Wuss Dog?

Wuss dog? Nasty out tonight, snowing and cold as we went for his “constitutional”. He knows where all the doors are and tonight wanted to go to them.

Sorry, no pictures. Me or the camera, I’m not sure but all were blurred.

Check out DR JIM’s blog for more on our storms. He is about 20 miles from me but Front Range weather varies mile to mile.

http://every-blade-of-grass.blogspot.com/

The East/West Interstate corridors have seen tough conditions. I-80 in Wyoming has been closed off and on. I-70 was closed from Kansas to near Denver and the mountain passes by rock slides and avalanches. So glad I’m no longer a road warrior.

The storm tonight is supposed to clear by late Sunday with Monday forecasted to be clear. Hope so, a client has given me an assignment in NE Colorado they want done “immediately”. I told them I’m not driving in High Plains blizzards, period. Turns out the “immediate” was somewhat flexible. (Which means all the other agents in the area declined).

The dog is being spoiled by the female residents. Petting, treats, cooing, etc. There is a coffee klatch group in the common area every morning plotting conspiracies against the management and generally acting like middle school mean girls. The dog sees them and pulls hard on the leash to go over where they fawn on him and give him treats.

Then it is off to the lobby and the elevators where the other ladies who don’t like the mean girls gather. More attention to the dog.

My thought was the mutt would be my wingman.  Hah! I’m his wingman.

My policy is getting along with everyone and avoiding clicks.

Three days ago did the fall on ice maneuver.  Cracked a rib high in my chest under the pectoral muscle. All I can do is cowboy up. The miscellaneous bruises are already healing but I think the rib will take a couple of weeks.

Did some business today with the local Cricket cell phone store. Black Friday, and their entire computer system went down. Bet some IT people need to update their resumes.

Had a nice Thanksgiving meal with some friends. Sisty is off to Reno to see her daughter and grandkids. Her grandson, a high school senior, is a good football player. His team plays the semi-final State Championship game  tomorrow. I’ve set aside bail money for his mother and Sisty. They get a bit intense.

UPDATE: Wyoming is getting hammered.

https://kisscasper.com/nearly-300-miles-of-i-25-in-wyoming-closed-some-for-24-hours/?fbclid=IwAR3wa0JAcLgzr7oMEP4Dm8bhAzdBsZOs4gcnxTIsbEsQ5FbQelGkxPaFDEw

Double Damn Damn

Icy parking lot, not paying attention and boom, down on my left side. Had to crawl over to a vehicle to pull myself to my feet.

Nothing broken but it will be a four aspirin and shot of whiskey night.

Was there an audience? Of course. I was on my way to “assist” one of the comely female resident’s clear snow and ice off her car. Age 75, and the damn little head still does a lot of thinking.

Superfan

Readers of this blog know I’m enamored with steam locomotives. Today the UP 4014 Big Boy came through town on its way home to Cheyenne after the Southwest tour.

Let a pesky winter storm keep me away? I think not.

That's Different

When you go to a U-Pull auto salvage yard, perhaps the last thing you expect to find are showcases filled with museum quality model airplanes, ships, and the odd locomotive. Most are military with a preponderance of  WW II types.

The owner of the business makes them. His employees say that he doesn’t watch TV, just works on models at night. My understanding is the ones on display in the lobby are a fraction of what is in his home.

Interesting, the things one runs across.

Senior Employment

Working at age 75 is challenging. First, finding something to do, and second, finding someone to hire you.  The third issue is physically being able to do the work.

Right out of the Army I got a job working on a core drill. We had a three man crew, the driller, helper, and water truck driver. Damn hard physical work. We had an old man driving the water truck. He wouldn’t admit to his age but he was probably in his 80’s. Watching him, I realized he never moved until he needed to, never picked up drill stem higher than necessary, and conserved him strength. I never forgot the lesson I learned from him. It didn’t matter in my younger years but now it does.

This past summer I worked driving a shuttle bus hauling water truck drivers out to the producing oil fields in Northern Weld County. Quit when winter came. I didn’t feel up to driving two lane roads with no shoulders in Colorado blizzards.

For the past 18 months I have been acting as a “collection agent” delivering dun letters to people behind on their mortgages. Paid on a per job basis. Very much part time work.

When the shit hit the fan in 2002 and banks quit lending money for car loans, I fell back on my younger skill sets in the construction field, inspecting and securing houses abandoned by their owners. The collapse of the subprime mortgage business coupled with George II’s economy kept me busy. This continued under the Lightbringer’s inept presidency.

Recently a company I did work for back then contacted me. I’m currently going through their HR’s torturous road. Assume I survive the journey; the job is a simple inspection for insurance companies. Simple, yes, but convoluted. Sketches, measurements, photographs and the use of computer programs (me weakest skill) are all part of the process not to mention finding the property in the first place. Yeah, Magellan!

I’m asked why I don’t get back into sales. Simply, I don’t want that much interaction with people. Yes, my daughter-in-law’s label GOB (Grumpy Old Bastard) is apt. Being a WalMart greeter/loss prevention isn’t for me.

I don’t need to work, financially, but I enjoy getting out and about and solving problems.  The problem, while I don’t care about age, my body does. It reminds me frequently. Oh well, so long as I’m breathing air and taking nourishment, I’ll keep on keeping on.

Dog Report

The dog is settling in nicely. Doesn’t bark, rarely whines, and has shown no aggression to any person or animal.

Something I put on Facebook:

Pet training.
Wake up, petting session. Walk, do business, check PMail. Breakfast. More petting. Nice nap. Wake up, nice drink from water bowl, more petting. Frank's training is coming along nicely.
Banner

He has become the building’s pet. Whenever we pass through the public area we stop for pats. Not everyone cares to remember my name but they all know his.

He does well riding in the car. I’ve let him off the leash a few times in dog parks and he seems willing to come back to me when called (after awhile - he is a Lab). He is not a fan of my truck as the seat is on the small size for him.

We are walking three to four times a day and I feel myself getting 1. Stronger and 2. 75 years old. My weight loss is happening faster now. My annual physical is in two weeks and I’m hoping my chart goes from morbidly obese to just obese.

All in all, I think I’ve won the adopt a dog lottery.

Commander in Chief

When was the last time a Commander in Chief fired a General or Admiral? Truman and MacArthur?

Now we see where the Presidential pardons and the restoration of Chief Gallagher’s rank has the top military in an uproar.  Seems the top SEAL dude, one Rear Admiral Collin Green, is kicking Gallagher out of the SEALS and is going after some very junior officers.

I don’t understand just how SEALS qualifications and retention works – not in my wheelhouse to paraphrase Nutty Nancy, but the Commander in Chief has spoken. Case closed.

The upper ranks are infested with Obama administration lackeys. They are very much part of the Deep State. A cleaning is needed. Perhaps the Commander in Chief should start by firing Green.

I’m not including the retired generals and admirals that President Trump has fired. They lost whatever protection they enjoyed by accepting civilian positions.

IMO, President Trump needs to make it crystal clear he won’t tolerate any “Seven Days in May” bullshit.