A Sick This And Thats

It is winter and not as much happens, thus nothing to write.  Plus, now that I have taken a step back from blogging for a bit it does get harder to make myself sit and write.  So, since I may jump around a bit we'll make it a This and Thats post!

• I've accepted my third promotion in about as many years.  Tomorrow I start in my new department, higher in rank and money though not much of either.  Still, this department has a whole lot more potential than the department I was in.  I will have adjustments to make, like I will have a later schedule and I'll be changing buildings again.  I'll be back in the building I first worked in for years, so there will be a lot of familiar faces - whether I like that or not.
• And of course on the eve of my new job I get sick.  After work on Friday, my wife and I went out for bit before coming home and ordering out dinner.  Sometime during the course of the evening the back of my sinuses gave me that feeling and sure enough, when I got up on Saturday I felt terrible and it only got worse the longer I was awake.  I only feel slightly better today, still very ill.  I can only hope for a miraculous recovery for tomorrow morning or it will probably be a difficult week in training.
• For good news, we went out a couple of weeks ago and bought a new bed and it finally got delivered yesterday.  Our old bed had been worn out for quite some time.  Nyquil, Sudafed and a new mattress helped me sleep okay last night.  We also bought a couple new comforters for the new bed and we will also have to buy some more sheets to fit, this bed us much taller than the last.
• My thoughts lately have turned to spring, and taking a week off with nicer weather.  I feel the need for a vacation very soon and I have projects I would like to work on.  But sawing and painting is best done outside in the driveway or garage.  It's way too cold for that these days.  I still have some designing to do but the final design is always just how it ends up, not always the idea I started with.  I like creating as I go so only general plans are usually needed until I start sawing things.
• We still have all the snow from a week ago, piled up everywhere.  Temps the last couple days have started it melting but we know it is not over yet.  At about 27 inches we're about six inches under our average for this date.  There's still plenty of time for mother nature to wallop us again.  I don't know what Jimmy the goundhog - the local celebrity for the holiday - told the mayor of Sun Prairie but he seemed adamant about it.  The local 'hog's bite made news around the world.

Okay, I'm tired.  Back to my lazy boy and blankie.

Snow Daze

by graphica.

Cat Spat

Basil and Hamish playing/fighting about 20 minutes ago.  Hamish, the smaller of the two, seems to have the upper hand this time around.

Badgers Mend Packer Pain

This is for my fellow Green Bay Packers fans, for my heart aches with yours.  This was written today about our Wisconsin Badgers Men's Basketball team:

"...All of which adds up to this: On Tuesday night, Wisconsin beat a ranked Big Ten team, one without a road loss yet this season, by 32 points. In the process, they committed exactly one turnover. Which came on a shot-clock violation. Thanks to a scorer's table correction. Without their starting point guard..."

Not too shabby having a team like this to root for now.  I'm not saying it takes away the hurt from the Packers overtime loss to end their season, but it is certainly a good distraction.  Go Badgers!

Happy Birthday Mrs Scoakat!

Yes I am still here, thank you.  I realize I have not posted much lately but I have not had much to say and I no longer pressure myself to post even in those droughts.  If you read back, I've been trying to be much more relaxed and manage my time better recently.  That being said, ever forward!

We celebrated my wife Kate's birthday recently.  On Saturday night we had friends over, turned the heat to 80º F, and had a 'tropical' party.  We got some cheap decorations on Amazon and my wife put out a very nice tropical spread, only partially seen here.  We made the best tropical fun out of a January birthday that one can expect (without hefty expenditure) and enjoyed a good time with our friends.

Then last night, her actual birthday, we had reservations for a local bar/restaurant, Dexter's Pub,  that was having their first beer tasting dinner event.  They call it their 'Heritage Series,' and they have them scheduled for almost every month for almost 2 years out.

Each month they bring in a different craft brewery that works with their chef to create different dinner courses that compliment various brews from that brewery.  I'm sure this type of thing has been happening for quite some time now at other places and in other areas, the craft brew market has exploded in the past decade or more.  Seating was limited to the first twenty people, cash up front.  We bought our tickets about a month ago when we were there to have dinner with friends, in fact we were the first two to sign up.

We had such a good time that we would highly consider doing it again - but the next one is all seafood and, well, I just can't do that.  But that's okay, there are many more events scheduled and it will be nice to see if it runs a bit smoother after they have a few of these under their belts.  Also, Dexter's is only probably a 20 minute walk from home so it is very nearby.  Just another reason to love our side of town in this capitol city which we live.

Note to self:  Get Bikes In Spring!

New Year Resolutions*

Someone brought up new year resolutions to me recently and my first reaction was to chuckle, then I actually stopped to think.  It has been a long time since I made a new year resolution, even longer since I made a serious one, probably as a kid.  If it works for you then go for it, I hope you get what you want.  I guess I can make life resolutions.  I know what I have to do to improve myself and I can resolve myself to it any day of the year.

However, no matter how or what kind of resolutions you make, following it through can be the hard part - no matter when you make your resolution.  Inner strength and determination are the biggest factors in changing yourself.  Do it for you.  Do it to be a better you.  Good luck, I'm pulling for ya!

*Edit, 5:05 pm: Another thought is that is what new year resolutions are - life resolutions at that specific time.  No one said a new year resolution has to start that day.  That leads me to the arbitrary choice of that particular day as a time to set those goals.  I'm sure there's something out there explaining our need of hope and change and a 'fresh start' with the new year.  Sorry, but now I've lost interest since typing that last bit.  I'd research a whole lot more odd things if there were more hours in the day.  Walking away now...

Happy New Year 2015

I know I said there was going to be an end of the year rant coming, I guess I just don't have a rant in me right now.  However, it has been some time since I've written much of anything so how about another 'This and Thats' post!

• After a very cold November, December has thankfully been much more seasonable.  All the snow we had was melted by the middle of the month, so we did not have a white christmas - not that I mind at all.  We will be ringing in the new year much cooler starting, well, now.  It was -1º F when I left for work this morning.  Thats about -18º C for my friends outside America.  
• This short "break" I have taken from blogging has been good for me.  In fact, I'm tempted to extend it but I need to write/rant/unload sometimes and, after all, I do enjoy it.  In this time away I have cut down on podcasts and websites that I had almost obsessively kept up on before, so I managed some more time in the living room in the evenings with my wife, and I'm working on reading my first book in several months (I'm The Man by Scott Ian from the band Anthrax). I'm sure I would have cut down my computer time even more but I have been reading a lot of sports sites.  The Packers are entering the playoffs, the Badgers football team plays in the Outback Bowl tomorrow and basketball season is under way with the Badgers a top 5 team in the country.  It's usually a good thing to be a fan of sports teams from Wisconsin.  We may not win championships every year, but we seem to have a realistic shot every year after year.
• Let's see, weather - check, address the break - check, sports bragging - check, um.  See, I had a couple interruptions from typing so now I have to gather my thoughts again.  A sign of getting older?  Maybe, so is wanting to stay home on new year's eve, some say.  Okay, back on track now, let's talk about that!
• Tonight.  New Year's Eve 2015.  My wife has allowed me to stay home tonight.  It was much less dramatic than the last few years.  Without looking back to what I've written, we seem to have had a pre-party here and then gone out to the same local tavern for the last several years.  While I have had a lot of fun doing that, despite sometimes being a 'whiny little bitch' about it - as my wife said I wrote last year - I am finally staying home this year.  I hope to ring in the new year in my sleep.  I think this is the 5th consecutive year that the Badgers have played in a new year's day game and I will finally be able to feel good, energetic, and be able to really enjoy a few drinks during the game instead of just having a couple 'hair of the dog' drinks to try and enjoy our college football's last hurrah for the season.  I have actual errands to get done before the game, too.  Back on topic, though, less friends will be out this year anyway, no one says we all have to do the same thing every year.  I do feel a bit bad because I will not get to kiss my wonderful wife at midnight, though...
• The water heater has been leaking a bit.  It started several weeks ago, actually, and has gotten progressively a bit worse.  When we bought the house the inspection said that it was toward the end of its useful life.  That was over 5 years ago.  Plus, stupid me had no idea there was maintenance for me to drain it clear twice a year.  So anyway, the plumbers are showing up here in a few days to install a new water heater.  While they're here I have a couple other odd little jobs for them, too.   Hell, if you have a plumber at the house you better address all issues that day - to save money, of course.  We don't really have other issues other than I want to be able to remove the bathtub drain plug for snaking hair - I've tried but it is old and I can't remove it as it should be able to be removed so want a pro to make it so.  Also, we want to get a water filter for under our sink so we don't have to filter our cooking, ice and drinking water through a pitcher filter anymore.  Certainly not an absolute necessity in our city, just really our strong preference.  I will have to work that day but my lovely wife has off to host the plumbers and oversee their work.  I wish I could be here but I do trust this local company to get things done right, they have helped us out before.
• I didn't post about Christmas, but we did have a very enjoyable early one with my Mom and Dan and my sister Kelly and her kids James and Lindsey.  My brother couldn't make it with his family unfortunately or it could have been probably the best holiday with my sibs and nieces and nephews in forever.  In otherwords, I was disappointed it didn't work out that we all were there at the same time, oh well, what works out best for us does not always work best for others.  On Christmas Eve we had a nice evening with the my wife's family at her sister's house, the one with our 3 nephews.  All seemed to have a good time and some good gifts were given.  It is all for the kids to us these days, and I do enjoy these kids, the youngest is a sport.  It is kind of fun trying to get them the perfect gift for $$ dollars, and only $$ and not $$$ dollars.  They're kids, after all.
• I also found out that a good high school friend's wife passed from cancer very recently.  My contact info for him is out of date.  We kept in touch after high school, I was in his wedding, and we remain friends for many years but I have not talked to him in several.  I'm not sure what I would say right now, anyway, but I'd like to let him know that I'm thinking of him and his family.  RIP Becky.

I've been writing this post now over several hours now.  More typing than I thought I would do tonight and I have had other things going on.  My wife just left to go out with a couple friends for the next few hours and I expect to be in bed by 10, okay 10:30 at the latest.  Hmm, this posting should be delayed a bit maybe.  I do really, really, really want a good nights sleep tonight and I want to be up fairly early for errands and chores before the 11:00 am Badger game so I can have the rest of the holiday for relaxation - basically enjoy it while I can because mandatory overtime at work is almost inevitable after this week.

Happy New Year to you all.  The ones I read, the ones I love, all my friends and all of you who take the time to read me.  Whether you comment or not, I can see you're there.  Thank you.

Merry Christmas 2014

Warning: Adult Content and Language.

Steel Panther played here at the Orpheum Theater here in Madison last Sunday night, the 21st.  I do like them, and a couple co-workers I know went to the show, but it was on a Sunday night and I just was not willing to get home at midnight or later, not drink at all, and have to get up at 4:30 for my job on a Monday morning.  They're pretty good but they're not 'Faster Pussycat' or 'WASP' good - in my book.

Still, they are a pretty good comedy hair metal show.  I've watched tons of their stuff on Youtube.  Just be obnoxious and have a totally confident, 80's hair metal attitude and dumb chicks jump on your stage, show you their tits and play along.  Amazing.  Sigh, I wish I had that chance to play 'rock star.'  But most guys wish that, so I guess these lucky guys are livin' the dream - at least for today.  Hell, Judas Priest almighty just had them opening out on tour!

Here's the best one of the four videos I found tonight from just downtown here this past Sunday.  One of our town's finest sluts jumping on stage, I'm sure.  I heard there were many more up there that night, but really, I went to every heavy metal concert around here that I could in the late 80's and 90's.  The more sluts shit changes the more it stays the same...


Merry Fucking Holidays, people.  Don't think too much about it, just Rock Out and Roll along with it.  What the hell else can we really do, anyway?

End of the year rant coming soon.

Chri$tma$ $ea$on

via

Bizarro Immigration

While I was without my desktop I still came across a few things I would have liked to post or write about had I had my computer.  Mostly my usual odd reposts, but one thing still stands out to me that I wanted to repost, enough so that I even emailed the author to get permission.  That was about a month ago now.  See, we've had an election since I'd been away, too, so politics reared it's ugly head and took over all media for some time.  I'm not apolitical, but I do not consider it my strong suit.  When I hear or read something that I agree with I clearly know it and sometimes wonder how anyone else cannot understand it like me.  I'm sure most people get that feeling and most probably do not agree with my views, but I like knowing there are others out there who generally do think like me.

I've been a Dan Piraro (Bizarro) fan for a long time now and for the last several years I have been following his blog.  He does more than post his daily comics, he has a bit of fun and shares just enough that you know what kind of guy he is - and I really like the guy (or at least his sense of humor!).  Here is his post on immigration, with comic, from November 6 that struck a nerve with me:

"If you find yourself tempted to believe that any substantial amount of America’s problems are being caused by illegal aliens, remind yourself that historically this is an ancient technique by dishonest governments to shift blame. And it almost always works. In this case, the corporations who run our country and their puppet politicians say, “Yes, things are lousy, but it isn’t our fault. It’s their fault!” Then they point to illegals, gay marriage, abortion clinics, terrorists, climate change scientists, whatever “other” they can find to unite the rest of us against something other than those in charge. Don’t fall for it. You’re smarter than that."

Dan Piraro, Bizarro Comic Blog
November 6, 2014


I encourage you to give him a visit at the link above or in the right column!  His new website is a work in progress at the moment, it will be better soon, I'm sure.

While I'm on the subject of comics, one of my all-time favorites is after the break!