Day 33 – The Darkest Day

It is so yucky weather wise today!  It is so dark out I thought it was closer to dinner time, but no it’s only 15:30!!  I just looked at my phone and see we have a tornado warning!  Amazing – just what everyone needs I am sure.

I worked in the hotel today and went out to Applebee’s for lunch with the test engineer Ricardo.  He is very nice and we talked about a lot of work type things and it was good.  He ended up being the last person to leave the meeting today and I helped him with a bunch of stuff in the program so that was a great session.

The person who I was helping a lot yesterday from Maintenance came over this morning and brought me muffins!  It was so nice and no one had done that for me before so I was very happy!  I ate one that was like apple pie style and then saved blueberry one for tomorrow.  The hotel here actually has very good muffins itself, but I am sure this one is very good too.

I had so many packages come in the last couple days it is going to be too much when I get home :)  My new bed will be here Thursday so I will be spending the weekend putting that together and moving stuff all around.

Alright, I am going to snack on the rest of my lunch and just veg.  Maybe I will get sleepy and be able to fall asleep here soon and get lots more sleep!!!

Day 32 – The Day of Railroad

So today we were at the cutover and it was so very cold!!!  We stood at this crossing waiting to do our part for so long I was getting so very cold so I sat in the truck most of the time but at least I was able to get some other work done.  Once we finished with that crossing I was dropped off at the yard office to help a couple of the maintenance people with their stuff.  We got lots accomplished, so even though I missed a lot of cutover stuff we still got a lot done.

We had pizza for lunch which makes 3 meals in a row of pizza for me – I think I am officially pizza-ed out :)

I am back at the hotel now and am going to try to get some good sleep.  I feel very tired so I am going to pounce on that :)

Day 31 – The Day of Mistakes…

It has been one of those days today!!!

  1. First off this morning, I set my alarm to be up at 04:45 to make my flight and I get awaken by the puppy and not the alarm.  Turns out I set the alarm for a weekday!
  2. I forgot to give Nickel his pain meds.
  3. I forgot that I was checking 2 bags and not 1.
  4. I made hotel reservations for not enough nights.
  5. I made car reservations for not enough days.
  6. I forgot that I  checked 2 bags (again) until I was half way to my hotel – so 30 minutes away.
  7. I almost killed myself in the elevator, they mopped and left it soaking wet.
  8. I just spilled an entire drink.

Now I am sitting in bed because this day has been too much!!

On the plus side, I wasn’t late to the airport and I had an amazing blue berry muffin and when we landed in Atlanta, it had to be the softest landing I have ever experienced.  Then in Atlanta I got my Starbucks and I had me another amazing blueberry muffin – I think better than the first but really only because she heated it up!!  It was so yummy :)

I got a nice rental car, very little miles and was very clean :)  I just finished up me some pizza and it was yummy so all in all it has balanced out I would say :)

Well, like I said I am going to just relax for a bit, try to catch a nap and stay safe :)

Day 30 – The Day of Dressers

So my new dresser is supposed to come today and also I have an appointment with the hair dresser :)

Paul is here today helping with replacing the dishwasher and going to take the garbage and me with this dresser.  I am so grateful that he and Carlos both come out.  It really does help tremendously.

I am leaving out tomorrow morning very early to go to another cutover with my job.  I like it, but I am not looking forward to traveling so early :)  I have to do laundry today too – ugh!!!

Well, the dresser is built and it looks great!  We put casters under it so that I can easily move it around to clean and stuff.  I am so very pleased with how it turned out.

Sorry so short, got lots to do!!

The new dresser, made by South Shore.  I got it on Amazon, but Home Depot has it as well.
The new dresser, made by South Shore. I got it on Amazon, but Home Depot has it as well.
My new ring!!  I love it and it was very inexpensive from Littman's!!
My new ring!! I love it and it was very inexpensive from Littman’s!!

Wooden Desk Gallery

 



Day 29 – A Day of Pandas

What was for lunch you ask???   That’s right, Panda Express :) :) :)  It was yummy!

I got a great picture of the puppies today looking out the window, they are so stinking cute!!

I should be getting my new dresser today, but it hasn’t come just yet.  I am also thinking about ordering the stuff I need to replace the bookshelf and then put a crate up in the bathroom so I can get rid of the stupid cabinet I have.  That was supposed to be temporary when we first moved in…

I took the puppies out a little bit ago and Nickel is eating a dried up mushed frog.  I hate frogs so he is no longer allowed in the house – just kidding, but it is very gross :)

I am really really really gonna try to take a nap right now.  My sleep has been so incredibly bad that I need to start to get some sleep whenever I can.

Update: No napping for me :(  Oh well, we can still go on.

I was looking on Amazon last night and I think I might get a wall sticker – the ones that have like quotes or something on it.  I like a couple so I am gonna start to think about that.  The bookshelf came and I opened the box, gonna try to get it built tomorrow before I have to leave.  Should be an excitingly packed day tomorrow :)

Nickel and Dime are imitating their favorite comic strip by being the evil Corgi :)
Nickel and Dime are imitating their favorite comic strip by being the evil Corgi :)

Day 28 – The Day The Dog Went For a Ride

Today is the day we have been waiting for!!  Nickel is getting neutered :)  We are really hoping that he will calm down a little bit with the other dogs.

Well, it was much harder for me to leave him at the vet :(  It was like dropping off a kid to daycare for the first time!  He was so scared and just so sad I almost cried.

I got a lot done today for work which was good and I also did some work on my room.  I got to talk to my two favorite coworkers (and friends) today!!!  I always love hearing from them and being able to help them with what they are doing.  I got to use my drill and I just love it :)

HE SURVIVED!!!!!  He was so so so happy to see us and I was so happy to see him!  He has not slowed down in the slightest since he got home.  The girls seemed to have missed him, well at least when he first got home :)  I chatting with a friend and he was like running into my door playing with a tennis ball.  I am going to try to add the video here, because I have yet to actually do any of the videos that I kinda wanted to start doing.  The vet said, no running, no jumping, and only on a leash outside…  Needless to say that didn’t happen for more than 20 seconds :)  He seems to be doing great.

I ordered some more stuff for my room tonight.  I got a couple rugs because these puppies are brining in just way too much sand.  I also ordered some hooks to use in my wire management project.  I am going to wrap the extra bits around those and hopefully that will look a bit neater than just coiling them up on the ground.  I also got some fabric that I am going to use in the crates to provide a “flat” surface.  I actually found something I liked better, but apparently it was too late to cancel this order so I will see how it does and either scrap it or it will work :)

Day 27 – The Day of the Drills!!

This is going to be on the wall that currently has my dresser. I am not 100% sure what will go in them, but I am sure I can figure it out soon :)

I had this great idea to replace this horrible shelving, that I absolutely HATE, with crates – it is to hold cook books so that should be perfect.  Then I decided to do a shelf for the printer so we can get rid of this horrible little black table :)

I didn’t really get much accomplished today, did a good bit of work but nothing like personal.

Will try very hard to get more done tomorrow :)  Here are some pics from today :)

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This is going where the dresser behind it currently is. I am not 100% sure what all will go in it, but I am sure I will figure it out :) Also, there is 3 crates missing, they will be like the bottom ones I think.
This is going where the dresser behind it currently is. I am not 100% sure what all will go in it, but I am sure I will figure it out :) Also, there is 3 crates missing, they will be like the bottom ones I think.
Dime refusing to be outside!! She is standing on the door step!!
Dime refusing to be outside!! She is standing on the door step!!

 

Day 26 – The Day I Stared at Holes…

Today I am working from home.  I have been traveling a lot over the weekends so I wanted to try to get some of that time back.  I have already helped someone today which is why I am sitting in my room staring at holes in the wall.  I had to move one of my monitors and it left these huge holes in the wall.  I have been so focused on getting things where they need to be in the room I haven’t circled back around to cleaning up the damage :)

I wanted to paint my room as well, but now I am really unsure what I am going to do.  It is a lot of painting  and gonna be a good bit of smell.  I don’t know – will figure it out later I suppose.

I just looked over and saw Dime napping under my bed…  I order that new bed and it basically sits on the ground.  Now I guess I am gonna have to make some spot for her under my end table.  I think she is hiding from the other dogs.

Today starts the many packages that are coming for my room.  I need to clear out some of the stuff I have now to make room for everything.  Then it will be organization time :)  I am so happy, I hate feeling unorganized.  I want my room to be very tidy.  Nothing on the floor to have to worry about vacuuming around.  Well, except the treadmill, but really that folds up to make it much easier to clean around.

On a side note, I am really dreading February because I will have to pay better attention to the day numbers for my blow.  I know, not really a huge issue, but everytime I go to write one I think about it :)  I have also been trying to write at least a review every night to get some content done.  I can pretty easily do the book ones as most are still pretty fresh in my head :)  The longer I wait the more I will have to re-read to refresh myself.  There were so many good ones.

Will check back in later!

A little later :

I really need to do something about cable management in my room!  I have too much stuff that is plugged in – 4 monitors, two sets of speakers, desktop and laptop, 2 printers, a lamp, alarm clock, phone / ipad, watch, kindle, and 2 usb hubs.  This doesn’t even account for all my camera chargers, 3 of those.  I certainly don’t want my UPS and power strips on the ground.  Those should mount well to the wall and maybe I can find something where the “extra” bit of each cord will live neatly.

A while later:

Alright!  Right after I finished up my earlier post I decided to wrap up all the crazy wires by my desk, well not ALL of them but most of them.  I will be able to do more when I get the final stuff in place.  I just can’t say enough how happy I am to be getting stuff really done!  I am really hoping that it will inspire my mom to clean her room just a little bit so we can do something like this for her.  Getting organized feels good.  I still have a lot to do, but I hope to be done completely by the end of February :)

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Grand Central: How a Train Station Transformed America

Grand Central: How a Train Station Transformed America Book Cover Grand Central: How a Train Station Transformed America
Sam Roberts, Pete Hamill
Grand Central Publishing
2013
Kindle
308

This book was really great!!!  We already know that the Unites States doesn't really have historical buildings, it just isn't something that our society seems to value.  The buildings that were built in the early 20th century were very much the definition of awesome!  It is so heartbreaking to know that we could not save some of these amazing buildings, but Grand Central, she was saved!!  It has so many amazing features and of course it has been such an iconic site in so many movies.  You just don't get all the details until you see it in person.  I happened to read this book before I went to New York for the first time and it really made the experience of seeing Grand Central that much more amazing.  From the whisper corners to the celestial ceiling.  The author just gives packs so much history into this book and I found it a very easy quick read.

One of the nice things that I was able to experience, because I knew to look for it from this book, was the spot on the ceiling.  The entire ceiling was cleaned except for a small patch left to remind people of the beauty that was once forgotten and valued enough to be brought back.  The ceiling was of course dirtied from all the steam engines and other pollutions that aren't around anymore.  The fact that people who used the station all the time had no idea that the ceiling was anything other than just a dark patch of building is unbelievable.

We, the United States, imposed so many taxes on building like this that it was cost prohibited to actually save the truly magnificent places.  The book explains how close it was to falling victim to the same fate as her counterpart Penn Station.  The love that so few people have for these buildings that really do provide valuable history for the citizens makes you wish that you could do more to help save them!

I may be  a little bias as I am not only a lover of architecture, but I am a railroader.  I recommend this book even if you aren't either of those two things, if you just like to learn about our history.