Nothing going on

Just about each morning I stop by here and see if anything is going on.  There really isn't a reason to as this blog doesn't have a following and doesn't inspire conversation, but it's like picking up a diary and reading the last entry... it reminds me that I talk about what ever is on my mind.

When I see the last post at any given time it will remind me of what I had just talked/written about and will often inspire me to write something else.

Well... for the past couple weeks I haven't had much on my mind.  I see the last two posts I wrote (about Ginger and my new work watch) and see them as materialistic.  I don't mind materialism, but would like to think I'm deeper than that.

I normally write about an upcoming event... but there isn't much I'm currently looking forward too.  Short term, we're still a little short staffed at work and I can't get the days off.  Longer term, I'm in a holding pattern.  It's either too far away or I'm waiting on other people.  Watching the news will often bring up a subject that I want to parse out... writing about it helps me define my own feelings... but there isn't much news to get me thinking.  So.... I'm going to write up a quick little 'nothing' post.  At the very least, when I read this years later I'll be able to look at the last couple weeks of July 2015 and see that it was a calm time.


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Let's do material things first.  I've been playing board games with my Brother and his nephews lately.  Mostly Risk.  It's fun and age appropriate for the boys.  They're not great, but their weaknesses are good teaching moments.  We're considering setting up a game of Axis and Allies, but that's a whole different situation as a good game of A&A can take a whole weekend.  None of us have that kind of time, so we're thinking about setting it up in B's basement.  That way we can play a few hours and then leave it for a week or so.

One game that sits in between Risk and A&A is Supremacy.  Some friends and I played that back in high school and it was fun, but it seemed to have gone out of manufacture.  Thankfully some people bought up the rights and have made Supremacy 2020... I bought it up and it should arrive this week.  If all goes well we'll give that a try later this week. Oh... and that damned board game cost $160.  Yeah... I'll pay out the ass for a good board game!

Kind of on the materialistic scale is Project Fi.  I submitted my request to join up with that cellular service back in May.  Well it looks like they'll finally get my invite going next month.  They finally updated their page saying that I should expect an invite in 2 to 3 weeks.  Now that doesn't mean a new phone for me, but it does mean I'll be leaving the Sprint Family Plan with my mom.  I'll pay a $100 early contract termination fee to get out of it, but I'm wondering what I'll do with Mom's service... her contract won't be up for 2 months.

When I thought I was going to get this in May, it was an easier decision... either Sprint would allow her to go to one of their newwer plans or I'd pay another $100 to get her out of her contract.  Then we'd look at other service providers for her.   Well... if it's only 2 months, it might be worth it to just leave her on her plan and then do the normal Sprint upgrade in October.   So I'll be looking at plans and phones for her.

My new watch is working out OK.  It does just what I needed it to... it tells me time easily and efficiently.  I still would rather have my Pebble at work as I find it more stylish, but this works.  Plus it IS quite stylish.  It's big chunky style does have a drawback... I hit it on things quite often.  It's significantly thicker than my previous watches.  Soon enough I believe it will be scuffed up.  I'd care about scuffing up a $200 watch, but it IS just a work watch.  I would never choose to wear this over my Pebble when outside of work.

I AM considering getting a new band.  The rubber one fits well enough, but having a metal bracelet is SO much easier to get on and off.  I have to take it off each and every time I go into the secured perimeter (that's at least twice a day) and it's kind of a pain to get on and latched up to the correct tightness.  Enough so that I'll often just put it in my pocket and then put it on once I get into the clinic.

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Trips:

This coming weekend was supposed to be my Chicago Trip.  It's the one that got busted up because I couldn't get the days off.  I was bored at work yesterday and looked at the possibility of just heading down for Saturday/Sunday.... but booking at the last minute and taking a hotel room for a single night is expensive.  It would be a minimum of $370 to stay downtown with parking.  I'm not sure an impromptu trip is worth that kind of cash... so I'm just going to push that idea out of my head.

mmm... Chicago.

I'm considering two  other trips.  I'd still like to head out to San Francisco to visit my buddy E.  But that has to be a planned trip.  It will be about $1000 to $1500 to fly round trip (remember... if I'm flying, it will be first class or nothing!), and I'll need to take several days off.  That means him having some serious time off... and that means him having his job situation all set.  Sadly right now he's still in limbo when it comes to his job so we can't really make plans several months out.  I'll try to call him tomorrow on my day off and see where he's at on this.  I'd like to see him.  I'd REALLY like to see him.

My buddy A (the one nearby, not A in Dallas) and I are planning a trip down to Havana this coming Winter.  We're thinking February.  Of course planning travel to Cuba isn't the easiest thing in the world and the rules are currently in flux, so making plans is harder than normal.

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Work:

Work is fine.  It's really feast or famine time.  I had absolutely nothing to do this weekend.  But I had two bad days out in 5 block recently that keep my hackles up.  We've hired a new nurse.  Let's call her S.  She's good.  She got her license about two years ago and has been working in the ICU until coming over to the State.  I figure she tried something out and didn't like it.  I haven't talked with her enough to figure out WHY she didn't like it.. but going from the ICU to Correctional Nursing is quite the change up.  And so far she seems happy.  And hey... if she's happy, I'm happy.  It's another warm body on the team and more opportunity for me to get days off.   Yeah Yeah Yeah... she's more than that.  She's cool and friendly and from the limited time I've had to work with her seems to be a fine Nurse... but right now I'd settle for anyone that could take the position!

I emailed about the local job... the one at 'Intake'.  Still nothing.  I'll be patient and give the supervisor down there another month before I email her again.

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Family:

The fam is fine.   No big changes there.

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Health:

I saw the doc last week.  My A1C is up from 7.1 to 7.5. I kind of expected it to go up, although I was hoping for down.  Remember, A1C measures average blood sugars over the past three months and the goal for a 'well controlled' diabetic is to have it under 7.  Well the first three months I was trying the extreme 'no carb' lunches.  A bunch of salads with between 2 and 10 carbs total.  Yeah... salads twice a day for five days a week sucks and I hit a wall.   I then changed up to wraps and chicken salad.   The the next three months I was completely eating wraps... so naturally my A1C went up.

The doc increased my glucophage to the max dose, and encouraged me to exercise.  My plan for exercise is to get into the local gym and hit it up when I get out of work.... that is when I have the local job.  But I can't just wait for the new job... so I told him I'd commit to walking for 30 minutes three times a week.  It's been a week since I saw him and I haven't walked yet.  It doesn't mean that I won't try to walk on a regular basis... I just haven't started yet.

I've had this nagging cold for several weeks.  I'm fairly sure what it is.... there is a BAD upper respiratory infection going on at work.  Many of the guys there have it and it takes them a couple weeks to see any improvement.  It's taken down multiple nurses as well including me about 6 weeks ago.  But I'm still not over it.  I'll be 'good' for a couple days, and then have that rattleing/crackling in my lungs for a couple days.  It's right on the edge of being bad enough to call in.... but I don't want to call in and don't figure it will get worse as the day progresses... so I've been working 'sick' on and off for a month and a half.

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That's about it.  I really wish t here was something significant I could write about.  Love, family, dad, honor, ethics, politics.... something.  But I just don't.   So.. hopefully something catches my fancy in a good way soon and I'll have something interesting to write about.

On the other hand.... I could live iwth happy and bored for a long long time!