the joy. It took 3 trips to dump it all. I was exhausted. I’m so done with cutting branches. I am taking a break next weekend. No cutting down anything!! Done for a while!! It’s too damn easy to make yourself a giant mess. Dumping the material is becoming a little much. I have used a campus roll away brush dumpster but I feel I might be pushing my luck.

I relaxed for a little while after that. So much coffee raised my anxiety. I played a little Zelda and jumped into the shower. After the shower I met up with Yvette at her grandparents house for some menudo. She makes the best damn menudo. Call me lucky. It was nice seeing everyone for a bit. Someone Yvette’s cousins still can’t believe that this white boy likes menudo. They had to see to believe. How hilarious.

I went home and finished cleaning out my fridge. It looks like new. I was proud of my clean fridge. It took three cycles but it’s finally done.

I had been planning on grocery shopping all morning and I finally got around to it. How can so few groceries add up to some much money. It’s not really fair, is it? After that it was more Zelda followed by some breakfast/lunch prep work. I made some egg bites & hatch chicken breast. I sure hope they are not trash. I guess we will find out tomorrow morning and lunch.

First day of school! Fall semester 2024! What the hell happened to the summer? Well, I guess it’s technically still summer but not on campus. The kids are all back. The energy is high. I can’t help but feed off of it. It really takes a little getting use to every year. It’s so dead in the summer. So quiet. Suddenly it’s crowded. It’s loud. That’s good. I honestly had a pretty swell time adjusting. The fact that it was 111 degrees helped the transition. Lower 90s felt amazing compared to the hell we endured the week prior. Fuck that. Happy the kids had a break from the heat. We also all got together for our traditional First Day of Class photo with fellow staff. This would be the fifth year, started 2020 when we were not sure what the fall semester would have in store for us. It’s a fun tradition. The inaugural school photo was only 4 of us with mask and social distancing. We have grown as a group.

A welcomed cold front. The morning temps were in the lower 70s and I just wanted to spend my time outside. My morning was frustrating. Because my personal card was hacked I had to change payment information with many of my services. Some easy some a true pain in the ass. First I had to determine which services had an auto-payment. I had some issues. More frustration came from the lady setting up our venue contract for the wedding. All this time we had been discussing a certain date with her and the contract date was not the one we discussed. I don’t know what she did or how. It too more effort trying to get in touch with her than it should have. We also needed to schedule a time to make our down payment once she amends the contract. Pain. In. The. Ass. I also had my job to do, which was busy. Yvette could tell I was frustrated. I sure love her. She helped me dial it back. If it had been hot I would have blown a gasket. Thank you, unseasonably cool weather. You are my friend.

Wednesday morning I woke to the pleasant unfamiliar sound of water droplets falling from the sky. What was this. I think they call it rain. My dogs were even confused. I could tell it would be a good damn day.

Work started off with a big win. My Westlake fuckup might be fixed. I have no idea what happened on their end. Big mystery. All the money finally looked accounted for. I sent a screen shot to purchasing and was told it looked good. I hope the receipts don’t say another thing. I’m still a little apprehensive because out of the 6 receipts only 3 have actually appeared. Beats me. 6 receipts and 5 trips to the damn store over a 3 week period. What a mess. Fingers crossed that’s all behind me.

Just about the time I was getting back to work from lunch it decided it was going to pour. The rain came down in sheets. Thunder and lightning. The roads flooded. I got wet. I loved every bit of it. It’s been so long since we have had a good shower I had not idea just how worn out my shoes were. I had NO traction. I almost busted my ass a few times. That’s how long it’s been since rain. I think the last good showers that we had were when I was sick with Covid. I had an inch at my house.

That evening we went and paid the deposits for the wedding venue. What a relief to have a location claimed. Everything else can now be worked out around a location and a date. Yay!!!

Thursday it was in the 60s and cloudy when I woke up. On my way to pick up Yvette for work I was excited to see a hot air balloon. It flew right over us on our commute. This was starting off well. I felt confident in the day.

I kept busy during the morning. It was absolutely beautiful outside and everyone seemed happier. This is a nice little taste of fall, I hope. The day went by really quickly. I was steady. Cashed in on my free Whataburger for lunch. The corporate manager gave that to me for his store being ran by that’s asshole manager. Yvette was on her way to an out of town football game so it was just me anyways. After work I went home and prepared to go to my mom’s to babysit the sweet girl. I spent most my time cooking while my mom held the little girl. The momma came early so it was a short little watch. After the sweet baby left my mom and I had our dinner. It was a nice mellow evening.

Thank God it’s Friday! Yvette and I had my experimental keto cheese cake with strawberries & blueberries. Damn if it wasn’t really good. I love cheese cake but it doesn’t love my diabetes. This might be a true gift. I certainly plan on making it again. Fantastic start to a beautiful day.

Work went along steady, which was nice. The campus was encouraged to wear the new shirts that were handed out throughout the last few days to show off its blue and gold pride. Looked like many people received that memo. It was kind of cool being amongst a sea of blue. Towards the end of the work day the rain once again came pouring down. I was on a journey across the campus in the golf car to check mail and looked around. The sky was sketchy. I turned around. Good thing I did. The sky dropped. Yay!! More rain!!

After work we decided to go swimming. Yvette & Lola. The little girl came with us. Her first time in a pool. I think she thought it was a big bath. It was so cute. The baby’s daddy also tagged along. I didn’t know that was happening. Oh well. The water was nice and the outside temp was perfect for such a night. Relaxing evening after a long first week of classes. Long first 2 weeks. It was such a nice night. We had a pizza and some snacks. I had a nice amazing cold beer. Those fried green beans though. It was a nice Saturday evening.

Happy Friday!

Campus sites of intrigue.

Stephen King’s Storm of the Century. I had never seen it. A 3 part movie. I have been waiting to watch it for a long long time but it was only on VHS and never streaming until Hulu picked it up recently. What a deal for me. The first episode was all introductions. Meat the main characters and set up what’s in store for them. Here is the synopsis.

During the midst of a brutal blizzard, residents of an off-shore village are menaced by a powerful force of darkness in the form of a sinister stranger who begins to exploit the town members darkest secrets until they give him “what he wants”.

Now doesn’t that sound like fun? Trust me, it was. I like horror films based around isolation and specially weather. This was right up my alley. It’s a lot about what we keep to ourselves and the secrets we keep from others.

After watching all three parts I really enjoyed it. I’m almost happy it’s taken me this long to see it. A little bleak but damn is it a good tale. I’ll watch it again some time.

Jalapeño

Potato egg chorizo breakfast tacos with a little side of fruit. Yvette laughed that I used tater tots. Haha

Roasted Chile Verde sour cream chicken thigh w/ cilantro lime rice and black beans.

Tried some low carb waffle mix. The reviews said that it held its own. I added some blueberries and made bacon and eggs. It was pretty good. Not the real thing but passable for this diabetic to pretend. Better than the alternative.

Lemon dill capper chicken pasta with asparagus. Something new on my menu.

Zesty chicken wings with spicy mac n’ cheese and green beans. The easy perfect 1st day of school meal.

Creamy Chicken Italian pasta salad with pepperoni, black olives, peas, tomato’s and mozzarella.

After our venue down payment we decided to have dinner. I made us some green sour cream enchilada chicken over sticky rice with toppings. It was good and I found out that this was the first time I’ve made the meal for her. Shocked.

Egg roll stir fry.

Pizza for pool night. Someone already got a hand in it.

Saturday I woke up early and finished laundry. I made myself a very good simple breakfast and proceeded to go fill up my 5 gallon water bottles. I drink a lot of water. I made a very cheap and quick stop at HEB and I went him to relax and play some Zelda. After a little couch time I decided to clean my fridge drawers. They really needed it. This inspired me to also clean my microwave and oven. I’m not sure that I’ve ever done that. It looked brand new. Made me happy. It was shower time. I trimmed my beard and cut my heart and cleaned up. Lunch was at Yvette’s parents. Brisket, sausage, potato salad and beans. What a treat.

That evening Tee had his first junior varsity football scrimmage. It was how but it was a good time. I was glad they allowed us to bring in our own water. At the actual games you have to pay. It was a wild mess. They introduced way too many people before any sort of game began and when the game did begin after a very prolonged practice, it was a confusing mess. The player did well, but I couldn’t tell what was going on at first. So many player and it was very hard to see which one was Tee. Especially when you are blind like me. He wasn’t wearing his number so it was impossible. Nevertheless, I had fun. It wasn’t so hot in the shade and the breeze helped. I can’t wait for a real game. A structured game. This was a weak tease. Hard to believe it’s that time of year again. My second year of high school football.

Sunday morning I made an open faced omelette and a glass of coffee bright and early. My body has been conditioned to wake up at 6:30 these days. I’m okay with that. After stuffing my belly it was off to doing some chainsaw work. A tree in my backyard hasn’t been doing very well over the last two years. The summer drought and excessive heat has taken a toll. Last summer I thought it was going to bite the bullet. In the spring it mostly came back, sans top branches. Repeat this summer and even more it succumbing. It been sad to watch. I’ve even tried to prevent it by watering to no avail. I decided to cut off most of the dead hoping it might help the rest pull through. I’m afraid my work is futile. If anything I’ll just be giving some extra time but if we don’t get some rain, by next summer I’m sure it will be dead. I hate seeing a tree die. I have a kinship with nature.

Oh yeah, this guy decided to have a breakfast picnic on my front lawn. Poor unlucky opossum perished in the blue of the night. Death by car. It happens a lot. At least I didn’t have to clean it up. I let that guy go about his duty to the greater good we call Mother Earth. Carrion consumption is part of the cycle of life. We are born into this world and later decay and eventually become one with it. The circle of life.

After all the chainsaw work I got on my hands and knees and scrubbed the shit out of my shower. Lord it was over due. I used some strong chemicals and probably burned my lungs but the shower looked better.

Yvette, Tee, my mom and I went for some lunch. It’s been a little bit since we have done that. I had worked up a hell of an appetite. We had a fun time talking about all sorts of things. Disney, sports, life, you name it. The buffet was all that was offered, it’s a once a month thing we didn’t know about. I was happy with it because I didn’t have to make up my mind, I had no choice. Actually, I did. They had lunch or breakfast. I chose lunch since I’d already had a breakfast. I was happy with my choice. I left stuffed. Don’t worry, I only had a few bites of the cake. Lord it was good though.

I spent the rest of the day at my mom’s watching Dateline. Yes, Dateline… I guess it was a good time. Enjoyed talking over the show. I’m not much into the true crime shows but it was so damn hot I couldn’t bring myself to leave anytime soon. I still had a few things on my to do list but I over did it this morning with the damn tree. The pole saw was a real bitch.

Once I did leave I went home and cooked dinner and meal prepped lunch for the work week. I watched some more of my show before getting ready for bed. It was a good productive weekend. Had fun with Yvette and her family. I felt accomplished.

Monday was the beginning of move in week. Oh the joy. I was in the office and was busy busy. The day went by very fast. Not often am I happy to be in the office but this week I was. It’s a hot bitch outside. Really hot. After work I tried to chill. I was done with my show so I started the Fear Street trilogy. I like a good horror. The first one was fun. I guess I’ll watch all three this week. Also, the moon was some real eye candy. The Blue Moon.

Tuesday was crazy busy. It’s expected. I dropped off some breakfast burritos to Yvette and got at it. No rest this time of year. We both had a day. Luck for us we already had after work drink plans. Her student worker that just who is about to start student teaching was having her last shift as a bartender at Texas Roadhouse. She has been trying to get us to come see her for a year, at least. I told Yvette we had to go, last chance. I told the girl we would be there. We walked in, she saw us and lit up with smiles. It was fun. She will be missed as a student worker. I think we also swept away some stress. It was only Tuesday.

That night I cooked and got comfortable. It was time for part two of the movie trilogy I was watching. Who doesn’t like a horror trilogy. This one was a summer camp Friday the 13th kind of episode. I enjoyed the vibe a little bit more but it still wasn’t great. What can I expect. Honestly, it was just what I needed it to be on a very busy day. I was tired.

Move-In Day!!! The most dreaded day of the year. The kids and the parents hit the dorms like flies on shit. It’s utter chaos. Traffic is hell, everyone is lost, the population increase in a day is staggering. Everything that could go wrong usually goes wrong, no matter how much we all prep for it. I stayed busy. I expected this. I’ve worked here long enough to know how things never work out as planned. You just have to power right through it. What else can you do.

My coworker flipped a lady off in our university truck. Sounds like the lady was nuts, but he shouldn’t have flipped her off. She sure did call and report him. Of course she did. Looks like my department is getting a name for itself for our drivers. I’m just happy I’m not the only one to have been reported. Cutting through a parking lot to avoid a light is not the same thing as extending one’s arm out a window and flipping the bird.

Another evening with my Faer Street trilogy. This puts an end to it. It was not all good, but it was fun and something to watch. So far each subsequent episode has been better. I like the more focus on story 2&3 had. I also like the period. The first one was in the 90’s. I was alive to know that they did a piss poor job portraying the 90’s. That set the first episode back for me. The final episode in 1666 was great. I love witches and stories based on the Salem wish scare. The devil. That stuff is entertainment. Damn witches. I know the witch curse has been the center on the entire series, but this final was the origin of the curse. Now does one winner, a middle ground movie and a hard to finish first film make this a trilogy worth watching? Hard to say. My mom threw the flag in early. She didn’t finish the first. I had trouble but was devoted and had nothing else. I guess if you have nothing else, go for it. It’s not A+ material, but it was fun and helped pass the evening where otherwise I had nothing else to do but play some Zelda.

I arrived at work full throttle. I dropped of Yvette’s burrito and got to see the sweet baby at her office for a little while and headed to work, filed on black coffee jet fuel. Seth was off, surprise surprise. I don’t think a single move in week in my 13 years has he not taken some time off. I was okay. He left me an opportunity to get the hell out of the chaos that was our office this week. I left at about 8:15 to catch up and what he didn’t do the days prior. I don’t understand why he didn’t complete his job but I could have cared less. I was able to fly away.

My campus Uber duties have commenced. I was told to help people that looked like they were in need in this 100+ heat. Some kids asked and I obliged. I would have liked a ride if in their shoes. This time around it’s a possible lifesaving act and I have a pass to give rides if I want. It’s only fair. So far in two days I’ve given 6 students rides across campus to either dorms or to where the food is. One poor kid was carrying all sorts of packages. I accept tips, btw.

After work Yvette and I went to the big centennial campus even. “Leading the Charge”. The food was good. The drinks were good. It was fun mingling. I was able to talk to all sorts of people. They really put on a nice production. I’ll take what I can get from the university. Events like this are nice. It’s kind. We ducked out before the big photo shoot on the football field. It was too hot and we were tired. I’m glad we went. We have fun together.

Friday finally arrived. What can I say, I was hot and a long time coming. It seems the day before that we broke our all time high temp for the month of August. That’s depressing. I’m over this fucking heat. I’m tired all the time and my head hurts. I don’t want to do half the things I’d like to do because I stay indoors.

After a long fucking week I went home and started prepping for dinner. Tee and Yvette were coming with a special guest. The sweet little baby. We were going to babysit while mom went to an outdoor gender reveal party. It’s too hot for a 2 month baby to be outside. I was so excited. Alas, the baby didn’t come. Her mom got done early. Tee and yvette came over and we had our weekly feast. Tee picks out some cool movies that I’d have otherwise never heard of. We watched “The Tomorrow War”. Yvette got some needed rest. The babysitting part didn’t happen but it was still a great night. What more can I ask for?

We actually had a little thunder and lightning. It was amazing. Not the rain that we needed but I just loved the sound. I miss rain. I miss storms. What a cherry on top of a great night and a shitty long day.

Happy Friday!

Jalapeño

Poached eggs over bacon and toast with a hollandaise sauce with asparagus.

Leftover tuna steak. I made a spicy soy/sriracha tuna salad with some red jalapeño, radish, lettuce, green onion, tomato, avocado & rice. Drizzled some sweet soy reduction over it.

Open faced omelet with bacon, mushrooms, jalapeño, green onion and cheese.

Beef fettuccine alfredo w/ mushrooms & spinach.

Rotel pasta. Basically pasta with queso as the sauce. It was good. Nothing to write home about.

Roasted Chile Verde chicken thigh w/sour cream over some sticky rice.

Creamy Chile Crisp Beef Fettuccini.

Chile crisp broccoli with some hoisin grilled chicken thigh.

Breaded orange chicken w/ sticky rice, spring rolls & broccoli. Dinner night with Yvette and Tee with our special little guest.

Saturday was a busy day. I woke up early and made a nice breakfast for myself. Waffles, eggs and sausage. Had my coffee and it was up on the roof I go. Loaded up my chainsaw and tree trimmer. I cut some branches that were getting dangerously close to my roof. I went a little crazy but I won’t have to worry for a good couple of years about branches on my roof. It took my 2 loads to dispose of the material. I also have some fire wood for this wonder. Added bonus. What a win!

I had boxes and boxes of books that I had been needing to drop off at the local Goodwill and I finally got around to doing it. I tried to get a little can of touch up paint but the company that sold the paint to the previous homeowners would only sell me a gallon for $30. That’s such horseshit. I literally need just enough to put on a roller and roll about a foot of wall where I had gotten a little sloppy painting when I had Covid. I can’t justify spending that money on paint that’s only going to go to waste. They give samples when you are trying to pick a color. The guy had no customer service. I wish my favorite paint shop that I always used for business hadn’t gone out of business. Real bummer. Tomorrow I plan on seeing if maybe Lowe’s can help me.

Deadpool & Wolverine. My plan was to go at 1:30. I stopped by Yvette’s after a shower for pizza. I was filthy. Like, really filthy. We talked and had some pizza and I was off to another solo adventure to the movies. Something I really enjoy from time to time. I get to the theater and the movie is all but sold out. I had to pick the 2:00 and it was also pretty damned packed. This was the 3rd weekend this movie has been out. I was sure it would have died down already but I guess not. Wow.

The movie was bad ass. I knew I’d like it but I had no idea just how much. Seeing Deadpool & Wolverine finally together was great. The amount of cameos from other 20th Century Fox super hero movies was so great. Really brought out the heart warms. Kind of emotional. Kind of a book end to that entire era of films. I was expecting a fun movie but I wasn’t expecting an emotional one. Hugh Jackman is the Wolverine. I can’t see anyone playing that character but him. I’m so glad he came back for one more round. What a great film.

After the movie I went to my mother’s a bit and headed home to cook up some dinner. After watching the movie today I wanted to watch the other ones. I settle on Deadpool 2. It’s the one that I’ve seen the least of. Maybe just the one time. Don’t know why that is. Probably over shadowed by the original. As it turns out, it’s a very good movie on its own. I really enjoyed it. If I had to rank the three it would come in third place. That doesn’t make it a bad movie, just the other two are so freaking good.

Sunday I woke up early and made breakfast. I hung a different picture in my bathroom and did some tile work in my shower. Fixed a fence post that was loose and drove off to Lowe’s for paint. They could not match it. Defeated, I went home. I decided to look in all the paint buckets, maybe one of them would have a little paint that I could use. To my surprise, one did. It needed some serious mixing but I was able to use it on the little spot that I needed to touch up. What luck. Maybe my day is turning around.

Lunch was burgers over at Yvette’s parents. This is the second weekend in a row. I could get use to this. The burgers were good. I hung around for a little over an hour and departed for home to finish my laundry. In a true ADHD moment, I instead cleaned my kitchen sink and watered all my plants. I eventually got to my laundry. Jeez….

I went by my oldest best friend/brother from another mother’s house for a little over an hour. I had some baby formula coupons for him. $80 worth. We bullshitted like the old friends that we are. His baby boy turned 5 months old Sunday. It’s crazy. One day he and our little lady will be friends and the thought of that really excites me. His boy has become such a chunk. He just smiled at me the whole time and finally took a nap.

I went to my moms and visited for about and hour and went home to sweep my floors. My dog hair battle is never ending. I felt nice and accomplished this weekend. I made a to-do list that was fairly long and only one thing didn’t get marked off and it was something I really didn’t feel needed attention right away. I love the energy and ADHD productivity that I have now that I’ve cut back on drinking considerably. I didn’t have a single beer before 5-6 in the evening all weekend. I would usually have one with lunch both days. I have determined that the drinking muted my ADHD quite a bit. I’m getting things done but not at all in the order as I plan.

Upon finishing my to-do list it seemed the powers that govern our tiny little insignificant universe decided to add something to the list. I walked into my garage. Lo and behold, all my mini fridge drinks were laying on the ground in water with the fridge door open. Upon examination it appeared that the top shelf in my fridge decided to blow the fuck up into tiny little shards of glass. Oh the joy. I don’t usually keep sparkling water in the fridge and it seems I shouldn’t. They froze, expanded and put pressure against my glass shelf which eventually gave and exploded. I had a mess to clean up and I now needed a new shelf. Lucky for me I work at a place that finding a replacement shelf shouldn’t be so hard. I know where campus mini fridge go to die.

That night I made a fajita bowl with Fridays leftovers and sat down on y couch to watch and episode of my show on Netflix. A trippy thing called “3 Body Problem” hard to explain what it’s about yet as I’m only 2 episodes in but I’m hooked. Lots of science and physics. After that I just crashed early to rest up for the work week.

Monday really wasn’t balls to the wall busy. It was kind of a nice transition into the work week. Mondays usually suck. Yvette’s dad dropped of chorizo egg burritos to me. I took one to Yvette. That was very nice of him. I kept busy but not rushed. nothing overtly exciting to speak of. My coworker Troy was a little butt hurt I didn’t leave him any gas. To be honest, I never really drove the vehicle but a handful of times. Seth left me with very little gas to begin with. I couldn’t even tell you how much I left Troy with. Out of sight out of mind. I never even thought about its fuel level Friday because I never once used it. Oh well, he needs to get over it.

Tuesday it was lunch alone so I decided to whip something together for Yvette. I made a chipotle pork rice bowl with black beans lettuce tomatoes and cheese. It took most of my lunch hour but it was a fun experiment. Made myself a turkey sandwich. Haha. On my way back to work I dropped it off at her office. I think she was pleased.

Hump day!! Nothing exciting. My mom was able to babysit the sweet girl. I went by after work and fed and burped the darling angle. I’m still not a seasoned vet when it comes to handling babies. It’s painfully. obvious. Not ever holding a baby for more than a couple minutes in all my 43 years. Lord.

Thursday was fine. Work was slow. I did my part and found ways to pass the time. After work I had a baby sleep on my chest for 2 hour until my bladder couldn’t take it anymore. It was great therapy after work. Who needs drinking when they can hold a sleeping baby. Seriously? Pass the baby here!

This was the last real week of summer. The students move into the dorms next week and they all start the fall semester the following Monday. This is the calm before the storm. I’ve done my best to enjoy it.

We had bidder Friday evening and all 3 watched a movie. It was a nice night.

Happy Friday!!!!

Jalapeño

Saturday breakfast. Waffles, sausage & scrambled eggs. Simple delight.

Japanese BBQ chicken with zucchini, onion peppers and sticky rice.

Chilaquiles.

Steak fajita bowl.

Indian Butter Chicken.

Pesto pork rigatoni w/ tomatoes and asparagus.

Smokey Chipotle pork tacos with cabbage, radish and jalapeño. Black bean, of course. I picked Yvette up and she had dinner with me. It was a nice evening together.

Pork fettuccini Alfredo w/ broccoli and peppercorn.

Yvette and Tee came over for dinner. They had some frozen tuna that I was to grill. I was also going to make sticky rice and some roasted soy sriracha broccoli. What a treat. Glazed with a sweet soy reduction. Yummy.

Saturday I woke up around 7 o’clock and because it was still sort of cool outside I decided to get after some much needed yard work. I have this weird little fenced in side yard that got away from me while I was injured. It took a little while but it looks better. Next a wild hair sprouted and I decided to cut down an ash tree next to my driveway. I like my chainsaw. I felt very productive. Made a nice big breakfast burrito baby. The baby was calling my name next. She was so pretty. I put on her bow and she slept on my legs.

Yvette and I were going to go to the movie together but she was tired and it really wasn’t a movie for her. In truth, I saw the movie alone and it kind of sucked. Had high expectations for it. The first surprise was that it was packed. I was not expecting that. If Yvette had decided to go with me we would have only been able to sit next to each other in the nose bleed section. I was forced to sit on the aisle next to a stranger, which I don’t and try not to do. I’m sure that affected the movie experience. It wasn’t the acting that was bad. I thought all involved did a great job. The plot was really unique, but it was somehow a fumble. The end of the movie was the only saving grace. Things let go. That didn’t make up for the first hour. I was bored in a movie I expected to be fast and not boring. What a waste of 2 hours in a packed theater. Maybe if I see it again in a less uncomfortable setting my viewing will be copacetic.

Walked out of the movie to a lovely surprise: thunder! Some storms were building up. That made up for the movies disappointment. We went out to my mother’s to hang out with the nephews one last day before they left for home in the morning. They were such good boys and they showed me all that I need to know about the game Minecraft. Halfway have me convinced I need to start playing it. We hung out and it sprinkled a little. A weather alert notified me that a severe thunderstorm watch was in effect. It was building up north of us. We didn’t get a goddamn thing. It always dissipates before us. C’est la vie…

A wave to exhaustion hit me that evening. I guess cutting down a tree and removing a bunch of bullshit starting at 7AM will do that. Who fucking knew??? My intent was getting up early tomorrow for more yard work. Yay!!! It feels good being motivated again. I lost all of that when I hurt my back a year ago. It’s not joke, but all that was on my mind was pain and how to alleviate it. I think back to how that was. It feels like a distant life and it was a year ago. I was a fall hazard. I was in chronic pain, no matter what I did. Do you think that affected my mood? I might have had more beers than I should have, but it numbed me some. It was a bad time. I mean, I couldn’t walked up or down stairs for Christ sake. My mind was clouded by pain. I don’t think anyone really understands that. Pain isn’t something anyone can explain. Saturday morning I was baffled by the things I wasn’t able to do. The things I was afraid to do. I felt crippled. I still hurt. That’s not all going away but feel so much more alive. Some of this is thanks to COVID. It freed me of some of my shackles.

I went home and cooked and decided to watch the 4th Matrix movie. We started it the night before but I missed a lot so started it again. I was really really fucking tired. The couch felt great. The movie was actually pretty good. Matrix 2&3 sucked. This was something of a refreshment. Especially after the movie I watched earlier.

Sunday I slept in till 8:30. Woah!! I know, that’s not late. I’ve been getting up early though. I made some coffee and got out and mowed, weed eater and blew my yard. It felt good to have that out of the way. I took a shower and it was off to Target. They were taking all items denim for and giving a 20% discount on annum items purchased. Basically cleaned out a large portion of my closet. Jeans that were either to big or worn to shit. What a heck of a deal.

I was invited to Yvette’s parents for a late lunch. Chicken dressing, damn good green beans, mashed potato’s and rolls. Yeah, bad for a diabetic but I endured. I arrived about an hour before watched the Olympics with her mom and dad. it was good times.

Afterwards another one of those wild hairs sprouted. I decided to finish painting on of the rooms. The bulk I knocked out when I had COVID. Not exactly the recommended time to paint as is noticeable in areas. I just needed to get around the windows, trim and ceiling. At least I somehow realized that would be a bad idea with a fever. Anyhow, I knocked it out. While I was removing the painters tape I left to go pee. Well I didn’t shut the door and the paint tray was till on the ground. My precious Owen. That dog. He stepped in the tray. I came back to the room only to find pink paw prints all over the floor…. 🤦🤦🤦 that was my mistake. Poor damn dog. All I could do was laugh out loud like some sort of maniac. It really was comical. It was also a pain in my ass. Shit happens. The room looks good.

After a run to run to HEB and Home Depot, I went to my mom’s house. She made a day trip to drop off the kids in Austin and on the way back picked up some Cooper’s BBQ. Was a real treat. I seldom get such a treat. I was ecstatic. Overall it was a fantastic weekend. I love the energy I have now. I feel motivation and I feel productive.

Monday I woke up before my alarm and got in the shower. Made some coffee, fed the dog and got ready for the work week. I had plenty of time so I enjoyed a book with my coffee. Great way to ease into the week.

It was a rather nice Monday until I went to the eye doctor and had my eyes dilated. What a joy, being blind and light sensitive. Rather than go home and not be able to see the TV, my phone or read a book I decided to power through at work. I drove the golf cart very slowly. It made the time pass that would have otherwise dragged on. I managed. The first time I actually functioned with dilated eyes. What a strange experience. The joy of being a diabetic. Yay!!!

Turns out he gave me a prescription that was less strong than the one I had before so when I put my contacts in so was blind. I still had the old ones and I just switched. I mean, they were way the fuck off. WTF!! I paid for a visit that was failure. What a bummer. All my optic medical records were lost so I had to dig to find out what my eyes once were during my last visit. What a bummer.

It’s how. Well over 100 degrees now. Why oh why. My vitality is immediately sucked away. Bring me some fall breeze. I need it. I really need it. The day was once again productive. I was on the phone trying to get my optical medical information that up and vanished like a fart in the wind. 27 years worth…. I finally had a break and they mad that’s filled all my prescriptions had all the doctor’s records for me. He printed them and gave me a copy. Thank god. Maybe the rest of this BS will be easier. Yvette and I also found our wedding venue and are waiting on the contract to be written. How exciting is that. The rest should be easier not that we have that very VERY important piece knocked out.

I started a new series of Netflix. My brother said to check it out and so I did. Sounds like just the trippy physics based sci-fi I would like. First episode had me hooked. Not something Yvette would care to watch and that’s fine. It’s a lot of nerdy science. Love it and can’t wait to see where it goes. Anyone else see this?

Thursday was a shit day from the start. I had to deal with my new eye doctor again. Not him. The system. Well, maybe him. I called to get a fax. I set up an appointment. They called again to set up an appointment. Already had one. They didn’t know. My appointment was set for the 13th because I couldn’t get in sooner. They call to say they can get me in at 3 that day I went. The doctor copy and pasted. Only much much later did I realize my glasses wasn’t included. Fuck.

Yvette and I had a date. I needed it. I could bitch more about my Thursday, and I just might and probably will but let’s talk about us. I have been picking her up for work since January. At first I thought that would be a pain because I’m not a morning person. I was worried it wouldn’t be easy. Now I miss not seeing her in the morning if something comes up and we don’t go together. We have lunch almost everyday unless the same as above, something comes up. I love her. I love my time with her. We deserved a nice date. We had a nice date night.

I was so happy for Friday to finally arrive. Leave most the BS behind until the next week. Yvette, her youngest and I had dinner together and hung out for a while. I think all of us were tired. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Happy Friday!!!!

Jalapeño

Breakfast burrito baby. Chorizo egg jalapeño and cheese smothered with queso. Bloated mess.

Enchilada chicken with steamed rice and a fried egg.

Cooper’s BBQ. Pork tenderloin, beans and slaw. That sauce is pure gold. A real fucking treat.

Guiso & sticky rice bowl.

Tikka Masala.

Chicken fajita rice bowl.

Fantastic date night with Yvette. The best Italian I’ve had in a long time. The risotto was amazing. She had a shrimp fettuccine that I somehow botched a picture of. That green soup is an asparagus cream. Calamari was top notch and the creme brulee. Yum! Great end to a shitty day. Had so much fun. It was nice going to somewhere expensive and intimate.

Steak fajitas w/ chips, guacamole & queso. Dinner with the family. Everything from scratch. Tee said the steak was perfect and I couldn’t agree more. What a compliment.

Saturday I woke up at 8 and ran to HEB to grab the material I needed to make my hot sauce. At some point in the evening I decided it was time to make that. I also wanted chorizo egg tacks with some beans. After that I started the boil for the jalapeño and onion and took a long nice hot shower. The peppers were done so I dreamed and put on ice to cool. I had an eBay sale so I headed off to the post office to make a drop off. The same guy works every Saturday. We are now friends.

Next on the agenda was water and gas. Let me tell you a sad story. A year ago was when I hurt my back. I have not filled up my 5 gallon bottles in that long. I couldn’t for the longest time. Now isn’t that sad? So when I got to the water umbrella with the money required a year ago, it wasn’t enough a year later. Water was 50 cents more for 5 gallons. That’s when it dawned on me. It’s been a fucking year. Wow. So I got 2 of the 3 bottle filled and went for gas.

The meal was good. I ate too much. Finally had some coffee and decided to clean. I cleaned. I was scatter brain. I jumped all over the place. I also did some self care. Shaved and cut my hair. Thinned my brows. Trimmed my toes. another trip to HEB was required so that was next. Busy morning. Oh yeah, the sheets got done. I briefly saw Yvette on the way to my mother’s. She was off to get a pedicure.

Both my brothers and the family came so it was a big ole dinner. We made spaghetti and meatballs. I made spaghetti squash. Spaghetti has always been the middle brother’s favorite meal. Really, since he was a preteen. I hated it when I was little. Not sure why. It’s still not something I crave but I do like it. I’ll let him take the wheel on this and sit back.

I have not really been around people in a social setting other than work in two weeks. Drinking doesn’t sound fun. I ate and enjoyed the kids and listened a lot. I was still in the Covid brain haze, I suppose. I don’t miss the drinking part. The food was good. I tried to make it through Twister but got tired and went home. My bed time is now 10. It’s hard to make it to 10. Is that sad? I kind of like it. I left them all laughing and having fun. I think I was quiet most the night. I didn’t want to be but I couldn’t come up with anything to contribute. I just wasn’t feeling the night. It had been a long two weeks. I have been at home alone. Sensory overload. Love my family, but I wasn’t up for a night. I made my best appearance. I missed Yvette & Alaya. I should have been babysitting.

Sunday I woke up and cooked bacon and started picking red onion. Made a yummy sandwich. I chilled for a little while and went to see Yvette for a while before going out to eat lunch with my family. Lunch was nice. The kids went to the pool afterwards. I had errands to run for the week. Yvette and I made a Sam’s run. I went to HEB. I picked up lunch for the two of us for the week. We should be eating happy. That evening I made dinner and settled down for a cheesy movie I didn’t remember liking but 30 years later really enjoyed. It was right up my alley. 🤗

I walked into the office Monday to see I was all alone. To be fair, I was happy with this news. I could burn time doing others jobs and it would be nice and quiet. Perfect Monday. I can handle being on my own at work. I liked it. What a good day. I feel 100% plus some after my hard two weeks. I’ve been getting better sleep, which helps. So sad the entire week could not be like Monday. Listen to me, wishing the whole week was like a Monday. Wow. I never thought I’d hear myself say such a thing. Haha

One thing, due to Covid I was forced to cut back on my drinking. I wouldn’t say it was in excess, but I was having a beer everyday. Sometimes more than needed. It feels good no longer drinking as much and getting more sleep. I feel more energized. Talkative. Just better. Covid forced me to change habits. I have a regular bedtime now. I wake up earlier. I just feel like a new person. It’s great. I’ve also made myself drink much more fluids. I have a lot of water. Eventually I’ll gain some weight back. I lost over 10 pounds in 1 week. Crazy what the body will do.

I e been reading a lot in the evenings. That’s something I use to do all the time but managed to get out of the habit. Probably something to do with having my ex wife around all those years. I decided to pick up on that again so that’s what I’ve been doing with my nights. It’s been rather nice. I’m diving into a bundle of Stephen King short stories. I often find that I enjoy his collection over the books. They have so much less bloat. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy almost all his material. Right now it’s a collection called “You Like it Darker”.

Well somehow the week swiftly passed. I do not really know why that was? Office weeks tend to drag me to hell. I’ll take it. I had a really good week overall. I was able to see my nephews. Each day and that’s always fun. They are so much more laid back when their mom isn’t around. I think it’s a lot for her benefit. Funny how kids are with their mother. I also was able to see the little lady. She is so adorable. I just like to look at her. I’m feeling better holding the little angel. 43 years and this is really the first baby I’ve really held. Crazy, right? Hope everyone had as great week as I did.

Happy Friday.

Jalapeño

Chorizo egg tacos with a hot sauce I made from scratch. All fresh ingredients. Very spicy.

My middle brother made spaghetti and meatballs.

Bacon tomato egg and cheese sandwich. Yummy!!!

Sloppy Joe spicy frito pie.

Loco Moco.

Beef street tacos w/ beans.

BBQ pork ribeye w/ corn, beans and slaw.

Date night. Yes, it’s Thursday. Pork Normandy. Pork ribeye, onion, green apples with a sauce over rice and served with roasted broccoli. Something new. We liked it.

Yvette, the youngest and I for dinner. I made some Korean BBQ chicken breast, rice, spring rolls and picked up some excellent kimchi. Yummy! Might I add how nice it was to cook for them again and have her son over. I love that kid. It’s been since before I was sick. I had missed these nights.

Monday was a terrible bitch. I was over the COVID but still felt the lingering effects. Tired and weak. Constant headache. Still snotty. I assured my office I was clean. No fever since Thursday. Negative test Saturday. Lucky for them I was so busy I was out of the office most the day around town. Unlucky for me because I overdid it. I was miserable. The summer heat was not helping. My brain felt like it was boiling. I can’t recall having Covid is July before. Anyone that has, you have my sympathy. One thing I’m certain is I will take the boaster next time it’s offered. Fuck that. I got home and died on my couch. We did get a nice rain and it was cloudy all day. I might have passed out otherwise.

Tuesday was much better. More of the same, really. My voice did sound better and the headache not so bad but still troublesome. I did get to have lunch with Yvette. It was so amazing seeing her. I think she was even more beautiful than I remembered. That was the highlight of my day. The rest of the day I was running all over. It’s that busy time of year.

Wednesday the headache didn’t. Start until the afternoon sun took its toll on us. Still just about as busy as ever. I remember from past experience that it takes a while to feel normal again. Didn’t get to see much of Yvette. We both had our things to do. I really miss the little baby but I won’t take that chance until I feel normal.

Finally feel better. Not 100% but still better. I could go up the stairs again without feeling like I’d fall down them. Friday was the day I finally felt good. I could run up stairs. For reasons not discussed, my mom was able to baby sit and I went over at lunch to give the girl a familiar face. I was worried she wouldn’t recognize my face of my voice, but she seemed to. She was in my lap while I let my mom eat. I put her on my legs and rocked back and forth in a rocking chair. She loved that. I held her pass, and she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. I teared up a little bit. She is such a good girl. Pretty much slept the entire time she was with my mom. Well, as much as babies do. I hated going back to work. That was the highlight of my week. I also made an eBay sale. Yay!! It was an item I was about to take down from my listing. It was one of the first I put up. The guy offered me less than I was asking but I wanted to be rid of it so I took the offer. Why be greedy.oh yeah, National Wine & Cheese Day.

One thing that I did do during the evenings was bing James Cameron movies. One a nice. I started with The Abyss, followed by True Lies, Terminator 2 and Aliens. I’m not sure how much more of his films I will watch after that run. They all go down hill from there, if you ask me. True Lies & The Abyss for the win.

Jalapeño.

Pork tenderloin in chipotle lime sauce.

My favored as of late. Monterey chicken with poblano crème sauce.

Stuffed pablano. Over rice. Weird?

Beef tenderloin with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and peas.

Beef tips, mushrooms and gravy over mashed potatoes and a side of peas.

Dinner with my brother, mother and Yvette. We went out.was having too much fun for a picture. Lots of laughs.

Lord what a great weekend. I was busy busy on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday I did all sorts of fun around the house, the typical chores plus some. I stayed a pot roast for the evening. The youngest wanted one. Beef, carrots, green beans and potato the works. Went to see my best friend and brother for a little while. I should make it a point to do that more often. We live in walking distance. His little 4 month old boy is adorable. It’s his first child. Just goes to show you can conceive at my age. The boy is. A chunk. After that Yvette and I made a Sam’s run and I finished off with a run by my moms.

The night rolled around and they came over for dinner. I thought the roast was great. I’m happy they don’t eat it with ketchup. I do. I’m an animal and a freak. It should only be gravy. I’m happy to be in love with a woman that knows that. I ate mine that night with grave. We had a nice meal. Madagascar was the movie. Some how I had never seen it. What a thing to be missing. Now I need to see part 2.

Sunday I woke up and mowed the lawn. It’s been since May. Her oldest borrowed the mower and brought it back around 10:30 Saturday. I mowed. It was a struggle. I tried to beat the heat. I did not. Even though it was early. After mowing I did my shopping for the week. I always feel a bit nasty after mowing. All that dirt. Nothing unusual. I meet my mom and Yvette and the little boy for some lunch out. Feeling fine. We had a good time. After that I went home and meal prepped. I made both breakfast and lunch. 3 pounds of pork roast and biscuits with sausage patties for breakfast. A busy weekend. I never saw Alaya and I was sad. Oh yeah, Trump was shot in the ear.

Monday I wake up with NO voice. Nada. I made coffee and jumped into a very hot shower hoping to break things up. No bueno. I got to thinking. The second time I had COVID I had the same issue. Like laryngitis. No voice but otherwise feeling fine. I had a test kit so I figured why not. After the shower I took it and walked into the kitchen for my coffee. I was pissed when I came back. Positive. HOW!!! I have only been around my loved ones except for work and the grocery store. WTF!!! I was so pissed. I was around 2 babies this weekend. I was ready for the week. I don’t know what the procedure is but I can’t miss a week. I’ll go back with a mask. I just hope no one gets it from me. I felt fine!!! Just a lump in my throat.

I was sad and isolated Monday. I was excited about the week. I hate being stuck at home. Hate it. Reminds me of the ice storm a few years back. Other bouts with COVID. I don’t like being at home. I like to get out. I get sad. Damn the COVID. I wanted this behind me. Who did I get it from???? Someone that felt fine like me? Who knows. All BS.

How have I had this 4 times now? I like to think my compromised immune system is doing okay but this gets annoying. COVID, leave me alone!!!! I don’t need you in my life. Piss off. No real temp so far. 99.1. A little breathing issue but WTH. I’m so medicated I don’t know what day it is anymore.

Day two. I’m tired.

Day three. All sorts of shit is being purged. Sim overrated this.

Day 4. Thunder. I woke up about 5/30 and went outside to thunder and lighting. It did rain a bit. A little excitement. I need it. I’m bored. I’m tired. My energy I zapped.

Day 5 I don’t care or even know. I’m over this.

Jalapeño.

I kept seeing this on Instagram. You scramble eggs and cook them like you would an omelette. Add what ever topping you want. For this I added bacon, jalapeño and green onion. Add cheese and cover to help melt. Once melted you top with tortilla. Let it stick and flip. Cook tortilla side. Add a layer of your hot sauce of choice over eggs and top with more cheese & cover again to melt. Remove and fold together. . It was good and I could have split it with someone. More of a breakfast quesadilla.

Pot roast with Yvette and her youngest.

Breakfast hotdog. Eggs, sausage links, jalapeño and cheese topped with a little maple syrup and Tabasco. Yummy.

Orange pork stir-fry with veggies over some cabbage.

Cheese ravioli with a cheese meat sauce.

Saturday was a pretty busy day. Just chores. Cleaned some. Did laundry. Used my Target gift card for things around the house that needed replacing. Went and scoped out what I need to fix a little outdoor water damage. I cleaned up my back yard real nice so we could make s’mores. I saw the sweet little baby for a little while. She had the toots when I was holding her. Adorable, those baby farts. It rained some, lightning and thunder. We are getting a little of a gulf hurricane. I made sure to get rained on. I was very nice. . Grocery shopping and my mother’s. The rain canceled the s’mores. Oh well. I think Yvette was warm the hell out anyways. She isn’t getting her 8 hours of sleep being a grandmother and all. I decided to catch up on a show Yvette wants to watch together. She started it so I need to get to where she is. It was a good show. I spent time outside. We don’t get this cool weather in Texas that often.

Weekend was over way too soon. Yvette took off to San Antonio with the baby for some baby pictures. It’s weird how lonely the campus feels when I don’t get to see her everyday. Oh well, it was just for 2 days. I’ve been super tired and my back has started acting up again. Such a bitch. It’s been a years since I hurt myself. I had hoped to be pain free long before this.

Yvette’s oldest boy had a birthday to be celebrated. He is a good kid. Maybe I should say young adult. We all got together and had a nice meal. It was a last min dinner. It was good. Pretty immediate family. He seemed happy. I think we all ate far more than we needed.

The rest of the week moved terribly slow. I felt like I had to deal with more dumbass than on a usual week. It was pathetic.

Friday night we had a special kind of date night. Babysitting!!! Yvette’s daughter was asked to a movie and we convinced her she should go, the baby would be fine with us. She needed to get out anyway. I came home and cooked up some sweet and sour pork with some fried rice. Yvette and the baby arrived and we got situated and the baby ate giving us time to also eat. While finishing up the baby woke back up and wanted to snuggle. While they were snuggling I ran and picked up a banana split for us to share just around 10 we packed up everything and got the baby home before she wanted another meal. It was really a great night. A special kind of date night.

Happy Friday, everyone!!

Jalapeño

Tex-Mex migas.

Grilled teriyaki pork ribeye w/ broccoli cabbage carrot stirfry.

Caribbean jerk pork ribeye with grilled asparagus and pineapple.

I tried making my hamburger cheese back with zucchini instead of egg noodles. The flavor was there but it was more like a soup.

The big boys birthday. El Paisano Restaurant. The family. It was a good time.

Pablano cream chicken with veggies.

I made fried sweet and sour pork with pineapple, onion and red bell & fried rice. Yvette and I had a different kind of date night with the baby we were babysitting. It was fun.

Don’t eat bad bacon. I made that mistake Saturday and my tummy was out of whack for 2 days. I even questioned the bacon before cooking it. What is wrong with me and eating out of date meats. Yvette looks like she wants to slap some sense into me each time I do this to myself. Who can blame her. She shouldn’t have to. Getting sick should be enough for most to learn but not this idiot. I guess I just like to test myself. Mistakes are made. Christ.

The week was weird with the 4 falling on a Thursday. That meant off work and back to work on Friday. Stupid. I went and ran errands and brought hotdogs to Yvette and her boy. The 4th was movie day with my mom. The Patriot and Independence Day. It was relaxing. I didn’t want to do much since work was calling the next day.

Friday was a Monday. Weird going back to work. Not shit happening. I took the last 3 hours off work and went to help babysit the sweet girl. It was a swift afternoon and I went home and cooked for everyone. We had a great night. I love them. We need to get married.

Hope you all have a happy Friday and a great weekend

Jalapeño

Saturday morning breakfast. Bacon, eggs and taters.

Sweet & sour pork over steamed rice.

Pablano cream sauce chicken with veggies and rice.

Italian pork ribeye with a raspberry chipotle sauce, salad and asparagus.

Chipotle pork tacos. I used pork ribeye. Again. Haha

BBQ pork ribeye with some corn and grilled okra.

4th of July trash. It wasn’t good. I don’t k ow why I eat crap on the 4th.