Kevin's Ramblings…

Well, dropped by Sister Joans for a loan.  Did you know that Sister Joan does loans?  Bet ya didn’t.  Anyway, I can get my windshield replace tomorrow – that’ll be good.  Damn dump truck and damn rocks.  Here is to hoping that the correct decision will be made on reinbursement with the repair costs.  Who knows…  I do have to decide though that if it isn’t paid for, what do I do?  A few options – I can refuse to use my vehicle for work.  That seems the most likely option to me.  I don’t think that I will get any support from co-workers but I might be surprised.  Hopefully I don’t have to go down that road.

Had plans to go for coffee with Rob.  He backed out – busy with work stuff.  That’s OK though.  Another night.

Anyway, ranted about today’s events with a couple of other people.  No details on here though, don’t want to offend little people who think that their shit doesn’t stink – I’ve got news for ya, all shit stinks.  I am under the firm belief that most women can’t and shouldn’t be put into any sort of authority position.  They can’t handle any power.  There are exceptions to the rule of course and I know a few good examples.  Others however turn into rancid bitches – you know who you are so stop reading my blog.

I am hoping that my current rant will be over by the time I get back from Christmas holidays.  We’ll see.

For now, I am off – bed calls and it is a call that I don’t want to miss.

Today was the begining of the last full week before I am off until January 4.  I am going to enjoy my time off…

I have had to make some modifications to my blog as faithful readers will see (if you go back over old posts).  Comments that were deemed “unacceptable” comments deleted by author have been deleted.  I have also locked down my Twitter account (http://twitter.com/kevinrdarcy).  Quite the shame that freedom of speech doesn’t seem to actually work in our Country.  If you REALLY want to see my Tweets, you’ll have to open an account and request to follow me.  I may or may not allow this depending on your possible affiliation with the Regime. 

So, now that I have to watch what I say, I guess I will find new and interesting ways of saying it… 

Anyway, as I tweeted (is that the correct word), FU CC DP DB.  Does anyone know what those 4 sets of initials stand for?  Well, I do and hopefully when I read this again in late 2010 I will remember as well.  Comments removed by author. To heck with them anyway…  I still live in what I consider a free Country, the greatest in the World, Canada.  Mind you, I have only been to the US so I don’t have much to compare it to.

So, that is it for now.  I am heading out for a coffee?  That’s still allowed, isn’t it?

Good night and keep well.

A double-time Sunday.  Had to work from 8am-11am, setting up computers in ICP at work.  Pretty easy work really.  Matt (the Energizer Bunny) and Deb worked with me.  Matt just motors along which is why we finished so quickly.  Oh well, 3 hours at DT is 6 hours off another day so I’ll take it.

I had great plans of doing dishes, laundry and cleaning this afternoon – that didn’t quite come true.  I took a look at a co-workers house that he is selling.  It is a really nice place, truly move-in ready.  The only issue is the size of the house –  it was quite small.  Big enough for me of course but perhaps not for all of my stuff.  I’d have to use one end of the living room as a dining room, not a big deal.  I think I’d use the basement as a living room anyway, either that or a bedroom.  Two bedrooms upstairs, not too big though.  In the master, I’d fit my bed but not much else.  The other room could have my dressers, etc in it.  The basement would then be the rec-room and the living room wouldn’t get used too often.  HUGE back yard, nice garage too.  It would be good to be able to put the Jeep in the garage in the summer when the roof and doors are off.  It also has a nice deck.  The owner has truly taken good care of it.  The asking price is $169000 so the mortgage would be manageable.  Who knows – something to think about anyway…

So, I get home from that (after spending 1/2 hour or so at Anthony’s place) and I have good plans to do the housework that I mentioned.  Ummm, no – I had a nap instead.  Then, as I posted on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kevinrdarcy) it was Rob’s fault that I didn’t get anything done because he MADE me go for a coffee.  Oh well.  Editors Note:  I have had to make my Twitter account private for reasons that I cannot discuss as it may be a violation of something or other.

So, now that I am home I will have to eat and do dishes and likely laundry – everything else will have to wait.  No idea why I delay for so long on stuff that has to be done, no idea at all…

Anyway, this week will be crazy at work.  I have 4.5 days to get everything done before I am off for the Christmas holidays.  It is going to take at least a half day to pack my crap for the umpteenth time for our move into our new area next week.  Next week won’t be any better.  Monday will be unpacking day.  We have our Corporate Services event on Tuesday morning until noon so that leaves 1/2 of a day on Tuesday to wrap up everything else.  Good thing that Anthony will take on anything else that I can’t get to.  He is working over the holidays so he needs somethint to keep himself busy.

More on that later.

Today was a good day.  For some odd reason I was up at 6:45 this morning.  Took the dog for a walk, still didn’t find the time to finish cleaning my office though…  Oh well.

Invited Sister Joan and Dave over for dinner.  Had cranberry glazed chicken and roasted potatoes for dinner.  Was pretty darm good if I say so for myself.

Watched part of the Leafs game tonight, they got hammered 7-2 – it was in Boston.  Dave is a big Boston fan.  Currently (11:06pm) the Flames are tied 0-0 in San Jose.  I am not staying up to watch the whole game though, I have to work tomorrow @ 8am to set up computers in the new ICP area.  Double-time makes it worth while.  I am banking the time so it looks like I will be able to use my lieu for the extra days off I need to go to South Carolina.  At least I won’t have to borrow vacation from next year.

Nothing else that I will report on a G rated blog…  LOL

More tomorrow…  🙂

I will call this the week from hell.  It was rather busy at work and nothing seemed to go the way that you’d want it to.  Too many things to do at work and not enough time to do them all.  Very annoying.

There was the whole windshield thing, the crack is still spreading – it is taking up about 1/2 of the width of the windshield.  I called to try to reschedule the replacement to tomorrow – no dice.  They are booked up.  It is going to get replaced on Tuesday.  I am hopeful that it won’t crack right though before then.

Anyway, once that is fixed I’ll be partially happy.  I still have to get the Region to pay for it.  I don’t know what the policy is but I am sure that it is “deleted by author”.  I have told my manager that the Region should pay for it, why should I drive my vehicle for the Region and also have to cover a stupid repair that wasn’t my fault.  Anyway, I’ll quit bitching for now with the right to bitch later…  🙂

I am heading over to Sister Joan’s for dinner – pizza and salad.  Just a one day weekend for myself, gotta work on Sunday but hey, double time is great.

Later.  🙂

Hmmm…  I forgot to make an entry on Wednesday – BAD Kevin.  A lot happened yesterday, can’t believe that I forgot my entry…

It was a busy day at work.  I was driving all over, started in Thorold to Welland to Port Colborne and the back to Welland.  I was leaving Welland at 4:20pm or so on my back to Regional HQ.  Driving down the 406, there was a dump truck in front of me.  Anyway, I was about 200m behind him and a rock the size of, oh, my fist perhaps hit my windshield causing a rather large crack.  I was pissed…

I get back to work, unload my Jeep and head home at 5pm – an hour after my normal quitting time.

Once home, I figure that I will call my insurance company to see what the deductible is for a broken windshield.  I have Intact Insurance, formally ING.  I went with ING because the rates seemed pretty good.  Anyway, turns out that my premiums suck – more on that later.

I call the 800 number and after navigating my way through their automated system, I get some guy speaking French.  He does speak English however and when I give him my policy number he states that he can’t access an Ontario policy – he’s in Montreal.  He is helpful, gives me another 800 number to call.  I do and it is some sort of number for agents – guess what, I am NOT an agent…  I call back, get another Montrealer who also can’t assist.  I ask, “isn’t this a 24/7 number as it claims on my insurance slip?”.  He says he can’t help me.  I ask, “what if my car is totalled on the side of the road?”, again, he can’t help – I hang up…

I decide, well, let’s see how much this is going to cost to get replaced.  I call Apple Auto Glass, a pretty big company.  The phone rings and rings and rings.  It is about 5:30pm at this point.  Perhaps they are closed.  No answering machine though…  I call another place, no answer.  I call another one, Speedy Glass.  They have 24/7 support AND they speak English. 

As for price, remember, I drive a 2004 Jeep Wrangler TJ.  The windshield is pretty small, 2 feet high, 4 feet wide.  I didn’t know what to expect…  The cost is only $310 or so – not too bad at all.  If only my insurance company could tell me what my deductible is.

Uneventful rest of the evening for the most part – I go to bed too late though.

I call Intact again at 7am.  Got another French dude but he can access my policy – AMAZING.  My deductibe is $300 – remember how much the windshield is?  $310…  So, guess that I am paying the entire cost.

I speak to my Manager at work – since I was on work business I figure work should pay for the windshield.  If they don’t, why should I drive my vehicle for work.  Anyway, he is a good guy and I think he’ll get that part done.

So, I have to replace the windshield ASAP.  The crack is getting bigger and it needs to be changed.  As faithful readers know, I am heading to S. Carolina in a couple of weeks.  I really can’t afford an extra $300 right now and still head south.  At the moment, I have no idea how this will all play out.

That brings me to today – Thursday, December 3.  Nothing out of the ordinary today, computers that don’t want to do what they are supposed to, but that is par for the course.  I am covering Regional Council tonight and additional comments deleted by author.

That’s it for now.  More later…

Welcome to December.  Where the hell did November go?  For that matter the rest of the year.  The year 2009 is flying by.  I must be getting old.

We had the IT Christmas Lunch today at Dom’s Downtown.  The salad was amazing, as always.  I ordered a chicken parm sandwich with fries.  I cut the sandwich in half and took a bit.  It was veal parm.  YUCK.  That really turned me off the rest of the food.  Veal is vile.  Anyway, that sorta ruined the lunch for me, but hey, mistakes happen.  Many thanks to Geoff for buying lunch today, very nice of ya.  I’ll get ya back though…

The work day was sorta dull otherwise.  Tomorrow will be BUSY.  I am going all over the place.

Anyway, time to turn in.  Later…

OK, I admit it.  I eat out at restaurants and get take-out WAY TOO OFTEN.  I should start eating at home more and more home cooked stuff.  It’s not that I eat bad stuff out but I have to stop.  I should calculate how much I spend on food, I am sure I’d be amazed…

Perhaps that can be a New Years resolution.  They are easy to break…  🙂

So, back to today I suppose.  Typical Monday, drove all over St. Catharines putting out various fires.  Makes the day go by quickly.  Didn’t seem to get a lot accomplished this afternoon, but, it went by quickly too.

The IT Christmas lunch is tomorrow.  Should be a good meal – Dom’s always does a good job.  We have 40+ people going.  What a difference between a dinner (15 people) and lunch.  Comment deleted by author.

I picked up 6 tickets to the March 20 Canadian Pink Floyd show in Toronto at the Opera House.  I have never been to that particular venue before, hopefully it’ll be a good show.  I saw the Australian Pink Floyd Show a few years back now and it was amazing.  I am expecting greatness at this one as well.  The tickets were just under $40 each which is pretty good.

When I was at Best Buy yesterday I saw the DVD set for The Shield.  If anyone is looking for a gift for me for Christmas, please pick it up.  🙂

I don’t think that there is much else going on this week.  I suppose I’ll report it if there is.

Out.  🙂

Not a bad day I suppose.  Started out with breakfast with Joan and Dave.  Hmmm…  I should calculate how much I spend going out for meals.  I would likely be shocked.

I bought my secret Santa (Satan) gift for our work lunch.  We aren’t keeping the gifts, they are getting donated to charity so I purchased an iPOD shuffle and a $15 iTUNES card.  Some kid will like that I am sure.  We’re supposed to buy for our secret Santa’s “inner child”.  Mine is Neil – is his inner child different than his “outer child” ???  I think not…  🙂

I am going to finish cleaning my office tonight.  Gotta find the charging cable for my iPOD.

Later…

I volunteered at bingo this morning for St. Catharines Minor Baseball – wasn’t too bad.  I was doing payouts, easy except when they have multiple winners and you have to remember who won…  Lots of interesting characters at bingo, that’s for sure.  I saw an old co-worker from my days at A&P.  Haven’t seen her in 15 years or so.  She hasn’t changed – neither have I of course…  🙂

Tried to do a bit of shopping after that.  Toys R Us was busy.  Wow, they must have brought in tons of $$$ today.

The rest of the day was pretty relaxing.  Didn’t do too much at all.  Oh well, that’s what weekends are for eh.

Out.