Wow... so... this is the internet....it's so BIG !!

Been a while.....

2009-03-21T14:04:30Z

Haven't posted in forever. The FB ~~latest fad~~ phenomena has taken control.

More later.

Huh........Imagine that......

2009-02-18T22:17:50Z

Wow...since I've been over at facebook, I don't see too many postings here anymore....

Is the FB taking over.....?

So anyway.......

2009-01-30T04:20:53Z

Long story short:
Last week, I passed a stone. Yeah, surprised the hell out of me.... wasn't even expecting it. Just felt a little 'tweek' in my bladder.
Anyway,,,Monday, I felt the same 'tweek'. I drank lots of water. peed a lot. Nothing. So for two days I've been trying to get this rock outta me. But nothings working...

So yesterday I bought an 18 pack of Miller Lite. Didn't have any dinner and started drinking. I figured it would have to come out with all the peeing I would be doing, plus I'll be drunk, so it won't hurt coming out.
Nothing.
But I did have a real good drunk on.

I think Liz was jealous.

# 13......

2009-01-18T21:12:48Z

Yesterday was #13.

We worked from 7 to 4. Finding it was a bitch, plus we tore up probably a 30ftx 40ft. section of road to get to it.

It was only a 4inch main, but we had trouble getting the clamp on it.

Our bosses were yelling at us to stop screwing around and put that clamp on. After the third try, and my boss Keith getting in the hole to help, we managed to clamp it.
It wouldn't have been so bad if the night before I wasn't out until 2:30 am drinking pitchers of beer and singing kareoke in Michigan city.

Yeah, that made work just a little bit harder.

My other boss, Dan, said, " Wow you got owned by a 4 inch water main, how retarded do you feel?"

Then Keith said, " Hey, don't worry about it, there was probably something wrong with the clamp. Sometimes they just don't fit right." Then he smiled, " But we're still gonna make fun of you for it."

Great.

Nothing today...so far. I hope not, cause I got beef stew cookin' in the crock pot.

Main breaks #11 and # 12

2009-01-16T04:13:45Z

Got to work yesterday and figured we'd all be inside because of the cold.
Wrong.
Got a call that water was shooting up from a curb. We get out there and sure enough, water shooting straight up two feet in the air, running down the street, then freezing.
It was about 10 degrees. But with the wind blowing, it felt like 10 below.
Six inch main...blowing like a mother.
As soon as I got out of the hole, my carharts( winter overalls) started freezing up, so I had to keep moving.
We got the call for the next one before we even finished the first one.
I had just enough time to change into my spare carharts.
Another six inch in the street across town. But it was under two feet of concrete which our backhoe couldn't break through. A local plumbing company brought over their big hi-hoe and and ripped through the street like cracking a walnut.
Found the leak. Another gusher. It took three of us this time. Super wet.
By four that afternoon, it was 0 degrees.
By the time we left, it was 5 below.
We were out there until 7:00 that night.

needless to say, I was tired, sore and hungry.................

Suck it...............

2009-01-12T23:41:26Z

I watched the Golden Globes last night just to see if my show '30 Rock' would win again this year. ( They did) Plus I have this HUGE crush on Tina Fey...

She won best actress, and gave a great speech:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/12/tina-feys-golden-globes-s_n_157036.html

I'm not dead yet......................

2009-01-11T16:25:20Z

Friday night Liz and I saw the musical ' Spamalot'.

One of the funniest shows I've ever seen.
Now I'm going to have to buy ' Mony Python and the Holy grail'

Always look on the bright side of life

Let's see, what happened today........

2009-01-09T05:23:07Z

No main breaks, but it was a pretty good day.

When I got to work this morning:

I got a paper that has how many vacation and pto days I have for the year, and they gave me three more vacation days.
At the gas station where we get our morning coffee, they gave me a bag of hostess chocolate mini donuts...for free( they expired on December 29th and they were sending them back, but hey, Hostess products have a shelf life of about fifty years)
And the boss called Jeff and I into his office and said that he appreciated all our hard work and gave us raises. Not all of the guys....just me and Jeff.

At least it was better than Liz's day. At her job, she was accused of kidnapping a client and a four year old purposely peed himself. Yup...he said he was going to pee himself if he didn't get a piece of gum. He didn't. So he did.

So there.

Happy New Year.........I think.

2009-01-01T17:11:34Z

Why is my underwear on the outside of my pants.....??

And where is my car ??

Main breaks # 8#,9,and #10

2008-12-31T01:35:12Z

Just a quick one, because I'm really tired and really sore.

A 10 inch main break at seven this morning. It took four of us in the hole to wrangle the break...water everywhere.
Right after that, an 18 inch raw water main split.
And right after that , a 6 inch main bubbling from the ground.

a twelve hour day.

I'm a little tired.
And a little sore.

A Masterpiece......

2008-12-27T03:39:45Z

Take two pieces of bread.
A thin layer of mayo and/or mustard.
Leftover turkey (white meat).
A layer of homemade stuffing.
Put it together.
Make it.
Eat it.
Love it.

...and to all a good night.

Whoops...spoke too soon. Main break # 7

2008-12-26T15:28:04Z

Main break on I st. Christmas morning. I wasn't there.

I was already in Hobart for about an hour, and I threw my phone in my coat pocket so I didn't hear it ring.

I checked my phone at about five that evening. I had four voicemails from work.

Whoops....

Water, water, everywhere......Main break #6

2008-12-25T15:10:23Z

On J st. Two blocks from my apartment. 6 inch. Once again...flooded the streets. Wasn't that bad. Dug down, found it, and as soon as my boss and I put the clamp on, it came apart......? Never had that happen before. Took it off, put it back together slipped it on and 'viola' . Had this red and black checkered ear flap hat that I wore as a ' simple guy' in the play that I was in. I had it with me and wore it while we were filling in the hole. The weather was crappy, wind blowing. The guys made fun of me and my hat..... until they tried it on and found out how warm it was!! A couple of the guys said they went out looking for this hat , but stores were sold out of them. HA!!!!

No water happenings on Christmas Eve( Thank God. Even though I bet we would...)

HOPEFULLY nothing will happen today. Or Tomorrow. Or the next day. maybe Sunday would be okay....double time ya know.....

Merry Christmas to all.........Remember: Family # 1 everything else takes a back seat..........

Jack Frost nipping at your jimmies.....mainbreak #5

2008-12-22T00:43:22Z

It's Main Break Day!!!!
Got the call at eleven this morning. Made Liz mad because we were supposed to go to her Grandma's house for dinner. I don't know if she was mad because it was the weekend, or she was mad because she was jealous that I didn't have to go to her grandma's but she still had too.....

An eight inch main, -3 degrees below zero, wind chill at -27, and water everywhere.
Perfect.

Got in the hole, water spraying everywhere. When the water sprayed out of the hole it turned into snow- pretty cool-- Jeff jumped in to help.Put the clamp on the main, air drill failed because of the cold, so we tightened the bolts down by hand.(which if you don't know, takes up a bit of time...) Part of the interior wall fell on Jeff, I grabbed him before he fell underwater, the water was still leaking through the clamp, so we had to take the clamp off and adjust it TWICE before the water stopped. Then out of the hole to fill it in.
Being totally wet in your carhart overalls isin't as bad as you would think in below zero weather. As long as your layered from the cold, inside you stay pretty dry. Although you end up walking around like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz because everything on the outside is frozen.

Got done at five. I'm home, I"m a little chilled, and I'm waiting for Liz.
I'm also keeping track of the mainbreaks via livejournal just so I know how many we had this year.

( sorry if this bores anybody)

And another..... Main break # 4

2008-12-18T23:29:49Z

Ok... another main break today.
What made this one hard was that it was on a hill, and we to track it UP the hill to find where it originated from. ( That means digging up the street 'til we find it.)
It was a 6incher which means it was blowing A LOT of water straight up. And on top of that, we hit the sewer line, which we also had to repair. So started out soaking wet, then wore about twenty pounds of mud fixing the sewer.

sigh

So that makes three breaks in three days.....four all together for the season. It just keeps on getting better.....

update.... Main break #3

2008-12-17T05:52:03Z

An hour ago I got a call from work for an emergency locate. There was water coming up from the street at the corner of 16th and L st.

Yup, it's another main break.

The water traveled down the street to the next block and now there's about 4 inches of water on the 1400 block of K st.

(sigh)

And so it begins.... Main breaks #1 and 2

2008-12-17T02:52:55Z

The first one was about a week ago. It was discovered at 3:30 PM. Blowing water out of the street like a water fountain. By the time all the locates were done, it was 4:50pm. It's an 8inch main. That means a lot of water.
We get down to the main and it's blowing water straight up 15 feet in the air. I get into the hole and block the spray with my boots. The other guys get in the hole to dig around the main, but it's spraying to much. So I just said screw it and straddled the main over the leak.
Water comes up to my waist. More pumping out water. Get the clamp on, Jeff fumbles and slides the clamp off the leak where the water punches me in the face hard. No more contacts. Clamp on and out of the hole. We got done at 7:30.

Break # 2. The call came in at 2:00pm today. As I found the leak and was calling it in, it started snowing. Hard. And a lot.

Much wetness. Much coldness. Tis the season

Another day.....

2008-12-11T00:09:46Z

Just sitting here finishing my second beer.
The day is over.
But it begins anew on the morrow.
Anymore, all I look forward to is lunch or going home at 3:30. Anytime the boss mentions overtime, on the outside I smile and say " great" but on the inside I cringe thinking just because YOU stay, doesn't mean everybody else has your same view... for him EVERYTHING is about the money. I didn't used to be this way.
I don't know. I'm a little on the confused side right now... My job doesn't mean much to me right now. It's just a job. No more, no less. All I ever want to do anymore is come home and be with Liz. I mean I could walk away from it right now and not even care.
Also I failed my DSL test for the SECOND time.( I'm not surprised.) But then again, so did almost everybody else. So the bosses say "keep trying, it's a fifty cent raise." When will it end?!?

I think I want to write. I'm not sure. I think it'll be too hard, and I won't be very good at it. And there's gotta be something out there that I can be good at.....

And then there's Christmas. Once again.......not in the mood. Haven't been in a while. Still miss my brother. he was the one who kept everybody up at Christmas whether he knew it or not.

Wow.
I just read this. It sounds depressing. Think I'll go have a third beer

Ugh.....I'm soooo full......

2008-11-28T00:56:18Z

So we decided not to go anywhere this Thanksgiving. Nobody's parents house or anything. No rushing around, no pressure, no craziness. just me and Liz.
I got out my Indoor deep fryer, which I had to place right outside the balcony, and deep fried me some turkey breasts.

Cajun spice rub and injected with creole butter.

Liz made some homemade stuffing, we also made green bean casserole, candied yams, mashed potatoes,cranberries, and rolls. And, of course, pumpkin pie.
We had everything ready in about three hours.

We ate, relaxed, watched some 'Scrubs', napped, and generally just enjoyed each others company. It's only 6:42 in the evening...the day is going by soooo slow. I'm lovin; it. Because the rest of the weekend is going to fly by with us doing this play.

We're both stuffed.

This has been a great Thanksgiving.

Really quick.....

2008-11-24T04:59:27Z

Haven't posted for a while, just thought I'd do some catching up.

My DSL certification test: We all took this test in Logansporte. Just before the test, the test- givers(if you will) announced that they were trying a new format for the test.
In short, it was a new test.
Nothing we studied was on this test. Afterwards, about twenty of us, discussed the test and called our teacher. He couldn't believe what happened and said he would call down state and call us back. I got a call two days ago. Pat,(my teacher) said it wasn't just our test, it was state-wide. He was pissed. He also said two teachers quit when they found out. The teachers should have been notified, so they could teach what was going to be on the test.
All in all....nobody's happy. Don't know what's going to happen now.

Liz and I are in a play in Michigan City. Liz is very funny. It'll be a good show.
I'm still debating on taking an online writing class (thank you ifreet, for your wonderful insight)
Also, Liz and I decided to stay home for Thanksgiving. No parents, no going anywhere.....just the two of us. Liz is wanting a tofurkey. (sigh)

Just a quick question...........

2008-11-18T05:52:03Z

Does anybody know anything, good or bad, about online writing courses??

Thanks....

What else.....?

2008-11-01T17:18:28Z

So my mom'sboyfriend is in the hospital
He's been having intestinal problems for the past couple of years(plus he's diabetic and doesn't take care of himself) and every time he went to the doctor, he wouldn't tell the doctor what was wrong. The last couple of months have been the worst for him.So my mom had finally had enough,and made him go to the doctor early and she went with him this time and told the doctor everything that had happened from the last two years.

Long story short: He's in the hospital The doctor made him go. There's a good chance he has colon cancer. He had a bloated stomache and tried to tell the nurse it was nothing. She told the doctor and he ordered immediate tests, that's how they found the huge blockage in his large intestine. he gets more tests on Monday. The doctor said had he waited two or three more days, he would have died.

So basically, Mom saved his life.
Once again I say...he's an idiot.
Now she's going to have to care of him( like she has for twenty years) because he's too stupid to help himself.

I think she's been through enough. First with my brother, then my stupid procedures, and now this

Just a quick thought.....

2008-10-20T03:15:24Z

What is the purpose?

By that, I mean what' OUR purpose??

What are we trying to attain in living this life? Money? Happiness? Simplicity?

What's the goal?

I am confused...................

Stent-free..............

2008-10-12T21:04:28Z

So friday afternoon, I went and had that stent removed.
A very traumatic day indeed.......

First, a lttle background: The hospital called me the night before and said my procedure would be at 2:45 in the afternoon, so come in at 1:45. Ok, I thought, no problem. THEN the next day they called me again and asked if I could come in a half hour earlier. No problem, I said. I made arrangements with work.
I get there at one, and I didn't have my procedure until FOUR THIRTY!
I waited around for THREE hours watching the Lifetime story of Donnie Brasco, and two episodes of "The Sopranos" in the waiting room. It wasn't bad enough that I was nervous about having this thing removed, but making me wait so long?!?
Then when it came to my turn, I got in my gown and tried to settle my nerves. I had been told by friends and other people familiar with this procedure of removing a wire tube from my insides, that , and I quote:
Aw it won't be that bad, you'll hardly feel a thing.
Hey, don't ,worry, they give you something to settle your nerves, it kinda makes you feel numb, you won't even remember it.
I knew this guy who had it done, and when he asked the doctor how long it would take, he was already finished.....

Ok, here's the truth:

They give you something to settle you nerves and/or make you feel numb:
Bullshit. They gave me NOTHING! I asked the nurses in the room if they give you something, and they chuckled and said, " Oh no, it'll be over so quick you don't need anything. It'll only take about five minutes."
Oh oh.
So I hop up on the table and put my legs in the stirrups( yes, that's right...stirrups) and I thought how embarrassing. And one of the two nurses chuckled and and said," This is a little different for you isn't it?"
" Yup, I said.
" Well, don't worry, you're even going to get a free wash out of it."
They squirted my bottom half with a sterile solution.
I said, " I don't pay for a wash anyway, so I don't think I'm that lucky." More chuckling from the nurses. " Your funny." one of them said.
The Doctor comes in.

You'll hardly feel a thing:
BULLSHIT!!!
The doctor said, " Okay, now you're going to feel a little pressure."
BULLSHIT,BULLSHIT,BULLSHIT!!!!!!
He put some lidocain on the scope before he went up Little Mike, and THAT WAS IT!!! No drugs to numb or make you forget or.....NOTHING!!! I REMEMBER EVERYTHING VIVIDLY!!

That's where this story stops. Except when he pulled it out one of the nurses said, "You just gave birth to bouncing baby stent." I hate her soooooo much.
It was painful, and now the stent is gone. I hope to never have that done again.
On top of that, the doctor says I still have a couple of tiny pieces of gravel floating around in my kidney which, he said , they would have to watch closely..
I drove home and told Liz what happened. My night was just as bad...very painful. Just ask Liz......

Once upon a Wizard.....?

2008-10-05T23:13:10Z

Yesterday, around 3 o' clock, while I was on the computer, my phone rang.

It was the director of " Once Upon a Mattress", the musical at the Little Theatre.They were in their second weekend run and she said the guy playing the Wizard had hurt his back and couldn't do the show, and would I step in.
I said sure and got a script from the theatre. They told me to be back at five to work with the cast.

It was a good time. No eight week rehearsal time, no learning dance steps, no backstabbing cast crap. Just go in, do my lines, sing my song, the end.

Did the show, went to a kickin' cast party, got up this morning, did the matinee, then came home. No worries.....
The director said she owed me one for this........well somebody owes me some beer.