Rant

It’s been about three years since I last posted on this blog. It’s been a little over two years since my mom died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Just did’t feel like talking.

A new family member …

Katie is a little over one year old, has yellow and white fur, and is smarter than I am (not much of a stretch really). She was a pound kitty and practically feral when I got her and I spent the first few months trying to entice her off a dining room chair. Now, she’s so lovey-dovey she’ll even sit in my lap and let me pet her—for about a minute.

She’s worse than a dog about following me around the house, however, and is very vocal when she thinks it’s time to refill her kibble bowl or clean her box. She really hates a messy litter box and since I hate cleaning it, she’s becoming something of a nag. Cute, but a nag nonetheless. She likes a lot of attention so I’m thinking about getting a puppy to keep her occupied so I can read, or nap, uninterrupted.

We’ll see how it goes.

A new house …

I moved to a new house a little over a year ago. I’d been at the condo/townhouse for about 15 years and wanted to have a yard again. Not sure why that was so important to me since I don’t like mowing and am not particularly fond of weeding either, but I do like looking out the window and seeing grass and trees instead of a parking lot or a swimming pool full of screaming kids.

And, I really was getting awfully fed up with the HOA ~~police~~ patrol always finding fault with my patio or fence or carport. I mean did those folks have nothing better to do than walk around the complex to see who’d sat a pot of flowers on their carport?

A new gig …

I recently retired and now have time to think about stuff and can get back to blogging. Well, it’s either that or cleaning house. I hate cleaning house. It’s right up there with going to the dentist or waiting for car repairs.

See, I’m getting back into the swing of this already.

I really shouldn’t complain because I can work at home a many as four days a week if I choose to. Instead I work at home, on average, two days a week. The other three days a week, I have a one hour (give or take a few minutes) commute to work and then, of course, another hour back home.

I have a love hate relationship with my commute.

On the one hand, I get to listen to great music and I get a Sausage Egg McMuffin, too. (Don’t knock it ’til you try it.)

On the other hand, there’s traffic.

I’ve never gotten along very well with traffic. I suppose I’m just too impatient. I don’t curse much except when I’m driving and then can make a sailor blush.

I could drive my 30 plus miles on the interstate but, as a general rule, prefer the scenic route. It’s about a mile longer, but doesn’t take any more time at all. And, there aren’t four lanes of one and a half ton flying objects to make me crazy.

There are, however, a few things about my route that bother me just a tad. For example, it’s pretty much a two-lane road all the way and the places where I can pass a slow-moving vehicle are few and far between.

Ever been behind a pickup pulling a landscaping trailer full of mulch that’s going 40 miles an hour in a 55 mile an hour zone and you’re late for work? It’s not pretty. I mean what goes on in my car, not what’s on the trailer. Though, that view does leave a lot to be desired.

Then there are the folks that plan to make a left turn and start slowing down about two miles before they get to their turnoff. And they don’t give a signal. They just start slowly slowing down until you begin to wonder if they’ve fallen asleep.

Oh well, it could be a lot worse and, besides, I get to enjoy the scenery a lot more at 55 miles an hour than I would at 70 or 80 miles and hour. All I really have to keep an eye out for are the state troopers and the sheriff and the skunks. Dead skunk is just not a pleasant way to start your day.

So, what’s your commute like? What pushes your tick-off button when you’re on the road?